Wellington, May 3 (IBNS): A Playboy model has triggered controversy by posing naked on the top of Mt Taranaki in New Zealand, media reports said. Model Jaylene Cook posted the picture on her Instagram page. Her bold step made local Maori community upset. The community considers the mountain as sacred. "It's like someone went into St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and took a nude photo," Dennis Ngawhare, a spokesperson for the local Maori tribe, told the BBC. "It's a sacred place and something like this is just very inappropriate," Dennis Ngawhare said. Image: Jaylene Cook Instagram page T he best dramas have a twist in the tail, and ITV has delivered one worthy of Broadchurch. On New Years Eve, just five months ago, Sky News reported that ITV had hired headhunters to replace the chief executive Adam Crozier. The company dismissed the story at the time, with one high-up on the board saying he was cross at having his Christmas disrupted by the media chasing a total non-event. It would be a story if we werent doing proper succession planning, he huffed. We are, he insisted, just ensuring that in the long-distant future, ITV isnt left in a position which lesser companies have found themselves in: where the boss quits and leaves a gaping great hole at the top of the company. What a fine demonstration of that other dramatic must-have: hubris. Today, ITV was forced to admit that Crozier is quitting in a matter of weeks. There is no successor lined up. The chairman will have to take on Croziers duties. Theres no date put on when a new boss will be found. Such bad guidance leads to speculation Crozier is quitting while hes ahead. Hang around too long and you get blamed when things go wrong just ask Mities Ruby McGregor Smith. You can make an argument that ITV is heading for a fall. Part of its growth lately is because of its takeovers of US production companies. Though these have diversified it from reliance on UK advertising, such acquisitions bear risks. Namely, that the creative, brains behind such firms often quit once their lock-in deals expire. On the flip side, ITV has repeatedly declared its fundamentals are strong, and Crozier will still be delivering next weeks trading figures. That doesnt suggest theyll be bad in the short term. More interestingly for investors, though, is an old saw from the textbook of corporate dramas: companies without chief executives tend to attract takeover approaches. Liberty Media will be watching events with interest. Time please, Tim Im all in favour of bosses having the guts to speak up on matters political. Businesses are, after all, the major contributor to our way of life and should have a say. They can take it too far, though. Witness Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin, whose Stock Exchange statement today contains four brief paragraphs on its financials, followed by six lengthy ones devoted to a rant against the CBIs foolhardy Carolyn Fairbairn. We all love Martin, who writes an occasional and rather brilliant Brexit column for this newspaper. But newspapers (and pubs), are the appropriate venue for such bar-room brawling, Tim. Not the Stock Exchange. S ainsburys 1.4 billion takeover of Argos helped soften the blow of a sales fall at its core supermarkets business today. Sainsburys, which bought Argos for 1.4 billion last year, said underlying pre-tax profit fell 1% to 581 million in the year to March 11. Argoss 77 million contribution and savings of 130 million offset rising costs, such as the increase in the national living wage, and efforts to keep prices low amid a fierce industry war. Boss Mike Coupe said he was very pleased with the Argos deal and insisted the rest of the firm had been resilient, despite sales at Sainsburys stores open for more than a year dipping 0.6% while Argos sales rose 4.1%. Shares fell 4% to 268p. The market place this year has been one of the most interesting, challenging and volatile that Ive ever experienced in my working lifetime. In the last five years weve done incredibly well, broadly speaking, to maintain market share. Sainsburys expects costs to rise between 2% and 3% in the next year amid pressure from sterlings weakness. Analysts are forecasting another profit fall in 2018. Data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel showed all supermarket sales rose 3.7%, their fastest since September 2013, in the past 12 weeks. F irst Brexit was going to be hell. Then it seemed all fine and dandy. Now negotiations are under way and it is getting nasty, very nasty. Politicians are slagging each other off like heavyweights before a fight. They may be acting. But out in the street, grown-ups have no time to act. They must make real decisions, and are having to do so. Even those who thought Brexit was no big deal either way I was a Remainer but only just must find Theresa Mays bloody difficult woman comment childish and odd. She herself claimed to back Remain. Yet leaks from Brussels portray her as belligerent, tactless and on another galaxy. Germanys Angela Merkel, not normally hostile to Britain, called her delusional. Tomorrow an angry EU commission will reportedly release plans to force the euro currency market out of London. This means the Citys euro exchange business must relocate into the eurozone to continue trading. Since Europes rival banking centres are lobbying for this, they are pushing an open door. Already Deutsche Bank, HSBC and UBS have announced a total of 8,000 jobs going to the Continent. Last Wednesday, Jes Staley of Barclays hinted at a similar move. The euro business is huge.Consultant EY calculates that it could involve 80,000 jobs. Meanwhile, on the high street, Starbucks and Pret a Manger among others are panicking about baristas. Hospitals and care homes are frantic for migrant staff. Londons three biggest industries finance, leisure and welfare are wondering what is going on. A mass defection of low-paid staff could cost millions. Even the most insouciant hard Brexiteer must surely pause to think. Was Project Fear right after all? Was it just a matter of dates? So far, like most Londoners, I assumed the Brexit talks would start tough but would soon be so hedged with deals as to be acceptably soft. Come 2019, Mays jolly musketeers would return from Brussels loaded with free trade, passported banks and reassurances for EU residents, who presently feel like Mexicans at a Trump rally. There would somehow be open borders for immigrants that were needed, and closed ones for the rest. It was inconceivable that banks would move, hospitals close and food rot in the fields. There would be deals, because everyone had an interest in them. Theresa May describes reports of disastrous Brexit meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker as 'Brussels gossip' Now I am not so sure, with ministers behaving like ranting Ukippers. Last October we heard Home Secretary Amber Rudd talking of EU residents as illegals, with workplace registers, deportations and landlords and employers sent to prison. We get endless macho we can walk away remarks. We know we cannot walk away. You cant build a wall. There have to be deals and between realists. Britains negotiators would do well to learn from this weeks memoir of the 2015 Greek debt crisis, by the then Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis. It reads like diplomatic terrorism. The Greeks soon found they were dealing not with a democratic entity called the EU, they were dealing with murky German bank officials whose sole care was the reckless loans of eurozone banks. Politicians were their puppets. They delayed talks, crossed wires, passed bucks and double-crossed. The EU had mutated into a German empire, with Germanys bankers its last true believers. At one point the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, admitted to Varoufakis that his demands would wreck the Greek economy. He did not care. He wanted total capitulation. Varoufakis warns Britain of the EUs use of deviousness and delay. It will be beaten down by one humiliating defeat after another. The EU was built for France. It is now built for Germany. I know Greek debt is not Brexit, and Athens is not London. But the Varoufakis story is about how the modern EU works. None of the EU parties, least of all Merkel, has an interest in caving in to Mays rhetoric. The EU has lost the Brexit battle, it now wants to minimise the damage. Its interest is to ensure Britain, and especially London, feels pain. For starters, Merkel and her negotiators want 80 billion up front or they will not even discuss borders, free trade or the status of EU residents. As for special deals for banks, cars or farm workers, forget it. Last week Merkel could not have been clearer: Britains illusions are a waste of time. The nearer the clock gets to 2019, the more the heat will be on London, not Brussels. Any fool can climb the white cliffs of Dover and, as Kipling said, sing God save the Queen. But no sensible person wants visas at Heathrow, documents at Harwich and Rudds register of hated foreigners. Britain has to live with Europe, trade with Europe, move at ease over Europes borders. It must remain part of Europes common economic space. There has to be a deal. The best way through this mess was always a table dhote package, and the most sensible was to leave the EU but adopt the Norwegian option, of remaining with Europes free trade economic area (EEA). It is the softest of Brexits and far from perfect. May would have to fight her Right wing over immigration and respecting the European court. But it would work. London is by far Europes richest and most cosmopolitan city. A third of its population was born overseas, a quarter are not even British. The 999 exchange needs translators in 150 languages. Immigration is Londons lifeblood it has been since the days of Good Queen Bess. The city can survive anything but a wall against immigrants would be a different, nastier London. Macrons Paris would increase its appeal to Europes migratory labour, as would Berlin, Brussels and Amsterdam. Frankfurt is already welcoming home its own. Europe is going multi-centric. A hard border with Europe would hurt London, Better to sign up to a European free trade area warts, compromises and all than refight the Hundred Years War. Remember, we lost that one. A s she is a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, one might expect shadow home secretary Diane Abbott to be treated with some leniency over her car-crash radio interview on LBC, but it undermines the work the Labour Party has been putting in to recapture its credibility. Corbyn did not publicly criticise her despite a series of mistakes. It is good he is nice and honest but a leader must be firm when necessary. It seems that Labour cannot escape its own problems even when the Tories are struggling and the blame must be placed at Corbyns feet. Alan Bould I am not a fan of Jeremy Corbyn but why is Theresa May afraid to hold a TV debate with him? In a democracy, voters are entitled to have a clear idea of what each party leader stands for. Yet May seems reluctant to engage with them. Her address to a selected audience of Tory party members last week is a prime example of this. Valerie Crews Join the conversation: #esnewsviews The former UK boss of McDonalds has become the latest business high-flyer handed the poisoned chalice of trying to revive Marks & Spencers struggling clothing sales. Jill McDonald, 52, who ran the burger chain for five years until 2015, takes up the newly created title of managing director, clothing, home and beauty. She joins from bike and car parts retailer Halfords, where she was chief executive for two years. The appointment by M&S boss Steve Rowe was seen in the City as a bold move to build on the first tentative signs of success in the struggle to prevent fashion sales haemorrhaging to rivals such as Zara, Next and Primark. Marks & Spencer - spring/summer 2017 dresses 1 /16 Marks & Spencer - spring/summer 2017 dresses M&S SS17 Dusty pink dress, 69 M&S SS17 Pleated dress, 59 M&S SS17 Yellow dress, 55 M&S SS17 Autograph pink dress, 65 M&S SS17 Khaki dress, 59 M&S SS17 Floral dress, 45 M&S SS17 White dress, 45 M&S SS17 Pinstriped dress, 39.50 M&S SS17 Navy dress, 45 M&S SS17 Floral dress, 55 M&S SS17 Collared dress, 35 M&S SS17 Floral dress, 59 Clothing sales had been on the slide for five years when Mr Rowe succeeded Marc Bolland at the head of Britains best known retailer last year. A number of highly rated retail stars have tried - largely without success - to reverse the trend in recent years. They include Kate Bostock who left in 2012, and John Dixon, who quit in 2015. Both had been tipped as potential future chief executives of M&S. Mr Bollands departure was largely blamed on City impatience with his failure to reverse the slump in clothing sales. Jill McDonald, managing director, clothing, home and beauty / Patrick Balls Mr Rowe surprised the City when he kept personal responsibility for M&Ss non-food departments after he was made chief executive in April last year. But in December he asked headhunters JCA to find a new fashion boss to replace him in the role. Archive by Alexa - the M&S collection 1 /42 Archive by Alexa - the M&S collection Archive by Alexa Elsie Dress, 39.50 Archive by Alexa Frances Coat, 89 Archive by Alexa Edna Shirt, 35 Archive by Alexa Myrtle Jumper, 29.50 Archive by Alexa Harry Top, 35 Archive by Alexa The Misty Dress, 45 Archive by Alexa Ada Blazer, 49.50 Archive by Alexa Ada Trouser, 39.50 Archive by Alexa Helen Trainer, 49.50 Archive by Alexa Bertha Cardigan, 35 Archive by Alexa Bertha Cardigan, 35 Archive by Alexa Cora Bikini, top 18, briefs 14 Archive by Alexa Daphne T-shirt, 19.50 (two pack) Archive by Alexa Daphne T-shirt, 19.50 (two pack) Archive by Alexa Effie Skirt, 39.50 Archive by Alexa Eliza Dress, 45 Archive by Alexa Harry Dress, 45 Archive by Alexa Harry Top, 35 Archive by Alexa Hattie Top, 25 Archive by Alexa Hattie Top, 25 Archive by Alexa Hattie Top, 25 Archive by Alexa Lilian Shoe, 25 Archive by Alexa Lillie Jumper, 35 Archive by Alexa Lydia Skirt, 29.50 Archive by Alexa Lydia Trouser, 35 Archive by Alexa Mae dress, 39.50 Archive by Alexa Martha Shoe, 39.50 Archive by Alexa Nellie Boot, 65 Archive by Alexa Olive Dress, 39.50 Archive by Alexa Olive Dress, 39.50 Archive by Alexa Ruth Top, 19.50 (two pack) Archive by Alexa Ruth Top, 19.50 (two pack) A more upbeat trading statement in January, revealing the first quarterly rise in sales in the clothing and home division for almost two years, suggested a corner might have been turned. Mr Rowe said: I am pleased with the progress we have made in clothing and home over the last year and the time is now right for this appointment. Jill is an excellent addition to the M&S senior leadership team. Jills first-class customer knowledge and great experience in running dynamic, high-achieving teams make her exactly the right person to lead this all-important part of our business from recovery in to growth. Ms McDonald said: M&S has a unique, special relationship with its customers and I am very motivated by working closely with customers to drive and shape results. I have long been an M&S customer and professional fan, so working with the brand was a career opportunity that I just couldnt turn down. I am looking forward to joining Steve and the team later this year to build on the plans that are already under way. I ts sweet, refreshing and incredible Instagram fodder yes, Im talking about bubble tea, the surprisingly addictive Taiwanese drink. If you arent one to wait in excessively long lines for a bubble wrap waffle or matcha soft serve, this Asian-inspired dessert might just cure your sweet tooth. Bubble tea culture has existed in London for several years, but only a handful have survived the trend. As a self-proclaimed bubble tea connoisseur (I hail from the US, where bubble tea made its Western debut), I decided to try them out myself. Here are some of Londons best bubble tea shops: Biju Bubble Tea Room Bubble tea with tapioca and custard / Biju Bubble Tea Room Touted as bubble tea without the nasties, Biju is the spot if youre looking for fresh ingredients and inventive flavours. Nicholas Phan, Bijus 28-year-old founder, said he knew he wanted to start his own bubble tea specialty store when he noticed the gimicky concepts behind others in London. Bubble tea, invented in the 1990s in Taiwan, was always a street food made with powdered milk, since refrigeration wasnt available. As bubble tea shops travelled west, many kept with the tradition. However, Phan breaks the mold with his freshly brewed tea recipes at Biju, which has locations in Soho and at Westfield Mall. Each loose-leaf tea is brewed fresh to order in an espresso-like machine, which sets Biju apart from any other shop in London. His staff then pulls the tea concentrate to cool it down. Once cool, the tea is mixed with organic British milk, almond milk, soy milk or coconut water and shaken until the namesake bubbles rise to the top. I wanted it to be a healthier, more real take on a dessert drink, Phan told the Standard. When I came up with it, I wasnt just frustrated with the drinks. It was that people didnt care about it, like they care about specialty coffee. With bubble tea, it was like anything goes. And, as it appears, Phans idea worked. According to a database that keeps track of orders, 90 percent of Biju visitors are repeat visitors. When I was there during Bijus off hours on an early Friday afternoon, waves of young people came in and out, many of them telling me that they come at least once or twice a week. I like the peach with lychee jelly and chia seeds, Arianna Arcilla, 16, of London told me. Its not too sweet, just the right amount. I come here about twice a week with my friends. Amanda Majsterek, 22, of London, said shes been coming to Biju weekly since her brother introduced her to the spot. It helps to be different, Phan said. Great for: Health-conscious sweet tooths, vegans, those looking for a subtler sweetness than typical bubble tea shop offerings Location: Old Compton St, Soho; Westfield London Prices: Starting at 3.25 I tried: Taro Ube Milk Tea with coconut water nata de coco; Iced Passion Fruit Tea with popping passion fruits and chia seeds; Matcha Milk Tea with honey, tapioca pearls and chia seeds; Roasted Oolong Milk Tea (served hot) with tapioca pearls; Hong Kong Milk Tea with egg custard Winning flavour: Matcha Milk Tea. Phan made me a special combination almond milk and honey instead of sweetener, with extra tapioca and chia seeds. The tapioca pearls were the perfect, chewy texture, not too hard, but not soggy either. The chia seeds added extra texture, and the honey was delightfully subtle. Matcha is my favourite flavour, but can often taste chalky when not done well. Biju take on the Japanese staple was creamy and delicious. Phan added that anyone who comes in is welcomed to try substitutes like I did. Tip: Almond milk complements many of the drinks well, and brings out bright colours better than whole or soy milk (If youre keen to snap a pic). bijububbletea.com Cuppacha This Soho staple has an enormous selection of teas, with interesting combinations like Cadbury chocolate or Oreo toppings. I found the tea to be quite sweet, but customers are able to customise how much sugar goes into their drink. Locations: Newport Court, Soho; Orchard Square, Sheffield Prices: Starting at 3.25 I tried: Rose Milk Tea with tapioca pearls, Lychee Black Tea with tapioca pearls, Lychee Star Mango Tea with tapioca pearls Winning flavour: The Rose Milk Tea was unlike anything Ive ever tasted. The tea was sweet and creamy with floral notes, and the pearls had the slightest taste of honey. Definitely a great sweet tooth cure. Tip: Grab a loyalty card buy 10 drinks and the next one is free. cuppacha.com Mooboo Mooboo Bubble Tea The UK franchise was founded by Eric Khaw, who said his aim was to create the finest quality drinks and desserts. The menu is pretty expansive, and includes specialty items like blended ice desserts and smoothies. Flavours vary from classic fruits like Mango and Lychee to more exotic flavours like Yakult and Rose Guanying. Locations: Parkway, Camden; Queensway, Notting Hill Prices: Starting at 3.49 I tried: Taro milk Popular flavours: Summer Mango, Mooboo Jasmine, Honey Oolong. Tip: If youre student, be sure to bring identification. The discount for those still in school is a hefty 20 percent. mooboo.co Happy Lemon Happy Lemon storefront in Chinatown / Happy Lemon UK This Chinatown shop is small, no-frills but packed wall to wall on a weekday afternoon. They offer the classics - fruit teas, milk teas, tapioca balls - but manager Ison Au says that offering the basics is not enough to compete with the dozens of bubble tea shops that dot the neighbourhood. Because of the tight competition (one shop is even just next door), Happy Lemon tries its hand at a couple unique menu items, like special rock salted cheese (not exactly what it sounds like) and taro balls (delightfully soft and sweet). Ever since the Taiwan-based franchise opened in April 2015, the staff has made an effort to switch up the menu every six months or so. "We aren't just the best tea or the best customer service", said 24-year-old Au. "With everything, we try to do our best." Location: Newport Court, Chinatown Prices: Starting at 2.45 I tried: Matcha Milk Tea with Rock Salted Cheese Popular flavours: Lemon Green Tea, Taro Milk Tea Tip: Big Happy Lemon fan? Purchase a 5 membership to the rewards program to access points, free drinks and special promotions. happy-lemon.co.uk Bubbleology (Bubbleology) / Tom Joy Bubbleology was the first of its kind in London, setting roots in Soho in August 2011. The store has grown tremendously since then, now boasting 70 locations across nine countries. The menu's range is the most impressive quality, with items ranging from milk and fruit teas to alcoholic cocktails and coffee drinks. The brand might be the most recognisable in the capital due to frequent visits from the Beckham family, but the quality of the tea holds its own. In my experience, the fruit teas taste better than the powdered milk teas, but there are plenty of flavours for even the pickiest tea taster to find one they fancy. Location: Several around London Prices: Starting at 3.59 I tried: Taro Milk Tea with tapioca pearls, Lychee Fruit Tea with tapioca pearls, Acai Berry Tea with tapioca pearls Tip: Save your receipt. If you bring the receipt back before 1 p.m. the day after your purchase, your drink is half priced. bubbleology.co.uk Amanzi Coconut bubble tea / Amanzi The Zimbabwe-based Amanzi Tea franchise is more gourmet tea house than bubble tea specialty shop, but the product quality shows through in all of their products. The modern tea bar makes each cup of tea individually, with over 100 teas on offer (including a dedicated Matcha menu). Although bubble tea is not the centrepiece of the shop, it still offers a high-quality sips and snacks for those looking to indulge. Location: New Cavendish Street, Marylebone Prices: Bubble teas start at 3.75 Popular flavour: Matcha Milk Tea and Taro Milk Tea Tips: Try out Amanzi's loose-leaf tea bar while you're there. The shop offers blends designated to provide health benefits for skin, hair and nails. amanzitea.com I f you had said 25 years ago that London would become one of the worlds leading food destinations, not many people would have believed you. Now, you just need to walk through any part of our city from Borough Market to Brick Lane and you will find some of the worlds best places to eat with flavours inspired from around the world. Credit should go to the Evening Standard for staging the highly anticipated London Food Month and for promoting the extraordinary variety and brilliance of our citys cuisine. This will really help to cement Londons reputation as one of the great culinary capitals of the world. Its also excellent that as well as a celebration, London Food Month will promote awareness of food waste and encourage the industry to donate surplus food to charity in order to help some of Londons most vulnerable people. We have thousands of incredible restaurants in London from top Michelin-star eateries to local cafes as well as a huge variety of interesting and exotic ingredients available at markets, shops and stalls throughout our city. Whether its Thai, Turkish, Indian, Moroccan, Mediterranean or the best of English fare, London serves it up with real flair. In March, I joined top chefs to launch #MyLondonDish, celebrating the wonderful diversity of the capitals food scene. Over the past few weeks, Londoners of all ages and backgrounds have been sharing their take on what is a quintessential London delicacy. Weve seen everything from fusion street food to the old classic, fish and chips. #MyLondonDish started as part of my London Is Open campaign, to show the world that despite Brexit, London remains open to business, creativity and talent from around the world. And nowhere is this more evident than in our food scene. As mayor of our great city, Im proud that London will host the UKs biggest ever food festival and I urge all Londoners and visitors to our city to give their taste buds a treat and discover the best of the capitals gourmet delights this London Food Month. G ood food can do good. It raises the spirits and sometimes literally raises money for good causes, as in the case of Moro and Moritos chef/proprietor Samantha Clarks Pink Plates initiative to support Breast Cancer Care. On May 8, Clark, who had breast cancer, will be hosting a dinner at Moro on Exmouth Market, preparing a feast for guests with a team of female chefs, including Angela Hartnett, Margot Henderson, Thomasina Miers and Skye Gyngell. Tickets cost 150 including all drinks and food. Gyngell is taking charge of canapes, making crab cakes with chilli and lemon mayonnaise, bruschetta with broad beans, mint and goats curd and for the carnivores, veal tartare on rye with sorrel and creme fraiche. Miers is doing the starters based around seasonal asparagus theres one with crab, beurre noir and salsa macha, served with Moros sourdough bread and a veggie version without the fish. Hartnett will provide a pasta course, Clark a seasonal fish and vine leaves main, and Henderson will prepare a panna cotta for dessert. Following the launch throughout May and June, Clark and her fellow chefs hope diners will contribute to Breast Cancer Care by accepting an optional 1 addition to their bill. Besides Moro and Morito, restaurants including Lyles, The Modern Pantry, Grain Store, The Barbary, Oklava and Koya will also be participating. The grand finale will be a closing dinner hosted by Honey & Co at the beginning of July, where Clark will announce the grand total over a spice-laden Mediterranean supper. What better reason to go forth and feast? A n award-winning photographer who has spent two decades travelling the world taking pictures has come back to London for his latest book set in the capitals pie and mash shops. Stuart Freedman, whose work has featured in Time magazine and Paris Match, started taking photographs of the shops in 2011. He even travelled out to Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland where most of the eels eaten in London are caught. He said he wanted the book, which is being funded via online fundraising site Kickstarter, to go beyond the cliched image of the East End. Mr Freedman, who grew up in Dalston, said the shops represented a way of life that was endangered but still quite tenacious. He said: For someone like me who escaped the grey London skies to photograph and report from across the world, the shops represent some sort of consistency and a portal back to my own past. I first wrote about them in 2011 for a German magazine and this book is a tribute to both the extraordinarily hard-working owners and the loyal customers. It is also a way to gauge the change that has taken place since I left. Mr Freedman said the book, which will be called The Englishman And The Eel, would be a companion piece to his last project, which was about the Indian coffee houses he frequented while living in Delhi. He said: I take the pictures the same way I take pictures for international magazines, I just hang around and talk to people. It is all about having the time to look at things properly. I wanted this book absolutely clearly to be a love letter to the place and the people I come from. Follow Robert Dex on Twitter: @RobertDexES For more information go to kickstarter.com Kabul, May 3 (IBNS) : At least eight civilians were killed and three foreign troops along with 25 civilians were wounded in a suicide attack in capital Kabul on Tuesday, Afghanistan's state-run news agency Khaama Press reported. US Navy Captain William K. Salvin, spokesman for the US Forces-Afghanistan, said a coalition MRAP convoy was targeted by an improvised explosive device in Kabul this morning about 8 am. He said three coalition service members were wounded. All sustained non-life threatening wounds, are in stable condition, and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group offshoot in Afghanistan, ISIS-Khurasan, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, the report said. The group in a statement released in Arabic language claimed that 8 American soldiers were killed in the attack. The incident took place in the vicinity of the 9th police district of the city close to Abdul Haq Square after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives close to the convoy of the foreign forces. The attack has been carried out days after the Taliban group announced its spring offensive and vowed to carry out more attacks across the country. A n 18-year-old engineering student from Mexico has designed an intelligent bra that can detect the early signs of breast cancer. Julian Rios Cantu scooped the top prize at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards for his smart bra, which can monitor abnormal changes in the wearers breast tissue and alert them to a potential cancer risk. Rios Cantu said he was inspired to create the bra after witnessing his mothers repeated battle with the disease, which saw her undergo a double mastectomy. The 'EVA' bra, which he developed through his company Higia Technologies, is equipped with around 200 biosensors which can map the surface of the breast and surrounding areas. The tactile sensors measure the breast's temperature, shape and weight, alerting the wearer to any abnormal changes. Rios Cantu explained to Infobae that heat can be a particular indicator of the disease - as increased blood flow suggests that blood vessels are feeding on cancerous cells. "EVA is a network of biosensors that covers the womans breast, takes the temperature data, analyses them, and sends the information to an application or any computer, Rios Cantu told the website. As soon as there is a malformation in the breast or a tumor, there is an over-vascularization; so to more [flow of] blood, the higher the temperature," he added. Breast Cancer Awareness light up London 1 /10 Breast Cancer Awareness light up London Tom Dymond/Rex Tom Dymond/Rex Tom Dymond/Rex Jonathan Hordle/Rex Jonathan Hordle/Rex Tom Dymond/Rex Jonathan Hordle/Rex Tom Dymond/Rex Rios Cantu, a native of Monterrey, in Mexicos northern state of Nuevo Leon, said the device was conceived primarily for women with a genetic predisposition to cancer. The teen became the first Mexican as well as the youngest person ever to win the award, which comes with a $20,000 cash prize to develop his invention. M y first attempt at a cup of coffee as a trainee barista doesnt end up in a customers hand. It looks like a mud bath. Gingerly, I try it. Its thin, powdery and tastes burnt. Im the coffee-maker who didnt get the crema. And this is supposed to be the easiest drink on the menu the espresso, the building block for more complex coffees, no pimped-up milk necessary. When I arrive at Grinds Maiden Lane shop, Sam Trevethyen, the companys head of coffee whos agreed to train me, tells me Im brave for wearing white. Its a euphemism for foolish. He then tells me that customers assume a baristas job is a doddle. They think were just pressing a button. But the skill-set of a speciality barista is much more in line with a high-quality cocktail bartender or chef than it is with the fast-food industry. As I swiftly discover, it demands multi-tasking on a par with patting-your-head-patting-your-head-while-rubbing-your- stomach-and-simultaneously-reciting- Shakespearean-sonnets. Yet, thanks to Brexit, were in danger of haemorrhaging staff with these skills. London has long received much of its caffeine fix from Europeans who work here thanks to freedom of movement within the EU. So keenly would their absence be felt that Home Secretary Amber Rudd is mulling introducing a barista visa, allowing EU nationals to work for two years in the hospitality sector. But a poll found yesterday that while Britons were happy for Europes finest to come here to man our hospitals and our care homes, the majority dont support the barista visa even though our coffee shops are arguably a fifth emergency service for the exhausted and overworked. This is a sleep-deprived city that runs on caffeine. And the NHS isnt the only national institution that immigrants prop up. Theres Pret. And Costa. And probably your local coffee shop too. In March the HR boss of Pret A Manger, Andrea Wareham, told parliament the company would struggle to find staff without employing EU nationals. Almost two thirds of the firms employees were non-British EU workers. Rosamund gets some expert instruction from Head of Coffee Sam Trevethyen / Matt Writtle Trevethyen used to work in Melbourne, the coffee capital of the world, and says Londons coffee scene lags behind Melbournes and thats reflected in Brits not viewing baristas as skilled workers. Your typical higher education system here doesnt offer many vocational skills to do with coffee either, whereas in Australia its not uncommon to study lots of hospitality-focused courses. Nonetheless, speciality coffee chains are expanding rapidly in the UK, so much so that theres now the first for barista, by barista milk producer, The Estate Dairy, where the milk is deliberately processed to have a high fat and protein content for coffee-making. Grind is among the most successful of these chains. The business was only launched six years ago but now has nine sites and around 200 employees. After staff join they go to see Trevethyen for an introduction to coffee class a potted version of which hes giving me. It runs the gamut from the beans journey from the coffee cherry plant to the cup, to the typical contrast between African coffee (sweeter, more acidic) and South American coffees (richer, nuttier) to the difference between a flat white and a latte (the amount of milk). London has long received much of its caffeine fix from Europeans / Matt Writtle It wont turn you into a barista overnight, as theres no substitute for experience, says Trevethyen. Our busiest sites do 900 coffees a day most before midday. Thankfully, Ive turned up in the early afternoon lull. Theres a lot to learn, especially for a non-coffee drinker like me who feels like theyre venturing into terra incognita. My hot drinks repertoire has hitherto been limited to builders tea, and thats only very occasional. In fact, Ive only made three cups of tea for my boyfriend ever at a rate of one for every 300 days weve been together. Essentially, says Trevethyen, giving me a quick lesson on the science of coffee-making, the water acts as a solvent to dissolve or extract components into the result the espresso. The espresso is composed of the liquid all the solubles from the ground coffee dissolved and the crema, the top part, which is a micro foam, a suspension of oils and gases and other insolubles. What makes a good independent coffee shop? The bar is set up to be linear you slide along it as you make the coffee. When there are three members of staff, it is an assembly line for speed one to do the espresso shots, another to steam the milk and a third to pour it. Its still a cramped space, though, and I keep tripping up Grinds proper staff. The skill is being able to work quickly, efficiently and cleanly in an extremely busy environment, says Trevethyen. Its similar to working in a kitchen or a cocktail bar you have all these processes that take a certain amount of time, have to be done correctly and have to come together at the end. You are managing your time, and multi-tasking to the Nth degree while thinking about the order you are making in five or 10 drinks time. And youve got to manage interacting with the customers and the washing up too. All while ensuring no coffee gets cold The biggest complaint in speciality coffee is, My drink is not hot enough. A flat white prepared by Rosamund Urwin / Matt Writtle Recipes are stuck on to the machines, showing the dose (the weight of ground coffee that goes in 18g), the yield (the weight once its become an espresso 34g), the date the coffee was roasted (April 19) and the time it takes to brew (25 seconds). Trevethyen warns me not to touch the coffee it dehydrates the skin, apparently, and you end up with barista finger, a hazard of the job. There's also a new vocabulary for me to get my head around. Tamping is applying pressure on the ground coffee once its in the filter. Youre aiming to create as level a bed of coffee as possible, so that when you brew it the water passes through evenly. At Grind, the mantra is quality, consistency and cleanliness. My coffee, which Ive now rechristened Chernobyl-in-a-cup since a mushroom cloud has formed, failed on all three of these counts. The machine also seemed close to exploding. So what went wrong? Trevethyen explains that my tamping was wonky, so we had channelling, with the water taking the path of least resistance. Worse, I then didnt fully insert the filters handle into the machine, failing to create a seal hence the near-explosion. You didnt put it in hard enough, notes Trevethyen. Most Instagrammable coffee shops in Britain 1 /26 Most Instagrammable coffee shops in Britain Steam Yard Sheffield 1 & 2, Aberdeen Court, 97 Division St, Sheffield S1 4GE steamyard.co.uk Lili Vanilli London 6, The Courtyard, Ezra St, London E2 7RH lilyvanilli.com/the-bakery Pettigrew Tea Rooms Cardiff West Lodge, Bute Park & Arboretum, Castle Street, Cardiff CF10 1BJ pettigrew-tearooms.com Violet Cakes London 47 Wilton Way, London E8 3ED violetcakes.com General Merchants Belfast 481 Upper Newtownards Rd, Belfast BT4 3LL generalmerchants.co.uk The Marwood Brighton 52 Ship St, Brighton BN1 1AF themarwood.com Look Mum No Hands London 49 Old St, London EC1V 9HX lookmumnohands.com Cafe Marmalade Brighton 237 Eastern Rd, Brighton and Hove BN2 5JJ cafemarmalade.co.uk Lina Stores London 18 Brewer St, London W1F 0SH linastores.co.uk Cafe Boscanova Bournemouth 650 Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth BH1 4BP thecaffeinehustler.com MILK London 20 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9RG milk.london North Tea Power Manchester 36 Tib St, Manchester M4 1LA northteapower.co.uk Bold Street Coffee Liverpool 89 Bold St, Liverpool L1 4HF boldstreetcoffee.co.uk Hatch London 8 MacKintosh Ln, London E9 hatch-homerton.co.uk Cafe Royal Newcastle 8 Nelson St, Tyne and Wear, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5AW sjf.co.uk Honest + Harvey Woodbridge 56 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge IP12 1AL honeyandharvey.co.uk Workshop Coffee London 27 Clerkenwell Rd, London EC1M 5RN workshopcoffee.com The Plough Birmingham 21 High St, Birmingham B17 9NT theploughharborne.co.uk Lion Coffee + Records London 118 Lower Clapton Rd, London E5 0QR lioncoffeerecords.com Incidentally, theres as much innuendo in coffee-making as there is in the Great British Bake Off its all bigger jugs, the steam wand knob and penetration into the milk. The machines do the hard work: putting pressure to extract the coffee and to grind the coffee using burrs rather than blades, so its more of a milling action than turning it to dust. Predictably, theres a debate in the industry about increasing automation a fight between the artisans and those who fully embrace new technology. So instead of Europeans making us coffee, might it one day be AI? If you go toe-to-toe with the equipment, you will lose, but it cant interact with customers or troubleshoot. Despite the earlier debacle of my espresso, Trevethyen wants me now to try making a latte. He teaches me the three-part process of steaming milk: dosing (ensuring you have the right amount), stretching (adding air when cold) and texturing (heating the milk by inserting the steam wand and making the milk spin). Once the milk has been heated and turned into a mini-whirlpool, it has the consistency of half-melted ice cream. You can develop some fairly advanced milk skills, Trevethyen says. The tricky part here is the finale the decoration. With only a little guiding from Trevethyen OK, he takes control of my hand I end up with a small heart on the surface. The coffee smells of toasted almonds and looks miraculously servable. A neon sign in the shop reads, in David Bowies handwriting, We can be heroes just for one day. I suddenly feel like it. That is, until Trevethyen asks me to do it all again without his help. As I hand back my apron, Trevethyen looks relieved. Ill let you know if you got the job, he jokes. Well be in touch. Im still waiting for that call. Follow Rosamund Urwin on Twitter: @RosamundUrwin A photograph of 14 black male students posing outside Cambridge University in a bid to encourage future applicants has been shared more than 2,000 times on Facebook. Cambridge University African-Caribbean Society shared the image of the students grouped outside the renowned university to encourage and inspire other black students who have their sights set on an Oxbridge education. In 2015, only 15 black, male undergraduates were accepted into Cambridge, the post explains. However, it is important that despite their under representation, we let young black people know that this is something that they can aspire to. Representation matters, the post concludes, alongside the hashtag #BlackMenofCambridge. Dami Adebayo, a student at Robinson College who is pictured in the post, added: "Young black men don't grow up thinking they'll make it here. They should" The post was inspired by a similar viral image of young black men from Yale University, which was shared thousands of times on Twitter last month. Folajimi Babasola, 20, who is studying engineering, told the BBC that he posed for the photograph in a bid to challenge the stereotype of a Cambridge student. He said: "The aim of the picture was really to encourage more black students to apply here because many people get discouraged by a particular image or stereotype of a Cambridge student that they have in their mind, thinking that they won't fit in or be accepted." 19-year-old politics and anthropology student, told Buzzfeed: "The emphasis on the pictures should be placed on the caption and not a criticism of the university because this overlooks the hard work and efforts of the access officers, schools liaison officers and other initiatives the university has put in place to tackle this issue." "Complacency is not the answer but the focus of these pictures is to inspire and encourage applications not to deter young black males from applying given the shocking statistics otherwise it creates a vicious cycle." Last year Cambridge University became a member of the Race Equality Charter, which aims to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of minority ethnic staff and students. T hree thugs have been found guilty of kicking and stabbing a teenage rapper to death in a violent, pre-planned attack in south London. Rodney Mukasa, 20, of Green View Avenue, Croydon and Ali Zahawy, 19, of Bramble Close, Croydon were found guilty of the murder of 19-year-old Andre Aderemi at the Old Bailey on Wednesday. Fabio Cela, 19, of Fryston Avenue, Croydon, was found not guilty of murder but convicted of manslaughter. At time of his murder Andre, who was becoming well known in south Londons grime scene, was living in Chatham in Kent, having moved away from the capital as a result of a long-running feud with Cela. Fabio Cela was found not guilty of murder but convicted of manslaughter / Met Police The pair had fallen out and there were several violent confrontations between them in the months leading up to the murder, police said. Andre, a former John Ruskin College pupil, was chased by a group of men carrying knives and other weapons including a metal police and a white vehicle in Croydon last year. The gang caught up with him after a short chase, and he fell to the ground where he was stabbed and kicked until he was unconscious. The suspects then got into the vehicle and drove off. Rodney Mukasa was found guilty of murder / Met Police Police and paramedics raced to Monks Hill Estate in Heather Way at about 7.40pm on August 16 to reports of a stabbing. An air ambulance was also scrambled and found Andre with multiple stab wounds and other injuries. Andre was rushed to a south London Hospital but died later that evening. A post-mortem examination carried out the following day gave cause of death as a stab wound to the chest. Ali Zahawy was found guilty of murder (Met Police ) / Met Police Andre's family were forced to move out of London over fears for their safety several weeks before the murder. Police said upon learning that Andre would be visiting south London, Cela, Mukasa and Zahawy planned to attack him and armed themselves. DCI Sam Price, of the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: "Andre was killed in a violent pre-planned attack which was the culmination of a long-running feud with Cela and his accomplices. "Andre and his family had moved out of the Croydon area because of this bitter animosity. "Upon learning that Andre was due to return to south London for a visit, his attackers armed themselves, found him and chased him down and then beat and stabbed him, inflicting fatal injuries. "This is another tragic case of senseless violence amongst young men which has resulted in a death. "These three men now face a considerable sentence for their roles in this brutal murder. Cela and Mukasa were arrested the day after the incident and charged with murder. Zahawy was arrested on Sunday, August 21. They will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday. A teenage boy was seriously injured after being attacked and stabbed outside a theatre in east London. Witnesses told how the 17-year-old victim was set upon in front of the Arcola Theatre in Dalston at 9.15pm last night. He staggered across the road and collapsed in a pool of blood on the pavement by the Shiloh Pentecostal Church in Ashwin Street. Paramedics gave the victim emergency treatment in the street before rushing him to an east London hospital in a critical condition. A Met Police said the boy's injuries are now no longer believed to be life-threatening. A shopkeeper who works in nearby Dalston Lane told the Standard: About 10 of them ran up the street. I heard a glass bottle smashing and then there was shouting, screaming. They were just kids, its madness. Michael Oakes saw the wounded teenager being treated by paramedics from the balcony of his flat. He said: The whole of Ashwin Street had been cordoned off and there were at least six police cars and a van. I saw what looked like a young man being treated by paramedics. It didnt look good and there was blood everywhere. There was also a group of young girls stood near to him who looked distraught so they must have known him. Police cordoned off three roads and nearby Dalston Square as forensic detectives combed the area for evidence. Met gang crime detectives are investigating but no arrests have been made. A grinning student who planted home-made bomb on a busy Jubilee line train told police he had dumped his rucksack "as a prank" when he had time to kill between lessons. Former altar boy Damon Smith, 20, was found guilty of planting the device made using a 2 Tesco clock on the packed Tube train on Wednesday. The discovery of Smiths rucksack, packed with explosives and ball bearing shrapnel, on a Tube train in north Greenwich on October 20 last year, sparked chaos on the capitals transport network. Disturbing footage, released by Scotland Yard, following a trial at the Old Bailey, shows Smith appear to suppress laughter as he confirms his name and age to officers during a police interview. Guilty: Damon Smith, 20, posing with a BB gun / Metropolitan Police When asked to introduce himself by a detective, he replies with a smile: Im Damon, I live in London and I go to university. He then confirms his name as Damon Joseph Smith and gives his date of birth as November 23 1996. Grinning: Damon Smith smiled during his police interview / Met Police Clad in grey sweatshirt, Smith nods along and continues to smile, as the officer explains why the information is being recorded. In a second video, Smith describes how he "thought it would be a good idea to leave his bag for a prank" before going to Starbucks. He said: "As I was on the Tube, I realised It was going to Stratford and I thought it would be a good time to leave my bag for a prank. "And, then I got off at the station and then I realised I had two hours to kill or something before my next maths lesson. I got on the bus and went to, I think, it's Starbucks or something." Shocking images have also been released of the weapons-obsessed student posing with a BB gun. CCTV footage shows Damon Smith leaving a Jubilee line train / PA Upon his arrest, the autistic student admitted making the bomb but claimed he only meant it to spew harmless smoke as a Halloween joke. He told police he had been inspired by watching bomb prank video on YouTube channel Troll Station. Found guilty: Damon Smith / Twitter A search of Smith's home in Rotherhithe, south London, revealed his fixation with guns, explosives and other weapons. Police seized a blank-firing self-loading pistol and a BB gun, both bought legally, as well as a knuckleduster and a knife which he showed off in an online video. Pictures were also recovered of Smith with guns, including one on a laptop labelled "2016 an Islamic State fighter". Poker enthusiast: Friends claimed Damon Smith played online poker to buy replica weaons / Twitter Smith watched YouTube videos on explosions and posted a picture of himself on Facebook in a Guy Fawkes mask holding handcuffs and a knuckleduster, jurors were told. He professed to be interested in Islam as "more true" than Christianity, but denied being an extremist. He posed next to an image of the Brussels-born Islamic terrorist alleged to have masterminded the attacks in Paris in November 2015, the court heard. North Greenwich station evacuated due to suspect package In his defence, extracts of a psychiatric report were read out in court confirming an autism spectrum disorder. He had been interested in bomb-making since the age of 10 and said that it was "something to do when he was bored". Smith denied possession of an explosive substance with intent but admitted the lesser offence of making a bomb hoax. A jury rejected his explanation and found Smith guilty of the more serious charge after deliberating for two hours. A weapons-obsessed student is facing years behind bars after being found guilty of planting a home-made bomb on a busy Jubilee line train. Former altar boy Damon Smith built the device at home with a 2 clock from Tesco after googling an al Qaida article. Smith, 20, denied possession of an explosive substance with intent but admitted the lesser offence of making a bomb hoax. Although Smith's barrister told jurors he was no "hate-filled jihadi" and never meant to harm anyone, an Old Bailey jury rejected his explanation and found Smith guilty of the more serious charge after deliberating for two hours. He made no reaction in the dock as the verdict was given. CCTV image of Damon Smith on the tube / PA On the morning of October 20 last year, Smith, then aged 19, packed a rucksack with explosives and ball bearing shrapnel as he heading off to college in Holloway, north London. He was caught on CCTV as he travelled on the Jubilee Line, casually flicking through a text book before getting off and leaving the bag on the floor, timed to go off within minutes. Teenager timed bomb to go off on Tube train, court hears At least 10 passengers were in the carriage at the time and some of them spotted the abandoned rucksack and alerted the driver. But the driver at first dismissed it as lost property and took it into his cab and carried on towards North Greenwich, jurors were told. During the journey he spotted wires coming out and he raised the alarm as he pulled into the station. Damon Smith is facing years behind bars / PA Had Smith's bomb gone off, it would have exploded just as commuters were being ordered off the platform, the jury heard. The defendant went on to college and, on returning home in the evening, checked the internet for news of what he had done. Upon his arrest, the autistic student admitted making the bomb but claimed he only meant it to spew harmless smoke as a Halloween joke. He told police he had been inspired from watching someone on a YouTube channel called Troll Station making a bomb prank. A search of Smith's home in Rotherhithe, south London, revealed his fixation with guns, explosives and other weapons. Police seized a blank-firing self-loading pistol and a BB gun, both bought legally, as well as a knuckleduster and a knife which he showed off in an online video. The clock used in the home-made bomb which Damon Smith left on the Tube train / Met Police/PA Pictures were also recovered of Smith with guns, including one on a laptop labelled "2016 an Islamic State fighter". Smith watched YouTube videos on explosions and posted a picture of himself on Facebook in a Guy Fawkes mask holding handcuffs and a knuckleduster, jurors were told. He professed to be interested in Islam as "more true" than Christianity, but denied being an extremist. A police photo of one of the components which Damon Smith used to make his home-made bomb / Met Police/PA He posed next to an image of the Brussels-born Islamic terrorist alleged to have masterminded the attacks in Paris in November 2015, the court heard. In his defence, extracts of a psychiatric report were read out in court confirming an autism spectrum disorder. He had been interested in bomb-making since the age of 10 and said that it was "something to do when he was bored". A court drawing of Damon Smith by artist Elizabeth Cook / PA Smith, who grew up living with his mother in Newton Abbot, Devon, said he had thought about putting a bomb in a park but decided it would be "more funny" to delay train passengers instead. His barrister, Richard Carey-Hughes QC, told jurors that Smith was no "hate-filled jihadi", saying he intended to "make something that looked like a bomb but not function as one". He said there was "no evidence that he changed from clinging to his mother's apron strings to a soldier of Islam and a would-be soldier". If Smith had wanted a viable bomb, he would not have made such a "shoddy, ineffective device", he said. 'Tube plot' suspect: Damon Smith / Twitter The lawyer added: "If this was a serious attempt to cause mass murder and the like, would he have gone about the commission of this attempt in the way he did? "He did almost nothing to cover his tracks, which he would have done if he was expecting a full-scale man hunt, the sort that follows a terrorist outrage. He is clearly visible on CCTV at all times. "If he set out to make a real effective killing device, something that not only looked like a bomb but was a bomb, how could it enter his mind he could pass it off as a hoax?" Judge Richard Marks QC adjourned sentencing until May 26 to allow time for a probation report on Smith's risk to the public and further psychiatric reports. Sue Hemming, of the CPS, said: "Damon Smith's actions were incredibly dangerous and the consequences had the device worked do not bear thinking about. Cordoned off: The scene inside North Greenwich station (Daniel O'Mahony) / Daniel O'Mahony "Although he claimed this was a prank, the bomb he left on the train was clearly designed to cause horrific injuries. "I would like to express my thanks to the quick-thinking members of the public and TfL staff for the way they dealt with this incident." Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Throughout this investigation and subsequent trial, Smith claimed that his actions were meant as a harmless prank and that the object was nothing more than a smoke bomb. "It is hard to believe that leaving what has been described as an improvised explosive device on a Tube train, on a weekday morning, can be construed as anything but an attempt to endanger life. "It is fortunate that the device failed to work and that no one was injured. "At a time when the threat level remains at severe, I find it unlikely that anyone would consider his defence as an appropriate excuse for his actions. "The jury rightly disagreed with him and I expect that Smith will now face a significant prison sentence." A junior doctor from south London has been jailed for making more than 50,000 indecent images of children. Dr Ediz Ekrem, 31, was found to have a catalogue of indecent images on his laptop and hard drive after police raided his Dulwich home last October. Officers from the Mets Paedophile unit discovered 187 images deemed to be in the most serious category. They also found 92 category B images and more than 50,000 in category C. Ekrem, who lives on Lordship Lane, was employed part-time by a south London hospital in the paediatric unit when he was arrested. The General Medical Council was informed and immediately withdrew his licence to practice medicine, pending the outcome of the police investigation. After initially giving a no comment interview to police, the junior doctor pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children in court on April 5. Ekrem was today sentenced to 16 months behind bars at Croydon Crown Court and handed a Sexual Harm Protection Order for 10 years. DC John Daly, the investigating officer from the Met's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "An appropriate sentence has been handed down today. Ekrem is a person who was supposed to be trusted and responsible for looking after the most ill and vulnerable in society. He has abused that trust by committing this offence. Ekrem was feeding a market for the most appalling and perverted images for a number of years. "The sharing and making of indecent images of children is an abhorrent crime and one that the Metropolitan Police Service will continue to pursue and bring the perpetrators before the courts." Police said none of the images was accessed whilst Ekrem was at work, nor were his patients in any of them. A killer who fled to the Costa del Sol after the drive-by shooting of a rival drug dealer has been jailed for 15 years. Abdullah Amouri, 22, drove gunman Denny De Silva, 23, to Wembley where he killed Romario Green, 20, with a shotgun blast at close range. De Silva and Amouri fled to Spain after the 2015 shooting, leading to an international manhunt. De Silva, from Luton, was captured first and was jailed for a minimum of 27 years for murder last year. Police eventually caught Amouri in Marbella and he was extradited to the UK. Amouri, from Wembley, admitted manslaughter and was jailed at the Old Bailey yesterday. A jury had failed to reach a verdict on a murder charge at an earlier trial. S cotland Yard today launched an 80-strong task force to tackle the epidemic of soaring knife crime as another young man was stabbed to death in London. A squad of covert and uniform officers is to be deployed to trouble spots at a moments notice to curb flare ups of violence across the capital. The moves comes as police are battling a 24 per cent rise in knife crime in London amid a stream of stabbings and murders across the city. In the latest incident a 23-year-old man died after staggering into Barnet Hospital with stab injuries at 7.30pm last night. He received emergency treatment but died an hour later. Detectives believe he was attacked in Masefield Crescent, Southgate before being driven to hospital. There have been no arrests. Crime scene: the aftermath of the stabbing in Dalston In another incident last night a 17-year-old was repeatedly stabbed in a suspected gang related attack outside the Arcola Theatre in Dalston. The teenager was first described as critically injured but his condition this morning was described as stable. Last week six men were killed in knife attacks in London and a total of 17 men under the age of 25 have died in stabbings this year. Today the Met launched the eighth phase of its Operation Sceptre campaign against knife crime with details of a new squad to tackle violence and a series of measures aimed at deterring crime with a focus on working with schools. Loading.... Police say they are also rolling out a more community-led approach to tackle stabbings with elements taken from a US anti-gang strategy called the Boston Ceasefire project. One new approach is to recruit role models and leaders from within communities to deliver anti-crime messages to young people at risk. Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gallagher, the operational head of the Sceptre campaign, said: We are pushing initiatives and messages which are delivered by communities. A forensic officer at the scene of a stabbing in Dalston / Nigel Howard "It used to be the police who delivered these messages but now we are trying to get community representatives to put them across. The group we are trying to influence dont want to hear messages from people like me, it will have far more impact if it comes from a mum or someone who is a role model for that group of Londoners. Among the role models is a street pastor from north London and a mother with a strong links to the local community. The Dalston stabbing victim was this morning described as stable / Nigel Howard DCS Gallagher said: These individuals are out there in our communities, they can be anyone. I am meeting more and more people who want to do something about it. Communities are coming to us and saying What can we do? These are our kids. Over 900 activities are planned in London in a week of action which will include intelligence-led stop and search to target known knife offenders, weapons sweeps of estates and parks and initiatives in schools to divert young people from knife crime. A campaign poster for the new police plan to tackle knife crime / Metropolitan Police DCS Gallagher, the current commander of Brent police, said the Sceptre Task Force of 40 covert officers and 40 uniform police was being deployed to boroughs with the worst record of stabbings. The squad, which was used in Croydon and Tower Hamlets yesterday, will support local police, carry out high visibility patrols and deploy covert teams in hotspots of knife crime. The unit, whose officers are being drawn from boroughs, is expected to become a permanent fixture in the fight against knife crime. DCS Gallagher said : This is a cohort of officers that I can drop into an area to have a fast time impact, virtually immediately. It is about protecting kids. Loading.... We will review where it deploys on a day to day basis. We have to be flexible because this is not a predictable challenge we have. He said the officers would be carrying out stop and search activity but said it would be done with dignity and respect and local community members would be encouraged to accompany patrols. Academics, researchers form the University of London and the Office of National Statistics are also being employed by the Met to examine crime data in a bid to understand what is driving the surge in knife crime. The campaign will focus on schools and finding people in the community to speak to young people DCS Gallagher said: What is clear is that it is not just the victim who is vulnerable, what is becoming quite clear is that the suspect cohort come from a chaotic background. "It is not just driven by socio-economics, there are also mental health issues and some real vulnerability which has put them into that space of carrying or using knives. He said the research showed that both knife victims and suspects came from the same group adding: This is not a black or a white thing, it is a crime thing. Regardless of ethnicity, it is about understanding the problem. What I need to know is have we had a cultural shift, is it because we have a rising youth population or is it because there is more of a criminal violent element in society at the moment. He added: It is a huge concern. We need to understand exactly what is going on. Hopefully, the research will give us a better idea of how to tackle this problem with the resources we have got." S cotland Yard risks failing to meet savings targets this year, partly because of a multi-million-pound overspend on digital policing. Figures show that the Met is set to overspend by more than 30 million on a plan to upgrade its technology, while also raiding 24 million from its reserves. The Met said IT support costs for projects such as body-worn video cameras, which are being rolled out to all frontline officers, were partly to blame for the overspend. The details emerged as the Met revealed it was to start issuing tablets and laptops to officers after shelving a 6 million trial to equip police with iPads. About 1,700 laptops and tablets are being given out from August this year. The budget overspend comes after new Met chief Cressida Dick pledged to expand digital policing to improve the Mets efficiency. The force has launched a massive overhaul of its IT systems at a cost of up to 350 million. In a recent report to the London Assemblys police and crime committee, the Met said the overspend on technology had increased from 6 million to 30 million in the third quarter. It states that a review of future spending had failed to identify any savings that could balance the digital policing budget. Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon, a member of the police and crime committee, said: The Met has a very long history of costly IT blunders, which have cost the public millions of pounds. It appears the Mayor was duped by the Mets forecasts, which were wildly optimistic in terms of the savings that new technology would make. Rory Geoghegan, a former Met officer and now head of criminal justice at the Centre for Social Justice, said the Met spent nearly five years trialling 700 iPads when New Yorks police force rolled out smartphones to every frontline officer in a little over two years. He said: Successive commissioners have inherited and, like the Mets frontline, endured computer systems stuck 20 years in the past. These eye-watering figures enough to pay the salaries of 1,000 police officers for a year demonstrate just how vital it is for the Mets new commissioner to grip the technology issue. Recent figures show that the Met is spending around 150 million on digital policing a year while launching ambitious plans to update technology. A report in 2013 found it had 750 systems that have been wired together over the past 40 years including one core operating system which dated back to a Seventies baggage handling system. There are plans for a digital crime reporting system and the use of tablets to allow officers to stay on the streets for longer. The Met said in a statement: We are undergoing a complete refresh of our information technology processes, infrastructure and equipment. The transformation will ultimately provide improved value for money, drive efficiency through cutting down on bureaucracy and will enable the delivery of other strategic programmes, such as officer mobility. However, the upgrade programme is not as simple as it would be for many other organisations due to the amount of specialist legacy software upon which parts of the Met still relies. The force said there were unforeseen support costs associated with new technology, such as body- worn video. A serial fly-tipper has been fined more than 8,000 amid a council crackdown on illegal rubbish dumping in east London. Calvin Allen Browne, 38, was ordered to pay a total of 8,841 at Thames Magistrates Court in Bow following a joint investigation by Newham and Barking and Dagenham councils. The Dagenham resident had been caught fly-tipping on CCTV and was charged with seven separate offences. It comes as Barking and Dagenham Council cracks down on fly-tipping, with enforcement officers dishing out almost 80 fines in just the three months from January to March. Fined: Calvin Allen Browne, of Dagenham / Barking and Dagenham Council Cllr Laila Butt, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, said: Weve been scoring some notable successes recently in our war on grime crime but this is only the beginning. I can assure residents we will be relentless in our pursuit of fly tippers, litter louts and the selfish few who spoil our streets. Cllr Butt added: We are determined to make a better Barking and Dagenham, this means cleaner streets. But we need people to help us prosecute fly-tippers if you have any information please contact us. She urged people to report fly tips on 0208 215 3000 or the councils website. T his is the shocking moment a man is robbed at knifepoint by a hooded thug before stabbing a police officer on a busy high street in north-east London. Muhibur Rahman, 19, has been jailed for four years after the attack, which began outside Tesco Express in Stoke Newington High Street. CCTV footage shows Rahman grab the first victim a 20-year-old man from behind before thrusting a knife to his throat. The victim, who had been walking along the pavement looking at his phone, tries to free himself but Rahman forces him to the ground before making off with his phone. High Street attack: Rahman approaches the victim from behind before thrusting a knife to his throat / Met Police Members of the public can be seen fleeing in terror from the incident, which happened on January 11 at about 5.40pm. Further footage shows Police Sergeant Carroll Weeden, who was patrolling in the area at the time, chasing the suspect, who attempted to flee the scene on a bicycle. Rahman stops outside a shop and is seen lunging at PS Weeden with a knife, stabbing her in the arm, as she attempts to arrest him. Knifepoint robbery: The victim is forced to the ground before Rahman makes off with his mobile phone / Met Police PS Weeden's skin was not punctured due to the layers of clothing she was wearing but she was left with extensive bruising, police said. She continued to chase him and helped by members of the public was able to detain him until more officers arrived. Jailed: Muhibur Rahman has been sentenced to four years in prison / Met Police She said: "I am pleased that the court was able to recognise the gravity, seriousness and effects of knife crime on the victim of the knife-point robbery and me as a police officer. I believe that I had a very lucky escape that night, and I am acutely aware that things could have been much more serious. Police assault: Footage shows Rahman lunge at a police officer with a knife / Met Police Detective Inspector Paul Ridley, who led the subsequent investigation by Hackney CID, added: "It was only through sheer fortune that the knife blade did not make contact with the officers face or neck which could have proved fatal. "Despite the over-arching risk that confronted her, she was still able to capture and detain this violent offender. Rahman, of Heathland Road, Stoke Newington, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court last Wednesday after pleading guilty to robbery, possession of the knife and assault with intent to resist arrest. The victim of the robbery was not physically injured and the mobile phone he was robbed of was later recovered. A young man has died after he was attacked and stabbed in a north London street in the capital's seventh knife killing in just 10 days. The 23-year-old man made his own way to hospital after he was knifed in Southgate on Tuesday evening, police said. Scotland Yard said he travelled more than four miles to Barnet Hospital after he was stabbed in The Fairway near to the junction with Masefield Crescent. He arrived at the hospital at about 7.30pm with several stab wounds. New squad created to tackle knife crime in London - London Live Doctors fought to save him but he was pronounced dead almost an hour later. Last week, six men were killed in knife attacks in London and several others seriously injured in stabbings. Police said detectives have launched a murder probe and the mans next of kin have been informed. Formal identification is yet to take place and a post-mortem examination is being arranged. There have been no arrests. Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4205 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A n American police officer has been struck off over shooting dead a 15-year-old as he and his friends drove away from a house party, it has been reported. Jordan Edwards was hit by a bullet fired through a passenger window in Balch Springs, Texas, on Saturday night. Police said they had been called following reports of drunken teens in the area and heard gunshots at around 11pm on Saturday. Officer Roy Oliver opened fire on the vehicle which was being driven by Jordans 16-year-old brother, Buzzfeed News reported. The stricken teen was rushed to hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Balch Springs police chief Jonathan Haber told local media on Tuesday that Oliver had been fired after violating several departmental policies. He also apologised over reports that the teenagers had aggressively driven the car towards police. He told Buzzfeed: "I made a mistake and I apologised for it. B anking giant JP Morgan has confirmed hundreds of jobs will be moved out of London because of Brexit. Daniel Pinto, head of JP Morgan's corporate and investment bank, has revealed a "substantial portion of the business" in the capital will be moved in a bid to secure the banking giants EU business. In a significant blow to the capital's financial services industry, the jobs are set to be relocated from Canary Wharf to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg. "We are going to use the three banks we already have in Europe as the anchors for our operations," Mr Pinto told Bloomberg. "We will have to move hundreds of people in the short term to be ready for day one, when negotiations finish, and then we will look at the longer-term numbers," Mr Pinto said. We have to plan for a scenario where there is no UK-EU passporting deal, and we have to move a substantial portion of our business to continue serving our European clients. Well have to wait to see what kind of deal can be achieved and see what we need to do from there. A spokesman for JP Morgan confirmed the plans to the Standard. JP Morgan Chase is planning to relocate jobs from London / Mike Segar/Reuters The potential loss of membership of the EU's Single Market, is a serious worry for some of the City's biggest employers, prompting warnings about the impact of Brexit from key figures including Mayor Sadiq Khan. JP Morgan's relocation drive is expected to take place by spring 2019, when the two-year window for Brexit negotiations draws to a close. Chief executive Jamie Dimon previously warned in the run-up to the EU referendum that up to 4,000 roles would be at risk in the event of a vote to leave. The news comes as the outgoing policy chief of the City of London today urged Boris Johnson and other senior Brexiteers to be more realistic about the downsides of leaving the EU. Mark Boleat said Leavers were denying that quitting the bloc would be bad for the City. Other major City employers have also begun to outline their Brexit plans after Mrs May triggered Article 50, the formal mechanism for quitting the EU, in March. Goldman Sachs Europe chief executive, Richard Gnodde, said last month that the bank will relocate hundreds of staff out of London before any Brexit deal is struck, adding it had already begun implementing those plans. Last week Deutsche Bank said that up to 4,000 jobs from its UK workforce of 9,000 could be moved to Frankfurt and other locations in the EU. Meanwhile Standard Chartered has also reportedly confirmed it has contacted German regulators about plans to set up a Frankfurt subsidiary. L ondoners drink less regularly than people in any other part of the country, official figures revealed today. The Office for National Statistics said that only 47 per cent of people in the capital had drunk alcohol in the previous week when being questioned for its annual survey on drinking habits. That compares with a figure of 70.1 per cent in the South West, the heaviest drinking part of England, and a national average of 57.4 per cent. The statisticians said a key factor behind Londons relatively abstemious status - which comes despite greater levels of drinking among wealthier people - was likely to be the higher proportion of Londoners from ethnic backgrounds. The disclosure came as todays figures also revealed that the overall proportion of adults consuming alcohol has fallen to its lowest level since the statisticians began collating data in 2005 with four out of ten people shunning drink in the week before the survey. The new statistics also show that young people aged between 16 and 24 are the least likely to drink regularly but the most likely to binge when they do. On income, those earning 40,000 or more were the highest drinking group. Men were most likely to binge on normal strength beer, while women were most likely to over-indulge on wine. T he Met Police has been criticised for handing over the addresses of 30,000 London gun owners to a third party for a marketing campaign. Gun owners were only made aware their details had been given out after a police campaign leaflet, posted from Leeds, was sent through their letterboxes last month, according to technology website The Register. The website said the leaflets raised severe security implications for the capitals gun owners, which it estimated to be about 5,000 rifle owners and 25,000 shotgun owners. However the Met said the company used to distribute leaflets is a reputable agency specifically contracted by the police and holds appropriate security accreditation. A spokesman added the force is investigating the complaints, but is assured that all personal data was deleted. The leaflet advised gun owners to protect their firearms with SmartWater forensic property marking, a gun protection pack with a 8.95 charge for membership. The envelopes containing the leaflets were allegedly marked with a return address for a business centre in Leeds, home of Corporate Document Services (CDS), a direct marketing company. The Met claims the invisible ink marking system strongly deters burglars by up to 85 per cent. The Met Police has said it is "assured" data was deleted by the company / Getty Images A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) told The Register: "Businesses and organisations are required under the Data Protection Act to keep people's personal data safe and secure. A Met Police spokesman said: CDS are a reputable, print company and not a commercial marketing agency. They are already, specifically contracted by the Met for 'the supply of external print and associated services' under a Crown Commercial Services framework. They hold appropriate information security accreditations and no personal information is to be retained. We have contacted them and the sub-contractors and we are assured that all the personal data has been deleted in line with their policies. We are investigating the matter internally and will keep the ICO informed accordingly. A n air ambulance landed in Londons Trafalgar Square after a motorcyclist was injured during a crash with a lorry. Dramatic footage shared on social media showed the helicopter land in the centre of the iconic landmark, outside the National Gallery, on Wednesday. Police and paramedics rushed to nearby Northumberland Road just after 2pm to reports that a lorry had hit a motorcyclist. The man, whose age is currently unknown, was rushed to a major trauma centre with a leg injury, a spokesman for London Ambulance Service said. Emergency response: An air ambulance lands in Trafalgar Square following a crash / Twitter/Mike Young His injuries were described as non-life threatening. Scotland Yard confirmed no arrests had been made and enquiries continue. A swathe of central London between Trafalgar Square and Victoria Embankment was cordoned off after the crash. A dangerous dog that allegedly bit a postwoman was due to be seized by police - until they found it was an eight-inch high chihuahua. Six-year-old Louie was accused of menacing the Royal Mail worker near owners John and Linda Anslows home in Wimbledon, South London, leading to an early morning visit by police armed with a lead large enough for a Rottweiler. Mr Anslow said police looked sheepish when they realised the tiny size of the animal. He and his wife today criticised the ridiculous call-out. But Royal Mail stands by the postwomans complaint, saying the bite had drawn blood. Mr Anslow, 63, said that the standoff between Louie and the postwoman had begun two months ago and that now he and his wife collect their mail from the local depot. It started when I was just walking my dog in the street and [the postwoman] was hurrying past me to deliver post, he said. My dog barked at her and she jumped out of the way. John Anslow and wife Linda with Chihuahua Louie / Lucy Young The next day I saw her and she passed me in the street and was filming my dog on her iPad. And then she made a complaint about him. The manager from the postal depot came to see me and agreed they would not deliver my mail. He said that three police offers turned up at their home last week at 7am to remove the dog. They came with a lead that would fit a Rottweiler. When they said they were here to seize Louie and realised how big he was, they looked ashamed, he added. His wife Linda, 64, added: I think this is just stupid and everyone is being a bit silly. The dog hardly even reaches your ankle. I want to show people how ridiculous this is and how much of a waste of money [the complaint] is. It comes after a Northampton mother had her post stopped for nine days after her chihuahua called Tiny spooked her postman who then kicked the dog. The Royal Mail apologised to its owner. The Royal Mail said it was taking Wandsworth postal workers complaint very seriously and the Anslows will continue to pick up their mail at the depot rather than have it delivered. Royal Mail spokeswoman Sally Hopkins said: We know that the overwhelming majority of dogs are friendly most of the time, however, even the most placid animal will defend itself if it feels its territory is being threatened. Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people who provide a valuable service to our customers. Dog attacks or the threat of attack are a serious issue, with seven postmen and women on average being attacked every day across the UK, and when it is unsafe for our postmen and women to deliver we will, and do, suspend deliveries. Police today confirmed reports that two people complained they had been bitten by Louie. A spokesman confirmed Louie was not seized but Mr Anslow was given a behaviour order. The spokesman said: At 7am on 27 April officers from Wandsworth supported by colleagues from the Dogs Unit attended an address in Campen Close, Wimbledon, to carry out a search warrant. The warrant was executed under section 5 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, after police were informed that a dog had bitten two members of the public. H IGH jinks at Chi Kitchen in Debenhams Oxford Street last night, as an unusual guest arrived at TV presenter Lizzie Cundys birthday party suited ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage. The minute he walked in the joint, fellow partygoers started plotting a prank. Statuesque fashionista Daniel Lismore, called Englands most flamboyant dresser by Vogue, got Jo Wood, ex-wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie, to scribble a four-letter word beginning with c and an arrow on his arm. Lismore, dressed in an exotic gold and black outfit, then stood next to Farage for the cameras, with the arrow pointing in his direction. Daniel Lismore with Nigel Farage. We've blurred the word in question Lismore said the stunt was unplanned. I wasnt expecting to do it, he said. When I saw him my blood boiled Ive never felt that way before. Nigel didnt notice.Weve no idea how Farage and Cundy came to be friends safer not to ask? Later, sharing the smoking area with former Towie star Pascal Craymer, Farage promoted his new one-man show he played at Hunstanton in Norfolk at the weekend. We asked if it would come to London. Ive only booked a few dates, he said. Farage has decided not to run for election to Parliament for an eighth time. Did the show mean he was outside Ukip? Ive been a one-man show all my life, he said, before walking off into the night. ----- The Brexit negotiations are not running smoothly between Jean-Claude Juncker and Theresa May / Getty Images Theresa May has promised Jean- Claude Juncker will find her a bloody difficult woman, reclaiming the insult thrown at her by Ken Clarke last year. Clarke was on a hot mic waiting to be interviewed by Sky News when he made the comment. The PM may not recall how Clarke followed up: Shes been at the Home Office far too long ... She doesnt know much about foreign affairs. Sadiq will welcome Trump if ban lifted (Photo by Stephen Pond - British Athletics/British Athletics via Getty Images) WILL Sadiq Khan welcome Donald Trump to London? Speaking to GQ, the Mayor says hell welcome The Donald but with certain conditions. The President should come to London, there shouldnt be a state visit. What I hope happens is that the PM rescinds the offer until the ban is lifted. Sadiq is referring to Trumps so-called Muslim ban. But there would be upsides, says Khan. If theres going to be a state visit, Im going to make sure the President sees the best of London and that includes ethnic minority London. I want him to meet the greatest sportsman ever, Sir Mo Farah. But will Mo hold hands with Trump? ----- Quote of the Day (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images) / AFP/Getty Images Theresa May, we should talk ... Ed Miliband sympathises with the PM, who was snapped struggling to eat a cone of chips in Cornwall yesterday. His election was derailed by a bacon sarnie. ----- Harpers Bazaar turns a grand 150 at The Ritz (Photo by David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images) A PICTURESQUE crowd of arty types assembled at The Ritz last night with guests including former Serpentine boss Dame Julia Peyton-Jones but they were toasting print rather than paint: it was the 150th anniversary of Harpers Bazaar magazine. The landmark birthday was already recognised in the US with the projection of some covers from its history featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and Kendall Jenner onto the Empire State Building last week. Organisers may have hoped to do the same on Big Ben but we suppose FHM got there first with Gail Porter. For more pics, see standard.co.uk/harpersbazaar brooklynbeckham Even the Beckhams dog has expensive tastes. David, Victoria and their four children want for nothing and it seems privilege extends to mans best friend. Yesterday Brooklyn, the couples eldest, posted an Instagram picture of Olive the dog peering longingly at a row of pies and chickens in the window of C. Lidgate, the posh Holland Park butcher which stocks meat from the Highgrove Estate and counts Richard Branson among its customers. Beats Pedigree Chum. Nick Hytner measures up (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) / Toronto Star via Getty Images NICHOLAS Hytner, former director of the National Theatre and founder of the new Bridge Theatre, has received a three-star review for his audiobook memoir from old mucker Simon Russell Beale. Hytner read Balancing Acts himself for the audiobook and for Radio 4s Book of the Week, and asked Beale for advice. I listened yesterday to myself and thought I was far too slow at reading, Hytner said at the launch of the book last night. I then spoke to Simon to see what he thought. He paused and called my style measured. How polite. At least the faint praise came from an old friend. Beale was a regular in Hynters productions, with Timon of Athens being a particular highlight. The party, naturally, was held at the National. Though he left two years ago, Hytner joked that he had held it there because he had negotiated a good rate. Loyal friends at the party included actors Zoe Wanamaker and Alex Jennings, playwrights David Hare and Richard Bean and broadcaster Joan Bakewell. ----- (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images) Tweet of the day: Great choice! Love & blessings to you guys as you start on the greatest adventure ... Adventurer Bear Grylls welcomes Cheryl Cole and Liam Paynes decision to call their son Bear. At least one thumbs-up. The name has been polarising. And the clock just keeps ticking ... @HOLYHONDA49 Ill have a vowel, Diane ... Yesterday Diane Abbott had a bit of a bad morning, struggling with her figures in her interview on police funding for LBC. But its best to smile: yesterday Twitter user Holy Honda whipped up this Countdown-inspired image. As long as it doesnt inspire Carol Vorderman to enter politics. ----- Gush of the day: David Davis describing the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Radio 4 this morning. Hes tough, he said, hes straightforward, hes French, hes elegant. Will flattery get you a smaller Brexit bill? Follow The Londoner on Twitter and Facebook here. T ube bombing hero Paul Dadge has been selected to fight the Cannock Chase seat for Labour at the General Election. Mr Dadge, now 40, was thrust into the spotlight following the 7/7 bombings in London after being captured helping "the woman in the mask". The powerful image of the former firefighter coming to the aid of then 29-year-old Davinia Turrell was widely broadcast following the 2005 attacks in which 56 people died, including the four attackers. He has now been selected as the Labour candidate to take on Conservative Amanda Milling in June's poll in the Staffordshire seat, hoping to overturn her majority of nearly 5,000 at the last election. He tweeted: "I'm extremely proud and somewhat emotional to announce that I'll be standing as the Labour PPC in Cannock Chase." Reporting by PA T he outgoing chief of the City of London today urged Boris Johnson and other senior Brexiteers to be more realistic about the downsides of leaving the European Union. Mark Boleat said Leavers were denying that quitting the bloc would be bad for the City and Britain. In a thinly veiled swipe at the Foreign Secretary who said the UK would be perfectly okay without any deal with the EU he criticised those who talked only in the language of opportunity. The worry is that people believe it, he said. Its not going to be okay, and the sensible business is going to assume its not going to be so they are prepared. He said he feared not all businesses in London were taking Brexit seriously. The Remain supporter, who steps down as the Square Miles policy chief this week after five years, agreed that Mr Johnson, whose optimism about Brexit became a hallmark of the referendum campaign, should be more realistic. He said: You had accusations there are Brexit deniers. I think its equally bad there are people denying there are downsides. There manifestly are. What we want to do is try to minimise the downsides. But if you think there arent any theres still a lack of realism. Mr Boleat, 68, claimed Brexit was still bad for Britain and bad for the City, but that London would remain the worlds leading financial centre. Yet he admitted the City would lose thousands of jobs in the longer term as EU regulators demanded a larger physical presence to do business in their countries. The UK was already marginally less attractive to EU nationals even just 10 or 20 per cent fewer coming here would have a big effect. However, he thought it was unarguable that the rights of EU nationals already in the UK would be guaranteed. The Square Miles top politician has spent much of his time since last Junes Brexit vote pushing the Government. He believes the mention of financial services in the Article 50 letter shows that No 10 now gets it. He called for a glidepath of several years for transitional arrangements for the City. He repeated calls for a flexible immigration system. If Yorkshire doesnt want more immigrants then fine, lets have a policy that keeps them out of Yorkshire. But if London wants immigrants then lets have a policy that allows that, he said. It was not a question of training up British workers the UK still needed the best overseas talent. Mr Boleat urged the Prime Minister not to walk away from Brexit talks as it would have to be a very, very bad deal to be worse than none at all. He played down concerns about competitors such as Paris and Frankfurt trying to steal Londons business. He said the French capital would need to address issues such as employment law first. Mr Boleat, who will stay on as deputy chair for a year, plans to continue working on education, housing, employment and social mobility. B ritain was warned by the European Union today that it was an illusion to think Brexit would be painless amid a growing row over the UKs future payments. Michel Barnier, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator, took a swipe at leave campaigners by saying politicians who pretended there would be no consequences were not telling the truth. Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case, he told a press conference. We need sound solutions, we need legal precision and this will take time. He also warned that there could be explosive political problems in Europe if spending programmes were halted by a row over the British exit settlement. Mr Barnier spoke out after the UKs Brexit Secretary, David Davis, claimed Britain could legally walk away from the bloc with nothing to pay. Brexit Secretary: David Davis said Britain could walk away with nothing to pay / PA In the walk-away circumstance there is nothing to pay, he said. He also stressed: But nobody is looking for that outcome. We want a deal. We think we can get a deal. It was reported that the EU had raised the bill it expects the UK to pay towards future commitments from around 51 billion to about 84 billion. Mr Barnier refused to put any figure on it when he announced the EUs demands for the negotiating process, which include making progress on the so-called divorce bill and other EU priorities before any discussion on trade. He rejected the idea of a Brexit bill or a punishment but said human consequences could not be avoided. You are unwinding 43 years, or so, of a relationship. Thats why things have to be done in a given order. He added: I get the feeling that on the London side, the people I have met are aware of the difficulty. Relations between Britain and EU leaders have nosedived amid leaks from Brussels following a private dinner hosted by Theresa May for European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and his team. Mrs May hit back yesterday by saying Mr Juncker would discover she could be a bloody difficult woman. In a media round this morning, Mr Davis adopted an insouciant tone, saying a deal covering trade was in all of Europes interests, especially poorer countries. Hinting he could play hardball, he recalled that Margaret Thatcher secured her rebate by refusing a bad deal. When Mrs Thatcher walked away she got the rebate, he said. We have a 290billion market for them ... their biggest external market. Thats incredibly important to them. The Brexit Secretary dismissed as laughable reports that Mrs May would be barred from negotiating with other leaders. The idea that somehow one side of the negotiation can dictate how the other side runs a negotiation is laughable, he said. This is an exercise in trying to shape public opinion and trying to pressurise us it wont work. He described the leaks from the dinner as a mixture of gossip and spin and the slight rough-and-tumble of a tough negotiation. Mr Barnier called for energy and effort by the UK to deal with the EUs three priorities, the financial settlement, the rights of EU citizens in the UK and Northern Ireland, which may require a special deal. The UK would have to close the account in a single financial settlement. Mr Barnier said: Now, this is not a punishment, nor is it an exit tax of some kind. Basically, we have to close the account, and it is no more and no less. No punishment. There is no Brexit bill. The European Parliaments chief Brexit co-ordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, told MEPs earlier that he was not much worried about the sabre rattling. Im not so surprised by what is happening, Mr Verhofstadt told the Parliaments Committee on Constitutional Affairs. It always happens before the start of a negotiation. It is the building up of pressure from both sides, lets be honest. He added: You cant ask the 27 remaining members to pay the bill for the departure of another country. That will not be done. I TV has announced it will host a live TV debate in the run up to next months General Election. The leaders of all seven major political parties have been invited to join the special election debate but so far Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have refused to take part. Last month Theresa May ruled out any TV debates and Jeremy Corbyn declared he would not take part without Mrs May. On Wednesday ITV announced they would broadcast the leaders debate on Thursday, May 18 at 8pm hosted by news presenter Julie Etchingham. General Election 2017: What you need to know The seven parties invited are the Conservatives, Labour, Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens. The ITV studios ahead of the leaders' debate in 2015. / Getty Images A Tory source said the party was "unwavering" in its opposition to the Prime Minister taking part in a debate. A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: "Jeremy will not take part in an opposition leaders' debate. "The British people have the right to see a head-to-head debate between the only two people who could form the next government and the Prime Minister's refusal is a sign of weakness, not of strength." But it looks likely the leaders will not be "empty-chaired" as an ITV source indicated the leaders would "will have the right number of podiums for the people who are there". Both Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and Ukip's Paul Nuttall have confirmed they will take part. In a statement the broadcaster said: As in the previous two General Election debates, leaders will have the opportunity to make short opening statements at the beginning of the programme and closing statements at the conclusion of the debate. During the live debate, the leaders will have the opportunity to each in turn answer questions that are asked direct by members of the studio audience, before the floor is opened up to a period of free flowing debate. ITVs Director of News and Current Affairs, Michael Jermey said: "We have a strong record on organising debate programmes and giving viewers the chance to put their questions straight to the politicians. The ITV Leaders' Debate moderated by Julie Etchingham and the debates in the nations will give viewers an opportunity to get answers. A Lib Dem spokesman said: "Tim will be taking part in the debate and is looking forward to the opportunity to make the Liberal Democrat case. "We believe this election is an opportunity to change the direction of our county. "We expect our hard-Brexit opponents, Labour, Ukip and the Prime Minister, Theresa May to all take part and make their opposing case. Otherwise, we expect ITV to empty chairs them. "Tim believes, in politics, you must have the courage of your convictions. Let's see if May and Corbyn feel the same." A Ukip spokesman said: "Mr Nuttall is delighted to be able to present Ukip's positive vision for a UK that is free, prosperous, secure and at ease with itself and the world. "It's just a shame that Mrs May is too arrogant to present herself to the public for scrutiny and Mr Corbyn doesn't trust himself not to become an even greater embarrassment in debate." ITV held a leaders debate in Salford in the run up to the General Election in 2015. The line-up was David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood, Nigel Farage and Natalie Bennett. If all leaders had agreed to take part in this years debate, the line up would have been Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron, Nicola Sturgeon, Leanne Wood, Paul Nuttall and Caroline Lucas or Jonathan Bartley. T heresa May has met the Queen at Buckingham Palace to mark the official dissolution of Parliament ahead of the General Election. The Prime Minister left Number 10 to go to the Palace for a brief audience with the Queen, after which she made a statement at Downing Street. In her short speech she accused European politicians and officials of making "threats" to "deliberately" disrupt the UK election. Although MPs left Westminster last Thursday, Parliament did not officially dissolve until a minute after midnight on Wednesday morning, 25 working days before the June 8 poll. Historically, prime ministers have had to ask the monarch to dissolve Parliament. Theresa May's Jaguar limousine arrives at Buckingham Palace / REUTERS But the 2011 Fixed-Term Parliaments Act made the process automatic, removing the royal prerogative in the matter. The Queen arrived back at the Palace shortly before Mrs May set off from Downing Street in a silver Jaguar for the audience. The Queen arrives at the palace ahead of her meeting with Mrs May / PA The Tory leader arrived at the palace just before 3pm in the back of a chauffeur-driven car which swept into the palace's forecourt. Her Jaguar limousine made its way across red gravel to the King's door entrance where the Queen's equerry Wing Commander Samuel Fletcher was waiting. Crowds watch as Theresa May arrives at Buckingham Palace / REUTERS Overhead could be heard a media helicopter which had followed the Prime Minister's journey from Downing Street. A footman opened the car door for Mrs May and after she was greeted by the equerry he escorted her inside for the meeting with the monarch. Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after her meeting with the Queen / PA In a statement after meeting the Queen to mark the dissolution of Parliament, Mrs May said the victor of the June 8 election would face "one overriding task", getting the "best possible deal" for the UK. "In the last few days we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be," she said. "Britain's negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened. "Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. "All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the General Election that will take place on June 8." J eremy Corbyn today accused the Tories of going into desperation mode in a dispute over hospital closures. The Labour leader hit out at the Government for underfunding the NHS and defended his partys plans to halt closures of A&E units in England if it gains power next month. It would launch a review of such proposals and stop the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) programme. However, ministers accused Labour of having previously voiced support for the scheme and said that local plans for hospitals were developed by doctors and the communities they served. They also said Mr Corbyn would not be able to deliver on his NHS promises because his economic policies, according to them, would not provide the funding. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt dismissed the proposal as just another nonsensical Jeremy Corbyn idea. But the Labour leader said the figures to fund the partys plans would be published in its manifesto. Campaigning in Bedford, he said: The Tories seem to have gone into desperation mode only two weeks into the election. They are the ones that are underfunding the NHS and, crucially, underfunding social care, which exacerbates the problems within the NHS. All of it is funded and we will not make any commitments that arent fully funded. Mr Hunt said the STP reforms would improve safety, adding: This is all underpinned by an extra 10 billion for the NHS, which we can only afford thanks to our strong economy. That funding is at risk with Jeremy Corbyn. Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth defended his partys moratorium on shutting A&E departments. He said: We have listened to the hundreds of patients and campaigners up and down the country that have been pleading with the Government to hear their concerns about their local services. Labours parliamentary candidate for Hammersmith, Andy Slaughter, welcomed the vow to stop STP, which he said had led to the closure of two A&Es in west London. He said the Tory policy of replacing A&Es in some areas with urgent care centres has not worked as waiting times remain high and people face longer journeys. He said the Tories are flying in the face of reality if they chose to continue with STPs after the general election. Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb said it was a fantasy to believe there was enough money to fund the STP programme. P hilip Hammond went on the attack today over Labours economic credibility after Diane Abbotts disastrous interview on police funding. The Chancellor claimed that giving Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No 10 would be a chaotic and high risk gamble that would lead to higher taxes, more borrowing and more debt. The Tories published a new document which alleged that there was a 45 billion black hole in Labours economic plans which would detonate a tax and debt bombshell if the party took power. Labour dismissed the allegation as absolute lies. On the attack: Tory ministers Philip Hammond and David Davis / Jeremy Selwyn But Mr Hammond said: Jeremy Corbyn offers a chaotic and high risk gamble that would lead to higher taxes, more borrowing and more debt. The Tories are seeking to stress that the election is a choice between Theresa May and Mr Corbyn, while Labour has sought to shift the debate onto policy issues. Diane Abbott in car crash interview on LBC But this backfired yesterday when shadow home secretary Ms Abbott gave a stumbling performance on LBC radio on how Labour would fund 10,000 more police officers, at one stage suggesting the scheme would cost 300,000, which would mean an annual salary of 30. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell today sought to restore Labours economic standing after her blunder. He stressed that he had a reputation as a hard-nosed bureaucrat and that he would be deciding spending in Labours manifesto and how it will be financed. He also denounced as absolute lies the Tory claim of a 45 billion black hole. He stressed that the police policy, costing up to 300 million-a-year, would be fully funded by reversing planned cuts in capital gains tax. Let me give this assurance to everyone. Im the person who will determine, first of all, what the levels of expenditure on each item that will be committed to in the manifesto, he told BBC radio. Im the person who will be identifying the funding source. Mr McDonnell said middle and low earners would be protected from tax rises under Labour. However, he has previously described people on incomes above 70,000 to 80,000 as rich, raising fears that many Londoners would face higher taxes if Mr Corbyn becomes Prime Minister. The shadow Chancellor made clear that people at the top of the income scale and big business would be expected to bear a greater tax burden under Labour. He also hinted at more money for schools, to be paid for from another revenue source than CGT. However, there appeared to be confusion over whether Labour would reverse cuts in the arts in recent years. Meanwhile, Labour said it would halt closures of A&E departments in English hospitals if it gains power on June 8. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said he would launch a full-scale review of such proposals and stop the Sustainability and Transformation Plan programme if Labour wins the election. T heresa May sensationally accused European bosses of trying to sway the result of the British election in a bombshell statement outside the steps of Downing Street. She claimed some bureaucrats want Britains Brexit negotiations to fail and have timed smears to deliberately affect British voters before they head to the polls on June 8. Mrs May deliberately pointed the finger at President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, claiming he had hardened his negotiating stance. She said: In the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britains negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on 8 June. The speech came shortly after the Prime Minister visited Buckingham Palace to officially dissolve Parliament. On Monday reports appeared in the German press detailing the dinner held between President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Theresa May a week ago. The pair were there for talks on the upcoming negotiations of Britain leaving the EU. Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street / PA Juncker is said to have described Mrs May as delusional following the meeting and on living in another galaxy over the speed at which she wanted to resolve EU citizens rights. He is alleged to have said he left London feeling 10 times more sceptical about the success of Brexit. Mrs May said: The events of the last few days have shown that - whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europes other leaders - there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed. She insisted earlier this week talks with Mr Juncker had so far had been constructive. Turning her focus to the upcoming election she said that only she could deliver the strong and stable leadership Britain needs to provide economic growth, and said a vote for Jeremy Corbyn would herald a coalition of chaos. She said: With me you will get strong and stable leadership, and an approach to Brexit that locks in economic growth, jobs for our children and strong finances for the NHS and the countrys schools. T heresa May today faced the first Tory uprising of the General Election with calls to tear up proposed school funding changes, which have sparked fury. An Evening Standard investigation revealed that senior Conservatives are lining up to urge the Prime Minister to abandon the Governments school funding reforms before voters go to the polls. Some of the Tories want a clear promise of a rethink in the partys election manifesto, which is expected to be published within days. Graham Brady, who has represented backbench Tory MPs as the powerful chairman of the 1922 Committee wants the Government to signal changes in the near future. He told the Standard: Historically, school funding across the country has been unequal. General Election 2017: What you need to know It is quite right that the Government is seeking to address this with a more consistent approach to school funding according to need. But it has been obvious since very soon after the draft formula was published that it could not work in that form. These were proposals for consultation I look forward to seeing revised proposals in the near future. Ex-deputy Commons speaker Nigel Evans voiced the concerns of many of his colleagues over the shake-up, which will see thousands of schools lose funding, as thousands of others gain. Appealing to Mrs May, he said: When people say there are structural problems with the fairer funding formula as it currently stands, then please do what you are good at which is correcting it. If she cant correct it, junk it. Laurence Robertson Tewkesbury MP before Parliament was dissolved today said: The Government has not quite got there yet. The deprivation factor needs to be better targeted and properly applied. Former culture minister Ed Vaizey (Wantage) said: There are alternative proposals which the Government needs to look at. Ex-transport minister Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) said: Many London MPs including myself have made representations. I hope the manifesto will reflect these representations. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswolds) said: The absolute minimum in the manifesto should be that no school loses out in cash terms. Tories have spoken out about school funding plans / Getty Images Bob Stewart (Beckenham) said: I hope theres something in the manifesto that addresses the problem that is perceived by people in regards to school funding and Im sure there will be. Bob Blackman (Harrow East) urged: I would obviously like a commitment that we are not going to proceed with this. Not just me but many other colleagues have indicated they cannot support it. James Gray (North Wiltshire) said: It needs to be thought through more carefully and brought in at a time when the net cake, the size of total spending [for schools] is increasing. Philip Davies (Shipley) argued that the reforms would not have got through the Commons. I would love to see confirmation that they are not proceeding with it, he added. David Burrowes (Enfield Southgate) said: This election provides the Government with the opportunity with a fresh mandate to reset the education budget to meet the current costs of schools. James Berry (Kingston & Surbiton) said it would be fairer for the per pupil element of the funding model to be a higher percentage of the overall formula. Tania Mathias (Twickenham) agreed that parents are rightly concerned that there needs to be more money in the pot. Matthew Offord (Hendon) said the proposals seemed to hit London disproportionately hard. I would welcome any change in the manifesto which would change this, he added. Andrew Rosindell (Romford) said: There is no doubt that these current proposed changes would have a negative impact on many schools in Romford and the London borough of Havering. Any way to avoid this would be hugely welcomed by myself, schools, parents and pupils. Zac Goldsmith was among those who criticised the plans / Alex Lentati Tory Richmond Park challenger Zac Goldsmith said: School funding should always be treated as a core priority generally. But specially we need to see a greater recognition of the mounting costs of SEN provision, which we do well in Richmond and Kingston, but which adds huge pressure to our schools. The biggest proportional loss will be in London from the introduction of the National Funding Formula, where 70 per cent of schools stand to lose funding, says London Councils. The capitals inner city schools will lose 50 million, according to Department for Education figures. Outer London would see a rise of 30 million for its 1,348 schools. But in many areas headteachers say funds received under the revised formula may be higher but will not offset the rise in staffing costs. There are concerns further afield. Tory candidate Tom Tugendhat said: The current proposal leaves schools in Tonbridge, Edenbridge and Malling worse off. Sarah Wollaston (Totnes), said: I would support a further review of the funding formula to better reflect rurality. The new formula was proposed by Education Secretary Justine Greening in December after years of campaigning by MPs and local authorities for a fairer model. Ministers say it is a fairer way of distributing funds across the country. A killer whale found dead on a Scottish island had one of the highest ever levels of toxic chemicals found in its body. A postmortem for the whale, known as Lulu, found her blubber contained 100 times more polychlorinated biphenyls pollutants (PCBs) than what would usually give marine animals health problems. Lulu was discovered on the Scottish island of Tiree having become tangled in fishing ropes last year. But scientists have now claimed the dangerous toxins could have played a role in her death by weakening the killer whale. Dr Andrew Brownlow, head of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme told the BBC that Lulu had "shocking levels of PCBs". Manmade chemicals found to contain PCBs have been widely used in plastics to paints and electrical equipment over the past century and can be found in landfill sites. T he Duchess of Cambridge dropped in on an inner-city farm today, where she fed milk to a lamb named Stinky. Kate met Stinky during a visit to the Farms for City Children in Arlingham, Gloucestershire - a charity set up by children's author Michael Morpurgo to teach inner-city children about farming. Stinky, who is six weeks old, is being bottle-fed as he fell ill shortly after being born and had to be taken away from his mother and hand-reared by staff. Farm manager John Goodman explained how Stinky - a Lleyn breed of sheep who was born on the farm - earned his name. Kate meets Stinky during a visit to the Farms for City Children in Arlingham / Matt Cardy/Getty Images "He got a bit of a stomach infection and he had diarrhoea and he was a bit smelly. The children said he was stinky and the name stuck," he said. "We had to take him away from his mother and siblings and bottle-feed him and the children were not allowed to touch him. "It's too late to return him to his mother so he will be bottle-fed. He has got back to full health now. "Stinky is a twin and his brother and sister are still with their mother." Kate helped herd pigs at one point during the visit (Richard Pohle/The Times/PA ) / Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Mr Goodman added: "He's destined to be eaten - the kids will be horrified." The Duchess, who was wearing dark brown knee-length zip-up boots, light brown trousers and an outdoor jacket, had arrived at the farm for a private lunch with the children and staff. She then joined a story-time session led by Mr Morpurgo, who founded the charity with his wife Clare in 1976. The Duchess was then taken on a tour of the farm where she helped children - from Vauxhall in London - pot vegetable plants and plant onions in the allotments, as well as tending to the chicken coop. The Duchess's visit was rounded off with a short tea party / Ben Birchall/PA While helping to plant the onions, the Duchess asked: "Do any of you like onions?" One child replied that they made their eyes water and the Duchess replied: "They make things nice and tasty. You can put onions in curries." She also saw a "super wriggly worm" and asked the children: "Have all of you held a worm before?" The Duchess then tried her hand at 'pig weighing' - which involves corralling a pig into a pen to be weighed. "We use pig boards to coral or drive the pigs into the crate to weigh them," Mr Goodman said. "The Duchess had a pig board and was brilliant with it. She said she had never done pig weighing before. "The expression is 'stubborn as a mule' and pigs can be just as bad. We made sure we had three really quiet ones." The Duchess's visit was rounded off with a short tea party. Speaking afterwards, Mr Goodman said: "It's been good fun. The Duchess is really hands on and really good fun and brilliant with the children - she has a rapport with them." The organisation, which now has three working farms, welcomes around 3,200 children and 400 teachers a year. D onald Trump could pull America out of the Paris Agreement on climate change as early as next week, according to reports. White House advisers are said to be split on whether to bail out of the agreement but President Trump is reported to be leaning towards withdrawal. Britain is one of the 195 countries that agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of the deal reached in December 2015, which was the first climate accord to include the US and China, the worlds top polluters. Mr Trumps first 100 days as US president have seen moves to roll back some of Barack Obamas climate change policies would almost certainly prevent the US from meeting its Paris commitment even if it does not formally withdraw. The Trump administration also fears that by staying, it could trigger legal action from environmentalists already suing the White House over its climate agenda, such as the unravelling of Barack Obamas Clean Power Plan to cut emissions from the utility sector. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, energy secretary Rick Perry and Mr Trumps daughter and adviser Ivanka were reportedly on one side urging the president not to pull out altogether but seek to renegotiate the US terms. However, environmental protection agency chief Scott Pruitt and chief strategist Steve Bannon were in favour of making a clean break. Both the New York Times and Huffington Post quoted sources saying Mr Trump could pull the plug next week. It came as Vice President Mike Pence said Mr Trump is personally committed to becoming the US president who bring peace to the Middle East as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was due for talks at the White House today. T he official Twitter account of US First Lady Melania Trump appeared to endorse a tweet suggesting Donald Trump had built a wall between the couple. Melania Trumps verified Twitter account - @MELANIATRUMP is said to have momentarily liked a tweet by a US writer commenting on the couples relationship. The tweet read: Seems the only #Wall @realDonaldTrumps built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #trump. It was posted online by blogger Andy Ostroy and accompanied by an image of the first lady looking unhappy at the Presidents inauguration. The image had previously gone viral, with people remarking over Mrs Trumps expression quickly changing from a grin to gloom as the President turns away. After posting the tweet, Mr Ostroy said he received a notification saying Melania Trumps personal verified account which is separate to her official First Lady Twitter profile had favourited the tweet. Donald Trump kisses wife Melania in Florida / Getty Images He said: I suspect this isnt a real account for @flotus But his was inundated with replies from people saying it was the real account of Slovenia-born former model Mrs Trump, as shown by the fact that it had a blue tick. The Twitter account reportedly retracted the favourite within three quarters of an hour after the original tweet from Mr Ostroy was posted online. Many people have joked it could be a cry for help but others have suspected it could be an accident. A resident of Praia da Luz has described seeing a car driving towards the apartment of Madeleine McCann the night she went missing. Jenny Murat, who lives 100 yards from the Ocean Club complex in the Algarve village where the McCanns were staying, spoke about the sighting for the first time today on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance. Madeleine was three when she vanished from Praia da Luz at about 9pm exactly 10 years ago on May 3, 2007. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann have vowed to do "whatever it takes for as long as it takes" to find her. Mrs Murat told BBC Breakfast the car was driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Madeleine McCann disappearance - a timeline of key events She said: "It was one of the small cars, like the rental cars - the normal, everyday sort of rental cars. "I saw the driver, I was beside the driver. Both of us looked at each other. I think he had a very British look about him." She also described seeing a woman standing outside the family's apartment on the night Madeleine went missing. "I noticed her there and she kind of looked as if she was trying to hide from me. I do remember she was wearing a plum-coloured top," she said. Mrs Murat's son Robert, a translator, was the first person to be made an arguido - a named suspect - in the case. Madeleine McCann - In pictures 1 /33 Madeleine McCann - In pictures Madeleine McCann Maddie disappeared in 2007 PA Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal ten years ago, during an interview with the BBC's Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough PA Screen grabbed image taken from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page of a message from Madeleine McCann's parents, Gerry and Kate, who has described the tenth anniversary of her daughter's disappearance as a "horrible marker of time, stolen time" PA Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz The Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz where Madeleine McCann disappeared Kate and Gerry McCann Kate and Gerry McCann with a computer image of how their missing daughter Madeleine might look Reuters Maddie disappeared in 2007 Madeleine McCann: Disappeared in 2007 aged three PA Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, who has revealed that British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann case are still pursuing "critical" leads as the 10th anniversary of her disappearance approaches PA Kate and Gerry McCann Kate and Gerry McCann before a charity run in London AFP/Getty Images The Ocean Club which is next to Apartment 5A in Praia Da Luz in Portugal, where Madeline McCann went missing PA Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal ten years ago, during an interview with the BBC's Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough PA Kate McCann Kate McCann speaks to press at a Lisbon court last year AFP/Getty Images Kate and Gerry McCann with their children Kate and Gerry return home from Portugal in 2007 AFP/Getty Images A general view of the coastline in Praia Da Luz in Portugal, where Madeline McCann went missing PA Portugal police Police in Portugal comb the Algarve resort after Madeleine disappeared in 2007 AFP/Getty Images Kate and Gerry McCann Kate and Gerry McCann pictured shortly after Maddie went missing AFP/Getty Images Kate McCann Kate McCann cries during a 2008 TV appearance Madeleine McCann Maddie in an Everton shirt Everton FC/PA A general view of Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, close to where Madeline McCann went missing PA Members of Scotland Yard dig at an area during the search for missing British girl Madeleine McCann in Praia da Luz, near Lagos on 07 June 2014 Reuters Kate and Gerry McCann Kate McCann and Gerry McCann speak to press after being cleared of being formal suspects Getty Images A poster is shown whilst Kate and Gerry McCann give a press conference in 2012 about their missing daughter Madeline McCann Daily Mail Kate and Gerry pictured five years after Maddie went missing Getty Images The Ocean Club which is next to Apartment 5A in Praia Da Luz in Portugal, where Madeline McCann went missing PA Maddie's parents in an interview with Crimewatch A scene from a Crimewatch reconstruction BBC He told the BBC he still cannot face reading about the case on the internet, despite being cleared of any involvement. "The internet is full of theories - I want to know the truth, not theories," he said. "I just want to know why that was the case. It didn't only lead to me being destroyed, it led to my whole family being destroyed, affected by those allegations. "It was completely untrue." British detectives working on the case revealed recently that they were pursuing a "significant" line of inquiry, with information received on a daily basis. A special church service will be held at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz for all missing people, including Madeleine, at 9pm on Wednesday. There is also expected to be a public gathering in her home village of Rothley to mark the 10th anniversary of her disappearance. In previous years, villagers have joined members of the McCann family near the local war memorial on May 3 to support the continued search for her. A playboy model has been blasted as culturally insensitive after posing fully naked on a sacred Maori mountain in New Zealand. Model Jaylene Cook stripped down to nothing but her trainers, gloves and a hat on top of New Zealand's Mount Taranaki for an Instagram photo. But the picture has been branded disrepectful, with the volcano considered sacred by the local Maori tribe. It was taken when Ms Cook, who is from New Zealand, climbed the mountain with her photographer boyfriend Josh Shaw earlier this week and was posted to the models 300,000 followers on Instagram. Ms Cook has defended the picture, sayings she was aware of the mountains cultural significance and did not believe it to be offensive. Model Jaylene Cook has almost 300,000 followers / Instagram (Jaylene Cook) Maori academic Dennis Ngawhare told Stuff.co.nz: Id imagine you will be getting a few comments from people saying, Whats wrong with that? Who cares? But I also know cousins and relatives who will be quite upset about it. They would consider it as being disrespectful towards the mountain. Local Maori consider the volcano the burial ground of the tribe's ancestor and is itself seen as an ancestor. Alongside the photo, the model posted: This climb has forever changed me. I proved just how far I could push myself and I am truly proud of my accomplishment. This mountain was steep, rugged, ever changing and just pure brutal! Safe to say, I will never do it again. After criticism emerged she told the Sun: [The photos] not crude or explicit in any way. We made ourselves knowledgeable on the history of the mountain. We were quite respectful. Fans have jumped to models defence on social media, with one Instagram user calling for critics to get off her back over the completely normal photo". In 2015, a group of travellers were arrested and thrown in a Malaysian prison for stripping naked on top of a sacred mountain. A chief aide to President Donald Trump was left red-faced after his 'to-do list' was apparently accidentally shared online in a photograph from a leading US rabbi. Rabbi Shmuley, a well-known Jewish public speaker, TV host and author in the US, posted a photo of himself on Twitter standing next to top government strategist Steve Bannon during a tour of the White House. But the background of the shot shows a whiteboard revealing the lengthy to-do list of President Trumps right-hand-man. Scrawled in a marker pen, the list includes tasks already ticked such as suspend immigration from terror-prone regions and suspend the Syrian Refugee Programme. Another task, which cannot be read fully as the photograph cuts off the end, reads: Build the border wall and eventually make Mexico Other jobs on the list read: Finally complete the biometric entry-exit visa, implement new extreme immigration vetting, issue detainers for all illegal immigrants and sunset our visa laws so that Congress is forced to revise and revisit them. There are also several references to defeat ISIS. Donald Trump and Steve Bannon. / AFP/Getty Images Tasks are grouped into pledges on Obamacare, pledges on tax reform as well as the lengthier pledges on immigration. The list also includes plans to introduce the immigration enforcement Davis-Oliver bill as well as Kates law, based on the idea of a mandatory prison sentence for non-Americans who illegally re-enter the US. Many people on Twitter quickly noticed the background of the picture and shared zoomed-in shots of the handwritten to-do list. One woman said: Seems the Rabbi is pretty smart to capture policy on camera. Rabbi Shmuleys tweet also tagged the wrong Steve Bannon, using the Twitter handle of a Scottish man who lives in England. The Scottish Mr Bannon later tweeted: "Oh here we go again... it's been nice and quiet the last few weeks." The Orthodox Jewish rabbi, whose full name is Shmuel Boteach, has written 30 books and was ranked as one of the top 50 most influential rabbis in the US by Newsweek magazine. B rad Pitt has compared his split from Angelina Jolie to a death, admitting that he developed a problem with alcohol during his marriage. Speaking about his divorce for the first time, the Hollywood actor said that he has just started going to therapy as he tries to rebuild his life. You know, I just started therapy. I love it, I love it. I went through two therapists to get to the right one, he told GQ Style. When asked whether his very public split from Jolie in August 2016 felt like a death, the actor simply replied: Yeah. Brad Pitt opens up about his marriage split for the first time / Ryan McGinley If you love someone, set them free.' Now I know what it means, by feeling it," he said. "It means to love without ownership. It means expecting nothing in return. It doesn't mean f***-all to me until, you know. Until you live it. Discussing his rumoured battle with alcohol, Pitt said that that he couldnt remember a day since college when he hadnt been drinking. Read the full interview with brad Pitt in GQ / Ryan McGinley I mean, we have a winery. I enjoy wine very, very much, but I just ran it to the ground. I had to step away for a minute, he said. And truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good. Angelina Jolie files for divorce from Brad Pitt: Twitter reacts Pitt revealed that he couldnt remain in the family home following the breakdown of his marriage, saying that it was It was too sad to be there. So I went and stayed on a friends floor, a little bungalow in Santa Monica. I crashed over here a little bit, my friend [David] Fincher lives right here, he said. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - In pictures 1 /36 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - In pictures Writer-director-producer-actress Angelina Jolie Pitt and actor-producer Brad Pitt attend Audi at the opening night gala premiere of 'By the Sea' during AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on 05 November 2015 in Hollywood, California Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt give a press conference on 07 June 2006 at a Swakopmund hotel, Namibia to announce they are proud parents of daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt AFP/Getty Images Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005 20th Century Fox Brad Pitt,eats pizza, as actress Angelina Jolie looks on in the audience during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 02 March 2014 Invision/AP Brad Pitt and children Pax Jolie-Pitt (L), Shiloh Jolie-Pitt (C) and Maddox Jolie-Pitt arrive for the U.S. premiere of Universal Pictures "Unbroken," on 15 December2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Brad Pitt and Family arriving at the Los Angeles International Airport on 05 July 2015 Rex rad Pitt and 2015 Entertainment Innovator Angelina Jolie Pitt attend the WSJ. Magazine 2015 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art on 04 November 2015 in New York City Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at 'By the Sea' film screening, New York, America -on 03 November 2015 Rex Angelina Jolie hugs Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt (L) and Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt (R) after winning award for Favorite Villain in 'Maleficent' during Nickelodeon's 28th Annual Kids' Choice Awards held at The Forum on 28 March 2015 in Inglewood, California Kevin Winter/Getty Images Brad Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie attend the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on 02 March 2014 in Hollywood Michael Buckner/Getty Images Benedict Cumberbatch, Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, actor/producer Brad Pitt, director Steve McQueen, actors Lupita Nyong'o and Michael Fassbender celebrate as "12 Years A Slave" is awarded Best Picture during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on 02 March 2014 in Hollywood Kevin Winter/Getty Images Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the World Premiere of Disney's "Maleficent" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood Kevin Winter/Getty Images Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the EE British Academy Film Awards 2014 at The Royal Opera House on 16 February 2014 Dave Benett Angelina Jolie arrives at the world premiere of Unbroken at the State Theatre on 17 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia Brendon Thorne/Getty Images Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attending the premiere of Maleficent at Kensington Palace on 08 May 2014 Justin Tallis/PA ngelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arriving for the world premiere of World War Z, at the Empire Leicester Square, London on 02 June 2013 Dominic Lipinski/PA Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend 'WORLD WAR Z' Germany Premiere at Sony Centre on 04 June 2013 in Berlin, Germany. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Angelina Jolie arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on 26 February 2012 Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Cinema for Peace Gala ceremony at the Konzerthaus Am Gendarmenmarkt during day five of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on 13 February 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on 15 January 2012 in Beverly Hills Jason Merritt/Getty Images Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the premiere of DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda 2" at Mann's Chinese Theatre on 22 May 2011 in Hollywood David Livingston/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend "The Tree Of Life" premiere during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on 16 May 2011 in Cannes, France Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Hollywood movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ride on a motorcycle on a busy street in downtown Ho Chi Minh on 23 November 2006. Jolie and Pitt are expected to adopt a three-year-old Vietnamese boy AFP/Getty Images Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005 20th Century Fox Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005 20th Century Fox Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with children Zahara, Knox, Maddox, Shiloh, Pax and Vivienne at at Haneda International airport in Tokyo, Japan on 08 November 2011 Masatoshi Okauchi/Rex Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (C) with children (L-R) Pax Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Knox Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt attend the World Premiere of Disney's "Maleficent", starring Angelina Jolie, at the El Capitan Theatre on May 28, 2014 in Hollywood Charley Gallay/Getty Images Jolie first spoke about the split in February during an interview with the BBC, saying: I dont want to say very much about that, except to say it was a very difficult time and we are a family, and we will always be a family. It was very difficult. Many people find themselves in this situation. My whole family have all been through a difficult time, she said. My focus is my children, our children. We are and forever will be a family and so that is how I am coping. I am coping with finding a way through to make sure that this somehow makes us stronger and closer. Jolie adopted son Maddox, 15, from a Cambodian orphanage back in 2002, and she later went on to adopt children Zahara and Pax with Pitt. The former couple welcomed their first biological child, Shiloh, in 2006 and Jolie gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne in 2008. Bengaluru resident and barber Ramesh Babu is a billionaire. Ramesh Babu has been collecting expensive cars for over 30 years now. Babu began his career by giving Rs. 75 haircuts then how did he become this rich? Find out here. By India Today Web Desk: Sonam Kapoor gave one of the best performances of her career in Ram Madhvani's Neerja. But little did she know that her performance in the biopic will be recognised by the National Awards jury. While the film has won the National Award for Best Hindi Film, the 31-year-old actor has received a special mention for Neerja. advertisement Clad in a saree, the Prem Ratan Dhan Payo actor received her first National Award for Neerja from President Pranab Mukherjee. Talking about her win, she earlier told PTI, "My mother (Sunita) told me that I had received a special mention and I found it sweet and encouraging. I was like 'is it a consolation award?' She told me to speak to Anupam Kher uncle as he received it for Daddy. I spoke to Shabana (Azmi) aunty as well about it." Sonam had said that she did not do the film for awards but is happy that the story on Neerja's life was recognised. "I don't think I did 'Neerja' for rewards. The whole film signifies the idea of human compassion, kindness and strength especially in this day and age when there is so much competition around and it is about survival of the fittest. It is so important that a film like Neerja gets an honour like this. It is really great," she added. On the work front, she is currently working on R Balki's Padman along with Akshay Kumar. ALSO READ: Sonam Kapoor's Neerja wins National Award for Best Hindi Film ALSO READ: Sonam Kapoor's boyfriend Anand Ahuja can't stop gushing about her National Award win ALSO WATCH: Sonam Kapoor talks about Neerja success and more --- ENDS --- Aamir Khan was recently seen with a small stud on his nose in a selfie with Sushant Singh Rajput. Has Aamir pierced his nose for Thugs of Hindostan? By India Today Web Desk: Aamir Khan has become famous for changing his looks from movie to movie like a chameleon. If a collage was made of Aamir Khan's looks from his films, each picture at a glance would appear to show a different person. Well now, after Aamir Khan gained weight and became as heavy as 90 kg for Dangal, now the actor has pierced his nose and was recently seen in a photo wearing a stud on his nose. So, is Aamir Khan going to wear a nose ring for his upcoming film Thugs of Hindostan? And when you meet 'Inspiration' in the process !! #aamirkhan #perfectionist A post shared by Sushant Singh Rajput (@sushantsinghrajput) on May 1, 2017 at 9:47pm PDT advertisement Sushant Singh Rajput caught up with Aamir Khan and uploaded the selfie on Tuesday afternoon. Since then, fans have been going crazy on social media wondering if the nose-piercing has got anything to do with Aamir Khan's next, Thugs of Hindostan. Thugs of Hindostan is being written and directed by Tashan and Dhoom 3 director Vijay Krishna Acharya. The film is based on the infamous Thuggee cult of India which emerged around 1356 and continued to thrive for at least 450 years. The Thugs were a gang of professional murderers and robbers and it is estimated that the Thugs have killed up to a million people. Vijay Krishna Acharya's film borrows its tale from the 1839 novel Confessions of a Thug written by Philip Meadows Taylor. Right now, the film stars Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan in lead roles. A female lead for Thugs of Hindostan has not been finalised yet. ALSO SEE: Dangal's Fatima Sana Shaikh gives look-test for Aamir Khan's Thugs of Hindostan ALSO READ: Thrilled to work with my icon, says Aamir Khan on getting to work with Amitabh Bachchan WATCH: Aamir Khan discusses his acting career with Ranveer Singh --- ENDS --- YORK The Keystone XL pipeline will provide jobs. The Keystone XL pipeline will be a threat to the water and land. The Keystone XL pipeline goes against landowners rights. The Keystone XL pipeline would be no more of a threat than the thousands of existing pipelines that quietly transport oil across the nation. The Keystone XL pipeline is all risk, no reward. The Keystone XL pipeline would bring in added tax dollars and money into local economies during its construction. Many different opinions were being expressed Wednesday at the Holthus Convention Center in York as the Nebraska Public Service Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed Keystone XL. Many people from all over Nebraska as well as those from other states and Canada were in attendance, waiting for their turns to testify. The states Major Oil Pipeline Siting Act requires the PSC to determine if the pipeline route is in the public interest. The commission does not approve the pipeline itself. The Siting Act specifically prohibits the Commission from evaluating safety considerations, including the risk or impact of spills or leaks from the major oil pipeline. However, many included those concerns in their testimony. In evaluating the route, the Siting Act requires the commission to consider things such as: whether the pipeline has complied with all applicable state and local laws; the potential impact on natural resources for reasons other than safety; methods to minimize the potential impacts to natural resources; the economic and social impacts; the existence of a feasible utility corridor for the route; potential impacts of the orderly development of the area around the proposed route; reports of other state agencies; and the views of area counties and towns. There was a substantial law enforcement presence at the convention center, Wednesday, as security issues were taken very seriously. We are just doing our job, to ensure safety and security for everyone in attendance, said York County Sheriff Dale Radcliff. York Police Officer Roger Wolfe recognized that the process of the hearing was an exercise in American freedoms, including the freedom of assembly, the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech. This is allowing that process to work, Officer Wolfe said. Barricades were placed in many areas around the convention center, to direct traffic and provide specific areas for parking. All persons entering the convention center had to go through a search area, where bags were inspected and metal detection took place. Once inside the ballroom, the hundreds in attendance sat waiting for their turns to speak. Representatives of TransCanada were on hand, reiterating that the proposed pipeline will have an economic impact while being safe. But longtime protesters, including York County landowner Bill Dunavan, said they will continue the fight against a foreign country moving onto their land by exercising eminent domain. It was hard to sleep last night, Dunavan said. But this is just another round in the long process that has been going on for nine years. Well keep going. Jane Kleeb, the founder of Bold Nebraska and the director of the Bold Alliance, said prior to the hearing, We have beat TransCanada twice before, weve stopped the pipeline before, and we will do it again. There is nothing about this pipeline that is in the public interest. York County Commissioner Paul Buller said he was there to listen to testimony . . . and was prompted to do so after local landowner Susan Dunavan asked the county board to be in attendance on Wednesday. She deserves that from us, to listen to the landowners, Buller said. Im not necessarily for or against the pipeline . . . but the proposed route cuts through most of my district and Im going to be the one hearing about the condition of the roads and other things if the pipeline is built. And Susan is right, we need to hear from the landowners who stood up and said they wouldnt take money for easements on their land. They are fighting this pipeline for what they believe in and we need to pay attention to them and their concerns. Granted, the county has no say in the pipeline route or whether it happens, but if it does, there will be issues we will have to address. Testimony will continue throughout the day and is expected to end at 7 p.m. Stay with Starherald.com for more on this developing story. The external affairs ministry said that Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit was called in by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's strong views on the incident. Basit has said the Pakistan Army wasn't involved. By India Today Web Desk: India today summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in connection with the beheading of two Indian security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan forces. Basit was called in by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's strong views on the incident, the external affairs ministry said. "Foreign Secretary conveyed India's outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May 1, 2017 by Pakistan Army personnel," Gopal Baglay, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, said. advertisement "It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire of Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control," he added. Basit has said the Pakistan Army wasn't involved, but he also said he would convey India's feeling to his government. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Singh were slain by Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) by sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in Poonch of J-K on May 1. According to a report, Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa authorised ambush on the Line of Control (LoC) leading to beheading of two Indian soldiers on Monday (May 1). Sources in the Indian intelligence agencies told Indian Express that General Bajwa visited Pakistani military positions in Haji Pir on April 30 and it was during this visit he backed his forces to hit back at the Indian posts to revenge the killing of 7-10 soldiers in Indian artillery firing on April 17. Lieutenant General Nadeem Raza, who commands the Pakistan X Corps, responsible for Kashmir, had even raised concerns of severe retaliation by Indian forces against any such move, the report added . INDIA WARNS OF UNEQUIVOCAL RESPONSE India has warned Pakistan of an 'unequivocal response' to the beheading of its two soldiers on the Line of Control. India's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt spoke to his Pakistani counterpart to express his 'grave concern' over the killing and beheading of the two soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. Gen Bhatt also said that such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. The Army said the DGMO also conveyed India's concern about the presence of Border Action Team (BAT) training camps in close vicinity of the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir. advertisement (With inputs from PTI) ALSO READ: Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit evades questions on mutilation of soldiers Months after surgical strikes, 55 terror training camps come up along LoC India warns Pakistan: We will respond at time and place of our choosing Krishna Ghati beheadings: Indian Army prepared to give befitting reply to Pakistan India hits back after jawans mutilated on LoC; Army kills 7 Pakistani soldiers, destroys 2 enemy bunkers Modi government busy with issues like gau hatya while Pakistan killing our jawans: Shiv Sena Krishna Ghati beheadings: Pakistan Army chief Qamar Bajwa authorised attack on Indian soldiers WATCH: Krishna Ghati mutilation: A ground report --- ENDS --- By MARK EVANS STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD Scott Schmieder, county road and bridge foreman, reported to the county commission last Thursday that temperatures are getting too cold at night for much more asphalt work to be done. He said potholes had all been patched. His crews were working on Bodine Road and made call-ins to locate Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (440) Jan 2014 (544) Feb 2014 (475) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (441) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (921) Nov 2015 (801) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (946) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sep 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (198) Eight people were killed and 28 injured in a suicide blast near US embassy in Kabul today. By Reuters: A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday killed eight people and wounded at least 28, officials said, in an attack on a convoy of armoured personnel carriers used by the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. The blast hit the NATO coalition convoy during the morning rush hour in one of the busiest areas of Kabul. Public health officials in the capital said eight civilians were killed and at least 25 wounded, with a number of civilian vehicles that were near the convoy destroyed or badly damaged. advertisement A Resolute Support Spokesman, US Navy Captain Bill Salvin, said three US service members were wounded in the attack. The armoured personnel carriers, which are designed to withstand large blasts, were able to return to a coalition base under their own power, he said. The attack follows a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week. Witnesses said traces of blood and clothing could be seen on the ground at the blast site. Kabul television stations earlier reported that at least three people had been killed. The heavily armoured MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said. Also read: Kabul: Blast destroys bus in Afghan capital, killing at least one Kabul: Gunmen disguised as doctors attack military hospital; ISIS claims responsibility Also watch | Pakistan: Suicide blast at Lahore's Punjab Assembly kills 16, injures scores --- ENDS --- Congress high command did not accept my resignation following the party's defeat in MCD polls. This shows the party chose me over Sheila Dikshit, Ajay Maken has said. By Abhishek Anand: Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Wednesday indicated that his resignation was not accepted as the party high command chose him over former chief minister Sheila Dikshit. On Wednesday, Maken called a meeting of all of party's councillors and the candidates who lost in MCD polls to chalk out party's plans for the future. Responding to questions on rift and dissent in the Congress, Maken said, "After my resignation, the party high command listend to me and simultaneously spoke to Sheila ji. After this, I was asked to continue to as the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief." advertisement His statement seems to be a direct attack on former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who had criticised Maken for 'ignoring' party's senior leaders during the MCD election campaign. WASN'T CALLED FOR CAMPAIGNING: SHEILA DIKSHIT Dikshit, who ruled Delhi for 15 years, alleged that she wasn't called for campaigning during polls. Also, the former Delhi chief minister's photos were missing from all hoardings of the party during its election campaign. Maken had stepped down following Congress' debacle in MCD polls, taking responsibility of the loss. However, the party high command had rejected his resignation and he was asked to continue as party's state unit chief.Maken said he would carry out a reshuffle in the party to strengthen its base in Delhi. "We will start a change at the booth level. Our vote percentage has substantially increased and we are ready to take on the BJP and the AAP from the grassroot level", Maken said. Also read | Kejriwal, Sisodia BJP agents; media giving unnecessary attention to AAP: Cong's Ajay Maken Also read | MCD election loss: Rahul rejects Ajay Maken, PC Chacko's resignations, says 'they did a good job' --- ENDS --- Updated at 5:20 p.m. A new report from Trulia, a real estate data and search site, says just 34.2 percent of homes across the U.S. have surpassed pre-recession peak values. The report, released Wednesday, appears to contradict a widely accepted view that home prices have recovered from the housing crash that began in 2006. While tech hubs like San Francisco and Denver and job centers like Dallas or Nashville, Tenn., have seen home values explode past earlier highs, there are more losers than winners, the Trulia analysis shows. In 28 metro areas examined in the report, fewer than 10 percent of homes had recovered their value since the bubble burst in 2008. Las Vegas was the worst performer, with less than 1 percent of its homes returning to or surpassing what they were worth before the recession. "It's a reflection of just how well a metro area has recovered, broadly speaking," said Ralph McLaughlin, chief economist at Trulia, adding that his findings largely correlate with other measures of metro-level growth, such as gains in income and total population. McLaughlin says a ZIP code-level analysis offers a more nuanced view of the haves and have-nots. In much of the middle of the country, cities have stagnated while less populated regions lead the recovery. The report ranked 100 metro areas. The St. Louis metro area ranked 50th, with a recovery rate of 33.7 percent reveals wide differences reflecting, in part, high demand for suburban housing. In the 63011 ZIP code area, which includes Ballwin, Manchester, Ellisville and Wildwood, an estimated 72 percent of the houses have recovered their pre-recession value. In the 63130 ZIP code area, which includes University City, that number is 26 percent. In the 63031 ZIP code area in Florissant, it was only 1 percent. The median home value in the St. Louis market as of March 2017 was $149,621, according to Trulia. The peak pre-recession median value was $159,884. Trulia's research is based on its own estimates of home values, while the big indices like S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index and the FHFA House Price Index are based on actual sales. Bloomberg and the Post-Dispatch contributed. Want to know how many calories are in that one or five Krispy Kreme doughnuts you enjoyed this weekend? You'll soon find out. Some chain restaurants, grocery and convenience stores are moving ahead with plans to post calorie counts on menus and food labels this week, despite an eleventh-hour reprieve from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A rule mandating the posting of calorie counts, originally proposed as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, had been set to go into effect Friday. The FDA said Monday that the new deadline for all businesses that sell prepared food and have 20 or more locations to post calories is May 7, 2018, allowing it more time to find ways to make compliance cheaper and more flexible. The rule's implementation already had been delayed several times, but this latest postponement came just four days before businesses were supposed to comply. That means that, in many cases, all of the money required to get in line with the rule from testing recipes to training staff and printing those new menus has already been spent. Chicago-area Krispy Kreme franchisee operator Carlos Larcada said that the chain is moving ahead with posting calorie counts in its stores even though it has another year to comply. "The delay came too late, and we are moving forward with complying with the original effective date of this Friday as the research, training and printing was already completed," he said. Ken Cruikshank, a sales and merchandising manager at Jewel-Osco, said the grocer also is sticking with plans to implement calorie counts and post menu boards across the deli, salad bar, seafood, produce and bakery departments this week despite the year delay and the possibility that the regulations could change again before they're final. "It was a pretty quick decision. We decided it was the right thing to do," he said, adding that the chain ultimately decided to go forward because it wants to be transparent and for the benefit for customers. "It certainly makes customers more knowledgeable," he said. "It allows them to make better decisions." Jewel had been preparing for the regulations training staff on new procedures and designing new labels and menu boards for "probably about a year or more," he said. Employees have gone through "extensive training" that included learning how to document nutritional information and being schooled on the importance of keeping serving sizes, and therefore calories, consistent for prepared foods. Many of the country's largest restaurant chains already put calories on their menus, a move advocates say tends to lead consumers to select lighter options. But pizza chains objected to spending thousands of dollars to post menu boards in stores, where only a fraction of their mostly delivery customer base places orders. And convenience and grocery chains argued that the rule was too restaurant-focused, leaving little flexibility for all the ways in which they sell food. Menu boards are also expensive, ranging anywhere from $500 to $2,000 depending on size and style, and that cost is multiplied by hundreds or thousands of locations for some of the biggest chains. Opponents of the regulation had petitioned the Trump administration to delay the rules, and also pushed their own bill in Congress. The Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, would dilute and remove some of the regulations, like allowing for a single menu board on salad bars instead of labels near each dish and allowing businesses that do a majority of their business online, like pizza restaurants, to post calories solely on their websites. The Domino's-backed lobbying group American Pizza Community said in a statement Tuesday that it "welcomes the important step by the Food and Drug Administration toward applying common sense to federal menu labeling regulations." "The previous approach threatened to impose excessive burdens on thousands of small businesses without achieving meaningful improvements in educating consumers," the group said. "We support menu labeling and look forward to working with policymakers to implement a permanent solution that provides consumers with information and enables small business owners to comply with flexibility while continuing to thrive and create jobs." But Margo Wootan, director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, accused the Trump administration of "myopically putting Big Food's interests over the interests of American consumers." "Special interests are prevailing on the Trump administration to delay or undo many of the important nutrition advances of the last decade," she said. Starting Thursday, the FDA is allowing the public to comment on the ways the rule can be improved and adjusted in time for its implementation next year. Spire Inc. on Wednesday reported higher fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenues. Net income was $108 million, or $2.36 per diluted share, in the period ended March 31. That compared favorably to net income of $100.8 million, or $2.31, in the year-earlier period. Operating revenue rose nearly 9 percent to $663.4 million. The St. Louis-based utility holding company, formerly known as Laclede Group, serves markets in Missouri, Alabama and Mississippi. The Spire board of directors has declared a quarterly common stock dividend of 52 cents per share, payable July 5 to shareholders of record on June 12. The company discusses earnings at 8 a.m. Central today (Wednesday, May 3). To listen in, call 844-824-3832. (The call will also be webcast in a listen-only format for the media and general public. The webcast can be accessed at SpireEnergy.com under the Investors tab. A replay of the call will be available from 10 a.m. Central on May 3 to June 3 by dialing 877-344-7529 (U.S.), 855-669-9658 (Canada), or 412-317-0088 (international). The replay access code is 10105352. A replay of the webcast will be available at SpireEnergy.com.) To read the full earnings release, go to www.spireenergy.com Akshay Kumar is in Delhi along with his family to receive his first National Award. By India Today Web Desk: It is a big day for actor Akshay Kumar. After being in the industry for almost 25 years, the Khiladi of Bollywood will receive his first national award. And the 49-year-old actor is already in the capital to get his award from President Pranab Mukherjee. Akshay, who is accompanied by his wife Twinkle Khanna and son Aarav Kumar, took to Twitter to share a picture from behind the scenes. He wrote, "An important day in my life with the most important people in the world to me, my family #NationalFilmAwards." An important day in my life with the most important people in the world to me, my family #NationalFilmAwards pic.twitter.com/nM2RdhnunG- Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 3, 2017 advertisement Known to be a bankable actor, Akshay has become a favourite with fans and directors in the last few years. And his performance in 2016 film Rustom has won him his first national award. He had earlier thanked his fans for the love and support and said, "Rustom was a very special role to play. I would like to dedicate this award to my parents, my family and especially my lovely wife who often jokes that it is good that you have stopped going to award shows as you never get an award - khaer, der aaye, durust aaye. Kuch toh aaye." On the work front, he is currently shooting for R Balki's Padman. ALSO READ: Akshay Kumar has this to say on his National Award win for Rustom ALSO READ: Forget Akshay Kumar's national award win. How many of THESE actors deserved it? ALSO WATCH: Akshay Kumar is the real Khiladi of Bollywood --- ENDS --- Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By India Today Web Desk: Akshay Kumar is on cloud nine as he received his first National Award for Rustom from President Pranab Mukherjee. After being in the industry for almost 25 years, his work in Rustom earned him his first National Award for Best Actor. Clad in a black bandhgala, Akshay received the honorary award from the President at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The actor is accompanied by his wife Twinkle Khanna and son Aarav Kumar at the award ceremony. advertisement Akshay later took to his social media accounts to share his feelings. No words can do justice to the joy I feel at this moment...sharing with you all my first ever #NationalFilmAward!Thank you for the love ????? pic.twitter.com/DdK1FvuK4i- Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 3, 2017 Known to be a bankable actor, Akshay has become a favourite with fans and directors in the last few years. He had earlier thanked his fans for the love and support and said, "Rustom was a very special role to play. I would like to dedicate this award to my parents, my family and especially my lovely wife who often jokes that it is good that you have stopped going to award shows as you never get an award - khaer, der aaye, durust aaye. Kuch toh aaye." On the work front, he is currently shooting for R Balki's Padman. ALSO READ: Akshay to receive his first National Award, Twinkle-Aarav join him ALSO READ: This is what Akshay Kumar has to say about his National Award win ALSO READ: Forget Akshay Kumar's national award win. How many of THESE actors deserved it? ALSO WATCH: Akshay Kumar is the real Khiladi of Bollywood --- ENDS --- Updates at 4:10 p.m. with vote results. WASHINGTON Rep. Ann Wagner Wednesday voted against a budget agreement, and she leveled harsh criticism against House Republican leaders who forged it. I am really angry about this, Wagner, R-Ballwin, said on the Marc Cox Show on FM NewsTalk 97.1, hours before the House passed the four-month spending deal by a vote of 309-118. Reps. Jason Smith, R-Salem; and Billy Long, R-Springfield, also voted no. Wagner described the spending bill as a 1,700-page monster of an omnibus that was forged by Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. Wagner said the bill is too laden with Democratic programs, like a continuation of Planned Parenthood funding, and not enough Republican ones, pointing out that it neglects to roll backs regulations and other provisions that many Republicans hoped would be in the bill. This looks like Obama budgets, Wagner said, adding that after years of Congress kicking spending decisions down the road, this is the worst I have ever seen. Wagner criticized Republican House leadership, including colleagues she had served with while she, herself, was a member of leadership before leaving it this year. Wagner is, however, helping to whip votes for a separate bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that Republicans have struggled to get through the House, and could be up for a vote this week. It wasnt me and I tell you I do blame our leadership and I am saddened to say that, Wagner told Cox, when asked who she blamed. "... I am not at the leadership table this time around. I am saddened in seeing the direction we are going in this Congress. Wagners take on the budget bill was directly opposite that of White House spokesman Sean Spicer, who ticked off important Trump promises he said were included in the bill, including beefed up defense and homeland security spending. Wagners vote resonates beyond her district because of her past alliances with GOP leaders and the fact that she is frequently mentioned as a potential 2018 challenger to Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. On Tuesday, McCaskill praised the budget agreement as a good compromise between Democrats and Republicans. She further praised it Wednesday, going to the Senate floor to laud Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., for leading efforts to cover retired coal miners heathcare in the bill. That moment, too, had political symbolism. Like McCaskill, Manchin faces re-election in 2018 in a state that Trump won in a landslide. After Wagner appeared on his show, the conservative host Cox told his listeners that I am glad she is a no vote on this budget, and that we cannot under any circumstances get into the actual election season of 2018 with zero legislative accomplishments. He added that the swamp is not just Democrats but establishment Republicans who dont want to see things change. By taking this vote, Wagner essentially aligns herself with the candidate Trump, who railed against the swamp - vs. the President Trump, who has gone back and forth on whether this is a good budget deal or not. The day before Spicer defended the budget deal in another contentious White House briefing, Trump on Tuesday had tweeted that the deal turned out the way it was because Democrats had threatened filibusters and that our country needs a good (government) shutdown in September to fix this mess. McCaskill had called those tweets upsetting and troubling, and a head-scratcher, and said it showed Trump would not be a willing compromiser down the road. Blunt, too, supported the bill, pointing out its increase in defense spending and in medical research, both of which are priorities to him. But Wagner said she was galled by Democrats who bragged they had stood by their principles she said Republicans gave up theirs, such as cutting Planned Parenthood funding. There is nothing in this bill to stop federal funds from continuing to flow to sanctuary cities, Wagner said. I could just go on and on about it I am just disgusted about it. This is not what the American people voted for and certainly the people across Missouri voted for, Wagner added. She told Cox she was more optimistic about a Republican health-reform bill, but its passage has been far more difficult than many GOP House leaders anticipated. Negotiations were continuing Wednesday on making enough changes in it to bring the most conservative House Freedom Caucus members on board, while appeasing Republicans not aligned with them. One of the latter group, Long was among four House Republicans meeting with Trump Wednesday. They said they worked out a deal with the president to include a provision strengthening coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Long had said Tuesday he couldn't vote for a bill that did not cover pre-existing conditions. In reality, even if the Republican health-care rewrite gets through the House, it would be the target of many substantial change efforts in the Senate, where Democrats wield a heavy rules cudgel: the 60-vote requirement to cut off debate. Republicans have only 52 senators, meaning they need at least eight Democrats to join them in many substantial changes in the health-care law. Blunt suggested that Republicans could still do a lot to fix Obamacare, which he blames for raising premiums and diminishing choices for many Missourians, by using the executive powers of Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. Although prospects of the health care bill passing remained cloudy Wednesday, leaders in both parties were more confident that the budget agreement would pass, thereby averting a government shutdown until the end of the fiscal year in September. A lot is happening, Wagner said. I am optimistic on health care, and I am saddened by this spending bill. Wagner, along with Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, voted against a two-year budget agreement that passed in October of 2015. In December of both 2015 and 2016, McCaskill voted against budget agreements, in the first case saying they included too many tax breaks for the rich, and in the second saying the proposal did not cover miners' pension and health care. The current agreement covers the latter, but not the former, of about 26,000 miners and dependents, whose benefits have been threatened because of economic problems in the coal industry. PACIFIC In this small railroad town, flooding from the nearby Meramec River had already seeped into at least 200 homes and businesses by Tuesday afternoon. As of 5:30 p.m. the house in the 300 block of West Congress Street that Ronnie Wright shares with his five other family members was surrounded by water, the front porch filled with items rescued from the flooded garage. Weve got about a foot still, so I think well be all right, Wright, 36, said. If not, well just climb to the roof. Almost everyone in the southeastern part of Pacific had evacuated. Wright and his fiancee, Crystal Askins, along with her parents and two children, were among those who decided to stay. We didnt think it was going to get up this high, said Askins, 33, the water lapping the top steps to the porch of the small white house with brown trim. The basement was already flooded. Wright added: Its our home, man. Were protecting what we got. That included a motor scooter, barbecue grill, generator and chainsaw. Askins said the family had plenty of groceries, and they grilled steaks while keeping an eye on the water. The electricity was still on, but the gas had been shut off. Tuesday marked the fourth day of sandbagging in Pacific as volunteers tried to keep more water from rising out of the river and over the railroad tracks, creating more damage. Kevyn Eitel had already abandoned his flooded home to take refuge in a friends house, where first-floor furniture and other items were being moved upstairs. Its horrible, said Eitel, 26. Now they are saying this house might flood. The Meramec is expected to crest Wednesday along several points, including Pacific, where the river level is predicted to rise just above 33 feet, within a few inches of where floodwater crested to a record high in December 2015. In Eureka, the water level is expected to climb to 46.4 feet, which would be a few inches above the record high 16 months ago. Valley Park is expected to climb an inch or so over 44 feet, matching record highs. Complicating matters is a forecast calling for 2 to 4 inches of more rain, which started overnight Tuesday and was expected to continue through Thursday. Lets go work In Eureka, to the east of Pacific, 200,000 sandbags were filled by volunteers trying to keep the towns original downtown dry. As of early Tuesday afternoon, there had been a couple of breaches in the sand barrier, but, overall, it was holding strong against the rising Meramec. St. Louis County Police spokesman Benjamin Granda said no more volunteers were needed. It was time to wait and watch. We, both the community and the authorities, have spent days trying to protect these businesses and homes so that their owners will not spend months cleaning up the devastation, Granda said. We are very grateful for the significant response through the form of volunteers, donors, and everyone in between. We are now encouraging people to stay dry and safe. Please stay out of the immediate area to give first responders, business owners and home owners space to continue to work. Just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Chief Greg Brown of the Eureka Fire Protection estimated that 25 homes and a dozen businesses in Eureka had been affected. But he thought the city had hit the peak about 9 p.m. Were thinking were going to hold tight and be good, Brown said. Earlier Tuesday, piles of sand were being dumped onto Central Avenue, where volunteers, including students out of school because of rising water, were working. It took on both the feel of a field trip and a street carnival, with a woman pulling a red wagon filled with cookies and other treats. About 2 p.m., Jordan Lake would normally be in seventh-hour geometry class at Eureka High School. But with classes canceled, he and other friends from school and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wildwood decided to lend a hand with flood prevention efforts. They said, Hey, lets go work in Old Town, and I said, OK, said Jordan, 15. His brother, Daniel, 12, was with him. The street was a hum of activity as volunteers were dropped off by bus and members of the Coast Guard kept watch from their skiffs. Volunteers filled bags, then small front-loaders scooped the bags up to place them in dump trucks, which hauled them to various places along the river. In Gods hands Vicki Hager, 54, came with family members from nearby Fenton to help out. It took two hours to get to the volunteer site because of flooded roads. Its well worth it, said Hager, holding her 18-month-old grandson. She and other relatives came to drop off food but decided to stay and help sandbag. For her part, Hager opened the bags to get them ready to be filled, staying back from the flurry of activity as best as possible while keeping an eye on the toddler. She said her son-in-law was in the Missouri Army National Guard, which was helping with sandbagging. Knowing they were working hard to keep the water at bay inspired Hager to help out. East of Eureka, in Valley Park, another town on the Meramec, it was a quiet Tuesday morning. Part of town near the Meramec River is protected by a levee, but the mayor had ordered everyone out of that area by noon as a precaution. The order was described as mandatory, but the city conceded it wasnt going to force anyone out. Many, but not all, residential driveways were emptied of cars. Some of the last residents who intended to leave were packing up their cars and lingering on their porches, chatting nervously with neighbors. Residents and business owners accepted the evacuation with resignation and frustration. Many said that they were leaving it in Gods hands and that it is what it is. Many newer Valley Park transplants are feeling bitter. When Edward Fields moved to Valley Park in 2013 with his wife, Beth, they were assured by their real estate agent that the recently built levee would keep their house out of the flood zone. Beth Fields didnt imagine shed ever have to evacuate for flooding. Im more pissed than anything, Edward Fields said. We shouldnt have to worry about uprooting ourselves. Kristen Taketa of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Two men had a nasty fist-fight on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles and delayed the flight for 50 minutes. By India Today Web Desk: Two men had a nasty fist-fight on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles. On Monday, Corey Hour, an Arizona-based photographer and cinematographer, captured footage of two men quarreling on ANA Flight NH6 at Tokyo's Narita International Airport before the plane was about to takeoff. According to Corey Hour, the plane was still boarding when he heard one man in red turn around and tell another man in black that he was "going to kill him," according to RT . advertisement "He literally just flipped," Corey told the Washington Post. "Nobody knows why." Little kids can be heard wailing as flight attendants rush in to intervene and stop the fight. Corey said the man wearing black was only fighting defensively and "wasn't trying to start anything," according to KNBC . "He was a very calm, collected individual." After recieveing several hits to the face, the man in red was removed by the female flight attendants. Watch: Two Passengers Fighting at All Nippon Airways (ANA) AND THEN THERE WAS A REMATCH Soon after the first round, the red man returned for a rematch. When the female flight attendant got in between, she was hit in the face. At that point, Corey stopped filming and got up to intervene in the fight. But as soon as he approached the man in the red shirt, Corey claims he backed away, refusing to fight. After leaving the plane, the man in the red shirt was arrested and charged with assault after choking an employee at the airport, according to Japan Today. ALSO READ: US man beats Asian, screams We are white power Indian in US jumps on Metro track to save co-worker, thief runs away with his backpack --- ENDS --- If you haven't had enough of Baahubali already, here's some more, in the form of fashion. By India Today Web Desk: Baahubali isn't a movie anymore, it's a phenomenon, thanks to the massive fandom the movie has garnered. With the release of it's sequel, Baahubali 2 is quite literally everywhere. And we all know that when it comes to worshipping stars and loving movies, Indians are unbeatable. If there were a record for the maximum number of craziest inventions to proclaim love for movies and their stars, India would sure be on the top of the list. advertisement Also Read: 101-year-old Man Kaur from Chandigarh wins gold at World Masters Games in New Zealand While everyone is watching Baahubali 2, some others are talking about it, and we are writing about it, a few women in Andhra Pradesh are wearing it. Picture courtesy: Twitter/@sandeep_bhojak Baahubali-print saree is a thing now. No kidding. Telugu writer Rajani Sakuntala hadn't in her wildest dreams imagined that the idea of adorning a Baahubali-print saree will spawn into the next big trend. Rajani Sakuntala had ordered five Baahubali-print sarees from a mill in Eluru, AP, for herself and her friends to wear at the premiere of the movie. Also Read: The first-ever video by Humans of New York will restore your faith in love The pictures she shared on social media were liked and retweeted by people all across, including actor Raveen Tandon, and BAM, It turned into the latest fad. On public demand, an order of 500 more Baahubali-print sarees has now been placed. Interestingly, the first edition of the sarees had Amarendra Baahubali and Devasena printed, the next edition will feature Bhallaladeva and Sivagami. We won't be shocked if the next edition features Kattapa! --- ENDS --- Medicaid is our nations largest health care plan, serving 65 million Americans and nearly a million Missourians. Importantly, Medicaid is the only public program that provides long-term care for the elderly and disabled. Two-thirds of Medicaid spending supports these vulnerable populations and their caregivers. Medicaid operates as a federal/state partnership. The federal government sets program requirements, the states administer them, and both pay but not equally. Congress pays $1.72 for every $1 Missouri spends. To maximize federal outlays, Missouri taxes its health care providers. But, despite higher federal payments, Missouri reimburses many nursing homes at rates below the cost of care. Average 2016 state reimbursement was $155 per patient day compared to $170 average cost. This means that through taxes and under-reimbursement, nursing homes subsidize Missouri Medicaid twice over. This is both unfair and unsustainable. Many nursing homes have reacted by decreasing Medicaid beds. If underpayment persists, some will close. Missouri is currently engaged in its annual budget balancing exercise that must be completed by May 5. Representing one-third of the state budget, Medicaid is on the cutting block in Jefferson City. Simultaneously, Congress is considering proposals to cap state payments and let the states manage Medicaids explosive growth (driven by demographics and rising health care costs). These changes will mean less money for Missouri Medicaid, making a tough situation for nursing homes even tougher. Recently, I visited Jefferson City and Washington, D.C., to advocate against Missouri cuts and federal changes. As chairwoman for Missouris association of nonprofit senior living and health care providers, and a health care professional who has served Missouris frail and elderly for more than 40 years, I had to raise my voice. Medicaid is a lifeline for 84,000 Missourians cared for in nursing homes and through home and community services. A disturbing takeaway from my Capitol visits is that some policymakers are confused about long-term care coverage. Im not arguing to expand Medicaid. I want our government to honor its current commitment to Medicaid beneficiaries. Medicaid exists for seniors who have exhausted personal resources and need care. While Medicare provides health insurance for seniors (without income limits), Medicare doesnt cover long-term nursing home or assisted-living care. Long-term care is private pay, and few Americans (less than 5 percent) have private long-term care insurance. Accordingly, Medicaid has become Americas default long-term care program. Sobering statistics spotlight the long-term care challenge. Today, if you reach age 65, there is a 70 percent likelihood you will need nursing home care for three years on average. The average annual Missouri nursing home costs $63,000 ($92,000 nationally). At such expense, its easy to understand why large numbers of people will exhaust resources and default to Medicaid. Will Medicaid be there for Missourians who cant care for themselves and have no other option? The largest generation in American history is approaching the age when long-term care is needed. The baby boomers present a monumental fiscal and social challenge. Governments, health care providers, aging service organizations and citizens must work together to save Medicaid for the boomers and beyond. To do so, Medicaid must be elevated to more than a budget exercise. It demands a long-term solution with incremental implementation. We must care for those in the system while making hard choices and compromises for long-term Medicaid survival. Short-term cuts or fixes only delay and worsen the problem. To balance its budget, Missouri is currently considering payment cuts for already underpaid Medicaid providers and raising the acuity level for Medicaid eligibility (essentially telling seniors to get sicker before getting care and asking providers to care for sicker patients without a reimbursement increase). Enough of the short-term cuts; lets debate long-term solutions. Christine E. Crouch is vice president and senior administrator at Bethesda Southgate/Charless Village. Limits to current strategies This new approach makes it difficult for development agencies to ignore a broader range of options and solutions. It could also inform the better integration of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals. Co-lead author Steven Lade says, "The goals call for doubling agricultural productivity by 2030. Ignoring cultural and environmental factors could increase the risk of poverty traps." With 78% of the worlds poorest people living in rural areas, development aid is often targeted at quick-fix financial and technological farming solutions. The Big Push one of the earliest theories of development economics is still a popular one-size-fits-all approach, despite its known limitations. Development agencies often encourage farmers to grow single cash crops, or monocultures, such as GM cotton in India, that they can sell to rise out of poverty with mixed results. While successful in many places, it can lead to deforestation, or nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to name a few environmental consequences. In some instances, it has created a cycle of poverty where improved seed varieties fail due to neglect of local environmental conditions and culture, leaving the land in a worse condition than before, and losing valuable knowledge reinforcing the poverty trap. Adding a third strategy The teams new approach classifies three types of solutions to alleviate poverty. The first is the standard Big Push over the barrier. The second is to lower the barrier, which could include training of farmers to change behavior and practices. These two classifications form the backbone of current aid strategies. The researchers introduce a third classification they call transform the system. The classification is about fundamentally rethinking the intervention strategy. For example, encouraging a farmer to devote a portion of his or her intensively-farmed land to local crops maintained through traditional practice to maintain resilient seed varieties. Haider says, If poverty in an area is causing environmental degradation then maybe a big push will work. But if the land has been managed sustainably for generations then development agencies need an approach that takes that knowledge into consideration. This seems obvious, but intervention strategies can become blinded by powerful yet simplistic economic models, she explains. Some communities have remained resilient for generations through, for example, using many traditional seed varieties. In their study, the researchers show how development interventions need to vary based on different relationships between poverty and environment. Small-scale fisheries in low and middle income countries are known to play a significant role in reducing poverty and providing livelihoods. No wonder then that the World Bank and others invest millions of dollars in the reformation of small-scale fisheries. The full potential can, however, only be realized if the fisheries are governed in a sustainable way. This is why centre researchers Emilie Lindkvist and Maja Schluter decided to investigate the interplay between small-scale fishers, their communities and the fish resources they depend upon, in a so called agent-based model. The model deals with a fisheries governance system in Northwest Mexico and is based on interviews, long-term observations, logbook data and literature. Together with co-author Xavier Basurto from Duke University, Lindkvist and Schluter have published their results in the April issue of PLOS ONE. The close cooperation between field experts and modellers was perceived by both groups as an enriching and productive experience, and a promising way forward to address complex real world problems in social-ecological systems, they write. Instead of focusing on a few variables, agent-based models try to replicate reality with its complexity and uncertainties. Such models are common in weather forecasts and urban planning and have been described as professional versions of the computer game Sim City. In such an agent-based model, a researcher does not try to analyse whether thousands of fishers will, on aggregate, fish more anchoveta or less anchoveta. Instead, the modeler creates digital fishers and unleashes them in a computerised world with digital fish, digital equipment and digital money. Baahubali directed by SS Rajamouli and starring Rana Daggubati, Prabhas and Anushka Shetty is a one-of-a-kind phenomenon. There are many reasons why Bollywood can never replicate such a success. By India Today Web Desk: The stupendous pan-Indian success of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which is essentially a Telugu language film, all across India is making people ask the million dollar question, "Can Bollywood pull off a Baahubali?" Hindi is the official language of cinema and as such Hindi-language cinema i.e Bollywood cinema is seen as the de facto film industry that represents India. Films made in any other language is relegated to being 'regional cinema'. It is an unjust bias perpetuated by English language news media whose headquarters are not situated in South India. Nevertheless, the success of Baahubali raises the question: with the kind of money, power and pull that Bollywood has, will the Mumbai film industry ever be able to create a Baahubali-like phenomenon? advertisement Well, no and there are several reasons for that. It's not just talent. Bollywood has numerous talented, visionary filmmakers and technicians. But still, Bollywood can never create a Baahubali-like event. Here's why. 1. Bollywood cannot afford it The Baahubali films - Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion - have been made on a total budget of Rs 430 crore. You must remember that SS Rajamouli had always intended to release his Baahubali films in the maximum number of theatres possible and therefore, his audience was not just based in South India but also the North and everywhere else in between. Still, he did not cast pan-Indian faces but Telugu and Tamil film actors for his project. SS Rajamouli was solely relying on Baahubali's story and its visual appeal. In Bollywood, the scale and scope of a film is dictated by the star. The most expensive films in Bollywood such as Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Rs 175 crore), Dhoom 3 (Rs 175 crore) and Dilwale (Rs 165 crore) are incredibly low on content and the money allocated is not invested in the quality of the film but is majorly a part of the actors' fees, which brings us to our next point. 2. Actors' salaries and egos In a recent interview with The Indian Express , Baahubali 2's National Award-winning sound designer PM Satheesh said, "Why is that stuff like this (Baahubali) happening in Telugu cinema and is being pulled off wonderfully there because the money for the film of this sort goes into the production. It's not eaten up by a few big stars. If you have a 600 crore-film in Mumbai, at max Rs 100 crore will go into the production, if you are lucky." When the content is top priority, most of the budget is automatically be kept aside for that. In Bollywood, the Khans, the Roshans, the Kumars and the Kapoors would never sacrifice their large salaries for a film. Forget salaries, no one would be willing to dedicate five years of their career towards a single project. Don't forget that Prabhas did not sign any film for the five years that he was involved with SS Rajamouli's Baahubali. 3. Bollywood cinema lacks religious imagery Religion is the opium of the masses, so said Karl Marx and how right he was. Both the Baahubali films are strongly influenced by Hindu mythology (Mahabharata) and mythological fiction (Amar Chitra Katha). There is heavy religious imagery in the films, particularly in Baahubali 2. This is a common trait in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada masala films as their mainstream, commercial fare is deeply rooted in Indian mythological tropes. It is no surprise that India, being a largely religious country with a huge Hindu population, have taken to Baahubali 2 quite strongly. advertisement However, Bollywood cinema has, for lack of a better word, become overtly secular over the years. Contemporary Bollywood films do not wear religion on their sleeve. For that matter, they do not draw from the epics as well. Films like Rajneeti and Sarkar have oblique, throwaway references to Mahabharata but at the end of the day, Bollywood's masala cinema is devoid of the 'epic' trappings of South Indian masala cinema. This prevents Bollywood films from being popular in the more religious South. 4. High-concept films have failed in Bollywood In the South, high-concept, VFX-driven films have by and large been successful. Shankar's Enthiran: The Robot and I, SS Rajamouli's earlier work such as Eega and Magadheera and Anushka Shetty-starrer Rudhramadevi have all made money. These successes gave director Rajamouli and producer Shobu Yarlagadda the confidence to organise a coup as big as Baahubali. advertisement In Bollywood though, high-concept films have failed miserably. Take the example of last year's Mohenjo Daro. Or Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet. Shah Rukh Khan's Ra.One made money thanks to the presence of SRK's star power but beyond a point, it did not make as much moolah as was expected of it. Love Story 2050 was a disaster and the Krrish films have nothing in terms of VFX to write home about. Failures after failures have made Bollywood too scared to approach anything as grand in scale and scope as Baahubali. 5. Bollywood has no one like SS Rajamouli SS Rajamouli had been making films all his life as a test to finally pull off Baahubali. He first made Magadheera to test whether there were takers for his mythology-based cinema. It was a hit. Then he made Eega, a science-fiction fantasy film to see how far he could take special effects in an Indian film. That worked as well. Finally, combining all his strengths and convictions, he made Baahubali and the gamble worked. No such visionary filmmakers in Bollywood, who are singularly devoted to making VFX-driven visual epics, exist in Bollywood. While Hollywood has many such as James Cameron, Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro, there are no such filmmakers in Bollywood. The closest to such filmmakers that Bollywood has is Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In Bollywood, the best filmmakers make more personal, small-scale films. Visual epic is not Bollywood's cup of tea. advertisement ALSO READ: Baahubali 2 Hindi movie review ALSO READ: Baahubali 2 Tamil movie review OPINION: Baahubali 2 is all about the superficial. There's hardly anything else WATCH: Baahubali 2 is finally here with a bang! --- ENDS --- With little fanfare, Ashton cigars released La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor at this years industry trade show in August. The five-vitola line is the third La Aroma de Cuba blend in Ashtons portfolio. La Aroma has undergone quite the transformation in the past few years when Ashton handed the brand over to Don Pepin Garcia. The original Honduran recipe (which was made by Altadis) was re-incarnated as a Nicaraguan blend with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, and a new Edicion Especial was added, featuring an Ecuadorian wrapper. The new Mi Amor uses a dark Mexican San Andreas wrapper along with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The box-pressed line sells for $150-$180 per box of 25, or $6-8 as a single. The Robusto (5 x 50) costs a reasonable $5. To introduce the new Mi Amor blend, Ashton is conducting a series of tastings at cigar shops. These events feature almonds, coconut, dark chocolate, and Zaya rum, which are tasted in progression to bring out the flavors of the cigar. I was fortunate enough to participate in such a tasting at a local shop and would definitely recommend the event as an excellent way to sample the Mi Amor while developing your palate. Not surprisingly, many of the flavors featured in the tasting are found in the cigar. Most prominent are coffee and roasted earth. But theres a also bit of dry bittersweet chocolate and a hint of nuttiness. The Robusto creates plenty of dense smoke that leaves the cigars profile lingering on your palate. Theres not much variation in taste as the cigar progresses, although the roasted flavors seem to pick up towards the end. The Mi Amor is solidly medium- to full-bodied throughout. Construction is excellent, with the box-pressed smoke burning evenly while producing a solid, stable ash. Over a year ago, I remember hearing that Don Pepin Garcia was very excited about the wrappers being grown in the San Andreas region of Mexico. This new La Aroma is proof that that his excitement was well-founded. The resulting blend earns the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Robusto four stogies out of five. [To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.] Patrick S photo credit: Stogie Guys Stunning new details of a project to recreate Stratford in China were revealed last week, amid news that groundwork has already begun at the site. Last October the Herald exclusively published details of the plan to recreate Stratfords streets as part of a new cultural visitor attraction close to the city of Fuzhou in China. During the Shakespeare Birthday Weekend a delegation from Fuzhou presented updated plans for Sanweng Town to key individuals and organisations in Stratford explaining that groundworks at the site are already being constructed. They said that construction of the buildings would begin this September with a view to the whole project being completed in around two-and-a-half years time. Sanweng Town is themed around Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu, with replicas of each of their home towns included within the project. This updated plans show that the Stratford recreation will form by far the biggest part of Sangweng town, as the delegation revealed that a string of additional historic buildings would be recreated. Perhaps the most striking addition is the inclusion of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre complete with tower, which will be built on the banks of a large lake to host performances. In the previous plan, a more generic theatre with no resemblance to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, had been proposed. Catherine Mallyon, RSC Executive Director, said: It was a pleasure to meet the members of the Chinese delegation from Fuzhou, and we were extremely interested to learn more of the plans for Sanweng. This Sunday was the first time that the idea for a theatre along the lines of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre has been raised, and we are awaiting further information so that we can understand the detail of any proposals. The updated plan also clarifies that the original New Place will be constructed in Sanweng Town, Shakespeares Stratford home, which was demolished 1759. Other landmarks to be included are Nashs House, Tudor World, The Swan Fountain, The American Fountain and City Hall (expected to be either the Town Hall or Elizabeth House). These join other buildings such as Holy Trinity Church, the Shakespeare Birthplace and the Guildhall, which have already been penned in by architects at the attraction. Other parts of Sanweng Town will reflect Bridge Street and Henley Street. Cllr Chris Saint, leader of Stratford District Council, said: I was very pleased that they quite clearly have taken on board what we said to them during our visit to China, it was very evident from the pictures and the information they provided. Last year we noted that they had missed out a few key buildings from their plans and Im happy that they seem to have amended the proposal to include these. We were certainly given the impression that they want to replicate the buildings accurately. Weve not seen any plans or pictures of the interiors of the buildings so thats something we would like to know more about. Overall Im reasonably positive about it, obviously we need a lot more detail before we could sign off our endorsement of the project, but it all seems to be moving in a positive direction. Covering more than 891,000 square metres, Sangweng Town will be a significant attraction, incorporating hot springs and spas, retail and restaurant areas and luxury hotels. Since the plans emerged last October, the idea seems to have been cautiously welcomed in the town, with the Chinese designers complimented on the way they have tried to engage and discuss ideas with groups and individuals in Stratford. Stratford mayor Cllr Juliet Short said: Juliet said: I really wasnt surprised that theyve already got to this point already, they have always seemed so determined to make this project a reality. They said that they would like to keep in touch with a the core group of people from Stratford who have advised them so far on the project and keep us in the loop, which I think is a very positive thing. I was really pleased that they have taken on our suggestions for Sangweng Town and it was good that the Fuzhou delegation got the chance to speak to Rev Patrick Taylor at Holy Trinity Church about the project too. My only small reservation is that we are yet to see any plans for the interior of the buildings, but I think the external plans look fantastic. We also stressed that it wouldnt be suitable for the historic building recreations to be used as commercial premises and they seemed to take this on board. Speaking after this weeks presentation of the updated plans, Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Operations and Marketing at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust said: "Since our visit to Fuzhou last September, we have been working closely with Holy Trinity Church and King Edward VI School to ensure that any replicas of the heritage buildings for which our three charities are responsible would be authentic and true to the spirit we seek to keep alive and share with our visitors here in Stratford-upon-Avon. "This weekend we welcomed representatives of the Fuzhou government, who updated us on their concept plans. We discussed how we could explore opportunities to for us help shape the project with the quality controls and guarantees that we would require in return for our support. We will be continuing this dialogue with the government representatives once they are back home. "I would like to thank Stratford on Avon District Council for their support in this process, particularly Councillors Saint, Thirlwell and Adams, and the Mayor Juliet Short." Bennet Carr, Headmaster at King Edward VI School added: We attended a meeting where we were shown the latest plans. The important thing for us is that it is authentic and they seemed to understand this and gave us reassurances that it would be. The inclusion of the Guildhall shows they recognise the importance of the building as Shakespeares Schoolroom and also the place where his father John acted as Town Bailiff. China is a hugely populous country and not everyone will get the opportunity to come to Stratford. If they can construct this recreation authentically it could be incredibly beneficial and encourage more visitors to come to over here to see Shakespeares home town, but only if it is done right. Stratford Mayor Cllr Juliet Short presents the Mayor's Award to Jenny Farrell and Lila Morgan from the League of Friends of Stratford Hospital. Stratford paid tribute to the army of volunteers involved in the towns Shakespeare Celebrations last month during a special ceremony at the town hall. The volunteer reception honoured around 180 selfless individuals, without whose hard work the birthday celebrations would not be possible. Stratford Mayor Cllr Juliet Short said: It was humbling going around the room and seeing all these people from all these different organisations who put so much into making the birthday celebrations a success." During the volunteer reception, the Mayors Award was also presented the League of Friends of Stratford Hospital, in recognition of the groups critical role in fundraising for the new hospital. Lila Morgan and Jenny Farrell picked up the award on behalf of the group. Jenny Farrell said: It was a complete surprise to get given the award, we had no idea, but it was lovely. The people of Stratford have always been so supportive of us and Im so happy that the new hospital is beginning to take shape. Its really something for the league of friends to pick up this award in recognition of the hard work everyone has put in over a number of years. Cllr Short added: I decided to give the Mayors Award to the League of Friends of Stratford Hospital because I just feel it has been their year. Not only have they excelled in fundraising, but they have been fantastic ambassadors for the hospital, I feel they have gone above and beyond their original remit and I hope they will display their award with pride at the hospitals new Health and Wellbeing Centre. Stratford was not the only town giving out the honours last month, as Tim Porter was named this years winner of the Shipston Award. The winner was announced at last Thursdays annual town meeting, though Tim was on holiday and unable to attend the presentation. The award was primarily given to Tim in recognition of the many years of hard work he has put into organising the popular Shipston Proms. Shipston mayor Cllr Ronnie Murphy said: It was felt that Tims 19-year association with the Shipston Proms, over which time the event has firmly established itself in the towns calendar, made him a very worthy winner of this award. Hes very modest about his own musical ability, his whole family are great performers and he plays the harmonica with great skill. He is a very worthy winner of this years Shipston Award. By Press Trust of India: (Correcting name in para 4) New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) An "outraged" India today summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and demanded action against Pakistani soldiers and commanders responsible for the beheading of two of its security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Basit was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey Indias "outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May one, 2017 by Pakistani army personnel," an external affairs ministry statement said. advertisement "It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control," it said. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar were slain by Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) after sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in Poonch of J&K on May 1. Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt had yesterday conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that such a "dastardly and inhuman act" was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. PTI PYK SC --- ENDS --- PM Nawaz Sharif has on Wednesday stressed upon further enhancement of cooperation between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in various fields. He let it be known while talking to Commander of Sri Lankan Army Lt General A.W.J De Silva, who called on PM Nawaz in Islamabad. At the occasion, the prime minister professed that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka should work jointly in order to achieve regional peace and stability. PM Nawaz also expressed his satisfaction over the present level cooperation between both the countries during the meeting. The prime minister however emphasized that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka should further strengthen the defence related cooperation. At the occasion, the Commander of Sri Lankan Army expressed his thanks to the prime minister for the warm welcome extended to him during the visit to Pakistan. Federal Minister for Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif and the National Security Advisor Lt General (retd) Nasser Janjua were also present at the meeting. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira has on Tuesday said that the rulers were afraid of his party as they shied away from allowing PPP to hold camp on Minar-e-Pakistan. Addressing a party gathering at Peco Road, Kaira said that the Sharifs knew only PPP could drive them out of Punjab. If they are afraid of our protesting camps, imagine how theyd react to [PPPP chairman] Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris public meetings, he said. Kaira said that PPP will hold a protest camp on May 4 at Nasir Baagh in Lahore. Well put a box there and ask the public for different names for ShowBaz. It was what ShowBaz [Shehbaz Sharif] wanted and his wish will be fulfilled by PPP workers, he said. The PPP leader said that even the court had now declared Sharif family as corrupt. He alleged that the Punjab government burned Metros record, Orange Trains record and also Motorways. Hope they dont burn Supreme Courts record now, he said. 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. The committee has now informed the principal secretary of the tribal welfare department who in turn is expected to inform the High Court about it. By Rahul Noronha: A high level committee of the MP tribal welfare department has found that the ST certificate issued to Betul Lok Sabha BJP MP Jyoti Dhurve to be fake. The committee has now informed the principal secretary of the tribal welfare department who in turn is expected to inform the High Court about it. The high court, in response to a petition, had ordered that the certificate for ST status issued to Dhurve be verified by the state government. advertisement Jyoti Dhurve's membership of the Lok Sabha will now be under a cloud as a copy of the decision will go to the Lok Sabha secretariat too. Dhurve, however, has the option of appealing against the decision at the High Court and Supreme Court. Interestingly, the BJP government had appointed Jyoti Dhurve as chairperson of the MP State Scheduled Tribes Commission prior to her being given the ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. Sources at the mantralaya said that the high level committee had called the MP for a hearing on April 1 and recorded her statements. The committee did not find the relatives mentioned by the MP as conforming to the ST status claimed by her. The committee then examined the matter and came to the conclusion that the MP's ST status was questionable. The High Court while hearing a petition filed by Shankar Pedram at Jabalpur, who questioned the ST status of the MP, had asked the state government to verify the certificates. Pedram had claimed he was a tribal and the Betul Lok Sabha seat was reserved for tribals. Pedram told the media that Jyoti Dhurve should resign from the Lok Sabha. Jyoti Dhurve has been elected MP in 2009 and 2014 from Betul. A petition was filed after the 2009 elections, but the ruling did not come before the 2014 elections. Dhurve contested the 2014 elections on the same certificate. State Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said that the Election Commission of India should immediately take cognizance of the matter and terminate Jyoti Dhurve's membership of the Lok Sabha. He demanded that an FIR be registered against her too. "She has denied genuine tribals the right to hold office," he said. Also read: Smriti Irani fake degree case trashed by Delhi court --- ENDS --- "We agreed to hold the last rites after the chief minister spoke to us late last night and assured that he will visit our house," says Sagar's family. By Press Trust of India: Prem Sagar, the BSF Head Constable who was beheaded by Pakistan Army regulars was cremated at his native village, after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke to the family members of the slain soldier. The slain BSF jawan's body was consigned to flames this morning at his native village Tikampaar. Earlier, Sagar's family had refused to cremate his body, insisting that the chief minister visit them. advertisement "We agreed to hold the last rites after the chief minister spoke to us late last night and assured that he will visit our house. The CM told us that senior minister Surya Pratap Shahi will represent the state government," Virendra,Sagar's elder son told PTI here. Late last night, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had called up Virendra. The cremation also got delayed as the family members insisted on seeing the body. DIG BSF Rajiv Ranjan Sharma, who was present on the spot, said, "Had we shown the mutilated body to the family members and villagers, there would had been massive outburst of anger." Apart from this, the local tradition of the village urges the people not to cremate bodies on Tuesdays as it may incur bad luck to the family. Shahi, who was present when the martyr's body was consigned to the flames said, "The supreme sacrifice of thebrave martyr will certainly not go in vain." Strong anti-Pakistan sentiments marked the last journey of the slain soldier as his body arrived at the police lines and was taken to his native village, about 40 km from the district headquarters. Anti-Pakistan slogans were raised as the IAF chopper, carrying the soldier's body, landed at the police lines ground before being taken in a cavalcade for the last rites. FAMILIES SHATTERED Shattered with the news of her father's death at the hands of the Pakistan's BAT (Border Action Team) in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghatti, Saroj the elder daughter of Sagar has demanded "50 heads in return" of her father's life. "His sacrifice should not be forgotten, we want 50 heads in return for his life," said Saroj while consoling her mother, who was yet to come to terms with her husband's gruesome death. Dayashanker, brother of Sagar - working with BSF and presently posted in Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh - said, "I am proud of my brother. He sacrificed his life for the nation, but it is very heart-wrenching the way he has been beheaded by thePakistan military." Village head of Tikampaar, Lal Mohammad, who is an old friend of Prem Sagar, said, "Pakistan took away my friend in such a brutal manner that we can never forgive it. We want revenge." advertisement Sagar and Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member team that had gone to the spot on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to check a snapped communication line. Their mutilated bodies were recovered on Monday morning. Top sources said they could have been decoyed there and there is a possibility that the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba could have been involved in the attack, with the backing ofthe Pakistani army. Demands for retribution have come from all quarters. Opposition parties have urged the government to punish Pakistan, which has denied India's allegations. The army has issued a warning, saying "such despicable act will be appropriately responded". Hinting at strong action which goes over and above counter-fire at the Line of Control, Union Minister Arun Jaitley has said, "Such acts are unheard of even during war... The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain... thearmy will respond appropriately." Last year, after the huge terror strike at Uri, the army had launched surgical strikes on terror bases across the Line of Control. ALSO READ: DGMO's tough talk on BAT, Army must get free hand to reply to attack, says former defence minister: Top developments advertisement ALSO WATCH:Union Minister Kiren Rijiju pays last respects to martyred BSF head constable Prem Sagar --- ENDS --- The Chief Minister spoke to the bereaved family late on Tuesday night and extended his sympathies to them. By India Today Web Desk: The body of Border Security Force trooper Ram Sagar, killed by the Pakistani Army in Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated at his native Deoria on Wednesday. Earlier Sagar's inconsolable and angry family had refused to cremate his mortal remains until Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited them. Officials informed that the Chief Minister spoke to the bereaved family late on Tuesday night and extended his sympathies to them. advertisement He also assured them a visit before the 'terhvi' (the thirteenth day post-death ritual observed by Hindus). Angry villagers had blocked rail traffic for several hours in protest on Tuesday evening in Deoria. Adityanath is also learnt to have assured a "befitting memorial" honouring Sagar. KRISHNA GHATI INCIDENT Head Constable Sagar along with Punjab's Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member patrol team near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district when they were suddenly attacked by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) on Monday. Not only were Sagar and Singh killed brutally but their bodies were also mutilated. The act angered the armed forces who have since promised of a "befitting response". ALSO WATCH: Jawans mutilated: A potboiler for netas? ALSO READ: Jawans mutilated: Former army officers demand strong retribution for Pakistan's cross-border attacks India's DGMO to Pakistan on mutilation of soldiers: Dastardly, inhuman act beyond norms of civility --- ENDS --- The man charged with the murder of 22-year-old Chozyn Koroheke can now be named. Turiarangi Tai, 22, appeared in the High Court at Auckland this morning in front of Justice Simon Moore. He pleaded not guilty through his lawyer to charges of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Chozyn was fatally shot at close range on April 4 at an address in Pakuranga in what is believed to be a domestic incident. Another woman charged with being an accessory appeared alongside Tai in court and pleaded not guilty. She was granted interim name suppression. A trial date has been set down for March next year. Indian intelligence agencies report that Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had authorised his forces to carry out strikes targeting Indian soldiers during his visit to military positions in Haji Pir on April 30. By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa authorised ambush on the Line of Control (LoC) leading to beheading of two Indian soldiers on Monday (May 1), a report said. Sources in the Indian intelligence agencies told Indian Express that General Bajwa visited Pakistani military positions in Haji Pir on April 30 and it was during this visit he backed his forces to hit back at the Indian posts to revenge the killing of 7-10 soldiers in Indian artillery firing on April 17. advertisement Lieutenant General Nadeem Raza, who commands the Pakistan X Corps, responsible for Kashmir, had even raised concerns of severe retaliation by Indian forces against any such move, the report added . INDIA WARNS OF UNEQUIVOCAL RESPONSE India has warned Pakistan of an 'unequivocal response' to the beheading of its two soldiers on the Line of Control. India's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt spoke to his Pakistani counterpart to express his 'grave concern' over the killing and beheading of the two soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army said the DGMO also conveyed India's concern about the presence of Border Action Team (BAT) training camps in close vicinity of the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir. WATCH: Krishna Ghati mutilation: A ground report ALSO READ: Months after surgical strikes, 55 terror training camps come up along LoC India warns Pakistan: We will respond at time and place of our choosing Krishna Ghati beheadings: Indian Army prepared to give befitting reply to Pakistan India hits back after jawans mutilated on LoC; Army kills 7 Pakistani soldiers, destroys 2 enemy bunkers Modi government busy with issues like gau hatya while Pakistan killing our jawans: Shiv Sena --- ENDS --- A man who allegedly stole a caravan in Bethlehem over the weekend was thwarted when he stopped to change a flat tyre. Pete Leaver woke up Sunday morning to find his caravan missing. He put a call out over Facebook for people to keep an eye out for it, which was spotted by someone with access to CCTV in the Whakamarama shopping area. It appears the alleged thief pulled into the local garage after suffering a flat tyre. He hid the caravan behind the garage while getting food and the tyre fixed. So I raced around there, and it was still there! says Pete, in a post to Facebook. Called the police who arrived quickly, and we were discussing what to do, and just at that time the little thief who stole it turned up with a new tyre to collect the caravan. So [the police have] apprehended him! A police spokesperson confirms they attended and learned the registration number of the vehicle seen towing the caravan. Police have spoken with the driver, who has been charged with theft and drug offences. He is due to appear in the Tauranga District Court this Thursday. An elated Pete says its about more than just having the caravan itself back. Its about the work my Dad and I put into it to make the interior awesome and comfortable, and the wonderful memories the kids and I have had, and will continue to make in this awesome caravan. Thanks again everyone for caring, thank you for the info on the CCTV footage from the helpful individual, and thanks for sharing. The government plans to invest more money into supporting the most vulnerable in our communities as part of Budget 2017. A $321 million Social Investment Package made up of 14 initiatives designed to help New Zealands most vulnerable improve their circumstances, will be included in this years budget. As part of this package, an extra $68.8m over four years will be invested to support vulnerable children and their families, of which, $28.1m will be used to expand the Family Start home visits programme. Minister for Children Anne Tolley believes its important to intervene early and target support to families and whanau whose children are at risk of poor education, health and social outcomes. Family Start is a good example of the Governments social investment approach focusing on the needs of individuals and families, intervening early, and tailoring support around what we know delivers the best results for Kiwis. Anne says this investment will increase the number of Family Start places by about 570 participants a year and will provide intensive support to more than 7100 at-risk families at any one time. The package also includes a $34.7m investment into expanding support services already available for children with severe behavioural difficulties, with a particular focus on children aged eight and under. Education Minister Nikki Kaye says the government expects the number of children receiving specialist behavioural support to increase from about 5000 to 6000 children annually. By providing more support earlier, such as working with an educational psychologist or special education advisor, were aiming to help steer more young children onto a positive path in life, and also reduce disruption in the classroom which can compromise other students learning. The package also includes $6m over four years to support three and four year olds with oral language difficulties, with more specialised support expected to be provided to about 7600 children and access to enhanced language support to made available to up to 50,000 children. If children enter primary school behind their peers when it comes to basic language skills, this can affect their learning and have a detrimental effect on their future prospects. This investment will upskill up to 1920 teachers working in early childhood education in lower socio-economic areas, to help them better support young children showing difficulties with the building blocks of literacy, such as letter and word awareness and listening comprehension. Social Investment Minister Amy Adams says the government is focused on investing in areas where it can make the most difference and Budget 2017 will contain the next steps toward embedding social investment as core practice. Initiatives in the Social Investment Package were selected following an in-depth investment analysis where a tough, evidence-based investment threshold was applied. Across the social system this Government is committed to funding what works. So Budget 2017 includes the most rigorous investment criteria ever used to ensure funding goes to evidence-based proposals that deliver long-run benefits for vulnerable people and for taxpayers. Based on a citizen centred approach, and judged against a whole of life understanding of cost and benefit, the bids were judged against the case for change, value-for-money, and effectiveness in delivering results, adds Amy. Budget 2017 will be delivered on May 25. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...a calf! And it "jumped" off a 70-foot high building, landing on a man who had to be rushed to the hospital with several injuries. By India Today Web Desk: There is a saying in Bengali which, roughly translated, means that someone who has had a wood apple fall on their head never goes to the orchards again. Going by that logic, this young man named Abdul Mannan will never again go near any cattle. On Sunday, 43-year-old Abdul Mannan was out and about in Kolkata's Tiljala area shopping for grocery. At one point, Mannan stooped over at a green grocer's stall to check out some cucumbers when calamity fell upon him. advertisement Only the calamity here was a calf. A living and breathing, 85-kg calf that fell out of the sky and on Mannan while he was shopping. Well, not 'out of the sky' per say. Reports have it that the calf was being kept tied up on the terrace of a four-storey building near the market were Mannan was shopping. Right at the moment when Mannan chose to stop under this building and shop, this six-month-old calf managed tear off the rope it was tied with and leap off the 70-foot high terrace. The next thing Mannan knew was that "something very heavy" had fallen on him. When he looked up, he found it was a cow lying on top of him. After that sight, the poor man fainted. Mannan later woke up in the Calcutta National Medical College with a fractured leg, several stitches and a head trauma. The calf, unfortunately, did not survive the crash-landing. Mannan, a peanut vendor and the sole breadwinner in his family, is still bedridden from the accident. The good news is that the owner of the calf is said to have paid for Mannan's medical expenses. Read more at FYI: Muslim man killed by cow vigilantes: Rajasthan home minister holds both sides guilty Rajasthan education minsiter says cow exhales oxygen, trolled on social media Smuggling strikes hard: 107 head of cattle seized on India-Bangladesh border --- ENDS --- GLADE SPRING, Va. A bungalow-style house on East Maple Street in Glade Spring marks the nineteenth structure built by the Washington County Habitat for Humanity, but its the first whole-house rehabilitation project the organization has tackled. In fact, like many Habitat for Humanity organizations throughout the country, the local affiliate is shifting some of its focus from building new houses to rehabbing fixer-uppers. We are putting a strong emphasis on the number of people served as opposed to the number of houses weve built, said Pete Stigers, who came on board as executive director of the local organization in 2011. The director said renovating older homes is a trend thats reaching more local people in need. Weve helped as many people in the past two years as we have in our whole history. There are a lot of people who cant afford to keep up their homes. If we can go put a roof on a home, they are safe, warm and dry. And thats just as important as building someone a new house, he said. Partnerships Stigers said partnerships play a large role in the success of Habitat for Humanity. The renovation project in Glade Spring is a good example, he said. The 1950s rental house that had fallen into disrepair was donated to the local Habitat by local owners Jesse Owens and Eleanor Hutton. As the house begins to take shape, renovations have included everything from replacing the main beam to redesigning floor space. Volunteers from as far away as Michigan have engaged their hearts and hands to prepare the house for a new family. Students from Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well as Emory & Henry College, spent their spring breaks lending a hand and learning some important life skills. The students helped install windows, put up insulation, tore off roofing, and landscaped around the house. The Wells Fargo Housing Foundation recently awarded the Washington County Habitat for Humanity a $15,000 grant from its 2017 Team Member Volunteer Program. According to Grant Caudill, district manager for Wells Fargo in the Highlands District, the foundation awarded 765 grants across the state last year, totaling more than $4.2 million. Each donation is different and valuable, but there is something very special, uniquely satisfying about this kind of giving, adding your own sweat equity to the financial resources that are so necessary, said Caudill during a recent check presentation ceremony at the Glade Spring building site. As many as 60 service hours must be completed by bank employees in order for the money to be awarded. Grace Jajalla, a personal banker at Wells Fargo Bank in Abingdon, spent several hours last Saturday doing her part at the work site. When people think about donating to charity, its always about donating money. Sometimes, you have to donate your time and hard work because they need that, too, said Jajalla, who likes knowing shes helping a family in need. Business donations help support Habitats efforts to build and rehabilitate homes in the community. Locally, Berry Home Center has been a tremendous supporter over the years, providing materials donations and excellent customer service, including designing our houses at no charge, said Stigers. Valspar Paint donates paint and Dow Chemical Co. donates foam board to insulate walls. We receive foam board valued at $3,500 for each house we build. We would never be able to afford that without the donations, he said. Whirlpool gives a refrigerator and stove for every Habitat house in the country, he said. A hand up, not a hand out Despite its work on older structures, the non-profit continues to build new homes. We dont give houses away, but we work with folks in need to give them a hand up, not a hand out. Its a way for people in need to start over, Stigers said. After a tornado damaged the home of Michael and Cyndi Gravley in 2011, the Abingdon couple and their three children were forced to live with a leaky roof that their landlord refused to fix. As a result, their three children frequently became sick from the effects of black mold growing in the house. Even worse, Michael fell and broke his back trying to patch the roof. Stigers learned about the familys plight and wanted to help. After qualifying for assistance from Habitat for Humanity, the family received a new home built by students at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center in Abingdon. The Gravleys are hardworking people. They did 500 hours of sweat equity inside of four months, which is 15 hours per week, all while both of them worked full-time jobs, Stigers said. It was a Godsend, thats all I can say. The Lord was watching over us, said the mother. The children are not sick like they used to be. Theyve been really healthy since we moved into a new house. All of our dreams are coming true. Our children are doing better in school because they are getting a good nights sleep. They are energetic and want to do band and sports, and before they couldnt do that because they were sick all the time, said the homeowner. This program is a blessing. Its amazing to see different businesses and community members come together to help people who need it. Theyre not just someone who lends a hand, they become your family. This is all Ive ever wanted to do The executive director began his career with nonprofit organizations at a young age. Stigers helped build his first Habitat house when he traveled as a high school senior to volunteer with Sandtown Habitat for Humanity in Baltimore, Maryland. He later returned to the Baltimore affiliate to complete an internship as a senior at King University. For me, helping folks with housing is all Ive ever wanted to do, he said. And, I get to build houses in the name of Jesus Christ, said the college graduate, who majored in Bible and religion. The director said working with Habitat is a perfect fit for him. The gospel is a real and tangible thing. As Christians, we are called to take care of people in need, and the Lord has called me to respond through housing. Its what I know about, its what I am good at, and it fits with my personality and gifts, Stigers said. I have a piece of paper from kindergarten where I was asked what I wanted to be and I answered that I wanted to be a construction worker. It started early, playing with hammers and stuff. Ive always liked building things, he said. As a King student, Stigers was instrumental in starting a campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Although the chapter did not operate long after he graduated, he is working with students and faculty to revive it. My coolest memory is other students and I built a Habitat house for an employee who worked in the colleges cafeteria. He still lives in that house, he said. After later working with non-profit housing in St. Louis, Missouri, and Atlanta, Georgia, Stigers returned to Southwest Virginia to become executive director for the Washington County Habitat. Its not the easiest job in the world, but mostly I feel like its a real privilege to get to do this work, Stigers said. Ive worked in private construction from time to time and its never carried the same sense of fulfillment and job satisfaction. As Russians seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine in the opening stages of the war, mayors, civilian administrators and others say they have been abducted, threatened or beaten to force their cooperation. In some instances, they have been killed. Human rights activists say these actions could constitute a war crime. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said he was abducted from his office and the bullying and threats did not stop for a minute." He said they tried to force him to continue in his role but he refused. After six days in detention and an intervention from Ukraine's president, he was exchanged for nine Russian prisoners of war and expelled from the occupied city. Sites like Facebook, Google and Wikipedia were blocked because the Chinese government thought it could challenge the rule of the Communist Party or threaten stability. Now, China has decided to build its own online encyclopedia and 20,000 people are being hired to do it. By India Today Web Desk: After blocking Wikipedia across the country for almost 13 years, China has decided to finally build its own online encyclopedia and 20,000 people are being hired to do it. Sites like Facebook, Google and Wikipedia were blocked because the Chinese government thought it could challenge the rule of the Communist Party or threaten stability. There is only partial access to Wikipedia topics such as Tibet, Taiwan and the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The topics are filtered out by the so-called Great Firewall of China. FYI: The Great Firewall of China (GFW) is the main instrument used by the Chinese government to regulate internet domestically. It is a combination of legislative and technological actions taken by the Communist Party of China. advertisement The creators are claiming that the encyclopedia will be a "Great Wall of culture", which will go live in 2018. Yang Muzhi, the editor-in-chief of the project, said "The Chinese Encyclopedia is not a book, but a Great Wall of culture". It will showcase China's latest science and technology developments, historical facts, and attempt to strengthen the core values of socialism. The digitisation will involve contribution from more than 20,000 academicians and researchers from Chinese institutions. The team will write more than 3,00,000 entries of about 1,000 words apiece spanning over 100 disciplines and unlike Wikipedia it will not be openly editable by volunteers. It is not clear whether the Chinese Encyclopedia will be available in international languages or not or even accessible to readers outside the Great Firewall of China. This is not the first time a Chinese equivalent of a Western site is being created. When the Chinese government blocked Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, they came out with their "Chinese version". 1. 'RenRen.com' is the Chinese version of Facebook RenRen was launched in 2005 and became popular after Facebook was blocked all over China. The colour scheme, logos and design are based on the original Faceboo though it is not being dubbed as the "Failed Chinese Facebook" as RenRen could not anticipate the switch to mobile. 2. Chinese Twitter - Weibo Weibo is a popular blogging platform for Chinese users and the difference between the two sites is mainly the word limit. Apparently, 140 characters in Mandarin can hold more content than in English so Weibo users can do microblogging instead of using one-liners. 3. Youku Tudou - Chinese version of YouTube Youku Tudou is similar to YouTube but the main difference lies in the type of conent the site contains. It has less self-produced videos but also as videos from foreign sources such as American movies and Japanese dramas which are subtitled in Mandarin. 4. Pinduoduo (PDD) It is created by Colin Huang, ex-Google engineer, and is sort of a Facebook-Groupon mashup. His idea was to give shoppers an experience more like spending a day at the mall with friends. So the site lets you discuss about the product with your friends and gives you a discount if the purchase is made together. advertisement 5. Chinese Google Baidu Although it is a web services company headquartered in Beijing, it is famous for its search engine. It is one of the largest internet companies in the world and is world's fourth most trafficked site apart from being China's largest digital property. --- ENDS --- Jimmy Kimmel Jimmy Kimmel fights back tears while discussing his newborn son's heart condition on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Monday, May 1, 2017. (ABC video still) Jimmy Kimmel has earned both praise and criticism after telling an emotional story about his newborn son. The "Jimmy Kimmel Live" host fought back tears Monday night while recounting a health scare when his baby, William John Kimmel, was found to have a heart problem. He thanked a nurse named Nanuzh at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for discovering that something was wrong with "Billy," who's now at home recovering with Kimmel's wife Molly McNearney after a successful surgery at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. "We had atheists praying for us, okay?" he told the ABC audience. "And I hate to say it, even that son of a b---- Matt Damon sent flowers." Kimmel thanked family, friends and fans for their support, but his monologue turned controversial when he made a health care plea. "We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until a few years ago, millions and millions of us had no access to health insurance at all. Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you'd never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition. You were born with a pre-existing condition. And if your parents didn't have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition. "If your baby is going to die, and it doesn't have to, it shouldn't matter how much money you make. I think that's something that, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?" "Well said, Jimmy," former President Barack Obama tweeted Tuesday. "That's exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA (Affordable Care Act), and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy. And congratulations!" "Thanks @jimmykimmel for sharing your story & reminding us what's at stake w/health care," former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton added on Twitter. New York Magazine even suggested Kimmel's story may be "the final blow" against the Republicans' promise to repeal and replace "Obamacare." The most recent version of the American Health Care Act proposal reportedly included a compromise that allowed states to opt out of requiring insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions. However, some conservatives are criticizing Kimmel's political message. "Sorry Jimmy Kimmel: your sad story doesn't obligate me or anybody else to pay for somebody else's health care," former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) tweeted. Michelle Malkin, host of "Michelle Malkin Investigates," blasted Kimmel in a National Review column: "Kimmel implies that opposition to Obamacare-style insurance mandates is both un-American and indecent. Had he been less hysterical, he would have acknowledged that different health-care systems have pros and cons -- and decent Americans can have legitimate differences of opinion on such matters." A vote on Trumpcare, also known as the American Health Care Act, was canceled in March when Republicans didn't have enough support. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said last week that a vote on a "reworked health care overhaul" is likely this month. Little Jed stock photo Finger Lakes SPCA stolen puppy An 8-week old pit bull puppy went missing from an Auburn SPCA on May 2, 2017, and organizers think it was stolen. The dog, called Little Jed, looks very similar to the one pictured, according to SPCA. (Provided photo) AUBURN, N.Y. -- A tiny puppy has disappeared from a Cayuga County shelter, and shelter officials think he was stolen. The Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York at 41 York St. in Auburn reported on its Facebook page Wednesday morning that a small dog disappeared from the shelter. The puppy, named Little Jed, is a light colored, 8-to -10-week old pit bull, according to the organization. Little Jed arrived at the shelter April 11 after an owner gave him up, but has been in isolation while he gets his puppy shots, SPCA Executive Director Carol Russell said Because the puppy hadn't been properly vaccinated, he was not up for adoption yet. Little Jed was brought to the adoption floor briefly on Monday to get used to being around people and other dogs, but was still kept in his kennel and was not allowed to be handled, Russell said. That's the only time he was seen by the general community. Russell stressed that with only two of his three shots, the puppy is in danger of getting a potentially fatal disease. Little Jed was last seen in his kennel at about 5 p.m. Tuesday when the shelter closed. When staff went to clean out the kennels Wednesday morning, Little Jed wasn't there, Russell said. The Auburn Police Department went to the shelter Wednesday morning to take statements and begin the investigation, Russell said. A back window was missing a screen, which could be how whoever took Little Jed got inside. "I'm hoping with all the coverage if someone sees something, they'll say something," Russell said. Officials ask anyone with information on the missing dog to call the Auburn Police Department at (315) 253-3231 or the Finger Lakes SPCA at (315) 253-5841. AURELIUS, N.Y. -- A Liverpool man is facing charges after State Police claimed he tried to rape a young girl. Jason Holcomb Jason Holcomb, 36, of Liverpool, was arrested Tuesday by troopers in Aurelius in Cayuga County. Holcomb was trying to have sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl, according to troopers. It is unclear how he met the girl or if she lived in Aurelius. Holcomb was charged with first-degree attempted rape, a felony; and first-degree attempting to disseminate indecent material to a child, a felony. He was arraigned in the Town of Aurelius Court. State Police did not immediately say which jail Holcomb was booked in to. His name does not appear on VineLink records, and Cayuga County jail workers said he was not showing in their system. A clerk from the Aurelius court office was not immediately available. A State Police spokesman could not be reached for further comment or to address Holcomb's current status. This story will be updated when more information becomes available. Syracuse, NY -- Two Syracuse teenagers will spend several years in state custody after pleading guilty to setting four fires on the city's North Side that damaged cars, garages and a house. Rae-Kwon Chambers and Jamiah Reeves pleaded guilty to arson for the four fires set within half an hour early Aug. 10, 2016. One house and three cars were torched, with the cars scorching garages nearby. Chambers was 17 years old and Reeves 15 at the time. Judge Stephen Dougherty sentenced Chambers to 3 1/2 years in prison and Reeves to 2 to 6 years in prison. Prosecutor Robert Moran stressed today that the fires could have been much worse: no one was injured. He estimated there was $500,000 in damage. Dougherty noted that it would have only taken one person to faint and die for the case to have ended up a murder. Chambers sought to have his case sealed as a youthful offender. But Dougherty said setting four intentional fires that could have caused injuries didn't qualify. "This wasn't egging a house or setting fire to a mailbox," the judge said. He called them "dumb, stupid teenage acts," but also more than that. Reeves, who was younger, sought to have her case handled in the confidential Family Court system. But Dougherty had declined to do that. For her part, Reeves appears to have been trying hard to improve herself since her arrest. She was "Student of the Week" at least once while in Hillbrook, the facility for jailed youth. Reeves promised to repay victims for some of the damage. "I can't change what I did," she said. "I will take ownership for what I did. I will pay people who had houses and cars destroyed. I've been in jail so long. I'm a smarter, more mature person now. "Whatever you give me, I deserve," she concluded. Her lawyer, Karin Marris, sought to reduce Reeves' punishment by noting that Reeves' mother had left town and she'd never had a father figure in her life. The fires happened a day after her mother left her. Dougherty said Reeves' family situation was probably why she ended up a criminal. But he noted that a doctor who previously interviewed Reeves said she seemed pleased to describe setting the fires. That was when her case was still a candidate for Family Court. But Reeves had also been convicted of a felony at age 14 and given a second chance on probation, the judge noted. Reeves' sentence will be served in a center run by the Office of Children and Family Services, which is where incarcerated minors are sent until they reach adulthood. The four fires were set between 12:53 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. in the following locations: IMG_7807.JPG Michela Hugo and her daughter, Genevieve, with diapers that have been collected for the CNY Diaper Bank. (provided photo) Syracuse, N.Y. -- The CNY Diaper Bank is holdings its second annual "Make a Mother's Day" Diaper Drive this month. The goal is to collect 50,000 diapers, more than doubling last year's total of 22,846. The diaper bank collects disposable diapers and distributes them to food pantries and other organizations that help struggling families. The nonprofit organization was started last year by Michela Hugo after realizing that families who received assistance getting other essential items had nowhere to turn to get diapers. They aren't stocked by food pantries and they aren't covered by WIC or food stamps. As of last month, the bank had distributed more than 100,000 diapers in Central New York. It distributes diapers to 12 agencies, giving out 14,000 diapers each month, helping on average about 300 families a month. The diaper bank is asking other community organizations and businesses to collect diapers or financial contributions this month to help restock. Directions for participating are here. The Diaper Bank is also hosting a fitness fundraising event. Make a Mother's Day Fit and Fabulous Fitness Classes, Saturday, May 6, 6-11 a.m., at the Towne Center Fitness & Health Club, 311 Towne Drive, Fayetteville, N.Y. 13066 Classes are $20 each for the first class and $15 each for additional classes and include yoga, spinning, Baby Bootcamp, TRX and more. There will also be breakfast and a basket raffle. All proceeds from this event will go to the diaper bank. Marnie Eisenstadt writes about people, life and culture in Central New York. Have an idea or question? Contact her anytime: email | twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2246. The renowned designer has expressed his love for India on multiple occasions. By India Today Web Desk: Keeping his love for India intact, eminent fashion designer, Christian Louboutin, recently said that his beauty line is inspired by an Indian classical dance form, Kathakali. "I love all aspects of Indian culture. In fact, my new eye make-up collection was inspired by the Indian dance, Kathakali," IANS quotes Louboutin telling ES magazine. Also Read: Sabyasachi's new jewellery collection is as beautiful as his bridal garments advertisement Also Read: Deepika's hand-painted, khadi saree is a spring dream come alive The designer who also considers Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee a "great friend" has confessed his love for India on multiple occasions. Known for his luxury red-bottomed footwear, Louboutin is believed to be working on a new, Mumbai-based project with Mukherjee. Beauty Overflow. New Metalinudes enhance nails with luminous, highly reflective colour. Available in gold infused bronze Goldissima, rose gold Preciosa and limited edition platinum silver Irisa. #BeauteLouboutin A post shared by Christian Louboutin (@louboutinworld) on May 2, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT The 54-year-old, who joined forces with brand Batallure Beauty LLC in 2012 to launch his cosmetics collection, which he has since expanded to include a lipstick, nail polish as well as an eye make-up range, says that Kathakali has influenced him to a great extent. (With inputs from IANS) --- ENDS --- The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Centre and HAL to pay Rs 55 lakh as compensation to the serving IAF officer rendered unfit for flying after a MiG-21 crash. By Sneha Agrawal: Putting military personnel above "normal risk" is against the fundamental right to life, said the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, while it asked the Centre and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) to pay Rs 55 lakh as compensation to a serving IAF officer rendered unfit for flying after a MiG-21 crash. The court held that manufacturing defect and faulty workmanship led to wing commander Sanjeet Singh Kaila's fighter jet falling to the ground 12 years ago. This was the first time a crash survivor took on the government seeking redress. advertisement The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter/interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. In 2012, the government told Parliament that more than half the 872 MiGs it had purchased from Russia had been lost in accidents at a cost of over 200 lives. The jet has become known as the "flying coffin" or the "widow maker". In 2005, Kaila was posted in Rajasthan as a squadron leader. On January 4, he embarked on a regular flight exercise along with three other pilots. "Immediately after the take-off, he experienced a drift to the left side of the aircraft. Simultaneously, he was informed by the other pilot flying the second aircraft, of a fire at the rear end of his aircraft. Ten seconds before the crash he ejected himself from the plane that led to the spinal injury," said the pilot's counsel Bharat Kumar. GIANT LEAP FOR DEFENCE MINISTRY Kaila called the order a step back for defence manufacturers like HAL but termed it a giant leap for the defence industry. "This is a revolutionary judgement in the Indian defence industry which would help in attribution of responsibility on defence manufacturer, henceforth," Kumar said. "Furthermore, this is also the first time, the right to work in a safe environment for an armed forces personnel has been recognised by the Delhi high court." Experts say India's 1.4 million strong military is hobbled by outdated equipment and slow decision-making. The division bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Deepa Sharma said the armed forces cannot be put to "more risk than they had bargained for" and directed the Centre to pay Rs 5 lakh and the aircraft manufacturer Rs 50 lakh as compensation. KAILA FILED RTI TO LEARN REASON FOR CRASH Kumar said Kaila was injured and later forced to discontinue flying after a comprehensive medical examination showed he was suffering from cervical spine injury. "The medical report also clearly mentions that the petitioner was rendered unfit for flying duties because of the incident. He was additionally instructed and advised by the doctors to even refrain from performing even day-to-day tasks," he said. advertisement The officer filed an RTI application to learn the reason for the crash and through this, he said, it was revealed that the incident was caused due to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at HAL's facility. Kaila claimed that despite sending a representation to the government on December 25, 2012, seeking justice by compensating him for the loss suffered by as a result of the air crash, no response was given by the government. In 2013, Kaila moved court seeking a formal apology for the manufacturing defect and the faulty workmanship of the MiG-21 aircraft that allegedly led to the crash and hold HAL accountable and aware of the ramifications of its actions impacting the security of this country. The crash, he said, resulted in inestimable loss of health and well-being and caused him to lose out on significant employment prospects for no fault of his. ALSO READ | What did India's largest plane-maker, HAL, say at the Aero India 2017? ALSO READ | IAF's Chetak helicopter crashes in Allahabad, pilots safe ALSO WATCH | MiG pilot to be blamed for crash, says govt --- ENDS --- This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? In 2008, the last exclusively all-female college at Oxford University St Hildas admitted men for the first time. The decision to do so left only four womens colleges in the country, three of which are in Cambridge. With women only being awarded full membership to the university from 1947, these colleges have a long history of female empowerment in a once predominantly male environment but the past tense should be noted. University admissions statistics for 2015 show that, of the students who were accepted after receiving offers, there was a male to female ratio of 52:48, while women received a higher percentage of offers than men this academic year a reflection of how far Cambridge has come. But has this progress made all-female colleges unnecessary? Do they still have a place in the university? Female undergraduates were first accepted to several previously all-male colleges in 1972. This progress was followed, in 1976, by the first all-female college voting in favour of admitting men. When speaking of the change in role of Girton College signified by this transition, the current JCR President, Blaise Sadler, commented: It initially acted as a counterweight against the male colleges, and then took gender equality to mean on a college level. This is a perspective on the actions required to achieve gender equality that fell on one side of what I discovered to be a polarising debate. Speaking to current undergraduates of Murray Edwards College exposed the broad spectrum of different opinions on the issue of gender equality. Many held views similar to those of Sadlers remarks on Girton. When asked if they would agree a proposal to accept men to their college, one student told me they would: My college is extremely supportive in general and in helping women to succeed in male dominated sectors. These aims can be extended to the whole university throughout the colleges, without the need necessarily for women to be in separate colleges. Another student, however, was opposed to the idea, claiming that womens colleges restore the gender balance. It seems that, despite the statistical progress the University has made, the debate as to whether or not gender equality has really been achieved rages on. When discussing the idea of admitting men to currently all-female colleges, some showed their regard of gender equality as something of the future still to be aimed for, and not the present. When women eventually have equality with men, this should be an ideal we aim for, a Murray Edwards undergraduate told me, but it is absolutely not the case that this should be put into practice now. Women still feel intimidated and silenced among men. Without the encouragement of all-women environments like Murray Edwards, there would be no progress in terms of promoting among women the idea that their opinions have as much worth as male opinions. Miranda Nicholson, the colleges Student Union President, similarly considered the future of its all-female status when speaking of the scheme Collaborating with Men: It looks as though it will be truly groundbreaking in revealing how women can thrive in their careers, and teaching men how they can help to aid that, she told me. We also discussed how it could pose the next step for womens colleges because it shows how we can integrate male experience into changing that which the female feels. But in addition to such consideration of female empowerment, Nicholson also spoke of the future of womens colleges beyond the over-simplification of gender inequality to just a male-female divide: increasingly we will be addressing concepts of transgenderism, the MECSU President told me. 50 years down the line, likelihood is [the college] will not still be all female. Perhaps we need to start making a move towards that circumstance." This was something that rose often in my discussions with the students of all-female colleges: Ruby, the JCR Womens Officer at Newnham, told me for single-sex colleges to truly support students who are marginalised on the basis of gender, they cant continue to operate on a binary gender model: admissions policies needs to be accessible to and inclusive of people of trans and non-binary gender identifications." To some, the future of all-womens colleges might seem short-lived. The days of female exclusion from the academic possibilities posed by the University of Cambridge appear to be either in the past or reaching the end, whatever your opinion may be. However, that is not to say that these colleges have lost their relevance. It might just be a case of adapting to continue the fight against gender inequality. With an impressive portfolio of offices to his name, from the Home Secretary, to the Environment Secretary, to various shadow cabinet positions, and ultimately the Leader of the Conservative Party, Lord Michael Howard is a seasoned political veteran. However, the interview begins with a reflection on his youth and student life at Cambridge. He recounts being part of the Cambridge Mafia, the untypically large clan of Cambridge-educated politicians that ultimately descended upon the front-line of Westminster in the 1980s. His involvement in this Cambridge Conservative political scene was not without its turbulence, seen particularly in his resignation from the CUCA committee. It was triggered by the extension of an invitation to Oswald Mosley. Having already spoken at a meeting the previous Michaelmas, the notorious leader of the British Union of Fascists was asked to do so again. Although Lord Howard states that he remains unequivocally committed to free expression, he felt obliged to resign in despair at what he saw as the unnecessary return of a man who Howard brands as a quisling. Broadening the discussion to his political career, I ask him to discuss an issue that is dear to him climate change. Having been a Minister of State for the Environment, he served as the Environment Secretary from 1992-1993. Indeed, just a few weeks ago he publicly commented on what he sees as the self-evident compatibility of economic growth and climate change. I ask him to discuss this further with regards to the growing anxiety over the neoliberal doctrine of seemingly unlimited growth and rocketing carbon emissions. He begins by challenging the assumption that growth is necessary unlimited, but does not then appear to suggest that growth should be curbed in any profound sense. Whilst Lord Howard does not directly address the issue raised in the question, he provides an insightful account of what he terms the most extraordinary day in my career. Preceding the 1992 Rio Summit on climate change, which laid the foundations for the Kyoto Protocol, there was severe uncertainty over whether President Bush Snr would attend. Had he not done so, Lord Howard states the summit would have been ultimately been a damp squid. Hence, in order to secure his attendance, Howard recalls how the then-Prime Minister John Major drafted him out to Washington. He then spent an entire day pleading to countless Republican officials with the opposite view to change their tune on Rio. Furthermore, in light of Bushs trepidation over the language on emissions stabilisation, Howard worked tirelessly alongside a prominent White House deputy, Robert Zoellick, to reach a compromise, which then secured the Presidents participation at the summit. Lord Howards illuminating account serves to show his indispensable role in securing key international framework on climate change. I follow up by asking him to ponder whether in light of the election of President Trump, it would be possible to continue to work with the U.S. on climate matters. Initially taking a pessimistic view, he suggests that deep cooperation on the matter would be unlikely, and that he regrets the failure to elect an individual who accepted the science. However, with his more usual optimism, he goes on to suggest that actually Trumps election doesnt matter as much as first sight might appear. He suggests that with countries like China now doing serious things to combat carbon emissions, and with the vast array of activity taking place at state level, there need be no reason to be substantially discouraged by the change of U.S. administration. Another theme Lord Howard discusses is campaigns. He comments on his perhaps unfortunate interview with Jeremy Paxman, in which Paxman unrelentingly fired a question about the 1995 sacking of prisons chief Derek Lewis a staggering fourteen times. Whilst he concedes that this was not his finest hour, he suggests that the reason Paxman unyieldingly persisted was because of the failure to book another guest to follow his appearance on the programme. Furthermore, he claims that, perhaps counter-intuitively, the debacle actually did him a great favour by harming his leadership bid. In the context of the first four years of the New Labour government that consigned the Conservatives to a state of irrelevance, Lord Howard felt he was better placed to have an impact slightly further down the road. However, moving on to a discussion of the current election campaign, its clear that even a political grandee of the likes of Howard is struck by the astounding domestic contemporary political climate. When asked whether the calling of the election was opportunistic in light of the Labour Partys dwindling poll numbers, he unsurprisingly leaps to Theresa Mays defence. He invokes the House of Lords, casting them as obstructive, and full of remainers. Similarly, he notes that with a clear mandate and a commanding majority in the Commons, Theresa May will be better placed to deliver Brexit a Brexit that for Lord Howard cannot entail continued single market and customs union membership. One of the final thoughts that Howard ponders on is his post-leadership political life. He states that, he has no regrets about giving up leadership when he did. It is better to go when people say why are you going than when people say why is bugger still around. Whilst at times Lord Howard danced around a subject (albeit thoughtfully) without getting to its core essence, he equally delivered direct and incisive comments. Following Stephen Frys recent talk, Michael Howards presence at the Cambridge Union is again indicative of the particularly high-profile line up of speakers gracing the society this term. Indeed, during the talk to the Union itself, Howard further grappled with a plethora of contemporary predicaments, and expressed his views on subjects from Trump, Russia and Syria, to grammar schools and Brexit, and his fascinating work with Hospice UK. Regardless of whether one agreed with his analysis of the British and wider political world, the former Conservative leader conducted himself eloquently, and appeared to enjoy his successful evening at the Union just as much as the members in attendance enjoyed theirs. For anyone needing a well-earned break post-exams, I would highly recommend visiting Porto. I had never really thought about visiting Portugal until my friend sent me a postcard from Porto. My first encounter with Portuguese culture was during a short trip to Macau, a former Portuguese colony an hour away from Hong Kong. I was surprised at how cheap Portugal is! My return flight only cost 50 and a three hour train ride from Porto to Lisbon was only 18.50. I didnt do any research prior to my trip because I was busy working on my essay (and because I am lazy). But personally, I think the best way to explore a city is to get lost in it! I arrived on a Sunday, so most shops were closed. I tried a traditional dish called francesinha in Cafe Luso (Praca de Carlos Alberto 92). Its a sandwich layered with bread, ham, sausage, steak and covered with melted cheese and gravy served with fries basically a heart attack! If youre a meat lover, youll love it. Porto is rather small, just the way I like it everythings within walking distance. Two days is more than enough to do all the touristy things on your checklist: Clerigos Tower, Luis I Bridge, Church of Sao Francisco and Sao Bento railway station to mention a few. If youre a book lover, Lello Bookstore is a must-go (there is an entrance fee of 4 but this is deductible on purchase of a book). It is one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and one of the most beautiful in the world with a neo-gothic facade, stunning interior, marvelous stairway and amazing stained glass ceiling. My favourite thing about Porto, and Portugal, is azulejo, their traditional painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. You can see it everywhere. Blue is my favourite colour and I gasped a little too loudly when I accidentally found Capela das Almas (Rue de Santa Catarina 428). Sao Bento station is also well known for its tiled panels. Everyone has been to Lisbon, but Porto is underrated! The wine is surprisingly good and cheap, and there are wine and port tours for anyone interested. The river is so calming, the alleyways are full of surprises, and Portuguese people are very friendly and speak good English although this means my Portuguese did not improve at all! Im so glad that I decided to visit Porto. Below are some recommendations: Best sunset spot (with a view of the bridge and river): The Gala Cable Car upper station, Calcada da Serra 143. You can either sit on the edge of the wall or check out the wine bar next to it, depending on your budget. Best sandwich shop: A Sandeira, Rua dos Caldeireiros 85. Best. Sandwich. Ever. Terrific lunch deal between noon and 3pm. Limited space though. Closed on Sunday. Best seafood restaurant: Adega Sao NIcolau 1. Mixed reviews online but I really enjoyed my 2-hour dinner with the view of the river. Good food, good wine and free port with dessert. Must make reservations in advance. Best hostel: Gallery Hostel, Rue de Miguel Bombarda 222. A hostel in an art gallery, wonderful staff who gave me the most elaborate tour of the city on a map upon arrival, the rooms were spacious and clean with comfortable beds and a nice hot shower. There was a big breakfast included in addition to a rooftop terrace (and cats!). 21/night Cambridge African-Caribbean Society (CUACS) posted a photo of #BlackMenofCambridgeUniversity on Facebook. Since it was posted on May 1, it has garnered 3,000 likes and 520 shares, in a now highly-celebrated effort to raise awareness of the continuing access issue of under-representation in the University. The picture has since caught the attention of both the BBC and Buzzfeed. The post reads, In 2015, only 15 black, male undergraduates were accepted into Cambridge. However, it is important that despite their underrepresentation, we let young black people know that this is something that they can aspire to. CUACS also released a statement, saying, "For CUACS, the real purpose of the photograph was to remind young black individuals that Cambridge is for us." "Young black men don't grow up thinking they'll make it here. They should, says Dami Adebayo of Robinson College. The post was intended to showcase role models for young black students who do not think they can make it or fit in in the University. Adebayo added that growing up, his role models had been actors, artists and sportsmen such as Lebron James, Will Smith and Jay-Z because "that's how I perceived success, BBC reports. He commented, "Barack Obama is probably the first black role model I had who made it 'cool' to be 'book smart', and that was by the time I was 11, that's crazy." Buzzfeed interviewed three of the students photographed. Folajimi Babasola, an international engineering student from Nigeria told Buzzfeed, The aim of the picture was really to encourage more black students to apply to [Cambridge]. 73% of the male admissions come from white men, while black men make up just 0.3%, says Bez Adeosun, a HSPS student who was also photographed. Babasola added, Many people get discouraged by a particular image or stereotype of a Cambridge student that they have in their mind, thinking that they won't fit in or be accepted. The photograph was meant to challenge precisely the idea that there exists a single type of Cambridge student, and encourage more people to apply, in order to shatter the image even more. CUACS adds, "We are grateful for the exposure that the post has receiced and we hope that we continue to empower and encourage young black people across the world that Cambridge is within their reach." The students photographed include (top row L-R): William Gore, Bez Adeosun, Peter Adefioye, Judah Aiyenuro, Joseph Adikwu, Dennis Mubaiwa, Dami Adebayo, Ife Adepegba , Donte Nembhard, Baba Bob-Soile, Daniel Oluboyede. Bottom row: Michael Samuelson-Beulah, Folajimi Babasola, Ade Omisore. The National Union of Students has voted in favour of making sanitary products including tampons and towels available to women who cannot afford them. Delegates at the NUSs annual conference on Tuesday this week voted in favour of a plan that would encourage student unions to subsidise the cost of tampons, menstrual cups and sanitary towels. Women spend on average 6 for each monthly cycle on sanitary projects, amounting to more than 77 per year. NUS delegates called this situation classist, leaving those who cannot afford sanitary wear in a position of period poverty. The NUS took a similar stance in 2016, when they created a #FreePeriods Toolkit which was disseminated to student unions nationally. It provided information about the economical, ecological and health benefits of investing in sustainable sanitary wear. The toolkit pointed out the discrepancy between giving out free contraceptives from sexual health clinics whilst not giving out free sanitary products vital to the health and dignity of half of society. Recently, campaigns such as #TheHomelessPeriod have highlighted the difficulties menstruation poses for women who must chose between purchasing sanitary products and spending their money on other essentials such as food. This reality was evocatively depicted in the 2016 Ken Loach film I, Daniel Blake, when the protagonist Katie resorts to shoplifting sanitary products from a local shop. Last year, the government came under criticism for its Tampon Tax, which justifies charging VAT on sanitary wear, unlike some other medical necessities, because they constitute a luxury product. Some Cambridge colleges have already begun to offer free sanitary products to students. At Newnham College, a box containing sanitary towels and tampons has been made available to students at the Porters Lodge. Whether or not student unions will be able to provide them completely free or for a reduced fee at other UK universities will depend in part upon the size of the campus. Two people were arrested from Delhi's Uttam Nagar area and 4 kg of high-grade heroin worth about Rs 16 crores in the international market was recovered from their possession. By Tanseem Haider: A Delhi Police Special Cell team has busted an international drug cartel in the national capital. Two key members of cartel namely Darbara Singh Billa and Ajay Singh, both residents of Saheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Punjab have been arrested from the road in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. A total of 4 kg of high-grade heroin worth about Rs 16 crores in the international market has been recovered from their possession. advertisement One Alto car with Punjab registration number and 3 mobile phones with SIM cards used in the drug trafficking also recovered. The two arrested drug dealers. HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW The Special Cell in its tirade against drug suppliers has busted several narcotic drug cartels in the past by arresting various members and by recovering huge consignments of drugs including heroin and opium. Sleuths of Special Cell of Delhi were working on information that an international narcotic drug cartel is active in the states of UP, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. Heroin is smuggled from Afghanistan and Pakistan. This information was further developed by core team through technical as well as human surveillance. It took about 3-4 months of painstaking efforts to develop the information. During this process, members of this cartel were identified and their activities were kept under discreet surveillance. On May 1, specific information was received that highly notorious drug trafficker Darbara Singh Billa, who is known for receiving big consignments of heroin, has arrived in Delhi along with one of his associates in an Alto car. It was further informed that the duo would receive huge consignments of heroin in the area of Uttam Nagar, Delhi. Acting swiftly and strategically, a team was formed and a trap was laid near VV DAV School Uttam Nagar, Delhi and Darbara Singh alongwith his associate Ajay were apprehended. 3 kgs of high grade heroin was recovered from Billa whereas 1 kg of high grade heroin was recovered from Ajay. Both the accused persons were thoroughly interrogated. Both revealed the details of their associates including source of supply. It was found that they used to get supply of heroin from a person residing in the area of Uttam Nagar, Delhi. During interrogation, it was also revealed that Billa is an associate of one Buta Singh, a notorious drug supplier of Punjab. Buta Singh is presently lodged in Nabha jail and facing trial in various cases registered against him under NDPS Act. Buta Singh is also convicted in a case of NDPS Act. Both Billa and Buta Singh were doing this illegal trade of drug supply in Punjab in partnership. Billa is a notorious drug supplier of Punjab, who is involved in 8 criminal cases including 6 cases registered under NDPS Act. He was convicted in 3 cases of NDPS in Punjab and was awarded punishment for 32 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 3 lakh. He was granted parole in the year 2015 for some days but he did not surrender and absconded. He went underground and restarted the illegal trade of drug trafficking. Moreover, his wife Sarabjeet Kaur has also gained notoriety in this illegal trade and involved in at least 10 cases registered against her under the NDPS Act. She is also convicted in 2 of the cases of NDPS Act and has been awarded heavy punishment. Presently she is lodged in Ludhiana Jail and facing trial under the NDPS case. Also read | Afghan national booked after doctors find heroin capsules in his rectum Also read | Rajasthan: Heroin worth Rs 1 crore seized, one arrested Also read | Delhi: Afghan national with 46 capsules of heroin in his abdomen succumbs to death --- ENDS --- Odds appear good that Apple will be joining Amazon and Google in the smart speaker competition with a Siri-powered device it plans to introduce at its World Wide Developers Conference next month, according to MacRumors, which cited a report by Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities. The new home-AI product will have excellent acoustics with one woofer and seven tweeters, and the processing power of an iPhone 6, Kuo wrote. Its price tag likely will be higher than Amazons Echo, which sells for US$179. Rumors of an Apple speaker have been floating around for some time: The Information reported that Apple was preparing an Echo competitor a year ago, and Bloomberg last September reported that Apple had begun testing a prototype of the device. The speaker may have a camera, which could be used for facial recognition. It likely will control other devices locks, lights, appliances, curtains and such by voice commands issued through Siri. Battle for the Home Entry into the smart speaker market makes sense for a company with smart home aspirations. As the success of Echo and Google Home took off, everyone expected Apple to follow suit, said Brad Russell, a research analyst with Parks Associates. Battle lines are being drawn over who will have the dominant voice technology in the home. Consumers have really responded to voice control, and the Echo has accelerated that, Russell told TechNewsWorld. Its pretty much accepted now that voice is the interface of the future, he said. It makes adoption of devices much more frictionless, because you dont have to learn a different user interface for every product. Apple already has a voice beachhead in the home with Apple TV. What it doesnt have is a central standup device like Google or Amazon, observed Jonathan Collins, a research director for ABI Research. Those devices have proven to be popular, and they provide a key focus and key introduction to the smart home, he told TechNewsWorld. Tough Competition The Apple speaker is likely to have great sound output, but sound wont be the only feature to justify the premium price the company likely will charge for the product. It will probably be an important of part Apple HomeKit so they can link it to other smart home devices, said Kevin Krewell, a principal analyst with Tirias Research. One of the uses of these smart speakers is for home automation control, he told TechNewsWorld. This would be an opportunity for Apple to attach a voice-based device to HomeKit. However, Siri will find it difficult to challenge some of the players already entrenched in the market. I dont see it as a great competitor to Google Home, which has a tie-in to Googles deep knowledge base, Krewell said. Amazons Echo, with its Alexa voice assistant, also will pose strong competition, largely because of its growing partner network. Alexa has led the way in third-party integration, said Ross Rubin, the principal analyst with Reticle Research. Its very easy to pass on a request from Alexa to another product, and Amazon has been very aggressive in courting third-party devices, he told TechNewsWorld. Siri Lost First Advantage Its not unusual for Apple to wait for a market to develop before it moves in for the kill. It did that with the iPod, as well as with the smartphone and tablet computer. In the case of voice assistants, though, it failed to exploit its first-to-market advantage. Apples Siri was actually the first digital assistant to widely impact the market, but the company has leveraged the technology less than might be expected, observed Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. That left an opening for Amazon Alexa and Google Home, he told TechNewsWorld. The larger question now is how well Apple can compete in a young but rapidly maturing market. However, Apple still has a lot to bring to the table, noted Parks Russell. It has 120 HomeKit devices, and security has been one of the hallmarks of its approach to the smart home. When you couple rising security concerns by consumers with Apples well-known higher security standards, that will position them well in the market, he said. Also, in spite of the timing concerns, Apples track record is hard to ignore. Apple has a history of success when it enters settled markets and out-innovates other vendors, King said. Well see if the company can work some of its old magic here. Samsung on Wednesday said that Bixby Voice will not be operational when its Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones hit the market. Some Bixby features Vision, Home and Reminder will be active when the phones become available on April 21, Samsung said, but the Bixby Voice capability wont show up until later this spring. The delay may be due to a weakness in Bixbys English language chops, according to some reports. Its voice recognition in English apparently lags its Korean language capabilities substantially. That mismatch might be worrisome to Samsung, as it could cast its new artificial intelligence assistant in a negative light. Its also possible that Samsung wants to round up more third-party apps to support Bixby Voice before it makes its debut. Slow and Easy Wins the Race Whatever the reason underlying it, Samsungs decision to delay the feature likely is prudent. The S8 and S8+ are make-or-break products for Samsung to successfully rebound from BatteryGate, said Cliff Raskind, a research director at Strategy Analytics. The S8 offers a lot of industry firsts. Everything, including Bixby, has to be perfect on this rollout, he told TechNewsWorld. A launch date slip for Bixby would, in the final analysis, be more palatable than a sub-par experience. Voice recognition requires an immense orchestration of software and services, said Ramon Llamas, a research manager at IDC. Bixby is generation one, was built from the ground up by Samsung, and doesnt extend beyond its walls, he told TechNewsWorld. Im OK with their giving it a pass until its ready for prime time instead of ending up with egg on their face. Its important for Samsung to ensure that Bixby works correctly, noted Gerrit Schneemann, a senior analyst at IHS Markit. Samsung is already behind, and a sloppy launch would have a negative effect, he told TechNewsWorld, but a delayed start not so much. However, the longer Samsung delays in pushing out Bixby Voice, the more this will erode consumer confidence, IDCs Llamas cautioned. The S8 runs on Android Nougat, which has Google Assistant built in as standard. Google Assistant does a lot of things very well. More Than a Voice Bixby is a contextual service, not just a voice assistant, and even if the Voice component isnt there yet, Bixby can still learn about you with Bixby Home and Bixby Vision, Llamas noted. Theres value in that, because Bixby has to build up a library of experiences in order to make the contextual connections. Bixby is very much a new wave of opportunity for Samsung, observed Jeff Orr, a senior practice director at ABI Research. Its not a point solution having a certain set of features and functionality for a particular audience at a particular price point, he told TechNewsWorld. The concept underlying Bixby is to make intelligent machines learn and adapt to humans, instead of having humans learn how machines interact with the world, explained Samsung EVP InJong Rhee, when announcing the new service last month. With Bixby, Samsung is positioned in the interaction layer which is used to engage with other services, noted IHS Markits Schneeman. If Samsungs successful with its execution and broadens Bixbys scope as announced, itll be an engagement tool for a broad range of devices, regardless of the operating system they run, he added. This concept of Bixby being able to interact with the environment around you just using your voice is a powerful thing that other brands havent even begun to articulate, ABIs Orr pointed out. Its very bold and a major undertaking. These days it seems that having a self-driving vehicle department is becoming a requirement for large tech firms. And while Samsung took its first steps toward the autonomous car market back in 2015, the company has only just been granted permission to begin testing on South Korean roads. The world's largest smartphone maker has been given the green light to start the public experiment by the country's ministry of land, infrastructure, and transport. According to the Korean Herald, rather than manufacture its own cars, Samsung "plans to develop top-of-the-line sensors and computer modules backed by artificial intelligence and the deep-learning technologies to improve cars' self-driving capabilities even in challenging weather conditions." The cars themselves are commercial vehicles from fellow Korean firm Hyundai, equipped with the latest cameras and sensors. Samsung becomes the 20th company to be awarded a permit for self-driving car tests on South Korean roads. Samsung's big mobile rival, Apple, was recently granted permission to test three 2015 Lexus RX 450h hybrid autonomous SUVs in California. And with Google deep into its self-driving vehicle testing phase, it seems that autonomous cars is set to become another market where the three companies will battle it out. South Korea's government is doing all it can to make the country an ideal testing location for the technology. As noted by The Guardian, it has reduced the number of mandatory passengers in each self-driving vehicle from two to one, and has paved the way for the testing of cars without steering wheels or pedals. The little black bug is back. Latest reports show that cases of tick bites and consequent Lyme disease diagnoses are now on the rise. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the country. It is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is passed on to humans through exposure to an infected black-legged tick, otherwise known as the deer tick. Boston Family Infected Three members of a family in Topsfield, Massachusetts got bitten by the notorious disease-causing ticks and were diagnosed with Lyme disease. Alexandra Reardon, 22, said she's been to at least 30 doctors in search for a cure for her medical dilemmas, which included serious migraines and joint pain. It took a while before one doctor suspected she had Lyme disease and sent her to get tested. "I never pulled a tick off myself. I never would've thought I would've had Lyme until one doctor believed I did," she said. Soon after, her mother, Michelle, and her 18-year-old brother, Nicholas, who were suffering from similar symptoms, tested positive for Lyme disease, too. Now they're going through rigorous treatment, which involves a regimen of 36 pills per day. The Reardon family recalls seeing a number of ticks on their dog after they let it run freely in the wooded area near their home. Lyme Disease Hot Spots In The United States Based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is not a nationwide epidemic, as its focus is mainly in the northeast and upper Midwest. In 2015, 95 percent of confirmed Lyme disease cases in the country were from 14 states including Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Experts from the U.S. Geological Survey believe the lower temperature and higher humidity in the northern regions are to blame. Symptoms of Lyme Disease To Watch Out For Lyme disease can ruin one's life in a snap. In its advanced stages, this tick-borne infection can lead to irreversible and debilitating conditions, such as facial palsy or paralysis. The CDC recommends people who live or have recently traveled to tick-prone areas mentioned above to watch out for the first tell-tale signs of Lyme disease, which can appear anywhere from three up to 30 days after the tick bite. Aside from fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes, also check all body parts for its signature erythema migrans or EM rash, particularly hard-to-see areas, such as the groin, armpits, and scalp. Occurring in 70 to 80 percent of Lyme disease patients, the EM rash usually has a bull's eye appearance, may feel warm to the touch, may expand little by little up to 12 inches (30 cm), and may appear in other areas of the body. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The New York State Health Department proposed doubling medical marijuana companies from the current 5 to 10 in the future. However, this decision has drawn flak from the five manufacturers already operating in the state and they filed a lawsuit against the state's health department. The Lawsuit The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association filed the lawsuit on April 27 at a court in Albany. Back in 2014, when New York State first legalized the manufacture, sale, and use of medical marijuana through the Compassionate Care Act, it gave the health department authority to register just five manufacturers of the drug in the state. "The commissioner shall register no more than five registered organizations that manufacture medical marijuana with no more than four dispensing sites wholly owned and operated by such registered organizations," the Compassionate Care Act states. However, the same law states at the very end that the commissioner may "register additional registered organizations." This has led the New York State Health Department to construe that the law permits the expansion of the number of medical marijuana manufacturers. The lawsuit further claims that this provision of registering additional manufacturers was put in place for a different cause. The ROs or registered organizations have to renew their license every two years. According to the lawsuit, in case one of the ROs does not renew their registration, the health department can add a different manufacturer to fill the void and maintain the tally of companies to five. The medical marijuana manufacturers have also claimed that introducing more companies would eat into their revenues. The manufacturers are still trying to recoup their initial collective investment of roughly $50 million for the medical marijuana program and state that they have "not yet come close" to regaining this amount. What Does The New York State Health Department Say? The department of health vehemently defended its expansion plans and said that it did not misinterpret the Compassionate Care Act or its regulations. "From Day 1, we made clear our commitment to the continued growth of this program so that the New Yorkers who qualify for this therapy have access to it," the health department revealed. It added that the decision from the court to not halt its expansion plans "while the lawsuit is pending certainly helps those residents," The department of health also averred that it would counter the efforts to "block patients from the relief they deserve." Since the legalization of medical marijuana, many states reported significant decrease in the number of opioid-related deaths. A research in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that in states where medical marijuana is legal, opioid overdose death rate has gone down by as much as 25 percent. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The CEO of United Airlines, along with some other executives, faced lawmakers on Tuesday, May 2, over the airline's abusive practices and improper treatment of passengers. As a reminder, United went under fire last month after it overbooked a flight and dragged a passenger out of the plane, although he had paid for his seat and booked the flight in due time. Members of Congress held a four-and-a-half-hour hearing to scold United execs over that incident when the airline dragged and bloodied a passenger last month. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members also shared their own horror stories from their experience as frequent flyers, and Congress warned airlines that things have got to change. Airlines' awful treatment of passengers has to stop, or else Congress will have no choice but to take action. Airlines In Congress Hot Seat Over Lousy Passenger Treatment Members of Congress complained about having to squeeze uncomfortably into tight seats, paying fees to check bags or change flights, having their luggage lost, paying extra to get a window or an aisle seat, and so on. Lawmakers have basically been ranting about such issues just like millions of other travelers do, but there's a big difference. Unlike other frustrated passengers who can't do much to change the system, the Congress has the power to force those changes if they don't occur willingly. Airlines have been treating customers badly for a good while and the highly mediatized United scandal was just the cherry on top. Members of Congress are fed up with apologies about United's violent removal of a passenger last month and it wants action, not words. Congress warned United CEO Oscar Munoz that unless things change, the airline will feel the wrath of lawmakers. Congress Warns Airlines: No Half-Measures, Or Else "This Committee and the Congress do not want half-measures or temporary fixes. This issue is not going away. We are not going away, we will hold you accountable, and we expect real results," said Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa. "I shouldn't need to remind you that Congress will not hesitate to act, whenever necessary, to ensure your customers, our constituents, are treated with the respect they deserve," he added. "If we don't see meaningful results that improve customer service, the next time this committee meets to address the issue, I can assure you, you won't like the outcome." The hearing took place five days after United settled with David Dao, the doctor that United staff dragged and bloodied a few weeks ago while trying to remove him from an overbooked flight to give his seat to someone else. The settlement was confidential. Prior to the Congress hearing, United issued a statement last week pledging to implement 10 important changes to improve its service and the way it treats its customers. The airline's CEO again apologized for the April 9 incident when United staff dragged Dao off the flight. "Our review shows that many things went wrong that day, but the headline is clear: our policies got in the way of our values and procedures interfered in doing what's right," said Munoz. "This is a turning point for all of us at United and it signals a culture shift toward becoming a better, more customer-focused airline." 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A violent fist fight broke out between two male passengers aboard an All Nippon Airways flight and another passenger caught it all on camera. The video of the brawl has since disappeared, but the incident still got a lot of publicity and went viral before the video went down. The plane was about to fly from Tokyo's Narita International Airport to the Los Angeles International Airport, but a brawl broke out between two men just 10 minutes before takeoff. A man in a red shirt simply turned around all of a sudden and told another passenger in a gray shirt that he was "going to kill him," then started throwing punches. Violent Brawl Aboard ANA Plane Corey Hour, an Arizona-based photographer, director and cinematographer, was aboard the same flight and caught the whole incident on camera. Hour also posted several tweets about the brawl. So, 10 minutes before take off a passenger starts a huge fight in his row. I get in between him and flight attendants, but he won't 1v1 me. Corey Hour (@CoreyHour) May 1, 2017 It remains unclear just what triggered the brawl, and Hour says that he spoke to other passengers as well, but nobody knows what caused the fight. At one point, the guy in the gray shirt screamed for help, saying that the guy in the red shirt, who attacked him, was crazy. The man in the red shirt yelled "I'll kill you." Before being removed, the video showed the man in the red shirt throwing punches at the passenger in the gray shirt, as other passengers tried to get out of the way. ANA staff eventually separated the two men, but it wasn't easy. The flight attendants had a hard time breaking off the two men, and one of them was caught up in the fight, which is when Hour says he put down the camera and intervened. Several flight attendants eventually managed to move the violent passenger toward the front of the plane, where he started shouting something about America. 'You Think I'm Crazy? What About The Government?' "You think I'm crazy? What about the government?" the man in the red shirt yelled before exiting the plane, according to Hour. Japan Today reports that after exiting the plane, the violent passenger choked a male ANA employee. Authorities eventually arrested the man and charged him with assault. Police identified him as a 44-year-old American man. The brawl caused the flight to suffer a delay of roughly an hour and a half, but the plane eventually took off to its destination. ANA is a major Japan airline and for the past two years, it has won Skytrax's "Best Airline Staff in Asia" award. Hour also praised ANA staff for how they handled the whole incident. "For the record ANA staff and passengers handled the situation with grace and respect," said Hour. "They did the best they could to diffuse the situation." That seems to be the opposite of how United Airlines handles its passengers, as the airline recently went under fire after dragging and bloodying a passenger while removing him from an overbooked flight. The passenger was David Dao, a doctor who had booked his flight in due time and paid for the fare, only to be dragged off the plane because United had overbooked the flight. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The fire broke out around 4.40pm on Tuesday, when Gagan Kalra, a second-year MBA student at the university in Noida, was returning home to Kailash Colony in south Delhi. It was a narrow escape for the student as he had stepped out after noticing smoke coming out of the bonnet of the car. By Ajay Kumar: A student of Amity University had a lucky escape on Tuesday evening when his five-day-old Mercedes car worth over Rs 35 lakh suddenly burst into flames near Maharani Bagh on the DND Flyway, turning the brand new luxury sedan into scrap in a matter of minutes. The fire broke out around 4.40pm, when Gagan Kalra, a second-year MBA student at the university in Noida, was returning home to Kailash Colony in south Delhi. advertisement He told the fire department officials later that he saw smoke coming out of the bonnet of the car near DND and he parked it on the side of the road to check the source of the smoke. But as soon as he stepped out, the car spontaneously caught fire. The 20-year-old, however, managed to escape without any injuries. As the car burned, traffic piled up behind it and caused an hour-long snarl on the DND Flyway. Kalra called the fire department but by the time firemen reached the spot, the car had been completely gutted. Kalra's father said he had gifted the Mercedes Benz CLA 200 to his son just five days ago. "We received a call that a fire broke out in a Mercedes. A fire tender was rushed to the spot but the car was gutted completely within 15 minutes," a senior officer of the Delhi fire service said, adding, "Fortunately, Gagan Kalra had not applied the central lock of the car. He could have been trapped inside and gotten hurt," the official said. ALSO READ | Chennai: Car racer Ashwin Sundar, wife charred to death after their BMW catches fire ALSO READ | Delhi: Mercedes mows down 17-year-old boy near Paschim Vihar ALSO WATCH | Delhi: One killed as Mercedes-Benz rams into scooter in Paschim Vihar --- ENDS --- While it is possible that the Democrats will lose both chambers, the Republicans did not sweep the elections as most surveys expected. | Read More It will be the first government-run hospital to provide Robotics surgery and advanced laparoscopic radical prostatectomy surgeries free of cost. By Priyanka Sharma: The Safdarjung Hospital will soon become the first central government run hospital to provide high-tech 3D laparoscopies to treat advanced urology cancer as it doubles down on its aim to scale up minimally invasive surgeries using robotics. The Centre of Excellence in uro-oncology department plans to provide these surgeries free of cost to the poor. According to officials, these advanced treatments will be provided at the hospital's new super-specialty block, which is likely to be inaugurated in July this year by the union health ministry. advertisement Dr Anup Kumar, who heads the department of Urology and Renal transplant at the hospital, told Mail Today, "Now, poor patients suffering from renal and urological disorders won't have to wait long months and would not have to shell out money as centre of excellence in Uro-oncology department has started minimal invasive surgeries." "Starting with 3D laparoscopy surgeries, the Uro-oncology department is soon going to conduct its first robotics surgery in India. Health ministry is working on it. All equipments for robotics surgery are being purchased and things are at the final stage. We are just following Prime Minister's mantra of providing world class expertise with robust infrastructure in healthcare," the doctor added. ROBOTICS SURGERY FREE OF COST It will be the first government-run hospital to provide Robotics surgery and advanced laparoscopic radical prostatectomy surgeries free of cost. These surgeries cost anywhere around Rs 10 lakh at a private hospital. Doctors said that with the start of the new block, the waiting period will come down significantly as once robotics surgeries start, the uro-oncology department would be able to perform twice the number of surgeries in a day. Right now, more than 100 patients with urological cancer are waiting for treatment the waiting time is more than a year. The new super-specialty renal and uro-oncology block will have 50 beds, four operation theaters with Robotics surgery facility and will run six days a week, said Dr Kumar. According to Dr Kumar, in conventional surgeries, surgeons have to make a huge cut to operate patients and see his/her internal organs. "In 3D laparoscopy and robotics procedures, a very small key hole is done on the body and all internal organs are seen on screen for with 3D vision and more clarity. The department has also started the laparoscopic donor surgeries and this is not even done at AIIMS ," he said. ALSO READ | Delhi: Safdarjung Hospital doctors excel in cochlear implants ALSO READ | Delhi: Safdarjung Hospital condemns transfer of trauma patients by others to cut load --- ENDS --- A senior Trump administration official said Putin had requested the call and described it as an effort to present his ideas for Syria. The Kremlin said Putin and Trump agreed to step up dialogue on finding ways to strengthen a ceasefire and give it stability. (Photo: Reuters) By Reuters: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday moved to ease the tension from US air strikes in April against Russian ally Syria, expressing a desire for a Syrian ceasefire and safe zones for the civil war's refugees. The two leaders spoke by phone for the first time since US relations with Russian were strained by the US attack on a Syrian airfield. The two leaders set the foundation for what could be their first face-to-face meeting in July. advertisement Statements from both the White House and the Kremlin suggested the two leaders had a productive conversation that included North Korea and fighting Islamist militants throughout the Middle East. A senior Trump administration official said Putin had requested the call and described it as an effort to present his ideas for Syria. Trump ordered 59 cruise missiles launched in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack that the United States blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The attacked prompted protests from Assad ally Russia, which blamed Syrian rebels for the use of outlawed nerve gas and said Assad was not at fault. The White House said the two leaders agreed that "all parties must do all they can to end the violence" in Syria. WHAT THE LEADERS DISCUSSED "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," a White House statement said. Trump during his presidential campaign last year frequently said he wanted safe zones established for Syrian refugees, paid for by Gulf states, to alleviate any need for the refugees to move elsewhere, including to the United States. Candidate Trump had also expressed a desire for a US alliance with Russia to fight Islamist militants, a goal that has been elusive since he took office on January 20. With a ceasefire ever elusive in Syria, the White House said Washington would send a representative to ceasefire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday and Thursday. The State Department said acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones will attend as an observer. The decision to send Jones to the talks, even as an observer, is an indication that the United States is taking the Astana talks more seriously. Previously, the US ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol had attended the talks as an observer. The Kremlin said Putin and Trump agreed to step up dialogue on finding ways to strengthen a ceasefire and give it stability. "The aim is to create the conditions for the launch for a real resolution process in Syria. This means that the Russian foreign minister and US secretary of state will effectively inform the leaders about progress in this direction." advertisement FACE-TO-FACE MEETING SOON? The White House statement said Trump and Putin also "spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea." With North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs posing a major global challenge, the two leaders also discussed how to go about resolving a crisis that has raised tensions throughout the Asia-Pacific. Trump told Reuters in an interview last week that a "major, major conflict" was possible with North Korea, amping up pressure on Pyongyang to stand down and for China to rein in the north. "The dangerous situation on the Korean peninsula was discussed in detail. Vladimir Putin called for restraint and for the level of tension to be reduced," the Kremlin said. The two leaders also discussed having a their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg July 7-8, the Kremlin said. ALSO READ | Trump to speak to Putin over phone; likely to discuss civil war in Syria ALSO READ | US President Trump plans to open dialogue with Russia, weighs lifting sanctions ALSO WATCH | US launched over 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syria airbase in retaliation to chemical gas attack --- ENDS --- advertisement The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement By Press Trust of India: Singapore, May 3 (PTI) Drugs worth USD 300,000 were seized from five persons, including a woman, who were arrested in Singapore, according to a media report today. Drugs were seized from a car at a checkpoint here yesterday. Three plastic bags containing different boxes of items were found in the car. A joint news release by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) today said ICA officers had directed the arriving car - driven by a 35- year-old Singaporean man - for further checks, The Straits Times reported. advertisement Upon inspection, ICA officers uncovered Erimin-5 tablets hidden in a box of washing powder. Officers from CNB were alerted and they conducted further checks, uncovering about 3.1kg of Ice, 2kg of cannabis, 1,700 Erimin-5 tablets and 60 Ecstasy tablets. The driver was arrested. CNB officers today arrested three more suspected drug traffickers. A search was conducted on the car of the first suspect, a 32-year-old Singaporean man and uncovered 17 Ecstasy tablets, 8g of Ice, cash amounting to 22,800 Singaporean dollars, a digital weighing scale and numerous empty plastic sachets. The car belonged to the other two suspects, a 27-year-old Singaporean man and 24-year-old Singaporean woman, was also searched and cash amounting to 12,250 Singaporean dollars was recovered, the report said. CNB officers arrested another suspected drug trafficker, a 25-year-old Singaporean man, in the vicinity of Orchard Towers. ICA and CNB said investigations into the drug activities of all the arrested suspects are underway. Trafficking of more than 250 grams of methamphetamine or over 500 grams of cannabis faces death penalty under Singapores Misuse of Drugs Act. PTI KJ ZH KJ --- ENDS --- AIADMK Secretary, Pugazendhi claimed that TTV Dinakaran will be out of the jail soon to become Tamil Nadu chief minister. By Pramod Madhav: Hundreds of supporters of TTV Dinakaran gathered near Natraj theater in Madurai today to protest against the arrest of AIADMK (Amma) leader in the connection with the Election Commission bribery case. Karnataka AIADMK secretary, Pugazendhi while talking to India Today said, "TTV Dinakaran's arrest was due to political vendetta and he'll soon be free and become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu." advertisement "Action would be taken against those who removed the banners of general secretary Sasikala and deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran's banners from party headquarters. More protests will be conducted at Madurai, Periyakulam and Melur," he added. Besides, Pugazendhi claimed that the pictures of Sasikala's interactions with Jayalalithaa, during latter's stay at the hospital will be released soon which would falsify all the claims by O Panneerselvam and his supporters of foul play in Jayalalithaa's death. Notably, a similar claim was made by Sasikala's brother Dhivakaran's son Jayanandh a week ago. TTV Dinakaran was arrested by Delhi police on charges of trying to bribe Election Commission officials to acquire AIADMK's 'twin leaves' symbol, after three days of interrogation. ALSO WATCH: TTV Dinakaran in Delhi today to face questions over bribery charges ALSO READ: AIADMK symbol row: Noose tightens around TTV Dinakaran, Delhi Crime Branch connects dots AIADMK symbol controversy: Probe widens, man who provided money to Dinakaran's aide arrested --- ENDS --- Attorney General Jeff Landry confirmed Wednesday that his office will handle the state review of the Alton Sterling shooting case. In a statement, Landry said his office has not yet seen any of the investigative materials created by the DOJ. Those files will be handed off to the Louisiana State Police to start a state investigation, he said. A prosecutor from the state Attorney General's Office will also be assigned to the case. "it is important for the public to know that this matter will be handled by the most professional and proficient law enforcement use of force team in Louisiana," said Landry, who noted that the State Police often investigate officer-involved shootings in Louisiana. +10 Alton Sterling decision: Feds not bringing charges against Baton Rouge officers Federal prosecutors will not bring criminal charges against either of the Baton Rouge city p The case is now Landry's because East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III recused himself, citing his long working relationship with the parents of Officer Blane Salamoni, one of the involved officers. Salamoni shot Sterling after a struggle last July. Officer Howie Lake II and Salamoni had responded to the Triple S convenience store on North Foster Drive to check out a complaint about a man who threatened someone else with a gun, police have said. In a case where a local DA recuses, Landry had the option of taking the case on himself or assigning another district attorney's office to handle the review. One Democratic state lawmaker, saying he doesn't have faith in Landry's office on this case, said Tuesday he planned to ask the Republican AG to appoint a special prosecutor. Landry's statement did not address this concern, but did not that his office recently handled a successful prosecution of a law enforcement officer accused in the shooting of a 6-year-old boy and his father in Marksville after a car chase. Law enforcement officers across Baton Rouge are bracing themselves for the possible return of swarms of protesters in response to the U.S. Department of Justice's decision announced Wednesday not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the killing of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man. Local and state officials said they are hopeful there won't be a need for arrests or a repeat of the use of military-style equipment which were on full display last summer but the police response will depend on how protesters behave. "If protesters remain peaceful, if they don't cause damage, and they don't block roadways they will dictate whether mobile force is deployed at all," said Lt. Jonny Dunnam, a spokesman for the Baton Rouge Police Department. Mobile force refers to riot gear, armored cars and other militarized tactics used by law enforcement. "You won't see that at all, if protests remain peaceful," he said. As early as Tuesday night, before a formal announcement had been made about the federal investigation, three women were arrested on felony charges for blocking a highway. The women, two from Baton Rouge and one from Texas, were protesting along with a couple dozen others on Airline Highway across from Baton Rouge Police headquarters, which also had been the site of protests last summer in the immediate wake of the shooting. Two of the women, Kiara Jones, 19, and Krystal Sonia, 45, were arrested last July during protests. The felony charges aggravated obstruction of a highway were an escalation from last summer, when protesters were largely charged with misdemeanor offenses for simple obstruction of a highway. After conversations with the East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office in recent months, Dunnam said, officers determined the felony charge is more appropriate than a misdemeanor summons for blocking such a busy, dangerous roadway. But Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said the felony arrests were not intended to be a warning shot to others hoping to peacefully assemble. "What happened last night as it relates to those individuals who were arrested has to do with what they did that was in line with a felony charge," she said, adding that one of the protesters was illegally carrying a concealed gun. "It was not a directive to have protesters who were protesting peacefully to be arrested." Broome has stopped short of condemning last year's police response to the protests, but said recently there is "room for improvement" as the department handles upcoming protests. The previous protests happened while Baton Rouge Police was overseen by then-Mayor-President Kip Holden. In another departure, there is also a new superintendent of state police. Former State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmondson was heavily involved in last year's protest security and critical of protesters whom he characterized as violent. Maj. Doug Cain, state police spokesman, wouldn't comment on whether State Police expects to change its protest protocols, adding that Baton Rouge Police is the agency in charge. Richard Carbo, a spokesman for Gov. John Bel Edwards, said State Police, if activated for protest control, "would do what they need to do to protect themselves and protect the community around them." But he said all of law enforcement has since acknowledged some room for improvements. "They are more aware, and even the Sheriff's Office said earlier that they weren't perfect and can make some adjustments," Carbo said. In a Tuesday morning radio interview, Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said law enforcement is far more prepared to handle protests in the wake of the Sterling decision than it was after he was killed in July, adding that deputies, State Police and BRPD have spent the past several months training together. "We haven't changed our position at all, law enforcement," he said. "We fully recognize anyone's right to demonstrate, protest, to march, we recognize their right to free speech. We're going to protect that right, but at the same time, we're going to protect everyone else's rights to keeping things peaceful.We're not going to tolerate any lawlessness, any violence or any destruction of property." Last summer, there were at least two protests where law enforcement came equipped with military-style rifles, armored vehicles, and sound cannons. In one case police wore gas masks, but they did not release tear gas on the crowds. During a July demonstration that spilled into Beauregard Town, the armored vehicles pushed protesters who were linking arms and blocking a narrow side road. About 200 people were arrested during a weekend of demonstrations, some of whom were captured on video being thrown to the ground. District Attorney Hillar Moore III refused to prosecute about half of the arrests. Ninety-two of the people arrested filed a class action lawsuit against the city and law enforcement for excessive force, wrongful arrests and violating demonstrators' civil rights. State Police, Baton Rouge Police, the District Attorney's Office and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office all settled for a total of $100,000. An unnamed police officer who was injured during a protest in turn sued Black Lives Matters activist Deray McKesson, whom the officer faulted with organizing the protest. Last month, another lawsuit was filed on behalf of seven other Baton Rouge protesters from last summer by the New Orleans-based MacArthur Justice Center. The suit alleges that the protesters were injured and denied medical treatment while in jail and that their civil rights were violated by the officers. "Peaceful protests of police violence should not be met with militarization and further violence," MacArthur co-director Jim Craig said. "We hope that law enforcement will respond better than they did in July. If not, we'll unfortunately be back in court." The Baton Rouge Police Department has since signed a good faith agreement with the ACLU and a north Baton Rouge community group outlining how both the police and protesters are expected to behave in the event of more protests this month, Dunnam said. "It outlines how we're supposed to handle ourselves and how protesters will handle themselves, and if protesters are peaceful there will be minimal police involvement," he said. The agreement spells out that protesters can't block roads, engage in violence or damage property. If protesters want to demonstrate in a roadway, they have to apply for a permit, which was an issue for some protesters last year who meandered beyond their permitted pathways. So far only one protest permit has been filed on Spanish Town Road downtown for May 6, Dunnam said. It is awaiting approval from the mayor's office. Two downtown events, the Live after Five concert on Friday and the Corked 5K race on Saturday evening, have been postponed. Police detailing was unavailable for the events because manpower is being reserved for protests. The money laundering investigation was conducted on the basis of FIR/chargesheets filed by the CBI wherein it is alleged that Choudhary-controlled Zoom Developers caused loss to 5 banks. By Shivendra Srivastava, Atir Khan: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Vijay Madanlal Choudhary, Director and main controller of M/s Zoom Developers Pvt. Ltd. (ZPDL) on Wednesday for money laundering. The money laundering investigation was conducted in this case on the basis of FIR/chargesheets filed by the CBI, New Delhi wherein it is alleged that Choudhary-controlled Zoom Developers caused wrongful loss to 5 banks including Punjab National Bank, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, United Bank of India and Union Bank to the tune of Rs 966 crore. advertisement Further, this loss is not just limited to Rs 966 crore but the accused has cheated more than 25 banks and it involves huge public money worth over Rs 2,650 crores. The investigation revealed that Choudhary formed 2 trusts/foundations by name of Beverin Stifung Foundation (BSF) and Windleaf Foundation (WF), incorporated in Liechtenstein of which he was the sole beneficiary. On formation of the BSF and WF, five companies were formed by these trusts/foundations in the UK and Switzerland viz. Astikor AG, Llondenium Trading Ltd., etc which were referred as "Aggregators" by the ZDPL and were projected to the Indian bankers as independent entities, who entered into contracts/sub-contracts for rendering of engineering services/procurement. Based on the contracts entered between ZDPL and the so-called 'Aggregators', ZDPL approached various Indian banks for issuance of bank guarantees/counter-guarantees to the foreign bankers of the Aggregators, for the mobilisation advances being received by them from the 'Aggregators' against the contracts/sub-contract entered by ZDPL. On issue of the Bank Guarantees (BGs)/ Counter-Guarantees (CGs), to the foreign bankers of the Aggregators, mobilisation amounts were released by the aggregators to ZDPL. These mobilisation advances received from the aggregators, was utilised by ZDPL among their group companies, as investment in share capital/for purchase of properties/paid as advances/as Working Capital etc. PAPER CONTRACTS It is observed that majority of the contracts are paper-contracts only (i.e., no physical work/services/supply was ever made against them) and no work was done; ZDPL has frequently sought extension of bank guarantees/counter guarantees, issued by their Indian bankers, submitting false grounds for extension. Since the bankers of the "Aggregators" have released mobilisation advances ranging from 30-60 per cent of the total contract value, the foreign bankers were safe as their money was secured by a BG/counter guarantee. However, on observing that these contracts are not being concluded/ closed for a long time and the money released by them as mobilisation advance to ZDPL was pending for repayment by the Aggregators/ZDPL for a long time, the foreign bankers of the "Aggregators" have enforced the BGs/counter guarantees, thereby causing irreparable loss to the Indian bankers. According to the ED, Choudhary was the mastermind behind this and with the help of Sharad Kabra, CA and others evolved this modus operandi, and cheated the Indian bankers. He siphoned off the public funds outside the country and acquired properties/assets, by way of laundering the illegally generated money through web of companies created in India. "Choudhary has formed almost 485 companies in his name/family members/employees. Further, as per the investigation conducted, it is seen that Choudhary has also floated 15 companies in USA, 3 in UK, 3 in Switzerland, 7 in Singapore, 4 in Germany, 9 in UAE, 2 in China and 2 in Zimbabwe. It appears that he has formed the above companies for the sole purpose of laundering the proceeds of crime," the ED added. advertisement Based on the investigations conducted, the ED has till date, attached assets worth Rs 130 crore in this case including 1280 acres of land in California, US. During the investigation, Kabra was arrested and a prosecution complaint was filed against him. Accordingly, Vijay Choudhary has now been arrested under section 19 of PMLA, 2002. He was arrested from Mumbai and was taken to Indore for further probe. Further investigation is in progress. Also read: Virbhadra Singh appears before Enforcement Directorate in money laundering case Also read: ED arrests co-accused of IndusInd Bank loan fraud case at Delhi airport --- ENDS --- Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Wednesday was a mixed day for Equal Pay supporters in the Louisiana Legislature. Two bills that would have furthered assurance that men and women receive the same wages for the same work were shot down in the House Labor committee. A third measure was approved by a Senate committee. But its very similar to legislation that made it through the Senate last year only to die before in House Labor. Senate Bill 2 includes the changes that Senate Republicans wanted last year, said Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans and sponsor of the measure. Those changes capped back pay and reduced employers exposure to lawsuits by allowing them to reconcile differences in pay disparities before going to court. But, the legislation still doesnt have the approval of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Renee Amar, a LABI vice president, said SB2 would remove the ability for employees and employers to negotiate wages and it puts businesses in the position of defending decisions that are often dictated by the market. Morrell remains optimistic though winced as he noted that if the Senate considers SB2 favorably again, it goes to House Labor. Im more than willing to work to make a compromise on this issue, Morrell said. Moments before the Senate action, the House Labor committee voted down House Bill 112, by Rep. Joseph Bouie, D-New Orleans. The legislation would have required a contractor doing business with state government to comply with the Louisiana Equal Pay for Women Act. Theres very hard line against these bills in House Labor, Rep. Helena Moreno said Wednesday. I thought my bill had a reasonable chance of making it this time. Morenos House Bill 222 attempted to indirectly close the gender pay gap in Louisiana by increasing wage transparency. It was killed in a House Labor even after she watered it down so it would merely echo federal law. HB222 would have prohibited private employers from retaliating against employees who discuss their wages. Moreno said the wage gap narrows when transparency is increased. That's partially why the wage gap in the public sector is smaller than the private sector, she said. The bill would not require salary information to be posted. It only frees up employees, both men and women, to discuss their wages without fear of retribution and get a better understanding of whether they're being paid fairly. A little known federal law already provides these protections and has been on the books since 1935, however members of the business community and legislators testified Wednesday that few were aware of it. Dawn Starns, with the National Federation of Independent Business, and Renee Amar, with Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, testified that they'd prefer a campaign to let women know about the federal law. They said they were concerned Moreno's original bill went too far, and would create new opportunities for litigation against employers. Moreno then offered an amendment that included the same exclusions to the state law that are contained in federal law. State Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, said he was concerned about privacy. "Anecdotally, businesses are very concerned about the sense of privacy in the workforce," he said. "They view wage information as proprietary information just like any trade secret." Rep. Julie Stokes, R- Kenner, said it was time for the committee, which has shot down equal pay legislation year after year, to address what she said is a real problem with wage discrimination in the state. Stokes said she previously didn't believe in the so-called gender gap, opting to believe like many other critics that there are too many other mitigating factors that impact wages. But she said over the past three years, she's heard testimony from women and had discussions with businesses that have convinced her it's a serious issue. "There is a wage gap, and some portion of it is created by an unperceived bias," Stokes said. Moreno, who started a nonprofit this year to address women's issue, said she'd continue to pursue the issue of equal pay for women. "I will continue to speak up, stand up and show up on equal pay, because as we saw here today, we have a lot of work to do," she said. By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today called for an end to crackdowns on journalists, stressing a free press was essential for peace and justice. In a message on World Press Freedom Day, he urged world leaders to defend media freedom to counter misinformation. "We need leaders to defend a free media. This is crucial for countering prevailing misinformation. And we need everyone to stand for the right to truth," he said. advertisement Guterres pointed out journalists went to the "most dangerous places" to give "a voice to the voiceless". Members of the media faced sexual assaults, character assassinations, detention, injuries and even death, he said. "On World Press Freedom Day, I call for an end to all crackdowns against journalists ? because a free press advances peace and justice for all. When we protect journalists, their words and pictures can change our world," he said. Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice C K Prasad hailed journalists as crusaders of truth but lamented the absence of measures to safeguard them. Prasad was speaking at a roundtable in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sharing of Good Practices with Newly Established Press Councils under the aegis of UNESCO. PTI MP BDS --- ENDS --- The Biden administration has proposed a five-year offshore leasing plan with options that range from no new lease sales to up to 11 lease sales. A Canberra law firm will investigate a class action against the ACT government after it claimed more than a dozen offenders who breached court orders could have been locked up illegally. Lawyers say detainees serving intensive corrections orders, who were sent to jail for failing to comply with directions from Corrective Services officers without proper powers, could sue the government for wrongful imprisonment under the ACT's Human Rights Act. The ACT government says no offenders were wrongfully imprisoned. Credit:Rohan Thomson The government has rejected suggestions the offenders were unlawfully detained after an "administrative oversight" meant staff supervised orders without the necessary legal authority between last March and November. It moved to fix the problem in February, sparking strong criticism from lawyers over a lack of consultation, while the Opposition raised concerns it left staff exposed and could lead to "financial problems" if detainees sought compensation. A judge has questioned the "poor decisions" made by a woman who smuggled drugs into Canberra's prison while she was on bail for her role in a drive-by shooting and peddled drugs from the house she shared with her two young daughters. Erin Maree Miller, 32, was enmeshed in an ongoing dispute with a woman over drug debts when she enlisted her friend, Harley Stott, to help her retrieve stolen jewellery from the buyer's Gowrie house. Shots were fired at the front of a Gowrie house in February 2015. Credit:Jay Cronan Stott and several co-offenders allegedly drove past the house and fired numerous shots into the Dalziel Street property in the early hours of February 2, 2015. One of the bullets grazed the stomach of another woman inside at the time. Police uncovered Miller's drug operation, through which she sold ice and cannabis from her Richardson home, that same month. By Press Trust of India: Chennai, May 3 (PTI) The Madras High Court today gave a split verdict on a plea for fixing norms for according incentive marks to in-service government doctors for admission to the post-graduate medical courses in Tamil Nadu. While one judge of the bench held the states methodology for giving incentive marks to the in-service candidates as not in conflict with the MCIs, the other judge quashed some of the state government norms on the issue terming them as "inconsistent and repugnant" to the MCI 2000 regulations. advertisement Justice K K Sasidharan of the bench said the state governments policy of reserving seats for its in-service doctors and awarding incentive marks to them were not in consonance with the Medical Council of India regulations. He, however, added that the methodology adopted by the state for giving weightage marks to the in-service candidates was not in conflict with the method evolved by the MCI. The other judge on the bench, Justice S M Subramanian, however, in a separate order quashed some of the clauses of the admission prospectus issued by the state government, terming them as "inconsistent, repugnant to Regulation of the Post Graduate Medical Regulation rules 2000" issued by MCI. Observing that the prayer in the petition could be moulded and the government may be asked to sync its admission policy with that of the MCI, Justice Subramanian directed the state government to formulate the procedure for admission process in accordance with the MCI 9 and 9(IV) regulations. Noting that there was no unanimity of views between them, the judges said the matter should be placed before the chief justice for appropriate orders. As per the procedure, the case will now be referred to a third judge, whose view will decide the date of the cases. The bench concurred with the submissions of senior counsel P Wilson, who appeared for various in-service candidates, that the writ petition on which the single judge passed the order, itself was not maintainable when the prospectus and policy adopted by the state had not been challenged. The single judge ought to have dismissed the petition, in which it was directed by the judge to adopt only the MCI regulations in awarding marks "without there being a challenge to the policy adopted by the state and indicated in the prospectus of the state," the bench said. The vacation bench of judges Sasidharan and Subramanian, specially set up to hear the matter, had earlier reserved its order after hearing arguments on the appeals by in-service candidates challenging a single judges ruling on the matter. The bench was set up by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee in view of the urgency of the matter. advertisement The appellants had challenged the single judges April 17 order upholding the MCI norms that the incentive marks for in-service candidates should be awarded only as per the MCIs Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2000 and not on the basis of the state governments norms. As per the state norms, all doctors in the government service were eligible for one mark per year of the service with a cap of 10 marks, while those employed in four notified difficult and remote or hilly areas were eligible for two marks per year of the service. But the MCI regulations earmarked 10 per cent of an in-service candidates National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) PG mark as incentive per year of service with a maximum of 30 per cent. The government had yesterday submitted that the award of the incentive marks to the in-service candidates was being made for the past 35 years to encourage doctors to serve people in remote, hilly and difficult areas and was not violative of the MCI norms. If this was withdrawn, it would be difficult to run the government hospitals and primary health centres, it had said. advertisement It had submitted that the state prospectus was approved by the MCI and the Central government and they can?t take a U-turn now and say it was not as per the MCI regulations. PTI CORR BN RAX --- ENDS --- ANZ Bank's bid to become a smaller but higher-returning bank has sparked predictions the lender could return billions in capital to shareholders by buying back its own shares. After the bank on Tuesday showed it was generating substantial capital as it hives off poorly performing assets, several analysts believe the lender will have more capital than it needs to satisfy the regulator, and return some of this to shareholders. ANZ is generating substantial capital as it dumps lower-returning businesses and cuts costs. Credit:Jessica Shapiro That could take the form of a multi-billion dollar share buyback, analysts said, though this would not occur until the banking regulator settles on how much capital banks must hold against mortgages. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority is expected to finalise its decision on bank capital, which protects lenders against a downturn, in the coming months. Australia's peak super investment body will recommend its members vote against the re-election of company directors who sit on boards with no women. The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors, which represents $450 billion in assets on behalf of more than 8 million Australian super fund members, says time is up for directors sitting on all-male boards. ACSI chief Louise Davidson says male-only boards have had enough time to "get their house in order". Credit:Jesse Marlow "We feel as though these companies have had more than adequate notice about our concerns in this area," ACSI chief executive Louise Davidson told Fairfax Media. "They have had more than enough time to get their house in order and have failed to do so." Ugg boots have been described as being just as Australian as Champagne is French. Now the future of the coveted sheepskin boot trademark is up in the air as a US footwear company that has long fought Australian manufacturers for the right to sell their shoes as "uggs" around the globe has come under pressure from its own investors to sell itself. Australians may be familiar with the California-based Deckers Outdoor Corporation, both for its brand UGG (formerly UGG Australia) and for its David and Goliath legal battles against small Australian sheepskin boot makers. Eddie Oygur is the founder and owner of Australian Leather Pty Ltd, which has been manufacturing ugg boots since the early 1990s, using Australian sheepskins to make about 50,000 pairs of the boots every year. For Tokyo, it also comes as the government prepares a second offering of shares in Japan Post. In total, it plans to raise around 4 trillion yen through the privatisation. Japan's Ministry of Finance declined to comment on whether it would investigate the Toll deal. An official overseeing the second offering said: "As for the timing and the size of the next tranche of Japan Post IPO, we will deal with it appropriately while continuing to monitor market developments," Investment banks coordinating the 2015 and upcoming share sales declined to comment. Stardust turns to ashes Then-Chief Executive Taizo Nishimuro saw the Toll deal as the crucible in which Japan Post would transform itself into a global logistics powerhouse and lend stardust to its IPO. Toll had excellent growth potential and a balanced portfolio of business, Japan Post said. Under the ambitious Nishimuro - a former chairman of Toshiba and the Tokyo Stock Exchange - Japan Post hired Mizuho Financial Group and Australian boutique firm Gresham Partners as financial advisers. Sydney-based Clayton Utz came on as legal adviser. Mizuho, Gresham and Clayton Utz all declined to comment. The final offer - at a hefty 49 per cent premium to Toll's share price a day earlier - was unanimously accepted by Toll's board. Though criticised as high by some analysts, a person with direct knowledge of the deal said the price paid was in line with other deals in the global logistics industry. The roots of the writedown were in the management of Toll after the takeover, not in the terms of the deal, the person added. Last year, rail-based freight firm Asciano bowed to a $6.8 billion buyout at a 39 per cent premium to its pre-bid price after a six-month bidding war, while UK Mail accepted a 242.7 million offer by Germany's Deutsche Post at a 43.1 per cent premium. 'Did they ask the right questions?' Still, the divide between the offer and Toll's challenges became apparent on February 18, just a day after the parties announced the deal, when Toll unveiled a 22 per cent fall in half-yearly net profit. "Had (Japan Post) actually delayed that announcement of the acquisition, they probably would have saved themselves 10, maybe 20 per cent," said an analyst who in 2015 rated the uncontested offer as well above Toll's valuation. The economic keystones of Toll's business had shifted. A sharp slowdown in Australia's mining and steelmaking industries had cut freight demand, while the hollowing out of the country's manufacturing base was also hitting margins and demand for haulage. "It's been tough the last two or three years," said Paul Sarant, chief executive of the country's third-largest trucking firm, K&S Corp. "We're all focused in terms of reducing cost, improving our performance and through the whole freight network trying to optimise the efficiencies." Toll was also facing internal issues, brought about by its ambitious growth strategy. Between 2001 and 2013 Toll had bought over 20 companies from Southeast Asia to Africa, leaving it wrestling with duplication of technology, staff and, in the case of couriers, entire lines of business. "These units effectively go out to market separately from each other and they're actually in the market against each other for work," said Transport Workers Union assistant secretary Michael Kaine. Jeffrey Luckins, an audit director and due diligence specialist at Australian accounting firm William Buck, said it appeared Japan Post had missed the big picture. "Did they have the right experts on hand? Did they ask the right questions? Did they bring economists in? If they've written off (almost) the entire value of the investment, one assumes that the assumptions that have been made ... were incorrect." Eighty managers turn into millionaires Japan Post had warned investors in its IPO documents that managing Toll's web of acquisitions could be difficult. But despite its awareness of potential risks, Toll's high fixed costs eroded profits as economic factors began to bite, Japan Post's Murata said. "We were aware of the drop in Toll's earnings between the takeover and the writedown, and took steps to address it. It was not the case that we did nothing and watched," he said. Decisions by Toll's management, 80 of whom were made millionaires when their share options vested after the takeover, continued to face scrutiny. In September, for example, the company announced it was paying $170 million for two new ships to link Tasmania with the mainland. But at 210 metres, the ships were too long for Toll's dock at the Tasmanian port. A Toll spokesperson declined to comment on the Tasmanian situation except to say: "We are working closely with port authorities to finalise the details." Top Toll managers including chairman Ray Horsburgh and chief executive Brian Kruger left the company in December. Kruger did not respond to requests for comment while Horsburgh declined to comment. Paul Little, who ran Toll for two decades until 2010 and was the architect of its aggressive growth strategy, also declined to comment for this story. But after last week's announcement of the writedown and the loss of 1,700 Toll jobs, Little in a newspaper report claimed the company's "legacy has been trashed" and said he stood by his contribution. Loading An expletive laden email tirade over last year's ill-fated census directed at the boss of the Australian Bureau of Statistics has cost a university employee his job. The Murdoch University employee wrote to ABS Australian statistician David Kalisch in August of last year complaining about the controversial move to store data from the census. "Who the f--- do you think you are changing the scope of the census by collecting my family members' personal data electronically to be stored indefinitely," the employee wrote in an email from his work email address. "My family's personal information is none of your f---ing business! I worked in IT Mr Kalisch and know (sic) you won't (actually can't) keep that data safe." We need to talk about the death penalty. Again. Indeed, as we mark the two-year anniversary of the executions of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan in Indonesia as the Philippines prepares to reintroduce capital punishment for drug offences and our closest ally dispatches four Arkansas men by lethal injection in the space of eight days with all the procedural fairness of a round of Russian roulette what better time to take stock? The irony of Australia's stance on capital punishment or one of the many ironies is that for all our lofty aspirations about leading death penalty abolition worldwide we are no closer to a truly principled position. Or even a coherent one. Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed in Indonesia two years ago. Credit:Anta Kesuma In fact, despite a 10-month inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade launched three short months after Chan and Sukumaran's deaths in 2015 and despite a landslide of submissions, nine public hearings and wide-ranging recommendations with bipartisan support, not much has changed. Not much at all. Back in April 2015, in the days leading up to the executions, Australians were galvanised by the grim theatrics of Indonesia's death penalty preparations the Kafkaesque pronouncements, the chest beating and political manoeuvering. We were no less horrified, though, by the complicity of our federal police in the whole affair because, let's face it, whatever their motives in relation to the apprehension of the so-called Bali Nine, it's not often that the decision making of our federal law enforcement authorities is disclosed in such egregious detail, or that the grim consequences of a particular course of action are so eminently foreseeable. It's called "comfort food" for a reason; it's a common instinct for children and adults to self-soothe through food. But why are some of us more likely to eat when upset? And where does the instinct come from? It's not uncommon, but what can we learn from it? Credit:Stocksy A new study has explored how we learn to use food for reasons other than hunger from when we are young. The researchers, from Norway, followed 801 children from four years old until they were 10, asking their parents about how much the child ate when they were upset, worried or anxious and similarly whether they tended to give their child food to "make them feel better" when they were upset. A former Sydney high school teacher has denied having sex with a female student, claiming they were "good mates" and saying his relationship with her was akin to that of "a little sister". Cameron Peter White, 39, is on trial over his alleged sexual relationships with a male student and two female students from three Sydney school campuses where he worked as a teacher. Cameron White at the Downing Centre District Court. Credit:AAP He has pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated indecency, and multiple counts of aggravated sexual intercourse and sexual intercourse with a person under care, alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2013. Mr White denies having a sexual relationship with any of the complainants. A 13-year-old boy has received a caution from police after a suspicious item was found at Palm Beach Currumbin State School on Wednesday morning. The school was put into lockdown about 6am after a school employee found a suspicious envelope containing a white substance and a threatening message at the school gate. Police respond to a 'suspect package' at Palm Beach Currumbin State High. Credit:7 News The boy has been dealt with under the Youth Justice Act. Police are appealing for anyone who may have information which could assist to contact police or Crime Stoppers. By Indo-Asian News Service: Ishqbaaz actress Amrapali Gupta, who welcomed her son Kabir with husband Yash Sinha last year, feels glad that her on and off screen sons gel well. "I was worried about managing my time between shooting and with my son Kabir. He is very young and needs me most of the time. But Yash wanted me to move on and get back to shoots," she said in a statement. advertisement "I was nervous before starting shooting Ishqbaa'. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay for long without him as shooting schedules are really hectic. But now I consider myself lucky as I can manage my personal and professional commitments." See pics: Amrapali Gupta and Yash Sinha celebrate their son's first birthday Amrapali plays a mother to actors Nakuul Mehta and Ayush Anand in the Star Plus show. "Sometimes I bring Kabir with me on the sets or else my in-laws take care of him. When Yash is not out to work, he looks after him. On top of that, I feel lucky that my on and off screen sons bond very well. Kabir is friendly with everyone on the sets," said the Khushiyan actress. --- ENDS --- A Queensland police sergeant has been fined after pleading guilty to illegally accessing personal details of dozens of people, including former Australian netball captain Laura Geitz. Stephen Patrick Wright, 40, was fined $4000 without conviction after pleading guilty in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday to a charge of using a restricted computer without consent. Former Australian Netball captain Laura Geitz's personal details were accessed by the officer. The court heard Wright accessed the Queensland Police Service computer database 80 times to access details of school friends, family members and Ms Geitz. Wright's lawyer Calvin Gnech told the court his client had been on sick leave since being charged last year and had submitted his medical retirement to the QPS shortly before Wednesday's sentencing. A man who allegedly died during a violent home invasion was robbed under the guise of a visit from a prostitute he had seen during a cocaine bender, a court has heard. Gregory John Hudson, from Western Australia, was found dead at a friend's Varsity Lakes townhouse in October 2014. Gregory John Hudson was found dead inside a residence in Varsity Lakes. Credit:Queensland Police Benjamin Samy Ghobrial, Milan Chante Walker and Lee Benjamin Feld have pleaded not guilty to his manslaughter and are on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court. Mr Hudson, who worked as a carpenter for a FIFO mining operation near Gladstone, had heart problems and a fatal amount of cocaine in his blood when he died, the jury heard on Wednesday. A police officer's gun was fired in the officer's holster after a scuffle broke out at a Geelong business on Wednesday. Police were called to G.E.L. Motors in Separation Street, North Geelong, at 9am, after reports of a dispute at a business. G.E.L. Motors in North Geelong where a police gun has gone off in a holster during a scuffle. Credit:Sarah Grima Lerm/K-Rock While police were talking to the disputing parties, a man, aged in his 30s, allegedly assaulted another man. Police used capsicum spray to subdue him but then he turned on police. The West Australian shire of Exmouth is likely not the only local council where an environment of corruption is able to grow, the head of the Corruption and Crime Commission said. CCC head John McKechnie made the explosive comments after a report handed to the state parliament on Tuesday found that serious misconduct "flourished" at the Shire of Exmouth and the former CEO Bill Price and another employees should face prosecution. Ratepayers should be concerned about what happens at local councils. Credit:Andrew Quilty The inquiry found Mr Price awarded a $1 million contract to Ocean Reefs Production for an aquarium, as part of the $32 million Ningaloo Centre, without calling for tenders. "Serious misconduct flourishes when there is inadequate governance, whether due to friendship, ignorance or some other reason," the report found. The FBI is helping American University in Washington, DC, investigate an episode in which bananas were found hanging from nooses on campus this week, a spokeswoman for the agency said Wednesday. The bananas were found at the university Monday, the same day a black woman took office as the student government president for the first time in the institution's history. Messages described as a hate crime included "HARAMBE BAIT," referencing the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo who was killed last May after a child fell into its enclosure. Credit:Bloomberg The bananas had short messages scrawled on them, including "AKA FREE," an apparent reference to Alpha Kappa Alpha, a predominantly black sorority of which Taylor Dumpson, the new student body president, is a member; and "HARAMBE BAIT," referencing the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo who was killed last May after a child fell into its enclosure. Several pairs of bananas were discovered around campus, each strung together with a thin black rope fashioned to resemble a noose. This is at least the second time in the last year that bananas have been used as symbols to stir controversy at American University. In September, white students were accused of leaving a banana at the door of one black woman's dorm room and tossing a rotten banana at another. Following that episode, Neil Kerwin, university president, expressed "deep disappointment and frustration" in a letter to students. "We will confront racist expressions with forceful condemnation and respond to discrimination with every tool at our disposal," he wrote. Dumpson could not immediately be reached for comment, but she addressed the incident in a statement on Monday. "This is not what I imagined my first letter to you all would be," she wrote. "In my first message to the student body, I would have wanted to talk about accountability, transparency, accessibility, and inclusivity. Now more than ever, we need to make sure that members of our community feel welcomed and above all, safe on this campus." Brussels: If Emmanuel Macron wins Sunday's French presidential run-off, Europe's pro-EU liberals will finally have their champion. For centrists who have been licking their wounds since Britain voted to quit the EU a year ago, the 39-year-old will be the gallant young hero who slew the most dangerous populist dragon of them all, the National Front's Marine Le Pen. From a Paris dinner party with the young leaders of Belgium and Luxembourg, to a conspicuous Twitter bromance with Italy's ex-premier Matteo Renzi, Macron has already built a circle of like minded peers, unafraid to promote closer EU integration at a time when voters are being tempted by the hard right and left. The young leaders present themselves as fresh faces, free of 20th-century baggage of left-right class war. A Maryland couple who played elaborate "pranks" on their children, then racked up millions of views on YouTube before critics accused them of abuse, could end up losing two of their children after their biological mother obtained a court order for temporary custody. The Frederick County Sheriff's Office served the court order on Friday, taking two of the children from Michael and Heather Martin and placing them in the custody of Rose Hall, their biological mother who lives in North Carolina. A hearing to determine permanent custody is expected to be held within a week, Major Tim Clarke of the sheriff's office said on Tuesday. Mike and Heather Martin have said the children were often in on the pranks and enjoyed the attention. The parents first defended the videos, posted on the DaddyOFive account with more than 760,000 subscribers, as a harmless family activity that the children enjoyed, but they have gone on an apology tour after widespread criticism emerged in April. In the videos, the couple verbally berated their five school-age children, frequently to the point of tears, while performing stunts like appearing to destroy an Xbox video game system and accusing the children of making messes they had not made. Dallas: Two people were found dead on Wednesday about an hour after a shooting was reported at North Lake College in the Dallas suburb of Irving. The college was placed on lockdown at 11:43am, and Irving police later confirmed that shots had been fired at the school. Two people died in the shooting at a community college in the Dallas area. Credit:Jae S. Lee Irving police spokesman James McLellan said around 12:45 p.m that officers found two bodies in a building on campus. One of them was presumed to be the shooter, and the incident appeared to be a murder-suicide. McLellan had previously described the gunman, based on surveillance footage, as a white man with a brown buzz cut. He was wearing an orange tank top with a gray stripe, carrying a handgun and may have had a black jacket. By Press Trust of India: chief Washington, May 3 (PTI) An unfazed FBI chief James Comey today strongly defended his controversial decision to alert Congress just days before the US general election about the probe into Hillary Clintons emails, saying concealing the probe developments would have been "catastrophic". "It was a hard choice, I still believe in retrospect the right choice," the FBI Director told senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency. advertisement "I cant consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected," he said, a day after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticised him for his role in the outcome of last years presidential election. Comey said he stands behind his letter to Congress that shook up the final days of last years presidential election and he would do it again. Still, he said his decision to tell Congress that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had found new emails that could be relevant to Clintons private email server was not an easy one. "This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election ... I would make the same decision," Comey, 56, said. Asked why he publicly announced an investigation into Clintons emails days before the election, Comey said, "concealing in my view would be catastrophic." "It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly it wouldnt change the decision." "This has been one of the worlds most painful experiences. I would make the same decision. I would not conceal that on October 28 (days before the November 8 election)." Comey said he notified lawmakers about the Clinton- related findings because he "testified under oath repeatedly" that the investigation was over. Comey said he thought he treated the investigations the same because he did not reveal either probe when they initially began. Comey has become an almost equally divisive figure for Republicans and Democrats for his impact on the elections. His revelation that the FBI was examining additional emails from Clinton that were discovered on disgraced former Republican Anthony Weiners computer, has led Democrats, including Clinton herself, to say it cost them the White House. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said yesterday in an interview to CNN. advertisement Following those remarks, Trump criticised Comey the night before the hearing. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony......Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump said in a pair of tweets yesterday. At the panels hearing, Comey got grilled about the investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election and into Clintons use of a private email server at the State Department. Some Republicans defended Comeys actions and pressed him about what evidence underpins accusations of the Trump campaign contacts with Russia. While the campaign was still ongoing, Comey did not reveal the existence of the Russia probe, but he informed Congress that the FBI discovered thousands of message from the Clinton email domain on the computer of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Democrats repeatedly questioned about his decision-making process, which Comey defended. PTI AKJ AKJ --- ENDS --- advertisement Mazda Reports April Sales IRVINE, CA - May 2, 2017: Mazda North American Operations today reported April U.S. sales of 24,164 vehicles, representing a decrease of 7.8 percent versus April of last year. With 26 selling days in April 2017 versus 27 year-over-year in 2016, the adjusted daily sales rate is down 4.2 percent. Year-to-date sales through April are up 2.6 percent versus last year, with 93,235 vehicles sold. Key April sales notes: A mix of both all-new 2017 Mazda CX-5 compact crossover SUVs and previous-generation models led to the nameplate's best April sales of all time with 11,334 sold. This represents a YOY increase of 28.4 percent during the 2017 CX-5's first full month of sales. The midsize, three-row Mazda CX-9 continues to build momentum, tallying 2,134 sales. This represents CX-9's best April since 2011 when it posted 2,750 sales. MX-5 Miata soft top and MX-5 RF retractable fastback sales continue to be strong, with 1,319 sold, a YOY increase of 21.5 percent. This represents MX-5's best April since 2008 when sales totaled 1,441 MX-5s. Total sales of Mazda's CX crossover SUV line, including the CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9, were up 40.5 percent YOY with 14,615 vehicles sold in the month of April. When making purchase decisions regarding crossover SUVs, a majority of Mazda customers continue to choose the AWD option, with 62.1 percent of CX-line vehicles sold in April being equipped with predictive i-ACTIV All-Wheel Drive. Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported April sales of 3,830 vehicles, up 5 percent YOY. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through more than 600 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi... Concealing the developments of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails would have been catastrophic, FBI chief James Comey said. By India Today Web Desk: Defending his controversial move to alert Congress only days before the US Presidential election about the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, FBI chief James Comey said that hiding the developments of the probe would have been "catastrophic". Speaking to senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency, the 56-year-old FBI director told senators, "It was a tough choice, but in retrospect I feel the right one", advertisement "I can't consider for a moment whose political fortunes will be affected", he said a day after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticised him for his role in the result of the presidential election last year. Comey said that he stood behind his letter to Congress that seemed to have shaken up the final days of US presidential election and added he would do the same again. INFORMING CONGRESS A TOUGH DECISION: COMEY "Informing the Congress that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had found new emails that could be relevant to Clinton's private email server was not an easy one", director Comey said. "This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election. I would make the same decision", Comey said. When asked why he publicly announced an investigation into Clinton's emails only days before the election, Comey said, "Concealing the probe in my opinion would have been catastrophic. This has been one of the world's most painful experiences. I would make the same decision. I would not conceal that on October 28 (days before the November 8 election)." He said that he notified lawmakers about Clinton-related findings since he "testified under oath repeatedly" that the probe was over. Comey said he thought he treated the investigations the same way because he did not reveal them when they initially began. Not notifying Congress merely because it could influence the election would politicise the agency and result in the death of the FBI's independent institution in America", the FBI director added. Comey said he had to speak up on October 28 because he believed the FBI had found emails that could provide an insight into Clinton's use of a private server and possibly shift the focus of the investigation. WHY DID FBI REVISIT PROBE What caused the FBI to revisit the probe was the discovery of thousands of emails on a laptop belonging to former New York Representative Anthony Weiner, who was married to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. advertisement Comey has become an almost equally divisive figure for Republicans and Democrats for the impact he has had on the elections. His revelation that the FBI was examining additional emails from Clinton that were discovered on disgraced former Republican Anthony Weiner's computer has led Democrats, including Clinton herself, to say that it cost them the White House. "I was on my way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts on the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off", the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said in an interview to CNN. Following those remarks, Trump slammed Comey the night before the hearing. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony......Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?", Trump said in a pair of tweets. At the panel's hearing, Comey got grilled about the investigations into the alleged Russian meddling in the election and into Clinton's use of a private email server at the State Department. Some Republicans defended Comey's actions and pressed him about what evidence underpins accusations of the Trump campaign contacts with Russia. advertisement (WITH INPUTS FROM PTI) Also read | Hillary Clinton email probe: FBI's handling of case under investigation Also read | Trump not to pursue investigation into Hillary's email row, says wants to heal her ALSO WATCH VIDEO --- ENDS --- 2022-11-08 Olympia It comes from defeating, humiliating and beating Motagua On the 16th day, he became the new leader with a score of 0 to 4 Will open in 2022-23. The Lions are going through an amazing moment, in four Ever since Gujarat BJP MP KC Patel's name surfaced in the honey trap case, speculations are rife about an active gang which has expertise in trapping unsuspecting parliamentarians into compromising situations. By Tanseem Haider: Police investigation into the honey trap case has revealed that the accused woman, who trapped Gujarat BJP MP, was part of a bigger team involved in the 'business'. Ever since Gujarat BJP MP KC Patel's name surfaced in the honey trap case, speculations are rife about an active gang which has expertise in trapping unsuspecting parliamentarians into compromising situations. advertisement The gang reportedly led by a woman has been targeting MPs to later blackmail them and obtain high paying jobs and cash amounting to crores. The activity of the gang came to light after Valsad MP KC Patel filed a complaint of extortion with the Delhi Police earlier this week. While there have been a series of cross allegations between the woman and the BJP MP, sources from the police claimed that it was an organised crime. The accused woman, during police interrogation, revealed details about the gang's operations. MODUS OPERANDI The woman who operates the gang reportedly sourced contact details of parliamentarians from the official website of Lok Sabha. She targeted aged parliamentarians under various pretexts. Police said that the woman approached the MPs on their phones and told them that she wanted to discuss some legal issues. She called the MPs to her residence in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. The bedroom in the woman's residence had CCTV cameras installed at different locations. Police said that the cameras were focussed towards the bed. After filming the MPs in an objectionable manner, the woman dropped them back at their residences. According to the police, the woman was assisted by another unidentified woman from Muzaffarnagar and a man. However, the main accused denied involvement of another woman. They said that the woman had earlier trapped 25 ministers in similar way. Uttarakhand minister Hiraksinh Rawat and MP Shadilal Batra are among the ministers who were honey trapped. Source said that the woman used to carry about four spy cameras with her every time. Police also recovered CDs and audio clips from the woman. The woman claims to be a lawyer, however, sources said that she is not much educated. GENESIS OF CRIME The woman moved to Delhi about five years ago to prepare for Rajasthan Public Services Commission. Police said that the woman even appeared from UPSC exams, but did not succeed. She told the police that she had completed bachelors and masters degree in Arts and also pursued LLB and LLM. Sources said that when the police asked her to write in English, she was unable to do so. Her lack of knowledge has raised several questions about her academic background. advertisement Sources said that the woman maintains that she was approached by Patel, she even told the police that she went to the airport recently to receive him. She said that it was on the same day that she was raped at her residence. Patel has refuted the allegations and said that he came in touch with the woman some six months ago. Delhi Police is suspecting the involvement of more than three others in the gang. Meanwhile, the police have initiated a probe and have began communicating with other politicians and businessmen who were honey trapped by the woman. Also read: BJP MP honey trap: Woman refutes allegations, says he sexually exploited her Woman who honey-trapped BJP MP, accused him of rape taken into custody by Delhi Police WATCH | Delhi: Honey-trap racket that entrapped BJP MP KC Patel busted --- ENDS --- BEIRUT, Lebanon In a bid to redefine itself for todays political climate in the Middle East, Hamas, has released a new document accepting a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 Green Line. Holding a press conference in the Qatari capital, Doha, outgoing leader Khaled Meshal appeared be thinking of his legacy in an organization that has been isolated across the region. He will be replaced in an internal election later this year. The move also came as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas prepared to meet Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump in one of those head-spinning foreign policy turnabouts for which the American administration has grown famousor infamous. As candidate, Trump had seemed to have no time for Palestinians, and as president he appointed a settler advocate to be U.S. ambassador to Israel. The U.S. president now seems to have bought into the ritualistic cycle of Washington talks that reaffirm past statements but do little to change the reality on the ground. If Abbas appears optimistic, his core hope may be that Washington continues to fund his government and support his security forces, which coordinate with Israel in the West Bank. The Hamas statement is significant, but not quite as radical a change as at first it might appear. The official position of the organization, which rules the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, has been to demand a Palestinian state stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which would mean the effective obliteration of Israel. Now it is saying it will accept a state that is limited to the landsGaza, The West Bank and East Jerusalemthat Israel occupied after a six-day war in 1967. That is, Hamas would accept a state in line with what the international community sees as the basis for a two-state solution. Importantly, Hamas also dropped its official connection to Egypts Muslim Brotherhood, a move clearly meant to appease the current government in Cairo. And in another ideological shift, the organization whose full name is the Islamic Resistance Movement stated that its fight is political, not religious; it said its enemies are not the Jewish people as a whole, but Israelis. The new declaration stops short of recognizing Israel a unilateral move that the late Yasser Arafat, chairman of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), made in 1988 to pave the way for what has become almost 30 years of negotiations and a vastly expanded settlement network on the lands where Arafat expected to establish a state. Hamas advocates the liberation of all of Palestine, but is ready to support the state on 1967 borders without recognising Israel or ceding any rights, Meshal told the press conference in Doha. In many ways, this declaration just codifies what Hamass leadership has been saying for years. Back in December 2008, shortly after Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, at a moment when hopes for a new peace initiative were relatively high, Meshal declared in an interview with the Associated Press, We have offered a truce if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, a truce of 10 years as a proof of recognition. The irony is that this official shift towards a two-state solution comes at a time when there appears to be little international diplomatic will to push one through, and Palestinians increasingly favor a democratic, bi-national single stateand the de facto end of Israel as a state that privileges its Jewish citizens. The new Hamas policy seems to administer CPR to a process many of its traditional proponents treat as dead. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pursued policies, including expansion of settlements in the occupied territories, that make a two-state solution virtually impossible, but Netanyahu appears to be content to live without a formal peace, and Hamasbranded a terrorist organization by Israel and the United Stateshas few illusions on that score. So, rather than a genuine philosophical transformation, the new Hamas declaration should be seen more as an effort to find new allies and contain adversaries in an Arab world still gripped by the unrest and counter-revolutions that followed the Arab Spring. Hamas first emerged in 1987 alongside the un-armed popular Palestinian uprising of the first Intifada. Inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, it was given breathing space to grow by Israel, which hoped Hamas would divide a Palestinian national struggle that was rooted in the PLO. However, as the Oslo negotiations and subsequent talks between Israel and the PLO developed in the 1990s, Hamas mounted a wide-scale suicide bombing campaign targeting Israeli civilians in a bid to scuttle a process that allowed the PLO leadership to return from exile but didnt end to the occupation. When the second Intifada broke out in 2000, Hamas again mounted a suicide bombing campaign against Israelis to set the tone for an armed uprising that Arafats Fatah movement tried to match. In response to widespread international condemnation, the general ineffectiveness of the bloody strategy, and Israels ruthless crushing of the second Intifada, Hamas mostly abandoned suicide bombings in 2005. But a year later, in 2006, it became the elected government of the Palestinian Authority (PA). In the fallout from those elections, Israel and the West cut funding to the Palestinain Authority while security forces loyal to Fatahthe largest faction in the PLOengaged in an expanding, Bush-Administration-encouraged conflict with Hamas that eventually resulted in Hamas seizing power in Gaza while the PA held on to the West Bank. Strangled by a crippling Israeli blockade that has mostly punished Gazas residents since 2007, the movement has fought three devastating wars with Israel in Gaza since 2008 after guerrillas launched rockets into Israel from Gaza territory. But It is the impact of transformations in the Arab world that best explain the current change in policy. It is telling that Meshal made the announcement from Qatar, where he has been based for several years, after being made unwelcome in countries bordering Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. There are parallels with Arafats own 1988 declaration from Tunis, after the PLO had been forced out of Lebanon. Following the popular uprisings in Tunisa and Egypt in late 2010 and 2011, Hamas sided with the calls for political freedom and economic justice on Arab streets. When the revolutions spread to Syria, Meshal quit his base in Damascuseffectively severing the organizations alliance with Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah, and deeply damaging its relationship with Iran. Instead, he moved to revolutionary Cairo where The Muslim Brotherhood, the movements inspirational forefathers, had just won the countrys first democratic election. Then, in 2013, the Egyptian military lead by now-President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi overthrew the elected government in a bloody coup and Hamas was accused by the Army of conspiring with the Brotherhood as the crackdown spread. The Egyptian army attacked Gazas tunnel network and reinforced Israels blockade by sealing its own border with Gaza. When Israeli bombs rained down on Gaza in 2014, Egypt left most of those displaced by the onslaught stranded on the border. After Gaza had been reduced to rubble, Egypt, like Israel, blocked most rebuilding materials from entering the strip. At the same time, Hamass affiliates became the main fighting force in Syrian-Palestinian refugee camps, being battered by both the Assad Regime and ISIS. In Lebanon, Hamas now works in a joint security force with Fatah in the Palestinian refugee camps to fight the emergence of ISIS-style jihadist groups amid desperate and only worsening conditions for camp residents. In Gaza, Hamas is at its most popular when it is seen as fighting Israeli aggression and occupation, and it is at its least popular when perceived as pushing its religious agenda or acting to secure its marginal power. Yet, as another round of Palestinian national reconciliation attempts has seemed to fail and the PA has helped Israel turn out the lights, refusing to pay Israel for Gazas electricity, Hamas is again under more pressure. Dropping its connection to the Muslim Brotherhood and making its position on resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict closer to post-coup Egypts policy appears to be mostly a call for room to breathe. For an isolated organization pressured on multiple fronts and an outgoing leader looking to preserve it to fight another day, this declaration might be Hamass only route to path to survival. Jimmy Kimmel was weeping on his show this week. After describing the heroic efforts of doctors to fix the heart defect of his newborn son, Billy, he said that baby Billy would be dealing with this congenital condition when he was a teenager and beyond. Then his thoughts turned to people who are not the children of late-night talk-show hosts. He told the audience that important meetings are underway in Washington right now. No parent should have to decide if they can afford to save their childs life, he said to thunderous applause. Before 2010, millions of parents were faced with just that decision. As we wait to see if Republicans can ram through their new version of the health care billand I give them decent odds in the Houseplease join me on a quick trip back in time on this most wrenching of issues. Itll help clarify the breathtaking cynicism of the GOP. Im talking here less about President Donald Trump, who wouldnt know a community rating from a Nielsen rating if his life depended on it, than about other dishonest public servants who should know better, like House Speaker Paul Ryan, HHS Secretary Tom Price and Rep. Tom MacArthur, the New Jersey conservative who fashioned the latest compromise with the far-right Freedom Caucus. Democrats are hardly covering themselves with glory on this one, either. Their efforts to defend Obamacare are often arid, abstract and disconnected from the powerful moral imperative at the heart of this issue. First, the context. Lets return for a moment to the Great American Double-Whammythe way millions of Americans lost their health and their savings at the same time. Before Obamacare, more than half of all personal bankruptcies were caused by onerous health-care costs. Those who didnt go bankrupt often sold their homes or spent much of their net worth to pay for their care or that of an ailing loved one. It wasnt just cancer or heart disease that prevented people from getting insurance. High blood pressure, kidney stones, even allergies could be enough to deny you coverage. Then, if you got sick, you were thrown to the wolves. Its hard to believe we lived so long in that shameful world. While we did, Democrats advocated some kind of national health insuranceat least catastrophic coverage. Republicans mostly opposed it, but they had to figure out some way to deal with the middle-class Billy Kimmels of the world. So state policy-makers came up with something called high-risk pools, where insurers would all contribute to help cover their outcasts, the ones they didnt want wrecking their profits because of preexisting conditions. This sounded like a decent stop-gap idea and in the 1990s and 2000s it spread to 35 states. Sadly, high-risk pools were a colossal flop. In 20 states, legislators provided no money to help with premiums for those in the pools. That meant few could afford the coverage. Only 226,000 out of 40 million uninsuredless than one percenttook part. In California, for instance, fewer than 1,000 people in the entire state were in the high-risk pools. Now Trump, Ryan and company are pretending that these proven failuresstate-run high-risk poolsare the way to keep their promises to anyone who has ever had a chronic or serious health problem. The president says with a straight face that those with preexisting conditionsone quarter of all middle-age and older Americanswill be taken care of. The speaker put out a press release Tuesday saying it was a verified fact that the new compromise bill would cover them. His proof is the high-risk poolthe Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan (HIRSP)in his home state of Wisconsin. As Ryan brags, Wisconsinites enrolled in the high-risk pool were generally glad that they finally got covered after years of being stiffed for preexisting conditions. Problem solved! Thanks, Paul! But it turns out that HIRSP coverage was inferior and more expensive than what these folks later obtained under Obamacare. Most important, the Wisconsin high-risk poolone of the best in the country and now the GOPs model for the nationinsured only 22,000 out of roughly 500,000 uninsured people in the Badger State. In the face of this large and inconvenient fact, Ryan was shameless enough to get his picture taken on the Speakers Balcony with young women survivors of childhood cancer, implying that they wouldnt have anything to worry about under the new plan unveiled last week. In truth, should Ryan gets his way, these women are likely to be priced out of coverage for the rest of their lives if they happen to live in one of 20 or so states that would likely be granted waivers to let insurers avoid the community ratings that require them to treat all customers equally. Thats policy-speak for letting states and insurers kick these cancer survivors to the curb. The speaker knows all this, which means that his intellectual dishonesty knows no depths. Any pundit who ever falls again for Ryans faux policy-wonk act should find another line of work. And any Democrat who neglects the moral and ethical dimension of this issue should not seek reelection. For years, Democrats have claimed that healthcare is a right, a notion I have generally embraced. But its a political right in a society that can afford it, not a moral right. There is no inalienable right to dental coverage. The movement for ever-expanding rights is increasingly unpersuasive to many Americans when it is disconnected from wrongsfrom tangible signs of abuse and discrimination. Pricing sick people out of insurance coverage is abuse. It will make them go to the doctor less often, meaning less early detection and more early death. And discrimination against sick people is as morally wrong as discrimination against people because of the color of their skin. High-risk pools are American Sowetos in a system of medical apartheid. If Democrats can make this about discrimination against millions of Americans, they will crystallize the issue and re-take the Congress in 2018. The latest betting is that the new version of Trumpcarewhich would, like the old bill, throw 24 million Americans off health insurance will fall short. The old plan was supported by a paltry 17 percent of the public before it was withdrawn in March and this one is harsher and more hypocritical. Its especially hard on those age 40 to 65many of them Trump voterswho can now be charged premiums five times as high as those of younger people, instead of the three-to-one ratio in the earlier GOP bill. Were told none of this augers well for passage. Im not so sure. The White House and GOP-controlled Congress desperately need a win to show the conservative base they can deliver. They also need the money saved from throwing millions off of coverage to help fund their tax cuts for the wealthy. Few have noticed that the fate of tax reformthe only thing that unites the whole GOP is tied up with that of Trumpcare. In the House, where the deal with the Freedom Caucus has given the bill new life, some moderates may now defect. But otherslike Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and thus influential with colleagueshave moved from opposition back toward support. Its widely assumed that the Senate wouldnt back the House version. But that hardly kills the bill. The momentum created by House passage might well force the Republican-controlled Senate to produce some kind of legislation. A handpicked House-Senate conference committee would then likely compromise on a final version that would, without question, be worse for those with preexisting conditions than the status quo. According to his father, little Billy Kimmel looks like hes going to be OK. But the future of his health insurance is in doubt. The same goes for the rest of us who have faced health challenges at some point in our lives. In June 1979, Rex Black, an Idaho supervisor for the Boy Scouts of America, sent a letter to his supervisor. A child had accused Scout leader James Schmidt of multiple instances of sexual abuse, and Black reported he had confronted Schmidt about the allegations. Schmidt claimed innocence and was allowed to continue working with children. In 1983, Schmidt was convicted of lewd conduct with a minor. Schmidt was one of a group of Boy Scouts leaders in Idaho troops sponsored by the Mormon church who were accused of sexually abusing children in the 1970s and 80s. Recently unsealed files from the Boy Scouts of America reveal that the organization was aware of allegations against these leaders for years, but allowed them to continue working with children. In one documented instance, an abuser was promoted but the Scout leader who reported him was dismissed. The files form the basis for a new federal lawsuit brought by five former Boy Scouts who accuse the organization and the Church of Latter-day Saints of fraud for promoting scouting as a wholesome, safe activity while covering up pedophiles in their ranks. Riley Gilroy is one of two named plaintiffs. They knew about him prior to me, so why didnt they say anything? Gilroy told The Daily Beast. Why wasnt he stopped? Why was he allowed to go back into scouting? They had complaints and documentation, and a moral obligation to take these complaints to the authorities and they chose not to. The BSA has faced publicized sex abuse scandals since the late 1980s, paying out $18.5 million to a single victim in a 2010 case. Since the 80s, the organization has implemented new checks intended to prevent child abuse. In a statement to The Daily Beast, BSA leadership condemned the sexual abuse allegedly committed by Schmidt and other former scout leaders. In the many years since these actions occurred, we have continued to strengthen our efforts to protect youth, BSA said. These efforts include screening process for adult leaders and staff, criminal background checks, requiring two or more adult leaders be present with youth at all times during Scouting activities, and the prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. The LDS church said it was still reviewing the filing. We have only recently learned about this legal action, and will take time to understand it fully and to respond as appropriate, LDS spokesperson Eric Hawkins told The Daily Beast. The Mormon church has partnered with the Scouts since 1928 and by the 1970s heavily encouraged children and adults to join the group as part of their development, the lawsuit said. This is not an optional program, LDS president Spencer Kimball said in 1978, according to the lawsuit. Scouting is no longer on trial. It is an economically, socially, and spiritually sound program. But it would be the promise of trustworthy male leadership that led Gilroy to join the Boy Scouts. It was my mother, my sister, and myself in a single-parent family. My mother wanted me to have a good, strong male role model in my life, Gilroy said. He joined the Scouts with his best friend as a young child. Our mothers were best friends and thought scouts could be a positive influence on us. Instead of being assigned to a trusted role model, Gilroy was placed in Schmidts troop. Over the course of two years, Gilroy claims Schmidt sexually and emotionally abused him and other boys. Only by speaking with the other boys did Gilroy summon the courage to report the abuse, he said. Gilroy said he was 8 or 9 when he told his mother, who called the police. As a result of Gilroys efforts, he told The Daily Beast, Schmidt was arrested in 1983 and convicted of molesting him. Three decades later, Gilroy learned that his ordeal could have been avoided entirely. In 2012, a court order made public thousands of Boy Scout files on leaders accused of sexual abuse. One of the files was about Schmidt. Thats why Im coming forward now, Gilroy said. They had documentation about him, prior to him assaulting me, and they covered it up. The fact that they knew about that prior, and covered up. The Boy Scouts leadership kept ineligible volunteer files to track a variety of transgressions that adults committed against scouts. The files were subdivided into several categories including perversionthe category that encompases child sexual abuse. Gilroys lawsuit claims that by 1972, BSA had thousands of perversion files, many of which were subsequently destroyed. According to Schmidts file, his reputation as a sexual abuser was known even by other scouts, who urged leadership to remove him from his position. During a 1977 camping trip, according to the files, a scout claimed Schmidt tried to molest him and other boys. The boy claimed Schmidt had stuck his hands down two boys pants, the file said. I knocked his hand away and rolled over, the boy wrote. That night, the boys slept in Schmidts tent, where he told them the Camp Tapawingo site was surrounded by wild animals. I was scared because of this and because he said there was something out there, the boy wrote. He said it was a wolverine but I knew there were no wolverines around that area. Schmidts file also includes correspondence between BSA officials, letters from attorneys representing Schmidts accusers, and news clippings about the abuse allegations. The file reveals how Boy Scouts leadership initially responded to the allegations. Black, the Idaho supervisor who first forwarded the complaint to the Boy Scouts national offices, wrote a letter in which he described confronting Schmidt. If he was guilty, he would probably back out of the Scouts, Black wrote of his reasoning before discussing the allegations with Schmidt. Instead, Black reported that Schmidt blamed his accuser. Jim said he was aware of the camp accusations but that they are two years old and that he had taken them to his lawyer and that he thought it had been cleared up, Black wrote. He claimed that the boys harassed him at the zoo and at other places. Black wrote he also reached out to the troops sponsor, who felt that the accusations [against Schmidt] were unjust but agreed to be alert to the situation. Schmidt reportedly agreed to stay out of Camp Tapawingo, but said he wanted to continue working with his own troop. His request was granted. As far as I know, everything is under control, Black wrote. Three years later, Schmidt allegedly began molesting Gilroy and other boys in his troop. Gilroys story mirrors those of the four other plaintiffs, whose troop leaders were also accused of abuse and subsequently convicted of child molestation. The three other accused scoutmastersLawrence Libey, Doug Bowen, and Larren Arnoldwere allowed to work with children for years before finally being removed from the Scouts program, according to the lawsuit. Libey was even promoted after another scoutmaster reported him to the Elks Lodge board sponsoring their troop, the lawsuit alleged. The board chose Libey to lead the troop instead of the Scoutmaster who had reported his concerns, the suit reads. Shortly thereafter, Libey became the sole Scoutmaster of Troop 156. Gilion Dumas, one of the attorneys representing Gilroy and the other plaintiffs, said abusers had multiple ways of remaining in the program, even after they were accused of molestation. Leadership would regularly put scout leaders on probation instead of adding them to its growing pile of ineligible volunteers, Dumas told The Daily Beast. There was no set criteria for when theyd put somebody on probation, she said. They could put somebody on probation because he promised not to molest a kid again, or if he went into counseling, or if he was only caught showing kids pornography. After two years of good behavior, Dumas said, volunteers accused of abuse were reinstated and their probation files were destroyed. The only reason we even know that probation policy existed would be if someone was on probation and they got caught actually molesting kids, then thered be a note in the permanent file that said they had been on probation, Dumas said. An unknown number of permanent files were systematically destroyed in the 70s in what Dumas described as a purge. Dumas said Boy Scouts leadership has been keeping files on scoutmaster misconduct since the 1910s, but the oldest files only date back to 1946. BSA did not respond to a request for comment on this allegation. They used to have a policy of systematically destroying the files if they learned a perpetrator had died or if they determined, from the date, that the man had turned 70, Dumas claims. They just destroyed the file with the thought that, Oh, hes too old to abuse someone. Gilroy said he hoped coming forward under his own name would encourage other victims to speak out. Thats why Im using my name, thats why Im using my picture, is to embolden other victims to have the courage to step forward and say they were hurt, and not hide behind the shame, he said. Because theres been a lot of shame about what happened, and nows my chance to fix that. I know I have nothing to be ashamed of, but that doesnt mean I dont feel ashamed because of it. Nows my chance to step up, step forward, and try to be a voice for a lot of people who are too afraid. The Kremlin isnt done messing with American elections, but Democrats and Republicans are still fixated on Hillary Clintons private email server. FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the Russian government is actively interfering in the U.S. political process, and that Moscows danger to democracy is the greatest threat of any nation on earth, given their intention and their capability. But Democrats and Republicans on the committee seemed far more interested in relitigating Comeys decision to tell Congress on Oct. 28 that the FBI had reopened its investigation into whether or not Clinton and her aides deliberately mishandling of classified information this despite the fact that Comey has repeatedly been grilled by Congress on his letter already. Some Democrats foremost among them Clinton believe that the decision, made just days before the election, was decisive in Trumps eventual victory. The top Democrat on the committee, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, ripped into Comey over his decision, saying that she join[ed] those who believe that the actions of the FBI did, in fact, have an impact on the election." Comey said it makes me mildly nauseous to think he could have affected the election, he told Feinstein. But it was the right decision, he said. This has been one of the worlds most painful experiences I would make the same decision, Comey said. Feinstein asked if there was a debate among his staff about the decision. No, Comey replied. There was a great debate. I have a fabulous staff at all levels, and one of my junior lawyers said, Should you consider that what youre about to do may help elect Donald Trump president? And I said, Thank you for raising that. Not for a moment, because down that path lies the death of the FBI as an independent institution in America. I cant consider for a second whose political fortunes will be effected in what way. The director said everyone on his team agreed they needed to tell Congress the investigation had been re-opened. Feinstein replied that he could have told Congress in a classified way. (Comey noted Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican, leaked his letter to the press.) As for why Comey did not tell the public that Russia was trying to help Trump, he had tried to sound the alarm in summer 2016 but was stopped by his bosses. "I thought it was very important to call out what the Russians were trying to do with our elections and I offered in August, myself, to be a voice for that in a public piece calling it out, Comey said. The Obama administration didn't take advantage of that in August." The administration would wait another two months, until just weeks before the presidential election, to tell the public about Russia's attempts to interfere. Meanwhile, Republicans repeatedly questioned Comey on why two Democrats hadnt been prosecuted for mishandling classified information. Comey revealed that the FBI had investigated whether Huma Abedin had committed a crime when she forwarded emails with classified information to her husband, Anthony Weiner, so he could print them for her and Clinton. Comey said they concluded Abedin had not demonstrated criminal intent while forwarding that information. But while the FBI ultimately concluded no crime had occurred, it still played a central role in the election saga. Examining the metadata information about emails, but not the substance of the emails themselves on Weiners computer showed FBI investigators that thousands of emails from Clintons private server were transmitted to Weiners computer, which had been seized for a separate investigation into his alleged solicitation of a minor for sex. Comey said that based on that metadata, he decided to reopen the investigation, in hopes that Weiners computer might have some of the emails Clinton sent and then deleted. Ultimately, the Senate Judiciary Committee was more focused on partisan questions about whether Abedin should be prosecuted or whether Comey kneecapped Clinton than on forward-looking testimony about how the United States was attacked by Russia, and how that attack continues to this day. The blame for that is carried by both parties. Despite the attempts to relitigate the 2016 election, Comey warned about the next elections, which he said Russia is expected to interfere in. I think one of the lessons that the Russians may have drawn from this is that this works I expect to see them back in 2018, especially in 2020, Comey said. Comey stressed the danger America faced during the handful of times he was asked about Russia. As part of a rapid-fire question and answer session with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, Comey said that while the Russians had not successfully tampered with votes cast in the U.S. elections, they had previously attempted to do so in other countries and there's no reason to believe that they wont try in the U.S. The FBI is currently sounding the alarm for those responsible for election infrastructure about how the Russians might try to interfere, Comey said, including "how they might come at it, what IP addresses they might use, [and] what phishing techniques they might use." The bureau is also stressing to the public that there are ongoing attempts to interfere with U.S. elections, and that the Russians are spreading disinformation through "troll farms." In fact, Comey even encouraged private citizens to push back against disinformation. "People are out there using the power of social media to push back against this kind of thing in France in the Netherlands, in Germany and I hope it will happen here in the United States, where ordinary citizens will see this bogus stuff going on and push back," Comey said. "You gotta have good troll armies pushing back the other way, so the marketplace of information is better educated, frankly. As it confronts this future challenge, the FBI is still dealing with the reverberations of the last elections: Comey said that the FBIs investigation the Trump campaigns possible ties to the Russian government continues. But even in the face of the established Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the ongoing threat to future elections, lawmakers appeared more focused on settling old scores. BATON ROUGE, Louisiana The Department of Justice closed its investigation into the death of Alton Sterling on Wednesday, announcing it would not bring federal charges against two police officers who were involved in the controversial, fatal shooting last year. Prosecutors found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges against the officers, said Corey Amundson, acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana. It is not enough to show that the officer made a mistake, acted negligently, acted by accident or mistake, or even exercised bad judgment. Although Sterlings death is tragic, the evidence does not meet these substantial evidentiary requirements, he added. This is the first time that the department declined to prosecute police officers since Jeff Sessions became attorney general. The prosecutors who led the investigation are career public servants, not political appointees. The Louisiana attorney generals office is investigating the case and could still charge the officers under state law. The Sterling familys attorney Chris Stewart called on Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to just give justice where its due. I suffered said Altons aunt Sandra Sterling, at a press conference. Alton was human. Hes no longer here, but his voice still will be heard through us. Closing the Justice Departments probe wont end the questions about Sterlings death though. On the night of July 5, 2016, Baton Rouge police officers Blane Salamoni and Howe Lake responded to a call about a man threatening people with a handgun. Standing outside was Sterling, a 37-year-old father, selling CDs. After a brief interaction, the officers tackled Sterling, then according to eyewitness video first obtained by The Daily Beast , Lake shouted gun, and Salamoni shot Sterling six times in the chest. He died minutes later. That video, shot by store owner Abdullah Muflahi, showed Sterlings hands were empty after he was shot and he did not appear to be moving his hand towards his pocket where his gun was. After reviewing video from body cameras, dashboard cameras, eyewitnesses, and surveillance cameras, as well as forensic evidence, federal investigators said the officers ordered Sterling to put his hands on the hood of a car. When Sterling did not comply, the officers placed their hands on Sterling, and he struggled with the officers, a statement that was read aloud during the press conference said. Officer Salamoni then pulled out his gun and pointed it at Sterlings head, at which point Sterling placed his hands on the hood. Sterling then allegedly attempted to take his hands off the hood, leading Officer Lake to use a Taser on him. Sterling fell to his knees and struggled to get up before officers tackled him. After they tussled on the ground, Salamoni attempted to gain control over Sterlings right arm but could not. It was at that moment Salamoni yelled, Going for his pocket. Hes got a gun! Gun! Officer Salamoni then unsuccessfully attempted to gain control of Sterlings right hand, the statement said, adding that Salamoni fired after he claimed verbally Sterling was going for his gun! Three shots were fired into Sterlings chest, followed by three more. Both officers gave detailed reports to police claiming they saw Sterlings right hand in his pocket, with his hand on a gun. Amundson said the position of Sterlings right hand at this moment was obscured and that prosecutors at trial would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Sterling was or was not reaching for his weapon. Two external experts on police use of force told the Justice Department officers behavior wasnt exemplary, but also not illegal. While both experts criticized aspects of the officers techniques, they also concluded that the officers actions were reasonable under the circumstances and thus met constitutional standards. The most clear video of the incident is likely surveillance footage from a camera outside the store, which was obtained under questionable circumstances by police. Federal investigators said they have reviewed it, but it has not been released to the public. Muflahi, the store owner, said after he was locked in the back of a police cruiser, officers entered the stores back room and ripped the surveillance equipment out of the wall. I was pounding on the car window when they went into the store, Muflahi told The Daily Beast at the time, explaining he wanted to be inside when they took the video. According to Muflahi, he and other eyewitnesses were detained for four hours and their cell phones were confiscated . Muflahi alleged in a lawsuit against the police that he was only allowed to leave the car to urinate against the wall of his store under watch by the officers. Muflahi said police confiscated the video equipment minutes after the shooting at midnight. Police in a search warrant said they began the search at 5:50 a.m. This suggests that the detective waited five hours before he searched the store and seized the surveillance video. Muflahi alleges police confiscated the video before they had a warrant, which he also said they never showed him. Sterling was killed within days of another black man shot and killed by police in controversial circumstances, Philando Castile of Minnesota. The two incidents reignited activism around the country, including a protest in Dallas where five police officers were killed by a black militant. The Dallas massacre then inspired another black man to shoot and kill two Baton Rouge cops and a sheriffs deputy. Thousands of people protested against the Baton Rouge police last summer, leading to a harsh crackdown by officers in riot gear and armored vehicles. The department faced criticism for the handling of its protests last summer where they arrested hundreds of peaceful protesters for misdemeanor obstruction of a highway, booking many of them with identical police reports. (The district attorney declined to prosecute many of the cases and the department later agreed to refrain from mass arrests.) Is shelter an inalienable right? Its in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but in the United States, to varying degrees, only three places in America guarantee the most vulnerable a warm place to sleep: Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, and New York Citywhich is closing in on the 40th anniversary of the court decision that forces City Hall to provide temporary homes to those who say the streets are their only alternative. In the meantime, the city has been notching another milestone: homelessness is at record levels, with about 60,000 adults and children living in its shelters. Advocates call the court mandates right to shelter. Its widely seen as settled law, and over the decades, City Hall has provided some degree of comfort to thousands of men, women and children in New York, at a price of billions of dollars. But what some see as a moral imperative, others see as a disincentive for self-sufficiencyand, whats more, something that could potentially be taken away. When you talk about a right to sheltertheres never been a point in New York, where the courts stepped forward and said unambiguously, Yes there is a right to shelter in New York State, says Thomas Main, author of Homelessness in New York City: Policymaking from Koch to de Blasio. Main adds: Its a practical impossibility for the City to say every family that is distressed in housing is going to be taken care of in the shelter system. The backdrop to this is that affordable housing remains out of reach for many in the nations largest city. Mayor Bill de Blasio is facing pressure to somehow lower shelter numbers without pushing people onto the streets, especially before voters decide if he should be re-elected in November. Some have argued that the city should tighten eligibility requirements, and be more aggressive at relocating people out of the city. Although the mayors budget is strangely unresponsive on this matter, theres also fear that a Republican Congress and the Trump administration will slash funding for affordable housing, prompting hard choices about where to best spend taxpayer money for the neediest. And theres also a chance that the very law seen as guaranteeing shelter could be revoked. Its a remote possibility, but possible nonetheless. In a barely-noticed curiosity of state law, New Yorkers are asked something in November they consider only once every 20 years: if they want a convention to amend the state constitution. Its one such amendment, passed during the Great Depression, that forms the basis to the citys right to shelter policies. But that amendment is more ambiguous than some many think. There is no right to shelter written per se in the State Constitution; the relevant line is: The aid, care and support of the needy are public concerns and shall be provided by the state and by such of its subdivisions It may add up to new urgency for society to re-ask that question: Is shelter for all a moral responsibility? To the man in charge of providing that shelter, the answer is a clear yes. But if Steven Banks decides to blame anyone for some of todays headaches, he can look in the mirror. Then a hotshot young Legal Aid attorney in 1983, Banks sued Ed Kochs administration, arguing the constitution required the city provide shelter for homeless families with children. (Previous court decisions applied to men and women). It wasnt settled until a quarter-century later, with Mike Bloomberg in City Hall and the city finally agreeing to a familys right to shelter and to provide certain care standards. Under Bloombergs successor, de Blasio, Banks took a top post implementing the very policy he once sued for. He reports no regrets, despite the barrage of bad headlines, threats, and even nighttime protests at his house. If you dont learn the lessons of history, you are doomed to repeat the mistakes, Banks said in an interview with The Daily Beast, repeatedly arguing that without the legal battles, New Yorks homeless would be more like Los Angelesliving on the streets, not in shelters. Officially the Commissioner of the citys Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services, Banks carries a number of portfolios. The first is implementing the shelter guarantee for a stubbornly high shelter population, that are often crime-ridden, as my NY1 colleague Courtney Gross has documented. When shelters arent available, the city has frequently turned to alternatives: cluster apartments, where two little girls were killed by a faulty radiator in December; or hotel rooms, which cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars a day as late February, according to City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Banks is now aiming to methodically chip away at the number of those needing a shelter bed in the first place, through housing assistance like vouchers and lawyers to fight evictions along with a vast citywide affordable housing program. In order to address homelessness in New York City, it requires a combination of prevention, decent shelter, and permanent housing resources. The balance of these approaches has been out of whack, Banks says. Weve adopted a prevention first-strategy because over decades, the provision of shelter has been a default response to the court orders as opposed to a last resort when all else fails. Still, he predicts only a modest drop in the shelter population2,500 over five years, reasoning that with harmful policies in place before de Blasio took office, the increase in the shelter population would have been far higher if not for the measures already taken. Banks is also something of a political lifeline for the Mayor (who is also a former rival for a Park Slope City Council seat; de Blasio won). So far, de Blasios bid for a second term is attracting weak rivals, with others opting out after prosecutors declined to bring charges against de Blasio amid pay-to-play allegations. Still, the homeless crisis remains a significant political liabilitynot just the high numbers, but his plan to open 90 new shelters. (One overlooked caveat is that the city also plans to continue to get out of 360 clusters and commercial hotels). De Blasios plans for homelessness have been stop-and-go, and his first commissioner resigned in 2015. Banks is one of those rare government officials who still seems energized, despite responsibility for an especially Sisyphean, and depressing, bureaucratic churn. During our interview, Banks, who considered becoming a rabbi, points to his religious upbringing as motivation. I went to the Legal Aid Society and I went to city government with a strong religious background, in which I was brought up to believe in helping those who are less fortunate, and in need of help. Critics of a guaranteed right to shelter are a scattered bunch, often maligned as heartless, unfairly in my opinion. Bloomberg lamented it, arguing in 2013 that even fellow private jet owners could take a private limousine and go straight to the shelter system and walk in the door and weve got to give you shelter. He tried to impose stiffer shelter intake policies, to nudge people to stay with friends and family. Banks and the City Council sued; the city lost. Today, apart from op-ed writers, one of the more thoughtful skeptics of right to shelter is Kevin Corinth, who studies poverty at the American Enterprise Institute, first becoming interested in the idea while talking with homeless people there as a graduate student in Chicago. Not an absolutist, Corinth thinks children have a right to shelter, but says the guarantee may be providing an perverse incentive to enter the shelter system, when greater self-sufficiencyor at least less dependency on governmentis another option. I think that there is a perception that people who favor free markets or limited government are materialisticsort of a reverse Robin Hood, Corinth said in an interview. He points to a 2014 Institute report showing that the three places guaranteeing shelter has seen had seen a 40-percent increase in family homelessness over the previous three years amid a national 8-percent decrease. There are eligibility requirements that have to be met before being allowed to stay in shelters. Still, anecdotally at least, some enter a shelter, or linger there, when other options are available. Those in New Yorks system also stay far longer than in other parts of the country, with the average stay nationally about two weekswhile in the city, families stay for an average of about a year and single adults about a year and a half, according to one expert and a city spokeswoman. But theres no real proof that the right to shelter broadly discourages people here from finding a bed with friends or family, or encourages people elsewhere to come here in the first place. Gaming the system may be a factor on the margins, but an expert says the steep price of affordable housing and the end of a crucial subsidy in 2011 are seen as driving up the numbers of the citys homeless. Dan OFlaherty of Columbia, who studies urban economics, writes in an email he knows of no serious research on right to shelter. OFlaherty also shot down talk that giving housing subsidies to those who have been in shelters incentivizes people to claim to be homeless. The urban legendthe perverse incentiveis absolutely false, he says. As for people moving to New York because they know they can get a bed, OFlaherty notes that there are a lot of homeless people in nearby Newark, New Jersey. And, he says, the turnstiles for the trains across the Hudson River can be easily hopped. The upshot to all this: in the absence of compelling data indicating the right to shelter laws have overwhelmingly increased homelessness, its highly unlikely City Hall will end it. Nor, arguably, should it. On January 23, the Islamic State (IS) released a trailer for an upcoming video from its Ninawa Province, something it only does for major releases, teasing what would become an unfolding media campaign. At the time, Iraqi and allied military forces were three months into their ongoing offensive to take back Mosul, the de facto capital of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq. But apart from its reported military operations, ISIS had yet to make any significant commentary on the largest symbolic and tactical threat it had ever faceda strange streak of silence from such a media-rich organization. Footage in the 45-second trailer showed a suicide attacker, his attack, and some urban combat. Pretty much what youd expect. But at the end was something else: aerial footage of a mortar dropped from the sky, followed by a shot of an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, from the ground. ISIS released the full video the next day, calling it The Knights of the Sectors. Most of the 38 minute, 33 second video shows extensive footage of combat and car bomb suicide operations against Iraqi and allied forces. The last six minutes, however, shows two fighters launching a drone into sky, followed by aerial footage of attacks. A narrator in the video states of the UAVs: And Allahs liberation became clear to His worshippers the mujahideen, where He guided them to the best techniques to destroy the enemies of the faith and the religion. Just as the explosives-laden vehicles had become the worst nightmare of the disbelievers, leaving them sleepless, days and nights, another nightmare came for them from over their heads, to make their lives more restless and miserable. This advance in drone warfare crossed a battlefield threshold, and opened the door for other terrorist groups do the same. In some ways, you could call it a media stunt. But of course, its much more than that. For terrorist groupsespecially ISISa media stunt is often its most valuable asset. To the pro-ISIS community, the groups drone strikes are more than just attacks; they are legitimizing elements to ISIS statehood, and affirmation of its perceived formidability against the worlds military powersnot to mention a morale boost as the group loses territory in Iraq and Syria. An Emboldened Community Already promoting and praising the trailer, ISIS supporters went into full celebratory campaign-mode after the release of The Knights of the Sectors. The internet-party included artwork and infographics for the UAV attacks, as well as threats. Among them were images depicting the fighters from the Knights of the Sectors video launching the UAVs toward the U.S. Capitol Building and the Statue of Liberty. Supporters even spit-balled ideas for how to improve the weaponized UAVs and reap maximum damage. One pro-ISIS military analyst posted his take on his Telegram channel on February 5, detailing which locations would serve as the easiest targets, and how ISIS could seize any anti-aircraft weaponry potentially supplied to Iraqi and allied forces as spoils. He exclaimed: After the planes, there are still a lot more surprises. If it were not for this comprehensive war upon my State, we would have not witnessed this development and we would have procrastinated and became inefficient. It is the will of the Lord of the Worlds that we give all that we have to deserve victory form Allah. Another supporter on the pro-ISIS forum al-Minbar stated: The use of the bombing drones is a joy for every supporter, but we are hoping from our manufacturing specialists of the State to increase the explosive capacity for each and every rocket that is launched from those planes, which will have a huge role in reversing the outcome of the battle. I ask Allah to facilitate that within the coming days The discussions have looked like brainstorming sessions for a twisted engineering project, with detailed suggestions ranging from dropping nails or shrapnel from the UAVs, to arming them with poisons and incendiary materials. One supporter even suggested using uranium: The only effective way is to increase the explosive power by using uranium or the explosive HMX or something similar to it, or increasing the size of the drone to withstand carrying a heavier load of explosives, or, as a few of our brothers had suggested, using balloons to carry and drop the explosives. ISIS probably wont be using uranium any time soon. But ISIS has proven itself as a tech-savvy organization, and the success the group has had thus far will very likely make further development efforts a top priority within its organization. And when they do make advances, ISIS will make sure the world knows about them. ISIS Military-Media Link No group has ever extracted as much propagandic value out of its activity than ISIS. Al Qaeda in Iraq, IS predecessor led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, explained the significance of mediaespecially videosin an article in the July 2005 issue of its magazine, Thurwat al-Sanam (meaning, Top of the Camels Hump). He stressed not to let any military operation be followed by complete silence, but to instead publicize it. The article also stated: How many battles has this nation lost because the lack of media/information? This is because of neglecting this aspect [of jihadi media]. Some look at the military fight as the most important thing, and others are not important. This is a shortsighted [view]. Over a decade later, the world has seen this philosophy manifest into a colossal propaganda machine. No actfrom the beheading of spies, to the packaging of water bottlesis left untapped by ISIS media teams. It is through this world of media that the group projects its Caliphate to supporters in the West and around the world, whether they be media workers or lone wolf attackers. ISIS drone attacks, to that point, have become a special media priority for the group. Consider the calculated way in which ISIS introduced its UAVs to the world. Reports of ISIS using weaponized UAVs in northern Iraq had existed long prior to its release of The Knights of the Sectors, and recovered documents show that the groups Department of Aviation has been at work on them since at least as early as 2015. Still, the worlds understanding of these UAVs prior to ISIS introduction was limited to scant photo work of destroyed machinery and statements by military officials. Its supporters and the rest of the world had yet to see them. Knowing this, ISIS media and military wings, in their standard collaborative fashion, waited until this past January to show the UAVs, despite having already used them. The group did so in a slow dripfirst with the trailer with the brief aerial footage, then the high-quality Knights of the Sectors video releaseand has since pushed out an ongoing flow of photo reports statements of further drone strikes. The results: countless media articles and TV spots on the UAV attacks. Now, compare this hype to that received by Jund al-Aqsa, a now-disbanded pro-al Qaeda Syrian jihadist group, which released its own video of a weaponized UAV attack in September of 2016 (months before ISIS The Knights of the Sectors video). A screenshot from the video, looking remarkably similar to ISIS UAV attack photo reports, follows: Despite the similarities, you probably didnt hear about Jund al-Aqsas UAV attack, while three months later, you couldnt open up a news blog without seeing stories of ISIS. ISIS military activity is inseparable from its media; an ISIS attack and a media release are of the same process. This is what has made the group such a uniquely global phenomenon, far surpassing any such efforts of al-Qaeda and other rival jihadi groups. It is why ISIS-inspired attacks in Nice, Berlin, and elsewhere mirror directions offered by ISIS leadership speeches and guides in its magazines. These attackers are not trained operatives; they are supporters who only needed a smart phone and social media profiles. So when we talk about the battlefield implications of these weaponized UAVs, we shouldnt ask if a given development is merely propaganda, because that propaganda is just as much a weapon as the rigged UAV dropping explosives onto the ground. By Press Trust of India: Aizawl, May 03 (PTI) Over 6.53 lakh tablets of pseudo-ephedrine was seized from Phaisen hamlet at Kolasib district on the Mizoram-Assam border by India Reserve Police and three persons were arrested in connection with it, police said today. Police said that the seized drugs worth around Rs 30 lakh in the local market and was reportedly brought from Assam to be smuggled to Myanmar. advertisement The three persons were booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the police added. Pseudo-ephedrine is legally manufactured in India but often illegally smuggled to Myanmar where it is being used as a precursor for clandestine manufacture of Methamphetamine, also known as Crystal Meth or party drugs. PTI HCV KK KK --- ENDS --- Last year, Taylor Ries didnt get to bring another girl as her date to the Central Heights High School senior prom in Nacogdoches, Texas. Thats why a group of community advocates are throwing a Lavender Prom in Nacogdoches later this month, giving LGBT students and their peers in rural east Texas the opportunity to dance together at one inclusive event. In the spring of 2016, when Ries wanted to bring a girl to the prom, she says she was told that she could either attend stag or attend with a date of the opposite sex. After the ACLU of Texas wrote a letter to Central Heights Independent School District that September, the school canceled senior prom altogether, as local news outlet KTRE reported at the time. The district superintendent told KTRE that the event would now be in the hands of parents to decide if they would like to plan something, citing increased pressure and liabilities and potential litigation. And although the superintendent added that the ACLU letter was not the complete reason for the cancellationciting pressure, liabilities, and safety concerns once againRies says she is still seen in the community as the troublemaker who got senior prom shut down. I dont feel blamed, I know Im blamed, Ries told The Daily Beast. Everyone kind of knows it was because of me and I got a lot of hate because of thatespecially [from] the seniors this year because its their senior prom. They werent too happy about it. KTRE reported that there were explicit social media posts last fall blaming Ries for the cancellation. The 18-year-old student, now graduated from Central Heights, told The Daily Beast that she never hear[s] about it anymore at college but she still wants her classmates back home to have an LGBT-inclusive prom experience. Its just not fair, she said. Its not about me anymoreits about the kids. Fortunately, Ries story became a point of discussion last year for a local group of advocates on Facebook, including CC Conn, a theater professor at nearby Stephen F. Austin State University. Conn and her group realized that they could do more than just comment on the story through social mediathey could create a new, more hopeful story. We just wondered what we could do, she told The Daily Beast. And at first I thought, Why would I have anything to do this? because I dont have a kid in school. And then I realized that for a straight person to fight for gay rights is an important thing. Conn and friends came up with the idea to host their own LGBT-friendly prom in the area with all the usual prom fixins: a DJ, a photographer, decorations, and catering. This March, they started a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover those expenses with the goal of raising $1500. As of this writing, they have raised $3750. But even though the fundraising has been a success, Conn hopes it doesnt have to be a recurring event; she wants the school district to reconsider their previous prom policy. A lot of people were really excited about how this could happen every year and thats not my intent, she explained. My intent is to make a statement that this community supports same-sex couples, transgender people, anyone to be able to go to their own prom. Heather Olson Beal, who was responsible for the fundraising, told The Daily Beast that her involvement with the Lavender Prom was her way of not feeling powerless during a harrowing time for LGBT people. I cant fix hateful bigoted laws even though Im trying, she said. But I can work on projects like this. On the local level in the United States, Ries experience of being told she couldnt bring a same-sex date to prom is not uncommon. According to the 2015 National School Climate Survey, prepared by the LGBT education organization GLSEN, over 15 percent of their 10,000-plus respondents said they were prevented from attending a dance or function with someone of the same gender. Thats often the result of local school policies like the one that used to be on the books in the Central Heights Independent School District. The district superintendent told KTRE last September that the policy Ries disputed was in the handbook, and that was the policy at the time but added that that handbook is irrelevant now that the prom has been cancelled. (Neither Superintendent Bryan Lee nor Central Heights High School Principal David Russell responded to The Daily Beasts emailed requests for comment on Monday and Tuesday.) Policies excluding LGBT students from school dances have been challenged through various lawsuits, most notably in Rhode Island where a district court ruled in 1980 that gay student Aaron Fricke should be allowed to bring his male date to his senior prom. ACLU of Texas senior staff attorney Edgar Saldivar confirmed to The Daily Beast that they sent a letter to the Central Heights Independent School District last September but explained, We have a policy of not commenting on ongoing investigations and this is one of them. I cant speak to the contents of the letter or who I spoke with regarding that, he noted. But in more general terms, Saldivar articulated the ACLU of Texas position on policies that prevent students from bringing same-sex dates to school dancesnamely that they violate the right to free expression in the First Amendment as well as the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It is, for us, a pretty straightforward issue, he said. Youre not allowed to discriminate against same-sex couples by denying them the right to go to prom when you allow it for other students. But because there are still scattered school districts that do discriminate, informal lavender proms have become a trend in recent yearseven for senior citizens who didnt get to go to their proms with same-sex dates when they were growing up. Ries told The Daily Beast that the Lavender Prom in east Texas is important because it brings the issue to light and not a lot of people realize this is happening in small schools. She added that she is indeed planning to attend the Lavender Prom on May 20. Im still 18 so proms still cool, right? she joked. In fact, she might even bring her old date. Its that time of year again when crazy conspiracy theorists are out in full force to mark one of the grimmest unsolved mysteries in recent memorythe disappearance of British 3-year-old Madeleine McCann from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal. It has been 10 years since the young girl vanished while her parents, Kate and Gerry, dined with friends at a nearby tapas bar on the compound. Though McCann would have been nearing her 14th birthday, her parents still havent changed one thing in her little girl room in Leicestershire, England, which is still complete with her fourth birthday gifts that remain unopened on her bed. As they do every year, they will celebrate her birthday on May 12. In the decade since shes been gone, her parents have faced relentless scrutiny and accusations from people who think they intentionally or accidentally killed her and hid the body. Even the chief investigator, Goncalo Amaral, whose book The Truth of the Lie is convinced they were involved. There are theories that she was kidnapped for a childless couple, or snatched by a sinister pedophile ring led by a man from an e-fit drawing. The most recent theory is that the British secret service or MI5 colluded with the McCanns to cover up their daughters death. In 2013, Portuguese authorities reopened the case after British police found 41 new persons of interest and 200 leads previously ignored by the Portuguese cops. But Maddie is still missing. Ian Horrocks, a retired Metropolitan Police homicide detective who is now a senior consultant BGP Global Services, believes McCann is still alive. Having visited the scene, it is easy to see how Madeleine could have been snatched and her abductor made good his escape in less than two minutes. By turning right from the apartment, he could have been totally out of sight within 30 seconds, he told The Daily Beast in an email. The talk of Madeleine being kidnapped by a pedophile ring, or people traffickers, for a client in some distant place, or some of the even more farfetched theories may be worth discussion, but are not in my opinion credible. Likewise, the idea that a random burglar suddenly deciding to take a child instead of valuables is also unlikely. Horricks is adamant that the McCanns are not involved. I also do not believe that anyone with any sense believes that they killed Madeleine deliberately, so this leaves a tragic accident. Even if such an accident had happened, is it feasible that they would not immediately seek assistance and call for an ambulance? Are we saying that they coldly decided that Madeleine was dead and then put together an elaborate plan to dispose of her body? Did Gerry McCann simply walk down the road with his daughters body and dispose of it, and then calmly go out for dinner. This is ridiculous in the extreme, he says, though many conspiracy theorists believe thats exactly what happened. Instead Horricks thinks McCann was targeted after the abductors studied their behavior, which should be a lesson to all young families who may easily fall into set routines. The McCanns had dined at the complex every night, taking turns with their travel companions at 20-minute intervals to check on their children after they put them to bed in their holiday suite nearby. Horricks believes this adherence to a routine made it easy to take the child. Whoever abducted Madeleine was then able to put their plan together. The routine of Mr. and Mrs. McCann and their friends, along with the regular checking of the children could have been easily observed, as well as the fact that access via the patio door was simple, he says, noting that Madeleines father physical checked on the Madeleine and her younger siblings at 9:05 p.m., but that the next person to check, a family friend, just listened at the door. It was only when Madeleines mother, Kate, checked at 10 p.m. that the young girl was discovered missing. That gives the abductors nearly an hour to make their getaway. Whether they were local to the area or a visitor, I am of the view that Madeleine was seen early in the week, and from then the plan was developed to abduct her, the detective says. If local, they could have initially stayed in the area, and if from further afield, would have left on Thursday, and possibly even vacated their accommodation before this. On this basis, Horricks and many others, including McCanns parents, believe she may still be alive. Also, dont forget that whoever took Madeleine knows that she could be recognized at any time and therefore they will go to any means necessary to ensure this does not happen, he says. Could her hair be dyed a different color, has she got a tan, is she now speaking a different language? If she is alive, Horricks wonders if she, like other teenagers, will start to wonder where she came from. Madeleine, if alive, is now a teenager. She may become curious as to her background. No one knows where this could lead. Hopefully for the McCanns, it would lead her home. It is, without question, one of the most bizarreand side-splittingly funnymovie scenes youll see all year. Midway through Laura Poitras documentary Risk, which provides an illuminating (and confounding) look at WikiLeaks controversial founder Julian Assange, pop diva Lady Gaga shows up. Gaga chose to visit Assange at the urging of rapper M.I.A., who provided the musical score to Assanges talk program World Tomorrow, which aired on the Kremlin propaganda network Russia Today, or RT. WikiLeaks heavily promoted the five-hour meeting of the minds on its social-media accounts, and the encounter was later adapted into an Australian musical (really). Gaga arrives at the Ecuadorian embassy in London dressed like a witch, complete with black pointy hat, black dress, and fiery red hair. It is October 2012, just four months after Assange was granted asylum at the embassy while dodging sexual-assault allegations in Sweden as well as extradition threats from the U.S., where numerous lawmakers have called for him to be tried for treason. The publisher had presumably hoped the meeting would lead to a groundswell of support from Gagas considerable online fan base. This is your room? she asks, horrified after surveying his cramped, cream-colored space. Gaga then sits down in a chair across from Assange and, after looking him up and down, suggests that he change out of his snazzy suit. She goes into his closet and emerges with a white T-shirt. Put on a dirty fucking T-shirt, she says, like a rebel. Assange agrees, and changes into the tee. Then Gaga begins filming her interview with Assange whilst spread across an armchair, her little camera raised in the air. Whats your favorite food? she asks him. The hacktivist goes into a snobbish spiel about a visit he once took to Malaysia before course-correcting: Lets not pretend for a moment Im a normal person, he answers, chuckling. The next hard-hitting question from the music dynamo formerly known as Stefani Germanotta: Who is after you? She wants him to name every federal agency from every country thats after him. When he lists all the ones from the U.S., she requests that he list all the agencies from Sweden and Australia. Assange obliges, and an uninterested Gaga concludes: So a lot of fucking people. Theres more. Do you ever feel like just fucking cryingeven when youre happy? she inquires. Why does it matter how I feel? offers Assange. Do you love your mom? What about your dad? My dad is much more complex, he says. So nothing like you, Gaga fires back in her signature affected delivery, oozing insouciance. At the New York premiere of Risk at the Whitney Museum, the audience laughed hysterically all the way through the cringe-worthy sequence. But Poitras, the Oscar-winning director of the Edward Snowden documentary Citizenfour, doesnt see it as just mere comedy relief. I think its such a great moment, Poitras tells The Daily Beast. She gets so much by pushing. When Julian says, I dont care how I feel, thats such a brilliant moment of insight. Or when he says hes not a normal person. Poitras, who filmed Assange on and off for six yearsfrom 2010 to 2016didnt shoot the Gaga footage, which was done by another member of her team, but enjoys it nonetheless. I love the scene for its humor, I love the scene for its insight, for how surreal it is, and what it reveals about both of them, adds Poitras. [Julian] says, I went to Malaysia once and says, Lets not pretend for a moment Im a normal person. I think its true that hes not a normal person. An example of that is hes in this small space and there are police everywhere, and he decided to sleep in this area thats right on the other side of the cops. Wouldnt it be a more normal thing to find a safe, quiet place away from all that? Risk will hit select theaters on May 5 and will air on Showtime later this summer. As for Gaga and WikiLeaks, Chelsea Manning, the U.S. Army private who stole the lions share of the classified U.S. files released by the organizationincluding Reykjavik 13, the Collateral Murder video, the Afghan War Logs, the Iraq War Logs, the Guatanamo Bay Files, etc., reportedly lip-synched along to Lady Gagas Telephone while extracting the top-secret files. She will be released on May 17 after having her sentence for violating the Espionage Act commuted by former President Obama. The rest of our wide-ranging interview with Laura Poitras will run on Thursday, May 4. John Jack Zawaiski, 82, is suing a Mississippi funeral home for refusing to cremate his 86-year-old husbands body. All of the arrangements were made for Zawadiskis husband, Robert Bob Huskey, to be cremated. But, according to NBC News, when the Picayune Funeral Home discovered the same-sex couple was legally married, they refused the body. I didnt realize that this was going to happen even, Zawadiski says in the video statement, holding back tears. I knew Bob was going to pass, but I didnt know he was going to be denied. Zawadiski and Huskey were together for 52 years. They met in California in 1962 and were inseparable. On August 17, 2015, the couple was finally able to wed in Hancock County, Mississippi. Soon after, Huskeys health sadly deteriorated, and he was moved into a nursing home. When it was known Huskey was near the end of his life, Zawadiskis nephew, John Gaspari, stepped in to help with the arrangements. Uncle Jack is in his 80s. I tried to line everything up so it would be as seamless and as simple for him as possible, Gaspari says. I had talked to the owner of the funeral home, had the agreement. Everything was planned out, he continues. The nursing home had called me and said, John, we have a problem. Theyre refusing to service him. When the funeral home received paperwork for the couples marriage, they refused to take Huskeys body. "I felt as if all the air had been knocked out of me," Zawadski says. "At a moment of such personal pain and loss, to have someone do what they did to me, to us, to Bob, I just couldn't believe it. Zawadiski is suing Picayune Funeral Home and their parent company, Brewer Funeral Services, for breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent misrepresentation. The lawsuit states Zawadiski had to find another funeral home with cremation services 90 miles away. A Lambda Legal attorney, Beth Littrell, told NBC News: Bob's peaceful passing was marred by turmoil, distress and indignity, adding immeasurable anguish to Jack and John's loss. This should not have happened to them, and should not be allowed to happen again." No one should be put through what we were put through, Zawadiski says. BANGKOKWhen Thailands military seized power almost three years ago, the Obama administration shunned it. Washington was angered by Gen. Prayuth Chan-ochas suppression of political parties, dissidents, and the media. But, as you might have guessed, the Trump administration has a different view, and the strongman finds himself cordially invited to the White House. In Bangkok, Government House was predictably puffed up at the news. The Twitterverse, meanwhile, bristled with outrage over Trumps decision to invite Prayuth as well as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (plus Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong). Is Assad next? one tweep wondered, echoing critics who saw the invitations as a predictable move by a U.S. president who praises strongmen like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, Egypts Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump loves his human rights abusers, one critic tweeted. Trump showed little knowledge oflet alone interest inSoutheast Asia during the presidential campaign and after his election. Now, not only has he discovered the region, he is trying to embrace its leaders. But are these invitations merely evidence of a U.S. presidents penchant for demagogues? Or has the Axis of Adults around him decided the U.S. needs friends in the region right now as tensions grow in Korea and between the U.S. and China? Perhaps all of the above. Thailands Prayuth may well be a kindred spirit for Donald Trump. The two men share a disdain for and fear of journalists. While Trump attacks the media as disgusting purveyors of fake news and talks about changing libel laws to go after offending outlets, Prayuth has cowed local media into self-censorship and run off disagreeable foreign press, including The New York Times. A subcommittee Prayuth appointed has proposed a triumph of Orwellian double-speak called the Protection of Media Rights and Freedom and Promotion of Ethics and Professional Standards Billa.k.a. the media control billthat would require media outlets to be licensed, with scofflaws susceptible to three years in jail or a fine of up to $1,700. And while Trump and underlings such as Sean Spicer and Stephen Miller strive to portray the president as an imperial figure who will brook no opposition, Prayuth makes good on that kind of threat. Last August he rammed through a referendum that approved a new constitution, written by an Army-appointed committee, which leaves the country at best quasi-democracy that will be overseen by the military for decades. For a society that has overthrown two military dictatorships over the past two generations, what has been happening in Thailand is astonishing, Thai political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak writes in the Bangkok Post. But Thitinan tells The Daily Beast that Trumps invitation to Prayuth does not signal some budding bromance between autocrats. Instead, its a recalibration of values and interests and an attempt to pick up a ball former President Barack Obama dropped. Despite good intentions, the Obama administration came up short, says Thitinan, an associate professor at Chulalongkorn University. China has been winning Southeast Asia. In Washington theyre waking up to the fact that this is consequential. When you talk tough to China you have to follow through, because China will test you. Obama was talking big and coming up empty. He didnt follow through; he didnt show the muscle. Thitinan says that while Obamas cherished human rights priorities will not be abandoned, they will be superseded by the geopolitical interests of the United States. It is a matter of realpolitik, agrees Lindsey W. Ford, director for Asian Security at the Asia Society Police Institute in Washington. Principles, human rights, and democracy are simply parts of a bigger strategic picture, she tells The Daily Beast. The U.S. emphasizes its alliances as foundations of its foreign policy, but our Southeast Asia alliance has been in trouble for some time, she explains. America stopped showing that it values those relationships, resulting in a strategic shift toward China in the region, she says. In the last couple of years theres been a perception that the U.S. didnt have the ability or the will to lead as we had in the past, and China was stepping into that breach. Prayuth, 63, has done much to deserve scorn and suspicion since he overthrew democratically elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in May 2014. The grim-faced ultra-royalist first installed martial law and then responded to criticism by replacing it with Article 44, an even harsher constitutional provision that essentially allows him to perform any actexecutive, judicial or legislative. He also has toughened enforcement of the countrys lese majeste law, which criminalizes insulting the royal familylargely, critics say, to stifle dissent and silence opponents. Thailand and the Philippines are two of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, whose 30th annual summit just concluded in Manilaunder Dutertes chairmanship. So devoted is the bloc to not meddling in members internal affairs that it has come to be dismissed as an unwieldy collective of dictatorships, authoritarian states and a monarchy, along with fledgling democracies. The ratbag of dictators, autocrats and juntas that dominate ASEANs ranks perceive transparency, accountability, and rule of law as existential threats rather than foundations of good governance, is the way Phelim Kine of Human Rights Watch has described the group. Even so, the organization would prefer that Southeast Asia not become a Chinese redoubt, and would likely welcome a more robust American engagement. At the same time, says Kan Yuenyong, of the Siam Intelligence Unit, ASEAN could play the role of a mediator on behalf of North Korea in its ongoing nuclear-arms dispute with America, as well as a body that could help cool relations between the superpowers as they jockey for influence in Asia. I feel this is a long-term game between the United States and China; an overall chessboard in the Asia-Pacific, not just about the U.S. and Korea. Theres very deep geopolitical maneuvering going on and we have to understand this is a long game, he says. To show just how much of a pivot he is prepared to make in Southeast Asia, President Trump later this year will attend the U.S.-ASEAN summit and the East Asia summit in the Philippines, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam. But will Trump be treated with resepect? Prayuth has accepted the invitation to the White House. But Duterte, ever one to thumb his nose at the sons of bitches in America, says he cant commit because Im tied up. After all, he said, I am supposed to go to Russia; I am supposed to go to Israel. With such options, how could anyone for sure accommodate the leader of the free world? Stephen Colbert has done it now. He has triggered an army of Donald Trump supporters outraged by one of the late night comics jokes about their beloved leader. In fact, these Trump snowflakes are in such a tizzy over Colberts politically incorrect joke they now want to silence Colbert by demanding he be fired. This controversy exploded late Tuesday when Breitbart.com, in between articles demonizing immigrants and Muslims, published an article to whine about Colberts joke that sent Trumpers looking for a safe space. So what was this horrific joke that mandates Colbert be silenced in the eyes of Trumpers? Well it was part of a block of jokes where Colbert quipped: Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine. You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign-language gorilla that got hit in the head. And then the line that cause Trumpers to freak out: In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putins cock holster. And cue the outrage. Come Tuesday night the number one topic trending on Twitter was #FireColbert. And the tweets there offered up the biggest display of hypocrisy since the last time Trump opened up his mouth. This Colbert joke was the bridge too far for Trumpers. Sure, they were on board when during the campaign Trump mocked a disabled reporter. And when Trump demonized Mexican immigrants as rapists and stoked hate versus Muslims by saying Islam hates us. Many of them defended Trumps bragging about grabbing women by the genitals as locker room talk. And Trumpers literally cheered at his campaign rally in October when he called the courageous women who came forward to report that Trump had sexually assaulted them horrible liars. But Colberts joke was the thing that upset their delicate sensibilities. So Trumpers took to twitter to call for Colbert to be silenced. There was @RedPillDropper who brags about not being politically correct in between tweets about #Whitegenocide and why cant the person be openly anti-Semitic. This persons tweet read: We have to do to Colbert what the left did to O'Reilly watch + #FireColbert now heres a list of all CBS advertisers... And then there was Hispanics for Trump with the tweet, O'Reilly lost his job at Fox News over accusations and @CBS allows Stephen Colbert to continue after his remarks? Unbelievable! #FireColbert (That tweet had nearly 750 likes as of the writing of this article.) In fact, equating Colberts one joke with Bill OReillys years of sexually harassing women was a common point made by Trump supporters. That truly says so much about the mindset of some on the right. (And just to be clear, Bill OReilly was fired for allegations of sexually harassing women, not for his political views.) Then there were the Trump supporters who claimed Colberts joke was homophobic and they wanted us to believe they were outraged because they so care about the LGBT community. For example, this gem from @rottenronnie: if @billoreilly was let go for accusations then @StephenAtHome should be fired for his homophobic statements! You see, the very same Trump supporters who were ecstatic that come Thursday, Trump was expected to sign an executive order on religious liberty that will allow them to discriminate against the LGBT community, now suddenly cares about that community. Hard to believe when Trump opposes marriage equality and his VP Mike Pence has a long history of stoking hate versus the LGBT community, despicably even opposing laws that would prohibit discrimination against gays in the workplace. Fox News Britt Hume even chimed in on the Colbert joke, which takes guts considering my review of his Twitter feed found zero tweets from him denouncing Bill OReilly for sexual harassment. Instead he had retweeted a defense of OReilly a few weeks ago: Look at coordinated campaign. Outrage when useful, silence when not (e.g. Clinton). Bill O'Reilly out at Fox News. But Tuesday night Hume was up in arms over Colbert, tweeting, Will there be consequences for Stephen Colbert's obscene attack on the president last night, or even any comment from CBS? And a short time later the Fox News anchor tweeted that Rosie ODonnell was a sewermouth for her defense of Colberts joke. Nothing like defending Trump by calling women names because you dont like what they say. Trump will be so proud of Hume. Of course, all of this comes in the shadow of the Ann Coulter controversy her speaking at UC Berkley. As a progressive, I publicly defended on CNN Coulters right to speak at that school. I have even defended the right of the Klan and anti-Muslim bigots to spew their hate. That is what freedom of speech is about. And those who truly view Colberts joke as offensive they have every right to express their views. There were some progressives who did view the joke as homophobicalthough other members of the LGBT community made it clear they disagreed. But none on the left I have seen have called for Colbert to be fired. The answer to speech you dont like is more speech, not silencing views we disagree with. I have long criticized Bill Mahers views on Muslims but I have never called for him to be fired. But deep down we know that Trump wants to silence critics, be they in the media, with his claims that they are fake news, or even comedy shows, as we saw in October when he called for Saturday Night Live to be cancelled for mocking of him. And just this week we learned from Trumps chief of staff that they had discussed changing the libel laws to make it easier to sue media outlets that are critical of Trump. Clearly Trumps goal, consistent with the dictator he truly aspires to be, is to silence his critics. Now I fear that an increasing number of Trumps fans are infected with Trumps views that those who criticize Trump should be silenced. And as opposed to Colberts monologue, this is not a joke. President Donald Trump is returning to New York City on Thursday for the first time since his inauguration. Thousands are expected to gather across the city to give him a piece of their minds. Trumps values are not New York values and frankly theyre not American values, Joe Dinkin, the national communications director for the Working Families Party, told The Daily Beast on Wednesday. WFP is hosting an event in DeWitt Clinton Park in the afternoon hoping to coincide with Trumps meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid, which is now a museum. Wear white in honor of past immigrant and civil rights movements and bring pots and pans to join in a joyful Cacerolazo! the Facebook event description reads. Well drown out Trump and show that Trump and his policies are NOT welcome in New York. As May 4th is also the unofficial Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!) wearing white will show were on the light side of the force. The description describes a Cacerolazo as a form of protest that consists of a group of people making noise by banging pots, pans, and utensils that is popular in Latin American countries. The event page indicates that over 2,000 people are planning to attend with more than an additional 8,000 interested. It is co-sponsored by a bevvy of other organizations, including Womens March, Million Hoodies, and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). Dinkin told The Daily Beast that the active network of protesters and organizers has been cultivated from mass previous organizing in New York Cityfrom the spontaneous gathering at John F. Kennedy airport in response to Trumps executive order to the more recent Tax Day march. New York has shown a pretty heavy appetite, he said. In addition to the WFP protest, the organization Rise and Resist, which sprung up after Trumps election, has another event planned in Midtown during the afternoon. Rise and Resist is mobilizing for President Donald J. Trumps first visit to New York City, a press release provided to The Daily Beast from the group read. Our goal is to show how unpopular and unwelcome he is in his hometown. We condemn Trump and his regime of hatred and discrimination. This is a very significant visit from the president, and we are taking to the street to show our disapproval, Wrolf Courtney, a facilitator for the group told The Daily Beast. He is not welcome here, and he is not welcome in New Jersey either. They are also planning events in New Jersey for the weekend, where the president is expected to stay at his Bedminster property. A third major event is planned in the evening on Thursday at Trump Tower, hosted by the New York State Immigrant Action Fund and The New York Immigration Coalition. According to a report in CNN, Trump is not expected to remain in New York City for long but rather will head to Bedminster after his speech and meeting. The president has often been skeptical of protesters despite his low approval ratings. 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 president tweeted after recent Tax Day protests. Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over! Now that President Donald Trumps 100-day milestone has come and gone, Rachel Maddows general assessment seems to be: It could be worse. During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers Tuesday night, the MSNBC host said of Trump, He does not understand the most basic things about what he is trying to pass when it comes to health care. So thats weird. I mean, its weird, its like the overall question is: Are you comforted by his incompetence? Maddow asked. Would you rather have a competent person trying to do bad things or would you rather have an incompetent person trying to do bad things? Its like being stupid versus being ugly, like one of those can change. You know what Im saying? Like he could get better at it. For point of contrast, Seth Meyers brought up Sen. Ted Cruz, who he said knows exactly how the Senate works, exactly how Congress works. If Cruz were president and had the House and Senate on his side, you would have to assume someone like that would be far more effective than Trump has been. To some degree, his lack of knowledge about how D.C. has worked has been an advantage to people who would not have wanted him to get this position in the first place, Meyers added. Maddow said she has seen a few big surprises so far in the Trump era. One of them being that even with the White House and both branches of the legislature in his control, he can pass nothing. In 100 days he passed no major legislation and the only major legislation he is set to pass now that we're past his 100 days is this big spending bill which has nothing in it that he wants, and everything that the Democrats want, she continued. Like, how did that happen? So their inability to get stuff done even with unified control of government, thats weird. The other big surprise, Maddow said, has been the resurgence of civil engagement from the resistance to Trump. She also expressed some dismay at the fact that Trump has not toned down much of his campaign rhetoric, including the lock her up chants about Hillary Clinton. Were not Uzbekistan, you know what I mean? So that stuff not changing since the campaign is I think surprising and worrying, Maddow said, before concluding, I am comforted by the fact that he cant do anything that he wants to do. But Im worried that he will figure it out. As for the Democratic Party in the first 100 days of Trump, Maddow said they need to discover their inner water skier. By that, she meant that instead of trying to lead the way they need to let themselves be dragged by the boat that is the people. Counting on the Democratic Party and its elected officials to sort of lead an election campaign against Trump, or to lead on policy stuff, or to lead people toward making Democratic choices hasnt been working, Maddow admitted. If the Democrat Partys elected officials sit back and watch that and take their cues from the activists on the ground, she said, I think theyll be unstoppable. A private prison company currently being sued for human trafficking expects to handle one quarter of President Donald Trumps immigrant detention. The company, GEO Group, contracts with governments around the world to incarcerate 100,000 people, and its top executives expressed optimism on a public shareholder call on Tuesday about how Trumps immigration crackdown will impact their business. Its indicative of a cultural overhaul taking place under the Trump administrationwhere well-connected multi-national corporations are poised to see significant financial gains because of tougher immigration law enforcement. GEO Group has close ties to Trumps political circles. The company gave $250,000 to Trumps inauguration, according to USA Today. A subsidiary of the company gave $225,000 to a super PAC helmed by the Mercer family. And Rebekah Mercer, hedge fund manager Robert Mercers daughter, is widely reported to be one of the most influential donors in Trumps circle. And last October, the company retained two former aides to now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to lobby the federal government on prison contracts, as Politico reported. Beyond being politically connected, GEO Group is controversial. Immigrants rights groups have long criticized it and its biggest American counterpart, CoreCivic, for the way they treat detainees. And in February, a federal judge ruled that former detainees at one GEO immigrant detention center could direct a class-action lawsuit at the company for forcing them to work for little or no wageswhich they allege violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. GEO strongly denies those allegations. On the call, executives noted that Trumps executive orders on immigration enforcement and Attorney General Jeff Sessions recent announcement on prosecuting undocumented immigrants more forcefully will mean more arrests, more detention and, thus, more demand for their serviceswhich their CEO, George Zoley, said were culturally responsive environments. The call gave a broad picture of how private prison companies expect to see the Trump administration roll out its immigration crackdown: with more deportations of people with deep ties to the United States, and more immigrant detention in the northeast of the country. Zoley said a new ICE contract for a 1,000-bed detention center in Conroe, Texas, will cost $117 million to build and will generate $44 million in revenue per year once its opened in late 2018. The CEO said the company expects increased demand for detention capacity at the federal level, and that it bought the Maverick County Detention Center in Texas for $15 million to meet that demand. On top of that, the CEO noted the company has enough space to detain 7000 more people than it is right now, which could mean another $60 million per year in revenue. GEO Group investors who asked questions on the call were closely following the impact of Trumps changes on the business, peppering the executives with questions about how policy changes could make the company more lucrative. Michael Kodesch, an analyst with Cannacord Genuity, asked what the company saw as the new opportunity set given Congressional budgeting. What we see is ICE beginning to implement their interior enforcement strategy, said David Venturella, the companys senior vice president of business development. For the past 8 to 10 years, the focus has been on the border. I think everybody has seen the number of apprehensions and crossings going down, so Phase 2 of that strategy is to focus in the interior. Well start to see the benefits of that through increased apprehensions and increased detention in the interior part of the United States, not necessarily along the southern border, he added. Then Tobey Sommer, an analyst with SunTrust, asked a follow-up on ICE. Does the change or, I guess, the introduction of more emphasis on interior enforcementdoes that change the agencys geographic preference, as far as incremental bed demand? Venturella responded that he expected more immigrant detention facilities near big cities. I think as ICE deploys more resources to the larger metropolitan areas within the United States, I think the bed needs will be closer to those sources, he said. So yes, there will be less needs along the border if the rate of border-crossings and apprehensions remain low, then the need will shift to the interior part of the United States. Then Sommer asked how enforcement could impact activity levels at the U.S. Marshals and Bureau of Prisons, both of which also have contracts with GEO. Well, I think any enforcement by federal law enforcement agencies could generate more prosecution convictions and then eventual detention in the federal system, Venturella said. I think the attorney generals recent announcement regarding the prosecution of criminal aliens would apply to all the federal agencies, so we will monitor the impact of that new policy directive. But certainly, any increase in law enforcement activity could generate additional apprehensions and then eventually detentions. In the final months of the Obama administration, the Justice Department announced it would stop signing new contracts with private prison companies. That announcement came after a watchdog report concluded people incarcerated in private prisons were more likely to commit crimes again than than people held in public ones. Shortly after becoming attorney general, Sessions reversed this decision. And the investors sound pleased. The turnover on the Fox News Channel over the last year brought about changes nobody saw coming. In a period spanning a mere seven months, three long-time Fox News hosts departed the network. Beginning with Greta Van Susteren last September, Megyn Kelly this past January, and most recently Bill OReilly, who in April was told not to return following the release of information showing OReilly had settled several sexual harassment lawsuits at Fox News for $13 million. Tucker Carlson was the beneficiary of each departure. Brit Hume filled in for Greta temporarily, but the permanent position went to Carlson in November with a new show, Tucker Carlson Tonight airing at 7 p.m. EST. When Kelly departed in January for NBC, Carlsons show moved to the 9 p.m. time slot and immediately topped Kellys ratings. With the departure of OReilly, Carlson completed his move to his current spot, ending up in the coveted 8 p.m. time slot where hell likely continue to have stellar ratings. For the most part, I wish Carlson all outstanding success. If youve followed his career, its obvious hes worked very hard over the last 20 years to reach this level. Unfortunately, while I was amused at first by Carlsons antics with various guests, the schtick grew old very fast, to the point I cant even bring myself to watch clips of his show posted online. Its disappointing, as Ive always been a fan of Carlsons work going back to his beginning as a writer for The Weekly Standard in 1995. My appreciation for his work grew out of the fact were the same age (he is a year older), and at the time, the political commentary scene was dominated by those 40 and over. Carlson is a Generation X'er, like me, and in the late 90s most people our age were trying to start dot-com businesses, so it was refreshing to see the work of a 26-year-old in the pages of a newly launched, politically conservative magazine. Over time, Carlsons writing extended to outlets such as The Atlantic, Talk Magazine, Esquire and New York Magazine, where he had a column in the early 2000s. Carlsons style was refreshing in the world of political commentary. Acerbic but not nasty. Witty but not corny. Unapologetic but not condescending. Carlson paved the way for a wave of Generation X writers that would dominate the scene, especially in light of the Clinton/Lewinsky revelations and the explosion of the internet as a means of political news and commentary consumption. During the 1990s, anti-Clinton fever was a great marketing tool for selling books by political pundits. Rush Limbaugh zoomed to the top of the best-seller list. The environment was ripe for such books, and everybody from Cal Thomas to Ralph Reed was writing them. Unfortunately, the problem with all of the books after Limbaughs is they all stuck to the same script for the most part. Liberals are horrible, Liberals are ruining the country, Were at a crisis point, Only conservatism can save us. There was nothing new in any similar books that followed, but with Bill Clinton in the Oval Office, the Lewinsky scandal, and impeachment looming, copies flew off the shelves. In 2003, Carlson released his book, Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News. The book is a delight. It was nothing at all like the political books Ive read. Carlson wrote warmly of people like James Carville and Bill Press. Carlson made clear he had no issues with ideologues, even if he disagreed with them. Ideologues, Carson wrote, werent concerned about their appearance or what they were saying because its what they believed. Partisans, on the other hand, he described as mindless drones who were more interested in the trappings of power than in making an argument for their point of view. Carlson naturally pokes at liberals, feminists, environmentalists and others in the book, but not with the kind of nastiness you see with Ann Coulter or Michael Savage. He even handles a false charge of sexual assault with some self-deprecation instead of a sense of self-importance. Tuckers guiding philosophy throughout is, Be tough, be courageous, and be firm, but by all means be interesting. During Carlsons time on CNN, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show appeared as a guest. It was an episode that lives in infamy as it elevated Jon Stewarts profile when he slammed Carlson and co-host Paul Begala for doing nothing but engaging in hackery. At the same time, it also exposed Stewarts built-in excuse for when he gets called out for this nonsense. Stewart enjoys a reputation as a thought leader in politics. But when criticized, he retreats into the excuse of, Hey, Im just a comedian! Stewart managed to play both sides when Carlson pointed out Stewart asked softball questions of John Kerry. Stewart exploded and said, Youre on CNN! The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls! What is wrong with you? Over the next 10 years, Stewarts nightly show fueled the use of the words destroy, annihilate, and eviscerate on websites each morning. Jon Im Just A Comedian Stewart routinely took on conservatives and Fox News by playing an out-of-context clip followed by Stewart staring pensively into the camera while tapping his pencil on the desk before launching into a tirade thatd have the live audience whooping and laughing. The next morning, websites, particularly the left-of-center variety took great delight in reporting how Stewart savaged Sean Hannity, Bill OReilly or an office holder from the Republican Party. As we later learned, Stewart was somewhat of the hack he supposedly detested. Stewart routinely visited President Obama at the White House and aides worked with Daily Show writers to make sure their point of view was well-represented. Stewarts tenure didnt elevate political discourse, but unfortunately, it left conservatives wanting their version of the same. After all, why have a discussion when its better to destroy somebody? When Fox News named Carlson the permanent host to take over for Greta Van Susteren following her departure, I had high hopes. It wasnt until Carlson took over Megyn Kellys time slot that I had a chance to watch the show. Admittedly, I enjoyed watching Carlson take on a guest right out of the chute and take down their point of view at first. Some of the interviews were flat out bizarre such as the one he conducted with Newsweeks Kurt Eichenwald, and others were somewhat funny. As one would expect following a show, social media and conservative websites were ablaze with variations of Tucker destroys _____ and Carlson demolishes _______. If conservatives desired a version of Jon Stewart, they got one. The problem is, the format got tediousand fast. After several weeks, I stopped watching. Once you get past who the guest is and why theyre appearing, it follows the same formula. Carlson looks quizzically into the camera, scolds the guest for not answering the specific question he posed and routinely laughs. By the end, while there may be a brief moment of triumphalism, you walk away realizing you didnt learn anything. In short, Tucker Carlson is now the partisan he once decried. His mission at this point is more about giving cover to President Trump than advancing conservatism. Its hard to argue with success. Carlson has stellar ratings, so a change in format is highly unlikely. Carlsons show will undoubtedly be successful over time, and many conservatives will happily report on the latest victim of a Tucker Carlson annihilation. Unfortunately, all it does is add to the long list of cable television shows where communication between opposing ideologies features a whole lot of yelling and snark, but little in the way of discussion. By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) India and Kazakhstan today assessed and exchanged views on prevailing terrorist threats in their respective region, including state-sponsored, cross- border terrorism in the Af-Pak region. During the 4th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism here, the two sides held useful discussion on the current challenges posed by various terrorist entities, radicalisation, foreign terrorist fighters, drug trafficking and misuse of cyber space for terrorist purposes, the external affairs ministry said. advertisement The Indian delegation was led by Mahaveer Singhvi, a joint secretary in the MEA, while the visiting side was headed by Ambassador on Special Missions A D Smagulov. The two sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation through exchange of information, capacity building, mutual legal assistance, sharing of best practices on countering violent extremism and cooperating in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and the SCO, the ministry added. PTI PYK SMN SC SMN --- ENDS --- Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said an NGO had invited a group of 47 Pakistan school children accompanied by their teachers as part of a student exchange program. By India Today Web Desk: Taking a tough stand against Pakistan in the wake of beheading of two Indian soldiers from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, India has sent back a delegation of students from Pakistan. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said an NGO had invited a group of 47 Pakistan school children accompanied by their teachers as part of a student exchange program. advertisement India has advised the NGO that this is not the right time for such exchange programs. The delegation was coming to India on the same day when the Indian army soldiers were killed and their bodies mutilated . In a ceasefire violation, the Pakistan Army had on May 1 opened rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts along the Line of Control. Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) attacked an Indian joint patrol team and mutilated its two soldiers. Pakistan has denied violating any ceasefire or killing Indian soldiers. Students were to visit Pakistan Embassy The students from Pakistan were scheduled to go on a day-long trip to Agra today and participate in an exchange of experiences with Indian students tomorrow at the Pakistan Embassy here. Expressing regret over the return of the delegation, the NGO Routes2Roots said the trip had to be shortened and the students and teachers have been sent back to Lahore. "Around 50 students aged between 11-15 years along with their teachers arrived in Delhi from Pakistan on May 1 and were supposed to meet their Indian pen friends and hosts of other programs which had to be cut short. "Keeping in view the security and sentiments of fellow Indians the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," Rakesh Gupta and Tina Vachani, founders of Routes2Roots, said in a statement. In October last year, a similar programme by the NGO was cancelled after the announcement of surgical strike by India along the LoC in September. "Even then as a precautionary measure we cancelled the exchange programme and now the same thing has recurred. If things go well, we will again bring the students, possibly within a month or two," Rakesh told PTI. Also read: Krishna Ghati beheadings: Pakistan Army chief Qamar Bajwa authorised attack on Indian soldiers Mutilation of our soldiers an act of provocation, have proof against Pakistan Army, says India Also watch: Jawans mutilated: Sufficient evidence to prove Pakistan Army was behind the act, MEA says --- ENDS --- anCnoc launches 2002 vintage single malt International Beverage's whisky brand anCnoc has added a 2002 vintage to its range of aged expressions. The limited edition vintage joins the single malts crafted at the Knockdhu distillery in Aberdeenshire, and follows in the footsteps of the 2001 release last year. With 1200 cases available globally, including the UK, US, Canada, Sweden and Japan, this single malt will be available for 65 RRP 70cl. Matured in Spanish and American oak casks and matured for over 14 years in traditional dunnage warehouses, the 2002 has been bottled in its most natural form, neither chill-filtered or coloured at 46% ABV. anCnoc brand manager Stephanie Allison comments: Were really excited to release the 2002 vintage to anCnoc fans as it creates the perfect balance between the signature Knockdhu house style were so proud of whilst introducing new tastes into our portfolio. With the combined spicy notes and sweet flavours, were sure this spirit will satisfy even the most discerning whisky drinker looking to extend their collections. Staying true to the anCnoc style, the 2002 vintage packaging mirrors the minimalist design of anCnocs core range and features the contemporary yet traditional illustration of the Knockdhu Distillery in forest green. The 2002 Vintage is available from 2 May at independent and specialist retailers, including Royal Mile Whiskies, The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt at 65 RRP. 3 May 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor Glenrothes brand sold back to Edrington Berry Bros & Rudd has announced the sale of The Glenrothes Speyside single malt Scotch whisky to Edrington for an undisclosed fee. The sale will see The Glenrothes brand reunited with The Glenrothes Distillery and cooperage, which have been owned and run by Edrington and Highland Distillers since 1887. Berry Bros & Rudd has distributed The Glenrothes in international markets since 1995 and purchased the brand from Edrington in 2010. During this time the brand has grown to become a significant participant in the growing single malt Scotch whisky market. Commenting on the sale, Berry Bros & Rudd chief executive Dan Jago says: It has been a great honour to be the guardians of The Glenrothes brand over the past seven years. Berry Bros & Rudd has nurtured The Glenrothes brand and we are delighted our distributor and importer business Fields. Morris & Verdin will continue to distribute The Glenrothes in the UK. Berry Bros & Rudd has always delighted in the development and cultivation of new spirits brands and the sale will enable us to invest further, developing our business ambitions in this area. Paul Ross, managing director of Edringtons super premium business unit adds: We would like to thank Berry Bros & Rudd for their excellent stewardship of The Glenrothes over the past seven years. We are very pleased to be reuniting the brand with its distillery and we know it will be an excellent member of Edringtons leading family of premium brands, including The Macallan and Highland Park. We are very much looking forward to accelerating the growth of this award-winning single malt in international markets. Berry Bros & Rudd will continue to distribute The Glenrothes in the UK. Edrington and its joint venture distribution companies already distribute the brand in several of its key markets, including Spain, the Nordics, Asia and travel retail. The Glenrothes will be distributed by Edrington Americas in the USA. Existing distribution contracts will transfer to Edrington with the brand. The character and quality of the single malt will remain unchanged under the care of Gordon Motion, Edringtons master whisky maker, who has been crafting The Glenrothes whisky throughout the past seven years. 3 May 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor Two Texas A&M faculty members from the College of Science and a visiting fellow of the university's Hagler Institute for Advanced Study have been announced among the latest class of inductees to the National Academy of Sciences. Marcetta Y. Darensbourg, distinguished professor of chemistry, and Ronald A. DeVore, distinguished professor of mathematics, were announced among the 84 new members to the academy announced Tuesday. They were selected alongside 2016-2017 Hagler Institute faculty fellow Christopher C. Cummins, Henry Dreyfus professor of chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp told The Eagle the announcement is proof of the university's commitment to creating an attractive environment for the nation's brightest minds. "First and foremost, I'd like to congratulate our distinguished faculty members on these well-deserved honors," Sharp said. "This is further evidence that our work to establish Texas A&M as a beacon for the country's top researchers and scholars is paying off." Officials said the last faculty member to receive the honor while still at Texas A&M was distinguished professor of physics Marlan O. Scully, who was elected in 2001. The National Academy of Sciences is comprised of 2,290 active members, including the recent inductees. Members are elected by peers for their contributions in the field of research. The prestigious nonprofit society of distinguished scholars was established in 1863 under President Abraham Lincoln with a mission of "providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology," according to the academy's website. For a full list of the 2017 inductees, visit nasonline.org. Without fanfare, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas has resumed abortion services in Waco, more than three years after state laws forced it to close. The abortion clinic opened in mid-April, the result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that overturned provisions under Texas House Bill 2 that the Waco clinic was unable to meet. The Waco clinic got a new license last fall. Kelly Hart, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said she was not aware of other Planned Parenthood facilities elsewhere in Texas that may be reopening. Other cities -- including College Station -- also have lost abortion clinics in recent years that have not been restored. The Waco clinic, which is about 90 miles from Bryan-College Station, makes it the closest abortion provider to the Brazos Valley The abortion clinic, which opened in 1994, served about 800 women a year until it closed in 2013 because of its inability to meet the HB2 standards of "ambulatory surgical care" and hospital admitting privileges. The closure left a gap of abortion services between Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth, and Planned Parenthood clinics haven't seen a corresponding increase in numbers. "We saw an increase in travel distance for the patient to access her right to a safe, legal abortion," PPGT spokeswoman Stephanie Mabry said. "We saw increased wait times for the patient. We saw women who were needing to take off several days of work, and to find child care for those [children] they left behind. A lot of times we saw that women went from needing an abortion in the first trimester to needing one in the second trimester because of the distance and wait time. That not only increases cost but complications when you wait longer." The Waco abortion clinic is adjacent to Planned Parenthood's long-standing women's health clinic, which provides family planning and health screening service, but the clinics are physically and operationally separate, Mabry said. Anti-abortion activists have been protesting the return of abortion services since February, before the clinic opened. They've posted signs, signed petitions and ran advertisements vowing "Never again in Waco." Pro-Life Waco director John Pisciotta said the news of the reopening confirmed his fears. "Certainly, it's a big disappointment that this has happened, that abortion has returned to Waco," Pisciotta said. "We had hoped that maybe they would reconsider their decision." He said the group would "pivot" back to fighting Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, both in Waco and in Austin. He said the group will also call out businesses that are friendly to the nonprofit organization. "For any business that publicly supports Planned Parenthood, we're going to make the public aware of their decisions," Pisciotta said. "Our goal is to have Planned Parenthood shut down completely in our city." Mabry said the clinic will be open by appointment on certain days of the month and will be served by a doctor from another city. The cost of the abortion is borne by the patient or by private donors, with no public money going to the procedure, Mabry said. She said the state of Texas has cut off major sources of funding for women's health services, and she expects to ultimately see the elimination of federal Title X and Medicaid funding for family planning and preventive health services. "When you hear the term 'defund Planned Parenthood,' what you're really hearing is defunding birth control, defunding breast and cervical cancer screenings, defunding sexually transmitted disease infection testing and treatment,' " she said. "There's no defunding happening on abortion services. Those services are intact. If you limit access to birth control, you increase the number of unplanned pregnancies." Republican lawmakers in Texas are now pushing new anti-abortion measures toward Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. But time is running out before the Texas Legislature adjourns later this month, and some conservatives are growing restless. More than a dozen of the Texas House's most socially conservative members on Tuesday pressed for votes on, among other bills, legislation that would ban a second-trimester abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation. The proposal is similar to laws courts have blocked in Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas and Louisiana. Texas' version already has passed the Senate but hasn't gotten a vote in the House. Among those frustrated is Republican Rep. Matt Schaefer, who supports the plan. "Know this: if pro-life bills don't hit the House floor, we have no one to blame but Republicans in the Texas House," Schaefer said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana slammed the Modi government over its Pakistan policy amid a raging debate over what should be India's response to the neighbouring country should be. By Mayuresh Ganapatye, Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Amid a raging debate over what India's response to Pakistan should be in the wake of mutilation of bodies of two soldiers, the Shiv Sena has hit out at the Modi government's Pakistan policy. The Shiv Sena, which is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government at the Centre, criticised the government, saying it is concerned about gau hatya and note ban instead of addressing the real issues. advertisement An editorial in Sena's mouthpiece Saamana asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come out with a strong policy to give a befitting reply to Pakistan. "We are still stuck on Pakistan issue. The PM should declared how many countries are supporting us on Pakistan issue. For our one martyr, we will get 10 heads of Pakistani soldiers... these were the words used by some who have now acquire power in Delhi. But still our Jawan's are being killed," the editorial said. "Pakistan Army crossed the border and mutilated our two soldiers. At the same time in Kashmir five policemen were killed in an attack. Everyday, farmers are committing suicides, jawans are being killed ... we don't have any right to say Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan. A Small country like Pakistan is insulting India everyday," it added. 'STOP MANN KI BAAT, START GUN KI BAAT' Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had on Tuesday advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop his Mann ki Baat and instead start Gun ki Baat to punish Pakistan for killing two Indian soldiers and mutilating their bodies. Addressing a gathering of party workers in Mumbai, Thackeray said whatever needs to be done on the matter "has to be done now". "Kashmir is burning, jawans are being beheaded.. Its time...he (the PM) stops that (Mann ki Baat) and starts Gun ki Baat with Pakistan to teach it a lesson," he said. Mann ki Baat is Modi's popular monthly radio address to the nation. Earlier another Shiv Sena leader had launched a scathing attack on PM Narendra Modi over the recent attacks on the Indian Army. Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said that PM Modi should focus on national issues than election campaigns. "We felt that jawans won't be martyred anymore after Modi became the PM. But Pakistan is crossing the borders, entering into our country, killing our jawans and insulting their bodies. We did one surgical strike but they have a 10 times bigger reply. This is not good for the country," Kadam had said. advertisement "PM should concentrate less on elections and should focus more on national issues. Securing our borders is important. How many women will be widowed before we give a befitting reply to Pakistan? Modi will have to answer," added Kadam. WATCH: Jawans' mutilation: PM Modi concentrating on polls, not on national security, says Shiv Sena leader ALSO READ: India warns Pakistan: We will respond at time and place of our choosing Krishna Ghati beheadings: Indian Army prepared to give befitting reply to Pakistan India hits back after jawans mutilated on LoC; Army kills 7 Pakistani soldiers, destroys 2 enemy bunkers --- ENDS --- A Cameron native was among three people killed in an air-ambulance crash in Amarillo. According to the Temple Daily Telegram, Scott Alan Riola, 29, was an aviation flight nurse with Amarillo-based Rico Aviation. Also killed in the crash were the pilot, Robin Shaw, and flight nurse Misty Nicholson. The air-ambulance was headed to Clovis, New Mexico, before crashing soon after takeoff around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Riola was a graduate of Cameron Yoe High School. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Terry Williams, a NTSB spokesman, told the Telegram that the investigation is in its early stages and a preliminary report is expected within five to seven days. Hardly a beat could pass between each customer approaching Brian Lippman on Tuesday afternoon, four days after announcing that he'll soon be turning out the lights at Lippman's Music, a mainstay of the local music scene. Lippman estimates he probably sold 15 guitars by day's end -- better than some months. The surge in business has been constant since he posted a blurb on Facebook and Twitter on Friday afternoon announcing that his College Station store will close after 32 years. People were waiting at the door when Lippman arrived Saturday morning, and things haven't slowed down since. "Sorry to see you go, man. Good luck," one man told Lippman in a rare pause between customers. Several more thanked him for his commitment to the community. Lippman, though "not good" with compliments, said he's been overwhelmed by the number of people stopping by to share fond memories of the store. "This was my life for 32 years, and I poured everything I could into it," Lippman said. In a small building on Nagle Street shared with Jin's Asian Cafe, the inventory is dwindling fast. On paper, Lippman Music's last day is July 1, but at this rate, Lippman said he could run out of guitars by the end of the month. Aside from his tools, Lippman said everything -- acoustic and electric guitars, amps, basses, drums, pedals and more -- must go. Freshly graduated from Texas A&M with a finance degree, Lippman opened his store in the Culpepper Plaza Shopping Center when he was 23. It moved to its current spot in 1994. The Nagle Street location was quiet for years, Lippman said, but in the past five to six years, "it went nuts." The rapid development characteristic of College Station first caught Lippman's attention with the construction of The Rise at Northgate. When the BB&T bank behind Lippman's store was demolished for the construction of another high-rise, he knew "it was only a matter of time." "We knew that my little shop was becoming just tinier and tinier," Lippman said. Lippman said he knew about a year ago that he was living on "borrowed time," but he was still surprised when he was told by his landlord a couple of weeks ago that his rent was being raised. Faced with moving or shutting things down, Lippman said he decided to let the store go. Sentimental posts made to the Lippman's Music Facebook page since the announcement of its closure reveal the influence he had on local musicians, with a couple sharing memories they'll take away of the shop. Bigger acts have been known to make a stop at Lippman's Music, too, during their trips to Aggieland. Evidence of some of those famous encounters are taped to a door frame in the shop, including an autographed photo of Lyle Lovett, thanking Lippman for an amp, and another photo of Lippman smiling next to Willie Nelson. Lippman said it wasn't uncommon for bands that were in town to play at Texas A&M to swing by the Culpepper Plaza location, which was near a Holiday Inn, after sound check. Perhaps the most colorful story Lippman will take with him is the time the Ramones made an appearance at the store in 1988. At their request, Lippman drove some of the band members in his Camaro to a nearby adult video store "to get some magazines" -- Lippman waited outside in the car. Looking back, Lippman said he wouldn't trade any of those memories. Once the store closes, he'll take some time off, though you'll still be able to catch him playing bass with the Big Apple Trio, the Rock-A-Fellas and Brazos Valley All-Star Band. "It's been a great ride," Lippman said. "It's been 32 years of just this huge adventure... I'm realizing now that I think I did OK. I think I helped a few musical careers, and that's what matters." With prom season in full swing, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and police are urging parents to be conscientious about not allowing underage drinking. "This is such a big deal for kids this age -- it's huge -- and it's a scary time for parents. It's a letting-go time, but I think parents have a huge responsibility," said Vicki Mercer, a MADD program coordinator in Bryan. On the national level, MADD released the results of a survey in April that asked parents with children ages 10-18 living at home their thoughts on minors consuming alcohol. According to the survey, half of parents surveyed were most concerned about their children drinking at prom compared to other school-based events, though the survey only looked at responses from 497 parents. Anecdotally, Mercer said she sees parents take one of two attitudes toward kids drinking at prom. "I think [there are] a lot of parents who are very involved, and there are parents who take the approach 'Well, they are just going to mess up anyway,' and yes, everyone makes mistakes ... but don't ever assume that your kids are always going to make poor choices," she said. With most proms in Brazos County occurring this weekend or next, Mercer's advice to parents is to sit down with kids before the chaos of the actual night and go over their plans. "One of the bigger things is just let your kids know that you love them and that you care for them and that you have their best interest in mind," she said. She said encouraging students to avoid alcohol on prom night can not only save their lives, but when it comes to drinking and driving, the move can save the lives of those around them. "It can happen to anyone. It truly, truly can," Mercer said. "And that's the important thing to remember -- even if someone is following every law of the road, it can still happen because of somebody else's bad decisions." Brazos County alone has had 1,171 car crashes in 2016 involving teenagers, including one fatal crash, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. In the same time period, there were 11 crashes involving teenage drivers and alcohol, though the crashes include the thousands of teenagers who attend Texas A&M University. In addition to it being illegal and unsafe to drink and drive, Bryan police officer Austin Stearns said alcohol consumption among teens may be especially dangerous. "We know that teenage drivers or younger drivers are already more likely to have an accident when alcohol isn't a factor," he said, "because of their inexperience in driving and their willingness to take more risks when they drive." Aside from physical harm, teenagers who are caught with alcohol can face minor in possession charges, a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to a 180-day license suspension and court-mandated community service and alcohol awareness class. Minors who get behind the wheel with alcohol in their system could face similar punishments, but for those 17 and older caught behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or greater, the consequences are more severe. That group faces up to a $2,000 fine, 180 days in jail and a driver's license suspension of up to a year. Lt. Steve Brock, College Station public information officer, said he recommends parents establish rules against drinking and consider using apps that track their child's phone. He also recommends using available school resources. "It's always good to take advantage of the after-prom parties that are supervised by adults, where you are guaranteed that there is no alcohol at least being served there," he said. Mercer's advice to teenagers who find themselves at parties with alcohol is simply to leave. "If you don't have transportation, then it's best to call your parents," she said. "If you think your parents are going to be mad, I'm thinking they are going to be a lot less upset emotionally coming to pick you up at a party where there is alcohol then they would be having to pick you up from a crash." For those who do end up drinking on prom night, Kelley McKethan, Bryan public information officer, said they should not hesitate to call 9-1-1 if a peer is in need medical care. "As long as they call in to get their friend medical assistance and help, because they feel like they are to that point where they have gone too far -- they are passing out, throwing up -- then they are protected," she said, adding that the caller needs to stay on the phone while first responders get to the scene. A local man known for his tireless dedication to connecting teens to higher education opportunities will travel to Washington, D.C., in June to represent Bryan-College Station at the national Jefferson Awards ceremony. Roy Lopez, a Texas A&M senior adviser and recruiter, was nominated for the award by several local leaders and was chosen from four semifinalists to represent the area in a bid for the national honor. "This has been a blessing, especially because I lost my mother just a few weeks ago," Lopez said. "... It was an honor to meet the other award recipients, because the volunteer work that they do makes all the difference. This just shows the positivity they give our community." Other local recipients were Jarvis Parsons, Gloria Kennard and Clifford Hunter who, along with Lopez, were honored recently at a ceremony locally. The Jefferson Awards are administered by the American Institute for Public Service, and announced locally by KBTX. The awards acknowledge those who have bettered their community by means of outstanding acts of public service. In 1990, Lopez and his father founded the now-popular Fiestas Patrias event that takes place every September and raises scholarship money for area students. He has been an ambassador for two years for the regional Camp Kesem, a summer camp designed to bring joy to children whose parents are suffering from cancer. Lopez is also an active participant of two Brazos County churches, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic and the Santa Teresa Parish in Bryan. But more than anything, the act of service Lopez loves most is getting teenagers from all walks of life on a path to higher education. "I want people to come to Texas A&M, but it's also important to me to send them to college anywhere that will make their dreams come true," Lopez said. "It's important for our community to give our youth hope. We want them to come back to the area not just as mentors, but working and giving back. How I live my life is to impact others -- it's very important to me." Lopez's parents immigrated to Texas from Mexico, and had to work hard for what they had. Neither spoke English, and Lopez's father was the only one of the two with a college education, which he received in Mexico. When Lopez attended Texas A&M in the 1970s, he faced struggles in the racial climate of the times, and had to strive for his grades. He graduated with a love of Texas A&M, however, and with a business degree he went immediately into the field of securing student loans for the less privileged who wanted to attend college. Some students Lopez has counseled, especially minority teens, aren't aware they can qualify for financial aid, he said. Lopez is passionate about directing families along the path to college, suggesting high school courses, extracurricular programs and volunteer organizations a student can participate in to get them in to the school of their choice. "I've helped kids who are now lawyers, doctors, teachers, and even recruiters like me, doing the same thing I'm doing," Lopez said. "How cool is that?" Lopez was nominated for the Jefferson Award by several local leaders, including Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Brigadier General Joe Ramirez, state representative John Raney and more. Lopez said he is ecstatic to be able to represent the Texas A&M-area in Washington D.C. He thanked several local businesses who have supported him along the way, his churches, the Fiestas Patrias committee and God. "And I dedicate all of this to my mom, Gloria Leal Lopez," he said. "I love her, and I miss her. I know she is looking down on me." A Brazos County jury heard testimony Tuesday from a man who was shot twice in October 2014 during the first day of the trial of a 69-year-old College Station man accused of shooting his neighbor. John Wesley Vaughn is accused of shooting Chad Glasshoff, then 42, at the intersection of Hickory Nut Road and Woods Lane in College Station. Glasshoff, who was Vaughn's neighbor, was shot in his back left shoulder and right hand. His hand injury was an in-and-out gunshot wound that left four holes in his dominant hand, but the bullet in his back had to be removed at the College Station Medical Center Emergency Room, police said. Glasshoff took the stand Tuesday, saying he had taken out his phone to record Vaughn on Oct. 24, 2014, because "in the past, if I've recorded him, then he leaves me alone." "I was shot and in shock. I thought he was going to kill me," the visibly shaken Glasshoff said. According to police reports, Glasshoff told authorities he had been contacting Vaughn about land surveying, after which Vaughn parked a Gator ATV behind his truck and began firing bullets from a handgun into his vehicle. Glasshoff stated he got out of the vehicle, and Vaughn told him to get on the ground before pointing a gun at his head, police said. Glasshoff then crawled into the woods and contacted a neighbor, who took him to the hospital. Authorities interviewed Vaughn before arresting him, police said. The defendant said he had fired his weapon at Glasshoff because he thought he had seen Glasshoff pointing a revolver at him from inside his truck. Court documents show a Brazos County Sheriff's Office official asked a judge at the time to set Vaughn's bond at at least $100,000 and place restrictions on him should he be released from jail, including that Vaughn be placed on a GPS monitor, have no contact with Glasshoff and not be allowed to possess a firearm or use "intoxicating substances." The same letter notes that there have been "numerous incidents with [Vaughn's] neighbors," and that the defendant's name had been in the sheriff's office incidence records 58 times. Despite the high number of incident records, the letter noted, the October 2014 incident was the only time Vaughn had been arrested. On the stand, Glasshoff testified Vaughn continued harassing him after the shooting, but he never spoke with him, and Vaughn never came onto his property. Richard Davis, Vaughn's attorney, filed a motion in September 2016 to delete his client's bond condition so Vaughn, a "veteran who has had significant health problems recently," could move to San Antonio and "be closer to the military community there and to the medical treatment he is entitled to there by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs." That same month, Davis filed another motion for the deposition of a veterinarian who examined Vaughn's dog, Chippers, when the dog was brought in to the Beard-Navasota Veterinary Hospital. Davis's motion explained Vaughn had discovered his dog had died on his property from a gunshot wound in May 2011. The dog had been shot once before in the three-month period leading up to its death. After the first shooting, according to Davis's motion, Glasshoff told Vaughn he had shot his dog, and that he would shoot Chippers again. During Tuesday's testimony, Davis did not question Glasshoff about the dog. Vaughn is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The trial continues today at the Brazos County Courthouse. Joy was born in Houston, Texas to Carl Edwin Vogler Sr. and Catherine (White) Vogler on July 11, 1929. After graduating with honors from Jeff Davis High School in 1945, Joy went to work for the Houston School System where she met and later married her husband of 49 years, Lawrence R. "Larry" Scroggins. They lived in Houston for most of their marriage and raised four children there, before moving to the Cooks Point/New Tabor area of Burleson County. Following her marriage to Larry, Joy became a full time homemaker and mother while Larry practiced law until his death in December of 1996. Joy was a wonderful mother and remained the kindest, sweetest and yet one of the strongest people you will ever know, she kept her sense of humor to the end. Although she and her children had been long time members of Oaks Christian Church in Houston, Joy became a member of First Baptist in Caldwell and the Ruth Sunday School class and enjoyed the early Sunday Service there until her Arthritis and Parkinson's made it too difficult to attend. She did however, continue to enjoy her many friendships she made in church as well as her senior group in the Cooks Point Community. Joy was an avid reader who got her library card as soon as she could sign her name. She loved spending time with her family and friends. The Green Response to Brexit The Green response to Brexit must be to resist these deals and instead pursue a radical economic and democratic localisation processes. These twin localisation processes are intimately linked... Rarely is the question posed of how much democratic control a country has if it is dependent on trade for its food and energy? But the answer is clear: not much control. The ecological case for localisation is a crucial part to this pitch. The air miles expended by transporting large quantities of products across the globe when they can be produced at home is an obscene facet of global trade. Equally important is the fact that production and jobs are incentivised to relocate to wherever labour regulations, tax laws, and environmental protections are weakest. This does not operate in anyone's interest as the poorer countries where jobs relocate to are often deprived of the profits of their labour by large multinationals. (For a more complete intellectual picture of the case for localization, do read Helena Norberg-Hodge's classic text, 'Ancient Futures'. Norberg-Hodge's work underpinned the content of Green House's recent report.) Our report calls for Greens to renew their unabashed criticisms of the globalisation process. This way, if followed, could result in nothing less than a realignment of British politics. If the Green Party is ever to become a mass party, capable of winning significant numbers of First-Past-The-Post elections, then we need to construct a much wider voter-base: an alliance between working-class and middle-class voters, like Labour had, until recently. Brexit gives us the opportunity to create such a new voter-base-alliance. If we rest content within a narrow base of Remainers, and try simply to resist Brexit, we are severely limiting our vote potential. Green House's report outlines another way: one where those who voted Brexit can feel welcomed into a radical ecological and redistributive movement that addresses the lack of control so many feel. Moreover, it allows Brexit to, against all the odds, achieve something worthwhile ... And it could allow Greens to become the popular movement that the planet and future generations desperately need us to be. We can in this way move onto the front foot on the issue which will determine the outcome of the 2017 General Election: Namely, what kind of Britain should post-Brexit Britain be. The next Government will largely determine the actual nature and trajectory of this country, post-the-EU. Now let's think about this potential realignment in electoral demographic terms. To adopt the 'Values-Modes' threefold division of the electorate into ethical Pioneers, 'me'-directed Prospectors and tradition-oriented Settlers: the standard main appeal of Greens has for some years been only to Pioneers. But what if we could cement an alliance between Pioneers and Settlers? We must reclaim the word 'protection' from the slough of abuse that it has been systematically subject to from the dogmatic 'free-traders'. Politics ought to be centrally about protecting those who are not able to protect themselves: the most vulnerable abroad and at home, our descendants including voiceless future generations, non-human animals. Protecting them, and protecting nature, and protecting workers rand democratic rights, protecting the places where we live, protecting everything we love and value: this is an agenda around which many 'Pioneers' and 'Settlers' can unite. It was an agenda pioneered by Caroline Lucas' superb book with Mike Woodin Green Alternatives to Globalisation (2004). A 'Communitarian' Ethic What we need in the 21st century is a deeply communitarian' ethic. Settlers' have a mentality that is in some key respects far from that of the pioneers' whose way of being tends to be closest to the psychology sought after by Green Party activists. But settlers and pioneers meet in we', in community. The pioneers' sense of community, as inclusive as possible, should deliberately seek to include settlers and their need for a sense of security and belonging, genuine desiderata that are seriously under threat in our hyper-open, hyper-mobile, hyper-global world. Pioneers should seek common cause with settlers. Only something like this will enable us to reach out beyond an urban ghetto of hardcore Green support to create an alliance between rural and urban voters. Only a coming together of (mainly rural) settlers' with (mainly urban) pioneers' will enable us to assemble a truly substantial voter-base. If the Green Party is ever to become a mass party it will need to win not just in places like Brighton Pavillion and Bristol West but also in places like (for instance) the Isle of Wight. So: The alternative', openly pro-protective (of all that, collectively, we most value) vision embodied in our report offers a basis for unifying Pioneers and Settlers. This is an offer that is strongly oriented toward more self-reliance and self-governance. The heart's desire of many Settlers is a viable, more secure, post-globalisation Britain. That is what we are outlining, offering. This is an offer whose time has come, as so many turn against globalisation, and as a more resilient future becomes necessary, given the rising tide of dangerous climate change and given incipient resource scarcities. What we have here is potentially the seed of nothing less than a realignment of British politics. A Green realignment that, at last, could see people and place, plus people and planet, coming out on top. Let the 2017 Election be when that started to happen. With the kaleidoscope in flux, it's time for a Green vision of Brexit to prevail. This Author Rupert Read chairs the Green House think-tank and was Green Party candidate for Cambridge at the 2015 general election Intelligence reports say several terror training camps have come up again across the Line of Control (LoC) months after the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes in the region. By India Today Web Desk: The Indian Army conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Pakistan occupied Kashmir in September last year destroying several terror training camps and killing scores of militants. However, latest intelligence inputs suggest that several terror camps have once again come up in the region. According to intelligence reports, at least 55 terror training camps have started operating across the LoC. The camps have been set up at new locations to avoid identification by Indian agencies. advertisement Trained militants from these terror launch pads are being pushed into Jammu and Kashmir to create trouble. Reports further added that Pakistan-based terror outfits are planning to push in dozens of militants from these launch pads into the Indian territory. PRESENCE OF TALIBAN, AFGHAN TERRORISTS A few days ago, Indian intelligence had received information regarding Pakistan's Inter-State Intelligence (ISI) along and the country's army working together to set up new terror launch pads in PoK. Reports said that about 25-30 launching pads had already been established. Security agencies had intercepted movement of Lashkar, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists along with some Taliban and Afghan militants. ARMY MOVING MORE TROOPS In the wake of brutal mutilation of BSF jawans and likelihood of more terror attacks, the Indian Army is moving more troops from south of the Pir Panjal range to the Kashmir Valley and other areas. Army has made fresh plans to foil actions by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) and instruction have been issued to local commanders to foil such actions. It is believed that BAT was behind the beheading of two BSF jawans Naib Suebdar Paramjit Singh and head constable Prem Sagar. WATCH: Krishna Ghati mutilation: A ground report ALSO READ: India warns Pakistan: We will respond at time and place of our choosing Krishna Ghati beheadings: Indian Army prepared to give befitting reply to Pakistan Modi government busy with issues like gau hatya while Pakistan killing our jawans: Shiv Sena India hits back after jawans mutilated on LoC; Army kills 7 Pakistani soldiers, destroys 2 enemy bunkers --- ENDS --- Back in 1977, Germany was seen as a pioneer of disposal solutions when it began exploring a former salt mine at Gorleben as a possible repository. From the start, locals protested vehemently. A decades-long battle ensued with intense debate over whether the site was geologically suitable. Some experts claimed that with its location in a sparsely populated area close to the then border with East Germany, the site was selected more for political than scientific reasons. In 2000 the government put a moratorium on the investigation. A bill passed this year will see Gorleben back on the agenda as a possible waste site, in a search that views the country as a 'blank map', with salt, granite and clay sites all to be considered. Officially, a site is to be identified by 2031 and built by 2050. But the state of Saxony is already pushing to be excluded from the process and some experts say this bid looks highly optimistic. In the UK, exploration of a potential site conveniently close to the Sellafield decommissioning and reprocessing site - home to by far the country's worst nuclear waste problem - stalled and was cancelled following a public and scientific consultation process. In France, the plan for a clay repository near the village of Bure is more advanced than most. French nuclear agency ANDRA plans to have it ready by 2035. But observers say there has been a lack of public consultation and public protests are heating up ahead of an upcoming parliamentary vote over the site's future. Unknown costs Besides the technical and political issues surrounding final disposal there are also massive economic challenges. In the UK, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority forecast that the current cost of clean-up is somewhere between 95 billion (840 billion yuan) and 219 billion (2 trillion yuan), based on the data available. The total planned expenditure for 2017/2018 is 3.24 billion (20 billion yuan), of which 2.36 billion (20 billion yuan) will be funded by the government and the taxpayer; 0.88 billion by income from commercial operations. In Germany, nuclear power plant operators are largely responsible for decommissioning reactors once they are switched off - this is where spent fuel is removed and sites dismantled - a process that takes decades in itself. Under an agreement reached last year, waste disposal is now the responsibility of the state. Utilities are to pay 23.6 billion euros (177 billion yuan) into a state-administered fund to cover this. But experts worry that ultimately, taxpayers will be left footing the bill. "For all the waste management and disposal of waste there is no technical concept and so you cannot estimate costs", says Wolfgang Irrek, professor for energy management at Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Instead, the calculation is based on 20-year-old estimates for the Gorleben site. Long-term intermediate storage Some experts say final disposal is a bit of a red herring in any case. As appealing as the idea of settling the matter once and for all might be, questions have been raised about the long-term security of even the Finnish project. "It's very arrogant, scientifically, to say today we have safe disposal for tens of thousands of years", says Mycle Schneider, an independent nuclear policy analyst and lead author of the annual World Nuclear Industry Status Report. "I am not convinced geological storage is good forever - I have not seen the argument made conclusively. It's too early to say." Instead, Schneider advocates a focus on ensuring that interim storage is up to the job, which, for the most part, it isn't. "We have got into problems with waste because it has been packaged on the assumption that it would go in the ground at a certain time, and it hasn't, and the packaging has degraded", Thomas says. The UK and France have used wet storage for spent nuclear fuel, meaning the waste is kept in pools for long periods of time. Schneider says if there is anything to be learned from the European experience with nuclear waste it's to take the German route of getting the cooled waste out of the water and into dry storage as quickly as possible. "There is absolutely no doubt that dry storage is much safer and much more secure than pool storage", says Schneider. "If you lose the water you are in trouble because the fuel will heat up. Depending on the age of the fuel, you might get fuel fires that will dwarf the nuclear accidents we have seen so far." He points to the Fukushima disaster, where it was initially unclear if a spent fuel fire was on the cards; a scenario which would have called for the evacuation of at least 10 million people. In the UK, Andrew Blowers of independent expert group Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates says the locations of planned reactors pose their own set of problems. "A lot of dangerous spent fuel is going to be stored on new-build sites which are in vulnerable coastal locations, which stacks up to a huge problem for the next century with climate change", says Blowers. Tip of the iceberg And all this concerns only a tiny fraction of the overall radioactive waste problem. "High-level waste represents the smallest volume", says Schneider. "The biggest volumes are [found] the lower you go in the contamination levels. A single uranium mine, like the German Wismut, can generate hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste." Decommissioning generates huge volumes of contaminated material. Intermediate-level waste storage repositories in Germany have also been fraught with technical and public acceptance problems, while decommissioning in the UK has seen costs spiral out of control. "Britain is an example of how to make provisions for decommissioning wrong - we have made every mistake it is possible to make and have ended up with a nuclear authority that has no money", Thomas says. Germany has decided to phase out nuclear power altogether. Having defined volumes of material to deal with should give it some advantage, but Thomas says there is still too little experience of decommissioning to really know what the country is in for. "The amount of decommissioning that has gone on in the world is negligible. I think there are six plants that have been fully decommissioned that operated for a decent amount of time." Still, Blowers says Germany's got one thing right. "What we don't want is more nuclear waste created when we are not at all sure what we are going to do with what we've already got." Ruby Russell is a Berlin-based journalist whose work has been published by Deutsche Welle, Clean Energy Wire, the Guardian and the Ecologist, among others This article was originally published here by openDemocracy under Creative Commons' Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 England & Wales License and 2.5 China License. A Union Hall man has been found not guilty of attempting to arrange a murder. Robert Winkfield Adkins, 44, was acquitted Friday in Franklin County Circuit Court on the second day of a bench trial. But Judge Joseph Canada did require Adkins to post a $5,000 peace bond restricting him from contact with Chris Prillaman, the man he was accused of conspiring against and whom he has been convicted of assaulting. Franklin County investigators have said that on May 2, 2016, they began looking into an anonymous report that Adkins had tried to pay to have Prillaman killed. The situation escalated on May 18, when Adkins was charged with assaulting Prillaman in downtown Rocky Mount, reportedly hitting him with both his fist and a bat. In September, Adkins was found guilty of misdemeanor assault for that attack and was ordered to serve three days in jail. On Thursday, at the beginning of Adkins murder-for-hire trial, Franklin County Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Cooper Brown called Joseph Roach, the source of the accusation, as a witness. Roach testified that Adkins claimed Prillaman was harassing his wife. He said Adkins offered to pay him to kill Prillaman, and he said he agreed to do so. But he also professed on the stand that he had no intention of actually harming Prillaman. It was unclear during his testimony whether Roach acknowledged receiving any money. But he claimed that when he was later arrested on unrelated charges from outside jurisdictions, he worried that Adkins might find someone else for the job, so he notified authorities. Defense attorney Cliff Hapgood argued that because Roach didnt take notes or record the conversations he said had occurred, the court was forced to rely on his word. Lawyers on both sides also acknowledged Roachs 11 felony convictions, but Roach denied to Hapgood that he had come forward in an effort to help his own case. This is something you dont play with, Roach said. Franklin County Sheriffs Sgt. J.P. Nolen testified Thursday that, ideally, investigators would have tried to record a conversation that would confirm a murder-for-hire request, or get a special agent to meet with a suspect who was seeking a hit man. Their investigation had to be accelerated, however, after Adkins arrest for assault. While Adkins was in custody, he was interviewed by Nolan and a recording of that conversation was played Thursday in court. In the interview, Adkins repeatedly says that he does not recall speaking to Roach about killing Prillaman but he does acknowledge it was possible he said something to that effect. I didnt mean it, but I could have said it, Adkins says on the tape. Many times Hapgood said he counted 17 Nolen told Adkins that police had recordings of his conversations with Roach. During the interview, Adkins asked to listen to the recordings, but officers redirected the conversation. No such recordings exist, Nolen later acknowledged in his testimony. In recent years in Franklin and Botetourt counties, defendants have received between eight and 10 years after pleading guilty or no contest to soliciting murder-for-hire. In both of those cases, the suspects were videotaped meeting with potential hit men whom they did not realize were actually undercover agents. In 2015 in Roanoke County, Ryan Heith Darter got a seven-year sentence for that offense. He spoke by phone with an agent he thought was a hit man, and he asked him to kill a woman he was charged with sexually assaulting. On Saturday, April 29th people came together to demand action on climate change. This is one of a series of protests with a message for the Trump administration, Republican lawmakers and the business community. At the end of April large numbers of people, organizations, and even a few forward looking businesses came together in support of climate action. In Washington DC alone more than 200,000 people assembled for what was called The Peoples March for Climate, Jobs, and Justice. The march shut down Pennsylvania Avenue, surrounded the White House, and rallied in front of the Washington Monument. Thousands of others also marched in almost 400 cities across the US and dozens of countries around the world. Countries that held marches included Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Greece, Japan, Kenya, the Philippines, Mexico, New Zealand, Uganda, and the UK. In 2013 we saw the beginnings of a new environmental movement that culminated in the first Peoples Climate March in 2014. The largest climate march in history may have heralded the birth of the next generation of environmental protest. The 2017 event was timed to occur on the 100th day of Trumps term as president. The march was organized by the Peoples Climate Movement and it calls attention to the assault on the climate achievements of President Obama by both the GOP-controlled Congress and the Trump administration. Many of those present had also been present at the March for Science the week before. These events follow other protests including the highly successful Womens March in January. Protestors acknowledge that climate change is a high priority issue and they are demanding that the US government joins the international community and adopt science-based policies commensurate with the threats. Message for business Protestors also want businesses to know that people care about the environment and climate change. This has implications for the way businesses operate. Smart business owners and CEOs are already engaging sustainability mindful of the fact that people are demanding action. Some progressive businesses even attended the April climate protests. One protestor at the Peoples Climate March was quoted in the Atlantic as saying, [the march] also sends a message to the corporations that really run things that people care. Virgins Richard Branson was there, but so were small business owners. One protestor brandished a sign that said CO2 Is Hurting My Oyster Farm. Bill Mook, is a 63 year old sea farmer who has had to contend with the impacts of a rapidly warming world. First he had to deal with ocean acidification and then oyster contamination by human pathogens due to the warmer ocean waters. This is the first time Ive ever really marched. I feel passionately about it. And this is directly impacting my business, Mook said. Some socially-responsible businesses are putting values into practice through advocacy. Companies like Ben & Jerrys, Patagonia, New Belgium Brewing Company and many others participated in the Peoples Climate March proudly proclaiming that activism is consistent with their brands. Those who are presently not on board may find themselves pulled into the gravitational orbit of this strong and growing movement. Despite the scientifically inaccurate information coming out of this administration, business leaders know they are playing with longer-term time horizons than elected officials. Forward-looking businesses know that this administration will end and reality will one day return to government. Broad Coalition Increasingly we are seeing an intersectional outlook which implies that there is overlap between climate change and other problems. Environmental groups are reaching out to others to broaden their coalition. The Peoples Climate Movement brought together 900 organizations including social justice groups, environmental organizations, faith leaders, labor activists, people of color and indigenous people. Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said this march demonstrates, the true power of the climate movement. Mary Nicol, senior campaigner at Greenpeace USA, said. We have a long struggle, but we know we will win. We will win because we stand for justice, the truth and the rights of all people. Some have questioned their ability to keep up the pressure. However, the 900 groups that participated have pledged to keep the momentum going. Todays actions are not for one day or one week or one year, Paul Getsos, national coordinator for the Peoples Climate Movement said. We are a movement that is getting stronger everyday for our families, our communities, and our planet. To change everything, we need everyone. By connecting with other causes a broad coalition of resistance is growing. Climate change is our lunch-counter moment for the 21st century, says Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. of the Hip Hop Caucus. To be frank, this has been a very Birkenstock kind of movement for a very long time from a leadership perspective, says Yearwood. Rev. Fletcher Harper, executive director of GreenFaith said, weve believed in that kind of coalition, multi-sector approach for a long time, says Nancy Whittier, a sociologist at Smith College who studies social movements, says effective movements are characterized by an ability to harness and channel all of this energy and fury in a lasting way. May Day Just two days after the Climate March, another resistance event took place called May Day. Like the protests that preceded it, this event enlisted the support of a broad coalition of advocacy groups. The May 1, International Workers Day event included protests, marches, and strikes in more than 50 cities. May Day organizers are calling their movement Beyond the Moment, and while the focus is on racial justice, environmental justice issues are featured among a wide range of social justice issues. Organizers of the climate movement and the May Day protest have drawn inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King and built a strong coalition of progressive causes. The May Day event was launched on April 4, the 49th anniversary of Dr. King Beyond Vietnam speech. These events are not just actions they are part of ongoing activism. We understand that its going to take all of our movements in order to fight and win right now, said Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of one of the Black Lives Matter groups. What youre seeing is natural allies coming together to organize, to grow bigger, to get stronger, and to build powerThis is a very dangerous time, and were taking it very seriously. Related Climate Protests are at the Heart of Growing Resistance to Trump A New Environmental Movement Breeds Hope for the Future People Powered Environmental Movement Scientists Take on Trump and GOP Climate Denial Trumps Victory has Spawned Unprecedented Opposition Trumps Inauguration Met with Protests as Darkness Officially Descends Protests are a Necessary and Appropriate Response to the Trump Administration The Importance and the Power of Protest: Why We Must Stand Up to Trump Resist Trump: Why Boycotts and Business Leadership Matters More than Ever Trumps Victory Must Not Cause us to Lose Hope We Must Continue to Fight for the Health of our Planet Regulation or Revolution What Romanians can Teach Us About Combating Corruption 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 ... It said in a statement on its Amaq news agency that a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the US embassy, killing eight American soldiers. An Afghan security force personnel inspects the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 3, 2017. Photo: Reuters By Reuters: Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on an armoured convoy used by NATO that killed eight people in the Afghan capital Kabul. It said in a statement on its Amaq news agency that a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the US embassy, killing eight American soldiers. Public health officials in Kabul said the eight dead were civilians and that at least 28 people were wounded in the blast that took place during the morning rush hour in a busy part of the city. Three US service members were among the wounded. Afghan policemen inspect the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 3, 2017. Photo: Reuters advertisement Also Read: Kabul: 8 killed in suicide blast near US embassy, 28 injured US-led campaign against Islamic State killed 352 civilians: Pentagon Also Watch: 1 cop killed in Paris shooting, Islamic State claims attack --- ENDS --- The doctors of the hospital have denied medical negligence. According to the hospital staff, the allegation made that the man was denied ambulance is false. By Rohini Swamy: Another case of horrific government apathy has been reported from Anekal in the outskirts of Bengaluru where a man had to shift the body of his three-year-old son in a scooter from the hospital to his home as the doctors refused to shift him in an ambulance. Holding his son close to his chest, the grieving father kept requesting people to take him home and a good samaritan offered to shift the child in his vehicle. advertisement The doctors of the hospital have denied medical negligence. According to the hospital staff, the allegation made that the man was denied ambulance is false. The hospital authorities, in turn, alleged that the father of the child did not allow the post mortem formalities to be completed. The case of unnatural death was however reported to the local police. Raheem (3) was mowed down by a two-wheeler near his house. According to eyewitnesses, Raheem ran across the road and was knocked down by a vehicle. ALSO READ | Dana Majhi all over again: Odisha man forced to carry daughter's dead body ALSO WATCH | Karnataka: Father forced to carry child's body on scooter as hospital denies ambulance --- ENDS --- Suspected militants on Wednesday targeted two banks in south Kashmir's Pulwama district within a span of two hours and decamped with several lakh rupees. By Ashraf Wani: Suspected militants on Wednesday targeted two banks in south Kashmir's Pulwama district within a span of two hours and decamped with several lakh rupees. In the first case, four armed militants entered the Wahibugh branch of Elaquai Dehati Bank around 1.50pm and looted around Rs 3-4 lakh at gunpoint before fleeing, a police official said. A police team rushed to the scene after the bank employees informed them of the incident. A hunt was launched to arrest the robbers and recover the money, the official said. advertisement The second robbery took place at the Nehama branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Pulwama around 3.20pm, the official said. A police team has rushed to the spot and the exact amount of cash looted by the armed militants is being ascertained. Meanwhile, the J&K Police has identified militant behind Monday's Kulgam incident in which 7 people, including 5 cops were killed. JK Police identifies militant behind #Kulgam incident in which 7 people including 5 cops were killed; Rs 5 lakh reward also announced.- Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 3, 2017 Militants are on a rampage in south Kashmir and they are not only looting banks, but even snatching weapons from security personnel. Militants have struck at bank assets four times in the past three days in south Kashmir. On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen barged into Yaripora branch of the the Elaquai Dehati Bank that was struck Wednesday and took away Rs 65,000. On Monday, militants attacked J&K Bank' s cash van killing 5 policemen and two bank guards in Kulgam and looted four assault rifles from the slain cops. After the recent video which was uploaded by terror groups on social media ,security agencies believe that militants operating in the Valley have changed their strategy and are now operating in big groups comprising of 8 to 10 militants, which is a new challenge for security forces in Kashmir.With inputs from PTI Also read: Hizbul militants kill 5 policemen, 2 J&K Bank employees in Kulgam while looting cash van Gunmen loot bank in south Kashmir, flee with Rs 65,000 WATCH THE VIDEO: --- ENDS --- Kim Reynolds wins reelection, promises to let Iowans 'keep more of your money' A group of six to eight unknown armed militants entered inside the guardroom in the court complex of main town Shopian at around 10:30 pm. By Ashraf Wani: Militants attacked a police post in the court complex of south Kashmir's Shopian district and decamped with five service rifles of guards posted there. Official sources told India Today that a group of unknown armed militants entered inside the guardroom in main town Shopian at around 10:30 pm. "The militant group decamped along with five service rifles including four INSAS rifles and an AK-47 rifle". advertisement According to the police, a group of six to eight militants overpowered the cops on duty. However, was no firing incident was reported. Soon after the attack, a massive search operation was launched in the area to nab the suspected gunmen, the officials said. The incident comes a day after militants killed five policemen and two bank guards in Kulgam district and decamped with four service rifles. Incidents of weapon snatching from security personals in Kashmir are on rise which is an increasing cause of worry for the forces in the Valley. Also Read: Hizbul militants kill 5 policemen, 2 J&K Bank employees in Kulgam while looting cash van Srinagar bypoll: Kulgam youth killed in clashes with security forces J-K: 2 Army jawans, 4 Hizbul militants killed in gunfight; encounter over, search ops on Also watch: Kashmir: Pulwama college students show ISIS flags, put out Burhan Wani posters --- ENDS --- This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Travel icon Tauck is again taking local students in grades six through eight on a free tour this year of New England as part of an 18-week curriculum through its Sparks educational effort with the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club of Bridgeport, the Stamford nonprofit Domus and the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford. The program provides students the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at landmarks in their corner of the country. Tauck is nearing a century helping travelers better immerse themselves in the places they visit. Sparks was originally an initiative of the Tauck familys private foundation between 2006 and 2012. The Wilton-based company brought the program back last year. Sixty students will spend six days in July following a New England itinerary crafted to the theme of charting your course. It includes destinations that bring to life the regions maritime history and the itinerary is interwoven with lessons on the importance of life planning. The first few days, the students will take in Newport, R.I., the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts and Marthas Vineyard. After a visit to the Plimoth Plantation historic village, the group will travel to the Boston area to visit landmarks including Revolutionary war sites, the home of author Louisa May Alcott and Harvard University. The tour will wrap up with visits to the Hancock Shaker Village and Norman Rockwell Museum in western Massachusetts. First to hit the road will be Domus students, who leave Stamford July 9. The next week, the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club students will follow and the Stamford Boys & Girls Club will go the week after. The students received an early orientation last month at Taucks headquarters at Wilton Woods Corporate Campus from Tauck employees, including CEO Dan Mahar and Jennifer Tombaugh, president. Last years Sparks tour took in destinations in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., wrapped around the theme of in others shoes. The trip included several national historic sites, museums and educational institutions. Both curricula were designed to include lessons in self-determination and other life skills like building confidence, independence and teamwork, as well as the basics of traveling, from packing to the niceties of hotel and restaurant etiquette. In Washington, D.C., last July, Domus students shared the wealth by taking a break from sightseeing to help clean the National Mall of litter. Just our little way of saying thanks for the fun and educational visit, the group wrote on its Facebook page. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-354-1047; www.twitter.com/casoulman This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Danny Segers, one of the owners of Letizia's Pizza in Norwalk, Conn., woke up at 7:30 a.m. last Thursday to a text proposition from friend and customer Ken Tuccio. One week later, Letizia's has teamed up with 109 Cheese and Wine in Ridgefield to create (possibly) the cheesiest pizza ever made. The text from Tuccio was a link to an article about a pizzeria in Portland, OR that set the record for the pizza with the most cheeses. The eatery got the idea from the newest "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie, in which they eat a pizza that has 99 cheeses. The Portland pizzeria beat that with 101 cheeses. "When I see something like that I think 'how can I top it?'," Tuccio said. He reached out to his favorite pizza shop to help. Click here to hear Tuccio talk about his pizza plan on his radio spot "Fist Thing Fairfield County." On the morning of May 4, 2017, Seger and Letizia co-owners, Dennis Letizia and Dave Cook, will drive four pizzas over to Milford where Tuccio will be recording his radio spot "First Thing Fairfield County," on 95.9 the Fox. The pizzas will be topped with 109 different cheeses. The segment will air at 8:15 a.m. live on 95.9 the Fox and streaming at 959thefox.com. "We're all pretty proud people," said Seger. "When we found out a place in Portland was in the news [for a pizza record], and given that Connecticut is the pizza capital, that really bothered us." The process of making the pizza will be documented on the Letizia's Facebook page; food experts from CT Bites and CT Magazine and the folks from 109 Cheese and Wine will be on hand at the radio studio to witness the tasting. The big hurdle Letizia's was figuring out how to get all the cheese. After some research, they found 109 Cheese and Wine in Ridgefield, drove over and got the cheese experts on board to contribute 102 cheeses. Letizia's will supply another seven to for a grand total of 109 cheeses, in honor of the cheese shop's name. Those who want to taste the concoction, can buy it by the slice all day at Letizia's on May 4 while supplies last. All proceeds will be donated to Food Rescue US (formerly Community Plates). Letizia's has a strategy for getting all the cheese onto the pies (blend all the soft cheese and mix all the shredded hard cheese together), but they don't know what it will taste like. Tuccio is not concerned, though. "I know the guys at Letizia's well enough, and knowing them, they're not going to put anything out with their name on it that's not good," Tuccio said. "That's the way they roll." So what happens once they break the record? There are talks of calling Guiness, but Seger and Tuccio are taking it one step at a time. Tuccio has not reached out to the Portland pizzeriayet. "I'm going to wait until we actually have the pizza before we start talking smack," he joked. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Mark and Collene Torres met in the theater. He was a director and she was an actress, and together they put together dozens of productions for a theater company in Maine. But by 2005, they needed a break from the stage. Collene went back to school and became a certified public accountant, while Mark got into architecture and continued to freelance for various productions. The pair relocated to Norwalk five years ago, and now, after more than a decade, theyre returning to theater together with the Town Players of New Canaan. Weve done everything from Shakespeare to A Christmas Carol to slapstick comedies, mostly with me as a director and Collene as an actor, Mark said. This is our first collaboration in any capacity since 2005, so its been a re-acquaintance with this aspect of our lives. Collene plays the lead and Mark directs Time Stands Still, which opens Friday at the Powerhouse Performing Arts Center at Waveny Park in New Canaan. The play which many speculate is based on the book Its What I Do by Norwalk native and well-known photojournalist Lynsey Addario focuses on Sarah and James, a photojournalist and a foreign correspondent trying to find happiness. Set in Brooklyn, Sarah has returned from covering the Iraq war after being injured by a roadside bomb. Her reporter boyfriend, James is swamped by guilt after leaving Sarah alone in Iraq. The play focuses on their relationships and prospects of a more conventional life. The play is written by Donald Margulies and was nominated for two Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Performance by a Leading Actress. Its a drama, Mark said. Which makes it sound all super serious, but its actually very funny. Its witty, the characters are fun to spend time with. Its an exploration of these two people and their relationship and what they do for a living and how that impacts them." The play marks the first time either Torres has worked with the Town Players of New Canaan, a group formed in 1946 with broad support in the town and financial backing from the Lions Club. Mark was selected to direct the play after pitching it to the Town Players as a potential production. As soon as it was accepted, Collene knew she wanted to play Sarah but wasnt sure she would have time with tax season and almost didnt audition. Its such a good script though, Collene said. I couldnt pass up the opportunity. When you start with writing as strong as this script has it's hard not to get excited about it. As for working together again, the couple said its like they never took a break. Its like putting on an old shirt, Mark said. We have a vocabulary that we can share. But I guess I feel that way about all of the cast members. Its been a very congenial group. I dont know that theres anything particularly weird about us working together again. The advantage, Collene said, is that she gets more one-on-one time with the director. Thats a real gift, she said. We dont have a ton of time in rehearsal. Everybody is just really on board to make it a beautiful production and its been really great. They arent always like that. Its nice where youre in a collaboration where everyone feels like theyre working toward a similar goal. Everybody has been on the same page through the whole thing and its kind of a gift that way. The show opens Friday and runs for three weekends. Tickets are available at tpnc.org. kkrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK A Norwalk man who police say held up a Main Avenue bank in December while wearing a Scream mask was charged on a warrant Wednesday with robbery and larceny. On Dec., 6 police say that Joseph Boccuzzi, 34, of Maplewood Terrace, entered the First County Bank on Main Avenue. The suspect entered the bank at 2:08 p.m. and with a deep voice, told the teller to give me all the money in your drawer. The suspect was wearing the ghost face mask from the movie Scream, black leather jacket, black hooded sweatshirt, black gloves with design, dark pants, white shoes and is believed to be a white or a light skin Latino male, Lt. Terry Blake, a Norwalk police spokesman, said in December. Police say Boccuzzi fled in a dark-colored 2002-07 Jeep Liberty. We worked with police in Stamford, Wilton, and Fairfield and served our warrant on Boccuzzi at Norwalk Superior Court yesterday, Norwalk police Lt. Thomas Mattera said Wednesday. Boccuzzi was charged by Norwalk police with second-degree robbery and second-degree larceny. His bond was set at $250,000 and he was given a court date of May 2. Boccuzzi was charged in connection with a four-month bank robbery spree that struck four different Fairfield County towns, police said. On April 14, Wilton police arrested Boccuzzi, and charged him for the February robbery of the Fairfield County Bank located near the Wilton-Georgetown border. While interrogating Boccuzzi, police said the suspect confessed to the Wilton bank robbery. Additionally, Boccuzzi also admitted to three additional bank robberies in Stamford and Norwalk, as well as an attempted bank robbery in Southport, police said. Authorities were led to Boccuzzi after Stamford police investigator Rafael Barquero spotted what appeared to be the bank robbers getaway vehicle from the Springdale robberies at a city car dealership, Stamford police Sgt. Chris Broems said. Broems discovered the 2004 black Hyundai Santa Fe was sold to the dealership by one of Boccuzzis friends who led police to him. Broems said Boccuzzi wore a motorcycle helmet and a mask during the Springdale robberies. He never showed a gun or threatened one, Broems said. Broems said the first Stamford robbery netted $6,000 and the second yielded more than $12,000. According to police, Boccuzzi claimed responsibility for robberies at Stamfords First County Bank, located at 1110 Hope St., on Nov. 12, 2016 and Feb. 3, 2017; Norwalks First County Bank at 660 Main Avenue on December 6, 2016; and an attempted robbery of Southports Peoples Bank at 411 Old Post Road on Feb. 22. Pat Tomlinson and John Nickerson contributed to this report. While Kashmir struggles with intense unrest and a massive police clampdown, militants are robbing banks and stealing guns to fund their activities. By Vishakha Saxena: On Wednesday, just about two hours past noon, four armed militants stormed the Wahibugh branch of Elaquai Dehati Bank in Pulwama and took off with at least Rs 3 lakh in cash. Just over an hour later, a second armed robbery occured at Jammu and Kashmir Bank's Nehama Branch. Authorities are still trying to ascertain the sum of money militants looted. And all of this was happening just hours after another robbery in Shopian, where a group of armed militants had attacked a police station and taken off with five service rifles on Tuesday night. advertisement It is clear that amid intense unrest and a police clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir, desperate militants have found with a new way to terrorise Kashmir and fund their activities: stealing money from banks and ATMs and looting guns from security personnel. Spike in bank robberies since demonetisation Over the last few months, particularly since demonetisation (November 8), there has been a significant spike in case of bank and ATM robberies. The usual drill being, a group of armed militants barging into a bank, firing shots in the air and taking off with whatever money they can collect. Based on India Today and PTI reports from the past seven months, militants have looted more Rs 1 crore from banks and ATMs in 13 such incidents -- all of them concentrated in South Kashmir. Most robberies have occurred in the wee hours of weekdays, and the most common targets have been banks in Pulwama (4) and Kulgam (3). Other districts targeted by militants include Anantnag (2), Shopian (2) and Budgam (1). Graphic: Vishakha Saxena Over the months, security personnel have managed to foil one case of armed robbery, when militants opened fire at CRPF jawans guarding an ATM in Anantnag district. The security personnel managed to overpower one of the attackers, but others managed to flee from the spot. One CRPF jawan was injured in the firing. The incident occurred on April 28, just a day after three soldiers were killed in a suicide attack on an Army camp in Kupwara. Adding guns to the mix Two days ago, militants attacked a Jammu and Kashmir Bank cash van and shot dead seven security personnel in the Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam district. Five policemen and two bank security guards were returning to the bank's district headquarters after delivering cash at a branch, when they were attacked. Though the amount of cash looted remains unclear, police found the attackers had taken off with five service rifles belonging to the deceased cops. Eventually, militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen claimed responsibility for the attack. According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Hizbul spokesperson Burhanuddin said, "we didn't attack the vehicle with intent to loot the cash. We have enough cash," hinting what the attackers were really targeting were arms and ammunition. advertisement The recent spike in incidences of theft of arms and ammunition in Kashmir has been far more than bank robberies. They began especially after the killing of Burhan Wani on July 8 last year. Up until January 2017, 66 weapons -- including 17 AK rifles, 23 SLR rifles, 14 INSAS rifles, 6 pistols, one .303 rifle, one carbine, 3 UBGL thrower and one Taser gun -- and over 7,000 rounds of ammunition had been looted by militants and mobs in Kashmir Valley, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs. The biggest arms robbery took place at the DH Pora Police Station in South Kashmir's Kulgam district, just a day after Wani was shot dead, where militants managed to get their hands on 35 weapons and 5252 rounds of ammunition. In many other cases the militants simply snatched weapons off police posts and police guards. Even policemen guarding political leaders fell prey to militants. The sheer number of weapon-thefts and snatching have forced Jammu and Kashmir Police to consider installing computer chips in firearms to trace them. Funding the terror machine While cases of weapon-snatching were on the rise, Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Rashid Bhat, who was reportedly close to Wani, went on to record a video message urging Kashmiris to snatch weapons and join the terror outfit. "Anyone who wants to join us, he should snatch a weapon and join us. We welcome them all wholeheartedly," Zakir was heard saying in the video in October last year. advertisement Days later, another Hizbul video surfaced, showing 12 militants brandishing stolen police rifles. Of these 12 militants, 9 appeared to be fresh recruits. Then, on November 25, five alleged Overground Workers (OGWs) of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were arrested from Pulwama as police claimed to have busted a module responsible for looting nearly Rs 14 lakh from a bank in Budgam. Despite multiple such arrests and raids on terror hideouts, cases of weapon thefts and snatching and bank robberies have continued to pile on. In March this year, Jammu and Kashmir Police even had to issue an advisory to its units to prevent weapon snatching. And with the anniversary of Wani's death approaching in just two months, it is possible that we may see many more such cases. Also read: advertisement Video: A look at major terror attacks that took place in the Kashmir Valley --- ENDS --- Delhi Congress Chief AJay Maken said alleged that AAP was formed with the funds of the BJP and the RSS to damage Congress' votes. By Abhishek Anand: On his first day in office after being re-anointed as Delhi Congress Chief on Wednesday, Ajay Maken launched a scathing attack on the Aam Adami Party (AAP) and called Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia as agents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Responding to the questions on the ongoing rift among the AAP leaders, Maken said, "AAP was formed only to damage the Congress. During Anna Hazare's movement, Kejriwal, Sisodia and many other leaders had good relations with the BJP leaders. The formation of their party was funded by the BJP and the RSS to damage Congress' votes." advertisement Maken had resigned from the post after party's poor show in the MCD elections. The Congress managed to secure only 30 of the 272 seats in Delhi. However, his resignation was rejected and he was re-annointed as Delhi Congress chief. "They targeted Congress' vote bank in Goa and Punjab. In Punjab, they tried to woo Dalits, who are traditional voters of the Congress and announced that their deputy CM will be a Dalit. However, their Dalit affection is limited to Punjab as the Delhi government doesn't have any Dalit minister since last seven-eight months," said Maken. AAP CRISIS AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan had termed senior party leader Kumar Vishwas an agent of the RSS and the BJP after his statement against party's rant against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the humiliating debacle in the MCD polls. Khan was suspended for his remarks after a meeting on Wednesday. Maken also said that the media is giving unnecessary attention to the AAP. He called a meeting of all 30 party councillors and all other defeated candidates to discuss party's strategy for future. "We want to thank the 15 lakh voters of Delhi who voted for us. Our vote percentage has increased from 9 per cent in 2015 to 22 per cent in the MCD polls of 2017," said Maken. Also read: Kumar Vishwas placated by AAP: Amanatullah Khan suspended, poet-politician given charge of Rajasthan Also read: Woman party worker accuses Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, others of harassment --- ENDS --- There are moves afoot to whip up the old Cold War angst and anger and to resurrect enmity towards Russia. Liberals in the West, outraged at Russias resistance to their decadent agenda, are caricaturing Russia as an enemy of Western values. In 1998 I had the inestimable pleasure and honour of interviewing Alexander Solzhenitsyn at his home outside Moscow. As I traveled to Russia I had no idea why he should have granted me an exclusive interview when he had shunned the advances of Western writers much more accomplished and better known. He had a reputation as being reclusive and also of being suspicious of journalists and biographers in general, and Western journalists and biographers in particular. I was, therefore, mystified by his acceptance of my wishful letter requesting an interview. When I had written it, I had only one published biography to my name. Why on earth would the great Russian writer say yes to me when he had said no to everyone else? As I pondered this question, it seemed that there was only one likely answer. In my letter, I had announced my desire to correct the failure of previous biographies, particularly Michael Scammells, to pay due attention to Solzhenitsyns religious beliefs. Perhaps Solzhenitsyn had agreed with my critical assessment and perhaps he shared my desire that a biography be published that emphasized the spiritual dimension of his life and work. Although this seemed the only logical explanation for Solzhenitsyns surprising acceptance of my request for an interview, it didnt explain why he should think me capable of writing such a book. Perhaps, I thought, Solzhenitsyn knew and admired G.K. Chesterton, the subject of my first and at that time only biography, which I had of course mentioned in my letter. Perhaps Solzhenitsyn had thought that anyone who had written a biography of Chesterton was thereby qualified to write sensibly and seriously on religious matters. Perhaps Chesterton was the magic word that earned me the interview. This suspicion was confirmed upon my arrival when Solzhenitsyns wife showed me a dozen or so volumes of the Ignatius Press edition of Chestertons Collected Works. Clearly, Solzhenitsyn not only knew Chestertons works but was an avid collector of them! Emboldened by this discovery, I asked Solzhenitsyn whether he considered himself part of the movement in Western literature which had responded to the wasteland of modernity with the perennial power of orthodox Christianity. I showed him a list of some of the writers in the avant-garde of this countercultural movement, a list that included not only Chesterton but Hilaire Belloc, T.S. Eliot, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Siegfried Sassoon, Edith Sitwell, Evelyn Waugh and John Henry Newman. He cast his eyes over the list and chuckled infectiously as he read the names. I do know that such writers exist, he quipped, and I also know that they are equally unpopular in the West![i] This was the confirmation I sought. Solzhenitsyn not only knew these writers, he evidently saw them as kindred spirits who had shared a similar fate to his own at the hands of the Wests secular humanist critics. At another point in the interview, Solzhenitsyn declared that he no longer saw Russia as being distinct from the West but that, on the contrary, Russia and the West were essentially part of the same threatened Christian civilization, and that both had succumbed to the evils of post-Enlightenment modernity: Today, when we say the West we are already referring both to the West and to Russia And there are ills that are characteristic, that have plagued the West for a long time and now Russia has quickly adopted them also. In other words, the characteristics of modernity, the psychological illness of the twentieth century, is this hurriedness, hurrying, scurrying, this fitfulnessfitfulness and superficiality. Technological successes have been tremendous but without a spiritual component mankind will not only be unable to further develop but cannot even preserve itself. There is a belief in an eternal, an infinite progress which has practically become a religion. This is a mistake of the eighteenth century, of the Enlightenment era.[ii] The fact that Solzhenitsyn saw Russia as part of the West and that he saw himself as part of that movement in Western literature which might be called the Christian literary revival should give us pause for thought. There are moves afoot to whip up the old Cold War angst and anger and to resurrect enmity towards Russia. Liberals in the West, outraged at Russias resistance to their decadent agenda, are caricaturing Russia as an enemy of Western values. In the face of this new form of Liberal McCarthyism, we should remind ourselves that Russia has given us Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Pasternak, as well as the aforementioned Solzhenitsyn, to name but a few of the great Russian composers and writers. We should also remind ourselves that modern Russia is not synonymous with the old Soviet Union, a fact that can be seen by the fact the Solzhenitsyns anti-Soviet Gulag Archipelago is required reading in Russias high schools. Regardless of Russias unwillingness to conform to the new West being imposed by the secular humanists and radical relativists, she is part of that older and timeless West known as Christendom. Solzhenitsyn knew this and insisted upon it. Then as now, Solzhenitsyn is worth taking seriously. He believed that Russia is part of the Christian West and so should we. The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now. Notes: [i] Joseph Pearce, Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile, London: Harper Collins, 1999, p. 305 [ii] Ibid., p. 292 The featured image is a photograph of Vladimir Putin with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Grand Island, along with Hall, Merrick, Howard and Hamilton counties, are all under the spell of Go Big Give fever on Wednesday. By 10:45 a.m., the campaign, which is in its fourth year, had raised more than $250,000, which is half way to its goal of $515,000. That money will benefit 110 nonprofit organizations. The total stood at $340,155 by 2:50 p.m. On Wednesday, nonprofits such as Head Start in Grand Island invited people to stop by and learn about their organizations and how they will use the donations gathered during Go Big Give. Executive Director Deb Ross said the money Head Start will raise will be used to match a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for a safety shelter at the building. "FEMA will finance 75 percent of the project, and we have to raise the other 25 percent, which is $40,000," Ross said. "We cant use federal dollars to match federal dollars, so we couldnt use our Head Start funds." Ross said Head Start doesnt do much private-sector fundraising because all the money has to be accounted for separately from federal dollars. But she said an exception was made because the storm shelter was needed for the safety of the 150 children in the preschool program. The Head Start building is across the street from Ryder Park and Tornado Hill, which is a reminder of the devastating tornadoes that struck Grand Island in 1980. "The shelter was one thing we really needed community assistance with," Ross said. The building at 310 Piper St. was purchased in 1993. "It is a wonderful building, but there is no basement, and in a steel building, there is no place to go in case of a bad tornado," she said. FEMA plans to certify the safe room, which is attached to the south end of the building, this month. "Once that inspection is all done, then we can lay some carpet ... and those things," Ross said. While Head Start needed funding for the safe room, the Third City Community Clinic will use its Go Big Give funds to purchase medicine for patients who depend on their free clinic. Executive Director Susan Aguilar said the clinic does not receive government funding and raises all its funding through grants, fundraisers and donations. "Last year, we paid over $35,000 in free medicine and medical supplies for our patients," she said. "We also use the pharmaceutical companies for the more expense medicines. So, last year, we received more than $450,000 in donated and purchased medications." Both Head Start and Third City Community Clinic are seeing increased demands for their services every year. "Last year, we saw 2,442 non-duplicated patients," Aguilar said. "If you count the people who come in on return visits and our dental hygiene and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) clinic and other projects that we have, there was over 5,000 office visits." At the Conestoga Mall, the Heartland United Way and Grand Island Community Foundation staff are operating Go Big Give headquarters, along with hundreds of volunteers from the community and the various nonprofits that benefit. Until 9 p.m. today, people can come to the mall to donate to the campaign. Staff and volunteers will be there until after midnight to help wrap up the days activities. "Demand is always growing with the nonprofits with the programs they provide," said Bonnie Westfall, United Way development director. Go Big Give "is a great way to provide additional fundraising for these nonprofits." Without volunteers, she said, "this would be an impossible task." People began giving to Go Big Give online on April 26. The donations went into effect on Wednesday. The minimum donation was $10, so Go Big Give is made up of more than 3,000 individual donations. Go Big Give is offering a lot of new prizes to donors from supporters, such as Idea Bank in Hastings, which donated a social media star prize. There will be a match minute for up to $4,000 for four minutes from 4:40 p.m. to 4:44 p.m. to celebrate Go Big Gives fourth anniversary. "It is a fun way to give an additional amount that is matched and has the opportunity for incentive prizes," Westfall said. This year there is $50,000 in match money. Last year, the event raised about $510,000, along with $89,323 from matches and bonuses. In Hall County, there were 1,612 donors giving nearly $300,000 during the 24-hour event. Along with the bonuses, Hall County gave $358,328 to last years Go Big Give. Eighty-seven percent of last years donations were $100 or less. Education, human services, the arts and youth nonprofits took in 66 percent of all donations during the event. Nancy Rutar of Grand Island was at the mall early Wednesday to make her donation to Go Big Give. "It is important to support the nonprofits in Grand Island," Rutar said. "It helps Grand Island grow and helps the organizations." Rutar is a volunteer at the Central Nebraska Humane Society. She has been donating to Go Big Give for three years, and her donations are made to those nonprofits that care for animals. Mike Pratt, who is from Mississippi, is working temporarily in the area as a traveling nurse, along with his companions who hail from Missouri and Louisiana. He also gave to Go Big Give at the mall. "It is always good to give to charities when you are able to," Pratt said. "It helps the community, and it helps people in need, and Im fortunate enough to be able to help, so I just donate to the cause." More than 58,000 names. Those names filled the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., as the Vietnam War veterans and their escorts on the Hall County Hero Flight visited Tuesday. The Hall County veterans who served during the Vietnam War saw names of their fellow soldiers, friends and, in some cases, family members. Roland Engel of Wood River lost his cousin Rodney Engel, from Doniphan, in the Vietnam War. Roland left Vietnam in July 1969, but Rodney was killed in action the following month. Tuesday was Rolands second visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Its not quite as hard each time you go, but its still hard, he said. Engel said he and his cousin grew up together and they were almost like brothers because they werent that far apart in age. He said knowing his cousins name is on the wall feels good. Its a real honor and it makes you feel good about it, even though it was what it was, he said. The veterans finished their three-day tour of Washington, D.C., with a trip to the National Cathedral before they flew back to Grand Island. Engel said the experience was great. The trip is fantastic, he said. The people did a tremendous job putting it together and they deserve a well-earned thanks. You really couldnt ask for much more. Rolands wife, Sandy, said the honor flight is a good way to recognize veterans. I think its a healing process, she said. It seems like every time we go, you feel a little better because people come up to you to thank you for your service. The more people do that, you feel like maybe it was worthwhile. The flight may be over, but Roland Engel thinks all Vietnam War veterans need to go on an honor flight. A lot of people I think are afraid of the emotions it will bring up, he said. They need to get them out so they can heal. I think its a very good healing process that needs to happen. The Central and Western Nebraska Chapter of the American Red Cross will celebrate a century of service to Nebraska with an event at the Hotel Grand Conference Center in Grand Island on Thursday, May 4 the 100th anniversary of the day that the Grand Island chapter of the Red Cross was founded. Heartland Heroes A Centennial Celebration will honor several everyday heroes from Central Nebraska who have been involved in acts of heroism and generosity to fellow residents of their communities. For 100 years, Red Cross volunteers have helped those in need during their darkest hours, said Rachelle Lipker, executive director of the Red Cross in central and western Nebraska. In this milestone year, we are proud to be honoring some very special heroes from our area. The centennial event will honor Mark Wienman of Hastings, who donated a kidney to Gary Golter, another Hastings resident he didnt even know. Also being honored is Mike Hutchinson, a Deuel County sheriffs deputy who was shot four times in the chest, abdomen and thigh while attempting to serve a warrant to a man with a history of violence. Elba Fire and Rescue, the Howard County Department of Roads and the Nebraska Department of Roads will be recognized for their roles in getting Elba resident Dan Griffin to Omaha during a major blizzard that had closed roads across the state. Griffin had only hours to make the trip after being notified that there was a heart available for transplant. A social hour and silent auction will be at 5 p.m., followed by a program honoring the heroes at 6. Pat ONeill, owner of ONeill Wood Resources, said the nearest construction and demolition waste disposal area is in Elba, which costs local contractors and demolitionists time and money. ONeill hopes to solve that problem by constructing a construction and demolition, or C&D, waste disposal site at the former Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant north of ONeill Wood Resources on Alda Road and Old Potash Highway. The Hall County Board of Supervisors conducted a public hearing on the siting application for the waste disposal area at its meeting on Tuesday. Regional Planning Director Chad Nabity said a public hearing on the conditional use permit for the waste disposal area was planned for the meeting on Tuesday, but an issue with the advertisement of the public hearings meant the hearing on the permit had to be rescheduled to the June 13 county board meeting. Jess Hurlbert of Olsson Associates explained the C&D waste disposal areas design, drainage and traffic flow to the county board. He said the site is proposed to have approximately 5 to 6 feet of cuts for a cell to drain from the northwest to the southeast. Hurlbert said the 5 to 6 feet of cuts are based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements to maintain a separation of 10 feet from groundwater levels. They (ONeill Wood Resources) are using existing drainages on this site, Hurlbert said. We are not changing the existing drainage of the site. We will try to catch any surface water we can and divert it around the site. He also told the county board that ONeill Wood Resources is seeking an access road off Alda Road, approximately 1,000 feet north of Old Potash Highway. Pats existing access is right off of Old Potash Highway, Hurlbert said. As he moves forward into his process, he will be taking all of his traffic so it can get off of Old Potash Highway a little bit more. That will relieve some traffic and some congestion areas, as well as a lengthy driveway to fit all of his trucks. For the DEQ permit, he said, ONeill is required to inspect loads as they come into the C&D waste disposal area. ONeills employees will also inspect the loads as they are placed in the cell itself. I feel this is probably the safest site Ive seen in Nebraska, Hurlbert said. Supervisor Scott Arnold asked ONeill to describe the materials that would come into the waste disposal site. ONeill said the majority of materials are wood, but concrete and metal will also come into the site. Supervisor Gary Quandt said he heard about a fire in a cell on the East Coast and asked Hurlbert how ONeill Wood Resources would handle a similar fire in its cell. For C&D waste, its not as volatile as it is for solid waste, Hurlbert said. It is combusting and getting hot. As part of Pats permit, he would have to inspect what they call hot loads to see if there are burning embers or ashes. If something does happen inside the cell with a fire, Pat has the equipment on-site ... and is utilizing the existing well on site, so he will have access to fire suppression. ONeill said landfill fires are primarily a municipal solid waste problem and that fires are a much smaller concern for C&D landfills. We are prohibited, by state law, from taking any material that has been burned, he said. So we have a significantly less hazard at a landfill fire than a municipal solid waste landfill. ONeill emphasized to the county board that his waste disposal site will not consist of municipal waste such as trash or plastic bags and is nothing but construction and demolition debris. Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp. President Dave Taylor said the EDC supports ONeills project, calling it a great need in Grand Island. There is revenue that stays in our town, and this debris is hauled to our town, he said. This project is also going to employ 12 to 15 new jobs. Those are good things for Grand Island. It will make the cost of demolition more affordable. Pat OHara told the county board he is in the demolition business. He said the timing and distance to drive to the C&D landfill in Elba adds a big expense to this type of work. OHara said ONeills project will have a direct impact on the community and will benefit local contractors. After the public hearing on Tuesday, the siting application should come back to the county board for approval at its May 16 meeting. For the record In other action, the county board: Voted 4-3 to award a bid for the child support enforcement remodeling at the Federal Building to ICMS of Grand Island for $324,900. Supervisors Quandt, Pam Lancaster and Karen Bredthauer voted no. Voted 7-0 to forward a letter to the Postal Regulatory Commission protesting the U.S. Postal Services plan to relocate services from its downtown location at 204 W. South Front St. to the distribution center at 3835 W. Old Potash Highway. Set a public hearing date for 9:30 a.m. May 16 on whether Hall County should submit an application to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to be declared a livestock friendly county. Rijuju is expected to chair a special session, after he was designated as Disaster Risk Reduction Champion for Asia Region by the UN office last year. By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju will be heading to Cancun in Mexico later this month, leading an Indian delegation to the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR). It will be a small team of roughly four officials comprising of Joint Secretary of Disaster Managment and official from NDMA. Rijuju is expected to chair a special session, after he was designated as Disaster Risk Reduction Champion for Asia Region by the UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) last year. advertisement The minister is expected to leave on May 20 only to return on May 28. He is likely to address the audience consisting of participants from various countries on urban risk. He will also speak of private players helping in risk management. Before he takes off, however, he will be holding a two-day meet with all the Indian state representatives in a meeting in Vigyan Bhawan on May 15-16. The event itself will cover Multi Hazard Risk Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA), Various measures put in place for promoting measures for risk management, early warning system, integration of communication technology and financing by private players. All this will eventually be part of blue print for the ministry on building a "Resilient India" by 2030. Also read: Mamata denying BJP permission to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti in Bengal: Rijiju Also read: Kiren Rijiju on Ramjas: Be loyal Indians, don't turn campuses into anti-India hub --- ENDS --- Right now, the debate continues over how to balance Nebraskas budget for this upcoming fiscal year. One of the governors ideas is to take away 3 percent of the money that currently goes to pay for mental health and substance abuse services. However, last week, the Appropriations Committee disagreed with the governors proposed cuts to these services, and voted to keep the current level of funding intact. Nebraska legislators are in a prime position to demonstrate their commitment to prudent financial decision-making by sending a message to the Governor and constituents in our state: Adequately funding mental health and substance abuse services is important to keeping our citizens healthy and safe. As CEO of Mid-Plains Center for Behavioral Healthcare Services, Inc., a nonprofit community mental health provider, I see the effects of mental illness and substance abuse daily, and understand the need for ongoing, long-term, comprehensive treatment and care for these individuals. The governors proposed cuts will make it nearly impossible to continue providing the needed level of mental health and substance abuse services. These cuts would place my organization, and every other mental health provider, in the devastating position of deciding between fulfilling our mission or significantly cutting services to hundreds, even thousands of individuals we serve. This loss of adequate funding will mean that providers will be forced to turn individuals away. Many critical mental health and substance abuse services including crisis stabilization, psychiatric evaluations, medication management and therapy will be discontinued or severely reduced. To get services, these individuals will be forced to look at other options for care. While homeless shelters are few and far between and emergency rooms and jails are overcrowded, these options cannot provide the same level of care or effectiveness at the same dollar amount as mental health providers do on a daily basis. Ultimately instead of saving our state money, the proposed funding cuts will end up costing all of us far more in the long run, by draining government, community and charitable resources and straining our most vulnerable citizens, the children and families we serve. As a mental health and substance abuse provider, I appreciate the support from the Appropriations Committee and hope that they, along with the full Legislature, will maintain the current level of funding to support these vital services. The country finally has a new secretary of agriculture after the Senate last week confirmed Sonny Perdue, a former governor of Georgia. Perdue, confirmed on an overwhelming vote of 87-11, will hit the ground running as Congress is debating a new farm bill this year. He also faces a challenge in reviving the farm economy, which has struggled for a few years with low commodity prices. Those are two big tasks. Most farm groups believe Perdue will be up to the challenge. For Midwestern farmers, the biggest concern is that Perdue is from the Deep South. He is only the second ag secretary from that region. Corn and soybean farmers want to make sure that he is aware of their interests and looking out for them. This is especially important in the Trump administration as President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism about many trade agreements, which have been beneficial to Nebraska farmers and ranchers. As U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said, Perdue needs to be a champion for free trade within the Trump Cabinet. Your leadership on these important issues is vital now more than ever because the administration has provided little certainty that they understand the importance of free trade policy and its many benefits for Americas farmers, ranchers and small businesses, Sasse said. Specifically, I call on you to prioritize the following critical areas: 1) Advocate for free trade policies in any consideration of the North American Free Trade Agreement; 2) advocate for U.S. leadership in the Pacific markets post Trans-Pacific Partnership; 3) prioritize bilateral trade deals; and 4) expand market access and make America more competitive. Sasse is right on target with these trade priorities. U.S. agriculture cant afford for the country to pull back on trade. For fiscal year 2017, U.S. agricultural exports are projected to be $136 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most experts agree, the ag economy isnt going to be revived without the help of trade. Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal was hard on agriculture. Perdue will need to make the president think twice before pulling out of NAFTA and to remind Trump of his pledge to negotiate individual trade deals with Pacific countries. Perdue has shown skill as a politician and in working with people from both sides of the aisle. That skill is especially important for an ag secretary as support for ag programs is often based more on geography than on political party. Perdue can be a strong advocate for agriculture if he listens closely to farmers and ranchers and then is able to get the ear of the president. Much of Trumps support in the election came from rural areas. He will need to be reminded of that as he considers farm policies. What to do in Pennsylvania if you made an error on your mail-in ballot Indian Army has redeployed and reshuffled its troops to tackle any new threat in the Valley even as governments of the two countries trade fire over the beheading of two soldiers. By Ajit Kumar Dubey: Pakistan has scattered terrorists in small groups along the Line of Control to carry out multiple attacks on Indian forces and the Indian Army has redeployed and reshuffled its troops to tackle any new threat in the Valley even as governments of the two countries trade fire over the beheading of two soldiers on Monday. Top sources said forces are prepared to give a befitting reply to the enemy to avenge the Krishna Ghati beheadings. Commanders at the LoC have also been instructed to take multiple measures to avoid any casualties while facing up to Pakistan Army's Border Action Team, which carried out the attack 250 metres inside Indian territory. advertisement A senior source told Mail Today that according to latest intelligence inputs, terrorists have been deployed along the LoC in small groups of 10 to 12 and are waiting to be pushed to our side from Pakistan occupied Kashmir as a new strategy of their Army. "We have taken steps to redeploy the troops from the south of Pir Panjal ranges to the north side to cut down on the infiltration expected to be attempted in next few days," the source added. ATTACK BY PAKISTAN FORCES Giving details of the Monday's attack by Pakistani forces, the sources said the Pakistani Army gun positions on their posts Roza and Battal were active in the area of incident even as they fired around 50 rockets followed by a heavy barrage of mortars which created a thick smoke screen. "Even before the troops could recover and retaliate, the terrorists and Pakistan Army regulars sneaked in about 90-100 metres inside our area and mutilated the body and ran away," they said. The Army said that the 25 Division had successfully thwarted four earlier attack attempts by the BAT team, but failed to stop the attack on Monday. "Allowing such an action was an avoidable lapse on our side and we could have been more careful. We will avenge the attack in which both terrorists and Pakistan Army troops were seen inside our area," the sources said. The Army has also reshuffled and changed deployment in its three-tier counter infiltration grid deployed in the Kashmir valley and along the LoC to make it more robust. The intelligence received by the Army from the state has also suggested that the Pakistan-backed terror groups would also escalate the attacks on the troops' positions. UNEQUIVOCAL RESPONSE The Army has its regular units along with a number of Rashtriya rifles units in the Kashmir valley to tackle both infiltration and carry out anti-terrorist operations there. The government on Tuesday also warned Pakistan of an unequivocal response to the beheading of its two soldiers on the Indian side of the LoC, a charge rejected by Islamabad which sought actionable evidence from New Delhi to back its claim India's Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Anil Kumar Bhatt, spoke to his Pakistani counterpart this morning to express his grave concern over the killing and beheading of the two soldiers. advertisement He said that such a dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response and also told his Pakistani counterpart that full fire support was provided by the Pakistani Army post located close to where the incident took place. The army said the DGMO also conveyed India's concern about the presence of Border Action Team (BAT) training camps in close vicinity of the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir during the interaction over hotline. ALSO READ | India hits back after jawans mutilated on LoC; Army kills 7 Pakistani soldiers, destroys 2 enemy bunkers ALSO READ | India warns Pakistan: We will respond at time and place of our choosing ALSO WATCH | Mutilation of Indian soldiers was 'dastardly and inhuman' act: India's DGMO to Pakistan counterpart --- ENDS --- "Risk" is an infuriating film on many levels. A startlingly intimate portrait of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that spans seven years - during which he goes from house arrest in rural England to claiming asylum at the Ecuadoran Embassy in London to releasing a damaging cache of hacked emails at a pivotal point during last year's presidential election - the film is guaranteed to stir up strong feelings among Assange supporters and skeptics alike. On another, more meta plane, "Risk" raises some disquieting questions about the process of documentary filmmaking itself, as director Laura Poitras places herself squarely in the middle of ethical issues that throw the entire enterprise into question. Poitras, who won an Oscar in 2015 for "Citizenfour," a riveting portrait of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, takes a similarly up-close-and-personal approach to her subject in "Risk," which begins in 2010, when Assange is living in Norfolk, England, trying to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning regarding accusations of sexual assault. As the movie opens, he and WikiLeaks section editor Sarah Harrison are working the phones, trying to warn the U.S. State Department about the impending release of unredacted diplomatic cables. With a combination of naivete and hubris that will become gratingly familiar over the course of the film, Assange and Harrison try to get then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the phone, with Assange at one point telling a low-level State Department employee that "I don't have a problem, you have a problem." Of course, they get nowhere. But the foreshadowing has been put in place in a narrative that marches toward its election-year climax with almost novelistic inevitability. Like "Citizenfour," "Risk" unfolds in verite-style encounters, while Assange consults with his mostly female team of attorneys, holds spin meetings with the WikiLeaks staff, plots legal and publicity strategies and, at one point, has his hair cut while watching a K-pop video as his adoring minions look on with awed smiles. What emerges from these sessions isn't terribly different from the depiction Alex Gibney provided in his jaundiced 2013 WikiLeaks documentary "We Steal Secrets." As in that film, Assange is shown here to be a self-dramatizing, purposefully enigmatic figure who, regardless of vaunted rhetoric about principles and praxis, often seems compromised by the same moral arrogance and unaccountability he decries in his opponents. At the film's most surreal moment, by which time Assange has claimed asylum in London, Lady Gaga pays her respects and films an inane interview, peppered with questions about his favorite food and who's "after" him. Assange replies with a long list, mostly comprising U.S. government agencies, as well as Swedish authorities, who will probably allow him to be extradited to America should he return to that country. "Risk" devotes a lot of time to that quandary, capturing Assange at his most misogynistic during a strategy session with one of his attorneys. Poitras, who presented a far more pro-Assange version of the film at Cannes last year, admits at one point that "the lines have become blurred," adding, "I thought I could ignore the contradictions. ... I was so wrong. They are becoming the story." "Risk" is heavy on the psychodrama between the filmmaker and her subject - Poitras regularly regales viewers with the dreams she has about Assange - reaching its dramatic climax when Assange decides to release damaging DNC emails last July. As he weighs which candidate is more deserving of being harmed, it's as if Charlie Chaplin's Great Dictator is dandling an inflatable globe on his knee. On the one hand, he observes, Trump might have some unsavory business dealings in his past. On the other, Clinton clearly "has got it in for me." And here we are. These scenes offer chilling evidence of Poitras' change of heart regarding Assange, who might have started out as an admirable warrior for pure transparency but who evolves in the course of the film into a smug, self-righteous megalomaniac. Even more sobering, though, is Poitras' disclosure late in the film that she committed a serious boundary violation in the course of filming, an illadvised relationship that casts serious doubt on her judgment and credibility. Her admission is too little, too late, and raises far more questions than it answers, suggesting that Poitras is either unwilling or unable to contend with the contradictions she so elegantly invoked moments earlier. "Risk" raises deep misgivings about its subject and its maker. But it's still queasily, compulsively watchable - and probably necessary, if only as a cautionary example of how ethics, objectivity and agendas come into play in nonfiction filmmaking. One of the chief goals of documentarians is to invest the audience emotionally with otherwise dry subject matter. There's no denying that "Risk" achieves that aim, even if the cardinal feelings viewers walk away with are confusion, betrayal and an unshakable sense of unease. Here we are, indeed. --- Two and one-half stars. Unrated. Contains some mature themes. 94 minutes. Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. Advance fri may 5 An emeritus professor of the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM), known for his significant contributions to teaching, professional development and leadership, and devoted support of campus beautification efforts, now has a scenic dedication settled in front of one of the unique campuss historic buildings. The family of Dr. David Jenkins, with the support of SIU SDM Dean Bruce Rotter, DMD, and Director of Development Stephen Schaus, surprised their father with an engraved granite stone and a bench during a dedication ceremony held April 11. His children Ben Jenkins, of San Diego, Kathie Kreuger, of Oakville, Mo., and Tim Jenkins, of Edwardsville, spearheaded the effort and coordinated the surprise. We are proud to make this a reality, because for our family, this represents what dad was about, said Ben Jenkins, Dr. Jenkins oldest son. This building was where he spent a lot of his time teaching during his 27 years here. He truly made an impact on his students. He also is passionate about landscaping, so this will be a beautiful gathering place for students, faculty and visitors for years to come. Dr. Jenkins was a faculty member at the SIU SDM from 1984-2011. He retired as chair of the Department of Growth, Development and Structure, and associate professor in the section of anatomy. He left an indelible mark on the lives of students, faculty, staff and administrators with whom he interacted, and on the campus itself. Those who know Dr. Jenkins, realize that he was an outstanding faculty member at the School, said Rotter. However, many do not know that among the many good things Dr. Jenkins contributed to the campus community, he also spearheaded a campus beautification effort. He is largely credited for the attractive appearance that the Alton campus enjoys today. For this reason, the installation of a landscape feature in honor of Dr. Jenkins seems especially appropriate. This was quite the surprise and honor, and I greatly appreciate it, said Dr. Jenkins. Its incredible to feel like Im still part of the campus and there is a remembrance of me. Knowing my family was involved with this is extremely meaningful. After the ceremony, Dr. Jenkins recalled his fondness for the SIU SDM, describing its campus as picturesque and unique in its strong dedication to students. We came here in 1984, and it was the perfect fit, Dr. Jenkins said. It was a place where students were extremely important and faculty could focus on education and research which involved students. Unlike most dental schools in the country, it is unique in that it has its own historic campus. I enjoyed contributing to the beautification and rejuvenation of the campus during my time at the School. Dr. Jenkins spent years leading a fundraising campaign, volunteering his time and putting in hard labor, along with students and fellow faculty members, to beautify the Alton campus. Along with landscaping efforts, he is also credited with renovating the door that serves as the main entrance to the former administration building at the center of campus. It transformed the setting to create a warm welcome for campus and community members. Our dad is passionate about representing this University, and having students enroll and be proud of where theyre studying, Ben explained. We all know how hard he worked and how dedicated he was to the school. We hope this dedication stone and bench will foster the continued evolution of the campus, and offer people a beautiful place to rest and take in the world. The people at the dental school were such a wonderful group to work with, including the staff, administration, faculty and students, Dr. Jenkins said. It was enjoyable to be involved in that type of atmosphere and with those people. It couldnt have been a better place to be for those 27 years. People here have done a nice job of continuing to improve the campus and make it a beautiful place to be. I know the School of Dental Medicine will continue to flourish. Its one of the best in the country. The SIU School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate New aldermen took their oaths of office at Tuesdays City Council meeting. Marking the first day of fiscal year 2017-2018, Ward 2 alderman Jack Burns and Ward 4 alderman SJ Morrison swore in and took their seats among the Edwardsville City Council. Judge Steve Stobbs, of Madison County, officiated the ceremony. Burns was the first to swear in. With his right hand raised, Burns repeated after Stobbs. I, Jack Burns, having been elected to the position of alderman Ward 2 in the city of Edwardsville, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Illinois and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the position of alderman Ward 2 to the best of my ability, Burns said. Burns took his seat on the Council and Morrison soon followed. With right hand raised, Morrison also repeated after Stobbs. Morrison, accompanied by his wife(Emily) and son (Schafer), took his oath for Ward 4 and then proceeded to take his seat among the other Council members. Jack Burns will be taking the place of the previous Ward 2 alderman Tom Butts, who served on the Council and city committees for eight years. SJ Morrison will be taking the place of the previous Ward 4 alderman Jeanette Mallon. Mallon served on the Council and city committees for a total of 12 years. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Endy Bayuni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 Journalists around the world are marking World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on May 3 at a time when the profession faces an uncertain future because of the proliferation of news, including fake news, bombarding and confusing its audience. With the traditional news platforms, particularly print, facing certain demise, that future is even bleaker in the absence of a business model that can provide the financial support for media outlets to survive and thrive. The old model, where media operated largely by selling advertisement space and charging subscription fees, is clearly outmoded on the digital platform. All media outlets sooner or later will have to fully migrate to the digital world, but no one has figured out a business model that could guarantee their ability to operate freely and independently from any political and business interest. There have been one or two success stories of media outlets thriving, but it is still unclear whether these models can be replicated. Leaving the fundraising aspect to the business managers, what about the future of the newsrooms and the journalists who provide the content? How should they respond? More importantly, is there a future for this profession? Shouldnt we be thinking about Journalism 2.0 or Journalism 3.0? The answer perhaps can be found in the very principles of good journalism and the ethics that have governed the profession. Rather than trying to redefine journalism in the internet era, we should consider going back to the basics of journalism. The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and The Public Should Expect, written by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in 2001 remains one of the best books that lays out these principles. Among these 10 elements are that journalisms first obligation is to the truth; its first loyalty is to citizens; and its essence is a discipline of verification. These principles and ethics have made journalism an indispensable pillar of democracy. Media outlets have pulled this off by practicing good journalism to win the hearts and minds, and most importantly the trust, of the public. Trust remains the chief currency of journalism. Trust in turn builds credibility. Take the story of successful media outlets around the world, even in Indonesia. The ones that have lasted the longest are those that practice the principles of good journalism. Many of these have grown to become large media conglomerates, proving that good journalism is good for business. The principle of winning the publics trust has not changed with the proliferation of news and the explosion in the number of people engaging in disseminating news and information on the internet. Those who take journalism as their profession no longer have the same control they once had over the flow of news and information. Now they have to compete with millions of amateurs who, with their smartphones, are putting out their own news and information to the masses. Most of these newcomers are practicing what journalists do, that is disseminating news, but perhaps minus the principles and the ethics that govern the profession. Ironically, their stories often go viral because they are fast and attractive, irrespective of their accuracy. Lately, the public sphere, now widened by the internet, is filled with more hoaxes and fake news that impact the lives of many people and even the outcome of elections. They not only have given a bad name to journalism, they are also eroding public trust in the entire news and media enterprise. Admittedly, some of these are self-inflicted wounds as many established media outlets, feeling the tight competition, are abandoning the principles of good journalism as they jealously fight to defend their market share and their bottom lines. But this is the last thing they should do as traditional print and broadcasting media are migrating to the digital world. The newsroom convergence of media platforms, print, broadcasting and digital must proceed without casting aside the already tried and tested principles of good journalism. The public, now exposed to all kinds of unfiltered information on the internet, including hoaxes, fake news and propaganda, need the service of journalism, the traditional kind, more than ever. Someone must continue to do the job of gathering and sifting through the tons of information, verifying its accuracy and packaging it in such a way that explains rather than confuses the public, and presenting it in ethical ways. Thats essentially the good old journalism, now presented on a new platform, the internet, with all its advantages. The hoaxes and fake news, and finding a viable business model, are challenges that journalists have to deal with. But they should never lose sight of the very reason why they came to this profession in the first place: To serve the publics need for credible and reliable information. They should never abandon the public and betray the trust given to them. In this internet age, they must keep nurturing this trust and continue to build their credibility. The future of journalism, and the freedom of the press that we commemorate today, depends to a large extent on journalists practicing the trade the way their predecessors did in the past. Yes, its back to Journalism 1.0, with stronger commitment and dedication to public service than ever before, just a little tech-smarter. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 This week we welcome hundreds of media delegates arriving to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, which falls Wednesday. As Indonesia hosts the event for the first time, it signals to the world how far we have come from the days of authoritarianism. However, we are also acutely aware of the challenges to our very survival. One main focus of the commemoration, held in cooperation with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is the safety of journalists, to remind us of ever present life-threatening risks to those in the profession. Among the 48 journalists killed last year alone, 14 lost their lives in Syria, six in Iraq and six in Yemen, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Outside war zones, many have been killed in relation to their reports on politics and corruption while the perpetrators mostly got away. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yanto Musthofa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 The comprehensive schooling system is hardly an issue as far as national education is concerned. There have never been any considerable discussions among stakeholders about this. Comprehensive system means a model of schooling that does not select students in terms of aptitude. Contrary to those of a selective system, schools are supposed to automatically accept students as long as they satisfy non-academic criteria, such as age and place of residence. Most industrialized Western nations, including the United States, use the comprehensive model in their state schools. The United Kingdom is in transition toward an entirely comprehensive system, preserving the selective system for its 163 grammar schools out of some 3,000 statefunded secondary schools. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Warief Djajanto Basorie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 After Eritrea gained independence, Dawit Isaak returned to his homeland from self-imposed exile in Sweden. He cofounded Setit, the first independent newspaper in Eritrea. He was known for his critical and insightful reporting. In September 2001, he was arrested in a crackdown on the media. He has been in prison without trial for the past 16 years. For this ordeal, Isaak will receive the 2017 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on World Press Freedom Day (WPFD). Jakarta hosts this years celebration of World Press Freedom Day, which carries the theme of Critical Minds for Critical Times: Medias Role in Advancing Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies. A US$25,000 prize is awarded to an individual or institution that has promoted press freedom, especially in the face of danger. The prize was named after a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the office of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogota, on Dec. 17, 1986. Defending fundamental freedoms calls for determination and courage it calls for fearless advocates, UNESCO director general Irina Bokova said in a statement. This is the legacy of Guillermo Cano, and the message we send today with this decision to highlight the work of Dawit Isaak, Bokova continued. The UNESCO chief will confer the award, with President Joko Jokowi Widodo observing, to Isaaks daughter on his behalf. Indonesia has no lack of bold journalists. One such fearless reporter was Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, widely known as Udin. On Aug. 13. 1996 at 11:30 pm, an unknown assailant wielded a metal bar on his head in front of his house in Bantul, south of Yogyakarta. Udin, 32, lapsed into a coma and never recovered. He died owing to massive blood loss and was buried the next day. His attacker has never been caught. Udin was a reporter for the Yogyakarta-based daily Bernas. Udin covered the Bantul beat. He reported on local politics, particularly the regent of Bantul. This was Soehartos New Order Era of authoritarian rule. The press is commanded to show respect to authority and rein in any sense for investigative journalism. Apparently, however, Udin had such a sense, a reportorial sixth sense to uncover public malpractice. His assiduous reporting of alleged corruption and wrongdoing upset the regent. One month before the murder, Bantul regency officials visited the office of Bernas to protest and claim as untrue a report by Udin that funding for disadvantaged villages had been slashed. They demanded a correction. Udin, however, showed receipts as proof that the village communities received less than the original budget allocation. Another courageous journalist is Ahmad Taufik, who died of lung cancer on March 23. On March 16, 1996 police arrested Taufik and fellow journalist Eko Maryadi. Both were activists of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), established to reject the Soeharto government policy of recognizing only one journalists association, that being the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI). AJI was set up after Soeharto in June 1994 withdrew the license of three news outlets, one of which was the critical weekly news magazine Tempo. Taufik, a Tempo reporter, cofounded AJI and worked with Maryadi to produce Independen, an underground magazine that criticized the nepotism and corruption prevalent in the Soeharto years. Taufik and Maryadi along with Danang Kukuh Wardoyo, a hapless AJI office boy, were put on trial and convicted of disparaging the government and printing without a license. When attending Taufiks funeral, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara proposed Taufik for the next Cano Prize. Bold journalism can have impact if it is fortified with quality reporting. The opening plenary session in the WPFD event is on quality journalism with Jose Ramos Horta, former president of Timor Leste and Nobel Peace laureate, and Yosep Adi Prasetyo, chair of Press Council of Indonesia, as two of five speakers. This plenary meeting kick starts 12 parallel sessions. The argument is that as a public good, quality journalism greatly contributes to the free flow of information and maximizes development efforts as well as their impacts. The more people participate in this flow of information, the more valuable it becomes and the greater the common benefit, UNESCO states in a brief on this session. In Indonesia, major news outlets have their own enhancement program. Dailies like Kompas, the Jawa Pos group and The Jakarta Post have in-house training to keep up with evolving communication technology. So does Tempo the news magazine, the Antara news agency and TV stations like MNC TV and the state-owned TVRI AJI and PWI have upgrading programs for its members. The Jakarta-based Dr. Soetomo Press Institute (LPDS), conducts thematic workshops for active journalists. One workshop that has been running since 2012 is covering climate change. Quality journalism gets tested when reporters are confronted with fake news, particularly on social media, and a drop in public trust as a consequence. The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals the general populations trust in all four key institutions business, government, NGOs, and media has declined broadly, a phenomenon not reported since Edelman began tracking trust among these segments in 2012. To rebuild trust and restore faith in the system, institutions must step outside of their traditional roles and work toward a new, more integrated operating model that puts people and the addressing of their fears at the center of everything they do, Edelman stated. A Jakarta Declaration that will cap World Press Freedom Day should encourage bold, quality journalism for which future Cano Prize laureates will be honored. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia had visited Vishwas at his residence in Ghaziabad late on Tuesday night to hold talks and pacify him. By India Today Web Desk: Amid the ongoing crisis in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), top leaders are today meeting to decide the future course of action. AAP Political Affairs Committee (PAC) is underway to discuss issues facing Delhi's ruling party. Speculations are that the party may also decide on senior leader Kumar Vishwas, who has openly criticised party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following AAP's dismal show in the just concluded MCD elections. advertisement Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia had visited Vishwas at his residence in Ghaziabad late on Tuesday night to hold talks and pacify him. Vishwas, a co-founder member of AAP, had earlier on Tuesday accused party leaders of conspiring against him and said he won't compromise with his principles and will soon take a call on his future action. The meeting took place after a spat erupted between Vishwas and MLA Amanatullah Khan, who accused the former of trying to split the party at the behest of the BJP. Khan had alleged that Vishwas was conspiring to break the party and had asked some legislators to join the BJP with an offer of Rs 30 crore each. Vishwas had earlier criticised the party leadership in the aftermath of debacles in Punjab Assembly and Delhi municipal corporation elections. Khan had alleged that Vishwas was plotting a coup to overthrow Kejriwal as the AAP convener. An upset Kejriwal is said to have told party leaders to vent out their anguish in the party meetings and not on TV cameras. Both Vishwas and Khan had made public statements on camera. On the rift between him and Vishwas, the Delhi CM had said, "Kumar is my younger brother. Some people are trying to drive a wedge between us. They are enemies of the party. They should refrain. No one can separate us." Watch Video: Rift within AAP: Will Kumar Vishwas bid his farewell? Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal on Aam Aadmi Party rift: Will convince Kumar Vishwas MCD debacle: AAP leader Kumar Vishwas slams Arvind Kejriwal, says open to change in leadership Kumar Vishwas trying to break AAP at BJP's behest: MLA Amanatullah Khan AAP crisis: Kumar Vishwas claims Delhi will get a new chief minister soon AAP split wide open: Kumar loses vishwas in Kejriwal, to decide tonight; why go on TV, Sisodia asks --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 10:13 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebd61d4 4 Art & Culture Chinese-culture,Chinese-Indonesian-residents,ceng-beng-festival,ritual Free The Ceng Beng festival, also known as Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day, remains a major part of life for both the ethnic Chinese living in Indonesia and locals. The festival was one of the few Chinese traditions not banned by Soehartos New Order regime, which lasted from 1966 to 1998. Holding an anti-communist stance during the Cold War, the New Order greatly affected Chinese culture, particularly big festivities such as the Chinese Lunar New Year. An expert on Chinese-Indonesian issues, Aji Chen Bromokusumo said the Ceng Beng festival was not banned because Soeharto did not consider the visiting of ancestral graves to be a great festivity. Accounts on how the festival originated differ worldwide. One of the most well-known versions claims that a Chinese emperor started the tradition when he ordered residents of a village to clean up their ancestors tombs so that he could determine who his own ancestors were. Regardless of its origins, for thousands of years, ethnic Chinese the world over continue to honor the tradition. Read also: Surakarta parade celebrates Chinese-Javanese harmony, tolerance In Jakarta, Fery Setiawan, 40, traveled from his house in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, to Tanah Cepe Cemetery in Karawaci, Tangerang, in April to celebrate the festival with his brothers family. The family brought fruits and traditional cakes as offerings, which is uncommon as, traditionally, people usually offer grilled chicken or pork. We believe it is better to present fruits and cakes to our ancestors because it would not be proper for them to receive lavish meat delicacies in the afterlife, Fery told The Jakarta Post. The change in tradition, Fery said, was not disrespectful as the offerings were not the point of the festival. Other than the Chinese Lunar New Year, it is a time in the year when family members gather, Fery said. In addition to the offerings, the family also presented a box filled with slippers constructed from paper, bundles of fake money and bars of fake gold. All non-edible offerings were burned at the end of procession, as it is commonly believed that this is the only way ancestors can receive them. Read also: Rekindling Malang's Ang Hien Hoo 'wayang orang' The burning of the offerings is my favorite part of the tradition because it means that I can give something that our ancestors can use in the afterlife, Jesslyn Setiawan, Ferys 12-year-old niece, said. The Ceng Beng festival offers enjoyment not only to the ethnic Chinese but also to locals who work as tomb caretakers or food vendors. The caretaker of Setiawans family tomb, Mursin, 45, told the Post that the festival was the only time of the year he received payment for renovation work. According to tradition, tombs can only be renovated during the festival. During the festival, I could get around Rp 7 million [US$ 525] for renovating a tomb, Mursin said. Separately, Amma, a 70-year-old local food vendor who operates outside the cemetery, also benefits from the festival. I could get two to three times more money than what I usually earn when I sell gado-gado during the festival in my stall outside the cemetery, Amma said. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong officially unveiled the wax figure of President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Monday. Jokowi attended the launch, with his family in tow, to personally unveil the figure, becoming the first state leader to do so. During his visit, the president said he hoped that his effigy would help promote Indonesian tourism. Behind the sculpture is a large LED screen showing images of the archipelago's infrastructure, people and tourist destinations. An image of Borobudur Temple was also shown during Jokowis visit. When people come to visit 'me', they can also enjoy the beautiful places in Indonesia, said Jokowi. The President also asked the museum to change the image every month so that it would show other destinations in Indonesia, such as Labuan Bajo, Bali, Raja Ampat and Lake Toba, Antara news agency reported. Read also: Singer Anggun meets her doppelganger in Bangkok First lady Iriana Joko Widodo said she was surprised by how closely the figure resembled her husband. It's 99 percent similar, she said, adding that she herself provided the props used for the wax figure, such as two batik pieces of clothing, Jokowis signature white t-shirt and shoes. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong general manager Jenny You said it was an honor to have Jokowi unveil the wax figure of himself. We look forward to offering so many of our visitors the chance to get closer to one of the most influential leaders in the world, said You. Jokowis statue is placed among other world leaders' statues, such as former president Sukarno and Mahatma Gandhi in the museums Historical and National Heroes area. Aside from launching his own wax figure, Jokowi also visited and took photos with the wax figure of Sukarno. (mas/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Geneva, Switzerland Wed, May 3, 2017 11:10 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebda8fd 2 Science & Tech digital-currency-system,digital-currency,Bitcoin,bilur,virtual-currency Free A new virtual currency launched Tuesday aims to rival industry leader bitcoin by pegging its value to hard oil assets, a first in the rapidly growing digital money sector. The currency called "bilur" and created by London-based financial services company R Fintech uses the technology pioneered by bitcoin, while trying to offer an alternative for those weary of the wild fluctuations that have plagued digital currencies. "This is the first crypto-currency with a real value", R Fintech Ignacio M. Ozcariz chief executive told reporters in Geneva. To start, the company has valued 1 bilur as equivalent to 6.5 barrels of brent crude oil, making it an asset worth $356 (326 euros). Texas-based oil company Hockley has initially set aside 1 million barrels of crude as collateral to underpin the currency but has told R Fintech it can ramp up if bilur becomes popular. Like bitcoin, bilur is run with so-called blockchain technology, where encrypted digital coins are created by supercomputers, regulated and controlled by a community of users who try to guard against counterfeiting. Bitcoin was the world's top performing currency in 2016 and continues to hover around record highs of $1400, after being worth just a few cents when it launched in 2009. Ignacio Ozcariz, CEO of London-based financial services company R Fintech Plc, gestures during the launch of Bilur, a cryptocurrency aiming to compete with bitcoin, on May 2, 2017 in Geneva. A new virtual currency launched on May 2 aims to rival industry leader bitcoin by pegging its value to hard oil assets, a first in the rapidly growing digital money sector. The currency called "bilur" and created by R Fintech uses the technology pioneered by bitcoin, while trying to offer an alternative for those weary of the wild fluctuations that have plagued digital currencies. (AFP/Fabrice Coffrini) Read also: WhatsApp users now able to prioritize chats It has appealed to those interested in bank-free transactions and to money not controlled by a government or central bank. But detractors have suggested that bitcoin could ultimately be undermined by its volatility, noting that the currency dramatically lost 75 percent of its value in 2013. Bilur is targeting those who like aspects of virtual currency trading but would prefer funds supported by a fixed asset -- similar to a gold standard for traditional currencies. "We're still a crypto-currency, we're just backing it up with a real physical thing", said Usama al Ali, an IT specialist at R Fintech. With the project in its infancy, there are no merchants accepting bilur as a valid form of payment. Bitcoin is in contrast increasingly accepted by merchants worldwide. R Fintech said it aims to make money through a small management fee, charging bilur holders roughly three percent per year. The name "bilur" is the Basque language word for "chain", a nod to blockchain technology, the company said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Boyolali, Central Java Wed, May 3, 2017 05:38 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebcb526 2 National Central-Java,Boyolali,toll-road,Karanganyar,SokerTollRoad,Surakarta-Kertosono-toll-road Free Dozens of residents of Sawahan village, Boyolali regency, Central Java, blocked the entry and exit ramps of the Surakarta-Kertosono toll road in Karanganyar on Tuesday by with bamboo barricades and banners. There have been several talks held on compensation, but the execution is always delayed. We have sent letters three times, but the answers have never been clear. We need certainty about when compensation will be paid, protest coordinator Anom Suratno said. Anom said 35 people had given up their land, amounting to 2 hectares, in June for the construction of the toll road, but they had yet to be compensated. (Read also: Jokowi monitors trans-Java toll road construction) The residents demanded the compensation be paid according to a written agreement signed on April 26, which stated it would be paid in May. After the protest, the head of the Surakarta-Kertosono toll road freight working unit, Agung Sutarjo, met with the demonstrators to discuss the matter. The people have sacrificed their land, but bureaucracy has hampered the compensation, Agung said. (wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 20:07 2015 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf4fcf 1 National human-rights-abuse,TNI,aceh,simpang-kka,dewantara,atrocity,KontraS Free It has been 18 years to the day, but the government is yet to resolve an alleged gross human rights violation in Aceh in which Indonesian military personnel reportedly shot hundreds of people protesting against a previous shooting incident. The alleged shooting, known as Simpang KKA incident, also known as the Dewantara atrocity, occurred on May 3, 1999, and claimed 39 lives and injured 36 people. Ten people have remained unaccounted for. The incident happened when the province was under martial law rule, which was lifted in 2005. On Wednesday, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) reported that families of victims were conducting a ziarah (pilgrimage) to the burial sites of their loved ones. After that, they staged a silent protest to express disappointment that the case has remained unresolved. If the government has no will to find a solution, an international body should handle the matter, stated a joint release by Kontras and the Coalition of Truth Revelation for Aceh. They also questioned President Joko Jokowi Widodos promise to resolve all past human rights cases and end the impunity of alleged perpetrators. (Read also: Military operation in Aceh was 'gross human rights violation') The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) investigation in 2014 also revealed that the Simpang KKA incident constituted a gross human rights violation and recommended a legal process but the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) refused it. (bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 17:55 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebef37c 1 City #AhokTrial,petition,Harvard-University,alumnae Free A group of Indonesian alumni of Harvard University and its fellowship programs has started an online petition, urging the judges of North Jakarta District Court to free Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama from all blasphemy charges. The petition from the graduates of the United States university has attracted more than 60,000 votes as of Wednesday, a week before the court plans to hand down its verdict against Ahok on May 9. At the April 20 hearing, the prosecutors demanded the judges sentence Ahok to two years probation if found guilty of violating Article 156 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on showing animosity toward others. They admitted they could not prove Ahok had insulted Islam as a whole, but only individual Muslims. The Harvard alumni are of the opinion that Ahoks act did not qualify as a violation of any part of Article 156, namely hostility, hatred or contempt against an ethnicity, religion and race. The act in question is a speech he gave in Thousand Islands regency in September that quoted Surah Al Maidah 51, a Quranic verse often used by certain conservative Muslim groups to urge Muslims to vote only for political candidates who share the same faith. supremacy of law should be upheld. The courtroom should be a place where truth and justice are upheld, not a place for justification and legitimation of mobocracy, the petition stated. The trial against Ahok started on Dec. 13 after a so-called anti-blasphemy movement drew more than a million Muslims to rallies to push the government to indict the governor based on an edited video of his September speech. (kuk) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3 2017 Jakarta citizens have continued to come up with creative ways to show support toward Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama and Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, who recently conceded defeat in the April 19 election. Following a trend in which thousands of flower boards were sent to City Hall as a collective show of gratitude for the pairs leadership, the Symphony Pondok Indah choir group, which consists of dozens of women from several areas across the city, visited City Hall on Tuesday morning to sing several songs, such as Nyanyian Kemenangan (The Song of Victory), You Raise Me Up and Amazing Grace, dedicated to Ahok and Djarot. Ninik Longkutoy, one of the leaders of the choir, said 35 choir members sang for almost an hour on City Halls veranda. The group, wearing white shirts and spotted shawls, sang at least six songs. If they were sad about their candidate of choice not being reelected, it did not show in their faces. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Wed, May 3 2017 For the Indonesian Military (TNI), President Joko Jokowi Widodos order to boost presence in border areas for the sake of national sovereignty is no joke. Late last year, a plan was made to set up a major joint military base in Natuna waters in the province of Riau Islands, initial development of which has begun. Most recently, it was revealed that the Indonesian Air Force has proposed to set up a new Air Force base at Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, also in Riau Islands. While Natuna is Indonesias outermost region facing the South China Sea, where territorial disputes between countries in the region have been ongoing for years, Batam is the nearest point to Singapore, only 20 kilometers off the city states southern coast. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam, Riau Islands Wed, May 3, 2017 12:15 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebddb7e 2 National TNI,TNI-AU,military,Air-Force,Air-Force-base,Batam,Riau-Islands,Hang-Nadim-airport Free For the Indonesian Military (TNI), President Joko Jokowi Widodos order to boost presence in border areas for the sake of national sovereignty is no joke. Late last year, a plan was made to set up a major joint military base in Natuna waters in the province of Riau Islands, initial development of which has begun. Most recently, it was revealed that the Indonesian Air Force has proposed to set up a new Air Force base at Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, also in Riau Islands. While Natuna is Indonesias outermost region facing the South China Sea, where territorial disputes between countries in the region have been ongoing for years, Batam is the nearest point to Singapore, only 20 kilometers off the city states southern coast. The exterior of Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, Riau Islands.(JP/Fadli) If realized, the Batam base would be the third Air Force base in the province after the Raja Haji Fisabilillah base in Tanjung Pinang and the Raden Sadjad base in Natuna. Hang Nadim management claimed it had received a proposal from the Air Force for a 2-hectare plot in the airports complex for the development of a jet fighter home base, which would include an apron and a hangar capable of accommodating four F-16 jet fighters. The Air Force, via its base in Tanjung Pinang, sent the proposal in March. We have not yet responded to it, as we will first set up a special team, Hang Nadims general operations manager, Suwarso, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. The reason to develop [a base] in Hang Nadim is for the sake of sovereignty of the state and to support access of jet fighters to Natuna, particularly because of Batams strategic position, he added. (Read also: Army exercise on Natuna aims to defend territory) Suwarso said the special team would study all aspects related to the proposal, as it may affect the airports status as an alternate airport for Singapore and Malaysia based on an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) agreement. Commercial flights so far use Hang Nadim as an alternate airport if they are unable to land at Singapores Changi. With the presence of jet fighters, they might no longer use Hang Nadim, he said. Talks are currently held at the leadership level of the Batam Free Trade Zone Authority as the owner of this airport. He said that, as an alternate airport, Hang Nadim could collect Rp 3 billion (US$225,000) from landing and parking fees per year. (Read also: Army modernizes weapons to strengthen border security) The Air Force base in Tanjung Pinang had not responded to a request for comment as of Tuesday afternoon. Air Force spokesman First Marshall Jemi Tri Sonjaya was also not available to comment on the matter. On its Twitter account @_TNIAU, the Air Force on Tuesday posted a message reading: Indonesias Navy and Air Force already have bases in Tanjung Pinang, so a plan to set up base in Batam must be based on a serious analysis, since it directly borders on Singapore. TNI AU & TNI AL sdh memiliki pangkalan di Tj.Pinang, kalau ada renc perkuatan di Batam pstnya sdh melalui pertimbangan krn berbtsn dg SIN pic.twitter.com/jUgcZyiD3Z TNI Angkatan Udara (@_TNIAU) May 2, 2017 University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said he welcomed the proposal, as it would help the government improve supervision in outer regions and border areas, for example to tackle rampant illegal poaching by foreigners. Hikmahanto also agreed that a new base in Batam would help improve mobility of Air Force planes in the area. Under its nine-dash territorial line, China claims Natuna waters as its traditional fishing ground, while the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone also neglects Indonesia Exclusive Economic Zone. Our Air Force needs a hangar and home base for the jet fighters closer to Natuna to support their activities around Natuna waters, Hikmahanto said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua Wed, May 3, 2017 20:37 2015 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf72fc 1 National Papua,Biak,Paniai,military Free Lt. Col. Yusman Mandayun, the chief of staff of the Praja Wirabraja Military command in Biak, Papua, has been assigned to lead the team set up to investigate the alleged stabbing of two civilians by soldiers in Paniai, Papua, on May 1. The team has been deployed to Paniai. If military personnel are found to be responsible, they will certainly face punishment, Cendrawasih Military Command spokesman Col. Teguh Raharjo said on Wednesday. The incident reportedly took place at a kiosk in Uwibutu village. The two men were suspected of stealing from the kiosk, whose owner then reported it to a nearby military post. Two soldiers went to the scene and were involved in a struggle with the men, Teguh said. But Teguh brushed off reports that the victims had been stabbed. According to him, the soldiers in question did not carry bladed weapons. The victims were injured because they ran off and were injured by sharp roof tiles, he said. (Read also: Police shooting of Freeport workers in Timika under investigation) Paniai Customary Council head John Gobay had a different version of the incident. According to his statement sent to The Jakarta Post, the two civilians whom he identified as Yustinus Degei, 32, and Yosia Degei, 27, left the kiosk because they were not being served but the owner accused them of stealing soap. Yustinus, said John, suffered stab wounds from the chin to his right ear while Yosia was stabbed in the back. I hope the perpetrators are held to account, John said. (bbs) Topics : Papua Biak Paniai military By Press Trust of India: Panaji, May 3 (PTI) Even as one of his ministers has spoken out against the Lambani community, a Kannada-speaking nomadic tribe, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said the community has been living in Goa with dignity and pride for many generations. Parrikar has written a letter to his Karnataka counterpart Siddarmaiah, in which he said that members of the Lambani community have been living in Goa with dignity and pride for many generations. advertisement Parrikar was responding to a letter written by his Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on April 19, in which the latter had expressed concerns over the safety of lambani community in Goa. Goa tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar was quoted in certain media reports saying that lambanis should be thrown out of Goa for creating nuisance on the beaches, which are frequented by the tourists. Lambani community, which has been living in Goa for ages, have their origin in Karnataka. "Goa is a vibrant melting pot of various national and international cultures, where people belonging to various background have a long history of living together in harmony and peace, without losing their native identities," Parrikar said in the letter to Siddarmaiah written yesterday. "Members of the Lambani community have been living in Goa with dignity and pride for many generations, which makes them Indians first and Goans next," the Goa CM said. "I assure you that I have an uncompromising sense of moral and administrative responsibility towards ensuring peaceful co-existence and prosperity of every Goan, which invariably includes every member of the Lambanis community," he said. "You would agree based on your own past experience that newspaper reports can be misleading and they ought to be supplemented by detailed due diligence," Parrikar added. After being lambasted for his statement against the community, Ajgaonkar had later said that the state government would take action against anyone who is creating nuisance on the beaches. PTI RPS NP --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali Wed, May 3, 2017 09:33 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebd3998 1 National child-abuse,#ChildAbuse,pedophile Free An Australian man was denied entry into Bali on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in a pedophile case. The Australian, identified only by the initials BGC, was rejected upon his arrival at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport at 1:30 p.m. on Jetstar Airlines JQ43 from Melbourne, Australia. Immigration chief Ari Budijanto told The Jakarta Post that BGC was rejected because his name was included on the banned entry list. "He is on the banned entry list as was involved in a pedophile case in his country," Ari said in Denpasar. (Read also: Australian pedophile gets 15 years' imprisonment in Bali) The banned entry list is based on cooperation between interpol and neighboring countries, including Australia. Ari said BGC accepted the denial. "He could not fight against us," he said. BGC was flown back to Melbourne at 11:15 p.m. on Jetstar Airlines flight number JQ58. Previously, other Australians have also been rejected from entering Bali. On Jan. 6 this year, James William Pender was stopped upon his arrival at the airport. He was traveling from Malaysia at the time. On Jan. 27, Daniel Bryan Wilson was refused entry when he arrived from Perth on Air Asia flight QZ537. On March 21, Roderick John Pypers was deported back to Australia soon after he arrived in Bali from Sydney on Jetstar Airlines JQ 37. (dan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3 2017 Budget carrier Citilink, a subsidiary of state-owned aviation firm PT Garuda Indonesia, has opened a new route from Jakarta to Dili in an effort to boost regional connectivity, primarily to the eastern part of Southeast Asia. The move is in line with the governments program to make tourism one of the key pillars to increase foreign exchange supplies for the country. Dili has become an important destination for the carrier, as the number of tourists and businesspeople traveling from Timor Leste to Indonesia has gradually grown. Dili will be the first regional destination to be served by Citilink, Citilink Indonesia CEO Juliandra Nurtjahjo told a press conference on Tuesday, explaining that it would be a connecting flight from Jakarta with a transit in Denpasar, Bali, before flying to Dili. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 18:56 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf0ec0 2 City PDAM,PD-PAL-Jaya,Merger Free The Jakarta administration is drafting a plan to merge the citys two water companies, sewage company PD PAL Jaya and water utility PAM Jaya, into a single entity called Perumda Air Jakarta. Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama said that the administration was in the process of preparing the management structure of Perumda Air Jakarta while it was awaiting discussions over the regulation for the merger. To merge the two companies, we need a regional regulation. Now we are preparing the companys management first, he said at City Hall on Wednesday as quoted by beritajakarta.com. The idea behind the merger came from big cities in other countries, which have single entities that treat wastewater and provide clean water, Ahok added. All over the world, [the management of] waste water and clean water is one. So if we want clean water, we immediately install pipes to get the wastewater as well. So they benefit each other, he said. Water pollution and a lack of clean water sources are among the major problems in the capital, yet efforts to resolve them have been sluggish. PAM Jaya can only meet about 60 percent of the citys water needs and claims it cannot expand its services because it lacks a water supply. By merging the companies, the city administration aims to tackle problems with both the supply and treatment of water. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michelle Suteja (JP) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 17:40 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebee59b 2 Business fintech Free The emergence of financial technology (fintech) services has become a natural catalyst for traditional financial service providers to innovate and transform the way they carry out business. Consumer banking as well as transfer and payment services are sectors predicted to receive the biggest blow from the emergence of fintech. A 2016 PricewaterhouseCoopers report, for example, discussed how this transition could affect margin spreads and lead to market share losses as well as information and privacy threats. Traditional service providers are also expected to see a decline in the number of consumers. Such concerns lead to questions: Are conventional financial institutions becoming more fragile with the emergence of fintech providers? Conversely, are fintech companies ready to compete with established financial service providers? As a mature industry, the banking sector sees its competitive edge lying on the availability of established facilities and technology to serve customers. However, banks, operating under a heavily regulated environment, tend to respond more cautiously to changes. With the rising popularity of digital technology, fintech industry players have emerged to provide mobile, non-face-to-face services for customers. With such potentials, collaboration between banks and fintech firms are likely to happen. Based on a survey conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC) Financial Insights, one in three banks are prepared to collaborate with fintech companies, with a quarter of them looking to acquire a fintech company. In Indonesia alone, the fintech industry has received positive support from regulators. Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Financial Services Authority (OJK), for example, have issued several regulations regarding transactions facilitated by fintech companies to push for a more solid ecosystem. The central bank has also launched a special office to aid the growth of the fintech industry. Banks are now becoming more open to possible collaboration with fintech companies in an effort to offer an optimized customer experience. One of the banks involvement schemes in fintech collaboration is through an investment partnership that involves venture capital (VC) companies. VC firms can invest in fintech companies to open up collaboration with banks, so that they can grow healthily and complement the entire financial ecosystem. Another form of collaboration between banks and fintech firms is that regarding the accessibility of Application Programming Interface (API). API is a set of commands, functions and protocols that are used by programmers when developing software for a specific operating system. API enables programmers to utilize standard functions that interact with a given operating system. In banking, API allows for a condition in which banks and fintech companies can exchange data while ensuring a high level of security. The opening of API access for fintech firms could potentially boost business as long as banking security is guaranteed. The reality is that, in the near future, all money is moving digitally, making data openness an inevitable necessity in the banking industry. API accessibility would allow fintech firms to provide better data processing and analysis, as well as quicker decision-making processes. An open API could also push for customized service provisions for different market segments. Through an open API, more services could be developed for fund transfers and account balance information, among other things. Thus, collaboration is the key that will spur the growth of both the banking and fintech sectors. Through collaboration, fintech start-ups could focus on solving problems, while banks could share their knowledge on the financial industry, including on how to deal with legal hurdles in the provision of fintech services. To ensure a healthy ecosystem, there must also be a clear guideline to regulate cooperation between banks and fintech service providers. The writer is member of the Indonesian FinTech Association and partner at Central Capital Ventura. Topics : fintech Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 13:48 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebe3052 1 National KPK,inquiry,house-of-representatives,Fahri-Hamzah,setya-novanto,e-ID Free The Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has sent a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto rejecting the House's decision to initiate an inquiry into a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) graft investigation. The letter, signed by PKS faction chairman Jazuli Juwaini and faction secretary Sukamta on May 2, stated that the process leading to the decision to initiate the inquiry during a plenary session on April 28 did not follow procedure. "The decision made on the plenary session did not consider voices and opinions from all factions and members, as regulated in the House's 2014 code of conduct," the letter states. Lawmakers walk out of a plenary session in protest against a decision to launch an inquiry on April 28.(Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay) (Read also: KPK rebuffs House inquiry) During the plenary session, House Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah, who chaired the meeting, unilaterally banged the gavel to pass the inquiry. Members of the Gerindra Party, the Democratic Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB) factions walked out the room in protest. Despite Fahri's status as a PKS member at the House, PKS chairman Sohibul Iman said last week that the outspoken politician no longer represented the party. Fahri and PKS have a complicated relationship after the lawmaker filed a lawsuit challenging the party's decision to strip him of his party membership. PKS lawmaker Fahri Hamzah.(Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga) The controversy surrounding the inquiry began when members of House Commission III on security, human rights and legal affairs opposed the KPK's investigation into the high-profile e-ID case. During a court hearing in the case, a witness claimed that Hanura Party politician Miryam S. Haryani, now a perjury suspect, had been intimidated by lawmakers after being questioned by KPK investigators and before testifying in court. (bbs) Hanura Party politician and graft suspect Miryam S. Haryani (center) is escorted by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) personnel in Jakarta on May 1.(Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3 2017 Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said on Tuesday the government would continue to push for affordable electricity, arguing that expensive electricity in remote areas suffering from a lack of infrastructure was unfair to the locals, who often could not afford the rates. Can we imagine one day a 17-year-old boy whos never seen electricity in his village finds the government installs an electric cable in front of their house, but their parents cant afford to install the electricity. The boy may join IS [the Islamic State group] or some other terrorist group, Jonan argued at a seminar in Jakarta. It is better to leave the villages without electricity forever than give them electricity that they cannot afford. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 14:06 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebe4523 1 National flowers,National-Police,ahok Free Supporters of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama have shifted the focus of their nascent movement, which they call the flower revolution, by sending flowers to the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta to support the police in taking firm action against intolerant and radical groups. Some 200 flower arrangements started to appear on sidewalks in front of the police headquarters on Wednesday. On some of them were written Support the President and police chief in upholding Pancasila and NKRI and Save NKRI, curb radicalism, referring to the state ideology and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. "[The flower phenomenon] means Indonesians care about the current situation in the country," said National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Rikwanto on Wednesday. The encouragement to send flowers to the police on May 3 went viral on social media. The flowers at the headquarters also come ahead of another Muslim rally scheduled for May 5. The rally is another protest against Ahok, a Christian and a Chinese-Indonesian. Last week, City Hall received some 5,000 flower arrangements expressing support for Ahok, who will leave office in several months after conceding defeat to Anies Baswedan in the April 19 election. (dis) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 13:19 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebe0016 1 Business Garuda,flight,evaluation,loss Free State-flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to evaluate some 20 domestic and international flights that contributed to the companys losses in the first quarter of 2017, said Benny S. Butarbutar, Garudas vice president for corporate communications, in Jakarta on Tuesday. The evaluation aims to improve short-term performance. We want to reduce costs and also increase revenues from Citilink, Benny said as reported by kontan.co.id, referring to Garuda Indonesias subsidiary that offers low-cost flights. In the first quarter of 2017, Garuda suffered US$89.49 million in losses. This was lower than the losses recorded in the first quarter of 2014, which reached $163.89 million. Throughout 2014, the company recorded losses of $370.05 million. In the first quarter of 2015 and 2016, the company booked $8.07 million and $74.48 million in profits, respectively. The company blamed avtur price increases, weakening trends in the aviation business in the Asia-Pacific region and the economic slowdown for the companys losses. Benny said that apart from evaluating flights, Garuda also planned to push its charter flight business, particularly in China. The business is growing well in China. We need to gain a share of the market there, he added. The company is also eyeing the Middle East market, including flights for umrah pilgrimages, he added. (bbn) Topics : Garuda flight evaluation loss Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Bekasi Wed, May 3 2017 Low voter turnout remains a problem in Bekasi, West Java, with only 49.46 percent of eligible voters having gone to the polling stations in the last regional election in 2012. The numbers were even lower during the [West Java] gubernatorial election, with voter turnout of only 48 percent, said Bekasi General Elections Commission (KPU Bekasi) chairman Ucu Asmaransandi, as quoted by tempo.co on Monday. With the second-lowest voter turnout, Bekasi was trailing behind Riau Islands, he said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Warief Djajanto Basorie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3 2017 After Eritrea gained independence, Dawit Isaak returned to his homeland from self-imposed exile in Sweden. He cofounded Setit, the first independent newspaper in Eritrea. He was known for his critical and insightful reporting. In September 2001, he was arrested in a crackdown on the media. He has been in prison without trial for the past 16 years. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Every minister brought home-cooked food to the state secretariat and the spread represented the regional delicacies from across the state. While his ministers brought food from home, MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took it on himself to serve the food to all. By Hemender Sharma: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his cabinet on Tuesday gave tradition the slip and had home-cooked lunch during the crucial cabinet meeting in which the decision to end the financial year on December 31 was taken. Every minister brought home-cooked food to the state secretariat and the spread represented the regional delicacies from across the state. advertisement The lady ministers in the Shivraj cabinet took it upon themselves to cook the food, while the men ministers did not make any such claim. Lalita Yadav, who holds the minorities welfare portfolio and represents the Bundelkhand region, cooked a Bundelkhandi dish comprising a mix of potatoes and green vegetables along with rice and daal. She took India Today to her kitchen before leaving for the cabinet meeting and flaunted the tomato chutney that she had specially prepared for the ministers. "Home-cooked food is good for health, and by eating home-cooked food on one table, the entire cabinet will get the feeling of a family," Yadav told India Today. Agriculture minister Gauri Shanker Bisen, who comes from the tribal-dominated Balaghat region, got pakoras, rice, daal and chapattis along with mango chutney. "The chief minister told us that he would not bring any food and would eat the food that the ministers would bring. Also if we eat food brought from each other's kitchens, it will improve our personal relations and there is no politics involved in it," Bisen told India Today. Once at the table, Chouhan took it upon himself to serve the food brought by his ministers. At the briefing after the cabinet meet was over, parliamentary affairs minister Naraottam Mishra announced that the CM would be having similar lunches cooked by party workers in every district after May 20. ALSO READ | BJP sees nothing wrong in Shivraj Singh Chouhan's son joining electoral politics ALSO READ | I'm not going anywhere, MP CM Shivraj Chouhan on rumours of him replacing Manohar Parrikar as defence minister --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 13:22 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebe0fae 1 Business Masela-block,contract-revocation,ignasius-jonan Free Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan has threatened to cancel production-sharing contracts (PSCs) on the gas-rich Masela block if the contractors do not get the ball rolling on the field's development. The government has asked Japan-based Inpex and Dutch Shell, which hold 65 and 35 percent stakes in the block, respectively, to conduct a preliminary front-end engineering design (pre-FEED) in order to determine the production capacity of the onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant and the buyers of piped gas. "If Inpex takes too long to conduct the pre-FEED then I will cancel the contract. My patience is wearing thin," he said on the sidelines of a national gas forum in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. (Read also: Preparations underway for gas-rich Masela block) "I have been [the energy and mineral resources minister] for six months and they still haven't started." The government has given the companies two options on the LNG plant capacity: 7.5 mtpa with 474 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) or 9.5 mtpa and 160 mmscfd. The piped gas will be sold to local petrochemical companies. The gas-rich Masela block is estimated to be able to produce 1,200 mmscfd and 24,000 barrels of condensate per day for 24 years. While the government is optimistic that the block can start operating by 2023, the previous plan on development (POD) estimated that the gas field could start production by 2024, and start piping gas in 2026, just two years before Inpex's and Shells contracts expire. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 18:20 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebefd31 2 City haj,quota,jakarta Free The haj quota for Jakarta citizens has been expanded to 7,891 in 2017, an increase of 2,263 from last year. Jakarta city secretary Saefullah said that last year the haj quota for the city was 5,628. In order to accommodate the increase, the administration has expanded the budget and prepared more officials. This year, there will be an increase of haj officials from 50 to 61, Saefullah said on Wednesday as quoted by beritajakarta.com. The funds for the budget increase would be classified as unexpected expenditures because of the urgency of the matter, he added. The haj schedule could not be changed, Saefullah said. The head of Jakartas mental and spiritual education bureau, Hendra Hidayat, said that there would be an increase of Rp 1.5 billion over the previous budget of Rp 3.5 billion. The increase of the haj quota has boosted the number of groups from 18 to 21, he said. Jakartas haj quota was cut in 2013 because of the renovation of the Masjidil Haram grand mosque in Saudi Arabia. This year, the quota has returned to the normal figure of 7,084 per year, with an additional quota of 807, said Hendra. Topics : haj quota jakarta Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 14:22 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebe61da 1 City Kampung-Akuarium,eviction Free Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama says he will stop people rebuilding homes on cleared land in Kampung Akuarium, Penjaringan, North Jakarta. "I've told the mayor to stop people building this week. We will keep clearing the area," Ahok said at City Hall on Tuesday as quoted by tribunnews.com. People started to erect semi-permanent buildings after Ahok lost the April 19 gubernatorial election to Anies Baswedan. City secretary Saefullah said he had rebuked public order officers for not stopping the building. "The mayor said there were more than 300 residents in that area even though we relocated 340 residents to the Marunda, Rawa Bebek and Cipinang low-cost apartments. The area should've been cleared," Saefullah said. He said the administration would check the identification cards of the squatters to see whether they were really Jakarta residents. If they were really Jakartans, the administration would provide low-cost apartments in Rawa Bebek, Marunda and on Jl. Raya Bekasi KM 2, the construction of which will be finished later this year, he said. Meanwhile, Jakarta Public Order Agency head Jupan Royter said officers would be ready to stop building activities. However, they were waiting for the mayor to collect data on the squatters, he said. (cal) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) j Wed, May 3, 2017 16:50 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebed04c 1 Business trawls-seine-nets,use-extension,Susi-Pujiastuti,Joko-Widodo Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has ordered Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti to allow the use of trawlers until December, following protest from fishermen against a ministerial decree prohibiting trawlers. Jokowis order marks the second postponement of the implementation of a regulation that was initially supposed to be enforced in January. Since Sunday, I have requested to meet with the President and seek his guidance on the issue. We will extend the use of trawlers until the end of 2017. This is done particularly for fishermen in Central Java, said Susi after meeting with President Jokowi in Jakarta on Wednesday, as reported by kompas.com. (Read also: Government extends trawl usage to June) The ban on the use of trawlers, which is considered an unsustainable fishing method, is stipulated in Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Regulation No. 2/2015. Susi stressed that the distribution of fishing equipment to replace trawlers would continue, with priority given to fishermen whose boats were below 10 gross tons. She said owners of larger ships had to buy their own new fishing equipment. Up until April, the government has distributed more sustainable equipment to 603 fishermen and three cooperatives to replace trawlers. Fewer than 10 percent of Indonesian fishermen have received new fishing tools, said Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki in Jakarta on Wednesday, adding that it would be unfair to enforce the regulation while only a small number of people had received new equipment. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 08:15 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebce62a 2 National journalism,#journalists Free At a time when global press freedom is threatened, placing journalists at risk even in major democracies, Indonesia has been urged to take bolder actions to ensure the safety of its reporters and end impunity for crimes committed against them. Tuesdays commemoration of the 2017 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) underlined that this year is a critical time for journalism, especially with the continuous, worldwide trend of attacks against news media. UNESCO, which co-organized the four-day global event with the government and the Press Council, has specifically called on Indonesia to end the cycle of violence against journalists by thoroughly investigating every case and bringing perpetrators to justice. [Most cases] are not investigated because often times, prosecutors or a state authority says, We dont know [...] where the violence is coming from, UNESCO assistant director general Frank La Rue said on Tuesday. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) revealed that cases of violence against journalists in Indonesia increased to 78 incidents last year, from 42 in 2015 and 40 in 2014. These included attacks by security forces. But only a few perpetrators were properly brought to justice. AJI said 2016 had seen the largest number of assaults in the past decade. The 2017 World Press Freedom Index ,released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), revealed that Indonesias ranking had improved, rising to 124th from 130th among 180 countries last year. However, its score slightly fell from 41,72 last year to 39,93. In the report, the RSF said radical religious groups also posed a threat to the right to inform. Many journalists say they censor themselves because of the threat from an anti-blasphemy law and the Electronic Information and Transactions [ITE] Law, it added. Last year, the country saw a series of violent acts, both physical and non-physical, against journalists carried out in Jakarta by dozens of Muslim conservatives rallying against Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, a blasphemy suspect. Protesters accused journalists of biased reporting and leaning toward Ahok. In their attacks, journalists suffered from verbal abuse, were forced to leave the premises, were physically assaulted and had their cameras memory cards taken away. In its 2016 report, the Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) stated that the culture of impunity within the armed forces had also hampered efforts to protect journalists, because in most cases, security officials who allegedly committed the attacks only received a slap on the wrist without ever being tried in court. [UNESCO] insist that every act of violence against journalists should be taken initially as an act of violence against professional journalism. The investigation will reveal the truth, La Rue said, adding that otherwise, there would be a risk of repetition. Journalists around the world are marking World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on May 3 at a time when the profession faces an uncertain future because of the proliferation of news, including fake news, bombarding and confusing its audience. With the traditional news platforms, particularly print, facing certain demise, that future is even bleaker in the absence of a business model that can provide the financial support for media outlets to survive and thrive. The old model, where media operated largely by selling advertisement space and charging subscription fees, is clearly outmoded on the digital platform. All media outlets sooner or later will have to fully migrate to the digital world, but no one has figured out a business model that could guarantee their ability to operate freely and independently from any political and business interest. There have been one or two success stories of media outlets thriving, but it is still unclear whether these models can be replicated. Leaving the fundraising aspect to the business managers, what about the future of the newsrooms and the journalists who provide the content? How should they respond? More importantly, is there a future for this profession? Shouldnt we be thinking about Journalism 2.0 or Journalism 3.0? The answer perhaps can be found in the very principles of good journalism and the ethics that have governed the profession. Rather than trying to redefine journalism in the internet era, we should consider going back to the basics of journalism. The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and The Public Should Expect, written by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in 2001 remains one of the best books that lays out these principles. Among these 10 elements are that journalisms first obligation is to the truth; its first loyalty is to citizens; and its essence is a discipline of verification. These principles and ethics have made journalism an indispensable pillar of democracy. Media outlets have pulled this off by practicing good journalism to win the hearts and minds, and most importantly the trust, of the public. Trust remains the chief currency of journalism. Trust in turn builds credibility. Take the story of successful media outlets around the world, even in Indonesia. The ones that have lasted the longest are those that practice the principles of good journalism. Many of these have grown to become large media conglomerates, proving that good journalism is good for business. The principle of winning the publics trust has not changed with the proliferation of news and the explosion in the number of people engaging in disseminating news and information on the internet. Those who take journalism as their profession no longer have the same control they once had over the flow of news and information. Now they have to compete with millions of amateurs who, with their smartphones, are putting out their own news and information to the masses. Most of these newcomers are practicing what journalists do, that is disseminating news, but perhaps minus the principles and the ethics that govern the profession. Ironically, their stories often go viral because they are fast and attractive, irrespective of their accuracy. Lately, the public sphere, now widened by the internet, is filled with more hoaxes and fake news that impact the lives of many people and even the outcome of elections. They not only have given a bad name to journalism, they are also eroding public trust in the entire news and media enterprise. Admittedly, some of these are self-inflicted wounds as many established media outlets, feeling the tight competition, are abandoning the principles of good journalism as they jealously fight to defend their market share and their bottom lines. But this is the last thing they should do as traditional print and broadcasting media are migrating to the digital world. The newsroom convergence of media platforms, print, broadcasting and digital must proceed without casting aside the already tried and tested principles of good journalism. The public, now exposed to all kinds of unfiltered information on the internet, including hoaxes, fake news and propaganda, need the service of journalism, the traditional kind, more than ever. Someone must continue to do the job of gathering and sifting through the tons of information, verifying its accuracy and packaging it in such a way that explains rather than confuses the public, and presenting it in ethical ways. Thats essentially the good old journalism, now presented on a new platform, the internet, with all its advantages. The hoaxes and fake news, and finding a viable business model, are challenges that journalists have to deal with. But they should never lose sight of the very reason why they came to this profession in the first place: To serve the publics need for credible and reliable information. They should never abandon the public and betray the trust given to them. In this internet age, they must keep nurturing this trust and continue to build their credibility. The future of journalism, and the freedom of the press that we commemorate today, depends to a large extent on journalists practicing the trade the way their predecessors did in the past. Yes, its back to Journalism 1.0, with stronger commitment and dedication to public service than ever before, just a little techsmarter. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang Wed, May 3, 2017 The opening of an art exhibition designed as a tribute to leftist poet and activist Widji Thukul in Semarang, Central Java, has been delayed after mass organizations demanded the organizer cancel the event. Widji was one of 13 victims of the 1998 riots. The labor activist was allegedly abducted and remains missing, along with 12 other activists. The tribute exhibition featuring paintings inspired by his poems by painter Andreas Iswinarto was initially planned to be held at the Sarekat Islam (SI) building in Kampung Gendong on Monday evening. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 08:39 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebd1bd5 2 National press-freedom,#PressFreedom,journalism,Papua,#WorldPressFreedomDay Free Indonesia is currently enjoying the privilege of hosting this years World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) celebration, themed Critical Minds for Critical Times: Medias Role in Advancing Peaceful Just and Inclusive Societies. Held from May 1 to 4, the event focuses on strengthening the freedom and quality of journalism to advance peace, justice for all and the rule of law, as well as inclusiveness. Concerns, however, have mounted as the event, which is coorganized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Indonesian government and the Press Council, does not include any events discussing press freedom in Papua and West Papua provinces. Indonesian and foreign journalists have for years complained about difficulties in getting access to cover the area. Press Council chairman Yosep Adi Prasetyo confirmed that the events organizers had never intended to include discussions about press freedom challenges in Papua. [The issue of press freedom in Papua] is a domestic affair while this event is an international forum where we focus more on discussing issues that are relevant both locally and internationally, he said on Tuesday. Reports by rights watchdogs, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), have highlighted that journalists reporting in Papua have faced harassment, intimidation and at times violence from security forces and pro-independence forces when reporting on sensitive topics, including alleged human rights abuses. Despite President Joko Jokowi Widodos announcement in May 2015 that Papua would be open to foreign media, authorities have reportedly continued to restrict foreign journalists access to Papua on spurious security grounds, HRW stated. We cannot solve the matter [at the WPFD event], only Jokowis administration can. Other countries cant meddle in this affair, because of non-interference principles, Yosep said, adding that the council had visited Papua to discuss the concerns with the police and military, urging them to grant access to and support Indonesian and foreign journalists to cover Papua. The 2017 WPFD features workshops and training sessions as pre-events prior to the opening ceremony which falls on the celebration of WPFD on May 3. More than 1,500 journalists, 500 of whom are foreign journalists from 90 countries, are expected to attend the annual event in the capital that will be officially opened by Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Wednesday. Tuesdays highlight was a roundtable on Special Mechanism for Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists in Southeast Asia. Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said during the roundtable that, compared to neighboring countries, the Indonesian press had experienced more freedom since the beginning of the Reform Era. Since then, the press has been governed by the 1999 Press Law and the government has never intervened, he added. All stakeholders want democracy and freedom of expression to be maintained to guard Indonesias unity while journalists should obey ethics codes, he said. (Read also: Press freedom day event criticized for sidelining Papua issue) The annual event will be closed with the adoption of the Jakarta Declaration on Thursday. It will also present the 2017 UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, an award named in honor of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogota in 1986. This years prize goes to an imprisoned Eritrean-Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak, who was arrested during a media crackdown that occurred in Sept. 2001. The last time he was heard from was in 2005 and his present location is unknown. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 19:53 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf45f1 1 National AJI,#WorldPressFreedomDay,journalism Free The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has recorded two cases of violence against journalists in the past two weeks. On May 1, Jayapura Police officers in Papua assaulted Yance Wenda, a local journalist working for Jubi daily and tabloidjubi.com while he was covering the arrest of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) activists. The police hit Yance with a rattan stick, causing injuries on his eyes, head and back, then took his bag and forcibly detained him, the report states. Three days earlier, three television journalists from Metro TV, Jaya TV and TVRI experienced intimidation by unknown groups while covering a trial in Wamena District Court, forcing them to delete their video recordings of the trial without police protection, AJI said. Violence and intimidation against journalists remain facts of life in Papua. The aforementioned cases happened that happened within only one week has shown how press freedom in Papua is poorly protected. AJI chairman Suwarjono said during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) on Wednesday. (Read also: No talk of Papua at Press Freedom Day) According to Suwarjono, the governments promises to protect and open access for foreign press in Papua remains empty. AJI found that only 15 foreign journalists were granted access to Papua in the last two years. Radio France journalist Marie Dumieres was closely monitored by the police when she was working on her story in the province. In March, Franck Jean Pierre Escudie and Basille Marie Longchamp, journalists for The Explorers Network were deported. (dan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang Wed, May 3 2017 The opening of an art exhibition designed as a tribute to leftist poet and activist Widji Thukul in Semarang, Central Java, has been delayed after mass organizations demanded the organizer cancel the event. Widji was one of 13 victims of the 1998 riots. The labor activist was allegedly abducted and remains missing, along with 12 other activists. The tribute exhibition featuring paintings inspired by his poems by painter Andreas Iswinarto was initially planned to be held at the Sarekat Islam (SI) building in Kampung Gendong on Monday evening. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 19:36 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf40d3 1 City #ahok,rally Free The Jakarta Police are set to secure another rally being planned by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Councils Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) to demand the maximum sentence for Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama over his blasphemy charges. The rally will be held on Friday, with some 5,000 to 10,000 people expected to participate, said Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono on Wednesday. (Read also: Flowers from Ahok supporters arrive at police headquarters) We will deploy more than 15,000 police personnel to safeguard the rally, Argo said, adding that they would add more personnel should intelligence suggest they were needed. The GNPF-MUI has sent a letter of notification about the rally, he said. After holding Friday prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque, Central Jakarta, they will proceed to march to the Supreme Court building about one kilometer away from the mosque. Argo expected that the upcoming rally would remain peaceful. (dea) Maharashtra health minister has accused Eman Ahmed's family of being 'ungrateful'. Eman, who previously weighed around 500 kg, came to India for a weight-reduction surgery for which the minister has praised the doctors. By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Praising the Indian team of doctors for treating Egyptian woman Eman Ahmed for her wight loss surgery, Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant has accused her family of being ungrateful. Eman Ahmed who was considered to be the heaviest living woman in the world, spent two months at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai where she underwent weight-reduction procedure, will now be flying to Abu Dhabi on Thursday. advertisement Deepak Sawant said that whatever the doctors have achieved, in spite of Eman's physiological difficulties, is a feather in their cap. Speaking to India Today, Dr Sawant said that leaving the hospital was Eman's wish, but the doctors at Saifee Hospital have done a great job. "When she was brought here, she was not even able to pass through the CT scan machine. She recently underwent a CT scan , which means that she has lost a lot of weight. And that is because of tremendous efforts of the doctors," Deepal Sawant said. Maharashtra Health Minister Sawant who had also visited Eman Ahmed in the hospital said that her discharge would not affect Mumbai's image as a hub of medical tourism. "If she wants to go, it's her choice. Nothing more could have been done in this case, whatever best they could do, they did." However Deepak Sawant's colleague in the state cabinet and Tourism Minister Jai Kumar Rawal said that Eman is welcome again if she wants to come back again to India for a treatment. Rawal visited Saifee Hospital on Wednesday morning and spoke to Eman's sister as well. Also Read Maharashtra govt backs doctors treating Egyptian woman Eman Ahmed, says 'happy with progress' 'Eman Ahmed's weight loss was a lie,' says world's heaviest woman's sister --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Wed, May 3 2017 State-owned secondary mortgage company PT Sarana Multigriya Finansial (SMF) listed on Tuesday asset-backed securities (ABS) in the form of participation certificates (EBA-SP) worth Rp 1 trillion (US$75 million) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). The proceeds from the securities issuance is expected to accelerate the disbursement of house financing to support the governments One Million Houses program. EBA-SP is an investment instrument from the securitization of housing loans (KPR) sold to the public, mostly to institutional investors, such as pension funds or insurance companies, through public offering. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Markus Makur (The Jakarta Post) Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara Wed, May 3, 2017 15:55 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebeb609 1 National komodo,Komodo-Island,tourism,labuan-bajo Free A 50-year-old tourist from Singapore was attacked by a Komodo dragon in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday morning. Lon Lee Alle, who was in the area to visit the Komodo National Park, was severely injured by a bite on his left leg. According to the parks head, Sudiyono, Alle was initially watching several Komodos eating pigs and goats belonging to villagers. He approached the animals to take pictures, ignoring locals warning that he should not go too close. He must have been too close. A Komodo doesnt like to be disturbed when eating, Sudiyono told The Jakarta Post. Locals immediately helped pull Alle away from the crowd of Komodos and rushed him to the nearby medical center where he got first aid. Alle was then taken to the Siloam General Hospital using a military speed boat. This is the first incident of human being bitten by a Komodo dragon in the past five years, Sudiyono said. (Read also: Locals reap benefits of Komodo cruise boom) He added that the Singaporean had stayed with locals for three days to save costs. The incident took place away from the area set by us where tourists are allowed to observe Komodos. I also appeal to all tourists to take guides with you when wandering around to see Komodo dragons. Never risk your safety by staying with locals and watching Komodos without an official guide only for the sake of your budget, Sudiyono said. (bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 11:40 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebdbf06 1 Business standard-chartered,MPM-Finance,agreement Free Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia aims to boost its fee-based income from transactions by working with third-party companies such as multi-finance, telecommunications and insurance companies. The bank on Tuesday inked an agreement with Saratoga-owned multi-finance company MPM Finance (MPM) to facilitate the companys daily clearing business such as auto debit for loan payments. The system is based on Bank Indonesias (BI) national clearing system (SKN) generation II. Under the agreement, Standard Chartered can withdraw money from MPM customers even though they do not have a Standard Chartered bank account. As the customer has already agreed for the auto debit payment, we as biller bank will work with the payer bank [which is the customers bank], Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia head of transactions banking Michael Sugirin said during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday. Currently, only 10 banks, including Standard Chartered, have implementing the SKN BI-based collection system. The banks are Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Mega, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Citibank. As of March, the banks fee-based income has increased 20.68 percent year-on-year to Rp 324.41 billion (US$24.36 million). (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Klaten, Central Java Wed, May 3, 2017 19:17 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf304c 1 National school,national-exam,violence,Klaten,graduation,convoy Free A motorcycle convoy of hundreds of high school students celebrating their graduation turned violent in Klaten, Central Java, on Tuesday afternoon. Three students were stabbed while a number of food stalls and vehicles were destroyed by the students who were riding dozens of motorcycles around the city. In Jetis village, South Klaten subdistrict, the students, who wore uniforms covered in spray paint messages and scribbles, ran amok and destroyed bamboo fences that were being repaired by locals. Villagers and the workers warned them but they became even crazier, Jatmiko, 32, a local, said. He added that the students also threw rocks, woods, and iron pipes at anything they passed by. Eventually the police came and secured the group. Some managed to flee but most of them were arrested, said Darmadi, 60, another local. (Read also: Parents anxious over national exam) Klaten Police Deputy chief Com. Heri Sutanto said the police had arrested hundreds of students who took part in the convoy and were investigating how the spree of destruction began. They were just riding around at first, but somehow it turned destructive and violent, even leading to stabbings, Heris said on Wednesday. The police confiscated sharp weapons, iron clubs and bike gears. Three students of SMAN 1 Senior High School Klaten were stabbed while two other teenagers were wounded on the face and shoulder. High school students nationwide underwent the national exam on April 11. (hol/bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 18:17 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebef9b6 1 National inquiry,e-ID,KPK,corruption,house-of-representatives,change,change-org,online-petition Free Rejection of the House of Representatives' move to initiate an inquiry into the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has continued to get support. A petition posted by a person identified as Virgo Sulianto Gohardi on an online petition website, Change.org, is inviting citizens to protest against the inquiry. [TRENDING PETITION] Puluhan ribu orang protes DPR karena ini. https://t.co/70ccyQUcTP Change.org Indonesia (@ChangeOrg_ID) May 3, 2017 As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition, five days after it was posted on April 28, had garnered almost 30,000 signatures. Virgo stated in the preamble to the petition that the House's approval to initiate an inquiry as proposed by 25 lawmakers from eight House factions could weaken the KPK, especially in its investigation into a high profile e-ID graft case. This political decision by House members is an abuse of their authority, done to interfere in and hamper the legal proceedings of the KPK's investigation into the e-ID graft case, Virgo wrote. (Read also: Defying Fahri, PKS opposes inquiry into KPK) Virgo has invited the nation to join hands and fight the House's move and give full support to the KPK in its fight against corruption. An internet user identified as Slamet Tedi Siswoyo, who signed the petition, said he did so because the government and the House are supposed to work together to combat corrupt officials. Looking at their position on supporting the inquiry into the KPK, it is now clear that House is indeed the corrupt officials den, Slamet wrote on the page. (hol/bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua Wed, May 3, 2017 22:14 2015 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf9d34 1 National road-accident,fatal-accident,Papua,Dogiyai,truck Free As many as 10 people were killed when the truck carrying them overturned in a crash in Dogiyai regency, Papua, on Tuesday. The truck, which was heavily loaded with sand, was carrying a total of 24 people. They had departed from Kumipugi village and were en route to Egebutu village. However, the seemingly overloaded truck failed to climb a hill and it began to roll backwards. Most of the people who were riding in the back of the truck's tailgate were students aged 8 to 13. Nine of the students were killed, as was the driver, M. Ansori, 30. As many as 14 others were injured. (Read also: Fatal collisions raise safety concerns) Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. AM Kamal said the truck was later burned by villagers because they were upset that it killed the 10 people. All of the dead victims were buried yesterday and the police have investigated the accident, Kamal told The Jakarta Post in Jayapura on Wednesday. Kamal said he hoped it would be a lesson for truck drivers to consider their loads before giving people rides. (hol/bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 19:00 2016 a291276806121264c0bd211cdebf170c 1 National #WorldPressDay,journalism,AJI Free The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) announced on Wednesday that a total of 72 cases of violence against journalists occurred from May 2016 to April 2017 despite the Constitution guaranteeing press freedom. The growing trend of assaults involving civilians is the result of an absence of law enforcement, AJI chairman Suwarjono said during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). The data show that around 38 of the total number of cases were in the form of physical abuse and 14 were expulsions or prohibition from covering news. The AJI also revealed that nine of the cases involved the forcing of journalists in deleting reports, photos or video recordings they had previously gathered. Besides this, the AJI recorded seven terror or intimidation cases against journalists and two cases of criminalization and two instances of verbal intimidation by public figures. The perpetrators included state officials including police and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers, politicians, lawmakers, policymakers, lawyers and judges. Police officers, whose duty is to protect all citizens, not only turn a blind eye to violence against journalists but, in many cases, are the perpetrators themselves, Suwarjono said. (Read also: Violence against journalists reaches 10-year high) Therefore, Suwarjono said, the AJI Indonesia had declared the police as an enemy of the press in 2017, with many of their personnel involved with impunity in cases of violence against journalists. The AJI urges the enforcement of protections for journalists under the 1999 Press Law, he asserted. (dan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yoolim Lee and Selina Wang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, May 3, 2017 JD.com Inc., Alibabas fiercest rival in Chinese e-commerce, is in talks to make a major investment in Indonesias PT Tokopedia to speed up its expansion into Southeast Asias largest economy, people familiar with the matter said. JD is in early-stage negotiations to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in one of Indonesias largest online marketplaces, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the deal is private. JDs potential investment may propel Jakarta-based Tokopedia past US$1 billion in valuation, another person familiar with the deal said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, May 4 2017 The European Union expects an economic deal it is discussing with Indonesia to boost investment in Southeast Asias largest economy, which it says is still below potential. Up to the present, accumulative EU investment amounts to 25 billion (US$27.3 billion), only 15 percent of the blocs overall investment in ASEAN countries, according to data from the EUs delegation to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, May 4 2017 Indonesia and China agreed in a meeting on Wednesday to intensify intelligence sharing in their quest to eradicate drug trafficking. The National Narcotics Board (BNN) and the National Narcotics Control Commission of China (NNCC) exchanged information on drug issues in each country, and committed to boosting cooperation in law enforcement and cracking down on drug trafficking. The cooperation is a follow-up on a 2012 bilateral agreement. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login At least 12 personnel are said to be injured in the landmine blast which targeted the armoured vehicle, they said. By Press Trust of India: A mine protected vehicle of the C-60 commandos today came under a landmine attack allegedly by Naxals in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. Officials said the incident took place in the evening near Bhamragad in the district when a patrol party of the C-60 commandos, was crossing the area. At least 12 personnel are said to be injured in the landmine blast which targeted the armoured vehicle, they said. advertisement "We are getting some preliminary reports that the troops, caught in the blast, belong to the C-60 force of the Maharashtra Police that conducts anti-Naxal operations. More details are awaited," a senior officer said. The team of security force personnel had been conducting operations in the area. Earlier in the day, a CRPF jawan and two Maharashtra Police personnel were injured in an exchange of fire with the Naxals, the officer said, adding reiforcement is on the way. On April 24, twenty-five CRPF personnel were killed and six wounded in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, the deadliest attack by naxalites targeting security forces this year. Also read: Mamata highlights Bengal model to quell Maoist menace as Centre rethinks strategy post Sukma attack MP Pappu Yadav has an advice for Maoists: Kill political leaders, not jawans --- ENDS --- Three solo shows debut today at the New Museum, alongside the large scale survey, Carol Rama: Antibodies, which opened on April 26. The new Spring Exhibitions feature artists Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Kaari Upson, Elaine Cameron-Weir, each on their own respective floor, and are well worth a visit. Also, a new residency on the fifth floor presents RAGGA NYC, a platform that connects a community of queer Caribbean artists working across a wide range of disciplines in order to explore how race, sexuality, gender, heritage, and history informs their work. In the opening remarks at the preview, Artistic Director Massimiliano Gioni noted, Four out of five of these shows are by women artists, and we are happy to clarify we didnt chose them because they are women, we chose them because of their great work and in fact if they were all men, it wouldnt be newsworthy, so we hope this will be the new normal, that when a great artist is presented, they are judged by their work and not their gender. Gioni said, In each of these exhibitions artists are pointing at new ways to represent and invent [human] bodies and new incarnations of desire. On the ground floor in the lobby gallery, Elaine Cameron-Weir: viscera has questions about itself offers sculpture that combines the Canadian artists study of historical objects made to protect, punish, or stand in for human bodies with renaissance armature and torture devices. She utilizes S&M references and our olfactory senses by including industrial-looking troughs of warm resin. Carol Rama: Antibodies, is the first New York museum survey of the work of Italian artist Carol Rama, who died in 2015 at the age of 97. It features an extensive collection of her work, which was devoted to fantastical anatomies, bodies without organs or anatomies in pieces, as the artist called them. Bodies are dissected and re-invented, creating new ways to examine desire and repression, anticipating our modern day discussions about gender and sexual representation. On the Third Floor, Kaari Upson: Good thing you are not alone features the artists largest exhibition to date, including new installations, video and sculptures featuring the artist herself, her mother and a dark version of America today. Her current project, MMDP (My Mother Drinks Pepsi) is a vivid and slightly wacky collection of work based on the interdependent relationship between herself, her mother and a cultural fascination with big box stores. Upson is often described as an artist continuing in the tradition of Paul McCarthy. Lynetter Yiadom-Boakye: Under-Song For A Ciper, on the Fourth Floor, presents a series of new paintings made specifically for this exhibition. British artist Yiadom-Boakye, recognized as one of the most renowned painters of her generation, produces strikingly gorgeous oil paintings of imagined figures caught in quiet moments of repose. The Spring Exhibitions run through the first week of September, 2017. Go here for tours, hours and admission info. Mamata Banerjee's comment comes after Kajol tweeted a clarification that a video she had earlier shared on social media was not of beef but "legal" buffalo meat. By Indrajit Kundu: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today reacted sharply to Bollywood actor Kajol's controversy where the actor reportedly clarified what meat she had eaten recently. Speaking at a public rally in North Dinajpur district, Mamata said the actor had come up with the clarification out of fear. She said there was an environment of fear in which everyone was operating. advertisement Slamming the BJP, she said, "Why is there such fear? Whom should we fear? Since I'm always vocal, they threaten us with the CBI and the ED; threaten us with jail all the time. But let me tell them, even if you put entire Trinamool Congress in jail, I don't care. People will give you a fitting reply." "They only know how to create riots. They are not in favour of Hindu religion, they are a blot on the name of Hinduism," Banerjee added. The Trinamool Congress supremo's comment comes after the actor tweeted a clarification that a video that she had earlier shared on social media was not of beef but "legal" buffalo meat. "A video of me at a friend's lunch said that there was a beef dish at the table. That's a miscommunication. What was shown was buffalo meat, that is legally available meat. I'm issuing this clarification because this is a sensitive matter that may hurt religious sentiments, which is not my intention," Kajol has tweeted on Monday soon after her video went viral a day before. KAJOL CLARIFIED IT WAS NOT BEEF Though the actor has removed the video from her Facebook page, it has already gone viral. In the video, Kajol is seen visiting a restaurant whose chef is her friend. When Kajol asks her friend about a dish that he had served, he explains it as "beef pepper water with dry lentils and dry beef". Following which Kajol is heard joking "We are going to cut his hands off after this." However, soon after the post, social media went abuzz with many questioning her given husband and actor Ajay Devgn had campaigned for the BJP, which seeks beef ban across the country. The Bengal chief minister's outcry on the matter is not new. Last month, she had accused the BJP of spreading canards about her over her trip to the Jagannath temple in Puri. "They (BJP) have spread canards that I eat beef! But what I eat is my choice. They are liars spreading canards over social media," Banerjee had said then. Also read: Mamata: BJP spreading canards that I eat beef, spending crores on social media to tarnish my image Also read: Kajol's beef clarification: Has the fear of gau rakshaks spread to celebs? advertisement WATCH THE VIDEO HERE --- ENDS --- Its time, at least in my opinion, to break the stereotype about students being unable to cook. Long gone are the days of microwaveable ready-meals and store-bought Pot Noodles. Instead, more and more students are finding it increasingly easier and more enjoyable to start cooking quality nosh from scratch. If fresh and healthy food is your thing, one of the best dishes you can make is a pizza. Its big enough to share (or just eat it alone if you are a pig like myself), can be customised to almost limitless potential, and requires very few ingredients. Were hooked on Neapolitan sourdough pizza pioneers Franco Mancas cookbook! Below, you can learn how to make your own quality pizza based on their helpful input. To start, you want a good quality soft wheat flour with a spoonful of salt, sugar and yeast. The fermentation process will help transform the starch content into noble sugars - the foundation of a good pizza. The fermentation process needs to be at least 24 hours, but it is worth it. Make sure you really knead and press the dough to equal thickness, add the warm water and oil at the same time to make sure it combines together. Next up, tomatoes. The humble red fruit is often neglected in favour of tinned tomatoes, but these are often rubbery, mushy and overly salted. A small pack of fresh cherry tomatoes might look uniform, but you want the uneven, knobbly bobbly ones. They are the ones with the real character, with a naturally sweet taste and tangy acidity. Roast them in the oven with some salt and pepper before crushing them into a loose paste to make a great initial coating. Where do you go with the rest of your toppings? The beauty of pizza is that you can top it with almost anything! If you are a fan of sausages on pizza, then Franco Manca recommends the Gloucester Old Spot Sausages with a great but simple balance of pork, fennel and seasoning. If you are vegetarian, then you still have a lot of choice. You can really colour up your pizza by using a mix of vegetables, and still get a lot of punch. Try mixing together two or three varieties of mushrooms to get a nutty, woodland taste, or use sliced bell peppers to give a crunchy and sweet addition. Once you have all the toppings, pop it into your oven and cook it for around 15 minutes, or until the crust crisps up and the mozzarella melts. Once this happens, it is ready for you to eat and enjoy ! Follow these steps if you want to be a master pizza-maker like Franco Manca. Or just visit one of the pizzerias, for a delicious pizza made from 24-hour slow rising sourdough their fast / slow food. Enjoy! If we convinced you that you need to learn to create pizzas worthy of Giuseppe Mascoli (aka Founder of Franco Manca), why not book into the pizzeria's Chiswick pizza-making masterclass? Masterclasses take place on the second Monday of each month, and cost just 20 for two and a half hours of expert production advice and pizza consumption, starting at 4:30pm - just in time for dinner! Franco Manca has just introduced a student offer! Every Monday & Tuesday receive a No Logo beer or Aperol Spritz on the house when you buy any pizza. Just use the buzz words Brixton 2008 & flash your student card. Ts&Cs: Exchange for a glass of Tenute Normannos Organic Bianco or Rosso (175ml), any No Logo (300ml) or any soft drink. Valid at all restaurants Monday & Tuesday 17th April until 27th June 2017, limited to one free drink with every pizza purchased, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, dine in only, use buzz word Brixton 2008 & show student card to redeem. Alcohol for 18+ only. For more information email chiswick@francomanca.co.uk , call 020 8747 4822 or visit Franco Mancas website. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has highlighted Bengal's success story in dealing with the Maoist menace. Banerjee government successfully quelled the anti-government rebellion by killing Maoist commander Kisenji and arresting Chatradhar Mahato. By Indrajit Kundu: At a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party led government at the Centre is mulling a change in strategy to deal with the Maoist menace after last week's deadly Sukma attack, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has highlighted Bengal's success story in dealing with the same. Bengal, the birthplace of Naxal movement in the 60's witnessed the revival of violent anti-government agitation backed by the Maoists in the impoverished Jungalmehal region during the end of the erstwhile Left front government. But soon after a regime change in 2011, the Mamata Banerjee government successfully quelled the rebellion by killing Maoist commander Kisenji and arresting Chatradhar Mahato, the leader of Peoples Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) - a frontal organisation spearheading the agitation backed by rebels. advertisement Elaborating on how the state was trying to integrate rebel cadres into the mainstream, Mamata wrote on Facebook, "So far, in West Bengal 328 Left wing extremists have surrendered. This includes 111 Maoists in 2017 (till date). 205 surrenderees have already been enrolled as Special Home Guards. Now, 11 more are being enrolled as Special Home Guards and another 9 cases are in process. Thus, total of 225 surrenderees will be enrolled for employment till date." Banerjee also announced that the Bengal government had designed rehabilitation programme with incentives, providing employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to those who have surrendered so that they become a part of mainstream. "Apart from employment, surrendering Maoists get financial incentives as well as assistance for housing, medical and child education, as per norms set up by the government," Banerjee announced. Also read: Bengal BJP workers who lunched with Amit Shah at Naxalbari join Mamata's Trinamool Congress Didi a hijra: BJP leader launches attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee BJP's multi-pronged strategy to corner Mamata Banerjee and wrest power from Trinamool in West Bengal Narada scam: ED registers case against 12 Trinamool Congress leaders Rose Valley scam: CBI names Trinamool MPs Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Pal in supplementary chargesheet Also watch: Big battle in Bengal: TMC alleges BJP's political vendetta after MP's arrest --- ENDS --- Russain police have arrested LGBT activists who were protesting against the killing and torture of gay and bisexual men in Chechnya The arrests happened on May 1st in Saint Petersburg. It comes after respected Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, reported that at least 100 gay and bisexual men had been rounded up and taken to torture camps. Spokesman for Chechnyas leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Alvi Karimov, denied "such people" people live in the state, and called the newspaper report absolute lies and disinformation. Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported Karimov's claims by also denying the existence of of gay and bisexual people in the region. Authorities in Chechnya deny these people help, they even deny they exist and deny the problem exists, and we are against it. Fontanka.ru claims 17 activists were arrested Local news siteyesterday and there were shouts of "Kadyrov to the Hague, in relation to the international court of justice. Reuters cameraman saw police arresting several activists and bundling them into police vans. Speaking to Reuters by telephone, one of those detained said: "I was waving a rainbow flag, and was shouting 'Kadyrov should go to the Hague'," strongly condemned The international community hasthe alleged torture, killing, and persecution of gay and bisexual men by the authorities in Chechnynya. petition Amnesty International has created a, in order to urge the Russian and Chechen authorities to investigate the reports. It has so far been signed by 169,000 people. The petition states: "We need your help to call for prompt, effective and thorough investigations into the reports of abductions and killings of men believed to be gay in Chechnya. Anyone found guilty or complicit in such crimes must be brought to justice." asked a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Last week, Yahoo! News Katie Couricabout the reported torture carried out against gay and bisexual men. In response Maria Zakharova would only say an investigation was taking place and insisted: This is not my issue, Im not a specialist in that. Photos of yesterday's protest and arrests have been widely shared on social media: Protesters against ongoing gay pogroms in Chechnya are detained in Russia's St. Petersburg today pics by @merr1k pic.twitter.com/tPXNixylu5 Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) May 1, 2017 pic.twitter.com/khNaKjpbsH Dave Frenkel (@merr1k) May 1, 2017 Another pic of police at Petersburg May Day detaining 10 for protest against torture & killings of gays in Chechnya https://t.co/g9umrRxvzb pic.twitter.com/F5nq6GerqH Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 1, 2017 Last week we spoke to Rachael Farrington, founder of Voting Counts, about her website and the ways it allows young voters to engage in the politics around them. Rachael is a final year politics student at Brunel University, graduating this summer. Having launched Voting Counts whilst in sixth form, she explains that the initial challenges she faced included becoming a self-taught website designer and struggling with different political parties and news outlets, whom she had to convince "to take [her] seriously. Rachael created Voting Counts because My friends were constantly asking me whom they should vote for, but as a politically active person my answer was always pretty biased. She had the idea of providing an online resource where undecided young voters could seek information in an unbiased way, rather than basing important decisions on one-sided opinion from friends, family and the media." For a referendums such as last year's on leaving the European Union, Voting Counts offered reasons to vote for both sides, fact-checked by an EU politics academic. In an age when false information can be disseminated and propagated, Rachael's clear aim is to ensure Voting Counts was "giving people accurate information. Rachael believes that the reason young people may be politically disengaged often lies in how easy it is to be out of the loop and fall into the habit of not voting. She thinks a lot of young people havent yet realised how politics affects them personally, meaning voting isn't a priority. What advice can she offer to change that? Whatever issue it is that you care about is influenced by politics in some way," Rachael says, "so you should at least vote so that you have a say in making sure that issue is dealt with in a way you see fit. Whether its education, healthcare, or jobs in your local community there is always something to be done. This is where Voting Counts comes in, by helping young people understand why their vote counts, and also offering all the information they need to go out and vote. Despite the internet facilitating our access to information, Rachael thinks that unless someone is actively looking for resources they dont come very easily. Luckily with Voting Counts people from all age brackets are able to get their hands on these essential resources. Of course, as is clear the website itself, there are ways to get involved in politics other than voting - which, according to Rachael, is simply the easiest thing to do. Aside from giving a guide to political parties and a section on learning why voting is important, Voting Counts also offers alternative ways to be politically active. As far as covering current events, the site offers articles including a comparison of Hard/Soft Brexit, putting its focus mainly on upcoming elections. Recently, a blog series seeking to understand the connection between the political world and our everyday lives was begun. Rachael hopes that by reading blogs written by young adults readers will discover why political engagement matters, to communities on a local and national level. In the future, she hopes to see political education in the National Curriculum. With that in mind, her team is currently creating TeachPolitics, a website where "teachers can download lesson plans and resources to help them teach politics to pupils of any age." Rachael envisions creating resources for teachers to use "regardless of knowledge or experience in politics." Clearly, Rachael is setting an excellent example of engaged politics for young people in the UK, and bringing light to a hugely important issue. If there are two things to take from Voting Counts, it is go out and vote - and to make sure you're involved in political decisions in any way you can. The second episode of the new season continues at the relentless pace of its predecessor, building the suspense and tension of the show as the many dangers within Versailles begin to reveal themselves. Death continues to knock at the doors of Versailles as yet more inhabitants fall prey to the fashion of poison. The illicit habits continue to be entertained within Versailles, leaving an open door through which William of Orange (George Webster) and his spies enter on their quest to bring down the king. As yet more blood begins to spill, the fall of Versailles - the precious palace with whom we have walked through this world - seems inevitable. Yet perhaps there is still hope. Louis (George Blagden) remains the brilliant man we know, while his closest servants remain as loyal and vicious as we remember, offering a small opportunity through which they might still regain control of the once beautiful palace, and end their enemies once and for all. Louis remains on his descent into darkness, cold and calculated as he moves his subjects around the board like pawns; all disposable in his war against William of Orange. Unfortunately for his bishop, the Church is Louis current enemy, committing the unforgivable sin of hindering his ambitions, and as such earning an enmity from the King which will undoubtedly lead to disaster. This offers audiences an intriguing insight into the complex relationship between monarchs and the Church in the past, as well as creating a space in which the wit and skill of the shows writers can be seen through Louis' furious interactions with different Church officials. Furthermore Louis' altercations with the Church shine a spotlight on Blagdens impressive performance of a man obsessed, unwavering in his pursuit of vengeance and victory. This darker portrayal of Louis is both intimidating and exciting, providing viewers with a window through which to see the terrifying underbelly of the home of the sun king and the true capabilities of a man on the edge. Louis becomes more aware of the enemies around him in this episode, recognising how even those closest to him seek to trap him or sway him in some way or other to further their own ambitions. As his frustration increases, Versailles becomes even more dangerous for those he considers a threat, as Marchal (Tygh Runyan) and his spies continue their work to bring down the empire of poison and drugs which has set root in the palace. However despite his paranoia, Louis appears to once more underestimate his enemies, seeing innocence where their is none and leaving himself exposed to danger as a consequence. The greatest delight of the episode is undoubtedly the return of the Chevalier (Evan Williams), who brightens up the otherwise tense world of Versailles. Perhaps the greatest consequence of his return is the undeniable impact that it has on Philippe (Alexander Vlahos), who brightens at his very presence and is soon close to glowing like the star he once was. However this happiness cannot last long, and in true Versailles fashion, Philippe soon finds himself engaged once more to someone he cannot love and does not want. Yet audiences might still hope for happiness in some strange way as the modern nature, hilarious sense of humour and practicality of his new wife (Jessica Clark) becomes apparent. Indeed this odd new wife, though strange and somewhat repellant to the inhabitants of Versailles, is a breathe of fresh air to audiences, quickly finding favour among even the most critical of fans. Providing humour, humility and a modern outlook to a brilliant albeit heavy and complex show, she will undoubtedly offer a new and interesting perspective, as well as a new representation of women. Meanwhile, though the marriage between Philippe and the Princess may lack romance, the quick wit she has shown suggests audiences may finally have found a match for Philippes humour and intelligence. Both Vlahos and Clark offer amusing and engaging performances this week, adding a complexity and tension to the show with their delightfully complicated connection; providing a flawlessly smooth transition between humour and despair. Ultimately the second episode, though slightly less gripping than the first, is still entertaining and intriguing, building on the complexity of the show and offering a mixture of humour and disappointment. Far more focused on relationships and character development, the episode is less eventful than the first, though by no means slow or boring. Indeed, the second episode of the show remains engaging, suggesting a dark and revealing future for the second series of Versailles. Versailles airs on Fridays at 9.30pm on BBC Two. 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Namun jangan khawatir, disini sebagai situs slot gacor MGS88 kami akan memberikan penjelasan lengkap mengenai tentang istilah yang ada di RTP SLOT dibawah ini. A group of men thrashed Ghulam Mohammad days after his relative eloped with a Hindu girl. Police said three people have been arrested so far. By Anand Patel: The family of a 45-year-old man, who was beaten to death in Bulandshahr by a group of about 10 men on Tuesday, has blamed the right-wing group Hindu Yuva Vahini. Headquartered in Gorakhpur, the Hindu Yuva Vahini was founded by Yogi Adityanath in 2002. However, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister has distanced himself from the organisation now. advertisement The victim identified as Ghulam Mohammad was thrashed by some men after his relative eloped with a Hindu girl a few days ago. FAMILY INCONSOLABLE Yasin Ahmed , the inconsolable elder son of the victim, told India Today, "Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) activists were threatening to kill all of us if the Muslim boy who eloped with the Hindu girl was not traced." "We don't want to live in this village anymore. We are just four families of Muslims and we all will leave this village. They used to come on bikes with saffron flags and with their faces covered with saffron mufflers. We were at Pahasu police station when they abducted my father from the mango orchard and lynched him", he said. Yasin added, "They had lodged a complaint with the police about threats, but it fell on deaf ears. We are not satisfied with whatever arrests have been made and the police action so far." Vakil, the victim's younger son, said, "Activities of the Hindu Yuva Vahini had started in the village after the BJP government came to power. They even asked me to join, they said they weren't afraid of even the cops", he said. Rajbir Singh, an aged villager, said that the incident had tarnished the image of the village. "Never before has such a thing happened in the past. Those who did this were not from our village. One man Gavendra was from our village", he said. These people should not be allow to disturb peace", Rajbir said. HINDU YUVA VAHINI MUST BE BANNED: SAMAJWADI PARTY Surendra Nagar, a Samajwadi Party MP, visited the family. Talking to India Today, he said, "HYV activists feel they are a law unto themselves since the Yogi government came to power. Their activists are beating up policemen and taking the law into their own hands. The government seems to be helpless before them." He demanded that such organisations be banned with immediate effect. "We will submit a report to party president Akhilesh Yadav today itself", he added. Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Arvind Kumar Mishra said a 19-year-old man named Yusuf of Sohi had allegedly kidnapped an 18-year-old Hindu girl, a resident of village Fazalpur, on April 27. advertisement He said the attackers saw Ghulam, who was distantly related to Yusuf, in a mango orchard, dragged him to a secluded spot and beat him to death. The ADM said the men wanted to know about the whereabouts of Yusuf. THREE ARRESTED Meanwhile, Bulandshahar police has arrested three people involved in the crime. Talking to journalists, SSP Muniraj said, "What is the main reason behind the incident, we will get to know after the investigation. If someone has taken the law into their own hands, they will not be spared by the police. Strict action will be taken against those elements." Last month, some Hindu Yuva Vahini activists barged into a house and harassed, thrashed a couple in Meerut. WATCH: When Hindu Yuva Vahini's leader Nagendra Singh Tomar nearly came to blows with India Today's Rahul Kanwal ALSO READ: 'Converted? Who's your baap?' Meerut couple thrashed by Yogi Adityanath's Hindu Yuva Vahini asked Anti-Romeo squad 'catches' tutor, student exchanging notes in the most dramatic way possible Shahjahanpur: Anti-Romeo squad officers get barber to tonsure a 'molester's' head --- ENDS --- advertisement By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna London, May 3 (PTI) Prime Minister Theresa May has warned the European Union that she will be a "bloody difficult woman" as Britain negotiates an exit strategy from the major economic bloc. May made the comment yesterday after day-long debates over a reportedly "disastrous" dinner meeting between her and European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker at Downing Street last week. advertisement "I think what weve seen recently is that at times these negotiations are going to be tough. During the Conservative Party leadership campaign, I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker," 60-year-old May told the BBC. The "bloody difficult" quote is attributed to former Conservative MP and Chancellor Ken Clarke, who was recorded discussing May after a TV interview last year. Her fierce reaction was in reference to a German newspaper, Frankurter Allgemeine, report based on allegedly leaked information that May and Juncker had clashed at Downing Street over the British PMs desire to make Brexit "a success" and on whether the issue of protecting the rights of expat British and EU nationals could be agreed as early as June. Juncker is reported to have told the British Prime Minister as he stormed out of the meeting: "Im leaving Downing Street 10 times more sceptical than I was before." Asked about the German report, May said: "I dont recall the account that has been given of the meeting that took place, I think that a lot of this is Brussels gossip." Meanwhile, the EU?s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, unveiled the EUs Brexit plans on Wednesday, warning that Britain must not hold any illusions of it being a quick and painless process. "Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case. We need sound solutions, we need legal precision and this will take time," he said in Brussels. He laid out the opening phase of Brexit negotiations as a focus on the financial settlement, the status of expatriate citizens and the future border between the UK and EU in Ireland. His announcement came as UKs minister for exiting the EU, David Davis, categorically denied media reports that Britain could end up paying as much as 100 billion euros as part of the so-called divorce settlement with the EU. advertisement The minister said that various figures ranging from 50 billion to 100 billion euros had been knocking around but there was no official estimate so far. "We will not be paying 100 billion euros. We will do it properly. We will take our responsibilities seriously. What weve got to do is discuss in detail what the rights and obligations are," he said. "We have said we will meet our international obligations, but there will be our international obligations including assets and liabilities and there will be the ones that are correct in law, not just the ones the (European) Commission want." Many Conservative MPs argue the UK does not owe the EU anything given the size of the contributions it has made over the past 40 years. A recent report by a House of Lords committee argued the UK was not legally obliged to pay a penny although to do this would threaten any chance of a post-Brexit trade deal. In 2016, the UK had voted to leave the EU. The UK government started the withdrawal process on March 29 2017, putting the country on course to exit by April 2019. PTI AK AMS AKJ AMS --- ENDS --- advertisement If you thought the Met Gala was all about fashion, you need this heavy dose of love. By India Today Web Desk: Love, empathy and romance are not the first things that come to one's head when you mention the Met Gala. Often seen as the playground of elaborate, dramatic fashion, the Met Gala 2017 did live up to its reputation but not without adding a dash of love to it--courtesy, Humans of New York. Yes, the social media phenomenon that features commoners and their stories on a regular basis took a star-studded route at this year's Met Gala and captured thoughts of celebrities who're often considered off that radar. advertisement From Blake Lively to Serena Williams and from Selena Gomez to Claire Daines--the recent posts by Humans of New York are a whole new bundle of delight. Also Read: Everyone is collectively swiping right on this beautiful Tinder love story The first post has Ryan Reynolds mention how his Hollywood star-wife, Blake Lively's empathy has transformed him for good. "She always responds with empathy. She meets anger with empathy. She meets hate with empathy. She'll take the time to imagine what happened to a person when they were five or six years old," the post quotes him as saying. Adding, Ryan also said how Blake helped him look at the "fractured relationship" with his father in a new light. "Before he died, she made me remember things I didn't want to remember. She made me remember the good times." She always responds with empathy. She meets anger with empathy. She meets hate with empathy. Shell take the time to imagine what happened to a person when they were five or six years old. And shes made me a more empathetic person. I had a very fractured relationship with my father. Before he died, she made me remember things I didnt want to remember. She made me remember the good times.?? A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on May 1, 2017 at 6:33pm PDT The series also includes a tryst with popular late night television host, Stephen Colbert and his partner, Evelyn McGee-Colbert. The oh-so-in-love couple touches upon the topic of silliness and sounds adorable while at it. "He's so sexy. And he taught me the importance of being silly," says Evelyn before Stephen explains the importance of being silly. "Being silly is so important. Silly is the opposite of grief. It's throwing yourself into a moment without care. You can't always maintain your status as a dignified person-- it gives you blinders. When you always expect the world to fulfill your expectations, it wears you down. It closes you off." Hes so sexy. And he taught me the importance of being silly.?? Being silly is so important. Silly is the opposite of grief. Its throwing yourself into a moment without care. You cant always maintain your status as a dignified person-- it gives you blinders. When you always expect the world to fulfill your expectations, it wears you down. It closes you off.?? So sexy.?? A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on May 2, 2017 at 10:03am PDT Then come soon-to-be-parents and ultimate power couple, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian. Ohanian took this as a chance to tell the world those facets of Serena not many are aware of. advertisement "She has the biggest heart. Everyone sees her success as an athlete, but all of that is layered on the size of her heart. She gives 100% of herself to everything she does: as a friend, as a lover, and soon, as a mother." We don't know about you. But the romance at the Met Gala was surely our favourite thing. She has the biggest heart. Everyone sees her success as an athlete, but all of that is layered on the size of her heart. She gives 100% of herself to everything she does: as a friend, as a lover, and soon, as a mother.?? A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on May 2, 2017 at 12:25pm PDT --- ENDS --- DMK leader MK Stalin has lashed out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Palaniswami for asking his ministers not to criticise Centre's policies in public and asked how his keeping 'good terms' with the Centre has benefitted Tamil Nadu. By Pramod Madhav: DMK Working President MK Stalin has slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami for instructing his ministers not to criticise the Centre or its policies on public platforms, saying that team EPS was trying to maintain "good terms" with the Centre. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu is believed to have discussed NEET exam, cancellation of license to sand quarries and ways to deal with drinking water shortage during the summer season during his cabinet meeting yesterday. advertisement Stalin also lashed out at Palaniswami, asking how did the issues discussed in the cabinet meeting become public. HERE IS ALL THAT STALIN SAID "I'm appalled to know that the details of cabinet meeting discussions were leaked. The DMK does not oppose the idea of being on 'good terms' with the Centre, but how do you use this rapport with the union government for the benefit of Tamil Nadu is the question Palaniswami needs to answer", he said. "I want to know whether by keeping 'good terms' with the Centre, Palaniswami has been able to acquire exemption for rural students from the upcoming NEET exams or whether he was able secure the release of 134 boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy of Tamil Nadu fishermen", Stalin added. "So the leaked news of Chief Minister Palaniswami asking ministers to not criticise the Centre seems to suggest that he wants to avoid income tax raids and corruption charges, which is possible in the near future especially with names of AIADMK leaders on the Rs 89 crore money distribution list for RK Nagar by-election. There seems to be no indication of the fact that the Palaniswami government wants to persuade the Centre to implement any noteworthy schemes for the people", the DMK leader went on to add. Stalin even pointed out that as Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel met with Palaniswami on Tuesday, why couldn't the chief minister have used his 'good terms' to get farmer loans acquired from national banks waived off. While Stalin has levelled such serious allegations against the chief minister, rumours are abuzz that Palaniswami is trying to curry favour with the Centre for long-term benefits. Also read | Stalin slams Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami for misgovernance, asks him to focus on welfare schemes Also read | Protest against NEET in Tamil Nadu; doctors demand upholding the federal system Also read | Tamil Nadu ministers photographed with Sasikala's family, OPS camp sees red --- ENDS --- More than 1000 members of different Christian community groups gathered outside the BMC's H ward office and took out a silent protest. By Mayuresh Ganapatye: The Christian community in Mumbai on Wednesay took out a silent protest outside the BMC 'H' ward office in Bandra West for demolishing the 100-year-old cross in Bandra's Bazaar road. The protesting members had crosses in hand and plaque cards and were seeking justice condemning the BMC action. More than 1000 members of different Christian community groups gathered outside the BMC's H ward office. advertisement On April 29, the BMC demolished the cross in Bandra saying it's an illegal religious structure. Residents are now demanding that the BMC should reinstate the cross within two weeks. The Bombay Catholic Sabha termed the removal of the structure as 'insult' to the community. "Whatever happened is really unfortunate. We never expected this from civic authorities. If residents are claiming that they have got papers which show legality of the cross, then why didn't BMC wait for before removing it?" questioned Asif Bamla, an activist supporting the silent protest. The BMC had taken a demolition drive against illegal religious structures throughout Mumbai. The BMC was acting on orders of the Bombay High Court. Till now it has demolished more than 100 illegal regious structures, which were on public roads. But Bandra West residents are quite angry as they claim that this particular cross was on private land and was not illegal. "We have this map that was made in 1948, showing that the cross was on Pvt land and not on public land. Today in the meeting with BMC officials, we showed them all the documents again but they were not interested in it," said David Cardosz, a local resident of Bandra Bazar area. The members were asked to approach the court by the BMC. BMC CLEARS STAND Clarifying it's stand on the illegal religious structures, the BMC also issued a statement. According to the statement, "Before demolishing illegal religious structures made after 25 September, 2009, the BMC had asked for reservation and suggestions from people. For this in 2012, the BMC had given advertisement in newspaper too with a list of such religious structures. After that 482 religious illegal structures were finalised to be demolished. The court had given the date of November 17, 2017 to demolish these illegal structures, thus BMC is conducting this drive. These illegal structures were finalised after receiving reservation - suggestions by public. All relevant documents related to these illegal structures are with the BMC. If anyone wants to approach the court, then the BMC will give the concerned papers related to these illegal religious structures." advertisement The community has now decided to approach the court. Also read: Mumbai woman recreates picture from World War II, trolls BMC for leaving rubble outside her house Also read: MNS warns builders, don't deny flats to buyers for being non-vegetarian --- ENDS --- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a commissioner of income tax, Mumbai and five others in an alleged bribery case. By Shivendra Srivastava, Atir Khan: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a commissioner of income tax, Mumbai and five others in an alleged bribery case. A case was registered against commissioner of income tax B B Rajendra Prasad and others. The others arrested include, Suresh Kumar Jain, real estate trade agent, Pradip Mittal, an employee of Essar Company, Vipin Bajpai, an employee of Essar Company, Shreyas Parikh, chartered accountant, Manish Jain. advertisement It was alleged that Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai has recently passed an order in an appeal matter favouring a private Trust whose trustee is a private company based at Mumbai. For giving this favourable order, he allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2 crore and wanted the money to be delivered to the relative of a Real Estate Trade Agent at Mumbai, who in turn after collecting the money transferred it to said the agent in Visakhapatnam. The commissioner of income tax had visited Visakhapatnam on leave and allegedly demanded the Real Estate trade agent to deliver part of the money at his residence. CBI laid a trap and caught the commissioner who had received part of the bribe Rs 19.34 lakh from the Real Estate trade agent. During investigation, the remaining amount of Rs 1.50 crore earlier received by the real estate trade agent on behalf of the commissioner was also recovered. Following the arrest, searches were conducted in Mumbai & Visakhapatnam including offices & residence of the accused which led to recovery of several property documents, details of bank accounts, three lockers and several incriminating documents. The arrested accused were produced today in court. The court granted five days police custody to the commissioner of income tax. Also read: Delhi: CBI arrests EPIL MD, senior officials in bribery case --- ENDS --- Player to watch on every South Dakota HS football state final team A few of the players expected to play big roles in their teams' pursuit of a South Dakota high school football state title this weekend. India "considers it (mutilation of soldiers) a strong act of provocation which was preceded by covering fire from Pakistan soldiers," said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay. By India Today Web Desk: While Pakistan continues to deny its role in the mutilation of two Indian soldiers near the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector, India said that it considers the incident a "strong act of provocation". Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay today briefed the media and said that India "considers it a strong act of provocation which was preceded by covering fire from Pakistan soldiers". advertisement The MEA spokesperson said the barbaric act of mutilation of soldiers violates all norms of civility. India has sufficient evidence to prove that Pakistan Army was behind the act, he said. PROOF AGAINST PAKISTAN "Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control," Gopal Baglay said. The MEA spokesperson that "those who crossed the Line of Control were not from Pakistan, but people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). We have the evidence, blood trail sample shows that those who came from PoK, returned to the PoK side, and Pakistan personnel are responsible for this". Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit was called in by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's outrage over the incident. "We have demanded from Pakistan that whoever from their (Pakistan) Army was behind the incident be punished," said MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay. Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed and their bodies were mutilated by Pakistan Army's Border Action Team (BAT), which sneaked 250 metres into the Indian territory along the Line of Control on May 1. ISOLATING PAKISTAN ON GLOBAL STAGE He said that Abdul Basit denied that Pakistan Army was involved in the attack but assured that "he will convey our demarche to his government". On clamour for withdrawing the most-favoured nation (MFN) status to the neighbour, Gopal Baglay said that the MFN status to Pakistan is a WTO obligation that all members have to extend to each other. On being asked if India has failed to isolate Pakistan globally on the subject of terrorism, the MEA spokesperson said because of India's consistent efforts, several countries today support her stand on cross-border terrorism. Gopal Baglay said that the joint statement between India and Turkey shows that the latter agrees with New Delhi's stand. (WITH INPUTS FROM BALKRISHNA) ALSO READ: Months after surgical strikes, 55 terror training camps come up along LoC India warns Pakistan: We will respond at time and place of our choosing India, Pakistan DGMOs exchange fire over mutilation of soldiers, martyr's daughter seeks revenge advertisement Jaitley condemns Pakistan over mutilation of Indian soldiers: Such acts don't happen even during wars Avenge Pakistan's barbarism, say border residents in J-K's RS Pura after mutilation of 2 Armymen ALSO WATCH: Jawans mutilated: Sufficient evidence to prove Pakistan Army was behind the act, MEA says --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, May 2 (PTI) Candidates from various political parties in Nepal today filed nomination papers for the crucial local body elections which are being held after a gap of 20 years amid political tensions in the country. Under the new federal structure, the local governments will have more rights and expanded powers. advertisement Ruling parties - Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) -- main opposition CPN-UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party are fielding candidates for the posts of Mayor, Deputy Member and Ward chairmen for Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Lalitpur Metropolitan City and Bhaktapur Sub-metropolitan City, the three cities that lie in the Kathmandu Valley. The Election Commission will publish the final list of candidates tomorrow for 283 metropolises, sub-metropolises, municipalities and rural municipalities in province number 3, 4 and 6. The first round of elections in provinces 3, 4 and 6 and the second round in provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7 will be held on May 14 and June 14 respectively. Raju Raj Joshi, Vidya Sundar Shakya and Sarvottam Dangol have registered their names for the post of Mayor from Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) respectively in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Hariprabha Khadgi from Nepali Congress and Rajaram Shrestha from Rastriya Prajatantra are the main contestants for the post of Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu. Rastriya Janta Party Nepal, the major political grouping belonging to the Madhesi communities, however, did not field candidates for the first phase of election. The local level election is taking place across Nepal after a gap of 20 years. The local body elections should have been held in every five years in Nepal. Due to political instability, they have been halted since May 1997. Elections were held in 56 municipalities of Nepal in February 2006 under King Gyanendra but were boycotted by the major political parties and saw low voter turnout. The nomination papers were filed amid political tensions in the country over an impeachment motion against the countrys first woman Chief Justice Sushila Karki. The motion to impeach 64-year-old Karki was registered in Parliament on Sunday by two major ruling parties. She was suspended on Sunday after the impeachment motion was registered against her by Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist-Centre), accusing her of "interfering" with the executive and issuing "prejudiced" verdicts. Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, who heads the Nepali Congress, had tendered his resignation on Sunday, expressing his reservation over the decision. advertisement The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) today quit the Prachanda-led government over the move. The RPPs decision came as the ruling coalition struggled to secure a two-thirds majority to pass the Constitution amendment bill. Some Madhes-centric parties have opposed the elections until the Constitution is amended to accommodate their views: more representation in parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries. PTI SBP KJ NSA PMS --- ENDS --- An oil tanker bearing vehicle turned upside down today at the Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport. By Indrajit Kundu: An aircraft refuelling tanker of Reliance Aviation turned turtle resulting in massive oil spill inside Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (NSCB) International airport on today. The incident took place early this morning around 5:30 AM when the driver of the oil tanker carrying aviation turbine fuel (ATF) lost control of the vehicle. The oil tanker bearing vehicle no. WB 76A 0443 collapsed on the apron service road near taxi bay no. 1 and 2. Oil spilled at the bay advertisement Both the driver and helper, indentified as Swaraj Bhushan Tiwari and Rahul Bardhan respectively have been injured in the accident and have been admitted in a nearby private hospital. Over balanced vehicle at the airport. NSCB Airport officials visited the spot soon after the accident and operations have been undertaken to clear the bay. Sources in the airport administration claimed, a Directorate General of Civil Aviation probe is likely into the spill. ALSO READ: Chennai oil spill like 'asafoetida' sprayed on the sea, damage brought under control: Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Oil tanker overturns on NH6, traffic disrupted, scribe injured --- ENDS --- Ram Gopal Varma has made a career out of gangster movies and now that he is venturing into the digital space, the filmmaker wants to focus on some of the biggest underworld rivalries. The Satya director says he is attracted to gangster dramas because normal families are boring. I am working on a web-series that is based on the underworld and crime. It is going to be more real than what I have done so far in my films, Varma told. The Satya helmer says his web series Guns and Thighs, which is named after his memoir, will chronicle the fights that finished the underworld in Mumbai. I am concentrating mainly on the time when Chota Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim broke up in 1996. So, between Daya Nayak, Praful Bhosale, Pradeep Sharma and Sachin Vale and others, 300 people (gangsters) were killed in the period of four years which technically finished the underworld. My series will focus mainly on that but it will have a lot of flashbacks in the '80s with Karim Lala, Haji Mastan and others, he adds. Varma says he is always on the look out for interesting stories of gangsters and most of them come through his sources in the police department. I am a writer so I look for the emotional and psychological aspects of every incident. The stories of the underworld and crime never tire me because I feel normal families are boring. I am intrigued by this world, he says. The filmmaker is looking forward to the release of his next directorial venture Sarkar 3 on May 12, starring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. As the mercury soars, Tiger Shroff too has up the hot quotient. The actor has set the temperature soaring in one of the hottest photo shoots this summer. With a look to kill, Tiger is seen gracing the cover of GQ magazine. The actor is captured flaunting his well-toned body and chiseled muscles, as he hits the beach. Sharing the picture of his hot avatar on Twitter, Tiger tweeted, "Thank you @gqindia for making me look cool in the scorching heat! #GQIndia #May2017 #GQCoverStar" The actor recently dropped a bomb of curiosity as he announced the return of Ronnie with Sajid Nadiadwala's Baaghi 2. Tiger is currently shooting for Munna Michael directed by Sabbir Khan. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a loan of $160 million to finance a power project in India, the bank said on Wednesday. The project, co-financed with the World Bank, is part of the government's "247 Power for All programme" and will strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in Andhra Pradesh, Xinhua news agency reported. The 247 Power for All is an initiative by the government to ensure availability of 247 power supply to all households, industries, commercial businesses, public needs and any other electricity consuming entity and adequate power to agriculture consumers by 2019. AIIB President Jin Liqun praised the multilateral development bank's close work with India, AIIB's second-largest shareholder, in energy and other infrastructure sectors. "AIIB supports its members in their transition toward a low-carbon energy mix by promoting the improvement of energy efficiency, such as upgrading the existing transmission and distribution networks," he said. The bank expects the Andhra Pradesh-247 Power for All project to be the first of many projects AIIB invests in India, said Jin. It "will be the starting point for AIIB to extend its assistance to other countries in Asia moving towards an 'Energy for all' initiative," said DJ Pandian, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of AIIB. The AIIB was set up in 2015 and started operation in January 2016 to provide financing for infrastructure improvement in Asia. Its membership has increased to 70, with 13 new countries approved in March. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli met with UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan here, vowing to promote bilateral friendly cooperation under the framework of Belt and Road construction. China and the United Arab Emirates held the first meeting of the intergovernmental cooperation committee on May 2, Xinhua news agency reported. Zhang said the establishment of the committee is a major step to implementing the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on developing bilateral relations. He called on the two sides to make full use of the mechanism to promote and carry out overall planning for bilateral cooperation. China is ready to work with the UAE to forge a future-oriented strategic partnership and boost friendly cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road construction, he said. He hoped that the two sides could enjoy stronger political mutual trust, more dynamic strategic cooperation, more convenient personnel exchanges and smoother trade flow. Sheikh Abdullah said bilateral relations have been supported by the leaders and people from the two countries, and have effectively promoted the cooperation between the two sides. The UAE admires China's great achievements in development, and is ready to advance the development of bilateral ties. Earlier on May 2, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Sheikh Abdullah. They co-chaired the first meeting of the intergovernmental cooperation committee. During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation in the areas of oil and gas development, construction of ports and port-side industrial parks, nuclear energy, aviation and aerospace. Bangladesh loses billions due to trade misinvoicing and other unrecorded outflows between 2005 and 2014. Bangladesh has lost between US$6 billion and US$9 billion to illicit money outflows in 2014, according to a Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report. The Washington-based research and advisory organisation on May 1 released the report based on a research on 150 countries. Bangladesh lost US$75 billion due to trade misinvoicing and other unrecorded outflows between 2005 and 2014, according to the report. The report Illicit Financial Flows to and from Developing Countries: 2005-2014-provides low and high estimates of illegal flow of money out of the developing world, referred to as illicit financial flows (IFFs). The GFI analysed discrepancies between bilateral trade statistics and balance of payments data, as reported to the International Monetary Fund, to detect flows of capital that were illegally earned, transferred, or utilised. Illicit trade outflow equalled to 9 to 13 percent of Bangladesh's total trade of US$70.07 billion in 2014 7 to 11 percent due to trade misinvoicing and 2 percent due to balance of payments leakage. As per the low estimates, $6.06 billion moved out of the country through IFFs. The figure is US$8.97 billion if the high estimate is considered, which is enough to build three Padma Bridges. The 2014 IFFs estimate for Bangladesh is lower than that of 2013. If the highest estimate is considered, the outflow fell by 10.66 percent from 2013 when it was US$10.04 billion, the highest recorded. Economists blamed the high outflow in 2013 to the general elections of early 2014 and the political turmoil in 2013. In case of the low estimate, the 2014 outflow was 9.13 percent less than that of 2013 when US$6.67 billion went out of the country illegally. With number one spot being the worst, Bangladesh was ranked 28th in terms of illicit money outflow. If the high estimate was taken into account, it stood at 21st spot. The 2013 report had put Bangladesh at 26th spot among 149 countries. It was ranked 51st on the previous list. The report also highlighted its estimated IFFs into developing countries. It has become increasingly evident that both types of illicit flows represent a challenge to economic and social progress in the developing world, it read. The report showed US$4.06 billion illegally entered Bangladesh in 2014, up 25 percent from 2013, when it was US$3.25 billion. The IFFs from developing and emerging economies was nearly US$1 trillion in 2014, according to GFI. In India, it went up to US$21.10 billion from US$17.80 billion in 2013. For Pakistan, it went down from US$518 million in 2013 to just US$23 million in 2014. The worst was China, which suffered a jump to US$247 billion from US$194 billion in 2013. The report is the first global study at the GFI to equally emphasise illicit outflows and inflows of money. The outflows and inflows were estimated to account for 14.1 to 24 percent of developing countries' trade. Outflows were estimated to have ranged between US$620 billion and US$970 billion, while inflows ranged between US$1.4 trillion and US$2.5 trillion. The order of magnitude of these estimates, much more so than their exactitude, warrants serious attention in both the developing countries and the wealthier world, said GFI President Raymond Baker in a statement on the organisation's website. Years of experience with businesses and governments in the developing world have taught us that the decision to bring illicit flows into a particular developing country often marks only the first phase of a strategy to subsequently move funds out of the country. Together, illicit inflows and outflows sap the crucial financial resources needed to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. An average of 87 percent of illicit financial outflows between 2005 and 2014 were due to the fraudulent trade misinvoicing. The total illicit financial flows (outflows and inflows) grew between 8.5 percent and 10.1 percent a year over the 10 years. Estimates of total trade were calculated by an average of the magnitude reported by each developing country and the magnitude reported by that country's trade partners. As policy recommendations, the report said governments should adopt and fully implement all of the Financial Action Task Force's anti-money laundering recommendations. Policymakers should require multinational companies to publicly disclose their revenues, profits, losses, sales, paid taxes, subsidiaries, and staff levels on a country-by-country basis, said the report. According to the GFI, measurable illegal flows stem from two sources: trade misinvoicing and other unrecorded flows. Trade misinvoicing takes into account export under-invoicing and import over-invoicing, while a second source of illegal flows includes leaks from the balance of payments system. The government is working on various auction models with regard to sale of coal blocks for commercial mining by private companies, a senior official said on Wednesday. "We are formulating a proposal detailing the auction models to be considered by an inter-ministerial committee," Coal Joint Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said. An inter-ministerial panel under the chairmanship of coal secretary and members from ministries like power and finance would consider the auction models for commercial mining. The official was speaking on the sidelines of a launch of a book titled 'India's Coal Story'. India is in the process of throwing open commercial coal mining to private firms for the first time in four decades, with the aim of shifting the world's third-biggest coal importer towards energy self-sufficiency. The government had earlier said that opening up of commercial coal mining to private companies will bring in competition in the coal sector and will reduce power tariff. The government had said it wants to convey to potential investors that sustainable and efficient mining, not revenue maximisation, is the idea behind commercial coal auction. Private carrier Jet Airways on Wednesday announced that it would commence direct flights on the Chennai-Paris and Bengaluru-Amsterdam sectors on October 29 as part of expanding services globally. The airline currently connects 45 destinations with more than 500 flights every day in the domestic route. Globally it operates 150 flights connecting 20 cities across 16 countries. Given the presence of corporates like Michelin, Renault and BNP Paribas in Paris and also in Chennai, we are launching direct flights from Chennai to Paris starting from October 29, Jet Airways, Vice-President (Sales), Praveen Iyer told reporters here. Chennai also has these companies like Michelin, Renault, BNP Paribas and it is also the cultural capital, he said on the reasons to launch direct flights from here to Paris. On the Bengaluru-Amsterdam launch, he said the IT capital was the third busiest airport in India and there has been a steady increase in the number of people visiting Europe from South India. The market size in the Chennai-Europe/US route is about 1,000 on the one way route. So two way it is 2,000 people on a daily basis. From Bengaluru to Europe or United States the number of passengers visiting on a daily basis is 3,000, he said. The introductory air fare would be Rs.33,999 per ticket in economy class in both sectors, while for premiere (first class) tickets, the cost is Rs.1.29 lakh on both routes, he said. The launch of the direct flights would not only boost corporate and leisure travel, but also contribute to significant growth in trade and commerce, he added. By Press Trust of India: guards From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, May 3 (PTI) Pakistan and Iran today agreed to manage their porous border effectively, revive hotline between their border security forces and boost cooperation to overcome "existing challenges" at the regional and the international levels. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Pakistans Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan committed themselves to further the bilateral ties during a meeting, which came nearly a week after nine Iranian border guards were killed by militants in a cross-border attack on the frontier with Pakistan. advertisement Following the attack, Iran had summoned the Pakistani envoy to protest the attack. The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation, "encompassing all areas of mutual interest and concerns, including effective border management, curb drug-trafficking and check illegal cross-border movement through better coordination, greater intelligence sharing and frequent interactions at political, military, security and at the level of various ministries," said an official statement released after their meeting. They also agreed that their countries had "no other option" but to work hand-in-hand to overcome existing challenges at individual, regional as well as international levels vis-a-vis the issues confronting the Muslim Ummah (community)." Pakistan and Iran decided to set up "operational committees" for identification of areas of cooperation and addressing mutual concerns. "The two sides agreed in principle to revive hotline between the border security forces of the two countries in order to resolve any issues at border," the statement said. Zarif, accompanied by a 12-member delegation, is in Pakistan on a day-long visit to discuss various issues, including security and border management, after the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards on April 26. Khan, however, said the visit of the Iranian delegation would provide momentum to the bilateral ties. "Your visit will send a strong message to those who wanted to undermine Pak- Iran relations and always look for an opportunity to create mistrust between the two friendly countries." Zarif said Pakistan and Iran will have to work together for resolution of problems faced by the Muslim world. He said the two countries needed consensus on matters of international importance. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and Pakistans National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua. Zarif is also expected to call on President Mamnoon Hussain during the visit. According to Pakistans Geo TV, the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards will feature in his talks with other Pakistani leaders as well. Other matters, including regional situation, counter-terrorism measures along Pak-Iran border, gas pipeline project and SAARC summit may also be discussed. PTI SH ABH --- ENDS --- As a crucial part of the resolution of the non-performing assets (NPAs), Rs.2.44 lakh crore worth of gross NPAs have been sold to the Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) while the current stock of stress in the Indian banking system is estimated at Rs.11.80 lakh crore, a study has stated. Seeking a level playing field with the banks in terms of conversion of loans into equity, the study said though a huge chunk of stressed assets, as much as 15 per cent of advances (9.84 per cent NPAs and 4.2 per cent restructured assets), is a matter of concern for the economy, it offers huge opportunity for the ARCs. The study was carried out jointly by industry lobby Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Society of Insolvency Practitioners of India and Edelweiss. "While ARCs are an important means to help banks manage NPAs, at its heart, ARC business is a resolution business and not a recovery business. ARCs do not have any magic spell for revving a non-performing assets," Assocham Secretary General DS Rawat said. He said the process of resolving a stressed asset requires "aggregation of debt outstanding to various banks, arrangement of capital, right sizing the business and bringing in a strategic partner". "This requires a period of 3-5 years", he added. As many as seven ARCs have largely been promoted by banks even as foreign direct investment has also been permitted into the asset reconstruction, which the study paper said should be treated as a resolution and not a recovery business. The study said there must be a level playing field along with more teeth to ARCs for dealing with the promoters of companies owing a high level of bank debt which has decayed into NPAs. "At least 51 per cent conversion should be allowed to ARCs while reconstructing an asset," it noted. "The ARCs are not on par with the banking system when it comes to equity conversion. While RBI has given sweeping powers to bank in form of Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR) and even in case of normal debt conversion, ARCs are restricted to maximum 26 per cent of equity share in a particular company," it said. The study stressed that incentive structure has to be introduced for banks where 100 per cent debt is sold to ARCs. "The banks are not following a consortium approach which is a major issue that leads to delay of 12-18 months for debt aggregation. ARCs have to resort to a time-consuming process of dealing with each bank separately, often at different commercial terms," it said. "The companies under reconstruction require working capital and often the non-fund based requirements are high. The banks selling NPAs to ARCs, cannot lend, while non-bank entities, such as private equity /Non Banking Financial Company, demand very high interest along with priority in repayment over existing debt," it added. ARCs have been doing a lot of work to ensure that the banking system is relieved from the structural NPA problem which they are currently facing, the study said. In what seems to be a story worthy of a Bollywood potboiler, three victims of triple talaq formed an alliance to take on their former husband and ultimately managed to stop him for getting hitched the fourth time. The incident took place at Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. The three divorced wives, upon learning their ex-husbands intention of marrying the fourth time, approached the police and accused him of making obscene videos of them and raping a minor. The three women reached the office of the Additional Superintendent of Police, Dinesh Tripathi, two days ago and alleged that 30-year-old Danish had married for the first time in 2013 and made an alleged obscene video of his wife. After a dispute with her, he blackmailed the first wife and her family members by demanding money and threatened to leak the obscene video. He later divorced the woman and married for the second time, police said. The marriage lasted only for a year. On 24 October 2016, the accused went to his relative's house where he allegedly raped his 15-year-old cousin and later married her. He also allegedly made an obscene video of the minor and threatened her parents that he would make leak the video if they protested. When the three women came to know that Danish was going to marry for the fourth time, they reached the ASP's office and got him arrested. ASP Tripathi said an FIR had been registered against Danish under POCSO and other relevant sections of the IPC. The body of Border Security Force trooper Ram Sagar, killed by the Pakistani Army in Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated at his native Deoria on Wednesday. Earlier Sagar's inconsolable and angry family had refused to cremate his mortal remains until Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited them. Officials informed that the Chief Minister spoke to the bereaved family late on Tuesday night and extended his sympathies to them. He also assured them a visit before the 'terhvi' (the thirteenth day post-death ritual observed by the Hindus). Angry villagers had blocked rail traffic for several hours in protest on Tuesday evening in Deoria. Adityanath is also learnt to have assured a "befitting memorial" honouring Sagar and a primary school in the village to commemorate him. Head Constable Sagar along with Punjab's Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member patrol team near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district when they were suddenly attacked by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) on Monday. Not only were Sagar and Singh killed brutally but their bodies were also mutilated. The act angered the armed forces who have since promised of a "befitting response". Work on refurbishment of three prime market spaces in south Delhi, including Nehru Place, is likely to begin soon as the area's civic body has handed over their upkeep to the Delhi Development Authority. The commercial centres to be renovated under the plan Nehru Place, Bhikaji Cama Place and Basant Lok Market -are very old markets, and over the years have become city's landmarks. "The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has handed over the areas to us and work is likely to begin soon. The Union Urban Development Ministry has given in-principle approval for all three projects and the DDA has also got the no-objection certificate from the corporation," a senior DDA official told PTI. As part of the refurbishment, the DDA will repair facade of buildings, develop piazzas, renovate pavements, fix toilets and build new ones and build pedestrian pathways. Nehru Place is one of the busiest markets in the national capital. The location of an eponymous metro station in its vicinity also contributes to its increasing footfall. "The SDMC is not in a position to maintain them, so they have handed them over to us. These markets in a way also are the face of our urban spaces. "And, even foreign visitors go there, so, they need refurbishment. So, whether the civic body does it or the DDA does it, doesn't matter. We should project a good image," he added. Once the work in Nehru Place is finalised, the DDA will start work at Bhikaji Cama and Basant Lok. Redevelopment of Basant Lok Market has also been under consideration for a long time and traders have been running from pillar to post to get the work done. Sources said about Rs 80 crore has been allocated for the three projects, with Rs 55 crore for Nehru Place renovation. "There are 11 district commercial centres run under the DDA. Another one is Peeraghadi will come up. After these three markets, we will also renovate other market spaces as well," the official said. Bhikaji Cama Place, located on the Ring Road, houses corporate offices and a big market adjoining it. Basant Lok Market in Vasant Vihar is one of the oldest markets in Delhi, known for its restaurants, and also receives a big footfall. PTI KND Parking lots under the Delhi Metro may soon be handed over to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the municipal corporations. Addressing the 23rd Foundation Day of the Delhi Metro, Lt Governor Anil Baijal said the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has taken an in-principle decision to execute the proposal. However, the Lt Governor did not elaborate on the proposal. The final decision will be taken by authorities concerned, including the Centre and the Delhi government, which hold equal equity in the DMRC. Baijal also stressed upon the need of last-mile connectivity in the city and parking space at and near about metro stations. "In the meeting yesterday, we had a preliminary discussion on parking spaces which are available with Delhi Metro. If they (DMRC) are not able to develop, I would like them to hand it over to the DDA and municipal corporations," Baijal said. He said the municipal corporations and the DDA could take up the construction work of parking spaces once the final decision is taken by the metro. "We will work out the details, but this beginning was made yesterday. I congratulate the DMRC MD for having taken this decision in-principle," the Lt Governor said. Out of 160 metro stations, there are 97 parking lots managed by the DMRC. The Delhi Metro operates on a network of 213 kilometres across seven different corridors and 160 metro stations. "One is efficient last-mile connectivity, the paratransit system and the second one is reasonable parking space at and near about metro stations," Baijal said, adding good traffic management should also be in place at metro stations. DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh and his teams are taking all possible efforts to bring in the last-mile connectivity not only to facilitate the passengers for last mile journey, but also remove congestion, the Lt Governor said. He said that in another major achievement, the entire electricity requirement of Delhi Metro's Phase 3 will be met with solar power. On his part, Singh highlighted the various initiatives taken by Delhi Metro in the past year. "Last year has been a very satisfactory year as far as operations are concerned. We are transporting about 28 lakh passengers with the help of about 3,100 train trips maintaining a punctuality of 99.97 per cent," he said. "We are a member of the prestigious COMET organisation, which is an association of the world's big metros. Every year, we compare the performance of the metros. Benchmarking is done for all metros. Every year we feature among the top three or four metros in all respects," Singh said. At the function, the Chandni Chowk Metro station was adjudged the 'Best Metro Station' and Shrikant, Head Station Controller, Rajiv Chowk received the 'Metro Person of the year award'. The Metro Woman of the Year Award, was given to Kumari Tara, Station Controller/Train Operator, Yamuna Bank Crew Control. Besides them, 44 more employees from various departments were awarded for their meritorious performance. An employee from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was also awarded for his contribution towards maintaining security in the DMRC. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday came out in support of Bollywood actress Kajol, who was trolled online for posting a video of a meat dish, and said it has become a dangerous trend that some people were becoming intolerant of food habits of others. "I won't name the actress. She has worked in many films with Shah Rukh Khan. Recently she had posted a video online following which she was harassed and trolled online. She had to clarify that it was not beef but buffalo meat. It is an alarming situation," Mamata was quoted as saying by a news agency. According to reports, Kajol on 2 May was slammed online for posting a video of a "beef" dish that her friend had prepared and later clarified that it was actually buffalo meat. The 42-year-old actress issued a statement on Twitter, saying she did not want to hurt religious sentiments. I'm issuing this clarification because this is a sensitive matter that may hurt religious sentiments, which is not my intention, Kajol wrote. Beef is banned in Maharashtra and other parts of the country. (10:42) , May 3 (IANS) The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The police said that the search was still on. They are linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. An officer said there were at least six persons inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned. "It had a fake registration number plate. The car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu," the officer said. Security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district in July 2015. Both districts share an international border with Pakistan. Both districts are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. For effective implementation of its cleanliness mission, the government will establish a national centre at Rajghat here to monitor the progress of the Prime Minister's pet programme. The Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra will be set up by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation at the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Rajghat to monitor the progress of the Swachh Bharat Mission, Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said here on Wednesday. Speaking at the culmination of 'Swachhata Pakhwada', a fortnight-long cleanliness drive, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said his ministry was considering providing space at the Rajghat for the Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra to mark the centenary of the Champaran Satyagraha. Tomar said the Swachh Bharat Mission was the top priority of the government and that it had become a national mission for the people as well. Since its launch on October 2, 2014, till date more than four crore individual household toilets have been built and 1.94 lakh villages and 135 districts have become open defecation free (ODF). Apart from Sikkim, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh which are ODF states, six to seven more states will soon declare them ODF as the work is going on a rapid scale, Tomar said. The total budget for SBM has now been increased to Rs 19,300 crore with a central share of Rs 14,000 crore. Rs 5,300 crore is the budgetary provision declared by all government departments, Tomar said. Champaran Satyagraha in 1917 was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhis first experiment with civil disobedience in India, by politically activating peasants against opium-yielding poppy and indigo cultivation by the Colonial administration in eastern Bihar, for Opium export to China. Another iniquity was the teen kathia taxation, requiring a third of grain harvests to be yielded up to the District Collectors for three years. Commemorating the event in collaboration with the Gandhi Peace Foundation and The India International Centre in New Delhi on 15 April, historians Professor Aparna Basu of Delhi University, Professor Mridula Mukherjee of Jawaharlal Nehru University and legal luminary Anil Nauriya, recalled for the now generation the first non-violent struggle to assert the legitimacy of truth against unjust laws. Ruthless suppression Instead of food crops necessary for their survival, the British East India Company ~ and later the British India government ~ forced tens of thousands of landless serfs, indentured labourers and poor farmers in Bengal and Bihar, to grow Indigo plants. Suppressed by the ruthless bamboo staff bearing lathiyals (militias) of the landlords (mostly British), farmers were given measly compensation, leaving them in extreme poverty. In the face of a devastating famine, the Colonial administration levied the harsh teen kathia tax, which they insisted on increasing. Without food and money, the situation was growing progressively unlivable. The peasants in Champaran revolted against conditions in Indigo plantations in 1914 at Pipra and in 1916 at Turkaulia. An Indigo cultivator, Raj Kumar Shukla followed Gandhi around in his travels and apprised him of the ground realities. Without studying the problem, he would not want to get into it. So Porbandar-born Gandhi, attired in customary knee length Kathiawari white dhoti and chadder, arrived in Champaran on 10 April, 1917, with eminent lawyers of the time, Braj Kishore Prasad, Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and educationist Acharya Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani. Along the banks of the Gandak River, the colonial administration operated 60 factories and had 46 out-works to process Poppy to produce Opium. The second civil disobedience movement inspired by Gandhi in 1918 was in Gujarats Kheda district, where floods and famine hit peasantry was seeking relief from taxes. But the wordSatyagraha was used for the first time during the agitation against February1919 Rowlett Acts that allowed certain political cases to be tried without juries and internment of suspects without trial. Gandhis mass movement led to the Jallianwala bagh massacre of April 1919 in Amritsar. The Acts were never actually implemented. Subsequently, he led the unsuccessful non-co-operation movement 1920-22 to induce the British to grant self-government (swaraj) to India. This large scale agitation arose from the widespread outcry over killing hundreds assembled for a meeting at Jallianwala bagh and indignation at the governments failure to take punitive action against General Reginald Edward Harry Dwyer, who ordered the firing. Gandhi showed people through the Champaran civil disobedience, what a peaceful protest could achieve. Civil disobedience in Champaran was the precursor to the non-cooperation movement, the 1930 Salt Satyagraha in Dandi against imposition of special taxes on Indian salt to facilitate its import and the Quit India movement of August 1942. Satyagraha changed Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to Mahatma Gandhi and added a new vigour to the freedom movement. Last week I received a frantic email from a teacher in Puducherry. The school principal had decided to remove all the beehives on the trees and cut down all the lower branches so that they would not get any more. The real culprits were two children who had thrown stones at the beehive and had been bitten. I spoke to the principal and explained that she should give a lecture to the school on the importance of beehives and ask children to stay away from them. There are so few bees left in India that we are on the brink of a major pollination crisis. Our lives, as we know them, are about to change and yet the most important beings on the planet, bees, are not protected by law. Bees pollinate one sixth of the flowering plants all over the world, which feed insects and birds, and 400 different kinds of fruit/ food plants. Basically, one third of everything you eat. All of which will become extinct within five years if the bees disappear. And lets dont have any smart answers about people can eat meat, because the animals grown for meat also eat only plants, so you will not have meat either. There are 25,000 different species of bees in just nine families, of which the Apidae family, with the honeybee, the bumble bee and the carpenter bee, is the most common. All bees have stiff hair and pockets on their legs, allowing them to collect more pollen and be more efficient transporters of it between plants. What is pollination? It is the transfer of pollen from the male part of the flower, the anther, to the stigma, which is the female part of the flower. When this happens, a plants seed, nut, or fruit is formed. Bees focus their energies on one species of plant at a time. By visiting the same flowers of a particular species in one outing, much higher quality pollination occurs rather than spreading many different pollens to different plants, all plants of one species get an even distribution of vital pollen from others of its same species. The bees are disappearing for one major reason the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. I have repeatedly asked the government to ban these, but they refuse because they need these terrible pesticides for the GM Cotton crops which Monsanto forced on India by promising that these cotton crops would not need any pesticides at all. This turned out to be a lie in fact, GM cotton needs many more vicious pesticides which are now killing off pollinators and people. The other reason is people getting rid of beehives, and trees being cut. This is where you need to step in. Honeybees live in groups and they work extremely hard to make their hive. The hive contains a queen bee, which produces all the baby bees, thousands of workers who get all the pollen that makes the honey that feeds the babies. For the most part bees are totally harmless. If you ignore them they will ignore you, as they are far too busy with their own lives. After all, making one spoonful of honey requires thousands of round trips. If you have a hive in your vicinity you should be happy, because it means that everything around will get greener and there will be far more things to eat. Just letting the hive be means that you are doing your bit for nature. In fact, if you have a hive in the vicinity, try and plant flowers or flowering trees so that they get more to eat. But if you throw stones at them, or shake the tree for no reason, then the bees get very agitated and may attack. They do this in desperation and fear to defend their babies and home. They may sting a group of people. But remember, the bee stinging is an act of suicide because the stinger is part of her abdomen and when she stings the stinger breaks away and she dies. So you have to do a provocation to get them to bite. If you absolutely have to remove the hive which means destroying all the pollination of every flowering plant around 10 kilometres then dont burn it or smoke it, because thousands of larvae and the queen bee are destroyed. It will take several years for the workers to find a queen and to regroup if they live. Dont spray it with a soap and water mixture. People spray all the plant around with vinegar so that the bees die while collecting pollen, but this is a totally rabid and anti- environmental thing to do as you lose all the plants, and these may not even be the ones the bees are feeding from. Do not use insecticides. The best way would be to encourage them to shift. This may take months, but at least you will not be murdering important beings far more important than even you. You should make every effort to relocate honey bees instead of exterminating them. Here are some suggestions. Try them all. Hang some mothballs inside of an old nylon or thin sock close to the bee nest. Bees will often relocate to be closer to their food source and are attracted to strong, sweet smells. Cut soft, ripe pears or mangoes into chunks and place them into an open sandwich bag. Place this 15-20 feet away from the hive. After a few days, move the bait a few feet further away from the hive. Continue this process until the bees stop visiting the original location and have set up a new hive closer to the bag. While bees are attracted to sweet smells, they are equally repulsed by pungent smells. One of the simplest methods to repel bees is to liberally sprinkle garlic powder in places where the bees congregate. They will start avoiding the area and slowly relocate. Citronella candles will not harm bees and they will avoid any areas containing the smell. This helps protect some areas if you have a hive in your yard, and may prove partially effective in forcing a colony to relocate if the candles are being burned close to the hive. Scatter a handful of cucumber peels as another natural form of repellent.The peels give off a scent that bees, and many other insects, find repulsive. If you have access to, and are expert in, beekeeping and beekeeping equipment, take the big hive clump into a cardboard box (queen included) and then transfer the bees into a hive super-box with some frames. This can be put a distance away in a wooded area and slowly the bees will start to relocate themselves. To join the animal welfare movement contact [email protected], www.peopleforanimalsindia.org By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, May 3 (PTI) The head of Pakistans powerful spy agency ISI, Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, visited Afghanistan yesterday to improve bilateral military and intelligence cooperation amid heightened tensions between the two countries, according to media reports. This was the first visit by Mukhtar as Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and came at a time when relations between the two countries are at their lowest, the Express Tribune reported. advertisement There was no official confirmation from either side about the visit. Afghanistans Tolo news reported that the ISI chief was in Kabul to improve bilateral military and intelligence cooperation. The ISI chiefs trip came on the heels of a high-level Pakistan Army delegation led by Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lt Gen Bilal Akbar visiting Kabul. Afghan authorities were conveyed that Pakistan Army had control in all areas on Pakistan side of the border and shall not allow its soil to be used against Afghanistan, the daily said. "Terrorists are common threat and shall be defeated," the official statement quoted Gen Bilal as saying. The flurry of visits by senior military and intelligence officials were part of efforts by the two sides to defuse their tensions primarily due to serious differences on fighting the militant groups. Both sides accused the other for hands-off approach to certain militant outfits. Afghanistan has long held the view that Pakistan is still harbouring Afghan Taliban on its soil, a charge strongly rebutted by Islamabad. Pakistan has its own reservations by Afghan authorities to take on TTP and affiliates, which have been responsible for some of the deadly terrorist attacks. PTI SH PMS --- ENDS --- The May-June days of 1946 often come to mind because of Sunday confessions made in the sanctuary of a church in the old Delhi-Agra Archdiocese, where the statues of the Baby Jesus, his parents, the angels and the good shepherds, who heard their midnight hymn in Bethlehem, were kept, along with those of the Magi, who came on camels through the desert to worship the new-born child. Kneeling in the confessional after relating the sins of the past week to Father Leo, one thought one was absolved of all wickedness and fit enough to join the heavenly hosts in praising God the Father, for Sunday is the day devoted to him, with the incense from the censers rising to the sky like the prayers of the devotees. Now, after 70 years, those days come to mind long after Christmastide, for though Father Leo is long dead the statues survive. They were made in Italy on an order placed by the John family of mill-owners and shipped to India from Bombay. They were brought up north by train a long distance indeed and miraculously enough arrived safely without even a scratch on them. The old sacristan Raphael used to mumble in his white beard that God willing the statues would last till the Day of Judgement. Well, one cannot be sure of that but they are still intact, whether through Divine will or the care taken by the church authorities of the old Archdiocese. Poor Raphael, of course, is no more and so also his son Georgie, who succeeded him as Father Leo's right-hand man. He was the one who supervised the ringing of the big bells, named after saints, on Christmas Eve. The bell-ringers from the Christian bustee were kept in high spirits with generous glasses of rum that kept them going till midnight mass ended. Meanwhile, the choir of boys and girls was conducted by Sister Benedictine, who played the electric organ that made the church walls vibrate. Father Leo would always talk of X'mas with great nostalgia. His favourite story was A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens, in which Tiny Tim is doomed to die young, a character like Little Nell, whose death made another famous writer throw the book out of the window in tears. Delhi Christmases in World War II days, resounded to the tones of "I'm Weeping for a White Christmas". You could hear the girls singing it aloud wherever Christians lived ~ Civil Lines, Kashmere Gate, Daryaganj, with its Old Pataudi House, Karol Bagh and Paharganj but not Connaught Circus, which was sparsely inhabited. One can still picture Maggie in the mind's eye leading a group rehearsing carols, starting with "Silent Night" and ending with "Children Come to the Manger". But "We Three Kings (Hum Teen Badshah Mashriq ke hain)" was reserved for the Epiphany 12 days later when Christmas ends. In the Greek Orthodox Church and in Russia the dates are different with X'mas being observed after New Year's Day on 7 January and 20-21 January respectively. About the famous song, "Showers of blessing", Father Leo disclosed, during the American Civil War a major under treatment in hospital was persuaded to come and console a teenage soldier, who was restless because of approaching death from a mortal wound. The major held the boy's hand and the words came automatically to his mind: "There shall be showers of blessing/This is the promise of Love/There shall be seasons refreshing/Sent from the Saviour above." By the time the major ended the song the young soldier had passed away but with a peaceful expression on his face. Father also disclosed that "Lead Kindly Light" was written by Cardinal Newman when his ship was stranded in the Mediterranean in mid-19th century and he thought the end of all on board was near. "The night is dark and I am far from home," he wrote. His prayer was heard and in the morning the storm ceased and the sea became calm so that Newman could visualise the happy faces he could hope to see again on landing on the home shore. "Abide with me" was also written on board a ship by an Irish pastor going to Italy to recuperate from tuberculosis with the gloomy thought that he might not return alive. Both hymns were Gandhiji's favourites. The one by the Cardinal could well become the prayer of women returning home late these days. Though these are not really X'mas hymns, they are often sung along with Christmas carols. Two stories told by the Italian father, who was murdered in Mussoorie one night in 1968 by a thief, are also worth narrating. There was a priest, he said, "who got so tired while rehearsing for Christmas three centuries ago that he fell asleep during Midnight Mass. As punishment he was doomed to attend X'mas service every year all over the world. Maybe the old man kneeling near you in church may be the same priest," he added. Another interesting story was of the Capuchin father, who missed saying the breviary and is doomed to make amends by repeating it from the first Sunday of Advent. Twelfth Night marks the adoration of the Child Christ by the Three Wise Men of the East ~ a period often extending for a month and a week. Sometimes these tales were heard in the beastly hot summer months, when Christmas was far away but hearing them brought Yuletide closer, like the blind man Lucas, who sang X'mas hymns throughout the year while passing under a haunted peepal tree which, however, fell down in a storm soon after his death. Lucas believed that Christmas was not just a December-January ritual but something that is repeated day after day during the Mass in Catholic churches, commemorating the birth and death of Christ. One tends to agree with him after the experience of the pre-Independence year 1946, when Father Pious Lyons was the school Rector. The venerable priest, who also happened to be an old student of the school in 1873, remembered being taken with all the other school boys to the Sikandra parish during a cholera epidemic. The reason was that Sikandra was far away from the city with an open-air environment, where the boys could relax and escape infection. But there was no crib in the Protestant chruch there and so no ambience of "Summertime Xmas", of which the first student of St Peter's College born in 1837, the Italian Sir Michael Filose also had vivid memories after the lifesize statues making up the crib were imported from Italy by the mill-owning John's family, who also presented the High Altar of the new Cathederal that came up near the old Akbar Chruch, renovated by Father F X Wendel and Begum Sumroo's husband Walter Reinhardt in 1772 after it was devasted by Ahmed Shah Abdali's troops years earlier and left almost in ruins. Sir Michael's son (Col) Sir Augustine Filose left Gwalior where he, like his father, was also a Sirdar of the Scindia royal court in 1948 after his stolen Baretra revolver was used by Nathuram Godse to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi. He also left all his properties to the Scindias before migrating abroad. But the old statues still survive and are on show every X'mas. With the aim of promoting the relevance of past heritage and culture and encouraging learning of Sanskrit, Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan is going full steam in giving a boost to the Centre for Study and Research in Indology, which was started five years ago. As its director Ashok Pradhan, a former top bureaucrat, who has been in the forefront of promoting this Centre, said the Centre was doing many things. Very recently we had a programme to bring out from Sanskrit texts knowledge on science, mathematics and everything else. The idea is to ensure that whatever we talk of our Indian culture is not just a myth, he said. Bringing his rich administrative experience, Pradhan has ensured that the Bhawan holds annually a sangeet samaroh, where we invite artistes from all forms of music, covering both Carnatic and Hindustani vocal, and also all dance forms. By now we have covered almost all forms and we have invited artistes from all over the country known both nationally and internationally, he added. These persons are known for propagating all forms of music and dance forms. As part of the effort to popularise these arts, we bring every year a digest with articles by leading personalities in the particular field ~ artistes, scholars and others. This digest is distributed free at all the various functions of the Bhawan to popularise the arts and music. The samaroh has become a very popular event and is looked forward to by music lovers in the Capital and the response has been tremendous, he said. In keeping with this, the Bhawan had recently held a two-day seminar on The codification of the Textual and Oral Practices of Sarngadeva on the famous Sangitaratnakara, which is a monumental work written around the 13th century by Sarngadeva, who originally hailed from Kashmir and settled in the region of Devagiri (present day Daulatabad) in Deccan. The programme, which was coordinated by Professor Dipti Omcherry Bhalla of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music of Delhi University, saw participation by leading scholars from India and abroad. The Bhawan intends to bring out a book on proceedings at the seminar. Books from such seminars are distributed free to all those who are interested in this subject since the Bhawans aim is to encourage Indian culture and arts, Pradhan said. Elaborating on the subject, he said the Bhawan has so far brought out digests on vocal music, dance and instrumental music and also on Abhinav Bharati and Natyasastra. It has also brought Shilpadhakari to show how music travelled from northern to southern part of the country. Our programme, sangeet samaroh, has become one of the prestigious events in Delhi and many people look forward to it. Even though we do not have popular sort of forms but we go into areas like dances from Kerala, which are not popular but we still bring them for the idea is to explore the culture and art forms in various parts of the country and bring them into the limelight and make people aware of them. They are appreciated by connoisseurs of art and also those who like such items. Our aim is to popularise such music and dance forms. He said the Bhawans effort was to popularise Indian culture and the richness of Sanskrit, since youth nowadays are more focusssed on going to IITs or IIMs. They should also know the richness of Sanskrit and how it has contributed to various fields of science, philosophy and arts. Pradhan said it had nothing to do with saffronisation or red or any colour, but it was to tell people that Sanskrit has a rich cultural heritage as also other Indian languages like Pali, Prakrit and Ardhamagati. Child actor Sunny Pawar, best known for his performance in the Oscar-nominated film Lion, has been chosen for the Rising Star Award here. The award will be presented to Sunny at the 7th Annual Asian Awards on Friday, the organisers announced on Wednesday. Sunny, grew up in the Mumbai slums, shot to global fame with his role in the Australian drama where he worked alongside award-winning actors Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. He was cast as young Saroo Brierley in the true life drama. Sunny's performance was praised by Hollywood celebrities like Viola Davis, Andrew Garfield, Dwayne The Rock'Johnson, and late night talk-show host, Jimmy Kimmel, who re-enacted a scene from The Lion King with the child star at the 89th Academy Awards. Sunny's upcoming film Love Sonia is set to release in 2017 and features Demi Moore and Freida Pinto. The Asian Awards prides itself on honouring people who have achieved the highest levels in their craft. We have been waiting for someone to come along whose debut fits that description in order to justify creating the Rising Star Award. Finally, we have found that achievement in Sunny Pawar, said Paul Sagoo, Founder of The Asian Awards. Sagoo said what Sunny has achieved in such a short time is remarkable. It is a travesty that other award ceremonies overlooked his performance in the film 'Lion' and we want to correct that. Founded in 2010, the Asian Awards acknowledge pan-Asian success across all walks of life. Previous awardwinners include Shah Rukh Khan, Bruce Lee, Zayn Malik,Jack Ma, Dr Amar Bose, David Tang, Freddie Mercury, Kunal Nayyar and Ahmed Kathrada. Amid heightened tension, India on Wednesday conveyed to Pakistan its sense of outrage over the mutilation of two Indian jawans in the Poonch sector on Monday and demanded action against the soldiers and commanders of the Pakistan Army responsible for this barbaric act. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to the foreign office and told him in unequivocal terms that the beheading of the Indian jawans was "an act of strong provocation and in contravention of all norms of civilised conduct. It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in the vicinity of Battal village). The blood samples of the Indian soldiers that had been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly showed that the killers returned across the LoC, he said, during his brief meeting with the Pakistani envoy. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF constable Prem Singh were killed by a Pakistan Border Action team (BAT) after sneaking 250 metres into the Indian territory in Poonch on 1 May. New Delhi says it has sufficient evidence to prove the involvement of Pakistan Army regulars in the mutilation of the Indian soldiers. This was also conveyed yesterday by Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt to his Pakistan counterpart on Tuesday. Briefing reporters here on Wednesday afternoon, MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Jaishankar asked Basit to convey the sentiments in India over the beheading of the soldiers to the Pakistan government. The Pakistani envoy denied the involvement of the Pakistan Army in the incident in any way but promised to convey New Delhis views to his government. Asked if the continuing Pakistani aggression did not reflect Indias failure to isolate its neighbour in the comity of nations, the MEA spokesperson claimed that after the Pathankot and Uri attacks, Indias views on the issue of cross-border terrorism had been appreciated by almost all countries. As a result all joint statements issued in recent months by India and other nations, including the one issued at the end of Turkish President Erdogans visit, endorsed New Delhis view on cross-border terror. On whether India could consider withdrawing the MFN status it had given to Pakistan in 1996, he said New Delhi had only fulfilled its WTO obligation. About steel magnate Sajjan Jindals recent meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif which triggered speculation about an impending breakthrough in India-Pakistan ties, the spokesperson said Jindal was a private individual and he would not like so say anything on his activities. He confirmed that 47 Pakistani school children, who had crossed the LoC to visit India on 1 May as guests of an NGO, returned to Pakistan after the NGO was advised by New Delhi that this was not an opportune time for their visit. An ailing Congress president Sonia Gandhi should quickly appoint her son Rahul Gandhi as party chief as the delay is only helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieve his ambition of a Congress-mukt India, a Congress leader said on Wednesday. "If Sonia Gandhi is sick, then she should not make (the) Congress sick and she should not help Modi to make Congress-mukt bharat," former Goa Congress president John Fernandes said. "If she wants to give leadership to Rahul Gandhi, she should do it fast because she is sick," Fernandes added. He also faulted the Congress high command for not holding a session of the All India Congress Committee for three years, after the defeat in the 2014 general elections, which he said would only harm the party. "Congress should not be sick. Congress can bounce back, if there are workers like me and we work together. Congress will come back because people want the Congress. And the Goa election is an indicator," the two-term Rajya Sabha MP said. Fernandes was appointed state president of the party's Goa unit in 2013 soon after the Congress was routed in the 2012 state assembly elections. He was subsequently replaced by Luizinho Faleiro as state president in 2014. The central government on Wednesday approved the disinvestment of three hotels owned by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). The decision to initiate the disinvestment process to hive-off hotels and properties owned by ITDC was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the CCEA, during the first stage of the hive-off process three hotels Hotel Lake View Ashok, Bhopal, Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati and Hotel Bharatpur Ashok, Bharatpur are being given back to the concerned state governments. "As part of the disinvestment policy, it has been decided to lease, sub-lease the hotels, properties jointly with the concerned states or return the properties to the states, after fair valuation," the CCEA said in a statement. "In the case of Bhopal and Guwahati, ITDC is divesting its share of 51 per cent in the joint venture company formed for operation of the hotels whereas in the case of Bharatpur, the unit which was only managed by ITDC is being returned to the state government." Stressing the importance of preventive healthcare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon people to embrace cleanliness. Inaugurating a research centre of the Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved here, Modi also found fault over what he said was the neglect of its traditional forms of medicine like Ayurveda. "While pre-independence period witnessed attempts to destroy India's indigenous and traditional arts and forms of healthcare like Ayurveda, a large part of post-independence period was spent in neglecting them." Modi lamented that the indifference led to foreign countries acquiring patents. "The world now is not just content with curing diseases but there is more emphasis on wellness and preventive healthcare. The best way to ensure and promote preventive healthcare is cleanliness," he said. "If we resolve to be clean, if we resolve not to litter or spread dirt and filth, we can save more lives than a doctor does. Cleanliness is the way ahead to make India disease free. "Our ancestors spent their lives making innovations and turning these innovations useful for humanity. "We must never forget that innovative spirit and continue making efforts to develop our traditional techniques and methods," Modi added. The Prime Minister hailed Ramdev for revolutionizing yoga in the country and creating global awareness about it. The Union government on Wednesday asserted that there was no ambiguity on its stand that Jammu and Kashmir was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and there was no room for third party mediation. New Delhi had conveyed its position in the matter to all its foreign interlocutors in unequivocal terms, MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay told reporters here. His comments came in the wake of an article in the influential Chinese daily Global Times, suggesting that Beijing could consider mediating between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue to protect its economic interests. Notably the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also runs through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). India has already conveyed its objection in the matter to Beijing. The spokesperson said he normally did not react to newspaper reports. However, he would advise this segment of the Chinese media which carried the news report to first understand Chinas own position on Kashmir clearly. As far as India was concerned, the Chinese position had been that Kashmir was an issue to be resolved by India and Pakistan. When it was pointed out to him that Turkish President Erdogan had suggested multilateral talks to resolve the Kashmir issue in a television interview on the eve of his India visit, the spokesperson said the Turkish leader did not raise the matter in any way during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. US State Department too had clarified its position on the Kashmir issue after American Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had indicated that President Donald Trump could mediate between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, the spokesperson added. As the world acknowledges the contributions of the media on World Press Freedom Day being observed across the globe on Wednesday, politicians, entrepreneurs and common folks back home urged the representatives of the fourth pillar of democracy to play a constructive role in building the nation. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter were flooded with messages, photos and quotes saluting the free press, while many debated the emergence of social media as an effective tool to counter mainstream media which is often accused of being biased and prejudiced. The debate was apparently sparked off by Prime Minister Narendra Modis tweet wherein he said: In today's day and age, social media has emerged as an active medium of engagement and has added more vigour to press freedom. Modi has always been quite active on social media and his views were sponsored by many. Meanwhile, the mainstream media too was appreciated and urged to play a pivotal role in creating an informed society. Here are some of the top tweets: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore said: On #WorldPressFreedomDay, let us strive for a free, fair & responsible 4th estate which will help create an informed, compassionate citizenry. On this #WorldPressFreedomDay, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Media for constructive role they play in our Democracy, said Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya. On #WorldPressFreedomDay I wish for media to play a constructive role in creating an informed, cognizant & just society, tweeted Minister of State Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. Former Congress parliamentarian Naveen Jindal said: Free+unbiased press is essential 4 a strong democracy. On #WorldPressFreedomDay, I salute the journos who've stood 4 responsible journalism. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje tweeted: May the pens always be mightier. My best wishes to all the members of the press fraternity on #WorldPressFreedomDay. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first to offer prayers at the fabled Kedarnath temple here as the shrine on Wednesday opened its doors after a six month long winter break. Modi offered prayers at the Shiva temple and did 'rudrabhishek' which involves bathing the Shiva Linga with Ganges water, milk and honey, among others. He waved to the crowd of about 2,500 devotees present at the opening of the gates of one of the holiest Hindu shrines. The Kedarnath shrine in this hill state is one of the major components of the annual Chaar Dhaam pilgrimage. The Kedarnath Valley was destroyed in a flash flood in 2013 but the temple premises was thankfully saved of any major devastation. Thousands had died in the natural calamity and hundreds went missing. Restoration work is underway at the temple, its route and the surroundings. Earlier Modi landed at the Jolly Grant airport here in a special IAF plane and was received by Uttarakhand Governor K.K. Paul, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, state ministers and other BJP leaders. Thereafter, he left for Kedarnath in a chopper. The Prime Minister will later in the day inaugurate a multi-crore state-of-art research centre at Patanjali Yogpeeth in the presence of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev. By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, May 3 (PTI) Pakistans Supreme Court today rejected the nominees forwarded by the central bank and the securities and exchange commission to be part of a joint investigation team that will probe Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his sons alleged corruption in the Panama Papers case. "We want honest and professional officials to be members of the JIT (joint investigation team)," Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who heads a three-member special bench that held its first hearing today to implement the courts decision to oversee the formation and functioning of the six-member JIT. advertisement Khan said the officials nominated by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Securities and Exchange Commission Pakistan (SECP) did not meet the courts criteria for a transparent investigation. The special bench, comprising Justice Khan, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, ordered the chiefs of SECP and SBP to appear in person on May 5 with a list of senior officers from which it can pick suitable officers. Sharif, 67, had got a temporary breather last month from the Supreme Court which said there was "insufficient evidence" to remove him from office but ordered setting up of a JIT to probe the graft allegations against his family. The high-profile graft case is about alleged money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as the Prime Minister to purchase assets in London. Information about the assets surfaced when Panama Papers last year showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharifs children. Prime Minister Sharif has denied any wrongdoing since the scandal first surfaced. PTI SH ASK AKJ ASK --- ENDS --- Keeping in view the cross border tensions on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday chaired a high level meeting with top security officials to review the internal security of the country. Top security officials including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Director Intelligence Bureau (DIB) Rajiv Jain and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Anil Dhasmana were present in meeting as the Home minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the country. The meeting comes a day after Pakistans border action team (BAT) opened fire at an Indian patrol unit at Krishna Ghati sector near the LoC and killed and mutilated the bodies of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh and BSF head constable Prem Sagar. Earlier on Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra met the Union home minister and discussed the issues concerning the Valley with him. During the 40-minute meeting, Singh and Vohra reviewed the ground situation in the valley and the steps taken to control it. A soldier allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu region, police said on Wednesday. The soldier has been identified as Lance Naik Vishal Lohan of the Rashtriya Rifles. According to the police FIR, the soldier shot himelf dead with his service rifle in Laam sector on Tuesday evening. (With inputs from agencies) Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday paid tributes to former Union Minister Pramod Mahajan on his death anniversary. The leaders took to Twitter and shared photographs along with their prayers for the iconic BJP leader who breathed his last on 3 May 2006. Here are some of the tributes: Union Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), Jitendra Singh tweeted: Sh Pramod Mahajan ji ke punya tithi pe unko Naman. Minister of State Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan posted: Remembering, a dynamic politician, Pramod Mahajan on his death anniversary. Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram wrote: My heartiest tribute to our dynamic and visionary leader late "Pramod Mahajan ji" on his Death Anniversary. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted: Remembering my big brother & guiding light Pramod Mahajan ji on his punyatithi. You are dearly missed but your blessings are always with us. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje tweeted: Remembering an inspirational, dynamic & dedicated leader late Pramod Mahajan ji on his punyatithi today. Born on 30 October 1949, Pramod Mahajan was one of the most prominent leaders of the BJP in the 90s and a high profile minister in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He was appointed Defence Minister in Vajpayee's 13-day ministry and when the BJP returned to power in 1998, he was appointed as advisor to the Prime Minister. He later contested and won Rajya Sabha elections and handled various ministries, including information and broadcasting, parliamentary affairs, water resources and food processing. On the morning of 22 April 2006, Mahajans estranged brother Pravin shot him in Mumbai following a dispute. Mahajans internal organs were severely damaged in the attack. After struggling for his life for 13 days, Mahajan suffered a cardiac arrest and died on 3 May 2006. In a latest development to the triple talaq case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed former union minister and senior advocate Salman Khurshid to assist it as an amicus curiae in hearing of a batch of pleas challenging constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims. A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul permitted Khurshid to file his written submissions in the case. We will take it on record. It's not an issue, the bench said. From 11 May, the top court will hold daily sittings to decide on the legality of the Muslim practice and the bench will conclude hearing the pleas during the summer vacation. Earlier, the top court had referred the matter to a five-judge constitutional bench to expedite the case and clarified that they would be looking into the legal aspects of the triple talaq practice without broaching contentious subjects like the uniform civil code. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged members of the Muslim community not to politicise the issue. (With inputs from agencies) Not even brownie points accrue to the Election Commission for scrapping the by-election to the Lok Sabha from Anantnag. The elaborate explanation offered in its formal order on the night of 1 May merely echoes the reality of the ground situation that obtained on 9 April: when the by-election from Srinagar resulted in eight deaths, over 200 violent incidents ~ including the Armys use of a human shield which it is desperately trying to justify ~ and a voter response of just about eight per cent. It was no secret that the situation in Anantnag was worse than Srinagar, though it attracts less publicity, and so deferring the poll from 12 April to 25 May made little sense. Even lesser sense was displayed when the Commission sought the mustering of nearly 70,000 paramilitary personnel for the poll: not only did the Central and state governments contend that such a huge force-level was difficult to marshal, independent observers ridiculed the bid to conduct a democratic exercise under such militarised conditions. The possibility of allegations that people were being forced to vote was very real. What the cancellation of the Anantnag poll also does is raise questions over the propriety of the election in Srinagar, an added political barb being that the move saved the PDP candidate (the brother of the chief minister) from suffering much embarrassment. Much of this would have been avoided had the EC accepted the governments view that conditions were not conducive for elections in April. True the EC is autonomous, yet good governance requires all organs/agencies working in harmony, rather than creating an impression of muscle-flexing or one-upmanship. What the cancellation at Anantnag also confirms is the dangerous deterioration in the states administration since the last Assembly poll. Ever an unnatural partnership, the PDP and the BJP have miserably failed to provide even a semblance of governance: the agenda of alliance has been honoured only in the breach and the longevity of the coalition is a matter of doubt. Mehbooba Mufti is under pressure from within her party to end the charade and live up to the PDPs election-promise of talking to all entities, separatists included. Both the Attorney-General and the BJP president have ruled out talking to the Hurriyat, so the platform upon which the coalition was built has collapsed. Not surprisingly the other political parties in the Valley are advocating Governors Rule in the wake of administrative and political paralysis. The Governor is having a series of meetings with leadership in New Delhi, but there are convenient leaks that the government is contemplating replacing Mr NN Vohra. The upshot being that apart from the forecast of a hot summer ahead, J&K could be plunged into even further clueless confusion. Bhutan, as a constitutional monarchy for the past decade, has acted assertively yet again, free from its perceived status as Indias protectorate. Exactly a year after it signed the Motor Vehicles Agreement in league with India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, the elected government in Thimphu has notified its inability to ratify the watershed agreement on the use of roadways, collectively referred to as the BBIN pact. That convenient abbreviation for Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal has for now been reduced to irrelevance. So independent a course of action in foreign policy would have been inconceivable before 2007, when the momentous transition from a friendly monarchy to an elected democracy was effected. Arguably, its decision to pull out of the pact is an afterthought. There is little doubt though that ecological considerations have been accorded precedence over sub-regional cooperation in the segment of connectivity across four nations. It shall not be easy for the three remaining member-states ~ India, Bangladesh and Nepal ~ to sustain the plan, as envisaged in 2014 and as now echoed in Bhutans appeal to the other stakeholders to go ahead with the project. This is the flip side of the connectivity coin when one reflects on the anticipated benefits of last months Modi-Hasina agreement on transportation. As critical as the jolt that the three countries will have to contend with is the setback that SAARC has suffered, not least owing to the withdrawal of a tiny Himalayan country that was, till not so long ago, Indias only friend in the region. Thimphus decision ~ or is it a snub? ~ is not political, though the diplomatic impact will be collateral for all the countries involved. There is concern in Bhutan over the extent of environmental damage that the picturesque country would suffer with a dramatic increase in vehicular traffic and the resultant air pollution. Thus far, it has been free from the twin hazards; hence the compulsion to go off at a tangent. Clearly, the administration in Thimphu has deferred to the sensitivities of the people, and on an issue that could impair the unique concept of Gross National Happiness. In retrospect, the MVA was jinxed even before it was inked as Pakistan refused to be party to the project during the SAARC summit in Kathmandu in 2014. Quite obviously, it had reservations over Indias pivotal role in the arrangement. Now, Bhutan despite its circuitous access has pulled out of the engagement. Ergo, India will have to play a crucial role in negotiating with Bangladesh and Nepal if the international agreement is to attain fruition. Narendra Modis initiative on sub-regional cooperation ~ to circumvent Pakistans rejection ~ has hit the bumps even before the engines could be revved. What had been simmering for a long while erupted into the open last week when the military, through the DG ISPRs tweet, publicly rejected a notification issued by the Prime Ministers Office. The letter, which was in fact meant for various ministries to take action and dubbed by the media as a notification, brought the conflict brewing between the civil and military leadership over the Dawn leaks to a head. Such a blatant gesture of defiance towards the civilian authority has set a new and highly dangerous precedent. The latest confrontation with the generals could not have come at a worse time for a beleaguered prime minister fighting a desperate battle for political survival. The situation has become more serious with the major opposition political parties putting their weight behind the military. While the controversy over the Dawn report may have triggered the latest crisis, there are a number of other factors that have contributed to the current civil-military stand-off. There is an almost complete breakdown of trust between the two branches of state. The latest round of confrontation has also removed any illusions about improving civil-military relations with the change of army guard. This goes to show once again that it is the institution and not just the individual that matters in this tricky relationship. It has been a long and eventful fortnight for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif where nothing seems to have gone right for him. First it was the damning Supreme Court ruling in the Panama case, then came the controversy over the mysterious visit of Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal, and finally the defiant ISPR tweet throwing down the gauntlet. It was not just the issue of an Indian family friend calling on the prime minister, but the timing and circumstances of Jindals visit that provoked criticism. What added to the controversy was the security establishments lingering suspicion regarding Sharifs soft-pedaling on India. Jindals tweets censuring the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies came in handy for the opposition to question the patriotism of the prime minister. A section of the media also went full-throttle fuelling the fire. In the midst of all this, the Prime Ministers Office notified the termination of the services of the prime ministers special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi and a senior information ministry official as per the recommendation of the investigation commission probing the Dawn report. The order was instantly rejected by the military for being incomplete. However, no substantial reason was given for the rebuttal. What is worse is that it triggered a media war with the commentators and TV anchors fighting it out on behalf of either side. The free-for-all turned the fracas into something uglier. Interestingly, the opposition political parties jumped into the fray aligning themselves with the armys position for purely opportunistic political reasons they wanted to further weaken the Sharif government without realising the longterm ramifications of this for the system. However, this kind of political expediency is not new to Pakistan's political culture. The PML-N too has played the same game in the past. Surely, the government must share the blame for these heightened tensions. The confusion within the administration was apparent from the statement of the interior minister questioning the authority of the Prime Ministers Office to issue such an order. He contended that this was the responsibility of his ministry. This speaks volumes for Sharifs style of governance. But the main issue is not who was authorised to issue the notification; the entire approach to the case was problematic. The serious divide between the civilians and the military members of the commission was known. This was the main reason for the long delay in finalising the report, even though it still appears inconclusive. The military leadership seems to have had strong reservations over the findings of the commission and its recommendations. For the past few months, backchannel efforts were on to resolve the differences. Some compromise was apparently reached whereby Fatemi was to be removed, even though there was no substantive evidence of his being directly or indirectly involved in the so-called leak. But the military seemed to be unhappy with the wording of the notification that implied it was just a change of portfolio. Was that such a big deal for the army that it had to issue a public rejection? It surely would have been better had the entire report been made public. There is certainly some credence to the argument that the entire issue of the leak was blown out of proportion. It could have easily been dealt with through some administrative action rather than forming a joint investigation committee. It was apparent from the outset that such a motley team of investigators would not be able to reach a conclusion to the satisfaction of all sides. For sure, this build-up of the narrative about national security having been breached incensed the army rank and file, bringing the leadership under huge pressure. Not surprisingly, the issue was raised during the visit of the new army chief to various garrisons. It had become an emotional issue and thus needed more prudent handling. Moreover, it had become the main obstacle in the way of making any effort to improve civil-military relations. The role of the opposition in whipping up differences has also contributed to the heightened tensions. The present political crisis has given space to the military to assert itself more strongly. This deepening civil-military conflict is dangerous not only for the country that is facing grave external and internal security challenges, but also for the democratic political process. The confrontation will not only harm the present political set-up; it will also have a negative impact on the institution of the armed forces. The responsibility lies with both the civilian and military leaderships to resolve this stand-off before it is too late. This open defiance of constitutional authority must stop. Dawn/ANN. The unpleasant stand-off between the judiciary and the executive has surfaced once more. It begins with the Supreme Court collegium clearing names of Chief Justices and judges of High Courts. Headed by Jagdish Singh Khehar, the collegium is moving forward with its recommendations without waiting for the final resolution of the new memorandum of procedure (MOP). The latest face-off is unpalatable and shocking. The government believes it has the right to reject any recommendation in matters of appointment of judges on grounds of a threat to national security without giving any explanation. The Supreme Court and many legal luminaries advocate the necessity of complete judicial independence. They insist that the judiciary should have the last say when it comes to appointment of judges. Some of the best legal minds are also of the opinion that judicial independence lies at the heart of the concept of modern government. This theory postulates that judges must be free to act independently of those with political and economic control. The notion has its roots in the doctrine of separation of powers. It is based on the conviction that the concentration of state power in some hands could lead to tyranny. As Montesquieu said, There is no liberty, if the judiciary is not separated from the legislative and executive However it is felt by many, and not without reason, that there are many instances where the judiciary has not been fair and just even in cases of appointment of judges. Persons with barren legal history and thin resumes have made it to the high chair of justice just because they scored more in the private minds of judges. Why just about appointment of judges, even in the appointment of senior advocates, examples of nepotism and undue favours are to be seen. While many deserving senior lawyers are not getting that distinction, many well connected ones are found flaunting their new identities with undue pride. Even many upright judges and some ex-CJIs have openly admitted the growing corruption in the judiciary and have expressed concern. The open defiance of Justice Chelameswar in refusing to attend collegium meetings has not escaped observation. All these, as symptoms of growing disorder in the judiciary, have become not just the talk of the profession but are even part of public discourse. Maybe all these factors have weighed in with the executive in seeking to exercise more control. Hence, ever since the judiciary arrogated to itself all powers to appoint judges through a judicial coup in 1993, the executive has been trying to restore what it considers a balance. Political leaders across party lines have openly branded collegiums as an extra-constitutional system under which judges appoint judges in complete secrecy. Though the argument of the executive is not without substance, there is much more that it has to answer for. If growing instances of corruption in the judiciary have become a matter of concern, stories of rampant corruption and periodic high-handedness by the executive have entered the belief system of billions of Indians, who have internalised this knowledge through every day hazardous experiences while dealing with an inefficient, arrogant, corrupt and self-serving bureaucracy working under protective political masters who have vested interests in the loot. So much so that it has become a matter of personal agony for helpless citizens, and their sole hope and source of relief comes in the shape of the judiciary, the ultimate savior. The present government under Narendra Modi offers the promise of cleansing the old system. However, such hopes would fructify only when the quality, character and flavor of the new system become a part of our everyday life. The outcome may mitigate the apprehensions of citizens. But it may not be unfair to say that more than the authority of the executive, the citizens would love to see the independence of the judiciary. The glorious history of the Indian judiciary and its remarkable show of independence, where it has stood like a rock to protect the rights of the poor and humble from the mighty, has kept alive a life of freedom and fearlessness for billions. This is the reason the judiciary could create and sustain for so long a rare sense of respect and reverence. This is a most critical time for us. Acts of violence are being carried out openly and those with extreme thinking are entering government and assuming decision-making positions. It is a time for Indian democracy to show its maturity. And that can only happen with a great leadership vision at the top and full independence enjoyed by our judiciary. Questioning a few not-so-righteous acts of judges and citing a few examples of corruption and nepotism may have a logical basis, but this cannot overwhelm the bold impartiality and character of a majority of our learned judges, reflected many times and in many situations. It seems highly unjustifiable even to think that our judges in collegiums will ever choose an extremist or one with terror links to the high chair of justice. I am sure many in their legal career might have professionally represented some alleged anti-socials or terrorists but to think that such people could be a threat to national security is wildly fanciful. It is time to be a little more proactive and add strength to the justice system, thus strengthening the judicial infrastructure and rewarding fairness in the judicial system. Of the sanctioned strength of 1079, as many as 447 posts of judges are vacant in various high courts. Almost 50 per cent of the posts are vacant at Allahabad High Court, the countrys biggest, with sanctioned strength of 160. Calcutta High Court has the second highest vacancies with 37 of 72 posts lying vacant. The High Court of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with sanctioned strength of 61 has 34 posts vacant while the Punjab and Haryana High Court has 39 of the 85 posts vacant. As courts cope with these vacancies, some very disturbing happenings are taking place. The brutal killing of an innocent dairy farmer in Alwar for transporting a cow he had bought legally, the money award for Mamata Banarjees head for being what she is and a chaotic situation in Kashmir where security forces are being manhandled by so-called separatist groups are some of these. All these are indications that we are reaching the tipping point of intolerance and aggression. In such cases, moderation becomes a bad word and extremism of any form the order of the day. This evolution of moments of excesses may bring more disasters than one can even imagine, especially when you consider the after-effects in societies of an inter-connected world. What are needed most therefore are firm moderators who can provide checks and balances. And no one can perform that role better than an independent judiciary manned by upright judges. In an ideal democracy, absolute independence of judiciary is a precondition. The reference to a threat to national security will put a question mark on the ability of judges in making appointments through collegiums on the one hand while on the other it will debilitate many senior advocates. Overall, it will retard the dynamic character of the judiciary. A tethered judiciary will result in India becoming the functioning anarchy that Professor Galbraith once described it as. The writer is Chairman, Paras Foundation and can be reached at [email protected] An international team of scientists has discovered a vast wave of hot gas in the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster. Spanning some 200,000 light-years, the wave is about twice the size of our own Milky Way galaxy, according to a study published online in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. For the study, the researchers combined data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with radio observations and computer simulations. The wave formed billions of years ago, after a small galaxy cluster grazed Perseus and caused its vast supply of gas to slosh around an enormous volume of space, the researchers said. "Perseus is one of the most massive nearby clusters and the brightest one in X-rays, so Chandra data provide us with unparalleled detail," said lead scientist Stephen Walker at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The wave we've identified is associated with the flyby of a smaller cluster, which shows that the merger activity that produced these giant structures is still ongoing," Walker said. Galaxy clusters are the largest structures bound by gravity in the universe today. Some 11 million light-years across and located about 240 million light-years away, the Perseus galaxy cluster is named for its host constellation. Like all galaxy clusters, most of its observable matter takes the form of a pervasive gas averaging tens of millions of degrees, so hot it only glows in X-rays. Chandra observations revealed a variety of structures in this gas, from vast bubbles blown by the supermassive black hole in the cluster's central galaxy, NGC 1275, to an enigmatic concave feature known as the "bay". Small arms intermittent firing was carried out by Pakistan which was appropriately answered by India. The firing started around 2:30 am and continued till 5:30 am. No loss of life has been reported. By Ashwini Kumar: Pakistan has violated ceasefire yet again in Mankot area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second ceasefire violation in the last 48 hours after Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) mutilated two Indian soldiers along the LoC in Krishna Ghati area of the same district. Small arms intermittent firing was carried out by Pakistan which was appropriately answered by India. The firing started around 2:30 am and continued till 5:30 am. No loss of life has been reported. advertisement Pakistan has scattered terrorists in small groups along the Line of Control to carry out multiple attacks on Indian forces and the Indian Army has redeployed and reshuffled its troops to tackle any new threat in the Valley even as governments of the two countries trade fire over the beheading of two soldiers on Monday. Top sources said forces are prepared to give a befitting reply to the enemy to avenge the Krishna Ghati beheadings. Commanders at the LoC have also been instructed to take multiple measures to avoid any casualties while facing up to Pakistan Army's Border Action Team, which carried out the attack 250 metres inside Indian territory. The Army has also reshuffled and changed deployment in its three-tier counter infiltration grid deployed in the Kashmir valley and along the LoC to make it more robust. The intelligence received by the Army from the state has also suggested that the Pakistan-backed terror groups would also escalate the attacks on the troops' positions. ALSO READ: Krishna Ghati beheadings: Indian Army prepared to give befitting reply to Pakistan J-K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch, Indian forces retaliate India, Pakistan DGMOs exchange fire over mutilation of soldiers, martyr's daughter seeks revenge: Top developments Avenge Pakistan's barbarism, say border residents in J-K's RS Pura after mutilation of 2 Armymen WATCH: Jammu and Kashmir: 2 jawans killed as Pakistan fires rockets at Indian posts in Poonch Want revenge against people who killed my father: Martyred soldier's daughter --- ENDS --- Britain's House of Commons was officially dissolved on Wednesday without the traditional pomp and ceremony and will not resume work until after the general election on June 8. At precisely one minute past midnight to Wednesday, all 650 members of Parliament from the House of Commons, from Prime Minister Theresa May to back bench members, were stripped of their titles, becoming ordinary citizens. May will visit Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to gain formal approval for the dissolution, Xinhua news agency reported. Under a fixed term law, introduced by former Prime Minister David Cameron, the lower house of Parliament sits for exactly five years which sets a specific timetable for dissolution and a new election. Current Prime Minister Theresa May used a break-clause in the fixed-term law to call a snap election on June 8, as Britain prepares to negotiate with the European Union on its withdrawal from the bloc. The dissolution also signalled the official start of Britain's election campaign, with all 650 seats of the Commons are up for grabs. But the dissolution does not mean that Britain's government comes to an end. "Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until after the result of the election is known and a new administration is formed," said a Parliament spokesman. Amid spiralling tensions in the Korean peninsula, China on Wednesday urged all sides to exercise restraint and avoid any action that may aggravate tensions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang expressed serious concern over the continuation of military exercises by the US and South Korean troops that are simulating drills near the border to attack North Korean targets. Reacting to reports of two US bombers from Guam military base joining the target practice, he said, "We (have) noted the military exercise is continuing. We (have) reiterated the current situation in the Korean Peninsula is delicate and complicated." China opposes any side taking action that may aggravate tensions and undermine regional peace stability, Geng said. "We again urge relevant sides to stay calm and restrained and stop provoking each other and create better atmosphere for dialogue and engagement," he said. Asked about what would happen if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, Geng said this was a hypothetical question and he would not comment on it. However, Geng said, "But there is one thing, I want to make it clear if you read closely UN security council (UNSC) resolutions, it clearly states that the UNSC expresses its resolution to take major measures in response to DPRK nuclear tests and launches. The security council has clear regulations." North Korea has conducted a total of five nuclear tests, in 2006, 2009, 2013 and twice in 2016. Mercurial North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un so far has refrained from conducting the sixth, reportedly under pressure from China as US President Donald Trump has virtually put the onus on Beijing to prevail on its ally Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. China in recent months has stopped import of coal from heavily sanctioned North Korea as part of the implementation of the UN sanctions which reportedly had a crippling effect on the North Korean economy. Geng also denied reports that Chinese Embassy in North Korea has asked its nationals to leave the country and return home in view of the tensions. "This is a false news. According my information the Chinese embassy in DPRK has never issued a so called alert asking citizens to return home. China-DPRK are close neighbours with normal exchanges," he said. Asked whether China was worried that any North Korean nuclear test could trigger a volcanic reaction from Changbaishan volcano on the border between the two countries, Geng said "about whether future nuclear tests will lead to volcano eruption this is terrifying. But I don't know whether you have scientific grounds for it." He asked the media to talk to the concerned professional departments to get a reply. At least eight civilians were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul city on Wednesday that targeted a convoy of foreign troops, the Interior Ministry said. At least 25 persons injured in the attack at Abdul Haq square in Macroyan were rushed to Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, Tolo News quoted the ministry as saying. One of the patrol vehicles of the foreign troops was damaged in the incident. Eyewitnesses said an old man, who had been sitting next to the road, carried the bombing. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident comes days after the Taliban announced its spring offensive and vowed to carry out more attacks on government and security personnel and institutions. The 30th Tehran International Book Fair opened here with Italy as a special guest of this year's event. Italian President Sergio Mattarella in a message on Tuesday said he felt honoured that his country was the special guest of the cultural event, Xinhua news agency reported. According to him, this will be a turning point in the history of cultural cooperation between the two countries. Iran's parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said "this cultural event shows Iranians' interest in learning, as paying due attention to wisdom is highly recommended in Islamic thought". The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Reza Salehi Amiri, said his ministry was planning to entrust the task of organising the book fair to the publishers in the future. "To achieve such goals, we should know how our libraries, publications and the technology are run and we intend for the non-governmental organisations active in producing, distributing and selling books," he said. "The increasing number of book publications indicates the growing change in Iran's publication industry. The fair needs to offer new innovations and pave the way for more Iranian publishers to participate in the international arena," he added. The book fair will be held from May 3 to 13 in the southern district of Tehran. The theme of this year's event is "Read one more book". Publishers from 32 countries will attend the event. At least six foreign religious preachers have been banned by Denmark from entering the country. Mohamad al Arefe, Kamal El-Mekki, Bilal Philips, Terry Dale Jones, Salman Bin Fahad Alodah and Mohammad Al-Nabulsi were sanctioned on Tuesday, The Copenhagen Post cited the Immigration Ministry as saying. "The government won't accept hate preachers coming to Denmark and let them preach against Danish society and indoctrinate listeners to commit violence against women and children, spread ideas of a caliphate and undermine our founding values," said Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg. "I am naturally very pleased that it is now clear to everyone that these people are not welcome in Denmark." The Danish government announced a plan last May to establish a blacklist after a hidden-camera documentary exposed radical preachers in mosques. The plan was broadly approved by the Parliament. The immigration authority will continue assessing which preachers should be on the blacklist, Stojberg said. According to the law, foreigners can find themselves on the list if the have "displayed behaviour that gives reason to believe that the foreigner is a threat to public order in Denmark", he said. Six Islamic State suspects have been arrested in Malaysia for involvement in terrorism related activities, police said on Wednesday. The four men and two women were arrested in a series of counter-terrorism operations in several Malaysian states between March 24 and April 25, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the police, one of the female suspects was detained by Turkish authorities in February when she was trying to enter Syria to join the IS. The other female was accused of promoting terrorism propaganda through the social media platform. Of the four males, two are accused of smuggling firearms from Thailand. The third one was arrested at the airport after he returned from Syria. The last man was accused of using Facebook to promote terrorism and plotting to attack a mosque in the northern state of Penang. The police were looking for another suspect, 27-year-old Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Bin Junaidi, who fled to Thailand with a pistol and two M4 carbine assault rifles. US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis and "the very dangerous situation" on the Korean Peninsula. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of de-escalation to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," said a White House statement on Tuesday, adding that they also discussed "at length working together" to fight terrorism across the Middle East. The US would send a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, Xinhua news agency cited the statement. Meanwhile according to a statement from the Kremlin, both leaders also agreed to intensify the dialogue between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on the search for options that help consolidate the ceasefire regime in Syria. "The goal is to create prerequisites for launching a real settlement process in Syria," it added. It was the first phone call between Trump and Putin since Washington and Moscow wrangled over a US strike on the Syrian government last month. On April 6, Trump ordered a targeted missile strike at a Syrian military airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. After the US strike, Syrian state TV called the assault an "aggression" and both Russia and Syria had denied that the Syrian government launched the chemical weapons attack. The Russian government also condemned the US strike against the Syrian government as "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law". After the incident, Trump told reporters last month that the US is "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low". Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will on Wednesday depart for a whirlwind trip to the US and meet President Donald Trump for the first time since he took office in January. The meeting between the two leaders in New York, on the deck of a World War II-era aircraft carrier, the USS Intrepid, coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, during which Australian and US forces repelled Japanese Imperial Army, Xinhua news agency reported. Turnbull will be required back in Australia before the weekend to finalise details of the nation's federal budget, set to be handed down by Treasurer Scott Morrison on Tuesday. He said the "flying visit" to the US would involve discussion about regional issues and trade. Turnbull and Trump had an infamous phone call in January, which the US President labelled as his "worst" of the day and reportedly cut short the scheduled one-hour telephone conversation to 25 minutes. Turnbull before embarking his US trip brushed off concerns that the relationship between the two leaders was already strained following the fallout to the phone call. "We'll talk about a wide range of security and economic issues," he said. "(But) reports (of the phone call) were pretty exaggerated. It was a very frank, courteous and forthright call." By emphasising that his trip will "commemorate and honour" the Battle of the Coral Sea which protected Australia from a Japanese invasion, Turnbull would like to remind the US the camaraderie that both countries share since the World War II. "It's a great event that we're both attending. It's on the USS Intrepid and there'll be both Australian and American veterans. This was the sea battle in 1942 which was the first time the Japanese were turned back and defeated," Turnbull talked about the scheduled ceremony on Wednesday. "This was a great turning point in the war, so it's really a time to celebrate, commemorate and honour the rock solid alliance between the US and Australia." While describing the year 1942 as "bleak," Turnbull and Trump are facing with the gravest regional security situation in many decades as the tension on the Korean peninsula escalated recently. Turnbull also said the issue of Korean peninsula will be top of the topics between him and Trump. The Labour opposition has also weighed in before Turnbull's visit to the US. Labour's defence spokesman Richard Marles said maintaining a close relationship with the US was crucial to Australia's prosperity. "When you assess the value of the alliance with the US irrespective of who is the President and who is the Prime Minister it becomes clear how important this relationship is to Australia in terms of defence, economy, in terms of scientific cooperation and in medical research." "So I think it is really important that the alliance is invested in by Australia because it remains the centrepiece of our foreign policy and the nation's defence strategy," Marles said. Politicians (leaders) are looting the country, so Maoists should first kill them, expelled RJD leader Pappu Yadav said in Hajipur town. By Indo-Asian News Service: Jan Adhikar Party MP Pappu Yadav on Wednesday sparked off a controversy by urging Maoists to kill political leaders instead of security personnel, saying the former "looted" the country, while the latter provided it security. "Politicians (leaders) are looting the country, so Maoists should first kill them", the expelled Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said in Hajipur town. advertisement Pappu urged Maoists not to kill the security forces. "Maoists should kill those who have been looting the country." Pappu Yadav also asked Narendra Modi why attacks by Maoists were continuing despite demonetisation since the Prime Minister had claimed that such strikes would end after the note ban move. MODI CLAIMED MAOIST PROBLEMS WOULD END AFTER DEMONETISATION: PAPPU "Modi had claimed that corruption, terrorism and Maoist problems will be eliminated after demonetisation." Pappu Yadav was expelled from RJD in May 2015 for six years for indulging in "anti-party activities". On April 24, Maoists killed 25 CRPF jawans in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district. As many as 49 security personnel have been killed in Naxal attacks in Chhattisgarh so far this year. A total of 283 security personnel have been martyed in Naxal attacks in Chhattisgarh since 2012. Also read | MP Pappu Yadav accuses BJP leaders of inciting communal violence Also read | Pappu Yadav hits the street to protest demonetisation, disrupts train movements --- ENDS --- The city of Dorval is partnering up with the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) to host an earthquake simulator aka Quake Cottage on Monday, May 15th. Every participant who steps into the simulator will get to experience 30 seconds of a earthquake measuring seven on the Richter scale. Pointe Claires historic windmill will be part of the citys participation in Janes Walk with a walking tour of the village taking place this weekend. Two contractual labourers working for the Patna Municipal Corporation died of suffocation during cleaning of a sewer line. By Rohit Kumar Singh: Two workers of the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) died of suffocation while cleaning a sewer line at the income-tax roundabout today. The workers had entered the manhole to clean the sewer line as per the PMC's drive to clear the sewer lines ahead of the monsoon season. The deceased have been identified as Jitendra (35) and Deepu (25), both residents of Patna. advertisement Both, Jitendra, a gang-man and Deepu, a contractual labourer got inside the sewer line at 9 am. The workers started suffocating due to the presence of poisonous gases and fainted inside the manhole within a few minutes. TEAM MEMBERS CALLED THE POLICE The other members of the team tasked to clean the sewage line present at the spot got suspicious when the two labourers stopped responding to them. Soon, police was called and it was only about at 10am that fire department officials reached the spot and began with the rescue work. "PMC officials said that they had opened the sewer line two hours in advance before the laborers went inside the manhole to do the cleaning. It appears that they suffocated and collapsed because of poisonous gases. They were rushed to a local hospital but it was too late", said DSP Md. Shibli Nomani. Soon after police reached on the spot, Pawan Kumar, a constable rushed inside the manhole and pulled out the two workers. In the process, he too started suffocating and fainted. Kumar was also taken to the hospital for treatment. "To rescue both the laborers, I put on the oxygen mask and entered the manhole. I found that both of them were unconscious, so I pulled out their bodies. Later, I also fainted because of suffocation," Pawan Kumar said. The police are now investigating the matter as to who is to be blamed for this tragic incident. ALSO READ: 12 workers killed in tunnel blast in China Four die of suffocation in septic tank 3 labourers die of suffocation in Bengaluru manhole ALSO WATCH: Man dies after falling into open pit at Neb Sarai in Delhi --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted Israel on its 69th Independence Day. "Happy 69th Independence Day to the people & Government of Israel. Shalom," he tweeted. Modi will be visiting Israel, expectedly in July, on his first trip to that country. Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon had recently said that Indo-Israel ties were more "visible" after the Modi government came to power and that the Jewish nation respects the change. advertisement "The relations between India and Israel did not start in 2014, but what has changed is the visibility of things that we are doing together. What has changed is the very important and very much respected in Israel," he had said. PTI AKK AKK --- ENDS --- Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated a research centre at Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated a research centre at Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. Earlier in the day, PM arrived in Uttarakhand's Dehradun, from where he headed to Kedarnath temple. Portals of the sacred shrine in Himalayas will be opened after a six-month long break. PM Modi offered prayers at Kedarnath temple. advertisement Patanjali Research Institute, will be India's first organisation in India to conduct clinical trials as per international standards in the field of Ayurved. Its research work will include clinical control trial, drug screening, pharmacognosy, drug discovery, drug standardisation, drug safety, chronic diseases study, and pharmacology. HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES: Preventive healthcare needs to be stressed on. We all have to decide and pledge 'Mai gandagi nahin karunga': PM Modi in Haridwar Children too have started endorsing my Swachch Bharat mission: PM Modi By promoting yoga, Ramdev is serving the nation: PM Modi I congratulate Ramdev for popularising Yoga and bringing it to the people: PM Modi I can say it confidently that we will not ignore or forget the heritage that we have been historically proud of: PM Modi Our ancestors had toiled hard for innovations: PM Modi I feel fortunate to be with all of you like a family member: PM Modi I don't have faith in myself, but I have immense faith in the people of India: PM Modi PM Modi greets people of Uttarakhand and all others present on the stage. We have a PM who has devoted his entire life for the nation. There is nothing except India that matters to PM: Uttarakhand CM Till Narendra Modi is the PM, our nation can never fall: Ramdev We have decided to mark this International Day of Yoga in Ahmedabad. We will go all over India to make Yoga more popular: Ramdev There was 'Satta Parivartan' and there is 'Vyavastha Parivartan' under PM Modi. India is being transformed under him: Ramdev PM is Rashtra Rishi, says Baba Ramdev in welcome note #WATCH LIVE PM Modi at inauguration of Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar https://t.co/1LH72hVEW5- ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 PM Modi inaugurates Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar Uttarakhand: PM Modi inaugurated Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar pic.twitter.com/GveTKTu7zp- ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 PM Modi greets the crowd at Kedarnath temple. PM Modi gifted a miniature replica of the temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, gifted a miniature replica of the temple. pic.twitter.com/BJo32gbBA5- ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Kedarnath Temple Uttarakhand: Portals of Kedarnath thrown open, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the temple pic.twitter.com/7bYZNbW7Uk- ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Portals of the Kedarnath Temple to be thrown open for devotees today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer prayers shortly. #WATCH: Portals of Kedarnath to be thrown open to devotees today after being closed for winters,PM Modi to visit temple shortly #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/8D5ZRo8u5b- ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Also read: Mutilation of Indian soldiers: PM Modi says there is something because of which India keeps marching ahead How netas across India have found a way around PM Narendra Modi's VVIP red beacon ban Mutilation of Indian soldiers by Pakistan: Arun Jaitley to brief PM Narendra Modi WATCH | Jawans' mutilation: PM Modi concentrating on polls, not on national security, says Shiv Sena leader --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: (Adds further details) Dehradun, May 3 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid obeisance at Kedarnath as the portals of the eighth century shrine in Garhwal Himalayas were thrown open to devotees after their closure for winters. Modi is the first prime minister to visit the famed temple in 28 years after former prime minister VP Singh had paid a visit to the temple in 1989. advertisement Accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Modi arrived in an army chopper at the helipad built close to the temple and headed straight for the shrine located at a height of 11,755 ft near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini. Braving early morning chill around 4000 devotees had turned up at the temple to witness its ceremonial opening and to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister. The temple doors were opened at 8.50 amand the Prime Minister arrived just about half an hour later sporting a brown overcoat and dark glasses to offer prayers and perform a rudrabhishek (ritual bath of the Shiva lingam) in the sanctum sanctorumof the centuries old shrine. The prime minister took off his shoes and glasses before entering the sanctum sanctorum of the temple through its eastern gate to pay obeisance. The rituals supervised by the priests of the temple lasted about 20 minutes after which Modi emerged out of the temple and waved to the crowds waiting outside for a glimpse with a broad smile. He was gifted a shawl, a rudraksha, a wooden replica of the temple and books on the Himalayas by the priests of the temple as he came out of the shrine. He did a parikrama of the Nandi statue outside the temple before walking through the crowds to make for the convoy that was to take him back to the helipad. On his way back, the Prime Minister stopped to pat a child in the arms of a soldier. He was seen speaking with the jawan and the child. The Prime Minister also went to the spot where a huge rock named Bhimshila had rolled down from the mountains in the wake of the June 2013 deluge and was stuck at the back of the temple. Christened ?Bhimshila? after the tragedy also known as the Himalayan Tsunami the rock is credited with protecting the shrine from major damage. After spending about an hour at the temple, the Prime Minister left in an army chopper for Haridwar. advertisement Modi is the first prime minister to visit the famed temple on the very first day of its opening after the winter break. Kedarnath is the third and perhaps the most important of the four Himalayan shrines in the chardham circuit to reopen today. Gangotri and Yamunotri have already opened on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya whereas Badrinath is slated to reopen on May 6 when President Pranab Mukherjee will visit the temple. People in the state feel the visit by the Prime Minister and the President to Kedarnath and Badrinath will boost tourist arrivals at the two temples by sending the message of a safe chardham yatra to people outside the state.PTI ALM DV --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: (EDS: Adds detail) Dehradun, May 3 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid obeisance at Kedarnath as the portals of the Himalayan shrine were reopened for devotees after remaining closed for six months for the winters. Modi is the first prime minister to visit the famed temple in 28 years after former prime minister VP Singh had paid a visit to the temple in 1989. advertisement Accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Modi arrived in an army chopper at the helipad built close to the templeand headed straight for the shrine located at a height of over 11000 ft. The temple doors were opened at 8.50 AMand the prime minister arrived just about half an hour later to offer prayers and perform a rudrabhishek in the sanctum sanctorum of the centuries old shrine. After 20 minutes, Modi, who was wearing a brown overcoat, emerged out of the temple and waved to the crowds waiting outside for a glimpse of the Prime Minister. He was gifted a shawl, a rudraksha, a wooden replica of the temple and books on the Himalayas by the priests of the temple as he came out of the shrine. He did a parikrama of the Nandi statue outside the temple before making way through the crowds to convoy that was to take him back to the helipad. The Prime Minister also went to the spot where a huge rock named Bhimshila had rolled down from the mountains in the wake of the June 2013 deluge and got stuck at the back of the temple. Christened Bhimshila after the tragedy, also known as the Himalayan Tsunami, the truck sized rock is credited with protecting the shrine from major damage. On his way back, the prime minister patted a child held in the arms of a soldier. After spending about an hour at the temple, the Prime Minister left in an army chopper for Haridwar where he is scheduled to inaugurate an ayurvedic research centre at Ramdev?s Patanjali Yogpeeth. Kedarnath is the third and perhaps the most important of the four Himalayan shrinesin the chardham circuit to reopen today. Gangotri and Yamunotri have already opened on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya whereas Badrinath is slated to reopen on May 6 when President Pranab Mukherjee will visit the temple. People in the state feel visit by the PM and the President to Kedarnath and Badrinath will boost tourist arrivals at the two temples by sending the message of a safe chardham yatra to people outside the state.PTI ALM DV --- ENDS --- advertisement Imagine being able to tell your friends that you travelled 1,000 km around Sri Lanka in a rickshaw. A rickshaw that you drove! That, ladies and gentlemen, is the Lanka Challenge: the ultimate road trip for those who like their travel fully-charged and no-holds-barred. Each day youll wake up, be told where you need to be by sundown, and get handed a list of challenges to complete along the way the completion of which will see your team accrue points. The September 2017 route takes in all of southern Sri Lankas Greatest Hits, including the tranquil lakeside town of Kandy, buzzing capital Colombo, the rolling green tea estates Nuwara Eliya, the Yala National Park, and the UNESCO-listed rock fortress of Sigiriya. Questions you will be forced to ask yourself during the Lanka Challenge include: Whos going to go and get a photo of that crocodile? Whos going to get us invited to a locals place for lunch? Whos going to take one for the team in the chilli-eating challenge? What day is it? One hell of an amazing time is guaranteed. Life-changing experiences are probable. Navigational stupidity is optional. And what is more, you are guaranteed to be helping local communities along the way. The Lanka Challenge a win-win for everyone. One lucky winner will join the September 2017 Lanka Challenge without doubt the ride of your life. Half-board accommodation, welcome pack, travel insurance, logistical support, tuk tuk driving lessons, and a 10% responsible travel donation are included, as is, of course, the hire and use of one genuine, ready-to-roll tuk tuk (complete with third party liability insurance) for the duration of the challenge. All you need to pay for is your flight and e-visa! To enter, simply fill in the form below, and tweet us with the hashtag #LankaChallenge, being sure to tag @LargeMinority and @TravelMagazine. Well draw one lucky winner at random on 3rd June 2017. Good luck! By submitting the form below you are agreeing to join the Large Minority and The Travel Magazine mailing lists. This competition has now ended. Congratulations to Michelle who will be going to Sri Lanka in September to join the Lanka Challenge. To be informed of future competitions and prize draws, sign up to our Newsletter: [mc4wp_form id=4225] Terms and Conditions The competition is open to residents of all countries aged 18 years or over. The prize is one place on the September 2017 Lanka Challenge (Southern Route). The prize is not transferable. International flights and e-visa are not included. The competition organiser is Large Minority, 8 Heddon Court, Cockfosters Road, EN40DE, London Large Minority creates the wildest adventure challenges around, from the original Lanka Challenge in Sri Lanka, to an equally extraordinary rickshaw race through Cambodia, yacht races in the Philippines, and the brand new Amazon Challenge, the craziest adventure yet. You can follow Large Minority and all their challenges on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and sign up for the newsletter on their website. Organisation: Abt Associates Project Name: USAID Reproductive Health Voucher Program (RHVP) Duty Station: Mbale, Gulu, Lira and Soroti, Uganda Reports to: Regional Clinical Quality Assurance Manager About Abt: Abt Associates is an international development organization composed of dedicated professionals who provide technical assistance, research, analysis, and practical training services in more than 128 countries. Abt seeks to implement a five-year project funded by the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID). About USAID RHVP Project: Abt Associates is implementing the five year Uganda Voucher Plus Activity (in its second year) which is increasing access to safe motherhood services in private facilities in Northern and Eastern Uganda by engaging private providers in contracts to provide quality safe motherhood services to qualified impoverished women presenting a voucher purchased in communities.. Job Summary: The Regional Continuous Quality Improvement Mentor Midwife will provide clinical mentorship and technical support supervision of RMNCH activities in accredited Private Health Facilities in line with MoH policy for CQI in MNCH. Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The ideal candidate for the USAID Regional Continuous Quality Improvement Mentor Midwife job placement should hold a diploma in midwifery from a recognized institution Possession of a degree in nursing (reproductive health) or public health & population or its equivalent is desired The applicant must be registered with the relevant professional body with a valid practicing license At least three years experience in Quality Improvement approaches and training clinical service providers on maternal & reproductive health programs/projects (with a focus on Emergency obstetric care, FP and EMTCT/EID/HCT) with a reputable international NGO Previous exposure and experience working with private health providers and District local governments is desired A Trainer of Trainers in components of safe motherhood services (with solid working knowledge and practical skills) in the following areas: Emergency Obstetric care, comprehensive FP, EMTCT and other sexual reproductive health issues Prior experience in mentorship/coaching, facilitative support supervision and use of Collaborative approaches in Ql would be desired Advanced written, presentation, and communication skills in English Ability and willingness to travel extensively in the region Highly dynamic, self-motivated/self-driven, able to demonstrate high initiative with minimal supervision Knowledge and understanding of Eastern or Northern Ugandan dialects (desirable) Gulu, Lira, Soroti & Mbale Be a Ugandan national How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates who wish to join the USAID Project are encouraged to send their updated resumes / CVs and application letters that provide details of the applicants specific qualifications via Email to UgandaVouchers@abtassoc.com. Please clearly include the position title in the subject of the E-mail. Deadline: 12th May 2017 PAUL SCHNEIDEREIT: Treatment centre for PTSD in first responders, military opens in Nova Scotia Imagine its your job, every day, to be ready to rush to scenes where men, women or even children had been killed or badly injured, often in horrific circumstances. Really, consider what that might be like. If youre like most of us, the thought ... Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat He is a man as a human being, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 helmer James Gunn says he is a "female and a male" in spirit when he picks up a pen to jot down his ideas as a writer and director. There's one thing that ties together Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy, Slither and Dawn of the Deadall of which he wrote. And that is the presence of strong female characters. Gunn says it's not intentional and comes naturally. "I think that as a human being, I am male but as a writer I feel like a female and a male. I have just always been attracted to female protagonists as a writer, whether in Slither or Dawn of the Dead," Gunn told IANS during an interaction at a Disney press meet for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 which releases in India on Fridayin Tokyo. "I just feel these are natural characters, just like male characters. And in Guardians of the Galaxy, I found this idea of (exploring the relationship between) two sisters to be something that is not utilised much in films, especially in superhero movies. They are always about brothers, or father or son... I think in the first part too, having a movie about a mother and son was a unique thing for a superhero movie. "I just like having everybody's point of view. Growing up feeling like I was an outcast, I always wanted to tell stories of people who feel like they don't have a voice," he added. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Gunn has three brothers, who are also in showbiz, and a sister. His tryst with filmmaking started with an eight-millimetre camera when he was 12. Gunn started his career in Hollywood with studio Troma Films and went on to work on bigger films like writing scripts for Scooby-Doo movies and Dawn of the Dead. He was first noticed with his screenplay for Tromeo & Juliet in 1996. After writing and directing Slither in 2006 and Super in 2010, he made the right noise with superhero film franchise Guardians of the Galaxywhich he directed and co-wrote. The second part of the film is raking in big internationally too. According to deadline.com, the film bagged $106 million in its overseas opening this past weekend. The third part has already been announced, and Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers crossover is also in the pipeline. Guardians of the Galaxystarring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Asian actress Pom Klementieff with Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper as voice talentis a story of misfits uniting together to save the galaxy. This time, in volume two, the film will focus on family ties too. Gunn asserts that he doesn't think about diversity, but definitely about "trying to get as many different types of people in a film". "I will say that one of the greatest experiences that I ever had in casting was for the role of Mantis (essayed by Klementieff). She is an Asian female in the comics and I thought that she should be Asian female in the film too." With a long and gruelling audition process for the role of Mantis, Gunn unearthed a reality of Hollywood. "It was a real testament to me that some people aren't given as many chances as other people." Talking about the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, Gunn said, "Everybody gets their piece of pie this time and that is what made this movie so much fun to me. Because I do come naturally from a place where I like telling ensemble stories about a bunch of characters as opposed to just one." The police is linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. By Indo-Asian News Service: The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some of the areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in these areas. The police said that the search operation was still going on. They are linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. advertisement An officer said there were at least six people inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned. "It had a fake registration number plate. The car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu," the officer said. The security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base on January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district on July 2015. Both these districts share an international border with Pakistan and are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir ALSO READ | Punjab: Firing in Gurdaspur jail as inmates clash, city on alert ALSO WATCH | Punjab: Pakistani intruder shot dead by BSF in Gurdaspur --- ENDS --- Aam Admi Party leader Kumar Vishwas is a poet. His gift of the gab has had youth enthralled, and even led them into the party. At the heart of his poems and speeches, and political exchanges, are his views, stripped of anything the party may want or not want. Ahead of the crucial MCD electionswhich the AAP incidentally lostVishwas had released a 13-minute video with his thoughts on a wide range of subjects, some general, some meant for his party leaders, particularly Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In it, among other things, he attributes the divisions in the country to people's preference for political leaders. Instead of Modi-Modi, Arvind-Arvind, Rahul-Rahul or Indira is India, he tells them to think of the country. Governments and leaders will last for a short while, but the country will last for thousands of years, he points out. Another Vishwas thought: If you are voted on the plank of anti-corruption,and you keep quiet when your own people indulge in corruption, people will question you. He reacts to the video of CRPF men being heckled by a mob in Kashmir, and says If you are elected on the plank of nationalism, and your nation's sons are attacked, you will be questioned. The Kulbhushan Jadhav episode, too, finds mention. All this by Kumar Vishwas added to the woes of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who was reeling under the party's electoral losses in Punjab, Goa and most recently home turf Delhi. Even as Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia first blamed the EVMs for their set back, the poet-leader suggested introspectionwhich the party did attempt. But by then, Amanatullah Khan, MLA from Okhla, quit the Political Affairs Committee of AAP saying there was a slur campaign against him. He also charged Kumar Vishwas with being an agent of the RSS-BJP, and thus attempting to pull down Kejriwal & Co. Khan also accused Vishwas of offering Rs 30 crores each to some AAP legislators to join the BJP! That was a charge that Vishwas would not take lightly. He told the media he was not an agent of the RSS, that he had no ambitions and would decide his next course of action. He also made references to the manner in which their former colleagues Prashant Bhushan and Yogender Yadav were shown the door by the party. This rattled Kejriwal enough to sit up, take note of what Vishwas was saying, and reach out to him. Though critical of Vishwas going to the media with his views, Kejriwal and Sisodia met him twice in 24 hours. By the end of it, Khan had been suspended, and Vishwas honourably named the leader in charge of Rajasthan. The state goes to polls next year end. For now, peace has returned to the party where members were running in circles, not knowing how to deal with defeat, and the man who shows them what defeat is. And for the second time since his party lost the MCD, Kejriwal appears to be doing whatever it takes to keep the party afloat, by taking inner party criticism in his stride. The first was when he held a serious introspection meeting with MLAs and told them to continue on their path of anti-corruption, and fulfillment of promises made to people. Raju Mahali of Naxalbari seems to be paying a heavy price for arranging food for BJP president Amit Shah when the party chief visited the West Bengal village last week. During his visit, Shah had lunch at the home of Mahali, prepared by the latter's wife Geeta. Mahali went missing from his home on Tuesday night. People of Naxalbari saw Mahali being dragged out of his home at night by four Trinamool Congress workers. The people then went to the police station to register a case of abduction. The cops, however, asked them to file a missing complaint instead and wait for a while. However, Geeta and the couple's only son too went missing from home later. On Wednesday, the couple joined TMC in the presence of Tourism Minister Gautam Deb. According to sources, Mahali was asked to either join the TMC immediately or face social isolation. The party, however, refuted charges that Mahali was forced to join the TMC. "They have joined on their own," Deb said. The BJP strongly opposed the move. Trinamool Congress is forgetting that Naxalbari is the place where all the movement began. They are again torturing tribals. The ruling party would have to pay a heavy price, said local BJP leader in Naxalbari Ashok Basu. BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, " Naxalbari will see another movement. This time for democracy." As the rift within the AAP deepened on Tuesday with founder member Kumar Vishwas accusing senior leaders of conspiring against him, the party leaders have started efforts to pacify him. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself reached Vishwas's house in Ghaziabad on Tuesday night where senior AAP leadership including Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh were already present. After a brief talk, Kejriwal left for his residence in Civil Lines along with Vishwas. "He is our friend since days of movement. Some differences have arose, hope we will mollify him," Kejriwal told reporters. Meanwhile, many supporters gathered outside Vishwas's residence and demonstrated in his favour while the party leaders were inside. Earlier, Vishwas alleged a conspiracy against him and indicated his possible exit from the party. Sisodia, a childhood friend of the poet-politician hit back, saying he should have used proper forum to raise his concerns. "I know I will be targeted. The efforts to tarnish my image will be made. But let me tell those conspirators that I will not allow you to do so," he said defying a party request not to rake up issues in the media. He did not take any name but his target was clear. Kumar Vishwas dubbed Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who accused him of being a "BJP-RSS agent", as a "mask" behind those ganging up against him. Khan on Sunday alleged that Kumar Vishwas was conspiring to break the party and plotting a coup against party convenor and Delhi CM Kejriwal. Pledging to keep highlighting what he said were the AAP's mistakes, Vishwas said he would continue to speak in the interest of the country. He denied he wanted to be the AAP Convenor. "I have already said 10 times and even to Arvind and Manish and the party that I don't want to be the chief minister, deputy chief minister or the convenor." He said he would not join any political party or Swaraj Andolan. Vishwas broke down while speaking. "I had not joined the movement for this." Asked if he would quit the AAP, he responded: "I will decide tonight and will soon tell you." The AAP fielded Sisodia, a Kejriwal confidant, to counter the allegations. He slammed his former colleague for speaking publicly. "Rather than making statements on TV channels, he should raise his concerns within the party forum. He should come and attend the PAC meet." Sisodia said Vishwas' remarks were affecting the morale of party workers. He said Vishwas was never asked to apologise for a video he released last month in which, among other things, he made oblique criticism of the AAP. "No one asked him to apologise. He made it personal. "The party does not belong to Arvind, to me or to Kumar but it belongs to lakhs of workers in India and abroad," Sisodia told reporters at Kejriwal's residence. Sisodia said he and party leader Sanjay Singh went to meet him. Still, Vishwas skipped an AAP leadership meeting on Monday. "Everyone knows who is benefitting" from his public remarks." Nearly three months after she landed in Mumbai on February 11, Eman Ahmed, the world's former heaviest woman at 500 kg, will be leaving the city for VPS Burjeel hospital in UAE on Thursday morning. Eman, who was admitted in privately run Saifee hospital in Charni Road, lost 324 kg following intensive physiotherapy sessions and a sleeve gastrectomy surgery which she underwent on March 7. In this surgical weight loss procedure, the patient's stomach size was reduced by 15 per cent of its original size. In a statement, the hospital's COO Huzefa Shehabi said, "Eman is stable, in good health and fit to fly. The team of doctors from Saifee will brief the patient's relative and the team of doctors from VPS Burjeel about her current medical status." While Eman flew to Mumbai from Alexandria in a cargo freighter flight with a team of doctors from Saifee hospital and a wide range of medical equipment to stabilize her during the journey, she will travel to Abu Dhabi in an Egypt Special Airbus. She will be treated in VPS Burjeel hospital for free of cost. The 36-year-old Egyptian national also suffered from co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, water retention, heart failure, gout, hypothyroidism, and partial paralysis due to a stroke she suffered from in 2014. A CT scan conducted in the hospital revealed 40 per cent of her brain had got damaged following the stroke and that she was suffering from scar epilepsy. Dr Aparna Bhasker, a bariatric surgeon, who was a part of the team of doctors who treated Eman said her condition had improved by 75 - 80 per cent as her co-morbidities were under control. "She now only needs physiotherapy so she can eat without a feeding tube and sit up for longer periods without any support," she said while speaking to THE WEEK. On April 14, Eman's sister Shaimaa and the treating doctors had a major spat after she posted a video on social media calling Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, the chief bariatric surgeon, a liar. A few days later, 12 out of the 13 doctors who were treating Eman resigned from her care."We were told Eman would be kept in Saifee hospital for at least six months, so I was worried when Dr Lakdawala informed me we would be sent back to Egypt in mid April," said Shaimaa. Since then, Eman underwent a CT scan and her physiotherapy sessions were being continued in the seventh floor of the hospital's main building, after she was shifted out of her special 1000 sq ft room. Though Eman's treatment in Burjeel hospital is not yet finalised, Dr Bhasker said the doctors were planning another bariatric surgery. While flying to the hospital, Eman and Shaimaa will be accompanied by a team of nine doctors and will be transported to the airport in a special ambulance arranged by Saifee hospital. The panchayat of Mathuras Madora village on Wednesday ordered the imposition of a hefty penalty on anyone who indulges in cow slaughter and on girls who use mobile phones while walking on the street. The decision was taken by former village pradhan Mohammed Gaffar, who decided that the Muslim community will support Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his campaign against cow slaughter. However, anyone found indulging in cow slaughter or cow theft would have to shell out Rs 2 lakh, while those found selling liquor would have to cough up only Rs 1.11 lakh. The panchayat members also decided to impose Rs 21,000 on girls who will be seen talking on mobile phones while walking on the street in order to reduce the rate of crimes against girls and elopement. The quantum of punishment apart from the penalty would be decided by the entire panchayat. India will press for early extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya from the United Kingdom when the Home Secretaries of both the countries meet here on Thursday. Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi will raise the issue of early completion of the extradition process of Mallya, when he will meet his UK counterpart Patsy Wilkinson, the second permanent secretary in the the British Home Office. The counter-terror cooperation between India and the UK besides a host of other issues will figure in the meeting, official sources said. Issues related to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, strengthening of the intelligence sharing mechanism and visa related issues will also be deliberated upon, they said. The 61-year-old Mallya, who has been living in Britain since last year, was arrested by the Scotland Yard last month on the extradition request of India. Within hours of his arrest, Mallya, who is accused of cheating and frauds, was released on bail by a London court. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will argue the case on behalf of the Indian authorities. Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines allegedly owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016. India and the UK have an extradition treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement - Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002. However, unlike Mallya, he had submitted to the extradition order without legal challenge. India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the extradition treaty between India and the UK through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication, on February 8. Expressing grave concern over Pakistans barbaric act in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP on Wednesday said for every life that has been lost or soldiers mutilated, there will be a befitting reply from the Indian government. We have a strategy in place, but that strategy need not be announced in the public domain. It is for the national security advisors and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take as a decision. Let me assure every Indian that for the every life that has been lost, there will be a befitting reply in the days to come, BJP leader Shaina N.C. told ANI. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said whenever such incidents of violence by Pakistan comes light, they ask for evidence and try to give explanations. I believe Pakistan has violated international conventions and have proved to be inhumane. For this, a strict action needs to be taken against them by the Indian government, NCP leader Tariq Anwar said. Earlier on Monday, the Pakistani soldiers along with their Border Action Team (BAT), which include trained border inhabitants, launched a joint attack. They first fired rockets and followed this up with firing from automatic weapons near Kranti Post located in Poonch's Krishna Ghati Sector around 8.30 am. The Pakistanis then crossed the LoC, entered 200 metres into the Indian territory, and attacked a joint patrol of the Army and Border Security Force (BSF). The family of soldiers killed in the line of duty in Jammu and Kashmir called for giving absolute powers to the Army in order to give a "befitting reply to Pakistan". "Give full powers to Army and place Kashmir under President's rule. If the Army is given full powers, it would teach a lesson to Pakistan," Ravita Devi, wife of Babloo Kumar, who was martyred in the valley last year, said. "India should take revenge with hundred heads in place of two heads," Seema Chaudhary, widow of Shaheed Samod, who was also killed in Jammu, said. They were reacting to the beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces along the LoC. Jai Singh, brother of Hemraj, who was beheaded in Jammu by Pakistani troopers in 2013, said, "Attack Pakistan and crush it." Kamlesh, who lost her husband Soren Singh in the Kargil war, said enough was enough and Pakistan should be taught a lesson. The beheading of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control on May 1 has shocked the country, but what proof does India have that it is the handiwork of the Pakistan Army? On Wednesday, Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistan high commissioner to India Abdul Basit to express India' s outrage at the killing and mutilation. Jaishankar told Basit that the action on May 1 by Pakistani Army was a strong act of provocation in contravention to all norms of civilised conduct''. He demanded strong action against the Pakistani soldiers and the commanders who were responsible for the barbaric act of mutilation. Basit, however, stuck by the Pakistan's line, claiming that their army was not involved in this act, and that he would communicate India's reaction to his country. India has said that it was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector. Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly show that the killers returned across the Line of Control.'' However, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay was not able to explain clearly what this trail of blood up to the the Roza Nala was. Was it of the Indian soldiers, whose multilated remains were taken as prize across the LoC, or was it the trail of injured Pakistani soldiers? And, how did that trail prove that this was the handiwork of uniformed Pakistani personnel and not a non-state actor? These are questions that Pakistan and the international community will be asking. India's proof needs to be robust and unquestionable. If fact, when the two director generals of military operations (DGMOs) had their weekly hotline talk on May 2, the Pakistani DGMO had asked India to furnish actionable evidence''. The Indian Army, which is seething under yet another humiliating and demoralising attack from Pakistan, has said that it will seek retribution at a time and place of its choosing. Patients, doctors and hospitals can now send a Whatsapp message to the government if they are facing a shortage of coronary stents, particularly, drug-eluting stents. In a series of measures announced to ensure availability of coronary stents post a price cap decision in February, the drug regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said people could turn to complaint redressal mechanisms in case they were facing any shortages. The order issued by the NPPA said people could either go to the regulator's website and register their complaints on its pharma jan samadhan feature, or call its toll free helpline number. The specific stents for which complaints can be listed are also mentioned in the latest orderResolute OnyxZotarolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System (India Medtronic pvt. ltd.), Absorb GTI-Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) (Abbott Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.), 'Xience Alpine Medical Device (cardiac stent), (M/s Abbott Healthcare), among others. State drug controllers have been instructed to carry out checks to ensure these products are available in hospitals and with distributors. The order comes in the wake of the above mentioned companies announcing their decision to withdraw their drug-eluting stents, citing price cap reasons and reports of shortages. The NPPA has already rejected their applications and invoked an emergency clause under the Drug Price Control Order, 2013 to ensure that a regular supply was maintained and patients were not affected. By India Today Web Desk: The hard work has finally paid off. SS Rajamouli and his cast and crew shot the two Baahubali films for four years. To achieve this without any hiccups, Rajamouli had instructed Prabhas to not sign any film for five years. And Prabhas, the dedicated actor that he is, denied producer's cheques and any kind of monetary favour for the entire time Baahubali was being made. As such, Prabhas was pretty much penniless while shooting for Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion. advertisement Recently, speaking to NTV Telugu, SS Rajamouli talked about how Prabhas had no money while shooting for his film. "Prabhas had three consecutive hits and producers kept running after him with money but he only focused on Baahubali. He instructed his manager not to demand anything from producers and take anything they give," SS Rajamouli was quoted as saying in a translation by The Indian Express. "There was a time when he was stressed for money. Producers flooded his house with offers, cash and cheques and sometimes even without asking anything in return. He got scared, called me up and asked what should he do. I told him to get an affidavit done with a statement that this money does not have to do anything with your work. But he denied saying how will he give back this large amount of money if the people ever come back. He had the offer to do an advertisement worth Rs 10 crore. But he refused that too. Prabhas does not know how to lie but he would not even hurt your sentiments for no reason. He does not like to see people hurt," Rajamouli added. Baahubali 2: The Beginning released on July 10 two years ago to great fanfare and critical appreciation. The film grossed Rs 650 crore worldwide. Now, just a few days ago on April 28, the sequel Baahubali 2: The Conclusion released and so far it has grossed over Rs 600 crore within just five days of its release. Prabhas has cemented his position as a pan-Indian national superstar and well, like the story began, the hard work has finally paid off. ALSO READ: Baahubali 2 Tamil Review ALSO READ: Baahubali 2 Hindi Review WATCH: Everything you need to know about Baahubali --- ENDS --- On April 1, 2014, India became the first country to mandate corporate social responsibility (CSR) under the Companies Act, 2013. The rationale was to paint the dull socioeconomic canvas of the country with brighter hues of development, steered by the modern growth enginethe corporate world. Two years on, the CSR law has thrown quite a few surprises, and a number of worries, too. The CSR law requires companies with a net worth of Rs 500 crore and more, or a turnover of more than Rs 1,000 crore or a net profit of above Rs 5 crore in a financial year to spend two per cent of their average net profit in the last three years on social projects and disclose the same in their annual statement. The last two years saw thousands of firms spend Rs 18,625 crore on CSR activities under section 135 of the Companies Act across sectors like education, health care, sanitation and skill development. But, 4,195 companies have not spent a single penny on CSR in 2015-16. And, the Registrar of Companies has issued show-cause notices to 1,018 companies for not complying with the Act, said minister of state for corporate affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha during the recent budget session. In the last two years, the ministry has had to answer at least 27 questions on CSR in Parliament, but there is little or no mention about the penalty clause in its replies. Erring companies are liable for a penalty of Rs 25,000 to Rs 25 lakh, and the erring company officer faces imprisonment of three years and penalty of Rs 50,000. The companies are taking refuge in the comply or explain clause. According to Meghwal, the reasons cited for non-compliance were financial restructuring, loss, delay in board approval for projects and technical difficulties. But, development experts say theres more to it than meets the eye. In FY16, 5,097 companies spent Rs 9,822.30 crore on CSR activities. Of these, 4,925 firms were private ones, contributing Rs 6,462.10 crore. In FY15, 7,334 companies spent Rs 8,803 crore, with 7,108 private companies contributing Rs 6,306 crore. While the jump in CSR spending is encouraging, the absence of a system to measure its social impact is worrying as the rise in expenditure is being seen as a result of law coercion. A high-level committee, headed by former Union home secretary Anil Baijal, formed to suggest measures for monitoring and implementation of CSR policies, too, has warned against the CSR approach being expenditure driven and not outcome or impact driven. Manju Dhasmana, leadphilanthropies and CSR, Microsoft India, said making CSR mandatory will not help if we do not have a sound design of the project. Only the CSR consulting agencies seem to have benefited, she said. Many companies are doing good work but it does not fall under CSR or the expenditure is going beyond the prescribed limit. Dr R. Balasubramaniam, chairman of Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement, said many companies are in a hurry to route out the prescribed amount of money to show compliance. But will this translate to development? Visible manifestation of development like school buildings or hospital wards and equipment does not mean anything if we are unable to work on sound projects, like scaling up learning levels in schools or providing quality and affordable health care to all, he said. Though education and health care accounted for 44 per cent of the total CSR expenditure as per data released by Prime Database, it failed to make any visible impact as child mortality rate and child malnutrition, which affects 50 per cent of children in India, got little funding. Hence, CSR funding needs to go into well-thought-out projects to see visible impact. Call it arrogance, naivete or the pressure to spend the two per cent, many corporates dont realise development is as specialised as running a company, said Balasubramaniam. Another drawback of CSR has been the inability to reach out to underserved regions like the northeast or the less industrialised states. The state-wise distribution of CSR funding in 2014-15 shows developed states like Maharashtra (Rs 1,101.7 crore), Tamil Nadu (Rs 446.9 crore), and Karnataka (Rs 363.05) getting the lions share. Whereas, northeastern states like Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 10.46 crore), Manipur (Rs 1.35 crore) and Meghalaya (Rs 1.80 crore) recorded dismal investment. CSR is more urban-centric as only 12 per cent of it is ending up in the villages, said Shrikant Sinha, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation. Most companies like to do CSR in their backyard, in slums closer to their office as they get a majority of their workforce from the nearby villages. But it defeats the purpose of CSR as the need for development is not uniform. Infosys Foundation is an exception though. Once we got more funds, we reached out to the northeast, said Sudha Murthy, chairperson of Infosys Foundation. Our community sabbatical programme has created an opportunity for employees to go on paid leave to contribute to any project. However, all projects are run professionally, and in partnership with credible and capable NGOs. Lack of credible NGOs is another problem area. According to Balasubramaniam, like the US, India, too, must have a rating system for NGOs based on their credibility. Corporates feel even the government is technically ill-equipped to handle projects as there is already a huge burden of unspent money, he said. States like Karnataka, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Maharashtra are encouraging corporates to invest in sectors like drought relief, tourism and infrastructure. CSR contributions have been made to flagship projects of the Union government, too, like Swachch Bharat Kosh (Rs 456.57 crore) and the Namami Gange Programme (Rs 78.8 crore till March 2016). But not all corporates are for funding Central projects. Sinha said companies are comfortable investing in long-term projects rather than shifting their focus from one project to another. Many corporates said the CSR law is a back-door way to increase corporate taxes, which is already at 34.61 per cent, compared to the global average of 24.09 per cent. The Baijal panel, however, notes that the idea behind the CSR law was to rope in companies to discharge social responsibility with their innovative ideas, management skills, efficiency and outcome. Though the standing committee on finance, headed by Veerappa Moily, has said the CSR figures are quite disturbing, the government has been lenient as the first three years are a learning experience and aimed at moving towards a culture of compliance. By Press Trust of India: London, May 3 (PTI) Exposure to the aroma of rosemary essential oil may significantly enhance working memory in children, a new study claims. Working memory is important for reasoning and the guidance of decision making and behaviour. In the study by researchers at Northumbria University in the UK, 40 children aged 10 to 11 took part in a class based test on different mental tasks. advertisement Children were randomly assigned to a room that had either rosemary oil diffused in it for ten minutes or a room with no scent. Analysis revealed that the children in the aroma room received significantly higher scores than the non-scented room. The test to recall words demonstrated the greatest different in scores. "Why and how rosemary has this effect is still up for debate. It could be that aromas affect electrical activity in the brain or that pharmacologically active compounds can be absorbed when adults are exposed," said Mark Moss from Northumbria University. Previous study demonstrated the aroma of rosemary essential oil could enhance cognition in healthy adults. "Knowing how important working memory is in academic achievement we wanted to see if similar effects could be found in school age children in classroom settings," said Moss. "We do know that poor working memory is related to poor academic performance and these findings offer a possible cost effective and simple intervention to improve academic performance in children," said Moss. The study was presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in the UK. PTI SAR SAR --- ENDS --- Besides Sasikala, two other convicts V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, all relatives, have also appealed the Supreme Court. By Pramod Madhav: AIADMK leader Sasikala has moved Supreme Court seeking a review of the 19-year-old disproportionate assets (DA) case in which she was sentenced to a four-year jail term. Besides Sasikala, two other convicts V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, all relatives, are also part of the appeal. Earlier on February 14, the apex court had upheld the trial court order in DA case in which three of them were sentenced for four years and fined Rs 10 crore. advertisement Appeals against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who was also an accused in the case, was abated as she died on December 5. Sasikala and the three others have cited the earlier Supreme Court order in which the judges had observed that when the appeals against one person stands abated in a case, appeals against other accused should also be abated. They are accused of amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during Jayalalithaa's first term as chief minister from 1991 to 1996. The verdict had disqualified Sasikala from becoming a legislator and consequentially she can't be chief minister either for six years from the date of release of prison under the Representation of the People Act. Also read: Tamil Nadu: Acceptable leadership, not merger of Sasikala-OPS factions, solution to AIADMK's problem Tamil Nadu ministers photographed with Sasikala's family, OPS camp sees red --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Colombo, May 3 (PTI) The Sri Lankan government today said it will go ahead with its plans to strike a deal with India to jointly operate a strategic oil facility in the eastern port district of Trincomalee despite opposition from other parties. "Suddenly objections are being raised for a deal which has been coming since 2002," Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told Parliament, referring to a recent trade union strike which completely halted the fuel distribution in the country for a day. advertisement The state petroleum entitys trade unions staged the strike against the proposed deal with India over the oil tanks. They, however, ended strike after an assurance from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The unions had demanded an undertaking from Wickremesinghe that during his visit to India that week he would not sign any agreement on the oil tanks. Karunanayake said that work to form a joint venture company to operate and manage oil storage tanks in Trincomalee under a 50-year lease agreement would go ahead. The reference was to a proposed deal to start a joint venture with India to utilise the World War II-era oil tanks. At least 73 of the 99 storage tanks in Trincomalee is to be managed under a new equity arrangement between India and Lanka. In 2002, the Indian Oil Company was given 14 of the 99 tanks to operate. Sri Lanka and India signed an MoU on economic co- operation in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Lankan counterpart Wickremesinghe in New Delhi last month. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has accused the Lankan government of selling state assets without naming India. Addressing a May Day rally in Colombo this week, Rajapaksa, who leads the Joint Opposition camp, said that Trincomalees oil tanks preserved as national asset by successive governments since independence are to be sold. "This is a government which auctions all national assets," Rajapaksa said. One of Rajapaksa main backers Wimal Weerawansa, a former minister, called for raising of black flags during Modis visit to Lanka next week. "They are trying to sell our country to India," he told the rally. Modi is due to visit Lanka on May 12 to attend the UN Vesak Day, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. The opposition claims Modi is to sign the oil tank deal during his visit despite President Maithripala Sirisena rubbishing it as misinformation. Modi would only attend the UN Vesak Day celebrations and no bilateral agreements will be signed during his visit to Lanka, President Sirisena said last week. PTI CORR ZH AKJ ZH --- ENDS --- advertisement Sushant Singh Rajout got candid during the photoshoot for a magazine. By India Today Web Desk: Sushant Singh Rajput is one of the most eligible bachelors in Bollywood, and most important, he is single. The 31-year-old actor, who will be next seen in Raabta along with rumoured girlfriend Kriti Sanon, spills the beans on what attracts him to a woman. The PK actor says he gets attracted to a woman if she is fearless and unpredictable. advertisement "Unpredictability. Fearlessness. I love a woman who doesn't need anyone to validate her existence," Sushant said in an interview to Vogue magazine when asked how does a woman get his attention. The Kai Po Che actor stepped in as the latest model for internationally renowned photographer Mario Testino for the magazine. Sushant, who has remained private about his personal life in the recent past, did not shy away from answering a rapid fire during the shoot. When asked if he likes to seduce or be seduced, Sushant said, "I'm lazy... so please go for it." He also revealed that the "first touch" of a woman is the most "seductive touch" for him. When asked if he prefers to kiss or cuddle, he quipped, "Cuddle...after I'm done with the kissing." he quipped. When asked about his guilty pleasure, the MS Dhoni: The Untold Story mentioned "eating chocolates, drinking wine and sleeping naked". On the work front, Sushant is awaiting the release of Raabta with Kriti. Apaprt from this, he has begun shooting for Drive with Jacqueline Fernandez. ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput opens up about taking Raabta co-star Kriti Sanon on a drive ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon still going strong? Late night meetings suggest so ALSO WATCH: Sushant Singh Rajput felt cheated at engineering college because there were no girls --- ENDS --- A car crash shattered Stuart Anders thigh, leaving pieces of bone sticking through his skin. Yet Anders begged emergency room doctors not to give him powerful opioid painkillers hed been addicted once before and panicked at the thought of relapsing. I cant lose what I worked for, he said. The nations opioid crisis is forcing hospitals to begin rolling out non-addictive alternatives to treatments that have long been the mainstay for the severe pain of trauma and surgery, so they dont save patients lives or limbs only to have them fall under the grip of addiction. Anders, 53, from Essex, Maryland, was lucky to land in a Baltimore emergency room offering an option that dramatically cut his need for opioids: An ultrasound-guided nerve block bathed a key nerve in local anesthetic, keeping his upper leg numb for several days. It has really changed the dynamics of how we care for these patients, said trauma anesthesiologist Dr. Ron Samet, who treated Anders. An estimated 2 million people in the U.S. are addicted to prescription opioids, and an average of 91 Americans die every day from an overdose of those painkillers or their illicit cousin, heroin. This grim spiral often starts in the hospital. A Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February raised the troubling prospect that for every 48 patients newly prescribed an opioid in the emergency room, one will use the pills for at least six months over the next year. And the longer theyre used, the higher the risk for becoming dependent. Doctors and hospitals around the country are searching for ways to relieve extreme pain while at the same time sharply limiting what was long considered their most effective tool. Its a critical part of the effort to overcome the worst addiction crisis in U.S. history but, as Anders experience shows, their options are neither simple nor perfect. Anders excruciating injury eventually did require a low opioid dose when the nerve block wore off but, Samet said, far less than normal. Provide them with good pain relief initially, for the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery, the pain that comes back after that isnt necessarily as hard and as strong, said Samet, an assistant anesthesiology professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. And some doctors are discovering an added benefit of cutting back or even eliminating opioids. At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a program called enhanced recovery after surgery is getting some patients home two to four days faster following major abdominal operations, using non-opioid painkillers that are gentler on the digestive tract. Our patients are very afraid of pain, especially the patients with a history of opioid addiction, said Dr. Jennifer Holder-Murray, a UPMC colorectal surgeon who helped start the program. When they come back to me and tell me they didnt even fill their opioid prescription, thats a remarkable experience. In trauma centers and surgery suites, there are no one-size-fits-all replacements for prescription opioids narcotic painkillers that range from intravenous morphine and Dilaudid to pills including Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin. They so rapidly dull severe pain that theyve become a default in hospital care, to the point where its not uncommon for patients to have an opioid dripping through an IV before they wake from surgery, whether theyll really need it or not. Now, amid surging deaths from drug overdoses, some hospitals and emergency rooms are rethinking their own dependence on the painkillers, taking steps to make them a last resort rather than a starting reflex. The new approach: Mixing a variety of different medications, along with techniques like nerve blocks, spinal anesthesia and numbing lidocaine, to attack pain from multiple directions, rather than depending solely on opioids to dampen brain signals that scream ouch. Its known by the wonky name multimodal analgesia. Consider colorectal surgery, so painful that standard practice is to administer IV opioids in the operating room and switch to a patient-activated morphine pump right afterward. The University of Pittsburgh program ended that opioid-first mentality. Instead, doctors choose from a wide mix of options including IV acetaminophen and prescription-strength anti-inflammatory painkillers known as NSAIDs, anti-seizure medications such as gabapentin that calm nerve pain, muscle-relaxing drugs, and others. Without the opioid side effects of nausea, vomiting and constipation, patients may find it easier to start eating solid food and walking around hours after surgery. Some do still need a low opioid dose, Holder-Murray cautioned, but few require a morphine pump. And for those who go home earlier, the approach can save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. Its not just changing a medication or two. Its a whole culture change, she said. At MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, anesthesiologist Dr. Joseph Myers is adding to his non-opioid cocktail a long-acting version of the numbing agent bupivacaine thats squirted into wounds before theyre stitched closed. Called Exparel, its controversial because it costs more than standard painkillers. But Myers said it lasts so many hours longer that he recently used it for a cancer patient who had both breasts removed, without resorting to opioids. Hours after surgery, she was eating crackers and drinking ginger ale and she says shes fine, he recalled. At Stanford University, pain psychologist Beth Darnall says its not just about using different medications. Patients who are overly anxious about surgical pain wind up feeling worse, so doctors also need to address psychological factors if theyre to succeed in cutting the opioids. In Baltimore, Anders remembers waking up in the University of Marylands Shock Trauma Center and telling doctors and nurses, I am a recovering addict. Years earlier, another car crash had led him to a pain clinic that prescribed Percocet just like candy, Anders said. Before getting addiction treatment, he said, I came close to losing my job, losing my wife. Samet, the anesthesiologist, estimates that Anders nerve block cut by tenfold the amount of opioids hed otherwise have received for his latest injury. Samet wheeled over a portable ultrasound machine, placed a probe over Anders pelvis and searched the black-and-white screen for the dots that mark key nerves. He threaded a tiny tube directly to Anders femoral nerve, allowing for repeated infusions of a non-addictive numbing medication for three days. Its like a Godsend. If you can have something like this, why would you want to take anything else?, Anders said a day after surgeons implanted a rod in his femur to fix the break. I can wiggle my toes, I can move my foot, theres feeling right above the ankle, but in that damaged thigh, I cant feel anything. Patients need to ask about these kinds of alternatives, Samet said, but theyre not available at all hospitals. Nerve blocks are becoming more common for elective bone surgery than in fast-paced trauma care, for example. What Samet calls a lingering weak link: Even if patients go home with only a small supply of an opioid for lingering post-surgical pain, too often they get a refill from another doctor who assumes that prescription must be OK if a hospital chose it. Not Anders. Sent home with some low-dose oxycodone, he discarded the last 20 pills. I didnt want them, he said, and I didnt want nobody else getting their hands on them. (AP) A newly married young man from Eretz Yisroel was suddenly Niftar on board a flight from Madrid to Miami. The man, who has been identified as 32-year-old Nissan Hayuni was travelling with his wife on their honeymoon, when he was tragically Niftar on Iberia Airlines Flight 6132. The flight landed at 3:00PM at Miami International Airport. His wife says he may have been allergic to certain food that was inside his Kosher meal. To make matters worse, when it was realized that the man had stopped breathing, the wife says there was no defibrillator on the plane. He was pronounced dead by EMS when he arrived at the airport. Rabbi Mark Rosenberg, the Chaplain for the Florida Highway Patrol and Director of Chesed Shel Emes was at the gate when the flight arrived and has been able to successfully work his way through the many agencies (Local Police, FBI, TSA etc), to have the Niftar released to the local Medical Examiner. Chesed Shel Emes is working closely with the Medical Examiner and will do everything they can to respect the family wishes of not having an autopsy performed. When the Niftar will be released he will be flown to israel for a Levaya and Kevura. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes (Charles Gross YWN) President Donald Trump is giving serious consideration to moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday, the day before a scheduled White House visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump is also personally committed to becoming the U.S. president who finally ends the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Pence said. Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem is a politically charged act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem, which was captured in 1967, as a future capital and part of their sovereign territory. Such a move would also distance the U.S. from most of the international community, including its closest allies in Western Europe and the Arab world. Trump had pledged during the presidential campaign to move the embassy, if elected. The White House says the idea is still under discussion. The president of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Pence said, uttering his biggest applause line during remarks at the Israel Independence Day Commemoration event in an ornate room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. To be clear, the president has also personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, the vice president added. Pence also sought to reassure the audience that, while compromises will have to be made, Trump will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israel not now, not ever. Trump and Abbas are expected during their meeting on Wednesday to address options for pursuing peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Trump broke with longtime U.S. policy in February when he withheld clear support for an independent Palestine, saying he could endorse a one-nation solution to the conflict. At a White House news conference in February with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump was asked whether he was ready to give up on the idea of a two-state solution to the conflict. Trump said he was looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. Im very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. He also asked Israel to hold off on Jewish settlement construction in territory Palestinians claim for their future state. (AP) President Donald Trump will press Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday to end payments to families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails, according to U.S. officials, one of several actions Washington believes could lead to resumed peace talks with Israel. Other actions include a Palestinian end to anti-Israel rhetoric and incitement of violence, said officials familiar with planning for the meeting. It will be Trump and Abbas first face-to-face discussion. The issue of stipends for families of Palestinians killed or jailed in the context of the conflict with Israel is sensitive. Israel considers such payments a reward for terrorists, but stopping them seems untenable to Abbas, especially at a time of broad Palestinian support for a mass hunger strike of prisoners held by Israel. American officials said such a request was raised in preparatory talks with Palestinian officials and three Republican senators urged a halt to such payments in a letter to Trump that reflected widespread opinion in Congress. While Abbas will be challenged on the payments, Trump will also use their meeting to recommit the United States to helping the Palestinians improve their economic conditions, said the U.S. officials, who werent authorized to publicly preview the talks and demanded anonymity. They said Trump will reiterate his belief that Israeli settlement construction on land claimed by the Palestinians does not advance peace prospects. The peace process has been stalled since 2014 when former Secretary of State John Kerrys effort to lead the sides into peace talks collapsed. Since then, there have been no serious attempts to get negotiations restarted. The Obama administration spent its last months in office attempting to preserve conditions for an eventual resumption. We hope this will be a new beginning, Abbas told Palestinians at a meeting in Washington on the eve of the talks. He blamed the lack of dialogue in recent years on the Israeli government, saying its leaders have no political vision, and reiterated his demands for an independent Palestinian state along pre-1967 lines, with east Jerusalem as its capital. Without this we will not accept any solution, said Abbas, who touted an Arab League peace plan that offers Israel diplomatic relations with the Muslim world for a Palestinian state. There is no alternative. Israel rejects the 1967 lines as a possible border, saying it would impose grave security risks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasnt outlined an alternative demarcation. Abbas also criticized ideas for a one state peace agreement, saying it could mean racial discrimination or an apartheid-like system. Left unspoken was the apparent reference to Trump. In a February news conference with Netanyahu, Trump broke with longtime U.S. policy by raising the one-state idea and withholding clear support for an independent Palestine, though officials quickly stressed he would support any arrangement agreed by the two sides. Another contentious issue: Trumps campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The symbolic relocation would essentially recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. Abbas and other Arab leaders have said doing so would inflame already simmering tensions. Since taking office, Trump has backed away from the pledge while saying hes still discussing it. On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence said the White House was giving serious consideration to the idea. Pence also said Trump was making progress toward peace, though he didnt elaborate. He stressed that Israels interests would be protected. Thanks to the presidents tireless leadership, momentum is building and good will is growing, Pence said at an event commemorating the anniversary of Israeli independence. And while there will undoubtedly have to be compromises, you can rest assured: President Donald Trump will never comprise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israel. Not now, not ever. (AP) Running and jumping over the broken buildings, Syrian teens living in a southern Syrian town, Inkhil are taking Parkour to a new level. By India Today Web Desk: Parkour, though is not so common but yet, is a practice discipline that has gained popularity in the past few years due to films and documentaries. Interestingly, the Syrian youth despite of living amid in a war zone found muse in Parkour. Running and jumping over the broken buildings, Syrian teens living in southern Syrian town, Inkhil are taking Parkour to a new level. advertisement FYI : What is Parkour? It was developed from military obstacle course training and includes running, climbing, vaulting, jumping, rolling and quadrupedal movements. These movements help the practitioners get from one point to another without any external help especially in urban spaces. Parkour was originally developed in France by Raymond Belle and was popularised in the 1990 and 2000s. Finding inspiration in Parkour: Inkhil's youth, a group of 15 young boys have been practising parkour for the past two years on top of the broken buildings with an unbreakable spirit. The teens practice in their school when there is no fighting in the area. "When I jump from a high place I feel free and I enjoy it," 18-year-old Muhannad al-Kadiri told Reuters. "I love competing with my friends to see who can achieve the highest jump." Inkhil is located near a front line between rebels and pro-government forces in an area that has been subjected to air strikes and shelling during the conflict. The teen group shares their parkour practice sessions on the internet through social media websites. "(Parkour) is exciting and relies on physical fitness and skill," spectator Ayman said during one training session. "But it is dangerous especially because they attempt it in damaged areas. I hope they get better and learn new skills." The Syrian teens find peace in quadrupedals and vaulting while their country burns to ashes. "Parkour gets us out of the atmosphere of war and makes us forget some of our pain and sorrow," Kadiri said. "It makes me feel mythical." Here's how these Syrian teens are channelising their inner heroes: Photo: Reuters/Alaa Al-Faqir Photo: Reuters/Alaa Al-Faqir Photo: Reuters/Alaa Al-Faqir Photo: Reuters/Alaa Al-Faqir Photo: Reuters/Alaa Al-Faqir Photo: Reuters/Alaa Al-Faqir (With inputs from Reuters) --- ENDS --- (PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) A Jerusalem police spokesman explains that in addition to the departments security responsibilities, it strives to include acts of chessed. This includes a request received by police on Memorial Day from Zichron Menachem, to assist facilitating a visit to the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery by a young girl battling cancer. During the afternoon hours, Zichron Menachems CEO Chaim Erental turned to police to assist in accommodating a 23-year-old woman who is a patient at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Zichron Menachem arranged the transport and police reported to the hospital to escort the Zichron Menachem vehicle to permit the young woman to participate in the ceremony in Har Herzl. As soon as Chana got out of the ambulate, she asked to meet the policeman who escorted her to permit her to thank him. Police officials explain they often respond to requests for chessed when possible. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Police Spokesman) It was originally reported that when convicted Arab terrorists imprisoned in Israel began a hunger strike some two weeks ago, demanding improved conditions, there were over 1,000 participants. It is now reported that number has dropped to about 45, showing clearly, Marwan Barghouti and his Fatah party failed to enlist the widespread support they felt the hunger strike would succeed in gathering. This despite support from the PA (Palestinian Authority), including a general strike in support of hunger-strikers. In a related matter, Ynet reported on Independence Day morning a 45-year-old Ramallah resident hunger-striking in solidarity with his terrorist brothers, died as a result. He suffered from an underlying kidney illness, PA officials report. It is added the man was also imprisoned in an Israeli prison in the past for his terrorist-related activities. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country will have nothing to discuss with the European Union unless it opens new chapters in negotiations for Turkeys accession. His comments on Tuesday came days after the EU stated that Turkey must provide clearer signals on whether it intends to meet the entrance criteria in such areas as human rights and rule of law. Erdogan said: You have no option but to open the chapters If you dont then goodbye! Turkey applied to join the EU three decades ago and began negotiations in 2005. However, progress has been slow and only one of the negotiation chapters on science and research has been closed. Erdogan has said Turkey may hold a referendum on whether to continue with its membership efforts. (AP) Rail travelers who have endured delays and cancelations prompted by equipment failures would face about six weeks of significant service disruptions this summer to accommodate repairs at New Yorks Penn Station, according to a plan proposed by Amtrak. The document obtained by The Associated Press describes work scheduled between July 7 and July 25 and again between Aug. 4 and Aug. 28 as causing significant service impacts and requiring service adjustments. Those service changes arent specified, and the plan is not final. Last week Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman said negotiations would continue this week with the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit, the commuter railroads that transport hundreds of thousands of people in and out of the nations busiest rail station each weekday. Other work will continue through next spring and will be performed primarily on weekends, according to the proposal. An Amtrak spokeswoman said meetings were held Monday with representatives of the LIRR and NJ Transit and that the parties would reconvene on Thursday to review the plan. All groups are working with the common goal of creating service schedules that minimize impact on the traveling public when we do the necessary upgrades to Penn Station, spokeswoman Christina Leeds said in an email. A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the LIRR, said the agency was in discussions with Amtrak and would ensure that riders best interests are represented. A spokeswoman for NJ Transit didnt return a message seeking comment. Aging equipment has been blamed for recent delays and problems. An April 3 derailment, blamed on weakened wooden cross-ties beneath a portion of track, knocked out eight of the stations 21 tracks for four days and created widespread delays for commuters and travelers up and down Amtraks Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. Amtrak, the nations intercity passenger railroad, has said more than 400,000 people pass through the station each weekday. Amtraks replacement of tracks and other equipment, much of which dates to the 1970s, initially was scheduled to be completed over a two- or three-year period, mainly during off hours. But the recent problems prompted Amtrak to speed up that timetable. Some New Jersey legislators criticized the plan Tuesday for not taking advantage of the July 4th and Labor Day weekends to minimize impact on commuters. New Jersey commuters endured a week of massive overcrowding and unacceptable delays in the week following the April 3 Amtrak derailment when eight tracks were shut down, Democratic Sen. Bob Gordon said in a statement. We cant expect them to suffer through an entire summer like that. (AP) President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to blast Hillary Clintons earlier comments in which she blamed misogyny, FBI, Russia and herself for her 2016 election loss. In a tweet late Tuesday night, Trump said FBI Director Jim Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds. He also wrote that the phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Clinton reflected earlier Tuesday on the presidential contest during the Women for Women Internationals annual luncheon in New York. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 (AP) MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Moshe Gafne addressed chareidim to explain the realities vis-a-vis the State of Israel and adherence to Shabbos in an address on Independence Day 69 to the so-called working chareidim in an event taking place in Beit Ava in Petach Tikvah. Kikar Shabbos correspondent Yisrael Cohen used the time traveling to the event to interview Gafne, sharing his statements in the report below. The big picture is a promise and commitment from Gafne that he and his colleagues will fight a relentless battle to prevent widespread chilul Shabbos in Tel Aviv based on the recent High Court of Justice decision. Gafne was asked to explain if fears the chareidim are becoming more Israelized, integrating into mainstream society to the point a growing number observe Independence Day in one form or another. He feels that There has always been , the one-day Yid and basically, nothing here has changed. He added, Look, we are living here many years and we are having an influence. We are also growing and by the nature of things, our influence is growing. Regarding Independence Day, the character of the state vis-a-vis Shabbos, chareidim and the anti-religious, Gafne feels that the majority of the country still wants to maintain tradition. From his perspective, if it was chareidi and the anti-religious, he would not be fighting for it would not be successful for one thing, and in addition, it simply is not the agenda. However, since most are traditional, he feels the battle to maintain the Shabbos status quo must be fought. He feels it is an atrocity that stores will open on Shabbos in Tel Aviv with a hashgacha from the High Court, and this will place enormous pressure on the many smaller stores owned by frum and traditional Jews with the latter preferring to remain home and not work on Shabbos, as has been the case for years. He feels the assault on Shabbos and religion and state began during the previous government when Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi teamed up and delivered a significant blow to Yiddishkheit in Israel. Today, he feels the High Court has issued a bad ruling but points out the coalition partners are bound by agreements to preserve the religious status quo. Hence, he remains confident that a law circumventing the courts ruling can and will be passed in Knesset. He promises that Yahadut Hatorah will insist on maintaining the religious status quo, even in Tel Aviv, however when asked Even at the expense of breaking the coalition, he responds I dont know what this means, breaking from the coalition. We will fight this to the end and we must amend the law that it also includes Tel Aviv. He explains his bill is not legislation intended to circumvent the High Court as he is well-aware he needs the backing of the Yisrael Beitenu party headed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman as well as the Kulanu party headed by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. His bill, he points out, addresses the need to stand firm on the current religious status quo and it does not address circumventing the High Court. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Police are now reporting that the 19-year-old Jewish male who was shot trying to perpetrate a stabbing against soldiers at the Hizme Checkpoint in Jerusalem has a history of mental illness. The young man was not accepted in the IDF and police are checking into his background in an effort to understand what motivated his actions. A friend of the attacker told Ynet that he was a regular type of guy and he is not aware he had excessive problems. Additionally, the man was employed by Mir Yerushalyim. A sign (attached here) hanging in the Mir announced the mans Levaya. The attacker was shot dead by security forces on the scene before any of the intended victims could be harmed. The investigation into the attempted attack continues. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) Former union minister and senior advocate Salman Khurshid was today allowed by the Supreme Court to assist it in the hearing of a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy practices among the Muslims. A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul also permitted Khurshid, a senior Congress leader, to file written submissions in the case within two days. advertisement "Of course, we will take it on record," the bench said when Khurshid said that the time for filing written submission in the matter has already expired and he intended to do it in a couple of days. Khurshid later said his role would be like that of an amicus curiae (friend of the court). A five-judge constitution bench would commence hearing from May 11 to decide on the batch of petitions challenging the practices of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy among Muslims. The Centre had on April 11 filed fresh submissions in the apex court, saying these practices impacted the social status and dignity of the Muslim women and denied them the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The government had reiterated its earlier stand and said these practices rendered the Muslim women "unequal and vulnerable", not only compared to the men of their community, but the women of other communities as well. The apex court had on March 30 observed that triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy were important issues involving "sentiments". The Centre had said these practices emerged from "patriarchal values and traditional notions about the role of women in society", asserting that "the right of a woman to human dignity, social esteem and self-worth are vital facets of her Right to Life under Article 21". Nikah halala is a practice intended to curb the incidence of divorce under which a man cannot remarry his former wife without her having to go through the process of marrying someone else, consummating it, getting divorced again, observing the separation period called Iddat and then coming back to him. Seeking to declare these practices as unconstitutional, the government had said reforms in Muslim personal law have not taken place for over six decades and Muslim women, who comprise eight per cent of the population, have remained "extremely vulnerable" due to the fear of instant divorce. Influential Muslim organisations like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have opposed the courts adjudication of these matters, maintaining that these practices stemmed from the Holy Quran and were not justiciable. Several Muslim women have challenged the practice of triple talaq in which the husband, quite often, pronounces talaq thrice in one go, sometimes over phone or even a text message. advertisement The apex court had earlier said it would decide the issues pertaining to the legal aspects of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy among Muslims but would not deal with the question whether divorce under Muslim law needs to be supervised by courts as it fell under the legislative domain. The Centre had on October 7 last year opposed in the apex court these practices and favoured a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism. The AIMPLB had told the court that pleas challenging such practices among Muslims were not maintainable as the issues fell outside the realm of judiciary. The apex court had on its own taken cognizance of the question whether Muslim women faced gender discrimination in the event of divorce or due to other marriages of their husband. PTI SJK ABA MNL RKS ARC --- ENDS --- Cut: Chancellor Philip Hammond is said to be prepared to slash corporation tax to just 12% Expect a gigantic tax cut for big firms if the Tories sweep to victory in the June General Election. According to the City rumour mill, Philip Hammond has said privately he's prepared to slash corporation tax from 19 per cent to just 12 per cent. For context, Ireland is considered a tax haven at 12.5 per cent. The Chancellor thinks a rock-bottom rate will convince large employers to stay in Britain. And he hopes it will boost economic growth: if bosses have more cash to pay staff and invest in their firms, in theory we should see more jobs and more produced. Mr Hammond should apply the same logic to the taxes on salaries, pensions, savings and houses. If the Tories win a huge majority, he must seize the chance to help middle-income families who feel squeezed for every penny. Donald Trump might be an egotistical TV celebrity who you wouldn't trust to run a bath, let alone a country, but at least he's got the right idea in making tax smaller and simpler. In the U.S. most people file a tax return (not such a bad thing when you think of the errors our tax office makes when left to its own devices). And, like here, it's a beastly task. The document is 79 lines long, has 211 pages of instructions and 199 possible forms to fill in. Mr Trump's people have worked out that seven billion hours are wasted every year as a result, with nine in ten people needing help. So the President is going to cut the number of tax brackets from seven to three (10 per cent, 20 per cent and 35 per cent), and abolish a host of time-wasting rules and allowances. Back in 1988, Nigel Lawson did a similar thing, reducing Britain's six tax rates to two. (It's now three.) By simplifying the rules and cutting levies, overall tax receipts actually went up, not down which is something to tell naysayers who worry lower taxes will kill off our NHS, libraries and so on. Noises from the Tory camp suggest the manifesto is days away. So here's a thought: how about pledging to merge income tax and National Insurance for working-age people (not the retired, who don't pay NI and shouldn't). It'd be easier to make the overall bill lower and fairer that way. It's either that, Mr Hammond, or you start to spend our taxes more wisely (and, sorry, lavish pensions for MPs and wasted foreign aid don't count). Otherwise, that comfy majority might not last. Care for savers Talking of manifesto pledges, I hope Theresa May is serious about tackling the care funding crisis. Nobody, except the poor families it's hurting, is taking it seriously. A care Isa you can bequeath tax-free, vouchers for carers, and tax-free pension withdrawals to pay care bills would all help. But let's not get too excited, because we've been here before. In 2015, the Tories promised to cap residential care charges 'from April 2016'. That didn't happen. The now-defunct manifesto also promised pensioners they would be allowed 'to access their pension savings and decide whether or not to take out an annuity' and that you 'should be able to pass [this money] on to your loved ones'. That excellent reform was introduced in 2015 but only for those who were yet to retire. Mrs May could secure the majority she craves in June by extending the rule to retired savers. The Government should find a way for savers to cash in their annuity incomes for a lump sum where the cash would be more useful and resolve this unfairness between the generations. Insurance tip Thank you for your emails and letters on the insurance renewal con. So many have arrived, I've lost count do keep them coming. Many of you say the most galling part of shopping around is finding your existing insurer offers cheaper rates online than it quoted on your renewal form. Hundreds of pounds cheaper, in fact. A good tip is to go back to your insurer with the very cheapest rate you find on comparison websites. Most insurers will match it without batting an eyelid. It rather makes a mockery of the renewal price hikes but don't let that stop you playing these greedy firms at their own game. d.hyde@dailymail.co.uk Under fire: HSBC boss Stuart Gulliver HSBC's recent AGM was its usual lively affair, with disgruntled investors venting their grievances at the scandal-ridden bank's board. All apart from one po-faced stakeholder who remarked pompously: 'A lot of these people simply like the sound of their own voice. Personally I think you're doing a great job.' What was HSBC's bijou chief executive, and Herr Flick look-a-like, Stuart Gulliver's reaction to this servile interjection? 'Lavish applause,' says my source. Re HSBC, the temperature inside Westminster's drab Queen Elizabeth II conference centre where the AGM took place was practically freezing. A cunning ploy to discourage cantankerous old boobies from gracing the event in future? Former Goldman Sachs deputy dawg, Gary Cohn, now director of President Trump's National Economic Council, is cited as replacement for matronly Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen. Cohn, 56, is a big beast intellectually and physically he's 6ft 3in and 16 stone but his interpersonal skills may require polish. According to Greg Smith's entertaining memoir Why I Left Goldman Sachs, Cohn's attempt at small talk with staff was to 'hike up one leg, plant his foot on the person's desk, his thigh close to the employee's face, and ask how the markets were doing'. The Milken Institute Global Conference, hosted by former junk bond king Michael Milken, 70, looks a worthy rival to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, JP Morgan chief Jamie Dimon and Google chairman Eric Schmidt are all on the speaking roster this week. No British business bigwigs are there, as it's all the way over in Beverly Hills. That hasn't deterred business-loving Prince Andrew from schlepping over to promote his Pitch@Palace charity. Soho House founder Nick Jones's new 200million members club The Ned, situated across from the Bank of England in the old Midland headquarters, marks his first foray into the City. Perhaps Jones's newsreader wife Kirsty Young, who hails from East Kilbride, should have advised that north of the border, a Ned ('Non Educated Delinquent') is a derogatory term used to describe louts and petty criminals. None of those around the City of London, of course! Swinton and Hastings Direct both opened car insurance policies in my name of which I had no knowledge and, more importantly, opened parallel credit agreements. In both cases my name and address were used, but other details, i.e. date of birth and bank account, were false. I had no knowledge of the vehicles. The second-named drivers were both Romanian - suggesting fraud. Ghost riders: One reader was shocked to discover both Swinton and Hastings Direct had opened up car insurance policies in their name I appreciate the insurers are victims too, but they have failed to respond to my correspondence and, in particular, confirm that any default notice against my name has been cancelled. It is also concerning that they are providing insurance without checking the vehicle is registered at the given address or sending documents to that address. Everything was done online. They also entered into credit agreements without an original signature or checking for a valid date of birth or bank account. B. J., Bedford. Tony Hazell replies: These are serious allegations and I share your concerns. I took your complaints to both firms. Swinton admits the policy was set up online fraudulently using your name and address. It has been cancelled and treated as never having been in force. The insurer does not share information with external credit reference agencies, so there will be no blot on your record. However, it admits you 'should have received an update . . . when you made contact in January'. It apologises and has paid you a 200 goodwill gesture. Hastings Direct admits a third party opened an insurance policy using your address. It also says it was too slow to act, but confirms the policy has been cancelled and your address has been removed. It says when somebody opens a policy at an address, it accepts the details 'on utmost good faith and we would not check this information unless it is selected for our new business checks'. In other words, policies are checked randomly, but not all are checked. It confirms no details have been passed to third parties or credit reference agencies. The wider issue here is that, in this digital age, insurers are targeted by 'ghost broking'. This is where an individual or group posing as an broker purchases a policy from a legitimate insurance firm using false information. These fraudsters then alter and sell the policy on to an often-innocent victim. He or she is left with cover that is invalid and illegal. It seems likely your details were being used for such a scam. Insurers are working to combat fraud, but, as you now know, they do not catch every single case. YOU HAVE YOUR SAY - VODAFONE I've been with Vodafone for two decades and the customer service has become abysmal in recent years. I'll switch providers when my contract expires. S. W., Gloucester. I was billed for roaming when in N. Ireland as my phone was picked up by a mast five miles away in the Republic. When I complained to Vodafone, a man in a call centre in Egypt insisted N. Ireland was not part of the UK, but part of Ireland. K. V., Essex. Thank you Money Mail. A complaint that was dragging on was resolved in 36 hours after raising it with Mr Jeffery's office. S. W., via email. Vodafone sounds like it's trying to improve. Hopefully these companies will start to realise that what we really want is for them to provide a good service. R. M., London. Vodafone told my son he owed 131 on an account he cancelled. After many failed calls, following Money Mail's advice I wrote to Mr Jeffery. Within 24 hours the issue had been resolved. C. J., via email. I've been battling Vodafone for six months, but it was quickly resolved when I contacted Mr Jeffery's office. I believe he will turn this situation around, but I will be leaving Vodafone when my contract is up in August. M. K., via email. I switched to BT after years with Vodafone. I'm saving about 80 per cent, have better coverage, and gone are the 400 monthly bills because of huge roaming fees. S. W., London. >Find a better mobile deal: Compare the best contracts and pay-as-you-go deals Why is my 22k in investment bonds only worth 5k if I cash it in? I invested 5,000 in five 1,000 bonds with Guardian Financial Services in 1991. I received a valuation in June last year showing they were worth 22,597. I decided to surrender them last October, but received a quotation of 5,184. I queried this and received replies suggesting I speak to a financial adviser. As I have health problems, I put the matter to one side, but wondered if you could now investigate. M. S., Tyne & Wear. Tony Hazell replies: I have excellent news for you. The surrender value you received was for just one of your five bonds. I have been in touch with Reassure (which now owns the old Guardian Financial Services investments) and they have written to you to confirm the actual value of your investment. This is a much healthier 26,837 or 5,367 per policy. I'm not surprised you were confused because the responses from Reassure were not very helpful. The initial letter sent to you on October 12 contained a quote for only one bond. When you queried this you received a further letter two weeks later which suggested you may want to seek financial advice and showed the surrender values for all five bonds individually. However, as Reassure now admits, 'this wasn't explicitly stated in the letter'. A spokesman apologises for any confusion caused, and confirms they will deal with your request as quickly as possible once they have received the completed forms. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW EACH WEEK: THE THIS IS MONEY PODCAST STRAIGHT TO THE POINT I emailed a query to Virgin Trains. Its reply directed me to its online help page. I struggled to find the correct information online so I emailed my query again. It's been three weeks and I've not yet heard back. P. W., Cumbria. Virgin Trains recognises some customers prefer email communications to its 'live chat' online. A spokesman apologises for not responding sooner, adding that part of the delay was down to a backlog of customer queries following Storm Doris. *** I received an email from HMRC saying I was due a tax refund of 256.84. Is this a scam? R. D., via email. Yes. HMRC never sends notice of refunds by email or text. Fortunately you were suspicious and didn't reply. Report scams to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. *** I had an 11-a-month mobile phone contract with O2, but decided to switch to pay-as-you-go only then to be offered another pay monthly contract for 8.60. Initially I said yes, but changed my mind three days later. I was told I would have to pay 84 in exit charges. D. E., Swindon, Wilts. *** You paid the 84 because you didn't want to get into debt. However, as you had cancelled well within the 14-day cooling-off period you should not have been charged a fee to leave. O2 has apologised, moved you to a pay-as-you-go deal and given you 40 credit as a gesture of goodwill. Does the first 1,000 you can earn in savings interest tax-free include interest earned from Isas? S. B., by email. No. Interest that is already tax-free does not count towards your personal savings allowance limit (1,000 for basic-rate taxpayers and 500 for higher-rate payers). Npower didn't turn up... and it's blaming me In December I received a letter from Npower saying I needed a gas safety check done. I arranged for an appointment on January 13 between 8am and 12am. No one turned up. I have complained to Npower. The company claims the agent made a number of attempts to visit my property and cards were left asking me to contact them. This is simply not true. I have asked for the dates of the supposed visits and have not received them. I am a retired police sergeant and would have responded to documents left at my address. I also have a witness who can confirm the agent did not call on January 13. This is not my first problem with Npower. Two years ago I received a domestic electricity bill for 10,000 instead of the usual 300 to 400. The final insult is that the latest letter warns that a warrant of entry could be applied for if I don't make arrangements for an agent to enter the premises. D. G., Surrey. Tony Hazell replies: Energy companies can be frustrating to deal with, especially regarding missed appointments. My energy firm arranged for an agent to read my solar panel meter. I waited all morning and no one turned up. When I phoned to query it, they claimed somebody had visited yet the doorbell didn't ring and no card was left. That's my moan, so what about your complaint? Npower says the previous problem was due to 'a difference in totals between your online account' and invoices. This has now been sorted out. It also admits it missed the appointment for the inspection and has paid you 30 compensation. Now it is trying to rebook the visit but says you refuse to speak with the bookers. I'm afraid this inspection does need to take place, so it's time to move on. A blockbuster bladder cancer treatment from AstraZeneca has been given the green light the first commercial win for the giant since losing its best-selling cholesterol medicine to cheaper generics. The Cambridge-based FTSE firm is hoping its new drug Imfinzi will go on to make billions of pounds, following the decline of its treatment Crestor, which has suffered from increased competition. Imfinzi, which has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, is a milestone for the British company, which has invested heavily in research and development in immuno-oncology which uses drugs to target the body's immune system to help fight cancer. AstraZeneca is hoping its new drug Imfinzi will go on to make billions of pounds, following the decline of its treatment Crestor, which has suffered from increased competition The new class of medicines are tipped to be the next big thing in drug development and a number of pharmaceutical heavyweights have been investing heavily in the sector in order to remain ahead of the flock. American giants Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche have already received approval for their bladder cancer treatments and last week the boss of GlaxoSmithKline Emma Walmsley revealed the company would be focusing on developing blockbuster drugs those that bring in at least 1billion a year rather than launching lots of products. THE IMMUNOTHERAPY REVOLUTION Immunotherapy drugs work by blocking a protein in the body called PDL1.The protein, which is found in most cancers, stops the immune system from fighting the disease. Its hoped to have long-lasting benefits, particularly if the immune system can remember the cancer and stop it coming back Drugs are usually offered to patients who failed chemotherapy and typically have fewer side effects The immunotherapy drugs market is tipped to be worth 156billion by 2021 Giants Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Merk & Co and Pfizer are all developing immunotherapy drugs AstraZeneca's Imfinzi works by helping the body's immune cells kill cancer offering an alternative to chemotherapy. It is offered to patients for whom chemotherapy has failed, and is the fifth bladder cancer drug of its kind to be approved in the US. The average wholesale cost of the drug in the US will be around 12,000 a month and, while it's now only available in America, AstraZeneca said it plans to eventually seek EU approval for the drug. The approval is a much-needed boost for Astra boss Pascal Soriot, who suffered a shareholder revolt over his pay last week. Two-fifths of investors opposed his 13million pay package at the annual meeting in London, amid falling sales for the firm following the loss of its patent for Crestor. But Soriot, who fought off a hostile takeover from US rival Pfizer in 2014, has been adamant the company can return to growth. Now AstraZeneca is poised for its biggest breakthrough in the immunotherapy market that could see it topple rival GSK. One of the most significant benefits of Imfinzi is its ability to shake up the market for lung cancer treatment. The drug's biggest commercial opportunity lies in its ability to capture the previously untreated market with its combination therapy. The Mystic trial, which is due to release its results in June or July, assesses the benefit of drugs Imfinzi with Tremelimumab, another immuno-oncology compound. If approved, the drug would be the first of its kind to cover a combination treatment for lung cancer. Soriot said: 'This first approval for Imfinzi is an important milestone in our return to growth.' Worse off: Billy McCarley, with wife Kath, ended up paying more for his phone deal When Billy McCarley got a call about a telephone deal that would slash his bills, he jumped at the chance. The 66 year-old TV aerial fitter was suffering from leukaemia and he and wife Kathleen, 65, had given up full-time work. The couple, from Mayals, near Swansea, were paying 23 a month to BT and were given the impression they could get back the 80 penalty for leaving their contract early. But Billy never got this money and his bill jumped to an average of 33 a month. He spent months after the switch in July 2014 trying to get True Telecom to reduce his costs. By the following March, he was fed up and switched to another supplier only to be landed with a 693 cancellation fee. True Telecom explained that Billy had been tied into a three-year contract. If he left early, he had to pay a lump sum. It is against the law to sell deals of this length to personal customers. But because Billy still had an aerial-fitting business, he had been put on a business deal where this rule does not apply. For two years, Billy has fought the penalty to no avail. Even the communications ombudsman has fobbed him off, saying True Telecom stated its costs and it was Billy's responsibility to compare those with his BT deal before switching. True Telecom has repeatedly sent letters demanding the cancellation fee. 'The stress has taken its toll on me at a time when life has been hard enough,' Billy says. 'It's such a worry when you've never owed anything to anyone in your life to receive letters demanding money. Fighting this has taken up so much time, which is precious when the future is uncertain.' Money Mail has heard from other True Telecom customers with similar complaints. Ofcom, the telecoms watchdog, launched an investigation into True Telecom over concerns about its sales and marketing practices, contract lengths and early termination policy Bob Nye, 79, says he accepted an offer for landline and broadband at 29.47 a month. The retired painter and decorator and his wife Gill, from Southwick, West Sussex, had been paying around 41 with BT. They agreed to a 36-month contract with True Telecom. The first bill was 77 and included 49.75 for a 'fraud monitor', which they knew nothing about. The next was 58 and included 30 for connecting the internet and 7.99 for delivering a router. True Telecom admitted to billing errors but still took the full amount from Bob's account by direct debit. When a bill arrived in October for 62, Bob cancelled his direct debit. He has refused to pay more than 29.47 a month, which he sends by cheque. True Telecom keeps sending higher bills and has added 5 for paying by cheque. Bob was quoted 607 to leave the contract early. 'My wife and I have had many sleepless nights and it hasn't done our health any good,' Bob says. 'When you get calls telling you to pay up, it hangs over you.' Eileen and Philip Simcock, both in their 80s, signed up to a business deal in August 2015. They still work on their family farm near Macclesfield, Cheshire, and expected to pay 36 a month. But they've received bills for more than 90. They switched back to BT in November 2015 and received a 908 demand for early termination. Rachel Simcock and farmer father Philip who regret signing up to a deal with True Telecom The charge has since risen to 1,329 and keeps going up each month. The couple have also been sent a copy of a court summons. Their daughter Rachel, 53, says: 'If I hadn't intervened, my parents would probably have paid up because they were so intimidated.' When Money Mail put the cases to True Telecom it agreed to waive the exit charges for the McCarleys, Nyes and Simcocks. It has offered them all 250 compensation. It says if it had known Billy McCarley was no longer trading, he could have had a residential contract, adding: 'We deeply regret any undue stress that this has caused Mr McCarley and his family.' It has donated 250 to Leukaemia Care UK, written off his balance and sent a letter apologising. It says Bob Nye was wrongly given a business contract because his details 'were inputted incorrectly'. In October last year Ofcom, the telecoms watchdog, launched an investigation into the firm over concerns about its sales and marketing practices, contract lengths and early termination policy. Mark Baines, director of True Telecom, told Money Mail that rapid growth it acquired 8,000 customers in 2014 and 2015 and 8,000 in 2016 has caused 'issues'. Mr Baines runs the firm with co-director Stuart Griffiths. Mr Baines says the pair worked together at BT before setting up Select Calls in 2011 to sell telephone and internet contracts. It had 5,000 small businesses, often on five-year phone contracts, which were sold on to a firm called Chess Telecom for 5 million in 2014. Then the pair launched True Telecom. Mr Baines says True Telecom tries to reduce customers' bills if they are unhappy. l.milner@dailymail.co.ukl Khurshid will be submitting his own views based on various previous judgements of SC and different High Courts as well as Muslim Personal Law on provisions of talaq. By Ahmad Azeem: The Supreme Court has allowed senior advocate and former union minister Salman Khurshid's impleadment application as respondent in the triple talaq matter. Khurshid will assist it as an amicus curiae in the hearing of a batch of pleas challenging constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims. A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and SK Kaul has also permitted Khurshid, who is a senior advocate, to file his written submissions in the case in two days. advertisement "We will take it on record. It's not an issue," the bench said when the Congress leader said that the time for filing written submission in the matter has already expired and he intended to file certain pleadings in the case. He will be submitting his own views based on various previous judgements of SC and different High Courts as well as Muslim Personal Law on provisions of talaq. A five-judge constitution bench would commence hearing from May 11 to decide a batch of petitions challenging 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims. With inputs from PTI Watch Video: PM Modi speaks out on triple talaq, says government will find a way to help Muslim women Also Read: Muslim body to PM Modi: Focus on education and other basic issues, not triple talaq --- ENDS --- Under pressure: Jes Staley and his wife Debora Embattled Barclays boss Jes Staley is facing fresh controversy after helping his brother-in-law in a 542million investment deal that went sour amid accusations of fraud. The row comes just days before an annual meeting where 60-year-old Staley is likely to face tough questions about a separate whistleblowing scandal. It will spark new concerns about the banker's future and could do further harm to his already tarnished reputation. Staley is locked in a battle with major client KKR over Brazilian data company Aceco, which was founded by the family of his wife Debora. She and her brother Jorge Nitzan sold most of their stake to private equity giant KKR in 2014 pocketing 124million and 62million respectively, according to the Wall Street Journal. Aceco went on to suffer disastrously when the Brazilian economy nose-dived a year later. KKR is fighting a legal battle against Nitzan and fellow sellers in an effort to get its money back, claiming they were victims of a fraud. There is no suggestion Staley was involved in this but KKR is angry because it claims he vouched for Nitzan in a conversation with two of its co-investors. KKR claims that his behaviour was against its interests as a client of Barclays. Staley, however, has insisted he was acting in a personal capacity, has done nothing wrong and was trying to help a family member. A KKR spokesman said it was trying to stick up for its investors as it believed they 'were defrauded in the sale of Aceco'. KKR bosses were sent an anonymous email in May 2015 which claimed Aceco's books had been cooked for the previous three years. KKR fired Nitzan in late 2015 and last year wrote off the value of its investment. Nitzan has called the accusations of fraud 'baseless', claiming that Aceco was instead damaged by the worst recession in the nation's history. In the autumn, the company fell behind on repayments of a 66million debt. Some of this was bought by Nitzan in a bid to recover control of the company as a creditor infuriating KKR. One of its bosses made a 'confrontational' call to Staley in September to ask if he could influence his brother-in-law, but he refused. Soon afterwards, the Barclays chief executive told an old friend, investor Timothy Collins, that he should consider backing Aceco and that Nitzan was a 'good guy'. A bank spokesman said: 'Appropriate senior personnel within Barclays have been kept informed about this matter.' It follows revelations Staley wrongly sought to unmask a whistleblower who complained about the way a former colleague of his was hired by the bank. A spokesman for Staley's brother-in-law said: 'Mr Nitzan is confident that the truth will prevail and that the accusations will be fully clarified in arbitration.' NHLANGANO A couple was arrested after police allegedly found dagga amounting to over E200 000 in the car they were travelling in. The man and the woman aged 36 and 22 respectively, were busted in Nhlangano town on Saturday after police received a tip-off. Information gathered was that when the duo was stopped by the police around the town centre at around 8am, they simply parked the car, an Opel Corsa with a foreign registration, and then fled the scene. After conducting a search inside the car, police discovered several dagga bags weighing a total of 262.7kg. Police said the confiscated dagga had an estimated street value of E209 816. The car was then seized and kept at the Nhlangano Police Station. Reports are that the duo of Nomfundo Dlamini and Sifiso Khumalo eventually got arrested when they later emerged at the police station to claim the vehicle. The pair was briefly questioned by investigators before they were subsequently charged for possession of the illicit drug. They made a brief appearance at the Nhlangano Magistrates Court yesterday morning, where their charges were read. During their court appearance, they were not asked to plead. Instead, the Crown proposed that they be kept at a correctional services facility until next Monday for the continuation of their matter. The application by the Crown was granted by the court and the pair is expected back in the same court on Monday. MBABANE His Majesty King Mswati III left the country for Durban, South Africa yesterday. The King is expected to attend a World Economic Forum, which will also be attended by other heads of State. During the forum, the heads of state will find ways to develop the economy of their countries simultaneously so as to mitigate poverty. Another topical issue to be discussed is that of climate change, which continues to impede the development of countries, especially in agriculture. Also on the agenda is the strengthening of trade relations between countries especially as most of them rely on tax revenues generated through border gates and sales made between the countries. MBABANE - I married my teacher wife under duress. These were some of the submissions made by a civil servant who claimed that he married his pregnant wife to save her from being expelled from William Pitcher College. Hamilton Sipho Dlamini of Mahlanya, who has two other wives, wants the court to cancel the civil rites marriage between him and his wife Eunice Mbhamali. Mbhamali is now a teacher at St John Bosco Primary School in Malkerns and the couple had been married for over 36 years. The marriage by civil rites was nothing but a farce, it was meant to prevent Mbhamalis expulsion on account of her falling pregnant while at the college before she was married, alleged Dlamini. He wants the court to declare the marriage between him and Mbhamali as bigamous. He is further seeking an order directing the Ministry of Home Affairs to cancel and delete the particulars of the civil rites marriage of March 3, 1981 between him and Mbhamali. In his founding affidavit, Dlamini stated that while he was stationed at Matsenjeni as a community assistant, around 1977, he met and fell in love with one Phindile Mdziniso and by 1979 they had their firstborn child. He mentioned that on April 23, 1979 he performed the kuteka ceremony on Phindile. According to Dlamini by the time, he tekaed her he had paid a herd of 11 cattle as lobola. Before the teka ceremony, according to the applicant (Dlamini), he informed the umphakatsi in accordance with the dictates of Swazi Law and Custom. . . . MBABANE Although they benefitted from the civil servants dvuladvula (salary review), parliamentarians still want more perks. This is according to a leaked proposal document which the Parliament Joint House Committee (JHC) has forwarded to the office of the Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, where they seek a review of Finance Circular No.2 of 2013. About two weeks ago, the JHC had a private meeting with the PM in the House of Assembly, which was in the form of a caucus. Among the other things that the JHC, which is chaired by Senator Prince Fipha wants, is that the medical aid afforded to parliamentarians should continue for 12 months after the legislator has vacated office at the end of the term. Currently, the circular gives full medical aid cover for the legislators spouse or dependants which would, however, end once the member vacated office. According to the letter, the JHC had long wanted a meeting with the PM to raise concerns over the circular, with the matter dating back to July 13, 2016. However, the JHC could not meet with the PM due to his busy schedule and the committee found it appropriate to send the chairman and a subcommittee to visit His Excellency in Cabinet and discuss the issues of Finance Circular No.2 of 2013. Among other issues, according to the JHC, was that there was an urgent need to review salaries for politicians. They stated that paragraph 4, under the heading, Standard Benefits and allowances for Parliamentarians of Finance Circular No.2 of 2013, state that the review of salaries ought to happen every two years. The circular, however, reads that the basic salary of the PM would be benchmarked against similar sized (by GDP) SADC countries every two years and discounted for the economic conditions and affordability of the Swazi Government, and goes on to state that annual review salaries will be applied based on civil service annual review rates. By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha Washington, May 3 (PTI) US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a "very good" telephonic talk about ending the war in Syria and resolving the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea, the White House has said. In their first conversation since the US launched missiles against an air base in Syria outraging Russia, the two leaders also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East and spoke about how best to resolve the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea. advertisement "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White the White House said yesterday. The conversation was a "very good one" that included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones in Syria "to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons", it said. The US will be sending a representative to the ceasefire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, it added. "They also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. Finally, they spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea," the White House said. Putin even invited Trump to talk more ? and to meet face-to-face when both leaders are in Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 summit of major economic powers in July. The FBI is still investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. The US military action in Syria after the suspected use of the chemical agent sarin against civilians sparked new tensions between Washington and Moscow, one of the Syrian governments strongest backers. Trumps top advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, leveled blistering criticism on Russia and Putin following the chemical weapons attack. PTI LKJ AJR PMS AKJ PMS --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: Salman Khan will be back, and that too in a Kabir Khan film. Going by their success rate, their third collaboration has piqued the curiosity level among Bollywood enthusiasts. With only a day left for the teaser of one of the most-anticipated films of the year of be out, it is hard to contain the excitement. advertisement From a title as unique as Tubelight to a film based on Indo-China war of 1962, Kabir Khan's upcoming film has managed to create the right buzz. If this wasn't enough, the little teases from Salman and Kabir on social media in the last few days have taken the anticipation to another level. If Bhai fans cannot wait to see their favourite hero on screen, others are excited about the interesting storyline. Here are our five reasons that we can hardly wait for the teaser. Salman Khan in a new avatar: If he has played a quintessential good boy on screen, he has essayed the role of a man with a golden heart too. In a career spanning over three decades, Bollywood has helped him live up to his 'good boy' image on screen. And Kabir Khan's Tubelight promises to deliver the same but with a twist. He plays a man with a special needs in Tubelight. Going by the first look posters, Salman will be seen in a never-seen-before avatar in the film. And if Kabir is to be believed, the 51-year-old actor has delivered his career best in Tubelight. Salman-Kabir collaboration: It is for the third time that filmmaker Kabir Khan and Salman have collaborated for a film, and with the last two films being super successful at the ticket windows, expectations are running high from Tubelight. But their collaborations are more than just box-office success stories. Kabir and Salman always try to bring something new to the table with their simple human stories that never cease to touch a chord with people. And the same is expected from Tubelight. Unique storyline: An interesting storyline has always been the backbone of Kabir Khan's films. And Tubelight can be no different. Based on the Indo-China war of 1962, Tubelight tells the story of a simple man (Salman Khan) who goes out in search of his missing brother (Sohail Khan) after the war. Interestingly, Sohail Khan makes a comeback after 7 years with Tubelight. And we cannot wait to see the two brothers on screen once again. Shah Rukh Khan's cameo: Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in one frame for Tubelight is practically the biggest news of the year. Fans-doms of both the Khans are super excited to see their favourite stars share the screen space after 10 years. Though, it is just a cameo but no one can miss this moment for anything. advertisement The Chinese connect: Kabir Khan's Tubelight will see no Bollywood diva taking on as the female lead. Instead, Kabir has roped in a Chinese actor Zhu Zhu to play the leading in the film. Zhu Zhu is an established actor and boasts of a filmography that includes Hollywood mainstream films like Shanghai Calling and The Man with the Iron Fists. And it would be interesting to see how her Bollywood debut turns out to be. ALSO READ: Has Salman Khan's Tubelight earned a profit of Rs 100 crore even before its release? ALSO READ: Director Kabir Khan shares Shah Rukh's look from Tubelight ALSO WATCH: Can Akshay beat Salman to be Bollywood's no.1 star in 2017? --- ENDS --- President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to work to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians as he hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House but offered no clues about how he could break the deadlock and revive long-stalled negotiations. In their first face-to-face meeting, Trump pressed Palestinian leaders to speak in a unified voice against incitement to violence against Israelis but he stopped short of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a longstanding bedrock of U.S. policy. "We will get this done, Trump told Abbas during a joint appearance at the White House, saying he was prepared to act a mediator, facilitator or arbitrator between the two sides. Abbas quickly reasserted the goal of a Palestinian state as vital to any rejuvenated peace process, reiterating that it must have its capital in Jerusalem with borders based on pre-1967 lines. Israel rejects a full return to 1967 borders as a threat to its security. Trump faced deep skepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough with Abbas, not least because the new U.S. administration has yet to articulate a cohesive strategy for restarting the moribund peace process. Abbas White House talks follow a mid-February visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who moved quickly to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with the Republican president\s predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump sparked international criticism at the time when he appeared to back away from support for a two-state solution, saying he would leave it up to the parties themselves to decide. The goal of an Palestinian state living peacefully beside Israel has been the position of successive U.S. administrations and the international community The meeting with Abbas, the Western-backed head of the Palestinian Authority, was another test of whether Trump, in office a little more than 100 days, is serious about pursuing what he has called the ultimate deal of Israeli-Palestinian peace that eluded his predecessors. Ive always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is between the Israelis and the Palestinian, Trump said on Wednesday. Lets see if we can prove them wrong. But he offered no new policy prescriptions. Abbas, speaking through a translator, told Trump that under your courageous stewardship and your wisdom, as well as your great negotiations ability, the Palestinians would be partners seeking a historic peace treaty. The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in 2014. Abbas said its about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our land a reference to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. Reaffirming his commitment to a two-state solution, he called on Israel to recognize Palestinian statehood just as Palestinians recognize the state of Israel. Though expectations are low for significant progress, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit the right-wing Israeli leader in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, targeted for May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. U.S. and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit. Questions have been raised about Trumps choice of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who entered the White House with no government experience, to oversee Middle East peace efforts, along with Trumps longtime business lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, as on-the-ground envoy. The administration seeks to enlist Israel\s Sunni Arab neighbors, who share Israeli concerns about Shi\ite Iran, to help rejuvenate Middle East peacemaking. Abbas, who governs in the West Bank while Hamas militants rule Gaza, was under pressure at home to avoid making major concessions to Trump, especially with an ongoing hunger strike by hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Palestinian officials say it will be hard for Abbas to return to the negotiating table without a long-standing pre-condition of a freeze on Jewish settlement expansion on land Israel occupied in 1967 which Palestinians want for a state. Trumps pro-Israel rhetoric during the 2016 election campaign raised concern among Palestinians about whether their leaders will get a fair hearing. Trumps promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, strongly opposed by Palestinians, has been shifted to the back burner, and he has asked Netanyahu to put unspecified limits on settlement activity. SOURCE: REUTERS Live election coverage: Shapiro wins governor; Fetterman Senate-bound Josh Shapiro appears to have won the race for PA Governor, though opponent Doug Mastriano hasn't conceded. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ROTTERDAM - Kellogg Co.'s snacks division is closing its trucking hub at the Rotterdam Industrial Park, laying off five drivers as part of a nationwide plan to ship its products directly to supermarket warehouses. Kellogg announced back in February that its snacks unit, which makes Pop-Tarts, Town House, Cheez-It and Keebler Club crackers along with Nutri-Grain bars and other products, would close its distribution centers and transfer the inventory to the warehouses of the retailers it works with. The Rotterdam hub is smaller than the large scale distribution centers that Kellogg operates in other parts of the country. It is located in the same business park where Price Chopper has warehouse operations. Kellogg already ships 75 percent of its products, including its cereals and Pringles chips directly to supermarket warehouses. "We see the warehouse model as a clear advantage for us," Paul Norman, president of Kellogg's North America operations said back in February. "In fact, we realize both higher service levels and share in the U.S. Snacks categories and channels that sell through warehouse distribution already." Kellogg said in February the change is being done to get the profit margin of its snacks division on par with the rest of its North American operations. The five Kellogg employees are represented by Teamsters Local 294, which represents workers at companies like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, UPS and others in the Capital Region. A local Teamsters rep could not immediately be reached for comment. One Boston-area TV station reported that Kellogg is paying its unionized truckers $12,000 as part of a severance package, although that number is not confirmed by the company or the union. "While this is the right move for the future of the company, it was a difficult decision because of the impact on affected employees," John Kellogg CEO Bryant said. "We are doing everything we can to help our employees manage through this transition." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A shortage of some produce and fresh foods at Hannaford stores in the Capital Region and elsewhere is being blamed on a fire last week at the company's large South Portland, Maine, distribution center. Hannaford sp0kesman Eric Blom told the Times Union a fire that started in a refrigerated trailer being unloaded last week at the South Portland warehouse and distribution center is to blame. The fire damaged part of the building that houses fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. Although no one was hurt in the blaze, which resulted in 80 employees being evacuated from the building, the fire has disrupted Hannaford's entire delivery chain. It forced Hannaford to operate the delivery system for its 180 stores in New York state and New England entirely through its second distribution center in Schodack, Rensselaer County. The company completely overhauled its delivery schedules and shifted resources and equipment including trucks to the Capital Region until the South Portland warehouse is fully functional again. Hannaford stores throughout the company's footprint are experiencing some shortages of fresh food items since the company, like other supermarket chains, uses "just-in-time" delivery schedules that minimize the time perishable items remain on the shelves. However, "That can change really quickly when a truck arrives to unload the product," Blom said. "We absolutely apologize to customers." Capital Region stores had signs posted in their produce departments blaming any shortage of items on the fire in Maine, although the company is restocking those items when deliveries arrive. Blom said the aftermath of the fire shouldn't last too much longer, although an exact timetable isn't known. "A lot of it (the South Portland fresh food warehouse) is up and running again," Blom said. ALBANY New York City Police have closed their investigation into the death of state Court of Appeals Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, department brass said Wednesday. The city medical examiner will now determine her cause of death. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters on Wednesday that the investigation had been completed. The Wall Street Journal reported that authorities said her death likely was a suicide. The fully clothed body of Abdus-Salaam, the first African-American woman on the top court's bench, was found in the Hudson River along the Upper West Side of Manhattan last month. She had been reported missing earlier in the day. Boyce said police have determined she was in Riverside Park, but was not seen again. Abdus-Salaam, 65, joined the Court of Appeals in 2013. Before that she served at the state Supreme Court level and at the state appellate level in Manhattan. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. The state Commission on Judicial Nomination has begun the formal process of filling Abdus-Salaam's seat. The commission will evaluate candidates and recommend a list of three to seven nominees to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The governor's pick must be confirmed by the state Senate. The commission has until Aug. 15 to send its list of nominees to Cuomo. He then gets up to 30 days to formally nominate a candidate, and the Senate gets another 30 days after that to accept or reject his pick. Uddhav also took a dig at cow vigilantism saying that before the elections there was 'Chai pe charcha', but after elections there is 'gai pe charcha'. By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: A day after asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop 'Mann ki Baat' and do 'Gun ki Baat', Shiv Sena president upped his ante against the BJP and labelled the Maharashtra govt as 'useless'. Uddhav was addressing elected local body representatives of the Shiv Sena at Rangsharada auditorium in Mumbai. "The condition of farmers is bad. If the Uttar Pradesh government can take a decision of loan waiver, why can't it be taken here in Maharashtra. Someone said there is Yogi sarkar in Uttar Pradesh and a "nirupayogi" (useless) sarkar in Maharashtra," Uddhav quipped. advertisement Uddhav also continued his attack on the Cenre in the wake of Poonch attacks. Uddhav questioned whether the notebandi has brought any change in the country. "There is a rise in Naxal activities in Chhattisgarh. If notebandi would have brought any change, Kashmir wouldn't have been burning today," Uddhav added. "The situation was same during the Congress rule in last 60 years, so what has changed?" Uddhav questioned. BJP SPREADING PARTY WINGS, NOT OF NATION Uddhav slammed the BJP saying that the party is working only for spreading its wings and not the nation. Taking a U-turn on the NDA resolution to fight 2019 elections under Narendra Modi's leadership, Uddhav said the line in the resolution was added by Ram Vilas Paswan. "When NDA allies met in Delhi and passed a resolution to fight 2019 elections together, Ram Vilas Paswan added a line saying, we will fight under the leadership of Narendra Modi. I questioned there why are you in a hurry for 2019 elections? There are still 2 years left. Why are you in a hurry to fight elections? People have given you mandate to work for them; do that first, don't just think about elections and your party. The Shiv Sena does not agree to this," Uddhav claimed. Uddhav also took a dig at the cow vigilantism saying that before the elections there was 'Chai pe charcha', but after elections there is (only) 'gai pe charcha'. "Cows should be saved.. but before that country should be saved, so that cows too are saved..." Uddhav added. Also read: Modi government busy with issues like gau hatya while Pakistan killing our jawans: Shiv Sena Also read: Mohan Bhagwat for President, says Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray --- ENDS --- Friday The story of "The Danish Girl" is the story of Einar Wegener, an early 20th century Danish painter who became Lili Elbe, one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery. The 2015 movie, which stars Eddie Redmayne as Elbe/Wegener, is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by David Ebershoff. Ebershoff won multiple awards for the best-selling novel, including the Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Lambda Literary Award for transgender fiction. He will be in Albany to take questions after a screening of "The Danish Girl" this week. 7 p.m. Friday. Free. Page Hall, 135 Western Ave., UAlbany downtown campus, Albany. 442-5620; https://goo.gl/d7bPkN Sunday Troy Chromatics wraps up its season with a reliable offering, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, which is in the midst of celebrating its 40th anniversary together. The ensemble made its debut in January 1977 at the White House, as part of Jimmy Carter's inaugural celebrations. Its upcoming concert will be all Russian. The program consists of piano trios by Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky. 3 p.m. Sunday, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 7 State St., Troy. $35-$45. Call 273-0038, or visit: http://www.troychromatics.org Friday-Sunday In "A Shot in the Dark," a beautiful maid is charged with murder after she's found naked, unconscious and holding a gun. On the other side of the room is her lover, who was shot dead. But after hearing her story, a newly promoted magistrate believes she's didn't do the deed. The lengths he has to go to prove her innocence turns this grim beginning into a farce that The New York Times called "a bubbling, saucy comedy. ... A light, tasty souffle." Albany Civic Theater opens its run of the play, directed by Rachael Sheffer, this week. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. $10-18. Albany Civic Theater, 235 Second Ave., Albany. 462-1297; http://www.albanycivictheater.org Saturday Ironworking has played important cultural and occupational roles in Iroquois communities over the years. In "Walking the SteelFrom Girder to Ground Zero," artifacts, photographs, audio recordings and artwork are used to showcase the traditional significance of ironworking to the Iroquois. The exhibit, which opened April 1, also focuses on the response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by the Iroquois, including their role in raising the 758-ton spire for the Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center. An opening reception for the exhibit is set for this week. It includes comments from filmmaker Reaghan Tarbell, who will screen her film, "To Brooklyn and Back: A Mohawk Journey." 1 p.m. Saturday. $5-8. Iroquois Indian Museum, 324 Caverns Road. Howes Cave. 296-8949; http://www.iroquoismuseum.org Saturday Garland Jeffreys isn't concerned about age. At 73, Jeffreys isn't just rocking, he's got a new album, "14 Steps to Harlem." The record, released in late April, includes a version of the Velvet Underground's "Waiting For The Man." It's fitting that Jeffreys decided to cover the Lou Reed tune. Jeffreys was friends with Reed for years; the pair met in 1961 when they were both Syracuse University students. Look for Jeffreys, a Brooklyn native, to showcase songs from his new disc when he returns to the Capital Region this week. 8 p.m. Saturday. $18. The Linda: WAMC's Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central Ave., Albany. 465-5233; http://www.thelinda.org ALBANY - City police are looking for a woman who cut another woman with a steak knife after the two got into a fight on the 300 block of South Pearl Street on Tuesday night. At about 7 p.m., the two women who know each other got into a physical fight that left one of them with a cut lip, said Albany police spokesman Officer Steve Smith. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man who allegedly failed to return to court to answer a drunken driving charge is among the people State Police said they need the public's help to find. Thomas A. Lenarcik Jr., 39, is wanted by State Police in Wayland for allegedly driving while intoxicated on July 19, 2016. Troopers said they charged Lenarcik with DWI at the time and also found a crack pipe in his possession. He's wanted on a drug possession charge and a charge of aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. Bruce R. Dings, 29, is wanted by State Police in Pulaski on a bench warrant that accuses him of failing to appear in court to answer a child endangerment charge troopers said they filed in September 2012. Kenneth B. Wilson, 47, is wanted by State Police in Endwell on an arrest warrant that accuses him of choking a woman after she refused to give him the keys to her car. Wilson choked and kicked the woman before she relented and gave him the keys, troopers said. The incident happened in January 2014 and a warrant was issued four months later. James L. Hendrie, 47, is wanted by State Police in Plattsburgh for alleged pointing a .50-caliber muzzle-loading rifle at a woman during an April 6, 2014 fight. Hendrie is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and assault. Chad M. Cassell, 39, is wanted by State Police in the town of Saratoga for allegedly destroying the victim's mattress, bedding and other items during an incident at a home in Malta. A warrant for his arrest was issued in March 2017, troopers said. Ivelisse L. Dickens, 29, is wanted by State Police in New Windsor on a drug possession charge that alleges she had heroin and cocaine during a traffic stop in the town. State Police said a warrant was issued for Dickens arrest after she failed to appear in New Windsor Town Court. Terry L. Howard, 65, is wanted by State Police in Junius Ponds for alleged drunken driving on the Thruway on June 9, 2009. State Police said they stopped Howard's car for alleged speeding and determined he was intoxicated. THE ISSUE: House Republicans rush to repeal and replace Obamacare before Congress takes a break. THE STAKES: A plan that could help or harm millions of people deserves diligence. More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse --- Early this week, Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook, claimed the American Health Care Act contained an "invisible risk pool" to protect people with pre-existing conditions from losing insurance or paying more for it. A day later, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., declared he could not support the bill because it didn't protect people with pre-existing conditions. Only one of those assessments could be true. The inability of two Republicans to agree on such a major component of their party's scheme to overhaul the American health care system should give us all pause. Yet with all the diligence of a middle school student on the day before spring break, the GOP House majority is scrambling to cobble together a health care bill before a two-week break. Mr. Upton even scribbled an $8 billion Band-Aid amendment that would be nothing more than a drop in the bucket in terms of protecting people with pre-existing conditions. A more responsible approach would be to improve the existing Affordable Care Act. But the desire to check "repeal and replace Obamacare" off their to-do list quickly is so intense that some, like Mr. Faso, are willing to vote before the independent Congressional Budget Office even does an analysis of how much this would cost, and whether it would do any better than their last plan which Mr. Faso supported, and which would have left 24 million people without health care. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Amid this frenzy we learned, too, of a provision that's particularly bad for New Yorkers. The state has a pending regulation that would require health insurance plans to include "medically necessary" abortion coverage, an issue that, appropriately, would be determined by women and their doctors. The Republican bill, however, would bar people from using federal tax credits for plans that cover abortion. So either policies that comply with the state regulation would be ineligible for the very credits that are supposed to make them affordable, or New York would have to scrap the protection. Either way, women, especially lower-income patients, would lose. So much for the freedom and affordability Republicans promised their health care plan would bring. What cynical blather. This entire mess is legislative malpractice. It's reckless and harmful to the health of Americans, and quite likely the economic health of the nation. If they really stand for fiscal responsibility and consumer choice, Mr. Faso, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and other Republicans in New York's congressional delegation should not be sitting passively undecided on the sidelines. They should be demanding a proper analysis of the AHCA and standing up for New York women's right to make their own health care decisions with their doctors, without Congress poking its nose in the door. And they most certainly should not rubber stamp a bill rushed through so Congress can pretend it got something done before cutting out of town. By Press Trust of India: Mumbai (EDs: With fresh inputs of another arrest from Mumbai) Lucknow, May 3 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh ATS today claimed to have smashed an espionage racket by arresting a suspected ISI agent from Faizabad and his accomplice from Mumbai besides picking up another suspect for questioning. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. advertisement In a joint operation conducted by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, 120 km from here, this evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, he said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. The deposits made in Aftabs bank accounts will also be verified, he said. While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and was being questioned. In another statement late night, Arun said the UP ATS in a joint operation with its Maharashtra counterpart arrested Aftabs accomplice Altaf Qureishi from Mumbai. Altaf was involved in Hawala transactions and had allegedly transferred money to the account of Aftab on the direction of ISI, the ATS said. Rs 70 lakh cash has been recovered from Altaf, it said. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. Aftab was also allegedly keeping a close vigil on the movement of troops in the area, especially between Faizabad and Lucknow, besides deployment of battalions, an ATS release said. ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Misra said more information about the ISI network will be known through the mobile phone of the accused and more arrests are likely. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information on several army cantonment areas and defence establishments in the state. The ATS was continuously getting reports about military information being leaked to intelligence officials in the Pakistan High Commission and the ISI and the agency was working on it through electronic surveillance, ATS sources said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and had contact with an official in the Pakistan High Commission and had also met him in New Delhi, Arun said, adding that the name of the official was being verified. "He was in constant touch with Pakistan High Commission," the ATS statement said. A government spokesman said tonight that the team led by ASP Rajesh Sahni will be awarded. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. "The group, allegedly trained by Pakistans ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra," UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places - including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura - and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. Taking cognisance of the intelligence warning that an ISI-trained group in the garb of Hindu seers might strike prominent religious sites in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered construction of boundary walls around the holy spots. The priest-turned-politician had also asked the officials concerned to ensure laying of 4-lane road connecting famous temples for the convenience of visitors. The UP ATS has already alerted all district police chiefs and railway superintendents of police about the threat. "We are coordinating with other agencies to thwart such attempts," Arun said. Central intelligence agencies have been sharing inputs with the UP Police since February about increased activity of terrorists in the state. According to the latest alert, the ISI is planning to launch attacks in the northern state under the code name Operation Krishna India. "The agency (ISI) has reportedly trained the group for months to familiarise them with Hindu religious practices. Members of the module are planning to enter UP through the Nepal border in the guise of seers," the reports said. In February, Intelligence agencies in the state were tipped off about four dozen terrorists sneaking into UP through the porous border with Nepal. Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3-km open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj. "As per the Intelligence inputs, the group has also been trained by Pakistans ISI in Hindu religious practices, and might try to blend with the local populace before carrying out deadly strikes at prominent religious sites and other sensitive spots," police said. The Intelligence agencies had picked up intercepts through electronic surveillance in which youths were heard discussing the deaths of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) men in Telangana as well as IS suspect Saifullah in Lucknow. A Khurasan module was busted after Saifullahs death last month. Recently, some self-radicalised youths were also arrested by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). In 2016, eight suspected members of SIMI had tried to evade the police by adorning saffron robes in Madhya Pradesh. The men were later killed in a police encounter. PTI SAB SMI ZMN --- ENDS --- advertisement Sergeant Ruel Root (left) stands with former police chief Gary Thomas (center) and current police chief Harold Minch, as they present Thomas with a badge of honor for his 26 years of serving the Titusville Police Department. Strategic Scheduling Key to Running a Multilingual Call Center Call center managers have to combat a variety of obstacles every single day. One of the most prevalent of these issues revolves around scheduling. For many, scheduling agents during the times they want to work is a top priority simply because people are happier when they work the hours they want. Happy agents are typically friendlier and more inclined to help customers on calls, which is consequently good for the company as a whole. However, there are other aspects than happiness to consider when putting together agent schedules. One of the biggest elements to take into consideration is whether or not you have multilingual agents on staff each shift. Having multilingual or even bilingual agents working in the call center during each shift is important to the companys success. Thanks to advances in technology, businesses and, consequently, their call centers, are operating on a global level these days. That means that people from all over the world could be calling in at any point during the day, and theyre not all going to speak English. Even some American citizens dont speak English, so callers from different continents cant be expected to do so. If a call center has no multilingual speakers, international callers will be unable to communicate their concerns. Its important to have more than a handful of multilingual agents on staff, so that they can be scheduled to work throughout the day. International customers will be calling in at all times of the daysomeone from China wouldnt be calling a contact center at the same time as someone from France or the U.S. If call centers with a large global customer base do not have a few multilingual agents on staff during each shift, theres a chance some customers will not be able to be helped. There are a number of benefits when it comes to operating a multilingual call center. Not only is it guaranteed that all customers will be receiving the help they need, but it can also improve conversion rates, reduce operating costs (the more languages someone speaks, the less agents you have to hire), and lower call attrition rates. So be sure to not only hire multilingual agents, but schedule them appropriately as well. Edited by Maurice Nagle Election results: Check out results from various races across the state By Press Trust of India: (EDs: Adding fresh inputs, intelligence warning, CMs orders) Lucknow, May 3 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh ATS today claimed to have smashed an espionage racket in the state by arresting a suspected ISI agent from Faizabad and picking up another for questioning. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. advertisement In a joint operation conducted by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, 120 km from here, this evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, he said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. The deposits made in Aftabs bank accounts will also be verified, he said. While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and was being questioned. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. Aftab was also allegedly keeping a close vigil on the movement of troops in the area, especially between Faizabad and Lucknow, besides deployment of battalions, an ATS release said. ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Misra said more information about the ISI network will be known through the mobile phone of the accused and more arrests are likely. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information on several army cantonment areas and defence establishments in the state. The ATS was continuously getting reports about military information being leaked to intelligence officials in the Pakistan High Commission and the ISI and the agency was working on it through electronic surveillance, ATS sources said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and had contact with an official in the Pakistan High Commission and had also met him in New Delhi, Arun said, adding that the name of the official was being verified. "He was in constant touch with Pakistan High Commission," the ATS statement said. A government spokesman said tonight that the team led by ASP Rajesh Sahni will be awarded. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. "The group, allegedly trained by Pakistans ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra," UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places - including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura - and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. Taking cognisance of the intelligence warning that an ISI-trained group in the garb of Hindu seers might strike prominent religious sites in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered construction of boundary walls around the holy spots. The priest-turned-politician had also asked the officials concerned to ensure laying of 4-lane road connecting famous temples for the convenience of visitors. The UP ATS has already alerted all district police chiefs and railway superintendents of police about the threat. "We are coordinating with other agencies to thwart such attempts," Arun said. Central intelligence agencies have been sharing inputs with the UP Police since February about increased activity of terrorists in the state. According to the latest alert, the ISI is planning to launch attacks in the northern state under the code name Operation Krishna India. "The agency (ISI) has reportedly trained the group for months to familiarise them with Hindu religious practices. Members of the module are planning to enter UP through the Nepal border in the guise of seers," the reports said. In February, Intelligence agencies in the state were tipped off about four dozen terrorists sneaking into UP through the porous border with Nepal. Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3-km open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj. "As per the Intelligence inputs, the group has also been trained by Pakistans ISI in Hindu religious practices, and might try to blend with the local populace before carrying out deadly strikes at prominent religious sites and other sensitive spots," police said. The Intelligence agencies had picked up intercepts through electronic surveillance in which youths were heard discussing the deaths of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) men in Telangana as well as IS suspect Saifullah in Lucknow. A Khurasan module was busted after Saifullahs death last month. Recently, some self-radicalised youths were also arrested by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). In 2016, eight suspected members of SIMI had tried to evade the police by adorning saffron robes in Madhya Pradesh. The men were later killed in a police encounter. PTI SAB SMI ZMN --- ENDS --- advertisement The gunman, who opened fire at North Lake College, apparently killed one victim and committed suicide, local police said. By Reuters: A gunman who opened fire on Wednesday on a college campus in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, apparently killed one victim and committed suicide, local police said. A man, witnesses said, armed with a handgun was reported to have opened fire at North Lake College, prompting authorities to swarm the campus in search of the suspect and victims as school officials imposed an immediate security "lockdown." advertisement A short time later, Irving police reported on Twitter that there appeared "to be no continuing threat," adding that law enforcement officers were continuing to search the campus to ensure all was safe. A separate Twitter post added: "We have what appears to be one victim deceased (and) the shooter has committed suicide." There was no further immediate official information. Irving Police spokesman James McLellan told reporters earlier there had been radio chatter about injuries. After police said the shooter was dead, college officials announced the school would be closed for the rest of the day. Overhead video footage of the scene broadcast by local news media showed students filing out of school buildings as police evacuated the campus. Earlier video clips showed students in groups running for safety and numerous police vehicles on campus. The incident came after a man enrolled at the University of Texas on Monday went on a stabbing spree with a large hunting knife at the school's Austin campus about 200 miles to the south of Irving, killing one student and wounding three others, police said. ALSO READ | US: One dead, 3 injured in stabbing in University of Texas --- ENDS --- The accused Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission. By India Today Web Desk: A suspected ISI agent has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) from Faizabad. In a joint operation conducted by the UP ATS, Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, 120 km from Lucknow, this evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, the spokesman said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. advertisement While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and being questioned. (PTI inputs) Also read: Mutilation of our soldiers an act of provocation, have proof against Pakistan Army, says India Krishna Ghati beheadings: Pakistan Army chief Qamar Bajwa authorised attack on Indian soldiers --- ENDS --- UPDATED 5:45 a.m. PT Thursday with claim that the incident was an academic experiment gone wrong, and with Google statement. A widespread phishing scam involving Google Docs made its way across the internet yesterday (May 3), with multiple Twitter users and at least two Reddit threads documenting spam messages coming from "hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com". Google appeared to have shut down the phishing campaign within about an hour. Illustration: Tom's Guide The phishing email arrived in your inbox and said that someone you knew had shared a Google Doc with you. There was a button to "Open in Docs" if you clicked it, you were redirected to a non-Google address, and everyone in your Google address book then got the same phishing email, only with you as the sender. There's no evidence than anything more malicious occurred. "I just got a Google Doc invite from a BuzzFeed email address, clicked on it, and it spammed everyone I've ever emailed," tweeted Joe Bernstein, a BuzzFeed technology reporter. (This reporter got one of these emails from Bernstein.) READ NEXT: Why the Google Docs Hack Will Happen Again It's not yet clear what the aim of the phishing scam was. A posting on the official G Suite blog said that "the problem with Google Drive should be resolved." If you received such an email and clicked on the"Open in Docs" button, go to https://myaccount.google.com/permissions and see if "Google Docs" is listed as one of the apps that has access to your Google account. If so, that's the fake one the real Google Docs shouldn't appear on this page. Select the fake Google Docs and click the blue "REMOVE" button. (We originally advised changing your Google password, but that doesn't seem to have been necessary.) The Google Doc scam email, as received by a Tom's Guide staffer. "This big phishing attack is clever; an OAUTH based attack. Tricks you into giving 'permission' to read your emails," tweeted Matt Tait, a British security expert. 0Auth is a widely used credentialing standard that keeps you logged into accounts for a long period of time, and can also be used across accounts. For example, when you log into Gmail on one Chrome tab, then open another tab to open Google Drive, a 0Auth "token" logs you into the second tab's content automatically. (Update: It turns out Google uses a proprietary mechanism for that.) Likewise, if you keep a browser logged into a Twitter account indefinitely, that's OAuth at work. Malicious hackers love stealing 0Auth tokens because they can be reused until the user completely logs out of an account on all devices. MORE: Best Antivirus - Top Software for PC, Mac and Android Tait added that the ongoing attack was very similar to a spear-phishing campaign last year carried out by APT28, aka Pawn Storm or Fancy Bear, and documented by the Tokyo-based security firm Trend Micro (opens in new tab) in a recent report. APT28 is one of the two Russian groups that hacked into the Democratic National Committee's email servers during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. However, the source code for today's attack was quickly found on at least two code-sharing websites. Its availability indicated that this email virus may have been the work of "script kiddies," or juvenile pranksters, rather than cybercriminals or nation-state-backed hackers. UPDATE: A Twitter account created Thursday morning by someone calling himself Eugene Pupov, and claiming to be a graduate student at Coventry University in England, said that the Google Docs virus was simply an academic experiment gone wrong. "The emails I sent were not not a 'phishing scam,' or a scam at all," the purported Pupov said in a series of Tweets. "I was simply testing out a program I had written as my graduate final project for Coventry University. This is a total misunderstanding, and the whole situation has taken a toll on my family's, and my own life. My intention was not to 'phish' or 'scam' individuals. The emails were sent simply as a test." If that's true, then this situation is eerily similar to the Morris worm, an academic experiment by a Cornell University graduate student that accidentally flooded the pre-web internet in the fall of 1988. However, Tom's Guide could find no other evidence of a Coventry University student by the name Eugene Pupov, or by common variants of that name. Coventry University told Vice Motherboard it had no such student. Security researchers discovered yesterday that the code behind the Google Docs virus had been signed by a Eugene Pupov, but that was disclosed before the Twitter account was created. Google itself commented on the incident with this statement: "We have taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs, and have disabled offending accounts. We've removed the fake pages, pushed updates through Safe Browsing, and our abuse team is working to prevent this kind of spoofing from happening again. We encourage users to report phishing emails in Gmail. If you think you clicked on a fraudulent email, visit g.co/SecurityCheckup and remove apps you don't recognize." Today's smart home deals can help you digitize your home on the cheap. From the best smart speakers to our favorite smart plugs, there are plenty of smart home deals available this month and we're rounding up the best sales of the day. Currently, we're seeing a range of markdowns on some of our favorite Alexa- and Google Assistant-powered devices. Or you can bag a bargain on a video doorbell or the best smart light switches. And if you need buying advice, check out our ultimate smart home guide, which features the best devices to give your home a digital makeover. Best smart home deals (opens in new tab) Eve Energy Strip: was $99 now $74 @ Amazon (opens in new tab) The Eve Energy Strip lets you Individually control three power outlets with the Eve app or with Siri. It offers surge protection, lets you track power consumption, and lets you set schedules for plugged devices via the app or Siri. Click the digital coupon below the price to save 25% and drop its final price to $74. (opens in new tab) Kasa smart plug power strip: was $79 now $44 @ Amazon (opens in new tab) This smart plug power strip lets you independently control 6 outlets and 3 USB ports from anywhere either using Alexa or Google Assistant or through the Kasa smart app. Youll also be able to set device schedules and timers, plus monitor how much energy each device is using. (opens in new tab) Arlo Video Doorbell: was $149 now $119 @ Best Buy (opens in new tab) The Editor's Choice Arlo Video Doorbell packs all of the features you'd want in a video doorbell, minus the high price tag. It offers 1536 x 1536 video resolution, 180 degrees field of view, and Alexa/Google Assistant support. (opens in new tab) Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera was $129 now $79 @ Amazon (opens in new tab) This wireless home security camera has a 1080p resolution, full color night vision, an alarm, and two-way audio. It's weatherproof and has a six-month battery life. Best Buy offers the same price (opens in new tab). (opens in new tab) Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Cam was $249 now $192 @ Amazon (opens in new tab) This home security camera is basically the Arlo Pro 3 but with a massive 2000-lumen floodlight wrapped around it. That way, you can really shine a light on anything entering your yard. The Floodlight Cam has a 2K HDR resolution, color night vision, and two-way audio. (opens in new tab) Arlo Pro 3 Two-Camera System: was $499 now $319 @ Amazon (opens in new tab) The Arlo Pro 3 is one of the best wireless home security cameras around, with a 2K HDR resolution and features such as person and package detection. This deal includes two cameras and the base station. (opens in new tab) SimpliSafe The Foundation: was $244 now $195 @ SimpliSafe (opens in new tab) SimpliSafe's The Foundation is designed for small homes and apartments. It comes with a base station, wireless keypad, an entry sensor, and one motion sensor. It's currently 20% off. (opens in new tab) SimpliSafe The Essentials: was $274 now $219 @ SimpliSafe (opens in new tab) Like its namesake suggests, the Essentials kit is an excellent deal for newcomers to the do-it-yourself home security space. It comes with a base station, wireless keypad, three entry sensors, and one motion sensor. It's currently 20% off. (opens in new tab) SimpliSafe The Hearth: was $389 now $311 @ Simplisafe (opens in new tab) SimpliSafe's The Hearth includes the base station, a keypad, 1 key fob, 3 entry sensors, 1 motion sensor, a 105dB siren, and 1 smoke detector. It's currently 20% off and comes with a free SimpliSafe camera. (opens in new tab) Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen: was $39 now $29 @ Amazon (opens in new tab) The 3rd Gen Echo Dot is the ultimate affordable smart speaker for all things Alexa, allowing you to ask questions, control your smart home and enjoy music with a quick voice command. And you thought you'd catch hell for forgetting about your anniversary. Apple may be about to blow past the 10th anniversary of its first-ever iPhone without releasing a major overhaul to its iPhone lineup. (Image credit: iPhone 8 concept by TechConfigurations/YouTube) That's a possibility, according to a research note from Deutsche Bank that Business Insider got access to. The report, which says Apple might not release the iPhone 8 this calendar year, leans heavily on a story in ValueWalk about delays in Apple's supply chain. Specifically, Apple appears to be facing component shortages that would support the features rumored for the iPhone 8, which include OLED displays that stretch from one end of the phone to the other. Apple is also reportedly going to adopt a glass-and-steel design for its upcoming phone. MORE: Galaxy S8 vs iPhone 7: Samsung Puts Apple on Notice According to ValueWalk, though, sources within Apple's supply chain have said that Apple has only ordering packing materials for incremental updates to the current iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models. That's enough for Deutsche Bank's analysts to conclude that the timing around the iPhone 8's release is uncertain and that it could slip into 2018. This certainly isn't the first time we've heard about the next iPhone shipping later than usual. A number of analysts have suggested that component shortages could push the iPhone 8's debut into October or later while more modest updates to the current lineup would arrive in the usual September time frame in the form of the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. The most credible report thus far has come from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who suggested that Apple might not ramp up production on an iPhone 8 until October or November. The ValueWalk report cited by Deutsche Bank is the first one to really dangle the possibility that a substantially overhauled iPhone won't arrive until 2018. (Image credit: Benjamin Geskin) Apple certainly will face challenges in ramping up production on an overhauled iPhone, particularly if it has the augmented reality and improved display features touted by the rumor mill. But delaying completely until 2018 seems like an improbable scenario, given that iPhone sales make up about two-thirds of the company's revenue. The iPhone 7s and 7s Plus are likely to improve upon Apple's current lineup, potentially adding features like wireless charging. But it seems unlikely iPhone users would upgrade to those phones in great numbers, knowing an iPhone 8 release was just around the corner. The Deutsche Bank report surfaced just before Apple announced fiscal second quarter earnings in which the company sold 50.8 million iPhones a 1 percent dip from year's iPhone sales and below Wall Street estimates of 52 million iPhones. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Tim Cook said Apple was "seeing a kind of delay in purchasing behavior that we think is a consequence of the number of rumors and reports about future products." Imagine the delay in purchasing behavior if there's no major iPhone overhaul in 2017. Hoodoo Gurus and You Am I have announced a run of regional shows this July, along with shows in Canberra and Perth. It makes sense the pair are touring together both are consistently great rock and roll bands who utilise sounds from the past to craft perfectly rugged records but it kinda feels like the bigger cities are being left out. Ah well, we have the Opera House here in Sydney so we cant have everything, I suppose. Tickets go on sale Monday, May 8 from 9am. Dates below this great tune. Hoodoo Gurus & You Am I dates: Friday July 7th Crossing Theatre, Narrabri Sunday July 9th Entrance Leagues, Central Coast Friday July 14th SS & A Club, Albury Saturday July 15th Charles Sturt Uni, Wagga Wagga Friday July 21st Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra Saturday July 22nd Waves at Towradgi Beach, Wollongong Thursday July 27th Kay Street, Traralgon Friday July 28th Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo Friday August 4th Astor Theatre, Perth Saturday August 5th Astor Theatre, Perth Juanita Stein has written, performed, and released dozens of songs with her jangly pop band Waikiki, and the darker beast it morphed into: The Howling Bells, but the forthcoming America will mark her solo debut album. This record is an ode to the dark heart of America, Stein says. Of times gone and times to come. Dusty trails, a whimsical 50s suburbia and the haze of the 1960s. Ive forever idealised American life growing up in Australia we were fed the American dream through film and television. The dichotomy between what was real and a dream is forever intriguing to me. The music of Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield, Lee and Nancy and Patsy Cline all informed my musical sensibilities. They opened up this wide screen universe for me. This widescreen feeling is evident in the dusty, haunting lead single Dark Horse, which is perfectly matched with visuals from Texas, taken when Stein played at SxSW a few months ago. The record is out on July 28. Check out Dark Horse below. While the Internet is amazing for reading, reacting, furiously typing, and then forgetting, the slow death of traditional news media has brought about the end of one of the bastions of free speech: the Letters to the Editor section. We have noticed that in the past few months our comments section has increasingly become filled with strong, varied opinions and interesting discussions, and that a lot of these are articulately stated, respectful of other viewpoints, and knowledgeable. (There are a lot of idiots, too, but you cant have everything.) Wed like to expand these community discussions and allow some of our most vocal readers to express themselves in a longer form. Introducing our Letters To The Editor section. Whether you wish to add to an already existing conversation, refute anything we have published, or simply publish that long-held conspiracy theory about how Freddie Mercury faked his death and is now living in the Bahamas, we now have the perfect platform for you. This is not a forum for promoting your mates shitty band, or for any type of hate speech, unless its about that album Metallica did with Lou Reed in which case well let it pass. Hopefully this is the start of a long and interesting conversation. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Local "public" radio is complicit in this bit of social justice celebrity child publicity that puts a youngster at the center of adult debate about toilets, access and culture. As always, we do our best to keep youngsters out of the spotlight when it comes to controversy and tough talk . . . Meanwhile, the MSM doesn't seem so concerned about the long-term implications of this story given the typical tragic history of child stars: Representing Transgender Kids Is Both Empowering And Annoying For This Kansas City Girl Local Downpour Luck Out While Southern And Eastern Missouri Flood, Kansas City Stays Relatively Dry Along with another day of rain in the Kansas City area, water levels continue to rise across Missouri, causing flooding and dozens of road closures. While southern and eastern Missouri continue to experience serious flooding the Kansas City area has not seen much impact. Golden Ghetto Suspect Caught On Camera Lenexa Police asking for help to find two people related to a theft investigation The Lenexa Police Department is asking for the public's help to find two people related to a recent theft investigation. Police said a woman's purse was stolen from her shopping cart while she was loading purchases into her vehicle at a local store. Sandwich Charges Continue Man accused in Jimmy John's robbery faces additional charges A Kansas City man faces additional charges related to the robbery of a Jimmy John's restaurant and a carjacking. A federal grand jury indicted Terry K. Rayford, 54, on being a felon in possession of firearms, carjacking, robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm. Fear The Kansas City Springtime Slump How bad was April for KC-made auto sales? Even the F-150 suffers - Kansas City Business Journal April was the fourth month in row that U.S. automobile sales declined and vehicles produced in the Kansas City area were not immune to the emerging trend. Both vehicles produced at Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo saw declines compared to a year ago, including the stalwart F-150 pickup truck. Nasty Local Lodging Report Mom says Ramada Inn pool gave daughter blisters SHAWNEE, Kan. - One mom is frustrated after her daughter had blisters on her face after swimming in the pool at the Ramada Inn on Shawnee Mission Parkway. April Casey took her daughter to the Ramada Inn for her ninth birthday. When she took her out of the pool, there were red marks on her face. More Local Stagnation Kansas City area posted 3 percent job growth in past year Kansas City area employers added a net 31,000 jobs from March 2016 to March 2017, and the area's jobless rate sank to 4.2 percent, according to new estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Crowdfunding Effort For Local Inventor Fund Me, KC: The Fishing Caddy aims to hook good times for family, friends Joe Pippins, founder and inventor of the Fishing Caddy. Editor's note: Startland News is continuing its new segment to highlight area entrepreneurs' efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Hottie Jodie and her online goodness tops our after work hour and right now we're checking some of the top links from the newsday. Take a peek:And this is thefor right now . . . Kansas City Real Estate Season Starts Now Home Builders parade returns to Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Home Builders Association's Spring Parade of Homes has returned to Kansas City. People have the chance to see some of the latest home innovations and styles of new houses in the area. KU Med Gentrification Takes Breather Proposed hotel near KU Hospital stalls amid opposition The University of Kansas Health System, Hall Family Foundation and others greeted a proposed 120-room hotel at the corner of 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard with criticism, mostly centered around project design, parking and traffic issues. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., earlier this month held off on voting on Mike Patel's hotel plan. Paying With The Enemy Jamaal Charles signs 1-year deal with Denver Broncos Jamaal Charles signs 1-year deal with Denver Broncos "Excited to have Jamaal Charles join the Broncos," general manager John Elway tweeted Tuesday afternoon upon signing Charles to a one-year, incentive-laden deal. "A great addition to our backfield, and we're thrilled we won't have to play against him!" Kansas City New Tech Talk Listen: KC transportation leaders examine Smart City, Hyperloop, smart pavement Judging by the popularity of our recent Hyperloop One coverage , the future of transportation has become a hot topic in the metro. It's crazy to imagine that, in the near future, we may be living in a world of subsonic rail travel, smart pavement and autonomous vehicles. Kansas City Rose Colored Glasses Lucy and her pal Lucy inspire this quick collection of some of the more upbeat local links just for a change of pace. Take a peek:And this is thefor right now . . . As per the official records, at least 60 rifles, six pistols and 182 magazines were looted from security personnel in 2016 from Kashmir. By Shuja-ul-Haq : Security forces are not just worried about the spate of bank robberies in Kashmir, but also about the rampant cases of weapons snatching by militants from police personnel. "It is a disturbing trend we know it. We are trying to take precautionary measures as well," said a top police official. Around 9 pm on Tuesday night, a group of armed men barged into the police post set up to guard the district court complex in Shopian. They held 5 policemen, who were on duty, on gunpoint and fled with their service rifles in a matter of 20 minutes. advertisement The incident came just a day after 5 policemen and two bank guards were killed when the militants stopped a bank cash delivery van in Kulgam. Four rifles were missing from the spot when the army and forces reached there. The police says the apparent motive of the attack was to snatch the weapons. On March 23rd, militants fired indiscriminately at the policemen guarding the residence of senior PDP minister Farooq Andrabi in Dooru area of Anantnag. None of the guards or the family members of the minister were harmed. They just decamped with four the rifles of the policemen posted there. In similar manner, the militants attacked houses of PDP leaders like MP MP Nazir Ahmad Laway in Kulgam and Sheikh Javed Ahmad in Anantnag on August 31 on September 18 last year. On both the occasions, the only motive of the attacks seemed to be weapon snatching from the guards. As per the official records, at least 60 rifles, six pistols and 182 magazines were looted from security personnel in 2016 from Kashmir. In total, 16 incidents of weapons snatching took place last year. A top security officer tells us that the militant groups are falling short of guns and that's the reason they have resorted to this new strategy of weapons snatching. "It is difficult to smuggle weapons from outside. That could be one of the reasons for this desperate tactic now," he added. The other view, which is in the security circles, is about the practice being adopted by the militant groups to ask the potential new recruits to bring their own arms. This serves two purposes, one is about testing the candidate, and if he succeeds, there is a ready weapon to be used. On Wednesday, militants targeted two banks in south Kashmir's Pulwama district within a span of two hours and decamped with several lakh rupees. In the first case, four armed militants barged into the Wahibugh branch of Elaquai Dehati Bank around 1.50pm and looted around Rs 3-4 lakh at gunpoint before fleeing, according to police official. A hunt has been launched to arrest the militants. --- ENDS --- advertisement SOCIAL MEDIA IS ABUZZ OVER TESTIMONY RELATED TO AN AIRPORT PARKING CONFRONTATION WITH RACIAL OVERTONES!!! KANSAS CITY AIRPORT CONFRONTATION TESTIMONY Kansas City's airport has once again become the target of criticism and outrage following a confrontation this morning.To wit . . .To be fair, nobody got shot so this whole thing might blow over . . . But for the moment, this is another embarrassment for the airport that a new single-terminalsolve.This word, that'll soon make the local TV news, comes from a former Kansas City school teacher who is now a media player. Checkit:Here I was. Being dropped off by my mother at the airport for an international trip. It's still early, dark outside, and raining. As I'm being dropped off, an airport police officer pulls up behind us & honks his horn. So, we move up & over. As we move over, he stays behind us and sits. I then exit the car to get my luggage. The officer then turns his lights on. As I ask him what's going on & that I'm being dropped off, he gets out of the car & begins to yell.Officer: *yells* You're in the wrong lane!! Move over, sir- get on the side walk & up against the wall now!Me: Uh? Excuse me? Against the wall??Officer: Yes, do it now! **the officer then touches his gun as if he's gonna pull it out!**[-- my mother gets out of the car out of panic & asks what's going on. He's still yelling at me & asks her for her license / info. She asks "what's wrong," and he begins to demand even more. ]Me: Sir. Why are you yelling? No one is being a threat. I'm an educator & counselor with schools- I'm trying to talk to you to gain an understanding. I'm also in the "helping profession"Officer: I don't care WHO YOU ARE!! I don't care if you work for the president! Get against the wall!!**Officer reaches for weapon a second time & unlocks it.** -- my mother then rushes up to me to put her HANDS on my mouth- to keep me from talking. Instantly, I could see her eyes get large & swell- as if she thought I was in danger or that this could be another case like Phillando Castille or Tamir Rice or Alton or Sandra.***MY HEART WAS BEATING FAST. MY MIND WAS RACING.** What's going on?!Officer: This isn't harassment! And this isn't about race- don't you dare say it's about race!!Me: I never said it was about race; I just have an international flight for a conference- can you let me go now?Officer: No! Don't you open the car at all! *officer touches his weapon as a threat to me for the 3rd time!*- he then ignores me for a while and questions my mother about her front license plate being damaged. He runs her name & comes back to lecture us.Officer: you only interact with us when you've done something wrong!Me: Sir.. I have bags to check. I'm asking for GRACE. Will you let me go?? (Why should I have to beg??)Him: You need to keep your mouth shut! That's your problem- you talk too much!! You don't know how to close your mouth!!-So he gets to reprimand me for asking questions??- I then call 911 to ask for a supervisor / watch commander.Officer: and I don't care who you're on the phone with! You can be talking to the mayor and I don't care!"--As I'm on the phone with dispatcher, I then ask the officer for a 4th time if I can get my bags because I have to go & I have done nothing wrong.Officer: *throws his hands in the air* FINE! Just go! Forget about it! You're so disrespectful! That's what's wrong with you & society now! No respect....So much more happened and I'm still processing this whole experience. I'm utterly flummoxed. It was scandalous. Shameful. Having ppl walk by with such pity. Tears were in my eyes, y'all. My "Boujee" clothes couldn't protect me. My expensive education or my dialect didn't protect me. This officer saw a black man who was questioning him as a threat. Moreover, this type of hyper-sensitivity and hyper aggression from some officers is what causes chaos. Yes, there are GOOD officers with hard / dangerous jobs; and there are also ones that are OUT of order & misuse authority!! This could have ended up so much worse. He touched / unlocked his weapon 3 times and threatened to ARREST me! For what crime?! I didn't pose a threat. And the things that a black mother has to do to protect her black son- the fear that I saw in my mother's eyes. Unbelievable. But, this was minor compared to SOO many experiences of others we see. Yet it was totally unacceptable.Even while I type this, I get a sense of frustration & fatigue all over again. I weeped on the plane. Thank God for grace. *heavy sigh*: so I'm in the process of doing a formal complaint & the *airport * chief of police is aware. That's "privilege." Yet, I still weep for the ppl who have these disheartening experiences...yet have no one to tell or to advocate for them.#########You decide . . . REWARD OF UP TO $5,000 OFFERED FOR HELP NABBING WHOEVER ABANDONED DOG TO DROWN PETA Seeks Information on Culprit(s) Who Tied Dog to Cinderblock and Left Him in Longview Lake Jackson County, Mo. On the morning of Friday, April 28, park rangers discovered a dog barking in distress on the bank of Longview Lake near Shelter 12. The dog, estimated to be 5 to 7 years old, was caked with mud. He was tethered to a cinderblock with no food or water, and local humane authorities believe that he was intentionally left to drown in the lake's rising waters. Now named Deputy, he is recovering at Great Plains SPCA. Law-enforcement officials are investigating the incident but have yet to make any arrests. That's why PETAwhose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to abuse in any way" is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction on cruelty charges of the person or persons responsible for this crime. "This dog was abandoned and left to die as Longview Lake's rising waters threatened to drown him," says PETA Vice President Colleen O'Brien. "PETA urges anyone with information about this case to come forward immediately so that whoever abandoned this dog to die can be held accountable." Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Jackson County Animal Control at 913-475-6164. For more information, please visit PETA.org. ###### CHECK THIS INCREDIBLE TKC BLOG COMMUNITY INSIGHT REGARDING AUTONOMOUS TRANSIT TECH QUICKLY OUTPACING KANSAS CITY'S TOY TRAIN STREETCAR PLANS!!! Sly, the Streetcar, and the Chamber For the smarter denizens of our blog community, we have a special treat and just a bit offor the late night hours . . .A great many thanks to this reader who makes a great case for KCMO's unwise investment in outdated technology while the rest of the world is focused on more innovative solutions.Checkit:There are two parallel universes operating. In KC there is an effort to extend Streetcar going on secretly expecting to fund additionally for 150 million dollars. Never mind that does nothing for much of Metro, it is the "transportation" priority of the machinery of KCMO and the insider class of special interest politics. The Streetcar is fun, it probably helps with getting a building corridor, but it is poor transit, not in alignment with futures, and hijacks all attention to alternatives elsewhere, but wrong mindedness is so common as KC pretends to innovate. Please, those bureaucrats spend poorly and call it innovation, more on that later.Meanwhile in the big universe, Tech is appreciating and analysts are coming to understand there are breakout opportunities where viable tech will just simple dramatically improve price and quality of services, experiences and outcomes.The Streetcar has generally limited quality as a transportation service, waits are often 10 to 15 minutes, oftentimes for use to go a few blocks, so the Streetcar authority quietly acquired more units, so we will have more large units running the route, no ability to optimize loads as you could with pools of autonomous vehicles.Autonomous is front and center for tech innovation, but KC decided they had other priorities than excellent transportation that is applicable everywhere. Autonomous shuttles are streetcars that are more responsive, don't require tracks (and the incredible lack of flexibility and disruption, and expense that go with them).In Phoenix Google is scaling up autonomous transport considerably, it is the ipod, while KC buys heavily into the Sony Walkman right at the inflection, with no particular concern about cost or futures (hurry, get the pork while you can). There is a unspoken race, to skunk in the extension, before autonomous shuttles are running everywhere. So much for the vaunted Google relationship for advancing city, somehow leadership forgot we should be in cue for the advances Google is working towards. Now the city talks about being so smart, for putting in Wifi in the Streetcar line, why was that not done in the first plan? You have architects and planners making decisions on things they hardly understand, same bureaucrats. Get ready for some pork projects to be obsoleted, but the government types will say it was built with free money, or didn't come from that budget, haven't we woken to the shell games by now. Where is the transparent Streetcar budget, you know, the one showing the contract terms of the Utility monopoly contract for the rest of our lives. Sometimes the Streetcar is an important transit priority, other times it is not transit at all. Strange, it is usually almost empty at the beginning and ending of work days, so you can't pretend that is the purpose.The outlying suburbs, have gotten the really raw deal, a posturing mayor, sucking all the funding and attention, for his pet projects, that don't address fundamental purposes of utility in governance. Those outlying areas should speak up, why are they not testing autonomous in Overland Park and Olathe, are they deferring to the "visions" of Sly James, I hope not.We don't know what the Streetcar unit additions to address the lack of responsive service cost, original plan obviously was not addressing responsive pick up, kind of like comparing the 15 minutes to get a 10/10 taxi to the 3 minutes to get an Uber, but that is it's own story.Amazon is knocking it out, Google is knocking it out, Tesla is knocking it out, and KC is pretending. Watch what happens to all the faux portfolio of Think Big when the government spigot is turned off, they repurposed with crony pork and the utility their failing collection of "wishful" enterprises. That passes for strategy in KC.Think I am being harsh, go back over their portfolio of two years ago and tell me which one impresses you out of their holdings. That could be said for many of KCs incubators by the way, incubating wishful thinking as the juggernauts of our time apply the breakthroughs at scale to matter.Win the future portfolio, on a tear, but it was not just a blip, it has legs. Downtown KC seems to be a dependent of perpetual pork, with more confidence in their "vision" than any results of the Google relationship to date should justify. Note, government has gone strangely mute on Google, while Google blazes ahead and KC shows almost no tangible Google ongoing interest in KC other than bandwidth and a left behind program. That doesn't exactly make KC strategic to Google.So autonomous shuttles really are "the" magic ingredient of smart neighborhoods, be they city or suburban. We have seventy million disabled, how about transit on demand that is affordable and low cost, that should play in all neighborhoods, same for serving the aging population.There is a think in concrete mentality, that is not moving ahead with models of tech, Google, Apple, Tesla, Amazon are not so building centric in focus, they prefer being smarter, and delivering better experiences and outcomes. KC should have been strategic on autonomous partnerships, logistics partnerships, aligning with key parties that are credible to be really driving tech supported advancement, with business leadership and policy purpose. As usual special interests got in the way, monies special interests who can't spell autonomous, much less have a plan that is superb to win the future, amateurs. Johnson County should ask, have we been well served by priorities of ATA, Sly James, and our own initiative towards working better with tech. Want to know the next priority of the Mayor and the Chamber in KCMO, look to what the "sponsors" of recent Chambers want done. Sly and Reardon are the front men of the usual suspects, prioritizing away with smug obliviousness while playing their pork games missing the excellence that should be a part of winning the future, applicable to all communities. Typical.########### BECAUSE KANSAS CITY TOY TRAIN SUPPORTERS WERE REJECTED IN 2014 THEY HAVE REVERED BACK TO CORRUPT, DESPICABLE AND DANGEROUS TACTICS THAT THREATEN LOCAL DEMOCRACY FAR BEYOND THE CHOO-CHOO PART DEUX!!! far The voting is underway in Kansas City's toy train streetcar extension election and it's a way more complex than simply going to polling places and making a decision.Moreover . . .And so, streetcar supporters moved back to a sketchy secret ballot wherein a few dozen carefully selected voters could decideworth of local taxes which is beyond mere gerrymandering and more akin toThis isn't just TKC ranting . . . Transportation Development Districts (TDDs) are one of the worst scams in the Show-Me State and that's according to a Democratic Party white lady who ismore likeable than a local blogger:Nevertheless, the streetcar election is moving forward.The court website is still probably the best place for local voters to start their research:And whileas local streetcar enthusiasts face a tougher time garnering support outside of their tiny bubble.You decide . . . WASHINGTON, DC Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, and Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) on Tuesday, May 2 introduced a resolution calling on Great Britain to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. The Marbles were removed from Greece 200 years ago by Thomas Bruce, seventh Earl of Elgin and transported to Great Britain. The Marbles were part of a frieze that wrapped around the Temple of Athena. In 1816, the British Parliament voted to purchase the Marbles and they now reside in the British Museum. Despite years of efforts by the Greek Government to retain the Marbles, it has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its British counterparts to return the Marbles to Greece. The Parthenon marbles are some of Greeces greatest examples of artistic expression and beauty, and should be on display in their country of origin, said Rep. Maloney. They are vital pieces of Greek history that belong to the Greek people. The people of Greece as well as the visitors who travel from all around the world to experience the magnificence of the Acropolis should be able to enjoy the Marbles. This resolution calls upon Great Britain to finally return these treasures to their rightful home. Art provides a window into history and is the ultimate freedom of expression, said Rep. Bilirakis. The Parthenon Marbles were made by the citizens of Athens under the direction of renowned artist Phidias to celebrate the pride and majesty of the City of Athens. To not house and view these citizen contributions in the city they were originally intended does a disservice not only to the people of Athens, but also to the civilization that paved the path for modern democracy and freedom. I sincerely hope to see these original works and other important elements of Hellenic history finally returned to their rightful owner for future generations of proud Greeks to enjoy. The Parthenon Marbles are a national symbol and source of pride for Greece, said Congressman Payne, Jr. These sculptures were taken from Greece, and that is where they belong. Great Britain should do the right thing and reunify the Parthenon temples treasures in their homeland. The Parthenon, regarded as one of the worlds greatest architectural wonders, is the preeminent symbol of Greek cultural heritage, including its art, architecture, and democracy, and of the contributions that ancient Greece made to civilization. More than 100 pieces of the Parthenon Marbles were removed from the site between 1801 and 1816 and now reside in the British Museum. The Greek people have sought the return of these pieces since it won independence from Ottoman rule in 1830. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The opening, on May 3, will feature the premiere of Yari Mukers Ben Gurion, Epilogue The Israeli Cinema Week returns to Athens for the 5th time from May 3-7, 2017, in the hospitable Greek Film Archive, offering a rare opportunity for Greek filmmakers to get acquainted with contemporary Israeli cinema. The opening, on May 3, will feature the premiere of Yari Mukers Ben Gurion, Epilogue. The documentary film, based on a recently discovered six-hour interview, traces the personality of David Ben Gurion, the founder of the state of Israel, who was the countrys PrimeMinister for 14 years. The films producer and editor, Yael Perlov, will attend the screening and discuss with the audience. The tributes ambition is to showcase modern Israeli cinema diversity, while also highlighting a new generation of Arab-speaking filmmakers who have dynamically come to the fore in recent years. The aim is to see Israel beyond stereotypes, through films that cover a wide range of themes: from the coexistence of Jews and Arabs, to the effects of the Holocaust, and time-old universal issues such as loss and love. SCHEDULE Wednesday, May 3 (official opening) 20:30 Ben Gurion, Epilogue (61) By invitation only Thursday, May 4 19:00 Footnote (107) 21:00 Beyond the Mountains and Hills (90) Friday, May 5 18:00 Women in Sink (36) Life in Stills (60) 20:00 The Human Resources Manager (103) 22:00 The Matchmaker (112) Saturday, May 6 18:00 Personal Affairs (90) 20:00 Melting Away (86) 22:00 Big Bad Wolves (110) Sunday, May 7 18:00 One Week and A Day (98) 20:00 The Matchmaker (112) 22:00 Beyond the Mountains and Hills (90) Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The group of the Greek-American Evzones of the Federation of the Hellenic-American societies of New England marched with pride and enthusiasm. Photo: TNH/Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON, MA The Greek Independence Parade on April 30 in Boston began beneath a pristine blue, sunshine-covered sky,but ended in rain that was not forecasted by meteorologists, thus leaving marchers and spectators alike unprepared for the elements. At the head of the Parade was Boston Mayor, Marti J. Walsh, who praised the Greek-American community when he spoke to TNH.I am very proud for this day and the parade. I have great respect and love for Bostons Greek-American community, Mayor Walsh said. Police Commissioner Bill Evans told TNH he was happy to here with my all good friends from the Greek community. Evans was also present at the annual gala on April 29 at the Greek Orthodox Cathedrals Center in Brookline. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The rapid rise of short-term property leasing to tourists via online platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway, FlipKey and HouseTrip has turned the Greek property market upside down. There has been unprecedented growth in investment interest since late 2015, when the legislative framework was opened up. The other side of the coin concerns the creation of special zones within the capital, particularly in its so-called historic triangle, whose points are formed by Monastiraki, Omonia and Syntagma squares. The properties there appear to be leased exclusively by short-term visitors, in effect locking out local residents. This issue, which has also arisen in other major cities around the world, has become quite significant as it concerns a phenomenon that extends to the countrys popular tourism destinations, so that the options of seasonal workers such as those in the tourism industry or permanent residents are severely reduced. Panayiotis Merekoulias, head of surveying at Danos SA/BNP Paribas Real Estate, points to the case of Hania, as in a short period of time ads on Airbnb soared from 800 to 1,600 so that there is now a shortage in properties for long-term renting. Besides the limited availability of properties in specific areas, observers point to a wave of rental rate hikes, at a time when rates in the rest of the market are either stable or in decline. According to the vice president of the Athens-Attica Estate Agents Association, Lefteris Potamianos, Athens areas such as Koukaki, Plaka, Makrygianni, Thiseio, Acropolis, Monastiraki, Metaxourgio and Kerameikos are showing the highest demand for short-term leases, resulting in rental rates being increased there. In the above areas, as well as in neighborhoods of the southern suburbs by the sea that enjoy high demand from foreigners, rental rates have shown a small increase, Potamianos notes. He adds that besides the historic center, rates in the southern suburbs of Vouliagmeni and Glyfada are on a similar course. Another consequence of the ever growing popularity of short-term property leasing is that in some areas of the capital, mainly close to the Acropolis, it is now virtually impossible to rent an apartment in the conventional way, for Greeks or others wishing to stay for a long time. Agents are reporting an increase in the ousting of tenants and in the non-renewal of rental contracts as more and more property owners realize they can earn more by going short-term. 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 Entreprise : PHOENIX VOYAGES Fonction : French Sales Specialist F/M Renowned for its professionalism, Phoenix Voyages Group is currently considered to be one of the leading tourism agencies in Indochina region. PVG is an international tourism company based in Asia. It is the result of a fusion of two major travel companies in Asia: Phoenix Voyages Co. Ltd & Asia Holidays Travel & Tours Ltd. Today, the group offers a wide range of tours from classic to incentive programs. As the company continues to develop, phoenix voyages group will always remain loyal to its philosophy of putting emphasis on clientele personalized services first. The group operates in 8 countries Vietnam Myanmar Thailand Laos Cambodia North Korea South Korea Indonesia Founding partner of : Dynamic DMC's Network is looking for A FRENCH SALES SPECIALIST F/M French national or native French speaker. Position available as soon as possible. Location : Myanmar (Yangon) MAIN ROLE: Under the direct supervision of the Sales Manager, this position will be responsible of the following tasks : 1. Handle specific requests from the Tour Operators and FIT clients: receiving requests, organizing programs and coordinating directly with the Tour Operators, FIT clients in proposing programs and implementing the agreed sales activities with the clients. 2. Develop sales as per the established sales budgets. 3. Involve and responsible for checking invoices of accounts which are assigned to him/her and that the invoices are dispatch on time. 4. Responsible to escort clients as and when required. 5. Responsible for updating the data base by informing the Marketing Department of any changes and/or additions to contact persons of accounts which are assigned to him/her. 6. Organize and follow-up Sales and Marketing activities in coordination with the respective Heads of Department. 7. Get involve in the production and product development. 8. Organize and follow-up local public relations and local sales. 9. Report all activities and issues to the Director of Sales. 10. Other duties that may be required from time to time. POSITIONS REQUIREMENTS : - French citizen or French speaking native - Minimum 1-2 years experience in a travel agency, tour operator or a DMC - Relevant diploma in Tourism (BTS/Bachelor or MBA) - Experience in Asia - Technical tourism skills - Excellent English level. - Good Microsoft skills (outlook/word/excel) - Creative minded to support our product development - Positive attitude, motivated, ambitious and know how to think out of the box - Ability to work under pressure and support the office workload - Must be a person of high integrity, full of energy, as well as results-oriented - Ability to work independently as well as within a team - High customer service oriented STRONG ADVANTAGES IF APPLICANT IS/HAS : "It is a very important legislation. For a long time we have been hearing about a lot of projects which are not getting completed," says a buyer. By Manogya Loiwal : High hopes are pinned on Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) as it is yet to be implemented in West Bengal. However, several consumers, who have been facing problems in getting the possession of their property feel that they will soon see better opportunities. Anshu Ruia (34) had put in his hard-earned money into DLF Galleria in eastern part of Kolkata in 2008. The building was ready by 2013 and the company had asked him to sign an agreement stating a no claim police and wait for agreement. advertisement However, Anshu refused to sign the agreement making it all the more difficult for him to acquire the property. He had paid all dues amounting to around Rs 1 crore for a commercial property that he brought for personal use. However, Anshu is yet to inhabit his property. "I had booked this property in 2008 and in 2013 I paid the entire money including stamp duty and registration charges. But despite that they did not give me possession of my property," he said. He added that he has been making frequent trips to get possession and the developer is taking advantage of his circumstances. "Such developers take the advantage of their might and our hard-earned money is lost. We still don't know how to get justice," he said. Anshu even approached the consumer court but to no avail. The builders and developers of West Bengal have welcomed the Parliament's move. "It is a very important legislation. For a long time we have been hearing about a lot of projects which are not getting completed. A lot of buyers are facing difficulties in getting possession and lack of transparency in many documentations. This is intended to address the whole issue. Developers will have to be more transparent and more upfront with their proposals and the buyers will also have the rights to certain grievance management or grievance redressal mechanisms in case certain things don't happen," said Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group. "Earlier, there was a feeling that it would be difficult when you have already built something on the basis of a super built-up area, how do you now talk about carpet area? Or for that matter how do you now put the money into a account act. But obviously that needs to be done and it is pretty understandable that buyers of those under-construction units also have to be given some protection. They have given some time for the builders to be able to come up and be able to comply with that. It is certainly not easy, but I am sure it is possible. The impact of the RERA will obviously be a positive one. The serious builders of the developer community will experience a good profit and the casual people will face difficulties. It will also be difficult for the people who failed to maintain," Neotia added. advertisement But there are political layers also to dash the hopes by delaying the implementation in the state. Housing, Environment Minister of West Bengal and Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Sovan Chatterjee explains the reasons, "It is not an easy job to implement the RERA in West Bengal because of the situation and circumstances of this place, which is changing very rapidly. There are certain complications if this act needs to be implemented worldwide. We are not overruling the RERA system. We have taken their suggestions and have also discussed this issue, where various people were invited who were interested for the implementation of RERA." "It has also been discussed whether this act will be accommodated within the state law or the national law and we are still to decide and get into a conclusion. There are certain procedures which are inter-related which makes the act a bit hard to implement at this point. I am a part of the municipal board for thirty three years and I have experienced a lot which gives me a view that how difficult it is to implement this act, but we are definitely working on the process so that the act gets implemented soon. There is also a lot of legal procedures which needs to be followed and many cooperative and packaging systems at the same time. Unless the whole procedure gets sorted, we cannot conclude the whole fact. We are looking forward to implement the act but will it follow the RERA system or the RERA spirit of the system we don't know. We even need to look for the criteria of the West Bengal government and how does it match there," said Chatterjee. advertisement Despite the change, people like Anshu Ruia who have spent more than the principal amount on fighting litigations continuing to wait. Ruia has said that moves like RERA have come as a ray of hope. "I am looking forward to RERA because I have gone through the act which was passed and is really beneficial for consumers specially when there loopholes in consumer protection act which this developer took advantage of but they are very well covered in RERA," Anshu said. advertisement ALSO READ: What is RERA or Real Estate Regulatory Act? How will it impact your home buying? No RERA for you: Chennai home buyers in limbo after Tamil Nadu fails to ratify act before deadline ALSO WATCH: Home buyer finally the king: Real Estate Act comes into force --- ENDS --- Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : TRAVEL AUTHENTIC ASIA OFFERS THE MYSTICAL ANGKOR WAT TOUR PACKAGE Industry: Tours Travel Authentic Asia specializes in offering guided day trips to explore Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand including the Mystical Angkor Wat tour package in Cambodia. (TRAVPR.COM) VIETNAM - May 3rd, 2017 - Cambodia boasts an intoxicating present ascending to the realm of the gods, Angkor Wat, descending into hell at Tuol Sleng Prison and much more. On a tour to Cambodia, travel enthusiasts get to experience both inspiring and depressing that is found nowhere else. This is why Travel Authentic Asia provides specialized tour packages to discover the spectacular sightings of Cambodia, including the Angkor Wat tour package which covers the beautiful adventure of Angkor Wat, a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument around the world, extending 162.2 hectares. Upon choosing Angkor Wat tour, visitors will get to experience a different story than that by others. The innovative tour itineraries and authentic travel style make the trip to this mesmeric land a real life experience. Anywhere the nature enthusiasts travel in this Cambodian site, the things to do and see will be exception. No matter what, extraordinary experiences of Cambodia adventure is assured with Travel Authentic Asia. The Mystical Angkor Wat tour package at Travel Authentic Asia starts with arrival at Siem Reap where vacationers will be greeted by professional tour guide at the airport. Then the tour package takes to Choueng Kneas Village a typical floating village on the great lake Tonle Sap where one can take the boat to know the real life of Cambodia on the water. Then the tour to Angkor Wat is followed by a Cambodian cuisine for dinner in a local restaurant. However, the tour package takes a trip to the countryside on the newly paved road to the temple of Banteay Srei the gem of the Angkor area that remains as the most preserved temple in Cambodia showcasing some of the finest classical Khmer art of carving. Hence, choosing The Mystical Angkor Wat Tour Package allows travelers to go deep into Siem Reap, Banteay Srei Ta Prohm Grand Circuit, Angkor Thom City and much more sightings to explore. Booking our tour package to discover Angkor Wat offers a unique opportunity to discover Angkor Wat. Just you need to let us know about your travel requirements and well create your itinerary and make it your style ensuring wonderful holiday experiences you deserve. When you book The Mystical Angkor Wat Tour Package with us, be sure of getting all aspects of life of the places you want to travel in. If you need a chance to experience, learn and share values of life in Cambodia, feel free to book The Mystical Angkor Wat Tour Package with Travel Authentic Asia as soon as possible, says one of the spokespersons of Travel Authentic Asia. About The Company: Travel Authentic Asia is a responsible and dependable tour operator offering tailor-made tour itineraries covering countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam including The Mystical Angkor Wat Tour Package. Being a well-known name in the industry, the travel company is dedicated to ensure incredible experiences fulfilling your ultimate travel spirit and delight. Website: http://www.travelauthenticasia.com/package-tours/cambodia-tours/mystical-angkor.aspx ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release : CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Le Xuan Son Company: Travel Authentic Asia Phone: 84432171029 Email: info@travelauthenticasia.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS Infosys will also open four new centres in the US as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of H1-B visa curbs. By Press Trust of India: The Trump administration today welcomed the decision by IT giant Infosys to hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years as a "political victory", saying it was the result of the US government's "pro-growth economic agenda." Infosys announced yesterday that it would hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years and open four new centres in the US as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of H1-B visa curbs. advertisement The first of the four innovation centres for new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning would open in August in Indiana, the home state of US Vice-President Mike Pence. The White House said the decision was further evidence that companies were renewing investment in the US as a result of the Trump administration's "pro-growth economic agenda." "This announcement by Infosys today adds to similar announcements from Intel, Charter Communications, and Exxon Mobil, all of whom are renewing investment in the US in the wake of the Trump administration's pro-growth economic agenda," Ninio Fetalvo, a White House spokesman told PTI. "We are glad to see companies like Infosys see an opportunity in the American economy again", Fetalvo said. Fetalvo said the announcement was "especially notable in light of the President's signing of the Buy American and Hire American executive order", which ensured that companies hire more Americans for well-playing jobs. H-1B VISA ACCUSATION Earlier, in a statement to The Washington Post, the White House termed the announcement by the Bangalore-based tech firm a political victory for the Trump administration, which has on several occasions accused outsourcing firms of "unfairly" taking jobs away from the US. The US had accused Infosys and its larger rival Tata Consultancy Services of unfairly cornering the lion's share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system. Every year, the US grants 65,000 H-1B visas while another 20,000 are set aside for those with advanced degrees. At a White House briefing last month, an official of the Trump administration said a small number of giant outsourcing firms flood the system with applications, which naturally ups their chances of success in the lottery draw. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire thousands of employees each year for their US operations. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of US President Donald Trump. He last month signed an executive order that seeks to make changes to a H-1B visa programme that brings in highly-skilled foreign workers. advertisement The White House says the executive order will make it harder for tech firms to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour, and will strengthen rules, barring foreign contractors from bidding on government projects. ALSO READ: Donald Trump urges future government shutdown, easier passage of laws May Day rallies across US target Donald Trump's immigration policy ALSO WATCH: Trump's curb on H-1B work visas: A big blow to Indian IT sector --- ENDS --- When a prospective groom in UP asked his could-be bride to spell some Hindi words, she aced it. But when the girl asked him to do the same, he failed and, hence, lost the girl. By India Today Web Desk: A girl from Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district, who had studied only till class 5, refused to marry a man because he could not spell words correctly in Hindi. The prospective groom, hailing from Farakkabad, met the girl in Mainpuri's Numaish Ground with his family. When the duo started talking, the man took out a diary and asked the woman to write a few words in Hindi. advertisement The girl wrote everything correct and the man agreed to marry her. But, when she asked him to do the same, the result did not match her expectations. Reportedly, she asked the man to write down words such as "Saampradaayik" (Communal), "Drishtikona" (Viewpoint) and his address. When he misspelled the words and even his address, she refused to form any alliance with him. Family members and relatives tried to counsel the woman but she stuck to her decision. Also read: In Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh, cows get an ambulance service Also read: Uttar Pradesh: Woman chased by mob, shot dead outside police station as cops turn spectators --- ENDS --- The ambulance will rescue injured and ill cows and then take them to 'gau shalas' or a veterinary clinic for treatment. By India Today Web Desk: Days after the Centre proposed an Aadhaar-like unique identification (UID) number for cows, the Uttar Pradesh government has started an ambulance service for cows. The 'Gauvansh Chikitsa Mobile Vans' service was flagged by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday, reported The Hindu. The ambulance will rescue injured and ill cows and then take them to 'gau shalas' or a veterinary clinic for treatment. advertisement HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW AMBULANCE SERVICE FOR COWS: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya flagged off five 'Gauvansh Chikitsa Mobile Vans' from his official residence in Lucknow on Monday. Simultaneously, a toll-free number was also released for people to inform authorities about ill or injured cows. Each ambulance will have a veterinarian and an assistant. The ambulance service for cows will be available in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Mathura and Allahabad in the first phase. The ambulance service for cows will be run in association with NREGA Mazdoor Kalyan Sangathan. The organisation, in its brochure, says that it will act against those who abandon their cows once they stop giving milk. The Sangathan also promises to act against municipality officials if cows are forced to eat polythene or plastic items on streets, The Hindu reported. In Madhya Pradesh too, an ambulance service for cows has been introduced in Khargone district to rescue injured and ill bovines. ALSO READ: Aadhaar-like UID number for cows to check smuggling, suggests Centre in report to Supreme Court Mohan Bhagwat: Condemn violence over cow slaughter, but want law banning it across India Owaisi slams BJP over beef 'hypocrisy', says cow 'mummy' in UP, 'yummy' in Northeast ALSO WATCH --- ENDS --- New Delhi, May 3 The government will shortly come out with an ordinance to empower the Reserve Bank to effectively deal with the problem of mounting bad loans in the banking sector. A proposal to amend Section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act through the ordinance route was approved by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The amendment will empower the RBI to issue direction to banks to recover non-performing assets (NPAs) from loan defaulters. The Section 35A empowers the Reserve Bank to issue directions to the banks in the public interest and depositors. Briefing reporters about the Cabinet meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government has taken some important decisions in respect of the banking sector. "There is a convention that when some proposal is referred to the President, then details of it cannot be disclosed till it is approved. As soon as approval comes, details will be shared," he said. PSBs are saddled with non-performing assets or bad loans to the tune of a staggering Rs 6 lakh crore. Bad loans rose by over Rs 1 lakh crore in the first nine months of last fiscal to Rs 6.07 lakh crore by December 31, 2016. Gross NPA of PSBs stood at Rs 5.02 lakh crore at the end of March 2016, up from Rs 2.67 lakh crore at the end of March 2015. The amended law will also empower RBI to set up oversight panels that will shield bankers from later action by probe agencies looking into loan recasts. Banks have been reluctant to resolve NPAs through settlement schemes or sell bad loans to asset reconstruction companies for fear of being hauled up by investigation agencies. Once the law is amended, RBI will be able to give specific solutions for specific cases and also, if required, look at providing relaxation in terms of current guidelines, said a senior government official aware of the deliberations. Last month, Jaitley had said NPA resolution mechanism was being worked out with the RBI which will put enough pressure on borrowers to settle dues. "You see, the amounts are large, but the amounts are restricted. It's not that hundreds and thousands of businesses have created this problem. The problem of big NPA is confined essentially to 30-40, at best 50 companies, and therefore, those 40-50 accounts need to be resolved," he had said. During resolution of NPAs, several issues like finding buyers and strategic partners come up, the minister had said. Jaitley had gone on to say that "if you look at the whole structure, there are enough instruments available for settlements as far as the banking system is concerned. There are different legislations where action can be taken". According to sources, the joint lenders' forum (JLF) is expected to be overhauled to facilitate quick decision making. Instead of being a resolution mechanism, the JLF has become a delaying tool for big defaulters because as per the guidelines, restructuring needs approval of 60 per cent of consortium lenders which more often than not eludes, sources added. As per the existing JLF guidelines, if a restructuring package is approved by 75 per cent of creditors by value and 60 per cent of creditors by number, other banks have to go along with it. Besides, the sources said there could be provision which will make wilful default a criminal offence. PTI San Francisco, May 3 Apple sold 50.8 million iPhones in the first three months of 2017, down one per cent year-on year, according to the company's second quarter results. Apple CEO Tim Cook blamed a "pause" as customers wait for the next iPhone which is due to release later this year, the BBC reported on Tuesday. Apple announced on Tuesday financial results for its fiscal 2017 second quarter ended April 1, 2017 and posted quarterly revenue of $52.9 billion and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $2.10. The company hit an all-time high before its shares fell nearly two per cent in after-hours trading. Apple's earnings per share were higher than expected at $2.10, compared to $2.02 while its market cap slipped to $765 billion during after hours trading due to the poor results. Apple reported a 4.6 per cent rise in revenue across the whole company to $52.9 billion, slightly below analysts' forecasts. "The dip in iPhone sales was offset by services, including Apple Pay, iCloud and the App store, which recorded an 18 per cent increase in sales to $7 billion," the report noted. Due to the robust sales of its iPhone 7 Plus, the revenue from iPhones climbed one per cent to $33.2 billion. The quarterly profits of Apple were $11 billion worldwide, up 4.9 per cent from the same period in 2016. Apple also plans to return an extra $50 billion to shareholders. According to analysts at GlobalData Retail, Apple's revenue from iPhones is $7 billion less than the same period two years ago. "We highlight these facts not to be unduly harsh to Apple, but to indicate that the company has only partially emerged from the slump that hit it over the last fiscal year," the report quoted Neil Saunders, Managing Director of GlobalData Retail, as saying. "In our view, the company's mature product line up and an absence of any significant new devices mean it has struggled to regain all of the lost ground," he added. Also, revenue from China dropped 14 per cent but Cook partly blamed currency fluctuations for dip. According to a senior analyst at Canalsys Tim Coulling, the Chinese smartphone market is highly competitive that offer cheaper products and are full of features similar to an Apple phone. As the company has authorised share repurchase to $210 billion from the $175 billion level, Apple now has 5.25 million shares outstanding, compared with the 5.76 million shares outstanding it had in March 2015. IANS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 3 To deal with the stray dog menace, the municipal corporations of the tricity join hands today. At a meeting of officials, mayors, senior deputy mayors and deputy mayors of all three municipal corporations, it was decided that a joint coordination team would be formed to deal with the menace. Chandigarh Mayor Asha Jaswal had called a meeting of the mayors of Panchkula and Mohali, along with all sarpanches of Chandigarh, at the MC office in Sector 17, Chandigarh, today to discuss stray dog management and rabies control in the tricity. The meeting was attended by Panchkula Mayor Upinder Kaur Walia, Panchkula Senior Deputy Mayor SS Nanda, Mohali Deputy Mayor Manjit Singh, Chandigarh MC Commissioner B Purushartha, Mohali MC Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman and other officials. At the meeting, it was decided to form a coordination committee of the tricity civic bodies having all officers concerned to hold a monthly meeting regarding stray dog management and rabies control. At these meetings, data regarding the number of stray dogs vaccinated, sterilised and treated throughout the month will be shared with each other so that the exact number of increasing population of dogs and sterilisation can be recorded. Members pitched for strict implementation of the Animal Birth-Control Programme and to create public awareness by involving dog lovers and NGOs. Officials play blame game At the meeting, Chandigarh officials accused their Panchkula and Mohali counterparts of not carrying out sterilisation seriously, which had increased the problem in Chandigarhl. Panchkula and Mohali representatives said the Chandigarh MC staff had left stray dogs in their area. 'The Chandigarh MC will begin the latest stray dog census in July. The Panchkula and Mohali MCs have also been requested to do the same. The joint coordination committee will work towards finding a solution to the stray dog menace in the tricity." Asha Jaswal, Chandigarh Mayor "Chandigarh residents leave dogs in Panchkula at night, which is behind the high dog population in Panchkula. I request Chandigarh residents not to do so." Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia, Panchkula Mayor 39 dog-bite cases According to Chandigarh MC officials, 39 dog-bite cases were reported at different hospitals in the city on Wednesday. Sterilisation in UT villages too At the meeting, in which sarpanches of UT villages also participated, it was decided that the sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccine programme would also be started in villages. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 3 Keeping in view the wide use of mobile phones on school campuses and the resultant ill-effects, the UT Education Department has banned the carrying of mobile phones by teachers and students of government schools to the classrooms, laboratory and other academic areas of the schools. The school heads have also been asked to confiscate the mobile phones being carried by students on school campuses. An order to this effect has been issued by the District Education Officer to the heads of all government schools. The order states, It has been found that the use of mobile phones on the premises of schools causes distraction, interferes with concentration and the learning atmosphere as the students tend to use the short message service (SMS) during the class and may pay little attention towards studies. The order further states, The silent mode of the cellphone can also equally impair the performance of a teacher in the class. Camera phone is many times used in an inappropriate way on school campuses, creating MMS scandals. The DEO also refers to the directive of the CBSE on restriction on the use of mobile phones in schools by teachers and students. The use of mobile phone can be a serious cause of distraction, lack of concentration, anxiety, fear and sometimes even misuse, the DEOs letter states. The order also requests the school heads to provide a separate place for teachers to keep their mobile phones. The DEO has directed the school heads to provide the school landline number or other alternative number which can be used by students and teachers to make emergency phone calls, if need be. The DEO has further asked the school heads to get the directions signed by the entire school staff and intimate the students during the morning assembly and in the classroom.A signboard/notice may also be affixed at the school entrance or prominent places of the school building for information of students, parents, visitors and teachers, states the order. G Parthasarathy EVER since the Soviet invasion of December 1979, Afghanistan has been the virtual epicentre of global geopolitical rivalries. Afghans assert that the main cause for their misery and suffering has been the policies and ambitions of their malevolent neighbour, Pakistan. While there was a significant reduction in external rivalries immediately after the post-9/11 American-led military intervention in 2001, the prospects for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan have now receded. The US and its NATO allies have deep differences with Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran on the way forward for restoring peace in Afghanistan. India and Afghanistans Central Asian neighbours regard the role of the Taliban and its ISI mentors with deep suspicions and misgivings. There has been no change in Pakistans policies of seeking a takeover of Afghanistan by radical Islamist groups it backs, like the Haqqani Network and the Taliban. India has legitimate concerns, based on past experiences, that a Pakistan-sponsored takeover of Afghanistan will lead to Afghanistan again becoming a centre for Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and aircraft hijacking directed against New Delhi. China has provided very little economic assistance to the democratically elected government in Afghanistan. Beijing has, however, used the ISI to strengthen ties with the Taliban, while backing Pakistans efforts to promote a dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghanistan government. These joint Chinese/Pakistani efforts, earlier backed by the Obama administration, and designed to promote the Taliban as an equal partner in its talks with the internationally recognised and elected Afghanistan government, predictably failed. No self-respecting Afghanistan government can, or will, recognise the ISI-backed Taliban as an equal partner in talks about the future of the country. With the Americans occupied in presidential elections, Russia entered the scene. Joined by China and Pakistan, Moscow tried to corner the Afghanistan government by seeking to act as a mediator/facilitator in promoting a dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban. The Afghanistan government rejected Moscows offer, which echoed Pakistans strategic priorities. New Delhi also saw these developments as a diplomatic effort by Russia, Pakistan and China to give the Taliban unacceptable international legitimacy. As the Indian and Afghan displeasure and unease became evident, the Russians broadened the talks to include India, Iran, the Central Asian republics and the US. The US declined to join, saying that Russia had not answered its queries on what the precise purpose of the Moscow talks was. The recent round of talks in Moscow with the expanded membership ended inconclusively. Backed by New Delhi, Afghanistan rejected Moscows moves to act as the good Samaritan in brokering talks between the Taliban and the Afghanistan government. The Taliban, in turn, with a so-called office in Qatar, wants to be treated as an equal participant in any talks with the elected Afghanistan government. Going beyond the limits that China has observed in its ties with the Taliban, Moscow has significantly broadened its contacts with the Taliban, in collusion with Pakistan. According to the Americans and the Afghanistan government, Russia has supplied the Taliban medium weapons, including machine guns. Moscow has also evidently persuaded Iran, its ally in Syria, to back its moves in Afghanistan. Given the American hostility towards it, Tehran has duly obliged Moscow, even though it had earlier worked together with India and Russia to back the Northern Alliance against the Taliban. It was amidst these developments that the US National Security Adviser Lt Gen McMaster recently visited Kabul, Islamabad and Delhi. The visit came in the wake of the Trump administration authorising the use of a massive ordnance airburst bomb (MOAB) against the IS positions in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan. This bombing may have looked spectacular, but was not particularly meaningful. Speaking in Kabul, McMaster averred that the US was weighing diplomatic, military and economic responses to the Taliban and the IS in Afghanistan, adding: Pakistan must pursue its interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere, through the use of diplomacy and not through the use of proxies. Zalmay Khalilzad, who was the Bush administrations ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, is now in touch with the Trump team on developments in Afghanistan. Khalilzad has indicated that the Trump administration will work with Afghanistan to make it self-reliant and to prevent the country from becoming a terrorist haven again. As this will involve working closely with US allies, Trumps policies on Afghanistan are to be finalised before the G7 Summit in Italy on May 15. While it appears evident that there will be no precipitous US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Khalilzads remarks suggest that while the US and Nato military logistical and training missions and economic support to Afghanistan will continue, the Afghan army will have to be professionalised and trained for combat to meet national challenges. The brutal killing of over 140 soldiers in the northern Balkh province by the Taliban should incentivise the Afghan army to raise its levels of professionalism and strike back vigorously. Pakistans continuing links with global terrorism have been reconfirmed by information that Bin Ladens successor, Ayman al Zawahiri, is now known to be living under ISI protection in Karachi. With the US forces still fighting the Al-Qaeda in Yemen and elsewhere, India and Afghanistan would be well advised to mount a diplomatic offensive in the US and elsewhere, to expose Pakistans continuing support for radicalism and global Islamic terrorism. Regionally, India will have to engage Iran, the Central Asian republics and Russia about the need to render unqualified support to the elected Afghanistan government and back its efforts for internal reconciliation. In the meantime, we will have to await the result of the policy review on Afghanistan by the Trump administration, even as we continue to provide economic and military assistance to Afghanistan. Given the growing strategic nexus between China and Pakistan, it would be futile to believe that the Afghanistan policies of either can be influenced by India. Pakistan can be persuaded to change its policies on Afghanistan only if we cooperate with others in raising the costs domestically and internationally for its armys GHQ in Rawalpindi, in cooperation with others, who are similarly inclined. New Delhi will, no doubt, be considering what can and needs to be done on this score. Tribune News Service Palampur (Dsala), May 3 National president of the BJP Amit Shah today said no decision had been taken on the name of Chief Minister for the Assembly elections. During a press conference here, when asked over the CMs face for the elections, Amit Shah, in a crisp reply, said, No decision has been taken over it. When mediapersons persisted, he reiterated that he was not going to add anything over it. When asked about the probability of some Congress leaders joining the BJP in Himachal, Shah said across the country many Congress leaders were joining the party. In Himachal, I do not know about any Congress leader joining it. It is for the state unit of the BJP to decide over the issue, Amit Shah said. Amit Shah also said BJP could have many new faces in the Assembly elections. He also said the BJP was ready for election any time and would secure three-fourth majority in the Assembly. The national president also attacked CM Virbhadra Singh over corruption charges. He said, I have not seen any other political leader who is wearing the corruption charges as badges. Though Virbhadra Singh has been accusing the NDA government for cases against him, they were filed during the stint of the UPA government. He said Virbhadra was saved in cases due to legal manoeuvres, but the noose was now tightening around him. The state government was being run by retired bureaucrats, forest mafia and corrupt people, Amit Shah said. He also alleged that the government was not being able to utilise the liberal grants being provided by the Modi government. Under the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission, Himachal Government used to get Rs 11,131 crore per annum from its share in the Central taxes. Under the NDA government, under the recommendations of 14th commission, the state would get Rs 28,225 crore. For disaster management under the UPA government, Himachal used to get Rs 650 crore per annum. The amount had been increased by the NDA government to Rs 1,174 crore. The grant for local bodies in Himachal during the UPA government was Rs 642 crore and it had been increased to 2,117 crore under present NDA government. The NDA government had given an additional 3,900 km road to Himachal as national highways. However, the state government had failed to prepare even the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the sanctioned roads, Amit Shah alleged. Senior leaders, including Union Minister for Health JP Nadda, former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and BJP MP from Kangra and former CM Shanta Kumar and state president of the party Satpal Satti accompanied Amit Shah during the conference. GOVT KEENLY WATCHING J&K SITUATION, SAYS PARTY CHIEF Dharamsala: The Union government was keenly watching the happenings in Jammu and Kashmir and would take every necessary action to control the deteriorating law and order situation there. BJP national president Amit Shah said this when asked to comment on the worsening situation in Jammu and Kashmir during a press conference here today. Amit Shah said that he would be going around the country till September for expansion of the BJP. I shall be spending two to three days in each state to review the working of the state organizations of the BJP, he said. He further said the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would complete three years in power by the end of this month. While the stint of the previous UPA government was marred with scams worth about Rs 12 lakh crores, no allegation of corruption could be levelled against the present NDA government even by the opposition leaders. The Indian economy was growing at a fast pace. The people of the country had supported the historic demonetization decision taken by the Prime Minister for checking corruption in the country. Amit Shah also said that the popularity of the PM had increased in the country. This was illustrated in the form of heavy mandate in favour of the BJP in elections to four states held recently. He said the government had launched 105 schemes that had helped the poor in the country. The development model of the PM was being praised across the world. tns NDA GAVE MORE TO HP Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, May 3 Union Health Minister JP Nadda stole the limelight during the visit of BJP president Amit Shahs visit to Kangra today, indicating his future role in state politics. Nadda was in-charge of the reception of Shah at the Gaggal airport. He accompanied Shah at the airport and introduced him to his supporters. Shah came out of the airport in an open jeep greeting BJP workers and leaders who had gathered there to welcome him. Nadda was prominent with Shah in the jeep unlike the veteran BJP leaders Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal. Later, while travelling from the airport to the Budha castle resort near Palampur, where the BJP meeting was scheduled, only Nadda accompanied Shah in his vehicle. At the airport, many BJP leaders left no stone unturned to impress the national president. Former minister Kishan Kapoor danced with his gaddi supporters who had gathered in good numbers at the airport. Former minister and sitting BJP MLA from Shahpur Sarween Chaudhary also danced with BJP workers from the gaddi community. Outside the airport, former MLA from Nurpur Rakesh Pathania presented a show of strength with his supporters. Some supporters of Nadda said it was for the first time that they had seen him at his aggressive best. Later during the press conference also, the decision to select the journalists who could pose questions was left to Nadda. Shah is here till tomorrow. He would hold meetings with core group members of the BJP and editors of some newspapers to gauge the mood of public in Himachal. He will also discuss the party strategy for the Assembly elections. Senior BJP leaders from the state, including Shanta Kumar, former CMPrem Kumar Dhumal, Satpal Satti and Anurag Thakur, BJP MP from Hamirpur, will also attend the meetings to be chaired by Amit Shah. Arun Joshi Tribune News Service Jammu, May 2 China has virtually announced its role as a mediator in the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan to fulfil its responsibility as a stabilising force and conflict mediator in South Asia. The state-run Global Times has focused on the Kashmir dispute and its resolution through Chinese intervention and said Beijing has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts. China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, but that doesnt mean Beijing can turn a deaf ear to the demands of Chinese enterprise in protecting the overseas investments, an article in the newspaper said. China has invested $54 billion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including Gilgit. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Beijing has already stationed its troops for the safety of its workers in Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of PoK and has turned a deaf ear to the Indian objections that it was undertaking projects in territory that is legally and constitutionally part of India. Last Dogra king of Jammu and Kashmir had acceded the entire state as it existed before the tribesmens invasion of the state to India in 1947. The article, however, prods Beijing by saying, Mediating between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue would perhaps be one of the toughest challenges facing China in dealing with regional affairs to safeguard its overseas interests (read CPEC). China has shifted its stand that Kashmir is a bilateral issue to be resolved by New Delhi and Islamabad. It had stuck to this stand vociferously in 1999 when it advised Pakistan to adhere to the sanctity of the Line of Control and withdraw its troops and proxies from the Indian side of the LoC. Things have since changed at diplomatic and geo-strategic levels. Pakistan during negotiations on Siachen glacier sought Chinese involvement in deciding the fate of the worlds highest battleground, most part of which is under Indias control. The Karakoram highway, the lifeline of CPEC, runs across the edges of the glacier. Kashmiri separatists, considered as His Masters Voice of Pakistan, have often called for Chinese role in settling the Kashmir dispute. The Ministry of External Affairs has been dismissing these as peripheral noises, maintaining India and Pakistan can resolve it bilaterally. Now, China has announced it is willing to acquire a new role as a mediator as it is doing in the case of Myanmar and Bangladesh over Rohingya refugees. The One Belt, One Road runs through Myanmar too. China has brought Kashmir on its agenda. It needs to be understood. Beijing says it now has vested interest Given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts, including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Article in state-run Global Times Rifat Mohidin Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 3 Minister for Education Syed Altaf Bukhari met Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar in Delhi today to discuss issues relating to the education sector in the Valley. From the recent student protests in the Valley as a result of which colleges were shut for nearly a week to infrastructural issues in educational institutions, the Education Minister told The Tribune that crucial issues were discussed with a positive outcome. The issues related to recent student protests were discussed. We are trying to increase the co-curricular activities in the educational institutions, Bukhari told The Tribune over the phone from Delhi after meeting the Union Minister. The Education Minister said he had told the Union Human Resource Development Minister that the recent student protests in Kashmir should not be linked with the overall political situation as it was the outcome of use of force by the police against students of Government Degree College, Pulwama. I made it clear that this (student protests) could have happened in any part of the country as the students of the degree college were beaten up, resulting in protests in other educational institutions. The inquiry report also established that the police had trespassed on the college campus, the minister said. The minister said the situation in all educational institutions had returned to normal and the classes were taking place smoothly. He, however, maintained that measures were being taken so that those responsible for recent protests were not allowed on the premises of the educational institutions. The Education Minister said seven girl hostels had been allotted to the state. He said the issues relating to the Prime Ministers Special Scholarship Scheme were also discussed, adding that diplomas will be covered under the initiative from this session. The seats for J&K students in 280 engineering colleges have been increased to 10 each. Now, there will be 2,800 seats for J&K students in engineering colleges in the country, the minister said. Sumit Hakhoo Tribune News Service Jammu, May 3 Displaced Pandits have urged the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to give due consideration to the plight of 3.5 lakh Kashmiri Hindus who were forced to leave their homeland by militant groups inspired by Islamic extremist ideology in 1989-90. In the backdrop of attacks by militants on Pandit habitations and vandalism of transit camps housing minority community employees by stone- throwing mobs during the 2016 unrest, human rights activists have urged the UN body to take note of fact that Pandits have been denied the right to live in the Valley by armed groups, sponsored by Pakistan. Today, a memorandum has been submitted to the Universal Periodic Review Group of the UNHRC at Geneva on India Reporting through the United Nations Office in New Delhi by human rights activists Utpal Koul and Ashwani Chrangoo, president, Panun Kashmir (PK), a frontal organisation of the community. While there is a big agenda for discussion in the meeting regarding India Reporting, we take this opportunity to bring to your kind notice our plight under the category attack on religious minorities and human rights violations in Kashmir. Pandits are victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing and mass exodus inflicted upon us by Pakistan-sponsored and guided terrorists since 1990, says the memorandum. It is important to present the other side of story. Several human rights bodies have highlighted and raised the issue of the Pandit community, who faced onslaught from terror groups in the Valley, said Ashwani Chrangoo. The memorandum says that it has been observed since long that UN bodies have been fed with a one-sided story of the Kashmir situation by activists funded by separatist elements in Kashmir. It claims that terror groups, inspired by religious extremism, also made non-Muslims, particularly the minority Hindus, targets in the hilly areas of the Jammu region and conducted a large number of organised massacres. A large part of these hapless Hindus also continue to live as displaced people outside their historical habitat. Due to the growing incidents of terror attacks in the Valley and opposition by separatists to resettle Pandits back, it is hard for the community to return to their homes, said Utpal Koul, a human rights activist. Rights bodies on exodus of Hindus Srinagar, May 3 Suspected militants on Wednesday targeted two banks in south Kashmir's Pulwama district within a span of two hours and decamped with several lakh rupees. In the first case, four armed militants entered the Wahibugh branch of Elaquai Dehati Bank around 1.50 pm and looted around Rs 3-4 lakh at gunpoint before fleeing, a police official said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) A police team rushed to the scene after the bank employees informed them of the incident. A hunt was launched to arrest the robbers and recover the money, the official said. The second robbery took place at the Nehama branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Pulwama around 3.20 pm, the official said. A police team has rushed to the spot and the exact amount of cash looted by the armed militants is being ascertained. Militants have struck at bank assets four times in the past three days in south Kashmir. Yesterday, unidentified gunmen barged into Yaripora branch of the the Elaquai Dehati Bank that was struck today and took away Rs 65,000. On May 1, militants attacked a cash van of the Jammu and Kashmir bank, targeted today as well, and shot dead five policemen and two bank security guards in Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir. The policemen and security guards were returning to the district headquarters after delivering cash at a bank branch. The ultras had taken away four service rifles of the deceased cops. PTI Of city-based photographer Ajay Bhatias random experiments with camera, a defining moment that continues to describe his artworks came along with a technological regression of sorts. So much for your fancy digital cameras, and mobile phones, this 55-year old has taken to a camera by Leica, a German company that specialises in high-end and expensive cameras since 1914, to click photographs of Chandigarhs architecture and its public spaces romancing the nature. At the art gallery in Alliance Francaise de Chandigarh, Ajay tells us about the trivia that defines the struggles of a photographer, especially in the world thats dominated by social medias selfie experts, DSLRs, and Instagrams ingenious filters that has made a photographer out of anyone smart enough to operate a smartphone. I have operated all sorts of cameras, including the ones by Nikon, Canon, Sony, and Fuji. But during my creative exploits, I found that the more I went on to click with cameras made in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the better was the quality of pictures. For instance, the Leica camera that I am using at the moment has lenses made in the 60s and 70s. Its a rangefinder camera that has a digital sensor instead of films, says Ajay. While taking us around the gallery, he shows us pictures of Chandigarhs Capitol Complex, including The Open Hand, The Secretariat, The High Court, and the Assembly Hall. Most of these pictures explored Le Corbusiers iconic experimentation with brutalist architecture and brise soleil, the technique of creating sun shading structures in the building, like Tower of Shadows at the Capitol Complex. I love exploring Chandigarhs architecture, and the fact that I document it is my way of paying homage to the city that gave me home and livelihood since I arrived here at the age of 15, he says. Of course, Ajays dexterity remains in finding an unusual perspective to otherwise common sights, like the way he draws our focus on the snake inscribed in one of the pillars inside the Vidhan Sabha building that overlooks a pond at the complex. But we wonder if he finds buyers for his artwork, especially in the day and age of digital download. When you talk of earning your bread and butter through photography, the only way is wedding photography, fashion photography, and photo journalism, but I dont really have many takers for these photographs. Before 1920s camera was for the elites but two German companies, Leica and Zeiss, made affordable cameras for the masses. In 70s DSLRs took over and the perspective shifted... the learning of the film-era photographers were fed as algorithms in DSLRs. However, I am a purist and my photographs are an extension of who I am. I made do with the money I saved from the catering business. I shut down years ago to take up photography and pursue it professionally since 2012, he smiles half-heartedly. In retrospect, and keeping with the title of his exhibitionremembrance of time past, we wonder if we should have asked him to say cheese! On till May 15. amarjot@tribunemail.com Chetana Vaishnavi A FEW years ago, as soon as we sat in a taxi, I nudged my partner and asked, Is he an Indian? He looks like one. He nodded and I stood petrified. This taxi driver in Chicago had a great personality. Perhaps he was a doctor or an engineer thrown into the foreign soil because of some misleading dollar dreams. We fell short of some coins while paying the bill and without turning behind, he hastily drew away to hide his identity. Just the other day, the son of somebody known to me met me in Chicago. You do not know, Madam, how I have lived in Chicago. The university I had joined did not need any attendance, and so I worked day and night delivering pizzas, working as a salesman at the gas station, and what not. How did you clear engineering? I asked perplexed. Oh, they sent me an audio cassette and I gave my exam online! He triumphantly acknowledged. I was simply taken aback. Some years ago, I dined in a London restaurant and was shocked to be served by Indian girls and boys. They were probably pursuing a course in hotel management. A few months back, I visited Melbourne on a short trip. Indians were everywhere, but unfortunately, at all the wrong places. A large number of them were seen at wayside eateries, serving and waiting on customers, picking up their plates and washing them. All of them I questioned them out of curiosity had come there for higher education, but were sucked into menial work for the sake of survival. Then one day I happened to take a lift in search of a washroom and came across a large room where at least 50 students were taking an exam. How dare you enter my school? a husky voice greeted me thus, and after mumbling an apology, I just took to my heels. Okay, I thought, so this was the one-room school where Indians took their degrees from! I remembered my acquaintance from Chicago. Driving back to the Melbourne airport, our taxi driver confided in us, I am sorry that I left India, but I am tied up here. You might know doctor... he is my uncles son... my first cousin. See how much he has achieved there in India; and look at me, where I have reached. My father is a distinguished officer and my father-in-law is a reputed.... I feel sorry for all the misguided Indian youth who rush to foreign shores to pursue their dollar dreams and do all kinds of menial work for foreigners. Here in India, they wouldnt lift a finger to do any such work. One must realise that Indians are hard working and sincere, and foreigners look upon them as cheap labour. Every time any of my known people brag that their son or daughter is living abroad, I can well imagine what they must be doing. New Delhi, May 3 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday averted a crisis when its disgruntled founder leader Kumar Vishwas agreed not to quit, while Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who took him on, was suspended from the party. Khan, had accused Vishwas of being a "BJP-RSS agent" and plotting a coup against Kejriwal. The suspension is seen as a "compromise" after Vishwas had threatened to quit the party. The AAP has also set up a disciplinary committee to look into the statements made by Khan against Vishwas. Also read: AAP down, not out: Sandhu Knives out for Amanatullah Khan in AAP AAP a sinking ship, says Yogendra Yadav In the party's Political Affairs Committee meeting, which lasted for three hours at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, a decision was made to give greater responsibility to Vishwas. "He (Vishwas) will be Rajasthan's party in-charge as the state goes to polls next year," Deputy Chief Manish Sisodia told reporters. The move comes after Vishwas, in a meeting with Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders last night, demanded stern action against Khan who had accused him of being an "RSS-BJP" agent and plotting a coup in the party, sources said. The Okhla MLA had on Monday resigned from the PAC. Vishwas had accused Khan of being a "mask" and acting at the behest of a "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal. After the emotional outburst, Vishwas had threatened to quit the party. Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had visited the Ghaziabad residence of Vishwas late in the night to pacify him. The three, along with party leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, then went to the chief minister's residence. The meeting continued until late in the night. PTI Simran Sodhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 3 Australia today allayed the fears in India over the recent changes made in the visa regime, popularly known as the 457 visa programme, and said most Indians in Australia will be able to qualify under the new regime. It also deeply condemned the recent events on the Line of Control (LoC) and said the parties should try to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully. Australias High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu, while speaking to The Tribune, said Australia has a successful migration programme and the way it works is that it has to be credible and there has to be high integrity. They have to be credible and for that we periodically review our visa programmes. What has just been announced is the outcome of the review of the 457 visa regime, she said. Sidhu explained that a decision has been taken to replace the single 457 visa with two classes of visa short-term and medium-term visa and also to tighten some of the requirements for those visas. The intention, she said, is to make sure people coming on these visas are genuinely qualified for those jobs and not exploited. Many Indians, in fact most of the Indians in Australia, who qualify under the 457 visa programme will also qualify for the new programme, she said. Most of them are in the IT sector, she added. Sidhu is headed to Punjab tomorrow for a two-day visit where she will meet members of the new Punjab Government as also the Haryana Government. She will also hold discussions with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. I would like to meet the new Punjab Government and reinforce Australias interest in working with Punjab, particularly in areas such as sports, agriculture and education. I want to take each of them forward. I will also meet members of the Haryana Government on similar issues, she said. On the mutilation of bodies of two Indian soldiers on the LoC, she said: Of course, we are deeply concerned at the developments in the region. We deeply condemn the recent events, the violence we have seen, particularly on the border. Our thoughts go out to the families of the soldiers. The envoy said Australia has been very vocal and supportive of Indias bid to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and has been reaching out to other parties also. India entering the NSG can only strengthen the non-proliferation regime, she said. Lucknow, May 3 The body of Border Security Force trooper Ram Sagar, killed by the Pakistani Army in Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated at his native Deoria on Wednesday. Earlier, Sagar's inconsolable and angry family had refused to cremate his mortal remains until Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited them. Officials informed that the Chief Minister spoke to the bereaved family late on Tuesday night and extended his sympathies to them. He also assured them a visit before the 'terhvi' (the thirteenth day post-death ritual observed by the Hindus). Angry villagers had blocked rail traffic for several hours in protest on Tuesday evening in Deoria. Adityanath is also learnt to have assured a "befitting memorial" honouring Sagar and a primary school in the village to commemorate him. Head Constable Sagar along with Punjab's Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member patrol team near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district when they were suddenly attacked by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) on Monday. Not only were Sagar and Singh killed brutally but their bodies were also mutilated. The act angered the armed forces who have since promised of a "befitting response". IANS Mumbai, May 3 Doctors treating Egyptian national Eman Ahmed have sought an apology from her sibling Shaimaa Selim, who alleged that the hospital authorities used her sister for mere publicity and made false claims about the former's weight loss. Related story: World's heaviest woman's sister denies recovery, alleges doctor is fooling us' Senior BJP leader Shaina N C also came out in support of the demand by the doctors of Saifee hospital, which treated Eman for weight loss. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) "All said and done, it would be in order for her (Shaimaa) to apologise to Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and the hospital authorities for the good work they had done for Eman. "Her action is not only an insult to the doctors and hospital authorities, but to the governments of Maharashtra and India," Shaina said. The BJP leader along with Lakdawala and Dr Aparna Bhaskar called on Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao last evening to seek an apology from Shaimaa Selim. "Eman Ahmed was looking quite well and it can be seen that she had lost considerable amount of weight," Shaina said, adding, "I have already spoken to Eman assuring her that the hospital authorities and the government are her well-wishers." The Saifee hospital has already made it clear that they would not be charging any fee from Eman's family. Eman, believed to be world's heaviest woman, weighed around 500 kg when she was brought to Saifee Hospital here in February. PTI Simran Sodhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 3 India today summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and conveyed its outrage at the barbaric act of mutilating the bodies of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan army. India also conveyed to Basit that India had concrete evidence to prove Pakistan armys role in the acts. The Pakistani envoy denied the charges but said he would convey the contents of the demarche to his government. Mincing no words, India said it considered the mutilation of its soldiers bodies a strong act of provocation. We have proof it was carried out by the Pakistan army. We have demanded from Pakistan that whoever from their army was behind this incident be punished, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. Baglay pointed to the fact that blood samples collected from the Indian soldiers and trail of blood on the Roza Nala proved that the killers had returned across the Line of Control (LoC). Sources confirmed that body parts of the soldiers were taken to the other side and the trail of blood was theirs. It was significant that the attack was preceded by cover fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in the vicinity of Battal village). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly show that the killers returned across the Line of Control, said a statement released by the MEA. Pakistan, meanwhile, has denied the charges that its army was involved in these attacks and has sought actionable evidence from India to back its claim. Pak students sent back New Delh: Fifty Pakistani students visiting India on the invitation of an NGO were sent back on Wednesday after the government advised the latter against hosting them. An NGO had invited Pakistani school students here. They came to India on the day the barbaric and inhuman act of killing and mutilating our soldiers happened, an official said. PTI New Delhi, May 3 Police have detained four members of Hindu Yuva Vahini, founded by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on suspicion of killing a Muslim man who had helped an interfaith couple elope, an investigating official said on Wednesday. A 60-year-old farmer was killed on Tuesday by a mob that included members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini. Adityanath, backed by his volunteer force, spearheaded the campaign of the BJP in this years Uttar Pradesh state polls, helping to secure a landslide victory. Since his appointment, units of the Hindu Yuva Vahini have ramped up their anti-Muslim rhetoric and launched a campaign against so-called Love Jihad - what they regard as an Islamist strategy to convert Hindu women through seduction and marriage. The case of a Hindu girl eloping with a Muslim boy led to religious tension and members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini declared it was Love Jihad, said Jagdish Sharma, a police officer leading investigations in Bulandshahr district. The Muslim farmer was beaten to death in a mango orchard after he refused to share the whereabouts of the couple, said Sharma. The spokesman of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, PK Mall, denied that any members of Adityanaths youth force had been involved in the attack. We dont want Muslims to convert Hindu girls but we are not involved in any criminal activity, he told Reuters. There is a clear conspiracy to insult Yogi Adityanath and our religious group. Reuters New Delhi, May 3 India on Wednesday said it has provided Pakistan with actionable evidence of the involvement of the Pakistani Army in the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers on Monday and demanded that Islamabad take action on the incident that again flared bilateral diplomatic tensions. Also read: BSF trooper cremated after Yogi pacifies family Respond we will, for sure, Pak told BSF: Mutilation coordinated act between Pak army, BAT CPI: Attack to worsen ties with Pakistan Give Army free hand: Antony Final salute, with anger writ large Stop being a gentleman''s army, cut three heads for one: Capt Amarinder Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said "blood samples of Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala (at the attack site) clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control. Jaishankar on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and conveyed India's outrage over the "barbaric act" and told him that the Pakistani army was involved in the May 1 incident in Jammu and Kashmir near the Line of Control. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) As part of the "actionable evidence" that Pakistan has demanded, after India accused it of being behind the killing and mutilation of the two Indian soldiers, Jaishankar said the attack on the Indian soldiers was "preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal)". Rubbishing Pakistan's claim that it was not involved in the mutilation of the bodies of the two soldiers on May 1, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said denial by Pakistan of its involvement in the mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers carried "no credibility". Pakistani military was involved in it, he told reporters. The army's Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and the BSF's Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed and their bodies mutilated in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. India says that a Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan was behind the incident close to the Line of Control.. Indian Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A.K. Bhatt had on Tuesday conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. Agencies Dehradun, May 3 Spirituality, advice on yoga and other wellness disciplines were on Prime Minister Narendra Modis agenda on Wednesday as he offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine and then flew to yoga guru Ramdevs research institute in Haridwar. The famed Himalayan shrine accorded customary VIP treatment to the prime ministerhe was the first visitor at the famed Himalayan shrine that opened its doors today after a six-month winter break. He also became the first prime minister to visit the Shiva temple after VP Singh in 1989. Excitement ran high as Modi, accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, arrived in an army chopper at the helipad built close to the temple and headed straight for the eighth century shrine located at a height of 11,755 ft near Chorabari Glacier. Braving the early morning chill, around 4,000 devotees had turned up at the temple to witness its ceremonial opening and to catch a glimpse of the prime minister, who performed a rudrabhishek (ritual bath of the Shiva lingam) in the sanctum sanctorum. He did a parikrama of the Nandi statue outside the temple before walking through the crowds to make for the convoy that was to take him back to the helipad. An hour later, Modi stepped into the chopper again to inaugurate Ramdevs research institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth. The yoga gurus consumer goods behemoth has been at the centre of several controversies over the years, ranging from allegations of misbranding to misrepresentation of its products. Late last month, Patanjalis amla juice was withdrawn from the canteens of defence forces across the country following a negative report from a Kolkata lab. Addressing the gathering, Modi rued that successive governments had sought to forget Indias traditional medicinal systems instead of promoting them. Patanjali promotes its products as homegrown alternative to western products. In the pre-independence era, the gems of our traditional systems of medicine and healthcare were deliberately kept under wraps because we were a slave country. But even in the post-independence era, unfortunately, there was an effort on the part of successive governments to forget the distinctive specialities of our traditional systems rather than promoting them, Modi said. He said the new institute, designed to facilitate clinical trials and modern packaging of ayurvedic medicines, was a big step forward towards holistic healthcare and would pave the way for a wider acceptance of Indias traditional therapeutic systems. He congratulated Ramdev for the research institute and for taking yoga to every household across the world. Ramdev conferred the title of Rashtra Rishi on Modi for his relentless efforts to build a clean, strong and united India. PTI Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, May 3 A day after two Akali workers were killed at Rukan Shah Wala village, their family members and supporters refuse to cremate their bodies. Hundreds of SAD-BJP workers today blocked the GT road (NH-95) near octroi post no. 7 in protest against the attack on the family of Akali leader Balwinder Singh wherein his father Harnam Singh and brother Joginder Singh were killed, while he sustained bullet injuries. Balwinder is the district vice-president of the SAD (Rural) and his mother Amar Kaur is a member of the village panchayat. The police have registered an FIR against Lakhwinder Singh alias Lakha Dhillon, the alleged main accused, besides his brother Ranjit Singh, Karaj Singh and several others, all of whom have allegiance to the Congress. The Akali workers, however, sought the inclusion of more names, including that of Jasmail Singh Laddi Gehri, husband of Congress MLA from Ferozepur (Rural) Satkar Kaur. Laddi was earlier booked on the charges of killing a youth, Nishan Singh, outside a polling booth at Piareanawala village in 2012. Talking to The Tribune, Joginder Singh Jindu, former Akali Dal MLA, demanded that action should also be taken against the SHO of Kulgarhi police station, claiming that had he acted on the compliant of Balwinder, the incident could have been prevented. Jindu said the protest would continue till their demands were met. Sources said SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was likely to join the protest tomorrow. Senior Akali-BJP leaders, including Vardev Singh Noni Mann, Avtar Singh Minna, Sukhpal Singh Nannu and hundreds of their supporters, sat on a dharna on the highway that led to a traffic jam. Commuters had to face a nightmare as this is the only road passing through the town and links it to Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana and other places. Noni alleged that the main accused, Lakha Dhillon, was closely associated with Laddi and other senior Congress leaders. The dharna was finally lifted around 5:35 pm when SSP Gaurav Garg reached the spot. While rebutting all allegations that the police were allegedly working under political pressure, the SSP said they were conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and anyone found guilty would not be spared irrespective of his political affiliation. The police had already launched a manhunt to nab the accused named in the FIR, he said. Sources said deceased Harnam Singh had three sons, one of whom stayed in the US, and the family was waiting for him to arrive for the cremation. Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, May 2 The mortal remains of Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh, killed in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch yesterday, were consigned to flames with full military honours at his native Vainpoin village today, amid demands of teaching Pakistan a befitting lesson for the brutal killings. Anger was palpable as the headless body of the slain soldier of 22 Sikh Infantry was brought to the village amid sloganeering by relatives and villagers. EDIT: OUTRAGE ON THE LoC The last rites were held up briefly as relatives remained adamant on seeing the body. The local administration had a tough time containing the mourners as some tried to open the coffin. The police used mild force to push them away. The mortal remains were cremated after a brief ceremony. Paramjeet Singh, 42, is survived by aged parents Udham Singh and Gurinder Kaur, wife Paramjit Kaur and three minor children daughters Simardeep Kaur and Khushdeep Kaur, and son Sahildeep Singh. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Udham Singh and son Sahildeep lit the pyre after senior Army and civil officials paid floral tributes to the soldier. Udham Singh said he was proud of his son and that Pakistan must be given a befitting reply. Earlier, the mortal remains were brought to the village in an Army helicopter around 11.40 am. The family expressed anguish at the absence of senior ministers and government functionaries from the cremation. Leader of Opposition HS Phoolka called it unfortunate. Congress MLAs Dharmveer Agnihotri and Ramanjit Singh Sikki, former SAD MLA Ravinder Singh Brahampura and SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann were present. Deputy Commissioner DPS Kharbanda said the state government had announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh and a job for a family member. Our govt once said if Pakistan kills or beheads our soldier, 10 enemy soldiers will meet the same fate, but what is happening now? Paramjit Kaur, Martyrs wife Archit Watts Tribune News Service Muktsar, May 3 In second incident in two days in Punjab, some armed men looted Rs 10.27 lakh and 50-gm gold from a bank at Sarawan Bodla village under Lambi Assembly segment in Muktsar district on Wednesday. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) As per locals, six robbers with their faces covered with cloth came on three motorcycles to the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in the village. They were carrying .12-bore rifles. Before fleeing, they took away digital video recorder (DVR) from the bank besides mobile phones of bank staff, sources said. The incident took place at about 2.40 pm. A large number of cops, including DIG, Bathinda range, Ashish Chaudhary, Muktsar SP (D) Baljit Singh and Malout SDM Vishesh sarangal reached the spot and started investigation. Talking to mediapersons outside the bank, Labh Singh, an eyewitness, said, I was inside when the robbers, with their faces covered, entered the bank and asked all of us to turn our faces towards the walls. They were carrying rifles. After taking keys from the bank staff, they looted the cash and fled. No one from the media was allowed to go inside the bank as the cops were busy conducting investigation. A team of forensic experts, too, had come to the bank to collect samples. Talking to mediapersons, Ashish Chaudhary, DIG, Bathinda range, said, Nearly Rs 10 lakh and 5-tola of gold has been looted. We are investigating the matter. On the other hand, the bank manager, who did not wish to be identified, said, I am suffering from hypertension, cant give any information. Notably, six youths, in their mid-twenties, had yesterday intercepted a cash van, fired at the driver and fled with Rs 1.33 crore on the busy Banur-Rajpura highway in Patiala district. Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur/Pathankot, May 3 A speeding Scorpio car broke a police barrier set up by the Gurdaspur police near the Behrampur police station before the Pathankot police finally intercepted it around midnight as it was speeding towards the international border. The police say the car had four to six occupants, all of whom are on the run. The car has been impounded at the Narot Jaimal Singh police station. No explosives, however, have been recovered. Pathankot SSP Vivek Sheel Soni said a massive manhunt had been launched to nab the miscreants. Despite the fact that the terror angle has been ruled out, still we are leaving nothing to chance. All routes leading to and from the city have been sealed and a dozen check posts have been established at strategic points near the border and in the city of Pathankot. We are working on several theories and we hope to nab the accused by tonight, said the SSP. Rumours that half a dozen unidentified people had been sighted in Pathankot during the day have only added to the woes of the cops. Gurdaspur SSP Bhupinderjeet Singh Virk said around 8.30pm last night, he received information that a check post set up by the Behrampur police station officials had been breached by a speeding vehicle. Following this, I informed my Pathankot counterpart. The car was being driven from Behrampur towards the border through village roads when the Pathankot police intercepted it. The occupants, whom eye witnesses put between four and six, escaped taking advantage of the cover of darkness, said the SSP. The police say the vehicle bore a fake registration number plate. Two more number-plates have been recovered from the car and both have been found to be fake. The car was stolen last week from Vijaynagar area of Jammu, said SSP Virk. Both Gurdaspur and Pathankot share the international border with Pakistan. On January 2 last year, four terrorists had launched an attack on the Pathankot air force station. Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 3 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed concern over the continuous neglect of Indias ancient medicine systems over the years. Modi was addressing a gathering after inaugurating Patanjali Research Institute in Haridwar today. He said in the past the country was at its zenith in all spheres, including the traditional systems of medicine, and the world understanding well that it could not compete with India adopted a negative approach trying to finish knowledge here. While in the pre-Independence era, those ruling us deliberately neglected our traditional systems of medicine and other knowledge so that these get lost with times. Similarly, in the post-Independence times parties in power preferred ignoring Indian systems of medicine rather than promoting them, the Prime Minister said. He said the entire world today looked at India when it came to holistic healthcare. The country was witnessing speedy progress in all spheres. The IT revolution had ensured that a computer mouse was within the reach of every child in the country. The Prime Minister lauded Baba Ramdev for making yoga popular in the country. He said yoga had a cure for both ailing mind and body and can be performed at any place. The popularity of yoga could be gauged from the fact that the world today observed June 21 as International Yoga Day. The Prime Minister also referred to the importance of cleanliness in the day-to-day life. He said after successive campaigns, people had started understanding the importance of cleanliness. On the occasion, Modi released World Herbal Encyclopedia, authored by Acharya Balkrishna, a close aide of Baba Ramdev. The book mentions about as many as 70,000 key herbal species found in the country that are vital to the well being of humans. He also visited each and every section of the newly set-up Patanjali Research Institute. Earlier, Baba Ramdev, who conferred the title of Rastra Rishi on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lauded the latters efforts to take India to new heights of development. He said the nation was set to prosper and progress under the able leadership of the Prime Minister. Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 3 Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhyay today said by making no announcement for the disaster-torn Kedarnath region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had insulted the people of the state. In a statement issued today, Upadhyay said the Kedarnath region that faced devastation in 2013 had yet to completely overcome the tragedy and needed support. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have given some package for Kedarnath. But it seems he is little concerned about the plight of the region, Upadhyay pointed out. He said the Prime Minister could have provided some financial assistance to the state for the development of Char Dham shrines that were visited by people from all over the country. People of Uttarakhand had given all the five parliamentary seats to the BJP during the last Lok Sabha elections and subsequently gave a big mandate to the party in the recent Assembly elections. But still the Prime Minister has overlooked the concerns of the state, he added. He said the people of Uttarakhand, who had high expectations from the Prime Minister, were disappointed. Upadhyay also accused the Prime Minister of failure to safeguard the honour of soldiers. Indian soldiers are being beheaded and the Prime Minister is just a mute spectator, Upadhyay said. Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana too asserted that Prime Minister had failed the people of Uttarakhand. During the Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made big announcements for the state asserting that the BJP governments both in the state and the Centre would be like a double engine train that would usher in a new wave of development in Uttarakhand. But the way Modi treated Uttarakhand in his todays visit looks as if double engine has failed, Dhasmana added. Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 3 Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has taken a serious note of the state BJP government not inviting Kedarnath Congress MLA Manoj Rawat for welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kedarnath. In a statement issued today, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat termed it as an infringement of the protocol. Kedarnath Congress MLA Manoj Rawat is a local MLA and should have been invited at Kedarnath during the Prime Ministers visit. By not inviting him, the state BJP government has insulted the people of the Kedarnath Assembly constituency, Rawat pointed out. However, he welcomed the Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the state asserting that he himself as the chief minister had invited Modi to Kedarnath, which could not materialise. London: United Airlines has paid five-figure compensation to British rabbit breeder Annette Edwards whose giant bunny died under its care. Three-foot Simon, which was expected to outgrow its father Darius to become the worlds biggest bunny, appeared healthy when it touched down at a Chicago airport en route to a celebrity buyer. Simon froze to death after airport staff accidentally put it in a chiller and later cremated it before a necropsy could be performed. PTI Solar system 2.0 found 10 light-years away New York: A planetary system located just 10.5 light-years away is remarkably similar to our solar system, scientists have found. The system is a prime location to research how planets form around stars like our Sun, researchers said. Located in the southern hemisphere of the constellation Eridanus, the star Epsilon Eridani (eps Eri), is closest planetary system around a star similar to the early Sun. PTI Outcry over FB, Apple, Google logos on statue Bangkok: Apple, Facebook and Google logos have been removed from a giant statue of a mythical beast that will stand inside the sprawling cremation complex being built for Thailands late king after their inclusion caused an online outcry. Artisans are producing an array of sculptures, of creatures popular in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, for King Bhumibol Adulyadejs funeral in Octobera year after his death plunged the nation into mourning. PTI Kabul, May 3 A blast targeting an armoured NATO convoy in Kabul killed at least eight persons and wounded 28 today, including three coalition members, officials said in an attack claimed by the Islamic State. The explosion, which came during morning rush hour on a busy road near the US embassy and NATO headquarters, killed mostly civilians, an interior ministry spokesman said without giving a breakdown. NATO said three coalition service members had received non-life threatening wounds in the attack. (They) are in stable condition, and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities, a spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan said, without confirming their nationalities. IS claimed responsibility for the blast via its Amaq propaganda agency, saying the eight dead were all American soldiers. The militants are known to exaggerate their claims. The attack comes three weeks after the US dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on the jihadist groups hideous in eastern Afghanistan. NATO commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson said the strike, which triggered global shockwaves, showed there was no space for IS in the war-torn country. Mondays attack comes as the US seeks to craft a new strategy in Afghanistan and NATO mulls boosting troop levels as they face a stalemate against the resurgent Taliban. The blast, which IS said, was a suicide car bomb and NATO said was an improvised explosive device (IED), damaged two of the heavily armoured vehicles in the convoy and left a small crater in the road, witnesses and an AFP photographer said. MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles, which are designed to withstand large explosions, are routinely used by international forces moving around Kabul. At least three civilian cars were also damaged, with one ablaze, while windows were shattered up to several hundred metres away. Firefighters and ambulances rushed stunned survivors to hospital. Nicholson has said the US decision to drop the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast on IS hideouts in Nangarhar province last month was a very clear message to the group: If they come to Afghanistan, they will be destroyed. Some observers have condemned the move against a militant group that is not considered as big a threat to Afghanistan as the Taliban. Others suggested it would boost the Taliban, who have been in a turf war with IS in Nangarhar. AFP Washington, May 3 Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has blamed FBI, Wikileaks and Russian hackers for her defeat in the November 8 presidential elections. Clinton, 69, was speaking to Christiane Amanpour of the CNN during an interview at Women for Women International Forum regarding the current political issues in New York. If the election had been on October 27th, Id be your president. And it wasnt, it was on October 28th and there was just a lot of funny business going on around that, Clinton told CNN in an interview at Women for Women International Forum regarding current political issues. It wasnt a perfect campaign. There is no such thing. But I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28th and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off, she said. The evidence for that intervening event is, compelling, persuasive, she said. Ask yourself this, within an hour or two of the Hollywood Access tape being made public, the Russian theft of John Podestas emails hit WikiLeaks. What a coincidence. So I mean you just cant make this stuff up, Clinton said. Responding to a question on North Korea, Clinton called for a regional effort. There has to be a regional effort to basically incentivise the North Korean regime to understand that it will pay a much bigger price regionally, primarily from China, if it pursues this reckless policy of nuclear weapons development and very dangerously for us, the missiles that can deliver those nuclear packages to places like Hawaii and eventually, the West Coast of the US, she said. Noting that she takes the North Korean threat very seriously, Clinton said she does not believe that the US alone is able to really put the pressure on this North Korea regime that needs to be placed. Now, the North Koreans are always interested, not just Kim Jong-un, but his father before him, were always interested in trying to get Americans to come to negotiate, to elevate their status and their position, she said. We should be very careful about giving that away. You should not offer that in the absence of broader strategic framework to try to get China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, to put the kind of pressure on the regime that will finally bring them to the negotiating table with some kind of realistic prospect for change, Clinton said. During the interview, Clinton described Syria as another one of those wicked problems which everybody is desperately trying to figure out how to stop the civil war, how to prevent Iran from increasing its influence, how to prevent Russia from having a real foothold in the Middle East, which is something that they are desperately seeking. So now Turkey and what its going to do is a big question mark, as well. So theres lots that this strike had really nothing to do with that are critical issues that still have to be addressed, she said. PTI Paris, May 3 Frances presidential rivals, centrist Emmanuel Macron and the far-rights Marine Le Pen, go head-to-head on Wednesday in a televised debate in which sparks are sure to fly as they fight their corner in a last encounter before Sundays runoff vote. Opinion polls still show Macron, 39, holding a strong lead of 20 points over the National Fronts Le Pen with just four days to go to the final vote, in what is widely seen as Frances most important election in decades. Voters are choosing between Macron, a strongly Europe-minded ex-banker who wants to cut state regulations in the economy while protecting workers, and Le Pen, a eurosceptic who wants to ditch the euro currency and impose sharp curbs on immigration. Macron finished only three points ahead of Le Pen in the first round on April 23, but he is widely expected now to pick the bulk of votes from the Socialists and the centre-right whose candidates were eliminated. Though Le Pen has a mountain to climb to catch Macron, the 2017 campaign for the Elysee has been packed with surprises, the exchanges between the two have become noticeably sharper and the 48-year-old National Front veteran has shown she is capable of catching him out with clever public relations manoeuvring. Macron warned he would not pull his punches in Wednesday nights televised encounter against a rival whose policies he says are dangerous for France. I am not going to employ invective. I am not going to use cliches or insults. Ill use hand-to-hand fighting to demonstrate that her ideas represent false solutions, he told BFM TV. Le Pen, who portrays Macron as a candidate of high finance masquerading as a liberal, said: I shall be defending my ideas. He will be defending the posture that he has adopted. His programme seems to be very vague, but in reality it is a simple continuation of (Socialist President) Francois Hollandes government, she said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday. Must-watch event In that interview she reaffirmed she wanted to take France out of the euro and said she hoped the French people would have a national currency in their pockets within two years. An Elabe poll for BFM TV and LExpress published on Tuesday showed Macron winning 59 percent of the votes in the second round versus 41 percent for Le Pen. Other pollsters have consistently shown roughly the same figures. Commentators said Wednesdays debate could still have an influence, particularly on potential abstainers, many of whom voted for the candidate of the hard left who came fourth in the April 23 first round. What he (Macron) has to do it to convince the people who didnt vote for him (in the first round) and who do not agree with his programme that they will be respected, said one outgoing government minister, speaking on condition of anonymity. The final face-to-face debate between rivals in a French presidential election, aired live, is a must-watch event across the country, when the candidates take the gloves off to land whatever punches they can. Some clashes have entered into political legend. Valery Giscard dEstaing, a centre-right candidate, famously bested the Socialist Francois Mitterrand in 1974 when the latter referred to a matter of heart when discussing an economic point. Giscard dEstaing hit back saying You dont have a monopoly on the heart, Monsieur Mitterrand - a phrase which stuck and which he later said helped his victory over the Socialist in what was an extremely tight contest. In 2002 conservative Jacques Chirac, then the incumbent in the Elysee, refused to debate with Jean-Marie Le Pen, father of Marine Le Pen, after the National Fronts founder unexpectedly got through to the second round. Chirac said no debate was possible in the face of intolerance and hate, a reference to Le Pens policies and thinking, which were considered to be xenophobic. Chirac defeated Le Pen senior in a landslide. Reuters London, May 3 British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday accused European politicians and officials of seeking to affect the outcome of the June 8 national election by issuing threats over Brexit. Speaking in front of her Downing Street office after visiting Queen Elizabeth to mark the dissolution of Parliament, the formal start of the election campaign, May said there were some in Brussels who did not want to see Brexit talks succeed. Over the weekend a German newspaper gave a damning account of talks last week between May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, reporting that he had told May during a dinner at Downing Street that Brexit could not be a success. In the last few days we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britain's negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press, the European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened, threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials," she said. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election. May, whose Conservative Party have a double-digit lead in the polls, said reaching the best Brexit deal would be the overriding task for whoever wins the June 8 election and called on voters to give her their backing to "fight for Britain". She said that while Britain wanted to reach a deal with the EU, that view was not shared by everyone in Brussels. "The events of the last few days have shown that, whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europe's other leaders there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed. Who do not want Britain to prosper." Reuters At odds over size of divorce bill Its account settling... EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc was not punishing Britain as London firmly rejected a reported 100 billion euro exit bill. There is no punishment, there is no Brexit bill. The financial settlement is only about settling the accounts. There is no question of demanding a blank cheque from the UK, that is not a serious question, Barnier said. We wont pay... The UK wont pay a 100bn-euro divorce bill to leave the EU, Britains Brexit minister David Davis has said. He said his country could simply walk away from the negotiations, following a report in the Financial Times that the estimated bill for Britain's departure had soared from 60 billion to 100 billion euros. In the walk-away circumstance there is nothing to be paid. Seoul, May 3 North Korea said on Wednesday an American man it had detained in late April, the third US citizen being held by the isolated country, was intercepted because he was attempting to commit hostile acts. The state-run KCNA news agency said the American, identified last month as Kim Sang Dok, was arrested on April 22 at the Pyongyang airport for committing hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country. The latest information about Kims detention comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula run high, driven by concerns that the North might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of US pressure and United Nations sanctions. The United States is negotiating with China, North Koreas sole major ally, about a stronger UN Security Council response, although Washington has also reiterated that all options for dealing with the North remain on the table. North Korea, which has been criticised for its human rights record, has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the US, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations. KCNA said on Wednesday Kim had taught an accounting course in Pyongyang. Invited to Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) to teach accounting as a professor, he was intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception, KCNA news agency said, using North Koreas official name of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Law enforcement officials were investigating Kims alleged crime, it said. Kim, who also goes by his English name Tony Kim and is in his 50s, was detained at Pyongyang International Airport as he attempted to leave the country, the universitys chancellor had said previously. PUST said in an email to Reuters that it did not believe Kims detention was related to his work at the university. A PUST spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said Kims wife, who was with him when he was arrested, had since returned to the US. Mrs Kim left the DPRK and is now back in the US with family and friends, the spokesman said. We certainly hope for a positive resolution as soon as possible. The other two Americans already held in North Korea are Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, and Kim Dong Chul, a 62-year-old Korean-American missionary. Warmbier was detained in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years hard labour for attempting to steal a propaganda banner. Two months later, Kim Dong Chul was sentenced to 10 years hard labour for subversion. Neither has appeared in public since their sentencing. Reuters Amman, May 3 Around 900 Jordanians are fighting for Islamic State and al-Qaeda-inspired groups in Syria and Iraq but recruitment numbers have fallen sharply to their lowest ever levels, a senior Jordanian official said on Tuesday. Those now fighting in Iraq and Syria mostly left Jordan, a staunch US ally which borders the two countries, in the early years of the conflict between 2013 and 2014, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Numbers joining the ultra-hardline jihadist groups slumped in the last three years as an intelligence-led campaign helped Jordanian security forces nip plots in the bud and arrest radicalised youths who were planning to leave, he said. Prison sentences for militants arrested before finding safe passage to Syria or for those who returned after short stints were stiffened in 2014 under amended anti-terror laws have acted as a powerful deterrent, he said. Jordans borders with Syria have been tightly sealed and the trickle who left since 2014 have mainly found safe passage through third countries, security sources say. This strategy explains why far fewer fighters have come from Jordan than from other countries that do not share borders with Iraq and Syria, the official said. As a neighbour ... the (recruitment) figures should have been much higher under different circumstances, he added. Jordan plays a prominent role in the US-led coalition against Islamic State, providing military, logistical and intelligence support, Western diplomats and regional intelligence sources say. Amman is anxious to forestall any danger from the return of radicalised citizens who have fought with an organisation with unrivalled brutality, prompting the accelerated efforts at an early stage that have resulted in hundreds of arrests of people before they head to Syria. If they leave and participate in fighting, they become battle hardened and exposed to brutality, therefore posing a bigger threat if they come back, he said. Our priority is to ensure they dont leave the country in the first place, he said. The countrys powerful security apparatus differentiates between youths radicalised by the carnage in Syria they blame on Syrian President Bashar al Assads violent crackdown on the opposition, and those hardliners more influenced by Islamic States ideology, the official said. But authorities have also sought to avoid tough punitive measures that might turn would-be radical Sunni sympathisers or first-time offenders into hardline fundamentalists, he added. Jordans Western-trained security forces, which are partners with the CIA and considered among the most advanced in the region, have long been credited with deploying tactics and strategies that have helped spare the country the type of large-scale militant attacks seen elsewhere. Two of global jihads top scholars, Sheikh Abu Mohammad al Maqdisi and Sheikh Abu Qutada, who were let out of prison, are under close surveillance where their outspoken views against Islamic States violent ideology are tolerated to counter the ultra-hardliners within the jihadist camp. Jordanian security sources say the militants do not have an organisational network in the kingdom even though there are concerns about the growing risks of radicalisation. Countless plots by home-grown militants have been quietly foiled. Reuters Free Yeimi Galindo Madrid: Marching on May Day for Sanctuary for All by WTUL New Orleans 9.15 News & Views On Monday, May 1st, organizers for New Orleans' Center for Racial Justice's Congress of Day Laborers/Congreso del Jornaleros, STAND With Dignity, and other faith, labor, and community allies marched to call for freedom, jobs, justice, and sanctuary for all. The March stopped in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building to submit an application for the release of Ms. Yeimi Galindo Madrid, who is currently held in Immigration Detention Facility away from her two young daughters. Listen now: Copy the code below to embed this audio into a web page: [ Audio: 33 minutes and 23 seconds ] WTUL News and Views met with Chloe Sigal, Organizer for the Congress of Day Laborers/Congreso de Jornaleros, and William Diaz, a Congreso member, to talk about Yeimi's story, William's story, current anti-immigrant legislation, and the system of mass incarceration that is terrorizing and destabilizing our communities. Yeimi was a victim of domestic violence in Honduras and was forced to flee to the United States. She may be eligible for immigration relief in the United States on these grounds. Her partner Luis was arrested by ICE just a few months ago. Yeimi and Luis are currently being held in separate Immigration Detention Facilities, leaving their one and three year old daughters parentless. The community is fighting for the freedom of Yeimi and her reunion with her family. "Most of all I want people to know that we're human beings and that our families also matter. We say that children are the future of our nation and then we do things like these, and you never know how a child is going to recover from that- if they're going to recover, if they're going to bounce back. And what I would like people to imagine is just a different life- a different world- in which all communities- whether you're white or a person of color- can live harmoniously, and how much different that would be and how much better that would be." -William Diaz, Congreso member Currently, there is a pair of anti-immigrant bills in the state legislatureHB 676 and HB 525which seek to further criminalize immigrant reconstruction workers and family members for political gain. Issues affecting the immigrant community are tightly bound to the prison industrial complex and criminal justice system. Congreso organizers and members are calling for the support of the original Justice Reinvestment Task Force criminal justice reform legislative package, which aims to restore Louisiana's dignity, public safety, and tax base. "In spite of a wave of terrifying workplace and community raids by the Trump administrationsuch as the series of ICE raids that ensnared local parents Yeimi Galindo Madrid and Luis Rodriguez, leaving their one and three year old US citizen daughters aloneand local plans for a new jail building, estimated to cost $97 million on top of another $40 million city investment in surveillance and criminalization, New Orleans workers are not giving in to fear or tempering their movements for justice. Rather, they are uniting to expand upon New Orleans policies separating immigration enforcement from law enforcement, fighting for legislation to dismantle Louisianas mass incarceration and deportation systems, and working with local clergy and community members to call for investments in human dignity and expanded sanctuary for all in New Orleans." (Congress of Day Laborers, New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice) Action Items: -Call ICE at (504)-599-7868 and demand for Yeimi Galindo Madrid's (A#: 206-162-910) release. Follow Congress of Day Laborer's/Congreso de Jornaleros on Facebook for updates on Yeimi's case and more ways to plug in. -Call the Governor's office at (225)-342-7015 and let him know about your opposition to HB676 and HB525 and your support for the JRI criminal justice reform bill package. Torero Bar & Kitchen, the downtown restaurant specializing in Spanish- and Latin-influenced cuisine that the Tulsa World named the best restaurant of 2016, has announced it will close at the end of dinner service Saturday. The announcement was made at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on the restaurants Facebook page. The announcement reads in full: It is with great sadness that we must announce that Torero Bar and Kitchen will be closing its doors after dinner service this Saturday May 7th (sic). A few years ago we were approached by a group of investors with a mutual goal of developing a section of downtown that had not been established yet. Their trust in us allowed us to work on creating the concept of Torero. Our goal from the outset was to provide Tulsa with a unique dining experience that gave the feeling of being a part of our family with an emphasis on excellent food and great service. We want to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to everyone in Tulsa who joined us on this journey and thank you for being a part of this restaurant. We look forward to seeing you all in the future and invite all of you to join us over the next few days so that we can see you again for another great meal. Sincerely, Chip, Noah, and Ian. John Chip Gaberino and Noah Bush are co-owners of Torero, and Ian Van Anglen is the chef. The employee who answered the phone Tuesday night at Torero confirmed that Saturday would be the restaurants final day, adding he wasnt given any information about the closing to be shared with the public. He added that Gaberino and Bush were planning to make an official statement about the closing Wednesday. Gaberino, owner of Topeca Coffee, and Bush also own Hodges Bend, 823 E. Third St., and the Saturn Room, 209 N. Boulder Ave. Torero Bar & Kitchen opened in July 2016 at 202 S. Cheyenne Ave. In naming it the best new restaurant of the year, Tulsa World restaurant critic Scott Cherry praised it as a winner, unique in its cuisine, as well as its wine and beer selections. Owasso Public Schools is celebrating its teachers district-wide this week. The week-long event kicked off Monday, May 1 and will continue through Friday, May 5. Each (campus) honors our teachers in a variety of ways, Executive Director of Human Resources Kathy Curtis said. All of the sites have numerous activities going on all week. So far, teachers have been treated to luncheons, flowers, gifts, and multiple students thanking them for their hard work and dedication. Some sites are providing snacks and drinks, a special breakfast, and thank you posters, Curtis said. Most (campuses) have special activities planned several days this week. Mills Elementary will be hosting themed days throughout the week that encourage students and parents to show their appreciation. Some of these include, Youll always have a pizza my heart day, and Youre the highlight of our school day. Teachers will be treated to a pizza lunch, and students are encouraged to bring highlighters or other classroom supplies to their teacher those two days. I am probably the luckiest Superintendent in the state of Oklahoma, Dr. Clark Ogilvie said. I know in my heart that we have the most talented and dedicated teachers in the state. Bailey Elementary has themed this week, It takes a big heart to shape little minds! There are activities planned each day to help show teachers how much their students appreciate them. We have a wonderful group of parents that are supporting our (Sixth Grade Center) teachers, Curtis said. Thursday is sweet treats day, and Friday is a Cinco de Mayo lunch with a gift give-away. Owasso Ram Academy as well as Owasso High School have provided meals and different treats for teachers this week and will continue through Friday. Owasso Public Schools truly appreciates all of our teachers, and (we are) very fortunate that they have all chosen to teach here and serve the students in our District, Ogilvie said. Each campus has activities planned to let (teachers) know how blessed we are to have them. One of four defendants in a 2015 homicide outside a south Tulsa Quik-Trip store was sentenced to 22 years in prison Monday after entering a plea agreement. Homersell Marvin Thomas, 24, of Muskogee pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, a charge amended downward by prosecutors from first-degree murder. District Court Judge Sharon Holmes sentenced Thomas to the 22 years of prison time recommended in the plea agreement. Desmond Terrell Jackson, Johnathan Jerome Sweet and Kejuan Da-Ray Jones are charged with felony first-degree murder in the death of Aaron Armstrong during what police say was a drug deal that became a robbery. In a statement to the court, Thomas briefly described the homicide, which took place in September 2015 in the parking lot of a QuikTrip near 51st Street and Yale Avenue. I waited until after the robbery had taken place and approached Aaron Armstrong and shot him twice, Thomas wrote. He died as a result of his injuries. The death was perpetrated unnecessarily during Aaron Armstrongs attempt to leave the parking lot of the QuickTrip (sic). Police allege the shooting took place after Sweet, Jackson and Thomas drove from Muskogee to Tulsa to purchase marijuana, meeting Armstrong and Jones in the parking lot. Authorities said Jones and Sweet told police the drug deal was negotiated in a car in the parking lot when Armstrong pulled out a gun and robbed Jackson and Sweet. Sweet said that when the two exited the car, Thomas, who was waiting in another vehicle, got out and ran toward one of them firing a gun, according to an affidavit. Police believe the marijuana may have been used as a ruse to commit robbery because officers didnt find any drugs at the scene PRAGUE Mary Jane Dawson of the historic Prague Bakery knows kolaches mean different things to different people. To us here in Oklahoma, it means fruit, said Dawson. However, when we had a lot of workers on the pipeline up here from central Texas, it was something different more of a sausage roll. Whatever (filling) you like, we think theyre pretty good. Apparently thousands of folks from throughout this state and region agree. The 58th Prague Kolache Festival, celebrating the Czech settlements 115th birthday, will be held Saturday. Yes, the Prague Bakery, along with several Prague churches, will have thousands of kolaches for sale. The Prague Bakery will bake about 2,000 dozen this week. The baked goods are for one of the states most unique festivals. Its a tradition we dont want to go away, said Sharon Maggard, who is on the organizing committee. It is one of the really special things that sets our small town apart from others. People have been doing this for as long as anyone can remember. There are several kolache festivals nationwide, stretching from Czech settlements in Minnesota to central Texas. Prague, Oklahoma, has been celebrating since the 1950s, and its Czech heritage goes back to pre-statehood 1902. Dawson doesnt know how long there has been a Prague Bakery, but its been around here for as long as anyone can remember. She has owned the bakery for about 20 years after buying it from Owen Davis, who was the owner for 30 years. It was here, maybe not in this building, but it was here in town long before that, too, said Dawson. We have all kinds of bakery goods. But most folks still want our specialties, kolaches and klobaseneks. Kolaches are a sweetbread with a variety of fruit fillings. Dawson said locals seem to favor the apricot, cherry and poppyseed. Klobaseneks are a sausage or meat roll. Well, it can be different depending on where youre from, said Dawson. Like I said, when folks come up here from central Texas, some bakery goods have different names. Of course, names also varied at bakeries in the Czech Republic. There are some regions where kolaches are made with pears, said Dawson. Thats because pears are what they had there, and they were fresh. But the basics seem to be pretty much the same. Dawson and her sister were baking cakes out of her home in the 1990s when the Prague Bakery went up for sale. Honestly, I wasnt thinking about kolaches, said Dawson. I was thinking we would have so much more space to bake our cakes. But the Prague Bakery had been known for decades for its kolaches. Dawson credits the former owner, now in his 90s and retired in Yale. Owen Davis taught me everything I know about kolaches, she said. Its a very time-consuming thing. It takes about four hours to make a proper kolache. First, Prague Bakery makes the dough and then you have to let it bench, Dawson said. In other words, you put the dough on a bench let it rise. Then you roll the dough into small balls, and then those balls must be allowed time to rise. Finally, you punch down the balls, fill them with fruit and let them rise again. Baking takes about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. The Prague Bakery has a huge oven, and we can bake about 68 dozen at a time, said Dawson. The owner plans to retire soon, but the Prague Bakery will continue its long and storied history. Dawsons son, Matthew, has returned home after a career in computers and has been learning the business for three years. Im happy hes back and wants to do it, she said. The kolaches are not a once-a-year specialty for the folks in Prague. Its an everyday thing in this small town. This week is really unusual when it comes to how many kolaches well bake, said Dawson. A more typical week is anywhere from 18 to 36 dozen. We normally have tables, and folks come in and drink coffee and talk. But not during the Kolache Festival. On Saturday we are wall-to-wall kolaches, she said. The Tulsa school board is leading an effort to urge Oklahoma state legislators to increase a tax on oil and gas production to raise more revenue for education funding. At a regular meeting Monday, the school board approved a resolution calling on state legislators to immediately pass legislation to return the gross production tax to 7 percent for all wells. TPS Board President Suzanne Schreiber said she initiated the resolution after increasing concern that a revenue package that puts Oklahoma on a path to eventually adequately fund our public education system was not developing in a formal piece of legislation. I knew the Gross Production Tax generated the vast majority of state revenue for many years up to 70 percent at one time and that the extremely low rate could be directly tied to the lack of adequate funding for education, Schreiber told the Tulsa World in an email Tuesday. New oil and gas wells are currently taxed at 2 percent for the first 36 months of production, after which time they are taxed at 7 percent. Gross production taxes were effectively cut several years ago, and Oklahomas are among the lowest in the nation. Schreiber said the consequences of not restoring the 7 percent rate have been devastating not just here in Tulsa but throughout the state. The resolution states that more than $1 billion in unnecessary tax breaks to oil and gas companies in the last three years alone have been a contributing factor to the decreased education budget and recurring revenue failures ... Eliminating these tax breaks and returning the Gross Production Tax to the historic levels of 7 percent would yield approximately $500 million in 2018. I chose to zero in on this revenue measure because it has potential to fill so much of the gap, is a fair tax when compared to tax rates in all other oil and gas states in the nation and one that distributes the solution to the revenue problem proportionate to the taxpayers ability to pay as well as to their gain from tax credits, Schreiber said. With three weeks of the legislative session left and no solution to Oklahomas budget issues, TPS officials have been working to identify how to reduce the school districts budget for next year to offset an anticipated $12 million shortfall in state funding. Schreiber said facing budget cuts for the 2017-18 school year and the certainty of being in the exact same situation next year prompted me to reach out to board members and ask if they would join me in supporting the resolution. Their answer, to a number, was absolutely. The 7 percent rate would ensure all oil and gas companies are taxed at the same rate and will not decrease oil and gas drilling in Oklahoma because the rate will still be equal or less than all other states in the nation where oil and gas drilling occurs, the resolution states. Schreiber said she would personally deliver the resolution to her legislators at the Capitol on Wednesday and that the TPS board is sharing it with other boards of education and working with other groups to distribute and discuss it. There is not currently an active bill that would raise the gross production tax, but such a measure has recently been discussed by state legislators. House Democrats have argued against House Bill 2365 because it does not include a higher gross production tax. The bill would raise the states cigarette and fuel taxes and eliminate about $50 million in oil and gas production tax incentives. The bills author, Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, on Monday did not rule out the possibility of increasing the gross production tax and indicated that additional revenue measures can be expected. The Tulsa police union lodged an ethics complaint Wednesday against District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, alleging he unfairly charged Officer Betty Shelby without probable cause because he rushed to a decision before all evidence had been submitted to his office. The ethics complaint, filed with the Oklahoma Bar Association, alleges Kunzweiler didnt have probable cause to charge Shelby merely based on watching a video of her fatal encounter with Terence Crutcher. The grievance accuses Kunzweiler of failing to adhere to his own procedures. We believe D.A. Kunzweiler seems to have unfairly and unethically rushed to charge Officer Shelby before all of the critical evidence had been provided and reviewed, contrary to the way he normally handles all other cases, including police related shootings, the complaint states. The move comes several months after a district court judge determined during Shelbys preliminary hearing that prosecutors had established probable cause and bound her over for trial on a first-degree manslaughter charge. Her jury trial is slated to begin Monday. Kunzweiler said he hadnt yet seen the police unions complaint but responded that he had a significant amount of evidence before filing the charge, not just the video footage. He said he found the grievances timing to be pretty interesting and anticipates obtaining legal counsel to defend himself. Were a country of laws, and we try our cases in the courtroom, Kunzweiler said. Were not going to litigate this case in the media. Were going to let a judge and a jury make a proper determination based upon the rule of evidence. Jerad Lindsey, board of directors chairman for the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police, explained in a news conference the FOPs goal is to avoid allowing a precedent of filing charges before police investigators finish their reports no matter whether it is against an officer or citizen. Kunzweiler filed the manslaughter charge based on an affidavit written by one of his investigators, which came prior to Homicide Sgt. Dave Walker completing his case report. Shelbys defense team and the ethics complaint both allege Walkers report found Crutchers shooting to be justified under the circumstances. A Tulsa World reporter asked Lindsey why the FOP waited to file the complaint until less than a week before Shelbys trial, especially given that the preliminary hearing took place in November and a district court judge admonished both parties in April against speaking publicly to avoid tainting the jury pool after Shelby gave a national television interview. The FOP isnt trying to influence the trial, Lindsey said, but waited because the union was expecting something big to come up that would explain Kunzweilers actions. (The admonishment is) when we started kind of gearing up and getting our head wrapped around what our options were, because up to this point we had never done anything like this. Weve never dealt with an issue like this, Lindsey said. So we kept waiting for something to happen, and it was shortly after that admonishment that we saw that there was not going to be a big piece of evidence that made this make sense to us. Lindsey said the union believes Kunzweiler is a good DA, a good man and makes good decisions except for in Shelbys case. Lindsey said potential citizen unrest and political pressure creeped into the process and that those who watched Kunzweiler announce the charge could see the pressure he was under. And Im not going to second-guess the DA and say that he shouldnt have filed charges, Lindsey said. What were saying is he shouldnt have filed charges until all of the evidence was in. Defense attorney Shannon McMurray said she and her co-counsel didnt know in advance that the FOP was going to lodge a complaint. Lindsey said he didnt speak with Shelby or her attorneys about the complaint. A central issue at dispute in the case is whether Crutcher attempted to reach with his left hand through a half-open window, prompting Shelby to shoot because she feared he was trying to grab a gun. Crutcher was found to be unarmed, and no weapons were in the SUV. A District Attorneys Office investigator wrote in a probable cause arrest affidavit that he feels Shelby reacted unreasonably by escalating the situation and that she became emotionally involved to the point that she overreacted. Scott Wood, an attorney on Shelbys defense team, previously told the Tulsa World that Crutcher escalated the encounter because he repeatedly failed to comply with her demands and kept reaching toward his pockets as if he had a handgun. Wood has said Shelby pulled her firearm instead of her Taser because she felt Crutcher might be armed and was exhibiting signs of being under the influence of PCP. A 12-year-old girl who was struck Monday by a driver allegedly under the influence died Wednesday evening in a central Arkansas hospital, according to Westville police. Police arrested Daniel Perez, 33, of Westville, on complaints of driving under the influence causing great bodily injury and leaving the scene of an injury accident, according to Westville Police Chief Scott Mitchell. Westville officers tracked down a black Chevrolet Tahoe that Perez was allegedly driving. They allegedly found an open container of alcohol in the vehicle, according to a news release from the police chief. The vehicle had front-end damage. Westville authorities expect additional elevated charges to be filed against Perez. Authorities arrested Perez initially on suspicion of driving under the influence after he allegedly hit the 12-year-old girl. Emergency responders transported the girl from Westville, about 15 miles south of Siloam Springs, to a Little Rock hospital in "grave condition," according to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation news release. The girl was walking with a friend Monday evening in the 300 block of Locust Street. The driver left the scene after hitting the child, according to the release. Westville police located Perez in the area of McNair Circle in Westville, Mitchell states in the release. "He (Perez) was irate and showed signs of intoxication," Mitchell states. "Officers detained Perez, and he was booked into the Adair County Detention Center." Sunrise Wednesday will reveal how an unwanted overnight visit from Mother Nature is treating the area, especially areas along the Illinois and Grand river basins. Weve got showers and thunderstorms expected to begin late tonight, 10 p.m., probably closer to midnight, said meteorologist Joe Sellers with the National Weather Service in Tulsa. Flash-flood warnings are posted through Wednesday and into Thursday morning for areas across eastern Oklahoma. Tulsa could get another half to three-quarters of an inch with this system, he said. In the northeast corner of the state, theyre looking at from 1 to 3 inches up there, thats the biggest threat for flooding. The Grand River system is running nearly full to the brim, and well over that in the extreme northeast corner of the state where the Neosho and Spring rivers, which feed into Grand Lake, are far above flood stage. Below Grand Lake, Hudson Lake is nearing the top of its flood pool and getting deeper and Fort Gibson Lake is holding more and more as well. Even though the flow through the dam there was increased to 100,000 cubic feet per second late Tuesday the flow upstream from Hudson is still 140,000 cfs. Its six feet deep in the restaurant, said Mazie Landing Marina owner Doreen Arthur. It was this morning, anyway, its probably higher now. The popular boating and fishing area, as well as Chouteau Bend Resort, located near the Grand River Bridge on U.S. 412, have been evacuated, she said. The area downstream of Pensacola Dam to Hudson Lake is backing up to look more like a wide lake than a river that connects to reservoirs. Weve been through this too many times in the past two years, Arthur said. Everyone can get out safely and no one is hurt, thats the best that can be said. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Brannen Parrish said the flood threat should be taken seriously this week. If you live in a low-lying area and officials are telling you to move, you need to listen to them and just go, he said. Sometimes circumstances overcome what a system is capable of handling and that can happen in some places with high releases already. Eyes are focused on the Grand River system, with the two primary tributaries for Grand Lake the Spring River and the Neosho River both in severe flood stage early Tuesday and forecast to remain outside their channels into Wednesday. U.S. Geological Survey gauges show the Spring River peaked nearly 15 feet over flood stage Monday. National Weather Service river-forecast charts show the stream falling, but remaining above the 20-foot flood stage until late Wednesday. The Neosho was 7 feet above flood stage Monday and is predicted to remain above its 14-foot flood stage level into Friday. Closer to Tulsa, the Caney River at Collinsville rose to nearly 4 feet above flood stage Sunday to moderate flood levels and is forecast to remain out of its banks until Wednesday morning. Bird Creek at Sperry dropped back into its channel Monday night after rising to nearly 4 feet above its flood level late Sunday. The Upper Illinois River system also drained quickly Monday after hitting record levels through the day Sunday but with the Arkansas River running bank-full at Muskogee and downstream to Fort Smith and Van Buren, Arkansas, the dam at Tenkiller was held at zero flow until mid-day Tuesday, and then only opened to allow a flow of 8,000 cfs. Were rising rapidly, so to speak, said Ken Wiener, chief park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tenkiller Lake. The lake was at 662.8 feet Tuesday afternoon, 30 feet above normal, and forecast to hit 666 by weeks end, just one foot below the top of its flood pool. We were at 624, thats 8 feet low in mid-April, Wiener said. Two big storms have brought us up almost to the top of the flood pool. All Corps of Engineers campgrounds and boat ramps are closed at Tenkiller, he said. He advised people to check the Corps website this weekend and in the future toward Memorial Day to make sure they are open as they make plans. I think its going to be a real stretch for Memorial Day, he said. Its too early to know for sure, of course, it depends on how high its kept, how long, how much debris spills out and how many electrical pedestals need to be rebuilt, there are myriad factors, he said. Likewise, the Arkansas River level through Tulsa was low Tuesday as Keystone Lake and upstream at Kaw Lake the waters rise, Parrish said. The lakes need to be held back until the Arkansas River can drain the overflowing systems to the east, Parrish said. Its that balancing act we have every time, he said. Two new initiatives for Virtual Reality has been jointly announced by ABC and Create NSW, formerly Screen NSW. A fund of $120,000 for NSW screen practitioners was announced by Create NSW CEO Michael Brealey at 360 Vision 2017, at Carriageworks. Another $120,000 is available for practitioners across the arts, including performing arts, visual arts, museums, music, literature, to develop projects up to $20,000 each. Michael Brealey, CEO of Create NSW, said: 360 Vision was incredibly successful last year, bringing together some of Australias most visionary creative thinkers from the screen and technology sectors. Its thrilling to have forged ahead with a second event in 2017 and for Screen NSW to be taking the lead, in partnership with the ABC, Screen Australia, City of Sydney and AFTRS in this exciting new area of visual story telling. This year, the establishment of Create NSW also provides the opportunity for artists outside the screen industry to engage with VR opportunities and we are looking to identify and develop a number of projects over the coming year. David Anderson, Director of ABC TV, said: As the independent source of Australian conversations, stories and culture, the ABC is proud to be partnering with Create NSW to provide opportunities for Australian content makers to experiment with the power and possibilities of virtual reality. The 2 day 360 Vision event which brought together some of the best Australian screen producers, screen and theatre directors, writers and artists. Joanna Lumley will receive the BAFTA Fellowship, in recognition of her outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games, at this months British Academy Television Awards. Other television Fellows have included David Attenborough, Michael Palin, Ken Loach, Harold Pinter, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters and her Absolutely Fabulous co-star Jennifer Saunders. Lumley said the award was the grandest and most unexpected prize I have ever had the joy of receiving. Nothing could make me prouder or happier than being awarded this phenomenal honour, said Lumley. To be counted amongst the greatest talents and stars of our industry is an awesome gift. Over a six decade career Lumleys career has included On Her Majestys Secret Service, The Wolf of Wall Street, Me Before You, Finding Your Feet, The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, The Kenny Everett Television Show, Coronation Street, General Hospital, Class Act, Mad Cow, Jam & Jerusalem and Absolutely Fabulous. Lumley has been nominated six times for a BAFTA, winning twice in 1993 and 1995. Source: Variety Film Victoria CEO Jenni Tosi will depart at the end of the year, one year earlier than expected. She was appointed CEO in November 2011. My time as CEO and also as the General Manager of Industry Development and Investment has seen a lot of change and been hugely rewarding. However, after ten years of working at a demanding pace it is time to take a break and recharge, before exploring new opportunities, she said. It has been immensely satisfying to have been able to assist the many talented practitioners and businesses we have here in Victoria creating world class content such as The Dressmaker, Lion, Berlin Syndrome, Dance Academy, Ted, Seven Types of Ambiguity, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries, Offspring, Please Like Me, Upper Middle Bogan, Conviction, Figaro Pho, Nowhere Boys, Jack Irish, The Katering Show, The Warriors; prestigious international dramas like The Leftovers Season 3 and Childhoods End along with highly successful games such as Armello & Crossy Road. As CEO my focus has been to ensure Victoria has a consistent pipeline of production activity and sits front of mind with local and international producers when thinking about where to locate their next production. With the support of our Board and the Victorian Government, we have been able to achieve this, playing to our strengths in television while also supporting a quality production slate across all genres and sectors. This approach has leveraged a total of $1.02 billion into the Victorian economy since 2011/12 from around 370 individual productions, delivering an average annual leverage of $170 million. This is a terrific outcome and clearly demonstrates the benefit of having an active Victorian screen industry. This achievement is enormously satisfying for me personally, while the many other initiatives weve been able implement over the years have had their own rewards. However I feel its now time for me to pass the leadership baton to new hands. Film Victoria President Ian Robertson said Jenni Tosis achievements during her time with Film Victoria including her six years as CEO are very considerable. She has excellent relationships with the screen industry in Victoria and Australia, as well as in the countries which are relevant to us especially the USA. Her efforts have strengthened Film Victoria and helped to ensure that the Victorian screen production industry has remained vibrant, active and successful. Arts Minister Martin Foley said Victorias screen industry has had a passionate and effective champion in Jenni Tosi over the past decade at Film Victoria. As CEO she has overseen an exciting period of success for Victorian made film, television, digital content and games, amidst significant changes for the industry globally, and she has remained deeply committed to nurturing local talent. I congratulate Jenni on a fantastic tenure and I hope she continues to contribute to Victorias screen industry in the future. Tosi will finish at Film Victoria on 31st December. The position of CEO will be advertised in the coming months. Screen NSW CEO Courtney Gibson departed her role in January following the of Screen NSW and Arts NSW. I believe the success of an organisation like Film Victoria comes from a team effort. It has given me enormous pleasure to work alongside an extraordinary and dedicated team of individuals, as passionate and enthusiastic about the screen industry as I am. Success requires a shared vision, which we have with our Government, Board, our many production partners and especially the talented screen practitioners and businesses based here in Victoria. It has been an amazing experience and a genuine privilege to be the CEO of Film Victoria, Tosi added. It will be hard to say goodbye in December, however I look forward to utilising the knowledge and skills I have gained over the past ten years in other ways. Updated: Matt Deaner at Screen Producers Australia said, Jenni Tosi is an incredibly well respected and loved screen executive that has represented her stakeholders nationally and internationally with passion, dedication and great care throughout her impressive career. We are grateful for her generous support of our organisation and all of our members and for being such a critical partner to Screen Forever. NRL and Today show commentator Ray Hadley is rumoured to be on the move at the end of this year. The Australian Financial Review suggests, Rumours of Hadley defecting from Nine to FOX have been floating for weeks. But we hear the former taxi driver and high-profile frenemy of Treasurer Scott Morrison that the big fella has no interest in replacing the top dog at Nine, Ray Rabs Warren and has no intention of re-signing with Nine when his contract runs it course in December. If he moves to FOX Sports, Hadley would join former Nine talent Yvonne Sampson and ex-Sports boss Steve Crawley. Of course the speculation could all just be part of a wider contract negotiation. Hadley has been with Nine for six years. Insurance Back Over USD 5 billion insurable loss each year to U.S. businesses through data exfiltration Data breaches can cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars, the loss potentially reaching USD 5 billion a year across the USA only from data exfiltration, says RMS. RMS, a global risk modeling and analytics firm, announced the release of its updated and expanded RMS Cyber Accumulation Management System, which includes a suite of cyber models and supporting software. The update comes in response to the rapidly changing cyber risk landscape, analysis of which is detailed in a new RMS report, Cyber Risk Landscape 2017, published today. The update incorporates new functionality, including the RMS Expected Loss Baseline model . RMS analysts have used this new model to calculate that if all U.S. businesses had cyber insurance, over USD5 billion a year would be lost to the insurance industry from cyber data exfiltration alone. Data breaches are the leading cause of cyber insurance loss. "In only fifteen months since we launched the RMS Cyber Accumulation Management System, we've seen the cyber risk landscape change dramatically and version 2.0 of the system reflects those changes," said RMS senior vice president, Dr. Andrew COBURN . "For example, we've seen the largest ever data breaches, denial of service attacks, and attempted financial thefts. Data breaches can cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars, and our modeling shows the overall insurable loss across U.S. businesses from data exfiltration is running at over USD 5 billion a year. The past year has also demonstrated the potential for future systemic cyber catastrophes, for which overall losses would far exceed USD 5 billion, and version 2.0 has the capacity to model this risk." Version 2.0 of the RMS Cyber Accumulation Management System gives clients unprecedented analytics, enabling firms to be even more accurate with their calculations of attritional annual losses across cyber portfolios, as well as probable maximum loss (PML). To keep pace with rapidly-changing cyber risk, the updated system includes major updates to its affirmative cyber scenarios, which have been created from the largest available database of historical cyber incidents and claims data. The scenarios cover, shifting patterns of data exfiltration - updated scenarios reflect changing criminal targeting, larger magnitude data breaches, and improvements in security standards against accidental data loss; - updated scenarios reflect changing criminal targeting, larger magnitude data breaches, and improvements in security standards against accidental data loss; more intense denial of service attacks - version 2.0 responds to the increasing firepower available to attackers who could harness the Internet of Things; - version 2.0 responds to the increasing firepower available to attackers who could harness the Internet of Things; financial theft - updated to include larger attack campaigns and reflect improvements in security networks being used within the financial services sector; - updated to include larger attack campaigns and reflect improvements in security networks being used within the financial services sector; cloud service provider failure - incorporates the substantial growth in cloud usage by companies, the increasing market dominance of the big four cloud service providers, and lessons learned from recent cloud outages; - incorporates the substantial growth in cloud usage by companies, the increasing market dominance of the big four cloud service providers, and lessons learned from recent cloud outages; cyber extortion - updated to include recent examples of extortion demands on larger companies, with ransom payment sizes recalibrated to recent experience, and the consequences of business interruption. The system now includes cyber-physical scenarios providing insight on cyber-attacks that cause losses to traditional lines of property insurance, such as fire and explosion triggered by hackers. These non-cyber lines range from commercial and residential property to industrial facilities, upstream energy, and marine. The updated cyber-physical scenarios also enable assessment of the 'silent' exposures in policies that have ambiguous terms on cyber-attack losses. "As the first cyber risk management solution of its kind, the RMS Cyber Accumulation Management System has benefited from over a year of use by leading cyber insurance writers, helping them to analyze a third of the market by premium." commented COBURN . "That's a lot of client feedback and refinement which has informed the innovations of our latest update. And with our continued substantial investments into cyber model development, there is already more capability in our pipeline." The RMS Cyber Accumulation Management System continues to be developed in collaboration with the Center for Risk Studies at the University of Cambridge. It also includes the RMS Cyber Exposure Data Schema, which is open source and the industry standard for providing a systematic and uniform way to capture cyber exposure data and manage accumulation risk. Author: Daniela GHETU on 03.05.2017 Archive Comment this article 0 comments Atention! "Comment" and "E-mail" are mandatory Name: If you are logged on and you do not fill in your name, will be used the name that you used when you registered If you are not logged on, your name will appear preceded by '(Anonymous)'. For authentication, click here If you are logged on and you do not fill in your name, will be used the name that you used when you registered E-mail: Comment: < 10.000 car. Fill in the code from the image: 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). Rohingya refugees live in overcrowded makeshift sites in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, after fleeing across the border to escape the October 2016 violence in Myanmar. UNHCR/Saiful Huq Omi BANGKOK, Thailand More than 168,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar in the last five years as a result of violence and desperation, a new report on forced displacement in South-East Asia by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimates. UNHCRs just-released 2016 Report on Mixed Movements in South-East Asia highlights the complex dynamics behind the whys and hows of the continuing exodus from Rakhine state. Sources range from government to non-governmental organizations, media reports as well as more than 1,000 direct interviews with the Rohingya community in the region. While Rohingya displacement has persisted for decades, it made headlines last October when attacks on border posts in northern Rakhine state triggered a security clearance operation that drove an estimated 43,000 civilians into Bangladesh by years end. By February this year, the estimate stood at 74,000. Many of the new arrivals in Bangladeshs camps and makeshift sites told UNHCR about the burnings, lootings, shootings, rapes and arrests they escaped back home. These children, women and men are highly vulnerable. They risk being re-victimized even in exile unless urgent action is taken. These children, women and men are highly vulnerable. They risk being re-victimized even in exile unless urgent action is taken, said Shinji Kubo, UNHCRs Representative in Bangladesh. Many of them need adequate shelter before the rainy season starts. Without proper support, they also face risks such as child labour, gender-based violence and trafficking. Prior to the recent violence, Malaysia was the preferred destination for many Rohingya. Between 2012 and 2015, an estimated 112,500 of them risked their lives on smugglers boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in the hope of reaching Malaysia, where there is a Rohingya community and potential work in the informal sector. Those making the sea journey ranged from people fleeing inter-communal violence in Rakhine state in 2012, to those who grew increasingly desperate amid restrictions back home on their freedom of movement and access to services and livelihoods. Hasina* is 17 years old and from a village near Maungdaw in northern part of Rakhine state, Myanmar. In mid-October 2016, her village was attacked during the security operations. When armed men tried to take her away, her brother tried to stop them and was shot dead. *Name changed for protection reasons UNHCR/Saiful Huq Omi A boy from a recently arrived Rohingya family pumps water from a well at a makeshift site in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh while his brother watches the baby outside their shelter. Thousands of Rohingya are living in the area since fleeing the October 2016 violence in Myanmar. UNHCR/Saiful Huq Omi A Rohingya refugee from Myanmar at a temporary shelter in Bayeun, East Aceh, Indonesia, in 2015. UNHCR/Fauzan Ijazah Refugees gather supplies airdropped to a fishing boat adrift in the Andaman Sea. AFP/ Christophe Archambault The sea route has been disrupted since mid-2015, when governments in the region cracked down on maritime smuggling networks. UNHCR could not confirm any boat arrivals in Malaysia last year. Among those who tried to reach Malaysia overland in 2016, more than 100 about half of them Rohingya were reportedly arrested in Myanmar and Thailand. The 2016 report explores other routes taken by the Rohingya, including to India via Bangladesh. It notes a steady but slowing stream of arrivals since 2012 numbering at least 13,000 people. Looking at the declining arrival numbers in India, it is safe to assume that this overland route has not replaced the maritime one, said Keane Shum of UNHCRs Regional Mixed Movements Monitoring Unit that produced the report. Compared to those who went to Malaysia by sea, the Rohingya in India travelled in larger family units and chose the route as it was cheaper and safer. Besides analysing patterns of Rohingya displacement, the report also offers a snapshot of 85 Rohingya women and girls in India, Indonesia and Malaysia. It found that the majority of them married young between the ages of 16 and 17 and gave birth at an average age of 18. Those in India appeared to be more literate and educated, and were more likely to have chosen their own husbands. In contrast, those in Malaysia were more likely to have married someone chosen by their families or by brokers or agents. One-third of the 85 women and girls said they were victims of domestic violence. One-third of the 85 women and girls said they were victims of domestic violence. Many said they would like to earn their own income and some had marketable skills, but only a few were actually earning their own income. UNHCR has been working with host countries on the temporary stay and protection of Rohingya refugees, which includes granting them access to basic services and legal work. This will enable them to be self-reliant until longer-term solutions are found. The agency has also been advocating with the Myanmar authorities for the full resumption of humanitarian access to vulnerable people in northern Rakhine state. UNHCR stands ready to support government efforts to promote peaceful co-existence and address issues related to citizenship. The total number of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced Rohingya in the region is estimated at 420,000 and 120,000 respectively. Christof Ruehl, former chief economist at BP who is currently Global Head of Research at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) told Bloomberg: If youre talking about winners, you can count Iran and Iraq. The Saudis knew that they would be sacrificing a percentage of its dominant market share with the OPEC deal but opted for it anyway, in order to secure higher and more stable oil prices. The Saudis made this deal because long-running low oil prices have caused a considerable deficit in the countrys finances and they have had to dip into their reserves. Robin Mills, the founder of Dubai-based consultancy firm Qamar Energy, said: The Saudis agreed to production cuts at a time when Iranian production was at a high [following the lifting of international sanctions]. The deal, which was agreed in December, allowed Iran to lift its output, while others especially Saudi Abraia would have to cut theirs. Under the agreement, Saudi Arabia had to cut its output by 486,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a maximum of 10.058 million bpd, but theyve kept their production under 10 million bpd. Iraq promised to cut theirs by 210,000 bpd to a level of 4.351 million bpd, but has failed to comply. Iran was officially allowed to up its output to 3.797 million bpd but instead, they have consistently exceeded that number by as much as they could. Edward Bell, a commodities analyst at Dubai-based lender Emirates NBD PJSC, said: The Saudis are losing out because other countries are able to squeeze out more production. The Saudi Minister of Energy and Industry Khalid Al-Falih told reporters on Wednesday, that there seems to be a consensus that this deal should continue. How will this impact Iran? The Iranian Regime is currently entrenched with crises; the most prevalent among them in unemployment and poverty. An estimated 70% of Iranians live below the poverty line with the majority of people struggling to afford the basics. This situation has led to increased rates of malnutrition, disease, mental health issues, addiction, while many do whatever they can to get by, including prostitution and drug trafficking. But no matter how much money, the Iranian Regime gets from this increased oil production, the Iranian people will see none of it. The Regime has already committed to an increased military budget, preferring to spend their resources propping up foreign dictators than feeding the hungry, treating the sick or employing the jobless. Under Rouhani the 2015 Nuclear Deal between Iran and the West, which lifted international sanctions, in return for Tehran agreeing to curb its nuclear programme. The deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has been disparaged both by Tehran, and by U.S. President Trump. The rivalry between Rouhani, and Khameneis allies, who opposed the nuclear deal, has intensified as the election approaches. State media quoted Khamenei as saying on Sunday, Some say since we took office the shadow of war has been faded away. This is not correct. He added, Its been peoples presence in the political scene that has removed the shadow of war from the country. Hardliners have criticised Rouhanis economic record, saying resumption of relations with the West and nuclear concessions have failed to yield the expected economic benefits. However, Rouhani said on Sunday, The nuclear deal was a national achievement. We should make use of its advantages. But some have started a fight over it. Upon the opening of a refinery in Bandar Abbas, Rouhani said the project is a result of the nuclear deal and interaction with the world. Challenging Rouhani are Ebrahim Raisi, a religious leader with decades of experience in the hardline judiciary, and former Revolutionary Guards commander and conservative Tehran Mayor, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. Diplomats said on Sunday that the European Union is attempting to show Iranians that the EU is committed to the nuclear deal, and Iranians stand to benefit. This weekend, Europes energy commissioner is leading more than 50 European firms in a business forum in Tehran. EU nations are most affected by the oil embargo, and of the six major powers (the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia) who engineered the Nuclear Deal, they gain the most from it. Commissioner Miguel Arias-Canete, in a meeting with Irans atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi, stated that the EU is fully committed to the 2015 deal and expects the same from all other parties. However, the blocs leverage remains limited. Aircraft manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing, and automotive companies such as Peugeot-Citroen and Renault, are doing business with Iran, but many others are reluctant, as Trump may make an already complex set of rules for engaging with Iran even more difficult. An inter-agency review regarding the lifting of sanctions against Iran was announced by the Trump administration on April 18. Although the administration acknowledged that Tehran was complying with the deal, there are still questions of whether it is in the national security interests of the U.S. Microsoft might launch the highly anticipated Surface Phone in late 2017. Upon its release, the Surface Phone could come along with Windows 10 Redstone 3. The Windows 10 Redstone software's early version has already been released, wherein, tech experts are anticipating that the Redstone 3 update will be available at least before 2017 ends. This transpires to be the same time frame when Microsoft's Surface Phone is expected to be released. It has been said that Microsoft wants tech fans to take their time in making the right decision to get the upcoming handset, and it could probably include waiting until the Windows 10 Redstone 3 is ready to run the Microsoft Surface Phone, Digital Trends reported. Nonetheless, there have been several reports about Surface Phone prototypes being tested late last year. Several prototypes of the Microsoft Surface Phone that were tested run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor. One of the prototypes was running with a 6GB of RAM, while the other model with just 4GB of RAM. Also, one of the Surface Phone prototypes runs on 64-bit apps and x86 apps via the Windows 10 Continuum. Meanwhile, just a couple of weeks ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that a 2-1 category device is a future technology, which will be released soon to the market. Nadella also said that they have the vision of the ultimate-mobile-device. Based on Nadella's statements, the Redmond, Washington-based tech titan can still save the falling Windows 10 Mobile business by launching a series of new Windows 10 Mobile devices, which the Surface Phone could be a part of it, Windows Latest reported. Moreover, Head of Windows Terry Myerson, has hinted that original equipment manufacturers (OEM) can expect to access Windows 10 on Qualcomm SoCs in the 6-inch, 10-inch, and 14-inch displays. Wherein, the 6-inch variant will cater to handsets such as the Microsoft Surface Phone, Learn Bonds reported. Watch The Video Here: Cornell University has appointed Gerald R. Beasley as the 12th Carl A. Kroch University Librarian on Monday. Beasley will be tasked to oversee about $64 million in budget and responsible to staff more than 400. In 2013, Beasley served as vice provost and chief librarian at the University of Alberta. He also held a leadership position at the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University. From 2008 to 2013 he was the librarian of Concordia University in Montreal. He was also president of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries from 2013 to 2015. Cornell's 11th university librarian, Anne R. Kenney, stepped down on April 1st. Kenney held the position for nine years and has worked at the Cornell Library in several roles since 1987. Beasley will assume the position on Aug. 1st at the Ithacan and New York City Cornell campuses and will be in charge of 18 libraries. The Cornell Sun reported that Provost Michael Kotlikoff nominated Beasley for the position, which was approved by the Executive Committee of the Cornell Board of Trustees. Kotlikoff said Beasley has a deep understanding of the complexities and richness of academic life and the role of the library especially in the modern globally relevant research university. Beasley has proven himself as an administrative leader and a recognized scholar. Beasley said all libraries are currently striving to keep up with the rapid change in expectations from students, faculty and staff. Due to the global impact of Cornell's library system, he said it is a special responsibility to people because he is particularly interested in open access to books. He believes libraries are catalysts for positive social transformation. He said great research libraries provide researchers with rich and rewarding experience and great collections are authentic foundation for new knowledge. Beasley received his master's in English language and literature from Pembroke College and his master's in library studies from the University College London. Beasley said Cornell has one of the world's greatest library systems and it is his privilege to serve as the next Kroch University Librarian. According to new survey from the online recruiting company, HiringSolved, Silicon Valley hire more alumni from University of California, Berkeley, than any other school. UC has proven itself as a pipeline for tech talent. Stanford University came in second, followed by Carnegie Mellon University (No. 3), University of Southern California (No. 4) and The University of Texas, Austin (No. 5). The top 5 universities send most graduates on to careers at Silicon Valley's top 25 tech companies by revenue. Out of the top 10 universities, none were Ivy League schools. The San Francisco Business Times reported, the HiringSolved survey used data from more than 10,000 public profiles for tech workers that were hired or promoted to new positions in 2016 and January to February of 2017. The first Ivy League school to make the cut was Cornell at No. 15 and MIT at No. 20. HiringSolved CEO, Shon Burton said that tech industry recruiters are looking for students with a strong fundamental understanding of the basics of technology. He added it is important to understand the 'how's' and 'why's' of how things work. Silicon Valley recruiters are looking for specific skills rather than Ivy League credentials such as Python, C++ and Java, which are the most in-demand programming languages. Berkeley also happens to be just an hour drive from major tech companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Tesla. The university's career fairs are well attended by top recruiters because of its proximity to Silicon Valley. The Business Insider reported, other schools that produce the most tech employees are Georgia Institute of Technology (No.6), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (No.7), San Jose State University (No.8), University of California, San Diego (No.9), Arizona State University (No.10), University of Michigan (No.11), University of California, Los Angeles (No.12), North Carolina State University (No.13), California Polytechnic State University (No.14), Cornell University (No.15), University of Waterloo (No.16), Texas A&M University (No.17), University of Washington (No.18), Purdue University (No.19), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No.20), Santa Clara University (No.21), University of Phoenix (No.22), University of California, Santa Barbara (No.23), University of California, Davis (No.24), and Penn State University. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Smoking, meanwhile, is one of the leading causes of CHD. Apparently, cigarette use accounts for roughly one-fifth of all reported CHD cases. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine reveal a molecule that could probably explain the relationship between smoking and heart disease. According to Science Daily, the experts identified the molecule as ADAMTS7. Normally produced in the linings of the blood vessels, any excess in its production may result to the buildup of fatty plaque in coronary arteries. In the research, the University of Pennsylvania experts discovered that a lot of people have a DNA variation that reduces the creation of ADAMST7. For the record, the lower ADAMST7 supply in the body means lower risks for CHD. However, smoking prevents this benefit. Basically, smokers lose the natural protection that slows down the production of the said molecule. Thus, smoking appears to boost ADAMST7. If it reaches an excessive level, CHD is imminent. Danish Saleheen, the lead author, said in previous statements that the findings of their research may pave the way for the development of novel "therapeutic and preventive" programs for the heart disease. Saleheen, on the other hand, is an assistant professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his team used data from 29 prior studies, involving over 140,000 samples. Per News-Medical, Saleheen's study is the largest project to focus on the interaction of genetic variation and smoking. To find clues, the scientists examined 45 small regions of the genome (loci) that had already been linked to abnormal risk of the deadly heart disease. The analysis uncovered that at a certain spot on chromosome 15, a gene close to ADAMST7, 12 percent of CHD risk lowers in non-smokers. On the contrary, smoking enthusiasts only had a five percent lower risk. Microsoft held a media event today in New York City, focusing on education. The company launched a new software and a new laptop line geared towards helping students when it comes to education, and at the same time compete with Apple's MacBook. The new $999 laptop that Microsoft has just launched targets higher education students and Apple MacBook users, Bloomberg reported. It comes in four different colors including blue, gold, platinum and burgundy. The touch screen is 13.5-inches (34.3 centimeters) in size and has Intel processors. It also has a very long battery life which lasts for 1 hours and just a perfect portable device for college students. The operating system is also the newly launched OS by Microsoft, Windows 10S, which was presented the same day the new laptop line debuted. According to 9to5Mac, works like macOS if the users can only install the software from Mac App Store. It is designed to have easy configurations to make it easy for students to use. When it comes to battery, MacBook also features the same 14 hour battery life, and now a competitor has arrived. The new laptop, similar to Apple, boasts 16GB RAM and 512GB of SSD. The new OS the laptop is equipped with is said to be faster and that it offers better security features than the previous versions. CEO Satya Nadella, during the press event said that technology is not the solution to the problems, but it is the facilitator for the answers. He talked about how his grandfather took advantage of the limited educational opportunities he was given so that they could have better life. The whole event was focused on education, emphasizing that the new software released by the company was designed with students and teachers in mind. Marketing and consumer behavior experts at the University of Kansas conduct a study that reveals the advantages and disadvantages of having a good memory. Apparently, people with better abilities to remember memories get tired of experiences quickly. What does that mean? Specifically done to help marketers keep the attention and interest of their clients, the University of Kansas reported that both the producers and the consumers will benefit from this research. For one, it describes how better memories affect one's capacity to feel satisfied with products and food. To better illustrate, distractions in advertisements "might help" marketers break up the gratification process of consumers because they disrupt the memory. Noelle Nelson, the lead author, added that while her team did not particularly study overeating or unhealthy foods, the findings should extend to these types of experiences. Nelson noted that overeating is psychological. Thus, a mental solution could help people control their eating habits. Do note that people could just remember the feeling of the last several times they ate which may cause them to lose their appetites quicker. On the other hand, Nelson had a co-author named Joseph Redden. Per Nature World News, the researchers conducted four separate experiments in total. They have measured people's working memory capacities such as how well they could remember a string of letters or how they performed on the Simon memory game. The latter requires participants to repeat a series of tones and lights. The participants, who were undergraduate students, then performed a task wherein they would eventually become tired of what they do. Some of these exercises include viewing of paintings and listening to music over and over again. In the end, the experts concluded that those with larger memory capacities perceive that they have experienced things more times just because they remember better. Yale School of Public Health has confirmed that it will be donating funds to three international projects that are aimed at greenhouse gas reduction. The projects in Costa Rica, Uganda and Vietnam are going to receive a total of $15,000 in donations from the institution. Two workshops were held this month by the Yale Climate Change and Health Initiative (CCHI). The projects were outlined in detail during the event. According to a post on Yale School of Public Health's official website, the project that garnered the most support was Ugastove. It is an initiative in Uganda that promotes the use of more efficient home cooking stoves. The project is set to receive a $6,774 donation from the institution. The stoves, which cost only $10, can reduce charcoal use by 36 percent and prevent an estimated 1.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. The project also provides jobs, reduce fuel costs, save trees (which are used to produce charcoal) and improve health by reducing air pollution in households. Over 500,000 stoves have already been sold. The Vietnam project is focused on biogas for farmers. It will be receiving $6,290 for funds from Yale School of Public Health. The initiative uses a biodigester, which is a large brick-lined storage container for animal waste. Instead of methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas, being released into the atmosphere, it will be put to good use by powering stoves, lamps and other appliances in the homes of farmers. The project aims to prevent 480,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year and has already created over 2,700 jobs as well as reduced deforestation, household air pollution and noxious manure odors. Last but not least, a Wind Power Cooperative in Costa Rica will receive $1,936 in funds. The project includes 15 wind turbines in one of the country's windiest areas. This prevents 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually and has helped create local jobs as well as boost tourism in the area. EurekAlert reported last month that Yale has also spearheaded a new project named the Renewable Thermal Alliance. This is seen as a solution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across the region by addressing the energy demand of residential and commercial buildings in cooling and heating. There's a big amount of data being captured, stored, and analyzed which requires a lot of people who can generate insights and make accurate predictions. This makes data science one of the hottest career choices of the moment. More so, a master's degree in data science yields a good ROI. According to PayScale, the median salary of a data scientist is $91,000 per year while the median rate per hour is $38.35. The maximum salary cap is $142,361 per annum. PayScale also included the companies that hire the most data scientists. Here are the top 6 employers for data scientists and how much they pay their data scientists. Microsoft - $92K - $182K American Express - $115 - $125K IBM - $90 - $130K Booz, Allen, and Hamilton - $65 - $85K Amazon - $62 - $84K Explorys - $61 - $81K For those who are wondering what master's program in data science is the best, here are some from the top universities across the nation. Master of Business Analytics - MIT MIT Sloan offers a master's degree program in Business Analytics where students will be taught how to utilize Big Data tools and methodologies. It also introduces students to the R statistical programming language. Master of Information and Data Science - UC Berkeley This program is a combination of both online and offline coursework but students are only limited to three days which is some sort of an on-campus immersion process for students. Students of this program will learn how to use Python programming as well as data visualization and applied machine learning. Master of Computational Data Science - UMC Carnegie Mellon's Master of Computational Data offers students an opportunity to learn technology driven tools in statistics and data science, such as data mining and machine learning. It is one of the most sought after programs in data science and as expected, the acceptance rate is also low compared to other programs. Amir Basiri, an Iranian human rights activist, wrote an op-ed on the Washington Examiner, positing that Trump should set his sights directly on the Iranian Regime and its human rights abuses. Basiri acknowledges that there is a military threat from Iran, especially given its support of terrorism and the recent revelations that Iran has not ceased production of nuclear weapons, but he argued that their human rights abuses were infinitely worse and had received considerably less attention that they deserved. Basiri wrote: In fact, US interests can be advanced through a robust challenging of Irans domestic dissent crackdown. US strategy seeking to confront Iran would receive a correct boost through combating Tehrans authoritarian dogma. He notes that the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is heavily invested in the idea that the US will launch a military offensive against the country and has managed the rally the Regime ever-dwindling supporter base against an American attack. A cultural war on the other hand, would weaken support for the Iranian Regime, whose human rights violations are well-known throughout the country, especially given the recent surge in abuses in the run up to the 2017 elections. Some 200 people have been executed by the Regime so far, this year, while many civil rights activists, ethnic and religious minorities, journalists and social media users have been imprisoned. It is thought that this is because the Regime is worried about a repeat of the 2009 uprisings in which people took to the streets to protest the sham elections. Of course, the Regimes human rights policy has always been disastrous. In the four years since so-called moderate Hassan Rouhani took office, he oversaw more than 3,000 executions. Following the signing of the nuclear deal in 2015, the Regime cracked down heavily on protesters and political activists because there was no need to hide their true colours; theyd already gotten their agreement. Basiri wrote: The Trump administration can utilise the opportunity of Tehrans utter fear of cultural infiltration, being the force behind its domestic repression. Iran must understand Trumps overall strategy of confronting its Middle East belligerence, including its involvement in Syria, and nuclear/ballistic missile ambitions also increase the cost of human rights violations. Through such an approach, Washington can weaken Tehrans thirst to challenge US interests across the board. He also advised that America stands with the organised resistance forces, led by Maryam Rajavi, who oppose the rule of the mullahs and advocate for a secular, non-nuclear Iran that respects gender equality and religious freedoms. He implored the US Senate to pass the bill which is currently being heard, which seeks to impose sanctions on Iran for human rights violations among other things. Basiri wrote: Such measures would also send messages to the international community regarding the dangers in seeking short-term economic interests at the cost of the Iranian peoples long and ongoing misery. With thousands of food available in the market, one would think how diverse the sources are of these foods. However, the UK-based charity group Oxfam created a mind-boggling infographic that revealed there are only a handful companies controlling what the world eats. Nestle Nestle comes in first as one of the companies that control what the world eats. Its 2016 revenue is estimated to be around $90.2 billion. The company controls not only adult foods but baby and children's foods as well. Some of the most popular brands under Nestle include the baby food brand Gerber, high-end fizzy water Perrier, frozen pizza Hot Pockets, and chocolate brands Butterfinger and Kit Kat. Their influence goes beyond the food industry - Nestle also owns L'Oreal and Maybelline. PepsiCo Second on the list is PepsiCo with an estimated revenue of $62.8 billion in 2016. Some of its popular brands include power drink Gatorade and the Lays Potato brand which includes Doritos, Cheetos, and Ruffles. They also own Quaker Oats and Tropicana fruit juice which means the majority of food that people eat from breakfast to snack is controlled by PepsiCo. Unilever Unilever's influence is vast and far-reaching. It controls some of the world's most famous brands from food to hair and body care. Unilever owns Magnum ice cream, Klondike, Ben n' Jerry, and Lipton Tea. Its non-food brands include Dove, Q-Tips, Vaseline, Axe body spray, and a wide array of shampoos and detergent soaps. Unilever's estimated 2016 revenue is $48.3 billion. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola's 2016 revenue was $49.1 billion, which is not surprising since the company owns more than 500 drink brands including Sprite, Minute Maid, Fuze, Dasani, and Honest Tea. Coca-Cola is served all over the world no matter what time or season it is. Mars Mars does not just own chocolates and candies but also cat and dog foods. They own popular chocolate bars Twix and Snickers as well as Orbit gum. They also own Whiskas and Pedigree. Mars also owns 900 veterinary clinics across the country. Mars' revenue for 2016 is $35 billion. Mohammad Pakpour, head of the Revolutionary Guard ground forces, told the Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian Regime: We will send advisers in all fields and offer all help at our disposal so the resistance front doesnt break. They are present there now and we will deploy more as long as there is a need for advisory support. He said: The advisory help isnt only in the field of planning but also on techniques and tactics and because of this the forces have to be present on the battlefield. He continued: We will continue our advisory help as long as they (the Syrian Regime) need it. Pakpour said that the IRGC ground forces were in Syria to help out the Quds Force, a splinter group of the IRGC that is blacklisted as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) by the US Government. He also confirmed that the IRGC is coordinating very closely with the Syrian Army. Iran has been secretly providing help to the brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad since 2012. They only recently have admitted to it, after the number of Iranian casualties rose to a level that they could no longer hide. According to Iranian officials, the number of Iranian troops who have died in either Iraq or Syria is 2,100 as of early March, which is a major jump from the 1,000 reported in late 2016 However, the actual number appears to be even higher with over 10,000 Regime troops dead. The Iranian Resistance, who previously uncovered Irans secret nuclear weapons programme, reported in March that the Iranian Regime is burying the dead in secret mass graves in Syria, in order to boost morale for the war and hide their true influence in Syria. Iran has not only sent its own troops to fight for the Syrian Regime but has also rounded up militias (and even refugees) from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to serve under IRGC commanders. Iran is one of Syrias two main allies in this conflict alongside Russia. The Syrian opposition forces are back by the United States, who recently dropped a bomb onto a Syrian Government airfield in retaliation for their chemical attack on civilians, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states. UW Collegiate Chorale Launches YouFund Campaign for Spain Tour Now is the chance to help send the 32-voice University of Wyoming Collegiate Chorale to compete in a prestigious contest in Spain this fall. A YouFund campaign has been created to help purchase airfare for the chorale members, says choir Director Nicole Lamartine, UW Department of Music associate professor. All expenses are paid once the choir gets to Europe, so the YouFund campaign is raising funds for student airfare, she says. The UW Collegiate Chorale recently was selected to compete in the 49th Tolosa Choral Contest in Tolosa, Spain, Oct. 29-Nov. 6. UWs group is the only choir from the United States that has been invited to compete with 15 other invited choirs from Asia, Europe and South America. Winners from the Tolosa contest go on to compete in the European Grand Prix. The Collegiate Chorale is honored to represent UW and the state of Wyoming on the international stage in this contest, Lamartine says. Contributions can be made through the YouFund site at www.uwyo.edu/foundation/crowdfunding. In addition to the contest, the Collegiate Chorale will present concerts in surrounding communities, such as Borja, Ordizia, Pamplona, San Sebastian and Urretxu. Any contribution to the YouFund campaign will ensure that a generation of young people will have the opportunity to share music with other cultures and be recognized for their excellence, Lamartine says. You also will support the distinct connection between Wyoming's Basque culture and the Spanish Basque culture. UW Collegiate Chorale students are largely nonmusic majors. The impact on their degree programs, and the larger view of the world, is significant, Lamartine adds. It makes the world a smaller and more understandable place for the 21st century student. For more information, call Lamartine at (307) 288-0042 or email choir@uwyo.edu. Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) told Politico on Monday. The ranking member (Ben Cardin, D-Maryland) and I are in strong agreement on a pathway forward, and thats what were going to do. Were going to do an Iran sanctions bill. Itll be done toward the end of this work period. The bill, which unlike many bills in Congress enjoys bipartisan support, would expand financial penalties against the Iranian Regime and its associated companies for the development and use of ballistic weapons, support for terrorism, human rights violations and the illegal transfer of weapons. Since January 20, when Trump took office, the Iranian Regime has violated all of these. In January, February and March, Iran launched ballistic missiles. Two launches took place in the middle of Irans desert, while the third was at sea, from the Strait of Hormuz. In February, the Iranian Resistance, who previously revealed Irans nuclear weapons programme in 2002, exposed the Regimes terror training camps which took militants from all around the world and provided training in combat fighting, bomb making, and subversion tactics which are used to bring more people to the side of the terrorists. And right now, in the Iranian Presidential Race, the Regime is running two candidates who have signed the death warrants of thousands of human rights advocates and political opponents. That is the starkest show that Iran does not care about human rights. With regards to sanctions on Russia for its influence in the 2016 Russian elections, Corker said that he would wait for the results of the Senate Intelligence Committees investigation, which is currently ongoing. He confirmed that they would work on legislation to hinder Russias recent behaviour in Europe, which included increasing its troops on the borders of NATO countries and accusations of Russian hackers attempting to influence European elections. Some senators have expressed that they would amend an Iran sanctions bill to add in Russian sanctions but this could threaten the stability of the Iran sanctions. In December, the Senate voted unanimously to extend sanctions against Iran for another ten years, after the bill passed (also unanimously) through the House of Representatives in November. This bill was signed into law by President Obama before he left office. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. This is very surprising because before the decree was issued in January, some sources were saying that the government would only authorise pilot programmes in casinos in the northern province of Quang Ninh's Van Don and the southern province of Kien Giang's Phu Quoc Island. This means that all casinos in Vietnam can pilot opening to Vietnamese customers. According to the draft, which was put forward to gather public opinion late last week, Vietnamese who want to play in the casinos have to demonstrate that they have sufficient financial capacity by showing a copy of the personal income tax collection form issued by the tax authority showing that they have a monthly income over VND10 million ($439) or a pay slip certified by the organisation where the person works showing that they have a monthly income over VND10 million ($439). Otherwise, Vietnamese players can supply notarised house renting contracts, asset renting contracts, or a copy of a bank statement showing their annual interest income or other documents that can prove a regular monthly income of VND10 million ($439) and over. Also, according to the draft, the company operating the casino that is allowed to pilot serving Vietnamese customers has to save these documents for at least three years so that government agencies can supervise, monitor, check, and investigate. As vacation-goers rarely take these documents along, many people are saying that these requirements are too complicated. The draft also proposes the company opens an account for or issue an electronic card to each customer in order to monitor people entering and leaving the casino according to Clause 14 of Decree 03. The account can be recorded by hand or electronically. The information has to be saved for at least three years so that government agencies can supervise, monitor, check, and investigate relevant data. The account or card has to show the name of the player, valid passport or travel permit number, nationality, photo (in case it is a card), time of entering and leaving the casino, and other information that the casino operator needs. Each quarter, the casino operator will submit its earning from selling the tickets to play in the casino into the state account at the National Treasury branch of the same administrative unit as the tax authority where the company registered to file its taxes. All this money will be used by the provincial authority for development investment, social welfare, community development, public security, social order, and at least 60 per cent of it will be for education and training, and healthcare. File photo of Samsung's shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. (Photo: AFP / SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES) Two cranes collided at the shipyard in the southeastern port of Geoje, causing a 60-metre, 32-tonne crane section to break and crash onto a workers' rest area below. Six people were killed and 25 injured in what police described as "chaotic" scenes on Monday. All those involved were working on the Total project, which was ordered in December 2012 and is destined for its Martin Linge field off Norway. The shipyard is operated by Samsung Heavy Industries, part of the sprawling Samsung Group, South Korea's largest conglomerate. Park Dae-Young, president of Samsung Heavy Industries, said he "sincerely apologised" to the victims and their families and promised to provide full support to those affected. "We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and take responsibility," Park said in a statement read out by Kim Hyo-Seop, head of the Geoje shipyard, who bowed deeply in front of television cameras. The company said it believed the accident was a result of a miscommunication between crane drivers and signal people, although the exact cause was still under investigation. Crane drivers at the yard rely on walkie-talkies to receive instructions. Yonhap news agency quoted a company official as saying it had not had such a big accident for "several years". It is the latest blow to the corporate empire, the heir to which is currently on trial for bribery in connection with the scandal that brought down president Park Geun-Hye. A Samsung Heavy Industries spokesman told AFP the Total project, which was due for delivery by mid-June, "may be delayed a little bit". Police said 12 crane drivers were under investigation as they look into potential operational mistakes or violation of safety regulations. There are concerns that a high abstention rate will help Le Pen chances. (Photo: AFP/Valery Hache) It emerged that Le Pen had copied parts of her fiery May Day speech from one made on Apr 15 by Francois Fillon, the conservative candidate who was eliminated in the first round of the election last month. In the speech in question, Fillon paid tribute to the French language and spoke of a third "French way" for the 21st century. Analysis by the Ridicule TV YouTube channel showed that the nationalist Le Pen repeated these passages almost verbatim in her speech on Monday. Florian Philippot, the vice president of Le Pen's National Front (FN) party, said it was "not plagiarism", but "a nod to a short passage in a speech about France". Le Pen's spokesman David Rachline said the copied passages in the speech were "appreciated by Fillon's voters". Just days ahead of Sunday's keenly-watched runoff, 39-year-old Macron remains the frontrunner, with polls predicting a 19-point lead, putting him on track to become France's youngest president. Amid concerns in his camp that a high abstention rate could help Le Pen's chances, company bosses, celebrities and scientific researchers called in newspaper editorials for people to vote for Macron, a pro-EU former investment banker who styles himself as "neither of the left nor the right". CALL TO LEFT-WING VOTERS Macron's economically liberal approach worries many voters on the left. While they will not back Le Pen, many say they will stay at home rather than vote for him and polls say abstention could be as high as 30 percent. Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, an emblematic figure of the radical left in Europe, urged left-wingers to vote for Macron because he was "the only minister in Europe who did everything possible to help us" during the Greek debt crisis in 2015. Varoufakis told Le Monde newspaper that in June 2015, as the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank were putting pressure on Greece over its debt mountain, then-economy minister Macron convinced French President Francois Hollande to reopen negotiations. He said Macron "offered to come to Athens incognito" for talks, but Hollande stopped him. Macron "was the only member of the 'system' who opposed" the harsh stance on Greece, Varoufakis said. Varoufakis' support is significant because hard-left French firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon, who scored 19.6 per cent in the first round of the election in April, is close to current leftist Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a veteran rebel of French politics, called on Melenchon's supporters to put aside their "hatred" of Macron. "Think rationally and vote for Emmanuel Macron and defend democracy and freedom," the former ecologist Euro MP told Europe 1 radio. Le Pen and Macron will face off Wednesday in what promises to be a fiery TV debate when the far-right leader is likely to sharpen her attacks on a candidate she says embodies "the world of finance, of arrogance, of money as king". Macron fought off accusations from Le Pen that he was controlled by banks. "I am not under the thumb of the banks. If I were, I would have continued to work for them," he told BFMTV news channel on Tuesday. Macron said he had received similar insults from the far left and far right for months, "but I'll look them straight in the eye and say I don't have any lessons to learn from them". In a feisty speech on Sunday, Macron told thousands of his supporters he would defend "free democracy" if voters choose him. He said he was aware that "many people will vote for me to avoid having the National Front". "I say to them that I am completely aware that on May 7, I will be doing more than defending a political programme - I will be leading the fight for the republic and for a free democracy," he said. German auto parts giant Bosch said it has sold its starter motors and generators unit to a Chinese buyer. (AFP Photo) It did not disclose the price, but industry sources estimated it at more than 500 million (US$550 million). The buyers are Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group Co. (ZMJ) and Hong Kong-based China Renaissance Capital Investment, the German company said in a statement. Their purchase of Robert Bosch Starter Motors Generators Holding GmbH (SG) is still subject to approval by antitrust and other authorities. The buyers said they would keep the company's almost 7,000 staff at 16 locations in 14 countries. "ZMJ will support SG in further expanding its competitive product portfolio," said the Chinese company's CEO Chengyao Jiao in a statement. "Improved regional presence, especially in Asia, will allow SG's business to be expanded sustainably and profitably." ZMJ is a major Chinese automotive supplier, making starters and generators as well as engine components for commercial vehicles and passenger cars. Stuttgart-based Bosch, an unlisted family company, also makes industrial products, household appliances and power tools. With 390,000 employees worldwide, it booked 73.1 billion in turnover last year, according to provisional data. It will present its results for 2016 at its annual press conference on Thursday. Leaders of Petrolimex on a visit to Tatsuno-Yokohama in Japan in April.- Photo Bnews Accordingly, Tatsuno will continue to support Petrolimex Equipment Joint Stock Company (PECO) to manufacture and assemble new generation fuel dispensers with user-friendly multi-pumps. Nomura Trading Company will import equipment for Petrolimex and assemble a series of Semi-Knocked Down dispensers designed by Tatsuno. According to Petrolimex general director Tran Van Thinh, during a recent visit to Japan, Petrolimex had asked Tatsuno to continue supplying new equipment and technology for Petrolimex, such as steam recovery fuel dispensers and super lightweight oil guns. Tatsuno chairman Hiromichi Tatsuno expressed his desire to continue long-term cooperation with Petrolimex and PECO for the modernisation of petrol stations. Petrolimex is the largest petrol retailer in Viet Nam, accounting for 50 per cent of the market share with over 2,300 stations nationwide and more than 4,000 petrol dealers. Huge manufacturing complexes Samsung has several huge manufacturing complexes in Vietnam. Its subsidiary Samsung Electronics already has three complexes in Bac Ninh Province (SEV), Thai Nguyen Province (SEVT), and Ho Chi Minh City (SEHC), with a total investment value of $9.5 billion. While SEV and SEVT have become familiar with the Vietnamese people, as these two complexes have been operating for many years and have contributed significantly to the Vietnamese economy and society, SEHC is brand new. Being launched in the middle of last year with a total investment of $2 billion, SEHC manufactures complete television units and consumer electronic products, such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and fridges. Compared to Samsungs previous television manufacturing plant in Thu Duc district (Ho Chi Minh City), SEHC in on a whole different scale and technological modernity. The large factory buildings were constructed on a 94-hectare area, and according to Samsung, all the production lines are the most modern available freshly imported for the production of high-end product lines, such as TV SUHD, Smart TV, and LED TV. At the time VIRs reporters visited SEHC in the middle of April 2017, it was focusing on the production of QLED televisions, the most high-end product line of Samsung available domestically and internationally. SEHC specifically reserved a special manufacturing area, called LCM, to manufacture screens, the part accounting for 70 per cent of televisions value. This place must be kept absolutely clean, so the production process is very strict: all components, devices, and employees must be clean before entering this area. With the capacity of 40,000 LCM products each day, this production line not only supplies enough components for SEHC but 30 per cent of its capacity goes to export. There are not many Samsung plants in the world that can manufacture LCM screens. This technology is considered an original production process, which means that Samsung highly appreciates its Vietnamese operations, a Samsungs representative told VIR. Despite only being launched for a short time, SEHC now has an average capacity of about 1.1 million products each month. Beside semi-finished products, 80-90 per cent of SEHCs finished products are exported. In particular, the consumer electronic products are exported to 75 markets and the audio visual products are exported to 60 markets. Samsungs mobile device manufacturing complexes in Thai Nguyen Province and Bac Ninh Province, both larger in scale than SEHC, are faring similarly. At present, the mobile devices of SEV and SEVT are exported to 78 markets. 40 per of Samsung mobile devices in the world are manufactured in Vietnam. With over 110,000 employees, Samsung Vietnam now employs one third of the total Samsung Electronics staff all over the world. The whole economy depends on Samsung? The statistics of Vietnams socioeconomic situation in the first quarter of 2017 indicate that the GDP growth rate was 5.1 per cent only. According to some regulatory authorities, this fairly low percentage resulted from the decreasing production of Samsung during the observed period. Samsungs decreasing production may derive from the Note 7 incident last year. It is not clear yet whether Samsung is the reason behind the decline in Vietnams GDP in the first quarter of 2017, but it seems that Samsung is playing an increasingly important role in the growth of the Vietnamese economy. Thus, when discussing the movements of the Vietnamese economy in the rest of the year, experts again mentioned Samsung. Accordingly, when Samsung increases its production in the second quarter, the Vietnamese manufacturing industry will recover, thereby pushing economic growth. Bang Hyun Woo, deputy general director of Samsung Vietnam, said that last year, despite the incident of Note 7, SEV and SEVT still had an export turnover of $36.2 billion. In total, all Samsung manufacturing activities in Vietnam generated a revenue of $46.3 billion. Of the total, the revenue from exports was $39.9 billion, an increase of 9.9 per cent compared to 2015. In the middle of April 2017, when visiting SEVT, VIRs reporters saw that the $5-billion production line was focusing on the production of new smartphones Galaxy S8/S8+. According to its schedule, on May 5, these smartphones will be officially sold in Vietnam as well as in global markets. After the Note 7 incident, Samsung is now very careful in producing and testing the S8/S8+ devices. All products are tested for 72 hours, instead of the two hours of the previous practice, to ensure that there will be no defect or incident. In the reliability test lab, the product safety testing department now added an explosion testing stage, and additional tests to verify the products ability to withstand force, temperature, and chemicals. This is the reason why Samsung believes that the S8/S8+ will generate a significant revenue, as the rising demand will bring about increasing production, thereby increasing SEV and SEVTs production and export value. Samsung expected that SEV and SEVTs export turnover will increase by 10 per cent compared to last year, reaching $40 billion this year. In addition, when SEHC stabilises operation during this year, its export turnover will increase by about $4 billion, while last years export turnover was $1.7 billion only. Thus, these three Samsung complexes will contribute $44 billion to Vietnamese exports. Almost no other domestic enterprise can contribute such a large amount to Vietnamese exports. None of these calculations include the manufacturing and export activities of Samsung Electro Mechanics Vietnam in Thai Nguyen Province or Samsung Display in Bac Ninh, which has increased its investment to $6 billion. If it is counted, it is estimated that Samsungs export turnover will be $50 billion this year, a remarkable increase in comparison with the $39.9 billion of last year. More than 2,600 IT professionals and 50 high-tech companies took part in Tech Expo 2016.-Photo hrinsider.vietnamworks.com The top five fields looking to fill more executive jobs are manufacturing, IT, consumer goods and retail, banking and finance, and business services. For the first time, the business service industry appeared in the top five for executive positions, with the highest demand in financial advisory, management advisory, promotion, advertising, and education. In the manufacturing industry, industrial construction and civil construction categories occupied the largest portions, followed by electricity and electronics. The highest demand in the consumer goods industry was from F&B (food and beverages) and fashion and cosmetics. The recruitment demand for IT developers and engineers skilled in embedded software increased significantly. At many companies, demand doubled compared to last year. However, the supply of qualified and experienced developers and IT engineers in Viet Nam still did not meet demand. Many companies had to change their recruitment process because of demand for employees who have full working proficiency in English. Previously, companies put technical skills as a priority, but they now test English ability first to eliminate candidates and then provide further technical training for those who pass the English test. The online recruitment website Vietnamworks said in its latest report that both recruitment demand and labor supply jumped in the first quarter of the year. Recruitment demand in the first quarter climbed 23 per cent year-on-year, while labor supply rose 38 per cent year-on-year. In the first quarter, the top five industries with the highest growth in recruitment demand were electricity/electronics with an increase of 67 per cent; executive officers and managers with 104 per cent; construction with 46 per cent; PR and advertising with 35 per cent; and customer services with 51 per cent. As for labour supply, the highest number of job applications belonged to education, electricity/electronics, executive officers and managers, architecture/interior design and customer services. During the period, the IT industry led recruitment demand, followed by administrative/secretarial, accountants, customer services, PR/advertising, manufacturing, architecture/interior design, construction, marketing and sales. HCM City and Ha Noi were the two hottest locations for recruitment demand in the country, with Binh Duong Province, Da Nang and Bac Ninh Province rounding out the top five. The administrative/secretarial industry had the highest competition rate with 1/66, meaning that one candidate has to compete with 66 others for a job. The second position belonged to accountants with a 1/61 ratio. The remaining top five were import/export (1/56 rate), manufacturing (1/51) and health service/biotechnology (1/47). Information in the report was based on data sets collected from posted jobs and job applications on www.vietnamworks.com. Leading Vietnamese shipping company Vinalines seeks strategic partners to expand sustainably The event, as part of the sixth Sea Asia 2017 in Singapore a premier maritime conference and exhibition attracted businesses and companies operating in the fields of marine transport, navigation services, and banking. This year, Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) attended the event for the first time, together with more than 420 powerful businesses and groups in the industry, including those from Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, the UAE, the UK, the Netherlands, and Norway. Le Quang Trung, head of Vinalines Market Development Department, said that Vinalines is implementing equitisation and is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in December 2017, with the chartered capital of $550 million. The state will hold 65 per cent of the chartered capital at the parent company while strategic investors will have an opportunity to hold up to 17.25 per cent of the chartered capital, Trung said. Currently, the shipping giant owns a shipping fleet with a total load capacity of over two million tonnes, accounting for around 25 per cent of Vietnams national shipping fleet. This enables Vinalines to meet requirements of shippers and contribute to the countrys expanded trading network. Vinalines is also famous for shipping services and logistics in Vietnam, with a wide network of warehouses and modern inland container depots in many cities and along the countrys influential seaports. Vinalines also operates 15 seaports with a total capacity of 75 million tonnes a year, making up 23.53 per cent of the countrys total number of piers, and 30.37 per cent of the countrys total length of piers. Vinalines seaports are located in strategically important locations for goods trading as well as regional economic development. Last year, the shipping giant reported better business performance. It earned a pre-tax profit of VND923 billion ($41.95 million) and VND1.139 trillion ($51.77 million) in port operations and maritime services, respectively. The volume of goods shipped via Vinalines ports rose 17 per cent year-on-year during 2016, of which container throughput ascended by an estimated 22 per cent, compared to the countrys aggregate shipping figures of 7 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively. Vinalines has four foreign joint-venture ports, including CMIT, SP-PSA, SSIT, and CICT. All of them reported better performance results in 2016, signalling an upward trend. These are positive result as 2016 was a year of extreme difficulties for the global shipping industry, with many leading shipping lines in the world incurred big losses. Meanwhile, many others went bankrupt or had to merge to survive. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. In a scathing attack on independent media in Cambodia which it claimed were abusing their freedoms, the countrys foreign ministry last month claimed that the press was so free that it was able to report false accusations against the government unimpeded. The ministry cited the countrys ranking in Reporters Without Borders (RSF) annual press freedom index as evidence it was among the most liberal media environments in Southeast Asia. But in the groups latest World Press Freedom index, released last week, Cambodia dropped four places compared with 2016, behind Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar. Benjamin Ismail, head of the Asia Pacific region for RSF, said the group had placed Cambodia under close watch due to the intimate relationship between the countrys ruling elite and its media institutions. This concentration of media and the corollary relationship of the owners of the biggest media groups with power, as well as the current level of violence (mostly verbal when it comes to politicians but also physical when it concerns environmental journalism and private companies) constitute the unfortunately most efficient mix to produce self-censorship in the media-community, Ismail said in an email. He added that verbal attacks by members of the ruling family of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen following the release of a Global Witness report into the familys business holdings had contributed to the decision, as had the killing of prominent political commentator Kem Ley. Government hostility towards independent media increased in 2016. Journalists can pay a high price for covering illegal logging or trafficking in fish or other natural resources. In terms of legal infringements of press freedom, defamation and damaging the countrys image are the most frequently used charges, Ismail said. The addition of an endemic and significant level of corruption in Cambodian institutions, results in a difficult situation for news providers, who face many threats (professional, legal, or physical) when they try to play their role of working for the public interest, he added. However, Ouk Kimseng, an undersecretary of state at the information ministry, denied the accusations. I think those who make the report keep writing whatever they think, but they do not know the facts of what is actually happening in Cambodia, in reality, he said. According to official figures, there are some 800 newspapers and 70 online news portals in Cambodia, as well as at lease 22 television stations, 330 radio stations and 38 journalist associations in the country. Moeun Chhean Nariddh, director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies, expressed deep concern over the RSF findings. Some local journalists seem to be reluctant and fearful to report or produce news stories about sensitive and controversial issues, such as corruption, illegal logging, land grabbing, and other social injustices committed by people in powers and well-connected business elites, he said. At least 12 journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1992, while many others have faced legal action over their reporting. Kimseng, however, said that Cambodia has tried its best to improve the space of freedom for its press sector, urging people to speak to Cambodian journalists directly to learn about the real situation. RSFs press freedom index is based on questionnaires completed by Cambodian reporters working in the country. Cambodia will request further information on the transboundary impacts of Laos proposed Pak Beng hydropower project following an upcoming regional stakeholder meeting on Friday, an official has said. So Sophort, deputy secretary-general of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, said Cambodia would attend the meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in Vientiane, which is part of a six month prior consultation process for the 921-megawatt dam. He said when the process concludes in June, Cambodia would call for more detailed impact assessments as the current information provided by Laos was inadequate. In general, we see that the documents provided by Lao have many loopholes, especially related to transboundary impacts to lower countries, including Cambodia, Sophort said. We also want to see the collective impacts [of all Laos dams] since the Mekong has 11 proposed dams. We want to see the collective impacts on water quality, fisheries, sediment, environment and ecology, he added. The $2.3 billion project is the third such dam Laos is building on the Lower Mekong mainstream, much to the dismay of environmental groups and downstream communities who stand to be affected. The dam is expected to be approved and completed in 2024. It would follow two other mega-projects Laos has undertaken on the Mekong: the Don Sahong and Xayaburi dams, which have become major concerns for environmentalists. Environmental groups have urged a fair balance on Mekong dams, reiterating concerns over the new proposed dam. International Rivers has urged the MRC and regional governments to extend the prior consultation process for Pak Beng in order to conduct new studies based on up-to-date data and analysis. The Prior Consultation should also take into account the findings of the MRC's Council Study, which is due for completion in December and looks at cumulative and basin-wide impacts of all planned Mekong mainstream dams and is important to properly understand the environmental and social costs of these projects, said Maureen Harris, Southeast Asia program director at International Rivers. The Prior Consultation for the first two dams, the Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams, was in both cases a highly controversial and fraught process, with Lower Mekong governments - Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - unable to reach agreement, she added. The stakes for the Mekong and the people of the region are too high to get it wrong on Mekong dams. The MRC said this weeks forum would allow for feedback from participants and also feature a presentation of the MRCs technical review of Laos plans. Daovong Phonekeo, permanent secretary of the Laos Ministry of Energy, told VOA Khmer that there are no new concerns and the Laos government has followed all regulations and procedure as requested by the MRC. For our position in Pak Beng, we support the project to be implemented, he said. I dont think there is a new concern because the project is upstream from Xayaburi. I think the main concern is about the coordination within this project and Xayaburi project. We have carried out all of the mitigation measures in accordance with Xayaburi project, he added. Laos has not yet outlined a timeline for construction, but after the prior consultation process is completed later this year it was likely talks with the developer would begin, Davong said. It is expected that 25 villages in Laos and two villages in Thailand will be directly affected by construction of the Pak Beng dam, with an estimated 6,700 people re-settled, according to International Rivers. Thailand has said it will conduct further studies of Pak Bengs impacts. In February, Vietnam Rivers Network shared their concerns, saying that prior consultation processes should be re-evaluated to include overall impacts of large dam projects. Laos contributes about 41 percent of the flow into the Mekong River, more than any other country. The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, it plans to develop more dams to profit from electricity exports. Misconceptions and a lack of regulation for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Cambodia are the main challenges facing ethical business practices in the country, an expert has said. Speaking at the Green Business Forum, organized by EuroCham Cambodia in Phnom Penh last week, Romina De Jong, chairman of the pro-business group, said local companies associated CSR solely with donating money to charity. She explained that it has a much broader definition involving methods of running a business responsibly and ethically when it comes to the environment, employees, customers and the community. Cambodian business leaders, she added, rarely see the potential benefits and importance of incorporating CSR practices into company policy. Now we are actually just waiting for companies to take up this responsibility on their own, and there are companies that are doing that in an increasing manner, she said. Companies are doing that, but of course it will be more helpful if we can point to a specific law or environmental code and say let this apply [to] everyone that runs a business in Cambodia. So then we can put more force to the case of responsible business in Cambodia, she added. Tin Ponlok, Secretary General of Cambodia National Council for Sustainable Development, said Cambodian business leaders were very pragmatic and would not change overnight. The council will consult with concerned government institutions and private sector operators to design concrete measures, he said. Sao Chakrya, CSR manager for Raytecs Cambodia, a Dutch-owned garment firm, told the forum that companies were generally uninterested by CSR as it required long-term investment and returns were not seen for several years. However, she added that long-term benefits included low staff turnover, which helped reduce costs, and high productivity due to increased employee satisfaction. If we care about our employees, they are happy so they take care of our products, too. It means the produced products are high quality. They do not do it just for the sake of doing it, she said. Two female diplomats who were recently appointed to posts in London and Berlin have vowed to improve diplomatic and business ties with Europe. The women, Soeung Rathchavy, who will be Cambodias ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Touch Sopharath, who will be the countrys top diplomat in Germany, were among seven recently approved ambassadorial appointments. Rathchavy said she would emphasize strengthening a Cambodian foreign policy that favors peace. We must try and improve our bilateral ties to a high level, she said. The important thing is that we have to do what we can to let other people understand our foreign policy that loves peace and is trying to actively contribute to integrate in the region and the world. The new ambassador to the U.K. also said she wanted to encourage increased investment. We will do whatever we can to attract investments and foreign investors, bolstering either bilateral or multilateral commercial ties. But civil society groups said that the recent appointments had further highlighted the large gender gap in official appointments in Cambodia. Ros Sopheap, executive director of the NGO Gender and Development for Cambodia, said Cambodia still fell far short of achieving the U.N. Millenium development goal that requires more than a quarter of political posts to go to women. The number of women taking part in politics didnt grow because the decision makers are mostly men, she said. This is a challenge for women in political parties that men are the decision makers, she added. The new ambassadors met with Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, on Thursday, after which he called on the envoys to place national interests above their own, a possible reference to a recent high-profile corruption case involving Cambodias ambassador to South Korea. Among the others who received new positions, Hor Nambora, former U.K. ambassador and the son of former foreign minister Hor Namhong, was made ambassador to Indonesia, while Long Visalo, the father of current South Korea ambassador Long Dimanche, was made ambassador to Thailand. Senior opposition lawmaker Son Chhay has called for a review of government spending on the Apsara Authority, the body that overseas the Angkor Archaeological Park. In a letter to Culture Minister Phoeung Sakona, dated April 21, Chhay calls for a review of tens of millions of dollars, which he said was not spent on maintenance of temples and bridges in need of repair. The letter also accused the Apsara Authority of leasing land to tycoon Sok Kong, whose company previously held the lease to collect ticket revenues at the world-famous park. In reality, some Apsara Authority officials abused their power to extort money from citizens illegally by removing some infrastructure, such as toilets, chicken coops, or fences, even though [people living in the area] had already asked for permission, the letter reads. He alleged that the authority had spent money that should have gone towards renovations on illegal construction in the parks grounds. Chau Sun Kerya, Apsara Authority spokeswoman, denied the claims, saying that the painstaking restorations needed at the site took time and research. We love heritage, thats why we work here. Who doesnt hate to see the temples broken? Its easy for him [Chhay] to say this, she said. If he wants to make accusations, he should visit the site because Apsara Authority has not issued any permit for any construction in the protected area at all. Chhay claimed that the authority had leased 23 hectares of land seized from citizens to Sok Kong for $9.66 million, but had only reported $2 million in income from the sale. Sun Kerya denied the claim. We have asked the minister to first look into these negative activities and solve the problem, and protect the people from being affected by the bad habits of the Apsara Authority officials, Chhay said. The authority has one week to respond to the request under parliamentary rules. Sakona, who assumed the presidency of the Apsara Authority after the death of ruling Cambodian Peoples Party figure Sok An in March, said she would respond to the request shortly. He was right to raise questions, and we will respond as soon as we can, she said. Myanmars State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has refused to allow a United Nations probe into alleged atrocities against minority Rohingya Muslims in the east of the country, despite pressure from the European Union and human rights organizations. During a trip to Brussels Wednesday she denied ignoring alleged atrocities carried out by the military. Henry Ridgwell reports. President Trump returns to New York City this week to meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. It will be his first trip back since taking office. A recent poll shows that Trump still retains strong support among Americans who voted for him. But in his hometown, the President's homecoming is likely to be met with protests from New Yorkers. VOA reporter Tina Trinh has more. On this day in 2011, then -President Barack Obama gave a televised addressed to deliver news that U.S. special forces had found and killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. The raid by 23 Navy SEALs on bin Laden came nearly a decade after the deadly September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, orchestrated by bin Laden himself. U.S. forces found him hiding in plain sight in a large compound in the military city of Abbottabad, Pakistan just an hour north of the capital, Islamabad. The raid began around 1 a.m. local time, when SEALs in two Black Hawk helicopters descended on the compound in Abbottabad. One of the helicopters crash-landed in the compound, but no one aboard was hurt. During the raid, which lasted approximately 40 minutes, five people, including bin Laden and one of his adult sons, were killed by U.S. gunfire. No Americans were injured in the assault. The SEAL team seized boxes of computer drives and DVDs from bin Laden's house. Afterward, bin Ladens body was flown by helicopter to Afghanistan for official identification, then buried at an undisclosed location in the Arabian Sea less than 24 hours after his death, in accordance with Islamic practice. Obama has said the risks of going after bin Laden were very high, especially if the information pointing to his hiding place had been inaccurate. But the successful hit on bin Laden and his presence in a well-known military city in Pakistan strained relations between Islamabad and Washington. The United States notified Pakistan of the raid only after its completion. Expectations could hardly be lower for a diplomatic breakthrough as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first meeting Wednesday at the White House. Trump said last week he sees no reason why there can't be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. None whatsoever, Trump said. And Abbas recently declared that a historic peace deal to end the decades-old conflict is possible under Trump's leadership. WATCH: Trump on working with Israel, Palestinians to reach peace deal Abbas, who heads the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), has modest goals for the visit. According to Palestinian officials, one of his main objectives will be to simply listen to Trump's plan for reviving peace talks. But Abbas also hoped to use the meeting to improve his diminished stature both at home and abroad, analysts say. WATCH: Abbas on desire for recognition of Palestinian State What he's trying to do by coming is highlight his relevance and that he has a major role to play and that it'll be hard to get anything done without him, says Dennis Ross, who has worked on Mideast peace talks under three separate U.S. administrations. Weakened stature Abbas is increasingly unpopular at home. The 82-year-old is in the 12th year of what was meant to be a five-year presidential term. A recent poll suggests two-thirds of Palestinians want him to resign, unhappy with the results delivered by what they see as a corrupt PA. His Fatah political party also faces a serious challenge from Hamas, the rival Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip. That doesn't make it easier for him to make big decisions, Ross says. Abbas is also at risk of being sidelined by Trump's efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Rather than pursue direct talks between the two sides, Trump has suggested recruiting Arab countries to help forge a broader peace agreement. The approach could be based in part on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which called for the establishment of a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territories in exchange for normalized relations between Israel and Arab countries. Strategy unclear Just how much influence Abbas would have in such regional talks is unclear. But if Trump is planning to have Arab leaders pressure Abbas to make concessions, that may not work, warns William Quandt, a former U.S. Mideast peace negotiator. What's he going to do if people pressure him? He's going to say, We don't accept. It's all he can do. That's his legitimacy, is to say no, Quandt says. The direction of the peace talks has only become more muddied as a result of Trump's contradictory statements on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. In February, Trump appeared to upend a long-standing U.S. policy when he announced during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he was open to alternatives to a two-state solution. Though U.S. diplomats later reassured Palestinian officials that the U.S. remains committed to the idea of a Palestinian state, many Palestinians continue to question whether Trump will be an impartial broker. No daylight' During the campaign, Trump promised there would be "no daylight' between his administration and Israel. Since taking office, Trump has also surrounded himself with advisers with deep ties to the Israeli settlement movement. Diana Buttu, a Ramallah-based political analyst and former spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization, says there is deep skepticism about the role of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, who has been given a key role in the talks. Will Jared Kushner work? Of course not. He is somebody who has very strong ties with the very movement that has ousted Palestinians from their homeland, Buttu says, an apparent reference to donations by the Kushner family foundation to West Bank settlements. Buttu also takes offense at what she sees as Trump's businessman-like approach to the conflict. Just slap it together and do a handshake and call it day, like it's some sort of business deal, she says. Unless you actually get to those underlying issues, it's never going to be resolved. Israeli leaders are also waiting for further details from Trump, including whether he will go ahead with his promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would amount to tacit acceptance of Israeli sovereignty over the entire city. A U.S. official said Wednesday's meeting would also include the proposal that Abbas halt monthly payments to families of militants jailed or killed by Israel.The issue has been raised in lower-level talks, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week questioned any prospect for peace while, in his words, the Palestinians "finance murderers." Not everyone is pessimistic about Trump's push for peace. Alan Baker, a former Israeli ambassador who participated in the negotiating and drafting of the 1993 Oslo Accords, says the time may be right to push for regional peace. "There's certainly a common threat, when you think about it. There's certainly a common defense interest [among Arab nations and Israel] when it comes to the Iranian threat," he says. More details could come soon. White House officials have said Trump is said to be considering a trip to Israel, reportedly in late May. Australia's prime minister said Wednesday that he and U.S. President Donald Trump will engage as two seasoned businessmen-turned-politicians when they meet for the first time, focusing on North Korea, security and economic issues. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was speaking hours before he departed Sydney for New York, where he will meet Trump on Thursday, more than three months after the two had a heated telephone conversation over a refugee deal. "We'll talk about the wide range of security and economic issues, but top of the list obviously at the moment is North Korea," Turnbull told Seven Network television. Turnbull described media reports of his Jan. 28 telephone conversation with Trump, in which the president reluctantly agreed to honor an agreement with President Barack Obama's administration to take up to 1,250 refugees off Australia's hands, as "very exaggerated." He has previously denied media reports that Trump hung up on him, but has provided few details of the conversation. "The president and I had a frank, forthright and courteous call. We are both people with a long background in business and I think I've got no doubt that we'll get on fine," Turnbull told Sydney Radio WSFM. Turnbull, Australia's wealthiest lawmaker and a former Goldman Sachs partner with an estimated fortune exceeding $150 million, will highlight the U.S.-Australian defense alliance by standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump at a ceremony marking the 75 anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. U.S. and Australian warships and fighter planes fought the Japanese from May 4-8, 1942, with the Japanese navy being forced back for the first time in World War II. Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based foreign policy think tank, will attend the ceremony aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. Fullilove said it was important that Turnbull "establish a working, personal relationship with Mr. Trump." "The first phone call was really disastrous, in a way," Fullilove told Australian Broadcasting Corp. from New York. Turnbull will need to strike a balance because Trump is unpopular in Australia, Fullilove said. The Lowy Institute commissioned an opinion poll last year that found 77 percent of Australian respondents wanted Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton to become president, and only 11 percent preferred Trump. The phone survey of 1,002 Australian adults was conducted on June 1-9 and had a 3.1 percent margin of error. "The Australian public want to know the Australian prime minister has the ear of the president," Fullilove said. "You pull off a successful meeting, but at the same time, you're not trying to pretend that you're chummier than you really are." Under the Obama-era refugee resettlement agreement, the U.S. will take up to 1,250 refugees mostly Muslims from Africa, the Middle East and Asia that Australia houses in immigration camps on the Pacific island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Trump, who campaigned on tough-on-immigration policies, was enraged by the agreement, prompting a tense phone call with Turnbull and an angry tweet in which the president dubbed the deal "dumb." Turnbull told the president: "I'm a businessman, you're a businessman. A deal is a deal," Australian officials said at the time. Bison once thundered across the North American plains by the millions. But they were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century for their hides. Today, their numbers are growing again, thanks in part to the important role they can play in land restoration. The 429-hectare Kankakee Sands Nature Reserve is a sea of tall dried grass, with bits of spring green filling in here and there, but it once was Beaver Lake, the largest body of water in Indiana. Pioneers drained it for farmland in the 19th century. While the Indiana chapter of the Nature Conservancy cant bring back the lake, it can restore the prairie. And thats where the bison come in. Doing what bison do This spring, a dozen or more fuzzy bison calves, notable for their orange hue and tiny stature, will gambol across the landscape. Thats good news, says Ted Anchor, the program manager for this Nature Conservancy project, because although they are very young, they and their herd are responsible for fixing a very old problem: more than 100 years of environmental damage. "By creating this large-scale restoration project, weve been able to harbor all those species that were just barely hanging on." The Indiana Chapter of the Nature Conservancy has been working for 20 years to restore the prairie at Kankakee Sands. Late last year, they took the final step, bringing in 23 bison, including 16 pregnant cows. The Conservancy now owns 13 herds, in preserves from Mexico to North Dakota. "Bison are a really easy way to get short grass prairie," Anchor explains. "Just by living and doing what bison do which is eat grasses and make little bison, they create the short grass prairie for us." Environmental managers Unlike domestic animals, the wild herd basically takes care of itself. The only thing Conservancy members do is make sure theres enough water on the land and provide salt licks. While farmed bison are raised for meat, these animals exist solely for environmental management. In addition to grazing on prairie grasses, which allows wildflowers to grow and provides habitat for rare birds, the bison wallow. The depressions they create fill with rainwater, which attracts amphibians and other small animals. The animals are also a tourist attraction, bringing new sources of revenue to the community. Some visitors return again and again. Its expected that the Kankakee Sands herd will eventually grow to between 55 and 75 animals, and return the landscape to resemble what it was when herds numbering in the thousands roamed here. Britain wants to boost trade ties with Africa after it leaves the European Union a project some have called "Empire 2.0." British plans to build on historical links with its former empire could face resistance in many African countries, as exporters face years of uncertainty over future trading relations with the UK. Britain says leaving the EU will allow it to "go global" and throw off the shackles it claims the EU has imposed on its trading ambitions. On a recent visit to Uganda, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the first stop would be Britains former colonies. We are re-entering the Commonwealth, re-entering the global economy, he said. That re-entry has been dubbed "Empire 2.0" in Britain. But in many former colonies, memories of British rule are at best mixed, said British Conservative party lawmaker Kwasi Kwarteng, an author on the legacy of the British Empire, and a key figure in the campaign to leave the EU. My own family is from West Africa, Ghana, which is a Commonwealth country and was a former colony. And people have very mixed memories of the Empire. So to try and relive that past, I think, is a completely ridiculous and forlorn exercise. But what we can do is to try and use those relationships that were forged, some of them through the Empire, and then latterly through the Commonwealth, said Kwarteng. The legacy of the British Empire is still debated decades after its collapse. In South Africa, statues of the colonialist Cecil Rhodes were torn down in 2015. Despite a long list of atrocities such as the brutal suppression of the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in the 1950s Kwarteng believes the old links forged in Empire days will aid new trade deals. Theres a vast world out there, nearly 80 percent of global GDP, which is outside the EU. And a lot of GDP is taken up by Commonwealth countries, he said. Critics highlight that almost half of British exports go to the European Union $288 billion worth every year. In comparison, exports to Africa total just $21.3 billion. To boost that trade, Britain wants quick trade deals with emerging economies. But African nations should be cautious, according to Matt Grady of the charity Traidcraft, which advocates fair trade and global justice. African countries have indicated that their priorities are regional integration and cooperation. So now is not really the time for the UK to be trying to negotiate deals with African countries that will undermine those priorities. It will undermine their ability to develop their manufacturing and processing sectors, he said. Brexit poses other risks. Britain imports $9.7-billion worth of goods from Africa including produce like coffee from Kenya or wine from South Africa. Producers in developing countries, they dont know what tariffs theyre going to face to sell into Britain. Decisions are being made now for two years down the line on uncertain conditions, said Grady. Citing that uncertainty, the head of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of nations said this week that a free trade deal with Britain should be delayed until at least six years after Britains EU exit. With giant opinion poll leads over their opponents, Britains Conservatives have never entered a general election as popular not even at the height of Margaret Thatchers power in the 1980s. Positioned to secure an overwhelming majority in the countrys House of Commons, the Tories, as theyre known colloquially, are gleeful that next months parliamentary polls will likely leave the main opposition Labour Party led by the hard-left Jeremy Corbyn in ruins. But the prospect of a huge Conservative majority is leaving some commentators including a few who support the party alarmed at what the broader impact might be for the country when it comes to post-election government restraint, accountability and acknowledgment of minority rights. Labour's focus The worries mounted this week as the parties started to campaign in earnest in an election that risks becoming totally dominated by the countrys vote last June to leave the European Union. Labour is trying to shift the focus of the election on to the woeful state of public services, traditionally its strong ground. But it had a clumsy start to its campaign when top Labour lawmaker Diane Abbot drew hoots of media derision after stumbling badly on a major radio show Tuesday about the partys funding pledge on increasing police numbers. The Tories pounced immediately pointing to the interview as evidence that their main electoral opponents cannot be trusted with public money. Recent polls suggest the Tories may be trusted more than Labour by the public when it comes to running the countrys national health service a major shift in public sentiment. Political commentator Iain Martin, whos a Brexit supporter, worries about the consequences of a huge Tory win for British democracy. As someone who voted for Brexit, this should be giving me a warm feeling inside, on the basis that a large majority on June 8 will bolster the prime ministers authority in the negotiations to come, he notes. Instead, I feel only deep disquiet about the likely scale of the Tory victory and what it means. Beyond Brexit, this election gives me the heebie-jeebies, he wrote in a column for The Times. British political philosophers in the classical liberal tradition like their counterparts in the U.S. have long worried about the dangers of over-strong governments. The theme was one the Founding Fathers in the U.S. also explored, including John Adams, whose phrase tyranny of the majority is being bandied about now in Britain. Even before Prime Minister Theresa May announced last month a snap poll, flying in the face of previous pledges not to call an early parliamentary election, there were worries that the Conservatives were riding roughshod over dissent. Concerns among Torries In the wake of Junes divisive Brexit referendum, which saw 52 percent of voters backing Brexit, some Tory heavyweights expressed concern about Mays determination to interpret the result as support for a hard break from the economic bloc, Britains largest trading partner. They have fulminated at her governments decision to withdraw from the Single Market, theoretically something it could maintain access to even after giving up EU membership, if it would agree Europeans can live and work in Britain without constraints. Speaking on the BBC, Ken Clarke, a former Thatcher-era minister, who served also in the Cabinet of Mays predecessor David Cameron, complained earlier this year, the tyranny of the majority [is] being used to silence peoples opinions. He argues the reservations of 48 percent of the voters who didnt back Brexit are being ignored and that they shouldn't be, as it isn't clear a majority of the country favors a hard Brexit. A former civil service head of the countrys Foreign Office, John Kerr, who served as an envoy in both Washington and Brussels, has publicly castigated May for allowing the hard right of the party to dictate Britains policy towards the EU. The naysayers are being treated with scorn by Tory diehards. Spectator magazine writer Ross Clark has dismissed talk about the tyranny of the majority, as absurd, arguing, the whole basis of democracy is that the majority gets its way. The bulk of Conservative lawmakers and activists see no need to worry about the consequences of a big electoral win in June. For them the tribal urge, as Martin dubs it, runs strongest when so many parliamentary seats are there for the taking. China is calling for restraint in the standoff over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, one day after North Korea complained the United States is pushing the region closer to nuclear war. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a phone call Wednesday with Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, urged all parties in the standoff to use restraint and return to the negotiating table as soon as possible, Chinese state radio reported. In his daily briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, "We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other [and] work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides." North Korea said Tuesday military exercises in the region by the U.S. and its allies amounts to "reckless military provocation" that is "pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war." The United States recently sent an aircraft carrier to Korean waters. In another show of strength, two U.S. bombers this week joined South Korean and Japanese military planes in regional training drills. North Korea said the bombers conducted "a nuclear bomb dropping drill" in its territory, while saying Trump and "other U.S. warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike" on the country. "The urgent task is to lower temperatures and resume talks," Shuang said about the aerial military exercises. The United States has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to reign in the reclusive country. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has warned North Korea that the "era of strategic patience is over." The participation of the two U.S. bombers in the exercises occurred as Trump unexpectedly said he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the appropriate circumstances. Tension on the Korean peninsula has been escalating for weeks, fueled by concern North Korea may conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. A meeting of foreign ministers from the 10 member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week comes amid ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsular as well as concerns over Chinas growing influence in Southeast Asia. The meeting is officially geared towards planning regional summits in November, which U.S. President Trump is committed to attend. U.S. officials said the ASEAN foreign ministers had been calling for the meeting as part of regional efforts to engage with the new administration. Secretary of State Tillerson earlier said the ministers were expected to discuss trade, territorial claims in the South China Sea, trafficking, crime and other issues. The meeting in Washington follows U.S. Vice President Mike Pences recent visit to the Asia Pacific, including Indonesia. During the visit, Pence said Washington was taking steps to strengthen our partnership with ASEAN and deepen our friendship, aiming to strengthen economic ties and security cooperation in combating terrorism and the disputes over the South China Sea. Analysts told VOA ASEAN states have been urging talks with the U.S. since the administration took power in January. Media commentaries said the administrations America First rhetoric and the U.S. withdrawal from President Barack Obama administrations Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) had unnerved ASEAN leaders. The ASEAN region has built its economic prosperity on trade with the U.S., currently valued at $225 billion a year. But moves towards growing trade protectionism, raised by United Nations economists this week, has led to fears of a wider impact on the regions growth. The demise of the TPP has opened further opportunities for China, now the regions main trading partner, to expand its influence through Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The grouping, besides ASEAN states, includes Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of Chulalongkorn Universitys Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS), said by rebuilding ties with Southeast Asia, the U.S. is acknowledging it has lost ground to China. Its a clear indication that the Trump administration wants to revive these bilateral alliances and to work with partners like Singapore and others in the region in order to elevate its position in the region, in order to regain some ground vis-a-vis China, Thitinan told VOA. President Trump earlier this week called on the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsein Long, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, and Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha with a personal invitation to the White House. Analysts say the calls followed an ASEAN leaders summit statement that downplayed the issue of China taking a larger security presence in the South China Sea through the construction of infrastructure on disputed islands. Thitinan said the ASEAN final statement marked a diplomatic victory for China. So China has basically got what it wanted and China now has the upper hand it has a number of cards it can play. The U.S. is nowhere to be seen, so Tillerson and now Donald Trump the U.S. government is picking up its game a little bit and for ASEAN this is something that they have been looking for, he said. Analysts say the Washington meeting is also seen as offering a key opportunity to discuss ASEANs concerns over the tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The Philippines' Duterte, at the end of the leaders meeting, called on the U.S. to show restraint in its diplomatic standoff with North Korea over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons and missiles program. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, said the U.S. presidents calls to Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore marked a return to U.S. regional security policy seen during the Cold War era. What is quite clear is this, when you reach out to Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, all at the same time on the same day, you are basically calling the old stalwarts the key parts of the U.S. security presence in the Asia Pacific region, Robertson told VOA. James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, said other elements in the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting are hopes by the U.S. to boost regional backing in any security strategy to deal with North Korea. Its all got to do with North Korea and China. At the present moment its got more to do with North Korea. Its all about building a coalition. I suspect that they are in the process of confronting North Korea, regardless of what China is doing, so they [are trying] to put together some sort of coalition, Chin said. Analysts say ASEAN, which is divided in support between China and the U.S., is expected to be unified given the U.S. and China are cooperating to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. Congress is sending President Donald Trump a pointed reminder this week that, as commander in chief, he is legally bound to work with lawmakers when considering sending troops into harms way. The message is contained several times in the $1 trillion federal budget that is making its way to the presidents desk to fund the government through September. The House passed the budget bill, 309-118, on Wednesday. It now heads to the Senate, which has until midnight Friday to pass the legislation to avert a government shutdown. The 1,660 page document includes a $15 billion defense spending increase, but places $2.5 billion on hold until Trump produces a detailed plan for defeating Islamic State militants and explains how he will measure success. It also requires the president to submit within 90 days a strategy for confronting the Assad regime in Syria. The message to Trump is that he does have to follow the (1973) War Powers Resolution, says Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. Mahaffee argues, however, that particularly in this Republican-dominated Congress, lawmakers generally support the presidents authority. There doesnt seem to be much of an appetite in Congress to step up to the plate and reassert authority in matters of military engagement, Mahaffee says. Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said, Its an assertion of Congresss power to appropriate and to set the tone. Speaking to the news website Politico, Capito appeared to shy away from any challenge to the president. I dont see it as a finger in the eye so much as just a reassertion of our ability to put our own imprint on whats going on. Trumps high-profile use of airstrikes in Syria and Afghanistan, along with the heightened tensions along the Korean peninsula, and the offensive against ISIS, have reignited the longstanding tussle between the legislative and executive branches over presidential war-making powers and congressional authority to limit a presidents prerogatives through the power of the purse. The U.S. Constitution empowers the president to wage wars as commander in chief, while Congress has the power to declare wars, in fact to authorize hostilities at any level, and fund them, writes Robert McMahon on the website of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. The 1973 War Powers Resolution added fuel to the debate over the Constitutionally ordered executive-legislative balance. The act was approved at a time of growing Congressional concern over President Richard Nixons unilateral use of military force in Vietnam, and was passed into law over Nixons veto. The War Powers Resolution requires a president terminate combat in a foreign territory within 60 to 90 days unless there is congressional authorization to continue, according to the Mc Mahon. He explained the measure was intended to provide more coordination between the executive and legislative branches on the use of force This whole historical arc has put Congress in a bind, Mahaffee said. Youd probably have 535 opinions up there (on Capitol Hill) on their role in any conflict. No one wants to be seen as micromanaging national security or a military effort given the commander in chiefs prerogatives in the modern age. Mahaffee sees perhaps a bit of Congressional mischief in the polite reminders contained in the appropriations bill. It might have been slipped in because, certainly within the Democratic caucus there was a constant drumbeat on the campaign trail about candidate Trumps great strategy for defeating ISIS, he said. So I would imagine there was a bit of Congressional staffer "tongue in cheek" when this item was put in. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the health care law commonly known as Obamacare. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters late Wednesday to expect a vote the next day. Itll pass, he said of the legislation. Its a good bill. He said the House is holding the vote because Republicans finally have enough votes to pass it. Two Republicans switch Earlier Wednesday, two prominent moderate Republican congressmen said they would support their partys health care legislation. Representatives Fred Upton and Billy Long reversed course after negotiating an amendment with President Donald Trump Wednesday at the White House. The amendment adds to the proposal $8 billion over five years to help people with pre-existing conditions afford coverage. Before leaving the White House, Long told reporters the only way he would support the new measure was to make sure those people are covered because they need to be covered. Period. Upton, author of several Obamacare repeal bills, said their amendment would put downward pressure on premium costs. Pelosi: This is deadly! House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said despite the addition of money to help those with pre-existing conditions, the bill will make it impossible for millions of Americans to afford the health coverage that they need. This is deadly. This is deadly! White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters at the daily White House briefing the number of House members supporting the measure continues to grow and added the president has been on the phone constantly in attempts to garner more support. Focus on essential benefits The debate centers on an amendment that would give states the ability to apply for exemptions from essential benefits in the current law, such as emergency and maternity care, and from uniform insurance rate requirements for people of the same age regardless of their health conditions. Upton predicted the bill would come to a vote Thursday before the House goes on an 11-day recess. Uptons reversal was particularly significant because he is a respected voice on health care issues and former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Republican leaders can absorb a maximum of only 22 no votes from their party and still win approval. About 20 congressmen, mostly moderates, are publicly opposed to the bill. Even more lawmakers have said they are still undecided. The White House is hoping the presidents meeting with the influential lawmakers will help persuade some of the undecided moderates to vote in favor of the bill. Authorities say 12 people were killed and 12 injured after a suspected gas explosion in a railway tunnel under construction through a coal seam in southern China. Officials in Dafang County in Guizhou Province said on a local government website that those killed had been trapped inside the Qishanyan Tunnel after Tuesday afternoon's blast. It took rescue teams 14 hours to recover the victims, most of them migrant workers, in an effort that ended early Wednesday. High levels of the deadly gas carbon monoxide hampered the rescue. The injured were taken to a hospital and the cause was under investigation. Coal seams can emit methane, an explosive natural gas. Iran is pressing Pakistan to capture and punish Sunni militants who staged last weeks deadly terrorist attack on Iranian border guards before allegedly fleeing to the neighboring country. A high-powered 12-member Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, visited Islamabad Wednesday and raised the issue with Pakistani leaders. An anti-Iran Sunni Muslim militant group called Jaish al Adl, or the Army of Justice, took credit for the April 26 ambush in the southeastern province of Sistan-Balouchestan, which borders southwestern largest Pakistani province of Baluchistan. Iranian officials said the attackers killed nine guards, wounded two others, abducted one, and then fled to the Pakistani side. Zarifs delegation opened the day-long visit by meeting with Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who also overseas border security matters. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Pakistani minister tried to play down the tensions stemming from the border incident. As I mentioned to my brother His Excellency, the [Iranian] Foreign Minister, it's a case of two countries with one soul. There are too many common bonds," said Khan. "Yes, there are a few irritants. We have decided to work on a fast-track basis to remove the irritants and send a message to the world that Pakistan and Iran are two countries with one soul. Border issues A statement issued later said that the two governments also agreed in principle to revive hotline between their border security forces to resolve any issues at the border. They also decided that Operational Committees at political and military levels would be constituted with a special focus on border management, information and intelligence sharing for curbing illegal cross-border movement, human smuggling and drug trafficking, it added. The Iranian delegation latter met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, where the Pakistani leader conveyed his countrys serious condolences to the government and people of Iran over last weeks killings of Iranian forces, according to another statement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday wrote to Sharif, calling for the perpetrators of the attack to be brought to justice. The Iranian side has not released any details of the meetings, but Iran's state media, including IRNA, have quoted Foreign Minister Zarif as follows: "The Iranian top diplomat, for his part, highlighted the need for resolution of border issues, a strong and effective fight against terrorists, as well as the arrest and persecution of terrorist groups, especially the perpetrators of Mirjaveh [the border area] terrorist attack." Tenuous relationship Tehran has long alleged that anti-state militants use Pakistani soil for plotting terrorist attacks against Iran. The two countries share nearly 1,000-kilometer long border. The killings of Iranian forces is the latest in a series of events in recent months that have strained an already fragile relationship between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistans recent decision to become part of a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition of 41 predominantly Sunni Muslim nations also has upset Iran. Former Pakistani military chief, retired General Raheel Sharif, is already in Riyadh where he is preparing to take charge as the first commander-in-chief of the alliance. Defenses ministers of member nations also are due to hold an inaugural meeting later this month. Saudi officials insist the coalition is formed to fight regional terrorism, but Iranian officials see it as an anti-Iran grouping and an attempt to expand Saudi influence in the region. Declining vigilance is giving pirates an opening to renew their attacks on ships traveling near Somalia, according to a report by a maritime group. The report by the NGO Oceans Beyond Piracy says after several years of decreased pirate activity, ships are sailing closer to shore and the number of naval vessels patrolling the waters near Somalia has dropped. One of the key findings we found is that pirate groups did not ever go away off the coast of Somalia, said Maisie Pigeon, the lead author of the report, in an interview with VOA's Somali Service. Rather, pirates have continued to possess the capability and the intent to commit acts of crime and now we are seeing that the opportunity to commit acts of piracy is returning as vessels become more vulnerable. At least four of the seven ships attacked near Somalia this year were not carrying armed guards. Pigeon said its too soon to compare the current situation to the pirates' heyday. It think its a bit early to say that it has reemerged in the way it was in 2010 and 2011, but the uptick in the attacks is worth noting, she said. In the peak year of 2010, Somali pirates attacked more than 200 ships and hijacked 49, taking more than 1,000 crew members hostage, according to statistics kept by the International Maritime Bureau. In some cases, pirate gangs received ransoms of $5 to $7 million to release the ships and their crews. Piracy dropped dramatically two years later, as U.S., European and Asian navies stepped up their patrols of Somali waters and ships began using stronger protective measures. There were no recorded hijackings of ships off Somalia in 2014, 2015 or 2016. According to the report, naval patrols account for 95 percent of current deterrence efforts. Report co-author Dirk Siebels said withdrawing those patrols could have a disastrous effect, as building a capable Somali or regional force to handle the pirates will require considerable time and money. Even if you have unlimited budget it will take a long time to actually buy ships, to train crew, to train all sorts of law enforcement related activities," he said. West Africa, Asia attacks Another key finding of the report is that pirates in West Africa and in the Sulu and Celebes Seas of Southeast Asia are increasingly employing a kidnap for ransom model instead of hijacking ships. The report says there were 18 kidnapping incidents in West Africa last year, and another 21 in the Sulu and Celebes Seas. Most of the West African incidents happened off the coast of Nigeria. We have an attacking group of criminals often based in the Niger Delta and they would attack the merchant ships, they would board close to the coastline and when they board they take a couple of the crew members hostage and take them back to the shore, said Siebels. That is where hostages are kept and are usually held two to four weeks, sometimes longer, and in most cases ransoms will be paid. Experts say the perpetrators use this model because it gives them financial gain without the risk of capturing cargo vessels. Overall, the number of pirate attacks in Asia dropped 35 percent last year. The report credits the drop to effective regional cooperation and information sharing. The number of pirate attacks in West Africa rose from 54 to 95. An invitation for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, once a fervent America basher, to visit the White House after befriending China solidifies the Southeast Asian countrys first attempt at a foreign policy balanced between two major world powers and aid donors. U.S. President Donald Trump made the invitation to Duterte by phone Saturday at the end of a summit of 10 Southeast Asian nations chaired by the Philippine leader. Trump said the U.S. government needed more help around Asia with its effort to ease tensions fanned by North Korea, which has alarmed its neighbors with missile tests. Duterte might decline the invitation because he is too busy, news media in the Philippine media say. Trump also spoke to the prime ministers of Thailand and Singapore by phone over the weekend and invited both to visit the United States. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Lee Hsien Loong, his equivalent in Singapore, accepted the invitations. Multi-country foreign policy Since coming to office last year, Duterte has courted China, Washingtons main rival in Asia, despite a maritime sovereignty dispute. Dutertes agreement to set aside the South China Sea dispute first won favor with Beijing, which claims 95 percent of the sea covering the exclusive economic zones of four other countries, the Philippines among them. Dutertes pushback against the United States last year further helped his image among Chinese leaders, analysts say. Beijing offered the largely impoverished Philippines a $24 billion pledge of aid and investment in October. Analysts say Duterte will engage Trump over the long term but sustain ties with China to cement a multi-country foreign policy that helps the Philippines get help from overseas but eases reliance on any one foreign government. In essence, the message to Washington is, we are friends again, but our friendship neither comes cheap nor can be taken for granted, said Fabrizio Bozzato, an associate researcher specializing in international affairs at Tamkang University in Taiwan. Duterte is likely to take a more neutral approach towards both China and the United States in attempt to gain the most from both parties, Maxfield Brown, business intelligence associate at the consultancy Dezan Shira & Associates in Manila, said, If Duterte can play his cards correctly, this will likely result in a mounting bidding war between China and the U.S. over influence in the Philippines. If he declines the White House invitation, Bozzato said, Duterte may agree to meet Trump at a conference in Asia later this year instead. Changing approach Duterte, a notoriously outspoken former mayor of the second largest Philippine city Davao, asked the United States last year to reduce military aid, a break in cooperation established after U.S. colonization of the Philippines ended in 1946. The Philippines and the United States called off annual joint patrols of the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila had bitterly disputed rights to a fishery-rich shoal west of Luzon Island. On Monday Duterte visited a Chinese naval destroyer that he had suggested dock at Davao. He called ships arrival the start of more cooperation aimed at confidence building and goodwill and to show that we are friends, the presidential website says. Duterte agreed to joint military exercises with China, possibly in the Sulu Sea where the Philippines is fighting a violent Muslim rebel group, the website says. I think that theyre confident about the stability of their relationship at this point, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea at the University of the Philippines. Human rights Duterte is looking as well for allies that will not interfere with domestic policy such as suspected extrajudicial killings as part of the anti-drug campaign, they say. Countries such as China and Japan, which has also grown closer to the Philippines under Duterte, are less likely to criticize the campaign, which is estimated to have killed 5,000 to 6,000 people. During former U.S. President Barack Obamas term, a U.S. aid agency began re-examining the Philippines. Trumps invitation to Duterte brought criticism in the United States for inviting a leader suspected of authorizing the killings. The ability of the Trump Administration to increase relations and leverage ties with Duterte will hinge on the willingness of the Trump Administration to extend (aid) programs while maintaining a policy of non-interference with regards to domestic policy in the Philippines, said Brown. Some Filipinos are unsure where foreign policy is headed, said Georgina Hernandez, spokeswoman for Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, who won her office separately from Duterte and is often a critic of government policies. Not much has really been talked about as regards to foreign policy of this administration," Hernandez said. "I believe it hasnt been discussed in very concrete and practical terms and that is why we dont get feedback from ordinary Filipinos." A Norwegian press advocacy group says it has finally given an award to Edward Snowden in Moscow after several failed attempts to win a legal guarantee in Norway that the former National Security Agency contractor could travel freely without risk of being extradited to the United States. Hege Newth Nouri, head of Norway's chapter of the free speech and literary organization PEN, said Wednesday she met with Snowden in the Russian capital April 21 to give him the award. In May 2016, the prize was awarded to Snowden, who leaked documents revealing extensive U.S. government surveillance, for being the "Ossietzky of our time." The annual prize had been named for Carl von Ossietzky, a German pacifist writer who was imprisoned by the Nazis for exposing Germany's secret rearmament. Ethiopias state of emergency has seen thousands of people detained, allegedly in connection with the unrest last year in the Oromia region. Those arrested have included journalists and bloggers. VOA sat down with three of them in Addis Ababa ahead of World Press Freedom Day (May 3). University lecturer and commentator Seyoum Teshome was arrested in October and detained for two months after he gave a radio interview to Deutsche Welle in which he criticized the government. Since his release, Seyoum has continued to post several times a week on various political blogs and social media about current affairs. I got so many warnings from the local officials, from the command post, from the security officials. Its very, very risky. If you stop, that means you are surrendering to that fear. And to confront that fear you have to keep writing, so Im going to keep writing to challenge the fear that they want to sustain in the country, Seyoum said. Ethiopias government spokesman did not answer phone calls for comment. However, the government has repeatedly said over the years that those arrested are terrorists posing as journalists. From bad to worse Reporters Without Borders (RWB) says the state of emergency declared in October has further curtailed press freedom and access to information. As a result, RWB ranked Ethiopia 150 out of 180 countries in its 2017 World Press Freedom Index. That is eight spots lower than the previous year. Blogger Befekadu Hailu says he has seen the change firsthand. "When you freely express yourself before the state of emergency, you have the risk of getting jailed, but the security officials have to come up with an excuse to take you to court. Now they dont need any excuse, Befekadu said. Befekadu has been detained twice. He was arrested in 2014 in relation with the Zone 9 bloggers collective and held for a year-and-a-half on charges of terrorism and inciting violence by writing. Speaking for the voiceless Befekadu was arrested again last November and held for 40 days, this time without formal charge. Like many arrested under the state of emergency, he was held at a rehabilitation camp. The government says detainees are given courses on the constitution and civic values. I have met a lot of youngsters who were severely beaten and tortured. Ive heard a lot of stories that put me in a responsibility to speak about them. Because most of them do not have any access to the press or even social media. So I have the responsibility of speaking about the voiceless. So its a mixed feeling that I come out after the rehabilitation. Under the state of emergency, Ethiopians have been banned from looking at certain media outlets. Social media platforms such as Facebook are still blocked in the country. The government said the state of emergency was necessary to stabilize the country during deadly unrest last year. Parliament extended the state of emergency in March. The defense minister said there were still what he called anti-peace elements active in the country. Blogger Anania Sorri was released in March after being detained for four months without charge. He has continued writing and publishing. Those who are in power and those who claim to lead the society somewhere should see the merit of expressing thoughts freely. In any society, freely expressing thoughts and entertaining new ideas is a key to their progress. Ethiopia is Africas third worst jailer of journalists after Egypt and Eritrea, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Bloggers have assumed a more prominent role in Ethiopia in recent years as dozens of journalists have fled into exile and several independent newspapers have been closed. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said Wednesday it makes him mildly nauseous to think his agency might have had an impact on Donald Trump winning the U.S. presidential election, after it reopened a probe into Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton days before the vote. Comey told a Senate panel he agonized over disclosing the new investigation into Clintons handling of classified information on her private email server during her time as U.S. secretary of state. The renewed investigation came months after the FBI had cleared her of wrongdoing. Comey said he decided it would have been catastrophic to conceal the information after having assured Congress the probe had been completed. It was a hard choice, but I still believe it was right, he said. WATCH: Comey on how his actions affected election result The FBI normally tries not to disclose investigations of candidates shortly before an election so it wont affect the outcome. But Comey said not for a moment did he consider whether the new probe might help Trump defeat Clinton in the November vote. Comey made his revelation 11 days before the election, after investigators found thousands of Clintons State Department emails on the computer of a disgraced former congressman, Anthony Wiener, the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. On Tuesday, Clinton had partly blamed her loss on Comey. A combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks [of hacked emails related to her campaign] raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off, she said. And the evidence for that intervening event is, I think, compelling and persuasive. Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he did not see a way for him to take no action. I cant consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected and in what way, he said. We have to ask ourselves, what is the right thing to do? And do that thing. WATCH: Comey on how decision on Clinton emails affected Trump Comey announced shortly before Election Day that the result of the new investigation was the same conclusion the FBI had reached earlier, that Clinton was extremely careless in handling her email but that no criminal charges were warranted. Lawmakers also asked him Wednesday about the FBIs ongoing investigation of Russian meddling in the election to help Trump win, and possible collusion between Trump campaign aides and Russian interests. Comey said the FBI did not reveal the existence of that probe before the election because it had not been completed, and still hasnt been. He was also critical of WikiLeaks, saying the organizations methods of publishing information make it a conduit for the Russian intelligence services or some other adversary of the United States just to push out information to damage the United States. WATCH: Comey on protecting credibility of Justice Department's investigation Trump, in Twitter comments Wednesday, offered a distinctly different view than Clinton of Comeys actions, saying the FBI director was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! when he cleared her of any wrongdoing in July. Trump has largely dismissed FBI and congressional investigations into the U.S. intelligence communitys finding that Moscow interfered to help him win. The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election, he said in a tweet. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? The FBI and congressional investigators have focused some of their attention on links between Trumps first national security adviser, retired Army General Michael Flynn, and Russia. Flynn accepted more than $30,000 to attend a 2015 dinner in Moscow celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Kremlin-controlled RT television network, sitting next to Russian president Vladimir Putin, and more than $500,000 to represent Turkey. But Trump ousted Flynn after 24 days on the job when it was learned that he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and others about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to Washington in the weeks before Trump assumed power. The Defense Department inspector generals office has opened an investigation into whether Flynn sought any permission, as he was specifically told to do when he retired from the military, to accept the payments from foreign governments. The White House has said that in naming Flynn to the top White House security post, it relied on a security clearance he was given in 2016 by the Barack Obama administration. Flooding in towns across the Canadian province of Quebec has forced hundreds of residents from their homes, and public security officials fear water levels will rise further, with forecasters expecting rain Friday, local media reported Wednesday. Heavy rains early this week have flooded towns in several areas across the predominately French-language province, including two suburbs in the west of Quebec's largest city, Montreal. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre on Wednesday asked people living on the tiny island suburb of Ile Mercier to leave their homes, a city spokeswoman said. CBC/Radio Canada showed images of rescue workers rowing boats across flooded streets to help residents in the western Quebec town of Gatineau, which neighbors Canada's capital, Ottawa, Ontario. Residents of 300 homes in Gatineau were being advised to leave immediately, CBC reported. No deaths were thought to have been caused by the floods. French presidential candidates Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron faced off in a scathing two hours of televised debate Wednesday, just days before they face each other in a runoff election. Le Pen portrayed her opponent as a heartless capitalist who is weak on terrorism, while Macron called his opponent a liar and a dangerous extremist. Le Pen in her opening statement called the former economy minister Macron "the candidate of savage globalization." Macron called Le Pen, who once was forced to kick her extreme-right father out of their National Front political party, the heir to France's far-right faction. The country's high unemployment rate was on the agenda. Macron called for simplified government regulations and small and medium-sized businesses, while Le Pen promised to tax the products of companies that outsource jobs. Regarding terrorism, which has taken at least 240 French lives in the past two years, Le Pen called for closing mosques suspected of fostering extremism, expanding prisons, and securing France's borders. Macron called for better online surveillance, more police officers, and better intelligence sharing. The debate between the far-right Le Pen and her centrist rival Macron could be the climax of the heated campaign, as the two candidates attempt to shore up support from France's estimated 18 percent of undecided voters. An opinion polling average shows Macron with a 60 percent to 40 percent lead over Le Pen, though that lead has shrunk by about three percentage points since the first round of voting on April 23. In a poll done immediately after the debate for BFM TV, 63 percent of those surveyed found Macron more convincing compared to 34 percent for Le Pen. The debate Wednesday night was broadcast to about 20 million viewers on France's two largest television stations. It was billed as a showdown between the two candidates in their first face-to-face appearance. Don't expect FBI Director James Comey to reveal much about the bureau's months-long investigation of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia when he speaks publicly before members of Congress on Wednesday. In fact, there's no guarantee Comey and his agency will ever fully lay bare those findings for the American public, because such investigations rarely end in criminal charges that offer a full picture. Some measure of information will certainly come to light through multiple congressional investigations. And political pressure will fall on Comey and the Justice Department to make public what investigators have learned. The most obvious vehicle for disclosing details of a government investigation is through a criminal indictment, but counterintelligence investigations such as the one into President Donald Trump's campaign and its possible ties with Russia rarely end with charges. These cases involve extremely sensitive sources and methods that officials are loath to drop clues about. American officials often conclude that spy-related activity they uncover isn't actually criminal in nature, or can be addressed through a tool other than prosecution. "The vast majority of counterintelligence investigations will never see the inside of a courtroom," said former FBI counterintelligence agent Asha Rangappa, an associate dean of Yale Law School. "The purpose of a counterintelligence investigation isn't to find people, build a criminal case and put them in jail." The purpose, instead, is to root out spies. It's impossible to say when or how the investigation will end. But if the work concludes without criminal charges, a Justice Department inclined to keep intelligence matters secret will invariably confront demands to reveal its findings given the extraordinary public interest in the investigation. New Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has declined to commit to such a disclosure, and hovering in the background is Comey's decision to make detailed public statements after the FBI declined to recommend charges in its investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. "I am assuming that at the end of the inquiry that there will be an effort to apprise the public of what they've learned," said Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon. "Even if it never produces any criminal charges, there is a deep public interest in getting to the bottom of exactly what was the nature of the Russian intrusion into our election." Trump weighed in on the Russia probe late Tuesday on Twitter. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump said in a couple of tweets. The FBI's counterintelligence probe that began in late July is investigating possible coordination between Russia and Trump associates to sway the presidential election in Trump's favor. U.S. intelligence officials have blamed Russian intelligence services for interfering in the election through hacking Democratic email accounts. Besides the FBI, House and Senate committees investigating Russian interference in the presidential election and ties between Trump aides and the Kremlin have been holding public hearings and could ultimately publicize their findings - though it's unclear how extensive those reports would be. Last week, congressional officials said Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser, appeared to violate federal law when he failed to seek permission or inform the U.S. government about accepting tens of thousands of dollars from Russian organizations after a trip there in 2015. The Pentagon's inspector general is investigating those payments. Comey on Wednesday is testifying publicly before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a regular occurrence as the panel oversees the FBI. On Thursday, he is to speak behind closed doors to the House committee looking into the Russia issues. There are limited examples of counterintelligence investigations resulting in criminal charges, including the 2010 arrests of 10 deep cover Russian spies who were expelled from the U.S. and swapped for Russians imprisoned for spying for the West. In 2015, the Justice Department prosecuted Evgeny Buryakov, a Russian intelligence agent who posed as a New York banker. But prosecution isn't the primary goal of a counterintelligence investigation. Officials looking to better comprehend another nation's spy efforts may not want to publicly reveal anything that could encourage a country to switch its tactics, or may see diplomacy as a preferable option. "Our constitution allows people who are accused of a crime to know the evidence against them," Rangappa said. "That not only exposes everything we know, it can also expose our methods and sources." Added Christopher Lynch, a former CIA and FBI counterintelligence analyst: "You've got to make a judgment: Is that source going to continually be there and provide more and more information in the future, or are you putting the source in jeopardy by identifying publicly in a criminal charge that that's a source?" Since the Justice Department traditionally does not confirm the existence of an investigation, it's ordinarily equally reluctant to announce when one concludes without charges. But there have been exceptions, particularly in high-profile matters involving elected officials. Federal prosecutors in New York and Washington issued statements when they closed without charges investigations into those cities' mayors, and the Justice Department in 2015 provided to Congress a detailed explanation of its decision not to pursue an Internal Revenue Service prosecution over the processing of applications for tax-exempt status. The most striking departure was the July news conference in which Comey detailed the bureau's decision to not recommend criminal charges against Clinton. The American people, he said then, ``deserve those details in a case of intense public interest.'' Though the announcement removed the threat of criminal prosecution, Democrats nonetheless criticized Comey for calling Clinton and her aides "extremely careless" in their handling of classified material, a characterization they said strayed from the FBI's just-the-facts protocol. Against the backdrop of that decision, and in recognition of the extraordinary public interest in the Russia investigation, there will almost certainly be a mechanism for providing to the public details of the government's findings - even if a full, and more extensive, report remains classified, Fallon said. Comey has said he wants to be "transparent" when it comes to discussing foreign meddling in American politics, though it's not clear what shape that will take. "He won't want it to seem like he's pulling punches with respect to President Trump," Fallon said. A white former police officer has pleaded guilty in the shooting death of a black man in South Carolina, even as the Justice Department decided not bring charges against two officers involved in a fatal shooting in Louisiana. Former Charleston, South Carolina, Officer Michael Slager, 35, on Tuesday admitted violating Walter Scott's civil rights by shooting him without justification. He could get up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing, though prosecutors agreed to ask for no more than 20 years behind bars. No sentencing date was set. Slager shot Scott in the back as he ran away after struggling with Slager over the officer's Taser. Slager then began firing at Scott's back from 17 feet away. Five of eight bullets hit him. A bystander's grainy video of the shooting was viewed millions of times online. As part of the deal, the state of South Carolina will not pursue a murder charge against Slager. Also Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that the Justice Department will not bring charges against the officers involved in the shooting death of Alton Sterling last year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The videotaped shooting last summer prompted widespread protests across the city. The Justice Department has not issued a formal announcement of the decision. Human Rights Watch is calling Hamas' detention of two Israeli citizens with a history of mental illness "cruel and indefensible." In a report released Wednesday, the New York-based group says Avera Mangistu and Hisham al-Sayed likely wandered into Gaza on foot and had no connection to hostilities with Gaza's Hamas rulers. Hamas has indirectly acknowledged holding them but will not provide confirmation until Israel releases dozens of its jailed members. HRW called on Hamas to release them, and to treat them humanely and allow them to communicate with family. Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East director, says "no grievance or objective can justify holding people incommunicado and bartering over their fates." Hamas is also believed to hold the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2014 Gaza war. The U.S. government received hundreds of bids to build prototypes of a wall along the country's border with Mexico, according to federal contracting documents updated this week. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol had previously declined to comment on how many companies ultimately submitted designs by the early April deadline. The agency did not provide a specific number in its notice, posted online Tuesday, noting only that the bids for concrete and non-concrete wall ideas each totaled in the "low hundreds." The government just has funding for mock-ups of the designs. As part of the multi-phase process, up to 20 bidders will be selected as early as May 8 for a second round of competition on both versions. From there, the government says it will choose multiple companies to build 9-meter (30-feet) -long prototypes on a budget of $200,000 to $500,000 near the U.S.-Mexico border on federal land in southern California. According to the government's timeline shared with contractors, the prototypes would be built this summer. The submitted designs are not public, but some companies have shared their proposals, which included solar panels, artwork, and viewing platforms. 'From sea to shinning sea' Though fencing and walls exist along parts of the border already, U.S. President Donald Trump has regularly championed the idea of building a wall along the southern border as a security measure. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly last month clarified that a contiguous barrier from sea to shining sea the Gulf of Mexico on the east end, and the Pacific Ocean on the west would not be built. Amid calls for staff reductions at other federal agencies, the administration has proposed substantial budget increases for homeland security and defense spending, but in recent days backed down on including funding for the wall in Congress' current spending bill. Trump and budget director Mick Mulvaney said Tuesday that the agreed-upon budget would furnish hundreds of millions of dollars for the wall, but as highlighted by an Associated Press report early Wednesday, the bill provides money to border security efforts like repairing existing fencing and barriers built years ago under previous presidents. It does not fund any further construction. Tuesday's update from CBP reiterates that the prototypes could be a starting point for the design of potential walls that could be considered for actual construction in the future, but that future construction will require new contracts and the availability of budget for that construction. Hate crimes have surged since President Donald Trump's election in November, amplifying worries about his Justice Department's commitment to carry on the previous administration's anti-hate crime campaign. From mosque arsons to vandalism of Jewish community centers, American Muslims and Jews have borne the brunt of the most recent escalation in hate crimes, and advocates worry many offenses may go unpunished. The U.S. Justice Department sought to calm those concerns on Tuesday, however, saying it is going after hate crimes just as aggressively as it did under the administration of former President Barack Obama. Eric Treene, the Justice Department's special counsel for religious discrimination, said the message from the White House and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been to fight hate crime as part of a stepped-up anti-crime campaign. "The attorney general [Jeff Sessions] has made fighting violent crime one of his top priorities," Treene told a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on religiously motivated hate crimes. "Addressing hate crimes must be part of our national effort to reduce violent crime." Asked whether the Justice Department under Trump has changed its policy on hate crime, Treene said, No, the attorney general has been consistent and strong in his message that hate crime is violent crime and we need to do everything we can ... to fight this problem. In February, Sessions, acting on an executive order from Trump, announced the creation of the department's Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, which includes a hate crimes subcommittee. The panel will hold a one-day summit with experts, community organizations and law enforcement agencies to discuss "how best to reduce the incidence of hate crimes in America," Treene said. Cases pursued In addition, he said, the Justice Department has vigorously pursued cases under all federal hate crime statutes, ranging from bringing charges against a teenager for making threatening calls against Jewish community center locations and another man for threatening Muslim grocery owners in Fort Myers, Florida, to suing several cities for blocking mosque constructions. Treene did not say how many of the hate crime cases were carried over from the Obama administration or how many hate crime cases the department has opened since Trump's January 20 inauguration. Vanita Gupta, a former head of the Justice Department's civil rights division under Obama, said the Obama administration prosecuted a record number of hate crime cases during its two terms in office. Brian Levin, a criminologist and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University-San Bernardino, said putting hate crime under the rubric of violent crime "isn't very helpful." The FBI defines a hate crime as a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity." Though sharply down overall since 2000, hate crime has risen in recent years. According to the FBI's most recent data, hate crime rose 7 percent to 5,850 incidents in 2015 from 5,479 incidents in 2014 while violence against Muslims jumped 67 percent and against Jews by 9 percent. Up 6 percent in 2016 Data collected by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism show that hate crime rose 6 percent last year and has continued to grow in several metropolitan areas in 2017. According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents, including harassment, bullying, vandalism and threats, rose by one-third in 2016 and 86 percent in the first quarter of 2017. Since January, Muslim Advocates, an advocacy organization, has recorded more than 80 incidents of violence and threats of violence against Muslims and others mistaken for Muslims. But the FBI data are thought to understate the extent of hate crime. That is in part because the data are based on voluntary submissions by police departments and partly because victims in immigrant and minority communities are afraid to report crime. As a result, nearly two-thirds of hate crimes went unreported in recent years, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics, which reported nearly 300,000 "hate crime victimizations" in 2012. While Treene said there is room for improvement in the data, Gupta urged Congress to make hate crime reporting by the nation's more than 17,000 local police departments mandatory, a call supported by several senators. During the 2016 presidential campaign, there was something of a pattern to anti-Muslim hate crimes: sharp increases in the wake of high-profile terrorist acts and a spike immediately after Trump's initial Muslim ban proposal announcement in December 2015.There was also an increase in anti-Muslim crimes following Trump's victory. Moral leadership "Our research shows that statements by political leadership correlate to increases and reductions in hate crimes at critical times, like after terror attacks, and the committee rightly brought up the importance of moral leadership," Levin said. Lawmakers expressed alarm at the spike in hate crime and pledged legislative support for local efforts to combat hate crime.While Republicans pointed to Trump's pledge to counter hate and prejudice, Democratic critics on the committee took a swipe at the president's divisive rhetoric and policies. As Washington is mulling a new strategy to combat extremism and militancy in Afghanistan, the Afghan government says it should include supporting a Kabul security plan aimed at vastly improving Afghan security forces. If the United States announces a new strategy, as they have promised, if they support our four-year plan, I can assure you that Afghanistan will have an army that every Afghan will count on and will be proud of, General Dawlat Waziri, spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, told VOAs Afghan service. The Trump administration is conducting a review of U.S. policy for Afghanistan where American troops have been stationed for more than 15 years. U.S. and Afghan officials have been meeting to determine the next steps. Roughly 13,000 NATO troops, including 8,400 Americans, are deployed in Afghanistan, carrying out anti-terrorism operations training Afghanistans 300,000 security forces. U.S. Army General John Nicholson, the current NATO commander in Afghanistan, is proposing to send a few thousand more U.S. troops to Afghanistan to break what he termed a "stalemate" in the fight against Taliban and Islamic State. General Nicholson has made his recommendation regarding troop levels to his chain of command and the decision on the way ahead is being made in Washington, U.S. military spokesman Navy Captain Bill Salvin told VOA on Wednesday. Afghanistan last month announced a four-year security plan to improve its security forces in the next few years to help beat the growing threat posed by Taliban and the ISs Khorasan branch (IS-K). Kabul says it needs more U.S. and NATO trainers as well as additional military hardware. The Afghan plan would double the special operation forces from 17,000 and upgrade what is now a division of special forces. It would also increase the countrys air force capabilities. According to Waziri, the Afghan air force is expected to soon receive up to 200 helicopters and other aircraft from the U.S. and other Western allies. Afghan officials say additional U.S. training, support and equipment will turn the tide of the war against emboldened Taliban and IS-K. Analysts say given the Trump administrations priority on focusing on the war against extremism, Washington may be willing to meet Kabuls demands. If the U.S. is really going to develop a policy that can shift the calculus on the ground in Afghanistan in a big way, then it will need to address many of these very ambitious asks from the Afghan government, Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, told VOA. Clearly, the operative U.S. policy of recent years has not been working, so theres a need to come up with new ideas. A revised U.S. policy in Afghanistan would be notably more engaged and long term than the Obama administration policy, which was focused on withdrawal deadlines and troop level caps, Kugelman said. He predicts the Trump administration will eventually announce a policy that keeps troops in the country and arms and money flowing into the country for an extended period of time. Afghan officials say they are pressing Washington for consistency. "We want a consistent policy that does not change frequently" Hamdullah Mohib, the Afghan ambassador in Washington, told VOA. VOAs Afghan Service contributed to this report. Kenyas electoral commission is appealing a court ruling that poll results announced at the constituency level are final. The electoral body says that opens the way to manipulation. The bad blood between the Kenya's political opposition and its electoral commission has been taken to the corridors of justice three months before the August poll. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is appealing a high court ruling that bans the commission chairman from making the official announcement of presidential vote totals from each constituency. The court ruled that vote totals announced at polling stations and the constituency level are final. The Kenya country director of the Johannesburg based non-profit Electoral Law and Governance Institute in Africa, Felix Odhiambo, says previous electoral flaws did not favor the commission. What IEBC is seeking to do, is a disquisition that has been misused in this country time and again by allowing the chairperson of the commission to be the final returning officer with respect to the election of the president," he said. "If you look at 2007 elections and 2013 elections, the conduct of the chairperson of the IEBC and what the IEBC did at the national tallying center was subject to many litigations. It took days to announce the presidential vote results in 2007 and 2013, with charges of altering figures at the national level. The 2007 disputed result put Kenya on the brink of civil war. Communities turned against each other, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands left homeless. Odhiambo says the court made the right decision. The high court properly read the mood of the Kenyans," he said. "The court of appeal dealt with over 188 petitions and in those petitions during 2013 elections they saw the conduct of IEBC personnel, both at the national tallying center and at the constituencies, they also then looked at the constitution and made the correct interpretation [of] the finality of voting, finality of the result of the constituency and not at the national tallying center in Nairobi. But the electoral commission argues the results can be altered at the constituency level and the ultimate decision should lie with its chairman. Opposition politician Johnson Muthama threatened a boycott if the appeal favors the IEBC. He says the commission should not try to change electoral laws, and if the law is changed, the opposition will not participate in the general election. Last December, the electoral commission was successful in petitioning Kenya's parliament to change laws to allow the use of manual voter registration in case electronic technology fails. President Uhuru Kenyatta is running for a second term. His closest challenger is former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. 1 A streak of light trails off into the night sky as the U.S. military test fires an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, some 130 miles (209 kms) northwest of Los Angeles, California. Nigeria's president missed his weekly cabinet meeting for the third straight time Wednesday as concerns mounted about his health, while his wife took to Twitter to defend him. President Muhammadu Buhari disappeared for six weeks of medical leave in London earlier this year, leading some to call for his replacement. The 74-year-old returned to work in mid-March but often works from home, according to aides. The uncertainty over Buhari's health has raised fears of instability in Africa's most populous nation and one of its top oil producers. A tweet from his office on Wednesday said the latest Cabinet meeting was being presided over by the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, who had been in charge during the president's medical leave. Buhari's office last month put out a statement saying he remained in charge even though doctors had advised "on his taking things slowly." On his return to Nigeria in March, he made reference to blood transfusions and said he had not been so sick in decades. Buhari's wife, Aisha, tweeted late Tuesday that her husband's health "is not as bad as it's being perceived." Nigeria continues to grapple with crises that include Boko Haram extremist attacks, millions facing starvation in the country's northeast and an economy that last year contracted for the first time in a quarter-century. He's not welcome here. Like most New Yorkers, Amanda Johnson doesn't mince words. The Resist Here director for the Working Families Party is organizing a protest in advance of President Donald Trump's visit to New York City. The visit will be his first return to the city since taking office. On Thursday, the president will meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard the USS Intrepid museum. The two will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, a World War Two naval battle during which the United States and Australia collaborated. WATCH: New York Prepares for Trump's Return A recent poll shows that Trump still retains strong support among those Americans who voted for him. In his hometown, though, the president's homecoming is likely to be met with protests from locals. "New Yorkers, we value diversity. We value all the languages that are spoken all over the city. And his policies are to deport these folks that are our neighbors, and to take away the healthcare of our friends and our family, and we want to show him that that's not OK here," said Johnson. New York's citizens take action As of this writing, 2,200 New Yorkers had signed on for Thursday's protest, which was being organized with several other social justice organizations, like Women's March and Common Defense. Johnson isn't the only New Yorker taking action. Sother Teague and Ravi DeRossi have opened the aptly-named Coup bar in Manhattan, where patrons can donate to non-profits they believe are endangered by the new administration. "I wanted to do something," said DeRossi in an AP interview. "Bars, it's what I know how to do. And I think if everybody ... looks at their career or one of their hobbies, they could probably figure out how to turn that into something that is working toward a more positive, political environment." Inside Coup, the walls display phrases lifted from protest signs, "I've seen better cabinets at Ikea" and "We are all immigrants." Of course, the sentiments conveyed are not necessarily felt by those outside New York. "Donald Trump was essentially a rural candidate who appealed to many, many lightly-populated counties and some small cities," noted Mark Muro, senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy program at Brookings Institution. An election of economies Trump won 2,584 counties to Hillary Clinton's 472 counties. Despite the broader representation, a Brookings analysis found counties won by Trump contributed only 36 percent to the country's overall GDP. Clinton won fewer counties, but these counties contributed 64 percent to the GDP. In regions where local economies were largely built around natural resources and rural activity, faded opportunities and harsh economic realities explain why Trump's campaign promises to bring back jobs resonated so highly. Muro described the economic split represented in the last election as "incredibly stark." "Our findings really underscored that we have two economies in this country, and two very different economic bases for the ways people make a living," Muro told VOA News. "We have big, dense, often urban economies, often high-tech, with people living in cities and following, essentially, professional pathways. And we have other less urban places in which people are living much less densely, much more rurally, often not working at all." He added another observation. "What will be important now will be consensus around economic programs that benefit both sides of the urban-rural divide. I'm thinking of things like research money, I'm thinking of workforce-training money," said Muro. "These are things that benefit both urban communities and rural communities." Back in New York City, resident sentiments have not changed since the November election, where Trump lost by a 4-to-1 margin. "We value success and people that strive and go for their dreams. This city is a city of hustlers," acknowledged Johnson, "But from what I understand, the way that he's gotten to his success is by (treading) down on people, and that's not something we value." Come Thursday, the same New York hustle and attitude that made "The Donald" famous will be there to greet him. President Donald Trumps nominee to be the next ambassador in China is seen as an old friend of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has known Xi since the young communist leader paid a visit to his home state in 1985. But, being an old friend could be a blessing and a curse, analysts say. During his hearing on Tuesday, Branstad received praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and his nomination seems almost certain. In his opening statement, he pledged to use what he called his unique position as an old friend of President Xi and a trusted confidant of President Trump to positively influence the U.S.-China relationship. He also made sure that lawmakers didnt interpret that as a sign that he was in Xis pocket. In the hearing, Branstad spoke about a wide range of issues sensitive to Beijing, including human rights, South China Sea, Taiwan and trade. And pledged to not go easy on Xi. "The fact that the leader of China calls us an old friend doesn't mean that I'm going to be at all reluctant or bashful about bringing up issues where we think they have not been fair, and where Americans or anybody has been treated unfairly," said Branstad. Francesco Sisci, a Beijing-based China commentator, said that given all of the thorny issues the two countries face, there are still some choppy waters ahead. Having Branstad as ambassador will help, but Trumps vacillating policy remarks have left a lot of room for interpretation from Beijings perspective, said Sisci. He [Trump] called Taiwans president and said oh well maybe it was not the right thing to do, but there was not a U-turn. And yes, I am not calling China a currency manipulator, but, you know, maybe in the future. And yes, I want China on board with North Korea, yeah, but I could act against North Korea on my own, said Sisci. Given the tense nature of ties and the enormous challenges the two countries face, it will be important that Branstad has a relationship with Xi. But from his perspective, Sisci said it is more important that Xi knows Branstad. That way, Chinas leader can use Branstad to relay messages to President Trump when needed. At the end of the day, however friendly he may be, he responds to another government, but the fact that hes friendly especially at this moment, it could be a great help, said Sisci. David Kelly, director of research at China Policy says the perception of being a friend of Beijing does not always play to ones favor. Kelly notes that while former U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke, was initially perceived as being a good choice, given his Chinese heritage, he eventually ran into trouble over his assistance in the flight of a blind dissident lawyer. But, when he came into China, he then got caught up in the Chen Guangcheng affair and ended up being seen as no great friend of China and of being a little too loyal to his Washington masters, Kelly says. Beijing appears to already be managing perceptions. Coverage in state media on Wednesday was sparse and focused largely on his comment to make the relationship better. Chinas main state broadcaster CCTV, however, did carry a story about the hearing, including a soundbite from Branstad where he talked about his willingness to meet with people of all backgrounds at the U.S. Embassy. The report neglected to mention, however, that he included inviting dissidents as well. On social media, comments were nearly non-existent. Most of those who did comment voiced their hope that Branstad would help build better ties between the two countries. Others were more skeptical. One post on Chinas Twitter-like microblog Weibo says: Tillerson is also Russia and Putins old friend, dont know if this old friend of Chinas friendship will last! President Donald Trump is giving serious consideration to moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday, the day before a scheduled White House visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump is also personally committed to becoming the U.S. president who finally ends the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Pence said. Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem is a politically charged act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem, which was captured in 1967, as a future capital and part of their sovereign territory. Such a move would also distance the U.S. from most of the international community, including its closest allies in Western Europe and the Arab world. Moving embassy a campaign promise Trump had pledged during the presidential campaign to move the embassy, if elected. The White House says the idea is still under discussion. The president of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Pence said, uttering his biggest applause line during remarks at the Israel Independence Day Commemoration event in an ornate room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. To be clear, the president has also personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, the vice president added. Pence also sought to reassure the audience that, while compromises will have to be made, Trump will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israel not now, not ever. Trump and Abbas are expected during their meeting on Wednesday to address options for pursuing peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Trump broke with longtime U.S. policy in February when he withheld clear support for an independent Palestine, saying he could endorse a one-nation solution to the conflict. Trump just wants a solution At a White House news conference in February with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump was asked whether he was ready to give up on the idea of a two-state solution to the conflict. Trump said he was looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. He also asked Israel to hold off on Jewish settlement construction in territory Palestinians claim for their future state. With Cuban President Raul Castro set to step down next year, his daughter Mariela Castro said on Wednesday she would never want to be a contender for the presidency, but that there was room for surprises in the succession process. Raul, 85, who took the reins from his older brother, the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, has said he will step down in February 2018 at the end of a second five-year term. His heir apparent is Cuba's First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, 57, and experts say the latter would have to stumble badly for someone else to leapfrog him in Cuba's arcane system for choosing its leader. Still, speculation there could be other candidates is rife on the Communist-ruled island. Mariela Castro, 54, a lawmaker and director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), was evasive when asked about the issue at a CENESEX news conference. "The men and women of the people of Cuba are candidates," she told reporters. "I don't say: 'We are,' because I will never let myself be nominated for such a big task." "Sometimes, you orientate yourself one way and then suddenly, you look over there, and you say: 'How interesting is this person whom I hadn't checked out before,'" she said. "There are always surprises." Names that have been bandied around as possible alternatives to Diaz-Canel are Alejandro Castro Espin, another child of the current president and one of his closest aides, and foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez. Castro Espin played a key role in the secret negotiations leading up to the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States, although he ruled out succeeding his father in a 2015 interview. Rodriguez meanwhile has a high public profile as Cuba's top diplomat, most recently touring Europe. Still, Cuba experts say Diaz-Canel has clearly been groomed for the job and the government would unlikely want to risk political stability by appointing someone with less legitimacy. "Perhaps she wanted to inject an element of excitement into what otherwise appears to be a pre-determined top-down bureaucratic selection," said Richard Feinberg, author of "Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy". Surprises were always possible, he added, but he doubted the rumors of another Castro. "That would be a grave mistake by the Cuban Communist Party leadership, as it would make Cuba appear to be a family dynasty, rather than an institutionalized polity," he said. Jan Egeland, leader of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said he was shocked by what he called a "man-made famine" in Yemen after spending time talking to people who live there. "The world is letting some 7 million men, women and children slowly but surely be engulfed by unprecedented famine," Egeland said. "It is not a drought that is at fault. This preventable catastrophe is man-made from A to Z." Egeland, who recently returned from a five-day trip to Yemen, called the current lack of food in the country a "gigantic failure of international diplomacy." According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, around 17 million people or about 60 percent of Yemen's population are food insecure. Around 7 million don't know where their next meal will come from. "This month, humanitarian efforts led by the World Food Program can only afford to feed 3 of the 7 million Yemenis on the brink of famine," Egeland said. Egeland said he met teachers, health professionals and other civil servants who hadn't received a pay check in eight months. The United Nations calls Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis, noting that this war-torn, impoverished country also is one of the world's most forgotten crises. According to U.N. estimates, at least 10,000 people have been killed, countless thousands injured, and more than 3 million forced from their homes during the country's two-year-long civil war. The war has devastated Yemen's economy, and damaged or destroyed nearly 300 health facilities. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has singled out China in the Trump administration's new approach to pressure North Korea to stop its provocative nuclear weapons program and missile tests. Tillerson said there was an assumption that "China has limited influence on the regime in Pyongyang," or "they have a limited willingness to assert their influence" when President Donald Trump ordered a policy review on North Korea soon after taking office. "The difference, I think, in our approach this time is we're going to test this assumption, so I told the president we've got to test that," Tillerson said Wednesday, in his second address to State Department employees. "We're going to test it by leaning hard into them. And this is a good place to start our engagement with China," he added. Washington is to host the first round of the U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in June, during which North Korea's nuclear and missile proliferation is high on the agenda. The top U.S. diplomat said Washington is preparing additional sanctions if North Korea's actions warrant them. New test preparations On Wednesday, Airbus Defense & Space released satellite imagery of North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test facility. The new images indicate "an apparent resumption of activity" at the North Portal, the tunnel where North Korea appears to have been preparing for a nuclear test, according to 38 North, a Washington-based monitoring project. In Pyongyang, North Korea's state media published a rare and strong criticism against China, saying commentaries from Chinese state media calling for tougher sanctions on Pyongyang's nuclear program are undermining bilateral relations. Trump tweeted last week that North Korea disrespected the wishes of China when it launched an unsuccessful missile test on April 28. Senior officials described threats from North Korea, which is trying to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland 9,000 kilometers away, as the number one U.S. national security priority. B-1B flyovers Earlier this week, two U.S. B-1B bombers were deployed over the Korean peninsula during a joint exercise with South Korea's air force. North Korea criticized the U.S. bomber flights as a push to the brink of nuclear war. In Beijing, the Chinese government urged all parties to stay calm and stop irritating each other. A spokesperson from Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the situation "highly complex" and called for all sides to "work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible." One person was killed and nine were wounded Wednesday when suspected Islamic extremists fired rockets into a U.N peacekeeping camp in Mali. The nationality of the person killed was not known. The wounded included a Swedish peacekeeper and Liberian soldiers. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the camp in Timbuktu, but the U.N. mission called it a terrorist incident. Al-Qaida-linked militants were behind another rocket attack on the camp last year. U.N. peacekeepers and French forces are helping Mali deal with the remnants of an Islamic insurgency in the north. Militants briefly took over the area in 2012 after a failed coup in Bamako. The militants have also spread to southern Mali, along the border with Burkina Faso. Royal Caribbean International has announced it will resume weeklong cruises from New Orleans to the Bahamas and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. News outlets report Royal Caribbean said in a news release Monday that their 2,435-passenger Vision of the Seas cruise ship will relocate in December 2018 to the Port of New Orleans after a three-year hiatus. The company announced the move as part of an overview of its 2018-2019 fleet plans. After a two-year agreement with the Port of New Orleans ended in 2014, the Miami-based company chose to end sailings from the city. The departure came despite several years of growth for the city as a cruise hub. The 915-foot ship will sail from Miami to Los Angeles before setting sail for New Orleans. The Somali government said it was investigating the killing Wednesday of the public works and reconstruction minister, who was shot by another government official's bodyguards. Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji, 31, was fatally shot near the Presidential Palace, Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman told VOA. Witnesses told VOA Somali that Siraji was hit by gunshots fired from a vehicle in which Auditor General Nur Jimale Farah was riding. Farah told VOA Somali that his bodyguards suspected a vehicle behind them was transporting a suicide bomber. The vehicles were about 500 meters from the Presidential Palace when the bodyguards opened fire, Farah said. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who was in Addis Ababa, posted these messages on Twitter: Osman, the information minister, said, "We are very sorry about the incident that happened in Mogadishu this evening that killed one of our youngest, brightest ministers, Minister of Public Works Abbas Siraji. ... Our Somali leaders have sent their condolences to the families and to all Somalis." He said Siraji "was full of promise and energy and commitment, determination, loyalty and nationalism, so we are in a state of shock." In a statement, the Somali government paid tribute to the late minister, describing him as a "rising star." At 31, Siraji was the youngest minister to serve in the cabinet that Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire announced in March. He was among the first Somali refugees to return to the country last year from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, where he grew up. His family had fled to the camp when he was a child, following the collapse of the Somali state in 1991. Siraji got his primary and high school education in Dadaab. He received his university education in Garissa and Nairobi; he studied computer science, according to information he gave to the government. Siraji returned from the camp to Kismayo in 2011. Last month, Siraji spoke at the TEDx event in Mogadishu, where he discussed his upbringing and move into politics. He told the audience he grew up under difficult circumstances in the Dadaab camp. "At the beginning there was no housing, no water, no school, no health center, no electricity," he said. During the TEDx talk, Siraji said that when he returned to Somalia, he connected with young people and mobilized them by discussing what they could do to rebuild their country. He asked the audience to ask themselves, "What can you do for your country?" A large explosion shook a rebel-held Syrian town along the border with Turkey on Wednesday, killing at least five people and wounding others. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a car bomb went off in the town of Azaz close to the offices of the Syrian interim government, which represents the opposition in rebel-held areas. The Observatory and the activist-run Azaz Media Center confirmed the toll, which was likely to rise. The blast came as the Syrian government and the opposition resumed cease-fire talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, that are sponsored by Russia, a close ally of President Bashar Assad. The United States is sending a senior State Department official to the talks, and President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin signaled greater cooperation on Syria in a phone call on Tuesday. The White House said the two discussed setting up safe zones in the country, where a civil war has been raging for more than six years. Syrian TV said the Astana talks began with a meeting between delegations from Russia and Iran, another close ally of Assad. Azaz is on a key opposition supply route, and is a hub for fighters and opposition activists. It also hosts people displaced from fighting elsewhere in the country. The town has been the scene of several attacks, some claimed by the Islamic State group. A huge explosion in January killed at least 50 people in Azaz. A video of the aftermath of Wednesday's explosion posted online by the Azaz Media Center showed burnt-out cars and firefighters struggling to put out a blaze. Gunfire rang out as people gathered at the scene and ambulances arrived. The Turkish Dogan news agency said some of the wounded were taken to the state hospital in the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment. Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged Thailand's military government to disclose the whereabouts of a prominent rights lawyer who has been missing since his house was raided at the weekend. Prawet Prapanukul, 57, provided legal assistance to members of Thailand's political opposition group, the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, and served as legal counsel in a high profile royal insult case. He has been missing since soldiers and officers from the ruling junta raided his house on Saturday, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. His disappearance comes after Thailand in February shelved legislation to criminalize torture and disappearances after years of working on the bill, prompting concern among rights groups and the United Nations. "The Thai junta should urgently disclose Prawet's whereabouts and release him if he hasn't been charged with a credible offence," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Secretly detaining rights lawyers, critics of the monarchy, and other dissidents has created a climate of fear in Thailand that is generating international outrage." A spokesman for the junta said he was unable to comment as he did not know about Prawet's case. Thailand's military seized power from an elected civilian government in a May 2014 coup. Since then the junta has detained hundreds of politicians, activists, journalists and others accused of being involved in anti-junta protests and activities. Some have been held incommunicado in unofficial places of detention, such as military camps. It has also taken a hardline stance against alleged transgressors of Article 112 of the country's criminal code which makes anyone found guilty of insulting the monarchy liable to imprisonment for up to 15 years. Since 1980, 82 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearance in Thailand were reported to the UN working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances. President Donald Trump and the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, pledged Wednesday at the White House to try to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough for Middle East peace. The Palestinians and Israeli must work together to reach an agreement, Trump said, adding, "I would love to be a mediator or an arbitrator or a facilitator, and we will get this done." Trump also remarked that over the course of his life, he had heard "that perhaps the toughest deal to make" is the one between Israelis and Palestinians. "Let's see if we can prove them wrong, OK?" Standing alongside the U.S. president in the Roosevelt Room to address reporters, Abbas, speaking in Arabic, said he believed the parties are capable under Trump's "courageous stewardship and great negotiating ability" to bring about "a historic peace treaty." As he concluded and turned to shake hands with Trump, Abbas added in English: "Now, Mr. President, with you, we have hope." WATCH: Trump on working with Israel, Palestinians 'Maybe not as difficult A few minutes later as a Cabinet Room lunch got underway, Trump, who was flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, told Abbas that achieving the peace pact is "maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years." "We believe Israel is willing. We believe you're willing, and if you both are willing, we're going to make a deal," Trump added. Israel's government has a mixed and uncertain position on the two-state solution as it increases the controversial settlements in population in occupied territories while keeping the numbers the same. And on the Palestinian side, Abbas is in a weak political position. "He does not have broad support within the Palestinian movement," national security analyst Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told VOA. Abbas' Fatah political party also faces a serious challenge from Hamas, the rival Palestinian group controlling the Gaza Strip. WATCH: Abbas on desire for recognition of Palestinian State Slightly softened stance Hamas on Monday released a policy document slightly softening its stance on Israel, calling for a sovereign Palestinian state along pre-1967 lines with the return of refugees to their homes in Israel. But it rejected "any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea." Israel's government responded that the new Hamas document is an attempt to try to "dupe" the international community. The odds of a breakthrough are long, but many of those involved in Middle East diplomacy for decades reject suggestions it is hopeless, asserting the cost of the status quo is too high. "Rather than sort of adopting a position of preemptive hopelessness, you're better off continuing to try, particularly if you do it slowly and quietly and you don't build up impossible time schedules and expectations," Cordesman said. During his remarks on Wednesday, Abbas warned "no unilateral steps must be taken [by Israel] to get ahead of an agreement." He added, "It's about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our land." Planning is under way for a possible visit by Trump to Israel near the end of May. It would be his second known visit following a brief tour of Eilat in 1989 when he expressed an interest in building a casino in the southern resort town, according to Israeli media. Russia-sponsored Syrian cease-fire talks taking place Wednesday and Thursday in Astana, Kazakhstan will include a U.S. State Department envoy attending as an observer. The move was confirmed Tuesday in a White House statement that followed talks between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Tuesday's call, described by the White House as "a very good one," is believed to be the first direct contact between the two leaders since U.S. warships targeted a Syrian military airbase -- used by both Syrian forces and their Russian allies -- with dozens of cruise missiles on April 4. Trump directly linked the U.S. missile strike, which triggered an angry Kremlin response, to Syria's use of chemical weaponry in an attack that killed nearly 100 civilians days earlier. Tuesday's White House statement said the two leaders also discussed the development of safe zones "to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons." Under the previous administration of President Barack Obama, the U.S. was cool to the idea of setting up a safe zone, pointing to the complexity and manpower involved in protecting such an area. But proponents say a safe zone inside of Syria would lessen the burden on other countries in the region that currently host more than 5 million refugees. Deadly attacks As the Astana talks began, a large explosion in northern Syria killed at least five people and wounded others. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast in the rebel-held town of Azaz came from a car bomb. Azaz has long been an important area for rebels who oppose President Bashar al-Assad, serving as a key supply route as well as a hub for fighters and opposition activists. Several previous attacks in Azaz have been claimed by the Islamic State group, but there was no immediate claim for Wednesday's attack. On Tuesday, the Observatory reported a surprise attack by Islamic State militants on a United Nations-funded refugee camp near the Syria-Iraq border that killed at least 32 civilians and wounded at least 20 others. Kurdish and Syrian sources said many of the victims were holed up in the makeshift camp after fleeing fighting in areas of Syria and Iraq controlled by extremist forces. The Observatory also reported heavy fighting between Kurdish fighters and extremists in the aftermath of the attack, and later said the U.S.-backed Kurdish and Syrian Arab Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) had regained control of the area in al-Hasakah province. SDF force advances in Tabqa Separately Tuesday in the nearby Euphrates River city of Tabqa, monitors reported the deaths of more than 35 Islamic State fighters battling the SDF in a last-ditch attempt to prevent anti-jihadist forces from gaining full control of the city. SDF forces and their nominal Syrian Arab allies in northern Syria have been pushing eastward through the Euphrates River valley for months in a protracted offensive aimed at confronting Islamic State in its de facto capital, Raqqa. The anti-jihadist forces are expected to launch coordinated attacks on the IS stronghold city later this year. Aid convoy Separately Tuesday near Damascus, the International Committee of the Red Cross said an aid convoy of food and medical supplies reached the besieged town of Douma for the first time since October. An ICRC tweet late Tuesday said the convoy had entered the town northeast of Damascus under the cover of darkness, with 51 trucks carrying emergency supplies for 35,000 people. Rebel-held Douma has been under government siege for nearly four years. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will meet U.S. President Donald Trump officially for the first time in New York Thursday. But the tone of the meeting will be closely watched following an argument between the two leaders earlier this year. This will be the first time the leaders of Australia and the United States will have met since a heated phone call in January, which made headlines around the world. The fractious nature of that conversation was over a controversial refugee deal Australia struck with the out-going Obama administration last November that would re-settle in the United States more than 1,000 migrants from Australias offshore camps on the island of Nauru and another in Papua New Guinea. The meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Turnbull Thursday will be on board the USS Intrepid a World War II aircraft carrier that is now a museum in the Hudson River in New York. The discussions will be part of the 75th anniversary commemorations for the Battle of the Coral Sea, in which U.S. and Australian naval and air forces took on the Imperial Japanese Navy. Security issues, including tensions on the Korean peninsula, and trade are expected to dominate the talks. Professor James Curran is a research associate at the United States Studies Center at the University of Sydney. He says Turnbull is not being afforded the usual diplomatic reception. It is not the White House, nor is it Mar-a-Lago in Florida. I think it is a step down in protocol. Whilst the meeting was mooted in February, it has taken a long time to organize it and to lock the president in," said Curran. "The optics can go two ways: there will be no doubt that this meeting will be an opportunity to talk the language of brothers in arms and shared sacrifice. And it is only right and proper that allies of this longstanding relationship should do that. Prime Minister Turnbull said in a statement that his visit to New York would be an opportunity to "reaffirm our alliance and the United States' engagement with the Asia-Pacific. A security pact between Canberra and Washington dates back to the early 1950s. In April, Turnbull made a surprise visit to Australian forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The event in New York on the USS Intrepid will be hosted by the American-Australian Association, which is headed by former U.S. Ambassador to Australia John Berry. The United States is bringing its Southeast Asian allies on board to tackle what senior officials described as the number one national security priority for the U.S. North Korea's nuclear proliferation and missile threats when foreign ministers from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gather Thursday in Washington. A senior State Department official told VOA that Washington is urging Southeast Asian countries to "cut diplomatic ties" with Pyongyang. Another official told VOA that while there has been some success regarding the "increased inspections to disrupt North Korea's illicit activities," more could be done. "Throughout Asia, we've got a lot of work do with ASEAN nations," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in his remarks to State Department employees Wednesday, adding that Washington is "re-solidifying" its "leadership with ASEAN on a number of security issues." Tillerson is hosting foreign ministers from ASEAN on Thursday at the State Department, which comes just days after top diplomats from those countries met in Manila and issued a statement that criticized North Korea's provocation. Ties established with North Korea Many nations from this bloc have developed diplomatic relations with the reclusive and rogue regime. For example, North Korea has embassies in 8 out of 10 ASEAN nations, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Tillerson asked countries to "suspend or downgrade diplomatic relations with North Korea" last Friday at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting. The top U.S. diplomat also urged other countries to increase financial isolation against North Korea, saying Washington will not hesitate to punish third-country entities and individuals supporting Pyongyang's illegal activities. The UNSC had discussed the need to help countries build up capacity to detect North Korea's underground networks that are fueling its weapon systems, according to State Department's acting Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton. U.N. report critical of sanctions Although past United Nations resolutions on paper have placed severe restrictions against North Korea's access to the financial system, an earlier UN report suggested those sanctions have little effect on the ability of North Korean networks, such as Pan Systems Pyongyang, to finance its operations. "Pan Systems Pyongyang used the name of its foreign investment partner [Pan Systems Singapore] not only to obscure its activities, but also to gain access to foreign currency accounts in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which otherwise would not be available to local companies under domestic banking rules," said the U.N. report. The report also asserted Pan Systems Pyongyang maintains bank accounts in other Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia and Indonesia, through which sufficient access to international financial systems are maintained. A week ago, leaders from ASEAN sidestepped criticizing China over its expansion in the disputed South China Sea, in a mildly worded statement after the summit in the Philippines. Experts said Tillerson's Southeast Asian counterparts hoped that members of President Donald Trump's foreign policy team could bring some stability and discipline to the administration's engagement with Asia. "If they cannot, ASEAN members will have little choice but to take out insurance, reducing reliance on the United States and accommodating greater Chinese leadership in the region," said John Ciorciari, director of University of Michigan's International Policy Center. U.S. focus should be on North Korea Some Washington-based experts said the U.S. needs to put more focus on countering North Korea's threats than the maritime disputes. "My overall view is that while both of these challenges are serious, the North Korean threats are actually perhaps even greater in some ways," Brookings Institution's foreign policy senior fellow Michael O'Hanlon told VOA. He added that Beijing is a "rising power flexing its muscles" in the South China Sea, though Washington knows how to deal with China, and "there are ways for our strategy to keep pushing back in a firm and professional way that makes sense." Activists urged the U.S. not to overlook human rights abuses in Southeast Asia in Washington's dealings with those countries. "The ratbag of dictators, autocrats, and juntas that populate ASEAN's ranks view issues of transparency, human rights, good governance as obstacles rather than foundations of good governance," said Human Rights Watch deputy director for Asia division Phil Robertson. VOA Mandarin Service's Libo Liu contributed to this report. The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Jay Clayton, the Wall Street attorney chosen by President Donald Trump, to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission. The vote was 61-37 to give Clayton the job of running the independent agency that oversees Wall Street and the financial markets. Nine Democrats and one independent, Maine's Angus King, joined 51 Republicans in backing the nominee. Clayton, a partner in the prominent law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, has done significant legal work for Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs and an array of other financial giants and corporations. "His extensive work in the private sector will serve him well as he looks to strengthen our financial markets, thereby supporting American businesses, boosting job creation, and spurring economic growth," said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky. As SEC chairman, Clayton will be responsible for protecting investors from misconduct on Wall Street. He will oversee the enforcement of rules written by the SEC under the law that reshaped the regulation of banks and Wall Street after the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession. He will take part in deciding on enforcement actions that SEC attorneys bring against corporations and financial firms. In line with Trump's pledge to ease many rules that flowed from the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law, a Clayton-led SEC would be expected to take a comparatively loose approach to regulation. Democrats railed against Trump tapping another Goldman Sachs executive. White House strategist Steve Bannon and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin are former alumni. "We hear of a president who talks about draining the swamp, that wants regulators and people in Washington that don't have conflicts of interest, that can look at this in a fair-minded, clear-eyed way," said Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio who voted against the nomination. "Instead, we see a White House that's full of Goldman Sachs ... former officials. In fact, the White House on some days looks like a retreat of Goldman Sachs executives." At his confirmation hearing in March, Clayton sought to reassure senators that he would act only in the public interest. "I'm committed to showing no favoritism to anyone in this position," Clayton testified. Almost three weeks after the United States dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb in Eastern Afghanistan, the Islamic State group continues to show battlefield resilience as well as run its FM radio channel in the area. Earlier this week the Islamic State Khorasan Province, the IS chapter for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia, through its Middle East based news agency Amaq, claimed it wrested control of a volatile district from the Afghan Taliban in Nangarhar, the same province where the bomb was dropped. Provincial government spokesman Ataullah Khogyani confirmed a clash between ISKP and Taliban fighters. Last week, two American soldiers were killed in an intense three-hour fight with ISKP in the same area. The Pentagon suspected the groups leader, Abdul Hasib, along with 35 fighters were also killed. The fighting has not had any impact on Khilafat radio, the ISKP FM channel that can still be widely heard in most of Nangarhar province, including the capital Jalalabad. IS has used the radio to deny government claims that the GBU-43 Massive Ordinance Air Blast, nicknamed the mother of all bombs, killed more than 90 IS fighters, including 13 commanders. Effective propaganda tool Locals say the radio is an effective propaganda tool. I am against this radio. But when I listened to it, even I became emotional and thought of going and joining IS, said Jalalabad resident Romal. He was worried about the impact the radio was having, particularly on youth and on people living in the rural areas. Another resident, Zerak Zaheen, had a similar reaction. If it has this kind of an impact on me, what impact must it be having on the illiterate people? he asked. The FM channel has been running for more than a year and a half, and despite Afghan government and coalition forces efforts to knock it off air, it has only endured minor hiccups. The two-hour daily broadcast in the local Dari and Pashto languages airs religious messages and urges people to join ISKP in the jihad against foreign forces. The Islamic State took hold in the Nangarhar province, particularly in Achin and some surrounding districts, in early 2015. Most of the members of the group are former Pakistani Taliban who crossed into Afghanistan when the Pakistani military started a clearing operation in its northern tribal belt called North Waziristan. Some disgruntled Afghan Taliban, along with some Central Asian militants, mostly Uzbeks and Chechens, also joined the group. Lately, ISKP has taken responsibility for some major attacks in Kabul as well. The Afghan military and NATO forces ratcheted up their operations against the group, promising to defeat it this year. Last month, US forces dropped the almost 30 foot bomb, which weighs approximately 10 tons, on a cave and tunnel network in Achin district, saying it was the right weapon under the circumstances. MOAB reaction mixed The use of such a heavy weapon received criticism from various quarters. Former President Hamid Karzai accused the U.S. of using Afghanistan as a testing ground. The Afghan Taliban condemned the U.S. for using this weapon on Afghan soil. However, locals have mostly welcomed the move. If this bomb killed Daesh (IS) we support it. We want to be rid of Daeshs brutality, said local resident Ahmed Tahir. None of the locals VOA talked to on several different occasions mentioned any civilian casualties. Most of the civilians in the area, they said, had fled due to brutal tactics employed by ISKP. VOA Pashto and Dari Service reporters who went to the bomb site said they could only see limited damage. They saw a couple of mud houses destroyed, but crops within a mile of the bomb site were standing. The blast site had a crater but it was not deep. They could not tell if the attack had damaged ISKP in any significant way. Some locals complained to the reporters that the bomb was not worth the hype created over it and said they would rather see bigger bombs dropped on ISKP. German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle has announced the White House Correspondents' Association as the winner of its 2017 Freedom of Speech Award. Deutsche Welle said the White House press corps is "establishing a new benchmark in reporting about the policies of the new administration" in spite of President Donald Trump denying their credibility and sometimes using personal attacks. "We have complete trust in the democracy in the United States of America," said DW Director General Peter Limbourg."This entails that we are reliant on a strong media.The White House Correspondents' Association is a guarantor for the control of those in power." The award will be presented at Deutsche Welle's Global Media Forum in Bonn in June. WHCA President Jeff Mason said the group is "deeply humbled and honored" to be chosen. "Press freedom in the United States is not a given, despite the protection provided by the constitution.We must remain vigilant to ensure that those freedoms persist, regardless of who holds power in Washington," Mason said. The award is in its third year.The prior winners were imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi and Sedat Ergin, then-editor-in-chief of the Turkish daily Hurriyet. On a trip to India, the president of Portland State University reassured prospective students they'd be safe on his campus. Purdue University sent overseas applicants a note from two mayors touting Indiana's friendly smiles and hospitality. And dozens of other schools produced online videos to welcome foreign students. As U.S. colleges face new but significant declines in applications from abroad, many are rolling out marketing efforts to combat fears of harassment and concerns that President Donald Trump's stance on immigration reflects a United States that is becoming less welcoming to foreigners. Students are telling us that they don't feel safe here in the United States. That they're concerned about discrimination, racism, said Katharine Johnson Suski, admissions director at Iowa State University. This year it was a little more important to make sure that they felt comfortable with their decision. Drop in overseas students expected Colleges and universities have received a financial boost in recent years from international students, who are typically charged higher tuition rates than American peers who live in state. Some schools have come to rely on revenue from foreign students, whose enrollment has climbed sharply over much of the past decade, according to federal data. But there is evidence enrollment figures at some schools could drop next fall. Nearly half the nation's 25 largest public universities saw undergraduate applications from abroad fall or stagnate since last year, according to data colleges provided to The Associated Press in response to public records requests. Eight schools did not provide data, while six saw gains. International applications to the University of Arizona are down 24 percent compared with this time last year; California State University, Northridge, is down 26 percent. The University of Houston has seen a 32 percent drop, although it's still accepting applications and its numbers will likely rise. The U.S. Department of Education did not immediately comment. Temple posts a you are welcome here video Philadelphia's Temple University sparked a chain reaction in November when it posted an online video featuring students and staff members saying You are welcome here in multiple languages, set to upbeat piano music. Since then, more than 100 other schools have made similar videos and circulated them abroad. Temple, a private university, also hosted seven overseas receptions for admitted students, more than in the past. At Iowa State University, officials are ramping up their overseas mailings to sell students on the school's Midwestern charm. The University of Minnesota is considering a phone campaign. The University of Florida has produced videos featuring ``global Gators'' and is offering online video chats. Given the current climate, it seems like this is something which is even more important, said Joseph Glover, provost at Florida. Obviously we are concerned about the situation, like every other public university in the United States. Safety concerns are nothing new among international students, but many schools say anxieties have grown since Trump was elected. Some students have said Trump's America first rhetoric and his proposal to ban immigration from six majority-Muslim nations have given them pause. Some application deadlines fell before the election, but even Trump's campaign rhetoric cast doubts, experts say. Kansas shooting a common subject Students in India have been particularly alarmed, especially after a gunman shot two Indian men at a Kansas bar in March, killing one, after allegedly saying get out of my country. Portland State President Wim Wiewel was in India soon after the shooting to meet prospective students, and the discussion quickly turned to safety. Wiewel and his wife reassured families that Portland is friendly to foreign visitors. People in America recognize that even though there are a few crazies around, it's not like it's open season on Indians or Muslims, Wiewel said. Having us talk to them totally took away their fears. But the problem, of course, is we can't talk to everyone. Some government officials are trying to tackle the problem, too. Several of the videos feature cameos from state governors or congressional members. A top official from America's embassy in India penned a newspaper column last week stressing that U.S. colleges and universities take pride in providing safe and welcoming environments. Along with India, fewer applications have been coming from China and Saudi Arabia, which previously sent large numbers to American colleges. Experts say factors at play include economic turmoil in China and India, but some have blamed the downturn on a Trump effect. University officials offer assurances Officials at the University of New England say Trump's election has complicated plans to recruit Moroccan students. At a February open house in Tangier, the election was a frequent concern. Several students wearing hijabs wondered whether they would be welcome in the United States, given the election of Donald Trump and the rhetoric they were hearing, said Anouar Majid, vice president for global affairs at the private school in Portland, Maine. We assured them that the United States is very welcoming. When he applied to the University of New England, 17-year-old Aymane Lamharzi Alaoui was worried about discrimination, he said. Since then, he has spoken with family members in Boston and believes Americans are more welcoming than some of Trump's comments suggest. I know there's an increase in xenophobia and racism in the past couple of months in the U.S., he said in an interview. I'm sure there are some places where I wouldn't be very welcome, especially places in the southern United States, but I think most of the country is very tolerant. Loss of overseas students will hurt For most colleges, it's too early to know how many overseas students will enroll next fall. But many say any loss could be a blow. At Iowa State, where applications are down 23 percent, international students bring valued diversity, said Suski, the admissions director. And there is also the revenue they provide. There will, Suski said, be a financial impact on our campus come this fall. On May 3rd, #VOA will broadcast and livestream a 90-minute look at the draw of American universities for international students. Panelists include experts from major American universities who will discuss the challenges of immigration and admissions and culture and academic challenges students face. Singaporean global commodities firm, Trafigura Group, has shot down reports that it has bailed out cash-strapped Zimbabwe with US$1,1 billion to pay off its arrears to the World Bank and the African Development Bank. In a statement to Voice of Americas Studio 7, Trafigura regional head of Corporate Affairs for Africa, Zohra McDoolley-Aimone, distanced the company from reports that it was involved in the Zimbabwe debt clearance plan. Trafigura Group is aware of reports in the Zimbabwean media suggesting the company has provided significant financing in support of the Zimbabwean governments effort to repay debt arrears to the World Bank and the African Development Bank, said McDoolley-Aimone. McDoolley-Aimone added, Trafigura is not involved in any discussions or funding activity related to the Governments relations with the International Financial Institutions, but we do continue to engage with the appropriate authorities in support of our ongoing commercial business in the country. The Zimbabwe Independent quoted a statement from Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who recently attended World Bank Spring meetings in Washington, as confirming that Harare has secured funding to settle its arrears. The Government of Zimbabwe is pleased to announce that it has met all the conditions precedent to the repayment of debt arrears to the World Bank and the AfDB. This positive development comes after the country successfully settled its debt arrears to the IMF on October 20 2016, Chinamasa said in a statement. The terms and conditions of the facilities that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe have put in place to repay the debt arrears to the World Bank and AfDB have been scrutinised and adjudged by the affected IFIs and found to be reflective of current market conditions with financing terms similar to market transactions recently concluded by several sub-Saharan African countries during 2016 and 2017. It is on this basis that Zimbabwe can now proceed to repay its debt arrears. Clearance of debt arrears is expected to attract in the short-to-medium and long-term foreign and domestic investment, given perceptions of lower country risk, and would be expected to open the door to foreign finance inflows and possible debt treatment by the Paris Club and non-Paris Club bilateral creditors through an IMF financing programme. The independent newspaper though acknowledges that Chinamasa did not reveal the source of the funding but cited IFIs executives, who attended the IMF and World Bank Spring meetings in Washington DC, as citing Trafigura for allegedly bailing out Harare. We accept many different kinds of announcements. Just click on the button below and submit a form. Go to forms The former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has told the Daily Mirror that he would like to return to politics to fight Brexit. Blair was Prime Minister for ten years (1997-2007) and had welded the foreign policy of the United Kingdom to the USs. Working with President Bill Clinton, Blair had established the third way (neither communist, nor capitalist). With George Bush Jr., he launched the Global War Against Terror. However, faced with Iraqi resistance, he had proposed to the United States a new policy for the enlarged Middle East: the proposal for the Arab Spring. Following his term in office, he accepted becoming (2007-15) the envoy of the Quartet to the Middle-East (which involved supervising relations between Israel and the Palestine Authority). At the same time, he conducted personal business deals in Kuwait, Qatar and Kazakhstan. His wife, Cherie Blair is a barrister and established a large barristers chambers which is currently working for Qatar to prepare to bring President Bashar el-Assad to trial once the Syrian Arab Republic has been destroyed. Tony and Cherie Blair had connections with the CIA and these formed the basis for a fictional novel Ghost. The novel was made into a film, produced by Roman Polanski. Sebastian Gorka, Steve Bannons assistant at the White House, should shortly be resigning from his office and terminate the duties he is currently performing. In his book, Defeating Jihad. The Winnable War, Gorka proposes drawing up a policy against Islamism, similar to USs effort against Soviet Communism. Gorka had been hired by Donald Trump to lead the Group of Strategic Initiatives, that had been thought up by Bannon but never saw the light of day. At the time of the US bombing of the Syrian base of Cheyrat, the US press made a mistake and announced that Bannon and Gorka had been fired. This prompted Gorka to contact several websites that had participated in Donald Trumps electoral campaign to assure them that the President had not replaced them. Telesur: Thank you for receiving us, Mr President. Bashar al-Assad: I welcome your team and Channel Telesur to Syria. Telesur: Let me get straight to the most recent event. Russia warns that the terrorists could be preparing alleged chemical attacks. What precaution is Syria taking to avoid this? Bashar al-Assad: First, terrorists, for [many] years, on more than one occasion and in more than one region throughout Syria had deployed chemical substances. This is why we had asked the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to send expert commissions to investigate what was happening. Yet on each occasion, the United States would block the investigations or would block commissions being sent to carry out these investigations and this is what happened last week: when we asked for investigations to be carried out on the alleged use of chemical weapons in the city of Jan Sheijun, the United States and its allies slowed down the resolution within the OPCW. For our part, we continue to insist and try, together with our Russian and Iranian allies for that Organization to send a team to investigate what happened given that if it does not do it, the United States will accomplish it; or, at some time, will repeat in the future this same pantomime or farce through the fabrication of the use of chemical weapons, (as false flag operations) in some other place in Syria and thus will have an excuse for a military intervention to support the terrorists. This is the situation on the one hand, and on the other, we are continuing to fight the terrorists, given that the objective behind the US and the West alleging that we have chemical weapons is to lend support to the terrorists in Syria. This is why we will continue to fight these terrorists. Telesur: According to the Pentagon, your government still has chemical weapons. Do you really still have 1% of these weapons despite the undertaking you gave four years ago to hand them over to be destroyed? Bashar al-Assad: We both remember very well that occasion in 2003 when Colin Powell stood in the UN and showed the whole world the proof that demonstrated that President Saddam Hussein had chemical weapons, nuclear weapons and other kinds of weapons. However when US forces entered Iraq, it was demonstrated that everything that they said was a lie. Afterwards, Colin Powell acknowledged that the CIA had misled him with these false pieces of evidence. This would not have been the first nor will it be the last time. If you want to be a politician in the United States, you will have to be a down and out liar, given that this is a characteristic typifying US politicians: to lie every day, say one thing and then do another. This is why we must not believe what the Pentagon or others say, since they say things that serve their policies, not things that reflect reality and the situation on the ground. Telesur: What is Syrias goal in buying from Russia state-of-the-art anti-air systems of the latest generation? Bashar al-Assad: Basically, we are in a state of war with Israel. Since it was established in 1948, Israel has been attacking the Arab nations near it. So it is only to be expected that we equip ourselves with similar anti-missile systems. The terrorists, as is obvious, following instructions from Israel, the United Nations, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have destroyed part of these systems. This is why it is normal that we negotiate with Russia to strengthen these systems and to be able to tackle any Israeli air threat or to confront possible threats from US missiles, which are now probable given the recent US attack against the airdrome in Shayrat, Syria. Telesur: What specific role has Israel played in the war being waged against Syria? We know that the attacks have continued over recent weeks against the positions taken up by the Syrian Arab Army in Syria. Bashar al-Assad: Israel plays a role in this conflict in different ways: its first role is direct aggression, especially through its air force and with artillery fire or missiles launched against positions of the Syrian Army. Second, Israel is supporting the terrorists in two ways: first, it gives them direct support with arms; and second, it provides them with logistical support to allow them to undertake manoeuvres across regions under Israeli control, and medical help in their hospitals. When I say this, I am neither making allegations nor speculating. I am referring to facts that have been verified, that can be found, filmed and published on the Internet and that you can obtain as evidence that demonstrates Israels role in supporting the terrorists in Syria. Telesur: How would you define the current foreign policy of Donald Trump in the world, and in particular, in Syria? Bashar al-Assad: It is not the President of the United States that makes policies but the US institutions that govern the system. These institutions are the CIA, the Pentagon, big corporations, arms companies, oil companies and the large financial institutions as well as lobbies that influence US decisions. The US president comes to implement these policies. This is evidenced by the fact that Trump tried to take a different path during his presidential campaign and as president he could not. The offensive against him, hit him like a tonne of bricks; and, as we have seen over recent weeks, he has changed his narrative completely and has submitted to the conditions laid down by the US Deep State. This is why, undertaking an evaluation of the US Presidents foreign policy would be a waste of time and a fictional, given that he can say whatever he likes, but, at the end of the day, he will do what those institutions order him to do. That is the policy that has held sway in the United States for many decades now. That is nothing new. Telesur: Donald Trump now has picked another fight with North Korea. Could it influence the USs current vision on Syria? Bashar al-Assad: No, the United States always tries to control every country without exception. It does not accept allies, be they developed, advanced countries from the bloc of Western Allies or other countries in the rest of the world. Every state must be a US satellite state. So, what is happening in Syria, what is happening in North Korea, with Iran, with Russia and possibly with Venezuela now, is aimed at re-establishing US hegemony across the world. This is because the US thinks that its hegemony is currently being threatened and that this threatens the interests of the political elites in the United States. Telesur: The role of Russia in this conflict is clear. Bur what part has China, the other great international power, played? Bashar al-Assad: With respect to Russia and China, there is huge cooperation on political action or political position. We have reached common positions and we cooperate in the UN Security Council. As of course you know, the United States and its allies have tried several times to use the Security Council to legitimize the role of terrorists in Syria and to provide a legal basis for intervening in Syria. The intervention is illegitimate and constitutes an act of aggression. This is why China and Russia have come together here. Chinas role standing with Russia was essential on this issue. On the other hand, some of the terrorists are Chinese nationals. They have arrived in Syria via Turkey and they represent a threat to us, in Syria. Yet they are also a threat to China. China is already mindful that terrorism in any part of the world may shift to some other place. Then these terrorists, be they Chinese nationals or nationals of another state, could return to China and cause havoc there just as they have now done in Europe, in Russia and as is occurring in Syria. At present, we are cooperating with China on security matters. Telesur: Currently the Western and US media talk of moderate terrorists and extreme terrorists. Is there actually any difference inter se? Bashar al-Assad: For them, a moderate terrorist, is a terrorist that kills, slits someones throat and assassinates without raising the al-Qaeda flag or shouting Alahu akbar; they contrast this man with the extreme terrorist: someone that raises this flag or when he kills, shouts Alahu akbar. This is the distinction they are making. For the United States, anyone whosoever serves its political agenda against any other country, even though that person may practice the worst forms of terrorism is an oppositional fighter and not a terrorist and will be a moderate and not an extremist; a freedom fighter and not someone that is fighting on behalf of sabotage and destruction. Telesur: Six years of war. In what state is Syria. a country where the human cost cannot be calculated? Bashar al-Assad: The most painful thing in any war is the human losses; the suffering that engulfs a family on losing one of its members; any family will be affected for life. It is only natural in a region like ours, where families are held tightly together, by strong bonds. Nothing can compensate for this kind of loss, and no other pain comes even close to it. As for the other losses, clearly there are colossal economic losses; losses in the infrastructure that was built over a period spanning 50 years or more, using a Syrian labour force. The Syrian infrastructure was not constructed with a foreign labour force and we have the capacity to rebuild it ourselves. Equally as far as the economy goes, it was firstly due to the capabilities of the Syrians that made it successful, given that, we essentially had limited economic relations with Western countries. When the war is over, everything will be reconstructed and we will not have any problems doing this. For sure this will require some time, but it is not beyond us. The greatest loss, the one that strikes the Syrian heart most painfully, is the loss in terms of human lives. Telesur: Of the 86 countries that form part of the coalition attacking Syria, will any participate in the reconstruction of the country? Bashar al-Assad: No, of course not. First, they are not after the reconstruction of Syria; but, without doubt, there will be some companies in these countries, that when they see that things are beginning to turn, (i.e. the economy and the wheel of construction in Syria), being opportunists only sniffing out money, are ready to try to come to Syria to grab a part of the reconstruction. There is no doubt that their aim is simply to make money. But of course the Syrian people will not accept this. No country that has positioned itself against the Syrian people and that has contributed to the devastation and destruction of Syria will ever have a role in reconstructing this country. This is something on which I will not budge. Telesur: What was life like during these past 6 years in this nation under siege? Bashar al-Assad: Of course life is hard; every Syrian citizen has been affected; the terrorists have destroyed the infrastructure. In some areas, they have electricity only for one or two hours and in other areas they do not have electricity at all. There are areas that have been without electricity for two or three years, where there is no television, where the children do not go to school, where there are no clinics and hospitals, where noone attends to the ill. It is all the fault of the terrorists that those people are living in a prehistoric time. There are areas where for years, people have been deprived of a water supply as has happened in Aleppo for long years, the city of Aleppo has been without water. Here they sometimes drink water which has not been purified; such water is used domestically and for other ends. Life has been just so difficult. Telesur: One of the main targets during these years has been Bashar al-Assad. Have you been afraid during this time? Bashar al-Assad: When you find yourself in the middle of a war, you become fearless. I think that this is a state of mind found among the populace at large. But yes, you are anxious as to what will become of the Homeland. What significance does personal safety as a citizen have when the country is under threat? You cannot feel secure. I think that what we feel generally in Syria is a concern for the future of Syria rather than fear for ourselves. The proof of this is that the mortar projectiles are falling randomly in Syria, entering any house; but you see that life goes on in Syria. There is a desire to live that is so much stronger than a subjective feeling of fear. This feeling, for me, personally as President, comes from a feeling emanating from the people in general, and not from myself. I do not live isolated from others, Telesur: The Western media throughout the world has spun much propaganda against you. But am I really seated before that demon that the media paints? Bashar al-Assad: Yes, from the Western perspective you find yourself seated before a devil. That is the current Western PR campaign. This Western PR campaign always takes place when a country, government or person refuses to bow down to their interests or does not work in favour of Western interests but instead works for the interests of its own people. This is what the Western Colonialists have demanded throughout history. They say that that person is bad and that he kills good people. Well, if it is so and he kills good people, who has supported him for six years? Russia, Iran or any other friendly nation do not support individuals at the expense of the people. What they claim simply cannot be the case. If this person kills his people, how is it that his people support him? This is the contradictory account of the West and this is why we do not waste our time with these Western versions that, throughout History, have been jam-packed with lies though this is nothing new. Telesur: What would Syria do to put an end to this war when we are just about to begin the sixth round of the Geneva Talks? Bashar al-Assad: We have said that the solution has two prongs. The first prong is the fight terrorism. This is up not for discussion. As far as the terrorists are concerned, we have no other option than to fight them. The other prong is the political issue which can be divided into two parts: the first is the dialogue with all political forces on Syrias future; and the second consists of local reconciliations. By this we mean that we are negotiating with terrorists in each town or city, treating each case on an individual basis. The objective of reconciliation is for the terrorists to lay down their weapons and get a pardon from the State, so that in this way, they can resume the normal course of their lives. Reconciliation has been underway for the last three or four years and has achieved good results and is still going on today. These are the issues that we can work on to resolve the Syrian Crisis. Telesur: From this country at war, how do you see the situation in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, where a package of measures, very similar to the ones that triggered the conflict in Syria, have started to be implemented. Bashar al-Assad: It is normal that there is a similarity given that the plan is the same and the executor is the same. The United States leads the orchestra and the other Western countries form the choir that accompanies it. South America in general and Venezuela in particular, have been the backyard of the United States for the last decades; the backyard from where Western Countries, and above all the United States, achieved their economic interests through the influence of huge transnationals within your countries. Then there were the coups detat that took place during the sixties and seventies, military or political coups, which tended to consolidate US control over the interests of your people. But Latin America has freed itself over the last 20 years and has obtained its self-determination; its governments have begun to defend the interests of their people, something that is unacceptable to the United States which has taken advantage now of what is occurring in the world, from the Orange Revolution in Ukraine to the most recent coup that occurred in this country several years ago; they are exploiting what is happening in the Arab countries, in Libya and in Syria, Yemen and other countries. And their goal is to apply it to the Latin American countries and they have begun in Venezuela with the aim of topping the national government and this will be extended to other South American countries. Telesur: There are those that think, especially ordinary citizens in Latin America that a similar situation to that which is occurring in Syria could be repeated in Latin America. What do you think? Bashar al-Assad: This is for sure. This is why I said that if the plan is the same, the executor is the same, it is normal that the scenario in both countries not only appears the same but is the same. It is probable that some local headings are different. At the beginning they used to say that the protests in Syria were peaceful. But to ensure that marches and the peaceful protests did not gain momentum, they infiltrated into them individuals that would fire against both parties, the police and demonstrators as well. This is what caused the deaths and then they began to say that the government was killing its people. It is the same scenario that is being replicated everywhere. This same scenario will be repeated in Venezuela. This is why the Venezuelan people must be conscious that there is a difference between being a member of a group opposing the government in power and being against the Patria. There is a huge difference. This is the situation on the one hand; and on the other, no foreign country can watch over Venezuelas interests better than the people of Venezuela. Yet the West simply cannot accept this. The West is not looking out to protect human rights, nor the interests of individual states. It is only concerned in the interests of one part of the governing elite in their states; this ruling elite is not necessarily political, but also comprises of economic undertakings. Telesur: Lets talk about Latin America, Venezuela and the Bolivarian Revolution that was a strong ally. How do you remember the late President Hugo Chavez? Bashar al-Assad: President Chavez was a personality that stood out throughout the world. When we talk of Latin America, both President Chavez and Fidel Castro, the late leader of the Cuban Revolution, instantly come to our minds. These are two giants that changed the image of Latin America. And of course, I was personally acquainted with Chavez and I met with him more than once. I formed a deeply personal relationship with President Chavez, when he visited us in Syria and when I visited Venezuela. He visited us on two occasions not just one. When you met him, it would immediately strike you that he was a child of the people; that you did not feel that you were with a President or a politician but with someone that is living the suffering of the people. In all his conversations, at any minute, he spoke in detail about the citizens of his country. When he spoke with a leader of another State or with a state official from another country, he was thinking of how they could create common interest that would be reflected through their people, He was a true leader, a highly charismatic personality and a person of infinite sincerity. Telesur: They demonized Chavez when he was alive and it appears that it is now Nicholas Maduros turn. Bashar al-Assad: This is normal because he is following the same national line; as long as President Maduro continues with the national path, the path of the independence of Venezuela, and keeps working for the citizens of his country, it is to be expected that he will be the prime target for the United States. That is rather obvious and there is no need to bother our minds with it. Telesur: Bashar al-Assad how do you see the final day of this war? Bashar al-Assad: Even if we could today put to aside foreign interference in Syria, the problem would still be complicated. The vast majority of Syrians are fed up with the war; they want a solution and they want to return to security and stability. There is a dialogue between us as Syrians, there are meetings and the people live together. What Im trying to say is that there is no real barrier. The problem at present is that each time we take a step towards a solution and the re-establishment of stability, the terrorist gangs receive larger sums of money and arms with a view to drag out the situation. This is why, you could say that the solution would put an end to the external support that the terrorists have been receiving. This is the first thing. For our part in Syria, the path to restoring security will be reconciliation among all Syrians and forgiveness for what has happened in the past, during the war. I am sure that when this happens, Syria will be very much more strong than it was prior to the war. Telesur: Are you prepared to reconcile with those that have taken up arms against the Syrian people? Bashar al-Assad: Of course. This reconciliation can already be seen in many different areas; there are those that fought together with the Syrian army and some that fell afterwards as martyrs; others are in their cities, in the areas controlled by the State. For us there are no problems. Reconciliation is essential to put an end to any war; and we are heading in that direction. Telesur: Mr President, what is your final message for Latin America and for the world? Bashar al-Assad: Safeguard your independence. In our Arab region, we celebrate independence in more than one country. But for some countries in our region, this independence signified only the departure of the occupation forces. Real independence is when the people make the national decisions. For us, Latin America was model of independence. What I mean by independence is that the end of being under occupation, that is, having foreign troops; but also, that there is national decision-making, openness and democracy. You gave the world an important model. Keep it, because many countries that aspire to development, especially Third World countries, should follow the model applied in Latin America. Colonial, postcolonial, neocolonial? Germanys economic and educational strategy for Africa, by Armin Hofmann / Indirect foreign policy by NGO, by Eberhard Hamer / US-President Trump should rethink Syria escalation. A memorandum from Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) / Now there is only one way open: To break away from the Anglo-Saxon Power Elites, by Willi Wimmer / Do not yield an inch to the Fascist cast of mind, by Karl Muller / Swiss Popular Vote on the Energy Act, what is important?, by Ernst Pauli / Where is the Federal Councils foreign and energy policy heading to? New agreement with the EU boon or bane?, by Marianne Wuthrich / Why e-voting? Pressure through the Swiss Federal Council and the Cantonal governments / In the beginning was the word and the image. Cultural highlights of the year 2017, by Urs Knoblauch / But nobody has lost his homeland, who does not give it up in his heart. Konrad Heidens Report on the Anti-Jewish Pogrom 1938, by Moritz Nestor Ankara has decided to suspend its plan to become a member of the European Union, which it had been driving towards, supported by the United States since 1987. This decision is linked to a potential window of opportunity for Turkey to negotiate its membership of the Eurasian Economic Union. Since the creation of modern Turkey in 1920, this state has shown no reluctance in building ties, be it with Europe, Asia or the Muslim world. The Eurasian Economic Union, is a follow-on to the Eurasian Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Community. Since 2015, it has brought together Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Tajikistan and Syria have officially filed their applications for membership. Moscow also envisages that Moldova, Donbass and the States of the Caucasus will become members. Should Turkey file a formal application for membership, it would be paired with another one from Azerbaijan. Both these requests would present serious problems for Armenia which had requested various assurances (notably the resolution of the issue over High-Karabakh). If Turkey joined the Eurasian Economic Union, this would effectively bring to an end its membership of Nato whose secret services have already made several attempts to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is from this angle, that the current negotiations between the Turkish Army and Russia, for the purchase of the Russian S400 (anti-air defense systems), must be read. Turkey will soon organize a referendum on this possible change of direction. The Ministry for Heritage has announced that three new interpretation panels have been placed within our Old Town in order to provide information on our Medieval History, namely our Islamic and Spanish Periods. RGP & GDP Recruits Fun Day in Aid of Calpe House A Fun Day in aid of Calpe House is being held on Saturday 6th May 2017, at Casemates Square as from 10 a.m. There will be a wide range of activities available and some will be geared towards the younger members of the community. The youngsters will be able to ride go-karts, have the chance to be detectives at the Crime Scene Investigation stand or expend energy in a bouncy castle. They will also have a one time opportunity of throwing a wet sponge at police recruits. Additionally there will be dog and vehicle displays as well as a sponsored static bike ride with the recruits hoping to cover the equivalent distance from Gibraltar to Calpe House. The public will also be able to participate in two separate raffles. The prize for the 1st raffle will be a Honda SH Mode moped with tickets priced at 3. A myriad of prizes donated by local business will be up for grabs in the second raffle with tickets priced at 1. In what will be a busy day for the recruits, they will also pull a police vehicle up Main Street. For those wishing to donate, but unable to attend the event a Go Fund Me page has been set up by the recruits - https://www.gofundme.com/rgp-fun-day-in-aid-of-calpe-house/donate/?upsell=cpgn_share The Fun Day has been organised by the current intake of RGP and GDP recruits. The recruits who are on their 17th week of a 20 week long training programme are encouraged to carry out community/charitable work during their training, the beginning of a long career protecting, caring and serving the community of which they too form part. All monies raised will go to The Calpe House Charitable Trust. Over the years the trust has helped over 5,000 Gibraltar Health Authority sponsored patients requiring medical treatment in the UK. Calpe House provides a warm, friendly facility where patients can stay during their treatment in the company of fellow Gibraltarians in similar difficult circumstances; a home from home. The recruits and their parent organisations invite and look forward to welcoming as many members of the public as possible to the Fun Day. Ray (Elle Fanning) sits in his fathers (Tate Donovan) Frank Lloyd Wrightdesigned home. Photo: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company Last week, a brownstone took my breath away. Im not one of those interiors people, though sure, Ive tapped through some Instagram home tours, ogled my fair share of spotless Nancy Meyers kitchens. But in 3 Generations the story of a blended family coming to terms with their teens trans identity a brownstone in New York Citys East Village really won me over. With walls lined with gallery prints and mismatched furniture paired just so, its artfully crowded with memories and trinkets. Elle Fanning commits to her performance and Susan Sarandon is reliably great, but make no mistake: The interiors steal this show. Ray (Fanning) is a trans teen in high school, and hes convinced his mom that its time for him to make the female-to-male transition. But with the way Ray lives with his mother Maggie (Naomi Watts), grandmother Dolly (Susan Sarandon), and her partner Frances (Linda Edmond), and an absent father, Craig (Tate Donovan) out in the suburbs his decision to transition becomes everyones business. [Maggie and Ray] live at the top of the brownstone, and [Dolly and Frances] live at the bottom. To get to their space they had to go through other peoples lives, production designer Stephanie Carroll told me. We wanted to keep the residences separate. The family would be living in the city, [with] not a lot of money, and theyd live all together, on top of each other. When Carroll and director Gaby Dellal found the Stuyvesant Street brownstone that would hold Ray and his family, the producers were skeptical. The owners kept it cluttered It was a hoarders paradise. The family had lived there probably 90 years and it was a cramped space to shoot. Gaby and I loved it, loved the structure, going up to the top floor, the winding staircase. The place had so many different levels, Carroll said, almost like all the levels the characters go through. Not a lot of movies show this way of living anymore, where entire families are stuffed into an (admittedly luxuriously bohemian) home, and how it can stunt one generations growth an effect visible in Maggies room. To get to her space she had to go through other peoples lives, Carroll said. We liked [that space] a lot because there was a lot of going up and down and up and down the stairs. The homes warmly lit clutter turns claustrophobic when Dolly squawks that itd be easier for Ray to be a lesbian, or when the teen pushes his mother to convince the father hes never met to allow his transition. Every scene of a wacky bonding moment or a desperate argument seems a little more dire when theres nowhere to hide in a home full of the baubles and detritus of four lives. The interior of the movies brownstone. The brownstone has a clear aesthetic, with the exception of Rays room. Hes coming of age and transitioning, and his room has a certain blankness not empty, but almost like its waiting to be decorated to match his male presentation. On the wall is a massive abstract art piece that looks like its counting down to his transition. The work was made by artist Squeak Carnwath, who agreed to produce a piece for the film at Carrolls request. For a low fee, Squeak agreed to let us use some of her art, Carroll said. We we put on the wall is an exact replica of her painting to made it look like itd been painted onto the wall by Ray. Squeak was integral: Rays work, in my mind, had to have a feminine and a masculine look to it. Ray grew up in this home of women, but he needs his fathers signature to allow his transition. Craigs home and his life is totally opposite: Where the brownstone is stuffed, his home is starkly modernist. Carroll found the Frank Lloyd Wrightdesigned home in the historic community called Usonia in Pleasantville, New York. The house is open and sophisticated, littered with Craigs new familys toys in a way that makes it clear domesticity makes him uncomfortable. He left Maggie when Ray was a baby, and fell out of both of their lives, eventually starting a whole new life with a new woman. His home had a perfect clean, not cluttered, more sophisticated contrast to the family home in New York City. It fit the fathers character, and could show how different he was from Ray, Carroll said. Those big windows, the nature all the things the other house didnt really have. The whole Frank Lloyd Wright idea of bringing nature and the interiors as one, how its community. To me, it had the opposite feel of the city. When Ray goes rogue to beg his father to sign the doctors form, he moves through the house like a foreigner. This family dynamic, with its clean lines and floor to ceiling windows instead of art hung gallery-style, isnt what hes used to. A glimpse from Carrolls 3 Generations color board A deep, rich blue works as the movies visual through line, popping up in both locations. That blue seemed perfect for Ray not too masculine, but feminine, and deep, Carroll said. Shes worked with Mira Nair (Queen of Katwe) a handful of times using vibrant reds, but 3 Generations let her use more blues in its color scheme. The the most important thing to me, really, is the color and the shapes, she said. Is this a square person? Does this person have round things in their room? Its all subliminal. Great News War Is Hell Season 1 Episode 4 Editors Rating 5 stars * * * * * Previous Next Previous Episode Next Episode John Michael Higgins as Chuck. Photo: NBC/Mark Davis/NBC War Is Hell is unquestionably the funniest episode of Great News to air so far. With minimal tweaking, it could also be a spec script for 30 Rock. The credit for that is probably due to its writers 30 Rocks longtime co-showrunner Robert Carlock and its executive producer, Jack Burditt who give the cast a bit of a personality shift to fill familiar roles. There are even some running gags that seem like they were transplanted straight from TGS to The Breakdown: Im honestly shocked that in seven seasons of 30 Rock, no one came up with the bit about someone almost crashing into workmen pretending to carry a sheet of glass as practice. The episode kicks off with a plotline that also feels like very familiar territory: Liz, er, Katie is dating a guy who seems perfect on the surface Trip, a smokin-hot war photographer freshly returned from Syria but has all kinds of deal-breakers that slowly reveal themselves over the course of the episode. The Great News twist is that Trip is the one secret Katie has kept from her mom, who quickly finds out. (She knows everything about everyone, thats why in high school they called her Deep Throat oh God, I hope thats why.) Its no surprise that Katie and Carols unusual bond has torpedoed a bunch of Katies past relationships, for reasons both quotidian (Carl and Carol sounded too similar) and kind of horrifying (Im not sure this is really the moment to be crafting jokes about your lead actress getting someone deported). But Carol becomes so lavishly affectionate toward Trip that Katie gets suspicious, thinking that shes trolling her. The truth is that the mom voice telling Katie to break it off with Trip is actually Katies own voice only Katie doesnt actually seem to have much of a voice of her own. For supposedly being the ur-millennial of this show, Katies turnoffs with Trip feel a little backward: atheism, weed-smoking, and tattoos are among the prime offenders. Thats the kind of stuff that would drive Liz Lemon nuts, but Tina Fey has always thrived on a kind of puritanical streak as a means of differentiation from other Gen-Xers. Its hard to buy that a 30-year-old working in media in New York would feel the same way. If Katie, like Liz, is pretty conservative and nerdy by the standards of her generation, shed probably express it in a different way. Meanwhile, Chucks story line about trying to prove his worth as a newsman by going to South Sudan smacks just as thoroughly of Tracy as Katies plot does of Liz. (You can practically picture Tracy Morgans line reading of Chucks memoirs: Panama, 1989: I found myself embedded in more ways than one. Im talking sex, baby! 1977, the Bronx: I had an idea for a new type of music!) I would also totally buy Tracy getting his revenge on his co-workers laughing at him by staging a fake war room and throwing firecrackers at them. (Unlike 30 Rocks NBC, however, MNN does appear to have a somewhat functioning human resources department.) The frustrating thing about all of this is that, well, 30 Rocks formula works. It was a successful show that aired for a long time and people still love it. This episode has tons of weird moments that only a show as committed to gleeful absurdity as 30 Rock (or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) could pull off. The ongoing bit about Carol and Portia stealing relationship tips from plotlines on Days of Our Lives was particularly memorable, especially Portia pretending to be her twin sister, Mortia, to keep her fiance interested (complete with a fake mole). At the same time, trying to make another 30 Rock doesnt seem fair to the uniqueness of this story, which explores different types of relationships and different generational perspectives. (All of 30 Rocks leads, with the exception of Alec Baldwin, were Gen-Xers; Horatio Sanz is the only Gen-Xer in Great News cast, and also the character whos by far the most nebulous right now.) Knocking off its predecessor might feel most comfortable, but its a path I hope this show doesnt take, even if it guarantees more consistent laughs. Other Notes No one captures the absurdities of urban living quite like Tina Fey and her crew. I do actually know someone who worked in a building that was regularly buzzed by Chinese people seeking a departed underground gambling den. Poor Dave. I know that hes meant to be a largely offscreen, Maris Cranetype character, but I feel like we see just enough that I feel badly for how much his family neglects him. Blowing out a birthday candle on a loaf of bread, alone, is next-level tragic. Im pretty sure Tracey Wigfield has an ongoing bet to see if she can squeeze both a reference to Chicos and the word ethnic into every episode of this show. (This time, Katie wants to know if Trips secret is that hes the son of Rico Chico, heir to the Chicos empire.) A super-adorable line from Andrea Martin: Who wants to go to Six Flags this weekend? Full disclosure: Im too short to go on any of the rides. Also, I will probably sing her Makin Nachos song every time I make nachos until I die. The thing that ends up uniting Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist into the supergroup of the Defenders is the chance to have cheap Chinese food with Sigourney Weaver. In a new trailer for the Netflix series, dropping Friday, August 18, Weaver has a little chat with the group of heroes, all while sporting a delicious sneer. Dont worry, the trailer also promises plenty of action, and a string quartet. A very evil-looking string quartet. What more could you want? Melissa McCarthy Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Melissa McCarthy is trying her hand at puppet film noir. According to Deadline, the actress has joined the not-for-children, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?esque puppet movie The Happytime Murders. The film, which is being directed by Brian Henson (son of famed Muppet creator Jim Henson), is set in a world where Puppets and humans live side-by-side, but it is a decided departure from The Great Muppet Caper. Here, down-on-their-luck felt characters are fully part of the less savory elements of society. When cast members of the former puppet show Happytime Gang start being brutally murdered, its up to two hard-boiled detectives (McCarthy and a puppet) to solve the case.When a really good script combines puppet strippers, Los Angeles underbelly and comedy, its like my fever dream has finally come true, McCarthy said in a statement. McCarthy is also set to produce and work on rewrites for the script. The sight of Martha on Tuesday nights episode of The Americans was more than sad, but at least fans got what theyve been waiting for all season a tiny sense of how the inadvertent spy is faring in Moscow. Four episodes earlier, we caught a glimpse of Martha at the supermarket, a move that shows exactly what actress Alison Wright says she loves about the FX drama. Its a typical Americans coming under the radar like that, just assuming that the audience is going to be smart enough, and quick enough, and paying enough attention to get it. I love that about the show. They dont pander. Vulture spoke to Wright about Marthas new life, why the role prompted Ryan Murphy to offer her a part on Feud, and how shes feeling about her Broadway debut in Lynn Nottages Sweat. We knew Martha was alive and taking care of herself. But in IHOP, we learned a little bit more about her life in the Soviet Union. How did you feel about that scene? I think shes still a little bit of an enigma after this episode. She seems to have some sort of resolve and strength, enough to let Gabriel know how disappointed in him she is, and to basically tell him to not bother coming back. Like she said, she understands it all now. Shes put it all together, one way or another. But its still not that clear, I dont think, how she really is. We can see that shes getting by. Shes brushing her hair, and shes making food, and shes putting on clothes but more than that, were not really sure yet. What kind of life does she have? It seems very lonely. Incredibly lonely and isolating. It would be incredibly lonely and isolating being dropped in Moscow today, never mind in 1984 things are very tense and strained at the moment, with our country relations anyhow. But shes not able to contact anybody. She cant check up at all. Shes really, really isolated. Shes not getting any news about her parents or what they know about her. Has it all come out? Do they know everything? Shes still very much in the dark. When she opens that door to Gabriel, I think shes assuming this is terrible news walking in the door. Does she have to go back? Are they gonna send her back to her death? Him being there is not good news at all, and I think shes really afraid of what he may tell her. Martha is such a great character. I know, right? I mean, how lucky did I get? Who knew? Yeah, I feel tremendously lucky. Couldnt have asked for it to work out better. Do people still stop you and ask about her? Oh my God, yeah. Every day. All the time. People are really excited, and I can see that they genuinely have empathy for her. They have genuinely been affected by her plight and her experience, and really, really feel for her. I see that in peoples faces every time they talk to me about her. The Js [Americans showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields] and our amazing team of writers created this wonderful character. It really rings true with a lot of people. In the beginning, it felt like sometimes she was comic relief. When youre watching something, youre watching it through your own perspective. Whatever we think of people who are maybe a little bit too nice, or a little bit gullible, or dont really have defense mechanisms, its easy to laugh at them. Its not the right thing to do, but its easy to laugh at someone who you think is less than yourself. But I think she has definitely proved her worth, and that idea has completely changed about her. When you started playing Martha, did you know shed turn out to be such a strong lady? I knew that she and Clark would get married and have a long relationship. I knew that, very early on, she was gonna be completely taken in by this honey trap, and it was gonna take over her whole life. I didnt know that she was gonna survive let me put it like that because in all of the reading that we were able to do about the times when this really did happen to women, the majority of them committed suicide when they found out the truth. So that was always hanging over it. The majority killed themselves immediately when they realized, not that theyd been spies, but that none of the love had been real. That theyd been played the whole time; that the guy was always working. So that was always the massive ax that was waiting to drop. The fact that she didnt fall apart, the fact that she kept it together and survived, I didnt necessarily know that was going to happen. I thought I might be jumping out of window somewhere in Gowanus. We all thought the worst when we saw her leaving on the plane. Yeah. In a certain perspective, shes lucky, I guess. Doesnt really seem like it when you see her sitting all alone. But shes alive, right? Can you tell me if well see her again? Of course I cant, and you wouldnt want me to anyway. Youve been very busy with Feud and Sneaky Pete, and now youre on Broadway in Sweat. Is it true that Ryan Murphy offered you the part of Pauline on Feud? You didnt audition? Thats right, yeah. How did that happen? Martha, Im sure. Im sure I have Martha and The Americans to thank for that 100 percent. Were you floored? Absolutely. I didnt believe it. Im a big fan of Ryan Murphy and all the shows that hes created. I hope Ill get more of that in my future. I knew all about it because I had read about it in the trades. Im a big fan of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? It was a camp classic when I was a teenager hanging out on the gay scene. It was what all the drag queens were doing, so as soon as I saw he was making something about that, I knew all about it. Pauline wasnt a real person, but she was interesting because she was so ahead of her time. It ended up being even more timely than Ryan couldve ever assumed, you know, talking about wanting to be a woman in charge. She was a great character to play and very different from Martha, and I loved every second of it. I hope he invites me back for anything else in the future. It was immense! How did you feel about Paulines story? I was really happy, you know. Because she was a composite character, there were a couple of options for how Pauline would turn out in the future, and I was very happy with the option that the writers chose that she hadnt quit, and she just made her own way and that hadnt worked, but she was resilient enough and she bounced back. She didnt just get lazy, and just get married and have children instead. She found another way. She was a successful filmmaker and I was really happy about that. I think its a great message to put out there. Its interesting that the main theme of Feud was to show how women, especially those of a certain age, were treated in Hollywood. It makes you realize that things havent changed that much, but then the show itself is an agent of that change, with all of the women who were cast in it and worked on it behind the camera. What was it like to be part of that? Im a part of that phenomenon in two ways. The play that Im doing is very much of the times. Sweat is about whats happening outside of our doors in America right now, and Feud is about whats happening for women in America and across the world right now. Same thing. The election that happened right in the middle of this proved that point perfectly. Never underestimate misogyny and sexism. Never underestimate it. It feels really great to be a part of two projects that are actually part of the cultural conversation that were having at the moment. They really are the comment on our times. Thats always what you want to have as an artist. It takes it to a much deeper, more resonant level, if youre really holding a mirror up to society and hopefully effecting change. But thats the thing about women working in the business, whether its in front of the camera or behind the camera, and in the workplace in general: I think its time that we realize its not gonna just evolve naturally. Were not just gonna become equals naturally. Were not just gonna be paid the same or be treated the same. We proved with Feud that 50, 60 years later, all the struggles that we have are so similar. We have to actually effect change by putting our money where our mouth is, like Ryan Murphy has with his whole foundation. If Feud helps a few more people realize that, it will have done a tremendous service to society. Did having so many women on set and behind the camera affect your performance? Did that bring anything different to the process for you? Well, Ive never seen a woman on every camera unit. Ive never seen that before. I think we were all very aware of the story that we were telling and the message of the story. That was a collective consciousness, but none of that stuff went by unnoticed. It was just a privilege to be on a female-centric project that shows women in such a generous light, and I would say, gives us our due. We were all very aware that was the essence of the project. Much like Amy Adams in Enchanted, Idris Elba goes from a mystical world into modern-day New York in the upcoming adaptation of Stephen Kings The Dark Tower. The similarities, it seems, end there. Elbas crack-shot Gunslinger faces off against Matthew McConaugheys villainous Man in Black. Also, theres some interdimensional portal business going on, because no movie would be complete without that. The Dark Tower premieres August 4. Offred has been trapped in her room for 13 days. Not locked up, mind you, because why would they need to lock the door? When you live every moment of your life at gunpoint, youre already locked up. The door is always open and never open. She drifts into her memories of her old life, the one that seems almost fantastical now. If I let myself fall in too far, Ill never get out, she says, drifting through the room almost translucent, like she is becoming less solid as her grip on reality loosens. Theres a reason solitary confinement is often considered torture, why lasting mental damage can occur after only 15 days. Without human contact, without mental stimulus, without any contact with the substance of the world, we start to detach from it. The mind unravels, the self dissolves. Of course, the handmaids are already in social and psychological confinement: They are forbidden to read, to hear the news, even to speak and move except in highly regulated circumstances. Their minds are supposed to waste away by design. Why would they need to think? What good could come of that? The world has shrunk for Offred, and it just keeps on shrinking. She has a life in miniature, a dollhouse life, and she is a doll to be taken out, played with, then put away. There is a closet here, too, lined with her red handmaid uniforms, a smaller room inside a room, smaller and smaller and smaller. She lies on the floor inside the closet, where someone has scratched a Latin phrase: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. A message from the old Offred to the new one: Dont let the bastards grind you down. You had to be brave to do this, Offred says. Moira was brave. Back at the Red Center, she scraped a message of her own into the toilet stall: Aunt Lydia Sucks. Bathroom graffiti is a brave, even revolutionary act now; you can lose a hand for it. Oh God, dont do that. Its not worth it, Offred warns. Yeah, it is, Moira replies. Violence turns us all into bargainers: Put a gun to our heads and were willing to strip off our rights, our dignity, our needs, our beliefs, our selves, layer by layer. But what are you left with at the end? How small would a life need to be to not be worth living? If you stop trying to escape, they dont have to lock the door anymore it will never be open for you again. So thats exactly what Moira and Offred do after they learn the creepy, rapey truth about the Ceremony: They lure an Aunt into the bathroom, hold a shiv to her neck, steal her clothes, and make a break for it. Moira walks out of the Center in the social armor of an Aunt, and when a guard asks where shes taking the Handmaid, all she says is, Open the gate. He does, and there are no more questions. You can almost see why being an Aunt is appealing in this world. In every oppressive system, there is always a way for collaborators to steal a little bit of power for themselves. In the end, Moira makes it out, but Offred gets caught by a guard and dragged back to the Red Center to get yelled at for her ingratitude and have her feet beaten bloody by some kind of weird metal rake. The door has closed for her; maybe this is why she said, Im not that kind of person when Ofglen the First asked her to join the rebellion. Maybe this is the story of how that part of herself died. Back in Offreds room-that-is-the-world, Rita walks in to see her body on the closet floor and drops a tray in surprised fright. Offred ends up with an appointment to see a doctor, who generously offers to have sex with her in case the Commander is sterile. She says no, its too dangerous, but thank you. So important to be polite, to seem grateful to men, even for this. On the way home, something snaps: Suddenly she is screaming and crying and beating on the glass between her and Nick, yelling, Fuck, God fucking damn it! What happens to the words you cant say, the ones that are forbidden, the I love yous and the fuck yous and the how dare yous that scream inside your body but never make it to the air? How long can you swallow those words until the part of you that believes you are a person that you matter, that your feelings matter, that you do not deserve this starts to drift away slowly like an untethered rowboat? Downstairs, Serena Joy learns that an Aunt has escaped to Canada where shes given an incendiary interview about life in Gilead. She has ideas for how to discredit this traitorous Aunt, but the Commander shuts her down. You dont need to worry about this, I promise. Weve got good men working on it. Something in her face falls, some part of her that wanted to be more, to think something, to say something that mattered. Gender roles are a sort of solitary confinement, too, the way we lock ourselves away from other people, from happiness, from intimacy, from ourselves, inside smaller and smaller rooms until parts of us die. We invent rules about what it means to be a person born with a certain kind of body and cut away anything else, no matter how healthy, like diseased flesh. We punish and push people away even when they manage to make the cut. Then we wonder why it feels like parts of ourselves are missing, why there are holes in our hearts, why we feel so alone. And so we have Serena Joy, who has locked herself in a box of feminine virtue that does not permit her to have any other agency or value; Commander Waterford, who has locked himself in a box where he cannot connect with the emotionally and intellectually deformed women his regime has created; and Offred, who is pretty much trapped inside a Russian nesting doll of shitty boxes. Before the next ceremony, the Commander comes in early to see Offred, now that she has momentarily been released from her prison. Hi, he says, dropping a little breadcrumb of normalcy at her feet. Turns out hed like to play another Scrabble game that night. What do you think? he asks. Its a sort of gaslighting, a pantomime of care that belies the torture shes endured. Shes been in solitary confinement for two weeks inside the house he rules like a god, but what does she think about Scrabble? She doesnt answer. During the Ceremony, the Commander cant get it up he didnt get to connect with her, Offred thinks and she gets sent back to her room, thinking about how she will be blamed for this too. I bet there arent supposed to be men who cant get it up in Gilead, where all the penises are rock hard by government fiat. Offred goes to his office that night anyway. She asks him about his trip; she flirts, jokes, teases. This is what the Commander wants in this chaste affair with the woman he rapes every month. She gives him not sex but the illicit intimacy he desires: the taboo fantasy of connecting with a woman who might even be smarter than he is. When he challenges one of her Scrabble words, she goes to get the dictionary and notices a Latin grammar book on the shelf. Thats when she realizes: Has she been here, my predecessor, knower of Latin, scratcher of words? Theres a sort of cold dread in this thought, like a twisted version of discovering that a man has said the same sweet nothings to another woman or sent her the same flowers like you are an interchangeable part that can be swapped out at a moments notice. Did the former Offred say the wrong thing. Did she displease him? When Offred finally dares to ask the Commander what happened to her, he reveals that she hung herself, that she gave up. I suppose she found her life unbearable. He would like Offreds life to be bearable, he says, acting the role of the benevolent dictator. How about a rematch tomorrow, after the ceremony? he asks. After I rape you more Scrabble? Instead, Offred decides to play a different game. Im afraid Im starting to give up, she says, and he glances up at her. I certainly wouldnt want to give up. He says that it would be a tragedy, and they both know that this, too, is a sort of play. A moment ago, she was playing the role he wanted: the flirtatious, brilliant woman, teasing and challenging him. Now she has changed the script. Now she is the fragile, contrite damsel who needs to be saved, and he is the hero who must save her unless he wants to see another Scrabble partner swinging from the ceiling. In Gilead, knowing how to play your role is very important. And so he does. The next day, we see Offred walk outside into the open air, as Mrs. Waterford watches from the window, trapped behind glass, a little part of herself dying slowly in a box of her own creation. National parks advocates are worried about the review President Donald Trump ordered last week of national park listings that other presidents have made over the last two decades. But the Waco Mammoth National Monument is not one to worry about, Wacos congressman said this week. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan, said the inquiry involves only national parks and monuments larger than 100,000 acres. The National Park Service owns only five acres at the Waco site, which President Barack Obama made a national monument in 2015 under the Antiquities Act. Trumps executive order calls for an Interior Department review of 24 Antiquities Act designations going back to 1996. Parks advocates worry its a prelude for overturning or rolling back controversial designations, including Obamas order in December to create the 1.3-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Legal scholars are divided about whether the 1906 Antiquities Act allows Trump to completely eliminate a predecessors designation. But Flores said he is confident the Waco Mammoth National Monument designation is permanent. The Waco mammoth site should be a national monument, he said. It is not at risk. Flores said he has had conversations about the issue with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, a friend and former congressional colleague. Ive worked with them to make sure there are at least a couple of tests that keep the mammoth site out of the mix, he said. Those tests include the size of the park facility and the amount of public support for it. The mammoth site was widely supported by its stakeholders, by Baylor, the city, the county, the (Waco Mammoth) Foundation, Flores said. Thats a 180-degree contrast from some of the others that have been done. . . . I think theres a lot of designations out there that shouldnt have been made, so I applaud Trumps efforts to have them reviewed. In some cases, the land grabs were huge. There may have been designations that made sense, but they added extra land they didnt need. Flores and his staff toured the mammoth site a few weeks ago, and he said he was impressed with the tour by mammoth site manager Raegan King. She did a marvelous job making it more meaningful, he said. Waco Mammoth Foundation board President Charlie Walter said the board has been concerned about the uncertainty regarding the Trump administrations direction on recently designated national monuments. Im personally not worried about the Waco Mammoth National Monument, said Walter, who is director of Baylor Universitys Mayborn Museum. The indication Ive gotten specifically about the monument is that its a model for what the National Park Service is in its next iteration. He said a capital campaign for the next phase of development is definitely in our future. We just want to be very thoughtful about how we approach it, he said. Thats why having the National Park Service as a partner in this has been so important. They do some of the most thoughtful planning for interpretive sites. The city of Waco covers about $400,000 of the sites annual budget, while the federal government pays about $180,000. Long-term plan Walter said the foundation, which has recently been reorganized as a nonprofit friends organization for the national monument, will be meeting with National Park Service staff soon to start work on a new long-term plan for the site. That would likely include previously identified needs such as a new visitors center and a childrens discovery center, along with other interpretive amenities. The plan could also sketch out future trails through the 95-acre property the city of Waco owns around the national monument, stretching to the Bosque River. King, the site manager, said attendance numbers at the site continue to shoot up, largely because of the federal designation. Park visitation for April was 10,208, up 71 percent from April 2016s visitation of 5,980. Between May 1, 2016, and April 30, attendance was 85,616 an 81 percent increase over the previous year. Tourism is booming in Waco, and with the addition of the arrowhead to the park, we are just so busy, she said, referring to the National Park Service logo. The site has been so popular that it has booked up group tours through the end of the school year, she said. One challenge in dealing with the crowds is that the site does not yet have a federal park ranger because of hiring delays caused by the federal hiring freeze earlier this year. King said a seasonal ranger should be in place later this summer, and she is hoping to get a permanent ranger at some point. The Texas Education Agency is looking into allegations that students may have been improperly awarded course credit throughout the past school year at Marlin Independent School District, a district that has failed state academic accountability ratings for five years in a row and faces the possibility of closure if it fails again. Marlin High School assistant principal RoShon Jackson filed a complaint with the TEA March 29, involving Superintendent Michael Seabolt and Special Education Director Marti Turner, on behalf of multiple students. Jackson filed the complaint six days after she was placed on administrative leave for unclear reasons. Jackson asked the TEA to look into whether Marlin ISD ensured implementation of students individualized education programs while they were enrolled at the districts Success Academy between March 29, 2016, and March 29, 2017, according to a TEA letter sent to the district April 24. Jackson also asked the TEA to investigate whether the district ensured that special education students attending the academy met all applicable graduation requirements during the same time frame, the letter states. The TEA is reviewing the complaint, but it has yet to reach the agencys special investigations unit, TEA spokesperson DeEtta Culbertson said Tuesday. The allegations come just weeks before the districts graduation. The complaint was also made one day before the districts state-appointed board of managers voted to eliminate several special education positions to help the district recover from a $1.1 million deficit budget. But Seabolt said Tuesday there are significant issues with the complaint, including that a Success Academy did not exist last school year, as the complaint states. The Success Academy started in the fall of 2016 and is meant to help struggling students close achievement gaps and improve state testing scores, Seabolt stated earlier this year. Marlin has about 100 students who fall under special education, and about 12 life skills and preschool children, Seabolt said earlier this year. It is unclear how many students would have earned course credit through the Success Academy. I will say, this is not a TEA-initiated investigation. An employee, Roshon Jackson, filed this, Seabolt wrote in an email Tuesday afternoon. There are ways to informally resolve these types of complaints, but I will say that so far Jackson has refused that path. Seabolt wrote that he would not comment further on the investigation because it is still underway. Jackson said Tuesday she had hired an attorney and couldnt comment. A document related to the investigation released by the district shows Jackson stated two school officials directed special education students to be placed in the academy to complete studies. Although the students work can be modified to accommodate their qualifying condition, as per IEP (individual education programs) . . . it cannot be reduced in content length, Jackson wrote. The reduction in assignments causes students to develop learning gaps, which makes them unsuccessful on state testing and denies the right to free and appropriate public education. She went on to allege the district did not follow state curriculum standards and guidelines, and the result of those violations has led to students completing an academic years worth of work in a week or less because the amount of content students had to complete had been reduced. She wrote that students who were failing classes or severely behind miraculously finished in time frames impossible to meet. She cited one example where a section of a math course that included assignments, vocabulary and a mastery test was completed in less than two minutes. This is an alarming violation of ARD decision and denies students the opportunity to be successful in real life college settings and employment, she wrote. Documents sought by TEA The TEA is requiring the district respond to the letter no later than May 12 with multiple documents. Among the documents included are: Records of communication with Jackson about the issues. A written response about any information helpful to the investigation, including whether the district tried to resolve the issues, A detailed description about the Success Academy and how students are placed in the academy. An explanation about how a certain software program is used for course credit recovery for special education students. Graduation requirements. A copy of the Student Handbook for the past two school years. Students academic achievement records. A copy of all the scores from the state assessments administered to relevant students during their time in high school, including all end-of-course assessments. Any documentation generated as a result of a students failure to demonstrate proficiency in two or fewer end-of-course assessments. And documentation of any special projects students completed during the past two academic years. Marlin ISD also has a chance to submit an early resolution proposal to the TEA addressing the allegations based on the districts own investigation of the complaint by May 12. If Jackson accepts the proposal and withdraws the complaint, the TEA then will notify the district. If she doesnt, the TEA will determine the extent of further investigation needed. The TEA also will conduct phone interviews with all general education teachers, counselors, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and campus and district administrative staff who had any responsibilities related to the Success Academy outside the presence of the employees supervisors, the letter states. The TEA is expected to finish the investigation by May 28 but may extend the deadline if necessary, the letter states. A longtime Waco oral surgeon, Dr. J. Don Lance, died Monday after being struck in the parking lot of Bird-Kultgen Ford on April 20 by an employee of the dealership driving an SUV, according to the Waco Police Department. Lance, 77, suffered head injuries in the collision and was transported by ambulance to Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said. Waco attorney John Mabry, who is representing the Lance family, said it is his understanding Lance had remained in the hospital since being injured. The Lance family declined comment, and the hospital would confirm only that Lance had died. Swanton, citing a police report prepared by responding officers, said Lance suffered significant injuries, including head injuries and possible facial fractures. He was in critical condition. He said Lance was walking in the parking lot of the dealership about 8:15 a.m. April 20, when two Bird-Kultgen employees in a Ford Expedition were opening the gates to the dealership grounds. As the vehicle was backing through the parking lot, he was knocked to the ground. He was unconscious when EMS arrived on the scene. Peter Kultgen, who oversees the family-owned dealership, said he would have no comment on the incident. Mabry said Lance had driven his vehicle to Bird-Kultgen for servicing that morning. He said Lance had practiced oral surgery locally for several decades and had continued to work as a consultant in the field after his retirement. At this point, we are simply investigating the matter on behalf of the Lance family, Mabry said. We hope to receive the cooperation of Bird-Kultgen and its insurance carrier, and we will see where that takes us. Bird-Kultgen is a staple of this community and run by fine people. But again, it all depends on their insurance company, which Im sure will have input on how this matter is settled. Bird-Kultgen can trace its founding to 1936. In 1993, it became the first car lot to relocate to W. Loop 340, which has become known as Wacos Motor Mile. A biker who was shot during the May 2015 Twin Peaks shootout but not arrested filed a lawsuit Tuesday in an attempt to recover his medical expenses. William Richardson, of Lexington, was shot in the lower torso during the melee at Twin Peaks and is listed in the criminal indictments as one of about 20 victims of the 155 indicted bikers. Richardsons attorney, Matthew Wright, of Rosebud, said Richardson, an employee of the Texas A&M University transportation division, underwent surgery and was hospitalized. Mr. Richardson had medical expenses from being shot, Wright said. The lawsuit was filed to protect his rights regarding his injury claim. Richardsons suit, filed in Wacos 74th State District Court, names as defendants Twin Peaks Investment; Front Burner Restaurant GP; former Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman; Waco police Detective Manuel Chavez; McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara; and an unknown officer identified in the lawsuit as John Doe. The suit seeks more than $200,000 but less than $1 million. The suit alleges officials at Front Burner, which operated the Waco Twin Peaks franchise, were warned by law enforcement before the Sunday afternoon meeting of the Texas Confederation of Clubs & Independents of increasing friction between the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle groups but hosted the meeting anyway. The restaurant, which never reopened after the shootout, went ahead with the promotion and hosting of the COC meeting in the hopes of securing profit, regardless of the potential loss of life or injury to people in attendance, the suit alleges. The lawsuit claims the deaths of nine bikers and injuries to at least 20 others were compounded by the mass arrests and wrongful detention of innocent individuals. Failure to render aid cited During this period of detention, prior to transporting the detained off scene, neither law enforcement officers under control of defendant Chavez, defendant Stroman or defendant McNamara rendered aid to detainees who were injured nor did they call for emergency medical assistance, the suit alleges. Richardson was not provided immediate medical attention by restaurant or law enforcement officials, the lawsuit claims. The plaintiff and several other detainees pleaded with law enforcement to call for emergency medical assistance or to render emergency first aid, the suit states. After repeated attempts to secure emergency aid, a private citizen provided a pickup truck and offered to take the plaintiff to Hillcrest Medical Center. Richardson doesnt know who shot him but claims the unknown officer referred to as John Doe acted intentionally, knowingly and recklessly by shooting into a crowd gathered at a public restaurant, the suit states. He claims that Stroman, Chavez, McNamara and Doe failed to take action to avoid a foreseeable risk of injury to others and used excessive force that violated Richardsons rights. There are pending criminal matters and civil lawsuits, and the city of Waco chooses to litigate these matters in the courts, Waco City Attorney Jennifer Richie said. Attorneys for Twin Peaks and McNamara did not return phone messages Tuesday afternoon. Argye Hillis July 27, 1933 - April 29, 2017 Argye Idell Briggs Hillis, a longtime resident of Waco, passed away peacefully on the evening of April 29, 2017. Visitation was from 1 to 2 p.m., with a service at 2 p.m., on Tuesday, May 2, at Seventh and James Baptist Church of Waco, with the Rev. Erin Conaway officiating. Burial at Oakwood Cemetery followed the service. Argye was born in the 30's Dustbowl of the Texas Panhandle, and then moved with her family to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where her father, Preston Pengra Briggs, was a petroleum engineer, and her mother, Argye McCanlies Briggs, was a novelist. In Bartlesville, she met her husband, William "Bill" Daniel Hillis, whom she married on December 23, 1952.Argye shared with Bill an adventurous life of science, medicine, and family, as they travelled across the world, living in Baltimore, Maryland; Copenhagen, Denmark; San Antonio, Texas, Covington, Louisiana; St. Johns, Florida; the Congo; Calcutta, India; Waco, Texas; and finally Austin, Texas. Argye suspended her college studies to help support Bill through medical school, and to start a family. Their three children, William Daniel "Danny", David Mark, and Argye Elizabeth "Beth" were born in Baltimore and in Copenhagen, Denmark. Argye never shied from adventure, raising three children in the Congo during a revolution and then moving to Calcutta, India. In 1968, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland. With her children in high school, Argye finally got a chance to finish her college education, earning a B.S. in Mathematics with highest honors at Towson State University. She then combined her interests in biology and mathematics to earn her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins studying with Dr. Frederik Bang. Argye became the chief statistician on an important study on the treatment of blindness. This was the first of Dr. Argye Hillis' many scientific studies and over time she developed a national reputation for her insights in medical mathematics, particularly in the field of ophthalmology. In spite of her challenging job, Argye stayed involved in service to the community. In Baltimore, she was an active member of Seventh Baptist Church, an inner city church with active programs in childcare, education, homelessness, and other community issues. After their children had left for college, Argye and Bill moved back in the inner city Baltimore to help revitalize the area around Johns Hopkins Hospital. They purchased an abandoned house from the city for one dollar, and renovated it into a home. They lived there, near the hospital, while they both worked at Hopkins. In 1981, they moved to Waco where Argye became Director of Biostatistical Research at Scott and White Hospital. There she helped plan and execute a wide range of medical research studies. She also worked with the National Institutes of Health to advise medical studies throughout the nation. In Waco, she was a member of Seventh and James Baptist Church, and guided a magazine called Seeds, to help fight world hunger. In 2012, Argye and Bill moved to Austin to be closer to their son, David, and his family, while maintaining their deep friendships in Waco. Argye was loved and admired, not only by her husband, her three children, and six grandchildren, but also by her many friends, colleagues, and relatives throughout the world. Pallbearers were David Pennington, Frank Mathis, Dan Walker, Jim Moshinskie, Jim Vardaman, Ken Wilkins, Bob Baldridge, and Fred Gehlbach. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the William Hillis Scholars in Biomedical Science Program, College of Arts and Sciences, Baylor University, 76798-7344. Sign the Guest Book at www.oakcrestwaco.com. ASHLAND The 2017 Alice Raikes Distinguished Teaching Award went to a teacher who was called a model teacher, skilled trainer, presenter and communicator by his nominators. Matt Flynn, technology integration specialist, received the award during the annual Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools Foundation honors dinner on Friday night at Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum near Ashland. One nominator said Flynns influence impacts hundreds of students each year, said Helen Raikes, wife of the late Ron Raikes. The Raikes family created the award 15 years ago to honor Alice Raikes, a longtime educator at Ashland-Greenwood. Helen Raikes was joined on stage by her daughter, Abbie Raikes and grandsons Xavier and Theo Gouttierre. Other nominations noted Flynns influence in terms of technology, saying his expertise was a huge advantage for the school district. Under Matts leadership, our district has been on the leading edge of using technology, the nomination read. Flynn said it has been his privilege to watch the students grow over the years. Ive been truly blessed to be a part of this district, a part of our team and a part of the community, he added. He said the Ashland-Greenwood staff follows cutting edge educational practices, making them leaders throughout the state. And he thanked the administration for their courage in allowing the staff to try new and crazy ideas. Thank you for trusting us, he said. He also thanked Bev Hohensee for being the glue that holds our media center together. Over the years, Flynn has witnessed several examples of courage and kindness within the student body, including high school students mentoring their middle school counterparts and the districts implementation of the Rachels Challenge program. Flynn said he grew up in a single parent household after his mother died of cancer. He credited his father, a steel worker, for making sure Flynn and his three siblings all attended college. Thanks to my dads support through college I have a job that I love, he said. Prior to becoming the districts technology integration specialist, Flynn taught middle school social science, as was pointed out by the foundations 2017 Outstanding Young Alumnus Taylor Sliva, one of Flynns former students. Sliva, AGHS Class of 2008, is a source of pride for the district, according to Secondary Principal Brad Jacobsen, who introduced Sliva. Taylor demonstrated an unselfish attitude and real commitment to service and loved to debate, said Jacobsen. Slivas love of debate was one of the reasons he studied political science at Nebraska Wesleyan University. After serving internships with the Nebraska Republic Party, he worked on various political campaigns, including the senatorial campaign for Sen. Ben Sasse. After Sasse was elected, Sliva was offered a position with the senator as Nebraska press assistant. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Mollie. One of the lessons Sliva said several people Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools had an impact on his life. He learned to debate in Brian Petermans social studies classes and the importance of freedom of speech in a study hall overseen by Janice Jacobs. Sliva said Jacobs denied him his right to play cards in study hall. Sliva turned his argument into a persuasive speech for Jacobs English class. I won the battle because I got an A on the speech but I did not win the war because we were not allowed to play cards again, he said with a smile. Sliva said the experience he is having in Washington, D.C. are the result of being a product of the Ashland-Greenwood school district and the communities of Ashland and Greenwood. I owe it largely to the opportunity afforded me through this school and this community, he said. The nights other Outstanding Alumnus, Kristi Bundy, is also an Ashland native. Bundy, who graduated from AGHS in 1980, has been a teacher in the Ashland-Greenwood district for 17 years. Before that, she taught in District 3 and she started her career at District 5, both small rural schools outside of Ashland. She won the Alice Raikes Distinguished Teacher award in 2013 and a year later was named Nebraska Teacher of the Year, something she said has been a highlight of her teaching career. Bundy said the year she spent touring the state and country as Teacher of the Year made her appreciate teaching in Nebraska. We really want to do whats best for our kids, she said. Bundy said she teaches for one simple reason: Its because of the kids, she said. She tries to help her students see the positive in their future, and tells them that they should brush themselves off and start over again if they fail. We have to show these kids that we have to not accept failure, she said. She thanked her fellow teachers for her success as a teacher and expressed gratitude to the administration for setting high expectations. All of us together help each student to reach their potential, she said. Students who are on the path to reaching their potential include the scholarship winners honored at the dinner. Elsie Burke, Kelsey Marr and Trevor Nichelson received $1,000 Foundation Scholarships, while Wyatt Craven received the $500 Foundation Scholarship. Madalyn Schuster received the Jouni Nevanpera Scholarship and the Russell Grebe Memorial Scholarship, which was also awarded to Levi Hagen. Macie Hayes earned the Learn to Dream Scholarship, Mickayla Yard received the Marin E. And Betty J. Ballou Scholarship and Jared Stander was given the Ashland Auto Supply Scholarship. Also during the dinner, the foundation held silent and live auctions to raise money for the Teacher Grant Programs, student scholarships, the ongoing elementary playground project and other projects. In her closing statement, Foundation President Pat Timblin said they raised $9,090 in the live auction. WAHOO Now with an operations and maintenance manual in hand, the Lower Platte North Natural Resource District is likely to move forward with a study to draw down the water in Lake Wanahoo based on weather forecasts. When the NRD Board of Directors meets Monday, one of its agenda items will be a recommendation to approve a $21,970 professional services agreement with FYRA Engineering. FYRA Senior Engineer Mike Sotak has proposed studying the effects of manually lowering the lake level when storm events are forecast. The anticipated benefit would be more storm water runoff storage capability in the reservoir. The proposal and potential action next week follows an ongoing discussion about flooding concerns below the dam on both Sand and Wahoo creeks. The Saunders County Sand and Wahoo Creek Basin landowners group have challenged the cost benefit of the dam, asserting that $1.5 million of soybeans were lost downstream because of flooding after a rain event in the fall of 2014. Additional flooding events have kept the group knocking on the NRDs door, asking for the water level in the lake to be lowered. The proposal to lower the level ahead of storms was pitched earlier this year. However, the plan has been on hold because of a delay from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps had still to release its Operations and Maintenance Manual for the Sand Creek Environmental Watershed Restoration Project the large watershed project for Sand and Duck creeks of which Lake Wanahoo is one part of. That manual was finally completed and turned over to the NRD last month. During two committee meetings at the NRD last week, the Corps manual as well as a management strategy for the lake were discussed. Sotak explained that he and NRD staff wanted to take a look at the manual and any recommendations from the Corps about operations of the dam, lake and upstream dams and wetland structures. It was not surprising, he said, the manual did not contain a lot of specifics about the operation of the dam or maintaining the level of the lake. That is because the Corps dollars for the project were put toward the wetlands restoration, not the dam construction. As far as lake level, none of that is addressed specifically, Sotak said. There is still question as to what the Corps may require for a coordinated water level management strategy as needed in order to optimize diversity and wetland development so long as required ESA flow releases to offset depletions to the Platte River are met. But after reading the manual, he said he felt comfortable proceeding with varying the lake level based on weather predictions. It doesnt appear there is anything in conflict, Sotak said. Ron Morrissey, who has been a spokesperson for the landowners group, said he agreed with the assessment that the Corps would not take issue with the proposal. Morrissey and other group members met with about four representatives from the Corps in March. He said one of the main questions posed to the Corps was if they had objections to lowering the lakes level. They said no, Morrissey reported. The landowners have asserted that lowering the lake by three feet would create 1,980 acre feet of additional water storage. Morrissey said that additional storage matters to the approximately 230 landowners who hold close to 87 separate parcels of land below the dam. He added that he understands the Nebraska Game and Parks position that lowering the lake would hurt recreational benefits at the lake. But, he contended that recreation doesnt have to come before flood control. While Morrissey sees merit in the current proposal on the NRDs plate, he did not agree with the suggestion made during the committee meetings last week that stream gauges should be considered for placement throughout the watershed. Those gauges, he said, are expensive and would come at the cost of the taxpayers. For what they cost, it doesnt have the benefit, Morrissey said during an interview with this newspaper on Monday. He said all rain events are different and impact the watershed differently. He said he didnt believe that stream gauge readings would accurately take that into account when trying to assess flood relief solutions. Its information, but what do you do with it, he added. Others at last weeks meetings, however, had a different opinion. Panel Member Mark Porath with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said there might be benefit to having gauges in locations other than just the current one on Wahoo Creek at Ithaca. As a scientist, I am wanting more information, he said at last Wednesdays Lake Level Panel meeting. Other members of the Lake Level Panel agreed that rain amounts vary from location to location, but pointed out it is not just Wahoo and Sand creeks that affect the watershed. Other creeks, such as Cottonwood and Silver, also feed into Wahoo Creek. The argument for additional gauges was to get a complete picture of all the factors. If weve got to be able to prove yes or no, we need information, Panel Member Mike Lawver said. Sotak said he was not sure what the cost would be to add more gauges. As part of his service agreement and at no additional cost, he said he should be able to provide a recommendation for where additional gauges might be beneficial and what the estimated cost would be. He said even if the NRD decided not to pursue the additional gauges based on cost, information from hydraulic modeling could be utilized. A gauge is better, but not free, he said. More discussion and possible action on the recommendations from both the Lake Level Panel and the NRDs Operations and Maintenance Committee is expected at the board meeting on May 8. WASHINGTON Dallan Schlautman remembers sliding into the truck and taking off on his first convoy in Vietnam. Actually, what he remembers most are the dozens of wreckers that were headed in the opposite direction, hauling blown-up trucks. There was a sense of dread, Schlautman said. But we learned to live with it. He and his fellow infantry soldiers faced a deadly learning curve during their first few months in Vietnam in 1966. Many were killed and wounded. On Monday, the 72-year-old Lincoln man stood before the polished black granite of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He was one of 654 Vietnam veterans on an Honor Flight from Omaha. Donations covered the trips $600,000 price tag. It was hardly the first Honor Flight organized by Bill and Evonne Williams and their Patriotic Productions. Theyve been taking World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans to the nations capital for years. But this was their largest and, they insist, final mission. Managing such a massive group of people brings its challenges, but Monday seemed to run relatively smoothly. A serious situation developed, however, when one veteran fell and injured his head shortly after the group arrived in Washington. He was transported to a Virginia hospital, where he was being held for observation. The veterans arrived on four chartered jets. They boarded buses that took them to the National Mall, where they presented a wreath at the Vietnam memorial. They traced the names on the wall and wiped away tears. Some left mementos. Patrick Stanosheck, 67, of Lincoln served in Vietnam. So did his brother, Michael. Michael died last year at age 67 as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during the war. Stanosheck left his own dog tags and the combat boots that he wore in Vietnam in front of the wall as a poignant tribute to his brother. It was pretty moving, Stanosheck said afterward. A lot of closure. The emotions also washed over Omahan John Beaver as he approached the wall. You visualize it in your mind, but when you come here you dont see it, the 70-year-old said. You feel it. He thought back to his time serving as a Navy quartermaster on an aircraft carrier. There are quite a few carrier pilots on that wall, Beaver said. Many of those on Mondays trip have Purple Hearts from their time overseas. Terrance Huettner, 65, of Humphrey suffered a head wound in Vietnam when a mine exploded nearby. Although he recovered, he couldnt help but ponder just how easily his own name could have been etched into the granite. I could be there, he said. It was that close. The veterans visited other memorials around Washington and observed the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery. While the Honor Flights afford a chance to visit the monuments to their service, they also are an opportunity for recognition and a delayed feeling of homecoming. That aspect of the trips is particularly poignant for those who were greeted with apathy or even hostility upon their return from the battlefield. When you dont seem to get any respect for going over for your country, it definitely makes a sad spot in your heart, said Charlie Morland, a 67-year-old from North Platte. Morland has a Purple Heart thanks to the shrapnel wounds he suffered when his helicopter landed on top of a booby trap. He said its gratifying that the public is more appreciative toward veterans today. Mondays flight came with plenty of pageantry and celebration. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., joined the flight out, while other members of the congressional delegation either helped send the veterans off or welcomed them to Washington. When the veterans landed in Washington, greeters waved American flags and cheered. Schlautman recalled how Uncle Sam drafted him, his brother and several other guys from his relatively small hometown. They called, and we went, Schlautman said. We werent going to say no. We werent going to run. And Im glad we went. Im glad we made a difference. Saunders County area Vietnam veterans attending the May 1 honor flight were Richard McKinley Jr., Ceresco; Edward Booth, Malmo; Richard Potter, Gary Dudek, Donald Kobza and Larry Martin, all of Valparaiso; Gayle Martinson, Russell Ahlers and David Kastl of Wahoo; Ron Paseka and Don Fujan of Prague; Kent Kotera of Brainard; and Arnold Eivins of Ceresco. Comments from some of these veterans about their experience on the honor flights will be published in next weeks Wahoo Newspaper. WAVERLY Students at Waverly High School were the first of what will eventually be more than a dozen Nebraska schools to learn more about possible contaminants in their well water through a hands-on program called Know your well being conducted by the Water Sciences Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We want them to learn about groundwater contaminants and how they can affect their well water, how to test for them and learn differences between field and laboratory test methods, said UNL graduate student Chris Olson who is managing the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) funded Know Your Well program at UNL. Its about helping people understand what might be in their well water and how to test water. Its about helping rural residents be informed consumers and replacing indifference or uncertainty with knowledge, he said of the program that involves a consortium of UNL experts. The program is designed to train students in assessing the quality of drinking water derived from rural domestic wells. Ultimately it will involve science and agricultural education programs and FFA chapters at 16 Nebraska high schools Olson said. The first to sample well water under the program were about a dozen students at Waverly High School. We met with and accompanied Kris Spath and her students on their first sampling expedition, said Dan Snow, director of the Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL) at UNL. Spath is FFA adviser and a UNL ag education graduate. Other schools that will be conducting samplings this year include Newman Grove, Central City, Auburn and Filmore-Geneva High Schools, Snow said. Over the three-year project, each participating school group will be given a test kit for measuring water parameters and will be provided with training needed to properly use the kits, Olson said. A mobile app will be developed as part of the project to ease data entry and will be used directly by the students. Student-tested water samples will be compared with analysis of the same samples by research technicians at the WSL, Snow said. Its important for students to learn both about contaminants and the wide variety of ways to measure and analyze them, Olson said. Most Nebraskans rely on groundwater drawn wells for their drinking water and few of domestic wells are regularly tested, he said, noting It can be an expensive, time-consuming and confusing process, Olson said. National surveys confirm that domestic wells have a variety of contaminants that are potentially detrimental to health, including radon, arsenic, uranium, nitrate, fluoride, pesticides and many others, Snow said. Collected samples will be analyzed for Nebraska specific pesticides, nitrate and coliform bacteria by faculty and staff at the WSL. Researchers will analyze the gathered data and the well testing results to determine parameters that seem to have the most effects on well water quality. Annual workshops will be conducted at UNL to provide students and teachers with feedback, updates, interaction with UNL faculty and staff, and project results. UNL faculty cooperating on the program in addition to Snow include Nebraska Water Center director Chittaranjan Ray, Ashok Samal of UNLs Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Matt Kreifels of UNLs Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication. Funding for the project, which began last year, is through a three-year grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The WSL and Nebraska Water Center are part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska. Valentines Day is a time to reflect and appreciate the relationships in our lives. However, it can also be a time to reflect on... Port of Waterford has estimated that it would generate 3.5m this summer with the return of cruise ships for the first time in two... THIS June, Waterford will see its first Pride march in over a decade as part of the Pride of the Deise festival. Taking place over... IMAGINING Arts was about all we could do over the last 18 months or so, but now we need imagine no more. Celebrating its 20th... AS we count down the days, hours and minutes to Christmas, we at Waterford Today would like to make one appeal before the festivities... At one level, this should come as no surprise, considering that both major political parties have embraced Australia's " stop the boats " mantra, to the point there is now virtually no argument between them about the adequacy and legality of turnbacks. The absence of a political, or even a media, debate on the matter is particularly disturbing considering that boat turnbacks are unlawful under international law , as explained in a new Policy Brief from the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law . Nevertheless, Dutton presented Operation Sovereign Borders as an "ongoing success", affirming the government's commitment to "remain absolutely resolute that we won't see new vessels arrive" disregarding the lethal effect of Australian policy of deterrence, which has so far produced 1,992 deaths since the Tampa affair . According to Australia's Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, "about 765 people on 30 boats have now been returned" since the operation began in late 2013. Yet, at his press conference , he refused to answer a single key question about where or when the boat was intercepted. "The people were returned in March, and that's the only detail that I can provide you at this time," he said. No mainstream media reported the story. On the day US President Donald Trump launched his air strike on Syria almost a month ago, the Australian government touted the 30th turnback of an asylum seeker boat under Operation Sovereign Borders . Australian authorities returned the 25 Sri Lankan nationals aboard the boat, with the co-operation of the Sri Lankan Government. However, the policy rests on a thin domestic legal veneer. It does not accord with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Search and Rescue Convention, the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, the Refugee Convention or the core international human rights treaties. Instead, Australian law concerning turnbacks exploits gaps in those texts and misinterprets key concepts, dubiously expanding Government powers of control to the detriment of the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum. And yet, the turnbacks policy continues. The EU is following suit. The recent "Malta Declaration" shows that European leaders, too, are "determined to significantly reduce migratory flows" across the Mediterranean. Though data shows that maritime crossings are clearly linked to refugee movements from some of the world's key hotspots, EU member states have deployed a securitarian, rather than humanitarian, response since the beginning of the so-called "refugee crisis" in 2015. Operations coordinated by Europe's external frontiers agency (Frontex) focus on border security and migration control, despite the "saving lives" rhetoric used to justify deployments. Operation Triton, for instance, covering the central Mediterranean, does not include a proactive search-and-rescue component. Neither does Operation Sophia, the European military-led mission patrolling the high seas close to Libya, whose objective is to combat migrant smuggling through the identification and "disposal" of smuggling vessels. The short-term effect of these operations has not been to stop the boats, but rather to push maritime flows to the eastern Mediterranean, to the Turkish-Greek route, as the first six-monthly report of Operation Sophia reveals. There, in the Aegean Sea, Frontex-coordinated Operation Poseidon has been buttressed by two additional measures to counter crossings. The first is the controversial EUTurkey Statement, which guarantees the readmission of all "irregular migrants" who leave Turkey, including refugees. It also ensures Turkey's co-operation with EU anti-smuggling efforts, including through "pullbacks" of migrant vessels headed to Greece. So far, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's regime has readmitted 1487 people and has blocked the exit of most migrants since March 2016, which has resulted in a huge drop of daily arrivals in Greecefrom 2500 to just 43notwithstanding serious human rights concerns. The second measure is that controls at sea have been reinforced by an anti-smuggling NATO mission which has no search-and-rescue or border-security mandate. When NATO ships encounter distress situations, their response is apparently to directly return to Turkey all survivors, irrespective of whether those on board face persecution or other serious harm, including illegal removals back to Syria. The effect of this policy has been to displace asylum-seeker movements back to the LibyanItalian route, as indicated by Operation Sophia's second six-monthly report. Participants at an intergovernmental meeting hosted by Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop in Perth have described "disgusting" and "extraordinary" scenes as the Chinese government delegation shouted over the welcome to country ceremony and forced the suspension of proceedings. A Taiwanese delegation was later ejected from the Kimberley Process meeting at the behest of the Chinese delegates who objected to their attendance. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it had raised concerns over the incident with the Chinese ambassador. Participants at the Kimberley Process intersessional meeting have described extraordinary scenes as the Chinese delegation noisily disrupted the official Indigenous welcome ceremony and forced the suspension of at least one other session on Monday. A Labor government would triple the fees for skilled migrants visas to work in Australia, establish a new visa for academics, set up a new training fund and establish a new independent body to test whether jobs can be filled by Australians instead of overseas residents. And in an escalation of tit-for-tat "Australians first" migration policies, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will accuse the Turnbull government of announcing "little more than a con job" when it announced the abolition of the 457 visa program last month. The suite of prospective policy changes also include a promise that Labor in government will not sign another free trade agreement that allows local labour market testing to be waived, as the South Korean, Japanese and Chinese deals do. They will be unveiled by Mr Shorten in a pre-budget address to the McKell Institute in Sydney on Wednesday. Mark Latham will need to invent a new insult. He once branded as "Big Macs" the faction of the Labor party devoted to the US alliance, always ready to march in lock-step with Uncle Sam. Then along came Donald. As Malcolm Turnbull prepares to meet with President Trump this week, the first meeting after the now infamous "worst" phone call, a remarkable but largely-unheralded shift has taken place in the ranks of the Opposition. Tony Abbott has accused political leaders of not doing enough to promote "Australian values", claiming that a "cultural cowardice" at the heart of public institutions such as the ABC and the public service has caused many voters to turn their backs on the major parties. In the former prime minister's first substantial contribution to the so-called culture wars sparked by the Turnbull's government's decision to introduce a much tougher citizenship test for prospective immigrants, Mr Abbott argued mainstream political leaders had failed to promote the "virtues and benefits" of Western civilisation including "Gospel values" and free speech. Former prime minister Tony Abbott is pushing for reform of the NSW Liberal Party. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Whether it's official persecution of Queensland students for a bit of justified sarcasm, state governments promoting gender fluidity programs in schools, or a federal government-approved activist being disrespectful of Anzac Day, there's this pervasive ambivalence verging on hostility to our country and its values from people who should know better," Mr Abbott said on Wednesday night. "Overwhelmingly, our people believe in our country but it's hard for them to have faith in politicians when the politicians and those they promote don't believe in the things they do." A group of fishermen caught more than they bargained for in WA's north - filming an enormous manta ray swimming around their boat just metres from the shore. Boilermaker Chris Holzer and his mates were returning from a crabbing trip at Boat Beach on Sunday just outside the Pilbara town of Wickham when they spotted something big in the water. "It was at least three metres across, very big and very graceful," Mr Holzer said. "It just came right in and swum around the boat. An amazing sight. One of WA's most luxurious cellar doors and a tourism jewel for the South West is up for sale. But frequent visitors to the multi-faceted Aravina Estate should not despair. Owner Steve Tobin said it would be business as usual for a few years yet as the sale was finalised. The multi-faceted winery Aravina Estate in Yallingup is one of WA's best. The Perth entrepreneur and his wife Hayley have put the Yallingup winery - famous for its classic car collection and pristine cellar door - on the market for up to $20 million to help Mr Tobin's company Terrex Seismic fund an investment in new technology for the resources sector. Speaking to WAtoday on Wednesday, Mr Tobin, who acquired the winery and vineyard in 2010, said Aravina Estate was now more than a winemaking business, with six different but integrated facets to it. A man who crashed his bicycle into a wooden power pole two weeks ago as he rode down a pathway has died in hospital on Tuesday. The 24-year-old was riding his mountain bike along several streets in Gooseberry Hill before he moved onto the footpath near the intersection of Gooseberry Hill Road and Healey Place around 2pm on a Thursday afternoon. The 24-year-old died from injuries sustained in the crash. Credit:Google A police spokesman said the man crashed into the pole as he rode down the path. "He received serious injuries and was conveyed by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital," he said. US President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to hit out at his vanquished rival for the presidency Hillary Clinton, after she laid much of the blame for the US election outcome on Russian hackers and the actions of FBI director James Comey. "If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president," Clinton told a Women for Women International event in New York on Tuesday. President Donald Trump hit back at Hillary Clinton's remarks about her election loss. Credit:AP "I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off - and the evidence for that intervening event is, I think, compelling [and] persuasive." Many thought she was shirking responsibility for her role in her own campaign and chief among her critics was President Donald Trump, who quickly took to Twitter to call Mrs Clinton out. An FBI agent with the highest security clearance travelled to Syria to marry an IS fighter she had been assigned to investigate. Daniela Greene, who worked as a translator for the agency, had used social media to spy on Denis Cuspert, a German jihadist and former rapper who went by the name Deso Dogg. Daniela Greene fled to Syria to marry a jihadist. Credit:CNN Cuspert, a prolific online recruiter for IS, had gained a reputation as one of its most brutal foreign fighters. He had changed his name to Abu Talha al-Almani. He featured in IS videos threatening the then US president Barack Obama and holding a freshly severed head. Prime Minister Theresa May made an explosive charge Wednesday that European Union officials are meddling in Britain's June election, as tensions escalated over looming talks about British withdrawal from the European Union. "Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on June 8," the prime minister said. But her remarks also signal a deliberate domestic strategy, as British Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking to cast herself to voters as someone who will go toe-to-to with Europe. Credit:Carl Court Tensions between the continent and the United Kingdom have ratcheted up this week following leaks in the German press about a dinner between May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, which painted an unflattering portrait of May. Speaking outside her Downing Street offices, May said: "In the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britain's negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press." CHAMPAIGN -- State and national NRCS leaders met recently to discuss use and adoption of the new Conservation Client Gateway. According to State Conservationist Ivan Dozier, This is a 21st Century business option designed to help farmers save time and improve efficiency. This tool will improve farmers ability to get things done when they need it done. The new conservation tool is called the Conservation Client Gateway, or CCG. CCG provides farmers and private landowners access to a secure website where they can pull up conservation plans, review or amend application paperwork, digitally sign documents, or check on payments. The number of farmers creating these accounts nationwide is still growing. Initial CCG service worked on PCs but now supports use and access on smart phones and tablets, saving more valuable time. NRCS staff and technical specialists have worked one-on-one with farmers for more than 80 years; that will never change. According to NRCS District Conservationist in Champaign and Vermilion Counties Adam Wyant, Many farmers who use CCG accounts still regularly pick up the phone to call us or stop by the office if they have a question. But they use the Gateway to quickly sign a document or check on a payment. Conservation Client Gateway is a digital tool that offers another way to communicate and work with NRCS. It wont ever replace NRCS technical staff or eliminate the need to come out, visit with farmers, walk the land and discuss issues and solutions that fit each individual farm. According to a recent data analysis, Illinois has the most farmers who are actually using CCG to get things done with their conservation programs and practices. Carl Clark is a third-generation farmer growing corn and soybeans on 1,400 acres in Vermilion County. Clark signed up for CCG in 2016 and hes glad he opened an account. Its a 35-minute trip into Danville from my farm. I dont always have time for those trips, says Clark. Using CCG is convenient. I can view things online any time so I dont have to file it here or try and find it. All my other farm files are digitalit makes conservation compliance easier for me. There arent enough hours in the day to get things done around the farm, Clark explains. I have lots of different tools that help me get more done every day. Thats what the Conservation Client Gateway portal does for me. Its a huge time saver and I appreciate that. It saves me from losing half a day driving all around -- that makes me more efficient. It means something to Clark that a federal government agency like NRCS is working hard to meet farmers where they are technologically and to make things easier by embracing new technology. Wyant works with Clark who is using the Conservation Stewardship Program. He can easily pull up his plan or his contract to check on things or verify dates and deadlines. Hes pleased with our new product and like many farmers, he needs this kind of modern convenience and customer service. It helps him run his business, Wyant says. Conservation Client Gateway helps NRCS and farmers keep pace with Ag demands and changing technology. The system is now open and functional for entity and partnership farms, as well as individuals. But farmers cant use CCG services until they go online, sign up, and create an account. Once farmers create an account, they need to use it or log in every couple of months to keep the account active. NRCS office staff will help farmers set up their new accounts and learn how to use the site. NRCS helps farmers and helps the land. CCG helps farmers do more conservation business with less time, trouble, and fuel. Dozier encourages farmers to sign up for CCG, So when youre super busy and you really need it, youll be able to. Visit the local office today or go online and sign-up at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/cgate/. CHARLESTON -- An Edgar County man received prison time when he admitted taking part in obtaining ingredients for methamphetamine in Coles County. Derek V. Howard, 33, for whom court records list a Brocton address, was one of five Edgar County residents charged with related methamphetamine offenses in Coles County. He's also serving a prison sentence for a conviction from his home county. Howard pleaded guilty to a charge in connection with an investigation that led to his and the others' arrests in 2014. His Coles County sentence was a three-year prison term that will run at the same time as the nine-year sentence he received in Edgar County. The suspects were accused of obtaining cold medicine with pseudoephedrine for methamphetamine manufacturing, or for having the drug, or both. Howard's Coles County sentence also included payment of about $1,900 in fines and court fees. Circuit Judge Brien O'Brien imposed the sentence by accepting a plea agreement that Assistant State's Attorney Tom Bucher and Public Defender Anthony Ortega recommended. According to police records in the cases, another suspect, Jon M. Jacobs, told police Howard supplied him and others with methamphetamine ingredients as part of an agreement to receive the finished drug. Jacobs was located in Charleston during a surveillance operation by the East Central Illinois Task Force drug investigation unit and other police agencies in the two counties, the records say. Jacobs, 35, whose address on record is in Paris, received a four-year prison sentence when he pleaded guilty in his Coles County case in June 2014. Records show several prior drug convictions for Jacobs, while Howard also served an earlier prison sentence for a 2004 Edgar County methamphetamine conviction. Another of the suspects, Heather L. Dawson, 42, of Paris received prison time in 2015 when she pleaded guilty to an Edgar County charge and admitted violating terms of her probation from an earlier Coles County conviction. The Coles County charge in connection with the 2014 investigation was dismissed. Suspects who received probation when they pleaded guilty earlier to charges in connection with the investigation were Kimberly A. Heath, 26, of Chrisman and Kayla A. Newman, 26, of Paris. On Wednesday, April 19, the co-ed Charleston Women's Huddle Group hosted a town hall meeting called Voices from Illinois' 15th Congressional District. We invited Representative Shimkus and Democratic challenger Carl Spoerer to hear our voices. Shimkus declined to attend. Seventy people attended this town hall where more than twenty constituents voiced their questions and concerns. It is too bad that Shimkus did not choose to come listen to his constituents. Carl Spoerer answered all questions that were put to him and was applauded on every answer. It is also too bad that our local newspaper did not find this event newsworthy, as legitimate concerns from our community members were voiced, concerns that affect us all. Nevertheless, we will see that Representative Shimkus gets a transcript of the questions and concerns that were voiced to him. The WCO organized an Experts Group Workshop on Post-Clearance Audit (PCA) at the WCO Headquarters that took place from 24 to 28 April 2017. All 6 regions of the WCO were represented with 10 Customs officers present for the meetings and an additional 6 officers participating remotely utilizing the WCO CLiKC! platform. All 16 officers were able to provide their knowledge and expertise towards the revision of the WCO PCA Guidelines. The Workshop was funded by WCO Reserved Funds. At the June 2016 Council Sessions, Revenue Package Action Plan Phase III was adopted and it was directed that the Guidelines for Post-Clearance Audit (PCA) should be revised by the end of June 2018. It was further agreed at the Working Group of Revenue Compliance and Fraud that the WCO Secretariat establish an ad hoc Expert Group on PCA which will work on the revision. During the said Working Group, the Secretariat requested that Members send eligible officers to this Workshop to provide input to the revision. The Administrations of Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, Jordan, Liberia, Mauritius, Peru, Tanzania and United States contributed to this initiative. Taking into consideration the growing importance as PCA as part of the WTO TFA (Article 7.5) which entered into force last February, the Secretariat intends to update the Guidelines which consititute the backbone of the WCOs initiatives on PCA. The Workshop was a mutually beneficial exercise; it assisted the WCO in revising Guidelines and enabled the participants in improving their knowledge and techniques by exchanging information among participants from all the regions of the WCO. During the five day Meeting, participants actively shared their knowledge and experiences through presentations and group discussions. The Secretariat will continue working on the outcomes of this Workshop with the next Workshop planned in the latter half of this year. This allows the experts time to scrutinize the draft tool before the Secretariat presents it to relevant WCO Working Group and Committees. At the invitation of Maltas Presidency of EU and of the European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union Directorate General, the WCO attended the High Level Seminar on Strengthening of Cooperation between Customs and Tax Authorities. The event was hosted by the Government of Malta and counted with participation of Directors General and senior officials of EU Customs and Tax Administrations and invited countries. The Seminar was opened by the DG of Malta Customs, Mr. Joseph Chetcuti, and by the Commissioner for Revenue of Malta, Mr. Marvin Gaerty, and received inputs from the DG TAXUD, Mr. Stephen Quest, and the Director Phillipe Kermod. The event also counted with the support from Academia that provided different perspectives and possible solutions for the challenges identified. The WCO Director, Capacity Building, Ernani Checcucci delivered a speech on the importance of Customs and Tax Cooperation in the actual landscape and highlighted the fact that both Administrations face new challenges due to the rapid globalization of trade and financial systems, which brought new expectations from Government and societies in the fight of Illicit Financial Flows, organized crime, and Tax evasion. The Director highlighted the launch and promotion of the Guidelines for Strengthening Cooperation and the Exchange of Information between Customs and Tax Authorities at National Level, the discussions with G20 in the fight against Illicit Financial Flows, and the cooperation with OECD and IMF on relevant topics, such as Customs Valuation and Transfer pricing, Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information, e-commerce, and Performance Measurement. The participants of the Seminar identified areas for cooperation; proposals for addressing legal gaps hindering efficiency; opportunities for increased facilitation of trade and compliance management; exchange of information and initiatives to combat Tax Fraud, particularly, the ones related to VAT. Participants agreed to pursue this agenda and to promote more strategic discussions between Customs and Tax Authorities, at National, Regional and EU levels. The WCO congratulated the organizers for addressing this important agenda and reinforced its commitment to continue working with the EU Members and Commission to identify and share good practices, guidelines, standards and to provide support in the development of Customs and Tax Cooperation. Under the auspices of the WCO/JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Joint Project, launched in July 2016 to support trade facilitation in Africa, a workshop for Master Trainers on Customs Valuation in East Africa was held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 20 to 28 April 2017. This is the last workshop in a series of 4 activities on Customs valuation, jointly supported by JICA and WCO, which aims at developing (i) a pool of well-experienced trainers and (ii) training materials including case studies to be used by those trainers. The Master Trainers, as they are known under the Project, have already been actively contributing to the capacity building of both Customs administrations and Customs agents in East Africa. They have also developed a series of case studies which reflect the Customs valuation issues and challenges faced by the Customs administrations and Customs agents in East Africa to enhance their training effectiveness. Twenty-four (24) Customs officials from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda participated in this workshop and worked intensively to review the case studies developed under the Master Trainer Programme. With the advice of experts from both the WCO and Japan Customs, as well as the cooperation extended by JICA under its Project on Capacity Development for International Trade Facilitation in East Africa, participants exchanged their views, experiences and ideas for the improvement of the case studies and completed their work during the first half of the workshop. The second part of the workshop included a 3-day training session to which 15 Customs officials and 25 customs agents from Tanzania were invited as trainees. All 24 Master Trainers took responsibility to act as trainers and facilitators during this session. The case studies completed during the first half of the workshop were immediately utilized for the training and contributed significantly to improving the understanding of invited trainees. The positive outcome of this training demonstrated the great value of the materials, as well as the value of WCO/JICA collaboration on this matter. In addition to those activities, information sessions were delivered by the WCO expert, including an introduction to the WCOs Revenue Package programme and latest discussions on Transfer Pricing to contribute to the expected future role of the Master Trainers. Experts from Japan Customs also shared their knowledge and techniques on the effective planning and delivery of training. Throughout the 8-day workshop, the Master Trainers successfully demonstrated their ability and knowledge to act as trainers. At the end of the workshop, they developed a delivery plan for training on Customs valuation for the respective administrations. Both WCO and JICA welcomed their strong ownership which will improve their training delivery capacity through the Master Trainer Programme. It is expected that the training materials and case studies developed during the programme will contribute further to fair and efficient revenue collection and trade facilitation in East Africa through sustainable and self-contained capacity building on Customs valuation. It was a hard-fought bill for Omaha Sen. Tony Vargas, but he crossed the finish line with it late Tuesday. The bill (LB427) would authorize schools and the State Department of Education to adopt policies to accommodate pregnant and parenting students, including breastfeeding and milk-storage accommodations for student-parents. The policies would include accommodating absences related to pregnancy and parenting, encouraging educational success of those students, and providing alternatives such as the ability to access coursework at home, allow for tutoring visits or offer online courses. Senators voted 31-7 to pass the bill after Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard attempted to return the bill to second reading to amend it to apply only to Lincoln and Omaha. The motion failed. Erdman had argued that school boards already have the ability to write such a policy. But Vargas and others have countered that many smaller districts don't have such as policy. Senators, in addition to Erdman, who voted no on final reading were Sens. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, Robert Clements of Elmwood, Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, Steve Halloran of Hastings, John Lowe of Kearney and Merv Riepe of Ralston. The bill now goes to Gov. Pete Ricketts for his decision to sign or veto it. Gov. Pete Ricketts said Nebraska will take "swift action" to get prison inmates' DNA samples after a report revealed that dozens of inmates have refused to comply with state law requiring felons to submit them. More than 70 inmates in Nebraska have refused to give their DNA over the past 20 years by simply declining. Law enforcement officials, such as Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine and Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer, are calling on the Corrections Department to forcefully obtain a refusing prisoner's DNA sample. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said Tuesday that he wants to give the department more time to retrieve samples voluntarily through a plan that involves misconduct reports, loss of privileges and the possible loss of good-behavior credit for prisoners who refuse to provide one. Republican Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, said state officials have been trying to address "larger" issues of overcrowding and understaffing in state prisons. "But just as we're paying attention to the big things, it seems that Rome is burning right under our nose operationally," Krist said. Sen. Laura Ebke, who chairs the committee, said that while she's concerned about the DNA samples, she's inclined to believe that the Legislature can get answers without having to create a special investigative committee. "I feel pretty strongly about this. I don't want to overburden corrections staff or micromanage too much," Ebke said. WSU to Host Presentations of NASA-funded Research May 3, 2017 OGDEN, Utah University students from around the state will present their research at the Utah Space Grant symposium hosted at Weber State University, May 8 from 9 a.m.-noon in the Tracy Hall Science Center Rooms 232 and 363. The symposium will include nearly 40 space-related presentations from various universities. All of the projects received funding through the Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium, which helps provide opportunities for college students to pursue educational experiences in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. This event gives NASA-funded students an opportunity to showcase their work, and we can catch up with the other affiliate members on science education outreach in the state of Utah, said John Armstrong, WSU physics associate professor. Armstrong collaborated with Michael Hernandez, geosciences professor, to conduct research on the variability of Mars climate history. Armstrong and Hernandez mentored 10 students who assisted in research by surveying more than 1,000 craters on Mars South Pole in a search for liquid water. Here on Earth, our atmosphere has greater pressure in relation to surface temperature, which allows us to experience water as a solid, liquid and gas, said Orana Paullus, a WSU student on the research team. During the Martian summer, its polar ice caps experience sublimation, the process in which ice skips a liquid state and moves directly from solid ice to gaseous vapor. Finding liquid on Mars is like finding a needle in a haystack. That is where we came in. The students used a combination of digital imaging and geospatial data to identify the location of craters, and used temperature readings to study the climate interaction between the surface and atmosphere. Their findings will be on display at the symposium in Tracy Hall Room 232. During this research, I have been able to apply what I have learned in both my geology and remote sensing classes while working with researchers from the physics and geography departments, Paullus said. This is a real-world taste of what planetary science holds for us in our futures. The Utah Space Grant symposium is held every year in May and rotates among Utah institutions. The network of participating colleges and universities helps to advance NASAs prioritized areas of research in science, aeronautics, human exploration and space technology. Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2017 | 05:04 PM | PADUCAH, KY As river levels continue to rise, the Tennessee Valley Authority is working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers to help coordinate efforts to deal with the effects of recent torrential rainfall across much of the area. Manager of TVA Reservoir Land Use and Permitting Nick Morris says officials are allowing billions of gallons of water to pass through and over TVA dams to keep up with rising water levels. He said many areas have gotten much more rain than usual. "We have received a significant amount of rain over the past couple of weeks, to the tune of about four to five inches," Morris said. "Typically, we see those totals over a month's time. So what we're doing is we're passing water through our dams through the turbines, and we're spilling over the dams to account for the large volume of water we've received from the rainfall and runoff." Morris added that more than a million gallons per second is being passed through Kentucky Dam alone. "Right now we're discharging approximately 1.2 million gallons per second through Kentucky Dam, and so we're trying to move water out to make room for a crest that's coming down the Ohio River. The National Weather Service is forecasting a crest at Paducah at about 40.5 feet." He said. Scott Brooks with TVA Public Relations said the two agencies control different waterways in the area, so they work together closely during times of high water to help mitigate flooding as much as possible. "This is a coordinated effort, because of course Lake Barkley and the Cumberland River are U.S. Army Corps, so we're in the middle of kind of a delicate dance right now with them." Brooks said. When water gets particularly high, the TVA hands over control to USACE in Cincinnati to regulate Kentucky outflows. This is known as Flood Control Operation. Morris said this is automatically triggered when waters rise above flood stage. "They're telling TVA how much we can discharge through our dam. They can declare this operation when the stage at Cairo is at 35 feet, and is forecast to go above 40 feet, which is the flood stage." He said. The Ohio River is expected to crest at 51 feet on Saturday at Cairo, just two feet shy of what is considered major flooding. Political fireworks ahead in the Legislature. Sen. John Murante of Gretna said Wednesday he still intends to offer an amendment to pending legislation that would return Nebraska to a winner-take-all presidential electoral system, but he has not picked a legislative vehicle yet. Meanwhile, Murante's proposed constitutional amendment (LR1CA) to require a photo ID for voters to participate in Nebraska elections is virtually assured of consideration during the final 15 days of this legislative session because he has identified it as his priority proposal. Both politically charged issues are certain to trigger legislative filibusters as members of the nonpartisan Legislature divide overwhelmingly, but probably not quite universally, along party lines. A third major electoral process bill (LB653) authored by Murante would reform Nebraska's system of congressional and legislative redistricting in an effort to somewhat distance senators from the politically charged process, but that proposal will wait for consideration next year, Murante said. There is no rush to enact such legislation since redistricting will not come into play again until 2021, following the 2020 federal census. Murante is chairman of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, which handles election legislation. In the next few weeks, Murante said during an interview, he will begin to give serious consideration to entering the 2018 Republican primary race for secretary of state. "I want to wait to make sure politics doesn't interfere with policy on the legislative floor," he said. Lincoln attorney Bob Evnen already has announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination to succeed John Gale, who is not seeking re-election after having served 17 years in the office. Murante's winner-take-all bill (LB25) would need to be added to other pending legislation now because it has not received priority designation for consideration during this legislative session. Nebraska currently awards one electoral vote to the winner in each of the state's three congressional districts while allocating the state's remaining two votes to the statewide victor. The Republican Party has long advocated a return to the winner-take-all system. The only split in electoral votes under the current system occurred in 2008 when Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama won the 2nd Congressional District in his contest with Republican nominee John McCain. Murante said he believes this year is the time to change that system. A motion to kill the bill has been filed by Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha and awaits LB25 on the floor. Wayne has also filed a number of motions to shelve LR1CA, the voter photo ID proposal, or transform it into a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit voter ID requirements. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2017 | 01:21 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY, KY A two vehicle crash Tuesday in Marshall County left one person dead and another hospitalized. According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, the collision happened around 12:30 pm on US Highway 68 East, near Holland Road. Deputies said a car, driven by 66-year-old Wilson Collins, of Fairdealing, was traveling west on US Hwy 68. Collins' wife, Sheila Collins, was a passenger in the vehicle. She told deputies that her husband appeared to slump over the wheel and lose consciousness. Police say Sheila tried to grab the steering wheel, but the vehicle swerved into the oncoming lane and struck another vehicle, driven by 78-year-old Billie Jones, of Calvert City. Wilson Collins was transported to Marshall County Hospital where he was pronounced dead by the Marshall County Coroner's office. A passenger in Jones' vehicle was transported by Air Evac to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, IN. Police did not release the passenger's name. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2017 | 03:02 PM | PADUCAH, KY A man charged in the garbage truck-related wrecks and pursuit from March 17 was in court Tuesday.According to a clerk with the McCracken District Court, four felony charges of assault 1st degree against 23-year-old Dalton Lampley of Calvert City were dismissed without prejudice, which means they can be renewed later. The other two felony assault charges were found to have probable cause, and were bound over to a Grand Jury, which will convene June 8.In another case against Lampley, probable cause was found on two other charges - fleeing or evading, and reckless driving - and they were also bound over to the June 8 Grand Jury. "Dalton - as am I - is grateful for the professionalism of all law enforcement involved in this incident and its investigation because, without it, more people would have been injured and the truth not come out," said Lampley's attorney Jeremy Ian Smith. The McCracken Co. Sheriff's Department says on March 17th, Lampley was driving a garbage truck along I-24 in McCracken County, when he crossed the median and began going the wrong way in the westbound lanes, striking two cars and causing multiple collisions. With police vehicles in pursuit, Lampley continued driving into Marshall County, where he was eventually stopped and arrested.Lampley allegedly admitted using drugs earlier that day. He faces additional charges in Marshall County. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 03, 2017 | 09:17 AM | MAYFIELD, KY Law Day is a national holiday to celebrate the rule of law and its contributions to the freedoms Americans enjoy. It began in 1957. This year for Law Day, the Graves County Bar Association presented CASA with a plaque to acknowledge their selfless service to the community. The Mayfield-Graves County Child Advocacy Program (est. 1989) began operating Graves County CASA in partnership with the Graves District Court in 2000. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Richie Kemp, President of the Graves County Bar Association presented Stephany Floyd, Executive Director of the Graves County Child Advocacy Program, with a plaque on behalf of the Graves County Bar Association. CASA helps abused and neglected children. They spend time with children, parents, family members, teachers, social workers, and others. CASA provides the Judge with another set of eyes and ears. They provide the Court with written reports, offering recommendations that are heavily relied on by the Judge. CASA gives abused and neglected children a voice. Volunteers are thoroughly screened before being accepted. Volunteers must also complete 30 hours of pre-service training and commit to at least one year of service. In 2016, CASA spent more than 600 hours and traveled more than 3,000 miles to help 93 abused/neglected Graves County children. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 30, 2017 | 09:24 AM | WEBSTER COUNTY, KY An inmate who escaped from the Webster County Jail over the weekend is back in custody. According to Kentucky State Police, 56-year-old William Earl Woodring was located and arrested Tuesday by the Webster County Sheriff's Department. He was charged with 2nd degree escape and lodged in the Webster County Jail. State police said Woodring walked away from the Webster County Detention Center around 5:30 am Sunday. He was currently serving time for wanton endangerment and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 03, 2017 | 10:32 AM | CADIZ, KY Kentucky State Police Post 1 is asking the public for assistance in regards to the death of 33-year-old Christina D Edmonson, of Cadiz. Edmonson's body was found in Trigg County on April 25. A preliminary examination of Edmonson's body was completed on April 26 at the Kentucky Medical Examiners Office in Madisonville. The results were inconclusive as to a cause of death. State police are asking anyone who had contact with Christina or knowledge of her whereabouts between March 13 and April 25 to contact Detective Brian Hill at KSP Post 1. By The Associated Press May. 03, 2017 | 10:49 AM | FRANKFORT, KY Kentucky Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has awarded a Southern Baptist professor a $240,000 contract to lead an overhaul of the state's troubled adoption and foster care system. Bevin said Daniel S. Dumas will begin his new job on June 19. Dumas is a senior vice president at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, where he is also a professor of Christian ministry and leadership. Dumas and his wife have two adopted sons. Kentucky has about 8,000 children in out-of-home care as part of its child welfare system. The latest federal review says the state does not meet government standards, including rules protecting children from abuse and neglect. Bevin, who has four adopted children, has made overhauling the state's child welfare system a priority for his administration. By The Associated Press May. 02, 2017 | 09:37 PM | FRANKFORT, KY A federal appeals court says a gay couple's lawsuit seeking damages from a Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue them a marriage license can proceed. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis refused to issue a marriage license to David Ermold and David Moore in 2015 because she said it violated her religious beliefs. Ermold and Moore sued, along with several other couples. Davis lost, and spent five days in jail for refusing to follow a court order. The state legislature passed a law that removed county clerks' names from licenses. A district judge ruled this satisfied Ermold and Moore's lawsuit and dismissed the case. But they appealed, saying they wanted Davis to pay damages. A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday the case could continue. By The Associated Press By The Associated Press May. 03, 2017 | 05:11 AM | LOUISVILLE, KY Universities around Kentucky are announcing their spring commencement ceremonies. Eastern Kentucky University and Western Kentucky University say they will hold ceremonies on May 12-13 for graduating students. The University of Louisville is holding two ceremonies on May 13, and the University of Kentucky is holding four ceremonies two on May 5 and two on May 7. UofL says it has 3,100 students graduating with about 2,000 planning to attend commencement at the Yum Center in Louisville. Eastern says it is recognizing 3,021 degree candidates at Alumni Coliseum in Richmond. Western says it will confer degrees and certificates to 2,605 students at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. UK is holding commencement ceremonies at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne will attempt to override a veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts on a bill Wayne introduced to restore voting rights to ex-felons as soon as their sentences are served or their probation complete. "I am shocked that in 2017 we are still fighting for basic fundamental rights such as voting," Wayne said in a news release. Ricketts' veto reminds Wayne's north Omaha community of the policies enacted in the 1860s by many southern states to create disenfranchisement laws, Wayne said. Those laws targeted African-Americans and diminished their electoral strength. That is confirmed, he said, by the state's legislative history of ex-felon disenfranchisement laws of 1866, 1871 and 1875. "It is a disgrace to think that we would continue to deny taxpayers the right to vote," Wayne said. "I cannot accept that this overtly political action could succeed in suppressing the voices of many who have made a mistake, want to return to their homes and contribute to their communities by getting jobs and paying taxes." Taxation without representation is tyranny, he said. Ricketts made the argument in his veto letter that requiring convicted felons to wait two years before allowing them to vote provides an incentive to maintain a clean record and avoid subsequent convictions. Shakur Abdullah of Omaha, who served a sentence for two felonies he was convicted of at age 16, and was released from prison about a year ago, said the argument Ricketts used that a two-year waiting period gives ex-felons an incentive to maintain a clean record is nonsensical. It also smacks of increasing a penalty for an infraction after it has been committed, and of double jeopardy, he said. The override vote had not been scheduled for debate as of Monday afternoon, Speaker Jim Scheer said. While the rehabilitation of criminals is an important goal, the immediate restoration of voting rights is not the answer, Ricketts said. THREE SUSPECTS CHARGED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA BOMB THREAT WEDNESDAY AT NHHS THREE SUSPECTS CHARGED NO EXPLOSIVE DEVICE FOUND On May 3, 2017, at approximately 10:34am, the Henderson County Sheriffs Office was notified by the Henderson County Public School system that a bomb threat had been made against North Henderson High School on social media. The Sheriffs Office responded and placed the school on a precautionary soft lockdown. The Buncombe County Sheriffs Office bomb detection K9 assisted with a sweep of the school where no devices were located. Investigators identified three suspects who were interviewed and charged with making a false report concerning mass violence on educational property (NC G.S. 14-277.5). The lockdown was lifted at approximately 12:15pm. Seth Corn, age 17 of Hendersonville; Kain Brown, age 17 of Hendersonville; and Anselmo Castillo, age 17 of Hendersonville were arrested and their bonds have been set at $500.00 each. Their first court appearance will be at 9am in District Court of Henderson County on May 4, 2017. Alas, Nigel Reo-Coker will play no further part in Tony Adams experimental revolution at Granada after signing a short-term deal with Norwegian second-tier side IK Start. The 32-year-old midfielder was officially unveiled as a Start player on Wednesday morning and, according to the clubs website, is likely to make his debut on the same day by playing some part in tonights reserve team cup match against Flew. Should you be wondering, hes taken the No.5 jersey. Velkommen til oss i Start NIGEL REO-COKER! https://t.co/0XpVGS3AWG IK Start (@ikstart) May 3, 2017 Start chief executive Even Ogrey Brandsdal sounded positively overjoyed to have a Premier League icon like Reo-Coker on board, telling the clubs official website: This (transfer) is within a safe financial framework. A roaring shot across the bow to the rest of the OBOS-ligaen. The Legislature's Appropriations Committee has found a way to make up a more than $50 million gap in revenue in the next two-year budget. The proposed solution would not take more money from the University of Nebraska or state or community colleges. And it would not lower Medicaid and other provider rates. That doesn't mean a senator won't try to amend the budget bill to cut money from the university or lower provider rates when it comes up for second-round debate Wednesday. The bulk of the answer to the revenue shortfall would come from a proposal made originally by Appropriations Chairman John Stinner that would temporarily lower the required minimum reserve for the budget from 3 percent to 2.5 percent. Each quarter of a percent of the minimum reserve equals about $21 million, so the half-percent frees up $43.35 million from the required reserve. Gov. Pete Ricketts has said he does not support lowering the budget minimum reserve from 3 percent. Rather, he believes the committee should be cutting the budget to make up for a revenue shortfall. The committee had sent a balanced budget proposal to the floor last week, but the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board met Wednesday and lowered projections for state sales, income and miscellaneous tax collections by a total of $55 million over three years. The committee also voted to propose another $10.8 million be cut or moved around to make up the remaining difference. Those changes include: * $528,000 Adding base reduction to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. * $1 million Taking from the Governor's Emergency Program appropriations, comprised of general fund, cash fund and federal fund appropriations. * $1.2 million Reducing the transfer from the Water Sustainability Cash Fund. * $1.4 million Reducing the state treasurer's unclaimed or abandoned property fund. * $3.3 million Shifting Veterans Affairs general funds to cash and federal funds. * $3.4 million Reducing appropriations to a state disability program that provides financial aid and medical assistance to people who have received a disability denial by the Social Security Administration for failure to meet a 12-month duration requirement. The committee decided not to delay the Capitol's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning project to gain $11 million. The committee also plans to propose the controversial wording for Title X funding for women's health care in the budget be removed, and the issue turned over to a committee for interim study. The wording came from Ricketts' budget proposal. Opponents of the wording said earlier during a debate on the mainline budget bill that leaving it there could mean services offered at community clinics could result in 15,000 to 30,000 fewer people having access to family planning and women's health services. Some Appropriations Committee members said the wording change came late in their deliberations and they didn't fully understand the effect it would have on clinic funding. Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers said it was an attempt by the governor to stop funding for Planned Parenthood. A sweeping package of proposed tax cuts backed by Gov. Pete Ricketts perished in the Legislature on Tuesday. Supporters fell six votes short of ending a filibuster of the plan, despite a final-hour attempt at compromise between urban and rural conservatives to increase aid for property taxpayers. Many Democrats and some moderate Republicans had opposed the measure from the start. "We are not saying no to the taxpayers. We are saying no to a bad bill," said Omaha Sen. Burke Harr, who led opposition to the plan. Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, who championed the proposal on Ricketts' behalf as chairman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee, called the result "unbelievable" and "disappointing to say the least." "It's a bad day for Nebraska," Smith said. "That was our shot at comprehensive tax relief for the year. That's not to say something couldn't come back next year." Supporters got 27 of the 33 votes needed to end the filibuster that trapped the proposal (LB461) on its first round of debate by the full Legislature. That failure effectively doomed the plan, which never reached an up-or-down vote. "Twenty-two senators voted against Nebraska taxpayers," Ricketts said in response. His news release listed and thanked every senator who voted to end the filibuster. Political groups immediately warned of consequences for those who didn't. Americans for Prosperity, which supported the cuts, said it "won't forget" Tuesday's outcome and "will hold (senators) accountable" for their votes, in a news release from Matt Litt, the group's state director. The plan was also supported by the Nebraska, Omaha and Lincoln chambers of commerce, the Platte Institute and the Nebraska Republican Party. They pitched the plan's phased-in personal and corporate income tax cuts as responsible changes that would benefit families and businesses big and small. Opponents said the proposal would have triggered automatic cuts that would put the state budget in jeopardy while mostly helping the wealthy. Sen. Adam Morfeld, who represents part of downtown Lincoln and both University of Nebraska-Lincoln campuses, said businesses and families in his district don't consider tax cuts a priority. "I have not received one contact from my constituents in support," he said. "I'm not hearing the overwhelming need for this tax reform." The package also would have revamped the state's method for valuing agricultural land and capped the rate at which aggregate farmland values can rise each year. Some rural conservatives haggled for more property tax cuts but were unsatisfied with the results. Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, a farmer whose district is heavily rural, said a deal floated in the waning moments of debate was still not substantial enough. That proposed amendment would have triggered $45 million in additional property tax credits any year state revenues were forecast to grow by 3.5 percent or more. But $45 million amounts to just 1.2 percent of all property taxes paid in the state, Briese said. "That is not significant and substantial property tax (relief) in my view," he said. "Folks did their best to come up with something palatable to all interested parties, and unfortunately we didn't get there." Even with more rural backing, the plan would have faced long odds at advancing in the officially nonpartisan Legislature unless some Democrats supported it. None did. By custom, bills that fail to overcome a filibuster die for the year. The speaker of the Legislature has authority to go against that custom, but Speaker Jim Scheer of Norfolk said Tuesday he will not do that with the tax bill. And Smith said he wouldn't ask. "The divide is too large to overcome." The first Wednesday of the month at 10:15 a.m., residents of Lancaster County are normally greeted with the eerie sound of tornado warning sirens. But Wednesday morning, it was quiet. A technical issue with a communication port delayed, and ultimately canceled, the regularly scheduled monthly test, said Jim Davidsaver with Lincoln-Lancaster County Emergency Management. "We were preparing for the test and I noticed there was an issue with my dispatch console," Davidsaver said. A quick phone call to the city's radio maintenance shop solved the issue within 10 minutes, but at that point, Davidsaver said it was too late for the official test. "People are creatures of habit, they expect the test at 10:15 and I was afraid it would cause confusion if it sounded at 10:30," he said. Instead, expect the siren test to return at 10:15 a.m. on June 7, he said. Davidsaver said today's issue shouldn't worry residents. "Our system is a good one," he said. "This is why we test. ... Citizens should have confidence that our system will sound if there is an emergency." There have only been a few times in the last three years that Davidsaver can remember running into a problem, but they've been fixed within minutes and sometimes, he said, with just the click of a mouse. TECUMSEH Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty for Patrick Schroeder, the inmate facing murder charges in the strangling death of his cellmate last month. After a brief hearing Wednesday, Schroeder was whisked away and headed back to the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution north of town. In the hallway, Mike Guinan of the Nebraska Attorney General's office said the state, along with Johnson County Attorney Rick Smith, is pondering whether to file aggravators necessary to make it a capital case and would decide by Schroeder's arraignment in June. "We are looking at the aggravators, yes," he said. On April 15 just after 7:30 p.m., Terry L. Berry, 22, was found unconscious on the floor with a towel around his neck in the cell he shared with Schroeder, according to court records. He was taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died five days later. Investigators said Berry had injuries that were consistent with being strangled, a court document says. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death to be strangulation, and the manner of death to be homicide. It's unclear why Berry, who was serving a short sentence on a forgery charge and up for parole a month later, shared a cell with Schroeder, who was serving a life sentence for killing a 75-year-old Pawnee City farmer in 2006. The cell in the prison's special-management unit used to separate inmates who break rules or pose a risk to staff or other inmates or for an inmate's own protection was built to house a single inmate. "Almost immediately it did raise some concerns and raised concerns with a lot of people looking at corrections," Doug Koebernick, the inspector general for the Department of Correctional Services, said Wednesday. He's investigating why Berry was placed at Tecumseh and what he was doing in restrictive housing, in addition to what happened the night he was killed. "I'll be trying to get to the bottom of it," Koebernick said. The issue seems likely to be raised should the case go to trial. "We are asking the same questions," said Schroeder's attorney, Sarah Newell of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy. It also could be a question for the grand jury that will be called to review Berry's death. Smith said he hasn't yet requested a grand jury in Berry's killing, or in the killings of two inmates at the Tecumseh prison March 2. He said the investigations are all still pending, as is one looking into the killing of two inmates during a Mother's Day riot in 2015. Last month, Omaha Sen. Bob Krist called for a reopening of a special legislative investigative committee to look into the continued problems at the prisons. "We need to make sure that there's accountability for the (inmate) lives that have been lost in the last 2 1/2 years," he said within days of Berry's killing. On the floor of the Legislature then, he asked who was responsible for the pairings of inmates and, on Wednesday, said he still questions how the two ended up in one cell. Krist said he's since learned that Berry was a "pretty obnoxious person." Some wouldn't even sit at dinner with him because he constantly chattered and was an antagonist, Krist said. "So why would you put a convicted murderer in the same cell?" he asked. "My basic point is that I don't even think you should double bunk in administrative segregation cells. They're too small. You're asking for problems." After Berry's death, Corrections Director Scott Frakes said double bunking in the segregation unit at Tecumseh was very limited and he defended its use. He said "using the correct tools and in the right setting and with the right population, it's safe and it's OK to house people in a restrictive housing setting with two people in a cell. Just like it is in general population." Wednesday, prison spokeswoman Dawn-Renee Smith said state law prevents her from speaking directly about the circumstances in this case, but said generally that numerous factors are considered when making cell assignments, including things such as criminal history, institutional behavior and gang affiliation. As for double bunking in restrictive housing, she said, it's done at prisons around the country. "It is a more-efficient use of space and it can lessen the feeling of isolation when another person is in the cell," Smith said. In June 2015, she said, the prison made a change to allow all restrictive housing cells to be double-bunked. There currently are about 100 cells that are double-bunked in Tecumseh's restrictive housing unit. At the end of last week, only 10 had two inmates in them. The practice also is done at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, Omaha Correctional Center and Lincoln Correctional Center. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/05/2017 (2017 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A former youth worker accused of sexually abusing and brainwashing a teen boy who ran away from his group home is standing trial this week, more than two decades after the alleged abuse occurred. Dawn Dychko-Stamm, now in her early 50s, pleaded not guilty Monday to sexual assault and other sexual offences stemming from allegations brought against her by a former group home resident who was under her care when he was a teenager. The now-38-year-old man spent Monday and Tuesday on the witness stand, testifying Dychko-Stamm harboured him in her home for months when he was 15, began a sexual relationship with him, supplied him with drugs and alcohol and manipulated him into believing she was involved with biker gangs. For years, the alleged victim refused to go to the police, but he said he eventually pursued criminal charges because he wanted to stop others from being abused. The Winnipeg Police Service began its investigation in 2012 for crimes that allegedly occurred in the mid-1990s. The allegations have not been proven. John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press Files Manitoba Law Courts building. Court of Queens Bench Justice Shawn Greenberg is presiding over the judge-alone trial, which is scheduled to last two weeks. Crown prosecutor Sheila Seesahai opened the Crowns case with testimony from the complainant and a WPS officer tasked with handling the investigation. Defence lawyer Marty Minuk is representing the accused. The complainant, who cant be identified under a publication ban, was put into foster care as a teen after his divorced parents designated him a temporary ward of Child and Family Services. He ended up living in a group home run by the Knowles Centre, where Dychko-Stamm worked. They were friendly, the complainant testified, saying during her shifts Dychko-Stamm would write nice notes about him in a log book that group home staff and residents could read. Their friendship intensified after the boy was injured in a fight with another resident and Dychko-Stamm helped take care of him when he returned from the hospital, he said. Later, when Dychko-Stamm told him she would be taking some time off, he told her he didnt want to stay in the group home if she wouldnt be there, the complainant testified. He said Dychko-Stamm then gave him her home phone number and offered to let him stay with her. The next day, he ran away from the group home and called the older woman from a payphone, asking if her offer was still on the table. For the next few months, he remained on the run, living with Dychko-Stamm, having sex and doing drugs with her. She introduced him to drug dealers and popped pills herself, the complainant testifed. She went to work less and less during his stay and referred to the boy as her project, he testified. She took me out of Knowles and helped me. I had nowhere. My mom gave up on me. My dad hated me. I felt like everybody didnt care about me anymore and she was the only one who did, the complainant said of the accused during his testimony. None of this would be happening today if it wasnt for all the psychological, crazy stuff that happened. If it was just some sexual thing, it might not be here (in court) today, but there was so much more that shouldnt have happened, and it did. The complainant testified Dychko-Stamm manipulated him into believing she had connections to biker gangs and was part of a gun-smuggling ring. He said she promised him a $30,000 cut if he would help smuggle guns across the U.S. border and took him to a car dealership to pick out a new car he planned to buy with the money. The complainant, who described himself as a vulnerable kid who was trying to be a young gangster was eager to participate, but the plan never materialized. He said Dychko-Stamm was talking about the scheme on the phone to one of her connections when he grabbed the phone and discovered there was no one on the line. He testified he now believes she was making up the story as a way to manipulate him and keep him around with the appeal of easy money. When their relationship deteriorated, she threatened to have bikers kill him and he eventually went back to live with his mother, revealing the alleged abuse to her when he was 19. The defence questioned the complainant on his background and lengthy criminal history Tuesday, suggesting he was lying about the dates and times in his story. He maintained he was telling the truth but admitted he could be confused about the exact timing of events. katie.may@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @thatkatiemay Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 02/05/2017 (2017 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The University of Manitoba first heard from the Pallister government early last fall it was being ordered to freeze wages. But the university had been worried bad times were coming as far back as March 2016, during the provincial election campaign, Gregory Juliano, the universitys associate vice-president of human relations, told a Manitoba Labour Board Tuesday. The board is hearing an unfair labour practice charge brought by the U of M Faculty Association over bargaining last year that led to a three-week strike in November. The two sides settled for a government-ordered one-year wage freeze and changes to governance, workload and promotions. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Striking University of Manitoba faculty members and students marched at the U of M administration building last November. In March 2016, The university was concerned about the pending provincial election, Juliano testified under friendly questioning from university lawyer Rod Roy. He could start cross-examination by UMFA lawyer Garth Smorang sometime Wednesday. We had heard from the Conservative party that it was interested in financial restraint, said Juliano, but the U of M wasnt hearing any campaign policies about post-secondary education. We were not a high priority for that party. The collective bargaining agreement expired March 31, 2016, and the U of M immediately offered a one-year deal at a 1.5 per cent raise, to give some time for the two sides to bargain over a list of improved working conditions the union wanted. The union turned it down. The initial government contact came in a phone call late in September about which Juliano has not yet testified from Gerry Irving, the provinces secretary of the priorities and planning secretariat, the labour board heard. Juliano said he talked with Irving throughout October. They seemed to be interested in some of the public sector, but not all of the public sector, Juliano said. We did not feel they were applying the mandate across the public sector in a consistent and fair way. Irving told him the Pallister government was less concerned about teachers because school divisions had taxing powers to pay them, Juliano said. I was advised by Mr. Irving that the government was paying close attention to (Manitoba) Hydro but allowed Hydro to sign a multi-year deal because they agreed to engage in a radical restructuring involving jobs cuts. Juliano testified the U of M did what the government wanted because the university needs to maintain good relations with whichever party is in power. Wed have a very difficult time pushing back in a very public way if the government takes action we dont believe is in the best interests of the university, he said. Earlier Tuesday, UMFA president Prof. Mark Hudson testified that at the start of last October, the university wanted to move this forward rapidly because of signs the government planned to get involved. Around Oct. 12, Hudson told the hearing, university president David Barnard and senior administrators were summoned to meet with Finance Minister Cameron Friesen. But it was not until Oct. 27, when the two sides were in last-minute talks to try to avoid a strike, that the U of M told the union about the governments order to get a one-year collective bargaining agreement with a wage freeze, Hudson said. The university had been given orders, and there was little or no room to refuse, Hudson said. Certainly, yes, zero per cent was unacceptable to us, said Hudson, who believed the university would then become more flexible on working conditions though he acknowledged to Roy there is nothing in written notes of bargaining sessions to back up that assertion. Hudson said the union felt the government needs to be outed and the two sides immediately issued a joint statement. The U of M collective bargaining last year was the first sign Pallisters Tories planned to freeze public sector wages, even though the premier has never confirmed any of the contact between the government and the university took place. The wage control Bill 28 goes to public hearings Monday and Tuesday and will become law by June 1, though it will be retroactive to March 20. It imposes on 120,000 public sector workers in their next collective bargaining agreements a wage freeze in the first two years, a maximum increase of 0.75 per cent in the third year, and a maximum 1.0 per cent in the fourth year. nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. One month before Winnipegs 30th annual Pride parade, organizers again find themselves embroiled in controversy over who will march in the event. Uniformed Winnipeg Police Service officers and vehicles have participated in the Pride parade for several years, but its not certain if they will be allowed to march in the June 4 event. Pride Winnipeg president Jonathan Niemczak said police participation has been the subject of debate after last Junes Pride Toronto parade was interrupted by Black Lives Matter demonstrators protesting against the inclusion of uniformed police. A police car in the 2016 Pride parade (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files) Toronto was definitely a spark for this, Niemczak said of the June 24, 2016, incident. But its been an ongoing dialogue with community groups since July. Niemczak refused to identify which local groups had concerns over police participation or what those concerns are, but he cautioned against drawing any parallels between Winnipegs situation and Torontos. There are many concerns, and I wouldnt feel comfortable saying any of them just because theyre not coming from me. Theyre coming from other groups and I cant speak for those groups, Niemczak said. Its a very, very complicated issue. Representatives of Queer People of Colour Winnipeg declined to be interviewed for this story. Pride Winnipeg came under heavy criticism in the fall from some groups transgender, people of colour, indigenous who felt Winnipegs Pride parade and activities were too white, that their members werent accepted at the parade or festival events and that they hadnt been reflected in promotional material. Pride Winnipeg issued a public apology in October and promised to make changes. In addition to providing escort duty and blocking intersections, uniformed officers have marched in the parade since at least 2012. Participants in the 2016 Pride parade. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files) A senior WPS spokesman said police want to march in this years parade and are waiting for a decision from organizers. We understand the people from Pride are in a difficult situation and, as much as we would be disappointed if we were not allowed to participate, we would continue to maintain a strong relationship with the people from Pride moving forward, said Insp. Gord Friesen, head of the WPS community support division. Police participation in Pride events seems to be a controversial subject across the country. Niemczak said every Pride organization is going through, or has had, the same debate. Toronto Pride, acting on the complaint from Black Lives Matter, prohibited uniformed officers from participating this year. Niemczak said Halifax Police decided they wont be marching in this years parade, while Pride organizations in Vancouver and Edmonton agreed to allow police to march. The Pride committee in St. Johns, N.L., this year reversed course and invited uniformed police officers to march in the citys Pride parade this July. Last year, they asked only off-duty officers to take part out of uniform. Every Pride across Canada is currently reviewing this and making their own calls as to what police participation will look like in each of their parades, Niemczak said. Were trying to be as sensitive as possible, and as such were not releasing any information with regards to what those discussions are, even what our inkling is right now, until a final decision is rendered, which wont be for a couple more weeks. Uniformed members of the RCMP and local police walked in Steinbach's first-ever Pride parade in July 2016. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files) Niemczak said Pride Winnipeg circulated a survey to community groups, which in turn distributed to its members, asking whether theyve had any interaction with the WPS, if those experiences were positive or negative and gauging support for continued police participation in the annual parade We had 600 respondents to that survey, Niemczak said. Were still sifting through the data and reviewing the data with our community partners, and hoping that will assist us in coming to a decision. aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The University of Manitoba knew there could be devastating consequences if it didnt obey the Pallister governments orders to freeze wages right up to firing the president. The feared repercussions ranged from funding cuts to rejecting programs to even appointing a majority on the board of governors that would remove the president, Gregory Juliano, the universitys associate vice-president of human resources, told a Manitoba Labour Board hearing Wednesday. The U of M Faculty Association has charged the university with unfair labour practices over bargaining last fall that led to a one-year wage freeze ordered by the province and a three-week strike over working conditions. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES University of Manitoba faculty members went on strike last fall. We were in danger of having something happen to the university which could be quite damaging, Juliano testified. It was made quite clear to us that it was an order not optional and that the government would take steps not favourable to the university if we did not participate in that mandate. The province appoints 12 of the 23 members of the university board of governors, Juliano said. Those people choose our president. They could also remove the president, as well as make other senior management changes, said Juliano, who pointed out the province has to sign off each time the university adds or removes a program. Juliano said the university was concerned about the financial impact of ignoring the directive; the operating grant and capital funding were at risk. Of particular concern was $150 million the previous NDP government pledged to the universitys $500-million capital campaign. University president David Barnard wasnt able to discuss the universitys concerns with Premier Brian Pallister, Juliano said. The premier never returned his calls the president and premier never spoke, right up to the conclusion of the strike, he said. Wednesday, Pallisters office referred requests for comment to Finance Minister Cameron Friesen, whose press secretary, Amy McGuinness, wrote in an email, It would not be appropriate to comment on a matter that is before the Manitoba Labour Board. Juliano testified the university was shocked and confused when it called the Education Department, only to learn they were completely in the dark about the order to freeze wages. Juliano told the hearing the government ordered the U of M at the end of September to keep the directive a secret. They made it clear this information would not get to the union and would not end up in the press in any way, he said. The directive to maintain confidentiality was repeated throughout October at both the start and end of meetings with government officials led by Gerry Irving, the provinces secretary of the priorities and planning secretariat, he said. Nevertheless, Juliano said, he tried to hint to the U of M Faculty Association the unions belief there was little risk of government interference was wrong and a settlement needed to be reached quickly. Juliano told one bargaining session the university didnt want to get nine-tenths of the way to a deal and then be told it couldnt offer any money. I was attempting to convey the potential for government interference, he said. I was trying to alert them to the danger that was there. The labour board has heard the university did not disclose the wage freeze order to the union until Oct. 27, when the two sides issued a joint statement. Juliano said the province had reassured the university the day before it would announce the freeze publicly, but didnt. On Oct. 27, Juliano told the mediator about the freeze order and then immediately informed UMFA. This one took the cake. This was one of the hardest things Ive ever had to convey in negotiations. There were some long faces, but the union blamed the government, not the university, Juliano said. Juliano said the first contact with the province was a voice mail message left at the end of September by Irving, whom he knew to be the primary contact between the province and university. At the same time, he said, the Free Press published an article in which Finance Minister Cameron Friesen said public sector salary settlements were more than the province could afford in its quest to control spending. Juliano said he got a phone call the evening of Sept. 30 from Rick Stevenson, an assistant deputy minister responsible for labour relations, who wanted to know what was happening in bargaining. This call on Sept. 30 was the first indication we had that the government was thinking in earnest of some kind of public sector wage controls, Juliano said. Juliano said the university had earlier spent considerable time internally before offering seven per cent over four years. Juliano argued successfully the best offer should be on the table up front, he said. I promoted the proposal that we should put on the table something fairly generous. That was before the Pallister government had made any contact about controlling wages, he testified. Juliano subsequently learned from Irving and Stevenson the offer had not gone over well with Friesen. Juliano said the union ultimately went on strike over governance issues, which were foremost in UMFAs objectives and a higher priority than money. When UMFA went out Nov. 1, it was an artificial deadline, he said. In my view, we had made some progress. Juliano will be cross-examined Friday morning by UMFA lawyer Garth Smorang. The premier and the finance minister have never confirmed any of the reported contact between the government and the university took place. The wage-control Bill 28 goes to public hearings Monday and Tuesday and will become law by June 1, though it will be retroactive to March 20. It imposes on 120,000 public-sector workers in their next collective bargaining agreements a wage freeze in the first two years, a maximum increase of 0.75 per cent in the third year, and a maximum one per cent in the fourth year. nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Can you put a price on leadership? Related Canadian business giants Great-West Life, Investors Group and Power Corp. did just that Wednesday with a $10-million donation to create a teaching and research arm at the University of Manitoba to develop a new generation of business, social and cultural leaders in the province. Todays contribution is about investing in future leaders, not only for our companies, but also for our communities, Great-West Life president and CEO Paul Mahon told about 100 people at the announcement at the insurance conglomerates Winnipeg headquarters. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jeff Orr, president and CEO of Power Financial Corp, David Barnard, president of the University of Manitoba, Paul Mahon, president and CEO of Great-West Life and Jeff Carney, president & CEO of IGM Financial sign paperwork to invest $10 million to create a new institute at the U of M. Each year, the Institute for Leadership Development will offer from 10 to 30 students an opportunity to develop skills they can use to become leaders in their chosen fields. Details are still to be worked out, but the intent is to reserve one-third of the spaces for students from Manitobas other post-secondary institutions. Students will engage with internationally renowned experts in business, politics, sports, public service, education, law, health and the arts. The institute will appoint chairs to run the program with the university and Canadas top business and community leaders. In a video statement from Montreal, Power Corp. chairman Paul Desmarais Jr. said the university approached him two years ago about contributing to its $500-million capital campaign, Front and Centre. University president and vice-chancellor David Barnard flew to Montreal to make the appeal in person, the Canadian business icon said. The two of them quickly settled on a leadership program. From there, executives with Power Corp., Investors Group and Great-West Life worked out the details with university administrators to set up the donation. Barnard called the donation a visionary investment in our provinces future. Demarais noted the leadership roles James Burns and Ray McFeetors both Manitobans played at Power Corp. and Great-West Life. The U of M institute model, which will include course work and internships, is considered unique in Canada; other leadership-focused programs tend to be targeted to business students. This program will provide training for a wide range of professionals. Leaders of tomorrow will face a much more challenging environment than we do today, Investors Group president and CEO Jeff Carney said. That is why we are investing to create this leadership institute, which will help prepare future leaders to successfully face those challenges. Last week, Great-West Life announced a major technology-focused transformation, with an investment in digital technologies at the cost of a 13 per cent reduction in its Canadian workforce, including the loss of 450 jobs in Winnipeg. In a statement after Wednesdays announcement, Mahon reconciled the timing of the job losses with the donation. The steps we announced last week were all about strengthening the company, and at the same time were trying to get our costs in line with the competitive environment, he said. And then were saying its not just about technology. Its about people. The investment we make in the university today will be the people who can join our company, other companies in Manitoba and across Canada to really forge ahead in a really tough and challenging business environment. In addition to the $10-million corporate donation, executives with the three related companies have pledged to raise another $2 million on their own for the training institute. The university rolled out a three-year campaign to raise $500 million in 2015, and last fall it announced it had raised $409 million. However, that total included $150 million committed by former NDP premier Greg Selinger. While Progressive Conservative Premier Brian Pallister hasnt shut the door on honouring the commitment, he has previously said he wasnt elected to keep NDP promises. The Front and Centre campaign is scheduled to wind up next spring. alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Its not every day you see one of your family members portrayed in a major Hollywood movie. But thats what happened when I belatedly took my son to see a showing of The Founder, starring Michael Keaton. The film portrays the life of McDonalds founder Ray Kroc. A connection between Kroc and our family has long been a part of our lore and made me interested to see the movie. I was expecting a scene where Kroc meets his third wife, Joan. What I wasnt expecting was how it was portrayed in the movie. In the scene, Kroc is having dinner in a swanky Minneapolis restaurant when the restaurants owner, Rollie Smith, drops by their table. I dug an elbow into my sons ribs and whispered: Thats our cousin! Daniel McFadden / The Weinstein Company Smith pitches Kroc on letting him open a second McDonalds franchise in Minneapolis. But Kroc is only half-listening. Hes transfixed by a beautiful blond woman in a ruby dress playing piano to entertain the restaurants patrons. It turns out to be Rollies wife, Joan, and its the beginning of Ray Krocs long pursuit of her. As it turned out, Rollie lost a wife to Ray Kroc, but he gained a fortune. Thats because Smith was an early McDonalds franchisee. He first moved with Joan and their daughter, Linda, to open franchises in Rapid City, S.D. And, then, by the late 1960s, they headed north to Winnipeg to open Manitobas first McDonalds. Rollie and Joan rented a luxury apartment building on Wellington Crescent and soon a McDonalds opened on Nairn Avenue. Rollie was my fathers cousin and we were invited to visit the new restaurant as guests of the owner. When the big day arrived, my parents, we three kids and my white-haired grandmother all packed into the car to visit a McDonalds for the first time. The car climbed to the top of hump of the Nairn overpass and there they were the golden arches rising high in the sky. I remember meeting Rollie that day and being taken behind the counter. I also remember not being able to get my mouth around a Big Mac while my mom and grandmother cooed over how delicious the french fries tasted. We met Rollie and Joan only a couple other times, including an excursion to Assiniboine Park that summer. Soon, theyd returned to the United States and then the news came that Joan had divorced Rollie and was marrying Ray. But that wasnt the end of our association with the woman who was now named Joan Kroc. She always had a soft spot for my kindly grandmother Macdonald. She kept in touch with my grandma, flew her down to Chicago for a stay with her and Ray and even bought her a colour Sony Trinitron television, much to the envy of our family who were stuck with a tiny black-and-white model. In 1970, my fathers pharmacy in St. James was in deep financial trouble. My dad was desperate enough to write a letter to Ray Kroc to ask him for a loan. The great man declined to lend my dad money, but he did offer to sell him a McDonalds franchise. After discussion and soul-searching, it was my mother who finally killed the idea. She didnt want her husband running a hamburger joint and my dad wasnt too hot on the idea either. He went on to work at Eatons for close to 25 years and had a happy retirement until his death in 2008. I was reminded of this episode years later when another famous or, more correctly, infamous member of our family came to town. His name was Ian Jackson MacDonald and he was a cousin of both my father and Rollie Smith. You may have heard of my uncle, Ian (others called him Jack, Whitey or Big Mac). He was caught by U.S. authorities in 2011, living under an assumed name in Florida. More than 30 years earlier, hed disappeared after escaping custody where hed been awaiting extradition to Manitoba on charges of smuggling a large amount of marijuana into the province. I caught up with him at the Winnipeg Remand Centre, where he was awaiting trial after being sent back by the Americans. At the time, Ian was in poor health and more concerned about his dire circumstances than reminiscing. But he did have one memory about my dad: the decision to turn down the McDonalds franchise. Worst decision he ever made, Ian intoned. All he had to do was finance the purchase, and he would have been a millionaire. The last time I saw Ian before his death in 2014 was at the Fred Douglas Lodge nursing home. When he came up with the worst decision of his life line again about my dad and McDonalds, I wasnt lovin it. I didnt think my dad had any lessons to take from Ian on life mistakes. In the end, he and McDonalds got along just fine without each other. Don Macdonald is a writer and editor who lives in Montreal. He got his start in journalism as a reporter at the Free Press. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CALGARY Learning from failure, its often said, can lead to triumph. Some of the great leaders in history, from Napoleon to Steve Jobs, had crash-and-burn moments before breakthroughs (even if, in the former case, things didnt ultimately go well). Why dont political parties get that? Why do they cling to tactics that keep them locked into cynical, outdated ways of attaining power? The answer, it appears, is that theyre always pursuing short-term gain while ignoring the risk of long-term pain. NATHAN DENETTE / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Conservative leadership candidate Maxime Bernier speaks during the Conservative Party of Canada leadership debate in Toronto in April. The latest to walk down this path is the Conservative Party of Canada. They are, ironically, doing exactly what the Liberal party did before them pinning their hopes for political revival on a charismatic leader. The Conservatives, you will remember, went down to a sound defeat in the last federal election after holding power for a decade. Critics at the time agreed the party had lost its way, watering down its conservative principles in a desperate attempt to appeal to the greatest number of voters. Ultimately, with a leader who mailed in his campaign effort, the Conservatives lost the middle ground of voters, who shift their support to the political platform that makes the most sense. Columnist Andrew Coyne, not everyones favourite conservative at least among Conservatives decried the decline of the party in an April 18 online article. He blamed Stephen Harper for the atrophying of conservatism as an intellectual force and urged his fellow right-of-centres to get back to basics. Rethinking conservatism does not mean reinvention so much as rediscovery, a return to first principles, yes, but also a fresh consideration of how they might be applied to current problems. The jury is still out on whether such soul-searching will occur but it appears unlikely. Instead, the Conservatives toyed with taking a moon-shot with the outrageous Kevin OLeary, a kind of Trump-lite. Now that hes shown the good sense to withdraw from the leadership race, party faithful seem poised to pick Maxime Bernier, a career politician who is from Quebec, looks good, is bilingual and promises to add a little spark to a rather drab party. Sound familiar? Yes, its pretty much exactly what the Liberal party did in picking Justin Trudeau as its leader. Bernier, to be clear, is no carbon copy of Trudeau. For one thing, he is a free-market libertarian a critical policy point that may get less attention than his electability. Now, theres nothing wrong with picking a leader who could be attractive to voters. But both leading federal parties put their leadership cart before the ideological horse. For the Liberals, the gamble paid off as long as you think your existential purpose is to gain power. As we are gradually seeing post-Trudeau-honeymoon, however, the Liberals arent the new party of sunny ways their leader promised. Rather, theyre the same old pig with some fresh lipstick. As the Grits grow more comfortable with their grip on power, does anyone doubt their old arrogance and indifference to voters will re-emerge? Conservatives, on the other hand, should not feel smug. The opportunity to reflect and reposition the party is still real, but it will quickly fade if the party becomes convinced it has found a leader who can win. Only a sincere period of introspection will spare them a fate such as the one the ruling party appears to be steamrolling towards. Parties, in case we forget, dont exist to win elections. Its the disease of our age that such thinking dominates the discourse. As upstarts such as the Greens show, parties exist to present a vision of a better country and formulate policies that will help us get there. Sadly, any party that gets close to power seems to allow rhetoric to overpower principles, and charisma to overtake substance. Parties may not feel this way but losing an election is a gift. Its a chance to do a full reset and rediscover what the people think, want and need. The Conservatives have been given this gift. If they choose to squander the opportunity, it will be at their own peril. Veteran political commentator Doug Firby is president of Troy Media Digital Solutions and publisher of Troy Media. Troy Media Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Once again, Winnipeg is entering a brave new world of retail shopping. Well, not exactly new but new to us here in River City. Wednesdays opening of Outlet Collection Winnipeg, a 400,000-square-foot complex that will eventually feature nearly 100 stores, is one of those moments in the citys evolution that will be met with frenzied enthusiasm by some and complete indifference by others. Its a high-profile, high-concentration commercial enterprise, and perhaps it says something about us that its arrival hasnt driven anyone into a shopaholic swoon punctuated by declarations that Winnipeg has finally, in one way or another, arrived. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Outlet Collection Winnipeg opens today. Contrast the relatively low-key opening of Outlet Collection Winnipeg with the arrival of its neighbour Ikea in November 2012, when nearly 20,000 people joined in a door-crashing opening-day frenzy. The presence of the Swedish furniture giant in this city was seen as a symbol that Winnipeg was becoming something it had always wanted to be, or perhaps something that it was so many years before and longed to become again. Those were somewhat different times. Still in the afterglow of 2011s Jets-return celebration, and with construction cranes high above two major projects the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Bombers new home, Investors Group Field the opening of Ikea had many locals crowing that their city was on the way to somewhere, or to being something. Subsequent events, however, have tempered whatever optimism was fuelled by the Ikea-opening fuss and replaced it with a sentiment that feels more familiar to Winnipeggers: skepticism. IGF has turned out to be a poorly constructed boondoggle, beset by structural deficiencies and either ignored or outright rejected by many Winnipeggers for a myriad of reasons, ranging from location and parking to the dismal performance of its resident CFL team. Other construction-project controversies, such as the massively over-budget downtown police headquarters, have raised Winnipeggers unease about next-big-thing unveilings. The shopping complex whose presence on the former stadium site at Polo Park was expected to generate tax revenue to underwrite IGFs cost failed to materialize, its premature doom cemented by the implosion of United States retailer Targets badly bungled Canadian-market foray. Well never know how enthusiastically Winnipeggers would have embraced that project, but we shall soon learn if theres an appetite for new shopping options in the amply serviced southwest quadrant of the city. Its possible, of course, that Winnipeg is arriving entirely too late at the outlet-shopping party. The concept has been popular in other cities for at least a couple of decades, inviting masses of consumers to relatively out-of-the-way retail clusters in search of discounted and, in many cases, lower-quality versions of big-name stores wares. For many Winnipeggers, a trip to the States isnt complete without a stop at the discount mall. In recent years, however, the allure of the outlet-mall experience has been diminished by the ailing Canadian dollar and savvy shoppers awareness that outlet deals and merchandise arent all theyre cracked up to be. For younger consumers, as well, the rising popularity of online retailing sites has presented a competitive and convenient alternative to bricks-and-mortar shopping centres. Theres sure to be a crowd when Outlet Collection Winnipegs doors slide open for the first time Wednesday. What really matters, however, is how many cars will populate the malls parking lot six months or a year from now. Exactly how does cutting funding for Americas needy deliver positive strategic, even political gains? Threats as governance? Isnt picking on the weak bullying? Planned Parenthood is spendy? How many government social programs (entitlements) fill needs? How conservative so-called pro-lifers ignore needful neighbors? Federal or state, Republicans bully. Recall Aesops fables? His ancient tales offer more wisdom than holy books. One fable applies to fake news. The Boy Who Cried Wolf: A bored, maybe dim shepherd learns that (his) warning wolf cries earns attention, so, he hollers wolf willy-nilly. (Familiar? Should be.) Eventually a real wolf appears, but locals weary of the shepherds false wolf warnings, ignore him. The shepherds cries catch the wolfs attention. Wolf eats shepherd. Birther. Muslim. Even the disdainful, Obamacare. All Republican campaign bullying. Even the media was characterized as delivering fake news, when critical of Trump (by Trump). Grievance politics and arrogance feeds on belittling dislikes. But, ironys wolves now circle this bullying Oval Office. Enough Americans were so sickened by lying politicians they traded mainstream politics for a one-eyed bull loose in Americas china shop. A choice; however, choices have consequences. Trump is chutzpah. He is wolf crying or fake news himself. Can our bombastic shepherd keep the wolves at bay when he feeds them? Self-aggrandizing superlatives are spiteful, hot air. Most dodgers hope the fake stuff doesnt go beyond media shows to placate mean minorities. If it grows, dont wolves travel in packs? Moreover, if Trumps chutzpah is how he thinks, who/what is not at risk? Planned Parenthood? Korean DPRK? Your grandparents? Your children? Your home? Dont give up your playground spot to the bully, earn a chirpy dislike. The shepherd is dangerous. Seriously, superlatives are risky; for the White House and for America generally. Who doesnt see Trumps chutzpah as empty defensive bullying? The problem is that foreign policy cannot be fake bluster which attracts wolfpacks. For example, what is accomplished by bullying the weak at home and then trying to bully nations like North Korea? Hungry and mean wolves bite. Disliking small domestic organizations such as Planned Parenthood may soothe witless I got mine minorities but does nothing positive. Beating on the needy to increase corporate welfare is just plain despicable. Besides, corporations are wolves themselves. Arent rules and programs in place because society needs them to defend itself against corporate wolves? Freedom and bullying leadership (fear) are incompatible. Bullying the weak tarnishes America and worsens the swamp gas. Showcase, dystopian budget cuts fix what? Like tardy special courts which address symptoms ex post facto, bullying to placate minority constituencies only harms. Nothing changes. Politicians may enjoy the temporary political money-go-round, but miss governances gold ring. Benevolent governance doesnt come from malevolent fear (bullying). Good does not come from doing the very things one accuses others of doing. Thing is, when social regulatory (legislated) programs are products of societys will, and current windbag Republican politicians propose an ad hoc fix like denying funding for societal needs; then, when their fix fails, operatic go-along Republicans like Jeremy Miller will have exitedstage-right. When you cant deliver, political bullroar is no substitute. How about when society learned hungry young kids cannot learn. Government feeds them because parents dont. We drop these programs, because we dont like them or the kids/parents but have a $70 million Syrian fireworks show crying wolf, then walk away? Not very expensive nutty chutzpah. To reemphasize, our cheeky, very boorish emperor, and most politicians, have yet to grasp that the election only came about because disaffected citizens rejected national politics-as-usual. Smart dodgers ignore chutzpah, because (as Aesop tells us) shepherds crying wolf get eaten. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has issued food enforcement warnings to: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 2200 Wildcat Drive. No person in charge with current Food Protection Manager permit (repeat). One employee working with SC that needs Prep cook permit (repeat). Employees not wearing hair restraints while prepping. Thermometer with food residues (repeat). Spray bottle not labeled. Jimmy's Egg, 2801 Pine Lake Road #E. Two employees listed on employee food handler permit roster do not have current permits. No Food Protection Manager currently associated with establishment. Opened employee drink cup on servers station table (corrected). Open carton of shell eggs stored next to open packages of tortillas and above containers with blueberries, chocolate crumble and plastic wrapped stacks of cheeses. Spray bottles filled with blue liquid (glass cleaner?) stored with bottles of ketchup; one spray bottle mislabeled as sanitizer. Food residues on can opener blade and on knives kept on knife magnet. Food prepared in previous two days without date marks or old stickers with date marks (repeat, corrected). Jimmy's Egg, 6440 O St. #100. Employee(s) working without current food handler permit. No person in charge with current Food Protection Manager permit. Unapproved employee beverage container in food prep area (repeat, corrected). Employee lotion stored above wrapped silverware, relocated (corrected). Cook cracking shell eggs then plating cooked hash browns, gloves must be removed and hands washed between working with raw and ready-to-eat items (corrected). Turkey, ham and potatoes past allotted days of use, discarded (corrected). Glassware with food residue in clean stack, can opener and deli slicer with food residues, cleaned, sanitized (corrected). Chemical spray bottles stored above clean stacked pans, relocated (corrected). Pickleman's, 1442 O St. #A. Employee(s) working without current food handler permit. Food handler data sheet incomplete. Several items in rail cooler at unsafe temp for unspecified amount of time, food discarded (corrected). What makes food trucks so successful is the passion of the people who run them, if you ask Portages newest food truck owner. Passion is why youre seeing more food trucks opening across the U.S., he said, and passion is why the food tends to be as good or better than what youd order in a restaurant. Everythings going to be fresh, said Mike Wood, who officially opens his mobile food truck Any Street Grill on May 24. Thats kind of how food trucks go: you have to be high quality if youre going to make it. Any Street Grill will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce at 9 a.m. May 10, in the parking lot next to BJs TV and Appliance, 1411 New Pinery Road. The truck will not be selling food at the ribbon cutting but will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning May 24 through Memorial Day at 1505 New Pinery Road, though hell be elsewhere throughout the summer and fall. I go where the customer is, Wood said, noting hell participate in Taste of Portage, Tractor Days and will be available for custom catering for graduations, among other special events. Hell otherwise be popping up at gas stations and different venues throughout the summer and fall. Wood, a resident of Portage for the past 15 years, founded Woodstone Pizza in 2010, a product that can now be found in grocery and convenience stores across Columbia County. He sold Woodstone Pizza about two years ago but still regularly participates in events with Woodstones new owner, Candy Pratt, and he still sells its products. Any Street Grill, however, is a whole new ballgame for Wood. The mobile trucks menu will include gourmet burgers, fries, meatballs on a stick, homemade cheese curds, specialty sausages, Dixie chips with cheese, apple cinnamon fritters a whole plethora of unique items, he said. Even the buns will be freshly baked, which speaks to the vision Wood has for Any Street Grill. I think its critical, he said of the buns. If youre going to take the effort to grind your own meat and make a quality burger, if you dont offer a freshly baked bun, it defeats the purpose. Its all about knowing what youre going after. Freshness, he added, can be found throughout the whole menu, like his meatballs that are homemade with fresh parmesan and parsley. Everything is about the customer, Wood said, noting how when he created the recipe for Woodstone Pizza, he did a lot of taste testing and it wasnt about what I liked, it was what a majority of the people liked. Pricing will be very competitive with other local restaurants, he added. Your basic burger at Any Street Grill will cost $5.99, while French fries will likely cost about $1.50. We want to make people happy, so we want to bring the best stuff to them, Wood said. Food trucks are more unique because you can make it your own brand. Wood hopes to someday see mobile food courts in Portage, a trend other cities are experiencing right now. I think Im filling a need (in Portage) more as in special events in catering, but I think youll see the food truck business grow. You might have a dozen or more in the area. Its a neat trend and a fun way to serve people. You see the trend at outdoor festivals, which are getting bigger and biggerthe different rock concerts, the motorcycle events theres always something going on a weekend in the summer in Wisconsin. We all have a need to feed people and it makes the events more unique. Any Street Grill joins Willys Weenie Wagon as the second food truck in Portage, though Willys is currently in a fixed location at the corner of Edgewater and Wisconsin streets. I think its a good opportunity for people to find some additional food choices, said Chamber Executive Director Marianne Hanson. I like the idea that hell be able to be mobile: you hear about mobile food trucks in so many other communities and now Portage will be able to experience that. Any Street Grills calendar will likely depend on favorable weather, Wood said, meaning he could regularly open in late March and run it through the end of October for the Portage area, though he does expect to pull it south for the winter. Customers will be able to get updates on the food trucks whereabouts on Any Street Grills Facebook page. For catering or other business questions, contact Wood at 608-358-8654. Sauk City resident Ana Rodriguez, a 2016 graduate of Sauk Prairie High School, went south for spring break. But instead of taking a vacation, Rodriguez was one of 11 Madison Area Technical College students who volunteered to help clean up flood and tornado damaged structures, repainted homes and worked in a building supple resale shop in New Orleans, Louisiana. Back in high school I worked a lot and kept straight As so I never really had much time to volunteer, Rodriguez said. It was always on my mind though, so when I started college I made it a goal to do volunteer work. Rodriguez is a liberal arts transfer student. She serves on the student volunteer center board, is a student leader for East Madison Community Center Volunteer Academy and a student ambassador for the college. She has plans to transfer to a four-year college, but is still unsure what her future holds. Being a volunteer has really changed my life, Rodriguez said. Going to New Orleans was actually a very humbling feeling. Rodriguez and the others spent five days volunteering at different sites, doing whatever was needed. The trip was a great opportunity to reach out beyond this community, Rodriguez stated in a press release from the college. I wanted to do some good where it was really needed. The service learning trip gave Rodriguez and the others a broader view of the devastating effects of natural disasters. Ive never done work like this before, she said. It was a great learning experience. The family of an inmate killed in a 2015 riot at the Tecumseh prison has sued the state. The mother of Shon Collins said in the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Lancaster County District Court that the state failed to protect him and that the Tecumseh prison was not properly staffed on May 10, 2015, when the riot broke out. Staff on duty at that time totaled 57, though the minimum staffing requirement for that day was 61. Of those working, 35 percent of staff had two years or less of experience in the prison system. About 2:25 p.m. that day, inmates from three housing units, including protective custody, were released from their unit with the intent that they'd go through the line for health care and return. The lawsuit says protective custody inmates, including Collins, should have been kept separate from other general population inmate. Collins was in protective custody because he had been injured by inmates before, requiring hospital care, the lawsuit says, adding prison staff knew about the threats and fear Collins had for his life. During the riot, "corrections officers failed to take reasonable control of the inmates and fled to the gun tower, leaving the inmates, including (Collins) unprotected to defend themselves without proper resources," the lawsuit alleges. At 6:36 p.m., an announcement was overheard that five sex offenders had been stabbed, the lawsuit says. When his family was told about his death, the lawsuit says they learned Collins died of blunt force trauma to the head and he had been stabbed multiple times. His body wasn't found until the morning after his death, the lawsuit says. Collins was serving 66 to 80 years for first-degree sexual assault of a child and for visual depiction of sexually explicit content. The lawsuit does not list a specific figure, but the family had sought $1.2 million in damages when it filed a claim against the state in 2016. Despite being imprisoned, the lawsuit says Collins, 46, supported his family through a $200 a month pension he received as a result of his military service that ended with his death. Collins served in Desert Storm and tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and was honorably discharged after 21 years, the lawsuit says. A spokeswoman for the Nebraska Correctional Services Department said Wednesday the department doesn't comment on pending litigation. No charges have been filed in connection with the deaths of Collins and inmate Donald Peacock in the May 2015 riot. There have been three deaths of inmates at the Tecumseh prison this year. OMAHA Nebraska prosecutors levied a barrage of charges Tuesday against an inmate accused of killing a sheriff's deputy while escaping from an Iowa jail, but investigators said the real hope is to have him quickly sent back to Iowa to face more serious charges. Wesley Correa-Carmenaty, 24, also is accused of injuring another deputy and fleeing the state in a stolen jail van after his Monday escape. He is set to appear in a jailhouse court Wednesday in Omaha to face charges of kidnapping and other charges in Nebraska, according to Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine. But Kleine, the Omaha area's top prosecutor, said he was willing to drop the Nebraska charges if Correa-Carmenaty agrees to be extradited to Iowa to face charges including first-degree murder and attempted murder in the shooting death of Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Burbridge. "I spoke to the county attorney in Iowa yesterday and told him we would defer to them, obviously," Kleine said Tuesday. "The mood across the river was pretty somber," Kleine added. "Our heart goes out to everyone in Pottawattamie County." Two deputies were transporting Correa-Carmenaty back to the Pottawattamie County Jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Monday after he was sentenced to 45 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder in a separate case. But as the deputies tried to move Correa-Carmenaty into the jail, he assaulted both of them and grabbed one of their guns. Both deputies were shot, according to investigators. The 43-year-old Burbridge, a 12-year veteran of the sheriff's office, died shortly after being shot. The other deputy, 10-year veteran Pat Morgan, is expected to survive. Correa-Carmenaty commandeered the transport van after the shootings, driving through a closed garage door at the jail around 11 a.m. Monday. He abandoned the van in Council Bluffs and tried to carjack a pickup truck. Investigators said he shot one of the truck's passengers, who is expected to recover. Correa-Carmenaty then carjacked a 31-year-old woman at gunpoint and drove over the Missouri River into Omaha, where he dropped the woman off unharmed at a liquor store, authorities said. He was recaptured in Omaha after crashing during a high-speed chase with police. Kleine said Tuesday that if Correa-Carmenaty waives extradition Wednesday, he will be taken back to Iowa within days. If he refuses, the governors of Nebraska and Iowa will need to sign warrants agreeing to the extradition. That process can take up to 60 days to complete, Kleine said. Iowa's Pottawattamie County prosecutors indicated they preferred to pursue their charges, which also include kidnapping. The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan. Read More Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom. ResMed Inc. develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets medical devices and cloud-based software applications for the healthcare markets. The company operates in two segments, Sleep and Respiratory Care, and Software as a Service. It offers various products and solutions for a range of respiratory disorders, including technologies to be applied in medical and consumer products, ventilation devices, diagnostic products, mask systems for use in the hospital and home, headgear and other accessories, dental devices, and cloud-based software informatics solutions to manage patient outcomes, as well as provides customer and business processes. The company also provides AirView, a cloud-based system that enables remote monitoring and changing of patients' device settings; myAir, a personalized therapy management application for patients with sleep apnea that provides support, education, and troubleshooting tools for increased patient engagement and improved compliance; U-Sleep, a compliance monitoring solution that enables home medical equipment (HME)to streamline their sleep programs; connectivity module and propeller solutions; and Propeller portal. It offers out-of-hospital software solution, such as Brightree business management software and service solutions to providers of HME, pharmacy, home infusion, orthotics, and prosthetics services; MatrixCare care management and related ancillary solutions to senior living, skilled nursing, life plan communities, home health, home care, and hospice organizations, as well as related accountable care organizations; and HEALTHCAREfirst that offers electronic health record, software, billing and coding services, and analytics for home health and hospice agencies. The company markets its products primarily to sleep clinics, home healthcare dealers, and hospitals through a network of distributors and direct sales force in approximately 140 countries. ResMed Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. The North West Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The company's Canadian operations comprise 118 Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; 5 NorthMart stores that provides fresh foods, apparel, and health products and services; 26 Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat foods, and fuel and related services; 5 Giant Tiger junior discount stores, which offers family fashion, household products, and food; 2 Valu Lots discount center and direct-to-customer food distribution outlet; 1 solo market, a store in remote market; 3 Pharmacy and Convenience stores; and 1 North West Company motorsports dealership offering sales, service, parts and accessories for Ski-doo, Honda, Can-am and other premier brands. The Canadian operations also provides contract tele-pharmacist services to rural hospitals and health centers; water and air-based transportation services; and produce and fresh meats to independent grocery stores. Its international operations include 30 Alaska Commercial Company stores that provides food and general merchandise to remote and rural regions; 12 Cost-U-Less mid-size warehouse stores, which offers discount food and general merchandise; 4 Quickstop convenience stores; 9 Riteway food markets; and Pacific Alaska wholesale, a distributor to independent grocery stores, commercial accounts, and individual households in rural Alaska. The North West Company Inc. was founded in 1668 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada. Nebraska has joined the Gigawatt Club. With the raising of Grand Prairie, a 400-megawatt wind farm in Holt County, Nebraska has sailed past 1,000 megawatts or 1 gigawatt of wind-generated capacity. It's the 18th state to join the club, according to the American Wind Energy Association. For the first time last year, wind accounted for more than 10 percent of electricity generated in Nebraska, the association reported last month. Just five years ago, that figure was less than 3 percent, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Nebraskas turbines provide 1,328 megawatts of capacity, and there are more on the way, looking to take advantage of the states largely untapped wind potential. Developers have 7 megawatts of turbines under construction and others totaling 586 megawatts in development, the association reported in its first quarterly report for 2017. Despite ranking fourth among states in abundant wind, Nebraska has long been a straggler when it comes to harnessing that resource. The state briefly climbed to 17th in wind energy production last year before being bumped down to 18th by New Mexico during this years first quarter. The fact that Nebraska has lagged behind other states such as Iowa which became the first state to generate 35 percent of its electricity from wind in 2016 could play into its favor in attracting future development, said David Bracht, director of the Nebraska Energy Office. Given the fact that Nebraska has really good wind and has, relatively speaking, developed less of that, we have more of our very best wind left to develop, Bracht said. Another factor in Nebraskas favor is that its wind is some of the most-productive in the country. Turbines can only spin when the wind blows. Nebraskas turbines cranked out electricity an average of 45 percent of the time in 2016, the highest rate in the nation, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Nebraskas electricity is provided by a network of nonprofit public power districts that cant collect federal wind production tax credits like investor-owned utilities in other states can, a factor that has long been cited as a barrier to wind development. Lincoln Electric System and other Nebraska utilities have tackled that obstacle by signing contracts to buy power from private turbine owners who collect the tax credits, such as Invenergy, which has a regional office in Littleton, Colorado, and owns Prairie Breeze II Wind Energy Center, a 41-turbine complex in Antelope and Boone counties. The Omaha Public Power District recently struck a deal with Facebook to provide 100 percent wind power for a new data center to be built near Papillion. The 200-turbine Grande Prairie is both the largest wind project in Nebraska and the biggest built in the United States during 2016. Its owner is BHE Renewables, a subsidiary of Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy, which is in turn owned by Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway. OPPD buys all the output it generates. For the state to attract more wind farms, Bracht said, three things need to be present: wind, a market for selling the power and transmission lines to get the electricity to the buyer. Were a big state area-wise but were a small state in terms of population. That translates to more limited transmission. That is one of the advantages that Iowa had in developing its wind, larger population and transmission all over the state, Bracht said. The Nebraska Public Power District, the states largest utility, is planning to build a 225-mile transmission line known as the R-Project, which could have a side benefit of creating a new highway for power to travel from rural Nebraska to power-hungry cities. The purpose of the $361 million R-Project, initially proposed by the Southwest Power Pool, is to make electric service in the region more reliable. Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Southwest Power Pool oversees the electric grid and wholesale power market in 14 states on behalf of most utility and transmission companies. Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sports shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Alstyle, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer pantyhose, tights, and leggings under the Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel brands. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brands; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, and embellishers, as well as to retailers and lifestyle brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The following companies are subsidiares of Emerson Electric: A.P.M. Automation Solutions Ltd., AE Valves, AGI Mexicana S.A. de C.V., ALCO CONTROLS spol. s.r.o., APM Automation Solutions, ASC Investments Inc., ASCO (Japan) Company Limited, ASCO L.P., ASCO Numatics (India) Private Limited, ASCO Numatics Holding Inc., ASCO SAS, ASCO Valve (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ASCO/JOUCOMATIC s.r.o., ATX SAS, Advanced Protection Technologies, Aegir Norge Holding AS, Alliance Compressors LLC, American Governor, Aperture, Apple JV Holding Corp., Appleton Electric LLC, Appleton Electric S.A. de C.V., Appleton Group, Appleton Group Canada Ltd., Appleton Grp LLC, Appleton Holding Corp., Appleton Holding Sarl, Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Artesyn Hungary Elektronikai Kft., Artesyn Technologies, Asco AB, Asco Controls AG, Asco Controls B.V., Asco Joucomatic Ltd., Asco Joucomatic ZA B.V., Asco Magnesszelep Kft., Asco Numatics GmbH, Asco Numatics S.A., Asco Numatics Sirai S.R.L., Asco Numatics Sp. z o.o., Ascomatica S.A. de C.V., Ascomation (NZ) Ltd., Ascomation Pty. Ltd., Ascotech S.A. de C.V., Ascoval Industria e Commercio Ltda, Automatic Switch Company, Aventics, Aventics, Aventics AB, Aventics AG, Aventics AS, Aventics ApS, Aventics B.V., Aventics Corporation, Aventics Holding S.A.S., Aventics Holding S.a.r.l., Aventics Hungary Kft, Aventics Inc., Aventics India Private Limited, Aventics Limited, Aventics Ltd., Aventics Oy, Aventics Pneumatics Equipment (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Aventics Pneumatics Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Aventics S.A.S., Aventics S.R.L., Aventics Services Germany GmbH, Aventics Singapore Pte. Ltd., Aventics Sp. z.o.o., Aventics Spain S.L., Aventics spol. s.r.o., Avtron LoadBank, Bannerscientific Limited, Beckman Industrial B.V., Beijing Rosemount Far East Instrument Co. Ltd., Bettis Canada Ltd., Bettis Holdings Limited, Bettis UK Limited, Biffi Italia S.r.l., Bioproduction Group, Branson Korea Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonic S.A., Branson Ultrasonics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonics B.V., Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, Branson Ultrasonics a.s., Branson Ultrasonidos S.A.E., Branson Ultrasons SAS, Branson Ultrasuoni S.R.L., Branson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Bray Lectroheat Limited, Bristol Babcock Limited, Bristol Inc., Buehler Europe Limited, Buehler UK Limited, CR Compressors LLC, CSA Consulting Engineers Ltd., California Emerson LLC, Cascade Technologies, Cascade Technologies Holdings Limited, Cascade Technologies Limited, Chemat GmbH Armaturen fur Industrie - und Nuklearanlage, Chloride Koexa S.A., Componentes Avanzados de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Computational Systems, Computational Systems Incorporated, Conception et Representation de Technologies de Controle C.R.T. Controle SAS, Control Products Inc., Controles de Temperatura S.A. de C.V., Cooligy Inc., Cooper-Atkins, Cooper-Atkins Corporation, Cooper-Atkins Pte. Ltd., Copeland Access + Inc., Copeland Compresores Hermeticos S.A. de C.V., Copeland Corporation, Copeland Corporation LLC, Copeland Limited, Copeland Redevelopment Corporation, Copeland Scroll Compresores de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copeland de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copesub Inc., Crosby Valve LLC, Damcos A/S, Damcos Holding A/S, Daniel Automation Company, Daniel Europe Limited, Daniel Industrial Inc., Daniel Industries, Daniel Industries Canada Inc., Daniel Industries Inc., Daniel Industries Limited, Daniel International Limited, Daniel Measurement Solutions Private Limited, Daniel Measurement and Control Inc., Daniel Measurement and Control S. de R.L. de C.V., Danmasa S.A. de C.V., Dar Ibtikar Al Iraq for General Services and General Trade LLC, Decision Management International, Dieterich Standard Inc., Digital Appliance Controls (UK) Limited, Dixell North America Inc., Dixell S.R.L., Do+Able Products, E. Business Development E.B.D.Com Ltd., E.G.P. Corporation, EECO Inc., EGS Comercializadora Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Private Ltd., EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES s.r.o., EMR (Asia) Limited, EMR (Mauritius) Ltd., EMR Emerson Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, EMR Europe Holdings Inc., EMR Foundation Inc., EMR Holdings (France) SAS, EMR Holdings Inc., EMR Worldwide B.V., EMR Worldwide Inc., EMRSN HLDG B.V., EMRSN Process Management Morocco Sarl, ENPDOR2012A Limited, ENPESNA Inc., EPM Tulsa Holdings Corp., EPMCO Holdings Inc., ETC International Holdings Ltd., Easy Heat Europe SAS, Easy Heat Inc., El-O-Matic B.V., El-O-Matic Valve Actuators (F.E.) Pte. Ltd., Electrische Apparatenfabriek Capax B.V., Emerald Advanced Technology Limited, Emerson (Philippines) Corporation, Emerson (Taiwan) Limited, Emerson (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Arabia Inc., Emerson Argentina S.A., Emerson Asia Pacific Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Holdings Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Sichuan) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Taiwan) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Thailand) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Czech Republic s.r.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Denmark A/S, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control France SARL, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Germany GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hong Kong Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hungary Kft, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Italia S.r.l., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Middle East FZE, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Netherlands B.V., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Polska Sp. Z.o.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Holding LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK II Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control US LP, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Automation Solutions GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Automation Solutions Ireland Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Isolation Valves Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions SSC UK Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Beijing Instrument Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Services LLC, Emerson Climate Technologies (India) Private Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies (Shenyang) Refrigeration Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Solutions (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Transportation Solutions ApS, Emerson Climate Technologies Arabia Limited Co., Emerson Climate Technologies Australia Pty. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies FZE, Emerson Climate Technologies GmbH, Emerson Climate Technologies Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Europe S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Sarl, Emerson Commercial & Residential Tools LLC, Emerson Commerical & Residential Asia Limited, Emerson Comres de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson DHC B.V., Emerson Dietzenbach GmbH, Emerson Dominicana Srl, Emerson Egypt LLC, Emerson Electric (Asia) Limited, Emerson Electric (China) Holdings Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Electric (Mauritius) Ltd., Emerson Electric (South Asia) Pte. Ltd., Emerson Electric (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Electric (Tongling) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation, Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation (Chile) Limitada, Emerson Electric (Zhuhai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric CR Limitada, Emerson Electric Canada Limited, Emerson Electric Company (India) Private Limited, Emerson Electric Company Lanka (Private) Limited, Emerson Electric Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, Emerson Electric II C.A., Emerson Electric International Inc., Emerson Electric Ireland Limited, Emerson Electric Korea Ltd., Emerson Electric Nederland B.V., Emerson Electric Overseas Finance Corp., Emerson Electric Poland Sp. z o.o., Emerson Electric U.K. Limited, Emerson Electric de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Electric do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Energy Systems (UK) Limited, Emerson FZE, Emerson Final Control US Holding LLC, Emerson Finance LLC, Emerson Fusite Electric (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Gabon SARL, Emerson Hazardous Electrical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Holding Company Limited, Emerson Holding Sweden AB, Emerson InSinkErator Appliance (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Industrial Automation USA Inc., Emerson International Holding Company Limited, Emerson Japan Ltd., Emerson Junkang Enterprise (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Korea Limited, Emerson LLC, Emerson LLP, Emerson Machinery Equipment (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Mexico Finance S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Emerson Middle East Inc., Emerson Network Power DHC B.V., Emerson Paradigm Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management (India) Private Limited, Emerson Process Management (South Africa) (Proprietary) Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Tianjin) Valves Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Vietnam) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management A/S (Denmark), Emerson Process Management AB, Emerson Process Management AG, Emerson Process Management AS, Emerson Process Management Angola Lda, Emerson Process Management Arabia Limited, Emerson Process Management Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Process Management B.V., Emerson Process Management Chennai Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Distribution Limited, Emerson Process Management Europe GmbH, Emerson Process Management Flow B.V., Emerson Process Management Flow Technologies Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Process Management Holding AG, Emerson Process Management Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management Kft., Emerson Process Management LLLP, Emerson Process Management Lda, Emerson Process Management Limited, Emerson Process Management Ltda, Emerson Process Management Magyarorszag Kft., Emerson Process Management Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Korea Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management NV, Emerson Process Management New Zealand Limited, Emerson Process Management Nigeria Limited, Emerson Process Management Oy, Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions Inc., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions India Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Qatar W.L.L., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Inc., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Tulsa LLC, Emerson Process Management Romania S.R.L., Emerson Process Management S.A., Emerson Process Management S.A. de C.V., Emerson Process Management S.L., Emerson Process Management S.R.L., Emerson Process Management SAS, Emerson Process Management Shared Services Limited, Emerson Process Management Sp. z o.o., Emerson Process Management Ticaret Limited Sirket, Emerson Process Management UAB, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Valve Automation Inc., Emerson Process Management Verwaltung GmbH, Emerson Process Management d.o.o., Emerson Process Management de Colombia SAS, Emerson Process Management del Peru S.A.C., Emerson Process Management s.r.o., Emerson Professional Tools (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Puerto Rico Inc., Emerson Retail Services Europe GmbH, Emerson S.R.L., Emerson Sales UK Limited, Emerson Saudi Arabia LLC, Emerson Scroll Machining (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Sice S.R.L., Emerson Sweden AB, Emerson TOV, Emerson Technologies GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Technologies Verwaltungs GmbH, Emerson Tool Company de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Tool and Appliance Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson UK Trustees Limited, Emerson USD Finance Company Limited, Emerson Valves & Controls Japan Co. Ltd., Emerson Ventures Inc., Emerson Vulcan Holding LLC, Emerson Xi'an Engineering Center, Emersub 1 LLC, Emersub 10 LLC, Emersub 11 LLC, Emersub 12 LLC, Emersub 14 LLC, Emersub 15 LLC, Emersub 16 LLC, Emersub 3 LLC, Emersub 4 LLC, Emersub 5 LLC, Emersub 7 LLC, Emersub 8 LLC, Emersub 9 LLC, Emersub CII Inc., Emersub CV Inc., Emersub Italia S.R.L., Emersub LXXXIV Inc., Emersub LXXXVI Inc., Emersub Mexico Inc., Emersub Treasury Ireland Unlimited Company, Emersub XLVI Inc., Emersub XXXVI Inc., Emirates Techno Casting FZE, Emirates Techno Casting Holding Limited, Emirates Techno Casting LLC, Enardo, Endura-Greenlee Tools, Energy Solutions International (India) Private Limited, Energy Solutions International GP LLC, Energy Solutions International Ltd., Energy Solutions International SAS, Energy Solutions International Sub LLC, F-R Tecnologias de Flujo S.A. de C.V., FC QSF LLC, FMC Technologies, Fiberconn Assemblies Morocco Sarl, Fincor Holding LLC, Fire & Safety Group.Com Ltd., Fisher Controles de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fisher Controls International LLC, Fisher Jeon Gas Equipment (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Fisher Regulators (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Sanmar Limited, Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc., Flow Control Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Flow Control Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Flow Control US Holding Corporation, Francel SAS, Fromex S.A. de C.V., Fusite B.V., Fusite Corporation, Fusite Land Company, GSEG LLC, General Equipment and Manufacturing Company Inc., Generale de Robinetterie Industrielle et de Sytemes de Surete, GeoFields, GeoFields Inc., Greenex Ltd., Greenfield (UK) Limited, Greenlee, Greenlee Communications, Greenlee Tools Inc., Gulf Valve FZE, Gustav Klauke GmbH, H.T.E. Engineering Limited, HD Electric Company, HTE Engineering Services Limited, Hindle Cockburns Limited, Hiross India Private Limited, Hiter Industria e Comercia de Controles Termo-Hidraulicos Ltda., Humboldt Hermetic Motor Corp., Hytork International Ltd., I Solutions Inc., ICC Intelligent Platforms GmbH, ISE-MagTech, Industrial Controls Canada ULC, Industrial Group Metran JSC, Instrument & Valve Services Company, Intelligent Platforms LLC, Intellution, International Gas Distribution SA, Intrinsic Safety Equipment of Texas Inc., JCF Fluid Flow India Private Limited, JSC Metran-Export, Joucomatic S.A., K Controls Limited, Keystone Germany Holdings Corp., Keystone Valve (Korea) LLC, Keystone Valve (U.K.) Limited, Klauke, Klauke (Jiangsu) Electrical Connection Technology Co Ltd., Klauke France SARL, Klauke Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Klauke Iberia S.L., Klauke Polska Sp. z.o.o., Klauke Slovakia s.r.o., Klauke UK Ltd., Knurr, Liebert, Liebert Swindon Limited, Locus Solutions LLC, Locus Traxx Worldwide, Locus Traxx Worldwide Europe BVBA, MDC Technology Limited, MDC Technology Trustees Limited, METCO Services Limited, MYNAH Technologies, Management Resources Group Inc., Mecafrance (Deutschland) GmbH, Metallurgical Services Laboratories Limited, Metaserv Limited, Metco Services Venezuela C.A., Micro Motion Inc., Mobrey Group Limited, Motores Hermeticos del Sur S.A. de C.V., NetworkPower Ecuador S.A., Nippon Fisher Co. Ltd., Novel Environmental Technologies Ltd., Novel Extinguishing Agent Technology Ltd., Numatics Incorporated, Nutsteel DHC B.V., Nutsteel Industria Metalurgica Ltda, O.M.T. Officina Meccanica Tartarini S.r.l., Open Systems International, P I Components Corp., PT Emerson Solutions Indonesia, PT. Emerson Indonesia, PT. Paradigm Geophysical Indonesia, Pactrol Controls Limited, PakSense, PakSense Inc., Paradigm, Paradigm (UK) Holding Limited, Paradigm B.V., Paradigm France S.A., Paradigm Geophysical (India) Private Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (KL) Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical (Nigeria) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (U.K.) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical B.V., Paradigm Geophysical Corp., Paradigm Geophysical Italy SRL, Paradigm Geophysical LLC, Paradigm Geophysical Limited, Paradigm Geophysical Pty Ltd, Paradigm Geophysical S.A., Paradigm Geophysical Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical Spain S.L., Paradigm Geophysical de Venezuela C.A., Paradigm Geophysical do Brasil Ltda., Paradigm Geoservices Canada Ltd., Paradigm Geotechnology (Egypt) S.A.E., Paradigm Kazakhstan LLP, Paradigm Middle East FZ-LLC, Paradigm Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Parex Industries Limited, Pentair Valves & Controls, Pentair Valves and Controls India Private Limited, Permasense, Permasense Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Permasense Limited, ProSys, ProTeam Inc., Progea, RAC Technologies (Israel) Ltd., RIDGID Inc., RPP Europe GmbH, RPP LLC, Rey-Lam S. de R.L. de C.V., Ridge Tool (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Ridge Tool Company, Ridge Tool Europe NV, Ridge Tool GmbH, Ridge Tool GmbH & Co. OHG, Ridge Tool Manufacturing Company, Ridge Tool Pattern Company, Ridgid France SAS, Ridgid Italia S.R.L., Ridgid Online Inc., Ridgid Scandinavia A/S, Ridgid Werkzeuge AG, Rosemount China Inc., Rosemount Inc., Rosemount Measurement Limited, Rosemount Nuclear Instruments Inc., Rosemount Specialty Products LLC, Rosemount Tank Gauging India Pvt. Ltd., Rosemount Tank Gauging Middle East SPC, Rosemount Tank Gauging North America Inc., Rosemount Tank Radar AB, Rosemount Tank Radar Properties AB, Roxar, Roxar AS, Roxar Flow Measurement AS, Roxar Flow Measurement Sdn Bhd, Roxar Limited, Roxar Maximum Reservoir Performance W.L.L., Roxar Saudi Co., Roxar Services AS, Roxar Services OOO, Roxar Software Solutions AS, Roxar Technologies AS, Roxar Vietnam Company Ltd., Roxar de Venezuela C.A., Rutherfurd Acquisitions Limited, S.F.T. Group Ltd., SABO-Armaturen Service GmbH, Safety Systems UK Pte. Ltd., Sakhi-Raimondi Valve (India) Limited, Scroll Compressors LLC, Scroll Mexico LLC, Sempell GmbH, Shanghai Virgo Valves Technology Consulting Co. Ltd., Sherman + Reilly, Soluciones 0925 C.A., Spectra-Tek Holdings Limited, Spectra-Tek International Limited, Spectra-Tek UK Limited, Spectrex, Spectrex Inc., Spectronix Ltd., Spensall Engineering Limited, Steel Support Systems Limited, Stratos Lightwave, System Plast International B.V., System Plast Ltda, System Plast USA de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TDM-avtomatizatsiya, TV&C GP Holding LLC, Taiwan Valve Co. Ltd., TechnipFMC, Termocontroles de Juarez S.A. de C.V., Tescom Corporation, Tescom Europe GmbH & Co. KG, Tescom Europe Management GmbH, The Automation Group Inc., The J.R. Clarkson Company LLC, Therm-O-Disc Europe B.V., Therm-O-Disc Incorporated, Thunderline Z Inc., TopWorx UK Limited, Tranmet Holdings B.V., Tranmet Holdings Limited, Verdant Environmental Technologies, Vilter Manufacturing LLC, Virgo Valves & Controls (ME) FZE, Virgo Valves and Controls Sdn Bhd, Von Arx AG, Vulsub 1 Limited, Vulsub Brasil Holding, Vulsub Brasil Ltda., Vulsub Chile SpA, Vulsub Gulf Holding Limited, Vulsub Holding III (Denmark) ApS, Vulsub Holding Ltd, Vulsub Holdings A LLC, Vulsub Holdings B LLC, Vulsub Holdings C LLC, Vulsub Holdings D LLC, Vulsub Italia S.r.l., Vulsub Middle East Holdings LLC, Vulsub Peru S.A.C., Vulsub Property Holding LLC, Vulsub Property Limited, Vulsub S.A., Vulsub South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Vulsub VZ C.A., Westinghouse Electric Pvt. Limited, Westlock Controls Limited, Westlock Equipamentos de Controle Ltda., Woodstock Land Company LLC, epro GmbH, iSolera Inc., iSolutions Private Limited, and intelliSAW. Read More Aetna Inc. operates as a health care benefits company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions. The Health Care segment offers medical, pharmacy benefit management service, dental, behavioral health, and vision plans on an insured and employer-funded basis. It also provides point-of-service, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, and indemnity benefit plans, as well as health savings accounts and consumer-directed health plans. In addition, this segment offers Medicare and Medicaid products and services, as well as other medical products, such as medical management and data analytics services, medical stop loss insurance, workers' compensation administrative services, and products that provide access to its provider networks in select geographies. The Group Insurance segment offers life insurance products, including group term life insurance, voluntary spouse and dependent term life insurance, group universal life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance products; and long-term care insurance products, which provide the benefits to cover the cost of care in private home settings, adult day care, assisted living, or nursing facilities. The Large Case Pensions segment manages various retirement products comprising pension and annuity products primarily for tax-qualified pension plans. The company provides its products and services to employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Aetna Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut. The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets railroad freight car equipment in North America, Europe, and South America. It operates through three segments: Manufacturing; Wheels, Repair & Parts; and Leasing & Services. The Manufacturing segment offers conventional railcars, such as covered hopper cars, boxcars, center partition cars, and bulkhead flat cars; tank cars; double-stack intermodal railcars; auto-max and multi-max products for the transportation of light vehicles; pressurized tank cars, non-pressurized tank cars, flat cars, coil cars, gondolas, sliding wall cars, and automobile transporter cars; and marine vessels. The Wheels, Repair & Parts segment provides wheel services, including reconditioning of wheels and axles, new axle machining and finishing, and downsizing; operates a railcar repair, refurbishment, and maintenance network; and reconditions and manufactures railcar cushioning units, couplers, yokes, side frames, bolsters, and various other parts, as well as produces roofs, doors, and associated parts for boxcars. The Leasing & Services segment offers operating leases and 'per diem' leases for a fleet of approximately 8,800 railcars; and management services comprising railcar maintenance management, railcar accounting services, fleet management and logistics, administration, and railcar remarketing. This segment owns or provides management services to a fleet of approximately 444,000 railcars for railroads, shippers, carriers, institutional investors, and other leasing and transportation companies. The company serves railroads, leasing companies, financial institutions, shippers, carriers, and transportation companies. The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon. SANTEE Authorities say a 4-year-old boy was injured when his bike was struck by a police officer's vehicle in northeast Nebraska. The accident occurred Monday afternoon in Santee. The Knox County Sheriff's Office says the boy rode the bike down a steep driveway into the path of Officer William Blevins, who works for the Santee Sioux tribal police. The officer's view was blocked by shrubs. The boy was flown to a hospital for treatment of a leg injury and a cut on his head. His name hasn't been released. Many financial goals are fairly broad or generic such as building cash reserves, retiring or paying for a childs college education. Unfortunately, there are many distractions that keep us from ever refining and achieving our goals. Taking a cue from personal productivity guru David Allen, the key to achieving any of these goals is defining the next action. In particular, the next specific action that moves you one step closer towards your goal. Some of the distractions or obstacles that prevent us from achieving our goals include lack of clarity around the desired outcome, other commitments for our time or money, and difficulty with determining the specific next action. Entire books are written about building financial plans around your various goals which can be helpful with determining the feasibility and understanding the decisions that are necessary. It can also be debilitating in terms of making progress when just getting started appears overwhelming. Rather than rehashing the same old adages to make a plan or work with an advisor, Id rather just see people get started doing something. The inertia of overcoming the first step is arguably the greatest obstacle to achieving financial success. What does the first step look like? Here are a couple of examples based on the different goals outlined above. If youre lacking a rainy day fund, the next time youre at the bank (or online), open a separate savings account and setup an automatic transfer each month for a nominal amount of $50-$100. They key is to start with an amount that isnt too large that youll give up after a couple of months because you needed the money for something else. If your goal is retiring, ask your payroll department or go online to increase your retirement plan contribution rate by one percent. Once again, the idea is to gradually make the change so you dont reduce it six months from now. Will this magically allow you to retire at age 65? Probably not, but it starts the process without a whole lot of effort on your part. Plus, you probably wont even notice the reduction in income. Do you want to help your children or grandchildren go to college? Consider opening a college savings plan for $50 per month through Wisconsins state-sponsored plan at www.edvest.com. This wont cover all their expenses either but its a start and better than what most people have done because they just havent gotten around to it. The key is not to figure everything out before starting but rather start doing something now. Youll be ahead of everyone with the perfect plan but no results because they never acted on it. Whats your next action youll take today? Write it down and youre even more likely to achieve your goals. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page RACINE On March 15, 6th District Alderman Sandy Weidner asked to not be reappointed to the citys Cemetery Commission after 17 years of service on the panel. Weidner sent her request via an email to the City Council, Mayor John Dickert, former City Administrator Tom Friedel and Tom Molbeck, the citys parks, recreation and cultural services director. I will be unable to serve another term, so please appoint another alderman that can serve as the aldermanic appointment to the commission, Weidner wrote. Weidner was surprised to find that Tuesdays City Council agenda included her reappointment to the commission. When she asked Dickert via email Tuesday why she was being recommended for reappointment, Dickert clarified in an email that he believes Weidner and a group of opposition organizations owe the city $39,000 and that Weidner should remain on the commission to help come up with the money. The email I received from the mayor today is very disturbing to me, that he either wants to punish me or hold me (hostage) to a committee I asked to not be appointed to again until I raise the funds, she said. I dont think its in the best interest of the council for any council member to be put in a position like that. Mayors contention Dickerts assertion dates back to 2013, when the city agreed with the Meredith family, proprietors of Maresh, Meredith and Acklam Funeral Home, to sell a portion of Mound Cemetery for family plots. A claim that the land requested by the family is a Native American burial mound, which was supported by local Native Americans and Weidner, led the Merediths to cancel the deal. In his email to Weidner on Tuesday, Dickert said that by keeping her on the committee he was holding her to her word that she and the Native Americans who opposed the purchase would raise money to cover the lost revenue from the sales cancellation. So as I see it, over the next year you can work with that same group of opposition groups to raise the additional $39,000 that is owed to the cemetery and the city, Dickert wrote. Best of luck to you in that endeavor. At Tuesdays meeting, Weidner claimed she never directly committed to raising the money. Dickert asserted that she did. I think its important just to be honest with the public and we really wish youd live up to your goal, Dickert said to Weidner. But if you dont want to do that, we can see that you can take yourself off the commission and well find somebody that will help. The City Council voted unanimously to honor Weidners wish to be removed from the commission, amending Dickerts original request. The back and forth irked 8th District Alderman Q.A. Shakoor II, who smacked his desk in frustration as Dickert and Weidner argued. Thats enough of this, Shakoor shouted. If you two have a problem, talk about it among yourselves. Both of you are wasting our time. Dickert then rapped his gavel to silence Shakoor so the mayor could continue refuting Weidners claims. Jemez Falls was perhaps the most satisfying of the waterfalls in the state of New Mexico that I had encountered during a 2017 Spring Break Trip to the Desert Southwest. That was because it was left alone in a forested setting where there were no dams, no development, and it had a pretty healthy flow during our visit. The falls was said to have a cumulative height of 70ft, where the watercourse cascaded for most of the drop before twisting into the final plunge. While this waterfall didnt appear to be safely accessible in terms of swimming or playing at its base, there was a neighboring smaller waterfall (maybe 15ft) that was accessible and more suitable for cooling off. Being on the East Fork of the Jemez River, it made sense that the falls had a pretty healthy flow, especially when it was benefitting from the snowmelt, which appeared to be at nearly peak runoff when we showed up in late April 2017. Jemez Falls Experience A Near Failure Our visit was tempered with some setbacks as the road to the Jemez Campground was still closed to vehicles (thereby significantly adding to the overall hike). Moreover, the trail to get to the waterfall overlook was poorly signed once we made it to the day use parking lot. Well get to the difficulties that we had in finding the falls shortly, but to make a long story short, Julie and Tahia never got to witness this waterfall. And to salvage my visit (after Julie and Tahia had given up), it took a little bit of me paying very close attention to any possible spur trails that we might have missed. We dont know if this was all a complication from the fact that the Forest Service didnt open the roads (and perhaps didnt erect adequate trail signage as a result). Hopefully, after reading through this writeup, perhaps you may avoid the same mistakes that we made. Jemez Falls Experience accessing the Jemez Falls Day Use Parking Lot Speaking of closures, had the road been open, then we could have driven all the way to the Jemez Falls Day Use Parking Lot. From there, it was said to be merely a 0.7-mile round trip out-and-back hike to the overlook (assuming you find the right trail), which can also be done in a loop hike that was also 0.7 miles long. But since the road was closed during our visit, we had to hike on that closed road, which was about 1.5 miles long in each direction. Thus, the overall hike wound up being nearly 4 miles round trip. It might be more like 3.7 miles round trip, but we had to deal with additional scrambling and searching for the falls, which increased the overall distance. This was all reflected in the difficulty score. We pretty much spent about 40-50 minutes walking this road in each direction, which was gently downhill on the way there (but more uphill on the way back). If hiking on asphalt and cattle guards isnt your idea of a good hike, then we did notice some other people do the East Fork Trail. That other trail was said to be about 4 miles round trip, and it would follow mostly along the East Fork Jemez River all the way to the Jemez Falls Day Use area. Jemez Falls Experience hiking towards the East Fork Jemez River then finding the waterfall trail So once we made it to the Jemez Falls Day Use parking lot (which was just beyond the Jemez Group Campground), we had a not-so-obvious choice of which way to go. On the one hand, we could take a trail on the far right side of the fence behind the restrooms. On the other hand, we could descend from the junction of the East Fork Trail with the descending waterfall trail on the opposite side of the parking lot. Again, during our visit, there was no signage indicating that it was even possible to hike a trail to the right of the fences. It was only after-the-fact when we finally noticed that there was pink-colored police tape where this side of the trail was supposed to be. In any case, I will describe the loop hike in the manner that I managed to do this hike. Ill get into the difficulties of figuring how I ultimately managed to figure out how to do this hike later in this write-up. So starting from the Jemez Falls Day Use Parking Lot, I followed a somewhat obvious trail that descended past the junction with the East Fork Trail. It promptly descended towards the East Fork of the Jemez River while providing a glimpse between the trees of fwhat I thought was the rounded dome-like summit of Redondo Peak (one of the chain of mountains collectively known as the Jemez Mountains). After about 500ft beyond the East Fork Trail Junction, there was an unsigned and not-so-obvious fork in the trail leading more uphill to the right. Had I continued hiking downhill past some interesting rock formations as well as a trail labyrinth, then I would have missed this spur trail. Jemez Falls Experience accessing the upper and lower waterfalls So following the easy-to-miss spur trail (which was well higher than the East Fork Jemez River), I proceeded along the gently climbing path for another quarter-mile. I eventually started to see the actual overlook for Jemez Falls as well as a spur trail descending somewhat steeply to my left. That descending trail would eventaully lead to the smaller but more accessible Upper Jemez Falls. Of the people who came here and went in the water, this was the more sensible spot to do it, because the other half of the Jemez Falls was harder to get close to. At the main overlook, there were railings put in place so clearly this was the right place to be. From the overlook, it was more of a top-down view from across the East Fork Jemez River towards the lower drop of Jemez Falls. It appeared that shadows started to get on the falls in the early afternoon that I was there. While it was tempting to seek a way to get closer to the falls, it didnt appear that there was a sanctioned way to do it. That said, it didnt stop some people from at least scrambling around to try to reach the brink of the lower drop of Jemez Falls. Jemez Falls Experience finishing the loop When I had my fill of the Jemez Falls Overlook, I noticed that there were a handful of people who managed to get to this overlook from a different direction than where I came from. So instead of going back the way I came, I decided to keep left back on the trail. That led me to a somewhat steep uphill slope though it did appear that there was still a trail here. Once I crested the incline, then the trail was pretty obvious and wide as it seemed to follow some kind of forested ridge. Eventually after another quarter-mile or so, I found myself back at the day use parking lot on the other side of the fence by the restrooms. It was only after returning to the parking lot in this manner was I finally made aware that perhaps we should have done this loop hike in reverse (i.e. counterclockwise instead of clockwise). Well, with hindsight being 20/20, I was simply glad that we finally figured out how we were supposed to do this hike. In total, we spent about 2.5 hours away from the car, but that included some time spent fruitlessly scrambling. In reality, this hike with the closures should have taken about 2 hours or less. And of course had the road to the campground been open, then we very easily could have done this excursion in 30 minutes or so. As a result, weve bumped up the difficulty of this excursion due to the seemingly unnecessary route-finding resulting from the poor signage and trail markings (surprising for something as built up as this). Anyways, for all intents and purposes, under normal circumstances, the difficulty of this hike should be no more than a 1.5 (as opposed to the 3 were giving it). Jemez Falls Experience the mistake of descending to the East Fork Jemez River Earlier in this write-up, I mentioned that there was an easy-to-miss spur that led up to the Jemez Falls Overlook roughly 500ft after the trail junction with the East Fork Trail. Well, we learned the hard way what happens when that spur trail was missed. Indeed, we continued hiking downhill past some interesting rock formations as well as a trail labyrinth. That pretty much put us down to the East Fork Jemez River, where the trail seemed to have terminated. Any further progress pretty much involved getting wet or embarking on a degenerated cliff-hugging rock scramble with no guarantee of getting a good luck at any of the Jemez Falls. We probably spent a pretty solid half-hour or more on a fruitless search for the Jemez Falls in this manner. This was what made Julie and Tahia gave up, but we also saw dozens of other people make this same mistake and fruitlessly search for the Jemez Falls from here. Some people even managed to cross the river and look for the trail on that side! It was only when I reluctantly stopped searching around the East Fork Jemez River and slowly made my way back up to the parking lot did I notice the unsigned fork that we somehow missed. I wondered if our difficulties was a result of an early-season visit to Nambe Falls or if there was incomplete infrastructure as of April 2017. That said, maybe the forest service might have improved the signage and infrastructure since this write-up, and you may be wondering what Im tripping out about Authorities Jemez Falls resides in the Santa Fe National Forest near Jemez Springs in Sandoval County, New Mexico. It is administered by the USDA Forest Service. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website. Nambe Falls (or more accurately Nambe Falls with the accent; meaning its pronounced nam-BEH) was a series of tall waterfalls where the top two tiers were said to be 75ft and 100ft tall, respectively. In a state where we expected more desert than mountains, it was certainly an unexpected waterfall surprise when we briefly toured the northwestern part of New Mexico during our daughters Desert Southwest Spring Break Trip in April 2017. This place definitely had all the potential to be one of the states biggest tourist attractions. It not only featured the scenic falls, but it also offered the opportunity to offset the desert heat in the seemingly reliably-flowing rushing creek. Further adding to the waterfalls scenic allure were commanding views looking downstream towards the Pueblo of Nambe and the picnic grounds backed by the mountains of the Sangre de Cristo (literally blood of Christ). The Potential of Nambe Falls Now, I did mention that Nambe Falls had a lot of potential, but as you can see from the photo above, there was also an imposing 150ft dam and spillway directly above the waterfall. While the dam took away from the scenic allure of this place, it did serve a purpose in terms of providing water for the Nambe people more reliably while also allowing the waterfall to more or less flow consistently. Meanwhile, the view of the falls was also limited due to vegetation obstructing the lower drop of the main two tiers of the Nambe Falls. Ive seen in the literature that it was possible to photograph the lower drop of the falls without the obstructions. However, that would involve some precarious scrambling (possibly beyond the wire fence) where the exposure to a deep dropoff was ever present. We didnt take that risk for the improved photo and Id consider the sub-optimal view shown on this page to be the sanctioned view. There were actually two trails that gave us the opportunity to experience the falls (albeit in very different ways). Experiencing Nambe Falls view from the overlook The first and most obvious manner to enjoy the Nambe Falls was to view it from an overlook. This was the way we wound up experiencing the waterfall. To access the overlook, we ttok a roughly quarter-mile (in each direction) trail that began on the other side of a bridge crossing the creek. Beyond the bridge, the trail then meandered upstream alongside the creek itself before it climbed pretty steeply up a series of steps. Eventually, the trail was high enough to be hugging ledges before it finally ended at a fenced overlook yielding the picture you see at the top of this page. While up at this overlook, there wasnt really a whole lot we could do other than to view the waterfall as well as soak in the commanding views back towards the picnic area and the pueblo. It took us about an hour round trip to do both the hike and experiencing the overlook (about a half-mile total in distance). Experiencing Nambe Falls stream scrambling to the bottom of the waterfall Back at the picnic and parking area, we then briefly followed another path before the bridge that followed on the near side of the creek. After a couple of minutes, we arrived at an open-air shelter. Progress from this point forward was pretty much a scramble as I had to scramble over some rock wall and then follow faint trails before it disappeared into the creek itself. Further progress to get up to the pools below the lowermost of the Nambe Falls required wading in the creek (i.e. getting wet), which I wasnt willing to do at the time. Thus, I cant really say much more about that experience. We were told by the young Native American gatekeeper that this trail was also about a quarter-mile in each direction. I recalled that from the Nambe Falls overlook earlier on, when we looked down at the steepness and how rough the scramble would be to get up to the bases of the upper two drops, it looked like a pretty hazardous and not-so-easy scramble. In any case, to really make the $15 admission price worthwhile, Id imagine youd want to come prepared (to get wet) and experience the falls both from the overlook and its base. Had we done that, it might take a pretty solid 2-3 hours or so to do it all. Authorities Nambe Falls resides in the Nambe Pueblo near the city and county of Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is administered by the Nambe Pueblo. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website. Fossil fuels can include natural gas, oil, and coal. They are currently the world's primary source of energy. Fossil fuels are formed from organic material over the course of millions of years. Such energy sources have fueled many countries resulting in their global economic development over the past century. Fossil fuels are, however, limited resources that can cause irreparable damage to the environment. At present, some of the world's environmentally-minded countries continue to embrace the use of alternative energy sources. Here we take a look at some of these countries and their use of alternative energy sources: 1. Iceland 89.0% of the total energy requirement of Iceland is satisfied by non-fossil fuel energy sources, the highest among the countries of the world. The country makes good use of its comprehensive natural geothermal resources to power its small but exceptionally well-developed green economy. Iceland produces 65% of its energy from geothermal sources and 20% from hydropower. 2. Tajikistan With 64.1% of renewable energy, Tajikistan is the second country least dependent on fossil fuels. Tajikistan primarily benefits from its large hydroelectric plants. About 94% of the country's electricity generating capacity is hydroelectric, but only a small percentage of its potential is used. At present, the government of Tajikistan is focused on attracting investors for hydropower projects and electricity exports. 3. Sweden Sweden's limit on the use of coal has been so successful that it has been commended by the International Energy Agency (IAE) for its new energy policies. The country uses about 48.5% of non-fossil energy and started producing even more energy from biomass by 2010. The move to non-fossil fuels has placed Sweden high on the list of green countries. 4. France France is among the countries least dependent on fossil fuel sources, with 47.0% of its total energy requirement being non-fossil. At around 10%, France is the only country in which hydropower plays a small part in its energy production. Instead, the country produces 75% of its energy from nuclear power. However, by 2025, this share is set to fall to 50%. 5. Switzerland With abundant hydroelectric sources, Switzerland uses about 39.5% non-fossil fuel sources for energy production. About 60% of the country's generated electricity with hydropower accounting for 57% and nuclear power accounting for 38%. The country's wind power and photovoltaic represents less than 0.2%, but their contribution to energy production is set to increase in the future. 6. Costa Rica With 38.7% of the total energy requirement being non-fossil, Costa Rica is among the countries who are least dependent on fossil fuel. In the beginning of 2015, Costa Rica decided to go completely green. The shift will not only preserve Costa Rica's natural resources but will also ensure that the country continues to thrive from its lucrative ecotourism industry. One of the country's renewable efforts includes utilizing rainfall water to power its growing hydroelectric infrastructure. 7. Norway The top three energy sources in Norway are geothermal, hydroelectric, and wind. Of the total energy requirement, 34.0% accounts for non-fossil fuels. However, the country's renewable energy sector has developed to serve the export market rather than for domestic consumption. 8. El Salvador Around 33.8% of the total energy used in El Salvador is from non-fossil fuel sources, making the country among the least dependent on fossil fuels for energy needs. The country's National Energy Policy aims at diversifying its power matrix thus reducing its oil dependency by adding more renewable capacity. In Central America, El Salvador is the largest producer of geothermal energy - it also makes use of hydroelectric power. 9. New Zealand New Zealand primarily uses geothermal power and hydropower with approximately 80% of its electricity coming from renewable energy. In the country, about 40% of primary energy is from renewable energy sources. Hellen Clark, the country's former Prime Minister, had announced a national target of 90% renewable electricity by 2025 in September 2007 with wind energy accounting for the increase. About 31.5% of the total energy required in New Zealand is satisfied by non-fossil fuel energy sources. 10. Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan uses 29.5% of non-fossil fuel energy sources for its total energy requirement. The country has small amounts of fossil fuels but enjoys massive amounts of water resources and an abundant supply of hydropower. The country's generating capacity is mainly hydropower. Kyrgyzstan has for some time been considering the development of hydropower resources as the center of its economic development. Benefits Of Using Non-fossil Fuels Renewable energy is advantageous in that it is derived from sources that are never ending and can be replenished time after time. Renewable energy is considered clean energy as it does not cause adverse environmental pollution. Despite there being some disadvantages of using renewable energy the advantages outweigh them by far, thus making the shift from fossil fuels to non-fossil fuels a wise move. There are at least seventeen sovereign countries globally that only share international border lines with one other country. Some of these countries are landlocked while others have a coastline. The undisputed countries who share borders with only one other neighbor are Vatican City, the United Kingdom, Timor-Leste, South Korea, San Marino, Qatar, Monaco, Portugal, Papua New Guinea, The Gambia, Ireland, Haiti, Brunei, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Denmark. Countries That Only Border One Other Country Canada Canada forms the northern half of North America and only shares its land border with the United States. This border is the longest binational land border between countries in the world and was negotiated by several different treaties for over a century. Canada is the closest ally of the US and citizens in both countries enjoy many shared privileges. On the other hand, Canada has a long maritime border with Greenland and a short maritime border with the French Oversea Islands. Vatican The Vatican City State is an absolute monarchy, ecclesiastical and elective theocracy form of Government ruled by the Pope (Bishop of Rome). The Vatican is enclaved within Rome, Italy and is the smallest State in the World by land and population with Sovereignty being held by the Holy See. Vatican is the only State that enjoys good diplomatic relations with all the countries in the world. Lesotho The Kingdom of Lesotho is an independent landlocked country with a population of approximately 2 million people. It is totally enclaved by South Africa. Lesotho is economically integrated with South Africa, and its agricultural, livestock, manufacturing, mining, import and export industries largely depend on the South African Customs Union. Lesotho also largely relies on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) that has made the country become the largest garments exporter to the US from the Sub-Saharan Africa. South Korea The Republic of South Korea lies in East Asia to the southern part of the Korea Peninsula. South Korea shares a land border with North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The two Koreas separated after the Korean War with the South becoming a democratic State and the North remaining a communist State. South Korea, however, shares maritime borders with both China and Japan. Conventions Countries that border only one other country and are landlocked are protected by the Convention on Transit Trade of Land-Locked States. The convention is a multilateral treaty that allows these countries to transport goods to and from seaports and use the airspaces of their neighbors. All landlocked and coastal states must ratify and domesticate this treaty as per the United Nations General Assembly agreement signed in 1965 and implemented in 1967. In the Convention, the coastal states (transit states) agree to make favorable agreements with land-locked states that wish to import and export goods through the transit states territory. The transit states do not discriminate the origin or destination of these goods, and the goods are protected by international laws while in transit. Landlocked states, on the other hand, are accountable for all expense incurred by the transit states during the goods supervision and protection. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea gives enclaved countries a right of access to the sea without taxation through the transit state and with waivered sea tariffs. The US has many diplomatic relations all over the world. Such relations include all of the UN member states apart from Syria, North Korea, Bhutan, and Iran. The US also has diplomatic relations with Kosovo, the Holy See, and the European Union. The US federal statutes relating to foreign relations are derived in title 22 of the US Code. There are only four countries in the world who hold no diplomatic ties with the United States. 4. Syria Diplomatic relations between the US and Syria have officially been nonexistent since 2012 due to the Syrian Civil War. Key issues between the two nations are the Iraq War, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Golan Heights annexation. According to the US Global Leadership Report of 2012, a poll conducted during the Syrian civil war deduced that 29% of the Syrian population approves of the US leadership, 31% of Syrians are uncertain, and 40% of the population disapproves. 3. North Korea The relationship between North Korea and the US has been hostile since the time of the Korean War. However, in recent years, the hostility has increased due to North Korea's creation of long-range missiles which have the capability of hitting targets that are thousands of miles away. There are constant threats to strike both South Korea and the US by using conventional and nuclear weapons. In addition, North Korea's five tests of nuclear weapons have largely attributed to the hostility between the two nations. During the presidency of George W. Bush, North Korea was designated part of "The Axis of Evil". The reference was made because of the threats made by North Korea and its nuclear capabilities. As the US has no formal diplomatic relations with North Korea, Sweden serves as the protecting power for the US regarding consular matters pertaining to North Korea. Since the time of the Korean War, the US has established a tenacious military presence in South Korea. 2. Iran The US has no formal diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Instead of swapping ambassadors, the US has maintained contact through a corresponding interests section through the Swiss Embassy situated in Tehran since 1980. Iran has maintained an interests section at the Pakistani Embassy located in Washington, DC. Both the US and Iran decided to cut diplomatic ties in 1980 with the agreement of creating "interest sections". The US and Iran each picked a third country as a protecting power in their capital. The country had to have friendly relations with both nations. Initially, Algeria served as the protecting power for Iran in the US. However, following the expressed support for the Islamic Salvation Front by the Iranian leaders, Algeria terminated its service as its protecting power in January 1992. Pakistan stepped up two months later agreeing to serve as the nation's protecting power in the US. 1. Bhutan The US has no diplomatic relations with Bhutan. However, the US still maintains informal connections via its embassy which is located in New Delhi, India. The US has volunteered to relocate about 60,000 of the 107,000 of the supposed Bhutanese refugees. The refugees are believed to be of Nepalese origins who are now residing in the seven UN refugee camps situated in the southeastern region of Nepal. South America is a continent that makes up part of the Americas. It is bordered by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Central America, and the Caribbean Sea. This continent is politically divided into 12 sovereign countries, French Guiana (a territory of France), and the Falkland Islands (its territory is under dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina). Tourism in South America is a significant part of the economy for many countries as visitors come to see ancient ruins, natural parks, and a diverse range of cultures. Some countries are more popular than others. This article takes a look at the least visited sovereign countries in South America. The Least Popular Tourist Destinations in South America Ecuador Ecuador is number five on the list of least visited countries in South America. In 2015, this country received around 1.543 million international tourists. Its government is dedicated to increasing the size and importance of its tourism industry. Perhaps the most popular tourist attraction in this country is the Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean. These islands are well-known for having a high level of endemic species and for helping Charles Darwin develop his Theory of Evolution. This country is also home to Chimborazo volcano, the highest mountain in Ecuador and the highest peak near the Equator. Ecuador provides tourists with the opportunity to learn about a number of different cultures, visit numerous beaches, and explore a variety of archaeological ruins. Paraguay Paraguay is the 4th least visited country in South America. In 2015, this country received around 1.214 million international tourists. This industry provides jobs to approximately 9,500 people in the country. This country offers nature and adventure based tourist attractions. Hiking, zip-lining, rock rappelling, and fishing are some of the most popular activities available in Paraguay. Tourists can feast upon the region's unique culinary dishes prepared here, or come to learn about diverse cultures. Bolivia Bolivia is the 3rd least visited country in South America. In 2015, this country received approximately 882,000 international tourists. The largest groups of tourists primarily visit from Brazil (33,254), Chile (30,776), and the United States (29,612). Bolivia is home to 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the ruins of Tiwanaku. One of the oldest known settlements in the Americas, the city of Potosi, is in Bolivia. It was once home to the largest silver deposits in the world. The Amazon Rainforest, the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos, the Fuerte de Samaipata, and the Carnival of Oruro, are all tourist attractions located in Bolivia. Additionally, tourists may visit Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world), the Andes mountains, and the Madidi National Park (one of the most biodiverse parks in the world). Suriname Suriname is the 2nd least visited country in South America, receiving only around 228,000 tourists in 2015. This sovereign country has the smallest area on the continent and once made up part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This country has just over a half million residents - the majority of whom live along the coastal areas. Approximately 30% of the area of Suriname has been protected as a nature reserve, most of which is the rainforest. Ecotourism is popular here and many visitors tour the nature reserves, islands, indigenous villages, and waterfalls. The Least Visited Country In South America Guyana Guyana is the least visited country in South America. Only 207,000 tourists visited here in 2015. This country was once a Dutch colony and then a British colony before gaining its independence in 1966. It is known locally as The Land of Many Waters. The government has previously attempted to nominate the Kaieteur National Park, which is home to one of the highest levels of endemism in South America, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately for Guyana, the site was considered too small for a nomination. Tourists to Guyana may visit several important sites, including St. Georges Anglican Cathedral, the second tallest wooden religious building in the world, the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the fourth longest floating bridge in the world, and the Guiana Highlands Forest, a World Wildlife Fund ecoregion. The world has numerous international boarders, many of which are easily traversed by land. However, in some areas of the world, crossing a border by land can carry very serious risks which may even include death. In this article, we take a look at ten borders from around the world where travelers have reported negative experiences, ranging from the mild hassle to the harrowing. 10. China and Kyrgzstan (Torugart Pass or Erkeshtam) The Chinese border with Kyrgzstan is a difficult one to cross, although not necessarily for the same reasons many of the other crossings make our list. Unlike other areas where civil and political unrest are major problems, at the Chinese/Kyrgz border high altitude poses a challenge to tourists. Improper acclimatization can result in altitude sickness which can be fatal. Additionally, the border operates on Beijing time, a time zone that is barely appropriate for the border's geographic location in the extreme west of China. If travelers do not time things correctly within the border's reduced operating hours, it is possible to be stuck at the border for days. The area has little food, fuel, and accommodations to offer. 9. Angola and DRC The boundary line between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola is about 1,560 miles long. It is almost impossible to cross the border due to disputes over several issues including offshore oil ownership and the border region between the two countries. An estimated 211,000 people were displaced in 2009, due to such disputes which resulted in women being subjected to rape and sexual violence by both the Congolese and Angolan security forces. Civil war in the northern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola's hesitance to issue tourist issues are factors that contribute to this border's difficult reputation. 8. Cambodia and Thailand (Aranyapratht/Poi Pet) The history behind border tension between Cambodia and Thailand goes back centuries. The most recent clash between the two countries occurred between 2008 and 2011 and concerned the ownership of the Preah Vihiar Temple and its surrounding area. The dispute resulted in the United Nations siding with Cambodia and ordering the removal of all Thai troops. Crossing the border as a tourist is described as a dysfunctional experience at best. As southeast Asia is an important area for tourists and backpackers, the painstaking experience of crossing it has been agonized over by many travel blogs and books, including Lonely Planet. Hassles include extremely long wait times and corrupted border officers. 7. Pakistan and Iran (Taftan/Mirjaveh) There is only one legal border crossing between Iran and Pakistan, located at the border cities of Taftan, Pakistan and Mirjaveh, Iran. A route infamous for smuggling, the task of simply arriving at the border city entails at least 12 hours of dangerous driving that requires acute attention. At the border itself, there is a ten foot tall barrier known as the "Iran-Pakistan Barrier", which has been constructed by the Iranian government. The border region also features fortress-style garrisons for troops and police as well as observation towers. Interestingly, the two countries do not have any border disputes or any other claims of the like. As a matter of fact, Pakistan has not taken issue with Iran constructing a fence on its territory. However, this does not undermine the risks involved with crossing this border. The region remains known for sectarian violence and kidnappings (or in extreme cases, even killings) of tourists is not unheard of. 6. China and North Korea (Dandong) For years, China and North Korea have enjoyed friendly relations and a lightly guarded border. However, there have been growing security concerns for Beijing since thousands of refugees from North Korea have tried to enter China illegally. An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 North Korean refugees flooded the border during North Korea's great famine. In October 2006, China started to build a concrete and barbed wire fence on its border part with North Korea. China stepped up efforts to fortify its part of the border since November 2010 following warning of increased food crisis in North Korea. Although Chinese tourists are reportedly still able to cross the border, the situation is completed for all other nationalities. 5. India and Pakistan (Attari-Wagah) With a length of 1,800 miles, the border between India and Pakistan has existed in its current form since 1947. The region is synonymous with violent disputes resulting in the death and displacement of many people. In the disputed region of Kashmir, hostilities between India and Pakistan have resulted in the death of about 100,000 people. The Line of Control carries a cease-fire which remains in effect to this day. The Pakistani administration controls two areas of Kashmir while the Indian government controls three. Neither side formally acknowledges the acquisition of the areas claimed by the other. Few foreigners have ever crossed. 4. Panama and Colombia (Darien Gap) The border between Panama and Colombia is known as the "Darien Gap". It is rumored to be one of the those popular areas of the world for drug smuggling, a fact made possible by its heavy remote rainforest cover that makes activity difficult to monitor. To add additional difficulty, access to most parts of the border is almost impossible without the permission of Panama's border patrol police known as the Seafront. The border is a major hiccup in traversing the nearly 30,000 mile Pan-American highway. The uneven terrain is practically impossible to navigate, a fact that is worsened if the region is experiencing heavy rains. However, there is resistance to building a road in the agree as it could disrupt Indigenous communities and threaten rainforest vitality. 3. South Korea and North Korea (the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ) The border between South and North Korea is one of the most heavily militarized border in the world, and needs little introduction. Since 1948, the 38th parallel has marked the borders between South Korea and North Korea. It was born out of an agreement between both sides to move their troops back from the front line, creating a 2.5-mile buffer zone known as the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Although the two nations were agreeing to a cease-fire, no treaty or peace agreement was signed. This means that both North Korea and South Korea are still technically at war. Casualties have occurred on both sides of the DMZ, and have included civilians. Although permission to cross the border is rarely granted to foreigners, it is not unheard of. It does, however, remain rare as it requires permission from both sides. 2. Sudan and South Sudan Although Sudan was the first country to officially recognize the world's newest country, South Sudan, as an independent entity, relations have been frigid between the two countries since. The border between the two countries is representative of such poor relations, as both Southern Sudan and Sudan claim administration over the Abyei region which is part of Southern Kordofan. The President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir declared that he would not recognize South Sudan's independence if its government continues to claim ownership over the region. As a result of disputes over the region, the UN estimates that over 113,000 people have been displaced, making the border region between South Sudan and Sudan the most dangerous places in the world. Overland crossing is virtually impossible. 1. Pakistan and Afghanistan (Durand Line) The 1,510 mile border between Pakistan and Afghanistan was drawn in the late 19th century by a British diplomat, Sir Mortimer Durand, for whom it was named. The arbitrary border cuts through land area belong to ethnic groups, including the Pashtun and Baloch, many of whom have lived near the border since ancient times. Ever since the drawing of the border, violence has existed. Even today, it is often characterized as one of the world's most dangerous crossings. Dangers at the border include drone strikes, lawlessness, al Qaeda, and the presence of other militant groups. Afghanistan does not formally recognize the Durand Line as a border. As of 2017, the border remains closed. It is impossible for tourists to cross. A Brief Overview The Soweto Student Uprising began on the morning of June 16, 1976, when students from various schools in Soweto, a neighborhood of Johannesburg, went to the streets to peacefully protest the introduction of the Afrikaans language as a medium of instructions in schools. Approximately 20,000 students went to the streets but were met with brutal state machinery killing hundreds of students who were to converge at the Orlando Stadium. Depending on the sources, casualties range from 176 to approximately 700 students. The uprising influenced other country-wide protests that changed the socio-political landscape in the country. In remembrance, June 16 is now a public holiday in South Africa known as the Youth Day. What Triggered The Soweto Student Uprising? The government introduced the Afrikaans Medium Decree in 1974 forcing all schools to use both Afrikaans and English as official instructional language starting from January 1, 1975. According to the decree, general science and practical disciplines like art, metalwork, agriculture, home craft, and needlework were to be communicated in English while Indigenous languages would be used for religious, physical culture, and music subjects. Afrikaans was to be used in mathematics, arithmetic, and social sciences. These instructions were to affect students from seventh grade onwards. Black South African students preferred English which was spreading fast in trade and industry while Afrikaans was associated with the Apartheid regime and its use was on the decline among the African populations. Afrikaans was known as the language of the oppressor and a change of the language at seventh grade would force students to focus on learning the language rather than skills the subject provided. By April 30, 1976, children at Orlando West Junior School refused to attend school prompting other schools in Soweto to join occasional protests. Students from different schools then formed a committee (Soweto Students Representative Council) that spearheaded the June 16 protests to pass a message. June 16, 1976: The Day Of Bloodshed On June 16, many students went to school without knowledge of any planned march. However, the majority agreed to participate in the planned protests. The Black Consciousness Movement and Teachers supported the protests and emphasized that it should be peaceful. The procession moved from one school to another, picking up students. In some places, they found that the police had barricaded the roads and therefore had to change the route to avoid confrontations. As the number grew, the students held signs with slogans like "Down with Afrikaans," "Viva Azania" and "If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must do Zulu." The police first fired tear gas, but the students pressed forward. They then killed a police dog that was set to charge on them, and this made the police to shoot directly at the students, some who were below the age of thirteen years. According to government records, many people died on that day alone. Black South Africans joined the protests and targeted businesses and houses of apartheid government workers and whites. Heavily armored vehicles patrolled the streets, and the government ordered doctors to record and report all those who were treated for bullet wounds so that they could be prosecuted. The doctors declined and recorded bullet wounds as swellings. A heavy police force patrolled Soweto for the following days as the army was put on standby as a show of readiness and willingness to use military force. The Events That Followed The Soweto Uprising The uprising claimed hundreds of casualties and thousands of victims. The ANC soon took a lead role in organizing strikes and representing student grievances. The international community condemned the apartheid regime and most boycotted any association with the regime. Political agitations increased as more youths and students joined movements and workers went on strike regularly thus hurting the economy. By the end of 1976, more than 600 people had been killed. RACINE Renaissance School plans to open a new school campus for 2017-18 school year at 1510 Villa St., at the former parish school building at St. Richard of Chichester Catholic Parish. Renaissance School is operated by Lutheran Urban Mission Initiative, Inc. (LUMIN). Currently Renaissance serves about 300 students on two campuses. The 4-year-old kindergarten through third-grade students attend classes at 6150 Taylor Ave., Mount Pleasant, and fourth- through eighth-graders attend classes in Kenosha at the former St. Peter Catholic Parish school, 2224 30th St. Plans are to relocate the Kenosha program to the St. Richard location and also add 4-year-old kindergarten through third-grade classes there. No changes are planned for the program at the Taylor Avenue campus. Richard Laabs, president and CEO of LUMIN, said most of the students who attend the Kenosha campus are from Racine, so it makes sense to move the school there. We were transporting (the students) all the way down to St. Peter in Kenosha, Laabs said. It was very inconvenient, even with the busing that was provided. Laabs said the St. Richard building, which most recently housed Family Literacy of Racine, will provide space for future growth. We will now have the capacity to serve in total, between the two facilities, between 400 and 450 students, Laabs said. Weve never had this luxury of building capacity to grow our enrollment. LUMIN will address various deferred maintenance issues and fund a variety of upgrades and improvements to the St. Richard facility. Were going to be renovating the main lobby and the main entrance going into the building, Laabs said. Were also going to be relocating the administrative offices to the main entrance for building security so we can monitor more closely whos coming and going. Laabs declined to say how much the renovation is projected to cost, saying only it would be a considerable sum. The building has not been vacant, but its been underutilized, Laabs said, adding that he expects the school to be ready by Aug. 1. Laabs said 99.9 percent of students, virtually all of them, are part of the Racine Parental Choice voucher program. TOWN OF WATERFORD A man was cited after he allegedly crashed his vehicle into a utility pole on Highway 83, causing power outages, and then fled the scene, Waterford Police Capt. Matthew Johnson said. At about 10:32 p.m. Tuesday, Waterford police and Tichigan fire and rescue crews responded to the area of Highway 83 and Maple Road for a single-vehicle rollover crash. The crash site is just over a mile northwest of the Waterford village limits. According to police, the suspect, a 34-year-old man whose name was withheld Wednesday, struck a utility pole and fled the crash site on foot, Johnson stated. The man was allegedly picked up and taken to his home in Mukwonago before the Mukwonago Police Department found him at about 11:30 p.m. He was cited for failure to maintain control of vehicle, hit and run to property adjacent to a highway and failure to report an accident. He was later released from custody. Road closed, power lost Following the crash, the northbound and southbound lanes on Highway 83 between Maple Road and Hill Valley Drive were closed due to the incident, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation State Traffic Operations Center. The roads reopened at 5:06 a.m., police said. The crash also caused power outages for area residents. At about 10:27 p.m., nearly 2,500 We Energies customers were without power, We Energies spokeswoman Amy Jahns said. Most customers saw their power restored by 3 a.m., with the last customers power restored before 4 a.m. The Racine County Sheriffs Office and personnel from the Tichigan Radio Emergency Network assisted Waterford police with traffic control. Craig Breen put a brave face on a disappointing YPF Rally Argentina at which he spent more time on the sidelines than experiencing the south American roads. Breen was competing outside Europe for the first time but bowed out of Fridays action after only three stages. His Citroen C3 smashed into the same compression that team-mate Kris Meeke hit in the first pass through the Santa Rosa - San Agustin test. The impact flung the car into the air and when it landed the gearbox had jammed in fifth gear. He limped to the finish but retirement was inevitable. The French squad repaired the C3 in readiness for a Rally 2 return on Saturday, but in morning service an oil leak was discovered in the engine and he sat out the day. The Irishman finally got back behind the wheel for Sundays three stages in El Condor and Giulio Cesare, setting a couple of top four times. It was tough, but I learned a lot from the recce and took good experience from Sundays stages so it wasnt all bad, Breen told wrc.com. I was just trying to do a fast recce on Sunday and make sure all the pace notes were fine and try to be in the best shape possible to come back next year. The speed was good in a couple of stages, so Im quite pleased with that. The characteristics of Argentinas tough gravel tracks provided an eye-opener. Its so much rougher than what Im used to. The stages on Friday especially were incredibly fast, and some on Saturday also. That was a bit of a surprise. Sundays stages were incredibly rough, a lot of big stones, ruts and rocks, so its all a new experience for me. Driving El Condor on Sunday was awesome. There were so many people, Ive never seen anything like it in all my life. It was a pleasure to be able to drive it, he said. VIDEO More News RACINE On a recent Monday afternoon, Racine residents Sylvester and Ruth Stokes watched intently as volunteers replaced the roof on their Durand Avenue home, just west of Drexel Avenue, all thanks to a little help from Stokes fellow comrades in arms. Racine Area Veterans Inc. chipped in $1,200, along with labor from three volunteers from D&D Roofing and General Contracting LLC and supplies from Home Depot. The $6,000 job included new plywood, tar paper, and shingles. Humbled by the effort, Stokes said hes been in the area for about 22 years. A retired preacher, Stokes was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1953 during the Korean War. I remember it well. It was very cold in the winter time and hot in the summer, Stokes said. Even though American participation in the conflict was more than six decades ago, current tensions with North Korea bring it all back. I hope it does not start up again, Stokes said. Last summer, volunteers replaced the shingles on Stokess detached garage but had to wait to finish the job on the house. They did the garage on their day off. We couldnt do the house then, so we waited until now to do it, said Alan Winter, president of the Racine Area Veterans Inc. Vets helping each other Also helping out was Robert Kipp, a Racine native and a member of Team Rubicon, a national disaster response organization comprised largely of veterans. For three years, serving with mortuary affairs based at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Kipp welcomed the remains of U.S. serviceman who died overseas as well as U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed in the raid on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. With everything Ive seen, I want to help veterans but I also wanted to help myself in the process, Kipp said. Kipp, who served three tours in Iraq, plans to open a veteran therapy camp in northern Wisconsin to help veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. I dont like to do therapy in a roundtable setting. Its clinical and feels like an institution, Kipp said. I wanted to do peer-to-peer counseling through fishing and hunting trips. Just spending time together. In the meantime, hell help veterans like Stokes, who just had a leaky roof and little means for a complete replacement. The fan that was up there was not functional; now, you have a vent thats on the ridge, Kipp told Stokes. Youll have better ventilation than you have now. Your air conditioning bill will be less. Thank you, Stokes said during the April 24 roof installation. MADISON In several bipartisan votes, the state Assembly passed a series of bills Tuesday targeting homelessness. While the impact on overall local homelessness issues remains to be seen, one area it wont affect is the waiting list for rental assistance. The Housing Authority of Racine County still has some 900 people waiting for federal Housing Choice Vouchers, which provide assistance to low-income families. Under one of the bills passed Tuesday, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority could prioritize chronically homeless people on its waiting list of about 4,900 people. The bill did not add money to expand vouchers, which brought criticism from Democrats who said the legislation did not do enough to reduce waiting lists. Issue of fairness Joe Volk, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness, said the legislation could lead local homeless advocates to ask that chronically homeless people in communities like Racine also be given top priority for rent assistance. Residents on WHEDAs list mostly live in rural areas that do not have local housing authorities. One of the things that this would do ... is it would give an argument for local advocates to go to their housing authorities and say, If WHEDAs doing this, why shouldnt we? Volk said. In Racine County, the Housing Authority Board has not given priority to one person over another, Executive Director Linda Ring Weber said. The board will likely determine spots through a lottery the next time the list is opened, she said. Its a fairness thing with my board, Ring Weber said. In 2014, the Housing Authority reopened its rental assistance waiting list for the first time in more than two years and were swarmed with people. Eventually, more than 2,800 people signed up in a week. With such a long waiting list, even getting a higher priority wouldnt mean as much in Racine County, Ring Weber said. Of course, when you prioritize some people, you unprioritize some other people, to some extent, Volk said. Thats the nature of government resources. Other bills Other bills passed Tuesday create an Interagency Council on Homelessness to establish and review state policy for ending and preventing homelessness; creates a grant program for municipalities to connect homeless people to jobs and workforce training; and frees up money for transitional housing. Republicans, and advocates including Volk, praised the bills for addressing homeless at the state level for the first time in years. Is it enough? No. Would I like more of an investment? Yes, Volk said. But in the context of both Democratic and Republican administrations simply ignoring the issue over the last 25 years, this is a really good first step. The Trump White House and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives are scrambling to come up with the 216 Republican votes needed to pass a revised version of the administrations bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. The amended version of the Trump administrations American Health Care Act would impose an even more savage attack on health care for millions of peopleand more of a windfall for the insurance companies and big businessthan the original version, which was aborted in March as a result of opposition from the extreme right-wing Republican Freedom Caucus, which deemed it too generous. Both versions of the Republican measure build on right-wing, pro-corporate features of the Obama administrations Affordable Care Act, but go even further in cutting health care costs for big business and the government while reducing benefits and increasing out-of-pocket costs for millions of working people. Last week, the House leadership introduced an amendment complying with the basic demands of the Freedom Caucus, some three dozen House members, to gut the original bills provisions requiring insurance firms to cover people with preexisting conditions without raising their premiums and include in all policies they sell a set of essential benefits. During his election campaign and after taking office, President Donald Trump had promised to retain these provisions of Obamacare. While securing on this basis the support of the Freedom Caucus, the administration has added to the ranks of so-called moderate Republicans who are opposing the broadly unpopular bill, largely out of fear of the electoral repercussions of voting for it. In a recent NBC News poll, half of respondents said they had little or no confidence that the bill would make their health care better, up from 34 percent in February. With all 193 House Democrats expected to vote against the measure, the Republicans can afford no more than 22 defections, but as of Tuesday, various media outlets were reporting 21 Republicans already in the no column and as many as 24 others still undecided. White House officials had been pressing for a vote on the House floor as early as Wednesday, and both Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price have been meeting with Republican House members in the Capitol to secure the needed votes. As of this writing, however, no vote had been scheduled. This is despite a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning at which Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan addressed the entire House Republican caucus to shift members currently opposed or undecided. At a press briefing following the meeting, Ryan and other leading Republican House members shamelessly lied about the health care bill, claiming it did not weaken the guarantee against insurance companies discriminating against individuals with preexisting medical conditions. They were following in the footsteps of Trump, who said in a Sunday interview on CBS News Face the Nation program, Preexisting conditions are in the bill. And I mandate it. Two major defections prompted by the amendment gutting protections for people with preexisting conditions underscored the shaky prospects for the bills passage. On Monday, longtime Trump supporter Rep. Billy Long of Missouri came out in opposition. On Tuesday, Fred Upton of Michigan, until recently the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and author of many previous Republican bills to repeal Obamacare, told a radio station in Holland, Michigan that he would vote against the current measure. He said the new amendment torpedoes the previous provisions on preexisting conditions. The amendment undermines Obamacare provisions on preexisting conditions and essential benefits by allowing states to apply for waivers to opt out of these requirements. States could let insurers charge older customers more than the original bill allowedat least five times more than younger ones, beginning in 2018. They could also allow insurers to charge higher premiums for people with preexisting conditions who have had a gap in coverage of at least 63 days in the prior year. States that opted out would be required to establish high-risk pools and similar programs that would supposedly provide insurance to people with serious conditions unable to obtain it in the private market. However, the bill calls for the federal government to allocate only $13 billion a year for such programs, enough to insure only a small fraction of the people who would lose coverage. States would also be allowed to opt out of the Affordable Care Acts essential health benefits clause, which requires insurers to cover a set of key benefits including hospitalization, prescription drugs, maternity care, emergency room visits, mental health and substance abuse treatment, lab tests, screenings and vaccines, pediatric services, and treatment for chronic conditions. Last March, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the earlier version of Trumpcare would strip 14 million people of health coverage next year and a total of 24 million by 2026. It would cut health care spending on net by $1.15 trillion and slash Obamacare taxes for the wealthy and for health corporations by $999 billion. The CBO estimated that the March version of the bill would cut $880 billion from Medicaid alone over the course of the next decade. The current version retains all the antisocial and regressive provisions of the earlier bill, and adds to them. It effectively dismantles Medicaid, the government health program for the poor, currently covering some 74 million Americans, ending its status as an entitlement program. It terminates, beginning in 2020, expanded federal funding for Medicaid carried out under Obamacare. Instead of guarantees of benefits for all eligible recipients, the American Health Care Act would send the states a fixed amount of money per enrollee, referred to as a per-capita cap. States could also opt to receive federal Medicaid funding in a block grant for adults and children in the program, where they would receive a specific amount of money, regardless of the number of enrollees. States could also seek approval for imposing work requirements for Medicaid recipients and charging them copays and other fees. Taken as a whole, these changes would end Medicaid as a guaranteed social insurance program based on need, creating conditions where millions of beneficiaries would be ejected from the rolls or have their benefits sharply reduced. The bill also repeals Obamacare subsidies to help low- and middle-income people pay for coverage purchased on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces from private insurers. Subsidies would be replaced with annual tax credits based on age, not income, but with credits phased out for those at higher incomes. It would repeal, effective in 2020, cost-sharing subsidies to insurance firms to lower deductibles and copays currently available to individuals earning less than $30,000 a year to help pay for out-of-pocket medical costs. It would abolish the requirement that companies with at least 50 employees provide insurance for their workers. It is a virtual certainty that most of the reactionary provisions of Trumpcare, including the de facto termination of Medicaid as an entitlement program, will eventually be enacted. The Democrats have reacted to the Republicans difficulties in passing their bill by offering to collaborate in working out a compromise to further slash costs for corporations and the government at the expense of the general population. The Australian pseudo-left organisation Socialist Alternative last week joined a witch-hunt of University of Sydney academic Tim Anderson, spearheaded by the Liberal-National government and the corporate media, for his rejection of the claims used to justify the US bombing of a Syrian air base on April 7. The article, written by Omar Hassan, was published in Redflag under the headline, Whats wrong with Tim Anderson? In what can only be described as an exercise in crude pro-war propaganda, Socialist Alternative declared that the official pretext for the Trump administrations attackthat the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad deployed chemical weapons early last monthwas indisputable. In other words, it is illegitimate to even question the unproven assertions of the US military, the CIA and their mouthpieces in the corporate press, which served as the pretext for an illegal act of aggression against an impoverished and beleaguered Middle-Eastern country. On the basis of this premise, Socialist Alternative uncritically echoed the venomous denunciations of Anderson published in the Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph, and Fairfax Medias Sydney Morning Herald. Those publications have labelled Anderson an Assad-loving boffin and a sarin-gas bag and have featured the comments of senior government ministers calling for him to be investigated or sacked. Socialist Alternative explicitly solidarised itself with this filthy witch-hunt, declaring, we have seen multiple articles in the mainstream media attacking Anderson and his pals ... they are valid in pointing out the many problems with his views Socialist Alternatives article marks a new stage in the organisations integration into the US-led drive to war against Syria, which is part of Washingtons moves for confrontation with Russia and China. It is a warning that amid an explosion of militarism, threatening the eruption of a global conflagration, Socialist Alternative will function as a point-man for the government in vilifying and intimidating opponents of war. Since 2011, Socialist Alternative has been among the most vociferous proponents of the US-instigated regime-change operation in Syria. It has hailed as revolutionaries the Islamist proxy forces that have been armed, funded and trained by the CIA and Washingtons regional allies, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. It has done everything it can to deny the well-documented role of the US in provoking the Syrian conflict. At a conference last month, Socialist Alternatives leading members spelt out the implications of their line. Corey Oakley, the editor of Redflag, denounced the position that American imperialism was the main enemy, and not to be trusted. Referencing the mass opposition to the criminal invasion of Iraq in 2003, Oakley condemned those he said had a living-in-2003 kind of mentality. He insisted it was illegitimate to call for the construction of an international anti-war movement of the working class. Hassans article makes clear that these pro-war positions can be defended only on the basis of lies and slander. He began by declaring that anyone questioning the claim that Assad deployed chemical weapons was part of the weird and wacky world of the far-right blogosphere. In provocative language best suited to right-wing tabloids, Hassan wrote: They pulled out all stops: shocking headlines, capital letters, even the classic homoerotic picture of a topless Putin on a horse. The point of all this frantic activity? To cast as much doubt as possible on the indisputable fact that Bashar al-Assad had unleashed yet another barrage of chemical weapons on the Syrian people. In reality, there is no proof that Assad was responsible for the alleged April 4 chemical weapons attack in the town of Khan Sheikhun, in southern Idlib province. Like the lies in the corporate press, Hassans article provides no evidence for this claim, nor does it suggest any motive for the Syrian regime to perpetrate such an attack. As Anderson, and others, including the WSWS, have documented, the alleged attack occurred under conditions in which the US-backed opposition forces were being routed by government troops on several fronts. The chemical attack provided the most hawkish sections of the US-military with the pretext for direct intervention. In other words, the CIA and its Islamist allies, unlike the Syrian government, had ample motive. The attack occurred in an area controlled by Al-Nusra, Syrias Al-Qaeda affiliate. Thus, all the information regurgitated by the media, and organisations such as Socialist Alternative, comes solely from an avowed terrorist organisation. Moreover, both the US and its allies have rejected calls by Syria and Russia for an independent investigation into the alleged attack. And neither Washington, nor its media mouthpieces, have explained how the Assad regime could have deployed chemical weapons, given that its arsenal was destroyed under the supervision of the US and international authorities more than two years ago. All this is a closed book to Hassan. Instead, to bolster his case, he refers to a previous alleged chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, in August 2013, again asserting it was perpetrated by the government. In fact, Seymour Hersh, the renowned investigative journalist, published an exhaustive expose of that attack, documenting that, in all probability, it was carried out by Al-Qaeda linked forces, who received the gas from Washingtons NATO partner, Turkey. As with last months attack, the provocation in 2013 was used to call for stepped-up US intervention. Hassan makes much of Andersons support for the bourgeois-nationalist Assad regime. Speaking for a privileged ruling elite, the Russian-backed Assad government is organically incapable of making any appeal to the working class in Syria, throughout the region, or internationally, to mobilise against the US-led proxy war for regime-change. Assad has repeatedly signaled that he would, if permitted by Washington, reach an accommodation with the US and its allies. Anderson, however, has not been targeted because of his bankrupt support for Assad, but because he is one of the few prominent academics to speak out against yet another US pretext for its imperialist intrigues against Syria, and the danger that it could provoke a confrontation between US imperialism and nuclear-armed Russia. This was underscored two days after Hassans piece appeared. A grubby Sydney Morning Herald article featured denunciations of Anderson for publicly criticising Anzac Day, the nationalist and militarist Australian holiday of April 25. Anderson posted a tweet with the Anzac refrain, lest we forget, referencing Australias role in the bombing of a Syrian army facility in September 2016, which killed at least 100 Syrian troops. The article quoted Eric Abetz, a senior Liberal-National government senator, who labelled Andersons tweet bizarre and highly inappropriate, and declared his comments showed our higher education institutions are being overrun by radical ideological extremists. Such are the forces with which Socialist Alternative is aligned. While Abetzs comments suggested Anderson should be run out of the university, Hassans article implied that the academic and his supporters should be barred from refugee protests for opposing the wars in Syria and elsewhere, which have turned millions into desperate asylum-seekers. Hassan did not so much as mention the Trump administrations cruise missile strikes on a Syrian airbase, occupied by Russian personnel and equipment, just days after the alleged chemical weapons attack. The bombardment of the airbase represented a major escalation in Washingtons reckless confrontation with Russia. As the maxim goes, silence is consent. Nor has Socialist Alternative written on the Trump administrations April 13 use of a Massive Ordnance Air Blast, the largest bomb dropped in combat since World War II, on Afghan villagers. US threats to initiate a nuclear conflict with North Korea have also largely passed without comment in Redflags pages. Socialist Alternative has embraced the war drive of the US and its allies, including Australia, in the Middle East. It will do the same as tensions and war dangers grow with China. Speaking for affluent layers of the upper middle class in academia, the top echelons of the public sector, and the union bureaucracy, the organisation instinctively identifies the selfish interests of its main constituency with the predatory wars for resources, markets and profits waged by the major imperialist powers. The logical corollary of this class position is ruthless hostility to anti-war sentiment in general, and the fight to build an international anti-war movement of the working class in particular. This speech was delivered by Julie Hyland, Assistant National Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party in the UK, to the 2017 International May Day Online Rally held on April 30. The International Committee of the Fourth International stands in solidarity with the millions of refugees and migrants across the world. We defend the right of all workers to live and work where they choose, with full citizenship rights. This unshakeable commitmentthe keystone of any workers organisation worthy of the nameis in stark contrast to what passes for much of the left today. May Day 2017 Julie Hyland Bernie Sanders in the US, Melenchon in France, Lafontaine in Germany and Corbyn in Britain all reject the principle of free movement and, in many instances, even call for the reinforcing of borderssupposedly to protect native-born workers. In this way they facilitate the efforts of their governments to foment hatred of immigrants, in order to split the working class and divert attention from the real source of workers suffering, the capitalist system. As a consequence, the only time migrants are mentioned in the media is as sexual predators, drug dealers or terrorists. The identities of those targeted may changeMexicans in the US, Syrians in Europe, or that favoured catch-all, Muslims. But the rhetoric is borrowed straight from the playbook of the Nazis and their demonising of the supposedly criminal Jew. In reality, just as it was 70 years ago, these impoverished and vulnerable workers and children are the victims of monstrous crimes committed by the imperialist powers. Fifteen years of the so-called war on terrorthe pretext for a renewal of colonialist war and plunder in the Middle East and elsewherehave produced the greatest migration crisis since World War II. More than 65.5 million people are refugees, not counting the 14 million plus, who are internally displaced. In the time it takes me to make these remarks, nearly 300 people will have been forced from their homes somewhere in the world. Thats almost 3,000 people by the end of the rally, and more than 35,000 by the end of today. If refugees were a country they would form the 22nd largest in the worldlarger than the UK, Italy or South Africa. Already, more than half the worlds refugees are from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia. But in the last weeks, the Trump administrationbacked by the European governmentshas bombed Syria and dropped the largest ever non-nuclear MOAB bomb on Afghanistan, while US forces have gone back into Somalia as part of ongoing efforts to install a puppet government. This is the situation even without the menacing of North Korea and China, and the provocations against Moscowall of which threaten a third world war. Each Tomahawk missile dropped on Syria costs up to $1.5 million. The price tag for a single MOAB is $16 million. The US defence shield (THAAD), being installed in South Korea, costs an estimated $1 billion, while $100 billion is spent annually on nuclear weapons by nuclear-armed nations, $12 million every hour. Yet, while the imperialist powers squander vast sums to destroy entire countries, the victims of their aggressionthose who remain alive at leastare left in abject squalor. More than 90 percent of all refugees never make it to the West, but are forced into countries already wracked by poverty and conflict. In Libya, modern-day slave markets have openedtrading in African refugees to be used as forced labour or for sexual exploitation. The going rate is between $200 and $500. Those who are not bought, and who are unable to reach a place of safety, often starve and are buried in unmarked graves, earning Libya the title of the valley of tears. Uganda, one of the poorest countries in the world, hosts the largest refugee camp on the continent, Bidi, home to more than a quarter of a million peoplemainly women and children, most from Southern Sudan. After six years of the western-instigated civil war, Syrians account for the largest number of refugees. Many are trapped in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. Without the right to work, most live below the poverty line. As a result, in Lebanon, the trade in illegal organs is booming, as desperate refugeesincluding minorsare forced to sell their body parts to keep themselves and their families alive. Those who do manage to flee the mass killing and destruction inflicted on their countries and the surrounding region, do not fare much better. Once again, this year the death toll in the Mediterranean is set to be a record, with 1,000 drowning, in the last four months alone, in their desperate attempt to reach Europe. If and when they do, they are met with barbed wire, concentration camps and racist agitation. In Greece and Italy, where many are stranded as a result of the European Unions Fortress Europe policy, refugee camps are squalid, lacking decent sanitation, water and food supplies. The camps in these countries alone include at least 23,000 unaccompanied children, many of them orphans. In Calais, refugees report endemic levels of brutality by police and right-wing groups, with 97 percent of the children surveyed reporting attacks, including tear gassing and having limbs dislocated. A study of Syrian refugees who managed to reach the UK, found that 93 percent had witnessed what was described as explosive violence. Yet the British government screams about allowing passage to the few hundred unaccompanied Syrian children, even as it champs at the bit to join the US bombing of that country. Such cruelty is not accidental. It is deliberate. The rising tide of national chauvinist poison is a damning expression of the bankruptcy of the nation state system to which capitalism is tied. It goes hand in hand with the erection of trade barriers and a new eruption of trade and currency wars, as the bourgeoisie in every country seeks to resolve its crisis at the expense of its rivals and the working class. At the same time, the reign of terror against refugees is used to build up a police-state apparatus in every country that will be employed against all workers, as they seek to defend jobs, living standards and oppose the descent into militarism and war. Against the jingo-leftists, the International Committee stands in the proud tradition of Marxism, and its insistence that working people have no country. The entire world is ours to win. We stand for the international unity of the working class in the fight for world socialist revolution. This begins with rejecting the attempts to divide native-born and immigrant workers. Only by uniting their class strength across all national boundaries, in a common struggle against imperialism and the global financial oligarchy, can workers advance their own independent solution to the world economic crisis: the reorganisation of the world economy to meet social need, not private profit. This speech was delivered by Keith Jones, National Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party in Canada , to the 2017 International May Day Online Rally held on April 30. On May Day 2017, the International Committee of the Fourth International calls for redoubled efforts, by workers in India and around the world, to win the immediate release and exoneration of the 13 Maruti Suzuki India workers who have been framed up and sentenced to life in prison. They are victims of ruthless class justice. Workers at Maruti Suzukis Manesar car assembly plant in northern India, these 13 men, have been condemned to spend the rest of their lives in the living hell that is an Indian prison, as the result of a ruling class conspiracy. This conspiracy unites the Japanese-owned transnational Suzuki Motor Corporation, the police, courts and both of the Indian bourgeoisies principal parties, the Congress Party and the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party. May Day 2017 Keith Jones The workers only crime was to have challenged the brutal sweatshop conditionspoverty wages, speed up, precarious contract-labour jobsthat prevail across India, including in its new globally-integrated manufacturing sector. Twelve of the 13 were leaders of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union. Workers at the Manesar plant established the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union through a series of militant strikes in 201112, and in bitter struggle against a government-recognized, company-backed, stooge union that connived in their exploitation. The pretext for the frame-up of the 13, the arrest and imprisonment for three years of close to 150 other workers, and a government-supported purge of the Manesar workforce, in which the company fired and replaced 2,300 workers, was a company-provoked altercation on July 18, 2012. In the midst of this altercation, a fire mysteriously erupted that killed the one company manager sympathetic to the workers. Since 2012, the World Socialist Web Site has published numerous articles exposing the state vendetta against the Maruti Suzuki workers, and will continue to do so. Here, it should just be said that their prosecution and trial were a sham from beginning to end. A company lawyer acted as prosecution co-counsel. The court refused to allow any worker witnesses to the events of July 18, 2012 to testify, claiming that they would be biased. The presiding judge systematically shifted the burden of proof from the state to the workers, and with the explicit backing of Indias Supreme Court, he refused to allow the defense to call back key prosecution witnesses for further questioning, although a lower court had ruled that this would negate the workers right to a fair trial. The defense lawyers demonstrated that the police had illegally colluded with the company, arresting workers on the basis of company-supplied lists, and repeatedly fabricated evidence. Faced with this irrefutable evidence of police criminality, the judge had to fully exonerate 117 of the arrested workers. But he did so only to try to salvage the frame-up against its principal targetsthe leaders of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union. The Indian ruling elite is determined to inflict exemplary punishment on the Maruti Suzuki workers so as to intimidate the working class and demonstrate to foreign investors that they can be counted on to ruthlessly suppress all worker resistance to brutal exploitation. This has been spelled out, repeatedly and blatantly, by government ministers, prosecutors and the courts themselves. In explaining why he had urged the 13 workers to be sentenced to death by hanging at their March 17 sentencing hearing, special prosecutor Anurag Hooda declared: "Our industrial growth has dipped, FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] has dried up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is calling for Make in India, but such incidents are a stain on our image." There is enormous sympathy for the framed-up Maruti Suzuki workers in India, and wherever working people are apprised of the case, around the world. But the unions and the Stalinist parliamentary parties have systematically isolated the Maruti Suzuki workers, while urging them to put their faith in worthless appeals to the capitalist parties and courts that are persecuting them. For weeks, Peoples Democracy, the English-language newspaper of the principal Stalinist party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), failed to print even a word about the conviction and brutal sentences meted out to the Maruti Suzuki workers. The union and Stalinists leaders are adamantly opposed to mobilizing the working class in defense of the Maruti Suzuki workers, because they are terrified of their rebellious sprit and, above all, because they support and, indeed, have played a pivotal role in implementing, the Indian ruling elites drive to make India a cheap-labour haven for world capital. The International Committee of the Fourth International urges workers, young people and all those who defend democratic rights, to come to the defense of the framed-up Maruti Suzuki workers. In mounting this international campaign to defend the Maruti Suzuki workers, the ICFI is renewing and reinvigorating the tradition of international workers defense, whose roots are bound up with the origins of May Day itself, in the campaign against the 1880s frame-up of the Haymarket martyrs of the fight for the eight-hour day. The freedom of the Maruti Suzuki workers can and will only be won based on the mobilization of the class strength of the international working class. The Maruti Suzuki workers have come under vicious and unrelenting attack because they have challenged the class strategy of the Indian bourgeoisie, which aims to supplant China as the worlds principal cheap-labour hub. But their struggle also threatened the strategy of the global transnationals, like Suzuki, which scour the world for the cheapest labour costs, so as to maximize profits and shareholder returns. The Maruti Suzuki workers are representative of the hundreds of millions of new workers that capitalist globalization has created in India, China, and across Asia, Africa and Latin America. These workers are not just objects of exploitation, but a mighty social force and a powerful ally of workers in the advanced capitalist countries. Workers in North America, Europe and Japan must reject the economic nationalism and chauvinism promoted by Trump, Le Pen and the trade unions, and join forces with the workers of Asia, Latin America and Africa in the struggle for decent, secure jobs and social rights, and against imperialist war, one of whose principal aims is the re-enslavement of the masses in the historically oppressed countries. In challenging sweatshop exploitation, the Maruti Suzuki workers were striking a blow not only for workers in India but for workers around the world. Their defense is a vital first step in forging the international unity of the working class that is needed to fight global capitalthat is, in making the objective unity of the international working class a conscious political strategy. I urge everyone listening today to sign the ICFI online petition, Free the Maruti Suzuki Workers!; to circulate it; to make the facts of the Maruti Suzuki case known to workers and young people around the world; to explain how this frame-up epitomizes contemporary global class relations, and how the defense of these workers can and must become an important means for advancing the struggle for the fighting unity of the working class against capitalist exploitation and war. In an online poll conducted this week, members of the Unsubmissive France (UF) movement broadly rejected support for either candidate in the French presidential runoff election. The two candidates are the former Rothschild banker Emmanuel Macron and the neo-fascist Marine Le Pen. The vote was an implicit repudiation of the position taken by defeated UF presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who has stressed his political sympathies for Macron and even proposed to become his prime minister. Melenchon received nearly 20 percent of the vote in the first round of the election amid a historic collapse of Frances main political parties. In the consultative vote held by UF, only 34.83 percent of members advocated a vote for Macron, the favorite of Frances ruling Socialist Party (PS). Calls for a blank vote received 36.12 percent, and for abstention, 29.05 percent. UF had indicated that a vote for Macrons opponent in the runoff, Marine Le Pen of the neo-fascist National Front (FN), was not an option in the vote, in which roughly 200,000 of UFs 440,000 members took part. The vote underscores the political significance of the call by the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES) for an active boycott of the second round, opposing both reactionary candidates. It also highlights the dangerous role played by Melenchon in seeking to block opposition in the working class to the next president. The PES stresses that workers and youth can place no confidence in Melenchon. Strikes and struggles must be organized independently of his organization and on a perspective of revolutionary struggle against whichever reactionary candidate wins the next election. Last Friday, Melenchon said he would vote, but refused to say for whom he would vote. He offered no political lead, refusing even to say how he thought UF members and voters should vote in the runoff. He thereby aligned himself with the political and media campaign by the PS, the right-wing The Republicans (LR) and the main newspapers and TV channels, all of which insist that voters choose Macron as a lesser evil to Le Pen. This campaign is a political fraud. Macron is not a lesser evil to Le Pen. The neo-fascist candidate undoubtedly poses a mortal danger to workers, but so does Macron. He says he wants to maintain the state of emergency imposed by the PS, which he intends to use to crush opposition to bringing back the draft and remilitarizing France and the European Union (EU), as well as imposing anti-worker measures by decree, using the PSs regressive labor law. What is emerging is an attempt by the entire French ruling class to impose a lasting authoritarian regime in order to prepare for major wars and destroy the social rights workers in France and Europe won over generations of struggle during the 20th century. This is provoking deep opposition among workers and youth, and the PES has advanced the call for an active boycott, strikes and workers struggles to prepare a revolutionary mobilization of the working class against capitalism. The large majority of the forces Melenchon recruited via the Internet to promote his election campaignwhich won in many urban and working class centers, including Marseille, Toulouse and the working-class Seine St. Denis suburbs of Parisis hostile to Macron. They want to give their votes neither to the FN nor to a militarist candidate aiming to impose deep austerity in alliance with Berlin and the EU. Like a broad majority (69 percent) of the French people, they understand that whoever wins the second round, the winner will prove to be a determined enemy of working people. Melenchons role is to sow as many illusions as possible and block growing awareness of the dangers of war and dictatorship facing workers and youth in France and internationally. He is silent on the danger that Macron, the ally of Berlin and the Democratic Party in Washington, could join in a war in Syria that would drag the NATO alliance into a military conflict with Russia. Nor does he say anything about Washingtons growing conflict with North Korea, by means of which Trump is targeting China. Despite the fact that most UF supporters oppose a vote for Macron, Melenchon is working to entrap opposition to both reactionary candidates in the political straitjacket of a legislative and governmental alliance with Macron. This is the perspective that Melenchon indicated in the course of an interview with TF1 television Sunday evening, during which he offered himself as an adviser to Macron and even declared his readiness to become his prime minister. He began by insisting that Macrons militarist and authoritarian program is fundamentally different from that of Le Pen. I say to everyone who is listening to me: do not commit the terrible error of casting your ballot for the National Front. Because you will drive our country into an all-out explosion of which no one can see the end, because it would plunge us from one day to the next into a type of war, he declared. He then proposed himself as a potential prime minister under Macron, claiming he was ready to govern this country if we conquer the majority in the June legislative elections. Asked if he could become prime minister in a coalition government with Emmanuel Macron if he becomes president, Melenchon replied: He [Macron] will have to get used to the idea As for me, I want to give him some advice before leaving you, because I also have to give a little help in this campaign. Instead of twisting my friends arms and threatening them, why doesnt he make a little gesture to win them over? Melenchons announcement that he would participate in a government in which Macron would control foreign and military policy exposes the emptiness of his campaign promises. Macron is planning a brutal austerity policy combined with spending tens of billions of euros to bring back the draft, modernize Frances nuclear arsenal and bolster the armed services. A prime minister working under such a president would have none of the resources necessary to carry out even a small part of the social measures Melenchon promised in his program. Moreover, this proposition exposes Melenchons posture of opposition to some of the wars launched by NATO, especially those, such as in Syria, which pose the risk of escalation into all-out war with Russia. It also exposes his declarations that he is independent from Washington and Berlin. This is simply a pose, designed to exploit for electoral gain the broad opposition to war in the working class and the youth, without offering a revolutionary alternative to imperialism and capitalism. Having declared that he has nothing in common with The Republicans, nothing in common with the Socialist Party, Melenchon spent much of his interview sending political signals to Macron, the candidate supported by both of Frances traditional big-business parties. He even offered Macron advice on how to win over UF members: And I will tell Mr. Macron that he is wrong to be scornful towards the consultative vote I organized. Because almost as soon as I had organized it, instead of trying to convince them, he tried to compel them, under threat, first of all by insulting mewhich did not help him win over my votersand secondly to try to dismiss them as some sort of group of irresponsible people. This interview underscores that the vast majority of UF members and Melenchon voters are far to the left of Melenchon, and are searching for an alternative to the political line he represents. Like the working class as a whole, they will find this alternative only in the call for an active boycott and the perspective of a revolutionary and internationalist struggle of the working class put forward by the PES. In a settlement acclaimed as historic by New Zealands media and political establishment, the National Party government has announced it will fund a $NZ2 billion package to address gender pay equity in the aged and disability care sector. More than 55,000 predominantly female workers will, over 5 years, receive a minimum pay rise of between 15 and 50 percent depending on qualifications and experience. A worker on the current legal minimum of $15.75 per hour will move to $19 in July and eventually reach $23 in 2021. The decision follows a declaration by the Supreme Court in a legal challenge begun in 2012 by the then Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU)now part of the E Tu unionunder the 1972 Equal Pay Act. The test case was taken by SFWU member Kristine Bartlett, an aged-care worker, who was being paid only $14.46 an hour after 20 years work at the same rest home. She argued that her employer, TerraNova, was underpaying its staff because most were female. The courts ruled that the Equal Pay Act applied and that care workers must be paid the same as workers in male-dominated industries who perform similar tasks, such as corrections workers. The government pays the wages through subsidies to the private health care companies. The ruling National Party strenuously opposed the pay equity case over a period of five years, including three court cases and two appeals. In 1991 and 2008 National governments had dismantled pay equity laws put in place by previous Labour governments. Successive Labour governments, however, did not implement any pay equity measures. Now, five months out from a general election, the settlement is being universally acclaimed as a landmark for low paid workers. The Dominion Post said it represented a huge change in New Zealands approach to wage setting that is wholly welcome. The Otago Daily Times declared it meant redistributing the wealth in a more equitable manner. The case and its reception is a desperate attempt to shore up support among profoundly alienated sections of workers for increasingly discredited capitalist institutions. As the assault on jobs and living standards intensifies, workers are being told that they can achieve wage justice through the framework of the unions, courts, and parliamentary parties. Prime Minister Bill English said he expected other sectors to lodge similar claims, which would be dealt with by a new process for resolving pay equity cases, rather than direct negotiations. Legislation will be presented to parliament later this year. English warned, The hurdles will be pretty high. This is a fairly unique set of circumstancesits not readily or easily applicable outside of government for instance. According to the Council of Trade Unions, which has been collaborating with a government-employer pay equity working party since 2015, the Bartlett case would not have succeeded under the new law. The governments deal is yet to be ratified by workers, but the trade unions have declared it a major victory. E Tu assistant national secretary John Ryall announced it will mean a once in a lifetime pay rise, which will end poverty wages for this mainly female workforce and set them on the path to a better life. This is a lie. Low wages at one end of society are required to support obscene wealth, mainly obtained through financial speculation, at the other. Households with an income of less than $30,000, i.e., 60 percent of the median disposable income, are considered in poverty. This now includes one third, or more than 300,000, of children, increasingly from families designated as the working poor. The numbers living below the poverty line increased by 45,000 in a year and are now double those in 1984. While a pay increase of 1540 percent is not insignificant, the settlement will not lift chronically underpaid workers out of conditions of poverty and grinding exploitation. The same trade unions claim that a living wage of $20.20 an hour is the minimum required to provide families with the basic necessities of life. The 20,000 care workers currently on the minimum wage will not even reach this inadequate threshold in the first year of the agreement. Moreover, the majority of carers work part-time, and will still earn well below the poverty line. It is unclear what the pay rise will be worth by the time it is fully implemented in five years, given the soaring cost of living. The median rent for a 34 bedroom house has risen by 30 percent over the past five years, adding $6,000 to yearly household bills. The pay equity campaign, which is promoted by a raft of unions, employers, academics and womens organisations, has nothing to do with addressing the vast and deepening issues around social inequality which are rooted in the class relations of capitalism. While gender inequality persists, the main division in society is class, not gender. Employers certainly use every device available to them to divide workers according to gender, ethnicity, nationality and even age to suppress wages and increase profits. Under the framework of pay equity however, there is nothing to prevent businesses from paying poverty wages, as long as men and women get the same for the same tasks. This cannot be fought on the basis of identity politics, which is promoted by affluent, privileged layers of the middle class, to oppose a genuine struggle for social equality. The ruling elite has seized on the settlement to boost the unions. For decades the unions have suppressed strikes and collaborated in destroying tens of thousands of jobs, as well as entire industries such as car manufacturing. Union membership has plummeted to 17.7 percent of the countrys workforce, compared with about 40 percent in 1970. The government and big business are concerned that the decimation of the unions will undermine their ability to police the working class. English praised the unions constructive approach in negotiations following the court ruling. Health Minister Jonathan Coleman also hailed the agreement and he has in turn been applauded by union leaders. In a revealing interview with Radio NZ, former conservative Prime Minister Jim Bolger last week feigned concern about growing inequality and declared it was time to give some power back to the unions. In fact, the Bolger governments attacks during the 1990s, including cuts to welfare and the anti-worker Employment Contracts Act, were made possible by the betrayals of the unions. The aged care deal will give a major boost to the private operators, which insisted for years that they could not afford to improve pay rates without increased public funding. Ryman Healthcare managing director Simon Challies welcomed the settlement, saying the increase will be passed on to 45 percent of the companys workforce. Ryman boasted last year that its profit had grown 16 percent to a record $158 million, with the company entering a new era of growth. Since listing on the NZ Stock exchange in 1999, Ryman has paid out more than $500 million to shareholders. Inevitably, the money funnelled by the government to these companies will be funded by cuts in spending on basic services. Costs for aged care residents could also increase. The health sector as a whole has been starved of funds, particularly since the onset of the 2008 economic crisis, leading to lengthy waiting lists for treatment and chronic staff shortages. The vast majority of low-paid workers will gain nothing from gender equity legislation. In recent weeks the Meat Workers Union and the Taylor Preston company have pushed through an agreement that entrenches the poverty wages and insecure conditions at the plant, which has some of the countrys lowest paid workers. It includes an extra 70 cents an hour, mirroring the governments recent pitiful 50 cent increase to the minimum wage. Most Taylor Preston workers, men and women, will still receive little more than the minimum wage. This situation is repeated in industry after industry. The author also recommends: New Zealand meat union pushes through pro-company deal at Taylor Preston [15 April 2017] New Zealand union complicit in Cadbury factory closure [17 March 2017] In a public appearance Tuesday with CNNs Christiane Amanpour, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton attributed her loss to Donald Trump last November to two main factors: misogyny within the electorate and Russian interference. She also placed emphasis on FBI Director James Comeys October announcement that the FBI was re-opening its investigation of her use of a private email account while she was secretary of state. Misogyny played a role, she said, claiming that it would have been a really big deal to elect the first woman president. She also blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming he clearly interfered in our election, and it was designed to hurt me and help my opponent. As proof of Russian meddling, Clinton pointed to WikiLeaks release of emails from Clinton aide John Podesta, which included transcripts of some of her paid speeches to Wall Street bankers. Clintons claims are belied by the facts. In a May 1 article titled Why did Trump Win? New research by Democrats offers a worrisome answer, Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent cites poll data showing that Trumps election was the product of widespread economic hardship in the working class and popular opposition to the pro-corporate policies of the Democratic Party. The poll, commissioned by the Democratic Party-linked firm Priorities USA, was conducted in the working class suburbs outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Detroit, Michigan, as well as in Tampa, Florida. All three of these traditional swing states supported Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, but swung for Trump in 2016. The poll targeted two types of voters: those who voted for Obama in 2012 but for Trump in 2016 (Obama-Trump voters) and those who voted for Obama in 2012 but did not vote in 2016 (drop-off voters). The picture that emerges from the poll is of a working class that is under tremendous financial strain, is growing disillusioned with both parties, and is deeply opposed to cuts in social programs such as health care. A key commonality of these voters is that they are struggling economically, the pollsters conclude. Of Obama-Trump voters, 50 percent say their income is falling behind the cost of living and 31 percent say their income is just equal to rises in the cost of living. Conditions are even worse among drop-off voters. Forty-three percent say their income is falling behind the cost of living and 49 percent say their income is only staying even with the cost of livingthat is, 92 percent are either falling behind or barely staying afloat. In a confused and contradictory manner, Obama-Trump voters express the growth of social opposition to the political establishment from the left. According to these voters, the governments most important priorities should be protecting Social Security and Medicare (85 percent for both), creating good-paying jobs (84 percent) and providing everyone with access to affordable health care (80 percent). The poll shows these voters lowest priority is building a wall between the US and Mexico. They are least concerned that Trump will be too close to Putin and wont stand up to Putin. They are substantially more concerned that Trump will involve the US in foreign wars and will put the interests of corporate executives ahead of working people. Among drop-off voters, 87 percent support raising taxes on corporations, 89 percent support infrastructure spending, 79 percent support raising the minimum wage, 75 percent support raising taxes on the rich and 73 percent support paid family leave for child care. Drop-off voters are by far most concerned with the economy and access to health care. Only 6 percent say Russia is the most important issue, with 5 percent citing immigration and 2 percent citing terrorism/national security. As their economic conditions deteriorate, those polled view the policies of the Democratic Party as favoring the wealthy. The Washington Posts Sargent notes, One finding from the polling stands out: A shockingly large percentage of these Obama-Trump voters said Democrats economic policies will favor the wealthytwice the percentage that said the same about Trump. I was also permitted to view video of some focus group activity, which showed Obama-Trump voters offering sharp criticism of Democrats on the economy. Sargent explained that when focus group respondents were asked what the Democratic Party stands for, they responded: the one percent and the status quo. Among those who voted for Obama in 2012 but didnt vote in 2016, the most common reasons given for abstaining include: It makes no difference, I did not like either candidate, I voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary; I couldnt support Clinton for the general election, and Im tired of voting for the lesser of two evils. These poll results confirm what the World Socialist Web Site stressed in its initial analysis of the US election results: Clintons loss was the product of mass abstention by workersand particularly African American workersin key industrial cities such as Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee, plus swings by all racial groups toward the Republican candidate in 2016 compared with 2012. Clintons claim that she lost the election due to misogyny is refuted by the fact that exit polls show the Democratic Party lost the votes of over a million working class women from 2012 to 2016. The American working class does not hate Hillary Clinton because of her gender, it hates her because she embodies, both personally and politically, everything rotten about American capitalism. More specifically, the dislike of Clinton expresses the growing perception that the Democratic Party is the most naked representative of the banks and corporations. For the first half of the 20th century, the Democratic Party based its national presence on an alliance of sections of better-off professionals with Tammany Hall city machines in the North, segregationists across the former slave states in the South, and the trade union bureaucracies, first the American Federation of Labor and later including the Congress of Industrial Organizations. The Stalinist Communist Party played a critical role in bringing the mass strike movement of the 1930s and the industrial unions that arose out of it under the control of the Democratic Party. Even into the 1960s, the Democrats domestic program was based on a series of mild social reformsa partial cooptation of the platforms of the pre-Depression populist and progressive movements. A key turning point came in the late 1960s, when the contradictions embedded in the partys anti-communist and pro-capitalist foundations burst into the open as President Lyndon Johnson drained resources intended for Great Society social programs to fund the war in Vietnam. Deeply discredited by the disastrous impact of the war and the administrations crackdown on anti-war demonstrations and inner-city riots, the Democratic Party began to reorient itself toward a wealthy section of African-American and other racial minorities who benefited from the Democratic Party-backed civil rights legislation of the mid-1960s. As the chasm between rich and poor widened in the subsequent decades, the Democrats began to abandon even the pretense of appealing to working class voters on the basis of a program of social reform. Increasingly tied to Wall Street and the military-intelligence agencies and increasingly unpopular within the working class, the Democratic Party sought to build a broader electoral base in the privileged upper-middle class, where the politics of race, gender and sexual preference dominate. Clintons presidential campaign represented the ugly culmination of this rightward trajectory. Her campaign married the military-intelligence apparatus and finance capital to the politics of racial and gender identity, while Clinton consciously ignored the economic struggles of the working class and opposed the demagogue Trump from the right on questions of war and state surveillance. Figures like Bernie Sanders and his pseudo-left supporters play a most pathetic role in shoring up support for the Democratic Party. Speaking on his swing-state tour with Democratic Party Chairman and Clinton-confidante Thomas Perez, Sanders recently told a crowd that they had come to the right place to talk about political revolution, and that our job is to radically transform the Democratic Party. What Sanders, Clinton and the entire political establishment fear most is that the growing opposition that found an initial and distorted reflection in the 2016 election will develop in a consciously left-wing, socialist direction. On May 1, the Parti de l'egalite socialiste (PES), the French section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), held its first public meeting in Paris since its foundation last year to explain its call for an active boycott of the French presidential elections. The speakers were Alex Lantier, the national secretary of the PES, and Johannes Stern, a leading member of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP), the ICFIs German section. Over 60 people attended, including a large delegation of Tamil immigrant workers and youth from Paris, as well as people who had heard of the meeting via the World Socialist Web Site or by meeting PES campaigners at the May Day rally in the capital. PES delegations and supporters came from Marseille, Amiens, Alsace, Brittany and Burgundy. Lantier explained the political significance of an active boycott and why the PES rejects the claim that the banker Emmanuel Macron, supported by Frances ruling Socialist Party (PS), should be supported as a lesser evil compared to neo-fascist candidate Marine Le Pen. Macron is an ally of Washington and Berlin, supports their war drive against Syria, North Korea, and nuclear-armed Russia and has pledged to bring back the draft. Lantier noted that as a minister in the deeply unpopular PS government of President Francois Hollande, Macron supported Frances dictatorial state of emergency and imposed tens of billions of euros in social cuts while helping introduce legislation to reform the Labor Code and undermine workers rights. He played a key role in the PS policy of converting France into an authoritarian regime. With both candidates posing a mortal threat to the working class, Lantier explained, the only way forward is the revolutionary road. Unsubmissive France (UF) candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon is setting a trap for the working class. UF voters oppose Macron, as do seven in 10 French voters. While declining to openly endorse Macron to avoid discrediting himself, Melenchon offers only the perspective of an impotent blank vote or a Macron vote. He has now said that he would accept a position as Macrons prime minister, thus implicitly accepting Macrons war policy. The PES meeting was the first public event held by a French section of the ICFI since 1971, when the ICFI split with the Organisation communiste internationaliste (OCI) of Pierre Lambert. The OCI had broken with Trotskyism, Lantier noted, based on a nationalist perspective of forming a Union of the Left alliance with the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) and the newly-formed Socialist Party (PS). The OCI played a critical role in building the PS as the French capitalist class main left party of government. Forty-six years later, the PS is in a terminal crisis, discredited by President Francois Hollandes record of austerity, war and police-state rule, and by the PS elimination in the first round of the presidential elections. Lantier stressed that the call for an active boycott and the preparation of revolutionary struggles in the working class required a thorough political reappraisal of left-wing politics in France and internationally, and a return to the ICFIs principled and irreconcilable struggle for Trotskyism. He appealed to those present at the meeting to support and join the PES. Stern spoke to stress the ICFIs opposition to support for Macron, explaining that Macron, of all the presidential candidates, has been the most enthusiastic advocate of militarizing the European Union (EU) in collaboration with Berlin. The agenda of European and particularly German re-militarization supported by Macron has involved elements of German academia rewriting the history of German imperialism in the 20th century and even downplaying the crimes of the Nazis and Hitler himself. A lively discussion followed the reports, with several questions from the audience and contributions from PES members. One audience member asked whether it was permissible to call for a boycott of the elections, given that a Le Pen victory is now a possibility. Reviewing the history of the FNs rise since its foundation in 1972, Lantier explained that a boycott was not only a correct policy, given the dangers posed by a Macron presidency, but it is the only policy that can halt the FNs rise. The FN gained support only because it could pose demagogically as the opposition party, as PS allies like the PCF and the OCI blocked opposition to the PS from the left. Another audience member asked what an active boycott meant, and if it simply meant not voting. The speakers explained that the PES and the ICFI encourage the broadest protests and strikes against both candidates. It is necessary to expose their reactionary nature and that of their political allies, and to fight to prepare workers for revolutionary struggle against whichever candidate wins the May 7 run-off. They added that the meeting and the construction of the PES as the revolutionary vanguard of the working class were critical elements of the active boycott campaign. Asked about the possibility of an imperialist Franco-German alliance against the United States, the speakers pointed to deep inter-imperialist conflicts inside NATO. They explained, however, that the task facing the working class was not to predict the specific, unstable diplomatic alignments that could provoke such a war, but to intervene to stop a war before it broke out. They cited Trotskys remark that the task of the revolutionary vanguard is to follow not the war map, but the map of the class struggle. Leading PES member V. Gnana spoke on the ICFIs role in developing a cadre of Tamil workers and building the PES. The ICFI fought against the Great Betrayal of the LSSP, its capitulation to Pabloism and its entry into a bourgeois government in 1964 that ultimately split workers in Sri Lanka between Sinhala and Tamil. Now, he said, the ICFI has also waged a struggle over many decades that allowed it to found a French section and give immigrant workers in France a party that represents them. Many audience members stayed after the meeting ended to discuss the political situation, Marxism, and the Trotskyist movement. The PES sold many copies of its founding statement and its statement on the 2017 elections. There was a significant collection, and several audience members decided to remain in political contact with the PES or to apply to join the party. Police in Balch Springs, Texas, shot and killed an unarmed 15-year-old African American boy Saturday night. Jordan Edwards was shot in the head through the drivers side window of the vehicle he was in as he and several other teens were driving away from a party the police had been called in to break up. Edwards had been attending a party in the Balch Springs suburb of Dallas along with his older brother and several friends. As they were leaving the party, gunshots were heard from an unknown source. An unidentified police officer fired three shots from his rifle into their vehicle as it drove away. The driver, Edwards 16-year-old brother, stopped a block away to flag down a police cruiser for help after he realized that his younger brother had been shot. None of the boys in the vehicle were charged with under-age drinking or any other crime. In their initial report released to the media on Sunday, Balch Springs police lied about the cause of the shooting, claiming that the vehicle had been backing down the street toward the officers in an aggressive manner when the shooting occurred. By Monday afternoon, the police were forced to retract that report and admit that the vehicle had been driving away from the officer when the fatal shots were fired. Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber claims that the revision in the official version of events was due to a subsequent viewing of body-cam footage. I unintentionally [was] incorrect when I said the vehicle was backing down the road, in fact I can tell you that I do have questions in relation to my observation [of] the video, Haber told a news conference. After reviewing the video, I dont believe that [the shooting] met our core values. The police chief did not clarify the reason for the initial deception. It is, however, highly unlikely that the chief had not viewed the body-cam footage before issuing the initial statement that sought to shift blame to the teens. The revised police report reads: Officers confronted a vehicle backing down the street and despite multiple verbal commands from the officer, the vehicle continued to reverse, backing into the main roadway. The vehicle then pulled forward as the Officer continued to approach the vehicle giving verbal commands. The vehicle continued [on] the main roadway driving away from the officer as an Officer shot into the vehicle striking the passenger. The Dallas County medical examiner has declared Jordan Edwardss death a homicide. The officer responsible for killing Edwards has been placed on administrative leave, but no charges have yet been filed. The incident is being investigated by both the Dallas County Sherriffs Department and the Dallas County District Attorneys office. Jordan Edwards is the youngest person to be killed by police thus far in 2017, according to a database maintained by the Washington Post. His murder brings the total number of police killings this year to 331. Killer of Walter Scott pleads guilty to federal charges, avoids state murder charges In Charleston, South Carolina, former police officer Michael Slager pled guilty Tuesday to federal civil rights charges related to the 2015 killing of Walter Scott. The guilty plea is part of an agreement Slager reached with federal prosecutors that will see two other federal charges as well as state murder charges dropped in exchange for the plea. The charges stem from the April 2015 shooting of Scott, who was unarmed and fleeing at the time of his murder. Slager, who is white, had allegedly pulled over Scott, who was African American, because of a broken tail light. According to the officers initial statement to investigators, Scott took control of Slagers Taser and was charging him when the policeman shot and killed him. A cellphone video of the incident shot by a bystander subsequently released to the media and viewed by millions revealed the truth. Scott was fleeing from the police officer and was approximately 20 feet away when Slager fired his weapon eight times, hitting Scott five times in the back and killing him. Slager then casually walks over to the mans fallen body, and the video shows the officer handcuffing Scotts corpse, yelling the whole time to show me your hands. Another officer arrives as Slager walks back to where he had fired the shots, picks up an object, and drops it next to Scotts lifeless body. The attempted cover-up fell apart when the video was released. Slager was fired, and state prosecutors were forced to charge him with murder. In December 2016, a mistrial was declared when a lone juror released a statement during deliberations stating that he refused to consider a guilty verdict for the officer. Though the maximum penalty is life imprisonment for the charges Slager pled guilty to, he is expected to be given a lesser sentence as part of the plea agreement. Florida police arrest autistic child , charge him with a felony Police in Okeechobee, Florida, handcuffed and arrested a 10-year-old autistic boy on April 12. The boy, John Benjamin Haygood, who is white, was enrolled in a special education program due to his disability and had been called to the school for testing. The police arrived to arrest the boy for an incident that occurred in October at the school. Luane Haygood, the boys mother, recorded the incident on video. The frightened boy can be seen sitting in a chair as two police officers stand over him. The mother asks the police why they are arresting him and if the boy has the same rights as an adult. The police refuse to answer her as the boy pleads with police not to touch him. The police handcuff the crying boy and lead him out to their police cruiser as Haygood follows them, continuing to ask for information. The police refuse Haygoods request to ride in the police car with her son. John Benjamin was cruelly and absurdly charged with battery on a school board employee, a third-degree felony. The charges stemmed from an incident in October when he was removed from class by an educational assistant after allegedly being disruptive. When the educator attempted to physically remove him from class the 10-year-old allegedly started kicking, punching, and scratching the teacher, who then admitted to restraining the boy physically. It was on this basis that a disabled child was charged with a felony and detained overnight by police. Haygoods parents had not been informed about the outstanding warrant. State prosecutors have offered to move the boys case into a diversionary program, an offer the boys mother has refused, telling the Washington Post, Frankly, Im offended by that, that offends me, and it angers me. Theyre still viewing him as a criminal; they know he has a disability, and theyre still treating him like a criminal. He does not need criminal diversion because he didnt do anything wrong! she said. I will not give up my right to a speedy trial. The criminal justice system needs to be educated; the school system needs to be educated. My child does not need to be diverted. Leading MPs on Labours pro-European right wing have issued an open call for a progressive alliance for the June 8 snap general election. For months, the Guardian newspaper has been working with leading Labourites in support of such a progressive allianceinvolving Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens concluding agreements at a local level so that one pro-EU membership candidate can challenge the Tories in a marginal seat. In a recent op-ed in the Guardian, the former Labour prime minister, Tony Blair, stated that opposing Britains exit from the European Union (Brexit) was the dominant election issue. He argued that voters should vote tactically and that the Labour Party had to concentrate on rallying people to a more reasonable and open position on Brexit across the party divide. These moves are being coordinated with Compass, which began life as a Labour-aligned think-tank but now includes Liberal Democrats, and the progressivealliance.org.uk web siteregistered just two weeks ago as part of an operation costing 30,000. On April 30, Compass head Neal Lawson sent a letter to subscribers, insisting that Liberal Democrats, Green, SNP, Plaid, independents and others had a unique opportunity to reject the old tribal politics and come together to beat the Tories. He described as a breakthrough moment the Guardians publishing an open letter from senior Labour figures including Jon Cruddas MP, Clive Lewis MP and Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee in support of Progressive Alliances. Lawson said that Greens and Liberal Democrats had stood aside in a number of general election seats. If we can make this happen elsewhere we can unlock the floodgates and turn the tide in this election. He called for an online petition to be signed as members and supporters of progressive parties, to call on party leadership from Labour, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru and WEP (Womens Equality Party): Do not stand in the way of local electoral pacts that allow progressives to win. There is no broad support for such a progressive alliance. What is taking place is an engineered campaign, concocted in the offices of the Guardian together with the labour right. Its aim is not only, or even mainly, to secure victories for candidates opposing a hard Brexit with Britain severing access to the Single Market and Customs Union. They want to lay down a marker for a possible realignment of politics after the general election that would mean either removing Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader and replacing him with the supposed left Clive Lewis or someone similar, or a split to form a new partypossibly in alliance with the Liberal Democrats. But theirs is not a strong position. The Guardian letter was signed by just 18 individuals, of which only three were Labour MPs (out of 229) and two were Labour peers (out of 201). Other signatories included Lawson and no less than five Guardian columnistsToynbee, John Harris, Owen Jones, Paul Mason and Zoe Williams, as well as musician and right-wing Labour apologist Billy Bragg. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has held discussions with Blair, but has rejected tactical voting in the electionas he considers this would militate against winning back votes lost to the Tories. This left the signatories to the open letter to offer as an example of how to maximise progressive votes and campaigning in some key seats an alliance with the Greens, who have just one MP, Caroline Lucas. The letter makes much of the decision of the Greens to stand down in the constituencies of Ealing Central and Brighton Kemptown to give Labour a better chance of defeating the Tories and calls on Labour to reciprocate by standing aside in Brighton Pavilion (the seat held by Lucas) and the Isle of Wightthe one seat where they [the Greens] are the best-placed party to defeat the Tories. In an accompanying piece, the Guardian writes, Lawson said Labour could unlock 20 seats where the Green vote was key by simply stepping aside in two: Brighton Pavilion and the Isle of Wight. Given that only four seats are cited, one of which is a shoe-in for Lucas, and two involve the Greens stepping aside, the arithmetic employed by Lawson is to say the least hard to fathom. In addition, Compass and its backers were behind an attempt, over the last 18 months, to form a local alliance with the Lib Dems in the South West Surrey constituency to prevent a Labour candidate from standing. Last week, Compass member Steve Williams put a motion not to stand a Labour candidate in South West Surrey but this was ruled out by the regional Labour office. Williams told the Independent that the local party would still not back the Labour candidate. Compass was also involved in talks leading to the Greens agreeing not to stand in the nearby Ealing Acton constituency, to allow more votes to go to a Labour MP with a majority of just 274 votes over the Conservatives. Such moves are also being pushed by Gina Miller, the multi-millionaire investment manager for SCM Private, who took legal action against the governments attempts to trigger Brexit without a new parliamentary vote. Miller, a multi-millionaire, claims to have raised 300,000 from a crowd funding appeal for her Best for Britain tactical voting web site. Despite these manoeuvres, the Guardian/Compass breakthrough moment went down in flames. By Tuesday, only just over 3,000 people had signed the progressive alliance petition. It is a mark of the rarefied circles behind this manoeuvre that Blair chose to declare Monday in the Daily Mirror his intention to re-enter politics and get his hands dirty in support of the initiative. The involvement of the war criminal Blaireasily the most hated politician in Britainis the kiss of death. Even Cruddas was forced to admit, It is pretty controversial within Labouryou see pushback against what Tony Blair said. Corbyn has repeatedly rejected calls for a progressive alliance, citing the pro-austerity record of the Lib Dems when they were in office from 2010-2015 with the Tories. He told the Daily Mirror later Monday in response to Blair, Were a party for the whole country and we therefore have reached the position where we campaign in all parts of the country. On Tuesday, Paul Mason wrote a Guardian column expressing his hopes for the future, noting conservative Prime Minister Theresa Mays disastrous dinner with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last week where sharp disagreements erupted over the terms of Mays Brexit strategy. What was required was for Labour and the pro-EU SNP to commit to single-market access, customs union membership and membership of the European Free Trade Association, he urged. If the parties of progressive Britain cannot bring themselves to present a common Brexit offer, we the citizens should do it from below. Such work will not be wasted, even if May manages to win in Junebecause the Juncker leak confirms her Brexit strategy will not succeed. But for the present, Mason was forced to accept that the pro-capitalist agenda he advocates has no traction among voters. Instead he urged, [I]f we cant have a progressive alliance, we can at least have a peoples Brexit plan he suggested. This would be based primarily on urging [s]ingle-market access, matching todays benefits to be made a red line on whether to endorse Brexit at the end of negotiations. The author also recommends: UK Labour right calls for cross-party pro-EU alliances in general election [24 April 2017] This speech was delivered by Peter Symonds, national editor in Australia of the World Socialist Web Site, to the 2017 International May Day Online Rally held on April 30. For the first time since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, workers around the world confront the real and immediate danger of nuclear war. Amid a rising frenzy of media vilification of North Korea, the Trump administration has repeatedly declared that it will not tolerate that countrys continued nuclear- and missile-testing, and that all options are on the table to stop it. In reality, the White House has already ruled out many of the obvious options. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has rejected any talks with the North Korean regime unless it submits to Washingtons demands in advance. He has also declared that the sanctions policy of the Obama administrationso-called strategic patiencehas failed. May Day 2017 Peter Symonds Immense pressure is being applied to China to bully North Korea into submission, but the bottom line is that if Beijing does not solve the problem, the US will. The only options left are military ones. Trump has warned that a major, major conflict with North Korea is a definite possibility and has sent an armadaa full nuclear aircraft carrier strike group and a nuclear submarineto the Korean Peninsula. Vice-President Mike Pence has just toured Asia to brief major US alliesJapan, South Korea and Australia. Washington has military forces in all three countries as well as Guam, tied together by communications, targeting and spying systems, in which Australian bases such as Pine Gap play a central role. The sheer recklessness of the Trump administration is underscored by its determination to keep everyone in the dark about its plansa game of brinksmanship that greatly heightens the danger of a war in which millions would die. Why is the Trump administration preparing war against North Korea, a small impoverished country devastated by decades of a US-led embargo? It has no oil or significant natural resources, and, despite its constant demonization by the US, poses no real threat to the United States. It is, however, strategically located on the border with Russia and China. The threats against North Korea are part of a broader confrontation with China, which the US regards as the chief obstacle to its global hegemony. The pivot to Asia, initiated by the Obama administration with a major military build-up against China, is being intensified under Trump. His administration has threatened trade war against Beijing, to tear up the One China policy and thus diplomatic relations, and to challenge China militarily in the South China Sea. The threat of a catastrophic nuclear war is not simply the product of the madness of Trump or previous administrations. Rather, it is being generated by an insane social orderthe capitalist system and its outmoded division of the world into competing nation states. The US drive to war against China and Russia, as well as in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, is a desperate attempt to extricate itself from a worsening economic and social crisis, and to assert its domination of Asia and the world. The lessons of the Russian Revolution a century ago demonstrate that the danger of war can only be ended through socialist revolution. On May Day, the day that marks the international unity of the working class, workers in the US, China, both Koreas, Japan, Australia, throughout Asia and the world need to answer the threat of war with the building of a movement that sets as its task the abolition of the profit system that produces war. The danger of nuclear conflict cannot be overcome through pacifist phrase-mongering or futile appeals to capitalist governments, which are all committed to ruthlessly pursuing their economic and strategic interests. Nor should there be any illusions that the United States will refrain from using nuclear weapons because of the sheer scale of the devastation involved. The phrase thinking the unthinkable, coined by the notorious Cold War strategist Herman Kahn in the 1950s, is again being discussed in Washingtons strategic circles. The Obama administration committed $1 trillion over the next 30 years to upgrading the US nuclear arsenal. Far from defending the North Korean people, the Pyongyang regimes efforts to assemble a rudimentary nuclear arsenal only compound the danger of nuclear war. The US has declared it will meet any attempt by North Korea to use its nuclear weapons with an effective and overwhelming response. In 1945, US imperialism dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a warning to the Soviet Union and to the rest of the world. It would use the nuclear bombing of North Korea to send a stark message to its rivals today. The North Korean and Chinese regimes do not represent socialism. Deeply hostile to socialist internationalism, both propagate the poisonous fumes of nationalism and chauvinism that divide the international working class. The Chinese Communist Party defends the interests of the tiny, ultra-rich elite that has benefitted from capitalist restoration. It oscillates between craven efforts to strike a deal with US imperialism at the expense of North Korea and expanding its own military apparatus. Both only heighten the danger of conflict. Awareness is growing among workers and youth of the imminent danger of conflict, along with a healthy distrust in the deluge of propaganda and widespread opposition to war. The lack of an anti-war movement today is the responsibility of definite political forces, especially the various pseudo-left organisations. Those that led, or rather misled, the mass demonstrations around the world in 2003 against the US invasion of Iraq have swung sharply to the right, backing the US-led regime-change operations in Libya and Syria. Their unscientific and ahistorical characterisation of China as an imperialist power dovetails with the US State Departments denunciations of Chinese aggression and expansionism. The International Committee of the Fourth International and its organ the World Socialist Web Site are alone in exposing the machinations of US imperialism and its allies in Asia and around the world, and in building an international anti-war movement of the working class to halt the drive to a disastrous world war. This is an urgent task. We appeal on May Day to workers in every country to join us in our efforts to build the necessary revolutionary leadership for the struggles that lie directly ahead. Spains Socialist Party (PSOE) has announced the primary election for the partys general secretary will be held on May 21. Candidates will have to be endorsed by at least 5 percent of the partys 180,000 members before May 4. The PSOE has been without a leader since October, when an internal coup orchestrated by a cabal of bankers, the intelligence services and the media ousted general secretary Pedro Sanchez. Organized by former PSOE Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez and El Pais editor-in-chief Juan Luis Cebrian, the objective was to install a Popular Party (PP) government after Spain had been without a proper administration for almost 10 monthssomething opposed by the Sanchez faction of the PSOE. The coup exposed the reactionary workings of the political system that emerged from Spains transition to parliamentary rule in 1978, after the death of fascist dictator Francisco Franco. As the World Socialist Web Site noted, The putsch has laid bare the class forces served by the PSOE and the Spanish political system. It has shown how capitalist politicians, the media and the state machine ruthlessly do the bidding of the banks, corporations, and the leading imperialist powers. If elections do not produce the desired resultin this case, a right-wing government planning austerity, attacks on democratic rights and preparations for warthey simply impose it. To do so, they are quite willing to toss aside small fry like Sanchez. The coup, however, has not resolved the crisis of bourgeois rule. The PP minority government, supported by little more than a third of the parliament, is weak and unpopular. Moreover, it is embroiled in one corruption scandal after another, implementing savage austerity measures, drastically increasing the military budget and is divided over whether to orient towards Berlin and the European Union or the US under the aggressively nationalist and protectionist Trump administration. To pass laws, the PP government depends on the direct support of the PSOE in parliament. The question now being fought out between the main contenders in the PSOE leadership contestousted PSOE former leader Sanchez and current state premier of Andalusia, Susana Diazis whether the PSOE should continue propping up the PP minority government, or whether the PSOE should dress itself up as a left alternative by allying with the pseudo-left Podemos in preparation for the PPs possible collapse. Although both candidates have called for unity, the differences are such that they threaten to break up the party. HSBC economist Fabio Balboni has stated, Depending on who wins, we could see a shift of the party to the left (Pedro Sanchez) or the centre (Susana Diaz), with a risk of a possible party split and, particularly in the first case, a tougher opposition to the PP-minority government. Diaz is the clear favourite of the ruling class, with the backing of virtually all the media, the support of the PSOE interim committee (supposedly a neutral organ in the power struggle), previous PSOE prime ministers, including her mentor Gonzalez and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and dozens of former ministers and regional premiers. During the coup against Sanchez, she played the leading role in attacking him, defending an abstention to allow the PP to come to power for the good of Spain. Diaz has accused Sanchez of being Podemos lackey in the PSOE, claiming that if he wins, the PSOE will be handed over to Podemos: Its one thing to forge pacts and another to give yourself over to someone else or even imitate them, Diaz said in a rally. She has vowed, to struggle against populism [i.e., Podemos] and regional separatism. The Sanchez faction calculates that the continued survival of the PSOE depends on the incorporation of the pseudo-left Podemos into a PSOE-led left alliance governmentas he had attempted to do before the coup against himin order to control the working class. He has also called for unity of action with the trade unions and other left forces. Sanchez represents factions of the ruling class who are concerned that the PSOE, one of the pillars of the post-Franco era, will be destroyedas has its social democratic equivalents in Greece, PASOK, and France, the Socialist Party (PS)if it continues its support for the PP. The PSOE has already suffered disastrous results in national elections, dropping from 44 percent of the popular vote in 2008 to its current 22 percent. Sanchez made this clear in a recent interview when he said, I am especially concerned about the lack of trust that exists between our members and part of the leadership. And I think our project can humbly repair those wounds. It can rebuild the lost unity between the militants and the leaders, and also the credibility lost to our voters. Diaz opposes an alliance with Podemos, despite its pronounced shift to the right; for fear that such an alliance might still serve to arouse left-wing anti-capitalist sentiments in broader layers of the population that neither the PSOE nor Podemos would be able to control. She has even attempted to use the disastrous results of the PSOEs French counterparts in the April 23 presidential elections as an example of failure resulting from adopting radical policies! Diaz declared, We should learn from that [the French Socialist Partys results], when radical positions are taken, people punish us, move away from us. Diaz omitted any mention of the fact that the Socialist Partys (PS) meltdown in France, with its presidential candidate Benoit Hamon winning barely more than six percent of the vote, is due to the hatred engendered by the current PS governments austerity measures, warmongering and attacks on democratic rights. The PSOEs own pro-austerity track record includes the programme implemented by her regional government in Andalusia, one of the poorest regions in Spain, with the second highest unemployment level at 28 percent. Sanchez is in no position to attack his foes austerity measures or those implemented previously by the PSOE governmentsvoting for them as a parliamentarian in 2009-2011. Sanchez and Diaz are also fighting over the question of how to deal with the nationalist forces that control the region of Catalonia, one of the wealthiest in Spain, who are pledged to hold a referendum on independence this year, illegal under the Spanish constitution. Diaz is a hardliner. She has publicly stated, There will be no referendum because it goes against the lawthe same position held by the PP government. Sanchez, on the contrary, defends giving symbolic concessions, such as Catalonia being recognized as a nation in the countrys constitution. Sanchez has also defended the federalist proposal of the PSOEs sister Catalan Socialist Party. Regardless of the differences, both candidates agree that the minority PP government should remain in power as long as possible. Last month, Sanchez said in an interview, We can say no to Rajoy without the need to put forward a no confidence vote, and that we cannot call for new elections once again. Last week, he described the no confidence proposal, put forward by Podemos in parliament because of the latest corruption scandals of the PP, as making no sense and called on Rajoy to resign to save his government. Podemos has called for support for Sanchez. Its leader Pablo Iglesias has said that he would aim to negotiate with the PSOE to form a government, declaring, If you are in politics, it is to rule. Podemos no confidence vote, impossible to win without the support of the PSOE, which has dismissed the Podemos initiative as irresponsible fireworks, also aims at exposing the PSOEs pro-PP line, while bolstering the positions of Sanchez within the PSOE to pave its own path to government on behalf of Spanish capital. The august editorial board of the New York Times weighed in anxiously May 1 on the decision of former president Barack Obama to accept a reported $400,000 to speak to a Wall Street firm (The Cost of Barack Obamas Speech). The editorial is brief and unconvincing, bringing forward arguments and issuing an appeal to Obama that the editors themselves hardly seem to believe in. In its own way, the Times piece reflects the ongoing disintegration of the two-party system in the US and the apprehension of the American ruling elite about what this foretells. The pompous editorial paints a picture of a politician who, like Jesus during his time in the desert, has confronted temptations numerous times before and until now successfully resisted them--or at least come out even. Obama, we are told, has long wrestled with what it means to be a representative public servant in an era of purchased influence. Citing then Senator Obamas comment, in The Audacity of Hope (2006), that he had found himself at a certain point in his political career spending much of his time with law firm partners and investment bankers, hedge fund managers and venture capitalists, the top 1 percent or so of the income scale, the Times implies (without providing any proof) that Obamas admission amounted to a career-defining self-criticism, and that this self-critical attitude sustained him through his years in the White House. Now, however, does his acceptance of a $400,000 speaking fee represent a betrayal of that sentiment? Perhaps not, write the editors, but it is disheartening that a man whose historic candidacy was premised on a moral examination of politics now joins almost every modern president in cashing in. The newspapers presentation of Obamas career is thoroughly deceitful. Insofar as the latter ever wrestled with any choices in the direction of his life, they all had to do, from a very early point in his career, with the best means of defending American big business and national security interests while maintaining, if possible, the lie that the Democratic Party was more oriented to the average man and woman. Obama emerged from the Illinois Democratic Party, one of the most corrupt entities ever created by man, with the public backing of a layer of trade union officials, lefts and upper middle class African American politicians. Less publicly, influential financial, political and intelligence forces no doubt saw in Obama years ago a marketable and valuable commodity, a man who could present himself--as we wrote in our review of The Audacity of Hope --as both white and black, liberal and conservative, foreign and American, a man above party ideology and the petty bickering of partisan politics. During Obamas two terms in office, the stock market soared, the fantastically wealthy grew even richer and the social divide in America substantially widened. The Times editorial remains silent about this. It is silent because the newspapers owners and top staff too have sucked up their share of the same parasitical, reckless stock market and real estate bonanza that is the ultimate source of Obamas enrichment and, for that matter, that of his successor, Donald Trump. But appearances and tone count for a good deal in bourgeois politics, especially in America where almost nothing of substance separates the two major parties. The Times comment points to this reality, observing that As a couple and a family, the Obamas brought grace, empathy and high standards to their time in the White House, in stark contrast to the workaday vulgarity of its current occupants. The editorial jumps over the content of Obamas tenure in office to express disappointment with his decision to conform to a lamentable post-presidential model created fairly recently, i.e., of supping at the corporate table. In the immediate aftermath of the revelations about Obamas huge speaking fees, the US media felt it necessary, by and large, to accommodate themselves to the obvious widespread disgust. By now, however, Obamas open defenders have found their voice. Syndicated columnist Froma Harrop, for example, asks in a headline, Whats wrong with Barack Obama receiving $400,000 for a speech? and goes on to assert, If after 20 grueling years in public service Obama wants to pick up some financial security by giving speeches, call off the dogs and let him be. Isaac J. Bailey, of the Charlotte Observer editorial board, in his headline, claims, You dont have to be poor to fight for the poor, and proceeds from there. But these kinds of arguments, and there are many along these lines, clearly create unease at the Times. Its all very well for Obama, now out of office, to make a small fortune speaking to corporate events, and for his shortsighted apologists--who only dream of making that type of money--to defend him, but the Times editors must take a slightly broader view. The May 1 editorial pointedly reminds Obama that the practice of accepting vast amounts from big business contributed to the downfall of the Democrat he hoped would cement his legacy. The tens of millions that Hillary Clinton raised from speaking to corporate interests most likely haunts her now--or should. So much for white racism and misogyny!--the Times more or less acknowledges that it was Clintons identification with Wall Street and the status quo that did her in. Then there is the broader question of the fate of the Democratic Party as a whole. The editors note that the traditional party of working people has lost touch with them. In a poll released last week, more than two-thirds of voters, including nearly half of Democrats themselves, said the Democratic Party is out of touch with the concerns of the American people. For the first time in memory, Democrats are seen as more out of touch with ordinary Americans than the partys political opponents. Theres little doubt that Democratic leaders unseemly attachment to the partys wealthiest donors contributed to that indictment. Its not simply a matter of wealthy donors, of course, but of decades of attacks by Democrats and Republicans alike, black and white, male and female, on the jobs, living standards and democratic rights of broad layers of the population. This combined process of the endless shift to the right by the entire political establishment and ever-increasing popular discontent with its policies has reached a nodal point. The Times editors are perturbed, but they are entirely powerless to halt the course of this development. Yevgeny Yevtushenko, the best-known Soviet poet from the 1960s to the 1980s, died at 83 from cancer on April 1, 2017, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yevtushenko, born in 1932 in the small town of Zima in Siberias Irkutsk region, became one of the leading Soviet poets of the thaw period under Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. Those years were bound up with official condemnation of the cult of personality around Joseph Stalin and the widespread hope within the Soviet people that the country could be renewed on a socialist basis. In one of his most renowned poems, The Heirs of Stalin, published in 1961 at the time that Stalins body was removed from the mausoleum in Moscows Red Square, Yevtushenko wrote: Let someone repeat over and over again: Compose yourself! I shall never find rest. As long as there are Stalin's heirs on earth, it will always seem to me, that Stalin is still in the Mausoleum. [Translated by Katherine von Imhof] Yevtushenkos father was a geologist of Baltic German origin. His parents divorced when he was 7 years old. The boys original last name was Gangnus, but his mother changed it to her family name after they moved to Moscow at the end of the war. In secondary school and during his student years, Yevtushenko struggled and had various problems, but he quickly emerged as a talented poet. His first attempts at writing poetry were published in the journal Sovetsky Sport (Soviet Sport), when he was 17 years old, and his first volume of poetry, The Prospects of the Future, came out in 1952. The poem Babi Yar, written in 1961 in honor of the Jewish victims of mass murder by the Nazi occupiers in a ravine outside Kiev in the fall of 1941, brought him true international fame. In the poem, translated into 72 languages, Yevtushenko writes: I am each old man here shot dead. I am every child here shot dead. Nothing in me shall ever forget! The Internationale, let it thunder when the last antisemite on earth is buried for ever. In my blood there is no Jewish blood. In their callous rage, all antisemites must hate me now as a Jew. For that reason I am a true Russian! [Translated by George Reavey] Babi Yar is justly Yevtushenkos best known poem. It is deeply moving and had an enormous impact when it was first published in the Soviet journal Literaturnaya Gazeta in September 1961. In the Soviet Union, both under Stalin and his successors, state anti-Semitism flourished behind the scenes andunder this malevolent official influencefound expression in everyday life. Even though Red Army correspondents such as Vasily Grossman had been among the first to write and report on the Holocaust, the horrors were subsequently covered up by the Stalinist bureaucracy, which denied that genocide had been committed against the Jewish people, instead arguing that only Soviet citizens were murdered. Composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who incorporated the poem into his Symphony No. 13 (1962), reportedly told a friend: I was overjoyed when I read Yevtushenkos Babi Yar; the poem astounded me. It astounded thousands of people. Many had heard about Babi Yar, but it took Yevtushenkos poem to make them aware of it. They tried to destroy the memory of Babi Yar, first the Germans and then the Ukrainian government. But after Yevtushenkos poem, it became clear that it would never be forgotten. That is the power of art. In the early 1960s, the great enthusiasm of Soviet young people for poetry generated the phenomenon of readings in large venues. The most legendary poetry evenings were the ones held at Moscows Polytechnic Museum, which attracted thousands of admirers. Apart from Yevgeny Yevtushenko, the three best-known young poetsAndrei Voznesensky, Robert Rozhdestvensky and Bella Akhmadulina (who later became Yevtushenkos first wife)also read their verses there. The readings at the Polytechnic Museum became part of the fiction film I am Twenty (Marlen Khutsiev, 1965), widely recognized as one of the symbols of the thaw period and the attempts of the best layers of the Soviet intelligentsia of the time to make a connection between the epoch of the 1917 revolution and the contemporary period. The young poets often emulated the leading figures of the 1920s, such as Sergei Yesenin and especially Vladimir Mayakovsky. The influence of the latter was particularly felt in the works of Rozhdestvensky and Yevtushenko himself. The principal peculiarity of Yevtushenkos poetic style was the combination of a deep lyricism and self-examinationoften bordering on self-infatuation and egocentrismwith a civic or social pathos and an urge to comment on the most topical questions of political life. Yevtushenko elaborated his view on poetry, according to which the self-expression of the individual cannot limit itself to the ivory tower of pure art, and according to which it [individual self-expression] is inseparable from the striving to have a certain social position, in his poem The Bratsk Hydroelectric Station (1965). This poem was conceived as a hymn to the success of building Soviet society, which surpassed anything hitherto known in human history. The poet in Russia is more than a poet. Only those in whom the proud spirit of citizenship roams, Who find no comfort or peace, Are fated to be born as poets in Russia. At the same time, the main unresolved question that determined Yevtushenkos fate as a poet, as it did that of the entire Soviet 60s generation, lay in the incapacity to truly break with the Stalinist bureaucracy and find a direct path to the genuine history and spiritual pathos of the 1917 October Revolution. This incapacity, in the final analysis, was an objective socio-cultural problem, not a failing of the individual artists. Stalinism had murdered off the finest elements in the working class and the intelligentsia, anyone perceived to represent a threat to the bureaucracy. As a result of the physical and intellectual devastation, the Soviet population was largely blocked from contact with genuine Marxism, including of course a left-wing critique of the counter-revolutionary regime itself. The artists undoubtedly felt a sincere hatred and revulsion for Stalin, but the terrible practices and legacy of Soviet Stalinism could not be reduced to the personal foibles and malice of an individual, but rather were rooted in the nationalistic, reactionary theory of socialism in a single country, which represented the opposite of the international and revolutionary perspectives of October. The 1960s generation certainly went through a romantic infatuation with the revolution and the Civil War. This resulted, inter alia, in the lines written in 1957 by Bulat Okudzhava, the son of the Georgian Old Bolshevik, Shalva Okudzhava, accused of Trotskyism and shot by Stalin during the Great Terror in the late 1930s: No matter what new battle shakes the globe, I will nevertheless fall in that single Civil War, And commissars in dusty headgear will bow in silence over me. To resurrect the genuine spirit of the first years of Soviet power, however, and to lay a bridge between the two epochs, separated by the gulf of a horrible tragedy, the political genocide of several generations of the Bolshevik party and the entire culture of Russian socialism, it would have been necessary to turn seriously to the heritage of Leon Trotsky and the Left Opposition. This political heritage embodied the best traditions of October and represented the socialist alternative to Soviet Stalinism. But the conditions for the artists making such a turn were very unfavorable. Making this conscious connection to the history of the Left Opposition, the continuator of Bolshevism, was also necessary for a newand genuinediscovery of Lenin, whom the official Soviet Marxism-Leninism had turned into an embalmed mummy, a dead statue with the face of a state person. Without confronting this primary and most critical problem, the generation of Soviet intellectuals of the 1960s was condemned to degeneration and moral degradation, as well as to an increasing creative impotence. Ambivalence, growing hypocrisy and cynicism found their reflection in Yevtushenkos work and personal eccentricities. In the mid-1960s he condemned the witch-hunt in the USSR of poet Joseph Brodsky and writer Yuli Daniel, and wrote about the merciless suppression of the 1968 Prague Spring by the Brezhnev leadership in the words: Tanks are moving on Prague, Tanks are moving on the truth. He also wrote a series of poems about the Vietnam War. However, in the 1970s Yevtushenko turned more and more into a stereotyped figure of a representative of Soviet culture abroad. The celebrity poet visited over a hundred countries, meeting not only Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, but also such repugnant representatives of world imperialism as Richard Nixon. The necessity to regularly speak out on topical political questions in the general spirit of the interests of the Kremlin leadership too often gave birth to hurriedly cobbled together, often botched verses. The journalist and writer Denis Dragunskii remarks: Yevtushenko is flashy, colorful, and sometimes tasteless. Just like his clothesthese overtly colorful jackets, rings, shirts of crazy styles. Discussing Yevtushenkos ability to establish relations with the powers that be and advance himself, Dragunskii cites a story of one journalist from the newspaper Komsomolskaya pravda [ Komsomol Truth organ of the Central Committee of the Komsomol, youth wing of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union], who observed Yevtushenko in the mid-1970s twice during one day. In the morning, the poet came into the Komsomolka [which was in these years one of the anchors of free thought within the framework granted by the authorities] and was dressed very fashionably, striking and foreign. And at three in the afternoon he met Yevtushenko in the Central Committee of the Komsomol and hardly recognized himhe was dressed in a modest, Soviet suit, tie... He apparently had gone home only to change this clothes. The process of degeneration of the Soviet intelligentsia was not completed in an instant, but stretched out over a lengthy period of time, at least two decades or more, proceeding quite steadily in the years of the so called stagnation (under Leonid Brezhnev and his successors). Nevertheless, having received a significant impetus from the thaw, Soviet culture continued to yield significant fruits for some time. The flourishing of cinema, for instance, continued from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. But the continued rule of the counter-revolutionary Stalinist bureaucracy, which could only have been ended in a progressive fashion by a political revolution of the working class, doomed the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbachevs perestroika (restructuring) policies brought to light the hidden, long-term process of decay and the real danger of capitalist restoration, while leading layers of the Soviet intelligentsia suddenly discovered that, in the name of the democratic values of bourgeois society, they were prepared to curse the revolution, socialism and their own recent past. The acknowledged leaders of the Soviet 60s in the various spheres of science and culture became the primary intellectual prop for the restoration of capitalism which the Stalinist bureaucracy conducted at the turn of the 1980s and 90s and which destroyed the Soviet Union. Proceeding ever further along the path of renunciationism and anti-Communism, a significant section of this layer, including the above-mentioned Bulat Okudzhava, supported the authoritarian Boris Yeltsin regime and enthusiastically approved his shelling of parliament by tanks in October 1993. Some few years later, in full accordance with the positions of the most influential group of recently emerged oligarchs, they supported Vladimir Putin as Yeltsins successor. Yevtushenko tried to find a new footing in the post-Soviet period, but without much success. His moderate criticisms of Yeltsins Russia allowed him to maintain or develop a certain popularity, but all this resembled, more than anything else, a life after death. In 1991, he moved with his family to the United States, after receiving a position at the University of Tulsa. From this point on, he returned to Russia mostly for short visits; he held readings from time to time, gave interviews and worked on editing a five-volume anthology of Russian poetry covering ten centuries in the history of the country. In 2014 Yevtushenko disgracefully supported the pro-Western coup in Kiev, which was carried out by far-right and fascist forces. A few days before the overthrow of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich, he wrote the poem State, Be a Human Being!, in which he declared With me on the Maidan are the warm ghosts of Pushkin and Briullov [Karl Briullov, the Russian painter who donated the proceeds of the sale of one of his paintings to buy the freedom of Ukrainian writer-artist Taras Shevchenko from virtual slavery]. This final transformation of Yevtushenko from a fellow-traveler and friend of the Soviet bureaucracy into a loyal supporter of imperialism guaranteed him the sympathies of the pro-Western liberal opposition, which rehabilitated him as fully as they could. The poet and writer Dmitry Bykov speaks today of the drama and triumph of Yevtushenko, asserting he was a man, endowed with super-human abilities. At the same time, the decades-long conflict between Joseph Brodsky and Yevtushenko has finally come to an end. Brodsky, who received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1987, at the height of Gorbachevs perestroika, had already, by the end of the 1960s, politically turned far to the right, to extreme anti-Communism. His personal animosity toward the officially recognized Soviet writers and poets found its most specific expression in his hostile attitude toward Yevtushenko. His animosity, it is said, went so far that Brodsky declared: If Yevtushenko is against the kolkhozes [Soviet collective farms], then I am for them. When looked at today, this feud looks like a trivial episode, even though one that bears some significance if only from the standpoint of literary history. It would be a gross oversimplification and a genuine error to regard the fate of the generation of the Soviet 60s as nothing more than one colossal defeat in the moral and creative sense. These figures left us quite a lot that is vivid and fresh and which will continue to live in the memory of future generations. In the present day, the American ruling elite is conducting a ferocious anti-Russian campaign, trying to incite open hatred of the Russians as a people in order to justify their plans for global domination. Under such conditions one is pleased and moved to remember one of Yevgeny Yevtushenkos best poems written in 1961. In one of the most difficult periods of the Cold War, on the eve of the Cuban missile crisis, he wrote, recalling the lessons of the Second World War: Say, do the Russians want a war? Go ask our land, then ask once more That silence lingering in the air Above the birch and poplar there. Sure, we know how to fight a war, But we don't want to see once more The soldiers falling all around, Their countryside a battleground. Ask those who give the soldiers life Go ask my mother, ask my wife, Then you will have to ask no more, SayDo the Russians want a war? TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Multiple children have been injured and a bus driver has been arrested after a Brooks County bus ran off the road. The Georgia State Patrol said that Valdosta troopers responded to the crash on Cooper Road in Brooks County around 7:30 a.m. Troopers were able to piece together a narrative after an investigation. They said that the bus was traveling east on Cooper Road when the bus traveled off the right shoulder of Cooper Road. The bus then struck the ditch and a culvert. After hitting the ditch and culvert, the driver, identified as Brian Elliot, steered the bus back onto Cooper Road. Troopers said that the bus then traveled across both east and west bound lanes of Cooper Road. The bus again traveled into the south ditch of Cooper Road and into the property of 2009 Cooper Road. Troopers said the driver drove the bus back onto Cooper Road where he stopped the bus and exited to inspect for vehicle damage. The driver told troopers that the bus was drivable and that he continued on his route. The driver later reported the incident to the school officials when he arrived at the school to unload the children. GSP said that there are a total of 21 injuries ranging from cut lips and noses along with complaints of various non-visible injuries. There were no serious injuries reported. Elliot was arrested and charged with failure to maintain lane, failure to report accident with injuries, striking a fixed object, and leaving the scene of a crash with damage and injuries. The driver was also charged with cruelty to children in the second degree which is a felony. He is currently at the Brooks County Jail as troopers interview the driver and gather more evidence. More charges may be filed after the investigation is complete. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Over the next few weeks, thousands of college students will be heading out of the Capital City, leaving businesses with fewer customers. It happens every summer, with students either graduating or wrapping up classes for the semester. But how do businesses here in town stay afloat when they're gone? Right now, many are in the process of actually getting ready for the fall. WTXL visited Barefoot Campus Outfitters, one of the newer businesses in town. It opened just a few months ago in February. Taking a look inside, the store is stocked with clothing and other items to draw in students and their families. This is the week students graduate from Florida State and Barefoot is ready for its first summer here. The company has stores in other college towns so, it knows the deal and the manager says she doesn't expect business to slow down too much. Barefoot says it generates business through its website and text program, too. The manager says the store has new products just about every day. "There are a lot of people leaving, but FSU does have a lot of orientations coming up, so we're really involved with that," said Cassie Mayhew, retail manager at Barefoot Campus Outfitter. "We're just maybe trying to show the new Noles who we are and all the stuff that we have. We'll adjust to see how it's going to be business-wise, but I think that we're going to have a good year." The hope is that students in summer classes and orientations will keep things active. WTXL also talked to the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce to put this in perspective. "If you think about an area like College Town, you've got some great companies down there," said Jay Revell. "Great places that you can go have a wonderful experience, and it also gives people who might be a few years removed from college the opportunity to go down there and experience some of those places when maybe the college crowd is a little lighter than it normally would be." Revell says Tallahassee has seen tremendous growth in hospitality to encourage students to stay here for the summer. He says there are probably more summer jobs available in town now than ever before. It's one more reason he believes businesses won't feel too much of a pinch when many students leave. George Hansen and his attorney David Allen stand as jurors leave a Yakima County Superior Courtroom Tuesday. Hansen is accused of sexually assaulting an employee of his law firm. (DONALD W. MEYERS/Yakima Herald-Republic) Former Wisconsin Democracy Campaign executive director Mike McCabe said Wednesday hes considering a gubernatorial campaign in response to a letter from 190 Wisconsinites urging him to run. McCabe said hes willing to run but cautioned that he wouldnt make an announcement until after Labor Day, and it would depend on his supporters helping to organize a campaign. Obviously a lot of pieces would have to fall into place to make that happen, McCabe said in an interview. Its not something that Ive been planning for. So I really have to take the coming weeks and months to be able to pull everything together. Thats not something that can all be figured out today or this week. McCabe, 56, of Madison, is founder and president of Blue Jean Nation, a nonprofit that engages citizens to challenge the political establishment. He was a founding member of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks campaign finance in the state, and served as director from 2000 to 2015. He previously worked for the Madison School District, Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance and three Republican legislators. He ran for Assembly in 1998 as a Democrat, but lost in the primary to Mark Pocan. He recently wrote a book, Blue Jeans in High Places, about the influence of money in politics and the corrosion of American democracy and has toured the state promoting it. McCabe said he doesnt know if he would run as an independent, third party or major party candidate but acknowledged that it would be difficult to run a third-party campaign. The most comfortable thing for me would be to run as a nonpartisan, because thats what I am, McCabe said. Im fully aware that running as an independent puts a candidate in the position of dividing the change vote and getting blamed for continuing the status quo. Ive seen that countless times. Dozens of citizens from across the state signed a letter urging McCabe to run for governor because the major parties are broken and you belong to no political party. For decades you have shined light on the misdeeds of Republicans and Democrats alike, and have blown the whistle on them without fear or favor, they wrote. That makes you a public servant in the truest sense. One of the signatories, Rick Adamski, 61, a farmer from Shawano County who identifies as a Democrat and supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, compared McCabe to Lee Dreyfus, who won election as an outsider Republican in 1978. Adamski said he was drawn to McCabe after hearing him speak five years ago at a Wisconsin Farmers Union event. In his speech McCabe criticized the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Citizens United, which struck down limits on corporate spending on elections. (Excess money in politics) is influencing decision-making and who can and cant run, Adamski said. Many people are frustrated and dropped out of the political process because of that. Mike is about trying to right the ship. Republican Gov. Scott Walker has indicated he will announce a run for a third term after the state budget process wraps up in late June. Several high-profile Democrats have announced they wont run. Its hard to find an issue that the governments ministers are dealing with more intensively than the battle against the BDS movement. Gilad Erdan, the minister of public security and strategic affairs, is also in charge of the battle against the boycott movement. Israels embassies and attaches around the world are preoccupied with the issue and allotting significant resources to the battle. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The boycott law states that any individual calling for a boycott of Israel or of communities in the territories may be sued for damages. Some ministers and Knesset members are persistently persecuting activists and organizations calling for such a boycott. Indeed, it is an mammoth patriotic battle. Earlier this week, however, the Israeli government itself gave in to the anti-settlement boycott, by approving an agreement with China to bring in 20,000 Chinese construction workers to Israel after the talks leading to the deal had been stalled for years, mainly because of Chinas demand to receive a governmental guarantee that the workers would not be employed in construction sites in the settlements. Chinese construction workers. The government ignored the agreements effect on the local labor market (Photo: Amit Shabi) In the agreement signed this week, the Israeli government accepted the demand and signed a clause stating that the workers would work in areas agreed upon by both parties. In other words, Chinese workers will not be employed in settlements. There is apparently no problem giving up national pride and the battle against the boycott movement in favor of a chance to reduce housing prices. Lets put the ministers hypocrisy aside and consider the meaning of the decision to bring 20,000 work migrants to Israel. Its clear why the building contractors and manpower organizations are interested in foreign workersthey are obedient, they are willing to work an almost unlimited number of hours, and they wont complain or sue their employer when the labor laws which concern them are violated. In addition, some of these bodies charge thousands of dollars in commissions from the workers for the right to work in Israel, turning their work into debt bondage. Those who stand to lose from the import of work migrants, on the other hand, are the Israeli workersmainly poor people without an education, many of whom are Israeli Arabs. The importing of foreign workers is creating unfair competition based on the violation of labor laws and pay cuts. Its no coincidence that foreign workers are imported in industries like construction, agriculture and nursing, where the employees belong to weakened groups. Its hard to imagine a similar import of thousands of engineers to the high-tech industry. Its quite puzzling that we have not heard any protest from the Histadrut labor federation, which is supposed to represent the construction workers interests, as many of them pay membership fees and professional negotiation fees. Palestinian construction workers stand to lose from the agreement signed with China as well. The Israeli government, which includes some ministers who support an Economic peace peace that does not involve giving up on lands but only improving the economic situation of the territories residentscould have, instead of bringing in construction workers, provided a proper livelihood to thousands of unemployed Palestinian workers who are living in economic distress. As noted by Hanna Zohar of the Workers Hotline, the Israeli construction industry employs some 20,000 asylum seekers who may also suffer from the import of foreign workers. And finally, different studies conducted throughout the years indicate that Israels construction industry is technologically lagging behind and is stuck in the 1960s, as a result of the import of work migrants. Importing cheap labor hinders technological progress and leads to an almost complete absence of professional training for the industrys workers. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon announced about a month ago that he was praying to God that the agreement with the Chinese government is be signed. It is unclear whether the ministers prayer helped in this case, but it is clear that if the government had not ignored the agreements effect on the local labor market, and if the ministers had not given in to the Chinese governments demand to boycott the settlementsthe agreement would not have been signed. When the Yom Kippur War broke out in 1973, Moshe Ya'alon was a 23-year-old newly-released soldier, who like many others was hurriedly called up for reserve duty. He was stationed in the 55th Paratroopers Brigade in the Sinai Peninsula, and his first few days out there were particularly bleak. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "We were already hearing rumors about friends who were killed or taken captive," he remembers. "And I was hearing about what was happening to the Airborne Nahal battalion that I previously served in, which had to withdraw on foot from the Golan. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan was talking in terms of the Third Temple being destroyed, and that feeling went down the ranks." Ya'alon, holding firm (Photo: Gabriel Baharlia) But he didn't have much time to think about it. On October 15, when the IDF gained the momentum at a terrible cost, the 55th Paratroopers Brigade was about to cross the Suez Canal. Moshe Ya'alon (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Ya'alon made a promise to himself that night that if he returned alive from this crossing, he would reenlist in the IDF and take the officers' training coursewhich, as history now tells it, brought him all the way from the canal to the IDF chief's office. But at the end of that war, something in Ya'alon also broke. "I returned from that war and, for the first time, experienced a crisis of faith in the leadership. I realized that we can't count on anyone; that if we were caught by surprise like that, someone didn't do his job right. "Since then, it has been part of my DNA. That is why I'm constantly worried by (Prime Minister) Netanyahu's worldviews today: no criticism, surrounding himself by yes men. God forbid anyone should express another view, be they public servants, the media, the courts, etc. I'm anxious when I see this tyrannical thought, and it takes me back to these years of euphoria and hubris after the Six-Day War, which led us to chaos." Ya'alon and Netanyahu The past few months have been particularly hectic for the 66-year-old Ya'alon. The door of the offices he is renting on Tel Aviv's HaBarzel Street boasts the sign "Alternative Leadership NGO," but those who attend his living room political meetings and other gatherings up and down the country have no doubt: When he's talking about an alternative leadership, he's talking about his own leadership. Ya'alon doesn't rule out joining forces with other major political playersand he did get quite a few offersbut at the moment, this is his time. "I decided to go on my own independent path," he tells Yedioth Ahronoth in a special interview for Independence Day. "I do see cooperation in the future. After all, eventually you need to form a coalition. Perhaps even form these bonds before the elections. My working assumption is that the elections will be held in the coming year. So I'm talking to everyone and intentionally leaving my options open. After all, we're not there yet. But right now I plan on taking the pitch on my own, show my strength." One poll predicts you four seats in the Knesset. Another poll has you not even passing the threshold. "I don't look at that. After all, I haven't established a party yet. I conduct living room discussions, meet with different people, get appreciation, but people are justifiably waiting for me to decide what political move I'm going to make. It's irresponsible to even include me in polls yet. Perhaps the intention behind this is to convince me to join an existing party. This kind of pressure does exist. I talked to a lot of people, and I found that we can find common ground even on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, which has always been at the heart of the division." What are you hearing from people? "The majority realize a final-status agreement is not going to happen anytime soon. I heard this from quite a few party leaders, including those considered leftists in the Labor partylike (Isaac) Herzog. On the other hand, I also meet people from the religious-Zionist sector who have grown tired of Bayit Yehudi's nationalistic ways." What about politicians from the Likud party? "Quite a few come to me from there as well, despite the fact there's a custom in the Likud party that you don't undermine the leader. But quite a few Likudniks approach me and tell me they're taking nausea pills to survive there. I can understand them. I needed those pills too over the last year." Why? "Because I think what we have today is not leadership. It contaminates the word 'leadership.' The public is being incited against and distracted by other threats. It could be an external threat, it could be Arabs, it could be an internal threat like leftists, Ashkenazi or Mizrahi people. Netanyahu is deceiving the people by rallying them around hatred. It's the politics of hatred." 'The opposite truth' "In my last few months as a minister, I couldn't sleep. And it wasn't because of Iran," Ya'alon confesses. "It was because of the internal issues, which got me into clashes with others: The corruption, the media, the discourse of hate, the status of the courts. The soldier (Elor Azaria), an issue that came up near the end (of my time as minister), could very well have been the result of all of the other conflicts. "It was hard for me, because I thought leadership should unite. On election day, when I heard (Netanyahu's warning) that 'Arabs are going to the polls in droves,' I was horrified. I know Israel's Arab citizens, and they are undergoing a process of Israelization. I told myself: This is not a comment made by a leader, this is a comment made by a politico. It sounds like (current Defense Minister Avigdor) Lieberman, who emboldens Hanin Zoabi, and Zoabi emboldens him with a discourse of hate. But it's not the kind of language befitting the Likud party." Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Defense Ministry) You didn't come out against this at the time. "I could only talk to Benny Begin about this, because there are those who understand and think like me in the Likud party, but they don't dare speak out. Fear rules there. There are young MKs who joined the Likudsome of them excellent parliamentarianswho all of a sudden take on radical positions so they would be reelected, and so they won't be perceived as 'leftists.' All of a sudden, Benny Begin and I are considered 'leftists.' Something bad is happening in the Likud party. "So the term started, and I noticed the prime minister was not setting any limits. In party meetings, when people attacked my insistence on maintaining the rule of law in Judea and Samaria, no one defended me. The only one who defended me was Benny Begin. So I realized I was becoming more and more alone. "At the time, I was dealing with issues like the demolition of two structures in Beit El, which were built illegally on private land, and there was no decisive statement made by the leadership. I said, 'If this is against the law, let's demolish.' I found myself on the other side of the divide. And here I ask, again, where is the prime minister to put an end to this? Is he going to let these guys(Bezalel) Smotrich and (Oren) Hazanplay their game, while I have to deal with this alone? "The Likud is a national movement, but I saw how the prime minister was crossing the line between 'national' and 'nationalistic.' Part of it likely also comes from the prime minister's political motives, from looking for allies in Bayit Yehudi. After all, anything (Bayit Yehudi leader) Bennett says, the prime minister is quick to agree. But Bennett too has a tail that's wagging the doglike Smotrich and others. Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) So all of a sudden, Smotrich gets to pull the government to the right. And the prime minister doesn't put an end to it. And MKs who want to get reelected make comments accordingly. All of a sudden, attacking the Arabs is good, attacking the Supreme Court is good, and attacking the media is good." So why didn't you resign immediately, at the beginning of the term, when you realized this was the situation? "I told myself: As long as I'm the defense minister, who can still protect the IDF, I don't want to think about who would replace me and how that would look like. And as long as I can implement what I believed in as part of my responsibility in Judea and Samaria, I would swallow the bitter pill. And there were bitter pills to swallow." On a personal level, when did you start feeling a change in Netanyahu's attitude towards you? "When it came to the issues currently under police investigation: the purchase of the submarines and other naval vessels." Is there something about the submarines that we don't know? "I cannot talk about it, because it's still under investigation, but there are definitely things the public doesn't know. Not just about the submarines, but about the other naval vessels. It's the entire thing. I have a lot to say about it, and things will become clear in the future. There is no doubt this issue was part of what came between me and Netanyahu, but even before this investigation there were serious disagreements between us. For example, we clashed over his demand to shut down Army Radio. I put my foot down, but it kept coming up in our meetings. "His demand was unequivocal: He told me 'close the station,' and I said 'no.' He is obsessed with the media. Look at what they're doing to the media today: They're either corrupting it, or enslaving it by turning it into a propaganda machine, or delegitimizing it. I told him a few times: Do you not have enough influence over the media? You have your own newspaper, there's more of a variety of voices being represented in all stations now than there used to be. This is an obsession. "All of a sudden, anyone who is not 'with us' is a 'leftist.' There's an agenda behind the chosen language and the one leading this agenda is the prime minister in an effort to hurt what he dubs 'the elite' that, in his view, won't allow him to governthe media, the courts, and public servants. And I'm not with him, so I too became a 'leftist.' "By the way, the same thing happened to military officers. He sees them as an elite that is in his way. That is why I had a very serious argument with him about the Locker Commission report (which examined the defense budget and recommended extensive cuts). The Locker report touched on a lot of things, but I thought it was targeting career officers. To that I said: Over my dead body. On the outside, (Netanyahu) always talks 'security, security, security.' But the opposite is true. A leader should support the defense establishment, not view it as a political threat. But I guess that is beyond his abilities." What did you think about MKs David Bitan and Miki Zohar's behavior towards bereaved families ? "Unfortunately, there is a process of radicalization and moral deterioration, which is manifested in very violent political discourse that crosses all the lines. That incident was only an example of that. There is a reason why commanders say that the hardest moments in their military service is when they have to walk into the home of a bereaved family. Those were also the hardest moments of my life. The moral debt that we owe these families is unimaginable. That is why when I witnessed that tongue-lashing I felt great shame, including over the fact they may have thought this could help them politically." Its fake news The chasm between Ya'alon and the prime minister was filling with flammable fumes, and all it took to set it off was a match. Or a gunshot. On March 24, 2016, that shot was fired by Sgt. Elor Azaria. Ya'alon was the defense minister at the time, and immediately denounced the act as "extremely grave and completely in contradiction with the IDF's values." But rather quickly Ya'alon found himself facing many ministers, among them the prime minister, who did not quite share his opinion. Do you think you spoke too soon? "I don't regret anything I said. Let's put things in order here: the incident happened Thursday morning. It was obvious to everyone in the field that it's an unusual incident, abnormal. An investigation was then done by the Kfir Brigade commander, and it became clear that it was a deed that should never have been done, outside the law, opposed to our values. "We got the investigation's results at 1:30pm, and by then the video (of the incident) was already out, and we understood the danger of escalation in the territories following its release. Why? Because the Palestinians are telling a blood libel against usthat we execute without trialand the video serves as proof. For that reason, we agreed that we must denounce the act, and so should the prime minister. And so, in the afternoon, we did just that; the prime minister, me and the IDF chief of staff. Elor Azaria (Photo: Motti Kimchi) "By evening, I had already realized that this was going to be politicized. Slowly, I started getting information that (journalist and former MK) Sharon Gal went to the (Azaria) family's home, along with many other people who offered to represent their son in court, and the family fell for it. They didn't understand back then, and I'm not sure they even understand today, that they were being used for a political spin. "On Friday, Bennett saw the political potential (in the incident) and wrote a post on Facebook, asking why the prime minister, the defense minister and the chief of staff are not backing the soldier. If he really wanted details of what happened there, he could have just asked me for them. "On Monday I got to the Knesset and didn't even think about commenting on the subject. But people started criticizing: why are we not backing the hero soldier? Echoing the words 'hero soldier' again and again. So who was going to defend the military's integrity at that point? Should Iof all peoplehave kept silent? "I went up on the podium, and said 'ladies and gentlemen, there was a military investigation, and I can't get into its details, but this soldier is not a hero, its a soldier who transgressed. What do you want to accomplish by continuing to act in this way? Do you want the military to become desensitized? Leave it to the court to decide on this.' "Well, that didn't help much, of course. Then, when his remand was extended by a week, Lieberman, along with (Moshe) Feiglin and Oren Hazan, started stating 'he's innocent, he's innocent,' and causing a commotion. "And then I, as the defense minister, had to defend the military court. I said 'ladies and gentlemen, the one who determines the rules of engagement is the chief of staff, and not the mobs.' And that's it. I made no further comments on the matter. "In the meantime, I found out that there's an entire campaign, backed by a lot of money. And then they started posting things against me on Facebook, and I started getting calls from friends, saying 'listen, some journalists called looking for something shady in your past about killing captives.' I realized then that someone recruited a team and was running a campaign, doing public relations, using investigative journalists. And then a post about me was actually published, saying I was once present in the execution of a Syrian captive when I was a battalion commander. In short, there was a great wave of fake news." Where you ever present at an execution of a captive? "Never." What did you learn about the public from this whole affair? "That you can deceive itnot just part of the public, most of itfor a long time. Incitement is easiest to digest. Its a cynical political exploitation of the human need for safety, using hate of Arabs and leftists. They put the soldier against the terrorist. Of course the public is going to back the soldier. But it's not really about the soldier against the terrorist; it's about the soldier against the IDF's values, against the orders of his commanders, from the chief of staff to his platoon commander. But it's easy to incite to nationality and racism. That is the danger here, and that's where we need true leadership, which does not exist today. "Even the prime minister flipped and took a stance in support of the soldier when he called his family. The political leadership confused all of the soldiers. Because what actually happened here? Soldiers kept serving after the incidentin Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin On the one hand, all of their commanders told them 'he's no hero, he's a soldier who transgressed.' On the other hand, the political leadership has been making a hero out of him. Do you realize what kind of crisis this creates? Even the chief of staff had to comment on it, because the political leadership was going against the army's values. Netanyahu changed his stance based on Facebook 'likes' and polls. He needs to lead according to his moral compass and not according to popular opinion, especially not according to bad opinions." How did this affair affect your relationship with Netanyahu? "In the end, it was another incident in which both of us were on opposite sides. After that, there came a moment when I realizedand this was just before I resignedthat he was trying to offer my position to others. Before it was offered to Lieberman, he offered it to Herzog, who didn't want it. I was told that (Herzog) told Netanyahu, 'you have an excellent defense minister, I want to be the foreign minister.' That's when I realized that he was trying to get rid of me. That was the moment when I realized that I hit a dead end. "In general, Netanyahu holds this belief that anyone who might become a political threatoff with his head. When I realized that Lieberman was already in talks for the position, I decided to resign." Ya'alon (Photo: Gabriel Baharlia) Ya'alon made his famous resignation speech about 18 months ago. "It is intolerable to me that we should be divided because of a cynical hunger for power," he said at the time, in what reminded many of his famous goodbye speech from his position as the IDF chief of staff, when he said: "People ask me why I walk with tall boots in the Kirya (the IDF headquarters), and I tell them it's because of all the snakes." What do you have to say about the allegations against Netanyahu ? "It's sickening. There is a level of corruption here that became the norm. Greed and hedonism is blinding people. I was there; I know what the temptations are. You walk among world leaders, see people who are extremely wealthy. It doesnt really appeal to me, but there are apparently people who are taken by it. "In my opinion, Netanyahu should resign. People in a civilized nation resign when affairs like these are made public, even if the investigation hasn't finished yet and an indictment hasn't been filed. I think that even with only the things that have been revealed to the public, even without the details still under investigation, he should resign and not wait for the investigation to finish or for the attorney general to make a decision." Not for 'likes' As if all of this wasn't enough, after his resignation, the state comptroller's report on Operation Protective Edge was releasedand Ya'alon did not come out unscathed. The report pointed to him, alongside Netanyahu and former IDF chief Benny Gantz, as the ones who were responsible for the fact the tunnel threat wasn't recognized and handled properly. "They look at the operation only through the lens of the tunnels and the decisions made about them. As if there wasn't an entire military campaign surrounding it. There are a lot of elements here being ignored," says Ya'alon. The report noted that discussions at the Security Cabinet about the subject "did not fully reflect the severity of the threat of the tunnels, as it was known to the prime minister and the defense establishment." What is your take on it? "Of course I presented the subject to the cabinet, but there are sometimes things that you know but not aware of. When the Israeli public sees Hamas militants come out of the ground, they become aware of the threat. But was I never in tunnels before? Did we not train for them? "What is the point of creating this illusion that it is only a matter of making a decision about it and the problem would be solved? The Americans have the same problem with Mexico, and they haven't managed to solve it either. "Besides, the tunnels pose no existential threat. A more substantial threat is rockets being fired from the strip, and the rockets and missiles being fired by Hezbollah. The whole tunnels affairit was made into a demonic plot. I understand the psychology behind it. But this is exactly where a responsible leadership is needed, one that doesn't fan the flames. But I knew that those who politicized the cabinet will politicize this. And so I told the state comptroller: if we failed, there should be a government-appointed inquiry commission investigating this." Ya'alon, during his time as IDF chief of staff (Photo: IDF) So what are your conclusions from the operation? "That in general, military action should only be used as a last resort. War is terrible. Unfortunately for me, I've been through many of them, lost friends, even saw some fall right beside me. I understand the price of war, and even in Protective Edge I thought that we could prevent escalation." How? "Before Operation Protective Edge, Hamas found itself in a dire financial situation, with no money for the public sectorfor teachers, doctors or even clerks. I saw that and tried to come up with a solution so that innocent people could make a living. I managed to formulate such a plan with the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Robert Serry, with the help of Qatar that was willing to pay the salaries. Unfortunately, Lieberman, who was the foreign minister at the time, torpedoed the plan out of his own personal considerations. He wanted to make Serry a persona non grata, and Netanyahu supported his stance. "It was obvious that this would increase tensions in the strip, and that it could lead to an explosion. So this, along with other issues, raised tensions and things escalated. Hamas did not plan for a war in 2014, and neither did wewe were both dragged into it. That's the main lesson this war should teach us." What happened at the security cabinet during the operation? "There were ministers who saw it as a political opportunity. They built the narrative about the tunnel threat, and selectively leaked from the meetings. In this cabinet, all discussions are heated, and the problem is that anyone who is more impassioned is supposedly more patriotic. "You dont get Facebook 'likes' when you provide the Palestinians with water and electricity. You get 'likes' for slogans: 'We will destroy Hamas and take control of the strip.' But reality is more complex, and that's what managing a responsible and measured policy is about. "I spoke at the time about snakes in the Kirya, but in the cabinet, it's not just snakes, it's cobras. And in the Knesset it's vipers." (Photo: Gabriel Baharlia) Internal challenges Now, Ya'alon is independent, going up and down the country from one meeting to another, believing that even in the age of Facebook 'likes,' there is no replacing face-to-face conversations. Everything he has been doing appears like he is establishing a new political party, but he hasn't labelled it as such yet. Why aren't you announcing your new political party? "Because there are no elections yet, and there are people who want to run with me but are currently working in other positions, so they don't want to reveal themselves yet. In any case, I already know who's going to be the party's number two." Is it true that you are trying to recruit several former senior army generals? "I keep in touch with them allwith Ashkenazi, Gantz, Yadlin, and others. Once one of them decides that he is jumping into the cold political waters, I believe we'll have more practical political talks." What is your party's agenda going to be? "Defense-wise, it will be hawkish; values-wise, it will be Jewish democratic liberal." What about the peace process? "There is still much work to be done, and we need to strive for peace, but at the same time keep a sober view that in this tough neighborhood, it is unlikely to happen in the near future. That doesn't mean we should be disheartened. We can have stability, and we have achieved that on some level, but we will continue doing so with measured and responsible policies and not with slogans and fiery speeches. There seems to be a competition between Bennett, Lieberman and Galant on who is more fiery." In light of everything you said about Netanyahu, could this party work with him? "I don't want to come out with any declarations on that. At the moment, there is a mutual separation between us." It has been 50 years since the Six-Day War. In retrospect, was it good for us? "It was good because it decreased the threats to national security. However, the complacency and this feeling of power that followed it were the cause of what happened in the Yom Kipur War. There are people who miss the days before the Six-Day War because we felt like a society always under threat that needs to come together and fight. I think that's true today, as well." With Israel celebrating its 69th Independence Day, are you optimistic about the future of the country? "Yes, and my optimism stems from the ability to compare what we have today and what we had in the time of my grandparents, who were murdered in the Holocaust. I'm convinced that before their deaths, they did not believe that, in a few years, an independent Jewish state will rise and will have its own army, and that their grandson will be its chief of staff. We were able, in a wise and clever way, with knowledge, spirit and care, to protect our national Jewish home, and develop it. "And in celebration of Independence Day, I want to say this: Israel remains steadfast despite the challenges it faces. We should divert our efforts and recourses inwards to deal with our internal challenges, which bother me more than the external ones." Human Rights Watch condemned Hamas for holding the two Israeli citizens, Abera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayyid, illegally in the Gaza Strip. Hamas claimed that they were IDF soldiers. The organization called on Hamas leaders to provide evidence of the crimes of the two detainees and demanded that they be treated humanely and allowed to contact their families. President Donald Trump is giving "serious consideration" to moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday, the day before a scheduled White House visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Trump is also "personally committed" to becoming the US president who finally ends the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Pence said. Mike Pence and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (Photo: AP) Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem is a politically charged act that would anger Palestinians who want east Jerusalem, which was captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, as a future capital and part of their sovereign territory. While the move would be welcomed in Israel, it would represent a departure from longstanding US policy and potentially cause its Western allies to reconsider their own positions. Trump had pledged during the presidential campaign to move the embassy, if elected. The White House says the idea is still under discussion. "The president of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Pence said, uttering his biggest applause line during remarks at the Israel Independence Day Commemoration event in an ornate room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. "To be clear, the president has also personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict," the vice president added. Pence also sought to reassure the audience that, while compromises will have to be made, Trump "will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish state of Israelnot now, not ever." Trump and Abbas are expected during their meeting on Wednesday to address options for pursuing peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Trump broke with longtime US policy in February when he withheld clear support for an independent Palestinian state, saying he could endorse a one-nation solution to the conflict if the warring parties could agree on it. At a White House news conference in February with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump was asked whether he was ready to give up on the idea of a two-state solution to the conflict. Trump said he was "looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one." He also asked Israel to "hold off" on Jewish settlement construction in territory Palestinians claim for their future state. Donald Trump's national security adviser described his boss's foreign policy approach as "disruptive" on the eve of the US president's first White House meeting with the Palestinian leader , saying his unconventional ways could create an opportunity to ultimately help stabilize the Middle East. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Trump faces deep skepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, not least because the new US administration has yet to articulate a cohesive strategy for restarting long-stalled peace talks. Seeming to brush aside such concerns, national security adviser H.R. McMaster said on Israel Independence Day celebration in Washington on Tuesday night that Trump "does not have time to debate over doctrine" and instead seeks to challenge failed policies of the past with a businessman's results-oriented approach. Trump's unpredictability has rattled friends and foes alike around the world. Some analysts doubt Trump can succeed where experienced Middle East hands failed for decades, especially when trust between Israelis and Palestinians is at a low point. "The president is not a super-patient man," McMaster said. "Some people have described him as disruptive. They're right. And this is good; good because we can no longer afford to invest in policies that do not advance the interests and values of the United States and our allies." Trump's meeting with Abbas, the Western-backed head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), will be another test of whether Trump, in office a little more than 100 days, is serious about pursuing what he has called the "ultimate deal" of Israeli-Palestinian peace that eluded his predecessors. Abbas's White House talks on Wednesday follow a mid-February visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who moved quickly to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama. Though expectations are low, plans are being finalized for Trump to visit the Israeli leader in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, possibly on May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. US and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit. Questions about Kushner Questions have been raised about Trump's choice of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who entered the White House with no government experience, to oversee Middle East peace efforts, along with Trump's longtime business lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, as on-the-ground envoy. A decorated Army general, McMaster said "arduous circumstances, including Islamic State militancy and a growing regional threat from Iran may allow us to resolve what some have regarded as intractable problems, problems like disputes between Israel and the Palestinians. "President Trump has taken a typically unconventional and fresh approach to this problem," McMaster said in a rare public speech. Having campaigned on an "America First" platform, Trump has acted forcefully against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with no clear policy prescription and engaged in brinkmanship with North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs. The White House has been vague about what Trump hopes to accomplish with Abbas. US-brokered peace talks collapsed in 2014. McMaster and Trump (Photo: Reuters) A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump would press the Palestinian leader to halt payments by the PLO to families of militants jailed by Israel and to stop anti-Israel incitement by Palestinian media. The administration seeks to enlist Israel's Sunni Arab neighbors, who share Israeli concerns about Shi'ite Iran, to help rejuvenate Middle East peacemaking. Abbas under pressure at home Abbas, who governs in the West Bank while Hamas militants rule Gaza, is under pressure at home to avoid making major concessions to Trump, especially with an ongoing hunger strike by hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Abbas, said the Palestinian leadership "is committed to a political track that leads to a real peace." However, Israel has cast repeated doubt on this notion, particularly in light of the PA's payment packages it provides to those who carry out terror attacks against Israelis and its incitement to violence. But Palestinian officials say it will be hard for Abbas to return to the negotiating table without a long-standing pre-condition of a freeze on Israeli settlement expansion on land Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. Trump has been unclear about whether he supports a two-state solution, a bedrock of US policy for decades. His promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, strongly opposed by Palestinians, has apparently been shifted to the back burner, and he has asked Netanyahu to put unspecified limits on settlement activity. Nevertheless, Vice President Mike Pence recently said that "The president of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Trump told Reuters last week: "There is no reason there's not peace between Israel and the Palestiniansnone whatsoever." 'Things are better than expected' But despite concerns, particularly in the media, that Trump intends to back Israel every step of the way in any potential negotiations between the warring parties, a senior PA official told Ynet that in fact, that things are looking better than expected," He went on to say that "We are attending this (US-PA) summit when the embassy's move to Jerusalem is no longer an issue and after some very productive visits by US advisor on Israel Jason Greenblatt and CIA Director Mike Pompeo." With that, the official added that despite Trump's statements about his aim to make the ultimate deal to resolve the decade-long conflict, they are not hanging their hopes on it since in their opinion Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not interested in a two-state solution. "Netanyahu wants to keep the two-state solution alive only on an international level, but in the meantime he is killing it on the local level," said the official. According to the PA official, the only issue on which progress could realistically be made is the economy. For that reason, Abbas will be joined in his upcoming visit by his Deputy Prime Minister and the PA Minister of National Economy, Dr. Mohammad A. Mustafa, and by PA Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr. "We believe that what the Americans could offer at the moment are just economic reliefs and gestures," said the PA official. The official added that the Palestinians have presented their stance to the Americans, but have not heard back from them at all. "We don't know if the American government is intending to do something to halt the construction of settlements or if they even plan on using the term 'two state solution' in the summit with Abbas. Fatah official Jibril Rajoub commented on the summit saying "we believe now more than ever that with unequivocal support by the US, a peace treaty with Israel and the Palestinians is possible, even if it seems far from us today." Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday condemned the "illegal" detention of two Israeli citizens by Hamas, releasing new details about the men. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The Islamist terror group which runs Gaza is believed to have held Hisham al-Sayed and Abera Mengistu since April 2015 and September 2014 respectively, after they voluntarily entered the strip. Abera Mengistu Both men suffer from serious mental health issues, the report said. Hamas media has claimed the two were soldiers, but HRW said Mengistu was rejected from Israel's military on medical grounds and Sayed was discharged after a few months. HRW said a third Israeli citizen, Jumaa Abu Ghanima, entered Gaza in July 2016, but there is no further information on him and it is unclear whether he was arrested or joined a militant group. Hamas has never officially confirmed it is holding Sayed and Mengistu, but videos the group has published on social media have included their images. Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007, has not released any details on their condition or allowed rights groups to visit them. Israel bans its nationals from entering Gaza for security reasons. HRW said Hamas is demanding that Israel release a number of its members from Israeli jails before it even releases information about the captives. Manal al-Saayed, the mother of Israeli citizen Hisham al-Sayed, holds a picture of her son (Photo: AFP) "No demand can justify disappearing and bartering over the lives of men, particularly those with serious mental health conditions," said Omar Shakir, HRW director for Israel and the Palestinian territories. Shakir said Hamas should either release the men or provide evidence of their alleged crimes. "While they are being detained they must treat them humanely and provide them with contact with their families," he told AFP. Sayed's father Sha'aban said his son, a Bedouin Muslim, has schizophrenia and had previously disappeared to Jordan and even Gaza multiple times, eventually being returned by the authorities. "We just want to ask Hamas why are they holding him? What is the reason?" he told AFP. "They say he is a soldier, an officer, in the Israeli army. This is a lie." Hamas did not respond to AFP's request for comment. HRW said Mengistu, an Israeli Jew of Ethiopian descent, climbed over a fence along the Gaza-Israel border to enter the enclave. Mengistu's family (Photo: Reuters) Sayed is believed to have walked across a relatively open area of the heavily fortified border. Last year, old images of the two men appeared in a Hamas video along with pictures of two soldiers who they claim were kidnapped alive in the 2014 war with Israel. The Israeli army said the two soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, were killed, but that Hamas has the bodies. In 2011 Israel exchanged more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier Hamas had detained for five years. Saudi Defense Minister Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud expressed in an interview reservations about the possibility of a dialogue with Iran in the future. Bin Salman accused Iran of saying that its ambitions were to take over the Islamic world. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "Saudi Arabia, the prayer direction of Muslims (because of the location of the holy city of Mecca), is a central goal for the Iranian regime," he said, adding: "How can we reach an understanding with a regime whose faith is based on extremist ideology?" Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud The son of the king and the deputy crown prince said that unlike talks Saudi Arabia is holding with countries with which negotiations are possible despite their differences, the country has no points of contact with Iran. "We know that we, in Saudi Arabia, are a central target for the Iranian regime. Reaching Mecca is a target for the Iranian regime. We will not wait for the battle to reach Saudi Arabia, and we will act so that the battle takes place in Iran and not in Saudi Arabia," he said. Bin Salman also referred to the civil war in Syria and took the opportunity to criticize former US President Barack Obama. "He wasted many opportunities to introduce change in Syria. The situation there is very complicated," he said. The prince dismissed the reports of tension between his country and Egypt and said that officials in both countries did not harbor negative attitudes toward each other. "Those spreading the rumors are the media of the Muslim Brotherhood and Iranian propagandists." When asked about the issue of the islands of Sanafir and Tiran in the Red Sea, the Saudi official claimed that the islands are registered both in Egypt and internationally. The prince added that the delineation of borders was intended to generate economic profits for both sides, and the countries were continuing their plan to establish a land bridge between them in the name of King Salman. He also promised that the cornerstone will be laid before 2020. Bin Salman went on to say that on the matter of the war in Yemen that the forces of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, supported by Saudi Arabia, control 80-85 percent of the country's territory. Bin Salman made it clear that within a few days the campaign might be decided. He said the president's forces would uproot the Houthi rebels and their partners, but it would exact a heavy price on their side as well as on the citizens in Yemen. "We have great patience," he said, also bragging that the operation of the Arab coalition in Yemen was much more successful, in his view, than the operation of the international coalition against the "Islamic State" in Syria and Iraq. (Translated and edited by N. Elias) Avraham Ben Gigi, a young 23-year old from Venezuela, never thought much about immigrating to Israel. Born to an Israeli father, Ben Gigi grew up in San Antonio de Los Altos, a suburb of Caracas, as part of the only Jewish family in town with no real way to keep Jewish traditions. He moved to Israel a few months ago and is celebrating his first Independence Day as an Israeli citizen. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter I had originally not thought about coming to Israel, Ben Gigi told Tazpit Press Service (TPS). I wanted to go to America, and I did, first to Philadelphia, then to Miami. But life is extremely difficult for an immigrant in America, Venezuelan immigrants before boarding for Israel (Photo: TPS) I didnt really feel I could stay in America, and I certainly did not want to go back to Venezuela. A friend suggested that I consider coming to Israel and when I heard about the absorption package, I decided to give it a try, Ben Gigi explained. Due to Venezuelas worsening economic and political crises, Venezuelan elites have been fleeing the country in growing numbers. Jews were hit particularly hard by economic hardships and food shortages after the Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency in May, 2016, as a result of poor economic management combined with falling oil prices. There has been a Jewish presence in Venezuela since the marranos (Jews living in Iberia who were forced to convert to Christianity yet continued to practice Judaism in secret) came to the country in the 17th century, but more and more of the Jews of Venezuela have been making the decision to move to Israel over the past year. Former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was notoriously hostile to Israel and even expelled the Israeli ambassador from Caracas during Operation Cast Lead in 2009. The Jewish community under his regime suffered many anti-Semitic attacks. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the new Venezuelan government under President Nicolas Maduro has been steadily fueling an incendiary anti-Israel and anti-Semitic environment. The government repeatedly called on the Jewish community to condemn Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and it issued numerous statements comparing Israel to the Nazis. Three months in, I can say that my move to Israel was the best decision I ever made. I can wear a kippa here and fit in. In Venezuela, the nearest synagogue was at least a 30-minute drive from my house, Ben Gigi said. I never had occasion to think about it before, but I am able to truly be myself here, in a way that I never was able to growing up, he continued. There are about approximately 1,500 immigrants from Venezuela in Israel today, some 80 of them having arrived over the last year. Since the beginning of 2017, a total of 42 Venezuelans immigrated to Israel with the help of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), which helps Jews move to Israel from all over the world. Asked whether his family would like to join him, Ben-Gigi said that all Venezuelan Jews would leave the country if they could, but he added that the cost of relocation make it difficult. He explained that his family used to be middle class, with a house, a boat, and two cars, but that they are now unable to properly sell their property in order to move. Venezuelan Jews have also encountered serious obstacles with immigrating to Israel under the Law of Return because of conversion issues. In January 2017, Israel finally allowed nine Venezuelan converts to enter the country after denying them entry due to concerns that they were not converted in a recognized Jewish community, were not sufficiently involved in Jewish life, and were potentially exploiting the Law of Return in order to flee an unstable Venezuela. Stories like Avraham Ben Gigis reflect the current disastrous situation going on in Venezuela today, IFCJ President Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein told TPS. It is our mission to do all we can every day to help the Jewish community get out of Venezuela and arrive safely in Israel. But this is a dangerous and hard task, both for our organization and for the Jews leaving their life and family behind. On the occasion of Independence Day of 2017, we are proud to say that we have brought 42 new immigrants to Israel from Venezuela since the beginning of this year with more to come, new immigrants who can finally celebrate their independence in Israel, declared Eckstein. Israel has formally reprimanded the Swedish ambassador because of his country's vote in a United Nations body that diminished Jewish ties to Jerusalem. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Israel's Foreign Ministry says Ambassador Carl Magnus Nesser was summoned Wednesday after Sweden was the only European country to vote for a UNESCO resolution criticizing Israeli excavations in east Jerusalem as a violation of international law, and even reffering to the Jewish nation as an "occupying power." The Old City in twilight (Photo: Israel Bardugo) Israel has long complained about bias at UN forums, feeling outnumbered by Arab nations and their supporters. The UN cultural body's resolution was approved by 22 member states, with 10 voting against and 23 abstaining. The result marked an improvement for Israel, which has previously found itself with little international support besides the Unites States. This time, Italy, Britain, Holland, Greece and others also sided with it. Punishing UNESCO for its decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will withhold $1 million in payments to the United Nations. Netanyahu called the UNESCO resolution "absurd" and said the agency's "systematic harassment" of Israel had a price. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Netanyahu says Israel will not sit idly by as a UN organization tries to negate its sovereignty in Jerusalem. The state Assembly has passed a legislative package to combat homelessness in Wisconsin, including one creating a new council that a leading homelessness advocate has hailed as vital to the cause. Assembly lawmakers voted on a bipartisan basis Tuesday to pass the four bills. One would create the Interagency Council on Homelessness to be led by the governors designee, the first of whom would be Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. The council also would include the secretaries of eight agencies that get homelessness funding. Joseph Volk, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness, has said creating the interagency council is maybe our top priority. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, said the proposals are important initial steps in an ongoing fight against homelessness. Our caucus rallied around this issue because its the humane thing to do, Steineke said. Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, said during Tuesdays debate that she favors creating the council. But she said this and other GOP bills dont do nearly enough or provide sufficient funding to make a dent in Wisconsins homelessness problem. Republicans are trying to place a Band-Aid on a gaping wound with these anemic proposals, Subeck said. Other bills passed Tuesday would: Give the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority the ability to pilot a program to prioritize chronically homeless people on a waiting list for federal Housing Choice Vouchers, also known as Section 8. Free up underused, previously allocated state money for transitional housing, to be used for additional types of housing models, and frees separate homelessness prevention funds to be used where there is the greatest need statewide. Create a grant program for certain municipalities to receive $75,000 annually to pilot a program for two years that connects homeless people to jobs and workforce training. The Senate has yet to take up the bills. Also Tuesday, the Assembly passed bills: Removing a requirement for 16- and 17-year-olds applying for jobs to obtain work permits signed by their parent or guardian. The requirement would remain for minors under age 16. Barring the state Department of Public Instruction from submitting a state plan required under the Every Student Succeeds Act to the federal Department of Education without first responding to any objections submitted to DPI by the state Assembly or Senate education committees. Allowing an unaccompanied person under age 21 to be present during a large event at a music festival venue issued an alcohol beverage license. The US military's THAAD missile defense system in South Korea has reached an initial operating capability to defend against North Korean missiles, US officials said on Monday, forging ahead with the system despite staunch objections from China. Beijing has opposed activation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), arguing the system's radar could be used to spy into its territory, despite assurances from Washington that THAAD is purely defensive. The Yesh Atid political party is to be issued a fine of NIS 40,000 for receiving personal and sensitive information on Holocaust survivors, which it then used for propaganda purposes in the last Knesset elections. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The Israel Law, Information and Technology Authority (ILITA), which operates under the Ministry of Justice announced its conculsions on the matter on Wednesday. The Center Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, which provided the information to Yesh Atid, was also fined for NIS 15,000. Yair Lapid (Photo: Ido Erez) Following complaints filed to the ILITA, a thorough investigation was carried out which included searches of the party's computers. According to the investigation's findings, Chairwoman of the organization and former MK Colette Avital passed information to Yesh Atid party Chairman Yair Lapidat his requestfiles that included lists containing sensitive personal information on Holocaust survivors. There was no consent given by the Holocaust survivors said to have their information given, in violation with the Personal Privacy Act. The party then used the information for propaganda purposes and to directly address Holocaust survivors by mail ahead of the elections for the 20th Knesset. Colette Avital Representatives of the party and organization were called for a hearing, during which they were given the opportunity to respond to the allegations against them. After the end of these proceedings, it was decided that all those involved had violated the law, and were thus fined. Following the ILITA's announcement, Yesh Atid issued a statement: "We have etched on our party's flag the importance of law and order. This is a one-time mishap done during an election campaign, innocently and with no knowledge that it was outside the law," the statement read. "This is the first time that the party has broken the law and we take full responsibility for the transgression and are making efforts to ensure that it never happens again." The ILITA responded that they "will keep enforcing the Personal Privacy Act within every organization in Israel, especially when it involves the protection of personal information of populations like the underage or the elderly." (Translated & edited by Lior Mor) ROME -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has paid his respects at the site of one of the worst massacres in German-occupied Italy during World War II. In 1944, 335 people were shot to death at the Ardeatine Caves on Rome's outskirts as a reprisal for an attack by a group of partisans that killed 33 Nazi soldiers on a street in the center of Rome a day before. Italian President Sergio Mattarella accompanied Steinmeier to the caves Wednesday. The two men stood silently before a memorial that reads: "Here were slaughtered victims of a horrendous sacrifice; from our sacrifice may there grow a better country and peace between peoples." The two men then also paused between rows of tombs. The Foreign Ministry Employees' Union threatens to disrupt US President Donald Trump's planned visit to Israel later this month. They claim that the Ministry of Finance has not implemented the agreements reached with workers two months ago. "Against the background of the deliberate stalling of treasury officials, the workers have no choice but to harm the planned visit of US President Donald Trump," said Hanan Godder, chairman of the Foreign Ministry's Employees' Union. More than two years have passed since the signing of a collective agreement, but the Ministry of Finance has yet to implement its share of the wages of workers abroad. ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan and Iran reached an agreement Wednesday to strengthen security along their shared border after last week's incident when gunmen killed 10 Iranian border guards, officials said. The border is frequently used by drug smugglers and Islamic militants, both of whom have attacked border patrols in the past. Iranian media blamed last week's attack on "terrorists," without providing details. On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Islamabad for talks with Pakistani leadership. In meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, he also raised the issue of the border incident, officials said. VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE -- An unarmed missile capable of sending a nuclear bomb across the world was launched Wednesday from a coastal California military base amid rising tensions between the US and North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile blasted off from a silo at 12:02 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and delivered a single re-entry vehicle to a target about 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. ASTANA -- Russia hopes to negotiate on Thursday a memorandum with Turkey and Iran to establish four de-escalation zones in Syria, Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev said on Wednesday. "These are the zones where most intensive fighting is taking place between the government forces, Jabhat al Nusra and a moderate opposition," Lavrentyev told reporters. He added that the document was still in progress. Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday she was on the path to victory in the 2016 presidential election until late interference by Russian hackers and FBI Director James Comey scared off some potential supporters. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In her most extensive public comments on the Nov. 8 election, Clinton told a New York conference she was derailed by Comey's Oct. 28 letter informing Congress the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had reopened a probe of her use of a private email server and by the WikiLeaks release of campaign chairman John Podesta's emails, allegedly stolen by Russian hackers. Photo: AP "If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president," she told a women's conference moderated by CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "It wasn't a perfect campaign, but I was on the way to winning until a combination of Comey's letter and Russian WikiLeaks," the Democrat said of the loss to Republican Donald Trump. "The reason why I believe we lost was the intervening events in the last 10 days." Clinton, who said she is going through the "painful process" of writing a book dealing in part with the election, also said misogyny played a role in her defeat. Becoming the first woman US president would have been "a really big deal," she said. Clinton took personal responsibility for the campaign's mistakes, but did not question her strategy or her staff. "I was the candidate, I was the person who was on the ballot. I am very aware of the challenges, the problems, the shortfalls that we had," Clinton said. FBI Director James Comey (Photo: AP) She said she had no doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to influence the election for Trump, and bluntly criticized the new US president for some of his foreign policy views and for tweeting too much. "Im back to being an activist citizenand part of the resistance," she said. Clinton said broader negotiations involving China and other countries in the region were critical for convincing North Korea to rein in its nuclear program. She questioned Trump's recent suggestion he would be willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances. "You should not offer that in the absence of a broader strategic framework to try to get China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, to put the kind of pressure on the regime that will finally bring them to the negotiating table," Clinton said. She also said she supported the recent missile strikes ordered by Trump in Syria, but was unsure if they would make a difference. "There is a lot that we don't really yet fully know about what was part of that strike," she said. Meanwhile, Comey said before the Senate that he says Russia is still involved in American politics when asked by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. He further stressed that out of all the world powers, at present Russia constitutes the most dangerous and threatening entity, due to its capabilities and intentions. During questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Director Comey agreed that Russia provides a safe haven for cyber criminals. He added that he believes Russia will interfere with future US elections, as it has seen that it can be successful in influencing them. The questions came as the South Carolina lawmaker pressed Comey on the dangers that Russia poses and could pose both to the US and other nations. The FBI is investigating the possibility of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. Comey also says Russia is responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee. Two US officials told the Fox News network that Iran tried Tuesday to launch a cruise missile from a submarine at the Strait of Hormuz, but that the experiment had failed. The submarine used for the experiment is a Yono-class 'midget' submarine, which is considered to be especially small. Only Iran and North Korea have such submarines it in their arsenals. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter In February, Iran claimed that it had successfully tested a missile launch from one of their submarines. It is not clear whether Tuesday's failed experiment was the first time Iran tried to launch a missile under water. An Iranian Yono submarine (Photo: Fars News Agency) The US administration reportedly saw the failed launch as Iran's latest provocation in recent months, after a Revolutionary Guards vessel got within one kilometer from an American warship in the Persian Gulf during the end of April. After attempts to contact the Iranian vessels failed, the US Navy then fired a warning flare as a warning. Meanwhile, the US Air Force announced that it had successfully carried out a missile launch of its own on Wednesday, for the second time in the past seven days. The missilea land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) named the Minuteman-3was launched from a silo at the base of a US Air Force base in Vandenberg, California. The American missile carried a mock warhead and hit a target in the Pacific island of Kwajalein after crossing about 6,500 kilometers. Two women who attempted to pray at the Western Wall are suing the Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Israel Police for NIS 100,000 after they were subjected to a physical search before being allowed into the site. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The two women belong to the religious-feminist organization Original Women of the Wall. Kotel security guards and police suspected the two were attempting to illegally smuggle in a Torah. As such, they acted contrary to a High Court of Justice decision prohibiting physical searches. Physical searches being carried out (Photo: Aliza Mack) Since 2013, following a decision by the Jerusalem District Court, women are permitted to wrap themselves in prayer shawls and to put on phylacteries. However, the reading of the Torah, which was also approved in principle, is technically prevented, as all Torahs are currently located in the men's section only. Regulations in place at holy places forbid outside religious books from being brought in. In 2015, the Center for Women's Justice demanded that the regulation be canceled and a petition on the matter is currently pending in the High Court. Despite several attempts at smuggling Torah scrolls into the complex by women being recorded, the High Court prohibits police or security personnel from carrying out physical searches to prevent the practice. Attorneys representing the two women claim that their clients were delayed entry into the Western Wall plaza due to "meticulous searches" of their belongings and "unusual and harmful searches" of their bodiesin violation of explicit instructions from the High Court, in a way that caused them "feelings of humiliation, shame and fear." The Israel Police issued a statement in response, saying, "The statement of claim has not yet been received by police, and upon receiving it, we will respond in court through the State Attorney's Office, as is customary. The police and security company, as well as the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and its organizers, act according to the law and the police are unaware of this complaint." RIYADH -- Saudi Arabia's royal court says an older brother to King Salman has died. Prince Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was reportedly 93-years-old. He had been head of the Allegiance Council, the body established to formalize the succession process in the kingdom. The council is stacked with the sons and prominent grandsons of Saudi Arabia's founder, the late King Abdulaziz, who vote in secret to pick the king and crown prince from among themselves. The Saudi throne has for decades passed between his sons. YORK An Indiana man has changed his plea in a case where he was found to be in possession of 15 pounds of marijuana in York County. Michael Lynch, 53, of Howe, Ind., appeared for his status hearing on Monday morning before Judge James Stecker. According to court documents, a state patrol trooper stopped the vehicle Lynch was driving after he failed to signal on Highway 81. In the affidavit, it says the trooper became suspicious of Lynch after speaking with him and asked if the vehicle could be searched. The request was denied and a canine unit was called. The trooper was returning to the cruiser when Lynch allegedly said, There is some smoke in the trunk. He allegedly pulled out a white plastic bag holding a Tupperware container with about an ounce of marijuana in it. But during the subsequent search, officers allegedly found a suitcase containing 15 pounds of marijuana. Lynch was arrested. He was initially charged with possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, a Class 2 felony, and no drug tax stamp, a Class 4 felony. As part of the plea agreement, the second count was dismissed. The first count was amended to a Class 4 felony. Judge Stecker explained that Lynch is now facing the possibility of a maximum sentence of two years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine, and a post-release supervision period of 9-12 months. Sentencing will take place July 10. YORK A plea agreement has been reached in a case where Michael Butcher, 34, whose last address was listed as Sutton, is accused of two counts of first degree sexual assault of a child. Butchers attorney, Matthew McDonald, told Judge James Stecker on Monday that the agreement has been reached, but they are still waiting for some additional information before proceeding. He asked for a continuance, so a change of plea hearing can be held at a later date. Judge Stecker agreed and set that date for May 30. According to court documents, York Police officers began an investigation after there were allegations regarding illegal conduct with a 3-year-old child. The child was interviewed by the Child Advocacy Center. After that interview, according to court documents, two more children (under the age of 11) were interviewed. After those interviews, police further investigated Butcher was there were implications that he had allegedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old. They say that investigation resulted in DNA sampling that was taken to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory. The other details of the case will not be published. It wasnt clear as to whether any of the charges against Butcher will be dropped as part of the agreement. YORK The Keystone XL pipeline will provide jobs. The Keystone XL pipeline will be a threat to the water and land. The Keystone XL pipeline goes against landowners rights. The Keystone XL pipeline would be no more of a threat than the thousands of existing pipelines that quietly transport oil across the nation. The Keystone XL pipeline is all risk, no reward. The Keystone XL pipeline would bring in added tax dollars and money into local economies during its construction. Many different opinions were being expressed Wednesday at the Holthus Convention Center in York as the Nebraska Public Service Commission held a public hearing regarding the route of the proposed Keystone XL. Many people from all over Nebraska as well as those from other states and Canada were in attendance, waiting for their turns to testify. The states Major Oil Pipeline Siting Act requires the PSC to determine if the pipeline route is in the public interest. The commission does not approve the pipeline itself. The Siting Act specifically prohibits the Commission from evaluating safety considerations, including the risk or impact of spills or leaks from the major oil pipeline. However, many included those concerns in their testimony. In evaluating the route, the Siting Act requires the commission to consider things such as: whether the pipeline has complied with all applicable state and local laws; the potential impact on natural resources for reasons other than safety; methods to minimize the potential impacts to natural resources; the economic and social impacts; the existence of a feasible utility corridor for the route; potential impacts of the orderly development of the area around the proposed route; reports of other state agencies; and the views of area counties and towns. There was a substantial law enforcement presence at the convention center, Wednesday, as security issues were taken very seriously. We are just doing our job, to ensure safety and security for everyone in attendance, said York County Sheriff Dale Radcliff. York Police Officer Roger Wolfe recognized that the process of the hearing was an exercise in American freedoms, including the freedom of assembly, the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech. This is allowing that process to work, Officer Wolfe said. The Nebraska State Patrol provided substantial presence as well. Barricades were placed in many areas around the convention center, to direct traffic and provide specific areas for parking. All persons entering the convention center had to go through a search area, where bags were inspected and metal detection took place. Once inside the ballroom, the hundreds in attendance sat waiting for their turns to speak. By 11:30 a.m., it was estimated that more than 200 people were in attendance with many obtaining numbered speaking assignments, as testimony was done on a first come, first serve basis. Representatives of TransCanada were on hand, including Terry Cunha, media relations manager, reiterating that the proposed pipeline will have a positive economic impact while being extremely safe for the environment. But longtime protesters, including York County landowner Bill Dunavan, said they will continue the fight against a foreign country moving onto their land by exercising eminent domain. It was hard to sleep last night, Dunavan said. But this is just another round in the long process that has been going on for nine years. Well keep going. Jane Kleeb, the founder of Bold Nebraska and the director of the Bold Alliance, said prior to the hearing, We have beaten TransCanada twice before, weve stopped the pipeline before, and we will do it again. There is nothing about this pipeline that is in the public interest. York County Commissioner Paul Buller said he was there to listen to testimony . . . and was prompted to do so after local landowner Susan Dunavan asked the county board to be in attendance on Wednesday. She deserves that from us, to listen to the landowners, Buller said. Im not necessarily for or against the pipeline . . . but the proposed route cuts through most of my district and Im going to be the one hearing about the condition of the roads and other things if the pipeline is built. And Susan is right, we need to hear from the landowners who stood up and said they wouldnt take money for easements on their land. They are fighting this pipeline for what they believe in and we need to pay attention to them and their concerns. Granted, the county has no say in the pipeline route or whether it happens, but if it does, there will be issues we will have to address. Mike Flood, a former state senator from Norfolk, testified that he was the speaker of the legislature in 2011 when a special session was called. And at that time, the because of the concerns over the route crossing the Sandhills, Im proud to say that the people who were very opposed were heard and it was rerouted around the Sandhills. A common solution was found, we reached a compromise by respecting each other. Today, I stand in support of the pipeline for four specific reasons, Flood continued. Pipelines are safe. Ninety-nine percent of the oil in pipelines reaches its destination without incident. Pipelines safely move energy each and every day. Secondly, if projects like this are stopped by activists, more oil will be transported by rail. Pipelines are 450 times safer. Thirdly, the Keystone XL will allow America to buy more oil from Canada and I choose Canada over Russia or Saudi Arabia. And fourth, Nebraska will be at the end of the supply chain, this oil will return to this market as fuel which means less cost for Nebraskans. T.J. Dick, a pipeline construction worker, testified that he has worked on three pipelines himself . . . and I know every effort is made to make sure the land is safe and restored. Mark Munger, a retired fire captain from Lincoln, testified that he spent 30 years on a hazardous material response team. Ive been to hundreds of classes and responded to hundreds of releases and leaks of hazardous materials. And I am here in support of TransCanada. They have a great commitment to safety and response procedures. Their personnel work closely with departments along the route (of the existing Keystone pipeline) and they make sure everyone is speaking the same language should there ever be an emergency. Given my experience, I know they have the right expertise and attitude about emergency situations. Frank White, the tribal chairman for the Winnebago Tribe, testified that he has great concerns about ancestral remains that may be along the proposed route of the pipeline. The proposed route is through some of our sacred lands. And to make matters even worse, the money the company will make will not benefit the tribes or other Nebraskans. That sentiment was echoed by Ponca Tribal Chairman Larry Wright Jr., who said, We are talking about where our people are buried. Our sacred lands are on that route. We know what its like to lose our land to foreign interests and we stand with these people, the landowners. We are all Nebraskans today and the Poncas stand in support of the people fighting this pipeline. Numerous members of unions (pertaining to pipelines, labor, electricians, etc.) said the pipeline construction would be an economic benefit to the state and would provide thousands of jobs for those in their professions. One said to the commission, I realize projects such as this are controversial, but they are necessary for the furtherance of our infrastructure and they will provide jobs. A standing ovation (from about of the crowd occupying the main ballroom) was waiting for Ken Winston after he testified that the burden is on TransCanada to prove this is of a public interest and we submit they cannot prove that burden. Winston formerly worked for the Sierra Club and spoke on behalf of the Bold Alliance on Wednesday. David Barnett from the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters said jobs associated with the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would raise the standard of living for many workers and their families. Many area businesses would provide services and goods for these workers while they are here for the construction, which is a great boost to your local economies. These are hardworking people who believe in doing it right the first time. This pipeline will be safe and reliable. Some would have you believe that there is something different about this pipeline than the thousands already running through the nation now. I urge approval of this project. Jeanne Crumly, a farmer and landowner from Holt County, walked to the podium after a long line of testimony from union members and pipeline workers. These workers may know pipelines, but we know land management, Crumly said. No one wrote the text for me that I am referring to, no one is paying me to be here. You are determining if this project is in the publics interest those words matter. For seven years, we, the landowners, have been compelled to make the case that there is no public interest it should be the burden of TransCanada to convince us that this is indeed of our public interest. As far as the jobs issue, we have very low unemployment in Nebraska, we need workers, Crumly continued. And with the comments about the pipeline providing some tax dollars. As farmers, we have been paying a lot of taxes for decades and decades, which should give our voice additional power. And, eminent domain, by the way, is not available to TransCanada in Canada . . . so why should it be in Nebraska? she asked, with dozens of people cheering from the audience. Im well aware of the hazards of this proposed pipeline and the coercion of taking my mothers land by the threat of eminent domain, said Cathie Jenung, referring to her familys ground in Holt County. TransCanada does not have a permit and I will as well as will many others who are here today I will do all that is possible to help see that this permit is denied. To use eminent domain in this matter is simply not Nebraskas way. To the commission members, I ask you to travel the pipeline route, stand still and marvel at the streams and the grasses, the crops, talk to the people, learn what granting this permit will risk, Jenung said. I didnt plan to be an activist, but it that means standing up to protect our land and our water for future generations, well, then that is my calling. Alina Raducea Your wedding. Planned to perfection. Join the millions of couples who trust Hitched to help them plan their wedding. Search for Where in Search Search suppliers Real weddings Get inspired by real couples in your area and find wedding suppliers you love Kira & David 53 photos Nr Worcester, Worcestershire Nina & Sammi 52 photos Alton, Hampshire Rufaro & Ben 46 photos Sedgefield, Durham Hannah & Gavin 18 photos Camden, North West London Wedding forums Ask questions and get answers with the help of other engaged couples. Getting the wdding day smile Hello all! We are eloping in June next year and I am already thinking about wedding day prep! How have people managed to... Katie Today at 09:00 Chair Draping Hello! For the life of me im struggling to find a supplier of the chair drapes, not the full white covers but the... Rhianne Yesterday at 22:26 i found the dress! I need to share this somewhere as I'm happy, excited and nervous about the idea... but I found my dress!!!! I went to... Amelia 7 of November of 2022 at 11:43 Music We are having a band, however, would also like a DJ aswell to fill the time in between sets and after the band has... Will 7 of November of 2022 at 11:23 Create your wedding website Easily share all of your wedding details in one place Shop invites and stationery Explore our range of save the dates, invitations, RSVP's, thank you cards and more! Save the Dates Invitations Menu Cards Guest books Army defuse six socket bombs in Udaypur Six socket bombs found near the residence of a farmer at Sirbani village of Udayapur Ghadi Village Council 2 were defused by Nepal Army personnel on Tuesday. As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More Zabka, Warszawa, 166 m2 Lokal znajduje sie w budynku apartamentowym Unimax Development w inwestycji Viva Vitolin, przy ul. Grochowskiej 87 w Warszawie. Bedzie dostepny w 4Q 2023 roku (podpisanie umow przeniesienia wasnosci). Beyond the growth figures The government has projected that the economy would grow by almost 6.5 percent in fiscal year 2016-17. Bus crushes 4-yr-old girl to death A four year old girl was killed on the spot after getting crushed under a bus at a bus park in Bhimdattanagar, Kanchanpur on Tuesday evening. Washington: United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephonic conversation on Tuesday discussed about ending the ongoing war in Syria for the first time since the former had ordered a missile strike on Syrian military airfield last month. President Trump and his Russian counterpart agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," The White House said in a statement. "The United States will be sending a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4," the statement added. The two leaders also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. They also spoke about the best possible way to resolve the dangerous situation in North Korea.The talk emphasised on future coordination of Russian and U.S. actions to fight international terrorism in the context of the Syrian crisis. "It was agreed to bolster the dialogue between the heads of the two nations` foreign policy agencies in an effort to find ways to stabilise the ceasefire and make it durable and manageable. The aim is to create preconditions for launching a real settlement process in Syria. To that end, the Russian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State shall promptly brief the countries` leaders on any progress achieved," the Kremlin readout of the call said. President Putin called for restraint and an easing of tensions between the two sides. The two countries agreed to organise joint work aimed at achieving diplomatic solutions and a comprehensive settlement of the problem.President Putin and Trump agreed to continue their telephone contacts and spoke in favour of arranging a personal meeting during the G20 Summit in Hamburg on July 7-8. "The conversation was businesslike and constructive," the Kremlin said in a statement.This is not the first time that both the leaders had a telephonic conversation, Trump and Putin earlier held phone talks twice after Trump`s inauguration. The call comes at a time when the relations between the U.S. and Russia are in hot waters.Trump accused Bashar al-Assad regime of carrying out the chemical attack, while both Russia and Damascus have denied the Syrian government role in the barbaric chemical weapons attack that killed 70 people. Trump had stated that "United States is not getting along with Russia at all "and relations between the countries may be at an all time low". Washington: US President Donald Trump's pick for Ambassador to China ,Terry Branstad, expressed confidence to take ties between Washington and Beijing in a positive direction. Branstad promised to take a firm stand with Beijing on issues pertaining to North Korea nuclear programme, trade disputes and human rights. "AS Governor of Iowa, I saw first-hand the importance of a positive and healthy trade relationship between our two countries," Global Times quoted Branstad. While speaking to US Lawmakers on the importance of trade between United States and China, Branstad said " Aviation products, manufactured goods, chemicals, electronics and many other products and services are exported to China daily and helps and sustain the American economy." Hoping to get a confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Iowa Governor Branstad said he would press China to convince North Korea to curb its nuclear ambitions. 70-years old Branstad has decades of experience with China on agricultural trade. Branstad was nominated by Trump in December 2016 to be the next US Ambassador to China. Austin: A gunman who opened fire on Wednesday on a college campus in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, apparently killed one victim and committed suicide, local police said. A man witnesses said was armed with a handgun was reported to have opened fire at North Lake College, prompting authorities to swarm the campus in search of the suspect and victims as school officials imposed an immediate security "lockdown." A short time later, Irving police reported on Twitter that there appeared "to be no continuing threat," adding that law enforcement officers were continuing to search the campus to ensure all was safe. A separate Twitter post added: "We have what appears to be one victim deceased (and) the shooter has committed suicide." There was no further immediate official information. Irving Police spokesman James McLellan told reporters earlier there had been radio chatter about injuries. After police said the shooter was dead, college officials announced the school would be closed for the rest of the day. Overhead video footage of the scene broadcast by local news media showed students filing out of school buildings as police evacuated the campus. Earlier video clips showed students in groups running for safety and numerous police vehicles on campus. The incident came after a man enrolled at the University of Texas on Monday went on a stabbing spree with a large hunting knife at the school`s Austin campus about 200 miles to the south of Irving, killing one student and wounding three others, police said. Beijing: Twelve workers died following an explosion in a high-speed rail tunnel in southwestern China, state media said on Wednesday, after rescuers spent over 14 hours searching the rubble for survivors. The blast occurred after gas filled the tunnel, which was being bored in the province of Guizhou, leaving 12 injured and 12 trapped, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Over 2,000 rescue workers searched the tunnel for survivors before ending the operation at 4:45 am on Wednesday morning, it said. The cause of the accident is under investigation, the report said, adding that the tunnel was designed to pass through a coal seam. The country has been on a high-speed rail building spree for over a decade, putting up over 17,000 kilometres (10,500 miles) of track at a rapid clip, raising concerns about corner-cutting. Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. In 2015, the country recorded 66,000 workplace deaths, according to the most recent government statistics. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian police have arrested two Turks, including the head of an international school, suspected of activities threatening national security, police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said. The men, school head Turgay Karaman and businessman Ihsan Aslan, were arrested on Tuesday under a section of the penal code related to "terrorist acts", he said in a Tweet. No further details of their alleged activities in Muslim-majority Malaysia were immediately available. The police confirmation came after Karaman was seen on CCTV recordings circulated on social media being forced into an unmarked car by five unknown men at a carpark in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur. A police report was filed on Karaman`s disappearance by a friend on Tuesday night. Aslan was also reported missing by his wife on Tuesday night after she failed to hear from him for more than a day. Karaman`s lawyer, Rosli Dahlan, told Reuters that the disappearances bore similarities to a case in October when two Turks were reported missing and later discovered to have been deported to Turkey. He denied speculation that the men were supporters of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is being blamed by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for orchestrating a failed coup last year. Gulen denies any involvement in the failed coup in which more than 230 people were killed. "They are academics. They have not been charged for any Gulen activities," Rosli said. Turkey has applied pressure to other countries that are home to institutions backed by Gulen, whose Hizmet movement runs about 2,000 educational establishments around the world. Human Rights Watch on Wednesday said the two men should not be forcibly sent to Turkey, and called for an urgent investigation. "There is little doubt that if they are returned to Turkey, they will face torture in detention, and if charged with crimes there, be subjected to a trial that will fall far short of fair trial standards," Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday hanged four more "hard core" Taliban terrorists convicted of "heinous" terrorism-related offences by controversial military courts, taking the number to over 150 since the Peshawar attack in 2014. The terrorists, who were involved in killing of innocent civilians and attacking armed forces, were executed early today, the army said in a statement. "Another four hardcore terrorists, who were tried by Military Courts have been executed today. These terrorists were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, including killing of innocent civilians, attacking Armed Forces of Pakistan and Law Enforcement Agencies," it said. The terrorists were active members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and had confessed to their crimes to a magistrate and the trial court, it added. Military courts were restored in March for another two years after their initial two-year term expired in January. The courts were set up after a constitutional amendment following a terror attack on an army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014 which killed more than 150 people, most of them students. Human rights group Justice Project Pakistan says 441 people have been executed since the Peshawar attack. While Pakistani authorities maintain the military courts are an "effective deterrent" against terrorism, rights groups question transparency of the trials because of the secrecy surrounding the special tribunals. The Amnesty International in a worldwide report has said that Pakistan has reduced the number of executions by 73 per cent in 2016 compared to the year before. Pakistan has been fighting various extremist groups for over a decade. Militant attacks have killed tens of thousands of people. The military courts have handed down the death penalty to more than 160 militants. Patna: Controversial MP on Wednesday urged Maoists to kill political leaders instead of security personnel, saying the former "looted" the country while the latter provided it security. "Politicians (leaders) are looting the country, so Maoists should first kill them," the expelled RJD leader said in Hajipur town. Pappu urged the Maoists not to kill the security forces. "Maoists should kill those who have been looting the country." Now heading the Jan Adhikar Party, Pappu Yadav also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why Maoist attacks continued despite demonetization. "Modi had claimed that corruption, terrorism and Maoist problems will be eliminated after demonetisation." New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the top honours on National Film Awardees today at Vigyan Bhawan. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar received the National Award for Best Actor in 'Rustom' whereas Ram Madhvani's directorial venture 'Neerja' bagged the honour for 'Best Hindi Film'. The National awards were announced in April this year. Surabhi CM received the Best Actress award for her power-packed performance in Malayalam film Minnaminunguthe Firefly'. Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and MoS Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore among others felicitated the National Awards Jury members, as a mark of their incredible work. Sonam Kapoor looked beautiful in a light green silk saree and gajra tied back in her bun. She looked elegant while picking up her special mention honour for 'Neerja' making it a proud moment for father Ani Kapoor and mother Sunita, who were pleasantly clicking the pictures of their daughter. Akshay was accompanied by wife Twinkle Khanna, who looked gorgeous in a bright purple-pink saree and son Aarav, who too was dressed in a traditional attire. South superstar Mohanlal received a standing ovation while he took the top honour from the President. Over the years, credibility of #NationalFilmAwards has increased thanks to the utmost sincerity, honesty and neutrality of the jury members. pic.twitter.com/MJLkVr7HSO M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) May 3, 2017 As many as 344 films were competing for the top spot, and the jury saw 88-89 movies of all those movies, reportedly. The jury included eminent film director, producer and National Award winner, Priyadarshan, as the chairperson in Feature Films category. Here is the complete list of winners: Best Animation: Hum Chitra Banate Hain Best Educational Film: The Waterfalls Best Environment Film: The Tiger Who Crossed the Line Best Biographical/Historical reconstruction: Zikr Uss Parivash Ka Best Environmental Film including Agriculture: The Tiger who crossed the Line' Best Marathi Film: Dashakriya Best Kannada Film: Reservation Best Bengali Film: Bisarjan Best Film on Social Issues: PINK Best Tamil Film: Joker Best Hindi Film: Neerja Best Gujarati Film: Wrong Side Raju Best Telugu Movie: Pellichuplu Best Visual Effects: Shivaay Best Female Playback Singer: Iman Chakraborty Best Male Playback Singer: Sunder Iyer Best Actor: Akshay Kumar, 'Rustom' Best Actress: Surabhi, 'Minnaminungu' Best Children's Film: Dhanak, Hindi Best Supporting Actress: Zaira Wasim, 'Dangal' Best Supporting Actor: Manoj Joshi, 'Dashakriya' Best Film on Social Issues: Pink Best Action Choreography: Vysakh for Pulimurugan Best Feature Film: Kasav (Marathi film) Best Director: Rajesh Mapuskar, 'Ventilator' Indira Gandhi Award for debut director: Khalifa (Bengali) Best action director and stunt choreographer: Peter Haines, 'Pulimurugan' Best Editing - Rameshwar, 'Ventilator' Sound designer - Jayadevan, 'Kaadu Pookunna Neram' Best production design - 24 Best Costume Designer - Sachin Best Make-up Artist - MK Ramakrishna Best Music Direction - Babu Padmanabha Special Mentions: The Eyes of Darkness Kadvi Hawa Adil Hussain for Mukti Bhawan (Hindi) Adil Hussain for Majirathi Keki (Assamese) Sonam Kapoor (Neerja) Madipur (Tulu) Joker (Tamil) Wrongside Raju (Gujarati) Pelli Chupulu (Telugu) Dasakriya (Marathi) Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam) Ke Sara Sara (Konkini) Reservation (Kannada) Neerja (Hindi) - Special Jury award for Mohanlal for Pulimurugan, Janatha Garage and Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol New Delhi: Superstar Salman Khan starrer 'Tubelight' is ready to hit the screens this Eid in June. The film is helmed by Kabir Khan, making it the third time that the superstar has collaborated with the superstar. The buzz around 'Tubelight' is palpable as the teaser of this Salman Khan starrer is going to release on May 4, 2017. With just a day left for the big teaser launch, the makers have shared a new poster on Twitter. Salman took to Twitter and shared a new poster of the film. A Chinese actress Zhu Zhu will be seen playing the lead opposite the 'Sultan' Khan. Interestingly, Shah Rukh Khan will have a special part to play in the film. After checking out the new poster, the fans can't really wait for this Kabir Khan film. Are you excited for 'Tubelight' teaser? Factionalism rears ugly head in Congress Factionalism reared its ugly head in the Nepali Congress on Tuesday over the selection of candidates for the first phase of local level elections. New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the initiation of the process of disinvestment of hotels/properties of the India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ITDC). The decision on disinvestment has been made, keeping in view that running and managing hotels on professional lines is not the work of the Government or its entities. Further, there has been considerable development in the hospitality sector in the country in past years, with world class hotels and all leading international chains of hotels present in the country and providing services and facilities of highest standards. As part of the disinvestment policy, it has been decided to lease/sub-lease the hotels / properties jointly with the concerned States or return the properties to the States, after fair valuation. The States would then have the option to upgrade and operate the Hotels by involving the private sector or to utilize the properties as per their requirements. States have exercised their options accordingly, in each case going forward with the option best suited to their needs, in line with the overarching principle that it is not the business of Government to run or manage hotels. In the first stage of the disinvestment process, three hotels listed below have been taken up for disinvestment: (i) Hotel Lake View Ashok, Bhopal (ii) Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati (iii) Hotel Bharatpur Ashok, Bharatpur. In all three cases, the hotels / properties are being given back to the concerned States. In the case of Bhopal and Guwahati, ITDC is divesting its share of 51% in the Joint Venture Company formed for operation of the hotels whereas in the case of Bharatpur, the unit which was only managed by ITDC is being returned to the State Government. New Delhi: India will press for early extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya from the United Kingdom when the Home Secretaries of both the countries meet here tomorrow. Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi will raise the issue of early completion of the extradition process of Mallya, when he will meet his UK counterpart Patsy Wilkinson, the second permanent secretary in the the British Home Office. The counter-terror cooperation between India and the UK besides a host of other issues will figure in the meeting, official sources said. Issues related to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, strengthening of the intelligence sharing mechanism and visa related issues will also be deliberated upon, they said. The 61-year-old Mallya, who has been living in Britain since last year, was arrested by the Scotland Yard last month on the extradition request of India. Within hours of his arrest, Mallya, who is accused of cheating and frauds, was released on bail by a London court. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will argue the case on behalf of the Indian authorities. Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines allegedly owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016. India and the UK have an extradition treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement -? Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002. However, unlike Mallya, he had submitted to the extradition order without legal challenge. India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the extradition treaty between India and the UK through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication, on February 8. New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval to disinvestment of three ITDC hotels at Bhopal, Bharatpur and Guwahati. Announcing the cabinet decision, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) would offload its 50 per cent equity in Ashok Bhopal and Brahmaputra Ashok Guwahati in favour of the state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Assam, respectively. In case of Ashok Bharatpur, ITDC, which is managing the hotel, will hand over the management control to the Rajasthan government. The states, he added, will have the option to upgrade and operate the hotels by involving private companies or to utilise the properties as per their requirements. The decision has been made keeping in view the dictum that running and managing hotels on professional lines is not the work of the government or its entities, an official spokesperson said in a Tweet. Jaitley also said that the Assam government may develop Ashok Brahmputra hotel at Guwahati as a guest house as there are many private hotels in the state capital. ITDC is exiting hotels in tandom with the government's disinvestment policy. Shares of ITDC closed at Rs 690.10 apiece on BSE, up 2.4 per cent. New Delhi: On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Tajinder Pal S Bagga on Wednesday urged Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal to end the restrictions on journalists he imposed when he became the Chief Minister. The AAP government had earlier restricted the entry of journalists into the secretariat complex. World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3 to celebrate fundamental principles of press freedom. Taking to Twitter, Bagga said: Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for a "free and vibrant press" and said it is "vital for democracy". In a tweet, he said it "is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards" the press. New Delhi: In the wake of his suspension by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi legislator Amanatullah Khan said he was unaware of the reason behind it. Khan said it was the party`s decision and only they would be able to disclose the reasons.Lashing out at Kumar Vishwas` claims of Khan being backed by someone else, he said it was better to put the question to Vishwas himself, given the fact that `he knows who the person is`. "Let Kumar Vishwas disclose who this person behind me is, since I`m sure he or his close associates would know the person," asserted Khan. In what can be termed as a major step towards reconciliation, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal fulfilled Vishwas` key demand of taking a strict action against Amanatullah, who had accused him of having been planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Vishwas now has been named as the in-charge of Rajasthan affairs. New Delhi: Union cabinet has cleared ordinance to amend Banking Regulation Act to resolve NPA crisis on Wednesday. As per sources, President's nod is likely soon. SBs are saddled with non-performing assets or bad loans to the tune of a staggering Rs 6 lakh crore. "It is an amendment in the Banking Regulation Act. Since Parliament is not in session, it will be issued as an ordinance which needs the President`s approval," official sources told IANS. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while announcing the Cabinet decisions on Wednesday, hinted at the measure but gave no details citing protocol that it was not possible before the President gets the details for approval. With Agency Inputs New Delhi: Latest satellite observations reveal the rift in the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica now has a second branch. Scientists fear the new branch that has appeared in a huge crack on one of Antarctica's largest ice shelves could be about to break. If the huge crack - which makes about the size of Rhode Island breaks away, the ice shelf may become increasingly unstable and could even fall apart. Radar mapping shows that the second crack has split off from the main rupture like a snakes forked tongue, members of the Antarctic research group Project MIDAS reported May 1. The main rift in the Larsen C ice shelf now stretches a whopping 180 km long. The new branch of the rift is 15 km long. According to scientist, the break off could mean creating a 2000 square mile slab of ice, which is one of the largest icebergs ever recorded Professor Adrian Luckman of Swansea University College of Science, head of Project Midas, described the latest findings: "While the previous rift tip has not advanced, a new branch of the rift has been initiated. This is approximately 10km behind the previous tip, heading towards the ice-front. (The Larsen C ice rift aerial view. Credit: John Sonntag/NASA) This is the first significant change to the rift since February of this year. Although the rift length has been static for several months, it has been steadily widening, at rates in excess of a metre per day. Larsen C is approximately 350m thick and floats on the seas at the edge of West Antarctica, holding back the flow of glaciers that feed into it, the researchers said. If either branch makes it to Larsen Cs edge, the shelf could calve off a 5,000-square-kilometer hunk of ice, creating one of the largest icebergs ever recorded, added glaciologist Adrian Luckman of Swansea University in Wales. Brussels: European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday that British Prime Minister Theresa May was a "tough lady", after reports of a disastrous Brexit dinner between the pair. Juncker also warned Britain against threatening to walk out of the talks on its exit from the European Union over a row about the bill it must pay. May had boasted on Tuesday that she would be a "bloody difficult woman" in the negotiations -- a description once used by a former colleague. "I deeply respect the British PM, I like her as a person," Juncker said at a press conference in Brussels. "I have noted that she is a tough lady so this is not for the future, this is a real-time description," he said alongside Estonia`s prime minister, whose country will soon take over the EU`s rotating presidency. The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said at the weekend that Juncker left last Wednesday`s dinner meeting "10 times more skeptical" about the prospect of a Brexit deal and told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that May was in a "different galaxy". At the press conference, Juncker also hit out at Brexit minister David Davis for the way he dismissed a report in The Financial Times suggesting that Britain`s exit bill had soared to 100 billion euros ($109 billion, 85 billion pounds) from 60 billion euros. According to Davis, "In the walk-away circumstance, there is nothing to be paid," in an echo of a previous warning by May that no deal with the EU was better than a bad deal. "I don`t think that David was right when he was threatening he would be ready to go out," Juncker said. "My experience in politics always was that those who are going out have to come back." London: Prime Minister Theresa May has warned the European Union that she will be a "bloody difficult woman" as Britain negotiates an exit strategy from the major economic bloc. May made the comment yesterday after day-long debates over a reportedly "disastrous" dinner meeting between her and European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker at Downing Street last week. "I think what we've seen recently is that at times these negotiations are going to be tough. During the Conservative Party leadership campaign, I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker," 60-year-old May told the BBC. The "bloody difficult" quote is attributed to former Conservative MP and Chancellor Ken Clarke, who was recorded discussing May after a TV interview last year. Her fierce reaction was in reference to a German newspaper, 'Frankurter Allgemeine', report based on allegedly leaked information that May and Juncker had clashed at Downing Street over the British PM's desire to make Brexit "a success" and on whether the issue of protecting the rights of expat British and EU nationals could be agreed as early as June. Juncker is reported to have told the British Prime Minister as he stormed out of the meeting: "I'm leaving Downing Street 10 times more sceptical than I was before." Asked about the German report, May said: "I don't recall the account that has been given of the meeting that took place, I think that a lot of this is Brussels gossip." Meanwhile, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, unveiled the EU's Brexit plans on Wednesday, warning that Britain must not hold any illusions of it being a quick and painless process. "Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case. We need sound solutions, we need legal precision and this will take time," he said in Brussels. He laid out the opening phase of Brexit negotiations as a focus on the financial settlement, the status of expatriate citizens and the future border between the UK and EU in Ireland. His announcement came as UK's minister for exiting the EU, David Davis, categorically denied media reports that Britain could end up paying as much as 100 billion euros as part of the so-called divorce settlement with the EU. The minister said that various figures ranging from 50 billion to 100 billion euros had been knocking around but there was no official estimate so far. "We will not be paying 100 billion euros. We will do it properly. We will take our responsibilities seriously. What we've got to do is discuss in detail what the rights and obligations are," he said. "We have said we will meet our international obligations, but there will be our international obligations including assets and liabilities and there will be the ones that are correct in law, not just the ones the (European) Commission want." Many Conservative MPs argue the UK does not owe the EU anything given the size of the contributions it has made over the past 40 years. A recent report by a House of Lords committee argued the UK was not legally obliged to pay a penny although to do this would threaten any chance of a post-Brexit trade deal. In 2016, the UK had voted to leave the EU. The UK government started the withdrawal process on March 29 2017, putting the country on course to exit by April 2019. London: Britain's intention in negotiations over the post-Brexit status of European Union nationals already living in the United Kingdom is to give them very similar rights to those they enjoy now, Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday. Davis said it was important to quickly agree on the future rights of EU nationals living in Britain and Britons living in other EU countries after the United Kingdom exits the bloc in 2019, because uncertainty was making those people anxious. "It is the intention that they will have a generous settlement, pretty much exactly what they enjoy now, and our British citizens abroad will do the same," Davis said during an interview on BBC radio. His comment differed from what was suggested by Prime Minister Theresa May during a dinner with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, according to a report in German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) on Sunday. FAS reported that May had said she thought it would not be a problem to resolve the issue as EU citizens in Britain could simply be treated like other nationals of third countries. Juncker reportedly responded that would be a big problem, as EU nationals currently enjoyed many special rights and it would be necessary to go over details such as health insurance. In his BBC interview on Wednesday, Davis said Britain wanted to deal with the issue up front, and was working with EU partners on how to speed up the process. "One is to take a very simple solution, which we have talked about. Secondly, if it has to be a treaty or something that takes time, that we would have an exchange of letters making it plain what we`re going to achieve," he said. "Those sorts of things we are working on, and working with all of them (EU member states), and my expectation is that we will succeed with that." Davis dismissed a report in the Financial Times that the EU was preparing to demand a gross figure of 100 billion euros from Britain as its bill for quitting the bloc. Davis also dismissed a report in The Times newspaper that the EU would let May negotiate directly only with the European Commission`s chief negotiator Michel Barnier rather than with fellow EU leaders. "We`re going into this negotiation not as a supplicant, but as a negotiator. There are two sides to negotiation, and the other side of the negotiation will not determine who does what," he said. Formation of RJP-N formally endorsed Central committees of six Madhes-based forces under the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal formally endorsed their leaderships decision of unification on Tuesday. New Delhi: Sushant Singh Rajput is having a gala time right now. The 'Dhoni' actor has proved his mettle in recent films and recently he was in news for shooting with the international supermodel and sensation Kendall Jenner in Jaipur for Vogue India. Sushant and Kendall shot for the magazine in Hotel Samode Palace, Jaipur reportedly and now the 'Raabta' star took to Twitter and shared one picture from the shoot. The magazine shoot was photographed by the very famous Mario Testino and it was for Vogue's 10th-anniversary celebrations. SSR shared the piture on Twitter: We must say, the May issue of Vogue India will surely get many takers. New Delhi: Ending all the speculations, Kumar Vishwas and Arvind Kejriwal buried the hatchet on Wednesday after an AAP's political affairs committee (PAC) meeting here. Also, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has been suspended from the party and a committee has been formed to look into allegations against him and statements he made against Kumar Vishwas. Moreover, Kumar Vishwas has been appointed in-charge of Rajasthan for upcoming assembly elections in the state. All the decisions were taken at the PAC meeting. The meeting was aimed at taking some key decisions on the infighting and structural changes in the organisation. Rift within AAP The rift within the AAP deepened on Tuesday after founder member Vishwas accused senior leaders of conspiring against him. In a bid to pacify Vishwas, Kejriwal on Tuesday night reached his house in Ghaziabad where senior AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, were already present. After a brief talk, Kejriwal left for his residence at Civil Lines along with Vishwas. Vishwas alleges conspiracy Vishwas has alleged a conspiracy against him and indicated his possible exit from the party. Sisodia, a childhood friend of the poet-politician hit back saying Vishwas should have used proper forum to raise his concerns. "I know I will be targeted. The efforts to tarnish my image will be made. But let me tell those conspirators that I will not allow you to do so," Vishwas said defying a party request not to rake up issues in the media. The poet did not take any name but his target was clear. Vishwas earlier dubbed Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who accused him of being a "BJP-RSS agent", as a "mask" behind those ganging up against him. Khan on Sunday alleged that Kumar Vishwas was conspiring to break the party and plotting a coup against Kejriwal. Pledging to keep highlighting the AAP`s mistakes, Vishwas said he would continue to speak in the interest of the country. Asked if he would quit the AAP, he responded: "I will decide tonight and will soon tell you." He said he would not join any other "political party or Swaraj Andolan". Vishwas broke down while speaking. "I had not joined the movement for this." The AAP fielded Sisodia, a Kejriwal confidant, to counter the allegations. He slammed his former colleague for speaking publicly. "Rather than making statements on TV channels, he should have raised his concerns within the party forum. He should come and attend the PAC meet." Sisodia said Vishwas was never asked to apologise for a video he released last month in which, among other things, he made oblique criticism of the AAP. "No one asked him to apologize. He made it personal." "The party does not belong to Arvind, to me or to Kumar but to lakhs of workers in India and abroad," Sisodia told reporters. Sisodia said he and Sanjay Singh went to meet him, but Vishwas still skipped an AAP leadership meeting on Monday. "Everyone knows who is benefiting" from his public remarks. Vishwas has subtly attacked Kejriwal, accusing him of raising questions on the surgical strike by the Indian Army last year on terrorists in Pakistani territory. "If we made mistakes and gave a `wrong message` which lowered the morale of our soldiers, then we need a course correction," he said. New Delhi: While the Centre's move to demonetise the old currency notes of high denomination in September last year has got a big thumbs up from the countrymen, a Bangladeshi sex worker has found it difficult to convert nearly Rs 10,000 that she had saved in banned notes to new ones. According to a Mid-Day report, the unidentified Bangladeshi national, who was rescued from a brothel in Budhwarpeth, Pune, in December 2015, had tweeted a hand-written letter to PM Modi in which she had narrated her woes and the hardship she had faced till she was rescued from the brothel. In the letter, she had narrated how she that was lured to India under the false pretext of a job, and later forced into prostitution. Interestingly, in the letter, marked to both Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, she had laid bare the circumstances which forced her into prostitution. She also explained how the money she had collected as tips from customers to the tune of Rs. 10,000 - was left with the brothel owners at the time of demonetisation. The woman claimed that before coming to India, she had been in an abusive marriage for three years. After divorcing her husband, she took up a job at a garment factory in Bangladesh for Rs. 9,000 that she used to look after her parents. There, one of her colleagues told her about contacts in India and how she could earn as much as Rs. 15,000. "As my financial condition was not good, I agreed to it and he brought me to Vashi. where, to my horror, he sold me to a Nepali women for a mere Rs. 50,000," the women wrote. "I was then taken to Bengaluru and handed over to another woman who forced me into prostitution. Later, I was assured that I was being sent back to Bangladesh, but instead ended up in Pune," she claimed in the letter. After spending nearly a year-and-a-half, she was rescued in December 2015 with the help of the Rescue Foundation, however, all her belongings, including the money stashed away, were left behind at the brothel. Delhi: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa is believed to have authorised the decapitation of two Indian soldiers, as per a media report. The ambush on the Line of Control took place following a visit to Pakistani military positions in Haji Pir on April 30 the Bajwa, Indian intelligence and military sources was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Ever since the cross-LoC strikes that followed the Uri terrorist attack, things havent really quietened down. The skirmishing has been costly for Pakistan, and we think its trying to show India it is now willing to risk escalation, despite the weakness of its military position on the Line of Control, an Indian intelligence official was quoted as saying by the Daily. On April 30, Bajwa had visited LoC and had said that his country would continue to support the "political struggle" of the Kashmiris for the right of "self-determination". Bajwa, while touring Haji Pir sector, had said in an interaction with troops, "We will always stand by their (Kashmiris) rightful political struggle for the right of self-determination and recourse to basic human rights," as per PTI. At the same time, he had alleged that India was not only involved in aggression against the people in Kashmir but also against the people living on the Pakistani side of the LoC and the Working Boundary. India has repeatedly rejected Pakistan's allegations of rights violations in Kashmir. Meanwhile, India said on Wednesday that it has "sufficient evidence" that the two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan Army regulars and Islamabad has been asked to take action against its Army commanders for the act. India considers the mutilation of Indian soldiers "a strong act of provocation", Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. He also said that blood samples collected from the site in Krishna Ghati sector along LoC matches with the blood of the two Indian security personnel. Asserting that the government has "sufficient evidence" that Pakistan Army was involved in the mutilation of Indian soldiers, he said the "blood trail" shows that the perpetrators who entered the Indian side from Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK), returned from where they came from. Responding to a series of questions on the issue, he said Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, who was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, denied that Indian soldiers were mutilated. Basit said he will convey the "content of the demarche" to his government, according to Baglay. (With Agency inputs) Delhi: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday that denial by Pakistan of its involvement in the mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers carried "no credibility". "Pakistani military was involved in it," he told reporters here. Meanwhile, India said today it had "sufficient evidence" that the two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan Army regulars and Islamabad had been asked to take action against its army commanders for the act. Also Read - Mutilation of Indian soldiers: Pakistan Army chief authorised Krishna Ghati attack India considers the mutilation of Indian soldiers "a strong act of provocation", Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. He also said that blood samples collected from the site in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) matches with the blood of the two Indian security personnel, as per PTI. Asserting that the government has "sufficient evidence" that Pakistan army was involved in the mutilation of Indian soldiers, he said the "blood trail" shows that the perpetrators who entered the Indian side from Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK), returned from where they came from. Responding to a series of questions on the issue, he said Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, who was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, denied that Indian soldiers were mutilated. Basit said he will convey the "content of the demarche" to his government, according to Baglay. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: India's living legend and Kargil war hero Yogendra Singh Yadav has hit out at Pakistan for the cowardly beheading of Indian soldiers in the Krishna Ghati area of Poonch in J&K. Yadav, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, for his role in snatching back the Tiger Hill during the Kargil war in 1999, said that Pakistani soldiers don't have the courage to face the Indian soldiers and that's why they carry out such shameful attacks. Let them come and face Indian soldiers, he said, adding that Indian soldiers will never commit such an inhuman act. On how the Indian Army will respond, Yadav said, Bhai Ka Badla Bhai Zaroor Leta Hain (Brother soldiers will surely take revenge). Yadav's Param Vir Chakra citation reads: 18 GRENADIERS (2690-572) Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav was part of the leading team of a Ghatak Platoon tasked to capture Tiger Hill on the night of July 1999. The approach to the top was steep, snowbound and rocky. Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, unmindful of the danger involved, volunteered to lead and fix the rope for his team to climb up. On seeing the team, the enemy opened intense automatic, grenade, rocket and artillery fire killing the Commander and two of his colleagues and the platoon was stalled. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav crawled up to the enemy position to silence it and in the process sustained multiple bullet injuries. Unmindful of his injuries and in the hail of enemy bullets, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav continued climbing towards the enemy positions, lobbed grenades, continued firing from his weapons and killed four enemy soldiers in close combat and silenced the automatic fire. Despite multiple bullet injuries, he refused to be evacuated and continued the charge. Inspired by his gallant act, the platoon charged on the other positions with renewed punch and captured Tiger Hill Top. Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav displayed the most conspicuous courage, indomitable gallantry, grit and determination under extreme adverse circumstances New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning offered prayers at the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand which reopened today following a six-month winter break. The Prime Minister was greeted at the airport by Uttarakhand governor KK Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. Modi arrived at around 9:30 am at the holiest of the four Himalayan shrines just before it reopened its gates. He took part in an important ritual inside the temple, becoming the first to offer prayers at the shrine at the start of the pilgrimage season. He was gifted a replica of the shrine. A large crowd gathered at the area to see the Prime Minister. Here are some of the stills from his visit: New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttarakhand on Wednesday. He will begin his visit by offering prayers at the Kedarnath Temple. During the visit, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Patanjali Research Institute in Haridwar. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat yesterday flew to Kedarnath to review the preparations ahead of the Prime Minister`s visit. He visited the medical centre set up at Kedarnath to provide prompt medical facilities for the pilgrims and interacted with the medical team deployed at the centre. He also visited the accommodation arrangements made for the pilgrims at Kedarnath. New Delhi: In the wake of mutilation of an Indian soldier and a BSF trooper by the Pakistani Army on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, 50 schoolchildren visiting India from across the border were on Wednesday sent back following a government advisory. Invited by Delhi-based non-profit organisation Routes2Roots, the children had arrived in India along with their teachers on May 1, the day Indian Army`s Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed and their bodies mutilated in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. " `This is not an appropriate time for such exchanges` was the advice conveyed to the NGO by the Centre," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told the media here. Besides a trip to Agra, the Pakistani children were to meet their Indian pen-friends and attend a host of programmes. The NGO, hosting the exchange programme since 2004, said the visit was cut short due to flared diplomatic tensions and security concerns. "Keeping in view the security aspect and the sentiments of fellow Indians, the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," NGO founder Rakesh Gupta said. New Delhi: India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and demanded action against Pakistani soldiers responsible for killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers on Monday. Addressing a press conference Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, Gopal Baglay briefed the media about what transpired between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit. Jaishankar conveyed India's outrage at the killing and the "barbaric act" of mutilation of the two bodies of two Indian soldiers on May 01, 2017 by Pakistani Army personnel, the MEA said. Giving details about the meet, the MEA spokesperson said our foreign secretary categorically told Basit that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector. Baglay said blood sample of Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control. Jaishankar demanded that Pakistan take immediate action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for the heinous act. However, Baglay confirmed that Basit denied any involvement of Pakistani Army in the barbaric act, but assured that he would inform the Pakistani administration about the India's concerns. Army's Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and the BSF's Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed in the unprovoked firing from the Pakistan side as they were patrolling the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Their bodies were mutilated by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT), which had targetted the Indian patrol party in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. Locals halt Karnali embankment project The Karnali River Control Project has halted over a land compensation dispute. The people living along the 3 km stretch to the west of Daulatpur in Rajapur Municipality, Bardiya, have obstructed the project after they were reportedly denied land acquisition compensation. New Delhi: As part of her party`s efforts to evolve consensus among opposition parties on a common candidate for upcoming Presidential election, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday spoke to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Gandhi, who has taken the initiative to try and evolve consensus on a common candidate, is likely to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also reached out to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in connection with the presidential polls. National Conference`s Working President Omar Abdullah also met Sonia Gandhi at her residence on Wednesday, said party sources. "In our opinion, national interest should be the foremost criteria with a person adequately suited to defend our constitutionalism and our democratic traditions of dissent and disagreement as the candidate who would be best suited to be the President and Vice President," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. "Congress President and Vice President both have had discussions with a series of leaders. Our doors and minds are open for we feel that one person cannot decide everything, one man decides all dictum will not do and one ideology cannot be thrust upon this country. It is required to have a consensus on the post as important as the posts of President and Vice President," he added. He also said that consensus on the candidates will happen only after there are political discussions and there is a general agreement on this. "We need an unbiased and courageous President who can uphold the diginity of his office. It should be done for national interest," he added. Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar met Sonia Gandhi to discuss a joint opposition presidential candidate. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United President Nitish Kumar and senior party leader Sharad Yadav, Communist Party of India leader D Raja and Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury have also met Gandhi on the presidential issue. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed senior Congress leader and former union minister Salman Khurshid to assist it as an amicus curiae in the triple talaq matter. The apex court bench comprising of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and SK Kaul permitted Khurshid to file his written submissions in the case. A five-judge Constitutional bench will begin in hearing of a batch of pleas challenging constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims from May 11. Several women have filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking the quashing of the triple talaq practice. The top court has been urged to spell out whether practice of 'talaq-e-bidat', 'nikah halala' and polygamy were compatible with India's obligations under the international treaties and covenants to which it is a signatory. During the earlier hearing, the Centre, while making its stand clear on the contentious issues had said: Triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy violate Muslim women's right to equality and dignity and are not protected by the right to profess, practise and propagate religion under Article 25(1) of the Constitution. PM Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath have advocated for the rights of Muslim women and called for the abolition of the triple talaq and nikah halala. Recently, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu asserted that triple talaq is not a religious issue as it has no sanction in Shariat amid a raging debate on the issue. Notably, a petition started by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an Islamic organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling for the abolition of triple talaq, has received signatures of more over a million Muslims from across India with women in majority. London: Some of the new one pound coins, launched last month as the "most secure coin in the world", may be defective, the Royal Mint has admitted. It said that a "small number of coins" were affected when they were struck at a rapid rate during production. The Royal Mint is striking 1.5 billion new 12-sided one pound coins, introduced to help crack down on counterfeiting. Out of shape versions of the coin, considered collectors' items, are appearing on Internet auction sites. The Sun newspaper has spoken to a number of people reporting warped coins, although doubts have been raised about the cause of reported highly-damaged coins. A spokeswoman for the Royal Mint, which produces three million new one pound coins a day at its headquarters in Llantrisant, South Wales, said: "The Royal Mint produces around five billion coins each year, and will be striking 1.5 billion new one pound coins in total. "As you would expect, we have tight quality controls in place, however variances will always occur in a small number of coins, particularly in the striking process, due to the high volumes and speed of production." The Mint has claimed the new one pound coin is the "most secure coin in the world", replacing the previous one, of which about one in 40 are thought to be fake. Philip Munsell, director of Coin News magazine, told the BBC that only a tiny minority of these new coins would be affected, but that fact made them highly collectable. He said that if the middle of the two-piece one pound coin was missing, it would not get through the quality checks. The new coin has a string of anti-counterfeiting details, including material inside the coin itself which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines. Other security measures include an image that works like a hologram, and micro-sized lettering inside both rims. It is not the first currency launch in the UK to have hit problems in recent months. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and vegans in the UK have voiced concerns about the new polymer 5-pound note introduced in September last year, as it contains a small amount of tallow, which is derived from meat products. New Delhi: In what would be hailed as an engineering marvel, a railway bridge taller than the Eiffel Tower is being built across the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir. The construction of the bridge, likely to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, is expected to be completed in around two years from now. Once completed, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in China. Being constructed at a cost of around Rs 1,100 crore in hostile terrain, the huge arch-shaped structure will use more than 24,000 tonnes of steel and will rise 359 m above the river bed. Designed to withstand wind speeds of upto 260 km per hour, the 1.315 km long "engineering marvel" will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar). The bridge forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project. "The construction of the bridge is the most challenging part of the Kashmir rail link project and once completed, it will be an engineering marvel," said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project. Slated to be completed by 2019, it is expected to become a tourist attraction in the region. There will also be a ropeway in the bridge for inspection purposes. Steel was the material of choice to construct the humongous structure as it is more economical and able to resist temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of above 250 kmph. The Railways will also install sensors on the bridge to check the wind velocity: as soon as the wind speed exceeds 90 kmph, the signal on the track will turn red, preventing train movement. In order to enhance safety and security, the bridge will be made of 63 mm thick special blast-proof steel as the Jammu and Kashmir region is prone to frequent terror attacks. The concrete pillars of the bridge will be designed to withstand explosions and painted with a special corrosion- resistant paint, which lasts for 15 years. According to the plan, a ring of aerial security will be provided to safeguard the bridge. An online monitoring and warning system will be installed on the bridge to protect the passengers and train in critical conditions. Footpaths and cycle trails will be built adjacent to it. It is expected to contribute to the economic development of the state and help in improving accessibility. (With PTI inputs) Thiruvananthapuram: More than a week after the Supreme Court ordered the reinstatement of TP Senkumar as Kerala's Director General of Police, the state government on Wednesday moved the apex court to seek clarifications in the case. On April 24, the Supreme Court had directed Kerala to reinstate the senior Indian Police Ssrvice officer as the Director General of Police. Senkumar was removed from the post when Pinarayi Vijayan took over as Chief Minister on May 25, 2016. Reinstating Senkumar, a bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta said the officer was dealt with "unfairly and arbitrarily". The government`s petition has now sought clarification on what needs to be done in case of top police officers -- present DGP Loknath Behra, Jacob Thomas and Shankar Reddy -- all of whom hold the rank of the DGP. The Kerala government move follows a direction from state Advocate General C P Sudhakara Prasad. Senkumar`s petition, to come up for hearing on Friday, has questioned the delay in implementing the apex court order for his reinstatement. Senkumar told the media here on Wednesday that he does not have any confrontational attitude against the Left government and he is awaiting orders from the Kerala government as per the apex court directions. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister informed the assembly that his government is duty-bound to abide by the Supreme Court order and it is just awaiting legal opinion on the matter. Senkumar is set to retire on June 30. Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Assembly today passed a resolution giving "living entity" status to Narmada river, with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan informing the House that a bill prescribing "heavy punishment" to those harming the water body will be brought. During the debate in the assembly, the Opposition Congress alleged that the state government's ongoing drive to spread awareness about the water body was a "publicity stunt". The resolution, moved by state minister Antar Singh Arya in the specially convened one-day session, was adopted by the BJP, which enjoys majority in the House, in the voice vote. The state cabinet had yesterday given an in-principle nod to the proposal to grant "living status" to the river. The special session also saw the passage of the Madhya Pradesh Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill-2017. Chouhan said that the bill to grant 'living entity' status to Narmada river will be brought "to inflict heavy punishment on those people who harm the river". "The opposition is alleging that I am doing a 'natak' (drama). Do not connect my genuine endeavour (ongoing 'Narmada Seva Yatra') with politics. "Do not stoop so low. The (state government) is doing a pious work to protect Narmada river and preserve it for the future generations. It is 'maa' (mother) Narmada and it is our duty as her children to protect her," the chief minister said. Meanwhile, the Congress MLAs alleged that Chouhan had "belittled the river by confining it only to the living entity status resolution. As per the Hindu scriptures, the Narmada is considered as and is a life giver". But the chief minister reiterated that his yatra was "not political". "My yatra is not politically motivated or a publicity stunt," Chouhan said while refuting allegations levelled by senior Congress members Mukesh Nayak, Govind Singh, Ramniwas Rawat, Mahendra Singh Kalukheda, and Leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh. Dismissing Govind Singh's charge, the chief minister said, "We are not luring various personalities with money to take part in the yatra". "The advertisements of the 'Narmada Sewa Yatra' are adoring the Heathrow and Los Angeles airports. This yatra is aimed at attracting publicity," said Rawat and Ajay Singh. The leader of opposition also alleged that he and other MLAs of the Congress were not invited to participate in the yatra. Denying the charge, Chouhan said he had in the Assembly requested all legislators to take part in the drive. "Revival of Narmada river and the public drive aimed at its conservation would set an example for the world," he said. The CM said sewage water from 18 cities in Madhya Pradesh drain into river Narmada. "In order to conserve and revive the river, we had floated tenders and the process is at the final stage to set up the sewage treatment plants at 11 places. The treated water will be pumped out for the use of farmers," he said. Meanwhile, the leader of opposition displayed a glass bottle containing yellow water in the House, claiming that he fetched it from a drain that flows into Narmada river in Budhi, the CM's assembly constituency in Sehore district. "The bottle contains effluents being discharged in the river from an industrial unit," he claimed. Another MLA Kalukheda alleged that illegal mining was going on unabated along Narmada river with the patronage of the state government. However, Chouhan said, "a strict action is being taken against illegal miners, which was missing during the previous Congress regime in Madhya Pradesh". The Narmada, which originated at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, is the fifth largest river in Indian sub-continent. The river is known as "Life Line of Madhya Pradesh" for its huge contribution to the state in many ways. The pollution in the river has been a matter of grave concern for environmentalists. As per a government report it sees erosion at 821 places. The Uttarakhand High Court had on March 20 accorded the status of "living human entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna, two of India's most sacred rivers. Mumbai: In a dig at its ally, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said BJP should work on strengthening the nation and not just their party while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "tear Pakistan into pieces." "The BJP should concentrate on strengthening the country and the state rather than only strengthening the party. We are ready for mid-term polls. In UP there is 'Yogi' Sarkar (government), but here (in Maharashtra) there is a 'NirupaYogi' (useless) Sarkar," he said while addressing a gathering of party workers here this evening. Shiv Sena is an ally of the Centre as well as the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government. "Enter Pakistan and tear them into pieces. The Shiv Sena will stand behind Prime Minister Modi," Thackeray said. In an unsoldierly act by the Pakistan Army, two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan border action team (BAT) by sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in the Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir on May 1. Meanwhile, commenting on the agrarian crisis prevalent in Maharashtra, Thackeray said the situation has become such that if somebody speaks in favour of farmers, they are touted to be anti-government. He said while the BJP's win in the recently held Uttar Pradesh polls was commendable, one could not ignore the outcome of the Goa Assembly polls. "The Congress did not portray any face in the Goa polls. Yet, they received four more seats than the BJP. This cannot be ignored," he said. New Delhi: Stock brokers, merchant bankers and other market intermediaries can now register online, with regulator Sebi operationalising a portal for the purpose. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has operationalised the portal for intermediaries to submit all the registration applications online. In a circular, the watchdog said the portal has been operationalised for eight categories of market intermediaries. They are stock brokers, sub-brokers, merchant bankers, underwriters, registrar to an issue and share transfer agents, debenture trustees, bankers to an issue and credit rating agency. The portal would include "online application for registration, processing of application, grant of final registration, application for surrender/ cancellation, submission of periodical reports, requests for change of name/ address/ other details." The intermediary portal would be operational for depository participants from May 31, the circular said. "Henceforth, all applications for registration/ surrender/ other requests shall be made through Sebi intermediary portal only," it said. The applications in respect of stock brokers, sub-broker and depository participants would continue to be made through the stock exchanges and depositories, it added. "The applicants will be separately required to submit relevant documents viz declarations/ undertakings required as a part of application forms prescribed in relevant regulations, in physical form, only for records without impacting the online processing of applications for registration," the circular said. Presenting the Budget for 2017-18, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that the process of registration of financial market intermediaries would be made fully online by Sebi. New Delhi: While most of the Bollywood celebrities are posting adorable messages to welcome Katrina Kaif on Instagram, Arjun Kapoor recently pulled off something much more interesting in order to make her feel at home online. The 31-year-old actor shared with his fans a unmissable throwback picture. The image is, apparently, from the times when the '2 States' hunk was overweight. He can be seen sharing the frame with Katrina. "Next to the stud on the left is this girl who's now on Instagram... she's apparently quite popular these days @katrinakaif check her account out & maybe follow her even," he captioned the photograph. A post shared by Arjun Kapoor (@arjunkapoor) on May 1, 2017 at 12:38pm PDT On the cinema front, Arjun is gearing up for the release of Shraddha Kapoor starrer 'Half Girlfriend'. Chandigarh: The Punjab Police along with other security agencies began a massive search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The joint search operation is still underway. The search operation was launched hours after some unidentified men travelling in a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier in the Gurdaspur district on Tuesday. A Punjab Police officer was quoted as saying by IANS that there were at least six persons inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned, the report said. The SUV also carried a fake registration number plate and, after primary investigation, it was found that the car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu. Security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district in July 2015. Both districts share an international border with Pakistan. Both districts are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. Minister Mahat off to Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat has left Kathmandu for Singapore on Wednesday to participate in a conference to be organised by the Nepali Embassy in Thailand and Consulate General in Singapore. Jaipur: A 17-year-old youth has been detained by the Alwar Police in connection with the Pehlu Khan lynching case. The accused, who is a school student, was identified on the basis of a video in which a mob is seen assaulting Khan and others, Investigating Officer Parmal Gurjar said today. The youth was sent to a juvenile home, the officer said. Several accused have already been arrested in the case. Efforts are on to identify and arrest the other accused visible in the videos shot during the attack, the officer said. Khan, who hailed from Haryana, was attacked by cow vigilantes in Behror when he along with others was allegedly transporting cows illegally from Jaipur to Haryana. Khan died during treatment at a hospital. London: A giant dinosaur species that lived around 160 million years ago could be the earliest relative of Brachiosaurus, depicted in the film Jurassic Park, according to new research. Researchers from Imperial College London and their colleagues in Europe discovered the new species, named Vouivria damparisensis, after re-examining an overlooked museum fossil. When the fossil was first discovered in France in the 1930s, its species was not identified, and until now it has largely been ignored in scientific literature. In their study, published in the journal PeerJ, researchers suggest the age of Vouivria to be around 160 million years old, making it the earliest known fossil from the titanosauriform family of dinosaurs, which includes better-known dinosaurs such as the Brachiosaurus. The new analysis of the fossil indicates that Vouivria died at an early age, weighed around 15,000 kg and was over 15 metres long. It had a long neck held at around a 45 degree angle, a long tail, and four legs of equal length. It would have been a plant eater, according to the study. "Vouivria would have been a herbivore, eating all kinds of vegetation, such as ferns and conifers. This creature lived in the Late Jurassic, around 160 million years ago, at a time when Europe was a series of islands," said the lead author of the study Philip Mannion from Imperial College London. "We don't know what this creature died from, but millions of years later it is providing important evidence to help us understand in more detail the evolution of brachiosaurid sauropods and a much bigger group of dinosaurs that they belonged to, called titanosauriforms," Mannion said. Titanosauriforms were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs and some of the largest creatures to have ever lived on land. They lived from at least the Late Jurassic, right to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, when an asteroid wiped out most life on Earth. A lack of fossil records means that it has been difficult for scientists to understand the early evolution of titanosauriforms and how they spread out across the planet. The re-classification of Vouivria as an early titanosauriform will help scientists to understand the spread of these creatures during the Early Cretaceous period, a later period of time, after the Jurassic, around 145 -- 100 million years ago. New Delhi: After being sidelined by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres, party general secretary VK Sasikala on Wednesday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against her conviction in the disproportionate assets (DA) case. In a major setback for Sasikala, who was aspiring to be the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the Supreme Court had on February 14 restored her conviction in the DA case. Restoring the judgment of the trial court convicting and sentencing her and her two relatives - VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, a bench of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy had set aside a Karnataka High Court order acquitting the three and late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The immediate fallout of the top court verdict was that Sasikala was out of the electoral field for 10 years - four years when would be in incarceration and six years of disqualification under the Representation of Peoples Act after her release. The four were convicted by the trial court for amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during Jayalalithaa's first term as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. An advocate privy to the review petition said Sasikala has relied on an earlier apex court verdict of 1991 in which after the death of a prime accused, the proceeding against the co-accused was also abated in a corruption case. This development comes amid an enraging power struggle between the two warring factions of the AIADMK - one led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam and current Chief Minister E Palanisamy. The two factions, however, are now looking for a merger, talks of which gained ground after a FIR was registered against Sasikala`s nephew and ousted party leader TTV Dhinakaran for bribing an Election Commission official for staking claim of the `Two Leaves` party symbol, in the wake of the by-polls in the RK Nagar constituency. Following this, Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Dhinakaran`s alleged middleman, was arrested by police for striking a deal of Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK faction keep the `Two Leaves` poll symbol. The Panneerselvam-led group later categorically stated that the merger between the two factions would not be possible until an affidavit stating the removal of Sasikala and Dhinakaran from the party is submitted to the Election Commission. (With Agency inputs) New Delhi: Indian Railway public sector undertaking - Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) - will launch two new circuits of its flagship luxury train Maharajas' Express, this year. These two new trips have been named "Southern Sojourn" and "Southern Jewels" which will cover prominent destinations in West and South India. The Southern Sojourn will cover Goa, Hampi, Mysore, Ernakulam, Kumarakom and Trivandrum. The Southern Jewels will cover Chettinad, Mahabalipuram, Mysore, Hampi and Goa. Though the regular trip of these two new journeys will take place in September 2017, for this year, the two new tour circuits will cater especially to domestic travellers during monsoon period of June/July 2017. Lucrative offers to attract domestic travellers have been planned. On the booking of first adult on twin sharing at full cost, the second adult sharing the same cabin will be on complimentary basis. Moreover, a guest booking a Deluxe Cabin gets a chance to upgrade to a Junior Suite by paying only 50 percent% of the difference in tariff between Junior Suite and Deluxe Cabin. The Southern Sojourn - Monsoon Special shall start from Mumbai on June 24 and stop at Goa, Hampi, Mysore, Cochin, Alleppey before terminating at Trivandrum. The Southern Jewels - Monsoon Special shall depart from Trivandrum on July 1 and terminate at Mumbai covering Chettinad, Mahabalipuram, Mysore, Hampi and Goa. Each journey shall be of eight days and seven nights. The regular trip of the Southern Sojourn will start from Mumbai on September 9 and the Southern Jewels will start from Trivandrum on September 16. Booking can either be done online on the official website of Maharajas' Express at http://www.the-maharajas.com or on the official website of IRCTC http://www.irctc.co.in and http://www.irctctourism.com. The details can be obtained on mobile number +91 9717635915 or +91 9717640678 or +91 9717639033 on working days. The list of authorised agents can be accessed at http://www.the-maharajas.com/maharajas/maharajas-express-agents.html. Maharajas' Express commenced its operations in 2010, and since then the train has become the leading luxury train of the world with comparisons to the Royal Scotsman and the Eastern and Oriental Express. Deoria: The last rites of Border Security Force (BSF) Head Constable Prem Sagar, who was killed and mutilated by Pakistani Army military, were performed in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district on Wednesday. The family yesterday had refused to perform the last rites, demanding that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visit them. Though, the Uttar Pradesh CM wasn't able to meet the aggrieved family in person but spoke to them on phone. Sagar's family today agreed to hold the last rites after Yogi Adityanath spoke to them last night. The BSF martyr's body was taken to his native Takenpur village on Tuesday. Strong anti-Pakistan sentiments marked the last journey of slain BSF Head Constable. Poeple thronged to pay a tearful farewell to the brave heart who was beheaded by Pakistani forces in Poonch sector. The people showered petals on the body as a mark of respect. Prem Sagar was killed in the unprovoked firing from the Pakistan side as they were patrolling the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The BSF trooper's body was mutilated by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT), which had targetted the Indian patrol party in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. Seeking revenge for the barbaric killing of her father, the daughter of Prem Sagar, Saroj, demanded strong action from the Indian side. After getting the information about her father's death, Saroj, who lives in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district said, Want 50 Pakistani soldiers' heads for my father's sacrifice. Bahraich: Three women previously married to a man and divorced through triple talaq came together to foil their husband's plan to get married for the fourth time in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. It has also come to light that the three women had filed a police complaint, accusing their husband of making obscene MMS and raping a minor. News agency PTI said that the three women reached the office of the Additional Superintendent of Police, Dinesh Tripathi, two days back and alleged that 30-year-old Danish had married for the first time in 2013 and made an alleged MMS of his wife. Owing to a marital discord, Danish used to fight with his first wife. He used to allegedly blackmail his first wife and her family members and extorted money by threatening to make the MMS viral. After some time, Danish divorced his first wife and got married for the second time. However, this marriage too did not last for long and he left his second wife also in little over a year. The three women alleged in the FIR that Danish went to one of his relative's house where he allegedly raped his 15-year-old cousin and later married her in 2016. Danish also allegedly made her obscene MMS and threatened her parents that he would make it viral if they protested. When the three women came to know that Danish was going to marry for the fourth time, they reached the ASP's office and narrated their woes. ASP Tripathi informed that the matter is being investigated as an FIR has been registered against Danish under POCSO and other relevant sections of the IPC. With PTI inputs Lucknow: Days after former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati was granted bail by a special court in connection with a rape case, his family on Wednesday reached Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Ram Naik. The development comes after special judge of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court Om Prakash Mishra last month granted bail to Prajapati, Vikas Verma and Amrendra Singh alias Mintu. But to judge Mishra's dismay, the administrative committee of the Allahabad High Court later suspended Justice Om Prakash Mishra for granting bail to Prajapati. Chief Justice DB Bhonsle took a grim view of the bail granted to the Samajwadi Party (SP) leader by the judge and all powers of the judge Mishra were seized by the court. Acting on a Supreme Court order, an FIR was registered against 49-year-old Prajapati and six others on February 17. Prajapati was then a minister in the Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh. After being on the run for nearly a month, Prajapati was arrested from the Aashiyana area here on March 15 and was sent to jail for allegedly raping a woman and attempting to rape her minor daughter in 2014. Prajapati was a powerful minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government, who despite being charged in many cases, could not be arrested and became a major embarrassment for the Samajwadi Party government during the assembly elections. The BJP used his case to hit out against "lawlessness" in the state under the Samajwadi Party rule. (With agencies inputs) Lucknow: A crisis of credibility is haunting public representatives because of corruption charges and absenteeism, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday as he asked the state's legislators to set high standards. Addressing newly elected MLAs of UP at an orientation programme at the Vidhan Bhawan complex here, he said if there is any one institution in parliamentary democracy that is answerable and accountable to the people, it is the legislature. "We have to go back to people after five years. Hence, we are answerable and accountable. Can we expect any judge or any executive official going to people after every five years? Certainly not," he said. He said even people who retire from the judiciary, armed forces or bureaucracy become MLAs or MPs. Yet, fingers are pointed at only MPs and MLAs as they are held accountable. "A crisis of credibility which is haunting us can be attributed to our absence from the House and allegations of corruption levelled against public representatives. The bad deeds of an individual brings bad name to the entire system," the chief minister said. He said the orientation programme had been organised so the people's representatives become a symbol of credibility. It is my earnest desire that the UP Legislative Assembly becomes a model for all legislative assemblies in the country, he said. Sharing his experience as Gorakhpur MP, Adityanath said, "Instead of shouting and creating ruckus in the Assembly, it is better that the point is conveyed properly and effectively. It has the power to find solutions to many problems." He said the Assembly must meet for at least 90 days in a year. "In recent years, the House sat for 20-25 days. Can we run the House for 90 days? This is a challenge," he said. Adityanath said that the House functioning for 90 days would also mean that all tehsil offices or police stations too would function better as the respective MLAs would raise in the Assembly if there is any issue. He told the legislators that every word spoken by them should be a source of inspiration for the future generations. "The words spoken by you will become a property of the Vidhan Sabha. Your words and behaviour will determine your 'krititva' (deeds) in future," he said. Addressing the MLAs, UP Governor Ram Naik said the Legislative Assembly has three important components -- the speaker, members and ministers of ruling party and members of the opposition. "To maintain the sanctity of the House, the government (ruling party) should present a development programme, while the opposition should give its suggestions. The Assembly speaker should ensure that the House functions smoothly," Naik said. The UP governor also said, "The Opposition should be allowed to voice its opinion, while the government should be allowed to function." He also asked the newly elected MLAs to use their local area fund in a transparent manner, while staying away from corruption. 238 newly-elected MLAs were among the legislators who attended the training and orientation programme. During the two-day programme, the MLAs will be informed about legislative procedures by veteran parliamentarians, senior legislators and also speakers of other state assemblies, Principal Secretary of Vidhan Sabha Pradeep Dubey said. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will address the valedictory session tomorrow. Lucknow: The Panchayat of Mathura's Madora village on Wednesday decided to impose a ban on girls using mobile phones outside their house while walking on a street. The decision was taken by former village pradhan Mohammed Gaffar who claimed that mobile phone use encouraged elopement. "We are not stopping them from using mobile phones. They can do so in their houses, but not outside," Gaffar said. He said that any girl found violating the diktat will be fined Rs 2,100. The panchayat also imposed a hefty penalty of Rs 2.5 lakh on anyone found indulging in cow slaughter. Gaffar announced the decision on Tuesday adding that the Muslim community supports Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his campaign against cow slaughter. "We, too, respect the cow and will not allow its killing. Those who provide information about cow slaughter will get Rs 51,000," Gaffar said. He claimed that Muslims respect the cow and that they have decided to hand over bovine killers to police. "We will also socially boycott them. In case a person is not able to pay the fine, the money will be recovered from his property," he said. According to the new announcement, anyone found indulging in cow slaughter or cow theft would have to sell out Rs 2 lakh while those found selling liquor would have to cough up to Rs 1.11 lakh. Nation heading towards natl unity: PM Dahal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the nation is heading towards national unity as all the political parties are gearing up for the local level elections slated for May 14 and June 14. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday addressed a total of 109 newly elected BJP MLAs here and asked them to work without any hesitation and any pressure. Welcoming the first time MLAs, the Chief Minister said "this is a pleasant symptom of democracy. There is a perception about life delegates that one place can not be sat for a long time. But here's a good picture to see that the Governor has arrived five minutes ago and all of you reached here before." Adityanath told the legislatures that the responsibility of the public representative should be maintained. "We will work as per the requirement of public and will try to live up to their expectations. While addressing the MLAs, CM Yogi said that new legislatures can keep their point in the House while keeping the rules in their mind and added that the House is a wonderful platform to refine yourself. He said that everybody in the country wants to become a Member of Parliament or a legislator after their retirement as the house is the basis of democracy. "Keep all things in accordance with the rules in the House as the solution comes from the rules itself," he said. During his address, the Chief Minister said that "we are getting full support from the Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik. He is like a guardian to us. The people's representatives have started getting funds because of the Governor. The national song could also be started in parliament because of him." Along with this, the Chief Minister also spoke about paying attention to conduct. He said, "We have to keep our conduct better in the Legislative Assembly representing 22 crore people. This will help in the development of the state. In a democracy, the legislature has its own importance." CM Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh is blessed with the blessings of nature. Lucknow: A lot number of changes have been noticed in Uttar Pradesh since BJP's firebrand leader Yogi Adityanath took over the state as CM. Now, Uttar Pradesh Police chief Sulkhan Singh in a letter has asked UP police officials to improve their style of functioning. Also, the UP Police Chief told his men to look for an image make-over. Ideal policing will remain a pipe dream if the functioning at police stations does not improve, Director General of Police Singh wrote to his subordinates. He wrote, "Time has come to make the people feel that the police force was working for them and that policing in its best form was available for them." Singh also directed officials to ensure justice without bias or prejudice was given to the aggrieved and that crimes were registered. "Do not under any circumstances not register complaints for fear of its reflection on the crime graph," the DGP said in his letter. Sulkhan Singh was appointed Uttar Pradesh's top police man last month by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Kedarnath: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is committed to end the VIP culture prevalent across the country, has shown that he practices what he preaches others. Setting an example that despite being the Prime Minister, he too does not ask for a VIP treatment, Modi on Wednesday stopped a man from helping him remove his shoes at the Kedarnath Temple, where he has gone to perform rudraabhishek. PM Modi had earlier reached the revered Kedarnath Temple to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva under heavy police protection. Just as he was entering the temple, he sat down to take off his shoes, it was when a man came forward to help him remove his shoes. However, the PM politely refused to take his help. This comes at a time when the Prime Minister has taken a series of steps aimed at ending the VIP mindset of our politicians. He had recently banned the use of red and blue beacons for dignitaries and government officials across the country. On Sunday, he also made critical comments on the VIP culture during his monthly Mann ki Baat. PM Modi is the first Prime Minister to perform rudraabhishek in the shrine in last 28 years. Former Prime Minister VP Singh was the last PM to have performed the religious rites. During his visit to the famous temple, the PM was gifted a miniature replica of the temple. After offering prayers at the temple, Modi came out and interacted with the crowd of about 2,500 devotees present at the opening of the gates of one of the holiest Hindu shrines. The Kedarnath shrine in this hill state is one of the major components of the annual Chaar Dhaam pilgrimage. The Kedarnath Valley was destroyed in a flash flood in 2013 but the temple premises was thankfully saved of any major devastation. Thousands had died in the natural calamity and hundreds went missing. Restoration work is underway at the temple, its route and the surroundings. When PM Modi landed at the Jolly Grant airport in a special IAF plane, he was received by Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, state ministers and other BJP leaders. Dehradun: PM Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogapeeth in Haridwar, on Wednesday stressed on preventive healthcare while also urging people to take a pledge for cleanliness. Earlier in the day, PM Modi paid a visit to the revered Kedarnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Here are the latest updates of PM Narendra Modi's Uttarakhand visit:- -PM Modi once again thanks Baba Ramdev and the Patanjali Yogapeeth family and concludes his speech. -Packaging of Ayurvedic medicines crucial for holistic healthcare: PM -The more we focus on preventive healthcare, the more beneficial it will be for the poor and the downtrodden: PM -Today world demands health as well as wellness: PM -We all have to decide and take a pledge 'Mai gandagi nahin karunga': PM -Preventive healthcare needs to be stressed on: PM -My govt has introduced a new health policy, which covers various aspects of good health and wellness: PM -It is because of him that today the world is curious to know about yoga: PM -I thank Baba Ramdev for bringing the Yoga revolution in the country: PM -Let us try to integrate as many people as possible when we are marking the International Day of Yoga: PM -We must never forget the innovative spirit that our ancestors were blessed with: PM -I can say it confidently, we will not ignore or forget the heritage that we have been historically proud of: PM -Today, I had the opportunity to inaugurate the research institute: PM -They are a source of my energy: PM -I have complete faith in the blessings of the people of India: PM -Extremely lucky to have got the 'darshan' of Baba Kedarnath this morning: PM -PM Modi addresses the gathering at Patanjali Yogapeeth, Haridwar. -We have a PM who has devoted his entire life for the nation. There is nothing except India that matters to PM: Uttarakhand CM -Till Narendra Modi is the PM, our nation can never fall: Ramdev -India has transformed under 'Rashtra Rishi' PM Narendra Modi, says Baba Ramdev -We have decided to mark this International Day of Yoga in Ahmedabad. We will go all over India to make Yoga more popular: Ramdev -There was 'Satta Parivartan' and there is 'Vyavastha Parivartan' under PM Modi ji. India is being transformed under him: Ramdev -PM Modi earlier inaugurated Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. Uttarakhand: PM Modi inaugurated Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar pic.twitter.com/GveTKTu7zp ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -We are honouring our beloved Prime Minister as a 'Rashtra Rishi' : Ramdev -PM Modi is a 'Rashtra Gaurav' and 'Vishwa Nayak' who has made India very proud at the world stage: Ramdev -PM Modi is being welcomed by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev. -PM Narendra Modi arrives in Haridwar, to inaugurate Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth. Uttarakhand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Haridwar, will inaugurate Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth pic.twitter.com/FteRCrXJ1Y ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -Here's the video of the PM interacting with the crowd. #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the crowd at Kedarnath temple #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/UyOon4GrIq ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -PM Modi leaves with his entourage after meeting the crowd gathered outside the temple. -Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the crowd outside the Kedarnath Temple. Uttarakhand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the crowd at Kedarnath temple pic.twitter.com/ynwSAqSZl5 ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -PM Narendra Modi gifted a miniature replica of the Kedarnath Temple by the priests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, gifted a miniature replica of the temple. pic.twitter.com/BJo32gbBA5 ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -Here are the visuals of PM Modi offering prayers at the Kedarnath Temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/lIAA4qYXfy ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -PM Modi arrives at Kedarnath Temple, offers prayers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/A7tahiJo5o ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -Portals of the Kedarnath Temple thrown open for devotees, PM Narendra Modi to offer prayers here shortly. Uttarakhand: Portals of the Kedarnath Temple to be thrown open for devotees today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer prayers shortly pic.twitter.com/Et8Yh6Ek0O ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -The PM is expected to arrive at the Kedarnath Temple in a military chopper. -I will be inaugurating the Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar, 12 noon onwards, he had said in another tweet. -Through a tweet, the PM had yesterday informed his followers about his Kedarnath visit. Tomorrow I will be visiting Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand. I will begin my Uttarakhand visit by praying at the Kedarnath Temple. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2017 -This is Narendra Modi's first visit to the Kedarnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva ever since he became PM. -The doors of the Kedarnath Temple have been opened in view of PM Modi's visit. -During the visit, the PM will also inaugurate the Patanjali Research Institute in Haridwar. -Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Dehradun, will visit Kedarnath Temple shortly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Dehradun, will visit Kedarnath Temple shortly pic.twitter.com/CodWSunIKg ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 -He also visited the accommodation arrangements made for the pilgrims at Kedarnath. -He visited the medical centre set up at Kedarnath to provide prompt medical facilities for the pilgrims and interacted with the medical team deployed at the centre. -Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat yesterday flew to Kedarnath to review the preparations ahead of the PM's visit. Kolkata: Union minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday claimed that the people of West Bengal were under "a lot of stress" and he had "not heard anything positive" about the state of late. Asked by reporters to comment on the situation in the state, he said, "Everyone in the country knows what the Bengal government is doing. "The deeds of the Bengal government are being discussed everywhere in the country...Here, the people are under a lot of stress. I talked to so many people, but none of them had anything positive to say about the state," the Union Minister of Science and Technology said on the sidelines of a programme here. Replying to another query, he said the recent civic poll verdict in Delhi was a "clear mandate" on the leadership of Narendra Modi and his "marg darshan" (guidance). Earlier in the day, Harsh Vardhan addressed a programme of the Department of Science and Technology. New Delhi: Hours after a tribal couple, who had hosted Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah during his West Bengal visit, joined ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP on Wednesday alleged that the TMC was playing revenge politics. Addressing a press conference, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the TMC abducted the tribal couple Raju and Gita Mahali. The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal then forced them to join the ruling party, Prasad further claimed. While the BJP unit tried to register a case, it was not registered. Today, they (the couple) came out in the morning and announced themselves as supporters of TMC while police were guarding their house," the Union Minister for Law and Justice said. "This is a textbook case of revenge politics. A simple tribal family is not left out in this," he said. "We are hurt by the incident, but we are least concerned with the party (TMC). Whatever struggle has to be done, our party workers will do it. Can Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stop the march of democratic feeling by the use of force?" he asked. The minister further said that the TMC is scared of BJP's successive victories in polls as well as the success of party chief Amit Shah's yatra in West Bengal. "BJP is winning one election after another, but instead of taking rest, Shah is travelling across India. And that has scared the TMC," he claimed. He wondered if the TMC's "desperation" was caused by the CBI's probe into Saradha chit fund scam case and the Narada bribary sting allegedly involving several of its MPs. "The investigation will not stop. It is based on evidence which is in the public domain. Bengal is seeing reckless violence and overpowering fear of the TMC," he said, adding the ruling party could not tolerate a tribal couple offering lunch to the BJP president. The "success" of Shah's visit has unnerved the TMC, he claimed. Prasad said the BJP workers and others whom Shah met during his visit to Bhawanipur, Mamata's Assembly constituency, are also under "pressure". Such violence and fear prevailed in the state during the Left rule and it is a tragedy that it remains so during the TMC rule as well, he said. He also used the opportunity to accuse the Mamata government of appeasing one section of the society, a reference to Muslims, by the "misuse" of state power and noted that it stopped religious processions during 'Ram Navami' and 'Hanuman Jayanti'. A delegation of BJP West Bengal will meet Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and apprise him of the concerns, said Prasad. During the first leg of his 'Vistar Yatra' to expand the Bharatiya Janata Party's base, Shah had lunch at the house of tribal daily wager Raju Mahali. He makes a living by painting apartments and buildings. Shah had sat on the floor at the spartan house in Dakkhin Katiajote village in West Bengal's Naxalbari block and was served vegetarian fare on a banana leaf by Mahali's wife. (With Agency inputs) Tehran: An explosion in a coal mine in northern Iran on Wednesday killed at least 21 workers and injured 69 others, state media reported. "Twenty-one bodies of workers who were killed in the explosion have been taken out of the mine ...So far there have been 69 injured," a regional official in Golestan province told the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The blast occurred at 12:45 pm local time (0745 GMT) in the Zemestanyurt coal mine in Golestan. Beirut: A car bomb blast killed at least five people today in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz by the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The dead were four civilians and a police officer, the Britain-based monitor said, adding that the toll could rise because a number of those wounded were in serious condition. The blast littered the ground with debris and set an enormous fire that sent thick clouds of black smoke billowing into the air. Civil defence workers and residents tried to put out the blaze. The dead were placed in black body bags, next to which grief-stricken mourners sat weeping or staring in shock. The blast hit near a mosque and the headquarters of the opposition's provisional government, formed in November 2013, which administers some areas under rebel control. Azaz has regularly been targeted in bomb blasts, including on January 7, when at least 48 people were killed in a tanker truck blast. Most of those killed in that attack, which rebels blamed on the Islamic State group, were civilians. More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. Washington: US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a "very good" telephonic talk about ending the war in Syria and resolving the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea, the White House has said. In their first conversation since the US launched missiles against an air base in Syria outraging Russia, the two leaders also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East and spoke about how best to resolve the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said on Tuesday. The conversation was a "very good one" that included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones in Syria "to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons", it said. The US will be sending a representative to the ceasefire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, it added. "They also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. Finally, they spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea," the White House said. Putin even invited Trump to talk more ? and to meet face-to-face when both leaders are in Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 summit of major economic powers in July. The FBI is still investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. The US military action in Syria after the suspected use of the chemical agent sarin against civilians sparked new tensions between Washington and Moscow, one of the Syrian government's strongest backers. Trump's top advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, leveled blistering criticism on Russia and Putin following the chemical weapons attack. Washington: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has blamed FBI, Wikileaks and Russian hackers for her defeat in the November 8 presidential elections. Clinton, 69, was speaking to Christiane Amanpour of the CNN during an interview at Women for Women International Forum regarding the current political issues in New York. "If the election had been on October 27th, I'd be your president. And it wasn't, it was on October 28th and there was just a lot of funny business going on around that," Clinton told CNN in an interview at Women for Women International Forum regarding current political issues. "It wasn't a perfect campaign. There is no such thing. But I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28th and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off," she said. "The evidence for that intervening event is, compelling, persuasive," she said. "Ask yourself this, within an hour or two of the "Hollywood Access" tape being made public, the Russian theft of John Podesta's emails hit WikiLeaks. What a coincidence. So I mean you just can't make this stuff up," Clinton said. Responding to a question on North Korea, Clinton called for a regional effort. "There has to be a regional effort to basically incentivise the North Korean regime to understand that it will pay a much bigger price regionally, primarily from China, if it pursues this reckless policy of nuclear weapons development and very dangerously for us, the missiles that can deliver those nuclear packages to places like Hawaii and eventually, the West Coast of the US," she said. Noting that she takes the North Korean threat very seriously, Clinton said she does not believe that the US alone is able to really put the pressure on this North Korea regime that needs to be placed. "Now, the North Koreans are always interested, not just Kim Jong-un, but his father before him, were always interested in trying to get Americans to come to negotiate, to elevate their status and their position, she said. "We should be very careful about giving that away. You should not offer that in the absence of broader strategic framework to try to get China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, to put the kind of pressure on the regime that will finally bring them to the negotiating table with some kind of realistic prospect for change," Clinton said. During the interview, Clinton described Syria as another one of those wicked problems which everybody is desperately trying to figure out how to stop the civil war, how to prevent Iran from increasing its influence, how to prevent Russia from having a real foothold in the Middle East, which is something that they are desperately seeking. "So now Turkey and what it's going to do is a big question mark, as well. So there's lots that this strike had really nothing to do with that are critical issues that still have to be addressed," she said. Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the nominees forwarded by the central bank and the securities and exchange commission to be part of a joint investigation team that will probe Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his sons' alleged corruption in the Panama Papers case. "We want honest and professional officials to be members of the JIT (joint investigation team)," Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who heads a three-member special bench that held its first hearing today to implement the court's decision to oversee the formation and functioning of the six-member JIT. Khan said the officials nominated by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Securities and Exchange Commission Pakistan (SECP) did not meet the court's criteria for a transparent investigation. The special bench, comprising Justice Khan, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, ordered the chiefs of SECP and SBP to appear in person on May 5 with a list of senior officers from which it can pick suitable officers. Sharif, 67, had got a temporary breather last month from the Supreme Court which said there was "insufficient evidence" to remove him from office but ordered setting up of a JIT to probe the graft allegations against his family. The high-profile graft case is about alleged money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as the Prime Minister to purchase assets in London. Information about the assets surfaced when Panama Papers last year showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. Prime Minister Sharif has denied any wrongdoing since the scandal first surfaced. Sochi: The leaders of Russia and Turkey on Wednesday publicly re-affirmed their commitment to working together to end the conflict in Syria, despite a gas attack on a Syrian city that tested their fragile alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, both subject to mounting criticism from Western governments over their rights records, have formed a pact on Syria despite backing rival sides in the civil conflict there. They met on Wednesday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, their first meeting since a deadly April 4 chemical attack on the Syrian city of Khan Sheikhoun. Erdogan at the time blamed the attack on Russia`s ally, the Syrian government, while Putin suggested the attack had been faked to discredit Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking to reporters after their talks, Putin and Erdogan said they were still focused on working together to end the conflict in Syria, which has turned the country into a breeding ground for violent Islamist militant groups. We stand by our Russian friends in the fight against terror, Erdogan said at a joint press conference, standing alongside Putin. Both leaders said they would maintain their support for a stop-start peace process, based in the Kazakh city of Astana, in which Moscow, Ankara and Tehran are co-sponsors. In the latest round of talks there, representatives of Syria`s armed opposition said they were suspending their participation. SAFE ZONES Erdogan and Putin also voiced support for a proposal, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, to create so-called safe zones in Syria to protect civilians from the fighting. "We all take the view that we need to... create mechanisms that would guarantee a cessation of bloodshed and create the conditions for the start of a political dialogue. In this respect our position and that of the Turkish president totally coincide," Putin said. On the gas attack, Putin and Erdogan did not mention previous differences over who was to blame. Instead, Erdogan said that he had reached agreement with Putin that whoever was responsible should be punished. Russia`s military intervention in support of Assad has kept the Syrian president in power, while Turkey backs the armed opposition groups who are trying to oust him. Turkey shot down a Russian air force jet in 2015 near the Turkish-Syrian border, creating a diplomatic crisis and prompting trade sanctions. Putin and Erdogan say they have put that crisis behind them. Some diplomats see the alliance between Erdogan and Putin as offering at least a chance of steering the warring sides in Syria towards talks after six years of fighting that has killed hundreds and thousands of people and displaced millions. Some of the trade restrictions introduced after the Russian jet was shot down are still in place, a lingering irritation in Russian-Turkish relations. After the talks in Sochi on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Turkey had agreed to lift restrictions on imports of Russian wheat within days. There was no immediate confirmation of this from Turkish officials. Turkey is the second largest Russian wheat importer after Egypt. For Turkey`s flour millers, Russian wheat is one of the most important sources of supply. Putin, at his joint news conference with Erdogan, said though that Russia would leave in place for now some of its restrictions on Turkey -- an embargo on tomato imports and curbs on entry visas for Turkish citizens. Putin said that Russia would resume buying Turkish tomatoes, but it needed time to make sure that Russian farmers who sank money into growing tomatoes at home did not lose out on their investment. Kuala Lumpur: Six Islamic State suspects have been arrested in Malaysia for involvement in terrorism related activities, police said on Wednesday. The four men and two women were arrested in a series of counter-terrorism operations in several Malaysian states between March 24 and April 25, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the police, one of the female suspects was detained by Turkish authorities in February when she was trying to enter Syria to join the IS. The other female was accused of promoting terrorism propaganda through the social media platform. Of the four males, two are accused of smuggling firearms from Thailand. The third one was arrested at the airport after he returned from Syria. The last man was accused of using Facebook to promote terrorism and plotting to attack a mosque in the northern state of Penang. The police were looking for another suspect, 27-year-old Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Bin Junaidi, who fled to Thailand with a pistol and two M4 carbine assault rifles. Islamabad: The Sri Lankan army chief on Wednesday met his Pakistani counterpart and thanked him for "incessant support" to the island nation's fight against terrorism. Chief of the Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen AWJC De Silva called upon the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army said. "The visiting General thanked Pakistan Army for incessant support to Sri Lankan's fight against terrorism," the army said in a statement. Pakistan was a key supplier of weapons and aircraft for Sri Lanka's military in its decades-long civil war against the LTTE that ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. Lt Gen De Silva "expressed full confidence in Pakistan?s ability to completely overcome the menace in near future," the statement said. The army chief appreciated Pakistan Army's achievements and contributions towards national and regional security. "Both sides reaffirmed their determination to work together for enhancing regional security and continuing existing military-to-military cooperation," the statement said. General Bajwa also thanked his Lankan counterpart for his visit and acknowledgement of Pakistan's active contribution in the fight against militancy. Earlier, the Sri Lankan army chief laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada (martyrs monument). Astana: The Syrian armed opposition said on Wednesday it had suspended its participation in peace talks being held in Kazakhstan and demanded an end to government bombing of areas under its control. A senior official from Kazakhstan`s Foreign Ministry, however, told reporters he expected Syrian opposition figures to return to the talks on Thursday. Another diplomat close to the talks also said the rebels were not walking out completely. "The delegation has suspended its participation after presenting a memorandum for a total commitment to stopping (government) bombardments," Ahmad Ramadan, a spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC), said. In the memorandum, the rebels demanded "clear implementation procedures" for matters such as enforcing a ceasefire, withdrawal of government forces from areas taken by them since Dec. 30 last year, and release of detainees. They also again insisted on President Bashar Assad`s departure and objected once again to Iran`s role in the process, describing it as an "aggressor state". Iran, along with Russia, are Assad`s main supporters against rebels trying to topple him. In a phone call on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to defuse tension arising from U.S. air strikes on Syrian government forces in April, expressing a wish for a ceasefire and safe zones for the civil war`s refugees. With a ceasefire ever elusive in Syria, the White House said Washington would send a representative to truce talks in the Kazakh capital Astana on Wednesday and Thursday. The State Department said acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones would attend as an observer. Aidarbek Tumatov, head of the Asia and Africa department at the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, told reporters the rebels had met the U.S. and U.N. delegations on Wednesday. "Tomorrow, I hope, the (Syrian) opposition will also take part (in the talks)." UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura also voiced hope that the rebels would return to the negotiation table. "I hope they will because what is important is also to look at the possibility of an outcome on de-escalation," his office quoted him as saying. "Every time every time we have been having a meeting or a discussion about cessation of hostilities or de-escalation in this case, there have been some incidents produced by one side or the other. The secret is to try to make sure that those incidents stop but also do not kill the opportunity for good news related to that." The talks in Astana are sponsored by Russia, Iran and Turkey, which - like the United States - backs the rebel side. Also on Wednesday, Putin met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and they reaffirmed their commitment to working together to end Syria`s war. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on the sidelines of the Sochi meeting that the sponsors of the Astana talks had already agreed three documents and were discussing a fourth. "On this de-conflicting issue we are having discussions in Astana (which are) very positive and I`m hopeful we will reach an understanding on this as well," he said. Russia`s lead negotiator in Astana, Alexander Lavrentyev, said he hoped the sides would sign a memorandum on safe zones on Thursday. He dismissed the rebels` ultimatum as a bid to put pressure on Moscow, Ankara and Tehran. "The Syrian opposition must participate in the talks," he said. "We hope common sense prevails." STEPANAKERT, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. On May 2 and overnight May 3 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime over 45 times by firing more than 640 shots from various caliber small arms at the Armenian positions in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, the Defense Ministry of Artsakh Republic told Armenpress. The Defense Army forces of Artsakh mainly refrained from taking countermeasures and continued confidently fulfilling their military tasks. Spokesman of the Defense Ministry of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan informed that the Azerbaijani forces also fired shots from small arms towards Armenias Tavush province. No casualties were reported. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. The French Academy of Sciences on May 2 called on to vote in favor of former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron in the second round of French presidential election, RIA Novosti reported. The Academy of Sciences would like to remind that it supports humanitarian values which are incompatible with the closure of borders, desire to be given to nationalism and quitting the European and international programs, the statement said. And among the two candidates Emmanuel Macron is capable of doing this. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. Various events and discussions are held worldwide on May 3 regarding the protection of freedom of the press, evaluating press freedom indicators in the world as well as honoring journalists and reporters who lost their lives while on-duty. The leading countries in terms of press freedom are Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Andorra and Finland. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. On May 4, in accordance with the agreement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, the OSCE Mission will conduct a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, in the direction of the Askeran region, south-east of Akna, press service of the Artskh MFA told Armenpress. From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring will be conducted by Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Mihail Olaru (Moldova) and Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain). From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring will be conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, his Field Assistant Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova), and staff member of his Office Martin Schuster (Germany). The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh have expressed their readiness to assist in conducting the monitoring and to ensure the security of the OSCE Mission members. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Sergey Avetisyan, head of the general department of civil aviation of Armenia, says he is hopeful Taron Avia, the Armenian airline which operates flights from Gyumri en route Russia, will find its place among both international and Armenian aviation markets. Avetisyan told a press conference on May 3 a positive progress is observed lately in terms of Armenian airlines. He reminded that Taron Avia has already started to operate flights from Gyumris Shirak airport to Russia. They currently operate flights in three destinations Krasnodar, Rostov on Don and Samara. This was one of the actions which proved that Shirak airport has big potential, Gyumri has big potential in terms of both tourism development and altogether. I believe the airline will find its place in our market and abroad, by bringing tourists to our country and namely to Gyumri, he said. He added discussions are currently underway with several Iranian airlines in terms of launching Tehran-Gyumri flights. Avetisyan says this will also positively impact both the aviation market and development of tourism. Only 8 out of 1106 licensed weapons submitted in Jhapa Out of 1,106 licensed weapons in possession of various people in Jhapa, only eight people have submitted the weapons to the police after district security committee in Jhapa. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Kati Piri, European Parliaments rapporteur on Turkey, said opening a new chapter on negotiations between the EU and Turkey is out of question. If Turkey is really interested in accession, it is necessary for Ankara to show it, Piri told Die Welt. She said the EU doesnt intend to be threatened by Turkey or any other country for membership. If they are willing to enter the EU, they are obliged to meet the criteria. However I absolutely dont see this in Turkey. Thats why it is necessary for the talks to be suspended, she said. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Archbishop Garegin Bekchian, the elected patriarchal locum tenens of Istanbuls Armenian Patriarchate, denied media rumors on his upcoming resignation, Istanbuls Zhamanak newspaper reported. Bekchian said I casually said I might refuse if needed, however there is no such thing. Speaking on Turkish President Erdogans April 24 address and the remark on the patriarchal election, Bekchian said: Its good that he released such an address. He had released it last year also. Regarding his reference to the patriarchal election, its good, lets see the result. The locum tenens said he will arrive to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin soon. It is probable that he will discuss the current situation with Catholicos Garegin II. After visiting Etchmiatsin, Bekchian will depart for Moscow to participate in the assembly of the Supreme Spiritual Council. Bekchian is a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council as Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Germany, however he will participate in the Moscow assembly as locum tenens of Istanbuls Patriarchate. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Robotics and programming are not only interesting to me, but those are applicable in all the areas of life, says Adam Adibekyan, a student of Armath engineering laboratory of secondary school after H. Barseghyan in a border Voskepar village of Tavush province, to the supporters of the project from Ucom and Union of the Information Technology Enterprises (UITE), Ucom told Armenpress. The children studying in a border Voskepar village of Tavush province and acquiring engineering and programming skills in this laboratory, are mainly 6th-7th grade pupils, who try to apply their knowledge of algebra, geometry and physics. These children try to perform the computer modelling, printing of different items, programme games, create animations. The lab has aroused great interest not only in boys, but in girls as well. In just one year that I attend this class I have learned to work with Scratch program and wrote a number of games, Irina Nasibyan, a student of the same laboratory, said. Its true that I want to become a doctor, but the knowledge Id take from here will come useful in the future. We basically program games and at the moment we got a competitive task to animate the Happy Hut by Ghazaros Aghayan, Tigran Aghbalyan, a student of the Armath engineering laboratory in Voskepar, said. Our company attaches great importance to the involvement of children from provinces and particularly from the border villages in the educational programs of Armath engineering laboratory. The scarcity of pupils here allows choosing the bests from the best and getting the result, which might be used in military industry, said Hayk Yesayan, Director General at Ucom, said. Let us note, that according to the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) and Ucom, the latter invests to open around 70 more engineering club-laboratories named Armath in 9 provinces of Armenia. Hayk Yesayan regularly visits the existing Armath labs, meets their students, gets acquainted with the their achievements and follows up the progress. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. A consultation was held in the Government led by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan during which the prospects of Armenias digital development strategy, as well as the upcoming measures and steps on this path were discussed, press service of the Government told Armenpress. It was reported that already a working group has been formed based on the statement adopted by the heads of EAEU states, and the results of its activity will be presented to the heads of EAEU governments on May 26. In this context, issues related to defining priorities over digitization in various spheres, formation of respective structures, institutions for the implementation of digital development strategy, EAEU digital agenda, goals, major directions and expected targeted figures until 2025 were discussed. This is very important, regardless of EAEU program, we will launch this step. For instance, we will solve a number of issues to increase the efficiency by digitizing the community budget, garbage collection, other services in the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development. The digitization will certainly result in additional businesses, increase of capabilities, the PM said, adding that each agency must know its digitization agenda. Taking into account Armenias digital development vision, National Management Board supporting the Digital Development will be established led by the PM. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Head of the General Department of Civil Aviation Sergey Avetisyan attaches importance to the launch of official talks between Armenia and the European Union over the creation of Common Aviation Area, reports Armenpress. In a meeting with reporters on May 3, Avetisyan recalled that the first round of talks launched on April 27. During this period we had very productive and dynamic talks with our EU partners. We have outlined the points where we have several issues which we and they need to clarify. We have outlined the upcoming steps. We have fixed that the second round of talks will be held in Brussels, based on the initial agreement, they will be held in mid-June, Avetisyan said. He stated that in case of continuing the works with the same pace, the talks will be completed sooner which will be followed by the signing of the agreement. The agreement is very important for Armenias civil aviation development since this was one of the necessary steps Armenia must have taken after transferring to Open Sky policy. In fact, by this agreement we liberalize the field with all EU member states. We add legal regulations in our legislation which will create a legal ground and base for airlines to feel safer and predictable here, Sergey Avetisyan said. He said Armenia has legal-contractual relations with several EU member states in aviation sphere, however, the contracts are not in accordance with the current requirements. By the Armenia-EU Common Aviation Area deal all these issues will be settled and Armenia will join the common aviation area big family which will provide wider opportunities to the Armenian and European airlines to further boost their activity. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of Russias President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched in Sochi, RIA Novosti reports. President Putin thanked Erdogan for arriving in Sochi. It is very good that we have a chance to meet at a working regime, to talk about key issues of bilateral mutual partnership, Putin said, adding that the meeting speaks about the fact that the relations of both countries acquire special status and are being restored in a full format. In his turn, the Turkish President said the joint steps of Moscow and Ankara can have an impact on the Middle East. We have a very serious work to do, a very great responsibility. And I am convinced that the steps we are taking will change the fate of the entire region, Erdogan said. Earlier it was reported the meeting will focus on discussing the political settlement of Syrian crisis. LONDONFT London, makers of the GVibe, have returned from ADC Expo in Shanghai and not only received rave reviews for the companys booth, but also found new distributors. The ADC Expo took place April 13-16, and FT London created a buzz with the European look of the stand, company officials reported. Additionally, the manufacturer created partnerships with Alma Trend Limited to handle distribution from Hong Kong, while Zetong (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. will handle distribution for Taiwan, China and Japan. The new distributors join Aistra, which handles FT London products in Lithuania. In other news, the GVibe recently earned a nomination at the Cannes Lions Awards, which celebrate creative work throughout the world. The GVibe Mini is nominated for Product Design. For more, visit GVibe.com. Gordon Polson, director of the Federation of Bakers, reviews the challenges bakers face when addressing the recently announced sugar reduction targets Government agency Public Health England has set specific targets to reduce the amount of sugar in certain food groups by 2020, and has challenged the baking industry to reduce the amount in morning goods to 10g per 100g. When reviewing the governments targets, it is important to highlight that the morning goods category encompasses a wide range of products, including but not limited to crumpets, pastries, bagels, English muffins, pancakes and croissants. Some already meet the governments guidelines. For example, crumpets contain as little as 2g or 3g of sugar per 100g. However, many products in the morning goods category differ vastly in terms of the total sugars and added sugars present, meaning a reduction across the board is challenging. An important point to note is that several products in the morning goods category contain fruit, such as tea cakes and fruited buns. Fruit contains naturally occurring sugar, which contributes to the total amount of sugar found in these products. The challenge is that the sugar in fruit cannot be reduced, so if the industry is looking at cutting back on sugar in products such as these, it will need to significantly decrease the sugar in the main body of the product. Furthermore, the substitution of sugar with sweeteners in baked goods is forbidden under European regulation, a fact that contributes to the difficulties faced by the morning goods category when addressing the governments new targets. When looking at the specifics, there is no one size fits all approach to ensuring the baking industry can meet the new guidelines by 2020. On a nationwide level, businesses and the government must work together to create open lines of communication and collaboration throughout this transitional period. As part of this, the Federation of Bakers is working to keep members informed of the changes through regular updates and education. This is key to keeping businesses aligned and on track. As 2020 approaches, the baking industry will be considering all possible options on how to contribute to the sugar reduction targets and will continue to evolve this conversation as the guidelines are progressed. Addressing the challenges faced by the morning goods category and identifying mutually beneficial solutions is a top priority moving forward. BAMAKO (Reuters) - At least eight Malian soldiers were killed on Tuesday in an ambush by suspected Islamist militants on a road in the country's central region, said an army spokesman. Militants have staged a series of attacks in Mali in recent months, despite a 2013 French-led operation to drive the groups out of northern cities they had seized. A suicide bombing at an army base in January killed at least 77 people. The army convoy was ambushed between the towns of Dogofri and Nampala. "The provisional toll is eight dead and some people wounded," said army spokesman Colonel Diaran Kone, holding unspecified Islamists responsible. Armed groups, some linked to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, have planted mines in northern and central Mali in pursuit of their campaign against the Malian government and its international allies. The government extended a state of emergency by six months this weekend. France said it killed more than 20 militants hiding in a forest near the border between Mali and Burkina Faso last weekend in an operation that involved both air and ground strikes. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's ambush. (Reporting by Adama Diarra; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; editing by John Stonestreet) Seeds of conflict There is a vast socio-economic disparity between communities and regions in Nepal. Province 2, which lies in the Madhes, and Karnali and Bheri zones are usually identified as being backward in terms of the economy and infrastructure. Police in Belize are now investigating the death of an Ontario mother of two and her boyfriend as a homicide after autopsy results Tuesday showed the pair had been strangled. The bodies of Francesca Matus, 52, and her American boyfriend Drew De Voursney, 36, were discovered around 7 p.m. ET. Monday in a sugar cane field in the village of Chan Chen, about six kilometres outside of Corozal, an officer at the Corozal Police Department said Tuesday. The pair were well known in the area. Matus travelled to the Central American country every winter and her family said she considered it a second home. News of Matus's death got to her family in Canada late Monday, a tragic end to nearly a week of wondering what could have happened to her and hoping she was alive. "Shocked sickened devastated are just a few words that come to mind," Ivana Pucci, Matus's cousin, said via Facebook Messenger when asked how the family is coping. "Francesca was an amazing human being, and it is a tremendous loss," she said. "We need answers." Matus and De Voursney hadn't been seen since April 25, when friends watched them leave a bar in Corozal, where Matus lived. The bodies were found in "advanced state of decomposition" and each had tape wrapped around their wrists, according to police. On Sunday, police found Matus's SUV abandoned in a sugar cane field outside of town. According to family, Matus was originally from Sault Ste. Marie and lived in Markham before moving recently to Keswick, Ont., north of Toronto. She worked as a property manager and was the mother of two adult sons. Described as a "snowbird," Matus spent winters in Belize and owned a beach property in Corozal. "She absolutely loved it," Pucci said. Matus was scheduled to fly to Canada last Wednesday, the day after she was last seen. Joe Milholen, a friend of Matus's in Belize, was supposed to drive her to the airport. "When I arrived there to pick her up, the gate was closed, and the car was gone," Milholen told CBC Toronto on Saturday. De Voursney was a former Marine from the Atlanta area, according U.S. media reports. An online fundraising campaign said he served in Iraq and later worked as a contractor in Afghanistan. A park bench sits burnt in a park in the Timberlea neighbourhood of Fort McMurray in June 2016. The charred wood is a familiar sight in the community as many trees were torched by the flames. Photo from CP. Its a day theyd rather not remember, but one they wont forget. On May 3, 2016, northern Alberta was ravaged by a massive wildfire that left a trail of destruction. Thousands were forced to flee Fort McMurray under a mandatory evacuation. Many left not knowing it would be the last time theyd ever see their homes. The community falls under the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo where Colleen Tatum serves as a councillor for Ward 1. She told Yahoo Canada News the anniversary will be sombre day of reflection as residents have mixed feelings. It was about 10 per cent of the population that lost their home and probably another 10 per cent that returned to severely damaged home situations, Tatum said. Its hard to get past it. Jane Stroud, a Ward 4 municipal councillor, admitted it will be a difficult day despite all of the significant progress made in the past year. There will be some emotional upheaval within in the day, Stroud told Yahoo Canada News. Some youth are still struggling with the aftermath of the fire. The Globe and Mail reported data collected from the Workers Compensation Board revealed claims for psychological injuries doubled in the Wood Buffalo region in May 2016 compared to the same month a year earlier. Even right now, theres a lot of people realizing its a year later and Im still looking up at the sky and feeling a quiver in my stomach, maybe I need to speak to somebody, and maybe they havent yet, Tatum said. You should go get help. You should go talk to somebody, the councillor added. Theres resources out there. Stroud acknowledged that in particular, the Canadian Red Cross has been very involved in the community. With more than 66,000 residents, the community known as Fort Mac is receiving assistance from multiple organizations, including the Canadian Red Cross. People are encouraged to go to these groups and organizations to chat with them and try to work through this situation, Stroud said. Story continues The Canadian Red Cross noted in a news release that it has collected $323 million to assist the affected area, spending and committing 75 per cent of the total funds to date. Nearly 65,000 families registered to receive support from the Red Cross, the agency revealed. More than 126,400 electronic fund transfers provided direct financial assistance to help residents pay for things like rent, mortgage, utilities, household goods, food, gas and clothing. And theres help for local shops, too. Stroud said 692 small businesses got financial support ranging from $5,683 to $7,916 and theres another phase of funding in the works. There is a struggle, Stroud admitted. Weve really tried to help. Hundreds attempting to rebuild Another challenge for the community is rebuilding the houses damaged or destroyed by the wildfire. Tatum said local perspectives vary depending on where people stand in their rebuilding journey. Some residents have seen their homes rebuilt while others are still trying to sort things out with their insurance company. But theres still signs of progress. Stroud confirmed 645 building permits have been approved for rebuilds while 424 foundations have been laid. Tatum added permits were being turned around quickly and adequately, and yet, hundreds are still out of their homes. This fire affected 10 per cent of the community. The other 90 per cent, theyre helping and encouraging their neighbours, Stroud told Yahoo Canada News. Were resilient enough to work through this situation and I believe we are doing our best to help those less fortunate. There have been roughly 2,600 applications for building permits, but even for the ones that have received approval, theres only so many trades people in northern Alberta to do these jobs. That really dictates how fast you can move forward, Tatum said. And there are lessons to be learned from the natural disaster. The community hopes to increase communication between different response groups across administrative levels to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. We were mainly reactive, Stroud admitted. Its just the way it was. But despite all the obstacles, the community is moving forward. After all, Fort Mac is inherently a community of boot-strapping people that rallies together during tough times, according to Tatum. Were a northern community so were used to having to rely on ourselves, were used to taking care of our neighbours to survive. Residents say they are incredibly thankful to the rest of Canada for the help and support they have received since the out-of-control blaze. They were very kind gestures and they gave a financial boost to our residents and our business, which continue to help them through this challenging year, Stroud told Yahoo Canada News. We can never say thank you enough to the response of the country, Tatum said. The vastness of that response was an amazing thing to be a recipient of, she added. The outpouring of love is something Ill never forget. Report Should 'Elites' be Allowed to Continue Ignoring Pell Students? All students stand a better chance of graduating at selective colleges, no matter their SAT score. Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce Should elite schools even the private ones be required to enroll a minimum number of Pell Grant recipients? That's the question posed in a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Pell grants are intended to help students with financial need attend college. The problem, according to "The 20% Solution: Selective Colleges Can Afford to Admit More Pell Grant Recipients," is that most recipients end up attending "open access" colleges, schools with low graduation rates compared to more selective institutions. Research by the center has found that the most elite United States institutions, about 500 in total, could enroll more low-income students without weakening their graduation rates or their budgets. The research specifically looked at 86,000 Pell Grant recipients who scored at or above the median scores on the SAT or ACT tests sought out by those elite schools. (The report said that 64,000 Pell students with SAT scores of 1120 or greater already attend selective colleges.) In elite institutions, Pell students graduate at almost the same rate as all students (78 percent compared to 82 percent). When Pell students attend open-access schools, the likelihood of graduation drops to 48 percent. The public institutions they attend are also more likely to be two-year community colleges than four-year universities. The "stratification of higher education" surfaces in that dichotomy as well, the report noted. While only 12 percent of students who start postsecondary education at a community college will receive a bachelors degree within six years, 57 percent of students who start at a four-year institution will earn a bachelors within six years. As the researchers proposed, if every one of the 346 colleges and universities where Pell students make up less than 20 percent of the student population were required to maintain a Pell enrollment at least that high, more than 72,000 Pell students could find themselves enrolled in schools where they were more likely to succeed. The selective colleges and universities with the lowest rates of Pell students are primarily private institutions, the report stated. Yet, the seven universities that would have to add the most students to reach the 20 percent Pell threshold are all public institutions, because they also have the largest enrollments. Pell grants average $3,724; the maximum is $5,815. That covers just a small portion of the cost of attending a selective school, the report pointed out, which means that selective schools would probably have to expand their financial aid budgets to make room for Pell students. Whereas public institutions might argue that budget cuts prevent them from doing so, the researchers wrote, the same arguments predicting dire financial outcomes from elite private schools "ring hollow." The study found that many selective colleges have large budget surpluses. Among the 69 most selective private colleges, for example, the average annual budget surplus was $139 million, and the median endowment was $1.2 billion. The march toward that 20 percent benchmark has already been blazed, the report asserted. A dozen elite "competitors," among them the University of California at Berkeley (where 31 percent of students are Pell recipients) and Columbia University (where 21 percent of the student body is made up of Pell students), have been able to maintain their standing while enrolling more than the threshold proposed by the center. Computer Science 4 out of 5 Companies Have Hired a Coding Bootcamp Graduate With tech skills in high-demand, coding bootcamps are doing pretty well, with Course Report estimating 18,000 graduates by the end of this year. These accelerated programs use a disruptive education model to quickly equip students with computer science (CS) skills and land jobs in the tech industry. As it turns out, four out of five companies will hire coding bootcamp graduates, according to Indeed. The job search platform recently surveyed more than 1,000 HR managers and technical recruiters at companies of all sizes in the United States, a blog post explained. Indeed found the number of job seekers with bootcamp experience in its resume database has doubled each year since 2010 (see above graph). Overall, perceptions of coding bootcamp graduates are mostly positive. About 51 percent of survey respondents think that coding bootcamps are a good way to bring diversity into the tech industry, while 50 percent say coding bootcamps efficiently retrain employees. Perhaps for these reasons, 42 percent of hiring managers and recruiters admitted they dont have a preference as to whether a job candidate graduated from a traditional academic institution or a bootcamp. More importantly, bootcamp graduates are held in high esteem, with 72 percent of employers answering that bootcamp grads are just as prepared and likely to be top-performers as candidates with computer science degrees. A small fraction (12 percent) said bootcamp grads are more prepared and likely to be high performers, while others (17 percent) said they are not as prepared or likely, the blog post said. Eighty percent of employers surveyed have actually hired someone who has completed a coding bootcamp for a tech role at their company. Almost all of the companies surveyed said they would hire a bootcamp graduate again. Still, 98 percent of employers would like to see more oversight a request that has prompted the Council on Integrity Reporting and others to begin to publish bootcamps student outcomes data. TUESDAY, May 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The ability to work may help predict a heart-failure patient's chances of survival, a preliminary study suggests. Researchers found that joblessness was tied to a 50 percent higher risk of death in younger patients with heart failure. "The ability to hold a job brings valuable information on well-being and performance status," said study lead author Dr. Rasmus Roerth. "And workforce exclusion has been associated with increased risk of depression, mental health problems and even suicide," added Roerth, a physician at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. "It could be highly valuable to assess employment status and actually think of workforce exclusion as a prognostic marker in line with suffering from serious chronic diseases," he said in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology. Moreover, learning why an individual patient is unemployed might lead to ideas on how it can be prevented -- for example, with more intensive rehabilitation, physical activity, psychological treatment or a different job, Roerth suggested. Heart failure describes a heart that can't keep up with the workload. As a result, the body's cells may not get the oxygen they need. About half of people who develop heart failure die within five years of diagnosis, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new study included more than 21,000 working-age (18 to 60 years old) adults in Denmark who were hospitalized for the first time with heart failure between 1997 and 2012. More than half (55 percent) were working at the time of their hospitalization. During an average follow-up of almost three years, 16 percent of employed and 31 percent of unemployed patients died, the researchers said. Meanwhile, 40 percent of employed and 42 percent of unemployed patients were rehospitalized for heart failure. After adjusting for age, sex, education level and other health problems, unemployed heart failure patients had a 50 percent higher risk of death during the study period. And they had a 12 percent higher risk of another hospitalization for heart failure than those with jobs, the findings showed. Also, unemployment was associated with a higher risk of death during the study than a history of diabetes or stroke, according to the researchers. However, the study only found an association between unemployment and raised risk of early death, not a causal relationship. Still, there are likely a number of reasons why unemployment is associated with heart failure patients' risk of death, Roerth said. "Employment status is more than just a physical measurement as it also has an influence on quality of life, and has been shown to be important for mental health and well-being," he noted. "Thus, both from a physical and psychological point of view, it makes sense to include employment status in the evaluation of young heart failure patients' prognosis." Getting these patients back to work might be beneficial, he added. The study results were presented Sunday at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Paris. Studies presented at meetings are usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. More information The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more on heart failure. Mexico City, May 2, 2017Despite federal government efforts to combat widespread violence that criminal gangs, corrupt officials, and cartels use to silence their critics, impunity in attacks on the press remains the norm in Mexico, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in a report released today. The report, No Excuse: Mexico must break cycle of impunity in journalists murders, finds that a lack of political will is allowing attacks against journalists to go unchecked. Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the press, with more than 50 cases of journalists and media workers killed or disappeared since 2010, according to CPJ data. Impunity in Mexico has more than doubled since the release of CPJs first impunity index in 2008 and when convictions do occur, they are often limited to the perpetrator and authorities fail to establish a motive. Though President Enrique Pena Nieto has condemned violence against journalists, failure to explicitly tie accountability to attacks on the press perpetuates a climate that leaves journalists open to attack, said CPJ program director and Americas senior program coordinator Carlos Lauria. Without strong political will from the federal government to combat inefficiencies in the judicial system and prioritize impunity in crimes against journalists, efforts to end the violence are doomed to fail. In its report, CPJ examines the cases of three journalists killed for their work, including two from Veracruz state, one of most lethal regions in the Western hemisphere for the press. Between 2010 and 2016, during former governor Javier Duarte de Ochoas administration, at least six journalists from Veracruz were murdered in direct retaliation for their work and three more went missing. CPJ is investigating the cases of at least 11 others to determine if they were killed for their journalism. The report also examines the effectiveness of mechanisms that Mexico implemented to try to combat violence against the press, including the special prosecutors office for crimes against freedom of expression (FEADLE), and a federal protection mechanism for journalists under threat. The report was produced by CPJs Americas program and includes a foreword by Adela Navarro Bello, who is general director of Mexican magazine Zeta and a member of CPJs Americas Advisory Group. CPJ will mark the launch of the report on World Press Freedom Day, tomorrow, with a panel to discuss its findings in Veracruz city. CPJ has also requested a meeting this week with President Pena Nieto; the presidents office has agreed and is trying to schedule the meeting. Note to Editors: No Excuse: Mexico must break cycle of impunity in journalists murders, is available in English and Spanish. For social media, CPJ suggests using the hashtag #PressFreedom. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bangkok, May 3, 2017Thailands ruling military junta banned a panel discussion event scheduled for today by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, marking the latest act of harassment against the club under military rule. The event, titled Memories of 1932the mystery of Thailands missing plaque, was cancelled after Bangkoks Lumpini police station sent a letter to the FCCT that said the event posed a threat to national security and could be used by unscrupulous individuals to stir up disorder, according to an FCCT statement on the cancellation. Police told the FCCT in a follow up phone call that the ban had been ordered by relevant officials. The FCCT statement said it understood the cancellation was ordered by the military National Council for Peace and Order and that we have no choice but to comply. The FCCT said it would instead stage a discussion to mark World Press Freedom day on the state of media freedom in Thailand, according to news reports. The banned event would have addressed potentially sensitive issues related to Thailands monarchy, a taboo topic under local laws. The missing plaque in question, which was recently replaced with another bearing a pro-monarchy message, commemorated the 1932 revolution that overthrew absolute monarchy and first established democratic rule. Thailands ruling junta claims it will soon restore democracy, yet it continues to ban and censor news-oriented public events, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative. We call on the regime to stop harassing the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand and allow it to resume its long-time role as an open and free forum for vital discussion and debate. Junta officials have banned at least three previous FCCT events since the military seized power in a May 2014 coup. In June 2015, the junta banned a FCCT event scheduled to discuss the countrys lse majeste law, which allows for 15-year prison terms for public criticism of the Thai royal family. At least one Thai journalist is currently imprisoned under the law, according to CPJ research. Plainclothes officials dispatched to monitor FCCT events often record the proceedings and take pictures of panelists and attending journalists, FCCT executive board members told CPJ. Officials previously threatened to deploy soldiers to seal off access to the FCCTs office in central Bangkok if banned events were held as scheduled, according to an FCCT statement. - Ghanaian actress Yvonne Okoro has opened up about her single life - She said men don't have the courage to ask her out because they assume they are not in her class Ghanaian actress Yvonne Okoro recently opened up about the pros and woes of the single life as an actress. Legit.ng gathered that she said this in an interview at the launch of Glam Africa Magazine in Accra. In her words: "Who wants to be with a timid man? The issue is men dont have balls to come forward to ask me out because they think I am already hooked or perhaps I am very high maintenance." READ ALSO: Pregnant and proud: Serena Williams flaunts her beautiful baby bump in public (photos) Also, I may still be single because most people think celebrities are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing partners but that is a very wrong perception." Actress Yvonne Okoro. A good number of celebrities are single because they are confused as to who to accept in their life. You see, you are not sure if the person is coming in because of your fame and money or the person wants to be with you because of real love." It is not about money but if a man is not brave enough to come forward then I do not think I want to be with such a person." READ ALSO: Kissing galore! These wedding photos from last weekend will make you hungry for love She hasn't yet found her Mr. Right but she remains hopeful. She said: "No I havent but I hope to meet him very soon." Watch the video of Nigerian celebrities talking to Legit.ng about the whistle blowing trend: Source: Legit.ng UML candidate commits suicide in Dhading A woman candidate, who filed her nomination for ward member in Dhunibesi VDC-3 of Dhading district under the woman Dalit quota, for the local level elections committed suicide on Tuesday. MINNEAPOLIS - A gene mutation may accelerate the loss of memory and thinking skills in people who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the May 3, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The gene mutation is called the BDNF Val66Met allele, or just the Met allele. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein produced by the gene of the same name. It is one of a group of proteins called neurotrophins that help nerve cells grow, specialize and survive. Alleles are parts of genes that work in pairs on the chromosomes to determine a person's traits. "We found that people with Alzheimer's risk who have this BDNF gene mutation called the Met allele may have a more rapid decline of memory and thinking skills," said study author Ozioma Okonkwo, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine in Madison, Wisc. "Because this gene can be detected before the symptoms of Alzheimer's start, and because this presymptomatic phase is thought to be a critical period for treatments that could delay or prevent the disease, it could be a great target for early treatments." For the study, researchers followed 1,023 people with an average age of 55 for up to 13 years who were at risk for Alzheimer's disease but at the start were still healthy. Participants gave blood samples which were tested for the Met allele gene mutation. Their memory and thinking skills were evaluated at the start of the study and at each study visit, up to five visits. Of that group, 140 were also tested with neuroimaging for beta-amyloid, a sticky protein that can build up into plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. A total of 32 percent of the participants had the Met allele. Researchers found that when compared to people without the gene mutation, those with the mutation lost memory and thinking skills more rapidly. On tests of verbal learning and memory, those with no gene mutation improved by 0.002 units per year, while the scores of people with the mutation declined by 0.021 units per year. The researchers also found that people with the gene mutation who also had more beta-amyloid had an even steeper rate of decline. "When there is no mutation, it is possible the BDNF gene and the protein it produces are better able to be protective, thereby preserving memory and thinking skills," Okonkwo said. "This is especially interesting because previous studies have shown that exercise can increase levels of BDNF. It is critical for future studies to further investigate the role that the BDNF gene and protein have in beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain." A major strength of the study is that it was one of the largest studies investigating this mutation. A limitation is that the study participants were predominantly white. Also, the number of people with beta-amyloid data was limited. ### The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Veterans Administration, Alzheimer's Association, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Helen Bader Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Extendicare Foundation and the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute Lou Holland Research Fund. To learn more about Alzheimer's and dementia, visit http://www.aan.com/patients. The American Academy of Neurology is the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with 32,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. In recent decades, trusted first aid resources have recommended stings from man o' war (Physalia species) be treated differently from other jellies. But when researchers at the University of Hawai'i - Manoa (UHM) dug into the scientific literature, they found scant evidence to support such individualized first aid. Adding to a recent push for evidence-based sting treatments, members of the Pacific Cnidaria Research Laboratory (PCRL) at UHM teamed up with colleagues in Ireland to investigate which commonly recommended first aid actions (such as rinsing with seawater) are the most effective for Physalia stings. Their results, published this week in the journal Toxins, defy the recent abandonment of historic advice, and suggest that man o' war stings are no different than other jellyfish stings; the best first aid is to rinse with vinegar to remove any residual stingers or bits of tentacle left on the skin and then immerse in 45C (113F) hot water or apply a hot pack for 45 minutes. Physalia (Physalia utriculus, also called bluebottles in the Pacific or Physalia physalis, Portuguese man o' war in the Atlantic) are among the most recognizable stinging jellies with their bright blue tentacles and colorful inflated floating sails. Strandings of bluebottles are common in Hawai'i as the onshore winds push thousands of these small, painful critters onto the beaches. Similar mass strandings are frequent with the Atlantic species too, and have been known to cause hundreds of stings in a single day on beaches from Florida to France. "Physalia are often listed as exceptions to any blanket first aid recommendations for jellyfish stings," said Christie Wilcox, lead author of the paper and postdoctoral fellow with PCRL at UHM. But such assertions aren't based in rigorous research, she said. "Without solid science to back up medical practices, we have ended up with conflicting official recommendations around the world, leading to confusion and, in many cases, practices that actually worsen stings or even cost lives," said Angel Yanagihara, senior author, head of the PCRL and assistant research professor at the UHM Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC) and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). A few years ago, Yanagihara set about to scrutinize jellyfish sting treatments properly, and designed a set of experimental assays that allow the researchers to quantify stinging and venom activity in real time. First tested with dangerous box jellyfish, these assays have allowed the PCRL team to determine which commonly recommended practices, such as applying heat, help mitigate box jelly stings, and which, such as applying urine or scraping away tentacles, only make box jelly stings worse. Applying these assays to man o' war stings was the obvious next step. So Yanagihara teamed up with Tom Doyle, a jellyfish scientist and lecturer with the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway. In 2008, Doyle set up the Jellyfish Advisory Group, a collection of medical practitioners and experts that helps advise Irish protocols for sting first-aid and treatment. Together, they proposed a project to the International Fulbright Specialist program and when Yanagihara was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Award, she went to NUI Galway to share newly developed assay techniqes with Doyle and his doctoral student, Jasmine Headlam. Headlam and Doyle performed experiments using the Atlantic man o' war in parallel with those conducted by Wilcox and Yanagihara in Hawai'i. The results from opposite sides of the world lined up beautifully: the venom delivered by a man o' war sting was lessened if the sting site was rinsed with vinegar, regardless of which species of Physalia was used. Even better, if you have it available, was Sting No More Spray, a combined stinging capsule and venom-inhibiting product developed by Yanagihara with Department of Defense funding. Seawater rinsing, on the other hand, spread stinging capsules over more area and thus made stings, much worse. To treat stings after rinsing away the tentacles, both groups found 45 minutes of 45C (113F) heat application effectively inactived already-injected venom, while the application of ice packs made stings worse. "Given that most recommendations expressly forbid the use of vinegar and recommend seawater rinses, these findings completely upend current protocols," said Yanagihara. "This is quite a U-turn for me," explained Doyle, as he helped write the current Irish protocols almost ten years ago, which unfortunately recommend the worst possible combination of steps: seawater rinsing followed by ice pack treatment. "In the coming weeks, I look forward to meeting with members of the Jellyfish Advisory Group to discuss our new findings and how we can revise the current protocols." Back in Hawai'i, Wilcox and Yanagihara have already started studying the next stinging jellies on their list. As they've examined two of the three main classes of dangerous stingers, they have their sights set on the last remaining class: true jellyfish (class Schyphozoa). Again collaborating with Headlam and Doyle, they are working on evidence-based first aid measures for lion's mane (Cyanea capillata), the one of largest jellyfish in the world. ### Sting No More Spray and Cream formulations (Alatalab Solutions, LLC) were developed under a Department of Defense grant that aimed to rapidly and effectively treat stings in US Special Operations Command combat divers. With the intention of supporting the development of technologies and therapies of benefit to people, the funding required a commercialization plan for resulting products. All testing of the new commercial product, in the current study was performed under an approved University of Hawai'i Conflict of Interest plan. This product demonstrates the strongly pro-innovation culture at UH dedicated to bringing to the public sector technologies that have been developed with federal and state research dollars. Scientists have recently found and re-described a monitor lizard species from the island of New Ireland in northern Papua New Guinea. It is the only large-growing animal endemic to the island that has survived until modern times. The lizard, Varanus douarrha, was already discovered in the early 19th century, but the type specimen never reached the museum where it was destined as it appears to have been lost in a shipwreck. The discovery is particularly interesting as most of the endemic species to New Ireland disappeared thousands of years ago as humans colonized the island. The monitor was discovered during fieldwork by Valter Weijola from the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku, Finland, who spent several months surveying the monitor lizards of the Bismarck Islands. It can grow to over 1.3 metres in length and, according to current information, it is the only surviving large species endemic to the island. Based on bone discoveries, scientists now know that at least a large rat species and several flightless birds have lived in the area. - In that way it can be considered a relic of the historically richer fauna that inhabited the Pacific islands. These medium-sized Pacific monitors are clearly much better at co-existing with humans than many of the birds and mammals have been, says Weijola. French Naturalist Discovered the Species in 1823 - Lost in Shipwreck Scientists have known for a long time that there are monitor lizards on the island but it has been unclear which species they belong to. French naturalist Rene Lesson discovered the monitor lizard when visiting the island with the La Coquille exploration ship in 1823, and later named the species Varanus douarrha which, according to Lesson, means monitor lizard in the local Siar-Lak language. However, it seems likely that Lesson's specimen was destroyed on the way to France as the ship that was carrying it shipwrecked at the Cape of Good Hope in 1824. Therefore, biologist never had a chance to study the so called holotype - or name-bearing specimen. - Since then, it has been believed that the monitor lizards on New Ireland belong to the common mangrove monitor (Varanus indicus) that occurs widely in northern Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands. However, new morphological and genetic studies confirmed that the monitor lizards of New Ireland have lived in isolation for a long time and developed into a separate species, says Weijola. The discovery was published in the Australian Journal of Zoology and where Varanus douarrha was re-described in detail, and given a new name bearing specimen. Another monitor lizard, Varanus semotus, was described from Mussau Island last year by the same team of scientists. - Together, these two species have doubled the number of monitor lizard species known to occur in the Bismarck Archipelago and proved that there are more endemic vertebrates on these islands than previously believed, says Weijola. Monitor lizards are important predators and altogether approximately 90 different species are known to live in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands. Most monitor lizards occur in Australia and on the Pacific islands where there are few mammalian predators. Despite their large size, many of the species are poorly known and new ones are regularly discovered. Most of them stay out of sight and inhabit remote areas which are difficult to access. ### The research was published in the Australian Journal of Zoology: http://www.publish.csiro.au/ZO/ZO16038 By Anya George Tharakan and Stephen Nellis (Reuters) - Apple Inc reported a surprise fall in iPhone sales for its second quarter on Tuesday, indicating that customers may have held back purchases in anticipation of the 10th-anniversary edition of the company's most important product later this year. Under pressure from shareholders to hand over more of its $250 billion-plus hoard of cash and investments, Apple boosted its capital return programme by $50 billion, increased its share repurchase authorization by $35 billion and raised its quarterly dividend by 10.5 percent. Investors were unmoved, sending shares of the world's most valuable listed company down 1.9 percent at $144.65 in after-hours trading. Apple sold 50.76 million iPhones in its fiscal second quarter ended April 1, down from 51.19 million a year earlier. Analysts on average had estimated iPhone sales of 52.27 million, according to financial data and analytics firm FactSet. Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri argued the decline was not as bad as it looked, given the peculiarities of how phone sales are calculated. The company reports what are called "sell-in" figures for the iPhone, a measure of how many units it sells to retailers, rather than "sell-through" figures, which measure how many phones are actually sold to consumers. Maestri said the company reduced the volume of inventory going through its retail channel by about 1.2 million units in the quarter, meaning the company sold about 52 million phones to customers on a sell-through basis. Despite the dip in unit sales, iPhone revenues rose 1.2 percent in the quarter, helped by a higher average selling price. 10TH ANNIVERSARY Expectations are building ahead of Apple's 10th-anniversary iPhone range this fall, with investors hoping that the launch would help bolster sales. Apple typically launches its new iPhones in September. A big jump in sales usually follows in the holiday quarter, before demand tapers over the next few quarters as customers hold back ahead of the next launch. Apple's 10th-anniversary iPhone range might sport features such as wireless charging, 3-D facial recognition and a curved display. "There is a general softening in phone demand to contend with as well as expectations of a big upgrade, all of which softens the blow of this quarter's miss," said James McQuivey, a Forrester Research analyst. "If we see Apple downplaying expectations before the next upgrade cycle, it might mean that the company isn't confident it will beat those expectations." The company forecast total revenue of between $43.5 billion and $45.5 billion for the current quarter, while analysts on average were expecting $45.60 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Analysts on average expect the company to sell 42.31 million iPhones in the current quarter, according to FactSet. For the second quarter, the company's net income rose to $11.03 billion, or $2.10 per share, compared with $10.52 billion, or $1.90 per share, a year earlier. Analysts on average had expected $2.02 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue rose 4.6 percent to $52.90 billion in the quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of $53.02 billion. A 17.5 percent jump in the company's services business - which includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud - to $7.04 billion, boosted revenue. "We are particularly encouraged by the fact that service revenue is nowhere near as cyclical as product revenue," Neil Saunders, Managing Director of GlobalData Retail, wrote in a note to clients. Apple's revenue from the Greater China region fell 14.1 percent to $10.73 billion in the quarter, as cheaper rivals in the region chipped away at sales. Maestri said that sales of Macs and the company's services were strong in China during the March quarter. The performance were seeing in China should get better going forward this year, he said. Apple's gross margin hit 38.9 percent, slightly ahead of analysts' average expectation of 38.7 percent, despite higher prices for memory chips. The company said it expects gross margins next quarter between 37.5 percent and 38.5 percent, versus analysts' expectation of 38.3 percent, according to FactSet. NAND and DRAM (memory chips) are under pressure right now in terms of some price pressure. We saw that in the March quarter and expect that to continue into the June quarter, but for all the other commodities, we see prices declining, Maestri said. (Reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Bill Rigby) CALI, COLOMBIA--(Marketwired - May 2, 2017) - New Colombia Resources, Inc. ("the Company") (OTC PINK: NEWC), a Colombian natural resource company listed in the U.S., with premium metallurgical coal and medical marijuana assets, is pleased to announce their medical marijuana joint venture, Sannabis SAS, the Town of Corinto-CAUCA, and the Cultivando Esperanza Foundation have organized the first medical, therapeutic, and industrial cannabis expo to be held in Central Park in the Town of Corinto May 25-27, 2017. The event is also supported by the Corinto Peace and Tourism Department promoting eco-tourism in this area of Colombia that was off limits and holds a treasure of unseen natural beauty. The Expo coincides with the town's 150-year anniversary. Corinto, in the north of the Cauca Department, is home to 50% of the marijuana grown in Colombia, an area known for the best medicinal strains of marijuana in the world. Several well-known European seed banks and others have come to Cauca looking for these strains. Recent articles in major international publications have sparked an interest in the area as a potential source for high volume, high quality medical and industrial marijuana products. Several international companies have set up shop in Corinto, an Israeli company announced they are building the World's Biggest Marijuana Extractor in Corinto and this NY Times article details another company's efforts in the area. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/world/americas/colombia-marijuana-farc-drugs-santos.html Sannabis was instrumental in organizing the mayors of the municipalities of Cauca to form one of the first medical marijuana co-op's in the World. This article writes of origins of the co-op, https://www.thenews.coop/107598/sector/health/colombias-first-medical-marijuana-co-ops-set-post-conflict-region/ Law 1787 politicized substituting illegal to legal crops, Sannabis believes instead of transforming illegal growers into legal growers, encourage existing law abiding farmers, faced with a choice to grow illegal crops, to grow cannabis legally through the existing judicial framework. Sannabis farmers in Cauca have never grown any illegal crops, entire families from children to grandparents are involved in the cultivation and are proud to provide medicine across the country, especially to sick children. Sannabis' proposal to the government of Colombia is its motto since 2014, "Uso Integral del Cannabis" (Integrated Use of Cannabis). This proposal is the only real and sustainable alternative to substitute illicit crops of marijuana and coca. Every part of this very sustainable plant can be used to create thousands of products. New Colombia Resources is consulting with Brite Lite Organics of Baltimore, Maryland, to potentially present at the EXPO. Brite Lite Organics specializes in closed loop agriculture which is sustainable, bountiful, and profitable. New Colombia is seeking Brite Lite's assistance in acquiring mobile hemp processing units and hemp based child nutritional supplements that are badly needed in some parts of Colombia. Brite Lite Organics works with state governments on implementing a sustainable hemp industry, and recently began a 600-acre hemp growing and processing project in Kentucky. "I'm delighted to work with a company from my hometown of Baltimore, that are experts in the field, in Colombia to assist us in establishing a state of the art hemp operation to be used as a model around the World. Just like we help children everyday with our pure cannabis extract, we aim to do the same with nutritional supplements for needy kids, especially the Wayuu Indians in the Guaira Department where cannabis had a long negative history but can flourish," stated John Campo, President of New Colombia Resources. Other attendees at the Expo include MamaCultiva, a group of mothers of epileptic children from Chile that helped change the marijuana laws in their country. They will be joined by Cultivando Esperanza, an organization supplied by Sannabis that donates cannabis extract to children and was the poster child for introducing Colombia's medical marijuana bill. "I'm proud to work with the town of Corinto and Sannabis to bring a new industry to the area that will provide quality affordable medicine all around the world to kids like my son Jacobo," stated Natalia Tangarife, Director of the Cultivando Esperanza Foundation. Sannabis, along with the Mayor's office, is working with the community establishing workshops to train workers in anticipation of the demand there will be for cannabis derived products, including building materials, oils, textiles, animal feed, medicines and many more. New Colombia Resources and Sannabis are forming partnerships to develop different sectors of the medical marijuana and industrial hemp industries to add as much value in Colombia as possible. They are building businesses that will effectively improve different regions of Colombia, from Cauca to the Atlantic Coast. The Mayor of Corinto, Mr. Edward Garcia, is promoting medical marijuana as a way to create jobs and eco-tourism in Corinto, once a hotbed for illegal activity, now a mecca for forward thinking progress. To view or purchase Sannabis products visit, www.sannabis.co. To view a nationally televised documentary about medical marijuana in Colombia featuring Sannabis growers, patients, and management visit the first video on http://www.sannabis.co/video. This documentary interviewed Sannabis patients and their loved ones around the country using Sannabis products. Follow Sannabis on Facebook for photos and testimonials at https://www.facebook.com/sannabis.cannamedicinal New Colombia Resources, Inc. New Colombia Resources, Inc. owns vast reserves of premium metallurgical coal mining titles and a medical marijuana joint venture in the Republic of Colombia. They are setting up a rock mining operation to supply the major road and infrastructure projects within miles of their properties. They own 100% of La Tabaquera metallurgical coal mine in Colombia with an estimated 15- 17 million tonnes of reserves. They have an additional 1196 ha. metallurgical coal mining title that they are negotiating to develop with a foreign entity to build a coal fired power plant. New Colombia Resources holds a significant position in Sannabis SAS which legally produces medical marijuana products in the Republic of Colombia, visit www.sannabis.co. For more information on the Company visit www.newcolombiaresources.com Forward Looking Statements Forward Looking Statements; This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing works such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements might not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include financing, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations. New Colombia Resources, Inc. does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange makes a speech from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy, in central London, Britain February 5, 2016. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/Files Republican Sen. Ben Sasse asked FBI Director James Comey during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday why Americans should not treat the self-described transparency organization Wikileaks as a legitimate news organization. Comey replied that, while "all of us care deeply about the First Amendment," publishing sensitive or classified information "crosses a line when it moves from being about trying to educate the public, to intelligence porn that's just about pushing out information about sources and methods" and is designed to harm the US. "Reasonable people can struggle to draw a line" between Wikileaks and real journalism, "but there's nothing that even smells journalistic" about Wikileaks' conduct, Comey added. Sasse then asked what the difference is between Wikileaks publishing classified information and investigative journalists who seek out sources in the intelligence community to give them that same information. "A huge portion of Wikileaks has nothing to do wih legitimate newsgathering and is simply about releasing classified information to damage the United States," Comey said. "American journalists do not do that." Comey explained that when journalists come across classified or sensitive information, they almost always call the FBI and ask if there is anything about the data that could put American lives in danger. "They then work with us to try to balance their journalistic" duties while at the same time ensuring that no lives "are put at risk," Comey said. Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange, has long been a thorn in the side of the US intelligence community. The organization's ties to Russia Assange once had his own show on the state-owned news agency Russia Today came under renewed scrutiny last summer when it began releasing hacked emails from Democratic organizations that had been stolen by Russian hackers. Story continues The organization recently leaked a trove of CIA hacking tools, prompting CIA director Mike Pompeo, who was once a defender of the organization, to describe it as a "hostile intelligence service" in his first speech as CIA director last month. He added that Assange was a "narcissist" and "a fraud a coward hiding behind a screen." NOW WATCH: A Yale history professor explains how governments can use disasters and tragedies to control society More From Business Insider Mark Green After facing severe backlash for his controversial comments about LGBTQ rights and Islam, President Donald Trump's second pick for Secretary of the Army could be withdrawing as soon as this week. Though a final decision has yet to be made, CNN reports that Mark Green might be unlikely to proceed due to "questions whether he has enough support from either side of the aisle," according to three sources cited by the network. Green's adviser's rejected the rumors, saying that they were "completely, absolutely untrue," according to CNN's report, and he was preparing for his confirmation in Washington later this week. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. The former Tennessee state senator and former US Army flight surgeon faced immense pressure in recent days, after his comments on religion and LGBTQ rights surfaced online. According to CNN, Green is also a self-identified creationist who lectured against the theory of evolution. "When you start teaching [students] the pillars of Islam and you start teaching how to pray as a Muslim, that is over the top and we will not tolerate that in this state," Green reportedly said at a Tea Party meeting. "If you poll the psychiatrists, they're going to tell you that transgender is a disease," Green was also alleged to have said in September. Taking to Facebook last week, Green rejected the criticism, claiming that the "liberal left has cut and spliced my words about terrorism and ISIS, blatantly falsifying what I've said," CNN reported. However, the damage to Green's credibility may have already been done, as support for his nomination has waned on both sides of Congress. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that he wasn't sure whether he would support Green. "I don't know. He's denied some of these comments," said Graham to CNN on Tuesday. "He's a military officer, he's a doctor who was involved in the raid to capture Saddam Hussein, so he has a fine military record ... I want to make sure he's the right man to lead the Army." Story continues Another source told CNN that Green's political leanings were "good for the state Senate in Tennessee, not so much to follow a gay Secretary of the Army that Obama appointed." Eric Fanning, President Barack Obama's former Army Secretary, was the first openly gay person in that position. Green's rumored departure would make him the second Army secretary nominee to withdraw from the highest-ranking civilian position in the Army. Former Army Ranger and billionaire trader Vincent Viola withdrew in February, citing conflict of interest concerns. NOW WATCH: A Navy SEAL commander explains how he learned to never give up More From Business Insider Withdraw impeachment motion against Karki: ICJ The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has called on the Government of Nepal and ruling parties to withdraw the impeachment motion filed against Chief Justice Sushila Karki to ensure judicial independence and appropriate separation of powers. LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) - Italian oil company ENI said on Tuesday it had clinched a 15-year, 11 million-tonne liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal to supply state-run importer Pakistan LNG, ending months of wrangling over the cost of the supplies. The announcement of the deal has been delayed since January when Eni emerged as the clear winner of a tendering to Pakistan LNG to secure vital supplies for the country's gas-starved domestic market. At issue was trading house Gunvor's deal to supply Pakistan with LNG for five years, in a separate but parallel tender, at a price significantly below that which Eni submitted in its 15-year offer. While Pakistan swiftly approved Gunvor's deal, officials there started negotiations aimed at persuading Eni to more closely align its prices with that of Gunvor, a Pakistani energy official and industry sources told Reuters. The outcome of the negotiation resulted in Eni lowering its price, industry sources said. Eni was not immediately available to comment. Multi-year LNG tender deals tend to be linked to Brent crude oil prices, expressed as a percentage. Gunvor's winning bid for the five-year supply tranche came in at 11.6247 percent, and Eni's winning bid for the 15-year tranche was 12.29 percent, according to a tender document seen by Reuters. Eni will source most of the LNG for Pakistan from Indonesia, it said. Indonesia's Bontang export facility will soon be fed by the Jangkrik gas field which the Italian group expects to bring on stream in a few months, it said. "Eni will supply to the state company Pakistan LNG a cargo per month during the next 15 years, for a total of 180 cargoes, corresponding to 11 million tonnes of LNG," it said. Eni believes new LNG production will be required early in the next decade and has committed to developing its own LNG business in areas like Indonesia and Mozambique. Last year it agreed to sell to BP its entire output from the Coral floating LNG production plant in Mozambique for a period of 20 years. In March it sold a 25 percent stake in its giant Mozambique gas development, known as Area 4, to Exxon for $2.8 billion, a key step towards developing multiple LNG export facilities in the country. (Rreporting by Oleg Vukmanovic in London, Stephen Jewkes in Milan, Jorgic Drazen in Islamabad; Editing by Greg Mahlich) There's no love lost between James Comey and Julian Assange. FBI Director Comey did not mince his words regarding leaking site WikiLeaks and its founder, Assange, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. He slammed the website as "intelligence porn" when questioned about his take on it by Senator Ben Sasse from Nebraska. "It crosses a line when it moves from being about trying to educate a public, and instead just becomes about intelligence porn, frankly, just pushing out just information ... without regard to the First Amendment values that normally underly press reporting," he said. He said WikiLeaks had simply become a "conduit for the Russian intelligence services" to push out information to damage the United States, adding that there's nothing that even "smells journalist" about what WikiLeaks does. Comey declined to comment on whether Assange would be charged for his role in WikiLeaks or any Department of Justice cases against him. "He hasn't been apprehended because he's inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London," he said. WikiLeaks responded to Comey's testimony on Twitter. James Comey to Senate just now: WikiLeaks publishes "intelligence porn" and "doesn't call us" Get it while its hot: https://t.co/6Oj6mC2V5l WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 3, 2017 Comey discussed a range of issues in an oversight hearing on Wednesday, including his late-October decision to notify Congress of new Hillary Clinton emails, an ongoing investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia and leaks coming out of the FBI. The FBI director also weighed in on why Russia and President Vladimir Putin meddled in the election in favor of Donald Trump. "[Trump] wasn't Hillary Clinton, who Putin hated and wanted to harm in any possible way," he said. "Putin believed he would be more able to make deals, reach agreements, with someone with a business background." Comey declined to comment on whether the FBI was looking into Trump's business ties in Russia. Jim Cramer has an investment club. Learn more and get a free trial subscription to Action Alerts Plus. EXCLUSIVE OFFER: See inside Jim Cramers multi-million dollar charitable trust portfolio to see the stocks he thinks could be potentially HUGE winners. Click here to see his holdings for FREE. For investors looking for momentum, iShares MSCI Finland Capped ETF EFNL is probably on your radar now. The fund just hit a 52-week high. Shares of EFNL are up roughly 31.5% from their 52-week low price of $28.71/share. But could more gains be ahead for this ETF? Lets take a quick look at the fund and the near-term outlook to get a better idea on where it might be headed: EFNL in Focus EFNL focuses on providing exposure to the equities in Finland. It charges 53 basis points in fees per year. From a sector look, it has high exposure to Industrials, Information Technology, and Materials, with 24.31%, 19.5%, and 17.97% allocation, respectively (as of April 28, 2017). It has top holdings in Nokia, Sampo, and Kone with 18.37%, 11.39%, and 7.83% allocation, respectively (as of April 28, 2017) (see all European Equity ETFs here). The fund has AUM of $33.82 million and trades in average volumes of 20,200 shares. Why the Move? The move can mainly be attributed to Finlands improving trade with Russia. Russia is one of the major trade partners of Finland, which was hit hard by the sanctions imposed on Russia by nations in the west. However, that seems to be relaxing. Moreover, Russias economy grew 0.3% in the last quarter of 2016, following several periods of negative growth. Therefore, investors are confident and are looking at this region as a potential investment. More Gains Ahead? Currently, EFNL has a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold) with a Medium risk outlook. So it is hard to get a handle on its future returns one way or another. Though it has a high 14-day volatility of 16.89%, the fund has an impressive weighted alpha of 22.30. So, there is definitely some promise for those who want to ride this surging ETF a little further. Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox? Zacks free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week. Get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ISHARS-MS FNLND (EFNL): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Solar Inc. FSLR reported first-quarter 2017 earnings of 25 cents a share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at a loss of 13 cents. The reported number declined 84.9% from the prior-year figure of $1.66. Revenues First Solars revenues of $891.8 million in the quarter surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $699 million by 27.6%. Revenues also grew 1.8% from the year-ago figure of $876.1 million, primarily attributable to the sale of the Moapa project, partially offset by lower third-party module sales. Operational Highlights Gross profit in the reported quarter was $84.2 million, down from $277.6 million a year ago. Total operating expenses contracted 5.6% to $92.2 million due to lower research and development and selling, general and administrative expenses. Operating loss during the quarter was $8 million, in contrast to income of $179.9 million in the year-ago quarter. First Solar, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise First Solar, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | First Solar, Inc. Quote Financial Performance First Solar had $1,656.2 million of cash and cash equivalents as of Mar 31, 2017, up from $1,347.2 million at 2016-end. Long-term debt was $265.8 million at the end of the first quarter, compared with $160.4 million as of Dec 31, 2016. 2017 Guidance First Solar raised its revenue guidance to the band of $2.85$2.95 billion from $$2.8$2.9 billion. It has also lifted the gross margin guidance to 12.514.5% (1113% guided earlier). The company reiterated the operating income guidance in the range of $40$80 million. Meanwhile, the company raised its operating cash flow guidance to $350$450 million, compared with $250$350 million predicted earlier. The company reaffirmed its panel shipment projection at the 2.42.6 gigawatts (GW) band. Full-year earnings are now expected in the range of 2575 cents per share, compared with the prior guidance of a breakeven to 50 cents. Quarterly Results at 8point3 Energy 8point3 Energy Partners LP CAFD, a limited partnership formed by First Solar and SunPower Corp. SPWR, reported earnings of 3 cents per share in first-quarter fiscal 2017 (ended Feb 28). The Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at a loss of 18 cents. Earnings declined 88.9% from 27 cents in the year-ago quarter. An Upcoming Peer Release Canadian Solar, Inc. CSIQ is expected to release first-quarter 2017 results on May 10. The company carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Zacks Rank First Solar presently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars? Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge. With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research. It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Solar, Inc. (FSLR): Free Stock Analysis Report SunPower Corporation (SPWR): Free Stock Analysis Report Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ): Free Stock Analysis Report 8point3 Energy Partners LP (CAFD): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Woman inmate dies during treatment A woman inmate, who was doing her time on kidnapping charge at the District Jail in Jhapa, died while undergoing treatment at the Biratnagar-based Nobel Hospital on Tuesday night. Kim Jong-un A longtime observer of the Korean conflict told Business Insider in a recent interview that there was only one logical conclusion for President Donald Trump and his administration's "tough talk" on North Korea: come up with a plan to get Kim Jong Un and his family out of power. Allen Raymond, a GOP operative whose family was a part of founding Yonsei University in South Korea, one of the preeminent universities in the nation, outlined the framework of such a plan. Raymond, who has kept lifelong connections to the peninsula, offered up a suggestion from his great uncle, a Korean War veteran who was born and raised in the peninsula. "What you need to do ultimately to solve the Korean Peninsula problem in the DPRK is you need to say to the DPRK's leadership: 'All of you guys can have a big sum of money, whatever that is. We're going to buy you off,'" he said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "'You can go to the Philippines. You can go to Malaysia. You can go to Monaco. You can go to Switzerland. You can go anywhere in the world you want to go. But you've got to leave North Korea. And before you go, you've got to give us Kim Jong Un.' Before you do that, you have to say you've preloaded the nuclear arsenal to [cover] every square inch of North Korea. "I mean, if you're going to go down the path of tough talking, that's the toughest talk there is," he continued. "That's eventually where you have to go. Talking tough, and strictly talking tough in terms of a military action, that's what they hear. So you may as well say it." As tensions remain high between the US and North Korea, the Trump administration and the president himself has pushed several messages. Within the past few days, Trump has said he "will not be happy" if North Korea conducted a nuclear test, demurring at whether that meant he would take military action. But he also said he would be "honored" to meet Kim "under the right circumstances." Story continues While the administration has sought to tighten sanctions on North Korea, Trump has turned to China to influence the North in ending its weapons programs. On Twitter, Trump has said he has "great confidence China will properly deal with North Korea" and that "if not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A." donald trump Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, a 2016 Republican presidential contender, has expressed similar sentiments as Raymond, saying last week that the "best way to solve this problem is to eradicate the leadership." "How do you deal with this?" he said. "I think there might be a way, and that has to do with taking out the North Korean leadership. "The North Korean top leadership has to go, and there are ways in which that can be achieved," Kasich said. "But you have to have very good intelligence. You have to have an ability to do things very quickly. And, you know, I think that is not beyond our capability to achieve that." Asked on Tuesday about the tensions with North Korea, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, said "negotiations are critical" with North Korea, "but they have to be part of a broader strategy, not just thrown off on a tweet some morning that, 'Hey, let's get together, you know, see if we can't get along and maybe we can, you know, come up with some sort of idea.' That doesn't work." For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. Raymond said he believed the Trump administration was doing "a pretty good job" so far with its policy toward North Korea, citing the increased focus on sanctions as a positive development. "They're looking into real sanctions, and, more specifically, Chinese banks that do business with North Korea," he said. "That's real stuff. And that's stuff that we've been reluctant to do in the past." But he said the Trump administration was simultaneously doing something that played directly into North Korea's hand. The "tougher talk," Raymond said, serves to "scare" the South Korean populace. If there weren't a level of trust between both heads of government, South Korea could align more closely with China out of fear of a large-scale conflict, he said. South Korea's presidential election is next week, and the front-runner is liberal candidate Moon Jae-in. Moon recently said he believed Trump was "more reasonable than he is generally perceived." "President Trump uses strong rhetoric toward North Korea, but during the election campaign, he also said he could talk over a burger with Kim Jong Un," he said. "I am for that kind of pragmatic approach to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue." Others don't see it the same way. A recent headline on a major South Korean daily newspaper read: "Trump's mouth rattling Korea-US alliance." While sending mixed messages about Kim, Trump slammed the US-Korean trade deal, known as KORUS, calling it an "unacceptable" and "horrible deal made by Hillary" Clinton. "It's a horrible deal, and we are going to renegotiate that deal or terminate it," he said. The president also said after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago last month that "Korea actually used to be a part of China," which has offended many Koreans. "That's like saying Poland used to be a part of Germany," Raymond said, adding that the comments played directly "into China's hand." And on the "tough talking" from the administration, Raymond said the White House must zero in on the financial sanctions it has started to ratchet up, in addition to the Kim regime's human-rights violations. "You've got to charge Kim Jong Un over in The Hague," Raymond said, referring to the Netherlands city with the UN's International Court of Justice headquarters. "Say, 'We need to bring him to trial.' That's the kind of thing you need to do to dislodge this regime. Tougher sanctions and taking the steps to charge Kim Jong Un in The Hague for atrocities that sends a real message that the US is serious." NOW WATCH: 'Just a loose hunch': Watch Alec Baldwin impersonate Trump and Bill O'Reilly on 'SNL' More From Business Insider TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - April 18, 2017) - MaRS Innovation (MI) and its South Korean partner, Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), continue to build on the five-year global partnership agreement signed in December 2016 during Premier Wynne's mission to the Republic of Korea. Together with Minister Moridi, Ontario Minister of Research, Innovation and Science, Rafi Hofstein, CEO of MI, is in Seoul to further the joint research initiatives first envisaged last year. Five outstanding Ontario scientists from some of MI's Member institutions are accompanying MI and have held initial discussions with their Korean counterparts in the following fields: Dr. Kullervo Hynynen, of Sunnybrook Research Institute (represented by Dr. Seung Hee Han University Health Network); and Dr. Yoon Ha of Severance Hospital: development of new therapies for use of stem cells and ultrasound for neurological and cancer surgery. Dr. Vanessa Mendes, University of Toronto, and Dr. Hae-Ryong Song of Guro Hospital: development of novel therapies for tissue regeneration and joint repair Dr. Hoon-Ki Sung of The Hospital for Sick Children, and Dr. Hyn Goo Woo of Ajou University Medical Center: therapeutic stem cell therapies for cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease Dr. Molly Shoichet (represented by Dr. Michael Cooke, University of Toronto); and Dr. Inbo Han, Cha University: development of injectable biomaterials to improve stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury and degenerative spinal diseases Dr. William Tan, Sunnybrook Research Institute and founding scientist of Wavecheck, and Dr. Kyong Hwa Park of Korea University College of Medicine: ultrasound imaging for cancer therapy and monitoring chemotherapy response in breast cancer These scientific collaborations aim to commercialize their joint research findings, building on the five-year global partnership agreement signed by MI and KHIDI in late 2016. Under the bilateral agreement, KHIDI and MI aim to commercialize the latest advances in biomedical and healthcare innovations and generate new startups, promoting the co-development and commercialization of medical technologies and therapeutics between Ontario and South Korea in concert with industry and government. "KHIDI is pleased to announce the first collaborations between its member researchers and their Canadian partners. A tremendous amount of progress has been made between KHIDI and MI since we established the relationship less than a year ago, and we look forward to further collaboration with MI and their outstanding scientific member institutions. I am confident that, through the partnership with MI, we will bring the most promising research to the marketplace, with benefit to both countries as well as to the health of the world's population," says Dr. Eom Boyong, Executive Director of KHIDI. "I am thrilled my colleagues from MaRS Innovation are able to join me on this important mission to the Republic of Korea. I am confident the partnership agreements announced between MaRS Innovation and KHIDI will bring breakthrough research and collaboration efforts to both of our jurisdictions. I would like to congratulate both organizations on this important milestone," says Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. "KHIDI's initiative to establish a new Seoul-based commercialization structure modelled on MaRS innovation is yet another strong indication that the commercialization model developed in Ontario through Federal and Provincial funding, and with a strong base of stellar Member institutions, is now an internationally recognized transformational approach. MaRS Innovation is thrilled to be the lead partner with KHIDI of this new bi-national program. The exchange of exciting and ground-breaking research, which has started now with the current Ontario delegation, will certainly contribute significantly to healthcare everywhere and to the economies of Ontario and The Republic of Korea," says Dr. Rafi Hofstein, President and CEO of MaRS Innovation. About MaRS Innovation MaRS Innovation is the commercialization agent for 15 of Ontario's leading academic institutions including the University of Toronto and its affiliated research hospitals, York University, and Ryerson University. Supported by the Government of Canada through the Networks of Centres of Excellence, by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Centres of Excellence, and by its members, MaRS Innovation is a transformational partnership that turns research strengths into commercial opportunities through industry partnerships, licensing and company creation. MaRS Innovation represents over $1.47 billion of R&D funding annually, a portfolio of 60 companies, $160M in outside risk capital, and is credited with creating over 400 jobs. www.marsinnovation.com About KHIDI The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) is Korea's only public organization set up in 1999 with sights on promoting and developing the health industry in South Korea, while promoting national healthcare services. Since its establishment, KHIDI has played a major role in the development of the nation's health industry. Apart from its primary function in Health Technology R&D, KHIDI has also taken the initiative in increasing competitiveness in different areas of the health industry, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food and beauty & cosmetics. https://www.khidi.or.kr/eps Consider what Mark Twain once said about Mauritius, an idyllic archipelago in the Indian Ocean about 1,200 miles east of southern Africa: Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius. Here's the take by Nigel Green, founder and CEO of the deVere Group, one of the largest international financial services organizations in the world. Mauritius, with its financially competitive environment, its infrastructure, and its governments agility and pro-business approach based on good governance and compliance procedures, is already ahead of the curve as a world-class business destination. Now the twain have met. DeVere announced on Wednesday that it has received an investment banking license from the Financial Services Commission of the Republic of Mauritius and expects more firms to follow suit. Moving To Mauritius French- and English-speaking Mauritius where 90 percent of the nearly 1.3 million people speak an indigenous Creole is known for its fantastic beaches, lagoons, reefs, mountain rainforests and wildlife found nowhere else on earth. Many are endangered and many have been lost. Its inhabitants once included the legendary Dodo, which evolved into a flightless bird after settling in Mauritius four million years ago. It went extinct in the 17th century. According to Green, Mauritius now is destined to become the Southern Hemispheres leading international financial center within the next decade, poaching business from other financial capitals in the southern hemisphere. Look Out Sydney He said, The southern hemispheres international financial centers such as Sydney, Sao Paulo and Johannesburg, will be needing to up their game in order to compete with Mauritius as global financial hubs and to attract international financial services firms. Green said his company spent months scouting locations from which to launch its investment banking division. If our research reports these findings about Mauritius, it can be reasonably assumed that our global financial brands will also be coming to the same conclusions, he said. Story continues Multiethnic Mauritius is roughly the size of Luxembourg and the only African nation where the largest religion is Hindu. It was a Dutch, then French, then British colony before winning independence in 1968. Related Links: Which Money Transfer Service Is Right For You? Why Disney's Shanghai Success Supports Theme Park Thesis For The House Of Mouse See more from Benzinga 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. OSLO, May 2 (Reuters) - Norway's $935 billion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, has not found suitable real estate projects in Tokyo and Singapore, despite long-standing plans to invest in the two Asian capitals, the fund's chief executive said on Tuesday. "We do not see attractive property projects in Singapore and Tokyo today," Yngve Slyngstad said during a hearing in the Norwegian parliament's finance committee. In recent years the fund has bought billions of dollars worth of real estate in European and U.S. cities, including London, Paris and New York. (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Terje Solsvik) By Alex Lawler and Rania El Gamal LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) - OPEC oil output fell for a fourth straight month in April, a Reuters survey found on Tuesday, as top exporter Saudi Arabia kept production below its target while maintenance and unrest cut production in exempt nations Nigeria and Libya. But more oil from Angola and higher UAE output than originally thought helped OPEC compliance with its production-cutting deal slip to 90 percent from a revised 92 percent in March, according to Reuters surveys. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pledged to reduce output by about 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) for six months from Jan. 1 - the first supply cut deal since 2008. Non-OPEC producers are cutting about half as much. OPEC wants to get rid of excess supply that is keeping oil (LCOc1) below $52 a barrel, half the level of mid-2014. With the oversupply proving hard to shift, OPEC is expected to prolong the agreement. Compliance of 90 percent is still higher than OPEC achieved in its last cut in 2009, Reuters surveys show. Analysts including those at the International Energy Agency have put adherence in 2017 even higher, with the IEA calling it a record. April's biggest production gain came from Angola, which scheduled higher exports and where output started at the East Pole field in February. The increase brought Angolan compliance down to 91 percent, from above 100 earlier in the year. Other, small increases came from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the survey found, although their compliance was the second-highest and highest respectively in OPEC. Even with April's increase, the total curb achieved by OPEC's top producer Saudi Arabia is 574,000 bpd, well above the target cut of 486,000 bpd. Iran's production rose slightly. Tehran was allowed a small increase in output under the OPEC agreement. These increases offset lower supply in Iraq, which exported less crude from its southern terminals - and Venezuela, where exports also fell month-on-month, according to tanker data and shipping sources. Story continues Output in the United Arab Emirates fell, but production in March was higher than originally thought. The UAE, which has been focusing on expanding oil capacity in recent years, has been slower than other Gulf members to trim supply. The UAE says it is complying 100 percent. It has blamed suggestions that it is failing to do so on discrepancies between its own production figures and those estimated by the secondary sources that OPEC uses to track compliance. Lower output in Nigeria and Libya, which are exempt from the curbs, helped bring down overall OPEC production. Maintenance continued at Nigeria's Bonga field for part of the month and loading delays affected the country's biggest export stream, Qua Iboe. In Libya, output fell as protests blocking a pipeline prompted the shutdown of the Sharara field. Output there resumed in late April, suggesting May could see higher production if no further unrest emerges. OPEC announced a production target of 32.5 million bpd at its Nov. 30 meeting, which was based on low figures for Libya and Nigeria and included Indonesia, which has since left the group. The Libyan and Nigerian reductions mean OPEC output in April averaged 31.97 million bpd, about 220,000 bpd above its supply target adjusted to remove Indonesia. The Reuters survey is based on shipping data provided by external sources, Thomson Reuters flows data, and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consulting firms. (Editing by Dale Hudson) * Swiss suspected of spying in Germany after tax file leaks * Bern's spy service says needs to defend business secrets * German officials: Tax CDs helped recoup billions in revenue (Adds German foreign ministry reaction) By John Revill and Marina Depetris BERN, May 2 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) on Tuesday defended its efforts to combat theft of business secrets after a Swiss man was arrested in Germany on suspicion of working for the spy agency. The 54-year-old man, identified only as Daniel M., was arrested on Friday. His lawyer told a Swiss newspaper he was suspected of trying to find out how German states have obtained CDs containing details of secret Swiss bank accounts set up by Germans to evade tax. The man was detained in Frankfurt, and officers from Germany's federal criminal police carried out searches at several addresses in the region. While Swiss authorities declined to comment directly on the case, they defended domestic efforts to uphold Swiss laws. "When someone in Switzerland uses illegal methods in Switzerland to steal state or business secrets, that is espionage, and we have the task to fight that," FIS director Markus Seiler told reporters at a briefing in Bern. "The FIS is active at home and abroad," he said. Asked if this included Germany, he said: "I say simply nothing." In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel asked the Swiss ambassador to explain the latest developments "in the interest of German-Swiss friendship", a German government source said. The source said Deputy Foreign Minister Walter Lindner received Ambassador Christine Schraner Burgener for a conversation on Tuesday afternoon and sought information on the spy case. No details were given. The case is potentially embarrassing for Switzerland, which has worked hard to increase the transparency of its financial system in order to prevent international tax dodgers from abusing its bank secrecy rules. TAX CDs The man arrested in Germany is suspected of operating since the start of 2012, though no further details were given by German authorities. Swiss media reported at the weekend that he was a former policeman who now worked for the FIS. Story continues Authorities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have since 2010 purchased 11 CDs containing data about Germans with bank accounts in Switzerland, and paid a total of 17.9 million euros ($19.5 million) to informants. In return, NRW has secured nearly 7 billion euros in revenue which would have otherwise been lost, officials there said. "The NRW financial administration acquires tax CDs, because they otherwise could not detect tax evasion," said Norbert Walter-Borjans, an official in the NRW finance department. "Anyone who now hunts the investigators protects the perpetrators," Walter-Borjans said. Speaking at Tuesday's news conference in Bern where the spy agency released its 2017 situation report, Swiss Defence Minister Guy Parmelin said the intelligence agency "must protect its methods and sources". "Switzerland, and not only the banks, but also small and medium-sized companies, research institutes, and international organisations which have their headquarters here, are regularly suffering cyber attacks, spy attempts and efforts to recruit their staff," said Parmelin, who oversees the FIS. The situation report outlined by Parmelin and Seiler said Switzerland was facing a "heightened" risk of Islamist militant attacks, with 90 individuals currently described as "risky" being monitored by the authorities. "With all the attacks we have seen, like in Sweden and France, we see from time to time there are links to Switzerland," Seiler said. "Switzerland is not an island. Without being too alarmist, we cannot rule out that our country, being part of the West which jihadists consider as hostile to Islam, may one day be the target of a terror attack." ($1 = 0.9165 euros) (Reporting by John Revill and Marina Depetris in Bern, Michael Nienaber and Matthias Sobolewski in Berlin; editing by John Miller and Mark Heinrich) WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department said on Tuesday it plans to open investigations into possible dumping and subsidization of imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam. It said the decision follows a petition from Missouri-based Waterloo Industries Inc, a subsidiary of Fortune Brands and Home Security Inc. In 2016, imports of tool chests from China and Vietnam totalled $990 million and $77 million, respectively, the department said in a statement. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Writing by Eric Walsh; Editing by Eric Beech) AIM: MARL TSX-V: MARL 3 May 2017 Granite House, La Grande Rue, St. Martin, Guernsey, GY1 3RS Channel Islands Issue of Equity- Warrant and Option Exercise Mariana Resources Ltd ("Mariana" or the "Company"), the AIM ("MARL") and TSXV ("MARL") listed exploration and development company with projects in Turkey, Cote d'Ivoire and South America, announces that the following options and warrants have been exercised into ordinary shares with funds received. 15,000 Options exercised at 20p 230,000 Options exercised at 30p 50,000 Options exercised at 42.5p 107,500 Options exercised at 60p 500,000 Warrants exercised at 0.25p The Company will issue and allot 902,500 new ordinary shares. Admission to AIM Application has been made to the London Stock Exchange for the new ordinary shares to be admitted to trading on AIM and the TSXV. Dealings are expected to commence on or about 9 May 2017 ("Admission"). Following Admission, there will be a total of 130,908,279 ordinary shares on issue. Mariana Resources Limited "Glen Parsons" Glen Parsons, CEO **ENDS** Glen Parsons (CEO) Mariana Resources Ltd +61 2 9437 4588 Eric Roth (COO) Mariana Resources Ltd +56 9 8818 1243 Karen Davies (IR) Mariana Resources Ltd (Canada) +1 604 314 6270 Rob Adamson RFC Ambrian Limited (Nomad) +61 2 9250 0041 Will Souter RFC Ambrian Limited (Nomad) +61 2 9250 0050 In U.K. Oliver Stansfield Brandon Hill Capital (UK Broker) +44 20 3463 5061 Jonathan Evans Brandon Hill Capital (UK Broker) +44 20 3463 5016 Camilla Horsfall Blytheweigh (Financial PR) +44 20 7138 3224 Megan Ray Blytheweigh (Financial PR) +44 20 7138 3203 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. About Mariana Resources Mariana Resources Ltd is a TSX.V and AIM (MARL) quoted exploration and development company with an extensive portfolio of gold, silver, and copper projects in South America, Turkey, and Ivory Coast. Mariana's most advanced asset is the Hot Maden gold-copper project in northeast Turkey, which is a joint venture with Turkish partner Lidya Madencilik (30% Mariana and 70% Lidya) and which is rapidly advancing to development. On January 17, 2017, Mariana released the results of a Preliminary Economic Study ("PEA") which demonstrated exceptional potential economics for the Hot Maden Project (after-tax NPV and IRR of USD 1.37B and 153%, respectively) based on a development scenario incorporating a 1Mtpa underground mining / processing operation and the production of two saleable concentrates (a copper-gold concentrate and a gold-pyrite concentrate). This PEA was based on the updated (July 25, 2016) mineral resource estimate of 3.43 Moz gold equivalent (Indicated Category) and 0.09 Moz gold equivalent (Inferred Category) (100% basis) in the Main Zone, as well as a maiden 351,000 Moz gold equivalent (Inferred Category) (100% basis) resource in the New Southern Discovery. Elsewhere in Turkey, Mariana holds a 100% interest in the Ergama gold-copper project. On October 7, 2016, Mariana announced the signing of a binding Term Sheet to acquire an indirect 80% interest in Ivory Coast-focused private exploration company Awale Resources SARL ("Awale"). Through the transaction Mariana will gain an immediate foothold in an established exploration portfolio with known gold mineralisation and artisanal gold workings, and which comprises i) 3 granted contiguous licenses (1,191 km2) in the Bondoukou area, and ii) 4 licenses under application (1,593 km2) in both the Bondoukou and Abengourou areas. The Boundoukou concessions lie along the southwestern extension of the Birimian Bole-Nangodi greenstone belt in adjacent Ghana, host to a number of high grade orogenic gold deposits. In southern Argentina, the Company's core gold-silver projects are Las Calandrias (100%), Sierra Blanca (100%), Los Cisnes (100%), and Bozal (100%). These projects are part of a 100,000+ Ha land package in the Deseado Massif epithermal gold-silver district in mining-friendly Santa Cruz Province. In Suriname, Mariana has a direct holding of 10.2% of the Nassau Gold project. The Nassau Gold Project is a 28,000 Ha exploration concession located approximately 125 km south east of the capital Paramaribo and immediately adjacent to Newmont Mining's 4.2Moz gold Merian project. In Peru and Chile, Mariana is focusing on acquiring new opportunities which complement its current portfolio. Hot Maden Mineral Resource Estimate - Main Gold-Copper Zone (2 g/t AuEq Cut-off) Indicated Mineral Resource Domain Tonnes Au Cu Zn AuEq Au Cu AuEq t g/t % % g/t* Ounces Tonnes Ounces** Main Zone LG 463,000 1.1 1.1 0.3 2.4 17,000 5,000 36,000 Main Zone HG 4,501,000 3.9 1.9 0.2 6.3 570,000 87,000 908,000 Main Zone UHG 2,086,000 32.7 3.5 0.1 36.9 2,195,000 73,000 2,476,000 Mixed Gold-Zinc 17,000 7.5 3.1 3.6 11.2 4,000 1,000 6,000 Peripheral Lodes 60,000 2.1 0.4 0.4 2.5 4,000 5,000 Total 7,127,000 12.2 2.3 0.2 15.0 2,790,000 166,000 3,431,000 Inferred Mineral Resource Domain Tonnes Au Cu Zn AuEq Au Cu AuEq t g/t % % g/t* Ounces Tonnes Ounces** Main Zone LG 395,000 1.7 0.9 0.03 2.8 21,000 4,000 35,000 Main Zone HG 31,000 3.9 1.6 0.1 5.8 4,000 6,000 Main Zone UHG 6,000 39.1 2.1 0.01 41.6 7,000 8,000 Mixed Gold-Zinc 4,000 1.7 0.4 2.4 2.2 Peripheral Lodes 282,000 3.2 0.9 0.1 4.3 29,000 2,000 38,000 Total 718,000 2.7 0.9 0.1 3.8 62,000 7,000 88,000 Hot Maden - Southern Gold-Copper Zone (2 g/t AuEq Cut-off) Inferred Mineral Resource Domain Tonnes Au Cu Zn AuEq Au Cu AuEq t g/t % % g/t* Ounces Tonnes Ounces** South Zone LG 396,000 2.8 0.7 0.0 3.6 35,000 3,000 46,000 South Zone HG 583,000 5.3 0.7 0.0 6.1 98,000 4,000 114,000 Main Zone UHG 224,000 22.2 1.0 0.0 23.4 160,000 2,000 169,000 Mixed Gold-Zinc 44,000 9.0 1.0 3.2 10.2 13,000 15,000 Peripheral Lodes 104,000 1.9 0.3 0.0 2.2 6,000 7,000 Total 1,352,000 7.2 0.7 0.1 8.1 313,000 10,000 351,000 *Au Equivalence (AuEq) calculated using a 100 day moving average of $US1,215/ounce for Au and $US2.13/pound for Cu as of May 29, 2016. No adjustment has been made for metallurgical recovery or net smelter return as these remain uncertain at this time. Based on grades and contained metal for Au and Cu, it is assumed that both commodities have reasonable potential to be economically extractable. *-The formula used for Au equivalent grade is: AuEq g/t = Au + [(Cu % x 22.0462 x 2.13)/(1215/31.1035)] and assumes 100 % metallurgical recovery. **-Au equivalent ounces are calculated by mulitplying Mineral Resource tonnage by Au equivalent grade and converting for ounces. The formula used for Au equivalent ounces is: AuEq Oz = [Tonnage x AuEq grade (g/t)]/31.1035 Safe Harbour This press release contains certain statements which may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as at the date of this press release and include, without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, the realization, cost, timing and extent of mineral resource estimates, estimated future exploration expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, and requirements for additional capital. The words "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimate", "forecasts", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "may", "will", or similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the effects of general economic conditions; the price of gold, silver and copper; misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements; risks associated with international operations; the need for additional financing; risks inherent in exploration results; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters; currency and commodity price fluctuations; title matters; environmental liability claims; unanticipated operational risks; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or in the completion of development or construction activities; political risk; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's annual financial statements for the most recently completed financial year which is available on the Company's website at www.marianaresources.com . Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions and have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Danish English Coloplast delivered 8% growth when measured in DKK and 7% organic revenue growth, as well as an EBIT margin of 32% at constant exchange rates in the second quarter of its financial year. The results are in line with the companys expectations. In the second quarter of the 2016/17 financial year, Coloplast delivered 8% growth measured in Danish kroner corresponding to DKK 3,881m, and 7% organic revenue growth. EBIT was up by 7% to DKK 1,246m and net profit for the Q2 reporting period was up by 2% to DKK 931m. Organic growth rates by business area were: Ostomy Care 7%, Continence Care 8%, Urology Care 14%, and Wound & Skin Care negative 4%. Geographically, the European markets contributed 5% growth with the UK and France as the standouts. Other established markets delivered 8% growth, while Emerging markets delivered 10% growth. Were delivering a satisfactory Q2 result with many of our European markets performing well. In addition, the integration of Comfort Medical in the US is progressing according to plan and our US Chronic Care business reported double-digit sales growth in the second quarter after inventory levels at our large distributors had been normalised in the first quarter. That is having a positive effect on our Ostomy Care and Continence Care businesses, and we expect continued positive sales growth in our US business in the coming quarters. Currency developments continued to have a negative effect on reported sales as well as earnings, while the acquisition of Comfort Medical had a positive effect on reported sales in the quarter, said Coloplast CEO Lars Rasmussen. Sales growth in the Wound and Skin Care business was adversely affected by a very strong performance of the US Skin Care business in the second quarter of last year. On the other hand, the Wound Care business in China reported positive momentum in the second quarter, which we expect will continue in the coming quarters, said Mr Rasmussen. New products to drive growth Coloplast continues to launch new products in all core markets, including the SpeediCath Flex catheter and the Biatain Silicone Sizes & Shapes wound care portfolio. Both products have received very positive feedback. In the Ostomy Care business, Coloplast is now relaunching the SenSura Mio Convex, having expanded production capacity in Hungary to accommodate market demand. In addition, the new SenSura Mio Hospital portfolio will be available in all core markets over the next 12 months, and the Brava Protective Seal accessory product is now available in 13 countries. Financial guidance for 2016/17 Coloplast maintains its guidance for organic revenue growth of 7-8% at constant exchange rates and reported growth of 7-8% in DKK. The EBIT margin guidance remains at 33-34% at constant exchange rates and at about 33% in DKK. Ocean View, Delaware, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Smart Electric Meter Market is forecast to cross USD 11 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Commercial smart electric meter market shipments could reach 30 million units by 2024. Growing demand for accurate billing coupled with efforts towards energy conservation will augment the global smart electric meter market growth. Rapid development of electricity network along with growing investment in smart grid will further complement the business landscape. Increasing energy prices and growing instances of electricity theft will further boost product demand. According to a 2013 IMF report, global electricity theft was over USD 100 million. Rising concerns towards accuracy in billing among end users may positively influence the industry size. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1503 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) mandating strict regulations towards accurate billing along with increasing electricity demand will stimulate the U.S. smart electric meter market size. The U.S. Department of Energy and ARRA jointly invested USD 30 billion in 2009, to give an impetus to a wide range of sustainable energy projects and upgrade existing smart grid networks in the region. Stringent regulations towards adoption of intelligent systems to precisely track electricity consumption will augment the smart electric meter market share. European Union Directive 2009/72/EC mandates member countries to undertake initiatives which will increase consumer awareness towards the benefits of adopting these products. Directive 2014/724/EU provides guidance to regulators on safeguarding and protecting consumers consumption data. In 2016, UK contributed to over 20% of the Europe smart electric meter market share in terms of unit shipments. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy along with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) have directed utility providers to install these products in every household by 2020, with a view to conserve electricity. Smart electric meter market size from Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology is anticipated to exceed USD 4 billion by 2024. Conventional AMR devices were programmed to collect meter readings and match with the utility providers consumption data. Additional data parameters can be set in these products to control their functionality remotely, owing to technological advancement. These products give warning in case of meter tampering, low battery and leak detection. Browse key industry insights spread across 190 pages with 304 market data tables & 9 figures & charts from the report, Smart Electric Meter Market Size By Application (Residential, Commercial, Utility), By Technology (AMR, AMI), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, France, UK, Sweden, Portugal, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 2024 in detail along with the table of contents, please click on the link below: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/smart-electric-meter-market Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems will grow owing to increasing adoption of the advanced technology in developed nations including the U.S., UK, Sweden, Norway and Japan. These products provide enhanced features like notifications for demand response actions and time based pricing. Japan smart electric meter market is predicted to witness a paradigm shift owing to adoption of AMI products. In August 2015, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) launched an initiative to install over 2.7 million intelligent systems across the country and offer 24-hour customer support service through a Smart Meter Operation Centre. Notable players in the smart electric meter market include Siemens, Itron, Schneider Electric, Landis+GYR, Icsa, Circutor, Holley Metering, Iskraemeco, Osaki Electric, Honeywell International, Sensus Sentec, Elster Group, Badger Meter and Neptune Technology. Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1503 Browse Related Reports: Smart Gas Metering Systems Market Size 20172024 Smart Gas Metering Systems Market size was valued over USD 5 billion in 2016 and is set to exceed 190 million units by 2024. Increasing consumption of gas coupled with rising energy prices will drive the global smart gas metering systems market over the forecast timeline. Growing adoption of these products in residential and commercial applications will propel the industry growth. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/smart-gas-metering-systems-market Smart Metering Systems Market Size 20162024 Smart Metering Systems Market size for 2015 was valued over USD 16 billion and is set to exceed 750 million units by 2024. Increasing need for transparency and accountability in resource allocation and usage will drive the global smart metering systems market size from 2016 to 2024. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/smart-metering-systems-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: sales@gminsights.com Web: https://www.gminsights.com Blog: https://gminsights.wordpress.com Connect with us: Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter English Lithuanian Alytus, Lithuania, 2017-05-03 15:21 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AB "Snaige", Pramones str.6, Alytus, Lithuania. The April 25, 2017 general meeting of shareholders of Snaige AB (company code 249664610, address: Pramones str. 6, Alytus, Lithuania) resolved to distribute the companys profit of 2016 and to allocate dividends to the companys shareholders amounting to EUR 0.024 (before taxes) per share. Dividends will be paid to the shareholders who are shareholders of Snaige AB at the end of the tenth business day after approval of the resolution by general meeting of shareholders, i.e. May 10, 2017. Dividends will be paid starting from May 11, 2017. Dividends will be paid in the following procedure: For those shareholders, whose securities accounting is handled by securities dealers or departments of credit institutions providing the securities accounting services, net of tax dividends (after deducting Personal Income Tax or Income Tax in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Lithuania) shall be transferred to the securities dealers or departments of credit institutions, and they shall accordingly transfer them to the account of those shareholders. Dividends to other shareholders will be paid upon a written request by bank transfer to their personal account. The requests, containing personal bank account details, should be submitted in written form and sent to the companys address (AB "Snaige", Pramones str.6, Alytus, Lithuania or e-mail address akcininkams@snaige.lt). The dividends are subject to taxes as follows: Dividends paid to physical bodies resided in the Republic of Lithuania as well as to physical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to 15 per cent of residential income tax and will be paid after deduction of taxes, which will be paid to the Republic of Lithuania budget. Dividends paid to juridical bodies of the Republic of Lithuania as well as juridical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to taxes as it is provided in Republic of Lithuania law. The information available by AB "Snaige" phone +37052113589 Fornebu, Norway - May 3, 2017: The Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of REC Silicon ASA (REC Silicon) was held on May 3, 2017 at 16:00 CET. The minutes from the Annual General Meeting recording the resolutions made are enclosed hereto and are also available on REC Silicon's website www.recsilicon.com. 913,942,229 shares were represented at the general meeting. This includes 171,713,333 shares represented by proxy. Thus, approximately 35.93% of the Company's total share were represented at the Annual General Meeting. Further to the Notice of the Annual General Meeting issued on April 3, 2017, the Annual General Meeting approved, as follows from the minutes, all resolutions as proposed by the Board. For further information, please contact: Christopher Bowes, Investor Relations REC Silicon ASA Phone: +1 509 793 8127 Email: chris.bowes@recsilicon.com Nils O. Kjerstad IR Contact Europe Phone: +47 9135 6659 Email: nils.kjerstad@crux.no About REC Silicon REC Silicon is a leading producer of advanced silicon materials, delivering high-purity polysilicon and silicon gas to the solar and electronics industries worldwide. We combine 30 years of experience and proprietary technology with the needs of our customers, with annual production capacity of more than 20,000 MT of polysilicon from our two US-based manufacturing plants. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: REC), the company is headquartered in Fornebu, Norway. For more information, go to: www.recsilicon.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. French English VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the 2017 National Opinion Poll (NOP) Canadian Views on Engagement with China released today by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), uncertainty about the direction that Canada-U.S. relations are taking under a Trump presidency coupled with concerns about rising protectionist sentiments in Britain and Europe are motivating Canadians to be more open to engagement with China. Canadians feel that global economic dynamics are changing: over two-thirds (68%) feel that China can become a global leader on economic issues, while 62% believe that expanded trade with China is important today due to rising protectionism in the U.S. and Europe. Our poll also shows that over half of Canadians (55%) support a Canada-China FTA, up 9 points from 2016 and up 19 points since 2014. According to the 2017 NOP, when it comes to enhanced engagement with China, Canadians also support increasing the number of highly qualified immigrants entering Canada, investing in transport infrastructure, and prioritizing collaboration on measures to address pollution and protect the environment. Our 2017 National Opinion Poll results across a number of key indicators from free trade and economics, to infrastructure, immigration and the environment show a Canadian public increasingly open to deeper engagement with China, said APF Canada President and CEO, Stewart Beck. These results dont capture the Canadian upset over Trumps recent decision on softwood lumber, or his comments on our supply management regime for dairy. And yet they clearly demonstrate that the anti-trade sentiments were seeing in Europe and the States are pushing diversification into the national conversation around Canadas future economic prosperity. APF Canadas new poll shows that Canadians support for expanded economic engagement with China stems from their belief that it will bring more opportunities for Canadian business (76%) and youth (70%), bring greater economic prosperity to Canada (57%), encourage needed investment in Canadian businesses (63%), and increase Canadas international competitiveness (54%). Notwithstanding overall public support for Canadas greater economic engagement with China, Canadians continue to have concerns that engagement will make Canada more vulnerable to economic and political pressures from China and will lead to an influx of cheap Chinese goods in domestic markets. Canadians also expect their government to call on the Chinese government to respect human rights and introduce democratic reforms in the Chinese political system. This is consistent with our previous polling on Canadian attitudes toward Asia, said Dr. Eva Busza, Vice-president, Research and Programs, at APF Canada. Canadians expect a broad and balanced agenda from government that addresses both economic, as well as social and political issues, in connection with China. But clearly, based on these new results, as Ottawa pushes forward with its China agenda, it can draw some confidence from Canadians increasing openness to stronger economic relationships with the worlds second largest economy. For 13 years, APF Canadas National Opinion Poll has examined Canadian opinion and attitudes towards Canadas engagement with Asia. This year, APF Canada commissioned EKOS Research Associates to conduct a survey of 1,654 Canadian adults who are participants in the Probit online survey panel. The survey was conducted from March 20 to March 27, 2017. The full poll results are available here. About the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada: The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is dedicated to strengthening ties between Canada and Asia with a focus on expanding economic relations through trade, investment and innovation; promoting Canadas expertise in offering solutions to Asias climate change, energy, food security and natural resource management challenges; building Asia skills and competencies among Canadians, including young Canadians; and, improving Canadians general understanding of Asia and its growing global influence. The Foundation is well known for its annual national opinion polls of Canadian attitudes regarding relations with Asia, including Asian foreign investment in Canada and Canadas trade with Asia. The Foundation places an emphasis on China, India, Japan and South Korea while also developing expertise in emerging markets in the region, particularly economies within ASEAN. Visit APF Canada at www.asiapacific.ca For media information or to arrange an interview please contact: Michael Roberts Communications Manager Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada michael.roberts@asiapacific.ca Office: 604-630-1527 Quote: The rule must read - a pronoun when used in different places in one and the same clause cannot refer to different antecedents. (Not sentence) Quote: http://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/gmat-pronoun-traps/ The GMAT hates ambiguity on Sentence Correction. In any Sentence Correction question, the same pronoun must refer to the same antecedent. It is 100% unacceptable to have the same pronoun refer to two different antecedents: even if you think you can interpret from context the antecedent in each case, the grammar and syntax themselves must make all distinctions crystal clear. Its not enough for logic to fill in the holes in grammar: in a well-constructed GMAT sentence, logic and grammar must say exactly the same thing. Anything less than that is unacceptable to the GMAT. In any Sentence Correction question Formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do not apply to new small businesses in the same way as they do to established big businesses, because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium. Quote: Solution: In A, the 'they' after because is ambiguous; it seems illogically to refer to Formulas because they and Formulas are each the grammatical subject of a clause and because the previous 'they' refers to Formulas. In A and B, do not apply to... in the same way as they do to is wordy and awkward. D, the best choice, says more concisely in the same way as to. Also in B, because 'they ' refers to formulas, the introductory clause states confusedly that the formulas are growing. In C and E, subject to the [same] applicability of... is wordy, awkward, and imprecise; furthermore, are is preferable either before or after established big businesses to complete the comparison. Finally, the referent of 'they ' is not immediately clear in E. Thank you Daagh for your time on GMAT Club and all your contributions! Thank you for everything you did! Your work will remain a great tribute to you here on GMAT Club ! -bb -bb Signature Read More 1. I am afraid Placeholders come in on a different setting. After all, they are dummies and fillers and don't have anything to refer to as very often they begin a sentence. But in the BRCA case, is there a placeholder 'it'. Nope. So citing placeholders as referring to different pronouns is erroneous.2. If the second clause, has a pronoun and if it is going to refer to a different noun, then that noun should be appearing the second clause. There is no such word as ' patent' in the second clause.Here is a snippet 's Mike:It may be noted that Mike doesn't even mention clauses or sentences. He categorically states "" and wah!!-look at the ferocity of his perception.Now let us move on to an question .(A) Formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do not apply to new small businesses in the same way as they do to established big businesses, because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium.(B) Because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium, formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do not apply to new small businesses in the same way as they do to established big businesses.(C) Because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium, new small businesses are not subject to the same applicability of formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity as established big businesses.(D) Because new small businesses are growing and are seldom in equilibrium, formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do not apply to them in the same way as to established big businesses.(E) New small businesses are not subject to the applicability of formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity in the same way as established big businesses, because they are growing and are seldom in equilibrium.The question is a two part sentence. The ' they' in the first clause refers to formulas and the second 'they' that is in a different clause cannot refer to formulas. If the second 'they' is interpreted to mean to businesses, however, logical the reference might seem, still is a foul. This is what the 's rule is ._________________ - A Nigerian man has bought a wedding ring for himself in hopes that a woman he would love to marry would appear to him soon - At every wedding, in any tradition, the exchange of rings between couples is a symbol of the union between partners - A ring signifies a never-ending and immortal love. A single Nigerian man has bought himself a ring to pave the way for a bride is still searching for. The unidentified man who shared photos of himself wearing the ring on social media asked his followers to congratulate him. He further expressed that he wants to start planning for his life with the wife he is hoping to marry, adding that he would also start looking for schools his unborn children. READ ALSO: Lady buys herself a ring, vows to look for a husband later Single Nigerian man buys himself a wedding ring ahead of wife search He wrote: Congratulate me congratulate me, I have decided to get myself a ring I will find a wife later!! Some people build garages before they buy cars, dream it, believe it, leave it, life is all about planning. Next week I am starting to look for schools for my future kids. READ ALSO: Man thought to be the world oldest man dies aged 146 (photos) Watch Legit.ng relationship video: Can you marry someone 10 years older or younger than you? Source: Legit.ng - The worshippers who attended a chapel for Sunday service in Akwa Ibom missed being hurt in an accident - A mast fell on the chapel during service and no one died A Sunday service that could have made worshippers and other people wail and mourn was miraculously turned to one filled with thanksgiving. Legit.ng gathered that Heritage Polytechnic radio mast fell on a chapel in Akwa Ibom while students were worshipping. It should be recalled that a church service in Akwa Ibom once became a tear-filled one when the church building collapsed and scores of lives were lost. READ ALSO: Check out Ghanaian king who works as a mechanic in Europe (photos, video) Also, a mast belonging to University of Uyo FM also fell on a building even though no casualty was recorded. See pictures from the terrible incident below: 1. Saved by grace 2. Focus on the electrical cables READ ALSO: Gov Ikpeazu gifts pregnant commercial bus driver brand new car in Abia state (photos) 3. A good testimony 4. Tragedy was averted Watch the Legit.ng video below to see what UTME applicants are made to go through during the registration: Source: Legit.ng Legit.ng gathered that the Nigerian prophet who was reportedly deported from Zambia recently, changed a cleaner's life by giving him N1 million. Prophet Andrew Ejimadu aka Seer 1, is not a stranger to controversy as he has been the object of several scandals, including one where he had reportedly asked members of his church to lick his shoes. Recently, the prophet who was reportedly deported from Zambia, even said he had the power to 'pray miracle money' into people's bank accounts. Contrary to expectations, he is not stirring controversy this time, as he did a good deed by giving a hotel cleaner the sum of N1 million to better his life. Prophet Andrew Ejimadu According to him, God directed him to give the cleaner who happens to be a university graduate, the huge sum. The cleaner also resigned his job immediately after receiving the money. Prophet Ejimadu gave a hotel cleaner N1 million READ ALSO: Gov Ikpeazu gifts pregnant commercial bus driver brand new car in Abia state (photos) Sharing the story on his page, he wrote: "I CAN'T STOP CRYING!!! Please stop what you are doing and read this to the end. You will not regret. Last at the lounge, I was looking at this young man serving almost everyone in the hotel very faithfully and committed. My spirit could tell me that something was wrong somewhere because he couldn't smile or joke and looked so unhappy and bothered. This morning, he knocked on my door "Housekeeping, can I clean your room"? When I opened the door I asked him, My dear what is wrong? Why do you look so unhappy and why is a good looking man like you a cleaner in a hotel? The boy opened his mouth and said, Sir, I am a graduate, I finished my studies in the year 2014, I have applied in various companies from then till now but I can't find a job. I am now a cleaner in his hotel, but I always pray to God to change my story then one day like the way he changed the story of Jabez, that's why i'm not happy sir and he left my room. READ ALSO: Man thought to be the world's oldest man dies aged 146 (photos) Immediately he left, God said Seer 1, change his life, I asked God how, how can I change his life? God said, give to him an amount of #1,000,000 (One million naira)!!! Well that's a huge amount of money but but since the Lord has spoken, I will obey, then I quickly went to my bank, withdrew #1,000,000 naira and gave it to him. He has resigned from the hotel with immediate effect. His dream of becoming a millionaire has become reality in few minutes. Can i help 3000 People tonight? I give you 24 hours from the time you type Amen and share this post, somebody will give you money bigger than this one that I have given to Mr Cletus. This is for 3000 People, hurry, follow the instructions and see what will happen. #Seer1" The sum of N1 million which Prophet Ejimadu gave a hotel cleaner Meanwhile, see how the controversy between Apostle Johnson Suleman and Stephanie Otobo topped social media trends: Source: Legit.ng - A photo of 14 black male students at Cambridge University has gone viral online - The students took the picture to encourage black students to apply to join Cambridge - Many on social media have hailed the inspirational idea behind it A group photo of 14 black male students at Cambridge University in the UK has gone viral online. The Cambridge University African Caribbean Society (ACS) shared the group photo among several others on their Facebook page. Their aim was to encourage black students to apply to join the prestigious university where few black students have been accepted. The students hope to inspire other black students to join Cambridge University READ ALSO: Prophet Andrew Ejimadu 'Seer 1' gives N1m to hotel cleaner (photos) The ACS shared the pictures with the caption: "In 2015, only 15 black, male undergraduates were accepted into Cambridge. However, it is important that despite their under representation, we let young black people know that this is something that they can aspire to." The statement added that their post was inspired by a similar image shared by black students at Yale University and concluded that "representation matters." In an interview, one of the students in the picture, 19-year-old Donte Nembhard, said about the message behind it: "Yes, it is very difficult to get where we are, but we did it. Why can't you?" READ ALSO: Gov Ikpeazu gifts pregnant commercial bus driver brand new car in Abia state (photos) He added: "The main message I want to send to young black boys who want to go to Cambridge is to not be discouraged by the low admission rate. The rate will not increase if the number of applications remains the same." Some of the students are from Africa, while some already live in the UK READ ALSO: Man thought to be the world's oldest man dies aged 146 (photos) Social media users have praised their initiative. Max Middleton wrote: "Great photo. Not nearly enough black men coming to Cambridge." Catherine Appiagyei wrote: "I am full of pride for these young men and hope that more will follow." Watch the video below to see the Cambridge ACS Committee members. Meanwhile, see how the British Council rewarded some Nigerian students recently: Source: Legit.ng 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 1. Yes. Taxpayers are funding its operation; they should have a voice in the naming process. 2. Yes. The city should operate with a spirit of inclusivity. Residents will be responsive. 3. No. Public input can be problematic; rejection of suggestions can be divisive for residents. 4. No. Residents elect council members to make decisions on their behalf. No input is needed. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether public input would be more of a benefit or a hindrance. Vote View Results You're absolutely correct in noticing that today's superhero output (TV or film) is geared toward fans, who prefer those stories to be told in a very particular way that (I think) reflects years and years of being told that the genre they loved and thought about most (comic books) was "for kids" and that reading/buying them came with all sorts of stereotypes about being nerdy, fat, lonely and living in a basement. Once Hollywood capitulated to making adult-themed superhero movies, the fans (old and new) came out in droves, with the new fans willing to do their homework (the Internet helped out here in a huge way) to get up on the lore. It can be difficult to just be an average Joe or Joanne who wants to go see a summer blockbuster and get this odd feeling that you've missed out on most of the syllabus. Then again, the preeminent narrative in any superhero movie or show is the ORIGIN STORY. Even in a reboot of a reboot of a reboot of a reboot, we always seem to start at Krytpon or the School of Mutants. As for telling DC apart from Marvel, I would say that has gotten harder in the last decade, mostly because of Hollywood's involvement. DC obviously envies the ease with which Marvel (Disney) has moved nearly all of its heroes into blockbuster films, with plenty of success in TV-oriented series. DC has, I think, made better use of TV, in a way that true to its brand. How to tell them apart? Does it matter? For an outdated answer to that question, I went back and exhumed a Style story I wrote on this very subject in 2006, which began: Of the great brand-loyalty debates -- Ford or Chevy? John or Paul? Road Runner or Coyote? Newport or Marlboro? Orthodox or Reform? -- only a very few people still sort themselves along one of the narrowest consumer dichotomies of all: Marvel or DC? A lot has changed since I wrote this, but, as a dispassionate observer (i.e., a TV critic), I feel like DC has become Marvel and Marvel has become a tiny bit more like DC. Another snip from the 2006 story: Marvel, led by Spider-Man, was a place for the smart but troubled reader, the deeply weird. They loved the night, the underground, accidents in the lab. All that dialogue, so many thought balloons! The heroes always on some emotional ledge, and the hubris of it all -- a grittiness that came with saving the world. DC was about younger kids in back yards, wearing bath-towel capes, leaping from treehouses. Marvel was about older kids in basements, possibly stoned, deconstructing Thor. DC invented places to go -- Metropolis, Gotham City, Paradise Island. In the Marvel universe, New York is New York, and it's nothing but trouble. DC: It was always the Fourth of July. Marvel: It was always Halloween. DC: Comic books are a wonderful escape. Marvel: Comic books are a dark refuge. So, DC is Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash -- typically less complicated heroes, often born to it. Marvel is full of mutants and unlikely, tormented heroes. Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Avengers. Both have their outliers: Batman, for example, is complicated enough to belong to Marvel (except that he's not a teenager); Thor's mythological background makes him seem a little more DC (like Wonder Woman). WHAT A LONG AND MANSPLAINY ANSWER, JEEZ -- and to think, you asked for "a really quick explanation." I do think that both brands remain distinct and many of us, whether we read comics or not as a kid, just know it when we see it. That's Marvel and this is DC. Chatters, feel free to weigh in on this... Is there a shorthand way for someone who doesn't know the difference to learn how to tell the difference? You could also just look at it from a corporate perspective: If it's on CW, it's DC. If it's on ABC, it's Marvel. If it's Warner Bros., it's DC. If it's Disney, it's Marvel. It it's Netflix, it's Marvel. (With some outliers: "Gotham" is on Fox, and it's DC...) Morocco and France reiterated commitment to further strengthen their partnership, notably in the fields of security, sustainable development, culture and education said the Royal Office in a statement. The statement was issued following a luncheon in Paris hosted by the French President Francois Hollande in Honor of King Mohammed VI and the delegation accompanying him, including cabinet members. The statement added that the two heads of state expressed satisfaction at the special and multifaceted character of Moroccan-French relations which transcend the political agenda. They voiced confidence regarding the future of Moroccan-French partnership and stressed its strategic importance at the bilateral, euro-Mediterranean and African levels, said the Royal Office. In this respect, President Holland congratulated King Mohammed VI on Moroccos return to the African Union and lauded the Kingdoms contributions to the development efforts in the continent, said the statement. For his part, King Mohammed VI thanked President Hollande for his personal commitment to strengthen the Moroccan-French friendship and reiterated Moroccos willingness to further promote the special ties between the two countries, the statement added. The Royal visit to Paris comes at a particular context marked by an electoral presidential race with high stakes for the future of France and the EU. Pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right anti-immigration Marine Le Pen began a final duel for the French Presidency due on May 7. Polls suggest that Centrist Emmanuel Macron will enter the second round of voting as a clear favourite over his rival, Le Pen. President Hollande has previously called on French voters to reject Le Pen and back Emmanuel Macron, his former economy minister whom he described as a leader who would defend the values which will bring French people together at such an important moment, a serious time for Europe, the world and France. Aedes aegypti is the primary mosquito that carries Zika virus. To combat potential Zika virus outbreaks, some countries have considered using pesticides so strong that they are banned elsewhere. Credit: John Eisele/Colorado State University To combat potential Zika virus outbreaks, some countries have considered using pesticides so strong that they are banned elsewhere. But what if you could quickly determine that mosquitoes were not carrying the Zika virus? The use of harmful pesticides could be avoided, as well as the cost of widespread spraying for mosquitoes. That's the premise behind a new study published May 3 in Science Translational Medicine and authored by Assistant Professor Joel Rovnak, graduate student Nunya Chotiwan and Research Associate Connie Brewster in Colorado State University's Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology. The CSU team is using an existing technology in a new way: they have demonstrated a method of biosurveillance that quickly indicates whether Zika virus is present in local mosquito populations - thus informing decision-making about spraying and other disease-prevention methods. Using the existing technology, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP, the research team found that they could easily detect Zika virus in human and mosquito samples from the United States, Brazil and Nicaragua. LAMP lights the way to virus detection CSU Research Associate Connie Brewster had been using LAMP, which was developed in Japan in 2001, to detect pneumonia in bighorn sheep through a project with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Quackenbush Lab at CSU. LAMP is similar to the technology known as polymerase chain reaction or PCR, which provides a very sensitive analysis of DNA samples. But LAMP can be used in the field, instead of in the lab, and it's also less expensive. "With LAMP, you don't need the sophistication of a machine," Rovnak said. These are researchers in Colorado State University's Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology collaborate with scientists from the Arthropod-borne Infectious Diseases Laboratory, also at CSU. Credit: John Eisele/ Colorado State University To use the PCR method to analyze viruses, researchers first need to extract the RNA or ribonucleic acid from the sample. But with LAMP, the process is much simpler than using PCR. Using LAMP, researchers start by squishing a mosquito in water. Rovnak said he then takes two microliters of water (about the size of the head of a pin), puts it in a tube and heats it up using a few chemicals or reagents. The sample then becomes cloudy and the color of the solution changes. In the CSU-led study, researchers saw a change or signal within about 30 minutes, though it can take up to one hour. "Using LAMP to detect Zika virus would be much less expensive for developing countries," said Chotiwan, a researcher in the Perera Lab, which is part of the Arthropod-borne Infectious Diseases Laboratory at CSU. "The majority of the countries involved in the current outbreak are not rich," she said. "It's important for us to try to develop low-cost surveillance methods that might one day be used in these countries." As a rough cost estimate, Rovnak said a heating device or heat block, as it is called, for LAMP costs $250 or less. Real-time PCR machines cost between $15,000 and $25,000. In the study, the research team focused on detecting Zika virus strains from Asia and Africa. Zika virus was first detected in Uganda in 1947 and is predicted to be heading back to the African continent, Chotiwan said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported local transmission of Zika virus in Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. CDC has also issued Zika virus travel advisories for some countries in Africa. In the United States, Zika virus transmission has been reported in Florida and Texas. Infographic showing Zika virus prevalence in the Americas. Credit: Carla Schaffer / Chotiwan et al. / AAAS No one really knows the extent of the original Zika virus in Africa, according to Rovnak. But being able to distinguish between the different strains is important due to the association of the Asian-linked virus with microcephaly, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development among newborns. Brian Foy, CSU associate professor in the Arthropod-borne Infectious Diseases Laboratory, discovered that Zika virus may be sexually transmitted in addition to being spread by mosquitoes. With two known transmission routes, the virus is an even more formidable foe to public health. To expand on the early results and use of LAMP to detect Zika virus, the scientists received samples from researchers in Brazil and from a pediatric hospital in Managua, Nicaragua. They also obtained samples from the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in Fort Collins. Next steps include hospital-based tests Moving forward, clinicians at the pediatric hospital in Managua will test LAMP side-by-side with current, more sophisticated tests. The CSU research team will also test LAMP versus PCR using mosquito and wildlife virus samples from Puerto Rico obtained through a project with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. How soon could LAMP be made available for more widespread use? "For now, it's what would be considered a long slog," said Rovnak. "The human diagnostic side of things presents a much more significant challenge," he explained. "It's going to take a lot of time and a lot of data before people will allow regulatory agencies to OK LAMP as a bonafide test for a person that's sick in the hospital." (HealthDay)A new study finds that people with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis who haven't done well on other treatments may find relief with Xeljanz (tofacitinib), a drug currently used to treat arthritis. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. It affects about 700,000 Americans, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation (CCF). The illness causes inflammation, irritation, swelling and sores on the lining of the large intestine. Symptoms include diarrhea with blood or pus and abdominal discomfort, according to CCF. "There is still a substantial unmet need for new treatments for patients with ulcerative colitis," said study lead author Dr. William Sandborn. He is professor of medicine and chief of the division of gastroenterology at the University of California, San Diego. Xeljanz targets certain proteins involved in the body's inflammatory and immune responses that other so-called biologic drugs don't, the researchers said. "Treatment with oral tofacitinib is potentially a new treatment option for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, pending review by the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]," Sandborn said. The study was funded by Pfizer, Inc., the maker of Xeljanz. Sandborn said he has received research grants from the company and served as a consultant for Pfizer. Whether Xeljanz should be used as a first treatment is still not clear, said Dr. Arun Swaminath, director of the inflammatory bowel disease program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Because Xeljanz comes as a pill, it could have an advantage for patients, Swaminath said. But so far it has only been tried with patients who have not responded to other treatments, he said. "How it is used in the real world may be different than how it was used in these studies," Swaminath said. "I am not going out on a limb and say this should be the first choice, because we don't have enough data to say that's the way it should be positioned." The researchers randomly assigned more than 1,700 people with ulcerative colitis to one of three phase 3 trials. The first two trials looked at more than 1,100 patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis who had failed with conventional treatment or treatment with newer "tumor necrosis factor antagonist" drugs, such as Remicade (infliximab). They received Xeljanz or a placebo twice a day for eight weeks. In the third trial, nearly 600 patients who responded to Xeljanz were assigned to a maintenance dose (one group with 5 milligrams [mg] and another group with 10 mg) of the drug, or placebo for a year. In the first trial, nearly 19 percent of the patients taking Xeljanz experienced a remission of their condition in eight weeks. That compared to just 8 percent of patients receiving placebo. In the second trial, almost 17 percent of those taking Xeljanz had a remission, compared with nearly 4 percent of those taking placebo, the researchers found. In the third trial, more than 34 percent of patients taking 5 mg of Xeljanz had disease remission after one year. Forty percent of those taking a 10-mg dose of the drug had remission at a year. Only 11 percent of patients on placebo saw a remission. However, in all of the trials, more patients taking Xeljanz suffered from infections, such as shingles, than those receiving placebo, researchers found. In addition, five patients taking Xeljanz developed nonmelanoma skin cancer, compared with one patient receiving placebo. Five patients taking the drug experienced heart problems compared with no one on the placebo. Also, compared with placebo, Xeljanz was associated with an increase in levels of cholesterol. The report was published May 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Sonia Friedman is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She's also the author of an editorial accompanying the study. "Tofacitinib is a promising new class of medical therapy that has efficacy in ulcerative colitis. It is an oral, small-molecule drug that is different from current biologic therapies, such as infliximab [Remicade], adalimumab [Humira], golimumab [Simponi] and vedolizumab [Entyvio]," Friedman said. An advantage of Xeljanz is that it is a pill. Other biologic drugs are given by infusion or injection. In addition, patients cannot develop antibodies to Xeljanz as they can with other biologic drugs, Friedman said. "Tofacitinib may be used in the future as rescue therapy from failure of biologics," she said. "Only future studies will determine whether it can be used as initial therapy for ulcerative colitis and what patients it would help the most." More information: William Sandborn, M.D., professor, medicine, and chief, division of gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego; Sonia Friedman, M.D., associate professor, medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Arun Swaminath, M.D., director, inflammatory bowel disease program, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; May 4, 2017, New England Journal of Medicine William Sandborn, M.D., professor, medicine, and chief, division of gastroenterology, University of California, San Diego; Sonia Friedman, M.D., associate professor, medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Arun Swaminath, M.D., director, inflammatory bowel disease program, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; May 4, 2017, For more information on ulcerative colitis, visit the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Copyright 2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Research led Terry J. Smith, M.D., and Raymond Douglas, M.D., Ph.D., while at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, shows success of teprotumumab in safely reducing disfiguring eye symptoms of Graves' eye disease. Credit: University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center The disease is characterized by inflammation and a buildup of tissue around the eyes that cause them to bulge painfully from their sockets. There has never been a safe and effective treatment for Graves' eye disease, also known as thyroid eye disease, for the one million Americans with the condition. Patients see inconsistent benefit from anti-inflammatory medicines and complex orbital surgery helps give some a more natural appearance once the disease has run its course. The results of a clinical trial led by the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center offers hope for those with moderate-to-severe active TED. Patients had a significant reduction in eye symptoms after treatment with teprotumumab, a study drug the U.S. Food and Administration called a "breakthrough therapy." Most study patients in the trial who got the active drug instead of a placebo had reduced eye bulging, eye pain and swelling and improved quality of life, the study's primary and secondary end points. For some, the therapeutic benefit was rapid, occurring within six weeks of intravenous infusions of the drug that blocks what researchers say is an autoimmune attack on muscles around the eyes. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the clinical trial data represents 25 years of research led by the lead study author the Kellogg Eye Center's Terry J. Smith, M.D., an endocrinologist and Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. TED is a rare condition associated with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes an overproduction of thyroid hormone, or hyperthyroidism. Symptoms include swelling of the eyelids, constant stare, bulging eyes, eyelid retraction, optic neuropathy, double vision and other symptoms. Approximately 25 to 50 percent of those with Graves' disease will develop TED, most of them women. Previous findings in Smith's laboratory suggested that an insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) plays an important role in Graves' disease and other autoimmune diseases. "Specifically, we have found that there is an unusually high presence of IGF-1 receptors on cells surrounding the eye in TED," says Smith, who is widely recognized for his groundbreaking research on treatments for TED and related autoimmune disorders. Building on this discovery, an outgrowth of basic science research conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, and then at the Kellogg Eye Center, Smith and study author Raymond Douglas, M.D., Ph.D., a Graves' eye disease specialist and renowned oculoplastics surgeon, initiated the study of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. "The eyes are particularly susceptible to Graves' disease because the autoimmune attack often targets the eye muscles and connective tissue surrounding the eye," Douglas says. "This occurs as a consequence of these tissues containing proteins that are shared with the thyroid gland." The study, lasting 24 weeks and involving 88 patients, was the largest multi-center Graves' eye disease trial. Patients were recruited between July 2, 2013 and Sept. 23, 2015, from 15 sites across the United States as well as Italy and Germany and the United Kingdom. Study investigators examined the benefit of teprotumumab, a monoclonal antibody shown to inhibit IGF-1 function and was originally developed as a cancer drug. Although teprotumumab failed to exhibit efficacy in patients with cancer, the team believed it might be useful in interrupting the TED disease process. At the end of the trial, 69 percent of study patients receiving infusions of teprotumumab once every three weeks had reduced eye bulging (proptosis) and increased quality of life compared to 20 percent in the placebo group. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or an active drug. Neither participants nor researchers knew which medicine was being used so they could describe what happened in the trial without bias. Some participants had results after two injections at week six when, according to the study, a reported 43 percent of patients in the treatment group compared to 4 percent in the placebo group had a response. Patients who responded to the treatment reached the study's primary end point of a reduction by 2 points or more in the severity of the disease, which was measured on a 7-point Clinical Activity Score, and reduction by 2 mm or more in the degree of proptosis. Secondary end points included better quality of life. Those in the treatment group had a baseline Clinical Activity Score of 5.1. The marked reduction in proptosis is similar to the kind of results surgical patients would expect, authors note. "The findings have implications for other autoimmune diseases in which IGF-1 reception has already been implicated such as rheumatoid arthritis," Smith says. The most common side effect of treatment was nausea. Muscle spasms and diarrhea were also reported, particularly among patients with gastrointestinal disease. The only drug-related adverse event was hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes; these events were controlled by adjusting medication for diabetes. The results provide inroads for a new therapy to safely minimize the severity of the eye condition. "The study is one of two pivotal clinical trials needed to achieve registration of teprotumumab as the first approved therapy to prevent TED symptoms," says David Madden, president and chief executive officer of River Vision Corporation, which has entered an agreement to manufacture the drug with CMC Biologics in Copenhagen, Denmark. The drug cannot be prescribed currently for TED patients. A follow-up clinical trial is underway, but not recruiting participants, and is expected to be complete in 2018. Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers Researchers have shown that following a stroke-induced ischemic injury to the human brain, stem cells are produced that have the potential to differentiate and mature to form neurons that can help repair the damage to the brain. The new clinical study that provides direct evidence of ischemia-induced stem cells (iSCs) in brain tissue removed during treatment of post-stroke patients is published in Stem Cells and Development. In the article entitled "Identification of Multipotent Stem Cells in Human Brain Tissue Following Stroke," Kotaro Tatebayashi, Yasue Tanaka, Akiko Nakano-Doi, and coauthors from Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan, present this first clinical report describing the isolation of iSCs from the post-stroke human brain. The stem cells were situated near blood vessels in areas of the brain containing neurons that had died as a result of stroke-related lack of oxygen. The iSCs expressed multiple stem cell markers, demonstrated high proliferative potential, and were shown to be multipotent in culture with the ability to differentiate into various cell types including neurons. "This excellently performed demonstration in the human brain confirms previous work in the mouse that showed cerebral ischemia induced multipotent stem cells that were restricted to areas of the brain damaged by stroke," says Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI. More information: Kotaro Tatebayashi et al, Identification of Multipotent Stem Cells in Human Brain Tissue Following Stroke, Stem Cells and Development (2017). Journal information: Stem Cells and Development Kotaro Tatebayashi et al, Identification of Multipotent Stem Cells in Human Brain Tissue Following Stroke,(2017). DOI: 10.1089/scd.2016.0334 High levels of education and domestic income levels predicted better skills for Chinese people 65 years of age and older. Credit: 123RF According to a doctoral dissertation being examined at the University of Helsinki, Chinese people of a higher socioeconomic status are on average in better physical and cognitive condition at baseline. However, socioeconomic status does not protect people from age-related decreases in the ability to function. The results indicate insufficient financial resources and healthcare services correlated with a decreased ability to function in China. High levels of education and domestic income levels predicted better cognitive skills for Chinese people 65 years of age and older. A high income level was also linked to higher ability to function in terms of daily chores. The study used the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy and Longevity Survey (CLHLS) which was conducted in China between 2002 and 2011. CLHLS is the most extensive population-level study of Chinese people aged 65 years and older. It is based on internationally comparable survey forms, and yielded comprehensive data on socioeconomic status, family structure and background, living arrangements, daily activities, lifestyle and health. High education of childrenreduced male mortality According to the dissertation, cohabiting with a highly educated spouse or child was connected to lower mortality. Highly educated spouses reduced mortality among seniors, particularly among men. Highly educated children were linked to reduced mortality, both for men and women. "In addition, men and women who were less educated but who cohabited with more educated children, were healthier. It seems that the health impact of education among seniors is partially influenced by the education level of the children," says Lei Yang, doctoral candidate at the University of Helsinki. People in the higher social classes were healthier on average and had lower mortality than lower classes. However, it is not clear whether these differences become less pronounced later in life. "There is still limited data about this in China, even though it has the largest population of seniors in the world," Yang explains. Family's social status has a highimpacton senior health Unlike in western countries, Chinese seniors typically live with their children, and family members play an important role in their healthcare. "The social standing of the family members seems to have even more impact on the health of the senior population in China than it does in western societies," Yang states. The main objective of the study was to investigate the trajectories of health in later life by means of different indicators of socioeconomic status, and to assess how the socioeconomic status of family members affects the health and mortality risk of elderly people in China. The specific aim was to find out whether elderly people with a higher socioeconomic status have better physical and cognitive functioning and a lower rate of decline with age. A Johns Hopkins Lifeline helicopter arrives to pick up and transport Ferdinand Hui from Baltimore, MD to Washington, D.C. Credit: Ferdinand Hui Flying a stroke specialist by helicopter to a nearby stroke patient for emergency care is feasible, saves money and, most importantly, gets critical care to patients faster than transporting the patient to a hospital first, according to a single-patient, proof-of-concept study by a Johns Hopkins Medicine research team. Although the study was not designed to show whether "helistroke service" would improve outcomes for patients, previous research has amply demonstrated that stroke victims do best when they are treated as quickly as possibleideally in 100 minutes or less. A report of the findings, published in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery on May 3, details what is believed to be the first test of transporting a physician by helicopter to perform a standard intervention for a stroke. "With the development of effective treatments, the most limiting factor to treating acute stroke is infrastructurewe have to keep evolving our systems to get therapy to as many appropriate patients as possible," says Ferdinand K. Hui, M.D., associate professor of radiology and radiological science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Hui, the report's first author, is the physician who was transported via helicopter for the study. In the traditional model of care, people experiencing an acute ischemic stroke (a cutoff of blood supply in a blood vessel to the brain) are taken to a hospital with a specialized center capable of performing a minimally invasive therapy in which a physician inserts a catheter into the groin and threads it up through blood vessels to the blood clot in the brain causing the stroke. Once the catheter is in place, the physician delivers drugs that break up the clot. Patient transport time, however, can be significant and, in many cases, stroke victims are first taken to a nearby community hospital, then transported to the specialized center, often further delaying time to treatment and lowering the odds of recovery or reduced disability. In a recent study analyzing the results of a global, multicenter trial, data show a 91 percent probability of favorable stroke outcome if patients' blood flow was restored within 150 minutes of stroke. The next 60 minutes of delay, researchers found, resulted in a 10 percent reduction of good outcome. An additional 60 minutes resulted in an additional 20 percent reduction of good outcome. For the best chance of a favorable outcome, preintervention time was calculated to be less than 100 minutes. To test the feasibility of a physician-to-patient model that could potentially improve outcomes for a time-sensitive procedure, investigators designed a study to fly Hui by Johns Hopkins Lifeline from Baltimore to a National Institutes of Health Stroke Center at Suburban Hospital in Washington, D.C. 39.4 miles awayto treat a stroke victim. Suburban, part of the Johns Hopkins Health System, has radiologists and the necessary equipment to image blood vessels but no neurointerventional experts on hand to provide immediate, catheter-based treatment. A patient was eligible for treatment in the pilot study if he or she had a large vessel blockage and a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale rating greater than eight, which is considered a severe stroke. The stroke scale is a 15-item neurologic examination used to evaluate the potential damage of stroke as soon as possible after it occurs. In January 2017, such a patient was identified at Suburban at 11:12 a.m. Scans to view the patient's blood vessels and brain tissue were initiated at 11:46 a.m. and completed at 11:58 a.m. Ferdinand Hui (far right) and interventionalists are pictured at Suburban Hospital. Credit: Ferdinand Hui Hui, who was at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, was alerted at 12:07 p.m. Johns Hopkins Lifeline, which provides critical care transportation, was called at 12:13 p.m. Weather clearance for helicopter takeoff was obtained at 12:24 p.m., and the helicopter flight from The Johns Hopkins Hospital to Suburban Hospital took 19 minutes. Hui inserted the catheter into the patient at 1:07 p.m. and completed treatment at 1:41 p.m. Total time between decision-to-treat and groin puncture was 43 minutes, and between decision-to-treat and groin closure was 77 minutes. These times are comparable with time to treatment in one institution without transfer. The patient received tissue Plasminogen Activator, a clot-dissolving drug, and improved clinically. Hui says the helistroke service model not only has the potential to reduce transport time and improve patient outcomes, but also could expand ideal standards of care to rural and other populations, where specialized care is limited. "Up until now, the model has been that the 'right place' was a central location, like a tertiary facility such as The Johns Hopkins Hospital," says Jim Scheulen, M.B.A., chief administrative officer of emergency medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. "But what we have demonstrated here is that bringing the right resources in the right time to the patient may actually be a better approach than always moving the patient." Hui cautions that the helistroke service is not always the right or best choice: weather restrictions, specialist availability and transportation costs limit the use of the model. But flying a specialist to a patient may also eliminate some costs of nursing care, monitoring equipment, and the costs of ambulance services to one or more hospitals, as well as potentially fewer days of hospitalization and rehabilitation for stroke patients, he says. Although costs vary among regions and hospital networks, the cost of transferring a physician in this case was roughly 20 percent ($2,000-$3,000) of the average patient helicopter transfer cost ($6,500-$8,000) for the hospital network. The vaccine debate in Italy heated up across multiple fronts Wednesday, as the country dealt with an outbreak of measles, an invigorated anti-vaccine campaign and a scandal involving a nurse who claimed for years to have inoculated children but didn't. Italian health authorities announced Wednesday they would recall up to 7,000 children in northern Italy to be re-vaccinated after determining that some children didn't receive the necessary doses. A nurse, identified by authorities only as P.E., is accused of having botched thousands of inoculations from 2009-2015, intentionally or not. At the same time, Italian politicians traded barbs over accusations that the populist 5-Star Movement had emboldened anti-vaccine campaigners at a time when Italy is dealing with a major outbreak of measles. Italy's health ministry has reported 1,739 cases since the start of the year, drawing the scorn of the EU and a travel warning from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Years ago, when he was just a comic, 5-Star founder Beppe Grillo cast doubt about vaccines, mammograms and parents' obligations to vaccinate as part of a rant about pharmaceutical companies and the health industry. The 5-Stars today insist they're not anti-vaccination, but their official program "Vaccinate yes, vaccinate no, Let's have clarity" poses the question of whether to vaccinate. The program highlights side effects, says parents have lost faith in science, doctors, pharmaceutical companies and politicians, and calls for a reduction in the number of obligatory inoculations. The issue has returned to the forefront thanks to proposed legislation by the ruling Democratic Party that would re-introduce obligatory vaccines for children to be allowed into schools and daycare. The 5-Stars, the largest opposition bloc in parliament, have opposed the bill, arguing that parents should be allowed to choose. The debate hit a high point last month when state-run RAI television aired an investigative report questioning the safety of the HPV vaccine, drawing swift scorn from the health ministry. Ex-Premier Matteo Renzi, who has highlighted Grillo's vaccine stance, pounced Wednesday after a New York Times editorial accused the 5-Stars of fueling the anti-vaccine campaign much as President Donald Trump has in the U.S. Trump has promoted scientifically debunked theories linking vaccines with autism. "For once in your life, Grillo, be human: let the clicks and algorithms go and take back your words that you said against vaccines," Renzi wrote on Facebook. Grillo fired back on his blog: "There is no 5-Star Movement campaign against vaccines, nor an anti-vaccine platform, nor have there ever been repeated the false links between vaccines and autism." 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. If the mother is particularly heavily exposed to phthalates during pregnancy, there is an increased risk of allergic asthma for the children. Credit: Fotosearch Phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in plastics, can considerably increase the risk of allergies among children. This was demonstrated by UFZ researchers in conjunction with scientists from the University of Leipzig and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in a current study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. According to this study, an increased risk of children developing allergic asthma exists if the mother has been particularly heavily exposed to phthalates during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The mother-child cohort from the LINA study was the starting and end point of this translational study. In our day-to-day lives, we come into contact with countless plastics containing plasticizers. These plasticizers, which also include the aforementioned phthalates, are used when processing plastics in order to make the products more flexible. Phthalates can enter our bodies through the skin, foodstuffs or respiration. "It is a well-known fact that phthalates affect our hormone system and can thereby have an adverse effect on our metabolism or fertility. But that's not the end of it," says UFZ environmental immunologist Dr Tobias Polte. "The results of our current study demonstrate that phthalates also interfere with the immune system and can significantly increase the risk of developing allergies." At the outset of the study, the team of UFZ researchers examined the urine of pregnant women from the LINA (lifestyle and environmental factors and their influence on the newborn-allergy-risk) mother-child cohort study and searched for metabolites of phthalates. The concentration level determined in each case was found to correlate with the occurrence of allergic asthma among the children. "There was a clearly discernible relationship between higher concentrations of the metabolite of benzylbutylphthalate (BBP) in the mother's urine and the presence of allergic asthma in their children", explains Dr Irina Lehmann, who heads the LINA study. Researchers were able to confirm the results from the mother-child cohort in the mouse model in collaboration with colleagues from the Medical Faculty at the University of Leipzig. In this process, mice were exposed to a certain phthalate concentration during pregnancy and the lactation period, which led to comparable concentrations of the BBP metabolite in urine to those observed in heavily exposed mothers from the LINA cohort. The offspring demonstrated a clear tendency to develop allergic asthma; even the third generation continued to be affected. Among the adult mice, on the other hand, there were no increased allergic symptoms. "The time factor is therefore decisive: if the organism is exposed to phthalates during the early stages of development, this may have effects on the risk of illness for the two subsequent generations," explains Polte. "The prenatal development process is thus clearly altered by the phthalate exposure." Phthalates turn off regulatory genes In the course of the LINA mother-child cohort study, UFZ scientists investigated the lifestyle and environmental factors of pregnant women and their influence on the allergy risk of infants. Credit: UFZ/Andre Kunzelmann In order to establish precisely what may have been modified, Polte and his team, in collaboration with colleagues from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), took a close look at the genes of the young mice born to exposed mothers. So-called methyl groups were found in the DNA of these genes and to a greater extent than is usually the case. In the course of this so-called epigenetic modification of the DNA, methyl groups attach themselves to a gene like a kind of padlock and thus prevent its code from being read, meaning that the associated protein cannot be produced. After the researchers treated the mice with a special substance intended to crack the methyl "locks" on the affected genes, the mice demonstrated fewer signs of allergic asthma than before. Dr Polte concludes the following: "Phthalates apparently switch off decisive genes by means of DNA methylation, causing the activity of these genes to be reduced in the young mice." But which genes cause allergic asthma if they cannot be read? So-called T-helper 2 cells play a central part in the development of allergies. These are kept in check by special opponents (repressors). If a repressor gene cannot be read as a result of being blocked by methyl groups, the T-helper 2 cells that are conducive to the development of allergies are no longer sufficiently inhibited, meaning that an allergy is likely to develop. "We surmise that this connection is decisive for the development of allergic asthma caused by phthalates," says Polte. "Furthermore, in the cell experiment, we were able to demonstrate that there is an increased formation of T-helper 2 cells from the immune cells of the offspring of exposed mother mice than is the case for the offspring of non-exposed animals. This enabled us to establish an increased tendency towards allergies once again." From humans to mice and back again In mice, the researchers were able to prove that a repressor gene that has been switched off due to DNA methylation is responsible for the development of allergic asthma. But does this mechanism also play a part in humans? In order to answer this question, the researchers consulted the LINA cohort once more. They searched for the corresponding gene among the children with allergic asthma and studied the degree of methylation and gene activity. Here, too, it became apparent that the gene was blocked by methyl groups and thus could not be read. "Thanks to our translational study approach which led from humans via the mouse model and cellular culture back to humans again we have been able to demonstrate that epigenetic modifications are apparently responsible for the fact that children of mothers who had a high exposure to phthalates during pregnancy and breastfeeding have an increased risk of developing allergic asthma," says Polte. "The objective of our further research will be to understand exactly how specific phthalates give rise to the methylation of genes which are relevant for the development of allergies." More information: Susanne Jahreis et al. Maternal Phthalate Exposure Promotes Allergic Airway Inflammation over Two Generations Via Epigenetic Modifications, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2017). Journal information: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Susanne Jahreis et al. Maternal Phthalate Exposure Promotes Allergic Airway Inflammation over Two Generations Via Epigenetic Modifications,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.03.017 Credit: University of Western Australia A new research study of immune responses to pneumococcal vaccines, commonly given to people with compromised immune systems, young children and people over 65, has identified a type of immune cell which is important in generating antibodies that prevent people from developing pneumococcal pneumonia. In the study conducted by researchers at The University of Western Australia, people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, including those successfully treated with antiretroviral therapy, and people not infected by HIV were given a pneumococcal vaccine and various immune cells and their function examined in blood before and after vaccination. The researchers found in those without HIV infection, production of antibodies was strongly associated with a type of immune cell, called T-follicular helper cells, which are critical for generating antibody responses. In contrast, people with HIV infection produced far fewer of these cells, which was related to lower antibody responses and, importantly, these abnormalities persisted in people with treated HIV infection. The study, published today in PLOS ONE was carried out by Dr Laila Abudulai under the supervision of Dr Sonia Fernandez and Professor Martyn French from UWA's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Dr Abudulai said that it was the first time that T-follicular helper cells had been shown to be important in the production of antibodies to pneumococcal vaccines. "Our findings may lead to the development of new ways to assess the effectiveness of such vaccines," she said. Professor French said that the discoveries provided new information about why people with HIV infection were much more susceptible to pneumococcal pneumonia than those without HIV infection. "Pneumococcal vaccines are very effective in preventing pneumonia but are less effective in people with compromised immune systems, particularly HIV-infected people," he said. "The findings presented in this paper shed important light on the mechanisms of antibody production after pneumococcal vaccination and how this is adversely affected by HIV infection." Identification of blood immune cells that could be used as a biomarker to assess the efficacy of pneumococcal vaccines will be beneficial to not only HIV-infected people but also other people with an increased susceptibility to pneumococcal pneumonia. More information: Laila N. Abudulai et al. Production of IgG antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides is associated with expansion of ICOS+ circulating memory T follicular-helper cells which is impaired by HIV infection, PLOS ONE (2017). Journal information: PLoS ONE Laila N. Abudulai et al. Production of IgG antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides is associated with expansion of ICOS+ circulating memory T follicular-helper cells which is impaired by HIV infection,(2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176641 Credit: University of New South Wales A study examining Australian suicide cases has highlighted a lack of communication between health care professionals and family members in the last month before the deaths. UNSW Conjoint Professor Brian Draper led a team that carried out a "psychological autopsy" study of 74 separate suicide cases in Queensland and New South Wales. Most of the suicides involved men (62 per cent) with an average age of 54 years who had been in contact with health professionals and next-of-kin in the month prior to their death. "We found that family members were more likely to be aware of suicide warning signs than health care professionals," Professor Draper said. "Next-of-kin were significantly more likely to be aware of indirect suicide communication such as people changing their will; disposing of possessions; stock-piling pills and expressing feelings of hopelessness. "However, in 25 per cent of the suicides there was no communication between the next-of-kin who had picked up on these suicide warning signs and the health professionals treating the person who died. "Even in cases involving people with recent suicidal behaviour, there was no communication between health professionals and next-of-kin in 62 per cent of cases. "Mental health professionals failed to communicate with GPs in 40 per cent of the suicide cases that had involved individuals with a diagnosed mental illness." The study was presented to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Annual Congress in Adelaide. Professor Draper said detailed interviews were carried out with relatives and health care professionals about their last contact with those who died by suicide, including any communication of their plans and suicide history. "As thirty per cent of the people who died did not have a diagnosed mental illness, there's a need for ongoing public mental health campaigns covering suicide warning signs, mental disorders and how to access help, stressing the importance of letting someone know if there are concerns," he said. "Clinicians should also try to include families as far as possible in their treatment of people with mental illness, especially depression, so more information can be shared about the person's condition. "Health professionals also need to communicate specifically about suicide risk with the family and friends of their patients with their agreement as far as possible to enable more accurate assessments and more inclusive treatment plans. "Families need emergency contacts and more education to support them in dealing with a family member's illness." The NHS is frequently in the news about its ongoing funding crisis. New research suggests demand for health services is set to continue to grow faster than GDP per head in all developed countries around the world. Along with a paper about the J-value model for life-expectancy growth in industrialised countries, the research establishes a reason why people in the UK will want to spend an increasing fraction of their income on health services. The J-value, a new method pioneered by Professor Philip Thomas from the University of Bristol, is used to assess how much should be spent to protect human life. It has been validated across 180 nations out of the 193 members of the United Nations and has now been verified against UK data for life expectancy at birth. Using the growth in the UK's GDP per head as input, the J-value model is able to reproduce to within three months the four and a half year increase in life expectancy at birth that the UK experienced over a 20 year periodfrom 1985 to 2005. The validated J-value model includes the assumption that all nations apply the same fraction of their per capita income to life extending measures at a J-value of 1.0. Less developed countries can be expected to prioritise items such as the provision of clean water and safer transport systems, and may choose to keep their spending on health care a roughly constant fraction of their GDP per head. But more highly developed countries already have a good infrastructure, and this allows their citizens to put more emphasis on extending their lives through better health care, especially as new technologies become available. The evidence supports such a conclusion, as developed nations were found to devote an increasing fraction of their per capita income to health care between 1995 and 2015. The J-value model offers no indication that the process will halt in the near future. Even though an increase in line with GDP per head would imply a real-terms growth in health spending in expanding economies, the J-value model suggests that such a policy will not be enough to satisfy the aspirations of their people. Consequently, Governments and healthcare providers in the developed world would be advised to plan on the basis that future demand for health care services will increase faster than GDP per head. Philip Thomas, Professor of Risk Management in the Department of Civil Engineering, and author of the research, said: "The UK is lagging well behind France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Those countries are all spending a lot more on health care, not only in monetary terms but also as a fraction of GDP per head. For example, the Netherlands spent $5,200 per person in 2014, 10.9 per cent of GDP per head. By contrast the UK spent only $3,400 per person, 9.1 per cent of GDP per head. "So the UK may have to cope not only with health demand that is growing faster than GDP per head but also with a significant element of catch-up. It may need to learn lessons on provision from its European neighbours." More information: 'Does health spending need to outpace GDP per head?' by Philip Thomas in Nanotechnology Perceptions. 'Does health spending need to outpace GDP per head?' by Philip Thomas in 'Corroboration of the J-value model for life-expectancy growth in industrialised countries' by Philip Thomas in Nanotechnology Perceptions. Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia FT: Taiwan plans to establish drone production, allocated $1.6 billion Azerbaijan's 'Horst Wessel' for Iran: Baku media replicates 'murder story' Tesla recalls 40,000 electric cars because of problems with power steering Sky News: Russia handed over Javelin, NLAW and Stinger missiles to Iran in exchange for drones Russia has record number of Armenia migrants outflow Stoltenberg says NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12, 2023 Iranian Interior Ministry: Organizers of riots in Iran were trained in 8 unfriendly countries Europe fills its gas storage facilities almost 100% before cold season Greece MPs visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Strasbourg city council adopts resolution on supporting Armenia Ohanyan: We see hope in Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan format regarding Karabakhs future Turkey says it will not focus only on Russian gas David Babayan says Azerbaijan makes propaganda against Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh Former ECHR judge: UN Security Council does not consider Karabakh's separation illegal Shavarsh Kocharyan says current PM took step of declaring Armenia aggressor AraratBank underwrites FINCA UCO bonds First ombudsperson says current Armenian authorities are illegitimate Armenian National Committee of America: Dr. Oz Defeated in Pennsylvania Senate race Head of Turkish Ministry of Agriculture: 10.1 million tons of grain exported from Ukrainian ports Putin and Lukashenko discuss upcoming CSTO meeting by phone Armenia legislature discusses issues of residents of Karabakhs Kashatagh region handed over to Azerbaijan President pays tribute to martyrs of 3rd Artsakh war Australian pedophile sentenced to 129 years in Philippines Japan says North Korea launches alleged ballistic missile British cabinet minister resigns after recent harassment allegations Eleving Group member Mogo applies the best practices in Armenia Artsakh FM: Azerbaijan will have to take new realities into account in near future Iran MFA. Azerbaijan president's reaction is incomprehensible Parliament speaker considers transit visa requirement for Armenia citizens at Poland airports worrisome Pashinyan: Armenia-Cambodia warm relations have great prospects for development Javier Colomina: NATO supports normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations Copper falls in price Iran official: Goal of $3bn trade with Armenia will be realized under this government Karabakh FM: Azerbaijan has become more aggressive, brazen with Turkeys support MOD: Artsakh army units did not open fire towards Azerbaijan positions Oil prices go down Armenia Security Council chief briefs Poland Senate vice-speaker on regional developments Azerbaijan fires at Armenia positions Gold prices go down Newspaper: Armenia law enforcement agencies operative intelligence teams to enter several officials houses US midterm elections virtually over, counting of votes underway US State Department: Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs agreed to continue meetings, direct dialogue India's Supreme Court releases men sentenced to death for rape and murder Global South needs $2 trillion year to fight climate crisis McDonald's releases chair for gamers with burger stand The Telegraph: Rishi Sunak to announce major natural gas deal with US after COP27 summit 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 The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has urged the White House to recognize the Armenian genocide. Supervisor Kathryn Barger recommended sending a letter to President Donald Trump, mynewsla.com reported. She noted that Trump, like past presidents, stopped short of describing the 1915 events as genocide. Supervisor Hilda Solis said officials should not be intimidated by the threats that are made by the Turkish government, which has long denied that a genocide occurred. The board will also urge the countys congressional delegates to support House Resolution 220, sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, which would formally recognize the genocide. Representative of the Armenian community Peter Darakjian, told the board there were no local survivors left to share the horror of the genocide, now that a 101-year-old woman had died. History seems to repeat itself if it goes unrecognized. Genocide seems to do the same, Darakjian said. Enough already, after 102 years. Los Angeles County is home to more than 200,000 Armenians. YEREVAN. Ucom director general Hayk Yesayan visited Armath engineering laboratory in border village of Voskepar, Tavush province. Robotics and programming are not only interesting to me, but those are applicable in all the areas of life, says Adam Adibekyan, a student of Armath engineering laboratory of secondary school after H. Barseghyan in a border Voskepar village of Tavush region, to the supporters of the project from Ucom and Union of the Information Technology Enterprises (UITE). The children studying in a border Voskepar village of Tavush region and acquiring engineering and programming skills in this laboratory, are mainly 6th-7th grade pupils, who try to apply their knowledge of algebra, geometry and physics. These children try to perform the computer modelling, printing of different items, programme games and create animations. The lab has aroused great interest not only in boys, but in girls as well. In just one year that I attend this class I have learned to work with Scratch program and wrote a number of games, says Irina Nasibyan, a student of the same laboratory. Its true that I want to become a doctor, but the knowledge Id take from here will come useful in the future. We basically program games and at the moment we got a competitive task to animate the Happy Hut by Ghazaros Aghayan, says Tigran Aghbalyan, a student of the Armath engineering laboratory in Voskepar. Our company attaches great importance to the involvement of children from regions and particularly from the border villages in the educational programs of Armath engineering laboratory. The scarcity of pupils here allows choosing the bests from the best and getting the result, which might be used in military industry, said Hayk Yesayan, Director General at Ucom. Let us note, that according to the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) and Ucom, the latter invests to open around 70 more engineering club-laboratories named Armath in 9 regions of Armenia. Hayk Yesayan, the Director General at Ucom, visits the existing Armath labs on a regular basis, meets their students, gets acquainted with the their achievements and follows up the progress. The educational curriculum of Armath engineering laboratories aims to promote the technological education in all schools of the Armenian communities, to assist pupils in their early interest emergence in modern high technology, to promote the development of engineering mindset from early ages and to prepare competent students. The project enables practical support for the integration of qualified IT-specialists into the Armenian and world markets, the exchange of the experience between them, and the attraction of large-scale investments into the IT-industry. It is noteworthy, that the software and assembly drawings of the labs-developed equipment are open to public. The computer programs and systems are armenianized to the extension possible, while during the project implementation for the acquisition of the equipment and software, the priority is given to the local producers, the bright example of which serve the high-quality three-dimensional (3D) printers, mini-computers, robotics kits and other devices produced in Armenia. Blogger Alexander Lapshin who has been jailed in Azerbaijan is experiencing health problems. His condition has deteriorated sharply, his wife Yekaterina wrote on Facebook. He is suffering from tachycardia and neuralgia. Alexander has sharp pain in his leg, his wife said. Alexander needs medical examination and treatment in hospital, as he had not been provided with sufficient treatment at a jail medical facility. In December 2016, Israeli Russian blogger Alexander Lapshin was detained in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk. The reason was his being on the international wanted persons list, due to a search which Azerbaijan had declared. Baku accuses him of visiting Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) without its consent. And on February 7 of the current year, Belarus extradited the blogger to the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku, where he was taken into custody. Negotiations on Syria in Astana should strengthen the truce, but some sabotage this process, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a press conference after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, RIA Novosti reported. As guarantor countries, Russia and Turkey should approach this issue very sensitively, he said. Thanks to the meetings in Astana, at our earliest opportunity, we must strengthen this truce. But some others are spending their energy to sabotage this process, he emphasized. The fourth round of negotiations on the Syrian settlement will take place in the capital of Kazakhstan on Wednesday. LafargeHolcim (HCMLY) shares slumped in early Zurich trading Wednesday as investors continued to fret over the fate of the world's biggest cement maker's Syria payments scandal even as it posted stronger-than-expected first quarter earnings. The Swiss-based group posted adjusted EBITDA of Sfr840 million ($847 million), up 14.5% on a like-for-like basis on the same period in 2016, on sales of Sfr5.63 billion, up 5.3% on a like-for-like basis. Analysts had forecast EBITDA of about Sfr780 million. The gains marked a fourth-consecutive quarter of earnings growth thanks to improved pricing and strong demand in the US, Middle East and Africa. Shares were under pressure in Zurich, however, as the company searches for a new CEO following the pending departure of Eric Olsen, who will step down in July following an investigation that found that the company made "unacceptable" payments to Syrian militia groups to protect its operations in that country during 2013 and 2014. LafargeHolcim shares were marked 0.8% lower at Sfr56.95 each by noon in Zurich compared to a 0.35% gain for the SMI benchmark. Oslen, who will leave on July 15, denied any involvement in making the payments but said that he would quit to draw a line under the scandal. He will be replaced on an interim basis by group chairman Beat Hess. LafargeHolcim said the first quarter results underpinned a positive outlook for the rest of the year. It maintained its 2017 forecasts of double-digit growth in adjusted operating EBITDA and recurring earnings per share in excess of 20%. "Continued pricing strength, improving volume momentum and synergies underpinned our results across the portfolio," said Olsen said. "Our Middle East Africa region performed particularly well with a recovering Nigeria making a notable contribution to earnings growth." Demand for cement, by tonnage, remained unchanged in the first quarter, while prices were up 5.3%, driven by price increases in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Cost savings linked to the group's formative merger in 2015, contributed Sfr94 million to earnings, leaving the company on track to reap a target Sfr400 million of savings over the course of this year. "In 2017, we will deliver sustainable, profitable growth through continued strong focus on lower Capex, structural cost savings, synergies and commercial differentiation of our products and building solutions," said the company. "This will be particularly supported by the contribution of several markets such as the US, India, Nigeria and some countries in Europe while we forecast demand in our markets to increase by between 2% to 4%." BNP Paribas SA (BNPQY) shares were active in early Paris trading after France's biggest bank posted stronger-than-expected first quarter earnings amid a surge in revenues from its global markets division. BNP said net income for the first three months of the year rose 4.4% to 1.89 billion, beating the consensus forecast of 1.6 billion despite weaknesses in its domestic retail market. However, investors focused on a 33% rise in revenues from trading at its global markets division, to 1.754 billion, a figure that was significantly higher than those posted by its European rivals. For the entire Corporate and Investment Banking division, revenues rose 20% 3.223 billion, outpacing the 11% increase (to 2.5 billion) in operating expenses. "BNP Paribas delivered a very good performance this quarter," said CEO Jean-Laurent Bonnafe. "The revenues of the operating divisions were significantly higher thanks to good business growth. Costs were well under control and the cost of risk was down." "The Group's balance sheet is rock-solid and the further increase in the fully loaded Basel 3 common equity Tier 1 ratio to 11.6% testifies this," he added. "I would like to thank all the employees of the Group whose dedicated work made these results possible, allowing to start the 2020 plan in good conditions." BNP also said its tier 1 capital ratio, a measure of the amount of cash the bank must set aside to cover potential losses, rose by one percentage point from the end of 2016 to 11.6% at the end of March. That trails the 14.1% figure posted by Deutsche Bank DB last month, although that tally includes the bank's $8.5 billion capital increase. BNP was marked 0.65% higher at 66.18 each by 14:20 CET in Paris, a gain that ran against a broader 0.23% decline for the CAC-40 benchmark. So far this year, BNP shares have been one of the best performers among the region's biggest lenders -- trailing only Banco Santander SA (SAN) - Get Free Report -- and have risen more than 8.6% compared to an 8.4% gain for the Stoxx Europe 600 Banks index. Residents and more than 20 million tourists visiting this popular vacation destination annually can rest assured the Red Cross will be able to respond quickly in case of a medical emergency. The new digital radiocommunication solution will make it possible to establish ongoing communication among members of the rescue team, hospitals and public safety agencies, even in remote areas. May 3, 2017 The Mexican Red Cross announced the donation of a digital communication solution for the medical unit in Cancun by Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) in order to reinforce the unit's emergency and rescue work in the area.The unit in Cancun is made up of 350 volunteers, 25 ambulances and a dispatch center, and provides service to the municipalities of Benito Juarez, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres and Lazaro Cardenas, as well as the airport area. In 2016, this unit provided 17,400 emergency services, both on land and on the water; this averages to about 45 services on most days and up to 170 services on holidays.The high demand for services necessitated a quicker and more effective response capability. With this donation, which involved migrating analog communications to digital through a solution comprised of 25 mobile radios for ambulances and 15 portable radios for rescue workers, the unit is better prepared to respond to emergencies.The benefits from Motorola Solutions donation to the timely fulfillment of our mission translates into time we save that can be put towards saving more lives, said Amilcar Manuel Galaviz Aguilar, general director of the Red Cross in Cancun. In addition to the multiple capabilities of this digital solution, including its flexibility and compatibility with the analog system, it allows us to maintain communication with the Institution."The digital solution offers greater coverage and private communication with each ambulance during each emergency call. As a result, paramedics will have direct communication with support personnel, whether they are from the same rescue unit, hospitals or other emergency services, such as firefighters, patrol police and others."We are honored that our solutions helped improve Red Cross response capacity. At Motorola Solutions Mexico, our commitment to public safety and the welfare of the community goes beyond our business offer and gives our work a real sense of purpose.This certainly proves that we are there in the moments that matter in Mexico," said Hector Luna, general manager, Motorola Solutions Mexico.The digital radios integrate unlimited voice and data. These are easy-to-use radios, offering enhanced features and boast the benefits of critical enterprise operations, such as integrated Bluetooth and Intelligent Audio, which automatically adjusts the radio volume based on background noise.These radios operate in day/night mode, making it easier to see contacts, text messages and work-order tickets, even in direct sunlight.This digital solution is enhanced with two repeaters, donated by Exprescom and Comsa, and the TrboNet Enterprise console donated by Neocom Software.Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) creates innovative, mission-critical communication solutions and services that help public safety and commercial customers build safer cities and thriving communities. For ongoing news, visit www.motorolasolutions.com/newsroom Rachel Hawken was born and raised in the Milwaukee area. But, shes a Kiwi at heart. And shell bring her love for New Zealands mobile cafe culture to Milwaukee next month when she launches her new food truck, Drift. Hawken says she owes her love for the Pacific country, in part, to her husband Ryan, who is originally from Whakatane, New Zealand. "We actually met in Wales while we were both studying abroad as seniors in college," notes Hawken. "From there, we moved to Minnesota, where I worked as an IT consultant for a year before we decided to spend some time traveling. First, we took a road trip around the U.S. on $50 a day in a two-door hatchback. And then we decided to take a leap and move to New Zealand." In the six years they spent in Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand), Hawken says she fell in love with the mobile food scene. "They have these really cute little open-air pillbox campers," she says. "And theyd set up at the beach where the surf clubs would gather. There are a lot of French-inspired trucks. There was one that served crumpets, and then a number of them serving savory pies and coffee." A taste of New Zealand When Hawken moved back to Milwaukee, she says the idea of starting a food cart began to take root. "Weve been obsessed with the idea of recreating a Kiwi food truck for so many years," she says. "But the timing just wasnt right. Now that were settled in and raising our family, the flexibility of a food truck is appealing. Its something were both passionate about, and weve had a lot of time to really think about how we want to do this. Its going to be really fun to give people a little taste of New Zealand." The truck itself, which is currently in production, will be modeled after the pillbox campers she remembers. It will feature an ordering counter on the side, along with four seats at an espresso bar on the back of the trailer. As for the menu, Hawken says that Drift will feature a variety of New Zealand specialties, including savory pies, sausage rolls, Vegemite on toast, anzac biscuits and coffee. "We really want to provide an authentic down-under experience," says Hawken as she describes the savory pies, which are made with a dough thats similar to puff pastry. "Theres nothing like them here. Theyre delicious and hearty, and just so good." Flavors for the pies, which will be sourced through a collaboration with New Zealand bakers from Down-Under Bakery pies, will include mince (ground beef) & cheese, steak and cheese, chicken and vegetables, Thai chicken and curried vegetable. Each will cost $6-8. Hawken, who notes that shes worked off and on as a bakers assistant, says shell be making the sweets served on the truck, which will include Anzac biscuits, cookies with a relative similarity to American oatmeal cookies; Afghan biscuits, crunchy chocolate biscuit with chocolate ganache and a walnut garnish; and Caramel Slice, sweet bar cookies with a granola and coconut base topped with caramel and chocolate. Other offerings will include imported treats and sodas including L&P paeroa and lemon soda, ginger beer and Whittakers Chocolate. Meanwhile, the truck will feature a full espresso bar, complete with a retro pull-down espresso machine. The coffee itself will be sourced from Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters, a Sacramento-based company owned by a family from New Zealand. "Well offer espresso, lattes and drip coffee," Hawken explains. "But also the Flat White, which is a New Zealand drink with two shots of espresso and steamed milk." Hawken, who says she expects the truck to debut sometime later in May with an official launch in June, says Drift is likely to make appearances around town during breakfast and lunch. However, theyll also be open to serving at events, as well as taking on private catering contracts. You can follow Drifts progress, and track their location, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For years now, Milwaukee and its visitors have marveled at the Santiago Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum. And this summer, Brew City will be getting another Calatrava piece and almost two dozen other public pieces to go alongside of it. Starting June 1, Sculpture Milwaukee, an outdoor urban sculpture exhibit free to the public, will be on display down Wisconsin Avenue from 6th Street to O'Donnell Park, featuring 22 wide-ranging sculptures by 21 artists including Tony Cragg, Joel Shapiro, Alison Saar, Jessica Stockholder and, Milwaukee old's friend, Santiago Calatrava. Three Milwaukee-based artists Michelle Grabner, Jason S. Yi and Paul Druecke will also be among the pieces lining one of Downtown Milwaukee's main drags. For those with the expendable income for a fancy new lawn ornament or conversation piece, the sculptures included will be available for purchase, with a percentage of the commission reinvested into continuing Sculpture Milwaukee into the future. "Sculpture Milwaukee will be an amazing addition to the collection of activities already taking place in Downtown Milwaukee this summer," said Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, in a press release. "Milwaukee is one of only a handful of cities to host a free, urban installation of this magnitude. We look forward to engaging the community with programs and events around this new public art." "We are delighted to showcase the talents of so many well-regarded artists," said Steve Marcus, chairman of the board for The Marcus Corporation as well as chair of Sculpture Milwaukee. "We appreciate the combined efforts of the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, private business owners and many others to make this urban public art installation a reality. Sculpture Milwaukee will attract global attention, showcasing Milwaukees revitalization and rich cultural history in the art world." Unlike the Milwaukee Art Museum, however, this Calatrava work and the other pieces on display won't be around for long, as the exhibit will only be up through Oct. 22. But Sculpture Milwaukee plans to make this an annual exhibition, with new artists and new works highlighted with every new edition. And also unlike the Milwaukee Art Museum, the sculptures won't each be blocked by additional huge orange art pieces. Installations for Sculpture Milwaukee will begin in the middle of the month. For more info, check out the exhibit's website. Once upon a time, The Modjeska Theater, 1134 W. Mitchell St., was a neighborhood movie palace, the big daddy of Mitchell Street, the second busiest thoroughfare in Milwaukee after Wisconsin Avenue. The street was so bustling and such a magnet for surrounding South Side enclaves that it boasted six theaters in about as many blocks. Among them The Juneau, dressed up in Venetian splendor, was a big draw and so was the Granada, directly across the street from the Modjeska, and the Pearl further west on 19th Street. The current Modjeska Theater, built in 1924 and designed by Chicagos C.W. and George Rapp, needs work, but step inside and youll still be transported to the era of the grand movie palace. Its richly detailed, both inside and out, and it was clearly a temple to motion pictures and to Vaudeville, which shared the spotlight here. Among the theaters Rapp and Rapp designed were the Warner -- later The Grand, which is still standing -- and The Wisconsin and the Uptown Theaters in Milwaukee, both razed. An earlier Modjeska named for Polish actress Helena Modjeska (nee Modrzejewska) who had died in 1909 was built on the site in 1910 by Milwaukee movie moguls, brothers Thomas and John Saxe, who built a companion place Downtown on Third Street, called the Princess (demolished in the '80s). You can see a photo of the old Modjeska here. The theater was damaged in a fire, but its 900 seats were inadequate to meet demand anyway, and so the old Modjeska was torn down to make way for the 2,000-seat theater that still stands today -- though with a somewhat smaller capacity now -- wrapped in terra cotta and currently undergoing what supremely knowledgeable theater historian Larry Widen (author of "Milwaukee Movie Palaces," aka "Silver Screens") -- who had been leading the work before parting ways with the theater's owners shortly after our tour -- called, "a really good clean up." "This is a Downtown-style movie palace," he said as we stood at the foot of the stage and gazed up to the ceiling, three stories above. "It had all the trappings. There were five other theaters on this block and this was the most expensive. This was the pricey one. Usually what would happen is the movies would premiere Downtown. I think they played about a week. You know, the big Bogey or Cagy picture or whatever would start out Downtown. "Then it would make its way out to the first tier of the suburban theaters and this was one of them. This one, the Uptown, the Oriental, the Tower, the Avalon, The National and from there they would kind of make their way down the street from 35 cents to a quarter, 20 cents, 10 cents to 5 cents." The theater has been closed for nearly five years and hasnt shown films since United Artists stopped running the place in 1989. The Modjeska had, for a period, been the Midwest home office for UA and by the early 80s it was a budget cinema, admitting patrons for $1 a head. A couple years later Stewart and Diane Johnson bought the theater and it became home to the Modjeska Youth Theater Co. and the venue continued to also host concerts and other events on a rental basis. Magician David Seebach often staged events there. In 2007, the youth group and the Mitchell Street Development Opportunity Corporation (MSDOC) partnered to create the Modjeska Theater Project, which purchased the theater, and three years later the youth group folded. Now, the Modjeska is owned by a non-profit trust called the Mitchell Street Development Opportunities Board. Having been vacant for five years, the theater already was in need of some TLC. Then last winter happened. More specifically, a pipe burst in the basement and here were about 900,000 gallons of water down there in February. Though it seems mostly dry and, remarkably, doesnt smell too musty anymore, there's a visible high water mark, above my head, on the walls. "Right now there is mostly painting and cleaning going on," says Project Manager Jesus Enrique Nanez, who sits on the theater's board. "We have several contractors that are volunteering some time for electrical and plumbing work to make sure we are up to code. The heaviest work load is in funding these repairs." The roof has been redone and a crew of volunteers is helping to repaint and repair parts of the theater's many surviving details, like gorgeous railings up to the balcony lobby, and scroll work in the theater. The entry lobby is adorned with plaster motifs and appears to be in fine shape. There was an orchestra pit in the theater, but the youth group covered it up when it extended the stage in the 1990s. Two boxes remain, though the organ and the pipes that wouldve been housed in lofts above the boxes are long gone. "As of right now we do not have a projected opening date," says Nanez. "We have a goal to open some of the theatre space to artistic and community based groups in 2015. However, we will provide public access to the theatre during our participation in the Doors Open Milwaukee event and we encourage people to come over to check out the theater and all of the renovation progress." The board expects to present a mix of programming in the theater, including a variety of films about 25 percent of the time. Concerts and performances by a range of arts groups interested in the space will round out the schedule. The Modjeska was built as a stop for regional Vaudeville acts and has hosted live music for decades. Marty Robbins played there in 61 and in more recent decades the theater has hosted performances by Marilyn Manson, They Might Be Giants (during whose concert the stage famously gave way), Ministry, Cheap Trick, Judas Priest, Gregg Allmann, among others. "The stage was built with an orchestra pit with an organ and an organ box and a full stage," said Widen. "The stage is now 28 feet deep to the back wall and its 40 feet from proscenium opening to opening. You can get a pretty good-sized act on the stage." Greetings from Family Travel Week, sponsored by The Family Backpack, a new online guide that connects you to the best family travel blog posts. Enjoy seven days of family travel stories that will help you plan your next adventure, reduce pre-vacation stress and provide useful tips for once you arrive at your destination. Wheels up! I dreamed of visiting Cuba ever since I took a Hemmingway class during a Minnesota winter in college. The people, the culture and the island have always fascinated me. So when the major airlines announced flights to Havana, I started keeping an eye on airline ticket prices. In October, I came across $274 round-trip tickets for January and booked it immediately after a quick consult with the husband. We decided to take the kids because we wanted them to experience a country that was completely different from any of the other countries wed been to. Reflecting on our trip, we felt like we were treated better because we had kids with us. Cubans love children and embraced ours whole-heartedly. With every place we travel, our kids gain another level of understanding of the world and learn many new things. This was definitely true during our visit to Cuba. After I booked the tickets, I needed to come up with a game plan. I looked into tours at first as I was unsure if you could actually book your own trip as an American. Tour prices ranged from $6,000 to $10,000 for a family of five. Given the great deal I got on airfare I became determined to do it myself. When you travel to Cuba as an American you have to choose one of 12 official reasons for travel. I chose "people to people." I found a tour company called Cuba Adventures that lined up a walking tour with a local guide and salsa dance lessons for all five of us. Additionally, I used a new website I discovered called Momaboard. A mom, "momabassador" in the city you are going to will plan out a seven-day itinerary for you at a cost of only $50. You fill out a survey ahead of time on your interests, how you like to travel, ages of your kids, etc. Everything is designed to be kid friendly, including the restaurants the "momabassador" recommends. I would highly recommend this service based on the itinerary we received for Havana. We stayed in two different AirBnB's in Havana. One was in the house of a Cuban family in a typical neighborhood. The other was our own apartment that had care takers, Pepe and Tania, who lived right below. Despite our lack of fluent Spanish, we became friends with them. Our last night in Havana, before heading to Varadero, my husband, our oldest and I were all recovering from the flu (upper respiratory, ugh). So Tania made us her famous homemade soup. The soup was amazing, but the gesture itself melted our hearts. So there you have it. I did myself and so can you! Our total cost for lodging ( eight nights), airfare and our tours/Momaboard itinerary was under $3,500. This did not include meals., but still Pretty dang good deal! Cuba highlights: Riding in a classic American car The canon ceremony, which happens every night at 9 p.m. Exploring behind the Hotel Nacional where there are canons and war bunkers Salsa dance lessons The San Jose market where you can purchase souvenirs for as little as $2 Tips: U.S. Credit Cards do NOT work here. Period. Plan enough cash accordingly. You can catch a classic car in front of the Hotel Nacional. Tell them this isn't your first time in Cuba and you don't want to stop for cigars. Otherwise they will have you stop at the house of some lady who is selling cigars, which may or may not be legal. If you go to the canon ceremony, get there at 8 p.m. and get a spot right up front. It gets really crowded and then it's not as easy to see. Or if you are running behind like we always are with three kids in tow, stay down below on the grassy area and you can see the ceremony above you. Keep in mind it is a Caribbean island and most people move on "island time." Service will seem slow compared to service in the U.S. Don't cut dinner time as close as you would in the U.S. unless you have older kids that are patient and dont get "hangry." The cars, for the most part, are very old. I naively brought a blow up booster seat for our youngest. Most of the cars we rode in I couldn't even tell you where the seat belts were and we didn't witness one kiddo or baby riding in a car seat. So when in Rome ... If someone gets sick like our oldest did on this trip and you have to go to the hospital its not as much of a nightmare as it sounds at first. In our experience, an angelic nurse appeared out of nowhere when I was trying to check us in and spoke fluent English. My Spanish is not good enough to explain ear infection, fever and chills, but luckily the doctor spoke some English as well. It was old school: no computers, an old thermometer stick, no fancy gadgets lining the walls of the patient rooms. But the rooms were clean and they got us in and out rather quickly. The cost of the medicine the doctor prescribed to our son was very affordable. Phew. Many of the toilets including the ones at the airport have no toilet seats. Its just a bowl. This made for a great arm work out ha as I held our 3-year-old over the toilet seat each time to pee. We couldnt find tissue/Kleenex anywhere. So if you have allergies or get sick while there it is best to bring your own and be prepared. Our favorite restaurant was Paladar Rio Mar Restaurant in Havana. It has great seafood and a wonderful view. However, I wont lie and say the food was amazing. It was average at best. By the last day when we were flying out I wish I had packed and saved some Luna bars or something along those lines to tide all of us over until we returned to the U.S. Wheels up! What does "wheels up" mean? Go here. Greetings from Family Travel Week, sponsored by The Family Backpack, a new online guide that connects you to the best family travel blog posts. Enjoy seven days of family travel stories that will help you plan your next adventure, reduce pre-vacation stress and provide useful tips for once you arrive at your destination. Wheels up! Considering traveling to a country where English is not the first language - especially when traveling with kids - can be daunting. However, a family trip to Puerto Rico is a good place to start international travel because it "keeps the training wheels on" and makes vacationing beyond the United States as easy as, well, riding a bike with training wheels. I first went to Puerto Rico on a day stop while on a cruise in the Caribbean. San Juan captured my attention as it had such a strong Spanish influence, yet it had its own vibe and style mixed in. Fast forward 10 years later and weve traveled there several times to visit one of my husbands good friends from college who is from there and moved right back after college. Puerto Rico is a comfortable first-time trip for families seeking adventure but not too much adventure for a variety of reasons. Many cities have direct flights to San Juan. Even though getting a People magazine and Cinnabon at the airport can be enjoyable, the reality of layovers with kids are often not fun. Plus, they add unnecessary stress and expense before the vacation even begins. No need for passports. Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, a passport is not required which is also a money and stress saver. Nobody wants to whisper-bicker with their spouse while deplaning because one of the kids passports has suddenly gone MIA. Money exchange is unnecessary. The good ol American dollar is Puerto Ricos currency, as well. Hooray for Alexander Hamiltons and Andrew Jacksons! Most people speak English. No Spanish? No problemo. Spanish and English are both the official languages of Puerto Rico and English is spoken by many Puerto Ricans. Easy to get around. Because Puerto Ricp is a small island, getting around on foot or xx is easily done. Public transportation / bus service in Puerto Rico called publicos can be confusing so steer clear. Constant warm weather. Puerto Rico temperatures average in the 80s all year round. This makes planning and packing less of a guess and it also more or less guarantees "good weather" during the vacation. (Avoid autumn months which are "hurricane season.") Fantastic cultural experience. Despite all the likenesses to American culture, Puerto Rico is still an extremely unique culture know for its cuisine, music, beaches, friendly people and rum. (The kids will eventually go to bed, right?) Lots of activities. From a visit to the rain forest to snorkeling to a day exploring Old San Juan, theres a lot of sights to see and activities to partake in. However, Puerto Rico also offers relaxing offerings including beaches and boat tours, perfect for "down time." Kid-friendly. Finally, Puerto Rico is simply a kid-friendly place. The friendliness of the natives and laid back but attentive culture of the service industry makes for outings that wont make parents wish they left the kids with the grandparents. Its truly a warm, beautiful, unique vacation destination that provides the chance to both lounge and learn. Here are a some family travel bloggers who agree: Wheels up! What does "wheels up" mean? Go here. Phuket, Thailand, 11 April, 2017 Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, has been named as the Most Excellent Family Hotel in Asia! The award was presented to the resort at the inaugural Asia Awards of Excellence, which were held in Macau on 31st March, 2017. The Asia Awards of Excellence is Asias most anticipated new awards platform, created to recognize and celebrate the best in travel, hospitality, design and more. The glittering awards ceremony showcased the finest hotels and resorts in the region, recognizing those that are committed to raising standards, exceeding expectations and offering the ultimate guest experiences. The grand gala dinner and award ceremony took place at the Macau Tower and rolled out the red carpet for over 150 VIP guests from Asias finest hotels and resorts. David Ippersiel, General Manager of the Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, said he was delighted to have received the Most Excellent Family Hotel in Asia award. It is an exceptional honor for the resort to receive this very first award, Mr Ippersiel commented. With our rich combination of Thai hospitality, international amenities, innovation and an unsurpassed location, we believe that our resort is ideal for families visiting Phuket. This award will now allow us to showcase Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, as the perfect family destination, he added. And the awards could continue flowing for Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach; the hotel is nominated for the Best Interior Design award, which will be decided at the Asia Property Awards 2017, taking place at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queens Park from 25-26 May. For more information and reservations, please call at +66 (0) 76 625 555 or email booknaiyangbeach@marriott.com. Chenanisaurus barbaricus Credit: Dr Nick Longrich, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath One of the last dinosaurs living in Africa before their extinction 66 million years ago has been discovered in a phosphate mine in northern Morocco. A study of the fossil, led by the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, suggests that following the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana in the middle of the Cretaceous period, a distinct dinosaur fauna evolved in Africa. The new species, Chenanisaurus barbaricus , was of one of the last dinosaurs on Earth and among those species wiped out when an asteroid hit 66 million years ago , was of one of the last dinosaurs on Earth and among those species wiped out when an asteroid hit 66 million years ago It is the smaller African contemporary of the North American T. rex Fossil is evidence of distinct fauna in southern hemisphere at this time Almost nothing is known about the dinosaurs that lived in Africa at the end of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago, just before they were wiped out by the impact of a giant asteroid. At this time sea levels were high, and so most of the fossils come from marine rocks. Among these are the phosphate deposits of Moroccoremains of an ancient seabed, laid down 66 million years ago. The phosphate is harvested from vast strip mines and is used in everything from fertilizer to cola drinks. Last year, Dr Nick Longrich, from the Milner Centre for Evolution and the Department of Biology & Biochemistry at the University of Bath, studied a rare fragment of a jaw bone that was discovered in the mines at Sidi Chennane in the Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco. In collaboration with colleagues based in Morocco, France, and Spain, Longrich identified it as belonging to an abelisaur. Abelisaurs were two-legged predators like T. rex and other tyrannosaurs, but with a shorter, blunter snout, and even tinier arms. While the tyrannosaurs dominated in North America and Asia, the abelisaurs were the top predators at the end of the Cretaceous in Africa, South America, India, and Europe. Dr Longrich explained: "This find was unusual because it's a dinosaur from marine rocksit's a bit like hunting for fossil whales, and finding a fossil lion. It's an incredibly rare findalmost like winning the lottery. But the phosphate mines are so rich, it's like buying a million lottery tickets, so we actually have a chance to find rare dinosaurs like this one." "We have virtually no dinosaur fossils from this time period in Morocco - it may even be the first dinosaur named from the end-Cretaceous in Africa. It's also one of the last dinosaurs in Africa before the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. "It's an exciting find because it shows just how different the fauna was in the Southern hemisphere at this time." Named Chenanisaurus barbaricus, the newly discovered dinosaur stood on two legs and had stumpy arms. Dr Longrich added: "Abelisaurs had very short arms. The upper arm bone is short, the lower arm is shorter, and they have tiny little hands." The teeth from the fossil were worn as if from biting into bone, suggesting that like T. rex, Chenanisaurus was a predator. However, unlike the partially feathered T. rex, Chenanisaurus had only scales, its brain was smaller, and its face was shorter and deeper. The research project was carried out as part of an international scientific collaboration that is helping create and study paleontology collections in Morocco with the aim of conserving the country's rich fossil heritage. The specimens used for this study are conserved in the Office Cherifien de Phosphates paleontological collection in Morocco. More information: Nicholas R. Longrich et al, An abelisaurid from the latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) of Morocco, North Africa, Cretaceous Research (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2017.03.021 Journal information: Cretaceous Research A photomicrograph of a vesicular green shard from the Onaping Formation of the Sudbury impact basin. Credit: Paul Guyett, Trinity College Dublin. Meteorite impacts can produce more than craters on the Earth - they can also spark volcanic activity that shapes its surface and climate by bringing up material from depth. That is the headline finding of an international team, led by geochemists from Trinity College Dublin, who discovered that large impacts can be followed by intense, long-lived, and explosive volcanic eruptions. The team studied rocks filling one of the largest preserved impact structures on the planet, located in Sudbury (Ontario, Canada). The 'bolide' hit the Earth here 1.85 billion years ago and excavated a deep basin, which was filled with melted target rocks and, later, with jumbled mixed rocks full of tiny volcanic fragments. Not only are there volcanic fragments throughout the sequence of the 1.5 km-thick basin but they have a very distinctive angular shape, which the scientists explain resembles a 'crab claw'. Such shapes form when gas bubbles expand in molten rock that then catastrophically explodesa feature of violent eruptions involving water, and which can be seen under glaciers in Iceland, for example. In the crater, these took place for a long period of time after the impact, when the basin was flooded with sea water. The key finding of the research, just published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, is that the composition of the volcanic fragments changed with time. Right after the impact, volcanism is directly related to melting of the Earth's crust. However, with time, volcanism seems to have been fed by magma coming from deeper levels within the Earth. Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at Trinity, Balz Kamber, said: "This is an important finding, because it means that the magma sourcing the volcanoes was changing with time. The reason for the excitement is that the effect of large impacts on the early Earth could be more serious than previously considered." On the early Earth there was a relatively brief period during which ca. 150 very large impacts occurred, whereas since then, only a handful have hit the Earth. Professor Kamber added: "The intense bombardment of the early Earth had destructive effects on the planet's surface but it may also have brought up material from the planet's interior, which shaped the overall structure of the planet." The findings raise interest in topical research on similar volcanism on other planetary bodies like Mercury, Venus, Mars and the Moon. There, unlike on the Earth, the lack of plate tectonics and erosion help preserve surface features, which are probed by space craft. The insight from Sudbury is complemental, the geologists say, because you can directly observe the rocks with your own eyes and collect loads of samples for detailed study in the lab. More information: Teresa Ubide et al, Protracted volcanism after large impacts: Evidence from the Sudbury impact basin, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (2017). DOI: 10.1002/2016JE005085 Sites blocked due to their content or sensitivity, among them Facebook and Twitter, cannot be accessed in China without special software that allows users to bypass the strict controls China has issued new internet regulations increasing Communist party control over online news providers, the latest step in the country's push to tighten its policing of the web. The ruling party oversees a vast apparatus designed to censor online content deemed politically sensitive, maintaining that such measures are necessary for the protection of national security. Sites blocked due to their content or sensitivity, among them Facebook and Twitter, cannot be accessed in China without special software that allows users to bypass the strict controls. New regulations released by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) Tuesday will increase party control over who can publish what online, taking effect June 1. All websites, apps, forums, blogs, microblogs, social media accounts, instant messaging and live streaming platforms and other entities that select or edit news will need a license to post reports or commentary about the government, economy, military, foreign affairs, and social issues, the CAC said. Such online news service providers must "correctly guide public opinion" and "serve the cause of socialism" while "safeguarding national and public interests", it said. Business and editorial operations must be kept separate, and those who do not receive public funding will not be allowed to conduct original reporting, it added. Staff at online outlets must undergo governmental training and assessment, and receive official accreditation, while top editors must be approved. Additionally, no Chinese outlets may set up a joint venture with a foreign partner without undergoing a "security assessment" through the State Council Information Office. Online news providers who fail to comply with the new regulations will have their licenses revoked and receive fines of up to 30,000 yuan ($4,352). The new guidelines come after the passing of a controversial cybersecurity bill last November, which also tightened restrictions on online freedom of speech. Paris-based monitoring group Reporters Without Borders last week ranked China as the fifth worst country in the world for press freedom, coming in 176th out of 180 countries, just one place ahead of war-torn Syria. 2017 AFP A female mate choice. Credit: Iglesias et al (2017) Female Drosophila buzzatii cluster fruit flies may be drawn to the specific courtship songs of males of their own species, according to a study published May 3, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Patricia Iglesias and Esteban Hasson from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Drosophila buzzatii cluster comprises various South American fruit fly species which live in arid environments and feed on fermenting cacti. Male flies in this cluster attract females by vibrating their wings to produce an unusual diversity of courtship songs. One hypothesis suggests that courtship songs influence female mate choice decisions, and preferences for different songs could have promoted speciation in this cluster. The authors of the present study examined the role of courtship song in female mate choice in four species in the D. buzzatii cluster, as well as one species in a different cluster, D. martensis, for comparison. They exposed female flies to wingless, silent males and assessed copulation during either silence, playback of courtship songs from their own species, or playback of songs from another species. The researchers found that females of three species of the D. buzzatii cluster use courtship songs to pick same-species mates, but females of the remaining species use courtship songs to rank mates. When playing courtship songs from a D. buzzatii cluster female fly's own species, females of the three species that use acoustic signals to pick same-species mates were more likely to copulate with the male fly, even if he was from a different species. In contrast, when playing courtship songs from other species, only the species that uses songs to rank mates tended to reject the male fly, even if he was from the same species. These effects were not seen in the D. martensis cluster species. The influence that the song had on copulation behavior varied between individual females, and future research might investigate why females vary in their preferences and behavior. Nonetheless, the results suggest that D. buzzatii cluster females do tend to use courtship songs to help them choose a mate, with a preference for songs produced by their own species. The authors suggest that this supports the hypothesis that such female preferences may have been important in driving diversification and speciation in the D. buzzatii cluster. More information: Iglesias PP, Hasson E (2017) The role of courtship song in female mate choice in South American Cactophilic Drosophila. PLoS ONE 12(5): e0176119. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176119 Journal information: PLoS ONE Health and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) team members secure an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin while a health exam is performed. Credit: Georgia Aquarium/Addison Hill Two populations of wild dolphins living off the coast of Florida and South Carolina are experiencing more chronically activated immune systems than dolphins living in controlled environments, raising concerns of researchers about overall ocean health, and the long-term health of bottlenose dolphins. The research, publishing May 3 in the scientific journal PLOS ONE is the first study of its kind analyzing the role the environment plays in the overall health and immune response of dolphins in the wild compared to those in human care. "This is likely a result of encountering pathogens, parasites and anthropogenic pollutants in the ocean that do not exist in closely managed zoological habitats," said Patricia Fair, PhD, lead author of the study and Research Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. "The immune system is incredibly complex and so very important for health. Microbes are part of the natural world and help to develop the immune system. The key to a healthy immune system is a balance between being able to recognize harmful organisms and overstimulation and this study demonstrates the importance of the environment in these responses." The study analyzed samples and data from four populations of dolphins: Two wild populations (one living in the Indian River Lagoon, Fla. and one living near Charleston, S.C.) Two populations living in managed care (one at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and one at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego) Dr. Gregory Bossart, a co-author on the study and Chief Veterinary Officer at Georgia Aquarium has been conducting routine health assessments with colleagues on more than 360 individual dolphins living in Indian River Lagoon and Charleston since 2003 as part of the Health and Environmental Risk Assessment Project (HERA). During that time, HERA researchers have recorded emerging infectious diseases, tumors, antibiotic resistant bacteria and alarmingly high levels of contaminants in dolphins from both wild populations. Because dolphins are high on the food chain, they bioaccumulate any toxins ingested by their prey. Researchers with the Georgia Aquarium perform health assessments on wild dolphins off the coasts of Florida and South Carolina as part of the Health and Environmental Risk Assessment Project (HERA). Credit: Activity conducted pursuant to NMFS Permit No. 14352 In the Indian River Lagoon, samples revealed high levels of mercury in the native dolphin population, which HERA researchers suggest could be impacting the health of local fishermen and residents. Not reflected in this current study, but previously published work by HERA researchers, details how these dolphins also exhibited cutaneous fungal disease associated with immune suppression as well as new, emerging viruses and infectious agents some of which are also potential human pathogens. Researchers studying the dolphin population near Charleston documented high levels of human-introduced organic chemicals likely introduced into the water from industrial and non-point sources. The study's findings suggest environmental stressors are having an impact on the immune responses of the wild dolphins, creating more chronically activated immune systems, which, in turn, could help explain why the health of wild dolphins in both populations is considered compromised with less than half found to be clinically normal. "Importantly, the chronic immune system activation as found in the wild dolphins of this study could lead to eventual immunologic dysregulation and the inability to eliminate chronic inflammation. In humans, this type of prolonged smoldering inflammation is associated with cancer, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, and increased vulnerability to infectious disease," said Bossart. "These wild dolphins are trying to tell us something and we are not listening. As a sentinel species, dolphins are an important way to gauge the overall health of our oceans. If wild dolphins aren't doing well, it could also indicate future impacts to ocean health and even our own health." By contrast, dolphins living in managed care environments had less chronically activated immune systems, which Bossart suggests is not surprising. "Dolphins in human care are exposed to fewer pathogens because of environmental controls of water and food quality and preventative medical programs. Thus, their immune responses tend to be more focused and short acting. Our findings suggest that the wild dolphins of our study have immune systems that are chronically activated and challenged." "Georgia Aquarium's HERA Project will continue to look at the health of these two wild dolphin populations, and may grow to include additional populations," said Bossart. "We believe this work will open the doors to additional research on how the surrounding environment impacts the health and immune response of dolphins and other marine species. Provided by Georgia Aquarium Jiranuch Trirat's 11-month-old daughter was murdered by her father in a crime broadcast live on Facebook before he committed suicide Facebook said Wednesday it is hiring an extra 3,000 staff to remove violent content like the gruesome killings and suicides broadcast on its video platform. The move ramps up efforts by Facebook to filter content amid growing criticism of the social media giant for allowing the platform to be used to promote violence and hateful activity. "If we're going to build a safe community, we need to respond quickly," chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page. Zuckerberg's announcement came a week after a 20-year-old Thai man broadcast live video on the world's most popular social media platform, showing him killing his baby daughter before committing suicide. The previous week, a US man dubbed the "Facebook Killer" shot himself to death after three days of a frantic nationwide manhunt. The murder and a video sparked outrage across the world and renewed scrutiny of the growing number of grisly videos being posted on social media. Facebook removed the footage hours after the attack. Zuckerberg acknowledged that the world's largest social network had a role to play in stemming the worrisome trend. "We're working to make these videos easier to report so we can take the right action soonerwhether that's responding quickly when someone needs help or taking a post down," Zuckerberg said. The 3,000 new recruits, added over the coming year, will increase by two thirds the size of Facebook's community operations team, which currently numbers 4,500. 'We can do better' "We've seen people hurting themselves and others on Facebookeither live or in video posted later," Zuckerberg said. "It's heartbreaking, and I've been reflecting on how we can do better for our community." The additional reviewers will "help us get better at removing things we don't allow on Facebook like hate speech and child exploitation," he said. "And we'll keep working with local community groups and law enforcement who are in the best position to help someone if they need iteither because they're about to harm themselves, or because they're in danger from someone else." Critics say the social network has been too slow to react to online violence, and questioned whether Facebook Livea strategic area of development for the companyshould be disabled, after several cases in which it was used to broadcast rapes. Zuckerberg said Facebook has been working on better technology that can identify violent or inappropriate contentand that its efforts to screen for acts of violence appeared to be paying off. "Just last week, we got a report that someone on Live was considering suicide," he said. "We immediately reached out to law enforcement, and they were able to prevent him from hurting himself. In other cases, we weren't so fortunate." It was not immediately clear how and where Facebook would deploy the new monitors. As Facebook approaches a global user base of two billion, it has been grappling with its role as a platform for sharing news as well as calls to violence and political propaganda. The company has insisted it is not a "media company" that manages content seen by users, but it has faced growing calls to weed out "fake news" that may influence elections as well as "hate speech" barred in some European countries. Last month, Facebook stepped up its security to counter efforts by governments and others to spread misinformation or manipulate discussions for political reasons. Facebook also recently unleashed a new weapon in the war against "revenge porn" at the leading social network as well as the messaging services Messenger and Instagram. 2017 AFP William Dutton is director of MSU's James and Mary Quello Center in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Credit: Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences Despite what some politicians argue, fake news and biased search algorithms aren't swaying public opinion, finds a Michigan State University researcher. Commissioned and funded by Google, William Dutton, director of MSU's James and Mary Quello Center in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and researchers from Oxford University and the University of Ottawa, conducted a survey of 14,000 internet users in seven nations: United States, Britain, France, Poland, Germany, Italy and Spain. "The role of search in the political arena is of particular significance as it holds the potential to support or undermine democratic processes," Dutton said. "For example, does online search enable citizens to obtain better information about candidates for political office and issues in elections and public affairs, or do the processes underlying search bias what citizens know in ways that could distort democratic choice?" While there are country-specific findings, universally, concerns about internet searches undermining the quality and diversity of information accessed by citizens are unwarranted, the study found. Indeed, search plays a role in how internet users obtain information about politics, but there are several factors that come into play, Dutton said. "The results from our study show that internet users interested in politics tend to be exposed to multiple media sources, to discover new information, to be skeptical of political information and to check information, such as that seen on social media, by using search," he said. "These findings should caution governments, business and the public from over-reacting to alarmist panics." Key findings: The argument that search creates "filter bubbles," in which an algorithm guesses what information a user wants based on their information (location, search history), is overstated. In fact, internet users encounter diverse information across multiple media, which challenges their viewpoints. Most users aren't silenced by contrasting views; nor do they silence those with whom they disagree. News about fake news has created unjustified levels of concern; people use search to check facts and the validity of information found on social media or the internet. Cross-nationally, there are consistent patterns of media use, but people in France and Germany use search engines less and rely more on traditional media. In Italy, residents use search more frequently. Out of the seven countries in the study, internet users in Poland trust search the most to keep them informed and in Spain, users are particularly prone to use the internet to check facts. In the United Kingdom, people use search less, placing more trust in broadcast media. Most research on internet searches has focused on one platform, such as Twitter or Facebook, Dutton said. The MSU study is one of the first to concentrate on the wider context of a person's informational and social networks and the wide range of media people consume. The study can be downloaded from the Social Science Research Network. Coastal habitat ringing the Gulf of Mexico is crucial for the birds that pass through the region every year on their journeys between North America and the Neotropics. Credit: A. McBride The Gulf of Mexico is hugely important to birds that migrate between North America and the Neotropicsalmost all migrants have to go around it or across it. Coastal habitats around the Gulf of Mexico are critical for these migrating birds, but these habitats face more and more threats from human activity. A new Review in The Condor: Ornithological Applications brings together what we knowand don't knowabout the state of the region's ecosystems and the birds that pass through them. Understanding the population impacts of events during migration requires knowing which species are using what coastal habitats, how good those habitats are, where the birds are coming from, and where they're going. Birds use a variety of coastal habitats, from vast tracts of hardwood forests to patches of vegetation embedded in agricultural or urban areas. The amount of food present in these areas, the intensity of competition for that food, and the danger from predators all shape how well a certain spot can meet a migrating bird's needs. Threats to birds passing through the Gulf of Mexico include coastal habitat loss from forest clearing, wetland filling and dredging, and shoreline hardening; tall structures like cell phone towers and wind turbines; and, of course, climate change. More data is needed in all of these subjects. Today the Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network is taking on the enormous task of coordinating monitoring across the region by integrating the efforts of multiple organizations and agencies. Doing this well will require close cooperation between the United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries. "Many migratory bird species are declining, including the species that breed in our backyards every summer, and we're trying to understand if events that occur during migration might impact birds here on the breeding grounds. Our focus is the Gulf of Mexico region because it's a bottleneck for migratory land birdsa place they have to move through every spring and fall," says the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Emily Cohen, the lead author of the Review. "Birds use these coastal habitats twice a year to eat and rest before and after their spectacular non-stop flight across the Gulf, which can take up to twenty hours! What's going on during these migratory journeys is the final frontier for bird biology, and many new tools are making it possible to solve the mysteries of migration that previously limited our ability to develop conservation priorities." "This Review highlights the tremendous importance of the Gulf of Mexico to migratory birds, not only from an ecological and conservation perspective, but also as an opportunity to understand mechanisms that drive the evolution of migration across dozens of families," according to Erik Johnson of Audubon Louisiana, an expert on bird conservation in the region. "As this paper makes clear, preserving this landscape is a tremendous responsibility shared across multiple countries, and our collective success has implications for how our descendants across North America will experience the amazing phenomenon of bird migration." More information: "How do en route events around the Gulf of Mexico influence migratory landbird populations?" will be available May 3, 2017, at americanornithologypubs.org/do .1650/CONDOR-17-20.1 Xiao Cheng Zeng (left) and Chonqin Zhou. Credit: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Discovering a way to harness ice recrystallization could enable fabrication of highly efficient materials for a range of products, including porous electrodes for batteries and transparent conducting films used to manufacture touch screens and wearable electronics. A team of researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Chinese Academy of Sciences published findings on the dynamics and manipulation of ice recrystallization in the May 2 issue of Nature Communications. Ice recrystallization is a ubiquitous process in nature. It involves growing large ice crystals at the expense of small ones, leading to an increase in the average crystal size and a decrease in the total number of crystals. An experimental research group at the Chinese institution has collaborated closely with Xiao Cheng Zeng, Chancellor's University Professor of Chemistry, and Nebraska materials researchers who investigate the properties of water and ice from a computational perspective. The Chinese group is now using recrystallized ice as a template for synthesizing two- and three-dimensional materials with different pore sizes. Together with their Nebraska colleagues, the team has learned that ions, which are electrically charged molecules, can be used to fabricate new two- and three-dimensional structures on a wide range of other host materials. These technologically important host materials are suitable for organic electronics, catalysis and bioengineering. "The pore size of two-dimensional and three-dimensional porous materials produced with our method can be easily adjusted, which is critical for practical applications," said project leader Jianjun Wang, a professor in the Institute of Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "The experimental-theoretical team allows us to work out the problem beautifully because whenever we predict something, they can test it," Zeng said. "Then they can feed back some of the new experimental data, allowing us to reconsider our modeling approach." Wang's ion-specific recrystallization research stems from his group's cell cryopreservation project. A key reason for cell death during cryopreservation is because large ice crystals grow at the expense of small ones during recrystallization. During an experiment, one of Wang's students uncovered a striking effect by chance. Adding sodium chloride or phosphate buffer saline produced a profound but previously unexplored effect on the size of recrystallized ice. In further experiments, Wang's team rapidly froze pure water and three saline solutions, then allowed them to cool at higher temperatures. They found that ions of sodium fluorine produced the smallest ice crystals. Sodium bromine produced larger crystals. Those with sodium iodine produced the largest crystals, which outsized even those produced from pure water. The Nebraska team conducted molecular dynamics simulations at the Holland Computing Center and the Nebraska Cluster for Computational Chemistry to better understand how fluorine, iodine and bromine ions affect ice recrystallization. "What we find is that fluorine doesn't get trapped inside the ice, whereas iodine allows that to happen, and to some extent bromine also allows that to happen," Zeng said. "You can use ions to control the ice." The researchers found that they could tune ice-grain size from approximately 27 microns roughly half the size of a human hair to 277 microns. More information: Shuwang Wu et al. Ion-specific ice recrystallization provides a facile approach for the fabrication of porous materials, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15154 Journal information: Nature Communications Marine conservation needs to take into account vulnerable groups such as these Indigenous Moken fishing for crab near the Thai-Myanmar border. Credit: Nathan Bennett, University of Washington/University of British Columbia Ocean conservation is essential for protecting the marine environment and safeguarding the resources that people rely on for livelihoods and food security. But there are many documented cases where conservation has bumped up against the people who share the same places and resources, even leading to human rights abuses. "Often the impacts of marine protected areas can undermine people's rights or stop them from doing their livelihoods," said Bennett, lead author of a new study published today in Marine Policy and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia and the University of Washington. "There is a real danger that in pushing for marine conservation, socially unjust or inappropriate actions could be promoted, including those leading to displacement, violence, marginalization and poverty." Both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Targets have set goals to have 10% of the ocean be designated as marine protected areas by 2020. But currently there are no standards for how conservation is done. Doctors, lawyers, engineers and many other professions have codes of conduct, should one exist for conservation? A global group of oceans science practitioners and scientists argue yes - it is "warranted, urgent and past due", in their new paper "An appeal for a code of conduct for marine conservation". In it, they outline what that code could look like, with considerations for fair governance, social justice and accountability practices. This code could be widely used by governments, researchers, NGOs, private sector and local organizations to review such issues around human rights, indigenous rights, food and livelihood security, benefit sharing, conflict resolution, and more. Marine conservation efforts are often promoted and implemented in areas where hard-working small-scale fishermen live and have fished for generations. Ao Phang Nga, Thailand. Credit: Nathan Bennett, University of Washington/University of British Columbia "This is urgent, we need thoughtful actions to conserve the marine environment, but we need to do it in an equitable way, with respect for fishers' livelihoods, food sovereignty and dignity," said Yoshitaka Ota, co-author and Nippon Foundation-UBC Nereus Program Director of Policy. "Most importantly, conservation is the art of finding a better way to live with the environment because we will always be a part of it." The authors recognize that accountability is a challenge - whether such a code of conduct would be voluntary or whether conservation needs an independent auditing system. Creating a code of conduct would allow for a more coordinated effort to happen internationally to merge the human dimension into the mainstream of conservation. "This is an important investment that the conservation community needs to prioritize," said Bennett. "Investing in a code of conduct will pay dividends by increasing the acceptance and effectiveness of conservation." "The key is 'being there' to understand people, their rights and their needs" said Lydia Teh, co-author and Nippon Foundation-UBC Nereus Program Research Associate. "A successful approach for marine conservation is through bottom-up processes which work with local people and develop their capacity to manage the resources and decide on areas for protection." The only specias of macaque outside Asia, the Barbary macaque lives on leaves and fruits and can weigh up to 20 kilogrammes (45 pounds) "If nothing is done, this species will disappear within 10 years," warns a poster on Ahmed Harrad's ageing 4x4 showing Morocco's famed Barbary macaque monkey. Harrad spends his time crisscrossing northern Morocco to try to convince locals to protect the endangered monkey. The only species of macaque outside Asia, which lives on leaves and fruits and can weigh up to 20 kilogrammes (45 pounds), was once found throughout North Africa and parts of Europe. But having disappeared from Libya and Tunisia, it is now restricted to mountainous regions of Algeria and Morocco's northern Rif region. Another semi-wild population of about 200 individuals in Gibraltar are the only free-ranging monkeys in Europe. Today, the only native primate north of the Sahara, apart from humans, is in danger of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Conservationists blame illegal poaching, tourists who feed the monkeys and overexploitation of the cedar and oak forests that form the species' natural habitat. In response, Morocco has launched a campaign to save the species. "We are working on two areasmonitoring and making a census of the species in the Rif and raising awareness among locals so that they actively help rescue it," Harrad said. The Barbary macaque once lived throughout North Africa and parts of Europe, but is now only found in the mountainous regions of Algeria and Morocco's northern Rif region As head of a local association, Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation (BMAC), Harrad has become a tireless advocate for the animal. He says it is often sold to buyers in Europe for between $110 and $330 (100 and 300 euros) despite laws forbidding the trade. "A lot of foreigners buy monkeys as pets," he said. Seen as quiet and cute when it is young, the adult monkey can become a burden, Harrad said. "It breaks things, bites, fights with children and climbs the curtains," prompting many owners to abandon their pets, he said. Conservationists blame illegal poaching, tourism, and overexploitation of the cedar and oak forests that form the species' natural habitat for the decline of the Barbary macaques Macaque remains 'in ashes of Pompeii' But that hasn't stopped the tailless monkeys, with their thick grey-and-ginger fur, being highly sought-after by passing travellers throughout the ages. According to National Geographic, skeletal remains of macaques have been discovered "in the ashes of Pompeii, deep within an ancient Egyptian catacomb, and buried beneath an Irish hilltop where the Bronze Age kings of Ulster once held court". Zouhair Ahmaouch, an official at Morocco's High Commission for Water, Forests and Combating Desertification, said the new conservation plan focused on tackling poaching. But Morocco "can't repatriate monkeys released in Europe, because we don't know whether they came from Gibraltar, Algeria or Morocco", he said. The North African kingdom has never conducted a nationwide census of the macaque, but scientists believe its numbers fall every year. Conservationists estimate that Morocco is home to between 3,000 and 10,000 Barbary macaques today, compared with 17,000 three decades ago Based on various studies, they estimate that Morocco is home to between 3,000 and 10,000 macaques today, compared with 17,000 three decades ago. They believe Algeria had around 5,500 Barbary macaques in the late 1980s. The number has since almost halved, according to the IUCN. Algiers has also responded with plans to protect the species. While the macaques are hard to spot in the wilds of Morocco's Rif, some individuals in the forests of the Middle Atlas are tame, attracting tourists who come to feed them. But Ifrane National Park head Lahcen Oukennou said feeding can cause "health problems such as obesity, which affects their health and especially their reproductive capacity". Anouar Jaoui, director of Talassemtane National Park in northern Morocco, home to several dozen macaques, said the conservation strategy includes measures to "rehabilitate and rebuild the species' habitat". "If nothing is done, this species will disappear within 10 years," environmentalist Ahmed Harrad has warned on the plight of Barbary macaques That requires "reducing the pressure from overexploitation of natural resources", he added. In the forests of the Middle Atlas, authorities are organising awareness-raising sessions for tourists to discourage them from feeding or approaching the monkeys. Pupils at local schools are also being educated about the species. Barbary macaques are taken by poachers and often sold to buyers in Europe for between $110 and $330 (100 and 300 euros) despite laws forbidding the trade. Last October, the Barbary macaque was listed as a species threatened with extinction on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). That makes buying and selling the monkeys illegal except under exceptional circumstances. Ahmaouch welcomed the move. "It will allow Morocco and other countries to unify their efforts to fight against the illegal trade in Barbary macaques," he said. Morocco has a "global responsibility to conserve this heritage". In October, the Barbary macaque was listed as a species threatened with extinction on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). 2017 AFP Credit: University of Arizona As with most other telescopes, astronomers apply for observing time on SOFIA by submitting proposals that are being evaluated by peers for their scientific promise and intellectual merits. SOFIA, however, is special in that observers also can apply to be onboard during an observation run. Kate Su of the University of Arizona talked about what it was like to be aboard NASA's flying observatory while the telescope was trained on the object of her scientific interest. Q: What is your motivation to study planetary systems like Epsilon Eridani? A: Epsilon Eridani is the closest star that hosts a debris disk. Therefore, many consider it to be the Rosetta Stone for sunlike planetary systems. At 800 million years, it's much younger than our sun (800 million versus 4.5 billion years), so we think it has properties similar to the early sun. Its proximity makes it a prime target to perform high angular resolution research to understand the early evolution of our solar system. Q: What are the advantages of SOFIA compared to ground-based and space telescopes? A: Being able to be above most of the Earth's atmosphere, SOFIA can operate at wavelengths that can't be observed from the ground, especially the mid-infrared wavelength that the warm debris dust emits most efficiently. I am interested in the inner debris zone around Epsilon Eridani where warm dust emission was originally discovered by Spitzer (an infrared space observatory). Therefore, SOFIA is an obvious choice to do follow-up work for Epsilon Eridani. The flight plan for the observation run in which Kate Su participated. The observations for this project on Epsilon Eridani were taken during the long path from the southernmost point to the north. Credit: University of Arizona Q: What was it like to fly on the SOFIA plane? A: Guest observers like me have to complete a safety training about the emergency procedure onboard the aircraft on the day before the flight. The airplane looks like a normal commercial plane from outside, but it's totally different inside. There are a few first-class seats available in the front of the cabin for education outreach. The rest of the cabin is like a big cargo hall where many computers and equipment are located, just like a normal control room of an observatory, except that everybody needs to wear headphones with a mic to communicate during the flight. It was very cold inside the cabin, not like a commercial airplane at all. Q: What scientific questions came out of this project? What is next in your research? A: The original Spitzer discovery suggests the Epsilon Eridani system is complex, with multiple dust zones similar to our solar system. However, the spatial resolution of Spitzer was pretty poor, so there are other alternatives to explain the data with a simpler dust distribution. SOFIA has a larger telescope, i.e., a better spatial resolution. With the SOFIA data, we are able to show the Epsilon Eridani system is indeed more like our solar system that has a population of leftover planetesimals in the inner region. These leftover planetesimals can be distributed in one broad region or two narrow belt-like regions, with the inner one similar to our own asteroid belt and outer one at about 10 to 15 astronomical units, which in our solar system falls into the region between Saturn and Uranus. SOFIA's resolution is not high enough to differentiate the two distributions. However, the soon-to-be launched James Webb Space Telescope has a very sharp infrared vision that will pin down the location of dust debris and resolve the detailed structure of the inner debris zone. Kate Su: "One of the instrument scientists was processing the data we took during the flight. We were all very excited to see the data." The New York Times has attributed some of its readership gains to renewed interest in its aggressive coverage of the Trump administration The New York Times said Wednesday it added more than 300,000 digital subscribers in the first quarter, helping the media group swing to profit. Net profit for the prestigious US newspaper group was $13.2 million, compared with a loss of $8.3 million in the same period a year ago. Total revenues rose 5.1 percent to $399 million, led by gains in digital subscriptions and online advertising. "These results show the current strength and future potential of our digital strategy not just to reach a large audience, but also to deliver substantial revenue," said Mark Thompson, president and chief executive officer of the New York Times Company. "We added an astonishing 308,000 net digital news subscriptions, making the first quarter the single best quarter for subscriber growth in our history." Overall circulation revenue rose 11 percent from a year ago to $242 million. Of that $76 million came from digital-only subscriptions, amounting to a 40 percent jump from a year ago. The number of digital-only subscriptions topped 2.2 million at the end of the quarter, a 62 percent jump from a year ago. The Timeswhich has been a target of President Donald Trump, who frequently calls it a "failing" newspaperhas attributed some of its readership gains to renewed interest in its aggressive coverage of the new administration. Digital advertising revenue was $49.7 million, a rise of 19 percent from a year ago, and accounted for 38.2 percent of total ad revenues. But the gains failed to fully offset declines in print advertising. Thompson said the latest revenue figures were "a vindication of our decision to pivot towards mobile, branded content and a broader suite of marketing services, and to focus on innovation." The New York daily has been facing the familiar problems of major newspapersshifting to the less profitable online format as print readership declines. The Times earlier this year unveiled a new strategic plan that will likely reduce its newsroom staff of around 1,300, while making investments in key areas including "visual journalism" and boosting coverage of the Trump administration. The Times has moved to get more readers globally with a Spanish-language edition and an expanded office in Australia, and has launched a daily edition for the Snapchat Discover platform. 2017 AFP Using resilience thinking, researchers have been able to integrate complex interactions relating to economic security, culture and the environment into the poverty trap concept. These insights provide alternative poverty alleviation pathways. Credit: Stockholm Resilience Centre. Design: Azote, E. Wikander and E. Wisniewska Development aid reached a new peak of 142.6 billion USD, according to recent data from the OECD. Now, in the journal Science Advances (5 May) researchers based in Sweden and Australia call into question a cornerstone of development aid: the "poverty trap" and its "Big Push" solution. This is when aid agencies inject cash for seeds, fertilisers and machinery, for example, into rural economies caught in a vicious cycle of underdevelopment. In theory, this will push these economies "over the barrier" to become better functioning economies. But for decades a regular criticism levelled at this singular approach is that it can lead to ever-more persistent poverty in some places because culture and nature are ignored. Co-lead author Jamila Haider at the Stockholm Resilience Centre says, "For the first time, we provide a way to extend poverty-trap thinking to more fully include the links between financial well-being, nature and culture." "This new approach makes it difficult for development agencies to ignore a broader range of options and solutions." The research could inform better integration of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Co-lead author Steven Lade also at Stockholm Resilience Centre says, "The goals call for doubling agricultural productivity by 2030. Ignoring cultural and environmental factors could increase the risk of poverty traps." With 78% of the world's poorest people living in rural areas, development aid is often targeted at quick-fix financial and technological farming solutions. The "Big Push" - one of the earliest theories of development economicsis still a popular one-size-fits-all approach, despite its known limitations. Development agencies often encourage farmers to grow single cash crops, or monocultures, such as GM cotton in India, that they can sell to rise out of poverty - with mixed results. While successful in many places, it can lead to deforestation, or nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to name a few environmental consequences. In some instances, it has created a cycle of poverty where "improved" seed varieties fail due to neglect of local environmental conditions and culture, leaving the land in a worse condition than before, and losing valuable knowledgereinforcing the poverty trap. The team's new approach classifies three types of solutions to alleviate poverty. The first is the standard Big Push "over the barrier". The second is to "lower the barrier", which could include training of farmers to change behavior and practices. These two classifications form the backbone of current aid strategies. The researchers introduce a third classification they call "transform the system". This is about fundamentally rethinking the intervention strategy. For example, encouraging a farmer to devote a portion of his or her intensively-farmed land to local crops maintained through traditional practice to maintain resilient seed varieties. Haider says, "If poverty in an area is causing environmental degradation then maybe a big push will work. But if the land has been managed sustainably for generations then development agencies need an approach that takes that knowledge into consideration." "This seems obvious, but intervention strategies can become blinded by powerful yet simplistic economic models. Some communities have remained resilient for generations through, for example, using many traditional seed varieties. We show how development interventions need to vary based on different relationships between poverty and environment." "These models could be used in development planning to make explicit the available knowledge and assumptions of different cases." Lade adds, "Rather than increasing production through inputs of physical capital, the transformation delivers increased production due to increases in natural capital and cultural capital." "This is an alternative approach to analyse investments for intervention. Where risks are high that traditional aid will fail, it gives options to explore and implement alternative strategies that focus on transformation built on historically successful cultural practices to manage the local ecology," he said. Resilience offers escape from trapped thinking on poverty alleviation. Science Advances. 5 May 2017;3: e1603043 More information: "Resilience offers escape from trapped thinking on poverty alleviation," Science Advances (2017). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1603043 , advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/5/e1603043 Journal information: Science Advances Provided by Stockholm Resilience Centre Credit: University of Leeds Discrimination against same-sex couples denied religious marriage is endemic, says a new study. Research by academics at the Universities of Leeds and York highlights the prevailing extent of discrimination against same-sex couples wanting religious marriage ceremonies. Professor Robert Vanderbeck from the School of Geography at Leeds and Professor Paul Johnson, from the Department of Sociology at York, examined the legal framework in England and Wales that allows religious organisations to refuse to marry same-sex couples. Professor Vanderbeck and Professor Johnson found that same-sex couples are excluded from approximately 42,000 places of worship in which opposite-sex couples can get married. Same-sex couples are not permitted to marry in any of the 17,350 churches of the Church of England and the Church in Wales, or in nearly 23,000 other places of worship, such as Roman Catholic churches, Islamic mosques, and Hindu temples. Although same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2014, religious organisations are under no obligation to extend their marriage services to gay couples. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 provides the means for organised religions other than the Church of England to opt in to conduct same-sex marriages, with the decision left to individual institutions. Only 139 places of worship are registered to perform same-sex marriage in England and Wales, meaning approximately 99.5 per cent do not offer it. Just 23 same-sex couples had a religious marriage ceremony in 2014, compared with over 68,000 opposite-sex couples. Professor Vanderbeck said: "As none of the mainstream religious faiths will marry same-sex couples, such couples need to rely on minor faith groups, such as Unitarians, to be willing to marry them. The problem is, the couple might not share that faith." Professor Johnson said: "The level of discrimination is staggering. If you are a same-sex couple in England and Wales then you most likely live in a town where there is no opportunity to have a religious marriage ceremony. That means you are completely shut out of a mainstream cultural practice that opposite-sex couples take for granted. "Recent reports describe same-sex couples 'shunning' religious wedding ceremonies, but the reality is they are simply being denied the opportunity. Parliament has agreed a legislative framework for marriage that is allowing extensive discrimination, and the figures support this." Church of England Canon law - which defines marriage as the 'union of one man with one woman' co-exists alongside the contrary general marriage statute law allowing same-sex marriage, due to the religious protections included in the 2013 Act. More information: Paul Johnson et al. Sacred Spaces, Sacred Words: Religion and Same-sex Marriage in England and Wales, Journal of Law and Society (2017). DOI: 10.1111/jols.12024 A German network of leading science institutes will begin identifying thousands of brain specimens belonging to people killed by the Nazis because they suffered from a disability or were ill. The three-year-long research project into the human remains in the Max Planck institutes' possession will begin in June, and aims to build a database listing the names of all "euthanasia" victims. "It will include basic biographical data on the victims, their institutional treatment, and the criteria used to select the victims," the Munich-based, non-profit Max Planck Society said in a statement. "The manner of their death will also be documented along with data on the removal of the brain... and the research carried out on (it)." Adolf Hitler's so-called "euthanasia" programme, in which doctors and scientists actively participated, sought to exterminate the sick, the physically and mentally disabled, those with learning disabilities and those considered social "misfits". Between January 1940 and August 1941, doctors systematically gassed more than 70,000 people at six sites in German-controlled territory, until public outrage forced them to end the overt killing. But tens of thousands more died across Europe until the Nazis were defeated in 1945, through starvation, neglect or deliberate overdoses administered by caregivers. Many also underwent bizarre medical experiments and forced sterilisations because of their supposed genetic inferiority. Following years of lobbying by relatives and concerned citizens, Germany in 2014 inaugurated a central memorial to the victims in Berlin. 'No moral concerns' During Nazi rule, the Kaiser Wilhelm scientific institutes (KWI)which later came under the Max Planck umbrellawere involved in the experiments or received remains of these victims from death camps including Auschwitz for their research. Between 1940 and 1945, the KWI for Brain Research in Berlin examined around 700 brains taken from mentally ill and mentally disabled victims of the Nazi euthanasia programme. In the decades following the war, the scientists largely continued using such remains for research. "The vast majority of scientists had too little or no moral concerns about using the specimens," said Max Planck. It was only in 1989 that Max Planck decided to inter all human remains belonging to victims of the Nazis in its possession. But it later emerged that not all institutes within the grouping complied with the decision to also bury those specimens whose origins could not be clearly traced to the Nazi regime. Herculean task ahead While the institute for brain research decided to part with all specimens dating from between 1933 and 1945, the institute of psychiatry only removed items "which were unambiguously documented as victim-derived or whose origins were uncertainaround 30 percent of the overall inventory". In 2015, a new employee at the archives in Berlin stumbled across a shoebox-sized wooden box containing slides with brain sections. The find led to further investigations which turned up "additional brain sections and preserved specimens", said Max Planck. The psychiatry institute then commissioned an external specialist to draw up a rough inventory outlining the historical documents and brain sections in its storage facilities. Completed in February 2017, the inventory lists 24,500 specimens from the 1920s through to the 1980s and serves as preparation for the identification project. Researchers will examine medical records as well as other documents linked to the specimens within the institutes. They will also look at records from the hospitals and headquarters of the Nazi "euthanasia programme" to identify which of the KWIs were involved, and which of them received brains or brain samples. Underlining the Herculean task ahead, the project's researchers acknowledged that "it will not be possible in the course of this project to undertake a more extensive reconstruction of every victim's biography in view of the large numbers of victimsof whom there may potentially be several thousand". "It would appear realistic at best to recreate the life stories of just a few by way of example," they added. The non-governmental Max Planck Society, with an annual budget of 1.8 billion euros ($2.0 billion), operates more than 80 research institutes. 2017 AFP Iceland. Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC (Phys.org)A trio of researchers with the University of Cambridge and the University of Strathclyde has found evidence of a giant, five-fingered Icelandic mantel plume. In their paper published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Charlotte Schoonman, Nicky White and David Pritchard describe how they carried out tomographic imaging of the area and developed a theory regarding why the plume has fingers. Prior research has shown that Iceland and a large part of the area around it was very strongly impacted by a mantle plume beneath the area. Mantle plumes are chimney-like structures that move hot rock from deep within the planet to the surface. The one in that part of the world was responsible for the creation of the volcanoes that led to the formation of Iceland. Using tomographic imaging, the researchers found that the plume was semi-star shaped with five tendrils. Intrigued, they began searching for an explanation. They noted earlier studies demonstrating how star-like structures form when fluids with different viscosities are mixed in a confined space, such as in a glass container. They further noted that at approximately 100 kilometers below the surface of the earth, there is a layer called the asthenosphere. It is a layer of soft rock that flows horizontally between two other layers of non-moving hard rock. The researchers suggest that the semi-star-shaped Icelandic plume got its shape the same way the stars did in the lab. Hot, runny rock was pulled up from below, and it then spread horizontally as it met the asthenosphereat least on one side. On the other side of the plume, moving west, the crust beneath Greenland was so hard and thick that it created a barrier. Thus, the plumes only moved north and south and especially eastas far as Scotland and Norway. The researchers suggest the fingers from the plume may even explain why coastal Norway and northern Scotland manage to stay above the water line despite both existing over unusually thin parts of the crust. The plume material is buoyant, they note, which suggests parts of Norway and Scotland are actually floating. More information: C.M. Schoonman et al, Radial viscous fingering of hot asthenosphere within the Icelandic plume beneath the North Atlantic Ocean, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.03.036 Abstract The Icelandic mantle plume has had a significant influence on the geologic and oceanographic evolution of the North Atlantic Ocean during Cenozoic times. Full-waveform tomographic imaging of this region shows that the planform of this plume has a complex irregular shape with significant shear wave velocity anomalies lying beneath the lithospheric plates at a depth of 100200 km. The distribution of these anomalies suggests that about five horizontal fingers extend radially beneath the fringing continental margins. The best-imaged fingers lie beneath the British Isles and beneath western Norway where significant departures from crustal isostatic equilibrium have been measured. Here, we propose that these radial fingers are generated by a phenomenon known as the SaffmanTaylor instability. Experimental and theoretical analyses show that fingering occurs when a less viscous fluid is injected into a more viscous fluid. In radial, miscible fingering, the wavelength and number of fingers are controlled by the mobility ratio (i.e. the ratio of viscosities), by the Peclet number (i.e. the ratio of advective and diffusive transport rates), and by the thickness of the horizontal layer into which fluid is injected. We combine shear wave velocity estimates with residual depth measurements around the Atlantic margins to estimate the planform distribution of temperature and viscosity within a horizontal asthenospheric layer beneath the lithospheric plate. Our estimates suggest that the mobility ratio is at least 2050, that the Peclet number is O(104), and that the asthenospheric channel is 10020 km thick. The existence and planform of fingering is consistent with experimental observations and with theoretical arguments. A useful rule of thumb is that the wavelength of fingering is 51 times the thickness of the horizontal layer. Our proposal has been further tested by examining plumes of different vigor and planform (e.g. Hawaii, Cape Verde, Yellowstone). Our results support the notion that dynamic topography of the Earth's surface can be influenced by fast, irregular horizontal flow within thin, but rapidly evolving, asthenospheric fingers. Journal information: Earth and Planetary Science Letters 2017 Phys.org How AIMES themes and other program building blocks are aligning in support of a global earth science system. Credit: Image courtesy of Sander van der Leeuw and Anthropocene Humankind may still prove to be the planet's best friend or its worst enemy, advise global earth science leaders at Arizona State University. But those in this field can no longer limit their studies to the recent past and present times, they say, nor view modern humans as outside agents convoluting a more natural order. By now, "the natural and the human-made are meshed together in a cyborg whole," explains Sander van der Leeuw, foundation professor at ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) as well as the ASU School of Sustainability. For he and fellow SHESC professor Michael Barton, this means that earth science systems must also evolve, taking into account not just data from fields such as geology, meteorology, oceanography and astronomy, but also from economics, governance and other distinctly human social dimensions that can reshape the planet just as dramatically. "Whenever any change occurs, man-made or natural, for better or worse, it alters in real time what options exist and what approaches will steer us toward positive futures," says van der Leeuw. "But the social scientists and nature scientists looking for those changes on their own sides of the aisle rarely have access to the same culture, tools or trade languages." To that effect, van der Leeuw and Barton have traveled the globe under the United Nation's Future Earth program in order to develop a multi-year science plan bridging these once-distinct fields of study. This includes establishing shared computational software, development and implementation standards, and even common research agendas. Their goal is not to minimize or homogenize away pure, traditional earth science, such as the historic Global Analysis Integration and Modeling (GAIM) effort, which measures the impact of carbon cycles, or the original AIMES 1.0 methodology for tracking physical and biological changes in land and ocean systems. Both models worked so well that they became scientific standards still used in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports. But van der Leeuw and Barton, leading international teams along with Peter Cox at Exeter University, are focusing on overlaying a new methodology that will expand the field's understanding of these naturally-existing complex adaptive systems with human networks that are also subject to societal changes, such as in demography, the internet and the global economy. It's being referred to as AIMES 2.0. This push is in tandem with many ongoing efforts such as the IHOPE project, which uses real archeological and paleo-environmental models of change, and applies them to modern settings on a long-term trajectory. Like a data-driven version of The Sims, AIMES 2.0 researchers work on how to keep the "game" going and its characters (us) alive and thriving for as long as possible, despite constant variables such as trade interruption, drought, population boom, and regime change. This approach is already gaining global momentum and adoption as part of Future Earth and The World in 2050, a project that is supported by funds from NASA (through Columbia University), the Stockholm Resilience Center, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna. "The undercurrent you see in all of these efforts is a move from explaining and learning from the past, to anticipating and learning for the future," says van der Leeuw. "We'll be monitoring cities and other densely-populated, accessible areas as possible tipping points, but also our tropics, high altitude, and blue-water regions, and the points where they all intersect. It all matters in a truly global earth science system." Archaeologist Merete Moe Henriksen and conservator Ellen Randers present the Hegra discoveries. Credit: Julie Gloppe Solem Some 3,000 years ago, 24 axes were cached in Stjrdal municipality, about 44 km east of Trondheim. They're now seeing the light of day once again. In late April, a sensational discovery was made in a field in the village of Hegra, not far from the Trondheim International Airport in Vrnes. Numerous axe heads, a knife blade and some fragments were lifted out of obscurity. The objects date back to the Late Bronze Age, approx. 1100-500 BCE. Archaeologists from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) University Museum and Nord-Trndelag County Council unearthed the findings with the help of with six private metal detector hobbyists from the area. Found with metal detectors Brothers Joakim and Jrgen Korstad from Stjrdal municipality made the first discoveries on this field in January this year. They found nine socketed axes (also called Celts), a spearhead, a casting mould, and a fragment of a possible bronze lur. The metal detector hobbyists contacted county archaeologist Eirik Solheim, who says that the brothers did everything right in the process of informing him about the finds. Between the two searches, the Hegra find now consists of 30 Bronze Age artefacts. A so-called "deadhead" on the end of this particular spear head shows that it had never been used. Credit: Julie Gloppe Solem "The 24 axes are a particularly special part of this discovery. There have never been so many axes in a single deposit before in Norway, and they're rare in the Scandinavian context," says archaeologist and researcher Merete Moe Henriksen in NTNU's Department of Archaeology and Cultural History. Hidden or sacrificed? Archaeologists call this kind of find a hoard, when they uncover objects that have been hidden away or buried in the ground. It is still too early to say why the axes and other objects were buried 3000 years ago. Researchers took x-rays of the axe heads and other finds. Credit: NTNU "There may have been religious reasons linked to a sacrifice, or they might have been cached temporarily, with the intention of recasting the metal later. This was a known practice in the Late Iron Age," says Henriksen. Stjrdal municipality is one of the areas in central Norway that has a concentration of ancient rock art and rock carvings. Solheim has wished for a museum to showcase the rock art of the area. "We know that there's been a lot of activity in this area, but we've lacked artefacts. Now this shows up and it's infinitely more than we could have asked for. It's so spectacular and totally cool," he says. Archaeologists hope to get in one more excavation of the Hegra field this fall. This would help them to better understand the context of the findings, which would hopefully reveal more about why the objects were cached. Metal detector hobbyist Arve Solli works the Hegra field. Credit: Eirik Solheim Dallas EMT Shooting Raises Questions about Arming First Responders Dallas PD and first responders received a call about a suicide; the shooting spree that unfolded leaves many questions to be answered. A Dallas paramedic was badly injured on Monday, May 1, when first responders received a call about a suicide on the East side of Dallas. When they showed up, a man open fired on the EMTs, critically injuring one. Police scoured the neighborhood where the shooting took place for hours before finding him dead inside a home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Another man, a civilian, was also found dead inside the home. In the shadow of this terrible incident which ultimately left one dead, one critically injured and another wounded, a question is raised: should all first responders, including firefighters and paramedics, be armed when they respond to calls? The shooting in Dallas highlighted several Texas bills that would allow first responders to carry guns on the job. House Bill 56, for example, would allow first responders with handgun licenses to use a handgun while on duty. Many believe that arming first responders would give a false sense of security, noting that it is one thing to be trained to use a gun and another thing to know how to mitigate a violent situation. It is also very uncommon for first responders to arrive on the scene of a violent crime without backup from a local police department who are armed and trained to diminish such violent threats. Currently, in Texas it is up to the city to allow first responders to carry guns while on duty, but at this time Security Today is unaware of any departments that allow this security measure. Eitan Lavie of AGW Group, which launched Thailands SPARK global acceleration programme with Thailands National Innovation Agency, to speak about cybersecurity at Echelon Thailand 2017. Read on to find out more. In an increasingly borderless digital global ecosystem, ensuring the security of individual and business information and assets is imperative. Especially for businesses with a global or regional reach, where there is a higher likelihood of breaches incurring greater damages, cybersecurity is a topic that should not be ignored. Join Eitan Lavie, Chairman of AGW Group, as he discusses the importance of cybersecurity at Echelon Thailand 2017. Hear from one of the regions top investor and entrepreneur as he shares ideas on keeping secure despite a robust international activity and constant digital presence. Gain insight on how you can secure your business from intentional or unintentional breaches even through consistent communication with various individuals and groups worldwide. Echelon Thailand2017 is a tech conference (May 15-16, Bangkok) and year-long digital platform attracting international speakers, founders, investors and professionals. Register for your Echelon Thailand access pass now. New in 2017 is Echelon Thailands digital platform. Get immediate access to exclusive insights, participate in discussions and engage with the speakers and fellow attendees directly on Echelons digital platform, the moment you register (accessible from the Ecosystem page). Whats more, the digital platform will be accessible all-year even after the conference, so kickstart your Echelon experience today and embark on a year-long journey of discovery. About Eitan Eitan is an investor and shareholder in various companies and startups from pre-seed to IPO, focussing on innovative technology. In addition to investment and consulting to these companies while they grow, he is also utilising his vast network to advance these companies and strengthen their core marketing and sales in different sectors, such as Technology, Manufacturing and Production, and Defense. Story continues With more than 20 years of experience, Eitan is highly experienced in complicated ventures and investments, as entrepreneur, a lawyer or an investor both in Israel and overseas, mainly in the technology sector, mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures. As part of his international activity, Eitan maintains a wide range of work relationships and cooperation with various organizations and companies worldwide. In his position as the CEO and Chairman of AGW Group, Eitan leads SPARK the first national global accelerator of Thailand, in collaboration with NIA the National Innovation Agency of Thailand. Within his scope of activities, Eitan established branches in New York, Paris, London, Tel-Aviv and Hong Kong. Want to be part of the ecosystem? Save 10% on Echelon Thailand passes just for being our favourite e27 reader! Register NOW. The post Chairman of AGW Group, one of the entities behind SPARK global acceleration programme, to speak about cybersecurity in Echelon Thailand 2017 appeared first on e27. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka announced his shock resignation Tuesday in a high-stakes row with billionaire finance minister, Andrej Babis, a popular political rival tipped to win elections later this year. "I will shortly -- probably this week -- present my resignation to President Milos Zeman," Sobotka said. Sobotka explained his decision was a way " to free the hands of coalition parties so they can launch negotiations on a solution to the situation or agree on the organisation of earlier elections." He also made it clear his cabinet would go with him. "It is unacceptable for Andrej Babis to stay on as finance minister," Sobotka said, amid allegations of conflict of interest over the tycoon's business activities. Last week Sobotka asked Babis to clarify past use of some 55 million euros ($60 million) worth of tax-free bonds in connection with his farming conglomerate Agrofert -- an affair that has raised questions about tax evasion. "Everyone must play by the rules. Minister Babis is embroiled in a massive conflict of interest," Sobotka told reporters. Ranked by Forbes as the Czech Republic's second wealthiest citizen, Babis has flatly denied any wrongdoing and labelled Sobotka's decision "absolutely tragic" and "desperate." "I have always acted in line with the law," Babis insisted Tuesday. His popular centrist ANO party is riding high in opinion polls, scoring 33.5 percent support compared to just 16 percent for Sobotka's CSSD party, in a survey conducted by the pollsters CVVM in April. "Perhaps he has nothing to do, but I still have some work to do myself," Babis quipped. In office since 2014, Sobotka's leftist CSSD shares power in a three-member coalition government with Babis's ANO and the smaller centre-right KDU-CSL Christian Democratic parties. Presidential spokesman Jiri Ovcacek declined to make any immediate comment. Under the Czech constitution, there is no deadline for the president to accept the government's resignation. The next regularly scheduled general election is set for October 20-21, three months ahead of a direct presidential poll. Contacted by AFP, political analysts in Prague said that an early election was unlikely to be called during the summer, pointing instead to the possibility of a minority caretaker government being installed until the October ballot. Analysts were caught off guard by the prime minister's surprise resignation, having rather expected that he would sack Babis. "If I had proposed he be dismissed, I would have turned him into a martyr," said Sobotka, quipping that Babis had been "working hard to get ready for this role for several days." Babis ran the sprawling Agrofert conglomerate before putting his assets into a trust earlier this year to ward off conflict of interest allegations. He is also the Czech Republic's most popular politician with a 56 percent approval rating, according to the April CVVM survey, compared to 39 percent for Sobotka in sixth place. MANILA At a Real Numbers forum held on Tuesday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and the PNP Investigation and Detective Management refuted data that have been circulating and casting doubts on the governments campaign against illegal drugs. Among which are the data being used by the international and local media on the real number of extrajudicial killings in the country. The data purportedly showed that the death toll on the anti-illegal drugs war is now at 9,000. Based on PNP data, the number of deaths from drug war operations is only at more than 2,000. PNP claims that the media may have included the homicide cases in the total death toll. As for the definition of EJK, what happens is everyone getting killed is being referred as extrajudicial killings. EJK, pursuant to Administrative Order 35 refers to death involving media personalities. The deaths must be work-related, PNP DIDM PDir. Augusto Marquez said. Alongside the anti-illegal drugs campaign, there has been a drop in the number of crime in the country within President Dutertes first eight months in office. The PCO said this number proves the governments anti-drug campaign is effective. Fight false numbers by spreading the real numbers, Sec. Martin Andanar said. The real and factual data on the government undertakings against illegal drugs can be seen on the Philippine Information Agencys website. Mon Jocson | UNTV News & Rescue The post Govt presents real data about the effectiveness of anti-illegal drugs campaign appeared first on UNTV News. By Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - With Cuban President Raul Castro set to step down next year, his daughter Mariela Castro said on Wednesday she would never want to be a contender for the presidency, but that there was room for surprises in the succession process. Raul, 85, who took the reins from his older brother, the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, has said he will step down in February 2018 at the end of a second five-year term. His heir apparent is Cuba's First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, 57, and experts say the latter would have to stumble badly for someone else to leapfrog him in Cuba's arcane system for choosing its leader. Still, speculation there could be other candidates is rife on the Communist-ruled island. Mariela Castro, 54, a lawmaker and director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), was evasive when asked about the issue at a CENESEX news conference. "The men and women of the people of Cuba are candidates," she told reporters. "I don't say: 'We are,' because I will never let myself be nominated for such a big task." "Sometimes, you orientate yourself one way and then suddenly, you look over there, and you say: 'How interesting is this person whom I hadn't checked out before,'" she said. "There are always surprises." Names that have been bandied around as possible alternatives to Diaz-Canel are Alejandro Castro Espin, another child of the current president and one of his closest aides, and foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez. Castro Espin played a key role in the secret negotiations leading up to the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States, although he ruled out succeeding his father in a 2015 interview. Rodriguez meanwhile has a high public profile as Cuba's top diplomat, most recently touring Europe. Still, Cuba experts say Diaz-Canel has clearly been groomed for the job and the government would unlikely want to risk political stability by appointing someone with less legitimacy. "Perhaps she wanted to inject an element of excitement into what otherwise appears to be a pre-determined top-down bureaucratic selection," said Richard Feinberg, author of "Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy". Surprises were always possible, he added, but he doubted the rumors of another Castro. "That would be a grave mistake by the Cuban Communist Party leadership, as it would make Cuba appear to be a family dynasty, rather than an institutionalized polity," he said. (Additional reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by G Crosse and Andrew Hay) New publication: Does it matter if the consensus on anthropogenic global warming is 97% or 99.99%? Posted on 3 May 2017 by Andy Skuce The 97% consensus on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) reported by Cook et al. (2013) (C13) is a robust estimate. Alternative methods, such as James Powell's, that identify only explicit rejections of AGW and assume that all other instances are endorsements, miss many implicit rejections and overestimate the consensus. The C13 method can be modified and used to estimate the consensus on plate tectonics in a sample of the recent geological literature. This limited studynot surprisingly to anyone familiar with the fieldproduces a consensus estimate of 100%. However, among the abstracts that expressed an opinion. only implicit endorsements of the theory were found: this underlines the importance in consensus studies of identifying implicit statements. The majority of the abstracts expressed no position. Assuming that these cases suggest either uncertainty about, or rejection of, plate tectonics (as some critics of C13 have claimed about AGW) would lead to the absurd conclusion that the theory is not widely accepted among geologists. Opinion surveys show that the public is misinformed about true state of consensus among climate scientists, with only a minority aware that it is greater than 90%. The difference between 97% and 99.99% is tiny compared to this gap. The 3% of published papers that reject AGW are contradictory and have invariably been debunked. They do not therefore provide a coherent alternative account of climate science. Despite this, dissenters are awarded disproportionate attention by ideologically and commercially motivated interests, as well as by false balance in the media. Countering this public confusion requires both communicating the consensus and debunking bad science. For a shorter summary than the one below, read Dana Nuccitelli's Guardian piece: Is the climate consensus 97%, 99.9%, or is plate tectonics a hoax? In 2016, James Powell published an article Climate Scientists Virtually Unanimous Anthropogenic Global Warming Is True in the Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society. The paper was critical of the 2013 paper by John Cook and members of the Skeptical Science team (C13): Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature. Powells article is pay-walled, but readers can read the details of his argument on his blog and in a Skeptical Inquirer piece from 2015. There is also a free version of the BST&S article hosted here, found through the Unpaywall Browser Extension. We have previously responded to Powells arguments. John Cook published an article for Skeptical Inquirer and I wrote a piece on my blog Critical Angle. Yesterday, a team of eight co-authors (Andy Skuce, John Cook, Mark Richardson, Barbel Winkler, Ken Rice, Sarah Green, Peter Jacobs and Dana Nuccitelli) published a more formal, peer-reviewed rebuttal: Does it matter if the consensus on anthropogenic global warming is 97% or 99.99%? in the Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society. The article is also paywalled, but the publisher allows us to post a version of the revised submitted manuscript, which can be read here. In his BST&S paper, Powell makes four main arguments against C13: Consensus studies by Doran & Zimmerman (2009), the Pew Research Center (2015) and Anderegg et al. (2010) fail to reveal a near-unanimous consensus on AGW because of some combination of small sample size, reliance on fallible opinion, and inclusion of nonexperts The C13 study of 11,944 articles in the peer-reviewed literature from 1991-2011 failed to adequately measure the consensus because it ignored the abstracts and papers that did not express an opinion on AGW. Applying the C13 methodology to a universally accepted theory like plate tectonics would yield misleading or absurd results. If it were true that 3% of scientists rejected or were uncertain about AGW, then the case for action to prevent global warming would be weakened, since, by comparison with now-settled scientific questions like continental drift and the origin of lunar craters, the existence of dissenters might suggest that AGW theory was about to be overthrown We respond in detail to these objections in the paper. I will summarize the main points below. Complete references are provided in the paper. James Powell has written a rejoinder to our article, which should be published in coming weeks. We have not seen it yet. 1. Did previous studies fail to reveal a near-unanimous consensus? This point is best addressed by referring to the meta-study Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming published in 2016 by John Cook and 15 co-authors. (C16). The study found that different studies using different methods produced estimates of the consensus on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) that range from 90-100% for sampled populations with expertise in climate science. Within this range, the results differ because of: variations in the study timing, definition of consensus, or differences in methodology including surveys of scientists, analyses of literature or of citation networks. Although the studies show that multiple lines of evidence exist for overwhelming support among climate experts for AGW, most studies do reveal a small percentage of dissenting opinions. The degree of consensus correlates with increasing expertise. From C16. Level of consensus on AGW versus expertise across different studies. Right colour bar indicates posterior density of Bayesian 99% credible intervals. Only consensus estimates obtained over the last 10 years are included (see S2 for further details and tabulation of acronyms). 2. Did C13 underestimate consensus? Powell has two main objections to the C13 methodology. Firstly, he argues that all abstracts that do not contain an explicit rejection of AGW should be deemed to endorse AGW. There is circularity to this argument: the assumption of near-universal endorsement leads Powell to classify any abstract lacking explicit rejection wording as endorsement. We found that implicit rejections of AGW were much more common than explicit rejections. Indeed, in our supplementary survey of the original authors, 1.8% of those who responded to classified their own papers as rejecting the consensus on AGW. Secondly Powell claims that C13 ignored the no position abstracts. In fact, we did plot the percentage of no position abstracts over time and noted that these showed an increasing trend. Although it is somewhat counter-intuitive, we would expect no-position abstracts to increase as the acceptance of AGW rises with time. Space is limited in abstracts and scientists may consider that an endorsement of AGW would be stating the obvious. As we will see in the next section, in geological journals in 2015, abstracts that do not take a position on plate tectonics range from 55-76%. This is not because geologists are hesitant about the reality of plate tectonics, but rather that making implicit or explicit endorsements is either superfluous or irrelevant to the specific research topic of the paper. From C13, Figure 1 (b). Percentage of endorsement, rejection and no position/undecided abstracts. Uncertain comprise 0.5% of no position abstracts. It is true that the no position abstracts were not used by C13 in the estimate of consensus. Because the authors provided no text that revealed their opinion, we didnt try to guess it. Nevertheless, we accept that the authors of the great majority of no position abstracts most likely accept AGWbut not all of them. 3. Can the C13 method estimate the consensus on plate tectonics? We performed a small study applying the C13 methodology to consensus on plate tectonics. We looked at the abstracts of papers published in 2015 in the journals Geology and the Journal of the Geological Society. These journals were chosen because they are widely cited and publish articles over the full gamut of solid-Earth geoscience. We chose criteria for the implicit endorsement of plate tectonics to be uncritical mentions of key elements of the theory, such as sea-floor spreading, subduction or continental drift. References to global-scale paleogeographic features such as Pangaea or Tethys Ocean would also qualify as implicit endorsements. We looked for explicit endorsements of plate tectonics, but found none. This is not surprising. It is very unlikely that any scientists would put a statement like plate tectonics is true into a research abstract in 2015. Nor did we find any rejections of any kind. This also is unsurprising: although there are extremely rare dissenting articles written, even in recent years, it is very unlikely that they would pass peer-review in a prominent journal. Our rating results: Of the 265 Geology abstracts, 65 (24.5%) were rated as implicit endorsements and 200 (75.5%) were judged to be no position. The Journal of the Geological Society yielded 30 (45.5%) implicit endorsement and 36 (54.5%) no position ratings. Using the C13 methodology for calculating consensus (i.e., the number of endorsements divided by the sum of endorsements and rejections) yields 100%. The purpose here was not to establish a definitive consensus study of plate tectonics, but to explore whether a modified form of the C13 method could be applied outside the field of climate science. A much broader sample of journals would be required for a comprehensive consensus study and there is a possibility that more obscure journals might publish a very rare paper skeptical of plate tectonics. A study of the growth of the consensus over time, particularly in the decades following the 1950s would be interesting, but would require a major effort. Our main findings: Yes, the C13 methodology works for plate tectonics, because it counts implicit endorsements. Relying solely on explicit endorsements or rejections would not work because such statements, in abstracts in recent papers in prominent journals at least, are essentially non-existent. Most of the abstracts do not take a position on plate tectonics. This is the case even though plate tectonics provides the fundamental framework for modern geology. The reasons for this are partly because some of the articles didnt require any consideration of plate tectonics processes in their specific research focus (e.g. in geomorphology, glaciology, mineralogy). Failure to endorse the theory should not be taken to imply any uncertainty among geologists. The differences in the percentages of no position abstract between the two sampled journals possibly reflects a difference in editorial preferences of subject matter, but this would need to be demonstrated by further study. Some critics of C13, for example Legates et al (2013), claim that only explicit, quantified endorsements of global warming being caused mostly by humans should count towards a consensus on AGW. Using this approach, they calculated a consensus on AGW of 0.3%. If they applied the same criteria to plate tectonics they would get a consensus of zero, which is equally absurd. We dont expect (but never say never!) that our small study will attract the kinds of hostile commentary that the C13 study has received. Those criticisms included, for example: that the raters were biased (we certainly are not neutral on plate tectonics); or that the results are suspect because raters colluded privately (we did freely compare and discuss ratings in the plate tectonic case, but only in a handful of problematic instances for the C13 study); or failed to keep to-the-minute time stamps (we didnt here, either). The reason we dont expect controversy is because AGW is politicized and doubt about it is largely manufactured and exaggerated by ideological and commercial interests. Plate tectonics has never attracted this kind of controversy, motivated by concerns outside of science. Everyone can see the reasons for our ratings in this document. The abstracts are freely available online and our ratings can be checked and replicated. 4. Does a 97% consensus imply a significant level of doubt? Does the existence of a small percentage of scientists who doubt AGW pose a threat to the mainstream view or indicate the beginning of a scientific revolution? It might, if the dissenters could agree on a single consistent alternative model that accounted for the majority of observations. The reality is that the contrarian objections are incoherent and they contradict each other. They have also been widely debunked. Science revolutions occur when comprehensive alternative theories with greater explanatory power emerge. There is no sign of this happening in climate science. Attempts to draw parallels between scientific revolutions in the past and the current situation in climate science, as Senator Ted Cruz and others have proposed, are based on false history. It is rare that a well-established general scientific theory is overturned by a handful of plucky skeptics. For example, sustained resistance to the heliocentric ideas developed by Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton came not from scientific rivals, but from religion. It is ridiculous, pretentious even, for climate science contrarians to compare themselves to Galileo. Modern climate science itself emerged gradually from the mid-nineteenth century. Although there were disputes and problems along the waytypical for a developing scienceimproved models and new observations allowed the current consensus to form. Organised opposition to the consensus emerged once it became clear that the science implied that policy measures were required to reduce emissions to limit warming. The controversy over continental drift that raged in the early twentieth century was only partly about the evidence. The reality was that the key data about the nature and age of the crust underlying the oceans was almost completely lacking then, so both sides were speculating about the age and nature of a crucial two-thirds of the Earths crust. A major factor fueling the debate was methodological. North American geologists favoured an inductive, multiple-working-hypothesis epistemological model, whereas Europeans were more comfortable with theory-first reasoning. This is all explained in Naomi Oreskes excellent book The rejection of continental drift: Theory and method in American earth science. As new data came in and a unifying kinematic model emergedplate tectonicsmethodological objections disappeared and almost all geologists embraced the new theory within a decade. See also my blog post Consensus on plate tectonics and climate science for further discussion. From Isacks, Oliver and Sykes, 1968. Like the Dude Lebowskis rug, this diagram and this one really tied the geological room together. Hardly anyone but a few cranks oppose heliocentrism or plate tectonics these days. Current objections to AGW were amplified after nearly all climate scientists became convinced by multiple lines of evidence that human emissions were driving global warming. These objections were not usually put forward by scientists convinced that they were in possession of a better model, but by people whose ideology or commercial interests were threatened by the implication that prudent policy requires rapid reduction in the use of fossil fuels. Discussion Why is communicating the consensus on AGW important? Mainly, it is because the public, the American public especially, has been deliberately misinformed about the level of scientific dissent. Most people do not have the time or the ability to assess the scientific evidence for themselves. They rely on heuristics, such as what the experts have concluded. People do this every time they accept a physicians treatment recommendation and every time they drive across a bridge designed by professional engineers. None of us are polymaths in the modern world, able to go to primary sources and evaluate them as if we were specialists. We are obliged to rely on the opinions of credible experts. There was a day when smart people could live by a principle such as taking nobodys word for it. But today is no longer that day. Modern science has become too vast and specialized for any individual to master it all. Most experiments and observations are now beyond the reach of amateurs. In a world in which the objections to the mainstream conclusions on AGW have been deliberately inflated, communication of the overwhelming scientific consensus becomes vital to keep the publics discourse on policy rooted in reality. Studies have shown that such communication leads to changes of test subjects opinions and reduces the biasing influence of ideologically motivated actors. Furthermore, it has been shown that consensus estimates act as a gateway belief. Manufactured low consensus estimates close the gate, inhibiting further consideration. On the other hand, acceptance of the true, high estimates of scientific consensus unlocks the gate, permitting further investigation of the science and, crucially, encourages necessary reality-based discussion of policy options. Conclusions There is a very small but real percentage of scientific opinion that rejects mainstream conclusions on anthropogenic global warming. Such opinion is incoherent, usually ideologically motivated and invariably debunked. Literature surveys that rely solely on finding explicit rejections of AGW will miss the more numerous implicit rejections that are implicitly expressed or are present in abstracts that express no clear opinion. James Powells approach, which counts only explicit rejections and assumes that the rest of the literature endorses AGW, exaggerates the consensus a little. It ought not to matter whether the consensus is 97% or 99.99%. Either figure demonstrates a near-unanimous endorsement. Unfortunately, todays political and media environment gives a disproportionate degree of attention to the small minority of dissenters. The public has become understandably confused and opinion surveys consistently reveal that the perception of the degree of scientific rejection of climate change is larger than it is. This misconception needs to be tackled head-on, by repetitively asserting the overwhelming scientific support for AGW. In addition, mainstream scientists need to examine and publicly debunk scientific notions that reject the consensus view. Many years ago, a geology professor gave me some sage advice: Never exaggerate your case, it only makes it easier to argue against. We dont need to claim that 99.99% of scientists conclude that global warming is real and largely man made. Its quite sufficient to demonstrate that dissenters make up only a very small percentage of scientists, that their theories provide no coherent alternative and that their scientific arguments are debunked. Postscript: You can say that again My colleagues and I talk a lot about consensus. Many of us would instead prefer to focus on the amazing new science being produced and on the daunting policy challenges that humanity faces in avoiding harmful climate change. Sometimes I worry that the repetitive messaging is becoming a bit boring. But, as Tony Leseirowitz argues in a short video clip, repetition is essential. In the recent congressional hearings on science organised by Republican politicians, only one mainstream scientist, Michael Mann, was invited as a witness for the 97%. Everybody at the meeting kept bringing up consensus, either to affirm it or deny it. Heres a brief video supercut made by John Cook of the mentions of consensus at the meeting that he made for the excellent Evidence Squared podcast series that he presents with Peter Jacobs: Evidently, consensus still matters to scientists and politicians alike and on both sides of the so-called debate. But even as we repeat the consensus message, we are faced with the reality of an American government that rejects climate science and is hell-bent on removing regulations to mitigate emissions. Its all rather dishearteningbut there are glimmers of movement. Even though most conservatives have expressed consistent opposition to climate science and mitigation regulationsperhaps motivated by the need to show adherence to their cultural groups, as Professor Dan Kahan and others have arguedrecent surveys have shown that there are surprising levels of support for climate and pollution mitigation policies, even among President Trump supporters. The main finding for the survey is that Trump voters are more supportive of climate action and much more supportive of clean energy than most people might have assumed, said Edward Maibach, a professor at George Mason University and a co-author of the study. I suspect even Mr. Trump would be surprised by this finding. In a recent paper, Larry Hamilton of the University of New Hampshire reports that there are initial signs of growing awareness of the scientific consensus, in his surveys of the public in New Hampshire. He notices an uptick in recent years, with liberal perceptions of consensus rising from the mid-80% to the mid-90% and among conservatives from 30% to 40%. Percentage who think most scientists agree that human activities are changing the climate. From Hamilton, 2016, figure 3. Of course, it is not possible, using these data alone, to attribute this recent rise to any single factor. Nevertheless, Hamilton writes: Growing awareness of the scientific consensus, whether from deliberate messaging or the cumulative impact of many studies and publicly engaged scientists, provides the most plausible explanation for this rise in both series [viz., public opinions on human-caused climate change and on perceptions of the degree of agreement among scientists]. Perhaps we can draw some encouragement from this. But theres still a very long way to go. And we have to make haste: nature is not about to slow down its physical processes to provide more time for humans to get over their cognitive dissonance and wishful thinking. Acknowledgement. We thank James Powell for his discussion of the C13 paper. His critique prompted us to provide elaboration of our methods. Across the world, small businesses do not seem to be equal when it comes to facing challenges. Belgian businesses, for example, seem to be doing something right among their European counterparts. According to data revealed in the recently released FedEx SME Export Report, Belgian small and medium sized businesses appear most optimistic about future revenue growth in two particular areas: eCommerce and export. Social Media Gaining More Importance What stands out most prominently is the role of social media and mobile devices in contributing to the success of Belgian small businesses, particularly when it comes to exports. Today, 79 percent of exporting small and medium sized businesses in Belgium are selling their products via mobile applications. The same percentage of businesses are offering customers the option to make purchases via social platforms. eCommerce Also Boosts Businesses in Belgium Not surprisingly, eCommerce has also grown into a key revenue-generating channel for small exporters in Belgium. According to the report, 85 percent of Belgian exporting small businesses generate revenue from eCommerce via desktop devices, representing 16 percent of their total revenue. However, mobile and social selling are clearly gaining. Further, Belgium small businesses appear to have the highest percentage of B2B eCommerce transactions among all small exporters surveyed across the globe, representing 67 percent of their average revenue. Businesses Are Feeling Positive Encouraged by their increasing revenues, Belgian businesses are feeling confident about their future growth prospects. The study has found 53 percent of Belgian small businesses believe export revenue within Europe will increase, compared to just 34 percent of European businesses surveyed. What U.S. Businesses Can Learn From Their Belgian Small Business Counterparts Belgian small businesses have proved how eCommerce and social media can be leveraged to boost revenue, particularly in exporting. They have also succeeded in tying it together with a solid mobile marketing strategy. U.S. small businesses seeking to achieve similar results in exporting should take a page out of the Belgian small business playbook. Small U.S. exporters already vastly out number their larger competitors. Focus on eCommerce, mobile and social media to even out the playing field. For the report, FedEx Express (NYSE:FDX) conducted 9,000 interviews with senior executives in small businesses. Small Business Week is in full swing and Linda McMahon, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, has announced the Small Business Persons of The Year. This year the honors were shared by Garrett and Melanie Marrero of Maui Brewing Company. The husband and wife team have managed to grow a company that started in 2005 as a small, several barrel brewpub into a thriving enterprise. SBA financing played a big part in helping them. By the second year of operations, the Marreros had added a second location and their march to small business success included revenues of more than $10 million by 2013 and a restaurant in Oahu last year. Maui Brewing Company has plans to employ 700 people by the end of 2018. It is the largest craft beer producer is Hawaii. McMahon also mentioned the runners-up from Virginia, California and Kentucky. And she listed the regional winners from U.S. states and territories announced back in March. The runners-up for this years Small Business Persons of The Year include: First Runner-up Debra Dudley, President and Cofounder of Oscarware, Inc. in Bonnieville, Kentucky has taken her company to unparalleled success. Founded in 1989, Oscarware, Inc is a family owned manufacturing business. The companys flagship disposable Grill Topper was designed as a quick and easy way to cook in campgrounds and parks. Oscarware has added 17 other outdoor cooking gadgets and each of those products are made in Kentucky. Oscarware has taken advantage of SBAs STEP exporting program to expand its client base into Canada and Europe. The company currently has 32 employees. When co-founder Reg Dudley passed away in 2006, Debra took over the entire company and by 2015, Oscarwares sales grew a record 50 percent. Second Runner-up Lars C. Herman, president of the Herman Construction Group, Inc., in Escondido, California, has won more than 80 design build and general construction contracts for his company since establishing it after serving with the US Navy and having a commission with the Civil Engineer Corps. These contracts range in price from $3,000 to nearly $24 million. By making full use of the SBAs 8(a) Business Development and Mentor-Protege programs, Herman has managed to foster double digit growth for his firm. In the two years spanning 2013 to 2015, he received more than $80 million worth of contracts that were set aside specifically for small businesses. Last year, his awards included $51 million in set-aside contracts. Herman Construction Group, Inc is an 8(a)-certified construction company specializing in federal projects. Third Runner-up Corliss Udoema, President and CEO of Contract Solutions, Inc. in Manassas, Virginia had a 32 year career with the federal government before launching his company. Contract Solutions, Inc. was founded in 2006. The company provides professional staffing and management support services to various levels of government. SBAs Office of Government Contracting assists Contract Solutions and the company uses its 8(a) certification to bid on set-aside contracts that might otherwise be difficult to access. Udoema is also both the founder and president of Agape Love in Action, a nonprofit working too help those facing a variety of needs. The prime minister is calling for more detailed information about funds for non-governmental organisations,who do not understand his intentions. Font size: A - | A + Slovakia will probably have to look at the funding and background of non-governmental organisations, said Prime Minister Robert Fico after the April 29 summit in Brussels. I even think that everywhere these NGOs are active, they will have to disclose information about the country they receive money from, who stands behind them in order for us to know who is who, because otherwise we will find out that various street meetings are organised here and behind them are NGOs from abroad, Fico said, as quoted by the SITA newswire. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement He statements are in connection with the law on financing NGOs in Hungary, which is threatening the existence of the Central European University in Budapest. According to the new rules, some NGOs would have to be labelled as foreign agents. A similar law has been adopted in Russia, SITA wrote. This is the reason why the situation in Hungary will probably be the topic that would have impact also on other EU countries and we will have to deal with the issue of the transparent operation of NGOs, Fico said, as quoted by SITA, adding he does not want to comment on the internal affairs of Hungary or any other Visegrad Group country. Read also: Read also: Orban is busy creating his own migration crisis Read more The NGOs active in Slovakia, with which Fico discussed the anti-corruption measures in March, do not understand Ficos statements. If we dont take the events linked to May 1 celebrations or cultural events into account, I dont know about any organisation that would organise meetings on the streets, Peter Kunder of ethics watchdog Fair-Play Alliance told the Dennik N daily. He added he has not noticed any street meetings that would be illegal or that would promote some illegal goals. Fair-Play Alliance, for example, regularly publishes information about its financing, which is even more detailed than that of political parties. Our financing is a mixture of grants and contributions from Slovak and international foundations, institutions, companies and hundreds of individuals, Kunder told Dennik N, stressing that their supporters do not tell them what to do. Politicians casting doubt on civil rights movements only helps extremists spread their ideology, Kunder opines. Pavel Sibyla of Stop Corruption Foundation also does not understand Ficos intentions. The NGOs already state in their annual reports from which sources they receive finances, Sibyla told Dennik N. He said he is not afraid of the statements, but rather the inactivity of the government in fighting corruption, in education reform or in the integration of Roma. The deadline for both Slovak and English works is the end of May. Font size: A - | A + Organisers of the 15th year of the competition Martinus Fantasy Award 2017 started receiving the first entries in the sci-fi, fantasy and horror genres. The deadline for sending the stories, which should not be longer than 25 standardised pages, is set at the end of May, the TASR newswire reported. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The jury, composed of experts in literature and art, will then pick five finalists during the summer, of which readers will choose the best stories. The winners will then be announced in November at the book fair Bibliotheca in Bratislava. Besides the main competition, authors can attend also its English version, held for the fourth time. The limit for the length of stories and the deadline for sending is the same as the Slovak version: 25 standardised pages and the end of May. The stories have to be written in English, TASR wrote. Previous jury members include also sci-fi writer Mike Resnick, US fantasy writer Jeff VanderMeer, and author of the novel Martian, Andy Weir. At the end of April Sudan announced that it will form a government of national accord (also called the government of national concord). Political opponents reacted with suspicion. A government of national accord is not a national unity government. The national accord will still be run by the National Congress Party (NCP) and its leader, Sudanese dictator Omar al Bashir. However, one of Bashirs chief assistants. Ibrahim Hamid, announced on April 27 that the NCP would make opposition political leaders senior ministers in the government. Sudan has 31 ministries. One opposition party, the Popular Congress Party, has agreed to the deal. Bashir is reportedly in ill health. He has held power since 1989. In February 2017, Bashir promised to leave his office in 2020. Opposition leaders point out in the past he promised to cede power in 2010 and then again in 2014 but reneged on his promise. Bashir was an army general. Opposition leaders and human rights groups argue that the Sudanese military remains the most powerful political force in Sudan. The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) also wields political power. In South Sudan a growing number of tribal militias join the rebel coalition and go off to fight. This usually consists of raiding and looting pro-government tribes or simply anyone they have a dispute with. The national transport system is breaking down and both sides accuse the UN and other aid groups of working with the enemy. Best assessment is that this is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. April 29, 2017: A deadly battle erupted in Sudans Buram region (South Darfur state) between Salamat and Habaniya tribesmen. At least 19 died and another 19 were wounded after Salamat raiders stole cattle from the Habaniya, who fought back. Sudanese security forces deployed to try to stop the conflict. April 28, 2017: In South Sudanese the army announced that as long as the threat of a coup remains it will not halt is intensified security operation in the capital, Juba. The army has beefed up its forces in the capital region and increased the number of patrols in Juba. One rumor circulating in the capital area is that the president is considering ceding power to the military. The presidents office and the militarys chief of staff have both said this is false. April 26, 2017: In South Sudan the army announced that it has taken control of the rebel office in the town of Kodok (Upper Nile state). Serious fighting that began on April 23 has forced 25,000 civilians to flee the area. A senior official in the Sudanese government said that Sudan believes the U.S. will permanently end trade and economic sanctions by July 2017. The U.S. eased some sanctions in January 2017. April 24, 2017: Sudans Intelligence agency (NISS) South Sudan of providing aid to Sudanese rebel forces. Some 30,000 refugees from Sudans Nuba Mountain region in South Kordofan state have now moved from the Yida refugee camp to the Pamir camp. Aid groups reported the Yida camp did not have food for the new refugees. Fighting between the army and rebels limited the 2016 harvest. As it is, Yida is an unofficial refugee camp. For almost a year the UN has been trying to move the 70,000 refugees currently living in Yida. April 23, 2017: South Sudan and the rebels are trying to revive the August 2015 peace agreement. The government says it is writing a new constitution base on the agreement. The constitution was supposed to have been written by early 2017 and that deadline was missed. April 15, 2017: A firefight in the Rasa area between rebels and forces loyal to the South Sudan government killed 14 people. April 11, 2017: Sudans Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed its personnel arrested five smugglers working with a major criminal organization after a firefight near Sudans tri-national border with Libya and Egypt. The criminal gang traffics in gold, narcotics and people. April 10, 2017: In South Sudan a pro-government militia killed 16 people in the city of Wau. The militia attacked the civilians after a government convoy was ambushed by rebels. April 9, 2017: A 12-day joint military training exercise involving Sudanese and Saudi Arabian air force has concluded. Sudan is allied with Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen pitting coalition forces against Iranian-backed rebels. April 5, 2017: In South Sudan soldiers in the town of Parjok (near the Uganda border) killed at least 16 rebel fighters loyal to former Vice President (and rebel leader) Riek Machar. The army claimed the rebels attacked the town. April 3, 2017: In Sudan the SPLM-N rebels announced it has suspended peace negotiations with the government of Sudan. The SPLM-N acknowledged that it is dealing with an internal political rift. March 31, 2017: In South Sudan the SPLM-IO rebels announced they intend to disrupt South Sudanese oil production. The government uses its oil income to buy weapons and fund military operations. Report Should 'Elites' be Allowed to Continue Ignoring Pell Students? All students stand a better chance of graduating at selective colleges, no matter their SAT score. Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce Should elite schools even the private ones be required to enroll a minimum number of Pell Grant recipients? That's the question posed in a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Pell grants are intended to help students with financial need attend college. The problem, according to "The 20% Solution: Selective Colleges Can Afford to Admit More Pell Grant Recipients," is that most recipients end up attending "open access" colleges, schools with low graduation rates compared to more selective institutions. Research by the center has found that the most elite United States institutions, about 500 in total, could enroll more low-income students without weakening their graduation rates or their budgets. The research specifically looked at 86,000 Pell Grant recipients who scored at or above the median scores on the SAT or ACT tests sought out by those elite schools. (The report said that 64,000 Pell students with SAT scores of 1120 or greater already attend selective colleges.) In elite institutions, Pell students graduate at almost the same rate as all students (78 percent compared to 82 percent). When Pell students attend open-access schools, the likelihood of graduation drops to 48 percent. The public institutions they attend are also more likely to be two-year community colleges than four-year universities. The "stratification of higher education" surfaces in that dichotomy as well, the report noted. While only 12 percent of students who start postsecondary education at a community college will receive a bachelors degree within six years, 57 percent of students who start at a four-year institution will earn a bachelors within six years. As the researchers proposed, if every one of the 346 colleges and universities where Pell students make up less than 20 percent of the student population were required to maintain a Pell enrollment at least that high, more than 72,000 Pell students could find themselves enrolled in schools where they were more likely to succeed. The selective colleges and universities with the lowest rates of Pell students are primarily private institutions, the report stated. Yet, the seven universities that would have to add the most students to reach the 20 percent Pell threshold are all public institutions, because they also have the largest enrollments. Pell grants average $3,724; the maximum is $5,815. That covers just a small portion of the cost of attending a selective school, the report pointed out, which means that selective schools would probably have to expand their financial aid budgets to make room for Pell students. Whereas public institutions might argue that budget cuts prevent them from doing so, the researchers wrote, the same arguments predicting dire financial outcomes from elite private schools "ring hollow." The study found that many selective colleges have large budget surpluses. Among the 69 most selective private colleges, for example, the average annual budget surplus was $139 million, and the median endowment was $1.2 billion. The march toward that 20 percent benchmark has already been blazed, the report asserted. A dozen elite "competitors," among them the University of California at Berkeley (where 31 percent of students are Pell recipients) and Columbia University (where 21 percent of the student body is made up of Pell students), have been able to maintain their standing while enrolling more than the threshold proposed by the center. Last year, legislation was proposed by two U.S. senators, Christopher Coons (D-DE) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), to compel schools to admit more Pell-eligible students. The "Access, Success, and Persistence in Reshaping Education Act of 2016" or ASPIRE Act has gone nowhere other than to committee. But the bipartisan sentiment remains. "Were working to even the playing field to make sure thats a reality for students of all economic backgrounds at every college and university in the country," said Isakson at the time of the bill's introduction. One risk in pursuing the "20 percent solution" is that it could make some colleges "less racially and ethnically diverse," the researchers acknowledged. That's because among the Pell recipients who scored 1120 or higher on the SAT, 81 percent are white. Presuming that selective colleges would choose "from only the highest performers among Pell students, those primarily white recruitments could "displace some Black/African-American or Hispanic/Latino students who otherwise would have been accepted." However, the report added, colleges could offset that outcome by using strategies such as "making standardized tests optional for applicants and putting more emphasis on high school class rank and other factors." "Although there are many tradeoffs to consider, perhaps the most important is that the best colleges and universities have the opportunity to serve more low-income students than they are currently," the report concluded. "These students now go to colleges from which they have only about a 50-50 chance of graduating. Enrolling them at colleges from which they have close to an 80 percent chance of graduating could go a long way toward advancing equity in this country by giving students in poor financial circumstances a far greater chance of succeeding." The full report is openly available on the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce here. "A little fill here and there may seem to be nothing to become excited about. But one fill, though comparatively inconsequential, may lead to another, and another, and before long a great body may be eaten away until it may no longer exist. Our navigable waters are a precious natural heritage, once gone, they disappear forever," wrote the Wisconsin Supreme Court in its 1960 opinion resolving Hixon v. PSC and buttressing The Public Trust Doctrine, Article IX of the Wisconsin State Constitution. Saudi Vision 2030, which outlines the kingdoms ambitious transformation plans, has the potential to attract up to $1 trillion in inward foreign direct investment (FDI) over the next 15 years, according to experts. Saudi Vision 2030, which outlines the kingdoms ambitious transformation plans, has the potential to attract $1 trillion in inward foreign direct investment (FDI) over the next 15 years, according to experts from Oxford Strategic Consulting, Oxford Economics and Control Risks. The vision aims to create a diversified economy underpinned by an invigorated private sector. Even if only partially realised, it would create significant business opportunities and drive the kingdom onto a more dynamic growth path. The kingdom is at a critical juncture: its economic model is no longer sustainable in a world of depressed oil prices, and there is a youthful, connected population entering the workforce and eager to integrate with the outside world. Market and geopolitical outlook Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 is a sweeping reform agenda. It not only seeks to reorient the economy away from oil, but also to create a more engaged and open society. These social aspects go hand in hand with the economic reform agenda and aims to create a productive society that will support economic growth. Investors looking to capitalise on these opportunities require a nuanced understanding of how the countrys business environment is changing. Businesses need to understand the governments plans for the sectors in which they operate, as well as the governments ability to deliver on its reform promises. They also need to continue to monitor the fiscal and social pressures the government is facing, as these will be primary factors shaping the governments resolve to follow through on these fundamental reforms. Graham Griffiths, analyst, Control Risks Middle East, said: Saudi Arabia is embarking on a radical transition that promises to open up many economic opportunities for investors. However, the kingdom will remain a challenging environment to work in, as the traditional way of doing business both within the government and in the private sector meets the new economic model. Informed analysis of the rapidly changing political, economic and social landscape in the kingdom will be vital to seizing the opportunities presented by Saudi Vision 2030. Economic outlook Total GDP: A productivity-led economic transformation could enable Saudi Arabia to double its GDP and create as many as six million new jobs by 2030. Better Human Resources can also help the country boost GDP. Oxford Strategic Consultings Human Resources Management in the GCC research report with Aramco found that effective HR could add $14 billion per year to the GDP of the Gulf Cooperation Council states. Given Saudi Arabias contribution to the blocs total GDP, Oxford Strategic Consulting estimates that better HR has the potential to generate approximately $6.44 billion in GDP for the country. Inward FDI: The vision also aims to increase inward FDIs contribution to GDP from 3.8 per cent to 5.7 per cent and this would require an inward FDI average growth of 21 per cent per year (in nominal terms), resulting in cumulative inward FDI of up to $1 trillion over the next fifteen years. To attract foreign investment the government is seeking to create a more investment-friendly environment by eliminating bureaucratic red-tape, opening up additional sectors of the economy to foreign investors and revamping regulation. Private sector: The private sector currently contributes 40 per cent to GDP, but officials hope to increase this to 65 per cent by 2030. Meeting this target requires stronger private sector annual GDP growth by five percentage points per year versus baseline growth. This would grow the private sector on average by 13 per cent per year (in nominal terms), resulting in private sector GDP growing by a factor of six in just fifteen years. SMEs: To spur private sector growth, the government is taking steps to support SMEs and provide stimulus funds for the private sector. The countrys private sector will welcome this support, as it needs to employ a total of 4.1 million nationals by 2030 a rise of 2.5 million compared with current levels. Even as the vision looks set to unlock numerous opportunities, its implementation will face challenges. For both foreign and local firms, taking advantage of and maximising these opportunities will require solid knowledge of the local market dynamics, reform agendas and human capital considerations. TradeArabia News Service Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, has inaugurated its first dedicated office in Bahrain. The move comes as part of its ongoing commitment to the market and drive to provide strong on-ground support to partners across the wider Middle East and Africa region, the company said. To mark the occasion, Mastercard organised an exclusive event for its key stakeholders in Bahrain, where senior Mastercard executives including Raghu Malhotra, president, Middle East and Africa; and Khalid Elgibali, division president, Middle East and North Africa, hosted Khalid Al Rumaihi, chief executive of Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), among other local customer banks and officials. Mastercard has a long and rich history with the kingdom, and the opening of our first dedicated office further cements our footprint in the market as we get ever closer to our local partners. We have a robust expansion and growth strategy in place for the region, and the establishment of our formal presence is a key pillar as we look to further meet the market-specific needs of our customers. We look forward to leveraging our global and local expertise and innovation capabilities to roll out world-class payments technologies in this market alongside our partners, said Malhotra. As a prominent financial centre in the region, Bahrain is making great strides towards becoming a fintech hub, and through our tailored products and payments solutions, we are excited to play an active role in the future growth and development of the payments sector in the kingdom, added Khalid Elgibali, division president, Middle East and North Africa, Mastercard. Al Rumaihi said: With our supportive ecosystem, mature regulation and sound governance, as well as a longstanding history as a regional financial center, the financial services industry in the Kingdom is one which continuously evolves to meet the needs of the region. We see many exciting opportunities within the industry, and particularly rapid growth in the Fintech sector, and we are delighted to welcome Mastercard to Bahrain, and its new payments solutions to the market. Mastercards decision to open its Bahrain office and follow through with it was influenced by EDBs catalytic role throughout the registration process and the access gained to important local industry players. The office will operate under the name: Mastercard Singapore Holding Pte Ltd Bahrain Representative Office. The commencement of Mastercards formal operations in Bahrain follows the opening of a dedicated office in Pakistan in late 2016. TradeArabia News Service Honeywell, a leading software-industrial company, is showcasing its technology innovations at the Mosque Design and Development Summit being held in Dubai, UAE. As regional governments increasingly mandate sustainability initiatives to curb high energy consumption, Honeywell is highlighting its latest building management systems (BMS) and energy dashboards, as well as the award-winning Honeywell VisionPRO 8000 thermostat for mosques, which can help make Middle Eastern mosques more sustainable and energy efficient. "We congratulate regional governments for clearly outlining the move towards a more sustainable future for all buildings, including mosques," remarked Dilip Sinha, regional general manager of Environmental and Energy Solutions at Honeywell Home and Building Technologies, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. Mosques often house large open spaces and with prayers taking place five times a day, the ability to provide a cool and comfortable environment when it is required has distinct energy saving implications. With more than 5,000 mosques in the UAE, and tens of thousands more in the Gulf region, Honeywells technology can reduce energy consumption, while maintaining optimal comfort for worshippers during prayer times, stated Sinha. "At the summit we are highlighting Honeywells commitment to providing customers in the Middle East with energy-efficient and locally relevant solutions, so that worshippers can remain comfortable while reducing energy consumption," he added. Sinha said by co-ordinating with industry experts and Islamic Affairs officials during the event, Honeywell can effectively collaborate to roll-out technologies that can help meet important energy efficiency and sustainability objectives. As part of the move towards sustainability, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai recently announced it will make its facilities more eco-friendly, a pioneering example of the drive within the UAE to positively impact energy consumption for Islamic facilities. Honeywell said its smart VisionPRO 8000 thermostat for mosques uses GPS location coordinates to calculate prayer times and automatically adjust temperatures. The thermostat was piloted at the Al Tawba Mosque, Sharjah, over a period of six months between August 2015 and January 2016 and demonstrated year-over-year energy savings of 37 per cent. The findings are endorsed by the Sharjah governments Department of Islamic Affairs, which oversees mosques in the emirate. Honeywells vast energy solution portfolio and BMS include systems from Alerton and CentraLine, which can be tailored to meet the unique energy saving requirements of mosques, said Sinha. Honeywell is continuing to pilot its energy saving solutions for mosques across the region and will unveil further pilot results in due course, he added.-TradeArabia News Service More than a million housing units will be offered to Saudi citizens at affordable prices, Saudi Arabias Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said in an interview. We expect those housing units to be ready and open in the third quarter of 2017, he was quoted as syaing by an Arab News report. Prince Mohammed, in a wide-ranging interview with prominent Saudi journalist Dawood Al-Shirian on national television, said the proposed Saudi Aramco IPO will provide cash for the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to fund non-oil investment. There are huge non-oil investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia which have not yet been utilised, he said. PIF will spend more than SR500 billion ($133.3 billion) over three years after Aramco's IPO, Prince Mohammed said, according to a Reuters report. The planned sale of a stake in Aramco will occur through an IPO in 2018, and the stake sold "will be not be very far off 5 per cent", Prince Mohammed said. The listing of Aramco, expected to be the world's biggest IPO and raise tens of billions of dollars, is a centrepiece of the government's ambitious plan - known as Vision 2030 - to diversify the economy beyond oil. Prince Mohammed said that even after the listing, the Saudi government would retain sole control over Aramco's oil and gas reserves and would decide on production levels. Aramco will have a concession to monetise those reserves. The deputy crown prince said many achievements had taken place since Saudi Vision 2030 was launched a year ago. Any plan for reform comes with some side effects, he said. Saudi Arabias non-oil income has doubled in the past couple of years, he was quoted as saying. Prince Mohammed ruled out imposition of taxes on the commercial sector or taxes on income. He also said the states role is to guarantee free medical coverage for all citizens. Privatisation of the health care sector is the norm all over the world, he said. It will be clear by the end of the year how to proceed with privatizing the health sector. The prince outlined Vision 2030 as a three-tiered plan with the first phase running through 2020, the second until 2025 and the final phase through 2030. He described them as executive programs carrying clear-cut means and goals to achieve the vision. But he also said the government is feeling pressure to launch the initiatives. We dont want to be delayed, he said. He said private investments is a key to recovery and will help provide jobs for Saudis. He said the 10 new programs. The growth of a stable real estate market and the creation of a sustainable small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector are fundamental to the success of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, said experts at a major financial summit in Riyadh. The 12th Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference, held in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, was attended by government leaders and financial executives. Speaking on the second day of the event, Majed bin Abdullah Al Hogail, Minister of Housing, outlined the countrys ambitious plans to facilitate the sufficient supply and demand necessary to ensure a sustainably robust real estate market. Early this year, Saudi Arabia had launched a housing programme designed to hand over up to 120,000 units to citizens over the year, to complement the goals of Vision 2030. The Sakani programme is part of efforts to support the housing needs of around 280,000 families by the Ministry of Housing, he stated. Senior executives from Saudi Arabias real estate sector took part in a panel discussion, including Abdulrahman Bajunaid, the chief executive of Rafal Real Estate Development Company; Imad Damrah, the managing director of Colliers International (Saudi Arabia) and Faisal Shaker, the acting chief investment officer of Jabal Omar Development Company. More than 1,800 delegates registered to attend the conference, which saw presentations from senior Saudi ministers including Mohammed Al Jadaan, Minister of Finance, Dr Ahmed Abdulkarim Alkholifey, Governor, Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority and CEOs and executives from some of the worlds largest banks.-TradeArabia News Service Three Egyptian teams scooped the top prizes at the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition held last week in Bahrain. The competition was organised by the MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) for the Pan Arab Region and the final award ceremony was held at the Bahrain International Circuit. The ceremony welcomed public figures, investors, media personnel and business entrepreneurs from across the globe. This years competition was organised in partnership with Community Jameel, a social enterprise organization that operates a wide range of initiatives which promote and contribute towards positive societal change and economic sustainability; Zain Group, a leading telecommunications innovator in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa; and Tamkeen, an organisation tasked with developing Bahrain's private sector and positioning it as the key driver of economic development. Prior to the final award ceremony, the 74 semi-finalists from 11 Arab countries underwent a round of training and presented their work over a three-day period from April 25 to 27 to a jury that brought together some of the Arab worlds key investors and business people. The winners selected by the jury from three tracks: Startups, Social Entrepreneurship and Ideas are: Ideas Track Winner: Blink App (Egypt) - $15,000; 1st Runner up: SpicaTech Academy (Lebanon) - $10,000; 2nd Runner up: Nano Green Hub (Egypt) - $5,000 Social Entrepreneurship Track- Winner: Kiliim (Egypt) - $50,000; 1st Runner Up: Mind Rockets (Jordan) - $10,000; 2nd Runner up: Carpolo (Lebanon) - $5,000 Startups Track - Winner: Money Fellows (Egypt) - $50,000; 1st Runner up: Trukker (UAE) - $10,000; 2nd Runner up: Riego (Lebanon) - $5,000 Aside from the monetary rewards, the talented winners will also benefit from advanced training sessions, personal mentorship and guidance, as well as receiving a great deal of media coverage and excellent networking opportunities. During the ceremony, Hala Fadel, chair of the board of MITEF Pan Arab, said: It is time to invest more in the infrastructure that helps young people to hone and develop their entrepreneurial ideas, stressing the importance of utilizing technological innovation towards the modernization and development of tools that enable entrepreneurs to create technological solutions. This will in turn contribute to the revitalization of the economy and encourage the inauguration of partnerships that can eventually transform into large institutions that will house impeccable talent and capacities with opportunities to grow and develop. This year's edition, which is of special importance as it celebrated the competitions 10th anniversary, registered years of success and excellence while serving generations of young Arabs and their creative entrepreneurial ideas. TradeArabia News Service A delegation from Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), recently visited the Maersk Maritime Training Center, the first-of-its-kind centre in the Middle East, in line with the authoritys ongoing commitment to promote real partnership with maritime leaders in Dubai, UAE. The delegation was headed by Amer Ali, executive director, DMCA, said a statement from the authority. Maersk Training is part of the Maersk Group that specialises in providing training and educational services in maritime sectors, it said. The meeting, which was held at the Danish companys regional headquarters based in Dubai, explored new opportunities to employ promising potentials in enhancing various components of the maritime community, it added. The delegates brainstormed about the vital and strategic role played by investment in training and marine education at all levels. The delegation was given a tour of the facility so that they can see the classroom as well as modern simulation techniques used. Ali emphasised the strategic importance of Maersk Training Center in supporting the efforts of the Dubai Maritime office in DMCA which is aimed at developing the human resource capabilities in the maritime sector of Dubai and the UAE. He said that it will provide them with new skills and advanced capabilities, enabling them to become experts and achieve local and global excellence in the maritime sector. He pointed out that a sophisticated scientific centre will position Dubai to become one of the worlds leading maritime destinations. Ali said: Our support to the centre in Dubai reflects DMCAs strategy to strengthen partnership and communication with the emirates maritime industry leaders. This follows our belief in the importance of bringing experts who are experienced in transferring knowledge and practices to develop human resource capabilities and keep them abreast with the latest challenges and developments in the local and international maritime community, he added. It is also in line with our ambitious vision of building a sustainable and secure maritime sector based on core values, especially in achieving international best practices and promoting the spirit of creativity, innovation and excellence in human wealth, he concluded. The Maersk Training Center aims to provide an integrated platform to companies and organisations working in the maritime sectors in the Middle East, Africa and Asia to leverage its extensive portfolio of training courses specifically designed to develop skills and establish new, more accurate, and comprehensive standards to enhance the safety and operational performance of the sector in the region. The centre offers a series of educational programmes, specialised certificates, and professional development programmes based on the latest training methods and simulation systems developed to suit the unique needs and requirements of customers from companies, individuals and government and private entities. The meeting concluded with a survey of Maersk Maritime Training Center officials and the needs of Dubais maritime sectors officials to ensure the highest levels of efficiency and quality in the centre's operations, it stated. TradeArabia News Service DuPont Middle East recently held a seminar on workplace safety for students of Petroleum Institute at the Sas Al Nakhl area, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The initiative has been designed to raise awareness among students who will soon be pursuing a career in key industries such as oil, gas, mechanical, chemical and petrochemical, where safety risks are higher than in other sectors, said a statement from the company. The Petroleum Institute is part of the newly-established Khalifa University of Science and Technology, it said. As part of the companys community outreach programme, DuPont aims to educate future engineers on the importance of safety regulations to ensure the wellbeing of the workforce while also reducing hazards and risks at the workplace, it added. DuPont has expressed its commitment in raising awareness among university students on established safety procedures and the proper use of specialized protective gears or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Karim Dirani, marketing communications specialist at DuPont Protection Solutions, discussed common issues in workplace safety and explained the importance of always wearing the right PPEs. The team also conducted a demonstration of Thermo-Man, the worlds most advanced life-sized thermal burn injury evaluation system. Since the 1970s, the state-of-the-art device has been used worldwide to test the flame resistance of work clothing materials produced by companies across various industries, including oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, electricity, and fire-fighting services. Dirani said: Establishing a culture of safety and instilling the habit of protecting ones self against known risks in the workplace takes a certain degree of awareness that should start even before students begin working as engineers and professionals. Our company is fully committed to education as an important platform to build and hone the culture of safety and the university is the ideal setting for them to start understanding the value of workplace safety regulations, he added. The seed of awareness has to start here and I fully appreciate the students of Petroleum Institute, for their high regard to this matter as they do with their future profession, he concluded. Dr Ali Al Mansoori, executive vice president for Academics at Khalifa University of Science and Technology, added: We laud DuPonts efforts to enlighten students on the various aspects of workplace safety and regulations including the protective gears that can be used and how they are manufactured to protect them. This event definitely contributes to their knowledge and awareness of their future workplaces and what they must never forget as soon as they move on to their roles as professionals in their chosen field, he added. TradeArabia News Service ABB has inaugurated a new traction transformer production facility adjacent to its South African headquarters in Longmeadow, Johannesburg. ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer inaugurated the new factory with the director general of the Department of Trade and Industry, Lionel October, said a statement. Spiesshofer said: Our company is proud of this new traction transformer facility in South Africa, reiterating our philosophy of locating manufacturing units close to our customers. It reinforces our next level strategy focus on strengthening our presence in Africa and supports our ongoing commitment to sustainable mobility, he said. This unit will produce traction transformers to help power trains and support South Africas growing railway network. Traction transformers feed power at safe voltages to essential train functions like traction, brakes, lighting, heating and ventilation, as well as passenger information, signalling and communication, said a statement. The 2,450-sq-m facility is expected to employ 60 people by the end of 2017 and the first major order to be executed at the new facility will be the supply of traction units for 240 Bombardier electric locomotives. The local manufacturing of these traction units supports the South African governments local procurement and employment requirements, it said. Since 2012, South Africa has invested in the development of its rail network as an opportunity to rejuvenate the economy, create jobs and support a major shift from road to rail transport for both passenger and freight travel. The expansion of the countrys rail network is also expected to contribute to its vision of becoming a key logistics centre in sub-Saharan Africa. ABB has more than 130 years of experience in producing traction transformers that are powering more than half the worlds electric locomotives and train sets. As part of its ongoing commitment to innovation, the company recently launched Effilight, its next-generation traction transformer which uses a patented high-technology cell design that can reduce the amount of oil required by up to 70 per cent, without compromising functionality. To meet higher energy efficiency needs, ABB has optimised the design for a load loss reduction of 25 per cent, compared with a classic transformer of the same weight. ABB has operations in 23 African countries and employs about 5,000 people across the continent. As a pioneering technology leader serving utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure customers globally, ABB supports Africas growth with innovative solutions designed to address local challenges, from access to electricity, to industrial development, to sustainable transport. As part of its commitment to Africa, the company provides scholarships and internships for talented engineers who need financial support to complete their studies. ABB has annual sales in Africa of around $1.5 billion and manufacturing operations in Egypt and South Africa, it stated. TradeArabia News Service DP World, a leading enabler of global trade, has won the Dubai Quality Award in recognition of sustained business excellence and best practice at an awards ceremony hosted by the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, UAE. The award employs a detailed framework requiring companies to benchmark performance against international standards, documenting their achievements as part of a model for organisational excellence. Nine different criteria have to be met as proof that applicants have sustained continual improvement in their aim for excellence that benefits the business and wider industry. DP Worlds customer-focused global business strategy, service excellence and industry-leading processes and systems helped the company win the award. DP World Group chairman & CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said: As a global trade enabler with operations across the world, it is essential that we adapt to local needs and provide quality service beyond expectations. I am very proud of the hard work of our over 36,500-strong global family for winning this award, which proves what an enabled workforce can achieve backed by a forward thinking company vision and strategy. We seek to provide value to our stakeholders at all times by connecting global markets using multi modal transport links, technology and trade solutions. Examples include innovative port community systems and implementing state of the art technologies across our portfolio. We are always on the lookout for new opportunities to ensure we are future proofed, anticipating change and applying the right solutions and technologies ahead of time. Our achievements and growth are a reflection of our countrys visionary leadership who have taught us to sustainably develop Dubais economy by embracing global best practices. DP Worlds UAE Region has been participating in the Awards over the years, winning the premier Dubai Quality Award when it entered for the first time in 2002. DP World participated as a global company for the first time in 2016 and won it again. TradeArabia News Service There are huge non-oil investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia which have not yet been utilised, Saudi Arabias Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said in an interview. Prince Mohammed, in a wide-ranging interview with prominent Saudi journalist Dawood Al-Shirian on national television, said the proposed Saudi Aramco IPO will provide cash for the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to fund non-oil investment. PIF will spend more than SR500 billion ($133.3 billion) over three years after Aramco's IPO, Prince Mohammed said, according to a Reuters report. The planned sale of a stake in Aramco will occur through an IPO in 2018, and the stake sold "will be not be very far off 5 per cent", Prince Mohammed said. The listing of Aramco, expected to be the world's biggest IPO and raise tens of billions of dollars, is a centrepiece of the government's ambitious plan - known as Vision 2030 - to diversify the economy beyond oil. Prince Mohammed said that even after the listing, the Saudi government would retain sole control over Aramco's oil and gas reserves and would decide on production levels. Aramco will have a concession to monetise those reserves. The deputy crown prince said many achievements had taken place since Saudi Vision 2030 was launched a year ago. Any plan for reform comes with some side effects, he said. Saudi Arabias non-oil income has doubled in the past couple of years, he was quoted as saying by an Arab news report. He said that more than a million housing units will be offered to citizens at affordable prices. We expect those housing units to be ready and open in the third quarter of 2017. Prince Mohammed ruled out imposition of taxes on the commercial sector or taxes on income. He also said the states role is to guarantee free medical coverage for all citizens. Privatisation of the health care sector is the norm all over the world, he said. It will be clear by the end of the year how to proceed with privatizing the health sector. The prince outlined Vision 2030 as a three-tiered plan with the first phase running through 2020, the second until 2025 and the final phase through 2030. He described them as executive programs carrying clear-cut means and goals to achieve the vision. But he also said the government is feeling pressure to launch the initiatives. We dont want to be delayed, he said. He said private investments is a key to recovery and will help provide jobs for Saudis. He said the 10 new programs. The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) is showcasing latest advancements in the regions downstream industry around critical areas including environmental and safety compliance, at an ongoing event in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The association will once again demonstrate its pioneering work in these fields during the GPCA Supply Chain Conference, which kicked off today (May 2) and conclude on May 4, at the Rosewood Hotel. Across the region, compliance with the Gulf Sustainability and Quality Assessment System (Gulf SQAS) - a unifying system designed to evaluate the environment, health, safety, security and quality (EHSS&Q) performance that was implemented in 2014 has continued to grow. Today, the region boasts 73 assessed and verified Gulf based companies with more than 60 per cent (45) companies from Saudi Arabia and another 28 per cent (21 companies) from the UAE. The GPCA will look to extend its efforts to unify standards across the value chain with the introduction of its Responsible Care initiative to include the petrochemical and chemical Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) in the region for the first time. The expansion of the programme is in line with best practices in developed regions where sustainability and quality assessment systems extend to the logistics industry. The move will allow downstream companies to make more informed decisions based on credible safety and sustainability data about the logistics services providers within their value chain. With this expansion of the industry-leading program, the GPCA reaffirms its commitment to furthering sustainability practices in the region and has established a benchmark for others to follow. With transportation making up a significant component of the industrys carbon footprint, the role of Gulf SQAS in addressing this prevalent issue is vital. The system will encourage producers to favour service providers adhering to best practice in sustainability. It will also highlight logistics firms with the strongest road safety records, helping to collectively raise road safety standards among the logistic community in the region. Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, secretary general, GPCA, said: We are broadening the Responsible Care initiative as a demonstration of our associations commitment to continually advancing the sustainability agenda in the regions chemical industry, ensuring that as the sector grows, environment, health, safety and security remain at the forefront of its priorities. Offering the logistics industry a key pillar of the downstream value chain who are on the frontlines of sustainability the chance to become Responsible Care companies, and offering producers that added layer of credible information on the performance of key actors within the industry, will further enhance our progress, he said. Our aim is to position the Arabian Gulf not only as the beating heart of the global downstream industry, but also as a bastion of international best practice, he added. With the petrochemical and chemical industry being a major driver of growth in the region and heavily dependent on logistics, Gulf SQAS plays a central role in promoting the continuous improvement of EHSS&Q standards in logistics operations. The programme will ensure that the logistics industry will implement the highest standards in environment, health, safety and quality and drive continuous EHSS&Q improvements across the supply chain. Gulf SQAS is a key element of Responsible Care applied to logistics operations. It expands the coverage of Responsible Care throughout the product supply chain, focusing on continuous improvement of EHSS&Q within the Logistic Service Provider industry partners. Alan Izzard, director for responsible care and Gulf SQAS, GPCA, said: Transportation and distribution is a significant contributor to the carbon footprint within the supply chain. We believe that this new service will not only empower better supply chain decision-making from producers, but it will also raise the level of logistics providers across the board. This cost-effective tool promotes transparency and accountability, and empowers our industry to take meaningful steps to address its environmental and safety obligations, he concluded. TradeArabia News Service Crude oil production coming from Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) could be in excess of a quarter of a million barrels despite the relatively high capital cost of such ventures, said state-owned Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). Despite the complexity and cost of EOR projects and the need to prioritise low unit technical cost oil, EOR remains a central pillar of PDOs evolving portfolio. It is anticipated that by 2025 more than 25 per cent of PDOs production will come from such projects, Oman Observer quoted Omans largest oil and gas producer, citing the companys recent PDO Sustainability Report 2016. A number of commercial-scale EOR projects are currently in operation based primarily on miscible gas injection (MGI), chemical and thermal technologies, PDO said, adding that the company is also pursuing the testing and development of a string of novel EOR technologies. The biggest of its portfolio of EOR schemes currently in operation is the Marmul polymer project, the report said. Over the six years since it has been in operation, the Marmul project has delivered around 12 million barrels of oil. It also paved the way for the successful rollout of the second phase in 2015, entailing the injection of polymer into a further 19 injectors. The additional injectors have been injecting polymer smoothly and an increase in oil production due to this was observed in 2016 with an oil gain of about 1,800 barrels per day (bpd), said PDO. In Block 6, near miscible gas injection (MGI) targeting the Birba field has yielded an additional 8 million bpd of oil for 5.5 billion cu m of gas injected over the past 23 years. MGI is also on target to achieve up to 45 per cent recovery from infill horizontal drilling and additional gas injection, PDO said. At Qarn Alam in central Oman, thermal gas oil gravity drainage (GOGD) has helped deliver 6 million barrels of oil based on the injection of 2.9 million tonnes of steam over the past six years. Output rose an incremental 650 bpd above target last year, PDO said. Output from the Amal field, the subject of a steam flood, was 12,824 bpd as the years average oil production, the company added. Siemens, a global technology powerhouse, has signed a deal with National Industrial Clusters Development Program (IC) to develop sustainable industries through localisation of technologies in Saudi Arabia in line with Vision 2030. The MoU bolsters Siemens strong commitment to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, said the company in a statement. The agreement aims to develop sustainable industries through the localization of technologies and driving the digital industrial transformation in Saudi Arabia in line with Vision 2030, it stated. Khalid Al Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, in his capacity as chairman of the board of directors of IC, signed an MoU with Joe Kaeser, the president and CEO of Siemens in the presence of Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and German Chancellor Angela Merkel who is on a visit to the kingdom. The MoU is part of NICDPs plans towards creating new industries and supporting the localization of technologies and value chains. The objective will be achieved by supporting economic growth, enabling know-how and technology transfer, increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) and creating high-skilled training and employment opportunities in line with the goals of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030. Furthermore, Siemens and its partners will build capabilities among Saudi students to prepare them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, whereas Siemens is looking at investing over 100 million ($109 million) for student development in the fields of digitalisation and automation at Saudi Universities. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Al Falih reiterated his trust in Siemens as a long-term partner towards achieving Vision 2030, and said: "In order for us to achieve the objectives of Vision 2030, we must focus on the sustainable development of industries in Saudi Arabia, while acknowledging the importance of localization of technologies and the development of local talent." "We are looking forward to our continuous and close partnership with Siemens, who is globally recognized as one of the leaders in industrial development, digitalization and automation," he noted. Siemens Saudi Arabia Arja Talakar said: "Siemens has been a partner to Saudi Arabia for the past 90 years and we are proud of our rich heritage in the kingdom. We truly believe that the localisation of skills and technology is part of the core foundation of our successful partnership." "We look forward to our continuous close cooperation with NICDP towards achieving the goals of the Kingdoms Vision 2030," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Strengthening its foothold in Bahrain, global hotel management company Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) will triple its inventory of rooms in the kingdom this year with the opening of two new hotels already under development. Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef, a 189-key five-star luxury resort will be ready by the last quarter of the year and there is a new residences property in Juffair on final stages of being branded as Swiss-Belresidences. It will open doors in December 2017, said a statement. These two new properties will be joining the existing Swiss-Belhotel Seef that has contributed to the groups strong reputation in Bahrain and received several accolades including the Best 4-Star Hotel in GCC at the recent Food & Travel Awards 2017. Gavin M Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, said: We are pleased to expand our footprint in Bahrain where we have enjoyed great success with our flagship property Swiss-Belhotel Seef. The new developments are in line with our multi-brand growth strategy and reinforce our commitment to Bahrain where we continue to see a strong demand. We look forward to a long-term partnership with our valued owners and associates. Bahrain is making significant investment into its tourism-related infrastructure, including a $1.1 billion airport expansion, and the kingdom also has plans to expand its current exhibition centre to accommodate large-scale events across all categories. Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Laurent A. Voivenel, Swiss-Belhotel Internationals senior vice president, operations and development for the Middle East, Africa and India, said: The tourism industry in Bahrain is growing rapidly with the kingdom expecting to welcome 15.8 million annual visitors by 2018. This has significantly pushed the demand for quality hotels. We understand the needs of our customers and are confident both Swiss-Belresidences Juffair and Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef will perfectly complement our existing hotel in Bahrain, as well as supporting our wider expansion plans and growth strategy in the region as a whole by diversifying our product offering. Swiss-Belhotel International is located at Stand HC0300 in Sheikh Saeed Hall at the ATM. - TradeArabia News Service Travel retailer Bahrain Duty Free is enticing passengers to linger a little longer in departures with the launch of its new Dolce&Gabbana Fragrances space at Bahrain International Airport. The latest addition to the airports refreshed departures retail hub, the extended Dolce&Gabbana counter now commands an eye-catching 20-sq-m compared to its original six-square-metre footprint. Month by month we continue to surprise and delight passengers travelling through Bahrain International Airport with new retail opportunities that celebrate the very best of the Designers creative world, said Bassam Al Wardi, general manager, Bahrain Duty Free. The April launch of the expanded Dolce&Gabbana counter adds even more weight to our high profile Perfumes & Cosmetics space and is particularly timely as we move into the busy summer and Eid travel season, he added. The high fashion Italian brand premiered its first fragrance, the award-winning Dolce&Gabbana Pour Femme, in 1985. Since then the ultra-desirable label has grown its male and female fragrances collection to include Light Blue, The One and Dolce franchises. Commenting on the unveiling, Olivier Decazes, Travel Retail EMEA general manager for Dolce&Gabbana, said: The Bahrain Duty Free shop renovation is a great opportunity for Dolce&Gabbana to improve and modernize its in-store visibility, thanks to an exciting new counter. We are very happy to offer the very best of Dolce&Gabbana thanks to our amazing and complete range." We invite travellers to Bahrain to visit us at departures to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of Italian style and to try our exclusive fragrance, Velvet Collection, which pays homage to Dolce&Gabbanas sartorial heritage with a unique range of artisanal fragrances that explore the deepest sense of male and female human nature. The latest hot news is the recent announcement of British rising stars Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke as the new faces of the glamourous and timeless range The One. These best-selling fragrances anchor the new-look circular counter with its striking black and gold livery delivering a clear visual hook for passengers perusing the departures retail offering. This latest opening supports other successful recent openings across the airports 2,300-sq-m footprint, including Aer Rianta Internationals proprietary Candy Cloud confectionery concept, the Middle Easts first Johnnie Walker House, a new dedicated premium watches space and Hermes & Bvlgari Perfumes counters. - TradeArabia News Service Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Jumeirah Beach Residence has welcomed new members to its managerial team. Sumesh Gopal has been promoted from senior sales manager to assistant director of sales, and Ahmed Sayed Mohamed has been appointed as leisure sales manager. Gopal, who specialises in the leisure segment, has nearly two decades of hospitality and sales experience. Before joining Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, he was with the leisure sales team of Ramada Jumeirah Hotel, and held a cluster sales role for Accor Hotels. He was also previously affiliated with Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa, and Metropolitan Hotel Dubai. Sayed served as leisure sales manager at Cassells Al Barsha Hotel Dubai prior to his appointment. He has worked in various positions within the hospitality field including group sales coordinator, reservations supervisor, revenue and reservations manager, and sales manager for corporate accounts. Along with the director of sales and marketing, they are expected to work on enhancing hotel occupancy and revenue with a strong focus on the leisure segment, strengthening relationships with the existing partners, and seeking out new markets and business deals. Samer Rafie, hotel manager, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR, said: We congratulate Sumesh on his well-earned promotion, and welcome Ahmed to the team. We are counting on their extensive sales expertise to further bring in business for the property. They are assured of the teams continuous support on their new assignment. - TradeArabia News Service The Mercure Grand Hotel Doha City Centre, Qatar recently appointed Sebastien Vincent as its new general manager. Born in Strasbourg, Vincent graduated from the School of Tourism and Hotel Management in Strasbourg, France, and in 1994 started his career in the food & beverage field as a chef. He joined AccorHotels in 2002 as executive chef of the Novotel Al Dana Resort, Bahrain and has continued to grow throughout his 14 years seniority in Accorhotels properties. He has undergone the AccorHotels International Hospitality Management Program - Promotion 2010, a fast-track career progression for future leaders. Vincent has accumulated 23 years of experience in the hospitality management industry in nine countries, including extensive experience in the Middle East, Indian Ocean, Europe and Asia. As a leader, he is focused on core values and to be inspirational to his associates by sharing his accumulated expertise in various departments. Prior to joining Mercure Grand Hotel Doha City Centre, Vincent held a position of cluster general manager in Oman during his four years at the ibis Muscat and recently opened the Mercure Sohar. In Doha, he will be responsible for overseeing the operations at the 175 roomed hotel including extensive Food & Beverage facilities, pool and meeting rooms as well as maximizing revenue and profitability. - TradeArabia News Service An attack on a NATO convoy in Kabul on May 3 killed eight civilians and wounded at least 25 other people, including three Americans in the convoy. That this attack happened in a high security area close to the US Embassy is a measure of just how powerful the anti-government paramilitaries are and it comes just a week after the Taliban announced the start of its spring offensive, Operation Mansouri, which will focus on foreign troops. The operation is named after Akhtar Mohammed Mansour, the Taliban leader killed in a US drone attack last year, and it marks the start of the so-called fighting season for 2017, although there was very little let-up during the winter months. At the end of April, ten Taliban paramilitaries disguised as Afghan National Army (ANA) personnel infiltrated a military camp in Mazar-e Sharif and killed at least 135 soldiers. This was an early indicator of what has since become clear: that the war in Afghanistan is evolving into a conflict even more intense than in recent years, one that will inevitably demand far more of Donald Trumps attention than he would like. The parlous state of Afghan security is laid out in the latest quarterly report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John Sopko. The Afghan government has no control over 40% of the country, civilian casualties last year were 11,418, and army losses have increased 807 security personnel killed in the first six weeks of 2017 alone. Many people are leaving their homes for safety because of the sheer level of violence a record 660,000 in 2016, and a 40% increase over 2015. As SIGAR puts it: A dangerous and stubborn insurgency controls or exerts influence over areas holding about a third of the Afghan population. Heavy casualties and capability gaps limit the effectiveness of Afghan soldiers and police. Opium production stands at near record levels. Of particular concern, both to the US and also the UK, is the extent of Taliban control over Helmand province, scene of some of the worst fighting of the 15-year war and responsible for the deaths of around a thousand British and US troops. When the last of the UK forces left Helmand, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, described it as mission accomplished, a very hollow phrase given what is now happening, and made worse by Helmand being the leading source of opium production. Story continues Signs of concern among the US military are shown by two unannounced visits from senior US military leaders in the past fortnight, first from Trumps National Security Advisor, General H R McMaster, and then from the Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis. An early indication of the likely response came when the US deployed 300 US marines to Helmand to bolster the ANA as it struggles to hang on to part of the province. Whatever comes next will almost certainly involve thousands more US troops. The early indications are that 3,000 to 5,000 will be deployed, as well as an unspecified number of Special Forces. The latter will be tasked mainly with trying to curb the power of the so-called Islamic State, whose paramilitaries have recently further encroached on Afghan security most notably with an recent attack on a well-protected military hospital in the heart of Kabul. Will it work? The signs are not good. While many analysts regard the current president, Ashraf Ghani, as far more competent than his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, corruption and maladministration are nonetheless deeply entrenched. Ghani has struggled to restore faith in the future after years of dire insecurity. The clearest indication of problems ahead, though, comes from the previous experience of the US military. Surge and retreat Barack Obama fought the 2008 presidential election on the policy of withdrawing from the bad war Iraq while supporting the good war in Afghanistan, which was clearly linked to the 9/11 attacks. He beat John McCain, who supported both wars and proposed sending 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan, which would have brought the total there to 100,000. Once elected, Obama took more than a year to decide his policy. He eventually went with McCains view, but with a crucial distinction: while he backed a 30,000 troop surge, the mission was not to defeat the Taliban, but to put it under so much pressure that it could only negotiate a settlement. The surge went ahead, with numbers peaking at 140,000 foreign troops by 2011, 100,000 of them American. But even that number failed to control the Taliban, and during his second term, Obama decided to withdraw, refocusing the USs efforts on training and equipping the ANA. Judging by the situation today, this strategy is failing. The Trump team has some very awkward decisions to make. Given the presidents clear liking for decisive military solutions and his willingness to hand over decision-making to the Pentagon, as well as his militarys concern at Russian and Iranian influence in the country, the USs mooted expansion in troop numbers may turn out to be just the start of a much more intense war. After all, even with 5,000 more American troops in the mix, the total American force wont even top 20,000, a small fraction of the peak deployment. NATO is talking the same language, laying the groundwork for a scaled-up mission that will quite probably include British troops. After 15 years of failure, more troops will be seen as the answer, with little chance of any other approach being tried. That makes three regimes toppled in the War on Terror era (the Taliban, Saddam Hussein, and Gaddafi), and three countries wrecked but still no fundamental reflection on a strategy thats clearly failed. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The Conversation Paul Rogers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has held talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin at his summer residence in Sochi. The talks focused on four main themes the upcoming G20 in Hamburg, Syria, Ukraine and human rights in Russia. Putin meets Merkel, denies interfering in US election https://t.co/Ih5Cis8COB pic.twitter.com/Qm7aKPjRq2 Hindustan Times (@htTweets) May 2, 2017 Putin was asked if he thought the Normandy Four had any chance of bringing peace to eastern Ukraine:This format works, and without it the situation would be much worse. We need to get the representatives of the Kyiv authorities and those of the unrecognised republics together at the same negotiationing table. Its impossible to get a resolution to the conflict without the direct dialogue of conflicting parties. At presser in Russia Merkel publicly asks Putin to exert his influence & stop gay pogroms in Chechnya. Putin is unmoved. pic.twitter.com/wozZL6g3Yd Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) May 2, 2017 Merkel addressed human rights in Russia and highlighted the LGBT issues in Chechnya have seen how important the right to protest is in civil society. I have seen the importance of NGOs and their work. I reminded the president that we have heard the negative reports of the treatment of homosexuals in Chechnya and I have asked the president to use his influence there. After meeting with Chancellor Merkel Putin is due to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday. JP Morgan Chase and Company CEO Jamie Dimon Getty JPMorgan is relocating hundreds on bankers in London to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg because of Brexit. Daniel Pinto, head of investment banking at JPM, told Bloomberg in an interview that the banking giant plans to move "hundreds of people" to the three offices in the European Union in order to be prepared for if Britain leaves the Single Market. "We are going to use the three banks we already have in Europe as the anchors for our operations," said Pinto. "We will have to move hundreds of people in the short term to be ready for day one, when negotiations finish, and then we will look at the longer-term numbers. "We have to plan for a scenario where there is no UK-EU passporting deal, and we have to move a substantial portion of our business to continue serving our European clients. Well have to wait to see what kind of deal can be achieved and see what we need to do from there." The loss of passporting rights seems almost a certainty under Prime Minister Theresa May's "hard Brexit" plan the loss of membership of the EU's Single Market in exchange for complete control over immigration. We have to plan for a scenario where there is no UK-EU passporting deal If the passport is taken away, London could cease to be the most important financial centre in Europe, costing the UK thousands of jobs and billions in revenue. Around 5,500 firms registered in the UK rely on the European Unions passporting rights for the financial services sector, and they turn over about 9 billion in revenue. This is one of the biggest fears in the City. It is has subsequently led to global investment banks, such as Citigroup, HSBC and JPMorgan signalling job moves to continental Europe from London. Last month, Lloyd's of London said it would open a subsidiary in the heart of the EU, the day after Prime Minister Theresa May began talks to take the UK out of the 28-state trading bloc. Story continues In March, Lloyd's of London the city's 329-year-old insurance market said it would open a subsidiary in the heart of the European Union to counter Brexit effects. NOW WATCH: SCOTT GALLOWAY: Stop blaming Amazon for killing retail See Also: SEE ALSO: Brexit will not lead to a London exodus: Frankfurt is 'too small' and Paris is a 'regulatory nightmare' DON'T MISS: REPORT: The European Commission is making plans that could threaten 83,000 jobs in the City of London frenchie 840x420 Website identifying Cuvelier as a "nationalist militant." If youre a former militant who fought for Russian separatists in Ukraine, has ties to Euro right-wing racist groups, and somehow managed to squirrel your way into the U.S. Army infantrys divisions, Thomas Gibbons-Neff will find you. Thats the obvious conclusion from Marine veteran and Washington Post reporter Gibbons-Neffs big scoop Monday, a story thats sure to stick in the craw of every poor enlistee who had to beg for a waiver for that questionable spring-break tattoo. Behold the path that led soldier of fortune Guillaume Cuvelier, 29, to basic training at Fort Benning in January: Born and raised in France as a dual French and American citizen, Cuvelier spent his formative years alongside French ultranationalists before picking up a Kalashnikov in eastern Ukraine in 2014, according to social media posts, a documentary in which he was featured, and accounts from people who knew him. A year later he fought with the Kurdish peshmerga in northern Iraq before coming back to the United States. Following inquiries by The Post, the military has begun an inquiry to ensure the process used to enlist this individual followed all of the required standards and procedures, said Kelli Bland, a spokesman for the U.S. Armys recruiting command, in an email. Cuveliers Russian-supported insurgent group in Ukraine was targeted for sanctions by the U.S. government which, Gibbons-Neff points out, means Cuveliers activities appear to violate U.S. law, as well as the Armys prohibition on extremist views or actions in enlistees. But wait, theres more! Cuvelier was an active member in the Party of France, which is a fringe offshoot of the right-wing, anti-immigrant Front National, according to Gibbons-Neff. He was also part of the neo-fascist group Troisieme voie and an identity movement called the Young Identitarians, which is essentially a rising international millennial white-power movement. Story continues Guillaume Cuvelier Facebook Also, Cuvelier ran with a unit of Russian separatists that named themselves after a Norwegian Nazi black-metal rocker and convicted murderer who was maybe planning to do some more murdering; he has a possible connection to a Russian officer implicated in the shootdown of Malaysian Airlines MH-17 in 2014; and the Peshmerga kicked him out of their Iraq camp after he was accused of beating an American volunteer with a rifle, according to Heloisa Jaira, a Peshmerga medic, who treated the victim. And just think: You got criticized for putting your foreign-born grandmom down on your SF-86. Gibbons-Neff reached out to Cuvelier for comment. By publishing a story on me, you are jeopardizing my career and rendering a great service to anyone trying to embarrass the Army, the probably-soon-to-be-ex-soldier told the reporter in a text. My former Russian comrades would love it so, I please ask you to reconsider using my name and/or photo. Yeah, its the story thats embarrassing, bro. Good luck in your future endeavors as this guy. NOW WATCH: People are outraged by this shocking video showing a passenger forcibly dragged off a United Airlines plane See Also: Author provided. This new map shows how easily white Europeans associate black faces with negative ideas. Since 2002, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have logged onto a website run by Harvard University called Project Implicit and taken an implicit association test (IAT), a rapid-response task which measures how easily you can pair items from different categories. To create this new map, we used data from a version of the test which presents white or black faces and positive or negative words. The result shows how easily our minds automatically make the link between the categories what psychologists call an implicit racial attitude. Each country on the map is coloured according to the average score of test takers from that country. Redder countries show higher average bias, bluer countries show lower average bias, as the scale on the top of the map shows. Like a similar map which had been made for US states, our map shows variation in the extent of racial bias but all European countries are racially biased when comparing blacks versus whites. In every country in Europe, people are slower to associate blackness with positive words such as good or nice and faster to associate blackness with negative concepts such as bad or evil. But they are quicker to make the link between blackness and negative concepts in the Czech Republic or Lithuania than they are in Slovenia, the UK or Ireland. No country had an average score below zero, which would reflect positive associations with blackness. In fact, none had an average score that was even close to zero, which would reflect neither positive nor negative racial associations. Implicit bias Overall, we have scores for 288,076 white Europeans, collected between 2002 and 2015, with sample sizes for each country shown on the left-hand side. Because of the design of the test it is very difficult to deliberately control your score. Many people, including those who sincerely hold non-racist or even anti-racist beliefs, demonstrate positive implicit bias on the test. The exact meaning of implicit attitudes, and the IAT, are controversial, but we believe they reflect the automatic associations we hold in our minds, associations that develop over years of immersion in the social world. Story continues Although we, as individuals, may not hold racist beliefs, the ideas we associate with race may be constructed by a culture which describes people of different ethnicities in consistent ways, and ways which are consistently more or less positive. Looked at like this, the IAT which at best is a weak measure of individual psychology may be most useful if individuals scores are aggregated to provide a reflection on the collective social world we inhabit. The results shown in this map give detail to what we already expected that across Europe racial attitudes are not neutral. Blackness has negative associations for white Europeans, and there are some interesting patterns in how the strength of these negative associations varies across the continent. North and west Europe, on average, have less strong anti-black associations, although they still have anti-black associations on average. As you move south and east the strength of negative associations tends to increase but not everywhere. The Balkans look like an exception, compared to surrounding countries. Is this because of some quirk about how people in the Balkans heard about Project Implicit, or because their prejudices arent orientated around a white-black axis? For now, we can only speculate. Open questions When interpreting the map there are at least two important qualifications to bear in mind. The first is that the scores only reflect racial attitudes in one dimension: pairing white/black with goodness/badness. Our feelings about ethnicity have many more dimensions which arent captured by this measure. The second is that the data comes from Europeans who visit the the US Project Implicit website, which is in English. We can be certain that the sample reflects a subset of the European population which are more internet-savvy than is typical. They are probably also younger, and more cosmopolitan. These factors are likely to underweight the extent of implicit racism in each country, so that the true levels of implicit racism are probably higher than shown on this map. This new map is possible because Project Implicit release their data via the Open Science Framework. This site allows scientists to share the raw materials and data from their experiments, allowing anyone to check their working, or re-analyse the data, as we have done here. I believe that open tools and publishing methods like these are necessary to make science better and more reliable. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. The Conversation Tom Stafford receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust JUBA (Reuters) - Several dozen British troops on Tuesday arrived in Juba, capital of South Sudan, to provide engineering and medical support to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and to help ease the delivery of humanitarian aid, the mission said. "The Royal Engineers will conduct tasks at the U.N. Camps to improve accommodation, routes, security and drainage, as well as the construction of a jetty on the River Nile and a helicopter landing site," UNMISS said in a statement. South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, plunged into civil war in 2013, just two years after independence from neighbouring Sudan, after President Salva Kiir fired his deputy Riek Machar. Britain's Ministry of Defence said 35 troops had landed to bolster a more than 200-strong deployment of British personnel already in the country. That number will rise to nearly 400 in the coming months, making it one of the Britain's largest operational deployments. The conflict has split the nation along largely ethnic lines and the United Nations has warned of a possible genocide. More than 3 million people have fled their homes out of a population of 12 million. The U.N. has declared a famine in some parts of the country and nearly half its population face food shortages. Last month a 350-strong Japanese military contingent started withdrawing from South Sudan after a five-year deployment during which it mainly helped with infrastructure construction. (Story corrects to make clear 35 troops arrived, 400 seen at the full deployment in coming months.) (Writing by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Editing by Gareth Jones and Richard Lough) This years General Election has had its first angry voter moment after a furious pensioner confronted Tim Farron over his stance on Brexit. Pensioner Malcolm Baker told the Lib Dem leader who is campaigning on an anti-Brexit sentiment that voters did know what they were voting for in the EU referendum and accused him of believing Leave supporters were racist. Mr Farron, who told voters last week to smell his spaniel, was in the middle of a television interview in Kidlington, near Oxford, when the 65-year-old took him to task over his position on the EU. Tim Farron was faced with an angry Brexit voter on the campaign trail (PA) Malcolm Baker said he hoped the Lib Dems would lose seats as a result of trying to block Brexit (PA) In a furious rant, Mr Baker said voters do know, we did know what they were backing in the referendum. When Mr Farron insisted he did not believe Leave voters were racist, he replied: Yes, you do. I tell you what, you keep going on all the time Mr Farron questioned the disgruntled voter about whether he was proud his grandchildren would inherit a poorer, less powerful, less secure country. MORE: Labour cuts! Ed Miliband mows constituents LAWN while out campaigning MORE: Brexit Secretary insists UK will not pay 84 billion EU divorce bill Mr Baker replied: Im proud that they will be coming out of Europe and that we will have our own destiny and not have people telling us we are going to pay 100 billion to get out. If thats your policies I hope you are going to get six seats. He then shouted out to Mr Farron: I have always voted Labour but I will be voting for Theresa May. Mr Baker later said: Im fed up of hearing this chap keeping on running Britain down. The Lib Dem leader wants another vote on the terms of the deal that Theresa May comes back with after EU negotiations. 1st Lt. Weston C. Lee, a 2014 graduate of the University of North Georgia (UNG), died Saturday, April 29, in Mosul, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated during a patrol. Lee, 25, of Bluffton, Georgia, was an infantry officer assigned to 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Lee was "an extraordinary young man and officer. He was exactly the type of leader that our paratroopers deserve," Col. Pat Work, the commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, said. "Our sincere condolences and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time." Lee earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice at UNG and commissioned as a U.S. Army infantry officer from UNG in December 2014. While at UNG, Lee also was involved in Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Student Government Association, combat shooting team, and rugby. "Lt. Lee made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country, and our hearts and thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time," UNG President Bonita Jacobs said. Two fraternity brothers of Lee's, Colin Marney and Nick Shaw, started a Go Fund Me account to solicit donations to establish a scholarship fund in Lee's memory; additional proceeds will go to Lee's family. Additionally, tax-deductible donations may be made through the UNG Foundation website to the 1LT Weston Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund. Marney called Lee a caring person who was "larger than life" and said Lee served as a role model for his fellow cadets and fraternity brothers. "Weston was just one of the most competitive people we've ever met and he was just a winner all around. Everything he did he did 100 percent and we thought we'd establish something that rewarded people who followed that legacy giving your all no matter what like Weston did," said Marney, who graduates and commissions into the U.S. Army's armor branch on Friday, May 5. "The overwhelming success that we've seen with the Go Fund Me is a testament to his character and that people felt so strongly about him." Lee joined the Army in March 2015, and after Infantry Basic Officer Leaders Course, he was assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team as a platoon leader. He deployed to Iraq in December 2016; it was his first deployment. Lee's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge, and the Army Service Ribbon. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Lee will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, but details and other funeral arrangements have not been announced. Lee is the eighth graduate from the university killed while on active duty since 9/11. As is tradition, his name will join theirs on UNG's Memorial Wall on the Dahlonega Campus and he will be honored during the April 2018 Memorial Retreat. SANTA FE Some prisoners escape by scaling a prison wall or digging a tunnel. Raymond Lopez escaped from the Penitentiary of New Mexico early Monday afternoon by walking out the front door. Later, when the alert went out announcing a missing prisoner, Lopez was already in custody of Santa Fe County deputies, who it turns out were giving him a ride to a homeless shelter. According to a sheriffs office court statement, Lopez, 30, told a corrections officer that he was having issues with another inmate over drug money and wanted to be placed in protective custody. Lopez apparently was left alone after being placed in a shakedown cell near the front entrance of the facility. He told detectives later that he found civilian clothing from a storage area next to the cell and put it on, leaving his prison clothes and sandals behind. Lopez said after seeing someone enter the prison through the front door, he walked through the same door, which had been left unlocked. He walked out without any shoes, scaled a fence and began walking south on N.M. 14. The prison is south of Santa Fe on the highway. Someone apparently spotted a man walking down the road without shoes and reported it to police. Two Santa Fe County deputies responded and spotted the man near the Lone Butte General Store. Lopez gave the deputies a false name and birth date, and accepted their offer to transport him to a homeless shelter in Santa Fe where he could get some shoes and clothes. While en route, the area dispatch center alerted officers there was possibly a prisoner missing from the state pen. The deputies pulled over to the side of the road and again questioned Lopez. He was then taken back to the prison, where he was identified as the escapee. Lopez, of Clovis, was charged with escape and concealing his identity. Lopez has been behind bars since March 2016, serving sentences for car theft, car burglary, receiving stolen property (a firearm) and drug possession. His projected release date was July 2018. In a statement released Tuesday, Corrections Secretary David Jablonski said the incident is under investigation, and that policies and procedures will be reviewed. We take this breach of security very seriously, he said. Corrections will make whatever changes necessary to ensure a safe and secure facility, Jablonski added. If there was any wrongdoing or oversight by staff, they will face serious consequences. I also want the public to know that this was an isolated incident and I have full confidence in our correctional officers across the state. All state prison facilities were placed on lockdown Tuesday, which a Corrections Department spokesman said was typical protocol after incidents like this. BATON ROUGE, La. The U.S. Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the death of a black man whose fatal shooting was captured on cellphone video, fueling protests in Louisianas capital and beyond, The Associated Press has learned. Federal authorities opened a civil rights investigation immediately after the July 5, 2016, police shooting that killed Alton Sterling, 37, outside a convenience store where he was selling homemade CDs. A person familiar with the decision disclosed it to the AP on Tuesday. The person was not authorized to talk publicly about the decision and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The departments decision doesnt preclude state authorities from conducting their own investigation and pursuing their own criminal charges. Two cellphone videos of Sterlings deadly struggle with two white officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, quickly spread on social media after the shooting. A police report says Sterling was initially jolted with a stun gun after he didnt comply with the officers commands to put his hands on the hood of a car. The report also says the officers saw the butt of a gun in one of Sterlings pants pockets and saw him try to reach for it before he was shot. Outside the convenience store, dozens of people gathered Tuesday upon hearing the news and held a vigil. One of Altons aunts spoke at the vigil and led the crowd in chants of No justice, no peace! Its been almost a year and were still suffering like it happened yesterday, said one of Sterlings aunts, Veda Sterling. We need closure. We need a conviction. We need justice. Arthur Reed, a local activist, said he broke the news to another of Sterlings aunts, Sandra, in a phone call after seeing the news reports. Reed says she broke down crying and is heartbroken, not only because of the decision but because the Justice Department didnt notify the family first. We just think it wasnt done properly, he said. No public announcement has been made by the Department of Justice, and many officials in Baton Rouge said they havent been notified. The Governors Office has not been notified of a timeline or decision regarding the Alton Sterling investigation. We have been in constant contact with the U.S. Attorneys Office and were assured that both our office and the Sterling family would be given advance notice, said Richard Carbo, a spokesman for Gov. John Bel Edwards. John McLindon, Salamonis attorney, said he cant comment until he reads an official report from the Justice Department. An attorney for Lake did not return a call seeking comment. Ryan Julison, a spokesman for two attorneys representing some members of Alton Sterlings family, said the family hasnt been notified of any DOJ decision. Justin Bamberg, an attorney for some of Sterlings relatives, has said the family wanted an indictment. Bamberg also represents relatives of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man who was running from a traffic stop in Charleston, South Carolina, when a white police officer shot and killed him in 2015. The former officer, 35-year-old Michael Slager, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges Tuesday, five months after a jury deadlocked on state murder charges against him. Tuesdays decision in the Sterling case was the highest profile decision not to bring charges against police officers in a deadly shooting since Jeff Sessions became attorney general. But the federal investigation into possible civil rights violations by the officers was seen as problematic. Authorities in such cases must meet a difficult standard of proof, a challenge that has complicated prosecutions in past police shootings. Sessions has said his Justice Department is committed to holding individual officers accountable when they break the law. But he also believes too much federal scrutiny of police departments can diminish officers effectiveness and hurt morale, and has ordered a sweeping review of federal consent decrees that force cities to agree to major policing overhauls. Louisianas governor immediately requested a federal investigation of Sterlings death last summer and called cellphone video of the incident disturbing. The videos show Sterling scuffling with Salamoni and Lake after they responded to a callers complaint that Sterling had threatened the caller with a gun outside the convenience store. The two officers had Sterling pinned on his back when gunfire erupted, moments after someone yelled, Hes got a gun! The Baton Rouge police chief has said Sterling was armed. The stores owner has said Sterling wasnt holding a gun during the shooting but he saw officers remove one from his pocket afterward. As a convicted felon, Sterling couldnt legally carry a gun. Court records show Sterling had pleaded guilty in 2011 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegally carrying a weapon and was arrested in May 2009 after an officer confronted him outside another store where he was selling CDs. Police said they have dashcam and bodycam video and store surveillance footage of the shooting; none has been released. A coroners report on Sterlings autopsy has been sealed. Both officers were placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure. Each officer had two prior use of force complaints against them, and records indicate they were cleared in all cases. The East Baton Rouge District Attorney recused himself from any state criminal investigation into Sterlings death, citing his professional relationship with Salamonis parents. They are current and former police officers in Baton Rouge. Moores recusal left Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to decide whether to have his own office review evidence for possible state charges or to appoint another district attorney to the case. A spokesman for Landry said Tuesday their office would not comment until after an official Justice Department announcement. Sterlings death sparked widespread protests last summer during which police arrested nearly 200 protesters. The mass arrests led to federal lawsuits accusing police of using excessive force and violating protesters civil rights. ___ Gurman reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge contributed to this report. SANTA FE The suspect who was fatally shot by a Santa Fe police officer Saturday night led police on a pursuit through city streets in a stolen car and at one point drove the wrong direction in Interstate 25 with no lights, according to law enforcement communication recordings released Tuesday. The officer fired one shot into the suspects abdomen around 10 p.m. near a home on Chaparral Drive in Eldorado after the man tried to steal the officers patrol car and pinned the officer between the police car and a tree, the State Police said Sunday. The man died at the scene while the officer was treated at the hospital for minor injuries. State Police Sgt. Chad Pierce said in an email Tuesday that the names of the officers involved wont be released until they are interviewed, which he says takes between five to 10 days. He also said police are waiting for the state Office of the Medical Investigator to identify the suspect. Meanwhle, SFPD also wont release the name of the officer who fired the fatal shot and issued a statement from a city attorney as justification. A man told Santa Fe police April 24 that his 2006 Mercedes R350 was taken from his home on Vereda de Pueblo in the middle of the night, an incident report says. Officers started to pursue that car around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, the audio recordings of police communications show, but theres no indication of what led officers to start the pursuit. The driver led officers through city streets and managed to dropped off two passengers near Pacheco and Alta Vista streets. SFPD spokesman Greg Gurule said Tuesday he doesnt know if the passengers have been arrested. The driver then went down Old Pecos Trail and onto I-25, going northbound in the southbound lanes at up to 90 mph with his lights off. Police at this point decided to call off the pursuit for the moment. Guys, dont follow him the wrong way, a male voice says on the recordings. Hes going the wrong way. You guys stop there. Officers backed off but continued to look for the car in Eldorado. While officers from State Police, SFPD and the sheriffs office were canvassing the area, a poorly transmitted male voice came over the radio and said something about one shot. Other officers started speculating about what the officer, who later said he was with State Police, was talking about. Someones been shot, or SP is involved in something out there near Lamy, I believe, a different male voice said. Im trying to hear what theyre saying, another male says. I can hear that someone was shot and theyre asking for a med. Someone tried stealing a unit or something. Santa Fe city attorney Zachary Shandler said in a statement Tuesday that the name of the SFPD officer and other documents in the case wont be released until he is interviewed by State Police, citing an agreement that the city of Santa Fe wasnt a part of. The Department of Public Safety has informed SFPD that it has not yet interviewed the officer(s) in this matter and if the videos and documents and names were released to the public prior to the interview, the potential exists for the relevant parties to review them and thus essentially tipping off information, which could lead to changing of ones story in the matter, Shandler wrote. Therefore, until the Department of Public Safety has informed SFPD that it has completed its interviews of the officer(s), the SFPD will not be releasing videos and documents. Once the Department of Public Safety has completed its interviews, the SFPD will re-evaluate its rationale under the Settlement Agreement on releasing these documents and could potential (sic) release the documents at that time. A dispatcher on the audio recordings says State Police were going to go to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center after processing the shooting scene to get statements. Spokesman Pierce said Tuesday that investigators went there to speak with a State Police agent who was being treated for ringing in his ears. LOS ANGELESGreat news for Cassini fans: The NASA spacecraft sent word this week that it successfully completed its first pass through the uncharted territory between Saturn and its rings. More than 100 members of the Cassini team and their families had gathered in the Von Karman Auditorium at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge on Wednesday night to await the news. The first signal indicating that the spacecraft was alive came right on time at 11:55 p.m. Pacific, in the form of a green line projected on a screen. Todd Barber, Cassinis lead propulsion engineer, did an old-fashioned fist pump. The auditorium erupted in cheers. About 10 minutes later, another set of signals confirmed that Cassini was beaming science and engineering data across more than 750 million miles of space from the Saturn system to Earth. To protect Cassini from damaging encounters with dust or particles from Saturns rings, mission planners at JPL had it fly through the region with its dish-shaped antenna leading the way. That shielded the spacecrafts more delicate instruments from unexpected danger. However, that also meant the antenna couldnt do its usual job of communicating with Earth. So the folks at NASA had to wait about 24 hours until Cassini had cleared the danger zone to find out if the spacecraft had survived intact. To help staffers pass the anxious late-night hours, JPL organized activities that included a choral performance, science talks and lots of coffee. And, of course, the first peek at Cassinis most extreme close-ups of Saturn. In a statement released Thursday, the project manager said he was delighted. No spacecraft has ever been this close to Saturn before, Earl Maize said. We could only rely on predictions, based on our experience with Saturns other rings, of what we thought this gap between the rings and Saturn would be like. I am delighted to report that Cassini shot through the gap just as we planned and has come out the other side in excellent shape. Cassini has been flying around the Saturn system for 13 years now, but it had never passed between the planet and its rings until now. Computer models suggested that the area should be relatively free of dust and particles that might damage the spacecraft, but until it actually made its first dive into the region, nobody could know for sure that it would pass through unharmed. We have a saying in space flight, said Erick Sturm, lead mission planner for Cassini. Whenever we go where we havent been before, were probably going to be surprised. Cassini has 21 more orbits through this never-before-explored space planned. The next is scheduled for Tuesday. PARIS Attorneys for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are seeking $1.64 million in compensation from a French magazine that published topless photos of Kate in 2012. Closer magazine published photos of William and Kate while they were on holiday at a private residence in Provence in southeastern France. The photos were taken with a telephoto lens without the royal couples knowledge. A representative of the magazine and two photographers are on trial in a Paris court where the defense on Tuesday accused them of a breach of privacy, the French news agency AFP reported. Lawyers for Kate and William told the court they were demanding $1.64 million in damages, AFP reported. The two photographers told the court they had not taken the photos in question. In a statement to the court read out in French, William called the decision to publish the topless photographs of his wife particularly shocking given his late mother Dianas battles with the paparazzi, Britains Press Association reported. A ruling is expected on July 4. When Native students succeed, the state of New Mexico thrives. This principle was the driving force behind House Bill 484. HB 484 would have provided a mechanism for New Mexicos Native American students to obtain the culturally relevant support they need to achieve academic success, helping to close the achievement gap and instilling the importance of education after high school. But Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed this critical measure, a bill that passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Citing the potential costs, the governor decided that at a time when our states fiscal health is poor, we should close the door to additional federal funding and better outcomes for our students. The costs of her action are great and it is important to explain why. Currently, there are over 34,000 Native American students enrolled in school districts throughout the state. It has long been recognized that our Native American students face obstacles and adversities when receiving their education as compared to many of their peer groups. The statewide four-year graduation rate for American Indian students was an abysmal 64 percent in 2016, and their level of proficiency in reading, math and science trails their non-Native counterparts by double-digit percentage points. Additionally, many Native American students in urban districts not located near tribal lands often face concerns that without proper support and guidance for students can serve as incredible barriers to success. With one of the most diverse and inclusive populations in the country, New Mexico can no longer afford these failing marks and any more budget cuts. This veto comes at a time when we desperately need innovative solutions in order to dig our way out of financial crisis and into economic prosperity. HB 484 would have encouraged access to much-needed federal funds for all school districts by requiring districts with 25 or more Native American students to provide a needs assessment to help them qualify for those funds. To date, only school districts located on or near tribal lands receive those dollars about $31.4 million for 23 school districts. Those funds provide vital services and resources, and allow for the hiring and training of new teachers who may specialize in American Indian languages, after-school tutoring, culturally relevant clubs and programs, instruction support and educational assistants. These programs and services help close the achievement gap for our Native students, instilling confidence in their abilities to learn and achieve, and better preparing them to obtain an education after high school. At a time when New Mexico is in the midst of a fiscal crisis, the governor has vetoed legislation that would have created the opportunity for more federal funds for our cash-strapped school districts. We cant afford to allow politics to drive a policy agenda. While these tactics may have worked well for the governor on the campaign trail, they are failing our parents, teachers, students and economy. What New Mexico desperately needs are bold investments in our kids, our families and our workers. Vetoing legislation that provides opportunity for Native American students is shortsighted and does a disservice to students across our state. On April 22, New Mexicans across the state stood up for scientific integrity in the face of attacks on the role of science in our daily lives. That days Marches for Science were held across the state in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Socorro and Silver City. Thousands of New Mexicans marched in an unprecedented movement to support the professionals who advance our society through science. Attempts to stifle science through defunding and staff cuts are against any nations best interests. In the United States, untold advancements in our society have arisen through public support of research into energy, medicine, technology and education. It is not an overstatement to say Americans enjoy some of the best quality of life in the world due to our proactive commitment to scientific exploration and the diligent application of its findings. Scientific advancement is also key to maintaining the United States economic competitiveness on the global stage. In the 21st century and at a time of uncertainty in the world economy, innovation is paramount; any attempts to starve our ability to scientifically innovate will only serve to diminish our economic power. Nonetheless, weve recently seen an alarming trend of suppression of scientists in an attempt to silence research that may not conform to pre-existing beliefs or political expediency. Currently, attacks on science in the arena of environmental protection are of particular concern. In March, the White House released an executive budget that includes $2.4 billion in cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, totaling 31 percent of the agencys budget. Additionally, the budget outlines a reduction in EPA staff by 3,200 employees. According to an internal analysis by the EPA, the budget reductions will have profound effects on many key programs of the agency, including the elimination of public health initiatives, climate change research, regional environmental projects and environmental education. Budget cuts facing the EPA are not a trivial matter to states, including New Mexico. Annually, one-half to three-quarters of EPA funding is routed through the states. According to the New Mexico Office of the State Auditor, the New Mexico Environment Department spent over $21.5 million in 2016, from which the EPA was the funding agency. This funding was spent on a variety of health initiatives including availability of clean water, air pollution control and hazardous waste management. The potential loss of this funding to New Mexico will mean that the state will be forced to divert money from other vital programs or to raise taxes to meet the shortfall. Reducing the EPAs budget will also have a chilling effect on the ability of scientific professionals to innovate. Every year, the agency grants millions of dollars to fund forward-thinking initiatives by universities and private companies. For instance, the University of New Mexico received over $2 million from the EPA in 2016 for a variety of programs. Since its launch in 1970, the EPA has been enormously successful in improving public and environmental health. Proponents of slashing environmental protection budgets argue that successes of clean air and clean water prove that the agency is no longer needed. However, this is a foolhardy argument. Scientific advancement should not be discarded once it becomes inconvenient to a select few. Every benefit must be built upon to improve our own well-being and increase our sphere of information. To jettison a body of knowledge while claiming success sets a very dangerous precedent for our societys understanding of what science is. We believe that science cannot be allowed to fall victim to partisan division. We support the scientists who have decided to enter into political discourse. We support those who are fighting back against the undermining of vital institutions, and we call upon those who value our quality of life and economic robustness to do the same. This was signed by 14 additional retired LANL scientists. WASHINGTON President Trumps first 100 days in office were mostly about empty noise. The next 100 likely will be the same. There is no principle at the heart of Trumps policies. In many cases, there are no policies at all, just improvised attempts to bridge the gap between Trumps rhetoric and inconvenient reality. This is no way to run a corner bodega, let alone the greatest nation on Earth. What kind of president calls North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a pretty smart cookie, as Trump did in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS Face the Nation? Who uses words of grudging admiration for a brutal dictator who consolidated power by executing hundreds of people, including his uncle? Who gives props to the leader of a rogue regime that threatens U.S. allies with nuclear weapons and may soon have missiles that can target Seattle? The aides and surrogates who speak for the president will have to walk back those remarks, just as they have walked back so many others. Id feel sorry for Trumps mouthpieces, but they chose to do those jobs. What kind of president invites a man like Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House? Duterte has addressed his countrys problem of drug-fueled crime with a campaign of assassination that has killed more than 7,000 people without arrest, trial or judgment, according to Human Rights Watch. Thats not the kind of leader the U.S. president usually invites to drop by. Yet Trump and Duterte had a very friendly chat by phone on Saturday, according to the White House. The State Department and the National Security Council were reportedly caught off guard. Those who claim Trump is on a learning curve should be honest and acknowledge that he takes two steps forward, then two full steps back. What kind of president guarantees health insurance for those with pre-existing conditions, under the back-from-the-grave Obamacare replacement measure being considered by the House, when no such guarantee of affordable coverage is in the bill? I guarantee it, said Trump. Not really, says the legislation. In the Face the Nation interview, it became clear that Trump does not understand what is in the bill he so vocally supports. States would be allowed to void the pre-existing conditions requirement if they establish high-risk pools to accommodate the unhealthy. But there is no requirement that states provide the ample funding necessary to make such an arrangement viable. The bill would punish the sick and renege on a central Trump campaign promise. He is either being dishonest or clueless. What kind of president seeks to govern a divided country he lost the popular vote, remember by holding campaign-style rallies designed to appeal only to his political base? Trump skipped the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner; the last sitting president to do so was Ronald Reagan in 1981, when he was recovering from a gunshot wound suffered in an assassination attempt. Trump decided instead to continue his absurd and self-defeating war against the news media. Speaking in Harrisburg, Penn., Trump called CNN and MSNBC fake news and railed against the failing New York Times. Meanwhile, journalistic icons Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein stood on the dais at the WHCA dinner as a reminder that this isnt the first time an administration has sought to deflect scrutiny by attacking the media and that what Bernstein called the best obtainable version of the truth will emerge if journalists do their jobs. Protesters at the Harrisburg event waved Russian flags, a reminder that the question of possible collusion between Trumps campaign and agents of the Russian government remains unresolved. Woodward and Bernstein inspired a generation of journalists who are determined to unearth the answer. I chalk up two actual accomplishments for the administration in the first 100 days. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was nominated and confirmed. And substantial progress has been made on a pro-business and mostly anti-consumer agenda of deregulation. But what else has worked out the way Trump promised? He didnt, after all, label China a currency manipulator. He didnt, after all, pull the United States out of NAFTA. He didnt, after all, get funding to start building a border wall. He did, however, order a missile strike in Syria, breaking his pledge of an America first foreign policy. This nation isnt being led, its being buffeted this way and that by the presidents bluster. What British politician Gordon Brown once said about a rival is true, in spades, about Trump: The more he talks, the less he actually says. Robinsons columns, including those not published in the Journal, can be read at abqjournal.com/opinion look for the syndicated columnist link. E-mail: eugenerobinson@washpost.com; copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. The annual honoring of deceased police officers drew about 200 people to Civic Plaza on Tuesday for a ceremony that included the release of white doves along with the reading of names of those local officers who have died while on duty throughout the states history. Five names were added to the list since last years Law Enforcement Week memorial ceremony, including Jose Chavez, from Hatch, Clint Corvinus, from Alamogordo, Ryan Thomas, from Valencia County, Steve Ackerman, from Lea County, and Houston James Largo, from the Navajo Nation. The ceremony in Downtown Albuquerque focused on law enforcement officers from Bernalillo, Sandoval and Valencia counties who have died while on duty, totalling 38 officers since 1868. There will never be a time when we forget your sacrifices, said County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins. Law enforcement agents are, she said, the ones who confront evil, danger, anger and depravity every day. She encouraged those in attendance to recommit so that we are worthy of the life they made possible for us. Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden told the crowd that this annual memorial ceremony can be a painful reminder for surviving family and friends of police who have been killed. We can not imagine what your hardest days are, he said, addressing the survivors in the audience. We owe it to you to honor them. Mayor Richard Berry said that for him the ceremony is a reminder and a message that we are a community. We grieve together, heal together, but more than anything, we will cherish each other, he said, from the stage, surrounded by other elected and appointed officials. As with each year, the crowd stood as the names of all the local officers killed were read and white doves were released with each name. The reading was followed by a 21-gun salute and a fly-over by police helicopters. Nationally in 2016, there were 135 police officers killed, which is the highest level since 2011 but one of the lower five levels noted on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on-duty fatalities chart, which begins with the year 1966. The highest recorded number of officer deaths in a year was in 1930 with 307 officer deaths, with a more recent spike in 1974 with 280 killed. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Puerto Ricos governor turned to the courts Wednesday to protect the U.S. territory from a crushing $73 billion debt in the largest effort ever made by a U.S. government to shield itself from creditors. Gov. Ricardo Rossello made the announcement after negotiations with Puerto Ricos bondholders failed. Rossello said a federal control board overseeing the islands finances agreed with his request to put certain debts before a federal bankruptcy court. The outcome of the case could have implications for financially troubled U.S. cities or states. Were going to protect our people, the governor said hours after the territory was hit with multiple lawsuits from creditors seeking to recuperate the millions of dollars they invested in bonds issued by Puerto Ricos government, which has declared several defaults amid a 10-year recession. Rossello said one of the lawsuits sought to claim all revenues generated by the islands Treasury Department for bondholders. Im not going to allow that to happen, he said. Rossello said the debts of some agencies will be restructured in court, while others will be resolved through negotiations with bondholders. He said he did not yet have details on the breakdown of those debts. The islands Electric Power Authority owes some $9 billion, the Aqueducts and Sewer Authority has roughly $5 billion in outstanding debt and the Highways and Transportation Authority owes around $7 billion. Overall, Puerto Rico has $73 billion in public debt. By comparison, the U.S. city of Detroit had less than $20 billion in overall debt when it filed for bankruptcy in 2013, which was the biggest U.S. municipal bankruptcy ever. Puerto Rican officials triggered the bankruptcy-like process after declaring they could not agree to the huge cuts in spending and new taxes demanded by investors. A fiscal plan for Puerto Rico sets aside $800 million a year for debt payments, a fraction of the $35 billion due in interest and payments over the next decade. A federal district court judge will now be in charge of the restructuring. Bondholders cannot challenge Rossellos decision for 120 days Elias Sanchez, the governors representative to the federal control board, criticized creditors for filing lawsuits even as the governor continued to hold what he called good-faith negotiations after a litigation freeze expired Monday. When a line is crossed, the government has to act in favor of the people of Puerto Rico, Sanchez said. A group representing some of those holding $16 billion worth of general obligation bonds accused the board of sabotaging consensual negotiations and forcing Puerto Rico into bankruptcy. The economy of Puerto Rico will be put on hold for years, said Andrew Rosenberg, adviser to the Ad Hoc Group of Puerto Rico General Obligation Bondholders. Make no mistake: The board has chosen to turn Puerto Rico into the next Argentina. Board Chairman Jose Carrion did not immediately address those comments, but said in an earlier statement that while the bankruptcy-like process is needed to offset lawsuits, consensual negotiations are still preferable and the board will pursue talks with willing creditors. The governments liquidity and solvency problems are massive and Title III has now become necessary to protect the people of Puerto Rico and avoid further negative impact on the economy from a flurry of litigation and continued uncertainty, he said, referring to the name of the bankruptcy-like process. He told reporters that debt related to Puerto Ricos sales tax revenue bonds will likely be restructured in court. In the next couple of days, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to appoint a federal district court judge to oversee Puerto Ricos case, he said. Meanwhile, the islands government will continue to talk to creditors and seek a stay on the nearly two dozen lawsuits faced by the territory. Sanchez noted that unlike a regular bankruptcy on the U.S. mainland, a judge cannot unilaterally seize any of Puerto Ricos assets and turn them over to bondholders. The courts cannot say, Were going to give you the Puerto Rico Coliseum or these properties from the Land Authority. They just cannot do that without the consent of the board, Sanchez said. While Detroits case was resolved in a couple of years, it is unclear how long resolution could take for Puerto Rico. This is much bigger and much more complex than Detroit, Sanchez said, adding that he estimates the process could be completed within four years. The announcement has sparked widespread uncertainty on the island, where Puerto Ricans are struggling with increases in taxes, higher utility rates and an unemployment rate that has hovered around 12 percent. The crisis has prompted nearly 450,000 Puerto Ricans to leave the island for the U.S. mainland in the past decade. It is too early to say what kind of impact a debt restructuring in court will have on the 3.4 million people that remain on the island, economist Jose Joaquin Villamil told The Associated Press. (It) presents a very big risk for both parties, he said, referring to the government and to bondholders. We dont know what a federal district court judge is going to decide. Villamil said the process will further spook the type of investors that Puerto Ricos economy needs as it prepares to implement several austerity measures. Sanchez disputed that opinion, saying a court-supervised restructuring should provide more comfort to investors. Economist Gustavo Velez told the AP that Rossellos announcement is the best path for Puerto Rico at this point. The governors predecessor had announced that the $70 billion debt load was unpayable and needed restructuring. Its been three years of agony, uncertainty and negotiations that have cost the island millions in consultants that have produced no results, Velez said. We cannot keep stretching this chewing gum further. ___ Danica Coto on Twitter: www.twitter.com/danicacoto GOLDEN, Colo. An immigrant who has been living in a Quaker meeting house to avoid deportation held back her fear of being arrested and ventured out to court Wednesday to fight for a chance to remain in the country. After praying with supporters in a hallway, Ingrid Encalada Latorre testified in a bid to withdraw her guilty plea in a 2010 identity theft case involving her purchase of immigration papers. She claims she did not know the documents were stolen. I want to be able to stay in this country with my family and my children, she said in Spanish through an interpreter in Jefferson County court in Golden, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the meeting house in Denver where she has lived for six months with her youngest son. No uniformed immigration agents were visible at the court and the hearing proceeded normally. Latorre, a native of Cusco, Peru, is trying to get her conviction changed to a misdemeanor in the hope it would make her less likely to be deported. She contended that her lawyers failed to properly represent her. Judge Dennis Hall agreed and said Wednesday that he will hold another hearing on whether she can change her plea. Jeff Joseph, an immigration attorney who is representing Latorre, said there was no indication that immigration agents would arrest his client, but he filed a stay of deportation in case she had been been targeted when she left the meeting house. Were hopeful that given the very big victory that we had today in court that ICE would see fit to grant the stay so that Ingrid can stay here and vindicate her rights, he said. Some judicial officials around the country have asked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop using courthouses as places to find and arrest people wanted for immigration violations, fearing it could lead people to be afraid to report crimes and participate in the judicial system. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have defended the practice, saying visitors to courthouses already are screened for weapons. Among the supporters of Latorre gathered in the courthouse was another immigrant who spent nine months living in the basement of another church in 2014 and 2015 before being assured he was not a priority for deportation. Arturo Hernandez was arrested April 26 by immigration agents when he went to a warehouse as part of a job. He was temporarily freed late Tuesday following intervention by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok said Hernandez was granted a 30-day deportation delay but did not provide more details. Bennet, a Democrat, filed a bill to help Hernandez and said he asked the agency for more time to process his case. Hernandezs lawyers plan to use the delay to appeal his case and try to keep him from being returned to Mexico, saying they have identified missed opportunities in his familys nearly 25-year fight to win permanent residency. The delay will also allow him to attend his 17-year-old daughters high school graduation. Hernandez said he hoped Latorre would soon be with her family. He said he thought he would be deported the same day he was picked up because his case had received so much publicity, but by the next day he saw growing public support and he started to feel a little better. Latorre had about two dozen supporters in the courtroom and another 100 outside. Barbara Mills-Bria, a retired structural engineer and president of an activist group called Be the Change, said she was prepared to be arrested herself to protect Latorre but declined to say specifically what that meant. What harm has she done? Why would they target her? The Trump administration said theyre targeting murderers and rapists. Shes just a woman living her life, she said. Supporters surrounded Latorre as she walked down a courthouse hall after the hearing and enveloped her as she entered an elevator to leave. PHOENIX Phoenix firefighters are at a high-rise preparing to rescue two painters on an outside platform hanging near the top of the 11-story office building. The platform is just below the roof of the high-rise, and fire Capt. Reda Bigler says crews will first lower a firefighter to the platform to assess the painters equipment. Bigler says the painters need to be wearing harnesses that can be used to lift the painters to the roof. The building is near North 44th Street and East Thomas Road. A former educational assistant at Rio Grande High School faces a second charge of criminal sexual penetration a week after sexual allegations against him first came to light. On April 24, a former student told the school and detectives that when he was 17 he had had an ongoing sexual relationship with 36-year-old Luis Chavez, and he was worried Chavez had victimized other students, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Chavez was arrested and charged with criminal sexual penetration of a minor. Four days later the day after the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office said five more possible victims had come forward another former student told detectives he had been raped by the school employee. Monica Armenta, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Public School District, said Chavez has been fired. She said when he was hired in January 2013 he passed his background check. On April 28, Sheriffs Office detectives were tipped off about a former student who had been assaulted by Chavez in 2014 and 2015, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. When detectives interviewed the student, he told them that when he was 17, Chavez touched, grabbed and then raped him at school functions and on school property. The student said the first assault happened while he was in Taos with Chavez for an extracurricular activity event in January 2014. He said Chavez assaulted him on several occasions throughout that year, and that he felt embarrassed and confused and was afraid to tell anyone about the incident. Then, he said, Chavez raped him in a classroom at the high school while they were setting up for another event. (The student) stated that for the rest of the year he made sure that he was never alone with Luis and actively avoided contact with him, the detective wrote in the complaint. Chavez was arrested again Tuesday and booked into the county jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond. Several students have come forward with information regarding Luis, said deputy Felicia Romero, a BCSO spokeswoman. Detectives believe there may be more victims due to the length of employment at Rio Grande High School. BCSO asks anyone with information about Chavez to contact detectives at (505) 377-6565. Tips: BCSO asks anyone with information about Chavez to contact detectives at (505) 377-6565. WASHINGTON The House easily passed a $1.1 trillion governmentwide spending bill on Wednesday, awarding wins to both Democrats and Republicans while putting off until later this year fights over President Donald Trumps promised border wall with Mexico and massive military buildup. The 309-118 vote sends the bill to the Senate in time for them to act to avert a government shutdown at midnight Friday. The White House has said Trump would sign the measure, which is the first major legislation to pass in Trumps short, turbulent presidency. House Speaker Paul Ryan praised the measure as bipartisan, and said the biggest gain for conservatives came as Democrats dropped longstanding demands to match Pentagon increases with equal hikes for nondefense programs. No longer will the needs of our military be held hostage by the demands for more domestic spending, Ryan said. In my mind, that is whats most important here. Democrats also backed the measure, which protects popular domestic programs such as education, medical research and grants to state and local governments from cuts sought by Trump while dropping a host of GOP agenda items found in earlier versions. Its imperative to note what this bill does not contain, said Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, lead negotiator for Democrats. Not one cent for President Trumps border wall and no poison pill riders that would have prevented so-called sanctuary cities from receiving federal grants, defunded Planned Parenthood, undermined the Affordable Care Act. The bill is the product of weeks of Capitol Hill negotiations in which top Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi successfully blocked Trumps most provocative proposals especially the Mexico wall and cuts to popular domestic programs like community development grants. The White House won $15 billion in emergency funding to jumpstart Trumps promise to rebuild the military and an extra $1.5 billion for border security each short of Trump demands leading the president on Tuesday to boast, this is what winning looks like. The opinions of top party leaders were not shared by everyone in the rank and file, some of whom feel that GOP negotiators too easily gave up on conservative priorities, such as cutting funds for Planned Parenthood and punishing sanctuary cities that fail to cooperate with immigration authorities. I dont think it was negotiated very well, and Ill just leave it at that, said Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C. The long-overdue bill buys just five months of funding while Trump and his allies battle with congressional Democrats over spending cuts and funding for the wall, which Trump repeatedly promised during the campaign would be financed by Mexico. Mexican officials have rejected that notion. Republicans were surprised by tweets from Trump on Tuesday that suggested he was initially unhappy with the measure and might provoke a government shutdown this fall in hopes of getting his way on the wall and other demands. The measure is the product of a bipartisan culture among Congress appropriators, with money for foreign aid, grants to state and local governments and protection for the Environmental Protection Agency from cuts sought by tea party Republicans. The measure provides $2 billion in disaster aid money, $407 million to combat Western wildfires, additional grants for transit projects and a $2 billion increase for medical research at the National Institutes of Health. The White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., won a $1.3 billion provision to preserve health benefits for more than 22,000 retired coal miners. Pelosi was the driving force behind an effort to give the cash-strapped government of Puerto Rico $295 million to ease its Medicaid burden. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Seven bounty hunters who descended on the wrong car outside a Wal-Mart have been indicted on first-degree murder charges in the killing of an unarmed man and the wounding of another, Tennessee police announced Wednesday. The charges come after a chaotic scene in Clarksville on April 23, where police said the bounty hunters shot at the four people in the sedan and chased them for seven miles. Not one of the men in the sedan was wanted on outstanding charges. In fact, the Clarksville bounty hunters were looking for someone else, and there is no indication that any of the victims fired at the defendants or were even armed, police spokesman Jim Knoll said in an email. Bail bondsmen are empowered to hire or act as bounty hunters to bring in people who violate the terms of jail bonds, but they cant use deadly force unless its self-defense. Killed was 24-year-old Jalen Johnson, a father of three from Clarksville. His family called him an innocent man who died in an act of terrorizing violence. Johnsons uncle, Toni Jenkins, told The Associated Press that his nephew and the three men in the car with him had no idea why people would suddenly block their car in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Fearing an attack by gang members, they tried to flee. The bounty hunters, Jenkins said, started shooting in the parking lot and continued to fire on them during the chase, even ramming the Nissan along the way. Clarksville police would not confirm or deny these details, but authorities have said they are troubled by how the bounty hunters put people at risk. The Montgomery County grand jury charged all seven men with first-degree felony murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder, three counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, attempted especially aggravated kidnapping, four counts of aggravated assault, employing a firearm in commission of a dangerous felony and felony reckless endangerment, police said. Some of the men charged were bonding agents and others were strictly bounty hunters, Knoll said. BEIRUT The presidents of Russia and Turkey said on Wednesday they support the creation of safe-zones in war-torn Syria as a delegation of Syrian rebels walked out of cease-fire talks with the Damascus government underway in Kazakhstan, citing repeated violations of a similar truce agreed on in December. Meeting in the Russian resort town of Sochi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin expressed hope the Syrian government and rebels would adopt this latest proposal to de-escalate the conflict, which has run now for six years and claimed some 400,000 lives. Turkey and Russia are deeply entangled in the war in Syria, including each having troops on the ground there Ankara supporting various Syrian opposition factions and Moscow backing President Bashar Assads forces. Before the rebels suspended their participation at the talks in Astana, the Kazakh capital, Russian representatives had presented the rebels with a proposal for four de-escalation zones in Syria where the warring sides would be separated by security lines. The Astana talks are proximity talks, with Syrian government representatives and the rebels separately meeting with Russian officials and other representatives. The rebels demanded a halt to the governments bombardment of opposition zones in Syria. In Sochi, Putin said Russian and Syrian government jets would halt flights over the specified zones if all sides respect the cease-fire. Russias 2015 military intervention in Syria and its air campaign have significantly boosted Assads gains in the war. However, human rights groups say Russia is implicated in targeting hospitals and schools, and using indiscriminate cluster munitions and incendiary weapons against civilian areas as well. The proposal presented to the rebels in Astana delineates four zones in Syria where front lines between the government and rebels would be frozen and fighting halted, according to a statement made by rebels. The four include areas in the provinces of Idlib and Homs, the eastern Ghouta suburbs outside Damascus, and an area in the south of the country. The zones, according to the document received by rebels, would be monitored by international observers and allow for the voluntary return of refugees. Late Wednesday, Syrias Foreign Ministry said Damascus is fully backing the Russian initiative on the four cease-fire areas, according to the state-run SANA news agency. But Ahmed Ramadan, an opposition representative, told The Associated Press that rebels requested a written answer on a number of questions, including why the cease-fire would only be in effect in the four areas instead of a nationwide truce. Ramadan also urged that the sides respect an earlier cease-fire deal which was reached in December and which also included provisions for the release of detainees. He clarified that the rebel side, though it suspended its participation in the talks, would wait in Astana for a reply. This is the fourth round of talks in Astana since January. Separately, there have been five rounds of U.N.-sponsored Syria peace talks in Geneva since 2012 but none have led to a sustainable cease-fire. Later Wednesday, the U.N. Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, called on the rebels to return to the talks in Astana because what is important is also to look at the possibility of an outcome on a de-escalation. He stressed the importance of not destroying the opportunity of good news related to this issue. The United States has sent a senior State Department official to the talks for the first time, after President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart signaled greater cooperation on Syria in a phone call on Tuesday. The White House said the two discussed setting up safe zones in the country. The Tass news agency reported that Stuart Jones, an assistant U.S. secretary of state, has already met separately with Russias representative. Syrian TV said the Astana talks began with a meeting between delegations from Russia and Iran, another close ally of Assad. Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a car bomb went off in the town of Azaz, close to the offices of the Syrian interim government, which represents the opposition in rebel-held areas, killing at least five people and wounding others. The Observatory and the activist-run Azaz Media Center confirmed the toll, saying it was likely to rise. Azaz lies on a key opposition supply route and is a hub for fighters and opposition activists. It also hosts people displaced from fighting elsewhere in the country. The town has been the scene of several attacks, some claimed by the Islamic State group. A huge explosion in January killed at least 50 people there. A video of the aftermath of Wednesdays explosion posted online by the Azaz Media Center shows charred cars and firefighters struggling to put out a blaze. In the footage, gunfire rings out as ambulances arrive and people gather at the scene. The Turkish Dogan news agency said some of the wounded were taken to the state hospital in the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment. Relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane at the Syrian border in November 2015 and Russia responded with trade and tourism sanctions. But Putin said on Wednesday that relations have been restored. ___ Heintz reported from Moscow. Associated Press writers Lynn Berry in Moscow, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report. A local media house has petitioned High Court seeking to overturn the interim order issued on April 21st 2017 restraining journalists and media houses from running any series on the investigation into the murder of AIGP Felix Kaweesi. The media house through its Executive Editor Giles Muhame claims that the order was issued without giving them a fair hearing and equal protection of the law. Muhame adds that the order was passed without proof that his Media house was in possession of any classified material whose publication would cause an imminent threat to national security as falsely claimed by the IGP Kale Kayihura. The interim order gagging the media against publishing stories regarding the investigations into the murder of AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi was issued following Kayihuras success application against some media houses and journalists. Kayihura accused the defendants of publishing confidential information relating to the said investigation of the late senior police officer, and the security of Uganda without permission from Police. BELEN The Rev. Jonas Romea has been terminated from his position as associate pastor at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church apparently in connection with inappropriate conduct with an 18-year-old female high school student, according to diocese officials and local police. Effective Tuesday, April 25, 2017, Reverend Jonas Romea no longer has priestly faculties with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and thus cannot administer the sacraments within the archdiocese, including the celebration of Mass, wrote Celine Baca Radigan, director of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Communications/Media when contacted by the News-Bulletin. Reverend Jonas Romea is (a) priest of the Diocese of Tagbilaran (in the Philippines) and serves under the jurisdiction of the bishop thereof. The diocese confirmed an investigation to police but declined to disclose why he had been relieved of his duties in Belen except to say, His residence is no longer the Our Lady of Belen rectory. We pray for Rev. Romea and wish him well. Belen police, acting on a tip about Romeas behavior and termination, began an investigation and contacted the diocese. The department released an informational report on the probe Wednesday. A Belen detective spoke Monday with the Rev. John Daniel of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, who said that in an investigation conducted by the church Father Romea had stated that after services he had talked to a juvenile female, and had kissed her forehead and then he told her that he liked her pictures on Facebook. The juvenile, not yet listed, was reported as saying that Father Romea had kissed her on the cheek, and then told her that he had seen her pictures on Facebook and that he wanted to see more pictures of her in shorts, according to the report. Belen Police Chief Scott Conner said he instructed his detectives to make contact with the church and archdiocese, and they were cooperative. They did a little digging around and it looks like its going to be more an inappropriate conduct by a member of the clergy than a criminal act, Conner said in a phone interview. Conner said the alleged victim is an 18-year-old girl who is a Belen High School student and detectives found no need for further investigation because they believe no criminal act occurred. As with any case, that could change depending on any new information we receive, the chief said. The report noted that no other comments were made and that no other juveniles had reported any misconduct from Romea. This isnt the first time Romea has been at the center of alleged inappropriate conduct while at Our Lady of Belen. In March, Romea made controversial comments during a childrens Mass about Muslims wanting to behead everyone. Father Jonas Romea terminated from Our Lady of Belen, archdiocese, amid allegations of inappropriate conduct A decade after launching his independent advertising agency in India, Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder & Creative Chairman of Creativeland Asia (CLA), is launching Ventureland Asia, his new venture. The firm has already invested 40 per cent stake in New York-based kids clothing company Masala Baby Inc, which is one of Hollywoods new emerging favourites after celebrity kids have been spotted in their Masala clothing. Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder, Ventureland Asia and Founder & Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia, explained, Theres been a huge churn in the business of funding in the last few years. Most PEs, VCs follow a herd mentality. Most businesses that seem to get a good valuation are the ones which have mastered the art of fabricating a good story on paper. There are a whole lot of entrepreneurs who get sacrificed at the altar of this cultural gap between the investors and the investees. The issue is everyone involved seems to be playing a game, existing from round to round basis and not looking at value creation. Continuing on the inception of Ventureland Asia, he added, 10 years back, I saw a business gap in the marketing communications business and out of nowhere created the buzziest advertising agency in the country, which today is still one of the most sought after names in advertising. Now, I am ready to enter the next level of brand building with a legacy of successful brand launches, brand refreshes and path breaking creative solutions. Ventureland Asia has four parts to it: Marquee Funds, which will involve deep engagement with marketing, tech and design support that will look at an exit in 48 to 60 months. Bridge Funds, which will focus on market enhancement and carry on from Angel to series A. Looking at an exit in 24 to 30 months. Business Advisory services with Out of the box consulting that include Research, Technology and Finance, and end in Design, Branding and Communication. Incubation to Create own brands and build POC. Focus on adding creativity to existing industries. Leading this venture for Kurup is his old hand at Creativeland Asia and Chief Operating Officer, Srijib Mallik. Srijib is a mathematician at heart. His instinct for creative solutions and thorough understanding of complex business models makes him the right choice to lead. He has put a great team of financial analysts, fund managers and advisors at Ventureland Asia, said Kurup. Srijib Mallik added here, Ventureland Asia is an ideas investment engine where entrepreneurs can unleash the power of their creativity. It is a place designed to be open minded, collaborative, explorative and yet be relentlessly focused on business outcomes. Among other investments, we are extremely proud to announce our first major investment with New York-based Masala Baby Inc, which is already emerging as Hollywood parents new favourite brand. We will aim to support and grow their business exponentially. Dipali Patwa, CEO & Founder, Masala Baby, commented, After having spoken to a few traditional VCs, what attracted me to Ventureland Asia was the fact that they are charting out a new way forward to invest in consumer brands. It was meeting of the minds about how we wanted to take our brand forward. We saw Ventureland Asia to be the perfect fit culturally because they respect the brand and its values and actually add to it with their creative and branding expertise. To Masala Baby, that was a lot more attractive to have a partner that is in it for the long haul and is able to bring in finance as well as the expertise to work with us hand in hand to get to the next growth stage. She further said, What makes Ventureland Asia different from the rest of the traditional VCs is that they actually invest in the brand and that investment is not just financial, its also the creativity and expertise that they bring to the table from really understanding the brand values and attributes to take it to the next level. When you have true partners that believe in creating something that is larger than themselves, well then there is magic! True impact for a brand comes from choosing the right partners and for Masala Baby, Ventureland Asia was the right fit. Masala Baby, which creates organic clothes for children, is led by New Yorks noted fashion entrepreneur Dipali Patwa with a strong all women team. Apart from the financial investments made, Ventureland Asia backs their marketing strategy brand and digital and the online retail infrastructure design. It will also aid in taking Masala Baby to the next round of funding and help in the geographical expansion of the brand from US and Canada to key markets across Europe, UK, Japan, the Middle East and India. Ventureland Asia will fund, partner and guide the marketing efforts of budding entrepreneurs and businesses to make sure that they capture and create maximum economic value for their ideas. Backed by the cutting edge branding, design and digital capabilities of Creativeland, Ventureland Asia is a platform where entrepreneurs get an opportunity to see their ideas achieve excellence. Romedy NOW The channel known to spread love and laughter with its line-up of best rom-coms on TV, has taken the experience to the next level. The channel recently partnered with SteppinOut Movie Nights to launch a special Romedy NOW edition - a unique concept that curates open air movie screenings to offer a mesmerizing movie viewing experience. SteppinOut Movie Nights Romedy NOW editions 1st screening was hosted by the pool at Novotel, Mumbai, on Sunday, April 30. With Romedy themed decor, bean bag seating, popcorn tub and a complete bar, the experience was enhanced to the maximum at the pool side screening. An icing on the cake was when the channel gave its viewers a chance to recreate iconic movie posters featuring themselves, in a funky photo booth! An interesting part about SteppinOut Nights - Romedy NOW edition was that people were given a chance to vote for their favourite movie from a curated list of all-time hits like When Harry met Sally, Pretty Woman, Crazy Stupid Love, 50 First Dates, The Notebook &The Proposal. Additionally, to offer an exciting experience online to all the social media fans, Romedy NOW launched a campaign Ideal Proposal to propose and be proposed. As a part of this campaign, the fans were asked to share their idea of a fairy tale proposal and the most quirky yet romantic ideas were given couple tickets for the amazing SteppinOut movie night. Uber, the technology company that has been transforming mobility across the world, now seeks to cater to the gastronomic demands of consumers in India with UberEATS. UberEATS is a food delivery app that consumers can use to get food delivered from the partner restaurants to the place of their choice. This service is currently available in four areas of Mumbai. PayTM has been roped in as their first launch partner to make it easy for consumers to pay for the meals. UberEATS was started in 2014 as a small delivery pilot in Los Angeles and launched as a separate application in Toronto in December 2015. In the past 18 months, it has grown to become a stand-alone app available in 26 countries and in 78 cities around the globe, including India. Bhavik Rathod has been appointed to lead UberEATS in India and spearhead its expansion across the country. Commenting on the launch in India, Rathod said, Mumbai is home to a booming food industry with a vibrant food culture offering both global and local cuisines. The introduction of UberEATS in India, with Mumbai as the first city, is a major step in our global expansion and showcases our commitment to the region. The app brings the perfect pairing of amazing restaurant partners, innovative technology, and the efficient Uber delivery network at a tap of a button to people in India. The wide selection of meal choices delivered at Uber speed will open new economic opportunities for delivery partners, enable restaurants to connect with more consumers and make eating effortless, everywhere and for everyone. Consumers will be able to order seven days a week, round the clock, as long as the restaurants are operational, through the app. The UberEATS app is separate to the Uber app that people use to request a ride and has been built specifically to make food delivery as seamless as possible. Kartik Murthy, Product Manager, UberEATS Internationationalisation & Growth, elaborated, A little over a year ago, we set out to make food delivery from pizza to smoothies through the UberEATS app as convenient and reliable as getting an Uber ride. As we have expanded UberEATS, we have been building the technology to make food delivery at the push of a button easy wherever you are whether it is at home or the park, in Mumbai or San Francisco. That is why we are working specifically to make the challenges in India opportunities for developing a better product for consumers, restaurants, and delivery partners. For example, for consumers, we are using machine learning to surface restaurant recommendations, as well as integrating popular payment options to make transactions easy; for restaurants, we developed a tool Restaurant Manager to share actionable data and analytics to help grow their businesses; and for delivery partners, we have built the ability for them to complete trips even when offline in low connectivity areas. We look forward to continuing to learn from our experience in India and build the technology that makes food delivery effortless for everyone. Adgully spoke to Bhavik Rathod and Kartik Murthy to know more about the UberEATS business model, the marketing strategy, strategic partnerships, plans to grow the business, potential in the food business and much more. Excerpts: Why is a ride hailing app like Uber venturing into the food delivery business? Bhavik Rathod: Uber is a technology company where we are essentially trying to solve the problems that come in logistics and food is an interesting space to venture into. Food business provides a massive opportunity. According to some reports, it's a $15 billion unorganised market segment in India alone and that is huge. What we at Uber really get excited about as a technology company is that we find difficult problems and see how we can bring in technologies to solve those problems. We are known globally and in India for moving people from A to B. Now with UberEATS, we can apply all those learnings and technologies to move food from restaurants to consumers. What makes the venture UberEATS lucrative for you? What is the business potential that you see? Bhavik Rathod: Everyone loves food and I am a food lover myself, Being a true Mumbaikar. Ive been born and raised here eating Pav Bhaji, Vada Pav and Egg Bhurji. I always just wanted to press a button and wished the food would come to me and now being with Uber, we always ask ourselves if we can deliver cars to people in a few minutes, what else can we do? Food feels right and fits perfectly into the equation because there is a massive opportunity in that segment globally. India specifically is a massive market and hence, it was interesting to venture into the food business here. Could you elaborate on the new Restaurant Manager analytics tool? Kartik Murthy: With the Restaurant Manager tool, we want to empower restaurants to grow their business. We dont want to partner with them just to get them more demand for deliveries, but we want to give them actionable data. So, if a restaurant is trying out a new sandwich in the neighbourhood and they dont know how well that sandwich is going to perform, they can try it out. They will get detailed analytical data on how that sandwich performed on UberEATS and decide if they want to double down on the sandwich or change the ingredients. We want to provide our restaurant partners with actionable data so they can grow their businesses. What about the investments made in the UberEATS business? Bhavik Rathod: Being part of Uber for over three and a half years, I've seen how Uber has grown in India and how serious it is about India. Ubers Global CEO Travis Kalanick and Amit Jain, President, Uber India and South Asia for rides business, are both deeply invested into making Uber successful in India and we have done a fantastic job over the years in scaling the rides business. With massive opportunity in the food business in India and the fact that we have hired a team of stellar operational guys, engineers, with Kartik and myself on board with our team who are working tirelessly around the clock behind the scene is an investment in itself. More importantly, India by itself offers a massive opportunity and Uber wants to be a part of that journey to solve that problem. In which cities that it will be available? Bhavik Rathod: As of now, UberEATS will only be available in four areas in Mumbai, but the strategy has always been to first focus on the fundamentals by making sure the application itself is great. UberEATS focus is on providing great experience to restaurants, delivery partners and consumers and as we go deeper into the business, we will be available in more geographies in Mumbai and other metro cities as well. But when that will happen is too soon to tell. Any tie-ups for this venture? Bhavik Rathod: UberEATS has tied up with over 200 restaurant partners, including local players like The Bohri Kitchen, Nom Nom, The Bombay Canteen, The Good Wife, Fresh Menu, Le 15, Coffee By Di Bella and global names like Krispy Kreme, Chillies, etc. Going forward, we will continue to add more restaurants on the partner list. What is your marketing strategy to grow the UberEATS venture? Bhavik Rathod: There are few avenues for us to increase our brand presence of UberEATS alone. With this launch, we are announcing that we are entering into the food business in India, starting with Mumbai. We have millions of riders who already use the Uber app. So when a rider opens the Uber app in South Mumbai, they will see a feed cart which gives the user an option to order food. With this, we have riders who can become consumers for UberEATS app. Consumers can also download the new app for iOS and Android from the iTunes/Google play store or go online at ubereats.com. Besides that, we are working with our restaurant partners and our delivery partners through several other avenues of marketing such as online, offline, creative marketing, etc. UberEATS will come up with the same creativity and innovation as Uber to make another brand under the umbrella of Uber popular among the users. Kartik Murthy: Inside the rider app, we want to drive utility and not just marketing. People come to Uber for a seamless ride, but we want to show them that there is also a seamless way to get food. We don't want to show that here are some restaurants on the app, we want to show them very targeted restaurants where they can get their food delivered to wherever they are going. If a rider is going home from airport after a long flight, they can get food delivered at their destination. We at Uber always think about the consumers first and so we are building a product that actually works for them rather than just sending them marketing messages. What kind of revenues that you are eyeing from UberEATS? Bhavik Rathod: We charge a certain percentage on the order value as service fee to our restaurant partners, theres a delivery fee of Rs 15, which is inclusive of taxes. There is no minimum order size and we have a standard market fee that we charge to our delivery partners. How do you plan to counter the competition? Bhavik Rathod: The food industry in itself is a largely uncategorised sector, where the market is huge and we believe that to succeed in this market you need you stand out with your offerings. Uber has great technology, brand presence across geographies and the fact that we already have million of riders on the app who use Uber extensively works in our favour. More importantly, the value that we bring in for our consumers and restaurant and delivery partners allows us to distinguish ourselves and grow in the business. With network and connectivity being an issue on both consumer and provider front, how does UberEATS plan to combat that? Kartik Murthy: UberEATS is doing a lot of interesting stuff to combat network and connectivity issue. On the delivery partner side, we allow them to end the trip when they have no network, which has been a complaint from a lot of delivery partners in markets that have network issues, and we have addressed that issue in our app. On the consumer front, we are doing interesting things around images, because images are the front and centre of our application. We are making sure that if you are on a network which has limited access to connectivity, we deliver the best image for your network so you dont get a slow experience. Mindshare has brought on board Emmanuel Ordinanza as Managing Partner, Nestle Team Thailand. He joined Mindshare Thailand in March 2017 to help further strengthen the agencys elite bench of future leaders. For 15 years, Ordinanza has successfully conquered the Integrated Media business in the Philippines, Singapore and China, handling local, regional and global accounts for StarcomMediavest Group. In his previous roles, locally and overseas, he successfully led and won various pitches, continually boosting agency revenues. His work for blue chip clients like Procter & Gamble China and Coca-Cola South East Asia have won him and his team internal and external recognition. Some of his noteworthy campaigns include 100 Years of Coke, Olay Best Beautiful and SK II Change. Commenting on Ordinanzas appointment, Pathamawan Sathaporn, Leader, Mindshare Thailand, said, I am happy to welcome Emmanuel to the Mindshare family in Thailand. His diverse experiences in multiple markets and strong brands background are valuable assets that will definitely bring more successes to our clients and Mindshare. Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today unveiled its new brand identity. The new brand identity signifies a higher level of engagement and brand permission that helps clients leverage Wipros expertise to address their business requirements and drive future opportunities in this digital era. The new brand identity marks Wipros emergence as a trusted digital transformation partner to clients, delivering at global scale with increasingly localized capabilities, and leveraging hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics, cognitive and emerging technologies. This new brand identity also mirrors two key attributes cited by clients as unique to Wipros brand: the integrated perspective that Wipro brings across multiple industries, technologies and geographies; and its ability to deliver innovation in ways that are most relevant for clients. New logo As part of the new brand identity, Wipro unveiled a new logo. The new logo represents the way the company connects the dots for its clients: integrating deep technology and domain expertise, applying insights from across industries, and consistently delivering world-class integrated, end-to-end capabilities and services. The logo also highlights Wipros strong technology heritage and reflects its capabilities for the future. The styling of the brand mark gives it a sense of fluidity, resourcefulness, optimism and a connected world. The individual elements in the logo represent ideas, insights, technologies, industries and geographies. The expanding pattern symbolizes a boundless Wipro. The four circles represent the Wipro Values, Employees, Clients & partners, and Communities. The blue of the word mark creates a sense of reliability and authority. Along with its new identity, Wipro has also rearticulated the Spirit of Wipro, its core values: Be passionate about clients success, Treat each person with respect, Be global and responsible, and Unyielding integrity in everything we do. Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Limited said, Our brand identity is a visual expression of what we do and mean, for our clients. And this is directly energized by our Values. The Values are our core and our beacon, the bedrock of our culture. Our rearticulated values connect and resonate deeply with the new, vibrant, brand identity. Abidali Z. Neemuchwala, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Wipro Limited said, The new brand identity marks our journey of transformation in the digital world. Our brand refresh signals an even closer engagement with clients, greater innovation, and a deeper impact on their business. It is contemporary, reflecting the diversity and aspirations of our employees. HTC Vive appointed former senior executive at Disney Paul Brown as the General Manager of its European division. According to the companys announcement sent to Android Headlines on Wednesday, Brown will be working from the firms European headquarters in the United Kingdom and will be tasked with guiding the growth of its virtual reality (VR) business on the Old Continent, including both hardware and software. Brown arrived at HTC Vive with an impressive track record, having previously served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at Digital D2C and Disney Interactive where he was responsible for the companys operations in the entire EMEA region, i.e. Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company in 2011, Brown served as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Spotify and has worked at a number of other high-profile startups and major companies including Pandora Media and Sony BMG Music. HTC Vives new executive was responsible for running Disneys digital unit and was directly involved in the launch of DisneyLife, the firms first massive streaming service. Additionally, Brown oversaw Spotifys transition to mobile devices in 2009 and will now be expected to lead HTC Vive in Europe with the goal of turning HTCs VR bet into a sustainable business. Being a lawyer by profession, especially one that specializes in international copyright laws, Brown could prove to be a significant asset for HTC Vive and its growing content ambitions that recently led the company to commit tens of millions of dollars to funding third-party developers interested in producing VR experiences for its growing ecosystem and even other VR platforms. Browns appointment is yet another major statement of intent from the Taiwanese consumer electronics manufacturer thats been betting on VR and related technologies quite heavily in recent years. Some of the companys other units including its smartphone-making one have been struggling to turn a profit in recent times, which is a part of the reason why HTC decided to invest significant resources in VR, an emerging technology that it hopes will soon evolve into a massive market and lead to equally massive revenue that the company will manage to generate thanks to its early foray into the industry. A Huawei-made Android tablet bearing the model number BAH-W09 thats likely the upcoming MediaPad T3 Lite 10 was certified by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in late April, as evidenced by a set of documents published by the federal agency on Tuesday. While the certification issued by the FCC doesnt reveal many details about the device, this is likely the same tablet that was recently released in Poland and is expected to debut in other parts of Europe in the near future. Huawei is said to launch two variants of the MediaPad T3 Lite 10.0 in the U.S. one featuring support for 4G LTE connectivity and one that can only access the World Wide Web via a standard Wi-Fi connection. The model thats been certified by the FCC several days ago is likely the base, Wi-Fi-only variant of the tablet, while the one thats scheduled to ship with a SIM card slot is said to bear the model number BAH-L09. Regarding the device itself, the Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 10 boasts a 10-inch display panel, just like its name suggests. The screen of the tablet supports a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, while its body houses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 system-on-chip (SoC) and 3GB of RAM. Coupled with 32GB of internal storage space, the MediaPad M3 Lite 10 seems like a solid mid-ranger that will likely be available at an affordable price. The tablet starts at 1,399 zloty ($363) in Poland, with the 4G LTE variant of the device being priced at 1,599 zloty, i.e. approximately $415. The MediaPad M3 Lite 10 will ship with Android 7.0 Nougat running out of the box, as well as Huaweis proprietary user interface. All of that hardware is powered by a 6,660mAh battery, though its currently unclear whether the tablet supports some quick charging technology. While the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer has yet to officially confirm that the Huawei MediaPad T3 Lite 10.0 will be launched in the United States, its stateside release seems inevitable in light of the fact that the Android-powered tablet was now certified by the FCC. Likewise, the device already received certification from Bluetooth SIG and Wi-Fi Alliance, making its U.S. launch even more likely. Nokias highly-anticipated Android flagship, the Nokia 6, has finally passed through the FCC. The Nokia 6, listed as model number TA-1025 by the regulation documents, is just one of three big devices announced by the company this year at Mobile World Congress (MWC) which took place back in February. In the meantime, the handset has already been available in other parts of the world and has even recently received an update or two. However, Nokia has been taking a more calculated approach to the U.S. market and, of the three devices debuted by Nokia at MWC, the 6 will be the first to hit the country when it does arrive. Fortunately, for those that have been waiting to buy what Nokia is selling, that arrival appears to be pretty close with FCC approval taken care of. Although the Nokia 6 is easily the upper echelon of those above-mentioned devices, it finds its place in the mid-range tier overall when compared to the market as a whole. With the cost of high-end devices nearing or surpassing $1000, what Nokia has done is to create a resilient smartphone that should deliver solid performance at an affordable cost. By way of reminder, the device is set to arrive with a 5.5-inch fullHD screen and an octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 430 chipset. The processor will be backed up by a respectable 3GB and 32GB of storage space while being powered by a 3,000 mAh battery. The back of the Nokia 6 features a 16-megapixel main camera and the front has an 8-megapixel selfie camera. All of that will be overlayed by the latest software optimizations and features found in Android 7.1.1 (Nougat). Unfortunately, it isnt known whether or not the increased RAM variation of the Nokia 6 will be tagging along. That version comes in a specialty color which Nokia calls Arte Black and features 4GB of RAM instead of the usual 3GB. The Nokia 6 will most likely arrive with the other color options intact. Those include Matte Black, Tempered Blue, Silver, and Copper. It is also unknown when or if Nokias other two devices, the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5, will be arriving at the FCC as they make their way to the U.S. market. That said, FCC certification for the Nokia 6 is great news and those who have been waiting for the device to drop will be happy to know that wait should be almost over. Owners of Samsung Galaxy S8 who decide to return their smartphones due to defects can keep their Samsung Gear VR headset. The smartphone manufacturer has bundled its Samsung Gear VR headset and controller, worth around $130, upon the purchase of its flagship smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus for free. According to a report from Phone Arena, an owner of Samsung Galaxy S8 has decided to return his smartphone after his device still had a red-tinted display upon the supposed fix for the said issue. After communicating with Samsung, the owner was told he could keep the Samsung Gear VR headset even after returning the smartphone to the manufacturer without any impact on the refund itself. While Samsungs launch of its latest flagships has been somewhat smooth sailing compared to the disastrous Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launch, there were still some issues plaguing the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Among them are the red-tinted displays found in some units of Samsungs latest flagships. Even though Samsung has stated that the reddish display is not a defect, the company has released an update that allows the users to better adjust the color balance of the display according to their preference. Another issue affecting some units of Samsung Galaxy S8 is related to the phones Wi-Fi connectivity, specifically to an access point used by a Korean carrier. Like what Samsung has done with its red-tinted displays, Samsung has released an update to fix this issue, though the update is only released to South Korean handsets. While there are people who seek to return their units, many others are still interested in buying the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. People who are interested in buying the handset may buy it on or before May 25 to receive the Samsung Gear VR headset and controller for free, which is a great value addition to an already well-received phone. For others who plan to return their Samsung Galaxy S8, the Samsung Gear VR is compatible with previous Samsung Galaxy flagships starting from Samsung Galaxy S6 onwards. Therefore, owners may still put their VR headsets to great use even if they have returned the smartphone it originally came with. By Damali Mukhaye Over 15 Makerere University students have been arrested for taking part in the ongoing demonstration. Students this morning went on strike protesting the failure by the university to release their results for the last semester, failure to issue Identity Cards to first year students and transcripts to graduates. According to the Officer in Charge of Makerere police station Denis Kasibante, the students are to be charges with insighting violence among other offences. Earlier, KFMs Damali Mukhaye reported that the police had firedf teargas and rubber bullets to disperse rowdy students. She also said there was heavy police deployment around the university especially at the Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls of residence. Introduction Do we have a good one for you today the new LG G6 takes on the most popular model of phone that Motorola has ever sold the Moto G5 Plus. LG completely redesigned the LG G6 with an all-glass body, 18:9 aspect ratio, and thin bezels all around. The Moto G5 Plus is more or less an updated G series that started out with a 4.5-inch display, grew to a 5.5-inch display, and is now back to a 5.2-inch display with their new Moto Z series looks. Both of these devices will work on all major US networks, but the Moto G5 Plus, the only model coming to the US, does not have an NFC chip. Lets look at just what these two devices have in common, if anything, and then we will take a closer look at each one in hopes that we can determine a winner of this comparison. We do realize that the LG G6 is a high-end flagship device and the Moto G5 Plus is more in the mid-range category, it just offers so much for its small price tag, and did so well in our full-review, we just had to see how it compares. Despite their differences, we can find some common ground between the LG G6 and the Moto G5 Plus. The displays of the two devices are 0.5-inch different in size, but the larger G6 is slightly smaller in physical size, but weighs in at 8 grams heavier than the G5 Plus. Both displays use the same LCD technology, different resolutions, and the same Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. They both use a Snapdragon processor and an Adreno GPU for graphics, just different models. They both pack the same amounts of RAM 4GB, although there is a 2GB variant of the Moto G5 Plus the same amounts of internal storage, and both can expand its memory via a microSD card. The primary camera areas and the front-facing camera (FFC) areas could not be more different the LG G6 uses dual 13MP cameras, and the G5 Plus uses one 12MP sensor. The front facing cameras (FCC) both use a 5MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Both have a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device, but only the LG G6 has NFC for authorizing mobile payments, including Android Pay. They both use a non-removable battery, and both have rapid charge capabilities. They come with the usual suspects WiFi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC (G6 only), and the newer reversible Type-C port for charging and data transfer on the LG G6, but the older styled microUSB 2.0 on the G5 Plus. Advertisement Please take a thoughtful look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below, and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another click on the View Full Comparison link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each device in greater depth and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions. Specifications LG G6 Advertisement LG did a complete makeover of the old LG G5 when it designed the LG G6. Many LG G5 owners are not too happy hearing there will be no new modules that support the G5 design. The LG G6 rid itself of the unpopular painted metal and modular body form of the G5 and introduced us to an all-new glass design with smaller bezels. This new sealed design allowed the G6 to gain an IP68 certification, but did away with one of LGs most popular features the removable battery. To help compensate for this, LG increased the battery size and now includes standard wireless charging. LG increased the display from 5.3-inches to 5.7-inches and gave it an 18:9 screen ratio that makes it slightly taller and narrower. LG kept its dual cameras but changed their megapixels. Lets see if LG did enough to their LG G6 and see just how it stacks up to the Moto G5 Plus. LG made some big changes to the G6s IPS LCD QHD display by increasing it to 5.7-inch and giving it a new 18:9 screen ratio. This aspect ratio causes the display to be slightly taller and narrower, but allows more display in a smaller area. LG wisely included the always on feature that not only saves battery life, but also makes glancing at notifications much easier and quicker. The 18:9 resolution comes in at 2880 x 1440 pixels with 564 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and is also Dolby Vision/HDR10 compliant. This combination gives the viewer a more natural theater-like experience when watching movies and it allows two perfect squares for on-screen multi-tasking. LG chose last years Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor over the newest SD835 octa-core processor. It has dual cores clocked at 1.6GHz and another dual-core clocked at 2.35GHz. The LG G6 packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal memory that is expandable to 2TB via a microSD card. LG has embraced the dual camera concept for a while just look at the LG V10, V20, G5, and now the G6. The LG G6 uses dual 13MP sensor cameras for both the primary and secondary camera. The LG G6s primary lens comes with all of the specifications, such as an f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS, dual-tone LED flash and this is the camera the G6 will use for regular picture taking. The second 13MP camera comes with an ultra-wide-angle lens for capturing a wider group shot of the family or a landscape picture, but has a fixed focus with a smaller f/2.4 aperture. In a surprise move, LG decreased the FFC from an 8MP to a 5MP sensor and gave it an f/2.4 aperture for selfies and video chatting. LG did take away the removable battery, but increased the size from 2800mAh to a 3300mAh, added Quick Charge 3.0, and standard wireless charging. Advertisement LG already had the fingerprint sensor on the back of the device, so it was easy for LG to make the bezels even smaller. The fingerprint sensor still acts as the on/off switch. LG removed another of its customer favorites on the G6, the IR Blaster, but kept the FM radio around in certain markets. The LG G6 is also the first non-Google smartphone to include Google Assistant onboard so you can use your LG G6 to communicate with Googles growing ecosystem that includes Google Home and Chromecast. The LG G6 measures 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm, weighs in at 163 grams and comes in Mystic White, Astro Black, or Ice Platinum. The device is available on all the leading carriers for about $700 for the 32GB model. Moto G5 Plus Motorola redesigned and updated its most popular device it has ever sold, even topping the wildly popular RAZR design from years ago. The Moto G5 Plus does not look too much different from its predecessor, the G4 Plus. The outside morphed a little to look like the Moto Z series but with a smaller earpiece and a larger rectangular fingerprint sensor probably to make it easier to swipe left or right on the pad. One the back, the camera looks a lot more like the Z series with a round protruding ring. The 5G Plus uses a new all-metal backing that uses a small amount of plastic to allow the antenna to pass signals through the body. Moto decreased the display from 5.5-inches to 5.2-inches and the camera from 16MP to 12MP, but kept the same 5MP FFC. Lets see if Moto did enough to their Moto G5 Plus and see just how it stacks up to the LG G6. Advertisement Moto decreased the display size on the Moto G5 from 5.5-inches, most likely to distinguish if t from the 5.5-inch displays on its flagship devices. This also gives the G5 Pluss IPS LCD Full HD display a nice 424 PPI. Moto made a fine choice in using the Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz and the Adreno 506 GPU. The processor has plenty of power and speed for the G5 Plus and the Adreno 506 can handle any graphics you throw its way. The Moto G5 Plus packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of internal memory that is expandable via a microSD card. You can also get a 2GB/32GB variant, but for the extra few dollars, it is money well spent. The Moto G5 Plus has a 12MP primary camera with a large f/1.7 aperture, autofocus, and dual-tone LCD flash. The FFC is a 5MP sensor with a smaller f/2.2 aperture for selfies and video chatting. Nothing fancy here, but what do you expect from a sub-$250 smartphone the pictures should make most every day users happy. A 3000mAh battery provides the power and it comes with the Motorola Turbo Charger for quick charges. Moto kept the fingerprint sensor on the front and made it a little wider. If you swipe you finger on the button to the right it will open up your recent stops, if you swipe to the left, that is your back key and these can be adjusted in the settings. This makes full use of your 5.2-inch display for your viewing pleasure. There is a built-in FM radio, but the US version has no NFC capabilities, which seems rather strange. The Moto G5 Plus measures 150.2 x 74 x 7.7 mm, weighs in at 155 grams, and comes in Lunar Grey and Fine Gold. The device is available for about $229 for the 2GB/32GB model and about $279 for the 4GB/64GB model. Advertisement And The Winner Is The Final Word Advertisement Okay, I have to pick the LG G6 as the winner of this specification comparison battle and why shouldnt it win it has better specs even if it costs well over double the price of the Moto G5 Plus. However for pure value, if you can live without NFC or mobile payment capabilities, you would be hard pressed not to pick the G5 Plus as the real winner of this comparison. The LG G6 does have a bigger, always-on, and a QHD display, it has the more advanced processor/GPU combo, a better camera area, a slightly larger battery, wireless charging, NFC, and IP68 certification from water resistance. However for a price tag of $700, it should have better specs than the $279 Moto G5 Plus. The Moto G5 Plus is a smartphone not to be overlooked it has optimized software with a very small overlay on pure vanilla Android 7.0 Nougat. It is fast and smooth and its Adreno 507 GPU took anything we could throw at it in our full review. The camera takes very good pictures, it has expandable memory, the Full HD display a 5.2-inches gives it a respectable 424 PPI, and its 3000mAh battery should easily last you a full day. It is a great value for a daily driver, a phone for parents, or for teens it is a solid device with an even more solid value and therefore is a winner. Google will likely settle its tax dispute with the Italian government in the near future, according to Rosella Orlandi, the chief of tax authorities in the European country. In a Tuesday interview with La Repubblica, Orlandi revealed that government officials are very close to reaching a resolution of Googles dispute with the government regarding taxes that the company allegedly evaded in a period between 2009 and 2013. Orlandi didnt provide a specific time frame for when Italys clash with Google might be resolved, nor did she clarify the situation in any other way. Regardless, latest developments suggest that the Italian branch of the Alphabet-owned Internet giant might finally move on from its dispute with Italian tax authorities after months of negotiations that started in 2016. The Italian government initially accused Google of evading 227 million ($248 million) worth of taxes in a five-year period ending in 2013. Following those accusations, federal officials were reportedly looking to hit Google with a fine of up to 280 million, i.e. over $305 million. The last update on the situation that came prior to Orlandis Tuesday announcement was back in January when sources familiar with the matter claimed that Italian officials werent giving up on their intentions to issue the aforementioned fines to Google. However, seeing how the issue is now apparently close to being resolved only four months after that report which isnt a long period for major tax disputes with state authorities in Italy its likely that Google still managed to negotiate a better deal and lower fines. Apart from revealing that negotiations with Google are advancing in a steady manner and are close to being completed, Orlandi also told La Repubblica that tax authorities in the country are currently in the process of investigating a number of Internet companies operating in Italy, primarily those that deal in home rentals. The state official specifically mentioned that Airbnb is part of their recently started investigation, but didnt provide more details on the matter. Italy has recently been cracking down on a number of tech giants that it suspects of evading taxes, with sources indicating that Amazon is next on the countrys radar as its tax authorities believe that the Seattle-based company evaded approximately $141 million in taxes several years ago. According to a new report, Huawei had managed to ship 34.5 million smartphones in the first quarter of this year. Now, we do not know where this info comes from directly, as the source has not been shared by GizChina, but read on if youre interested. Its not exactly a secret that Huawei managed to grow immensely in the last couple of years, and that this China-based company is currently the third-placed smartphone manufacturer out there, trumped only by Samsung and Apple. It is worth noting that Huawei is also the number one smartphone manufacturer in China, after the company managed to regain that position from OPPO. Now, if you compared Huaweis Q1 2017 results with their Q1 2016 results, youll be able to nice that the company grew 21.6% Year-on-Year (YoY), and owns 9.8% of the market share globally. That is pretty much all the new info that was shared, but it gives you a clear picture of how well Huawei is doing at the moment. Interestingly enough, both OPPO and Vivo are doing great in China, and it would be interesting to see what would happen if one of those companies, or both of them, opted to widen their reach to some additional markets. Huawei had introduced their Huawei P10 and Huawei P10 Plus flagship smartphones back in February during this years Mobile World Congress (MWC), and those two phones definitely helped the company to reach such high sales numbers. Having that in mind, its worth noting that Huawei managed to ship around 140 million smartphones last year, and by doing that, the company broke some of its records. It will be interesting to see if Huawei will be able to do even better this year, their Q1 results sure seems promising. In any case, this company is still expected to release a ton of devices in 2017, including their Huawei Mate 9 flagship phablet which is scheduled to arrive later this year, so the company will have plenty of firepower to battle the likes of Samsung, Apple, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, and so on. It will also be interesting to see if the company will try to play a more significant role in the Indian smartphone market where Xiaomi grew immensely in the last couple of years. All in all, well just have to wait and see what happens. Samsung has outed the contents of its May 2017 Android security patch that will be pushed out to Samsung devices in the near future, and on top of the latest Android Security Update from Google that ships with 54 fixes, the software package also contains 11 Galaxy-specific vulnerability fixes. On Googles side, the May patch is quite large, and is mostly made up of fixes to core Android components like the Mediaserver and Framework. On Samsungs side, the fixes are mostly patch-ups for exploits that can be used to attack a device. The exploits are all privately disclosed for now, withholding key details of how they work to keep them from being exploited before the patch is fully distributed. The fixes that Samsung did disclose include a vulnerability that allows a hacker to use a reboot system call to crash a phone, system crash vulnerabilities related to Wi-Fi, holes in Java handling that enables local denial of service attacks, a bug that allowed hackers to disable the location service of locked phones to avoid being tracked down with stolen goods, and a bug in the tima service that could lead to a kernel panic if exploited. Outside of Samsungs own people, the company gave special thanks to qihoo360s Vulpecker Team, Kryptowires Ryan Johnson, and Angelos Stavrou, as well as a private security researcher known only as Zane. Aprils security patch from Samsung was a bit larger in scale, including 19 fixes of their own on top of Googles April patch. A number of notable bugs was eliminated with that update, including GPU driver issues for certain devices, a bug that could be exploited to cause a device to go into a factory reset, and a particularly troublesome permission bug that could leak a users system log files to a hacker and make it easier for them to steal critical data. As with all Samsung-made patches, this is only the base level of the patch being detailed out, and some devices will get specific fixes as the patch starts rolling out. Some glitches that are privately disclosed may end up being fully disclosed, and some bugs that are confidential for the time being could come to light at a later date. Nokia is already one of the biggest manufacturers of mobile networking equipment in the world, and todays announcement that they are going to be a key player in T-Mobiles upcoming 5G network rollout. T-Mobile has announced that they are planning to use all of their available network resources to start working on building out 5G in the near future, with a focus on the wealth of 600MHz spectrum that they recently won in the FCCs incentive auction. Nokia will be helping T-Mobile to repurpose existing network equipment, and outfit new equipment to be compatible with compatible with as many standards and frequencies as possible. While budding 5G standards mostly lean on higher-band spectrum and small cells that can bring them to where they need to be, Nokia and T-Mobile want to seek out solutions that can leverage the wealth of low-band spectrum that T-Mobile now possesses to deliver 5G speeds. Nokia, for their part, seems confident that they can figure it out. Part of the plan is to set up the network in layers around multiple interlocking frequency bands, which could mean that several of the lower-frequency bands that T-Mobile now has access to could be combined to equal the same data throughput as a single higher band. Technologies that T-Mobile has recently been rolling out, such as 44 MIMO and 3-channel carrier aggregation, could help to make that a reality. Nokia is a big player in the rollout of 5G throughout America with multiple customers, but this announcement seems to imply that they will be working with T-Mobile on a unique solution that could very well position their network ahead of competitors. The main crux of the plan, using 600MHz spectrum for 5G services, is the key to that advantage. Whereas higher bands cant pierce obstacles or reach customers far from the cellular transmission point, low-band waves, such as those in the 600MHz spectrum block, can provide service deep inside buildings, underground, and over wide areas. If T-Mobile manages to pull this off with Nokias help, they could have a real advantage over competitors, most of whom plan to utilize small cells as the main tool in their 5G rollout. Following a complaint last month by LG Electronics, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has started investigating whether Florida-based BLU Products Inc. is indeed in breach of multiple LTE-related patents held by the South Korean company. The USITC released a statement last week, saying that it has voted to institute an investigation of certain LTE wireless communication devices and components. The products at issue include mobile phones. LG and its U.S. subsidiaries filed a complaint against BLU last month, alleging that the American company was in violation of at least five of its patents. LG is seeking a cease-and-desist order from the USITC against BLU, and has also filed an infringement lawsuit against the company in a Delaware federal court, seeking unspecified damages. The lawsuit alleges that a number of BLU products are in violation of patents held by LG. The Dash and Speed series handsets from BLU are specifically singled out by the South Korean firm, which also names CT Miami LLC as one of the co-defendants in its lawsuit for importing many of the allegedly infringing devices into the U.S. on behalf of BLU. While patent disputes among smartphone vendors isnt exactly a novel occurrence, this is the first time LG says it has filed a patent lawsuit against a competitor for what it calls a blatant disregard for the intellectual property rights by the U.S. company. In fact, the South Korean tech company goes so far as to insinuate that BLU is a habitual offender, saying that the companys attitude this time around is consistent with its traditional practice of paying no one licensing fees. BLU is currently the sixth-largest smartphone vendor in the U.S., having sold around 5.2 million handsets in the country last year. The company sells entry-level and mid-range devices that are targeted at the pre-paid market for the most part, and had a huge hit last year with the $100 BLU R1 HD that actually had an ad-subsidized variant which sold exclusively on Amazon for just $50. LG, on the other hand, is the third-largest smartphone vendor in the country after Apple and Samsung, and makes high-end smartphones like its current flagship, the LG G6. The company also sells smart televisions, smartwatches, computer accessories and various household appliances like refrigerators, washing machines and microwave ovens. : , , , , - 28 . We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. Publisher of the weekly is California Courier Harut Sassounian has published an article headlined Azerbaijan accused of giving millions in bribes to Council of Europe Armenpress presents the full article bellow. For years, the government of Azerbaijan has been showering politicians and dignitaries from around the world with expensive gifts, such as silk carpets, gold, silver, caviar, cash, and all-expense paid trips in exchange for their votes in favor of Azerbaijan and against Armenia and Artsakh . This illicit practice is so prevalent that Europeans describe it as "caviar diplomacy. Even though this bribery goes on behind closed doors and it is disclosed neither by Azeri officials nor by crooked foreign politicians, once in a while it comes to light. We should all remember that what is disclosed is a tiny portion of the large amount of bribery doled out to Baku visitors, officials in various countries, and those serving in international organizations like the United Nations. Recently, a great scandal was exposed in the Council of Europe involving millions of dollars of cash given to some of its members in return for defeating decisions critical of Azerbaijan or supporting unfavorable reports on Artsakh. As a result, Transparency International, the worlds largest anti-corruption group, has called on the Council of Europe to investigate serious allegations of corruption. The European Stability Initiative (ESI) also accused Azerbaijan of unduly influencing Council of Europe decisions by transferring huge sums of money and other favors to key parliamentarians. ESI urged that an independent investigation be conducted to look into the PACE vote in 2013, rejecting a highly critical report of political prisoners in Azerbaijan and the role of members of that countrys delegation. The Guardian published a lengthy expose on April 20, 2017, titled: Fresh Claims of Azerbaijan vote-rigging at European human rights body. Two high ranking officials of PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) have informed The Guardian about PACE members receiving bribes from Azerbaijan in exchange for votes in favor of that country. PACE is composed of 324 Parliamentarians from 47 European countries, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey. Arif Mammadov, a former Azerbaijani diplomat informed The Guardian that a PACE member was given over $30 million by the government of Azerbaijan to hand out as bribes to other PACE members. Tobias Billstrom, a Swedish delegate to the assembly and former justice minister, said very credible members had told him they had been offered bribes to vote in a certain way. He is one of 64 parliamentarians to have signed a resolution calling for an independent investigation into serious and credible allegations of grave misconduct centered on an Azerbaijani vote, The Guardian reported. The claims were first laid out in a 2012 report by the European Stability Initiative think tank, but have gathered momentum since Italian prosecutors began investigating a former chair of the center-right group, Italian deputy Luca Volonte. He is accused of accepting 2.39m [$2.6 million] in bribes from Azerbaijan in exchange for supporting its government in the Council of Europe. He faces a trial for money laundering, and Milans public prosecutor is appealing a decision to drop a corruption charge against him. He has always denied any wrongdoing, according to The Guardian. Even the President of PACE, Pedro Agramunt, is in trouble because he has refused to open an investigation into Azerbaijans bribery scandal. His recent trip to Syria has increased the number of PACE members who have called for his resignation. Since Agramunt cannot be fired under the Rules of Procedure, the PACE Bureau censored him last week by resolving that he is not authorized to make any official visits, attend meetings or make any public statements on behalf of the Assembly in his capacity as President. He is expected to resign shortly. Furthermore, the Council of Europe launched an investigation in 2015 into Azerbaijans compliance with the European Convention on human rights, the first such inquiry into a member state in the last 25 years! It is shameful that PACE, a body created to champion human rights, is falling victim to the Azeri dictators bribery schemes. These allegations undermine the core values of the Council of Europe. It should be unacceptable that during previous Azeri elections when PACE members went there as observers, they surprisingly issued highly positive reports, whereas the rest of the international observers had very negative assessments. Such a contrast brought up concerns that Azerbaijan had managed to bribe the PACE observers to cover up the corrupt elections. The Guardian concluded that Azerbaijan uses the [PACE] assembly to add a veneer of legitimacy to the authoritarian rule of its president, Ilham Aliyev, who has ruled the country since 2003. Ignoring Azerbaijan's abuses of bribery would mean that the Council of Europe could no longer be viewed as the guardian of human rights! YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Galust Sahakyan addressed a congratulatory message on the World Press Freedom Day on May 3, press service of the Parliament told Armenpress. The message says: Dear media representatives, I congratulate you on World Press Freedom Day. Freedom and culture are the phenomena which are impossible to measure, and which are necessary for every country and people, state and society. In the media field freedom and culture exist not in parallel, but mixed up. And any encroachment against free speech is also encroachment against culture, as the press being culture itself, also creates culture. At the same time, suppressing the free speech with weapon and violence is as unacceptable and inadmissible, as is using it as a weapon and tool of violence. More than quarter of a century, the journalists creative mind and speech are free from compulsion. The only compulsive force is the truth which is necessary not only in the media society. And the truth can be fully displayed in an atmosphere, where it is possible to think and act unconstrained and free, where there is sober feeling of dignity and fair evaluation of situation. In such atmosphere the media is born, which supports and serves to have healthy civil society and political field, strong state and welfare society, the media which the citizen expects and believes. The press exists for not being loved, but also to reflect and change us the state, the society and the citizens, to make us better, to teach us to have a dialogue, to be united, to find common language and to realize both each others value and the importance of statehood. Once again congratulating on World Press Freedom Day I wish you health and peace, optimism and welfare. AMG In Germany, that would be 80,900 for the most hardcore take on the A5. And regardless of market, the RS5 Coupe is pretty much neck and neck with the competition as far as pricing is concerned. The BMW M4 Coupe with the double-clutch auto starts from 80,600, while the base version of the Mercedes-C63 Coupe is 78,302. What do you get for the money?Starting with a flurry of RS badges inside and out, the compact executive performance model is the only car in its segment that comes with all-wheel-drive. The quattro system is set for 40:60 distribution, and a sport-tuned differential is on the menu as well to ensure superior handling. The RS5 also boasts different five-link suspension up front and an all-new rear end.Be that as it may, the German automaker has its own special way of not unlocking the full potential of the RS5 from the get-go. Im referring to the dynamic steering system and RS sport suspension, with both available as extras. The RS-specific exhaust system is another option worth considering.Slated to arrive at dealers in Europe this summer, the second-generation RS5 packs 2.9 liters worth of V6 power under the hood. Designed in-house by Porsche, the all-new Panamera is also available with the said engine. In Audis case, it produces 450 PS (444 horsepower) and 600 Nm (443 pound-feet), with the peak level of torque available from 1,900 up to 5,000 rpm.Zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) is doable in 3.9 seconds, and top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Those who want to unleash the full potential of the powertrain, the optional dynamic package is meant for you. Opt for the said package, and maximum velocity hikes to 280 km/h (174 mph). Yeah, not quite the same melody to its name, but to its credit, the Indian automaker did not swallow Pininfarina whole, but kept it as a separate entity instead. After all, when you buy something with this much weight in the market, you don't hurry to destroy it, but exploit it as best you can.For now, apart from the H2 Speed Concept and the three concepts revealed at this year's Geneva Show (particularly the H600 ), Pininfarina has kept pretty quiet. The Italian design shop is involved in the resurgence of Korean brand Ssang Yong (also owned by Mahindra & Mahindra), but it's not making such a big case out of it, working silently in the background instead.Now, though, Anand Mahindra, the chairman of the Mahindra Group, expressed his desire to enter the U.S. market. He plans to do so with the Ssang Yong brand eventually, but before that, he'll probe the water using a low-volume model. Something like an electric supercar, maybe?And it's not like Mahindra doesn't have where to choose from: look no further than the H2 Speed Concept , a car that uses two electric motors and a small fuel cell to become the first high-performance track-only car in the world. Sure, it uses a hydrogen fuel cell instead of a battery pack, but with a few alterations to the powertrain - as well as a few more in other areas that would make the "track-only" monicker disappear - that design could make it into a limited production series, something it definitely deserves. And we doubt anyone on this planet would say no to that, including wealthy buyers in the American market.Competing in the U.S. is like the old Frank Sinatra song that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, Anand said, quoted by Autoguide . "[...] when you sell cars in the US, it forces you to be the most competitive," he went on, explaining why entering the North American market would be so important for his company.If Mahindra is serious about bringing a supercar to the U.S., using Pininfarina's expertise would be the logical solution, and opting for electric propulsion would also make sense considering Mahindra's involvement in the Formula E . For the sake of having a Pininfarina supercar out there, let's just hope the Indian automaker goes through with it. AMG The SLC 180 was available in Europe all along, and it's also the entry-level car in the RHD Japanese market. But Autocar magazine reports the UK launch is meant to combat the arrival of the Mazda MX-5 RF.The UK configurator lists the SLC 180 at 31,125 , offering a standardLine body kit. It's mpg numbers and emissions are by far the lowest in the range, but does this still count as a Mercedes?Sending all of the available 154bhp and 184lb-ft (249Nm) of torque to the rear wheels results in a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 140mph (225km/h). The RF is slightly heavier than the regular MX-5. But the SLC 180 is a 1,435 kg elephant.That list price is about 8,000 more than the MX-5 RF , but the Mazda can also be embellished with a bigger engine and the range-topping Launch Edition trim level, pushing the price to 30,000 with options. There's also the Abarth 124 Spider available for similar money, but it's not a volume car.Insider sources told the British publication that because of the SLC's better residual values, it would actually be cheaper to buy than the Mazda using a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) deal.The part of the article that really opened our eyes were the sales numbers. Britain is the SLC's biggest market, but only 4,000 units are sold each year. About 700 percent of those come in 250d diesel form, which starts at 36,365 and is equipped with a standard 9-speed automatic gearbox.Rumor has it that due to slow sales, the SLC will be discontinued. Considering the 2016 launch, we doubt it will survive past the end of the decade. NEDC EV Well, that's mostly because the current LEAF is only able to provide enough juice for 155 miles (250 km) before its batteries are completely depleted. And that's according to the more forgivingtesting cycle, because over in the USA - where Tesla gets its ratings - was awarded a 107-mile maximum range.According to Kazuo Yajima, alliance global director of HEV technology development at Nissan , the new car will get a 215 to 250-mile maximum range. That sounds reasonable, only it is calculated using the Japanese JC08 test cycle, which, believe it or not, is even more lenient than the European one.To get an idea, the current Nissan LEAF gets a 174-mile range, as opposed to the 250 km (155-mile) one from NEDC and 107 miles from EPA. Simple math tells us that if these differences remain the same, the new LEAF would only get a 155-mile EPA rating, which is far behind Chevrolet Bolt's 238 miles and the over 200 miles that the Tesla Model 3 will offer.The only upside for the upcoming LEAF is that it appears to have grown in size, making it a lot more useful than the smallish current hatchback offering. However, even slightly larger than the Chevy Bolt (and probably more comfortable as a result), the eventual range discrepancy is likely to make it less competitive as more and more EV owners are starting to look for long-distance traveling ability in their EVs.At the moment, though, nothing is set in stone for the new LEAF. Talking to Nikkei Automotive and quoted by hybridcars.com , Mr. Yajima also mentioned a 550 km (340-mile) mysterious EV that will be launched in 2020. Not much is known about this second electric car apart from the fact that it should be the same size as the current LEAF, meaning it should slot under the upcoming new generation in Nissan's lineup.Despite running in stealth mode, the LEAF has been caught testing several times now, and we're expecting the car to be launched later this year, with deliveries starting before the end of 2017. Just how much of its lost glory can it get back remains to be seen. You would expect it to be less successful regarding sales, but Skoda has shown that it can sell the liftback sedan like nobodys business. The Czech automaker has announced it has made the 1.5-millionth unit of the third-generation Octavia.You read that right, we are referring to the third generation of this model, which began production in November 2012, and it already has 1.5 million customers.Recently, the Mlada Boleslav brand announced that its flagship sedan, the Superb , has reached a production milestone: one million units manufactured across all its generations. It is evident that the mid-sized model could not match the sales results of a more affordable product, but the difference in production is massive.The predecessor of the ongoing compact car from Skoda managed to convince 2.5 million customers across the world in a period of nine years. The first generation of the Octavia had 1.4 million clients from 1996 to 2004.When you look at the new perspective provided by the figures, it is more evident that the car industry has changed from the 1990s, and that Skodas success has reached new proportions.The Octavia nameplate itself celebrates over five million cars sold since its launch, which took place two decades ago. The Octavia line is one of the most successful in the world thanks to these results, and it can be considered the company's bread and butter from many points of view.Currently, Skoda makes the Octavia in the Czech Republic, Russia, India, Ukraine, China, and Kazakhstan. Except for Czech-built models, the rest of the factories serve local markets and regional necessities. No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results By Isabella Lovin and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala In Ghana, a group of enterprising women and young people is building bicycles out of an unlikely material: bamboo. Ten farmers grow the bamboo, and 25 builders craft it into environmentally friendly bikes that can be used on Ghanas bumpy roads or exported overseas. Bernice Dapaah, the founder and CEO of Ghana Bamboo Bikes, plans to build two new factories soon, adding 50 more workers in communities with high unemployment. Ghana Bamboo Bikes is just one example of the major role women can play in driving the transition toward sustainable economic growth and development. But such examples increasingly need to go together if we are to ensure a prosperous future on a healthy planet. The world needs more women climate leaders, whether around the tables where policy is made or at the helm of businesses, steering them toward sustainability. When more women work, economies grow. According to the World Economic Forum, greater gender equality, which implies greater use of human capital, correlates positively with per capita GDP, competitiveness, and human development. Squandering that capital has the opposite effect: the United Nations Development Programme reports that gender inequality costs Sub-Saharan Africa, to name one example, $95 billion (or 6% of GDP) per year, on average. Yet women around the world still face a massive gender gap in employment and wages. The proportion of women participating in the global labor force has hovered around 50% since 1990, compared to more than 75% for men. And, in most countries, the women who work earn, on average, only 60-75 cents for every dollar that men earn. To support economic growth and development, we need to tap the potential of all workers, giving women opportunities not just to earn, but also to lead. Women need to be empowered, and their role in the economy transformed. What better moment to achieve this than now, when the world is pursuing another economic transformation, toward a green economy? In fact, transforming womens role in the economy could be even more urgent in the context of climate change. Traditional divisions of responsibility mean that men and women are often affected differently by climate change, particularly in developing countries. Because men are more likely to perform wage labor or farm cash crops, a climate-driven event like drought may cost them their wages and force them to move to cities to find employment. Women, who are often responsible for growing local subsistence crops and taking care of their families, do not have that option. Instead, women must find alternative means of securing food locally and of generating income to support their families, such as selling small assets or even withdrawing their children from school to help. The challenges women face are exacerbated in regions where women already spend hours each day fetching drinking water, and changing rainfall patterns could force women to travel even farther for it. Against this background, it is crucial to empower women to seize the opportunity presented by the transition to a sustainable economy. Changes in four key areas could prove particularly valuable. First, women need greater access to the financial system. In Sub-Saharan Africa, men are 30% more likely than women to have a bank account. To close this gap, we need to design loans and savings vehicles with more flexible requirements that work for women. This includes, for example, the expansion of microcredit an approach that has already enabled women in many countries to become entrepreneurs. Achieving this requires convincing still-skeptical creditors that women are dependable and, indeed, valuable clients, including by citing data on microcredit, which prove that women repay loans as reliably as men, if not more so. Once women gain access to the financial system, they can create and invest in small businesses, while feeling more secure about dipping into savings when confronted with emergencies. Second, women need equal rights to land. Ownership of land whether co-ownership, for a married woman, or sole ownership, for a single female head of household not only improves economic security and productivity, but also boosts access to traditional finance. With a formal claim to the land they are farming, women are also more likely to invest in the fertility of the soil, contributing to more productive and sustainable land-use patterns. Third, women need policies that support their active participation in the emerging green economy, including better education, skills training, and protections against workplace discrimination. Because the clean-energy industry is so new, it could help draw women into non-traditional higher-paid jobs like engineering. Finally, women need to be empowered politically. If half the population doesnt have a say in political decisions, the legitimacy of policymaking suffers. Women can play an important role as governments implement incentives and regulations that support the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy. Even without such support, women are already seizing the opportunity presented by this transition. Solar Sister is a social business that has created jobs for 2,500 women selling affordable solar lighting in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. Lumos, another solar solution, empowers women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. But women still dont comprise a large enough share of the workers in the clean-tech industry, and those who do work in that industry are generally low on the job ladder. Changing that enabling all citizens to meet their economic potential will require active efforts to promote womens social and political inclusion. Closing the gender gap is the right thing to do for women and the planet. It is also smart economics. Lets not miss this opportunity. Copyright: Project Syndicate: Women in the Green Economy --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 16:26 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Azerbaijan is among countries with the lowest youth unemployment rate, said Salim Muslimov, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population as he addressed an event "The First Step in Career" organized for students and graduates. The event was held in Baku Business Center and organized by the Tourism and Management University with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population and the Culture and Tourism Ministry. In the first quarter of this year, the ministry provided jobs to 30 percent of young people, and 70 percent of those, who was attracted to additional educational courses and training were also young people, Muslimov said. The minister went on to say that the establishment of institutions in Azerbaijan that promote the improvement of interactive education based on visual experience is welcomed by the international labor market. Last year, 1,838 vacancies in 10 universities were offered to young people by about 370 institutions., he added. In turn, Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev said that such exhibitions and job fairs are expected to be held every year. To further improve the potential in the sphere of tourism, it is important to provide this area with a qualified workforce, he noted. During the event, 237 vacancies from 77 enterprises were presented to students and graduates. 73 of them belonged to the private, and 4 to the public sector. One of the main trends of the social-economic policy realized in Azerbaijan during last years is the development of labor market and advantageous use of labor force. More than 26,700 people got new jobs in the first quarter 2017, while more than 40,000 jobs were created during the period. In 2016, 56,631unemployed and job seeker citizens were provided with suitable jobs by the State Employment Service under the Labor Ministry. Roughly 36.2 percent of them, as well as 27 percent out of 1, 147 people involved in paid public works, were young people. Azerbaijan is one of the ten leading countries declared by the UN on youth employment. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 12:50 (UTC+04:00) A major regional forum of agricultural producers - the 11th Azerbaijan International Agriculture CaspianAgro 2017 exhibition - will take place in Baku on May 17-19. Over the years, the CaspianAgro exhibition has established itself as a reliable platform for annual meetings between experts, and demonstrations of machinery, equipment, goods and services for the agricultural industry. The Agriculture Ministry of Azerbaijan has not only provided invaluable active support to the CaspianAgro exhibition, but has also actively taken part in this event. The exhibition is also supported by the Azerbaijan Export and Investments Promotion Foundation, AZPROMO and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organization of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The exhibition is organized by Caspian Event Organisers, CEO. This year the CaspianAgro 2017 exhibition will bring together both manufacturers and distributors of agricultural products and equipment from Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Italy, Turkey, Russia and Sri Lanka, as well as other countries. China, Georgia and Netherlands will take part in the exhibition with National pavilions. Among the debutants of this year are Chinese companies on the Silk Way, representing the Jiangxi province (Southeast China). For the first time the Kingdom of the Netherlands became a partner country of the exhibition. Registration sponsor of the CaspianAgro 2017 exhibition is Maschio Gaspardo. The exhibition will cover the most relevant fields of the agricultural sector and will provide an opportunity to get acquainted with a number of innovations - equipment for poultry farms, greenhouse equipment and the turnkey construction of greenhouses, as well as kit for the livestock industry, substrates, foods for pets and fish, seeds, fertilisers, agricultural machinery, etc. The following sectors will be extended to include irrigation systems and agricultural machinery for cotton which has recently enjoyed great growth in Azerbaijan. The Laboratory Equipment sector will present microscopes, apparatus, laboratory instruments and equipment required to increase productivity and regularly study the crops - from weight to determining the extent of any plant infestations by harmful substances through moisture content and more. Companies from Azerbaijan will take part in these sectors on a par with foreign manufacturers. In general, Azerbaijani companies will make up 40% of exhibitors. In addition, traditional infotours for entrepreneurs and farmers from Azerbaijani regions will be organised at the CaspianAgro exhibition to help you to learn about the latest equipment and machinery. The CaspianAgro 2017 exhibition will provide participants with an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest trends. It will also create opportunities to expand cooperation and establish new business relationships that will boost investment inflow and introduce new technologies in the agricultural sector of Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 17:00 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Body (FMSB) and the Chamber of Auditors signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of combating the financing of terrorism and legalization of money or other property obtained by criminal means. Within the framework of the memorandum, both structures will modernize mutual cooperation and expand joint measures in the field of combating money laundering, including exchanging information and documents, and will form a unified information base in this area. The two agencies will hold joint business meetings, scientific and practical conferences and seminars on this topic. Azerbaijan has acceded to the European Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime of 1990 and the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism of 1977. The government closely cooperates with the Council of Europe Select Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-money Laundering Measures (MoneyVal), and applies the universally recognized 40+8 FATF Recommendations throughout its financial system. Money laundering is a process/mechanism to obscure the origins of proceeds of crime. The primary intention is to blur the trail and footprints. Money laundering is linked to a chain of other crimes. Globally, money laundering is estimated to be around $2.50 trillion, which accounts for approximately 2-5 per cent of the global economy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 18:09 (UTC+04:00) By Sara Israfilbayova The National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) under the Economy Ministry of Azerbaijan started accepting investment projects on priority development areas of the Gobustan district. The Fund reported that it considers expedient to issue funds for projects on creation of livestock breeding farms, viticulture, beekeeping (including honey production in an industrial way) and milk processing enterprises in Gobustan district. Entrepreneurs can submit their projects to the authorized credit institutions of the Fund. Upon the request of entrepreneurs, small projects can be fully financed through concessional loans. About 150 million manats will be issued for granting preferential loans to entrepreneurs in 2017. The Fund, established in 1992, issues loans to entrepreneurs through authorized banks and non-bank lenders. Allocation of funds by NFES is aimed at the mitigating of the impact of global economic crisis to the national economy and minimization of its dependence on the oil sector. The country takes steps in its bid to diversify the national economy and provide for the development of entrepreneurship in the country. Development of non-oil sector is a priority in Azerbaijan, and the support provided to small and medium-sized enterprises increases the employment of the population, contributing to the opening of new jobs. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 16:46 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Day of Azerbaijani Culture was held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The event was organized by the Azerbaijani National Cultural Community in Krasnoyarsk, Trend Life reported. The gala evening was timed to the 10th anniversary of Azerbaijans music and dance ensemble "Odlar Yurdu" in Russia. The ensemble, created in 2007 by prominent public figures Saadet Qarayeva and Alakbar Garayev, successfully represents the national culture and history, not only in Siberia but all over Russia and other countries. Guests of the festive enjoyed exhibition of Azerbaijani decorative and applied art, literature and creativity, organized by the Department of the Azerbaijani Youth Organization of Russia (AMOR) in Krasnoyarsk. Moreover, the ensemble's beloved performances, including "Dance of the Karabakh shepherds" and "Dance Havalari" left no one indifferent. Undoubtedly, "Friendship" dance by choreographer Etibar Zeynalov created a great furor among spectators. More than twenty nations united under the fascinating rhythms of Azerbaijani music. The highlight of the evening was the premiere of "Sari Gelin" legend ( Yellow Bride) led by the soloist of Azerbaijan's State Ensemble Rauf Zeynalov and "Odlar Yurdu" ensemble's teaching staff Agil Jafarov, Aysel Jafarova and Sanubar Ismayilova. Among the guests were prominent Krasnoyarsk politicians and public figures - the mayor of Krasnoyarsk city Edkham Akbulatov, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk region Olga Vasilenko, Head of the House of Peoples' Friendship of the Krasnoyarsk region Petr Suvorov, General Director of the Palace of Labor and Concord Valery Khatkevich and others. General Director of the Palace gave the ensemble a confirmation of the "Nation title" for 2017-2020. Also, teaching staff and artistic director of the ensemble "Odlar Yurdu" received thankful letter and diplomas from the leadership of Krasnoyarsk city, Ministry of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk and on behalf of other regional public organizations and institutions for long-term work on preservation and development of Azerbaijani culture in the region. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 18:03 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Results of pilot projects to introduce compulsory health insurance in Azerbaijan are very encouraging, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov said. Ahmadov, talking to reporters on May 3, said that the implementation of pilot projects in two regions of the republic [Yevlakh and Mingechevir] began this February and during this period the citizens showed confidence in the system of compulsory medical insurance. The first steps in the field of compulsory health insurance have been successful, he said. Citizens who previously could not afford to go to the hospital today are free to visit medical institutions and see a doctor. "They receive professional help from specialized doctors. If they are unable to provide assistance in their area, patients get assistance in the medical institutions of Ganja or Baku within the framework of compulsory medical insurance," the Deputy Prime Minister said. The pilot projects will be implemented within one year, and the implementation of the projects will allow introducing mandatory medical insurance in every corner of Azerbaijan, according to Deputy Prime Minister. "I believe that in case of any shortcomings in the course of the project, we will have the opportunity to address them. And this, in turn, will allow us to avoid such problems and difficulties in the transition to compulsory medical insurance," Ahmadov stressed. The compulsory insurance is an integral part of health care reform, which will increase the financial capacity of the health system. The State Agency for Compulsory Health Care Insurance, established this February, aims to ensure access to health services for all citizens. Including some 1,800 medical services, the compulsory medical insurance is a new and innovative direction in the social policy of the Azerbaijan. Among the services covered by the insurance, are inspection, treatment, diagnostic procedures, surgical procedures, and other services. The mandatory insurance program enables citizens to receive free, high-quality medical care and eliminate unofficial payments. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 17:11 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the internal affair of Azerbaijan, said Indonesian Ambassador to Baku Husnan Bey Fananie, noting that Azerbaijan should liberate its lands from the occupation at any cost. "We have always supported the path of peace. We were expressing support for Azerbaijan in the Karabakh issue in international organizations, and we will keep doing this," Fananie told reporters during his visit to Guba, APA reported on May 3. Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war. Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. Speaking about the prospects of economic cooperation between the two countries, Fananie stressed the great potential for deepening cooperation. Fananie said that from time to time he is being informed about the investment Indonesian businessmen do in Azerbaijan. Indonesia recognized Azerbaijans independence on December 28, 1991. Bilateral relations between the two republics were established on September 24, 1992. The embassy of Azerbaijan in Indonesia was established in 2006, while the embassy of Indonesia in Azerbaijan was opened in 2010. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 10:32 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova A book of condolence has been opened at the Kyrgyz Embassy in Baku to pay tribute to those, who were killed in a landslide in the country`s Osh region. Azerbaijani deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov visited the Embassy and extended condolences to Kyrgyzstans government and people on behalf of the Azerbaijani government, Azertac reported. Major landslide buried six houses with families in Kyrgystan's Osh region on April 29. The landslide, caused by heavy rains, destroyed part of a village and killing at least 24 people, including nine children. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 15:24 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan, enjoying variegated and often strikingly beautiful terrain, offers a blend of traditions and modern development, which attracts more and more tourist to the country. Tourists see here a clash of East meets West and find a lot to enjoy. Situated on the Great Silk Road, and divided partially between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Azerbaijan blended the best from both cultures, forming its own unique rich culture, thats why its people are neither totally Eastern, nor totally Western. Abulfas Garayev, Culture and Tourism Minister said that the number of tourists visiting the Land of Fire increased by 25 percent over the past three months compared to the same period last year. The minister, addressing discussions over a bill "On Tourism" at a meeting of the Parliament on May 2, stressed that the Strategic Road Map on the tourism sector defined 15 countries with a large potential of tourist inflow to Azerbaijan. "If the tourist flow to the country, in general, increased by 25 percent, then the growth rate of visitors from these 15 countries reached 36 percent," Garayev said. The minister stressed that the government policy and targeted projects bear fruits. Simplification of the visa regime has influenced the growth of the tourist flow to the country. Azerbaijan participates in various exhibitions, the country's tourism opportunities are being promoted on world TV channels, which also draws attention to our country," Garayev added. He also noted the necessity of developing the use of electronic tourism services. "The bill stipulates creation and management of new tourist zones, application of new international service standards, innovations in the formation of the educational system. The market participants, who will be included in the State Register of Tourism, will become more responsible. The creation of the Register will prevent fraud, the minister stressed. Azerbaijan makes everything possible to use its natural advantages to develop the tourism sector of the country, implementing various projects and programs for attracting tourists to the Land of Fire. These efforts gave fruit and in a short period of time the country was able to raise the quality of its tourism sector. Over the past year, the country was visited by a large number of tourists, especially from Arab and other Muslim countries. This is mainly due to the simplified conditions for obtaining an entry visa for citizens of certain countries. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 14:15 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The Azerbaijani and Turkish Armed Forces continue joint exercises, which started in Azerbaijan on May 1 in accordance with the agreement on military cooperation between the two countries. During the next stage of the exercises, the units of the two countries have carried out various combat elements in the conditions of mutual consistency. The aim of the exercises is to improve coordination through the exchange of experience between the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as to achieve the interoperability of the military units of the two countries through joint headquarters planning, improving the readiness and capabilities of the units to conduct operations. The joint exercises involve military personnel, armored vehicles, artillery launchers and mortars, military and transport helicopters of the Air Force, as well as air defense units and anti-aircraft missile units equipped with modern defensive systems to protect groupings from the air. The exercises will last until May 5. 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. 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. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 09:48 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has described the past sanctions days as very harmful to his country, saying because of the sanctions the country lost huge amounts of money to individuals it trusted. We were forced in order to bypass the sanctions to entrust $35 billion to certain individuals who we dont know how wasted the money, Zarif told ISNA news agency May 2. Under a set of harsh sanctions, which were in place from 2012 to 2016, Iran could not receive the money it should have for the oil it sold to other countries. As a result, it chose some people as trustees to carry the money under their own name. As a result of such deals, Babak Zanjani grew to fame as a super billionaire. But he betrayed the country by embezzling stupendous amounts of the money and is now waiting his death sentence execution in a prison in Iran. Zarif added that under sanctions Iran also had to change money to currencies other than the US dollar, which itself imposed great loss. Now, the foreign minister noted, thanks to the nuclear deal and removal of sanctions, Iran is paid directly for the oil it sells and is able to attract finance for the projects it plans to carry out. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 11:08 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone with U.S. President Donald Tramp on May 2 for the first time after the U.S. launched a missile strike in Syria. A wide range of current issues regarding the two countries cooperation in the international arena was discussed, with an emphasis on future coordination of Russian and US actions to fight international terrorism in the context of the Syrian crisis, Kremlins press service reported. The presidents agreed to intensify the dialogue between the heads of the two nations foreign policy agencies in order to find ways to stabilize the ceasefire and make it durable and manageable. The aim is to create preconditions for launching a real settlement process in Syria, the message said. To that end, the Russian Foreign Minister and the U.S. Secretary of State should promptly brief the countries leaders on any progress achieved. The dangerous situation on the Korean Peninsula was also touched upon in conversation. Putin called for restraint and an easing of tensions. The sides decided to organize joint work aimed at achieving diplomatic solutions and a comprehensive settlement of the problem. Putin and Trump further agreed to continue their telephone contacts and spoke in favor of arranging a personal meeting during the G20 Summit in Hamburg scheduled for July 78. The Kremlin press service stresses that the conversation "was of a businesslike and constructive nature." Tensions between the two countries hit a high last month after a suspected chemical attack in Syria killed over 80 people, including children. The White House blamed Russia-backed Syrian President Bashar Assad for the attack. Damascus vehemently rejected the accusations and said militants and their allies were responsible. Trump said after the cruise missile attack that the United States' relationship with Moscow "may be at an all-time low." U.S. leader also stated that he's hopeful he can improve relations with Putin but "we're going to see what happens." Putin also underlined that the level of trust with Washington under U.S. President Donald Trump degraded. Following the attack, the meeting between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin was held in order to reduce tensions arising from situation in Syria. However, this meeting was used by two sides to reassert their firm stances on Syria rather than coming to a common compromise, according to experts. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 14:11 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Iran Khodro, the leading Iranian car manufacturer, has started production of two new cars - Dena Plus and Peugeot 2008, IRNA reported. Dena Plus is a fully Iranian car, while Peugeot 2008 will be produced jointly with France. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who attended the opening ceremony, said that the production of new models of cars will help the Iranian automaker enter the world market. The head of state said that 30 percent of Iran Peugeot 2008 car models will be exported. Rouhani voiced belief that the development of domestic production will contribute to advancement of the country's economy, solve problem of unemployment and allow Iran to switch to self-sufficiency. In 2016, Iran produced about 233,000 Peugeot cars under the license of the French automaker. Iran's car output reached 1.165 million units in 2016, according to the OICA. The figure indicated an 18.6-percent rise versus 2015, which is the highest output growth rate among car manufacturers in the world. The Islamic Republic was the world's 18th biggest car manufacturer in 2016. Irans car industry is the second biggest sector in country after the energy sector, which makes more than 10 percent of GDP. Following the JCPOA, Iranian car manufacturers reestablished cooperation with European companies, including Peugeot, Citroen and Renault. This resulted in a strong growth of nearly 151 percent for automotive sector, which ended 2016 as the top performing sector on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Traditional export markets for Iranian automobiles include Algeria, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Senegal, Syria, Sudan and Venezuela. Under Iran's major economic development plan, the country has set a goal to boost car output to three million per year by 2025, reducing unnecessary car imports. Central geographic location of the country provides significant growth potential as an export hub. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 13:11 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Washington has sent a top State Department official as the U.S. representative at the new round of intra-Syrian talks in Astana that kicked off on May 3. This follows a phone conversation between U.S. and Russian leaders, in which they discussed de-escalation in Syria. While the U.S. did send its observers to two previous rounds of the ceasefire talks, which were sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran and hosted by Kazakhstan, its senior representative at the meeting was U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol. This time, however, its representative will be Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Stuart Jones, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq and Jordan. Ambassador Jones' participation as the U.S. observer is indicative of U.S. support for a political resolution to the Syrian crisis. The head of the press service of Kazakh Foreign Ministry, Anuar Zhainakov , said that he has already arrived in Astana. Another observer, Jordan, also raised the level of its presence. The adviser of the Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Nauaf Uasfi Tel came from Amman. As for the guarantor countries, the delegation of the Russian Federation is headed by the special representative of the president on the Syrian settlement, Alexander Lavrentiev, the delegation of Turkey Deputy Foreign Minister for the Middle East and Africa Sedat Onal, the delegation of Iran - Deputy Foreign Minister for the affairs of the Arab-African countries Hossein Jaberi Ansari. The nationwide Syrian ceasefire regime was introduced on December 30, 2016, with Russia, Iran and Turkey serving as its guarantors. The UN Security Council passed a resolution in December supporting the effort. Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), controlling parts of it. According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the countrys pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 15:01 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan considers that Russia should lift trade sanctions against Turkey in order to completely normalize relations, TASS reported. Erdogan stated this in Ankara ahead of his flight to Sochi, where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If we want to achieve a trade turnover of $100 billion, then we need to urgently and completely remove all these restrictions. We want this to happen. We are making great efforts to resolve existing issues and to restore relations to the previous level," he said. Erdogan named the sanctions imposed by Russia as "the biggest obstacle" to the effective development of the trade relations. "Earlier, our ministers discussed the lifting of the sanctions, I will discuss this with Mr. Putin. The removal of restrictions is the most important condition for reaching $100 billion of trade turnover," he added. Erdogan noted that Turkey "seeks to balance trade and economic cooperation with the Russian Federation" due to the fact that the import-export balance is still in favor of Russia. He also mentioned that for effective development of the relations "it is necessary to remove visa restrictions." Russia had imposed a number of economic sanctions, including the suspension of visa-free travel, on Turkey at the beginning of last year in response to the downing of a Russian Su-24 bomber. The Moscow-Ankara relations began to improve after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized over the jet incident. Russia lifted the flight ban, but food embargo on Turkey's food and agricultural products remains partly in place. Turkey from March 15 suspended the issuance of licenses for duty-free supplies of wheat, corn and sunflower meal from Russia. Representatives of the Turkish business said that such measures were taken in connection with the fact that Russia has not completely removed the ban on the supply of Turkish products, in particular, tomatoes. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 16:12 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva A meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicked off in Sochi on May 3, RIA Novosti reported. The Russian leader congratulated the Turkish president on referendum victory. Speaking on the Moscow-Ankara ties, Putin said that gradual restoration of the internal political situation in Turkey will create conditions for the steady development of relations with Russia. "We proceed from the understanding that the internal political situation will be eventually restored and this will create extra conditions for the steady development of Russian-Turkish relations," Putin said. He underlined the importance of having a chance to meet in due course and discuss key issues of bilateral cooperation and major issues of international agenda, including on such pressing issues as the Syrian crisis. "The mere fact of this regime of our joint work shows that Russian-Turkish relations are becoming of a special character and are being restored in a full format," he added. In turn, Erdogan said that the joint steps of Moscow and Ankara can affect the Middle East region. "Today we have a very good opportunity to discuss relations both in a bilateral format and we can consider regional issues as well. I believe that the steps we are taking together will change the fate of the region," Erdogan said. The talks will mainly focus on a political settlement of the Syrian crisis. The leaders are expected to discuss the incident with chemical weapons in Khan-Sheikhun and the problems of joint struggle against terrorism. The leaders will also exchange views on the entire range of Russian-Turkish relations, in particular in the context of the agreements reached at the sixth meeting of the Cooperation Council of the highest level that was held in Moscow on March 10. The issue of mutual trade restrictions is also on the agenda. Erdogans visit to Sochi can be regarded as his first foreign trip after the referendum. This is an important sign that Ankara wants to discuss the complex Syrian issue with Moscow first. Russia and Turkey along with Iran act as guarantors of a peace deal to end Syrian conflict that has killed more than 400,000 people and sent millions fleeing to neighboring countries and to Europe. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 18:07 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami expressed support for Hasan Rouhani in the May 19 presidential election. Rouhani's election for a second term will benefit Iran and the Iranian nation, Khatami said at a meeting with reformist politicians, the official website of the ex-president said. "If President Rouhani loses the upcoming presidential election to his conservative rivals, there is a risk of renewal of international sanctions against Iran and isolation of the country," Khatami said. Meanwhile, a group of Iranian hardliners, Islamic Revolutionary Stability, declared its support for the conservative cleric Ebrahim Raeesi in the elections, the Tasnim news agency reported. The two main rivals in the race are widely expected to be President Hassan Rouhani, and Ebrahim Raeesi. Rouhani remains popular for stabilizing the economy and ending sanctions through a nuclear deal with world powers. After lifting the sanctions, Rouhani visited a number of European states and made deals that worth billions of dollars. European companies started looking for investment opportunities in the growing Iranian market. Raeesi, who is a close ally of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would rely on his past record in high government posts and his managerial skills to win votes. The voting date for the 12th presidential and 5th city and council elections is May 19. To win, the candidate must score more than 50 percent of the vote. If none of the applicants succeeds in enlisting the support of such a number of voters, a second round of voting will be held, in which two leaders of the first round will participate. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 11:43 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Baku has once again entered the list of the most popular cities among Russian tourists. Popular tourist portal TurStat determined the most popular CIS cities among the Russian tourists for travel during May holidays. Minsk, Tbilisi, Almaty, Baku and Astana are in Top 5 cities of the CIS, popular among Russian tourists this year. Rating is compiled by the data of the hotel booking. Russian tourists come to Baku on average for 3.5 days and pay for accommodation at the hotel $ 60 per day, according to TurStat. Unique culture and history, delicious food and wine and plenty of adventures are awaiting travelers in Azerbaijan. The capital Baku is on the Caspian Sea, but also home to oil drilling derricks and futuristic skyscrapers. The Caucasus Mountains are as earthy as you can get, peppered with traditional elevated villages such as Lahic, where subsistence farming and traditional art forms still alive. And then there is fire. Everywhere. From the permanently alight natural gas flaming mountain of Yanardag to fire worshippers temple Ateshgah, both on the Absheron Peninsula. And as for air, just head to the omnipresent mountains, ideal for visiting any time of year, whether summer or winter. But beyond its nature, which is key reason for the tourism, the people of Azerbaijan are wonderfully welcoming and hospitable. Neighboring Russians choose Azerbaijan as their travel destination for many reasons. First of all the Land of Fire does not require visa for Russian tourists to enjoy the country. Azerbaijan is also a perfect destination for Russian tourists, because of its peoples very friendly attitude towards Russia. Here Russian-speaking tourists have no problem with communication, as Azerbaijanis speak Russian well enough to help with any difficulties. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 3 May 2017 14:50 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan Airlines announces the launch of a special environmental project aimed at greening the city of Baku and taking care to preserve the environment. From May 3 to May 10, 2017, the airline will plant one tree for each flight ticket sold on the destinations of AZAL and AZALJET. Within the project, a special campaign to plant seedlings will be held in the vicinity of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport. By carrying out this campaign, Azerbaijan Airlines once again draws attention to the urgent problem of felling of forests and green plantings, which in turn adversely affects the ecology of the country and the planet as a whole. AZAL is one of Azerbaijans flagship brands and enjoy an excellent reputation both domestically and internationally. The company received a prestigious "4 Stars" from the leading world-famous British consulting company Skytrax during their air transport research. Its network includes 40 destinations across 19 countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz On the centenary of the Russian Revolution, for those interested in understanding the causes, events and consequences of October 1917, there are dozens of books and articles to get stuck into. The Last of the Tsars: Nicholas II and the Russian Revolution by Robert Service, is not one of them. A good political biography of Nicholas II would be a valuable addition to an understanding of the Russian Revolution. An analysis of Nicholass stubborn impotence on the eve of his downfall would make an interesting comparison with similar autocrats who have found themselves at the sharp end of revolutions throughout history, such as Charles II or Louis XVI. Some honest discussion about Nicholass role as a rallying figure for the White armies during the early days of the civil war, and the impact of this war on the process of revolution in Russia, could contribute to an understanding of the degeneration of the revolution and the rise of Stalinism. But Services book provides none of this. At best, there are some tangential references to the revolutionary process taking place in Russia during and after 1917, from which interesting and historically important facts can be gleaned, such as the existence and strength of dual power from February to October 1917. At worst, the book asks us to feel sympathy for Nicholas the Bloody, a man who condemned millions of Russian peasants to starvation; who imprisoned and massacred those who asked for democratic rights; and who, in 1914, sent millions of Russians, under-equipped and incompetently led, to horrific deaths in an imperialist war. Smears, lies and inconsistency Throughout the book Service tries to project an aura of independent historical analysis, for example by admitting that Nicholas was a nationalist extremist, a deluded nostalgist and a virulent anti-Semite. But the authors extreme prejudice is revealed in his glancing references to a Bolshevik coup and Lenins dictatorship which, in the last third of the book, evolve into hysterical and unsubstantiated anti-Bolshevik tirades. With a list of citations that runs to 50 pages, Service has painstakingly referenced his sources for statements as mundane and historically unimportant as [Nicholass doctor] was a knowledgeable doctor who kept abreast of the latest theories in world medicine; he could also explain what he was doing in a reassuring manner and in a language that lay people could understand. (Mosolov, Pri dvore poslednego Rossiiskogo imperatora, p. 226.) And yet Service doesnt see the need to apply such rigorous research standards to his statements about Lenin and the Bolsheviks, whom he is keen to smear as violent maniacs in the employ of the German Kaiser. In one particularly astonishing paragraph Service writes the following: Throughout 1917 [Lenin] had ensured that no traces should be left for people to connect him to the financial subsidy that the Bolshevik Central Committee received from the German government. [...] With his demands for dictatorship and terror, Lenin fostered a climate of opinion in which ruthless murders were part and parcel of the duty of committed revolutionaries. He had spoken and written this way in 1917, and his bloodthirsty tirades had increased in the months since the October Revolution. Service does not bother with a single citation for any of the outlandish statements contained in this paragraph, presumably because there is absolutely no credible evidence for any of them. Throughout the book Service continually blames the Bolsheviks alleged bloodlust for the violence of the civil war, despite the fact that the actual seizure of power was entirely peaceful. The violence was actually initiated by the White armies of reaction, such as the Czechoslovak Legion, which Service describes as a liberating force in Russia, relishing the details of the celebrations when the Legion defeated the Bolsheviks and captured a stronghold of theirs in the Urals. Misplaced sympathy and a one-sided view The entire premise of Services book is that we should feel sorry for the plight of the Romanovs. Service goes to great lengths to endear Nicholas to the reader, for example by explaining that his earnest care for all his officers and soldiers impressed everyone. The fact that this earnest care didnt extend to keeping millions of his soldiers from being slaughtered in the interests of imperialism seems to have escaped the authors notice. Service apparently expects us to be impressed that the Romanov family survived months of house arrest, under the Provisional Government and then under the Bolsheviks, with meals of just two courses each. He also describes the conditions in which some of the minor Romanov family members were living, presumably with a view to illustrating the callousness and vindictiveness of the Bolsheviks. He writes: conditions had worsened for them. Their clothes were rather grubby and one of the officers had a leather patch on his boots. At one point things got so bad for the Romanov family in captivity that they had no choice but to reduce the retinue by sacking twelve members of the household staff. Its impossible to read this supposed tale of woe without thinking about how Nicholas himself treated the prisoners he had held under his rule, many of them Bolsheviks. These victims of tsarism were certainly not given two course meals and more than a dozen servants, and they certainly had bigger problems to deal with than having a patch on their boots. In any case, none of this inspires sympathy when the appalling conditions of poverty and war that Nicholass autocracy had created in Russia meant that millions of Russians were dying of starvation and exposure while the Romanovs were under relatively comfortable house arrest. But, needless to say, Service isnt really concerned with this side of reality in his book. Ultimately, Service is forced to admit that, when it came to the execution of the Romanovs, Nicholas received no fairer treatment than he himself would have accorded to the communists whom he detested. But, nevertheless, Service insists on criticising the Bolsheviks who hated and despised Nicholas too much to try to understand him and his point of view - as if, in a period of civil war, of revolution and counter-revolution, a little bit more understanding could have solved all the problems. Here, above all, Service reveals a serious lack of understanding of the historical process. Study the real history of the Russian Revolution! Services book blends superficial psychological analysis of Nicholas II after his abdication with dull chapters on things like the novels he read while under house arrest in 1917. Its impossible to read most of the book without being acutely aware of the elephant in the room - while Service is discussing what the former tsar ate for breakfast, infinitely more important historical events were taking place in Russia at that time. People with a serious desire to understand the Russian Revolution should spend this year reading books such as Trotskys History of the Russian Revolution, and John Reeds Ten Days that Shook the World. Unlike Services book, these texts deal with the revolutionary process and are full of historical lessons through which we can understand the modern world. This centenary year is too important an occasion for Marxists to waste time on sloppy anti-Bolshevik smears. We should be studying the real history of the Russian Revolution so that we can defend the true tradition of October 1917 today. ALBION She has more irons in the fire than most. And at a young 85, Albions Joan Robinson likes it that way. Robinson recently retired after more than 15 years on the Albion Plan Commission. Its something everyone ought to do once, she said of her public service. Robinson also is retired from St. Mary School in Avilla where she taught for many years. Retired? Ha. She currently finds herself trying to find gigs for the Franciscan Friars Minor choir, which puts on performances to raise money to send members of the religious order to the seminary. Theres a man in Albion that needs a new roof, too, and she is itching to join an effort to help make it happen. Shes heavily involved with the Noble County Democrat Womens group. Does she have any down time? Sure, she said, Sunday afternoons, and it drives me crazy. Robinson went to high school in Vincennes and then attended Vincennes University. When her husband, Jack, got a job in northeastern Indiana 55 years ago, the couple moved to Albion. For half a century, she has been swimming against the current as a Democrat in Republican-heavy Albion and Noble County. Shes registered voters, served as a poll worker, even helped lead the fight to contest an election. She has also served as an inspiration for the next generation of local Democrats. She has been a significant influence and resource since I started, former Third District Democratic Party chairwoman Carmen Darland of Albion said. It is reassuring when someone like Joan is more public about it. She helped me with my first campaign (in 2006). Fighting an uphill battle over so many years has not left Robinson bitter, but rather energized. Its the Irish in me, Robinson said. Everybody needs challenges. It keeps the rust off their brain. There is no rust on Robinson. And no stopping her, either. As a young mother, she went door-to-door in Albion collecting for the March of Dimes. She did similar work for the Red Cross. You name it theyd call on me, she said. I had five little kids, I wanted to get out of the house. Besides, she believes in giving back. If you live in a community, you should be involved, she said. I am concerned about the citizens who take no interest in the politics of this government. It goes beyond political involvement, however. They need to know their neighbors and what their neighbors are doing, she said. Robinson praised the heart shes found in the area. Compassion is abundant in this community and this county, she said. Her own heart has led her to want to help the man with the roof issues. As fond as she is of discourse, she still seems to be more interested in solving a problem than merely talking about it. Shes still solving problems and serving the community, Darland said. Thats what she does. Robinson is also a firm believer in education. After graduating from Vincennes University, she received two more degrees from the University of Saint Francis, becoming a reading specialist. To this day, she awards scholarships to deserving students. Her love of books has not faded. The one Im reading now is my favorite book, she said. I do read a lot. I get on my children and grandchildren if they do not read. She is so fond of the form, that she says that one day, she may add book author to her list of accomplishments. I think some day when I retire, I will do that, she said. It would have to be fiction, rather than a fact-based account of her life, she said. Im not big on dates, she quipped, unless its with an eligible widower. She will always remain a political activist. She wants everyone to get involved. After she was honored by the Albion Town Council for her years of service on the Albion Plan Commission, she took advantage of the opportunity to encourage others to participate in local government. I encourage everyone to take a position, she said, even if youre just observing, with whats going on with the Albion Town Council. Modified On May 04, 2017 10:47 AM By akas Added convenience comes at no extra cost! Hyundai Motor India Limited has started accepting online bookings for all its cars which are currently being sold in the country. A car buyer can now visit the Hyundai India website and book a car online by paying a certain token amount. However, the token amount varies from model to model. To book a car online, you need to choose the particular model you want to book, its colour, fuel type, variant, your state, city and the Hyundai dealer you wish to buy the car from. Here is the list of the booking amount you need to pay for different Hyundai cars. 1) Eon: Rs 5,000 2) Grand i10: Rs 10,000 3) Xcent: Rs 10,000 4) Elite i20: Rs 10,000 5) i20 Active: Rs 10,000 6) Verna: Rs 15,000 7) Creta: Rs 25,000 8) Elantra: Rs 50,000 9) Tucson: Rs 50,000 10) Santa Fe: Rs 1,00,000 Hyundai is not the first automaker in the country to start online bookings, other automakers like Tata and Maruti have been doing this for sometime now. However, what makes Hyundai special is, while other automakers started bookings just for particular models (generally limited to a new launch) and that too through their micro websites, Hyundai has started accepting bookings directly through their main website for all the cars in its portfolio at once. This step from Hyundai would certainly provide convenience to potential Hyundai customers as they can avoid the hassle of visiting a dealership. However, in our country most of the car buyers like to visit a few dealerships in person and bargain for the best deal on the price and accessories before putting the money down on the car. While Hyundai introduced the Grand i10 facelift and the Xcent facelift this year, it also updated the Elite i20 recently. On the cards now is the next-generation Hyundai Verna which is likely to be launched in the coming months. Also read: Kia Motors To Enter India In 2019; Will Set Up Plant In Andhra Pradesh Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine and its derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications comprising x-ray contrast media, polarizing films for LCD and LED, antiseptics, biocides and disinfectants, pharmaceutical synthesis, electronics, pigments, and dye components. In addition, the company offers lithium carbonates for various applications that include electrochemical materials for batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, air conditioning chemicals, continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, primary aluminum smelting process, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives, as well as ingredient in manufacturing of gunpowder. Further, it supplies lithium hydroxide for the lubricating greases industry, as well as cathodes for batteries. Additionally, it offers potassium chloride and potassium sulfate for various crops, including corn, rice, sugar, soybean, and wheat; industrial chemicals, including sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, and solar salts; and other fertilizers and blends. The company operates in Chile, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile. Archbishop of Canterbury in Jordan: 'Christians are the past, present and must be the future' Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby appealed for more help for Christians to stay in the Middle East in spite of war and growing Islamist extremism. Archbishop Welby spoke out while meeting Iraqi refugees in Jordan, where many Iraqi and Syrian Christians have fled, on the first leg of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Archbishop Welby said Christians 'are the past in the Middle East, they are the present and they must be the future'. Two dozen refugees from Iraq prayed with the Archbishop at the Anglican church of St Paul in Amman, before asking him to help them leave the Middle East. Archbishop Welby also met Jordan's King Abdullah II and visited the Zaatari refugee camp. There, the Archbishop said it was deeply moving to meet people 'whose lives have been turned upside down but have the courage to create little islands of stability within their home'. Today I visited #Zaatari camp in #Jordan, hearing stories of incredible courage from people whose lives have been turned upside down. pic.twitter.com/lKk3naNId3 Justin Welby (@JustinWelby) May 2, 2017 The Zaatari refugee camp is home to some 80,000 people who have fled war-torn Syria, and is now the fourth largest city in Jordan. Archbishop Welby pointed out that 'many refugees here are traumatised from Syria, and many suffering respiratory problems from the dust and wind'. The Middle East is home to the oldest Christian communities in the world, but large numbers have fled in recent years to escape war and Islamist extremism. At Amman's Church of the Redeemer yesterday evening, bells rang out in welcome of the archbishop for an Evensong prayer service with about a hundred Jordanian, Iraqi and other Christians. At the church, Welby invoked the Ten Commandments in a plea for more support for refugees from the Middle East, including Christians. One Christian from Mosul, Bassam Adam, said he fled Iraq 'with nothing but the clothes on our backs' after so-called Islamic State staged its incursion on the city in 2014. Adam said intolerance is deeply rooted in Iraq, 'even in the minds of the kids' and that Iraqi Muslims would throw stones at Christian school buses. 'They consider us as a second-class people,' he said. 'How could we live together?' Today, the Archbishop reflected on Facebook about his Jordan visit: 'The Iraqi Christians I met say they feel the world has forgotten them, because the focus of the international community is now on Syria. Iraqis, they say, are at the bottom of the list when it comes to resettlement or support,' he said. 'One woman told me that she can endure persecution as a Christian because the Bible teaches that that is to be expected. What she did not expect was that the worldwide church would ignore their plight. 'As we left I prayed for God's protection over their community. And I prayed that we, the Western Church, would be stirred up to do something. We are human beings with our persecuted brothers and sisters. We must embrace them. As well as supporting the communities in England that have already received migrants, we need to keep on welcoming those who are homeless. We must also find ways of improving things in this region. We do not want a Middle East without Christians. Christians have a long history in the Middle East, they are still here, and they surely must be part of its future.' Britain's ambassador to Jordan, Edward Oakden, who also attended the service, told the Associated Press: 'Throughout human history there have been countless triumphs of the human spirit, this will be another one. The Archbishop's visit helps create that sense of future, hope and possibility.' Archbishop Welby stayed in Jordan last night and today will visit one of the sites where Jesus is believed to have been baptised on the banks of the Jordan River. He will then cross the Allenby Bridge and visit Holy Sites in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall with the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis. The Archbishop and the Chief Rabbi will then together visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum before meeting with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. This evening, Archbishop Welby will attend a reception with interfaith leaders in Jerusalem. Christian college demands staff sign statement opposing gay marriage, faculty threaten to leave Faculty members of a Christian college once attended by Franklin Graham are threatening to resign after they were asked to sign a statement affirming their opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Montreat College, a private Christian arts college in North Carolina, is insisting its staff affirm and live according to the school's 'Community Life Covenant', recently added to staff handbooks. The covenant affirms 'the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman' and the 'worth of every human being from conception to death', according to the Citizen-Times. Montreat's director of communications, Adam Caress, explained the covenant, which comes out of two years of listening to concerns of students, staff and alumni. He said in an email: 'The Community Life Covenant is rooted in core biblical values that have been central to Christianity for 2000 years and central to the college throughout its 101-year history. 'The Community Life Covenant does not represent a change in the college's core beliefs, but is rather an affirmation of what the college and orthodox Christianity in general has always believed.' 'The college believes that, in order to deliver the kind of Christ-centered education that it promises to students and their parents, college employees must affirm and support the biblical values which are the foundation of that education,' Caress said. Some staff however, are threatening to leave the institution over the new demands, which they say threaten free thought. Corrie Greene, an English professor and director of Montreat's writing centre, said she and eight other staff would be leaving in response to the language of the document. 'It says we must affirm and uphold the college's specific spiritual stances in our full 24 hour/seven-day-a-week personal life,' Greene told the Charlotte Observer. 'I can't let somebody else write my personal testimony. In my faith, Christ is constantly showing me something new.' Matt Langston, a teacher in the music business department, said he couldn't sign the statement, making this his last semester. 'I think at the end of the day I was wondering why it seemed like we were being told that this was supposed to be representative of how beautiful and united our community was, and...I've only seen it have the opposite effect,' he said. Some students have also protested the language of the document and threatened to leave. 'I do not believe that your statement of faith should be something pre-written,' said Bailey Mathews, a sophomore student who now plans to leave Montreat. 'I believe it should be what you actually believe, and I believe we're going to lose a lot of diversity and a lot of amazing teachers here because of it (the covenant).' 'I was going to stay and I planned on graduating from here, but now, no,' she continued. In a statement last week, Montreat said only two staff members are planning to resign over the covenant document. It said it had held two open forums in the past six weeks to address the issue. The statement added: 'We respect students' right to gather and express themselves freely including protest. Expressions of diverse thoughts and opinions are part of the intellectual inquiry that is central to the college's mission.' Montreat is the Alma Mater of outspoken evangelist and conservative commentator Franklin Graham. Graham's family is known for its historic support of the institution, in March the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) donated $100,000 to Montreat's scholarship fund. The BGEA have denied any role in the creation of the covenant, but said the new document 'certainly didn't hurt the relationship between the BGEA and the school'. Church of Ireland set to vote on same-sex relationship motion The Anglican Church in Ireland will debate a motion on same-sex relationships this week, calling on bishops to approve thanksgiving prayers for gay couples. The Church's ruling general synod meets in Limerick and is likely to debate Dr Leo Kilroy's suggestion on Friday. The private member's motion stops short of calling for a change in Church teaching. But it asks the synod to acknowledge 'the injury felt by members of the Church who enter into loving, committed and legally-recognised, same-sex relationships, due to the absence of provision for them to mark that key moment in their lives publicly and prayerfully in Church'. It goes on to ask bishops to look into 'sensitive, local pastoral arrangements for public prayer and thanksgiving with same-sex couples'. If approved the motion asks bishops to present their suggestions to the next annual synod meeting in 2018 but any proposals would not actually be approved until 2019 at the earliest. It comes as GAFCON, a conservative grouping within the worldwide Anglican Communion, vowed to appoint a 'missionary bishop' for conservative Christians in the wake of what it sees as a liberalising trend in Anglican Churches. The move bypasses traditional authorities such as the Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop David Chillingworth, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which is set to approve a change in teaching on gay marriage next month. The Church of Ireland shows no signs of following, with a motion passed in 2012 affirming the understanding of marriage as between one man and one woman. But in the last three years it has formed a committee looking into sexuality. Although the committee itself has not tabled this motion, the proposer Dr Leo Kilroy and the seconder Rev Brian O'Rourke were members. Cambridge College Named After Wartime Leader Forced To Remove Holocaust Denier's Churchill Biography The Cambridge University College named after Winston Churchill has been forced to remove a biography of the wartime prime minister by the convicted Holocaust denier David Irving following a complaint from an eminent Jewish historian, Christian Today has learnt. A row over Irving's book broke out after Dr Irene Lancaster, a respected academic and the first teaching fellow in Jewish history at Manchester University visited Cambridge University last month for the launch of a biography which she translated of the former Chief Rabbi of Haifa, Shear Yashuv Cohen. Dr Lancaster, who was staying at Magdalene College for the launch which was hosted by that College's Master, the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, visited the Roskill library at Churchill College on February 1 for research purposes. Churchill College is twinned with Haifa Technion, Israel's most prominent scientific university in Haifa, where Dr Lancaster previously lived and worked on inter-faith relations. After being shocked to discover two volumes of Irving's biography 'prominently' displayed alongside a biography of Churchill by the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Dr Lancaster complained to the office of Cambridge University's Vice Chancellor, Leszek Borysiewicz. On February 15, Dr Lancaster received an unsigned email from the Vice Chancellor's office, stating: 'The Roskill library is essentially a library for Churchill studies. David Irving is very much part of that historiography. Holding his books in no way endorses his views or his scholarship and we would argue that the reverse is true. His books are held, however foul the views contained therein, so that others can challenge them and refute them. 'Irving's biography of Churchill has been held at the Roskill library on open access for visiting scholars studying Churchill to consult if they so desire. However, having been alerted to the issue of their display by the concerns you raised, the College and Archives Centre are removing Irving's books to closed access. Historians who wish to access them for specific scholarly reasons to do with the biography of Churchill will be able to do so, but only by request. The books will not be openly available on the shelves. We do not wish inadvertently to suggest that we endorse Irving in any way we emphatically do not.' The decision to remove Irving's work from open display was taken jointly at the highest level by Churchill College and the University. It came after separate complaints over anti-Semitic leaflets being distributed around Cambridge University last month. A Cambridge University spokesperson told Christian Today: 'The University is fully committed to the principle and promotion of freedom of speech and expression. The University upholds the rights of people to participate fully in legitimate debate, partly so that they are able to question and test controversial ideas. Holding banned or challenged books in no way endorses the views or scholarship of the authors. Rather, they are accessible to scholars to allow them the opportunity to challenge and refute their contents. 'The books were moved from a shelf in the Roskill Library to the Library reserve store, a closed area. Academics continue to be able to access the work by request. The University and Colleges of Cambridge have made clear that that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated, as has been publicly stated by the Vice-Chancellor. Churchill College, together with all Cambridge Colleges, remains committed to providing an environment that is inclusive, diverse and welcoming to those of all faiths, and none.' Dr Lancaster said: 'Winston Churchill is regarded as a hero among the Jewish people. Seeing two volumes prominently displayed in the Churchill archive desecrating the University next to the book by Boris Johnson who admires Churchill, made me feel sick to my stomach. These [Irving] books should be labelled as offensive and historically worthless. They are an incitement to racial hatred. In the light of ongoing anti-Semitic incidents at Cambridge University including the leafleting of Holocaust denial material based on Irving's work the very next day after my visit to Churchill College, I think that the University should review its general library policy.' Gun instructor quotes Bible as he trains Oklahoma Christians in armed self-defence A gun instructor is teaching church members across Oklahoma the essentials of armed self-defence, and says his approach is based on the Bible. Roy Jones, 67 has taught more than 5,000 students the basics of concealed weapons training. Jones' Facebook page describes his training as 'not your typical gun class', and he quotes Psalm 144 in his favour: 'Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.' He insists that Christian values and Jesus' call to 'turn the other cheek' are not in conflict with the notion of self-defence, especially if others are at risk. He told Fox News: 'We will turn the other cheek. I'm the least likely guy to pull out a gun in a fight. But we will not turn the other cheek if you're going to assault my family or cut off my head in the process.' Jones' eight-hour class covers the safe handling of a weapon, education on gun laws and legal risks, and practice at his private gun range. He also teaches students how to try and avoid being imprisoned after using a gun in self-defence. He cited the case of an Oklahoma woman who was mauled to death by two dogs last month, and a woman who was stabbed by a former co-worker in 2014, in defence of his training. 'If they'd had a legal gun and been trained to use it', Jones said, they could still be alive today. Jones, who has been teaching gun safety for a decade, is not a pastor, but says some have grown interested in religion through his use of Bible verses in class. He told WQAD: 'The Bible works hand-in-hand with today. 'If you're ever confronted with a situation where you might have to pull your firearm, and you know how to prep that trigger, you're going to be several tenths of a second faster. And in a two second gun fight, a tenth of a second is all day.' Labour suspends candidate who called for eradication of Islam The Labour Party has suspended one of its election candidates after he was linked to a social media account calling for the eradication of Islam. Trevor Merralls, who was standing in the south east London seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup, said he was a victim of a 'vicious smear campaign'. Merralls, who leads a black cab campaign group, has been suspended after he was linked to the @wellingblueboy twitter account that posted about taxi drivers but also made derogatory remarks about Islam. According to Buzzfeed one post read: 'This is all leading to a fight of no surrender total war.' Another user responded: 'Our battle is not yet with the Muslims, but those that appease them!!' To which @wellingblueboy replied: 'If you follow it to its natural conclusion this is reckoning the left have deserved.' In a separate post the account tweeted: 'On a positive note that should eradicate islam from our continent for years.' It also discussed 'establishment' plans to kill off cab drivers and replace them with 'the Muslims'. The account has since been deleted and Jeremy Corbyn's spokesman said the party was 'urgently investigating' the incident. 'If the allegations are found to be true, the strongest disciplinary action will be taken and he will be removed as a Labour candidate,' he said. A later statement confirmed Merralls had been dropped and a replacement would be announced in due course. 'The Labour Party has always been at the forefront of standing against racism in all its forms,' it said. 'Hate and division have no place within our party.' Manchester University says it is 'likely' to re-catalogue Holocaust denier's books following campaign Manchester University has said that it is 'likely' to re-catalogue books by the Holocaust denier David Irving following a campaign led by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and an eminent Jewish academic, Irene Lancaster. Williams last week wrote a powerful letter to the university's Vice Chancellor over the institution's ongoing refusal to remove unmarked books by Irving from open display in its main library. He said the issue needs 'urgent attention' and warned that the current arrangement of Irving's work 'could be experienced as threatening by Jewish members of the University'. In response, the university issued a statement defending its position and saying the books will remain on display, but added: 'We are investigating ways to re-catalogue the books.' Now Lancaster, who was Manchester University's first Teaching Fellow in Jewish history, has received an email from Prof James Thompson, the university's Vice President for Social Responsibility, following a meeting with him, Lancaster's colleague Dr Gillian Moss and the university's head of diversity and equalities, Patrick Johnson. In the email, seen by Christian Today, Thompson writes: 'There are ongoing discussions as to the best exact classification of the books and this is likely to lead to them being re-catalogued.' He says: 'Many thanks for the meeting you held with Patrick and me on 4th April. We both felt it was very constructive and cordial, and we valued the opportunity to explain our commitment to the University as a welcoming and diverse community. 'At that meeting, I committed to asking my colleagues in the Centre for Jewish Studies and the University Librarian whether there was justification in changing our current approach to the David Irving books. 'Following this, we have reviewed our current approach and have also checked with other university libraries what their approach is on this matter. We have had responses from over 20 university libraries to date. The evidence is that our approach to the David Irving books is consistent with theirs and we are all confident that such approach remains correct. There are ongoing discussions as to the best exact classification of the books and this is likely to lead to them being re-catalogued.' A number of universities do not feature Irving's books on open display however, including the neighbouring Manchester Metropolitan University. In its statement in response to the letter by Williams to Dame Nancy Rothwell, Manchester University's President and Vice Chancellor, last week, the university said: 'In reaching the decision to keep these books on display, The University of Manchester has consulted both within our own Centre for Jewish Studies, and with the majority of the UK's research libraries: many of which also adopt the same approach. We are investigating ways to re-catalogue the books but they will remain available to staff and students who have access to our library service. 'The University is committed to allowing our students to have access to challenging and controversial works on many different subjects in order to pursue their studies. This is in line with the established International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions' Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom. 'This approach in no way compromises the University's fundamental rejection of discrimination which is at the heart of how we seek to educate students and pursue our research activities.' Canon Guy Wilkinson CBE, the distinguished former inter-religious affairs adviser to the Church of England, said: 'The...statement issued by Manchester University...misses the core point being made. The issue is not at all about "allowing our students to have access to challenging and controversial works" of course they should. It is about the terms under which students have access and about the ways in which real history is distinguished from "fake" history. 'I am surprised that the University seems willing to risk damage to their reputation in being praised by such as David Irving rather than make a sensible adjustment to meet a point which is clear to everyone that real history should be distinguished clearly from propaganda.' Irving has praised Manchester University's 'suitably frosty reply' to Lancaster, whom he repeatedly described on his website as 'the Jewess'. The intervention by Dr Williams came amid a growing row over the unmarked presence of Irving material in Manchester University's John Rylands library, and a wider argument about antisemitism at British universities. In February, Christian Today revealed that Churchill College, Cambridge removed Irving's books from 'open access' after a complaint from Lancaster. Lancaster has repeatedly requested in recent weeks that the university follows suit, as has the Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton, Graham Stringer, who has also written to Dame Nancy. Christian Today has learned that Lancaster has the sympathy of Greater Manchester's Lord Lieutenant, Warren Smith, over the matter. Williams, who is Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, wrote to Dame Nancy: 'I ... have concerns over the shelving of works like those of Irving alongside routine historical texts. Given that his work has been declared by experts like my colleague Sir Richard Evans to be undeserving of the name of history and to be characterised by deliberate falsification of material, it is not a question of alternative interpretations of history or of expressions of simple opinion, but of a very specific genre of literature, quite distinct from history. 'Of course students should be allowed to read it for approved academic purposes, but there is, it seems to me, a strong case for shelving or labelling it independently to clarify its nature. And not doing so could be open to the challenge that its presence without such clarification could be experienced as threatening by Jewish members of the University, in the sense spelled out in official definitions of anti-semitism and listed on the website, "The Law of Anti-Semitism". 'At a time when there is, nationally and internationally, a measureable rise in the expression of extremist views I believe that this question needs urgent attention.' Lancaster, who has engaged in extensive research on the Holocaust and has worked with the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem, has pointed out to the university that 'Irving is seductive to students and immature minds'. Lancaster's grandmother was murdered at Treblinka. In March, Williams also wrote to Jo Johnson, the higher education minister, expressing concern about the presence of Holocaust-denying material on open display at university libraries. In his letter, Williams suggested that the government should hold a position on the subject, and pointed to the 'Prevent' legislation as being a possible tool for tackling the issue. Williams said that Holocaust-denying material should be labelled and available on request and not indiscriminately, and compared it to jihadi material. Middle Eastern men think women should be submissive but women aren't so sure Most Middle Eastern men believe that a woman's place is in the home, according to a survey that suggests the views of men are largely at odds with those of younger Middle Eastern women. The majority of Middle Eastern men support the idea that women should not be leaders, should not work outside the home and that men should take priority over women in education. The findings came from a study of 10,000 people across Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine, undertaken by the International Men And Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), an advocacy group exploring men's attitudes to social issues, including gender, across the world. In the survey, covering those aged 18-59, men were found to have far less progressive views on gender equality than women, particularly younger women. In Egypt for example, more than 90 per cent of men agreed with the claim that 'a man should have the final word about decision in the home'. Fewer women (58.5 per cent) agreed with the statement. More than half of Egyptian men surveyed said that 'there are times when a woman deserves to be beaten'; less than a third of women agreed. Seventy-five per cent of women surveyed said that women should have the same right to work beyond the home as men, while just 31 per cent of Egyptian men agreed. The extensive study was coordinated by UN Women alongside IMAGES and Promundo, another global gender equality group. Mohammad Naciri, regional director of Arab States UN Women said the findings 'have shown us things we already knew but for which we did not have evidence for example, that among many of the male respondents there is a sense of superiority, a conviction that they are entitled to protect and control their female family members'. While the research is troubling for equality advocates affirming the presence of widespread social prejudice Naciri said he still had great hope for progress. He said: 'Amidst the stories of men's violence against women, we found stories of men's caregiving in the home. For every story of a man who compelled his daughter to marry against her will, there were stories of men who empowered their daughters. 'For every man who considered his job more important than his wife's or his sister's, we heard from men who viewed their wives' and their sisters' work as fully equal to theirs.' The study noted that while across the Middle East, men tended to favour inequitable views toward women, in every region at least a quarter of men showed support for at least some aspects of female empowerment. 'There is a long way to go for men to fully accept and support equality for women in the Arab region, as in many parts of the world,' Gary Barker, president of Promundo told The Guardian. 'Across all four countries, we see that one of the biggest disrupters of gender inequality is when men take on more of the activities in the home typically defined as women's roles.' The study said that for progress to be made, those with more progressive views need to translate their ideals into practice: 'When positive, equitable attitudes and behaviours are practised within the household, change can become a reality.' The study, 'Understanding Masculinity: Results from the IMAGES Middle East and North Africa' is available to read here. Now Manchester University dragged into Holocaust denial row over David Irving books Manchester University has come under fire for displaying books by the convicted Holocaust-denier David Irving on 'open access' in its main library after an eminent Jewish academic discovered the material. Dr Irene Lancaster, who was the first Teaching Fellow in Jewish history at Manchester University, found yesterday that a copy of Hitler's War by Irving was shelved under 'Medieval and Modern History' in the university's John Rylands library. Dr Lancaster said that other books by Irving are also available in the library accessible by anyone with a university membership card. Manchester University said in a statement to Christian Today that it was true that the books were openly available and said they were there to aid Holocaust studies. The discovery comes amid a growing row over antisemitism in British universities and after the Minister for Higher Education, Jo Johnson, urged institutions to tackle 'intimidation and violence' against Jewish students. Johnson last month wrote to the chief executives of the representative bodies for higher education institutions, reminding them of their responsibility to ensure students do not suffer 'discrimination, harassment or victimisation'. Manchester's involvement in the row comes after Christian Today revealed earlier this month that Churchill College, Cambridge has moved a biography of Winston Churchill by Irving from open access to available on request after pressure from Dr Lancaster. Last week, Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury and the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge wrote to Johnson expressing concern about the presence of Holocaust-denying material on open display at university libraries. A source at the Department for Education confirmed today that the minister had received the letter and stressed that universities must make their own rules. In his letter, Dr Williams acknowledges this point but suggests that the government should hold a position on the subject, and points to the 'Prevent' legislation as being a possible tool for tackling the issue. Dr Williams said that Holocaust-denying material should be labelled and available on request and not indiscriminately, and compares it to jihadi material. In its statement to Christian Today, a spokesperson for Manchester University said: 'It is true that David Irving's books are available from the University Library. We have considered the matter carefully and have consulted with the University Librarian, and with senior colleagues across the University, including one of our leading authorities on the Holocaust. 'The University's position is that it is important that students should be able to read Irving when they write their essays about Holocaust denial. Their availability is not antisemitic: it shows that our students are discerning persons, and that we trust them. The books are also necessary to teach our students how to fight Holocaust denial which they are very keen on learning about. We consider it important that these books remain available to students. 'The Library's approach is to classify its books according to likely levels of use. Many works in academic libraries could be deemed to be controversial in one way or another. Where there are legal reasons to restrict access, or the books in question are at risk of damage, we would remove them to a Special Collections location where they may be consulted by any reader on request.' The response follows appeals from the Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton, Graham Stringer, who has written to the President and Vice Chancellor of Manchester University, Dame Nancy Rothwell. Further, the Anglican chaplain at Manchester University, Ben Edson wrote to the Head of Diversity at Manchester University, Patrick Johnson, saying: 'Dr Lancaster is a passionate campaigner and she will continue fighting for this cause. I stand with her Holocaust denial is heinous and anything that suggest otherwise needs challenging.' In an email seen by Christian Today, Manchester University's Holocaust academic Dr Jean-Marc Dreyfus told Edson: 'I was confronted to a similar problem a few years ago in our University library: I realised that the book The Hoax of the 20th Century, a 'classic' in Holocaust denial, was available in our library on shelf. I discussed the matter with one of our librarians and we decided to leave it in open access but to move it from the History division of our library to the "questions in historiography"'. Dr Lancaster, who has engaged in extensive research on the Holocaust and has worked with the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem, said: 'I am absolutely appalled at the stance taken by Manchester University towards the request by a number of people, including their own Anglican Chaplain and the local MP, Graham Stringer, as well as myself. 'We have asked that the Irving collection be removed from open access on the shelves of the University to closed storage, where they should be labelled as Holocaust-denying material and be available by prior request only to accredited scholars in the field. 'This is a matter of actual and deliberate distortion of fact, not simply expressing unpleasant or unacceptable opinions. With Holocaust denial, there is solid legal judgment to back up the exclusion of these works from history shelves and unrestricted access. 'Greater Manchester is home to the fastest-growing observant Jewish community in Europe and yet time and time again the University simply acts as if we do not exist. 'I had to tell the mother of a school friend of 50 years standing that David Irving was clearly on view and being taught at the local university, open to all and parading as real history, even though everyone knows that he was condemned as a racist and liar in a court case, has been imprisoned and is barred from certain European countries. This survivor now aged 92 simply did not have the words to react. I regard Manchester University as a disgrace in every way. We Jews are simply not welcome at Manchester University.' Top Christian health campaigner savages Trump's proposed Obamacare replacement Donald Trump's proposed overhaul of Obamacare amounts to an 'utterly unconscionable' transfer of funds from the poor to the rich, the president of the influential Catholic Health Association has said. Sister Carol Keehan told Crux that Trump's plan to tear up former president Obama's Affordable Care Act is not about healthcare and is instead a transfer amounting to $880 billion from the poorest to the wealthiest. 'This is a bill to move wealth from the lowest-income Americans to the wealthiest,' Keehan said, insisting under current plans 14 million people would lose coverage in the first year alone, and another 10 million would become uninsured later on. 'That's an important thing for the people in this country to understand,' she said, calling the proposal 'utterly unconscionable'. Keehan added that another problem with the Trump administration's plan is its unpredictable nature. 'We have no insight' into what is happening, said Keehan. 'The administration has been, I would say, singular in not being in contact with health care providers on almost any issue.' This also applies, she said, to one of the most contentious issues surrounding health care reform from a faith-based point of view: the mandates imposed by the Obama administration to provide contraception coverage. Trump vowed to eliminate the requirements, but recently the Justice Department signalled intentions to continue defending them in court. Keehan said that neither she nor anyone else in the health care world knows if the administration's eventual aim is to junk the mandates, tweak them, or continue applying them. The Catholic Health Association represents around 640 Catholic hospitals in America and 1,400 other health care facilities, such as nursing homes, clinics and surgery centres. On health care reform, the group has been involved in Catholic controversy over recent years for breaking with the US bishops over opt-out provisions offered by the Obama administration from the contraception mandates. Keehan told Crux: 'This is a bill to move wealth from the lowest income Americans to the wealthiest Americans, in the first year, while 14 million lose insurance coverage that they have just gotten. Those are children, those are the elderly! Those are working people who wait on us. Up to $15.9 billion in that one year alone will go to people who make over $1 million a year. That is utterly unconscionable. 'If you read anything about Catholic social teaching, if you read what Pope Francis said about what ought to guide our decisions in health care, it is absolutely deplorable. It reminds me, if you read the Old Testament, and you read Nathan confronting King David. It is exactly the same thing! 'We can't sit quietly and say "no, no, no," we have to be very strong, because this is a disastrous switch. It will not only hurt the very poor, who are going to lose everything, but it will make insurance policies go back to the old way where [companies] could charge what they want and essential benefits may not be covered, where lifetime limits might be taken away.' Victory at last for Christian florists and bakers? Trump set to sign religious liberty executive order Donald Trump has invited conservative and faith leaders to the White House tomorrow, the National Day of Prayer, and is expected to sign the long-awaited executive order on religious liberty. According to Politico, lawyers are still fine tuning the order's wording, but multiple sources confirmed the plan. If enacted, the religious freedom executive order is a major piece of payback to evangelical Christians and other religious conservatives from Trump, alongside the appointment of the conservative judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. It follows disappointment among religious conservatives over the recent budget, which failed to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Trump knows that he is appealing to the Christian right both evangelicals and white Catholics who helped propel him into office. The proposed order, which is said to contain 'very, very strong' language, is highly controversial. In February, the left-wing paper The Nation obtained a leaked draft, which legal experts and LGBT campaigners condemned as 'unconstitutional' and 'un-American'. The leaked four-page draft sought to overturn a wide range of anti-discrimination protection for minorities; it delighted conservative evangelicals and outrage liberals in equal measure. If enacted, the document would create wholesale exemptions for people and organisations who claim religious or moral objections to same-sex marriage, premarital sex, abortion, and transgender identity, and it seeks to curtail women's access to contraception and abortion through the Affordable Care Act. The draft sought specifically to protect the tax-exempt status of any organisation that 'believes, speaks, or acts (or declines to act) in accordance with the belief that marriage is or should be recognised as the union of one man and one woman, sexual relations are properly reserved for such a marriage, male and female and their equivalents refer to an individual's immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy, physiology, or genetics at or before birth, and that human life begins at conception and merits protection at all stages of life'. Politico said the signing of such an order 'would represent a major triumph for [committed Christian] Vice President Mike Pence whose push for religious-freedom legislation backfired mightily when he served as governor of Indiana and his allies in the conservative movement'. The website reported that after the leak to The Nation, 'Pence and a small team of conservative allies quickly began working behind the scenes to revise the language, and in recent weeks have ratcheted up the pressure on Trump to sign it. The new draft is being tightly held, but one influential conservative who saw the text said it hasn't been dialed back much if at all since the February leak. "The language is very, very strong," the source said.' However, another theory is that the draft was leaked to The Nation in order to draw the sting out of liberal critics in advance of its signing. The Christian right was slow to react to the draft, careful, perhaps, not to show glee and further infuriate the liberal left in the face of such controversial policies. For some, it may be a case of 'too good to be true'. By all accounts, Trump's own tactics when it comes to making 'deals' is to start with an extreme position and work back. In other words, the leaked version may be harder than a more diluted order actually signed by the president in due course. The executive order will follow a series of high-profile religious freedom cases. In February, the Washington Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a florist who refused to provide services for a same-sex wedding broke the state's anti-discrimination law, even though she claimed that doing so would violate her religious beliefs. Barronelle Stutzman, a florist in Richland, Washington, had been fined by a lower court for denying assistance to a gay couple in 2013. Stutzman said she was exercising her First Amendment rights, but the court held that her floral arrangements do not constitute protected free speech, and that providing flowers to a same-sex wedding would not serve as an endorsement of same-sex marriage. Another case involves that of Charlie Craig and David Mullins, who in July 2012 went to Masterpiece Cakeshop, a small bakery in Lakewood, Colorado, to order a cake for their wedding reception. The owner, Jack Phillips, told them that he would happily provide baked goods for them for other occasions, but he would not create a cake for this event, citing his religious convictions. As The New Yorker reported in March, a decision on the case was delayed by the Supreme Court. If the executive order is anything like the leaked version, it will surely be hit by a blizzard of fresh court cases that will stop it in its tracks, as has been the case with the Muslim travel ban. Perhaps, though, this is what Trump wants, so he can portray himself as doing battle with liberals. Maybe, though, he actually believes in pushing such legislation through, and is relying on Gorsuch, newly appointed to the Supreme Court, to back him up. So far, the administration has closely guarded details of the re-written executive order. But if the reports are accurate, we will know much more tomorrow, when the real battle is likely to begin. WATCH: Christians in Iraq dance to celebrate starting to rebuild Qaraqosh Christians in Iraq are celebrating the rebuilding of Qaraqosh with music and dancing as Iraqis return to the town previously devastated by ISIS' occupation. The Facebook page 'This is Christian Iraq' shared a video yesterday with the caption: ''This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.' 'People of Baghdeda/ Qaraqosh celebrating the start of the reconstruction and rebuilding of their town.' The video, which can be watched below, shows jubilant music and dancing crowds in the town. Qaraqosh, once the largest Christian town on Iraq's Nineveh Plain, was largely destroyed under ISIS' jihadist occupation. The jihadist group swept into Qaraqosh in August 2014 and declared a 'caliphate' there. The town that once boasted 50,000 citizens was soon deserted, while ISIS ransacked shops, destroyed churches and burned out homes. Christian presence in Iraq dates to the 1st century AD, but the jihadist occupation did much to desecrate any symbols of the town's Christian heritage. ISIS used one church as a bomb factory while others were used as shooting ranges, with church statues beheaded and images used for target practice. In October 2016 Iraqi forces regained control of the town but many former residents have been reluctant to return there, fearing instability and lack of security in the region. Slowly though, a return is taking place. 'This is Christian Iraq' also shared images of the 'The consecration of the Cross in the eastern entrance of the city and the start of the rebuilding of the city' yesterday (see above), alongside which the foundations for new homes in the town were laid. According to the Nineveh Plain Protection Unit, the cross was built by local youth from Qaraqosh. Public enthusiasm for early-childhood education is reminiscent of the joke about two old women at a Catskills resort: Boy, the food at this place is really terrible, one says. Yes, says the other, and such small portions. Though New Yorkers are dissatisfied with the results that public education has delivered for most city children, theyre willing to invest in even more of itmaybe starting earlier will do the trick. Since proposing last week to expand pre-kindergarten to all three-year-olds in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has faced criticism on both educational and fiscal-policy grounds. Critics of the mayor often note that existing pre-K programs (including the federally funded Head Start) have delivered underwhelming results. Gains often fade out as children progress beyond kindergarten. Skeptics of universal pre-Ks educational benefits see the programs true purpose as subsidized middle-class child carea concern not alleviated by administration officials, who have openly touted savings on child care as part of the appeal of their high-quality program. De Blasio has been defiantly vague on how to pay for expanding pre-K to three-year-olds. Hell start by expanding the program in just eight of the citys 32 school districts, for an estimated annual cost of $1.1 billion. It would have been easier to provide pre-K to some or all three-year-olds had de Blasio not first insisted on universal pre-K for four-year-olds. A targeted program of early-childhood education could have focused exclusively on serving neighborhoods with poorly performing schools. Then again, it is the pre-K initiatives universal quality that accounts for its popularity. Cutting city spendingspecifically, trimming wages and/or benefits for New Yorks unionized workforcewould be one way to fund de Blasios expensive pre-K plans. The 2014 pre-K expansion could have been paid for by requiring more cost-sharing from workers and/or retirees for their medical benefits. The efforts of de Blasios predecessor as mayor, Michael Bloomberg, to secure new union contracts ran aground on his insistence that employees bear at least a small portion of the cost of their health-insurance premiums. De Blasio dropped that demand and soon settled on highly generous terms with labor. When questioned about his often scattershot approach to policy, de Blasio likes to say, I can walk and chew gum at the same time. His attitude toward the budget is the same. In the mayors view, only skinflints like Bloomberg think that New York needs to choose between union benefits and programs for needy children. De Blasio has yet to pay a political price for his irresponsible budgeting because city tax revenues continue to grow. Theres another way, de Blasio knows, to pay for his second pre-K expansion: raise taxes on the wealthy. The mayor has always harbored a desire to do so, almost regardless of where the revenues go. Taxing the rich was his original plan for how to fund universal pre-K back in 2014, until Governor Andrew Cuomo stepped in with state funds. This budget cycle, de Blaso proposed a mansion tax on sales of homes worth $2 million or more. He has probably gamed out a scenario whereby federal or state funds do not materialize for his 3-K for all visionforcing him, alas, to revive the tax hike on high-income earners. De Blasios struggles to govern New York City should not be surprising, given his scant experience as a chief executive. More surprising have been the many first-term political missteps by someone who has spent virtually his entire adult life working in government. On universal pre-K, though, de Blasio has struck political gold: New Yorkers, especially parents of young children, remain enthusiastic about the program, and universal 3-K looks like a winning political issue for the mayor. Even were de Blasio to be succeeded by a Republican in 2018 or 2022, that new mayor would likely refrain from rolling back universal pre-K; entitlements are always hard to retract. In this climate, opponents of universal pre-K make sound arguments but risk political irrelevancy. A more realistic strategy might be to accept universal pre-K as a fait accompli and focus on how to improve it. Photo by Rob Bennett Audio Transcript Howard Husock: Hello. I am Howard Husock, vice president for research and publications here at the Manhattan Institute. Today our topic is serious mental illness. Not a happy topic, but one of the most important ones facing American cities and American life generally. I am joined by two close associates of the Manhattan Institute. One, a senior fellow here, Stephen Eide, who has just written a major article for City Journal on Thrive New York, a plan developed by Mayor de Blasio here in New York to deal with mental health, and a major report on Kendras Law, which deals with assisted outpatient treatment for those suffering from severe mental illness. And, along with Stephen, DJ Jaffe, the author of an important new book featured here at the Manhattan Institute at a recent lunch, Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill. I would like to begin with you, DJ, and set the big picture and then we are going to move into New York as sort of a case study for what goes on at the local level. You talk about the severely mentally ill and you distinguished that diagnosis, if you will, from problems with mental health. Why do you think that is an important distinction? DJ Jaffe: Well, 100% of the population can have their mental health improved, all of us. 18% have something that is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. That is mainly minor depression, anxiety, ADHD, but there are 4% with a serious and persistent mental illness that dramatically affects their ability to survive and to provide for themselves. And it is these individuals who need help the most and also create consequences for the community. It is the most seriously mentally ill who wind up homeless, hospitalized, arrested, incarcerated, and sometimes violent. Howard Husock: And what do we mean by the most seriously? What do they suffer from? DJ Jaffe: Anything that dramatically impacts their ability to function, but the two most common ones would be schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder that is resistant to treatment. And what they have is these people sometimes do not know they are sick when you see somebody walking down the street screaming they are the messiah, it is not because they believe they are the messiah, they know it. Their illness tells them it is so. It is called anosognosia, they dont know they are sick, and they are a problem. Howard Husock: And, Stephen, are these people that we see on the streets here in New York? There is a lot of concern about the homeless and, in your article, you talk about homelessness including this group of the severely mentally ill in the streets and are they other places? Where are they? Stephen Eide: Well, especially on the streets, if you talk about you know, what is the rate of serious mental illness amongst the adult population in New York City, you are talking about 4% or so of the adult population. But they are 25% of the adult homeless shelter census and they are over 10% of the inmate population at Rikers. Rikers is the largest mental institution in New York State. Howard Husock: And thats a jail. Stephen Eide: Right. Its a jail, right. Rikers Island, yeah. So, and this is common, you find this in many jurisdictions across the nation. We have, you know, as we have deinstitutionalized the seriously mentally ill, we have moved away from the process of trying to treat them through inpatient long-term commitment, trying to treat them in the community, but what that has really meant is they are treated inside the homeless system and also the jail system. Howard Husock: Right. So the mayor of New York has a plan called Thrive NYC, which is a very ambitious commitment to mental health. And yet in your article you see it as somehow at odds with treatment of the population that we have been discussing here with you and DJ. Explain that for us and explain whether it is representative as far as you understand it. Stephen Eide: One way to think about what the mayor is trying to do at Thrive NYC is, de Blasio is critical of many things that Bloomberg did but he has always been positive on the public health stuff. Soda taxes Howard Husock: And Bloomberg is the former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg. Stephen Eide: Thats right. So there was a big change under the de Blasio administration in many respects and public health de Blasio has always been positive. And what he wants to do at Thrive NYC is adopt a public health approach to mental illness. And that means two things in particular. It means a focus on kind of like public campaigns. These campaign ads on subways and so forth to tell people to set up hotlines to say everyone has a mental illness, please call if you have help. These are especially focusing on what they call the problem of stigma. The problem of stigma presumes that many people have mental illness but are afraid of being thought of as having mental illness to their friends and family and so they dont seek treatment. The second thing that a public health approach to mental health means is prevention. We are trying to do everything we can to prevent serious mental illness from arising, sort of like you can imagine the way that we tried to prevent all sorts of infectious diseases from spreading back in the 19th century through investing in water infrastructure. Howard Husock: And, DJ, by your lights, what is wrong with that? It sounds unobjectionable. DJ Jaffe: It is a good sound bite, lets invest in people early and we can prevent mental illness, but theres no science behind it. Schizophrenia cannot be prevented, bipolar cannot be prevented, there will be a Nobel Prize that goes to the person who does that. Secondly, stigma is not a major barrier to care. It is far behind lack of access, it is too expensive, they dont have transportation to it, you cant get an appointment, you dont believe you are ill. So, stigma is far behind all these other things in preventing the seriously ill from getting treatment. His approach basically says even on the ad campaigns, the ad campaigns say if you have anxiety or depression, call this hotline. It doesnt say if you have schizophrenia, bipolar, or have been eating out of a dumpster because you think you are the messiah, call the hotline. They are drawing in people who dont have serious mental illness and that is taking away from a focus on those who do. Howard Husock: Is this distinct to New York? DJ Jaffe: I am going out to California, and California and New York are the two poster children for this. New York is spending $850 million on Thrive New York City. California passed a 1% tax on millionaires that raises $1.8 billion dollars a year that is required to go to the seriously mentally ill and it is being diverted to pop psychology programs for all others. Howard Husock: So, Stephen, the idea that the seriously mentally ill really have to be in treatment, probably including medication, even if they dont want to be treated because they are under the illusion that they are not seriously mentally ill, you write about, in your new report for the Manhattan Institute on Kendras Law, how that is an approach to addressing that population. Could you explain it? Stephen Eide: Yeah, you know when we are talking about the challenge that we face in terms of connecting the seriously mentally ill with treatment, you know no one is seriously talking about going back to the days of institutionalization when everybody, even you know, people with dementia, were housed in mental institutions. Thats not a practical solution, so inpatient commitment is an important part of the system, but thats not going to be the kind of default solution like it used to be in the old days. What we developed in New York, well, as a result of legislation that was passed in 1990, is something called outpatient commitment, or assisted outpatient treatment. That is when you have individuals who have serious mental illness, we expect them to live in the community, but they have had trouble living in the community without supervision. They have not complied with treatment, they have been incarcerated, homeless, institutionalized. So you put them under a court-ordered treatment plan so that they live in the community but they have to comply with medication, counseling, other services. And so as long as they comply with that treatment plan, you know, everything is fine. But some people need a little bit of that nudge in order to live in the community. Howard Husock: And has that been effective? Constructive? Stephen Eide: Yeah for the sort of between 14 and 15,000 New Yorkers who have been in the program since the law was passed in 1999, very impressive outcomes. You know when we are talking about you know, why do we know we have a problem with serious mental illness in New York, well its because of these high rates of homelessness, incarceration, hospitalization. Among those big three indicators you see big drops for the cohort prior to entering Kendras Law, and in Kendras Law. Rough drops of about 60 to 70%, okay. So 25 to 30% - at a 25 to 30% rate, Kendras Law recipients were homeless or incarcerated. That drops down to about 10% when they are in Kendras Law. So, a big drop. And hospitalization down from basically 100% to you know, down 60%, so below 40%. So in terms of the outcomes that are really important to people that we are really looking to do something about, Kendras Law has been very successful. Howard Husock: And so just real quick, what does it actually look like? I am not in an asylum, I am living in the community. How do I get this treatment? Who is responsible for it? How does anybody know that I am actually accepting the treatment? Stephen Eide: Yeah, DJ do you want to take this one? Get set up? DJ Jaffe: It is court-ordered, so somebody files a petition with the court. As a reality, most of the time that is a hospital making a discharge. And the court will order the person to be evaluated. They have to have a particular history of multiple arrests, incarceration, hospitalizations, or homelessness that were associated with going off treatment. The judge finds they meet all that criteria, that they have that past history. He can order them to be or she to be mandated and monitored to accept treatment while living in the community. I should also point out Howard Husock: Where do they get the treatment? Thats what Im driving it. DJ Jaffe: They are given a treatment plan. So not only is the patient ordered to accept treatment, but the mental health system is ordered to provide it. That is very significant because generally the community programs want to cherry-pick the highest functioning. So what Kendras Law does is it has the ability to over time focus a system on what it wont voluntarily focus on, which is the most seriously ill. I should also point out that by doing this it cuts costs to taxpayers by 50% because it is lowering, Stephen pointed out, it is lowering the use of hospitals and jails which are much more expensive. Now the cost savings is a little touchy because who is it saving money? There is really no level of government that cares about saving money to taxpayers. They care about saving money in their budget Howard Husock: Right. So DJ Jaffe: so the state to the feds or the mental health system to the criminal justice system, but for taxpayers it clearly saves. Howard Husock: Right. And just remind us, who was Kendra, for whom the law was named? DJ Jaffe: Kendra Webdale was living in New York and she was pushed onto the subway by Andrew Goldstein. Now, Andrew Goldstein had schizophrenia. He was repeatedly hospitalized, given treatment, repeatedly went off the treatment. Now, immediately before pushing her he had gone to a hospital and tried to get treatment. So a lot of people have said well this is really only the story of a hospital denying treatment. But had he been compelled to accept treatment he would not have needed that hospital care. I should also say that he has been interviewed in jail and says he wishes Kendras Law existed before he did what he did. Howard Husock: Right. Is this a common theme that many of the horrific, high-profile crimes involve people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder? DJ Jaffe: Yes. Just today there was somebody released in, I think its Minnesota, was released out of a hospital and fifteen hours later killed his mom. It is acts of violence by the mentally ill are rare, even by the seriously ill they are rare. But by the untreated seriously mentally ill this is a problem that we cant just bury our heads in the sand about. So it is a problem and much of the violence, most of it is not high-profile stuff that you see, its against family members. And frankly most of it isnt even violence per se, its dangerous behavior, its danger to self. Its dine and dash because you cant get any food. Its sleeping in public because you have no place to sleep. So theres a whole level of crime. And a lot of times these low-level crimes mushroom into bigger crimes. It is not uncommon for the police to go and the police are generally the heroes, they go to aid the mentally ill, but they go and go to the aid of somebody lets say who is sleeping on private property, they try to nudge him, try to get him up, and that person lashes out at the cop because they are psychotic. Now this, what became a trespassing charge is now attacking an officer charge and the jail resources are used. Howard Husock: Right. So thats an example of why so many of the severely and mentally ill wind up in prison or otherwise behind bars. Stephen, in your article for City Journal, and remind us of the name of the article, would you? Stephen Eide: Failure to thrive. Howard Husock: Failure to thrive. And thats a play on the Thrive New York, and again the book by DJ Jaffe is Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill. Who is the publisher, DJ? DJ Jaffe: Prometheus. Howard Husock: Yeah. So pick that book up. But in youre article, Failure to Thrive, you refer to the 21st Century Cures Act. Tell us what that is and how that relates to the discussion that weve been having? Stephen Eide: Well the 21st Century Cures Act was one, is federal legislation, one of the last pieces, major legislation that President Obama signed into law before leaving office and it incorporated provisions from an earlier law that passed Congress called the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. And the kind of core of that bill was trying to refocus the federal governments programs and efforts on mental health towards the seriously mentally ill. At the federal level there has been a long tendency of mission creep or mission drift to providing services to, you know, people with some variety of mental disorder but not the severely mentally ill. So, and this has been a particularly notorious problem at the SAMHSA agency. Howard Husock: What does that stand for? Stephen Eide: The Substance Abuse DJ Jaffe: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Stephen Eide: Yeah, within the Department of Health and Human Services. So, for example, the federal government is now providing funds to states for assisted outpatient treatment programs such as Kendras Law. New York has the most successful assisted outpatient treatment program in the nation because it has supported its program in a way that other states have not. And it is going to try to get more, it has created a new position of assistant secretary at SAMHSA in hopes that they will provide more effective oversight than has been the case in the past at SAMHSA. Howard Husock: So, I hate to say this DJ, but this sounds hopeful. Are you hopeful about this as kind of an inflection point in a long history, in your view, of ignoring the most severely mentally ill? DJ Jaffe: The difference now is that police and conservatives have taken this up. And I always tell people I am an uber Liberal, but Liberals and Democrats are not willing to address unpleasant truths like not everyone recovers. Some people do need hospitals. Some people with mental illness are violent, being psychotic is not a right to be protected, it is an illness to be treated, and things like that. So the optimism I see comes from places like Manhattan Institute who have done a stellar job on this issue and bring it to the public. The International Association of Chiefs of Police, the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs Association, the mental health industry basically. There are two mental health systems. One is run by the industry which is serving those well enough to volunteer. All the others are being offloaded to criminal justice and they are starting to realize this has to stop and try to return care and treatment to the mental health system. Tim Murphy was a Republican, was lead on the health and family Howard Husock: Hes a congressman from Pennsylvania. DJ Jaffe: and hes been, and also a psychologist, and he was on the lead of crafting this. Howard Husock: Okay, so this has been another of our 10 Blocks Podcast series here at the Manhattan Institute. I should note that the plug for the Manhattan Institute from DJ Jaffe was unprompted by me DJ Jaffe: Its true. Howard Husock: but we appreciate it. I have been joined by DJ Jaffe, author of Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill, new on Prometheus Press. DJ Jaffe: And that comment was solicited, your book for my book. Howard Husock: Well, that was different. And Stephen Eide, senior fellow here at the Manhattan Institute and author of the new City Journal article Failure to Thrive. Stephen, DJ, thank you. Since the election of Donald Trump, who promised the immediate deportation of criminal aliens (bad hombres) from the United States, many U.S. localities have redoubled their efforts to protect and offer sanctuary to immigrant populations. Sanctuary citiesand in some cases, statesimpose a range of obstructive policies in order to make it as hard as possible for federal authorities to arrest and remove aliens eligible for deportation. Originally, municipal sanctuary policy established a practice of non-inquiry regarding a residents immigration status. The policy has evolved into active non-cooperation with federal law enforcement, to the extent that Chicago, San Francisco, and New York City, for example, will not comply with requests to detain illegal immigrants unless they have recently been convicted of a serious crime and a judicial warrant accompanies the request. Federal immigration authorities have been banned from operating within municipal jails, and sanctuary cities will not expend any resources in assisting these agents. Despite these efforts, it has not been possible for cities to protect their illegal aliens from deportation to the extent that sanctuary advocates demand. Cities cannot forbid federal officers from arresting criminal aliens in their homes, on the streets, or in courthouses. The best way to deter possible deportation, sanctuary advocates contend, is to limit interactions between illegal immigrants and the criminal-justice system, not in the traditional wayby obeying the lawbut rather, by not enforcing the law. If there are no arrests, then there is no criminal record to base deportation orders on. For example, anti-incarceration and pro-illegal-alien groups have demanded an end to policing of quality-of-life offenses, on the grounds that arrest for minor crimes like farebeating or marijuana possession can lead to a noncitizens deportation. But officials aware of the importance of Broken Windows-style policing to public order are loath to give up on it. As an alternative means of protecting immigrants, prosecutors are announcing that they will take immigration status under consideration when charging noncitizens and while making plea agreements. Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez says that because he is unflaggingly committed to equal and fair justice for all the people of Brooklyn, he is ordering his prosecutors to strive for immigration-neutral disposition of cases. Gonzalez clarified, now, more than ever, we must ensure that a conviction, especially for a minor offense, does not lead to draconian consequences like deportation, which can be unfair, tear families apart, and destabilize communities and businesses. Baltimore is following a similar policy. A memo distributed to staff in the Baltimore State Attorneys Office explains that current federal policies have increased the potential collateral consequences to certain immigrants of minor, non-violent criminal conduct. As such, prosecutors are instructed to consider the potential consequences of criminal charges against those immigrants. California already takes this approach at the state level: its penal code states that the prosecution, in the interests of justice . . . shall consider the avoidance of adverse immigration consequences in the plea negotiation process as one factor in an effort to reach a just resolution. The Supreme Court, in its 2010 Padilla case, ruled that defense attorneys should inform their clients of the possible consequences of a guilty plea to their immigration status. California has gone a step further, enlisting the prosecution in the cause of going as easy as possible on the defendant. The intention of these new standards is to punish immigrants without besmirching their criminal records. If someone is arrested for farebeating, for instance, charge him with disorderly conduct; if marijuana possession, plead him down to loitering. The problem with this new approach is that it creates separate, unequal justice systems for two categories of people, based on citizenshipan apparent violation of Title III of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin. An illegal immigrant arrested for document fraud, in this view, should be charged lightly because he might get deported; a citizen arrested for the same crime faces no such collateral penalty, so he can be charged as harshly as possible. I regret to say that weve seen district attorneys openly brag about not charging cases appropriatelygiving special treatment to illegal aliens to ensure these criminal aliens arent deported from their communities, said Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently. They advertise that they will charge a criminal alien with a lesser offense than presumably they would charge a United States citizen. It baffles me. Sessions should bring federal civil rights charges against any jurisdiction shown to be affording such special treatment to criminal aliens. The Supreme Court held that classifications based on alienage, like those based on nationality or race, are inherently suspect and subject to close judicial scrutiny. Alienage is the state or condition of being a noncitizen; if prosecutors are allowed to treat the native born or naturalized more harshly than aliens, then perhaps we will soon need to include citizens as a protected class. Selective prosecution of any group of people cannot be permitted in the United States. Photo: 2017 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement One of the most intriguing experiments designed to help save local journalism is getting a major boost. The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, launched in January 2016 with an endowment of $20 million from philanthropist Gerry Lenfest, announced today it has raised $26.5 million in additional gifts from a variety of sources. Impressed by the response, Lenfest says hes ponying up another $40 million, an amount that will have to be matched. Its a great day for local journalism, but it also symbolizes how much work we have to do, says Jim Friedlich, the institutes executive director and CEO. For the moment, at least, Im pleased as punch by all of this. Lenfest, who had acquired The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and philly.com as part of a group of local notables determined to save the struggling news outlets, later became the sole owner. He set up the institute as a vehicle for exploring ways to buttress watchdog journalism in the digital age and donated the news outlets to the new entity. The idea is to both strengthen the news organizations, which have shrunk dramatically over the years, and use Philadelphia as a laboratory for helping to safeguard journalism across the nation. Great journalism is more vital to our democracy today than ever before and never before has it faced such challenges, Lenfest, 86, said in a statement Wednesday. Based upon this groundswell of interest in our mission, I have decided to match some of the donations already received and to offer further matching gifts to support future giving. Friedlich, a former Wall Street Journal business executive who came on board last September, says the outpouring of financial support reflects how important people consider local journalism, which he says had been a theory in need of proof. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project Friedlich also says he believed the nations fraught political climate had something to do with the response. Absolutely, he replied. Theres deep concern about the veracity of news, the sustainability of news, the future of independent journalism. Its felt across the political spectrum. And is Trump, with his fast-and-loose approach to facts and his campaign against journalists, a driving force? I believe he is, Friedlich says, adding, we would feel the same way if the criticism of independent news is coming from the other party. In a number of big cities, in which wealthy locals have ridden to the journalistic rescue, it has been a single white knight: Boston Red Sox owner John Henry acquiring The Boston Globe, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor purchasing Minneapolis Star Tribune. In Philadelphia, Lenfest wanted to open up the tent. Friedlich sees the diversity of donorswell-known philanthropists and venture capitalists, local and national foundationsas a validation of Lenfests approach. Friedlich says the mission is to use Philadelphia as a market and The Philadelphia Inquirer as a heritage property to serve as a lab for innovation. The overarching focus, he says, is a recognition of local and metro markets as a key battleground in the sustainability of news. Lenfest has frequently said that to save the journalism, it is essential to save the business. The center of the bullseye, Friedlich says, is the Philadelphia Media Network, the parent company of the three Philly news outlets. Owned by the nonprofit institute, the network still functions as a business. But in an important shift, Lenfest converted it into a public benefit corporation, which means no public shareholders and no scrutiny from security analysts. It means more time to try to design a future. The institute has a small team of media operators, and they have worked with the Philly properties on such things as mobile product development, designing a metered payment system, newsroom reorganization, and other transformation-related projects. It has also provided substantial training in the newsroom, with an eye toward digital skills, use of audience metrics, and new forms of multimedia storytelling including enhanced watchdog journalism. In mid-May, the institute plans to seek out grant applications from Philadelphia and elsewhere in such research areas as new approaches to reader monetization, digital product ideas, and activities centered on audience diversity. And it will launch a Nieman Fellow-type residency program, bringing fellows to Philadelphia to brainstorm on fresh ideas about such topics as user-centric design and user engagement. Friedlich sees the early success of the institute as another in a long history of proof points for Philadelphia and its ability to do big things. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Rem Rieder is a former USA Today media columnist and before that the longtime editor and senior vice president of American Journalism Review. Last Wednesday, shortly before 7 am, Constantin Seibt took a few deep breaths to steady himself before walking the last block to Zurichs Hotel Rothaus, a former brothel-turned-hotel-turned-temporary office for a journalism startup called Republik. It was the first day of a crowdfunding effort to prove to investors there was market support for an online magazine financed by subscriptions. The concept, as Seibt describes it, is simple: No-bullshit journalism. The magazine, which will publish in German, promises to upload three pieces of journalism a dayarticles, podcasts, photo reportage, or videothat will be well researched, well sourced, and factual. That material will sit behind a strong paywall, because content has value. The goal was to generate 750,000 Swiss francs (about $750,000) in 35 days by convincing 3,000 people to pay 240 francs each for a one-year subscription to an online magazine that has yet to publish its first story. Seibt and nine other co-conspirators calling themselves Project R had invited friends to hang out in the hotel coffee shop to mark the first day of the crowdfunding campaign. They even put out a call on social media for others to join them: Sign up to Republik online or come on down to Zurichs trendy, gentrifying fourth district to donate. Sign up for CJR 's daily email By mid-morning, the coffee machine was on overdrive: A line had formed around the block, club-style. Swiss radio and other media began to take notice. We didnt see it coming, Seibt, 51, tells CJR. By 3 pm they had met their initial goal, so they set a new target. Within two days, they had raised $2 million, beating a previous crowd-funding effort by Dutch news portal De Correspondent. Now, a week into the effort, Republik has more than 10,400 subscribers and more than 2.6 million francs in crowdfunding, in addition to 3.5 million francs in startup cash they raised from investors, including the Meili brothers, a doctor, psychiatrist, and architect living in Zurich whose father made his fortune developing the technology used in modern fire alarms. Other local investors arent currently being named for legal reasons, business manager Susanne Sugimoto says, but the group hopes to identify them soon. Sugimoto reckons the company will break even with 22,000 subscribers, a goal she had initially calculated would take five years. She wont dare to predict if theyll get that far this year for fear of jinxing them. The fundraising success proves that Republik has hit a nerve. No one was expecting this success, says Anja Draeger, a board member of the Swiss Union of Broadcast Journalists. But, she adds, The need was clear. Media in Switzerland is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few corporations, threatening the diversity and plurality of news in a country with a population of 8 million divided by four national languages and straddling the larger media markets of Germany, France, and Italy. Millionaire businessman Christoph Blocher, who for decades has been the leading ideologist behind the far right Swiss Peoples Party here, purchased a one-third share of the largest subscription newspaper in Basel three years ago. According to various reports, the Blochers aim to expand their media empire at a time when the Swiss Peoples Party is sponsoring a national referendum to make funding from every Swiss household for the countrys public broadcaster, SRF, voluntary instead of mandatory. At the same time, as in other countries, newsrooms are laying off journalists. Online outlets focus increasingly on brain candysoft news or emotionally laden stories that intentionally provoke outrageand legacy media organizations feel they must compete. Republik co-founder Christof Moser, a journalist and professor, is the brains behind the project. He sneers incredulously at Switzerlands largest print outlet, 20 Minuten, a free commuter paper, noting that nearly all their stories rely on only one source. Thats not journalism, he says. That is systematically anti-journalism. You use one source, you have no ethical standards. Project Rs initial success shows that many people are seriously worried about the loss of quality journalism, Philipp Bachmann, a professor at University of Zurichs Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, wrote in an email. Now, Moser and Seibt say, the pressure is on to produce a stunningly great product. They clearly feel the heat. During our conversation in the hotel coffee shop, their faces were strained and their hair unkempt. Both chain smoked nervously. Five days into the most successful fundraising effort in Swiss history, the group hasnt paused to celebrate. Theres no time, Moser said. Seibt agreed: We cant fuck it up. As one of the highest profile journalists in the German-speaking part of the country, Seibt may have the most to lose. Born in Frankfurt, he worked for years at a Swiss weekly, first as a journalist then as its editor. He switched to Zurichs Tages-Anzeiger 10 years ago, where he won a top journalism prize in 2008 and wrote a book, Deadline, for budding reporters. When Moser approached him nearly three years ago with the idea of starting an ambitious magazine, Seibt was already frustrated with life in the newsroom, with its endless rounds of cuts and increased pressure to produce stories fast with less emphasis on thoroughness. My heart needed one more year to accept what my head knew, he says. Seibts decision to quit his day job at Tages-Anzeiger last October to work full-time on Project R made headlines on media sites. If we dont [create something great], we will be laughed out of the country, he tells CJR. Two role models for the project early on, Moser says, were Ida Tarbell, the American muckraker, and Thomas Jefferson, for his unrelenting support of free speech. Project Rs vision is to take their time and produce thoughtful, honest pieces. They plan to use some of their new funding on four monster investigations, each of which could now potentially have budgets of up to 60,000 francs. No other Swiss medium that we know of will invest so much time and money into journalism investigations, Seibt says. Their goal isnt to be fast, but to be thorough. Its not to be the biggest, but to be the highest quality. Buy us because well give you less, he laughs. Moser jumps in: Less noise. In short, Seibt says, We have to hack the system. In this golden age of storytelling, too few reporters have the luxury of time, money and resources to use all the tools available, like data, interactive graphics, or videoor all three. We want to target the heart of the reader, Seibt says. To do that right, they say, journalists need to be free from commercial pressure. And if readers value quality journalism, they should pay for it. Thats why Project R opted for a high annual subscription fee and a strict paywall. The company is structured so that paid subscribers are automatically members of the Project R Cooperative, which will own no more than 49 percent of Republik, a for-profit publication. The investors will control about 20 percent, while the rest of the shareholders will be founders and staff. The idea is that while each groupreaders, investors, and staffhas some say over the companys direction, none has sole control. The 10 founding members of Project R include five men and five women of different ages and a variety of backgrounds. In addition to the two journalists, there are software engineers and specialists in IT, finance, marketing, crowdfunding, and business. All will earn the same, enviable paycheck of 8,000 francs per month (Swiss companies pay employees 13 months of salaries per year). They promise to be equally generous with freelancers. One of their fundraising goals is money for translations so they can accept stories from non-German speakers. The group isnt just upfront about pay; it aims to be equally transparent in its reporting, Moser promises. And Clara Vuillemin, 25, who heads up IT, says her team has created an open source platform for Republik that will be available for other journalism startups to use. With trademark Swiss attention to detail, the group has even created its own typeface. The Republik font is messy by design: Its not clean, not finished, says Nadja Schnetzler, president of Republik. Its something that will irritate you, like we hope our articles might from time to time. They also are taking their time to create the perfect product before they launch. Moser and Seibt say the venture isnt likely to start before the beginning of 2018. In the meantime, they plan to hire 11 newsroom staff and begin to develop stories. Taking time has been a hallmark. For the last 18 months, Project R invited 75 journalists and communication specialists from the German-speaking part of the country to monthly meetings to act as a sounding board. That group also helped build contacts and generate buzz. By the time the crowdfunding started last week, they had collected 8,000 names for their newsletter. Still, as Sugimoto points out, its one thing to add your name to a list; its something entirely different to shell out 240 francs. Particularly satisfying for the group is that the average donor contributes 251 francs. Fewer than 50 people have opted to pay less than the recommended donation. A key goal for Republik is to attract readers who understand and value longform journalism so that they stay hooked for the long term. Schnetzler notes that about 40 percent of the De Correspondents initial donors did not re-subscribe for a second year. (The site has since rebounded.) Project R is trying to minimize that dip by using the crowdfunding as a teachable moment, explaining to potential readers why journalism is crucial for democracy. Moser thought Republik would be a good name because it comes from Res Publica, Latin for public affairs, and a synonym for commonwealth. Seibt noted that each Project R office has its own toilet and shower because they are former hotel rooms, something he views as a reminder of their mission. This is a guarantee for clean journalism, he says. Part of the groups manifesto, which hangs from a balcony outside Hotel Rothaus, reads: Journalism is more than just a business to be run by corporate executives. Journalism is responsible only to the publicfor democracy is the same as life: its about making sound decisions and depends on getting sound information. Good journalism sends out teams to explore reality. The mission of journalists is to bring back the facts and context that citizens in a democracy needand to report them as they are, independently, conscientiously, and fearing no one but boredom. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Alison Langley 's stories have appeared in a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, and Deutsche Welle. She currently lives in Zurich. The following companies are subsidiares of Ashland: 565 Corporation, ASH GP INC., ASHLAND SPECIALTY CHEMICAL (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD., ASHLAND SPECIALTY CHEMICALS (MALAYSIA) SDN.BHD, Adams Drive Totowa L.L.C., Alera Property Holdings LLC, Alera Technologies Inc., Alix Technologies LLC, Aloe Vemera S.P.R de R.L. de C.V., Ash B5 Limited, Ash GH One Inc., Ash GH Switzerland GmbH, Ash Global Holding Three GmbH, Ash Global Holdings Two B.V., Ash Junior Global Holding One LLC, Ash Junior Global Holding Two LLC, Ash Swiss Holding Two GmbH, Ashland (Australasia) Pty. Limited, Ashland (China) Holdings Co. Ltd., Ashland (Gibraltar) One Holding Inc., Ashland (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Ashland Argentina S.R.L., Ashland CZ s.r.o., Ashland Canada Corp./Corporation Ashland Canada, Ashland Canada Holdings B. V., Ashland Chemco Inc., Ashland Chemical De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ashland Chemical Trading (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ashland Chemicals (Nanjing) Company Limited, Ashland Colombia S.A.S., Ashland Comercio de Especialidades Quimicas do Brasil Ltda., Ashland Eastern Markets LLC, Ashland Ethanol Inc., Ashland Finance Limited, Ashland Global Holdings Inc., Ashland India Private Limited, Ashland Industria de Ingredientes do Brasil Ltda., Ashland Industries Deutschland GmbH, Ashland Industries Europe GmbH, Ashland Industries Italia S.r.l., Ashland Industries Nederland B.V., Ashland Ingredients Poland Sp. z o.o., Ashland Italia S.r.l., Ashland Japan Ltd., Ashland LLC, Ashland Licensing and Intellectual Property LLC, Ashland Mexico Holdings One LLC, Ashland Mexico Holdings Two LLC, Ashland Nigeria Exploration Unlimited, Ashland Oil (Nigeria) Company Unlimited, Ashland Oil Inc., Ashland Pacific Pty. Ltd., Ashland Pharmachem International Holdings LLC, Ashland Services B. V., Ashland Services Mexico S.A. de C.V., Ashland Singapore Pte. Ltd., Ashland Spain Real Estate Holdings S.L., Ashland Specialties Austria GmbH, Ashland Specialties Belgium BVBA, Ashland Specialties France S.a.r.l., Ashland Specialties Hispania S.L., Ashland Specialties Ireland Limited, Ashland Specialties Sverige AB, Ashland Specialties UK Limited, Ashland Specialty Chemical Korea Co. Ltd., Ashland Specialty Ingredients G.P., Ashland-Alaskan Limited, Ashland-Plasticos De Portugal Lda., Ashmont Insurance Company Inc., Ashprop Two LLC, Avoca LLC, Avoele S.A. de C.V., Belleville Realty Corp., Blazer Properties LLC, Bluegrass Insurance Company Limited, CLTA LLC, CVG Capital III LLC, Carol Clifton Inc., Curtis Bay Insurance Co. Ltd, East Bay Realty Services Inc., Fospur, Hercofina, Hercules, Hercules Holding BV BVBA, Hercules Hydrocarbon Holdings Inc., Hercules International Limited LLC, Hercules Investment ApS, Hercules Investments Netherlands B.V., Hercules Islands Corporation, Hercules LLC, Hercules Paper Holdings Inc., Hercules Trading (Shanghai) Company Limited, ISP (Belgium) International N. V., ISP Alginates Inc., ISP Canada Corp., ISP Capital LLC, ISP Chemco LLC, ISP Chemical Products LLC, ISP Chemicals LLC, ISP Environmental Services Inc., ISP France Holding SARL, ISP France Marketing SARL, ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals Inc., ISP Freight Services N. V., ISP Global Operations (Barbados) Inc., ISP Global Technologies Deutschland Unterstutzungskasse GmbH, ISP Global Technologies Inc., ISP Global Technologies LLC, ISP HC Limited, ISP Holdings (U.K.) Ltd., ISP Hungary Holdings Limited Liability Company, ISP International Corp., ISP Investments LLC, ISP Lima LLC, ISP Luxembourg Canada S.a.r.l., ISP Management Company Inc., ISP Marl Holdings GmbH, ISP Microcaps (U.K.) Limited, ISP Pharma Systems LLC, ISP Real Estate Company Inc., ISP Singapore Holding LLC, ISP Technologies LLC, International Specialty Holdings LLC, International Specialty Products, International Specialty Products (India) Private Limited, International Specialty Products Funding Corporation, International Specialty Products Inc., Jiangmen Ashland Chemicals Company Limited, Nanjing Clear Environment Protection, Northwest Coatings, Oil Can Henrys, PT Ashland Asia, PT. Ashland Specialty Chemicals Indonesia, Pakistan Gum Industries (Private) Limited, Pharmachem Laboratories, Pharmachem Laboratories LLC, Pharmachem Laboratories Utah LLC, Prince Street Paterson LLC, Progiven S.A.S., Proprietary Nutritionals LLC, Ralop S. de R.L. de C.V., Schulke & Mayr - Personal Care Business, Shanghai Ashland Chemical Technology Development Co. Ltd., St Croix Petrochemical Corp, Taiwan Ashland Co. Ltd., Techwax Limited, Vemera S. de R.L. de C.V., Vornia, and WSP LLC. Read More BrightFarms is recalling packaged produce sold in Giant Food stores due to the potential presence of metal as a result of construction at its Elkwood, Virginia, (Culpeper County) greenhouse farm. The recalled BrightFarms branded products are sold at the Giant Landover, Giant Carlisle, Peapod and Martins Food Markets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. The produce may also have been distributed via the Capital Area Food Bank. The following salad products, packaged in clear, plastic clamshells with best by date of 5/22/17, 5/23/17, 5/24/17, 5/25/17, 5/26/17, are being recalled: BrightFarms Baby Spinach (4 oz. package) BrightFarms Spring Mix (4 oz. and 8 oz. package) BrightFarms Spinach Blend (4 oz. package) BrightFarms Baby Kale (3 oz. package) BrightFarms Arugula (4 oz. and 8 oz. package) BrightFarms Mixed Greens (4 oz. package) BrightFarms Baby Romaine (4 oz. and 8 oz. Package) The following basil products, packaged in clear plastic clamshells with best by dates 5/18/17, 5/19/17, 5/20/17, 5/21/17, 5/22/17, 5/23/17, are being recalled: BrightFarms Basil (.75 oz. package) BrightFarms Thai Basil (.75 oz. package) BrightFarms Lemon Basil (.75 oz. Package) Best by dates are located on the package label. What to do Customers who purchased the recalled products should discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at l (646) 480-5262 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday, or by email info@brightfarms.com with the subject line: Recall. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Washington, D.C., May 3, 2017The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns Chinas move on Tuesday to impose yet more stringent controls on the media and free expression by requiring strict licensing requirements for virtually all forms of news distribution. The new regulations, issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, require that news websites be incorporated in China and be managed by a Chinese citizen. Joint ventures involved in gathering or disseminating news need special security clearance. Business and news operations are to be separated, with only publicly-funded news gathering operations allowed. A range of fines, generally up to 30,000 yuan (US$4353), is specified for different infractions, which may also be referred for criminal investigation. Beijings latest measures plainly rule out any serious dissent or challenge to the official Communist Party line, and they may help prop up Party rule in the short run, said Steven Butler, CPJ Asia program coordinator. But they take the country in precisely the wrong direction as Chinese society and its economy demand an ever more free flow of information. The regulations amount to a comprehensive codification of rules introduced in July 2016 to govern websites, software applications, forums, blogs, microblogs, social media accounts, instant messaging, and webcasts. Content covered includes reports and comments on social and public affairs, including politics, the economy, military and foreign affairs, as well as reports and comments on social emergencies. According to the CAC, websites must serve the people, serve socialism, while giving correct guidance to public opinion. They must also safeguard national interest. The breadth of the rules appears to provide a legal basis for the government to intervene in all news-related activities. While not all of the measures are new, their comprehensive formulation is a logical next step in a trend toward tighter controls as documented by CPJ. Their issuance follows the appointment of Xu Lin as director of the CAC in July 2016. Xu is a close associate of Chinese President Xi Jinping. LAGRANGE With the snip of a red ribbon, Garry Miller officially reopened his grocery store Tuesday after it had undergone a nearly two-year remodeling project that resulted in it basically being rebuilt from the inside out. Millers Food & Drug has been a fixture in LaGrange since it first opened in 1973, when the Miller family bought the towns Kroger store. The business since has grown to include 12 stores, with the chain stretching from Cleveland, Ohio, to Nappanee. Millers LaGrange store remained open for business throughout the entire remodeling project. Garry Miller said the building needed to be updated. This place was worn out, he said of the store. The renovated store is bright, with state-of-the-art LED lighting, wider aisles, new shelves, coolers and freezers and a refurbished floor. The stores pharmacy was upgraded, too. New check-out lanes were created and a new customer service area was added. The project added more than 9,000 square feet of new retail space. The store last was remodeled 17 years ago. This project allowed the store to add thousands of new items to its inventory, and it provided more open space for shoppers. People told us what they wanted. No stone was left unturned, said Dan Lovell, the stores manager. We were really busting at the seams before. We were ready for this remodel. Lovell said customers response to the remodeling project has been nothing short of overwhelming. The stores management worked closely with construction workers to make sure the project did not interfere more than it needed to with shoppers. The Miller family first got into the grocery business in 1958, when the Miller brothers including Garry Millers father, Joseph Miller opened their first store in Wauseon, Ohio. At first, my mother would say my dad didnt know a can of corn from a can of beans, Garry Miller said of his father at the time the first store opened. But he was a smart man, and he learned the business quickly. He said the grocery stores remain strong by being part of the community. The LaGrange store makes twice-weekly donations to the Clothes and Food Basket of LaGrange County, a nonprofit organization that helps feed needy families. The store also played a role in a $15,000 donation from grocery supplier Supervalu Inc. to the Clothes and Food Basket. The LaGrange store donates time and money for local events. This weekend, for example, volunteers with the LaGrange County Habitat for Humanity will bag groceries to help raise funds for their Women Build project. Garry Miller said his stores owe their success to the people who work in them. About 80 people work at the LaGrange store, and the entire chain employs about 500. They love and are involved in their communities, Garry Miller said of his employees. We support our communities. If someone needs help and we can help, then we will. He would not say what it cost to remodel the LaGrange store, but he added it wasnt cheap. We literally built a new store over the top of the old one, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bangkok, May 3, 2017Cambodian authorities should immediately drop all charges against Radio Free Asia journalist Huot Vuthy, also known as Chun Chanboth, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Vuthy, the U.S.-government-funded radio stations deputy director for Cambodia, left the country on April 29 after receiving a summons to appear in court on May 2 on charges that he failed to identify himself as a journalist during a prison visit with a group of 16 jailed opposition politicians and political activists, according to news reports. Phnom Penhs Municipal Court today issued a warrant for his arrest for failing to respond to the courts summons in person, news reports said. Vuthys appointed lawyers presented a written statement refuting the allegations that he misrepresented himself to gain access to the Prey Sar prison complex, the reports said. The charges against Huot Vuthy, if fully prosecuted, would give authorities carte blanche to harass and prosecute journalists on flimsy allegations that they failed to identify themselves while pursuing sensitive stories, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs Southeast Asia representative. For the sake of press freedom, this bogus lawsuit should be dropped, and Vuthy should be allowed to resume his reporting duties without fear of reprisal. In a statement, RFA yesterday said RFAs leadership asked Vuthy to return to the United States out of concern for his safety and concerns that he might not get a fair trial. Vuthy, a U.S. citizen, committed no crime, the statement said. The court summons claimed that Vuthy told guards he was an assistant to opposition lawmakers Mu Sochua and Long Ry, according to news reports. Penalties for making a false declaration carry a maximum two-year prison sentence under local laws, the reports said. The charges against Vuthy come against the backdrop of increased government suppression of the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party ahead of local elections in June. The RFA statement claimed Cambodian authorities have politicized the case against their reporter to distract attention during a contested election. In the lead-up to 2012s local elections, Cambodias Ministry of Information barred Radio Free Asia and two other radio news stations from broadcasting election-related news, according to reports. Carnival Cruise Line and the Bahamian government signed an agreement today during a special signing ceremony in Freeport, Grand Bahama, for the construction of a new cruise port facility to be funded and operated by Carnival Cruise Line on Grand Bahama Island, according to a press release. Carnival said planned port will be the largest purpose-built cruise facility ever constructed in The Bahamas and will include a one-mile stretch of beach, food, beverage and shopping outlets, a wide array of water-based amenities and other recreational facilities. The port will also feature a pier capable of accommodating two of Carnivals largest cruise ships simultaneously and is expected to eventually host up to 1 million guests annually. Carnival Cruise Line is the leader in year-round cruising to The Bahamas and this new development will not only provide a truly extraordinary and one-of-a-kind destination experience for our guests but it will further solidify our partnership with the people of The Bahamas, said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. In 2017, along with Carnivals sister lines, Carnival Corporation will bring close to 3 million guests to The Bahamas via calls to Nassau, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays, the latter two of which were developed and are operated by Carnival Corporation brands Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. Collectively, we represent the single largest cruise company investor in The Bahamas, Duffy added. During the signing ceremony, Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald said, When Ted Arison, the founder of Carnival and the modern day cruise industry, embarked on his first cruise, it was to The Bahamas. From that day until now, The Bahamas continues to be one of the most strategic and important destinations for our company. Donald continued, Signing this agreement today is especially meaningful to me, as we strive to further contribute to the prosperity of the people of The Bahamas through providing experiences that continue to exceed our guests expectations. Prime Minister the Right Honourable Perry G. Christie stated, The Government of The Bahamas has had a long and close association with Carnival which has been of great economic benefit to both parties. He continued, This new cruise port initiative in East Grand Bahama will deliver a cruise port in the traditional sense, but more than that, its shore project will create a new destination with a distinctive flavor and characteristics that offer the broadest Bahamian entrepreneurial and employment opportunities, representing another phase in the development of Grand Bahama as a viable tourist center. The project is subject to a detailed public discussion process, environmental studies and permitting. Michael A. LaJoice, a former CFO who embezzled more than $18 million from a Michigan credit union, was sentenced to seven to 20 years Monday by an Oakland County circuit court judge. The states sentence will reportedly run concurrently with LaJoices 11-year sentence ordered by a U.S. District Court judge in Detroit last month, according to the Associated Press. LaJoice pleaded no contest to 14 state charges related the multimillion-dollar embezzlement of the $68.5 million Clarkston Brandon Community Credit Union, which led to its insolvency and consolidation last year with the $3.4 million Michigan State University Federal Credit Union in East Lansing. LaJoice also was ordered to pay restitution of $18.6 million. Obamacare is the law of the land and will remain so for the foreseeable future, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) told reporters after House Republicans canceled a vote on their legislation to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare. The American Health Care Act of 2017the House of Representatives legislation to repeal and replace Obamacarewas pulled from the House floor when House leadership realized that they lacked the votes to pass it. The failure to repeal and replace Obamacare is a major defeat for President Trumpwho made it the centerpiece of his campaignand for Republicans, who have spent the last seven years attempting to repeal it. The defeat is especially significant as it comes in the first 100 days of the Trump administrationwhen the new president is traditionally enjoying his honeymoon with Congressand with President Trumps party in control of both the House and Senate. H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act of 2017, would have kept three of the most popular provisions of the PPACA: the ban on lifetime coverage caps, dependent coverage to age 26, and the requirement to cover pre-existing conditions. It would have, among other things, repealed Medicaid expansion, eliminated the PPACAs individual mandate requiring health insurance coverage, modified the premium tax credits and, starting in 2020, replaced the income-based tax credits with a flat tax credit based on age, added a state option to elect Medicaid block grants, and repealed many of the PPACAs tax provisions. The legislation also would have made significant changes to health savings accounts (HSAs) in an effort to expand their use. Provisions in the legislation proposed the following: Increase the annual HSA contribution limits. As proposed, the maximum contribution would be increased to the limit on out-of-pocket expenses under qualified high deductible health plans. [For 2017, $6,550 for self-only coverage and $13,100 for family coverage, indexed for inflation.] Permit spouses over age 55 to make catch-up contributions of up to $1,000 and choose the HSA to which to make the contribution. [This provision would allow both spouses to make catch-up contributions to the same HSA, which is not permitted under current law.] Expand the definition of qualified medical expense to include over-the-counter (non-prescription) medications. Allow eligible medical expenses incurred up to 60-days prior to the establishment of an HSA to be paid tax-free from the HSA. Reduce the additional tax on HSA distributions used for non-qualified medical expenses from the current 20 percent to 10 percent. The HSA provisions, if enacted, would have been the first expansion of HSAs since passage of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, which increased the annual contribution limits and provided limited traditional IRA, health FSA and HRA-to-HSA rollovers. The legislation also would have restored the 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income threshold for the federal medical expenses deduction, which the PPACA increased to 10 percent. As the close of the first 100 days of the Trump the presidency draws near, and with the Neal Gorsuch nomination for Supreme Court justice the only legislative victory, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are clearly looking for a reset to jump-start an aggressive legislative agenda that includes tax reform and a major infrastructure bill. Immediately after the legislation was pulled, President Trump indicated that the administrations attention will now focus on tax reform. Although the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare will make tax reform more difficult, Speaker Ryan has indicated that the House will take up tax reform when Congress returns from its April recess. The Speaker also indicated that Republicans still plan to repeal and replace major parts of Obamacare, with the goal of making more affordable premiums, but those discussions are in the early stages. Credit unions offering HSAs are now wondering what effect the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare will have on the HSA market. While the House of Representatives replacement legislation would have expanded HSAs, failure to bring the legislation to a vote is likely to have little or no effect on the HSA market. The market forces that have driven double-digit growth over the past ten yearsincreasing health care costs, employer migration to high deductible health plans, etc.remain in place and are likely to continue driving HSA growth for the foreseeable future. Pat Jury, CUNA Board chairman and Iowa Credit Union League president/CEO, recently shared insights on the credit union movement, advocacy, and leadership with Credit Union Magazine. CU Mag: How big of an asset is your relationship with CUNA president/CEO Jim Nussle as you work to advance the CU movement? Jury: I met Jim Nussle in the mid-1980s when he was running for Congress, and over the past 30 years weve had many opportunities to work together. The relationship has benefited by our knowing one another and, probably more so, by our shared life experiences. We share the same home state, were the same age, and we both attended Drake University. We come from a culture that values hard work, honesty, and transparency. Casting its critical eye over the larger UK business services groups, Morgan Stanley advised clients avoid Aggreko , Berendsen , Adecco and Capita , recommending investors own DCC , AA , Experian and Rentokil instead. Morgan Stanley, which downgraded Aggreko alongside Berendsen to 'underweight' from 'equal weight', said this pair had begun to offer fewer of the attributes analysts that would suggest they will outperform over the long term: "sustainable, high returns on capital, strong cash generation and attractive growth prospects, set within a framework that is aligned with shareholder interests". Aggreko was viewed as a "challenged business with a strong management team". While the temporary power group's current year is felt likely to see a recovery in its local rental businesses, "its core issue of not winning enough utility contracts to offset churn, while pricing remains under pressure, should lead the equity story from here", alongside a stuttering new fleet strategy. Analysts at Barclays re-instated BP as their Top Pick in the European oils sector in anticipation of a "material and sustained" improvement in the oil major's free cash flow. Key to the above, three project start-ups are imminent and momentum in upstream should only improve going into 2018, analysts Lydia Rainforth, Joshua Stone and Danni Li said. Downstream, there is scope for the market to be positively surprised and an investor day on 14 June will afford management an opportunity to discuss its own growth ambitions in greater detail, they said. "We continue to see this as an area where market forecasts are likely to prove too conservative and building credibility through detailed disclosure should also build confidence in the wider group aspirations on cash-flow." RBC Capital Markets downgraded Burberry to 'underperform' from 'sector perform' and cut the price target to 1,530p from 1,620p. The Canadian bank said it expects full-year 2018 to be another year of pedestrian sales and earnings growth for Burberry, materially below sector average. "Low single-digit retail like-for-like growth should not be enough to generate meaningful operating leverage and this should put a lid on margin performance. Potential corporate activity and GBP changes are key risks to our thesis," it said. RBC downgraded its pre-tax profit forecasts by FY18 and FY19 by 3% and 6%, respectively, putting it 6% below consensus on its new FY19 numbers. Social network Facebook announced on Wednesday that it would hire 3,000 employees to monitor content on its site after recent incidents of violence being live streamed by users. The tech giants CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the staff additions to the already 4,500-strong team of post reviewers in response to criticism over recorded murders and suicides appearing on the site. US police led a nationwide hunt for a man who streamed his murder of an older man in Ohio last month, leading to Facebook vowing to improve its monitoring service. More recently, a Thai man broadcast the killing of his own daughter via the social network, with the video remaining online until more than a day had passed. Zuckerberg said the increased staff numbers would help to detect and remove inappropriate material quicker In a post on his own Facebook page, founder Zuckerberg said the increased staff numbers would help to detect and remove inappropriate material quicker. "Over the next year, we'll be adding 3,000 people to our community operations team around the world -- on top of the 4,500 we have today -- to review the millions of reports we get every week, and improve the process for doing it quickly," Zuckerberg wrote. "If we're going to build a safe community, we need to respond quickly. We're working to make these videos easier to report so we can take the right action sooner -- whether that's responding quickly when someone needs help or taking a post down." Facebook's difficulties come at a similarly troubling time for other social media and internet companies about how they monitor and filter content on their sites. Google-owned YouTube has seen a raft of advertisers pulling their investments after some ads appeared alongside extremist content earlier this year. It might take a few days to see unofficial results in Pa. Here's why The tools ornithologists use to track the journeys of migrating birds provide invaluable insights that can help halt the declines of vulnerable species. However, a new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications shows that these data come at a cost--in some cases, these tracking devices reduce the chances that the birds carrying them will ever make it back to their breeding grounds. Geolocators are small devices attached to birds that record light levels over time, which can be used to determine location. They're widely used to study migration patterns, but studies have suggested that some species may be negatively affected by carrying them. Douglas Raybuck of Arkansas State University and his colleagues monitored male Cerulean Warblers with and without geolocators to see how they fared, and they found that while geolocators had no effect on the birds' nesting success in the same season following their capture, birds with geolocators were less likely to reappear on their territories after migration the next year--16% of geolocator-tagged birds returned from migration, versus 35% of the birds in the control group. The data gained from geolocator studies are enormously useful for bird conservation, and on a global scale those benefits are likely to outweigh potential the costs. The results from this study suggest that the potential impacts of individual research projects need to be carefully evaluated, but we should remember that only a small number of birds are ever tagged relative to the total size of the population under study. The researchers captured Cerulean Warblers in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Arkansas by luring them into nets using call recordings and wooden decoys. Outfitting some with geolocators but others with only identifying color bands, they monitored the birds' nests and then searched for them the following year to determine whether they'd returned. "Re-sighting males and identifying their unique color-band combinations as they moved about in the canopy was not always easy, but our dedicated and skilled field crew did a fantastic job of overcoming these obstacles, which were compounded by inclement weather and the rugged topography of the sites," says Raybuck. "New technologies such as geolocators and automated radiotracking arrays have led to a surge in new tagging studies of migratory songbirds," according to York University's Bridget Stutchbury, an expert on geolocators and the conservation biology of North America's migratory songbirds. "Finding that tagged birds were far less likely to return the next year compared with un-tagged birds puts researchers in a serious dilemma, because despite the potential costs of tagging small birds, long-distance tracking is essential to find out which wintering and migratory stopover sites should be highest priority for conservation." ### "Mixed effects of geolocators on reproduction and survival of Cerulean Warblers, a canopy-dwelling, long-distance migrant" will be available May 3, 2017, at http://americanornithologypubs.org/doi/full/10.1650/CONDOR-16-180.1 (issue URL http://americanornithologypubs.org/toc/cond/119/2). About the journal: The Condor: Ornithological Applications is a peer-reviewed, international journal of ornithology. It began in 1899 as the journal of the Cooper Ornithological Club, a group of ornithologists in California that became the Cooper Ornithological Society, which merged with the American Ornithologists' Union in 2016 to become the American Ornithological Society. Phoenix, AZ -- Humankind may still prove to be the planet's best friend or its worst enemy, advise global earth science leaders at Arizona State University. But those in this field can no longer limit their studies to the recent past and present times, they say, nor view modern humans as outside agents convoluting a more natural order. By now, "the natural and the human-made are meshed together in a cyborg whole," explains Sander van der Leeuw, foundation professor at ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) as well as the ASU School of Sustainability. For he and fellow SHESC professor Michael Barton, this means that earth science systems must also evolve, taking into account not just data from fields such as geology, meteorology, oceanography and astronomy, but also from economics, governance and other distinctly human social dimensions that can reshape the planet just as dramatically. "Whenever any change occurs, man-made or natural, for better or worse, it alters in real time what options exist and what approaches will steer us toward positive futures," says van der Leeuw. "But the social scientists and nature scientists looking for those changes on their own sides of the aisle rarely have access to the same culture, tools or trade languages." To that effect, van der Leeuw and Barton have traveled the globe under the United Nation's Future Earth program in order to develop a multi-year science plan bridging these once-distinct fields of study. This includes establishing shared computational software, development and implementation standards, and even common research agendas. Their goal is not to minimize or homogenize away pure, traditional earth science, such as the historic Global Analysis Integration and Modeling (GAIM) effort, which measures the impact of carbon cycles, or the original AIMES 1.0 methodology for tracking physical and biological changes in land and ocean systems. Both models worked so well that they became scientific standards still used in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports. But van der Leeuw and Barton, leading international teams along with Peter Cox at Exeter University, are focusing on overlaying a new methodology that will expand the field's understanding of these naturally-existing complex adaptive systems with human networks that are also subject to societal changes, such as in demography, the internet and the global economy. It's being referred to as AIMES 2.0. This push is in tandem with many ongoing efforts such as the IHOPE project, which uses real archeological and paleo-environmental models of change, and applies them to modern settings on a long-term trajectory. Like a data-driven version of The Sims, AIMES 2.0 researchers work on how to keep the "game" going and its characters (us) alive and thriving for as long as possible, despite constant variables such as trade interruption, drought, population boom, and regime change. This approach is already gaining global momentum and adoption as part of Future Earth and The World in 2050, a project that is supported by funds from NASA (through Columbia University), the Stockholm Resilience Center, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna. "The undercurrent you see in all of these efforts is a move from explaining and learning from the past, to anticipating and learning for the future," says van der Leeuw. "We'll be monitoring cities and other densely-populated, accessible areas as possible tipping points, but also our tropics, high altitude, and blue-water regions, and the points where they all intersect. It all matters in a truly global earth science system." ### About Sander Van Der Leeuw In July 2001, van der Leeuw was appointed Secretary-General of the French Conseil National de Coordination des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Societe (National Council for the Coordination of the Humanities and Social Sciences) and was also appointed as Deputy Director for Social Sciences at the CNRS (2002-2003) and at the National Institute for the Sciences of the Universe. In 2003, he was appointed chair of the Department of Anthropology at Arizona State University in the US, where he became Founding Director of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and subsequently Chair of the Consortium for Biosocial Complex Systems and Dean of the School of Sustainability. In 2012 he was awarded the "Champion of the Earth for Science and Innovation" prize by the United Nations Environment Program. ASU affiliations and appointments: Foundation Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Foundation Professor, School of Sustainability, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability Distinguished Sustainability Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability Director, ASU SFI Center for Biosocial Complex Systems Professor, Global Biosocial Complexities Initiative Faculty, School for the Future of Innovation in Society Professor, Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity About Michael Barton: Michael Barton is a geoarchaeologist whose expertise includes long-term dynamics of socioecological systems, hunter/gatherers and small-scale agricultural societies, Quaternary landscapes, geospatial technologies, computational modeling, complex systems science, evolutionary theory, lithic technology. Barton is Director of the interdisciplinary Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity, and heads the Graduate Faculty in Complex Adaptive System Science. ASU affiliations and appointments: Senior Sustainability Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Director, Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity Affiliated Faculty, Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability Head of Graduate Faculty, Complex Adaptive Systems Science Affiliated Faculty, School of Earth and Space Exploration New book outlines the US healthcare quagmire and how it can be fixed The American healthcare delivery system is breaking. It is faltering in so many ways that it seems like the overall system is beyond fixing. It has become contentious and politicized to the point where it is commonly fought over by politicians, debated endlessly by Americans and yet no substantive changes are enacted that address the system's core goal - providing quality care at a reasonable cost. The only way out of this quandary, according to a new book by two healthcare leaders, is leadership itself. In "Rescuing healthcare: A leadership prescription to make healthcare what we all want it to be," Dr. Denis Cortese and Antony Bell offer a radical and overlooked solution to the dissatisfaction and confusion of the American healthcare delivery system - leadership reform. Cortese, a Foundation professor at Arizona State University and former president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic, and Bell, CEO of Leader Development Inc., a firm that helps leaders in several sectors transform their organization, state that to get the healthcare industry back on track, medical practitioners need to be empowered and given the leeway to create meaningful change in their fields. In exchange they assume responsibility and accountability for their results. "The U.S. now spends more than $3.5 trillion each year on healthcare, but we get little for the money," said Cortese, director of ASU's Healthcare Delivery and Policy Program. "We get widely varying results across the country and on average the U.S. is in the middle to lower rank among developed countries. The reason for this is because the system is a pay for service system. It is not a system that pays for results or is geared towards preventing problems." Cortese and Bell say the way out of this is leadership, all kinds of leadership. But two types stand out - organizational and operations leadership. On the organizational level, what is desperately needed from senior leaders - including doctors, nurses and administrative leaders and politicians - is a shared vision for healthcare delivery. A clear vision would help focus the system on keeping people healthy and active, it would efficiently treat people and it would help patients with chronic conditions lead fulfilling lives while avoiding unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital admissions. On the operational side, Cortese said what are needed are people who get things done and who can accomplish the goals set by the shared vision of organizational leaders. "These are the folks who work on the front lines, deal with the details and are monitoring performance and working relentlessly toward improvements to these goals," he said. "For example, if U.S. government leaders had a clear vision for the use of health information technology then they wouldn't have spent more than $30 billion in the last eight years and not have interoperability of healthcare IT systems." What a clear vision and people who can carry out that vision would mean is a uniform healthcare system large enough to carry a vast number of people, yet flexible enough to develop new models of care at local and regional levels that are customized to a wide range of services and needs of patients. "Instead, our political leadership has spent, wasted, so much time talking about insurance for all," Cortese said. "It's a noble and attainable goal, but even Obamacare wasn't designed to provide insurance for all. If our political leaders had a clear vision and shared commitment to insurance for all citizens they might address one question: Why can't all citizens have what our government employees have?" Federal employees have a selection of private insurance plans with varying benefit packages that individuals can chose for themselves, drugs are covered, there is support for paying the premiums for basic plans, people can pay more for more coverage if they desire. And the plan has full bipartisan support. "So the goal for healthcare insurance that could have been, and still can be, accomplished by political leaders would be to say to the American people: 'You get what we have,'" Cortese added. Most importantly, the book goes beyond simply insurance. After all, getting everyone insured will not solve the fundamental problem of our healthcare delivery system, which provides poor and varied results at high costs, Cortese said. "Look at Medicare, everyone like myself, over 66 years of age has insurance coverage. Yet increasing numbers of us cannot find a doctor; we get widely variable access, outcomes, safety and service, all at an unsustainably high cost to the federal government. This has gotten to the point where financial viability of Medicare is at risk. So just having insurance does not solve the biggest problem of what do we get for the $3.5 trillion spending on healthcare delivery?" "This is where a clear vision and strong leadership is needed," Cortese stressed. "The biggest winners will be the public and the patients who benefit from new models of care that prevent problems from developing; cures us when possible; keeps us functioning well when a cure is not possible; and keeps us comfortable as we reach end of life," he added. "Rescuing healthcare: A leadership prescription to make healthcare what we all want it to be" is published by Morgan James Publishing. ### Brexit's Great Repeal Bill will axe the right to health, warn experts in The BMJ today. Peter Roderick and Allyson Pollock from the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University, argue that "the fundamental right to health in the UK will be lost if the government proceeds with its plan not to convert the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights into UK law, as announced in the white paper on the Great Repeal Bill." They explain how the value of this charter was shown last year, in both EU and UK courts, when the tobacco industry unsuccessfully challenged the new rules on plain packaging of cigarettes. One of the industry's arguments was that the rules violated its rights. But both the EU Court of Justice and the High Court in London used the right to health in article 35 of the charter as a counter weight to that argument. "The government's proposal not to maintain the fundamental rights charter means that after Brexit it will not be possible for a UK judge to use article 35 or other charter rights when interpreting UK laws that have derived from the EU," they write. "These include laws to protect public health such as on pesticide residues in food, health and safety at work, management and disposal of hazardous substances, regulation of medicinal products, and air and water quality." They argue that the change "will considerably weaken the ability of judges in future to uphold the law if it is challenged by industry in the courts" and they raise concerns about the arguments put forward by the government to support its intention to dispense with the charter. "The real protections for public health and inequalities that the charter represents will be set aside if the present government is re-elected in June and its plan to ditch the charter goes ahead," they warn. And they urge all those concerned about public health and social solidarity "to ask their parliamentary candidates to oppose the government's plan and to amend the Great Repeal Bill after the election in order to keep the charter's protections." ### Receiving 'likes' on social media posts doesn't make people feel better about themselves or improve their mood if they are down. These are the findings of a preliminary study presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Brighton on Wednesday 3 May 2017, by Dr Martin Graff from University of South Wales. A total of 340 participants recruited via Twitter and Facebook completed personality questionnaires. They were also asked to say how much they agreed or disagreed with 25 statements relating to the ways people appreciate being valued on social media. For example 'the attention I get from social media makes me feel good' or 'I consider someone popular based on the amount of likes they get'. Analysis revealed that participants who said they went out of their way to get more likes (such as asking others or paying) were more likely to have low self-esteem and be less trusting. The same was true of those who admitted deleting posts or making a picture their profile picture on account of the number of likes it received. The results also showed that receiving likes didn't actually make people feel any better about themselves or make them feel better when they were down. Dr Graff said: "The proliferation of social media use has led to general concerns about the effects on our mental health. Although this is just a relatively small scale study the results indicate that the ways we interact with social media can affect how we feel and not always positively." ### For further information BEFORE THE CONFERENCE contact the British Psychological Society Press Centre: 0116 252 9500 / 07773 173 510 or email presscentre@bps.org.uk DURING THE CONFERENCE (3 to 5 May) call the conference press office on: 07793 800 366 / 07773 173 510 or email presscentre@bps.org.uk PR17.039 Thursday 27 April Editor's notes The British Psychological Society (BPS) Annual Conference takes place from 3 - 5 May 2017 at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. For details of the programme visit: http://www.bps.org.uk/ac2017 Follow the conversation on Twitter: #bpsconf Follow the BPSOfficial on Twitter and Facebook. The BPS is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. We are responsible for the development, promotion and application of psychology for the public good. For more information visit http://www.bps.org.uk University of South Wales: With more than 30,000 students from 120 countries, the University of South Wales (USW) is a major player in UK higher education. Within the United Kingdom, USW is unique in the breadth of its role, encompassing a modern university and two subsidiaries in Wales's national conservatoire, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and The College Merthyr Tydfil. With campuses in Cardiff, Pontypridd and Newport, the University is renowned for its partnerships with major employers, from British Airways and the BBC, to the National Health Service. Its relationship with employers as a leading university for careers is reflected in the high employment rate of its graduates, with 94% of students in employment or further study within six months of graduating. USW is a powerhouse in applied research used to shape major decisions. As a major public policy think-tank, it offers independent advice to government, industry and employers across the UK on health, education, economic growth, social policy, and governance. Children's emotional intelligence improved if mums take folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy. Taking folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy may improve psychological development in children. That is the finding of research by Professor Tony Cassidy and colleagues from Ulster University who will present their study today, Thursday 4 May, to the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society in Brighton. Professor Cassidy said: "There is evidence that folic acid supplements taken during the first three months of pregnancy can have beneficial effects on children's brain development. We wanted to investigate whether continued supplementation throughout pregnancy had any additional effects." The researchers asked the parents of 39 children, now aged seven, to answer questions about their child's personality, including levels of resilience, relationships with others and how they express their emotions. Within this group 22 mothers had taken the supplement throughout their pregnancy while the other 19 took it during the first three months only. Analysis showed that children whose mothers took the supplement throughout pregnancy demonstrated higher levels of emotional intelligence and resilience. Additionally, the level of folic acid in mother's blood towards the end of pregnancy was a good predictor of children's resilience and emotional intelligence. Professor Cassidy said: "Most expectant mothers know that taking folic acid supplements in the first three months of pregnancy is important for the baby's spinal development. Our study shows that there are potential psychological benefits for the child if supplements are taken throughout the pregnancy." ### For further information BEFORE THE CONFERENCE contact the British Psychological Society Press Centre: 0116 252 9500 / 07773 173 510 or email presscentre@bps.org.uk DURING THE CONFERENCE (3 to 5 May) call the conference press office on: 07793 800 366 / 07773 173 510 or email presscentre@bps.org.uk PR17.030 Thursday 27 April 2017 Editor's notes This study was funded by HSC Public Health Agency in NI and with a joint grant from the European Social Research Council and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. Full paper presentation title: 'Psychological developmental benefits for children of mothers taking Folic Acid Supplementation throughout pregnancy' The British Psychological Society annual conference takes place from 3 - 5 May at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. For details of the programme visit http://www.bps.org.uk/ac2017 Follow the conference #bpsconf Follow BPSOfficial on Twitter and Facebook. The BPS is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. We are responsible for the development, promotion and application of psychology for the public good. For more information visit http://www.bps.org.uk. Exposure to the aroma of rosemary essential oil can significantly enhance working memory in children Exposure to the aroma of rosemary essential oil can significantly enhance working memory in children. This is one the findings of a study presented today, Thursday 4 May 2017, by Dr Mark Moss and Victoria Earle of Northumbria University at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton. Dr Mark Moss said: "Our previous study demonstrated the aroma of rosemary essential oil could enhance cognition in healthy adults. Knowing how important working memory is in academic achievement we wanted to see if similar effects could be found in school age children in classroom settings." A total of 40 children aged 10 to 11 took part in a class based test on different mental tasks. Children were randomly assigned to a room that had either rosemary oil diffused in it for ten minutes or a room with no scent. The children were tested individually, seated at the table opposite the researcher. After introducing herself to the child the researcher said: "You are here to play some memory games. Please don't be nervous but try the best you can to remember what I ask you to." Analysis revealed that the children in the aroma room received significantly higher scores than the non-scented room. The test to recall words demonstrated the greatest different in scores. Dr Moss said: "Why and how rosemary has this effect is still up for debate. It could be that aromas affect electrical activity in the brain or that pharmacologically active compounds can be absorbed when adults are exposed. "We do know that poor working memory is related to poor academic performance and these findings offers a possible cost effective and simple intervention to improve academic performance in children. The time is ripe for large-scale trials of aroma application in education settings." ### For further information BEFORE THE CONFERENCE contact the British Psychological Society Press Centre: 0116 252 9500 / 07773 173 510 or email presscentre@bps.org.uk DURING THE CONFERENCE (3 to 5 May) call the conference press office on: 07793 800 366 / 07773 173 510 or email presscentre@bps.org.uk PR17.028 Monday 1 May 2017 Editor's notes The embargo date has been purposely set a day earlier than the presentation day. Full paper presentation title: 'Is there any sense in classroom scents? Rosemary aroma can improve cognition in primary school children' List of authors: Mark Moss, Victoria Earl, Tom Heffernan, Northumbria University The British Psychological Society annual conference takes place from 3 - 5 May at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. For details of the programme visit http://www.bps.org.uk/ac2017 Follow the conference #bpsconf Follow BPSOfficial on Twitter and Facebook. The BPS is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. We are responsible for the development, promotion and application of psychology for the public good. For more information visit http://www.bps.org.uk. To combat potential Zika virus outbreaks, some countries have considered using pesticides so strong that they are banned elsewhere. But what if you could quickly determine that mosquitoes were not carrying the Zika virus? The use of harmful pesticides could be avoided, as well as the cost of widespread spraying for mosquitoes. That's the premise behind a new study published May 3 in Science Translational Medicine and authored by Assistant Professor Joel Rovnak, graduate student Nunya Chotiwan and Research Associate Connie Brewster in Colorado State University's Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology. The CSU team is using an existing technology in a new way: they have demonstrated a method of biosurveillance that quickly indicates whether Zika virus is present in local mosquito populations - thus informing decision-making about spraying and other disease-prevention methods. Using the existing technology, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP, the research team found that they could easily detect Zika virus in human and mosquito samples from the United States, Brazil and Nicaragua. LAMP lights the way to virus detection CSU Research Associate Connie Brewster had been using LAMP, which was developed in Japan in 2001, to detect pneumonia in bighorn sheep through a project with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Quackenbush Lab at CSU. LAMP is similar to the technology known as polymerase chain reaction or PCR, which provides a very sensitive analysis of DNA samples. But LAMP can be used in the field, instead of in the lab, and it's also less expensive. "With LAMP, you don't need the sophistication of a machine," Rovnak said. To use the PCR method to analyze viruses, researchers first need to extract the RNA or ribonucleic acid from the sample. But with LAMP, the process is much simpler than using PCR. Using LAMP, researchers start by squishing a mosquito in water. Rovnak said he then takes two microliters of water (about the size of the head of a pin), puts it in a tube and heats it up using a few chemicals or reagents. The sample then becomes cloudy and the color of the solution changes. In the CSU-led study, researchers saw a change or signal within about 30 minutes, though it can take up to one hour. "Using LAMP to detect Zika virus would be much less expensive for developing countries," said Chotiwan, a researcher in the Perera Lab, which is part of the Arthropod-borne Infectious Diseases Laboratory at CSU. "The majority of the countries involved in the current outbreak are not rich," she said. "It's important for us to try to develop low-cost surveillance methods that might one day be used in these countries." As a rough cost estimate, Rovnak said a heating device or heat block, as it is called, for LAMP costs $250 or less. Real-time PCR machines cost between $15,000 and $25,000. In the study, the research team focused on detecting Zika virus strains from Asia and Africa. Zika virus was first detected in Uganda in 1947 and is predicted to be heading back to the African continent, Chotiwan said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported local transmission of Zika virus in Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. CDC has also issued Zika virus travel advisories for some countries in Africa. In the United States, Zika virus transmission has been reported in Florida and Texas. No one really knows the extent of the original Zika virus in Africa, according to Rovnak. But being able to distinguish between the different strains is important due to the association of the Asian-linked virus with microcephaly, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development among newborns. Brian Foy, CSU associate professor in the Arthropod-borne Infectious Diseases Laboratory, discovered that Zika virus may be sexually transmitted in addition to being spread by mosquitoes. With two known transmission routes, the virus is an even more formidable foe to public health. To expand on the early results and use of LAMP to detect Zika virus, the scientists received samples from researchers in Brazil and from a pediatric hospital in Managua, Nicaragua. They also obtained samples from the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in Fort Collins. Next steps include hospital-based tests Moving forward, clinicians at the pediatric hospital in Managua will test LAMP side-by-side with current, more sophisticated tests. The CSU research team will also test LAMP versus PCR using mosquito and wildlife virus samples from Puerto Rico obtained through a project with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. How soon could LAMP be made available for more widespread use? "For now, it's what would be considered a long slog," said Rovnak. "The human diagnostic side of things presents a much more significant challenge," he explained. "It's going to take a lot of time and a lot of data before people will allow regulatory agencies to OK LAMP as a bonafide test for a person that's sick in the hospital." ### Study co-authors include researchers from CSU's Arthropod-borne Infectious Disease Laboratories, the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases at CDC, the Ministry of Health in Nicaragua, Heidelberg University and the German Centre for Infection Research, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz in Brazil, University of Pittsburgh and University of California, Berkeley. GEORGETOWN, South Carolina -- Research by wildlife biologists from Clemson University and the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center near Georgetown is shattering conventional scientific understanding about American alligator growth and reproduction. For years, it was believed that American alligators continued growing in length until they died, what is called "indeterminate growth." But a 35-year study of a protected alligator population at the Yawkey Center on the South Carolina coast has found that male and female alligators exhibit "determinate growth." In other words, they stop growing at some point after they reach sexual maturity. Additionally, females are reproductive far longer than previously thought, 46 years past the onset of sexual maturity in one case, the study found. The study was performed by retired Yawkey Center manager and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Phil Wilkinson, Clemson University Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science wildlife biologist Thomas Rainwater and three colleagues with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The team published its findings in Copeia, the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Wilkinson, whom Rainwater calls, "one of the grandfathers of South Carolina alligator research," began examining the Yawkey alligators with names like Truck Biter, Big Bertha, Cudjo, Grover and Bette Davis Eyes in 1979 as part of a population and nesting ecology study, making the Yawkey alligator study the longest known continuous alligator study in the world. "We began by simply trying to determine the best way to count alligators along the South Carolina coast and monitor the population in a scientifically valid way," Wilkinson said. "We went about looking at nesting as an index of the population. If you know the sex ratio, the adult ratio and that the females lay a clutch of eggs about every third year, you can begin to use those nests as an indicator of what the real population is." In subsequent years, Wilkinson observed many of the Yawkey gators that were already marked from previous research captures. "We would ride around the property during spring basking time when there are a lot of alligators out and see that a lot of them were marked already. So we knew there was a good chance we could recapture a lot of them and see how much they had grown," Wilkinson said. From 1981 to 2015, Wilkinson, Rainwater and their colleagues captured hundreds of alligators at Yawkey, approximately 50 of which were adults recaptured from five to 33 years after their previous or initial captures. The captured alligators included 19 males and 31 females. The data revealed that 19 of the 31 female alligators showed no appreciable growth and seven of 19 males showed no appreciable growth. "The dogma for years has been that crocodilians and reptiles in general grow in length until they die," Rainwater said. "Our study shows that, at least at Yawkey, adult alligators stop growing before they die. We have animals that Phil first caught and tagged back in 1981 that we recaptured in 2016 and they are still exactly the same length they were 35 years ago." The captured alligators ranged in size from 7 feet to 9 feet 7 inches for females and 10 feet 8 inches to 12 feet 6 inches for males. Rainwater and Wilkinson estimate, on average, the male alligators stopped growing sometime between 25 and 30 years of age. But how do scientists explain giants like the huge gator nicknamed Hunchback that was spotted in Florida in January? "Like people, males can top out and not be very tall or there can be a Wilt Chamberlain in the crowd," Wilkinson said. Wilkinson and Rainwater also found that female alligators can continue producing viable clutches of eggs for far longer than was previously believed. Some female Yawkey alligators pushing 70 years old are still nesting and have large clutches of fertile eggs. One female alligator in the study is still reproducing at least 46 years after reaching sexual maturity. This flies in the face of conventional science showing that middle-aged females in the prime of their lives have the highest fertility rate. "We're seeing old animals putting out the same number of viable eggs as they did 35 years ago," Wilkinson said. "I like to think of them as being like a big old oak tree -- they drop acorns every so often when the weather's right, and then one day they don't, and that's the end of it." Wilkinson and Rainwater say the uniqueness of the Yawkey Center has perpetuated the length of the study and made the alligator discoveries possible. The Yawkey Center consists of North, South and Cat islands and encompasses 24,000 acres. The center was willed to the state in 1976 by the late Thomas A. Yawkey and is owned and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources through funding by the Yawkey Foundations. The alligator study was conducted on the South Island and Cat Island portions of the center. "Yawkey alligators have been unhunted for almost 100 years. No other place that I know of has a dataset this robust and this long term. You can't really know how long wild alligators live and grow unless you have an animal that was caught 20 or 30 years ago and you catch it and measure it again," Rainwater said. "We've been able to work with the same animals and they're protected," Wilkinson added. "The fact that they're on a sanctuary means that the world has to leave them alone. It's like we have a laboratory setup, but it's in the wild." Clemson and Department of Natural Resources researchers have been collaborating on wildlife research at Yawkey since 1994, including research and education efforts that focused on sea turtle conservation and coyote ecology and led to the development of a system that reduced coyote destruction of loggerhead sea turtle nests and predation of eggs on the refuge from 60 percent to less than 6 percent. Rainwater is part of a team of Clemson researchers that is trying to understand more about South Carolina alligator ecology. Clemson University doctoral candidate Abby Lawson is in the fourth and final year of an alligator tracking study that uses GPS satellite transmitters to monitor alligator movements in an effort to create a more accurate way to assess their numbers. Lawson's work shows water level manipulations in South Carolina's freshwater impoundments appear to influence alligator movements. The impoundments are managed to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl. Rainwater says the Clemson alligator research could have broad implications for how alligator populations at the northern limits of their geographical distribution -- which includes South Carolina -- are managed. "Abby can use the data we've collected on growth and longevity to help determine survivability of animals in the wild and how long animals remain in the population. Once the work is complete, we can then share those data with the Department of Natural Resources and other management agencies," Rainwater said. "The Yawkey study provides a unique opportunity to estimate baseline survival and growth rates in a protected population. We can compare our findings to hunted areas to better evaluate how harvest may impact alligator populations through changes in survival, reproduction and length differences," Lawson added. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources manages alligators as a valuable renewable resource. The department currently issues 1,000 alligator harvest permits among four alligator management units per year under the Public Alligator Harvest Program for use during a season that runs from the second Saturday in September to the second Saturday in October. There are still many mysteries to unlock about alligators, according to Wilkinson. For example, how do they signal to each other when they find an abundant food source? "Sometimes there can be a drawdown in an impoundment, which congregates fish in great numbers. When there is that type of food abundance, you can see 100 gators there eating. Where did they all come from? How do they know where to go? One time we were flying in a helicopter over a marsh when that was going on, and they were coming to that impoundment from every direction. It's like they were communicating in some way," Wilkinson said. ### Never-before-seen snapshots of brain receptor may aid in design of targeted therapeutics for variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders New York, NY (May 3, 2017)--Scientists at Columbia University have obtained the first detailed images of interactions between the AMPA receptor and molecules that regulate chemical signaling in the brain. Their findings may help understand the processes that contribute to conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, epilepsy, and schizophrenia--and could lead to the development of drugs to counteract these conditions. Their most recent findings were published today in Neuron. AMPA receptors respond to the release of chemical signals in the brain, which in turn governs brain function. Dysfunction in AMPA receptor signaling has been associated with a variety of neurological disorders. But because AMPA receptors are distributed throughout the brain, drugs aimed at modifying AMPA receptor activity have the potential to cause numerous severe side effects. In a new approach, scientists have been working to determine how auxiliary subunits--small proteins that partner with AMPA receptors--affect AMPA receptor function. Drugs that target these proteins could have a localized effect on receptor function, reducing the potential for side effects. "Previously, scientists have only speculated about the precise nature of the interaction between AMPA receptors and the many regulatory proteins that are thought to aid in the transmission of chemical messages from one brain cell to another," said Alexander Sobolevsky, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Columbia University Medical Center and lead author of the paper. "We now have the tools to construct a three-dimensional molecular model of these interactions, enabling us to obtain a highly detailed picture of how different regulatory proteins affect the function of AMPA receptors." In a previous paper published in Science, Dr. Sobolevsky and team used a technique pioneered by co-author Joachim Frank, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and of biological sciences at CUMC, called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Cryo-EM, which earned Dr. Frank the 2017 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences, reveals the three-dimensional structure of proteins by combining numerous two-dimensional images. Using cryo-EM, the researchers were able to view interactions between AMPA receptors and stargazin--one of the regulatory proteins that modulates AMPA receptors. "Our previous study revealed how stargazin overactivates the AMPA receptor, causing an excessive, and potentially toxic, influx of positively charged ions into neurons," said Edward Twomey, a PhD candidate in the labs of Dr. Sobolevsky and Dr. Frank, and first author of both studies. "We wanted to know how other regulatory proteins may influence the AMPA receptor's self-shutoff mechanism, which can protect neurons from this type of damage." In the current study, the researchers used cryo-EM to construct a three-dimensional model of the interactions between AMPA receptors and the regulatory protein GSG1L, which strengthen the shutoff mechanism. The data revealed the structural changes in the AMPA receptor that occur during the shutoff (desensitization) process to protect neurons from the excessive influx of positively charged ions. "With new information about the shutoff mechanism, researchers may be able to design therapies that target these processes and related diseases," said Twomey. ### The paper is titled, "Structural Bases of Desensitization in AMPA Receptor-Auxiliary Subunit Complexes." Additional authors (also from Columbia University Medical Center) are Maria Yelshanskaya and Robert Grassucci. The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (F31 NS093838, T32 GM008224, T32 GM008281, R01 NS083660, R01 CA206573, and R01 GM029169), the Pew Scholar Award in Biomedical Sciences, and the Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist Award, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest. Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. The campus that Columbia University Medical Center shares with its hospital partner, NewYork-Presbyterian, is now called the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org. The non-profit research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has launched a collaborative project with five universities in India, the UK, and the US to harness the capacity of university teaching laboratories and task students with discovering potential new drugs for patients living with neglected diseases. The Open Synthesis Network (OSN) includes 25 undergraduate and master's students in chemistry from participating universities. During this 2016/2017 academic year, they will work on improving chemical compounds for the neglected disease visceral leishmaniasis (VL). "Through the Network, students contribute to a real-life medicinal chemistry project with the potential to make a concrete impact with the results of their lab work. Instead of training on more traditional synthetic targets such as aspirin or paracetamol, students can instead produce samples of new chemicals relevant to DNDi's cutting edge neglected disease research," said Ben Perry, Senior Discovery Manager at DNDi. "And DNDi gets to access their creativity and the collective synthetic power of university training in a way that could resolve some of the research and development challenges we are facing in our quest to bring new treatments to neglected patients." The Open Synthesis Network brings together five universities: the Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) in Mumbai, India; the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) in Hyderabad, India; Imperial College London, UK; Northeastern University in Boston, USA; and Pace University in New York City, USA. All work generated by OSN will be published in the public domain in real-time and remain free of intellectual property (IP). This is the first example of an Open Source Pharma type approach being used to tackle kinetoplastid diseases such as leishmaniasis. The OSN process works by DNDi sharing data on existing compounds from one of its active research projects with all university participants, along with a list of new, "wanted" chemical compounds. Students can then explore the existing data, understand the design rationale for the new compounds through open discussion with DNDi experts, and carry out the synthesis for one or more of these "wanted" compounds as part of their lab training. Students can also opt to use the data to make their own designs for new compounds. DNDi will then test all new compounds for anti-parasitic activity, sharing the results openly with all OSN participants. Students will be working on compounds that kill Leishmania donovani and Leishmania infantum, the parasites that cause visceral leishmaniasis - an illness that kills up to 30,000 people yearly. DNDi's current objective for VL is to discover compounds more suited to oral administration, better suited to use in the field, and with fewer side effects than existing treatments. Successful compounds coming from the OSN project will be evaluated further as part of DNDi's discovery pipeline. "Students are rarely exposed to real-life projects like this mainly because of IP issues, meaning that work cannot be shared amongst peers." added Ben Perry. The online nature of OSN readily allows DNDi to open this collaboration to any universities interested in participating. DNDi welcomes requests for further information on the Open Synthesis Network. Please contact: bperry@dndi.org ### About DNDi A not-for-profit R&D organization, DNDi works to deliver new treatments for neglected patients living with leishmaniasis, human African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, specific filarial infections, paediatric HIV, mycetoma, and hepatitis C. DNDi is actively engaged in developing new treatments and screening new compounds, notably for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. http://www.dndi.org Press Contact Ilan Moss (New York): +1 646 266 5216, imoss@dndi.org Lynda Piper-Roche (Geneva): +41 22 907 7 748, lpiper@dndi.org The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is a dwarf galaxy, the more petite twin of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). They are two of our closest galaxy neighbours in space -- the SMC lies about 200 000 light-years away, just a twelfth of the distance to the more famous Andromeda Galaxy. Both are also rather peculiarly shaped, as a result of interactions with one another and with the Milky Way itself. Their relative proximity to Earth makes the Magellanic Clouds ideal candidates for studying how stars form and evolve. However, while the distribution and history of star formation in these dwarf galaxies were known to be complex, one of the biggest obstacles to obtaining clear observations of star formation in galaxies is interstellar dust. Enormous clouds of these tiny grains scatter and absorb some of the radiation emitted from the stars -- especially visible light -- limiting what can be seen by telescopes here on Earth. This is known as dust extinction. The SMC is full of dust, and the visible light emitted by its stars suffers significant extinction. Fortunately, not all electromagnetic radiation is equally affected by dust. Infrared radiation passes through interstellar dust much more easily than visible light, so by looking at the infrared light from a galaxy we can learn about the new stars forming within the clouds of dust and gas. VISTA, the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope, was designed to image infrared radiation. The VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds (VMC) is focused on mapping the star formation history of the SMC and LMC, as well as mapping their three-dimensional structures. Millions of SMC stars have been imaged in the infrared thanks to the VMC, providing an unparalleled view almost unaffected by dust extinction. The whole frame of this massive image is filled with stars belonging to the Small Magellanic Cloud. It also includes thousands of background galaxies and several bright star clusters, including 47 Tucanae at the right of the picture, which lies much closer to the Earth than the SMC. The zoomable image will show you the SMC as you have never seen it before! The wealth of new information in this 1.6 gigapixel image (43 223 x 38 236 pixels) has been analysed by an international team led by Stefano Rubele of the University of Padova. They have used cutting-edge stellar models to yield some surprising results. The VMC has revealed that most of the stars within the SMC formed far more recently than those in larger neighbouring galaxies. This early result from the survey is just a taster of the new discoveries still to come, as the survey continues to fill in blind spots in our maps of the Magellanic Clouds. ### More information This research was presented in the paper "The VMC survey - XIV. First results on the look-back time star formation rate tomography of the Small Magellanic Cloud", in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world's largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky". Links * Zoomable version of the image - https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1714a/zoomable/ * Research paper - https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1714/eso1714a.pdf * Photos of VISTA - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/surveytelescopes/?search=VISTA Contacts Maria-Rosa Cioni Leibniz-Institut fur Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP) Potsdam, Germany Tel: +49 331 7499 651 Email: mcioni@aip.de Richard Hook ESO Public Information Officer Garching bei Munchen, Germany Tel: +49 89 3200 6655 Cell: +49 151 1537 3591 Email: rhook@eso.org Geneva, Switzerland, 04 May 2017 - Patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who require salvage chemotherapy are 30% more likely to achieve a partial response if they have been pre-treated with a PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor compared to those who have not, according to a study presented at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland 1. The preliminary findings could potentially open the door to a new way of sequencing cancer therapy, as reported by the study authors. "Our results are of utmost importance for NSCLC patients," said lead investigator Sacha Rothschild, MD, PhD, from University Hospital Basel, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Switzerland. "Checkpoint inhibitors are currently the standard of care for NSCLC patients in the 2nd-line setting after chemotherapy and are used for a subset of patients with high PD-L1 expression as front-line therapy. So far, it is unclear how to treat patients not responding to immune checkpoint inhibitors or progressing after initial response to these agents. The activity of conventional chemotherapy in this setting has not been investigated so far. Therefore, these results are good news for patients that progress after immunotherapy and are still fit enough to receive further palliative therapy." The retrospective analysis included 82 patients with stage IV NSCLC, including adenocarcinoma (n=63), squamous cell carcinoma (n=18), and one case of large cell carcinoma. A total of 67 patients had been previously treated with a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (cases) including 56 patients who received nivolumab, seven who had received pembrolizumab, and four who had received atezolizumab. The other 15 patients who had not been treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors served as controls. All patients had been pre-treated with chemotherapy, with a mean of 2.37 prior regimens among cases and 1.93 in controls. Salvage chemotherapy included docetaxel (62%), pemetrexed (20%), paclitaxel (6%), and others (12%). Computed tomography (CT) scans performed within the first month and then every six weeks showed a significantly higher partial response rate in cases compared to controls (27% vs 7%, odds ratio [OR] 0.3, P<0.0001). Stable disease was seen in 51% of cases and 53% of controls, and progressive disease was seen in 22% of cases versus 40% of controls. Multiple logistic regression showed that age, gender, number of prior chemotherapy regimens, tumour histology, smoking status, or different salvage chemotherapy regimens were not independently associated with the likelihood of achieving partial response. "At this point we can only speculate on the reasons for better response in those pre-treated with checkpoint inhibitors," said Rothschild. "Probably the activation of the immune system by checkpoint inhibition might render tumour cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. Or chemotherapy may help the tumour-specific T-cells to enter the tumour microenvironment and to exert their function." Rothschild said investigations are ongoing into the duration of response and toxicity, and he cautioned that this finding must be further explored in larger and prospective cohorts. Commenting on the study, Marina Garassino, MD, Head of Thoracic Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute of Milan (Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori) was enthusiastic about the potential implications. "This is the first research suggesting that chemotherapy could potentially work better after immunotherapy," she said. "All of us treating patients with immunotherapy have had a feeling about this because we've seen unexpected results with some patients, but this is the first study in which this phenomenon is formally described. Although the results are very preliminary, they suggest that immunotherapy can change the natural history of the disease and the micro-environment of the tumour, therefore rendering it more sensitive to chemotherapy. This could potentially point to new areas of research and new sequences of treatment." ### Notes to Editors References 1 Abstract 91PD - 'Response to salvage chemotherapy following exposure to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with NSCLC' will be presented by Dr Sacha Rothschild during the Poster Discussion session 'Targeted therapies and immunotherapies' on Sunday 7 May, 14:45 CEST. Disclaimer This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO or IASLC who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct. About the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2017 The European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) is the reference event in Europe for professionals treating lung cancers. It is organised by the European Society for Medical Oncology and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer in partnership with ESTRO and ETOP. ELCC provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary overview of the latest as well as of the state-of-the-art knowledge in thoracic malignancies, covering different aspects such as prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment modalities and the results of basic, clinical and translational research, presented by top international academic experts. Around 2,000 attendees are expected from throughout Europe and the rest of the world. About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With more than 15,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org About the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated to the study of lung cancer. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 5,000 lung cancer specialists in over 100 countries. Visit http://www.iaslc.org for more information. A recent study suggests that doxycycline can be prescribed at lower doses for the treatment of Parkinson's disease A study published in February in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that doxycycline, an antibiotic used for over half a century against bacterial infections, can be prescribed at lower doses for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. According to the authors, the substance reduces the toxicity of -synuclein, a protein that, under certain conditions, forms abnormal accumulations of aggregates in central nervous system cells, which are damaged as a result. The death of dopaminergic neurons (which produce the neurotransmitter dopamine) is the main event relating to the development of such symptoms as tremor, slow voluntary movements and stiffness, among others. There are currently no drugs capable of halting the progress of this degenerative process. Three Brazilian scientists participated in the study, which was supported by FAPESP: Elaine Del-Bel, affiliated with the University of Sao Paulo's Ribeirao Preto Dental School (FORP-USP), and Leandro R. S. Barbosa and Rosangela Itri, at the same university's Physics Institute (IF-USP) in the city of Sao Paulo. "We have exciting data from experiments with mice and great expectations that the neuroprotective effect will also be observed in human patients," Del-Bel told. "This treatment could stop Parkinson's from progressing, and we therefore plan to start a clinical trial shortly." The discovery happened fortuitously some five years ago when Marcio Lazzarini, a former student of Del-Bel, was pursuing postdoctoral studies at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Germany. While looking for possible alternative treatments for Parkinson's in experiments with mice, the group used a well-known model for inducing a condition similar to the human disease. The model consists of administering 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a neurotoxin that causes the death of dopaminergic neurons. "To our surprise, only two of the 40 mice given 6-OHDA developed symptoms of Parkinsonism, while the rest remained healthy," Del-Bel said. "A lab technician realized the mice had mistakenly been fed chow containing doxycycline, so we decided to investigate the hypothesis that it might have protected the neurons." The group repeated the experiment, adding a second group of animals that were given doxycycline in low doses by peritoneal injection instead of receiving it in their feed. Both cases were successful. Understanding the mechanisms behind the neuroprotective effect of doxycycline has been the focus for the most recent studies, conducted in collaboration with the group led by Rosana Chehin, a researcher at the University of Tucuman in Argentina, as well as Rita Raisman-Vozari and Julia Sepulveda-Diaz, researchers at the Brain & Bone Marrow Institute (ICM) in Paris, France. In these new trials, which involved structural and spectroscopic characterization methods, the focus was the protein -synuclein, considered one of the leading causes of dopaminergic neuron death. "-Synuclein is a small unstructured protein that, in the presence of the cellular membrane, aggregates to form fibrils with multiple regularly ordered layers of beta- sheets along the axis. We call these amyloid fibrils. It's been proven that large amyloid fibrils of this protein aren't toxic to cells; what damages cells is the so-called oligomeric stage formed by small amounts of aggregated -synuclein. These oligomers can damage neuron membranes," Itri said. The researchers synthesized small oligomers of -synuclein and conducted in vitro trials to find out whether doxycycline interfered in the process of aggregation and fibril formation. With a combination of three different techniques - nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray scattering and infrared spectroscopy - they were able to observe two distinct situations. In medium without doxycycline, -synuclein aggregated and began forming amyloid fibrils. In medium containing the antibiotic, -synuclein formed another type of aggregate with a different shape and size. "In the tests with cultured cells and model membranes, we observed that they caused no damage to the cell membrane," Itri said. The tests in culture were performed in immortalized human neuroblastoma cells. Using transmission electron microscopy, the group observed that the presence of doxycycline in the culture medium reduced -synuclein aggregation by more than 80%. "As a result, cell viability increased by more than 80%," Del-Bel said. Del-Bel has more deeply investigated the effects of treatment with doxycycline on mice. "We haven't published any data yet, but I can say right away that doxycycline improves the symptoms of the disease in the animal model," Del-Bel added. "Preliminary results suggest that besides its anti-inflammatory action via a reduction in the release of some cytokines, doxycycline also alters the expression of key genes for the development of Parkinson's." According to Del-Bel, evidence in the scientific literature shows that -synuclein aggregates on and causes damage to not just neurons but also astrocytes and other glial cells. Besides Parkinson's, therefore, the process is associated with the development of other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Lewy body dementia (LBD), the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. Future studies will investigate whether doxycycline can also have a beneficial effect in these other situations. ### A novel treatment offers kidney failure and kidney transplant patients with a rare disorder new hope. The treatment allows targeted elimination of plasma cell clones producing abnormal proteins that deposits in the kidneys and leads to kidney failure, according to new research. This is the first time this new approach has been used successfully anywhere in the world for the disorder, known as Monclonal Gammopathy of Renal Significance. This finding opens the door for additional research, say the researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Kidney Transplantation Program in Salt Lake City. Researchers presented results of the case study during the American Transplant Congress' annual conference in Chicago this week. Their research was awarded a Poster of Distinction Award from the Congress. In patients with the disorder, monoclonal plasma cells in the bone marrow create an abnormal protein that's deposited in the kidney and causes inflammation that impacts the organ's ability to function. If left untreated, the kidneys will eventually fail. Unfortunately, a kidney transplant doesn't fix the problem, because the continued presence of the abnormal proteins will eventually destroy the new kidney. A compromised immune system following transplantation surgery makes the patient even more vulnerable to adverse effects, which leaves the patient with only one option: a lifetime of dialysis. "Conventional therapies used to treat MGRS don't always work, which leaves the patient with few options," said Sanjiv Anand, MD, MS, transplant nephrologist with the Intermountain Medical Center Kidney Transplantation Program, and lead author of the study. "After trying all the conventional therapies with our patient, we decided to go one step further and move forward with an off-label use of a relatively new drug called Daratumumab." In the case report, a 65-year-old man with end-stage renal disease was transplanted with a new kidney. Six months after the transplant, he had worsening kidney function and high levels of protein in his urine. A kidney biopsy showed development of a subtype of MGRS- Proliferative Glomerulonephritis with Monoclonal Immune Deposits, so doctors tried using the two conventional approaches, but observed no response. The patient was then put on Daratumumab, a medication approved last year for treating multiple myeloma, or high levels of monoclonal plasma cell populations found in bone marrow. Daratumumab targets the plasma cell clones in the bone marrow that produce the abnormal protein. "Following seven doses of Daratumumab, the patient's proteinuria numbers remarkably improved from 9.7 gm/d to only 0.7 gm/d and his renal function dramatically improved," said Dr. Anand. "Dr. Anand's work demonstrates the efficacy of Daratumumab in the setting of PGNMID," added Titte Srinivas, MD, FAST, medical director of the Intermountain Medical Center Kidney Transplantation Program. "The ability of Daratumumab to directly target plasma cells affords a new way to treat plasma cell disorders with a positive impact on kidney function with minimal off-target effects. This novel way of impacting plasma cells allows us to specifically treat the problem and get him back to doing what he loves without having to spend hours a week in a dialysis center." The team is now extending these observations to the treatment of antibody mediated rejection in kidney transplant and MGRS patients where current therapies are lacking in sustainable efficacy. ### Members of the Intermountain Medical Center Kidney Transplant Program involved in the study include: Sanjiv Anand, MD, MS; Dylan Miller, MD; Greg Chipman, MD; Donald Morris, MD; and TR Srinivas, MD. Intermountain Medical Center is part of the Intermountain Healthcare system, based in Salt Lake City. New Rochelle, NY, May 3, 2017-A large randomized controlled, pragmatic trial involving 1445 patients with allergic asthma found that an integrative medicine approach in which acupuncture is added to routine care demonstrated improvements in both quality of life and physical and mental health for those receiving acupuncture. The successful results, reported after 3 months of treatment and maintained through the 6-month follow-up, are described in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM), a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the JACM website until June 3, 2017. In the article entitled "Acupuncture in Patients with Allergic Asthma: A Randomized Pragmatic Trial," Benno Brinkhaus, MD, and coauthors from Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Universitat Freiburg, Germany, and University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland, undertook the study as part of a governmental assessment of the practice. Patients in the active arm received on average 15 acupuncture sessions during the first 3 months of the trial and no acupuncture between months three and six. As a pragmatic trial, reflecting real world conditions, a majority (70%) only received 5-10 visits. "This pragmatic, multi-center trial - engaged to inform policy-makers - leaves the dual message of multiple patient-centered benefits while at the same time requiring what was typically a surprisingly low number of treatments," states JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA. "Given the challenges presented to individuals dealing with the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, one might postulate that had the outcomes included productivity markers, the benefits from the protocol would have been even more positive for the intervention." ### About the Journal The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal published online with open access options and in print. Led by John Weeks (johnweeks-integrator.com), the Co-founder and past Executive Director of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, the Journal provides observational, clinical, and scientific reports and commentary intended to help healthcare professionals, delivery organization leaders, and scientists evaluate and integrate therapies into patient care protocols and research strategies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the JACM website. About the Publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's more than 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website. A new pilot study reports that Mexican-American stroke survivors are less likely to receive inpatient rehabilitation than non-Hispanic whites. It's the next step for University of Michigan researchers examining stroke disparities. "We already know that Mexican-Americans have worse stroke outcomes," says Michigan Medicine neurologist Lewis Morgenstern, M.D., one of the principal investigators of the new study in Stroke. "The main question now is: Why?" Morgenstern's research with Lynda Lisabeth, Ph.D., MPH, of U-M's School of Public Health, investigated the allocation of rehabilitation services for 72 subjects who had a stroke. The research team followed stroke patients for 90 days, calling subjects or caregivers every two weeks to find out whether stroke rehabilitation was happening at home or in another setting, and what kind of rehab service was provided. Examining inpatient vs. in-home Fifty of the 72 stroke survivors studied were Mexican-American, and the remaining 22 were non-Hispanic whites. The rates of those who received any type of rehab service were not significantly different. Of those who received stroke rehabilitation, only 30 percent of Mexican-Americans received inpatient rehabilitation while 73 percent of non-Hispanic whites did. More than half of Mexican-Americans (51 percent) received in-home rehab while none of the non-Hispanic whites did. Inpatient rehabilitation is intensive and may include several hours of work each day. It's actually too much exertion for some with severe strokes, Morgenstern says. Alternatively, home rehab may involve a few appointments each week. These trends could affect patient outcomes, researchers say. But more research is needed to determine a relationship between rehab disparities and stroke recovery. "A lack of intensive rehabilitation may partially explain why Mexican-Americans experience worse neurological, functional and cognitive results in the months after a stroke," Lisabeth says. Limiting factors "We found statistically significant results, which is unusual in a small study, but it remains a pilot study," Morgenstern says. "There aren't enough patients to figure out why (this occurs), and more research is needed." The severity of the strokes didn't differ significantly among the two groups, nor did age or sex. And both were as likely to hold insurance, though the quality varied. Morgenstern notes that patient and family preference may be a factor in choosing at-home versus inpatient rehab. Adding to health disparity knowledge Multiple studies on stroke disparities have been published thanks to data collected about every single stroke in Nueces County, Texas, since 2000. The BASIC, or Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi, project has led to the publication of more than 70 research papers. It's funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "One day, all of the U.S. is going to look like this community," says Morgenstern, also a U-M School of Public Health faculty member who has spent more than 20 years researching health disparities. "We're looking at a stable population of U.S. citizens with origins from our Southern border." ### The research was first presented as an abstract at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2017. Both principal investigators are also members of U-M's Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Jackson County youth are encouraged to attend a Wisconsin Safe Operation of Tractor and Machinery Certification Program. The program will run Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, June 21-23, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Black River Falls High School agriculture classroom. This program is designed to meet both State (Wisconsin Act 455) and Federal (Part 570, Child Labor Regulations, Subpart E-1) requirements. Youth that should attend: any youth 12-16 years of age who will be operating tractors or self-propelled implements of husbandry on a public road under direction of their parent or guardian for work related to their family farm operation, or, any youth 14-15 years of age who will be employed or working without pay on a farm other than their family farm, or, any youth 12 years of age or older that desires tractor and machinery safety instructions. To successfully complete the course, youth MUST attend the 24 hours of instruction and pass the written and driving exams. To register for the program, call the Jackson County UW Extension office at 715-284-4257. Parents or guardians are asked to attend the first 20 minutes to be informed on the program requirements. Students will need to bring an emergency phone number, their lunch and $25.00 for class materials. Most of the breaks are voluntary and teens report feeling better for the experience A new survey reveals that 58 percent of American teens report taking significant breaks from social media, and that many of these breaks are voluntary. The findings are drawn from a broader Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey that explores teens' social media, messaging, and video content habits, with a special focus on understanding if and why teens take breaks from the social media platforms that are so prominent in their lives. The survey found that 65 percent of teens who took a social media break did so voluntarily, primarily for the following reasons: 8 percent said it was getting in the way of work or school. 24 percent were tired of the conflict and drama. 20 percent were tired of having to always keep up with what was going on. The survey found that breaks from social media vary by family income, with teens in households earning less than $50,000 per year more likely to take a break. Such breaks tend to be longer than those taken by teens in higher-income households. The main reason for involuntary breaks from social media is that parents took away their devices, affecting 38 percent of break-takers, while another 17 percent took a break because their device was lost or stolen. Teens who took voluntary breaks reported feeling better for the experience, while those who took involuntary breaks reported feeling more anxious about what they were missing and wanting to return to social media quickly. "While it might seem surprising to hear that teens who are usually thought of as such fervent users of social media are taking breaks, many teens have very good life or relationship management reasons for taking time away from these platforms," said Amanda Lenhart, senior research scientist at The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and a co-author of the report. "But taking breaks from social media isn't without consequences, for those who are off involuntarily or of their own volition. For many teens, being off social media removes them from a major site of social and emotional support as well as their dominant conduit for news and information." Among the report's other key findings: 58 percent of teens who use social media have taken at least one break from the platforms. 23 percent of teens who have not taken a break from social media have wanted to take one. 60 percent of teens who have taken breaks from social media have taken three or more, 22 percent have taken two, and 18 percent have taken just one break from the platforms. About half of teens say their social media breaks are typically a week or longer. Boys are more likely to take longer breaks, with 36 percent of boys taking breaks of two weeks or longer from social media, while 22 percent of girls reported breaks of similar length. ### Complete survey findings are available at http://www.apnorc.org. About the Survey This survey was conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and with funding from NORC at the University of Chicago. Interviews for this survey were conducted between December 7 and December 31, 2016, with teenagers age 13-17 representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Adult panel members were randomly drawn from AmeriSpeak, and after confirming that there were children of the appropriate age in the household, permission was sought from a parent or guardian to survey a teenager. If a given panelist had multiple teens at home, one teen was randomly selected to participate. Completed interviews were conducted with 790 teenagers, 739 via the web and 51 via telephone. Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish, depending on respondent preference. About The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research taps into the power of social science research and the highest-quality journalism to bring key information to people across the nation and throughout the world. http://www.apnorc.org The Associated Press (AP) is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP. http://www.ap.org NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, NORC has conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with NORC to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge. http://www.norc.org The two organizations have established The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research to conduct, analyze, and distribute social science research in the public interest on newsworthy topics, and to use the power of journalism to tell the stories that research reveals. Contact: For more information, contact Eric Young for NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell); Ray Boyer for NORC at boyer-ray@norc.org or (312) 330-6433; or Lauren Easton for AP at leaston@ap.org. Speech or language impairments may not be the cause of more frequent tantrums in children with autism, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. The findings could help parents of children with autism seek out the best treatment for behavior problems. Children with autism experience more tantrums than children without, according to the researchers, and speech therapists, preschool teachers, parents and others often blame these frequent outbursts on speech and language problems. Some children with autism spectrum disorder are not able to speak or have speech that is not clear or well-understood by others. To investigate this correlation, the researchers studied the relationship between language and tantrum frequency in 240 children with autism between the ages of 15 and 71 months of age. The researchers, who published their results in a recent issue of the Journal of Development and Physical Disabilities, said that the children's IQ, their ability to understand language and their ability to use words and speak clearly, explained less than 3 percent of their tantrums. "We had children in our sample with clear speech and enough intelligence to be able to communicate, and their tantrums were just as high in that group," said Cheryl D. Tierney, associate professor of pediatrics, College of Medicine, and section chief, behavior and developmental pediatrics, Penn State Children's Hospital. The researchers also found that children who spoke at the level of a 2-year-old with normal development had more tantrums than children with lower speech skills. "There is a common pervasive misbelief that children with autism have more tantrum behaviors because they have difficulty communicating their wants and their needs to caregivers and other adults," Tierney explained. "The belief is that their inability to express themselves with speech and language is the driving force for these behaviors, and that if we can improve their speech and their language the behaviors will get better on their own. But we found that only a very tiny percentage of temper tantrums are caused by having the inability to communicate well with others or an inability to be understood by others." In the study, Tierney and co-investigator Susan D. Mayes, professor of psychiatry, addressed the limitations in previous research by including a larger sample of children and capturing more measurements. They add that their study is unique because it measures IQ and it separates speech and language as different variables that might affect tantrum behavior in children with autism. "IQ is extremely important because a child that has the mental capacity to understand and use language may display different behaviors compared to a child who doesn't have the mental capacity and comprehension to use language," Tierney said. She also explained the difference between language and speech in the study of children with autism. "Language is a child's ability to understand the purpose of words and to understand what is said," she said. "Speech is their ability to use their mouth, tongue, lips and jaw to form the sounds of words and make those sounds intelligible to other people." The study doesn't answer the question of what causes tantrums in children with autism, but mood dysregulation and a low tolerance for frustration -- two common traits -- are likely factors that should be studied further, Tierney said. Tierney suggests enough evidence has accumulated to shift the emphasis from improving speech to improving behavior. "We should stop telling parents of children with autism that their child's behavior will get better once they start talking or their language improves, because we now have enough studies to show that that is unlikely to happen without additional help," she said. That help should come in the form of applied behavior analysis, and having a well-trained and certified behavior analyst on a child's treatment team is key to improved outcomes, Tierney added. "This form of therapy can help children with autism become more flexible and can show them how to get their needs met when they use behaviors that are more socially acceptable than having a tantrum," Tierney said. ### Robin Lockridge, of the department of psychiatry, also worked on this research. Four damaged genes that disrupt the normal development of the brain in those with Tourette syndrome - a neurological condition characterized by vocal and physical tics - have been identified by Rutgers scientists and researchers from across the country involved in an international effort to determine the cause of the disorder. In a new study published on May 3 in Neuron, researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, UC San Francisco, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Florida, Yale University and other institutions across the world identified one damaged, or mutant, "high confidence" risk gene for Tourette's as well as three others they believe are genes whose mutation is a probable risk for the disorder. These findings are important because the genetics of Tourette syndrome has been a mystery. The goal of the continuing study is to identify inherited factors that play a role in causing Tourette's and other related disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). "This research is the first of its kind establishing Tourette disorder as a genetic disease similar to other neuropsychiatric disorders like autism, where not just one gene has been identified as the cause," said Jay Tischfield, a senior author of the study. "We are confident that this new information will lead us to the genetic and brain pathways that cause this disorder and enable the development of more effective treatments." Tischfield, MacMillan Distinguished Professor of Genetics, and Gary Heiman, associate professor in the Department of Genetics in the School of Arts and Sciences, are part of the Tourette International Collaborative Genetics (TIC Genetics) study - the largest and most comprehensive genomic analysis conducted - that includes scientists and clinicians from the United States, Europe and South Korea. The research began a decade ago in New Jersey when Rutgers started collaborating with NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, Inc. (NJCTS) to establish the NJCTS Cell and DNA Repository. The study funded with grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and NJCTS included 311 families involved with TIC Genetics in which the child had Tourette syndrome but neither parent was affected. Another study was done through the Tourette Association of America International Consortium for Genetics with 173 similar families and found the same results. The one damaged gene that was identified as having a high risk for Tourette syndrome, called WWC1, is involved in brain development and memory. Two of the other damaged genes considered to be probable risks for the disorder are involved in brain circuitry and the third is involved in gene expression which allows a cell to respond to its changing environment. "The fact of finding this one gene in two families would be like lightening striking the same individual twice," said Heiman, a senior author on the project. "And it is the reason why it is crucial for us to continue studying families affected by this often debilitating disorder." In conducting the study, blood samples were collected from family members to identify rare genetic mutations that are not inherited from their parents but occur spontaneously in affected individuals at birth. While many inherited diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, hemophilia and cystic fibrosis, are caused by mutations to a single gene, this new research indicates that Tourette syndrome, like other neuropsychiatric disorders, is the result of multiple gene mutations. Rutgers researchers and their colleagues estimate that there are approximately 400 mutated genes that could pose a risk for Tourette syndrome, which affects one out of 100 people. The neuropsychiatric disorder - linked to problems in the basal ganglia, the part of the brain responsible for voluntary motor control, procedural learning and eye movement, as well as cognitive and emotional function -- is characterized by grimacing, eye blinking and shoulder shrugging. It is often accompanied by co-occurring conditions, such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention deficit disorder. Faith Rice, director of NJCTS, and mother of an adult son with the disorder, said those involved in this study are grateful to have been a part of the research. "It is very empowering for families to be involved in something that will make a difference," said Rice. "Many are calling me and telling me that for the first time, this is giving them hope." Rutgers scientists say more samples from families in which only one child is affected with Tourette's and both parents are available to participate are needed to better understand how these and other damaging mutations lead to Tourette disorder. "I want to thank all the individuals with Tourette disorder and their family members from New Jersey, around the country, in Europe and South Korea for their participation and advocacy, said Heiman. "Progress has been slow and disappointing up until now. But I think this research will lead to the development of more specific treatments that are personalized for individuals or groups of people." ### Development aid must incorporate culture and nature to escape the cycle of poverty, say resilience researchers Development aid reached a new peak of 142.6 billion USD, according to recent data from the OECD. Now, in the journal Science Advances (5 May) researchers based in Sweden and Australia call into question a cornerstone of development aid: the "poverty trap" and its "Big Push" solution. This is when aid agencies inject cash for seeds, fertilisers and machinery, for example, into rural economies caught in a vicious cycle of underdevelopment. In theory, this will push these economies "over the barrier" to become better functioning economies. But for decades a regular criticism levelled at this singular approach is that it can lead to ever-more persistent poverty in some places because culture and nature are ignored. Co-lead author Jamila Haider at the Stockholm Resilience Centre says, "For the first time, we provide a way to extend poverty-trap thinking to more fully include the links between financial well-being, nature and culture." "This new approach makes it difficult for development agencies to ignore a broader range of options and solutions." The research could inform better integration of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Co-lead author Steven Lade also at Stockholm Resilience Centre says, "The goals call for doubling agricultural productivity by 2030. Ignoring cultural and environmental factors could increase the risk of poverty traps." With 78% of the world's poorest people living in rural areas, development aid is often targeted at quick-fix financial and technological farming solutions. The "Big Push" - one of the earliest theories of development economics -- is still a popular one-size-fits-all approach, despite its known limitations. Development agencies often encourage farmers to grow single cash crops, or monocultures, such as GM cotton in India, that they can sell to rise out of poverty - with mixed results. While successful in many places, it can lead to deforestation, or nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to name a few environmental consequences. In some instances, it has created a cycle of poverty where "improved" seed varieties fail due to neglect of local environmental conditions and culture, leaving the land in a worse condition than before, and losing valuable knowledge -- reinforcing the poverty trap. The team's new approach classifies three types of solutions to alleviate poverty. The first is the standard Big Push "over the barrier". The second is to "lower the barrier", which could include training of farmers to change behavior and practices. These two classifications form the backbone of current aid strategies. The researchers introduce a third classification they call "transform the system". This is about fundamentally rethinking the intervention strategy. For example, encouraging a farmer to devote a portion of his or her intensively-farmed land to local crops maintained through traditional practice to maintain resilient seed varieties. Haider says, "If poverty in an area is causing environmental degradation then maybe a big push will work. But if the land has been managed sustainably for generations then development agencies need an approach that takes that knowledge into consideration." "This seems obvious, but intervention strategies can become blinded by powerful yet simplistic economic models. Some communities have remained resilient for generations through, for example, using many traditional seed varieties. We show how development interventions need to vary based on different relationships between poverty and environment." "These models could be used in development planning to make explicit the available knowledge and assumptions of different cases." Lade adds, "Rather than increasing production through inputs of physical capital, the transformation delivers increased production due to increases in natural capital and cultural capital." "This is an alternative approach to analyse investments for intervention. Where risks are high that traditional aid will fail, it gives options to explore and implement alternative strategies that focus on transformation built on historically successful cultural practices to manage the local ecology," he said. Resilience offers escape from trapped thinking on poverty alleviation. Science Advances. 5 May 2017;3: e1603043 ### Contact details Co-lead author Jamila Haider, Stockholm Resilience Centre jamila.haider@su.se +46 701917903 Co-lead author Steven Lade, Stockholm Resilience Centre steven.lade@su.se +46 70-191-9523 Media Owen Gaffney, Stockholm Resilience Centre Owen.gaffney@su.se Tel: +46 (0) 734604833 2016 OECD Development aid (published 11 April 2017). http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/development-aid-rises-again-in-2016-but-flows-to-poorest-countries-dip.htm Meteorite impacts can produce more than craters on the Earth - they can also spark volcanic activity that shapes its surface and climate by bringing up material from depth. That is the headline finding of an international team, led by geochemists from Trinity College Dublin, who discovered that large impacts can be followed by intense, long-lived, and explosive volcanic eruptions. The team studied rocks filling one of the largest preserved impact structures on the planet, located in Sudbury (Ontario, Canada). The 'bolide' hit the Earth here 1.85 billion years ago and excavated a deep basin, which was filled with melted target rocks and, later, with jumbled mixed rocks full of tiny volcanic fragments. Not only are there volcanic fragments throughout the sequence of the 1.5 km-thick basin but they have a very distinctive angular shape, which the scientists explain resembles a 'crab claw'. Such shapes form when gas bubbles expand in molten rock that then catastrophically explodes -- a feature of violent eruptions involving water, and which can be seen under glaciers in Iceland, for example. In the crater, these took place for a long period of time after the impact, when the basin was flooded with sea water. The key finding of the research, just published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, is that the composition of the volcanic fragments changed with time. Right after the impact, volcanism is directly related to melting of the Earth's crust. However, with time, volcanism seems to have been fed by magma coming from deeper levels within the Earth. Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at Trinity, Balz Kamber, said: "This is an important finding, because it means that the magma sourcing the volcanoes was changing with time. The reason for the excitement is that the effect of large impacts on the early Earth could be more serious than previously considered." On the early Earth there was a relatively brief period during which ca. 150 very large impacts occurred, whereas since then, only a handful have hit the Earth. Professor Kamber added: "The intense bombardment of the early Earth had destructive effects on the planet's surface but it may also have brought up material from the planet's interior, which shaped the overall structure of the planet." The findings raise interest in topical research on similar volcanism on other planetary bodies like Mercury, Venus, Mars and the Moon. There, unlike on the Earth, the lack of plate tectonics and erosion help preserve surface features, which are probed by space craft. The insight from Sudbury is complemental, the geologists say, because you can directly observe the rocks with your own eyes and collect loads of samples for detailed study in the lab. ### A growing aging population means that age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are affecting increasing numbers of people, making research into these diseases more important than ever. As a crucial resource for researchers and to showcase the vital research being done in the field, Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) is launching a new special collection - Neurodegeneration: from models to mechanisms to therapies. A special issue of DMM is being published to launch the collection, guest edited by Aaron Gitler (Stanford University) and James Shorter (the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania), both renowned specialists in protein-misfolding neurodegenerative disorders. Our guest editors open the issue with an editorial outlining historical models in neurodegeneration research, and the potential for future breakthroughs using cutting-edge induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and 3D brain organoid models. They also discuss new therapies such as the recent successful clinical trials for antisense oligonucleotide (AO) therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, outline articles in the special issue and highlight key neurodegeneration articles published previously in DMM. Following the Editorial, DMM Founding Editor Huda Zoghbi describes in an interview how the cases she saw as a clinical neurologist inspired her to move into the lab. A long-time advocate of using model systems in human disease research and epitomising the dedication and passion of the researchers in the field, Huda shares why it has taken her 25 years to understand the biology of neurological disorders well enough to start developing therapeutics. Another highlight of the special issue is a poster by Edward Lee and colleagues providing a detailed visual realisation of how impaired RNA metabolism can underlie the pathophysiology of neurodegeneration, as well as discussing potential therapeutic interventions to target these processes. Spotlight on neurodegenerative disorders Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is covered extensively in this special issue, beginning with a review by Wim Robberecht and colleagues, which provides a comprehensive discussion of model systems used to study ALS, from cell-based systems to fruit flies to rodents. A research article from Javier Fernandez-Ruiz and colleagues describes a new spontaneous canine degenerative myelopathy model for ALS that offers several advantages over traditional models relying on transgenic overexpression. Further research articles discuss the molecular basis for weight loss in neurodegenerative disorders with a focus on tyrosine receptor kinase 3 (Kim et al., 2017), the role of autophagy dysregulation in ALS (Wald-Altman et al., 2017), and a new Ranbp2 knockout mouse model for studying the impairments in nucleocytoplasmic transport that can underlie neurodegenerative diseases (Cho et al., 2017). A second review article presents a discussion by Gabriela Caraveo and colleagues on the current evidence for dysregulation of calcium-dependent pathways in Parkinson's disease (PD), and its implications in drug development. Research articles focusing on PD describe how an analysis of blood samples from a large Turkish family revealed complexin-1 as potential new blood biomarker in early PD risk screening (Lahut et al., 2017), and how genetic mutations linked to PD lead to stage-specific deregulation of the nucleolus (Evsyukov et al., 2017). Less well-known neurodegenerative disorders also feature in this special issue, including an in vitro cellular model exploring Miller-Fisher syndrome (Rodella et al., 2017), and a study into the role of the IKBKAP gene in hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSANs) of the peripheral nervous system (Chaverra et al., 2017). Remembering Susan Lindquist No compilation of current neurodegeneration research would be complete without taking a moment to reflect on the extraordinary contributions to the field by Susan Lindquist, who passed away last year. Her legacy is clear in the number of articles in DMM authored by, citing or mentioning Susan, including a poster co-authored with Julie Valastyan that provides a snapshot of protein-level mechanisms implicated in neurodegenerative and related disorders, and a moving tribute by Vivian Siegel. This special collection is dedicated to her memory. ### The primary aim of DMM is to promote human health by inspiring collaboration between basic and clinical researchers in translational science. All our articles are free to read, and we are proud to launch this new special collection on neurodegeneration as part of our ongoing focus on the use of model systems to better understand, diagnose and treat human disease. Look out for new additions to this collection in upcoming issues of the journal and sign up for email alerts on our website. What motivates Londoners to familiarise themselves with science from Dresden? A fascinating, mesmerising exhibition of scientific projects that aims at tackling today's most pressing problems and challenges! On 3 May, the DRESDEN-concept science exhibition was inaugurated at Guy's Campus of the renowned King's College London. "Right in the heart of London, exhibits from Dresden are on display that present leading research in a way which is accessible and comprehensible to everyone. The exhibition is directed at scientists and non-scientists alike, for adults as well as for children", delights TU Dresden's Rector and Chairman of DRESDEN-concept, Professor Hans Muller-Steinhagen during the opening event. "Find out about breakthroughs in cancer therapy, experience the future of the Tactile Internet, or touch and feel ultra-lightweight concrete. This concrete is reinforced with carbon and will revolutionise the construction industry. The exhibition is complemented by numerous scientific events and symposia." The opening event was also attended by Saxon State Minister for Higher Education, Research and the Arts, Dr Eva-Maria Stange, Mayor Dirk Hilbert, TU Dresden's Rectorial Board and various directors of the DRESDEN-concept institutes. Numerous representatives of KCL's management board were also in attendance. The exhibition will be on display on Guy's Campus of the renowned King's College London until 26 May 2017. Last year, the large-scale science exhibition, located in Dresden's Neumarkt Square in front of Frauenkirche, successfully displayed the key research focuses of DRESDEN-concept. The exhibition brings science made in Dresden closer to a broad audience and informs about the newest research results in diverse science areas such as Biomedicine & Bioengineering, Information Technology & Microelectronics, Materials & Structures and Culture & Societal Change. The overwhelming, positive feedback regarding the science exhibition has inspired the DRESDEN-concept alliance to present Dresden-based science on an international stage. The opening of the science exhibition at King's College London launches its "international tour". In September, the exhibition will continue its tour in Wroc?aw before moving ahead to Prague in 2018. Different scientific formats such as panel discussions, workshops and keynote lectures throughout the entire exhibition period stimulate the exchange between students, young researchers and scientists. Polymers, regenerative medicine, museum work and simulations are just a few examples of the topics of lectures held at King's College London. The series of events takes place within the existing transCampus partnership. It is a university partnership between the University of Excellence, TU Dresden, and King's College London, which started in the field of medicine and is now being expanded to other scientific areas at TU Dresden and the DRESDEN-concept partner institutions. "Especially in view of current developments, it is our key concern to further expand and intensify the academic co-operation with British science institutions", emphasises Prof. Muller-Steinhagen. What is DRESDEN-concept? DRESDEN-concept is an alliance of TUD with strong partners from science and culture, among others, Max-Planck, Fraunhofer, Leibniz and Helmholtz institutions. All 24 partners share the aim of making the excellence of Dresden-based research visible. In particular, this means that the partners exploit and utilise common synergy potentials in research, training, infrastructure, administration and transfer. To this end, they co-ordinate their science strategy and identify the areas of science in which Dresden is internationally leading. The partners work together in order to attract globally top-ranking scientists to Dresden and to strengthen their ties to the local science hub. What is transCampus? TransCampus is, throughout Europe, the first joint campus of two universities in two different countries. The pooling of expertise and resources of both universities opens up enhanced funding opportunities for cutting-edge research, which makes transCampus a magnet for scientists and students far beyond the borders of Europe and a model and pioneer for other large universities. The alliance achieved its first successes in the area of medicine: In islet, kidney, as well as bone marrow transplantation, transCampus London - Dresden is regarded one of the major transplant centres worldwide. Now, the initiative envisages to strategically develop further projects in medicine and biotechnology, engineering, natural sciences and humanities. Londoners are thrilled by DRESDEN-concept's basic principle of a combination of university and non-university research institutions as well as institutions of art and culture. This forms an integral part of transCampus. ### http://transcampus.eu/ http://www.dresden-concept.de/en/wissenschaftsausstellung/kings-college-london.html Media Inquiries: Sonja Piotrowski PR & Marketing DRESDEN-concept TU Dresden Phone: +49 351 463 40428 Email: Sonja.piotrowski@tu-dresden.de Kim-Astrid Magister Press Officer TU Dresden Phone: +49 351 463 32398 Email: pressestelle@tu-dresden.de The University of Alberta will help train more rehabilitation professionals and enhance rehabilitation research in China thanks to a new partnership with Guanghua International Education Association. As part of the recent Alberta mission with Premier Rachel Notley, theFaculty of Rehabilitation Medicine signed a memorandum of agreement to establish a framework for international coordination in rehabilitation, exploring possible future partnerships with colleges, universities and health-care organizations in China. "We are very excited about this partnership and what it means for delivery of services in China," said Bob Haennel, interim dean, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, who just returned from China last week. "It also shows people in China appreciate the need for rehabilitation. You survived the stroke--now how do you speak, walk again or get back to your daily life? After and before surgery or medical treatment, there is the quality of life and functional aspect of modern health-care, and that's rehabilitation." Ms. (Lisa) Lihua Gong, secretary-general and vice president of Guanghua International Education Association (GIEA), said rehabilitation practice and education in China started much later compared to developed countries, and this is a key discipline in its developing stage. "Because of the rapidly increasing national aging population, rehabilitation medicine receives strong support from the national government and is expected to develop quickly in the coming future. GIEA believes that this partnership and relevant future work will definitely improve the development of Chinese rehabilitation in education, research and practice." Based on the MOU with GIEA, UAlberta will partner with hospitals and universities in China to develop rehabilitation curriculum design, continuing professional education (CPE) courses and research partnerships. "Given that China has more than 2,000 universities," said Haennel, "the MOU is a great starting point, with translation of current CPE courses as something we can explore as a first step." Bernadette Martin, associate dean of strategic initiatives, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, said the faculty may also be welcoming a cohort of therapists and physicians from China this August who are interested in neurorehabilitation. "We hope the MOU leads to mobility of faculty and staff between the two countries, the exchange of educational materials and joint research activities." GIEA is also looking forward to helping the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine set up a branch campus with an international institute for rehabilitation in China in the future. "We chose the University of Alberta for three reasons: First, the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine is one of the leading research and education institutions in rehabilitation in North America or even in the world," said Gong. "Second, U of A has a tradition of international communication and coordination. Third, we appreciate the efficient communication and working together with U of A International (UAI)." Home to the only free-standing Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine in North America, UAlberta has the largest English-training programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology in Canada. Known as a research leader in healthy aging for seniors, musculoskeletal health and neuroscience and rehabilitation, the faculty has helped develop curriculum in several other countries including a recent partnership with Universidad Del Rosario in Colombia. "The partnership in China will open many doors for both countries, and speaks to the success of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine in Alberta as a respected global leader in advancing rehabilitation," said Martin, who was also on the recent trip to China with Premier Notley. The MOU is one of several key agreements the U of A signed with Chinese partners as part of a wider Government of Alberta trade mission, led by Premier Notley, to strengthen ties with the province's second-largest trading partner. "I am extremely proud to support the University of Alberta and TEC Edmonton in forming relationships with such innovative partners in China," said Notley in a statement. "We look forward to seeing this partnership thrive, and to watching Alberta's expertise across a variety of areas, not only create opportunities for Albertans, but make a difference around the world." ### Researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered that some fish within a shoal take on the responsibilities of leader when they are under threat from predators. The findings, reported today in Science Advances and funded by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council, suggest that the majority of decisions made by the leader fish are followed, making the shoals more effective. And it was the shoals where fish had defined leader/follower roles that were more evident in areas where predators were more prevalent. Dr Christos Ioannou from the university's School of Biological Sciences, said: "There are many benefits of group living, and making decisions together can dramatically increase the survival of many species - this is why many birds flock and fish shoal. "Groups can be guided by leaders, where a single individual makes most of the decisions, or egalitarian, where everyone contributes. Dr Christos Ioannou and colleagues found that guppies from areas with high predation differentiate more into either leaders or followers. This is the first evidence that predators may influence how individuals contribute to decisions in groups. Behaviour of over 300 fish from rivers with varying predation risk was studied. Fish were placed in a maze, and decision making and shoal cohesion for each fish in each shoal was measured using advanced computer tracking software. It was found that the majority of decisions made by a leading fish are followed, leading to high shoal cohesion overall. Moreover, it was the shoals that were less egalitarian that were more cohesive in high predation fish. Dr Ioannou added: "The study shows that decision making in social groups within a species can vary depending on predation, even within a small geographical range. "Changes in decision making may be a direct response to predation risk, but we need further experiments to test this. "This research is important as it shows that social behaviour can adapt depending on ecological factors. This could have a wider impact when considering how changes in species communities, for example due to climate change or invasive species, affects social prey." ### Fishes perceive changes in water currents caused by prey, conspecifics and predators using their lateral line. The tiny sensors of this organ also allow them to navigate reliably. However, with increasing current velocities, the background signal also increases. Scientists at the University of Bonn have now created a realistic, three-dimensional model of a fish for the first time and have simulated the precise current conditions. The virtual calculations show that particular anatomical adaptations minimize background noise. The results are now being presented in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. The ide (Leuciscus idus) is a fish that inhabits the lower stretches of slow-flowing rivers. Like most fishes, it can perceive the current using its lateral line. The mechanoreceptors of this organ are distributed over the surface of the entire body, which is why the organ provides a three-dimensional image of the hydrodynamic conditions. Fishes can thus also find their way around themselves in the dark and identify prey, conspecifics, or predators. The recently retired zoologist Prof. Horst Bleckmann from the University of Bonn has spent many years researching the sensitive organ and has used it as inspiration for technical flow sensors in order to, for instance, identify leakages in water pipes. First realistic three-dimensional computer model The scientists Dr. Hendrik Herzog from the Institute of Zoology and Dr. Alexander Ziegler from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology at the University of Bonn have now entered a new dimension of research into the lateral line in fish: they created the first realistic, three-dimensional computer model of the lateral line system, which they used to calculate the precise flow conditions of the surrounding water. "We concentrated on the head of the ide, because the lateral line of the fish has a particularly complex form there," reports Dr. Herzog. This organ has two different types of sensors. Some protrude like small bumps from the surface of the fish's skin and the water flows directly over them. Others sit in canals that are submerged into the cranial bone and are connected to the water via small pores. "If prey, such as a freshwater shrimp, is close by, the local water current and pressure conditions change," explains Dr. Ziegler. The fish registers this with its many sensors. "However, until now, the actual function of such different types of current measurement had not been clarified conclusively." Both researchers received active support from Birgit Klein from the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences. In her bachelor thesis at the Institute of Zoology, the current master student compared various methods of 3D reconstruction. She took around 350 photos of the head of the ide from various angles and used them to produce a 3D model of the fish surface. She had dyed the channels and sensors of the lateral line beforehand, which is why the structures in the model can be clearly identified. She then optimized the dataset by digitizing the fish head using a much higher-resolution laser scanning procedure. This created a realistic image of the fish surface, but the inside of the animal was not recorded in this way. This is why the researchers used a micro-computed tomography scanner as the third method. A contrast agent allowed the soft tissue to be shown even when using this X-ray technique. At the end, data from all three techniques flowed into the realistic model of the lateral line. The zoologists thus simulated various current conditions and calculated the hydrodynamic signals to the various sensors. A strong current is a challenge for the fish, as the background noise for the sensors is particularly great. Nevertheless, the fish can precisely perceive its environment even with high water speeds. As the researchers show with their calculations, depressions ensure that the current is significantly reduced for the bump-like sensors that sit on the surface of the skin. "The relative signal strength of, for instance, prey organisms thus becomes greater," explains Dr. Herzog. For the sensors in the channels, it was shown that certain sections of the lateral line are particularly sensitive to the respective current strength due to different channel diameters. Bio-inspired application: improved navigation of underwater robots "Using our methodical approach, comparative anatomical studies between different fish species with an especially high level of detail will be possible in the future," reports Dr. Ziegler. His colleague sees bio-inspired applications in the foreground: "The knowledge from such 3D models of fish may also make it possible to significantly improve the autonomous navigation of underwater robots using flow sensors," suggests Dr. Herzog. ### Publication: Form and function of the teleost lateral line revealed using three-dimensional imaging and computational fluid dynamics, the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2016.0898 Media contact: Dr. Hendrik Herzog Institute of Zoology University of Bonn Tel. +49 (0)228/735490 E-mail: hendrik.herzog@uni-bonn.de Dr. Alexander Ziegler Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology University of Bonn Tel. +49 (0)228/735758 E-mail: aziegler@evolution.uni-bonn.de The Black River Falls Fire Department responded to a kitchen fire in the town of Adams in Jackson County Friday. The occupants of the home were able to evacuate the home without incident. Upon arrival, the home had smoke showing from the eves. The two occupants that were outside confirmed the fire was in the kitchen. The department was able to knock down the fire quickly by attacking the fire from inside the home. The kitchen sustained heavy fire damage and the rest of the home had heavy heat and smoke damage. According to the home owner, cooking oil was being heated up on the stove at the time of the fire. The department was on scene with 11 firefighters for more than an hour and used 210 gallons of water to extinguish the fire. The department received assistance from Jackson Electric Coop who cut the power to the property. The Jackson County Sheriffs Department provided traffic control and direction. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced family. A team of researchers, led by the University of Bristol, has uncovered that ancient fossils, thought to be some of the world's earliest examples of animal remains, could in fact belong to other groups such as algae. The Weng'an Biota is a fossil Konservat-Lagerstatte in South China that is around 600 million-years-old and provides an unparalleled snapshot of marine life during the interval in which molecular clocks estimate that animal groups had evolved. However, all fossil evidence from this time has met with controversy. Dr John Cunningham from the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, said: "Dated at around 600 million years old, these rocks preserve an assemblage of microscopic fossils, perfectly-aged to be candidates for the oldest evidence of animal life. "These fossils aren't recognisable as remains of fully grown animals, but some resemble embryos, ranging from single cells to clusters of thousands. "The preservation is so exquisite, that even sub-cellular structures can be identified, including possible nuclei. Dr Kelly Vargas, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Bristol and one of the paper's co-authors, said: "But with the lack of adult forms that could indicate their identity, paleontologists have to rely on information from cellular anatomy to determine whether these tiny fossils belong to animals or to a different group." Now scientists have reviewed all the evidence pointing towards an animal identity of the Weng'an fossils. Their findings have revealed that none of the characteristics previously used to define the fossils as animals are actually unique to animals alone, opening up the possibility for alternative identifications. Professor Philip Donoghue, another Bristol co-author, added: "Many proponents of animal affinity have argued that the Y-shaped junctions between the cells in the fossils are an important animal character, but this a feature common to many multicellular groups, including algae, that are very distant relatives of animals." Dr Cunningham added: "It could be that the fossils belong to other groups, such as algae, and these possibilities need to be investigated carefully." Despite these results, paleontologists are continuing to make new discoveries from the Weng'an Biota, and these are helping to refine our knowledge of evolution during the Ediacaran. Dr Cunningham concluded: "It might be possible that we'll find definite animals in the Doushantuo Formation, but it'll be like finding a needle in a haystack, or should we say an embryo in a really, really big quarry." ### Tourette disorder (also known as Tourette syndrome) afflicts as many as one person in a hundred worldwide with potentially disabling symptoms including involuntary motor and vocal tics. However, researchers have so far failed to determine the cause of the disorder, and treatments have only limited effectiveness, in part because the genetics underlying the disorder have remained largely a mystery. Now, as reported online May 3, 2017 in Neuron, a consortium of top researchers -- led by scientists at UC San Francisco, Rutgers University, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Florida, and Yale School of Medicine -- has made a significant advance, identifying the first "high-confidence" risk gene for Tourette disorder as well as three other probable risk genes. These findings are a step forward in understanding the biology of the disorder, the authors said, which will aid in the search for better treatments. "In the clinic, I have seen again and again the frustration that patients and families experience because of our lack of understanding and the limitations of our current treatments. But we have now taken a major initial step forward in changing this reality, thanks to new genomic technologies and a very successful long term collaboration between clinicians and geneticists," said Matthew State, MD, PhD, Oberndorf Family Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF and a co-senior author on the new paper. Studying Rare Variants to Illuminate Disease Biology For their new paper, the researchers used an approach that State and colleagues have pioneered in studies of the genetic basis of autism spectrum disorders, and which has led to important discoveries in that field over the past five years. As in this earlier research, the scientists involved in the Neuron study compared the protein-coding regions of the genomes of children with Tourette disorder to the genomes of their parents to identify so-called de novo variants -- rare genetic mutations that are not inherited from parents, but rather occur spontaneously at conception. De novo variants often have stronger biological effects than inherited variants passed from generation to generation, said Jeremy Willsey, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at UCSF and co-lead author of the new paper. "We study de novo variants even though they are rare because they generally have more extreme effects than inherited mutations and can provide us much information about the underlying causes of a disease," Willsey said. "This also translates to developing therapies: if these variants greatly increase a child's risk of Tourette disorder, we would expect that understanding these changes could potentially lead to very effective treatments for the disorder." The team analyzed genomic data from 311 "trios" -- children with Tourette disorder and their parents, most of whom were unaffected by the disorder -- collected by the Tourette International Collaborative Genetics group (TIC Genetics), and found strong evidence that de novo variants can play a significant role in triggering the disorder. To be certain of what they were seeing, the team conducted a replication study in 173 trios from the Tourette Association of America International Consortium for Genetics (TAAICG), and found the same results. Extrapolating from the number of de novo variants they observed in these relatively small datasets, the researchers were able to estimate that approximately 12 percent of Tourette disorder cases are likely to involve de novo variants, and that these variants probably strike about 400 different key risk genes. Four Brain-Expressed Genes are Likely Tourette Disorder Risk Factors In order to gain sufficient statistical power to identify specific genes in which de novo variants disrupt function and contribute to risk of Tourette disorder, the researchers combined the genetic data from the TIC Genetics and TSAICG cohorts -- a complex effort led by State, Willsey, and their team at UCSF. The resulting dataset allowed the researchers to zero in on four genes expressed in the brain in which de novo variants were significantly associated with the disorder. This analysis identified variants of the gene WWC1, also called KIBRA (for "KIdney- and BRAin-expressed protein) -- which is involved in brain development, memory, and the brain's response to the hormone estrogen -- as having a greater than 90 percent probability of contributing to Tourette disorder. Three other genes were flagged as having at least 70 percent probability of contributing to the disorder. Of these, two -- FN1 and CELSR3 -- are also known to be involved in the development of brain circuitry. The third probable risk gene, called NIPBL or Delangin, is involved in regulation of gene expression in the brain, and has previously been associated with the developmental disorder Cornelia de Lange syndrome, as well as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in humans. The authors anticipate that future studies of de novo variants in a larger number of families affected by Tourette disorder will result in dozens more promising genetic leads, just as State and colleagues have been able to generate for autism spectrum disorders: those findings are driving an explosion in research into the biology of autism that was not possible before the identification of these molecular clues. "We've now done in Tourette disorder what we began five years ago in autism spectrum disorders. These findings shows that Tourette disorder has same path forward, which means there is a very bright future for understanding genetics of the disorder," said State, who is also director of the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute and Hospital at UCSF and a member of the Steering Committee for the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. "The very first study I did as a geneticist was of Tourette disorder, so this has been a 20-year odyssey -- and it is deeply gratifying to see this long-term effort across multiple sites and countries lead to real progress." Close Collaboration Between Geneticists, Clinicians Made Study Possible The new study represents a collaborative effort across the two international Tourette disorder genetics consortia: TIC Genetics, founded by State and Jay Tischfield, PhD, of Rutgers, and now led by State, Tischfield and Gary Heiman, PhD, also at Rutgers; and the TSAICG, led by Jeremiah Scharf, MD, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Carol Mathews, MD, of the University of Florida. Tischfield, Heiman, Scharf, and Mathews are all co-senior authors of the new paper. "The success of this project, and the identification of an increased burden of rare variants in Tourette disorder reinforces the importance of collaborative science and open data sharing, to which both consortia are strongly committed," Scharf and Matthews wrote in an email. The study also depended on a tight collaboration between genetic researchers and the clinicians who work directly with the patients and families whose DNA were central to the new findings, State said. "Our collaborators in this effort are all clinical experts, deeply devoted to Tourette patients and families, in the U.S., Europe and Asia, all of whom have tenaciously worked to keep this project moving forward over the last seven years." ### Thomas V. Fernandez, MD, of the Yale School of Medicines Child Study Center and Department of Psychiatry was co-lead author, with Willsey, of the new study. The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH092290, R01MH092291, R01MH092292, R01MH092293, R01MH092513, R01MH092516, R01MH092520, R01MH092289, K23MH085057, K08MH099424) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U01NS40024-09S1, K02 NS085048) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, as well as the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center, the Tourette Association of America, the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, and the Overlook International Fund. About UCSF: UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises three top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland, and other partner and affiliated hospitals and healthcare providers throughout the Bay Area. Please visit http://www.ucsf.edu/news. Neonicotinoid pesticides hinder wild queen bumblebee's reproductive success, according to a new University of Guelph study. The study is the first to link exposure to thiamethoxam -- one of the most commonly used neonicotinoid pesticides -- to fewer fully developed eggs in queens from four wild bumblebee species that forage in farmland. "Queen bees will only lay eggs when the eggs are fully developed," said Prof. Nigel Raine, holder of the Rebanks Family Chair in Pollinator Conservation. If queens need to use energy to clear pesticides from their system instead of investing in eggs, then fewer fully developed eggs will result, he said. "This will likely translate into slower egg-laying rates, which will then impede colony development and growth." Published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study was conducted by Raine, along with Mark Brown and Gemma Baron from Royal Holloway University of London. Neonicotinoids are one of a number of factors contributing to the decline of bees and are currently being phased out or restricted in several countries including Canada. The researchers examined the impacts of exposing queen bumblebees to thiamethoxam during the spring when they emerge from hibernation and are preparing to lay their first eggs and establish a colony. "Given the vital role spring queens have in maintaining bumblebee populations, we decided to focus on assessing the impacts at this stage in the life cycle," said Raine, a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences. "These spring queens represent the next generation of bumblebee colonies." Worker bees from those first eggs are needed to clean and guard the nest, find food and tend to the next batch of eggs. Without those workers, the colony will likely fail, said Raine. In this study, about 500 queen bees from four species were caught in early spring and for two weeks were fed syrup treated with pesticide doses similar to levels found in pollen and nectar in the wild. They were then observed for another two weeks before they were frozen, dissected and examined. The researchers found that across all four species the queen bees that were given higher doses of thiamethoxam had smaller, less-developed eggs than the queens not exposed to the pesticide. Raine suspects the metabolic costs associated with the detoxification required from pesticide exposure results in a reduced amount of nutrients available for other biological processes such as egg development. The researchers also found queen bees from two of the four species ate less nectar after being exposed to thiamethoxam. "If their feeding rates drop off, the queens go into a dormant state," said Raine. "They won't have enough energy to fly or to collect pollen to feed their larvae. They may not even have enough resources to lay eggs." The fact that queen feeding behavior was impacted by exposure to thiamethoxam in only two of the four bee species highlights the reality that sensitivity to pesticides differs among bee species, added Raine. "Most of the work to determine levels of toxic exposure to pesticide has used honeybees as a model pollinator. But our findings show that bee species vary in their level of sensitivity to pesticides, which is important information that should be factored into regulatory decisions on these chemicals." ### People's eyes dilate when they are looking at people they find sexually appealing -- but new research from the University of Kent suggests that their response does not depend on whether the person being viewed is naked or clothed. Researchers from the University's School of Psychology studied whether a stronger dilation for the preferred sex is produced when participants viewed images depicting higher levels of sexual explicitness compared to images low on sexual explicitness. Using eye-tracking technology in combination with highly controlled stimuli, the team found that pupillary responses to images of men and women appeared to be sex-specific but not sensitive to the sexual explicitness of the image. Researcher Dr Janice Attard-Johnson said: 'We found that changes in pupil size when viewing images of men and women corresponded with participants' self-reported sexual orientation. 'This meant that in heterosexual men and women, dilation occurred during the viewing of opposite-sex people, but that these responses were comparable when participants viewed both naked and dressed targets. 'Our findings suggest that pupillary responses provide a sex-specific measure that is sensitive to both sexually explicit and non-sexually explicit content.' Other research indicates that naked pictures of people elicit stronger signs of arousal than dressed images when this is measured using other physiological reactions, such as genital responses. But researchers found this was not the case with pupillary responses, and suggest it is possible that a change in pupil size is elicited with lower levels of sexual arousal than is necessary for other physiological measures. ### The research report, entitled Sex-specific but not sexually explicit: pupillary responses to dressed and naked adults, is published in the Royal Society Open Science journal. Its authors are Dr Attard-Johnson and Dr Markus Bindemann. For further information contact Martin Herrema at the University of Kent Press Office. Tel: 01227 823581/01634 888879Email: M.J.Herrema@kent.ac.uk News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/newsv University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent Note to editors 1. Participants in the study were 28 female and 24 male students with a mean age of 22.4 years. Only participants who reported to be exclusively or predominantly heterosexual were invited to take part. Participants were seated in a quiet windowless room with consistent artificial lighting. The participants' left eye was tracked and calibrated using a standard Eyelink process. Participants were invited to rate the sexual appeal of 72 images. Half of these images were based on photographs of six men and six women which were selected from XXX Porn-Star Portraits. Each of these targets was portrayed dressed, partially naked, and naked in matching poses on a plain background. Participants also viewed a set of control images whereby the content of these images was 'scrambled'. 2. Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome. It has been ranked: 23rd in the Guardian University Guide 2017; 23rd in the Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2017; and 25th in the Complete University Guide 2018. In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, Kent is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook and 66th in its table of the most international universities in the world. The THE also ranked the University as 20th in its 'Table of Tables' 2016. Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality. Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium . The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals. In 2014, Kent received its second Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. A new study has shown that approximately 53 per cent of NHS patients displayed clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety within a year after completing psychological treatments. A total of 439 patients, who were considered to have recovered from their symptoms following therapy on the NHS, took part in the study. Over half of these were found to have suffered a relapse event, with up to 79 per cent of events occurring within the first six months after treatment. The study, published in Behaviour Research and Therapy, was conducted by a team of NHS clinicians and scientists from the Universities of York, Sheffield, Huddersfield and Trier. Dr Shehzad Ali, from the University of York's Department of Health Sciences, said: "Our research highlights that, under the current system, some patients are being discharged too soon. As a result, patients who have low levels of depression at the time of discharge are more likely to relapse within a few months." Participants in the study were in contact with researchers on a monthly basis for 12 months after treatment to monitor their wellbeing and to quantify the percentage of cases that relapsed. Patients with residual depression symptoms at the end of treatment were twice as likely to relapse. Dr Jaime Delgadillo, from the University of Sheffield, said: "These findings underline the importance of monitoring patients' wellbeing for at least six months after treatment and offering adequate support to ensure they stay well. We argue that relapse prevention is a crucial but often neglected aspect of psychological care in the NHS. "Incomplete or insufficient treatment also costs the NHS, as patients who relapse often need further care or support." According to a report in 2016 from the independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS, poor mental health carries an economic and social cost of 105 billion a year in England. In total, 9.2 billion is spent every year by the NHS on mental health support and services. Depression and anxiety are highly common and often disabling mental health problems, experienced by one in six adults in the UK. Available treatments in the NHS include medication and psychological therapy. The most widely available form of psychological care for these conditions is known as Low intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LiCBT), which is a brief and simplified adaptation of a treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). LiCBT involves weekly contact with a mental health professional who guides patients on how to look after their mental health and typically lasts under two months. LiCBT has been found to lead to short-term improvement of depression and anxiety in previous studies, although there is as still limited evidence about its long-term effectiveness after treatment. ### Wednesday, May 3, 2017 This series of Shermans Lagoon cartoons brilliantly illustrate the awkward things people say when a loved one dies. Check out these conversations around the death of a very famous fish with the nickname Granddad. Upon hearing Granddad died, Hawthorne the Hermit Crab says, Um, sorry for your loss. When informed by Fillmore that he wasnt his granddad, Hawthorne asks, So, do I have to keep faking sympathy? And who was Granddad, anyway? And how could they tell he died? Fillmore tells Sherman the Shark, who doesnt know Granddad was lungfish and an icon in the Chicago Aquarium that lived more than eight decades. Fillmore starts to get upset. Fillmore thinks they should go pay their respects to Granddad. The lungfish in the Chicago Aquarium that none of us knew? asks Hawthorne. Maybe we can catch a Cubs game, whispers Sherman. Shermans wife Megan has a cheat sheet with Granddads history, because Sherman warned her Fillmore was ranting about this old fish. The gang shows up at the aquarium for the funeral service and any food and beverages that may be served. Right off the bat, a beluga whale that lives at the aquarium admonishes Hawthorne, who has no sense of propriety regarding the dead, Less talking, more mourning. Somehow, Hawthorne winds up speaking at the service, and he says those words no one ever wants to hear at a funeral: I did not know (insert name here) personally. Sherman gets to offer his condolences, but he doesnt do much better. So, if you dont want to get thrown out of a funeral, take a lesson from these characters. Know a bit about the deceased, prepare your remarks if you are speaking, and dont crack jokes with folks you dont know. Share this: Wednesday, May 3, 2017 (NewsUSA) -Researchers at the University of California, Irvine analyzed the effects of OraCoat XyliMelts oral adhering discs on people affected by clinically diagnosed dry mouth. The study showed that the discs reduce tooth plaque by 58 percent and improve the ability to eat and swallow for those affected by dry mouth. XyliMelts is a patented dry mouth product that sticks to the gums outside of a molar, releasing one-half gram of Xylitol, which stimulates saliva, and cellulose gum which, combined with saliva, forms a lubricating gel. The study evaluated the effects of XyliMelts on saliva production and the ability to neutralize acids, as well as patient comfort. The study was administered to five test subjects who used the remedy as recommended: two discs while sleeping, one on each side of the mouth, and as needed during the day. On average, the subjects used four discs each day during daytime hours. Results showed that the product significantly reduced sleep disruption by lasting for six hours while sleeping, when dry mouth is at its worst, while improving mouth wetness in the morning. It also diminished tooth sensitivity to hot, cold, and spicy foods and drinks.The discs more than doubled saliva production while in place, and increased the ability of saliva to neutralize acids that cause tooth decay. Most importantly, the test displayed that subjects using XyliMelts in conjunction with standard oral care showed heightened saliva flow compared to standard oral care alone. doubled saliva production while in place, and increased the ability of saliva to neutralize acids that cause tooth decay. Most importantly, the test displayed that subjects using XyliMelts in conjunction with standard oral care showed heightened saliva flow compared to standard oral care alone. livery of Xylitol.* The 21-day clinical study evaluated in patients with dry mouth the effects of XyliMelts on saliva production and ability to neutralize acids, as well as patient comfort. The study was administered to five test subjects who used XyliMelts as recommended: two discs while sleeping, one on each side of the mouth, and as needed during the day. On average, the subjects used four discs each day during daytime hours. Test results showed the clinical usefulness of XyliMelts for effectively relieving dry mouth. Researchers found that XyliMelts significantly reduced sleep disruption by lasting for six hours while sleeping, when dry mouth is at its worst, while improving mouth wetness upon waking in the morning. XyliMelts also diminished tooth sensitivity to hot, cold, and spicy foods and drinks. The adhering discs more than doubled saliva production while in place, and increased the ability of saliva to neutralize acids that cause tooth decay. Most importantly, the test displayed that subjects using XyliMelts in conjunction with standard oral care showed heightened saliva flow compared to standard oral care alone. XyliMelts not only alleviates symptoms of dry mouth, they also stimulate saliva production. Overall, subject feedback to XyliMelts was positive, with subjects stating that they would continue using the discs while recommending them to others. Subjects also reported XyliMelts as easy to use with a favorable taste and overall mouth feel. The study was published on February 13, 2017, and can be found here. In a March 2016 Clinicians Report survey of dentists published by CR Foundation, an independent, non-profit, dental education and product testing foundation, 152 dentists who were familiar with OraCoat XyliMelts rated it more effective than any other remedy for dry mouth, including prescription drugs which came in second.? XyliMelts are available over the counter at CVS and Rite Aid. For more information on XyliMelts, visit www.oracoat.com. Consumers interested in receiving a free sample (limit one per household) should call 1-855-275-4766. A companion product to OraCoat XyliMelts for oral cancer patients is OraCoat XyliGel, a soothing gel with 17% Xylitol buffered to pH 7.4 to relieve dry mouth. It works especially well for people with very low levels of saliva. XyliGel is available online at oracoat.com. Article Resources Link to this article: Copy and paste the following code Embed this article: Let's block ads! (Why?) Advocates for anaerobic digestion, a source of renewable energy usually found on-farms, are calling for political parties to recognise the process. With a snap election on the horizon and all parties now scrambling to pull together manifestos, the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) has called for the value of anaerobic digestion to be recognised. Anaerobic digestion is the breakdown of organic material by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen. The process produces biogas, a methane-rich gas that can be used as a fuel, and digestate, a source of nutrients that can be used as a fertiliser. ncreasingly, it is being used to make the most of waste by turning it into renewable energy. Commenting, ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton stated: "The performance of local authorities and politicians on the ground can have an impact on how people vote nationally. "There are levers that the Government can pull to make their job on the ground easier, and this is true when it comes to supporting the AD industry and sorting the problem of food waste collections in England. 'Support UK farmers' ADBA is calling for three policies that all parties should include in their manifestos: Re-introduce the legislation on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) as soon as possible in the next parliament, and commit to increasing the RHI budget so the UK can continue to produce clean, green energy and useful products like biofertiliser. Commit to legislation introducing separate food waste collections in England, to divert waste away from landfill, helping meet UK carbon commitments. Support UK farmers by restoring viable tariffs to the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme and remove the AD capacity cap. ADBA says that local problems on what to do with food waste, as well as national ones on meeting UK energy needs and cutting carbon emissions will come to a head in the next Parliament. ADBA says with the right targeting support, AD can help solve many of these domestic issues, while boosting exports abroad. The Welsh government has launched the Farm Business Grant, a small grants scheme which offers farmers the chance to invest in new machinery and equipment. The grant is designed to help farmers in Wales improve the economic and environmental performance of their agricultural holdings. It provides a 40% contribution towards capital investments in equipment and machinery that have been pre-identified as offering clear and quantifiable benefits to farm enterprises. 40 million funding will be available over 4 years. The minimum grant available is 3,000, and the maximum is 12,000. Only one application will be approved per business throughout the lifetime of the Scheme. The proposal is to open three windows in the 2017 -2018 financial year with each open for 2 months. The first window opened on 2 May followed by one in August 2017 and the third in February 2018. The government has produced a list of about 70 machines or pieces of equipment which are eligible. The Welsh government has secured a 223 million boost to Wales rural communities. Land Rover has announced the launch of its fourth annual bursary in partnership with The Princes Countryside Fund. The bursary will offer a year-long loan of a Land Rover Discovery Sport to the UKs most enterprising and entrepreneurial young people working in rural Britain. Five winners will be provided with a Discovery Sport, known for its capability over a wide variety of terrains and weather conditions, alongside Land Rover off-road and all terrain driver training. Scott Dicken, Jaguar Land Rover UK Marketing Director said: Our support of the Land Rover Bursary shares The Princes Countryside Funds vision to support future generations managing Britains rural communities. We share a passion for the countryside and we hope that the support of a new Land Rover Discovery Sport for a year will make a difference, improving the prospects for young entrepreneurs at the early stages of a rural business. Claire Saunders, Director of The Princes Countryside Fund said: We are delighted to be working in partnership with Land Rover, once again, to provide young people embarking on a career in the countryside with vehicles that form the bedrock of everything they do. The past winners of the bursary have seen their businesses go from strength to strength over the year and we are excited to be doing it all over again. There is a real need for young people to be supported in every way possible and with so many keen to get into rural industries or develop their own businesses, were excited to see how these vehicles can help them achieve their dreams. Applications are now open and must be completed online by 31st May 2017. The Princes Countryside Fund Land Rover Bursary is open to UK residents aged between 21 to 35 living and working in a rural area. A Green MEP has called on the next government to follow the lead taken by the European Parliament and clamp down on "landgrabbing" for financial investment and industrial agricultural production. Landgrabbing is the issue of large-scale land acquisitions: the buying or leasing of large pieces of land by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals. Dr Scott Cato, a member of the agriculture committee in the European Parliament, has said the new government must enact policies to help small and medium-sized farms that operate in ways that respect workers, the environment and animals. The European Parliament has appealed to both the EU Commission and EU governments to stop the further concentration of Europe's agricultural areas and protect small and medium sized farms from corporations and speculators. Small family farms Dr Scott Cato points to opportunities post-Brexit to develop alternative models of farming which support small family farms. She said: Landgrabbing for financial investment and industrial agricultural production has long been considered a problem for developing countries. But Europe faces the same issue. Large investors are using arable land as an investment opportunity. Just 3% of farms control more than 52% of arable land in Europe and 80% of CAP subsidies go to just 20% of farms. The European Parliament is right to call time on this perverse situation. As we prepare to leave the EU and the Common Agriculture Policy, the UK could become pioneers of a new farming model that redirects funds away from large land holders and corporation and towards supporting family farms. Poultry farm income fell 16 per cent to an average of 107,000 per business in 2016, according to latest statistics from the Farm Business Survey. Falling broiler and free range egg prices hit bottom lines across the sector and forced businesses to take an even closer look at productivity. Income for free range laying farms fell by 10% to average 34,000 per business last year, and broilers saw a similar hit to incomes, falling back 9% to average 348,000 per farm. Yet the value of poultry products leaving farms hit 3.2 billion as farmers continued to increase output and efficiency. Nationally, the free range laying sector saw egg prices fall by 11p to just 88p per dozen during the last financial year, according to Defra. 'Huge variety' Rachel Lawrence from the Farm Business Survey explained that there is a 'huge variety' in prices received: Producers seem to use a range of different marketing channels and we see variability in prices of up to 20% between producers. Its also important to remember that national egg consumption actually increased by 2% last year, just as farm gate prices were falling. Broiler units were also hit by falling prices, with average broiler prices dropping by 23p per bird during the year. But farms responded by boosting productivity, output increased from an average of 7.2 to 7.4 crops of birds per year. Broiler price falls by an average of 23p per bird Across the sample huge savings were made as the feed bill per bird fell by 15% and producers cut running costs by 7%. In particular, farms cut back on the labour bill, with lower spending on both permanent and casual staff resulting in a 19% reduction in total labour costs. 'Volatility is nothing new' This closer attention to spending, combined with higher throughput, has helped businesses to counter the worst of the falling prices, explained Ms Lawrence. Lower input prices can also help to drive profitability, with our broiler producers being boosted by a fall in chick prices, which fell 8% over the course of the year. Volatility is nothing new to poultry producers, and something that farmers are becoming increasingly adept at handling. Over the last 10 years poultry farms have seen incomes fluctuate by up to 70%. Yet the national poultry flock is at its highest level in almost 10 years and consumer demand continues to increase; poultry now accounts for 42% of UK meat consumption and is a vital part of the UK agriculture sector; totalling 13% of gross agriculture output. Ms Lawrence continued: In this time period weve also seen farmers look to diversify their income streams. In 2016, 28% of poultry farm business income was from diversification, up from just 11% five years ago. Looking to the future the signs of a strong poultry sector are already there, the trend of diversification continues to bolster farm businesses. Most profitable Poultry businesses also continue to be some of the most profitable in the farming sector says Ms Lawrence. Ms Lawrence said: The average poultry farm income in 2015/16 was 75,000 higher than the national farm average. And the proportion of loss making businesses is also a lot lower- just 8% of poultry farms lost money in 2016 compared to 22% of all farms nationally. The sector also represents some of the highest earning farms in the country; last year only 9% of farms nationally earned more than 100,000 compared to 28% of poultry farms. The UKs agriculture sector faces challenges and opportunities as a result of Brexit, the House of Lords has said in its long-awaited EU report on the UK farming industry. The report said the industry will need to overcome challenges posed by leaving the EUs Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), not least as CAP funding currently supports many farms across the UK. Repatriating agricultural policy-making to the UK will also require careful consideration of the needs of the industry, future trade agreements and the devolution settlements. These changes will affect an industry which by its very nature must make long-term business decisions. A transitional period is needed to allow farmers to survive and prosper post-Brexit. These are among the findings and recommendations of the report Brexit: agriculture by the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee. The first evidence session took place on 25 January when the Committee took evidence from leading academics on the subject. 'Enormous challenges' Commenting on the report, Lord Teverson, who chaired the Sub-Committee up until the dissolution of Parliament, said post-Brexit the UKs agriculture and food sectors face 'enormous challenges'. Life after the EUs Common Agricultural Policy will not be easy for the many UK farmers who rely on its financial support. The findings and recommendations come from a House of Lords report by the EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee But leaving the EU is also an opportunity for the UK, and its constituent nations and regions, to move away from the EUs one-size-fits-all policies on farming and food. We will be able to really think about what we want to do with agriculture, food and the environment. Trade especially with the EU is really important for the agri-food sector. It is unlikely that a comprehensive trade deal with the EU will be negotiated before Brexit, so a transitional deal is vital to avoiding a 'cliff edge' for farmers. The Government and the devolved administrations will also need to be careful that tailored agricultural policies dont create non-tariff barriers for UK exports. 'Urgent review' The CLA which represents farmers, landowners and rural businesses has responded to the report, saying it is 'welcomed'. CLA Deputy President Tim Breitmeyer said: The CLA has called for an urgent review of the need for seasonal agricultural workers, and we are pleased that the Lords support us on this. We would call on the Government to make this a priority when they return to their desks in June. We are pleased that the Lords support our call for the design of a fully funded policy to replace CAP, that ensures a more resilient productive sector going forward, and we believe this should be a priority for whatever government emerges from the general election in June. Peers have set out that they believe that securing a good deal for agriculture must be a government negotiating priority. The CLA has put forward the red lines it believes Government must not cross when negotiating a trade deal with the EU and we will continue to press for these in the crucial months ahead. Withdrawing from CAP The CAP plays a fundamental role in regulating and supporting UK agriculture. Many farmers in the UK rely on CAP funding to sustain their businesses, and wider rural communities also benefit from EU development programmes. But CAP is criticised for being bureaucratic and misdirecting financial support. The report said that Brexit presents an opportunity to tailor agriculture policies more closely to the differing needs of farmers and consumers across the UK. UK farmers will also need time and clarity from Government to allow them to adapt to any changes in the regulatory or funding system after Brexit. Future trade in agri-food products The EU is the UK's single largest trading partner in agri-food products - about 80% of the UKs agricultural exports go to the EU. The report said that post-Brexit, the UK will have to develop its own tariff schedules and negotiate new trading relations with the EU and the wider world. UK farmers risk facing high tariffs and significant non-tariff barriers when exporting, and competition from lower-priced imports domestically. Both tariff and non-tariff barriers could disrupt integrated supply chains between the UK and the EU, and pose a particular challenge for the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. Access to labour The UKs agri-food sector relies extensively on other EU countries for both permanent and seasonal labour. This labour ranges across all skill levels. The report said that without access to EU labour, both the agricultural sector and food manufacturers will face severe difficulties. The report it is an immediate challenge, which the Government must address urgently as the UK approaches withdrawal. The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee investigated the implications of Brexit for UK agriculture and food, particularly the impact of leaving the EUs Common Agricultural Policy. It took evidence from key industry representatives, academic experts and the Government in order to identify priorities for a post-Brexit relationship with the EU. (ASX:NGY) Hello Im Carolyn Herbert from the Finance News Network and joining me from NuEnergy Gas Limitedis Deputy Executive Chairman, Yong Wah Kee. Kee welcome to FNN.Thank you.Can you start by giving us an introduction to the company?We acquired NuEnergy in mid 2014 as a coal seam gas developer, we have total assets of 5,100 kilometres square in Indonesia. We want to deliver clean energy to the Indonesian market.What attracted you to Indonesia and whats your outlook for the energy market?The outlook is great, Indonesias gas price is $US7-12 MMBTU, its a sellers market. Just like China 20 years ago, there is a shortage of clean energy and we are in the position to deliver the clean energy. And Indonesia consists of the world ranking, the fifth largest coal bed methane reserves in the world and the pipelines. And all of this is in a good position.Kee thanks for your time.Youre welcome.Im now joined by Chief Operating Officer, Benghong Lim. Lim welcome to FNN.Thank you.Can you tell us about your current assets?Our assets actually are developed into three main areas. One is South Sumatra, one is Central Sumatra and the other one is Kalimantan. Our main focus is in South Sumatra because of its locality, as well as the data available to us. In fact, were so confident with the data that we combined our exploration well into a production well, which were able to get the reserve booking specification recently. The total and resale resource that we have reported by NSAI, as well as RPS is around about three TCF.At the moment, were using an open hole compression method, which is proven in Australia as well as in the US. And even at this very early stage, we are getting very good results, which is very encouraging. And going forward, we will continue to utilise more of this proven technology and to enhance our recovery, as well as the gas production rate.Lim, thank you.Thank you.And finally Im now joined by CEO, Dr Ian Wang. Ian thanks for joining us.Thank you.Can you start by telling us about the companys cash position?Were in the midst of raising up to $AUD20 million. We will offer one ordinary new share for every two fully paid shares for existing shareholders, dated 20th April 2017, at a price of 3.5 Aussie cents.What are you planning to spend on your activities this year?The funds were going to raise are for three objectives. First of all, its to submit our POD towards the end of this year, in which we will provide the details design, detail a program to drill the wells to deliver the pace volume of the gas, to the market. And also infrastructure is required to deliver gas to our clients. Number two is to continue our production pace on existing pilots. Number three is to continue our reserve and migration program. The total expenditure for this year ranges between $AUD10 million to $AUD15 million.Finally Ian. What makes an investment in NuEnergy Gas compelling and whats your long-term ambition for the company?As previously my colleagues already mentioned, we have one of the best reservoirs in Indonesia, South Sumatra. Weve got very thick coal seams altogether. We have achieved our reserve certification thats the very first in Indonesia. Secondly, we are moving now the preparation of planning of the development. So to get this POD approved by the Indonesian Government, well become the very first of the production companies in Indonesia, to deliver gas to our clients.And also NGY is going to become an integrated operator from upper stream, midstream to downstream. This puts us into a very unique position to develop coal seam gas in Indonesia. Well become the very first CHE producer in that country.Dr Ian Wang, thanks for the update.Thank you. Imagine you could make the laws. What would you change about how things are run? My question to the students spurred a long discussion about change in our world. Almost 100 high school students recently participated in Trempealeau County Youth in Government Day. The daylong session was designed to encourage youth to become engaged in government. Students visited with county officials and staff about their work running county services. During lunch, I spoke with the students about being a Senator and lawmaking. I encouraged them to think about laws as something they could someday change. Teens told me they often think of the law as permanent. The day at the courthouse taught them things can change. They can be a part of change. The teens offered ideas that reflected their interests and experiences. Some focused on immediate concerns, Get rid of the school dress code, said Isabelle. Some had a larger vision. I want to save the horses sent across the Mexican border for meat, said Raquel. We talked about the work of horse rescue groups who give time and money to help abandoned horses. We need to protect the environment. If we protect our environment, we protect human health and animal habitat, one young woman explained. Fewer people are going into agriculture. Lets offer free tuition to encourage more agriculture students and farmers. Several students voiced agreement. Everyone needs to eat we need more farmers. Look at the average age of farmers in Wisconsin, said another. We need cheaper college tuition, said one young man. Others agreed. Look what they did in New York they made college free. Another student noted, Even in Kurdistan they have free college tuition. Im not sure about Kurdistan, but there are countries do not charge students tuition. We need to give everyone equal opportunity, said Kayla, whose broad vision spurred others to think of ways to provide opportunity to all of our neighbors. Shelly talked of helping homeless children. Give them a home, lower the cost of adoption, she said. We talked about the countys role in helping children whose parents could not take care of them. Several students mentioned their visit with county social workers who spoke about children in need. Id like to help people without health care, said Monica who wants to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. She also saw the larger problems that happen when people cannot get needed health care. I prodded the students for more ideas of how we could provide opportunity for all. One teen with beautiful blue and black hair framing her face, said people should not be discriminated against for the color of their hair. Her comment led to a discussion of discrimination in many forms. We talked about race, religion, national origin and immigration status. The students vision of changing how things are run was not limited to the county, or even the state. I think we need to explore space, said Riley. Lets explore Mars. Kids in other countries are dying of diseases and do not have a home, said one young woman. Stop corrupt governments, said Manny. He added corrupt people who are not committed to serving the public can run other countries and, even our own country. His comment prompted a discussion about laws to assure good government. We talked about transparency in state and local government. Posting public notices in the newspaper for example helps people see actions local officials plan to take. Transparency gives everyone a chance to participate in what happens in our communities and state. Showing up is the first step to changing the world, I told the youth. The decision makers in this world first show up at a school board, county board or town board meeting. Next, let your voice be heard, I urged. Write, email, speak out, and call your representatives. I asked the youth to think about how to make their voice louder. They talked about joining groups, gathering petitions and working for change together. Spending the day with the Trempealeau County teens reassured me youth of today are engaged and considering world problems they will soon inherit. Im grateful to County Clerk Paul Severson, the American Legion, teachers and county officials who worked hard to give students a glimpse into how they could participate in government and someday even change the world. Farmers will need time and clarity from government to adapt to life after Brexit, a House of Lords committee has warned. Leaving the EU is an opportunity for the UK to adopt a food and farming policy that regulates and supports the agricultural sector effectively, it says. But British farmers will also need time and clarity from government to make the transition to a new regulatory framework and a new funding system. See also: Farmers face labour crisis post-Brexit, say MPs The warning is contained in a Brexit report published by the House of Lords EU energy and environment sub-committee on Wednesday (3 May). The document examines the Brexit opportunities and challenges facing farmers as the UK prepares to leave the EU and the Common Agricultural Policy. Government ministers are painting a confusing and sometimes contradictory picture when it comes to Brexit and agriculture, it suggests. Mixed messages The government is currently giving mixed messages to the agricultural sector, warns the 92-page report. Its vision of the UK as a leading free-trade nation with low tariff barriers to the outside world does not sit easily with its declared commitment to high quality and welfare standards in the UK farming sector. Combining and delivering these two objectives will be a considerable challenge. EU membership currently provides the framework for the UKs trade in agricultural products both within the EU and with many third countries, says the document. Once outside the EU, the UK must develop its own external tariffs and may find itself subject to the high external tariffs applied by the EU to agricultural products. The report says this could be to the detriment of UK farmers and food manufacturers unless a preferential trade agreement is agreed. Barriers and delays The UK may also face non-tariff barriers when exporting food products to the EU, resulting in delays at ports and additional administrative costs. Both tariff and non-tariff barriers could disrupt integrated supply chains between the UK and the EU, and pose a particular challenge for the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. The document says the government will need to balance complex interests as it negotiates new trading relations with the EU and the wider world. It will need to secure a fair deal for farmers, maintain high quality and animal welfare standards, and deliver affordable food to consumers while complying with WTO rules. Agricultural policy therefore cannot be seen in isolation from trade, says the document. Export opportunities The terms of future free-trade agreements will affect or limit domestic policies on regulation, funding and farming standards, while those policies may in turn determine export opportunities. The report also highlights the importance to the UK food and farming sector of seasonal workers who come to the UK from overseas. Without access to this labour resource, both the agricultural sector and food manufacturers will face severe difficulties, say the document. This is an immediate challenge, which the government must address urgently as the UK approaches withdrawal. Doubts over whether the UK can secure a good deal with the EU have been widely rehearsed, says the report including by farmers. New UK policy Farmers risk high tariffs and non-tariff barriers on exports, which would render their businesses uncompetitive, while simultaneously having to adjust to a new UK policy for funding. This could have detrimental effects on an industry and rural communities that need long-term clarity and policy stability to adjust to the post-Brexit policy environment. Transitional arrangements will be critical to the long-term success of UK farming. The duration of the transitional period should be based on consultation with the industry and reflect the magnitude of change being implemented, says the report. Haiti - Humanitarian : Food for the Poor to the rescue of the South The heavy rains that fell on the South Department from 20 to 23 April caused considerable damage. A Preliminary assessment reported floods in several communal sections, landslides, livestock losses, substantial agricultural losses, of fishing equipment, destroyed bridges, blocked roads and thousands of homes damaged https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20778-haiti-security-heavy-rains-in-figures.html The collapse of the Port-Salut Bridge in particular completely isolated Les Cayes area from the rest of the coast. Agricultural losses are particularly severe in the Plains of Les Cayes, Torbeck and Port-Salut. The local Caritas was able to mobilize quickly to bring relief to the population and to bring food to it from the Regional Distribution Center of Les Cayes of the NGO Food For The Poor which was supplied. In addition, in 48 hours Food For The Poor sent food, extra clothing and basic necessities to the Southern Department, divided into 2 trucks and 7 containers. These cargoes were handed over directly to the Civil Protection, which in collaboration with Max Serge Daniel the Delegate of the Department of the South, was sent to the affected populations for distribution of : 50 tonnes of rice; 15 tonnes of petit-mil; 10 tonnes of peas; 300 boxes of canned peas; 21 pallets of food in cans and bags; 2348 cases of miscellaneous articles including milk, sardines, vienna sausages and crackers; 115 boxes of water; 1,590 pairs of shoes; 32,693 clothing items; 210 blankets; 960 5-gallon buckets; 7 pallets of hygiene items. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20744-haiti-flash-heavy-rain-on-the-south-significant-damage-provisional-assessment.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20778-haiti-security-heavy-rains-in-figures.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Funeral of Herbert Widmaier The funeral of Herbert (Herby) Widmaier will be sung Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 11:30 in the Church St. Pierre de Petion-Ville, the customary greetings will take place from 10:30. Instead of floral offerings, the Widmaier family would appreciate donations being made to the "Ecole de Musique Dessaix Baptiste" in Jacmel. Monday afternoon, the family received condolences at the Karibe Convention Center. Floods in Ouanaminthe The Directorate of Civil Protection informs us that "The heavy rains recorded in Ouanaminthe caused the flooding of several neighborhoods. The rivers Canarie and Massacre are in flood." Health: 10 billion Gourdes to solve the problems Marie Greta Roy Clement, the Minister of Public Health, responding to questions from the Senate Health Commission said that the government had provided 10 billion gourdes in the amending budget to solve the problems faced by the Haitian health system for several years... PNH, results of Operation Hurricane 12 arrests, 89 motorcycles and 6 vehicles seized are the firsts results of Operation "Hurricane 1" launched on April 24 by the National Police of Haiti (PNH) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20796-haiti-security-pnh-launches-operation-hurricane-against-crime.html Haiti celebrates May 1st in DR The Haitian Consulate in Higuey thanks the Haitian Government, in particular President Jovenel Moise and Foreign Minister Antonio Rodrigue for their encouragement to the realization of the first edition of the food and Cultural Fair on the occasion of the Agriculture and Labor Day, held on Monday, May 1, in the Eastern Region of the Dominican Republic. Towards an agreement with "Both Ends Burnyng &Tyler technologies" The Institute for Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) held a working session with a delegation of "Both Ends Burnyng & Tyler Technologies" on the rationalization of data with a view to concluding an agreement within the framework of the care of children deprived of parental care. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : Black Caucus supports TPS extension Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement on her request with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) that Secretary John Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who were in the United States prior to November 4, 2016. TPS has been extended three times since then for eighteen months each. "The earthquake in 2010 disrupted the function of civil society in Haiti, killing more than 300,000 people, displacing families from their homes, closing schools and social service agencies, creating instability in government, and undermining the economy. The people of Haiti have demonstrated extraordinary resolve in their efforts to rebuild, despite serious hardships such as Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and outbreaks of cholera. Their efforts have been supported by Haitian nationals here in the United States who are working hard and sending money to family members and friends. These remittances are critical to the recovery, and have provided not only for basic needs, but have also supported education, agricultural restoration, business development, and home reconstruction. I call on Secretary Kelly to follow in the proud tradition established by his predecessors of continuing to allow Haitian nationals to contribute to their nations future." "Allowing Haitian nationals in this country to remain here longer puts them and their families in a better position to help Haiti rebuild and recover from devastating natural disasters," said CBC Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond. "The 2010 earthquake and the cholera outbreak and hurricane that followed hurt a country that was already hurting and now is not the time to add salt to the wound." Congresswoman Clarkes request was joined by joined by the entire CBC. She has also introduced H.R. 1014, the Haiti Emergency Relief Act of 2017, which would provide TPS for Haitian nationals who have been in the United States since before November 4, 2016. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20820-haiti-flash-tps-pressures-multiply-on-government-trump.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20779-haiti-flash-tps-16-us-senators-defend-haitians-in-the-usa.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20727-haiti-flash-us-immigration-service-recommends-the-end-of-tps.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20679-haiti-flash-nearly-60-000-haitians-fear-that-trump-will-not-renew-the-tps.html SL/ HaitiLibre Locally shot Dirty Dancing remake to air May 24 on ABC Crews used the historic Kanuga Conference Center cabins for filming of the Dirty Dancing remake in the spring of 2016. Related Stories The television remake of Dirty Dancing, which was filmed in Hendersonville and other Western North Carolina locations, will air on ABC television at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 24. The production team set up a base in Hendersonville off Seventh Avenue and filmed at the Kanuga Conference Center and its historic summer camp cabins among other locations. The production team brought more than 1,225 temporary jobs to the Hendersonville area and to other locations including the High Hampton Inn & Country Club in Cashiers. The remake is a three-hour primetime special based on the 1987 classic, which was filmed in Lake Lure. It stars Abigail Breslin, Debra Messing, Sarah Hyland, Beau Casper Smart and Billy Dee Williams. Kanugas historic and scenic setting suits the production perfectlyover the years more than a few comparisons have been made between Kanuga and the original films setting, a Kanuga Conference Center spokeswoman said last spring. Were honored to be a part of another production that showcases the beauty of Western North Carolina. Former UN adviser on food and agriculture, a Tamil Scholar and Chief Coordinator of Siva Cheanai in Jaffna, Maravanpulavu K. Sachithananthan has reported the recurring Catholic conspiracy in Mannar District, northern province of Sri Lanka. Sachithananthan also reported the destruction of a Pillayaar temple at Vellaankulam, in Mannar district. Catholic priest in charge of the parish Devanpiddy, a village to the west of Vellankulam towards the coastline led the vandals at midnight on 23rd/ 24th April to destroy the Pillayar temple and attack the Hindu residents causing extensive damage to Hindus and their properties. A police case has been registered. Government officials including the Provincial Police Director, Hindu Cultural Officer had visited the site of vandalization but no action has been taken to arrest or register a case against the perpetrators of violence in the name of religion. Both villages, Catholic Christians only (about 200 families) populated Devanpiddy and Saiva Hindu Tamils only (about 250 families) populated Vellankulam are neighboring villages living in absolute harmony and co-operation until the Catholic parish priest of Devanpiddy illegally planted a 2 meter tall cross inside the Hindu village of Vellankulam in close proximity to the Pillaiyaar temple on the Pongal day 14th January 2017. Since there was no permission for this erection from any authority in Mannar District, Hindus lodged a protest with the authorities to have the Christian Cross removed from the Hindu village. But, it was not removed. Then, Sachithananthan went personally to the offices of Divisional Secretary, Admanpan, and Pradeiya Secretary Aadkaadiveli to present written memorandums on this illegal construction and asked them to have it removed. But, the Christanity influence administration and Buddhist influenced police did not take care for the earnest petitions of Hindus. At last, the aggrieved Hindus removed the illegal erection of the Cross on 23rd April as it was a source of irritation to the Hindu only village environment. Also, it was a corrupt influence on the school children. Hindus also felt that it was a prelude to convert the Hindus to Christianity. So, they removed it. On the next day, 25th April night the Catholic Parish priest of Devanpiddy led a party of drunken men from his village to attack another temple, the Munnaiswaran temple at Vellankulam. As Hindus became aware of this, they assembled to chase the vandals led by the Catholic priest. But, unfortunately, the Pillayaar temple was destroyed by the drunkard catholic vandals. The entire Mannar district is under the grip of Christianization targeting Hindus. Even though Hindus form 40% of the District population, there are no elected representatives to represent their plight. All elected representatives are Christians. Also, the District administrative and Judicial officials are Christians. Police force is Buddhist. In such a situation the Saiva Tamil Hindu people in Mannar and in many places Sri Lanka just face a persecution of both political and administration level. Hindus are at the mercy of these alien religionists in their land of more than 5,000 years of cultural heritage to whom the entire District was Hindu until the advent of the invading Portuguese who forcibly converted Hindus to Catholic Christianity. Post 2009 May, after the war is over, missionary groups like Pentecostal Mission, Jehovahs Witness, Sound of Trumpets, and such mushrooming outfits funded by Christian Churches from the western countries are very active attempting to convert the Hindus to Christianity. Removing the illegally constructed cross at Vellankulam is an indication of the resistance by Hindus to these coercive conversions. Through and email M. K. Sachithananthan urged his Hindu activist friends connected in a google group to ask the Sri Lankan government to take adequate steps to protect the Hindus, their lives, their property, their places of worship in Vellankulam as an urgent measure. Condemning the attack on Tamil Hindus by Catholics in Sri Lanka, prominent Hindu interlocutor and editor of Hindu Existence, Upananda Brahmachari conveyed that he will take the matter with the PMs of both the countries, central administration and specially with Smt. Sushma Swaraj, the external affairs minister of India, urgently. Source : Hindu Existence Mumbai : Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said BJP should work on strengthening the nation and not just their party while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tear Pakistan into pieces. The BJP should concentrate on strengthening the country and the state rather than only strengthening the party. We are ready for mid-term polls. In UP there is Yogi Sarkar (government), but here (in Maharashtra) there is a NirupaYogi (useless) Sarkar, he said while addressing a gathering of party workers here this evening. Shiv Sena is an ally of the Centre as well as the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government. Enter Pakistan and tear them into pieces. The Shiv Sena will stand behind Prime Minister Modi, Thackeray said. In an unsoldierly act by the Pakistan Army, two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan border action team (BAT) by sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in the Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir on May 1. Meanwhile, commenting on the agrarian crisis prevalent in Maharashtra, Thackeray said the situation has become such that if somebody speaks in favour of farmers, they are touted to be anti-government. Source : Zee News hotel commemorates 50th anniversary with $100,000 endowment for hospitality students Hyatt Regency Atlanta and Georgia State University today announced the creation of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hospitality Scholarship, funded by a $100,000 endowment to provide opportunity to young leaders pursuing degrees in hospitality. As part of Hyatt Regency Atlantas 50th anniversary celebrations in May 2017, the annual scholarship has been established through a collaboration between the hotel and the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration in Georgia States J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt Hotels Foundation are each contributing to the $100,000 endowment, which is designed to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. The School of Hospitality Administration will select recipients each year based on academic achievement and other criteria. Pictured (left to right): Dr. Debra F. Cannon, director and associate professor of Georgia State University School of Hospitality, Halle Neeley, recipient of the 2017 Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hospitality Scholarship, and Peter McMahon, general manager of Hyatt Regency Atlanta Halle Neeley, a Georgia State University senior from Atlanta, will be the scholarships inaugural recipient. Hyatt Regency Atlanta will honor Neeley at its 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, May 2. With more than 50,000 students, Georgia State University is the largest university in the state. A national leader in graduating students from diverse backgrounds, Georgia State has raised its graduation rates by 22 percentage points over 10 years. Twenty-six percent of its student body are first-generation college students and 69 percent receive federal financial aid. We are honored to partner with Georgia State University to create this enduring gift for Halle and future young leaders in our community, said Peter McMahon, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Hyatts purpose is to care for people so they can be their best, which means caring for our colleagues, guests and communities. This gift is an extension of that commitment. An investment in our communitys future is the best way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Georgia State is enormously grateful for this generous gift from our friends and neighbors at Hyatt, said Richard Phillips, dean of Georgia State Universitys J. Mack Robinson College of Business. This scholarship will allow promising students to achieve their educational goals and help develop new leaders in our community and the hospitality industry for years to come. Im honored to be selected as the first recipient of this scholarship, Neeley said. The scholarship will help me complete my degree and start my career in hospitality. Im so grateful to everyone at Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hyatt and Georgia State University. Opened in 1967 and designed by renowned architect John C. Portman Jr., Hyatt Regency Atlanta is an architectural icon and one of Americas great hotels. The property has a rich history and was among the first hotels in Atlanta to open its doors to the civil rights movement, a tradition of inclusion and openness it still celebrates today. San Francisco Room Rates Trend Lowers to 2013 Levels Hotel room rates in the top-25 most popular U.S. destinations are nowcast to average $220.9 this May, up from $207.22 in April, according to hotel online room rates derived from trivago's unique real time global multi-provider platform. The U.S. online average room rate (oARR), also called online average daily rate (oADR), the world's best nowcast predictive analytic and hoteliers' only tool for "predictive benchmarking ", ranges among the top-25 destinations from a high of $415 to a low of $122 this May. Based on industry surveys, eforecasting.com estimates that in 2017 about 70% of all reservations are made online via brand websites and travel agent merchant websites, compared with only one-fourth eight years ago. On year-over-year basis, the U.S. average online room rate is now up (+2.1%), this May, from a year ago, which is higher than the previous month's year-over-year growth rate of (3.1%). This May, the average online room rate in Boston, after rising (+9.2%) from last year, hit $415 a night, making the city the most expensive destination among the top-25 U.S. hotel markets. New York takes the second place now, in May, with an online room rate nowcast at $360, after an increase of (+0.3%) from a year ago. In Washington D.C., the online room rate in May is now growing (+1.4%) from last year to $355 a night, ranking the city in the third place of the most expensive destinations in the United States. At the bottom of the list, the three least expensive, or most affordable, cities to visit this May are: Houston nowcasting an online room rate of $132 a night after a (8.3%) change from a year ago; Phoenix posts now an online room rate of $132 following a (+7.3%) change from last year; and lastly, the most affordable popular destination in the country is now San Antonio with an online room rate of $122 after a nil change from a year ago. With a median online room rate of $200 amongst the top-25 most popular U.S. destinations, Detroit is nowcast to be the country's average affordable city to visit this May. Moving from data to hotel-biz-analytics, eforecasting.com's Smoothed Seasonally Adjusted (SSA) predictive analytic, which measures the so called (underlying) trend in online room rates, nowcasts $201.29 for May. On a month-over-month basis - the hoteliers' predictive analytic for tracking what's now and not what's the past - "nowcasts the national trend in online room rate this May to have increased (+0.5%) from the previous month, which is the same percent change as in April", said Evangelos Simos, editor of predictive analytics databases and professor of economics at the University of New Hampshire. Combining the demand-driven trend effect with the market-specific periodic effect, e-forecasting.com offers hoteliers unparallel predictive intelligence to optimize for now and what's next "predictive benchmarking ". "Looking at the top-25 hotel destinations, the month-to-month percent change in the trend of online room rates in May ranges from a high of (+1.7%) in Detroit to a low of (0.7%) in Washington D.C.. Amongst the top-25 destinations, the trend (SSM) in online monthly room rates is growing in 20 cities; and is falling or staying flat in 5 cities," Simos added. "In 2017, U.S. hoteliers' online average room rate (oARR) is forecast to decline by 1.6% from 2016," said Maria Sogard, CEO of eforecasting.com. Looking at profitability, hoteliers' ultimate gauge for decision-making, profits per room based on online room rates are down (1.2%) on a year-over-year basis in May. It is the result of changes in two predictive anaytics: the average online room rate has gained (+2.1%) of its value, while eforecasting.com national unit (per room) cost index is up (+3.4%). In our last month's report - April 2017 - year-over-year profit margins posted a reading of (6.2%). A year ago - May 2016 - profit margins based on online room rates had posted a reading of (+0.4%). Using nowcast trivago's online hotel room rates for the top-25 U.S. destinations and nowcast eforecasting.com's city-centric hotel unit (room) cost indices, year-over-year percent change in profits per room currently range from a high of (+10.3%) in Detroit to a low of (15.0%) in San Francisco in May. Amongst the top-25 destinations, nowcast predictive analytics on profits per room, based on online rates, are up in 9 cities; they are down or are flat in 16 cities. On tracking monthly the risk for business losses in providing services per room from online reservations, eforecasting.com nowcasts the probability for hoteliers being in a losses (negative profits) phase of the hotel industry's business cycle for each individual hotel market and the national economy. For U.S. hoteliers, the probability of losses is nowcast to have hit 77% this month - May, which is lower than April's reading of 87%. In the top-25 hotel destinations, the risk for hoteliers being in a period of business losses per room - from online reservations - this May, ranges from a high of 100% in Philadelphia to a low of 1% in Phoenix. "The predictive analytic for business losses per room is above 50% in 16 cities out of 25 cities; it is 50% or below in 9 cities," Maria Sogard added, CEO at eforecasting.com. About e-forecasting.com Founded in Durham, NH in 1994, e-forecasting.com is a predictive intelligence consulting firm offering to clients customized solutions for whats next. For over 15 years, its hotel insights division has focused on hotel predictive analytics and forecasting products for the top destinations around the world to enhance its clients competitive advantage and improve their bottom line. About trivago Founded in Dusseldorf in 2005 with operations in 39 countries, trivago is the worlds largest online hotel search site, comparing room rates from over 700,000 hotels on over 200 booking sites worldwide. Each month, more than 45 million visitors use trivagos unique online technology, which compares 5 billion hotel deals a day - more than a trillion a year - and saves them an average of 35% per booking. Visit online http://www.trivago.com. InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hotel to Open Summer Of 2018 291-room hotel will connect directly to MSP Airports Lindbergh Terminal via enclosed sky bridge InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) yesterday announced a milestone in the construction of a new InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. The project, made possible by a partnership led by Graves Hospitality and Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation, a Boston-based real estate investment firm, broke ground in October 2016, and the concrete foundation was recently completed. The hotel is on track to open summer of 2018. Joel Eisemann, Chief Development Officer, The Americas, IHG said: "We are very enthused to be working with Graves Hospitality and Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation on this new-build InterContinental hotel, which will be an outstanding addition to the brand. We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with Graves, which has a reputation for developing and managing great hotels." This will be the second InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property in the Twin Cities, and joins the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel located in downtown Saint Paul. The InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport hotel will connect to Terminal 1-Lindbergh, the airport's largest and most recently renovated terminal, via a climate-controlled sky bridge to Concourse C where it will intersect with the A and B Concourses. The hotel will have its own TSA security checkpoint, and the sky bridge will offer guests direct and easy access to their flights. The 12-story building will offer 291 rooms, including nine suites, two restaurants, a penthouse-level observation bar, a signature InterContinental Club Lounge, a business center, a fitness center and a world-class spa. The InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport hotel will offer 20,000 square feet of meeting space with a 10,800 square foot ballroom. Located in front of the hotel will be an Art Park designed to provide a visual art experience as cars enter the airport. The hotel has been carefully designed to guarantee ease of access for all guests, whether arriving from the airport via the sky bridge or from the surrounding area via a direct roadway. The hotel will also have its own convenient, dedicated parking. Benjamin Graves, president and CEO of Graves Hospitality, said: "Based on our experience, we know that the InterContinental brand is the perfect fit for this high-profile airport location. We are excited to establish a new, signature destination with an ultra-luxury flagship property, which will become the crown jewel of our already exceptional MSP Airport." The property's design establishes a strong sense of place, featuring local influences and natural elements. Renderings created by RSP Architects, a Minneapolis-based firm, showcase exterior finishes of stone and wood encasing a visually-evocative glass curtain wall that mimics the water patterns of Minnesota lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Warm woods and local materials like Kasota stone and Cold Spring granite, along with integrated architectural art, create an inviting and unique environment for all guests. Guest rooms, including a presidential penthouse, will be designed with spa-like bathrooms and full, private bars. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP) is located 12 miles from downtown Minneapolis, eight miles from downtown St. Paul, and less than five miles from the Mall of America the largest shopping complex in North America with a light rail line that runs directly from the airport to the Mall. MSP offers non-stop service to 155 destinations including 128 domestic and 27 international markets. The airport is in the process of a five-year, multi-phase expansion and improvement plan designed to accommodate the growing numbers of travelers at MSP. Improvements include expanding the size of arrival and departure facilities, constructing a new parking facility, adding four new gates at Terminal 2-Humphrey, adding dozens of new restaurant and retail shops, and the addition of the InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport hotel. Hotel Indigo Melbourne Docklands Announced for 2019 IHG and Salta Properties have signed a management agreement to build a Hotel Indigo in Melbourne's heritage-listed Docklands waterfront precinct. Melbourne's iconic and heritage-rich Docklands will be home to Australia's second Hotel Indigo; providing the neighbourhood inspiration for the hotel's design and character As we enter the 'Age of I', a new traveller segment is emerging: one that is increasingly fixated on local, inspiring and unique experiences that make them feel part of the destination. For these uncompromising and nuanced travellers, run-of-the-mill just isn't enough. That's why IHG and Salta Properties have signed a management agreement to build a Hotel Indigo in Melbourne's heritage-listed Docklands waterfront precinct. Hotel Indigo properties feature unique design at every turn without compromising guest comfort. A vibrant modern colour palette, complemented by natural light and locally influenced design and decor, make for an inviting, stylish and refreshing atmosphere. The 170-room hotel is the second Hotel Indigo signing for Australia and New Zealand and is due to open in 2019, following the signing of Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley in late 2016. The Docklands, or 'waterfront gateway to Melbourne's soul', is home to the city's leading corporations and government agencies, as well as sporting fanatics and art enthusiasts. The location will allow the hotel do what Hotel Indigo does best: exemplify the unique Docklands neighbourhood story. Karin Sheppard, Chief Operating Officer Australasia & Japan, IHG said "The Hotel Indigo brand is extremely important to our continued growth in Australia, as we know the appeal that these 'local' hotels have for our guests." "We expect Hotel Indigo Melbourne Docklands to become a leading lifestyle hotel in Melbourne, differentiating itself from other hotel offerings in the city thanks to the brand's entirely unique style. While we know Melbourne is seen as the world's most liveable city, Docklands presents a Melbourne that is not just liveable, but gritty, with an eclectic style. Our Hotel Indigo guests will undoubtedly love exploring and being inspired by the area." For Sam Tarascio, Executive Chairman of Salta Properties choosing the Docklands location was a particularly poignant decision. "In the 1950s I migrated to Australia, arriving at Victoria Dock on a ship from Italy. That bleak port has been transformed over the years to become Melbourne's vibrant Docklands waterfront, so it means so much to me to give back to the place that welcomed me 67 years ago." "The Hotel Indigo brand is the perfect fit for a place that oozes local neighbourhood character with expansive water views and open spaces. With some 20 million visitors expected to visit the Docklands each year, it's great timing to be developing this striking hotel in Melbourne's new and contemporary neighbourhood", he said. Hotel Indigo Melbourne Docklands will boast a large resort-style pool and gym, a meeting and board room, as well as an iconic, street-facing neighbourhood restaurant and bar, split over 2 levels. Adding that extra piece of neighbourhood magic, all of the hotel's large rooms will boast uninterrupted water views. Launched in 2004, Hotel Indigo is the world's first globally branded boutique hotel brand. No two of the 70 current Hotel Indigo properties are alike as each is designed to reflect the culture, history and heritage of its immediate neighbourhood. From the building's design to the hotel's artwork and locally-inspired menus, guests can look forward to an intimate boutique hotel experience with the international standards promised by a global hotel company. Hotel Indigo launched in Asia Pacific in January 2015 with the opening of Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road, Thailand, followed by the opening of Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong, Singapore in July 2016. Mid 2017, Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach will open. There are currently 63 Hotel Indigo properties (9,000 rooms) in the pipeline. LUMA Hotel Times Square Opens Officially opening its doors May 2, 2017, LUMA Hotel Times Square shines a new light in the neighborhood, proudly welcoming guests with a contemporary and innovative approach to hospitality. A newly built hotel nestled between two pre-war buildings on 41st Street between Broadway and Avenue of the Americas and adjacent to Bryant Park, LUMA is ideally located amongst New York City main businesses and world-renowned attractions, radiating sophistication, modernity, comfort, illuminating the spirit of New York City. The 28-floor hotel was designed by Peter Poon Architects, with a sleek facade and transparent glass silhouette a visual standout on 41st Street. The 130-room LUMA boasts floor-to-ceiling windows encouraging natural light and breathtaking views of Manhattan. LUMA's rooms were designed to be minimal, soothing and anticipatory of every guest demand whether for business or leisure. All guestrooms are equipped with complimentary amenities, including incredibly fast Wi-Fi, plush Euro top beds, Italian ETRO bath amenities, Nespresso coffee, as well as luxury Frette linens, bathrobes and slippers. Among LUMA's many standout features is its signature restaurant, Ortzi. The Basque-inspired tapas restaurant and bar is the latest culinary destination in the neighborhood and a new concept from James Beard Award-winning Iron Chef, Chef Jose Garces. The adjacent bar offers signature cocktails and a robust wine program, as well as ample bar and cafe-style seating. Ortzi offers a unique and exciting dining experience, appealing to LUMA guests, travelers and locals alike. "We're thrilled to open our doors to the public and be a core part of such a vibrant neighborhood" said Kate Martin, General Manager of LUMA. "We look forward to providing guests a place to relax, eat, drink, connect and ultimately, experience an unforgettable trip to New York City." In celebration of its official grand opening, LUMA Hotel Times Square is pleased to invite guests to experience the new hotel with an exclusive limited time offer. LUMA's "HELLO NEW YORK" grand opening package* is valid now until the end of 2017 if booked by May 9, 2017, and includes: Exclusive guest room rates at 25% off of Best Available Rate with complimentary room upgrade iLUMAnate breakfast with signature Garces coffee for an added boost of energy (continental for two) Glass of refreshing sangria at Ortzi for two Access to state of the art fitness facility at Blink Fitness Bryant Park Surprise seasonal turndown amenity *Further restrictions and blackout dates may apply; room upgrade subject to availability. 4 Insights for North American Travel This Summer Warm weather is upon us and summer vacation travel is heating up. Sojerns latest Global Travel Insights Report takes a look back at how North Americans traveled in Q1 and dives into travel intent data for Q2. Here we highlight four insights: 1. Early North American planners are looking to take longer trips in June. Almost half (46%) of summer searches are for 3 days or less. However, if we look specifically at June, this number decreases to 34% with the majority of searches (46%) happening for trips lasting 12+ days. Takeaway: Ensure your packages and promotions are tailored to these longer trips by providing exclusive upgrades or discounts. 2. Those looking to travel in June are searching to depart at both the very beginning and very end of the month. The top two searched departure dates are June 1 and June 30. The start of summer/end of the school year and the weekend before the 4th of July, respectively, are likely the reasons for these heavily searched dates. Takeaway: Start your summer travel campaigns now so you dont miss out on travelers who are currently searching for travel in June. 3. Seattle emerges as a top searched recreational destination for this summer compared to our April Look Forward, joining London, Orlando, and Chicago. While big cities always drive volume, its clear that North Americans are searching for the next hot spot. Takeaway: Create visually stunning campaigns using Video or Facebook Dynamic Ads for Travel to showcase your destination in a way that appeals to these wanderlusters, and capture them early on in their travel planning. 4. Short-haul travelers are likely to enjoy long weekends this summer with 21% searching for Thursday departures and 22% searching for Friday departures. Takeaway: Travelers are deciding how long of a weekend they want to take. Take advantage of this opportunity to engage new customers by targeting them with both upper-funnel and mid-funnel messaging, and introduce them to your brand. Want even more insights on the North American traveler? Download the full report now! About Marissa Marissa is Sojern's Content Marketing Associate. Indulging in her inner bookworm, watching HGTV, and playing with her puggle, Charlie, are among some of her favorite hobbies. Although she loves both, she prefers the beach over the mountains. ClickReady Marketing Introduces Enhanced Marketing Automation Posted by Press Releases on Wednesday, 05-03-2017 5:53 am Currently 0.0/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 0.0 from 0 votes ClickReady Marketing Now Offering Automated Marketing Services.ClickReady Marketing is excited to provide its customers dozens of new digital marketing capabilities through SharpSpring marketing automation. In addition to behavioral-based email marketing campaigns, the software provides analytics that help create better landing pages, on-site forms, and visitor tracking.Were really enthusiastic about what this new SharpSpring software is going to mean for our customers, says ClickReady Marketings CEO, Craig Lawson. Not only will it give them more visibility on whos visiting their website, it also provides the ability to market directly to those people in a more detailed, customized way than weve seen anywhere else. SharpSprings marketing automation adds to ClickReadys growing list of digital solutions including SEO, web design, PPC marketing and more.A furniture store, for example, explains Lawson, will have the ability to track potential customers on its website and see e... Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web. If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator. Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile Nursing Informatics Specialty Thriving in Healthcare - Offers Nurses Rewarding and Dynamic Career Option Posted by Press Releases on Wednesday, 05-03-2017 6:28 am Currently 0.0/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 0.0 from 0 votes Opportunities in Informatics are Plentiful and Require Advanced Degree Offered By Online Nursing SchoolsNursing informatics is a healthcare trend that is here to stay; and according to a nursing professor at American Sentinel University, nurses working in the specialized field of nursing informatics are thriving in healthcare.Nurse informaticists are in high demand due to federal regulations and the Medicare program. Healthcare staff and hospital administrators are required to use technical resources such as the electronic health record (EHR) to improve healthcare quality, safety, and efficiency, says Ramona Yehle Ph.D., MS, RN, adjunct professor, graduate nursing programs at American Sentinel University.Nursing informatics is the practice of integrating health science, computer science and information technology to help clinicians more efficiently store, retrieve and apply mass amounts of critical data as part of daily care delivery.Nurses have an immediate advantage in this field ... Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web. If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator. Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile Relationship between Provider Choice Policies and Workers Compensation Costs Explored in New WCRI Study Posted by Press Releases on Wednesday, 05-03-2017 4:43 am Currently 0.0/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 0.0 from 0 votes A study released today by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) provides new insights into a long-standing policy discussion over whether the choice of provider in workers compensation cases should be left to workers or to employers.The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released a new study today, The Effects of Provider Choice Policies on Workers Compensation Costs. The study found nuanced evidence about how provider choice policies are related to workers compensation medical and indemnity costs.According to the study, there was little evidence of differences in average costs per claim between states where policies give employers control over the choice of provider and states where policies give workers the most control of the choice of provider. This is especially true for medical costs, where average cost differences were near zero.The evidence, however, masks important differences across injury types. Policies that give workers the most control over the... Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web. If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator. Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile Social Media Pioneer Explains the Counterintuitive Reason Why Virtual Workers Are the Most Engaged Posted by Press Releases on Wednesday, 05-03-2017 7:28 am Currently 0.0/5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 0.0 from 0 votes Mark S. Babbitt, author of A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive, responds to surprising new Gallup data, provides guidelines for leveraging a virtual workforceGallup just released its 2017 State of the American Workplace report with the revelation that, across industries, the most engaged workers in the U.S. are virtual; people who spend only one or two days in the office. Compare this with Gallups data from 2012, when the most engaged employees spent less than one day out of the office.Which begs the question: whats driving the countrys highest performers to withdraw rapidly from face-to-face contact in the workplace?Its not that people dont want to interact with their colleagues and bosses, says Mark S. Babbitt, social media expert and author of A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive.We are social creatures. We want, and need, to connect genuinely with other people to do our best, most creative work. The problem is that too often, day-to-... Close Forgot Your Password? Enter in your email address and we will send it to you. Send Email An HR.com member profile provides you with access to a multitude of information and education along with the opportunity to network with the largest HR community on the web. If you need any help, call .877.472.6648 and ask for our Member Experience Co-ordinator. Hi Please check your email for an activation link. If you do not receive your activation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or call our Help Desk at 1.877.472.6648 For faster assistance, dial extension 4. Thank you! Continue Hi Verification error - Please enter the correct code above. Verified Wow! You have successfully verified the account Continue Hi your HR.com account is ready Your Profile completion: 30% Complete your profile KPFA WorkWeek radio looks at the May Day protest in San Francisco and also hears from a metal trade unionist Herbert Claros da Silva in Brazil about the successful mass general strike on April 28, 2017 against the Temer government and it's privatization, deregulation and attacks on the working class and youth. WW5-2-17 May Day 17 In SF And Brazil General Strike Shuts CountryWorkWeek radio hears from immigrants and workers who joined May Day 2017 rallies and marches in San Francisco. Thousands of workers and youth joined the rallies and marches. The day started with a protest at the ICE office in San Francisco. Next was a rally at ILWU Local 10. The ILWU had stopped work at all bay area ports for May Day.Immigrants, workers and youth including a large contingent of UESF teachers with their students joined the rally and talked about the attack on their students and families. They also face an upcoming contract fight.Next WorkWeek goes to Sao Paulo where we interview Herbert Claros da Silva who is with a metal worker with GM Embraer Mechanic, Vice-presidente do Sindicato dos Metalurgicos de Sao Jose dos and with Conlutas about what caused the general strike on April 28, 2017 and how the working class is being affected by the Termer government and the capitalists. He talks about the privatization and on going postal workers strike against privatization.Additional media:Production of KPFA WorkWeek RadioBrazil Post Office Starts National Strike Against PrivatizationPostal workers in Brazil will begin a national strike today to protest against the reforms carried out by the government of Michel Temer and the threat of privatization of this old institutionThe strike, which will start this Wednesday at 22:00 (local time), will also serve to express dissatisfaction with the closure of agencies during the last year, compulsory holiday suspension and to demand the resignation of the president of the institution, Guilherme Campos, Brazil Workers Confederation reported.Founded in 1663, the Brazilian Postal and Telegraph Company, one of the oldest in the country, lives under the government of coup president Michel Temer, the worst period in its history, according to the newspaper Brasil de Fato, which reports that thousands of officials were canceled and 250 units closed.According to the Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications, Gilberto Kassab, Brazil Post Office will have to make radical cuts in its expenses to avoid privatization, because the executive will not bring any resource to the company, he stated.The strike, decided by the Interstate Federation of Postal Workers, precedes the national general strike called for next Friday by the main trade union centers of the country and the fronts Popular Brazil and Fearless People against labor and pension reforms driven by Temer.Also in the last days, the Catholic and Evangelical churches joined the strike, which criticizes the policy of rights violation that the current government is carrying out.Source/Prensa LatinaCF/IC MAE SOT, Thailand Over the past decade, Mae Sot, a border town in western Thailand, has undergone a dramatic transformation. Supermarkets, shopping malls, hotels, and a new airport have sprung up, as construction projects widen its roads, all with the aim of turning this once quiet town into a special economic zone. The developments began emerging five years ago, said U Moe Joe, a long-time Burmese migrant rights activist who has been supporting the Burmese workers in Mae Sot for 14 years. The Irrawaddy visited the town to find newly opened shopping malls, including one from the Thai department store chain Robinson, as well as supermarket Tesco Lotus, a new airport, and numerous other hotels and buildings either under construction or just opened. Burmese migrant workers constructed these buildings, said U Moe Joe. Mae Sot connects to Burmas Myawaddy town, a major trading hub for Thai and Burmese goods. The Thai border town is also host to Burmese and ethnic organizations in opposition to the Burmese government, as well as migrant workers. Asia China's Silk Road Push in Thailand may Founder on Mekong River Row A sticker is seen at the Thai side of the Mekong River, on the border between Laos and Thailand. / Reuters KHON PI LONG, Thailand Chinas plan to blast open more of the Mekong River for bigger cargo ships could founder on a remote outcrop of half-submerged rocks that Thai protesters have vowed to protect against Beijings economic expansion in Southeast Asia. Dynamiting the Pi Long rapids and other sections of the Mekong between Thailand and Laos will harm the environment and bring trade advantages only to China, the protesters say. This will be the death of the Mekong, said Niwat Roykaew, chairman of the Rak Chiang Khong Conservation Group, which is campaigning against the project. Youll never be able to revive it. Niwat said blasting the Mekong will destroy fish breeding grounds, disrupt migrating birds and cause increased water flow that will erode riverside farmland. Such opposition reflects a wider challenge to Chinas ambitious One Belt, One Road project to build a modern-day Silk Road through Asia to Europe. Second Harbour Consultants, a subsidiary of state-owned behemoth China Communications Construction Corp (CCCC) said it was surveying the Mekong for a report that China, Laos, Burma and Thailand would use to decide whether blasting should go ahead. It added that it was not tasked with the blasting work, which would need to be tendered. The company said in an e-mail it had held meetings with local people to communicate, build confidence and clear doubts. Chinas foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Clearing the Mekong for bigger ships is not officially a part of One Belt, One Road, a project announced in 2013; China blasted sections of the river in Laos several years earlier. But some Chinese engineers involved in the survey speak of it as a part of the broader plan, and it is consistent with Beijings Silk Road objectives. Even in its Southeast Asian backyard, where it has sympathetic governments and ancient historical ties, China sometimes struggles to convince ordinary people that One Belt One Road will benefit them. Thailand, Laos and Burma have approved the survey work, which is funded by China, but further studies and approvals are needed before blasting. Keeping a Low Profile The Mekong River originates in the Tibetan plateau and cascades through China and five Southeast Asian countries. China has built a series of dams along its stretch of the river that Thai campaigners say has impacted the water flow and made the regional giant hard to trust. Chinese flags now flutter from company speedboats, while CCCC Second Harbour has met with Thai protesters three times since December in a bid to avert opposition to their work. A unit of the conglomerate faced violent protests in January in Sri Lanka, where people objected to plans for an industrial zone in the south. Chinese engineers on the Mekong said they were worried that Thai protesters would board the rickety cargo ship where they slept, prompting them to moor it on the Laotian side of the Mekong each night. We are afraid for our teams safety, one engineer told Reuters, declining to be named because he wasnt authorized to speak to the media. We keep a low profile here, he added. We want to do this project well and benefit Thailand, Burma, Laos, China, these four countries. This is not just for China. China wants to remove rocks and sandbanks to allow ships of up to 500 tons to sail from its landlocked province of Yunnan to the sleepy Laotian town of Luang Prabang. That would expedite the shipping of Chinese freight deep into northern Laos, said Paul Chambers, an expert in international relations at Thailands Naresuan University. Luang Prabang may seem sleepy, but northern Laos represents a hub of Chinese influence, he said. Locals Remain Wary Despite reassurances from CCCC Second Harbour, some locals still believed the engineers were marking out areas for blasting, said Niwat, who represented campaigners in meetings with the Chinese company. His group draped a large white banner reading Mekong Not For Sale on the bank overlooking the Pi Long rapids, whose name in Thai means lost ghosts. At the moment were only thinking about the economy and the earning figures without considering the unimaginable value of the eco-system to humanity, he said. The military seized power in Thailand in 2014 and banned gatherings of five or more people. But Narongsak Osotthanakorn, governor of Chiang Rai the Thai province where the Mekong is currently being surveyed said people could protest freely against the Chinese plan. Narongsak said the survey was the first stage in a process that would include an environmental study, public hearings and negotiations between China, Thailand, Burma and Laos. While he wouldnt say whether or not he supported blasting, Narongsak said local people had much to gain from increased river trade. I think no country would be happy to lose the benefits, he said. Burma Burma Army Seizes More Than 400 Tons of Sawn Logs Fifteen trucks and 402 tons of unattended teak and kino (gum) sawn logs were seized in southern Shan State on April 29. / Burma Army commander-in-chiefs office. RANGOON The Burma Army seized 15 trucks and 402 tons of unattended teak and kino (gum) sawn logs in Nansang Township, southern Shan State, on April 29. The military has transported the seized wood and vehicles to a safe place, according to U Zaw Min, deputy director general of the forestry department, which falls under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. The sawn logs were seized in a place where ethnic armed groups are active, he told The Irrawaddy. Eleven 12-wheeled and three 10-wheeled trucks, a heavy-duty truck, and a crane were seized along with the logs, he said. The Border Guard Force (BGF)pro-government militias comprising soldiers who formerly fought for armed rebel groupsand the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) are active in the area. U Zaw Min, however, could not specify which group held the territory where the logs were seized. All the vehicles are unlicensed, and there is no mark of ownership on the sawn logs, he said. We can only say they are ownerless. If the vehicles had licenses, we would be able to hunt for further clues and find the owner. He added that the Burma Army would transfer the logs to the forest department, which would then transfer them to the Myanmar Timber Enterprise. The enterprise will sell the logs at an auction and the proceeds will go into the governments funds, he explained. The governments standard procedure for seized vehicles is also to auction them off and use the funds. A military column on patrol found the logs and vehicles on the evening of April 29 and arrested a man who was near the trucks before handing him over to the township police station, according to a statement from the commander-in-chiefs office on May 1. The forest department will manage the teak according to the law. We cant give any more details at the moment, said a police officer of the station. Teak is smuggled mainly into China from Nansang, said U Zaw Min, and a ton of teak goes for between 5 million and 8 million kyats. Chainsaws have been brought into our country in large quantities from China, he said. It takes hours to cut a tree with a crosscut saw, but with a chainsaw, you can cut the entire tree into pieces within half an hour. The forest department, he added, is too short on staff and weapons to take a hard line on smugglers. The department charges smugglers according to the 1992 Forest Law, but some courts fine the smugglers instead of jailing them, said U Zaw Min, adding the maximum fine is just 30,000 kyats. Burma 28 Burmese Expats to Regain Citizenship Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing at a press conference. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy NAYPYIDAW Twenty-eight Burmese expatriates will be granted Burmese citizenship soon, said permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing. The former administration under ex-President U Thein Sein invited Burmese expatriates back to join state-building efforts after he assumed office in 2011. Dual citizenship is prohibited in Burma, according to the 1982 Citizenship Law. Tens of thousands of Burmese exiles, who fled the country for various reasons under the military regime, effectively lost their Burmese citizenship while living abroad after being granted residency or citizenship in foreign countries. Under the former government, Burmese expats had to apply for visas to return to Burma. Later, U Thein Sein formed a committee to review and approve citizenship applications from Burmese expatriates. Burmas de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has formed a similar committee, which she chairs as foreign minister. We have received 55 applications since the new government took office and approved 22 of them. We have also approved six applications submitted to the previous government, which it had not finished reviewing. So, a total of 28 Burmese expats will be granted Burmese citizenship at this time, said U Myint Kyaing, at a press conference in Naypyidaw on Tuesday. A total of 188 Burmese expats applied for the citizenship under U Thein Seins government, which granted citizenship to 143 of the applicants. Of the remaining 45, 16 were not eligible, 12 did not submit complete documents, 11 committed unpardonable offenses, and six applied during the power transfer and the previous government could not review them. Of the 55 people who submitted applications under the new government to date, 33 have yet to be reviewed. We mainly check if the applicants are blacklisted or if they have committed significant crimes. If not, they are eligible for citizenship, said U Myint Kyaing. The NLD government will relax restrictions on those who were blacklisted by previous governments for their political beliefs, said Labor, Immigration and Population Minister U Thein Swe when he announced the ministrys 100-day plan in May, 2016. Under previous governments, ministries and universities also blacklisted those who did not return from their state-funded studies in foreign countries. They will also benefit from the rule change, the minister said. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko Burma Burma Army Reveals Ambition to Own Submarine The Burma Navy held Combined Fleet Exercise-Sea Shield 2017 on March 31 near Coco Island. / Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing / Facebook NAYPYIDAW Deputy Defense Minister Maj-Gen Myint Nwe has announced the Burma Armys ambition to own a submarine. Our neighbors have submarines and we want them as well but it will depend on the state budget. The military leadership is considering it, said the major general at a press conference. During a visit to Russia in 2013, Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing expressed interest in purchasing two Kilo-class submarines, relics of the last years of the Soviet era. The same year, reports surfaced that some 20 Burmese naval officers received submarine training in Pakistan. Burma Navy officials also studied onboard Indian submarines in 2006, said the major general. Burmas Navy is presently equipped only to deal with coastal engagements, and is incapable of more sophisticated territorial defense. As fleet expansion continues, Burma may take more concrete steps towards subsurface capability. Submarines are necessary armed units for a navy, said the major general. The major general cannot say definitively whether the Burma Navy will acquire a submarine. The proposal will first undergo a parliamentary review committee. The committee reviews military proposals regarding the procurement of weapons and equipment as well as budgetary measures, but the military does not go into complete detail for the committee for reasons pertaining to information security, he added. Since 2011, the Burma Air Force has put 49 fighter jets and helicopters into commission. Between fiscal years 2011-16, the Navy put 22 ships into service. The major general said the countrys defense budget usually amounts to between 13 and 15 percent of the Union budget. In the 1990s, the Burma Army established military academies and turned out many junior officers, but focused primarily on quantity. But since 2011, the army has placed a greater emphasis on quality and set higher matriculation examination grade standards for joining military academies, the major general said. Burma Burma, EU at Odds Over UN Fact-finding Mission EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Burmas State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi give a news conference in Brussels, Belgium. / Reuters BRUSSELS, Belgium The European Union clashed on Tuesday with visiting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, by publicly supporting an international mission to look into alleged human rights abuses by the countrys security forces against Rohingya Muslims. The EUs top diplomat Federica Mogherini, speaking at a news conference with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said an agreed resolution of the UN Human Rights Council would help clear up uncertainty about allegations of killings, torture and rape against Rohingya. On the basis of that resolution, the top UN human rights body will send an international fact-finding mission to Burma despite Daw Aung San Suu Kyis reservations. The fact-finding mission is focusing on establishing the truth about the past, Mogherini said, noting a rare area of disagreement between the 28-nation EU and Burma. We believe that this can contribute to establishing the facts. The UN Human Rights Council adopted the resolution, which was brought by the European Union and supported by countries including the United States, without a vote in March. China and India distanced themselves from the UN resolution. Asked about the move, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, said: We are disassociating ourselves from the resolution because we dont think the resolution is in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Burmas civilian government and also its foreign minister, said she would only accept recommendations from a separate advisory commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. Any other input would divide communities, she added, without giving further details. The violent persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma and their efforts to flee the Southeast Asian country, often falling victim to predatory human-trafficking networks, has become an international concern, documented by Reuters in Pulitzer Prize-winning reports. A UN report issued last month, based on interviews with 220 Rohingya among 75,000 who have fled to Bangladesh since October, said Burmas security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that very likely amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing. Activists have welcomed what they called a landmark decision by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council, and have called on the Burma government to cooperate. A Facebook page gauging support to recall Onalaska school board member Jake Speed has notched 150 followers in the span of a week. Justin Steele, the Onalaska resident spearheading the Recall Jake Speed website and Facebook page, said that within 28 hours his site received almost 1,000 page views. Steele, 36, has lived in Onalaska for 18 months and is the father of three children in the school district. He said he heard people in the city talking about a Speed recall effort, so he decided to get it going. Its a circus. Its an embarrassment. For the people that are all about this recall, its embarrassing that the school board is so dysfunctional in how its functioning right now, Steele said. Steele also noted that Speeds recent behavior at school board meetings was a source of his inspiration. Twice Speed has left school board meetings prior to closed-session discussions, and didnt attend the April 17 Onalaska School Board budget meeting. I dont have any issues with having a dissenting opinion from the majority. Its the behavior and the conduct the absences from meetings, the refusals to answer questions. And just being obtuse and obstinate, Steele said. If you dont want to do the job, just resign. Speed declined to comment on the online recall campaign. In order for a recall election to take place, the movement would need to gather 1,743 signatures from members of the Onalaska School District in the span of 60 days. But those 60 days wont start until a candidate comes forward and files petition paperwork with the school district. The websites, according to Steele, are just a method of gauging community support for such a move. I dont know if we can get enough support yet, he said, Thats what this website and effort is still trying to do: to understand if there is enough to move forward. So far, no one has stepped forward to run in a recall election against Speed. Steele says he doesnt plan on being that candidate, although he has considered running for school board in the past. Steele considers himself to be tech-savvy and has a reputation around the city as a computer guy, Onalaska Mayor Joe Chilsen said. And the mayor would know. When Chilsen ran his successful write-in mayoral reelection campaign in April 2016, Steele was the man behind the website and social media accounts. Steele was one of Chilsens marketing students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and said he helped his former professor out because it just irks me that you can use a technicality to try to win by being the only one on the ballot ... Some people think thats cool and awesome and a great strategy ... But I think its cowardly. Chilsen was removed from the ballot in 2016 after his challenger Jack Pogreba successfully challenged his nomination papers. The same thing happened in the April 2016 Onalaska School Board elections, with Speed successfully challenging the nomination papers of incumbents Ann Garrity and Tim Smaby, forcing them to launch write-in campaigns as well. Speeds challenge landed him a position in public office, while Pogrebas didnt. Burma Deputy Defense Minister: Perks Over for Military Businesses The building of military-owned Myawaddy Trading and Bank Ltd on Rangoons Strand Road. / Naing Lin Soe / The Irrawaddy NAYPYIDAW The militarys two major conglomerates, bolstered by past monopolies over industries ranging from cigarettes to cement, are no longer being treated preferentially, said Deputy Defense Minister Maj-Gen Myint Nwe. The Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL), established in 1990, and its sister company, Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), founded seven years later, have a sprawling business empire encompassing trade, services, and military supplies. These vast trade interests are sustained through lawfully competing with other private companies, and the conglomerates pay taxes, the major general told a press conference in Naypyidaw on Tuesday. From the fiscal years of 1990-91 to 2015-16, he said the firms paid 8.9 billion kyats (US$70.191 million) in tax and an advance tax of $1,000 plus 3.082 million euros (4.559 billion kyats) for the 2016-17 fiscal year. Established under the 1950 Special Company Act with a capital of 56.098 million kyats, MEHL had shares worth 161 billion kyats ($119.4 billion) altogether on March 24, 2017, according to Maj-Gen Myint Nwe. The shares are owned by serving and former soldiers, and war veterans organizations. MEHL was formed officially in line with the rules and regulations, and it pays taxes, said the deputy defense minister. The Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development under the former President U Thein Sein administration allowed MEHL to turn itself into a public company in March 2016just before the National League for Democracy (NLD) assumed office. We have transferred the shares to war veterans organizations to transform MEHL into a public company, said Maj-Gen Myint Nwe, adding that the shares will not be sold to the public. Chairman U Khin Aye of the Lower House Economic and Financial Development Committee said MEHLs businesses were barely transparent and did not pay taxes in the past. Accepting that MEHL now paid taxes, he emphasized the need for greater transparency in the conglomerate, including the disclosure of its share ownerships and business activities. MEHL used to evade tax. It is not a bad thing that it is paying it now, but I dont like that the establishment runs businesses. Im concerned that other government institutions will also want to follow suit, said U Khin Aye, who is also the lawmaker representing Nattalin Township in Pegu Division. Our committee is also interested to find out how those businesses are doing. MEHL was founded with the aim of helping soldiers, war veterans and their families, as well as the people, and the economic development of the country, said the deputy defense minister. It is made up of 48 companies that mainly produce automobiles, corrugated iron sheets, cement, electricity, LED bulbs, textiles, rubber, plastic household goods, consumer goods, cigarettes, beer, sugar, and processes fish and prawns, he added. MEC produces basic supplies for the Burma Army, he said, adding that it was established with a view to reducing military costs, and helping the families of military personnel. MEC competes with other private businesses in line with the law, said the major general. It also pays taxes. It doesnt [enjoy] advantages over other businesses. The Irrawaddy asked the deputy defense minister if the Burma Army was investigating allegations of human rights violations in northern Arakan State. Regarding the Arakan issue, an investigation led by Lt-Gen Aye Win has been formed. If there are human rights violations, our commander-in-chief of defense services will take harsh actions. The Tatmadaw [Burma Army] does not accept human rights violations, he said. He dismissed rumors that the army suffered more than 400 casualties in clashes with the Kokang rebels and said the Tatmadaw True News Information Team was releasing the news people should know through the army-run Myawaddy newspaper, the defense ministry and the Facebook page of Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko Burma Media Experts Say Access to Information More Difficult Under Current Govt Information minister U Pe Myint speaks at a conference at the Chatrium Hotel in Rangoon on World Press Freedom Day / Naing Lin Soe / The Irrawaddy RANGOON Members of the Burmese media on Wednesday urged the government to avoid complacency in trying to advance press freedom in the country after it climbed 12 places on a recently released Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) index, but dropped 3.66 points in comparison to 2016. Myanmar Press Council member U Thiha Saw told army and government officials, media groups, and international organizations during a conference at the Chatrium Hotel in Rangoon on World Press Freedom Day that Burma had a long way to go before reaching a level of press freedom that could be respected globally. Although Burma is 131 in the world press freedom rankings, there have been many prosecutions, like those under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, in the new governments tenure, he said, referring to the National League for Democracy (NLD) administration that was elected at the end of 2015. Press freedom in the country, he added, has improved little. Out of the other Asean countries, Burma ranked third behind Indonesia and the Philippines. At the conference, reporters asked information minister U Pe Myint about media restrictions implemented in the past year, including a ban on international organizations attending certain government conferences. The minister said poor logistical arrangements had been interpreted as media restrictions, and argued that freedom of expression has improved since the era of the previous military-backed administration. Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) member U Than Htay encouraged the NLD government to strive for a higher standard in giving the public access to information. The Myanmar Journalist Network demands the government protect the journalists who were threatened on the ground while obtaining news with the framework of the law, and to investigate the unresolved murder case of Monywa-based journalist Ko Soe Moe Tun. Myanmar Press Council member U Thiha Saw said that access to information has proven more difficult under the NLD government than under the previous U Thein Sein administration. Using Article 66(d), 56 cases of defamation have been filed since the NLD came to power just over a year ago. Among those charged are 12 journalists. Under former President Thein Seins government, there were only seven such cases put forward. MJN representative U Than Htay claimed that some journalists have been declined bail and kept in prison. The MJN is also concerned the Burma Army has been closely watching the media and filing lawsuits against journalists who are critical of the military. U Than Htay said that the MJN suggested the new government bring three crucial changes to the public and media: full access to information, freedom of expression, and protect the right to information. This will not be a good democratic country without press freedom, he said. Burma One Civilian Killed, Several injured in Shan States Namkham Township Residents of Shan States Namkham Township treat a fellow villager allegedly shot by Burma Army troops. / Nge A Loon / Facebook An artillery shell killed an elderly woman on Tuesday morning in Nang Hom village of northern Shan States Namkham Township after clashes between the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Burma Army, according to local community leaders. One 80-year-old woman was killed on the spot when a 120-millimeter artillery shell fell onto her house at 11:30 a.m., Nyi Kyaw Sein, an ethnic Palaung (Taang) community leader from Pha Lan village, told The Irrawaddy. Locals suspect the shell came from a Burma Army base in nearby Sakhan Tit village. TNLA spokesperson Tar Aike Kyaw confirmed that one person had been hit by shelling in the region. Seven local people were also allegedly shot by Burma Army soldiers as they walked back to Man Lon village from nearby tea plantations at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Nyi Kyaw Sein. He said three women were seriously wounded and admitted to a public hospital in Namkham town yesterday. Burma Army soldiers allegedly accosted the villagers and told them not to move. Out of fear, they ran, and were subsequently gunned down. Clashes have been ongoing between the Burma Army and TNLA troops in Namhkham Township since April 29, according to local villagers. Tuesday saw fighting in Kaung Kay and Pan San villages with the Burma Army using three helicopters to support troops and damage buildings, according to Tar Aike Kyaw. Two members of the TNLA were wounded, he said. According to the TNLA spokesperson, the Burma Armys Infantry Division 88 suffered heavy casualties on Tuesday, though he was not confident of exact numbers. Fighting broke out in Kaung Wine village on Wednesday, he added. Commentary NLD Govt Must Live up to Its Manifesto on Press Freedom Illustration entitled Rebellious Reporters by Harn Lay for The Irrawaddy. To truly honor the principles of press freedom, Burma must be free from restrictive laws like Article 66(d), state- and military-owned media, and joint-ventured media between the state and cronies. The government is responsible for creating an atmosphere where independent media can thrive professionally, ethically and commercially with laws guaranteeing the right to information. With these aspirations yet to be realized, neither journalists nor citizens can freely honor World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3. We journalists wake up every morning fearing that bad luck will strike usif influential players in the government or military or other powerful institutions have assumed that our stories published the day before defamed them. During the current National League for Democracy (NLD) governments first year of leadership, Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law has been used to initiate 56 defamation cases for inappropriate posts on social media. Of these 56 incidents, 12 journalists were charged and many of them are still awaiting trial. The article, enacted in 2013 under the previous government, bans the use of a telecommunications network to extort, threaten, obstruct, defame, disturb, inappropriately influence or intimidate. The 56 cases filed since NLD government took power greatly outnumber those filed under the previous quasi-civilian governmentjust seven. That is not what we expected to see under the countrys first civilian-led administration headed by de-facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The act has become an instrument misused by those in power, who turn to 66(d) rather than more standard defamation charges described in penal codes. The chief minister of Rangoon Division and NLD member U Phyo Min Thein filed charges against Eleven Media CEO and its editor, Dr. Than Htut Aung and Wai Phyo, as having violated Article 66(d) after the CEO wrote a story describing an unconfirmed bribery case concerning the chief minister. A military official charged NLD member U Myo Yan Naung Thein under the same statute after he shared Facebook posts deemed defamatory to the military commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. He was sentenced to six months in jail. We are likely to see more charges against individuals or journalists under Article 66(d) unless the NLD government or the NLD-dominated Parliaments repeal or amend this law for the sake of protecting freedom of expression. State Media Continues In December, just one month after the 2015 election, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told Radio Free Asia (RFA), State-owned newspapers are not working in accordance with democratic practices. But we will not change them overnight. We will discuss it, but we dont want [it] to take too long. It will improve the country. Over the past year, however, we havent heard any further discussion on this issue within the NLD government. Today, three state-owned newspaperstwo in Burmese and one in Englishcontinue to be published without much variation from the editorial stances taken adopted under the military regime. The objective of such outlets is to cover the activities of the government and to reflect its policies. Radio and television stations in the US and UK, like the VOA and BBC, are state funded. But they are independent. They can work freely within their charters. It is important to work independently with freedom, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also said in the same RFA interview. But in Burma, all broadcast mediaincluding TV channels and radio stationsare still controlled by the ruling government, the military, and cronies. We havent seen any clear plan detailing how to transform them into a public service. This situation concerning the media is likely related to the countrys complicated political landscape, particularly concerning the role of the powerful army. Perhaps the governments decision to keep state-run media was an attempt to counter the presence of military-run media like Myawaddy TV and Myawaddy Daily newspaper in Burmese. But no matter the reason, state-owned newspapers cannot co-exist with democratic principlesDaw Aung San Suu Kyi clearly said that these publications are not helping the countrys democratization process. When it comes to advancing our right to information, it does not feel like much has changed under this government. Some high-ranking officials in the government and key members of the NLD are patronizing and rude when they talk to journalists. Such attitudes need to be changed. Those in power should realize that independent media contributes to good governance, anti-corruption and development. The NLD manifesto released in 2015 clearly states: The news media is the eyes and ears of the people. We will ensure that the media has the right to stand independently in accordance with self-regulation of matters relating to ethics and dignity, and the right to gather and disseminate news. What the NLD government must do is implement necessary measures to achieve what the party stated in this manifesto. We journalists, as well as all citizens, are anxiously waiting for that time to come, which will further our progress in the path toward democratization. Kyaw Zwa Moe is the editor of The Irrawaddys English edition. Brodl Named Provost at Illinois Wesleyan University Mark Brodl May 3, 2017 BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Mark Brodl, currently Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs: Budget and Research at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, has been named the next provost of Illinois Wesleyan University, effective July 17. Brodl joined Trinity as the George W. Brackenridge Distinguished Professor of Biology in 2001, and has remained active in teaching and research at the private liberal arts college since taking on his administrative role in 2012. He has established a reputation for his work in support of student-faculty research, particularly work with an interdisciplinary focus. "The depth and breadth of Mark's experience stood out amongst an exceptional group of candidates," said Illinois Wesleyan President Eric Jensen. "The position is multifaceted, and Mark brings both practical administrative experience, stemming from his years of developing and administering academic budgets, and a strategic understanding of the intricacies involved in building and nurturing academic programs and fostering diversity. His collaborative style of leadership will serve him well here, and Im excited to welcome Mark to campus in July." "Illinois Wesleyan has a well-established reputation for having an outstanding faculty and excellent students who enjoy remarkable success," Brodl said. "While we live in challenging times for higher education, Illinois Wesleyan is advantageously positioned to leverage a time of challenge as an opportunity. The vibrancy of student-faculty engagement here creates an energy that you feel the moment you walk onto campus. Im tremendously excited about this leadership opportunity to work with faculty and President Jensen to tap that energy. I cant wait to get started." Brodl played an active role in the planning and implementation of Trinity's strategic plan including a new Center for International Engagement and in planning the university's new "Pathways" curriculum, which was unanimously approved by faculty. He was instrumental in securing grants and external funding to support initiatives in the humanities; programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and establishing a McNair Scholars Program, which fosters academic career paths for students from underrepresented groups, first-generation or low-income students. Brodl has served a rotation as program director at the National Science Foundation and previously taught biology and chaired the Biology Department at Knox College. He earned his bachelors degree in biology from Knox, a masters in plant biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana and a Ph.D. in plant biology from Washington University in St. Louis. His research consistently involving students has focused on heat shock responses in plant secretory cells, which play pivotal roles in key, vulnerable steps in plant life cycles. Brodl will succeed IWU Provost Jonathan Green, who has been named president of Susquehanna University, a private liberal arts university in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, effective July 1. Reddit Email 88 Shares By Jeremy Brecher | ( Waging Nonviolence ) | As the thousands of foot-weary protesters look back on the Peoples Climate March in Washington, D.C. and its scores of sister marches around the country one question will no doubt be foremost on their minds: How can a march, or indeed any other action they take, force a reversal in the worlds hurtle to climate doom? After all, a single march, no matter how large, is not going to force President Trump and his administration of fossil-fuel company executives and climate-change deniers to reverse course. They have already cancelled the Environmental Protection Agencys Clean Power Plan, authorized drilling and mining on public lands, and gutted regulations that protect local people and environments against the extraction of fossil fuels. He has cleared the way for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. His allies in Congress are whetting their knives to gut the Clean Air, Clean Water and Environmental Policy Acts. The fossil fuel industry is lining up for permits to build new infrastructure that will accelerate global warming and threaten local environments to boot. The unintended consequence of these actions has been to isolate Trump and his allies from the American people. This is revealed in polls taken since Trumps election. Half of Americans call climate change a major threat to the nations well-being. Three-quarters of voters said carbon dioxide should be regulated as a pollutant and 70 percent support strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing coal-fired power plants even if it raises the cost of electricity. Meanwhile, 81 percent said the United States should use more renewable energy, whereas only 3 percent said it should use less. The public believes by a factor of six to one that the U.S. government is doing too little rather than too much to protect the environment. Moreover, 61 percent of voters disapprove of Trumps handling of the environment, which is higher than his disapproval rating for all other issues, including health care and immigration. This overwhelming rejection of Trumps assault on the climate and general embrace of a shift toward climate protection opens the way to massive support for the global nonviolent constitutional insurgency which has been undermining the very legitimacy of those destroying the earths climate. The immediate goal of the climate insurgency is the same as that enunciated by the nations of the world in the Paris climate agreement: to prevent more than 1.5 degrees Celsius additional warming. The fundamental strategy for the nonviolent constitutional insurgency is to withdraw the support of the people from climate destruction. It uses nonviolent direct action or civil disobedience to express the popular refusal to acquiesce in the burning of fossil fuels and to force a transition to climate-safe energy. It defends such action as both the right and the duty of the people and proclaims climate destruction to be illegal and unconstitutional. It mobilizes both those who are willing to engage in activities the authorities claim to be illegal and the wider population who support these objectives. It seeks to create an irresistible momentum of escalating popular action for climate protection. While many have been stricken with pain and foreboding by Trumps climate agenda, such feelings havent paralyzed them from taking action. Even before Trumps inauguration, EPA workers put their jobs at risk to expose Trumps climate lies. Shortly after Trumps election, the Illinois legislature passed the Future Energy Jobs Package, which will invest at least $500 million in new solar especially community solar and energy efficiency programs targeted at low-income communities, combined with job training for work in the solar industry. Chicago also recently announced that it will transition all of its municipal buildings and operations to 100 percent clean, renewable energy by 2025. Meanwhile, 23 state and local governments vowed to fight Trumps Energy Independence executive order in court. A U.S. district court judge ruled that there is a constitutional right to a stable climate. Leading corporate executives urged the United States not to leave the Paris climate agreement; Maryland has just banned all fracking; and anti-pipeline campaigns are under way in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Saturdays Peoples Climate March represents a culmination and celebration of this activity, as well as the launch of its next phase. Despite the emergence of the climate insurgency and the overwhelming public support for climate protection, Trump and his fossil fuel allies control virtually all the levers of governmental power. The Peoples Climate March is unlikely to stop that, but it can be part of building the momentum for a movement that can defeat Trumpism and set us on the course for a transition to a fossil-free economy. Here are three strategic elements drawing from my new book Against Doom: A Climate Insurgency Manual that may be crucial in the aftermath of the march. 1. Build the Trump resistance around climate protection. The United States is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of civil resistance to Trump and Trumpism what movements of resistance to tyranny elsewhere have called social self-defense. It includes millions of aroused individuals and community members, social movements, non-profit advocacy organizations, lawyers and judges, scientists and librarians, and much of the Democratic Party. Many advocacy groups have climbed out of their issue silos to cooperate in the Trump resistance. And there is powerful synergism between those taking direct action in civil society and those challenging Trump and his allies within the political system. The Trump resistance has so far blocked the Muslim and refugee ban, forestalled the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, stymied the building of Trumps wall with Mexico, and successfully pushed back against much of the rest of the Trump agenda. In the process they have significantly undermined public and institutional support for both the Trump administration and its right-wing Republican allies. The Trump resistance creates a new political context for the climate protection movement. It opens the opportunity for the climate movement to be a central part of the broad and powerful anti-Trump movement that can force a reversal of his climate agenda. Victory for this broader movement is essential for climate protection. Mass repudiation of Trump and Trumpism that breaks the power of the president and his allies are necessary conditions for effective climate protection. Fortunately, the climate movement is already reaching out and supporting the other elements of the Trump resistance. For example, Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, says The Sierra Club stands in solidarity with Muslims, refugees, immigrants, people of color, women and all those threatened by the Trump administration. Protecting our communities and our environment go hand-in-hand, and everyone who values a just and free America should continue to resist hateful actions like the Muslim ban. An open letter from environmental and climate justice organizations declares, We support workers who choose to walk off their jobs on May 1 because we know that the fight to protect land, water, air and soil is inseparable from the fight to protect the life and dignity of workers, migrants, and communities of color. Conversely, climate protection can provide a major unifying and empowering focus for social self-defense. Much of the Trump resistance is rightly focused on his attacks on particular groups: immigrants, Muslims, women, people of color and many others. But climate change is a universal threat that creates a universal common interest. As such, it can be a unifying thread among the many diverse elements of the Trump resistance. Climate protection has wide support across almost all the constituencies that need to come together to break Trumps power. For example, the policy platform of the Womens March stated that our environment and our climate must be protected and that our land and natural resources cannot be exploited for corporate gain or greed. The need to protect the climate is in direct contradiction to Trumps America First rhetoric. There is no way that America can survive, let alone thrive, unless climate change is reduced, and there is no way that can happen without international cooperation and agreement. Creating millions of jobs protecting the climate is also the most effective way to address the economic needs of American workers that Trump exploited to win the presidency. A program of jobs for climate and justice can be the centerpiece of an alternative economic program that can draw away support from Trumps false promises. 2. Impose the transition to fossil freedom. Without pipelines, oil trains, power plants and other infrastructure, coal, oil and gas would remain harmlessly in the earth where they have lain for millions of years. All over the world, climate campaigns are focusing on halting all new fossil fuel infrastructure a so-called fossil freeze. Meanwhile, state and local policy is increasingly rejecting new fossil fuel infrastructure based on the greater economy of grid modernization, distributed energy, energy efficiency and the falling cost of renewables. These two pincers can converge to slow and eventually defeat new fossil fuel infrastructure throughout the country. Of course, Trump is trying to expand fossil fuel infrastructure. But the Trump era will see massive resistance to his plans. One harbinger: In early April, an advance guard set up camp in Eagle Butte, South Dakota to lay the groundwork of resistance to Trumps plan to revive the Keystone XL pipeline. Climate protection requires not only a halt to new fossil fuel infrastructure, but also a planned transition to a fossil free economy. That means not just changing energy sources, but changing every institution that utilizes energy. Ultimately, it means using forests, farms and other sinks to begin withdrawing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. This transition requires planning. The climate movement should insist that every institution from schools, churches, states and municipalities to the federal government develop and immediately start to implement a climate action plan that will eliminate fossil fuel burning by 2050 at the latest. Portland, Oregon just announced a plan for transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. Such plans must include protection for workers and communities whose livelihoods may be adversely affected by the transition to a fossil-free economy not to mention strategies to use that transition to reverse the economic, racial, generational and gender inequality and injustice that the Trump administration seems to be advancing. Local and state fossil freezes and climate action plans can lay the groundwork for and prove the feasibility of a national fossil freeze and climate action plan. In the lead-up to the Peoples Climate March Sens. Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley plan to release a Clean Energy for All bill to transition away from fossil fuel sources of energy to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2050. Trump cant stop us from implementing the elements of such a plan at a state and local level. 3. Claim a stable climate as a constitutional right. Two days after the election of Donald Trump, Federal Judge Ann Aiken ruled in a case now dubbed Climate Kids v. Trump that the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life is fundamental to a free and ordered society. A stable climate system is quite literally the foundation of society, without which there would be neither civilization nor progress. In short, the right to a stable climate is protected by the U.S. Constitutions guarantee of the right to life and liberty. Climate protection advocates do not need to wait for the legal process to play out in order to argue that the Aiken decision establishes that the people have a right, grounded in the U.S. Constitution, to force the government to protect the climate. If the courts wont enforce that right in time, it is up to the people to do so. The climate movement can assert that it is not just advocating an environmental policy, but fighting for a basic human and constitutional right for all people. It thus makes defiance of Trumps climate agenda not just opposition to bad policies, but the basis for a constitutional insurgency that defines climate-destroying policies and the activities that enforce them as criminal acts that the people have a right, indeed a duty, to resist. While it is impossible to know what future course the Trump era will take, we do know that the future of the planet and its people depend on resisting and overcoming the presidents anti-climate agenda and reversing it to eliminate fossil fuels. If the global nonviolent climate insurgency succeeds, Trump and Trumpism will be remembered by historians as a failed attempt to prevent humanity from protecting itself against climate catastrophe. And the Peoples Climate March may well be recorded as a historic marker on the way to a fossil-free future. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This article was originally published on Waging Nonviolence . Related video added by Juan Cole: WKBT TV: Area climate activists voice their opinions over Trumps policies Reddit Email 78 Shares Special Correspondent | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | Locals in the parts of Mosul, from which extremists have been pushed out, are celebrating small signs of returning life: For one thing, the chance to pour a glass of water in a well-lit room. Some hope is returning to the locals in Mosul, after several months of fighting. In some neighbourhoods, running water is once again on tap and power is available at the flick of a switch. For the last six months, locals have been dealing with a lack of easily accessible water. Although the Tigris river separates the two sides of the city, it has become inaccessible in many places due to fighting so locals started to dig wells in the urban landscape. The lack of services has made it really difficult, despite our happiness at the fact that the IS group have been pushed out of Mosul, says Tariq Fathi, one of the thousands of people who have stood in queues at wells on the eastern side of the city recently. We are currently spending around US$20 per month on getting drinking water from Iraqi Kurdistan. That is such a lot of money compared to what we can earn here at the moment. And for people who cannot afford it, they must drink from the wells dirty waters. Fathi says that many people are afraid of the diseases that may come with using the ground water but that they simply dont have any choice. The drilling of wells to access ground water inside the city has become something of a lucrative trade too. Getting a well dug costs around US$700 which means that only wealthy people can afford to pay for it; groups of neighbours also club together to have a well built for their community. However, Marei Qalanda, of the provincial water authority, says this suffering shouldnt go on much longer. It was a big challenge and we are under-resourced, Qalanda admits. But we are on our way to operating at maximum capacity again. One of the largest pumping stations, which supplies about 60 percent of the needs of the eastern side of the city, has started operating again, and further work is being done on other pumping stations. However, it will take some time as fighting has damaged pipes and gutters Fathi and his neighbours have resigned themselves to queueing for water for some time yet. The other sign of life returning to the city is in the resumption of electricity supply. The local power company estimates that about 50 percent of the distribution network has been damaged, one of the companys engineers, Ahmad Saeed, told NIQASH. Cables and transformers have been damaged by bombs and explosions and hundreds of power poles have been destroyed, he noted. Over the past four months we have been trying to fix things. Over the past two weeks we have managed to power up some of the citys main roads and we are proud of that. It wasnt even so much a matter of providing people with electricity, he adds. We just wanted to send the message that says life is returning to your city. Some neighbourhoods are now getting 12 hours of supply a day. Getting the power back on, was like when the women of the city could take off the veils that the IS group made them wear, says Mahmoud Salem, a resident of the Hadba neighbourhood in Mosul. It was like the city removing the darkness that has lasted more than two years. There was one other notable event that people in Mosul either heard about or witnessed, that made them feel more optimistic about the future. Local musicians Amin Miqdad, who plays violin, and Thamer Khalil, a clarinet player put on a small concert in the city. I often saw the smoke of battle and heard the explosions, says Miqdad, who spent two years in Mosul under the control of the IS group. What made me happy was that those who attended the concert were people who are struggling to live here. But for a short time, they were able to turn their backs on war and enjoy the music. With any luck, soon they all may also be able to drink a glass of water in a well-lit room of their own. Via Niqash.org - Related video added by Juan Cole: Iraq Insider: Music and Satellite return to Mosul after ISIS TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 2, 2017) - Alabama Graphite Corp. ("AGC" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CSPG) (OTCQB:CSPGF) (FRANKFURT:1AG) is pleased to announce that it has increased the size of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (please refer to the Company's April 26, 2017 announcement) to raise gross proceeds of approximately $1.1 million (the "Upsized Offering"). The Upsized Offering will involve the sale of approximately 7,333,333 units ("Units") at a subscription price of $0.15 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of up to approximately $1,100,000. Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at an exercise price of $0.20 for a period of 36 months following the date of issue, subject to customary adjustment provisions. AGC intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for working capital and production, full electrochemical testing and characterization of significant quantities of Coated Spherical Purified Graphite ("CSPG") engineered for use in lithium-ion ("Li-ion") battery anodes and Delaminated Expanded Graphite ("DEXDG") engineered for use as a conductivity enhancement diluent in Li-ion battery cathodes. This fully characterized and tested battery-ready material will be conveyed to satisfy outstanding material requests from both existing United States Department of Defense ("DoD") battery manufacturers and contractors, non-DoD entities, and new potential end users. Certain insiders of the Company have indicated their support for the Private Placement. Any such participation would be a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") but will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair-market value of the subject matter of the transaction nor the consideration paid will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Private Placement was approved by all of the independent directors of the Company. As part of the Upsized Offering, an officer of the Corporation (the "Insider") may arrange for the sale of a number of Common Shares from the Insider's personal holdings at a price in context with the market through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). In the event of said sale, the Insider would use 100% of the proceeds from the sale to participate in the Private Placement. The number of Common Shares potentially issuable to insiders of the Company pursuant to the Private Placement (including any Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants) will represent not more than 10% of the Company's currently issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis. In connection with the Private Placement, the Company may pay a finder's fee in cash and in the form of compensation warrants, subject to all necessary regulatory approvals. The closing of the Private Placement is subject to the conditional and final approval of the TSXV. The Company intends to close the Private Placement in one or more tranche(s) and as soon as practicable, subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to, among other things, a hold period of four months and one day in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. ABOUT ALABAMA GRAPHITE CORP. Alabama Graphite Corp. is a Canadian-based flake graphite exploration and development company as well as an aspiring battery materials production and technology company. The Company operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Alabama Graphite Company Inc. (a company registered in the state of Alabama). With an advancing flake graphite project in the United States of America, Alabama Graphite Corp intends to become a reliable, long-term U.S. supplier of specialty high-purity graphite products. A highly experienced team leads the Company with more than 100 years of combined graphite mining, graphite processing, specialty graphite products and applications, and graphite sales experience. Alabama Graphite Corp. is focused on the exploration and development of its flagship Coosa Graphite Project in Coosa County, Alabama, and its Bama Mine Project in Chilton County, Alabama as well the research and development of its proprietary manufacturing and technological processing process of battery materials. Alabama Graphite Corp. holds a 100% interest in the mineral rights for these two U.S.-based graphite projects, which are both located on private land. The two projects encompass more than 43,000 acres and are located in a geopolitically stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction with significant historical production of crystalline flake graphite in the flake graphite belt of central Alabama, also known as the Alabama Graphite Belt (source: U.S. Bureau of Mines). A significant portion of the Alabama deposits are characterized by graphite-bearing material that is oxidized and has been weathered into extremely soft rock. Both projects have infrastructure in place, are within close proximity to major highways, rail, power and water, and are approximately three hours (by truck or train) to the Port of Mobile, the Alabama Port Authority's deep-seawater port and the ninth largest port by tonnage in the United States (source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/USACE). The state of Alabama's hospitable climate allows for year-round mining operations and the world's largest marble quarry (which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in Sylacauga, Alabama), is located within a 30-minute drive of the Coosa Graphite Project. On November 30, 2015, Alabama Graphite Corp. announced the results of PEA for the Coosa Graphite Project, indicating a potentially low-cost project with potential positive economics. Please refer to the Company's technical report titled "Alabama Graphite Corp. Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Coosa graphite Project, Alabama, USA" dated November 27, 2015, prepared by independent engineering firms AGP Mining Consultants Inc. and Metal Mining Consultants Inc., and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Note: a preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. * Inferred Mineral Resources represent material that is considered too speculative to be included in economic evaluations. Additional trenching and/or drilling will be required to convert Inferred Mineral Resources to Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no guarantee that all or any part of the Mineral Resource will be converted into a Mineral Reserve. Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Tasca Resources Ltd. ("Tasca", TAC or the "Company") (TSX Venture: TAC) (Frankfurt: 3TA) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Central American Mining Corp. ("CAMC") to acquire 100% of Central America Mining S.A. a private Nicaraguan company ("CAM.SA") which is the beneficial owner of the Fuente De Oro Property, located in the Municipality of Santo Domingo, Department of Chontales, Nicaragua. Pursuant to the LOI, TAC and CAMC will have 45 days to complete their due diligence and if satisfactory, will sign a formal option agreement (the "Acquisition Agreement") whereby TAC will acquire a 100% ownership of CAM.SA in consideration for issuing 2 million common shares and making a cash payment of US$66,000.00 to the Vendor. The Acquisition Agreement, once signed, will be subject to the Company obtaining all necessary approvals from the TSX Venture Exchange. Fuente De Oro Property The Fuente De Oro property encompasses 85.7 Square kilometers (21,178 acres) of mineral rights which is considered highly prospective for gold and silver. Exploration conducted by the original property owners led to the identification of a felsic intrusive center, flanked by silicification and extensive siliceous sinter (paleo-hotspring) deposits. Reconnaissance traverses over the area identified a broad zone of sub-angular to rounded surficial vein material highly anomalous in gold and silver. In total, 30 samples were taken, with values ranging from background up to 35.6 g/t gold and 224 g/t silver. These exploration results have not yet been verified by Tasca Resources Ltd. Fuente De Oro is located on strike and is less than 10 kms away from B2Gold Corp.s 100% owned La Libertad open pit gold mine. The La Libertad mine produced 132,431ounces of gold with an operating cash cost of $659 per ounce in 2016. B2Gold Corp.s Jabali Central and Jabali Antenna projects which are within 5KM of Fuente De Oro, are scheduled to go into production Q3. (http://www.b2gold.com/projects/producing/la-libertad/). La Libertad and Jabali are low-sulphidation adularia-sericite gold silver systems. The data on the La Libertad and Jabali deposits has not been independently verified by Tasca Resources Ltd. Further, the presence of mineralization on these two B2Gold Corp. properties in not necessarily indicative on mineralization on the Fuente De Oro property. About Tasca Tasca Resources Ltd. is a Canadian based mining company that is focused on acquiring properties through strategic joint ventures and property acquisitions. Tasca has signed a Property Option Agreement to acquire the Bleiberg zinc-lead-germanium-fluorite project, located in southern Austria, west of the city of Villach. Qualified Persons The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo., an independent consulting geologist who is a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). For additional information regarding the above noted property and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.tascaresourcses.com The La Crosse Common Councils Judiciary and Administration Committee narrowly recommended the rezoning of a lot on Island Street from commercial to heavy industrial. The 4-3 vote came on a request by Craigs Towing and Repair at 1224 Island Street. According to Josh Redenbaugh, speaking on behalf of the towing business at Tuesday evenings meeting, rezoning the lot would allow the business to continue to grow. The City Planning Commission originally recommended denying the request because of the areas proximity to other homes, worrying a vehicle lot would be a harbor for mosquito-borne illnesses and vermin, according to a report. The commission also noted the lot is surrounded by other properties that are used for commercial purposes, such as Menards and Ardies Restaurant, despite many properties in the area being approved for heavy industrial use. Redenbaugh pointed to Craigs plans to use vinyl rather than chain-link fencing and dismissed concerns of rodent and insect infestations. The marsh itself poses a bigger concern for the mosquitoes, Redenbaugh said, noting the marsh and small pond behind Ardies Restaurant and Flipside Pub & Grill. Tim Acklin, a senior planner with the city, said the new fencing option looked better than the chain-link fence currently at the business, but he questioned if having an entirely fenced-in block reflected the direction the city wants to go. Acklin suggested the space is a prime spot for another business to build and grow. Committee chair Andrea Richmond, who ultimately voted against the zoning change, along with Jessica Olson and Patrick Brever, said she was concerned about the large number of vehicles. Redenbaugh said due to state laws and limitations, some vehicles will sit on the lot for a long time as past owners are contacted and regulations complied with. He also said the towing business does work for the other businesses on the street, such as Menards, towing away unclaimed and abandoned vehicles. Redenbaugh argued the business has been providing a service to the community for more than 20 years and is a part of the fabric of community, helping the city rid its streets of unclaimed vehicles. The recommendation will go before the full Common Council on Thursday, May 11. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 3, 2017) - Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (TSX VENTURE:LIT) (FRANKFURT:OAY1) (WKN:A0RK7E)(OTCQB:PNXLF) ("Argentina Lithium" or the "Company") is pleased to report that its first exploration program has successfully identified drill targets at the 20,500 hectare Arizaro Lithium Project ("the Project") on the Arizaro Salar in Salta Province, Argentina. The Vertical Electric Sounding (VES) geophysical survey has identified conductive and semi-conductive zones interpreted as geologic units at depth that are saturated with high-density, and potentially lithium-bearing, brines. Of particular interest are conductive zones which thicken to the north and west towards the centre of the salar where the geophysics suggests a sub-basin is located that that may host potentially lithium-bearing brines separate from shallow or at-surface brines. Based on the results of the VES survey, 3-4 initial drill holes reaching depths of up to 400 metres below surface are being planned. "We are pleased that our model for a deep brine target at Arizaro is so far supported by the geophysics," said Nikolaos Cacos, President and C.E.O. "We look forward to drill testing these first targets for the presence of brine with high lithium values at depth, while continuing the exploration work on this very large land package." Program Details The geological environment at Arizaro includes volcanic rock outcrops (ignimbrites, dacites, rhyolites and basalt) and structural conditions similar to other salars in the Puna region where lithium and potash are found. In addition, the large size of the Arizaro basin makes it is possible to find geological and hydrogeological conditions for establishing sub-basins of independent evolution within the salar. These factors support exploration for deep layers of lithium-rich brine which are not directly linked to the surface fluids at the Arizaro salar. This initial exploration program at Arizaro was, therefore, designed to acquire initial hydrogeological understanding of this largely un-tested salar and to identify conductive zones at depth that may host lithium-bearing brines. The Vertical Electric Sounding ("VES") program was conducted by Conhidro SRL ("Conhidro"), an experienced local independent contractor. The VES method uses resistivity to characterize the hydrogeological conditions of the salar, including conductive and semi-conductive zones interpreted to be clastic and/or fractured evaporitic sedimentary layers that may contain brines bearing lithium and potash. VES is effective to depths of approximately 400-500 metres below which alternative surveys such as Controlled Source Audio-frequency Magneto-tellurics (CSAMT) are required. Twenty-six stations were selected throughout the 20,500 hectare property, eighteen along north-south and east-west lines in the North Block, located in the central salar, and the remaining eight in the South Block at the southern salar margin. At most of the survey stations trenches were dug up to three metres depth to characterize the surficial lithological layers and to establish the existence, and level, of the water table. Near-surface fluid samples collected from the trenches returned low lithium (<10 mg/l) and potash (<1,500 mg/l) levels. The very large size of the salar and its geomorphology support the potential for discovery of deep brine layers with potential to host higher concentrations of lithium, as well as potash. The VES survey of the North Block of claims (stations 1 - 17 and 26) identified conductive to semi-conductive zones in the which thicken to the north and west towards the centre of the salar. Modelling of 1D survey data into 2D profiles was completed along north-south and east-west section lines (see Figure 1) On the north-south profile, which is 20 kilometres in length, four main units below a surface salt crust were identified based on electrical properties; they are described below and displayed on Figure 1 - VES Line 1: VES Line 1: North-South Zone Description Upper Conductive Zone red-yellow low resistivity - 0.1-9.7 Ohm m slight thickness increase from south to north range 1-28 m Semi-Conductive Zone green colour low resistivity values - 10-46 Ohm m significant increase in thickness from south to north - 114-385 m interpreted as being evaporite facies and may be fractured and brine saturated Semi-Resistive Zone blue colour moderate resistivity values - 32-143 Ohm m increasing in thickness from south to north Resistive Zone blue-violet high resistivity values - 130-52 Ohm m present in the southern part of the profile at relatively shallow depths interpreted to represent massive halite and/or Tertiary sediments on the margin of the salar The west-east profile in the North Block covers 13.6 kilometres. Four main units below the surface salt crust, described below and in shown in Figure 1- VES Line 2, were distinguished based on electrical properties: VES Line 2: West-East Zone Description Upper Conductive Zone red-yellow very low resistivity - 1-23 Ohm m decreases in thickness east to west 1.4-206 m interpreted to represent brine-saturated evaporites/clastics Semi-Conductive Zone green low resistivity - 26-54 Ohm m decrease in thickness east to west - 43-120 m interpreted to represent halite which may be fractured and brine-saturated Resistive Zone blue to violet high resistivity - 67-131 Ohm m shallower in west and deeper to east - 178-202 m thick in west interpreted as massive halite or clastic rocks on salar margin Lower Conductive Zone yellow-green low resistivity - 26-54 Ohm m present in the western part of profile below 210-249 m depth interpreted to be evaporite facies, mainly halite, with degree of fracturing less than Upper Conductive Zone may indicate a sub-basin hosting brine, separated from the surface brines by the resistive zone above At the southern block of claims the density of the survey points (stations 18 to 25) is considered insufficient to develop a 2D profile. Conhidro has concluded that the VES results, as well as the geologic and geomorphologic setting, climatic conditions, and hydrogeological environment at Arizaro, when compared to other well-studied salars, including Hombre Muerto, Rincon, Antofalla, Llullaillaco, and Rio Grande, indicate that there is a high probability to find brines at depth with high densities of 1,210 to 1,225 g/l and conductivities higher than 200 microS/cm. The VES results successfully identified clear targets for an initial drill campaign. Three to four holes up to 400 metres in depth are planned to test these targets. To date, the geophysical results have not defined the basement of the salar. The VES was carried out using a Schlumberger four-pole electrode device of geometric constant K = . ((AM.AN) / MN). The lengths between the electrodes of current (AB) were variable, up to a maximum distance of 1,600 metres. The separations between the potential electrodes (MN) varied between 1 and 200 meters. About the Arizaro Lithium Project The Company has the option to earn a 100% interest in the Arizaro Lithium Brine Project, including 20,500 hectares in the central core of the Arizaro Salar, the largest in Argentina and third largest in the "Lithium Triangle". Very little historic exploration work has been done on the Arizaro Salar, however the central area is interpreted to have the geologic conditions to be the most prospective for quality brine resources. Furthermore, the Arizaro Salar benefits from a strategic location for infrastructure, including: a railway that connects to the deep water port of Antofagasta, nearby advanced mining projects that are expected to bring significant development of access routes and power, and the availability of water for development. For additional information on the Project please see the Company website www.argentinalithium.com . Qualified Person The contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by David Terry, Ph.D., P.Geo. Dr. Terry is a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. RENO, NV--(Marketwired - May 03, 2017) - Klondex Mines Ltd. (TSX: KDX) ( NYSE MKT : KLDX) ("Klondex" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on project development activities and underground drilling at its Hollister Mine ("Hollister") located in northern Nevada, USA. These drill results will be included in the Company's initial mineral resource estimate scheduled to be released in the second quarter. Project Development Highlights: Rehabbed approximately 4,000 feet of underground workings in the main zone Replaced approximately 4,000 feet of air and water lines Repaired the dewatering system, ventilation system, electrical sub-station and underground mobile equipment Actively developing the Gloria vein system including approximately 1,025 feet and 2,600 feet of waste and ore development, respectively Initial mineral resource estimate for the Gloria vein system in the second quarter Gloria Vein System Underground Drilling Highlights: (see TABLE 1 for complete results) G17-041: 12.96 opt AuEq over 1.4 ft., or 444.3 g/t over 0.4 m G17-044: 4.18 opt AuEq over 4.0 ft., or 143.3 g/t over 1.2 m G16-021: 2.57 opt AuEq over 1.6 ft., or 88.1 g/t over 0.5 m G16-018: 1.35 opt AuEq over 4.3 ft., or 46.3 g/t over 1.3 m G16-010: 0.75 opt AuEq over 4.2 ft., or 25.7 g/t over 1.3 m KEY POINTS: Thirty Nine underground core holes totaling 14,656 ft. (4,467 m) were drilled during this reporting period. The intent of this drill program was to infill the pre-existing drill holes to increase the drill hole density in the Gloria zone. This will allow the Company to produce an initial mineral resource estimate for the Gloria vein system, which is expected to be released in the second quarter. Mr. Brian Morris, Senior Vice President, Exploration said, "We are seeing excellent grades and widths in the drill results which are consistent with what was historically mined in the main Hollister Mine." Mr. Morris continued, "Moreover the mineralized vertical extent appears to be similar to the Main Hollister workings." Assays were performed by American Assay of Sparks, Nevada, as directed under the supervision of Klondex staff. This organization is an ISO 17025 accredited independent laboratory. Underground drill core samples were assayed using a fire assay one-assay ton method with an ICP finish. If initial Au assays were > 5ppm or Ag was > 200ppm the sample is re-assayed with a gravimetric finish. The quality control and assurance program included the insertion of standards and blanks, the retention of pulps and rejects. The core lengths are actual lengths as drilled and were not adjusted for the true width of the mineralized zones. About Klondex Mines Ltd. (www.klondexmines.com) Klondex is a well-capitalized, junior-tier gold and silver mining company focused on exploration, development, and production in a safe, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective manner. The Company has 100% interests in three producing mineral properties: the Fire Creek Mine and the Midas Mine and ore milling facility, both of which are located in the state of Nevada, USA, and the True North Gold Mine (formerly known as the Rice Lake Mine) and mill in Manitoba, Canada. The Company also has 100% interests in two recently acquired projects, the Hollister mine and the Aurora mine and ore milling facility (formerly known as Esmeralda), also located in Nevada, USA. Qualified Person Scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Brian Morris (AIPG CPG-11786), a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 3, 2017) - Avrupa Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:AVU)(FRANKFURT:8AM)(OTC PINK:AVPMF) is pleased to announce that the 2017 drilling campaign on the Slivovo Project in Kosovo has started. Peshter Mining JSC (85% Byrnecut International; 15% Avrupa Minerals) has two core rigs running on the property drilling multiple targets. As noted in the AVU news release of February 3, 2017, the drilling is planned as a 3-phase, results-dependent program. The drilling program is designed to discover, delineate, and define further high grade (defined in the Slivovo Project Study as 5 g/t gold or greater) gold resources at the Slivovo deposit in order to potentially create an economic mining solution for the Project. Assuming continued success, the 3-phase program aims to add at least 250,000 ounces of gold from a number of previously-known and new targets located close to and around the present deposit. Cost estimate for the full 3-phase program, totaling 30,000 meters, is approximately C$ 8.3 million. Byrnecut International will fully fund the program. At this time, Phase One is planned for 17 diamond drill holes, totaling close to 5,700 meters. The targets to be tested include a deep (between 100 and 300+ meters from the surface) geophysical anomaly discovered during the 2016 work program, several shallow (less than 100 meters from the surface) geophysical anomalies, the Sandstone Gossan, Gossan Extension SE, Main Gossan Offset, the Buena Oro soil anomaly zone, and the Dzemail Zone. HOLE ID DIP () AZIMUTH () TD (m) TARGET SLV062 -60 245 350 Main Gossan Offset SLV063 -50 65 400 Main Gossan Offset SLV064 -50 65 390 Main Gossan Offset SLV065 -67 55 300 Gossan Extension - SE SLV066 -60 245 400 Main Gossan Offset SLV067 -50 190 360 Gossan Extension - SE SLV068 -50 65 330 Main Gossan Offset SLV069 -60 245 280 Main Gossan Offset SLV070 -66 55 200 Gossan Extension - SE SLV071 -60 245 510 Deep IP anomaly SLV072 -60 65 500 Deep IP anomaly SLV073 -45 235 300 Sandstone Gossan SLV074 -45 235 300 Sandstone Gossan SLV075 -45 55 300 Sandstone Gossan SLV076 -45 55 300 Sandstone Gossan SLV077 -50 55 250 Buena Oro SLV078 -50 245 200 Dzemail 17 holes 5,670 6 target zones Table 1. Phase 1 drill holes with target zones Figure 1. Phase 1 drill plan showing SLV071 and SLV072 for deep geophysical target and SLV078 targeting the Dzemail Zone. Figure 2. Phase 1 drill plan showing SLV062, 063, 064, 066, 068, and 069 targeting the Main Gossan Offset; SLV065, 067, and 070 targeting the SE Gossan Extension; SLV073, 074, 075, and 076 targeting the Sandstone Gossan; and SLV077 targeting the Buena Oro zone. Paul W. Kuhn, President and CEO of Avrupa Minerals, commented, "We are pleased with our partner's progress and their commitment to increase the size of the Slivovo gold deposit to a point where a mining solution can be achieved for the Project. This phase is a combination of close-in resource upgrade and near-resource exploration at several compelling targets discovered during the previous three years of work at Slivovo." In further corporate activities, the Board of Directors has approved the issuance of 1,310,000 stock options to directors, officers and consultants to purchase common shares of the Company at an exercise price of $0.10 per share for a period of five years, expiring on April 26, 2022. The Company has posted media interviews with Mark Brown, Chairman of the Board, and CEO Paul W. Kuhn. The interviews may be accessed at: http://www.avrupaminerals.com/investors/media/ . Avrupa Minerals Ltd. is a growth-oriented junior exploration and development company focused on discovery, using a prospect generator model, of valuable mineral deposits in politically stable and prospective regions of Europe, including Portugal, Kosovo, and Germany. The Company currently holds nine exploration licenses in three European countries, including six in Portugal covering 3,268 km2, two in Kosovo covering 47 km2, and one in Germany covering 307 km2. Avrupa has three joint ventures, two in Portugal and one in Kosovo, including: The Alvito Option Agreement with Oz Minerals Ltd. covering one license in the Ossa Morena Zone in southern Portugal, for IOCG deposits; with Oz Minerals Ltd. covering one license in the Ossa Morena Zone in southern Portugal, for IOCG deposits; The Alvalade JV , with Colt Resources, covering one license in the Iberian Pyrite Belt of southern Portugal, for Zn/Cu-rich massive sulfide deposits. The partner is currently in default according to the terms of the JV agreement, and Avrupa is working on a route to consolidation of the property; , with Colt Resources, covering one license in the Iberian Pyrite Belt of southern Portugal, for Zn/Cu-rich massive sulfide deposits. The partner is currently in default according to the terms of the JV agreement, and Avrupa is working on a route to consolidation of the property; The Covas JV , with Blackheath Resources, covering one license in northern Portugal, for intrusion-related W deposits; and , with Blackheath Resources, covering one license in northern Portugal, for intrusion-related W deposits; and Avrupa's partner at the Slivovo Gold Project in Kosovo is fully funding the program, allowing Avrupa to dilute its ownership in the JV operating company Peshter Mining JSC. If AVU ownership goes below 10%, the interest in the project converts to a 2% NSR. Avrupa is currently upgrading precious and base metal targets to JV-ready status in a variety of districts on their other licenses, with the idea of attracting potential partners to project-specific and/or regional exploration programs. TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - May 03, 2017) - Hudbay Minerals Inc. ("Hudbay" or the "company") (TSX: HBM) ( NYSE : HBM) today released its first quarter 2017 financial results. All amounts are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted. Summary: Operating cash flow per share 1 of $0.34 and loss per share of $0.01, impacted by lower sales volumes from timing of shipments in the first quarter of 2017 of $0.34 and loss per share of $0.01, impacted by lower sales volumes from timing of shipments in the first quarter of 2017 Consolidated cash cost 1 , net of by-product credits, of $0.88 per pound of copper and all-in sustaining cash cost 1 , net of by-product credits, of $1.46 per pound of copper in the first quarter , net of by-product credits, of $0.88 per pound of copper and all-in sustaining cash cost , net of by-product credits, of $1.46 per pound of copper in the first quarter Reduced net debt 1 position by $50 million in the first quarter of 2017 and had total liquidity of $433 million as at March 31, 2017, up from $391 million at December 31, 2016 position by $50 million in the first quarter of 2017 and had total liquidity of $433 million as at March 31, 2017, up from $391 million at December 31, 2016 Released an updated mine plan for Lalor and a feasibility study for Rosemont during the first quarter On track to meet production and cost guidance for 2017 In the first quarter of 2017, operating cash flow before change in non-cash working capital increased to $80.6 million from $71.9 million in the first quarter of 2016, mainly as a result of higher copper and zinc prices, partially offset by lower copper sales volumes. "We had another quarter of positive free cash flow generation, allowing further debt repayment during the quarter, despite shipment timing and mill maintenance that negatively impacted our first quarter results," said Alan Hair, president and chief executive officer. "Our focus for 2017 remains on delivering on our operating targets, debt reduction and advancing the high-return, in-house brownfield opportunities at Lalor and Pampacancha, and we are well on-track to deliver on these objectives." The net loss and loss per share in the first quarter of 2017 were $2.3 million and $0.01, respectively, compared to a net loss and loss per share of $15.8 million and $0.07, respectively, in the first quarter of 2016. 1 Operating cash flow per share, cash cost and all-in sustaining cash cost per pound, net of by-product credits, and net debt are not recognized under IFRS. For a detailed description of each of these non-IFRS financial performance measures used in this news release, please see the discussion under "Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures" beginning on page 6 of this news release. Net loss and loss per share in the first quarter of 2017 were affected by, among other things, the following items: Pre-tax gain (loss) ($ millions) After-tax gain (loss) ($ millions) Per share ($/share) Constancia insurance recovery 8.7 5.6 0.02 Mark-to-market of various items (2.6) (2.4) (0.01) Transfer of accumulated foreign exchange losses from equity on wind-up of subsidiaries (3.0) (3.0) (0.01) Non-cash deferred tax adjustments - (6.5) (0.03) Sales of copper concentrate and zinc metal were lower than prior quarters due to several factors, including low Peru concentrate inventories at December 31, 2016 and sales near the end of the first quarter with delivery terms whereby revenue can only be recognized upon delivery in the subsequent quarter. Copper-equivalent production2 in the first quarter of 2017 was lower than the past several quarters due to reduced grades at Constancia in line with the mine plan and reduced mill throughput in both Peru and Manitoba due to planned and unplanned maintenance in the first quarter. In the first quarter of 2017, consolidated cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, was $0.88, a significant decrease compared to $1.15 in the same period last year as a result of higher by-product credits. Incorporating sustaining capital, capitalized exploration, royalties and corporate selling and administrative expenses, consolidated all-in sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, in the first quarter of 2017 declined to $1.46 from $1.80 in the first quarter of 2016. The decline was driven by higher by-product credits and lower sustaining capital expenditures. Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $14.3 million in the first quarter to $132.6 million as at March 31, 2017. This decrease was mainly a result of principal repayments of $64.1 million to Hudbay's credit and equipment facilities, $40.6 million of capital investments primarily at the Peru and Manitoba operations and interest payments of $11.4 million, which were partially offset by cash generated from operating activities of $110.4 million. Working capital decreased by $34.6 million in the first quarter to $87.0 million as at March 31, 2017, primarily due to reduced receivables from the timing of sales and statutory payments from Peru, partially offset by increased inventories as a result of the timing of concentrate shipments. Net debt declined by $49.8 million to $1,035.5 million during the first quarter of 2017, as Hudbay repaid $60.0 million in drawings under its revolving credit facilities. At March 31, 2017, Hudbay had total liquidity of $432.9 million, including cash and available credit facilities, up from $390.8 million at December 31, 2016. 2 Production on a copper-equivalent basis is calculated by converting contained metal in concentrate produced at realized prices. Financial Condition ($000s) Mar. 31, 2017 Dec. 31, 2016 Cash and cash equivalents 132,583 146,864 Total long-term debt 1,168,052 1,232,164 Net debt1 1,035,469 1,085,300 Working capital 86,959 121,539 Total assets 4,357,812 4,456,556 Equity 1,762,817 1,763,212 Financial Performance Three months ended ($000s except per share and cash cost amounts) Mar. 31 2017 2016 Revenue 253,157 253,625 Cost of sales 204,007 225,702 Profit (loss) before tax 12,693 (16,888) Loss (2,305) (15,788) Basic and diluted loss per share (0.01) (0.07) Operating cash flow before change in non-cash working capital 80,595 71,889 Operating cash flow per share1 0.34 0.31 1 Net debt and operating cash flow per share are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information, please see page 6 of this news release. Production and Cost Performance Three months ended Three months ended Mar. 31, 2017 Mar. 31, 2016 Peru Manitoba Total Peru Manitoba Total Contained metal in concentrate produced1 Copper tonnes 27,211 7,520 34,731 29,143 9,736 38,879 Gold oz 3,935 16,788 20,723 5,752 21,493 27,245 Silver oz 539,534 198,360 737,894 508,994 213,922 722,916 Zinc tonnes - 30,570 30,570 - 23,376 23,376 Payable metal in concentrate sold Copper tonnes 18,565 7,850 26,415 31,273 10,646 41,919 Gold oz 1,475 23,995 25,470 7,380 10,337 17,717 Silver oz 383,263 293,302 676,565 666,083 108,226 774,309 Refined zinc tonnes - 26,832 26,832 - 25,420 25,420 Cash cost2 $/lb 1.30 (0.66) 0.88 1.15 1.14 1.15 Sustaining cash cost2 $/lb 1.61 0.28 1.49 2.32 All-in sustaining cash cost2 $/lb 1.46 1.80 1 Metal reported in concentrate is prior to deductions associated with smelter contract terms. 2 Cash cost, sustaining cash cost and all-in sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits, are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. For further information, please see page 6 of this news release. Peru Operations Review During the first quarter of 2017, the Constancia mine produced 27,211 tonnes of copper, 3,935 ounces of gold and 539,534 ounces of silver, which was lower than prior quarters due to lower grades and throughput. Ore mined at Constancia during the first quarter of 2017 increased by 6% compared to the same period in 2016 as the company wanted to increase stockpiles to improve the ability to blend ore at the processing plant. Mined and milled copper grades in the first quarter were approximately 5% lower than the same period in 2016 as the company entered lower grade phases of the mine. Mill throughput during the first quarter of 2017 was affected by scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Recoveries of copper and gold were lower in the first quarter of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, as a result of increased mixed and high zinc ore. Silver recoveries improved, also as a result of the ore feed. Combined mine, mill, and general and administrative ("G&A") unit operating costs in the first quarter of 2017 were 19% higher than the same period in 2016 as a result of increased plant maintenance, costs of operating the molybdenum plant at significantly higher rates, and higher than usual community spending commitments. Cash cost, net of by-product credits, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $1.30 per pound of copper produced, an increase of 13% from the same period in 2016 as a result of decreased copper production and increased plant maintenance, higher community spending and lower gold by-product credits. Sustaining cash cost, net of by-product credits, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was $1.61 per pound of copper produced, an increase of 8% from the same period in 2016 as a result of the factors noted above, partially offset by lower deferred stripping costs and royalties. During the first quarter of 2017, an initial collective agreement was signed with the union at Constancia to cover a one year period from November 2016 to November 2017. Hudbay expects to meet production and cost guidance at Constancia for the year. Manitoba Operations Review For the first quarter of 2017, the Manitoba operations produced 7,520 tonnes of copper, 30,570 tonnes of zinc, and 19,622 ounces of precious metals. Production of copper, gold and silver was lower than the first quarter of 2016 by 23%, 22% and 7%, respectively, mainly as a result of lower mill throughput as well as lower grades from the Lalor and Reed mines. Zinc production was 31% higher in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016 as a result of higher zinc grades at 777 and Lalor as well as higher zinc recoveries. Production is expected to be within guidance ranges as Lalor ore production increases and mill throughput improves. Ore production at the Manitoba mines for the first quarter of 2017 decreased by 6% compared to the same period in 2016 as a result of lower production at the 777 mine, partially offset by higher production at the Lalor and Reed mines. Copper and gold grades in the first quarter of 2017 were lower than the first quarter of 2016 by 17% and 13%, respectively, while zinc and silver grades were higher than in 2016 by 39% and 7%, respectively. In support of the plan to grow Lalor's ore production rates to 4,500 tonnes per day, substantial operating and capital development work was undertaken at Lalor during the first quarter of 2017 and is expected to continue throughout the remainder of the year. With the production ramp up underway, waste development was accelerated to match the stope backfill requirements and will continue at higher rates until the commissioning of the paste backfill plant. The initial forecast for 2017 targeted mining of three high-grade stopes with plans to leave these stopes open and their mining sequence idle until filled with paste backfill in early 2018. A revised mine plan has accelerated the mining of 250,000 tonnes from the high-grade bulk mining areas and cemented rock filling has been implemented to alleviate ore losses to the associated pillars. The net effect of this revision is expected to increase cash flow for the year over the base plan and result in higher unit costs until the paste plant is commissioned, as described in the recently filed 43-101 technical report for Lalor. Ore processed in Flin Flon in the first quarter of 2017 was 13% lower than the same period in 2016 as a result of unscheduled maintenance. Zinc recovery was 8% higher in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter in 2016 as a result of higher head grades. Unit operating costs at the Flin Flon concentrator were 34% higher in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016 as a result of lower production and increased maintenance costs. Ore processed and recoveries at the Stall concentrator in the first quarter of 2017 were fairly consistent compared to the same period in 2016. Unit operating costs at the Stall concentrator were 66% higher in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016 as a result of damage to the crusher in December 2016 which necessitated the use of higher-cost temporary crushing facilities during the first quarter. Repairs have been completed and the mill resumed the use of its permanent crushing circuit in April 2017. Manitoba combined mine, mill and G&A unit operating costs in the first quarter of 2017 were 26% higher than in the same period in 2016 as a result of lower overall production, and higher costs at the mines and mills for the reasons outlined above. Combined unit costs are expected to be within the guidance range for 2017. Cash cost, net of by-product credits, in the first quarter of 2017 was negative $0.66 per pound of copper produced, compared to $1.14 in the first quarter of 2016. The decrease is primarily a result of increased by-product credits. Sustaining cash cost, net of by-product credits, in the first quarter of 2017 was $0.28 per pound of copper produced, compared to $2.32 in 2016. The decrease resulted from the same factor described above as well as reduced capital expenditures. Lalor and Rosemont 43-101 Technical Reports On March 30, 2017, Hudbay published an updated mine plan for the Lalor base metal zone that enables cost-effective production growth by optimizing the use of existing infrastructure. With a modest capital investment, the optimized throughput rate for the Stall base metal mill is expected to be 4,500 tonnes per day on a sustainable basis starting in the third quarter of 2018. In addition, the 2015 acquisition of the New Britannia gold mill in Snow Lake is being evaluated as a potential low-cost solution to process the gold zone and copper-gold zone ore at optimal gold recovery rates, with the potential to augment the base metal production from the Stall mill and utilize the full 6,000 tonnes per day capacity of the Lalor shaft. Also on March 30, 2017, Hudbay published a feasibility study for its Rosemont project. Since Rosemont's acquisition, Hudbay has completed an extensive work program, including in-fill drilling, detailed metallurgical test work, and a bottom-up approach to cost estimation, along with other feasibility-level work, as summarized in the Rosemont technical report. The Rosemont project will be a traditional open pit, shovel and truck operation with an expected 19-year mine life. Rosemont is expected to generate an after-tax, unlevered internal rate of return of 15.5%, using a long-term copper price of $3.00 per pound of copper. Development of Rosemont is conditional upon receipt of final permits and the approval of Hudbay's Board of Directors. The permitting process for Rosemont is well advanced and continues to progress. The key federal permits outstanding are the Final Record of Decision from the U.S. Forest Service and the Section 404 Water Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These federal permits are currently advancing through the final stages of the review process. All State of Arizona permits and approvals have been issued for Rosemont and remain in force and are current. The project design included in the Rosemont technical report is specifically intended to meet the impacts analyzed and commitments outlined in the federal and state permits. National Instrument 43-101 technical reports in respect of Lalor and Rosemont were filed on March 30, 2017 and are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures Operating cash flow per share is included in this news release because the company believes it help investors and management evaluate changes in cash flow generated from the various operations while taking into account changes in shares outstanding. Net debt is shown because it is a performance measure used by the company to assess its financial position. Cash cost, sustaining and all-in sustaining cash cost per pound of copper produced are shown because the company believes they help investors and management assess the performance of its operations, including the margin generated by the operations and the company. These measures do not have a meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS and are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under IFRS. Other companies may calculate these measures differently. For further details on these measures, including reconciliations to the most comparable IFRS measures, please refer to page 28 of Hudbay's management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2017 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Website Links Hudbay: www.hudbay.com Management's Discussion and Analysis: http://www.hudbayminerals.com/files/doc_financials/2017/Q1/17MDA1.pdf Financial Statements: http://www.hudbayminerals.com/files/doc_financials/2017/Q1/17FS1.pdf Conference Call and Webcast Date: Thursday, May 4, 2017 Time: 10 a.m. ET Webcast: www.hudbay.com Dial in: 416-849-1847 or 1-866-530-1554 Qualified Person The technical and scientific information in this news release related to the Constancia mine and Rosemont project has been approved by Cashel Meagher, P. Geo, Hudbay's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The technical and scientific information related to the Manitoba sites and projects contained in this news release has been approved by Robert Carter, P. Eng, Hudbay's Lalor Mine Manager. Messrs. Meagher and Carter are qualified persons pursuant to NI 43-101. For a description of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and resources, as well as data verification procedures and a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates of scientific and technical information may be affected by any known environmental, permitting, legal title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing or other relevant factors, please see the Technical Reports for the company's material properties as filed by Hudbay on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Hudbay MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - May 3, 2017) - SEMAFO Inc. (TSX:SMF) (OMX:SMF) today reported its financial and operational results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2017. All amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise stated. First Quarter 2017 - in Review Gold production of 55,400 ounces compared to 61,300 ounces for the same period in 2016 Gold sales of $66.9 million compared to $74.6 million for the same period in 2016 Total cash cost 1 of $699 per ounce sold and all-in-sustaining cost 1 of $892 per ounce sold compared to $505 and $695, respectively, for the same period in 2016 of $699 per ounce sold and all-in-sustaining cost of $892 per ounce sold compared to $505 and $695, respectively, for the same period in 2016 Adjusted operating loss 1 of $1.9 million mainly due to an increase in depreciation expense, compared to an adjusted operating income of $20.1 million for the same period in 2016 of $1.9 million mainly due to an increase in depreciation expense, compared to an adjusted operating income of $20.1 million for the same period in 2016 Adjusted net loss attributable to equity shareholders 1 of $4.4 million or $0.01 per share 1 compared to an adjusted net income of $11.0 million or $0.04 per share 1 for the same period in 2016 of $4.4 million or $0.01 per share compared to an adjusted net income of $11.0 million or $0.04 per share for the same period in 2016 Cash flows from operating activities 2 of $23.1 million or $0.07 per share 1 compared to $35.2 million or $0.12 per share 1 for the same period in 2016 of $23.1 million or $0.07 per share compared to $35.2 million or $0.12 per share for the same period in 2016 Guidance revision following geological interpretation challenges at Mana Strong financial position of $255.2 million in cash and cash equivalents as at March 31, 2017 Boungou Mine (Natougou Project): Development on schedule with $38 million spent as at March 31, 2017 Detailed design and engineering completed at end of April 2017 Earthworks for the water storage facility have commenced Mobilization of mining contractor Ground-breaking ceremony held on March 31, 2017, and project named "Boungou Mine" Operational savings on selected power plant and re-allocation of capital expenditures 1 Total cash cost, all-in sustaining cost, adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted net income (loss) attributable to equity shareholders, adjusted basic earnings (loss) per share and operating cash flows per share are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standard definition under IFRS. See the "Non-IFRS financial performance measures" section of the Corporation's MD&A, note 18. 2 Cash flows from operating activities exclude changes in non-cash working capital items. Mana, Burkina Faso Mining Operations Three-month period ended March 31, 2017 2016 Variation Operating Data Ore mined (tonnes) 479,400 500,300 (4 %) Ore processed (tonnes) 731,800 682,900 7 % Waste mined (tonnes) 4,638,400 3,459,400 34 % Operational stripping ratio 9.7 6.9 41 % Head grade (g/t) 2.55 3.04 (16 %) Recovery (%) 92 92 - Gold ounces produced 55,400 61,300 (10 %) Gold ounces sold 54,700 62,800 (13 %) Statistics (in dollars) Average realized selling price (per ounce) 1,223 1,187 3 % Cash operating cost (per tonne processed)1 52 42 24 % Total cash cost (per ounce sold)1 699 505 38 % All-in sustaining cost (per ounce sold)1 892 695 28 % Depreciation (per ounce sold)2 460 275 67 % 1 Cash operating cost, total cash cost and all-in sustaining cost are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standard definition under IFRS. See the "Non-IFRS financial performance measures" section of the Corporation's MD&A, note 18. 2 Depreciation per ounce sold is a non-IFRS financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS and represents the depreciation expense per ounce sold. 2017 First Quarter Results Production in the first quarter totalled 55,400 ounces of gold compared to 61,300 ounces in the prior-year quarter. During the first quarter of 2017, the ore processed was 731,800 tonnes at an average grade of 2.55 g/t Au, including 252,400 tonnes of stockpile and low-grade material at an average grade of 2.24 g/t Au. The grade was adversely affected by the geological interpretation of the upper portion of Zone 9, a mineralized zone in the south-west sector of the Siou pit that was first included in the 2017 mine plan. The upper portion presents a complex geometry as the area comprises the junction of three different zones. This resulted in misleading ore outlines and led to a significant variation in grade. However, the geometry becomes simpler and more rectilinear at depth. Mining will commence in the area at depth in the coming weeks. Accordingly, we adjusted our 2017 guidance to between 190,000 and 205,000 ounces of gold at a total cash cost of between $685 and $715 per ounce and all-in sustaining cost of between $920 and $960 per ounce. For more information, consult our April 24, 2017 press release. Additional cross-sections of Zones 9, 55 and 56 may be found on www.semafo.com/en/Siou. The decrease in gold ounces produced and sold is a direct result of lower head grade, partially offset by higher throughput. The Corporation's first quarter gold sales decreased relative to 2016 due to lower gold ounces sold, partially offset by an increase in the average realized gold price. Relative to the first quarter of 2016, the average realized selling price increased by $36 per ounce of gold or 3%. Mining operating expenses increased during the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016 mainly as a result of higher operational stripping ratio and higher throughput. First quarter operating income decreased compared to the same period in 2016, primarily as a result of lower gold sales, higher mining operating expenses and higher depreciation. The decrease in cash flow from operating activities in the quarter compared to the same period in 2016 is due to lower gold sales and higher mining operation expenses. In the first quarter of 2017, the total cash cost and all-in sustaining cost reached $699 and $892 per ounce sold, respectively, compared to $505 and $695 per ounce sold, respectively, for the same period in 2016 due to the lower head grade and higher cash operating cost per tonne. Boungou Mine (Natougou Project) In the first three months of 2017, ground preparation progressed on-time. In addition, the following achievements have been made: Development on schedule, with $38 million spent as at March 31, 2017 Detailed design and engineering completed at end of April 2017 Earthworks are progressing including: Bulk earthworks for the water storage facility Earthworks for the processing plant with first concrete pour expected in the second quarter of 2017 Earthworks for the resettled village including site clearing and moving bricks on site Construction has started on accommodation for supervisory personnel and expatriates Fencing work continues, with construction of the main entrance and guardhouses ongoing Procurement - selection of principal suppliers fully completed Mobilization of both the mining and engineering, procurement, construction management (EPCM) contractors on site 927 personnel including contractors were employed on site at end of March 2017, 96% of which are Burkinabe Operational Savings on Selected Power Plant and Re-allocation of Capital Expenditures In the feasibility study, the capital expenditures for the power plant were based on a BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) project over a period of three years. Accordingly, a portion of the capital expenditures was to be deferred over the first three years of production and accounted for as deferred capital expenditures in the feasibility study. However, the bid process was characterised by supplier disinterest in BOOT projects in Africa and by expensive financing terms. We concluded that it was more cost-effective to purchase the power plant up front rather than pursue a BOOT scheme. Therefore, deferred capital expenditures for the power plant have been reduced by $12 million to $3 million while initial capital expenditures have been increased from $219 million to $231 million. Furthermore, the selected power plant is expected to deliver savings of approximately $600,000 per year over the life of mine compared to the feasibility study. Ground-breaking Ceremony On March 31, 2017, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the Boungou Mine (Natougou Project) in the presence of Mr. Oumarou Idani, Minister of Mines and Carriers in Burkina Faso, who represented the President of Burkina Faso, His Excellency Roch Marc Christian Kabore. The ceremony was held to mark the beginning of construction at the mine, which has now been named "Boungou Mine" after the closest village. Some 2,000 persons attended the event including Burkinabe government officials, representatives from the Canadian government, senior community figures and members, in addition to members of our management team. Exploration Mana Project, Burkina Faso The Mana exploration program in the quarter targeted the Siou deposit at depth. A total of 12 holes (5,020 meters) tested the Siou mineralized structures at depth in order to better orient the subsequent delineation drilling program (Phase II), which has been designed to provide 50-meter center coverage of the southern half of the zones. The Phase II delineation program is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2017. Although some assay results from Phase I remain pending, three holes returned significant results. Hole MMP17-008 returned a grade of 11.3 g/t Au (31.7 g/t Au uncut) across 11.2 meters, hole MMP17-018 returned 6.98 g/t Au (121.2 g/t Au uncut) Au across 4.7 meters, while hole MMP17-019 returned 6.1 g/t Au over 4.7 meters. Tapoa (Natougou Project) West Flank Sector During the first three months of 2017, a total of 25,700 meters was drilled in 170 holes, with sixty-five percent of the assay results received to date. The infill program is now three-quarters through with completion expected in the second quarter of 2017. All holes served to drill the West Flank Sector up to 40-meter by 40-meter spacing. Results to date are generally in line with the 80-meter x 80-meter model. In the second quarter of 2017, further geotechnical holes will be completed for engineering measurement purposes. Subsequently, drilling will focus on the East Flank target where an additional 67-hole program will be conducted with the aim of providing a 40-meter x 40-meter space sampling of the mineralized zone. South of Natougou - Trend 045 In addition, a 23,600-meter auger drill program was completed along Trend 045 located south of the Natougou deposit. Results from this work will serve to drill test the interpreted structure in the second half of the year. Yactibo (Nabanga Project) During the first quarter, a total of 56 RC holes (6,050 meters) tested six different targets proximal to the Nabanga deposit. The program is focusing on identifying parallel structures near the main mineralized quartz vein. The RC program is completed, and assay results are expected by the end of the second quarter of 2017. Kongolokoro, Burkina Faso An exploration program began in mid-April on the Kongolokoro Sector, where 7,200 meters of RC and 1,200 meters of core drilling have been scheduled for the year. Korhogo Ouest (Cote d'Ivoire) In March, a first trenching /RC drill program commenced on the Korhogo Ouest permit that builds on the results of 2016 airborne geophysical and soil geochemical surveys. Work on the first of the 11 trenches (100 meters of 2,000 meters) has started and is ongoing. A scout RC drill program is planned to follow up on targets defined by both the survey and trench results. Michel Crevier, P.Geo MScA, Vice-President Exploration and Mine Geology, is SEMAFO's Qualified Person and has reviewed this press release for accuracy and compliance with National Instrument 43-101. SEMAFO's Management's Discussion and Analysis, Consolidated Financial Statements and related financial materials are available in the "Investor Relations" section of the Corporation's website at www.semafo.com. These and other corporate reports are also available on www.sedar.com. First Quarter Conference Call A conference call will be held today, Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 10:00 EDT to discuss this press release. Interested parties are invited to call the following telephone numbers to participate in the conference: Tel. local & overseas: +1 (647) 788 4922 Tel. North America: 1 (877) 223 4471 Webcast: www.semafo.com Replay number: 1 (800) 585 8367 or +1 (416) 621 4642 Replay pass code: 10612421 Replay expiration: May 24, 2017 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders SEMAFO's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. EDT at Club Saint-James, Salon Midway, 1145 avenue Union, in Montreal, Quebec. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and meet the management team and members of the board of directors. About SEMAFO SEMAFO is a Canadian-based mining company with gold production and exploration activities in West Africa. The Corporation operates the Mana Mine in Burkina Faso, which includes the high-grade satellite deposit of Siou, and is targeting production start-up of the Boungou Mine in the second half of 2018. SEMAFO's strategic focus is to maximize shareholder value by effectively managing its existing assets as well as pursuing organic and strategic growth opportunities. VANCOUVER, May 3, 2017 /CNW/ - Tinka Resources Limited ("Tinka" or the "Company") (TSXV: TK) (OTCPK: TKRFF) is pleased to announce results from four new drill holes at its 100%-owned Ayawilca zinc project in central Peru. Three holes were drilled into the new discovery area at South Ayawilca, with one drilled at West Ayawilca. These new results confirm high grade zinc mineralization at South Ayawilca is associated with gently dipping massive to semi-massive sulphide replacements of carbonate and clastic sediments. Hole A17-061 is approximately 80 metres off-section from holes A17-056 and A17-057 (April 3, 2017, TK press release). Zinc mineralization is all sulphide (sphalerite, marmatite) accompanied by minor galena and iron sulphides. We have now released results for six of the planned 25 to 30 holes in the 2017 drill program. Three drill rigs are currently turning at South Ayawilca, with an additional rig to be mobilized to test the Zone 3 area shortly. Key Highlights: Hole A17-061 (South Ayawilca): 18.6 metres at 10.4 % zinc & 52 g/t silver from 184.0 metres depth (includes 3.1 metres no recovery assigned a zero grade), including: 2.6 metres at 23.6 % zinc, 2.4 % lead & 192 g/t silver from 196.2.0 metres depth; and 13.4 metres at 18.7 % zinc, 57 g/t silver & 463 g/t indium from 220.0 metres depth, including: 7.9 metres at 29.3 % zinc, 71 g/t silver & 719 g/t indium from 224.1 metres depth; and 1.8 metres at 37.0 % zinc, 85 g/t silver & 808 g/t indium from 265.0 metres depth. Hole A17-060 (South Ayawilca): 4.5 metres at 15.0 % zinc, 20 g/t silver & 383 g/t indium from 275.0 metres depth; and 30.5 metres at 3.4% zinc & 10 g/t silver from 298.0 metres depth, including: 8.6 metres at 5.1 % zinc & 11 g/t silver from 303.4 metres depth. Hole A17-056A (continuation of A17-056): 4.1 metres at 18.6 % zinc, 27 g/t silver & 224 g/t indium from 309.0 metres depth, including: 2.6 metres at 27.3 % zinc, 38 g/t silver & 336 g/t indium from 310.5 metres depth. Hole A17-058 (West Ayawilca): 4.2 metres at 20.2 % zinc, 4.2 % lead & 329 g/t silver from 103.5 metres depth (vein); Abandoned at 301 metres prior to target depth. Dr. Graham Carman, Tinkas President and CEO, stated: "This set of drill results continues to show significant thicknesses of high grade zinc mineralization at South Ayawilca, as we step out from the recent discovery holes. The zinc bodies dip gently to the south, with the thicker zones of mineralization lying between two interpreted west-dipping northeast-trending faults approximately 250 metres apart, appearing to thicken towards the north. These structures were likely important conduits for the zinc mineralization. The mineralization at South Ayawilca remains open along strike in both directions (see Figure 1 & Figure 2). At West Ayawilca, additional holes are required to fully test the extensions with more holes planned." Dr. Carman continued, "Drilling continues with three rigs at South Ayawilca, focusing on expanding the new zinc discovery to the northeast towards the Central Ayawilca resource, and to provide confidence of continuity of mineralization. While our resource expansion drilling continues at Ayawilca, we are also looking forward to commencing the drilling at Zone 3." True thicknesses of the zinc intersections are estimated to be at least 85% of the downhole thickness, except where otherwise noted in Table 1. All significant results of the 2017 program are summarized in Table 1 with the strongest zinc intercepts in bold text. Table 1. Summary of 2017 Drill Results Drill hole From m To m Interval m Zn % Pb % Ag g/t Indium g/t Reported A17-056 1 90.30 90.65 0.35 29.0 0.4 82 443 April 3 '17 And 113.00 113.40 0.40 31.2 0.0 85 759 April 3 '17 And 126.00 189.90 63.90 5.6 0.1 17 29 March 6 '17 Including 127.50 145.40 17.90 11.6 0.2 36 20 March 6 '17 Including 127.50 133.30 5.80 22.5 0.3 77 50 March 6 '17 And 199.20 204.70 5.50 5.8 0.1 6 38 April 3 '17 And 228.50 233.70 5.20 12.9 0.0 11 162 March 6 '17 And 242.00 293.90 51.90 10.1 0.1 624 233 April 3 '17 Including 279.00 293.90 14.90 20.6 0.2 1524 441 April 3 '17 Including 279.00 285.40 6.40 37.5 0.4 301 916 April 3 '17 A17-056A 286.50 296.00 9.50 9.3 0.3 19 88 here And 309.00 313.10 4.10 18.6 0.1 27 224 here Including 310.50 313.10 2.60 27.3 0.1 38 336 here A17-057 84.90 86.35 1.45 24.8 0.0 62 157 April 3 '17 And 143.70 144.50 0.80 40.4 0.1 138 261 April 3 '17 And 157.60 197.70 40.10 9.1 0.2 22 168 April 3 '17 Including 168.20 177.80 9.60 16.8 0.1 22 299 April 3 '17 And 227.15 234.90 7.75 3.5 0.2 21 85 April 3 '17 And 264.00 279.30 15.30 20.0 2.5 102 263 April 3 '17 including 265.75 269.00 3.25 34.5 2.1 96 196 April 3 '17 including 272.50 277.70 5.20 32.5 1.3 69 639 April 3 '17 A17-058 103.50 107.70 4.205 20.2 4.2 3294 15 here and 133.25 134.35 1.105 30.3 3.2 500 61 here Hole did not reach target, lost at 301 metres depth in sandstone A17-059 results awaited A17-060 262.40 264.40 2.00 14.8 0.0 35 1178 here and 275.00 279.50 4.50 15.0 0.0 20 383 here and 298.00 328.50 30.52 3.4 0.2 10 38 here including 303.40 312.00 8.60 5.1 0.1 11 6 here A17-061 122.70 150.50 27.80 4.4 0.1 18 24 here including 145.70 147.50 1.805 27.2 0.0 32 157 here and 184.00 202.60 18.63 10.4 0.5 52 59 here including 196.20 198.80 2.60 23.6 2.4 192 19 here including 201.90 202.60 0.70 28.7 3.6 202 41 here and 220.00 233.40 13.40 18.7 0.9 57 463 here including 224.10 230.00 7.90 29.3 0.8 71 719 here and 265.00 266.80 1.80 37.0 0.2 85 808 here 1 hole lost at 293.9 metres; wedged and completed as A17-056A to 376 metres depth 2 includes 0.6 m with no core recovery from 315.2 to 315.8 m; this interval was given a zero grade 3 includes 3.1 m with no core recovery from 198.8 to 201.9 m; this interval was given a zero grade 4 includes a silver assay cut at 1000 g/t 5 high grade vein intercepts with variable true thicknesses Note: Assays are calculated using a zinc only cut off grade of 2% over 6 metres Notes on sampling and assaying: Drill holes are diamond HQ or NQ size core holes with recoveries generally above 80% and often close to 100%. The drill core is marked up, logged, and photographed on site. The cores are cut in half at the Company's core storage facility, with half-cores stored as a future reference. Half-core is bagged on average over 1 to 2 metre composite intervals and sent to ALS laboratory in Lima, an ISO 9001:2000-registered laboratory, for assay in batches. Standards and blanks are inserted into each batch prior to departure from Tinka's core storage facilities. At the laboratory samples are dried, crushed to 100% passing 2mm, then 500 grams pulverized for multi-element analysis by ICP (MS) using multi-acid digestion. Samples assaying over 1% zinc, lead, or copper are re-assayed using precise ore-grade AAS techniques. Table 2. Summary of Drill Collar Information Drill Hole WGS84 East WGS84 North Total depth (m) Elevation (m) Azimuth Dip A17-056 333046 8845062 293.9 4201 300 -75 A17-056A 333046 8845062 376.4 4201 300 -75 A17-057 333046 8845062 477.0 4201 300 -55 A17-058 332557 8845657 301.0 4305 040 -82 A17-059 332840 8845192 248.9 4202 120 -85 A17-060 333174 8845005 358.4 4220 300 -70 A17-061 333058 8844996 326.9 4190 290 -67 Figure 1. Simplified cross section of holes A17-056, A17-057 & A17-060 (looking northeast) Figure 2. Map of 2017 Ayawilca drill program on airborne RTP magnetics (red = magnetic sources) The qualified person, Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO, and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, has reviewed and verified the technical contents of this release. About Tinka Resources Limited Tinka is an exploration and development company with its flagship property being the 100%-owned Ayawilca carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) in the zinc-lead-silver belt of central Peru, 200 kilometres northeast of Lima. The Ayawilca Zinc Zone has an Inferred Mineral Resource of 18.8 Mt at 5.9 % zinc, 0.2 % lead, 15 g/t silver & 74 g/t indium, and a Tin Zone Inferred Mineral Resource of 5.4 Mt at 0.76 % tin, 0.31 % copper & 18 g/t silver. Both resources are open for expansion (May 25, 2016). The Silver Zone at Colquipucro, 2 km north of the Zinc Zone, has an Indicated Mineral Resource of 2.9 Mt at 112 g/t silver for 10.4 Moz silver and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 2.2 Mt at 105g/t silver for 7.5 Moz silver hosted by oxidized lenses between the surface and 80 metres depth (Feb. 26, 2015). Vancouver, Canada May 3, 2017 - Nexus Gold Corp. (Nexus or the Company) (TSX-V: NXS, OTC: NXXGF, FSE: N6E) is pleased to provide an update on the Companys ongoing exploration activity in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Additional Zones and Targets Identified at Niangouela Company geologists are pleased to report that in addition to the main quartz vein-shear system tested to date, an additional five zones of veining and shearing have now been identified at the Niangouela gold concession. These additional structures were originally observed in artisanal workings and are currently being tested by trenching and drilling. Initial sampling of the dumps from two of the new zones have returned values of 2.25 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), and 1.88 and 1.86 g/t Au, respectively. The zones occur over approximately 2000 metres (2km) in an east-west direction and are spread over 500 metres in a north-south direction. These additional targets are located approximately 200 metres north and 1000 metres east of the main zone which has been the focus of the drilling to date. The company has been testing these zones over its phase two program and anticipates continued testing of these new zones in further phases. An area map designed to illustrate the identified zones now known at Niangouela is currently being created and will be made available on the company website when completed. Niangouela Gold Concession Update The Company anticipates concluding its phase two diamond drill program at the 178-square kilometre Niangouela exploration permit located approximately 85 kilometres north of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in early May. A 2000m phase two program has been underway since early April to test down the dip and strike extensions of gold mineralization identified by the company in its initial phase one program. The program is also testing additional targets identified through surface mapping and prospecting. Results from this program will be released once received, reviewed and verified. Highlights from the first nine phase-one drill holes at Niangouela, as reported in Company news releases March 7, 2017, and April 5, 2017, include: 6.2m of 4.00 g/t Au (including 1m of 20.50 g/t Au); 4.85m of 26.69 g/t Au (including .62m of 11.70 g/t Au, and 1.03m of 132 g/t Au); and 4m of 2.95 g/t Au (including 1m of 5 g/t Au) and 1m of 5.92 g/t Au* Phase one drill results to date can be found on the company website here: http://www.nexusgoldcorp.com/index.php/en/projects-3/niangouela-gold-concession * Note assay results represent intercept lengths and are not true widths Bouboulou Gold Concession The Company is pleased to announce plans to undertake a previously announced diamond drill program at its 38.8-sq km Bouboulou gold concession, in June. Bouboulou is located approximately 75 kilometres north-west of the capital Ouagadougou, on the Boromo-Goren greenstone belt, and is bisected by the Sabce shear zone. With the onset of the rainy season the Companys technical team has recommended we move operations to the Bouboulou concession during this time, said President and CEO, Peter Berdusco. The heavy rainfall is less problematic from an operational standpoint at Bouboulou and this gives us an opportunity to continue our drilling in Burkina Faso, and in particular, on one of the three major gold-mineralized trends weve identified on the property, continued Mr. Berdusco. Four zones of gold mineralization have been previously identified on the property, termed Koala, Rawema, Bouboulou 2 and Pelgtanga. In 2011 and 2012 Roxgold Inc completed reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling (DD) pograms to test these four mineralized zones. Historical drilling highlights from each of the four zones can be found on the Company website here: http://www.nexusgoldcorp.com/index.php/en/projects-3/bouboulou-gold-concession The Company has subsequently identified three distinct 5000m (5km) long anomalous gold trends at the Bouboulou concession. Each of the three trends display strong coincidental geochemical and geophysical gold anomalies, and extend from the four drill-identified mineralized zones, namely Rawema, Pelgtanga, Bouboulou 2 and Koala. They are identified by numerous orpaillages and geochemical samples of greater than 1 g/t Au. All three of the Bouboulou trends identified are defined by similar coincidental anomalies. Each trend has substantial artisanal workings either directly on them, or along the trend. About Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked nation, located in West Africa. It covers an area of roughly 274,000 square kilometres and has an estimated population of more than 16 million people. The country has a stable political setting with a pro-mining and foreign investment stance. Burkina Faso is the fastest growing gold producer in Africa, and was the 4th largest gold producer in Africa in 2012. Eight new mines have been commissioned there over the past six years. The country has excellent geological potential. The Greenstone Belts that host all of the major deposits in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire continue northward into Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has undergone less than 15 years of modern mineral exploration, remaining under-explored in comparison to neighbouring Ghana and Mali; both of which host world-class gold mines in the same belts of Birimian rocks. About the Company Nexus Gold Corp. is a Vancouver-based gold exploration and development company operating in some of the worlds premier mining districts. The Company is currently concentrating its efforts on two gold projects located in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Bouboulou gold concession is a 38-sq km advanced exploration target where previous drilling has confirmed multiple zones of gold mineralization. The Niangouela gold concession is a 178-sq km project featuring high grade gold occurring in and around a primary quartz vein 1km in length and associated shear zone. For more information on these projects, please visit the Company website at www.nexusgoldcorp.com. Warren Robb P.Geo., Senior Geologist is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information contained in this release. LifeStyle The best LifeStyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel LifeStyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Deb Hutton and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand. Get Foxtel Thanks to advances in science and technology, the world is now on the cusp of eliminating several debilitating diseases that affect the worlds most disadvantaged populations. Many experts who have dedicated their careers to ending trachoma recently attended an international summit in Geneva (April 19-22, 2017) to discuss the progress to date. There a total of 10 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) of the 18 identified by the World Health Organization being targeted by these international organizations and partnerships. Trachoma is a leading infectious cause of blindness currently threatening about 185 million people in 51 developing countries. A smartphone-based data platform called Tropical Data, that was built on the success of the Global Trachoma Mapping Project, has been used towards the elimination of trachoma, as well as for many other treatable diseases. This platform stores data in the Cloud, and provides countries with real-time monitoring of trachoma prevalence that helps with making health policies and decisions. As a background, for many years a topical preparation of tetracycline was used to treat trachoma. However, the ointment needed to be applied to the eyes twice a day for 6 weeks. In contrast, azithromycin is a single-dose oral systemic antibiotic that results in high tissue to serum concentrations. The concentration of azithromycin in phagocytes insures delivery to infected tissues, and therefore provides high, sustained tissue levels as well as high concentrations in tears, which works as well or better than the topical tetracycline ointment. We bring to you an exclusive interview with Dr. Paul Emerson, the Director of the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), and Julie Jenson, director of the global health donation program for Pfizer Corporate Responsibility. Dr. Emerson is a scientist and academic practitioner who is very interested in neglected tropical diseases, as well as monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of programs. Julie has been with Pfizer for 15 years and has a public health degree, which allows her to combine her manufacturing and supply chain technical background with global health initiatives. She currently leads Pfizers targeted international product donations that are directed to areas identified by the Trachoma Mapping Project. Alice Ferng, Medgadget: How and when did the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) begin, and what was the motivation behind starting it? Dr. Paul Emerson, International Trachoma Initiative: The International Trachoma Initiative began back in 1998. There was a series of operational research conducted in a number of countries that demonstrated that Pfizers product Zithromax (azithromycin) in a single oral dose was as effective as 6 weeks of tetracycline. Pfizer was persuaded and readily committed to start up the ITI in collaboration with a non-governmental organization (NGO) in order to facilitate the donation of the drug for the control, and now elimination of trachoma. Medgadget: Dr. Emerson, what is the role of technology in eliminating disease? How does the use of technologies directly affect the bacterial infection that leads to trachoma? Dr. Emerson: Pfizer is a fantastic partner with a high standard of quality, requiring rigorous documentation, investigation, and analysis for making the best informed decisions. In the past it could take up to 11 months to get from deploying the survey to conducting it, to completing all of the paperwork forms, to getting them back, and then double-entering them into a database. We wanted to accelerate that process so we shifted to a whole platform based on smartphones whereby the data is collected and immediately uploaded to the cloud. From the cloud its analyzed in a central place where the background analysis is performed automatically after it has been checked by a human being. This means that decisions on the donation of drugs, and progress of the disease can be made almost in real-time. In fact, there have been circumstances where the field team has been just finishing their work and just probably getting into their vehicles on the way home when the expert committee of the ITI has approved drugs for donation. Its really streamlined and accelerated the system while maintaining the highest of standards. Julie Jenson, Pfizer: To give some background of where we were before the smartphone platform was being used for the mapping project this project was started back in 1998, as Paul mentioned earlier, and has been continued steadily until now with the goal to eliminate trachoma by 2020. Here we were in 2012, and half of the trachoma endemic communities in the world we didnt know exactly where geographically half the the affected people with trachoma lived. 20 years ago, all of this mapping wouldve had to be done manually, going to all these communities diagnosing people, and figuring which villages had trachoma and which ones didnt, and then resorting to paperwork records. It wouldve taken years to compile and aggregate all that information that could be used to make decisions on how to implement this global elimination program. All of the mapping is still done manually, and thousands of healthcare workers will have to go out into the field to find people with trachoma and document. But in this case, that data is directly entered into smartphones and for the most part bypasses all paper records. The huge program that essentially surveyed 2 million people in the world involved records entered directly into the smartphone that was aggregated into the cloud database. The rationale for doing this really didnt have to do directly with Pfizerit had to do with the fact that globally, we needed to understand where people with trachoma were living so that we could figure out how to implement programs that would reach those people. That is when the government create a prospectus and would do a prospective survey and pharmaceutical companies would know places to target. This was the largest disease mapping project that has ever been undertaken. Dr. Emerson: Yes, it has included 29 countries, 2.6 million people examined in just under 2 years. We often say that this is the largest disease mapping project that has ever taken place, and no one has contradicted us yet and several people have repeated it, so it must be true! *chuckles* Medgadget: What was the model for developing the smartphone and cloud technology for the deployment of it? Were there technology gaps when deploying these technologies? I imagine that some countries didnt initially have the infrastructure for this type of field work. How was the training and execution process streamlined? Dr. Emerson: These days, smartphones are almost ubiquitous. Even in Sub-saharan Africa, Central Republic of Africa, and Chad, people are already using Android devices. Typically, what we do is train the medical staff in surveying techniques. This involves flipping lids to check of active trachoma infection, which is simply and doesnt hurt the person. We would recruit younger people undergraduates or people at the local colleges and have one person do the clinical examination and the other would record the data into the phone. Depending on the country, as theres no one-size-fits all with this type of thing, on 3 different continents many of the phones were purchased locally and then stripped of the useful functional software, so that the incentive to use them for anything but the surveys was refused. An app that we developed was downloaded onto the phone, and has now also been used for many other purposes. While we say smartphones, we really mean any Android device. We hook onto a 3G connection if its available in the country or we wait for the phone to see a wireless signal to download. The probability that the phones will be dropped, run over by vehicles, or that surveyors will be caught in rain or other bad weather means that there is a risk that the data stored on SD cards will be lost. We actually do not lose any of the data after the phone is connected. Several phones were dropped, broken, immersed in water and so on. But everything was recoverable from the SD card, so the bit of built in redundancy was useful. Medgadget: Can you tell me more about your smartphone application, whether it is open sourced or not, and how it is modified and distributed? Dr. Emerson: We developed the app Tropical Data, which is flexible and nimble. It has been used to survey other diseases, and we want to make this management service freely available to countries for the monitoring and evaluation of their programs. Unfortunately, we cant pay for the surveys themselves, but through a funding coalition, we can provide the data service itself, including the training. This is therefore a living and developing system, which is going to support the elimination of disease. The access to the platform is without charge, but through us, so we are paying for the software development and data management. The code cannot be downloaded open source, but the survey can be modified upon request by us. Data can also be downloaded to a host country rather than our data server. Medgadget: Ridding the world of trachoma by 2020 would be a very significant accomplishment. Do you think this is actually achievable in this timeline? Julie Jenson: You are catching us at a meeting in Geneva, and that is the entire goal. We are discussing a lot of the NTDs, with the intent of targeting and eliminating 10 of the NTDs. We are very focused on getting as many countries as possible to eliminate trachoma by 2020 since there is so much momentum going with the trachoma initiative. Because of this mapping project, getting the data of where all the people are affected has really helped with the scale-up of donor funding to actually distribute medicine and to do all of the things that need to happen in order for a country to achieve elimination. This also allows for Pfizer to scale-up our drug donation. Everyone is kind of working at scale, and its just a matter of continuing to detect and target gaps, and many countries are on track to meet the goal by 2020. Dr. Emerson: In a perfect world, the blindness of trachoma can be eliminated by 2020. Of course, the problem that we face is that the world is not perfect and by the time we get to 2020, our projections show that we should have cleared 70 to 95% of the known burden from when the scale-up started in 2011. We have made tremendous progress. There will be pockets of disease, and they will be unfortunately where there are the most disadvantaged people those currently afflicted by war and natural disasters, in addition to man-made disasters. Those populations will be the most vulnerable and will be the focus of attention beyond 2020. Medgadget: How do you target the areas that most need the help, and do those countries provide proposals? Julie Jenson: There is a concerted effort in making sure that countries that are the most endemic are being targeted. That there is funding from donors and support. Dr. Emerson: In order to qualify a drug, countries have to demonstrate that there is trachoma issue that needs to be controlled. This is done through rigorous epidemiological surveys. I think that Julie is underselling Pfizers commitment because they are making the drug available and providing access and service to everyone who is at disadvantage with trachoma. Because the most endemic areas will take longest, we encourage the country programs and their partners to focus on the most endemic areas first and to get them on board. These areas may take 5 to 7 years of effort to clear, and the less endemic areas areas are recruited, which can take 1 to 3 years for elimination. It is very important to understand that our target is every man, woman, and child, who is at risk for blindness from trachoma on the planet. Everyone. Our target is to eliminate the disease. To put that into perspective, we are talking about reduction of disease to zero, everywhere, for everyone, forever. Medgadget: Can you tell me about your drug Zithromax (azithromycin), the dosing, and its effectiveness? Dr. Emerson: Having established the therapeutic target dose for trachoma , we give all adults (even ones over 50) a single oral dose of 1 gram of azithromycin. We give children a dose according to an algorithm that takes into account their height per weight that works very well across the countries. The drug is donated in the context of a comprehensive strategy. It is highly effective at clearing individual infection if its present. But we also want to reduce transmission by reducing the infectious reservoir through treatment by promoting hand washing, face washing, and environmental sanitation. This is the promotion of access to water, toilets, which reduces the attraction of eye-infecting flies that spread the disease. The trachoma control program differs from many others, in that it is an integrated, comprehensive strategy that aims to provide the curative as well as the preventative solution that will sustain the program in the long term. Julie Jenson: Fundamentally the disease is related to the lack of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, and people living in very under-resourced settings. Therefore, the real focus is on the spatial cleanliness and environmental improvement. The antibiotic has a role as part of the strategy. Medgadget: Do you have other partners that target this since the environmental issues are a whole different type of problem to solve? Dr. Emerson: Pfizer and ITI are two members of the international coalition for trachoma control, where 60 different organizations work together to implement the strategy for trachoma control over 61 countries at the moment. Julie Jenson: In total, the efforts include over 100 organizations, not-for-profit organizations, academic institutions, and countries themselves, since that is the way these programs are implemented. While we have NGOs involved to implement the program, it is really a country on the program. ITI is active in 35 countries, and there are trachoma programs in 61 countries. The real implementation is happening at the ministry of health level of the countries, and it is really the local workers, volunteers, staff, and communities that are implementing this program. It is not even directly ITI oftentimes. Dr. Emerson: Yes, thats right. The governments are the driving force. Medgadget: What other neglected tropical diseases can be targeted by this model? Julie Jenson: We are at the neglected tropical disease summit talking about a lot of these NTDs. 10 of these diseases are targeted by preventative drug therapy. We are celebrating the 5 year anniversary of what is called the London declaration. This is where all of these players (governments, NGOs, donors, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, etc.) have come together to support the control, elimination, and eradication of at least 2 of these diseases by 2020. There are 18 NTDs under the WHO definition in total, and 10 diseases of them have drug donations. Medgadget: I understand Pfizer is helping fund this social medicine cause. How do people usually approach you with proposals, and how do you decide which projects to fund? What is Pfizers role in the International Trachoma Initiative? Who are other major players in the ITI that have made championing this cause possible? Julie Jenson: That is the great thing about this partnership the London Declaration includes all of these players. We are just one of many major peer pharmaceutical companies that are involved in this. We all play very similar roles in different diseases. There are many actors, and we are all very proud that we are all working together amongst our peers to share information, benchmarking, networking groups to best address areas and increase our overall impact on these diseases and goals. This is a great example of public-private partnership and a call to action to address similar goals and targets with everyone playing to their individual strengths. Dr. Emerson: I think that the level of support is unprecedented. The multi-national efforts of everyone and unprecedented scaled up donations from so many players makes this a golden age of collaboration. Medgadget: What have been the major difficulties and setbacks in launching a project of this scale? Julie Jenson: We can take a step back to the mapping project. The trachoma mapping stage played a really pivotal role in allowing the scale-up of the global program. Dr. Emerson: The main issues that the data collection teams faced were security and environmental related. We chose to survey at random from a list of all of the villages in a prospective district. In some cases, these places would require something like an 8 hour walk from as far as a car could be taken, where the volunteer would conduct the survey at the village and spend the night there then walk back the next day. There were therefore considerable environmental limitations where people would need to scale a mountain, cross rivers, and mire through mud, in some of the most difficult terrain on the planet. The other issue was in security, where people may put themselves in harms way, such as during unstable political disputes. There are places such as South Sudan and Mali where it has been just impossible to get out and do the survey work needed because the areas are so insecure. Medgadget: What are anticipated issues that will arise in the near future with the massive amounts of data being collected? Is there a plan for parsing out that data? Dr. Emerson: Each set of data collected belongs to the respective government. Each government has been very keen to use the data. The data is collected for the purpose of using it for the programming and theres not a single case that the data has not been put to use in decision-making or an application for a drug or funding. Per country, theres often around 1,500 separate surveyed districts. Of the district level data collected, it has not been possible to use all of this data yet and this will require additional resources for the implementation of data in all the areas surveyed. Additional related links: International Trachoma Initiative Homepage Pfizer: International Trachoma Initiative 5 year anniversary of the London Declaration World Health Organization Targeted Neglected Tropical Diseases Launched a little under four months ago, SleepScore Labs is proud to be the home of the newest technology disrupting the $60B consumer sleep industry. Developed by SleepScore Labs, a joint venture between ResMed, a 25-year leader in prescription sleep medical devices, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Pegasus Capital Advisors, the S+ is a clinical grade, non-prescription, non-contact sleep monitoring device coupled with a mobile app. Involving over 10 years of development, SleepScores technology is the first step towards the companys vision of revolutionizing the world of sleep science by setting a new standard for both clinical and consumer monitoring, analysis, and management of sleep. Medgadget had a chance to both test out the S+ technology and speak with Colin Lawlor, CEO of SleepScore Labs. Please find the interview below and the product review coming soon! Mike Batista, Medgadget: Where did the S+ technology and SleepScore Labs come from? Colin Lawlor: When it comes to sleep, ignorance is the greatest challenge for both clinicians and consumers. On the clinical side, sleep studies are the norm but they are not particularly accessible as they take a lot of time and effort. At the consumer level, its very hard to quantify sleep with self-reported sleep information being highly inaccurate and unreliable. It really is a public health issue as existing, subpar technologies provide consumers with misinformation about their sleep patterns and habits. We believe that if you cant measure it, you cant manage it. From that perspective, the team at ResMed set out to create a solution that quantified sleep in a meaningful way, in effect providing the calories of sleep, while lending itself to both clinical and consumer applications. The result is the S+ technology. While ResMed does more research on sleep research than any other public company, we quickly realized that ResMed was not going to be able to do this alone and decided that aligning with the right partners would be the best approach to making our vision a reality. In January of this year, SleepScore Labs was formed as a joint venture between ResMed, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P. Dr. Oz is both an entrepreneur and a successful clinical personality who does an excellent job conveying the importance of sleep and sleep science. While ResMed is very strong in the area of sleep, Pegasus brings an extensive network of individuals and organizations who are not only experts on sleep but also experts on the relationships between sleep and other clinical areas such as behavioral issues and medication management. By complementing what each entity brings individually, ResMed, Dr. Oz, and Pegasus can collectively change the world of sleep at a larger level. Medgadget: Lets get into the S+ technology. How accurate is the device and how do you ensure accuracy when each persons sleeping arrangement is slightly different? Lawlor: The S+ technology is both a hardware and algorithm suite. The hardware is a movement measuring sensor that sweeps the subject 16 times per second and can see movement to under 1/10 of a millimeter. From that movement data, our algorithms assess the respiratory rate to an accuracy that is equivalent to polysomnography (PSG), the gold standard of respiratory monitoring today. There are generally no issues with setup or user error affecting accuracy. The sensor sweeps in a broad, 30 degree view from the center of the device and includes a range gate of 4.5 feet meaning it cannot see any movement further than that distance. These specifications are based, in part, on the recognition that most individuals sleep with a partner so we needed to make sure we capture the target persons data while not picking up artifacts from other people and things around the sleeping location. All that said, if the algorithms see irregularities either in the setup process or when the user is supposed to be asleep, it will recognize something is wrong and alert the user to reposition the setup. Testing to find these specifications was done using labs with both robots and humans in various configurations to test all aspects of the technology. Probably one of the most interesting parts of testing was using a robot we call Brett. Brett is a breathing robot that can be used to mimic different human positions and, more importantly, different breathing patterns. We can set Brett up in a specific physical configuration with a certain respiratory pattern and then attach the S+ sensor to a separate robotic arm that moves to hundreds of locations around Brett. At each location, the system checks to see if we can still see his motion and if our algorithms are identifying the correct respiratory pattern. Medgadget: How does the system differentiate between different types of sleep? Lawlor: Our algorithm takes all the movement data collected by the sensor and breaks it up into body movement and respiratory patterns. Initially, a person begins in a stake of being awake during which they are moving a lot and have a high respiratory rate. As they begin to drift into light sleep, the respiratory rate slows down and the amount of body movement reduces. When the transition to deep sleep occurs, the body will still move but the respiratory rate becomes very slow and very stable. Finally, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which people dream, is a state where the body is completely immobile, a precautionary measure taken by the body to avoid injury, and breathing patterns are highly variable due to the effects of dreaming. As you can see, all four states of sleep are characterized by distinct combinations of body movement and respiratory rate. Accuracy in our algorithms comes from over 10 years and thousands of nights having the S+ in PSG studies all over the world. We have tested the system with individuals who experience typical sleep as well as those with sleeping disorders to provide the greatest range of insight into the algorithms we are creating. Now that the S+ technology is on the market, we have data from 2 million nights across more than 35,000 subjects providing a steady stream of insight to continually refine our algorithms. Medgadget: Besides sleep data, what is the importance of the other information captured via the mobile app? Lawlor: Its not only relevant to capture body movement and respiratory rate data, which we use to determine the users sleep state, but also important lifestyle information from users such as which mattress they are using, if they are on sleeping pills and if so, which brand of pills, if they recently consumed any alcoholic or caffeinated drinks, or if they are stressed. With this information collected over such a wide population of users we are aggregating a huge dataset and have begun correlating back to a baseline on all these factors. This makes the dataset very powerful for deriving key insights about many interrelated factors that influence sleep. This in turn can be used to continually improve our feedback and recommendation engine that helps users improve their strategies for realizing a healthy, restful sleep experience. Medgadget: There are other sleep monitoring technologies on the market such as wrist sensors or smart watches. How does the S+ compare? Lawlor: In general, the weakness of other consumer sleep technologies is the quality and type of data being captured. Sleep technologies based on wrist worn accelerometers, for example, will never be good enough to identify an individuals sleep state. Those technologies are very good at measuring limb movement for things like walking and running. However, when someone is laying in bed, movement is only one of the two pieces of important sleep information, respiratory rate being the other. Only knowing the individuals movement was a good enough proxy for many years but in general its not enough data to assess sleep patterns. Most people talk about sleep technology accuracy in terms of being able to identify sleep. But in general, thats not a very useful measure because, logically, people who go to bed will end up asleep for most of the time so most technologies will be close to 90% right in identifying if someone is asleep. What really matters is the sensitivity to wakefulness. Currently, wrist sensors are about 20% accurate at identifying when someone is awake compared to the gold standard (PSG). More evidence is coming soon but were seeing 3-4x higher accuracy identifying when someone is awake compared to wrist sensors with the S+. Medgadget: What is the companys business model? As with many other digital health technologies, are there plans to provide an open API for developers? Lawlor: Overall, our goal is to drive a better standard for sleep monitoring. To that end, we are currently not planning to open up the platform to everyone but are taking a very purposeful approach with how we make this technology, hardware and software, accessible. For the hardware, we know the cost of developing this technology is very high. This has historically presented a barrier to companies achieving higher standards. Therefore, we are making the technology available through licensing agreements with those existing brands who are committed to doing a good job improving peoples sleep. Similar to the hardware, the time, effort, and scale of data that has gone into refining our algorithms has made our software and analysis capabilities very strong. A second part of our business strategy has been to offer other companies access to our algorithms in order to analyze the data that they are collecting with their own devices and methods. Through the black box of our systems intelligence, other researchers and businesses can qualify their data and assess the actual effectiveness of their own technologies in monitoring and analyzing sleep. Link to purchase on Amazon Product page: S+ sleep sensor Link: SleepScore Labs by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 3, 2017 Interns at some of the top tech companies in the United States make more in one month than many annually employed U.S. workers, according to recent data. Facebook, Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon, Apple, Yelp, Yahoo, VMware, Google NVIDA, Intuit, Juniper Networks, Workday, BlackRock, and Adobe are among the top payers. One-month salaries for 12-week internships at these companies can range from $4,500 to about $8,000 -- which equates to between $54,00 and $96,000 annually. Today, the median annual salary for a full-time U.S. worker is $51,350, according to the job Web site Glassdoors Local Pay Reports. The median base pay for marketing managers in the U.S. is $68,175 annually, as of April 2017 -- up 1.7% from a year ago. Data scientists make about $94,944 annually, data analysts about $59,084, and Web designers about $50,782. The median base pay for the marketing and advertising industry is $48,571 annually. advertisement advertisement This year Facebook interns -- who are the top-earning 2017 summer interns in the U.S. -- will make an average of $8,000 monthly, according to Glassdoor. But these are no ordinary jobs -- they support high-level engineering and marketing projects. At Facebook, these jobs include a research intern, data engineering business intelligence intern, and core data science PhD intern. The company is also looking for a research intern who has experience in semiconductor material characterization to work with Oculus in Cork, Ireland. Microsoft, at No. 2, pays about $7,100 monthly for summer interns and is looking for students who are majoring in computer science, electrical engineering and computer engineering. Salesforce, Amazon, Apple, and Yelp each pay interns about $6,400 monthly. Pay for Yahoo and VMware drops to $6,080 monthly, with Google at $6,000; NVIDIA, $5,770; and Intuit, Juniper, Workday, and BlackRock each paying $5,440 monthly. In addition to the tech companies, there are a few other high-paying jobs at companies such as ExxonMobile, which pays interns about $6,507 monthly -- adding up to $78,084. Bloomberg L.P.'s monthly internship pay of $6,400 equals about $76,800 per year. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 3, 2017 Only 27% of media buyers and planners say "with confidence" they are informed of the brand safety measures for the ads they buy, according to research released Wednesday. The data from Vibrant Media suggests 33% do not feel informed and 15% either feel partly informed or informed from certain vendors. Even more alarming, when asked how informed they were about ad vendors' brand safety measures, 24% of media buyers and planners failed to answer the question, which could suggest an unwillingness to admit their lack of brand safety knowledge, per the analysis. More media buyers in the UK -- at nearly 63% -- than in the U.S., at nearly 35%, and Germany ,at 13%, admit that brand safety is typically not discussed for media buyers. In March 2017, Google set new YouTube policies and guidelines, changing default settings and initiating new parameters, as disturbing Internet content continued to grow. Still, it appears that media buyers feel insecure about where the ads might serve up and whether they will appear next to certain types of content. advertisement advertisement Nearly 88% of advertising planners and buyers said their top priority is ensuring brand-safe environments for their marketing clients. Some 59% said brand safety is typically discussed for media buys, yet less than 29% said they always know where their ads run. It turns out that U.S. media buyers and planners are the least tuned in compared with their counterparts in the UK and Germany. More media buyers in the UK at nearly 42%, compared with Germany at 17% and U.S. at 19% know where their campaigns run. Not all plan to remain silent. Nearly half said they plan to ask for brand safety information in media buys, and 73% agree with pulling ad spend on sites that have unsafe content, similar to the way some brands did earlier this year. Still, more media buyers in the U.S., 84%, than the UK at 77% and Germany at73%, say it's more difficult to ensure brand safe when buying programmatic inventory on the open exchange. For many in the industry managing brand safety and programmatic at the same time is a difficult problem to solve. The study that aggregates responses from 66 media planners and buyers at media agencies in Germany, United Kingdom and the United States of America prompted Doug Stevenson, Vibrant Media co-founder, to spearhead a series of roundtable with industry executives to try to solve some of the issues around brand safety and programmatic ad buying, as well as a new ad placement guarantee aimed at reassuring brand safety measures verified by third-party data. On April 11, 2017, Vibrant received the Trustworthy Accountability Group Inventory Quality Guidelines Seal, which provides a set of common disclosures relating to the quality of the inventory for publishers and platforms to inform their clients and partners on the buy-side. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, May 3, 2017 Siding with the developer of Pokemon Go, a judge has dismissed a consumer's lawsuit over the app's privacy policy. Judge Meenu Sasser of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Florida ruled Tuesday that Palm Beach County resident David Beckman couldn't proceed with his case against Niantic -- a Google spinoff -- because he didn't suffer any injury from Pokemon Go's alleged practices. Beckman alleged in his complaint that that Pokemon Go's terms of service violated Florida's consumer protection law, which prohibits deceptive and unfair trade practices. He filed suit last July, within days of the launch of the popular augmented reality game, which involves players using their mobile phones to "catch" Pokemon characters. His complaint centered largely on Pokemon Go's privacy policies, which allegedly allowed the company to gather a host of data from consumers -- including their search queries and locations. Beckman also alleged that Pokemon Go improperly reserved the right to terminate users' access at any time, potentially depriving people of the value of any virtual goods or currency. advertisement advertisement Pokemon Go asked Sasser to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Beckman lacked "standing" to proceed because he hadn't been harmed. The company elaborated that Beckman's allegations regarding "fears of possible or speculative future injury" -- including the possibility that his account would be terminated or his information misused -- didn't warrant a lawsuit. Sasser accepted that argument. "Plaintiff has not alleged he suffered any actual injury," she wrote. "For instance, plaintiff has not alleged that defendant actually took plaintiff's virtual goods or virtual money without compensation or actually unilaterally terminated his Pokemon Go account." She also ruled that Beckman couldn't proceed with claims that Pokemon Go violated a Florida law, because the app's terms of service provide that disputes will be decided under California law. When Beckman filed the suit, the app's privacy policies were drawing scrutiny -- partially because a researcher discovered that the app asked iPhone users for permission to access their Gmail accounts, contacts, and other information stored in Google's cloud. (Niantic said that request was the result of a glitch, and that the app only accessed people's User IDs and email addresses.) The privacy issues drew attention on Capitol Hill, with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) asking the company to answer privacy-related questions, including the reasons why it collected data and whether it shares data with third-party service providers. Niantic responded that the app collects data about players' locations, mobile operating systems, device identifiers and hardware. The company also said it sometimes uses third parties to analyze aggregated data, but doesn't sell data about users. Banc of California, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Banc of California, National Association that provides banking products and services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, retirement, and interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing demand accounts, as well as certificate of deposits. It also provides various commercial and consumer loan products, such as commercial and industrial loans; commercial real estate and multifamily loans; construction loans; single family residential mortgage loans; warehouse and indirect/direct leveraged lending; home equity lines of credit; small business administration loans; and other consumer loans. In addition, the company offers automated bill payment, cash and treasury management, foreign exchange, card payment, remote and mobile deposit capture, automated clearing house origination, wire transfer, direct deposit, and internet banking services; and master demand accounts, interest rate swaps, and safe deposit boxes. Further, it invests in collateralized loan obligations, agency securities, municipal bonds, agency residential mortgage-backed securities, and corporate debt securities. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 29 full-service branches in Southern California. The company was formerly known as First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to Banc of California, Inc. in July 2013. Banc of California, Inc. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California. B&G Foods, Inc. manufactures, sells, and distributes a portfolio of shelf-stable and frozen foods, and household products in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company's products include frozen and canned vegetables, vegetables, canola and other cooking oils, vegetable shortening, cooking sprays, oatmeal and other hot cereals, fruit spreads, canned meats and beans, bagel chips, spices, seasonings, hot sauces, wine vinegar, maple syrups, molasses, salad dressings, pizza crusts, Mexican-style sauces, dry soups, taco shells and kits, salsas, pickles, peppers, tomato-based products, baking powder and soda, corn starch, cookies and crackers, nut clusters, and other specialty products. It markets its products under various brands, including Ac'cent, B&G, B&M, Back to Nature, Baker's Joy, Bear Creek Country Kitchens, Brer Rabbit, Canoleo, Cary's, Clabber Girl, Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat, Crisco, Dash, Davis, Devonsheer, Don Pepino, Durkee, Emeril's, Grandma's Molasses, Green Giant, Joan of Arc, Las Palmas, Le Sueur, MacDonald's, Mama Mary's, Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, McCann's, Molly McButter, New York Flatbreads, New York Style, Old London, Ortega, Polaner, Red Devil, Regina, Rumford, Sa-son, Sclafani, Spice Islands, Spring Tree, Sugar Twin, Tone's, Trappey's, TrueNorth, Underwood, Vermont Maid, Victoria, and Weber and Wright's. The company also sells, markets, and distributes household products under the Static Guard brand. It sells and distributes its products directly, as well as through a network of independent brokers and distributors to supermarket chains, foodservice outlets, mass merchants, warehouse clubs, non-food outlets, and specialty distributors. The company was formerly known as B&G Foods Holdings Corp. and changed its name to B&G Foods, Inc. in October 2004. B&G Foods, Inc. was founded in 1822 and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. MSCI Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides investment decision support tools for the clients to manage their investment processes worldwide. It operates through four segments: Index, Analytics, ESG and Climate, and All Other - Private Assets. The Index segment provides indexes for use in various areas of the investment process, including indexed product creation, such as ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, over-the-counter derivatives; performance benchmarking; portfolio construction and rebalancing; and asset allocation, as well as licenses GICS and GICS Direct. The Analytics segment offers risk management, performance attribution and portfolio management content, application, and service that provides an integrated view of risk and return, and an analysis of market, credit, liquidity, and counterparty risk across asset classes; managed services, including consolidation of client portfolio data from various sources, review and reconciliation of input data and results, and customized reporting; and HedgePlatform to measure, evaluate, and monitor the risk of hedge fund investments. The ESG and Climate segment provides products and services that help institutional investors understand how ESG factors impact the long-term risk and return of their portfolio and individual security-level investments; and data, ratings, research, and tools to help investors navigate increasing regulation. The All Other - Private Assets segment includes real estate market and transaction data, benchmarks, return-analytics, climate assessments and market insights for funds, investors, and managers; business intelligence to real estate owners, managers, developers, and brokers; and offers investment decision support tools for private capital. It serves asset owners and managers, financial intermediaries, wealth managers, real estate professionals, and corporates. MSCI Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in New York, New York. AGCO Corporation manufactures and distributes agricultural equipment and related replacement parts worldwide. It offers horsepower tractors for row crop production, soil cultivation, planting, land leveling, seeding, and commercial hay operations; utility tractors for small- and medium-sized farms, as well as for dairy, livestock, orchards, and vineyards; and compact tractors for small farms, specialty agricultural industries, landscaping, equestrian, and residential uses. The company also provides grain storage bins and related drying and handling equipment systems; seed-processing systems; swine and poultry feed storage and delivery; ventilation and watering systems; and egg production systems and broiler production equipment. In addition, it offers round and rectangular balers, loader wagons, self-propelled windrowers, forage harvesters, disc mowers, spreaders, rakes, tedders, and mower conditioners for harvesting and packaging vegetative feeds used in the beef cattle, dairy, horse, and renewable fuel industries. Further, the company provides implements, including disc harrows leveling seed beds and mixing chemicals with the soils; heavy tillage to break up soil and mix crop residue into topsoil; field cultivators that prepare smooth seed bed and destroy weeds; drills for small grain seeding; planters and other planting equipment; and loaders. Additionally, it offers combines for harvesting grain crops, such as corn, wheat, soybeans, and rice; and application equipment, such as self-propelled, three- and four-wheeled vehicles, and related equipment for liquid and dry fertilizers and crop protection chemicals, and for after crops emerge from the ground, as well as produces diesel engines, gears, and generating sets. The company markets its products under the Challenger, Fendt, GSI, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra brands through a network of independent dealers and distributors. AGCO Corporation was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia. These music videos were posted on You Tube ahead of the November 2008 American Presidential Election by a You Tube member known as Edwin from the United States. On November 19 2008, it was shared with ModernGhana.com readers and visitors, but transcribed just recently that is five months later by Christiana Asante. Betty Davidson Asante contributed to the editing of the transcript. Red Ride is the artist's name as well as the music performer on the second video, which was reportedly filmed in Montserrat, in the Calypso Monarch Finals during a festival. Red Ride Obama, You Make Us Proud He was born in Hawaii in the year 1961 Mother was White, Father was an African Grew up with Grandparents in America's heartland Went on to get an ideal education On the brink of history, the US presidency, You proved all the critics wrong Now, we celebrate you in song! Obama, you make us proud! Obama, sing it out loud! You're motivating Black Man to strive If only Martin Luther King was alive Don't worry about Hannity, Don't worry about Limbaugh, You have the support of Kennedy, And also of Oprah Obama, you make us proud! Obama, sing it out loud! To the back of the bus, we used to retreat Now, you've headed for the driver's seat (Call him Mr. President) They called you a Muslim, Questioned your patriotism But you stayed cool, despite the criticism They talked about your pastor, They called you a radical Some of the comments even became racial You are driven to succeed, You've proved you're ready to lead Your campaign slogan is 'change' Republicans want to rearrange Obama, you make us proud! Obama, sing it out loud! You've overcome such adversity, And have a beautiful family Don't worry about Fox News Don't worry about the G.O.P You have the support of Europe And also of Hillary Obama, you make us proud! Obama, sing it out loud! You have fulfilled Martin Luther's dream Time to add some coffee to the cream From the Caribbean, to Europe and Africa, The whole world now knows the name 'Obama' You've transcended race, class, and generations Your message is such an inspiration! So for this year's election, Obama you are my Man (or There was just one selection), The Community Organizer will get my 'X' in November, Obama, you make us proud, Obama, sing it out loud! Sarah Palin, she could shoot a moose But your support remains right to choose, Don't worry about the KKK Don't worry about the NRA It's time for Bush to retire White House getting a makeover Obama, you make us proud! Obama, sing it out loud! Forget [40 acres and a mule] Because now is the Black Man's time to rule! (Obama, you make us proud, Obama) OK, imagine something unusual. Imagine the product of a fusion of the young and old. Imagine something that is both godly and ungodly. Imagine a cocktail of all the ingredients that make up a thrilling song. Imagine a song that is both commercially viable and inspiring. Think of a song that leaves the club on Saturday night and goes into the church on Sunday morning without guilt. Like a stone that kills two birds. That is not hypocrisy. It is called capriciousness. Kwame Nsiah Apau has a better word: versatility. It is what Hallelujah is. This stone kills three birds, actually. It is Gospel and Azonto and Hiplife. The song is an autobiographical account of the rappers musical career, recounting how successful hes been in the past two decades. We may not have read if he wrote it, so he makes a song out of it. The import is to credit his successes to God, to whom he says Hallelujah. Its remarkable how Okyeame Kwame boils a complete story in the four minute record. This song checks all my boxes! It will break grounds. Lets bet! The beat is unfamiliar, because it is meant for Okyeame Kwame. He's never done anything above the speed of a standard highlife tune. He's never got close to anything that makes you want to dance with so much energy. Hallelujah beats the odds, the way Abochi beats the percussions. The song ideally is meant for reflection in solitude. A chronicle of a person's life would have been created in a way that would be soaked in silence. But the producer insists on making us dance, regardless. Like all others and the ones yet to come, this one too is excellent in composition, vocal delivery, and instrumentation, particularly. The sounds makes a very, very heavy pound. Everything is happening at a time, right from the word 'go! The percussions are played in their totality with a perfect compensation from the keyboard, the bass guitar and the folk instrumentation that is introduced at the jama session. Plus those well-timed drum rolls make the song sound like the kind of praises we do on 31st Night services. Listen also for the whistle of a piccolo. You cant ignore it. The electric guitar melody running at the sides is inviting. You could feel those six strings entangle and move you around, dancing like a puppet at the mercies of a puppeteer. And you can't help it, especially at the beginning. At this point of Kwame's career, what more can he ask? Abraham Harold Marslow, an American psychologist in this theory of needs, explains that the highest need is self-actualisation; the stage where a person realises his personal potentials and self-fulfilment. At the climax of Okyeames business, he feels accomplished. We kind of concur, for its undebatable. After all, he's a happy family man with more than enough to put on the table, a musician with enough plaques to show on his shelves, a man carrying a soul with enough good deeds to show his creator. And hes got a beautiful wife to go back home to. This is a life the angels will be proud of. And Hallelujah is a song they will dance to, too. It is coming from a grateful heart. His prosperous life is well exemplified in the music video. It opens with a display of thumbnails of scenes to typify his luxury, a healthy lifestyle and fun-filled moments. He cruises in a brand-new Rolls-Royce Phantom, hes got some enviable regalia to showcase, hes cladding in expensive outfits, he treks around, enjoying the services of a personal guard and becomes the talk of town. The women adore his splendour. Its set, indeed! Ofori Ankah Kofi, who directed the visuals presents the piece in all the quality it deserves. The location, Holy Trinity Spa makes a befitting setting with its serene atmosphere. Heres where Abochi is introduced. But this Abochi guy, really is a force to reckon with. The way he cunningly grabs attention with his first official appearance is intriguing. He possess this kind of charm that appeals to everyone. On Hallelujah , his voice is luring, in the way he sings on a baritone note and backs with a tenor. It makes up for Okyeame who doesnt have a very good voice. His diction is relatable, too. He enters with the chorus: W Ento ma no E, Hallelujah Praise the Lord, Hallelujah Thanks for the good youve been doing to me Awurade a na wama me asE bi Okyeame Kwame became prominent in the late 90s as one half of the defunct hip-life group Akyeame. He mentions their historical performance at the world famous Apollo Theatre in New York, the Constitution Hall in Washington DC and finally STRATSFORD Rex, London. During the period they released four albums: Nyansapo in 1997, Nkonsonkonson in 1998, Ntoaso in 2000 and Apam Foforo in 2002. Their songs Ma San Aba, Menko Meda among others become street anthems. They won the GMA Artiste of Year Award in 1999 together with Hiplife Song of the year, Song of the year and Video of the year. They enjoyed six years of success until their breakaway in 2003. It is worth noting how Kwame recounts these moments and acknowledges his colleague in the statement: Anky E Fan town na mehyia Okyeame Quophi Vim Ene raps deE na abranteE yi wo bi NeEma asesa deE nso nyE ade a mewerE fi Me kae sE me hunu Eka me ho a mEdru akyiri Here is an awesome display of the attitude of gratitude. Kwame released his first solo album "Boshe Ba" (Promised Child) in 2004, just after the breakup of the Akyeame band. He followed in 2008 with "Manwesem" (My Poetry) and in 2011 with "The Clinic". Since then, local and international stages have carried his weight. Global audiences have been electrified by his craft. So in the words Hiplife yE me dea he claims ownership of the art. I am not saying this, neither am I resurrecting an old argument. Its in the song! The Rap Doctors application of language is unrivaled. He stuffs the song with rhymes, simile, metaphor. As is usual of him, he does not spare us his rap showmanship. In his second verse, the rapper breathlessly juggles thirty eight words in a time space of 8 seconds: Afei me ride passe p E amanfoE se Kwame rapi HwE gyidi na Kwame baako pE Mennsuro biara na makEtE Barbiara na me paapi Rapper Dacta na clappi YEhyE aseE beef Okraku Mantey na Ede Lord Kenya bE tackie Heres where he sounds like bass drums and snare kicks played in quick succession. This thing runs in the family. Don't try this at home! It is now evident the kind of course BRA Kwame is chattering for his music craft, and in subsequent releases we expect such similar work of inspiration. Woso , Try Another Time , Sika were released to either educate, motivate, inspire or advise. This one too is toeing the same line. Youve been trying to win in this game forever And you feel you are under pressure Listen to my story and know that with God by your side Everything will be ok, Its OK I have mentioned elsewhere that we cant find enough plaques to honour a talented player of Okyeames calibre. He has walked a journey of the legends. He has lived the life of a maestro. Forty years is a big deal and to have spent half of it on an enviable career is a long way coming. What more can he say but Hallelujah? patrickfynn.com Follow the author on Twitter: @PatrickFynn African Union (AU) countries have established a new agency that aims at growing the film sector on the continent from a US$5-billion to a $20-billion industry, Regional Secretary-General of Fepaci, West Africa 1, Fidelis Duker, has revealed. According to Duker in a statement posted on his Facebook page, the African Audiovisual and Cinema Commission (AACC) was launched by African arts and culture ministers meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last month. This followed intensive lobbying led by the AU Commission, the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (Fepaci), the Kenyan government and a host of leading film producing countries on the continent. Besides quadrupling the industrys revenue and job creating power, the AACC will aim to promote a robust industry capable of projecting a positive image of Africa and to facilitate the export of African film products and services to international markets. In order to achieve this, Fepaci said, the commission will set up national, regional and continental structures and work through these to strengthen intra-African cooperation in film, while promoting the use of film to grow integration, solidarity, respect of values and mutual understanding across the continent. The AACC will function as a specialised agency of the AU. A sub-committee of African arts and culture ministers will meet in September to consider its statutes, which will be presented the following month to African justice and legal affairs ministers. The audiovisual and cinema industry accounts for $5-billion in continental GDP, employing an estimated 5-million people, Fepaci said. Ghanaian actress and movie producer, Ellen Kyei White, has donated items worth thousands of Ghana cedis to children at Save Our Lives Orphanage in Anwiankwa in the Bekwai Municipality of Ashanti Region. If I cast back my mind to where I come from and where I am now, the Lord has been good to me. My fans too have given me the needed support which is making me give back to the society, she revealed. Ellen White encouraged the staff of the orphanage to keep on with the good work they are doing for the children and promised that anytime they call on her, she will be there to help. The management of the home, after receiving the items, was full of praise for the actress for the donation and hoped that this will not be the end of such donations. Ellen White, producer of Whites Movie Production, is set to premiere her much talked-about movie, The List, which features Lilwin, Bill Asamoah, Akrobeto, Kwaku Manu, among others, on May 5, 2017 at the Silver Bird Cinemas in Accra. Lagos (AFP) - Sunday morning is usually the preserve of Christian pastors in the Nigerian megacity of Lagos but a new form of worship is emerging to challenge the monopoly. "Praise Allah!" shouts the imam of the Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) before thousands of his faithful, gathered under tents on the outskirts of the city. Pacing up and down through the crowd, he punctuates his message with vigorous "Allahs" in the trademark bombastic style of Nigeria's evangelical preachers. Entranced, men and women sitting on multi-coloured prayer mats, raise their hands to the heavens. NASFAT is one of a growing number of groups practising "charismatic Islam" in response to the massive success of pentecostal Christianity in Nigeria, said Ebenezer Obadare, a sociology professor at the University of Kansas. It has introduced "new modalities of prayer, modes of proselytising, and repertoires of devotion that closely approximate forms normally exclusively associated with Pentecostal Christianity," he told AFP. NASFAT's mission statement is "to develop an enlightened Muslim society nurtured by a true understanding of Islam for the spiritual upliftment and welfare of mankind". Along with traditional Friday prayers, it holds a special session every Sunday morning. "The aim is to maximise favourably the leisure time that exists among Muslims who laze away on Sunday mornings," NASFAT explains on its website. Unofficially, it also stops them from being invited to Sunday services at neighbouring churches -- even if the movement doesn't admit it. Wave of conversions "Friends invited me for the Sunday prayers," said Sheriff Yussuf, a well-dressed man in long white robes who joined the movement in 1998. "At the beginning I was very sceptical but then I thought, 'let me try, I'm not doing anything on Sundays'. Nigerian Muslims sit at Sunday prayer in Aseese, Ogun State "It creates an attraction to Islam, to start pulling Muslims out of the churches." NASFAT and other charismatic Islam groups born in its wake have been embraced by the Yoruba community, which is traditionally based in the southwest and one of the few ethnic groups in Nigeria not to be attached to a particular religion. In fact throughout southwestern Nigeria, a single family can celebrate Muslim festivals such as Eid as well as Christian ones such as Christmas. It's not uncommon to hear a Muslim release an enthusiastic "amen" or listen to the latest hit gospel song in a taxi decorated with quotes from the Koran. But the siren song of charismatic Christian churches in Lagos -- financial prosperity, miraculous healing, eternal fertility and a faithful soulmate -- is just too strong for many to resist and conversion to Christianity is very common. So instead of fighting the evangelicals, a handful of wealthy bankers from Ibadan, 130 kilometres (80 miles) northeast of Lagos, decided it would be better learn from their competitors. Growing popularity "We were gathering on Sunday to talk about the Koran, this is how it started," said Musediq Kosemoni, who was one of the seven founder members of NASFAT in 1995. "In three, four weeks, we started seeing an increasing number. It wasn't a planned thing, no-one can explain." NASFAT now boasts hundreds of thousands of faithful, with branches not only in Nigeria but also in England, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. Guest speaker Soliu Kewugbemi speaks at the Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria The movement, which encourages both Islamic and "western" education, first targeted the young, educated Yoruba upper class. But it is now becoming popular among all levels of society and even has its own university. "They're unique. They want to get every Muslim, men and women, educated, to enlighten them in order to take them out of poverty," said Lateef Adetona, head of the religious studies department at Lagos State University. "They think that the Salafists -- a more conservative school -- are discouraging people to turn to Islam." NASFAT hasn't gained traction in the Hausa-speaking community in northern Nigeria, which represents the majority of Muslims in the country and dismisses the southwest school. However, NASFAT says that despite their different approaches, they share the common goal of drawing people to Islam. "We are going against the ones who give Islam a bad name," said chief missionary Abdullahi Gbade Akinbode, arguing that NASFAT offers a better alternative than the hardline sectarian view of Islam espoused by Boko Haram jihadists. "We organise summits against radicalisation, against Boko Haram, to educate our people," said Akinbode. The missionary discreetly passes a copy of the NASFAT prayer book. On the cover, the group's slogan reads: "There is no help except from Allah." Chefchaouen (Morocco) (AFP) - "If nothing is done, this species will disappear within 10 years," warns a poster on Ahmed Harrad's ageing 4x4 showing Morocco's famed Barbary macaque monkey. Harrad spends his time crisscrossing northern Morocco to try to convince locals to protect the endangered monkey. The Barbary macaque once lived throughout North Africa and parts of Europe, but is now only found in the mountainous regions of Algeria and Morocco's northern Rif region The only species of macaque outside Asia, which lives on leaves and fruits and can weigh up to 20 kilogrammes (45 pounds), was once found throughout North Africa and parts of Europe. But having disappeared from Libya and Tunisia, it is now restricted to mountainous regions of Algeria and Morocco's northern Rif region. Another semi-wild population of about 200 individuals in Gibraltar are the only free-ranging monkeys in Europe. Today, the only native primate north of the Sahara, apart from humans, is in danger of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Conservationists blame illegal poaching, tourism, and overexploitation of the cedar and oak forests that form the species' natural habitat for the decline of the Barbary macaques Conservationists blame illegal poaching, tourists who feed the monkeys and overexploitation of the cedar and oak forests that form the species' natural habitat. In response, Morocco has launched a campaign to save the species. "We are working on two areas -- monitoring and making a census of the species in the Rif and raising awareness among locals so that they actively help rescue it," Harrad said. Conservationists estimate that Morocco is home to between 3,000 and 10,000 Barbary macaques today, compared with 17,000 three decades ago As head of a local association, Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation (BMAC), Harrad has become a tireless advocate for the animal. He says it is often sold to buyers in Europe for between $110 and $330 (100 and 300 euros) despite laws forbidding the trade. "A lot of foreigners buy monkeys as pets," he said. Seen as quiet and cute when it is young, the adult monkey can become a burden, Harrad said. "It breaks things, bites, fights with children and climbs the curtains," prompting many owners to abandon their pets, he said. Macaque remains 'in ashes of Pompeii' But that hasn't stopped the tailless monkeys, with their thick grey-and-ginger fur, being highly sought-after by passing travellers throughout the ages. "If nothing is done, this species will disappear within 10 years," environmentalist Ahmed Harrad has warned on the plight of Barbary macaques According to National Geographic, skeletal remains of macaques have been discovered "in the ashes of Pompeii, deep within an ancient Egyptian catacomb, and buried beneath an Irish hilltop where the Bronze Age kings of Ulster once held court". Zouhair Ahmaouch, an official at Morocco's High Commission for Water, Forests and Combating Desertification, said the new conservation plan focused on tackling poaching. But Morocco "can't repatriate monkeys released in Europe, because we don't know whether they came from Gibraltar, Algeria or Morocco", he said. The North African kingdom has never conducted a nationwide census of the macaque, but scientists believe its numbers fall every year. Based on various studies, they estimate that Morocco is home to between 3,000 and 10,000 macaques today, compared with 17,000 three decades ago. They believe Algeria had around 5,500 Barbary macaques in the late 1980s. The number has since almost halved, according to the IUCN. Barbary macaques are taken by poachers and often sold to buyers in Europe for between $110 and $330 (100 and 300 euros) despite laws forbidding the trade. Algiers has also responded with plans to protect the species. While the macaques are hard to spot in the wilds of Morocco's Rif, some individuals in the forests of the Middle Atlas are tame, attracting tourists who come to feed them. But Ifrane National Park head Lahcen Oukennou said feeding can cause "health problems such as obesity, which affects their health and especially their reproductive capacity". Anouar Jaoui, director of Talassemtane National Park in northern Morocco, home to several dozen macaques, said the conservation strategy includes measures to "rehabilitate and rebuild the species' habitat". That requires "reducing the pressure from overexploitation of natural resources", he added. In the forests of the Middle Atlas, authorities are organising awareness-raising sessions for tourists to discourage them from feeding or approaching the monkeys. Pupils at local schools are also being educated about the species. In October, the Barbary macaque was listed as a species threatened with extinction on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Last October, the Barbary macaque was listed as a species threatened with extinction on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). That makes buying and selling the monkeys illegal except under exceptional circumstances. Ahmaouch welcomed the move. "It will allow Morocco and other countries to unify their efforts to fight against the illegal trade in Barbary macaques," he said. Morocco has a "global responsibility to conserve this heritage". Dar es Salaam (AFP) - Press freedom in Tanzania is being squeezed under President John Magufuli, leaving journalists fearful. France-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (known by its French acronym, RSF) ranked Tanzania 83rd out of 180 countries in its latest annual press freedom report. The East African country was down a dozen places from the previous year, representing the second-largest decline in the world, after Nicaragua. Magufuli, nicknamed "tingatinga" -- meaning "bulldozer" in Swahili -- was elected in October 2015. His talent for publicity-grabbing stunts that bolster his reputation as a no-nonsense, corruption-busting man of the people, have made him wildly popular among some. But his intolerance of criticism, impulsiveness and disregard for due process worry others who see a wide authoritarian streak at the core of his populism. Magufuli "tolerates no criticism of himself or his programme," RSF said in a commentary published with the report last month. Tanzanian journalists have watched with concern as their situation has worsened under Magufuli. "Press freedom is being seriously limited," said Jenerali Ulimwengu, a veteran journalist, legal expert and former diplomat. "We are facing many challenges." Ulimwengu said Tanzania's Media Services Act of 2016 in particular "restricts people from practising independent journalism" by granting the government "extensive powers to control the freedom of the press." "We complained under previous regimes, but today we are really starting to suffocate," said a reporter at the Swahili language daily Mwananchi, on condition of anonymity. 'What can my pen change'? "We cannot even denounce abuses by a member of the president's entourage, because then the president feels personally targeted," the journalist added, citing the case of Maxence Melo, founder of the whistle-blowing Tanzanian website JamiiForums. Tanzanian journalists have watched with concern as their situation has worsened under Magufuli: "Press freedom is being seriously limited," said one Melo was arrested late last year and faces prosecution for not disclosing his sources for stories that revealed alleged corruption in private companies with links to government. RSF said last year that since Magufuli's inauguration, several radio stations have been suspended and at least a dozen people are being prosecuted for critical comments made on social media. In August 2016, advocacy organisation the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Magufuli's government "has taken a series of steps to restrict Tanzania's media environment." Journalists in Tanzania have responded to the deteriorating situation with weary resignation and self-censorship. "What can my pen change in a country where even MPs are arrested for criticising the infallible president?" asked a journalist working for the private daily The Guardian, who also did not want to be named. "Self-censorship is becoming widespread," the reporter added. In March, a group of Tanzanian organisations led by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) began a year-long campaign of seminars and discussions to push for respect for freedom of expression and the review of new laws, including the Media Services Act, which they say is too restrictive and needs to be reformed. In criticising two unnamed Tanzanian publications, Magufuli (2ndR) used words reminiscent of Rwanda's own strongman leader, President Paul Kagame (L), who is known for restricting basic freedoms while pushing for economic growth Magufuli, however, shows no sign of backing down. In January, he criticised two unnamed Tanzanian publications, accusing them of "jeopardising national peace" and "incitement". He compared the newspapers to media houses in neighbouring Rwanda that called for the wiping out of ethnic Tutsis ahead of the 1994 genocide. "This will not happen under my watch," he said, in words reminiscent of Rwanda's own strongman leader, President Paul Kagame, who is known for restricting basic freedoms while pushing for economic growth. Niamey (AFP) - Arriving on motorcycles and donkeys, in cars, or even on foot, hundreds of people have flocked to a site in southern Niger hoping to strike gold. The news spread like wildfire: gold had apparently been discovered deep in Kafa-Koira, just south of the country's capital Niamey. "I came to try my luck," Kadri Issia tells AFP, with a pickaxe slung over his shoulder. He comes from Dan-Zama, some 10 kilometres (six miles) north of the site. Not far from an airport, a dried-up stream bed surrounded by thorny shrubs is teeming with fortune seekers. They use a run-down track winding through heavily-populated neighbourhoods to reach the spot. In only two days, the normally empty site became a buzzing scene with street vendors selling food, fresh water, bags, ropes and digging tools to throngs of people. Minibuses and "Kabou-Kabou" motorcycle taxis shuttle people in from the centre of town. Policemen were even dispatched to secure the site. "I woke up Monday morning to discover crowds of people around my house," local resident Issaka Abdou told AFP. Hot sun, landslide threat More than 1,000 mostly young men and women use pickaxes, crowbars, buckets and machetes to chip away at the banks of the dry stream bed around a hundred metres (yards) long. They work under a scorching sun and the threat of landslides in search of gold deposits. A man digs in a hole as families flock to Kafa-Koira after getting wind of Niger's goldrush Some dig with bare hands, others are equipped with metal detectors. Zakari Issa was one of the first to arrive. "I have been digging for two days but still haven't seen any gold," says the 42-year-old, with a strained look as he hollers up from a hole around two metres deep. Nearby, Hassana, a young mother, sifts tiny ochre stones using a plate. "These sacks might contain gold. We will take them home to sift carefully," says the father of Ali, a teenager who watches over reserves of water and little bags of sand from a freshly-dug hole. At the other end of the site, two large men hit rocks with a crowbar. "If we find gold, I will buy myself a motorcycle," says a third man, handing out tea and cigarettes. Gold, or pyrite? Scores of people descend on Kafa-Koira hoping to extract a bit of gold "I found some!" a 50-year-old suddenly shouts out and quickly slips a tiny piece of yellow-coloured stone into his pocket. It might be gold, or it might be iron pyrite, commonly known as fool's gold, a geologist tells AFP. Novices often get the minerals mixed up because of their similarity. Believing in their luck, many people continue to haul sacks of gravel into town in small trucks. A few days later, hundreds of gold seekers turned their efforts to nearby hills where a gold nugget was said to have been found, a motorcycle driver said. Artisanal gold mining sites are common in Niger, where gold is extracted on an industrial scale in western parts of the country near Burkina Faso. Thousands of people from Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal have been scouring mining sites in the region since the 1990s. In February, the government shut down another site in the desert in the northeastern Djado region which was discovered in 2014 and drew more than 20,000 people from Niger, Chad, Libya and Sudan, according to local officials. Authorities said they closed the Djado site for security reasons, citing terrorism and armed robbery on the frontier between Chad and Libya. The government promised to reopen it but also granted an exploration licence for the site to the government-owned mining company. In a San Francisco federal court case, the plaintiff accused GMO giants Monsanto of hiring third-parties who hide their association with the company to respond to negative online comments, also known as shills. The case challenges Monsantos corrupt relationship with members of the Environmental Protection Agency and their attempts to manipulate scientific publications and crack down on online dissent. Monsantos Let Nothing Go campaign allegedly hired online shills to quickly respond to social media chatter about the carcinogenic properties of their RoundUp product. The plaintiff claims to have developed non-Hodgkins lymphoma as a result of exposure to glyphosate in Monsantos Roundup product, and believes that Monsanto aggressively attempted to remove all warnings of the risks surrounding the pesticide. See below the accusation recorded in a United States District Court litigation summary: Monsanto have gained such a bad reputation for online shills that it has become common practice on the news aggregation site Reddit to write Monsant0 when discussing the company in a bad light so that it is not indexed on a search engine. The company are also accused of pressuring scientific publications to downplay the risks of their products. In an email chain used as evidence in court ( acquired via Mass Tort Nexus ), a company executive instructed his staff to ghost write articles, planning to have independent scientists just sign their names to the study. Monsanto tells us that Roundup is safe because scientists say it is safe. But apparently scientists sign their names, while Monsanto signs the checks, says Kara Cook-Schultz, Toxics Director at U.S. PIRG . This calls into question multiple studies written, or possibly ghostwritten, by agricultural scientists. Also included in the email chain is evidence showing that Monsanto regularly works together with other international chemical companiessuch as Syngenta and Dowto publish scientific papers. Christophe Gustin, Monsantos Crop Protection Regulatory Affairs Lead at Monsanto Europe, asked for Syngenta and Dows sign-off prior to hiring a scientist to publish the results of internal, unpublished studies on Roundup . Leak of Nations | Monsanto Shills | RoundUp Cancer Link: https://leakofnations.com/monsanto-accused-in-court-of-conducting-an-army-of-shills-to-crackdown-on-negative-online-comments-monsanto-shills-roundup-cancer-link-monsanto-ghostwrite-scientific-articles/ A tourist site is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement. Ghana has quite a wide range of tourist attraction centers that are located across the country. Some of the tourist sites are; the paga crocodile pond, mole national park, Nzulezu, Kintampo falls, the bustling kejetia market, Kakum National Park, Busua Beach, Elmina and St. George castle, Wli water falls, Tagbo falls Boti water falls etc. The tourism industry has contributed significantly to the countrys economy, particularly in recent times, as the sector continues to demonstrate its potential as a key driver of growth. For example, between 2000 and 2005, visitor arrivals and spending increased by 46 percent and 68 percent respectively. The industry is currently the fourth largest foreign exchange earner after merchandise exports and remittance from abroad and has become one of the most important and fastest growing sectors of the Ghanaian economy. Tourism generates jobs creation, contributes to GDP growth, and contributes to the sustainable economic growth, infrastructure development, environmental resource protection, positive inter-sectoral linkages and the ability to open rural communities to development. Despite these significant role tourism plays in the country, governments have not paid much attention to the industry, the industry faces a lot of challenges, such as poor infrastructure, limited understanding of tourism, inadequate investment, lack of professionalism, high cost of tourism destinations, lack of safety and security, and poor maintenance culture at the tourist sites. This has led to a number of disasters at our tourist sites and the recent Kintampo waterfalls disaster. A renowned tourist facility at Kintampo in the Brong Ahanfo Region, which claimed the lives of at least 20 revelers on March 19, 2017, a light rainfall, which was accompanied by strong winds, thunder and lightning, uprooted nearby trees which crushed the revelers, mostly students from the Wenchi Methodist Senior High School, to death. The unfortunate incident hit the country hard, forcing the president to call for a minutes silence when he addressed chief executive officers from various parts of the continent Geneva, Switzerland. The unfortunate incident has attracted the attention of many potential internationaltourist to the country, while the hopes of Ghanaians who love to explore the countryside have been completely dampened. It is clear that the authorities whose mandate is to put measures in place to ensure the safety of public facilities, including tourists sited have not been able to carry out their duties effectively. The ministry of tourism as a body responsible for the development and promotion of tourism related activities in the country should take up the challenge and ensure safety at our tourist sites and stop the practice of moving in to fight the fire when the harm has been caused. Daily graphic reports indicates that, places such as the UAE, South Africa, Namibia and Egypt, tourism is among the first three foreign income earner and a major contributor to the GDP. This is because the managers of the various sites, with massive support from their respective governments have helped out the facilities in good shape to attract tourists. Unfortunately, in Ghana, the sector has been relegated to the background, in spite of its huge potential to rake in foreign exchange after oil, cocoa and gold. The Lack of laws governing our tourist sites has paved way for unqualified personnel to manage our tourist sites with lack of safety measures in place. The minister of tourism, Arts and culture, Catherine Ablema Afeku recently propose a new law at tourist site to avert disasters following the Kintampo waterfalls disaster. This re-enforces the practice of moving in to fight the fire when the harm has been caused. Moving forward, the government should play its role as a facilitator and ensure that the authorities responsible for ensuring safety at our tourist sites work effectively, ensures that private people partner the state to develop the tourist sites, educate people on the need to safeguard our tourist sites, ensures safety measures are put in place at our tourist sites, and ensures qualified people manage the tourist sites. Ghanas adopted educational system has of late witnessed several criticisms. Many people assert that the educational system practiced in the country does not train people for the job market. Is Ghanas education system so much a problem? I am advocating for an adjustment of the system, but in my humble opinion, FOCUS is the most deficient nutrient in Ghanas educational system. What do I mean by focus? This simply put, is the driving force: what drives the various activities involved in education in Ghana. Why do the lecturers, teachers and instructors teach? And why are the students in the classrooms and lecture halls? The aim of education at all levels in the country to a great extent, seeks after nothing but papers. These papers, magnificently caricatured, come in the forms of Basic Education Certificate, West Africa Secondary School Certificate, other certificates, Diploma and Degree Awards among others. THE CHALLENGE Students go to school, with the mindset of graduating to acquire so-called certificates, which are in fact but for the inscriptions and maybe the laminations, just tissues or toilet-rolls. This is why people study? Most students forget and do not understand the simple fact that they are enrolled so as to be imparted with knowledge and skills. They spend most time learning, not to know what is taught so they could apply to life situations, but for a mere papers. Many teachers and lecturers do not help matters in any way. Some of them teach and lecture with the aim of getting their students to pass examinations to warrant better inscriptions on their papers. No wonder some tertiary level students, even such level, still regard themselves as future leaders, when they really are potential and substantive leaders. Another core element is what I call education slavery. Students are forced to sit and listen in most instances, other than being encouraged to think and do something ingenious and creative. Childhood is a period of creativity; studies at such times in life must relate to identified potentials in children. Yet as a nation, we waste this creative period of our children; forcing them to learn to be awarded well-inscribed papers. In so doing, we fail to develop their mental and creative abilities frustrating their divinely given talents and natural abilities. Students are enslaved to chew and pour, and pass and forget. An inextricable result of the slavery is increasing moral decadence in Ghana. Instead of instilling values and virtues in these children and youth, they are pressured and so misled to resort to every means available so they could pass their exams; and pass good enough to receive papers with nice inscriptions on them. I choose to describe the fate that awaits candidates of any examination organized in Ghana by the first ten letters of the English alphabet: Academically Brilliant Candidates Do Excel; Failures Go Home In Jeopardy (ABCDE-FGHIJ). The improper priority or focus given to activities involved in educating the Ghanaian child tends to jeopardize their future; it creates no future for those who could not match up with the academic standard. Once they are unable to get wonderfully inscribed papers, whatsoever called they are branded as failures. And this is wrong and unfair. But who is the real failure? Is it they or the slave drivers who did not help them to develop their natural endowments or talents? Let us be reminded to understand that no examination can measure a persons potential. As a nation, our challenge in the area of education is not so much about the system, but the focus or aim. What drives educational activities? What is the educational system is designed to achieve? THE WAY FORWARD People undergo training or apprenticeship for just three years and are well equipped to handle works pertaining to what they learnt. Others attend workshops and seminars for a week or two and are well vested to undertake viable businesses. How come that having spent several years at school (basic, junior high, senior high, tertiary-university) learning virtually the same and similar things at these stages, the student is fit for no job market? Children spend years in an antiquated educational system, studying subjects they will never use, preparing for a world that no longer exists. said Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad). It shouldnt surprise you that the type of education that the majority craves for in Ghana is what causes this problem. Technical and vocational education is not like that; at the end of it, the student is well cultured for a particular job. In todays world, education is very important. However, we must reprioritize the drives of education and studies in Ghana. This is the steer to redirect our efforts towards human capital development. I believe if we do this, soon we shall have graduates who are fit for the job markets rather than the market of unemployed graduates. Dr. Myles Monroe in a sermon mentioned that education for people, who were once colonies, should focus on the 3Rs (self-concept; self-worth; and self-esteem), not than 3Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic). This also will inspire students at the various levels of education to be more creative, active and useful. We need now to re-focus the aim of our academic activities toward imparting our children and youth for lifetime impacts other than for well labeled papers dubbed certificates and degrees. This may necessitate some adjustments being made in the curriculum. However, if we fail to effect a reasonable change to give the Ghanaian an education that equips him/her to use his/her talents and abilities to explore and exploit the resources and opportunities in Ghana, Africa and the global economy at large, we will continue to cry edu-tears. Education is a means, not an end! "Today, the most dangerous advice you can give a child is Go to school, get good grades and look for a safe secure job. That is old advice, and it's bad advice." Robert Kiyosaki. God bless Ghana! Maranatha! Written by: Rich Akpalu NAIROBI, Kenya, 3 May 2017, -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The Kenyan Government has provided a vote of confidence in the implementation of the Huduma Card in the country, and its role in driving financial inclusion. The announcement was highlighted during the 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, and is in line with the events focus on showcasing how Africa is ensuring its citizens are empowered through inclusion. Research done by the World Bank indicates that financial inclusion is progressing well in Kenya, where 75 percent of adults have an account - however, a core pillar of Kenya's Vision 2030 is improving the efficiency and transparency of public services and payments to bring even more Kenyans into the financial ecosystem. This is key to the sustainable growth of any economy. Mastercard, as one of the official technology partners to Huduma, ensures that the card offers a secure and convenient way for citizens to transact. The company is driven to displace cash, and is committed to financially empowering 500 million people worldwide by 2020. The Huduma partnership forms a key part of the strategy in reaching this goal. "With a successful pilot under our belt, we are confident that the national roll out of the Huduma Card will be successful, meeting the expectations of the Kenyan Government and the needs of all Kenyans. The road to achieving our long term goal of reaching 13 million citizens over a period of seven years is well underway," says Dennis Mutuku, CEO Huduma Kenya Secretariat. Mutuku pointed out that as part of the roll out strategy, the Huduma team are exploring various options to drive usage of the card. One such example he highlighted was the recent launch of the Public Transport pilot in partnership with Matatu operators. He noted that given the country's dependence on public transport, the introduction of a transit payment solutions will help to reach more people with the greatest need in a meaningful and practical way. "The Huduma story in Kenya can be held up as a leading example across the rest of the continent of how technology, innovation and collaboration between public and private sector partners can be harnessed to implement flexible and safe payments that facilitate inclusive growth," says Daniel Monehin, Division President and Financial Inclusion Lead for International Markets, Mastercard. Continued collaboration between partners in both the public and private sector is key to implementing these large scale initiatives that aim to develop strong financial ecosystems. This is a core theme at WEF Africa, where sharing knowledge in creating a digital continent is seen as being vitally important. Kenya is at the beginning of its journey with the implementation of the card, but already the potential of the prepaid card solution is evident. Mutuku reinforced that it is a journey, mentioning that in order to ensure the roll out is successful key implementation steps cannot be overlooked. "Providing citizens across the continent with more seamless solutions to engage with and access government services remains a core priority of ours and we will keep partnering and collaborating with market leaders to make sure that Africans benefit from continued innovation that will deliver more inclusive economic ecosystems," Monehin concluded. More about the Huduma Card The multi-purpose prepaid Huduma Card can be obtained easily at various Huduma Centre's nationwide and the four partner bank branches (CBA, DTB, EQUITY, KCB) - and because applicants do not require a credit check or bank account to apply, it allows Kenya's un- and under-banked citizens in particular to benefit from being financially included and able to pay for and receive critical government services. With its chip and PIN technology, the Huduma Card also enables citizens to make and receive social payments safely, conveniently and without cash in store, online, by phone anywhere Mastercard is accepted worldwide. Chip and PIN technology is a global standard to guarantee that money is protected even if the card is stolen or lost - this added protection ensures beneficiaries can receive their funds conveniently and securely. Integrating state services on the system ensures that all Kenyans benefit from vital public initiatives such as the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and National Social Security Fund (NSSF) among others. Abu Dhabi (AFP) - The United Arab Emirates voiced optimism a political settlement could be reached in Libya after it hosted rare talks on Tuesday between its strongman ally and the internationally recognised premier. The UAE is, with Egypt, the main supporter of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control most of eastern Libya, including its key oil ports, and who refuses to recognise the UN-backed government of Fayez al-Sarraj. The two men met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for only the second time since Sarraj was named prime minister in late 2015 as diplomatic efforts intensify to ends years of chaos and conflict in the North African nation. The meeting "brings optimism towards guaranteeing a political solution," the UAE foreign ministry said. It is an "important step to push forward the political process in Libya," it added, in a statement carried by the official WAM news agency. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, whose government has also been a major supporter of Haftar, was due in Abu Dhabi later on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if the visit and the talks were connected. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days to try to reconcile the rival administrations in eastern and western Libya. On Sunday, UN envoy Martin Kobler held talks in Sudan, a supporter of Sarraj's administration in Tripoli. On Monday, he met Mahmud Jibril, who headed Libya's interim government during a NATO-backed rebellion that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. An array of armed groups have fought over the country's oil wealth since the uprising and Sarraj's government has struggled to cement its control. The UN-brokered Libya Political Agreement (LPA) which created it gave no role to Haftar, and talks have focused on how to do so. In February, Sarraj said Haftar had refused to meet him in person in Cairo for Egypt-backed talks to discuss possible amendments to the LPA. Mattia Toaldo, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Tuesday's meeting came after a change of tack from Haftar, who seeks nationwide presidential elections next year. Haftar is "now pursuing a different strategy... exchanging his support for an amended LPA for a guarantee to have presidential elections early in 2018 in which it would be thinkable for him to run", Toaldo said. Sarraj in turn is seeking "badly needed legitimisation" from the eastern authorities, even as he struggles for internal support in western Libya where factions are hostile to Haftar. "I doubt that anything negotiated by Sarraj would be accepted peacefully by factions in western Libya if it is seen as giving Haftar a too prominent position within the security sector or the political system," Toaldo warned. Mildred Siabi-Mensah GNA Effia-Kuma (WR), May 2, GNA -Alhassan Zambram, a 40-year old Nigerian who resides at East Tanokrom near Takoradi has allegedly been murdered in cold blood in his room by unknown assailants. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Olivia Eyrabena Adiku, Regional Police PRO, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday said the unfortunate incident occurred on Monday May 01, 2017 She explained that at about 7:20 am on Monday, one Fusieni Ibrahim the landlord of House Number H/No.Pt.197 East Tanokrom, informed the police in the area about the alleged murder. ASP Adiku said the landlord, told the police that at about 5:20 am on Monday, he went to the mosque to pray and when he returned he was informed that his tenant Alhassan Zambram, a Nigerian national, has been found dead in his room. She said the landlord and other tenants rushed to the police station to report the case and later the body was conveyed and deposited at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital mortuary at Sekondi for preservation and autopsy. The Regional Police PRO said no arrest has been made and Police are seriously investigating the matter. ASP Olivia Adiku said the police retrieved one machete with blood stains from crime scene. GNA A GNA Feature by Samuel Adadi Akapule Bolgatanga, May 2, GNA - Admittedly some cultural values are inimical to the progress of society and not very useful in contemporary times. Critical among some of the negative cultural practices that are hampering the development and progress in Ghana include child marriage, open defecation and refusal of some communities to allow pregnant women to deliver at health facilities. Some communities also refuse pregnant women and children under five to sleep under Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs), whilst some mothers in law prevent mothers to exclusively breast feed their babies for the first six months. There is also poor hand washing habits, late enrolment and retention of children in school as well as low birth registration of babies. A number of researches conducted by many development partners including UNICEF and World Vision Ghana revealed that among the regions that were endemic to was the Upper East. For instance the region has the highest incidence of child marriage and open defecation. It should be pointed out that irrespective of the quantum of development interventions a community receives, without the elimination of certain negative cultural practices these efforts cannot make any meaningful impact on the lives of the people. According to the Communication for Development Officer of UNICEF, Madam Georgina Amidu: 'The Upper East region is among the regions in Ghana that has received a number of development interventions but the challenge is the negative cultural practices that are militating against such development interventions, making it difficult to significantly impact on the lives of the people.' However all is not lost yet. There is hope, the Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment Ghana (RISE-Ghana) is one of the NGOs in the Region that has good track record in promoting positive behaviour change and fighting child marriage and is complementing Government's effort to address the challenges. In 2015, the NGO through a project funded by the Canada Fund For Local Initiative formed 32 Child Protection Teams in the Region that facilitated and collaborated with the security agencies to rescue 15 girls from child marriage. They also encouraged other six victims of child marriage in the Naga and Kologo communities in the Kasssena -Nankana East Municipal to return to school. The NGO with support from UNICEF is using the Communication for Development (C4D) Approach which UNICEF and the World Bank acknowledged as the best tool for development that can help in the reduction of the challenges. The C4D is about facilitating and empowering the community to dialogue, participate and share knowledge and information. It takes into account the needs and capacities of all concerned in finding solutions to problems and working together to achieve good results. The C4D goes beyond ordinarily providing information. It involves the understanding of people, their beliefs and values, the social and cultural norms that shape their lives. It involves engaging communities and listening to adults and children as they identify problems, propose solutions and act upon them. C4D is seen as a two-way process for sharing ideas and knowledge using a range of communication tools and approaches that empower individuals and communities to take actions to improve their lives. Eight months ago UNICEF funded the implementation of the project: 'Promoting Positive Behaviour Change For Improved Health, Education and Child Protection in the Upper East Region.' It was aimed at promoting the adoption of Basket of 12 of Behaviours using the C4D model in 80 communities with 40 each in the Kassena-Nankana West and Garu-Tempane, the community members are now using the indigenous forms of communication such as drama, theatre and traditional music to promote exclusive breast feeding for the first six months. The objective was to target 40,000 pregnant and lactating mothers in the communities in the two districts by the close of September. They are also intensifying education on Complementary Feeding from six months. To enhance the wide practice of hand washing with soap under running water, the communities with the knowledge acquired about the diseases associated with not washing hands after attending to nature's call are now installing and using tippy taps for washing their hands. Through the health education received from drama at durbars facilitated by RISE-Ghana and organised by the communities, majority of community members' particularly pregnant women and children under five who used not to sleep under LLINs are now sleeping under the nets thereby reducing the spread of malaria and curbing maternal and infant mortality in the communities. Most of the beneficiary communities led by their chiefs have also begun constituting taskforce in to help ensure that houses that do not have public place of convenience do so. There is also the promotion of education among parents on the need to patronise the services of the Birth and Death Registry for the registration of their newborn babies and also form committees to prevent child marriage as well as ensure that women in labour attend antenatal and postnatal health services and to also deliver at medical facilities. The beneficiary communities unlike before are now actively engaged in the promotion of early enrolment and retention of children in schools and also advocating positive discipline in schools instead of corporal punishment. Knowledge on the importance and standards of routine immunisation among mothers has also increased in the 80 beneficiary communities the NGO operates. 'The drama has shown us that, as pregnant women we must make at least five visits to the health centres and make sure we take our tetanus injections to avoid infecting our babies. 'Now I even ask the nurses and encourage my colleagues to do same,' Madam Asafisatu Dasmani, a pregnant woman from Kpinpanyun in the Garu-Tempane District said. Speaking to group of journalists during monitoring visits to the communities by the NGO to assess the impact the project was making, the paramount chiefs of the beneficiary communities lauded the NGO and UNICEF for the project and said the project had re-awakened them to provide the leadership roles to abolish negative cultural practices that are enemy to progress. For instance the Paramount Chief of Katiu Pe Ayikode Zangwio Atoge IV, said: 'I am deeply concerned about the spate of child marriage and open defecation.' He had constituted a taskforce and committees to help stop the phenomena. Other chiefs and opinion leaders have taken similar stand to end the social canker. The Executive Director of RISE-Ghana, Mr Awal Ahmed Kariama, explained that the one year project supported by UNICEF through its Communication for Development and Child Protection programme section places emphasis on shifting from awareness creation to behaviour change. He also shares the belief that the active involvement of traditional leaders who are the custodians of culture and the community would help do the trick. Mr Kariama stated that some of the districts in the Region performed badly per the District League Table conducted by UNICEF and CDD-Ghana. He said in 2016, the Kassena-Nankana West District scored 1.4 per cent of 112 communities on sanitation, indicating that only two communities were declared open defecation free. The Executive Director who mentioned that the situation was not different from Skilled Delivery and Education. 'When parents understand that simple things like early enrolment and birth registration which don't require money to do can protect children and reduce poverty, they will change their behaviours. 'Our team is proud to partner UNICEF to achieve that desired change of mind-set,' Mr Kariama indicated. He stated that failure to eliminate negative cultural practices could make it difficult if not impossible for Ghana to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. Mr Kariama appealed to other civil society organisations, district assemblies, religious and traditional leaders as well as the media to join the crusade in campaigning against negative cultural practices that hinder development. Whilst commending the NGO and UNICEF for the intervention, C4D model in every facet of development, be it health, education, agriculture and the natural resource management is paramount and failure to adopt it in development is a recipe for failure. People are the centre of development and they cannot be ignored when implementing policies and programmes. The transformation of lives of the people could be better if they are fully engaged in the development process. GNA 03.05.2017 LISTEN Accra May 2, GNA - The Supreme Court has asked the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to appear before it on May 30, this year. This is to enable her appraise the court the citing of Twedea as the capital of the Atwima Kwahoma district in the Ashanti Region. The court presided over by Justice Victor Jones Dotse noted that although Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, the Deputy Minister, was in court, it would be prudent enough for the Minister to appear before it. According to the court the applicants namely Nana Kwarteng Panin Akosah II, Owoahene Acheampong, Mr Yaw Kusi and Mr Hayford Appiah-Kubi had been travelling from Ashanti region to Accra anytime for the case. However, the sector minister who was rather based in Accra chooses not to attend court, the court noted the former use to attend court. Mr Sylvester William, a Chief State Attorney, informed the court that he had attached a contempt application and memo to the sector Minister, he however could not tell why the Minister did not turn up in court. In the contempt application, the Minister was to explain to the court arrangement made by the government in ensuring that Twedea was made the district capital. The Supreme Court in May 2012 affirmed that Twedea be made the district capital in relation to LI 1853. However attempts were made to rather to make Foase the district capital. Mr Ayikoi Otoo, who represented the Plaintiff, said they were in court to take a short date because Parliament was on recess and would reconvene on May 23. According to Mr Otoo they were however satisfied with the processes shown to them following their checks in Parliament. In October 26, 2007 the Kuffour led administration created 25 districts of which Atwima Kwahoma's district capital was to be Twedea. The capital was however located to Foase, hence the plaintiffs went to a Kumasi High Court which ruled that the capital be located to Twedea. Based on the ruling of the Kumasi High Court, the state appealed at the Court of Appeal which held that Foase should be the capital of Atwima Kwamhoma. The plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court which on May 26, 2012 it ruled in favour of the appellants. Government failed to abide by the said order of the Supreme Court hence plaintiffs cited the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for contempt. GNA By Joyce Danso, GNA 03.05.2017 LISTEN Mr. Prince Ofosu Sefah has been appointed to the National Communications Authority (NCA) as a Deputy Director General for Operations. In this position Mr. Sefah is primarily responsible for overseeing Regional/Zonal Operations and the Administration Division. Mr. Sefah comes to this position with about 16 years in various IT Generalist & Leadership roles in Canada. He earned a BAA (Administration & Information Systems) and a BComm (Information Technology Management) from Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, where he schooled between 1996 & 2001. In 2000, demonstrating versatility, he was awarded an Economics Book Prize (on the Economy of Developing Countries) by the University. A multi-faceted technology generalist and leader, Mr. Sefah has completed many industry certifications and training as well as attended many trade shows and conferences in the area of information systems, management and project management. He also worked in diverse industries, including banking & Finance, Manufacturing, Smart Payment Systems & Management, Health & Safety & Oil & Gas. Most of Mr. Sefahs prior experiences have been in Toronto, Canada where he worked for blue chip companies like Citibank as Senior Systems Administrator, GE Capital as Applications & Support Manager and Coinamatic Canada Inc. as Senior IT Systems Specialist & IT Helpdesk Team Leader. In his career, he has acquired proven skills in smart procurement, streamlining and improving systems & operations, as well as achieving marked operational cost reductions. Other areas in which he also has extensive experience are facilitation, team leadership, client services, systems analysis & administration, root cause analysis, gap analysis and project management. Mr. Sefah has achieved the Advanced Leader Silver and Advanced Communicator Silver designations from the Toastmasters International Organisation. He is a prolific fundraiser and organiser for various worthy causes within the community and the corporate world, including the charity, Heart & Stroke Foundation. Prior to his appointment as the DDG (Ops) of the NCA, Mr. Sefah was the IT Manager at SafeTech Consulting Group, a Health & Safety consulting firm mainly in the Oil & Gas Industry, in Edmonton, in the Province of Alberta in Canada. The NCA Management and Staff welcome him to the Authority and urge all industry players to accord him the relevant cooperation to enable him discharge his duties effectively and efficiently. A Tunisian Jewish family stand in the doorway of their house, painted with fish to ward off the evil eye, ahead of the annual pilgrimage to the El Ghriba synagogue in the island of Djerba in 2004. This year Israelis are being warned to stay away. By FETHI BELAID (AFP/File) 03.05.2017 LISTEN Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel warned its citizens on Wednesday against visiting Tunisia, where Jewish pilgrims will celebrate a religious festival later this month, citing the threat of jihadist attack. It also said any Israelis currently there should "leave the country immediately." The festival of Lag BaOmer, taking place this year on May 14-15, draws hundreds of Jews to tombs of revered rabbis as well as the famed El Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian holiday island of Djerba. "Terrorist elements, especially those affiliated with global jihad, continue to act toward carrying out attacks in Tunisia," the counter-terrorism bureau said in a statement released by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "There is a risk of attacks, against Jewish destinations as well," the bureau said, recommending that visits to Tunisia be avoided. The counter-terrorism bureau has issued similar warnings about Lag BaOmer in previous years, with last year's Djerba event taking place under heavy security due to heightened worries following a string of jihadist attacks in the North African country. Tunisia was also where an engineer working for Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas was assassinated in December. Mohamed Zaouari, 49, was a drone expert, murdered at the wheel of his car outside his house in Tunisia's second city Sfax. Hamas accused Israel of killing him. Israel did not respond to the allegation. Last month, the counter-terrorism bureau warned Israelis against visiting Egypt's Sinai region ahead of the Jewish Passover holiday. It even took the rare measure of closing the border crossing. The move followed a series of deadly bomb attacks on Egyptian churches. Tunisian Jewish women stand in a doorway in the El-Hara neighbourhood of Djerba ahead of the annual pilgrimage to the El Ghriba synagogue in 2004. This year Israelis are being urged to stay away During the 11 days the crossing was closed, a rocket from the Sinai hit southern Israel and an Egyptian policeman was killed near the peninsula's St Catherine's monastery in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Djerba is home to one of the last Jewish communities in the Arab world. But the number of pilgrims visiting El Ghriba has fallen sharply since a 2002 suicide bombing claimed by Al-Qaeda killed 21 people. Prior to the attack, the celebrations in Djerba would attract almost 8,000 people each year, from countries including Britain, France and Italy as well as Israel. Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has been injured and one of his deputies killed in an air strike in northeast Nigeria, civilian and security sources told AFP on Wednesday. Two Nigerian Air Force jets bombarded fighters who had gathered for prayers in Balla village, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Damboa, on the edge of the Sambisa Forest, last Friday. "Shekau was wounded in the bombings and is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon around Kolofata," said one source with contacts within Boko Haram. "His deputy, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba, was killed in the attack along with another key lieutenant, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha," he added. Babakura Kolo, a member of the civilian militia in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, gave a similar account, saying "Shekau was injured and a number of commanders were killed. "Among them is his deputy called Malam Abba. They suffered heavy casualties because the bombings targeted a large gathering of his followers attending Friday prayers." There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian military when contacted by AFP. The authorities have previously claimed to have killed Shekau on at least three occasions. Chairman of National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) is warning that microfinance institutions in the country could pose a major challenge for the entire financial sector if not better supervised. The crisis bedeviling the microfinance sector, which has seen thousands of customers lose millions of their deposits Professor Kwesi Botchway said could eventually impact on the banking sector negatively. He is, therefore, warning for urgent steps to be taken by the Bank of Ghana (BoG), against the backdrop that the entire system thrives on trust with customers. Speaking with JOY BUSINESS the Former Finance Minister said stringent monitoring is critical to averting a possible spill-over. "Microfinance institutions do need to be better supervised. They have expanded exponentially, this year were numbered 555 institutions. "They can create problems for the entire banking system by weakening trust both in themselves and worse by extension the banking system generally," he said. He cited Tim Geithner, the Treasury Secretary in the United States who at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 and thereafter said in his 'Stress Test' book that financial systems are built on belief explaining the derivation of the 'credit' from the latin meaning 'for believe'. "Geithner says confidence is a very fragile thing and once it evacuates it is very difficult to bring it back, but as bankers, it is something you learn at your mother's knee and we take it for granted," Prof. Botchwey added. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of Dalex Finance, Ken Thompson, is advocating a reduction in Treasury Bill Rates in the country to enable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) access cheaper credit for growth. The current rate at which banks borrow to government he believes is stifling credit extension to SMEs. "Very few businesses can pay an interest of 70 percent and survive. If you take even us we borrow to on-lend at 31 percent so we do a multiple of 2.5 but a bank may take your money at 3 percent if you are lucky and they do 45 percent," he explained. He said the cost of credit is expensive with some people paying as much as over 100 percent noting that Ghana has one of the highest rates of interest in the world. Mr Thompson bemoaned the rates at which they are borrowing adding "...it is very very difficult to do business. For us, the policy rate doesn't really help us, being a treasury bill rate." He explained that if the treasury bill rate comes down the borrowing rate would also come down which will also make the lending rate to come down. The Dalex Finance boss doubts that in the short-medium term, this would happen because "the government needs to borrow until maybe the projects they have invested in starts to yield fruits, but I doubt it very much." Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com | Kuuku Abban | Joy Business Telecom brand of the year, Tigo, UNICEF Ghana and Births and Deaths Registry were recognised at the just ended 71st annual session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. This follows their innovative mobile application designed to make birth registration of children smart, quick and reliable in Ghana. The innovative mobile app was featured in a video and presentation to the audience including Ghanas President John Dramani Mahama, Millicom CEO Mr. Mauricio Ramos, donors and UN officials, at the Every Woman Every Child event on the margins of the session. Every Woman Every Child is a global movement that mobilizes and intensifies international and national action by governments, the UN, multilaterals, the private sector and civil society to address the major health challenges facing women, children and adolescents. The movement puts into action the Global Strategy for Womens, Childrens and Adolescents Health, which presents a roadmap on ending all preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents within a generation. At the event, President Mahama said: Lack of birth registration prevents us from knowing how many kids to register for school, vaccines, and quick dissemination of health information through mobile apps will reach more people in more areas, especially women. We can empower people widely by giving them access to education and resources --human development opportunities for all. We can do more to end hunger. Especially with mobile innovation that will push attainment of Sustainable Development Goals, he said. We are honoured by the UN General Assembly recognition. We are passionate about improving lives in communities in which we operate through the use of technology which is why we embraced the opportunity to collaborate with UNICEF on this initiative. We are excited about the impact this innovation will have in communities across Ghana especially in areas which are hard to reach, said the Chief Executive Officer of Tigo, Roshi Motman after the event. Birth registration is more than just a right. It is how a society first recognizes and acknowledges a childs identity and existence, said Susan Namondo Ngongi, UNICEF Ghana Representative. Birth registration is also key to guaranteeing that children are not forgotten, denied their rights or hidden from the progress of their nations. The automated birth registration system is an Android App which has been customized for Tigo Network only, and it operates in both offline and online mode. The tablets use the mobile app to collect data related to the childs name, gender, date of birth and other family details, which are then sent to the central database managed by the Births and Deaths Registry. Once received, the data is stored and an automated response is sent to the Births and Deaths Registry official on the field, confirming that a certificate can be issued. Whereas data collected though the paper-based system tales six months to be registered in the central system, the mobile registration process achieves this in less than two minutes. According to an analysis done by Births and Deaths Registry, UNICEF and Tigo, at the end of the one-year pilot, over 670,800 new births will be registered on the new system by the end of May 2017. This would increase Ghanas birth registration rate to 75 percent, from the previous 65 percent. Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com A wholly-owned Ghanaian firm, Axis Pension Trust has been adjudged Africa's Best Pension company in innovation and risk management for 2015. This was conferred on the company at the 2nd Africa Pensions Awards held in Nigeria's capital Abuja on September 27. Chief Executive Officer of Axis Pension Trust, Afriyie Oware told JOY BUSINESS the recognition acts as a vote of confidence in their operations and the Pensions industry in Ghana at large. He says the preoccupation of the company over the years has been to "establish sound institutional structures that provide peace of mind and comfort to our clients." Even though they had not anticipated an award for their efforts at such a time, Mr Oware says "This achievement is therefore a strong validation of the fact that Axis Pension Trust is on the right track. He sees this as a moment for sober reflection at the industry level to assess the positive success and high standards that private pension players have introduced to the pensions landscape in Ghana. The ceremony also saw the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) which is the regulatory body for pension companies in Ghana clinching the second spot in the category of Best Innovation in Corporate Governance after the National Pension Commission of Nigeria. Other winners during the night included Nigerias Premium Pension Limited which won the top prize for the deployment of innovative practices to facilitate wide coverage and inclusion category, Kenya's Enwealth Financial Services which came second in that category. The rest were Stanbic IBTC of Nigeria which came first in Information, Communication and Technology platforms for improved customer service delivery, Zimbabwes Minerva Benefits Consulting taking second place and National Social Security Institute of Guinea Bissau, placing third. The African Pension Awards brings together regulators and administrators of Pension Funds across Africa to showcase the continents achievements and innovation in pension administration and social security. The 2nd Africa Pensions Awards was organized under the auspices of the World Pensions Summit and hosted by the National Pension Commission of Nigeria. GCB Bank Limited has donated office furniture and furnishings worth GH35,000.00 to the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). The items include an executive desk, chair and locker for the office of the General Officer Commanding, office desks, workstation and cabinet chairs and cabinets, conference tables and chairs for the respective offices of the Command. The official presentation and handing over ceremony of the items was made by the Managing Director, Mr Ernest Mawuli Agbesi and received by General Officer Commanding, Brigadier-General Stanley Brian Alloh, on behalf of the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces. Following the presentation, officers of the Northern Command and some senior and executive staff of GCB, toured the furnished offices to familiarise themselves with the facility. The Managing Director stated that as The Bank for Life and the biggest Bank in Ghana, which will always be a development partner to the military, we are ever ready to assist as the need arises. He made it clear to the august gathering of the Banks commitment to a meaningful corporate social responsibility that will go a long way to solidifying the Banks corporate image as a Bank with a national heritage and interest. Brigadier-General Alloh said, it is indeed very heart-warming to have GCB Bank here to hand over the office furniture to us. We will take good care of these items and use them to attain our security goals in the three Northern Regions that lies within our area of responsibility, he said. He thanked the MD and entire Bank for the magnanimous gesture. Present to witness and partake in the handing over ceremony were Mr Robert A. Adamu, Head of Support Services Department, Mr Major General Ayango, Commandant of Ghana Military Academy and Training Schools, Colonel Danso, immediate past deputy Director General, Personnel and Administration, General Headquarters Ghana Armed Forces, GCB Tamale Regional and the respective branch Managers of the Tamale area and some members of the media fraternity. Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com Nairobi (AFP) - The government of Kenya is hostile towards human rights activists and organisations, according to a report issued Wednesday that warned of safety concerns ahead of the country's 8 August elections. Since taking power in 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta's "administration has been showing open hostility towards human rights defenders, considered as enemies of the State serving foreign interests to destabilise the country," said The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. The government "has constantly been trying to undermine their legitimate work through judicial and administrative harassment and restrictive legislation," its report added. Allies of Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto blamed rights groups for their indictment at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity during widespread politically-motivated tribal violence that followed the 2007 polls. Charges against both men were eventually dropped but the antipathy towards non-governmental organisations, especially those focused on human rights, remains. The Observatory is a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). Its 50-page report, titled "2017 Elections: Broken Promises Put Human Rights Defenders at Risk", details the violence and pressures faced by Kenyan human rights activists and organisations. 'Litany of offences' Cases include the 2016 kidnap, torture and murder of rights lawyer Willie Kimani, which caused uproar in the country. The lawyer was defending a motorbike taxi driver who accused a police officer of shooting him for no reason. The bodies of the lawyer, his driver and the defendant were found bound and tossed in a river outside Nairobi. Four police officers have been charged with their murders. The Kimani case "is only the tip of the iceberg of a pattern of violence, aimed at silencing dissenting voices and perpetuating police and State security forces' brutality and impunity," the report said. It also detailed the excessive use of police force to prevent the holding of demonstrations and denounced "a litany of offences" -- including loosely defined crimes such as treason, unlawful assembly, disobedience of lawful orders and subversive activities -- used to penalise human rights activists in contravention of the spirit of the 2010 Constitution which enshrined basic freedoms. The report singled out the failure to pass the Public Benefit Organisations Act 2013 which was designed to protect and strengthen civil society. However, the government has delayed, sought to amend the act and in its absence the more repressive NGO Coordination Act 1990 remains in force enabling the imposition of stronger restrictions by the interior ministry. "As the general elections scheduled for August 8, 2017 approach, there is uncertainty about their potential impact on the situation of human rights defenders and civil society organisations," the report warned. Kenya's opposition last week lined up Thursday behind a single candidate, veteran political leader Raila Odinga, to challenge Kenyatta. Samuel Atta-Kyei (middle) flanked by his two deputies at one of the project sites Government intends to build affordable housing units in rural areas nationwide to help address the growing rate of rural-urban migration. Minister of Works & Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday when he and his two deputies inspected some housing projects at Tema, which are being supervised by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC). He said government could have an arrangement in which the investor says he would use all his money to do it and give respite of five years for payment. The Minister said rural housing projects were urgent, considering the pressure on the major urban centres, especially Accra. He therefore called on chiefs, who were willing to release lands for 'galamsey,' to release lands for housing. Some of the projects inspected included the Kaiser Flats at Community 4, where the court has granted permission to TDC to demolish four flats out of the 30 for redevelopment; Site 3, a commercial property being supervised by TDC; the Kpone Affordable Housing Project and the Navar Housing Project where 23 buildings housing 368 flats were about 98 percent complete. The Minister observed that it was very important to expand the housing projects nationwide to ensure that people, especially professionals like doctors and teachers, were attracted to the rural areas to serve the poor. He also complained about the high cost of acquiring a decent housing facility in the country, noting that the countrys mortgage system do not meet international standards. For instance, he said mortgage firms were selling homes in dollars while buyers were earning their salaries in the local currency. Statistics The country's housing deficit is still quoted at 1.7 million. Many experts believe that addressing the housing deficit would require some level of support from the central government to the private sector. The Ghana Real Estate Development Association (GREDA) recently appealed to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to make available a seed fund of $100 million to support the affordable housing drive. Definition There is contention among industry players on what constitute affordable housing. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lakeside Estate believes an affordable house was one that was priced around $80,000. However, Mr. Atta-Kyei told journalists that affordability is a factor of your ability to pay, adding that there was a need to bridge the housing gap in the country. Meanwhile, Managing Director of TDC, Joe Abbey, has said that his outfit would eject squatters occupying flats earmarked by the law courts for demolition and redevelopment. By Melvin Tarlue On the eve of Workers Day, the country woke to disturbing news from the Daily Guide and other leading news outlets of the shooting and killing of Woobjung Kamoatan, Chief of Sayeegu and his son on their farm and two others in the palace in the Bunkurugu Yonyoo District of the Northern Region. The incident, like many other cases of armed conflict must serve as a wake-up call to all citizens and duty bearers to reflect and demand urgent steps to improve police citizen coverage. As a country of rule of law, it is unacceptable for citizens to live in fear and panic or feel that they must take personal responsibility for their own security by arming themselves with offensive weapons. Ghana is signatory to a number of United Nations Conventions on protecting and promoting citizen right to life, property and security and therefore has a legal and moral obligation to protect, promote and fulfill the fundamental human rights of all its citizens including the right to survival and right to life. The UN global policing standards requires that, for every 500 people there must be at least 1 police officer, sadly data from the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) I Am Aware Project and the 2016 District League Table indicates that, in the Bungurugu Yunyoo District which has a population of 136,687 people, there are only 49 police officers indicating a ratio of 2,789.531 people per police officer or 20.39% police coverage. The situation is even worse in some areas. When we improve police citizen coverage, there will be less propensity to engage in violent crime and a reduction in the proliferation of small arms. We are therefore calling on the Ministry of Interior and the various Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies to take urgent pragmatic steps to meet at least the minimum police coverage of at 1/500 people as recommended by the United Nations. Adhering to this will reduce crime and avoid continued criminal loss of lives. Awal Ahmed Kariama, Executive Director, RISE-Ghana Box 281, Bolgatanga. Email: [email protected] , website: www.riseghana.org Abuja (AFP) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari failed to show up for a weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, despite assurances from his wife that his health was not a cause for concern. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the meeting in the absence of the 74-year-old Buhari, who has now missed the last three gatherings of senior ministers and advisors. The devout Muslim was also absent from Friday prayers last week and failed to attend his grandson's wedding on Saturday. His spokesman said he had undergone "a long period of treatment" for an undisclosed illness in London earlier this year and needed rest. He was working from his private residence. Buhari has been under growing pressure to disclose his state of health since he returned from the British capital in early March after nearly two months away. On Tuesday, prominent Nigerians and civil society activists advised him to take medical leave. Local media reported on Wednesday that former president Olusegun Obasanjo met other ex-military rulers Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar to discuss the situation. Buhari's wife, Aisha, however said her husband's health was "not as bad as it's being perceived", without specifying the nature of his illness. "He continues to carry out his responsibilities during this period," she wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday evening. The health of Nigeria's president has been a sensitive issue since the death in office in 2010 of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, which sparked months of political turmoil and uncertainty. During the 2015 election campaign, Buhari rejected opposition claims that he was seriously ill with prostate cancer and said they were a smear to show him as unfit for office. A 35-year-old woman, Patricia Morrison, met her untimely death when a taxi she was driving veered off the road and landed in an abandoned 'galamsey' pit at Abease, near Cyanide in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region. DAILY GUIDE gathered that the incident happened on Monday evening when three persons, including the deceased, went for driving lessons. Patricia was learning how to drive when the accident occurred while the driver of the taxi with registration number WR 842-16, Andrew Addoh, 21, and Dorothy Adarkwa, who were onboard, escaped death, an eyewitness told DAILY GUIDE. The lifeless body has been deposited at the Tarkwa Government Hospital morgue, while the other two are responding to treatment at the same hospital. Some of the residents also asserted that Andrew Addoh and the two ladies, Patricia and Dorothy were on a driving escapade, which led to the tragedy. The Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, noted that at about 9.45pm on Monday, Andrew Addoh was driving a Daewoo taxi with Patricia, the deceased and Dorothy on board towards Abease in Tarkwa. On reaching a section of the road, Patricia took over the driving and the vehicle veered off the road and landed in a 'galamsey' pit filled with water. The vehicle submerged but Andrew and Dorothy were rescued from the water. All efforts to save Patricia failed and she eventually drowned. Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) helped to retrieve the submerged taxi. The body of Patricia was also retrieved later and conveyed to the mortuary. ASP Adiku noted that Andrew and one Francis, the owner of the cab, had been arrested to help the police in investigations. From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi Portions of the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in Accra have developed deep potholes, just five months after the 74 million project was commissioned. What started as small pothole has become a pond in front of Ernest Chemist close to the Newtown Overhead. The situation is worsening by the day, obstructing the flow of traffic, and the situation becomes worse when there is rainfall, according to CitiFM. Some drivers, who spoke to Citi News, also expressed their frustration about the problem. It is really affecting our work. The potholes delay the flow of traffic. Most of the drivers have to slow down and navigate their turns and this causes traffic, one driver complained. The Ghanaian drivers are not the only ones affected by the development as Nigerian drivers in the same area also complain bitterly. They say the potholes have been there for almost three months now. The potholes have been here for like three months now. There is a burst pipe here which erodes the roads. It is slowing down business because most of the drivers do not want to come here because their tires will get burst and all that. It also causes delay and traffic. The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) came here to fix the problem but because they do not know what exactly the problem is, they are unable to fix it, a Nigeria driver said. Former President John Dramani Mahama has taken responsibility for the NDC defeat in the 2016 election and Democratic Party's candidate for the 2016 elections ( Presidential) Hillary Clinton, has also taken personal responsibility for her loss to Donald Trump.On the part of Mr John Mahama, he accepted full responsibility without attributing it to specific reasons though he mentioned in his concession speech that there were few irregularities but accepted the results to ensure peace and harmony. Madam Clinton however mentioned Russian interference in the US election and the release just before the election of a letter by FBI director,James Comey According to Hillary her campaign team and the Democratic Party made mistakes apart from her earlier reasons.President Mahama did not apposition blames rather, he took absolute responsibility for the loss and called on party faithfuls to put the past behind them and focus more on the party's reorganization and used the "lame horse" analogy to support that clarion call.Hillary's confession has increased her credibility rating in the US according to major media platforms in the US.John Mahama's statement reduced the tension in the party and also reduced making of reckless and panic statements in the media by some disgruntled party members. Yes,the former President has taken full responsibility for the loss but it is still important we delve into other reasons which contributed to the loss apart from the party's own internal issues which members think contributed to the defeat.We must do so because we also have other members of the public who are not core members of the NDC but have interest in politics in Ghana. Prior to the election we heard about the DKM and "God is love" issue and the alleged involvement of the first family Mr/Mrs Mahama in the nefarious activities of the operators of these microfinance companies. The swindled ( Victims) were made to believe that the first family were the main people behind these companies and this wicked agenda was repeatedly hammered into the minds and ears of the victims till it metamorphosed into truth.Series of demonstrations and insults were directed at the first family engineered by apparatchiks of the opposition and was fully supported by some party bigwigs who knew very well that the allegation being peddled around was not true.The first family that own number of Hotels in Dubai,Fuel (filling) stations across Africa, Hotels in Ghana, Banks in Ghana ( Merchant Bank) lands and aircrafts operating in Africa, decided to swindle farmers,teachers,traders etc in the Brong Ahafo Region to survive? This was the logic adversaries of the former first family espoused which was accepted by some intellectuals, academicians, politicians,pastors etc as wholly true and accurate. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo just appointed one Alexander Gyan as his nominee for the position of District Chief Executive for Kintampo South but already,citizens in the area have started serious demonstration against his nomination the reason being that Alexander Gyan was the Area manager for the notorious "God is love" microfinance company and other microfinance companies including DKM. I don't know if it was Lordina Mahama or his husband who appointed this Npp apparatchik to head represent their company in the area without weighing the possible political dangers.People bought into such lies and swore to vote out Mahama which they did.The irony is that contributions made these unfortunate victims were used steroids to incite them against the Mahama administration, posters and T-shirts were made from such contributions,vehicles were purchased from it all in the name of political propaganda and deceit. Just like they did with the DKM/"God is Love" propaganda, the opposition using its media cabal and cronies in some civil society organisations, misinterpreted the Millennium Challenge Compact agreement and incited workers of ECG against the Mahama administration with false information that workers were going to be retrenched and would begin after the agreement with Millennium Challenge Account has been signed. A member of the Npp was in court to stop the whole negotiation.President Mahama on many platforms assured workers of ECG that there would be no worker retrenchment occurring as a result of the reform rather the move was targeted at enhancing technology and efficiency in power distribution and going to help ECG become a stronger company. Nana Addo and his cronies worked through some link men in the ECG to distorted these facts and constantly incited the ECG workers against Mahama and his government. We heard the President on the issue when he addressed workers at the May Day Anniversary. The deal he and his cronies and party apparatchiks vehemently spoke against and sought for its nullification by the court,is being continued by the new administration and being supported vigorously using same argument and facts President Mahama repeated on when the ECG workers raised issues against the compact. http://adomonline.com/ghana-news/dkm-victims-protest-kintampo-south-dce-nominee/ http://citifmonline.com/2016/05/01/govt-wont-privatize-ecg-mahama-insists/ IS THE MAHAMA FAMILY PART OF THE FINANCIERS OF THE ONE DISTRICT OF FACTORY INITIATIVE? I am asking this question because of the $100,000 support the Merchant Bank is giving to one district one factory initiative vis-a-vis this lie http://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/I-don-t-own-Merchant-Bank-Ibrahim-Mahama-401454 This lie also gained support in the media and was "decorated" nicely by some intellectuals, lawyers and pastors.The former first family was linked to this false story but today,we are being told a different story, the truth is boldly dancing on our screens,Merchant Bank allegedly being owned by the Mahama's has suddenly become one of the new administration's development partners. Countrymen, going forward, we must try and bury tribal and ethnic considerations when deciding the destiny of our great nation, harbouring of decades old negative issues kills our analytical prowess, feeding on suspicions and lies is dangerous Hillary mentioned interference as part of the reasons why she lost,the interference here was these lies and distortions. In the wake of loud voices against illegal mining practices across the country, a group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Talensi, wants Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd, (a registered Chinese Mining Support Company) out of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region. According the Concerned Citizens of Talensi, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd has not been useful to the Talensi District, but rather, caused harm in the district, where many strong and energetic young men keep losing their lives due to what they describe as, wicked and illegal mining operations. They accused the Shaanxi Mining Company of mining in the area for itself and yet keep deceiving the public and Law enforcing Agencies since 2010, of only providing Mining Support Services to two Small Scale Mining Groups (Pubuotaba and Yenyeya). We do not trust the validity of their documentation and registration as a Mining Support Service Provider to these Small Scale Mining groups. In June 2012 we requested a legal search on Shaanxi Mining's operations in Talensi, but the Mineral Commission rather produced a Cadastral Map with explanation that, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd had not been registered to operate in Talensi in any capacity. However, in 2013, the Company claimed to have a Certificate of Registration dated 2010, at a meeting in the office of the Upper East Regional Minister. There is a clear indication that, some Officials of the Mineral Commission were either over protecting or collaborating with Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd in their wrong doings in Talensi. It is also surprising that, even though, the Minerals and Mining (Support Services) Regulations 2012, LI 2174, seeks to preserve Mining Support Services to only Ghanaian local companies, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd, has been allowed and shielded to operate. They said. The Concerned Citizens of Talensi accused Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd of mining in unauthorized areas and also trespassing into other concessions, which has resulted in conflicts with almost every Small Scale Mining License holder in the Gbane mining area, leading to some death of some Small Scale Miners over the years. They also accused Shaanxi Mining Ghana of mining against Standard Practices, saying, they blast unannounced and use bad method of stopping. Out of 502 Ghanaian employees, about 450 are paid salaries below GHc250.00 per month for working for 8 hours per day. Due to poor safety measures, many are dead by accidents, while others are injured, uncompensated and made to pay their medical bills. The Company has also not paid any SSNIT contribution for employees since 2012, irrespective of complaints made to SSNIT by employees. They hinted that Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd, does not pay taxes for Mining in Talensi, because of their pretence to be rendering Mining Support Services and also denied Land-owners, Traditional Authorities and the Talensi District Assembly their royalties. Meanwhile, the P.R.O of Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd, Maxwel Wooma, has denied all allegations, saying the Company was ready to open and show its documents to the media. Our operations are legal and we abide by best practices in the industry. He noted. Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Sheiga While many are commending the president for calling on workers to up their game during his May Day speech, I will like to look at the issue differently. Public Sector Workers (PSWs) operate within a system, so while it may be a good sound bite for the president to call them lazy, their non-performance or low level of productivity is symptomatic of the dysfunctional system we operate within. For PSWs to function efficiently, state actors must address a number of factors Public Transport System, Housing/Rent, Logistics or tools at the work place, Pension, etc. Many a Ghanaian worker who live and worker in the capital understand how terrible the transportation situation is it is a headache that one must endure every morning and evening. All workers depend on road, meanwhile public transport is virtually non-existent, and where it exists, it is inefficient. Workers who commute from areas like Spintex, Madina, Ashale Botwe, Aburi, Adenta, Kasoa, Gbawe, Tema, etc to work in the centre of the city consistently endure a snail paced vehicular traffic; most of them leave home very early yet end up at work late hence they start the working day already frustrated and stressed. After 3pm, every workers focus shifts from his or her duties to that tortuous journey back home. To escape the tiring vehicular traffic, most workers either leave work early or stay till late. Those who have the misfortune of going through the vehicular traffic usually get home late and tired; unfortunately, once they get home, they must immediately start thinking about the next days journey to work it is a painful and health threatening cycle. For things to improve as the president directed, there must be a complete overhaul of our public transport system. Apart from ensuring an improved, working, and efficient road transport system, we must begin to explore alternatives to road, specifically, rail. I have not travelled much but I have seen 2 or 3 three European capitals, and using Lisbon as an example, one can travel the entire stretch of the city from Lisbon International Airport to the Port of Lisbon in less than 45 minutes using the underground train. Imagine having underground rail lines from Tema to Kasoa; Aburi to Accra; Kasoa to the Spintex, with intersections at various points; imagine just how the Ghanaian worker will be eased. Housing and Rental is another big headache for the Ghanaian worker. For most part or the entirety of the Public Sector Workers life, he or she is renting; even though we have a rent act which is supposed to regulate the duration per which a rent advance can be charged by any landlord, maximum six months, landlords charge in excess, sometimes demanding up to three years rent advance due to demand outstripping supply. Workers are subjected to all forms of abuses and exploitations by profit driven landlords. Any PSW who leaves in a rented accommodation is consistently worried about where his next rent will come from, assuming, the landlord is even willing to renew the rent agreement. If the landlord serves an eviction notice, searching for new place to move into in Accra or any of the other Regional capitals is a nightmare. For those who try to build their own houses, they literally scrap their accounts dry at the end of the month to keep the project going for those in this category, hand to mouth is the norm other dreams or ambitions are differed and allowed to fester. Government must take a second look at the rent act and ensure strict implementation and adherence, while urgent steps are taken to put up low cost houses for the benefit of low income workers. The mortgage regime must be streamlined to afford workers the opportunity acquire their own houses against their future earnings at the moment, mortgages are too expensive in this country. No worker can be productive if the tools needed to deliver on the job are non-existent. I have worked in the private sector all my working life teaching in some of the best international schools in the country; in all these years, I have never used my personal money to buy a marker, duster, pen, pencil, exercise/notebook, or any other tool required for my job. In fact, when I get to work, there is internet connectivity throughout the day, and when the lights are out, the standby power plant kicks in seamlessly hence there is little or no interruption in delivery at all. At the end of the academic year, I need not worry my head over what textbooks my students will use, I simply send my list to the appropriate officer and they are ordered; I need not think about reprographics with all these, I have no excuse for failure or non-performance. Compare the picture I have just painted to what pertains in the public sector and you will see the debilitating contrast. In most public sector institutions, when there is a power outage, work must come to a standstill because of the non-availability of standby plants the tragic truth is that they simply lack the basic tools to work with. If the president expects public sector workers and institutions to be efficient and deliver at full capacity, he must ensure that they are well resourced and tooled. Every worker must inevitably go on pension. Ideally, a worker should look forward to his pension with optimism, hope, and excitement because that is the time one finally gets to rest and enjoy some of the benefits or luxurious of life which were previously forgone due the pressures of work. Ironically, the situation for the Ghanaian public sector worker is entirely different. For the average Ghanaian worker, pension is more of a death warrant or a pass to misery than rest. Most public sector workers from age 50 begin to think more about their pension and the life beyond than work; they are either thinking about how to complete that long overdue house, or how they can continue to cater for the childrens fees and other needs it becomes a period of great tribulation or agony for even those in top management positions whose conditions may be better it becomes a question of productivity versus survival. When such a situation arises, the first rule of nature, the preservation of the self, sets in and productivity suffers. The new pensions regime is a good start, but SSNIT in particular, must be tasked to manage and invest workers contributions prudently to ensure better returns workers deserve better pensions. I have had my own challenges in my interface with public sector workers and institutions, and I am not suggesting for a minute that their output is above board, but I also find it rather too simplistic and unfair for anybody to suggest that they are lazy and unproductive. As we call on them to be productive and professional in the discharge of their duties, let us remember that it takes two to tango the employer too, government, must also discharge its obligations are far as the above factors and others are concerned. Boniface A. Sutinga (CPAG and TPA) 03.05.2017 LISTEN The Group President of McOttley Holdings, Richard Dugan has been named the Young Entrepreneur of the Year " at the Ghana @ 60 edition of the Ghana Entrepreneurs & Corporate Executives Awards (GECEA) held at the Banquet Hall, State House. The awards event organized by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana identifies, recognizes and honours Entrepreneurs & Corporate executives who have exhibited superior performance that has helped them create jobs and add value to society. Richard Dugan was the youngest award winner for the night and was recognised for his exceptional entrepreneurial skills, business leadership and vision in founding McOttley at a young age and growing it into an internationally recognised brand. I am honoured and humbled to be adjudged the Young Entrepreneur of the Year said Richard Dugan. I am grateful to God for this grace and to the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana for this recognition. I would like to dedicate this award to my dear wife Anita Dugan for her support and the entire staff of McOttley for their commitment to the McOttley vision. This award is an encouragement to me for the years of hard work and motivation to work harder Richard Dugan is a young, passionate entrepreneur and expert in investment banking with years of experience having successfully founded a thriving investment bank McOttley Capital in 2013 which is currently adjudged Ghanas Best Growing Investment Bank. He also founded McOttley Money Lending and McOttley Properties. His leadership has led the company to win many prestigious international awards in 2015 and 2016 from different institutions in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. The awards include BID International award for Quality, Best client service and Best new investment bank 2015 by International Finance Magazine, Best Enterprise Award 2016 by the European Business Assembly and Best Boutique Investment Bank 2016 by the Capital Finance International (UK). Also he has been awarded as one of the top Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Ghana 2015 and the Best Manager 2016 by the European Business Assembly, Germany. Richard is a proactive entrepreneur who is passionate about the total empowerment of people through entrepreneurship. He set up the Richard Dugan Entrepreneurial Challenge (RDEC) to dare tertiary students to develop their entrepreneur skills and to assist them set up businesses after school. This is to raise young entrepreneurs to help reduce unemployment among the youth. McOttley Holdings is the umbrella company of McOttley Capital Limited, McOttley Money lending and McOttley Properties Limited. McOttley focuses on areas of investment banking, credit to small and medium scale enterprises, real estate and property management services. Among other things, Richard Dugan is also the Group President of EEAR Holdings parent company of EEAR Multimedia and EEAR Logistics. Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com Accra, May 2, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, arrived in the Togolese capital of Lome to a rousing welcome from residents, at the commencement of his three-day visit. President Akufo-Addo, who made the trip to Togo by road, was met at the Aflao border by the Togolese President, Faure GnassingbA, together with scores of Ghanaians and Togolese who had lined up along the principal streets of Aflao en route to Lome. Amidst the waving of flags of the two countries, President Akufo-Addo and President GnassingbA acknowledged the cheers of welcome and greetings from ecstatic residents, as they made their way to the presidential palace for their first meeting. The two leaders were met at the presidential palace by Togolese politician, Gilchrist Olympio, son of Sylvanus Olympio, Togo's first President. Gilchrist Olympio was a long-time opponent of the regime of GnassingbA Eyadema, and was President of the Union of Forces for Change (UFC), Togo's main opposition party from the 1990s till 2013, when he responded to the calls by President Faure GnassingbA, son of the late President Eyadema, for national reconciliation, which saw him take a senior position in the Togolese State. President Akufo-Addo's visit to Togo is part of the first phase of his tour of countries of the ECOWAS region. The visit would afford him the opportunity to introduce himself, as the new Ghanaian leader, formally to the governments and peoples of Ghana's neighbouring countries, explore and deepen bilateral relations with them, and reiterate Ghana's full commitment to the ECOWAS project. On Wednesday, May 3, 2017, President Akufo-Addo's would visit the Noepe border post, accompanied by President Faure GnassingbA, before the pair hold bilateral talks at the presidential palace. A working ministerial session of the two delegations will also take place simultaneously at the palace. Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP; Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen; National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah; Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, MP; Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, MP; Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Kofi Adda, MP, are all part of President Akufo-Addo's delegation. President Akufo-Addo would also be taken on a tour of the harbour at Lome, before interacting with the Ghanaian community resident in Togo. A State dinner hosted by the Togolese President will be held in honour of President Akufo-Addo, later that evening. The President would depart on Thursday morning for Ouagadougou, to begin his two-day visit to Burkina Faso. GNA Sunyani, May 3, GNA - Mr Joseph Kumah-Mackay, the defeated New Patriotic Party Parliamentary candidate for Sene West constituency of Brong-Ahafo region has appealed to supporters to accept the choice of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as Municipal and District Chief Executives. He underlined the need for the various district assemblies to facilitate the confirmation of the President's nominees so that they could assume duty as soon as possible. He also appealed to government to recognise and appreciate the contributions of candidates, who contested the various Parliamentary seats in election 2016 and lost. Mr Kumah-Mackay, who is the International Development Manager of Media Savvy Solutions, a United Kingdom based media consultancy firm made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani He congratulated Mr John Nyarba, the nominated Sene West District Chief Executive for the position and was optimistic that the chiefs and people of the area would support him for the rapid development of the district. He indicated that most of them self-financed their campaigns and contributed financially and logistically to the victory of the party adding, the government would be ungrateful to them if it overlooked such support and denied them appointments. He explained that he and other NPP members home and abroad received the announcement of the President's nominee with utmost shock and disbelief. "I already knew my constituency is among the strongholds of the NDC in Brong-Ahafo but I was not discouraged at all because if I even lost the Parliamentary seat and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won power I will be glad", Mr Kumah-Mackay indicated. He observed that it would be a great discouragement to the youth of the NPP, if the government failed to recognise the role of defeated parliamentary candidates. "I will never pray that our great party should go to opposition, but some of us must be bold and send the correct signals to the leadership of the party and the government so that the grievances of disgruntled members of the party would be known and addressed", Mr Kumah-Mackay stated. He warned that if the NPP would remained stronger, then the government must respect the choice of the people, party supporters especially those at the grassroot adding that the party's failure to do so would not augur well in the long term. Mr Kumah-Mackay expressed appreciation to the NPP Sene west executive, the chiefs and people of the two traditional areas- Dwan and Wiase traditional areas as well as supporters of the party for their support during election 2016 and assured that with such support the party would capture the constituency parliamentary seat in election 2020. "I am still not perturbed because it's my desire to capture the constituency seat for the NPP no matter what it takes me", he added. GNA By Dennis Peprah, GNA The current high lending rate offered to non-bank financial institutions by the Central Bank is rendering them uncompetitive and unproductive. This is according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Women's World Banking Ghana, Madam Charlotte Lilly Baidoo. She contends that the high rates offered by the BOG compels them to equally lend at higher rates to customers. You know what we are facing right now is that we are dealing mainly with money markets and the monies are very expensive for the kind of business that we do. She added so when we buy the money the cost of fund is very high and it is difficult for us to equally sell it cheap making our business very expensive in the eyes of most Ghanaians. Meanwhile Madam Baidoo said the situation has made it difficult for them to increase their client base as most people would prefer to go to a bank where they can access funds at a cheaper rate. The banks can go to Bank of Ghana and borrow we can't go to Bank of Ghana and borrow at a cheap rate of 23%; we buy the money more that 23%, this situation has given them the upper hand in attracting more customers. Madam Charlotte Lilly Baidoo said government should set up a fund which non-bank financial institutions could tap into. So we plead with the Central Bank or whoever is in charge to set up a fund for us whether it's a venture capital fund or any other fund so that we can tap into kit and then lending rates will go down. By: Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana 03.05.2017 LISTEN The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers-Ghana (COPECGH) has charged state authorities to take robust measures to sanction individuals involved in the illegal importation of fuel that leads to an annual loss of GHC850 million due to tax evasion. We call on the government, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ensure immediate arrest and prosecution of all players in this criminal activity without fail as these people have all clearly benefited in one way or the other from criminal proceeds that destroy both the country and the downstream, COPECGH noted in a statement released on Wednesday, May 3, by its Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah. The chamber explained that these illegal operators load from depots mainly in Tema and Takoradi where there is a heavy security presence and involvement of GRA officials together with National Security and the Bureau of National Security (BNI) officials. COPECGH bemoaned the practice where vessels dock at the main ports and along the coastline to discharge illegal products onto bulk road vehicles in the full glare of security officials whose active connivance emboldens these illegal operators to carry out these activities without anyone being arrested. For the Chamber, the menace of supposed export products marked for neighbouring landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali which allows these illegal operators to pay about $0.46/litre instead of the market rate of $0.96/litre for same by the genuine players downstream can only be blamed squarely at the doorsteps of NPA. It also emphasised that the NPA was aware of the growing menace where these operators evade taxes in the name of exporting the products but eventually sell in Ghana. COPECGH bemoaned how authorities had increased the number of export licences to these players over the past year without any proper audit of the activities of the illegal players they keep licensing by the day. According to COPECGH, the issue which has been in the full knowledge of officials of state institutions tasked with monitoring and curbing such nefarious practices has now metamorphosed into a full blown national crisis as illegal downstream operators are on record to have pocketed a colossal GHC850 million in the year 2016 alone. COPECGH has, therefore, proposed the following: 1. Immediate audit, investigation and open arrest and prosecution of ALL operators involved in this blatant evasion of taxes and subsequent dumping of untested products into our dumps and invariably into unsuspecting tanks of motorists. 2. Immediate dismissal or transfer and demotion of all security operatives who are paid to ensure such a creeping negative menace is checked and controlled. 3. Immediate halt of all petroeleum 'exports' from the southern part of the country to the Bolga depot and escorting of same at the expense of the business people engaged in genuine exports. 4. Setting up of a national tracking centre primarily to wire, track, and audit all petroleum sales across the country. 5. Immediate resignation of the heads of Monitoring and Planning at the NPA for gross display of negligence to such heavy revenue losses over an entire year period which is still ongoing even today with likely losses for 2017 estimated to be even higher at around 1 billion when the government needs these revenues badly to carry out its development programmes. 6. Immediate dismissal or transfer of all (GRA) officials from the various depots for same neglect and in some cases active collusion to enable the illegal operators evade taxes as some of these export trucks are known to load sometimes twice in a day to destinations that will normally take three days or more to do a return journey from. 7. Immediate arrests of all National Security and BNI officials at the ports of Tema and Takoradi where vessels dock to discharge all manner of products into trucks and are allowed to leave the well-secured gates of these ports without any arrests of these operators who clearly pay their way through a supposed secure system. Sequel to my article titled The rot at Kwabeng Police Division, there appears to be a proxy war by phantom and faceless callers masquerading as concerned citizens in the Atiwa Division. But what surprises me is that all the callers claim to be citizens of Abomoso, which happens to be my hometown. Yours sincerely comes from the holy villages of Abomoso (matrilineal) and Sankubenase (patrilineal). Since the article first hit the news stand, I have received more than five calls from individuals who claim to come from Abomoso telling me that the District Police Commander, Isaac Yeboah is doing a very good job at Abomoso and the surrounding villages. They claim that their man the District Commander has nipped in the bud the nefarious activities of wee and cocaine dealers in the Abomoso township. I do not begrudge them on their claims. It may be true or false. They are entitled to their views. But before I go into the substantive issues, I would like to state here that I, Daniel Danquah Damptey will not do anything to malign any public official, much more one of the Chief Law Enforcing Officers in my own District. That is not in my character. But I detest injustice. It pains me to see or hear an innocent person being victimized to satisfy somebodys whims and caprices. Those who know me will vouch for me in this regard. I have carried this fight or crusade to the Church and other institutions. You can call me what you like, but trust me, that is the way God created me and I am grateful to Him for making me the way I am. So, let no individual think I just sit in my bedroom to concoct stories about high ranking public officers. No, I do not do that. My stories come out after an exhaustive investigation. So those who called me to issue threats and abuses on me should be careful what they do, otherwise they will invite the wrath of God upon themselves and their families. But I sincerely believe that those phantom and faceless individuals cannot be doing what they are doing including the threats on my life without the promptings of some powers above or God Fathers.. I would like to recount two of such incidents. I cannot give verbatim accounts of the two nasty incidents, but the first one goes like this. Phone rings . I picked the call but the caller refuses to talk. Me: Hello, this is Mr. Damptey. Please who is calling? Caller: It doesnt matter. I am from Abomoso. There was an article in the newspapers and they say you wrote it. I want to tell you that the Commander is doing a very good work in the District especially at Abomoso and you must not do anything to spoil his good name. Me: My friend, have you read the said article? You are telling me they say you wrote it. That implies you have not read it but you are basing your views on what people told you. Go and read it and you will understand the point I was making. Caller: You dont live in this town but you are allowing the Commanders enemies to use you. We in Abomoso will not allow it. Why are you doing this? People smoke wee and are arrested and you say the man is doing something bad. He has got rid of wee smokers in the town and you are crucifying him. Are you one of them? The people of Abomoso will not allow you to .. The phantom and faceless caller had become insane or demented. He was raining insults, curses and threats on my person. I allowed him to continue in his chosen line of threats and curses till I felt I had had enough. He would not allow me to put in even a word. I therefore had to cut the line. . The call came in on Monday, 3rd April, 2017 at 3.00pm This message is directed at the owner or user of phone number 0249806890 who called me to issue threats and curses on me. I want to tell him that I, Citizen Daniel Danquah Damptey was brought up by civilized parents, whom I am proud of. I have been taught to put up my best face forward in public but I say with all the venom in me that if I do not encounter the likes of the owner of Phone Number 0249806890, who will act as castrated eunuchs and sell his conscience for peanuts to the highest bidder, I would not have missed anything of value. On 25th April, 2017, I had a similar conversation with the owner of 0243568218, who claimed to be Secretary to one of the Supreme Court Judges. I asked him of his name but he refused to tell me but went on to issue curses and even death threats on my person. I told him he was impersonating, but he retorted that I would not live to see the end of the matter. Wagyimi, wo nnim nyansa. Onyankopon betua wo ka. Enkye koraa Wobewu afi wiase ha. Wogyedi se asem yi beko awie na wotease? Dabi! Wobewu! Me na meka. Wobewu Translated into English, this was what that faceless, phantom impersonator said in Twi. You are stupid. You dont have sense. God will punish you. You will die very soon. Do you think you will be alive by the time this case ends? No, you would be dead. I am telling you, you will long be dead. These two shameless and satanic scoundrels are examples of drug addicts in the society who are prepared to do anything including taking the lives of individuals for peanuts and to settle personal scores. If they are men of principles, why did they not mention their names? One even went to the extent of indulging in impersonation. Now to the substantive issues raised in my write up and the phone conversations I had with the supposed advocates of Commander Isaac Yeboah. All the callers claimed to come from Abomoso. Was it a mere coincidence that Abomoso happens to be my hometown so that they would create a credulity doubt in the minds of the people for me? The latter appears to be the case. If not, then I am yet to know their motive. . All the callers told me that Commander Isaac Yeboah has rid the Abomoso Township of wee and cocaine peddlers and smokers. If that indeed is true, then and I commend him on that. But can they tell the public how many of such suspects have been prosecuted in court not to talk of the number of convictions gained in the last couple of months? If the number of prosecution is far below the number of arrests made, does that not tell you that something is amiss? In all the conversations I had, I always asked the callers why it is that only citizens of Abomoso have been heaping praises on the Commander to the exclusion of other towns? I asked them why not one single individual from other towns especially Kwabeng which happens to be the District Capital has not raised any issue in defence of the Commander?. To that, I am yet to get an answer. Please, let us reason as intelligent individuals. I did not raise any issue on the competence of the Commander. So, whether the Commander is competent or not, that is not the issue here. I said that the Atiwa District Commander led a detachment of policemen to arrest some suspects at Akrofufu in the night. I also stated that the detachment included a civilian, Alhaji by name who was clothed in Police uniform. True or false? That is the issue we need to interrogate not the competence level of Commander Isaac Yeboah. Did it happen or not? And is it right to cloth an informant in police uniform when the Police go to arrest a suspect? Do Police regulations allow this? Again, do the family of suspects have to pay the transport fares of suspects when the latter are being taken to court? Again, does the Divisional Police have a vehicle? If it does, why do the families of the accused/suspects have to bear the cost of transporting them to court? And if I may ask, is the offence so grievous to warrant the Commander and more than seven policemen to stage a commando style raid on a building housing three suspects? How many times have the Commander led such expeditions since he became head of the District Police Command? Why was the vehicle that was used for the raid not used to convey the suspects to court? Was there any search warrant obtained before the raid on the house of the accused at that odd time in the night? Did the correct time of the raid written in the Police Dairy? My investigations reveal the time of the raid was given as 9.30 am in court whereas the Police stormed the place around 12.30 am. I have done an in-depth investigation into the matter, contrary to what the backers and supporters are saying. I called the father of the accused and he told me that he met and spoke with the Commander after a long wait at the Police Station. The Commander told him that as a matter of fact, they did not find anything on the accused, but they sent some men to buy the stuff from one of the accused. Why did the Police transfer the case from the Kwabeng District Court to the one in Koforidua? And did constable Alhaji slap the accused persons when they raided the house? Another mind-bugging question to be unraveled. Three suspects were arrested that night. The third, Yaw Collins was drunk dead and was being fed by the wife when the Police banged into his room. He was vomiting. He operates a drinking bar. The police took some bottles of the drinks he was selling away. They are yet to return drinks. Why was he not prosecuted in court like the two others who? He was left off the hook because he bought his freedom with an amount of Five Hundred Ghana Cedis. (GHC500.00). This is the truth, not fabricated. Could the Police give any tangible reason why Yaw Collins was not sent to court? His wife brought out the money to the police before he was granted bail. Again, Police Constable Alhaji who was clothed in Police uniform collected One Hundred Ghana Cedis (GHC100.00) from a relative of the accused as compensation for the alleged beaten he had suffered at the hands of Kenneth Adarkwa and his friends when the missing cow of the accused (Kenneth Adarkwa) was traced to Constable Alhaji. This is also authentic because the District Commander, Isaac Yeboah called that relative to confirm that fact. There is also a very serious allegation hanging on the neck of the Atiwa District Police Command. Whilst the suspects were in police cell at Kwabeng, another suspect called T.T. a Krobo (just for identification purpose) residing in Kwabeng was arrested for dealing in drugs and he paid a whopping Four Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC4,000.00) or 40million Cedis before regaining his freedom. This is a test case for the Ghana Police Service. During the era of the Nefarious Destructive Cancers administration, Ghanaians could not go to sleep with even one eye closed. Now that God has been magnanimous by ridden the country of those who nearly plunged the country into an abyss, we expect something better from our Police Service led by the indefatigable IGP. We expect to sleep soundly with both eyes close. We dont have to sleep standing still. Again, the National Communication Authority should do us the favour by revealing the true identities behind the faceless and phantom users of these phone numbers: 0249806890 and 0243568218. Using ones phone to issue threats and impersonate another person are criminal offences punishable by law. The owners of the above two telephone numbers who today are defending the indefensible and whose mouths are dripping like dogs baying for my blood might not understand my genuine motives today, and so would want the status quo to remain, so that the citizenry might live in perpetual fear of the Police like our fore-fathers did under colonial rule. Today they are singing a different tune because their man is the top dog. But a new Pharaoh might emerge who will not know Joseph. It will be that time that there will be cries and gnashing of teeth. But then, it will be too late. The Police in South Africa used tear gas and bullets to mow down defenseless and innocent school children whose only crime was to go on a demonstration against the imposition of the Oppressors language as a medium of instruction in schools. That action was widely condemned by the international community. We should not overlook the fact that the agitation was started by s single individual before it got spread to other schools in the neighborhood. You might condemn me for my chosen path, but I know that is the right thing. And as Nigerias Social Critic, Tai Solarin once said: I have chosen to follow my own path. I dont look back to see whether any one is following me or not. If we fold our arms and allow one Police Commander to clothe a civilian in police uniform, a time will come when Ghanaians, especially those in the Atiwa District will curse their stars and say that they would have been better off if they had joined me in this unilateral campaign. Do we want our Police Service to be transformed into a Police Force? We cannot use unlawful and unregulated excessive use of brutal force by our Police to cow our citizens into positions of servitude. To the Talibans who have issued a fatwa on my life, I want them to know that I am not worried by their threats because as a Devout Christian who serves The Living God, my life is in the Hands of the Almighty who created me for a purpose. And as the Lord was with Moses and Joshua, so is HE with me. He will never let me down; not even for a moment. So, if today, such irredeemable and conscienceless souls who have deliberately refused to differentiate right from wrong are being teleguided by unseen hands who erroneously believe they have the law on their side because of the positions they occupy in the security service, I have this candid advice for them. They should beware of the Ides of March. We live in a wonderful world where anything can happen at any time. Mr IGP, over to you! Eagle Eyes are watching. Daniel Danquah Damptey ( [email protected] ) 0243715297 James Kwabena Bomfe 03.05.2017 LISTEN James Kwabena Bomfe used to be one of my top admirers for the principled stance he took on national issues. But I cannot say so now. Initially, I had thought, erroneously that he was out for a change. Little did I know that he was not a genuine patriot, but a snake under green grass! Yes, people like Kwabena Bomfeh are a disappointment and betrayal to our genuine aspirations. His bellicose attitude against Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP began to manifest itself just before the December, 2016 Elections. He has since gained notoriety as a ranting ant. In all sincerity, I can rightly say he is cut in the mould of the well-known CIA agent in Ghana. But who is this notorious character, one may ask? Well, do you remember the Wilkileaks tapes that were made public just before the December, 2008 General Elections? Here was this massa mantra of a man who secretly went to the U.S. Embassy in Accra to fabricate lies about a decent and patriotic Ghanaian that God has prepared to put the destiny of this great nation into his hands. But the fact that King Midas had asses ears could not be hidden for long. And so it was with the greatest schemer and liar of all time - My good old friend, Kwesi Pratt of massas mantra. There is no other word I can use to describe the two buddies other than those I have used. The two are the very embodiment of the devil incarnate, for their notoriety knows no bounds. But between Kwabena Bomfeh and my good old friend, Massa Kwesi Pratt, I cannot say which of them is the worst culprit is. I leave that decision to you. Kwabena Bomfehs true colours began to manifest themselves few months to the December, 2016 Tsunami which swept away the last vestiges of the corrupt, rudderless and Mephistophelean Nefarious Destructive Cancers administration, led by confused and tribalistic, John Dramani Mahama. At that time, Current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo became the focal point of Kwabena Bomfehs attack. Whether the matter that was being discussed had anything to do with Nana Akufo Addo or the NPP, the self-appointed destroyer of the NPP would attack Nana Akufo Addo personality. I did not understand him then, and I still dont. In one of my history lessons I learnt about Ancient Rome which then had Carthage as one of its vassal states. There was an old senator, Cato by name. No matter which topic was being discussed, anytime he had an opportunity to make a contribution, he would always end his speech with the words: Cartago delenda est, meaning Carthage must be destroyed. Now, what is Kabila saying here? He is alleging that the country is a secular state and so cannot use state funds to build a Cathedral for the Christian Community. Well, he is entitled to his own myopic idea. No doubt at all since the constitution of the land guarantees him that. But who is contesting the fact that Ghana is a secular state? None! What then is Kabilas unnecessary gaffe here? All that the State is doing is to provide land for the project. Chikenah! The various Denominations in the Christian Community are contributing money to put up the Cathedral. But be as it may be, I wish Kabila had not ventured into an area he is not conversant with and which has the propensity of inflaming religious tension in the country. I wish he would either remove or adjust his lenses and reason as a patriotic Ghanaian. Did he ascertain the facts before coming to the conclusion that the Cathedral is being funded from state coffers? Would he in all sincerity answer these posers? Is the Presidents well-being not the responsibility of the State? Does that not include his mental, physical as well as spiritual well-being? How can we cater for his Physical health but deny responsibility for his spiritual well-being? Late President Professor John Evans Atta Mills decided he would not tolerate the pouring of libation at State functions and that was that. Kabila kept quiet in those days. Why did he not protest against the offering of Christian and Islamic prayers at State Functions then? When did he realize the Country is a secular state? If we were to go by his line of argument, it follows then that neither Christian nor Islamic prayers could also be offered at State functions. You see how hollow and untenable his argument is. Do traditionalists not have a stake in the affairs of the country? Did anybody complain when late President Mills issued his fatwa? None, not even the traditionalists who were affected by the edict or fatwa raised a voice! But we are a considerate and fair-minded people. Late President Mills established a Chaplaincy at the Castle which then served as both his official residence and the Seat of Power. The State bore all the expenses incurred during the period then Chaplaincy was in existence. Revered men of God were sponsored or seconded to The Castle to attend to the spiritual needs of the then Number One Citizen. In all those instances, Kabila kept mute. But now, he has regained his voice. Today, my good old friend and brother, Kwabena Bomfeh, aka Kabila is raving, raging and ranting like an ant at any decision taken by the Presidency. Ghanaians need to ensure that the Physical, mental and the Spiritual well-being of our President as well as his Vice are well-taken care of. It was for that reason Ghanaians spent such horrendous amount of money to ensure that late President Mills regained his health. Unfortunately, some unpatriotic elements at the Presidency made such a wish impossible. It is now crystal clear that any positive point to be scored by frustrating the desperate and mischievous antics of Kabila will be highly commendable. Kabila has constituted himself into a serial critic who has made it his mantra to make strong and caustic remarks about Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and his administration. We have not forgotten so soon the desperate attempts to defend the erroneous notion that the Ghanaian Nation has only one Founder, not Founders. This was after Current President had called for a debate on the matter. Ghanaians are now wide awake and will not allow what happened to late President Mills to happen to Nana Addo. If your mother has counseled you, we have equally received same from our mothers. (se wo maame atu wo fo a, yenso, yen maame atu yen fo). Ghanaians would not fold their arms and allow evil manipulators to take President Nana Akufo Addo down the same precipice they took Mills through en route to Golgotha. We were all in this country when we were told by Nii Lante Vanderpuye, MP for Odododiodoo and avowed hater of the Akan race that a juju ring was made for late President Professor Atta Mills to counteract the evil effects after late President Mills shook hands with a prominent Chief from the Western Region? I, Citizen Daniel Danquah Damptey, who appointed himself Special Aide to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, when he was the Presidential Candidate of the NPP will defend to the last atom of my energy and everything within me to ensure that the mental, physical as well as the Spiritual well-being of the President are guaranteed. Let me reiterate the fact that any attempt to belittle our charismatic President and Gods Own Elect will not be tolerated by the down-trodden citizens in the country. In this wise, I appeal to all patriotic Ghana to come together to frustrate sinister plots by all those who have a predilection for mischief making against the President. And this is exactly what I am doing. Would you join me in this crusade? In conclusion, I am happy that James Kwabena Bomfe, aka Kabila has gone to court in pursuance of his evil mantra of punching holes in any policy put in place by Akufo Addos NPP Administration. The Supreme Court does not consist of robots. It comprises men and women of integrity. The building of a Cathedral by the Christian Community is not against the tenets of the Constitution. This is a task that must be accomplished. On this we stand! Daniel Danquah Damptey ( [email protected] ) 0243715297. Tripoli (AFP) - The head of Libya's UN-backed unity government and a rival military commander said Wednesday they have agreed to work to end the country's crisis. Government of National Accord (GNA) leader Fayez al-Sarraj and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control most of eastern Libya including key oil ports, held rare talks Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates. In separate statements Wednesday, they called for a resolution to Libya's political and economic crisis and for joint efforts to battle extremist groups. The issue of how to form a new Libyan army loomed large in the talks. Haftar, who commands a self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), is accused of wanting to install a new military dictatorship in Libya, rocked by a complex multi-sided conflict since the fall and death of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Sarraj, whose unity government has struggled to impose its control across Libya since it was formed in 2015, said Wednesday the two sides had agreed to put in place "a strategy... to form a unified Libyan army" under civil control. Haftar's statement said the two sides had agreed to allow "the military establishment... to fully play its role in the fight against terrorism". Both men said they had agreed to put an end to violence in southern Libya, where LNA and pro-GNA forces have clashed in early April around an air base on the edge of the southern city of Sebha. Haftar is backed by Libya's parliament based in the country's east, as well as by the UAE and Egypt. That parliament has refused to recognise the GNA, formed under a United Nations-backed deal that gave no role to Haftar and his forces. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days to try to reconcile the rival administrations Libya's east and west. On Sunday, UN envoy Martin Kobler held talks in Sudan, a supporter of Sarraj's administration. On Monday, he met Mahmud Jibril, who headed Libya's interim government during the NATO-backed rebellion that toppled and killed Kadhafi. Juba (AFP) - South Sudan's government has banned Al Jazeera English staff from working in the country, press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders said Wednesday in a statement condemning the move. The government's Media Authority decided on May 1 "to suspend the activities of the Al-Jazeera English bureau in Juba until further notice", the organisation, known by its French acronym RSF, said in a press release condemning the decision and issued on World Press Freedom Day, May 3. However, Elijah Alier Kuai, managing director of the Media Authority, denied the Qatari state broadcaster had been suspended saying there was simply "an administrative issue" but did not explain what he meant. "Al Jazeera is not closed. It is only the English office where we have an administrative issue that we are discussing with the management of Al Jazeera and we will be resolving it soon," he said. Al Jazeera is one of a handful of international media outlets with bureaus in South Sudan. RSF said the Media Authority staff are appointed by President Salva Kiir and that the decision followed a television news report aired last month covering the ongoing fighting between government and rebel forces. That report from Kajo Keji, a rebel-held part of the country, accused government soldiers of attacking and killing civilians and showed rebel soldiers holding territory and preparing to fight government forces. "RSF regards the closure of the Al Jazeera bureau in Juba as an attack on media pluralism and the freedom to inform," the organisation said. South Sudan has fallen 30 places in successive annual World Press Freedom reports, published by RSF, since the outbreak of civil war in December 2013 and is now ranked 145th out of 180 countries. South Sudanese journalists are frequently harassed, intimidated, beaten or abducted, and sometimes killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranks South Sudan as the fifth worst country in the world when it comes to holding the killers of journalists to account. In recent months South Sudan's government has blocked the issuing of visas to many foreign reporters and expelled others. Bamako (AFP) - Shelling and rocket fire on a UN camp in Mali's troubled Timbuktu killed one yet to be identified person and wounded nine peacekeepers, the United Nations mission said Wednesday. It is the latest attack to hit the mission, known as MINSUMA, stationed in the country since 2013 and considered its most dangerous active peacekeeping deployment. "A mortar and rocket attack was launched against the MINUSMA camp in Timbuktu," a UN statement said. "The provisional toll is nine wounded among the peacekeepers, four seriously who are being evacuated to Bamako. The attack also killed one person, they are still being identified," it added. The UN mission said it had reinforced the camp's defences and deployed air cover to identify where the enemy fire had originated, describing it as a "terrorist" attack. Sweden's armed forces confirmed one of its soldiers was wounded, though not severely. "A Swedish soldier was lightly injured and is now being cared for by the Swedish medical unit," it said in a statement. Liberia's armed forces, who also have peacekeepers among the mission, also confirmed "several injuries and other casualties", according to Prince Johnson, deputy chief of staff, but would not specify more. "We are investigating the matter," he added. Northern Mali fell to jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in March 2012, and although these forces were driven out of key towns by a French-led military intervention the following year, the Islamists have now spread further south. The 13,000-strong UN mission was deployed to provide security and assist Malian troops struggling to keep the country safe, but it has been targeted constantly by jihadists, with dozens of peacekeepers killed. Three Malian jihadist groups with previous Al-Qaeda links recently joined forces to create the "Group to Support Islam and Muslims" (GSIM), led by Iyad Ag Ghaly of Ansar Dine, and have killed Malian soldiers further east near the Burkina Faso border. Nine Malian soldiers were killed and five wounded Tuesday, an attack that has become near routine in the country's north and centre. The celebrated innovation event coincides with the country marking 60 years of independence The prestigious African award in its 6th year milestone with the theme African innovation: Investing in prosperity will convene Africas leading innovators Accra| Ghana, Wednesday, 03 May, 2017 -- The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), and Ghana 60 Years On Planning Committee wish to announce that Ghana will host the most celebrated innovation event in Africa, the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) in Accra in July 2017 (dates to be confirmed soon). The decision to host IPA in Ghana has received the highest endorsement from H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, who will deliver the keynote address during the Awards ceremony. Ghanas selection as host country for IPA 2017 comes as a result of its commitment towards consolidating a thriving national innovation ecosystem. In its 60 years of independence, Ghana has been an example of progressive successes that have made the country and its advancements marketable and well respected globally. With the presence of world class accelerators and incubators, Ghana in recent years has become a noted sub regional hub for excellence in innovation. The Ghanaian technology and innovation ecosystem, led by a new generation of change-makers has received much international and local acclaim, making Ghana the ideal host country for IPA 2017. Hon. Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), asserts that, Ghana is open for business and brimming with an ecosystem of young talent that is already being tapped into. We thank the AIF for selecting Ghana to host the IPA 2017 event and use its platform to showcase Ghanas innovative aspirations to the global community. We are committed to building a knowledge economy, and providing platforms such as IPA to our youth to encourage them to play their role in innovatively creating solutions to African challenges. As we celebrate the 60-year anniversary of our independence, we are looking forward and committed to putting innovation at the core of our national agenda, not only to meet Ghanaian and African challenges, but also to provide home-grown innovations that will become competitive globally. As it celebrates its 6th year milestone with the theme, African Innovation: Investing in Prosperity, IPA 2017 promises to provide an unprecedented platform for African innovators and innovation enablers to network, share knowledge, explore business opportunities and boost collaboration. Commenting on the selection, Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, Founder, African Innovation Foundation, said, Ghana has one of the most established National Innovative Systems (NIS) for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the West Africa sub-region. During my recent meeting with H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, he highlighted his commitment in transforming Ghana into a knowledge economy and the importance of ICT in achieving the countrys objective of diversified economic growth. Ghanas corporate and business communities are also committed towards supporting efforts that raise the nations technology and innovation profile and with good reason. By enabling entrepreneurs and innovators to test and scale new inventions and technologies, home grown business solutions can help the country build resilience and secure its future prosperity. AIF Founder, Mr Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais meeting with H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, the President of Ghana to discuss investment opportunities and hosting IPA 2017 in Ghana. AIF, with its vision to increase the prosperity of Africans by catalyzing the innovation spirit in Africa, has over the years offered avenues of opportunity, growth and exposure to Africas next generation of innovators. The IPA is a landmark program of the AIF which has since its inception attracted more than 6000 innovators from 52 African countries, making it a truly Pan-African initiative. Commenting on the IPA process and achievements, the IPA Director Ms. Pauline Mujawamariya Koelbl stated: IPA has been growing stronger each year and not only the number of applicants continues to increase, but the quality of applications too. The IPA 2017 edition attracted more than 2530 respondents from 48 African countries; a strong indication of the creative potential that exists in Africa. Our goal is to unleash such potential. Our impact already speaks volume as we count approximately US$ 22 million investment value generated for IPA winners and nominees The 2017 edition call for applications ran from 27 September 2016 through to 3 January 2017 and proposed innovations showcased African ingenuity in the following five key categories: Agriculture and Agri-business; Environment, Energy and Water; Health and Well-being; ICTs; and Manufacturing and Service Industries. An expert panel of judges will carefully select Africas new crop of innovators through a rigorous, transparent process of critique, validation, interview and consensus. Next stop: Who will join the club of the top African innovators? Look out for the announcement of the 10 IPA 2017 nominees. For more information, check out www.innovationprizeforafrica.org About the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) AIF works to increase the prosperity of Africans by catalysing the innovation spirit in Africa. About the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) IPA is a landmark initiative of the AIF and its goal is to strengthen African innovation ecosystems through supporting a culture of innovation and competitiveness, whilst spurring growth of innovative, market-driven African solutions to African challenges. IPA has been successfully celebrated in African major capitals representing African regions: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2012), Cape Town, South Africa (2013), Abuja, Nigeria (2014), Skhirat, Morocco (2015) and more recently in Gaborone, Botswana (2016) Besides a host of exciting side events and brand new initiatives for Africa by Africans, IPA 2017 will offer the following prizes and incentives to winners and nominees: Grand prize of US$100 000 Second Prize of US$25 000 Special Prize for Social Impact US$25 000 A voucher for each of the seven IPA nominees of US$5 000 Additional incentives include investment opportunities, training and access to our vibrant network of innovation enablers, ongoing PR support and media coverage Sponsorship and investment opportunities Organizations who are keen to support IPA 2017 by way of sponsorship and other means of collaboration are invited to contact AIF to arrange for meetings to discuss opportunities. These organizations may include key stakeholders from the public and private sector, including local and multi-national companies, investment companies, Banks, institutional organisations, civil society organizations, innovation hubs and academic institutions. A former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Chairman for Klottey Korley in the Greater Accra Region, Nii Noi Nortey, is pleading with President Nana Akufo-Addo and party executives to forgive him for snubbing the NPP and contesting the 2016 elections as an independent parliamentary candidate. He said circumstances beyond his control compelled him to reject the advice of the then flagbearer Akufo Addo, former President John Kufuor and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the run-up to the 2016 elections. Nii Noi Nortey contested in the elections after an acrimonious primary which saw him lose against lawyer Philip Addison. Nii Noi Nortey and Philip Addison He accused Lawyer Addison and some party executives for rigging the election after a second primary was called. Nii Noi Nortey had won the first primary overwhelmingly amidst a boycott from the other candidates over the election date. But now, upon reflection, Nii Noi Nortey admitted to Citi News that, he made a big political mistake, and he called on all persons who intervened in the Klottey Korle impasse to forgive my actions and they shouldn't take it as an act of disobedience. I still love the party Nii Noi Nortey also stressed his love the party, and indicated his willingness to still serve the NPP. I joined the party because I loved the party and all that. I never joined having in mind that one day, I may go independent. It is regrettable and unfortunate. I love the party anytime, any day, I will still do my best and do whatever I have to do for the party, he said. Nii Noi Nortey recalled that the ex-President, J.A. Kufuor invited me to his house. The current president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on several occasions had discussions on that with me, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the vice, we had discussions too. There was a lot of politics going on that I wouldn't want to delve into. The incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, polled 33,609 votes, the NPPs Lawyer Addison had 29, 122, whereas the Independent Candidate, Nii Noi Nortey, polled a meager 3, 911 votes. By: Franklin Badu Jr/citifmonline.com/Ghana The five Chinese and their five Ghanaian counterparts who were arrested and kept in prison custody on March 24th 2017, have been granted bail by the Sekondi High Court 1 in the Western Region. The court, presided over by Justice Edward Amoako Asante, granted the accused persons bail when lead counsel for the accused, Stephen Alewabah, pleaded with the court to have them bailed on grounds of ill-health for three of the Chinese nationals who had been sick in custody and constitutional provisions on human rights. The five Ghanaians among them were granted bail to a sum of Gh100, 000 each with one surety each, whilst the Chinese nationals were granted a self-recognizance bail. Their passports, as well as other travelling documents, were to be seized by the court and their photographs and fingerprints taken. The accused persons were all asked to reappear for the fifth time in court on Monday, May 15 2017. The fourth appearance in court today [Wednesday], had Senior State Attorney George Sackey opening his defense by cross-examining two police detectives; Detective Inspector Musah Seidu, the lead photographer who captured the moments when the arrest was effected on River Ankobra, and Detective Justice Bentsil. Photographs of the arrest were tendered in as evidence by Detective Inspector Musa Seidu. Counsel for the accused, Lawyer Stephen Alewabah, and Lawyer Erikson Abekah, interrogated the images. The case had to be adjourned when two other witnesses to give evidence on behalf of the state were absent in court. It was before the case was adjourned that lead Counsel Stephen Alewabah, pleaded with the court to reconsider their bail application and grant his clients bail. Senior State Attorney George Sackey objected to the application on grounds that witnesses in the case had all not been heard, and that their bail could compromise the evidence the state was gathering. Justice Edward Amoakoh Asante, granted the bail application when Counsel Alewabah pleaded with the court to consider the human right provisions enshrined in the constitution and the health state of three of the Chinese nationals. Justice Edward Amoako also asked state Attorney George Sackey, to ensure the other two witnesses are in court on May 15 when the case is recalled. By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana Fuel prices will remain fairly stable in the first pricing window in May. This is a prediction by the Institute for Energy Security (IES). According to the institute, the slight fall of Brent crude price, stability of the fuel stock levels among other factors will ensure the stability of fuel prices. The IES further hints that the stabilization is as a result of stiff competition for market share among the various Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) which will cause prices at the pumps to see a further dip if the prevailing competition continues. When you look at the indicators for determining prices of fuel, you look at oil, you also look at the exchange rate that is the cedi-dollar rate, then you look at the finished products on the world markets. The prices of both gasoline and oil fairly did not change. It ranged between 0.59% about 1% for both products, the Principal Research Analyst at IES, Richmond Rockson told Citi Business News. He added, When you also look at the cedi, although it appreciated, it was really marginal. The cedi moved from about an average of Ghc4.22 to about Ghc4.18 as compared to the previous window. Putting it together you realize that there is no significant indicator that would affect price this time round. Richmond Rockson further advised the OMCs to endeavor to reduce prices further when they deem appropriate. So we are expecting that prices will remain fairly stable. We also urge OMC's to reduce their prices marginally. By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana 03.05.2017 LISTEN Accra, May 3, GNA - The decision by the Abeka District Court to adjourn the Marwako assault case on Wednesday generated hot exchanges between the relations of Jihad Chaaban the accused restaurant supervisor and Evelyn Boakye the complainant after court proceedings on Wednesday. According to the relations of the victim, the request by defence counsel to the court for an Arabic Interpreter was one of the tactics of the accused to delay the trial. Mr Julio De Medieros counsel for the accused however debunked the assertion of the complainant's relations saying that Jihad could speak fluently in Arabic. Both relations of the accused and complainant exchange unprintable words and Police officers at the court had to step in to calm tempers. Chaaban at Wednesday sitting was expected to open his defence before the District Court but he requested the court to provide him with an Arabic Interpreter. Mr De Medieros had earlier informed the court that his client Chaaban was 'more than ready to open his defence''. According to the defence counsel, Chaaban's mother tongue was Arabic and 'even though he can communicate in English little by little he was comfortable in speaking his language.' Defence counsel submitted that at the Police station he relied on an Arabic interpreter to write his statements. He, therefore, prayed the court to provide an Arabic Interpreter for the accused persons. The court after listening to defence counsel submission said the court at the moment did not have an Arabic interpreter hence it would have to write to the Judicial Service to provide them one. It therefore adjourned the matter to May 10 awaiting the provision of an interpreter by the Judicial Service. At the lasting the court presided over by Mrs Victoria A. Ghansah overruled a submission of no case filed on behalf of Chaaban. Chaaban was, therefore, to open his defence in the matter. Chaaban aged 26, is before the Court for allegedly dipping the face of Ms Evelyn Boakye into a blender full of blended pepper at the Abelenkpe branch of Marwako Restaurant. He has been charged with offensive conduct by calling the victim a prostitute, intentionally and unlawfully causing harm and assault. Chaaban has pleaded not guilty to the charges and he is on bail. On February 28, this year, Chaaban is alleged to have assaulted the victim Ms Boakye for fidgeting with a blender and working slowly. Chaaban, a brother-in-law of the owner of Marwako Restaurant at the Abelemkpe branch allegedly grabbed the neck of the victim angrily and dipped her face into a blender full of blended pepper. GNA By Joyce Danso, GNA Koforidua, May 2, GNA - The Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church, Right Reverend Michael Agyakwa Bossman, has called on the government not to relent in efforts to deal with illegal mining popularly called galamsey. Addressing the 38th annual synod of the Koforidua Diocese, he said the cost of galamsey to water bodies, farmlands and other resources were enormous to the ordinary Ghanaian to bear. The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Tetteh gave the assurance that government was on course to relieve the ordinary Ghanaian from the effects of the illegal mining. He said by the end of the three-week ultimatum to the galamsey operators, more than 500 excavators and machines had been seized from mining sites in the Region alone. He urged the church to continue to partner with government in the quest to make life meaningful and easy for all, by pointing the wrongs in society and supporting government in implementing policies and programmes for the benefit of the populace. The Regional Director of Education, Mrs Gertrude Mensah, noted that discipline and standards of education in the mission schools were diminishing and therefore urged the synod to look at ways and strategies to get all parents and church members involved in instilling values in the pupils. This year's synod is being held on the theme: 'Rekindling the Wesleyan Evangelical Heritage, scripture, discipleship and the holy spirit factors.' GNA By Bertha Badu-Agyei, GNA Bakakyire (W/R), May 3, GNA - The Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has engaged its stakeholders to deliberate on the final draft of the spatial and local plans for the four Sub-Metros within the assembly. The project, an initiative of the Ministry of Local Government and funded by Agence Franchise de Development (AFD), is to help define the national urban policy and provide a comprehensive approach to urban issues for the four participating cities made up of, STMA, Accra, Kumasi and Tamale. Mr Henry Owusu, Metropolitan Development Planner of the STMA, said the assembly was the first to finish with a spatial and local plan for active engagement of stakeholders. He said the plan was a projection of how the metropolis should look into the future, adding that the release of the final report by the consortium was timely to identify growth areas in line with government's vision of advancing the socio-economic development of the country. Mr Owusu said the STMA would now focus on implementing the critical growth poles and solicit for prospective investors to partner in releasing the interventions. He said the STMA would soon organise an investor conference to highlight the plan and its contents as well as attract the needed private sector participation. Mr Anthony K. K. Sam, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the plan would promote more effective urban governance in terms of strategic planning, local management operation and maintenance of local public investments. The specific objectives of the project is to ensure access to essential services at the desired level and quality, build the financial, management and ownership capacities of cities as well as support local economic activities and employment. Mr Sam urged all stakeholders to see the plan as their own and make the necessary inputs that would ensure that the plan was well synthesized to transform the development of the Metropolis. GNA By Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA Ho, May 3, GNA - Dr Mary Boatemaa Setrana, Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, has said Ghanaian migrants are now more transnational than before. She said they also keep in touch with their families, visit regularly and participate in funerals and festivals, with increased remittances. Dr Setrana said this at the fourth Spieth-Ablo-Agama-Amoako (SAAA) Lectures organized by the Evangelical Presbyterian University College in Ho. The lecture was on the theme: 'Migration: Opportunity or Challenge.' She said the situation was as a result of advancement in technical and communication skills adding that migration was not necessarily negative and that it needed to be managed for its benefits to be realised. Dr Setrana said, for instance, Ghana got more than two billion dollars on average per year from international remittances in recent years and that with a formalized diaspora engagement with government, the country could get more of such revenue. She said government could also create desks at local levels for information on investment avenues and create an enabling environment for return and reintegration purposes for mutual benefit. Dr Kennedy Atong Achakoma, Principal of Labour College, Trade Union Congress-Ghana, said migration has become more irregular with many now moving towards the Middle East, adding to the challenges of migration. He said though still male dominated, migration was becoming feminized with economic consideration being a major push. Dr Achakoma said policy gaps-restrictive immigration policies of destination countries, were the weakest challenges to migration and called for a review of such policies. Reverend Dr Cyril Fayose, President, EPUC, said the topic was relevant in view of how many young people were dying in the Sahara desert in attempt to travel to Europe and the Fulani migration activities in West Africa. GNA By A.B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA 03.05.2017 LISTEN Accra, May 3, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed Ms Kosi Antwiwaa Yankey as the Acting Executive Director of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI). A statement from the NBSSI said she took over from Mr Lukman Abdul-Rahim who has served the NBSSI for seven and half years. She is the first female to head the Board. The NBSSI is the apex governmental body responsible for the promotion and development of the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) sector in Ghana. It is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry and was established by Act 434 of 1981. NBSSI operates in 10 regional secretariats and 174 business advisory centres (BACs) in the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in Ghana. Before Ms Yankey's appointment she was a founding and managing partner for an international development consulting firm based in Boston, United States of America. Ms Yankey graduated from Harvard University, USA with a Masters in Public Administration and Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. At Harvard she received the Excellence Award for academic distinction and distinguished contribution to the Edward S. Mason Programme. Ms Yankey received her Bachelor of Arts in Government from Wesleyan University, Connecticut, USA and also has a certificate in Market Access for Sustainable Development from Wageningen University, Netherlands. She has many years of work experience in the USA, Europe and West Africa. Her experiences range from working as a banker at various banks including the Deutsche Bank. Among the many roles she had played was her role in the establishment of one of the first multi-million-dollar microfinance fund. Through her work she developed a deep understanding and knowledge of financing SME's, incubating businesses and accelerating their growth. She has developed international incubator programmes to provide support, implement research and scale up medium and small scale enterprises and entrepreneurs in Africa. In 2014, an incubator she setup was listed amongst the top 10 to watch in Africa. As a consultant Ms Yankey had worked and supported programmes funded by various partners such as USAID and CIDA. Ms Yankey brings on board her wealth of experience in championing the promotion and development of the micro, small and medium enterprise sector. She will lead the strategic development and re-organisation of NBSSI and the President's vision for MSMEs. GNA Vocus Group Ltd [ASX:VOC] fell 29.7% today, to a low of $2.35. The drop saw the company shed more than $500 million from their market cap. What happened to Vocus Group ? On 2 May 2017, Vocus revised their profit guidance for the financial year 2017. The company is now expecting a revenue shortfall of $100 million. After reviewing their accounts, Vocus found a number of major contracts would have to be recognised in a future financial year. Net income for FY17 is now expected to be in the range of $160165 million, more than 20% lower than its original guidance. What now for Vocus Group shares? Is Vocus an attractive investment? Well, at first, you might think it is. If revenue and profit was affected in FY17 due to accounting technicalities, there could be a chance investors are worrying over nothing. However, its not just accounting technicalities causing investors to sell. As reported by the Australian Financial Review: The trading update, released after the market closed, follows a weaker-than-expected trading outlook issued in late November. Back then, chief executive Geoff Horth told investors that the companys full-year results would be skewed to the June half. However, Tuesdays profit downgrade suggests a major deterioration in the performance of the business. So you might not be getting the company at a bargain. But such a drop in share price does warrant further investigation. It might even turn out that investors have overreacted to Vocus downgrade. But youll only know that if you do a bit more digging. Regards, Harje Ronngard, Junior Analyst, Money Morning PS: If you want to lay down a little money on the hottest corner of the ASX right nowbut you dont know your way around the small-cap sectorthis report is for you. Get access now (free). Sacramento, CA A California state audit shined a negative light on excessive salaries of top officials at the University of California, and tens of millions of dollars in hidden reserves. The audit also noted that the UC Office of the President interfered with the work by reviewing surveys sent independently to campus leaders, and requesting that changes in wording be made to reflect a more positive light on the UC. It was the focus of a hearing held this week at the state capitol where UC President Janet Napolitano received criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Republican Assemblywoman Catharine Baker went so far as calling for a subpoena of UC records, and requesting a tuition and fee freeze. She stated, This report cannot go ignored. The Office of the President actually interfered with an otherwise good audit. We are calling on the legislature to issue subpoenas to get the information we need to show what was interfered with and to get all the information we need about their budget. Napolitano argued that some of the information in the audit report was distorted, but she also stated that the UC will implement all 33 recommendations for reform put forth by the state auditor. You can find the full audit by clicking here. - The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) wonders why the health status of President Buhari would be shrouded in secrecy - CAN urges Nigerians to continue to pray for Buhari for more strength and mercy of God as he resumes office - The Christian body also expresses displeasure over the delay in the passage of 2017 budget The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to seek further treatment, if that would restore his sound health and help to pilot the countrys affairs. The CAN president, Rev. Samson Olasupo, gave the advice through a communique issued on Tuesday, May 2, by his special assistant on media, Pastor Bayo Oladeji, at the just concluded 104th annual session of the Nigeria Baptist Convention held in Abuja, This Day reports. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Ooni of Ife reacts to burning of Oba of Lagos palace The Christian body wondered why the health status of the president would be shrouded in secrecy, especially with the lack of openness in telling Nigerians that he went for medical attention. We observe with dismay the political under current that surrounds the health of our dear President especially the lack of openness in telling Nigerians that he went for medical attention. We advise the president not to hesitate in going for further treatment if that would help in quickly restoring him back to sound health so as to continue performing his duties to the nation, it said. The Christian Association of Nigeria has complained about the lack of openness on Buharis health. CAN therefore urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the president for more strength and mercy of God as he resumes office. Legit.ng learnt that the Christian body also expressed displeasure over the delay in the passage of 2017 budget, which it said has brought untold hardship to Nigerians. READ ALSO: Buhari's health: I will sack Amaechi, Shittu if I was president - Reno Omokri It called on the federal government to rise up and end the challenges that are bringing untold hardship to the populace. We observe with dismay the delay in the passage of 2017 budget and the attendant financial and untold hardship which this has brought to Nigerians. This delay may not be unconnected with the friction between the executive and legislative arms of government. We therefore urge the two arms of government to see themselves as partners in progress and end all rivalries. The National Assembly is therefore called upon to speedily pass the budget to minimise the present financial hardship in the country. We observe and commend the federal governments efforts on the release of Parish Club loan refund to the state government. The money is to enable the state governments to pay their staff salaries and provide other social amenities and infrastructures. However, we observe that some state governments did not use the money for the specific purposes for which they are meant. There is information that the monies are being diverted and or misappropriated. We urge the federal government to compel the state governments to use the money for the purposes for which they are released, CAN stated. The religious body condemned the killings in Southern Kaduna, Agatu community in Benue state and other places in the east, south and western Nigeria and called on the advised the government to be proactive in responding to security challenges and bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to book. It said the Fulani herdsmen caught or implicated in criminal activities should be made to face the full wrath of the law for their crime without sentiment or emotional appeal. Meanwhile, Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, says the health of her husband is not as bad as being perceived. Legit.ng recalls that not until Tuesday, May 2, President Buhari was not seen in public for almost two weeks. His absence from the last couple of Federal Executive Council meetings held at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, also triggered speculation that the presidents health may be very bad, even after his return from the UK for medical vacation. But in series of tweets on her official Twitter handle, Aisha Buhari, disclosed that the presidents health is not that bad. Aisha said in one of her tweets that Buhari has continued to carry out his responsibilities, and that he met with Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, and Maikanti Baru, group managing director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday, May 2. In the video below, Legit.ng TV speaks with a lady who drums with her hands, legs and head. Watch: Source: Legit.ng - The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu has visited the deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu - Kanu's paid a courtesy visit to Ekweremadu in his Abuja residence on Tuesday, May 1 - Senators including Enyinnaya Abaribe, Theodore Orji, Mao Ohabunwa, Sam Egwu among others were present at the meeting The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu on Tuesday, May 2, paid a courtesy visit to the deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu in his Abuja residence. The IPOB leader, Legit.ng gathered made the visit ion appreciation for the efforts played by Ekweremadu and other South-East senators in perfecting his bail. Sources close to the parties also told Legit.ng that Kanu's visit "was a continuation of the mandate given to the IPOB leader by 'Chukwu Okike Abiama' God to liberate his people from slavery." READ ALSO: Obasanjo's wife organises massive protest to scuttle son's wedding, writes to security agencies (See documents) The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu has visited the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu One of the sources said: "He was at Ekweremadu's residence to thank him and other senators including Enyinnaya Abaribe,Theodore Orji, Mao Ohoabunwa among many others for their efforts in ensuring his release from Kuje Prison." The source added that Kanu also thanked the senators on their 'behind the scene' roles played to put the President Muhammadu Buhari's administration on their toes. Another source said: "Yes, Kanu was at Ekweremadu's house, with Senator Abaribe and others." "He was there to reinforce his preparedness for the liberation of his people through the actualization of Biafra and to brief them on his plan to continue his mandate which is the actualization of Biafra so that they will not be taken unawares by his moves" the source said. Kanu's paid a courtesy visit to Ekweremadu in his Abuja residence on Tuesday, May 1 READ ALSO: Reno Omokri NAMES 2 of Buhari's ministers who should be sacked for 'playing politics' with president's health It was also gathered that the IPOB leader intimated the senators of the role played by some Yoruba leader including a former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode and the Ekiti state governor Ayodele Fayose in his release and what he discussed with the former during a courtesy visit to his Abuja residence on Monday, May 1. Recall that Ekweremadu, Abaribe and many other South-East senators were instrumental to the release of the IPOB leader from prison. READ ALSO: Declare office of the president vacant and swear in Osinbajo now Adegboruwa tells Senate Abaraibe, Legit.ng gathered stood for Kanu, as surety with the support of the other senators. Kanu was released from Kuje Prison on Friday, April 28, following the bail granted to him by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja last Tuesday, April 25. He spent one year and six months in detention after his was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Securities in Lagos upon his return from the United Kingdom on October 14, 2015. Watch this Legit.ng's video of Nnamdi Kanu's release from Kuje Prison below: Source: Legit.ng - President Buhari had been absent in public for some days and this had caused panic as many waited anxiously to hear from him - As part of activities to prove he is healthy enough for the task ahead, the president is to preside over the FEC meeting planned for Wednesday, May 3 Just back from rest, President Muhammadu Buhari is to preside over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which holds today, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Daily Trust reports that the presidents itinerary for this week confirms that he is scheduled to preside over the FEC meeting billed to hold at 11:00 am inside the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. All is now set for Mr President to preside over tomorrows (todays meeting of the Federal Executive Council. I can confirm to you very strongly that Mr President will be at the Council Chambers for FEC meeting tomorrow (today), the report quoted a source as saying. Buhari will chair the FEC meeting according to his itinery The president had been absent from the two last FEC meetings while Lai Mohammed, the minister of Information said the president was having some rest. READ ALSO: My husbands health not as bad as being perceived - Aisha Buhari His further absence at the mosque recently caused tension across the country as many wanted to know about his health. Legit.ng reports that Buhari resumed office on Tuesday, May 2 and received briefings from the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru. The two officials confirmed that they briefed the president on issues concerning their respective offices. According to Baru, Buhari was briefed on fuel supply across the country, crude oil and gas productions as well as the ability of the NNPC to supply gas to the power sector. He put the current production at two million barrels per day. READ ALSO: Buhari may return to London on May 10 as Aisha takes charge of his care On his part, Malami said he briefed Buhari on anti-graft issues, stressing that the president was worried over delay in the passage of anti-corruption bills pending before the National Assembly. Watch this video of how Nigerians reacted when President Buhari returned to the country from London recently after weeks of medical leave: Source: Legit.ng - The Nigerian Embassy in Washington D.C has been shut down - Workers at the embassy embarked on a sit-in strike over non-payment of their salaries - The workers have also threatened to report the matter to the United States Labour Department The Nigerian Embassy in Washington D.C has been shut down, Channels Television reports. Legit.ng gathered that the embassy was shut down after workers embarked on a sit-in strike which stalled activities at the mission in United States of America. It was also gathered that the workers have been owed salaries for the past five months. Workers at the embassy embarked on a sit-in strike over non-payment of their salaries While some departments of the embassy were still operating, majority of the workers only gathered at the lunch room in the basement. READ ALSO: Read what Nnamdi Kanu told Ike Ekweremadu, Abaribe, others after his release from Kuje Prison (photos) The staff also threatened to report the embassy to the U.S Labour Department. It was also gathered that the Nigerian embassy in Washington and its consulate in New York are said to be cash strapped. Local workers and staff have are yet to be paid after several month of working. READ ALSO: What Buhari's 2019 campaign posters simply means - Analyst Meanwhile, sources at the Presidency revealed that there has been various allegations of mismanagement of resources within the ministry of foreign affairs. This, the sources said, has caused lack of concern for staff welfare and difficulty in the missions being able to carry out their functions. Watch Legit.ng video of Nigerians reacting to activities by looters in the country: Source: Legit.ng - A founding member of the APC in Edo state, Chief Charles Idahosa, says it amounts to absolute sycophancy for some leaders of the party to be pushing for President Buhari's second term at the moment - Idahosa attributes the failed leadership in the APC to the persistent crisis between the National Assembly and the presidency - The APC chieftain calls on the party leaders forget about their self-interest and save the party A founding member of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Chief Charles Idahosa, has criticised some party leaders for campaigning for a second term for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, despite the presidents state of health. Idahosa, said it amounted to absolute sycophancy, for some leaders of the party to be pushing for Buhari second term at the moment instead, of advising the president to go and get medical attention, Vanguard reports. READ ALSO: Obasanjo's wife to scuttle son's wedding, plans massive protest at event venue He said: We have a President who is sick, which of course is normal because anybody can be sick. But for them to say that he will run for 2019 when he is yet to complete two years in office, is unfortunate. Speaking to journalists in Benin City, Edo state, on Tuesday, May 2, the APC leader attributed the failed leadership in the APC to the persistent crisis between the National Assembly and the presidency. Idahosa said Buhari needs medical attention. His words:I feel worried and I fear for the APC. I thought the party would take advantage of the confusion in the main opposition party, that is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but from all indications, the APC is having problems just the same way PDP is having problems. The way some top leaders and those powerful people at the national level are talking, it frightens me and I fear for Nigeria. I feel sorry for President Buhari because I can conclude, without any fear of contradiction, that he is surrounded by sycophants and people that are just ready to tell him what he wants to hear. Nobody is telling him the truth and the country is drifting. I fear that we are going back to 2010 over the issue of his health and what happened to YarAdua, a situation where top members of the party and some persons in government will be talking about a president running for a second term when we are all aware that the man needs to take care of his health. It has nothing to do Buhari, anybody can fall sick at any time. Legit.ng learnt that the APC chieftain stated that the feud between the National Assembly and the presidency might erode the gains Nigeria had made 1999. READ ALSO: My husbands health not as bad as being perceived - Aisha Buhari He called the party leaders forget about their self-interest and save the party. He said welfare of the president should be the subject of discussion now because when the president is not well, Nigeria is not well. Meanwhile, the People Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Muhammadu to resign honourably if his health can no longer carry him. Legit.ng reports that the party called on Buhari to heed his advice to the late former president, Musa YarAdua and step aside to save the nation the embarrassment of working from home. The Akwa Ibom state publicity secretary of party, Mr Ini Ememobong, who made the call on Tuesday, May 2, said it was a gross abuse of office for the president to continuously absent himself from office, Sun reports. In the video below, Legit.ng asks some Nigerians if they support the death for looters Source: Legit.ng My 11-year-old mind was spinning from the thought. My parents had just announced to my twin sister and me, Weve decided to take a vacation to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Well go to Grantsburg, Wisconsin, where we were married. But what about the cows? I couldnt imagine my farmer father leaving his cows for a few days. My parents were old school, believing that a farmer would milk his cows daily until he retired. For 25 years they had never taken a vacation from the farm. I couldnt recall their ever being gone overnight. We did occasionally drive to Viroqua or LaCrosse. And once a year we made a seemingly long 50-mile trip to Waterville, Iowa, to visit my fathers brother. But we always had returned on the same day. Now, however, my parents were speaking of driving 215 miles. And the trip would stretch four days. It became obvious that my parents were serious about this trip when Dad came home from Viroqua with a new car. He had traded in his Chevrolet on a brand new, black, four-door 1936 Plymouth. And the interior had the amazing new-car smell. Clearly, Dad wanted a roadworthy vehicle. As the day approached we prepared with great excitement. Packing for the trip was quite simple, as the June weather would be warm and none of us had a closet-full of clothing. As for the cows, Dad gave last-minute instructions to our dependable hired man. Im sure that my father had hesitated about being gone for four days, yet he was sure that his farm would be in good hands during his absence. On Friday, June 19, we stowed two suitcases in the trunk of the new Plymouth and rolled down our driveway toward our first-ever vacation from the Prairie. That new car rode smoothly, making utility poles blur past us at nearly 50 miles per hour. Soon we were passing places that we had never seen before. Being farm folks we enjoyed the sight of beautiful houses and barns, livestock, and crops. In an era with no video games, my sister Alice and I passed the time by playing guessing games. And we listened to our parents talk about their wedding day at Grantsburg 25 years earlier. They recalled that it had been a pleasant sunny day, and many relatives and friends came for the occasion. On that morning, Dad had gone out into the fields, along the fence rows, to pick wild strawberries for the wedding reception. Sadly, Mothers parents were not present at the event. When Mother was 4, her mother had died in a tragic fire, and soon after her father had moved far away, leaving my mother and her sister with relatives. Mother recalled to us the Bible verse that the minister had used at their wedding: Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it (Psalm 127:1). With much emotion in her voice, she said this verse had meant much to her throughout the ensuing 25 years. Of course, we eventually became hungry. Mother solved that crisis with sandwiches made from her homemade bread. After several hours of trouble-free travel we entered Grantsburg, my mothers hometown. Our drive ended at the home of Nordahl Unseth, my fathers brother, and his wife, Caroline. Nordahl, the local pharmacist, had been a town fixture for nearly 40 years, dispensing medicines and jewelry at his drugstore. The friendly couple welcomed us warmly and fed us well. My parents would stay with Nordahl and Caroline, but Alice and I would lodge with Mothers Auntie Thoreson. She was a refined lady whose husband had operated a large mercantile store in town. Alice and I were fascinated by the spacious home filled with artifacts and antiques. We country kids were awed by so much splendor. On the next day, a Saturday, we went visiting. First stop: The farmstead where my mother was raised. There a smiling Mexican man welcomed us, but my mothers response surprised me. She began to weep quietly at the deteriorated appearance of her childhood home. Later she explained to us that her adoptive father had always maintained the house and buildings in perfect condition. From there we went to Auntie Thoresons large store, at that time operated by one of her sons. He had recently added baby buggy rental to his stores services. Next we visited Uncle Nordahls drugstore, where we saw his wide array of medicines as well as jewelry and gift items. Sunday morning found us at church with my Uncle Nordahl and Aunt Caroline. In his Sunday School class he impressed with his ability to teach the Bible. After the worship service we returned to the Unseth home for dinner. That afternoon, in honor of my parents silver anniversary, the Unseths hosted a well-attended reception in their beautiful yard. The guests seemed to enjoy visiting together as they partook of delicious refreshments. That happy reception meant much to my parents, both on that day, and throughout their married life. On Monday morning we bid goodbye to our hosts and headed south toward Westby. It had been a happy, satisfying four days, and I had been enriched by the many people I had met and the beautiful countryside I had seen. I was even more thankful to God for good parents who had remained faithful to each other for 25 years. Driving southward, the utility poles still blurred past us. The farms and towns, strange to us a few days earlier, now seemed a bit familiar. And soon we neared Westby and our farm. Finally the black Plymouth turned off the road to our steep driveway and growled uphill toward the house. Dad stopped the car, we stepped out, then looked around at our house, barn, and sheds. Our dog ran to greet us. And we carried our suitcases up the steps and through the kitchen door. We were home. Everything looked as it should be. Even the cows were just fine. Einar Unseth lives in Lester Prairie, Minn., and may be reached by phone at 320-395-2094. Einar has just published his memoirs, In My Fathers Footsteps. Copies are available by writing to: 74 Third Avenue Drive, Lester Prairie, MN 55354. (A minimum donation of $15 is requested. All proceeds beyond the cost of publication will be used to support Bible translation efforts.) - Lauretta Onochie urged Nigerians to be as troubled as President Muhammadu Buhari over the frustrations the latter has recorded so far - The Attorney-General and minister of Justice, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, also said Buhari was worried over the delay in the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Act Lauretta Onochie, a top aide to Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that the president is really troubled especially in relation to the way his fight against corruption is being frustrated by the National Assembly. Legit.ng reports that Onochie also urged Nigerians to be worried over the actions of the legislature and the judiciary in the race to rid the country of corruption. According to Onochie, Everyone, including the international community agrees that the war on corruption under President Muhammadu Buhari, is at its best in the history of Nigeria. Buhari's troubles, according to Onochie, has to do with the frustration he receives from other arms of government in the battle against corruption Another thing that is very true is that this war can be better if the efforts of the executive arm of government are complemented by commensurate support from the legislature and the judiciary. READ ALSO: My husbands health not as bad as being perceived - Aisha Buhari She said further: When ridiculous judgements are being issued in favour of known people who looted and live off proceeds of corruption, Nigerians should be worried. When bills which are aimed at strengthening the anti-corruption war Nigerians are waging, is kept in the cooler, for over a year, without a mention, by an APC-led National Assembly, Nigerians too, should be worried. Onochie wondered why the National Assembly is always summoning everyone who tries to speak against the ills coming from the legistlators. She said: Summoning anyone who dares to mention, Magu is higher on their agenda than passing bills that would impact on the efforts of the Nigerian people to recover their nation from corruption. Anyone who believes that by frustrating the war on corruption Ghana-must-go bags of dollars, would reappear or that their investigations for criminal acts would be discontinued as was the case in the immediate past, must have another think coming. It's not just President Buhari who is worried about the trend of things, Nigerians should be worried and are worried too. It's time to start asking questions. READ ALSO: Obasanjo's wife to scuttle son's wedding, plans massive protest at event venue Earlier, the Attorney-General and minister of Justice, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, said President Buhari is worried over the delay in the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Act by the National Assembly (NASS). Malami stated this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of a closed door meeting with President Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday. Meanwhile, watch this video clip and hear an angry Nigerian speak: Source: Legit.ng - APC youths say Chief Akande should be taken for psychiatric test - The group say a sane human being would never joke with health of a sitting president - Akande admits that Buharis illness was gradually taking a toll on the country The All Progressives Congress Youth Progressive Frontier has slammed former interim chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, over his recent statement on President Muhammadu Buharis health. According to the group, people like Chief Akande should be taken for psychiatric test because a sane human being would never joke with health of a sitting president, Daily Post reports. In a statement by the APC youth group jointly signed by its National President, Gbolaham Badmus and Secretary General, Shodeinde Lukman, the group accused Akande of trying to play politics with the presidents health. This comes even as the group called on Nigerians to rally round Buhari in prayers as he continues to work and fight against corruption. APC youths urge Bisi Akande to take psychiatric test over comment on Buhari's health READ ALSO: Buhari to finally preside over FEC meeting after days of public absence The statement said: As patriotic Nigerians that are thoroughly engrossed in the task of contributing our quota to the development of the nation, we are pained by the way and manner some key officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have chosen to make derogatory statement about the affairs of the nation especially the issues surrounding the well-being of our dear president, Muhammadu Buhari. In one of the latest instances, the founding National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande shamelessly told those who cared to listen to his infamous sermon that the health condition of the president have dovetailed into untold hardship on the citizenry and called for emergency measures to be taken in order to avert a national calamity. We view this as an irresponsible drift. With due respect, we wish to state categorically that such careless utterances by a person who is supposed to have known and appreciated the immense energy, vigour, dedication and a whole-hearted commitment President Buhari have injected into the task of rejuvenating our national life, is grossly disappointing. And has actually gone a long way to show how petty our grandparents have become. In order climes, this would have been a time for sober reflection and not a time for some people to take alibi in and unleash their hidden venom and deep rooted hatred against the president, the group noted. The APC youth claimed that Akande is only trying to tear the party apart with his personal interest. READ ALSO: My husbands health not as bad as being perceived - Aisha Buhari The statement added: Equally, our belief is that, from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The main purpose of such utterances in our estimation is that, a section of the party is now torn between the pursuit of personal, yet infamous agenda which has the ultimate evil aim of creating an anomalous cabal that is tilted towards a particular section of the country rather that helping in rebuilding a virile nation that all of us will be proud to be its citizens. This is a dangerous dimension which we all patriotic Nigerians must gallantly stand up to defend democracy against hawks that are lurking around with dubious intentions. Ordinarily, we would have assumed that Chief Akande was making an intervention with a genuine intention but thorough checks by our network across the length and breadth of the nation have unequivocally indicated that, his action was a well-orchestrated plan that has been calculated with the major aim of causing disaffection among Nigerians that have reposed absolute confidence in the administration of President Buhari which has embarked on a mission with a vision to redeem the country from the shackles of corruption, insecurity and economic redundancy. We tend to wonder what has prompted Chief Akande to embark on this holy-than-thou voyage most especially from the standpoint that President Buhari himself is completely honest to Nigerians and in fact genuinely told the country upon his return form his medical vacation in the United Kingdom that he has never as sick as that particular point in time. The group added that it was glad that the president had since resumed office after taking out some days to rest and attend to his health. They claimed that the presidents health has improved. The group said: We are happy and have chosen to give glory to the almighty God that barely a day after Chief Akande made that unguarded statement, our President pulled out of his well-deserved rest to resume work in his office at the Aso rock presidential villa thereby perforating the assertion as earlier clandestinely made by our party elder. Those who met with Mr. President on Tuesday, 2nd May, 2017, including the Attorney -General of the federation, Abubakar Malami as well as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mainkanti Baru pointed out in loud and clear terms that he was in high spirit and on top of his job. This no doubt will come as a rude shock to Chief Akande who has chosen to become an unholy tool in the hands of some few self-seeking individuals who have used him to massage their ego. We are tempted therefore to mention that in sane places, elders like Chief Akande are the conscience of the society who use their accumulated wealth of experience, expertise, contacts and goodwill to impact positively on the lives of the generality of the people as well as add impetus to the giant strides of the administration in order to bring about national cohesion but not for destructive purposes in the shabby manner portrayed by Chief Akande who vainly tried to cast aspersions on our collective existence. We greatly regret to re-echo the belief that, if Chief Akande has any misgiving against any organ of the government he should find better ways to ventilate on such grievances rather than dragging the president and the presidency into a needless battle that will pitch the executive against the legislature and even the judiciary whom he also frontally targeted in his barbaric outing. In extreme cases, we are also recommending a psychiatric test for persons like Chief Akande and his barefaced litany of co-travellers. Nigeria belongs to all of us and not a particular section or elements who think by talking down on President Buhari, they will achieve cheap political goals not minding that such will not be of any consequence on the rest of us, the statement added. Earlier, Legit.ng had reported that Bisi Akande claimed that some people were feasting on President Buharis poor health. The APC chieftain admitted that Buharis illness was gradually taking a toll on the country, adding that history may repeat itself. Watch this video of how Nigerians reacted when President Buhari returned to the country from London recently after weeks of medical leave Source: Legit.ng - Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki (rtd), supported President Muhammadu Buhari in the build-up to the 2011 general election - The former NSA worked tirelessly to make the 2011 alliance between Tinubu and Buhari work Olusegun Adeniyi, the chairman of Thisday Editorial Board, in his new book, Against the run of play, stated that former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki (rtd), supported President Muhammadu Buhari in the build-up to the 2011 general election, Daily Post reports. Adeniyi noted that one of those who worked tirelessly to make the 2011 alliance between Tinubu and Buhari work was Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), who would later become the National Security Adviser to Jonathan. READ ALSO: Boko Haram leader Shekau suffers fatal injury in air strike The chairman of Thisday Editorial Board added that Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, during the period, expressed the belief that following the collapse of the merger talks ahead 2011 polls, both Tinubu and Ribadu worked for Jonathan. In 2011 the former NSA said he knelt down for the former National Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande, to make Buhari a joint candidate He said: Tinubu of course gave the votes from Lagos and a few other SouthWest states, except Osun, to Jonathan, while the calculation of Ribadu was to reduce Buharis votes in the north even though he failed on that score. Legit.ng gathered that in 2015 Dasuki disclosed how he supported Buharis presidential aspiration in 2003, 2007 and 2011. The former NSA said he knelt down in 2011 for the former National Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande, to make Buhari a joint candidate of the ACN and the defunct Congress of Peoples Congress (CPC). He urged Nigerians to verify from prominent Northerners, such as Adamu Adamu, Bashir Kurfi, Wada Maida, Sule Hamman and Kabir Yusuf, among others. He also cleared the air on his involvement in the 1985 coup that led to the ouster of Buhari, then a military Head of State. Dasuki disclosed how he and two military officers, traveled to Jos to brief Major General Buhari, then the GOC of 3rd Armoured Division, on the furtherance of the planning of the 1983 coup, which made Buhari the major beneficiary of the ouster of the elected President Shehu Shagari. He recalled that Buhari, in one of their interactions, expressed his bitterness about insinuations on his stewardship in one of the public institutions. Dasuki noted that he assured Buhari not to worry about such reckless and mischievous insinuations. READ ALSO: Banky W is finally getting married and his lucky bride is Adesua Etomi According to an earlier report by Legit.ng, the national leader of the All progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu revealed how Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo rejected the offer to run alongside President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Tinubu who made this revelation in new book written by Olusegun Adeniyi, the chairman of the Thisday editorial board said Osinbajo wanted the APC leader to inform the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the offer. Watch this Legit.ng video of retired Nigerian Army major calling for dialogue between IPOB and the federal government below: Source: Legit.ng - Some Boko Haram commanders have been killed in an air strike carried out by two Nigerian Air force jets - A source discloses that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, who was wounded in the bombings is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has been injured after Nigerian Air force jets bombed insurgents who had gathered for prayers in Balla village the edge of the Sambisa Forest, sources have disclosed. The Punch reports that one of Abubakar Shekaus deputies, among other Boko Haram commanders, was killed in the air strike carried out by two Nigerian Air force jets some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Damboa, last Friday, April 28. READ ALSO: My husbands health not as bad as being perceived - Aisha Buhari Shekau was wounded in the bombings and is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon around Kolofata, said one source with contacts within Boko Haram. His deputy, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba, was killed in the attack along with another key lieutenant, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha, he added. The Guardian reports that another source, Babakura Kolo, a member of the civilian JTF in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, gave a similar account. Shekau was injured and a number of commanders were killedAmong them is his deputy called Malam Abba. They suffered heavy casualties because the bombings targeted a large gathering of his followers attending Friday prayers, Babakura Kolo said. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has confirmed the death of many suspected leaders of Boko Haram in a recent air strike carried out by Nigeria Air Force fighter jets on locations believed to be hideouts of the deadly insurgents, an official said. According to a statement issued from the Directorate of Public Relations and Information of the Nigeria Air Force, the strike took place on April 28 in a village called Mangosum in Borno state. READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu pays courtsey visit to Ekweremadu, Abaribe, T. A Orji, others (photos) The incident was not reported until Tuesday, May 2, when the Director of Air Force Public Relations and Information, Olatokunbo Adesanya, an air commodore, mentioned it in a terse statement. According to Adesanya, the attack was effected following a NAF intelligence. It is believed that this was the airstrike sources said fatally wounded Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. See video of the airstrike below: In the video below, the Nigerian Air Force gives an update on operations against Boko Haram in 2017. Source: Legit.ng The suspended secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has been indicted for mismanagement by the Senate ad-hoc committee investigating the mounting humanitarian crisis in the northeast. The committee on Tuesday, May 2, also said Lawal breached his oaths of office as SGF and asked relevant agencies to prosecute the suspended SGF for allegedly awarding contracts worth N500m, through the presidential initiative on north-east, a rehabilitation programme under his office, to a company in which he had interests. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Again, President Buhari fails to attend FEC meeting (Photos, Video) The recommendation was submitted to the Senate by the chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Shehu Sani at the plenary on Tuesday. Legit.ng has however listed below names of companies and details of transactions in the 'grass cutting scandal' allegedly orchestrated by Babachir. The transfers were said to have made in tranches, mostly N10 million per transaction, and N47 million on the last day Here are the companies and transactions details: 1. Josmon Technologies Limited According to Senate report, Josmon Technologies Limited transferred N317 million to Rholavision between March 29, 2016 and April 20, 2016, immediately the company got the two grass-cutting contracts worth N530.6 million for clearing invasive plant species in Yobe State. The transfers were said to have made in tranches, mostly N10 million per transaction, and N47 million on the last day. READ ALSO: My husbands health not as bad as being perceived - Aisha Buhari 2. Rholavision Babachirs company, Rholavision was awarded the consultancy contract for the grass-cutting contract on March 8, 2016. This is a breach of Nigerias code of conduct for public officers and the Public Procurement Act. 3. JMT Global Technologies Ltd JMT Global Technologies Ltd on August 8, 2016 transferred N30 million from its Zenith Bank account 114357188 to Rholavision after he got eight contracts for rehabilitations/renovations in Adamawa state for the sum of N199.4 million. 4. Messrs Adamawa Boreholes and Drilling Companies Ltd Messrs Adamawa Boreholes and Drilling Companies Ltd transferred N18 million to Rholavision, after being awarded N54.8 million contract to renovate seven classrooms at Yeskule Girls Secondary School, Michika Adamawa state. 5. Barde Brothers Multi-Services Limited Barde Brothers Multi-Services Limited which got seven contracts to renovate classrooms in Adamawa state for N145 million paid N71 million to Rholavision account on October 10, 2016, and another N13 million between July 7, 2016 and September 9, 2016 to his private account. In the video below, Legit.ng asks Nigerians if President Buhari's administration has truly taken Nigeria out of recession. Here are their responses. Watch the video: Source: Legit.ng - The lead counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has debunked claims that he wrote to a former governor of Abia state Orji Uzor Kalu - Ejiofor said he has not abdicated his duty as Kanu's lead counsel to anyone - He also said that Kanu can never renounce his agitation for the freedom of Biafra - For more news on Biafra click on: https://www.legit.ng/tag/biafra-news.html The lead counsel to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu has debunked claims that he wrote to a former governor of Abia state Orji Uzor Kalu. Ifeanyi Ejiofor also said can never renounce his agitation for the freedom of Biafra. Reacting to reports that the IPOB leader announced his decision to dumped his agitation Ejiofor said: "I wish to add, in specific response to rumours being peddled over the online and social medias by enemies of Nnamdi Kanu and indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)." "I wish to state in no mistaken terms, that at no time did Nnamdi Kanu issued any press statement or granted press interview," Ejiofor said. He also said that reports are rumors peddled by paid agents of mischief makers with the intention to bring Kanu into collusion with both his people and court. "He (Kanu) can never renounced his divine call to superintend and champion the peaceful struggle for the restoration of the Biafran State, it is a divine mandate that no forces can suppress. "Nnamdi Kanu has not issued any statement or granted any press interview since he regained his freedom. He is busy attending to his fragile health condition," he said. Also responding to Legit.ng's inquiry on his purported letter to a former governor of Abia state, Ejiofor said he has not abdicated his duty as Kanu's lead counsel to anyone. Recall that Sahara reporters had in a tweet said that Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer wrote to Kalu to appreciate his effort in facilitating the release of his client. READ ALSO: BREAKING: President Buhari fails to attend FEC meeting for THIRD time (Photos, Video) Sahara Reporters had tweeted: "LETTER: Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer thanks Orji uzor Kalu reveals how he negotiated with Presidency for his release from prison @radiobiafralive." Ejiofor made the statement after an online report that he wrote a letter to a former governor of Abia state Orji Uzor-Kalu to appreciate his efforts towards the release of his client But in his reaction, Ejiofor said, "On the face of avalanche online reports circulating in the social, online and print medias, purportedly emanating from faceless lawyers fraudulently representing themselves as Nnamdi Kanu lawyers, it becomes compelling in the circumstance to clear the air particularly for the gullible members of the public and uninformed." He further stated that he remains Kanu's lead counsel and the only person authorized to issue statements to members of the public on the IPOB leader's behalf. READ ALSO: BREAKING: Senate confirms appointment of President Buhari's 2 ministers (video) "By virtue of my position aforesaid and in particular regard to Client/lawyer relationship I have his approval to act in the capacity above stated. Ejiofor added that any statement in form of press release, letter or statements from any other lawyer should be disregarded. "Be informed that any of such statements, letters or correspondences from these impostors has no authorization of my Client. READ ALSO: Read what Nnamdi Kanu told Ike Ekweremadu, Abaribe, others after his release from Kuje Prison (photos) "I am presently exploring the internal mechanism clearly provided in our Legal Practitioners Act to discipline these erring lawyers found culpable in the act above complained. Media practitioners are consequently urged to desist from publishing any article, interview or press release emanating from any lawyer purportedly acting on behalf of Nnamdi Kanu other than me," Ejiofor added. Recall that Nnamdi Kanu was released on Friday, April 28, from Kuje Prison after Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail. Watch this Legit.ng video of Nnamdi Kanu's release from Kuje Prison below: Source: Legit.ng - President Buhari was absent at the FEC meeting on Wednesday, May 3 - It was the third consecutive time the president would be absent at the meeting - The Minister of Information however said the president was absent because he needed to rest President Muhammadu Buhari was absent at the Federal Executive Council meeting which held on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, for the third consecutive time. Legit.ng learnt that the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, while addressing correspondent at the State House after the meeting, said the president was absent at the meeting because he needed rest. Mohammed said the president was merely following his doctors' advice to take more rest and that the president was at work on Tuesday but decided to take a rest on Wednesday, Premium Times reports. The minister said: The president chose today to rest, he was in his office yesterday, which you all reported. READ ALSO: Check out the list of items banned from export by FG He is taking his doctors advice so that he can fully recover." There had been expectations that the president would be present at the May 3, FEC meeting but reports state that after the cabinet had awaited the president's arrival, the state house chief of protocols suddenly stepped in at 11.00am and whispered to Vice President Osinbajo and the meeting started without the president. Vice President Osinbanjo arriving for the FEC meeting on Wednesday, April 3. READ ALSO: Niger Delta community warns of fresh tension, demands for N100b This is the third time President Muhammadu Buhari would be absent at the Federal Executive meeting. Legit.ng recalled that after the April 26, FEC meeting, Mohammed had told the pressman that the president was working at home because he needed rest, the same reason that has been given again after today's meeting held without President Muhammadu Buhari. Watch this Legit.ng video of a random Nigeria lamenting about the country situation: Source: Legit.ng Officials of the Lagos state government on Wednesday, May 3, began demolition of shops located at the Ikeja New Garage along the popular Computer Village, Ikeja, Premium Times reports. This comes seven days after the Lagos state government It was gathered that about 18 shops have been demolished as at the time of this report, with heavily armed police officers supervising the demolition. READ ALSO: Buhari made Nnamdi Kanu a super star - Reno Omokri Lagos govt demolishes shops at Ikeja Computer Village READ ALSO: BREAKING: Senate confirms appointment of President Buhari's 2 ministers (video) However, a shop owner told Premium Times on the condition of anonymity that they were told that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode intends to use the space for a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) park. More details later... Meanwhile, watch this Legit.ng TV video of an aggrieved woman in Lagos telling Governor Akinwunmi Ambode that he is not likely to return as governor in 2019 because of his alleged actions against women. Source: Legit.ng The Vernon County Censor May 3, 1917 100 years ago Run out the stars and stripes on your homes. Clean up. Kickapoo Valley school league orstorical [sic] contest was held at Viola Friday night. Ten pound granulated sugar for one dollar, at J. Omundsons Opera block. A.B. Ewers of Readstown sold ten cows to a Richland county man at the smart figure of $1,000. Coon Valley village authorities have so early taken up the matter of observance of Decoration day. From almost every neighborhood in Vernon county young men are enlisting in Uncle Sams army, just as they did in the Civil and Spanish-American ranks. A.D. Helgeson was up from Coon Valley to spend Sunday at home. He is already liking his new positon as station agent and says he finds good fellowship at the Valley. Workmen are busy repairing and placing in shape for occupancy the brick building of Edward Vig, which was badly damaged in the meat market fire of H.E. Anderson last winter. Fred A. Chapman has purchased the farm south of the city, formerly owned by Geo. W. Akins and is moving there. He expects to specialize on bees and poultry. The pay of the American soldier was raised from $15 to $30 per month. I.G. Eastman who was in partnership with his brother John in the store at Valley, has exchanged his interest in it for the latters farm. Mailcarrier Anton Nelson of Stoddard, has purchased the Peter Peterson farm in lower Coon Valley, and has moved upon the same. Julius Hendrickson of Stoddard community died suddenly from heart failure while visiting at the home of his neighbor, Carl Wold, Mr. Hendrickson was 42 years old. The Vernon County Censor April 30, 1942 75 years ago Forty-three Vernon County men entered service last Wednesday. 8,511 have registered in four drafts in Vernon County. Cashier Edward Schipper of the State Bank has been appointed chairman on banking and finance by the State Treasury Department. Deaths: Mrs. Clarence Suiter, Tom Cade. Pvt. William Dach has finished six weeks of aviation ordnance school at Savanna, Ill. Wed: Marjorie Fulton to Fred Shepard, Dorothy Phillips to Paul Wood, Laura Hatlan to Thomas Sandy, Beverly Peterson to Norman Egge, Margaret Kasten to Roy Wilson. Viroqua plans a Civilian Defense Parade on Decoration Day May 30, and to sponsor I Am An American day among the people of Vernon County. Mr. & Mrs. Fay West celebrate their 25th anniversary. Obituaries: Mary Dolen 84, Orville Turner, 7, as a result of a fall from his pony, Jerry Todd 76, Albin Iverson 32, Josephine Michelet Rudie 77. Dr. K. J. Jaroshevich, a Polish-Russian missionary, will speak at the local Church of Christ. He is the president of the Union of Churches of Christ in Central and Eastern Europe. The mass commencement exercises for rural school graduates will be abolished this spring to save automobile tires and gas. Each school district is expected to hold their own exercises. The Vernon County Broadcaster-Censor May 4, 1967 50 years ago Despite uncertainties regarding the future of the Vernon County Teachers College, it is now established that the college will be operating two more years. Maintenance is assured until July 1, 1969, at which time the College as a two-year teacher training institution will discontinue operations, says Neil Greene, VCTC President. Kickapoo River community crews Saturday and Sunday went through as much of the river as possible, picking up trash and removing brush. Several places will require heavy-duty equipment to remove dams of tree trunks. Purpose of the whole cleanup was to make the river presentable to the traveling public and canoeists. Deaths: Tina (Simonson) Erickson, 82; Todd Michael Oldenburg, infant; Nettie (Morelli) Woodward, 81; Otto Con White, 81; Alice Buxton, 82; Otto Widner, 77; John Henry Lester, 89; Barbara Rena (Wood) Stephen, 71; Resner Thompson, 80; Anna Dorothea (Berg) Everson, 81. Mr. and Mrs. Ardell Olson of Coon Valley, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. C. Galstad of Westby, went to the Wisconsin Freezer Association Convention in Madison at the Park Motor Inn last weekend. Ardell Olson was elected to the Board of Directors for a three-year term on the state board. While there, Mrs. Olson was a lucky winner of the grand prize, which was a Gibson upright freezer. Viroqua beat Logan 172 to 192 Friday at the Viroqua Country Club. Individual scores were John Vasler 42, David McIntosh 42, Al Buros 44, Tom Fortney 44, and Kurt Schlicht 44. The Vernon County Broadcaster April 30, 1992 25 years ago The Alan and Joyce Solverson family has been named parade marshals for Viroquas 1992 Heritage Days celebration. The Solversons were chosen in keeping with this tears theme A Salute to the Family. The Viroqua Utility Committee moved ahead with plans to begin negotiations to sell the municipal gas and utility company (MUNY). The Committee was charged with putting together a proposal for those negotiations. Nearly 70 residents attended the meeting of the Westby School Board to protest a proposal to reduce the schools agriculture department. The School Board had proposed dropping five of the ten courses in the program. Superintendent Roy Green produced numbers showing that in those five courses less than ten students had registered for them. A motion to give the Ag program a two year extension was tabled. Contract negotiations between the Viroqua School Board and the Viroqua Education Association began with initial proposals presented by both sides. Some of the issues to be negotiated included insurance issues, compensation for continuing education credits and provisions for any faculty member called to active military service during a time of conflict. A former Viroqua resident, Mark Finley, announced his candidacy for Crawford County Sheriff. Finley is a 1973 graduate of Viroqua High School. Featured in this issue of the Broadcaster was Rollie Felix. Felix was a native of Viroqua and was largely responsible for the Felix Clothes Store. The store has become a principal part of Viroqua history. The Vernon County Broadcaster May 3, 2007 10 years ago Viroqua High School junior Amanda Langaard and Joe Beckstrand were named the Queen and King of the 2007 Junior Prom. The Viroqua City Councils Park and Recreation Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the citys planned skateboard park on a vacant lot along West South Street and adjacent to the Park Bowl. The action came Tuesday, April 24, and will be considered by the council May 8. Viroquas Alana Peterson placed second in Senior Showmanship at the ninth annual Wisconsin Jersey Spectacular, Friday. Judge Ted DeMent said when it came to the top three place winners, the differences were really nitpicky. Jay Thurston has written an new book, Out of the Rainbow. He recounts the tender years of his childhood living in Felch, (Upper) Mich., in the 1940s. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died, Mr. Budney said. Mr. Hampton was born on April 30, 1947. He was born in Tennessee and grew up in Atlanta, according to a biography on the website of Terminus Records, which has released several of his albums. He first gained attention in the late 1960s and early 70s as the leader of the Hampton Grease Band, which Robert Palmer of The New York Times labeled one of the more cockeyed rock groups of the era and a mischievous, mystifying group. The bands music was an unusual and, for many listeners, bewildering mix of elements, from the blues to avant-garde jazz to Mr. Hamptons growling vocals. Critics, Mr. Palmer wrote, called its music eclectic meaning, he said, that it drew from a number of sources and they could not figure out what else to call it. The Hampton Grease Band released an album on Columbia Mr. Hampton liked to claim that it was one of the worst-selling albums in the labels history and opened for the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band and other nationally known acts. It was also known for its twisted sense of humor, which included playing practical jokes. June LeBell, a professional concert soprano who became one of the first women to be hired as a staff announcer and interviewer in the male-dominated realm of commercial classical music radio broadcasting, died on Sunday in Sarasota, Fla. She was 73. The cause was ovarian cancer, her husband, Edward L. Alley, said. Ms. LeBell produced, wrote and hosted programs on WQXR in New York for nearly three decades beginning in 1973 after she learned from the station manager that he was looking to hire a minority announcer. She recommended a black friend, who tried out for the job and then rejected it. Ms. LeBell contacted the program manager again and asked, What do you have against a nice white girl? she told The Bradenton Herald in Florida in 2012. He replied that she had misunderstood, and that his meaning of minority included women. He said, I offered it to you but you turned me down, Ms. LeBell recalled. This time, she accepted. At its core, the mayoral control debate is largely about politics. But it has not helped in making the public case for a longer extension that Mr. de Blasios record on education is so far fairly modest. And after 12 years of Mr. Bloombergs education policies, New York is, for better or worse, accustomed to a mayor who thinks very, very big on education. Hes not in any way radical with his reforms, Priscilla Wohlstetter, a distinguished research professor at Columbia Universitys Teachers College, said of Mr. de Blasio. Its all been fairly incremental given the national scene. Mr. de Blasios biggest education initiative, and his biggest success, has been the rollout of free, universal prekindergarten for 4-year-olds. Given its size, the expansion went smoothly though there have been some areas where children have not been able to get seats close to home and observers say the quality of the program is generally good. With his re-election campaign on the horizon, Mr. de Blasio recently announced a further expansion, which would offer free pre-K to all 3-year-olds by 2021 but the funding plan remains unknown. The other major initiative, the Renewal School program, is Mr. de Blasios effort to turn around the citys most troubled schools. The initiative, which has so far cost $386 million, centers on equipping schools with resources to better deal with students needs outside of the classroom, such as medical and mental health services. But many parents were reluctant to enroll their children into schools publicly branded as struggling institutions. Results of the program have been mixed. Beyond those big-ticket items, Ms. Farina has largely relied on smaller, targeted efforts: A literacy program focuses on getting students to read on grade level by the end of second grade. A college awareness program for middle schools encourages children to build higher education into their expectations. And initiatives like Algebra for All and AP for All aim to give more students access to higher-level classes. Clearly you made a series of extremely poor choices, Justice Carro told Mr. Whilby. The defendants decisions appeared to be fueled not only by alcohol, the judge said, but also by unbridled anger. Alcohol and anger, he said. That mixture never ends well. Never. Image William Pena In March, a jury found Mr. Whilby, a forklift operator from Griffin, Ga., guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and reckless endangerment after a trial in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. The jury acquitted him of the top charge of second-degree murder. The case turned largely on whether Mr. Whilby was too drunk to understand his actions or to form the intent in his mind necessary to commit a crime. Mr. Whilby had gotten drunk on Feb. 11, 2014, while in the city visiting his uncle, the model Tyson Beckford. The two men attended a fashion show and went to a birthday party for Mr. Beckfords girlfriend at an upscale restaurant. They ended the night at 1 Oak, a Chelsea club favored by athletes and celebrities. Mr. Whilby told detectives that he consumed six to eight vodka tonics during the night. The last thing he remembered was leaving a nightclub to get some air and being prevented from re-entering by bouncers, his lawyer said. Witnesses, however, said that Mr. Whilby was ejected from the club without his jacket after knocking over a table. Come to Viroqua Chamber Main Streets fourth annual Movie in the Park event at Viroquas Eckhart Park June 9 and feed and entertain the kids. Starting at 6 p.m., experience bounce houses, air games, goody bags and the playground. The movie begins at dusk (9 p.m.-ish). Low-cost concessions include hot dogs, brats, string cheese, Coke and Pepsi products, water, orange drink, popcorn and chocolate. We cant wait to see you... Help us spread the word. A big thank-you to community partner Nelson Agri-Center for the being our lead sponsor for this event. If you or your organization are interested in being a sponsor, providing something for goody bags or volunteering for the event, please email nrschmidt@viroqua-wisconsin.com. Deadline to be included on the poster is May 12. First Thursday reception, May 4 This months reception at VIVA Gallery will feature the beautifully crafted natural furnishings of Ken and Michelle Workowski. The gallery sponsors the Peoples Choice Award at the Driftless Area Art Festival, and the Workowskis were the winners of the award at last years festival. VIVA is doubly pleased, as Ken and Michelle are member artists. For more information call 608-637-6918 or info@vivagallery.net. The reception starts at 5 p.m. Dinner will follow at 7 p.m. at The Rooted Spoon. Email rootedspoon@gmail.com or call 608-632-2120 to make reservations. Farmers Market grand opening, May 6 The Farmers Market returns to downtown Viroqua at the Western Technical College parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (note new hours). Also dont miss the Community Bike Ride, Kickapoo Coffees grand opening from 3:30 to 6 p.m. and Jaalis Dollies open house. Paint and Sip, May 7 Join Vernon Vineyards for a Sunday Paint and Sip class with The Happy Canvas by Linda. Cost is $40. Social hour starts at 3 p.m. and painting instruction will start at 4 p.m. Canvas is The Wheel. Call or email Deanna for a reservation. Phone 608-632-7042 or email deanna@vernonvineyards.com. I & E Club, May 10 The Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club meets at the Food Enterprise Center at 5:30 p.m. Rachel Wolf, wwner and founder of LuSa Organics, will discuss how to Bootstrap your marketing by being authentically you. Her experience includes tips on connecting with your customers by personalizing your market strategies in addition to doing out of the box marketing with your products and with services you can provide to deepen your connection with your customer base and boost revenue. For more information, contact Sue Noble at snoble@veda-wi.org or 608-638-8332, or Nora Roughen-Schmidt at nrschmidt@viroqua-wisconsin.com or 608-637-2575. Friends of VMH geranium sale, May 12 The Friends of VMH invite you to their annual geranium sale on May 12 starting at 8 a.m. at the VMH hospital entrance. In addition to individual geraniums, they will have hanging baskets in a variety of colors, sizes and prices. Visit www.vmh.org for special pre-order deals beginning May 1. Luminaria Ceremony, May 12 The Relay For Life of the Viroqua Area Luminaria Ceremony will be held at the Viroqua Park Bowl from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Luminarias honor every life touched by cancer. You can dedicate them to a loved one lost, someone currently battling, or anyone whos overcome it. When you attend a Relay event, youll see the luminarias decorated with names and sometimes messages to the people theyre dedicated to. After dark, Relay participants share an emotional moment when each luminaria is lit in remembrance of a life touched by cancer. Together, taking a moment of silence to remember the loved ones theyre dedicated to. When you make a donation for a luminaria it helps fund the American Cancer Societys mission to help save lives. Relay For Life, May 13 The ACS Relay For Life of the Viroqua Area will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the VMH Expo Center on the Vernon County Fairgrounds. MANILA Over the weekend, President Trump provoked an avalanche of criticism at home and abroad by extending a formal invitation to his Filipino counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, to visit the White House. The two leaders are reported to have had a very friendly conversation by phone, prompting denunciations by human rights groups and the liberal establishment in both America and the Philippines. To the chagrin even of administration officials, the White House, in a statement announcing the invitation, appeared not only to play down Mr. Dutertes brutal crackdown on illegal drugs which rights groups say has claimed 1,000 lives a month since it started last July but also went so far as to praise his efforts to rid his country of drugs. (For his part, Mr. Duterte, after visiting Chinese warships in his hometown Davao City, said on Tuesday that he might be too tied up to go to Washington because of planned trips to Beijing and Moscow.) Mr. Trumps invitation to Mr. Duterte, however, is a sensible one when understood against a broader geopolitical backdrop. First of all, it was part of a package of invitations handed out to Southeast Asian leaders, including Prime Ministers Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Prayuth Chan-ocha of Thailand. In other words, Mr. Duterte wasnt the only foreign leader invited. Nor is this the first time that Mr. Trump has invited a controversial head of state. The Egyptian strongman Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been a guest, and Mr. Trump is scheduled to welcome President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in coming weeks. Both leaders have questionable human rights records. SAN FRANCISCO Apples iPhone business is sailing squarely into the doldrums between new models. The company said Tuesday that the number of iPhones sold globally fell 1 percent in the first calendar quarter, compared with the same period a year ago, although revenue rose to $52.9 billion as more customers bought the supersized, more expensive iPhone 7 Plus. Apples net income per share rose more than 10 percent, as a result of cost-cutting, higher prices and the companys continuing program to buy back its stock. The first two calendar quarters are often sluggish for Apple as customers await new versions of products. But unusual expectations for the 10th anniversary iPhones, due in September, may have worsened the slowdown. People are waiting to see whats going on with the new iPhone, said Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie Securities. Apple needs to make sure the next phone has that wow factor. The incentives operate under a cloak of secrecy that is unusual for similar efforts in Canada and the United States, critics say. The province will not name the companies that get the breaks. The only information available about them is on the website of a nonprofit that promotes the program. This is essentially a temporary foreign-worker program for the rich, with secret government subsidies for multinational corporations, said Dermod Travis, the executive director of IntegrityBC, a nonpartisan political watchdog group based in Victoria, the provincial capital. The government is selling B.C. as a tax haven for the global elite to park investment here, but not have to contribute. The provincial Ministry of Finance, which runs the effort, says it is a success, with 82 companies participating. Jamie Edwardson, a spokesman for the ministry, declined in an email to identify those companies or discuss the amount of refunds each has received, citing a ban on publicly disclosing taxpayer information in the law that created the incentives. He said the law protects taxpayer privacy. At one point, the tax breaks were projected to create more than 13,000 jobs in British Columbia. According to ministry figures, though, fewer than 300 have been created as a result of the program, and possibly as few as 122. To illustrate the plans success, Mr. Edwardson pointed to decade-old data in a consultants 2009 economic analysis, which estimated that between 2001 and 2007, the additional investment added anywhere from 124 million to 141 million Canadian dollars between $91 million and $103 million to the economy. Mr. Edwardson said these figures were the most recent available. DOHA, Qatar In the violent flux of the Middle East, Khaled Meshal is one of the great survivors. Down the years other senior figures in Hamas, the Islamist militant group that resists Israel, have died in hotel rooms at the hands of Israeli assassins or been crushed by laser-guided missiles during the wars in Gaza. Mr. Meshal, who spent his career shifting from one Arab capital to another, had his own close scrape: In 1997, a year after he became the leader of Hamas, Israeli spies sprayed poison into his ear on a street in Jordan, sending Mr. Meshal into a coma and setting off an angry diplomatic showdown between Jordan and Israel that ended with the delivery of a lifesaving antidote. Now Mr. Meshal is stepping down as the senior leader, ending a 21-year reign during which Hamas grew into a formidable military force and also joined politics to rule Gaza for the past decade. Yet it has become an international pariah for its attacks on civilians. Mr. Meshals parting shot is a new political document, released at a luxury hotel in Doha on Monday, that he is pitching as an attempt to pull Hamas from its isolation by presenting a friendlier face to the world. WASHINGTON As President Trump hosts the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, at the White House on Wednesday for the first time, he faces enormous obstacles to his new peacemaking venture including pressure from his own party to take a tougher stance on Palestinian terrorism. A host of Republican senators are lobbying Mr. Trump to use his meeting with Mr. Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, to demand the cessation of financial payments to the families of Palestinians who commit violence against Israelis or Americans. The senators have introduced legislation to cut off American aid if the Palestinians refuse. The president should raise this with Mahmoud Abbas and he should push for its passage, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a Republican ally of Mr. Trumps, said in an interview on Tuesday. Its a good test of Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership of how serious they are about wanting peace and not wanting terrorism. The legislation underscored the complexity of the peace effort that Mr. Trump is embarking on as he seeks to negotiate a durable resolution to the generations-old dispute between Israelis and Palestinians that, so far, has eluded every American president. During the presidential campaign and transition, Mr. Trump positioned himself as an unwavering ally of Israel but has moderated some of his positions since taking office as he courts support from Arab leaders in the Middle East. On a winter evening in the East Village last year, the dancer Koma Otake lured an audience outdoors for a hurricane of a performance on the steps of St. Marks Church. The cold was unforgiving, but no one seemed to mind, as he shuffled through sand in pink satin shoes, climbed a fence and shrieked into the night, the eye of his own storm. Best known by his first name, Koma is half of the Japanese-born, husband-and-wife duo Eiko and Koma, who have each recently branched out on their own, after decades of moving and staying sublimely still in tandem. On Thursday, May 11, he returns to the church with an expansion of last years piece, his first multidisciplinary solo, presented by Danspace Project. Part performance, part visual art installation, The Ghost Festival is inspired by his visits to Owara Kaze no Bon, a dance festival honoring ancestral spirits in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. A continent away, he plans to summon lost and searching souls. (Through May 13, danspaceproject.org.) SPENCERTOWN, N.Y. On the eve of his 90th birthday in 2013, Ellsworth Kelly told me that working in his studio in Columbia County was as exciting for me as ever. I have had some physical challenges related to aging, though I accept it, the painter said. But it has given me an added surge for continuing to create new work. Though suffering from emphysema in his last several years a result of longtime exposure to turpentine fumes Kelly was still remarkably productive and immersed in his lifelong investigation of form, color and plane. He died in his home here on Dec. 27, 2015, two days after he and Jack Shear, his partner of 32 years, hosted Jasper Johns and Terry Winters, among others, for Christmas. Kelly had 10 paintings on his studio walls completed that year, with a freshly gessoed panel ready to work on. Long before official photographers, painters were the artists most frequently assigned to depict public events grand and small. Volcanic eruptions, papal visits and the first hot-air balloon flight in Venice were documented by these masters, who often worked for hire. Opening on Tuesday, May 9, at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Eyewitness Views: Making History in Eighteenth Century Europe is described by organizers as the first exhibition devoted to such contemporary views of history. More than 40 paintings will be on display, most of them by artists born or trained in Italy, like Bernardo Bellotto, who painted the Kreuzkirche in Dresden both before and after it was heavily damaged by cannon fire in the Seven Years War. Other works illustrated public spectacles and formal events across Europe, in Warsaw, Paris, Madrid and Rome. An audio tour will be available, too, using first-person accounts from people who saw these events themselves. (Through July 30; getty.edu.) Gqom is stark, hollowed-out, often ominous homemade electronic dance music from Durban, South Africa. The word gqom itself, pronounced with a tongue click at the start, is like a drumbeat; the music is built from laptop beats, distorted sounds, shards of Zulu music, echoes of house and the South African style called kwaito. Gqom has infiltrated more mainstream pop and is making inroads in international dance music, and on Friday, May 12, as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival, a showcase brings leading gqom producers DJ Lag, Rudeboyz, DJ Twitt for their New York debut. (Tender Trap, tendertrapbk.com) Another Red Bull concert, on Thursday, gathers musicians in a retrospective for a disco-era pioneer: the songwriter-producer Patrick Adams. He devised crisp rhythm tracks and plush but snappy string and horn arrangements for songs like Musiques In the Bush; he also embraced the synthesizer to make disco hits with a sci-fi sheen; he went on to engineer hip-hop for Eric B. and Rakim. (Alhambra Ballroom) For weeks, we heard predictions of a shake-up among President Trumps advisers. Sure enough, the shake-up came. It just turned out to involve his advisers at Fox News. The president likes to begin and end his days with a stimulating dose of cable news, especially the warm embrace of Fox. So when Bill OReilly reportedly sexually harassed his way out of the No Spin Zone, there were repercussions beyond ratings. Mr. Trump had lost one of his best TV friends. But the new prime-time Fox News lineup, which debuted on April 24, offers the president and his base something better than friendship: a steady stream of enemies. Tucker Carlson is a stylistic departure from Mr. OReilly, whose 8 p.m. time slot he inherited (after taking over 9 p.m. from Megyn Kelly in January). Mr. OReilly cultivated a salt-of-the-earth personal myth, flogging his working class upbringing, for instance, though his father was an oil-company accountant. Blow Out, Brian De Palmas scream-filled thriller, makes its debut on the Criterion Channel on FilmStruck. Criminal Justice, the inspiration for The Night Of, joins Acorn TV. And Ronda Rousey puts up a fight on Blindspot. Whats Streaming BLOW OUT (1981) on FilmStruck. Brian De Palmas masterly conspiracy thriller starring John Travolta as a sound technician in search of the perfect scream, Nancy Allen as a makeup artist who lures important types into sexually compromising positions, and John Lithgow as the resident villain joins the Criterion Channel on FilmStruck. So do a few supplemental goodies, including an hourlong interview with Mr. De Palma by the filmmaker Noah Baumbach, as well as Mr. De Palmas Murder a la Mod, a film-within-a-film mystery from 1968, centered on a cheating porn director, blackmail and an ice pick that makes a cameo appearance in Blow Out. Hilmi tells her three things about himself, all of which end up mattering: He cant drive. He never shot a gun. He cant swim, partly because the West Bank, unlike Israel, does not have the sea Liat loves so much. (The book is dedicated to Ms. Rabinyans former lover, the artist Hassan Hourani, who drowned in 2003. She wrote a poignant farewell to him a year later in The Guardian.) The romance intensifies quickly, though Liat is concerned from beginning to end, less about him, but that her relationship goes against all she was taught. Cut this off quickly, Liat tells herself after their first night together. Decide with a heavy but determined heart that its better this way, better for both of us. And never see him again. Needless to say, she does. In New York they became more like each other, same land, same experiences, Ms. Rabinyan said of her characters. They went into this bubble. Image Ms. Rabinyans novel was published last week in the United States by Random House. Credit... Random House The couple find that their similarities and differences are very complicated. Liat, a high-minded, educated woman of the left, sees the only solution as two states, fair but in the end separate. Hilmi thinks there is no dividing the two people on the same land. (This argument, of course, has only intensified.) The book is too finely drawn for easy symbolism, but at one point Liat sums up what nearly all Israelis have thought, knowingly or not, of their Palestinian neighbors sometimes not so much antagonism as the wish it simply was not an endlessly prodding problem. The Philippines was the United States first experiment in colonization, and though the Asian archipelago became a fully independent nation in 1946, the two countries have continued to share strong diplomatic ties. Though criticism of the Philippines current president, Rodrigo Duterte, by the Obama administration caused a temporary rift in relations, tides may be turning. President Donald Trump has reached out to Mr. Duterte, even extending an invitation for him to visit the White House. Many human rights advocates view the move as an endorsement of Mr. Dutertes violent crusade in the Philippines, where over 7,000 people suspected of using or dealing drugs have been killed by the police and citizen vigilantes since Mr. Duterte took office in June 2016. This would not be the first time the United States has supported an authoritarian leader in the Philippines. In WALTZING WITH A DICTATOR: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy (1987), Raymond Bonner draws on dozens of interviews and thousands of previously classified United States government documents to investigate why not one but several American presidents from Lyndon B. Johnson to Ronald Reagan supported Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator who ruled in the Philippines from 1965 until 1986, even as his regime grew increasingly reprehensible. The book, which reveals that the United States knew Mr. Marcos would declare martial law in 1972 and even offered its support, is not devoid of opinion; there is a tenor of outrage as Mr. Bonner attempts to decipher the administrations decisions. It makes worthwhile reading for its thorough account of those years. For a more contemporary look at Philippine politics, one might turn to ILUSTRADO (2010) by Miguel Syjuco. Ostensibly about a fictional Syjucos quest to investigate the death of his invented mentor, Crispin Salvador, who is found dead in New Yorks Hudson River, Ilustrado incorporates commentary on the political climate in the Philippines during the early aughts. As the fictional Syjuco sets out to find Salvadors final and lost work, an amalgamation of 20 years of research that unravels the cronyism and corruption of the Filipino elite, news clippings are woven in including a fictional interview with the Paris Review in which Salvador says, quite plainly, that politicians in the Philippines should be presumed guilty until proven innocent, implying that even the most saintly politicians may be hiding a corrupt streak. American influence in the Philippines was not limited to politics. Mia Alvars collection of short stories, IN THE COUNTRY (2015), sees the two countries further entwined by giving voice to a cast of characters both in the Philippines and here in the United States. In The Kontrabida, Ms. Alvar introduces Steve, who returns to his native Manila after 10 years in New York to see his dying father, only to realize he has become an outsider. In another story, a young nurse named Milagros leads a strike at Manilas City Hospital after learning that American nurses make more than native ones. Throughout, Alvar gives Filipinos from Manilachusetts a Filipino community in Boston to Manila a strong voice. DEMOCRACY Stories From the Long Road to Freedom By Condoleezza Rice Illustrated. 486 pp. Twelve. $35. I have watched, Condoleezza Rice says in the opening pages of her important new book, as people in Africa, Asia and Latin America have insisted on freedom. As a child, I was a part of another great awakening: the second founding of America, as the civil rights movement unfolded in my hometown of Birmingham, Ala., and finally expanded the meaning of We the people to encompass people like me. There is no more thrilling moment than when people finally seize their rights and their liberty. Such a vision, Rice argues in Democracy: Stories From the Long Road to Freedom, is what should shape the mission of American foreign policy in the 21st century. This view, more widely held in the Democratic than in the Republican Party, has been eclipsed in recent years by disappointments in countries ranging from Ukraine and Rwanda to Egypt and Turkey, but Rice is a keeper of the flame. Her faith in the benefits and strategic importance of democracy promotion is as strong as, or stronger than, it was when she joined the George W. Bush administration in 2001. Rices continuing defense of the democracy agenda will be much noted among Republicans seeking to come to terms with the implications of President Trumps America First approach to the world. She is one of the countrys most distinguished and widely respected diplomats. As hard-line advisers like Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld lost influence with President Bush in the years following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Rice as secretary of state in the second Bush term emerged as the single most influential voice shaping foreign policy. Trained as a Russia specialist, she got her first real experience in government as part of President George H. W. Bushs team, which helped bring the Cold War to an end. The decisions made in those years would shape American policy for the next generation. With the Soviet Union out of the picture, the United States did not withdraw from the wider world. Instead, it doubled down on a policy of global engagement, seeking to build what some in the first Bush administration called a new world order, based on the global extension of democracy and liberal capitalism. Despite their differences, the next three presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, worked within this overall framework; only with the inauguration of Donald Trump would the United States have a president who challenged this bipartisan perspective. This early in the Trump administration, we cannot predict whether or how the president will convert his campaign rhetoric about America First into a foreign policy that challenges or reshapes Americas post-Cold War foreign policy. What we do know, however, is that the ambitious, wide-ranging goals of the world-order project have never been as popular with voters as they were with the foreign policy and journalistic elites. Since 1992, when voters rejected George H. W. Bush for Clinton, who was critical of Nafta and free trade with China on the stump, through 2016, when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, the less globalist candidate has won the key presidential elections. George W. Bush ran in favor of a humbler foreign policy and attacked nation-building against the global agenda of Vice President Al Gore. Obama was seen as promoting a less assertive and less expensive foreign policy in 2008 than John McCain, and in 2012, the Obama team mocked Mitt Romneys warnings that Vladimir Putin was Americas leading geopolitical foe. (Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.) Good morning. Heres what you need to know: G.O.P. scrambles to replace Obamacare. With Congress about to take a recess, Speaker Paul Ryan is trying for a third time to rally his party around a revised health bill, but no vote has been scheduled. House Republican leaders considered last-minute changes today to the new bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, such as adding $8 billion in extra spending in a bid to win the support of prominent Republicans like Representative Fred Upton of Michigan. Mr. Upton came out against the new bill and its lack of protections for people with pre-existing conditions on Tuesday. He wrote the script with his wife, Emily V. Gordon. The meet-cute: Hes a Pakistani-American standup comedian; she heckles him during a set. The film debuts next month. Have a great night. _____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. And dont miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a.m. Sundays. Want to look back? Heres last nights briefing. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com. The nomination of a prospective adviser to President Trump was torpedoed after its business ties with the aide came to light. It owns stakes in Hilton Worldwide Holdings and in the technology distributor Ingram Micro. And, as of Wednesday, it is the biggest shareholder in Deutsche Bank. HNA Group, a secretive Chinese conglomerate with ties to the Communist Party in Beijing, has emerged as a major global deal maker. But what, exactly, is HNA Group? Here is a rundown. How Did HNA Get Started? The company was founded in China in 1993 as Hainan Airlines, in the southern island province of Hainan, with help from the local provincial government. It has since expanded considerably into several industries, and now has more than $90 billion in assets. President Trump has had trouble getting his bills passed. Bankers in the United States are worried about a possible return to the Glass-Steagall Act. Britain and France are in the middle of election campaigning. Investors should be nervous. But they dont seem to be, judging by the VIX index. The VIX, known widely as Wall Streets fear gauge, measures investor expectations that stock markets will move sharply up or down. Lower readings on the index suggest less concern among investors. The index briefly dipped below 10 this week, the first time in more than 10 years, since before the financial crisis. (Its historical average is roughly 20.) It seems that investors are holding onto the prospect of improved wages, investment and economic growth. With its creditors at its heels and its coffers depleted, Puerto Rico sought what is essentially bankruptcy relief in federal court on Wednesday, the first time in history that an American state or territory had taken the extraordinary measure. The action sent Puerto Rico, whose approximately $123 billion in debt and pension obligations far exceeds the $18 billion bankruptcy filed by Detroit in 2013, to uncharted ground. While the court proceedings could eventually make the island solvent for the first time in decades, the more immediate repercussions will likely be grim: Government workers will forgo pension money, public health and infrastructure projects will go wanting, and the brain drain the island has been suffering as professionals move to the mainland could intensify. Puerto Rico is unable to provide its citizens effective services because of the crushing weight of its debt, according to a filing on Wednesday by the federal board that has supervised the islands financial affairs since last year. Over all, the company reported total revenue of $399 million for the quarter, up 5 percent compared with the first quarter of 2016. Its net income was about $13 million, compared with a net loss of roughly $14 million in the same period a year ago. Print advertising remained tough, Mark Thompson, the chief executive of The Times, said during an earnings call on Wednesday. But it is a testimony to just how far our business has already transitioned towards digital that this steep decline did not stop us from growing our total revenue significantly in the quarter. He added, We are now in rapid transition from a celebrated past as a great American newspaper to a future of even greater potential as a subscription-first, mobile-first news provider for thoughtful audiences everywhere. He attributed the strong growth in digital advertising revenue largely to the companys focus on mobile, branded content and marketing and creative services. Still, these are difficult times for all print publishers. Dean Baquet, the executive editor of The Times, has repeatedly said the newsroom will have to be smaller, and employees are anxiously awaiting staff reductions that have been looming for months. The company is also in the midst of consolidating its staff onto fewer floors at its Midtown Manhattan headquarters, and signs of construction around the building have heightened the sense of instability. Life is filled with unknowns, some bring us happiness and others bring us sadness. Over the past year I have had to say final goodbyes to three of the Westby Times columnists and three of my very dearest friends. Eric Leum, 68, passed away suddenly on Monday, March 14, 2016. He was the mystery hand behind the writings Hans Jorgenson in the weekly Historically Yours column. Eric was a true friend. he never judged anyone, was a good listener and lived life the way he wanted. Eric was in his glory when he was learning something new and never backed down from a conversation if he thought he was right. He respected the Amish community and took pride in learning how their beliefs differed from his own. Eric was one of my best friends, he taught me so much and I miss him immensely. Howard M. Sherpe, 72, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016 at his home in Westby. Howard never gave up his courageous battle with brain cancer, but God called him home anyway. This talented man wrote the weekly Across the Fence column in the Westby Times and several other publications in the Midwest. His talents reached far and he was never afraid to try something new. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, was proud to be an American, was a loving husband and father and always enjoyed meeting new people. He was a good friend and someone I could count on no matter what. He is missed by many people, but one day well all join him Across the Fence. Madeline (Neprud) Anderson, 72, passed away on Sunday, April 23, surrounded by her family. For the past year, this wonderful woman has been working with the Westby Times and the Westby Area Historical Society to keep history in the newspaper after the passing of her close friend, Eric Leum. Madelines family tree branched far and wide and the more she learned about her past the more interesting the future became. Spending decades in a library setting, Madeline was well versed in many things, but never claimed to know it all. She took pride in learning something new every day and bringing the past into the present through the Westby Area Historical Societys weekly Looking Back column. Madeline was one of the most organized people I have ever met and we spent plenty of times emailing back and forth, sometimes about business, but other times just expressing the depth of our loss and the sadness that was in our hearts having said good-bye to our friends. To her dying day, this amazing woman wasnt worried out her time running short, but about the family and friends she was leaving behind. Over the past several weeks before she passed away she told me she felt like she was letting me down by having to go into the hospital. Well Madeline, you need to know and I need to say you never let me down and the gratitude I feel in my heart for having a friend like you in my life runs deeper than words. Im just sorry I never had the opportunity to tell you that in person before God called you home. The same is true for Eric and Howard... so when you see them beyond the pearly gates please greet them for me. I miss you all and I can only imagine what kind of trouble the three of you will get into and the tall tales that will be spun from your heavenly adventures. Thats my point! Your friend, Dorothy SECAUCUS, N.J. Midcareer changes are not uncommon on Wall Street, but when Tania Isenstein quit her job at Goldman Sachs in 2012, her family and friends were shocked by what path she opted for instead: pet care. I just couldnt get myself out of bed in the morning, she recalled of the job burnout she felt, 17 years into a career as a lawyer for the investment bank. So she bought Camp Canine, a struggling pet care business on the street where she lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and where she had taken her own dog. Five years later, she employs 40 people, including five groomers. Many owners and workers in the pet care sector describe similar feelings, realizing that working with animals, and getting a creative outlet in the process, is their true calling. And, when it comes to pet groomers in particular, their number is growing. I think so. I think it hearkens back to some of my political values. Theres something to hard work. You know, Im starting to collect Omegas, the old Omegas, and theres something about the old faces, the calling back to a simpler time. And yet, at the same time, I also have the Nixie watch. In some ways that hearkens back to the old days, but Im really into Silicon Valley as well. Im really kind of this guy who is broken in two. Speaking of being broken in two, you seemed like a changed man during last years election. Why? The election changed me profoundly. One of the things I like about watches is the integrity of watches. I have this Journe that I absolutely love, because of the weight of it. It just feels like it has integrity. One thing I learned is, not a lot of people have integrity. What they said they cared about, they didnt care about. They were arguing for their team. The big mistake I made was that I associated that with people on the left. I got holier-than-thou, thinking, You people will switch on a dime, wed never do that. Then everybody switched on a dime. I was stunned. Youve talked about how you regret your own divisive rhetoric over the years. Why? This has to stop. Were just driving the stake into the heart of the republic, and its getting worse and worse and worse. All that it takes to break this cycle is for enough people to say: Wait a minute, I just want to admit my part, and I want to stop. Im going to try to really listen to people on the other side. We may still disagree. But were not going hate each other. Do you worry that your fans might resent that you have so many nice watches? Luckily, no. You know, Im a capitalist, so my audience doesnt begrudge me making money. Soldiers All: The men and the women who devote their thought and their energy to these things (productive work) will be serving the country and conducting the fight for peace and freedom just as truly and just as effectively as the men on the battlefield and in the trenches. President Wilson. The photographs show (below) a member of the British Womens Land Army; (above) the first British troops to cross the Somme, at Peronne. Credit... British Official Photo Central News Service/The New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial, May 3, 1917 Article: Shaming Children So Parents Will Pay the School Lunch Bill Before Reading Talk with a classmate about how lunch meals are paid for at your school. Do students pay for lunch with an account, or with cash? What happens if a student cant pay for lunch? Are students singled out or humiliated in any way by the other students, the administration or the lunch staff? Why or why not? Questions for Comprehension and Analysis 1. What happened to Caitlin Dolan when the school cashier discovered she had an unpaid food bill? What is it called when children are held publicly accountable for unpaid school bills by throwing away their food, providing a less desirable lunch or branding them with markers? 2. What did the 2014 report from the Department of Agriculture discover about the practice of lunch shaming? What happened that caused a Pennsylvania cafeteria worker to quit? The following photographs show an Airbus A321 being assembled over the course of six months in a new facility in Mobile, Ala. The ships from Hamburg steam into Mobile Bay several times a month. Loaded upon them are the titanic parts of flying machines: tails, already painted; wings, already functional; the fuselage, in two segments, front and rear. The pieces are set on flatbed trucks and escorted by police cars to a decommissioned Air Force base, Brookley Field, about four miles from the harbor. There, between the runways, the European aerospace company Airbus has built a $600 million factory to assemble airplanes in the United States. Its an odd arrangement for many reasons, not least among them being the fact that Airbus could assemble its planes almost anywhere. The finished product is easy to move (it flies), and the hardest work of making it is buried in its components. The vertical stabilizer is made in Getafe, Spain. The wings come from Broughton, Wales. The front of the fuselage is made in Saint-Nazaire, France; the back, in Hamburg. What happens in Mobile doesnt resemble manufacturing so much as the assembly of a particularly large and tremendously complicated piece of Ikea furniture. Here, the American workers attach the pieces of the airplane using tools and connectors, many of which are also imported from Europe. Many of the supervisors come from the continent, too; the Mobile factory manager was raised about 10 miles from the wing plant in Wales. And the company says that it saves no money by building planes in Mobile. LOS ANGELES Kumail Nanjiani loves 90s romantic comedies, the mushier the better. I started doing standup because of Hugh Grants best-man speech in Four Weddings, which is basically a standup routine, he said. For the aspiring comic, Mr. Grant was the gold standard of rom-com stars, although Mr. Nanjiani never dreamed of becoming one himself. It just felt like the people who were making those things were, like, aliens, or gods, he said. Next month, Mr. Nanjiani tackles the lead role in the romantic comedy The Big Sick, based on his own experiences meeting, dating and making a hash of things with his future wife, Emily V. Gordon, who wrote the script with him. Mr. Nanjiani, 39, plays a gently tweaked version of himself, a Pakistani-American standup comedian and Uber driver; Emily (Zoe Kazan) is a therapist-to-be who heckles him in a flirty, endearing way during one of his sets. The relationship seems doomed from the start, seeing as how Mr. Nanjianis family expects him to marry a nice Pakistani woman, a fact he somehow neglects to mention to his new girlfriend. When Emily becomes ill and is placed in a medically induced coma again, from real life things come to an unexpectedly funny head. Seeing a Pakistani-American comic secure the romantic lead in a Hollywood film would be a rare delight under any circumstances. But what makes The Big Sick all the more remarkable is how little fuss is made of it. In the film, we see Kumail and his family eating and laughing and goofing off, fighting and (after a spell) making up, just like the actors real family. Its a vision of a Muslim family, Mr. Nanjiani notes, rarely seen in American film. You just dont see Muslims being matter-of-fact Muslim, he said. Theyre always defined by their Muslim-ness. Were either terrorists, or were fighting terrorists. I remember seeing True Lies and going, why are we always the bad guys? She has had a relatively chilly relationship with the governor during his tenure that has only worsened on the campaign trail. In her stump speech, Ms. Guadagno has adopted a bit of a hear no evil, speak no evil style; she rarely, if ever, invokes the governors name. Not when she boasts about the states economy, and not when she laments the many problems facing New Jersey, including an underfunded pension system and public transportation woes. Instead, she dishes out coy insults, like discussing Mr. Christies plans to renovate the State House in Trenton by invoking the term Palace of Versailles, and noting that she doesnt travel around the state by helicopter. Then there are the direct, public breaks from the governor, such as over a gas tax increase which Mr. Christie ultimately supported after opposing it or Mr. Christies plan to have Horizon, a private insurer, pay for the states drug treatment program. But even on these issues, Ms. Guadagno goes to great lengths to avoid saying Mr. Christies name. You can negotiate and thats one thing, and thats something thats perfectly legitimate, she told reporters last month in response to a question about Mr. Christies public battles with Horizon, according to The Observer. But to demand it and take it is another thing. I dont think thats something government should do. Mr. Ciattarelli has more freedom, having been a bit of a thorn in the governors side for years, and he has been upfront about criticizing the governor as he tries to eat into Ms. Guadagnos lead. He gave the governor a D in an interview with The Star-Ledger and has frequently criticized him as someone who has put his own ambitions above the states needs. They included a number of Health Department scientists as well as three architects, an accountant and an auditor. They were chosen for their specialties including chemistry, internal medicine, and pharmaceutical drugs, according to the department to create a multidisciplinary team. The states program has been criticized for a cumbersome and often opaque roll-out, in part because of restrictions placed on the drugs medical use for example, it cannot be smoked and must be used in forms like tinctures and oils. Critics have also faulted the state for seemingly opting to create a model from scratch, despite more than 20 other states having medical marijuana programs, an assertion that the Health Department disputes, saying its panel despite its lack of expertise in the field drew from other states experiences. The identity and methodology of the panel has taken on new import in recent months as the Health Department has moved to use their 2015 evaluations as a basis for awarding licenses to as many as five additional companies, part of a broader effort to expand access to the drug. Critics, and even some supporters, of the program have said that the small number of dispensaries 20 approved statewide and the high cost of medical marijuana has made it difficult for some patients to get the drug, particularly in remote or rural areas. Companies running the dispensaries have said that they have yet to make a profit; a trade association representing the five current licensees filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Albany seeking to halt the expansion. She was not likely to cause trouble in the future, the board said, and it commended her for accomplishing a great deal in prison. In effect, the board echoed the governors judgment about the strength of her case. But it had heard from thousands of people, including most police unions and organizations in the state, who had written, clicked online petitions or testified, convincing the board that her release would undermine respect for the law by depreciating the seriousness of her crime. You are still a symbol of violent and terroristic crime, the board said. For decades after the Brinks robbery and killings, Ms. Clark kept a public silence and developed what many prison officials saw as authentic, private remorse. I had to grapple with what happened to my humanity, she said. She became an educator for women in prison with AIDS, helped arrange college courses, led prenatal and newborn classes, became a chaplains assistant, trained service dogs. Mr. Cuomo met with her in September. At the end of the year, she was one of 113 people who received various forms of clemency, a sudden revival of a power that had scarcely been used by governors for years. Of all of them, Ms. Clarks case held the greatest political risk for a governor who is thought to harbor ambitions for national office. By denying Ms. Clark, the board overshadowed his decision, at least until her next scheduled hearing, in 2019. She spent seven hours before the board, which rarely allocates an hour to a case. For much of that time, she said, commissioners read letters and other documents into the record. They asked many of the same questions the governor had, she said, but, she felt, with far less interest in her answers. The commissioners wanted to know what would happen if she were granted release. I thought it would show the success of their criminal justice system and that my punishment for the crime was serious, Ms. Clark said. It was 35 years, the bulk of my adulthood. It could point to the ability to change, and to take responsibility. In a time of enormous, heightened anger and clashing, I am someone who once believed in violence and now believes in respecting human life. And, she was asked, what if the board said no? Ms. Clark said she would not change, a statement quoted in the decision. The board, she said, did not include the rest of her response to that question: that refusing her would heighten cynicism among prisoners about the parole process. Theres a deep and broad connection between the two countries that most people dont know enough about, said John Berry, a former United States ambassador to Australia and the president of the American Australian Association, which is hosting the event. Im glad were taking a moment to really celebrate that. The American Australian Association, a little-known yet industrious nonprofit organization with offices in the Financial District of Manhattan, has been working for decades to strengthen relations between the countries. Founded in 1948 by the journalist Keith Murdoch, the association was intended to spark American governmental and business interests in Australia after World War II. Since then, the scope of its ambitions has expanded to include cultural, educational and philanthropic activity. Its Education Fund, for example, has financed the participation of more than 200 fellows in postgraduate study between Australia and the United States since 2002. The dinner on Thursday will raise money to start a new fund for veterans. It will also be the first time an American president has met with the association, Mr. Berry said, and the first in-person encounter between Mr. Trump and Mr. Turnbull. Last week, the hair-care line SheaMoisture faced a powerful customer backlash. The offense was a series of online video clips that highlighted the versatility of the brands shampoos, conditioners and styling aids. One clip features women discussing how much they struggle with their hair. Some of the women are white; the only non-white woman prominently featured in the clip is very light-skinned with loosely textured curly hair. The ad encourages women to reject hair hate and embrace hair love in every form. When the video was released on social media, SheaMoistures black customers revolted. Social media users with huge followings, many of whom have provided years of free advertising for the brand, criticized it as marginalizing their loyal black buyers in an effort to attract white women. Understanding SheaMoistures target market is critical to understanding this backlash. The brand has long been marketed to black women with natural hair hair that is not chemically straightened. For black women, the choice to be natural is simultaneously private and extremely political. It shouldnt matter what black women do with their hair, but racism means that it matters a great deal. Deeply ingrained bias against black womens natural, unstraightened hair has tangible effects on womens lives. Lighter-skinned black women and black women with straighter hair are more likely to marry than other black women. Black women with natural hair have been subject to discrimination at work and in the military. SYDNEY, Australia Like many Western countries, Australia has agreed to resettle refugees from the wars in Syria and Iraq. Unlike other countries, Australia explicitly favors Christians, even though they are a minority of those seeking refuge. The Australian experience is a case study for Europeans grappling with an influx of refugees and for Americans considering the long-term implications of the Trump presidency: When Muslims are demonized, state-directed prejudice is more likely. Data I obtained through Australias freedom of information law shows that 78 percent of the approximately 18,563 refugees from Syria and Iraq granted entry from July 1, 2015, to Jan. 6 of this year identified themselves as Christian. CARACAS, Venezuela This episode took place on my street in downtown Caracas last week. People were shouting, running past my building, trying to escape from a contingent of national guardsmen who had opened fire a block away with buckshot, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters on a peaceful demonstration outside the offices of PDVSA, the state-owned oil company. One protester, a woman in her 60s, sought refuge from the tear gas by hiding behind a tree. We opened the door for her, but she wasnt too happy about taking shelter; she felt that she was shirking her duty as a citizen by not facing the attackers openly. We cant do anything if were dead, Missus, said a young man who obviously sympathized with her. And theyre starving us to death, so nobody can stop me going out on to the streets to protest, the woman said. Thats whats new in the protests taking place in Venezuela the conviction that the 21st-century socialism begun by former President Hugo Chavez has failed and has left the country in ruins. And there are other, darker new elements involved police brutality, mass detentions and the use of paramilitary groups armed by the government to carry out the dirty work the military doesnt want to handle: murdering people. MOSCOW At the beginning of April, reports surfaced that a crackdown on gay men was afoot in Chechnya, the small, turbulent republic on the southern edge of the Russian Federation. According to the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, more than 100 gay men were rounded up by the police and brutalized in secret prisons, and at least three of them were killed. Many remain in detention. In fear and desperation, 75 people called in to the Russian LGBT Networks Chechnya hotline. Of these, 52 said they had been victims of the recent violence, and 30 fled to Moscow where they received help from L.G.B.T. activists. Once they bring you there, a survivor told me, referring to the secret prison in Chechnya where hed been detained, they immediately start the beatings and electrocutions, demanding information about who you were dating. The guards, he said, would spit in the prisoners faces, and worse: We were such hated creatures that each guard felt obliged to hit us when passing by. This persecution of gays is symptomatic of the repressive regime that now runs Chechnya. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union a quarter-century ago, that rugged outpost of the old empire has lived through separatist agitation, terrorism and two bloody wars. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, some 5,000 are still missing, and its towns were left in ruins. Finally, theyre worse because European governance has a greater democracy deficit than the United States, and because the European ruling class already relies more than its American counterpart on illiberal methods restrictions on speech that would be the envy of our campus commisars, counterterrorism methods that would make Jeff Sessions blush, even the spread of voluntary euthanasia as a solution to age and illness and unhappiness to maintain the continental peace. This is a tangle of problems that no single statesman or party, however brilliant, is likely to cut through; they can be only managed, not resolved. But much of elite European politics seems to be organized around the premise that they are really problems only because they might lead to an extremist party taking power. So the important thing is to concentrate every effort on delegitimizing and defeating and excluding critics (be they right wing or, as in many Mediterranean countries, far left) rather than solving the problems that the outsiders often quite accurately identify. This strategy partially succeeded in Greece, but it failed with Brexit. It should succeed in defeating Le Pen, but it has failed to prevent Poland and Hungary from turning to parties of the populist right. But even maybe especially if it were comprehensively successful, it would still deserve to be discarded, because it represents a dereliction of duty, a refusal to stare actual failure in its face. Ideally, it would be discarded first by existing parties of the center-right, which would adapt the populist critique and implement an agenda purged of crankishness and bigotry: This seems to be what Theresa May is trying to do in Britain, and I wish her well. But elsewhere right-of-center parties are either breaking down or simply sticking to the same old playbook, leaving populists as the most viable alternative to the status quo. And the policy alternative that the right-wing populists often offer hard limits on immigration, new financial support for families, a re-emphasis on national sovereignty, the unwinding of the euro is in some ways less extreme than the open-borders and onward-to-federalism fantasies still nursed by the elite, and more directly responsive to the elite programs widespread failure. (It is also considerably more coherent than the right-wing populism of Donald Trump.) Not only did Comey probably tip the election to Donald Trump; he also handled the investigations of Clintons emails and Trumps strange relationship with the Kremlin in entirely different ways. He treated Trump with the Federal Bureau of Investigations customary silence about ongoing probes. He talked about the Clinton investigation in extremely public and damaging ways. When Comey decided to announce the reopening of the Clinton email probe, he had no solid evidence that there was any significant new information on the newly discovered computer, belonging to the disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, that sparked the renewed investigation. Comey said in his testimony on Wednesday that the computer contained thousands of emails that apparently had been forwarded to Weiner by his then-wife Huma Abedin, perhaps Clintons closest aide. He repeated the word thousands several times, infusing it with a tone of awe. He said some of those messages were classified and that they might even have included some of the missing emails from Clintons early months as secretary of state. (Subsequent investigation revealed that they did not.) It was tantalizing speculation, but the word classified is not as scary as it sounds, since the federal government wildly over-classifies information. In this case, the term covered emails that merely referred to news articles about classified things like President Obamas use of drones to assassinate terrorist suspects, which was about as secret as the address of the White House. One of them allows states to establish payroll-deduction retirement accounts for private-sector workers who have no retirement coverage at work. Another makes energy companies limit harmful emissions of methane, the main component of natural gas. The retirement regulation, which allows states to provide millions of employees with a convenient, low-cost way to save for retirement, is also consistent with Republicans traditional support for states rights. So, repealing the rule would violate both the interest of the people and Republicans own professed ideology in order to curry favor with big financial firms that fear competition. The vote to repeal the retirement rule, which could come as soon as Wednesday, will be close, with Vice President Mike Pence possibly having to cast a tiebreaking vote a dubious victory. The rule to curb methane is opposed by powerful oil and gas interests, and, not surprisingly, by many in Congress who receive campaign contributions from those interests. But its value is indisputable. Capturing methane keeps the air cleaner and reduces emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. It would have the support of most Americans, who regardless of party affiliation tell pollsters that measures to restrict emissions are good solutions to climate and pollution problems. And it could be a benefit for industry, since the captured methane can be sold on the market. After Colorado carried out a similar rule, natural gas production increased. LONDON The British Labour Party faces the biggest crisis in its history, bigger than 1983 when it polled less than 28 percent of the popular vote and won only 209 seats in the House of Commons. Numerically, the result of the June 8 general election may not be quite as bad for Labour as it was 34 years ago. And, unlike in 1983, a clutch of despairing former Labour cabinet ministers have not chosen to found an unelectable fringe party. But the damage to the partys prospects today is far deeper. In 1983, Labour moderates rightly believed that once the extent of the electoral disaster became plain, there would be a slow revival of enthusiasm for electable policies and an electable leadership. Indeed, some of us in the party were preparing the ground for the counterrevolution even before voting day. For example, when I spoke in my Birmingham constituency, I explicitly rejected policies like nuclear disarmament, withdrawal from what was then the European Economic Community and wholesale nationalization key elements in Labours 1983 party manifesto. Today, there is little sign that Labour will soon make its way out of the wilderness. According to some predictions based on recent polling, the party could be left with as few as 157 seats in Parliament (from its 2015 election total of 232). Members on the opposition backbenches of Parliament who should be mapping out the road to recovery show little inclination to lead the way. Sensible Labour policies more affordable housing and greater investment in the health service are obscured by the party leader Jeremy Corbyns displays of inadequacy and incompetence. Conservative newspapers regurgitate his closest supporters past associations with extreme organizations and bizarre ideas. In 1983, the Labour Party suffered from three related, but transitory, problems. The first was Tony Benn, whose fantasy politics and messianic egoism appealed to romantics, and who was only narrowly defeated in his bid to become the partys deputy leader in 1981. The second was Michael Foot, the party leader, who though a distinguished writer and cabinet minister was wholly unsuited to political leadership. The third was the Militant Tendency, a group of Trotskyite infiltrators who, in Labours name, won control of the Liverpool City Council and tried, almost always without success, to undermine mainstream Labour members of Parliament. HONG KONG The selection in March of the Beijing loyalist Carrie Lam as Hong Kongs next leader is the latest sign that China will continue to tighten its grip on this city. Political divisions will deepen and mistrust of the government will rise. Ms. Lam, who was picked to be chief executive by an election committee stacked in Beijings favor, has long taken a hard-line approach to suppressing dissent. As the former No. 2 official under the unpopular outgoing leader, Leung Chun-ying, she presided over the political reform process that ignited the Umbrella Movement of 2014, in which tens of thousands of Hong Kongers occupied major thoroughfares for three months demanding democratic rights. With Hong Kongs autonomy plummeting to a 20-year low, its more important than ever for Washington to affirm its commitment to freedom in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, introduced by a bipartisan group of senators in February, would put the Hong Kong peoples rights at the center of United States policy toward the semiautonomous Chinese territory. The legislation, an update to a 1992 law governing relations between the United States and Hong Kong, would authorize the president to freeze United States-based assets of individuals who have suppressed freedoms in Hong Kong and deny them entry to America, require the secretary of state to issue an annual report on Hong Kongs political situation until at least 2023 and guarantee that Hong Kongers who have participated in nonviolent assembly would not be denied American visas on the basis of their arrest. Barring a course change, the State Department is expected to limp along without most of its senior staff until well into 2018. That could be more than a year from now. Even citizens who are deeply jaded about the government must realize that with the world in turmoil, its dangerous for one of the departments most responsible for managing the chaos to be treading water. That apparently is what you get when Rex Tillerson, the former chief executive of Exxon Mobil who has no government experience, becomes secretary of state. President Trump and others have long rhapsodized about the value of bringing business skills to government. However valuable these skills are, running a business is not the same as leading the free world in an era of multiple, complex crises. Three months into his tenure, Mr. Tillerson has done almost nothing to select nominees for the White House to consider for nearly 200 State Department jobs that require Senate confirmation, The Timess Gardiner Harris reported. No other federal department is as dependent on political appointees, meaning State is uniquely affected by such foot-dragging. And even if Mr. Tillerson named all his choices tomorrow, the confirmation process usually takes months and months. Vladimir Putin: friend, enemy, friend again. Peter Baker joins to discuss the White Houses on-again off-again relationship with Russia. Background reading: After avoiding a government shutdown on Friday, Mr. Trump calls for a good shutdown this fall to force a partisan confrontation over federal spending. Mr. Hulse on why Congresss bipartisan budget deal should make Mr. Trump worried. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at thedaily@nytimes.com. Tweet me at @mikiebarb. And if that isnt enough, we can even text. How do I listen? If you dont see an audio player on this page or to subscribe to The Daily for free, follow the instructions below. On your iPhone or iPad: Open the preloaded app called Podcasts; it has a purple icon. If youre reading this from your phone, tap this link, which will take you straight there. (You can also use the magnifying glass icon to search; type The Daily.) Also among the readers was a climate scientist, who in an email went on for many paragraphs challenging Stephenss fallacious and misleading argument. And a priest, who told me that, unlike the others, he took it upon himself to subscribe to The Times, as a gesture of reward for letting all voices speak. The bottom line: Few readers question the notion of having a conservative on the Op-Ed pages, with some caveats. But they thought it was a pugnacious move on Stephenss part to choose climate change as his first target, a subject as flammable to many younger readers as the Middle East has long been to older ones. Thats the readers side. Up the elevator on the 13th floor was Stephens, who sat beneath empty bookshelves in his new office. He was answering questions from readers for his next column, and was ready to take mine. Its been an education, he said of his maiden voyage into Times territory from the more conservative compound of The Wall Street Journal. Some reader comments have been really smart and engaging, he said, while many on Twitter, he said, have been less so. One tweet in particular left him explaining to his 11-year-old boy what it meant that someone wanted his dad Danny Pearl-ed. Stephenss view of his first column what the takeaway was meant to be, and why he chose climate change for his inaugural piece is vastly different from how many Times readers perceived it. He says he chose climate not to intentionally incite anyone, but because he was being attacked on that subject before he even arrived. He felt he couldnt dodge it. What about the assertion that his broader purpose, like that of many industries, is to stoke doubt about global warming and thus reduce the need to act? Quite the opposite, Stephens said. The first column was meant to recognize our fallibility. When I quoted the old Jew of Galicia, about someone whos 55 percent right, that meant me. I am far from infallible, and I screw up all the time. Im not offering my comments as statements of absolute truth. What Im trying to do is offer statements about issues that matter in hopes that they approximate the truth. Just as I want to persuade readers, I understand that they might end up persuading me. That may be where conciliation ends. From Stephenss perspective, the gulf between his intentions and reader reaction is partly explained by how liberals tend to approach ideas with which they disagree. Over the course of the museums design and construction, Miami-Dade County provided $205 million some of it as part of a general obligation bond to enable the projects completion. Private donations and sponsorships provided most of the rest. Museum officials hope to attract an additional $50 million from naming rights to parts of the facility, which was designed by the British architect Nicholas Grimshaw. From Mr. Frosts point of view, the museum was almost too large an enterprise to succeed without pain. Through no fault of their own, the people who conceived of it originally were not experienced enough in the area to realize how complex an undertaking it was, Mr. Frost said. They might have gone for a less complicated version of the museum, which would have been fine as well. But we have this magnificent institution now and its up to the community to support it. Karl Lagerfeld may have hoped for blazing sunshine and Aegean blue skies in Paris. After all, he staged Chanels 2018 cruise show, inspired by the glories of ancient Greece, under the rounded glass ceiling of the Grand Palais. His models wore gold: gilded laurels swirled into sunglasses, Delphos-pleated dresses corded with sequins, even beach cover-ups licked with golden vines. King Midas has nothing on Kaiser Karl. But alas, it was Paris in May. The sky was a sullen shade of Elgin-marble gray on Wednesday. The weather was, perhaps, the only factor Chanel couldnt control. Rather than going to Greece, the fashion house brought Greece to Paris. What could be a larger display of its might? Perhaps presenting the collection in Greece itself; Mr. Lagerfeld had originally wanted to show at a historic venue, but was vetoed by the countrys officials, company representatives said. Hence the decision to show in Paris. (Earlier this year, the Central Archaeological Council in Athens also publicly rebuffed Gucci in its bid to stage its cruise show on the Acropolis. Instead it will be held in Florence.) No matter. Instead of showing amid the original ruins, Chanel spent a kings ransom erecting its own. The set was based on the Parthenon as well as the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion. It took 50 craftspeople three weeks of construction, and nine days of assembly, to complete. SAN FRANCISCO As a business, Facebook is more successful than ever. On Wednesday afternoon, it reported another quarter of huge growth, with nearly 2 billion people actively using the service and revenue up 49 percent in the first quarter compared with a year ago. But with the companys vast reach has come another kind of problem: Facebook is becoming too big for its computer algorithms and relatively small team of employees and contractors to manage the trillions of posts on its social network. Earlier Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg, the companys chief executive, acknowledged the problem. In a Facebook post, he said that over the next year, the company would add 3,000 people to the team that polices the site for inappropriate or offensive content, especially in the live videos the company is encouraging users to broadcast. If were going to build a safe community, we need to respond quickly, he wrote. Were working to make these videos easier to report so we can take the right action sooner whether thats responding quickly when someone needs help or taking a post down. He offered no details on what would change. Every year, the internet gets a little less fair. The corporations that run it get a little bigger, their power grows more concentrated, and a bit of their idealism gives way to ruthless pragmatism. And if Ajit Pai, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, gets his way, the hegemons are likely to grow only larger and more powerful. This column is nominally about network neutrality, the often sleep-inducing debate about the rules that broadband companies like Comcast and AT&T must follow when managing their networks. But really, this is a story about ballooning corporate power. At the moment, the internet isnt in a good place. The Frightful Five Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Alphabet, Googles parent company control nearly everything of value in the digital world, including operating systems, app stores, browsers, cloud storage infrastructure, and oceans of data from which to spin new products. A handful of others Comcast, AT&T, Verizon control the wired and wireless connections through which all your data flows. People used to talk about the internet as a wonderland for innovative upstarts, but lately the upstarts keep getting clobbered. Today the internet is gigantic corporations, all the way down. LONDON You might call it a triumphal return: Angels in America is back at the National Theater here. Marianne Elliotts revival of Tony Kushners epic play about the AIDS crisis and the Reagan era, with a cast featuring the Hacksaw Ridge star Andrew Garfield and the two-time Tony winner Nathan Lane, comes 25 years after its British premiere at the same institution. Mr. Kushners play is rightly deemed an American success, a Pulitzer Prize winner with consecutive Tony Awards to its name. It was developed and had its premiere at the Eureka Theater in California under the dramaturgy of Oskar Eustis, now artistic director of the Public Theater, and went on to Broadway via Los Angeles. What tends to get overlooked, however, is the vital importance of its London outing. Indeed, its entirely possible that, without Angels in London, there would have been no Angels on Broadway. Richard Eyre, then the artistic director of the National Theater, was a huge admirer of the play. He had, he said then, been waiting for a play to match the catastrophe of AIDS. In Mr. Kushners sweeping two-parter, which ties the closeted lawyer Roy Cohn to others entangled in the epidemic, he found it a vast, imaginative elision of the personal and the political, spirituality and sexuality. He sent the play to his associate director, Declan Donnellan, then on tour in Brazil with his company Cheek by Jowl. Id never read anything that ripped off the page like that, Mr. Donnellan said in a recent interview. We said wed do it after reading, literally, a few pages. A troupe of South Asian actors, assembled from across the globe, gathered in a Manhattan rehearsal room in March to enact, in song and dance, one of the signature schisms of the 20th century: the British-mandated partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, which led to the displacement of some 15 million, deaths numbering more than a million and a legacy of barely contained border tension. As one group of actors shouted Allahu akbar!, another answered with the Hindu chant Har Har Mahadev. In moves closer to stage combat than dance, the cast members clashed on the studios sprung floor as a love story played out poetically in the foreground or rather, the end of a love story, as a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl are forever separated by partition, or batwara. This scene isnt in the film Monsoon Wedding, the 2002 indie hit from the director Mira Nair and the screenwriter Sabrina Dhawan that is the basis for their musical of the same name, running at Berkeley Repertory Theater in California through June 25. But now is a different time, to put it lightly. Whats more, theater has different requirements than film, and brings fresh opportunities. The insatiable American appetite for British drawing-room comedy is well nourished in The Roundabout, a revival of J. B. Priestleys 1932 comedy at 59E59 Theaters. This sparkling, impeccably staged play produced by the Cahoots Theater Company, the Other Cheek and Park Theater as part of 59E59s Brits Off Broadway program will be catnip to Downton Abbey devotees, with equal doses of humor and insight. This being a social mosaic of sorts, plot threads and characters abound, so bear with me. It begins with the harried Lord Kettlewell (Brian Protheroe), who is having a stressful Saturday. The Great Depression is afoot, and strictly speaking, there isnt a money market any longer, he says, adding, Take America. And his long-absent daughter, Pamela (Emily Laing), an Oxonian returning to Britain from time abroad in Russia (working for the Red October Candy Factory), has arrived unexpectedly with a friend, the slovenly Comrade Staggles (Steven Blakeley), another British Communist. Attired in gender-neutral proletarian garb, the headstrong Pamela thinks its time to return to the nest, but Lord Kettlewell, separated from Pamelas mother, Lady Kettlewell (Lisa Bowerman), is skeptical. Fortunately, a good friend the acerbic, mildly effeminate Churton Saunders (a delightfully droll Hugh Sachs), called Chuffy is there to offer counsel and sympathy. Still with me? Because Lord Kettlewells day is just beginning. Lady Knightsbridge (Richenda Carey) a sniffling hen shorn of her wealth, soliciting employment for her newly strapped upper-crust friends has invited herself over for lunch. (Communists, eh? she asks Lord Kettlewell. Is there any money in it?) Also on hand is Farrington Gurney (Charlie Field), a young, aggressive capitalist who covets Pamela. And Lord Kettlewells mistress, Hilda Lancicourt (Carol Starks), is coming, as is Lady Kettlewell, at her daughters invitation. Yesterday she was exploring Tokyo. Today she has touched down in Southern California to design a travel-inspired office space. Tonight she is catching a flight to Iceland, where she will spend two weeks shooting videos and photos just for fun, to reinspire content. The she in this case is Kiersten Rich, creator of the Blonde Abroad, a solo female lifestyle and travel blog with 350,000 monthly readers. But her schedule is interchangeable with those of the thousands of bloggers whose job it is to travel and look good while doing so. Their photos are stunning: They defy jet lag, flash blinding smiles over artful lattes and twirl on the edge of breathtaking landscapes. And millions watch enviously: Ms. Rich has over 380,000 Instagram followers. She also has eight employees. These sites a blend of a personal journal and marketing platform have proliferated in recent years. Their typical narrative seems ripe for a romantic comedy: A 20-something woman who was unhappy in her conventional career quits to travel the world alone. But as audiences demand video, Instagram posts, Snaps and other media beyond the words and few images that used to be the stock and trade of travel blogging, many bloggers are finding that their depiction of a glamorous, jet-setting life is at odds with their daily routine. They have staffs, manage payroll and can work 18-hour days. Somewhere between turning a dream into a job and the constant sleep deprivation that comes with a flood of work, its pretty easy to almost start to hate it, said Liz Carlson, who started her Young Adventuress blog five years ago as a means of updating her friends and family about her experience as an English teacher abroad. She said she hadnt had a real vacation in probably four years. We dont know how quickly machines will displace peoples jobs, or how many theyll take, but we know its happening not just to factory workers but also to money managers, dermatologists and retail workers. The logical response seems to be to educate people differently, so theyre prepared to work alongside the robots or do the jobs that machines cant. But how to do that, and whether training can outpace automation, are open questions. Pew Research Center and Elon University surveyed 1,408 people who work in technology and education to find out if they think new schooling will emerge in the next decade to successfully train workers for the future. Two-thirds said yes; the rest said no. Following are questions about whats next for workers, and answers based on the survey responses. How do we educate people for an automated world? People still need to learn skills, the respondents said, but they will do that continuously over their careers. In school, the most important thing they can learn is how to learn. TIJUANA, Mexico By the time Francisca, Armando and their two surviving children made it to the United States border in late February, they were hungry, exhausted and virtually penniless. But the couple, who said that a son had been killed by a gang back in El Salvador and that their daughter had nearly been raped, thought they had finally reached safety. Under United States and international law, all people who ask for asylum are supposed to be allowed into the country to plead their case. But instead, they said, a Customs and Border Protection agent shooed them away. There is no asylum here, Francisca, 32, recalled the agent telling them. We are not granting asylum. Customs agents have increasingly turned away asylum seekers without so much as an interview, according to migrants and their lawyers, in a trend first noted several months ago and that appeared to accelerate after President Trumps inauguration. That has left an untold number of migrants trapped in Mexico, where they have sometimes fallen prey to kidnappers seeking ransom or been driven into the hands of drug cartels and smugglers. Some have tried to enter the United States illegally and dangerously, through the desert or across the Rio Grande, a risky journey. The F.B.I. is helping American University in Washington, D.C., investigate an episode in which bananas were found hanging from nooses on campus this week, a spokeswoman for the agency said on Wednesday. The bananas were found at the university on Monday, the same day a black woman took office as the student government president for the first time in the institutions history. The bananas had short messages scrawled on them, including AKA FREE, an apparent reference to Alpha Kappa Alpha, a predominantly black sorority of which Taylor Dumpson, the new student body president, is a member; and HARAMBE BAIT, referencing the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo who was killed last May after a child fell into its enclosure. Mike Lowry, a former five-term Democratic member of Congress whose one term as governor of Washington State was tarnished by sexual harassment allegations, died on Monday. He was 78. His family announced his death, from complications of a stroke, in a statement issued by Gov. Jay Inslee in Olympia, Wash. Mr. Lowry was elected to the House from Washingtons Seventh Congressional District, in the Seattle area, in 1978 and was easily re-elected four times. He was a leading Democratic critic of President Ronald Reagans economic policies, even when they were wildly popular. He also opposed the presidents arms buildup and restrictions on abortion. Col. Leo K. Thorsness, one of the most highly decorated American airmen of the Vietnam War and a belated recipient of the Medal of Honor for his heroism on a mission that took place 11 days before he was shot down and taken prisoner, died on Tuesday in Jacksonville, Fla. Colonel Thorsness, who had been brutalized during his six years of captivity at the notorious North Vietnamese prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, where he was a cellmate of John McCains, was 85. His wife, Gaylee, said the cause was leukemia. He died at a Mayo Clinic. Colonel and Mrs. Thorsness had been living in St. Augustine, Fla., for the past year and half. The skies some 40 miles southwest of Hanoi were filled with North Vietnamese MIG fighters, surface to air missiles (known as SAMs) and antiaircraft fire on the afternoon of April 19, 1967, when Major Thorsness he was promoted to colonel on his retirement carried out his 88th mission for the Air Force piloting an F-105 Thunderchief. He and his weapons specialist, Captain Harold Johnson, shot down one MIG, damaged another and struck at least two SAM batteries as they accompanied fighter-bombers attacking a North Vietnamese Army barracks. Mr. Sessionss department will almost certainly be forced to make similarly tough calls in the coming months. Over the weekend, a 15-year-old African-American boy, Jordan Edwards, was fatally shot in the head by a police officer in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs, Tex., and police officials have given conflicting accounts of the encounter. The two different outcomes of the federal inquiries this week left two families in very different positions. In South Carolina on Tuesday, Mr. Scotts survivors held onto their grief even as they acknowledged a new phase: His mother, Judy Scott, forgave Mr. Slager, though she was not forthcoming about whether she thought he should receive a sentence of life in prison a possibility under his plea agreement. In Baton Rouge on Wednesday, Mr. Sterlings survivors and their lawyers vented their frustration and disappointment at a news conference held under a freeway as rain poured overhead. They urged Louisianas attorney general, Jeff Landry, who is conducting a state investigation, to bring criminal charges against the two officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake. L. Chris Stewart, one of the Sterling familys lawyers, said that Justice Department officials had informed them that the actions of the officers were outrageous, were inappropriate, were not following procedure, even though those actions did not rise to the level of a federal crime. Lawyers also said that Mr. Sterlings relatives were shown enhanced video and audio clips revealing that Officer Salamoni had said to Mr. Sterling, Ill kill you, bitch, or something like it, as he put a gun to Mr. Sterlings head. Sandra Sterling, Mr. Sterlings aunt, said that throughout the investigation, in my heart and my mind, I was thinking that they were going to prosecute, but when she heard that they would not, it tore me up, all night. Despite some obvious similarities, the two cases were very different. Experts said that the South Carolina shooting was a rarity in officer use-of-force cases: one in which the well-documented facts pointed with little doubt to an egregious act by a uniformed officer. A widely disseminated cellphone video of the episode showed Mr. Scott, who was unarmed, running away from Mr. Slager when the officer fired. COLUMBUS, Ohio Ben Carson does not like the creature comforts, at least not for low-income Americans reliant on the government for a helping hand. As he toured facilities for the poor in Ohio last week, Mr. Carson, the neurosurgeon-turned-housing secretary, joked that a relatively well-appointed apartment complex for veterans lacked only pool tables. He inquired at one stop whether animals were allowed. At yet another, he nodded, plainly happy, as officials explained how they had stacked dozens of bunk beds inside a homeless shelter and purposefully did not provide televisions. Compassion, Mr. Carson explained in an interview, means not giving people a comfortable setting that would make somebody want to say: Ill just stay here. They will take care of me. When Mr. Carson assumed the helm of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, he had no government experience, no political experience beyond a failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination and no burning desire to run a major federal bureaucracy. But his views on poverty alleviation were tough-minded and well-known, informed by his childhood in Detroit and his own bootstraps journey from Motor City urban grit to the operating theater of Johns Hopkins University. WASHINGTON The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bipartisan $1.1 trillion spending agreement to fund the government through September, clearing a key procedural hurdle to avert a shutdown even as scores of Republicans opposed a measure crafted under a White House and Congress controlled by their own party. The depth of Republican opposition to the measure which passed by a vote of 309-118, with little more than a dozen no votes from Democrats reflects the perception on Capitol Hill that the minority party fared strikingly well in negotiations. There are also many conservative lawmakers who tend to oppose spending bills generally. The agreement, which is expected to earn final passage with a Senate vote as soon as Thursday, includes increased funding for some of President Trumps priorities, like military and border security spending. But Democrats have broadly cheered it as a rejection of Mr. Trumps signature campaign pledges, most notably a border wall with Mexico, which was not included. The measure supplies tens of millions of dollars to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for costs incurred protecting Mr. Trump and his family a relief for New York City, which has worked to protect Trump Tower, where the presidents wife, Melania Trump, and their son, Barron, live. And it increases funding by $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health, rebuffing the Trump administrations request that its budget be reduced. We need to hear how the F.B.I. will regain that faith and trust, she said. We need straightforward answers to our questions, and we want to hear how youre going to lead the F.B.I. going forward. We never, ever want anything like this to happen again. She demanded to know why his treatment of the Clinton investigation had been so dramatically different from his treatment of an investigation into Russian efforts to meddle in the election. Mr. Comey rejected her claim. He said that the F.B.I. had confirmed the existence of the investigation into Mrs. Clintons emails months after it began, and said nothing more until after it was closed. Similarly, Mr. Comey said, the F.B.I. revealed its Russia investigation months after it was opened in the summer, and only after it had been widely reported in the news media. And, as with the Clinton inquiry while it was still underway, the bureau has refused to talk about what it has found with regard to Russia. Were not going to say another peep about it until were done, Mr. Comey said, acknowledging that the inquiry was continuing. And I dont know what will be said when were done, but thats the way we handled the Clinton investigation, as well. The tone of the opening statements from both Ms. Feinstein and the Republican chairman of the committee, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, made clear that they wanted answers from Mr. Comey on a number of issues: Mrs. Clintons emails, the Russia investigation, leaks to the news media and the use of wiretapping as an investigative tool. We need the F.B.I. to be accountable because we need the F.B.I. to be effective, Mr. Grassley said. If you believe in limited government, the filibuster has been your friend far more than your foe, said Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, who, like many other senators, was adamant that he would not support a weakening of the tactic. Until Mr. Trumps latest outburst, the fate of the legislative filibuster was far from assured. Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the former majority leader, predicted last year that Democrats would try to jettison the filibuster if Hillary Clinton won the presidency and Democrats won the Senate, only to see Republicans continue the stalling tactics they employed so successfully against President Barack Obama. And Democrats had already shown a willingness to make changes with their 2013 maneuver to eliminate the 60-vote threshold for most judicial and executive branch nominees. Then Mr. Trumps victory completely turned the tables, with the Republicans who now controlled Congress and the White House ruminating about gutting the filibuster if Democrats stood in the way of the Trump agenda. Republicans in the House and conservative groups cheered on the idea, saying it could finally break a logjam in conservative legislation. Early in Mr. Trumps tenure, some Senate Republicans said a change in the filibuster rules on legislation remained a possibility if Democrats refused to give any ground to the unified Republican government. But the shaky start of the Trump administration and the ensuing chaos seem to have left Republicans on Capitol Hill less inclined to take big political risks for the president. The certainty of the sentiment against a change was striking. He can say what he wants, Mr. Flake said of Mr. Trump. This is separation of powers. We appropriate. Mr. McConnell, who considers himself an ardent Senate institutionalist, was always reluctant to endorse such a radical departure from Senate tradition, and he said so repeatedly. He did, however, engineer a change that allowed Republicans to break a filibuster against Neil M. Gorsuch with a simple majority vote and put him on the Supreme Court last month. WASHINGTON President Trumps plans to hire thousands of new deportation officers, cut off money to cities that refuse to turn over undocumented immigrants and target states that legally sell marijuana were notably omitted from the spending compromise bill unveiled by Congress to avert a government shutdown. To the displeasure of conservative groups and supporters of Mr. Trump, lawmakers from both parties rejected key elements of the presidents proposals to enforce the nations immigration laws more aggressively. All the things the president talked about are conspicuously absent from the budget bill, said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization that favors more restrictive immigration policies. The funding bill does add nearly $1.5 billion for border and aviation security. But while most attention has been paid to Congress decision not to include money for Mr. Trumps border wall, an examination of the 1,665 pages of the budget and accompanying documents shows a rejection of much of the presidents approach to border security in favor of a more conventional approach by lawmakers. WASHINGTON In his first address laying out his vision as secretary of state, Rex W. Tillerson said Wednesday that the United States had been far too accommodating to emerging nations and longtime allies and that things have gotten out of balance. Righting those imbalances, he said, will be the mission of the State Department as it fulfills President Trumps promise to put America first. We were promoting relations. We were promoting economic activity. We were promoting trade with a lot of these emerging economies, and we just kind of lost track of how we were doing, Mr. Tillerson said. And as a result, things got a little bit out of balance. Pacing around a stage in the departments auditorium, Mr. Tillerson then discussed a series of specific challenges facing the United States. Life presents us with this quandary: When we most need to communicate effectively, we are often filled with anxiety. When we are reactive to anxious states, we tend to shut down, act impulsively or crave solace. None of these responses helps us work with our doctors. To have a better experience to ask the difficult question, share a moment of vulnerability or discuss symptoms start by being mindful. Lee Rosen, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont Before you enter the doctors office, pause at the door and take two deep breaths, count slowly to three on both the inhalation and the exhalation. Once seated in the waiting room, take a moment to focus on your breathing, counting to 10. Look inward with complete acceptance, noting why you came to the doctor. Are you worried or scared? Are you in pain? If you are, permit yourself to have these feelings. Understand that theres nothing you are supposed to do about these feelings right now. Just let them be. That is why you are here. In the examination room, notice the cool air, the bright lights and the feeling of your feet dangling as you sit on the table. Acknowledge the universality of sickness and mortality. Often we feel our suffering isolates us and takes us out of the present moment. But since suffering is inevitable, it is also an experience we share with everyone else. Allow yourself to feel that connection. Take another deep breath and commit to sharing with the nurse or the doctor what they need to know to help you. The fight occurred on Monday on All Nippon Airways Flight 6, or NH6, aboard a Boeing 777 that was about to embark on an 11-hour journey to Los Angeles International Airport from Narita International Airport outside Tokyo. Michihiko Aoi, a police official at Narita, said Wednesday evening that a man of American nationality in his 40s was taken off NH6, as he had flown into a rage and caused trouble on the plane. The man was drunk, he added. Mr. Aois statement continued: Today, we received several phone inquiries from the news media asking about the video taken inside the plane. The man was not charged over the incident recorded inside the plane, but because of the violence he inflicted on the ANA official, causing scratches on his forehead. We cant comment on the video as we dont know who took it, and also there are other people appearing in it, Mr. Aoi added. He was seen in the video, but we cannot confirm which one he is, or which color shirt he wore. A former environmental activist who cracked down on the Philippine mining industry as the countrys acting environment secretary was forced from her job on Wednesday when Congress denied her confirmation to the post. Since being appointed in June by President Rodrigo Duterte, the acting secretary, Gina Lopez, has taken aim at the mining industry. She has acted aggressively to close mining companies accused of violating environmental laws and canceled mining contracts in watershed areas. Last Thursday, Ms. Lopez raced to issue a ban on open-pit mining along with other restrictions. We planned many things, Ms. Lopez said during a news conference after the vote against her confirmation. What a waste. Everyone would have benefited from the management and care of the environment. Ms. Lopez was championed by environmental activists, religious groups and social justice organizations, some of whom rallied in her support outside the Senate building on Wednesday. During her tenure, Ms. Lopez moved to shut the operations of 28 of the countrys 41 mining companies. Those companies account for about half of the nickel production in the Philippines and have been accused of leaving rivers, rice fields and watersheds stained red with nickel laterite. TOKYO Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan announced on Wednesday a plan to revise a pacifist Constitution that has been in place since it was enacted by American occupiers in 1947. In a video message delivered at a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Constitution, Mr. Abe said he wanted to make explicit the status of the countrys self-defense forces, as Japans military is known, by amending the Constitution by 2020. As Japan faces continuing security threats from North Korea, Mr. Abe said that there should be no room for arguing that the military, with just over 227,000 active-duty troops, may be unconstitutional. Japan has stepped up its show of military force amid concerns about North Koreas provocative behavior, sending two naval destroyers to join the American aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in exercises off the Korean Peninsula. And on Monday, a Japanese warship accompanied a United States Navy supply ship headed to join the Carl Vinson and three other warships in a strike group. Capt. Bill Salvin, a spokesman for the American military in Kabul, said three American soldiers were wounded in the blast but their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The convoy was traveling in mine-resistant vehicles. One vehicle was damaged but was still operational, Captain Salvin said. An affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, largely made up of former members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, has carried out multiple deadly attacks in Kabul and continues to have a presence in eastern Afghanistan, where Afghan and American soldiers are currently carrying out an operation against them. Last month, the United States dropped its largest conventional bomb on a cave complex held by the group in Nangarhar Province. But the Taliban still remain Afghanistans largest security concern, and the attack comes amid fears of escalating violence as the resurgent group has begun another spring offensive. In announcing Operation Mansouri, named after their former supreme leader, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, who was killed in an American drone strike in Pakistan, the Taliban vowed to take control of more territory through conventional attacks, guerrilla warfare, complex martyrdom attacks, insider attacks and the use of homemade bombs. What complicates the violence is the fear, expressed by Afghan and Western security officials, of a possible convergence between the Islamic State and elements of the Taliban. Officials say the attacks, particularly in the urban centers, often bear the hallmarks of the Haqqani network, which is part of the leadership of the Taliban council operating out of Pakistan. The violence continues to take its toll on Afghan civilians. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has documented 2,181 civilian casualties in the first quarter of 2017, with 715 deaths and 1,466 injuries. Compared with last year, that is a 2 percent decline in civilian deaths, but a 5 percent increase in injuries, the United Nations said last week. SEOUL, South Korea North Korea confirmed on Wednesday that it was holding an American citizen, saying the man was being held for committing hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country. The dispatch by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, was its first official confirmation of the arrest in late April of Kim Sang-duk, who also goes by his American name, Tony Kim. Law enforcement officials were investigating Mr. Kims crime, KCNA said. It gave no further details. For more than half a century, South Korean voters have had to pick leaders capable of navigating fraught diplomatic waters. Presidents there need to balance the demands and challenges of China, its biggest trade partner; the United States, its principal ally; and North Korea, a hostile rival with a growing stockpile of nuclear weapons and missiles. But the election this year on May 9, just over a month after the countrys ousted president, Park Geun-hye, was arrested on corruption charges and days after an American missile-defense system was activated, comes with an additional twist: President Trump. The American president has sent mixed signals about his approach to the Korean Peninsula. He has supported the deployment of the antimissile system, which has angered China, but he has also said South Korea should pay for it. He has said American warships were steaming toward the region, only for it to emerge that they were not. And he has questioned the sanity of Kim Jong-un, the Norths leader, but also called him a smart cookie with whom he might be willing to meet. HONG KONG China has invested more than $100 billion over the last decade alone in a nationwide campaign to plant new forests, and its top leaders speak of the effort with pride. Planting trees now will benefit our future generations, and we should roll up our sleeves to plant more trees year after year, generation after generation, President Xi Jinping said in March at a tree-planting ceremony in Beijing. But a study published on Wednesday suggests that some official estimates of Chinas greening campaign overstated its successes, and mistook shrubs for forests. United Nations data, which are based on national statistics, show that between 2000 and 2010 China gained 167,568 square miles of forest, an area slightly larger than California. Chinas own estimates were not far behind. BEIJING President Xi Jinping of China spoke by phone on Wednesday with the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, in what Chinese news media described as a friendly call that came just a few days after President Trumps amicable conversation with the authoritarian Filipino leader. Mr. Xis outreach to Mr. Duterte appeared to be part of efforts by the Chinese to woo a longtime American ally and strengthen their sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. Chinese news media said North Korea and other issues were discussed in the phone call. On Saturday, Mr. Trump, surprising his own staff, telephoned Mr. Duterte and invited him to visit the White House. Mr. Trumps gesture was widely condemned over concerns about human rights abuses in the Philippines carried out under Mr. Dutertes auspices. In a sign of lingering tensions between the two countries, Mr. Duterte later said he might be too busy to make the trip. On Wednesday, a spokesman for GoFundMe, Bobby Whithorne, said that the donations, which had reached more than $9,000, had been placed on hold until additional information can be provided about the campaign. He said that it was not uncommon for the organization to seek additional information in order to protect donors. Ms. Kancso wrote on the site that Mr. Reid had been in the United States for the last several months on a 5 year visa. There is one stipulation with the visa, she wrote. He must exit and re-enter the country every six months to keep the visa valid. But immigration experts said no visa with that requirement exists. Australians may visit or stay in the United States through several avenues. Under Americas visa waiver program, citizens from Australia and dozens of other countries are allowed to visit the country for up to 90 days for business or tourism without a visa. (Fears were raised this year that President Trump would sign an executive order suspending that program.) In a telephone interview Wednesday, Ms. Kancso, who lives on Staten Island, clarified that Mr. Reid was actually in the United States on a B-1/B-2 visa. That typically allows a visitor to stay for six months for business or tourism. And it does not allow visitors to duck out of the country, only to be granted another six months upon reentry. SYDNEY, Australia Staff members at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, among the most powerful voices in the Australian news media, began a weeklong strike on Wednesday over job cuts at Fairfax Media. The walkout reflects the strains afflicting Australias news media, which faces the same digital challenges hurting the industry in the United States and other places. On Wednesday morning, the company sent an email to staff members saying it would cut 125 full-time positions at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in Melbourne, with cuts also expected at The Australian Financial Review. Last month, Fairfax management said that the company would need to trim 30 million Australian dollars, or about $22.5 million, representing nearly one-quarter of its editorial budget. In his email to staff members on Wednesday, Sean Aylmer, the editorial director at Fairfax Media, said that all editorial sections could be affected but that some jobs would be hit especially hard. Ms. Le Pen depicted a France with a total collapse of our industries, preyed upon by Islamist extremists, demanding ever more government protection from economic vicissitudes and urgently needing to close its borders. Im the candidate of that France that we love, who will protect our frontiers, who will protect us from savage globalization, she said at the outset. Mr. Macron was a ruthless capitalist in Ms. Le Pens familiar neo-populist depiction, ready to sell French industry down the river to hurt workers and help employers. She repeatedly tied Mr. Macron to the failed government of the incumbent Socialist president, Francois Hollande, in which Mr. Macron served for two years before quitting to start his own political movement. You defend private interests, Ms. Le Pen sneered. And behind that there is social ruin. Mr. Macron replied evenly, Whats extraordinary is that your strategy is simply to say a lot of lies and propose nothing to help the country. He pointed out the weaknesses in her generous spending plans, noting the lack of revenue-raising measures to back them. France and the French deserve better, he said. Dont say stupid things. You are saying a lot of them. Some of the sharpest exchanges came over terrorism, which polls show is a major preoccupation for the French. Ms. Le Pen cast herself as tougher on the issue, reeling off a series of antiterrorism measures experts have suggested that they are either impractical or ineffective and saying Mr. Macron was a weakling on security. Nonetheless, it is one of her signature issues, always drawing a thunderous response when she invokes it at rallies. You are for laxism, Ms. Le Pen said. BERLIN With the French presidential campaign entering its final days, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, a frequent target of attacks from the nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen, stressed her support for Ms. Le Pens rival, the pro-Europe Emmanuel Macron, in an interview published on Wednesday. It is unusual but not unprecedented for a leader of one European country to express support for a like-minded candidate in another. In 2012, Ms. Merkel drew sharp criticism from the center left in Germany after backing President Nicolas Sarkozy, who eventually lost to the Socialist candidate, Francois Hollande. The stakes in this years French election are even higher, with the fate of the European Union potentially in the balance. Ms. Merkel made her preference clear in an interview with the Kolner Stadt Anzeiger newspaper published in Cologne. It is and of course remains the decision of the French voters, in which I am not interfering, she said. But I would be pleased should Emmanuel Macron win, because he stands for a consistent, pro-European policy that I will say too. LONDON Prime Minister Theresa May kicked off the formal start of the British election campaign on Wednesday by accusing some in the European Union bureaucracy of misrepresenting the British position on exiting the bloc and even of trying to influence the election itself. Britains negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the Continental press; the European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened; threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials, Mrs. May said sternly in front of 10 Downing Street immediately after returning from Buckingham Palace, where she informed the queen that Parliament had been dissolved for the June 8 election. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election, she said, only a day after vowing to be a bloody difficult woman in negotiations about Britains departure from the European Union. Those negotiations are likely to take up to two years, if they succeed at all, but Mrs. May has presented herself as the strong and stable leader required for Britain to get its best possible deal for a future relationship with Brussels, in contrast to Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party. MOSCOW Given the spotlight focused on Russia during the American presidential campaign and Donald J. Trumps warm words as candidate for President Vladimir V. Putin, the Kremlin anticipated a starring role as foreign policy partner No. 1 under the Trump administration. Instead, while President Trump has been feting every Theresa, Justin and Abdel Fattah at the White House or at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, including a high-profile dinner with President Xi Jinping of China, Mr. Putin has had to content himself with three measly telephone calls since the inauguration. They feel slighted, Vladimir Frolov, a prominent foreign policy analyst and columnist, said of the Russian leadership. For one thing, it looks bad at home. Mr. Putin, after all, sold Russian interventions in Ukraine and especially Syria as proof that Moscow was back on the global stage as the indispensable equal to the United States in world affairs, just as in the Soviet days. WASHINGTON Ever since Britain declared 100 years ago that there should be a Jewish homeland in Palestine, harmony has eluded that dry, benighted land. Presidents and kings and prime ministers and diplomats and special envoys have labored for a century in a futile search for peace. President Trump, however, is not daunted by the challenge of bringing together Israelis and Palestinians. Its something that, I think, is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years, he said on Wednesday. Whatever else may be said of him, Mr. Trump does not suffer from a confidence deficit. As he hosted the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, Mr. Trump proclaimed that he would be the president who finally makes peace in the Middle East. We will get this done, he said. He even suggested that, with his leadership, hopefully there wont be such hatred for very long. Never mind that he also thought repealing and replacing his predecessors health care program would be so easy. Or that he predicted he would have no trouble bending North Korea to his will, or forcing Mexico to pay for a border wall. Then there was Mr. Trumps assertion as a candidate that he knew more about the Islamic State than the generals. And his insistence that he could fairly quickly pay off the entire $19 trillion national debt accumulated over the last 182 years. BEIRUT, Lebanon Russia is circulating a draft proposal to Syrian rebel groups and diplomats that envisions pausing the war in Syria through the creation of safe de-escalation zones, with outside troops possibly acting as buffers between the antagonists. The draft proposal, shared with The New York Times on Wednesday by participants at Syria talks held in Astana, Kazakhstan, is one of the most detailed suggestions to emerge in recent months in the rocky negotiations to halt the war, now in its seventh year. The proposal would apply to Syrian government and rebel forces in the four main areas of the country where insurgents unaffiliated with the Islamic State still hold significant territory. But it faces a number of challenges, most notably acceptance by the Syrian government and the insurgent groups attending the talks. IMPORTANT Comey confirms investigation into administrations Russia ties Executive order unwinding climate policies Pre-emptive action on the table in North Korea Continued attacks on news organizations Unsubstantiated wiretapping claims against President Obama Scott Pruitt as E.P.A. chief Rules waived on conflicts of interest Federal budget proposal Key govt. jobs remain empty A.H.C.A.s introduction and failure Cruise missile strikes on Syria Nuness Russia missteps Two-state solution not required Michael Flynn reportedly offers testimony NATO no longer obsolete ABNORMAL Tax plan NORMAL Jeff Sessions recuses himself Mother of all bombs Secretary of State limits media access Possible support of regime change in Syria Ivanka Trump becomes a White House employee Russia relations may be at an all-time low Reversal on Chinese: Theyre not currency manipulators Trump congratulates President Erdogan of Turkey on election Russia investigation called a witch hunt Wrong-way aircraft carrier Seven Mar-a- Lago visits White House visitor logs no longer public NOT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT Comey confirms investigation into administrations Russia ties Executive order unwinding climate policies Pre-emptive action on the table in North Korea Continued attacks on news organizations Unsubstantiated wiretapping claims against President Obama Scott Pruitt as E.P.A. chief Rules waived on conflicts of interest Federal budget proposal A.H.C.A.s introduction and failure Key govt. jobs remain empty Devin Nuness missteps on Russia Cruise missile strikes on Syria Two-state solution not required Michael Flynn reportedly offers testimony NATO no longer obsolete Tax plan ABNORMAL NORMAL Mother of all bombs Jeff Sessions recuses himself Possible support of regime change in Syria Secretary of State limits media access Russia relations may be at an all-time low Ivanka Trump becomes a White House employee Reversal on Chinese: Theyre not currency manipulators Trump congratulates President Erdogan of Turkey on election Wrong-way aircraft carrier Russia investigation called a witch hunt Seven Mar-a- Lago visits White House visitor logs no longer public NOT IMPORTANT Pinch to zoom President Trump continues to be unconventional. But he also seems to be adjusting to the realities of the presidency, governing in a more typical way than when he started. That was the conclusion of a panel of experts asked by The Upshot to rate 28 major news events in the administrations first 100 days for importance and normality. The survey of 13 experts across the ideological spectrum, who have served in government or studied the way governments work was a follow-up to one we conducted after President Trumps first month. At that time, they said that more often than not, the administrations actions had been both highly unusual and highly consequential. In recent months, the experts said, the administrations actions were slightly more normal and somewhat less consequential. First month Through April 26 We know that readers have been bombarded with unusual developments, so we are trying to take as fair and structured an approach as possible to put major events in context. We defined normal as typical for presidential administrations, like the veto of a bill, while abnormal events would be highly unusual in contemporary American democracy, like ordering newspapers to suspend publication of the Pentagon Papers. We defined unimportant as having limited consequences for federal policy, like the menu for a state dinner. We considered important events to be those creating lasting and significant changes in policy, like the establishment of Social Security. Below are the 28 news events, grouped by their quadrant on our reality-check matrix. Abnormal and important events #1 President Trump makes unsubstantiated wiretapping allegations against President Obama Rodney Hero, a professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, described it as unprecedented, incorrect and degrading to the office of the presidency and the former president. Vesla Weaver, a professor of political science and African-American studies at Yale, agreed that it was highly abnormal, but doubted its long-term impact beyond symbolic bluster. After repeating the claim, Mr. Trumps administration has walked it back , but on Saturday Mr. Trump again complained of surveillance by his predecessor. Of the 28 news events we asked about, this was, on average, rated the most abnormal., a professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, described it as unprecedented, incorrect and degrading to the office of the presidency and the former president., a professor of political science and African-American studies at Yale,agreed that it was highly abnormal, but doubted its long-term impact beyond symbolic bluster. #10 The F.B.I. director, James Comey, confirms an investigation into the Trump administrations Russia ties, including a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant to investigate Carter Page, a former Trump adviser Jennifer Hochschild, chairwoman of the department of government at Harvard. Vincent Hutchings, professor of political science at the University of Michigan, said, This investigation is still ongoing, but it could potentially bring down the administration. The panel mostly agreed that the Russia investigation was both highly unusual and highly consequential. Are we edging toward a charge of treason? asked, chairwoman of the department of government at Harvard.professor of political science at the University of Michigan,said, This investigation is still ongoing, but it could potentially bring down the administration. #17 President Trump attacks news organizations, bars certain reporters from press briefings and says he wants to look into changing libel laws Tom Ginsburg, professor of comparative and international law at the University of Chicago. Thomas Nichols, professor at the U.S. Naval War College, said, What Mr. Trump has repeatedly insulted news organizations that produce what he sees as negative coverage. Here, our panel was in strong agreement. His proposal indicates an attitude we might call a-constitutional: both unaware of and unconcerned with the First Amendment, said, professor of comparative and international law at the University of Chicago., professor at the U.S. Naval War College,said, What Spiro Agnew would have done if Agnew had even less respect for the law than he already did. #14 The Trump administration leaves key positions empty in what people in both parties describe as the slowest transition in decades The panel agreed that this is unusual, with long-term consequences for federal policy. Personnel are policy, said Lee Edwards, a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a right-leaning think tank, and a historian of American conservatism. Erica Chenoweth, professor of international studies at the University of Denver, said, The vacancies will be especially important and problematic in the event of a major international crisis. #7 The White House gives staff members secret waivers to its own rules against conflicts of interest This action is beyond the pale, Mr. Edwards said. Timur Kuran, professor of political science and economics at Duke, said, Given the polarization of the U.S. electorate, administrations should be pursuing confidence-building policies, not policies that weaken it. #5 Representative Devin Nunes recuses himself from the Russia investigation because he revealed classified information about incidental surveillance of the Trump transition team that had been given to him by the White House Mr. Ginsburg said. Ms. Hochschilds take: Weirder and weirder. The panelists largely agreed that this was unusual and potentially significant. Recusal is normal; Nuness behavior is, I would say, mostly abnormal,said.s take: Weirder and weirder. #4 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson limits news media access, inviting only one reporter from a conservative publication on a trip to Asia Mr. Hutchings said. It's indefensible. Mr. Edwards was less alarmed: Starting with Bill Clinton, the White House press corps has become less important, he said. Social media have speeded up the change. Public officials always try to control access, but on average, our panelists agreed Mr. Tillerson had gone beyond the norm. This is a clear and unambiguous violation of press freedom norms,said. It's indefensible.was less alarmed: Starting with Bill Clinton, the White House press corps has become less important, he said. Social media have speeded up the change. #8 Ivanka Trump becomes an official White House employee Ms. Weaver said. Ms. Trump first said she would be an informal adviser to her father, but became a formal assistant after ethics experts raised concerns that she could otherwise avoid financial disclosure rules. Many panelists compared her role to that of Bobby Kennedy. This move undermined confidence that the president would favor expertise over family ties or that he was governing for the interests of the American people versus the Trump family,said. #12 In exchange for immunity, Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, reportedly offers to testify before the House and Senate committees investigating the Trump campaigns Russia ties Ms. Hochschild said. Mala Htun, professor of political science at the University of New Mexico, said, What he says will likely be important, but his request for immunity is not atypical. As with other aspects of the Russia investigation, the panel generally thought this was important and unusual. Shades of Watergate?said., professor of political science at the University of New Mexico,said, What he says will likely be important, but his request for immunity is not atypical. #3 Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation because he had talked to a Russian official during the campaign, despite denying during his confirmation hearings that he had such contacts Respondents were all over the chart. It is not unusual for administration officials to shade the truth, Mr. Hutchings said -- but he said its more significant because it involves the bigger investigation into Russian meddling in the election. Presenting false information during a confirmation is what registers as abnormal and significant, Ms. Weaver said. Recusing was appropriate and necessary. #23 President Trump chooses Scott Pruitt, who says he doubts the scientific consensus about climate change, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency Mr. Hutchings said. Mr. Ginsburg said, Appointing someone hostile to the legal mission of an agency has been done before, but given the state of the planet, it seems extremely reckless at the moment. Almost all our panelists agreed on the significance of Mr. Trumps choice to lead the E.P.A., but they were split on whether it was normal. It's fairly orthodox among Republicans to deny the evidence of climate change, or at least humanity's contribution,said.said, Appointing someone hostile to the legal mission of an agency has been done before, but given the state of the planet, it seems extremely reckless at the moment. #9 President Trump says he will not insist on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, a retreat from decades of American policy Mr. Ginsburg said. Frances Lee, professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, said, It is hard to say how important the president's current position is because, like his positions on other critical issues, it may well alter as he becomes more informed. On average, the panelists said this was normal, but likely to have lasting consequences. Presidents are allowed to change even long-standing policies,said., professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland,said, It is hard to say how important the president's current position is because, like his positions on other critical issues, it may well alter as he becomes more informed. Normal and important events #20 President Trump changes his tone on Russia, saying relations may be at an all-time low Ms. Chenoweth said. However, Trump has changed his stated position toward Russia without changing U.S. policy toward Russia. As such, his statements are only semi-important. The panel was not sure what to make of this , based on the range of their responses. Most presidents change their positions when they obtain new information,said. However, Trump has changed his stated position toward Russia without changing U.S. policy toward Russia. As such, his statements are only semi-important. #13 Republicans rapidly introduce the American Health Care Act to repeal Obamacare, then pull the legislation when it becomes clear it wont pass It is unusual for a president to suffer a defeat on signature legislation early in his term and when his own party controls Congress, Mr. Kuran said. Mr. Edwards said, This is already becoming a footnote. #16 The United States drops its biggest non-nuclear bomb on ISIS positions in Afghanistan Mr. Edwards said. Panelists were all over the chart on the significance of this , but on average thought it was normal but consequential. Again Trump is keeping faith with his campaign promises and his political base,said. #19 President Trump reverses his position on NATO, saying its no longer obsolete Peter D. Feaver, a professor of political science and public policy at Duke, said there was nothing unusual about it: His governing stance on NATO follows the bipartisan precedent of supporting NATO, but badgering the allies to reform. Mr. Kuran called it important, and thought the speed of the reversal set it apart. The presidents reversal one of a handful of significant foreign policy shifts in April felt normal to several of our experts., a professor of political science and public policy at Duke, said there was nothing unusual about it: His governing stance on NATO follows the bipartisan precedent of supporting NATO, but badgering the allies to reform.called it important, and thought the speed of the reversal set it apart. #22 The Trump administration takes a more aggressive stance toward North Korea, including warning that pre-emptive action was on the table extraordinarily consequential, Ms. Chenoweth said. It would be the first direct armed confrontation between nuclear powers since the Kargil War of 1999. Mr. Nichols said, 1994 called and wants its foreign policy back. Mr. Trump warned of the possibility of a major, major conflict with North Korea despite its efforts with China to curb North Koreas military ambitions. While coercive diplomacy is normal, it isextraordinarily consequential,said. It would be the first direct armed confrontation between nuclear powers since the Kargil War of 1999.said, 1994 called and wants its foreign policy back. #24 President Trumps budget calls for huge increases in military and homeland security spending and billions of dollars in cuts in many government agencies Ms. Lee said that a President Cruz or President Rubio would likely make similar proposals. Mr. Ginsburg called it a radical budget that would harm our bureaucratic capacity for many decades. Saikrishna Prakash, professor of law at the University of Virginia, said: The proposal does not matter. Congress will decide. The budget proposal was billed as a tough-minded and necessary corrective to the growth of the governments power. On average, the panel found it to be important but normal.said that a President Cruz or President Rubio would likely make similar proposals.called it a radical budget that would harm our bureaucratic capacity for many decades., professor of law at the University of Virginia,said: The proposal does not matter. Congress will decide. #21 President Trump changes his approach to Syria, indicating that he might support regime change Ms. Chenoweth said. Nor has the United States Syria policy before Mr. Trump been consistent: Mr. Kuran called it riddled with inconsistencies and zigzags. No panelist described Mr. Trumps new position on Syria as abnormal. Presidents often change their positions when they obtain new information,said. Nor has the United States Syria policy before Mr. Trump been consistent:called it riddled with inconsistencies and zigzags. #15 The United States launches cruise missile strikes on Syria after a chemical weapons attack by the government of President Bashar al-Assad Ms. Hochschild said. President Obama had wrestled with taking such an action, and Congress broadly supported the strikes by the Trump administration. The panel mostly agreed the Syria strikes were normal but significant. If this is a step of escalation to war, hugely important,said. #28 President Trump proposes sharp tax reductions for individuals and corporations in a plan with few specifics Mr. Hutchings said. Mr. Prakash said: Even Obama wanted corporate tax cuts. This is an opening bid in an ongoing negotiation. President Trumps one-page tax plan , if enacted, would drastically reduce tax rates and significantly benefit businesses and wealthy families . Our panelists opinions on its importance covered the full spectrum. The lack of specificity is unusual, but this is standard for any generic Republican,said.said: Even Obama wanted corporate tax cuts. This is an opening bid in an ongoing negotiation. #27 President Trump signs an executive order unwinding President Obamas climate policies Ms. Lee said. New presidents are always changing the policies of their immediate predecessors, Mr. Edwards said. The long-promised executive order , which directs the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the complex and lengthy legal process of withdrawing and rewriting the Obama-era Clean Power Plan , was normal, the panel thought. President Trump's environmental policies are not out of line with what would be expected from other Republican presidents,said. New presidents are always changing the policies of their immediate predecessors,said. Abnormal and unimportant events #25 The White House describes an American aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan as a powerful deterrent to North Korea except it was sailing the other way for another purpose Mr. Edwards called it very sloppy staff work and not a good sign, while Mr. Feaver said Mr. Trumps critics have made a mountain out of a molehill, and that the Obama administration, which put much more effort into message coordination, still botched it from time to time. Most panelists agreed that the story of the wrong-way carrier was abnormal.called it very sloppy staff work and not a good sign, whilesaid Mr. Trumps critics have made a mountain out of a molehill, and that the Obama administration, which put much more effort into message coordination, still botched it from time to time. #2 President Trump took seven weekend trips to Mar-a-Lago, compared with one weekend trip by President Obama to a private residence in the same period. All presidents take vacations, including to Camp David. Mr. Trump has so far spent about half his weekends away, at a club he owns. Most respondents said it wasnt a big deal: In principle, a president can do the necessary work of the office almost anywhere, Ms. Hochschild said. Mr. Hero thought it was more significant: Excessive and inappropriate to begin with, especially given the president is the owner of this private residence. #26 President Trump congratulates President Erdogan of Turkey after he won an election that experts said had voting irregularities and the potential to greatly erode democracy in Turkey Ms. Chenoweth noted that the United States has often practiced a double standard when it comes to promoting democracy and human rights, noting President Obamas relationship with Hosni Mubarak, the former president of Egypt. Mr. Kuran took the opposite view: Other than President Trump, only dictators congratulated Erdogan. His congratulatory call signaled to the world that he attaches no value to democratic governance. Our panel found Mr. Trumps phone call to be fairly normal and inconsequential.noted that the United States has often practiced a double standard when it comes to promoting democracy and human rights, noting President Obamas relationship with Hosni Mubarak, the former president of Egypt.took the opposite view: Other than President Trump, only dictators congratulated Erdogan. His congratulatory call signaled to the world that he attaches no value to democratic governance. Normal and unimportant events #6 The White House ends the Obama policy of releasing visitor logs to the public Responses varied, but most agreed the new policy was normal, without lasting consequences. Suggests a desire to conceal simple or basic information from the public. Why? Mr. Hero asked. Mr. Edwards said, The White House is paying back in a small way the anti-Trump coverage of the media during the presidential campaign. #18 President Trump reverses his position on the Chinese currency, saying, Theyre not currency manipulators Most panelists thought this was fairly normal, and less consequential than if he had stuck to his original position. He should get genuine credit for breaking reckless campaign promises, Mr. Ginsburg said. Mr. Feaver said, It is quite normal for presidents to walk back their hawkish campaign rhetoric on China. In fact, every president in the post-Cold War era has done precisely that. Trump's "sell-out," as it is called, coming on top of Obama's eight-year "sell-out," is instructive. We have now had a Democratic president who sold out the people who elected him and a Republican president who has done the same thing. This is a very interesting point, the meaning of which most people miss. But not Russia's president, Vladimir Putin. At the Valdai discussion club, Putin summed up Western democracy, which I paraphrase as follows: In the West, voters cannot change policies through elections, because the ruling elites control whoever is elected. Elections give the appearance of democracy, but voting does not change the policies that favor war and the elites. Therefore, the will of the people is impotent. People are experiencing that they and their votes have no influence on the conduct of affairs of the country. This makes them afraid, frusrated, and angry, a combination of emotions that is dangerous to the ruling elite, who in response organize the powers of the state against the people, while urging them with propaganda to support more wars." Obama promised to get out of Afghanistan or Iraq or perhaps it was both. He promised to reverse the police state created by the George W. Bush regime. He promised to focus American resources on American domestic problems, such as health care. But what did he do? He expanded the wars and launched new ones, destroyed Libya and attempted to destroy Syria, but was stopped by British non-participation and Russian objection. He expanded the police state. Obama overthrew democratic governments in Honduras and Ukraine. He began the demonization of Russia and Putin. He betrayed the American people again by allowing the private insurance industry to write his health care plan known as Obamacare. The private interests wrote a plan that diverts public monies from health care to their profits. All of this is forgotten when the ruling elites and the presstitutes that serve only them refocused the demonization on Trump. Suddenly, it was the president-elect of the United States who was the main danger to the US and the American people. Trump was a Russian agent. He had conspired with Putin to steal the US election from Hillary Clinton and make the White House a partner of Putin's alleged reconsruction of the Soviet Empire. The nonsense was hot and furious, and it was effective. Trump succumbed to pressure and sacrificed his National Secuity Advisior, who was supportive of Trump's promise to normalize relations with Russia. Trump replaced him with a Russophobic idiot who apparantly cannot wait to see mushroom clouds over cities all over the Western world. Why did two presidents in succession completely sell out the people who voted for them? The answer is that presidents are not as powerful as the interest groups who make the decisions. Trump was going to get us out of Syria, so he committed an unambigious war crime by gratuitously attacking Syria with Tomahawk missiles. Trump was going to normalize relations with Russia, so his Secretary of State announces that US economic sanctions will stay on Russia until Russia hands over to Ukraine the Russian Crimean naval base on the Black Sea. It is impossible to normalize relations when the cost to the other party of the normalization is national suicide. Despite Trump's complete surrender to the powers that be, today (May 2) on NPR I heard raw propaganda dressed up as "expert opinion" that Trump is biased against the media, when what all of us have seen is massive media bias against Trump, including the program to which I was listening. For example, NPR had accumulated "experts" who said that Trump had slandered Obama by accusing him of intercepting his comunications. NPR said nothing about the Obama regime's charge that Trump conspired with Putin to steal the election from Hillary Clinton. If anything was slander, this was, but all the talk was about how Obama could sue Trump. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). [A similar version of this article first published at Inside Syria Media Center] Inside Syria Media Center has written about an investigation to expose U.S.-backed sources of weapon supplies to the ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Syria. The U.S. supplier list includes Chemring Group PLC (UK) with global operations including the U.S. based operations of Chemring Ordinance, which signed a contract with the American government and received $47 million in accordance with the Non-Standard Equipment and Weapons Procurement Program. Orbital ATK, another U.S. company was granted $50 million within the program. The Bulgarian newspaper Trud, which initiated a journalistic investigation, sent an official request to both companies to clarify what the received money was spent on. Chemring responded that some ammunition for the U.S. and its allied armies was purchased from Vazovski Mashinostroitelni Zavodi(VMZ-Sopot). It included 122mm rockets for the Grad MLRS, 73mm anti-tank shells and 40mm ammo for rocket launchers. The other company, Orbital ATK, simply ignored the request. Ammo of these types is not in service in the U.S. army. Chemring Ordinance refused to disclose which U.S. allies it was intended for referring to the confidentiality of the supply contract. To be mentioned is that earlier Inside Syria Media Center wrote a piece on military vehicle deliveries carried out by the Liberty Passion ship via the port of Aqaba in Jordan on the pretext of tackling ISIS. In this case, the Bulgarian weapon supplies to al-Qaeda are transported via the largest Saudi port of Jeddah. First, the munitions produced by VMZ-Sopot and purchased by the U.S. are delivered to the Bulgarian port of Burgas to be loaded on the Marianne Danica contracting carrier. This carrier has already traded twice in the route from Burgas to Jeddah. To be noted is that the carrier makes no calls at any ports while spending on average 8 hours in Burgas and Jeddah -- a minimum time required for fueling and cargo-handling operations, according to the tracking website Marinetraffic.com. At the same time, Marianne Danica officially declares that it transports included extremely dangerous cargo. According to automated Identification System (AIS) the cargo type is Hazard A (Major) which is the class for explosives and weapons. However, this cargo is evidently not intended for Saudi Arabia as its army is equipped with the armament provided by Western states only. Neither the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bulgaria nor the owner of the ship H. Folmer & Co have officially provided the information on the transported cargo along the route Burgas-Jeddah and the Bulgarian weapons' recipient country. Moreover, Amnesty International declares this company and carrier had already been involved in a scandal while carrying tear-gas and riot control weapons, including arms to Egypt in 2011. Then, the US State Department spokesperson admitted that H. Folmer & Co had been granted a license to transport armaments. The fact of Bulgarian weapons deliveries to terrorists is confirmed by the Free Syrian Army deputy commander Col. Malik al-Kurdi. In an interview with the Trud newspaper, he claimed that "a headquarters (HQ) has been set up in Turkey and Jordan to ensure cooperation between the special services of 15 states. We warned the U.S. and the EU that the weapons delivered in this HQ gets directly into the hands of the terrorist organizations." Bulgarian-made PK variant machine guns and an RPG-7 rocket launchers were used in Western Aleppo Province in Syria, according to a Syrian opposition commander. Source: balkaninsight It looks like a double game of a "ratline" for special services of various countries to arm and finance al-Qaeda, Jabhat al-Nusra. This most certainly is happening in Syria. This falls under their own countries definition of terrorism when others pursue these practices. The recipient of the Bulgarian weapon purchased by the U.S. became evident in December 2016 when two million shells and four thousand rockets for the Grad were found at depos in the eastern districts of liberated Aleppo. The depos belonged to Jabhat al-Nusra. VMZ-Sopot has announced it's hiring additional employees and has adopted continuous shift working to keep up with the demand of the new orders from the Trump administration. In 2016, Somalia was declared the most fragile state in the world -- worse off than Syria. Famine struck yet again in 2017, compounded by President Trump's attempt to ban Somalis from entering the US. But for the first time since the 1991, when Somalia collapsed along with its one-time ally the Soviet Union, Somalia now has functioning political institutions. Dual US-Somali citizen Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo became president in February 2017, approved by the US, refugees are returning from the US, Canada and Europe, and remittances from them buttress the economy. Just to make sure Farmajo knows who's really in charge, Trump ordered an air strike on suspected militant bases in April 2017, near the Bab el-Mandeb strait chokepoint separating Yemen from Eritrea, boasting it killed 150 Shabab fighters. The 1980s were a monstrous decade. We are still living out the disasters that the Cold War and the US war to prevent 'the advance of socialism', which had been on the books since the end of WWII, and was reaching its logical conclusion by then. After two world wars, everyone expected peace, and the vast majority -- socialism. No such luck. Hundreds of coups in the 1950--60s orchestrated by the CIA kept most countries toeing the imperial line. But after Vietnam, for a few shining moments in the 1970s, there was a shift by a slightly sobered America. The world breathed a sigh of relief. Somalia was prospering, free of British shackles, not yet embraced by the US. Ethiopia had a Nasser-like military coup in 1974 promising socialism next door. Sudan was at peace and pursuing a Nasserist policy under Colonel Gaafar Nimeiri. But the region was beginning its 'time of troubles', soon experiencing the fallout of its century of imperialism with a vengeance. British, French, Italian 'Scramble' Socialism vs clanism and nationalism 1979 Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Last Saturday, I read an article in the Opinion Page of the Tampa Bay Times, entitled WITH FOES LIKE THESE... by moderate conservative Peggy Noonan that echoed many of my concerns as a frustrated liberal. As I watch in horror, so many progressives, so full of themselves with righteous indignation, but devoid of any rational agenda, seem to race around like selfish adolescents, complaining about all of the indecencies inflicted on them by their parents. And, in doing so, they are attempting to fulfill all of the worst intentions of the Citizens United fueled pseudo Republicans, raising unconscionable amounts of money, so much of it wasted on relatively inane issues such as gay marriage ( vs. civil unions), abortion on demand (vs. some acknowledgement of a fetus' right), tuition free college for students who have in no way proven themselves worthy (as opposed to special low interest loans or a more European style merit based education system stressing non-academic as well as academic skill sets). Progressives have been slow to acknowledge that there is a problem with sky high corporate taxes, abusive regulatory agencies and our rush to legitimately avert climate change without bothering to worry about those most direly affected by the consequences of our proposals. We have a penchant for substituting sob stories for easily available hard physical and fiscal facts. Yes, we are stuck defending the Affordable Care Act for now because the Congressional Budget Office legitimately calculated that it was more economically feasible than Tom Delay's virtual "screw the sick people" excuse for a "system," but we know it's not the answer to healthcare. Why then are we not proactive, hammering at the Republicans, constantly , daring them to evaluate a single payer system replete with negotiated drug prices, negotiated prices for durable goods, oxygen, and medical lab work? And, why the hell are we not touting the blatantly obvious economic advantages by tying it to the huge savings that would accrue to employers and the ensuing ability to raise wages while, at the same time enjoying lower corporate taxes? What's more, a single payer system could virtually eliminate the need for Medicaid as well as alleviating so many of the unmet needs of the Veteran's Administration. This approach has appeal for conservative, centrist, and liberal voters alike for goodness sake, but it also entails hammering it into voter consciousness until it cannot be ignored as well as the embarrassing challenge to both Republicans and Democrats who refuse to cut the umbilical cord with those lobbies that have so far shown a penchant for so gladly encouraging sick people go to their graves both literally and figuratively. Meanwhile, probably nothing Republicans can do is as abhorrent, as arrogant,and as self serving as Progressives driving pro life Democrats from under the umbrella of our party. In fact, acting like equally adolescent Republicans is never the answer to our problems and it won't cure the political acne smeared across the pimply face of our current party. Trump's Deportation Directives link back to Jackson's Indian Removal Act The news today includes amazement that Donald Trump, not known for his knowledge base, said that Andrew Jackson, who died 16 years before the Civil War would have stopped it. He also said that his campaign was a lot like Jackson's and that Jackson was a role model. This makes more sense than it appears. Jackson did stave off an early rebellion by holding that the federal laws were supreme, but he did so in the context that slavery was legal. He himself bought and traded slaves and owned 150. In addition, he gained fame for massacring native Americans. In this regard, his Trail of Tears has an analog in Trump's aim to deport 11 million immigrants who have been denied legal status. Both employed slaves: Trump's workers in Dubai from Pakistan were loaned money to travel and promised $3 an hour but earn only $1.50 and cannot get out of debt...so their passports have been confiscated and they are literally slaves; his garment workers in Bangladesh make $60 a month! The only Trump clothing made in the USA are his Make America Great again caps..or is it? "The AP review included a microscopic analysis of five hats bought from Trump's campaign website, which showed the fabric in one was of a different type than that made by the supplier the manufacturer told the AP provides all his hat fabric. In addition to the fabric analysis, two of the manufacturer's employees, including a top sales agent, said the hats' fabric, bills and stiffeners were imported. Federal law requires that items labeled "Made in USA" be made from materials "all or virtually all" from the United States." And both worked to expel those with brown skin, Jackson as an Injun fighter, Trump as the man who promised to deport 11 million immigrants who have been denied legal status, including their 5 million US citizen children. I will briefly flesh out these parallels. Indiancountrymedianetwork.com reports of Jackson: "A man nicknamed "Indian killer" and "Sharp Knife" surely deserves the top spot on a list of worst U.S. Presidents. Andrew Jackson "was a forceful proponent of Indian removal," according to PBS. Others have a less genteel way of describing the seventh president of the United States. "Andrew Jackson was a wealthy slave owner and infamous Indian killer, gaining the nickname 'Sharp Knife' from the Cherokee," writes Amargi on the website Unsettling America: Decolonization in Theory & Practice. "He was also the founder of the Democratic Party, demonstrating that genocide against indigenous people is a nonpartisan issue. His first effort at Indian fighting was waging a war against the Creeks. President Jefferson had appointed him to appropriate Creek and Cherokee lands. In his brutal military campaigns against Indians, Andrew Jackson recommended that troops systematically kill Indian women and children after massacres in order to complete the extermination. The Creeks lost 23 million acres of land in southern Georgia and central Alabama, paving the way for cotton plantation slavery. His frontier warfare and subsequent 'negotiations' opened up much of the southeast U.S. to settler colonialism." There is nothing like having a mass murderer of women and children as your hero! Jackson's efforts to get rid of native Americans is matched by Trump's vow to deport 11 million who at the time of Jackson's genocide, had ancestors who lived in the land they are to be deported from. Of the 3.5 million households led by those denied legal protections, with 2/3 having lived and worked here for over 10 years, there are 5 million children who are US citizens. Trump never explained what would happen to these children or how he could force 5 million children to be removed from their homes. And what would happen to the homes and businesses owned by those deported. Would they be sold off at firesale prices as the property of US citizens of Japanese descent were during WWII? Is there a more appropriate day on which to consider one of the most all-round takeovers of the U.S. Federal Government by the U.S. ruling class than May 1 (on which date this column was original written)? For that was the date chosen, by a briefly united U.S. labor movement in the 1880s, as the official founding day for its planned major campaign to improve wages, hours and working conditions. The first "May Day" was held on May 1, 1886. And yes, although in the 20th century May Day became associated the Soviet Union and Communist Parties around the world, in the beginning it was a U.S. holiday. Day 121: May Day. May the true May Day, the first holiday of U.S. Labor, be with us forever. (Image by quinn.anya) Details DMCA Unfortunately, the labor unity didn't last long. It happens that one of the 1880s movement's major components, the Knights of Labor, was, from the beginning, racially integrated. Another, the American Federation of Labor, was not. The ruling class then as now, manipulated racism and prejudice to undermine the labor movement then, just as guess who and guess which party, representing the ruling class, does now. In 1991, as I have noted previously on more than one occasion, a young Democratic candidate for the party's Presidential nomination the following year, put it very well: " 'For 12 years, the Republicans have tried to divide us, race against race.' . . . 'Here in the shadow of this great building, all of us, we know all about race-baiting. They've used that old tool on us for decades now. And I want to tell you one thing: I understand that tactic, and I will not let them get away with it in 1992.' " Yes, that was Bill Clinton. Neither Clinton ever came close to following through on politico/economic meaning of that statement. But now the nation has elected a (minority) President who rode to power in part because he openly adopted the policy and strategy that Bill Clinton exposed, on paper. The Left and many Democratic centrists, even some Republicans in the latter category have been stating strongly and loudly that on balance Trump's First 100 days have been a failure. No major pieces of legislation passed. "Obamacare" (the Republicans' racist name for the Affordable Care Act) still stands, despite the fact that Trump promised that it would go "on the first day," at least metaphorically speaking. Since Trump has so little knowledge about how government actually works, he might have actually thought that that would be possible. Just as he promised that both the Iran Deal and the Paris Agreements would go (although one or 'tother or both might still), he also promised that the easing of relationships with Cuba would be un-done (hasn't happened yet --- could it be that he changed his mind when he saw the movie, "The Fate of the Furious" and thought that the first car chase, set in the streets of Havana, was really terrific), that the US Embassy in Israel would be moved to Jerusalem, that China would be punished for "currency manipulation," that overnight millions of lost U.S. jobs would somehow be restored, that Wall Construction, to be paid for by Mexico, would start forthwith, that a Deportation Force would be assembled from existing agencies and put into action forthwith. As is well-known, only the last has been done. And so, along with much other evidence, the Left and the Democrats have proclaimed Trump's First Hundred Days a failure. Well, not so fast. Trump, who through the whole campaign seemed to be a sure loser, was put in a position to be the winner when Comey interfered against Clinton for a second time only because of increasing support from the economically dominant sector of the U.S. Ruling class. So, forget the "broken promises," the possible role of Russia, the use of "alternative facts," the out-and-out lying, the continuous use of manufactured distractions from major issues on which Trump and his "administration" are losing, and so on and so forth. For the U.S. ruling class, this is what counts: 1. The Two Most Important Ones (central to Modern Republicanism, since Goldwater): MASSIVE DEREGULATION IN MANY SECTORS (which has already begun with a vengeance). And the proposed massive tax cuts for the wealthy, (which were supposed to begin with the ones not so hidden in the original "Obamacare Repeal and 'Replace' " measure which failed in the House because it wasn't punitive enough against low-income folks previously without health insurance. And let us not forget the expansion of the Military-Industrial and Prison-Industrial complexes (see A.-G. Sessions for the latter) and the total reversal on NATO. 2. Next, of course, was BY HIS APPOINTMENTS THOU SHALT KNOW HIM. At this point, that needs no further comment, except to say that it is likely that only in their wildest dreams did the ruling class conceive of holding so many seats of power, directly, in the President's cabinet, especially that of a President who supposedly ran on "supporting the workers" (that is if they were white). 3. Then, the ruling class is very happy to use and exploit the two major components of Trump's base: the racist/xenophobic/Islamophobic Right and the traditional Republican Misogynistic Right. Trump so far for the first group has offered the Deportation Force, which is in full swing, the Muslim Ban (yes, it is temporarily suspended, the dropping of any programs designed to reform racist police practices, and the upcoming re-institution of the "drug war" and mandatory minimums (against only minority communities, of course). 4. To the second he is ramping up for a full-scale offensive against abortion rights and contraception (see the person he has appointed as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services ---- a leading national opponent of both ---- whose Secretary is himself a strong opponent of abortion rights). Not directly related to ruling class interests, but they are very important for Trump and staying the course, and not possibly swerving in a direction that might actually benefit the broad mass of white U.S. workers. 5. And then Trump is also beginning to appeal to the parallel to the Misogynistic Right, the frank Religious Right, whose primary issue is the "Supremacy of God" (otherwise known as "Dominionism") over the Constitution. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' passion for providing public funds for religious education is right in line with this ideology. Both strands of far right-wing reaction of course want to use the Power of the State to criminalize any thought, religious or otherwise, that doesn't agree with theirs on such matters as "when life begins" and "homosexual practices." 6. And so, the U.S. ruling class is in the catbird seat in terms of State-control, at least for the duration of the Trump/Pence Presidency. Unless the Russia thing really blows up in Trump's face, courtesy of Mike Flynn and other, yet-to-be-named "save your own skin" operatives, he doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Postscript: On the White Working Class and the racism issue. Because they don't want to lay "blame" there, many on the Left and among the Democrats are shying away from this issue. But since Trump began his run for the Presidency on a racist premise --- "birtherism" ---- and then clearly in many ways continued along those lines, I believe that it has to be faced directly. Why are the white workers continuing to support Trump? "Brought jobs back" or has plans to do so? No. Improved their health care? No. Strengthened their unions (which were responsible for the only good periods for the white working class in US history)? No. Has plans to strengthen their public education system (in rural and white working class sections of cities often the only option)? No. Improved protections against rapacious lenders. No. And so on and so forth. So, what could it be? Trump's good looks? Trump's pretty family? Trump's 4-6 bankruptcies (depending upon how you count)? And so on and so forth? No. Just go to the continuing Trump rallies. It's continuing racism and xenophobia --- you know, naming the "enemies" ---, loud and clear. BUT, the strategy now for the anti-Trumpism movement must not be built on blaming the victims --- and white workers are just as much victims of it as are the African-Americans, the Native Americans, the Latinos, and etc. It must be built on just what Bill Clinton (or at least someone who looked and sounded like Bill Clinton, because we never heard those words issuing from is lips again) said, quoted above. Neither the Left nor the Democrats, for the most part are going there, at least not yet. And if they don't, Trump, the Trumpites, and the U.S. ruling class are going to continue to win. The Doctrine of White Supremacy has been used since its invention to help maintain the power of the ruling class in this nation and its colonial predecessors. It is time to bring it to its knees. Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "Bringing Rob Kall in as a consultant on making my business and its website more bottom-up was incredibly valuable. Rob's out-of-the-box member registration system suggestions led to a multi-leveled engagement process designed to maximally connect clients with the company, which took the company and the website to the next level. Rob's coaching in bottom-up thinking played a strong role in enabling me to sell my company for over a million dollars." Don Brown, Founder, the International Wireless Industry Consortium (IWPC) Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "Human survival depends on learning to organize the way all successful living communities organize as they adapt to ever changing local conditionsfrom the Bottom-Up. A timely contribution to confronting the transformation imperative confronting humanity." David Korten, author of When Corporations Rule the World, The Great Turning, and Change the Story, Change the Future Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Climate Change March (Image by majunznk) Details DMCA The large marches, in Washington, DC and around the country, calling attention to importance of science and focusing on the calamitous impacts of climate change had impressive turnouts. But the protests would have been more productive if they concentrated more -- in their slogans and signs -- on 535 politicians to whom we have given immense power to influence policies relating to those issues, for ill or for good. I'm speaking of Congress. Congress cannot be ignored or neglected simply because we know it to be a corporate Congress, or a gridlocked Congress, or a Congress that is so collectively delinquent, or perk and PAC addicted, or beholden to commercial interests, or self-serving through gerrymandered electoral districts where they, through their party's controlled state government, pick the voters to elect them. Sure, there are probably 100 good legislators on Capitol Hill. But many of these progressive elected officials fail to effectively network with citizen groups, or organize left-right coalitions back home into an unstoppable political force. Issues that invite such left/right consensus are numerous, including raising the federal minimum wage, protecting civil liberties, tackling government waste and corruption, advancing solar energy, reforming the corporate tax system, full Medicare for all (with free choice of doctor and hospital) and a crackdown on corporate crime and abuses against consumers, workers and communities. Polls show big majorities behind these and other much needed redirections and reforms. All these improvements in the lives of all Americans have to go through Congress. Sure, some efforts can be partially achieved by self-help and state/local governments. But for a national, comprehensive change movement, it is the Congress, which must be effectively and forcefully instructed to act in the public interest. The big business lobbies haven't given up on Congress, have they? They're swarming over the Senators and Representatives to get the power we've given these lawmakers regularly deployed on the behalf of the crassest, most avaricious and harmful demands of the business bosses. The most successful "citizen lobbies" focused on Congress do not bother with major marches and demonstrations. Groups like the NRA and AIPAC focus, with laser-beam precision, on each member of Congress. They know their background, their strengths and weaknesses, their key advisors and friends back home, their physicians, their lawyers and accountants, the social clubs they belong to, the kinds of hobbies and vacations they pursue. The NRA and AIPAC advocates personally know the lawmakers' staff, sources of their campaign contributions, their concerns about possible primary challengers, what kinds of well-paying positions members of Congress seek after retirement or defeat. With this face-to-face lobbying, threats of primary challenges and ample campaign contributions, these groups have gotten their way in Congress to an amazing degree, given their relatively small numbers of supporters. Here is some advice: Get to know your two Senators and Congressperson personally and on your terms. It's easier to do this with a comprehensive agenda of long-overdue reforms which can give you broad-based left/right support in your state. Then issue a formal Summons (a draft is in my new paperback, Breaking Through Power: It's Easier Than We Think) for your Senators and Representatives to attend YOUR town meeting on YOUR agenda of changes and advances. Every Congressional District has about 700,000 men, women and children. Most Districts have community colleges and/or universities. All have the necessary one percent of serious citizens working together to focus majority opinion directly on members of Congress. Often what is required is less than one percent, or say 2,000 people, working collectively as Congressional Watchdogs for 5 to 10 hours a week and raising enough money for two full time offices each with two staff. The fruits of such efforts are numerous and immensely important to our country, our children and their children, not to mention the world. To expedite and increase the ratios of success, such Congressional Watchdog organizations require study, discussions, and some training sessions with easily available material in bookstores or on the Internet. Just consider how much serious input goes into hobbies by millions of Americans all the time. Consider participating in this very important "civic hobby" achieving a better life for the people with "liberty and justice for all." Los Angeles May Day 2017 (Image by H.C. Samson) Details DMCA Coast to coast, Americans joined together to march for and on behalf of immigrant rights on May 1, 2017. Though the groups marching represented many causes and organizations, they were united in their respect for immigrants and their families. In Los Angeles, more than 50,000 took to the streets. Some of the groups marched down Broadway from Olympic. These marches were separated into sections, forming multiple parades. Organizers of a march starting from MacArthur Park and joining the others near City Hall stated that in MacArthur Park alone there were 30,000 participants. Among the groups participating were March and Rally L.A., Black Lives Matter, the ACLU, the SEIU, the UFCW, the Teamsters, the IBEW, the Steelworkers, the Green Party, the Socialist Party, the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, and people of various races and backgrounds. Leading two of the marches were Native American dancers, representing the various original occupants of North America. Though the Democratic Party did not formally march through Los Angeles, they provided some of the signs people carried. Many who marched were from the Democratic Party and will be delegates to the May 19-21 Convention in Sacramento. Many Republicans marched as well. Support for immigrants is not a partisan issue among grassroots members of the major parties in spite of how the political leaders try to play it. For most Americans, it is a moral issue. America is a land of immigrants. Some of the marchers had been separated from their families as a result of I.C.E. raids. Signs calling for an end to these raids were present throughout the march. California Senate President pro-Tem Kevin de Leon's SB 54, making California a Sanctuary State, appears headed for passage. The current federal budget proposal includes no money for a border wall. With America marching for immigrants' rights, anyone up for election in 2018 who stands against immigrants could be out of a job in 2019. Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "We are in the midst of a profound change of paradigms: from seeing the world as a machine to understanding it as a network. Rob Kall has interviewed many of the leaders, both thinkers and activists, of this global cultural transformation. In this eminently readable book, he weaves their statements, values, and ideas into a coherent and inspiring whole. Bottom-Up is a joy to read!" Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life and The Hidden Connections, coauthor of The Systems View of Life In a resolution decrying "the ill-conceived, illegal and illegitimate war in Iraq and the futility of the now fifteen-year 'war on terror,'" the San Francisco Democratic Party has officially called upon the city's congressional delegation to sponsor legislation prohibiting sending American troops to the Syrian civil war. Declaring that "the route to peace and national security does not lie in undertaking 'just one more invasion,'" the party's County Central Committee officially urged Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Jackie Speier to cosponsor Oakland Representative Barbara Lee's HR 1473, The Prohibit Expansion of Combat Troops Into Syria Act, which would limit any future Syrian deployment of troops or military contractors to "rescuing or protecting members of the United States Armed Forces from imminent danger" (there are approximately 900 American troops already in the country). The committee also called for "Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris to carry forward similar legislation in the Senate." The Nancy Pelosi collective (Image by quinn.anya) Details DMCA Pelosi's supporters have generally argued that she must be given a pass so far as sponsoring antiwar legislation goes, because, as leader of the House Democrats, she no longer sponsors legislation. And there is some truth to that -- in the last congressional session she was principal sponsor of only three bills -- compared to Speier's 35. She does, however, regularly cosponsor bills -- as local party members have asked her to do here -- albeit also less frequently than many of her colleagues. Last session, for instance, she was cosponsor to 61 bills. Some of them were honorifics, having to do with the naming of post offices and the like. And many of the more serious acts that she cosponsors have the backing of a majority of the Congressional Democrats; they might, in other words, be seen as semi-official Democratic Party bills. But not all of the bills she signs onto have that type of support. Pelosi was, for instance, one of only 25 cosponsors on the Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act, and one of 31 on the Keeping Our Campaigns Honest Act. Clearly the Minority Leader decides that some bills are worthy of her cosponsorship, even if she is not joined by a majority of her party colleagues -- if they are serious matters. The Barbara Lee Syria bill currently has 30 cosponsors -- and it is a serious matter. San Francisco Democrats have passed foreign policy resolutions directed at Pelosi, Feinstein, et al in the past, but always in the face of opposition, often vigorous. This was the first time, however, that not a single committee member voted against. There were five abstentions, though, four coming from proxies for Feinstein, Pelosi, moderate state Assembly Member Phil Ting and progressive San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin. The one live-in-the-flesh abstainer was Supervisor Jane Kim, who has been considered a rising star on the city's left ever since Bernie Sanders personally campaigned with her during her unsuccessful run for the California Senate last year. While this latest effort, originating in several of the city's chartered local Democratic clubs, will encourage the city's antiwar activists, past experience suggests that the federal legislators will likely remain unmoved. One wonders how long this intransigence will continue -- and how long the city's voters and activists will put up with it. In the current political moment, Donald Trump's atrocious policies and inept administration have contributed to an optimism regarding the Democrats' prospects in the next national elections that sometimes verges on the euphoric. But as we saw last Fall, optimism is not enough. Unless Democrats can convincingly tell the American people that they offer a way out of the cycle of ever-expanding and seemingly never-ending war, they will have no reason to be all that confident. From "synergy" to "core competency," corporate America has no shortage of trendy buzzwords. In recent years, two of the most talked about are "sustainability" and "corporate social responsibility." These terms generally refer to initiatives taken by a company to be environmentally friendly and invest in the developing world. Many companies continue to work hard at achieving these goals. Others are just paying lip service to them, in an effort to get good PR. One company for which sustainability is more of a PR strategy than a genuine effort at social responsibility is Unilever. The company's CEO, Paul Polman, has accumulated an impressive portfolio of glowing profile pieces that label Unilever "a model of responsibility." However, a closer look at the company's practices demonstrate that while business reporters in the west may be sold, the company's workers and investors in the developing world aren't basking in the warmth of Polman's social responsibility. Last year, the company finally settled a lawsuit with 591 former employees of a thermometer factory in India that was shuttered in 2001 over environmental concerns. Despite dragging the lawsuit out for more than a decade before agreeing to a settlement, Unilever still claims it did nothing wrong, insisting it agreed to the payments on "humanitarian grounds." Environmental activists charge that not only did Unilever expose workers to toxic chemicals, but also failed to clean up mercury after the plant's closure: The thermometer factory, located in the quaint hill station, was closed in 2001. But after the closure, locals complained that the company had not cleaned up adjoining forest areas tainted by mercury, which can cause neurological damage even at very small doses. Many of the factory workers also had complained of health problems which they said stemmed from exposure to toxic gases. Some reports suggest that more than 30 workers have died due to the effects of the toxic mercury vapours. Unilever's lack of corporate responsibility goes beyond just environmental disasters. In order to make up for slowing profits, the company doubled the royalty fees for its Mumbai-based subsidiary Hindustan Unilever (HUL). This caused Hindustan Unilever "its biggest two-day drop in two years after announcing the plan." In response to protests over these increased royalty fees, Polman was dismissive: "That should not be an area of concern. In fact, anything you do there is someone who says that's my concern. And since you now have the Internet, it looks as if the whole world is saying so, which is not the case at all," Mr. Polman said, answering a question about investor concerns over the issue. During this discussion with a select group of journalists in India, Polman was asked about how Hindustan Unilever was supposed to operate following such a negative reaction to the increased fees, Polman essentially said it wasn't his problem: Talking about the general environment of pessimism in the country, Mr Polman said that HUL has been around long enough to be successful in this environment as in other times and its growth reflects that. Earlier this year, Unilever was accused of price fixing edible oils and margarine in South Africa by that country's Competition Commission. The commission recommended a fine equivalent to 10 percent of Unilever's local turnover following a nearly three-year investigation into Unilever Plc and Sime Darby Bhd: Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Few things are more satisfying in life than plunking down on a red plastic stool, pointing to whatever looks good and walking away stuffed for less than $2. While street food seems to constantly be under threat in hubs like Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong, the culture is still very much alive in Cambodia. Cambodian cuisine isnt as vast as its Thai or Vietnamese neighbors, but its got style and spunk both in restaurants and on sidewalks. Generally, the flavor profile seeks out a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and bitter notes. If its spicy, its usually only enough to assert its presence, not smack you across the head. You see this subtle push-and-pull even in the street food, which, by the way, you can easily find inside or around any local market in any Cambodian city. While youre there, look for these five great dishes: This classic combination of pork and rice is a staple that fuels Cambodia every morning. Pork gets grilled slowly over charcoal until its succulent and sweet. Slices arrive on a pile of rice with a fish sauce-based dipping sauce and crisp, pickled vegetables on the side. Persuade each element to fit on a fork for a perfect, multi-textured bite. Num banh chok is often simply called Khmer noodles, a beloved and ubiquitous breakfast dish based on slippery, fresh noodles pounded from rice. The classic version features a green fish gravy, but I love a style originating from sleepy, seaside town Kampot. Here, a tangle of noodles sits on bean sprouts, cucumber and lots of herbs, while a sweet fish sauce dressing and creamy coconut sauce get spooned on top. Pounded dried shrimp, chopped peanuts and crispy spring roll slices are the final flourishes. This dish delightfully translates to beef stick. Youll see grilled things-on-sticks all over Cambodia, but the beef ones get preferential treatment because theyre rubbed down in kroeung, a Cambodian spice mix that defines the flavors of many traditional dishes youll find in sit-down restaurants. The combination of galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots and turmeric imparts a gorgeous flavorand even better, these skewers often get tucked into a toasty baguette with a vinegary, green papaya slaw. These popular street snacks are essentially coconut rice pancakes, but what makes these sweet-or-savory orbs special are their texture: crispy on the outside, impossibly gooey on the inside. Youll spot them via their unique, cast iron pans resting over coals. Though they sound like prime morning fare, youll usually see them magically appear in the afternoons. Perhaps the most intimidating of all Cambodian street stalls are the sweets stands, equipped with giant metal bowls brimming with beans, rice, tapioca-like sago and brightly colored jellies. Simply point to what looks good, and itll get loaded into a plastic baggy with shaved ice and coconut milk for a light and refreshing treat made for combatting Cambodias brutal heat. Bonus: this refuge will only cost you $0.25. Photo by ND Strupler, CC BY 2.0 Colombian authorities were alerted of alleged drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury after her last-minute plane ticket to the South American nation was purchased by an unknown buyer in Hong Kong, The Australian reports. This new information comes after law enforcement officials admitted that theyd received a tip-off from other international drug agencies, whod identified the 22-year-olds travel plans as suspicious. Sainsbury, the Adelaide woman found with 5.8kg of cocaine allegedly stashed within several sets of headphones shed purchased as gifts, had been in Colombia for little over a week when she was arrested at Bogota international airport. via Colombian Police. The airports trafficking control head Colonel Rodrigo Soler said the tickets unknown source, and the relatively short duration of Sainsburys stay, were two factors that contributed to her arrest. In addition to information gleaned at customs regarding who purchased her ticket authorities asked who bought your tickets? Where did you buy it? Colonel Soler told The Australian when someone leaves their country for Colombia without a strong justification for instance if a person comes to Colombia for two or three days that triggers an alert. Sainsbury has maintained her innocence in the ordeal since being arrested. Colonel Soler offered his perspective on how likely it was she had been duped into transporting the drugs, saying that only 10 percent of travellers caught with drugs were legitimately unaware of their presence. Shes currently being held at El Buen Pastor prison, awaiting her first court date. Source: The Australian / The Sydney Morning Herald / news.com.au. Photo: Colombian Police. Photo: Harookz Why did Noel decide to create Knolly? What was his vision? Ryan: Were constantly trying to design our personal dream bikes for every frame model we make based on how we want the product to ride. Noel Buckley Noel: Ryan dropping in on his 2006 Delirium. Photo: Harookz Knolly originated on the North Shore, how much of this local terrain dictated (and still dictates) the development of your bikes? Noel: Delirium TThe original North Shore stomper. 6066 series alloy frameset is extensively hydroformed to maximize strength to weight ratio. Photo: Ryan Berrecloth Internal cable door. Noel Buckley design. Photo: Ryan Berrecloth Slick internal cable routing make the lines on the bikes Delirium clean. Photo: Ryan Berrecloth Two shock mount setting allow riders to chose between 64 and 65-degree head angle. Photo: Ryan Berrecloth You mentioned that the Knolly company was originally built on the Delirium, what was the inspiration behind its creation and has that changed with its reintroduction? Noel: The new Delirium captures the true essence of Delirium versatility; you can climb 3000 and then just charge the descent as hard as you can. Noel Buckley Garett's first shoot on his Delirium... flight pattern is clear. Photo: Margus Riga Why bring it back? Ryan: 170mm of travel on the Fourby4 suspension platform delivers maximum traction control accompanied by two geometry settings and a double crown fork approval makes the bike easy to adapt to any riding you want. Ryan Berrecloth Noel: Noel with his current fleet or creations including the Knolly Carbon Warden, Delirium, Aluminium Warden, and Endorphin. Photo: Ryan Berrecloth Noel at the design desk. Photo: Ryan Berrecloth What he says he does.... Photo: Ryan Berrecloth What Kevin really does at work.... Photo: Ryan Berrecloth Cavan Brady the Knolly utility man after a long week. Photo: Ryan Berrecloth What's new/different? Does this impact it's originally intended uses? Ryan: Apart from our DH bikes (which are absolutely the most difficult to design from a purely engineering perspective), the Delirium proved to be very, very challenging. We went through four rounds of prototyping just to get the geometry dialed and usually this takes only one or two rounds at most. Noel Buckley Noel: Garett sailing over an alpine booter on his Delirium. Photo: Margus Riga Which of your athletes will be on the new Delirium? Ryan: The Delirium is an iconic bike for Knolly and something that we arguably do better than anyone else in the market. Noel Buckley How has the relaunch been received? Was this comeback a request from Knolly fans or purely internally driven? Ryan: Noel: Noel simply wanted a bike to ride that was not on the market at the time. He is a true engineer at heart and decided to put his skills to work making a rig while recovering from a riding injury. The suspension platform was so good a couple friends wanted one and the demand snowballed into a company. I say 'engineer at heart' because he is. Ask him to explain how any particular whiskey is distilled and you will get a detailed scientific explanation of the process. Theres more to the Knolly vision and of course, it's better to hear it from Noel himself.I was riding the North Shore a lot from the early 1990s but had two serious injuries in 2001 and 2004 which altogether required four surgeries. During that time off ridingabout half of those four yearsI spent a lot of time thinking about how I could design a better full suspension freeride bike. I had a strong background in machining (which I did to pay the bills while at university) and through my schooling and career I had spent a decade in engineering physics in the high-tech world with a focus on applications engineering and design for manufacturing and optics!During my downtime, I spent about 18 months designing my own, personal full suspension freeride bike in Solidworks. In 2003 I prototyped it and a year and a half later, this would eventually become the V-tach frame. By 2004 I had a bunch of friends and friends-of-friends who wanted them, so I arranged to manufacture them and they were delivered later that year. The demand continued for bikes so in 2006 I set Knolly up formally and started design on the second model, the Delirium T.Now Knolly was a full-time job and by 2007 we were three people trying to figure out how to run a bike company! We have learned a lot over the years but our vision has always been on ultra-high quality manufacturing, unique industry leading technology, and technical performance backed by the best customer service. Were constantly trying to design our personal dream bikes for every frame model we make based on how we want the product to ride.At the beginning of Knollys history, the North Shore and Whistler completely dictated our bike designs. The V-tach was a 190mm travel freeride North Shore/bike park beast and was arguably the best bike purely designed for this kind of riding. However, as bike design has evolved, so has technical riding. The North Shore, Whistler, and greater B.C./Pacific Northwest is still the epitome of technical mountain biking worldwide, but its not the only location with difficult trails.I would say that as the North Shore has evolved, Knolly has matured as well and we look at these trails and beyond to ensure that the core performance of our products is at the level we demandwhether in B.C., Washington, Utah, or Europe. We have always been a company focused on the technical aspect of mountain biking, but now were at the point where our products can be world leading in overall on-trail performance while still maintaining the ability to kill it on our local terrain. The predictable performance of our Fourby4 linkage and advanced frame geometries are key to this.While the V-tach was our first bike, it was rather hardcore. It arrived at the height of the mid-2000s freeride scene, an era rife with 1214-pound extreme duty framesets. The bike was amazingly durable and offered an advanced ride thats still relevant today. It even had a trail crankset and front derailleur compatibility with a 12x150/157mm rear end, something that were starting to see come to the market now. However, it was too heavy duty for the average rider.I recognized that the V-tach could be a flagship product for Knolly but it certainly could not be the mainstay of our product line. This required a 'mini V-tach'; a bike with most of what the V-tach offered in terms of technical proficiency but in a more trail friendly package. This bike became the original 2006 Delirium T and it came out as a 160mm travel bike designed for 160-170mm forks. The bike was super well received and really launched Knolly as a company, it was our 'do-everything' trail/technical/freeride/park bike.The new Delirium captures the true essence of Delirium versatility; you can climb 3000 and then just charge the descent as hard as you can. Its a play bike, while not a DH bike it is still comfortable hitting Mach Schnell at a bike park and is nimble enough to pick its way down janky Shore style trails.The Delirium can get you into scary situations that are way beyond your confidence and comfort level, especially when wearing trail protection (i.e. half shell and knee pads). But like a trusty steed, it will get you out of those situations too! It has a huge margin of error and this generation Delirium has more forgiveness than any previous generation. The Delirium is just a really fun place to spend an houror fourmonster trucking around!Because Noel got sick and tired of me and numerous others asking for it. All kidding aside, the core of the Delirium embodies North Shore riding but like all good things that evolve the Delirium has as well. The timing was right as the industry trends on wheel sizes transitioned to re-introduce the Delirium in 27.5 which allowed us to fill a market segment meeting high customer demand. The bike has always been impressively versatile and the new version is truly a 'do everything bike.' Getting to the top is easy and it can handle anything you throw at it descending.'Versatility exemplified' explains it well, as it encompasses everything you want most in a bike. All of the updates have enhanced the bikes origin of true freeride to be multi-functional with strong pedaling dynamics centered on the Fourby4 suspension design. 170mm of travel on the Fourby4 suspension platform delivers maximum traction control accompanied by two geometry settings and a double crown fork approval makes the bike easy to adapt to any riding you want. Plus it was a perfect bike to mirror the bad ass muscle car paint job of the 69 Camaro with Orange and White!Ryan's answer above is the more interesting read and really gets at the 'why' this bike exists. From a business standpoint, my answer is a bit different in that the timing was right to bring the Delirium back into the lineup. In 2010 we introduced a second generation Delirium (we dropped the T in the name); the bike featured an increase in travel from 160mm to 170mm and was intended to replace both the previous Delirium T and some of the V-tachs uses as well.This was the start of our Generation II product line that had huge updates in geometry, overall large increases in performance and strength to weight, all based on what we had learned during the previous three seasons with the original first generation products. Due to moving our manufacturing to Taiwan in 2011, we essentially restarted the entire product line, leading with the 2012 Chilcotin which was for all intents and purposes a more up-to-date version of the original Delirium T.With the shift towards 27.5 in 2014 and the Warden eventually replacing the highly successful Chilcotin, we felt that there was again room in our product line (and more importantly, demand) for a new 2016 Delirium. That, and its just simply the most fun bike to ride in our current product lineup! We see the Delirium being a mainstay in Knollys lineup for the foreseeable future.New and different include dual crown fork compatibility, 27.5 wheels, adjustable geometry settings, longer reach, lower BB, better stand over, internal cable housing, and graphics (of course). This version captures the new technology mentioned in this article along with premium parts that make all Knollys smooth and durable, but the core marketing perspective has changed slightly. What remains the same is the core Shore bike that can handle the super aggressive terrain. What has changed, and which has significantly benefited the Delirium, is the larger wheels, advances to drivetrain tailored specifically to run 1X setups, rear suspension advancements like Cane Creeks climb switch make the bike much more versatile than its little brother, and the ability to throw a longer travel fork.This bike appeals to markets the original did not. We have racers on our grassroots team competing in race series, like various series in California for example, and this bike allows them to change their bike setup to match different tracks. In short, our North Shore pounder can now be enjoyed by riders that ride on more mellow terrain but it still has the bravado to crush the park when you need it to. Basically, we market this bike to everyone that wants versatility.Yes and no. The original Delirium T was our first stab at this application and the market space - both in terms of riding technique and product, it was in its 'pre-teens'. With the revamped 2010 model and eight years of experience, weve learned a massive amount about what this bike should be and what it shouldnt be. Currently, we have two models in our lineup with a 3rd on the way that are lighter duty than the current Delirium. That allowed us to be less concerned about making sure it fits into a specific product slot and has allowed us to really focus on designing to its strengths.Interestingly, in the early stages of the 3rd generation Deliriums development in 2014 and 2015, we actually tried to make an updated version of the 2010 Delirium with 27.5 wheels - that didnt go so well and we really needed to let the product development evolve organically on its own based on test riding. Apart from our DH bikes (which are absolutely the most difficult to design from a purely engineering perspective), the Delirium proved to be very, very challenging. We went through four rounds of prototyping just to get the geometry dialed and usually this takes only one or two rounds at most.So, I would say that what has stayed the same is the focus on fun, versatility and a huge margin of error in a technical trail bike. What has evolved is even more advanced geometry, increased comfort for long days in the saddle, improved pedaling and technical climbing, the inclusion of short track DH and extreme enduro into its portfolio, and an increased emphasis on park riding for those who want it. Its definitely the most complete, well-rounded Delirium weve ever made and it outperforms its predecessors in every category.All of them. AM and XC are clearly big segments for us with our other models, but the Delirium allows our riders to push their AM riding into gnarly terrain to have the best of both worlds. As mentioned we have a broad market appeal to this bike so reaching the applicable rider groups will take a team effort.Some of our Factory and GSR athletes are building these up as DH Lite Deliriums using a 200mm dual crown fork and a longer stroke 222 x 70mm rear shock to increase rear travel to 185mm. They'll typically add one degree or so angle set to further slacken out the bike and this results in a 64-degree head angle and gets the bike into mini DH territory.Both. The response has been great from new customers and previous generation owners. We expect this to be in our lineup for a long time.Definitely both customers and internally. The Delirium is an iconic bike for Knolly and something that we arguably do better than anyone else in the market. From our perspective, there was a huge hole in the market for these kinds of bikes in 2015 and 2016 and we were able to service that demand. From our customers' perspectives, we delivered not only what they expected but seriously exceeded those expectations as well. The Delirium is a total ripper! Understandably, Jimmy Kimmel is a big subject of conversation today. His emotional monologue about his newborn's heart defect was moving, to say the least. In it, he outlined his and his wife's fears and his baby's struggle. He talked about the further surgeries his son will have to face and how much each and every member of the hospital staff means to his family now. If you haven't seen it yet, give it a watch. If it doesn't tug at your heart strings, there's a chance you may not have any. I'm almost inclined to say that no one can truly understand Kimmel's experience, but I'd have to say my mother is in a unique position to appreciate just exactly what he is going through. That's because I was also born with a rare defect, tetralogy of fallot with pulmonary atresia -- the exact heart defect plaguing Kimmel's son. My experience varied slightly from his newborn's, though. Back in the 80s, they didn't catch my defect from birth. I had five miserable, dangerous weeks of life where parts of my body may not have received enough oxygen and where my heart was beating so quickly and working so hard that I lost weight in my first weeks. At five weeks old, they finally caught the problem. Down four ounces from my birth weight and at a less-than-robust 4lbs 7oz, it was at a checkup at a hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas that they determined I needed immediate medical assistance as I went into distress during a procedure. They air lifted me to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock and operated on me. My mother was frantic. The hospital was in another town and it's a scary thing to have your child taken from you for major surgery, leaving you to somehow keep your sanity as you drive through the state to meet up with your ailing infant. In my early baby pictures, a blue tint is obvious due to the issue with my pulmonary artery limiting the oxygenated blood being spread throughout my body. My mom says I was what she called "new-blue-jeans blue." My first open-heart surgery was a harrowing experience, but a successful one. My pulmonary artery was too narrow, and the doctors cut it open to allow for better blood flow, exactly how doctors treated Billy Kimmel. There's a clear before and after in my baby pictures where I go from sickly blue to bright pink, my whole body finally being pumped full of oxygen-rich blood. My mom called that look "the most beautiful color of pink that she will always remember." I don't like to think about what those weeks of poor oxygen levels did to my brain, but I think it's important to count blessings rather than focus on "what ifs." Plus I had a rocking chicken as a child, so who am I to complain? Credit: Family photo I don't know what Kimmel's son's course of treatment will be beyond that follow-up surgery in a few months, but for me, it was two more surgeries before I was two and a (hopefully) final one when I was 14. I have otherwise lived a relatively normal life, despite the regular drives leaving at dawn to head to Arkansas Children's Hospital a couple times a year for checkups when I was a child. I was an active kid, practicing karate, taking dance, and playing softball, but there were times I resented the fact that I was told to sit down and rest when I didn't want to while my other friends were still able to play. I would get extremely pale and feel faint sometimes, especially in the triple-digit Arkansas summers, but as a kid, it's hard to take your health too seriously. Unfortunately, growing children-- even fearless ones-- can outgrow their implanted material, so by the time I was a preteen, my growth spurts were working against me and I had outgrown the replacement valve my doctors put in for me. I had a leak that needed to be fixed before I grew much more and put too much strain on my heart. That's me and my dog, Dan. He was a good boy. Credit: Family photo By the time I was 14, I underwent my fourth open-heart surgery. Most of my surgeries were planned like this one and meant to fix earlier measures or replace outgrown materials, but they were equally as stressful for my parents every time. I think a lot about what hell that must have been for them, and Kimmel's experience has brought it all back to forefront in the minds of my family members. My mom is remembering the pain and fear she experienced, and I am thinking about how hard those experiences must have been for her (something I've done often throughout my life). As for being the kid having the surgery, luckily you don't remember surgeries in infancy. In fact, the last one is the only one I have any recollection of. The recovery from that surgery was hellacious, but I eventually healed and have otherwise lived a relatively average life, albeit somewhat bashful of the large scars on my chest, side, and back. Those scars eventually led to me unwittingly being a temporary face of the body-positive movement when a photo of me in a bikini went viral, and since then I've tried to turn the whole experience into something positive. Not my finest moment-- the photo of me that spread across the web. Credit: Steven Reyes Like Kimmel, my family and I have a long list of people who mean the world to us, and being able to trust them and be given their support and expertise made all the difference. I'll never stop telling people how wonderful Arkansas Children's Hospital is and encouraging them to donate to such a fantastic institution that works hard to treat every child who walks through their doors. They even offer financial aid to those who can't afford treatment. I agree wholeheartedly with Kimmel that "no parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their child's life," and as someone who was victim of a "pre-exisiting condition" from their first moment of life, I'll never take insurance and healthcare for granted. I'll never forget my cardiologist, a definite role model, Michele Moss, whom I admired and trusted and looked up to all throughout my childhood and still do to this very day. My surgeon, Dr. VanDevender performed all four of my surgeries and even visited me in recovery. (If you're a fan of Scrubs, you might be aware this is something surgeons don't often do.) He is a hero in my family. Obviously my mom is a hero too. She took me to every single appointment and held my hand through every single procedure. Things like that mean the world when such a huge chunk of your childhood takes place in hospital waiting rooms. I also always want to thank those friends of mine who never made me feel different, and even their parents who, at the time, I resented for making me sit out when I didn't want to, but now as an adult I realize they had only my best interests at heart. I have to pre-medicate before I go to the dentist and I had to ask my cardiologist's permission before I got my first tattoo, but still, in the end, I never really felt that different. I never felt like a weird kid with a condition. Except there was one place I was always an oddity and likely always will be: The doctor's office. Especially before my last surgery when my heart murmur was still audible to the naked ear, I could go in for something as innocuous as foot pain and the doctors who had never treated me before would excitedly ask if they could give my heart a listen. Sometimes they would pull in other doctors or nurses to listen as well, because when you're my age, doctors haven't encountered a lot of patients who had what I had and lived. Hearing my murmur, they would say things like, "I've only read about this in books," or "this is something I've only heard in recordings!" Today, though, I can gladly say I'm much less of a peculiarity. I no longer feel faint when I overdo it, and my murmur has been all but eradicated. Now when a new, inquisitive doctor asks to give my chest a listen, I acquiesce knowing they'll be disappointed. I like to watch for that split second where their face falls as they realize they can't hear any indication of my previous defects, and then watch them cover their displeasure with a big smile as they say to me, "You sound perfectly healthy!" Last night's Met Gala theme: Comme des Garcons. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit has long been an outstanding reflection on fashion and it's place in our lives. They call it the Oscars of the East Coast. If this year's gala was any indication, it's innovative and fearless approach to designers and their work is only on the rise. This year's co-chairs were the likes of Anna Wintour (who is somewhat of a gatekeeper every year), Pharrell Williams, Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. The exhibition is titled "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between", a tribute to the Japanese designer who has been hailed as "the nearly silent oracle of fashion." Her avant-garde designs are honored most of all because of their intricate nature - as Matthew Schneier of the New York Times writes, "Many designers work with the goal of making women look good. Ms. Kawakubo seems to work with the goal of making women look again." The Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrates Rei Kawakubo and the fashion label she started in 1969 on her own accord. However, the red carpet was filled with stars who did not seem to honor the theme at all - with exceptions, of course. A beacon of fashion and all it encompasses, Rihanna made sure everyone remembered she's not one to disappoint in a Fall 2016 Comme Des Garcons creation straight off the runway. Solange is another such star who paid homage to the fashion label with a puffer jacket train ensemble that was reportedly inspired by Missy Elliot. Solange Knowles (left) and Rihanna (right) attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit, 2017 via Getty Images In my personal favorite of the night, Lily Aldridge turned heads in a Ralph Lauren collection number that made headlines for it's daring and classic interpretation of "Art of the In-Between." The cut-out white gown with circular cape and fuchsia mesh veil are some of my favorite Met gala pieces to date - and how did Aldridge arrive? In a party bus, of course. "Because the fabric was heavy silk that could wrinkle quite easily and the train was so long, three of us held up her train while she stood on the party bus from The Carlyle Hotel to The Met," stylist Meredith Melling of styling duo La Marque told Hollywood Reporter. Check out some of our favorite and most inspired looks of the 2017 MET Gala below: 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 PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 06:00:01 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 469 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Advancement in Wound Dressing Market begins years before when the film and hydrocolloids introduced. Advanced Wound Dressing accelerates the healing process by keeping moist environment around the wound along with medicines like antibiotic and painkillers.Advanced Wound Dressing used to heal acute and chronic wounds especially in chronic wounds. Advanced wound dressing has shown very significant results in diabetic patients as well in chronic wounds that takes a long time or cannot be healed by traditional wound dressings.Advance Wound Dressing Market: Drivers and RestraintsAdvanced Wound Dressing market is growing as the number of diabetic and chronic patients increasing rapidly worldwide. Major drivers for the Advanced Wound Dressing Market is ageing population, increase in incident of accidents, increase in adoption rate of Advanced Wound Dressings like hydrocolloids and wound contact layers, continuously advance improvement in dressing like combination of antibiotics and painkillers with dressings. However, high price and lack of adequate reimbursement policies in developing countries are the main hindrance of the market growth.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-807 Advance Wound Dressing Market: SegmentationAdvance Wound Dressings global market is segmented into following types:HydrocolloidsNon-Antimicrobial Hydrocolloid DressingsAntimicrobial Hydrocolloid DressingsHydrofibersNon-Antimicrobial Hydrofiber DressingsAntimicrobial Hydrofiber DressingsAlginatesNon-Antimicrobial Alginate DressingsAntimicrobial Alginate DressingsHydrogelsNon-Antimicrobial Hydrogel DressingsAntimicrobial Hydrogel DressingsCollagensNon-Antimicrobial Collagen DressingsAntimicrobial Collagen DressingsFoamsNon-Antimicrobial Foam DressingsAntimicrobial Foam DressingsFilmsNon-Antimicrobial Film DressingsAntimicrobial Film DressingsWound Contact LayersNon-Antimicrobial Wound Contact LayersAntimicrobial Wound Contact LayersAdvance Wound Dressing Market: OverviewAdvance Wound Dressing Market is growing with a significant CAGR because of its high adoption rate in treatment of chronic wounds. Developing countries is growing with a higher CAGR compared to other parts of the world.Advance Wound Dressing Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic region, global Advanced Wound Dressing market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-807 North America contributes maximum in global Wound dressing Market Share. European countries showing a good growth as the adoption rate for Advance Wound Dressing is increasing for diabetic patients, burns, and chronic wounds. Asia Pacific is growing with a significant CAGR for Advance Wound Dressing market due to increase in healthcare awareness. Amongst the Asian countries, India and china are more promising due to large population pool and increased number of hospitals.Advance Wound Dressing Market: Key PlayersKey players of Advance Wound Dressing market includes Smith & Nephew, Molnlycke Health Care, Paul Hartmann, Covidien, ConvaTec, B. Braun Melsungen, BSN medical, 3M Health Care, Systagenix Wound Management, Derma Sciences, Coloplast, Laboratoires Urgo, Johnson & Johnson, Kinetic Concepts, Inc and Others. Local Players also have a significant presence in Advance Wound Dressing Market. PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 16:05:02 New group seeks acquisitions in prime urban markets nationwide NEW YORK, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GAZIT-GLOBE LTD., a leading global real estate company focused on the ownership, development and management of commercial real estate in major urban markets, today announced the formation of a new subsidiary company, Gazit Horizons, Inc., to invest in income producing real estate throughout the United States. The new company, with offices in Miami and New York City, will seek to acquire assets in targeted markets throughout the country, with a focus on major metro markets and the growing urban cores of certain "gateway" cities. The company intends to invest in larger properties with mixed-use potential and will look for unique opportunities to uncover value through diversity of use as well as redevelopment and proactive asset management. Gazit has named Jeffrey Mooallem as President and Chief Executive Officer of Gazit Horizons. A 19-year veteran of the real estate industry, Mr. Mooallem most recently was a Managing Director at Federal Realty Investment Trust; and prior to that held executive positions at Equity One, Inc. and privately held Turnberry Associates in Miami, FL. "We are very excited to be announcing the formation of Gazit Horizons, and equally as excited that Jeff has agreed to come on board to lead the team," said Dori J. Segal, CEO of Gazit Globe, Ltd. "With the recent merger of our former U.S. subsidiary, Equity One, Gazit Globe's business in the United States is now leveraged to a low level that makes additional U.S. investment compelling and accretive for our shareholders, while at the same time allowing us to use other sources of capital and cash flow to continue to pay down debt in Israel. Drawing from the experience Gazit has had with investments in other markets globally, this new company will implement an investment strategy that is more typical of a private equity investor, but with a much longer time horizon using predominantly its own capital. Adding the U.S. platform under Jeff's leadership marks another important step forward in advancing Gazit's strategic objectives in the U.S. and our focus on direct real estate investments." "The chance to work again with a company of Gazit's stature and build a new investment platform in the United States is a special and unique opportunity," said Jeff Mooallem, President and CEO of Gazit Horizons. "With our collective experience and relationships in the industry, we are well positioned to acquire assets in some of the strongest and fastest growing markets in the country. We will utilize our experience and capital structure to acquire larger and more complicated assets across multiple product types, and create additional value through asset management, redevelopment and repurposing. I am very grateful to Gazit for this exciting opportunity and look forward to building the best team and best portfolio possible to execute our strategic objectives." FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In the United States, these statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks detailed in our public filings with the SEC and the Canadian Securities Administrators. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. ABOUT GAZIT GLOBE LTD. Gazit Globe is a Global owner, developer and operator of high quality necessity-driven supermarket-anchored retail properties in urban markets. Gazit Globe is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:GZT), the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:GZT) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE:GZT) and is included in the TA-35 Index in Israel. As of December 31, 2016, Gazit Globe owns and operates 426 properties in more than 20 countries, with a gross leasable area of approximately 6.6 million square meters (approximately 71 million square feet) and a total value of approximately US$ 22 billion. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Investors Contact: IR@gazitgroup.com 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: Gazit-Globe via Globenewswire Thyroid Function Test Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 07:16:25 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 526 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.compress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Thyroid function test is a sensitive and specific diagnostic test segment driven by healthcare facilities and the medical diagnostics sector. Thyroid Function Test (TFT) is found to be very effective in diagnosing thyroid conditions in patients, but merely 34% of the total rural population in India have access to diagnostic centres. Among the population of around 1.25 billion, approximately 42 million people are suffering from thyroid disorders.Drivers and TrendsThe cardinal factor fuelling growth of the India thyroid function test market is high prevalence of thyroid disorders in the country. During an epidemiology study across major cities in India, Kolkata was reported to have highest prevalence of hypothyroidism (21.67%) compared to other cities. Over the past few years there have been significant advancements in the specificity and sensitivity of thyroid testing, which has impacted the treatment for thyroid disorders.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-in-1531 The Indian healthcare industry has witnessed significant advancements with regard to medical devices and pathological laboratory business segments. Domestic and international companies are entering into joint ventures and strategic agreements owing to increasing standardization, availability of human resources and high level of progress in medical technology.India is witnessing various trends that are expected to bring substantial changes in the landscape of the healthcare industry in the subsequent years. Traditional health risks have been replaced by lifestyle diseases in the last two decades. Various conditions prevailing currently include hypothyroidism, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, obesity and hypertension to name a few.Analysis by Test typeThe India thyroid function test market by test type is segmented into TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone), T3 (triiodothyronine), T4 (thyroxine), FT3 (Free triiodothyronine), FT4 (Free thyroxine) and others (TBG, T3RU, LATS, TSI). The others test segment is expected to lose some market share over the forecast period. Currently, the TSH test segment accounts for major revenue share in the India thyroid function test market. However, the T3 and T4 segments are expected to witness impressive growth during the forecast period.In the India thyroid function test market, the FT3 and FT4 test type segments are expected to witness significant growth in urban cities. FT4 test type segment has been estimated to register a moderate CAGR 2.4%, but the TSH test type segment is projected to continue to dominate the thyroid function test market in India over the forecast period.Send An Enquiry@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-in-1531 Analysis by End useThe thyroid function test market is segmented into Clinics, Research Organization, Diagnostic laboratories and Hospitals in terms of end use. Revenue from the research organization segment is expected to increase at second highest CAGR over the forecast period. However, the revenue generated from hospitals segment is higher as compared to the rest of the end use segment in the India thyroid function test market.Competitive LandscapeSome of the key players covered in the India thyroid function test market report include Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC. (Merck & Co., Inc.), Beckman Coulter, Inc., (Danaher), Siemens Healthcare GmbH and Abbott Laboratories. The report offers insights on the various strategies related to software development, market consolidation initiatives and analyses the various market players specific strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.india-thyroid-function-testing-market Latin America Wind Turbine Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 10:09:17 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 814 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Wind energy is the power extracted from wind using wind turbines. A wind turbine is a device that transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Wind energy is a renewable form of energy that is available in ample quantity and extensively. It is an alternative to fossil fuels which are depleting in quantity. Wind energy is the cleanest resource; it has neither toxic gas emissions nor greenhouse gas emissions. Wind turbines are connected to the network of electricity transmission. The onshore and offshore wind that is trapped is an inexpensive, competitive and significant source of energy. Wind energy contributed to 4% of the total global electricity usage in 2013.The application of wind turbines is primarily in wind mills that are used to generate electricity. These wind turbines in wind mills can be used to avail off-grid electricity in the remote regions. It has been known to empower rural electrification initiatives. Three fourths of the small wind turbines are present in the remote regions of the world and are the only sources of energy. For instance, wind power systems are fuelling the telecommunication towers in the secluded places between Argentina and Chile. Another application of wind turbines is associated with the hybrids of wind and solar power generation devices. Wind and solar sources complement each other in changing climatic conditions. Wind turbines have vital applications in off-grid, low-power systems in which the storage of batteries is avoided. Wind turbines also have application in cathodic protection pipes in which its electric charge neutralizes the galvanic corrosion of pipes laid in reactive soils. Wind turbines are used to charge electric fences, yacht and boat batteries efficiently. Wind turbines have been used to pump water for decades, and they remain a significant application in both developed and developing economies. The end use industries of wind turbines can be broadly classified into industrial, commercial and residential. The industrial use can be further divided into power generation, agriculture, industrial automation, engineering and telecommunication. Despite being commercially niche market at present, wind turbines are expected to expand due to increasing government subsidies and incentive programmes on the use of wind energy.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-la-141 The global wind industry produced about 37,000 MW in 2013. Latin America, in particular, has provided the industry with an essential substitute growth market for wind power. In 2013, Latin America alone representedapproximately 45% of the installed capacity of North and South America combined. It was largely driven by the wind markets of Brazil and Mexico which can be regarded as the dual pillars of the Latin American market. The average price of wind energy contracts in Brazil is US$ 50/MWh and gives wind energy an edge over conventional fossil fuels there. This is a major driver for the wind turbine market in Brazil. The wind power in Mexico provides power to over 65,000 households and exports it to US. Food and beverage company, Nestle, had invested US$ 60.7 million in wind energy in Mexico, and employed wind energy for its 85% electricity requirement. The cumulative wind capacity in Mexico reached 1988 MW by the end of 2013 indicating a 31.4% growth rate. The installed capacity in 2013 was 76 MW in Argentina, 200 MW in Chile, 30 MW in Peru, 11 MW in Uruguay, and149 MW in Venezuela.Strong wind resources, and rising electricity prices and energy demand are driving the demand for renewable energy higher. The Latin American industrial policies are effective as they have tailored depreciation tax policies which enable industries to actively partner with wind energy generators for their energy usage. Also, wind plants do not need to be in the vicinity of the end user and just need a connection to the Latin American power grids. Feed-in electricity tariffs have been introduced to motivate the use of renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, thermal energy and biomass energy. This encourages investment in renewable energy as the government makes provisions for higher retail rates for electricity for the producers of new energy technologies.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-la-141 Consistently declining monopoly in the Latin American electricity sector had paved way for wind turbine manufacturers. The current wind turbine market is competitive. Gamesa is the leading turbine supplier in Mexico and holds 73.5% of the market. It is followed by Vestas with 22% of the market contribution. GE is also a major turbine manufacturer with 4.5% market share in Mexico. Besides, the collapse of the Spain-based OEMs (Other Equipment Manufacturers) wind market has compelled companies to expand their business in Latin America.By 2015, Latin America is expected to have 3 GW of installed wind capacity annually, surging up to 4.3 GW by 2022. The manufacturers have to meet certain mandates on wind turbine components and their materials. It is a challenge for most OEMs to deliver high quality wind turbines while still ensuring an economical Latin American wind market.Browse Full Report@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/latin-america-wind-turbine-market PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 08:13:05 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Press: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 774 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Residential water treatment devices help eradicate undesirable chemicals, gases, suspended solids or biological contaminants from water, thus making it safe to consume. The residential water treatment devices market has been experiencing stable growth over the years due to: improved availability of purification and filtration devices, wide product choice, and growth in population, with the last factor having resulted in increased contamination of fresh water sources and rise in construction of new residential buildings.Drivers, Restraints & TrendsTotal population of the Middle East & Africa stood at approximately 346 million in 2015 and is expected to grow at a rate of 2% per annum. The Middle East & Africa market is also witnessing mass migration of people to urban centers, leading to increased demand for water purifiers in these centers. Economies of North Africa, on the other hand, have also been expanding at a healthy growth rates in the last few years, a factor which in turn is expected to further fuel growth of the overall residential water treatment devices market in the MEA region. GCC region is witnessing entry of globally established water purifier brands, which has resulted into increased competition in the market. Increased competition, in turn, ensures marginal decline in price of residential water treatment devices in the retail market. Around 44% of the Middle East & Africa population still lives in rural area and is not aware about the necessity and techniques of purifying and filtering water. Penetrating these markets may be a challenging task for the concerned market participants, as most of the vendors will have to begin by creating awareness regarding water purifiers and filters and the importance of these products. The combination water purification system is a new emerging trend that is likely to gain ground in the coming years. These combination system employs two different treatment technologies in one system. Players such as AquaPro and Kent have started offering RO+UV-based combination water purifiers in the GCC and Levant countries.Request For Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-eu-1299 Analysis, by RegionRegion-wise, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dominated the GCC residential water treatment devices market in terms of value in 2014, accounting for more than one-third value share of the residential water treatment devices market in the region. On the other hand, Turkey dominated the Levant residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than 40% value share of the overall market in the region. Furthermore, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is foreseen to expand at a relatively high CAGR during the forecast period and is expected to maintain its revenue share dominance in the GCC residential water treatment devices market till the end of 2025. The governments in the Levant and GCC regions are increasingly investing and opening up to Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and promoting industrialization, thereby leading to increase in per capita income of the residing population in countries such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan are expected to register significant Y-o-Y growth during the forecast period. Besides, these countries are expected to bestow more focus on growth of their non-oil and manufacturing sectors in the coming years, which in turn is expected to encourage the water purifier and water filter manufacturers in these countries to go in for domestic production and enhance their sales. Countries such as Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine and Syria are currently witnessing moderate growth in demand for residential water treatment devices, and the trend is expected to continue during the forecast period as well.middle-east-residential-water-treatment-devices-marketAnalysis, by Segment:On the basis of filtration devices, the filtration faucet segment dominated the GCC & Levant residential water treatment devices market in 2014 in terms of revenue, and is foreseen to expand at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the water tap faucet segment dominated the GCC & Levant residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than half volume share of the overall market.Send An Enquiry@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-eu-1299 On the basis of purification devices, the reverse osmosis segment dominated the GCC & Levant residential water treatment devices market in 2014 in terms of revenue, and is foreseen to expand at a relatively high CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the gravity segment purification devices dominated the GCC & Levant residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than 40% volume share of the overall market.Key Players:Key players considered in the global automotive wiring harness market are KENT RO Systems Ltd., Eureka Forbes, Britannic Water Treatment Company W.L.L., Panasonic Corporation, LG Electronics, Pure It LLC, Waterlife, Coolpex Pure Water System, Ultra Tec Water Treatment LLC and AQUA PRO UAE. Gold Quartz Vein PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 08:26:25 Press Information David Joseph Marketing 1846 Nelson st David Joseph Owner 604 569 1801 email http://www.tsxpennystocks.ca Published by David Joseph Joseph 6046199192 e-mail http://www.davidjosephmarketing.com # 973 Words 1846 Nelson stOwner604 569 1801David Joseph Joseph6046199192 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, May 3, 2017 -- Nexus Gold Corp. (Nexus or the Company) (TSX-V: NXS, OTC: NXXGF, FSE: N6E) is pleased to provide an update on the Companys ongoing exploration activity in Burkina Faso, West Africa.Additional Zones and Targets Identified at NiangouelaCompany geologists are pleased to report that in addition to the main quartz vein-shear system tested to date, an additional five zones of veining and shearing have now been identified at the Niangouela gold concession.These additional structures were originally observed in artisanal workings and are currently being tested by trenching and drilling. Initial sampling of the dumps from two of the new zones have returned values of 2.25 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), and 1.88 and 1.86 g/t Au, respectively.The zones occur over approximately 2000 metres (2km) in an east-west direction and are spread over 500 metres in a north-south direction. These additional targets are located approximately 200 metres north and 1000 metres east of the main zone which has been the focus of the drilling to date. The company has been testing these zones over its phase two program and anticipates continued testing of these new zones in further phases.An area map designed to illustrate the identified zones now known at Niangouela is currently being created and will be made available on the company website when completed.Niangouela Gold Concession UpdateThe Company anticipates concluding its phase two diamond drill program at the 178-square kilometre Niangouela exploration permit located approximately 85 kilometres north of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in early May. A 2000m phase two program has been underway since early April to test down the dip and strike extensions of gold mineralization identified by the company in its initial phase one program. The program is also testing additional targets identified through surface mapping and prospecting. Results from this program will be released once received, reviewed and verified.Highlights from the first nine phase-one drill holes at Niangouela, as reported in Company news releases March 7, 2017, and April 5, 2017, include 6.2m of 4.00 g/t Au (including 1m of 20.50 g/t Au); 4.85m of 26.69 g/t Au (including .62m of 11.70 g/t Au, and 1.03m of 132 g/t Au); and 4m of 2.95 g/t Au (including 1m of 5 g/t Au) and 1m of 5.92 g/t Au*. Phase one drill results to date can be found on the company website here:* Note assay results represent intercept lengths and are not true widthsBouboulou Gold ConcessionThe Company is pleased to announce plans to undertake a previously announced diamond drill program at its 38.8-sq km Bouboulou gold concession, in June. Bouboulou is located approximately 75 kilometres north-west of the capital Ouagadougou, on the Boromo-Goren greenstone belt, and is bisected by the Sabce shear zone.With the onset of the rainy season the Companys technical team has recommended we move operations to the Bouboulou concession during this time, said President and CEO, Peter Berdusco. The heavy rainfall is less problematic from an operational standpoint at Bouboulou and this gives us an opportunity to continue our drilling in Burkina Faso, and in particular, on one of the three major gold-mineralized trends weve identified on the property, continued Mr. Berdusco.Four zones of gold mineralization have been previously identified on the property, termed Koala, Rawema, Bouboulou 2 and Pelgtanga. In 2011 and 2012 Roxgold Inc completed reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling (DD) pograms to test these four mineralized zones.Historical drilling highlights from each of the four zones can be found on the Company website here:The Company has subsequently identified three distinct 5000m (5km) long anomalous gold trends at the Bouboulou concession. Each of the three trends display strong coincidental geochemical and geophysical gold anomalies, and extend from the four drill-identified mineralized zones, namely Rawema, Pelgtanga, Bouboulou 2 and Koala. They are identified by numerous orpaillages and geochemical samples of greater than 1 g/t Au. All three of the Bouboulou trends identified are defined by similar coincidental anomalies. Each trend has substantial artisanal workings either directly on them, or along the trend.A map of the three trends can be seen here: http://www.nexusgoldcorp.com/images/NexusGold_Boub1.jpg About Burkina FasoBurkina Faso is a landlocked nation, located in West Africa. It covers an area of roughly 274,000 square kilometres and has an estimated population of more than 16 million people. The country has a stable political setting with a pro-mining and foreign investment stance. Burkina Faso is the fastest growing gold producer in Africa, and was the 4th largest gold producer in Africa in 2012. Eight new mines have been commissioned there over the past six years. The country has excellent geological potential. The Greenstone Belts that host all of the major deposits in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire continue northward into Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has undergone less than 15 years of modern mineral exploration, remaining under-explored in comparison to neighbouring Ghana and Mali; both of which host world-class gold mines in the same belts of Birimian rocks.About the CompanyNexus Gold Corp. is a Vancouver-based gold exploration and development company operating in some of the worlds premier mining districts. The Company is currently concentrating its efforts on two gold projects located in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Bouboulou gold concession is a 38-sq km advanced exploration target where previous drilling has confirmed multiple zones of gold mineralization. The Niangouela gold concession is a 178-sq km project featuring high grade gold occurring in and around a primary quartz vein 1km in length and associated shear zone. For more information on these projects, please visit the Company website at www.nexusgoldcorp.com Warren Robb P.Geo., Senior Geologist is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information contained in this release. PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 13:00:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 397 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Orsu Metals Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---White Rock, BC (FSCWire) - Orsu Metals Corporation (TSX:OSU). has issued a press release with the following headline:Orsu Metals Announces Cease Trade Order Revoked and Trading to Resume on TSXVTo 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 Orsu Metals 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/Orsu Metals CorporationSource: Orsu Metals Corporation (TSX: OSU, WKN: A0YE9H, ISIN: VGG6777T1562)Date: May 03, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Orsu Metals 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.) Orthobiologics Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 05:59:06 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 399 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Biologic treatment has made a significant impact in orthopedic surgery, incorporating patients own cells, tissues, proteins produced artificially, etc. in the orthopedic treatment. The demand for global orthobiologics market is increasing due to the rise in aging population, changing lifestyles, problems associated with musculoskeletal system and developments in technologies. The global orthobiologics market is anticipated to grow with double digit growth rate over the forecast period with the demand for modern, safer and effective orthopedic biologic treatment. The strong growth of global orthobiologics market is predominantly driven by increasing cases of arthritis and obesity. In global orthobiologics market, the procedure of bone graft is largest segment.Orthobiologics Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe increasing innovations in technologies, aging population, presence of large number of unidentified and chronic diseases, increase in life expectancy and government initiatives are some of the drivers for the growth of global orthobiologics market. The musculoskeletal related issues especially implants have increased the demand for global orthobiologics market. The laidback lifestyle of the people, increasing rates of obesity and urbanization are driving global orthobiologics market. The technological advancement in developing pharmaceutical alternatives, of making medical treatment more of preventive rather than curative and nations policy for reducing the deficit in budget are some of the hindrance factors for the growth of global orthobiologics market.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-786 Orthobiologics Market: SegmentationOn the basis of application, global orthobiologics market can be segmented into:Spinal surgeryJoint replacement and reconstructionTrauma surgeryOn the basis of product, global orthobiologics market can be segmented into:Bone Graft SubstitutesDemorelized Bone Matrix (DBM)Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMP)Bone AllograftsBone AutographsBone Growth StimulatorsViscosupplementationSingle Injection Viscosupplementation3-Injection Viscosupplementation5-Injection ViscosupplementationVisit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-786 Orthobiologics Market: Region-wise OutlookGlobal orthobiologics market is foreseen to witness the highest growth in U.S.as the region is expected to have the highest growth rate of aging population, increase in life expectancy as well as rising incidences of geriatric-based diseases. Huge number of untapped patient population, medical tourism and economical cost are driving the growth of global orthobiologics market in the emerging nations such as India and China.Orthobiologics Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players for the global orthobiologics market are: Medtronic, Genzyme, DePuy, Stryker, Zimmer, Biomet, Smith & Nephew, Synthes, K2M and Wright medical technology, Inc. Peanut Butter Market Growth PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 12:19:42 Press Information Fututre Market Insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 577 Words Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Peanut butter is a high protein, low calorie product that possess high nutritional value. It is healthy alternative to dairy butter and used as bread spread. Major market presence of peanut butter is in western countries in comparison to Asian countries such as India as product is relatively new to the Asian region. Peanut butter is used in various applications in the form of spread and is used as the substitute for milk butter. However, in comparison to other spreads peanut butter is a low calorie product with high protein content. Consumption of peanut butter includes various benefits associated with it such as it helps to reduce the weight and also possess optimum nutrition value. Peanut butter are also available in powder form and used in various applications such as breakfast food, savory sauces and smoothies.Peanut Butter Market SegmentationPeanut butter market is segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel and region. On the basis of product type peanut butter market is divided into regular, low sodium, low sugar and plain. Among all the segments of the peanut butter, regular peanut butter is the dominating segment, followed by other segments. However, low sodium peanut butter is expected to show fastest growth in the forthcoming years. Peanut butter market is segmented on the basis of distribution channel into supermarkets, hypermarkets, retailers and others. Among all the segments of peanut butter market supermarket segment is expected to contribute maximum revenue to the overall revenue of the peanut butter market, followed by hypermarkets and retailers. Peanut butter market are segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa and Japan.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-904 Peanut Butter Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global peanut butter market is expected to witness robust growth over the forecasted period due to the rising needs of the consumers for low calorie nutritious products. Globally, among all regions, North America is expected to contribute highest market share, followed by Europe over the forecasted period. In North America, U.S. is expected to contribute maximum market share due the high disposable income of the consumers. However, in emerging economies such as Asia Pacific peanut butter market is anticipated to witness highest growth owing to the rising disposable income of consumers in these regions.Peanut Butter Market: DriversVarious drivers for peanut butter market includes rising demand for nutritious products coupled with increasing disposable income of consumers especially in developing countries. Other drivers that fuel the growth of peanut butter market are increasing demand for low calorie healthy food and emergence of hectic life schedule. Changing lifestyle coupled with shift towards the intake of convenient food are also factors that are expected to drive the peanut butter market in the coming four to five years. Major restraint that is expected to hamper the growth of the overall peanut butter market is the availability of peanut at relatively competitive prices coupled with fluctuating production of peanuts especially in India.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-904 Peanut Butter Market: Key PlayersMajor players operating in peanut butter market are Procter & Gamble, Unilever, The J.M. Smucker Company, Hormel Foods Corporation, Boulder Brands Inc., Kraft Canada Inc., Algood Food Company Inc. Various companies operating in peanut butter market are mainly adopting strategy to launch new varieties of peanut butter in order to grab the changing needs and preferences of the consumers. Protein Expression Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 05:52:55 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 556 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 The formation of amino acids or proteins within the cells of living organisms that takes place after gene expression is referred as protein expression. Gene expression utilizes DNA template for mRNA formation during transcription, which is thereafter utilized as a template for protein polypeptide formation of amino acids during the translation process. Protein expression is a vital process in which numerous important types of proteins are synthesized and modified, where recombinant proteins can also be synthesized. These synthesized, modified and recombinant protein types find a wide range of commercial applications.Protein expression is utilized thorough protein expression systems, which find wide usage in various fields such as biotechnology, medicine and life sciences. One major field of biotechnology, molecular biology utilizes many proteins like DNA polymerase in polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), restriction endonucleases in cloning procedures and reverse transcriptases in the analysis of RNAs. Some medical applications of protein expression include the large scale production of human insulin and various product sets for drug discovery procedures. Major protein expression systems include, baculovirus based systems, mammalian cell expression systems, E. coli systems, saccharomyces systems, K. lactis systems, pichia systems and other expression systems.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-405 The protein expression market, thus, can be classified into four major segments, namely, competent cells, expression vectors, instruments and reagents. This market can also be classified into three segments on the basis of its applications such as, industrial, research and therapeutic proteins. On the basis of its end-users, the protein expression market can also be classified into four segments, namely, academic research, contract research organizations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.Major driving factors for the growth of this market include, rising biologics market and corresponding research activities, increasing demand from proteomics market, in turn will benefit this market, and others. Sales drop in the pharmaceutical industry due to current patent expiries of major drugs, have induced intense research and development of novel pharmaceuticals in various categories will demand more proteins from this market, hence will contribute towards the growth of this market. The expanding biologics and proteomics market will increase the demand for more pure forms of proteins from fields such as biotechnology, drug researches etc. These demands will boost the overall protein expression market in the coming future. However, cost and expense cuttings in various R&D activities in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry as well as market consolidation of high degree are some restraining factors for this market.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-405 Geographically, North America is the largest market for protein expression followed by Europe. These regions dominate the overall protein expression market due to factors like presence of well-established healthcare infrastructure in these regions combined with intense R&D activities carried out. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing protein expression market due to increasing penetration of various biotechnology and pharmaceutical giants in R&D activities in these areas. Other major factors responsible for this regions fast growth are rapidly increasing healthcare infrastructure and increasing awareness and hence, demand for biologics and other proteins in the region.Some of the key players operating in the protein expression market are Agilent Technologies, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, New England Biolabs, Inc., Merck Millipore, Promega Corporation, Qiagen, Takara Bio, Inc., and Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fischer Scientific, Inc.). Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Radiology Information System RIS Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025 report to their offering. Radiology Information System RIS Market Size PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 10:03:19 Press Information Fututre Market Insights Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States 3479183531 email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 575 Words Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States3479183531Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Radiology Information System is a software which manages the data for physicians, hospitals radiology department and clinics in an electronic form. Data could be in any form like billing, scheduling and medical imaging. Radiology information system is very useful to track radiology imaging orders and to track reports of patients. Patients entire radiology history, from admission to discharge could be track. Statistical reports for a patient or for a group of patients can be generated. The radiology information system also allows the staff to make appointments for outpatient and inpatients. Radiology Information system also provides the detailed financial recording, electronic payments and automated claims.Recently, Singapore based healthcare groups called SingHealth and Eastern Health Alliance (EH alliance) and Singapore Health Ministrys IT arm, IHis purchased Carestreams Vue Radiology (Radiology Information System) and Vue PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) for better result, access and management of radiology results and patient imaging data. Almost 4 million patients visits every year in SingHealth Group. Carestreams Vue RIS+PACS are in few other hospitals too in Singapore like Singapore General Hospital, KK Womens and Childrens Hospital, National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore and SingHealth Polyclinics. By this software, one can access data from any location and create one unified imaging of patient file.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-825 Radiology Information System Market: Drivers & RestraintsTechnological advancement, rising ageing population, consolidation of healthcare providers, innovation, improved efficiency and better results, increasing demand for better healthcare systems, cost-effectiveness, increase usage of cloud computing and web based solutions, increase number of chronic diseases, are the most important driving factors in radiology information system market. Since radiology information system maintains the data for physicians and hospitals to get access form anywhere, the demand for radiology information system has increased.With so many advantages and splendid features of radiology information system, it has few disadvantages too. Lack of inexperienced professionals and interoperability issues are acting as a barrier for radiology information system market.Radiology Information System Market: SegmentationRadiology Information System Market is broadly classified on the basis of the following segments By Deployment:Web based RISCloud based RISOn-premise RISBy Product:Integrated RISStandalone RISBy End-User:HospitalsEmergency Healthcare Service ProvidersOffice Based PhysiciansRequest For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-825 Radiology Information System Market: OverviewThe radiology information system has grown substantially at a healthy CAGR due to increasing need of integrated healthcare system and rise in demand of diagnostic industry. With rapid technological advancement and innovation, radiology information system market is expected to grow globally. North America and Europe region will be dominating radiology information market in the forecast period.Radiology Information System Market: Region-wise OutlookThe radiology information system market is expected to register a double-digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, radiology information system market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America has the largest market for radiology information system and is contributing the most as compare to other regions. This is due to the increase demand of diagnostic industry go get better, fast and effective results.Radiology Information System Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in radiology information system market are Cerner Corporation, Siemens Healthcare, Carestream Health, Mckesson Corporation, GE Healthcare, Merge Healthcare, Allscripts and Epic Systems. PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 18:37:02 Fornebu, Norway - May 3, 2017: The Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of REC Silicon ASA (REC Silicon) was held on May 3, 2017 at 16:00 CET. The minutes from the Annual General Meeting recording the resolutions made are enclosed hereto and are also available on REC Silicon's website www.recsilicon.com. 913,942,229 shares were represented at the general meeting. This includes 171,713,333 shares represented by proxy. Thus, approximately 35.93% of the Company's total share were represented at the Annual General Meeting. Further to the Notice of the Annual General Meeting issued on April 3, 2017, the Annual General Meeting approved, as follows from the minutes, all resolutions as proposed by the Board. For further information, please contact: Christopher Bowes, Investor Relations REC Silicon ASA Phone: +1 509 793 8127 Email: chris.bowes@recsilicon.com Nils O. Kjerstad IR Contact Europe Phone: +47 9135 6659 Email: nils.kjerstad@crux.no About REC Silicon REC Silicon is a leading producer of advanced silicon materials, delivering high-purity polysilicon and silicon gas to the solar and electronics industries worldwide. We combine 30 years of experience and proprietary technology with the needs of our customers, with annual production capacity of more than 20,000 MT of polysilicon from our two US-based manufacturing plants. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: REC), the company is headquartered in Fornebu, Norway. For more information, go to: www.recsilicon.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Emission Control Catalyst Market PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-03 10:05:29 Press Information Future Market Insights 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: www.futuremarketinsights.com email Published by Abhishek Budholiya +1-347-918-3531 e-mail http://www.futuremarketinsights.com # 671 Words 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531 Emission control and reduction are among the priorities of all the commercial, industrial, and government sector companies. Growing concerns towards mitigation of the ill effects of carbon emissions or pollution are leading to manufacturing and process industries adopting new methods, technologies, materials, and processes. Emission control catalysts are used in catalytic convertors to lessen harmful emissions to the environment. A catalytic convertor houses a typical honeycomb structure coated with emission control catalysts such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Emission control catalysts can be segmented on the basis of their application as mobile and stationary.Mobile applications include automotives. These catalysts are also called automotive catalysts. Stationary applications include thermal or conventional power plants, and other industries.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-137 Mobile application presently is the largest segment for emission control catalysts due to the increasing demand for light and heavy commercial vehicles across the globe. Catalytic convertors are mostly used in the automotive industry while stationary emission control systems utilise selective catalytic reduction, catalytic incineration, filters, and catalytic oxidation. Passenger vehicles and cargo trucks are the main source of vehicle pollution followed by two and three wheeler vehicles. Emission control catalysts or convertors are now increasingly being used for NOx reduction from power plants, reduction of sulphur, and removal of toxins from exhaust smoke.Europe is the most lucrative emission control catalyst market. The heavy presence of automobiles manufacturers, power sector companies, and industrialisation across various geographical locations in Europe are the major driving factors for the emission control catalyst market. Europe witnessed 8.8% growth in commercial vehicle registrations. This prominent market was the global leader in FY 2013, and is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the future. Supportive government regulations to curb the ill effects of pollution offer a smooth roadmap for emission control catalyst enterprises to penetrate in European market. Industrial pollution in Europe is the next major setback for the government, as it costs them billions of dollars. Germany, Poland, UK, and Italy possess major refineries and heavy power segments which contribute major damage to the European nations. In such a scenario, the European market is in need of effective solutions that possess the capability to curb the pollution. Therefore, Europe is seen as the most lucrative market for business enterprises operating in the emission control catalyst market.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-137 Other prominent markets are North America followed by MENA and APAC region. North America contributes a major share to global pollution. USA is the leading market as the highest contributor to air pollution in North America region. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Texas are the states reporting the highest air pollution levels in USA. Many prominent locations in USA are witnessing ozone depletion which is a major cause of concern for government officials. As such, this situation makes emission control catalysts an urgent need in these pollution chronic regions. MENA is the next potential region for the emission control catalyst market. Presence of mining industries and oil borne locations are the major driving factors in MENA region. India, China and Singapore are the prominent destinations for emission control segment. Development in the automobile sector, oil refineries and maritime transportation are the main driving factors in APAC.Increasing automotive fleet and stringent environmental regulations on the international platform are the prime driving factors for growth in emission control catalyst consumption. The global emission control catalyst market is expected to grow between 7% and 9% CAGR over the next five years. Though the market seems promising for business enterprises operating in emission control catalysts, the emergence of battery-powered vehicles could be a major setback to this flourishing industry. Some of the major players include Johnson Matthey, BASF, Umicore, Faurecia, Nett Technologies, and others. Companies are investing in R&D to offer first class products to different end use industry verticals. Acquisitions and mergers are the strategies adopted by key market players to strengthen their position on the global market platform.Browse Full Report@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-emission-control-catalyst-market 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: Momentum Texas Incorporated Contact Jim Reid jr@momentumtexas.org 214-773-4663 Jim Reid214-773-4663 End -- Veterans, active duty military, and spouses interested in starting or growing a business will get a unique opportunity to "jump start" their businesses by attending a free Tarrant County Veteran's Entrepreneurship Boot Camp on Saturday, May 13, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tarrant County Community College Opportunity Center, 5901 Fitzhugh Avenue, Rm. 1330, Ft. Worth, Texas 76119. Free parking is provided. This unique boot camp is sponsored by Momentum Texas Inc (MTI), a statewide non-profit based in Dallas and co-sponsored by Frost Bank, in collaboration with The Lockheed Martin Corporation. In the last six years MTI has trained 2,600 veteran entrepreneurs throughout Texas, and will train an additional 500 veterans in 2017.The keynote address will be given by Tamiko Bailey. She is an Airforce Veteran who is the successful Founder and CEO of Bailey's Premier Services. She will discuss "How I Started My Business and Lessons Learned in the Process." Ms. Bailey will be followed by Cle Royal, a US Navy Veteran and staff member of the Tarrant County SBDC. Cle will discuss "How SBDCs Can Help Grow Your Business." Another speaker is Tasha Polk, AKA "The Marketing Lady," a patriot who will discuss "Building Your Marketing Toolkit Including Social Media Marketing."The afternoon speakers will begin with a representative of Frost Bank. PeopleFund representative Mari Montoya, a patriot is an expert in small business lending and will discuss a veteran-centric small business loan program. Mari will be followed by Patrick Alcorn, a West Point graduate and Director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC). Patrick will speak on the VBOC and SBA resources for financing your business. The final speaker will be Jim Reid, Army Airborne Veteran. He will provide attendees with a Veteran's Resource Guide that will guide attendees on additional next steps.The event is open to other veterans, active duty military, and spouses. Seating is limited to 75 participants. Interested veterans can register for this event by going to: https://tarrantcountyveteransentrepreneurshipbootcamp.eve... The earthy, chocolatey flavor of Aroma Bravo Honduras coffee makes it the ideal companion for a wide selection of desserts. Contact Charles C Harmon Co LLC ***@gmail.com 888-582-6650 Charles C Harmon Co LLC888-582-6650 End -- Considered one of the best single origin coffees worldwide, Honduras coffee is quickly becoming a favorite not just of coffee connoisseurs but of dessert lovers as well. The earthy, chocolatey flavor of the coffee greatly complements a wide selection of sweets, that's why dessert fans have also taken a special liking to Honduras coffee.Aroma Bravo Coffee and Tea, an organic company based in Nevada, has always been impressed by how well Honduras coffee goes with desserts. The company often recommends this ideal pairing to its customers."Desserts simply taste a whole lot better when you have them together with Honduras coffee," says a representative for Aroma Bravo. "This specialty coffee makes it the ideal companion for many desserts, especially those that are made with lemon. The earthy and mellow chocolate flavors of the coffee are a perfect balance to the tartness of lemon desserts," he adds.While Honduras coffee is a favorite by thousands of gourmet coffee lovers, the representative warns that not all coffees from Honduras are created equal. Some leave a bitter aftertaste in the mouth that can ruin one's caffeine experience. It is therefore essential to choose a brand that sources that highest possible quality of Honduras coffee beans for the best results."The ideal cup of Honduran coffee must be earthy but also smooth with a distinct chocolatey taste, with hints of honey, nuts, cocoa and caramel. When you roast all these flavors together, it should create a well-balanced coffee with a clean finish. This is exactly what we do at Aroma Bravo Coffee and Tea. We offer the authentic taste of Honduras coffee that is best paired with desserts," the representative further remarked.Aroma Bravo Coffee and Tea currently offers whole bean coffee in light roast, medium dark roast and French roast. Coffee and dessert lovers who want to try Honduras coffee can get more information at https://www.amazon.com/ review/R39EF6L6FY46DU/ ref=cm_cr_rd... Aroma Bravo is a trusted seller of Honduras whole bean coffee. The smooth aroma and mellow chocolatey flavor of the coffee has earned positive customer reviews on Amazon.com. By: Conservancy of Southwest Florida Contact Holly Boldrin, APR, CPRC, Priority Marketing 239-267-2638, mediarelations@ prioritymarketing.com ***@prioritymarketing.com Holly Boldrin, APR, CPRC, Priority Marketing239-267-2638, mediarelations@prioritymarketing.com End -- Conservancy of Southwest Florida was recognized by the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Southwest Chapter with an Image Award for the execution of a public affairs campaign, entitled "The Ripple Effect."Dedicated to protecting Southwest Florida's land, water and wildlife, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida is focused on addressing the impact of Lake Okeechobee flows and solutions to divert the flows south. The Conservancy has been at the forefront of the issue, working with state and federal officials to propose solutions, including buying land in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) to provide additional storage for water treatment and conveyance.In 2016, to help educate and engage the community, other advocacy groups and legislators to support the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's proposed solutions, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida engaged Priority Marketing in developing a proactive public relations campaign designed to educate members and the public, clarify misconceptions surrounding the Lake O discharges and encourage citizens to contact their legislators in favor of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's strategies to resolve the issues.The campaign met and exceeded its objectives, resulting in an increase in attendance at educational events hosted by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, website traffic and email signups, as well as enhanced support of Amendment 1.FPRA Image Award winners are selected by a panel of industry professionals from outside of Southwest Florida who evaluate entries based on several criteria including a situational analysis, objectives, implementation, results and budget. The FPRA Southwest Chapter's Image Awards is an annual competition that recognizes measurable excellence among Southwest Florida public relations professionals.The Conservancy of Southwest Florida ( http://www.conservancy.org/ ) is a not-for-profit environmental protection organization with a 50 year history focused on the issues impacting the water, land wildlife and future of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Conservancy accomplishes this mission through the combined efforts of its experts in the areas of environmental science, policy, education and wildlife rehabilitation. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, world-class Nature Center ( http://www.conservancy.org/ nature-center ) and von Arx Wildlife Hospital (http://www.conservancy.org/von-Arx-Wildlife-Hospital) are headquartered in Naples, Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Smith+Preserve+Way/@26.166139,-81.7899354,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x88dae1edf6906625:0xaff332d727c8252d), south of the Naples Zoo off Goodlette-Frank Road. Learn more about the Conservancy's work and how to support (http://www.conservancy.org/support-us) the quality of life in Southwest Florida www.conservancy.org. Kansas City Teen Wins Third Place in National Shakespeare Competition English-Speaking Union Holds 34th Annual National Shakespeare Competition in New York City By: English-Speaking Union 1 2 (L to R) Trevon Wainwright, Ogechi Egonu, Brandon Burk Trevon Wainwright, 3rd Place Winner, ESU National Shakespeare Competition KANSAS CITY, Mo. - May 3, 2017 - PRLog -- With a performance of a sonnet and monologue from Shakespeare, Trevon Wainwright from Kansas City, MO, a student of David Luby at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in Kansas City, won third place in the 34th annual English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition. Paseo Academy in Kansas City, Missouri has had a remarkable history of winners in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition. In 2014, Makenna Lockhart from Paseo Academy won first place in the Kansas City Branch Shakespeare Competition. Shakita Miller from Paseo won the Kansas City Branch Competition in 2002. And Dannye Thompson from Paseo won first place in the ESU National Competition in 1994. This year's Competition took place on May 1, 2017, on the Mitzi Newhouse Theater stage at Lincoln Center in New York City with 54 semi-finalists from as many ESU Branch competitions nationwide. Trevon previously won the ESU Kansas City Branch competition. More than 20,000 high school students nationwide participated in the 2017 English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition at the local, regional, and national levels. As the third place winner of the 34th English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition, Trevon Wainwright, representing the Kansas City Branch of the ESU received a $500 cash prize provided by The Shakespeare Society. First place winner, Ogechi Egonu, representing the ESU San Francisco Branch, received a full scholarship to attend the American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA, this summer. Second place winner, Brandon Burk, from the ESU Kentucky Branch won a $1,000 award from The English-Speaking Union. This year, actors Kate Burton and Dana Ivey served as judges, joining a roster of former judges that includes such luminaries as Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Waterston, Phylicia Rashad, Blythe Danner, Jesse L. Martin, Cynthia Nixon, Richard Thomas, Courtney B. Vance, Dianne Wiest, and Helen Hayes. The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition is a school-based program designed to help develop their speaking and critical thinking skills and their appreciation of literature as they explore the beauty of the language and timeless themes in Shakespeare's works. In three progressive competition levels, students memorize, interpret, and perform monologues and sonnets in their own schools, at ESU Branch-sponsored community competitions and at the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition. Citing its 34th season this year, the Honorable Bill De Blasio, Mayor of the City of New York, proclaimed May 1, 2017, as William Shakespeare Day in New York City. Laura Hickey, the British Deputy Consul-General in New York, read the proclamation, and Dr. Paul Beresford-Hill, CBE, KSt.J, Chairman of the English-Speaking Union, awarded certificates to the competitors. The ESU provided the semi-finalists with two days of educational and cultural activities in New York City, including an exclusive acting workshop by the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University faculty. Perhaps best of all for these teenagers was the opportunity to spend time with other students from across the country who share a love of the English language and, particularly, Shakespeare. Founded in 1920, The English-Speaking Union is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that promotes English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators and members. To learn more about the ESU Kansas City Branch, go to: Contact Jeffrey Schnabel ***@esuus.org Photos: https://www.prlog.org/ 12637542/1 https://www.prlog.org/ 12637542/2 Jeffrey Schnabel End -- With a performance of a sonnet and monologue from Shakespeare,from Kansas City, MO, a student of David Luby at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in Kansas City, won third place in the 34th annual English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition.Paseo Academy in Kansas City, Missouri has had a remarkable history of winners in the ESU National Shakespeare Competition. In 2014, Makenna Lockhart from Paseo Academy won first place in the Kansas City Branch Shakespeare Competition. Shakita Miller from Paseo won the Kansas City Branch Competition in 2002. And Dannye Thompson from Paseo won first place in the ESU National Competition in 1994.This year's Competition took place on May 1, 2017, on the Mitzi Newhouse Theater stage at Lincoln Center in New York City with 54 semi-finalists from as many ESU Branch competitions nationwide. Trevon previously won the ESU Kansas City Branch competition.More than 20,000 high school students nationwide participated in the 2017 English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition at the local, regional, and national levels.As the third place winner of the 34th English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition,, representing the Kansas City Branch of the ESU received a $500 cash prize provided by The Shakespeare Society. First place winner,, representing the ESU San Francisco Branch, received a full scholarship to attend the American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp in Staunton, VA, this summer. Second place winner,, from the ESU Kentucky Branch won a $1,000 award from The English-Speaking Union.This year, actors Kate Burton and Dana Ivey served as judges, joining a roster of former judges that includes such luminaries as Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Waterston, Phylicia Rashad, Blythe Danner, Jesse L. Martin, Cynthia Nixon, Richard Thomas, Courtney B. Vance, Dianne Wiest, and Helen Hayes.The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition is a school-based program designed to help develop their speaking and critical thinking skills and their appreciation of literature as they explore the beauty of the language and timeless themes in Shakespeare's works. In three progressive competition levels, students memorize, interpret, and perform monologues and sonnets in their own schools, at ESU Branch-sponsored community competitions and at the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition.Citing its 34th season this year, the Honorable Bill De Blasio, Mayor of the City of New York, proclaimed May 1, 2017, as William Shakespeare Day in New York City. Laura Hickey, the British Deputy Consul-General in New York, read the proclamation, and Dr. Paul Beresford-Hill, CBE, KSt.J, Chairman of the English-Speaking Union, awarded certificates to the competitors.The ESU provided the semi-finalists with two days of educational and cultural activities in New York City, including an exclusive acting workshop by the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University faculty. Perhaps best of all for these teenagers was the opportunity to spend time with other students from across the country who share a love of the English language and, particularly, Shakespeare.Founded in 1920, The English-Speaking Union is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that promotes English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators and members.To learn more about the ESU Kansas City Branch, go to: http://www.esuus.org/ kansascity Email : ***@esuus.org Tags : ESU English-Speaking Union , ESU , Kansas City , Missouri , Shakespeare , Shakespeare Competition Industry : Arts , Books , Education , Literature , Non-profit Location : Kansas City - Missouri - United States Subject : Awards Account Phone Number Disclaimer Report Abuse Account Email AddressAccount Phone Number Page Updated Last on: May 03, 2017 By: MBK Senior Living MBKonnection event held May 11th Contact Robin Craig Corporate Director of Marketing ***@mbk.com Photo: https://www.prlog.org/ 12637545/1 Robin CraigCorporate Director of Marketing End -- MBK Senior Living invites seniors and their families to visit one of the company's 22 senior living communities on Thursday, May 11th to participate in an interactive presentation entitled "Solving the Mind Body Konnection Puzzle."As part of the company's commitment to providing seniors with programs and services that encourage health, wellness and longevity, this workshop will include discussion about the various dimensions of wellness, a wellness self-assessment and valuable take home information to help seniors connect to their best self. In addition to the presentation, guests will enjoy tours of the MBK community and healthy snacks.According to Crystal Roberts, MBK Senior Living's director of resident enrichment, the mind body connection has significant impact on seniors' health and well-being. In fact, numerous studies have shown that activities that stimulate and embrace the whole person are known to have such positive effects as improved sleep, lower stress, improved relationships, and are even known to aid the treatment of heart disease, cancer and other serious illness."The ways in which the mind-body connection can benefit seniors is outstanding,"said Roberts. "You won't want to miss this important and informative presentation."To reserve your space at this informative presentation and to find the MBK community nearest you, visit http://www.mbkseniorliving.com/ mbk-events-page . Event times vary by location.MBK Senior Living owns or manages 22 independent living, assisted living and memory care communities throughout the western United States. MBK Senior Living, LLC, headquartered in Irvine, CA, is actively involved in the acquisition, development and third-party management of high quality senior living communities throughout the western United States. MBK's overriding mission is to exceed the quality, service and care expectations of the seniors they serve. For more information about MBK Senior Living, call (949) 242-1410 or visit www.mbkseniorliving.com By: MBK Senior Living MBKonnection event held May 11th Contact Robin Craig Director of Corporate Marketing ***@mbk.com Photo: https://www.prlog.org/ 12637580/1 Robin CraigDirector of Corporate Marketing End -- MBK Senior Living invites seniors and their families to visit one of the company's 22 senior living communities on Thursday, May 11th to participate an interactive presentation entitled "Solving the Mind Body Konnection Puzzle."As part of the company's commitment to providing seniors with programs and services that encourage health, wellness and longevity, this workshop will include discussion about the various dimensions of wellness, a wellness self-assessment and valuable take home information to help seniors connect to their best self. In addition to the presentation, guests will enjoy tours of the MBK community and healthy snacks.According to Crystal Roberts, MBK Senior Living's director of resident enrichment, the mind body connection has significant impact on seniors' health and well-being. In fact, numerous studies have shown that activities that stimulate and embrace the whole-person are known to have such positive effects as improved sleep, lower stress, improved relationships, and are even known to aid the treatment of heart disease, cancer and other serious illness."The ways in which the mind-body connection can benefit seniors is outstanding,"said Roberts. "You won't want to miss this important and informative presentation."To reserve your space at this informative presentation and to find the MBK community nearest you, visit http://www.mbkseniorliving.com/ mbk-events-page . Event times vary by location.MBK Senior Living owns or manages 22 independent living, assisted living and memory care communities throughout the western United States. MBK Senior Living, LLC, headquartered in Irvine, CA, is actively involved in the acquisition, development and third-party management of high quality senior living communities throughout the western United States. MBK's overriding mission is to exceed the quality, service and care expectations of the seniors they serve. For more information about MBK Senior Living, call (949) 242-1410 or visit www.mbkseniorliving.com By: MBK Senior Living MBKonnection event held May 11th Contact Robin Craig Director of Corporate Marketing ***@mbk.com Photo: https://www.prlog.org/ 12637585/1 Robin CraigDirector of Corporate Marketing End -- MBK Senior Living invites seniors and their families to visit one of the company's 22 senior living communities on Thursday, May 11th to participate an interactive presentation entitled "Solving the Mind Body Konnection Puzzle."As part of the company's commitment to providing seniors with programs and services that encourage health, wellness and longevity, this workshop will include discussion about the various dimensions of wellness, a wellness self-assessment and valuable take home information to help seniors connect to their best self. In addition to the presentation, guests will enjoy tours of the MBK community and healthy snacks.According to Crystal Roberts, MBK Senior Living's director of resident enrichment, the mind body connection has significant impact on seniors' health and well-being. In fact, numerous studies have shown that activities that stimulate and embrace the whole-person are known to have such positive effects as improved sleep, lower stress, improved relationships, and are even known to aid the treatment of heart disease, cancer and other serious illness."The ways in which the mind-body connection can benefit seniors is outstanding,"said Roberts. "You won't want to miss this important and informative presentation."To reserve your space at this informative presentation and to find the MBK community nearest you, visit http://www.mbkseniorliving.com/ mbk-events-page . Event times vary by location.MBK Senior Living owns or manages 22 independent living, assisted living and memory care communities throughout the western United States. MBK Senior Living, LLC, headquartered in Irvine, CA, is actively involved in the acquisition, development and third-party management of high quality senior living communities throughout the western United States. MBK's overriding mission is to exceed the quality, service and care expectations of the seniors they serve. For more information about MBK Senior Living, call (949) 242-1410 or visit www.mbkseniorliving.com The Vaci ut office corridor, the central business district (CBD) and the inner quarters of Pest are the most significant office locations in Budapest. The Budapest office of CBRE has synchronized its office market database with the metro lines and stations to highlight the current status of the citys office Photos: CBRE, CBRE; CBRE [] SKOPJE -- The stalemate over control of Macedonia's legislature continues after the newly declared parliament speaker, Talat Xhaferi, has been blocked from taking up the post by nationalist lawmakers who oppose his election. Xhaferi, a lawmaker from one of the three ethnic Albanian parties that has agreed to form a coalition with Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev, was elected on April 27 by the alliance as speaker of parliament. The move prompted supporters of the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party to storm the parliament, where they physically assaulted Zaev and several ethnic Albanian lawmakers. And on May 2, when Xhaferi tried to enter the speaker's office, several VMRO-DPMNE lawmakers were occupying the room and refused to allow him to enter, declaring that his election to the post was not valid because the vote was conducted outside of standard parliamentary procedures. Xhaferi's predecessor, VMRO-DPMNE lawmaker Trajko Veljanovski, also did not appear on May 2 to hand over the keys to the office or the official seal to Xhaferi. Meanwhile, the general secretary of parliament -- who is also a member of the VMRO-DPMNE -- announced that Xhaferi's election as parliament speaker was not legally valid until it is published by Macedonia's official legal journal. It was not clear if or when that publication, which is also controlled by VMRO-DPMNE members, might publish the results of Xhaferi's election by the legislature. Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov -- an ally of the VMRO-DPMNE party has refused to give the Social Democrats and three ethnic Albanian parties a mandate to form a new government, even though they created a coalition with 69 of the parliament's 120 seats. WATCH: U.S. Envoy Calls For New Macedonian Government Macedonia's parliament has been deadlocked since December, after the VMRO-DPMNE won the most votes in a general election but was unable to reach a coalition agreement with other parties. Ivanov and his political ally, former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, accuse Zaev's Social Democrats and the ethnic Albanian parties of intending to undermine Macedonia's national unity because of their plan to make Albanian the country's second official language. U.S. and European Union officials have recognized Xhaferi's election as parliament speaker and have urged Ivanov to allow Zaev's alliance to form a new government. Macedonia has been without a functioning government since 2015, when it sank into political turmoil over a wiretapping scandal that brought down the ruling VMRO-DPMNE. The political stalemate has brought to a halt Skopje's efforts to move toward membership in the European Union and NATO. With reporting by dpa Thousands of nationalist demonstrators are continuing their protests in Skopje against a proposed governing coalition of Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties, five days after they charged into parliament and assaulted lawmakers. The protesters allege that a deal struck between the Social Democrats to govern alongside ethnic Albanian parties threatens national unity. The accord would sideline the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, which opposes a plan to make Albanian the second official language of Albania. A planned protest on May 3 comes a day came after VMRO-DPMNE legislators blocked an attempt by the coalition's recently elected speaker of parliament to take physical possession of the speaker's office. VMRO-DPMNE lawmakers occupied the room and prevented Talat Xhaferi, who would be Macedonia's first ethnic Albanian speaker, from entering the office. They contend that his election was not valid because it did not follow standard parliamentary procedures. On April 27, the day Xhaferi was elected as parliamentary speaker, protesters stormed parliament and assaulted Social Democratic Union leader Zoran Zaev and several ethnic Albanian lawmakers, bloodying them and sending some to the hospital. The riots injured about 100 people in all and were roundly condemned by both the European Union and the United States, both of which have taken steps to recognize Xhaferi as the legitimately elected speaker of parliament. Washington and Brussels both insist that, under Macedonia's constitution, a coalition that controls a majority of seats in parliament has the right to form a new government. The U.S. State Department sent a high-level envoy to Skopje during weekend to urge leaders of the VMRO-DPMNE to peacefully cede power to the coalition led by Zaev. Although Zaev's Social Democrats and three ethnic Albanian parties control a majority of seats in parliament, President Gjorge Ivanov -- an ally of the VMRO-DPMNE -- has refused to take action on his constitutional authority to grant the alliance a formal mandate to form a new government. That has prevented the Zaev's new coalition from formally presenting a new government for a vote of approval by parliament. The VMRO-DPMNE and its allies say strong opposition to Zaev's proposed coalition, seen in nightly demonstrations by nationalists during the past two months, is evidence that the public does not want the VMRO-DPMNE to vacate power. They argue that Macedonia needs to call new elections. They claim that the current impasse was caused by inconclusive results in December's election, rather than the refusal of Ivanov to present Zaev's majority coalition with the mandate it needs to conduct a parliamentary vote on a new government. "We've been ignored for 60 days. We will continue to come," Bogdan Ilievski, one of the protest organizers, told the AFP news agency outside parliament during a protest on May 2. "We have to continue our battle," he said. "We don't have another country." The protest on May 2 was peaceful, though local media reported that an incendiary device had been found. Ethnic Albanians make up around a quarter of Macedonia's population of two million people. With reporting by AFP and RFE/RL's Balkan Service Wednesday, May 3, 2017 Saveur reports on a special refugee business. 1951 Coffee opened in late January in Berkeley. Back in Malaysia, where hed paid an agent to smuggle him from his native Myanmar, Peter Karki had worked in a bar with a coffee machine, but it wasnt anything fancy. And in the Nepali refugee camp where Karki had lived for 20 years after fleeing Bhutan with his family, there was only tea. But here in Berkeley, lattes are popular. 1951 Coffee is most likely the only the only third-wave coffee shop in the Bay Area where a lack of prior experience isnt an impediment to employment; if anything, its expected. The cafe is the first from 1951 Coffee Company, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that provides job training and employment for refugees, specifically within the Bay Areas ever-growing coffee industry. All of its ten employees are refugees, and about half are graduates of the nonprofits two-week barista training program. They each earn $13 an hour, and together represent Syria, Uganda, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, and Iran. KJ https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2017/05/inside-berkeleys-refugee-run-cafe-building-new-lives-with-coffee.html Russia has launched multiple suicide drones on Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, wounding people and damaging civilian facilities, the head of the regional military administration said, as fierce battles are under way in the eastern Donetsk region and in the south. "The occupiers attacked the area massively with kamikaze drones. Our air defense destroyed five barrage ammunition. They also attacked the city of Dnipro with drones, targeting a logistics enterprise. Four employees were wounded; three of them are in serious condition in the hospital," Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. 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. Russian forces also bombarded the Nikopol district in the region with Grad missiles and heavy artillery. Reznichenko said the shelling damaged private houses, a factory, and a power line, but no one was injured. A fire spread over more than 3,000 square meters but was extinguished, Reznichenko said. Russian troops regularly shell the Dnipropetrovsk region with various types of weapons, in particular the Nikopol, Kryvorizky, and Synelnyk districts. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed Ukraine will not "surrender a single centimeter of our land" in Donetsk, and he thanked Ukrainian troops who are holding positions in the Donbas region. The epicenter of the battle for the industrial region of Donetsk is around the towns of Bakhmut, Soledar, and Avdiyivka. "The activity of the occupiers remains at an extremely high level -- dozens of attacks every day," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address late on November 8. "They are suffering extraordinarily high losses. But the order remains the same: to advance on the administrative boundary of Donetsk region. We will not yield a single centimeter of our land," he said. Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions Russia said it annexed in September following referendums considered a sham by Kyiv and its Western allies. Fighting has taken place there between Ukrainian military and Kremlin-backed separatist forces since 2014, the same year Russia illegally annexed Crimea in the south. Zelenskiy said the goal of the Russian troops is to push to the administrative border of the Donetsk region. "We clearly understand the enemy's plans, so we act accordingly: carefully, thoughtfully, and in the interests of the liberation of our entire territory. We are strengthening our positions, breaking Russian logistics, and consistently destroying the potential of the occupiers to keep the south of our country under occupation," Zelenskiy added. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the most intense battles were taking place in Bakhmut and Soledar where the Ukrainian military repels dozens of Russian attacks per day. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the region's military administration, said the city of Bakhmut was badly damaged, and there is not a single surviving house in Avdiyivka, Maryinka, or Krasnohorivka. Russian troops are trying to wipe the cities "off the face of the Earth," he said. Fierce fighting was also going on on the edge of the town of Snihurivka, in the southern Mykolayiv region, according to Yury Barabashov, the town's Russian-appointed mayor, as cited by Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-installed administration in the southern Kherson region, said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had tried to advance on three fronts, including Snihurivka. Vitaly Kim, the Ukrainian governor of the Mykolayiv region, apparently quoting an intercepted dialogue between Russian troops, suggested Ukrainian forces had already pushed the Russians out of the area. "Russian troops are complaining that they have already been thrown out of there," Kim said in a statement on his Telegram channel. The information could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian military said it destroyed two Russian ammunition depots in southern Ukraine on November 8, one in Snihurivka, and one in Kostromka, in the neighboring Kherson region. WATCH: Paratroopers with Ukraine's 79th Air Assault Brigade say they're holding positions around the small city of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine despite daily Russian attacks. Russia has mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists in recent months seeking to stave off an offensive launched by Ukraine to regain Russian-occupied territories. Kyiv-based military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said on November 8 that 21 Russian conscripts had surrendered to Ukrainian forces around Svatove in the eastern Luhansk region. "These poor mobilized men -- really poor, they had had nothing to eat or drink in three days -- of course they decided to surrender," Zhdanov said on his YouTube channel. In the southern Kherson region, a battle between advancing Ukrainian forces and the Russian occupiers has been looming for weeks in the city by the same name, the only regional capital Russia has captured intact since its unprovoked invasion in February. Kherson is arguably the most important of the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions that Russia says it annexed. It controls both the only land route to the Crimean Peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper River that bisects Ukraine. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also commented on the fighting in eastern Ukraine on November 8. He was quoted by TASS as saying that information released about casualties among Chechen fighters near Lysychansk, a city in the eastern Luhansk region, was false. "Not a single fighter of ours was killed in the aforementioned area," Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel, adding that he didn't want to comment on "such falsehoods" but found it necessary "to reassure all sane and concerned people." Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, released video footage that it said showed a drone strike obliterating a Ukrainian tank that was hiding in an urban area and shelling Russian troops. "A Russian squad of unmanned aerial vehicles spotted the Ukrainian tank and destroyed it using a precision strike," the ministry said on November 8, according to TASS. The Ukrainian military's General Staff said Russian troops used drones and artillery on November 8 to shell communities along the Sumy region's border with Russia in northeastern Ukraine. The only damage reported was to utility poles. Sumy borders three regions of Russia: Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod. The border regions of Ukraine are regularly shelled by Russia. Neither side's battlefield claims could be independently verified. The Ukrainian military has accused Russian troops of more looting and destroying infrastructure in Kherson. "A convoy of trucks passed over the dam of the Kakhova hydroelectric station loaded with home appliances and building materials," the military said. Russians were dismantling mobile phone towers and taking equipment, it said, adding that near the city of Beryslav, Russian forces "blew up a power line and took equipment from a solar power station." With reporting by Reuters, AP, and CNN U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken together by telephone for the third time since Trump took office in January. The scheduled phone conversation on May 2 was the first between the two leaders since the United States carried out a missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for what Western countries charged was a chemical-weapons attack against civilians by Syrian government forces. A White House statement described the conversation as "a very good one" -- including discussions on the war in Syria, "working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East," and "how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea." The White House also announced that Washington will send a representative to Syria peace talks scheduled in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 3 and 4. A Kremlin statement said the emphasis of their phone conversation was on coordinating Russian and U.S. actions in the fight against terrorism. It said the two agreed to increase dialogue between U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an attempt to bring a resolution to the war in Syria. Moscow also said Trump and Putin both expressed support for the idea of organizing their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the July 7-8 summit of the Group of 20 (G20) in Hamburg, Germany. On North Korea, the Kremlin said Putin called upon Trump to show restraint and make an effort to reduce tensions that have been raised in the aftermath of North Korea's nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile tests. Several hours before their phone conversation, Putin met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Russian Black Sea port of Sochi for talks focusing on the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as on strained bilateral relations. Both leaders said after their May 2 meeting that it is essential for all parties to fulfill their commitments under the Minsk process to regulate the conflict in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists. "Today we once again reiterated the necessity of the strict observation of the Minsk agreements by the parties to the conflict [in eastern Ukraine]," Putin told journalists. Merkel said Moscow and Berlin "are of differing opinions about the cause of the conflict." She said it was essential for Kyiv to regain complete control of its border, including the portion between the separatist-controlled areas and Russia. Putin and Merkel also discussed the six-year-old civil war in Syria. Putin repeated Russia's calls for an "impartial investigation" into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's Idlib Province last month that left about 80 people dead. Putin also said Russia was counting on the United States to help find "efficient solutions" to the conflict in Syria. Merkel said she spoke to Putin about domestic developments in Russia, including the arrests of demonstrators at recent anticorruption rallies and media reports about the persecution of homosexual men in the Russian North Caucasus region of Chechnya. "The possibility of the right to demonstrate is a part of civil society," Merkel said. She also urged Putin to "use his influence" to put an end to the abuse of homosexuals in Chechnya. Russia's Novaya Gazeta reported in April that at least 100 gay men had been abducted by security forces in Chechnya and at least three had been killed. Putin defended the actions of Russian police, saying they acted within the framework of the law and showed "far more restraint than their colleagues in other European countries." Putin also categorically rejected allegations that Moscow interfered in the U.S. presidential election in November or was playing any role in Germany's domestic politics. The Russia leader said it was "unthinkable" that Russia would interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries. He dismissed the reports of interference in the U.S. election as "rumors." Putin added that Moscow would not tolerate outside interference in its own domestic affairs. In January, the U.S. intelligence community issued an assessment charging that Putin "ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election." Security agencies in Germany, France, and other countries have also alleged Russian efforts to influence their electoral processes. For her part, Merkel said she was confident Germany could handle any disinformation campaigns and would take "decisive measures" in the event of interference. She also noted that "hybrid warfare plays a role in Russia's military doctrine." The two leaders also discussed preparations for the G20) summit in Hamburg on July 7-8. The G20 is now the chief format for Russia to meet the other world powers after its exclusion from the Group of Eight (G8), which is now the G7. In addition to his talks with Merkel, Putin is scheduled to talk by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump later on May 2. Merkel's one-day trip was her second visit to Russia since Moscow seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014. Russia and Germany have scaled back ties and Merkel has strongly backed EU sanctions on Moscow for seizing Crimea and for its involvement in the war that has killed more than 9,900 people in eastern Ukraine since 2014. A key mediator in the conflict, which pits Russia-backed separatists against Ukrainian government forces, Merkel is a major proponent of keeping the sanctions on Moscow in place until a stalled peace plan is fulfilled. Merkel has attended several meetings with Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and France's Francois Hollande aimed at implementing the Minsk II agreement, which she and Hollande brokered in February 2015. The most recent such meeting was held in October and the four leaders spoke by phone in April, agreeing to step up implementation of the peace deal. With reporting by dpa, AP, TASS, and Reuters Turkey and Azerbaijan have launched joint military exercises lasting from May 1 to May 5 with about 1,000 troops participating, Baku's Defense Ministry says. The exercises involve testing military equipment and practicing coordination between the two armies, the ministry said. Azerbaijan's breakaway province of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has a majority Armenian population, sharply criticized the exercises. "If there are provocations, we will react," David Babajan, spokesman for the region's ethnic Armenian leadership, told dpa. Armenian separatists declared their independence from Azerbaijan in the 1990s and formed the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which includes some of Azerbaijan's seized borderlands. Despite a cease-fire dating from 1994, there are regularly clashes on the heavily fortified frontier, with some 120 people dying in a deadly clash a year ago. Relations between Turkey and Armenia have been strained for decades over the mass killing and deportation of some 1.5 million Armenians during World War I by the Ottoman Empire. The atrocities suffered by the Armenians have been classed as genocide by more than a dozen states, but Turkey denies that the mass killings amounted to genocide. Based on reporting by dpa and Interfax Scientists have recently found and re-described a monitor lizard species from the island of New Ireland in northern Papua New Guinea. It is the only large-growing animal endemic to the island that has survived until modern times. The lizard, Varanus douarrha, was already discovered in the early 19th century, but the type specimen never reached the museum where it was destined as it appears to have been lost in a shipwreck. The discovery is particularly interesting as most of the endemic species to New Ireland disappeared thousands of years ago as humans colonized the island. The monitor was discovered during fieldwork by Valter Weijola from the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku, Finland, who spent several months surveying the monitor lizards of the Bismarck Islands. It can grow to over 1.3 metres in length and, according to current information, it is the only surviving large species endemic to the island. Based on bone discoveries, scientists now know that at least a large rat species and several flightless birds have lived in the area. "In that way it can be considered a relic of the historically richer fauna that inhabited the Pacific islands. These medium-sized Pacific monitors are clearly much better at co-existing with humans than many of the birds and mammals have been," says Weijola. French Naturalist Discovered the Species in 1823 -- Lost in Shipwreck Scientists have known for a long time that there are monitor lizards on the island but it has been unclear which species they belong to. French naturalist Rene Lesson discovered the monitor lizard when visiting the island with the La Coquille exploration ship in 1823, and later named the species Varanus douarrha which, according to Lesson, means monitor lizard in the local Siar-Lak language. However, it seems likely that Lesson's specimen was destroyed on the way to France as the ship that was carrying it shipwrecked at the Cape of Good Hope in 1824. Therefore, biologist never had a chance to study the so called holotype -- or name-bearing specimen. "Since then, it has been believed that the monitor lizards on New Ireland belong to the common mangrove monitor (Varanus indicus) that occurs widely in northern Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands. However, new morphological and genetic studies confirmed that the monitor lizards of New Ireland have lived in isolation for a long time and developed into a separate species," says Weijola. The discovery was published in the Australian Journal of Zoology and where Varanus douarrha was re-described in detail, and given a new name bearing specimen. Another monitor lizard, Varanus semotus, was described from Mussau Island last year by the same team of scientists. "Together, these two species have doubled the number of monitor lizard species known to occur in the Bismarck Archipelago and proved that there are more endemic vertebrates on these islands than previously believed," says Weijola. Monitor lizards are important predators and altogether approximately 90 different species are known to live in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands. Most monitor lizards occur in Australia and on the Pacific islands where there are few mammalian predators. Despite their large size, many of the species are poorly known and new ones are regularly discovered. Most of them stay out of sight and inhabit remote areas which are difficult to access. The area of wildfires in Borneo during drought years turns out to be ten times larger than during non-drought years, an international research team reports in Nature Climate Change of this week. The fires recurrently affecting Borneo's humid tropical ecosystems have negative influence on the biodiversity and lead to large CO 2 emissions, affecting atmospheric composition and regional climate processes. Future droughts in wet tropical regions will likely increase in frequency and severity, and consequently the fire risk, the team says. The researchers from Wageningen University & Research, Bogor Agricultural University in Indonesia, University of East Anglia and the Center for International Forestry Research analysed the spatially distributed pattern of hydrological drought, that is the drought in groundwater recharge, in Borneo using a simple transient water balance model driven by monthly climate data from the period 1901-2015. Their findings provide evidence that there has been a drying trend in terms of affected area, since the start of the last century. Droughts and wildfires The team also explored the link between hydrological drought and wildfire using the monthly fire area burnt from the spatially distributed Global Fire Emission Dataset from the period 1996-2015. They classified years in this period into drought and non-drought years. The analysis illustrates that wildfires occur annually, that is, also in non-drought years, but that amplification of wildfires occurs during drought years. In drought years, the maximum area burnt is almost a factor of ten larger than in non-drought years. Frequency of very large fire extents (>10,000 ha) is significantly higher in drought years. So far, prediction of wildfires is mainly based on solely climate information (e.g. precipitation, El Nino/Southern Oscillation, ENSO strength). There were indications that by integrating hydrological variables, fire occurrence would be better identified. The researchers used over 300 statistical relationships to test if models integrating hydrology (hydroclimate-oriented models, including, e.g. recharge, H-CLIM) would perform better than models using climate only (climate-oriented models, CLIM). Different goodness-of-fit criteria show that HCLIM models perform better and that the variance of the residuals of the H-CLIM models is significantly lower than from CLIM models. Biodiversity hotspots Impacts in Borneo are exemplary for other biodiversity hotspots in the humid tropics, for example, the Amazon. The large-scale wildfires frequently coincide with prolonged ENSO-driven droughts (El Nino/Southern Oscillation). Future droughts in wet tropical regions will likely increase in frequency and severity, and consequently the fire risk. Therefore, a better understanding of processes underlying the fire area burnt of tropical humid ecosystems during droughts is urgently required, the researchers argue. An ensemble of the 13 best performing models was used, both for CLIM and H-CLIM to predict the spatially-distributed mean and maximum area burnt for the period 1950-2015 to explore to what extent hydrology adds. El Nino strength (4 classes) was determined to find out if the influence of hydrology depends on the strength. The analysis shows that if CLIM models are used the area burnt is underestimated by at least 15%. More importantly, the underestimation is larger for strong and very strong El Nino years. For these years the predicted maximum annual area burnt is more than 150% larger when hydrology is integrated (H-CLIM models). The Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group of Wageningen University & Research together with the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology of Bogor Agricultural University IPB, Indonesia, was investigating the link between drought and wildfires, as part of a joint Indonesian-Dutch project funded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The Wageningen PhD candidate Muh Taufik, who also receives financial support from the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education DIKTI, is studying the link between drought and fires under supervision of Dr. Henny van Lanen. The research was also supported by the Climatic Research Unit, CRU, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, and the Center for International Forestry Research, CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia. This study highlights the importance of considering hydrological drought for wildfire prediction, and the researchers recommend that hydrology should be considered in future studies of the impact of projected ENSO strength, including effects on tropical ecosystems, and biodiversity conservation. The mountain pine beetle has destroyed more than 40 million acres of forest in the western United States. That amounts to an area the size of Washington state that is strewn with conifers left for dead. The beetles introduce a fungus that prevents critical nutrients and water from traveling within a tree. Beetles also lay their eggs under the bark and the feeding larvae help kill the trees, sometimes within several weeks of the initial attack. These standing dead trees can fall at any moment or add fuel to a wildfire, and scientists and land managers are left scrambling to deal with millions of the precarious dead giants. Harvesting the wood for lumber is out of the question, because the infestation stains the wood and causes the tree to crack on the inside. A University of Washington team has made new headway on a solution to remove beetle-killed trees from the forest and use them to make renewable transportation fuels or high-value chemicals. The researchers have refined this technique to process larger pieces of wood than ever before saving time and money in future commercial applications. They published their methods last month in the journal Fuel. "We came up with a different way of converting wood into oil -- that's really the main accomplishment of this project," said senior author Fernando Resende, a UW assistant professor of bioresource science and engineering in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. "Not only do we want to reduce the costs, but we are hoping to increase the value of what we produce so we have a better chance of making it commercial." The process of heating wood and other natural materials at extreme temperatures to create oil -- called "fast pyrolysis" is being widely explored in research labs across the country. Each system varies, but the general process involves heating small pieces of organic material in an oxygen-free chamber at about 500 degrees Celsius, until the solid material becomes a vapor. As the vapor rises and moves into other chambers, it cools and becomes a dark brown liquid fuel. Scientists call this "bio oil," and it is already used in some European countries for heating hospitals. Researchers, including the UW team, currently are testing whether this bio oil can be upgraded by adding substances called catalysts. This upgrade intends to convert the bio oil into transportation fuels that resemble gasoline and diesel. The beetle-killed trees are a good fit for making bio oil, Resende said, in part because the entirety of a tree becomes extremely dry when it is killed by an infestation. That makes for a simpler fast-pyrolysis process, because it isn't necessary to first dry the wood before heating it to extreme temperatures. "If you can extract the wood and process it using fast pyrolysis, not only will you free up space and safety hazards in the forest, but you also have the organic liquid that could potentially be used for products," Resende said. The system developed by the UW can efficiently break down woodchip-sized pieces, though the team has successfully turned an entire log into bio oil. Other fast pyrolysis systems must use small wood pellets 1 to 2 millimeters in length, which often adds an extra step of grinding larger pieces down to the appropriate size before converting them to bio oil. In the UW method, woodchips are placed on a rotating surface and a hot stainless steel plate moves down from above, crushing the wood. The woodchips become hot from direct contact with the metallic surface, and the chemical transformation from solid to vapor begins. The researchers say this method could be used in mobile pyrolysis units so dead trees can be processed on site, saving on transportation costs associated with moving large pieces of wood out of the forest. The mobile units cylinder-shaped reactors that sit on a small flatbed truck are already being used for standard wood-to-oil processing, and the improvements by the UW team could make the process more efficient and cost effective, they say. Combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with radio observations and computer simulations, an international team of scientists has discovered a vast wave of hot gas in the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster. Spanning some 200,000 light-years, the wave is about twice the size of our own Milky Way galaxy. The researchers say the wave formed billions of years ago, after a small galaxy cluster grazed Perseus and caused its vast supply of gas to slosh around an enormous volume of space. "Perseus is one of the most massive nearby clusters and the brightest one in X-rays, so Chandra data provide us with unparalleled detail," said lead scientist Stephen Walker at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The wave we've identified is associated with the flyby of a smaller cluster, which shows that the merger activity that produced these giant structures is still ongoing." A paper describing the findings appears in the June 2017 issue of the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available online. Galaxy clusters are the largest structures bound by gravity in the universe today. Some 11 million light-years across and located about 240 million light-years away, the Perseus galaxy cluster is named for its host constellation. Like all galaxy clusters, most of its observable matter takes the form of a pervasive gas averaging tens of millions of degrees, so hot it only glows in X-rays. Chandra observations have revealed a variety of structures in this gas, from vast bubbles blown by the supermassive black hole in the cluster's central galaxy, NGC 1275, to an enigmatic concave feature known as the "bay." The bay's concave shape couldn't have formed through bubbles launched by the black hole. Radio observations using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in central New Mexico show that the bay structure produces no emission, the opposite of what scientists would expect for features associated with black hole activity. In addition, standard models of sloshing gas typically produced structures that arc in the wrong direction. advertisement Walker and his colleagues turned to existing Chandra observations of the Perseus cluster to further investigate the bay. They combined a total of 10.4 days of high-resolution data with 5.8 days of wide-field observations at energies between 700 and 7,000 electron volts. For comparison, visible light has energies between about two and three electron volts. The scientists then filtered the Chandra data to highlight the edges of structures and reveal subtle details. Next, they compared the edge-enhanced Perseus image to computer simulations of merging galaxy clusters developed by John ZuHone, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The simulations were run on the Pleiades supercomputer operated by the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. Although he was not involved in this study, ZuHone collected his simulations into an online catalog to aid astronomers studying galaxy clusters. "Galaxy cluster mergers represent the latest stage of structure formation in the cosmos," ZuHone said. "Hydrodynamic simulations of merging clusters allow us to produce features in the hot gas and tune physical parameters, such as the magnetic field. Then we can attempt to match the detailed characteristics of the structures we observe in X-rays." One simulation seemed to explain the formation of the bay. In it, gas in a large cluster similar to Perseus has settled into two components, a "cold" central region with temperatures around 54 million degrees Fahrenheit (30 million Celsius) and a surrounding zone where the gas is three times hotter. Then a small galaxy cluster containing about a thousand times the mass of the Milky Way skirts the larger cluster, missing its center by around 650,000 light-years. The flyby creates a gravitational disturbance that churns up the gas like cream stirred into coffee, creating an expanding spiral of cold gas. After about 2.5 billion years, when the gas has risen nearly 500,000 light-years from the center, vast waves form and roll at its periphery for hundreds of millions of years before dissipating. These waves are giant versions of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which show up wherever there's a velocity difference across the interface of two fluids, such as wind blowing over water. They can be found in the ocean, in cloud formations on Earth and other planets, in plasma near Earth, and even on the sun. "We think the bay feature we see in Perseus is part of a Kelvin-Helmholtz wave, perhaps the largest one yet identified, that formed in much the same way as the simulation shows," Walker said. "We have also identified similar features in two other galaxy clusters, Centaurus and Abell 1795." The researchers also found that the size of the waves corresponds to the strength of the cluster's magnetic field. If it's too weak, the waves reach much larger sizes than those observed. If too strong, they don't form at all. This study allowed astronomers to probe the average magnetic field throughout the entire volume of these clusters, a measurement that is impossible to make by any other means. Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has provided the first evidence that viruses and hosts share highly similar regulatory sequences in their promoters -- the initiation sequences of human genes that code for functional proteins. "To date viral-host networks include protein and mRNA interactions between viruses and their hosts at later stages of gene expression, but our discovery of genetically coupled promoters is novel. They present an additional layer of regulatory synchrony between virus and host, established and poised before either expresses their protein products," explained Roy Dar, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Illinois. Latent or dormant HIV infected cell reservoirs have been identified as the major barrier towards a cure due to their ability to spontaneously reactivate after removal of antiretroviral therapy. Leading strategies for eradication of HIV attempt to reactivate the whole latent reservoir and clear it with current drug cocktails, a process referred to as 'shock and kill' therapy. "Promoters of genes coded within our DNA and the HIV-1 viral promoter which initiates active replication of the virus are strongly coupled in their regulation leading to co-expression -- potentially for a viral fitness advantage. In this study, we investigated a specific T-cell migratory pathway that HIV has coupled to, gaining therapeutic insights currently unknown to the HIV cure research community," Dar added. Within the systems and synthetic biology fields, the group's findings reveal an additional layer of regulation with which viruses co-evolve with coding-genes and interlace pathways in their hosts. "The study also presents a mechanism for synchronizing initiation of gene expression in synthetic gene circuitry," stated Kathrin Bohn-Wippert, a postdoctoral researcher and first author of the paper, "Genetic coupling of viral-host gene expression presents migratory challenges in HIV therapies" (10.1038/NCOMMS15006), appearing in Nature Communications. "Specifically, in this framework of viral-host genetic coupling we found that the HIV and human CXCR4 promoters are co-regulated and co-expressed. CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor involved in one of the major migratory pathways throughout our body." "We have demonstrated, for the first time, that the virus co-expresses with the receptor in order to control infected cell migration and its importance in HIV 'shock and kill' eradication strategies (therapies towards a cure). We also demonstrated how drug treatments can differentially control infected cell migration and/or reactivation of the virus from its latent and inactive state," she said. According to the researchers, additional network mapping of the coevolution of virus and host-cell gene regulatory coupling will guide future therapeutic strategies, expand systems biology efforts on viral-host networks, and provide novel design principles to reverse bioengineer viral circuitry for synthetic biology and gene therapies. "For the HIV Cure Community we hope this study will raise awareness to the added challenges facing leading strategies towards a cure," remarked Dar, who is also affiliated with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and the Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology at Illinois. "We hope this study will provide new insights to exploit viral-host relationships and viral control of cell migration for advanced therapeutic strategies." Co-authors include Melina Megaridis and Erin Tevonian, both bioengineering undergraduate researchers, in the Illinois Cancer Scholars Program, and in the Dar "Noise Biology" Lab. Receiving 'likes' on social media posts doesn't make people feel better about themselves or improve their mood if they are down. These are the findings of a preliminary study presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Brighton on May 3, 2017, by Dr Martin Graff from University of South Wales. A total of 340 participants recruited via Twitter and Facebook completed personality questionnaires. They were also asked to say how much they agreed or disagreed with 25 statements relating to the ways people appreciate being valued on social media. For example 'the attention I get from social media makes me feel good' or 'I consider someone popular based on the amount of likes they get'. Analysis revealed that participants who said they went out of their way to get more likes (such as asking others or paying) were more likely to have low self-esteem and be less trusting. The same was true of those who admitted deleting posts or making a picture their profile picture on account of the number of likes it received. The results also showed that receiving likes didn't actually make people feel any better about themselves or make them feel better when they were down. Dr Graff said: "The proliferation of social media use has led to general concerns about the effects on our mental health. Although this is just a relatively small scale study the results indicate that the ways we interact with social media can affect how we feel and not always positively." The Gulf of Mexico is hugely important to birds that migrate between North America and the Neotropics -- almost all migrants have to go around it or across it. Coastal habitats around the Gulf of Mexico are critical for these migrating birds, but these habitats face more and more threats from human activity. A new Review in The Condor: Ornithological Applications brings together what we know -- and don't know -- about the state of the region's ecosystems and the birds that pass through them. Understanding the population impacts of events during migration requires knowing which species are using what coastal habitats, how good those habitats are, where the birds are coming from, and where they're going. Birds use a variety of coastal habitats, from vast tracts of hardwood forests to patches of vegetation embedded in agricultural or urban areas. The amount of food present in these areas, the intensity of competition for that food, and the danger from predators all shape how well a certain spot can meet a migrating bird's needs. Threats to birds passing through the Gulf of Mexico include coastal habitat loss from forest clearing, wetland filling and dredging, and shoreline hardening; tall structures like cell phone towers and wind turbines; and, of course, climate change. More data is needed in all of these subjects. Today the Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network is taking on the enormous task of coordinating monitoring across the region by integrating the efforts of multiple organizations and agencies. Doing this well will require close cooperation between the United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries. "Many migratory bird species are declining, including the species that breed in our backyards every summer, and we're trying to understand if events that occur during migration might impact birds here on the breeding grounds. Our focus is the Gulf of Mexico region because it's a bottleneck for migratory land birds -- a place they have to move through every spring and fall," says the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Emily Cohen, the lead author of the Review. "Birds use these coastal habitats twice a year to eat and rest before and after their spectacular non-stop flight across the Gulf, which can take up to twenty hours! What's going on during these migratory journeys is the final frontier for bird biology, and many new tools are making it possible to solve the mysteries of migration that previously limited our ability to develop conservation priorities." "This Review highlights the tremendous importance of the Gulf of Mexico to migratory birds, not only from an ecological and conservation perspective, but also as an opportunity to understand mechanisms that drive the evolution of migration across dozens of families," according to Erik Johnson of Audubon Louisiana, an expert on bird conservation in the region. "As this paper makes clear, preserving this landscape is a tremendous responsibility shared across multiple countries, and our collective success has implications for how our descendants across North America will experience the amazing phenomenon of bird migration." Wednesday, May 3, 2017 The Indiana Supreme Court affirmed the murder conviction and sentence of the main perpetrator of an insurance fraud bombing that killed two neighbors. Richmond Hill is a quiet subdivision on the southeast side of Indianapolis. Shortly after 11:00 p.m. on November 10, 2012, this tranquil enclave was rocked by a massive explosion that could be heard for more than ten miles away. One Richmond Hill resident awakened by the explosion is a combat veteran who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The sound caused him to have flashbacks and to question where he was. Other Richmond Hill residents made their way outside to find homes in a shredded state, a state of complete chaos; and variously described what they saw: smoke, insulation falling like snow, debris absolutely everywhere, total destruction, a war zone, rubble up to my knees, people running and screaming, people disoriented and dazed, devastation, raining ash and cinder, a blast zone. See generally Tr. at 803-1710. Firefighters at a station nearby heard and felt the explosion, and even before emergency calls came in, they set out in the direction of a large plume of . . . debris and smoke[.] Tr. at 723. Approaching the neighborhood these first responders observed several houses on fire. Nearly thirty homes were damaged severely enough that they had to be demolished. Others suffered extensive but repairable damage. Parallel investigations into the explosion were conducted by the Indianapolis Fire Department; the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department; the Department of Homeland Security; the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Citizens Energy Group; and various other federal and state governmental agencies and insurance companies. Because of the neighborhoods proximity to a municipal airport, investigators initially questioned whether the explosion could have been caused by an airplane crash. They also considered the possibility that a methamphetamine lab exploded or that this was a weather related incident. These theories were quickly ruled out, and investigators focused on the possibility of a natural gas explosion. The home at the epicenter of these events was owned by Monserrate Shirley, a nine-year resident of Richmond Hill. Her boyfriend Mark Leonard also lived at the residence along with Shirleys teenaged daughter and the family cat. No one was home at the time of the explosion. Ultimately authorities concluded natural gas was intentionally leaked into the Shirley home through a modification of the fireplace and that a delayed timing device was triggered which caused an explosion equal in force to approximately three tons of TNT. IndyStar reported on the horrific crimes. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/05/the-indiana-court-affirmed-indystar-reported-on-the-horrific-crimes.html The research article on consumption of microplastics by larval fish that was reported for misconduct in research will be retracted from the journal Science. The researchers behind the study themselves requested to retract the article at the end of last week, following sharp criticism of the study in an opinion from the Central Ethical Review Board. In their letter to the journal, the researchers explain their request to retract the article by stating that science has to rest on solid ground and that the results of their study, even if correct, will not be trusted as long as a suspicion of misconduct remains. For this reason, the researchers request to retract the published research article. The article concerned was published in the journal Science at the beginning of June 2016. In conjunction with the publication, Uppsala University issued a press release about the study and the research attracted widespread media coverage both in Sweden and internationally. In the article, the researchers described their discovery that fish at early stages of development change their behaviour and exhibit poorer growth if they have access to microplastic particles. They wrote that larval perch preferred microplastics to natural food sources such as zooplankton, leading to greatly increased mortality rates. The study was reported for misconduct by a group of researchers. Immediately after the allegation, the University initiated a preliminary investigation, in which an external group was commissioned to state its opinion on the matter in light of the University's internal regulations. At the same time the complaint was forwarded to the expert group for misconduct in research at the Central Ethical Review Board for an opinion. The report from the external group of experts appointed by the University was completed in August 2016 and concluded that no misconduct could be established. The opinion of the Central Ethical Review Board was received on 28 April 2017. The opinion contains sharp criticism of the researchers. The Board also criticises Uppsala University for the preliminary investigation and the journal Science, which published the research. The University will take both reports into account in its coming decision on the complaint of misconduct in research. The conclusions reached by the two reports differ, but they also proceed from different regulatory frameworks and cover different quantities of material, and the University will have to take this into account in its decision. One point on which the reports agree is that the data was inadequately backed up. "We take what has happened very seriously. It may damage confidence in the University and in research. It is also very difficult for all those involved. We intend to thoroughly review all aspects of the case, but we cannot say at present exactly how we will go about this," says Johan Tysk, Vice-Rector of the Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology at Uppsala University. Neonicotinoid pesticides hinder wild queen bumblebee's reproductive success, according to a new University of Guelph study. The study is the first to link exposure to thiamethoxam -- one of the most commonly used neonicotinoid pesticides -- to fewer fully developed eggs in queens from four wild bumblebee species that forage in farmland. "Queen bees will only lay eggs when the eggs are fully developed," said Prof. Nigel Raine, holder of the Rebanks Family Chair in Pollinator Conservation. If queens need to use energy to clear pesticides from their system instead of investing in eggs, then fewer fully developed eggs will result, he said. "This will likely translate into slower egg-laying rates, which will then impede colony development and growth." Published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study was conducted by Raine, along with Mark Brown and Gemma Baron from Royal Holloway University of London. advertisement Neonicotinoids are one of a number of factors contributing to the decline of bees and are currently being phased out or restricted in several countries including Canada. The researchers examined the impacts of exposing queen bumblebees to thiamethoxam during the spring when they emerge from hibernation and are preparing to lay their first eggs and establish a colony. "Given the vital role spring queens have in maintaining bumblebee populations, we decided to focus on assessing the impacts at this stage in the life cycle," said Raine, a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences. "These spring queens represent the next generation of bumblebee colonies." Worker bees from those first eggs are needed to clean and guard the nest, find food and tend to the next batch of eggs. Without those workers, the colony will likely fail, said Raine. In this study, about 500 queen bees from four species were caught in early spring and for two weeks were fed syrup treated with pesticide doses similar to levels found in pollen and nectar in the wild. They were then observed for another two weeks before they were frozen, dissected and examined. advertisement The researchers found that across all four species the queen bees that were given higher doses of thiamethoxam had smaller, less-developed eggs than the queens not exposed to the pesticide. Raine suspects the metabolic costs associated with the detoxification required from pesticide exposure results in a reduced amount of nutrients available for other biological processes such as egg development. The researchers also found queen bees from two of the four species ate less nectar after being exposed to thiamethoxam. "If their feeding rates drop off, the queens go into a dormant state," said Raine. "They won't have enough energy to fly or to collect pollen to feed their larvae. They may not even have enough resources to lay eggs." The fact that queen feeding behavior was impacted by exposure to thiamethoxam in only two of the four bee species highlights the reality that sensitivity to pesticides differs among bee species, added Raine. "Most of the work to determine levels of toxic exposure to pesticide has used honeybees as a model pollinator. But our findings show that bee species vary in their level of sensitivity to pesticides, which is important information that should be factored into regulatory decisions on these chemicals." Research by wildlife biologists from Clemson University and the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center near Georgetown is shattering conventional scientific understanding about American alligator growth and reproduction. For years, it was believed that American alligators continued growing in length until they died, what is called "indeterminate growth." But a 35-year study of a protected alligator population at the Yawkey Center on the South Carolina coast has found that male and female alligators exhibit "determinate growth." In other words, they stop growing at some point after they reach sexual maturity. Additionally, females are reproductive far longer than previously thought, 46 years past the onset of sexual maturity in one case, the study found. The study was performed by retired Yawkey Center manager and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Phil Wilkinson, Clemson University Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science wildlife biologist Thomas Rainwater and three colleagues with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The team published its findings in Copeia, the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Wilkinson, whom Rainwater calls, "one of the grandfathers of South Carolina alligator research," began examining the Yawkey alligators with names like Truck Biter, Big Bertha, Cudjo, Grover and Bette Davis Eyes in 1979 as part of a population and nesting ecology study, making the Yawkey alligator study the longest known continuous alligator study in the world. "We began by simply trying to determine the best way to count alligators along the South Carolina coast and monitor the population in a scientifically valid way," Wilkinson said. "We went about looking at nesting as an index of the population. If you know the sex ratio, the adult ratio and that the females lay a clutch of eggs about every third year, you can begin to use those nests as an indicator of what the real population is." In subsequent years, Wilkinson observed many of the Yawkey gators that were already marked from previous research captures. advertisement "We would ride around the property during spring basking time when there are a lot of alligators out and see that a lot of them were marked already. So we knew there was a good chance we could recapture a lot of them and see how much they had grown," Wilkinson said. From 1981 to 2015, Wilkinson, Rainwater and their colleagues captured hundreds of alligators at Yawkey, approximately 50 of which were adults recaptured from five to 33 years after their previous or initial captures. The captured alligators included 19 males and 31 females. The data revealed that 19 of the 31 female alligators showed no appreciable growth and seven of 19 males showed no appreciable growth. "The dogma for years has been that crocodilians and reptiles in general grow in length until they die," Rainwater said. "Our study shows that, at least at Yawkey, adult alligators stop growing before they die. We have animals that Phil first caught and tagged back in 1981 that we recaptured in 2016 and they are still exactly the same length they were 35 years ago." The captured alligators ranged in size from 7 feet to 9 feet 7 inches for females and 10 feet 8 inches to 12 feet 6 inches for males. Rainwater and Wilkinson estimate, on average, the male alligators stopped growing sometime between 25 and 30 years of age. But how do scientists explain giants like the huge gator nicknamed Hunchback that was spotted in Florida in January? advertisement "Like people, males can top out and not be very tall or there can be a Wilt Chamberlain in the crowd," Wilkinson said. Wilkinson and Rainwater also found that female alligators can continue producing viable clutches of eggs for far longer than was previously believed. Some female Yawkey alligators pushing 70 years old are still nesting and have large clutches of fertile eggs. One female alligator in the study is still reproducing at least 46 years after reaching sexual maturity. This flies in the face of conventional science showing that middle-aged females in the prime of their lives have the highest fertility rate. "We're seeing old animals putting out the same number of viable eggs as they did 35 years ago," Wilkinson said. "I like to think of them as being like a big old oak tree -- they drop acorns every so often when the weather's right, and then one day they don't, and that's the end of it." Wilkinson and Rainwater say the uniqueness of the Yawkey Center has perpetuated the length of the study and made the alligator discoveries possible. The Yawkey Center consists of North, South and Cat islands and encompasses 24,000 acres. The center was willed to the state in 1976 by the late Thomas A. Yawkey and is owned and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources through funding by the Yawkey Foundations. The alligator study was conducted on the South Island and Cat Island portions of the center. "Yawkey alligators have been unhunted for almost 100 years. No other place that I know of has a dataset this robust and this long term. You can't really know how long wild alligators live and grow unless you have an animal that was caught 20 or 30 years ago and you catch it and measure it again," Rainwater said. "We've been able to work with the same animals and they're protected," Wilkinson added. "The fact that they're on a sanctuary means that the world has to leave them alone. It's like we have a laboratory setup, but it's in the wild." Clemson and Department of Natural Resources researchers have been collaborating on wildlife research at Yawkey since 1994, including research and education efforts that focused on sea turtle conservation and coyote ecology and led to the development of a system that reduced coyote destruction of loggerhead sea turtle nests and predation of eggs on the refuge from 60 percent to less than 6 percent. Rainwater is part of a team of Clemson researchers that is trying to understand more about South Carolina alligator ecology. Clemson University doctoral candidate Abby Lawson is in the fourth and final year of an alligator tracking study that uses GPS satellite transmitters to monitor alligator movements in an effort to create a more accurate way to assess their numbers. Lawson's work shows water level manipulations in South Carolina's freshwater impoundments appear to influence alligator movements. The impoundments are managed to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl. Rainwater says the Clemson alligator research could have broad implications for how alligator populations at the northern limits of their geographical distribution -- which includes South Carolina -- are managed. "Abby can use the data we've collected on growth and longevity to help determine survivability of animals in the wild and how long animals remain in the population. Once the work is complete, we can then share those data with the Department of Natural Resources and other management agencies," Rainwater said. "The Yawkey study provides a unique opportunity to estimate baseline survival and growth rates in a protected population. We can compare our findings to hunted areas to better evaluate how harvest may impact alligator populations through changes in survival, reproduction and length differences," Lawson added. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources manages alligators as a valuable renewable resource. The department currently issues 1,000 alligator harvest permits among four alligator management units per year under the Public Alligator Harvest Program for use during a season that runs from the second Saturday in September to the second Saturday in October. There are still many mysteries to unlock about alligators, according to Wilkinson. For example, how do they signal to each other when they find an abundant food source? "Sometimes there can be a drawdown in an impoundment, which congregates fish in great numbers. When there is that type of food abundance, you can see 100 gators there eating. Where did they all come from? How do they know where to go? One time we were flying in a helicopter over a marsh when that was going on, and they were coming to that impoundment from every direction. It's like they were communicating in some way," Wilkinson said. One day, our brains will not work the way they used to, we won't be as "sharp" as we once were, we won't be able to remember things as easily. This is what's been engrained in us. We're even led to believe that we can't learn new skills, or take in certain information such as language, past a certain age. But, a new theory holds that it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, as adults, if we continue to learn the way we did as children, UCR psychology professor Rachel Wu asserts, we can redefine what it means to be an "aging" adult. Wu has published "A Novel Theoretical Life Course Framework for Triggering Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan," in the journal Human Development. In the paper, she redefines healthy cognitive aging as a result of learning strategies and habits that are developed throughout our life. These habits can either encourage or discourage cognitive development. "We argue that across your lifespan, you go from 'broad learning' (learning many skills as an infant or child) to 'specialized learning,' (becoming an expert in a specific area) when you begin working, and that leads to cognitive decline initially in some unfamiliar situations, and eventually in both familiar and unfamiliar situations," Wu said.In the paper, Wu argues that if we reimagine cognitive aging as a developmental outcome, it opens the door for new tactics that could dramatically improve the cognitive health and quality of life for aging adults. In particular, if adults embrace the same "broad learning experiences" (characterized by six factors below) that promote children's growth and development, they may see an increase in their cognitive health, and not the natural decline that we all expect. Wu and her collaborators define "broad learning," as encompassing these six factors: 1. Open-minded, input-driven learning (learning new patterns, new skills, exploring outside of one's comfort zone). advertisement 2. Individualized scaffolding (consistent access to teachers and mentors who guide learning). 3. Growth mindset (belief that abilities are developed with effort). 4. Forgiving environment (allowed to make mistakes and even fail). 5. Serious commitment to learning (learn to master essential skills, persevere despite setbacks). 6. Learning multiple skills simultaneously. advertisement The researchers explain that intellectual engagement (via the six factors) declines from infancy to aging adulthood as we move from "broad learning" to "specialization." They argue that, during infancy and childhood, engaging in these six factors actually increases basic cognitive abilities (e.g., working memory, inhibition, attention), and they predict that the same is the case in adulthood. Wu and the researchers define "specialized learning," as encompassing these factors: 1. Closed-minded knowledge-driven learning (preferring familiar routines, staying within our comfort zones). 2. No scaffolding (no access to experts or teachers). 3. Unforgiving environment (high consequences for mistakes or failing, such as getting fired). 4. Fixed mindset (belief that abilities are inborn talent, as opposed to developed with effort). 5. Little commitment to learning (adults typically learn a hobby for a couple months, but then drop it due to time constraints and/or difficulty). 6. Learning one (if any) skill at a time. "When you look across the lifespan from infancy, it seems likely that the decline of broad learning has a causal role in cognitive aging. But, if adults were to engage in broad learning via the six factors that we provide (similar to those from early childhood experiences), aging adults could expand cognitive functioning beyond currently known limits," Wu said. Wu makes the case that we naturally tend to shift from "broad learning," to "specialized learning," when we begin our careers, and at that point, cognitive aging begins. As we settle into our work roles, we become more efficient in our day-to-day expectations and activities, and rarely stray from that. Though there are some benefits to it, such as having more efficient and accurate responses in appropriate situations, there are also downfalls, such as holding wrong assumptions or difficultly overriding these assumptions. "We still need to test our theory with specific scientific studies, but this theory is based on over five decades of research. What I want adults to take away from this study is that we CAN learn many new skills at any age," Wu said. "It just takes time and dedication. We seem to make it very difficult on ourselves and other adults to learn. Perhaps this is why some aspects of cognitive aging are self-imposed." Human lungs, like all organs, begin their existence as clumps of undifferentiated stem cells. But in a matter of months, the cells get organized. They gather together, branch and bud, some forming airways and others alveoli, the delicate sacs where our bodies exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. The end result, ideally: two healthy, breathing lungs. For years, scientists who study lung diseases like cystic fibrosis have tried to track this process in detail, from start to finish, in the hope that understanding how lungs form normally may help explain how things go wrong. Now, scientists at Boston University's Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) have announced two major findings that further our understanding of this process: the ability to grow and purify the earliest lung progenitors that emerge from human stem cells, and the ability to differentiate these cells into tiny "bronchospheres" that model cystic fibrosis. Researchers hope that the results, published separately in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and Cell Stem Cell, will lead to new, "personalized medicine" approaches to treating lung disease. "Sorting these cells to purity is really difficult and important," says Darrell Kotton, director of CReM and co-senior author of both papers, with Brian Davis of UTHealth at the University of Texas. "It's the first step in trying to predict how an individual might respond to existing treatments or new drugs." "There's a long list of lung diseases for which there are no treatments other than a lung transplant," added Kotton, whose work is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. "It's critically important to develop new tools for understanding these diseases." CReM scientists work with induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, which were discovered by Shinya Yamanaka in 2006. Yamanaka figured out how to take an adult cell in the human body -- like a blood cell or skin cell -- and "reprogram" it into a stem cell with the ability to grow into any organ. In recent years, several groups of scientists have grown lung cells from human iPSCs, but the recipes aren't perfect -- the resulting lung cells grow amidst a jumble of liver cells, intestinal cells, and other tissues. "That's a big issue," says Finn Hawkins, a BU School of Medicine (MED) assistant professor of medicine and part of the CReM team. Hawkins is co-first author on the Journal of Clinical Investigation paper, along with Philipp Kramer, formerly of UTHealth. "If you want to use these cells to study the lung, you need to get rid of those others." First, Hawkins needed a way to identify the lung cells. Previous work by Kotton and other CReM scientists demonstrated that mouse stem cells express a gene called Nkx2-1 at the "fate decision" -- the moment they turn into lung cells. "That's the first gene that comes on that says, 'I'm a lung cell,'" says Hawkins. Kotton built a reporter gene that glowed green when the stem cells first expressed Nkx2-1, and Hawkins engineered the same gene into human cells. Now, he could easily spot and purify the glowing green lung cells. advertisement Using a flow cytometer, Hawkins and his colleagues separated the green cells out from the mix, then grew them in a matrix. The result: tiny green spheres about half a millimeter across, "a population of pure, early lung cells," says Hawkins. The team calls the tiny spheres "organoids," simplified and miniaturized versions of an organ, containing key types of lung cells. The organoids are tools, and they serve at least two important purposes. First, they allow scientists to study, in detail, a critical juncture in human lung development about which very little is known. "We discovered that many of the genes that control lung development in other species, such as mice, are also expressed in these human cells," says Hawkins. The organoids serve another purpose, as well: scientists can grow them into more mature, specific cell types -- like airway cells or alveolar cells -- that are critical for lung function. "Now we can actually start looking at disease," says Hawkins. That's where Katherine McCauley (MED'17), a fifth-year PhD candidate at CReM, enters the picture. McCauley's interest is cystic fibrosis, a disease caused by mutations in a single gene, CFTR. The mutation causes a person's lungs to produce a thick, viscous mucus that leads to infection, inflammation, and, eventually, lung failure. For many patients, there is no cure. McCauley, looking at the earliest stages of the disease, wanted to take Hawkins' purified lung cells to the next step and figure out how they became airway cells. Through many painstaking experiments, she zeroed in on a signaling pathway called Wnt, known to be important in mouse lung development. By turning the pathway off, she guided the immature lung cells into becoming airway cells. Then, she grew them into tiny balls of cells, which she called "bronchospheres." Like Hawkins' organoids, the bronchospheres don't act like a bronchus; they are simply a collection of specific cells. But their specificity makes them exquisitely useful. "We wanted to see if we could use these to study airway diseases," says McCauley. "That's one of the big goals: to engineer these cells from patients and then use them to study those patients' diseases." As a proof of concept, McCauley obtained two cell lines from a patient with cystic fibrosis, one in which the CFTR mutation that caused the disease had been corrected, and one in which it hadn't, and grew them into bronchospheres. To see if her recipe worked, she ran a test, applying a drug that should cause spheres made of normal, functioning cells to fill with fluid. It worked: the "fixed" bronchospheres began to swell, while the cystic fibrosis spheres didn't react. "The cool part is that we measured this using high-throughput microscopy, and then we calculated the change in area with time," says McCauley, who published these results in Cell Stem Cell and is lead author on the study. "So now we can evaluate CFTR function in a quantitative way." The next step, says McCauley, is to improve the test, and scale it up, and create similar tests for other lung diseases. "The end goal is to take cells from a patient, and then screen different combinations of drugs," she says. "The idea that we could take a patient's cells and test not twenty, but hundreds or thousands of drugs, and actually understand how the patient was going to respond before we even give them the treatment, is just an incredible idea." Malaria is more common and severe in pregnant women, increasing their risk of miscarriage and other adverse outcomes. The adverse consequences of malaria in pregnancy require prompt, safe, and effective treatment. However, limited data on the safety of the most efficacious and widely used antimalarial medications, artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), has prevented ACTs from being recommended in the first trimester except in life-saving circumstances. The World Health Organization currently recommends the use of ACTs in pregnant women in the 2nd or 3rd trimester. An international collaboration led by first authors Stephanie Dellicour of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, and Esperanca Sevene of the Manhica Health Research Centre/Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique, and senior author Andy Stergachis of University of Washington School of Pharmacy and School of Public Health released the largest meta-analysis of all observational studies-to-date showing there was no difference in the risk of miscarriage, still births or major birth defects associated with the use of artemisinins anytime during the first trimester, compared with quinine. The study, "First- trimester artemisinin derivatives and quinine treatments and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Africa and Asia: A meta-analysis of observational studies," was published in PLoS Medicine and coordinated through the Malaria in Pregnancy Consortium, established in 2007 at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to improve the control and prevention of malaria in pregnancy. "This study is clearly significant and reflects many years of work in Thailand and Africa by a large group of scientists," said LSTM's Professor Feiko ter Kuile, head of the Malaria in Pregnancy consortium. "We have been able to show that artemisinins, which we know to improve outcomes in malaria, are as safe to use in the first trimester as quinine, which is currently recommended in the first trimester, but needs to be taken 3 times per day for 7 days. Quinine is associated with transient side effects such a ringing in the ears and dizziness, leading women not to complete their treatment course and risking inadequately treating their malaria. The artemisinin-based combinations are more efficacious, much better tolerated and can be taken over three days." The team analyzed data from five studies involving 30,618 pregnancies: four studies from Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, and one large study from the Thailand based Shoklo Malaria Research Unit. They examined the records of women who had taken artemisinins for malaria, including during the first trimester of pregnancy. In malaria endemic countries, many early pregnancies are advertently or inadvertently exposed to artemisinins because women are not aware they are pregnant or do not report an early pregnancy. The team summarized all available safety data on the effect of artemisinin exposure in the first trimester and compared the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and major congenital anomaly for pregnancies treated with artemisinin, quinine, or no antimalarials in the first trimester. Through their meta-analysis, they determined the risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and major anomalies associated with first-trimester artemisinin treatment versus quinine. The results were then combined with summary effect estimates from the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit on the Thailand-Myanmar border. They found no increase in the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or major birth defects associated with the use of artemisinins anytime during the first trimester compared with the use of quinine during the same gestational period. These findings suggest that the artemisinin class of antimalarials should be considered for treatment of malaria in the first trimester of pregnancy. The limited data on the risk of birth defects require further observational studies. Limited safety data on the use of artemisinins in human pregnancies have historically prevented health authorities from recommending these therapies for malaria treatment in the first trimester, except in life-saving circumstances. It is possible that this study may result in a major change to recommended guidelines for the administration of artemisinins in the first trimester of pregnancy. "Our results show that artemisinins can now be formally considered for first trimester treatment," said Andy Stergachis, Professor of Pharmacy and Global Health, University of Washington. While there is more work to be done in terms of monitoring birth defects, the available evidence suggests that the benefits of using this class of antimalarial are likely to outweigh any adverse outcomes and could help save the lives and maintain the pregnancies of women when they are most vulnerable to malaria." 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To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. Since early 2017 the U.S. and South Korea have increased their efforts to find out and measure the current status of the North Korea KN-06 SAM (surface-to-air missile) system. American and South Korean intel resources are being directed at North Korean air defenses in general but KN-06 is seen as the most potentially dangerous system. Most of the North Korean air defenses are Cold War era systems but there is some newer stuff and not much is known about that. In particular there is interest in the North Korea KN-06, a clone of the Chinese FT-2000 (which is a clone of the Russian S300). China may have quietly provided some data on KN-06 recently along with other intel on the capabilities of North Korean air defenses. First noted in 2009 KN-06 was initially believed to be a new ballistic missile using solid fuel. But KN-06 tests in 2009 and later indicated it was probably a homemade SAM. Initial South Korean intelligence analysis of KN-06 said it appeared to be a clone of the Russian S300. Developing such a system would be a stretch for North Korea, but there is a way they could have done it. North Korea and Iran have long been trading technology, and Iran has been buying weapons from North Korea since the 1980s. Iran has also been developing an anti-aircraft missile system with a missile about the same size as the KN-06. Iran, until 2015, had been prevented from buying the Russian S300 system. For a while Iran looked into buying the Chinese made HQ-9 system. Since 2010 China has been offering its HQ-9 anti-aircraft missile system to foreign customers as the FT-2000. The Russians are not happy with this, given the stolen S300 technology in the HQ-9. Russia has been pointed in warning China not to export weapons containing stolen Russian tech. But the Chinese have done it, apparently believing there's really nothing the Russians can do about it. Around 2001 China began introducing the HQ-9 for use by its army and navy (on ships). Over a decade of development was believed to have benefitted from data stolen from similar American and Russian systems. The HQ-9 missile is also similar to the U.S. "Patriot," while the radar apparently derived much technology from that used in the Russian S300 system. The HQ-9 missile has a max range of about 100 kilometers, weighs 1.3 tons and has a passive (no broadcasting) seeker in the missile. By 2010 the North Koreans appeared to be testing, as the KN-06, a copy of the HQ-9 missile. At that point North Korea did not have the phased array search radar and the complex guidance system for the KN-06. That may have been taken care of by now because there was a more convincing test of KN-06 in 2016, where it was displayed as a mobile system with a missile that had a max range of 150 kilometers. . Most of the HQ-9 systems used by the Chinese army are mobile. Army HQ-9 brigades have a brigade headquarters (with a command vehicle, and four trucks for communications and maintenance), six battalions (each with a missile control vehicle, a targeting radar vehicle, a search radar vehicle and eight missile-launch-vehicles, each carrying four missiles in containers). Just the sort of tech that you could import to North Korea via air cargo, or DVDs full of data. The KN-06 launcher vehicles do not use containers for the missiles and carry only three missiles. Neither the S300 nor HQ-9 have been tested in combat. Earlier Russian designed air defense systems performed poorly in combat. Even the Russian SA-6 missile systems, that Egypt used in 1973, which were initially a surprise to the Israelis, were soon countered, and did not stop the Israelis from getting through. While the best sales technique is to push the product's track record, you have to do just the opposite with Russian anti-aircraft missiles. Thus the Russians, and now the Chinese with their FT-2000, emphasize low price, impressive specifications, good test results and potential. China apparently also had special deals that were not publicized and that led to KN-06. The question now is just how effective is KN-06? Not much evidence one way or another. Iran is already complaining that S300 has been broken by the Israelis. Whatever the case, you have to keep looking because when it comes to dealing with air defense systems, knowledge is a matter of life or death. by Austin Bay May 2, 2017 Last month was a bad month for crooked state governors in Mexico, which means April 2017 was a potentially promising month for Mexican citizens disgusted with the culture of impunity. For outraged Mexicans, the word "impunity" signifies the deep injustice and corruption embedded within their nation's governing institutions. Mexico's politically-connected and wealthy can commit horrendous crimes and then avoid accountability. They steal -- and even kill -- with "impunity." Impunity has become a political problem for President Enrique Pena Nieto and his Institutional Revolutionary Party. As a presidential candidate in 2012, Pena promised to reform government and to penalize corruption. Then 2014 arrived with revelations that he and his wife had acquired luxury homes, with the help of wealthy media and business big shots. The Iguala Massacre crystallized public distrust. In September 2014, the mayor of Iguala (Guerrero state) and his wife ordered corrupt police to make certain 43 student protesters did not disrupt a political fiesta. The police and a local drug gang allegedly killed the students. The mayor and Guerrero's state governor were both PRI politicians. The governor was a political ally of President Pena. The mayor and his wife were finally arrested. The governor resigned his office. However, the government's shoddy investigation convinced many citizens the PRI had returned to its bad old ways. The case of former Coahuila state governor Humberto Moreira bears the marks of organized and incestuous impunity. At one time Moreira served as president of the PRI. In 2015 a U.S. court indicted him on money-laundering charges. In January 2016, Spanish authorities arrested him. After diplomatic intervention by the Mexican government -- Pena's government -- Moreira was released on bond. Humberto's brother, Ruben Moreira, is Coahuila's current governor. In mid-2016, the federal government passed new anti-corruption laws Pena contended would make it easier to prosecute corrupt practices like bribery, graft, and money-laundering. See, he was attacking corruption! The legislation established the National Anti-Corruption System and created accountability procedures. But would new laws be enforced when old laws prohibiting blatant organized criminal activity were ignored? Yes, in 2017 three former governors are in prison. However, critics note that Humberto Moeira remains free in Mexico, pending trial. Still, new investigations and arrests may signal Mexican leaders know change must occur. On April 9 law enforcement agents in Florence, Italy arrested a big PRI fish, former Tamaulipas state governor Tomas Yarrington. Yarrington had evaded arrest for almost five years on both American and Mexican criminal charges. His whereabouts weren't entirely unknown. Until late 2016 he still had a retinue of Tamaulipas-supplied bodyguards. Italy decided to extradite him to the U.S. but the attorneys general of both the U.S. and Mexico approved the deal. On April 15, Guatemalan police clapped handcuffs on an even more notorious crooked politician, Javier Duarte, a former PRI governor of Veracruz state. Duarte disappeared in October 2016. The Mexican government has charged him with bribery, theft and facilitating organized crime. For many Mexican's Duarte's case illustrates corruption in the highest levels of state and national government. Investigators suspect he protected major drug gangs from law enforcement. Human rights activists believe that during his term (2010-2016) he was involved in murder of several journalists and political critics. Two other former state governors currently face major criminal charges. Cesar Duarte (no relation to Javier), a former PRI governor of Chihuahua state, is charged with graft and is in hiding. In 2015, a U.S. court indicted former PRI Tamaulipas state governor Eugenio Hernandez Flores on money laundering charges. He does not face charges in Mexico. Mexican media report at least three other former governors are currently under criminal investigation. Two belong to the PRI, the other is a member of the National Action Party. Investigations, charges, and arrests are starting points. Eradicating the culture of impunity, however, requires stiff convictions for corrupt politicians followed by hard time in prison cells. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets household, personal care, and specialty products. It operates through three segments: Consumer Domestic, Consumer International, and Specialty Products Division. The company offers cat litters, carpet deodorizers, laundry detergents, and baking soda, as well as other baking soda based products under the ARM & HAMMER brand; condoms, lubricants, and vibrators under the TROJAN brand; stain removers, cleaning solutions, laundry detergents, and bleach alternatives under the OXICLEAN brand; battery-operated and manual toothbrushes under the SPINBRUSH brand; home pregnancy and ovulation test kits under the FIRST RESPONSE brand; depilatories under the NAIR brand; oral analgesics under the ORAJEL brand; laundry detergents under the XTRA brand; gummy dietary supplements under the L'IL CRITTERS and VITAFUSION brands; dry shampoos under the BATISTE brand; water flossers and replacement showerheads under the WATERPIK brand; FLAWLESS products; cold shortening and relief products under the ZICAM brand; and oral care products under the THERABREATH brand. Its specialty products include animal productivity products, such as MEGALAC rumen bypass fat, a supplement that enables cows to maintain energy levels during the period of high milk production; BIO-CHLOR and FERMENTEN, which are used to reduce health issues associated with calving, as well as provides needed protein; and CELMANAX refined functional carbohydrate, a yeast-based prebiotic. The company offers sodium bicarbonate; and cleaning and deodorizing products. It sells its consumer products through supermarkets, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, drugstores, convenience stores, home stores, dollar and other discount stores, pet and other specialty stores, and websites and other e-commerce channels; and specialty products to industrial customers and livestock producers through distributors. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Ewing, New Jersey. The matchmaking site IslamicMarriage.com helps Muslims around the world find partners through the Internet. It is also becoming a recruiting tool for Islamic State terrorists. New Zealander Mark Taylor appears to be a usual single man. He has a dating profile on IslamicMarriage.com. It says he works as a teacher and has a good sense of humor. It also says he lives in Raqqa, Syria -- a center of the Islamic State group. U.S. officials listed Taylor as an international terrorist earlier this year. He is one of several fighters in Syria and jihadist supporters in Europe and the U.S. with dating profiles on the site. On IslamicMarriage.com, Taylor calls himself Abujohndaniel. He says he arrived in Raqqa 10 months ago. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is a policy research organization based in Washington, D.C. The group says it first noticed jihadist activity on IslamicMarriage.com last May. Anat Agron is a researcher there. She believes that efforts by social media sites to block IS militants -- along with increased attention from Western intelligence agencies -- forced some jihadists to turn to dating sites. Previously Twitter and Facebook were more popular options for marrying off jihadists, Agron told VOA. I think that many realized these options were increasingly unsafe, and some folks probably got thrown in jail. IslamicMarriage.com is owned by the World Singles group. Other World Singles sites include ArabWorld, IranianPersonals and EligibleGreeks. Observers say that the jihadists use of the dating site may suggest it is becoming harder for IS members to find people to marry. The number of mainly young Western and North African women traveling to Syria to marry fighters appears to have gone down, they say. It is not clear how many Western women have traveled to the area to become jihadi brides. Britains Institute of Strategic Dialogue estimates the number at about 500. VOA's Jamie Dettmer reported this story from London. It was adapted for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story matchmaking - n. the act of trying to bring two people together so that they will marry each other recruit - v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc. jihadi - n. a person involved in a jihad; an Islamic militant. profile - n. (on a social media website or application) a user's summary of their personal details date - v. to do an activity with someone you have or might have a romantic relationship with : to go on a date or several dates with (someone) option - n. the opportunity or ability to choose something or to choose between two or more things Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut. A United Nations report is warning that economic growth in Asian countries faces significant risk from rising levels of trade protectionism. It says experts are especially worried about United States trade policies with important trading partners such as China. The U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) report mainly says good things about Asian economies. Such countries are now responsible for about 30 percent of all trade worldwide. The report noted that the percentage could rise to 50 percent by 2050 if the economies continue expanding. Asias export-led growth has helped millions of people escape poverty over the past 70 years. Many of the exported products are sold in the United States and Europe. But the U.N. report notes that in recent years, Asian economies have begun to depend on domestic demand because of the prolonged weakness in external demand and global trade. The U.N. economists are predicting that Asian economies will grow at a rate of close to 5 percent in 2017. They expect Chinas economy to expand 6.5 percent this year, with Indias growing by 7.1 percent. The report described economic conditions in China as stable. And Russias economy is expected to grow because of higher oil prices. But the report says trade protectionism could affect employment and economic growth. It described trade protectionism as the most significant risk to the broadly positive economic outlook. It noted recent changes in U.S. policies on trade, monetary exchange rates and immigration. And it said negotiations on Britains withdrawal from the European Union have increased concerns in many countries. The report said those worried could have a bad effect on Asia, including Chinas goods exports and Indias services exports. During the U.S. election campaign last year, Donald Trump was very critical of Chinas trade and monetary policies. But after his election as president, Trump became less critical because he wanted support from China to stop North Koreas development of nuclear weapons. Shamshad Akhtar is the executive secretary of UNESCAP. She says the debate over protectionism and distrust of globalization need to be discussed. The UNESCAP report said growing global trade has helped many areas over the years. But opposition to globalization is growing in the United States, Europe and other areas. People there are critical of free trade policies, and companies moving jobs to overseas markets. The writers of the report warned of reduced economic growth in major developing countries if trade protectionism and global insecurity increase. They predicted a lowering of the growth rates by up to 1.2 percentage points. The report noted that the Asia Pacific region remains the engine of global growth. But it said pay inequality is increasing and good jobs are difficult to find. It noted environmental damage was a major concern in some countries following years of economic expansion. It said the growth came at a huge cost to the environment. Im Mario Ritter. Ron Corben reported this story from Bangkok for VOA News. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story domestic adj. of or related to a country, especially ones own country external adj. of or connected with the outside part of something global adj. of or related to the whole world stable adj. firmly established; not changing outlook n. the way that an individual or a group of people think about something globalization n. the development of an increasingly international economy You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close DALLASWestJet Airlines Ltd. began life 21 years ago as a low-cost airline in the Southwest Airlines vein: Low fares and minimal frills. Over the years, as it sought to compete and grow, the frills, fares, and costs grew along with it. Now, the Calgarybased carrier isnt only headed back to its discount roots, its digging even deeper. The airline is planning to tackle the cheapest segment of the air-travel market by launching an ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC) modelled on Ryanair. WestJet describes the move as defensive, fending off incursions from rivals and helping stem the flow of some 5.5 million Canadian leisure travellers who cross the border to fly bargain airlines such as Allegiant Travel Co. and Spirit Airlines Inc. This domestic leakage has spurred entrepreneurs to consider starting other ultra low-cost airlines in Canada, notorious for steep aviation operating costs and airfares. For WestJet, theres another ancillary benefit: Revenue diversity, given that low oil prices have drained $1 billion (U.S.) ($1.3 billion Cdn.) in air travel spending from Alberta, where about 40 per cent of the carriers capacity flies. WestJet will move 10 of its 737-800s into the new, separate airline. With 189 seats, the planes will be the same as those flown by Ryanair Holdings Plc, which offers 30 inches of pitch between seats and no recline. WestJet flies that same model with only 168 seats today, including 12 Plus seats with extra legroom at the front of the cabin. The still-unnamed discount carriers first flights in leisure markets are expected late this year or in early 2018, WestJet executives said Tuesday on a quarterly call with analysts. Of course, every successful player in this part of the airline business has begun with the same core element: costs that are materially lower than rivals who offer more amenities and far fewer fees. WestJet CEO Gregg Saretsky said Tuesday that the new carrier will have significantly lower cost on every line of that business and will probably not fly in markets where we have a nice business mix. Yet some industry observers are deeply skeptical WestJet can succeed with an ultra low-cost offshoot, just as its ordering up to 20 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which will offer a new business-class service to Europe, Asia, and South America. Those planes, which begin to arrive in 2019, may replace older 767s WestJet flies to London and Hawaii. Faced with startup discount airlines on one end and a saturated Canadian market on the other, management is fighting a two-front battle, with all of the cost and complexity that comes with it, Walter Spracklin, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a client note. WestJets new venture, and new 787s, come as the companys 1,500 pilots are seeking to join the Air Line Pilots Association, which could lead to higher wages and other costs. The pilots rejected a similar unionization effort two years ago. Voting is scheduled for May 5 to 12. If WestJet pilots do unionize, we would think it likely that the other employee groups (flight attendants, etc.) would follow suit, Spracklin wrote April 20. WestJet appears to be following the approach some U.S. legacy airlines adopted with their airline within an airline forays, said Ben Baldanza, an adviser to NewLeaf Travel Co. The Manitoba-based company operates as a virtual airline by selling flights aboard Flair Airlines Ltd. As it approaches its first anniversary, NewLeaf is merging with Flair, which also flies oilfield workers and other charter customers. Continental Airlines began Continental Lite in 1993, while US Airways launched MetroJet a few years later. Delta Air Lines Inc. inaugurated a Boeing 757 fleet called Song to compete with JetBlue Airways Corp., and United Airlines started Ted, which flew Airbus A320s. None of the carriers flew for more than a few years before the parent company discontinued them, dissatisfied with financial results given that the startups costs were typically not much lower than those of their parents. Were not worried about WestJet at all because no airline-with-an-airline has ever worked, said Baldanza, the former chief executive of Florida-based Spirit. Theyre just trying to scare competition out. WestJet executives consider the new carrier more of a separate vehicle that wont be integrated, at least initially, and will have a network that is co-ordinated with WestJet routes to avoid cannibalization of existing profits, said Bob Cummings, a WestJet executive vice president who will run the new airline. We could see issues with their new ULCC cannibalizing yields of the mainline operator, Cowen & Co. analyst Helane Becker wrote Tuesday in a client note titled Too Much Going On to Get Comfortable. Jim Scott, president and CEO of Vancouver-based Canada Jetlines Ltd., which hopes to begin flying as a ULCC next year, said WestJets effort wont affect his startup because the NewLeafs and the WestJets are just playing around the edges. National Bank Financial cut its rating on WestJet shares May 2, to underperform, citing heightened execution risks in launching service at opposite ends of the customer spectrum. WestJet shares slid 3.2 per cent Tuesday, part of a 4.1 per cent decline this year. Its the easiest thing in the world to offer low fares, Baldanza said in an interview. The hard thing is how to make money with low fares. Read more about: SHARE: Stephen Colbert is facing another right-wing backlash. And if this new boycott from Donald Trump fans goes as well as their campaigns against Starbucks, Hamilton, Netflix, Pepsi, Star Wars, Macys, Google, Budweiser, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Saturday Night Live and Facebook, he may soon break all ratings records in the history of late-night television. Although Colbert is already a loathsome swine to the dwindling population inside Trumpville, his Late Show monologue on Monday was heard as a snort too far. After showing a clip of Trump abruptly ending an interview with CBS Face the Nation on Sunday, Colbert gazed into the camera and addressed the president: When you insult one member of the CBS family, you insult us all. This was the pretext for a blistering diatribe of sophomoric taunts. Colbert set out to avenge his colleague at CBS, John Dickerson, by saying things journalists cant say when they are under verbal fire from the president. Read more: Colbert under fire from Trump supporters after explicit Trump joke In other words, Colbert harnessed the name-calling, slurs and schoolyard bullying Trump rides each day. He pulled a Trump on Trump. Mr. Trump, your presidency, I love your presidency. I call it Disgrace the Nation, said Colbert, getting warmed up as the audience cheered him on. Youre not the POTUS; youre the BLOATUS. Youre the glutton with the button. Youre a regular Gorge Washington. Youre the presi-dunce. But youre turning into a real prick-tator. Colbert then kicked it up to an incendiary level rare for network TV. Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine. You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign-language gorilla who got hit in the head. In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putins c--k holster. Uh oh. Cue the jeremiad. Although there were a few more one-liners, the vulgar holster line is what crossed the line inside Trumpville as #FireColbert soon trended on Twitter and the comic was accused of being disgusting, shameful, anti-American, unfunny, a scumbag and, most frequently, homophobic. I will agree with Colberts detractors on one point: the holster line was not funny. It was lazy, hackneyed and crude with no comedic benefit. If you went to a local standup show and heard that joke, youd roll your eyes. The nucleus of the gag that Trump exists solely to service Putin and that Putin is in control of America could have been expressed with language as creative as the sign-language gorilla crack. But to call it homophobic is just silly. And it quickly lurches from silly to laughably hypocritical when the people accusing Colbert of homophobia are the same ones who never raise a whimper of protest when LGBT rights are targeted by the social conservatives in their ranks who are animated by anti-gay hostility. I can only assume that gall is the natural resource in Trumpville because it takes a lot of audacity to accuse Colbert of homophobia when Republicans are the ones obsessed with religious freedom, which has become code for the right to discriminate. A joke, however uncouth, has no material impact on who can get married, what bathrooms people can use or what services they can be denied. Trumpville is a place where irrational fear rides roughshod over everything else. It is a place of feverish resentment. It is home to all forms of bigotry masquerading as traditional values. It is where people bob for worm-filled apples in buckets of their own bile. So to believe these narrow-minded whiners are suddenly concerned a comedian may be homophobic is both the setup and the punchline. If Colbert made the same joke about Barack Obama, these same people would be doing all the online clip sharing while laughing the loudest: Haha, he really gave it to that Barry Hussein! No, what #FireColbert is really about is the feelings of alienation and persecution some conservatives cant shake off even when they have all the power: How dare this smug New York liberal take potshots at our beloved leader? When will we get some respect? Why does Bill OReilly get fired as Colbert gets more popular? This last point, which echoed across Trumpville this week, crackles with yet another mystery: the inability of the MAGA faithful to distinguish between words and deeds. OReilly was fired because of what he did, not what he said. Fox News, which is quite smitten with this weeks faux outrage, is not the victim of a double standard. Its under heavy fire because people who worked inside came forward to say it was a den of iniquity lorded over by predatory creeps. Forget about Colberts joke. What the easily triggered snowflakes inside Trumpville should pause to consider is why they are unbothered by accusations of sexual harassment or why they will happily give a pass to Trump when he brags about grabbing women by the crotch or why scapegoating immigrants for everything is perfectly reasonable or why their party has become home to a rogues gallery of haters, losers and those eager to control the lives of others. Until then, please, spare us the fight against imaginary homophobia. Sometimes a joke is just a joke. But your positions on real subjects are no laughing matter. Read more about: SHARE: The government will create an indigenous Fire Marshals office and improve tracking of fire-related data on reserves, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennetts office said in a statement to the Star on Tuesday. This commitment comes months after a Star investigation found at least 173 people have died in house fires in First Nations communities since the government stopped tracking the death toll in 2010. At least 25 of the dead are children. The federal government supports creating new legislation governing fire protection and prevention services on First Nations reserves across the country, Bennetts office confirmed. We will continue to work in full co-operation with the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada and other key partners on these and other critical elements that we know are needed to enhance fire safety for First Nations communities across Canada, the statement said. Blaine Wiggins, director of the Aboriginal Firefighters Association, which has long pressed for these changes, said the governments support under Bennett has been encouraging. The Star investigation also found that similar recommendations had not resulted in action since at least 2013 despite repeated calls for action from First Nations leaders, fire prevention experts and in one case from Bennett herself. Weve very excited to move this project to the next phase, Wiggins said. He couldnt say when the new fire marshals office would be operational, but it could involve piloting the project in certain regions. We can only work as fast as our partners at Indigenous Affairs who provide the funding, he said. Following the Stars series, Bennett first promised the government would start tracking on-reserve fire data and create a national fire marshals office should an upcoming report from Wiggins association recommend one. That report has now been released, and includes recommendations for a fire marshals office, as well as one for new legislation that applies the national fire and building codes on reserves, which currently do not apply. Now armed with government support for new legislation, Wiggins said the next step on that file is to consult widely with First Nations political leadership across the country. We need to work collaboratively with the leadership to get support on what this new legislation is and what it could look like, he said. We dont want to see any legislation imposed without broad community support, Wiggins said. Meanwhile, new research released by the Ontario Native Fire Fighters Society helps illuminate just how poor fire protection services are in the provinces northern reserves. According to a report by the society, only two of 18 northern communities the association visited last winter had any organized fire protection services at all. Seventeen of the communities had a fire truck, but not a single one met even basic Ministry of Transportation safety standards, the report says. That contradicts a February statement to the Star from Indigenous and Northern Affairs, in which the Ministry claimed that only two per cent of First Nations communities are underserviced across the country. Six Nations Fire Chief Matthew Miller understands better than most how bleak things can be. An Ontario First Nation chief says the community is grieving after a fatal house fire. A father and his four children are presumed dead in the fire which was extinguished Thursday morning on the Oneida of the Thames reserve. Some First Nations communities do not stand a chance, Miller told the Star in an interview at a meeting of Ontario First Nations Chiefs on Tuesday. Many of the communities we visited, when we asked them what they do when theres a fire, they didnt even know who to call. One of the other communities that we spoke to, we said well, if you have a house fire, what do you do? They said we watch it burn. Miller and the Ontario Native Fire Fighters Society (ONFFS) have been on a years-long mission to gather data not only to make their business case for adequate funding and support, but to understand the scope of the problem they face. Unlike non-First Nations communities, there is no central record keeping on causes of fires, and so groups like ONFFS cant target fire prevention education campaigns. The patchwork data problem also extends to what equipment is available to First Nations. Allan Manitowabi, fire chief for Christian Island, said hes seen that problem first hand. Equipment was basically dumped off in the communities (and) we dont know where it went, Manitowabi told the Star. I think we need to have accountability on both sides of the coin. One official with ONFFS estimated that it would be a 15- to 25-year mission just to bring fire services in Ontario First Nations up to adequate levels. Steve Nolan, the president of ONFFS, said he doesnt know if hell see it in his lifetime. Nolan is 52. Its sad that you have to stand back and watch a burning building and hope nobody is in there, Nolan told the Star. If that happened in mainstream society? Joe and Mary Taxpayer wouldnt have it. You tell me what the difference is. SHARE: HALIFAXMaitland District Elementary once bustled with activity. Today, the students are gone, the northern Nova Scotia school a symbol of the relentless exodus from Atlantic Canada that was made plain again Wednesday by the latest census numbers from Statistics Canada. The red brick school, with its cheery classrooms and gleaming halls, was built at the height of the baby boom and filled with students and hope. Decades later, the schools enrolment had dwindled to 20 students, its classrooms nearly empty and hallways deserted. The local school board put multiple grades in one class and put off badly needed maintenance. In 2015, Maitland District was shuttered altogether, the few kids left in the village bused to other schools. We dont have the students to fill all our schools, said Trudy Thompson, chairwoman of the Chignecto Central Regional School Board. Our senior population is growing by leaps and bounds. We just dont have the kids. Read more: Canada now has more seniors than children, census reveals 100-year-old Canadians fastest-growing age group in the country More Toronto residents in apartments than detached houses, census finds Rural classrooms across Atlantic Canada have been gutted by a demographic squeeze of low birth rates, youth out-migration and an aging population, leaving schools with an oversupply of space and shortage of kids. And its only going to get worse. From 2011 to 2016, the Atlantic provinces saw the biggest decline in the proportion of people aged 15 to 64, and in general, the largest increase in the proportion of seniors, Statistics Canada reported as it released the latest tranche of data from last years census. In 2016, almost one in five people in the Atlantic provinces was 65 years of age and older the highest proportion in the country. That proportion was just 12.3 per cent in Alberta, which was a bustling, job-heavy magnet for struggling young workers prior to the collapse of oil prices in 2015. That gap is the largest since Confederation, the agency said, and if current trends hold, this difference between the provinces with the highest and lowest proportions of seniors could reach almost 15 percentage points by 2031. The phenomenon of Atlantic Canadas missing children is the product of a multitude of factors, from declining religiosity to the death of family farms. As the population gets older, there are fewer women of child-bearing age and a lower birth rate, said Eddy Ng, a professor at Dalhousie Universitys Rowe School of Business in Halifax. There is also a shift in societal values, he said. As we become more secular, we tend not to have as many children. Disappearing family farms and shrinking resource sectors have also curbed the number of children in a household. Children in the past have been contributors to the family enterprise, said Janice Keefe, Mount St. Vincent professor and director of the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging. If you think about farming or fishing or those types of primary industries that tended to define the Atlantic region, children were heavy participants in that enterprise, said Keefe. But a changing economy and shifting expectations of what we do to support our children, like the formalization of recreation, has made bigger families expensive. Compounding the problem of a lower birth rate is young people moving west for work. The economy in Atlantic Canada is not a friendly place for young people to find steady work, said University of Prince Edward Island political science professor Don Desserud. We have an extraordinary quality of life here but there is a lack of opportunity to keep young people here and to attract immigrants. That coveted quality of life affordable real estate, short commutes, access to nature is in fact drawing baby boomers to the region. Were seeing baby boomers that are retiring and looking for a slower pace of life moving here, Ng said. Theyre cashing out their real estate in Toronto or other cities and moving here, and it accelerates aging in the region. The combination of an aging population and fewer children has resulted in what Michael Haan calls an infrastructure mismatch. You dont need as many schools as you once did because you dont have as many young people, the University of Western Ontario associate professor said. Converting schools to retirement homes is something to think about. Economic development expert Donald Savoie said often school closures are the final nail in a communitys coffin. Still, he said governments should be closing schools faster to put the money into health care instead. Were not closing schools as fast as we ought to and were not transferring money to health care to the extent that we should, said Savoie, Canada Research Chair in Public Policy and Governance at the University of Moncton. There are fewer students populating our schools, so governments need to put the money where there is a greater need. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the school is boarded up; it has in fact been repurposed. SHARE: Racial profiling is alive and well in Ontario, according to a new survey by the provinces human rights commission with more than 1,500 Ontarians reporting experiences of being racially profiled not just by police, but also at their workplaces, schools, hospitals and shopping malls. While police encounters remain a common situation where racialized groups have experienced profiling, respondents reported being targeted because of their race in a broad range of contexts, the Ontario Human Rights Commission writes in its new report Under Suspicion, released Wednesday. Concerns about racial profiling are broader than policing, the report says. Racialized and Indigenous peoples may experience unwarranted heightened scrutiny in education, stores, shopping malls, housing and workplaces, on buses, subways and trains, at airports and border crossings, in health care and by private security and child welfare agencies. The report is based on consultations and survey results from 1,650 individuals and organizations, gleaning wide-ranging personal experiences of racial profiling and data shedding light on the places and scenarios in which the phenomenon occurs. The survey, conducted in the summer of 2015, was not meant to capture the average Ontarians experience; rather, it draws from a non-random sample, specifically targeting members of the indigenous, racialized and Muslim communities, as well as experts in human rights, academia and law. The commission states that the individual reports of racial profiling have not been independently verified and that it cannot determine with certainty that they stem from discrimination. However, the accounts highlight concerns and themes that help understand where and when racial profiling occurs, the report says. The experiences of those surveyed varied depending on gender, ethnicity and racial background. For instance, the most common scenario where women were racially profiled was shopping in stores, while men were most likely to report be racially profiled in a police encounter. A large proportion of indigenous people said they were racially profiled in health care a complaint that was not common among other racialized groups while those who were Muslim, South Asian, Arab or West Asian were most likely to report racial profiling at airports, in employment contexts, and on buses and subways. The human rights commission says there was a need to specifically examine racial profiling because its a type of discrimination that is not widely appreciated to be as damaging as others, such as denying someone a job based on race. Additionally, many institutions, police leaders and people in the general public have denied the existence of racial profiling, or have viewed it as warranted, reads the report. The research comes at a critical juncture when the province is becoming more diverse in racial, ethnic and religious terms, but increasingly concerned with assessing safety threats, such as terrorism and violence. The report included anonymous personal stories of racial profiling in its report. Below are summaries of some of those accounts. Policing A black woman recounted the time police approached her son as he was walking home from school. The officers asked what he was doing in this particular neighbourhood, and he responded he was just going home. They didnt believe him, however, and demanded his identification, threatening to take him into the police station for questioning. He gave them his student ID for the bus, the mother said. My son was 11 years old. Child welfare A midwife who works with indigenous women said she often sees racist assumptions and mistreatments based on race for example, calling social workers or child protection services simply because the parents are young and indigenous. Once that involvement starts, Aboriginal women are much more likely to have their babies removed for much more dubious reasons. Transportation An Iranian man was waiting for his bus one day inside a TTC station when he noticed the booth collector looking at him strangely and speaking into the phone. The next thing he knew, three big guys accosted him and flashed their badges, accusing him of intimidating the TTC worker who was several feet away and fully enclosed behind glass. I was scared and shocked, he said. Then came the same question, Where were you born? and I had to answer with shame Iran, as if it had anything to do with it. When the man asked why he was treated this way, he was told there was a policy against standing inside the TTC for more than three minutes. To which, he points out: I was waiting for the bus??!! Education A black woman said she and her 7-year-old son have faced numerous incidents of racial profiling by their local school board. Her son has been criminalized, bullied by students and administration, and accused of having behavioural problems, even though specialists say otherwise. And despite getting exceptionally good grades, her son has been told that he isnt succeeding in French immersion. I have faced racial profiling at their hands as well, she said. Health care An indigenous woman said her pregnant daughter-in-law a dark-skinned status Indian went to the hospital because her baby had stopped moving. A medical resident was working but there were no doctors on staff to make a decision, so they didnt do anything. They made my daughter-in-law wait for hours, she said. My husband and I went to the hospital to help. I am fair skinned and my husband is not aboriginal. It was only when they saw what looked like two white people that they started to move and act, and she got a C-section. But by that time, the baby had already been deprived of oxygen for five hours and was born clinically dead. After the baby was revived, hospital staff asked her daughter-in-law what she took to harm her baby. They repeated the question four times. Today, the baby is 7 years old and living with many disabilities, including an inability to speak. Retail and private security They call it Shopping While Black. One black woman says that when she goes shopping, she is regularly followed, watched carefully, or asked Can I help you not because they are offering customer service, but because they are questioning why she is there. At the same time, I have numerous experiences where I am ignored or have to assert my position in line, as they skip over to the white person, she said. I am sure that most black people can relate to the shopping experience where the teller drops your change into your hand from a height, while somewhat recoiling, and you see them place the change into the hand of the white customers. National security A woman at an Ontario university says she works with Muslim students who are routinely called upon by CSIS to discuss potentially radical peers on campus. These visits are not only intimidating but clear instances of racial profiling based on religion, she said. These types of meeting requests have been met with little to no challenge by higher education institutions and I have not seen any other racial, ethnic, religious groups targeted in this way. Housing A middle-aged white woman said she once accompanied an indigenous friend who was looking for an apartment. The prospective landlord made a point of mentioning that there were mice, which reinforced my friend's already strong sense that this person did not like aboriginal people and that she was an unwelcome prospective tenant. She has since died on the street in 2006. Employment A South Asian Muslim woman described an experience at her workplace, where employees have to swipe cards to access certain rooms. I went into my office and immediately security knocked at the door, she recalled. They said they wanted to check who had gone in. I am pretty sure they got alarmed because all they could see was someone wearing hijab walking into an office. SHARE: The doctor asked the patient if she and her husband had oral sex, and anal sex, and about sexual positions they engaged in. Except this was not sex therapy. Dr. Martin Lee, who practised in Mississauga and Pickering, is a rheumatologist, a specialist who deals with disorders involving the joints, such as arthritis. The patient has fibromyalgia, a condition that includes chronic pain. She was seeing Lee once or twice a week for trigger point injections. She was not only subjected to questions about her sex life, but she also had to listen to Lee volunteer details about his own. He would talk about things of a sexual nature that I guess he wasnt satisfied . . . Frequency, and I guess methods or types of positions that he would engage in with his wife or wanted to, the woman, identified only as Patient A, testified at Lees discipline hearing at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. She also testified that during Gay Pride Week, Lee showed her a gay pornographic magazine and asked What is S&M? What do they get from it? How could two men do that? Earlier this year, a discipline panel found Lee guilty of the sexual abuse of a patient due to his remarks to Patient A, as well as for making sexual remarks and rubbing his groin up against another woman, Patient C. In a move that demonstrates the colleges toughening stance on all forms of sexual abuse by physicians, the medical regulators lawyer argued on Tuesday at Lees penalty hearing that the panel should revoke Lees licence. Morgana Kellythorne acknowledged before the five-member panel that while revocation is mandatory under the law for certain acts of sexual abuse of patients, it is not mandatory for the acts committed by Lee. Even a bill currently moving through the legislature that would add to the list of acts of sexual abuse requiring mandatory revocation does not include the acts committed by Lee, his lawyer told the panel. There is also no previous discipline case involving similar issues where the physicians licence was yanked. Instead, the physicians have typically been suspended. But Kellythorne said the panel still has the discretion to revoke. They should depart from previous decisions and impose a tougher penalty in line with societys shifting views and expectations on sexual abuse by health professionals, she said. Revocation will convey to the public and the profession that a member who engages in such exploitation will not be tolerated, she said Tuesday. The practice of medicine is a privilege, not a right. She said the patients were vulnerable women with chronic conditions who depended on Lee for treatment. Patient A said in a victim impact statement that she was confused following Lees remarks, and dreaded every encounter and appointment. She was worried about complaining for fear that other doctors would think Im a troublemaker and not want to treat me. (The college began investigating following a mandatory report from Patient As family doctor.) So what this situation has taught me is that its easier to not trust, even your doctors, she said. Lee, who denied the allegations against him, was also found guilty of professional misconduct for asking Patient A to pay cash for prescriptions and asking her to videotape or photograph other patients after she told him about seeing a patient trying to sell her medication downtown. Patient C testified that Lee had asked her questions like, Is your husbands c--- big? and Can he still put it in my p----? Lees lawyer, Mark Veneziano, argued on Tuesday for a six-month suspension and a requirement that Lee only practise on women in the presence of a chaperone for the next two years, as he is already required to do. Much attention was focused on a recent Divisional Court ruling that was heavily critical of the colleges discipline committee when it comes to punishing physicians for sexual abuse. In that case, the court found the discipline committees six-month suspension of Dr. Javad Peirovy, who had sexually abused four female patients by groping them, to be clearly unfit. The court sent the case back to the committee to try again. (Peirovy, a Toronto doctor, has since been granted leave to appeal the Divisional Court decision to the Court of Appeal.) After reviewing previous college cases involving penalties for sexual abuse, Justice James Ramsay, writing for the three-judge Divisional Court panel, said: The facts of these cases are base. It is depressing to review them. They do little to encourage confidence in the committees approach to eradicating sexual abuse in the profession. Consistency in the imposition of sentence is a proper consideration, but a litany of clearly unfit penalties does not justify the penalty imposed in the present case. The Divisional Court ruling has already been brought up by the colleges lawyers in at least two discipline hearings, including Lees, to show panels its time to move past previous decisions and impose much harsher penalties for a wider array of acts of sexual abuse. The other discipline hearing involved a doctor who began an intimate relationship with a patient within weeks of ending their professional relationship. The college wants to revoke the licence of Dr. Nagi Ghabbour, who pleaded guilty to conduct that would be regarded as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional. The panels decision in that case is pending. On Tuesday, Veneziano, Lees lawyer, sought to convince the discipline panel that they should still order a penalty that would be within the range used in previous cases involving issues similar to Lees case. Most importantly, one cannot and should not throw out years and years of precedent from this body because three judges thought the imposition of a penalty in this one case was unreasonable, he argued. (The Divisional Court ruling) does not throw out what this panel has been doing for years and years. Aside from revocation, the college is also seeking to have Lee post a letter of credit for $32,000 to cover therapy costs for the two patients, should they require it, and pay $25,000 in costs for his discipline hearing. The panel reserved its judgment on penalty. SHARE: For years and years, Dr. Todd Calhouns vanity licence plate caused almost no one to bat an eye. If another driver did glance at it and chuckle, Calhoun, an anesthesiologist at North York General, assumed they worked in a hospital too. His licence plate read: FENTANYL. Fentanyl, an opioid painkiller that is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, is commonly used in anesthesia. Over the last several years, it has also become a particularly lethal component of the ongoing opioid crisis, contributing to a rising number of overdose deaths across Ontario, the rest of Canada and the U.S. as it is misused, abused, and ingested unwittingly. Last month, Calhoun received a notice from the Ministry of Transportation that his licence plate had been terminated and must be returned to the province. He says he was happy to comply: he himself lodged a complaint with the ministry to avoid paying the fee to get a new personalized plate. A spokesperson for the ministry says it received a total of three complaints related to the FENTANYL plate, and that it was determined that the plate in question is objectionable under the existing Personalized Licence Plate (PLP) criteria. The ministrys guidelines for objectionable vanity plates include reference to the use of or sale of legal or illegal drugs. Calhoun says the plate was a birthday gift nearly 20 years ago from his spouse, who doesnt work in medicine and who tried a few other anesthesia-related words before discovering FENTANYL was available. When Calhoun first attached it to his car in 2000, nobody would ever know what fentanyl was. Every once in a while, youd be driving and somebody looks at it and starts laughing, so you know they obviously work in the ICU (intensive care unit) or the operating room, he says. It was not a drug of abuse out there, it was not a street drug. It was a hospital drug, as it should be. Then, last May, Calhoun saw an article in the Star about Ontario drivers who had been asked to return their vanity plates by the province. (The offending plates were VI6SIX, NTFADA, REV JO, and JEHAD, all withdrawn because they were deemed to be religious references. Retired reverend Joanne Sorrill and plateholder Jehad Al Iweiwi were eventually permitted to keep theirs.) The story contained a list of the criteria under which the ministry might reject or recall a personalized plate, including the drug reference category. Soon after, Calhoun was driving his family to Canadas Wonderland. As the car idled at a red light, a man knocked on the car window. He said he had prescriptions for fentanyl and asked if he could get into the back seat. Calhoun rolled up the window and zoomed away. I thought, Oh gosh. OK, now its time. Fentanyl has become the drug most commonly involved in opioid-related deaths in Ontario, rising 548 per cent between 2006 and 2015. Opioids killed an average of two Ontarians every day in 2015, the last year for which figures are available. Asked if it ever occurred to him that it might be inappropriate to drive around with a FENTANYL licence plate in the middle of an opioid crisis, Calhoun said that it did. Ive been wanting to get rid of it, but basically Ive got a very busy life, he says. He has two young children and an active practice at the hospital. Besides, no one in 17 years had ever complained to him about it, he says. Border agents questioned what the plate meant when he drove into the U.S., but his answer always satisfied them. In other words, Service Ontario did not exactly beckon. Id rather play with my kids than change my (licence plate), Calhoun says. That changed when the man knocked on his window, he recalls: Now its at the top of my list of things to do. But Calhoun says that when he visited Service Ontario, they told him he couldnt just trade in his own objectionable licence plate for an acceptable one. If a driver returns a personalized licence plate, that person would have to pay $310 for a new one. If the ministry recalls a personalized licence plate because of a complaint, however, the plateholder has the option to order a new personalized plate at no extra charge or apply for a refund. So I go home and I write a letter to the minister, saying Im complaining about my own licence plate, Calhoun says. The Ministry of Transportation says it received three complaints about the FENTANYL personalized plate. Calhoun thinks the other complaints might have been lodged by his friends, who offered to help because the process was taking so long. The ministry says the identities of the complainants cant be divulged for privacy reasons. Three weeks ago, Calhoun got a notice informing him that somebody had complained about his vanity plate and he had two weeks to send in a rebuttal. So I called them up and said, Im the one who complained . . . Im still complaining. I want to get rid of it. They told him to wait out the rebuttal period. So he did, and finally traded in his FENTANYL plate for another personalized plate last week. Also last week, Manitoba Public Insurance asked the holder of an ASIMIL8 vanity plate to surrender it. The phrase is a reference to the fictional alien Borg race from Star Trek, but the insurer had received complaints it was offensive to indigenous people. In March, the Nova Scotia government withdrew a man named Lorne Grabhers personalized plate, because without context his GRABHER vanity plate could be read as promoting violence against women. Calhoun says hes relieved to be rid of the FENTANYL plate, which he replaced with a much more innocuous anesthesia-related phrase: DR DORMIR, French for sleep doctor. At least Im not going to have anybody knocking on the windows, he says. SHARE: Indigenous leaders want a mandatory inquest to be held whenever an indigenous child dies while in care at an Ontario group home. In the wake of the deaths of two indigenous girls in April, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, a political organization of 49 northern Ontario First Nations, said it will introduce a motion Wednesday at the Chiefs of Ontario special assembly in Gatineau, Que., calling on the Chief Coroner of Ontario to hold an inquest. But they also want legislative change that applies to all Ontario kids indigenous and non-indigenous. We want them to change legislation to make (inquests into) these types of tragic deaths mandatory. They should automatically be reviewed by the chief coroner. We need to find out more about the true situation about these cases. We are concerned, overall, about the number of children who are in these types of situations, said Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler. The inquest must probe systemic issues that led to the girls deaths while in care so that any death of a youth in a group home setting will automatically result in a mandatory inquest, he said. Poplar Hill First Nations Amy Owen took her life April 17 at an Ottawa-area group home. Poplar Hill is a remote First Nation of about 500 people, nearly 120 kilometres north of Red Lake on the Manitoba-Ontario border. Jeffrey Owen, Amys father, said she was a smart, outgoing girl who liked to have fun. She wanted to come home, she didnt like where she was, he said in an interview Monday. He added she was supposed to be supervised around the clock. We want justice for them. Im sure Amy wouldnt want us to give up. Fort Albany First Nations Courtney Scott, 16, died in a fire at her group home on April 21 in Orleans, Ont.. Her family, originally from the James Bay coast, has many questions about how Scott died. As well, the Star learned of a third girl, Kanina Turtle, 15, who died Oct. 29, 2016. Her Poplar Hill First Nation family told the Star someone told them Turtle committed suicide but they said they have not been officially contacted by medical professionals and are still trying to find out exactly how Turtle died. All three girls are member of NAN communities, and NAN has jurisdiction over their well being, regardless of where they live. Kids who are put in care for a variety of reasons, including access to mental health care are often taken out of their communities and placed in southern urban centres because the appropriate care is unavailable up north. However, NAN is in the dark as to where their kids are placed and what services they are receiving. The longer term objective to the inquest, said Fiddler, is for Ontario and Canada to work with us to bring these services closer to home. Our kids shouldnt be sent 1,000 miles away for them to be able to support these services so they arent disconnected from their families, he said. The owner of the group home that Amy Owen spent more than one year in before she was transferred to a more secure site, said there needs to be a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 13-year-olds death. Esther Aiken is the director of the Beacon Home in Prescott, Ont. Aiken and her staff knew Owen well and have been grief-stricken since they heard of her death. Owen was with Beacon for one year before she went back home to her Poplar Hill home for nearly eight months in 2016. However, she returned to Beacon last fall until she was transferred to an Ottawa home in January that was better equipped to handle her suicidal tendencies. We felt she needed a safer environment than what we could provide. We have rarely asked for a child to go to another home. Amy was an extreme exception, Aiken said. Clients usually come to the girls-only Beacon Home for six months to one year. The home is small, a seven-bed facility with two to seven kids at the home at any given time. Aiken said the majority of her clients are indigenous kids who have to come to Beacon in order to access proper psychiatric and medical treatment in the Ottawa area. The children brought down south to group homes are brought here to access mental health services they dont have in their communities, Aiken said. There are pre-existing problems that warrant the kids to be brought here in the first place. Many of the kids are suicidal and they need specialized care. Aiken said the majority of their girls are dealing with addiction issues with alcohol or drugs, those who self harm, or have suicidal thoughts. First Nations kids are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system, said Irwin Elman, the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. There are no accurate numbers as to how many of the 3,000 children living in Ontario group homes and another 15,000 living in foster homes, are indigenous or where they are. Young people have told us they feel isolated in these homes. First Nations children, for sure, who are thousands of kilometres away from their home, their culture and language and ways of life, Elman said. There is an urgent situation and we have to do something right now so another child doesnt die. Young indigenous people should be placed closer to their homes so they have community support, he said. They are often taken out of their communities and sent to homes that arent trained enough to handle them for particular reasons and they end up getting bounced from home to home. Their journey in the system can cause more issues . . . young people, First Nations and others, sometimes talk about they know some child and youth workers in some places talk about the places they are at, as storage. Youth feel there is no where else to go. If they dont see their worker and dont have connection to their family, what is it if it is not storage? Is this what we want to tell the child we make a covenant to, telling them we will care for them? It is not acceptable. He remembers one call from an indigenous 13-year-old who called the advocates office asking for help to call home and talk to her mom, whom she hasnt seen in over one year. Why should it be that a 13-year-old or 14-year-old child has to call our office to arrange for a Skype call with her mom? In some homes, that is the situation and conditions children are living in and its not acceptable, he said. SHARE: The threat of criminal bribery charges stemming from a 2015 Sudbury byelection is no longer hanging over Liberal organizer Gerry Lougheed as he awaits trial under a lesser Elections Act allegation. Lougheed, a well-known Sudbury funeral home director and charity fundraiser, had faced two Criminal Code counts that were stayed by prosecutors in a dramatic about-face in April 2016 and have now expired. We always took the position there was never any basis to lay a criminal charge and that the charges should have been withdrawn, Michael Lacy, a Toronto lawyer representing Lougheed, said Tuesday. Under the Criminal Code, the Crown has one year to reinstate stayed charges or they are deemed to never have been laid. Lougheed still faces a lesser Elections Act bribery charge in the byelection won by Glenn Thibeault, now energy minister under Premier Kathleen Wynne. Patricia Sorbara, a former deputy chief of staff to Wynne, and Lougheed are accused of offering a former Liberal candidate, Andrew Olivier, jobs or political appointments to drop out of the partys nomination race to make way for Thibeault, Wynnes preferred choice. That trial begins Sept. 7 in Sudbury. Last October, Ontario Provincial Police charged Sorbara with two counts of bribery and Lougheed with one count. Sorbara, a key architect of Wynnes 2014 election victory who was never charged under the Criminal Code in the Sudbury matter, subsequently resigned from the Liberal 2018 re-election campaign. OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes called the investigation by the forces anti-rackets branch complex and unprecedented. Lawyers for Sorbara and Lougheed maintain their clients have done nothing wrong, with Sorbara releasing a statement last fall saying I have served my entire career with integrity and a deep respect for the law. Elections Act charges are in a lower, non-criminal category of violations known as provincial offences where penalties include fines of up to $25,000 and maximum jail sentences of two years less a day. Under the criminal charges, Lougheed could have faced a prison sentence of up to seven years. He had been charged under the Criminal Code with one count of unlawfully influencing or negotiating appointments and another of counselling an offence not committed. The case came to light after Olivier, a paraplegic mortgage broker who records conversations because he cannot take notes, released tapes of his chats with Lougheed and Sorbara. In one tape, Lougheed said: The premier wants to talk. They would like to present you options in terms of appointments, jobs, whatever, that you and her and Pat Sorbara could talk about. In another, Sorbara told Olivier we should have the broader discussion about what is it that youd be most interested in doing . . . whether its a full-time or part-time job in a (constituency) office, whether it is appointments, supports or commissions . . . . The Sorbara-Lougheed trial begins four days before another trial involving Liberals kicks off in Toronto for two top aides to ex-premier Dalton McGuinty over accusations of deleted documents in the $1 billion cancellation of two gas-fired power plants in 2011. Both trials are slated to wrap up in late October, just eight months before the June 7, 2018 election. SHARE: BATON ROUGE, LA.The U.S. Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the death of a black man whose fatal shooting was captured on cellphone video, fuelling protests in Louisiana's capital and beyond, The Associated Press has learned. Federal authorities opened a civil rights investigation immediately after the July 5, 2016, police shooting that killed Alton Sterling, 37, outside a convenience store where he was selling homemade CDs. A person familiar with the decision disclosed it to the AP on Tuesday. The person was not authorized to talk publicly about the decision and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Read more: Texas police fire officer who shot and killed black teen Ex-South Carolina police officer pleads guilty in Walter Scotts death The department's decision doesn't preclude state authorities from conducting their own investigation and pursuing their own criminal charges. Two cellphone videos of Sterling's deadly struggle with two white officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, quickly spread on social media after the shooting. A police report says Sterling was initially jolted with a stun gun after he didn't comply with the officers' commands to put his hands on the hood of a car. The report also says the officers saw the butt of a gun in one of Sterling's pants pockets and saw him try to reach for it before he was shot. Outside the convenience store, dozens of people gathered Tuesday upon hearing the news and held a vigil. One of Alton's aunts spoke at the vigil and led the crowd in chants of "No justice, no peace!" "It's been almost a year and we're still suffering like it happened yesterday," said one of Sterling's aunts, Veda Sterling. "We need closure. We need a conviction. We need justice." Arthur Reed, a local activist, said he broke the news to another of Sterling's aunts, Sandra, in a phone call after seeing the news reports. Reed says she broke down crying and is "heartbroken," not only because of the decision but because the Justice Department didn't notify the family first. "We just think it wasn't done properly," he said. No public announcement has been made by the Department of Justice, and many officials in Baton Rouge said they haven't been notified. "The Governor's Office has not been notified of a timeline or decision regarding the Alton Sterling investigation. We have been in constant contact with the U.S. Attorney's Office and were assured that both our office and the Sterling family would be given advance notice," said Richard Carbo, a spokesman for Gov. John Bel Edwards. John McLindon, Salamoni's attorney, said he can't comment until he reads an official report from the Justice Department. An attorney for Lake did not return a call seeking comment. Ryan Julison, a spokesman for two attorneys representing some members of Alton Sterling's family, said the family hasn't been notified of any DOJ decision. Justin Bamberg, an attorney for some of Sterling's relatives, has said the family wanted an indictment. Bamberg also represents relatives of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man who was running from a traffic stop in Charleston, South Carolina, when a white police officer shot and killed him in 2015. The former officer, 35-year-old Michael Slager, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges Tuesday, five months after a jury deadlocked on state murder charges against him. Tuesday's decision in the Sterling case was the highest profile decision not to bring charges against police officers in a deadly shooting since Jeff Sessions became attorney general. But the federal investigation into possible civil rights violations by the officers was seen as problematic. Authorities in such cases must meet a difficult standard of proof, a challenge that has complicated prosecutions in past police shootings. Sessions has said his Justice Department is committed to holding individual officers accountable when they break the law. But he also believes too much federal scrutiny of police departments can diminish officers' effectiveness and hurt morale, and has ordered a sweeping review of federal consent decrees that force cities to agree to major policing overhauls. Louisiana's governor immediately requested a federal investigation of Sterling's death last summer and called cellphone video of the incident "disturbing." The videos show Sterling scuffling with Salamoni and Lake after they responded to a caller's complaint that Sterling had threatened the caller with a gun outside the convenience store. The two officers had Sterling pinned on his back when gunfire erupted, moments after someone yelled, "He's got a gun!" The Baton Rouge police chief has said Sterling was armed. The store's owner has said Sterling wasn't holding a gun during the shooting but he saw officers remove one from his pocket afterward. As a convicted felon, Sterling couldn't legally carry a gun. Court records show Sterling had pleaded guilty in 2011 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegally carrying a weapon and was arrested in May 2009 after an officer confronted him outside another store where he was selling CDs. Police said they have dashcam and bodycam video and store surveillance footage of the shooting; none has been released. A coroner's report on Sterling's autopsy has been sealed. Both officers were placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure. Each officer had two prior "use of force" complaints against them, and records indicate they were cleared in all cases. The East Baton Rouge District Attorney recused himself from any state criminal investigation into Sterling's death, citing his professional relationship with Salamoni's parents. They are current and former police officers in Baton Rouge. Moore's recusal left Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to decide whether to have his own office review evidence for possible state charges or to appoint another district attorney to the case. A spokesman for Landry said Tuesday their office would not comment until after an official Justice Department announcement. Sterling's death sparked widespread protests last summer during which police arrested nearly 200 protesters. The mass arrests led to federal lawsuits accusing police of using excessive force and violating protesters' civil rights. SHARE: Investors looking to buy a condo at Trump Tower in the Philippines would have found, until this week, some high-powered video testimonials on the projects official website. There was Donald Trump, in a message filmed several years before he was elected president of the United States, declaring that the skyscraper bearing his name near the Philippine capital would be something very, very special, like nobodys seen before. Then there was his daughter Ivanka Trump, now a senior White House adviser, lavishing praise on the project as a milestone in Philippine real estate history. Four months into President Trumps tenure, his business relationship with a developer who is one of the Philippines richest and most powerful men has emerged as a prime example of the collision between the private interests of a businessman in the White House and his public responsibility to shape U.S. foreign policy. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump The potential conflict first came into focus shortly before Trump was elected, when the Philippines iron-fisted president, Rodrigo Duterte, named the Trump Organizations partner on the Manila real estate venture his top trade envoy. The connection burst back into public view this week, after Trump stunned human rights advocates by extending a White House invitation to Duterte, known for endorsing hundreds of extrajudicial killings of drug users, following what aides described as a very friendly phone call. Trump aides have said the outreach to Duterte is part of a broader effort to isolate North Korea. Although the promotional videos were posted online in 2013, the continued presence of Trump and his daughter in marketing materials for the Manila tower reflects the extent to which they remain key selling points even as they have vowed to distance themselves from their global real estate and branding businesses. After The Washington Post inquired Monday about the use of the Trumps in promoting the Manila project, the links and videos on the corporate website could no longer be accessed. Nonetheless, their lingering connection to the propertys sales pitch shows how difficult it is to separate the president from Trump-branded projects, particularly in foreign markets where there is less oversight of how his image is used. Read more: Rights groups react with alarm, outrage at Trumps invite to Duterte Trump calls Philippine President Duterte to affirm warm working relationship Amanda Miller, vice president of marketing for the Trump Organization, said the material was historical clips that were not related to ongoing sales and marketing activity. Ivanka Trump was not aware that she was still featured in materials touting the Manila project, according to someone familiar with her views. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Trumps company does not own or invest in the Manila project, a luxurious 57-story tower nearing completion in Makati, a bustling financial centre that is part of metropolitan Manila. In a long-term licensing deal, the projects development company agreed to pay royalties for use of the Trump brand. Trump reported receiving $1 million to $6 million in payments from the project between 2014 and mid-2016, according to his financial disclosures. Jose E.B. Antonio, chairman of the development company, has retained his leadership of the firm even as he functions now in his official capacity as a Duterte appointee. Kris Cole, a spokeswoman for the developer, said that Antonios envoy role is an unpaid, non-governmental position promoting Philippine business interests in the United States. Antonio, who Cole said was travelling and could not comment, told Bloomberg News in November that his role is to enlarge the relationship between the two countries, adding of his business relationship with Trump: I guess it would be an asset. Trump company executives directed their international business associates to pull any promotional materials featuring Trumps presidency or Ivanka Trump, officials said. A Trump lawyer circulated documents in January pledging that no company communications or social-media accounts will reference or otherwise be tied to Trumps high office or public power. Trump left the management of his company to his two adult sons, but he retained his ownership stake and can still withdraw money from his business interests at any time. Now, to ethics experts who have warned for months that Trumps refusal to divest from his business created the potential for his personal financial interests to compete with his public role, Trumps recent interactions with Duterte serve as a worrisome sign. It does look like the way he is handling U.S. policy to the Philippines is consistent with Donald Trumps business interests, said Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis who is an expert on government ethics. It is inconsistent with how the U.S. has been relating to Duterte since he came to power. But it is consistent with what is important to Donald Trump. The $150 million Manila tower, which was originally slated to open last year, is set to be finished in the coming months, with 95 per cent of the units sold, according to the Trump Organization. The Trump family has been a key part of marketing the project since it began in 2012 with promises of becoming one of the Asian nations tallest towers. An early billboard inviting potential buyers to live exquisitely in the tower featured a large portrait of Ivanka Trump wearing a black sheath dress and diamond pendant earrings. Miller said the sign was removed several years ago. The project, by Antonios development firm Century Properties Group, has continued to tout its connection to the Trumps, even in the months since Antonio assumed his post in the Duterte administration. Jose Roberto Robbie Antonio, the developers son, who called himself a good friend of the Trumps in his online biography, said in one video, Were really privileged not just to partner with such a remarkable organization, but with a fantastic family. The elder Antonio describes the project as a celebration of a partnership between two corporations, a partnership between two families, a partnership of two countries and a partnership of people who have the same passion the passion to build the best real estate projects in the world. Cole, the development firms spokeswoman, said the younger Antonio was travelling and could not comment. The site also included promotions for Ivanka Trumps jewelry collection, with blurbs describing her as a scion of brand sophistication. Other descriptions cited the Trump lifestyle, while the Trumps appeared in videos talking up the bona fides of their business partner and his work. Youre not going to see a better-appointed building than this one Ivanka Trump said in an eight-minute video she narrated, adding that the developer is one of the most innovative real estate firms in Asia. Manila represented a great opportunity for our brand, Ivanka Trump says in a promotional reel. The video ends with a plug from Donald Trump, who says: Its really great working with Century Properties and the Antonio family. True professionals, they really know what theyre doing. On another page of the website touting media coverage of the project, the top story was a 2015 piece from a Philippine website headlined, Donald Trump happy with strong sales of Trump Tower in Makati. Since founding his development company in the 1980s, Antonio has become one of the countrys wealthiest star developers, with a net worth that Forbes estimates at $195 million. His companys share price climbed 20 per cent on the Philippine Stock Exchange the day Trump won the election. The relationship between the Antonios and the Trumps goes back at least a decade, when Jose Antonio dispatched his son, a company managing director, to Manhattan to oversee the development of a luxury condominium on West 56th Street near Trump Tower. Robbie Antonio took the opportunity to get to know the Trumps, meeting first with Ivanka at her office, he told the Philippine network ANC in an interview. He said he hit it off with the Trump siblings. At the right juncture, I called them up to discuss a deal in Manila, and they were very excited by the project and the location, and they wanted something significant, Antonio told the network. Its always a great thing when you can take a friendship and then turn it into a great business relationship, Donald Trump Jr. the presidents oldest son, who now runs the family company told ANC. The Antonios development firm has built a reputation for signing deals with celebrities to help promote their brand. Antonio, who in November referred to himself as a liaison to the stars, signed Paris Hilton, a socialite heiress of the family that founded the Hilton hotel empire, to design the beach club at his nine-building Azure Urban Resort Residences, and Hilton appeared on a promotional billboard at Manilas domestic airport. Like Trump, Robbie Antonio is known for conspicuous consumption. For the walls of his $15 million Manila mansion, he paid millions of dollars to commission top artists to paint dozens of portraits of himself, according to a 2013 Vanity Fair article about the then-36-year-old multimillionaire. The median income for a Philippine family in 2015 was about $5,300 a year, national data show. The Trump Tower in Manila is one of more than a dozen luxury residential projects around the world licensed by the Trump company, including projects in Seoul; Mumbai; Istanbul; Dubai; and Punta del Este, Uruguay. Although Trump pledged in January that his company would push for no new foreign deals, the company continues to pursue Trump-licensed projects that already were underway in Indonesia and other countries. The Trumps and the Antonios also have discussed partnering on new Trump resorts and other projects in the Philippines, Jose Antonio said in interviews late last year. In one promotional video predating his fathers presidency, Donald Trump Jr. promised that this will not be our last project in the Philippines, adding, Were really looking forward to rolling out a couple things. Miller, the Trump company spokeswoman, said this week that the company has no plans for additional projects in the Philippines. Read more about: SHARE: TEHRAN, IRANA large explosion struck a coal mine in northern Iran on Wednesday, killing at least 21 miners and trapping several others as rescue teams worked frantically through the day and into the night to reach them, officials said. Irans official IRNA news agency quoted Sadegh Ali Moghadam, the provincial director of disaster management, as saying that 21 bodies have been found following the explosion in Golestan province. Moghadam warned of the possibility of the death toll rising as authorities estimate that a total of 35 miners were inside the mine at the time of the explosion. The semi-official ISNA and Tasnim news agencies gave the same death toll. ISNA quoted Houman Hadian of the Golestan mining industry, as saying that after hours of rescue efforts, the main tunnel of the mine was opened as teams continue to try to get to the miners. We are trying to inject oxygen into the tunnel to increase the chances of survival for people who are trapped in the mine, Moghadam said. Provincial spokesman Ali Yazerloo said the blast happened at 12:45 p.m. local time and that the provincial governor was heading to the scene. Several officials blamed the explosion on accumulated gas and said it was affecting rescue efforts. After the blast, ambulances, helicopters and other rescue vehicles raced to the scene as authorities worked to determine the scale of the emergency. Initially, there was confusion about how many miners had been trapped inside. Hossein Ahmadi, head of the provincial Red Crescent, told state TV that about 26 were believed to be trapped. But other officials provided significantly higher estimates, including one from Pir Hossein Kolivand, who runs Irans emergency department and who said as many as 80 miners could be trapped in two sections of the mine. Earlier, Moghadam also said that about 25 people were injured in the accident. Separately, at least 25 people who had entered the mine to try to save those trapped had to be taken to the hospital after inhaling the gas, said Hamidreza Montazeri, the deputy head of the emergency management department in Golestan. Iranian news reports said the explosion happened while workers were changing shifts. Hassan Sadeghlou, Golestans governor, told state TV that the explosion may have been caused by someone attempting to restart a lorry engine inside the mine tunnel. I carried two out of the mine, an unidentified, soot-covered miner told state television earlier in the day. It is not possible to go inside again. Oxygen tanks should be brought. Another miner said he feared his colleagues trapped inside may have died. The gas in the mine exploded and my colleagues remained in the tunnel, he said. Semi-official Iranian news agencies posted images online from the scene, showing ambulances and emergency workers gathered at the mouth of the mine. Some showed dazed workers, covered in coal dust, being helped by bystanders or laying on the ground as rescuers rushed past with oxygen bottles. More than 500 workers are employed at the Zemestanyurt mine, which lies 14 kilometres from Azadshahr, according to IRNA. Golestan sits along Irans northern border with Turkmenistan and along the shore of the Caspian Sea. Oil-producing Iran is also rich in a variety of minerals. Iran annually consumes some 2.5 ton of coal but only extracts about 1 million tons from its mines per year. The rest is imported, often consumed in the countrys steel mills. This is not the first disaster to strike Irans mining industry. In 2013, 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, 20 workers were killed in several incidents. Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas often are blamed for the fatalities. Since Irans nuclear deal with world powers, the country has begun an effort to renovate some of its coal mines. Delegations have visited Tehran from foreign countries including the Czech Republic, hopeful for contracts. Read more about: SHARE: BALCH SPRINGS, TEXASPolice in suburban Dallas fired the officer who shot and killed a black 15-year-old boy riding in a vehicle leaving a party, and family members of the teenager said they want criminal charges filed against the officer. The Balch Springs, Texas, officer, identified as Roy Oliver, was terminated on Tuesday for violating department policies in the shooting death of Jordan Edwards, police chief Jonathan Haber said. Edwards, a high school freshman, was leaving the party with his two brothers and two other teenagers Saturday night. Police arrived at the scene to investigate an underage drinking complaint and spotted the vehicle leaving. Oliver opened fire as the teenagers were driving away. Read more: Race issues loom over Dallas after police killing of Jordan Edwards Texas police fire officer who shot and killed black teen Officer shoots and kills 15-year-old black boy in car in Dallas suburb Shots from his rifle pierced the front side passenger window, hitting Edwards in the front seat, according to Edwards family attorneys, Lee Merritt and Jasmine Crockett. His 16-year-old brother was driving. The Dallas County district attorney and the Dallas County sheriffs office are investigating the case. The race of the fired officer was not revealed. The Dallas County medical examiner ruled Edwards death a homicide. Thousands of Facebook and Twitter users have posted about the case in recent days with the hashtag #jordanedwards, some comparing his death to other police shootings of young black men, such as 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, who was fatally shot in November 2014 as he held a pellet gun. Police originally said the teenagers vehicle was reversing in an aggressive manner toward officers, but Haber said Monday that video taken at the scene proved the vehicle was actually driving away. The police departments latest statement, released Tuesday night, says officers entering the house heard gunshots ring out during a chaotic scene with numerous people running away from the location. As officers exited the house, they encountered the vehicle backing out onto a main road and driving away despite their attempts to tell the driver to stop, the new statement said. Edwards family had called for the officer to be fired and criminally charged. Their call followed news Tuesday of the Justice Departments decision to not charge two white police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the shooting death of a black man in 2016, and as a white officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to murder in the fatal shooting of a 50-year-old black man in 2015. Fatal police shootings of African-Americans have prompted criticism from victims families over delayed action, and in some cases mass protests. But Crockett credited Haber for moving quickly to correct the police departments mistaken statement and fire the officer the department said was responsible. After youve seen the scenario play out over and over, youre always building up this hope, and it seems like youre cut off right before you get to the promised land, Crockett said. A family statement released Tuesday night called for disciplinary action against other officers who extended this nightmare for those children. Our family is working hard to deal with both the loss of our beloved Jordan and the lingering trauma it has caused our boys, the family statement said. Cindy Stormer, an attorney for Oliver, issued a statement saying the shooting was recent and still being investigated. Everyone should wait until the facts come out and we know more, she said, according to the Dallas Morning News. Friends have described Edwards as a good student and popular athlete. Edwards and the four people with him decided to leave what was becoming an unruly party as they heard gunfire and police were arriving, Merritt said, citing what witnesses had told lawyers. As they drove away from the party, Crockett said, the brother driving the vehicle heard multiple gunshots that were close enough to leave his ears ringing. It took a few moments before the people inside in the car noticed Edwards slumped over, she said. They couldnt tell if he was already dead. The brother who was driving pulled over and tried to motion to police for help, she said. Instead, Crockett said, he was detained and handcuffed. Crockett said the driver wasnt formally arrested, but a separate statement from the family released through Merritt says the two brothers were arrested. SHARE: MOSCOWAleksei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, said on Tuesday that a doctor told him he had lost 80 per cent of the sight in one eye after suffering a chemical burn when an assailant threw a green liquid in his face last week. The eyes vision may improve, but the outlook is unclear, Navalny wrote on his website, citing his doctor. Initially, the attack had appeared less serious; dousing opposition figures with green dye is a common occurrence and often attributed to pro-Kremlin activists. Typically, a type of topical medical disinfectant has been used. It is difficult to wash out but harmless. Read more: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny jailed for 15 days Russia blocks opposition leader from running for president Dozens arrested at Moscow rallies Navalny, who has declared his intention to run in Russias presidential election next year, had already once this spring been splashed in the face with green dye, without any adverse affects. But after the attack Thursday, in which a man threw the green liquid in the opposition leaders face and then ran away, Navalny was taken to a hospital to treat burning in his right eye. In a post on his website on Tuesday, Navalny said his ophthalmologist had told him that he had a chemical burn on the right eye caused by something other than the green-colored disinfectant. There was clearly a mix of disinfectant and another, caustic chemical, Navalny wrote. I am being actively treated, and there is hope that it will be cured, he wrote. Over the weekend, Navalny joked that we are fighting for the eye to remain transparent, but if that doesnt succeed (and there is a chance, alas) then Russia will have a president with a stylish, white eye. Noting that the dousing attacks were growing more serious, Navalny also posted pictures of Hollywood-style special effects, humorous suggestions about his possible appearance by the time next years election rolls around. One depicted Navalny as the Terminator character, with one glowing red eye. Another showed a man with half his face melted away, revealing his grinning teeth. A pro-Kremlin television station, Ren-TV, has broadcast video of the attack, which was apparently filmed by an accomplice of the assailant, whose face is digitally blurred. Nonetheless, supporters of Navalny have said they identified the man, based on his build and clothes, as the same pro-government activist who last year splashed urine on photographs by the American photographer Jock Sturges at a Moscow art gallery, forcing the exhibit to close. Navalny, in the post on Tuesday, said he believed that this identification was correct. Moscow police have formally opened an investigation but appear to be stalling, Navalny wrote, as they have not interviewed witnesses from among his supporters, sought surveillance video or made arrests. Attacks on Russian opposition politicians are seldom solved. In 2015, assailants shot to death Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, on a sidewalk near the Kremlin. The authorities have put a man suspected of being the gunman, along with his accomplices, on trial, but they have made no headway in finding out who ordered the assassination. In an attack in 2013 related to internal politics within the Bolshoi Theater, an assailant splashed acid in the face of the artistic director, Sergei Y. Filin, disfiguring and partly blinding him. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin signalled improving prospects for co-operation in Syria in what the White House called a very good phone discussion that included a focus on setting up safe zones in the war-torn nation. The Kremlin said the leaders also agreed in Tuesdays call to try to set up their first in-person meeting in July, on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany. The White House later confirmed that information. The call marked the first time Trump and Putin have spoken since the U.S. launched missiles against an air base in Syria, an attack that outraged Russia, one of the Syrian governments strongest backers. The U.S. military action sparked new tensions between Washington and Moscow, with top U.S. officials sharply condemning Putins continued support for embattled Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump But the leaders appeared to again be edging toward closer co-operation following the exchange. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin agreed to bolster diplomatic efforts to resolve the Syrian civil war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced. The White House announced it would send a top State Department official to Russian-led talks on Syria that begin Wednesday in Kazakhstan. President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence, the White House said. The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons. Read more: How right-wing Republicans got over that whole Cold War thing and made friends with Russia https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/04/20/trump-wants-the-world-to-know-hes-unpredictable-the-world-is-trying-to-figure-out-what-that-means-analysis.htmlTrump wants the world to know hes unpredictable. The world is trying to figure out what that meansEND Trumps sharp turns on Russia leaves heads spinning, the world guessing: Analysis The Kremlin characterized the call as business-like and constructive. It made no mention of safe zones. Since taking office, Trump has been raising the prospect of safe zones in Syria with world leaders. The zones would be aimed at protecting civilians and dissuading Syrian refugees from trying to come to the United States, one of Trumps goals. But military leaders have warned that significant American resources would be required to safeguard the regions. Whether the U.S. and Russia can find a way forward is deeply uncertain. The U.S. has long sought Moscows help in Syria, where the civil war has created a vacuum for Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL, and other extremist groups. But Russias ongoing support for Assad has been a persistent roadblock. As a candidate, Trump argued that the U.S. focus in Syria should be on terrorism, not seeking Assads removal from power. And he vowed to work with any country particularly Russia that wanted to play a role in that effort. But last month, Trump was moved by the gruesome images of children killed in a chemical weapons attack that the U.S. has pinned on the Assad government. The U.S. launched 59 Tomahawk missiles against a Syrian air base, marking the first time America has directly targeted the Syrian government since the conflict there began. Some of Trumps top advisers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, levelled blistering criticism on Russia and Putin following the chemical weapons attack. Yet Trump has continued to hold out the prospect of a stronger relationship with Russia, which was a cornerstone of his foreign policy platform as a presidential candidate. He took to Twitter days after the Syria strikes to say that things will work out fine between the U.S. and Russia and everyone will come to their senses. The shifts in the Trump administrations posture came amid a steady swirl of controversy surrounding possible ties between the presidents associates and Russia during last years election. The FBI and congressional committees are investigating whether Trumps campaign co-ordinated with Russia as it meddled in the election. Hillary Clinton, Trumps vanquished Democratic opponent, said during a speaking appearance Tuesday that she was on the way to winning the election until intervening events in the campaigns final days, including the WikiLeaks release of hacked emails from one of her top advisers. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Russia was behind the hacking. Putin, who met earlier Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, denied that Moscow ever interferes in other countries elections. He said accusations of Russian meddling aimed at helping Trump in his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton were simply rumours being used as part of a political fight in Washington. Trump has vigorously denied any nefarious ties to Moscow, calling the Russian investigations a hoax. Tuesdays call marked the third time Trump and Putin are known to have talked since the U.S. president took office in January. Both the White House and the Kremlin said the leaders also discussed North Koreas nuclear provocations. Read more about: SHARE: In the end, Defence Minister Harjits Sajjans sin is grammatical. He has described himself as the architect of a 2006 Canadian-led mission against the Taliban during the Afghan War. He should have said an architect. For this, he is being pilloried in the Commons. Opposition MPs have called him a liar and demanded he resign. A scandal about nothing, it is a classic case of Ottawa overkill. And like many faux scandals, it obscures the real story which in this case is that the 2006 mission in question, Operation Medusa, ultimately didnt work. Read more: Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan pays price for rash battlefield boast Politically, Operation Medusa was critically important for the newly deployed Canadian battle group in Afghanistans Kandahar province. The largest Canadian-led operation since the Korean War, Medusa gave the then-Conservative government a chance to have its troops show their stuff both to the voters back home and to other coalition partners in Afghanistan. The attacks on Taliban forces hunkered down in Kandahars Panjwai and Zhari districts were also crucial militarily. Previous efforts to pacify these districts had failed. The Taliban would melt away and return after coalition forces had gone. Operation Medusa, which included U.S. and Afghan troops, was supposed to be the first step in a longer battle for the hearts and minds of the Taliban heartland. This is the situation in which Sajjan, an undercover Vancouver drug cop and military reservist, found himself. According to a letter later sent to Vancouvers chief constable by Brig. Gen. David Fraser, the top Canadian commander in Afghanistan at the time (and later obtained by the online publication National Observer), Sajjan was a marvel. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan repeatedly apologized in Parliament on Monday for overstating his role in a 2006 battle in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rebuffed opposition calls for Sajjan?s resignation. Calling him one of the most remarkable people I have worked with Fraser said that Sajjan single-handedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan His analysis was so compelling that it drove a number of large-scale theatre-resourced efforts, including Operation Medusa, the general wrote, adding that Sajjans experience as an undercover cop and his ability to understand criminal networks made him particularly useful in navigating the shoals of Afghan affairs. He was the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre, Fraser wrote. He personally fused broad sources of information into an extremely coherent picture upon which most of the formations major operations were based. All of which suggests that Sajjan wasnt entirely wrong when he twice referred to himself as the architect of Operation Medusa first in a 2015 interview and more recently at a conference in India. He may not have been Medusas sole architect. But he was one of them. Read more: Trudeau backs Sajjan after exaggerated combat claim from Afghanistan mission Technically, Operation Medusa was a success. Twelve Canadians died, including one mistakenly killed by a U.S. warplane. But 1,500 Taliban were killed or captured and many of the rest forced out. Like so much in the Afghan War, however, victory was fleeting. The Afghan National Police were unable, or unwilling, to hold the ground that had been taken. In Sept. 2007, the Canadians launched Operation Keeping Goodwill to recapture some of the areas in Zhari district that had been lost. By this time, according to the Washington Post, the number of Taliban fighters in Panjwai were back up to pre-Medusa levels. In 2010, Canadian forces were fighting again for the Panjwai, this time as part of Operation Hamkari. By the end of 2011, the Canadian battle group was effectively out of Kandahar province. By 2014, it was out of Afghanistan altogether. In the final analysis, its not clear what good came out of Canadas 12-year deployment. Some 158 Canadian soldiers were killed. The Taliban still fights on. The war still rages. If MPs want to debate the usefulness of anti-insurgent warfare, a long hard look at what Operation Medusa accomplished might be a good place to start regardless of who its architects were. But that is not what is being debated in the Commons. Instead, Conservative and New Democrat MPs are hammering away at the reputation of a man, who by all accounts, performed admirably albeit in a losing cause. How does that help? Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Read more about: SHARE: Don Meredith could save himself and everyone else a lot of bother by simply resigning his seat in the Senate immediately. The longer he drags out the process of removing him from the upper chamber, the worse for him and the institution. The Senates ethics committee is right to recommend that Meredith be expelled for carrying on a two-year affair with a teenage girl. The Senate is struggling to rebuild credibility among Canadians, and any lesser penalty would undermine its reputation even further. The committee is forthright in condemning Merediths actions, as it should be. He has abused his privileged position of authority and trust by engaging in behaviour that is incompatible with his office, it concluded. He has brought disrepute to himself and the institution His presence in the chamber would in itself discredit the institution. No lesser sanction than expulsion would repair the harm he has done to the Senate. This is the most severe penalty the Senate can impose, and it has never been used before in the institutions history. But it is the only penalty that would be proportionate to the offence. Merediths conduct has been egregious. An ordained pastor and counselor to youth, he began the relationship in early 2013, when the girl was only 16 years old and he was 48. The Senates ethics officer found that he used his position to lure or attract her into an affair that turned sexual when she was just 17. It was an appalling breach of trust. Merediths conduct since the affair came to light in 2015, thanks to reporting by the Stars Kevin Donovan, has also been discreditable. He acknowledged responsibility only in March, after the ethics officers damning report. Even then he admitted only to a moral failing. As a Pentecostal pastor, he should know better than most people where his responsibilities lie. He should long ago have faced up to what he did, resigned his position, and started on the long road to redemption. Forgiveness is possible, but it starts by assuming responsibility and expressing true contrition. Instead, he dragged out the investigation and ignored calls by fellow senators to step down. At one point he even blamed racism for condemnation of his actions. He made an awful situation even worse. Meredith will have an opportunity to address the Senate before it votes on his fate. Rather than continue on this course, he would be better advised to accept the ethics committees judgment, apologize and step aside. Senators will be deliberating amid further allegations about Merediths conduct. Three former female staff members, speaking anonymously to the Huffington Post, allege that he touched and groped them inappropriately. The Senate has been buffeted for years by charges of misconduct, mostly financial, by some of its members. It became a laughing-stock, even an object of contempt, among Canadians. But it has lately embarked on a journey to win back respect by adopting stricter rules of conduct. And the Trudeau government has taken positive steps by appointing more independent senators and trying to make the chamber less overtly partisan. The Senate will help itself along that path if it deals swiftly and decisively with Meredith. Anything less will damage the institution even further. SHARE: Re: Criticism only makes Trump more powerful, Watt, April 30 Criticism only makes Trump more powerful, Watt, April 30 Columnist Jaime Watt is onto something. He points out that the media continue to refuse to accept the fact that a large number of Americans reject the opinions of the elites and the pundits. It is amusing that the media, with a 20-per-cent public approval rating, feel justified in panning Trumps popularity, which is twice as high as theirs. Similarly, the Democrats simply cannot accept the fact that they deserved to lose because they put forward a flawed candidate who ran a deplorable campaign with a platform that was incomprehensible and meaningless to many voters. We have a Canadian parallel in Harpers success. He correctly recognized that the media was never going to be fair and proceeded to win elections by ignoring the national press. That aspect of the rise to power of Trump and Harper is a positive development. One can win without media support and huge campaign spending. And thats a good thing. Pav Penna, Georgetown Jamie Watt argues that Trump is immune to criticism; that to do so only makes him stronger. I would like to know what he thinks someone should do if they believe that what Trump and his cronies are doing is destroying the environment, harmful to democracy and threatens the very fabric of not only the U.S. but much of the world. Just give up? Michael Halsall, Georgetown Is this a catch 22? Surely the answer cant be to praise the illogical, dangerous, bumbling record of this new president. Russell Pangborn, Keswick Read more about: SHARE: Re: Defence Minister Sajjans explanation falls short, Editorial, May 2 Defence Minister Sajjans explanation falls short, Editorial, May 2 What advice can be given to a minister of defence who deliberately surrendered the moral high ground in a foolish attempt to lionize himself? One word will do: Resign! Harjit Sajjan has become an embarrassment to Canada, a discredit to his former uniform, a liability to the Liberal Party and, most important of all, a glory-seeking joke to the men and women serving in the Canadian Forces. His self-serving apology is totally inadequate, just another example of poor judgment. Talking about poor judgment, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went on record saying he has my full confidence. By backing Sajjans shameful behaviour, which is bound to result in derisive snickering and disparaging remarks throughout the Canadian Forces, Trudeau has set an extremely low ethical standard. Members of his government have been given the green light to deceive, exaggerate, mislead and misinform Canadians. But I guess Trudeau did that himself during the election. Lloyd Atkins, Vernon, B.C. SHARE: Shares of New York Times (NYT) - Get Free Report were surging in afternoon trading Wednesday after the publisher boasted the best quarterly digital subscriber growth in its pay model history as it continues to ride the wave of interest in high-quality journalism. The company soared nearly 13% to finish Wednesday trading at $16.10 per share. The Times reported diluted earnings of 8 cents per share, up from 5 cents per share in the same period in 2016. Revenue rose by 5.1% to $398.8 million. Analysts had expected 7 cents per share in earnings on $382 million in revenue. "These [subscriber] numbers, we believe, validate our thesis that there is a large and growing appetite in this country and around the world for journalism of seriousness and depth, and that a growing number of people are prepared to pay for it in digital as well as in print," CEO Mark Thompson said on an earnings call. "They also support our view that quality news is a relationship business." Despite the intense political climate, Thompson noted that digital subscriptions were accelerating "long before" the 2016 presidential election took over the news cycle. "The acceleration was driven by data-driven adjustments to our pay model and greatly improved execution in our consumer marketing department," he explained. The company that has been described as "failing" multiple times by President Donald Trump over the past year reported a stunning 308,000 net digital new subscriptions for the first quarter. In addition, paid digital-only subscriptions rose 60% year-over-year and 16% from the last quarter to 2.2 million, and digital-only subscription revenue was up 40% vs. the 2016 first quarter. While the social media age means a number of people get news from Twitter (TWTR) - Get Free Report and Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report , "thoughtful readers" still want to have a go-to platform that they can trust, Thompson said. In addition, advertisers want their ads to be next to content they can trust. Digital ads now make up 38% of total ad revenue and rose 18.9% year over year to $49.7 million, while revenue from print ads declined by 17.9% to $80.4 million. Thompson noted "continued headwinds" in print advertising but said digital revenue and print consumer revenue were both up year-over-year. "When I arrived at The Times 4-1/2 years ago, print advertising was such an important part of the company's economics that the idea of growing total revenue in the face of such stiff headwinds would have been unthinkable," he said. "The dynamism of our digital businesses now makes it possible." The New York Times launched a much-talked about ad campaign this past quarter based on the idea that "The truth is hard." In late April, the company announced the next wave of this campaign would include four ads directed by Darren Aronofsky that show the great lengths Times reporters go to to inform its readers. Aronofsky's films include Black Swan, The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream and Pi. "Fact-based, independent journalism is perhaps a more dangerous job now than it has ever has been, and it is also more important now than it has ever been," Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger said in a Wednesday announcement. The first commercial was released April 21 and features staff photographer Tyler Hicks and his work covering refugees in Lesbos, Greece. Thompson also emphasized the Times talent bank, noting a number of new hires this quarter, including Wall Street Journal veteran Rebecca Blumenstein as deputy managing editor and Bloomberg Businessweek's Ellen Pollock as business editor, who are both reshaping the Times business and financial coverage. The company has plans to recruit even more talent and will lay those plans out in the current quarter, Thompson said. The encouraging results from New York Times are in line with the vote of confidence it received from billionaire investor Warren Buffett in February. "There are only two papers in the United States that I think have an assured future because they have a successful internet model to go with their print model, and that's the Journal and The New York Times," said Buffett, whose current holdings include 31 U.S. newspapers. "And I'm not saying it'll even be easy for them." Jim Cramer and the AAP team dive deep into Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report following its second-quarter earnings call. Find out what they're telling their investment club members. Get a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS. Don't miss these top stories on TheStreet: OVERTON Overton FCCLA students competed at the State Leadership Conference in Lincoln on April 2 - 4. Ashley Carlson was recognized for being selected to be one of only nine Honorary Conference Assistants. These individuals assist state FCCLA staff with various tasks throughout the conference, said Angie Ehlers, an Overton School Teacher and FCCLA advisor. Seniors who are not competing in the State STAR (students taking action with recognition) event competition may apply to serve as a member of the Honorary Conference Assistant team, Ehlers said. Honorary Conference Assistants play a vital role in the operation and success of our annual State Leadership Conference, she said. Duties of conference assistants were: assist with introducing breakout session speakers, ensure correct audio and video and room set-up, assist with STAR Events as needed, assist in general session operations, and helping all conference attendees find rooms. "Ashley had to complete many of those tasks throughout the three-day conference. She has been an outstanding leader for our chapter. I am excited to see where her leadership skills will take her in the future," Ehlers said. Hannah Smith, an Overton student, attended district officer training and was selected as the District Vice-President of STAR. Becoming a chapter or district officer members allows the student to continue to develop their leadership and public speaking skills through FCCLA, Ehlers said. Often these offices can also be stepping stones to higher offices, such as State Peer Education team members, State Officers or even National Officers, she said. "Hannah will have the chance to work with other officers from our district to plan the District Leadership Conference, which will be held in North Platte in October. They work to plan educational sessions for members to attend as well as other fun activities and service projects. This will also help Hannah grow as a leader within our own school," Ehler said. Smith will be a freshmen at Overton School this fall, she said. Overton chapter members Darcy Stewart, Sarah Cox and Rebecca Zeleski were recognized for completing all five units of the "Power of One" National Program. Ehlers said the "Power of One" helps students find and use their personal power to better the lives of their family members, schools, communities, and themselves. Members work to set their own goals in five different areas: A Better You, Family Ties, Working on Working, Take the Lead and Speak Out for FCCLA. "They complete projects in each area to achieve their goals and then they enjoy the results. The three girls from Overton who completed Power of One each competed all five modules with unique projects, they then applied and were recognized on stage at State FCCLA," she said. The Overton Chapter received a Gold Chapter Award for the various projects completed throughout the school year, Ehlers said. Ehlers was also presented with an ACE (Adviser Committed to Excellence) Award. Chapter Awards are something that any chapter can apply for based on the activities the chapter did throughout the school year, Ehlers said. She said there are three levels of chapter awards - gold, silver and bronze. Having been involved with FCCLA since she was in high school, Ehlers said she became an adviser because she gained so much from being involved with the organization that she wanted other students to have those same experiences. Ehlers devotes a great deal of time and energy into FCCLA on all levels by serving as a chapter adviser, a State Peer Education Team adviser and as a member of the Board of Directors for Nebraska FCCLA. "While it was very nice to be recognized for this award, I don't do what I do for recognition. I just really love FCCLA and I want all students in Nebraska FCCLA to be able to benefit from the organization," Ehler said. Several chapter members participated in STAR competitive events, while others attended breakout sessions on human trafficking, dating violence, MADD (mothers against drunk driving) and career exploration, she said. On the last day of the conference, Tuesday, April 4, the STAR awards ceremony was held. Ehlers said Overton student Jordan Bidwell was named the State Champion and National STAR Qualifier in the Leadership category. Ehlers said Bidwell had to complete a self-assessment of her own leadership abilities. She also had to have three other people assess her leadership abilities, she said. With the information gathered, Bidwell had to come up with three areas in which she wanted to grow, Ehlers said. Bidwell created a Leadership Development Plan, for which she set goals for each of the different areas she decided to focus on, she said. "She has been working to achieve those goals since about October, as becoming a stronger leader is a continual process. She has a portfolio that contains all the different aspects of her project that she presents to the judges during competition," Ehlers said. Overton student Calli Weston earned a gold medal and State Runner-up for her STAR project in Family, Challenges and Issues. Weston, did her presentation on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. "Calli has personal experience with PTSD in her own family so this was a very important topic for her to share with her peers and the community. In her speech she shares what PTSD is and the many events that might cause someone to suffer from PTSD," Ehlers said. Weston also shared how those with PTSD and their family members can cope with this disorder, she said. Fellow STAR participant Diana Perdomo competed in a very tough Career Investigation, senior category and earned a silver medal, Ehlers said. For Perdomo's project, she completed several self-assessments to figure out what career field might be the best for her and then selected a career that she is very interested in, dentistry, Ehlers said. The next step for Perdomo was to find out all kinds of information about being a dentist such as job responsibilities, educational requirements, salary and job outlook, she said. The final part of Perdomo's project was to put together a portfolio with all of the information as well as a college and career plan, and samples of high school class work to show her various skills and abilities, Ehler said. Perdomo then presented her portfolio and a short speech about her project to a group of judges, she said. "Diana's favorite part of the project was getting to spend a day job shadowing Overton dentist Dr. Dan McClenahan. He is a great resource and role model for her," Ehlers said. Overall, the conference was a very rewarding experience for everyone. "Each chapter member brought back excellent ideas for chapter projects that can be completed in the coming school year. The Overton Chapter wishes Jordan the best of luck in the National STAR competition," Ehlers said. The National Leadership Meeting will be held July 2-6 in Nashville, Tenn. Russia has resumed sending large shipments of oil to Cuba for the first time in the 21st century, sources told Reuters. Supplies to Cuba have declined as a result of the ongoing turmoil in Venezuela. A Russian Oil tanker holding 249,000 barrels of refined products is said to be arriving in Cuba on May 10. "It is very clear that Cuba is diversifying its long-term supply contracts in the event that its October 2000 subsidized oil agreement with Venezuela is terminated," Jorge Pinon, an oil expert at the University of Texas at Austin, told Reuters. It's Goldman present vs. Goldman past on Trump's tax plan and a $2 trillion difference. The math on the tax blueprint presented by National Economic Council director Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week turned White House officials doesn't add up, according to a Wednesday note from Goldman Sachs (GS) - Get Free Report . The White House officials' plan to drop the tax rate to 15% on corporations and pass-through businesses would blow a hole in the deficit that it would be hard to make up for with growth. Taxing pass-through businesses at Trump's proposed 15% corporate rate instead of the individual rate could lower tax revenues by $2 trillion over 10 years, said Goldman analysts Daan Struyven and Alec Phillips. Lowering the rate would wipe out $1 trillion, and likely changes in behavior would take another $1 trillion off. The 15% pass-through rate would give corporations an incentive to reorganize themselves as pass-through entities, such as S Corporations, partnerships and LLCs, and would push more individuals to shift income from wages and salaries to business income to take advantage of the lower rate. And in all that finagling, trillions of dollars in taxes would dissipate. "Such a large cost would represent a substantial share of any politically feasible tax cut that Congress might pass," the analysts said. The White House proposal would likely boost the share of pass-throughs in total business income, continuing an ongoing trend. Relatively lower tax rates for pass-throughs since the 1980s have contributed to the gradual decline in the corporate share in business income from 75% in 1980 to 35% today. Former Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee estimates that a 10 percentage point increase in the corporate tax rate reduces the number of firms that pay corporate rates by 5% to 10%. The Trump tax plan would also push pass-through business owners to shift their incomes from wages and salaries to business income. Under Trump's plan, top income earners would face a 35% tax rate, well above the 15% on business income. Goldman points to evidence from the U.K., Finland, Sweden and Kansas, suggesting that a 20 percentage point gap between individual and business rates would significantly move the needle. "The upshot is that the 15% business tax rate in the White House proposal could cost almost $2 trillion over 10 years, with about half of the cost arising from plausible income shifting," Struyven and Phillips said. Their conclusion: policymakers will likely opt for a higher pass-through rate, be it the 25% rate listed in the House Republican's tax blueprint or some other, non-15% rate. The analysts acknowledge that the Trump tax plan does have potential growth benefits -- the assumption being that lower tax rates leads to increased economic output. But they appear not to be as sold on the amount of expansion the Trump team is promising. The White House has set a goal of 3% economic growth. "This tax reform package is about growing the economy, creating jobs," Cohn said in a press briefing last week. "The president is determined to unleash economic growth for businesses," Mnuchin said. "This is not just about large corporations. Small and medium-sized businesses will be eligible for the business rate as well." The two former Goldman executives don't appear to have the buy-in of two current Goldman analysts who say their tax plan won't work out as well as they appear to believe. Repeats story published May 3. Interested in a topic even wonkier than tax policy? Try Etherium vs. Bitcoin on RealMoney. Jim Cramer has an investment club. Get a free trial subscription to Action Alerts PLUS. The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Premier Plan MMAI Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Illinois Inc., Aetna Better Health of Indiana Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Tennessee Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Insurance Company of New York, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Ex Pat LLC, Aetna International LLC, Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L., CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Cabot Holdings Inc., CVS Cabot Holdings Inc. Coram Clinical Trials Inc. 99.72%/Aetna Inc. .28%, CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Applications LLC, CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Health Ventures Fund GP LLC, CVS Health Ventures Fund LP, CVS Health Ventures Management LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Management Support LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS Pharmacy Overseas Online LLC, CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS Shaw Holdings Inc., CVS Shaw Holdings Inc. Coram Clinical Trials Inc. 99.72%/Aetna Inc. .28%, CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Austin LLC, CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Los Angeles LLC, CVS-SHC Kidney Care Home Dialysis of Philadelphia LLC, CVS-SHC Renal Holdings LLC, Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc. CVS Pharmacy Inc. 75%/Aetna Life Insurance Company 25%, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., Credentials Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California LLC, Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., First Choice of the Midwest LLC, First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Main Street Pharmacy L.L.C., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arkansas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Colorado LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services of Texas Association, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky LLC, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services LLC, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare LLC, Omnicare LLC Aetna Inc 0.28%/CVS Cabot Holdings Inc. 49.86%/CVS Shaw Holdings Inc. 49.86%, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare LLC, Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC. Read More LEXINGTON - The Ninth Annual Red and Wild continued the tradition of coming together to help. Organized by the Lexington Clipper-Herald, the event raises funds for a Dawson County family with medical expenses and also benefits a non-profit organization. This years event took place at the Holiday Inn Express in Lexington on Thursday, April 27. More than $5,000 was raised for Gracie Muleis family. Nine-year-old Gracie, of Cozad, has cystic fibrosis. Red and Wild also raised slightly more than $1,000 for the non-profit HeartBeatz, which provides family support for children with congenital heart defects. Red and Wild featured 30 vendors, a live auction, hors d oeuvres and a cash bar. The Lexington Clipper-Herald is appreciative of the event sponsors: Platte Valley Auto, Plum Creek Medical Group, KRVN River/Kami Radio, Plum Creek Motors, Lexington Regional Health Center, the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, Rustic and Red and the Lexington Holiday Inn Express. What a wonderful evening once again to raise money to help families that live in our community. We couldnt make this happen every year without the help from our sponsors, businesses, participants and my staff, said Heather Heinemann, general manager of the Lexington Clipper-Herald. Tina Mulei, mother of Gracie, said she was extremely grateful for the vast outpouring of community support for her family. Im speechless, I cant describe it. Im beyond words. I cant believe the community is so caring, Mulei said. Funds raised by Red and Wild will be used to cover a recent hospital stay for Gracie that lasted a week-and-a-half and also to pay for needed meds, Mulei said. Heather Larson, a co-founder of HeartBeatz, told the Clipper-Herald that every small or large donor or group that fundraises for her non-profit is greatly appreciated. We have always been very blessed by our community and our area. Dawson County is an area that supports families, Larson said. Lexington Clipper-Herald staff will present a check to the Mulei family and a representative with HeartBeatz in the coming weeks. See Wednesday's Clipper for more photos. The second half of 2016 was a record semester for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the Mena region since 2013 with $30.5 billion in dealsalmost three times the first half of the year, a report said. Megadeals drove this exceptional activity with four transactions above $1 billion, stacking up to $24.2 billion, explained the new report Mergers and Acquisitions in Mena by A T Kearney, a global management consultancy. The largest transaction was in financial services. First Gulf Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi agreed on a merger worth $14.8 billioncreating the United Arab Emirates largest bank with assets of around $178 billion. The remaining megadeals were in shipping and interest acquisitions in companies engaged in oil and gas concessions in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. However, the number of transactions dropped 53 per cent compared with the first half of 2016 to reach the lowest level in the past four years with 76 transactions announced. As the largest Mena financial investors seek opportunities mainly outside the region, corporate buyers have increased their share in the Mena M&A market. In the second half of 2016, corporations represented 82 per cent of the Mena deals compared with 64 to 75 per cent in previous periods. International corporations were particularly active during this period with a record investment of $11 billion. The second largest transaction in the first half of 2016 is one example of corporations resorting to M&A to enhance competitiveness: Hapag-Lloyd and United Arab Shipping Company announced a $5.4 billion merger to counter an industrywide downturn caused by a faltering global economy and overcapacity of vessels. The combined company is expected to generate significant cost savings and optimize networks and infrastructure. International M&A sustains momentum with financial investors leading the market Mena investors maintained a healthy appetite for international M&A with 55 deals announced in the second half of 201624 per cent less than in the first half of the year (see figure 3 on the following page). However, in terms of value, the second half of the year recorded $17.8 billion52 per cent more than in the first half. Financial investors, mainly Gulf Cooperation Council sovereign wealth funds, have been instrumental in driving international M&A from a value perspective as they searched for enhanced and diversified financial returns. The main investors in the number of transactions were Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which made a combined total of six investments across the energy, real estate, and transportation sectors. Mena investors are continuing active investment portfolio rebalancing but with selective divestments Investors are using active portfolio management to maximize the value of their investments, albeit at a somewhat slower pace compared with the previous four periods. Divestments abroad dropped 38 per cent in the second half of 2016 compared with the first half of the year, reaching 10 transactions. Divestment value dropped 63 per cent to $1 billion in transactions, still within the historical value range of$0.6 to $4.4 billion per year. The largest share of divestments occurred in the Americas, with 40 per cent of the total for the second half of 2016 mainly driven by two deals in Canada. First, Dubai World Corporation sold a 45 per cent stake in DP World for $650 million to Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, a Canadian institutional investor. Second, Kingdom Holding Company disposed of the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto for $172 million to a private investor. 2017 Mena and international M&A outlook A T Kearney anticipates the Mena and international M&A market to remain dynamic as market players carry out initiatives to enhance competitiveness, including through M&A transactions. We expect investors to focus on transactions that have scale and impact to achieve synergies with the core business. Four factors are expected to drive the market in the next 12 months: The downward pressure on oil prices is expected to continue, sustaining the need for GCC governments to optimize their fiscal budgets. In the current low-growth market, acquisitions provide opportunities to improve bottom lines or give access to new markets or customers. Refocusing on core activities is a major trend in the region to maximize the value of company resources, increasing the supply of assets up for divestment and feeding the M&A market. For instance, several oil and gas companies are seeking opportunities to divest assets far from their core businesses or not needed to support their long-term strategies. The transition to a knowledge-based economy envisioned by Mena countries is expected to incentivize transactions that secure access to new technologies, innovation, and skills. Joint ventures are attractive partnership opportunities as they serve a dual purpose in this transition: transferring know-how and reducing capital requirements for new projects. The opportunity to acquire assets with attractive valuation enabling access to the regions long-term growth potential is compelling for international corporate investors. We witnessed this trend in the second half of 2016 with corporations enhancing their participation in the overall Mena M&A market. The high availability of dry powder for financial investors can also lead to opportunistic investments by such investors in the region, where global financial investors have historically been cautious. TradeArabia News Service Some posts on this site contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Less than an hour from the heart of Rome are the ruins of an ancient city preserved by nature, much in the same way that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius stopped Pompeii in its tracks. One key difference (other than the drama of a volcanic eruption) is that, unlike the super popular Pompeii, very few tourists ever make their way to Ostia Antica from Rome. If youve already hit the highlights of the Eternal City, its worth the quick train trip to explore this formerly bustling port town. What is Ostia Antica? Ostia was founded at the mouth of the Tiber River around 620 B.C. It was an important gateway to Rome and thrived on the salt from the nearby salt flats, which was an important preservative in the many centuries before refrigeration. As the population grew to over 100,000 residents, it became a naval base, a seaport, and a busy commercial center. As the city declined, mud and silt from the river took over. Whats left of today is not only under-rated but mostly unknown by tourists a stones throw away in Rome. It took us four visits to Italy for the site to even make it on our radar. And while most tourists to Italy focus on the major landmarks and attractions, this site should be on any travelers list. Ostia Antica is laid out along a main street with sprawling complexes on either side. Like other major sites such as Hadrians Villa, much of the city is still unexcavated, but theres plenty visible above ground. Not far from the entrance, the grandeur of Ostias past starts to reveal itself. Its always amazing to see statues that are thousands of years old still mostly intact. Even the ones missing limbs (or heads) can be quite beautiful. In its day, Ostia was significant enough to have temples, ornate baths, a sizeable theater, and homes of nobles. Somehow, enough of these great structures have survived to still be recognizable today. Unlike ruins in many other ancient cities, in Ostia Antica, you can still see original mosaics and walk in the footsteps of the citizens who lived here. With just a few exceptions, buildings are open and easily accessible to visitors. And you may be mostly alone while you explore. Tour the Historic Site The first big site to catch our attention was the Baths of Neptune. In Roman times, the baths were one of the social hubs with rooms and tubs of different temperatures and plenty of places to relax for hours. Though parts of the baths have been lost to time, the intricate mosaic of Neptune on his chariot that graces the floor is one of the most spectacular ruins weve seen anywhere in the world. Between its age, its completeness, and the skill used to craft it, everything about this mosaic is astounding. Just a few steps beyond the mosaic is the heart of the complexits vast theater. One of the oldest theaters of its kind anywhere, the 2700-seat venue still hosts events today. Nearby, the theatrical mask ornaments remind you of where you are. Just in front of the theater is the Plaza of the Guilds, which used to be the heart of Romes import/export business. Mosaics along the walkway advertise the services of the more than 60 shops that used to be here. Elsewhere in the settlement, you can see a tavern and bar complete with an area to display food, ancient apartments where the lower middle-class lived. There are storehouses, the remains of temples, and other ruins of all types dotting the landscape. There are even insulehouses with frescoes that can be visited with an appointment. The on-site museum displays some of the best statues excavated from the buried city. There are wrestlers and cupids and reclining goddesses next to busts of actual Ostia residents. Statues of the patriarchs and ancestors dot the pedestals, and there are plentiful examples of carved coffins. On the whole, there is a lot to see in Ostia, and a visit here is much less controlled than at many other historic sites (it reminds us of Volubilis, the Roman ruins in Morocco). The drawback to that is that there are also stretches of the park that are simply old walls and arches without much explanation of what youre seeing. If youre prepared for a bit of walking and to read the many detailed panels that are available, visiting Ostia Antica is definitely worth the half-day trip from Rome. Getting from Rome to Ostia Antica Getting to Ostia Antica from Rome is only a 45-minute combination metro/train ride. From Rome, take Metro line B to the Piramide stop. At the Piramide stop, walk to the Roma Porta San Paolo train station and follow signs to Lido. All trains depart in the direction of Lido and leave regularly. The Ostia Antica site is open Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays) from 8:30 am. Closing times vary based on the season. Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., and Turkish Airlines, both members of Star Alliance, signed a Codeshare Agreement which will offer passengers more flight options with seamless connections through Copa's Hub of the Americas, in Panama City, and Turkish's seamless gateway to Europe through the company's Hub, in Istanbul, Turkey. Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., and Turkish Airlines, both members of Star Alliance, signed a Codeshare Agreement which will offer passengers more flight options with seamless connections through Copa's Hub of the Americas, in Panama City, and Turkish's seamless gateway to Europe through the company's Hub, in Istanbul, Turkey. The strategic Hub of the Americas of Copa Airlines, in Panama City, will allow passengers coming from Istanbul fast and efficiently connect to 74 destinations in America and the Caribbean, including the most important cities of the region. Also with this codeshare agreement, the Latin American passengers traveling with Turkish Airlines through its uniquely positioned hub, Istanbul, that bridges the East and the West, will have more entry options to Europe also Africa, Asia/ Far East and Middle East. Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines said: "This agreement between Copa Airlines and Turkish Airlines has great importance since it contributes to strengthen the connectivity between Latin America with Istanbul and the rest of Europe. Passengers from both hemispheres will benefit from world-class services and seamless connections through the hubs of the codeshare partners." Initially, Turkish will place its code on Copa flights between Panama City and David in Panama; Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo in Brazil; Santo Domingo and Punta Cana in Dominican Republic; Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador; San Salvador in El Salvador; Asuncion in Paraguay; Lima in Peru. On the other hand, Copa will place its code on Turkish operated flights between Panama and Istanbul. Progressively, as government approvals are granted, Turkish will also place its code on Copa flights to Cancun, Mexico City, and Guadalajara in Mexico; Managua in Nicaragua; San Jose in Costa Rica and Montevideo in Uruguay in order to expand the range of these codeshare flights into the region. "We are delighted to begin codeshare cooperation with Copa Airlines, which will improve our partnership as Star Alliance partners and also provide unique travel opportunities to the passengers through the far-reaching flight networks of both airlines. Especially, with our flights to Panama City operated from our incomparably positioned hub, Istanbul, passengers would enjoy to travel all around the continent with Copa Airlines' flights from Panama City," said Bilal Eksi, Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman & CEO. This agreement, which complements and expands the route networks of both airlines as well as the connectivity between the continents, will also improve and promote bilateral opportunities for tourism and commercial developments between two countries. Passengers of Copa and Turkish will enjoy the multiple benefits offered by Star Alliance, including reciprocity between the frequent flyer programs of both airlines and global recognition of the Star Alliance Gold and Silver status through the large route network that includes 1,300 airports in 190 countries. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Travel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2022 Travel Industry Wire When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. This Ohio-based company is every zero-waster's dream come true. Finally, it's possible to refill non-plastic containers through the mail. While living in the Bahamas, Lindsay McCoy became deeply disturbed by the amount of plastic waste she saw everywhere. She said, Plastic was on the beaches, in the water, on the side of the road. I have pictures full of plastic all over gorgeous beaches. Thats when it really hit her that there is no away when it comes to plastic trash. It might be more commonly out of sight back home in the United States, but its never actually gone. McCoy realized that she wanted to be part of a bigger solution to this huge environmental problem. Plaine Products' founders, Lindsay McCoy and Alison Delaplaine. Courtesy of Plaine Products Upon returning to the U.S., McCoy began reducing her personal use of plastic products. The bathroom was the toughest place to move away from plastic, which led her to develop a line of all-natural refillable shower products with her designer sister, Ali Delaplaine. It has taken two years, but Plaine Products finally launched in February 2017. The company is based on a simple yet brilliant model. Customers purchase shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in aluminum bottles. Once empty, refills are ordered and the empty original bottles are mailed back in the same recycled paper packaging that the refills came in. A return shipping label is included. An optional plastic pump, purchased initially, is transferred to the new bottle. Voila, zero-waste shampoo and conditioner! Courtesy of Plaine Products Plaine Products receives the old bottles, sterilizes, and refills them. At this early stage in the companys life, McCoy doesnt know how many uses each one will get before needing to be recycled, but so far the first bottles have come back in near-perfect condition. She told TreeHugger: The wonderful thing about aluminum [bottles] is that when they are recycled there is no quality loss, unlike plastic. While plastic is usually downgraded when its recycled and will eventually end up in a landfill, aluminum can be reused endlessly. The ingredients are free from sulfates, parabens, and phthalates, never tested on animals, vegan, and biodegradable. So far only shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are available (in regular and travel sizes), but McCoy hopes to add body lotion, hand wash, and additional scents to the list. Interestingly, she says the conditioner has been the most popular item among customers, possibly because there arent as many green, sustainable conditioner options as there are for shampoo, i.e. unpackaged bar shampoos. Plaine Products is a fabulous example of a company uniting multiple environmental and ethical goals in a single product. Its rare to find a green ingredient list, refillable product, and non-plastic packaging all in one. Currently, Plaine Products are only available in the U.S., but hopefully, the market will expand to Canada and other countries soon. As McCoy explained, Because our model is a new way of treating packaging, its not as simple as working out a distribution contract. Were hopeful we can find the right partners to grow. And the right customers, no doubt, who believe in the importance of reducing ones impact on the Earth. It's a great option for those zero-wasters who don't have any bulk stores nearby where they can refill products. - Governor William Kabogo's son has broken his silence after he reportedly flashed the middle finger to Kenyans - The derogatory hand gesture came just a few days after his father was spectacularly floored in the Kiambu primaries by Ferdinard Waititu - Kabogo is yet to announce whether he plans to vie at the polls as an independent candidate Governor William Kabogo's son has broken his silence after it emerged that he flashed the derogatory middle-finger sign to Kenyans who voted out his father. READ ALSO: You remember that woman who called for the prosecution of the gang-killing cop in Eastleigh? The incumbent governor was surprisingly floored by Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu by the most convincing margin, garnering only 69,916 votes to Waititus 353,604. This explains why Alvin was not that impressed when he took to social media to throw one at the haters. Kiambu Governor Wiliam Kabogo READ ALSO: Top Classic 105 presenter calls it quits While Kabogo conceded defeat early enough with hints of controversy, there was little doubt that he had been taken down. His son who has been schooled in England has since responded to claims that he insulted his countrymen. The said photo. We covered it for him. READ ALSO: You remember Olive from mother-in-law? She looks so hot now Writing on social media, Alvin blamed the publicity given to his finger on 'haters'. He said that the finger had been taken out of context. "Haters will be haters and remain that way, on that note let me sip my coffee, have a blessed Sunday, " he wrote. Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke Source: TUKO.co.ke - Jubilee Party has been hit by a wave of uncertainty after one of its strongmen was trounced in the just conclude primaries - Polycarp Onyango recently lost to fellow Jubilee aspirant who will represent the party in the forthcoming August polls - Polycarp was eyeing the MP seat for Matayos Constituency - Polycarp is said to be a very instrumental Jubilee politician who has hammering support for Uhurus reelection in Western Kenya Jubilee Party has been dealt a big blow after one of its strongest men from Western Kenya was floored in the just concluded party primaries. Polycarp Onyango who was eyeing the MP seat for Matayos Constituency lost his bid to become the areas MP to Gilbert Wesonga, who will now represent the party in the ballot against incumbent MP ODMs Geoffrey Odanga. Onyango, who is among Jubilees strong men in the Western Kenya region lost to Wesonga who garnered 2,598 votes against his 2,399 votes in the Jubilee party primaries. Onyango welcoming Uhuru in Busia READ ALSO: Female Jubilee governor aspirant to be arrested after allegedly doing this to a hospitalised party official TUKO.co.ke has learnt that Onyango and other vocal Jubilee politicians like Teso North MP Arthur Odera and Teso South MP Mary Emase were very pivotal in overseeing Uhuru and Rutos visit to Busia County In March, 2017. READ ALSO: Atwoli pleads with Kenyans to vote for his son READ ALSO: Doctors threaten to STRIKE AGAIN Onyango had earlier on protested the results of the first leg of voting in which he was trounced by Wesonga. Subscribe to our You Tube channel for exciting videos! However, the final results after a repeat of the voting exercise declared Wesonga the winner of the Jubilee ticket, leaving Jubilee Party with a mammoth conundrum to deal with as far as Western Kenya politics is concerned. Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke Watch Raila named NASA flag bearer: Source: TUKO.co.ke The Opposition has threatened to take the Government all the way to the Privy Council over o Militants launched 63 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, militants used 120mm mortars, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to shell Ukrainian positions near Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk). In addition, the enemy fired at ATO troops in Krasnohorivka (29 km west of Donetsk), using 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. Ukrainian strongholds outside Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) and Novotroitske (32km south of Donetsk) came under grenade launcher and heavy machine gun fire. In Donetsk direction, terrorists used 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to shell Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk). Ukrainian positions outside Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk) came under 120mm mortar, antitank grenade launcher and heavy machine gun fire. Militants also launched attacks on ATO troops in Butovka coal mine (11.4km north-west of Donetsk) and Kamyanka (62km south of Donetsk). In Luhansk direction, militants shelled Ukrainian positions near Krymske (42.5km north-west of Luhansk) and Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk), using 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. ATO troops also came under antitank grenade launcher fire outside Valuiske (20km north-east of Luhansk) and Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk). ol The largest Italian airline company Alitalia has returned to the Ukrainian market and resumed regular flights. The first flight operated by Alitalia was accepted at Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) on May 2, 2017, as reported by Delo publication. Alitalia will be operating daily flights with an overnight stay in Kyiv until October 27, 2017 with departure from Rome Fiumicino Airport at 11:00 p.m. and return departure from Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) at 5:00 a.m. The flight duration is about 3 hours. Alitalia's flights will be operated by Airbus A320 aircrafts. A reminder that Alitalia suspended Kyiv-Rome flights in 2014. mk Representative of Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Jana Burceska says that she has never performed on such a big stage. She said this after rehearsals in Kyiv in an interview with Eurovision.ua. "Super! I have not yet performed on such a big stage. The sound and light are magic. I really liked it!" the singer said. ish On World Press Freedom Day, May 3, the human rights organization Reporters Without Borders has once again called on Moscow to release Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko. Christian Mihr, the Executive Director of the Reporters Without Borders Germany, said this in a commentary to an Ukrinform correspondent in Berlin. "On World Press Freedom Day, the Reporters Without Borders calls on the Russian government to immediately release Roman Sushchenko, who has been held in a Moscow prison for seven months without a due trial," Mihr said. He stressed that Sushchenko is a hostage of the conflict between the two countries, which makes journalists to carry out their professional activities under pressure. As reported, Ukrinform correspondent in France Roman Sushchenko was arrested in Moscow on September 30, where he arrived on a private visit. He was accused of espionage, allegedly being a member of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate denied allegations of the Russian Federal Security Service. The Russian court ruled at its closed hearing on October 1 to arrest the journalist for two months. October 7, the Russian Federation officially charged the Ukrainian journalist with spying. Sushchenko denied any guilt. November 28, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow extended pre-trial detention term of Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko until January 30, 2017. January 25, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow extended pre-trial detention term of Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko until April 30, 2017. April 26, the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow extended pre-trial detention term of Sushchenko until June 30, 2017. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry confirmed that Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko is not a staff employee of the Defense Intelligence. Roman Sushchenko works with the Ukrainian National News Agency Ukrinform since 2002 and is agency's own correspondent in France since 2010. ol The Information Policy Ministry of Ukraine is on the side of safety of journalists and protection of their rights. Ukrainian Information Policy Minister Yuri Stets said this on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, urging to pay attention to the cases of Ukrainian journalists Roman Sushchenko and Mykola Semena, the Ministrys press service reports. As the Minister noted, the cases of Roman Sushchenko and Mykola Semena are examples of violations of journalists' rights to the profession and freedom of speech, committed by the Russian Federation. "On this day, I call on the world community to pay attention to our political prisoners-journalists. It would be difficult to achieve their prompt release without the support of the international organizations and opinion leaders of the European states," Stets stressed. ol President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, the Ukrainian presidents press service reported on Tuesday. The Head of State congratulated the interlocutor on the 69th anniversary of the Independence Day of Israel Petro Poroshenko invited Benjamin Netanyahu to make a visit to Ukraine at his convenience, reads the report. Also, the parties confirmed mutual willingness to intensify bilateral cooperation in various spheres. The two leaders discussed topical issues of interaction within international organizations. The President informed the interlocutor about the signing of the law on ratification of the Ukraine-Israel Agreement on joint production of movies and cooperation in the sphere of cinematography, reads the report. The parties expressed hope that the visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to Israel in May will be successful. The lifting of EU sanctions against the Russian Federation will take place only after the implementation of the Minsk agreements. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said this at a press conference after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi. The German Chancellor called on all sides in the conflict in Ukraine to work toward the ceasefire envisaged by the Minsk accords, saying implementation of those agreements could lead to the lifting of EU sanctions against Russia. Merkel said that there was no need to replace the Minsk process, which is designed to bring an end to the conflict between Moscow-backed rebels in Ukraine's east and the Kyiv government. "For me the aim is to reach the point in the implementation of the Minsk accords where we can lift the European Union's sanctions against Russia," Merkel said. ish Ukraines international reserves will reach $18.4 billion after the funds, confiscated from the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage, are transferred to the reserves. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated this during a meeting with Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk and NBU Governor Valeria Gontareva on Wednesday, the presidents press service reports. According to the President, after the transfer of funds, the international reserves of the state will total $18.4 billion. He reminded that this amount was less than $5 billion in 2015, and grew by about $13.5 billion over this period, reads the report. President Poroshenko also stressed that it will strengthen the financial and banking system of Ukraine, ensure national currency stability and promote investment attractiveness of the Ukrainian economy. iy During the open day of the Council of Europe, Ukrainian students will hold actions in Brussels to support Ukrinform correspondent in France Roman Sushchenko and Ukrainian journalist Mykola Semena. Head of the Information Policy Ministrys sector of the media communication and cooperation with media, Maryna Sobotyuk said this during the presentation of Ukrinform to international journalists. "May 6, the Student Abroad organization and the Information Policy Ministry representatives will conduct an action #FreeSushchenko on the open day of the Council of Europe," Sobotyuk said. According to her, it will be live event on Facebook in order to demonstrate that Ukraine within the Council of Europe supports its journalist who is a hostage to the Kremlin. The students will organize a similar action in support of Ukrainian journalist Mykola Semena. ish Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has again refused to allow a United Nations probe into alleged atrocities against minority Rohingya Muslims in the east of the country, despite pressure from the European Union and human rights organizations. Those recommendations which will divide further the two communities in Rakhine we will not accept, because it will not help us to resolve the problems that are arising all the time, Suu Kyi told reporters Tuesday following meetings with European Union chiefs in Brussels. She denied she was ignoring the allegations of crimes against humanity. We have not in any way ignored allegations of rape or murder or arson or anything," she said. "We have asked that these be placed before a court and tried. Myanmar's military has long been accused of carrying out widespread killing, torture and rape. Hundreds die in attack The latest allegations stem from the army's response to an attack by Rohingya militants on a border post last October. Witnesses say the army responded with ground forces and helicopter gunships, killing around 600 people. Hundreds of women were allegedly raped. Amateur video taken at the time appears to show the charred bodies of adults, children, even babies littering the torched villages. Thirty-year-old Shamsida fled across the border to Bangladesh along with 75,000 other Rohingya refugees after the attack. She recalls her treatment at the hands of the soldiers: After the noon prayers, about 300 to 400 soldiers seized our village and surrounded all our women. They started beating our children and destroyed all our belongings in our homes. At that time, three soldiers raped me. Official laments global response Kyaw Win, secretary general of the Burma Human Rights Network, laments the global response to the evidence of war crimes by Myanmar's military. They are not doing it only in Rakhine state, they did it in Karen state, they are doing it in Shan state as well and Kachin state as well," Win said. "But where is the response from the international community? And this failure of this response is not only letting down the victims, this is also indicating that the Burmese government and Burmese army can do similar things in the future. Suu Kyi won a landslide election victory in 2016 after the military junta initiated a political transition. The armed forces still control security and domestic affairs. We need to focus on the military more than we are focusing on Aung San Suu Kyi. But of course she has a moral duty. She is not saying what she is supposed to say, Win said. Arms embargo in place An EU arms embargo on Myanmar remains in place. Nevertheless, the head of Myanmar's military, Min Aung Hlaing, visited Germany and Austria last week. Win said Europe is hosting an alleged war criminal. His army committed crimes against humanity," Win said. "Yet he's been so warmly welcomed in a civilized world. Suu Kyi is to visit London next week, where protests are planned against the alleged atrocities in Rakhine state. Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton blamed FBI Director James Comey and the website WikiLeaks, which published emails hacked from her campaign director, for her loss in the 2016 presidential election. Speaking at an event Tuesday with CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour, Clinton said she was on the way to winning before WikiLeaks began releasing emails stolen from campaign manager John Podesta and Comey told Congress he was reviewing additional emails related to Clinton's use of a private server. Clinton takes 'personal responsibility' A combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28th and Russian Wikileaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off, she said. And the evidence for that intervening event is, I think, compelling and persuasive. Clinton said widespread misogyny among the American electorate also aided in her defeat. Yes, I do think it played a role, Clinton said. It is real, it is very much a part of the landscape, political and socially and economically. After saying Comey, WikiLeaks and sexism were among the reasons for her losing the election, she said she took personal responsibility for the loss and acknowledged that she did not run a perfect campaign. I take absolute personal responsibility. I was the candidate. I was the person on the ballot, she said. Book by Clinton due in fall Clinton said she would offer more details and analysis of her electoral defeat in a book she is publishing this fall. An election analysis released this week by a group of top Democratic Party strategists suggests the main reason Clinton lost is because a large number of voters who backed President Barack Obama in 2012 voted for Donald Trump, the eventual winner, in 2016. Matt Canter, a senior vice president of the Democratic political firm Global Strategy Group, told the McClatchy publishing group that, in his organization's analysis, Clinton's failure to attract the number of voters Obama did in 2012 accounted for about 70 percent of why she lost. We have to make sure we learn the right lesson from 2016, that we don't just draw the lesson that makes us feel good at night, makes us sleep well at night, Canter said. According to McClatchy, Canter's conclusion is shared broadly by other Democrats who have examined the data, including senior members of Clinton's campaign and officials at the Democratic data and analytics firm Catalist. Israel's prime minister on Tuesday accused UNESCO of diminishing Jewish ties to Jerusalem after the U.N. cultural agency passed a resolution criticizing Israeli excavations in the city's Israeli-annexed eastern sector as a violation of international law. Israel considers the entire city to be its capital, including East Jerusalem, which it captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Most of the international community considers East Jerusalem to be occupied territory, a view the U.N. Security Council reaffirmed in December. In Tuesday's resolution, the U.N. agency calls on Israel to cease "persistent excavations, tunneling, works and projects" in East Jerusalem, particularly the walled Old City, which is home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Such activities by an occupying power are illegal under international law, said the resolution, which several Arab countries had tabled. The resolution affirmed the importance of the Old City and its walls to the three monotheistic religions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Jews have a special bond to the city. "There is no other people in the world for whom Jerusalem is as holy and important as for the Jewish people," Netanyahu said in a speech at the International Bible Quiz in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Israel's Independence Day. He said UNESCO was "trying to deny this simple truth." The Old City is home to the Temple Mount the location of the biblical Jewish temples and Judaism's holiest site. Muslims refer to the area, which now hosts two mosques, as the Noble Sanctuary, their third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The Old City also houses major Christian shrines. Israeli archaeological excavations and other infrastructure projects in the Old City have long stoked tensions. The UNESCO resolution said Israel had taken actions that have "altered, or purport to alter, the character and status of the Holy City." The resolution, submitted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan, was approved by 22 member states, with 10 voting against and 23 abstaining. The agency has frequently been used as a theater for political disputes between Israel and Arab nations. Israel has long complained of bias at U.N. forums, feeling outnumbered by Arab nations and their supporters. Last year, UNESCO's executive board approved a resolution that Israel said denies the deep historic Jewish connection to holy sites in Jerusalem. Netanyahu said Tuesday's resolution marked an "improvement in the march of absurdity" as it mentions the Jewish connection to Jerusalem. "Well, we're making progress, but there is still a way to go," he added. Elias Wadih Sanbar, the Palestinian ambassador to UNESCO, said Tuesday's resolution was part of efforts to "stop giving a kind of blank check to an occupier that is acting with total illegality and impunity." Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said he had instructed the country's representative at UNESCO to vote against what he called "the latest politicized resolution on Jerusalem." "Our opinion is very clear: UNESCO can't become the headquarters of a permanent ideological clash in which questions are faced for which the solutions are supposed to be handled in other headquarters," Alfano was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ANSA. The fate of Jerusalem has been one of the thorniest issues in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, which last broke down in 2014. The Palestinians hope to establish a future capital in East Jerusalem. North Korea on Wednesday confirmed the detention of another American citizen for alleged acts of hostility aimed at overthrowing the country. Kim Sang Dok, an accounting instructor at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was "intercepted" at Pyongyang International Airport on April 22, according to the Korean Central News Agency. It said he was being detained while authorities conduct a detailed investigation into his alleged crime. The school's chancellor Park Chan-mo and the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang earlier gave the information about Kim's detention but couldn't provide the reason for his arrest. The school's report used a different spelling of Kim's name, Kim Sang-duk. Kim's English name is Tony Kim. He is now the third American being detained in North Korea. The other U.S. detainees are Otto Warmbier, serving a 15-year prison term with hard labor for alleged anti-state acts, and Kim Dong Chul, serving a 10-year term with hard labor for alleged espionage. Analysts say North Korea often attempts to use foreign detainees to wrest outside concessions, which in the past have sometimes involved high-profile American missions sent to secure the release of detainees. Animosity between Pyongyang and Washington has spiked in recent weeks amid a game of brinkmanship between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump. Park said Kim, who is 58, was detained as he was trying to leave the country from Pyongyang's international airport. A university spokesman said he was trying to leave with his wife on a flight to China. Park said he was informed that the detention had "nothing to do" with Kim's work at the university but did not know further details. The U.S. State Department said last month that it was aware of the report about a U.S. citizen being detained, but declined further comment "due to privacy considerations." Kim previously taught Korean at the Yanbian University of Science and Technology in Yanji, China, not far from the North Korea border, according to the school's Communist Party Committee secretary. The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately funded university in North Korea. It held its first classes in 2010. It is unique in the North for its large number of foreign staff. Pakistan's army says it has repelled an attack by militants from across the border in Afghanistan that targeted two of its checkpoints, killing three of the attackers. It says several militants were wounded as they fled back across the porous boundary. The army says Tuesday's incident took place in the South Waziristan tribal region, where the military has been conducting operations since mid-2014 to rout militants from the area Islamabad alleges that Pakistani militants hide across the border in neighboring Afghanistan, from where they plot attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies Pakistani allegations that it condones the militant sanctuaries. Russian President Vladimir Putin denied Tuesday that Russia interfered in last year's U.S. presidential election, saying such allegations are "simply rumors" that are being leveraged for political reasons in the United States. Putin's denial came at a joint news conference in Sochi, Russia, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the two leaders met amid increasingly strained relations over the war in Syria, and Russia's annexation of the Crimea region in neighboring Ukraine. Putin's remarks are at odds with findings from U.S. intelligence agencies that have reported Russia was responsible for the hacking of Democratic Party email accounts, which were intended to benefit Republican Donald Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. In response to a reporter's question, Merkel said she was not fearful about the threat of Russian interference during this year's German elections and would respond to inaccurate information with facts. "I am not an anxious person. I will fight the election on the basis of my convictions," she said, adding that Germans would handle decisively any disinformation campaigns. Before the meeting at the Black Sea resort in Sochi, Putin said the talks were an opportunity to discuss Ukraine and Syria, although Merkel signaled no major breakthroughs were expected. The two leaders last met in Germany in October 2016 in an attempt to revive the stalled peace process in eastern Ukraine. Although a peace agreement mediated by Germany and France in 2015 has helped reduce the fighting, violence has continued. Disagreements persist Merkel and Putin strongly disagreed Tuesday on the cause of the Ukrainian conflict. But both confirmed their support for the peace agreement. On Syria, Germany has been firmly opposed to Russia's support for President Bashar al-Assad. Merkel has suggested that Russia was partly responsible for atrocities resulting from airstrikes carried out by Russian forces in civilian areas. Putin on Tuesday called for strengthening Syria's fragile truce. Russian-led peace negotiations involving Syrian rebels and government officials are set to begin Wednesday in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana. "Our task is to create conditions for unification, the cessation of hostilities, the cessation of mutual destruction and the creation of conditions for political cooperation of all opposing sides," Putin said at the news conference. Also during the meeting, Merkel asked Putin to help ensure the rights of gays in Chechnya, one day after Russian police arrested gay rights activists. During a May Day parade Monday in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, Russian police arrested about 20 protesters, including the leader of an organization that is helping gay men escape from Chechnya, where they are reportedly subject to torture and other types of abuse. Russia has stringent rules on political activity in public places, and Putin defended Russian police after meeting with Merkel, saying they have acted within the law when breaking up recent rallies. "Russia's law-enforcement bodies behave in a far more restrained manner than their colleagues in other European countries," Putin said at the news conference. Tuesday's trip to Russia was Merkel's first for a bilateral meeting there since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014, which precipitated the most intense confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. South African President Jacob Zuma was booed off the stage Monday as he tried to address a meeting of the countrys largest labor union. Analysts see evidence of deepening rifts in the ruling African National Congress and Zumas increasing isolation. When President Zuma arrived at the main event of the May Day celebrations in Bloemnfontein, Free State Province to deliver his speech to thousands of workers, a section cheered him. But a larger group sang and chanted anti-Zuma slogans. Zuma left the event without uttering a word. Organizers aborted the rally. In the past, such disruptions have come from the opposition and anti-Zuma groups, but this time it came from the members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, who are largely ANC supporters. Under pressure Political Analyst Somadoda Fikeni says pressure is mounting on the ANC to deal with Zuma, who has been battered by corruption scandals. If ANC can not begin to imagine a post-Zuma ANC, then South Africa will begin to get used to a post-ANC South Africa, and that is the political cost of not reflecting on some of the weaknesses attracted by the president from one time to the other, said Fikeni. The presidency has not issued a statement about the incident Monday. But Free State province ANC chairman Ace Mahashule remains adamant Zuma is not going anywhere until his term expires in 2019. "The ANC says this is the man who must be leading the country and our masses will say so and they have said so," said Mahashule. "They have voted Zuma. There is no way you can say Zuma must go, because if you say so, who are you?" But Monday's incident points to tensions with the ANCs alliance partners, COSATU and the South African Communist Party. The two publicly called on Zuma to resign last month after a controversial Cabinet reorganization. Analysts say the alliance, which has assisted ANC to win all national elections since 1994, may be in danger. Non-confidence vote The opposition greeted Mondays events enthusiastically. Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi called it a boost for the upcoming no-confidence vote against Zuma in parliament. We are very inspired and we will sustain their effort in making sure that Zuma is not legitimized. When we go back to parliament we will make sure that, that particular action and sentiment expressed, finds articulation in parliament, said Ndlozi. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is considering an opposition request for the no-confidence vote to be a secret ballot. The ANC holds a majority in parliament, but analysts say a secret ballot could see parliament members from SACP, COSATU and even the ANC join the opposition. Taiwan will vent new anger towards political rival China if the World Health Organization, dominated by Beijing's allies, keeps Taiwan out of an annual assembly this month despite rigorous lobbying from Taipei. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged Beijing, one of 192 World Health Organization members, to avoid standing in the way of an invitation to observe the WHO's May 22-31 assembly. It has been invited every year since 2009. Tsai gets along poorly with the government in Beijing and the issue has not come up since she took office in May 2016. "We must reiterate that whether Taiwan can observe this year's World Health Assembly is a very important indicator for cross-Strait [China-Taiwan] relations," Tsai said on the presidential office website April 27, citing remarks from a new interview. "If China's decision shows any deviation, the impact on cross-Strait relations is very great." Her foreign minister said in March he saw "no room for optimism" and cited "contingency measures" if the WHO had not sent an invitation by the end of April, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. Taiwan is unlikely to retaliate against China or the U.N. health agency in material ways, analysts say. But China may face a longer-term backlash from the Taiwanese public, which is weary of facing limits to its role in international, non-political organizations. Another year of health assembly participation "would help improve the atmosphere of cross-Strait relations," said National Chung Hsing University international politics professor Tsai Ming-yan. The two sides dropped formal dialogue about a year ago and have sparred over tourism, military maneuvers and the detention of a Taiwanese human rights activist in China. "If not, then Taiwan society's reaction toward the pressure from Beijing on the path to participation in international events, even on non-sensitive issues like health, will cast China in the wrong in terms of developing that atmosphere," he said. China's shadow The two sides have been separately ruled since the 1940s, but China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and believes international organizations should bar Taiwan for lack of statehood. Beijing insists that China and Taiwan must eventually unify. The island has just 21 diplomatic allies compared to more than 170 that recognize China, snarling Taiwan's efforts at lobbying for entry to international agencies. Taiwanese have said in government surveys since 2015 they prefer today's level of autonomy from China over unification. They have long resented Beijing for using its clout as the world's second largest economy to curb Taiwan's diplomatic recognition and role in international organizations. Taiwanese are watching this month's decision as another "isolated case" in the bigger trend of being blocked, the professor said. Taiwan cannot join the United Nations, and the U.N. International Civil Aviation Organization declined to let it observe a session in September. During the Olympics, Taiwan must call itself "Chinese Taipei" to imply a link with China. "It always baffles me to see how badly the Chinese treat the Taiwanese," said Coen Blaauw, executive director of the Washington-based advocacy group Formosan Association for Public Affairs. "If I wanted to annex another country I would charm the pants of the other country," Blaauw said. "So, China blocking Taiwan [from] joining international organizations does not enamor them to the people of Taiwan." The Taiwan government hopes to get updates from the WHO on international disease outbreaks and share its own experience in overseas health care. Taiwanese "medical teams" have visited Africa, the Americas and other parts of Asia to provide medical care, the government in Taipei says. The island leadership has lobbied since 1997 for a spot in the WHO. Some experts say Taiwanese people, stung by a WHO rejection, may pressure their president to approach China for dialogue. Tsai's predecessor's government talked regularly with China about economic issues, signed 23 agreements with Beijing and was allowed to start observing World Health Assembly events. Tsai disputes Beijing's dialogue precondition that each side see itself as part of one China. The two have quit formal talks since she took office last May 20. "I just don't see China would make any further concession at this moment," said Liu Yih-jiun, public affairs professor at Fo Guang University in Taiwan. "When the expectation was upgraded, and then when it cannot materialize, the chance of disappointment on the part of the Taiwanese gets the situation even worse." U.S. President Donald Trump, after failing to win congressional approval for many of his spending and policy priorities for the next five months, said Tuesday the government "needs a good 'shutdown' in September" when lawmakers will be debating the 2018 funding plan. In a tweet, Trump blamed the result of his first fight over federal spending on lawmaking rules in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 52-48 majority. But most major legislation requires a 60-vote super majority in the 100-member chamber for approval, effectively requiring Republican and Democratic lawmakers to reach compromises. Trump said the reason that Republicans could not prevail on all of his priorities in the trillion-dollar budget plan that pays for government spending through September 30 "is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there!" The president said his party "either needs to elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51 percent. Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!" The U.S. government has not shut down since October 2013, when many agencies were closed for 16 days in a policy and funding dispute over then president Barack Obama's national health care reforms. In this week's spending negotiations, Trump lost a bid for money to start construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico to thwart illegal immigration, one of his key presidential campaign vows, and there are no curbs on federal grant money for cities that refuse to detain illegal immigrants he wants to deport. Funding for domestic programs sought by opposition Democrats will increase when Trump wanted reductions, while military spending will go up, but not by as much as he sought. In spite of the budget outcome and his call for a government shutdown in five months, Trump later publicly praised the funding plan. After years of partisan bickering and gridlock, this bill is a clear win for the American people," he said. "We brought lawmakers together from both sides of the aisle to deliver a budget that funds the rebuilding of the United States military, makes historic investments in border security and provides health care for our minors and school choice for our disadvantaged children. More importantly, there is no long-term bailout for the insurance companies that the Democrats desperately wanted to subsidize donors the badly failing Obamacare. Rules archaic and slow moving, says Trump Tuesday's broadside was the second time in recent days that Trump, a New York real estate mogul turned politician accustomed to giving orders to officials working for him and having them carried out, complained about the legislative process in the Senate. Republican leaders in the Senate abandoned the 60-vote threshold to confirm Trump's nomination of a conservative jurist, Neil Gorsuch, to the Supreme Court, on a simple majority vote, but have said they won't do away with the 60-vote requirement on legislative measures. In an interview over the weekend, Trump said he has found that in Washington "things generally tend to go a little bit slower than you'd like them to go. "I think the rules in Congress, and in particular the rules in the Senate, are unbelievably archaic and slow moving," he said. "And in many cases, unfair. In many cases, you're forced to make deals that are not the deal you'd make. You'd make a much different kind of a deal. You're forced into situations that you hate to be forced into. "I also learned, and this is very sad, because we have a country that we have to take care of. The Democrats have been totally obstructionist," he said. Senate Minority Leader "Chuck Schumer has turned out to be a bad leader. He's a bad leader for the country. And the Democrats are extremely obstructionist." U.S. political analysts agreed with Trump that his Democratic opponents won most of the funding disputes in this week's budget negotiations. But the top Republican in the House of Representatives, Speaker Paul Ryan, painted the accord differently, saying that his party's negotiators had been successful in ending an Obama-era requirement that an increase in military spending had to be matched equally with a boost in domestic funding. "This is the biggest victory we could have had," Ryan said. "No longer are the needs of our military going to be held hostage to an increase in domestic spending." People in San Juan protest looming austerity measures. To deal with its enormous debt, Puerto Rico is preparing to cut public employee benefits, increase tax revenue, raise water rates and privatize government operations, among other things. (Danica Coto/AP) Puerto Rico teetered into insolvency Wednesday as the chronically troubled U.S. territory of 3.4 million citizens buckled under its ever-increasing debt, which stands at $73 billion. The process that Puerto Rico has undertaken is a prelude to bankruptcy, but in this case it is tailored for governments. Given the size of the debt, it would be the largest such insolvency in U.S. history, far outstripping Detroits $18 billion restructuring in 2013. Puerto Ricos problems have been decades in the making, said Michael F. Williams, the attorney who represented Puerto Rico in its financial crisis litigation until recently. One can only hope that this filing puts Puerto Rico on the path to a fresh start. Puerto Ricos situation is not dissimilar to Detroits, which was the culmination of years of economic stagnation and bad policy. Puerto Rico, an island in the Caribbean that is about the size of Connecticut with half its gross domestic product, needs billions to stimulate its economy and upgrade its infrastructure, including its water and electrical delivery systems as well as waste collection. Both also face massive pension obligations. [An island that feels like a sinking ship] A seven-member federal oversight board set Wednesdays events in motion when it filed in U.S. courts to place the territory under protection from a growing avalanche of bondholder lawsuits. The oversight board was empowered under legislation known as the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA, to submit a plan to a court with the power to impose a settlement. A bankruptcy judge is expected to be appointed to oversee the process. Investors had bought the bonds in the belief that Puerto Rico, like U.S. states, would not be allowed to fail and the debt would be protected. But many of the agencies that have issued government debt in Puerto Rico missed payments, putting them in default. A maze of government-issued bonds through various taxing authorities and revenue streams complicated attempts by Puerto Rico to settle with bondholders. The complexity of Puerto Ricos debt, with multiple types of debt and classes of shareholders, make voluntary negotiated settlements more difficult, said Andrew G. Biggs, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute and a financial oversight board member. Its possible that the prospect of legal adjudication will put new energy behind a negotiated settlement. Sergio Marxuach of the Center for a New Economy in Puerto Rico, a left-of-center think tank, said the filing was necessary in light of the torrent of lawsuits the government faced. There were 18 government agencies who were issuers with different securities, different collateral, with bondholders having interests against each other, he said. Without an orderly legal process, these negotiations were going to take forever. Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced the proceedings Wednesday after his government failed to persuade creditors to accept less than what they are owed. Some U.S. lawmakers were hopeful. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah), who led last years negotiations to create the financial oversight board, said that body must be given space to work: Weve got the pieces in place. I dont want Congress to try to superimpose on top of them and try to micromanage them. Bishop said Congress should examine what role, if any, it can play in promoting a longer-term economic turnaround on the island. But Bishop urged caution for now. You cant start a process and then stop it at the very beginning because we dont think its doing what we want it to do yet, he said. Weve got to let the process play. Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.) who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, said that thanks to the law, the territory has the tools it needs to climb out of its crisis. It is time for the government and the creditors to move forward in restructuring the public debt, she said. It is unclear how much will be paid to holders of Puerto Rican government bonds. The territory had planned to cover less than a quarter of the debt that is due over the next 10 years. A coalition representing a third of Puerto Ricos senior secured bondholders, with $2.5 billion at stake, applauded Rossellos move, calling it sound public policy and . . . a much-needed step forward on the islands path to restructuring its debts in an orderly manner. This was certainly an option of last resort, according to the group, which includes retirees, investors and asset managers such as GoldenTree Asset Management, Merced Capital, Tilden Park Capital Management and Whitebox Advisors. The move enables Puerto Rico to freeze numerous lawsuits, maintain essential services for its residents, and rely on a court-driven restructuring process to objectively determine respective creditors rights. Nader Tavakoli is the former chief executive of Ambac Financial Group, a large insurer of Puerto Rico debt. A long and drawn-out battle with creditors will be catastrophic for Puerto Rico and its people, he said. Its difficult to see how Puerto Rico will have access to the large amounts of affordable capital needed to revitalize the island without consensus with its existing creditors. Unsecured creditors and junior bondholders have taken significant losses in past restructurings, such as in Detroit, and are probably more vulnerable to large losses in Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricos bankruptcy is unique in size, Williams said. But its not just the size of the problem that is unique. It was the long-standing absence of a legal path for restructuring its debt that contributed to this. President Obama signed the PROMESA legislation over the summer as the territorys financial situation grew dire and the economic death spiral took hold. [How Washington helped create Puerto Ricos staggering debt crisis] The island territory, 1,500 miles from Washington, saw its population plummet to 3.4 million from more than 5 million. Its economy has withered, its debt has mounted, and the unemployment rate has settled into double digits. The territorys agriculture department suspended subsidies to farmers. Businesses experienced power failures from the state-owned utility. The treasury withheld tax refunds. Many suppliers, unpaid and unwilling to extend commercial credit, began demanding payment on delivery by a government that owes them a total of $2 billion. One building contractor who was owed more than $1 million received two payments from the Government Development Bank for a total of $164,030 only to see them bounce. The rescue plan involving the oversight board was fraught with politics as it wound its way through Congress last year. Some politicians used politically charged language to describe the plan. One group, the Center for Individual Freedom, spent millions on ads calling the Puerto Rico bill a bailout, targeting congressional districts. As Jeff Mazzella, the groups president, sees it, the oversight boards action will allow Puerto Rico to rob millions of American retirees and savers who invested in Puerto Rico bonds. Furthermore, he said, it cements the political precedent set by Congress for high-spending states with unsustainable debts to ultimately follow suit. President Trump signs autographs after speaking to the Independent Community Bankers Association in the Kennedy Garden of the White House on Monday, May 1, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) President Trump has begun putting in place a new regulatory team for the banking industry, which his top advisers hope to leverage in their efforts to ease industry rules and make it easier for financial companies to lend money. The appointments mark the beginning of what some Democrats fear is an effort to roll back rules put in place after the financial crisis to prevent banks from ripping off borrowers or taking on too much risk. On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced it would replace the head of one of the industrys top regulators with banking lawyer Keith Noreika. A day earlier, Trumps pick to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton, was confirmed by the Senate. And Trump is close to filling a vacant position at the Federal Reserve that could play a key role in easing industry regulations. For Trump, such appointments may be the most efficient way of fulfilling his promise to dismantle 2010s financial reform law, known as the Dodd Frank Act. The House is considering legislation that includes many of the changes Wall Street wants, and the White House on Wednesday threw its support behind the legislation, known as the Financial Choice Act. The bill is an important step forward on a key priority of this Administration: eliminating regulations that hold back the U.S. economy and stifle growth, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said in a statement. The Dodd-Frank Act has created serious moral hazard in our markets and worsened our too-big-to-fail problem. By peppering the banking industrys regulators with new leadership, some of the same goals can be reached more quickly. The latest addition is Noreika, a banking lawyer who the Treasury Department said will serve as acting director of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency beginning Friday. Members of the Independent Community Bankers Association listen to President Trump in the Kennedy Garden of the White House. Trump spoke to the group about his intention to have the Dodd-Frank Regulatory Reform Bill overturned. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA) Keith Noreika has deep experience in helping banks operate in a safe and sound manner, provide fair access to financial services, and provide credit needed for business expansion and job growth, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. Trump has said that bank regulators went too far after the financial crisis in cracking down on lending practices, creating an environment that has made it hard for businesses and consumers to get loans. Trump has called for both deregulation and a sweeping change in policy that would break up big banks, although he hasnt articulated how this might work. Mnuchin is conducting an expansive review of all financial regulations, and is planning to submit a report to Trump in June that will recommend changes in rules and laws to make what he sees as improvements in the way banks are supervised. White House officials have said that if banks can lend more money, it will help the economy grow and create more jobs. Democrats have pushed back against this idea, though, saying that excessive credit and weak scrutiny of lending practices fueled the financial crisis in 2008. The new head of the OCC could play a key role in Trumps effort to ease regulations. The agency is one of the banking industrys top regulators, and it has tremendous influence in deciding how forcefully to crack down on the nations largest lenders. Thousands of OCC employees are stationed inside banks across the country on a day-to-day basis . Regulators that take up office tomorrow or next week will have an immediate affect on enforcement or adoption of rules, said Bart Naylor, a financial policy advocate for the civic advocacy group Public Citizen. Noreika will replace, at least temporarily, Thomas J. Curry, who is stepping down from the top OCC post after spending years clashing with the industry on key issues. Comptroller Curry has been a strong, independent watchdog for the nations biggest banks, and a dedicated, thoughtful public servant who helped respond to the worst financial crisis in generations, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said in a statement. It is disturbing that the President is rushing to replace Mr. Curry with an acting appointee who has clear conflicts of interest, and lacks any experience in running such an important agency. White House officials are considering Joseph Otting, who worked closely with Mnuchin at OneWest bank, to replace Curry on a permanent basis. But his nomination could still be months away, said three people familiar with the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the personnel process is not public. The White House is also close to naming a nominee for Federal Reserve vice chairman of supervision, but the pick could take some time while paperwork is being finalized. The leading candidate for the job has been Randal Quarles, who held a senior post in the Treasury Department during the George W. Bush administration. He is the managing director of the Cynosure Group, a private investment firm based in Utah. One much-rumored change may be on hold. The White House appears to be backing away from hastening a change in leadership at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Many bankers and Republicans have sought the ouster of the agencys director, Richard Cordray, whose term does not expire until next year. REGULATIONS Jay Clayton conrmed as SEC chief by Senate The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of Jay Clayton, a Wall Street lawyer with decades of experience helping companies weather regulatory scrutiny, to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission. As chairman of the SEC, Clayton will police many of the same large banks that he has spent decades representing, including Goldman Sachs and Barclays. He also would play a key role in President Trumps efforts to roll back the 2010 financial reform legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Act. He was approved by the Senate along largely partisan lines, 61 to 37. Claytons nomination continues Trumps track record of nominating Wall Street insiders for high-level positions, despite Trumps criticism of the industry during the presidential campaign. As a partner at the New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, Clayton helped online retailer Alibaba stage the largest initial public offering in history and assisted in the sale of the National Basketball Associations Atlanta Hawks. Clayton, who made more than $7 million last year, is also among six people with ties to Goldman Sachs chosen by Trump to serve in his administration. Renae Merle AUTOMOTIVE U.S. sales slumped again in April The six top-selling automakers reported sales declines last month as U.S. demand seems to be slowing after seven straight years of growth. General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, Nissan and Honda on Tuesday all reported weaker U.S. sales than a year ago. Industry analysts expected April sales to be down between 2 and 4 percent but still run at a healthy annual rate of around 17.1 million vehicles. Kelley Blue Book said it looks like 2017 U.S. sales will fall short of last years record 17.5 million, the first annual sales drop since 2009. It expects full-year sales of 16.8 million to 17.3 million. Ford, which reported a 7.2 percent decline due largely to car demand that tumbled 21 percent, said that its still getting healthy prices for its vehicles as people load on more options. At Nissan, overall sales fell 1.5 percent. GM sales dropped 5.8 percent and Toyota reported a 2 percent sales decline. Sales at Fiat Chrysler and Honda fell 7 percent for the month. Associated Press also in Business CVS Health on Tuesday reported first-quarter net income of $952 million. The company had a profit of 92 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time costs, were $1.17 per share. The results topped Wall Street expectations. The drugstore chain posted revenue of $44.51 billion, also surpassing analyst projections of $44.24 billion. Etsy, an e-commerce site for handmade goods, said Tuesday that chairman and chief executive Chad Dickerson would step down, to be succeeded as CEO by board member Josh Silverman. The marketplace also reported a first-quarter loss of $421,000 after earning $1.2 million a year ago. Earlier in the day, one of its shareholders, Black-and-White Capital, called on Etsy to explore a sale and separate the roles of chairman and CEO. Fred Wilson, a director on Etsys board since 2007, will take over the chairmanship. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac on Tuesday reported net income of $2.2 billion for the first quarter, reversing a loss in the same period of 2016. The government-controlled company said that its earnings in the January-March period were boosted by an increase in its fees from lenders for backing mortgages. Freddie will pay an equivalent dividend of $2.2 billion to the U.S. Treasury next month. Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and other newspapers, has warned about 18,000 current and former employees that hackers may have had access to their personal information. The company said there is no indication that sensitive information was taken. Gannett said it learned in March that several people in its human resource department were victims of a phishing attack, in which hackers try to steal personal information through emails. There was also an unsuccessful attempt to wire transfer corporate money. From news reports Coming today 10 a.m.: The Institute for Supply Management releases its service sector index for April. 2 p.m.: Federal Reserve policymakers meet to discuss interest-rate policy, release statement. Earnings: Facebook, Tesla, Yum Brands. Over the past few weeks, Trumps pledge to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has run into political and logistical problems, raising questions about how much will be funded and built. An April 30 deal to fund the government through September excluded funds for Trumps wall. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) anticipated in an interview to CNN that a funding plan without the wall will be challenged: You are going to see a lot of conservatives against this plan this week. It is unclear who is going to pay for it After 100 days and a diplomatic clash with Mexico, the new administration has not been able to secure funding for the wall, but some details have been released on priority areas for building. A preliminary document from Homeland Security anticipates constructing more than 100 miles of various border barriers over the next two years. Since January, deportation rules have been modified. Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border, where he directed federal prosecutors to make immigration cases a higher priority, and the Department of Homeland Security found 33,000 more detention beds to house undocumented immigrants and opened discussions with dozens of local police forces. The number of immigrants apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol while trying to cross illegally dropped in the first few months of 2017 compared with the same period last year: Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly told the Senate in March that the decline was a result of the administrations implementation of executive orders to enforce immigration laws. Although President Trumps Jan. 27 order mandated that the wall be a contiguous and impassable physical barrier, Kelly clarified to the Senate on April 5, It is unlikely a wall will be built from sea to shining sea. Border security experts prefer a see-through barrier Whether the border barrier will be a solid concrete wall is still unclear. Its not a fence, its a wall, Trump said in a January news conference. But DHS has been receiving bids for two different kind of barriers: a solid concrete wall and a see-through component/capability option. Detailed proposals have not been released, but the preliminary plan shows the first 14 miles of wall could be raised near Imperial Beach and Chula Vista in the San Diego area. Michael Fisher, a former chief of the Border Patrol with three decades of experience patrolling the border, said a barrier designed to allow officers to see through is preferable. When we first got that fence we quickly noted that it was very difficult for us unless we would have the technology to see over it, he told The Post, recalling his time in the San Diego sector, where the first fence of corrugated steel went up in the 90s. Maybe there were groups of people on the other side and we couldnt see them. There are sections that the Border Patrol cut out to see through. Ronald Colburn, president of the Border Patrol Foundation, said, I doubt they even discussed a solid concrete wall. I think that is an urban legend. There is no single item of technology, manpower, infrastructure or single concept that solves a border security issue for any country. It is a combination of the right resources that make it. There are segments of the border where a wall is not needed and other technology is preferred, he said. According to National Border Patrol Council spokesman Shawn Moran, The wall will be different in each sector and station depending on the needs. Most of the current pedestrian and vehicle fencing starts to the west, in San Diego. It runs along the southern edges of California, Arizona and New Mexico. Gaps were left open in some sectors of rough terrain. Today, fenced and unfenced areas are monitored with drones, radar cameras and personnel. And experts say a barrier is not necessary along the whole border According to border security experts, fences or walls are useful as a way to direct illegal crossers to areas where Border Patrol has a strategic advantage. Single or double fencing allow agents to react to certain events, especially in highly populated areas. In remote areas, natural barriers already do this. You can go out to the beaches in San Diego, where I worked before, all through the sand dunes in Yuma, through the mountains in eastern Arizona, to the flat areas in El Paso ... all the way to the river areas in south Texas which I patrolled as well. There is not one suite of technology or infrastructure that works well everywhere, Fisher said. East of El Paso, 1,255 miles of border are defined by the winding path of the Rio Grande. It has a long history of meandering and changing course over the years. For Colburn, The good Lord created a wall there, a canyon wall. A fence cant be placed within its floodplain and its design cant obstruct the flow of water. Sally Spener, the U.S. secretary of the International Boundary and Water Commission, explained that blocking the flow of the river could cause the flow to be deflected and cause the international boundary to shift. The impact on local landowners and wildlife could be extensive The few segments of barrier already built along the lower Rio Grande Valley under the 2006 Fence Act were built out of the flood plain, cutting out large areas of U.S. agricultural land and farms. West of El Paso, most of the land is federally owned. To the east, most of what remains unfenced is privately owned. According to the Texas Observer, local landowners are already receiving first notices of land condemnation for Trumps border wall. The Rio Grande also runs along rich natural areas like the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, where a barrier could cut access to endangered species like the ocelot. Local politicians, including some strong supporters of border enforcement like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), have expressed their opposition to a wall running along national parks such as Big Bend. Gus Sanchez, superintendent of Chamizal National Memorial, who has years of experience working for the U.S. National Parks Service in the area, explained the overlap of social and natural boundaries between the U.S. and Mexico and said the existing fence cut the access to the river to local communities and wildlife. I tried once to explain to javelinas that this was an international boundary but they didnt listen to me, joked Sanchez, who has Native American and Mexican ancestors. I guess they didnt speak English or Spanish so they just ignored me. Jean Stein, the literary editor and author known for producing engrossing oral histories on topics as disparate as the tumultuous life of an Andy Warhol acolyte and the dastardly intrigues of early Hollywood, died April 30 in New York. She was 83. Her death was confirmed by a representative of the Nation magazine in New York City, where Ms. Steins daughter, Katrina vanden Heuvel, serves as editor and publisher. The representative did not reveal the cause of death, but a New York City police official said that Ms. Stein had jumped to her death from the 15th floor of a Manhattan tower. Robert Scheer, a Los Angeles journalist and editor of the political website Truthdig, who had known Ms. Stein since the 1960s, said she was pretty depressed recently. We were all worried. But even in shock, he recalled a small, soft-spoken woman who harbored an incredibly sharp mind. Her 2016 book West of Eden: An American Place, her most recent oral history, tracked the development of Hollywood and Southern California through the lives of five powerful Los Angeles families, such as the Warners and the Dohenys individuals for whom roadways and movie studios have been named. It also included a section on her own family: the Steins. Her father, Jules Stein, was the co-founder of Music Corp. of America. She too was a member of Hollywood royalty. West of Eden had been well-received by critics. Reviewer Judith Freeman, in the Los Angeles Times, described it as compulsively readable, capturing not just a vibrant part of the history of Los Angeles . . . but also the real drama of this town, as reflected in the lives of some of its most powerful players. Over her lifetime, Ms. Stein also produced two other oral histories in collaboration with journalist and editor George Plimpton, who served as editor on some of her projects. This included her debut oral history American Journey: The Times of Robert Kennedy, published in 1971 after she rode Kennedys funeral train from New York to Washington. Eleven years later she published the international bestseller Edie: An American Biography, about the life of socialite bohemian actress Edie Sedgwick, who often hung out at Andy Warhols studio in New York and whose life ended in a drug overdose. Ms. Steins interviews were thorough and relentless. For Edie, which didnt just capture Sedgwicks life, but the entire New York artistic milieu of the 1960s, Ms. Stein spent a decade interviewing subjects returning to some individuals as many as 15 times. Independent book critic David Ulin said the oral histories are eye-opening for the ways the ways in which they played with the conventions of story-telling. The thing about that form is that it brings together all of those voices, he said. The form allows for a breadth you wouldnt otherwise get. It cant help but become a multi-personality collage. When the Edie book came out, I read the book even though I wasnt overly interested in Edie Sedgwick, he added. Id written Sedgwick off as this superficial person, but the human portrait is so incredible. Ms. Stein was born in Los Angeles , the eldest daughter of Jules Stein and Doris Babette Oppenheimer. She was raised in a majestic Beverly Hills mansion on Angelo Drive that overlooked the home of the late silent screen star Rudolph Valentino. She and her siblings (a sister and two stepbrothers) were raised by her strong-willed parents and a strict German governess. She later attended the Katherine Branson School in the Bay Area now known as the Branson School a place that Ms. Stein later described as being located between San Quentin and Alcatraz. She also attended a private school in Switzerland, followed by a stint at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. But she dropped out to move to Paris and study at the Sorbonne, a move that would lead her to a life in letters. It was in Paris that she met Plimpton and by the mid-1950s was working at the Paris Review, where she interviewed figures such as novelist William Faulkner (with whom she also had a romantic dalliance). By the end of that decade she had landed back in New York City, where she worked as an assistant to Clay Felker, the features editor at Esquire and who would ultimately go on to found New York magazine. Ms. Stein had married attorney William vanden Heuvel, who became an assistant to then-Attorney Gen. Robert F. Kennedy. After Kennedys assassination, the mournful ride on his funeral train to Washington inspired Ms. Steins first oral history which she structured in parallel with the journey by train. The New Yorker called the book serious, credible, and even beautiful. She and vanden Heuvel had two daughters: Katrina vanden Heuvel and Wendy vanden Heuvel, a film and stage actress. The couple later divorced. Ms. Stein got remarried in the mid-1990s to Torsten Wiesel, a Nobel Prize-winning neurophysiologist. That marriage also ended in divorce. Ms. Stein is survived by her two daughters. During her decades in New York, Ms. Stein was known for hosting regular salons in her Manhattan apartment. Scheer described events that featured a wild cross pollination of cultural figures. I was in her house with Black Panthers and Leonard Bernstein, he said, people who escaped from the Soviet Union and people critical of the American government. From 1990 until 2004, Ms. Stein edited the literary journal Grand Street, known for combining the literary high-brow (work by, say, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Ashbery) with the more popular (an interview with actor Dennis Hopper, whom Ms. Stein counted as a friend). She was regarded as the rare cultural figure who didnt serve as a guardian at the gate, but instead sought to tear some of those gates down. I am very interested in these different worlds coming together, she told the Los Angeles Times in 1990, so youre not only writing, youre not only art, youre not only science, youre bringing them together. Los Angeles Times The following review appears in The Washington Posts 2017 Spring Dining Guide. Pork tacos at Mitsitam. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) (Poor) Theres a crisis in the Northwest Coast: Were out of salmon, says a server behind the counter of one of several food stations in the National Museum of the American Indian. Cafeteria patrons who have waited patiently for the fish sigh and leave the line, plastic trays in tow. As the recipient of the last piece of salmon, I feel sorry for them, but only until I eat the fish. It smacks of the canned variety, only warm and drier, problems that arent helped by a mysterious fruit salsa. Treks to other parts of the airy cafeteria, created to promote indigenous food from the Western Hemisphere, are just as dispiriting. The Peruvian chicken, representing South America, is also dry and void of any seasoning. A thatch of crisp yucca fries helps fill me up, but what I really want is some garlic or citrus on my bird, which is priced, at $18.95, as if Im in a restaurant with table service. Did early Native Americans really eat pumpkin pie? Im doubtful, but pie is probably closer to reality than the brownies on display near the cashier. The dish with the most appeal during recent excursions finds shrimp, soft onion and red pepper in a flour tortilla, an adequate ambassador for Mesoamerica if not my first choice. (Sorry, said a cook, were out of the pork.) Unfortunate cooking, including an arid buffalo burger from the Great Plains, isnt Mitsitams only drawback. At high noon on a recent weekday, there were plenty of steak knives to be found, but no forks, and too few staff to meet demand, so that cooks had to leave their stations in search of more food to serve the crowds. What was once a model for grazing on the Mall, under the guidance of chef Jerome Grant, now at Sweet Home Cafe in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, has devolved into a sorry state of affairs. A seat near the curved picture window, framing a small waterfall, is still the best place to land, but if youre here for much more than fry bread and a thirst quencher, good luck. Previous: Mirabelle (Best new restaurant No. 1) | Next: Momofuku 1/2 star Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-633-6644. nmai.si.edu/visit/washington/mitsitam-cafe. Open: Lunch daily. Prices: Sandwiches and mains, $7.95 to $32.95. Sound check: 72 decibels / Must speak with raised voice. The following review appears in The Washington Posts 2017 Spring Dining Guide. Red prawns at Perry's Restaurant. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) (Satisfactory/Good) Its hard to believe this Asian restaurant shares the same owner as Mintwood Place. The businesses are next-door neighbors but miles apart in terms of how they conduct themselves. Do you have a reservation? a blank-faced host asks at the top of Fuji-high stairs, a sea of empty tables in the background. When we ask if we can transfer a drink order from bar to table, the drinks mixer bluntly says, separate accounts. Alrighty then! The nigiri is very good here, the rolls slightly less so, and if you ordered only skewers, youd leave wanting to return; sliced hanger steak and chicken thighs dipped in green tea salt both rock. The food comes out as its ready, so be prepared to catch your whole fried flounder scrawny fish all but buried in herbs ahead of your pickled mushroom salad. The happiest memory from recent visits has been the egg-topped, garlicky mushroom fried rice, with bursts of heat from yuzukosho, the condiment fueled with chile peppers, yuzu peel and salt. Perrys still entertains us with a drag brunch and a rooftop deck, but a wave of solid new Asian eateries around town has eyes and stomachs wandering. Previous: Patowmack Farm | Next: Pizzeria Paradiso 1 1/2 stars 1811 Columbia Rd. NW. 202-234-6218. perrysam.com. Open: Dinner daily, brunch Sunday. Prices: Large dinner plates $14 to $26, brunch buffet $25.95. Sound check: 68 decibels / Conversation is easy. Previously (2013): 2 stars The Bloody Mary Festival featuring drinks, food and live music returns to the District on Sunday. (Michael Temchine/For The Washington Post) SATURDAY DERBY-Q FESTIVAL: Outdoor festival featuring local breweries, barbecue vendors and mint juleps. 2 p.m. $10-$65. Old Town Square, 10415 North St., Fairfax. bit.ly/2p7FEbL. SUNDAY CULINARY HISTORIANS OF WASHINGTON: In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Culinary Historians of Washington founder Shirley Cherkasky, food scholar Warren Belasco and more discuss culinary history. RSVP to Francine Berkowitz, francineberkowitz@gmail.com or 301-439-0189. 2 p.m. Free. U.S. Navy Memorial Burke Theater, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. chowdc.org. BLOODY MARY FESTIVAL: Bloody marys from Barrel, Old Engine 12, the Source and more, plus live music and food and drink samples. 1 p.m. $45-$79. SW Arts Club, 700 Delaware Ave. SW. thebloodymaryfest.com. TUESDAY SPRING FOR KIDS: Chef Gerard Pangaud creates a special menu paired with wine. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization Kidsave. 6:30 p.m. $125. Malmaison, 3401 K St. NW. bit.ly/2pXmt2N. WINE CLASS: Sample and learn about wine from Patricia Green Cellars in Oregons Willamette Valley. 7 p.m. $40. Chain Bridge Cellars, 1351 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean. chainbridgecellars.com. RESERVE NOW MAY 10 COOKING CLASS: Chef Mark Haskell teaches how to make soup with spring ingredients. 7 p.m. $59. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org/event/kitchen-101-springtime-soups. This review appears in The Washington Posts 2019 Fall Dining Guide as No. 5 on a list of the years top 10 restaurants. Swordfish belly grilled over Linden grapevines and smoked over cedar, or "Homage to Linden Vineyards," at The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville, Va. (Jonathan Timmes/The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm) 5. The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm (Excellent/Superlative) Before a summertime dinner at one of the best reasons to hit country roads, I didnt know sunflower buds, with a flavor like artichokes, made delicious fried snacks or that the best way to bring out the flavor of beef is to cook it in its own tallow. Also: Bread dipped in charcoal-infused oil is something special. Shame on me for skipping out last year. Tarver King is one of the Mid-Atlantics best chefs, and his restaurant on a hill in northern Loudoun County benefits from 18 acres of pantry: a surrounding farm. Everyone eats the same menu, and everything tastes better under a tent with a bucolic view. [Early access for subscribers: See all 10 restaurants now] Picture oysters on the half shell ignited with a chile vinaigrette aged for six years in a whiskey barrel from Catoctin Creek. Imagine a tiny lemon squash leaning on a perfect bite of swordfish in anchovy-soy sauce. Delight in an elegant pavlova, followed by candy shoppe flavors, including Turkish delight and lavender caramels. I never put ketchup on meat except here, where the squash-chup is exceptional with allspice and mushrooms, following an 18th-century recipe. One or two Sundays a month, the kitchen explores another cuisine with a multicourse supper: November will take diners to India and Japan. Thrill seekers, take note. 3.5 stars (Excellent/Superlative) The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm: 42461 Lovettsville Rd., Lovettsville, Va. 540-822-9017. patowmackfarm.com . Open: Dinner Thursday through Saturday, brunch weekends, monthly Sunday supper. Prices: Dinner $110 per person; Sunday supper $75 per person. Sound check: 69 decibels / Conversation is easy. The Top 10 restaurants of 2019: 10. Thamee 9. Anju 8. Three Blacksmiths 7. Mama Chang 6. Poca Madre 5. The Restaurant at Patowmack 4. Metier 3. Pineapple and Pearls 2. Rooster & Owl 1. Seven Reasons -- The following review originally appeared in The Washington Posts 2017 Spring Dining Guide. Chef Tarver Kings Tom yum soup is as luxurious as any in the region, with lemon grass and kaffir lime grown at Patowmack Farm. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm: Dinner as an idyllic escape (Excellent) When Washingtonians want to get away for a splurge in the countryside, the fantasy default tends to be the Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va., surely the only four-star restaurant in the world to offer both a Rolls-Royce for guests and a cheese trolley that moos. I adore Patrick OConnells over-the-top confection. But its not the only 50-mile drive you should take if you care about memorable cooking and desire a break from reality. The Restaurant at Patowmack Farmin Lovettsville, Va., with food by Tarver King, should go on your brag list, too. Never been? Set on a hill in northern Loudoun County, with partial views of the Potomac, the restaurant looks like a greenhouse and features ingredients grown or raised on 40 acres of farm. Been a few years since your last meal? The multi-menu format, whereby diners opted for collections of dishes whose featured ingredients were either foraged (wild ramps), grown (vegetables) or raised (animals) has been replaced by a single tasting menu, so everyone has the same experience. Chef Tarver King uses the bounty of fresh produce at the farm to fuel his menu. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) On a recent Saturday night, that meant listening to a history lesson from our gregarious server as he deposited some snacks, beginning with delectable flax-tea crackers and cashew cheese, on our bare oak table. (King thinks sound is an important part of dining at Patowmack, hence the crinkly paper holding the crackers.) While companions and I nibbled on house-cured ham with house-made mustard, and buttery mushrooms fragrant from a brush with smoked hay, our guide spoke about how long-ago members of the local Piscataway Indian tribe traded with settlers. The monologue explains the white rabbit pelt on the table, which looks natural in this environment, and the whiff of fire, an allusion to tobacco-smoking forebears. The snacks are all quiet pleasures, corn dumplings most of all. Presented on a husk, the soft purses, made with roasted cornmeal and creme fraiche, get finished with a drizzle of molasses tweaked with sassafras root. The transition to tom yum soup for a second course is curious, but only until we spoon into the elixir as luxurious a version of the Thai signature as Ive had and learn that the lemon grass and kaffir lime in the bowl were culled from nearby soil. King makes a habit of offering bread to match his soups, which explains the Chinese steamed buns tonight. The buns are models, puffy and light, presented on a rock. Shrimp butter and a pinch of Appalachian salt turn them into an insane bread course. Corn dumplings, cheese curd, peppercress flowers, sassafras molasses. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) Savory red bud cookies with creme fraiche. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) The First Carrots of Spring, an elegant garland of up to five kinds of carrots, segue to vermilion snapper, two or so bites of steamed fish garnished with preserved cherry blossoms and dried or fried sunflower, lentil and other sprouts. This fourth course is revivifying, paired with a vinegar-based blueberry switchel, shaken like a cocktail as diners watch. (Table conversation is routinely punctuated by staff members introducing courses and offering background sometimes caution, as when a server announced, The only rule I have all night: Dont touch the rock, brought out briefly to heat, say, coriander seeds for an intermezzo, and perfume the air.) Your entree arrives on a small, smooth shared plank: chunks of perfect roasted duck set here and there, plus a small wedge salad, dappled with buttermilk and dill, in one corner. Desserts are vast improvements from years past, when King was in his deconstruction phase. One of the more fanciful sights is toasted fennel custard framed in meringue shards flavored with red wine a radicalized creme brulee. As at a number of innovative restaurants that dont want to spoil surprises for their patrons, Patowmack Farm doesnt surrender the menu until the meal is over. Thats fine by me when the script is presented as a scroll in a wooden box with different partitions, some filled with polished river stones, others with oak moss, each supporting a sweet something. The gems might include lemon-leaf cookies, Turkish delight and sassafras candy, sheer and reminiscent of root beer. The menu arrives at the conclusion of the meal, neatly rolled in a shadowbox of sweet bites: chia seed cookies with myer lemon curd (top right), black dog coffee Turkish delight (bottom right), sassafras root candy (middle) and salted black walnut brittle (bottom left). (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) King can do casual, too. On the second Sunday of every month, he serves Sunday Supper, a three-course, family-style meal representing peasant food from a different part of the world. In the past, the chef has cooked Vietnamese in the summer, Russian in winter well, except for this year, when events in Moscow gave him pause. (He featured Mongolian dishes instead.) An evening at the bucolic Restaurant at Patowmack Farm calls attention to a lot of things, including the commitment of its tractor-driving longtime owner, Beverly Morton Billand, to organic farming and the notion that fine dining doesnt hinge on table linens. Also, aroma is a great way to sustain diners interest over the course of a leisurely meal. The biggest takeaway of all, though, is this: King is cooking like a rock star these days. You might think that the United States is a pretty safe place to be a journalist. In nations such as China and Syria, independent journalists are often jailed and sometimes killed for doing their jobs. In the United States, such danger is not typical. But a recent report shows that the country is not a shining example of press freedom. Reporters Without Borders, which monitors press freedom around the world, has been ranking at least 139 countries since 2002 on how well they protect journalists and allow them to do their jobs. The United States ranked 43rd of 180 nations this year. Two years ago its ranking was 49th, and in 2007 it was 48th. Only once in the past 15 years has the country ranked higher than 20th. Why doesnt the United States get top marks? The organization mentions several reasons. The Trump administration has blocked some journalists White House access. Reporters have been arrested while covering protests. The Obama administration pressured journalists to reveal sources of government leaks, or information that wasnt intended to be made public. In 2013, government lawyers secretly took two months worth of phone records from Associated Press journalists. And the government has been slow or has sometimes refused to provide public information to reporters. So as we mark World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, we wanted to share your thoughts on whether the free-press guarantees in the Constitution were still important. We asked readers in grades four through eight to share their ideas. Contest winner Jahnavi Dave is an eighth-grader at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia. (Family photo) Our winner is Jahnavi Dave, an eighth-grader from Burke, Virginia. Jahnavi said she has studied freedom of the press in her civics class at Lake Braddock Secondary School. She reads the newspaper and watches world news on TV with her parents. The 14-year-old wants to be an aerospace engineer when she grows up. In her essay, Jahnavi ties her interest in science and technology to freedom of the press. I read a lot about new technology, Jahnavi said. I always want to know if thats true. I dont want to think something is true and later find out that its not true. I feel that free press and technology go hand in hand. Jahnavi makes a compelling case for why we still need the protection for a free press that James Madison included in the First Amendment. For her winning essay, she will receive four tickets to the Newseum, along with a KidsPost T-shirt and other goodies. Here is her essay: We may not know it, but history is being made right now, in this moment. From the change in power in government domestically, to the growing terror internationally, to the climate crisis being faced globally, we are part of an ever-changing society. As citizens and residents of the United States of America, it is important to be informed about everything going on around us. Without having knowledge about current problems, we cannot work together to solve them. Furthermore, the 21st century is an expeditious time, with new and rapid technological advances in medicine, space engineering, and other fields. Now more than ever, it is important for the free press to portray the world without any filters. Freedom of the Press, or free press, is a one of the five First Amendment freedoms. Free press includes newspapers, news shows, and radio broadcasts, all of which have the right to gather and publish any true information. Government is a big example of where free press is important, especially in the 21st century. Some politicians may take advantage of the public by not telling the whole truth. The free press holds government officials accountable to the public so that all information is known and proper decisions can be made. Industrial and business growth is also another reason why free press is necessary. As we continue to find cures to diseases, explore the depths of space, and create revolutionizing technology, the free press needs to fact check and report to the public every detail to ensure safety and truth of the products being made. Free press is a great gift given to us in the Bill of Rights. As we continue to build our economies, strengthen international relations, and pass legislation, the importance of free press cannot be underestimated. Sound baths, which predate Christ and have been scientifically linked to reductions in stress and anxiety, are becoming more popular in the United States. (Rike/iStock) Some people unwind with a nice, long bubble bath. Others prefer a sound bath. Never heard of the ancient sound-healing practice? The relaxing musical presentations, which predate Christ and have been scientifically linked to reductions in stress and anxiety, are becoming more popular in the United States, likely linked to the countrys increased interest in health, wellness, meditation and mindfulness. Last week, I took my first sound bath at Recharj, an intimate meditation and power-nap lounge a block from the White House. After a few minutes of shuffling on my cozy beanbag, I settled in and focused on the transcendental tones of the Tibetan singing bowls, a collection of metal and crystal vessels that emit different frequencies and are used to encourage meditation and relaxation. After the session, which left me feeling mentally and physically rested, I interviewed two sound specialists session leader Robert Lee and his mentor, Monte Hansen about the history and practice of sound baths, along with how and why they can help you achieve a zenlike state. The pair, who own the meditation company Human Activation in Fairfax County, broke down the basics and offered advice to newcomers and regulars alike. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: What are sound baths? A: (Hansen) We define them as an immersion in sound frequency that cleans the soul. Q: Why call it a bath? A: (Hansen) People often tell us that they feel like they are being submerged in sound, like the sound waves created by the Tibetan singing bowls are a visceral thing and they are washed in waves of water. They use words like cleansed and cleared to describe their experience. But we advise you to leave your rubber ducky at home. Q: Why am I just now hearing about this? A: (Hansen) Theres nothing new about the practice. Tibetans have been using these instruments, considered sonic frequency technologies, for more than 2,000 years. Luckily, the West America has renewed interest in the practice, and it has quickly grown in popularity. We have companies approaching us asking to help them integrate meditation into their wellness programming. There was also a substantial influx in attendance during the political race. Our numbers increased at least 15 to 20 percent. It was insane. Clearly, people were looking for some sort of relief and clarity. Q: How many singing bowls do you use per session? A: (Hansen) Every meditation is different, and the number of bowls used can range from 10 to 40. Selection of bowls also varies depending upon which chakra, or energy meridian system in the body, we are focusing on that day. For example, if someone wants to have a grounding meditation, we use bowls that primarily resonate the C note because it affects that lower chakra. If they are looking for a heart-opening session, we select bowls that resonate the F note. Q: What can I do to prepare for my sound bath? A: (Hansen) Go on YouTube and listen to a recording of Tibetan singing bowls. While its nowhere near the same experience as hearing it live, itll give you a better understanding of what to expect from the class. Get there as early as possible so you can get comfortable with the space and calm your breathing, allowing the relaxation process to begin. We also encourage people to wear something comfortable and to stay hydrated. Sound waves carry on water, and the more hydrated you are, the more likely the frequencies will have a penetrating effect. Q: Once I am there, what can I do to get the most out of my experience? A: (Hansen) Follow your intuition. If you feel the urge to stand, please do. If you need to yawn, yawn open up that tense face of yours. We encourage you to fidget and allow your body to do what it wants. (Lee) Have a clear intention of why you are there and keep it at the forefront of your mind. Is it to let go of the stress of the week or experience a clarity on maybe something that has been nagging you? Remember to bring yourself back to that intention if you feel your mind starting to stray. Q: What if I fall asleep? A: (Hansen) Its our intention that you stay present because these frequencies you are being exposed to can be takeaway tools. For example, if you hear a sound that resonates positively with you, you can remember it or take it with you, even hum it at your desk the next time youre stressed out. That being said, very few people completely conk out. There is something about it that keeps them right on the edge of the veil that lucid, dreamlike state right before you fall asleep. Q: What are the most common reactions from students? A: (Lee) Most often Ill get My mind is finally still, quiet and empty. (Hansen) We like to joke that theres mindful meditation and mind-emptying meditation; ours is the latter. You see, your brain is like a human computer. You have all these tabs open and, over time, your system will remind you that its time to reboot. When you finally allow your system to recalibrate, what happens? It comes back faster, fresher and clearer. Q: What are some potential benefits of sound baths? A: (Lee) There are thousands of scientific studies that prove the health benefits of meditation. It is really undisputable at this point. In terms of sound baths, researchers have found that sound waves affect the human nervous system and decrease blood pressure more than traditional meditation. There is also new research on the benefits of binaural beats, which is when two tones at slightly different frequencies are played in unison. These sounds have been found to reduce anxiety levels, as well as enhance mood states. Q: What do you say to naysayers who say this is a wacky hippie ritual? A: (Hansen) Ill drop a few quotes from researchers, like inventor Nikola Tesla and scientist Marcel Vogel. Tesla said, If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration. But I never start with that. Ill just say, Hey, we made a beautiful art installation for you to enjoy. The last thing I want is for people to shut down and judge what we do as some weird, cultish activity or a religious practice its absolutely not. We do not in any way emulate, refer to or practice anything that is religious. There is no dogma, guru, ritual, nothing. Recharj (1445 New York Ave. NW) offers sound meditation courses weekly, $10 for 10 days unlimited for new customers, $15 per class for return guests. Lee teaches a Sound Bath Immersion class at Recharj on Thursday evenings. Hansen hosts various sound bath sessions in Virginia and Maryland. Check their schedules at humanactivation.com. The Dacha Beer Garden on Q and 7 th streets is a popular hang out for the new residents of Shaw, an historic black neighborhood in D.C. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post) Street crime in moderate doses doesnt deter white millennials from swarming to take over traditionally black urban neighborhoods. On the contrary, they take pride in moving into an edgy, authentic community and even brag about the violence. Thats what American University professor Derek S. Hyra argues in his new book, Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City, about gentrification in the District. At one point during his four years of field research in the Shaw/U Street neighborhood, he attended a local fundraiser where white recent arrivals seemed to boast about crime in their adopted neighborhood. They described neighborhood carjackings, shootings, and purse snatchings with laughter and jokes, Hyra writes. It seemed that the neighborhood violence gave some newcomers ... something interesting to talk about at parties. Hyras book applies a sophisticated, academic approach to studying social tensions at the forefront of current politics, development and culture in the District. Richard Williams, 66, the unofficial mayor of 7th Street in the rapidly changing Shaw neighborhood of Washington DC, greets a neighbor outside of "The Hodge," his apartment building in Shaw on Nov. 15, 2016. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) [Podcast: The long history and legacy of passing in America] The book raises an ominous warning about a cherished dream of District politicians and activists: that they can build neighborhoods that achieve harmony among diverse races and economic classes. Instead, Hyra found that when mostly white millennials move into traditional African American communities, the two groups interact little and frequently chafe with each other. [After a decade of gentrification, DC sees a generation of families crushed by rent.] For instance, the young, affluent newcomers tend to take over political and civic organizations and promote their own interests a phenomenon on display in the recent explosion of bike lanes, dog parks and upscale coffee shops. Many older, working-class blacks are able to remain, because of the Districts progressive affordable housing policies, and they welcome some benefits, such as a decline in crime. But they also resent giving up both their former political influence and the character of their community. In one case, lobbying by new arrivals cost black churchgoers a long-standing convenience of parking in a school playground on Sunday mornings. Small, black-owned businesses that served as public gathering places have shut their doors. (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) Longtime residents basically feel lost in the neighborhood they grew up in, Hyra said in an interview. We havent built bridges between people in diverse populations who are living next to each other. [Bowser uses citywide address to open new fronts in affordable housing fight.] Hyra, who is white, is director of the Metropolitan Policy Center at AUs School of Public Affairs. His research included a year volunteering for a grass-roots group, ONE DC, that advocates for low-income people in Shaw. In one of the books most eye-opening chapters, Hyra casts light on a pair of phenomena black branding and living the wire that reveal a lot about racial dynamics in early 21st century America. Black branding describes how developers and other mostly white business interests actively promoted Shaws historic black identity as a marketing strategy to attract white renters and buyers. Their success helped tip the neighborhoods demographics from 70 percent black in 1970 to 30 percent in 2010. The Shaw/U Street area was an ideal candidate for such a sales job. U Street was known as the Black Broadway in the 1920s and 1930s, and the neighborhood nurtured cultural giants including musician Duke Ellington and poet Langston Hughes. Both are now memorialized in names of plush residential properties--The Ellington and Langston Lofts. The advertising pitch represented a dramatic shift. Not long ago, an urban communitys association with blackness was mostly perceived as detrimental, the book says. But nowadays ... neighborhood-based organizations, real estate developers, restaurant owners and urban planners commodify and appropriate aspects of blackness to promote tourism, homeownership, and community redevelopment. [Why are bike lanes such heated symbols of gentrification?] Hyra dubs a related trend as living the wire where whites in their 20s and 30s seek the titillation of living in a community with a hint of the urban grit of the Baltimore ghetto portrayed in the TV series The Wire. He also faults the practice as a new form of urban slumming. Living the wire refers to newcomers preferences for moving into an inner-city neighborhood because it has been branded as hip or cool, which, to a certain extent, is associated with danger, excitement, poverty and blackness: iconic ghetto stereotypes, the book says. Although whites may relish living the wire, Hyra says, African Americans unhappy about crime are living the drama of residing in a dangerous community. Hyras findings represent a challenge to the housing and economic development strategies advocated by the citys elected officials and urban planning advocates. Their goal is building communities with a broad mix of races and income groups. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) sums up that approach by calling her program inclusive prosperity. One of her signature objectives is preserving affordable housing in gentrifying neighborhoods. Partly as a result of such policies also pursued by Bowsers predecessors the District has had more success than many cities in allowing low-income residents to remain as their neighborhoods transform, according to Hyra and local housing experts. Without support from the city and churches that sponsor subsidized housing, Hyra said, blacks share of Shaws population would be a third of what it is today. But while the groups share physical proximity, they remain isolated from one another in a pattern that Hyra calls micro-segregation. The divisions break along more than racial lines. The neighborhood also has experienced frictions between conservative, religious residents and gays, and between upper-class and lower-class African Americans. While there are signs that we are becoming a more tolerant society, preexisting social categories, such as race, class and sexual orientation, help to explain intense neighborhood conflicts, the book says. Whats the solution? Hyra urges creating more third spaces like corner stores and recreation centers where all groups can feel comfortable. He also wants more funding for non-profits that encourage community cooperation and more subsidies for long-standing Mom-and-Pop businesses. Its not clear that such steps would be sufficient. But they would be necessary if the District is to fulfill its aspiration of seeing black and white, rich and poor, enjoy the city together. Anne Arundel County The following were among incidents reported by the Anne Arundel County police. For information, call 410-222-8050. PASADENA AREA ROBBERIES Mountain Rd., 300 block, 9:25 p.m. April 1. Two armed and masked men stole cash from a gas station. An Odenton man, 35, and a Pasadena man, 29, were charged with armed robbery, robbery, first- and second-degree assault, handgun on a person, firearm use in a felony, reckless endangerment, conspiracy/armed robbery and theft of less than $1,000. Annapolis These were among incidents reported by the Annapolis Police Department. For information, call 410-268-9000. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Forest Dr., 1500 block, 6:15 p.m. April 22. A woman was seen inside a vehicle. She fled when she was seen by the owner. An Annapolis woman, 30, was charged with rogue and vagabond. Glenwood St., 700 block, April 10. A tool was stolen during repairs. Winslow Ct., 11 p.m. April 22 to 8:30 a.m. April 23. A phone was stolen from a home. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS McGuckian St., 1800 block, 8 p.m. April 21 to 9 a.m. April 22. Two vehicles were stolen from a garage at a business. INDECENT EXPOSURE Wells Ave. at Adams St., 2:30 a.m. April 24. A male exposed himself to two women in a vehicle. Howard County These were among incidents reported by the Howard County Police Department. For information, call 410-313-2236. COLUMBIA AREA ROBBERIES Cross Fox Lane, 10400 block, 4:44 p.m. April 26. A male assaulted another male and stole his wallet, cash and phone. Tamar Dr., 8800 block, 4:59 p.m. April 26. During a sale of a dirt bike that had been arranged online, the man selling the bike was assaulted with a knife by two males. They also stole his cellphone and keys. An Ellicott City man, 19, was charged with robbery and theft. THEFTS/BREAK-INS Cloudleap Ct., 8700 block, 6:04 a.m. April 25. License plates were removed from a vehicle. Dobbin Center Way, 6400 block, April 21 to 22. Someone removed an air duct cover and entered a business; nothing was reported stolen. Frietchie Row, 6500 block, 1 to 6:05 a.m. April 24. A purse, cash and gift cards were stolen from vehicles. Red Branch Rd., 9100 block, April 25 to 26. Tools were stolen from two sheds at a church parking lot. VANDALISM Farewell Rd., Carlinda Ave., Amherst Ave., Wesleigh Dr., and Beechwood Rd., April 21 to 22. Vehicle windows were shot with a BB gun; nothing was reported stolen. Grantchester Way, 10900 block, 12:14 p.m. April 26. A BB or pellet gun was used to shoot out windows at a business. Green Mountain Cir., April 21 to 22. Vehicle windows were shot with a BB gun; nothing was reported stolen. Tamar Dr., April 21 to 22. Vehicle windows were shot with a BB gun; nothing was reported stolen. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Berger Rd., 9500 block, 7:10 a.m. April 24. A Freightliner truck was stolen. Laurel Wreath Way, 6000 block, 5:20 a.m. April 25. A 2015 Honda Civic was stolen. Routes 29 and 175, 5:59 a.m. April 26. A 2008 Nissan Sentra was stolen. ELKRIDGE AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Banbury Dr., 7000 block, 1:30 a.m. April 24. A lock on a shipping container was broken; nothing was stolen. Washington Blvd. and Montevideo Rd., April 22 to 24. An attempt was made to enter a storage shed at a construction site; nothing was stolen. ELLICOTT CITY AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Bethany Lane, 3200 block, 6:37 a.m. April 22. Dirt bikes were stolen from a business. Three males, 16, and one male, 15, of Baltimore were charged with burglary, motor vehicle theft, property destruction and fleeing. Evergreen Way, 3100 block, 2:04 p.m. April 23. Items were stolen from two vehicles in a garage. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Normandy Woods Dr., 3100 block, 12:21 p.m. April 23. A 2010 Honda Accord was stolen. FULTON AREA VANDALISM Maple Lawn Blvd., April 21 to 22. Vehicle windows were shot with a BB gun; nothing was reported stolen. JESSUP AREA ROBBERIES Washington Blvd., 8000 block, 7:38 p.m. April 23. A man assaulted an acquaintance at a hotel and stole his keys, cellphone and wallet. A Beltsville man, 19, was charged with robbery, theft, assault, and rogue and vagabond. LAUREL AREA MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Sylvan Still Rd., 9500 block, 9:31 a.m. April 22. A 2012 Hyundai Sonata was stolen. MARRIOTTSVILLE AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Emma Stone Dr., 2700 bock, 9:27 a.m. April 26. Tiles were taken from a house under construction. MOUNT AIRY AREA MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS Ridge Rd., 1000 block, 12:14 p.m. April 26. A 2014 Chevrolet Silverado was stolen. Renee Foose, superintendent in Howard County since 2012, sued her school board in January after clashing with the new majority. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun) The schools superintendent in Howard County, who recently sued her school board, has agreed to step down from the top job in her Maryland district as part of a settlement that pays her more than $1.6 million for the remaining three years of her contract, according to documents released Wednesday. Renee Foose, 50, ended her nearly five-year tenure as superintendent of the Howard County school system Tuesday night in what was announced as a retirement. The agreement released Wednesday shows that Foose will receive four post-termination payments totaling more than $1.1 million, plus compensation related to retirement and other benefits. Foose was replaced by Michael J. Martirano, most recently state superintendent of schools in West Virginia, who takes over as acting superintendent in Howard. Martirano, whose career includes work as superintendent in St. Marys County and as an administrator in Howard, began visiting schools and meeting staff members Wednesday. Foose and the Howard school board had been at odds since shortly after the November election, when a new board majority was formed. Their differences attracted wide notice when she took the unusual step of filing a lawsuit against the board. [Superintendent sues her school board, alleging unlawful interference, chaos] On Tuesday night, Foose issued a statement thanking teachers, administrators and other employees, as well as students and their families and public officials who supported her. I am proud of my service to the Howard County Public School System and have every expectation that the commitment to excellence in our public schools will continue in the future, she said. Board Chairman Cynthia Vaillancourt, in turn, expressed appreciation for Fooses commitment and service, saying that during Fooses tenure, Howard has been ranked as the top school system in the state and one of the best in the country. We are grateful for her leadership, she said, adding that Martirano will be acting superintendent while a search is conducted for a permanent leader. The moderate tone of the messages was a counterpoint to months of political tension and turmoil in Howard. Foose alleged in her lawsuit that the board majority was unlawfully interfering with her authority and creating chaos and uncertainty in the school system of nearly 55,000 students. She asserted that the trouble began within an hour of the swearing-in of three new board members in December, as a five-member majority passed eight resolutions, many of which she said were aimed at limiting her powers. Howard has an eight-member school board that includes one student member. Fooses complaint also alleged that at least one board member made disparaging comments about Foose based on beliefs about her sexual orientation, questioning her ability to support our kids if we have a lesbian superintendent and suggesting Foose held sway with the previous all-female board because she was probably sleeping with them. Tensions flared in the months that followed, including when the board snubbed one of Fooses signature programs, intended to provide full scholarships to McDaniel College, in Westminster, Md., to low-income students who wanted to become teachers and would work in Howard for three years. [Program to improve teacher diversity will offer full college scholarships] Foose had been given a second four-year contract in February 2016, a decision supported by a board majority that included three members who then lost their races in last years elections. Controversies over school superintendents are not unusual. A recent uproar in Queen Annes County involved a superintendent who had come to the end of a second contract, which was not renewed, much to the surprise and dismay of many in her community. [Furor on Marylands Eastern Shore as critics seek to oust school board majority] In Howard, Foose, who previously worked in school-system leadership positions in Montgomery and Baltimore counties, earned a base salary of $273,262 a year as superintendent, according to her contract. The terms of her successors contract are still being finalized, officials said. Meantime, there are shake-ups on the board as well. On Wednesday, board member Christine OConnor submitted her resignation. OConnor, elected in 2014 and a past chairman of the board, had become part of the boards two-member minority faction and supported Foose. She said in an interview Wednesday she could no longer be aligned with the five-member board majority and its political nonsense and disruption. Their mission is not about the students, its about the politics, she said. What they did to Dr. Foose is unforgivable. Im hoping the school system will be able to maintain all that shes done for us. OConnor said that it appears the school system will essentially be paying two superintendents at the same time, with Foose out and another leader in the position, in addition to steep legal fees. Its a complete mismanagement of the taxpayers money and it didnt have to be this way, she said. The money should be being used for our students. OConnor said she wished that the school board had gone to mediation with Foose, as she said was set forth in a recent ruling from the Maryland State Board of Education. Neither Foose nor the boards chairman, Vaillancourt, was available for additional comment. Mark W. Levin manning a display table for Daniel Morgan Academy, now the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security, in 2015. (Obtained by The Washington Post) Hed killed 38 people, Mark W. Levin told co-workers at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security, and ran a squad of covert operatives called The Watchers who prevented terrorist attacks. He avoided uttering the three letters of his supposed employer, a renowned intelligence agency. His presence was required up river, hed tell colleagues. He needed to see agency people. Those who worked with Levin at Daniel Morgan a fledgling school that offers graduate programs to aspiring spies and diplomats in downtown Washington did not investigate his credentials. He had convinced former CIA operatives and national security veterans that he was one of them. Now a $150 million lawsuit accuses Levin, 72, a former special adviser to the schools president, of inventing a clandestine career to manipulate three young men who worked at Daniel Morgan into sexually abusive encounters. Levin convinced the men that naked, physical inspections would determine their futures at school and their careers in the intelligence world, the alleged victims said. All of it sounded credible, and I believed it because he was the boss of the school, said a 24-year-old Daniel Morgan employee who lives in Falls Church, Va., and is one of the three men suing Levin and the school in D.C. Superior Court. The men have been granted anonymity by a judge, and The Washington Post generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse. Levin, who was not paid by Daniel Morgan, did not return phone calls seeking comment. He has not been charged with a crime related to the accusations. But the lawsuit has raised questions about his past and how carefully he was vetted by officials at Daniel Morgan and, before that, at another Washington graduate school, the Institute of World Politics. [Sexual coercion is alleged in lawsuit against national security school] Levin was already working at Daniel Morgan when Joseph DeTrani arrived as president in January 2016. After the allegations surfaced eight months later, the school launched an internal investigation, reported the accusations to police and fired Levin. DeTrani, a former CIA officer who carried the rank of ambassador while serving as a special envoy for six-party talks with North Korea, said he thinks Levin is an impostor. I checked him out with a number of agencies in Washington and in the intelligence community, and no one had anything on him, said DeTrani, who left Daniel Morgan last week for reasons unrelated to the allegations. He called Levin a sick, sick man. He conned these young men into believing something he was not. And he may have deceived the intelligence veterans he mingled with and worked alongside. I know people think its weird and could say, How would he be able to con a bunch of spies? But its a large community, and you might figure he has a role in something youre not aware of, said Linda Millis, a former CIA official who until March served as Daniel Morgans executive director. Other spies, when we socialize with each other, we dont ask each other about our backgrounds. We banned him Levin represented himself as an old hand of the national security establishment, former colleagues said. Mark W. Levin, 72, of Arlington, Va., is shown on his Daniel Morgan Academy ID badge. (Obtained by The Washington Post) Military records show that he served in the Army Reserve from 1966 to 1971 during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1972 and earned a law degree from Florida State University in 1975, school officials said. In the early 1990s, Levin ran a restaurant consulting company, according to Florida business records. Then he moved to Washington, where he became a kind of unpaid, unofficial adviser at the Institute of World Politics, a national security graduate school, former employees said. In the late 1990s, Levin began attending the institutes public lectures. Then he started handing over checks to pay for the tuitions of certain students, though the source of the money was a mystery, said one former senior school official who feared retribution if identified by name. In 2009, he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of concealing merchandise in Fairfax County and later pleaded guilty, agreeing to perform community service at a library in Alexandria, according to court records. It is not clear whether anyone at the institute knew about the incident. Mark Levin was an occasional visitor to the Institute of World Politics for about a decade, ending in 2013, the school said in a statement. He did not serve in any advisory capacity. Levin networked with former spies by attending lunches and other events sponsored by the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society. Elizabeth Bancroft, the director emerita of the AFIO, said Levin brought students from the institute to association lunches, from about 2009 to 2012, at a Tysons Corner hotel. The association asked him to join as a paying member which would have required him to submit forms detailing his career but Bancroft said Levin always demurred. In 2013, Levin tapped a crew of current and former institute staffers to work at a VIP reception at an OSS Society dinner honoring retired Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, who helped plan the attack that killed Osama bin Laden. We were just checking people in, and Mark spun it as, Youre going to provide security for the heads of the CIA and other leading heads of the intelligence community, said a former institute employee who served as one of Levins security officials that night and later went on to work at Daniel Morgan. He requested anonymity for fear of retribution. I remember Mark walking through the VIP room, with the presence of authority, shaking hands and saying hi to some people. But Levins relationship with the OSS Society came to an abrupt end. After we discovered that Levin snuck unregistered people into our dinner with fake badges, Charles Pinck, the president of the group, said in a statement, we banned him from attending our events. [A Marine fights to prove hes innocent of sexual misconduct. Then a lost cellphone is found.] The CIA said that it generally does not comment on whether someone previously worked for the agency. In a statement after the lawsuit was filed, the agency condemned anyone who poses as a CIA officer to commit abhorrent acts against young people or otherwise engages in illegal activity. Langley has dealt with espionage wannabes before. Wayne Simmons, a former guest analyst for Fox News, was sentenced to prison last year for falsely claiming he had spent decades as a CIA operative. TV game-show impresario Chuck Barris, the creator of The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game and host of The Gong Show, claimed to be a CIA assassin in his autobiography an assertion the agency flatly denied. But those impostors were not surrounded by former spies, as Levin was. An excerpt from the Daniel Morgan Graduate School's internal investigation into accusations against Mark W. Levin, 72, a former special adviser to the schools president. (Obtained by The Washington Post) Linda Strating, Daniel Morgans former director of strategic alliances, recruitment and student services, said the allegations about Levin surprised her. Mark is incapable of harming a fly, she said. Hes a very thoughtful soul. But she, too, said she knew little about Levins career. All he told her, she said, was that he had been a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War and was injured while getting wounded pilots out of dangerous places. An air of legitimacy The Arlington man first met Levin in 2012 at an orientation for new graduate students at the Institute of World Politics, a program housed inside a red-brick mansion less than a mile from the White House. Levin, a bald man with a slight hobble, told the 21-year-old that he had already done some collection on him and was keeping a dossier. Levin said that he had worked for 47 years in intelligence and counterterrorism and that he was recruiting students for his clandestine, unnamed organization, the Arlington man said. Levin told him to stay in touch and gave him his cellphone number and his email address, which contained the word selenium. Mark claimed . . . that if you were hired as an agent, you would be assigned an email based on an element from the periodic table, said the Arlington man, now a Daniel Morgan administrator suing the graduate school and Levin. There was an air of legitimacy around it. He walked around IWP like he was in charge. Mark Levin served as an unofficial counselor to the president of the Institute of World Politics, former employees said. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) At the institute, Levin had no official job or salary. But he functioned as a counselor to the schools founder and president, John Lenczowski, and claimed he represented a donor willing to give at least $1 million to the institution once it got accredited, former officials said. But after the institute earned its accreditation, neither the money nor the donors identity materialized. Lenczowski, who served on President Ronald Reagans National Security Council, declined to comment. By late 2012, the alleged victim said, Levin told him that if he wanted to remain a candidate for Levins covert group, he needed to avoid marriage, children, sexually transmitted diseases and relationships with Muslim women. Levin warned him, he said, that his guys would constantly watch him and that if he didnt follow instructions, he would be blacklisted from government jobs. The Arlington man whose mother is a former prosecutor in southern Virginia said he believed Levin. He saw him pal around with other former spies at various AFIO and OSS social events. According to the lawsuit, Levin created the impression he had personal relationships with former CIA directors John Brennan and David H. Petraeus. Brennan and Petraeus, through spokesmen, said they do not recall ever meeting Levin. Then, Levin began inviting his protege back to his Arlington apartment building to practice drawing a weapon shirtless. Soon, the man said, Levin began fondling him and giving him prostate exams, telling him the inspections were key to his recruitment. Levin also washed him in the shower, according to the alleged victims lawsuit, which was filed by lawyers Tamara Miller, a former Justice Department deputy chief, and Peter Masciola, a retired brigadier general. Although Levin told him that he was free to refuse, the Arlington man said he did not want to imperil his candidacy for the clandestine organization or risk losing out on government jobs. About the same time, Levin had persuaded a second young student at the Institute of World Politics to get in the shower, under similar pretenses, the lawsuit says. In 2013, institute officials received student complaints about Levin, according to Owen T. Smith, chairman of the institutes board of trustees. The guy was strange and had an uneasy presence on campus, Smith said. There were certainly questions about who he was and why he was there. Smith said the board looked into Levins background but could not confirm he had ever worked in the intelligence community. As a result, Smith said, Levin was banned from the school. He retained the trust of one institute board member: Abby S. Moffat, the chief executive of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, which focuses on bolstering U.S. national security. In 2013, Moffat resigned as an institute board member and established a new intelligence graduate school, bringing Levin with her. Abby was on the board at the time of our investigation into Levin, Smith said. I dont know how she could not have known about it. Moffat denied that was true. I can state unequivocally that at no time during those days was I aware of any investigation by IWP into Mr. Levins intelligence background, she said in a statement, and I had absolutely no information that he was engaged in the conduct that he is now alleged to have committed. Her foundation gives Daniel Morgan $7 million a year and is the schools primary revenue source. We have people killed In the beginning, the new school was called National Security Enterprise, and Levin, the lawsuit says, was fond of telling people who suggested it to him: James R. Clapper Jr., then President Barack Obamas director of national intelligence. Clapper, through a spokesman, said he does not know Levin. By early 2014, Levin had hired two of his alleged victims from the Institute of World Politics as employees at National Security Enterprise. The Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Securitys main entrance on the seventh floor of an office building in downtown Washington. (Obtained by The Washington Post) In June 2014, National Security Enterprise was renamed in honor of Daniel Morgan, a renowned general during the American Revolution. The school hired its first president, Marion Spike Bowman, a former deputy national counterintelligence executive. He now serves on Daniel Morgans board of trustees and said in a brief interview that he didnt know anything about [Levins] history. The schools original staffers said they viewed Levin skeptically but figured Moffat had vetted him. Levin controlled how Moffats foundation money would be spent, according to Dick Coffman, a retired CIA officer and the schools No. 2 official from summer 2015 to March 2016. Levin approved the hiring of faculty members, courses, even the pens for college fairs, Coffman said. Levin organized Daniel Morgans relocation to the seventh and 10th floors of an office building at 1620 L St. in Northwest Washington. Abby was the sole source of funding. But he ran the school. He had complete and I mean complete in the full meaning of the word control over the budget and funding, said Coffman, who believes the reason his contract was not renewed was that he questioned Levins authority. Levin pushed to make tuition free, Coffman said, and hired interns at about $20 an hour when similar organizations paid far less. He said Levin promoted several interns to high-paying administrative jobs that should have gone to more seasoned candidates. Two of the lawsuits plaintiffs, for instance, were earning salaries of $55,000 and $75,000. Levin constantly spoke of his black operations in Nigeria, Poland and Israel, Coffman said. He told people he was out every night hunting Arab and Iranian terrorists on the streets of Washington, he said. Millis, who followed Coffman as the schools executive director, grew worried by Levins boasts. When I got there, he told me: Im a trained assassin. Ive killed 38 people. But then he would say, Really, Ive just put them in a coma, Millis recalled. Im not the only person hed say this to. People would say, Oh, Mark and his 38 people. When the Falls Church man applied for his internship in July 2016, Levin told him The Watchers or my guys had been surveilling him. Then, Mark told me: Ive killed 38 people. We have people killed all the time. And we cover our tracks, he said. I was intimidated. Well before the allegations of sexual abuse surfaced in August, DeTrani, Daniel Morgans president, had already started investigating Levins past. It was then that DeTrani learned that a graduate school devoted to national security had not done background checks on its employees. Among those who hadnt been scrutinized: Mark Levin. Julie Tate contributed to this report. The photo was as pleasing for Marylands Democratic elders as it was infuriating for their critics on their left. There stood Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin and Reps. Steny H. Hoyer and Elijah E. Cummings three men with an average age of 72 and a combined 87 years in Congress smiling broadly alongside their new interim state party chair: former television anchor and Marriott executive Kathleen Matthews. Kathleen Matthews, second from right, with, from left, Sen. Ben Cardin, former Democratic party chair Bruce Poole, Reps. Steny Hoyer and Elijah Cummings, after she was selected as interim party chair. (photo from Md. Democrats) The trio of lawmakers see Matthews, 63, as the jolt of energy the party needs as it heads into a crucial 2018 campaign season. Shes a great communicator, and she knows how to raise money, Cardin said. For many in the partys progressive wing, however, her selection March 1 and her likely election by the full state central committee on Saturday illustrates a dispiriting adherence to the status quo: another anointment by the same circle of insiders who have run the state party for more than a generation. With Democrats like this, who needs Republicans? said Adam Umak, Western Maryland chair of Our Revolution, the national organization that seeks to build on the success of Sen. Bernie Sanderss insurgent presidential campaign. He cited Matthewss leadership of Marriotts corporate PAC, which on her watch contributed tens of thousands of dollars to House and Senate Republicans. Matthews also steered money to Democrats, but that did nothing to temper Umaks disdain. Despite a 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans, Marylands Democratic party is divided and depleted after a disastrous 2014 election that included the loss of several seats in the statehouse and the election of Gov. Larry Hogan, the states third Republican chief executive since 1967. Kathleen Matthews, who is running for Maryland Democratic Party chair, at the Young Democrats of Maryland Convention in Lanham on April 1. ( Evelyn Hockstein /for The Washington Post) Matthews says she is working to revitalize the partys progressive base in Prince Georges County, Montgomery County and Baltimore City, where turnout was poor when then-Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown lost to Hogan in an upset. She also is looking to build bridges to the states rural west, where alienated Democrats strayed to President Trump in November or stayed home, complaining they had been all but forgotten. And she must try to close rifts in Annapolis, where bills aimed at helping undocumented immigrants and black business owners were defeated in the recently concluded General Assembly session losses that left progressives vowing to seek revenge on some longtime incumbents. Matthews has been reaching out to grass-roots groups galvanized by Trumps election, inviting Our Revolution, Indivisible MD and other groups to help shape the agenda and unify around the goal of unseating Hogan. She calls it her inclusion revolution, a phrase she said she borrowed from Cummingss wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings. Jessica Geahlen, chief strategist for Indivisible MD, said her group is interested in working with anyone who wants to help bring about a progressive agenda. But were not interested in being co-opted, Geahlen added. And theres been some animosity. First-term Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen, who won his seat in a district carried by Hogan two years earlier, said he is rooting for Matthews but remains skeptical. If we define ourselves by who were not, well keep losing, he said. Our party needs to stand up for vulnerable people. Matthews remains easily tagged as a political neophyte whose corporate background and A-list Washington pedigree (she is married to Hardball host Chris Matthews) outweigh a real understanding of ground-level Maryland politics. She labored to erase that image in 2016, when she finished third in the District 8 congressional primary behind David Trone and now-Rep. Jamie B. Raskin. At the same time, Matthews is a grinder and nonstop networker who maneuvers unfamiliar terrain with a furious regimen of meetings, lunches and phone calls. After a series of conversations, she built an alliance with Scherod Barnes, the African American chair of the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee, who will run unopposed for first vice-chair of the party this weekend. Once she sits down with skeptics, she likes to say, the stereotypes fall away. I dont look scrappy, but Im scrappy, she said. Ask my husband. Kathleen Matthews talks with Jamila Woods-Jones, chair of the Prince Georges County Democratic Central Committee, at the Young Democrats convention. ( Evelyn Hockstein /for The Washington Post) While opposition from the left has been vocal, it has not produced a major challenger for party chair. Former Montgomery County Council member Valerie Ervin, a senior adviser to the national advocacy group Working Families, said she considered running but could not afford to take an unpaid position. Others said the establishment apparatus of the party is too strong. Theyre the bosses. Theyre the machine, said Joseph Kitchen Jr., president of the Young Democrats of Maryland. Matthews will have only one opponent when she faces the state central committee in Greenbelt this weekend: longtime activist Tony Puca, of North Potomac, who acknowledged he likely will not win but said the party needs to see that there are other options. Her mind is in the right place, but shes not progressive, Puca said. The divide within the party could figure prominently in the 2018 gubernatorial primary. Many Our Revolution members are boosting former NAACP president Benjamin Jealous, who says he is seriously considering the race. Jealous could face up to three candidates from the establishment core of the party: Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, who have all but announced, and Rep. John Delaney, who has said he will make a decision in June. Also weighing runs are state Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Montgomery) and Baltimore attorney James L. Shea. Tech entrepreneur and former Obama administration advisor Alec Ross last week became the first candidate to officially declare. The party that commands the governors office in 2020 will play a lead role, along with the Democratic-majority legislature, in redrawing congressional and legislative district lines based on the new census. (Democrats have killed Hogans proposals to hand redistricting over to a nonpartisan commission). Thanks to their strongholds in Baltimore City, Montgomery and Prince Georges, Democrats have maintained their lock on the states two U.S. Senate seats, seven of eight House seats and the statewide offices of attorney general and comptroller. But slippage at the local level has been significant. In the rural west and the Eastern Shore, Democrats are becoming as seldom seen as a pay phone. Democrats controlled 11 of 24 county councils or commissions in 2003 but were down to seven by 2015, according to an analysis by Democratic consultant and blogger Adam Pagnucco. County executives offices in Howard, Anne Arundel and Wicomico shifted from Democratic to Republican during that same period. In 2006, 34 Republicans ran unopposed for county office. By 2016, the number of seats uncontested by Democrats was 54. Matthews pledges to rejuvenate county central committees and nurture new candidates, especially in what she called the orphan counties outside the Montgomery-Prince Georges-Baltimore axis. Thats where you have basically atrophy going on, she said. Weve got to rebuild from the bottom up. She will confront an energized state Republican Party with its eyes on a new target: eliminating Democrats veto-proof majority in the state Senate. The party is lining up Senate challengers in nine districts that Hogan carried in 2014 and needs to win five currently Democratic seats to achieve its goal. Matthews has pushed back on the narrative that she was anointed for the partys top post. She said she was casting around for a way to stay in politics after her loss in the congressional primary last April. Cardin suggested that she work for Marylands coordinated campaign, the combined general-election effort of state and county organizations. Matthews also appeared as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton, knocked on doors for candidates in Pennsylvania and Virginia and joined the board of Emerge Maryland, an organization that mentors women interested in running for office. When she heard that state party chairman Bruce Poole would step down in early 2017, Matthews met with Cardin, Hoyer, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and others. All, she said, encouraged her to run. They liked her communication skills, fundraising connections and the opportunity to put a woman in a high-profile role. There was also her willingness to work full time without pay and the fact that no one else of stature wanted the job. Both former representative Kweisi Mfume and Courtney Watson, the Clinton campaigns Maryland co-chair, were approached but were not interested, party officials said. In the end, Cardin said, Matthews was the most aggressive in campaigning for it. Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), who endorsed Raskin over Matthews in the 2016 primary, thinks she has what it will take to lead Democrats to a better place. Ive watched dozens of persons who have had this job, and it is wearing, Miller said. It is very tough, like herding cats, because our party is such a broad tent. Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this story. Montgomery county These cases were received by the Montgomery County Animal Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5900. This number provides recorded information on topics such as the new animal services and adoption centers hours and location in Derwood, adoption and licensing procedures, and lost-and-found and field services. Dog attacks dog: Bel Pre Rd., 4500 block, Rockville, April 17. A property owner reported that while her two dogs were playing in the back yard, her Presa Canario attacked her Cane Corso. While attempting to break up the fight, the owner was bit on the hand. The woman refused medical treatment and surrendered the Presa Canario to an officer. The dog was taken to the animal services and adoption center to be evaluated. Dog bite: Haney Terr., 11000 block, Damascus, April 21. A dog owner reported that their daughter came home with a friend and that their English bulldog bit the daughters friend from behind when the friend entered the home. The bite was minor, and the dog was placed under a standard 10-day home quarantine. Regulation violation: Barnwood Lane, 10600 block, Potomac, April 21. A resident reported that a dog was tethered outside with no shelter and was possibly abandoned. The investigating officer observed a pit bull terrier tethered on a short chain by the collar near a garage. The garage door was cracked open about five inches, but the dog was unable to get inside. There was no water available for the dog. A co-owner of the dog was warned about the conditions and told how to correct the matter. The officer will follow up to ensure corrections are made. baby shower for orphaned wild animals Live animals, a native plant sale, birdhouse or feeder building with your kids (kits $5) and refreshments. Much-needed baby shower gifts include paper towels, unscented bleach, detergent, mixed tree nuts, newsprint, and gift cards to Giant Food and PetSmart. Saturday from noon-4 p.m. Second Chance Wildlife Center, 7101 Barcellona Dr., Gaithersburg. 301-926-9453. scwc.org. Bring supplies for our baby animals. Cash donations are also appreciated. Humane Society adoptions The Montgomery County Humane Societys private rescue shelter has dogs, puppies, cats and kittens available for adoption. Call 240-252-2555 or visit mchumane.org. MCHS Adoptions and Education Center, 601 S. Stonestreet Ave., Rockville. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except holidays. Reduced FEES FOR CATS Cats and kittens will be available for adoption at the next open house of Friends of Montgomery County Animals at the following location. Call 301-977-4833, or visit fmca.org or facebook.com/fmcainfo. PetSmart at Milestone Center, 20924 Frederick Rd., Germantown. Hours: 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. Cats at no-kill shelter Cats and kittens will be available for adoption through the Animal Welfare League of Montgomery Countys no-kill shelter at the following location. For information, call 301-740-2511 or visit awlmc.org. Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County no-kill shelter, 12 Park Ave., Gaithersburg. Hours: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton For the first time, Baltimore police have begun investigating overdoses in an effort to trace drugs back to dealers, joining a wave of Maryland law enforcement agencies showing up at 911 calls previously left to medics. A task force of five detectives will operate out of the homicide unit, responding when possible to fatal and nonfatal overdose scenes. More than 1,000 patrol officers are also being trained by the Drug Enforcement Administration on how to respond to overdose scenes. I think everyone would agree that we cant keep up this rate of overdoses, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said in an interview. Were going to build some cases hopefully that will result in some criminal charges against people putting this poison out on the street. The effort has been in the works for more than a year in partnership with the Baltimore states attorneys office and with guidance from local DEA agents, who have been working with smaller agencies statewide to collect and share information about drug dealing resulting in overdoses. We want it known that were going to go after and look to prosecute those individuals we can tie to overdoses, said Don Hibbert, the special agent in charge of the DEAs Baltimore field office. But authorities face challenges in tackling a drug epidemic that continues to worsen. [Maryland overdose deaths continue steep climb] The new squad of city investigators will confront a caseload that last year topped 800 fatal overdoses alone. In Harford County, the sheriffs office two years ago began sending a narcotics detective to every overdose scene but has scaled back because of a spiking number of calls. We cant keep up, said Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler. Prosecutors across the state, meanwhile, say they lack the tools to charge such cases. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in the past legislative session proposed a bill allowing prosecutors to charge a dealer in the death of an overdose victim, a law that would have carried a 30-year maximum sentence. But the bill was revised, instead adding 10 years of prison time for dealers convicted of supplying fentanyl. Baltimore Assistant States Attorney Gerald Collins, who is chief of the major investigations unit, said he believes theres a wide range of ways his office can bring cases related to the police investigations. But he says charging a dealer with a customers death can be very challenging. In Baltimore, police hope the new investigative efforts can more quickly remove from the street a dealer circulating a bad batch causing a rash of overdoses. We might be able to connect that quicker, that we need to focus on this person because hes killing people, said police spokesman T.J. Smith. Others warn of unintended consequences from increased police intervention in drug overdoses. Rachel Bergstein, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University of School of Public Health, studied the implementation of the states 2015 Good Samaritan law for the Baltimore Health Department and found that many overdose bystanders refrained from or delayed calling 911 because of fear of arrest. The law protects people experiencing an overdose or assisting someone who is overdosing from arrest. The Drug Policy Alliance also says treating overdoses as homicides will not curb overdoses, instead often targeting other users who sold drugs to support their habit and seeking to chip away at the supply when the demand remains rampant. Thirty years of drug criminalization has overflowed our prisons and devastated our black and brown communities but has reduced neither the drug trade nor consumption, Bergstein told state legislators in testimony against the bill that targeted the drug dealers. Addiction and overdose rates are only climbing higher. Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen said her office has been working on the implementation so that it best assists with the objectives of the police department while also ensuring that it moves forward our public health goal of saving lives and encouraging people to seek treatment. Neill Franklin, executive director of the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, said the new initiative was unwise and destined to fail. Its going to create more problems, as it relates to dealing with this issue of getting people into treatment, removing the stigma, Franklin said. Its an emotional response, not one based on science, on things proven to work. The increased efforts to prosecute dealers come at a time when the state, through the Justice Reinvestment Act, has been trying to reduce sentencing guidelines for drug dealers and steer users toward treatment instead of incarceration. Officials stress that they want to go after dealers, not users, and say theyve learned lessons from past efforts to crack down on drugs. While treatment and prevention are extraordinarily important, we cant stem the flow of these increased opioid deaths without also taking a good hard look at enforcement, Christopher Shank, Hogans deputy chief of staff, said in Annapolis this year. Anne Arundel County police have been sending two officers and a supervisor to every confirmed or suspected overdose scene. Officers hand out addiction resources but also go to work trying to trace the drugs. If the person is coherent, we try to encourage cooperation, try to identify where and from whom the victim obtained the narcotic, said Anne Arundel police spokesman Marc Limansky. When an overdose is fatal, police establish a crime scene: They set up a perimeter, take photographs, collect fingerprints. Whatever we can get to ultimately lead us to the supplier, Limansky said. With overdoses spiking around the state, Hibbert said Baltimore continues to be a hub of activity. Investigations have traced overdoses in outlying jurisdictions to drugs sold in the city. [Drug overdose deaths top 1,400 in Virginia in 2016] There are few examples of local prosecutors being able to charge dealers with selling drugs that resulted in overdoses. Prosecutors say such cases are complex, with problems including being able to show a dealer knew the risks or knew what cocktail of drugs they were selling. Anne Arundel States Attorney Wes Adams said proving an overdose is a homicide is a very difficult task, in part because the drugs are willingly ingested with overdose an accepted risk. If it was easy, I can promise you all 23 states attorneys would be knocking down cases as quick as we could, he said. In Harford, investigators recently touted an investigation into overdoses that helped identify a major drug-trafficking organization operating out of northeast Baltimore County. Working together, local and federal authorities say they linked 15 fatal and 48 nonfatal overdoses to the organization. Two dealers went on to be charged in federal court in the deaths of two customers. Investigators used phone and Facebook messages to connect one of the dealers, Lamar Kaintuck of Baltimore, to the death of Calvert County resident Jordan Roche, who had returned from a heroin recovery house in North Carolina when he was found dead in 2015 from a fatal injection of heroin, court records show. Kaintuck pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin and was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. Harford investigators looking into overdoses also began developing a case around a Baltimore man named Antonio Shropshire, which led to his indictment along with several others, including Baltimore police officer Momodu Gondo. It was that investigation that led to charges against Gondo and six other police officers on racketeering conspiracy charges in February. Shropshire and Gondo have pleaded not guilty. Harford County Capt. Lee Dunbar said investigators can seek federal charges in cases where drug distribution leads to someones death, and their investigations have led to five such cases. On the state side, we can charge reckless endangerment or manslaughter, but its an uphill battle to do it, Dunbar said. I can count on one hand how many times its been successful. In Queen Annes County, when a 27-year-old woman died of an overdose at a Subway restaurant last fall, police there used information from her phone to trace the drugs back to a 20-year-old woman and her 58-year-old dealer. Both were charged with manslaughter and a slew of drug counts. The woman ultimately pleaded guilty to drug possession and received a sentence of four years, with all but 40 days suspended, while the man pleaded guilty to a drug distribution charge and received 16 years. Years earlier, authorities in Queen Annes probably would not have attempted to trace the drugs, said Deputy States Attorney Christine Rickard. I think a lot of jurisdictions are realizing, there has to be a higher price for dealing a death sentence to people who are addicts, Rickard said. Prince Georges County police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man early Wednesday at a Suitland gas station. Officers responded just after 12 a.m. to a gas station in the 4700 block of Silver Hill Road, police said. There police found Wayne Pope, 27, with a gunshot wound to the upper body. The Suitland man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Police said Pope was a customer at the gas station and was robbed before the shooting. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the case to call 301-772-4925 or 866-411-TIPS (8477). Lynh Bui contributed to this report. A D.C. woman was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday in connection with two attacks against her ex-boyfriend last summer. Authorities said one of the attacks involved a knife and the other involved sulfuric acid. A judge sentenced Linda Washington, 53, to two years for the knife attack and a consecutive 10 years for the acid attack. She pleaded guilty in March to assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault while armed, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in the District. [Ex-Hill aide who admitted 2 assaults avoids jail after he becomes a victim] Authorities said the first attack happened in July of 2016. Washington drove to the Northeast Washington home of her ex-boyfriend to get hedge trimmers she had loaned him. During the visit, there was a verbal confrontation and Washington pulled out a butchers knife and ran toward him with it. According to the release, the ex-boyfriend jumped over a fence. Washington then walked into his house and took his house keys, authorities said, adding that the ex-boyfriends security camera captured the incident. Then in September of 2017, authorities said Washington approached her ex-boyfriend in a parking lot outside her Southeast Washington home. As he tried to get inside his car, Washington threw a plastic cup of drain cleaner on him, covering his face, neck, chest and arm, according to the release. An FBI chemist determined that most of the liquid contained sulfuric acid, authorities said. The ex-boyfriend spent nearly a month at The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center after the second attack and suffered devastating injuries, the release said. After her prison term, Washington will be placed on five years of supervised release. Charlotte Coffield, a resident of the Lyttonsville neighborhood in Silver Spring, stands on the one-lane Talbot Bridge in September. The span is closed to motor vehicles indefinitely after it failed an inspection. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post) A historic Montgomery County bridge that served as a lifeline for African American residents during segregation has been closed indefinitely after it failed a safety inspection, officials said. Esther Bowring, spokeswoman for the countys transportation department, said inspectors closed the Talbot Avenue bridge Thursday night after finding that it had deteriorated so much that it was unsafe for motor vehicles. The bridge remains open to pedestrians and cyclists who walk their bicycles. The county has been exploring ways to move and preserve the one-lane bridge that has spanned railroad tracks in the Lyttonsville neighborhood northwest of downtown Silver Spring since 1918. The bridge was slated to be torn down and replaced with a longer span as part of building the planned light-rail Purple Line, but longtime Lyttonsville residents began pushing last year to move the smaller bridge so it could be preserved as a historic symbol of segregation. Residents say the bridge provided a vital link between their historically black community and white neighborhoods where they were allowed to work but not live. They said it also connected them to public buses that would take them into the District for dining or movies. [Residents fear bridge from segregation will be lost to history] In response to residents questions, Barry Fuss, the countys chief of bridge design, wrote that the serious disrepair of the bridge made him recommend that it remain closed until it can be replaced when construction on the 16-mile Purple Line begins. The Purple Lines construction, which was scheduled to begin last fall, has been delayed by a federal lawsuit that must be resolved before the project can receive crucial federal funding. [Maryland officials, activists urge judge to issue ruling in Purple Line case] Charlotte Coffield, a third-generation Lyttonsville resident who has advocated for the bridges preservation, said she is concerned that with the Purple Line mired in litigation, the community has no firm date for getting a new bridge. Its all hinging on the Purple Line, and were not sure if theres even going to be a Purple Line at this point, Coffield said. We dont really know what this means. The wood-and-steel bridge is used by residents traveling between Lyttonsville, neighborhoods to the north and the Capital Beltway. Bowring said the state will begin building a new bridge within a year of the approval for Purple Line construction. The Talbot Avenue bridge will be one of the first projects to move forward, Bowring said in an email. [Montgomery moves to preserve century-old bridge with ties to segregation] Montgomery officials have said that the county-owned bridge was recently rated the most deteriorated in the county. It was inspected every three months, compared with the typical two-year inspection cycle, and had been limited to passenger vehicles under weight restrictions in place since at least 1973. In February, the Montgomery County Council directed the county to explore moving the bridge, and a parks department official said he would begin seeking a new home for it, perhaps as a footbridge over a trail or stream in a county park. The bridge also is being considered as part of artwork that would be included at the Purple Lines Lyttonsville station. Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello is launching his first campaign commercial, touting his closeness to former president Barack Obama. The 30-second spot, which the campaign says is airing statewide as part of a six-figure buy, begins with footage from a 2010 rally, where the former president campaigned with Perriello as part of his unsuccessful bid for a second term in Congress. Tom went to Washington to take on the insurance companies, and the credit card companies, and the Wall Street banks, and thats what Tom Perriello is about, Obama says in the ad, before a shot shows the two men on a stage embracing each other before an enthusiastic crowd. [Northam grilled on campaign finance, Perriello on abortion at forum] The commercial transitions to Perriello speaking to the camera as he walks out of a bucolic home in rolled up shirtsleeves and jeans, describing his work on progressive causes before he was elected to Congress in 2008. Now Im running for governor to reduce economic inequality because together we really can build a Virginia that works for everyone, Perriello says. The advertisement highlights his campaigns populist message and appears designed to raise Perriellos standing with African American voters, a key bloc of the Democratic primary electorate, by tying him to the popular former president. [First ad in Lt. Gov. race features terrorists startling a soccer mom] Obama, who appointed Perriello to the State Department after he lost his re-election bid, has stayed out of the gubernatorial primary. His 2008 campaign manager and multiple senior staffers in his administration are backing Perriello. The ad buy comes a week after rival Democratic candidate Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam hit the airwaves. Northams first ad, in contrast, featured several Virginians praising his work on progressive causes in the legislature and ended with the lieutenant governor denouncing President Trump. His campaign has since announced two new commercials airing in the Northern Virginia market, including one where he touts his record on gun control and calls Trump a narcissistic maniac. Perriello, who has also run a campaign critical of Trump, does not mention the president in his first advertisement. Recent polls have found a close race ahead of the June 13 Democratic primary, with both candidates largely unknown to voters. Northam had twice as much campaign cash ($3.3 million) than Perriello at the end of March. None of the three Republican candidates former strategist Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Corey A. Stewart and state Sen. Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach) have launched sustained ad buys. Supporters of both candidates rally as progressive and labor groups host a forum with candidates Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello in Arlington. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) The two Democrats vying to be Virginias next governor came face to face with some of their toughest critics at a Tuesday forum in Arlington, billed as a chance for progressives to question the candidates ahead of the June 13 primary. For Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, that meant a grilling from liberal voters who asked about his acceptance of campaign cash from Dominion Resources, a state-regulated utility and Virginias biggest political donor. For his rival, former congressman Tom Perriello, it meant fielding pointed questions from volunteers for gun control and abortion rights groups concerned about his conservative stances on those issues during his term in Congress. The forum followed their first, largely genial debate on Saturday where the harshest barbs were reserved for President Trump. But some of Tuesdays progressive audience members who the moderator quipped were revolutionaries came with their own acid. [Northam, Perriello hold fire for first debate] Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam greets supporters. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Perriello has cast himself to Northams left by refusing to accept campaign cash from Dominion. Northam owns stock in Dominion and has taken more than $100,000 from the group and its executives. A questioner drew applause by pointing out dozens of Democratic candidates for the state legislature are now refusing to take money from Dominion and asked Northam whether he would support a ban on campaign contributions from companies with business before the state. Northam said he puts the interests of constituents over corporate interests, citing when he shepherded a ban on smoking in restaurants and opposed offshore drilling. He said he would support comprehensive campaign finance changes but did not offer details. Lets not pick out one corporation that someone has taken a contribution from; lets do comprehensive campaign finance reform and take care of all of these issues, Northam said, adding later in the evening: Im not out there rustling money from big corporations. My support is grass-roots Virginia. The questioner said that he took Northams answer as meaning that he would not support a ban on donations from companies with business before the state. Well, I appreciate your interpretation, Northam responded. About three-quarters of Northams donations are smaller than $100, but they make up less than a tenth of his overhaul campaign haul, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Meanwhile, half of Perriellos campaign haul comes from several wealthy liberal philanthropists. Tom Perriello greets supporters. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Northams campaign has lambasted Perriello on his record on gun rights and for accepting money and an endorsement from the National Rifle Association in his 2010 congressional reelection campaign. Northam made a point to stress that the NRA did not give him money. [Dark money vs. corporate cash:Virginia Democrats clash on funding] Perriello has since repudiated the NRA, calling it a nut job extremist organization. At the forum, a Perriello ally who leads a group of survivors of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting peppered Northam on his own gun record, asking why he voted in the state Senate to support measures to bar municipalities from fingerprinting concealed-carry permit applicants and for a castle doctrine bill to protect from prosecution homeowners who shoot intruders. Northam said he did not recall his reasons for voting on the fingerprinting bill but stood by the vote on the castle doctrine bill because he believes homeowners have a right to protect themselves. When Perriellos turn to take questions came, a volunteer with the pro-gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America excoriated him for his absence from local politics in recent years. Perriello took it as an opportunity to jab Northam for voting twice for President George W. Bush. Im the only person in this race thats been a Democrat my whole life, Perriello said. I voted for Democratic presidential candidates. I devoted my life for three years to trying to defeat George Bushs agenda while Ralph Northam was voting for him twice. [National progressives buoy Perriellos bid for governor] Perriello also faced questions from several volunteers from the NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia abortion rights group. The group endorsed Northam in part because Perriello voted in Congress to bar insurers that cover abortion from receiving federal subsidies through the Affordable Care Act. Perriello has repeatedly apologized for the vote and said he tried to make amends by fighting laws designed to shut down abortion clinics when he led the lobbying arm of a liberal think tank after leaving Congress in 2011. A woman wearing a NARAL shirt who said she never once heard Perriellos name during those fights demanded to know what he actually did. Perriello said he raised money to fund reports highlighting the effect Virginia Republicans would have on womens health during the 2013 election cycle. But I want to be absolutely clear that the credit in these fights belong to you and those activists who work day in and day out to fight these laws, Perriello said. I want to be a partner in these fights. When another NARAL questioner noted the fights raging on social media between his campaign staffers and abortion rights activists, Perriello said, We could all benefit from a de-escalation from Twitter. The forum was organized by unions and progressive groups, including local branches of Our Revolution - the political group that grew out of Sen. Bernie Sanderss unsuccessful presidential bid. Northam and Perriello are meeting in Roanoke at 7 p.m. Thursday for their second debate, which will be streamed on WDBJ7.com. In this photo taken Wednesday, March 9, 2011, Jens Soering speaks during an interview at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Va. Soering, a former German diplomat's son who is serving life in prison for killing two people, says he is innocent. (Steve Helber/Associated Press) A central Virginia sheriff called on Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) this week to pardon convicted double murderer Jens Soering after reviewing the case and concluding that jurors reached the wrong verdict in the German nationals 1990 trial. Based on my training and experience, almost every piece of evidence raised by the prosecution is subject to inaccuracies, unreliabilities, and scientific contradictions, Albemarle County Sheriff J.E. Chip Harding wrote this week in a 19-page letter to McAuliffe. [In 1985, a gruesome double murder rocked Virginia. Was the wrong man convicted?] A German diplomats son, Soering is serving two life sentences for the 1985 slayings of his girlfriends parents in central Virginia. At the time of the murders, he and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Haysom, had been honors students at the University of Virginia. Soering initially confessed to the crime but later said he was only trying to protect Haysom from the electric chair under the mistaken belief that he had diplomatic immunity because of his fathers position. He was convicted in a sensational 1990 trial that drew international media and gavel-to-gavel coverage on local cable television. Haysom pleaded guilty to being an accessory before the fact, contending that she helped plan the murders but did not physically take part. She is serving a 90-year sentence at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women near Charlottesville. Soerings supporters have raised questions about the case for decades, noting that Soering got some details of the crime scene wrong and dismissing as junk science a bloody sock print that prosecutors said tied him to the case. Over the years, as Soering gained attention for writing a string of books behind bars, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pressed for his release. At the urging of the German Embassy and Richmonds Catholic bishop, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) agreed when he was governor in 2010 to transfer Soering to a German prison. But his Republican successor, Robert F. McDonnell, stopped the transfer because Soering could have been released after two years. The push to release Soering picked up steam in the past year, with the release of a German documentary, The Promise, that suggested Haysom committed the murders, perhaps with help from a drug dealer or two. A new blood analysis performed last summer indicated that a man other than Soering was the source of the type O blood found at the home of Derek and Nancy Haysom. All I knew of the case was the little bit I had seen in the news over the past few years, said Harding, who reviewed the case at the request of Soerings attorney. Harding said he spent more than 200 hours reading trial transcripts, lab reports, legal briefs, the full state forensics file and multiple books written about the case. He saw the uncut version of The Promise and interviewed Soering in prison. Ultimately he was convinced, by a number of factors, that the case did not add up. [No parole for Jens Soering, German diplomats son convicted in 1985 double murder] Not everyone has been convinced, however. Maj. Ricky Gardner of the Bedford County Sheriffs Department, another original investigator, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. But as new questions arose last year, he said his faith in the verdict was firm. In recent years, he said in an email last year, some people have based their feelings of Soerings innocents on what-ifs and vague hypothesis and not on the facts/evidence presented at his trial. In March, the Virginia Parole Board rejected Soerings request for parole. But he has a pending pardon request before McAuliffe. McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hardings letter. Faith Rojas works on a puzzle with Matthew Kidder, who has cerebral palsy, at Chimes Virginia in December. Chimes provides community services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post) A Virginia effort to bring government-funded services to thousands more disabled people could, paradoxically, leave those in the states largest jurisdiction without funding for some types of aid. Fairfax County officials say they are likely to create a new waiting list or restrict aid for day-support and work programs because of a redesign of the states Medicaid waiver program that in an effort to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act requires the county to accept several thousand people who werent previously eligible for government aid. The county provides about $24 million for day-support and work programs for about 4,300 people who have not yet received Medicaid vouchers, or waivers, which cover the cost of care. Until recently, the only people eligible for such county funding were intellectually disabled people with IQ scores of 70 or below. The Medicaid waiver redesign which creates one funding stream for all disabilities means the county must also cover disabled people with higher IQs or not offer to fund services for anyone, Fairfax officials say. The county estimates that the broader pool of people eligible for services could increase the cost of covering those who dont have vouchers to at least $40 million per year by 2021 a heavy burden in an era of budget constraints that have made it harder to find money for schools, police and other priorities. There is going to need to be a lot of work done with those families to look for ways in which we can accommodate a larger population within our budget, said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D). It will probably entail addressing service we provide based on a level of need. The problem is part of a broader challenge in Virginia of providing services to a disabled population that continues to grow, as diagnoses increase for autism and other ailments and people with all types of disabilities are living longer lives. Nearly 12,600 people in the state receive Medicaid reimbursements for disability-related services. An additional 11,525 disabled people are on a state waiting list for Medicaid waivers. That is an increase of about 15 percent since July 2015, despite efforts in Richmond to reduce the wait list as part of a 2012 federal court settlement that requires Virginia to offer people with disabilities opportunities to live and work in communities instead of institutional settings. The redesigned Medicaid waivers are meant to bring more people into the system by covering a wider array of services than the old waivers and prioritizing aid based on need, state officials say. Previously, the first-come, first-served system included separate funding streams for people with different categories of disabilities. In Northern Virginia, the cost of care is generally higher than in the rest of the state and can climb into the tens of thousands of dollars in annual costs per person. Although Arlington County and Alexandria also provide local funds for day-support and work programs, Fairfax is most affected by the waiver redesign because it is the states largest jurisdiction and home to the largest number of disabled residents in the state. The county has set aside $1.6 million in reserve funds to address next years expected increase in demand. Officials say they may need an additional $5.1 million. Another option, they say, is to create a second waiting list for those who are already waiting for Medicaid vouchers and would also have to wait their turn for county funds. Advocates for the disabled argue that Fairfax instead should gear its local aid toward less expensive types of services, which could cover more people. Lucy Beadnell, director of advocacy for the Arc of Northern Virginia, said her group is pushing for the county to pay more toward work programs, which on average cost between $7,400 and $18,500 per year per person. Annual costs for day-support programs, which involve care in group settings, are about $27,000 per person, according to county figures. That is a huge funding difference, Beadnell said. Why arent we pushing more people toward employment, and making sure that they understand that anybody can be successful with the right support, instead of continuing this model of warehousing people? Jean Hartman, assistant deputy director of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, which administers aid to the disabled, said her organization agrees that more people should be enrolled in work programs. But not enough of those receiving aid function at a high enough level, she said. We have people with really intense medical needs who are not able to communicate all that well, Hartman said. The challenge is: How do we manage that? Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Leo K. Thorsness, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during a dogfight over North Vietnam and who later spent six years in the enemy prison camp known as the Hanoi Hilton, died May 2 at a hospital in Jacksonville, Fla. He was 85. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society announced his death. The cause was not disclosed. During the Vietnam War, Col. Thorsness was one of only 13 members of the Air Force to receive the Medal of Honor, the militarys highest award for valor. The award was not announced during the six years he was held in North Vietnam, to keep his captors from inflicting additional torture on him and his fellow POWs. Col. Thorsness was held in the same prison as another downed pilot, John McCain, now a Republican senator from Arizona. In a statement, McCain said Col. Thorsness never let this experience break his spirit, and inspired the rest of us with his patriotism, perseverance, and hope that we would someday be free. Col. Thorsness joined the Air Force in 1952 and was sent to Vietnam in 1966 as a member of a squadron known as the Wild Weasels, whose mission was to destroy surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) based in North Vietnam. Leo K. Thorsness in 2003. (FRANCISCO MEDINA/TUCSON CITIZEN via AP) On April 19, 1967, Col. Thorsness was the lead pilot in a strike force of four U.S. F-105 fighter-bombers attacking SAM positions near Hanoi. He and his electronic warfare officer, Harold Johnson, knocked out one site with a missile and scored a direct hit on another with bombs. But they soon realized that one plane in their group had been hit, and the crew members had ejected. While flying in circles over the parachuting airmen, Col. Thorsness spotted an enemy MiG-17 fighter jet and shot it down. As U.S. rescue helicopters approached, Col. Thorsness heard through his radio that another MiG formation was nearby. Despite being low on fuel and ammunition, he flew through antiaircraft fire and single-handedly engaged four MiGs in aerial combat for 50 minutes. Col. Thorsness pursued one MiG, flying right up his tailpipe, he said later, and damaged it with cannon fire. Flying as low as 50 feet above the ground and as fast as 900 mph, he chased the other MiGs from the area. As he returned to his base, he was about to refuel from an airborne tanker when he learned that another F-105 in his group was in even greater need of fuel. Col. Thorsness let the other plane go to the tanker, hoping he could glide back to safety on fumes. When he touched down, his fuel tanks were empty. Eleven days later, on April 30, Col. Thorsness was shot down over North Vietnam on his 93rd mission. Ejecting from his plane at 600 mph, he suffered serious leg injuries before he and Johnson were taken prisoner. For the first year, Col. Thorsness was held in solitary confinement and tortured almost every day. His back was broken in four places. Leo K. Thorsness at a Republican political rally in Iowa in 2016. (Kiichiro Sato/AP) Another Air Force pilot, Fred V. Cherry, was tortured for teaching Col. Thorsness and other POWs a system of communication by tapping on walls. While at the Hanoi Hilton, Col. Thorsness shared a tiny cell with McCain and two other men. Other than when they took you out to beat you or interrogate you, you were together 24 hours a day, Col. Thorsness told the Huntsville Times in Alabama in 2008. You get to know each other so well, talking about your families, failures, weaknesses, hopes and dreams, everything. He and McCain were released in 1973. Later that year, Col. Thorsness received the Medal of Honor from President Richard M. Nixon; he then retired from the military. Leo Keith Thorsness was born Feb. 14, 1932, in Walnut Grove, Minn., and grew up on a family farm. After joining the Air Force, he graduated in 1964 from what is now the University of Nebraska at Omaha and later received a masters degree in systems management from the University of Southern California. In 1974 he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in his wifes home state of South Dakota. His opponent was incumbent Sen. George S. McGovern, the 1972 Democratic presidential nominee. He lost by six points. Four years later, Col. Thorsness lost a race for the U.S. House of Representatives by 139 votes to Tom Daschle, who later became a senator from South Dakota. After working as an executive for Litton Industries in California, Col. Thorsness moved to a suburb of Seattle. He served in the Washington state senate from 1988 to 1992, then retired to Arizona and later Florida. In 2015, he condemned President Trumps campaign comment that McCain was not a war hero because I like people that werent captured. Trump owes us an apology, Col. Thorsness said. Survivors include his wife since 1953, the former Gaylee Anderson; a daughter; and two grandchildren. While at the Hanoi Hilton, Col. Thorsness and other prisoners measured their cell, calculating that one mile equaled 225 laps around the cells 23-foot circumference. By walking 60 miles a week, Col. Thorsness figured that he could cover the distance to the United States 10,000 miles in about three years. All of a sudden it became 100 percent real to us, he said in 1992. If we could walk home in our cell, we knew whatever had to happen in the world would happen, and we really would get home. An SUV that was overturned and crushed during massive storms and floods in rural Arkansas sits as wreckage while searchers continued to look for a missing toddler on May 2. (William Wan/The Washington Post) They were moving to a new house, a new life. Damien Wiggins, a 4-year-old who loved superheroes. His baby sister, 18-month-old Krystal. And their mother, who amid the rain had loaded up her SUV with the childrens clothes to bring to her parents house. She knew only one way to get there, and the route would take the family over a low-slung bridge along Glade Creek. Thats where the floodwaters hit them, flipping the SUV and tearing the children away from their mother. The storms and tornadoes in recent days have left a trail of death and destruction across the South and Midwest, taking an especially deep toll on rural areas in the region, where many lower- and working-class communities are now struggling to right themselves. As some towns were still trying to recover those missing Tuesday, many residents here were bracing for more rain and possible flooding ahead. Up to five inches of rain is likely in areas of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas that have already been hit hard. Many rivers are already in major stages of flood, and some have peaked at levels not seen in a century. [After historic weekend flooding, Missouri braces for next deluge] At least 20 have been killed across several states, but the stormy waters were deadliest in Arkansas, where six people have died in the past few days. Damien was one, his body discovered Monday as search teams scoured the riverbank. Krystal Wiggins, 18 months, and Damien Wiggins, 4 years old. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Laird) His baby sister still missing is feared to be the states seventh casualty. Still looking for her, large teams of volunteers and law enforcement met at dawn Tuesday with quiet hugs and somber faces a few miles from the flooded river. For many, hopes of finding Krystal alive have long waned, but this small community cant yet mourn, residents said not until shes found. We need to bring them home, said Steven Baker, uncle to the two children. Standing at the staging area where more than 200 volunteers and officials are coordinating the search, Bakers cheeks were red with sunburn and his eyes baggy from lack of sleep. Im hoping today is the day we find Krystal, he said, pointing to the sky. Authorities worry coming rains and possible flash floods could hamper the search. Hundreds have been evacuated and dozens had to be rescued after being stranded in high water in parts of southern Missouri. Some had to be rescued from rooftops. Some Arkansas rivers have gotten so dangerously high that a levee protecting one town here might soon fail, said Steve Clarke, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Little Rock. Experts say it is impossible to discern whether the recent spate of serious weather, particularly the tornadoes, is the result of climate change. John Allen, an assistant professor of meteorology at Central Michigan University, said the cause probably lies in regular climate fluctuations, specifically the changing temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico that can bring large amounts of rainfall to the states to its north. Allen said tornadoes are not unusual for this time of year. Texas and Arkansas have been hit with multiple tornadoes, including one that hit east of Dallas that was a mile wide at one point and traveled 22 miles, said Jason Godwin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Were sitting in one of the more active years in recent decades, Allen said. That being said, it only takes one tornado to cause devastation to a home or family. For poor, rural communities like those in northwest Arkansas, rebuilding after a severe storm is often a tempest itself. Those forced out of their homes cant always return, and federal funds are not easy to secure, said Danielle Baussan, an energy and environmental expert at the Center for American Progress. Residents in this northwest corner of Arkansas are accustomed to storms like the one that ravaged the area this past weekend. Often, particularly this time of the year, people have to drive through high water, crossing low, submerged bridges to reach their homes, Huntsville Mayor Darrell Trahan said. Thats what Damien and Krystals mother was doing when her SUV got caught in the current Saturday. The Arkansas bridge where an SUV was overwhelmed with water during massive storms and flooding. (William Wan/The Washington Post) After her vehicle stalled in the water, the mom called family members asking what she should do, said her sister, Tina Westlin. When she saw the water rising and realized how dire the situation had become, Westlin said, the mother gathered her two children in the back seat and tried to escape through an open window. But the current overwhelmed them, said Westlin and other relatives. She had her arms wrapped around them, and the water just took them away, she said. Authorities said they are not publicly identifying the mother while the search is ongoing to give her space to grieve. Rescuers found the mother soon after, about a mile downstream from the car. Her brother, Baker, said she refused to go to the hospital and stayed with search crews through the night Saturday. On Sunday, Baker said, his sister hiked alongside her family and 200 volunteers for almost six miles looking for her children. Shes been beating herself up pretty bad, he said. Everyones been trying to help her and trying to make sure she doesnt blame herself. She did everything she could. It was an accident, a force of nature. Before searchers found Damiens body Monday, some in the family remained hopeful, Baker said. They were thinking maybe he was holed up in a barn with his sister, just holding onto any hope possible. The discovery brought sharp pain but also relief, he said: Its like half our mission is done. Baker and Westlin said their sister is a single mother who works in a warehouse in the area and has been raising the two children on her own for the past two years. The mother has a third, older daughter. We have yet to tell her daughter or my kids about what happened, Westlin said. I dont know how to tell them. Were going to wait until the search is done. Volunteers have turned up with horses, hunting dogs, ATVs and canoes. A farm crop sprayer from Illinois brought his helicopter. Police departments from neighboring counties have sent staff to help. As he started talking about the outpouring of love he has seen from the community, Baker broke down. To see all the support and love its overwhelming, he said. We had people come from Texas, Omaha, Missouri. Friends we havent seen in years, theyre all out here searching with us. Volunteer Darline Knight, a home-health-care provider, said she drove in from Clifty, Ark., to join the search when she heard the news: I came out to try to help find those babies. . . . If it was my kids, Id want that closure. Madison County Sheriff Rick Evans, who is leading the recovery effort, said crews have had to search the same areas several times as the water recedes and yields new territory. Damiens remains were found Monday in an area that was previously underwater. Volunteers have fanned out along a five-mile stretch of the creek, which is now thick with flood debris trees, branches, clothes and even small appliances. As evidence of the floodwaters intensity, they also have found many of the items the mother had packed in her SUV spread across a wide area: the little girls clothes, a sippy cup, a teddy bear. The small treasures have been a source of comfort for the family, Baker said. On Monday, amid the detritus, relatives found a piece of a coffee mug emblazoned with pictures of Damien and Krystal. The mug had broken in such a way that the only thing still visible was the two childrens faces, smiling, together. Volunteer searcher and relative Kelly Laird takes a break at staging grounds as searchers continue to look for Krystal Wiggins, a toddler who was swept away in floodwaters. (William Wan/The Washington Post) Phillips reported from Washington. Angela Fritz in Washington contributed to this report. Regarding President Trumps April 30 op-ed, In my first 100 days, I kept my promise to the American people: Why lend precious space on the op-ed page to Mr. Trump, who, according to The Posts Fact Checker, has already lied 488 times during his first disastrous 100 days [In Trumps first 100 days, so many false claims that its difficult to keep up , news, April 30]? If The Posts mission is to publish what Carl Bernstein has called the best obtainable version of the truth, then it has failed. Peter von zur Muehlen, Vienna President Trump wrote in his op-ed: Issue by issue, department by department, we are giving the people their country back. After decades of a shrinking middle class, open borders and the mass offshoring of American jobs and wealth, this government is working for the citizens of our country and no one else. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. Trump wrote that he is giving the people their country back, which is a lie. The media are no longer going to have access to the White House visitor logs. His appointees are mostly out-of-touch billionaires and millionaires, and he refuses to disclose his income-tax returns to the public. Mr. Trump inherited a sound economy with a 4.8 percent unemployment rate. No president has exploited the presidency for financial gain the way Mr. Trump has. Mr. Trump is a phony populist. He is an elitist who was born into wealth and privilege and has only contempt for working-class Americans, which is why no working-class person was appointed to his Cabinet. Reba Shimansky, New York As a Trump-supporting millennial, I am pleased with most of his actions in his first 100 days, but I have some suggestions. I would like greater investment in U.S. nuclear power, not only for current technologies but also for next-generation designs that could mitigate problems of waste and water usage. The anti-nuclear left is one of the most vocal anti-science movements in the country, and no mind should be paid them. I encourage greater police and military intervention against the drug cartels. The extermination of these gangs, every bit as vicious and savage as the Islamic State, could go a long way toward improving the lives of Mexicans and reducing the need for illegal immigration. A harder line must also be taken against the individuals who riot on our campuses and streets. The president should take a page from President Dwight D. Eisenhower and federalize and deploy National Guard forces to keep order the next time a conservative speaks on a liberal campus. Send a thunderous rebuke to the left that arson, assault and property destruction dont count as peaceful protest. Finally, immediately rescind the Obama administrations 2011 Dear colleague letter and restore due process to our universities by keeping rape investigations in the hands of law enforcement. Michael Vann, Alexandria As usual, President Trump is just words, with not much thought behind those words. In his April 30 op-ed, Mr. Trump bragged, This is the first time a new justice has been confirmed in the first 100 days in 136 years. But a president gets to appoint a new justice only when there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court. In the ordinary course, whether that happens early in his term is entirely fortuitous. In this case, it happened only because Republicans refused to consider President Barack Obamas nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. Brenda Gruss, Chevy Chase President Trump conveniently ignored two promises he has either outright broken or failed to follow through on: his promises to show us his tax returns once the audit was completed and, most important, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, which includes a clause that prohibits him from accepting emoluments. Why should we believe anything else he promises? Allan LEtoile, Vienna I compared President Trumps words with the text of Pope Franciss recorded talk at the TED conference in April. In the presidents op-ed, I noticed themes of shame, blame, failure, division and exclusion and a large amount of boasting and, perhaps, half-truths. The text of the popes talk revealed themes of love, tenderness, equality, social inclusion, solidarity, hope, humility, unity, caring for others and timeless truth. I encourage everyone to find something written by a leader you admire and compare it with the text of the presidents 100-day op-ed. Ask yourself which vision of change is empowering and which is not. While Mr. Trumps words may be empowering to some, my sense is they are not empowering to most. Pope Francis said, Please, allow me to say it loud and clear: The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you dont, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other. Those are words all leaders, particularly our president, need to hear. Francis N. Nurthen III, Haymarket FOR A month, Venezuela has been rocked by massive popular demonstrations against the regime of Nicolas Maduro, which has led the country into a dystopia of economic dysfunction and criminality while blatantly violating democratic and constitutional norms. The demands of the opposition have been echoed by the majority of Venezuelas neighbors in the Organization of American States: release political prisoners, hold democratic elections, and take steps to remedy drastic shortages of food and medicine, including by accepting humanitarian aid. The regimes response has been brutally uncompromising. It has pounded opposition marchers with rubber bullets and enveloped them in tear gas ; 29 people have been reported killed in the demonstrations. It has announced its intention to withdraw from the OAS, where it has faced demands to abide by a democratic charter that requires free assembly and free elections. On Monday, Mr. Maduro announced his most radical response yet: the calling of a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution, a maneuver clearly intended to avoid future elections and formally convert Venezuela into an authoritarian state. Its easy to see why Mr. Maduro would want to avoid a democratic resolution of the crisis. Polls show the government has the support of less than a quarter of the population, which is afflicted by one of the worlds highest rates of violent crime and shortages of food so severe that a large majority say they have lost weight. The opposition won the last election, for the National Assembly, by a landslide in December 2015; since then the regime has used its control of the Supreme Court to strip the legislature of power while refusing to schedule either local elections or a recall referendum on Mr. Maduro. Now Mr. Maduro is suggesting that a constituent assembly will be chosen, but not by a free and fair vote. Half its members would come from social organizations controlled by the ruling party. Once convoked, the assembly would likely be used to dissolve the opposition-controlled congress and hand power to regime structures; it could remake Venezuela along the lines of Cuba, whose Castro regime has been Mr. Maduros tutor. The prospect of this coup has led the opposition to redouble its protests. Roads in much of Caracas have been blocked with demonstrators barricades . But Mr. Maduro and the corrupt clique that surrounds him, including generals accused of drug trafficking and profiteering on food shipments, are calculating they can win the battle in the streets and that they will lose everything if they agree to elections. The result is that one of Latin Americas most important countries, a major oil producer with a population of 30 million, is headed toward a cataclysm greater than any the hemisphere has witnessed since the Central American wars of the 1980s. It is not clear what can now stop Mr. Maduro, but a bill introduced Wednesday in the U.S. Senate by a broad bipartisan coalition offers a way forward, including $10 million to seed a U.S.-led humanitarian aid initiative, strengthened sanctions on senior officials and the compilation of a public report on those officials involvement in drug trafficking and corruption. U.S. efforts to rescue Venezuela have long been sporadic and halfhearted; this is the moment to step them up. Robin Givhan is a staff writer for The Washington Post. In her role as a White House adviser, Ivanka Trump has said she will focus on empowering women in the workforce. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) The new book that Ivanka Trump has written, Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success, is trite and tedious. So focused on exhorting readers to define success on their own terms, it manages to be both humorless and comically removed from the realities of life for the broad swath of women who work 9 to 5 or who struggle along with minimum-wage jobs. A narrow focus on women who live upper-middle-class lives is not uncommon in the genre of work-life manuals, in part because those books mostly begin with the premise that women can improve their status in the office by being savvier in how they wield their power. Its more complicated and challenging to offer counsel to those who are ostensibly powerless. And presumably, theres less profit. Still, its worth pressing on through the cliches and aphorisms because Trump is not just another legacy executive offering up warmed-over advice to burnish her brand while failing to engage in the difficult personal work of acknowledging the ways her inherited wealth and social connections have fueled her success. She is the first daughter and an adviser to her father, President Trump. According to the cover notes, Women Who Work was written before the results of the 2016 election were known and while Ivanka Trump was still officially an executive in the Trump Organization and head of her own fashion brand. Now, she is settled in Washington and has taken on the cause of female empowerment in the workforce. And so, a book that would under other circumstances probably be just another slim volume in the self-help section becomes something more. Perhaps it can serve as a loose guide to what might inform her thinking on her pet projects: investment in female entrepreneurs, maternity leave, the gender gap in technology and so on. At a minimum, perhaps it can offer additional clues to her personality and temperament. The tone of Women Who Work is as calm and soothing as the public Ivanka Trump. A harried Ivanka? A disheveled Ivanka? Not in these pages. Can a book be poised? If so, this book is an exemplar of poise. It is also more than 200 pages of nonspecific reassurance that everything will be great. Trump offers no fresh insights for women in the early stages of their careers. How do you make a case for a higher starting wage? Do your research and be confident, she writes. How do you succeed in professional environments that seem to value face time in the office over quality of work? Communicate your accomplishments to your boss, she advises. And what about a more-seasoned professional looking to rally her stagnant troops or considering instituting a flextime policy? Theres no guidance other than just, you know, do it. The books language is weighed down by business buzzwords, all of which have the effect of draining a sense of humanity from the pages. At times, the book reads like a transcript from The Apprentice. At others, it has the tone of a business school case study. Every activity, from attending a childs recital to scheduling a meeting with contractors, is a task. There are deliverables instead of accomplishments. Architect is a verb. Every encounter is leveraged. And there is this assessment, offered near the books halfway mark: The opportunity cost of not being with my kids elucidates my priorities in great relief, causing me to be tremendously focused. I presume that means being a mother has made Trump a better manager. But does her appointment to play with her son Joseph and his cars for 20 minutes every day count as quality time or just a task? Is finding quality time with ones child just a matter of getting a color-coded calendar? Women Who Work reads a bit like a collection of excerpts from books by most every contemporary author who has had something to say about balancing work, ambition, family, children and ones sense of self. Trump is a collector of information. She references the work of Anne-Marie Slaughter, Sheryl Sandberg, David Brooks and virtually every TED talker even remotely concerned with self-actualization. But Trump also quotes designer Tory Burch, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Winston Churchill, Toni Morrison and the Dalai Lama. One can surely find inspiration in all sorts of unlikely places, but Trumps ability to find glass-ceiling-busting empowerment in Morrisons novel Beloved, about a runaway slave who kills her child rather than seeing her enslaved, is quite a feat. Trump proclaims again and again that she aims to help women and men become their best working selves. Men, by the way, exist in this book as parenthetical interjections. She encourages women (and men!) to set their own personal priorities. She encourages women (and men!) to define success for themselves. But this book is really about Ivanka Trump not the person but the brand. And that brand is rooted in shiny, glamorous success, not the messy, exhausting human cost of business. When Trump offers advice on surviving a layoff, she counsels women to negotiate severance, speak to an attorney and make sure any noncompete clause that might have been in their contract is voided. Thats fine advice for, say, a fashion industry executive, but not especially relevant for someone who just had her factory job jerked out from under her. Most of us find it hard to see beyond our own reality. Everyone engages in platitudes. But Trump has the presidents ear. And she has promised to speak to him about improving womens work lives. In her book, she underscores the value of a wide network of advisers. Mentors are valuable. Reliable and affordable child care is essential. Employers should not treat child-rearing as an inconvenience. All good and true, but there are few well, actually there are no details on how to turn those beliefs into reality. Trump wants women to follow their passion. You need to start by figuring out what you generally like and dislike, but genuine interests arent always discovered through soul-searching; they emerge through repeated interactions with the outside world. But what of those young women who live in poverty and who never get a chance to see beyond their hollowed-out neighborhoods? What about those folks in rural areas for whom an Internet connection is not a given but a spotty, constantly buffering ordeal? Trump seems far more focused on helping to tweak the working lives of women who already have it pretty good. For a presidential adviser who wants to lead the charge on women and work, her book suggests a profoundly narrow focus and a lack of understanding about the lives of women who do not work in offices, who do not have professional degrees and who have jobs rather than careers. Trump sounds like a demanding but pleasant boss. There are free snacks at her office. Her employees have been treated to lessons in meditation. They can telecommute. Her family life sounds delightful, too. Her daughter, Arabella, sometimes comes to the office, where she has a little desk. Trump enjoys the uninterrupted family time that observing the Sabbath ensures. And her husband, Jared Kushner, has a calming effect on her. This book is earnest. But that doesnt make it particularly thoughtful or impactful. The same might ultimately be said of its author. So now it can be told: Bill Clinton cost his wife the presidency. Almost three hours into a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, FBI Director James Comey shed new light on his decision to go public about his agencys investigations into Hillary Clintons emails, first in July 2016 and again, with devastating effect, in late October, 11 days before the election. The specific reason he cited: Bill Clintons decision to board Attorney General Loretta Lynchs plane in late June, when their planes were both on a tarmac in Phoenix. The capper was and Im not picking on Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who I like very much but her meeting with President Clinton on that airplane was the capper for me, Comey said. Comey decided to step away and announce, without consulting the Justice Department, that Hillary Clinton shouldnt be charged. In Comeys telling, this public announcement in turn required Comey to speak up again in October, when more emails were found. Having done that [the public announcement] and then having testified repeatedly under oath that were done, he said, it would be a disastrous, catastrophic concealment not to go public on Oct. 28 with the newly discovered emails. Its a tragic chain of events: If Bill Clinton hadnt boarded that plane in June, Comey might not have spoken out in July, which means he wouldnt have felt compelled to speak up again in October, which means Hillary Clinton would have won the election in November. These were Comeys fullest comments to date on his indefensible decision to announce on the eve of the election that he was reopening the investigation into Clinton, almost certainly handing the election to Donald Trump. It wasnt a compelling explanation, but, knowing the self-righteousness and independence that drives the FBI director, it seemed genuine. He made a disastrous decision but for reasons that werent entirely wrong: Bill Clintons clumsiness created a vacuum of credibility, and Comey, self-appointed guardian of the justice system, stepped in to fill the void. Comey said he was physically ill over his role in the election, which Trump and Hillary Clinton are again arguing about this week. Look, this is terrible, he told the senators. It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election. If Comey is mildly nauseated by the thought that he had some impact, he should have his face over the toilet bowl when he considers that he handed Trump the presidency. Certainly, there were many factors behind Clintons loss. But in an election this close there can be no doubt that Comeys action was enough to swing the outcome. Comeys performance Wednesday was maddening at times. He was unfailingly pious. Lordy this has been painful, he pleaded. But I think I have done the right thing at each turn. . . . The honest answer I dont mean to sound arrogant is I wouldnt have done anything differently. And Comey was full of inconsistencies when he tried to explain why he spoke out about Clintons case during the campaign yet remained adamantly silent about the FBIs investigation into Trumps Russia ties. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), top Democrat on the panel, shook her head in disbelief when Comey maintained that I didnt make a public announcement on Oct. 28 that he was reopening the Clinton investigation. I sent a private letter to Congress, he said as if it wouldnt immediately leak. Comey proclaimed that Ive lived my entire career by the tradition that if you can possibly avoid it, you avoid any action in the run-up to an election that might have an impact. Yet he acknowledged an aide told him what youre about to do may help elect Donald Trump president, and Comey said he considered not for a moment that huge impact. The director asserted that he had only two doors on Oct. 28 speak or conceal. Thus did he ignore the obvious third option: Let his agents find out whether there was anything worthwhile in the new batch of emails (there wasnt) before throwing the election into chaos. 1 of 55 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See what Hillary Clinton has been doing since the presidential election View Photos The former Democratic candidate and secretary of state has returned to public life after a post-election-loss respite. Caption The former Democratic candidate and secretary of state has returned to public life after a post-election respite. Jan. 28, 2018 Hillary Clinton appears on screen reading an excerpt from the book, Fire and Fury, during a skit at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York. Matt Sayles/Invision/AP Wait 1 second to continue. But there was something that rang true in Comeys account. Dating back to his showdown at John Ashcrofts hospital bed during the Bush administration, he has been the incorruptible exemplar of justice. I have lived my whole life caring about the credibility and the integrity of the criminal-justice process, he proclaimed Wednesday. His time as FBI director, a position independent by design, no doubt reinforced his instincts. And after Bill Clinton climbed onto Lynchs plane last year, Comey told the senators, he decided the best chance of the American people believing in the system was for him to go public. Comeys intervention ultimately did the justice system worse harm. But at least we now know why he did it. Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. A sign painted on a wall in the West Bank town of Bethlehem in 2015 calls for a boycott of Israeli products coming from Jewish settlements. (Thomas Coex/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) Doron Hindin provides global trade and regulatory advice at the international law firm Covington & Burling. There is increasing political tumult over the treatment of Israel at the United Nations. Last week, all 100 U.S. senators Republicans and Democrats alike admonished the organization for anti-Israel bias, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) recently sponsored a bill to withhold U.N. funding because of anti-Israel, or anti-Semitic rhetoric or propaganda. Add to that an important related bill now percolating through Congress that takes aim at a widely unknown initiative at the U.N. Human Rights Council: an effort to create a database designed to shame companies simply for doing business in the West Bank. The blacklist effort targeted by the bill known as the Israel Anti-Boycott Act is procedurally flawed and substantively misguided and violates core principles of international trade. Procedurally, companies would be added to the U.N. database without any form of due process . Listing criteria do not exist. Businesses would not be able to contest their inclusion before it was made public, and once designated, they would not have access to review or delisting mechanisms. Substantively, the list abuses well-established principles that encourage multinationals to instill ethical norms into their worldwide business conduct. This is because companies would be branded wrongdoers simply based on their presence in a politically contentious region, without consideration of their conduct with regard to human rights, the environment and social governance. And finally, the Human Rights Council list likely violates international law. The World Trade Organization protects politics-free global economic development by limiting the ways in which governments regulate trade. U.N. efforts to publicly censure companies unless they conduct business on prescribed political lines would generally constitute unlawful trade discrimination. Why should a company invest in a region if it will be prejudged by the United Nations based not on its impact on the ground or its positive commercial influence, but on its association alone with governments and territories embroiled in conflict? And while the U.N. database ostensibly seeks to target only those companies operating in the West Bank, the reality is that any meaningful business in Israel entails business in disputed territories. When a foreign company is engaged in contracts with the Israeli government or sells retail products anywhere in the country, that company will necessarily have business regularly affecting the West Bank. Boycott, divestment and sanctions organizations already target hundreds of companies worldwide, regardless of how tangential their West Bank activities are. The same holds true for multinationals with business in other conflict regions. Foreign sales in Turkey, Morocco, Russia or China would be impossible if due to ethics programs companies prohibited their products from being used in disputed territories in Northern Cyprus, Western Sahara, Crimea, Taiwan or on islands in the South China Sea. The French Court of Appeals in Versailles has held that business in disputed or occupied territory is often essential to ensure the well-being of the local population. In 2015, a British tribunal applying business and human rights guidelines from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development determined that even if a companys relationships with foreign governments technically run afoul of ethical norms, the company should not end its government contacts but rather work toward leveraging its commercial influence to bring about positive change. These principles come from a clear interest in having ethically minded companies actively engaged in politically contentious regions. Such companies are preferable to the less ethically inclined competitors that would otherwise fill the commercial void and operate solely to maximize profits. As for the issue of legality, several of the U.N. members that voted to create and fund the list are members of the World Trade Organization. Individually, these states have violated their duties under international trade law by taking this step. Collectively, they have caused an unfortunate clash of U.N. and WTO trade principles. Governments should work with their U.N. ambassadors and with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to ensure that this list is never published. Meanwhile, multinationals must mobilize in opposition, leveraging their considerable economic ties to prevent the United Nations from erecting harmful hurdles to international business. This dual track of government and company pressure coupled with mounting rebuke of the Human Rights Council from Congress might shift U.N. policy and avert a misguided shaming campaign. In turn, companies would regain the incentive to invest in ethical brands of business. The writer, New York City mayor from 2002 to 2013, is the founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and co-author of the book Climate of Hope. We need to keep it open so we have jobs. Those are the words of a retired miner, explaining why the local mining operation is so important to his community. But he wasnt talking about a coal mine in Appalachia. He was referring to a local asbestos mine in Russia. Through the 1970s, the United States was one of the worlds top producers of asbestos, which is a set of naturally occurring silicate minerals. As evidence mounted that exposure to asbestos fibers can be deadly, the federal government began limiting its use in consumer and commercial products. Demand for asbestos declined, legal liabilities soared, and the last U.S. asbestos mineclosed in 2002. Those jobs have gone overseas, to places such as Russia, China and Kazakhstan, where asbestos mining and production face few restrictions. Yet there has been no political clamor to put American asbestos miners back to work. Now consider the coal industry. Pollution from coal-fired power plants kills about 7,500 Americans each year, according to the Clean Air Task Force, an environmental group. That number is down from 13,000 in 2010 for a simple reason: Two hundred and fifty-one of the nations 523 coal plants have since closed or are being phased out. This decline has been driven by a combination of two powerful forces: cheaper alternative fuels (such as natural gas and renewable energy) and rising consumer demand for cleaner energy that wont pollute the air and water that communities breathe and drink. But that decline in power plants isnt the main culprit behind the decline in coal mining jobs. There were 220,000 jobs in the industry in 1980. In the decades that followed, as production increased, jobs declined, because technology and automation made it possible to extract more coal with far fewer miners. When production peaked in 2008 before coal plants started closing en masse only 82,000 jobs remained. There are now about 65,000 jobs left. That number will continue to fall in the years ahead, as technological advancements continue to displace workers and as cleaner and cheaper forms of energy continue to displace the industry itself. The fact is, putting coal miners back to work is no more possible from a business standpoint than putting telegraph operators back to work taking Morse code or putting Eastman Kodak employees back to work manufacturing film rolls. Politicians who ignore these market realities and make promises to coal communities they cant keep are engaged in something worse than a con. They are telling those communities, in effect: The best hope they have, and that their children have, is to be trapped in a dying industry that will poison them. I dont believe thats true. We can save lives by ending coal production just as we did with asbestos production while also helping communities make the transition to 21st-century jobs. Doing that will not be easy, nor can it be accomplished quickly thats why politicians pander with empty promises. But it is the right thing to do both for coal communities and the entire country. Its time for local, state and federal leaders to face up to the task. Those outside of government can play a role, too. While making From the Ashes, a new film about coals impact on our health, climate and economy, my foundation featured several local organizations in Appalachia and the West that are working to create good jobs outside of mining. At least one of those groups is facing the possibility of losing its federal funding. To prevent that from happening, we have decided to step in to provide what the group stands to lose and by matchinga portion of donations from the public. Well also support efforts in Western states aimed at spurring job growth in professions outside of mining. The transformation of the energy market away from coal and toward cleaner energy is bringing extraordinary health and economic benefits to the nation there are now about 500,000 Americans working in the solar and wind industries. But those jobs are dispersed around the country, and coal regions face concentrated job losses that can harm families and depress local economies. We shouldnt let government off the hook for helping them but we shouldnt sit back and wait for Washington to act, either. President Trump yet again finds himself in possible Pinocchio land, this time for suggesting that Andrew Jackson could have or would have averted the Civil War. This claim is more complicated than the size of the crowd at Trumps inauguration, however. Trump has touched a controversy that has engaged historians and the public for more than a century. Trumps view on Jackson is unlikely but not absurd. Jackson famously faced down his vice president, John C. Calhoun, on the possibility of states rebelling against the federal government after Congress passed a tariff that hurt the Southern plantation economy. Jackson got Congress to authorize him to use military force following South Carolinas attempt to nullify the tariff, but the crisis was averted when Congress passed a compromise tariff in 1833. Still, Trumps comment about Jackson was in the service of his wider discussion of the Civil War. People dont ask that question, he said in an interview with the Washington Examiner, but why was there the Civil War? (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) This is truly an important question, and we can only wonder what the president would have said had his interviewer asked, What do you think? All too many Americans reply vaguely, states rights, even though Southern leaders, as they left the Union, made it clear that they opposed states rights and even named the states and rights that offended them. Americans are vague because their textbooks are vague; publishers dont want to offend white school boards in Dixie. [Why do people believe myths about the Confederacy? Because our textbooks and monuments are wrong.] Trumps conclusion about Jackson places him in a camp of 1930s historians who called it a needless war, in the words of James G. Randall, brought about by a blundering generation. That view is a product of its time, and that time is now known as the Nadir of Race Relations. The Nadir began at the end of 1890 and began to ease around 1940. It was marked by lynchings, the eugenics movement and the spread of sundown towns across the North. Neo-Confederates put up triumphant Confederate monuments from Helena, Mont., to Key West, Fla., obfuscating why the Southern states seceded. They claimed it was about tariffs or states rights anything but slavery. Earlier, everyone knew better. In 1858, William Seward, a Republican senator from New York, gave a famous speech titled The Irrepressible Conflict, referring to the struggle between slave labor and voluntary labor. When Mississippi seceded, it emphasized the same point: Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery the greatest material interest of the world. Simply to recognize this material interest renders improbable the needless war notion. Mississippi was right: Slavery was the greatest material interest in the United States, if not the world. Slaves made up an investment greater than all manufacturing companies and railroads in the nation. Never has an elite given up such a stake voluntarily. The North went to war to hold the nation together, not to emancipate anyone. But the Civil War did end slavery. When might that have happened otherwise? Today, when slavery has no state sanction anywhere, it seems obvious that the institution could not have survived to the 21st century. But if the South had prevailed, cotton would have resumed its role as the largest and most important portions of the commerce of the earth, to quote Mississippis secession document. The Confederacy might have replaced France as the colonial ruler in Mexico and Spain in Cuba. Eyeing such a strong economic and military model, Brazil might never have abandoned slavery. There is one more layer on this onion: The South did not quite secede for slavery, but for slavery as the mechanism to ensure white supremacy. On many occasions, its leaders made this clear. Trying to persuade fellow Texans to secede, John Marshall wrote in his Austin State Gazette in 1861: It is essential to the honor and safety of every poor white man to keep the negro in his present state of subordination and discipline. In 1863, William Thompson, founder of the Savannah Morning News, proposed a new, mostly white national flag for the Confederacy: As a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause. The government agreed and adopted his flag. Late in the war, trying to persuade Confederates to persevere, the Richmond Daily Enquirer asked, What are we fighting for? We are fighting for the idea of race. 1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad A look at President Trumps first year in office, so far View Photos Scenes from the Republicans first six months in the White House. Caption Scenes from the Republicans beginning months in the White House. Jan. 25, 2017 Trump signs an executive order for border security and immigration enforcement improvements at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Pool photo via Bloomberg News Wait 1 second to continue. Some Trump partisans are clearly still fighting for that idea. Unfortunately, the Civil War settled only the issue of slavery not white supremacy. Getting the Civil War wrong was part of the program of white supremacy during the Nadir. Today, getting it right is not just Trumps responsibility its all of ours. The House voted Wednesday to approve a roughly $1.1 trillion spending bill that includes more than $15 billion in defense spending and $1.5 billion in money for U.S. border security, setting up a vote later this week in the Senate ahead of a deadline to keep the government open past Friday. The spending measure, which passed 309 to 118 and funds the federal government through September, is expected to clear the Senate easily this week before budget battles begin anew. Some House Republicans are already looking ahead to the fiscal year that begins in October as a chance to demand new defense spending and exact greater concessions from Democrats in the next round of spending talks. This marks the beginning of a new era, said House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). No longer will the needs of our military be held hostage by the demands for more domestic spending. Republicans secured $15 billion from an off-budget war fund, which they described as the first step to breaking years of equal spending increases for defense and non-defense spending. The argument over that parity has been one of the fiercest fights in the past 10 years of budget negotiations. Democrats said the new spending measure continues the even treatment because they have never opposed using the war fund for military expenses. GOP members see the latest negotiation as an opening to demand greater money in the future. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, left, works with House colleagues during a leadership meeting in his office on Capitol Hill last month. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) The brewing defense fight marks an immediate shift from the recent bipartisan spending talks to a highly charged debate over setting spending priorities for years to come. It also marks the first time that conservatives, who demanded across-the-board spending cuts under President Barack Obama, have signaled that they might support defense funding increases to help fulfill major elements of President Trumps agenda. Defense hawks in the House have already launched an effort to persuade GOP leaders to attempt to repeal the defense spending caps that were set in the 2011 Budget Control Act, also known as the sequester. More than 140 House Republicans signed a letter Wednesday calling for GOP leaders to scale back those defense cuts as part of the upcoming long-term budget talks. The letter was led by Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio) and signed by the chairmen of the House Armed Services Committee, the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the Republican Study Committee. This is not just a spending issue, this is a security issue, Turner said in a call with reporters. Sequestration has required us to do fictional budgeting. Republicans have long insisted that capping defense spending could hamper military readiness, but the latest push comes with the backing of conservatives who are often skeptical of spending increase of any kind. Im okay with breaking the caps on the defense sequester, said House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.). Thats where the negotiations start. The letter marks the first time in recent years that a majority of House GOP members have backed spending increases. Meadows said he chose to back the push for more defense money because he strongly believes that Congress will soon scale back spending on programs like Social Security and Medicare. Converting conservatives is a small feat for defense hawks, but Congress would have to pass a new law to increase spending and Republicans would probably need at least eight Democrats to pass the measure in the Senate. Democrats say theyre happy to discuss spending increases, but only if they benefit agencies beyond the military. It is clearly time to lift the budget caps in [fiscal year] 2018, but for more than just the Pentagon, said Rep. Nita M. Lowey of New York, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. Working families, hospitals, schools and local infrastructure need attention just as badly as we need new jets, tanks and ships. Complicating matters further, the coming talks are also expected to revisit Trumps demand for money to begin building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump dropped his request for that money in the current measure to clear the way for a final deal, but the White House plans to renew the push for money later this year. There is also no guarantee that Republicans can unify around the call for defense money. Some conservatives remain skeptical of any attempt to increase spending without corresponding cuts elsewhere in the budget even if that new money goes to defense. In a pure vacuum sense, am I in favor of more defense? Yeah, but we dont live in that vacuum, said Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.). Curtailing spending on all fronts is vital to our national security. Read more at PowerPost Corbett Manor will be seven single-family houses in Springfield, Va. One is sold. Six are for sale from $894,900 to $914,900. (Benjamin C Tankersley/For The Washington Post) On a warm spring day, a chartreuse curtain frames Corbett Manor, an enclave of seven home sites on 4 1/2 acres in Springfield, Va. The houses will line Edward Carr Court, which ends in a cul-de-sac. Many of the lots back to a conservation protection area with trees that are leafing out into a green canopy. Builder Christopher Cos. is putting up an intimate community of two-story, single-family houses with two-car garages on 6,500- to 7,500-square-foot lots 14 miles southwest of the District in Fairfax County. Nearly three acres will remain open space. The Christopher Cos. is a small, privately held custom builder owned by W. Craig Havenner and E. John Regan Jr. Its based in Oakton, Va., and has been in business since 1974. This parcel of land was owned by the Young family, who lived there a long time, said Ben Shively, director of sales and marketing. Its an infill site, but when its finished and the vegetation starts to mature, itll be a little oasis in a high-tech world. Springfield has a heavy density, and this is parkland, Regan said. More than 100 seedlings, including pin oak, American birch, magnolias and redbuds, plus nearly 400 shrubs, including winterberry, northern bayberry, witch hazel, highbush blueberry and azaleas, will be planted, he said. [Chevy Chase Lake townhouses draw inspiration from brownstones in New York and Chicago] 1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Buying New | Corbett Manor in Springfield, Va. View Photos The single-family houses are priced from $894,900 to $914,900. Caption The single-family houses are priced from $894,900 to $914,900. Corbett Manor is an enclave of seven home sites on 4 .5 acres in Springfield, Va. Benjamin C. Tankersley/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Loft-like space: Three floor plans are offered Burke, Andover and Augusta. One furnished model, the Burke, is available for walk-through. One house is under construction, and six lots are for sale. Prospective buyers can stroll Edward Carr Court to see the lay of the land, where each house will be situated, and then select the site that meets their needs. Andy Stevens, his wife and their two children will be the first residents in May or June. The family, who had lived in Loudoun County since 2011, are renting while they wait for their house to be completed. Our house was beautiful, but our commute got crazy and we couldnt do it any more, Stevens said. We wanted something new, so when we learned about this build-new opportunity and the chance to truly customize the house and make it ours, we looked into it. The location is perfectly ideal, but it wasnt just about location, he said. The cherry on top, he said, is the high quality of local schools. The front of the house opens to a living room that glides seamlessly into the dining room. The space is bright and loft-like with large windows. Eyes are drawn straight through the house, across the kitchen, breakfast area and family room that are framed with a wall of windows, to the backyard lawn and trees. [Converted condo buildings in Petworth designed to appeal to first-time buyers] The Stevenses modified their floor plan to create a second master suite on the first floor. We both have parents who are aging, and nursing homes arent in our hearts, he said. The kitchen is outfitted with stainless-steel appliances, a five-burner gas cooktop, combination wall oven and microwave, granite counters and 42-inch wall cabinets. (Benjamin C Tankersley/For The Washington Post) Energy efficient: The master suite upstairs sweeps across the rear. The corner bedroom is flanked by a sitting room on one side and bathroom on the other replete with dual sinks and vanities, corner soaking tub, toilet room, shower with built-in seat, two walk-in closets and linen closet. Three smaller bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a second linen closet make up the rest of the second level. The houses will receive Energy Star and National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Silver Certification plus a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) index score of 59, significantly below the industry average in the 70s, Shively said. Upgraded insulation and low-E windows are component features that control the solar heat gain and loss. Together theyll enable us to retain a more comfortable climate inside, Stevens said. He also likes the low volatile organic compounds paint used inside the house, which is environmentally friendly and less chemical based, he said. Whats nearby: Three plazas with dozens of shops and eateries are within two miles of the community Huntsman Square, Saratoga and Old Keene Mill shopping centers as are Giant Food and Whole Foods Market. Springfield Town Center is less than four miles away, Fair Oaks Mall is 10 miles and Tysons Corner is 12 miles. The owners suite has two walk-in closets and a sitting room with columns. (Benjamin C Tankersley/For The Washington Post) The community is close to four houses of worship. Majid Noor, Anjumane Islahul Muslameen of Northern Virginia is a half mile away, St. Raymonds of Penafort Roman Catholic Church is less than a mile, His Church International Christian Center is 1.4 miles and Temple Bnai Shalom is 3.4 miles. Middle Run Stream Valley, South Run Stream Valley and Pohick Creek Stream Valley parks with trails, grass, trees and nature programs are walking distance. The 25-acre Hidden Pond Nature Center is barely two miles away. Schools: Hunt Valley Elementary, Irving Middle, West Springfield High. Transit: Corbett Manor is close to Interstates 66 and 395, the Capital Beltway and Virginia Railway Express. VREs Lorton Station is less than three miles away and Burke Center Station is five miles. The Franconia-Springfield Metro station on the Blue Line has 48 metered parking spaces, 36 bike racks and 20 bike lockers. Its less than four miles away. A dredger sits idle at a coal pit of the Hazelwood coal-fired power plant in Hazelwood, Australia. The closure of Hazelwood, one of Australias biggest power plants, may spark a new bout of electricity price volatility, potentially worsening the countrys power crisis. (Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg News) Australia, with its abundant coal, natural gas, wind and sunshine, is turning into an international case study in how not to manage energy riches. Electricity is becoming more expensive and less reliable. This year, government officials considered shutting down parts of the power grid in the biggest city, Sydney, during sweltering summer days because the networks couldnt meet the demand. The entire state of South Australia, where wholesale electricity prices can fluctuate as much as 150-fold in a day, lost power when storms toppled transmission lines and shut down wind farms. Although experts project that Australia will become the worlds biggest exporter of natural gas in two years, some companies are being quoted prices double what customers are paying in Japan, which is dependent on Australian natural gas. Businesses are furious. Voters are angry. The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, recently declared an energy crisis. It takes a lot of work to stuff it up this badly, said Tony Wood, the energy program director at the Grattan Institute, a government- and business-funded think tank, in an interview. Youve got to try really hard. The problem is caused by a combination of factors. The development of shale oil technology triggered a boom in natural gas, which is being mostly shipped to Asia from new export terminals rather than being used at home. By joining the global market, Australians are no longer getting cheap natural gas, which is used for generating electricity and for cooking and heating. At the same time, subsidies are increasing Australians reliance on wind and solar power, although output is always fluctuating. Pressure to lower greenhouse-gas emissions has led to the closure of power plants fueled by Australias huge coal deposits, which have delivered low-cost power for over a century. One of the countrys biggest and dirtiest coal power plants was closed by its French and Japanese owners March 31. The problem is most acute in economically depressed South Australia, where wind and solar power supply about 40 percent of the electricity and coal has been phased out entirely. Until recently the state was touted around the world as an energy success story. But on Sept. 28, two tornadoes 105 miles apart took down transmission lines that move electricity around the state, which is bigger than Texas. The disruption automatically shut down nine wind farms, which led to a surge in electricity being drawn from a neighboring state. The influx was so sudden that it blew the equivalent of a giant fuse in the grid. Almost the entire state was blacked out for the afternoon. Some areas were offline for 13 days. Traffic lights stopped functioning, trains were stuck, and office buildings went dark. Embryos stored by 12 families at a state-run fertility clinic were lost when a backup generator failed. It was really traumatic for them and for our staff as well, Stefan Moro, chief executive of Flinders Fertility, said in an interview. [Staffers] treat the embryos as though they were their own. The clinic recently moved into new premises and now has three backup systems. Moro said he is worried that more blackouts are likely. Securing reliable electricity is now one of Australias top policy and political challenges. Eighty-one percent of Australians are concerned about the price of electricity, according to a survey by Choice, a consumer-advocacy organization. The debate has become ideological. Conservatives want coal-fired power plants switched back on, or new ones built. Liberals are seeking bigger subsidies for renewable energy and a carbon trading system. So much natural gas is being sold to Asia that shortages are emerging at home, prompting Turnbull to declare last month that he will limit the amount producers can sell overseas. Political squabbling is making a solution difficult. South Australias premier had an on-camera argument last month with the federal energy minister about who was at fault for the states blackout. It is a disgrace the way your government has treated our state, Jay Weatherill said after crashing a news briefing by Josh Frydenberg, the energy minister, that was carried live on cable news. What we have is a national energy market that is broken. Clearly, he has a big job to do to explain to the South Australian people why on his watch the lights went out, Frydenberg replied. Government officials are scrambling to shore up the network before the Southern Hemisphere summer starts in December. South Australia is so concerned that it plans to put diesel generators on standby and build a battery farm. One possible solution: Tesla battery packs. Tesla founder Elon Musk said last month that is company would solve the problem in 100 days or provide the batteries free. That serious enough for you? he tweeted. A Tesla spokeswoman said the company had formally expressed interest in the battery contract with the government of South Australia. Read more: Why Trumps rebuke could be good for Australias prime minister Trumps election triggers a debate in Australia Australian Catholics torn over allegations against their cardinal Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. (Christophe Ena/Associated Press) Emmanuel Macron, the front-runner in Sundays French presidential election, shares something with President Trump: a 24-year age gap with his wife. The difference is that Macrons wife is the older one. That cliche-busting fact a candidate young enough to be his wifes son, rather than old enough to be her father is a little social revenge that delights many French women, including Martine Bergossi. Why cant we marry younger men? I date them all the time, said Bergossi, the stylish owner of Alternatives, a secondhand-couture shop in Paris, who prefers to leave her exact age to the imagination. Its normal to see men with younger women, she said. So its rather great to see the opposite. France is famous for its laissez-faire attitude toward sex and love, yet the May-December romance between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron has added a little ooh-la-la to a presidential campaign that is otherwise a deadly serious matter. Macron, a pro-European Union centrist, is facing off against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, a blunt populist who rails darkly against immigration and threatens to yank France out of the European Union and NATO. Macron, a former investment banker, is 39, and his wife just turned 64. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Macron was only 15 when he met Brigitte Trogneux, a married teacher at his high school in northern France who had three children. Macrons parents sent him to Paris to put distance between the teacher who ran the drama club and their precocious son, but their bond lasted, she divorced, and 10 years ago they were married. [Le Pen rarely mentions gender, unless shes talking about Muslims] Most of the French women interviewed said a politicians private life is not a reason to vote for or against him or her. In the United States, too, Trumps two divorces, considerable age gap with his third wife, and even a recorded conversation in which he lewdly discussed groping women did not prevent his electoral victory. But just days before the French vote, nearly all women interviewed did say they were more interested in Macron, who was a virtual unknown until recently, because his marriage breaks the mold. French politics has long been dominated by men with younger lovers. Francois Hollande, the current president, separated from his partner, Valerie Trierweiler, after a very public affair with an actress 18 years his junior. Former president Francois Mitterrand took a mistress half his age when he was in his 40s, a younger woman who famously stood near his wife at his funeral in 1996. Did men ask anybody when they started marrying younger women? asked Karin Lewin, an artist with a studio in Montmartre. Who sets the rules? She likes that Macron is shaking up the mens political club. So do others. Every single day, I see an older man with a woman his kids age coming into the hotel, said Chloe Tournadre, 26, who works at a luxury hotel in Paris. Lilach Eliyahu, a fashion designer, said the fact that Macron has a wife who has wrinkles and cellulite makes me think of him as a feminist. He is the opposite of Donald Trump. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) Brigitte Macron is a grandmother and her husband has boyish looks. Melania Trump, who used to model here in Paris, is young enough to be the U.S. presidents daughter. The couples have nearly the same age gap: the Trumps were born 23 years and 10 months apart and the Macrons 24 years and eight months. Le Pen, if elected, would make history as Frances first female president, but men turned out in greater numbers for her than women did in the first round of the election, according to polls. In interviews, many women said that although they would like to see a female president, they were deeply concerned about Le Pens anti-immigrant, antiglobalist views and her partys conservative views on womens reproductive rights. Le Pen, 48, has been married twice. Her partner, a politician who has kept a much lower profile than Brigitte Macron, is 47. Cecile Alduy, a French professor at Stanford University who is in Paris this semester following the election, said that political spouses in France do not have the same public role as they do in the United States. It was so unusual and commented on when Brigitte Macron joined her husband on stage after he won the first-round vote, Alduy said. Many women find it interesting that Macron is putting his wife in the spotlight, posing for photos with her, even appearing on the cover of a magazine with her in a bathing suit at the beach. Carla Bruni, the wife of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, was also high-profile. But she was a special case, a former model and singer who had dated Mick Jagger and other stars. The Macrons have also been the subject of jokes, and political critics have seized on the age difference to paint Brigitte as a controlling force over a schoolboy candidate. Many declare on social media that he is gay which Macron has publicly denied. A widely circulated mock photo on the Internet purports to show the couples first date: a woman walking hand in hand at the beach with a toddler. But Alduy said Macron may get a boost from women at the polls on Sunday, not because of his wifes age, but because he talks about womens issues, including gender equality in wages. There is a visible difference between them, thats for sure, said Martine Dumestre, a physical therapist who, at 65, is one year older than Macrons wife. She said that many voters do not like either candidate but that she at least appreciated that Brigitte Macron commented that this election is her husbands only shot at the presidency, even though he is only 39 because she will soon look too old. 1 of 38 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See the scene as the French elect Emmanuel Macron as their new president View Photos French citizens across the globe vote in tense election that could decide Europes future, choosing pro-business progressive Emmanuel Macron over far-right populist Marine Le Pen. Caption French citizens across the globe vote in tense election that could decide Europes future, choosing pro-business progressive Emmanuel Macron over far-right populist Marine Le Pen. Marseille, France French voters decided Sunday whether to back pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron or far-right populist Marine Le Pen as their next president, casting ballots in an unusually tense and important presidential election that also could decide Europes future. Philippe Laurenson/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. Read more: Frances presidential election may determine the future of the European Union Growing anti-Muslim rhetoric permeates French election campaign A youth revolt in France boosts the far right Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news British Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the media outside her Downing Street offices after meeting Queen Elizabeth II on May 3. (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg News) Prime Minister Theresa May made an explosive charge Wednesday that European Union officials are meddling in Britains June election as tensions escalated over looming talks about British withdrawal from the European Union. Speaking outside her Downing Street offices, the British leader accused E.U. politicians and officials of issuing threats that have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on the 8th of June. Tensions between the continent and the United Kingdom have ratcheted up after a German press report about a dinner last week at which May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker discussed Britains exit. The leaked account painted an unflattering portrait of May. May initially dismissed the report as Brussels gossip, but by Wednesday her tune had changed. In the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be, May said. Britains negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. In March, Britain triggered Article 50, the formal mechanism for leaving the E.U., setting in motion a two-year negotiation process between London and the blocs other 27 members. Mays strong language highlights how poisonous the negotiations have already become. But her remarks also signal a deliberate domestic strategy as May seeks to cast herself in the British election as someone who can go toe-to-toe with European officials. [Theresa May calls for elections in June amid Brexit fallout] Earlier in the week, May said she would be a bloody difficult woman in the negotiations with the E.U. Responding to Mays speech, Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said, Theresa May is playing party games with Brexit in the hope of winning advantage for the Tories in the general election. Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, said that May was playing a dangerous game and that her comments could poison the atmosphere in future Brexit talks. May's statement Wednesday came shortly after she met with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to officially start the election campaign. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks during a news conference at E.U. headquarters in Brussels on May 3. (Virginia Mayo/AP) According to a leaked account in a leading German newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Juncker left last weeks dinner with May 10 times more skeptical that a deal could be achieved. The two reportedly clashed over the divorce bill, the rights of E.U. citizens and the timing of trade talks. After the meeting, Juncker was said to have told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that May was living in another galaxy. Merkel then warned that some British officials harbor illusions about what is possible in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. One of the major sticking points in the early discussions is the size of the divorce bill that Britain will pay the E.U. David Davis, Britains Brexit minister, strongly disputed a report Wednesday in the Financial Times that 100 billion euros ($109 billion) would be the price tag demanded by the bloc. We will not be paying 100 billion, Davis said. The E.U.s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, refused to put a figure on Britains exit bill. But he did say Wednesday that Britain must settle its accounts before it can begin talks about a future trading relationship with the E.U. The clock is ticking, he said. Read more: As Brexit begins, the British face a Europe with far more at stake Article 50: A guide to Britains untested plan for Brexit With Brexit looming, millions wonder whether they can stay in Britain Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news At the end of Frances contentious presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen faced off Wednesday in a televised debate marked by hostility and insult. The event was intended as a final exchange between the two candidates left standing before the second and final round of the vote a contest that, this year, could determine the future of the European Union. But despite the stakes, the event rarely reached the level of the highly detailed policy discussions that typically characterize French political discourse. In a spectacle that mirrored the interactions between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the U.S. election campaign last fall, Macron and Le Pen went for the jugular. Your project is to live off fear and lies that is what your father lived off, Macron said to his opponent, scoffing across the table. He was referring to Jean-Marie Le Pen, who co-founded the National Front in the mid-1970s and who has repeatedly referred to the Nazi gas chambers as a detail of history. Throughout the campaign, Marine Le Pen, in an attempt to de-demonize her party, has struggled to shirk the association with her father. For her part, Le Pen wasted no time in going after Macron, a former investment banker running under an independent banner, as the epitome of the financial elite that she, as an advocate of economic protectionism, has railed against for months. I hope we wont learn that you have an offshore bank account in the Bahamas, she said to her opponent. I hope. (The Washington Post) She also targeted Macron as the embodiment of the globalized, open society guaranteed by the E.U., from which she has said she would remove France if elected. In a remark that played on the concept of gender, which she has been careful to employ throughout the campaign, Le Pen said: In any case, France will be headed by a woman either me, or Madame Merkel. Le Pen has repeatedly used German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a lightning rod in the election, claiming that the latter represents the E.U.s threat to Frances national sovereignty, now in jeopardy thanks to austerity and the migrant crisis. You are not standing up to Madame Merkel you are with her, she continued, probably referencing Macrons visit earlier this year to Berlin, where he appeared alongside the chancellor and spoke in English a sign, for Le Pen and other critics, of his cosmopolitanism. Macron was relentless in his references to French history, and especially the Le Pen familys role in denying it. Jean-Marie Le Pen is a convicted Holocaust denier and has been accused of committing acts of torture in Frances bloody Algerian War, fought between 1954 and 1962. Despite distancing herself from her father, Marine Le Pen recently denied that France was responsible for an infamous deportation of Jews from Paris in World War II, even though French police had carried out their arrests. What you propose is an exit from history, Macron said. Madame Le Pen, he said, France deserves better than you. At the same time, the presence of a National Front candidate in a presidential debate of this kind was historic. In 2002, when Jean-Marie Le Pen shocked pollsters by landing in the second and final round of the vote, Jacques Chirac, Frances incumbent conservative president, refused to debate him. The practice was standard even in basic television interviews: No airtime was to be given to candidates from an extremist, right-wing fringe. French presidential candidates Marine Le Pen, left, and Emmanuel Macron, right, during a televised debate Wednesday. (AFP/Getty Images) Faced with intolerance and hatred, no debate is possible, Chirac said at the time. In 2017, however, Marine Le Pen has been more than present on the airwaves as well as on social media. Its time to put France back in order, she said Wednesday during the debate. Its time to make the choice of France. Although the most recent polls still place Macron ahead in the race with a comfortable lead roughly 59 percent of the vote Le Pen is still expected to win 41 percent. Read more Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news A damaged U.S. military vehicle is seen at the site of a suicide bomb attack in Kabul on May 3. (Mirwais Harooni/Reuters) A suicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into an armored NATO convoy in the Afghan capital Wednesday morning, killing eight Afghan civilians and wounding 28, including three coalition soldiers, health officials said. The Islamic State asserted responsibility for the attack, which occurred at rush hour on a crowded boulevard a few hundred yards from the U.S. Embassy and several Afghan government ministries. A news agency affiliated with the militant group claimed the attack killed eight American troops. But officials with the U.S.-led international force here said that no coalition troops were killed and that the injuries to the three soldiers were non-life-threatening. Several injured civilians, however, were reported to be in critical condition. The explosion shattered glass in numerous buildings and left several disabled and damaged vehicles stranded along the busy thoroughfare. A smoldering, partially crumpled minivan at the site was reported to be the vehicle used in the blast. An Afghan victim injured in a suicide attack receives oxygen as he is treated at the Wazir Akbar Khan hospital in Kabul on May 3. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images) [The Islamic State is growing in Afghanistan, and has its eyes on a specific city] The Islamic State has claimed numerous attacks in Kabul in the past year, including a devastating assault March 8 on a large military hospital that killed about 50 people. The assailants entered the high-security compound disguised as medical personnel. Wednesdays bombing also followed a slew of attacks by rival Taliban insurgents, who continued their aggressive campaign against the Afghan state all winter and last week announced a new spring offensive. Record numbers of civilian and military casualties were registered last year in the protracted conflict, which has stretched Afghan forces thin. The growing presence of the Islamic State in the country in the past two years has only exacerbated the strain on the Afghan military, which is struggling to confront the militant threat with drastically reduced support from the United States and other international partners. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said in a quarterly report to Congress that security is the most obvious and urgent challenge to rebuilding the country. Read more: Two U.S. troops die battling Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan Questions over U.S. choice to use 22,000-pound bomb against ISIS U.S. watchdog finds major internal flaws hampering Afghanistan war effort Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news A former Iranian president banned by his countrys judiciary from speaking publicly defied the restrictions to endorse President Hassan Rouhani for a second term, warning voters that Iran faces international isolation if a hard-line opponent is elected to power this month. Mohammad Khatami, a pro-reform leader who served two terms as president from 1997 to 2005, is under a domestic media ban, and the local press is prohibited from publishing his image or mentioning his name. But the former president announced on his website Tuesday that he would support Rouhani, who is also a moderate, for reelection on May 19. His endorsement could help mobilize turnout for the incumbent, who is facing tough competition as he struggles to defend his record on the economy and respond to questions about the benefits of a nuclear deal struck in 2015 with world powers, including the United States. Iran is in the middle of a campaign blitz featuring two main challengers to Rouhani. No Iranian president has failed to secure a second term since shortly after the 1979 revolution. Rouhani is our candidate, Khatami said in his statement Tuesday. If the president is defeated, he added, it would increase the possibility of a return to international isolation and sanctions. [Nuclear deal takes center stage in Irans presidential race] Rouhani is facing five opponents: Ebrahim Raisi, a powerful cleric; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the hard-line mayor of Tehran; Mostafa Mirsalim, a conservative former culture minister; Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, a moderate and reformist; and former vice president Mostafa Hashemitaba, also a reformist. Raisi, who is in charge of Irans holiest shrine in the city of Mashhad, was widely seen as the favorite of conservatives. But his poor performance in a televised debate last week could undercut his candidacy, boosting Ghalibaf. The conservative mayor lost to Rouhani in 2013, but he has tapped into discontent among ordinary Iranians over the slow-growing economy. Ghalibaf went after Rouhani hard on unemployment, where the president is indeed vulnerable, Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the political risk firm Eurasia Group, wrote in a briefing note on the debate this week. If either Raisi or Ghalibaf wins the presidency, the impact would be significant, Kupchan wrote, echoing Khatamis assertion that Irans relations with the rest of the world could suffer. Both candidates are close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Irans most powerful security institution. It also has far-reaching economic ties. Raisi would make little or no effort to attract foreign investment, Kupchan wrote, adding that members of the Revolutionary Guard as a general matter benefit from a closed market. [Irans Rouhani under fire as tensions with U.S. rise] During his tenure as president, Khatami, 73, encouraged Irans rapprochement with the West. And last year, he released a video in support of moderate and reformist candidates running in parliamentary elections. He is widely credited with helping them sweep to power. But his support for reformist candidates has landed him in hot water with powerful conservatives, including in the judiciary. His website was blocked an extraordinary move by the government against a former president. The bonds between Khatami and Rouhani have strengthened since mass protests over the disputed reelection of conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009. In 2013, Khatami joined another former president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in publicly backing Rouhani propelling him to the fore in a field of better-known moderates. At the time, Khatami called Rouhani my esteemed brother. Last year, Rouhani also defied the ban on mentioning Khatami by suggesting that he drew inspiration from the former president. No one can silence those who served the nation, Rouhani told a crowd in Khatamis home city of Yazd in central Iran. Khatami and Rouhani have clear limits on how far they can push Western engagement and other reforms in a country where all key policy decisions must be cleared by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who usually sides with hard-liners. During his 2013 campaign, Rouhani promised to lift restrictions on social media, among other freedoms. But Iranian journalists and other activists remain in jail, and key leaders are still silenced. Meanwhile, there are splinters within pro-reform groups, as Rouhani has been unable to win the release from house arrest of top leaders of the Green Movement protests of 2009: Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard. Karroubi and Mousavi were candidates in the presidential race and joined the post-election protests. Murphy reported from Washington. Read more Iran bars Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from running for president U.S. increasingly sees Irans hand in the arming of Bahraini militants Trump wants to push back against Iran, but Iran is now more powerful than ever Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Mahmoud Abbas, president of Palestine, left, during a joint press conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. (Olivier Douliery/Bloomberg) President Trump expressed optimism Wednesday that he can succeed where past American presidents have failed and secure a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, but he made no promises that peace would mean an independent Palestinian state. With Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas by his side, Trump confidently said that if the two parties are willing, he wants to help. Im committed to working with Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement. But any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States or by any other nation, Trump said. The Palestinians and Israelis must work together to reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship, and thrive and prosper in peace. Absent was any mention of a sovereign Palestine, long a bedrock of American and international peacemaking efforts, or how he would address other festering issues that have sundered past efforts at negotiations such as the fate of Jerusalem. Abbas ticked through the usual list of Palestinian demands for peace, including a sovereign state based on the borders as they existed in 1967 before Israeli occupation of the West Bank. (The Washington Post) Peace based on a two-state solution would allow wider Arab diplomatic recognition of Israel and aid in the fight against extremist movements such as the Islamic State, Abbas asserted. Our strategic option, our strategic choice, is to bring about peace based on the vision of the two states, a Palestinian state, with its capital of East Jerusalem, that lives in peace and stability with the state of Israel, Abbas said through an interpreter. In his brief public remarks with Abbas, Trump did not mention Jewish home-building in the occupied West Bank, something past presidents have made sure to reference, if only obliquely, as an impediment to peace. And he said nothing about his pledge to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a symbolic shift that Arab leaders including Jordans King Abdullah II have warned Trump could wreck a chance for peace. Trump must notify Congress by June 1 if he, like past U.S. presidents, intends to seek a deferral of a U.S. law mandating the embassy move. Former U.S. officials and analysts in the United States and Israel said Trump is nearly certain to seek the delay. For Abbas, a White House invitation so early in the administration is seen as a coup and a sign that Trump is serious about negotiations that would help give the veteran Palestinian leader credibility at home and a mandate abroad. This is a lifesaver, said Ghaith al-Omari, a former Palestinian peace negotiator who is now a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Since the collapse of the last talks, Abbas has been marginalized and the Palestinian issue is seen as not relevant, as other conflicts and crises took precedence, Omari said. He needs this for his own centrality. 1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad A look at President Trumps first year in office, so far View Photos The presidents term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. Caption Scenes from the Republicans beginning months in the White House. Jan. 25, 2017 Trump signs an executive order for border security and immigration enforcement improvements at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Pool photo via Bloomberg News Wait 1 second to continue. The 82-year-old leader heads the moderate Palestinian government in the West Bank but claims to also speak for Palestinians under the rule of the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Trump has spoken with Abbas by phone, but their White House meeting was their first face-to-face encounter. We believe that we are capable and able to bring about success to our efforts, because, Mr. President, you have the determination and you have the desire, Abbas said. White House press secretary Sean Spicer later said that Trump had raised the issue of Palestinian payments to the families of suicide bombers and prisoners who harm Israeli civilians. Israel has recently highlighted the issue as an obstacle to talks, and a group of Republican senators has introduced legislation to cut off American aid. The Trump administration has yet to articulate a clear strategy for engaging in any negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, leaving vague whether the goal of peace might be defined as a version of the de facto Israeli control that now exists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the first foreign leaders to visit Trump this spring, and the new U.S. administration has repeatedly underscored its close bond with the Israeli leader. Trump may visit Israel later this month, Israeli and former U.S. officials said. The administration has also signaled that it will not denounce Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, although Trump told Netanyahu publicly that he would prefer a hiatus as a way to foster peace talks. But the biggest sign of change in the Trump approach to Israel and potential peace is the omission of formerly rote language promising Palestinian sovereignty as the goal of negotiations. The Jedi mind trick here is to shift the definition of peace away from the conventional notion of a two-state solution, said Frank Lowenstein, a chief U.S. negotiator during the last failed peace effort in 2013 and 2014. Redefining peace so you say you are 100 percent in support of peace . . . but the Palestinians dont have their own state in the traditional sense. When Netanyahu visited the White House earlier this year, Trump mused about either a one- or two-state outcome, saying that he could live with either. On Wednesday, Trump cast the United States in a more intermediary role. I will do whatever is necessary to facilitate the agreement, to mediate, to arbitrate anything theyd like to do, but I would be a mediator or an arbitrator or a facilitator, Trump said. Trump sent his Middle East envoy, former real estate lawyer Jason Greenblatt, to Jerusalem and Ramallah in March to explore the possibility of a U.S. role in a peace process. The visit appeared to be well received by both sides. Trump also named his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as his point man for peace efforts in the Middle East. Over the course of my lifetime, Ive always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is the deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Lets see if we can prove them wrong, okay? he said. Jeremy Ben Ami, president of J Street, which describes itself as pro-Israel and pro-peace, said American leadership can help, but is not enough. The biggest roadblock is the lack of political will, said Ben Ami. Its not just the Palestinians. Its the Israelis as well. Theres a real question of whether or not the government of Israeli is ready and willing to move to two states, and whether the Palestinian government has the capacity and the will to do it. Carol Morello and Ashley Parker contributed to this report. FBI Director James B. Comey gave his most exhaustive defense yet Wednesday of his role in politically sensitive investigations, telling a Senate panel that he has no regrets despite feeling mildly nauseous at the thought that his decisions about a probe into Hillary Clinton might have affected the outcome of the election. He also said he was confident in the FBIs handling of an ongoing probe of any contacts between Russian officials and associates of President Trump. Through nearly four hours of sometimes combative questioning from Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey offered his most full-throated explanation of his actions to date, and he never wavered from his core contention that the FBI has stayed above the political fray even as its investigators probed senior aides to both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. Lordy, has this been painful, he said. Ive gotten all kinds of rocks thrown at me and this has been really hard, but I think Ive done the right thing at each turn. Comey appeared to win few new converts to his way of thinking, given the intense partisanship still swirling around the now-closed probe of Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, as well as the current investigation into whether any Trump associates may have coordinated with Russian officials to interfere with the election campaign. After the hearing, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said he was unswayed and that he still believed Comey did the wrong thing by telling Congress days before the election that he was reopening the Clinton probe to examine thousands of emails found on the laptop of a spouse of a senior Clinton aide. I would have been satisfied if he had done what all Republican and Democratic administrations have done in the past, Leahy said. The Justice Department has a procedure. You do not release information like that just before an election. In defending his decisions, Comey offered some new details about what FBI agents found last fall, after they realized a laptop belonging to former New York congressman Anthony Weiner (D) contained thousands of work emails involving Clinton. At the time, Weiner was married to Huma Abedin, who was a senior aide to Clinton. Agents were looking at Weiners laptop because he was under investigation for possibly inappropriate communications with a minor. Somehow, her emails were being forwarded to Anthony Weiner, including classified information, Comey said, adding later, His then-spouse Huma Abedin appears to have had a regular practice of forwarding emails to him for him to print out for her so she could deliver them to the secretary of state. After Comey notified Congress of the Weiner laptop issue on Oct. 28, the Justice Department got a search warrant to examine some 3,000 messages that were work-related, Comey said. Of those, agents found a dozen that contained classified information, but they were messages investigators had already seen. Abedin and Weiner were investigated for the potential mishandling of classified material, but the FBI ultimately dropped the matter. Really the central problem we had with the whole email investigation was proving people . . . had some sense they were doing something unlawful. That was our burden, and we were unable to meet it, he said. Three days before Election Day, Comey notified Congress that the emails on the laptop did not change the FBIs view of the case. Democrats argued that by that point, Comey had critically damaged the Clinton campaign. At an appearance Tuesday, Clinton said that if the election had been held the day before Comeys first letter, she would have been elected president. At Wednesdays hearing, Comey said he was confronted with a difficult choice to speak or conceal and that the first was a really bad choice, while the second was catastrophic, because when voters learned of the issue after the election, they would have suspected a government coverup. He added: It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly it wouldnt change the decision. Comey said he has been interviewed by the Justice Departments inspector general as part of an internal investigation into how he, his top deputy and the FBI handled the Clinton case. I want that inspection. I want my story told, he said. If I did something wrong, I want to hear that. But he added that he thinks he behaved appropriately and had no regrets about his decisions. The chairman of the committee, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), opened the hearing by saying that a cloud of doubt hangs over the FBI. Grassley demanded that the bureau reveal more about how it has handled the probes, and at one point he exclaimed ye gads! in frustration at his inability to get more information from the FBI. We need to know whether there was anything improper going on between the Trump campaign and the Russians, or if these allegations are just a partisan smear campaign that manipulated our government into chasing conspiracy theories, Grassley said. Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) asked Comey what threat Russia posed to future U.S. elections. In my view the greatest threat of any nation on earth given their intention and their capability, Comey answered, adding that although Russia did not alter vote tallies in 2016, it has tried to do so in other countries and U.S. officials should expect Russia to replicate that effort in future U.S. elections. Democrats repeatedly contrasted Comeys decision to talk about the Clinton email investigation while not disclosing that the FBI had begun secretly investigating in late July whether any Trump associates might be working with Russian officials to meddle with the presidential campaign. Its still very unclear and I hope, Director, that you will clear this up why the FBIs treatment of these two investigations was so dramatically different, said the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.). Comey said he treated both cases consistently and that the biggest difference was that one investigation was over or nearly over, and the other was just beginning. The FBI has concluded that Russian intelligence hacked into Democratic computer systems and email accounts, stealing information that was published by WikiLeaks during the campaign. Asked about WikiLeaks, Comey said he thought the anti-secrecy group was engaged in something more sinister than journalism. To my mind, it crosses a line when it moves from being trying to educate the public and instead becomes about intelligence porn, quite frankly, Comey said. A huge portion of WikiLeaks activities has nothing to do with legitimate news activity, he said, . . . but is simply about releasing classified information to damage the United States of America. The Washington Post reported last month that the Justice Department is trying to determine whether it can bring criminal charges against those working for the anti-secrecy group. During his testimony, Comey also disputed a claim from Trump on Tuesday night that the FBI director was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds. Asked whether he gave Clinton a free pass, Comey said: No, that was not my intention certainly. . . . We conducted a competent, honest and independent investigation. The Trump administration is just at the beginning stages of its campaign to pressure North Korea to give up developing nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told State Department employees Wednesday morning in a wide-ranging discourse on applying America first principles to foreign policy. Tillerson said the administration is 20 percent to 25 percent of its way into a strategy that includes preparing more sanctions against government officials and individuals, convincing other countries to apply existing U.N. sanctions more rigorously and leaning hard on China to use its influence to get North Korea to change direction. Its a pressure campaign that has a knob on it, he said to a packed auditorium of employees while thousands of others watched his remarks via live stream. Were at dial setting five or six now. Tillerson said Washington would negotiate with Pyongyang when conditions are right but added a caveat: We are not going to negotiate our way to the negotiating table. That is what Pyongyang has done for the last 20 years, is cause us to have to negotiate to get them to sit down. Well sit down when theyre ready to sit down under the right terms. [Trump administration talks tough on North Korea, but frustrated lawmakers want details] This was Tillersons second address to State Department employees, since the first he made in the lobby upon arriving at Foggy Bottom three months ago. His early tenure has left many employees feeling uneasy and demoralized, as they face potentially deep budget cuts, possible buyouts and a White House that has minimized State Department input in some of its policymaking. [Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spends his first weeks isolated from an anxious bureaucracy] Tillerson did not mention the pending budget cuts of almost 30 percent that have been proposed by the White House; Congress is certain to trim them. But he asked U.S. diplomats and civil servants to be creative in recommending changes to the organizational structure and work rules in an online employee survey that went up Wednesday to gather suggestions on how to fulfill the State Department mission. [Tillerson tells State Department employees that budget cut reflects new priorities] Instead, Tillerson offered the most expansive expression of his worldview since his confirmation hearing. He said many policies and practices enacted decades ago must be modified to meet the realities of a post-Cold War era. President Trumps America first philosophy means restoring balance in relationships with allies, such as in trade and defense spending. We just kind of lost track of how we were doing. And as a result, things got a little bit out of balance, he said. Amid criticism that the Trump administration has de-emphasized human rights and embraced authoritarian rulers, Tillerson said American values should not necessarily be a condition for policies that must serve U.S. security and economic interests first. If we condition too heavily that others must adopt this value that weve come to over a long history of our own, it really creates obstacles to our ability to advance our national security interests, our economic interests, he said. It doesnt mean that we leave those values on the sidelines. It doesnt mean that we dont advocate for and aspire to freedom, human dignity and the treatment of people the world over. We do. And we will always have that on our shoulder everywhere we go. Tillerson said the United States and Russia must improve their chilly relationship, characterized as almost no trust between us. The erosion of cooperation and trust between the premier nuclear powers is dangerous and unsustainable, Tillerson said, and he pledged to try to improve it. Thats what we are hoping, that we can begin to build a way where we can learn how to work together, said Tillerson, who will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov next week at an Arctic Council meeting in Alaska. I dont know whether we can or not. [Tillerson meets with Putin amid deepening tensions over U.S. missile strikes in Syria] Friction points include competing aims in Syria and the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea, Tillerson said. He did not mention the conclusion by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia attempted to undermine the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russia denies the allegation. [Declassified report says Putin ordered effort to undermine faith in U.S. election and help Trump] Trumps affinity for Russia and Putin was a recurring theme of the election, and the administration took office with hopes of striking a bargain with Russia that could defuse conflict in Syria. Tillerson appeared before several hundred State Department employees who filled the Dean Acheson Auditorium, a standing-room-only crowd that lined up in the back and on the stairs along the walls. Others watched from an overflow room or from their desks, where his remarks were carried live on the State Department website. Tillerson appeared at ease, shunning the podium to wander the stage like a talk-show host and gesturing constantly. In a departure from his normal practice of reading from prepared speeches, Tillerson spoke extemporaneously, gesturing constantly. At times, he turned folksy, saying that while he has read every memo sent to him, he appreciated those that were condensed to one page, because Im not a fast reader. Its not clear whether Tillersons outreach will have much of an impact on those who are considering leaving, particularly those at the beginning or end of their careers. Some have said privately that they have seen no evidence he has pushed back against the White House in the budget battles. The State Department has not released a letter Tillerson sent to budget director Mick Mulvaney in early March seeking less dramatic cuts, at least in the first year, and making the case that many of the areas potentially on the chopping block play a valuable role. A State Department official present at the speech, speaking on the condition of anonymity to assess the speech more candidly, said many employees will welcome Tillersons efforts to streamline bureaucratic procedures. But the official said many remain worried about a proposal to stop employing spouses at embassies and consulates, which is considered a way to ease the hardships associated with uprooting a family every few years to live and work overseas. Acting U.S. attorney Corey Amundson announced Wednesday that the Justice Department will not bring charges against the police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, asserting that all the federal prosecutors and agents who investigated the matter found insufficient evidence to proceed with a case. The announcement confirmed officially what The Washington Post reported Tuesday, although Amundson and the Justice Department revealed far more detail about how investigators came to the conclusion they did. Amundson, the acting U.S. attorney for the district that includes Baton Rouge, laid out a thorough timeline of the encounter which was captured on a video that had rocketed around social medial last summer but said one major unanswered question proved decisive in the case. [Justice Department will not charge Baton Rouge officers in fatal shooting of Alton Sterling] Investigators were not able to determine whether Sterling, 37, was reaching for a gun when an officer yelled that he was, Amundson said, and they thus could not prove that officers knew what they were doing was unreasonable when shots were fired. There are no winners here, and there are no victories for anybody, Amundson said. A man has died, a father, a nephew has died. My heart goes out to the family. The lawyers and family of Alton Sterling at a press conference on Wednesday. (Bryan Tarnowski for The Washington Post) The case is not completely over. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said that while he had been precluded from investigating the matter while the Justice Department did its work, he would now launch a state probe. He said he had asked the Justice Department to forward its investigative materials to Louisiana State Police and assigned a prosecutor with the Louisiana Department of Justice to the case. Landry said his investigation could take a considerable amount of time. Attorneys and Sterlings family said they hope state officials bring charges and that they left a meeting with federal investigators Wednesday feeling more enraged than they had before. Chris Stewart, the lead attorney for the Sterling family, said that investigators told family members that at the beginning of the interaction with Sterling, Officer Blane Salamoni put his gun to Sterlings head, and said, Ill kill you, b----. That statement was not included in the Justice Departments public description of the encounter; the Sterling family attorneys said it was gathered from not-yet-released audio of the interaction. Sandra Sterling, an aunt who raised the young man after his mother died, said it was particularly jarring. Salamoni put that gun to his head and said, Im going to kill you, she told reporters Wednesday. How do you think Alton felt? How do you think Alton felt after hearing that? Cameron Sterling, 15, said that he forgives the officer who killed his father, but he is hopeful that state prosecutors bring charges. Sandra Sterling, left, and Cameron Sterling listen as the lawyers and family of Alton Sterling hold a press conference on Wednesday. (Bryan Tarnowski/Bryan Tarnowski for The Washington Post) I just hope that justice will be served for my dad, Sterling said. Because if not, it will be a repeated cycle, where they will feel like they can do something like this again. An attorney for Salamoni declined to discuss the allegation that the officer threatened Sterling before the shooting, and he said he thinks state investigators will likely also decline to press charges. Because there is a pending state investigation, I cant comment on the evidence, said John McLindon, the Baton Rouge attorney for Salamoni. The federal government has seen every piece of evidence. And now I think the state attorney general will do a very thorough and exhaustive investigation, and I think the result will be the same. Fred T. Crifasi, an attorney for Howie Lake, the other officer who responded, said that his client was relieved, but he declined to comment further. Substantiating federal civil rights charges is a difficult endeavor, requiring prosecutors to produce evidence that demonstrates an officers intent at the time of an incident. Amundson said that it would not be enough to show that the officers who encountered Sterling acted recklessly, negligently or even that they escalated a situation they should have de-escalated. The Justice Department offered this description of the encounter: At about 12:30 a.m. on July 5, someone called 911 to report that a black man wearing a red shirt and selling CDs had pulled a pistol and had a gun in his pocket. Salamoni and Lake responded and saw Sterling, dressed in a red shirt and standing by a table with a stack of CDs. The encounter lasted less than 90 seconds from that moment until the firing of the final shot. Officers told Sterling to put his hands on the hood of a car, and when he did not, a struggle ensued. Salamoni pulled out his gun and pointed it at Sterlings head, and Sterling put his hands on the hood. When Sterling moved his hands, Lake shot him with a Taser. A scuffle ensued, and Salamoni tackled Sterling. Lake knelt on Sterlings left arm, while Salamoni tried to get control of his right. Salamoni then yelled: Going for his pocket. Hes got a gun! Gun! Less than one second later, during a point at which the location of Sterlings right hand was not visible to the cameras, Officer Salamoni again yelled that Sterling was going for the gun! the Justice Department said in a news release. Officer Salamoni then fired three shots into Sterlings chest. That detail, Amundson said, was critical. To substantiate civil rights charges, he said, prosecutors would have to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Officer Salamoni did not believe that Mr. Sterling was actually going for a gun when he made that statement. The Justice Department said that after the first three shots were fired, Sterling, whose back was to the officers, began to sit up and roll to his left, bringing his right arm across his body toward the ground. Lake yelled for him to get on the ground, and as he continued to move, Salamoni fired three more shots into his back, the Justice Department said. The Justice Department said the officers recovered a loaded, .38-caliber revolver from his pocket, though that detail itself was not especially revelatory. It was not in dispute that Sterling had a gun, but whether he reached for it, as the officers claimed. At a news conference Wednesday, Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome (D) urged people to keep calm and said the Justice Departments decision not to charge does not mean the police officers acted appropriately. So far, the protests in response to the Justice Departments decision have been more subdued than those held in July after Sterlings killing by police. Sgt. LJean McKneely of the Baton Rogue Police Department said police also have been conducting an internal investigation into the shooting. The officers involved Salamoni and Lake are on paid administrative leave and will remain that way at least through the conclusion of the state attorney generals probe, McKneely said. Zapotosky and Lowery reported from Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Putins residence in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, on May 3, 2017. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin expanded a diplomatic blitz over the war in Syria on Wednesday, meeting with Turkeys president as the Kremlin pushes a proposal to create deconfliction zones in Syria with what Putin said was U.S. support. The talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reflect possible growing cooperation between nations once deeply at odds over Syrias conflict with Turkey backing rebel factions and Russia providing key military support to Syrias government. Turkey would have an important role in any bid to create safe areas in Syria for opposition groups and Syrians displaced by more than six years of fighting. But its description of the zones appeared to differ somewhat from Russias, and President Trump has not yet spelled out what the United States has in mind. The Putin-Erdogan talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi followed a flurry of discussions between Putin and Western leaders, including a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Sochi on Tuesday, and what was Putins first talk with Trump since last months U.S. strike on a Syrian air base. The White House said without elaboration that the leaders had discussed safe, or de-escalation, zones . . . for humanitarian and many other reasons. [White House: Trump mentions Syrian safe zones in call with Arab leaders] In a news conference with Erdogan, Putin said he supported the creation of the safe zones in which he said aircraft will not operate in an effort to support a Syrian cease-fire. Putin said his talks with Trump suggested the U.S. administration support them as well. But Syrian rebel groups refused to attend a Wednesday session of cease-fire talks in Kazakhstan, citing continued bombing of rebel-held areas despite a cease-fire agreed early this year by Russia, Iran and Turkey. It was not immediately clear whether they would return to the negotiations. U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, speaking outside the talks in Astana, the Kazakh capital, said the United Nations is very concerned at the reports of escalation in Syria, including, allegedly, reports of airstrikes, especially while proposals to de-escalate the conflict are under very serious discussion. Only Russia and Syria operate aircraft in the civil war; Russia has insisted that its planes are not involved. Trump advocated safe zones throughout his presidential campaign but did not define them. On at least two occasions in March, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson publicly referred to zones of stability as areas cleared of the Islamic State to which former residents could return. Asked Wednesday to elaborate on Trumps discussion of de-escalation, or safe zones this week with Putin, Air Force Col. John Dorrian, spokesman for the Baghdad-based anti-Islamic State coalition said, Im afraid I cant do that, because it would be speculation on my part if I did. While he was aware of the Putin-Trump conversation, Dorrian said, I dont have any insight on what the discussions were beyond the fact that they happened. Other U.S. officials indicated that the White House reference was to the need for a durable cease-fire that would allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and eliminate what has been a major distraction in the U.S.-led coalition campaign against the Islamic State in Syria. Turkey advocated for the creation of no-flight zones early in the Syrian war as tens of thousands of refugees fled the fighting, crossing the border into Turkish territory, and as Erdogan emerged as one of the regions foremost backers of the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. More recently, the Turkish government has viewed safe zones in northern Syria as a bulwark against expansion by Syrian Kurdish fighters, allied with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State, who now control much of the border. Turkey sent its military into Syria last year to fight against the militants as well as to check the expansion of Kurdish forces. It now refers to the area it captured as a de facto safe zone. According to a copy of a Russian proposal presented to rebel leaders in Astana, the Kremlin proposed the creation of four de-escalation zones in Syria that would prevent direct clashes between rebel and government forces. Three of the four the northwest province of Idlib; the Damascus suburb of East Ghouta; and southwestern Syria near Jordan and the Golan Heights have been sites of recent bombings allegedly by the government. The fourth area is north of the city of Homs, in west-central Syria. According to the document, Russia proposed that the use of any kind of weapon in the de-escalation zones by the parties to the conflict shall be prohibited, including the planes of the Syrian armed forces. Other versions, published in Arabic-language media, did not include the stipulation about government aircraft. The Islamic State and al-Qaedas Syrian affiliate would be excluded from the cease-fire. In the past, Russia and Syria have carried out airstrikes in rebel and civilian areas, saying they were targeting terrorists. DeYoung reported from Washington. Kareem Fahim and Louisa Loveluck in Istanbul contributed to this report. Read more Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of... The Australian Education Union (AEU) in Victoria has commenced anti-democratically convened delegates meetings, aimed at ramming through its sell-out deal with the state Labour government on a new four-year salaries and conditions agreement for public school teachers. The deal was announced last month by AEU President Meredith Peace, via the media, after 12 months of closed-door negotiations with the Andrews government. Peace claimed that it represented a significant gain that addressed crushing workloads, and insecure employment for thousands of contract teachers and Education Support (ES) staff. Contrary to the AEUs claims, the deal amounts to a wage freeze, ever-closer monitoring of teacher performance, no reduction in teacher workloads and a sweeping commitment to ongoing educational reform. The union intended to push through the deal with little or no discussion. Union branches had hardly any time to organise branch meetings, discuss the document and elect delegates to attend state-wide delegates meetings. Moreover, as soon as the deal was made public, the AEU began deleting any critical posts from its Facebook page, including those influenced by the analysis presented on the World Socialist Web Site. The first ratification meeting was held on Monday evening at AEU headquarters in Abbottsford, beginning two weeks of delegates meetings across the Melbourne metropolitan area and in regional and country centres. During the course of the two and a half hour meeting, teacher numbers dwindled, as many delegates simply deposited their vote in the ballot box and left. Those who remainedaround 6070represented a determined and vocal opposition, with many younger teachers speaking out against the deal. Over previous days, the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) had established a Facebook page Teachers and ES against the Victorian Education Agreement with information and analyses about the agreement that had been suppressed by the AEU, along with numerous teacher comments. Teacher members and supporters of the SEP established the basis for a genuinely democratic discussion by moving a procedural motion at the start of the meeting that called for limiting the main report to 15 minutes in order to allow at least an hour of open discussion, enabling those both for and against to speak. SEP member, Frank Gaglioti, seconded the resolution, pointing to the political agenda behind the agreement. The AEUs flagrant disregard of democratic norms reflects the fact that they are trying to push through a deal that is aimed at destroying teachers working conditions and rights. The deal, Gaglioti continued, was designed to deepen the governments agenda of using standardised testing in order to intensify its drive to privatise public education. While several other teachers spoke in favour, citing, as evidence of the unions suppression of their democratic rights, the lack of time for local branches to meet and discuss the agreement, the resolution was narrowly defeated. The vote revealed, nevertheless, mounting opposition among teachers, both to the unions bureaucratic methods and to the agreement itself. Another SEP member and secondary teacher, Will Marshall, then moved a suspension of standing orders, calling for a state-wide stoppage and mass meetings, in which all teachers could be involved in discussing the agreement, whether for or against. Union chairperson, Briley Duncan, Vice President of the primary division, immediately ruled it out of order, declaring it was against the rules of the AEU adopted by the State Council. Marshall dissented from the ruling. This was the first time in the process of agreements that there have been no mass meetings called, with no discussion, he said. How is it that the State Council can set such a precedent? He emphasised that teachers had the right to disagree with the council, along with the right to discussion, and to hear the views of all those who wanted to speak, not just the delegates. Duncan replied that mass meetings have never been part of the ratification process, attacking Marshall for trying to overrule our elected delegates outside AEU rules. The dissent vote was lost. The controversy, however, encouraged other teachers to speak and the union was forced to allow SEP members to address the meeting on several occasions. Those present listened intently, without interjection, and, on several occasions, applauded. Deputy President Justin Mullaly made a Power Point presentation of the deal, peppered with misleading summaries and an absence of key details. Following his report, many delegates rose to their feet, questioning and commenting on his fraudulent claims, especially in relation to workload and contracts. SEP member Sue Phillips, a teacher of 30 years standing, asked how the AEU could expect teachers to endorse what was described in the unions official resolution as the associated package of improvements, when teachers had no idea what this package involved. There had been no details or explanation provide. Phillips went on to make clear that, in fact, the package of improvements referred to the recommendations of the Bracks review, which included further attacks on teachers working conditions, accelerated school amalgamations, and intensified teacher surveillance tied to performance. She called for a no vote. Marshall and Gaglioti exposed specific aspects of the agreement and the Bracks review, which advocated continuing teacher performance reviews, and the linking of teacher performance to salary progression. Under the deal, they emphasised, if standardised test data revealed declining student test results, then principals will be forced to fail teachers performance reviews with loss of salary increments and possible removal. Gaglioti described the four Professional days for teachers, included in the deal, as a complete sham that would do nothing to decrease workloads. He pointed out that the agreement stipulated that these days would be consistent with department and school priorities, in other words, doing your review, focusing on collecting and analysing data, writing pre-tests and post-tests, and further narrowing the curriculum. He continued, The AEU document reads like a government tract designed to privatise the public-school system. The way they are doing this is through judging our performance, based on data obtained from the NAPLAN and VCE grades. Birmingham [federal Education Minister] has flagged massive cuts to education and the AEU will do what is necessary to ensure they go through. This is in line with the privatisation agenda being implemented in the US and Great Britain. In the US under Obama, over 300,000 education workers were sacked and Trumps Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, has the perspective of turning all public schools into for-profit charters schools. In Britain, a similar process is underway, Gaglioti pointed out. A teacher and long-time member of the pseudo-left Socialist Alternative provided the organisations ritual political cover for the union betrayal, referring to the agreement as not quite as bad as the ones weve had to put up with in the past under pressure the government did offer some concessions. In the course of the lengthy meeting, only union officials and two other speakers spoke in favour of the agreement. For the many who spoke against, what dominated was growing suspicion of the union and pent up opposition, particularly among younger teachers, over deteriorating wages, working conditions and the ongoing assault on public education. The final ballot paper vote was 52 opposed and 95 in favourexpressing the development of a growing rebellion by teachers against the union-Labor government deal. Further delegates meetings will be held over the next two weeks, with the union doing everything it possibly can to stifle opposition and prevent a majority no vote. The US Air Force sent two B-1B Lancer strategic bombers from Guam to the Korean Peninsula on Monday to engage in bilateral training exercises with South Korean and Japanese military forces. The provocative move was taken amid continuing threats by the Trump administration to launch military action against North Korea. A US Air Force spokesperson claimed that the flight was routine and refused to say whether the bombers were armed or how close they flew to the border with North Korea. B-1B bombers are no longer fitted to carry nuclear weapons, but can carry a massive conventional payload23 tonnes externally and 34 tonnes internallyof cruise missiles, smart bombs and other munitions. While denouncing North Korean ballistic missile tests, the Pentagon has been test-launching its own Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Last week the highly sophisticated missile was launched from a base in California and splashed down in the Pacific over 6,000 kilometres away. Another test is due to take place today. One Minuteman III missile is capable of carrying multiple nuclear weapons that can be independently directed at separate targets. The drills involving B-1B bombers were conducted as the aircraft carrier strike group headed by the USS Carl Vinson participated in war games with South Korean and Japanese naval vessels in waters off the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean and US militaries have just completed two months of annual joint exercises involving up to 320,000 personnel in rehearsals for fighting a war with North Korea. These menacing military manoeuvres appear to be at odds with President Donald Trumps comment on Monday that he would be honoured to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un under the right circumstances. In reality, the threat of war is an integral part of the immense pressure being applied to North Korea to buckle to US demands that it abandon its nuclear and missile programs. Only under such circumstances would Trump talk with Kim. Following the B-1B flights, the North Korean regime reacted with warnings of its own. The official KCNA news agency declared on Tuesday: The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war. A North Korean foreign ministry statement added that because of the US push for sanctions and pressure, Pyongyang will speed up at the maximum pace the measure for bolstering its nuclear deterrence. Far from defending the North Korean people, Pyongyangs limited nuclear arsenal simply provides a pretext for Washington and its allies to continue their military expansion in the region. The latest North Korean ballistic missile test on Saturday was a failurethe second in a row. According to the New York Times, the Trump administration has continued a program of cyber sabotage initiated under President Barack Obama that could be responsible for the high percentage of North Korean missile malfunctions. The US military build-up in North East Asia is directed at China as well as North Korea. Trump, while pressuring Beijing to rein in Pyongyang, has continued the confrontational pivot to Asia of the previous Obama administration, threatening trade war measures against China as well as military action to isolate Chinese islets in the South China Sea. The Pentagon has accelerated the installation of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-ballistic battery in South Korea that has provoked opposition and protests. US officials told the media on Monday that the THAAD installation had achieved an initial operational capacity even though it would not be fully operational for months. In a press briefing yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called for a halt to the installation. Chinas position is clear-cut and firm. We oppose the deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea and urge relevant sides to immediately stop the deployment. Beijing fears that the powerful X-band radar associated with the THAAD system will be used to peer deep inside Chinese territory. Linked to broader US anti-missile systems, it would give more advanced warning of missile launches in the event of a war and thus heighten the ability of the US and its allies to shoot missiles down. The Chinese spokesperson restated Beijings call for dialogue and consultation to resolve the peninsulas nuclear issue, saying it was the only realistic, feasible means to achieve denuclearisation. Without specifying what actions China would take, he warned: We will resolutely take necessary measures to defend our interests. The THAAD systems installation has compounded the political crisis in South Korea following the impeachment and removal of Park Geun-hye as president. With presidential elections due on May 9, leading contender Democrat Moon Jae-in has postured as an opponent of the THAAD installation to capitalise on growing public opposition, while reassuring Washington of his support for the US alliance. Significantly, less than a week from the election, CIA director Mike Pompeo arrived in the South Korean capital on Monday for talks with American embassy and military officials. An embassy spokesman said Pompeo had no meetings scheduled with South Korean officials but did not rule out such talks or meetings with presidential candidates. The Trump administration is not going to tolerate any vacillation by a new administration in South Koreaone of Washingtons key allies in Asia and home to US bases and 28,500 military personnel. Trump will be just as ruthless in moving against political leaders as Obama, whose administration conspired for the removal of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in 2010 for cutting across his pivot to Asia. The dispatch of US strategic bombers to the Korean Peninsula is just the latest ploy in a reckless game of brinkmanship that threatens to trigger a catastrophic conflict that could draw in nuclear-armed powers such as China and Russia. Having created extreme tensions, any incidenteither deliberate or accidentalcould set off the powder keg. More than 100 refugees are feared drowned off the Libyan coast during a crossing to Europe. According to a spokesperson for the German aid organisation Jugend Rettet (Youth Rescue), Pauline Schmidt, volunteers discovered an empty inflatable boat off the Libyan coast capable of carrying up to 140 people. In addition, Doctors Without Borders crew members on the chartered ship Prudence pulled five bodies from the sea a few nautical miles away. On Saturday, the Italian coast guard reported a distress call from a refugee boat in foggy conditions with high waves, prompting the ship Juventa from Jugend Rettet to initiate a search. The crew then discovered the empty inflatable boat near the Libyan port of Suvara. One could assume an accident had occurred, Schmidt said, because the wreck had not been long at sea and did not show the typical signs left behind by rescuers. It was also unlikely that Libyan fishermen had saved the occupants, since the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has not reported any such operations over recent days. The IOM was also informed about the discovery of some 30 bodies on a beach just 30 kilometres from Suvara. Following the latest catastrophe, the number of refugees drowned on the central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy this year rose to almost 1,150. At the same time, around 38,000 refugees have reached the Italian coast via this route, more than in the same period last year. Over the Easter weekend alone, around 8,500 refugees were rescued from the Mediterranean and brought to Italy. Leading politicians in the European Union (EU) respond with indifference to the daily dramas and tragedies facing refugees on the Mediterranean. They continue to militarily fortify Europes external borders to seal them off against refugees. At the same time, they are turning conditions for refugees in the camps on the Greek and Italian islands, or on the Hungarian-Serbian border, into a living hell. Refugees are being deported en masse, and nationalism and xenophobia are being deliberately provoked. The major powers, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States, have laid waste to entire countries in the Middle East and North Africa with their imperialist wars, forcing millions of people to flee. But in its boundless cynicism, the EU makes smugglers responsible for the movement of refugees towards Europe. The EU is criminalising refugees as illegal immigrants, even though there is no legal route to Europe and the refugees are dependent on the unscrupulous services of the smugglers. The EU-led operation Sophia has been ongoing in the Mediterranean for two years to take action against smugglers and close off travel routes. Warships, planes, helicopters, drones and border guards from 22 European countries have been deployed since then to prevent refugees from reaching Europe. Shortly before, the Italian mission Mare Nostrum was halted under pressure from the EU after it was denounced as an additional pull factor encouraging refugees to set out by sea. The Sophia mission was never planned as a rescue operation. Those politicians responsible within the EU consciously accepted the fact that casualties in the Mediterranean would rise drastically. This was even welcomed as a means of deterrence. Despite this, the number of refugees on the central Mediterranean route has continued to rise, which has not stopped the same arguments from being repeatedthis time against the rescue ships owned by international aid organisations operating off the Libyan coast. In December 2016, the EUs border and coast guard protection agency, Frontex, filed its first complaint against the activities of international aid organisations in the Mediterranean. In February, Frontex head Fabricio Leggeri went further. He told the daily Die Welt that the work of the aid organisations resulted in smugglers forcing even more people onto unseaworthy boats than in previous years. Yet it is not the smugglers who force refugees onto unseaworthy boats, but the wars and civil wars, repression and persecution by despotic regimes that are closely collaborating with the EU to deter refugees, and the basic struggle to survive. The pull factor is not the rescue boats, but the EUs own policies of deterrence. Samer Haddadin, head of the UNHCR in Tripoli, stated recently that the more the EU shouts about the invasion of refugees and calls for their deportation, the more refugees are prepared to set off for Europe. But the attacks on aid organisations have been welcomed by the media and anti-immigrant parties in Europe. A leading role in this has been played by Beppe Grillos Five Star Movement (M5S) in Italy, which described the boats as taxis and accused the aid organisations of being paid by the smugglers. The M5S received backing from Sicilian state prosecutor Carmelo Zuccaro, who accused the aid organisations in Italys La Stampa of having direct contact with people smugglers in Libya, without presenting a single scrap of evidence to back up this claim. In addition, Frontex head Leggeri complained that the aid organisations were now conducting 40 percent of all rescue missions in the Mediterranean, whereas a year ago it was just 5 percent. We should review the current concept for rescue measures off the Libyan coast, he told Die Welt . An idea of how this would look was provided by a Frontex employee in an interview with T he Intercept: So as not to become a pull factor, our ships only patrol north of Malta. We do not travel down to Libyan waters. This results in refugees being discouraged from setting out for Europe. In other words, Frontex is deliberately abandoning rescue operations so as to deter refugees by allowing them to drown. Support for Frontex has come chiefly from the Italian, German and Austrian governments. On behalf of his fellow European ministers, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz spoke of NGO madness; relying on private rescue operations at sea was undoubtedly the wrong path. Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka went so far as to demand the immediate closure of the Mediterranean route. During a surprise trip to Tripoli, Kurz reiterated his demand to immediately send refugees rescued at sea back to Africa. Rescue in the Mediterranean ought not to be linked to a ticket to Central Europe, Kurz told journalists during the trip. They should instead be sent to asylum centres outside Europe, he added. However, there are conflicts within the EU as to whether such centres should be established in Libya, or in Egypt, Tunisia or Algeria. While Kurz excluded Libya, the last EU meeting of interior and justice ministers agreed to create so-called legal islands in Libya. According to the German daily Tageszeitung, in these legal islands, especially well-armed police will be responsible for supervising the camps and repatriating refugees to their homelands. To this end, Frontex has already expanded the support mission for the strengthening of Libyas borders (EUBAM Libya) and begun the search for appropriate locations for internment camps. In addition, the EU has made available 90 million to help Libya strengthen its borders and prevent refugees from setting out for Europe. Italy has also promised to supply 10 patrol boats to the Libyan coast guard. The official unity government supported by the EU, under the leadership of Fayiz as-Sarraj, has dispatched another shopping list to the EU, demanding 130 coast guard boats, including five 100-metre-long offshore speedboats, and weaponry. However, voices are growing within the EU of not working solely with Sarraj, who controls only a fraction of the war-torn country. The French and Italian governments are currently negotiating with his opponent, General Chalifa Haftar, who controls the east of the country and thus the most important oil ports. One of the main aims in this is to push back Russian influence in Libya so as to enable the Western powers to exploit the countrys rich energy resources. The Russian oil company Rosneft agreed on a cooperation agreement with the Libyan oil corporation, which is controlled by General Haftar. EU Foreign Representative Federica Mogherini issued mixed messages on the cooperation with the Libyan unity government when she commented, We always want to ensure that we train the right people and supply the right equipment. The EU is therefore continuing to expand its military intervention in North Africa. The refugees face the prospect of being ruthlessly crushed between the interests of the local militias and the closed border policy of the EU. ERBIL, IRAQ Two hours away from Islamic State-controlled territory in northern Iraq, where Iraqi forces are closing in, an American woman from Texas, Shara Kenworthey, 28, sits with a needle in her front room bent over a client, tattooing his skin. She has been running her own studio and tattoo business for nearly two years, after first arriving as an English teacher, never thinking her artistic hobby would lead her to a dream career in a place known for being at war. Shara Kenworthey. (Photo: Ash Gallagher) Kenworthey, a lean woman with stretched ear lobes, has the sides of her head shaved and a punky blonde bun piled on her head and a sleeve of tattoos on her arm. She has so far experienced two bombing incidents in Erbil. It was quite scary, she admitted of the first explosion, and for the first time, she realized she wasnt in a glistening, tourist-driven habitat. Of course bombs and constant conflict arent the only risks that come with tattooing in a country thats majority Muslim, a religion that largely considers getting inked forbidden, or, in Arabic, haram. Many of Kenwortheys clients are Muslim, and though most are men, some of the women who have come to her arrive at the request of their husbands or privately as tattooing is still not accepted by their families. Shara Kenworthey at work. (Photo: Ash Gallagher) One of her clients, Omar, agreed to speak with Yahoo Beauty about getting his ink. Omar does government work and could not disclose his last name. And he explained the reason behind the belief that tattoos are haram. Muslims pray, and before you pray, you have to wash, he said, And because the tattoo is under your skin, it cannot actually be cleaned off your body. Viewpoints among Muslims in Iraq vary on the acceptability of a tattoo and are more accepted in the Kurdish region than among Iraqis of Arab ethnicity. While tattoos have become more common in northern Iraq, they werent always considered a forbidden practice. Some female adherents of the ancient Yazidi religion still practice tattoo rituals, making their own ink and applying small dots on their knuckles and hands. Story continues A client in Shara Kenwortheys home tattoo studio. (Photo: Ash Gallagher) Omar believes the controversy around the practice could be more of a cultural tradition than a religious one. When he got his first tattoo in Turkey, he was on a vacation with his friends, and they each got their astrological sign; his was Capricorn. Worried how his family would react, the young man decided to act preemptively and put a photo on social media. Its not unacceptable, so what I had to do is take a picture of the tattoo, and put it on Instagram, he said, where my relatives and my family all could see it. That way, it would lessen the sting of them finding out in person. Omar said his familys disapproval didnt last long, When I came back from Turkey, the first thing I asked my mom is if she had any ointments, he recalled. She was kind of mad in the beginning, then she got used to the idea. He would later credit Kentwortheys artistry for his familys acceptance. Shara Kenworthey (Photo: Ash Gallagher) When Kentworthey first arrived in Iraq, tensions between armed groups were not as high, and ISIS wasnt yet a powerful force. She came in 2013 through an English teaching program called the British International Institute. After teaching in Thailand she decided she needed a change and moved to this Kurdish-controlled city. Later that year, a car bomb went off in Erbils center, near government buildings and close to school where Kenworthey taught. Though the experience rattled her, the adult students in her class understood the situation and helped put her at ease because for many in Iraq, conflict between political factions and armed groups isnt new, and people have adapted. After a few months, Kenworthey left the school to work at a cafe in a Christian-majority neighborhood called Ankawa, in Erbil. During her time there, she designed a tattoo for a friend. It was a big intricate drawing, I spent weeks on [it], she said. When others around her took notice of her artwork, they encouraged her to pursue tattooing as a career. Photo: Ash Gallagher She wound up training with a Lithuanian tattoo artist and his British colleagues in 2015, when they opened a shop in Erbil. I left my job and devoted myself full-time to tattooing, she explained. Traditionally, tattoo artists will practice inking on pig skin. We didnt have that. I would walk to the studio every day and pass by a fruit shop, and I would pick up a bag of oranges and a bag of grapefruits and I would show up and I would tattoo on fruit. A month later, another explosion went off near the tattoo studio in Ankawa, just outside the entrance of the U.S. Consulate. Kenworthey heard the loud boom; she looked outside and saw heavy plumes of smoke. The front of the old studio was all windows, she said. I remember we were sitting there, [in the studio] and we heard this explosion and all of the windows shook. We were worried the whole wall was going to come down. Photo: Ash Gallagher She described the sounds as eerie, and didnt expect the smoke to be so close. (Members of ISIS were later blamed for the attack.) Kenworthey immediately called her mother, but she had no desire to return home, explaining that she left the States to experience cultures that were different than her own cultural bubble. Since then, Kurdish Iraqi forces, known as Peshmerga, have heavily guarded Erbil, and there have been no major attacks. Kentwortheys apprenticeship lasted two months before the other artists left her to run the shop on her own. Eventually the studio closed due government licensing complications, and she has since been tattooing from her living room, looking forward to the day that she can open a new home studio. Omar hopes to get new tattoos from her as well. He went to Kenworthey to add more to that first astrological tattoo he got in Turkey, and said, Shes an amazing artist, shes amazing in her work. Right now, shes well known in Erbil. Its not like I need it, its that I like it. And Im going to have more tattoos. That works for Kenworthey. As the only known female tattoo artist in Iraq, she sees her newfound career as an opportunity to make a difference by spreading new art and beauty in a war-torn culture. Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and@YahooBeauty. Javier Bardem is married to the beautiful Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. The two first starred alongside each other in the 1992 Spanish dramedy Jamon, Jamon and worked together in the 2013 film The Counselor. However, it was on the set of Woody Allens Vicky Cristina Barcelona that the two fell for each other and began dating in 2007. In the June issue of British GQ, Bardem reveals his initial hesitation about dating Cruz. The Oscar-winning actor told the magazine, Oh, boy. She has that feistiness. There are those scenes where we are arguing, shes throwing plates, and so on. I had to wonder, Do I really want this? She has what I call the loving blood. Passion for everything, he added. In the end, Bardem found Cruzs passionate personality sexy and beautiful. In fact, it was her fiery and passionate portrayal of the the character Maria Elena in Vicky Cristina Barcelona that earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2009. The two got hitched in a private ceremony in the Bahamas in 2010 and share two children together. Bardem can be seen in the fifth installment of the hit franchise Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, due out in theaters on May 26. BFFs Melissa Joan Hart and Soleil Moon Frye talk awkward red carpet debuts and cringeworthy celeb crushes: Read more from Yahoo Celebrity: By Summer Delaney President Trump invited Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House during a phone call described as very friendly (though it reportedly surprised and angered many, including those within his own administration). Its an invitation that Duterte has not yet accepted. Rodrigo Duterte was born on March 28, 1945. According to the Philippine Embassys website, his mother was a public school teacher, and his father eventually went on to become the governor of the then-unified province of Davao. Duterte first made his mark in 1988, when he was became the mayor of Davao City. Crime dramatically decreased during his 22 years in office, but his violent tactics drew criticism from human rights groups and the international community. Duterte allegedly sanctioned extrajudicial killings by vigilante groups that allegedly murdered more than 1,000 people, including 132 children. In late 2015, Duterte announced his run for president. Throughout his candidacy, he was the subject of international headlines not only because of his violent record in Davao City, but also for his crass and inflammatory statements. But that didnt stop him from getting elected and assuming office in June 2016. His controversial comments didnt stop then, either. In September, President Obama canceled a meeting with him after he called Obama a son of a whore. The two later briefly spoke, but in October Duterte called for a separation from the U.S. In December, he bragged about once throwing someone out of a helicopter. His national anti-drug campaign has now killed more than 7,000 people. When discussing his bloody war on drugs in September, he compared his actions to Adolf Hitlers during the Holocaust. The White House has acknowledged Dutertes human rights abuses while saying a meeting would be in the national interest of the United States with regard to North Korea. Whether Duterte will accept Trumps invitation remains to be seen. Though Sexual Assault Awareness Month has come to a close, I can't help but think about the survivors, whose stories I encountered during my role as Alex Cabot on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. I still think about those stories. Even though it was just television, those stories often represented real people and some of the all-too real struggles they can face trying to access health services and get the care they need and deserve in the wake of a traumatic incident or sexual assault. We still have a long way to go to properly support survivors of sexual assault in this country and around the world. It's no wonder so few women feel comfortable reporting their rapes; they are often met with stigma, shame and a deafening lack of services and care. And with attacks on abortion access and efforts to "defund" Planned Parenthood, the most vulnerable survivors are made even more vulnerable as their rights to access care are stripped away. Despite admirable efforts by former Vice President Joe Biden to address this epidemic of sexual violence particularly on college campuses, the current administration threatens to take us backwards. Just last month, it was Vice President Mike Pence who cast the deciding vote in a bill to withhold federal funds from Planned Parenthood. This extends not only to American women, but women in countries where abortion is not simply banned but criminalized. On a recent visit to Senegal as a member of the Planned Parenthood Global Advisory Board, I met women who have also experienced sexual assault. The most twisted and horrifying thing about all this was that I was meeting them in jail. In Senegal, abortion is a crime, and women who seek an abortion can be imprisoned for up to five years. This means the choices for women who are raped in Senegal are grim. With safe and legal abortion out of the question, women who want to end their pregnancy are faced with the dilemma of seeking a clandestine abortion or doing nothing. For women who have been raped, being forced to carry to term is yet another trauma on their bodies and their autonomy. And for those who risk a clandestine abortion, they face not just a potentially unsafe procedure but the threat of jail. Story continues Read more: Lena Dunham Rocks Planned Parenthood Pin at the 2017 Met Gala Fortunately, some organizations are pushing back against this gross injustice, and I had the pleasure of meeting one of them on the ground in Dakar. L'Association des Juristes Senegalaises (AJS) runs a legal aid clinic representing women in court on abortion-related charges and in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape and incest. Their goal is to build an adequate case load for a class action case to change abortion laws, even as the lawyers continue to seek immediate redress for individual women. For example, they secured the release of - and obtained financial compensation for - one woman who had been wrongly imprisoned for having an illegal abortion, even though she had suffered a miscarriage. They also represented a young girl in court who successfully testified against her father who had raped her. He was convicted and jailed for 10 years for incest. As AJS seeks to overturn oppressive abortion laws in Senegal, it's shocking to think there are people in America seeking to roll back what liberties we do have. Whether in Senegal or the U.S., or anywhere else for that matter, survivors of sexual assault have the same basic needs. After having their control over their own bodies taken away from them, the last thing they need is for the government to come in and take away their last semblance of agency. They need comprehensive support to meet their physical and mental health needs. They need social support to get out of abusive relationships. And fundamentally, they need the freedom to make these decisions for themselves without the threat of being charged with a crime and imprisoned. Stephanie March is an actress who spent 12 years starring on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She's also a member of the Planned Parenthood Global Advisory Board. Read more: Shonda Rhimes Tapped for Planned Parenthood's National Board The Maryland couple who gained hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers by pranking their kids on camera has lost custody of two of the five children in the home. Michael and Heather Martin made headlines last month after posting a video to the account DaddyOFive in which they can be heard shouting expletives while accusing the two boys of spilling ink on the floor, leaving the children in tears. Read: Boy, 11, Reportedly Killed Himself After Mistakenly Thinking His Girlfriend Had Taken Her Life The parents defended their videos as all in good fun, but 9-year-old Cody and 11-year-old Emma were, at least temporarily, taken from the home by Frederick County officials and put in the custody of their biological mother. The mother, Rose Hall, posted a YouTube video of her own on Wednesday in which she appears with her attorney and claims she got "emergency custody" of the brother and sister. "Emma and Cody are with me," Hall said. "They're doing good. They're getting back to their playful selves." The Frederick County Sheriff's Office, meanwhile, has confirmed they helped carry out the children's removal from the home per a court order. The department's investigation, and that of Child Protective Services, remains ongoing. In a statement, an attorney for the Martins said, "All information will be presented to the court at the appropriate time" and did not comment further. As outrage over their video spread, the couple recorded a public apology and told Inside Edition, We got carried away in the moment." "We really never meant for any of this to be taken this way," Mike Martin said. In the video, Heather Martin can be seen holding a bottle of disappearing ink. I'm going to squirt it all over his carpet and start flipping out, she says. And that's exactly what she does, while screaming for Cody. What the [expletive]! she screams in the video. Story continues When Cody runs in, he insists he had nothing to do with it. At that point, his dad joins in, demanding to know why he spilled the ink. They then address the second boy, asking why he did it. It doesn't take long for both children to be left sobbing. After three minutes of torment, the parents finally reveal it's all a prank. We got you both!" says Heather. "You were innocent bystanders." You just got owned," Mike adds. "It's just a prank, brah." The kids were clearly not laughing, and neither was Mike's YouTube audience when he posted the video, even with the disclaimer, "No child was harmed in the making of this video." "This video made me shudder," one comment read. Another called it, "Mental abuse... Just as bad as physical abuse." One Inside Edition viewer called the prank "sick." After they were bashed online, the couple admitted they may have gotten carried away, but insisted they meant no harm. "He wasn't really traumatized, that's the thing," Heather said. Honestly we were all just having fun. After everything, we had a good laugh." They insisted the children were not emotionally harmed by the prank. "If we saw signs of anything like that, we would get help immediately," Mike said. Read: Pranksters Blamed for Turning On City's 156 Emergency Sirens All at Once The parents later took to YouTube again, claiming the children were acting and had been in on the prank the whole time. "They over-exaggerated," Mike says in the clip. "Some videos are scripted." Watch: Couple Arrested for Staging Fake Murder Scene as a Prank Related Articles: Today, President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders call was highly anticipated, not least because of the bizarre ongoing saga over Russia hacking its way through the U.S. presidential campaign to get Trump elected. The official White House and Kremlin readouts from the call are vague, but whats not in them is arguably as important as what is in them. What they said they talked about: Syria: The White House readout of the call said Trump and Putin agreed suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long. Trump and Putin reportedly discussed establishing safe or de-escalation zones in the country to relieve the embattled civilian population. The White House also announced it would send a representative to the next round of Syrian peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan this week. Russia, Iran, and Turkey sponsor the talks. The Kremlin readout says that the emphasis of the talks was indeed on Russia and the United States working together in the fight with international terrorism in the context of the Syrian crisis. North Korea: The biggest geopolitical flashpoint in Trumps first 100 days, North Korea is stubbornly pursuing a nuclear weapons program and launching missile tests despite a new volley of ominous warnings from Trump. The Russian readout emphasizes that the Kremlin called for restraint and stressed the importance of a diplomatic solution. The White House readout referenced North Korea with but one line: Finally, they spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea. North Koreas main political lifeline to the outside world is China, though it maintains economic ties with Russia, which it listed as its friendliest ally earlier this year. A face-to-face in July in Hamburg: The U.S. readout didnt mention this, but its Russian counterpart did. The two evidently agreed to continue chatting by phone, but also spoke of having a personal meeting around the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany (to the disappointment of whomever was pinning hopes on those Russian reports that their first face to face meeting would take place in May). Story continues What they didnt say they talked about: Ukraine: Ukraine was conspicuously absent from both the White House and the Kremlin readouts of the call. Russias incursion into east Ukraine and illegal annexation of Crimea, which spurred U.S. and European sanctions against Moscow, is a huge sore spot in West-Russia relations. That the White House readout didnt mention Ukraine once could mean several things. Trump might see Syria and North Korea as bigger issues in the bilateral relationship, or the administration (which has continually cast doubts on U.S. commitment to Ukraine) could be eager to sideline the issue so as to gain more cooperation from Moscow. Anything related to human rights: Other seemingly big issues that were conspicuous by their absence: Russian electoral interference, the alleged abduction and killing of gay men in Chechnya, the crackdown on protests in St. Petersburg in defense of gay rights, the right to freedom of assembly, and the crackdown on civil society. On these, the Trump administration appeared completely silent. But not to worry. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, eager to carry the defense of Western values that until January was Washingtons calling card, brought up all of the above in her meeting with Putin in Sochi earlier on Tuesday. Photo credits: ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty Images Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2017%2f5%2f398a6713 b681 c4d9%2fthumb%2f00001 Fyre Festival, as you know, was a total disaster, and now people are wondering, "Who's capable of pulling off such a douchey venture?" As its organizers are hit with a $100 million lawsuit, Fyre Media, which spearheaded the doomed event, is gaining attention. SEE ALSO: The internet is having trouble feeling sorry for the folks at Fyre Festival Ja Rule is, of course, one of the co-founders of Fyre Media. And while he bore the brunt of the blame, co-founder Billy McFarland is also responsible for the fiasco. Fyre Festival, however, isnt his first shady venture. Heres a look back at some of his douchiest moments. 1. He created a wannabe black card that cost $450. McFarland at 22 years old lamented the fact that he couldn't apply for an American Express black card. So he decided to make his own and charge others a hefty chunk of change for the same privilege. Magnises, as the black card was known, wasn't actually a real credit card. The magnetic strip on the card was a duplicate of one of your existing cards, so it charged the same account as your regular old Visa or Discover. So essentially, McFarland charged people $450 (later $250) for a stainless steel rectangle. 2. In order to get the black card, you had to be judged as cool enough. Magnises took off, with the promise of exclusive perks and services outweighing the price tag, and hundreds of people added themselves to the waitlist. Interestingly, the Magnises application didn't follow the traditional credit card template. Instead of being concerned with your monetary value, Magnises placed more emphasis on your social value. According to the New York Post, questions included, "What do you like to do for fun in NYC?" and "Where do you like to shop?" An advisor to Magnises was quoted as saying they wanted people from "great schools, so they have the family background and education," a comment that is strikingly ironic as Magnises' founder McFarland dropped out of college in his freshman year. Story continues The New York Post spoke to one 30-year-old who was denied membership presumably because he was from (gasp) New Jersey. 3. He takes pictures like this. Billy McFarland on the far right. Image: Lozovsky/BFA/REX/Shutterstock 4. He rented a duplex in the West Village for $13,750 a month as a black card holder frat house clubhouse. Those who had a Magnises black card had access to a West Village townhouse where members could indulge in some causal cocktails and oysters. It was also where McFarland would throw some pretty intense ragers like... 5. He threw a 500-person party that caused $100,000 worth of damage. McFarland was actually sued by his landlord for this party. According to the New York Post, the landlord claimed McFarland "maliciously vandalized" the townhouse which McFarland had agreed to use "exclusively for residential purposes" and wanted McFarland to pay $100,000 for the damage repair. McFarland, of course, claimed these accusations were "not valid," but also he wasn't exclusively using this West Village townhouse just for living, was he? 6. His company offers elite VIP services that don't seem to follow through. Magnises morphed from that stainless steel rectangle to a full on luxury benefits service, where members paid $250 a year for a digital "concierge" that could help with anything from VIP club access to Hamilton tickets. As membership grew and the company matured, it even started to offer travel packages, where private jets could fly members to New Orleans or Cuba. Or that's what Magnises claimed. In practice, the service was riddled with problems and complaints. Business Insider spoke with several members or ex-members who experienced multiple ticket cancellations, often the day before an event, and even trip cancellations. Members also complained about the inexplicably long time it took to receive refunds. 7. He says he met Ja Rule because he loves computers, oceans, and rap music. Billy McFarland, left, with Ja Rule, right. Image: Timpone/BFA/REX/Shutterstock He literally told Rolling Stone that. Here is McFarland in an interview post-Fyre Festival debacle: We're still waiting for our interest in unicorns, cherries, and pop music to get us an introduction to Katy Perry. 8. He was surprised that putting together a musical festival on a island with no existing infrastructure was so difficult. McFarland attempted to explain the failure of Fyre Festival by essentially saying that he and his team never realized just how hard putting on an event like this would be, very similar to how Trump never realized how tough being president would be. He told Rolling Stone how excited he and Ja Rule were about the idea, about the website they created, about the marketing campaign, but as soon as actual work had to be done things went downhill. "There wasn't water or sewage," McFarland said of the location. "It was almost like we tried building a city out of nothing and it took almost all of our personal resources to make this happen." One can't help but wonder why this information wasn't considered before they had already decided on a venue, a website, and the models that would market for them on Instagram. "Next year, we will definitely start earlier," he also said. "The reality is, we weren't experienced enough to keep up." Yes, maybe next year you can start by first making sure the place you want to hold your festival is capable of holding a festival. Or you can not even try to put on a festival, period. 9. Next year, he wants to donate just $1.50 to the Bahamian Red Cross for every $450+ Fyre Festival ticket. So we get that throwing a festival as luxurious as the one Fyre Festival was supposed to be isn't cheap. But are you really serious? Only $1.50 per ticket? Tickets started at $450 and went up to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. McFarland talked about this donation to Rolling Stone as part of his post-Fyre Festival interview, throwing it in at the end in an attempt to make us feel like he's really trying to right his wrongs when really it's a completely transparent gesture and a pittance compared to the disruption that this festival would actually cause to the locals who live on this island. Next time, McFarland, if there is a next time, do your research, plan appropriately, and if you can't handle it, hire a team that can. Photo credit: ABC/GUY D'ALEMA From Redbook The Dirty Dancing lift was the move seen 'round the world, and probably the most identifiable moment from the classic movie. Thirty years later, ABC is bringing back the iconic movie in a TV special starring Abigail Breslin as Baby and Colt Prattes as Johnny Castle. They already released the trailer: And ABC released a slew of photos featuring all the surprise celebs in the cast, including Debra Messing, Katey Segal, Nicole Scherzinger, and Sarah Hyland. Now, the network has released a new look photo from the upcoming remake to People, giving fans an even better look at the the famous lift they saw a sneak peek of in the promo - and Breslin looks like she's having fun with it. The actress flies high above the finale party in the familiar shot that appears to stay faithful to the original. Heres your first look at #DirtyDancing's iconic finale lift! Watch the epic moment May 24 on @ABCNetwork https://t.co/8Nbwn7BNNY pic.twitter.com/CUrbDUrutO - People Magazine (@people) May 1, 2017 In another photo, it's clear the on screen dance partners took some of Patrick Swayze's character's advice from the source material to practice in the water. The two actors can be seen rehearsing the gravity-defying move in a lake because, as Johnny says, it's the best place to practice lifts. Photo credit: ABC/GUY D'ALEMA The scene has inspired some worthy imitations in pop culture; who could forget Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's Crazy, Stupid, Love version of the move? But for the new Baby and Johnny, there's a lot to live up to. The photo will come to life when the movie airs on May 24th, with a mix of old and new songs and choreography by Hamilton's Andy Blankenbuehler. Story continues Follow Redbook on Facebook. From Redbook The Dirty Dancing lift was the move seen 'round the world, and probably the most identifiable moment from the classic movie. Thirty years later, ABC is bringing back the iconic movie in a TV special starring Abigail Breslin as Baby and Colt Prattes as Johnny Castle. They already released the trailer: And ABC released a slew of photos featuring all the surprise celebs in the cast, including Debra Messing, Katey Segal, Nicole Scherzinger, and Sarah Hyland. Now, the network has released a new look photo from the upcoming remake to People, giving fans an even better look at the the famous lift they saw a sneak peek of in the promo - and Breslin looks like she's having fun with it. The actress flies high above the finale party in the familiar shot that appears to stay faithful to the original. Heres your first look at #DirtyDancing's iconic finale lift! Watch the epic moment May 24 on @ABCNetwork https://t.co/8Nbwn7BNNY pic.twitter.com/CUrbDUrutO - People Magazine (@people) May 1, 2017 In another photo, it's clear the on screen dance partners took some of Patrick Swayze's character's advice from the source material to practice in the water. The two actors can be seen rehearsing the gravity-defying move in a lake because, as Johnny says, it's the best place to practice lifts. Photo credit: ABC/GUY D'ALEMA The scene has inspired some worthy imitations in pop culture; who could forget Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's Crazy, Stupid, Love version of the move? But for the new Baby and Johnny, there's a lot to live up to. The photo will come to life when the movie airs on May 24th, with a mix of old and new songs and choreography by Hamilton's Andy Blankenbuehler. Follow Redbook on Facebook. You Might Also Like AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A gunman who opened fire on Wednesday on a college campus in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, apparently killed one victim and committed suicide, police said, two days after a deadly stabbing occurred at another college in the state. A man who witnesses said was armed with a handgun was reported to have opened fire at North Lake College, prompting authorities to swarm the campus in search of the suspect and victims as school officials imposed a security lockdown. A short time later, Irving police reported on Twitter that there appeared "to be no continuing threat," adding that law enforcement officers were still searching the campus to ensure all was safe. A separate Twitter post added: "We have what appears to be one victim deceased (and) the shooter has committed suicide." The identities of the shooter and the victim were not immediately released, and police spokesman James McLellan said it was too early to tell whether the two people knew each other. No one else was wounded in the shooting, which occurred at one of the main buildings on campus, McLellan said. After police said the shooter was dead, college officials announced the school would be closed for the rest of the day. Overhead video footage of the scene broadcast by local news media showed students filing out of school buildings as police evacuated the campus. Earlier video clips showed students in groups running for safety and numerous police vehicles on campus. On Monday, a man enrolled at the University of Texas went on a stabbing spree with a large hunting knife at the school's Austin campus about 200 miles (320 km) south of Irving, killing one student and wounding three others, police said. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas, and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; , Additional reporting and writing by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney) BEIRUT (Reuters) - An aid convoy of food and medical supplies has reached the besieged Syrian town of Douma for the first time since October, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday. Along with the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the ICRC went into Douma with 51 trucks loaded with aid for 35,000 people, it said on Twitter. A U.N. official in Syria said the convoy had entered late at night, carrying food rations, health supplies and other emergency items, and the mission was still ongoing. The U.N. had said in March that fighting around Syria's capital, Damascus, cut 300,000 people off from aid in the rebel-held suburbs of eastern Ghouta, under siege by government forces since 2013. Food stocks are dwindling and informal supply routes were cut in the pocket of farms and towns near Damascus. Douma has not received any UN aid since October and supplies have not entered Kafr Batna since last June, the U.N. has said. U.N. Syria humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland, who had called on the warring sides to allow aid in, said last month it was "very, very urgent" to get to eastern Ghouta where 400,000 people live. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, writing by Ellen Francis in Beirut, editing by G Crosse) The leader of al-Qaedas forces in Yemen has said his fighters have worked with government-allied factions in the civil war towards their common goal of ousting Houthi rebels. Qasim al-Rimi, who has led the branch of the global jihadist movement known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Aqap) since his predecessor was killed in 2015, told the groups media arm al-Malahem on Sunday that his followers were de facto aligned with an array of forces in the complex conflict. We fight alongside all Muslims in Yemen, together with different Islamic groups, he said, including the Muslim Brotherhood and also our brothers among the sons of (Sunni) tribes. http://players.brightcove.net/624246174001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5374151753001 The child victims of Yemens civil war While al-Rimi did not elaborate on what he meant by alongside, many Sunni tribal militias, as well as the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood movement and conservative Salafis, are allied to the exiled Yemeni government fighting against Shia rebels known as Houthis who seized control of the capital Sanaa in 2014. The militias receive extensive funding and arms from the US-backed Saudi-led coalition, which has supported President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi with air strikes and ground troops since March 2015. Yemens civil war has killed more than 10,000 people to date and left more than half of its 27 million strong population reliant on food aid. The international community has condemned the Saudi Arabian bombing campaign, which is thought to be responsible for most civilian deaths. The UN warned at a donor conference last month that the country is on the brink of famine. Of the $2.1 billion in funding needed to avert the looming catastrophe, only half was pledged by participating governments and international bodies. The branch of the global jihadist movement in Yemen was formed in 2009 after mergers of smaller militant groups. It has strong alliances with Sunni tribes across the country. Story continues Since Yemen descended into full-scale civil war in 2015, al-Qaeda as well as other extremist movements such as Isis have taken advantage of the chaos to greatly increase their footprint in the country - particularly in the lawless southern provinces. al-Rimi, who made his comments from an undisclosed location inside Yemen, is one of the main targets of US drone strikes in the country, with a bounty on his head of $5 million. In the early hours of last Sunday a US drone strike in southern Marib province killed five al-Qaeda members, local news and government officials reported. The US has significantly increased its bombing of extremist targets in Yemen since President Donald Trump entered office in January. The Pentagon has confirmed that more than 70 drone strikes have been carried out since 28 February - more than double the number of strikes in 2016. The accelerated campaign comes after the botched Navy Seal raid on an Aqap base in January thought to have killed up to 20 civilians, including an 8-year-old American citizen. Habbaniyah (Iraq) (AFP) - Jihadist fighters killed at least 10 soldiers in the western Iraqi province of Anbar on Tuesday in their latest deadly attack on security forces in the area, officers said. The attack near the remote outpost of Rutba brought to at least 26 the number of members of the Iraqi security forces killed by the Islamic State group in the area in recent days. "We had 10 soldiers killed and six wounded in an attack by Daesh early this morning," an army lieutenant colonel told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for IS. A police officer and a local official confirmed the attack and casualty toll. The army officer said IS fighters attacked a 1st Division base in the Saggar area, east of Rutba, using mortar rounds and rockets before fighters armed with rifles tried to storm it. He said ensuing clashes lasted two hours until about 7:00 am (0400 GMT). Rutba lies about 390 kilometres (240 miles) west of Baghdad in the vast province of Anbar and is the last sizeable town before the border with Jordan. Anbar is a sprawling desert province traversed by the Euphrates River and borders Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It has long been an insurgent stronghold, and IS already controlled parts of it when it swept through Iraq in 2014 to take over around a third of the country. Pro-government forces have since retaken most towns and cities in Anbar, but the jihadists still control areas near the Syrian border and have desert hideouts from which they harass federal forces. - Diversionary attack - According to figures provided to AFP by several Anbar officials, at least 26 Iraqi personnel -- including members of the border guard, the army and the police -- have been killed in the area since April 23. Military officials said IS was trying to breach the defence of Rutba, whose small size belies its strategic importance, as well as to create diversions to ease the pressure on its fighters in Mosul. Sources in the coalition of Iraqi and foreign forces battling the jihadists say IS may only have a few hundred militants left in west Mosul. Story continues A massive offensive was launched in mid-October to retake the country's second city, which was once the de facto capital of the now crumbling "caliphate" IS proclaimed nearly three years ago. IS had carried out a number of diversionary attacks in the early stages of the operation, including on Rutba, but the group is apparently now stretched too thin to fight on many fronts. These attacks are aimed "at opening gaps in the security set-up around Rutba to prepare for an attempt to recapture it," a local police colonel said. "The Daesh organisation is also trying to ease the pressure on its fighters in Mosul by opening other fronts with the Iraqi security forces, especially in Anbar," he said. A brigadier general in the Iraqi army estimated that IS still controls about 30 percent of Anbar province, by far Iraq's largest. Rutba's mayor Imad al-Dulaimi called for additional forces to be deployed to his town in anticipation of a possible large-scale attack. New developments in Chris Soules hit and run investigation are in and its not looking good for the former Bachelor star. Rumors have been swirling that he may have been drinking when his truck collided with a tractor, killing the other driver. Prosecutors in Iowa have learned that Soules, 35, purchased alcohol before the accident. According to TMZ, that information was revealed in court documents filed Monday, which requested that a judge dismiss felony charges for fleeing the scene of the accident. The site notes that Soules refused to answer questions at the scene of the accident in regards to the empty and partially consumed open alcoholic beverages located in and around his vehicle that he was seen purchasing at the convenience store shortly before the accident. Soules may be in luck, though. TMZ reports that because he fled the scene, authorities were unable to determine his level of intoxication when the accident occurred. This may make it difficult, if not impossible, for driving under the influence charges to hold up in court. On April 27, TMZ obtained audio from Soules call to 911. In it, he reveals that he rear-ended a guy on a tractor. He announces that the man in question later revealed to be Kenneth Mosher was unconscious and didnt appear to be breathing. I feel a pulse, yeah hes got a pulse, Soules said in the audio. Its been reported that someone on the scene performed CPR, though its not clear who that individual was. Mosher is not believed to have been dead at the time. Soules did, however, tell the 911 operator that there was blood on the premesis. Shortly after reporting the accident EMTs arrived on the scene and Soules disappeared. People reported that someone picked the former Bachelor up not far from the accident. Whomever it was remains unidentified, but is at risk for being charged if they were aware that he was fleeing the scene of a crime. Soules has only addressed the accident once since news broke of his arrest. In a statement released to People, he said that he was devastated by what happened. He sent his regards to Moshers family. Soules said very little else about the accident or the charges he was facing. Story continues Chris Soules was involved in an accident Monday evening (April 24) in a rural part of Iowa near his home. He was devastated to learn that Kenneth Mosher, the other person in the accident, passed away, he said. His thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Moshers family. Hours after news of Soules arrest broke, ET Online obtained new information. The Buchanan County Sheriffs Office confirmed that the accident occurred around 8:20 p.m. EDT on Monday. He was driving a Chevy pickup truck when he rear ended a John Deere tractor trailer, sending both vehicles into a ditch. Soules was arrested on April 25. He stood before a judge who ordered $10,000 bail and revoked his passport. Soules mother posted his bail and another court date was set for May 2. Chris Soules Photo: Getty Images Related Articles Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has been injured and one of his deputies killed in an air strike in northeast Nigeria, civilian and security sources told AFP on Wednesday. Two Nigerian Air Force jets bombarded fighters who had gathered for prayers in Balla village, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Damboa, on the edge of the Sambisa Forest, last Friday. "Shekau was wounded in the bombings and is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon around Kolofata," said one source with contacts within Boko Haram. "His deputy, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba, was killed in the attack along with another key lieutenant, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha," he added. Babakura Kolo, a member of the civilian militia in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, gave a similar account, saying "Shekau was injured and a number of commanders were killed. "Among them is his deputy called Malam Abba. They suffered heavy casualties because the bombings targeted a large gathering of his followers attending Friday prayers." There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian military when contacted by AFP. The authorities have previously claimed to have killed Shekau on at least three occasions. In an emailed statement on Tuesday night, the air force said it had bombed "a gathering of Boko Haram terrorists" last Friday "in a village 3.42 km northeast of Mangosum". The "air interdiction mission" in the remote region involved three jets. "Battle damage assessment conducted after the strike showed that several leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist organisation and their followers were killed during the attacks," it added. - Reprisals - A senior military officer in Maiduguri confirmed the air force bombed Boko Haram positions "in the Damboa area on Friday where they hit the targets with precision". "We got intel (intelligence) that the terrorists were gathering at the location and we acted on the report," he added, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak about the operation. Story continues He said he was unable to comment on Shekau but the source with contacts in Boko Haram said Mustapha was preaching when the first jet bombed the mosque at about 1:00 pm (1200 GMT). Moments later a second jet targeted worshippers as they fled. "Shekau was just leaving a house nearby for the mosque when the first jet struck. He was injured in the second strike," said the source, describing the casualties as "huge". "They spent the rest of Friday and the whole of Saturday burying the dead," he said, without specifying numbers. Shekau had been bed-ridden for days with malaria before the attack, he added. Local people in the Konduga area said Boko Haram fighters went on the rampage following the air strike. "They came by the river hurling insults at us, accusing us of providing information about their locations and movements to the military," said fisherman Ibrahim Bawa. "They said we were responsible for the attack on their mosque which killed many of their people. They were very angry," added another fisherman, Usman Sallau. The jihadists rounded up six fishermen and slit their throats. Others escaped by swimming across the river, he said. Boko Haram has killed over 20,000 people since it took up arms against the Nigerian government in 2009 to establish a hardline Islamist state. The insurgency has decimated northeast Borno state with the violence displacing 2.6 million from their homes and causing a hunger crisis. After years of suffering humiliating losses to Boko Haram, the Nigerian military has reclaimed swathes of territory back from the jihadists. Yet despite claims that Boko Haram is a spent force, the Islamists still launch attacks. Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the release from prison of Jose Dirceu, who was convicted of graft-related crimes after serving as cabinet chief of ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Dirceu has been detained since 2015 in connection to a vast corruption scheme known as Car Wash. A former guerrilla now aged 71, Dirceu was convicted in May 2016 to 32 years in jail for taking bribes, money laundering and criminal association. The Supreme Court's judges ruled in a three-to-two vote he should be released because his conviction was not properly confirmed by a higher court. The judge of the court that originally sentenced him in 2015 may yet put Dirceu under bail conditions, which can include house arrest or an electronic tracking bracelet. Dirceu's release was seen as a blow to prosecutors handling the Car Wash case, Brazil's biggest-ever corruption scandal. The probe has uncovered a massive network of embezzlement and bribery at the heart of Brazil's economic and political elite. Lula, a leftwing leader who ruled 2003 to 2010, and a host of other political and business figures are also targets of anti-corruption prosecutors. Lula's handpicked successor, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached and removed as president last year for the unrelated crime of breaking government accounting rules. She was replaced by current President Michel Temer, who has been accused of chairing a 2010 meeting in which his PMDB party negotiated a $40 million bribe from the Odebrecht engineering conglomerate involved in the Car Wash scandal. While Temer has immunity from prosecution for alleged crimes committed before his term, eight of his ministers are under investigation for related graft allegations. Temer and his allies deny any wrongdoing. Actor Val Kilmer recently revealed that he had cancer that left him with a "swollen" tongue, but exactly what type of cancer could have caused this symptom? On Wednesday, April 26, Kilmer took part in a Reddit AMA ("ask me anything"), and a user asked Kilmer about an incident last year in which actor Michael Douglas suggested Kilmer had oral cancer. Kilmer replied that he did have "a healing of cancer, but my tongue is still swollen [although] healing all the time." This is the first time Kilmer has acknowledged that he'd had cancer, although people have speculated about his health. In 2015, the actor was spotted wearing a tracheostomy tube, which is a tube placed through a surgically made hole in the windpipe that can help people breathe when they have conditions that could block the upper airways, according to the National Institutes of Health. In October 2016, Douglas suggested Kilmer had oral cancer, although at the time, Kilmer denied having the illness. It is still uncertain exactly which type of cancer Kilmer had because the actor has not publically revealed the type. Dr. Dennis Kraus, vice chairman of the Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery department at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said that the use of a tracheostomy tube "could potentially be consistent with" having cancer of the mouth, tongue, base of the tongue or larynx. Kraus has not treated Kilmer, and noted he did not have knowledge of Kilmer's diagnosis or care, other than from reports in the media. [10 Celebrities with Chronic Illnesses] As for swelling of the tongue, this symptom could be caused by a tumor itself or by radiation or surgery treatment for the tumor, Kraus said. Cancers of the oral cavity and larynx are typically linked with using tobacco, and cancers of the mouth are often linked with drinking alcohol, Kraus said. Cancer of the oropharynx, which is the section of the throat that includes the base of the tongue and the tonsils, is often linked with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, Kraus told Live Science. Story continues In recent years, rates of cancers of both the oral cavity and the larynx have fallen as a result of declines in smoking, but cases of oropharynx cancer tied to HPV infections have increased, Kraus said. Outcomes for head and neck cancers vary by case, but even patients with advanced tumors that haven't spread to other areas of the body have "significant potential for being cured" of their cancers, Kraus said. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations China called Tuesday for the immediate suspension of a controversial missile defence system hours after Washington confirmed the shield was now operational in South Korea. "China's position is clear-cut and firm. We oppose the deployment of the THAAD system in (South Korea) and urge relevant sides to immediately stop the deployment. We will firmly take necessary measures to uphold our interests," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing. Washington and Seoul had agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployment in July in the wake of a string of North Korean missile tests. At the briefing, Geng also expressed support for US President Donald Trump's comments that he would consider meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Trump said Monday he would be "honored" to meet Kim under the right conditions, dialling down earlier threats of military action. "China has always believed that dialogue and consultation... is the only realistic and viable way to achieve denuclearisation," Geng said. "We also said many times that the US and DPRK... should make political decisions at an early date, take action and show good faith so that we can create a better atmosphere for resuming the peace talks and settling the issue," he added. BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Tuesday welcomed a softer stand taken by Southeast Asian countries on the disputed South China Sea at a weekend summit, saying it showed efforts to ease tension were working. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) dropped references to "land reclamation and militarization" from its chairman's statement this year at the end of its summit in the Philippine capital, Manila. The reference had been included last year and was even in an earlier, unpublished version of the statement, seen by Reuters on Saturday. Two ASEAN diplomats said that this year, China had pressed ASEAN chair the Philippines to keep China's contentious activities in the strategic waterway off ASEAN's official agenda. China is not a member of the 10-member bloc and did not attend the summit but it is extremely sensitive about the content of its statements. It has often been accused of trying to influence the drafting of statements to muzzle what it sees as challenges to its sweeping sovereignty claim. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang did not directly answer a question on whether China had exerted pressure over the statement. "Since last year, with the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries including the Philippines, temperatures in the South China Sea situation have gone down and things have eased up. I think this accords with the interests of countries in the region," Geng told a daily news briefing. "The relevant situation at this ASEAN summit again fully shows the positive changes in the South China Sea situation and that the joint wish of countries in this region is to seek stability, promote cooperation and seek development, and this should be respected and supported by all sides." China has reacted angrily to individual members of the regional bloc expressing their concern about its rapid reclamation of reefs in the Spratlys islands and its installation of missile systems on them. Philippine foreign ministry official Zaldy Patron, who is in-charge of ASEAN affairs, said nobody at the summit had pushed strongly on the South China Sea issue, or mentioned anything about land reclamation and militarization. "But on the other hand, the leaders highlighted improving relations between ASEAN and China," Patron said in Manila. The softer statement comes as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte seeks to bury the hatchet with China after years of wrangling over its maritime assertiveness and over-lapping claims. After lobbying from Duterte, China agreed to let Philippine boats back to the rich fishing ground of the disputed Scarborough Shoal following a four-year blockade. China claims most of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have competing claims that overlap with China's. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Manny Mogato in Manila; Editing by Robert Birsel) Donald Trump said he could have done a deal to prevent the American Civil War, historian Jon Meacham has claimed. Mr Meacham, the author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, described Mr Trump's apparent lack of knowledge about the Civil War as a projection of the President's "fundamental and enveloping narcissism." Mr Trump was ridiculed for suggesting the country's 7th President, Andrew Jackson, could have stopped the civil war, despite the fact he died 16 years before the conflict began. Video not available for syndication Donald Trump asks why the Civil War 'could not have been worked out' He was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War, he said There's no reason for this," Mr Trump said. People dont realise, you know, the Civil War, if you think about it, why, he added. People dont ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out? Asked about the comments in an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe show, Mr Meacham said: "It's a projection of the President's fundamental and enveloping narcissism. "He believes...he told me a year ago that he thought he could have done a deal to have averted the [civil] war." He went on to say he and Mr Trump talked about presidents the then-candidate admired and "Jackson never came up." President Andrew Jackson, who died 16 years before the Civil War started, saw it coming and was angry. Would never have let it happen! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2017 Mr Trump later tried to clarify his comments, tweeting to say Mr Jackson predicted the civil war and "was angry". "Would never have let it happen!" he added. Discussing Mr Trump's presidency, Mr Meacham said: "The presidency itself enhances your fundamental characteristics. It's very hard once you're there to change. Some people do, and that's why we talk about them as great presidents. "But most people, once they're in the Oval Office, actually just become more like themselves. And I think in this case that's on a potentially tragic trajectory." Donald Trump has reportedly frozen $10 million (7.7m) of grants destined to counter violent extremism in the US. More than 30 organisations were pegged by former President Barack Obamas office to receive funding, although the White House has since put the grants on hold pending review. Among those approved were local governments, city police departments, universities and non-profit organisations fighting all forms of violent extremism in the US. Former white supremacist Chuck Leek, who has since become a volunteer with Life After Hate - one of the organisations that was due to receive government funding - said the white supremacy movement was becoming more active. The white supremacist movement is far more active in the last six months than I have seen it in 10 or 12 years," he told CBS. He believes that if these organisations can help change even one persons mind it might be worth it, if that one person had been Dylann Roof or the Oklahoma City bomber. Nebraska Emergency Management Agency assistant director Bryan Tuma was also due to receive a grant to train mental health workers to recognise the signs of violent behaviour. "We are told right now that those programmes are being reviewed," he said. "Our goal is to focus in on what are the barriers preventing people from reporting this kind of behaviour. Read more The southern American restaurant using its menu to tackle racism The Trump administration was reportedly pushing to erase neo-Nazis and white supremacists from the US governments counter-extremism programme in February by moving it to focus exclusively on Islamist terrorism. American officials briefed on the proposed changes told Reuters the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiative could be renamed Countering Radical Islamic Extremism. The reclassification would remove its work combatting far-right attacks and mass shootings, such as the massacre of black churchgoers in Charleston, which are rarely classified as terrorism by American authorities. The Independent has contacted the Trump administration for comment. Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to work together to make diplomatic progress on the threat posed by North Korea, following weeks of escalating tensions between the state and the US. The White House said in a short statement on the call the two leaders spoke about the best way to resolve the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea. The Kremlin said that Mr Putin and Mr Trump have agreed during a phone call to try to schedule a face-to-face meeting in Germany in July - around the G20 summit in Hamburg. Read more Merkel raises concerns with Putin over Chechnya 'torture' of gay men Matthew Wallin, Senior Fellow at American Security Project said: "Russias influence will be helpful [on North Korea], but not nearly as much as Chinas cooperation." He said North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un needs to see that having functioning nuclear weapons is a bigger threat to the country's existence "than the threat of an American or South Korean invasion without them." "Like China, Russia sees North Korea as a useful check on American power in the region", but Mr Wallin said it was "unclear" if either Mr Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping are willing to put pressure on Mr Kim. Moscow described the call as "business-like and constructive" with the two presidents also discussing the crisis in Syria. The RIA news agency, citing the Kremlin, said that Mr Trump and Mr Putin would look to step up contact between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with the aim of intensifying diplomatic efforts over Syria. Both statements are fairly "generic" on the hot-button issue according to Dr. Steve Sestanovich, who is a professor at Columbia University and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr Sestanovich, also a former ambassador-at-large at the State Department, told The Independent that "the entire chemical weapons controversy is ignored [in the statements] - no UN Security Council resolution, no international investigation, no warnings against further use, no reference to any of the parties in the Syrian civil war." Story continues The White House said that the conversation included an agreement that "all parties must do all they can to end the violence" in Syria, which is in the sixth year of a civil war that has also helped fuel the rise of terror group Isis. However, Mr Wallin said it is "very unlikely well see significant action on ending the suffering in that country" as a result of this call. The White House noted the Syria conversation was "very good," where the two leaders discussed the creation of safe zones in the country and agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long. Mr Wallin explained that "the creation of safe zones without a plan to resolve the core issues of the conflict also risks perpetuating those safe zones." He said it would create "permanent refugee camps with no sustainable economy, and likely full of hunger, suffering, and recruiting opportunities for terrorists." This is the first known discussion between the leaders since the US missile strikes against a Syrian government air base, however Mr Sestanovich said there was nothing in either side's statements that "suggests progress." Tokyo (AFP) - Japanese police have arrested a drunken American man over a punch-up with another passenger on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight, which caused a delay, officers said Wednesday. The man, whose name has not been released, was pulled off the Boeing 777 that was due to fly from Tokyo's main gateway Narita airport to Los Angeles, after the brawl erupted before takeoff. "I will kill you!" the male passenger, wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, is seen yelling in video footage filmed by another passenger, who uploaded it on social media. "The plane was about 50 minutes late, so everyone was a little irritated because of that, kinda frustrated," Corey Hour, the passenger who shot the video, told the BBC. The man in the red Hawaiian shirt is seen throwing punches at another male passenger, as other people on the flight try to escape the area, until ANA staff separate the two men. The red-shirted man then shakes off the female flight attendant's attempts to restrain him and continues to throw punches. "The flight attendants actually got caught up in the mix and that's when the video ends as I put my phone down and I actually got in the middle of everyone and confronted him," Hour added. "The suspect, a US citizen, was drunk and arrested after he injured an ANA official following the fight," a member of the airport police told AFP. The man's arrest was formally over his injuring the airline official, not the onboard brawl, said the airport police spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. Local media reported that Japanese investigators also questioned the American about the fight on the plane. As of lunchtime Wednesday, the man remained in detention in Japan, the police spokesman said. The fight, as well as bad weather, forced ANA to delay the departure of the flight by one hour and 40 minutes, local media reported. ANA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. FBI director admits Russian interests are still involved in American politics Comey defends decision to reveal Clintons emails 11 days before election FBI director James Comey on Wednesday described Russia as the greatest threat to US democracy, but defended his decision to keep secret an investigation into the Trump campaigns links to Moscow despite revealing details of an inquiry into Hillary Clintons handling of classified emails. Giving evidence to a hearing of the Senate judiciary committee, Comey offered his most extensive explanation to date of the thinking behind his different approaches to the two investigations. Clinton claimed on Tuesday that Comeys 28 October letter to leading members of Congress about new emails that had been found damaged voter perceptions of her and cost her the election. If the election had been on 27 October, I would be your president, the former Democratic presidential candidate said. The discovery of the emails ultimately made no difference to the FBI decision not to press charges over the use of the private server. Asked about Clintons claim that his letter could have swung the vote, Comey said: This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, I wouldnt change the decision. The FBI director said that the discovery in October of a new batch classified emails put him in a near impossible dilemma. He said he had to make a choice between speak or conceal: to speak would have been really bad, he said; to conceal would have been catastrophic. So he chose to speak out. One of my junior lawyers asked me: should you consider what you do might help elect Trump as president? I said: not for a moment, Comey said, arguing that political considerations should never be a factor in such decisions. Trump responded to Clintons comments on Tuesday with a tweet claiming: FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! an apparent reference to the bureaus finding that there was nothing to prosecute in the emails case. Story continues Asked about the criticism on Wednesday, the White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, told journalists: The president has confidence in the director. He was asked repeatedly about the contrast between his decision to break silence on the Clinton email case while concealing the existence of a counter-intelligence investigation into the Trump campaigns contacts with Russian officials during the election. Comey said that when he first spoke about the Clinton case, in July 2016, he did so because the investigation had been closed, no charges had been made, and he felt that if the Department of Justice in the Obama administration made the announcement it would lose credibility. The discovery of more emails in October might have changed that decision and represented an important development, he added. The Trump-Russia counter-intelligence investigation, he argued, was highly classified and was in its very early stages by the time of the election. He confirmed that the inquiry was continuing, and agreed when asked whether it was fair to say that Russia is still involved in American politics. He went further, describing Russia as the greatest threat of any nation on earth, given their intention and their capability to US democracy. Asked about Comeys claim that the Russian government is still involved in US politics, Spicer replied: I think thats the view of the FBI. We rely on them and the rest of the intelligence community to provide the president with updates on what theyre learning. At his hearing, Comey was peppered with questions about leaks about FBI investigations, and repeatedly stated he could neither confirm or deny. He made one exception, however. Asked about contacts between FBI staff and Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor and current Trump aide, he said: I dont know yet, but its a matter Im very, very interested in. Comey described in detail the process of discovering Clintons emails on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. He said that somehow Clintons emails were being forwarded to Anthony Weiner, including classified information, by her assistant Huma Abedin. Weiner was being investigated over an alleged online relationship with a teenage girl. Republican Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the committee, said that the publics faith in the bureau had been tested lately. Grassley is pressing for answers about the FBIs investigation into potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. Comey disclosed the existence of that investigation when he testified at a congressional hearing in March. Comey also mounted a strong defence of section 702 of the Fisa Amendments Act of 2008, which allows the NSA to use the Prism program to collect internet communications. And he claimed that half the FBIs work was now affected by encryption on users phones or other devices. Paris (AFP) - Fears that a high abstention rate could help far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France's presidential runoff strengthened Tuesday when two-thirds of far-left supporters said they intend to abstain or cast a blank ballot. An internal survey of supporters of defeated far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon showed only 35 percent would back pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron, Le Pen's rival and the frontrunner. The rest will spoil their voting papers or stay at home on Sunday, it said. Communist-backed Melenchon, who leads the France Insoumise (Unbowed France) movement, scored more than seven million votes and finished fourth in the election's first round on April 23. Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, still appears on track to become France's youngest president, with a poll on Tuesday giving him a strong lead of 19 points. But his camp has warned that a high number of no-shows, especially among left-wing voters, could hurt his chances. And other polls show 22 to 28 percent of citizens likely to abstain. While most left-wing voters are turned off by Le Pen's anti-immigration and anti-EU policies, many also find it hard to back Macron's economically liberal approach. Company bosses, celebrities and scientific researchers have all called for people to rally behind Macron, who styles himself as "neither of the left nor the right". And the Socialist government said the far-left's decision to abstain en masse was "an error". Spokesman Stephane Le Foll said he could not understand the decision, adding: "The left has traditionally always been in the fight against the National Front." One of the highest-profile endorsements came from former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, an emblematic figure of the European radical left. Varoufakis said Macron was "the only minister in Europe who did everything possible to help us" during the 2015 debt crisis. Story continues He told Le Monde newspaper that as the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank were putting pressure on Greece over its debt mountain, then-economy minister Macron convinced French President Francois Hollande to reopen negotiations. He said Macron "offered to come to Athens incognito" for talks, but Hollande stopped him. Macron "was the only member of the 'system' who opposed" the harsh stance on Greece, Varoufakis said. The support is significant because Melenchon is close to current leftist Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a veteran rebel of French politics, called on Melenchon's supporters to put aside their "hatred" of Macron. "Think rationally and vote for Emmanuel Macron and defend democracy and freedom," the former ecologist Euro MP told Europe 1 radio. Le Pen's own campaign hit a hurdle when it emerged Tuesday that she had copied parts of a fiery May 1 speech from one made on April 15 by Francois Fillon, the conservative candidate who was eliminated in the first round of the election last month. In the speech in question in Puy-en-Velay, Fillon spoke of France's relationship with neighbouring Germany, paid tribute to the French language and spoke of a third "French way" for the 21st century. Analysis by the Ridicule TV YouTube channel showed that the nationalist Le Pen repeated these passages almost verbatim in her speech on Monday. Florian Philippot, the vice president of Le Pen's National Front (FN) party, said it was "not plagiarism", but "a nod to a short passage in a speech about France". And Le Pen added to the intrigue later Tuesday, claiming in a television interview that the plagiarised passages had been deliberately used, likely in an effort to curry favour with Fillon supporters. "We have in part the same vision of France as voters for Francois Fillon, of its greatness, the role that it must play in the world," Le Pen, a 48-year-old former lawyer, said. "If we hadn't have done it, you wouldn't have spoken about it," she said of the apparent ploy. "We know you so well, we know how it works." Le Pen and Macron will face off Wednesday in what promises to be a fiery TV debate when she is likely to sharpen her attacks on a candidate she says embodies "the world of finance, of arrogance, of money as king". Macron fought off accusations Tuesday from Le Pen that he was controlled by banks. "I am not under the thumb of the banks. If I were, I would have continued to work for them," he told BFMTV news channel. Sochi (Russia) (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday pushed a plan to set up safe zones in Syria that could see planes grounded but details remained hazy as a latest round of Kremlin-backed peace talks on the six-year war floundered. Putin held talks with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as Moscow floated the proposal to set up four "de-escalation zones" in the war-torn country at a fresh round of negotiations involving Syria's regime and rebels in Kazakhstan. Speaking at a joint news conference in Sochi Putin insisted regime ally Moscow and rebel backer Ankara wanted to bolster a tattered ceasefire in Syria and that establishing safe zones should help. "We both proceed on the basis that -- and this is our common position -- the creation of safe zones should lead to further pacification and cessation of hostilities," Putin said. An Arabic-language version of the Russian proposal seen by AFP calls for the creation of "de-escalation zones" in rebel-held territory in the northwestern province of Idlib, in parts of Homs province in the centre, in the south, and in the opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. The aim is to "put an immediate end to the violence" and "provide the conditions for the safe, voluntary return of refugees" as well as the immediate delivery of relief supplies and medical aid, the document said. Putin said that the proposed zones would also be no-fly areas if fighting on the ground there stopped entirely. Erdogan, however, appeared more muted on the Russian proposals, avoiding a direct reference to them as he spoke vaguely only of a de-escalation zone in Idlib province. The two leaders have supported opposing sides in the Syrian conflict but their positions have drawn closer as they have patched up differences over Ankara's downing of a Russian jet in 2015 at a string of meetings. - Rebel walkout - Story continues The new proposal by Russia is the latest attempt by key powerbroker Moscow to breathe life into stalled peace negotiations after its military might turned the conflict in favour of leader Bashar al-Assad. The Kremlin's plan echoes calls by US leader Donald Trump to establish safe zones in Syria and Putin said "as far I could tell" the US leader broadly supported the idea in a phone call they held on Tuesday. The Russian strongman said that any agreement on the initiative would have to be hammered out by representatives from Damascus and the opposition currently meeting in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The Kremlin envoy at the Astana talks, Alexander Lavrentiev, said the initiative was meant to "help significantly reduce the level of armed confrontation between the Syrian armed opposition and government forces." But issues including which countries could police any safe zones remained major hurdles and there was no sign the warring sides were in any mood to start doing deals. Instead the opposition said it was halting its participation as the fourth round of talks sponsored by Assad allies Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey began. "The rebel delegation is suspending the meetings because of the violent air strikes on civilians. The suspension will continue until shelling stops across all Syria," a rebel source in Astana told AFP. The delegation met later with a US observer mission at the talks and spoke to the United Nations Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura but insisted they were sticking to their decision to withdraw. The Astana talks are portrayed as a complement to broader UN-backed peace efforts in Switzerland that have so far failed to bridge major rifts between the warring sides. Before they began, the rebel side laid out a list of demands including a regime withdrawal from areas taken after the start of a tattered ceasefire at the end of last year that the opposition accuses Damascus of frequently violating. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor meanwhile said a car bomb on Wednesday killed at least five people in the rebel-held town of Azaz near the Turkish border. The blast followed a bloody jihadist assault on Tuesday by the Islamic State group against a camp for displaced people on the border with Iraq that left at least 46 people dead. Hillary Clinton has said that she would now be president if the election was held before a letter from FBI Director James Comey about her emails was published with less than two weeks to the vote. Ms Clinton was speaking at the Women for Women International forum in New York when she was doing what she called an excruciating analysis of the 2016 presidential election against Donald Trump. If the election were on October 27, I'd be your president, Ms Clinton said, referring to the 28 October letter Mr Comey sent to Congressional leaders saying the FBI would continue investigating whether Ms Clinton sent additional classified emails from a private email server while she was Secretary of State. She said she was on the way to winning [the 2016 election] until the combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28 and Russian Wikileaks raised doubts. Read more Donald Trump says he would still beat Hillary Clinton in the popular She said the letter combined with fake news being pushed by Russian interference in the election raised doubts in the mind of people who were inclined to vote for me but scared off and the evidence for that intervening event is, I think, compelling. Ms Clinton was not shy in blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for meddling to hurt her based on an old grudge. Ms Clinton said that in her former position as Secretary of State speaking out against undemocratic practises kind of goes with the territory, at least it did prior to this administration. I wasnt telling...Russians something they didnt know. So, they go out into streets in Moscow and St. Petersburg to demonstrate and Putin blames me, Ms Clinton explained. It kind of went downhill from there, she said half-jokingly. Ms Clinton noted that if you chart my opponent and his campaign statements, they quite coordinated with [Mr Putins] goals. You cant make this stuff up, she said explaining that the timing of certain events was more than just a coincidence. Story continues Television programme Access Hollywood released audio recordings of Mr Trump speaking disparagingly about women. Following the recording being made public, Wikileaks released hacked emails of the Democratic National Committee. Despite the outside interference, Ms Clinton said she takes absolute responsibility for her loss. It wasnt a perfect campaign, she said, adding that she was well aware of the problems and the mistakes she personally made. Ms Clinton, now part of the resistance, actually won three million more votes than Mr Trump, but lost the electoral college. FBI Director James Comey branded some WikiLeaks reports intelligence porn during his Wednesday testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Russias role in the presidential election. Comey made the comments after Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., asked him to explain why he doesnt consider WikiLeaks to be a legitimate journalistic organization. Its an important question, because all of us care deeply about the First Amendment and the ability of a free press to get information about our work and publish it, Comey began, before delving into his rationale. To my mind, it crosses a line when it moves from being about trying to educate a public and instead just becomes about intelligence porn, frankly just pushing out information about sources and methods without regard to interest, without regard to the First Amendment values that normally underlie press reporting and simply becomes a conduit for the Russian intelligence services or some other adversary of the United States just to push out information to damage the United States. WikiLeaks, the organization dedicated to publishing secret documents, became a flashpoint during the campaign when thousands of papers and emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign chairman appeared on the site. The U.S. intelligence community accused the Russian government of spearheading the hacks that gave the emails to WikiLeaks. Many of the emails were politically damaging or otherwise embarrassing, and the repeated document dumps created weeks of negative headlines for Clinton. Clinton herself on Tuesday blamed her loss in part on their disclosure. The late night hosts emotional appeal about his sons heart condition which urged Americans to support Obamacare struck a raw nerve Jimmy Kimmel opened up about his childs health problems on his show. Photograph: Randy Holmes/Getty Images I dont know why everyone in America is so obsessed with health care reform and why it causes endless debate. It seems obvious that there is a very simple and very fair solution to this endless reform rigmarole: let poor people die. This may sound sort of harsh, but bear with me. I didnt arrive at this conclusion without a rigorous analysis of the facts and a long, hard look at cold, hard reality. And its this sort of objective thinking thats really needed when it comes to healthcare reform. The one thing we must be careful not to do is get emotional about things like life and death to push a political agenda. Take Jimmy Kimmel, for example. On Monday, the talkshow host delivered an emotional monologue about his new son, who was born with severe heart defects requiring emergency surgery. At the end of this, he urged Americans to support the Affordable Care Act. Kimmel noted that before the ACA, also known as Obamacare, was introduced, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance youd never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition. You were born with a pre-existing condition and if your parents didnt have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition. If your baby is going to die and it doesnt have to, it shouldnt matter how much money you make. While Kimmels story is obviously tragic, hes not exactly qualified to decide important policy issues for America. I mean, the guy is a celebrity, not a politician. Further, it is selfish to suggest that Americans should feel some sort of responsibility for their fellow citizens. It doesnt matter how sick someone might be or how many pre-existing conditions they might have if theyre hardworking and motivated they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and find a way to pay for themselves. Story continues As Joe Walsh, a former congressman, tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: Sorry Jimmy Kimmel: your sad story doesnt obligate me or anybody else to pay for somebody elses health care. Walsh, by the way, doesnt even want to pay for his own kids healthcare at one point, he owed $117,000 in child support. Now theres a guy who truly understands the American values of individual freedom and choice. Oh, you know what? I give up. Theres no point attempting to satirize the sick state of Americas attitude towards healthcare its already beyond parody. I mean, on Monday, the Republican congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama implied that people with pre-existing health conditions just werent living their lives the right way. Kimmels son may have been fresh out of the womb but he must have done something wrong to be landed with heart problems, right? And remember when Jason Chaffetz, the Utah Republican congressman, compared heathcare to iPhones? Americans have choices, Chaffetz explained. Maybe rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest it in their own healthcare. An iPhone costs about $800. A simple appendectomy can cost up to $180,000. But making your own choices? Thats priceless. And then theres the inimitable Paul Ryan, who reminded us that freedom is the ability to buy what you want to fit what you need. Obamacare is Washington telling you what to buy regardless of your needs. He forgot to add the bit about freedom being the option to die when you cant afford to buy what you want to fit what you need. Health insurance simply doesnt work on the free market. Its not a bloody iPhone. In a free market, it makes no sense for insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions. In a free market, it makes sense for CEOs of insurance companies to earn millions of dollars while poor people die. Health insurance also isnt efficient on a truly free market. According to the Bloomberg Health-Care Efficiency Index, the US has one of the least efficient health care systems in the world because it is so fragmented. Only Jordan, Colombia, Azerbaijan, Brazil and Russia ranked lower in the countries assessed. For decades, Americans have been aggressively sold the idea that a national healthcare system is a socialist nightmare that runs counter to American values of freedom and choice. This started after the second world war, when President Harry Truman proposed a universal national health insurance program. His project failed in large part because it was fiercely attacked by the once influential American Medical Association. The AMA invoked fears about communism and branded the idea of universal healthcare as socialized medicine and un-American. Truman retorted: I put it to you, it is un-American to visit the sick, aid the afflicted or comfort the dying? I thought that was simple Christianity. Well, its not the sort of Christianity that Republicans practice, it seems. You must have been born with inoperable heart defects not to agree with Kimmels statement that if your baby is going to die and it doesnt have to, it shouldnt matter how much money you make. The fact that Kimmel can make headlines for pointing out what should be the obvious in a supposedly civilized country is just mind-boggling. The health care debate may seem complex but at its core it boils down to a simple question of who matters and who doesnt. And it seems very clear that, in America, if youre poor you dont matter. Dar es Salaam (AFP) - Press freedom in Tanzania is being squeezed under President John Magufuli, leaving journalists fearful. France-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (known by its French acronym, RSF) ranked Tanzania 83rd out of 180 countries in its latest annual press freedom report. The East African country was down a dozen places from the previous year, representing the second-largest decline in the world, after Nicaragua. Magufuli, nicknamed "tingatinga" -- meaning "bulldozer" in Swahili -- was elected in October 2015. His talent for publicity-grabbing stunts that bolster his reputation as a no-nonsense, corruption-busting man of the people, have made him wildly popular among some. But his intolerance of criticism, impulsiveness and disregard for due process worry others who see a wide authoritarian streak at the core of his populism. Magufuli "tolerates no criticism of himself or his programme," RSF said in a commentary published with the report last month. Tanzanian journalists have watched with concern as their situation has worsened under Magufuli. "Press freedom is being seriously limited," said Jenerali Ulimwengu, a veteran journalist, legal expert and former diplomat. "We are facing many challenges." Ulimwengu said Tanzania's Media Services Act of 2016 in particular "restricts people from practising independent journalism" by granting the government "extensive powers to control the freedom of the press." "We complained under previous regimes, but today we are really starting to suffocate," said a reporter at the Swahili language daily Mwananchi, on condition of anonymity. - 'What can my pen change'? - "We cannot even denounce abuses by a member of the president's entourage, because then the president feels personally targeted," the journalist added, citing the case of Maxence Melo, founder of the whistle-blowing Tanzanian website JamiiForums. Story continues Melo was arrested late last year and faces prosecution for not disclosing his sources for stories that revealed alleged corruption in private companies with links to government. RSF said last year that since Magufuli's inauguration, several radio stations have been suspended and at least a dozen people are being prosecuted for critical comments made on social media. In August 2016, advocacy organisation the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Magufuli's government "has taken a series of steps to restrict Tanzania's media environment." Journalists in Tanzania have responded to the deteriorating situation with weary resignation and self-censorship. "What can my pen change in a country where even MPs are arrested for criticising the infallible president?" asked a journalist working for the private daily The Guardian, who also did not want to be named. "Self-censorship is becoming widespread," the reporter added. In March, a group of Tanzanian organisations led by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) began a year-long campaign of seminars and discussions to push for respect for freedom of expression and the review of new laws, including the Media Services Act, which they say is too restrictive and needs to be reformed. Magufuli, however, shows no sign of backing down. In January, he criticised two unnamed Tanzanian publications, accusing them of "jeopardising national peace" and "incitement". He compared the newspapers to media houses in neighbouring Rwanda that called for the wiping out of ethnic Tutsis ahead of the 1994 genocide. "This will not happen under my watch," he said, in words reminiscent of Rwanda's own strongman leader, President Paul Kagame, who is known for restricting basic freedoms while pushing for economic growth. (Reuters) - The Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, is banning Girl Scout troops from meeting in its parishes because "they are no longer a compatible partner" in promoting a Catholic lifestyle. Instead, Christian-based scouts known as American Heritage Girls are being invited to take their place in the U.S. mid-Western parishes, Archbishop Joseph Naumann said in a statement on Monday. The decision was based in part, Naumann said, on the Girl Scouts' ties to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, "an organization tied to International Planned Parenthood and its advocacy for legislation that includes both contraception and abortion as preventive health care for women." Neither the Girl Scouts nor the Kansas City archdiocese immediately responded to a Reuters request for comment. On its website, the Girl Scouts says it does not take a position or develop materials on human sexuality, birth control or abortion and does not have a relationship with Planned Parenthood. Naumann said in the statement said that undesirable role models in Girl Scout materials include birth control activist Margaret Sanger and feminists Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, who "not only do not reflect our Catholic worldview but stand in stark opposition to what we believe. "With the promotion by Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) of programs and materials reflective of many of the troubling trends in our secular culture, they are no longer a compatible partner in helping us form young women with the virtues and values of the Gospel," he said. Parishes were directed to switch their after-school club option to American Heritage Girls troops, either immediately or at the latest in autumn for kindergarten or older students, Naumann said. The Girl Scouts' U.S. membership includes 1.9 million girls and 800,000 adults of all denominations, according to its website. American Heritage Girls describes itself its website as "the premier national character development organization for young women that embraces Christian values." It says it has 970 troops in the United States, and 42,000 members worldwide. Story continues Parents, including Maria Walters, a former Girl Scout leader in the archdiocese and mother of two scouts, told the Kansas City Star they were frustrated and irritated by the order. "I feel we should all be together as one in the community," Walters told the newspaper. "This does nothing but divide us." (Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler) By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - East Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, reversing a previous refusal to engage with the country's U.N.-backed government, met its head Fayez Seraj on Tuesday for talks that sources close to Haftar said were positive. Regional and Western powers have for months been pushing the two men to discuss resetting a U.N.-mediated agreement that led to the creation of Seraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli. The deal was an attempt to end the turmoil that followed the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. Haftar is the dominant figure for factions in eastern Libya that have rejected the GNA, contributing to its failure to expand its power in Tripoli and beyond. Rival armed factions in the west of the country have backed the GNA. There was no official statement as the meeting - which took place in Abu Dhabi - ended, but the sources close to Haftar said he met Seraj one-on-one for two hours of talks they described as positive. One sticking point has been a clause in the U.N.-mediated deal giving the GNA control over the military, which eastern factions fear will weaken the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) that Haftar commands. Libya's 218 channel, a pro-Haftar TV station, said he and Seraj had agreed to propose cancelling the clause, and to form a restructured unity government. "It was agreed to open permanent channels of communication and to form two working groups to complete an agreement on the details of the formation of a government and the military arrangements between officers from all regions," one source in Abu Dhabi who asked not to be named told Reuters. There was also an agreement to hold presidential and parliamentary elections no later than March 2018, the source said. There was no immediate comment from the GNA. It was the first time Seraj and Haftar had met since the start of last year. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli in Benghazi, Libya; Writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by Patrick Markey and John Stonestreet) By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Tuesday he had lost 80 percent of sight in his right eye after an assailant threw green liquid in his face last week, but could not get treatment abroad because of a travel ban. Navalny, who hopes to run for the presidency next year, organized the biggest anti-government protests in years in March, and has become the most prominent opposition challenger to President Vladimir Putin, who is widely expected to run for what would be a fourth presidential term in March 2018. A 40-year-old former lawyer who has made a name for himself inside Russia investigating the finances of top government officials, Navalny was jailed for 15 days for his part in the March protests. He is calling for more on June 12. Opinion polls suggest he does not pose a serious threat to Putin at the ballot box, but his muckraking investigations have angered the Kremlin. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the target of one, earlier this month dismissed Navalny as one of several "political conmen." On Thursday, a man whom Navalny's supporters have identified as a member of a radical ultra-nationalist group threw green liquid in his face in Moscow. Footage of the attack, the second time Navalny had suffered such an assault in as many months, was shown on a pro-government TV channel. At first, it didn't seem serious since the green solution, known as "zelyonka", is sold as an antiseptic in Russian pharmacies, and while it stings the eyes is not harmful. But Navalny said in a statement on Tuesday that he had suffered a chemical burn to his right eye as a result of the assault which had robbed him of 80 percent of his sight in that eye and that a doctor had told him she was sure the antiseptic must have been mixed with something else. "For now the loss of sight is not irreversible," said Navalny. "I'm being actively treated and there's hope I will be healed." But he said he was unable to get treatment in a specialized clinic in Switzerland or Spain because of a foreign travel ban imposed over what he says is a politically-motivated embezzlement conviction. The authorities have so far not opened an investigation into the attack on him, something Navalny said was the subject of an official complaint. He has accused the Kremlin of being linked to the attack. The Kremlin denies involvement in any political violence. An opinion poll published by the Levada Center on Tuesday, based on the views of 1,600 people across the country showed 48 percent would vote for Putin if the election was held now against just 1 percent who said they would vote for Navalny. (Editing by Alexander Winning) Skopje (AFP) - Thousands of nationalist demonstrators resumed their protests in Skopje on Tuesday against a plan for a coalition government that includes ethnic Albanian parties, five days after they burst into parliament and assaulted lawmakers. The protesters allege that a deal struck between the Social Democrats (SDSM) to govern alongside ethnic Albanian parties, which emerged as kingmakers after an early election in December, would threaten national unity. The accord would sideline the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party of former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, which opposes in particular a plan to make Albanian the official language. Last Thursday evening the protesters stormed parliament over what they said was an illegal vote for a new parliamentary speaker, ethnic Albanian Talat Xhaferi. The riots, condemned by both the European Union and the United States, injured about 100 people, including the SDSM leader Zoran Zaev. The SDSM and their allies accuse the VMRO-DPMNE of inciting the violence and fanning ethnic divisions in a bid to cling to power. "We've been ignored for 60 days. We will continue to come," Bogdan Ilievski, one of the organisers of the protest, said outside parliament, where a strong police presence had been deployed. "We have to continue our battle, we don't have another country," he said. The protests were peaceful, though local media reported that an incendiary device had been found. Ethnic Albanians make up around a quarter of Macedonia's population of two million. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has condemned Donald Trump for saying he would be honoured to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. President Trump stoked controversy on Monday when he said he would meet with the supreme leader if it is under the right circumstances. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it," the President said in an interview with Bloomberg News. In a separate interview shortly beforehand he referred to Mr Kim as a smart cookie for being able to hold on to power in his country. Albright, the first woman to become the US Secretary of State, said "honoured" was an inappropriate word to use to refer to a meeting with Mr Kim. "A president doesn't go to a country without any preparation, and 'honoured' would definitely be the wrong way to discuss somebody who is keeping his people in poverty and starving and control," Albright said on CNN. The Democrat argued the billionaire property developer was overly keen to develop personal relationships with world leaders without acknowledging the concrete political consequences they could have. "I think that part of the issue is that President Trump seems to believe that he can have just one-on-one relationships. And maybe that's possible in business, but that is not something that is possible as president of the United States," she said. "This is not a matter of charming, by saying you're 'honoured' and he's a 'smart cookie.' " Albright is one of the most high-profile American diplomats to have visited North Korea on official business and met with the former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang in 2000. Nevertheless, no American President has yet to meet with the leader of North Korea during their tenure and the notion remains deeply controversial. Tensions between the US and North Korea have drastically escalated in recent weeks as American and other intelligence agencies have suggested the country was preparing for a possible nuclear test. The Trump administration has said all options, including a military strike, are on the table. Story continues Read more What would a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un look like? White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer responded to Mr Trumps bold claims about potentially meeting Mr Kim during a daily briefing, saying the conditions for a meeting between the pair were not there yet. Mr Trump first offered to meet the North Korean leader during the election campaign last June in an attempt to emphasise the differences between him and his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton. What the hell is wrong with speaking? And you know what? Its called opening a dialogue. Its opening a dialogue, he said at the time. If he came here, Id accept him, but I wouldnt give him a state dinner like we do for China and all these other people that rip us off when we give them these big state dinners. He suggested he would serve Mr Kim and other visiting leaders a hamburger on a conference table. (Reuters) - Floods across the U.S. Midwest that have killed at least five people shut major roadways in the St. Louis area on Wednesday, while residents of vulnerable areas piled sandbags to avert destruction as rivers were expected to crest. The flooding was caused by a storm that parked over the region last weekend and dumped almost 12 inches (30 cm)of rain, the National Weather Service said. A faster-moving storm was expected to drop up to 5 inches (13 cm) more rain on Wednesday on already saturated parts of central and southern Missouri, southern Illinois, northern Arkansas, central Indiana and Oklahoma. "Today adds insult to injury," said NWS meteorologist Bob Oravec. "When you see rivers flooding and it's still pouring, it can zap the spirit. This is additional bad news." The flooding along the Mississippi River and Ohio River is the worst since late 2015, he said. Five people were killed by flooding in Missouri, the last two of them swept from their cars on Monday and Tuesday, said NWS meteorologist Brian Hirsch. More than 300 roads were closed over portions of the Midwest, including Interstate 44 in St. Louis, which may remain closed through Saturday, he said. "You find your road is filled with water, find another way. When you press through that intersection, you are really are pressing your luck," Hirsch said. Amtrak suspended rail service across Missouri. The U.S. Coast Guard closed the Mississippi River to all traffic near St. Louis. Hundreds of residents in Eureka, Missouri, piled high walls of sandbags to guard their homes from the rising Meramec River in suburban St. Louis, said Mark Diedrich, director of the St. Louis County Office of Emergency Management. Mandatory evacuations in levee-protected areas of nearby Valley Park were ordered by Mayor Mike Pennise. National Guard helped volunteers stack sandbags, although 200 homes have already been damaged by floodwaters and another 1,500 are threatened, Diedrich said. "We are getting about 4 inches (10 cm) of rain today and tomorrow which (may) keep the river out of its banks longer," Diedrich said in an email. Most of the rivers across the U.S. Midwest were expected to crest over the weekend, NWS meterologist Oravec said. In the St. Louis area, the Mississippi River was forecast to crest on Friday. "The rain is coming to an end but the rivers are still filling," he said. (Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and Frances Kerry) Late Tuesday, Melania Trump used her personal Twitter account to like a tweet suggesting she and her husband President Donald Trump have a cold relationship. Trumps bond with his wife has been a topic of gossip since his inauguration and several social media users have said the couple lacks warmth in their relationship. The tweet the Melania liked had a short video showing the president turning back to look at his wife during Inauguration Day and her responding with a brief smile which disappeared once Trump looked away. The tweet also mocked Trump's lack of success in getting funding for building the Mexico border wall: Seems the only #Wall @realDonaldTrump's built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #trump Melania Trump Donald Trump Photo: Twitter Screenshot This was the first activity on Melanias personal Twitter account since Election Day. However, the account unliked the tweet some time later. Since Trumps swearing-in ceremony in January, body language experts have scrutinized the couples relationship. During the ceremony, the president came under the scanner for not holding Melanias hand and leaving her behind while getting out of the car to greet the Obamas. According to Patti Wood, a body language expert, Trumps reluctance to hold his wifes hand could be because he may have wanted to be seen as a presidential alpha. Typically a hand-hold shows a couple as a unit, Wood said. But to me, I think he's been saying, I want to be seen as the president on my own, which is very much alpha. I want to be just the powerful me. And it's clear that that's his choice, she told the Independent in February. In March, Us Weekly magazine reported that Trump and Melania were having troubles in their relationship and that they slept in separate beds, refusing to "spend the night together ever." Story continues The magazine claimed the first lady felt "miserable" in her new role alongside her husband. However, Melanias representatives rubbished the claims and told the magazine: "Its unfortunate that you are going to feature unnamed 'sources' that have provided fictional accounts." The couples close friend, Karen LeFrak also denied claims of the two having problems in their marriage since Trump assumed office. In an interview with Washington Post, LeFrak, who is the wife of developer Richard LeFrak, said Trump and Melania were happy together and that the couple was not dealing any problems in their love life. Mrs. Trump is enjoying her life and new role, Karen said, when asked how Melania was adjusting to her new role as first lady. She added: [She and her husband] are very happy! Their relationship is great. All these rabid rumors about her and their relationship are laughable and fictional. Despite this, lifestyle and etiquette expert Elaine Swann previously told the Independent: He still is a husband first before a president. Because hes in the presence of a woman, and this woman is his spouse, he still has to make sure that hes nurturing his relationship. And part of nurturing your relationship is the small gestures and niceties that are necessary in terms of chivalry. Related Articles By Wa Lone and Simon Lewis YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has declined an invitation to meet U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington this week alongside top diplomats from Southeast Asia, citing other commitments, Myanmar officials said on Tuesday. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi - who serves as Myanmar's foreign minister while also being de facto head of its civilian government - would send a senior official in her place, said Zaw Htay, director general of Suu Kyi's office. The Washington talks come amid signs members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Myanmar, are tilting diplomatically toward China as the Trump administration's policy on the region remains unclear. ASEAN foreign ministers are due to meet Tillerson on Thursday for talks covering trade, territorial claims in the South China Sea and crime, among other issues. ASEAN stepped back from highlighting the maritime disputes between its members and China at a summit that concluded at the weekend, while Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sought closer ties with Beijing. Myanmar's President Htin Kyaw spent six days in China last month, signing an agreement that will see oil pumped through a pipeline across Myanmar to southwestern China, and Suu Kyi is due to visit Beijing for a summit on President Xi Jinping's signature "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure program in mid-May. Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency under Myanmar's army-drafted constitution, but effectively leads the government through the specially created post of "state counselor". "The state counselor won't go to the U.S. because she has another meeting with the EU on that day," Zaw Htay said. The U.S. Embassy in Yangon had no immediate comment, and referred inquiries to the State Department in Washington. Suu Kyi arrived in Brussels on Monday for the first stop of an official tour of Europe, where she will also visit Britain and Italy. National Security Adviser Thaung Tun would go to Washington in her place, Zaw Htay said. Diplomats in Yangon say President Donald Trump's policy toward Myanmar - considered a success story of former President Barack Obama's "pivot" to Asia - is so far uncertain. Suu Kyi assumed power in 2016 following a landslide election win after Myanmar's former military leaders initiated a political transition. She traveled to the United States in September, when Obama agreed to drop all remaining sanctions against Myanmar, an international pariah for decades under junta rule. Since then, Myanmar has been sharply criticized in the West over violence against minority Rohingya Muslims. Kyaw Zeya, permanent secretary at the ministry of foreign affairs, said Suu Kyi was not planning to visit the United States in the near future. But he dismissed the notion her absence from Washington was an indicator that ties were cooling in favor of China, saying Myanmar sought good relations with all major powers. "We don't promote relations with any country at the expense of another," Kyaw Zeya said. (Editing by Alex Richardson) On Wednesday, May 3, Neil deGrasse Tyson, world-renowned astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium, spoke with Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga about his new book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. They also spoke about his mission to make America smart again, science as a partisan issue, his thoughts on a controversial New York Times op-ed on climate change and his beef with Pluto. Barack Obama supposedly had another love he proposed to before he met Michelle. Read: Obama Under Fire for Collecting $400,000 to Make Speech at Event for Wall Street Firm When he was a 25-year-old college grad living in Chicago, the future 44th president actually popped the question to Sheila Jager, twice, according to a new book. The new biography, Rising Star, says Jager lived with a young Obama in the Windy City in the 1980s. "In the winter of '86 when we visited my parents, he asked me to marry him," the book quotes Jager as saying. But her mother thought that at 23, she was too young to get married, so she declined. However, they stayed together. Obama proposed again in 1988, right before leaving for Harvard Law School, the book says. Again, Jager turned him down. In the book, she told the author, David J. Garrow, He became... so very ambitious very suddenly. I remember very clearly when this transformation happened, and I remember very specifically that by 1987, about a year into our relationship, he already had his sights on becoming president. Read: Girl, 8, Tells Obama in Adorable Letter to 'Wear Tie-Dye,' 'Do Something Fun,' He Responds She went on to become a professor of East Asian studies at Oberlin College in Ohio. After the relationship ended, Obama moved on, eventually falling for Harvard Law School graduate Michelle Robinson, and the rest is history. Obama, whose college years and upbringing were documented in his best-selling autobiography, Dreams From My Father, did not reference Jager. Watch: As Obama Closes a Chapter on American History, Donald Trump Begins to Write His Related Articles: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android. From Delish Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited an elementary school in Virginia yesterday to commemorate School Nutrition Employee Week, and used the appearance to announce major changes to nutrition standards in school lunch programs. Federal requirements will be relaxed in several categories, allowing more local control of student nutrition. "This announcement is the result of years of feedback from students, schools, and food service experts about the challenges they are facing in meeting the final regulations for school meals," Perdue said. "If kids aren't eating the food, and it's ending up in the trash, they aren't getting any nutrition thus undermining the intent of the program." An overview of the new "flexibilities," according to the USDA: Whole grains: States may grant exemptions to schools experiencing hardship in serving 100 percent of grain products as whole-grain rich for the upcoming school years. Sodium: Schools will not be required to meet Sodium Target 2 for the next four years. Instead, schools that meet Sodium Target 1 will be considered compliant. Milk: Schools may return to serving 1 percent flavored milk through the school meals programs. "I've got 14 grandchildren, and there is no way that I would propose something if I didn't think it was good, healthful, and the right thing to do," Perdue continued. "And here's the thing about local control: it means that this new flexibility will give schools and states the option of doing what we're laying out here today. These are not mandates on schools." The new regulations (or lack thereof) roll back changes championed by former First Lady Michelle Obama in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The change reflects the Trump Administration's second suspension in a day of a Michelle Obama-backed program; the White House also eliminated the education initiative Let Girls Learn yesterday. Story continues Follow Delish on Instagram. You Might Also Like Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography From Redbook More and more woman have been opening up about their experiences with infertility, but one found a wholly unique way to come to terms with her personal struggle while shining a spotlight on something too many women still endure in silence. After suffering three miscarriages, Vikki Hamilton reached out to Abbie Fox, a Las Vegas, Nevada-based photographer, and asked her to document her journey with an infertility photo shoot. Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography "When Vikki asked me to do this shoot about infertility, there was a ton of emotions. Absolutely, of course I would do this, but how?" Fox told PopSugar. "This subject hits close to home and I put my heart and soul into these sessions, so I knew it would be difficult." Abbie had also suffered a miscarriage, so this shoot was poignant for both woman. "There are so many emotions and so much that happens when you are struggling with infertility it feels like a tornado inside of you," she said. "I also knew there needed to be a rainbow somewhere, but since she hasn't had her rainbow baby yet, it was representing that she was waiting for her rainbow. There is still hope after the tornado has ripped you apart on the inside," Fox said. Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Abbie said that while she didn't cry during the photo shoot, she did while editing the images afterwards. "We didn't talk much during the session," she said. "There was kind of an unspoken bond through it. It was very therapeutic, I think, for both of us." Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Follow Redbook on Facebook. From Redbook More and more woman have been opening up about their experiences with infertility, but one found a wholly unique way to come to terms with her personal struggle while shining a spotlight on something too many women still endure in silence. After suffering three miscarriages, Vikki Hamilton reached out to Abbie Fox, a Las Vegas, Nevada-based photographer, and asked her to document her journey with an infertility photo shoot. Story continues Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography "When Vikki asked me to do this shoot about infertility, there was a ton of emotions. Absolutely, of course I would do this, but how?" Fox told PopSugar. "This subject hits close to home and I put my heart and soul into these sessions, so I knew it would be difficult." Abbie had also suffered a miscarriage, so this shoot was poignant for both woman. "There are so many emotions and so much that happens when you are struggling with infertility it feels like a tornado inside of you," she said. "I also knew there needed to be a rainbow somewhere, but since she hasn't had her rainbow baby yet, it was representing that she was waiting for her rainbow. There is still hope after the tornado has ripped you apart on the inside," Fox said. Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Abbie said that while she didn't cry during the photo shoot, she did while editing the images afterwards. "We didn't talk much during the session," she said. "There was kind of an unspoken bond through it. It was very therapeutic, I think, for both of us." Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Photo credit: Abbie Fox/Foxy Photography Follow Redbook on Facebook. You Might Also Like Moderates make break with party leadership to oppose new healthcare bill Jimmy Kimmel delivers heartfelt plea on importance of affordable care Paul Ryan, pictured here with congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, insisted Americans would be better off under the Republican healthcare plan. Photograph: Cliff Owen/AP The push to repeal and replace Obamacare seemed likely to fail yet again as many House Republicans on Tuesday expressed unease with how the proposed legislation would affect people with pre-existing conditions. In a reversal of the dynamic when Republicans last attempted to repeal Obamacare in March, the new plan has received backing from the Freedom Caucus, a recalcitrant group of arch-conservatives who are more often associated with spoiling the GOP leaderships agenda than supporting it. This time around a significant number of the holdouts are moderates who are making a rare break with the leadership to oppose the legislation. The current bill would allow states to waive provisions that require insurers to cover essential health benefits, which include maternity, prescription drug treatment and mental health care. It also allows removes protections that guarantee people with pre-existing medical conditions will not be charged higher rates. Republicans disagree publicly about how the new amendment will affect Americans with pre-existing conditions. Paul Ryan, the House speaker, has stated that sicker Americans would be better off under the Republican healthcare plan, and promised that there are a few layers of protections for pre-existing conditions in this bill. But the bill is opposed by a coalition of influential advocacy groups, including the American Medical Association. These changes have alienated previously loyal members of the Republican caucus. On Tuesday, Fred Upton of Michigan, the former chairman of the House energy and commerce committee, announced his opposition to the new version of the healthcare plan, saying an amendment added to appease conservatives torpedoes protections for people with pre-existing health conditions. Im not at all comfortable with removing that protection, Upton said during an interview on a local radio show, WHTC on Tuesday morning. He added: I cannot support this bill with this provision in it. Story continues Upton is well respected among fellow Republicans for his expertise on healthcare policy, and has been a leader in past GOP efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. His defection is viewed as a bad sign for the legislations prospects. At least 20 Republicans have publicly stated their opposition to the bill and several more remain undecided. House Republicans can only afford to lose 22 votes and pass the bill, assuming all Democrats oppose the measure. Uptons loss follows a surprising defection by Billy Long, a Republican from Missouri and a longtime supporter of the president, who said on Monday that he could not support the bill. I have always stated that one of the few good things about Obamacare is that people with pre-existing conditions would be covered. While moving the bill to the right helped Republicans gain support from members of the Freedom Caucus, it further alienated moderates who are well aware that the current bill is likely to be drastically changed in the Senate. There is a concern that this is going to be a model to try to placate the hard right and get these bills out of the House knowing that they have an uncertain fate in the Senate, said Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania. Dent, the leader of the center-right Tuesday Group, added: It just further exposes members of marginal districts politically because we know darn well that the bill on the rebound from the Senate wont satisfy those on the hard right. All this political capital is being expended on the first launch knowing damn well that the only battle that matters is the last one wont get the support of those very same people. Tom MacArthur of New Jersey, a co-chair of the Tuesday Group who helped craft the current compromise that won over the far-right Freedom Caucus with an amendment that would allow states to waive key pieces of the healthcare law, dismissed any efforts to throw in additional funding to woo wavering Republicans. McArthur said: I think the question is more fundamental for people: are they comfortable with this balance, of this is the best way to protect the vulnerable and cut expenses. If theyre not, you can throw billions here and billions there and its probably not going to move anyone. I dont think money is the answer now. The Republican leadership said on Tuesday it was close to securing the 216 votes needed for the bill to pass, but still had more corralling to do. Ryan has said he will not schedule a vote until the bill has enough support to pass. However, Ryans efforts have been complicated by White House efforts to project confidence about the bills prospects and Trumps offhand remarks about the legislation. Top Trump aide Gary Cohn said on Monday that were convinced we have the votes and in an interview with Bloomberg News, Trump insisted, inaccurately, it will be every bit as good on pre-existing conditions as Obamacare and said the legislation was not in its final form. The Republican leadership is also working against rapidly changing public sentiment on the law in addition to an onslaught of political attack ads, opposition from the left and even an emotional plea from late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. On his Monday night show, Kimmel delivered a heartfelt monologue on the importance of affordable healthcare, especially for people with pre-existing conditions. He told the audience that his son was born last week with a heart defect. The doctors performed surgery and the operation was successful. Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance youd never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition, Kimmel said. You were born with a pre-existing condition. And if your parents didnt have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition. If your baby is going to die, and it doesnt have to, it shouldnt matter how much money you make. I think thats something that, whether youre a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right? Barack Obama, whose signature legislative achievement was the passage of the 2010 law, commended Kimmel on speaking out. Well said, Jimmy, Obama wrote on Twitter. Thats exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy. And congratulations! By Kaye Foley Sherry Lansing, first female studio head and former Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO, is behind some of the biggest movies and has dealt with some of the biggest movie stars ever. She moved to Los Angeles in 1966 to pursue her dream of acting and wound up climbing to the top of the executive ladder. Her life story is told in the new book Leading Lady: Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker, written by journalist Stephen Galloway. Lansing sat down with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric to talk about her career, sexism in Hollywood, behind-the-scenes stories about Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, among others, and her third-act shift to philanthropy. In 1980, at the age of 35, Lansing became the studio president of 20th Century Fox, the first woman to head a movie studio. I think weve come a long way since then, Lansing said of women in the industry. I never thought about [being a role model] when I was doing the job, Lansing said. At the time all I thought about was doing the work. And there was so much work. If I let all the other things affect me, I would have lost my focus. RELATED: First female studio exec Sherry Lansings advice for working in male dominated industry Lansing worked in the movie industry for almost four decades before she left in 2005. She told Couric the industry has changed a lot since she first started, with the marketing and promotion of movies becoming as important as the movies. RELATED: Former Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing on her favorite films from this years Oscars Today you make a movie and even if its great, you have to be able to sell it. Word of mouth doesnt carry it anymore, Lansing said. The kind of intimate movies that I like where people talk and are about character movies, those movies are made less by the studios and big franchise tent poles are made far more often. Throughout the book, Galloway shares behind-the-scenes accounts from some of the most beloved and iconic movies that Lansing worked on, such as Fatal Attraction, Braveheart and Titanic. Couric asked Lansing about some of these stories, including why she related to Glenn Closes character in Fatal Attraction. Story continues What I think I related to was that she had an emotional relationship with a man, albeit just for a weekend, and then he never called her again. Lansing explained, That phrase I will not be ignored, Dan, is what I related to because I wanted my voice to be heard. It goes way beyond the movie. RELATED: The alternate ending to Fatal Attraction you never saw Lansing worked with Gibson on Braveheart, which won five Academy Awards. Couric asked Lansing about Gibsons fall from grace after he made anti-Semitic and sexist comments when he was pulled over for a DUI in 2006. The Mel Gibson that I knew and that I worked with for seven or eight years is not homophobic, and hes not sexist and hes not anti-Semitic, Lansing said. I think he has demons and when he drinks, those demons come out and he becomes another person. I think he has worked very hard to get rid of his demons. He doesnt drink anymore. Hes sober. And thats the real Mel Gibson. RELATED: Why former Paramount CEO thought Titanic didnt need My Heart Will Go On Lansing developed a close bond with Cruise throughout her career, working with him on blockbusters such as War of the Worlds and the Mission: Impossible franchise. She first worked with Cruise on Taps when he was only 19 years old. You recognized right away his extraordinary talent, Lansing said. He was the hardest working actor. He was incredibly focused, and he was incredibly polite. He was nice to everybody on the crew, and thats the way he is today. RELATED: Cruise, Spielberg and the surprise phone call the former CEO of Paramount will never forget When Cruise began to receive backlash for his involvement in Scientology, Lansing reached out to her friend, eager to understand more about it. She went to the center in Los Angeles. There was never any pressure to become a Scientologist, Lansing said. I just learned about it. All I see in Tom Cruise is a man who has a religious belief that has given him the ability, Im sure, to face whatever difficulties he faces in his life what I also see is a person who is kind to everybody, respectful of everybody all I have is respect for him. Couric also asked Lansing if there were any stories she wished Galloway had not included in her biography. She mentioned an argument with Mike Myers after he inadvertently failed to get the rights for the original Waynes World 2 script, and with Hawn when she got cold feet before the start of First Wives Club and tried to leave the film. I was shocked. If she didnt show up that meant Bette Midler wasnt going to show up, Diane Keaton wasnt going to show up our whole movie was going to fall apart, Lansing said. So I threatened to sue her. The truth of the matter is thats what the job requires. That you have to do everything you can to protect the movie, and sometimes you have to be tough. Lansing added, But what Stephen didnt include is that Goldie and I are still really, really close friends At the end of the day, even though these are fights at the moment, theyre passionate people fighting for what they care about, and then you come together to do whats best for the movie. An admirer of former President Jimmy Carters charity work, Lansing left Paramount in 2005 and turned her focus to philanthropy. If you can keep curious and have new chapters all the time, Lansing said of her career change, you will have a really interesting life, an authentic life, and be young Read more from Yahoo News: A rabbi posing with Steve Bannon may have revealed the White House chief strategist's to-do list. Mr Bannon posed for a photo with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach during the religious leader's visit to the White House on Israeli Independence Day. Posting the photograph on Twitter, the rabbi called Mr Bannon a great, stalwart friend of the Jewish State. The post drew outcry from some followers, who took issue with Mr Bannons past of alleged anti-Semitic comments. Other commenters, however, were more focused on what was visible behind the two men: a white board list labelled Pledges on Immigration. Read more White House attacks unelected judge blocking sanctuary cities order First up on the to-do list was a promise to cancel all federal funding to sanctuary cities. Mr Trumps executive order doing just that was recently blocked by a federal judge. The executive order, issued in January, makes it executive branch policy to ensure that jurisdictions that fail to comply with applicable federal law do not receive federal funds. Cities that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement programs are frequently called sanctuary cities. Mr Trumps executive order was blocked by a federal judge on the grounds that it is overly broad. Judge William Orrick ruled that federal funds unrelated to immigration enforcement cannot be withheld merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the President disapproves. The Justice Department attempted to argue that the order would not restrict all funds, but only those issued by the Justice Department and Homeland Security. The pledge on the whiteboard behind Mr Bannon, however, clearly says to cancel all federal funding to noncompliant cities. Even before the order emerged, Mr Orrick felt he had enough evidence to suggest the order was unconstitutionally broad. The judge cited Mr Trumps claim that the order is a weapon to be used against sanctuary cities, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions pledge to withhold grants from noncompliant cities. Story continues With @SteveBannon in the White House on #israelindependenceday. Steve is a great, stalwart friend of the Jewish State pic.twitter.com/PFxSCK7blc Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley) May 2, 2017 "If there was doubt about the scope of the Order, the President and Attorney General have erased it with their public comments," Mr Orrick wrote. A White House statement accused the judge of "putting the well-being of criminal aliens before the safety of our citizens." Further down on the whiteboard list is a pledge to suspend immigration from all terror prone regions another of Mr Trumps executive orders currently blocked by a federal judge. The list also mentions the construction of a Mexican border wall, which so far has received no funding from Congress. Other pledges on the list include hiring 5,000 more border patrol agents and tripling the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Mr Trump has signed executive orders directing the secretary of homeland security to hire 10,000 additional immigration officers and 5,000 additional border patrol agents. According to managing partner of HVS in Africa, Tim Smith, HVS Executive Search recently mapped the entire continent of Africa for general managers and it took them less than a week. There are a staggeringly low amount of GMs on the continent and this is something that definitely needs to be addressed, he says. South Africa isn't doing enough to ensure that the hospitality and hotel industry is attractive to people as a long-term and sustainable career, particularly for African GMs. Guy Stehlik, CEO and founder of BON Hotels and Director of BON Hotels International West Africa, speaking at a recent breakfast briefing hosted by global hotel consultancy, HVS, admits to making a lot of mistakes in the early days when it came to recruiting general managers for BON hotels. There is no substitute for experience I was looking for young, dynamic, sexy upstarts people who didnt necessarily have a huge amount of experience but had the right attitude, he says. Although he says that still holds firm today, he realised that being a young hotel company and taking on young, inexperienced GMs was not a successful formula. At one or two hotels, we nearly lost it all, especially with our leased properties where we put in inexperienced general managers. That was a lesson that I really learned the hard way, he says. Guy Stehlik Stehlik says theyve now changed tack. Ive gone out on record to say that we need the old-school general managers. And by old school, Im not referring to age, but more of a mindset where the person will take the decision as the general manager to immerse themselves in all areas of the operation. Although these guys do come at a premium, we are now only looking to hire old school GMs because there is no substitute for experience, he says. Building new generations of employees But theyre also looking at building new generations of employees. BON Hotels invites schools to come and experience their hotels and they make as many internships available as possible. They work closely with the hotel schools to make sure the students get to come in and experience the industry during their holidays, as well as going out to schools and making sure they are at their career guidance sessions. We go out to market the hospitality industry as a long-term dignified and respectable career, as it is in Europe, he said. Stehlik says that there are many hotel chains that are more focused on chasing profits and growth of revenues and the numbers of portfolios as well as the number of properties in their portfolios. This is fundamentally against what we believe in. For us we are always focused on a balance of great service and profitability, he says. He is quick to point out that the success of the Bon Hotels Group is due to the people who work there. You can have the best locations, the best systems and the best head office infrastructure in the world, but if youve got a crap general manager at your hotel, youre going to get wiped out. We believe that your GMs are everything and its essential to recruit wisely, he adds. The US president often closes an eye to autocrats. But there are ways to prevent him from drawing too close to leaders like Duterte Trump is praising Dutertes violent campaign. Photograph: Erik de Castro/Reuters Donald Trumps invitation for Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, to visit the US further reveals his tendency to embrace authoritarian strongmen abroad. The main question, though, is not whether Duterte should be invited (he should not). Rather, the real question is how should the US under Trump who himself holds traits of the strongman deal with an allied country that has democratically elected an autocrat like Duterte? Since taking office, Duterte has embarked on a widespread anti-drug campaign in the Philippines that has resulted in the killing of thousands of Filipinos, often carried out by the police or groups affiliated with the authorities. Human Rights Watch claims that at least 7,000 people have died as a result. A lawyer in the Philippines has accused Duterte of crimes against humanity. Duterte has bragged about personally gunning down people when he was a mayor. But the Philippines is an important US ally in a strategically vital region. Presidents Barack Obama and Benigno Aquino III Dutertes predecessor revamped the alliance partnership in part because of growing Chinese assertiveness that threatened the Philippines and USs interests in the South China Sea. The Philippines and the US have also worked together to fight an Islamic terrorist insurgency in the southern part of the country, where US special forces have operated alongside Filipino counterparts for years. This complicated dynamic is nothing new to the US. For decades it has tried to balance strategic interests in partnering with autocratic regimes while trying not to condone the domestic policies of those partners. This is perhaps even more complicated in a democracy like the Philippines, which elected Duterte freely and fairly, and where Duterte draws high levels of support. Trumps election, however, has added a new twist. Trump often criticizes aspects of the American democratic system, including calling our system of checks and balances a bad thing for the country. He has twice attempted to implement his Muslim ban, and attacked judges who have intervened to block the ban. Trumps chief of staff said the administration is looking into ways to curb the medias right to criticize the president, including potentially through changes to the first amendment of the constitution. Story continues While an average US president would set a tone across the government to downgrade engagement with the Philippines, its clear Trump is unwilling to do that. Instead, Trump is praising Dutertes violent campaign. So, what to do? First, Trumps staff needs to keep the two leaders apart. The invite to the White House should not go forward. And when Trump goes to Manila in the fall for the annual Asean summit something he should do to advance important US interests in Asia the White House should avoid a bilateral portion of the visit, limiting Trump and Duterte to a short, closed-door meeting. This may be a tall order when the presidents instincts go the other direction, but its when good staff work is most necessary. Second, the US should begin withholding certain types of assistance, and should continue the trend that the Obama administration started to move law enforcement assistance to other areas such as maritime security and human rights training for police. The US should also scrupulously enforce the Leahy law, which prohibits security cooperation with individuals and entities involved in human rights abuses. Third, Congress must make its voice heard. If the president wants to embrace an autocratic leader like Duterte without any costs, Congress should assert its oversight authority. This means not only criticizing the Trump administration, but also potentially legislating restrictions on how the US engages with the Philippines. Fourth, the US needs to manage alliance issues at lower levels. The importance of the US-Philippines alliance will outlast the terms of both Trump and Duterte; weathering this storm with the alliance intact is crucial. Maintaining maritime security cooperation, coordination within regional institutions and work on counterterrorism and trafficking can be done below the cabinet level. And US officials should voice concerns over human rights violations publicly and privately. Fifth, civilians in the US and the Philippines need to speak up and act. Concerned constituents in both countries can play an important role in getting their governments to care about human rights abuses in the Philippines. The US has dealt with leaders like Duterte before, but not when led by a president that possesses a similarly undemocratic strongman streak. The problem goes beyond the Philippines: Trump congratulated Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his success in eroding Turkish democracy, praised Egyptian dictator Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and invited Thai coup leader Prime Minister (and general) Prayut Chan-ocha for a White House visit. Blunting Trumps worst instincts will require a motivated and savvy US bureaucracy and a vocal and active Congress. Michael H Fuchs is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. From 2013 to 2016 he was a deputy assistant secretary of state for east Asian and Pacific affairs. Interns throughout the U.S. can rejoice. It's entirely possible to bring home a higher salary than the average full-time worker, at least if you stick it out for a full year. According to a report released Tuesday by job site Glassdoor, the median annual salary for a full-time U.S. worker is $51,350. While a typical internship lasts just a few months or a season, some companies' internships come with such a hefty paycheck that if the position were held for a full year, the intern would end up with far more money than the median salary. Unsurprisingly, many of the top-paying internship programs were in fields like technology and finance. Facebook dominated Glassdoors list of top paying internships, with a year-long salary of about $96,000 for an intern. An intern who worked Bank of America, last on the list at No. 25, for a full year, would earn about $55,000. The 25 highest paying internship programs, according to Glassdoor, are listed below alongside the median monthly pay for each. Facebook: $8,000 Microsoft: $7,100 ExxonMobil: $6,507 Salesforce: $6,450 Amazon: $6,400 Apple: $6,400 Bloomberg L.P.: $6,400 Yelp: $6,400 Yahoo: $6,080 VMWare: $6,080 Google: $6,000 NVIDIA: $5,770 Intuit: $5,440 Juniper Networks: $5,440 Workday: $5,440 BlackRock: $5,400 Adobe: $5,120 MathWorks: $5,120 Qualcomm: $5,040 Capital One: $5,000 Chevron: $5,000 Accenture: $4,960 Deutsche Bank: $4,640 AIG: $4,616 Bank of America: $4,570 The hefty pay likely has a lot to do with where the companies are located. Part of it is definitely driven by geography, Scott Dobroski, Glassdoors community expert, told the Washington Post. More than half of them are headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area or New York. Interning still comes with negative connotations. In 2014, an estimated 97 percent of large employers hired interns, putting the number of interns at upwards of two million, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Its likely that at least half of those were unpaid, according to Ross Perlin, the author of "Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy." Story continues In recent years, a number of lawsuits have emerged over unfair working conditions without pay. Two interns sued Fox Searchlight Pictures in 2013 after they claimed that while working on the film "Black Swan," they completed tasks that paid employees were usually responsible for, without getting paid. Another group of interns sued Hearst Corporation, alleging that the company violated labor laws by not paying them for internships at magazines like Cosmopolitan. In 2013, Conde Nast shut down a number of its internship programs after unpaid interns sued the company. What we see anecdotally and hear from employers and in policymaking is a push toward paying for interns, as well as guidelines within companies that theyre being treated more like full-time or part-time employees, Dobroski said. Theyve no longer just come in for babysitting. The internship is designed for you to get experience. RTR2W76P Photo: Reuters Related Articles By Jeff Mason and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians as he hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House but offered no sign of how he could revive long-stalled negotiations. In their first face-to-face meeting, Trump pressed Abbas and other Palestinian leaders to speak in a unified voice against incitement to violence against Israelis but he stopped short of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of U.S. policy. Despite what many experts see as a long-shot bid, Trump told Abbas: " I will do whatever is necessary ... I would love to be a mediator or an arbitrator or a facilitator, and we will get this done. Abbas reasserted the overarching goal of a Palestinian state, saying it must have its capital in East Jerusalem with borders based on pre-1967 lines. Israel rejects a full return to 1967 borders as a threat to its security. Trump has faced deep skepticism at home and abroad over his chances for any quick diplomatic breakthrough, not least because the new U.S. administration has yet to articulate a cohesive strategy for restarting the moribund peace process. Abbas White House talks follow a February visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who moved to reset ties after a combative relationship with the Republican president's predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump sparked international criticism at the time when he appeared to back away from support for a two-state solution, saying he would leave it up to the parties themselves to decide. The goal of a Palestinian state has been the position of successive U.S. administrations and the international community The meeting with Abbas, the Western-backed head of the Palestinian Authority, was another test of whether Trump, in office a little more than 100 days, is serious about pursuing the kind of comprehensive peace agreement that eluded his predecessors. Trump, during a joint appearance with Abbas, said he was ready to attempt the toughest deal" of Israeli-Palestinian peace. But as he later sat down to lunch with the Palestinian leader, he said it was maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years. But Trump, who said he decided to start a process but offered no new policy prescriptions or timetable, may be underestimating the challenge when trust between the two sides is at a low point, analysts said. You cant just pretend you only have to handle a few key issues and thats it," said David Makovsky, a senior member of Obamas negotiating team during the last round of talks, which collapsed in 2014. "It's very hard." Still, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit Netanyahu in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, targeted for May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. That has sparked speculation about a meeting between the three. U.S. and Israeli officials, however, have declined to confirm the visit. ABBAS UNDER PRESSURE AT HOME Trump and Abbas appeared friendly but businesslike as they stood at side-by-side lecterns. But it was far less chummy than the way Trump and Netanyahu interacted in February. Abbas promised that under your courageous stewardship and your wisdom, as well as your great negotiating ability, the Palestinians would be partners seeking a historic peace treaty. But under pressure at home to avoid major concessions, the 82-year-old leader said its about time for Israel to end its occupation," referring to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. He called on Israel to recognize Palestinian independence just as Palestinians recognize the state of Israel. But he did not repeat in public his demand that Israel freeze settlement construction on land Palestinians want for a state as a condition for a return to negotiations. Trump was expected to press Abbas in private to halt payments by the PLO to families of militants jailed by Israel, U.S. officials said. But Abbas, who governs in the West Bank while Hams militants rule Gaza, was likely to resist, especially with an ongoing hunger strike by hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. In Gaza, Hams spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the promises Abbas made at the White House "don't obligate anyone. Questions have been raised about Trump's choice of son-in-law Jared Kushner to oversee the peace initiative, along with Trumps longtime business lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, as envoy. In addition, efforts to enlist Israel's Sunni Arab neighbors, who share Israeli concerns about Shi'ite Iran, to help rejuvenate peacemaking have yet to yield tangible results. Trumps national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, described his bosss foreign policy approach as "disruptive," saying his unconventional ways could create an opportunity to help stabilize the Middle East. But Trumps unpredictability has even at times rattled a close ally like Israel. His pro-Israeli rhetoric during the campaign suggested he might give Netanyahu free rein. But Trumps promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv is on the back burner, and he caught Netanyahu off-guard by asking him to put unspecified limits on settlement activity. (Additional reporting by David Alexander, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; editing by Howard Goller and Jonathan Oatis) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will continue to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israeli settlement activity, the White House said on Monday following reports that Israel plans to build 15,000 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem. "I'm sure that we'll continue to have conversations with the prime minister and ... that'll be something that the president will continue to discuss," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news briefing after being asked if Netanyahu was snubbing the U.S. president. Trump, who has vowed to work for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, told Netanyahu during a news conference in February that he would like to see Israel "hold back on settlements for a little bit." (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Writing by David Alexander; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump confidently predicted that a Middle East peace agreement was within grasp Wednesday, as he hosted Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House. "We will get it done," Trump said, flaunting his deal-making prowess during a first meeting with the veteran Palestinian leader that marked the start of an ambitious -- some say quixotic -- presidential effort. Brushing aside the complexities of a decades-old conflict that has bedevilled successive US leaders, Trump told Abbas that together with the Israelis they could bag "the toughest deal to make." "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado. Eighty-two-year-old Abbas -- a veteran of innumerable US, European, UN and Arab peace initiatives -- echoed Trump's upbeat tone. "Our strategic option, our strategic choice is to bring about peace," he said, praising Trump's "courageous stewardship" and "great negotiating ability." "We believe that we can... be true partners to you to bring about a historic peace under your stewardship." But there was also a hint of the thicket that awaits the neophyte US president. "Mr. President, it's about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our lands," Abbas said, listing demands that the current Israeli government has baulked at. Among them, the right of return for Palestinians to lands currently held by Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and based on 1967 borders. - 'Gap never greater' - The two men's upbeat tone contrasted sharply with that of veteran Middle East watchers. According to former White House official Dennis Ross, the gap between Israelis and Palestinians "has probably never been greater." "As someone who's worked on this for the last 30 years, I don't think we've ever been at a lower point," he said ahead of the meeting. Story continues Trump's long-shot effort to bring Middle East peace got off to a rocky start when he appeared to back away from supporting a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of American policy held for decades. But receiving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House early in his term, Trump also showed he was willing to press Israel on West Bank settlement building, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. On Wednesday, Trump offered no prescriptions for what a deal should look like, only saying that he would play the role of "a mediator, or an arbitrator, or a facilitator." "Any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States, or by any other nation," Trump said. During his four months in office, Trump has struggled to translate his skill in achieving business deals into effective governance. Efforts to overhaul health care, the tax system and government spending have faltered, despite Trump's Republican party controlling not only the White House but both houses of Congress. Hady Amr, who had three decades of Middle East experience before working on the peace process full time for secretary of state John Kerry, told AFP that Trump's Middle East push could similarly falter. "When I was put into this job 24/7, three a half years ago," Amr said, it was even more complex than he had thought. "I hope I'm wrong, but I think that the president will discover, as he discovered about health care, that there is a reason it hasn't been solved." - 'Historic opportunity' - Abbas also makes an unlikely dealmaker. He made the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want him to resign. His term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. Palestinians are watching closely, including the leader of the radical Hamas movement Khaled Meshaal, who called on Trump to break with past approaches to Middle East peace. "This is a historic opportunity to pressure Israel... to find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people," he told CNN. Hamas on Tuesday released a policy document that for the first time indicates a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the borders that emerged after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, although it stops short of recognizing Israel. But Abbas will be encouraged that Trump did not publicly demand that the Palestinians cut funding to prisoners and their families. That could pose major domestic political headaches for Abbas, as he battles unpopularity and challenges from rival factions. "Mr President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace," Abbas said. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP) NASHVILLE As evangelicals gathered here last week, expectations were high about the upcoming announcement of an administration executive order on religious liberty. But so were anxieties. Christian author Rod Dreher made no effort to hide his skepticism about President Trump. I dont think he cares about the thing that matters most to us, and that is religious liberty, Dreher said from the stage. The marriage of evangelicals to Trump, Dreher added, will not end well. I think its going to be a bitter harvest for us, he said. No one seems to know what Trumps executive order will say, because it has been so closely held by Vice President Mike Pence and a few aides. A draft version that was leaked to the Nation magazine soon after the inauguration was broadly worded to create wholesale exemptions [from anti-discrimination statutes] for people and organizations who claim religious or moral objections to same-sex marriage, premarital sex, abortion, and trans identity, according to the magazine. But there is reason for religious conservatives including Pence, a deeply conservative Christian to worry about how the final version will read. The presidents daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are more aligned with gay, lesbian and transgender groups on the issue. In fact, some observers believe the leak to the Nation was orchestrated by someone in Jared and Ivankas orbit to sabotage the process The Jared and Ivanka thing, thats real, said one congressional aide. One Senate aide said the rumor on Capitol Hill was that President Jared has it on hold. I havent seen any evidence that Pence has the pull to trump Jared. And that gets to the heart of the matter. Pence has a long history with the issue of religious liberty, having been embarrassed by a bungled attempt in Indiana when he was governor to implement a law on the matter. Pence, widely criticized after signing the Indiana legislatures Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the spring of 2015, then bowed to pressure and altered the legislation in a way that angered religious conservatives. So in the view of some in the community, the vice president has an obligation to make it up to them. Story continues But a fight with Trumps own family is a formidable task. This is not the only issue that Pence cares about, though it is a high priority one for him and many others in the faith community. So the question for Pence has been how much political capital is he willing to expend on this matter. The broader context is that Pence is always thinking about how to gain influence in the Trump administration while also keeping a certain distance from the president. Keeping that distance will help Pence if the Trump presidency ends up being judged a failure, giving him the vice president the deniability he would need to mount a credible run for the White House himself. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In his first 100 days in office, Donald Trump made fewer appearances outside of the presidential bubble than his three immediate predecessors, venturing less beyond the White House or his private Mar-a-Lago estate, according to a Reuters review. The U.S. president cast himself during his election campaign last year as a Washington outsider and a populist champion, and often seemed most comfortable at raucous campaign rallies. Trump still constantly tells Americans what is on his mind through prolific use of Twitter messages, but he has not traveled out into the country often since taking office on Jan. 20. Trump made comments at official appearances 132 times in the first 100 days, compared with 139 by Barack Obama in the same period, 177 by George W. Bush and 162 by Bill Clinton. (http://tmsnrt.rs/2p8M8EU) Some 22 of his appearances were in settings other than the White House, Air Force One, a government agency or at Mar-a-Lago, a Florida resort that his administration has called the "winter White House." That compares to 62 such appearances by Obama in his first 100 days, 80 for Bush and 46 for Clinton. Reuters reviewed public remarks delivered by the presidents using White House websites, pool reports and documents archived by the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Trump made public comments on five separate occasions at Mar-a-Lago. None of the other three presidents spoke to the public from a personal residence during their first 100 days, although Bush spoke twice at Camp David, the rustic presidential retreat in Maryland. Asked about his travel, Trump's advisers say he is focused on implementing the promises he made at his campaign rallies. "There is obviously a premium on his time," said White House spokeswoman Natalie Strom. "We proceed with any additional travel very thoughtfully." Bradley Blakeman, who was deputy assistant for scheduling and appointments under Bush, said Trump may be missing out on opportunities to sell his message to the public. "Deals are made in Washington on Pennsylvania Avenue, but they are sold on Main Street, USA," Blakeman said. "It's an important part of the bully pulpit." He said Trump should do targeted events focused on specific legislative priorities that will get coverage by local news outlets, where stories on presidential visits tend to be more positive than in the national media. During his first 100 days, Bush visited more than half a dozen schools in Washington and at least five different states as he promoted his education initiative, No Child Left Behind. Trump's first major legislative push has focused on reforming the U.S. healthcare system, but he has not yet delivered remarks at a medical facility. In an interview with Reuters last week, Trump lamented the confining nature of the presidency with its 24-hour Secret Service protection. "You're really into your own little cocoon, because you have such massive protection that you really can't go anywhere," he said. Still, he remains a constant focus of public attention, helped by his use of Twitter, a tool that was seldom used or was entirely unavailable to his most recent three predecessors. "Interaction online does not completely replace the value of in-person appearances, but you can't ignore the fact that there is no limit on the amount of people the president's tweets can reach," Strom said. Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, said that while Trump's use of social media had opened a new chapter in presidential communication, his lack of sustained attention on any one issue undercut his message. "There's not a focus there. When a president is all over the map, then he loses his power," Jacobs said. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Kieran Murray and Frances Kerry) By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government and coal companies will be required to pay out healthcare to retired coal miners, guaranteeing benefits to workers even as coal companies face bankruptcy, after Congress on Sunday reached a fiscal spending agreement for 2017. The provision to secure the United Mine Workers' healthcare benefits was included in a deal that lawmakers reached late on Sunday for around $1 trillion in federal funding that would avert a government shutdown later this week. Around 22,600 coal miners and their families were on the brink of losing on April 30 their healthcare benefits, which were at risk of default as the industry struggled, with companies trying to recover from bankruptcies. This permanent solution to protect these benefits is a victory for our miners, their families, and their widows," said Congressman Evan Jenkins, a West Virginia Republican who represents the state's coal-producing counties. Members of the UMWA have made several visits to Washington over the last few months to urge lawmakers to protect their benefits, which they say is a government obligation. President Harry Truman in 1946 brokered the Krug-Lewis agreement, which guaranteed health and pension benefits for coal miners. Sunday's agreement did not address a long-term fix for miners' pension funds, which are also set to be terminated. Lawmakers from both parties still hope to pass the Miners Protection Act, which would transfer funds from the Abandoned Mine Land fund to the union's pension plan to prevent its insolvency. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been working with the UMWA and Democratic and Republican lawmakers to pass that bill. If Congress cannot transfer those funds, the financially-strained $5 billion federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp, an agency that backstops failed private-sector pension programs, would be responsible for covering the plans. Manchin said there is a "sacred bond between worker and country" and that he "is more determined than ever to fulfill our whole obligation and secure retired miners pension benefits as well. (Reporting By Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) By Andrew Chung REUTERS - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left intact California's ban on "gay conversion" therapy aimed at turning youths under age 18 away from homosexuality, rejecting a Christian minister's challenge to the law asserting it violates religious rights. The justices, turning away a challenge to the 2012 law for the second time in three years, let stand a lower court's ruling that it was constitutional and neither impinged upon free exercise of religion nor impacted the activities of clergy members. The law prohibits state-licensed mental health counselors, including psychologists and social workers, from offering therapy to change sexual orientation in minors. The Supreme Court in 2014 refused to review the law after an appeals court rejected claims that the ban infringed on free speech rights under U.S. Constitution's the First Amendment. California outlawed gay conversion therapy in 2012, calling it ineffective and harmful. New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and the District of Columbia have similar laws on the books, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The Supreme Court turned away a challenge to New Jersey's law in 2015. Gay conversion therapy methods range from counseling, hypnosis and dating-skill training to aversive techniques that induce pain or electric shocks in response to same-sex erotic images, according to California officials. Such treatments stem from a belief that homosexuality is a mental illness, a view that has been discredited for decades, the state said in court papers. Lead plaintiff Donald Welch, an ordained minister and licensed family therapist, oversees counseling at Skyline Wesleyan Church, an evangelical Christian church in the San Diego area that believes sexuality belongs only in a marriage between a man and a woman. Welch, along with a Catholic psychiatrist and a man who underwent conversion therapy and now aspires to perform it on others, sued the state claiming the law is unconstitutional. Story continues After their free speech challenge failed, the plaintiffs' pressed their claim that the ban violates their right to freely exercise their religion. Last October, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected their arguments. Related Video: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) The U.S. Army has released pictures taken by combat photographer, Hilda Clayton, which she clicked just few seconds before her death in an explosion that killed four other Afghan soldiers too. They died when a mortar tube accidentally exploded July 2, 2013. Clayton's image was published with the Afghan photographers picture in the May-June issue of Military Review, a journal of the army. In the picture, debris float in front of an orange haze of flame and a soldier is seen covering his ears from the blast. The then 22-year old Clayton was present at the training exercise, documenting the drill as well as training another combat photographer, who also died in the explosion, according to US Armys Military Review journal. Read: US Army Needs More Missiles And Soldiers, High Ranking Army Officer Tells Congress "At the critical juncture of the war, when it was necessary for the Afghan National Army to increasingly assume responsibility for military actions, the story was not in the fighting but in the partnership that was necessary between U.S. and Afghan forces to stabilize the Afghan nation." "One of the Afghan soldiers killed was a photojournalist that Clayton had partnered with to train in photojournalism. Not only did Clayton help document activities aimed at shaping and strengthening the partnership but she also shared in the risk by participating in the effort," the journal stated. The Georgia native worked as a visual information specialist attached to the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Only after Clayton's family and unit provided consent to publish the photographs taken by her, the Armys Military Review Journal did so. The article in the journal also says that Claytons death symbolizes how female soldiers are increasingly exposed to hazardous situations in training and in combat on par with their male counterparts. Story continues Bill Darley, managing editor of Military Review, said in a phone call Tuesday that the photos had been brought to the publication's attention by a staff member who had served with Clayton. He said that publishing Clayton's images were a tribute to her and perfect for an edition that in part focused on gender equality. When asked about the response to Clayton's photo, which has been widely shared, Darley said she "was revered by her unitthey even named an annual contest in her honorand she was a dedicated soldier, so we are gratified" that the public was interested to know who Clayton was, according to Time. According to the Augusta Chronicle, Col. Bill Benson, the commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, which is nicknamed Long Knife, said right after Clayton died: Though not assigned directly to Long Knife, Spc. Clayton embodied the Cavalry spirit. She was always willing to take on any mission and she pursued every opportunity to tell our story with her images." In the short time that (Clayton) was with Long Knife, she earned the respect and admiration of everyone she came in contact with...Our deepest condolences are with her husband, her parents, and her family and friends at home. Though nothing can fill the void that has been left, I hope that there is some consolation in knowing that Spc. Clayton was a valuable member of the Long Knife team and that she made a positive difference every day that she was with us," Benson said. Related: Watch Today Show on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. Related Articles Washington (AFP) - The US Air Force test-launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from California early Wednesday, the military said. Air Force Global Strike Command spokesman Joe Thomas told AFP from California that the test was routine and not meant to be a show of force in the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile program. The Minuteman III missile blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 0702 GMT, the strike command said in a statement. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. The missile traveled some 4,200 miles (6,700 km) and went down near a Pacific Ocean atoll that is part of the Marshall Islands and features a US military ballistic missile test site. The Minuteman III, capable of being fitted with a nuclear warhead, is tested like this about four times a year, said Linda Frost, also a spokeswoman for the strike command. Air forces photos of the launch show bright, roaring flames at the moment of liftoff, then a pale, slender, orange trail against the night sky as the missile arced over the ocean. "These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent," the strike command said in a statement. "The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational capability of the Minuteman III and ensures the United States ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of US national security and the security of US allies and partners," it added. The US has test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile from a site in California, the second such launch in a week, amid rising tensions with North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 missile has a range of around 8,000 miles, putting it within striking distance of Pyongyang. It blasted off just after midnight from Vandenberg Air Force Base, 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and delivered a single projectile to a target approximately 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, US Air Force Global Strike Command said. The test, which took 10 months to plan, was the latest designed to check the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the U.S. nuclear force. The US has about 450 such missiles. It was the second such launch in seven days from the Central California coastal base. Last week's had been pushed back from the autumn. Related: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. Colonel Chris Moss, Vandenbergs 30th Space Wing commander, said of the first test launch that it was an important demonstration of our nation's nuclear deterrent capabilities. "These Minuteman launches are essential to verify the status of our national nuclear force and to demonstrate our national nuclear capabilities, he said. The tests come amid rising tensions between North Korea and the US. missile-california.jpg An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test on Wednesday, 26 April 2017 (AP) Washington has expressed concern about Pyongyangs nuclear ambitions, and recent missile tests by the North suggest it is making progress toward developing a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the US. In response, the US has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test. Donald Trump said on Monday he might be willing to meet with the country's dictator, Kim Jong-un. Read more China tells US and North Korea to stop irritating each other "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it," the President said. Story continues Meanwhile, China has called on all parties in the standoff to stay calm and "stop irritating each other". "We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. Rising tensions are also pushing Japan to consider dropping its pacifist charter. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday he hoped the first-ever change to the country's 70-year-old pacifist constitution would be enacted by 2020, and that it would enshrine the status of the military. Under the constitution's Article Nine, Japan forever renounced its right to wage war and banned maintenance of a military, though successive governments have interpreted it to allow a military exclusively for self-defence. Japanese troops have taken part in international peace-keeping operations, as well as a non-combat reconstruction mission in Iraq from 2004 to 2006. Additional reporting agencies Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan police fired tear gas and hooded protesters hurled Molotov cocktails as thousands rallied in anger at President Nicolas Maduro's plan to rewrite the constitution. Flames erupted in the latest of more than a month of clashes that prosecutors say have killed 32 people in the oil-rich nation, stricken by food shortages. Government forces used tear gas against demonstrators in las Mercedes, on Caracas' east end, the prosecutor's office said. At least one protester caught fire and two opposition lawmakers were among various people injured, AFP reporters at the scene said. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. It was not clear if that person was the man who died. "The (deceased) young man sustained serious neck trauma that sent him into shock and then heart failure," Gerardo Blyde, mayor of the capital's Baruta district, said without specifying what struck the victim. Clashes broke out after riot police blocked demonstrators from advancing towards state institutions in central Caracas, where Maduro addressed a rally of thousands of his supporters. The opposition accuses the elected president of maneuvering to strengthen his grip on power. He has for months been resisting calls for a vote on removing him from office as the country staggers under food shortages, a near-crippled state-run economy and one of the world's highest inflation rates. - Clouds of tear gas - Clouds of grey smoke from tear gas canisters filled the air as police with riot shields and trucks advanced along a major avenue in the east of the capital. Protesters hurled stones and set fire to barricades. Officers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to push them back. Protesters were enraged by the socialist president's launching of procedures by the electoral council to draw up a new constitution. "I am convening a national constituent assembly of citizens with deep popular involvement so that our people... with their voice can decide the destiny of our homeland," he said in a speech at the council. Story continues Private polls indicate that more than 70 percent of those interviewed do not support Maduro, who was elected in 2013 to succeed his late mentor Hugo Chavez. Maduro said the constitutional reform body would not include political parties with seats in the opposition-controlled National Assembly, but representatives of social groups traditionally loyal to him. His center-right opponents and some international powers said the move is an attempt to dodge local elections this year and a presidential poll set for late 2018. "It is a fraud by Maduro's side," said the president's most prominent opponent, senior opposition leader Henrique Capriles. "Since they cannot win elections, they want to impose the Cuban electoral model to keep themselves in power," he said. Cuba, the sole one-party communist regime in the Americas, is Maduro's closest ally. Maduro's own attorney general, Luisa Ortega, is unpopular with dissidents for her prosecution of opponents of the Maduro government. Yet she surprised many in March condemning as a break in constitutional order the High Court's suspension of the national assembly -- the only body not in the hands of Maduro supporters. And Ortega told the Wall Street Journal that the government should ensure people's right to demonstrate freely, without arbitrary arrests. "We cant demand peaceful and legal behavior from citizens if the state takes decisions that" are not in line with the law, she told the Journal. She said that Maduro's bid to rewrite the constitution was off-base. "This constitution is unbeatable," she said of the 1999 Hugo Chavez version. - 'Insurgency' - The opposition blames Maduro for an economic crisis that has led to shortages of food, medicine and basic goods. "We are tired of this government that has been destroying the country for 18 years," said one protester, housewife Nancy Trejos, 62. "We want to be free, to have food, medicine and public safety." Maduro says the crisis is the result of a US-backed capitalist conspiracy. He accused the opposition of "moving into a phase of armed insurgency. In these grave circumstances, the only way to ensure peace is a constituent assembly." - History of coups - The past month of protests has shut down many schools and businesses. Caracas's once-vibrant nightlife has died due to fears of violence and looting. Rival reports of attacks by government-backed thugs or pro-opposition agitators have sown fear among residents. Venezuela has seen three attempted military coups since 1992. In 2014, clashes at anti-government protests killed 43 people. Despite the country's chaos, Maduro retains the military's public backing. The crisis has been fueled by falling prices for Venezuela's crucial oil exports, but the government has avoided defaulting on its foreign debts so far. Todd Heap and his daughter, Holly. (Heap family website) For many of us, the tragedy suffered last month by former Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals tight end Todd Heap, who accidentally struck and killed his 3-year-old daughter while moving a truck, is still unfathomable. But the Heap family wants to turn their heartache into something positive. Todd and his wife, Ashley, have designated Wednesday, May 3 as Hugs from Holly Day and would like fans and the public to get involved. May 3 would have been Holly Heaps fourth birthday, and on a website the couple has set up, they explain that the little girl was known for giving the best hugs and had a contagious love of life and everyone in it. So they are asking to spread joy on the Holly-Day: wear pink in Hollys honor, give lots of hugs and engage in some random acts of kindness, or come up with your own way to celebrate the day. The Heaps also want people to take photos of themselves and share them on social media with the hashtag #hugsfromhollyday to show what they did to spread some love and kindness in memory of their little girl. More from Yahoo Sports: Dan Wetzel: Aaron Hernandezs latest legal drama begins to unfold Kaepernick, other big-name NFL free agents still looking for work MLB star taunted with racial slurs at Fenway Michael Lee: Whats fueling LeBrons playoff dominance? The following material contains mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised. 23-year-old Vinny has spent tens of thousands of dollars on plastic surgery and other alterations to his appearance in an effort to become a genderless alien. Im going to openly acknowledge that when I read your story, theres some confusion, ER Physician Dr. Travis Stork tells Vinny. Vinny explains, Starting my journey to become this genderless, sexless alien was brought about because in my communities, in the queer and gay community and the trans community, I found myself not really connecting with either. He continues, Ive looked into removing my genitals completely with different doctors, like a sexual unassignment. No nipples, Ive looked into removing my belly button, just to give it that sci-fi, sexy kind of like look. He also hopes that because these surgeries are rare, hes giving doctors a chance to practice and get better at performing them. Watch: Pregnant Woman's Alien Baby? Im happy to report that people have said no to you, right? Plastic Surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon interjects. Vinny says that doctors get a little scared and nervous about performing some of the surgery he wants. However, hes looking at having the procedures done overseas. Have the surgeons there done it? Ob/Gyn Dr. Nita Landry asks. I know they say theyll do it for you, but have they done it for anyone else? Vinny replies, I havent asked if theyve done it. Psychotherapist Dr. Mike Dow joins the conversation. It really concerns me when you talk about going overseas, he tells Vinny. Any good physician in America is going to want you to meet with somebody like me for a year, get a second opinion. Watch: Beauty Pageant Controversy Hes concerned that with these irreversible procedures, Vinny may face regrets. Vinny agrees, Absolutely! He worries that he may have second thoughts in his 60s. He does say that he has someone he talks to about his concerns who can support him. Sex is between your legs gender is rooted in your brain, concludes Dr. Dow. But the brain is also very complex, and we have to see what this is really about. UPDATED 5:45 a.m. PT Thursday with claim that the incident was an academic experiment gone wrong, and with Google statement. A widespread phishing scam involving Google Docs made its way across the internet yesterday (May 3), with multiple Twitter users and at least two Reddit threads documenting spam messages coming from "hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com". Google appeared to have shut down the phishing campaign within about an hour. Illustration: Tom's Guide Illustration: Tom's Guide The phishing email arrived in your inbox and said that someone you knew had shared a Google Doc with you. There was a button to "Open in Docs" if you clicked it, you were redirected to a non-Google address, and everyone in your Google address book then got the same phishing email, only with you as the sender. There's no evidence than anything more malicious occurred. "I just got a Google Doc invite from a BuzzFeed email address, clicked on it, and it spammed everyone I've ever emailed," tweeted Joe Bernstein, a BuzzFeed technology reporter. (This reporter got one of these emails from Bernstein.) READ NEXT: Why the Google Docs Hack Will Happen Again It's not yet clear what the aim of the phishing scam was. A posting on the official G Suite blog said that "the problem with Google Drive should be resolved." If you received such an email and clicked on the"Open in Docs" button, go to https://myaccount.google.com/permissions and see if "Google Docs" is listed as one of the apps that has access to your Google account. If so, that's the fake one the real Google Docs shouldn't appear on this page. Select the fake Google Docs and click the blue "REMOVE" button. (We originally advised changing your Google password, but that doesn't seem to have been necessary.) The Google Doc scam email, as received by a Tom's Guide staffer. The Google Doc scam email, as received by a Tom's Guide staffer. "This big phishing attack is clever; an OAUTH based attack. Tricks you into giving 'permission' to read your emails," tweeted Matt Tait, a British security expert. Story continues 0Auth is a widely used credentialing standard that keeps you logged into accounts for a long period of time, and can also be used across accounts. For example, when you log into Gmail on one Chrome tab, then open another tab to open Google Drive, a 0Auth "token" logs you into the second tab's content automatically. (Update: It turns out Google uses a proprietary mechanism for that.) Likewise, if you keep a browser logged into a Twitter account indefinitely, that's OAuth at work. Malicious hackers love stealing 0Auth tokens because they can be reused until the user completely logs out of an account on all devices. MORE: Best Antivirus - Top Software for PC, Mac and Android Tait added that the ongoing attack was very similar to a spear-phishing campaign last year carried out by APT28, aka Pawn Storm or Fancy Bear, and documented by the Tokyo-based security firm Trend Micro in a recent report. APT28 is one of the two Russian groups that hacked into the Democratic National Committee's email servers during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. However, the source code for today's attack was quickly found on at least two code-sharing websites. Its availability indicated that this email virus may have been the work of "script kiddies," or juvenile pranksters, rather than cybercriminals or nation-state-backed hackers. UPDATE: A Twitter account created Thursday morning by someone calling himself Eugene Pupov, and claiming to be a graduate student at Coventry University in England, said that the Google Docs virus was simply an academic experiment gone wrong. "The emails I sent were not not a 'phishing scam,' or a scam at all," the purported Pupov said in a series of Tweets. "I was simply testing out a program I had written as my graduate final project for Coventry University. This is a total misunderstanding, and the whole situation has taken a toll on my family's, and my own life. My intention was not to 'phish' or 'scam' individuals. The emails were sent simply as a test." If that's true, then this situation is eerily similar to the Morris worm, an academic experiment by a Cornell University graduate student that accidentally flooded the pre-web internet in the fall of 1988. However, Tom's Guide could find no other evidence of a Coventry University student by the name Eugene Pupov, or by common variants of that name. Coventry University told Vice Motherboard it had no such student. Security researchers discovered yesterday that the code behind the Google Docs virus had been signed by a Eugene Pupov, but that was disclosed before the Twitter account was created. Google itself commented on the incident with this statement: "We have taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs, and have disabled offending accounts. We've removed the fake pages, pushed updates through Safe Browsing, and our abuse team is working to prevent this kind of spoofing from happening again. We encourage users to report phishing emails in Gmail. If you think you clicked on a fraudulent email, visit g.co/SecurityCheckup and remove apps you don't recognize." See also : 33 Simple Ways to Avoid Getting Hacked - A "cross-dresser" has been arrested in the Kumasi Municipality - The 26-year-old Chris Boateng told police that he was a homosexual - When he is dressed like a lady, Chris calls himself Miss Tracy or Ciara - Get more news on odd and trending issues in Ghana here on YEN.com.gh The issue of homosexuality doesnt appear to be going anywhere as a suspected gay man has been apprehended in Kumasi. READ ALSO: Kwame Nkrumah Interchange develops numerous potholes after just 5 months YEN.com.gh learnt that he was arrested for dressing as a woman to lure men to have sexual intercourse with him in attempt to initiate them into gayism. The culprit is 26 year old Chris Boateng aka Nana Kwame, who is a resident of Medoma, near Kumasi. He proudly claims to be a homosexual has known this fact for about 16 years and is unbothered by it. He said he was introduced into it at age 10 when he left home after his mother died. Chris Boateng, the accused gay man arrested in Kumasi for dressing like a woman Chris who calls his alter ego Miss Tracy or Ciara said he dresses as a woman and visits the various night clubs in the Kumasi Metropolis to seduce men into sleeping with her which she/he finds very pleasurable. Luck run out for Ciara when he was stopped by a police patrol team around 9pm on Friday at Adum who questioned his sexuality and later arrested him when they found out what he really was. According to The Ashanti Regional Police Crime Officer, Chief Supt. Peter Baba, they are yet to charge Chris as they do not know what his crime really is since the Ghanaian constitution isnt really clear about such acts but they were going to investigate to see if Chris intentionally dresses like a woman to trap men. READ ALSO: President Magufuli sacks over 10,000 civil servants with fake education certificates Some residents in the area says this is not the first time Chris has been caught in this act as not long ago he was nearly lynched when he was outed for engaging in homosexuality and that it has become his modus operandi to trap men and rob them of their belongings. Source: YEN.com.gh WASHINGTON, D.C. and MCLEAN, Va. A stylish, contemporary hotel located just six blocks from the White House and around the corner from the trendy 14th Street corridor is the newest member of the exclusive Curio Collection by HiltonTM, the global portfolio of upper upscale independent hotels and resorts. The Darcy Washington D.C., Curio Collection by Hilton, joins the rapidly-growing collection brand of locally authentic hotels as its first property in the nation's capital. A destination unto itself not far from the cosmopolitan Logan Circle neighborhood, The Darcy - which takes its name from a well-dressed and well-traveled fictional character - is a short walk from four Metro stations and D.C.'s noted landmarks and monuments. "The Darcy Washington D.C. is as eclectic and remarkable as the District it serves, delivering a truly authentic experience for guests looking for one-of-a-kind discoveries," said Mark Nogal, global head, Curio Collection by Hilton and Tapestry Collection by Hilton. "Newly recreated, The Darcy exudes the spirit of its destination as do all Curio Collection by Hilton hotels, particularly through its unique ambience and local partnerships." Eclectic, Elegant and Energetic The Darcy Washington D.C.'s contemporary and sophisticated design - led by Lead Designer Christian Schnyder, owner and principal of the prestigious Beleco Designs in Los Angeles - is inspired by the American Beauty Rose, the city's official flower. Its look intersperses European-inspired elements of mixed wood with distressed metals and bright colors, creating a high-end yet energetic, edgy vibe reflective of the dignified architecture and trendy restaurants that neighbor the hotel. Visitors are drawn to the singular lobby, which has been fashioned to approximate a handsomely restored yet purposeful living room, with such classic architectural touches as rose carvings on wooden archways, honeycomb-panel flooring, black-painted exposed brick and patterned wallpaper. Displayed throughout the hotel's 226 guest rooms and public spaces are numerous contemporary artworks - ranging from botanical photographs to abstract sculptures and prints - that pay homage to Washington's rich history. "The Darcy - like Washington, D.C. - is stately and contemporary, delighting guests with its distinctive flair and thoughtful comforts," said Tobias Arff, general manager, The Darcy Washington, D.C., Curio Collection by Hilton. "By joining Curio Collection, we will be free to have an independent spirit while enhancing it with Hilton's globally-recognized services and reputation." Hotel Highlights Alluring Cuisine A Siren's Song: Siren features a distinctive menu from acclaimed chefs Robert Wiedmaier, Brian McBride and chef de cuisine, John Critchley, with a focus on seafood reeled in from the world's waterways. This includes everything from Alaskan King Crab and White Ivory Salmon, to delicate Sea Urchin from Japan, to the succulent fish and crustaceans found in the North Sea. The seasonally grounded menu drives the culinary team to source many of its locally available ingredients from nearby, whenever possible. The dining experience is enhanced by live jazz; a blue/gray interior with a sleek, zinc counter surrounding the "raw" bar and an outdoor dining area. Siren features a distinctive menu from acclaimed chefs Robert Wiedmaier, Brian McBride and chef de cuisine, John Critchley, with a focus on seafood reeled in from the world's waterways. This includes everything from Alaskan King Crab and White Ivory Salmon, to delicate Sea Urchin from Japan, to the succulent fish and crustaceans found in the North Sea. The seasonally grounded menu drives the culinary team to source many of its locally available ingredients from nearby, whenever possible. The dining experience is enhanced by live jazz; a blue/gray interior with a sleek, zinc counter surrounding the "raw" bar and an outdoor dining area. Funky Fresh:Lil' B Coffee & Eatery is a street-level hangout serving a Southern inspired menu from celebrity chef David Guas. Fresh baked goods and sweets, signature casual eats, and loaded, seasonal sandwiches that give a nod to his native city of New Orleans are complemented by hand-crafted coffee drinks and a range of locally brewed beers, meads and wines.With its semi-industrial design, exposed brick and handcrafted wood tables and counters, the corner spot is both comfortable and cool. Signature Services & Amenities Cocktails Galore: Each night in the lobby, The Darcy hosts its guests for complimentary cocktails, featuring its signature drink with area favorites, Green Hat Gin and Element [Shrub]: The Darcy Double. The hotel also offers a traveling Cocktail Cart, with mixologist, for custom-mixed in-room cocktails. Each night in the lobby, The Darcy hosts its guests for complimentary cocktails, featuring its signature drink with area favorites, Green Hat Gin and Element [Shrub]: The Darcy Double. The hotel also offers a traveling Cocktail Cart, with mixologist, for custom-mixed in-room cocktails. Haberdashery: Guests may purchase or borrow cufflinks, tie clips and pocket squares provided by Read Wall, a DC-based American-tailored men's clothier. Guests may purchase or borrow cufflinks, tie clips and pocket squares provided by Read Wall, a DC-based American-tailored men's clothier. Darcy Kids: Adventurous young guests may check out a locally-themed backpack designed to hold their attention during family treks about the city. Complimentary scooters and bicycles are also available. Adventurous young guests may check out a locally-themed backpack designed to hold their attention during family treks about the city. Complimentary scooters and bicycles are also available. Pop-Up Flower Bar: In a nod to Washington's many gardens and parks, The Darcy will host a bi-monthly flower bar through a partnership with local start-up UrbanStems to invite guests to build their own bouquets and locals to pick up fresh flowers. Meetings & Events, Intimate or Grand Flexible Meeting Space: Named after prominent D.C. area artists, socialites and activists, five meeting, breakout and board rooms bathed in natural light can accommodate gatherings for up to 80 seated or 100 standings guests. Named after prominent D.C. area artists, socialites and activists, five meeting, breakout and board rooms bathed in natural light can accommodate gatherings for up to 80 seated or 100 standings guests. Logan Ballroom: For events on a grander scale, Logan Ballroom is a sophisticated backdrop for up to 200 guests. An enchanting outdoor patio is also available. To receive instant access to the benefits they care about most - including exclusive discounts, free Wi-Fi, Digital Check-In and Hilton Honors Points towards free nights - guests are encouraged to join Hilton Honors and book directly through preferred Hilton channels. The Darcy Washington D.C., Curio Collection by Hilton, is owned by KHP Capital Partners and managed by Sage Hospitality. Media may access high-resolution images and additional information about The Darcy Washington D.C., Curio Collection by Hilton at news.curio.com/darcy. About Hilton Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,800 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 122 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2021 World's Best Workplaces list and been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. In 2021, in addition to opening more than one hotel a day, Hilton introduced several industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 128 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Emily Montgomery Hilton +1 703 883 5257 Hilton Hyatt Regency Atlanta and Georgia State University today announced the creation of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hospitality Scholarship, funded by a $100,000 endowment to provide opportunity to young leaders pursuing degrees in hospitality. As part of Hyatt Regency Atlanta's 50th anniversary celebrations in May 2017, the annual scholarship has been established through a collaboration between the hotel and the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration in Georgia State's J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt Hotels Foundation are each contributing to the $100,000 endowment, which is designed to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. The School of Hospitality Administration will select recipients each year based on academic achievement and other criteria. Halle Neeley, a Georgia State University senior from Atlanta, will be the scholarship's inaugural recipient. Hyatt Regency Atlanta will honor Neeley at its 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, May 2. With more than 50,000 students, Georgia State University is the largest university in the state. A national leader in graduating students from diverse backgrounds, Georgia State has raised its graduation rates by 22 percentage points over 10 years. Twenty-six percent of its student body are first-generation college students and 69 percent receive federal financial aid. "We are honored to partner with Georgia State University to create this enduring gift for Halle and future young leaders in our community," said Peter McMahon, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Atlanta. "Hyatt's purpose is to care for people so they can be their best, which means caring for our colleagues, guests and communities. This gift is an extension of that commitment. An investment in our community's future is the best way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hyatt Regency Atlanta." "Georgia State is enormously grateful for this generous gift from our friends and neighbors at Hyatt," said Richard Phillips, dean of Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business. "This scholarship will allow promising students to achieve their educational goals and help develop new leaders in our community and the hospitality industry for years to come." "I'm honored to be selected as the first recipient of this scholarship," Neeley said. "The scholarship will help me complete my degree and start my career in hospitality. I'm so grateful to everyone at Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hyatt and Georgia State University." Opened in 1967 and designed by renowned architect John C. Portman Jr., Hyatt Regency Atlanta is an architectural icon and one of America's great hotels. The property has a rich history and was among the first hotels in Atlanta to open its doors to the civil rights movement, a tradition of inclusion and openness it still celebrates today. To learn more about Hyatt Regency Atlanta and its 50th anniversary, please see our Facebook page or visit atlanta.regency.hyatt.com. The term "Hyatt" is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. About Hyatt Regency Atlanta Celebrating 50 years in 2017, Hyatt Regency Atlanta has been Atlanta's premier hotel since opening on Peachtree Street in 1967. The 22-story hotel is located in the heart of Atlanta, just blocks from the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Atlanta's major attractions. Hyatt Regency Atlanta features 1,260 guestrooms and 180,000 square feet of ballroom, meeting and hospitality space. It was the world's first contemporary atrium hotel, and today is a preferred destination for business and leisure travelers from around the world. For reservations or more information about Hyatt Regency Atlanta, please visit atlanta.regency.hyatt.com or call (404) 577-1234. The largest business school in the South and part of a major research institution, Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business has 200 faculty, 8,000 students and 80,000 alumni. With programs on five continents and students from 88 countries, the college is world-class and worldwide. Its part-time MBA is ranked among the best by the Aspen Institute, Bloomberg Businessweek and U.S. News & World Report, and its Executive MBA is on the Financial Times list of the world's premier programs. Located in Atlanta, the Robinson College and Georgia State have produced more of Georgia's top executives with graduate degrees than any other school in the Southeast. ITB Asia 2017 sees strong exhibitor demand from North Asia and Europe with more than 80 per cent of the show floor already booked Indonesia joins ITB Asia 2017 for the second year in a row, as the biggest exhibitor this year With a focus on travel technology, participants can expect leading technology players at this year's milestone travel trade show Exhibitors, buyers and delegates can also now connect and set up appointments ahead of the trade show via an enhanced appointment system Singapore Celebrating its 10th anniversary as 'Asia's Leading Travel Trade Show', ITB Asia 2017 is celebrating its milestone year with a flying start as the trade show sees a surge in exhibitor demand from industry heavyweights as well as the travel technology sector. Organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore), the show will take place from 25 27 October 2017 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. ITB Asia 2017 garnered the highest number of bookings in ten years at the end of its early-bird phase. With exhibitors spanning across the travel industry all the way to the technology sector, more than 80 per cent of its show floor has already been booked for exhibition. Participants can look forward to seeing key industry players including Advantage Austria, VisitFinland, Spain Tourism Board, Catalan Tourist Board, Luxembourg for Tourism, Saint Petersburg Convention Bureau, Turkish Tourism and Information Office, Brand USA, Tourism Authority of Thailand and India Tourism. "After four consecutive years participating in ITB Asia, we have no doubt that ITB Asia is the best platform for destinations and companies across the tourism industry to boost their business in the Asia-Pacific region. It is easy to see why it is the most prestigious trade show of its kind as the show features high-quality VIP hosted buyers, good organisation as well as innovative industry developments," said David Miro, Asia-Pacific Regional Director of Catalonia Tourism Board. "We are also extremely grateful for the opportunity that we were offered last year to present, for the first time in South-East Asia, the Castells (human towers), a UNESCO World Heritage tradition from Catalonia that dates back to the 1700s," he added. Scandinavian and Eastern European countries are showing even stronger exhibitor demand this year with Promote Iceland joining for the first time and Innovation Norway expanding their exhibitor space. In addition to stronger exhibitor demand from Eastern European and Scandinavian countries, participants can expect a strong showing from Asia at ITB Asia 2017 too as South Korea and Japan are strengthening their presence this year with Japan National Tourism Organization and Korea Tourism Organization, JTB Group and Hanatour Services Inc. Although Europe and North Asia are set to dominate the show floor, Southeast Asia will also feature prominently thanks to a growing demand from the region as well as Indonesia's return to ITB Asia as the biggest exhibitor this year following a tremendously successful ITB Asia show last year. "Our successful run at ITB Asia 2016 resulted in more than US$20 million in potential transaction value for the Indonesian tourism industry," said Rizki Handayani, Director of Promotion for Southeast Asia, Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia. In line with this year's focus on travel technology, participants will also have access to a full suite of technology businesses. This will include leading technology specialists in reservation software solutions and travel network systems in the likes of Jac Travel, Peakwork AG, Tourico Holidays, Go Global Travel, Vertical Booking and Juniper to name a few. ITB Asia 2017 will also transform the structure of interactions between exhibitors, buyers and delegates through an enhanced appointment matching system which will allow all participants to connect with each other ahead of the show. Exhibitors can now access participants at all levels including trade delegates and media to set up pre-scheduled appointments. This will not only unlock the full potential of all participants at the show, but also present plenty of opportunities for participants to build business relationships along the industry chain as well as across different sectors, creating a more seamless and productive trade show experience at ITB Asia 2017. "We are delighted to see such strong levels of participation at ITB Asia this year. The surge in exhibitor demand is testament to ITB Asia's leadership in the travel trade show industry and we aim to continue this positive momentum as we celebrate the show's tenth anniversary. This is a key milestone year for all of us at ITB Asia and we are excited to celebrate this occasion together with all our exhibitors and partners" said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia. The ninth instalment of ITB Asia last year attracted 846 exhibitors, as well as 895 buyers and more than 10,876 attendees over three days. To accommodate this year's surge in exhibitor demand, ITB Asia is currently exploring an expansion of the show floor. For more information on ITB Asia 2017, visit http://www.itb-asia.com/. About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention ITB Berlin 2023 will take place for trade visitors only from Tuesday, 7 to Thursday, 9 March. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World's Leading Travel Trade Show. As in previous years, the internationally renowned ITB Berlin Convention will take place live parallel with the exhibition on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, with selected sessions live-streamed on itb.com. In 2022 it took place as a virtual event on the brand's website itb.com and registered 60,700 attendees from 125 countries who took part in more than 100 sessions featuring 223 speakers. Taking place on one day, the Digital Business Day gave 2,500 attendees from 96 countries an opportunity to exchange views and do business virtually from anywhere in the world. International attendance was high, with 78 per cent of buyers and providers taking part from abroad. A total of 20,000 business contacts were made, resulting in 14,000 leads and 3,200 business meetings being arranged. As a virtual industry platform, the Digital Business Day augmented the ITB brand family and rounded off the trade show concept. In 2022, under the heading 'TRVLX by ITB', ITB Berlin is planning a series of B2B networking events in European markets the kick-off event took place in May in Georgia. Before the pandemic at ITB 2019, around 10,000 exhibitors from 181 countries displayed their products and services to some 160,000 visitors, including 113,500 trade visitors. Christina Freier Product Manager ITB Berlin +49 (0) 30 3038-2128 Messe Berlin GmbH Alitalia SpA started bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in a decade, throwing the survival of Italys flag carrier in doubt after workers rejected job cuts and concessions linked to a 2 billion-euro (USD2.2 billion) refinancing plan. Shareholders voted unanimously to file for insolvency administration, the carrier said in a statement following a meeting yesterday. Under Italian law, the government will appoint supervisors to turn around the company or order its liquidation, and may provide stop-gap funds to maintain operations. Alitalia, which was mainly backed by Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways PJSC, last week said it had exhausted all options to stay solvent after workers nixed a plan involving 1,600 job losses. The cuts to its workforce of 12,500 employees may be even deeper under administration, as a rescue appears unlikely. Etihad, which owns 49 percent of the carrier, said it wont extend additional funding. It is clear this business requires fundamental and far-reaching restructuring to survive and grow in future, Etihad Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said in a statement. Without the support of all stakeholders for that restructuring, we are not prepared to continue to invest. Alitalia, which missed out on a round of consolidation that shored up other European flag carriers, has seen its standing further eroded since a previous bankruptcy in 2008. Etihads stake purchase, part of a 1.76 billion-euro rescue of Alitalia in 2014, was a major chance as the Gulf carrier sought to transform the struggling carrier into a five-star airline. The plans never panned out as budget rivals Ryanair and EasyJet further ate into its position in Italy, and a wave of terror attacks in Europe hurt tourism in the region. With the insolvency filing, Alitalias board of directors acknowledged the serious economic and financial situation of the company, the airline said in the statement. The administrators will take over the business and present a new strategy that may entail asset sales, reduced operations and job cuts aimed at making the airline viable within two years. If a turnaround isnt possible, the administrators may order the carrier to be liquidated. The Italian government has already ruled out a bailout. While Etihad withdrew financial support, the Gulf carrier said its ready to work with Alitalia as a commercial partner, which effectively means that codeshare agreements continue. Etihad passengers booked on Alitalia flights can proceed with travel plans as normal, it said. Bloomberg The average daily wage of construction workers increased by 1.8 percent quarter-to-quarter to MOP830 in the first quarter of 2017. According to information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the average daily wage of non-resident construction workers (MOP750) rose by 4 percent quarter-to-quarter, and that of resident construction workers (MOP1,045) edged up by 0.4 percent. Regarding construction materials, the average price of concrete fell by 5 percent quarter-to-quarter to MOP783 per cubic meter, while that of spiral and round reinforcing steel bars rose by 1.9 percent to MOP4,590 per tonne. More illegal workers in first quarter The Public Security Police Force (PSP) announced yesterday that 67 illegal workers were found in March this year. During this month the PSP, along with the Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL) and other departments have co-organized actions to combat the influx of illegal workers. The departments inspected 472 locations, including construction plots, private buildings, commercial and industrial locations, among other places. Last February, the departments inspected 386 locations, which resulted in the identification of 47 illegal workers. Prior to last January, only 21 illegal workers were found from the 557 locations the departments inspected. The first three months of 2017 saw 135 illegal workers arrested. In the first quarter of 2016, the departments found 106 illegal workers, and inspected 1,175 locations. Parking lot temporarily closed at airport The Macau International Airport announced that its north car park is temporarily closed for public use from May 5 to May 10 due to security purposes. Passengers who are planning to come to the airport by private cars during the above-mentioned period, shall be aware that limited parking lots for public use are available at the South car park. Nonetheless, extra time may be required when queuing at the airport car park. The airport would like to remind passengers to consider using the nearby car park located in the Pac On Ferry Terminal. Exhibition introduces Venice Biennale participation Starting this month, the Macao Museum of Art is participating in the International Art Exhibition La Biennale Di Venezia for the sixth time. Established in 1895, the International Art Exhibition La Biennale Di Venezia is one of the worlds most significant contemporary art events. In order to promote the event to the public, the museum is hosting a related exhibition from 28 April to 12 November. The promotional exhibition will introduce the history of the Biennale, as well as works featured in the exhibition A Bonsai of My Dreams Works by Wong Cheng Pou. The exhibition is also featuring most of the maquettes from the exhibition that Macau is showcasing in Venice. Macau was first invited to participate in the Biennale in 2007. For its 57th edition, the exhibition features 17 artworks, including paintings and sculptures, by local artist Wong Cheng Pou. Chicken transport to Macau decided by farms The Director of the Zhuhai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (ZHCIQ), Li Qingxiang, said, in regard to the city shortening the quarantine process for frozen chicken transported to Macau, that it will be decided by the farms, frozen markets, wholesalers and other involved parties. According to a report by TDM, Li said that chicken can preserve its fresh flavor when it is frozen within eight to 10 hours. Earlier, Macaus Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau expressed their hope that Macaus imported frozen chicken providers could transport their product to Macau more quickly. Gongbei recorded highest daily crossing The Gongbei border gate recorded approximately 425,000 crossings last Sunday, a number that marks a new high at this specific border point. The record was set during the second day of the Labor Day holiday. According to the Public Security Police Force, on the 2016 Labor Day holiday, (until 9 p.m. of last May 1), all of Macaus border checkpoints registered 419,000 crossings, of which nearly 300,000 were recorded at Gongbei. On the first day of the holiday, until 5 p.m., Macau recorded 344,000 passages across all borders. 16-year-old girl may have committed suicide A 16-year-old middle school girl was found dead at home and at this point it is believed that she committed suicide, according to a report by TDM. The incident was reported by Chinese media yesterday morning. The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) expressed condolences and sorrow for the death of the student. DSEJ says that Secretary for Culture and Social Affairs Alexis Tam already ordered DSEJ to investigate the circumstances that led to the suicide. DSEJ also contacted a consultation organization and the late girls school, where it sent members of its staff to assist the school. A former vice governor of a province has been dismissed from public office for superstitious activities and trading power for sex and money, Chinas anti-corruption watchdog announced yesterday. Chen Shulong had long abused his power to seek huge profits, the ruling Communist Partys Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement. It didnt give a sum or explain what superstitious activities he had allegedly been involved in. It said his illegal gains will be confiscated and his case transferred to the judiciary. Chen was also expelled from the Communist Party, which nominally espouses atheism. He had been the vice governor of eastern Chinas Anhui province and had been under investigation since November, the statement said. As a high-level official, Chen was politically clinging to power, economically insatiable and morally bankrupt. Even after the 18th CPC National Congress, he still showed no sign of restraint and [his wrongdoings] were of a grave nature, said the statement quoted by the official Xinhua news agency. Chen will not serve as a delegate to the Partys 18th National Congress. Sanctions against Chen have been approved by the CPC Central Committee. Chens illegal gains will be confiscated and his case transferred to the judiciary, according to the note. He was put under investigation for serious discipline breaches by the CCDI on April 7 Chinese President Xi Jinping has made fighting corruption a hallmark of his administration since being appointed head of the party in late 2012. More than 1 million party members have been punished in the campaign, which has brought down two former top generals and a past member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of political power. MDT/Agencies Members of the new parliament of the Soviet republic of Latvia have met to discuss independence from Moscow. Leaders of the Latvian Popular Front are confident they can muster the majority they need to change the constitution. In March this year, neighbouring Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to pass a unilateral declaration of independence. In retaliation, the Kremlin shut off supplies of crude oil and natural gas. Latvia is hoping to avoid a similar confrontation with the USSRs President Mikhail Gorbachev by calling for a transition period before full independence takes effect. Nikolai Neiland, head of the Independent Communist Party This morning, their elected representatives led a procession to a memorial in the capital, Riga, dedicated to those who fought and died for Latvian independence after World War 1. The Lithuanian president, a guest at todays opening of parliament, had this advice for the Latvians Courage! One strategy put forward was to adopt parts of the Soviet constitution to avoid being accused of breaking the law. We have to avoid any confrontation because it would be useless, unproductive, said Nikolai Neiland, head of the Independent Communist Party. Russian demonstrators outside the parliament building held up banners reminding politicians inside that almost half of Latvias population is ethnically Russian and that independence might provoke a backlash. Also out on the streets of Riga were groups of Soviet paratroops. They say they are here for a parade but nationalists believe their presence is a crude reminder of Soviet power. Courtesy BBC News In context The following day the Latvian parliament declared de jure independence of Republic of Latvia. President Gorbachev could not resist pressure from hardliners in Moscow determined to prevent the break-up of the Soviet Union, and he issued a decree annulling the declaration. Then in January 1991 Soviet special troops stormed and took over Latvias Interior Ministry building. The occupation continued until the failed Moscow coup in August that year, when the Latvian parliament voted for full independence and banned the Communist Party. A few weeks later, on 7 September, Russias President Boris Yeltsin recognized the independence of Latvia and its Baltic neighbours Estonia and Lithuania. All three were admitted into the United Nations the same month. Moscow hardliners were particularly concerned for the large numbers of ethnic Russians and other migrants who live in the Baltic states. In fact, tough legislation was soon introduced making it very difficult for Russians to gain Latvian citizenship. But the law was eventually modified after international criticism. The Midwestern governor President Donald Trump picked to be his ambassador to China says if confirmed for the post he will confront Beijing on human rights issues and would welcome meetings with Chinese activists. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad says during his Senate confirmation hearing yesterday that he intends to travel to every province in China just as hes traveled to every county in his state. Branstad boasts a decades-long relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng). The two met in 1985 when Xi led an agricultural trade delegation to Iowa. Branstad says he hopes his longtime ties to Xi can lead China to play a greater role in defusing North Koreas nuclear weapons program. He calls Pyongyangs push for nuclear weapons a threat to all of humankind. Marine Le Pen deliberately plagiarized verbatim parts of an address from a former presidential candidate, as a wink to him and the voters she hopes to peel away in a runoff, her spokesmen said yesterday. Francois Fillon, the former Republicans candidate, first delivered the speech on Frances role in Europe and the world on April 15 just two weeks before Le Pens discourse this week. The subject is at the heart of Le Pens campaign. She promises to pull France out of the European Union and return to the franc currency, and has denounced globalizations effects on the French economy and culture. Three separate spokesmen for Le Pen used the word wink to describe the extracts copied word for word from Fillon. At no point in the speech did she cite Fillon or acknowledge the source of the extracts. I think with part of the right, we have exactly the same vision on the national identity and independence, Louis Aliot, Front National vice president, told LCI television Tuesday. Immediately after being eliminated in the first-round vote, Fillon called for his supporters to back her centrist rival, Emmanuel Macron. Both Macron and Le Pen are going after the voters of the 9 other candidates knocked out in that vote, in which Frances two main parties both failed to make it to the second round for the first time in the countrys modern history. Macron is promising an ethics bill that will block office-holders from conflicts of interest, nepotism and other ethical issues that have infuriated voters. Macron, who started his own political movement just a year ago, also promised he could get a legislative majority to pass the measure and others he says France needs to pull itself from the economic doldrums. Legislative elections are in June, and whoever is president will depend on lawmakers to implement an agenda. Macron, who has pulled support from the right and the left, said Tuesday candidates will have to quit their parties to run in his movement. Lori Hinnant, Paris, AP Warsaw denounces Macron for comparing Polish leader to Putin Polands Foreign Ministry said yesterday that French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron made an unacceptable comparison when he likened Polands government to the regimes of Russias Vladimir Putin and Hungarys Viktor Orban. Macron made his remarks at a Paris rally while campaigning for the Sunday runoff election between himself and far-right nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen. You know the friends and allies of Mrs. Le Pen. These are the regimes of Orban, Kaczynski and Putin. They are not open and free democracies. Every day, freedoms and rules are violated there along with our principles, he said. Jaroslaw Kaczynski is the chairman of Polands ruling conservative Law and Justice party and the countrys most powerful politician. The ministry said it noted Macrons words with regret and that the centrist candidate used unacceptable comparisons and mental shortcuts that lead to errors in public opinion. It also denied that Poland is an ally of Le Pens. Let us stress that anyone who knows Polands history and its internal political scene does not have the right to accuse the Polish people of warm feelings toward imperial Russia, the ministry said. Hungarys government did not respond to Macrons comments, but Orban earlier this year said he supported the French conservative candidate Francois Fillon, who was eliminated from the presidential race in the first round. To implement cooperation on food safety between Macau and Portugal, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) and Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE) of Portugal held their first working meeting in Macau yesterday. Both sides conducted discussions related to safeguarding food safety. The discussions covered topics such as the establishment of a notification method for food safety information and the establishment of more opportunities for Macau to participate in food safety workshops and meetings in the European Union with Portugal serving as Macaus channel in the European Union. The Macau side also intends to grasp the methods and equipment required to test food imported from Portugal, to achieve consistency in test standards in Macau and Portugal. In October last year, the MSAR government signed a cooperation agreement on surveillance and monitoring of food activities with Portugal. In accordance with the content of the agreement, the working teams of both sides take turns to convene a working meeting each year and conduct technical and operational exchanges in areas such as laboratory tests, research and studies. To implement the content of the concerned agreement, Jose Tavares, chairman of Administration Committee of IACM and Pedro Portugal Gaspar, General Inspector of ASAE of Portugal, held the first bilateral working meeting yesterday. According to a statement issued by IACM, Tavares said that the meeting would help to further understand the skills, supervision and technique of food production in both places, strengthening the confidence in food trade activities between Macau and Portugal and promoting the food safety in Macau to attain international level. After the meeting, ASAE of Portugal will conduct a three week training for practitioners in food safety work in Macau, which will cover law, tests and inspection, and food safety. The demonstrations that took place on May 1 (Labor Day) this year were dominated by protesters demanding solutions from the government on non-labor related issues. The majority of those taking to the streets to voice their concerns were doing so regarding the Pearl Horizon case. According to the Public Security Police Force (PSP) there were, in the several demonstrations, a total of around 2,600 people. The PSP noted that the protests went off without disturbance or any problems being registered. A group of Pearl Horizon project homeowners accounted for a significant number of those participating in the protest. They took this opportunity to once more express their discontent for the non-resolution of the case. Speaking to TDM, the leader of the demonstrating group and head of the Pearl Horizon Condominium Owners United Association, Kou Meng Pok said that the decision to march on May 1 had nothing to do with the upcoming visit of the chairman of the Standing Committee of National Peoples Congress, Zhang Dejiang, to Macau. Lets say, Zhangs visit is separate from our demands. I was told that we should take some action during his visit, but we think its unnecessary, he said, adding, we should exercise caution when Chinese leaders are in town. Sometimes you just have to give it some time and patience. Another group protesting on the day was the one from the Macau Family Reunion Association that continued to urge the government to address their demands of granting MSAR citizenship to their major descendants. In small number, groups of workers also took the opportunity to continue to petition for policies that further restricted the hiring of imported labor as a way to protect resident workers jobs, which they think are being threatened by the imported workers. This year, the traditional May Day demonstration gathered less participants and many of the associations and groups that usually take the streets on the day to voice their demands were absent. Protests were centered on the Pearl Horizon case, which is not linked to the demands that are usually voiced on Labor Day. According to sociologist Larry So, the Pearl Horizon topic is of a major concern, especially for the [home] owners but at the same time, and due to the recent issue regarding the public housing that involves at least 61 families [which risk to lose the house they bought] by a contract cancellation from the government. And this kind of affects people and there is a sense that if they pressure harder the government will do something, he noted saying that this affinity with the topic might lead more people to join in this kind of event. On top of that May 1 is known to be a day where associations and groups can demonstrate and show their force [strength] so it is common that they will join together to look larger to pressure the government to solve the problem, So told the Times, adding that the lack of groups protesting on direct labor issues might have to do with the fact that, employment rate is very good and I would risk to say that people do not consider this a primary problem in Macau society. Still according to So, the only remaining issue to be addressed is related to the foreigner workers that are feared to be occupying the jobs of locals. He thinks that this is the only labor issue and that it is only drawing the attention of some people. So also mentioned that, apart from all these issues, the pan-democratic side seems to be facing an internal conflict. They do have issues they need to resolve internally before they launch any kind of campaign. Seems like the young generations and the older ones are not looking each other in the eyes and in term way they do not have a united position that they can take outside. So also added, Trade Unions [that could have interests on the matter] since day one showed they have no interest in marching in the streets and they are more interested in carnivals and other kind of events, the sociologist concluded. On the side of the pan-democrats, Scott Chiang, president of the New Macau Association (ANM), told the Times that he understands the trouble of the Pearl Horizon buyers and that he can understand why they are protesting and acknowledged their right to do it. He qualified his understanding by saying that the topic is already a bit wasted and that potential solutions had already been mentioned for the case. Of course I feel sympathy for them as they put their money on something and they feel to have been deceived. But I think they should keep their options open [regarding getting a monetary compensation] since it may be too optimistic to think they will get a house [unit], Chiang said. I think thats the only problem we should be talking about, remarking, we should talk more on labor rights and working conditions but I guess we are in 2017 [election year] so I guess everybody is a little concerned in deciding what to do. Adding to the issues already mentioned, Chiang adds, people are getting too sensitive in Macau, he said mentioning that many people are getting afraid to participate in demonstrations and becoming associated with a certain group, I think many people are thinking about these things and thats why this year not many people are trying to advocate on the labor right topics. Chiang added, it is toxic to address labor rights (and) especially to foreign worker labor rights in Macau. Regarding the ANM, Chiang said, it was historic that New Macau didnt participate although we did deliver a list of problems we detected and want to see solved regarding labor rights. The president of Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM), Pereira Coutinho, also did not participate in the demonstrations in lieu Coutinho said the association has chosen to spend the day in activities with its members and listening to their concerns. For us, all days are workers days and we had the opportunity recently to voice out our concerns regarding the hike on several fees, he said. May Day protests turned violent in the Pacific Northwest as demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, threw smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at police while elsewhere thousands of people peacefully marched against President Donald Trumps immigration and labor policies. From New England to the Midwest to the West Coast people chanted and picketed against Trump along with the traditional May Day labor rallies. Protesters flooded streets in Chicago. At the White House gates, they demanded Donald Trump has got to go! In Portland, Oregon, police shut down a protest they said had become a riot and arrested more than two dozen people. Police in Olympia, Washington, said nine people were taken into custody after several officers were injured by thrown rocks and windows were broken at businesses in Washingtons capital city. In Seattle, five people were arrested during downtown protests and in Oakland, California, at least four were arrested after creating a human chain to block a county building where demonstrators demanded that county law enforcement refuse to collaborate with federal immigration agents. It is sad to see that now being an immigrant is equivalent to almost being a criminal, said Mary Quezada, a 58-year-old North Carolina woman who joined those marching on Washington. She offered a pointed message to Trump: Stop bullying immigrants. The demonstrations on May Day, celebrated as International Workers Day, follow similar actions worldwide in which protesters from the Philippines to Paris demanded better working conditions. But the widespread protests in the United States were aimed directly at the new Republican president, who has followed aggressive anti-immigrant rhetoric on the campaign trail with aggressive action in the White House. Trump, in his first 100 days, has intensified immigration enforcement, including executive orders for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and a ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries. The government has arrested thousands of immigrants in the country illegally and threatened to withhold funding from jurisdictions that limit cooperation between local and federal immigration authorities. In Chicago, 28-year-old Brenda Burciaga was among thousands of people who marched through the streets to push back against the new administration. Everyone deserves dignity, said Burciaga, whose mother is set to be deported after living in the U.S. for about 20 years. I hope at least they listen. We are hardworking people. In Shemanski Park in Portland, Oregon, before the violence broke out hundreds of people, including some families with children, gathered and watched dancers in bright feathered headdresses perform to the beat of drums. Friends Marian Drake and Martin Anderson watched from a nearby park bench as they held balloons supporting the International Workers Union. Things are so screwed up in this country. Youve got a city right here thats full of homeless people and youve got a president whose budget is going to cut 40 percent to the EPA and end Meals on Wheels. We dont like those kinds of things, Anderson said. In cities large and small, the protests intensified throughout the day. Teachers working without contracts opened the day by picketing outside schools in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Activists in Phoenix petitioned state legislators to support immigrant families. In a Los Angeles park, several thousand people waved American flags and signs reading love not hate. Selvin Martinez, an immigrant from Honduras with an American flag draped around his shoulders, took the day off from his job waxing casino floors to protest. We hope to get to be respected as people, because we are not animals, we are human beings, said Martinez, who moved to Los Angeles 14 years ago fleeing violence in his country. The White House did not respond to requests for a response to the May Day demonstrations. Several protesters, like 39-year-old Mario Quintero, outed themselves as being in the country illegally to help make their point. Im an undocumented imigrant, so I suffer in my own experience with my family, said Quintero at a Lansing, Michigan, rally. Thats why I am here, to support not only myself but my entire community. In Miami, Alberto and Maribel Resendiz closed their juice bar, losing an estimated revenue of $3,000, to join a rally. This is the day where people can see how much we contribute, said Alberto Resendiz, who previously worked as a migrant worker in fields as far away as Michigan. This country will crumble down without us. He added, We deserve a better treatment. In Oakland at a later march, more than 1,000 people marched peacefully representing labor groups along with Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino and other immigrants. While union members traditionally march on May 1 for workers rights around the world, the day has become a rallying point for immigrants in the U.S. since massive demonstrations were held on the date in 2006 against a proposed immigration enforcement bill. In recent years, immigrant rights protests shrank as groups diverged and shifted their focus on voter registration and lobbying. Gillian Flaccus & Amy Taxin, Portland, AP GOODING For Jimmie ONeal Sr., moving from California to Gooding in 2015 was supposed to be a dream retirement. It would bring him closer to his son and daughter, their spouses, and 12 of his 17 grandchildren. And it would allow him to fish, hunt and shoot guns with son-in-law Steven Michael Lawrence, a man he considered a son. But, less than two years later, the dream turned to a nightmare on Dec. 28 when ONeal, 62, pulled out a .38-special during an argument and fired a hollow-point bullet that ripped through Lawrences left arm and lodged in his right lung. Paramedics rushed Lawrence to a hospital, where the 34-year-old was pronounced dead. ONeal pleaded guilty earlier this year to voluntary manslaughter via an Alford plea, meaning he maintained his innocence but admitted prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him. From the beginning, he told a consistent story: He shot Lawrence accidentally during an argument over Lawrences continued abuse of ONeals daughter. On Tuesday in Gooding County District Court, Prosecutor Matt Pember argued the shooting wasnt accidental, but rather the result of ONeal becoming enraged during the confrontation. Pember requested ONeal spend three to 10 years in prison. ONeals attorneys argued for probation, citing his clean prior record, his health problems, his low likelihood to reoffend and his inability to provide for his wife from prison. District Judge Eric Wildman rejected both arguments, saying none of the mitigating factors offered by ONeals defense team were enough to get him a get-out-of-jail-free card. In this case, you crossed a significant threshold, Wildman told ONeal. Because of the egregiousness of the offense, this is not a probation case. The states suggestion is even too light. Instead, Wildman sentenced ONeal to 12 years in prison with eligibility for parole after six years. The sentence capped a tense, often emotional hearing that featured several outbursts, including from Lawrences mother, Vicky Zimmerman. Dont say nothing to me, she told ONeal when he tried apologizing, her upstretched palm facing her sons killer. Sorry doesnt cut it. Earlier in the hearing, the grieving mother told the court she hasnt been sleeping since her sons death, and there are days when she doesnt get out of bed or eat. After I lost him, Zimmerman said, It just felt like I lost myself. Defense attorneys Brad Calbo and Stacey DePew called ONeal and his wife, Pam, to testify about their reasons for moving to Gooding, ONeals health problems and what would happen if he went to prison. Sending him to the penitentiary rather than the county jail would result in Pam losing the Social Security benefits she relies on, DePew argued. Wildman acknowledged the negative impact a prison sentence would have on ONeals wife but said he saw the case differently than the attorneys on both sides. You said this (incident of abuse) was the last straw, Wildman told ONeal. You went over there to kick his ass, to commit violence. You bring a gun, not because it happens to be in your pocket, but because you know he carries a gun. You were fully prepared to engage in a shootout. ONeal told the court that Lawrence was barricaded in his room and pointing a gun at him when he broke down the door, so ONeal pulled his own gun that he accidentally fired when he tripped. He also testified that both men always carried guns. It should have come as no surprise to you if he did have a gun, Wildman said. Clearly, you were prepared to shoot it out with him. I reject the argument you didnt go to do harm. Youre a 62-year-old man with health issues, and he knows Jiu Jitsu. I dont know what you were planning on doing. So whether or not you tripped, your behavior was so reckless that the consequence of your actions should have come as no surprise. ONeal dropped his head as Wildman issued the sentence, his hands folded in front of his face with both thumbs supporting his head. Earlier in the hearing, he acknowledged the shooting had torn apart his family. Im ashamed of having to put my family through this, ONeal said. The worst feeling is that Ive lost my daughter, and possibly lost my grandchildren because of this. As bailiffs led him away, ONeal was forced to grapple with losing his wife for the next six years, too. Im sorry, he told her. I love you. You went over there to kick his ass, to commit violence. You bring a gun, not because it happens to be in your pocket, but because you know he carries a gun. You were fully prepared to engage in a shootout. District Judge Eric Wildman TWIN FALLS Parts of a police interview with Twin Falls murder suspect Gerardo Raul Chavez conducted without his lawyer present will be allowed in court and parts will not be allowed, District Judge Richard Bevan has ruled. But because both the videotaped interview and the judges opinion are sealed, its unclear both what was discussed in the interview and what parts of that conversation will or wont be allowed in court. Chavez, 19, of Buhl is one of two men accused of killing 15-year-old Vason Lee Widaman in a drive-by shooting last May. He and his attorney, Doug Nelson, filed a motion to suppress the interview from becoming part of the court record, arguing it violated the constitutions of both the United States and Idaho. The Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution prohibit law enforcement from questioning a criminal defendant who has expressed his right to remain silent and his right to have counsel present during any questioning, Nelson argued in his motion to suppress. Nelson also argued Twin Falls Police Detective Ken Rivers misled Chavez when he told him before the Feb. 20 interview that Nelson wouldnt be available because it was Presidents Day. But a defendant who knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waives their right to talk without an attorney can do so, and Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs argued Chavez waived his right to an attorney when he agreed to speak with Rivers without Nelson there. Nelson told the Times-News last month that any client of his who speaks to law enforcement without him present clearly isnt making an intelligent decision. Because the case is sealed, its unclear how Bevan ruled on any of those issues. Loebs said the decision was not as plain as Bevan deciding whether or not the lawyer-less interview violated Chavezs Constitutional rights. Thats not the case, its not that simple, Loebs said. Conversations are fluid things from start to finish. There are things that can be said and certain parts will be allowed, certain parts wont be allowed. Loebs said this type of judicial decision is not unusual. The contents of the video, however, remain a mystery. Both attorneys and the judge during a bond hearing last week alluded to the interview while talking about Chavezs likelihood of conviction. But Bevan ruled against releasing the tape to the Times-News and sealed his written opinion, which he said would quote from the interview, ruling it would help preserve Chavezs right to a fair trial and that releasing it might endanger the life or safety of Chavez or others mentioned. TWIN FALLS Twin Falls High School is reeling after a school-spirit activity left some students feeling marginalized and sparked harassment of transgender students. Some students are so upset they havent returned to school. The student council organized the event April 28, a school tradition. In past years, it was a boys versus girls day with friendly competitions. But in response to student concerns, student leaders changed it to blue versus pink this year in an effort to be more inclusive. A group of students including some who are transgender say they feel targeted after wearing purple shirts to school instead of pink or blue. And messages painted on the school rock over the weekend are raising bigger issues about gender and student acceptance at the high school. Emotions were running high all week but some students put up posters encouraging purple as a sign of including everyone. Within a few hours, most of them had been scribbled on or taken down, said one student who declined to be named. That made me feel kind of bad about it but there wasnt emotion until the next day. Twin Falls High student Ryan Flores, 14, said he heard negative comments even before Friday surrounding the students including himself who decided to wear purple. I hadnt even told anyone I would be wearing purple that day, and I was already getting yelled at about it, he said. He said he thought he could still pull through and didnt want to be that one kid who complains about everything. Twin Falls resident Jen Blair, an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, said her daughter, who is straight, decided to participate. It was pretty hostile in the hallways all day, apparently, Blair said. Her daughter was yelled at, including comments to the effect of, boys have a penis and girls have a vagina. For students who are gender variant, it was a particularly intense day, Blair said. Some teachers led class discussions about gender during the day but other incidents felt traumatizing to some students, she said. In one classroom, a student wrote a message on a chalkboard transgenderism is a mental disease but it was erased without discussion, Blair said. She said one student made a comment to a classmate that transgender people just need to kill themselves. It was just a really horrific day for some of these students, she said. Ryan said he heard some very negative and vulgar comments at school Friday. And during the all-school assembly at the end of a long day, students sat in two groups: those wearing pink and those wearing blue. What I saw was just repulsive, and it made me feel ill, Ryan said. He started having a panic attack. He said he didnt want to go to the boys side because he thought hed be kicked out, but hes not a girl. Other students felt the same way, he said. There was no place for them. I didnt feel like I was being thought about or valued, Ryan said. I was basically being told I didnt exist but I know a lot of people have it way worse. Some students he knows dont identify as either gender or identify as both. One friend of the student who declined to be named had no idea where to sit during the assembly or where they belonged. I felt scared for them because they were lost and in pain about the school not accepting everybody. When students left school, they saw the school rock had been painted: half pink and half blue, and with the international symbols for male and female. Words were also written on the rock: Tradition is Tradition. It was kind of like a slap in the face after a rough day, Blair said. Then the social media began. One picture of the rock was circulating via social media with a caption below it: F*** that transgender bulls***. Students who wore purple to school decided to paint the school rock dark blue, one of Twin Falls Highs colors. I was super proud of that, Blair said. They painted it around 11 p.m. Saturday, accompanied by adults because the students were afraid they would get physically attacked, Blair said. Students wrote All Bruins United on one side of the rock and No H8!!! on the other side. By 1 or 2 a.m., the rock had been painted over with red paint and in white letters: Netflix and Chill? and Hulu and Commitment, phrases often used as euphemisms for sex. The student council was called in to paint over it. By Monday, the rock displayed a message for teacher appreciation week. Blair is a member of Mama Dragons, a support group for gay Mormons, their families and allies. She joined after her son came out as gay. She also works with youth through Magic Valley Pride, helps with gay/straight alliances at Twin Falls and Canyon Ridge high schools and is on a national board for a LGBTQ Mormon group. She and a student met with an assistant principal Monday, and she says they received a good response. But on Tuesday, some students decided to stay home or go to Blairs house. Twin Falls High is a battle zone, Blair said Tuesday. Kids who are the minorities just arent at school today. Ryan returned to school Tuesday but was getting text message updates about what was happening with the school rock, started panicking and broke down in the middle of his first period class. He left school after that. I no longer felt safe, he said. He said he wants to return to Twin Falls High but needs to know theres a safe environment first and a punishment for the kids who have created such as violent environment. And he said the school rock messages need to be addressed very seriously. When she met with school officials Monday, Blair said, they werent aware any students had even complained about it. Twin Falls School District Superintendent Wiley Dobbs urged students to report any concerns to school administrators. We want to make sure that students know if theyre uncomfortable about a situation or they feel like theyve been discriminated against in some fashion, they need to report it, he said. Dobbs said Twin Falls High administrators werent aware of concerns with the spirit day until Monday and went to work investigating it. Hes pleased with how they responded. The school district doesnt have policies or rules about student expression using school rocks, district spokeswoman Eva Craner said. Maybe that will be something that administrators will look at now. The district does have a non-discrimination policy that would cover any form of expression on our campuses, she said. In 2015, Twin Falls school trustees adopted a new gender identity and sexual orientation policy. It includes a section about school dress codes, saying they must be gender neutral, including (dress codes for) the traditional school day, school activities including dances/prom, and graduation. The policy states disciplinary action will be taken for students and employees who dont follow it, but the policy doesnt provide details about what those actions might entail. School administrators have been reviewing the policy over the last couple of days, Craner said. In the future, school officials plan to provide more education and training to students specifically, student council members to make sure all students feel welcome in our school, she said. The student council had good intentions for creating an engaging spirit week for their classmates, Craner said. Perhaps it could have been more inclusive. Twin Falls Highs class rock was placed in front of Roper Auditorium by a graduating class in the late 1960s, Dobbs said. It was later moved to in front of the main school building. Students often paint the rock with messages throughout the school year, such as to celebrate a friends birthday or remember a classmate who has died. There are very few times where a message has had to be removed or edited, Dobbs said. I think that the kids over the years have used their First Amendment rights pretty darn well. But the aftermath of Fridays spirit day may prompt school officials to make changes. We want to make sure that students know if theyre uncomfortable about a situation or they feel like theyve been discriminated against in some fashion, they need to report it. Superintendent Wiley Dobbs August 27, 1980 April 30, 2017 TWIN FALLS Cari Lynne Wadsworth left this life April 30, 2017, at her home in Twin Falls, Idaho, where her family was gathered. She was born on August 27, 1980, in Couer dAlene, Idaho, to Julie Ann Morgan and Gary Adams Child, the oldest of six children. Cari was raised in Post Falls, Idaho, and graduated from Post Falls High School in 1998. While a student she was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was often called to be the ward organist throughout her life because of her exceptional musical skills. Even as a student she occupied some of her free time with jobs in local fast food businesses and school activities. Her schooling continued at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, where she graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Consumer Science. College was not all hard work. She had time to attend school activities and on a double date she met her husband-to-be, Andrew W. Wadsworth from Pocatello. She and Andrew hit it off right away but it would be two years before they married. Andrew served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Venezuela. He proposed soon after he returned home. A proposal Cari accepted. Cari excelled as a wife and mother. She was a loyal and loving wife to Andrew and supported him in his work and educational efforts as well as his service in the Army National Guard and one deployment to Iraq. She supplemented the family income with part-time employment. Her first child, Kaylee Morgan Wadsworth (13), was born just before he was deployed to Iraq. Isaac Andrew Wadsworth (9) was followed by Emry Lynne Wadsworth (7) and Easton Matthew Wadsworth (5). She was dedicated to her children and loved them so much that no sacrifice was to great. A short time before Easton was born a tumor was found behind her left knee and had to have the tumor removed before Eastons birth. Last year the tumors returned and Cari suffered greatly from the effects of the tumors and the established treatments. She never gave up and never lost hope. Cari is survived by her husband and children as well as mother and father and her five siblings: Amy Arlene Greenwood (Chase), Nathan Morgan Child (Christina), Andrew Wright Child (Samantha), Lindsey Kay Clark (Jonathan) and Lance Adams Child (Jessica). Her family includes eight nieces and nephews. The survivors also include her in-laws Samuel G. and Bernice Wadsworth and brother and sister-n-laws: Jennifer Bell (John), Samuel A. Wadsworth (Kristina), James E. Wadsworth (Jessica), Holly Bowen (Taren), Thomas G. Wadsworth (Heidi), Matthew J Wadsworth (Heather) and 28 nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held at 11: 00 am on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at the Twin Falls 7th Ward LDS Church, 847 Eastland Drive North, Twin Falls, Idaho with Bishop Kelly Hardman conducting. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery. A gathering for family and friends will take place on Thursday morning from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. at the LDS church.Services are under the direction of Reynolds Funeral Chapel, Twin Falls.Condolences may be left for the family by visiting www.reynoldschapel.com. Feb. 20th 1927 - April 26, 2017 RUPERT John Duane Hansen passed away peacefully on April 26, 2017 surrounded by family. John was born February 20th 1927 in Twin Falls Idaho to Leland Aurelian and Bertha Mae Thurgood Hansen. He was the second of six sons and one daughter. He was raised on a dairy farm. The family also produced sugar beets, hay, potatoes, and grain. He started milking cows at the age of 4 and started driving tractor at the age of 9. Following graduation from Twin Falls High School he joined the Navy and was assigned to the Sea Bees. He served in China, the Philippines, and Guam, often running heavy equipment. After the war, he returned home and after a few months was called to serve a mission for the LDS church to Denmark. He served for 3 years and felt that it was one of the greatest experiences of his life. When he returned home to Twin Falls, he began to farm on the Salmon Tract south of Twin. In 1951 he met Lea Patricia Romney and they were married- on his birthday- February 20th 1952 in the Logan LDS Temple. The couple was blessed with three sons: Richard, Gary, and Doug. In 1959 the family moved to Rupert where he purchased a farm on the North Side Homestead Project. He farmed on the north side for the next 50 years with his sons. John D. was involved in numerous business ventures including John Deere, Mart Produce, and HAPY Grain. He worked diligently to further farm production and enrich the potato industry. He served on the Idaho//Eastern Oregon Potato Committee, on the state board for the Potato Growers of Idaho, and as president of the Minidoka County National Farmers Organization. In 1981 he was elected to the National Potato Board. In 1996 John was inducted to the Idaho Potato Hall of Fame. In 2004 he was presented Russet Aristocrat Award for his many contributions to the Idaho potato industry. John was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the bishopric, as Bishop, and on the Stake High Council. He and his wife Patty served in the Logan and Twin Falls Temples. John was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Gordon Hansen, Vernon Hansen, and William Hansen, and his sister Veon Hansen Horman, as well as his granddaughter Laurie Anne Hansen. He is survived by his wife Patricia, his brothers Leland Hansen and James Hansen, his sons Richard (Jody) Hansen, Gary (Colleen) Hansen, and Doug (Annette) Hansen, 19 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren. He was an outstanding man, farmer, businessman, husband, father, and grandfather, and he will be greatly missed. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 8, 2017 at the Rupert West Stake Center. Viewing for family and friends will be held from 6-8:00 p.m. Sunday, May 7, 2017 at the mortuary and for one hour prior to the services at the church. Services will conclude with burial in the Rupert Cemetery under the direction of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary 710 6th St Rupert, Idaho. On line condolences may be shared at hansen-mortuary.com The family wishes to thank Dr. Brian Muir and Minidoka Home Health and Hospice for their kind and competent care. January 18, 1924 April 27, 2017 FILER Ruth L. Haney, age 93, of Filer, died peacefully, Thursday, April 27, 2017, at St. Lukes Hospital in Twin Falls, ID surrounded by her loving family. Ruth was born in Salt Lake City, UT on Jan. 18, 1924, to Ray and Agnes Grace Taylor Walton. She was the fourth of six children. She grew up in South Salt Lake and graduated from Granite High School. She was working as a telephone operator for Mt. Bell when she met George E Haney, Jr. at age 18. They were married on Jan. 15, 1943. George and Ruth made their home in Salt Lake City until June of that year when George enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in Pilot Training. Upon discharge in 1945 they returned to Salt Lake City. They settled in Twin Falls, Idaho in 1953 where they raised their five children. Behind every good man is a great woman, and for over 50 years she supported and worked beside her husband in the Insurance and Real Estate business. Together they have spent the past 29 years working together in their Melaleuca business, making a difference in every life they have touched. Ruth was a charter member of her Literary Art Guild. She served faithfully in her callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her feisty spirit will be something carried with us and passed lovingly to her next generation. She was an inspiration to all as she served as a Scout leader, Primary teacher, YW leader, camp director, Relief Society Teacher and President, Temple worker and They served 5 missions including the Boise Idaho Temple for many years before deciding to serve full time in the following missions: England Leeds, Indianapolis Indiana, England London South, and Idaho Boise, serving in Jackpot, Nevada. She served as the secretary to the Mission President in the first three missions and became a second Mom to all the missionaries who served and worked with her. For most of their life, George thought he was the executive, but as he served alongside her in their missions, because of her organizational skills he learned who the true executive was. Her greatest joy in life was being a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother to 6 children, 29 grandchildren, and 74 great grandchildren. Her second son, Chad preceded her in death and changed her life forever as she learned and lived her life knowing that Families Are Forever. Ruth is survived by her husband, George and their 5 children, George III (Irene) Haney of Twin Falls, ID; Pam (Mike)Youngs of Centerville, Utah; Brooke (Kirt) Bledsoe of Ontario, Oregon; Linda (Russell) Grimmett of Arlington, TX and Tad (Kris) Haney of Glens Ferry, Idaho; 26 grandchildren and 74 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers and sisters, son and 3 grandchildren. Funeral services for Ruth will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, May 5, 2017 at the Filer LDS Church, 841 W. Midway, Filer, ID with Bishop Steven Lott officiating. Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 4 at White Mortuary, 136 4th Ave., Twin Falls and from 10:30 12:45 Friday at the Church. Burial will take place at 12:00 Noon, on Saturday, May 6, 2017 at Wasatch Lawn Cemetery in Salt Lake City, UT. Services are under the direction of White Mortuary, Chapel by the Park, Twin Falls. Condolences may be left for the family by visiting www.whitemortuary.com. The Twin Falls School District is surveying parents this spring about whether theyd want their youngsters to attend full-day kindergarten. Thats a rarity in Idaho, where the vast majority of districts provide only half-day instruction. In fact, the state doesnt require students to attend kindergarten in any form before entering first grade. And Idaho funds only voluntary half-day programs. Without a steady funding stream, districts who want to pursue full-day kindergarten are left to scramble for money through grants, parents and other means. Thats a shame, because study after study has shown that students who attend full-day kindergarten fare better not only in first grade but throughout their academic careers. According to the National Education Association, who analyzed academic studies on full-day kindergarten: Students who attend full-day kindergarten are better in reading and math than students who go half a day. Full-day kindergarten is especially beneficial for low-income and minority students. Teachers who spend more time with full-day kindergartners are more likely to spot their students academic weaknesses and intervene early, before the student gets left behind. Students do better in full-day programs because theyre given more time to focus on activities. (Half-day kindergarten teachers often complain they feel like theres not enough time to cram in all the needed lessons in half-day programs.) Although full-day kindergarten is typically more expensive to fund up front, it actually saves money in the long run. Studies show for every dollar spent, the state will save $3. Thats because full-day leads to lower grade retention and drop-out rates later in life. Parents and teachers prefer it. The NEA cites a 2000 study that showed 100 percent of full-day parents and 72 percent of half-day parents would choose or continue to choose full-day kindergarten if their district provided a program. Like a lot of issues in Idaho education these days, it comes down to cost. The state is only now restoring education funding levels to pre-recession figures, and that doesnt account for the rapid population growth that has crammed even more kids into Idaho classrooms. The same amount of money plus more students means those dollars dont stretch quite as far as they did in 2009. So if the state can barely pay for the education system we have now, how in the world is it supposed to come up with more money to fund kindergarten? Perhaps the bigger question is how can it afford not to? Last year, Gov. C.L. Butch Otter championed an $11.2 million early intervention program for students who hadnt learned to read by third grade. We cant help but wonder how many of those students wouldnt be struggling had they attended full-day kindergarten. Rather than waiting until students are already behind, Idaho should be investing in students earlier, preventing the academic struggles from happening in the first place. Several efforts have been made in recent years for Idaho to adopt a statewide public preschool program, an idea weve supported for many of the same reasons supported by early-education studies. But the state would be wise to adopt full-day kindergarten first. Rep. Lance Clow, who represents Twin Falls and sits on the House Education Committee, has said hed be interested in the Legislature taking up the debate over full-day kindergarten. But with the lawmakers facing elections next year, dont bet on the Legislature adopting full-day kindergarten anytime soon. It would almost certainly require the state to raise taxes or cut other programs something lawmakers try to avoid when theyre about to face voters in the election booth. In the meantime, local districts are trying to get creative. In Murtaugh, as reporter Julie Wootton pointed out this week, youngsters have been attending full-day kindergarten for years. The program is financed by the districts general budget, which amounts to paying a full-time teacher rather than a part-time teacher for the districts only kindergarten class. But in bigger districts like Twin Falls, the money is much harder to find. Full-day kindergarten has been offered at Lincoln Elementary in Twin Falls for struggling students, paid for by federal program money thats about to run out. (In the full-day class, students reading scores have more than doubled since the beginning of the year.) Principals at the citys other schools are now pursuing other funding programs that might help bring full-day kindergarten to more of the districts schools. The district is surveying parents to find out which schools have the most interest. Parents can phone their local schools to weigh in. We encourage parents to get involved. Where there is a will, there is a way, after all, and schools will only get serious about offering full-day kindergarten when they know its what parents want. Why does the opinion of this paper always take the approach: If the reader disagrees, then the reader is a bigot? There is always an attack in there. You try to sell the citizens this Welcoming City, but why don't we watch, wait and see how it affects other cities who have claimed the title? The internet offers a definition of a Welcoming City but not one for a Sanctuary City. I have to wonder why. Maybe because it "welcomes" the criminal effect as well? I've read articles where the refugees coming here suffer from PTSD from war-torn countries. I've also read where most of the community only speaks one language. I've been in grocery stores where the refugees only speak their language. Where is the assimilation? If you are here in America, shouldn't you want to be in America? Maybe that needs to be addressed. Maybe if CSI and other entities who receive money for refugees are held accountable for these refugees there would be some peace of mind. Look at the European countries who have welcomed mass refugees. Along with refugees I have read a lot about immigrants. Now, there is a huge difference between an immigrant and an illegal alien. Legal immigrants don't need to worry about deportation and ag business doesn't have to be concerned about their employees. If these businesses hire illegal aliens then they have broken the laws themselves and aren't to be considered ethical and should be prosecuted for many state and federal laws. They aren't doing the illegal alien any favors, they pay lower wages and recommend poor living conditions. They are not the friend of the illegal alien. Before I'm labeled a bigot, know my son-in-law is from Mexico and I love my grandkids very much. President Hadi of Yemen has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of behaving like an occupation power in Yemen rather than a force of liberation in a meeting with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed Bin Zayed according to the Middle East Eye. The incident which took place in February this year, in one of the rooms in the Abu Dhabi palace, ended in a feud and the allegations made by the Yemeni president infuriated Bin Zayed who reminded Hadi of the sacrifices the United Arab Emirates was making in his country. Saudi Arabia reportedly helped in easing the tension in order to safeguard the unity of the coalitions campaign in Yemen but there are fears that it could escalate after Brigadier General Muhran Qabati was stopped from leaving the Aden airport by the Emiratis last week. Qabati refused to fly away from the airport in the same airplane he used before. Saudi Arabia intervened then to end the standoff by sending a private jet. President Hadi also refused landing at the same airport in February. Qabati is the commander of the Fourth Brigade which serves as the presidential bodyguard unit. Hadi has reacted by sacking Adens governor Aydarus Al-Zubaydi, and Hani Ali bin Braik, a minister of state and General Commander of the forces of the Security Belt, run by the UAE. The two are deemed close to the UAE. Some Emirati authorities have criticized the move. Meanwhile, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman said Riyadhs intervention in Yemen was a necessity. We have no option whether to intervene in the Yemeni war supporting the legitimate authorities, otherwise the situation would have become worse. Postponement of interference in the situation in Yemen would have aggravated the threat coming from the [Houthi] rebels, the deputy crown prince said. Hamas document outlining its new policies towards Israel has led to criticism from Fatah as a remake of their own policies. A spokesman for Fatah, Osama Kawasmehezboll stressed that Hamas is required to make an apology to Fatah after 30 years of accusing us of treason for that policy because its latest policies are identical to that taken by Fatah in 1988. A document released by Hamas earlier this week noted that the groups conflict is with the Zionist project that encourages the occupation of Palestinian land and not with Jews or Judaism. It is willing to recognize the 1967 borders as the basis of a two-state agreement and the right to return while alleging that Zionists continue to constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity. Palestinian Authoritys news agency, Wafa, reported that there is nothing new and claimed that Hamass declaration is contrary to its behavior on the ground. It added that political realism was a good thing if it was within the framework of national consensus, the statement continued, and if policies were in harmony with international resolutions and not ambiguous and inconsistent. Deputy Secretary General of Lebanese-based Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem slammed Hamas saying we are not with a resistance that paves the way for a settlement and we are not with a resistance that splits Palestine into two states. He added that they support a resistance that only accepts a fully liberated land so that Palestinians can return to their land in dignity and pride. The criticism seems to be expected as Khaled Meshaal, Hamass leader on exile, said we in Hamas believe that renewal and reinvention is a necessity. Presidents Putin and Trump had their first telephone conversation over Syria following US airstrikes on a Syrian military air base last month. Both sides think it is important for warring parties to halt hostilities. A statement from White House noted that the conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons. Kremlin stated that steps to strengthen a ceasefire have been agreed upon while underlining that the aim is to create the conditions for the launch for a real resolution process in Syria. Syrian talks-backed by Moscow between the rebels and the government is taking place in Kazakhstan to calm the tension. However, the talks have been suspended after the members of the rebel delegation walked out of the meeting because of the continuous bombardment of rebel-held areas. The meetings are being delayed as the delegation has not announced that it is suspending its participation. The Astana negotiations are viewed as complementary to broader UN-brokered talks in Geneva on a political settlement, but neither have yielded real progress so far. The suspension of the talks is believed to have been provoked by the explosion that rocked a rebel-held Syrian town along the border with Turkey. The rebels are demanding that commitment to end violence and release detainees be renewed. President Erdogan of Turkey is heading to Russia to discuss with his Russian counterpart bilateral economic relations and the Syrian war. Shortly before his departure, he said Ankara is engaged in a productive cooperation in Syria to reach for a political solution. Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank. Paris and Rabat reiterated their commitment to bolster their partnership, notably in the fields of security, sustainable development, culture and education, said the Royal Office in a statement. The statement was issued following a meeting in the Elysee Palace Tuesday between French President Francois Hollande and King Mohammed VI of Morocco. During the meeting, the two heads of state hailed Moroccan-French partnership, which they deemed of strategic importance for both countries relations as well as for Euro-Mediterranean and African development, the statement said, adding that the two Heads of State expressed their confidence in the vitality of the exceptional partnership binding the two countries. After the meeting, King Mohammed VI was guest to a luncheon hosted in his honor by President Hollande. The luncheon was attended by cabinet members, friends of Morocco and France, intellectuals, artists, athletes, and civil society activists. The guest list reflects the strong and multifaceted ties between the two countries. President Hollande congratulated King Mohammed VI on his kingdoms return to the African Union and welcomed Moroccos strong initiatives seeking to upgrade the African continents development. King Mohammed VI, for his part, thanked the French president for his personal commitment to French-Moroccan friendship and reiterated Moroccos willingness to promote the special ties between the two countries, the statement added. The Tuesday meeting between President Hollande and the King of Morocco was also special, as it took place just few days after the UN Security Council adopted unanimously a resolution on the Sahara, extending the MINURSO mandate by one year. France was among the strongest supporters of the resolution at the Security Council, and on Tuesday, the spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry, Romain Nadal, said France commends the unanimous adoption of the resolution. The resolution confirms the return to full functionality of the mission, as underlined in the report of the United Nations Secretary-General, whose involvement on this issue was decisive, he said. Reiterating that France considers the autonomy plan submitted by Morocco in 2007 as a serious and credible basis for a negotiated solution, the spokesman said the adopted text underlines the importance of resuming without further delay the UN-sponsored political process with the aim of reaching a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution. The context of the meeting was also special because it marks the end of President Hollandes tenure on May 7, date of the second round of the French presidential elections. The showdown is between centrist Emmanuel Macron of En Marche Movement and Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front party. Yet, whatever the outcome of the French elections, relations between France and Morocco are so strong that they rise above political agendas and governmental alternations. The Egyptian Interior Ministry announced Tuesday that three policemen were killed by militants in Cairo late on Monday. The three policemen, according to security officials, were killed in a gun battle with the militants in capital Cairo. The shooting took place at an intersection of the ring road, a busy Cairo expressway, in the citys eastern neighborhood of Nasr City, the ministry said. Egypt is facing a surge in radicalism. Attacks are rampant in restive Sinai Peninsula but have spilled to capital Cairo. Hasm, a militant group almost unknown to the public, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, reportedly posted a statement on its official website. Egypt is gradually waking up from two daech-sponsored terror attacks early last month. 45 Christian Orthodox were killed on Palm Sunday, in Alexandria and Tanta. The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein on Wednesday praised Ethiopian government for its efforts to promote and protect human rights in the Horn of African nation. Ethiopia is one of our partners in the Commissions efforts to promote and protect human rights for all, UN Rights chief Zeid said after holding talks with Dr. Addisu Gebre-Egziabher, Chairperson of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), in the capital city Addis Ababa. Zeid who arrived in the country on Tuesday will meet top government officials including Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and speaker of the Parliament, Abadula Gemeda and other high-ranking Ethiopian officials, to discuss the human rights situation in Ethiopia, a statement said. He is also expected to hold discussions with African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat on how to focus on plans to reinforce coordination between the UN and AU on human rights. Ethiopia has been under a state-of-emergency since October 2016. Hundreds of protesters were killed, some arrested in two restive regions: Amhara and Oromia. In a recent report, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said 669 people were killed. United Kingdom troops on Tuesday arrived in South Sudan to provide engineering and medical support to the United Nations Mission (UNMISS) in the famine and war-stricken nation. Operating as part of the UN mission, the troops will help to stem the flow of migrants and provide humanitarian support. They will also operate from two military bases to fulfil their east African mission. The Royal Engineers will conduct tasks at the U.N. Camps to improve accommodation, routes, security and drainage, as well as the construction of a jetty on the River Nile and a helicopter landing site, UNMISS said in a statement. With around 100 troops already in the country, Royal Engineers are carrying out building tasks in preparation for the main deployment of nearly 400 troops over the coming months making this one of the UKs largest operational deployments across the globe. The conflict in the world youngest nation has split the nation along largely ethnic lines and the United Nations has warned of a possible genocide. Estimates suggest that over 3 million people have been displaced with thousands fleeing to neighboring countries every day. The UK Government has committed life-saving support to tackle the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan with public donations up to 10 million. The News in Brief Sokhumi Begins Issuing Residence Permits to Ethnic Georgians Sokhumi authorities have begun issuing residence permits to ethnic Georgians of Abkhazia, following a four-year-long uncertainly over the legal status of residents of Gali District, the regions predominantly ethnic Georgian-populated area. According to the Internal Affairs ministry, the residence permits are issued for a renewable term of five years and are designed for foreign citizens or persons without citizenship. The ministry also reported on April 21, that the residence permit holders living out of Abkhazia for over six months would be stripped of the document. The document allows its owners to retain their Georgian citizenship, to reside in the region and cross the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) with the rest of Georgia. It will not, however, give full political rights to its holders. According to Sokhumi-based newspaper Nuzhnaya, the residence permit enables its holder to sell and bequeath property in Abkhazia, but does not permit the purchase of property. Sokhumi authorities also plan to start consultations with Moscow on recognizing residence permits as travel documents for entry to and exit from the Russian Federation. The document is pointedly intended for the ethnic Georgian residents of the Gali district the only part of Abkhazia with a Georgian population that has survived several waves of ethnic-based expulsion. The number of ethnic Georgians eligible for the residence permits will be limited, however. According to the regions Internal Affairs ministry, applicants for the permits will need to provide documents proving that they have lived in Abkhazia for at least ten years since 1999. The citizenship passport, the other available document for Abkhazias residents, according to the regions law on citizenship, can only be owned by an ethnic Abkhaz, or a person who is not an ethnic Abkhaz, but who lived in Abkhazia from 1994 to 1999, and who is not a citizen of another state except the Russian Federation. When combined, the two provisions effectively exclude almost half of the Gali districts 80-thousand strong pre-war population on top of the remaining 200,000 ethnic Georgians from other parts of Abkhazia, who fled the region as a result of the 1992-1993 armed conflict. Aslan Kobakhia, the regions interior minister who oversees the passportization process, warned local residents at a public meeting on April 21 that those ethnic Georgian residents who would try to possess Abkhaz citizenship (instead of residence permit) while simultaneously retaining the Georgian citizenship, would forever lose Abkhazia. Authorities in Sokhumi suspended issuing Abkhaz passports to ethnic Georgian residents of the region in 2013, fearing that the process might result into, as some Abkhaz officials put it, Georgianization of Abkhazia. Almost 23 000 Gali residents were removed from the voters lists in 2014, shortly before the regions presidential election on August 24. As a result, only 603 voters were registered in Gali district during the legilslative polls held by Sokhumi authorities on March 12, 2017. The Abkhaz authorities were also unable to conduct local council elections that took place in the rest of Abkhazia in 2016. The outgoing Sokhumi parliament had to issue a special decision, prolonging the term of the Gali district council elected in February 2011. According to the 2011 census by the Abkhaz authorities, over 46,000 ethnic Georgians live in Abkhazia, mainly in the Gali district, which makes over 19% of the breakaway regions population. (civil.ge) Patriarch of Jerusalem: It is unacceptable to politicize the meeting with Abkhaz and Ossetian pilgrims Paata Kalandadze, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Republic of Israel, has met with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos lll. As InterpressNews was told by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador and the Patriarch discussed the reports spread by the Abkhazian electronic media, according to which Theophilos III hosted Abkhazian pilgrims on April 10 and blessed the so-called Abkhazian government. At the meeting, the Patriarch of Jerusalem confirmed the meeting with the Abkhaz and Ossetian pilgrims, but he noted that it is unacceptable to politicize such a meeting. "My strict position is that I'm not in politics. I met them as Christians who came to visit the Holy Land on Easter. In this period, I know many pilgrims come from Georgia too, and I think it's good when people are able to meet each other," said the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and expressed regret over the fact that that it was not the first time that those seeking an audience with him had had their action misinterpreted. (IPN) Is that not what the Democrat Party has created right here in America, transforming a once prosperous, strong, united, and safe nation into a debt-laden, militarily weak, socially divided, and increasingly dangerous society? Here are some of the Bizarro policies and beliefs inflicted on us by the neo-socialist, globalist, anti-American Democrat Party over the past few decades PAUL E. SCATS @PatriciaMazzei Miami Democrat Christian Ulvert, a well-known political consultant who surprised much of the state political establishment by saying last week he might run for the Florida Senate, said Wednesday that he won't after all. Instead, Ulvert will remain focused on getting other Democrats elected, he said in a statement. "My calling to run was to do more for my community," his statement read in part. "But through my reflection, I recognize and appreciate that by working with my clients, I am fulfilling that desire and holding elected office isn't a requirement to meet my personal objective." Ulvert was thinking of running for the District 40 seat in Southwest Miami-Dade County left vacant by the resignation of Republican Frank Artiles last month. Gov. Rick Scott has yet to schedule a special election to replace Artiles. Here is Ulvert explaining his decision, in his own words: @ByKristenMClark In a surprise result thats unprecedented in the past 15 years, lawmakers on Tuesday rejected an attempt to significantly scale back part of the states famed Sunshine Law that secures Floridians right to watch how local officials make decisions on their behalf. HB 843 would have let two local government leaders meet about public business in secret. It earned a majority of votes in the state House on Tuesday but still lacked the several more needed for it to pass thanks to a constitutional provision that requires two-thirds approval for lawmakers to OK any new Sunshine exemptions. The vote was the first time since voters approved that two-thirds requirement in 2002 that lawmakers have killed a proposed exemption, said Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, which advocates for open government and of which the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times are members. Most exemptions pass both chambers easily, frequently with unanimous support or with heavily lopsided votes in favor. Its a huge relief, Petersen said. It really would have reversed 50 years of public policy. More here. @ByKristenMClark As lawmakers aim to pass significant reforms to Floridas public school standardized assessments before the end of this week, Florida Senate Democrats say a bill thats supposed to do that barely accomplishes any major changes and is, instead, a problematic hodge-podge of education policy. And one key Democrat whose widely praised, bipartisan testing reform proposal was shelved so that a less comprehensive Republican plan supported by Jeb Bushs influential education foundation could advance instead said Wednesday morning: If I had to vote today, Id vote against this bill. SB 926, from Miami Republican Sen. Anitere Flores, is scheduled to be taken up on the Senate floor Wednesday but amid major, lingering concerns from Democratic Sen. Bill Montford, of Tallahassee, the chamber delayed taking up the bill when it was time. Flores was speaking with Montford at his desk on the floor, when SB 926 was temporarily postponed on the days agenda. (Montford had said earlier he planned to meet with Flores and Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, about his objections.) The chamber could likely still take up the bill Wednesday, along with a plethora of amendments filed since Tuesday evening as senators attempt to tack on other education-related policies that had stalled in committee. In case you missed it, Miami-Dade lawmakers this week successfully saw the Legislature pass statewide reforms to how condominium associations are operated -- legislation that was one of the Dade Delegation's top priorities this session. The reforms, now subject to Gov. Rick Scott's final approval, come about a year after an investigative series by el Nuevo Herald and Univision 23 that revealed corruption in South Florida condo associations and later sparked a grand jury investigation and formal report earlier this year. Miami-Dade lawmakers credited el Nuevo Herald's and Univision 23's reporting, and the passion of local condo owners as having helped to shed light on the issue and to get the reforms passed this year. More on this week's news from el Nuevo Herald reporter Brenda Medina: The Florida Senate on Monday gave unanimous and final approval to a bill that imposes criminal penalties on condominium violations such as electoral fraud, theft of funds and conflicts of interests all significant problems in Miami-Dade County. The 37-0 vote on the bill, already endorsed by the House last week in another unanimous vote, now goes to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature. This is very important for Miami-Dade because its something that condo owners have been waiting for for nearly a decade, said Hialeah Republican Sen. Rene Garcia, who co-sponsored the bill with Miami Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez. But the reforms will help all Florida residents with similar problems. Garcia declared from the Senate floor that the problem of fraud and other abuses in Miami-Dade condo associations was out of control and that some homeowners associations had turned into mini dictatorships or totalitarian regimes. Full story here. Photo credit: Condominium owners from Miami-Dade County pose in the Capitol in Tallahassee on Monday, May 1, 2017. Brenda Medina / el Nuevo Herald @MichaelAuslen With a key budget deadline looming late Tuesday, lawmakers negotiations were stalled in large part over disagreement on one of the largest issues the state funds: Hospital funding. While the House and Senate came to an agreement last week that would cut $650 million from hospitals payments through Medicaid, they still havent agreed on how to put those cuts or a potential $1.5 billion boon in Low Income Pool funds approved by the federal government into effect. The health care budget is the biggest one left, some issues tied to that, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land OLakes, said. LIP, hospital cuts, all of those things. House and Senate budget negotiators have not met publicly about the health care budget since Saturday afternoon, while they have moved closer toward agreement in other areas of the budget. At that weekend meeting, neither chamber ceded ground on the formula to use to determine the cuts. The devil is in the details of a highly technical but massive part of the states $83 billion budget. The House has pushed an across-the-board 7 percent cut to Medicaid rates, plus cuts to supplemental funding meant to reimburse hospitals that take on the largest share of unpaid charity care. The Senate, meanwhile, has pushed only for cuts to the supplemental funding. Thats something that is still a little bit in disagreement, Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations chairwoman Anitere Flores, R-Miami, said, echoing remarks she made throughout the budget process that she thought that was an issue that would likely be settled later in the weekend by the top budget chairmen or the House speaker and Senate president. By Tuesday, they still hadnt made a deal. And Flores, asked on her way into the Senate chamber if she would stop to talk about the budget, said, No, before rushing into the chamber to vote on an environmental bill. How the Legislature decides to cut Medicaid is almost as important as how much they decide to cut. The formula they settle on will determine whether the brunt of the cuts are on the backs of safety net hospitals that take on the lions share of Floridas Medicaid patients and charity care or on the remaining private hospitals. The House plan would hit the safety nets a little less dramatically because of the across-the-board cuts it includes. But Flores said the Senate plan would be balanced out by the Low Income Pool authorized by the Trump administration to repay hospitals for uncompensated care. Floridas safety net hospitals have historically gotten the most from that pool. The feds have authorized a $1.5 billion LIP, paid for by local taxes and federal funds. However, that is the upper limit, said House Health Care Appropriations chairman Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford. The size of the pool depends almost entirely on the rules that the federal and state governments agree on. Flores and Brodeur were hoping that the terms of the new LIP program would be agreed upon by Monday. If that is not the case, then we probably do need to look at this entire issue, Flores said Saturday. That is the second piece of hospital funding that the House and Senate had not agreed upon by Saturday: How will the Low Income Pool regardless of how large it is be redistributed? Brodeur said he wants the Agency for Health Care Administration to create a formula, decide on which hospitals will see extra funding and submit it to the Legislature, where either Corcoran or Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, could unilaterally veto it. The Senate, however, has advocated for the Legislature writing a formula for distributing LIP now, to be put into place once the money is in the states hands. Flores offered Saturday to follow the Houses lead as long as both chambers would have to agree to veto AHCAs proposal. But other senators have since raised concerns about the Legislature handing over the authority to decide how LIP would work to Gov. Rick Scotts agency. Photo: House Health Care Appropriations chairman Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, and Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations chairwoman Anitere Flores, R-Miami. (Michael Auslen | Times/Herald) For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts Page They dont teach you how to hunt. They dont tell you our stories. "The problem is that when you dont see your loved ones often, you lose your sense of family. I learned Inuit again while studying Inuitology at university in Copenhagen," says Eleonora. "My generation lost some of its identity because when you live with other children in boarding school you lose your roots. They dont teach you how to hunt. They dont tell you our stories." Denmarks language policies caused a rupture in Greenlands cultural fabric and generated a social crisis that continues to this day. Today, children are no longer shipped to the mainland, but the islands pressing issues remain unresolved. For Eleonora, the new policies arent much better than the old ones. "Young people now speak Inuit well but traditional Inuit life barely exists anymore," she says. "And if they cant speak Danish well, how are they going to find a job in Greenland?" Just like their parents and grandparents 60 years ago, people in Greenland today must still learn their former colonizer's tongue to succeed at home. Greenland plans to force former colonial ruler Denmark to confront past human rights abuses against the island's indigenous Inuit people such as the confiscation of ancestral hunting grounds, its prime minister said. "DEADLY INSULT" Over the years I've heard International Expert on Self-Goverance and Decolonization Carlyle Corbin mention Greenland in the context of Guam. For most on Guam, it might seem like the only things Greenland and Guam might have in common is they are both islands and their names start with G. But their possible connections are much deeper than that, as both are homes to indigenous people, both are sites of colonialism and both exist in a political state that isn't considered to be the norm in today's fraternity of nations. Below are some articles that might help make those connections for people.*************************Greenland, Victim of Denmark's Linguistic ColonialismNoa Agnete MetzWorldcrunch4/27/17 In the picturesque Danish capital, it's easy to overlook the men lying on public benches with a beer in hand, or assume they're immigrants from Southern Europe. Listen carefully, though, and you'll notice that they speak fluent Danish, a task almost impossible for foreigners. These men, it turns out, are Danish citizens; indigenous Inuit people from the Danish territory of Greenland.Inuit in Copenhagen mainly live among themselves and are marginalized from broader Danish society, with its emphasis on gender equality and the welfare state . These men are from a culture very different from the one that surrounds them. Danes even have an expression for it: being drunk as a Greenlander." The homeless Inuit who live on the streets of Danish cities are a symbol of Denmark's failed colonial policy that, although it never resorted to blatant violence, has been anything but successful.Greenland has high levels of unemployment and suicide rates ; life expectancy is 10 years lower than in mainland Denmark. The enormous North American island has significant autonomy, but the Danish central government provides 500,000 euros a year ($536,000) to Greenland and manages its security, judicial system, and foreign policy. Most jobs in Greenland that require training and education also require applicants to speak Danish, making life difficult for locals who dont speak the language. Such a requirement also contributes to a greater Danish presence on the island.In 1952, the Danish government's Greenland Department went about implementing a radical set of policies to "civilize" the Inuit and to allow them to survive autonomously.Eleonora is an Inuit woman in her 50s who lives in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. Under these policies, the state shipped her 4,000 km away from her family to Denmark to study Danish. She was 13 years old at the time."We wanted to go and so did our parents. You have to understand that, in those days, we aspired to become exactly like the Danes: tall, beautiful, and efficient," she says. " Life was not too bad in Denmark . But it was difficult to be so far away from my siblings, and I was shy when seeing my mother again a year later. After returning to Greenland I never lived at home again, and we were placed in boarding schools with other children who learned Danish, so we spoke little Inuit."After attending university in Denmark, Eleonora returned home but things were never the same. "When I went to see my family in the summers during boarding school, often I couldnt understand what they were saying," she says. "We grew apart."The Danish governments language policy was a key element in its plan to "open up" Greenland to the outside world. In the 1950s, Copenhagen also embarked on a radical experiment to create a Danish-educated Inuit "elite" who could act as a bridge between Greenlands population and the Danish government. In 1951, the government selected 22 children between the ages of 5 and 8 from Greenland with varying degrees of consent from their parents and sent them to Denmark to learn Danish language and culture.The policy was a disaster and none of them went on to form an Inuit elite. Instead, they forgot their mother tongue and their cultural and emotional attachment to the island. Half of the children died in their youth, their lives destroyed by frequent moves between orphanages and Danish foster homes. In 2015, the Red Cross, which had participated in the policy, made a formal apology to the children and their families. The Danish government, on the other hand, has merely called the policy an "error."In the 1960s, Copenhagen replaced the policy with one to two years of mandatory Danish language courses in Denmark for Inuit children aged 8 and above. This program, which Eleonora took part in, continued in different forms until the 1990s.*****************"Why is Greenland a Part of the Danish Kingdom?"by Iben BjornssonJune 9, 2016The Arctic JournalMost Danes dont know why Denmark and Greenland are connected, even though many of us have some sort of relation to Greenland: family or friends, knowing some of the many Danes that have lived and worked there for longer or shorter periods of time or even having lived there ourselves. Still others only hear about Greenland when the queen mentions it in her New Years address. The subject is mysteriously, and remarkably, absent from the school curriculum.Those who know and love Greenland often speak of the community, common destiny and shared history between the two countries. But what is this history, and why does little Denmark speak of a common destiny with a large Arctic territory thousands of miles away?Usually, the start of the Danish-Greenlandic relation is dated to 1721, the year in which Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede (pictured above) arrived in Greenland and started colonising it. But according to Ole Marquardt, associate professor emeritus in history at Ilisimatusarfik/the University of Greenland, we have to go further back to understand why Denmark started taking an interest in Greenland. We need to go all the way back to 1380, when Denmark and Norway became a united kingdom.With the union, Denmark gained access to the Norwegian tax territories, Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. At this time, Greenland was inhabited in part by Norse settlers (more popularly known as the Vikings), who arrived at the end of the 10th century. They lived there for some 500 years before disappearing in the 15th century.The Norsemen set the scene for Egedes quest in 1721. His official mission was to find their descendants and reform them. They had been Catholics, and after the Reformation in Europe (and Denmark) he thought they should reform as well. But while the Norsemen thus provided Egede with an official mission, Inge Hst Seiding, a PhD in Arctic society and culture at Nunatta Katersugaasivia Allagaateqarfialu/the Greenland National Museum & Archives, reckons he might have had another agenda as well: missionary work amongst heathens who worshipped neither the Catholic nor the reformed version of the Christian God.At this time, Danish missionary work had already begun in other colonies, for example Tranquebar (now Tharangambadi) in India. We know that Hans Egede was very interested in the missionary work carried out there, she says. So the thought of missionary work among heathens was definitely not foreign to him when he left for Greenland.Egede didnt find any Norsemen. Instead he was met by the Inuit. They were no strangers to Europeans arriving in ships: both the British and the Dutch had whalers sailing the shores of Greenland in the 1600s, going ashore to trade with the Inuit. But whereas the English and Dutch went away again, Egede and his people stayed and started a mission.Egedes mission was backed financially by the Bergen Company, an association of traders, but it failed to turn a profit, and the company closed in 1726. King Christian VI took it over, but when the colony continued to operate at a loss he decided to close the whole thing down in 1731. Egede pleaded to keep it going though: a number of people had already been baptised and the mission, he argued, was going well. He was allowed to stay, and, just two years later, the king had a change of heart. Why?Mr Marquardt explains: Both then and now, one does not willingly give up territory. Colonisation had already begun and there was also the notion that Greenland was an old crown territory.And then there was the mission. That was not something to be taken lightly.No doubt, Hans Egede thought he, as a Christian, had a responsibility for the people he had met, Ms Seiding says. It shows in the reports he sent back to Denmark. He saw the mission as an obligation, and that it was actually an integrated part of the pietistic Christianity that the king also professed to. So he might not have been very difficult to talk back into it.The funding of the colonys operations was taken over by Danish landowner and tradesman Jacob Severin in 1734, and a number of stations and colonies were established along the western coast. In the years leading up to the Napoleonic Wars, Greenland was colonised in earnest.Having the Christian mission come before the trading stations is a bit unusual in colonial history. But that was soon corrected, so to speak. Ms Seiding explains: While missionary work was the focal point in the first years, it quickly became secondary to trade.Denmark was drawn into the Napoleonic Wars by way of British attacks in 1801 and 1807 and it was a weakened Denmark that sat down at the negotiating table with Sweden and Great Britain in 1814. When Sweden, supported by the British, demanded Norway from Denmark, Denmark could not do much but concur.But even if Norway had given Denmark its claim to the North Atlantic colonies, Sweden didnt get them in the deal. There is some disagreement amongst historians as to why. There are those who claim that neither Britain nor Sweden was interested, that Denmark kept the colonies out of weakness, because it had no other choice. Then, there are those who claim that Britain didnt want Sweden to grow too strong and saw to it that the colonies remained Danish. However, the most common and established explanation is that the Danish negotiator tricked the others by claiming that the colonies had always been Danish. This version was confirmed by the Swedish negotiator.This wheeling and dealing with overseas territories might sound strange, even absurd, today. But such was the nature of colonialism. Most colonial powers thought that they were doing the people living in those territories a favour, or even acting out of some sacred duty, like Egede and his Christian responsibility. In their own eyes, they were civilising and developing. As the most physically brutal aspect of colonialism, slavery, had been banned by most European nations by the mid 19th century, no-one doubted the morality of colonialisms civilising mission. And of course, as Mr Marquardt explains, having colonies didnt exactly hurt a European nation either; it contributed to its power and reputation.We might not like the way this sounds, but it is essential to understanding why the world looks like it does today. And it also explains how and why nations traded territories.And trading territories was exactly what Denmark did in 1917, when it sold three West Indian islands, St Thomas, St John and St Croix, known today as the US Virgin Islands, to the US for the price of $25 million. The colonies hadnt made money for Denmark since the abolition of slavery there in 1849, and Denmark no longer wanted the cost or the hassle of owning them.What is puzzling is that by this time Greenland was also costing Denmark money, after a prosperous period in the 1800s when train oil had been used to light up most of Europe. But instead of getting rid of Greenland, like it did with its West Indies possessions, Denmark used the sale to have its sovereignty over Greenland internationally acknowledged. So by the beginning of the 20th century, Denmark had two colonies running at a deficit. One was sold, but the other it tightened its grip on. Why? What was the difference?Mr Marquardt explains: There are several reasons for this. Firstly, as mentioned, Denmark had looked at Greenland as a crown colony since the Middle Ages, whereas the Danish West Indies didnt become Danish until the mid-1600s. Secondly, there is a great deal of international power and security policy involved: the only possible buyer after the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, when Washington declared the Western Hemisphere as its sphere of interest, was the US. The Americans would not have accepted a large European power right at its doorstep in Greenland, where they could possibly build naval, military and air bases.On the other hand, selling Greenland to the US, having the strategic position it has, would have upset a number of European nations. Thirdly, and finally, it is true that Greenland wasnt financially lucrative at this time, but for a long time and even today Denmark hoped to find riches in Greenland, especially minerals. As opposed to the small islands of the West Indies, Greenland is a huge territory known to be full of minerals. The only question was whether they could be dug out at a profit. There was always a hope of wealth there.Ms Seiding agrees: It is a recurring theme through the Danish presence in Greenland, the idea that something can come of this. Even if it hasnt materialised yet.This is related to another factor in the Danish insistence on keeping Greenland, even if this must also be viewed as a reason in itself: the fascination with technology, science and discovery that also marked the decades around the turn of the century. Here, Greenland was the Danish ticket to play in the big leagues.Ms Seiding explains: The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland was founded in 1878 and the scientific interest in Greenland was huge the big expeditions and the attention and culture surrounding them. Greenland was Denmarks place to do this, and that meant something for a nation. In this period, it probably meant as much as a surplus on the lard trade.To stress this point, Ms Seiding cites geographer and textbook author Sophie Petersen. She wrote in 1928: The Danish colonisation and exploration of Greenland is unmatched in the colonial history of nations. It has caused admiration and done our reputation in the cultural world tremendously good.And Denmark hung on: when Norway claimed parts of eastern Greenland in 1931, the issue went all the way to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which confirmed that Greenland was indeed a Danish territory. In 1953 it was reinforced in a new Danish constitution, which made Greenland an official a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, giving it representation in the Danish parliament. With that, the UN acknowledged, Greenland was no longer a colony. Officially this was the case, but whether the arrangement led to actual equality between the parts of the kingdom is at best doubtful. But that is another story for another day.Finally, in the question of why did Denmark hold on to Greenland?, Mr Marquardt has one last, but equally important, point to make: We should also remember that many Danes really like Greenland, both the island and its population. Its sentimental, emotional, if you will. Quite a large number of Danes have some sort of connection to Greenland.And the bonds arent just about economics, religion or politics; blood and family are involved. There has always been significant intermarriage, Ms Seiding says. Almost all those employed as tradesmen, especially in the lower ranks, married Greenlandic women. That obviously creates a very close relationship, which means that Danes were very present, even if the number of Europeans in Greenland was relatively small, they very quickly became family. Thus, this distant Arctic country became very close to Denmark.She makes another point about the sentimental bonds: top officials and political advisers in the Danish political administration of Greenland, located in Copenhagen, were often people who had lived and worked there for many years. So the people formulating the Danish Greenlandic policy had a sentimental connection to Greenland.And speaking of emotions and sentimentality, with the emergence of romantic nationalism in the 19th century, emotions and emotionality became political currency. Ms Seiding says: The play on emotions becomes valuable. Danish nationalism takes this part of identity to heart, equal to the way people speak sentimentally about their native regions. Greenland becomes a part of this phenomenon as well. The blows suffered by Danish pride in the wars of the 19th century were partially remedied by the pride that was mobilised as a colonial power in Greenland.And sentimental bonds only get stronger with time; the longer the relationship, the more connections, exchanges, mixed families. Initial footsteps in the snow, if you excuse the analogy, have been trampled into an ever deeper and wider track.So there you have them, the reasons why Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Its not simple. It never is. Rather, it is a mix of economic interests, colonial logic, sentimentality and power politics. But the relation has never been, and nor is it now, at a standstill. The latest major development was the transition to Self-Rule in 2009 a feature of which is Greenlands right to leave the kingdom if it wishes. What the future holds for the Danish realm is up to its individual parts.The article above is the first in a series published in collaboration with Arktisk Institut/The Danish Arctic Institute , which seeks to inform the public about Danish-Greenlandic history.The articles are based on the institutespodcast series, which is produced by the author.The original version of this podcast (in Danish only) can be heard below. All of the episodes in the series are available for download from most podcast platforms, including iTunes and Soundcloud *********************"Greenland commission will probe Danish abuses"A new commission will begin this month to investigate the abuses, which also include removing children from Inuit families in the 1950s for better integration into Danish society. But the creation of the commission has already stirred anger in Denmark.The overwhelming majority of Greenland's 57,000 people are of Inuit decent, thinly spread out across the vast, barren North Atlantic island that is a quarter the size of the United States.Greenland, first colonized by Denmark in the 18th century, gained greater autonomy from Copenhagen in 2009 and its main political parties favor eventual full independence, but the economy remains heavily dependent on Danish financial subsidies."Reconciliation is very important on a path where Greenland strives for independence," Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond, herself born to an Inuit family, told Reuters in an interview in Copenhagen on Thursday."For a country that moves toward greater autonomy and independence its people need to know about their own story," said the 48-year-old Hammond, who has tried to reassert Greenland's Inuit identity since her election last year.Greenland, which ceased to be a formal Danish colony in 1953, has started tentatively to open up to new investment in mining, despite local concerns about rising Chinese influence and about environmental damage.Many Danes still work as civil servants and business leaders in Greenland and there have been inter-marriages. But tales of colonial-era abuses still provoke anger among the Inuits.For example, scores of Inuit children were removed from their families in 1951 as part of a Danish government program. Most of them never returned to their families but were eventually sent to an orphanage in the capital Nuuk, according to published histories and documentaries.In 1953, the Danish government removed more than 100 people from their homes in Thule to make room for the installation of anti-aircraft defenses to protect a newly-built U.S. air base. The Inuits was given three days to pack their belongings and move, according to historians."They were not even allowed to hunt in their own hunting grounds. Such things are in the minds of people and hurt many families that have been relocated," said Hammond.The new commission has caused controversy in Denmark."I see the Danish realm as a family. We've made mistakes together, we have created progress together, and therefore I see no need for a reconciliation commission," said Christian Friis Bach, a senior member of the Social-Liberal Party which is part of Denmark's ruling coalition."I think (the commission) is a deadly insult to Denmark," said Soren Espersen, spokesman on Greenland for the right-wing Danish People Party.Denmark provides an annual grant to Greenland of about 3.6 billion Danish crowns ($668.77 million) - equal to about half the island's national budget.But despite such economic dependency and its continued reliance on NATO member Denmark for defense, Greenland has begun to steer a more assertive course under Hammond.Last year it removed a ban on exporting uranium, a byproduct of rare earths processing, in a move that irked Denmark, worried about the security and environmental implications.Hammond said the commission's aim was not to blacken Denmark's image but to allow a frank evaluation of the past."This is not a question of making Denmark (look) bad, this is a question of bringing our lives and a discussion of our history to a higher level," said Hammond, speaking in English."It would be nice with openness and a reaching hand, but instead I met a wall.""I'm working toward independence," she said, adding that she did not know when that would come."I hope it will be at a time when I still can dance".($1 = 5.3830 Danish Crowns)(Additional reporting by Ole Mikkelsen; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Gareth Jones) Every seat at Lisa Triepkes campaign launch had copies of her mailers, with their images of giant screws, one through a stack of money, the other through the just-opened $4.2 million Reserve Street pedestrian bridge. Enough is Enough, they read. No city should have a mayor for life, Triepke said to the the 30ish people gathered Tuesday in the 501 Lounge upstairs at the Iron Horse. This race is not about me. Its about Missoula. Triepkes campaign is focused above all else on spending, calling out the citys steadily increasing property taxes and what she calls Mayor John Engens disinterest in preventing the rise. If the current administration had their way, theyd be in for 16 years or more, depending on how long he lives, Triepke said, drawing a laugh. I think for that amount of time you cant remain objective, you cant stay away from pet projects. People come to, or stay in, Missoula for two reasons, Triepke said: Love of the land and the people who live here. But she said many people, including elderly people on fixed incomes, Missoulians working multiple jobs, renters and young couples with children, need relief. City property taxes have risen about 4 percent on average each of the last five years and Engen said in a 2012 Missoulian article which reported that the citys budget had gone up 29 percent in his first six years that property taxes inevitably rise. Taxes go up. Expenses go up. Needs go up. And expectations from citizens increase, Engen said at the time. The myth that governments can provide service for free has been perpetuated by two wars. So were spending money like drunken sailors, as it were, at the federal level while cutting taxes. We dont get to do that at the city of Missoula. We pay as we go. Triepke said that doesnt have to be the case. She and her husband divorced two years ago, forcing her to learn to live on a tight budget. The family enrolled in SNAP and Low Income Energy Assistance Programs to help out and Triepke said the lessons she learned how to spend and save responsibly can and should be brought to City Hall. We had to regroup, she said of herself and her four teenage children. They learned the hard way that they dont get everything they ask for anymore because we have to make ends meet and pay the bills. When applied to the city, that philosophy means spending on more useful things and shoring up the citys contingency fund. She earned emphatic nods as she criticized the citys snowplow efforts during the winter. Triepke lives one block off a main arterial and her street went unplowed for weeks at a time, she said. Those are simple services, she said. We should be able to expect those services are met. Triepke also suggested ways to increase the citys transparency, instead of making decisions in a small group, without outside input, as she said Engen and his staff do. She suggested informal electronic polls on large-scale budget issues, like the Reserve Street pedestrian bridge, the Mountain Water condemnation, the EKO Compost purchase and the city graveyards recent expansion into offering headstone services, directly competing with local businesses. No matter how Missoulians felt about those issues, nobody ever asked the community what they wanted, Triepke said. The 26-year Missoula resident is 52 and has served on the Target Range School Board and worked for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Shes worked for CostCare, where she's the marketing and wellness director, for the last seven years. Triepke began her talk by admitting her uneasiness with public speaking and she did stumble over her words at the start. But she said shes running to show Missoulians, and especially her children, that these problems arent unsolvable. Theres no use complaining without trying to change the way things are. Its got to stop somewhere, Triepke said. Things can be done differently. Ward 5 city council representative Julie Armstrong is backing Triepke. Rep. Adam Hertz, R-Missoula, also was there. Hertz sat on City Council for two terms before running for the state Legislature, and consistently voted against yearly budgets that he saw as overspending. Engen ran on a fiscally conservative platform in his first mayoral race, but proceeded to spend more and more money, surrounded by city councils who rubber-stamped his proposals, Hertz said. He thought a fiscally conservative platform might be a good way to take on the three-term incumbent. He hasnt really had a serious challenger before, Hertz said. The Missoula County Attorneys Office has been honored with one of the National Association of Counties Achievement Awards for its work reducing employee trauma. The award recognizes efforts by the prosecutor's office and local licensed clinical social worker Andrew Laue to mitigate the effects of secondary trauma experienced by prosecutors and other staff who work closely with victims of violent crime. The program, called the Secondary Trauma Group, includes education for staff about the risks of prolonged trauma exposure as well as prevention and resilience techniques to help process that trauma. This is such an honor, Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst said in a statement announcing the award. The program has enriched our staff and enabled positive, trauma-informed work with the victims we serve. The National Association of Counties Achievement Award has been given out in 18 different categories since 1970. The organization will officially present the award at a ceremony during its annual conference, which is being held in late July in Ohio. After losing his bid for governor, I had hoped Greg Gianforte would return to his roots. Not to New Jersey, as Montana is his home, but to his original mission of creating jobs by starting businesses in Montana. Imagine if he used his proven talent and the millions hes spending on election campaigns to invest in businesses in Colstrip or other Montana towns. Instead, Gianforte is running against Rob Quist for Montanas sole seat in the House of Representatives. As a fifth-generation Montanan and a former senior executive of RightNow Technologies, Gianfortes former company, and cofounder of OpenSourceMT, I have important reasons for supporting Rob Quist in this race. Rob Quist is fiercely independent. His voice in Congress in support of all Montanans is much needed. He has a diverse background and has spent decades interacting with ordinary Montanans of all backgrounds, cultures and locations. Hes personally faced many of the same challenges that Montanans face. Quist will fight unequivocally for public lands, Social Security, Medicare, our Second Amendment rights, high-quality public education, equality and diversity. Quist will vigorously represent Montanans and the values that make our state special. Gianforte says he is running so liberals dont obstruct President Donald Trumps agenda. But we dont need someone blindly following someone elses agenda. We are a multi-faceted state and there is no way the Trump agenda is designed to serve all the interests of Montanans. Instead, we need someone who will advocate for a Montana agenda. And we need a representative who with deal face-to-face with us and give honest, clear and fact-driven answers on tough issues, not someone who limits his access to Montanans through paid campaign events the way Gianforte has been doing and whose answers seem to play both sides of the fence. In addition, Gianforte and Quist differ markedly on some key issues. While we at OpenSourceMT stand for a limited government and for active, involved citizenship, we also advocate for public policies that enable the technology and other industries to continue to thrive in Montana. Recently, OpenSourceMT sent a questionnaire to both candidates, asking for their positions on public education, diversity, pubic lands and infrastructure investment. Quist responded to our questions; Gianforte did not. We assessed Quist based on his responses and Gianfortes based on the information on his website and his actions and statements in and prior to the governors race. Of particular concern about Gianforte are his past effort to block public access to the East Gallatin River near his home, his open opposition to common-sense anti-discrimination policies in Bozeman and other Montana cities, and support for the diversion of public education funds to private schools, something that would be especially detrimental to rural communities. We found Quist to be a far better representative for Montanas technology community as well as other growing businesses (see details at www.opensourceMT.org). Montanans deserve more than a rubber-stamp congressman. We need an independent person like Rob Quist who understands and will listen to all Montanans. As a business-person myself, Id say if you are investing in a business, consider investing in Gianforte. But running a business is very different from serving Montanans in our only seat in Congress. In this race youre investing your vote, and I urge you to invest that vote in Rob Quist. I have great confidence Quist will best represent our Montana values and the interest of all Montanans. Following the money candidate Greg Gianforte has given in forms of scholarships, campaign contributions and donations to organizations and community projects, youll see conservative political and personal religious beliefs overlap. The trail illuminates his desire to promote religion and junk science, privatizing public school so students can avoid actual science. Representative example: The Creation Museum in Glendive; dinosaurs marching two-by-two onto Noahs Ark. He sued Montana to change a public river access for private use. An $8 million donation was given to Montana State University. Accept the money; rename the Computer Science Building to Gianforte School of Computing. Students objected; the name Gianforte was associated with deceptive practices. This donation was used to exploit media attention for political purposes during his 2016 governors race. The Gianforte Foundation and sister Montana Family Foundation support degradation of gay rights, homosexuality, womens choice and birth control, leading to extreme divisiveness. The trail of money in the 2017 U.S. Congress race shows this GOP candidate is eager to accept and approve thousands of dollars for fake news, false and twisted information to attack his opponent. His money has problems! Send Rob Quist to Washington, D.C. He is truthful, trustworthy and the voice for Montana. JoLynn Yenne, Bigfork Sheriffs Office Seeking Two for Home Invasion Magnolia, Texas On April 26, 2017 at 7:25 pm, Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office District 4 Patrol were dispatched to a welfare check at the Grand Estates Apartments located in the 30000 block of FM 2978, Magnolia, Texas. Upon arrival, Deputies learned that two black males knocked on the door of a 64 year-old Hispanic female resident. The resident opened the door and engaged the two male suspects in conversation. It was at that time that the males forced their way into the apartment and bound the victim. The male suspects then began ransacking the apartment. Sometime during the incident, the victims 34 year-old daughter arrived home and interrupted the robbery. A brief scuffle ensued with the daughter, but both suspects fled the scene on foot. The suspects are described as slender black males wearing dark colored hoodies. Detectives with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Homicide and Violent Crime Unit are on scene investigating. The investigation is on-going and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office at 936-760-5876 or Montgomery County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-STOP (7867). Texas Weekly Gas Prices Texas, TX, May 1- Average retail gasoline prices in Texas have fallen 3.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.21/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 13,114 gas outlets in Texas. This compares with the national average that has fallen 3.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.38/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com. Including the change in gas prices in Texas during the past week, prices yesterday were 24.3 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 8.5 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 5.1 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 15.9 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago. According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on May 1 in Texas have ranged widely over the last five years: $1.97/g in 2016, $2.38/g in 2015, $3.47/g in 2014, $3.33/g in 2013 and $3.69/g in 2012. Areas near Texas and their current gas price climate: Midland Odessa- $2.30/g, down 3.3 cents per gallon from last week's $2.34/g. San Antonio- $2.19/g, down 1.2 cents per gallon from last week's $2.20/g. Austin- $2.20/g, down 1.7 cents per gallon from last week's $2.22/g. "An oversupply of gasoline as refiners ramp up production will continue to exert downward pressure on prices at the pumps. The national average gasoline price of $2.35 per gallon is a mere 14 cents higher than a year ago, down from a gap of nearly 40 cents just months ago," said Dan McTeague, GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst. "The expected bump in fuel demand doesn't seem to be coming, leaving refineries with a lot of inventory that has yet to find a market. Gas prices appear poised to drop yet again this week." For LIVE fuel price averages, visit http://FuelInsights.GasBuddy.com. About GasBuddy A Butte man serving a 65-year prison sentence for beating his best friend to death with a claw hammer after a night of drinking in 2003 had his latest appeal denied by the Montana Supreme Court on April 18. Keith Eugene Doyle, 50, was found guilty in 2005 of accountability for the deliberate homicide of Richard Solwick after a jury trial that saw two others Angelo Maestas and Cheren Day plead guilty to the same charge and testify against Doyle for reduced sentences. Doyle maintained his innocence at his sentencing, denying participation in Solwicks murder as well as in a number of previous violent crimes behavior Judge Kurt Krueger described as a pattern of repeated behavior and denying involvement. Doyle appealed his conviction to the Montana Supreme Court, who affirmed the ruling in 2007. After that, Doyle began filing for post-conviction relief, a legal process that challenges on grounds of illegality convictions that have otherwise run out of appeals. In his first post-conviction relief petition in Butte district court, Doyle accused the state of violating his right to a speedy trial and right to confront witnesses against him as guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment. He also claimed there was insufficient evidence for his homicide conviction, that the court improperly denied his instruction for lesser included offenses, improperly instructed the jury, and abused its discretion in denying his motion for a mistrial. In 2008, the district court dismissed Doyles petition, a decision he appealed to the Supreme Court only to be denied again in 2009. Doyle filed a second post-conviction relief petition in 2013, which was denied by the district court and was not appealed. A third post-conviction relief petition was filed in 2015, which was denied by the district court and appealed by Doyle to the Supreme Court. That appeal was denied on April 18 with the Montana Supreme Court stating that since Doyle did not appeal its 2007 upholding of his conviction, he was time barred from filing an additional post-conviction relief petition. The court also said Doyle fails to allege the existence of newly discovered evidence because the evidence he provides would not establish that he did not engage in the criminal conduct for which he was convicted. Doyle, who represents himself in these filings, is incarcerated at the Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby. ANACONDA Anaconda voters on Tuesday narrowly turned down two technology levy requests, a school official said Wednesday. The high school request was defeated 758 against and 745 for; the elementary levy failed with 772 against and 692 for, said Kevin Patrick, clerk and business manager. Voters elected newcomer Jerry Arneson with 1,108 votes and incumbent Angela Galle, 726 votes, to fill two trustee seats. The other candidate, Blake Hempstead, received 644 votes. Voters were asked to OK $1.5 million over 10 years for school technology. Split into two levies, it called for $75,000 per year for each of the elementary and high school districts. I personally feel bad that I didnt do enough to get it over the top, said Superintendent Gerry Nolan about the levy failures on Wednesday. I feel responsible that that did not get done. If we are going to educate kids in the 21st century, we have to put good technology in the hands of our students, and this will hamper our ability to do that. The estimated tax impact for the owner of a $100,000 home would have been $8.58 annually had the overall levy passed, according to the Anaconda Leader. Levy proponents had hoped to secure funding for MyAccess testing technology, among so many more much-needed programs. We have our computer network to update, computers, Smart Boards, instructional programs, added Nolan. There are so many great programs out there to really improve instruction, and we just wont have access. Nolan said he regrets not getting the word out about the levy election. When youre that close, theres something more you could (do) to get it over the top, he said. As of right now, the district has no backup plan to pay for the needed technology. However, officials will continue to work on finding solutions. If you want those things in technology, you have to give something up, he added. Butte voters easily OK'd three mill levy requests and returned three incumbents to the school board in Tuesday's election. Dennis Clague, business manager, released the following final tallies on Wednesday morning: For three trustee seats: Tom Billteen, 3,504; Ann Boston, 3,503; and Patti Hepola, 3,732. Jackie Blom, the only newcomer to the race, received 2,584 votes. For the levies: Elementary general fund levy: 3,413 for, 1,808 against Elementary technology levy (first ever): 3,127 for, 2,119 against High school general fund: 3,912 for, 2,108 against Following are the trustees who won in the rural schools: Divide: Kay Keil (winner), 42, and Heidi Kessler, 28. Rocker-Ramsay: Anya J. Hazlett (winner), 223, and James Lorin Williams Jr., 92. About the Butte levy requests: A $300,000-per-year elementary technology fund over 10 years. It will raise property taxes $7.75 annually on a $100,000 home and $15.50 on a $200,000 home. A $96,573 high school operations and maintenance levy. Taxes on a $100,000 home will increase $2.21 annually and $4.43 annually on a $200,000 home. A $65,924 elementary operations and maintenance levy. The increase for a $100,000 home will be $1.70 per year and $3.41 per year on a $200,000 home. District officials mailed 9,218 absentee ballots an increase of about 700 from last year, said Clague. Presentation set on rural schools DILLON The Beaverhead Museum and the Montana Preservation Alliance will host a presentation on Beaverhead Countys rural schools by Christine Brown at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at the Old Depot Theater in Dillon. Brown is the Outreach and Education Director of the Montana Preservation Alliance, an organization that seeks to promote the preservation of Montanas historic and cultural places. She is the coauthor of the award-winning book, Hand Raised: The Barns of Montana along with Chere Jiusto. The alliance was recently designated the 2017 Award for Advocacy winner from the Vernacular Architecture Forum for its work to save Montanas rural schoolhouses. Music duo to play at Old Depot DILLON Music buffs in southwest Montana will be treated to a concert by Isaac Callender and Tim May at 7 p.m. Friday, May 5, at the Old Depot Theater in Dillon. This duo, with Callender on fiddle and May on guitar, brings both unique and traditional music to the stage. Tickets are available at the Beaverhead County Museum and at the door for $10 each. In addition to their concert, the musicians are each offering a workshop at 4 p.m. for $20 per student. Callender has been a regular in the North American Folk Music scene for the last 20 years. He has performed with such notable acts as Jeff Scroggins and Colorado and Peter Rowan. Isaac's versatility as a musician has garnered him accolades on fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass. St. James lifts visitor restrictions Effective Wednesday, May 3, visitor restrictions will be lifted at St. James Healthcare. The restrictions, put in place in February, were based on the presence of RSV and influenza viruses in the community and the surrounding areas. However, for the safety of the patients, family members and friends who have symptoms of an upper respiratory infection are still encouraged to send a card or call the patient rather than coming to the hospital to visit. Tree-planting sessions set May 19-20 Friends of the Urban Forestry Board would invite tree friends and neighbors of Butte-Silver Bow to participate in the growing of the urban forest. The group plans to plant over 90 trees in parks and public rights-of-way. The sessions, which both start at 9 a.m., follow: Friday, May 19, Cinders Field and Chester Steele Park, Silver and Alabama Saturday, May 20, Metro Sewer, 800 Centennial Ave. Before each activity we will collect as a group and ISA Certified Arborist and extension agent Kellee Anderson will demonstrate and discuss proper tree planting methods to ensure success. Details: 406-723-0217 or kellee.anderson@montana.edu. Comment wanted on proposed fishing access Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public review and comment on its proposal to acquire approximately six acres along the Clark Fork River near Gold Creek for a new Fishing Access Site. The proposal calls for developing a new Gold Creek FAS that would include a parking area, single lane concrete boat ramp, security gates, boundary fencing and latrine. The proposed site would help to provide new public access to a 31-mile stretch of the Clark Fork River, between Kohrs Bend and Drummond. A draft environmental assessment has been prepared for this proposal. Find the document online at fwp.mt.gov under Submit Public Comments. Or, request it by mail from Region 2 FWP, 3201 Spurgin Rd., Missoula 59804; phone 406-542-5500; email shrose@mt.gov. Comments can be submitted online at fwp.mt.gov, or should be directed to Sharon Rose by mail to the address above or email to shrose@mt.gov. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on May 23. WASHINGTON Attempting comprehensive tax reform is like trying to tug many bones from the clamped jaws of many mastiffs. Every provision of the code now approaching 4 million words was put there to placate a clamorous faction, or to create a grateful group that will fund its congressional defenders. Still, Washington will take another stab at comprehensiveness, undeterred by the misadventures of comprehensive immigration and health care reforms. Consider just one tax change that should be made and certainly will not be. The deductibility of mortgage interest payments, by which the government will forgo collecting nearly $1 trillion in the next decade, is treated as a categorical imperative graven on the heart of humanity by the finger of God because it is a pleasure enjoyed primarily by the wealthy. About 75 percent of American earners pay more in payroll taxes than in income taxes, and only around 30 percent of taxpayers itemize their deductions. Ike Brannon, of the Cato Institute and Capital Policy Analytics in Washington, argues that, given America's homeownership rate of about 62 percent, not even half of all homeowners use the deduction. Its principal beneficiaries are affluent (also attentive and argumentative) homeowners, and its benefits, as Brannon says, "scale up" regressively: The larger the mortgage and the higher the tax bracket, the more valuable the deduction is. Perhaps the deduction's net effect is a higher rate of homeownership, which can benefit society by encouraging respect for property rights, the thrift necessary for a substantial investment, and a sense of having a stake in the community. But the unpleasantness of 2008 demonstrated the downside of encouraging too much homeownership. Furthermore, the deduction might actually suppress homeownership by being priced into rising housing costs. Besides, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, which have no mortgage interest deductions, have homeownership rates comparable to America's. Homeownership is, Brannon argues, a way for people to hold their wealth; it is not an investment because "it does not improve the productive capacity of the economy." Indeed, the more money that flows into housing, the less flows into stocks, bonds or banks. Government policy is like a Calder mobile touch something here and things jiggle over there. For example, the president has acted to discourage the use of Canadian wood when making planks for the rising edifice of American greatness. A 20 percent tariff on softwood imports from Canada about 30 percent of the softwood lumber used in U.S. residential housing construction is retaliation for Canada's government supposedly charging Canadian lumber interests too little for trees harvested in government forests. The tariff will raise the price of flooring and siding and therefore of houses. Dismayed U.S. homebuilders foresee a 6.4 percent increase; U.S. lumber interests say that is an exaggeration. Even allowing for theatricality on both sides, lumber protectionism will certainly deepen two problems: Because the mortgage interest deduction enables higher housing prices, Americans will continue to pour too much wealth into housing. And inequality will be exacerbated. Homeownership is crucial to the accumulation of wealth. But as social scientist Joel Kotkin writes, millennials are caught in a pincer of low incomes -- the Census Bureau estimates that even those with a full-time job earn $2,000 less in real dollars than the same age cohort did in 1980 -- and high housing prices. Kotkin says "homeownership rates for people under 35 have dropped 21 percent" since 2004. And there is this: The percentage of persons ages 25 to 34 who have never been married has risen from 12 in 1960 to 47 today. There are cultural as well as economic reasons for this delay in two powerful economic multipliers family formation and house-buying but certainly, the rising cost of housing is a factor. This is just one of the unseen costs of protectionism's seen benefit of a small number of domestic jobs protected. Elimination of the mortgage interest deduction would have to be grandfathered to accommodate those who budgeted for their home purchases with the deduction in mind. Even so, it will not happen. Neither will limiting the deduction by denying it to a tiny top sliver of the largest mortgages say, portions of mortgages over $500,000. People are loss-averse they resist surrendering any benefit, even if they would reap bigger benefits from increased economic growth that would result from a more sensible allocation of society's resources. And the political class is risk-averse, unwilling to challenge the affluent, or 1 million organized Realtors. The sound you hear is of mastiffs growling. We started our business in Bozeman in the early 1990s. Soon after that Greg and Susan Gianforte started their business. In the years that followed the Gianfortes built an impressive business that contributed to Montanas economy. Greg and Susan have also contributed extravagantly in many ways to Montana. Greg will stand strong for our Montana way of life and defend the Second Amendment and our Constitution. He will protect access to our public lands. He is supportive of Montanas agriculture industry and will work to get rid of burdensome regulations. He will fight for Montana jobs. Greg believes we can get Washington out of the way so our economy can prosper, jobs can be created, greater opportunities can exist, and our Montana way of life can be protected. Gregs way of life is the Montana way. You dont have to be born here to live our way of life you just have to embrace it. Greg has done this in his many years in our great state. He will represent us well. Vote for Greg Gianforte for U.S. Congress on May 25th. Liane Johnson, Cut Bank HELENA Montana Gov. Steve Bullock faces 260 legislative bills that he must soon decide to veto or sign. That's because state legislative leaders held off delivering them until the last minute as political payback for Bullock's decision to use his bill amendment powers to change voting legislation sent to him earlier this year, officials said Wednesday. The number of bills that Bullock, a Democrat, must consider is the highest ever recorded for a Montana governor after the Legislature has adjourned, according to data compiled by the state legislative division following a request from The Associated Press. The legislature is dominated by Republicans, and House Speaker Austin Knudsen said he delayed sending the bills to Bullock because of lawmaker anger over Bullock's decision to send the bill back to legislators in April with new language authorizing election clerks across the state to conduct the May 25 special congressional election by mail. Bullock employed his "amendatory veto" power to change the legislation. Legislative leaders in April started holding off sending bills to him and did so until the session ended because Montana governors can only exercise the power while the Legislature is in session. The bills delivered to him after the session ended can only be approved or vetoed. If Bullock does nothing with some of them, they automatically become law 10 days after delivery to the governor's office. "Just to be safe, I held them all," said Knudsen, a Republican from Culbertson. "It came to the point that I wasn't going to send him any more bills until we were out of here." Ronja Abel, Bullock's spokeswoman, accused Knudsen and other Republicans of intentionally "preventing the governor from improving some pieces of legislation in the best interest of Montanans." Bullock was in California Wednesday at a conference but was expected to resume reviewing the bills, most already analyzed by his staff, after returning later in the day. The bills that have stacked up have varying deadlines of when Bullock must take action because they were not all delivered on the same day. About 150 were provided to his office earlier this week, but 100 bills had not arrived yet. The backlog of legislation for his consideration is more than double what Bullock faced at the end of Montana's 2015 legislative session. About 180 bills awaited gubernatorial consideration at the end of the 2013 session and there were fewer than 150 at the end of the 2011 session. Montana holds its state legislative sessions every other year. BILLINGS With all the speed and choreographed chaos of an Indianapolis 500 pit crew, the group of a half-dozen folks are quickly sorting, stacking and wheeling groceries into a covered dual-axle trailer. Diapers? shouts Casey Philp as he shuffles through a pile of goods. Mine! responds Esther Negaard. Well, not mine but Everyone chuckles at the joke but doesnt break stride. Staying alive Its a cold, blustery Friday in the back of the Roy Grocery, or if the tattered plastic sign out front has its alliterative say, the ROY ROCERY. Negaard has owned the maze of a store with its vast and varied stock of goods for 19 years, but she may not be in business if it werent for the Winifred folks working to fill the trailer. The Winifred Grocery, which first opened in 1914, may not still be in business if it werent for California resident Brad Bergum making a philanthropic investment in his boyhood hometown. In the process he not only preserved a key local venture, but also helped ensure at least one small Montana town still has a tenuous tie to its early homesteading history. Maybe what were doing in Winifred will inspire other places to be more creative, Bergum says in a telephone interview. Work workout Part of that creativity shows up every Friday morning when an Associated Foods semi-truck from Billings arrives in Roy with a shipment of fresh produce and groceries for the two stores. It wouldnt go to either one of us if it werent for each other, Negaard says. Becky Willson half-mockingly calls the day fun Friday. We dont have to go to the gym, she says between lifting and hauling armfuls of goods into the quickly filling trailer. Suckered Once full, Philp tows the sagging trailer 40 miles northwest to the bustling berg of Winifred. He jokes that he got suckered into a part-time job at the Winifred Grocery by Willson. His mother also works at the store. She hired me and I didnt even apply, Philp jokes as he speedily stocks the shelves upon arrival. Now they wont let me quit. Although born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Philp loves the freedom, calm and quiet of living in Winifred, which has a population hovering just above 200 folks. Like many communities in this central part of Montana, the town was born in the homesteading era of the early 1900s as the federal government gave away land to those willing to settle and scratch out a life in the often brutal prairie grassland. Historic Watered by Dog Creek and just south of the Missouri River and its scenic yet punishing badlands, Norwegian homesteader Jacob Gjerde was one of the first Euro-Americans to stake a claim to these rolling hills that were roamed for thousands of years by American Indians and bison. It was 1888 when the sheepherder and ranch manager patented 160 acres where a portion of the town would later spring to life. Then in 1913 the Milwaukee Road Railroad began building spur lines to generate business for its route across the continent. That was the same year that James Stafford leased a lot in the townsite and began building a general mercantile. Constructed of regionally quarried sandstone block, the long, narrow store with hardwood floors, large front display windows and a tin ceiling opened in 1914. Recently, thanks to the work of Zane Fulbright, the Lewistown Bureau of Land Management archaeologist, and Jon Axline, a Montana Department of Transportation historian, the store was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. When Fulbright showed up to present a plaque honoring the designation to store manager Eileen Stulc, he had to go across the street and get a burger in the bar because it was fun Friday. Stulc was in Roy helping to load the trailer with groceries. Hired help Stulc has managed the store and its six employees since 2009 when her nephew, Brad Bergum, bought the building. Its not remotely close to anything I had ever done, Stulc says. Before this I cleaned houses. Not mine. I dont clean my house, she jokes. Helping to train Stulc was employee Becky Meckling, who was first hired more than 35 years ago and has outlasted two previous store owners. A hometown girl, she began working at the store right after high school. Now a grandmother, she still enjoys the social aspect of the store as well as the modifications instituted by Bergum and Stulc. Theyve made a lot of nice changes, Meckling says. We have a deli now, a milkshake machine. For a lot of the small town groceries, its a struggle. Bergum agrees, calling the Winifred school and his grocery store the bedrock of such small towns. Once those facilities disappear, the community also fades, he says. Thats the main reason he stepped in and bought the business. A big deal Pausing while stocking large red tomatoes in a walk-in cooler at the back of the store, an addition to the original structure that also includes a corner stocked with bottles of booze, Meckling notes that her Winifred roots go back to her grandfather Econom who arrived from Greece as a young man. He had to marry before he left his native land. His wife was only 11 at the time. Bergums mother, Janet, grew up just nine miles down the road from Winifred, just outside the even smaller community of Suffolk. Although now just a smattering of a few homes, back in her childhood Suffolk boasted a two-room schoolhouse that she attended until sixth grade. It was a big deal back when I was growing up to get to come to Winifred, she says. It wasnt a paved road then. Janet has stopped in to buy some fresh lettuce, along with a few refreshments. The store is often busier on Fridays and Saturdays as residents drop in to get produce while its fresh, Stulc says. Strawberries are a big draw, but on this day the cooler also contains blueberries the size of small cherries. Its the only time I get to see my sister, too, Janet says, pointing to Stulc. On this Friday afternoon the store hums with a steady flow of teenagers fresh out of school stopping in to buy snacks, drinks and to snap photos with their cellphones or check their Snapchat accounts. The store has a free cellphone hotspot, as well as a computer with internet access next to brochures, maps and a bulletin board populated with posters. Its pretty cool the efforts they go to to keep that grocery going, Fulbright says. Well stocked Drawing residents to the store has been a challenge, Bergum admits, although sales have continually climbed. When he first bought the grocery it was more of a convenience store, a place for snacks, pop and beer. So he encouraged Stulc to expand the stores stock. I kind of made the decision when I was manager that I wouldnt shop anywhere else, she says. So if I need it, I get it. That includes sweet and sour sauce, Beanitos (the original bean snack), a shelf of spices, Montana-made beers, gift baskets, Easter candy and a selection of Band-Aids, pain relievers and vitamins. In the freezer there are waffles and bacon-wrapped filets. The crew even makes its own bread for the sandwiches it serves from the deli at the front of the store, along with fresh donuts fried every morning to go with the breakfast burritos. Need a lottery ticket? You can buy one of those too, and even put it on an account, something that vanished from most stores with the advent of color television. We put everything in the store, Bergum says. Were trying to change the thinking of locals and keep that spending in town and make it good for the community. Even so the store has struggled to convince locals that the prices are reasonable. We try incredibly hard to keep things less expensive than Albertsons in Lewistown, he adds. Its a smaller profit margin, because we cant buy in bulk like they can. In the end, though, its not about the money for him. If it pays for itself, Im happy. Its more of an investment in the town than it is for financial gain. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy MUSCATINE A significant number of Muscatine students 250dont have money in their cafeteria accounts to cover the cost of school breakfast and lunches, school officials said. In total, families owe $2,365 district-wide for consumed meals. Its really important that our community knows that we have kids that are not being sent with money to school to eat, said Alisha Eggers, the districts food and nutrition supervisor. Under the districts current policy, students receive the regular meal even if they have a negative balance on their accounts, a change from previous years, when students with negative meal balances received a cheese sandwich or peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk for lunch. Students felt embarrassed for being singled out, and the district changed its practices. We know that its really difficult for kids and to not give them the same meal is not whats best for them, you know, they tell us that with their tears, Eggers said. They tell us that when sometimes they dont take letters home from us because theyre afraid to give it to their parents, because parents have literally said ,You know we dont have any money. Eggers said parents and guardians receive phone notifications through the schools messaging system alerting them when the meal balance is close to zero. When the meal balance is negative, parents receive daily notifications with the balance from Monday to Thursday, excluding holidays, until the debt is resolved. District staff also contact parents and guardians to inquire about hardships and connect them with appropriate resources. In some cases, parents have been paying full price for school meals when they are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Some parents worry their children will be singled out for receiving free and reduced meals, but Eggers said that process is confidential. If a parent was thinking to themselves, Gosh, I dont want to apply for these benefits, I work for my money. I pay my bills Im too proud to do that,' they could just drop the application at the administration center," she said. "They dont have to turn it in to their kids school they can even put it in a sealed envelope (and send it)." In other cases, parents are not aware of supports such as Department of Human Services assistance and other community resources that are available to them. Other times, language barriers can result in misunderstandings. The districts policy is to work with parents and guardians, and when theres hardship, such as an illness or poverty in the family, the school principal may contact the United Way of Muscatine to help cover the negative balance. Nichole Sorgenfrey of the United Way of Muscatine said the organization has helped five students with negative meal balances, covering $334 in meal debt. Eggers said private individuals may also contact the district to cover meal debt for a particular school. The district, Eggers said, does not involve debt collection agencies. Some of these policies might change next year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has required school districts to formalize their meal debt policies by July 1, and Eggers said the district is still in the planning phases for the new policy. MUSCATINE Lawyers have submitted proposals for the outcome of the impeachment hearings for Mayor Diana Broderson, and the Muscatine City Council could take action as soon as May 11. At the City Council's meeting on Thursday, aldermen will vote on whether to discuss the post-hearing removal briefs and proposed decisions on May 11, when they could possibly take action on Broderson's removal. In the briefs submitted Tuesday, prosecutor John Nahra requested that the City Council order "that the Mayor be immediately removed from office of the mayor of the City of Muscatine, and further order that she immediately relinquish all City property to the City Clerk." Claiming the city has "produced no evidence that showed Mayor Broderson failed to properly perform her duties," her attorney, William Sueppel, requested the charges be dismissed and the mayor's legal fees be repaid by the city. Broderson's reaction After reviewing Sueppel's proposal, Broderson said she is "quite certain we will prevail, whether it is at this level or at district court." "Oh, it will definitely go to district court if they vote to remove," she said. Aldermen voted 4-3 against taking the removal hearings to district court in the first place. Broderson said she has yet to receive a "fair hearing." "When the accusers are the one making the determination, then that's not due process," she said. Broderson said if the council votes to remove her from office and she appeals the decision in district court, legal fees will essentially be "doubled." "Because we will have to start all over again," she explained. "I hoped it would immediately go to court to save money for taxpayers. But, if they vote to not remove, it would just stop then." Broderson said she is "confident" the city has not proven she has acted with "evil or malicious intent," which is required for removal of an elected official by Iowa law. "I'm really hopeful that we can move past this, so Muscatine can once again shine," Broderson said. Nahra's argument In his briefs, Nahra wrote, "this removal action is not a grudge match between the City Council and Mayor of Muscatine." He said there is "sufficient evidence" to prove Broderson violated city code by creating two ad hoc committees and directly contacting city staff without approval from the city administrator. Nahra said Broderson has violated the city code of ethics by making "personal attacks" on city staff and employees, including sending correspondence to members of the public in which she claimed the council and administrator were "attempting to destroy the Office of the Mayor," "are offended by diversity and open government" and "lack respect and professionalism." The brief also lists several instances where Broderson is accused of "misusing her power to obtain personal benefits," including contacting the manager of Tower Apartments, where her mother is a resident. Nahra claims "baseless and inappropriate actions of Mayor Broderson" have cost the city about $100,000. Nahra wrote his findings and evidence presented at the hearings and through witness statements have "satisfied the elements for the removal" of the mayor. He said the evidence proves Broderson has "committed willful misconduct" and has used her title and office in a "dishonest and fraudulent" manner. Sueppel's argument Broderson's lawyer, Sueppel, lists several instances where "procedural irregularities occurred" during the hearings on March 23 and April 1, when aldermen were acting in their capacity "as both judge and jury." Sueppel cites instances where Alderman Santos Saucedo updated his Facebook status "while a witness was testifying" and where Alderman Michael Rehwaldt "interjected to 'point out a mistake' in a sworn statement of a witness," and "fell asleep, at one point, during testimony." Sueppel said prosecution also called a witness over the phone, which Broderson was not informed about or given time to prepare for questioning. Because of these instances, Sueppel said the City Council was an unfair and "inappropriate venue" for the hearings. Sueppel also argues that Broderson did not commit willful misconduct or maladministration under Iowa law, and said that acts that have warranted the removal of an elected official from office are usually more "serious." He said only actions like "diverting public funds to an unauthorized use," greed, corruption or fraud would be considered maladministration, and that willful misconduct is not "applicable to every mistake or departure from the law." Sueppel's main argument is that at "no time did the City present any intent of the Mayor, and at no time did any witness testify that the Mayor knowingly acted with any evil purpose or intent to do wrong." Without proving evil purpose or intent to do harm, Sueppel said the city has not met its "burden of proof necessary to support removal." Sueppel dismisses accusations by Nahra and City Council members, claiming the city has not applied its code of ethics to city employees or aldermen in the same manner it has applied to the mayor. He also said Broderson has acted "in the best interest" of Muscatine residents, never "refused to perform a duty" and has acted within the limitations of her office. What's next? If aldermen agree to discuss the briefs on May 11, a vote on the mayor's removal could be taken then. The vote requires a two-thirds majority. If aldermen vote to impeach the mayor, Broderson will be removed from office immediately. Then, she said, she would take the case to district court. When a person is sexually assaulted, they may get a rape kit done. But when the rape kit sits in storage for months or even years, whats the point? Iowa has 4,265 untested rape kits, with Muscatine holding 28 of those. The oldest in Iowa dates back to 1992. The total of untested kits in the U.S. is 400,000. Can you imagine having your body violated, working up the courage to submit yourself to even more violation for a rape kit, only to have it sit in storage, collecting dust, for the past 25 years, with no form of justice served? Could you imagine a world where every rape kit gets tested within X amount of time and all the DNA sent to a database where officers can track repeat rapists, regardless if the victim wants to press charges or not? Maybe the statistics would change there would be more than 3 in 10 rapes reported, and more than 6 in 1,000 rapists serving even a day behind bars. What does it take to end the backlog? Our officials should do something about this. We could raise the money to send the kits to a private lab if the one in Des Moines is unable to test them. Its never too late to give closure to the survivors; they deserve it. Please consider donating to endthebacklog.org at least we can try to make a change, even if our officials wont. Courtney Salek Muscatine Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] A Form Four student who was expelled from a school in Nakuru for what was termed as demonic drawings has been honored by a top hotel in the city. Ian Njenga, 17, was expelled from Bahati High School in February after the administration claimed that his art was suggestive that he owes allegiance to some demonic faith. He was also accused of trying to recruit fellow students to his demonic cult after he drew a scorpion on another students shirt. Last Saturday, Ian was part of a group of seven artists selected by Villa Rosa Kempinski to exhibit their artwork during the hotels second edition of the annual art exhibition and auction program, Wasanii Jukwani. The pieces had to convey a central theme highlighting the global chains 120 years anniversary. Njengas piece on display was a charcoal on canvas painting with the theme Vintage Transport priced at Sh50,000. We selected the boy because we wanted to give him a platform to nurture his talent and showcase his artwork. We value people with fresh ideas and want to expose them to a ready market. His exploits will be a stepping stone for other budding artists, said Mwingirwa Kithure, the hotels public relations manager. According to Njenga, it was great to be featured in the exhibition. I was in primary school when I noticed that I had a love for art. I would draw cartoons by the age of ten. It came naturally. I am happy that my parents encouraged me to cultivate this talent while pushing on with my education. It is great to be featured in a big exhibition, Njenga said at the exhibition. I want to encourage young people with such talents not to give up but fully express themselves through such means. There are economic benefits if taken seriously. Following his expulsion and the subsequent public backlash, the school tried to readmit him but his parents opted to transfer him to another school in Nairobi. Below are photos of his piece. Babu Owinos parliamentary aspirations are nearing fruition following his win in the ODM party primaries last Sunday. The flamboyant and often controversial University of Nairobi students leader will in August battle it out with the Jubilee Party candidate, Francis Mureithi, in the race to represent the people of Embakasi East in parliament. Babu, known for catch phrases like Tibim and Tialala, should he be elected is expected to be one of most vocal voices in parliament. As a result, a creative Kenyan, Arap Doyo has toyed with the idea of what Babus maiden speech would be like should he be elected. Read below: The Year is 2017, Last week of August and Babu Owino is the Mp, Embakasi East He is making his maiden speech. Mr Speaker, Tialalalala. Here are the biggest stories in the world today. 28 Year Old Guy Wins Sh221 Million Sportpesa Jackpot VIDEO The price of milk is chasing that of petrol with the current trend, it might actually win. Sugar is no longer sweet. Potatoes are now a luxury the list goes on. The price of living is now at unsustainable levels. Kusota Ni Wewe! Another Sh40 Million Bentley Mulsanne Spotted on Kenyan Roads (PHOTOS) No sooner had luxury British car brand Bentley announced its launch in Kenya than the luxury vehicles started becoming a common sighting on Kenyan roads. The Bentley dealership is being set up through a company called Bentley Nairobi, with the first models expected to arrive in June. Already, Esther Passaris: How I Caught My Husband With Another Woman and Why I Buy Gifts for My Co-wife Nairobi Women rep aspirant Esther Muthoni Passaris has revealed how she once caught her husband with a Mpango Wa Kando in a tell-all interview on TV. Marine Le Pen caught up in plagiarism row The far-right candidate, who was addressing supporters in Villepinte, north of Paris, is accused of using extracts from a speech given by Republican candidate Francois Fillon last month. Le Pen, who trails Emmanuel Macron in the polls, appeared to repeat phrases used by Fillon in a speech on April 15, eight days before he was knocked out of the presidential election race. Merkel pushes Putin on Chechnya gay detention reports The first report on the issue was published on April 1 by the major Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which claimed that more than 100 men had been detained or disappeared i n Chechnya on suspicion of being homosexual, and that some of them had been killed. Parents of US student held in North Korea: We need to talk about Otto He is trapped in North Korea, accused of committing hostile acts against the Kim Jong Un regime. They have had no word or indication about how hes doing since March 3, 2016, and they say that with tensions on the rise, its now time to speak. Surfer found alive after 32 hours at sea Matthew Bryce, 22, from Glasgow, had not been seen since he left to go surfing off the northwest coast of Scotland on Sunday morning. He went into the water shortly before noon and was adrift until a rescue helicopter run by the Belfast coastguard found him clinging to his surfboard 13 miles off the Scottish coast on Monday evening. Highest paying internships 2017: You could make $8,000 a month as a Facebook intern Interns who score gigs at top companies net thousands of dollars per month, according to a list of the 25 highest paying internships in America by jobs site Glassdoor. Unsurprisingly, internships at major tech companies are among the most lucrative. Facebook came out on top with a median monthly pay of $8,000, according to Glassdoor. Trump abruptly ends interview with CBS Dickerson after wiretapping questions Trump signaled that he still believes, as he tweeted on March 4, that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Obama aides, intelligence community officials and some prominent Republican lawmakers have all disputed the claim. And the president has provided no evidence to back it up. Ja Rule still fried over Fyre and now sued The star-turned-festival organizer continues to be roasted over the canceled event in the Bahamas that went from advertised fabulousness to fiasco. Attorney Mark Geragos has filed a $100 million class-action lawsuit on behalf of attendee Daniel Jung against the star (whose legal name is Jeffrey Atkins) and festival co-founder Billy McFarland. Two men brawl on a plane as a flight attendant tries to break them up Video, believed to have been filmed on a Japanese ANA flight, was posted online Footage shows the men throwing punches at each other from their seats One man shouts Someone help! This guy is crazy. Two men started a brawl on a plane as other horrified passengers looked on. Kristin Cavallari at the Met Gala The Met Gala is the highlight of the fashion calendar. And with ground-breaking Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakuboas named as this years theme, the famed fund-raiser is sure to provide plenty of spectacle. The Tokyo-based designer has been deemed worthy of the solo focus of this years gala which inaugurates the museums eagerly-awaited accompanying exhibit of her label. Kylie Jenner takes epic star-studded selfie There is a no-selfie policy in place at the Met Gala. But leave it to social media star Kylie Jenner to already start breaking it. The reality star, 19, posted an epic star-studded selfie which featured Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Lily Aldridge, A$AP Rocky, Puff Daddy, Brie Larson, and Paris Jackson. Ads will target your emotions and theres nothing you can do about it If youre happy and you know it, you might be interested in buying these products. With everything about consumers now tracked online, it comes as little surprise that emotions have recently popped up as a quiet and rather creepy way for advertisers to target you. J.K. Rowling just tweeted the biggest Harry Potter apology so far Apologising for the Harry Potter characters shes killed off is one of J.K. Rowlings Twitter traditions. Every year, on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, she says shes sorry for one characters death. Last year Remus Lupin received an apology. The year before that, it was Fred Weasley. Seriously, no one is using Facebook Stories Facebook is the worlds most successful social network but it shows you an abject failure every time you open its app. One month in, no ones using Stories, the Snapchat clone that sits on top of your News Feed on the mobile app. Surgeon transplants a second head onto a rat, wants to work on humans next Scientists have transplanted the head of a rat onto the back of another, ahead of a controversial plan to carry out the worlds first human head transplant later this year. In the experiment, scientists transplanted the head of the smaller rat onto the back of the larger rat, creating a two-headed animal. Jimmy Kimmel tearfully recalls his newborn sons recent heart surgery Mondays Jimmy Kimmel Live opening monologuewas a far more sombre experience than usual for a serious reason. Kimmel dedicated a 15 minute bit to a story about his newborn son, William (or Billy), who had a heart issue detected by a nurse hours after he was born 10 days ago. GOP Says Its Getting Close On Health Care, But The Votes Still Arent There WASHINGTON The White House and congressional GOP leaders swear theyre closer to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, but a vote on the Republican health care plan may be further off than President Donald Trump hopes or thinks, as support among the rank-and-file is squishy and opposition among moderates doesnt look any less fierce than days before. Late-Night TV Can Continue To Ridicule Trump As Writers Avoid Strike Rejoice: Late-night TV is safe. Working just past their midnight deadline early Tuesday, The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached an agreement on specific terms of a new employment contract, avoiding a strike. Teen Accused Of Killing Allegedly Abusive Father Fights For Freedom Before Trial A lawyer for Bresha Meadows, an Ohio teenager accused of killing her allegedly abusive father, is asking a judge to release her on bond until her trial, citing cruel and unusual conditions at the Trumbull County Juvenile Detention Center where she is jailed. A police officer fatally shot a suspect charging at him with two knives while responding to a family disturbance in San Jose on Tuesday night, police said Wednesday. At 11:35 p.m., San Jose police officers responded to the 1500 block of Mt. Frazier Drive on a report of a family disturbance. When they arrived, a 28-year-old man emerged from a garage and allegedly charged at one of the officers with a kitchen knife in each hand and one knife raised over his head, getting within three or four feet of the officer. The officer discharged his firearm, striking the suspect at least once. "When an individual is charging at an officer with a knife over his head, there's not much that can be done at that point," San Jose police Chief Eddie Garcia said at a news conference outside police headquarters this afternoon. The suspect was transported to Regional Medical Center of San Jose, where he succumbed to his injuries Wednesday morning, police said. The suspect has a history of drug use, mental illness and prior criminal threats, according to police. "The officers had some history at this house, so they knew there was the potential for violence," Garcia said. The officer involved in the shooting, who has 15 years of experience in law enforcement, will be placed on routine paid administrative leave. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and the San Jose Police Department's homicide unit are conducting a joint criminal investigation. The case is being monitored by the San Jose Police Department's internal affairs unit, the City Attorney's Office and the Office of the Independent Police Auditor, police said. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the San Jose Police Department's homicide unit at (408) 277-5283. Free pilates class Calistoga Pilates is offering free classes on Saturday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in celebration of Pilates Day. The studio is located at 1336 Lincoln Ave., Suite B, on the second floor. Space is limited. Call 396-2442 to reserve a spot. Mothers Day Brunch Evangeline, 1226 Washington St., is offering a Mothers Day Brunch on Sunday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that includes everything from raw oysters to andouille sausage to eggs Florentine. Tickets are $50 per person. Info and tickets: 341-3131. Welcome reception for Smith-Hagberg A reception to welcome Erin Smith-Hagberg, the new superintendent of Calistoga Joint Unified school District, will be held on Monday, May 15, at 6 p.m. in the Calistoga Junior-Senior High Schools cafeteria. It is being jointly hosted by the Parent Teacher Association, English Learner Advisory Committee, and Calistoga Education Foundation. The high schools culinary program will provide refreshments. All are welcome. Guacamole contest The first-ever guacamole contest will take place at noon at the Calistoga Library, 1108 Myrtle St. on Saturday, May 6. Register by Friday, May 5. The library will supply chips, salsa, and refreshmentsand a prize for the winning con-guac-tion. Letter Carriers food drive The 25th annual Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will be Saturday, May 13. Put nonperishable donations in a bag and leave it by your mailbox to be picked up. Last year, the nationwide food drive collected a record 80 million pounds of nonperishable food, raising the total amount of donations picked up over the quarter-century history of the drive to more than 1.5 billion pounds, according to the Letter Carriers website. Calistoga Camera Club Annual Slide Show The Calistoga Camera Club will hold a slide show on Saturday, May 6, at the Calistoga Art Center, 1435 N. Oak St. beginning at 6:30 p.m. Club members will show off recent work ranging from their extensive world travels to photos made here at home in Napa Valley. Light refreshments will be served at the end of the show and photographers will be on hand to answer questions. Free. Coffee with a Cop The next Coffee with a Cop, hosted by the Napa County Sheriffs Office and Calistoga Police Department is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 24, at Bella Bakery, 1353 Lincoln Ave. Its an opportunity to meet and chat with local law enforcement officers. One person was arrested after American Canyon Police monitored a parked car on the 100 block of Los Altos Tuesday morning that had been reported stolen in St. Helena. When a man and a woman got into the vehicle a half hour later and drove off, police made a car stop, Police Chief Tracey Stuart reported. Officers arrested Anthony Alex Borrayo, 21, of American Canyon for investigation of car theft. Borrayo had methamphetamine in his pocket, two shaved keys, was out on bail and had a warrant for auto theft, Stuart said. The woman, a juvenile, was released. Several hundred people marched in support of immigrants rights in downtown Napa on Sunday, with a rally in front of City Hall where Mayor Jill Techel and Police Chief Steve Potter were among the speakers. The event was organized by Latinos Unidos in solidarity with Womens March Napa Valley. The peaceful marchers carried banners and signs in Spanish and English with messages to stop deportations and to keep immigrant families together. Placards said wine country needs immigrant workers. Speakers at City Hall also included Napa Vice Mayor Juliana Inman, American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia, state Senator Bill Dodd, county Supervisors Alfredo Pedroza and Brad Wagenknecht, and Irit Weir, leader of the Napa Valley Womens March. A rattlesnake bite of a hiker Monday on Mission Peak east of Fremont prompted officials with the East Bay Regional Park District to issue a statement Tuesday about safety around rattlesnakes in the parks. "We just want the public to be aware," park district spokeswoman Carol Johnson said. "We just want to make sure everyone's safe." A 47-year-old San Jose man was bitten at about 1 p.m. Monday on the top of Mission Peak. The bite left him is serious condition and he was flown in a California Highway Patrol helicopter to Washington Hospital in Fremont. Johnson did not have an update on his condition today. Park district officials are urging visitors to be careful during spring and summer when snakes are more active. Rattlesnakes are especially active in warmer weather and a warm body allows rattlesnakes to move more quickly to catch prey, parks officials said. Caution is also advised because a rattlesnake may not warn its victim by shaking its rattle. But if they do, the rattle will sound like sizzling bacon, park officials said. Visitors are warned to avoid trying to capture or harm a snake since all wild animals in the parks are protected by law. Visitors are encouraged to get in touch with park staff if a rattlesnake is seen. If bitten, parks officials urge people to consider it serious. "Any rattlesnake bite is considered a medical emergency," Johnson said. The man Monday had his wife with him, according to Johnson. "Always being with a friend or buddy is preferable in case something happens and someone needs to go for help," she said. Snakebite victims are encouraged to stay calm and send someone to call 911. Victims should lie down and keep the limb that was bitten lower than the heart. Victims should avoid wasting precious time on tourniquets, "cutting and sucking," or snakebite kits. Anyone who is alone should walk calmly to the nearest source of help such as another person, park employee or should call 911 as soon as possible. Anyone bitten by another kind of snake should wash the wound with soap and water or an antiseptic and get medical attention. Visitors unsure of what kind of bite they received should look for two puncture marks in most cases. In rare cases, rattlesnakes will leave one mark. Anyone bitten by a rattlesnake will feel intense burning pain. Park district employees have received six rattlesnake-related reports in the past seven days. A dog was bitten over the weekend at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore. Additionally, rattlesnakes were seen recently in a park in Walnut Creek, a park in Pittsburg and at the park district's police headquarters at Lake Chabot Regional Park. Snakebites, however, are rare in East Bay parks, according to park district officials. "Snakes don't really want to have anything to do with humans," Johnson said. Park staff won't kill a snake that has bitten a visitor, but they may capture it and relocate it, especially if the visitor was bitten in a more public area of the park such as a picnic area. A rattlesnake can be recognized by its triangular head that is slightly wider than its neck, a thick body with dull skin and black and white bands on its tail. The tip of the tail has a rattle. Most snakes are harmless to pets and humans, but snakes will bite in self-defense, park officials said. BERKELEY -- Police have released a sketch of a man suspected of stabbing someone Friday in North Berkeley, and are seeking the public's help in locating him, police said. The suspect is described as a white man, 35 to 45 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, 160 to 170 pounds, with sandy-colored hair and several days of facial hair growth. He was wearing light-colored clothing and a black backpack. According to police, at 7:47 p.m. the male victim was walking near his home in the 800 block of San Diego Road near John Hinkel Park, when the suspect approached and stabbed him in the abdomen. There was no robbery attempt and the victim did not know the suspect. The unprovoked attack appeared to be random, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said. The suspect was last seen leaving the area on foot in an unknown direction. Police searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect. Anyone with information about this incident or the suspect is asked to call police at (510) 981-5741. Police are also seeking surveillance camera footage from anyone living in the area of the incident. REDWOOD CITY The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Monday afternoon rescued three nearly 3-week-old kittens trapped inside the axle support arm of a construction vehicle in Redwood City, a spokeswoman said. The kittens were inside a boom lift, a four-wheeled vehicle with a basket on the end that can lift workers into the air, according to Buffy Martin Tarbox, a spokeswoman for the agency. The kittens were hidden inside the equipment and couldnt be seen, Tarbox said. A passerby heard meowing and called the SPCA. It was just a miracle that somebody even heard them and that they survived, Tarbox said. Animal Rescue and Control officers from the SPCA arrived around 12:30 p.m. at the corner of Arguello Street and Brewster Avenue where the boom lift was parked, the spokeswoman said. One of the officers had to squeeze herself under the equipment and put her arm up inside and feel around to find the kittens and then they had to fish them out one by one, Tarbox said. Veterinarians at the SPCA estimate that the kittens were inside the equipment for a couple of days. How they got inside is a mystery. The kittens, named John, Wendy and Peter by staffers at the organization, are doing well in the nursery at the Burlingame facility and will go up for adoption once they reach two pounds, Tarbox said. Two groups of people met earlier this week, one in Calistoga, one in St. Helena, to discuss what the community can do to help immigrants in the Napa Valley. At Mondays meeting in a second-floor meeting room at the Calistoga Spa, Jenny Ocon, executive director of the UpValley Family Centers, led the group, called the UpValley Community Leaders. During the meeting, the group approved a vision statement: As nonpartisan community leaders, we strive to be well-informed and actively engaged in collective solutions that address community concerns, fears or needs resulting from federal policy change. We envision a vibrant community that is inclusive and equitable where trust, safety, health, well-being and empowerment is fostered and is a shared responsibility for all members. One of the groups goals is to disseminate accurate information with the community on matters related to immigration to alleviate stress and anxiety. The recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in Calistoga were a topic of conversation on Monday. Both Calistoga Police Chief Mitch Celaya and St. Helena Police Chief Bill Imboden attended the meeting. Imboden said the chiefs had an informal agreement with ICE that they would notify the police when they were in town, how many people were arrested and when they left. That didnt happen during the early April incident. Indira Lopez of the UpValley Family Centers attended both meetings (the second was held Tuesday afternoon at St. Helenas Grace Episcopal Church). On Tuesday, she said that those in the Hispanic community are really worried and concerned and are coming to the UpValley Family Centers asking for help and seeking information on how to become legal U.S. citizens. The UpValley Family Centers has printed documents telling people what to do if ICE comes to your door, in both English and Spanish. A red card states: I do not wish to speak to you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution. I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door. I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights. I choose to exercise my constitutional rights. Lopez said since January, ICE agents have picked up 10 people throughout the county, including five from the Upvalley area. The Rev. Amy Denney Zuniga, rector of Grace Episcopal Church, said a Know Your Rights workshop will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 4, at the church. The intent of the workshop is to get good information out to the public, she said. The workshop will be in Spanish, with English translation available. Jenny Ocon, who also attended Tuesdays meeting, said the UpValley Family Centers hosted a similar workshop at the First Presbyterian Church and some 70 people attended. Lopez said she will prepare fliers for the workshop and will invite representatives from the Mexican Consulate and other consulates to attend. The Grace Church Immigrant Solidarity meeting was chaired by Manfred Esser. St. Helenas city budget is in its best shape in years thanks to $1.45 million in new revenue from the Measure D sales tax. City staff presented a balanced budget to the council during an all-day hearing on Tuesday. The proposed budget projects $13 million in General Fund revenues and $12.8 million in General Fund expenses, for a net surplus of $180,676. The projected General Fund reserve of $3.2 million at the end of the 2017-2018 fiscal year would meet the councils target of 25 percent. The major sources of General Fund revenue will be sales tax (34 percent), property tax (26 percent) and hotel tax (21 percent). The budget projects a 3 percent increase in property taxes, 2.8 percent increase in sales taxes (in addition to the new Measure D taxes), and 1 percent increase in hotel taxes due to the new Las Alcobas hotel. Measure D wasnt earmarked for specific expenses, but city officials say it gave them enough breathing room to set aside money for expenses that had been neglected for years, including $100,000 for vehicle replacement, $200,000 for building repairs/replacement, and $250,000 for street repairs. If we didnt have that shot in the arm, wed be looking at significant discretionary budget cuts, said Mayor Alan Galbraith. The budget also sets aside $213,000 for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements, $50,000 for maintenance of the flood control project, and $262,000 for other work related to the flood project, such as the proper handling of unearthed Native American artifacts. A few councilmembers were concerned that General Fund expenses are up in most city departments, including three of the citys largest: fire (up 20 percent), public works (up 15 percent) and police (up 9 percent). Overall, General Fund expenses are increasing by 8 percent, from $11.8 million to $12.8 million. However, some of those new expenses could be curtailed if the council decides to draw from the General Fund to pay for the removal of the Upper York Creek Dam (see related story). The sunnier financial outlook was reflected in the councils tentative decision to fully fund $110,600 in grant requests from the following 13 nonprofits: Boys & Girls Club ($10,000) Federated Women ($1,200) Friends of the Cameo ($8,000) NapaShakes ($10,000) Native Sons ($10,000) Nimbus Arts ($10,000) Our Town St. Helena ($10,000) Rianda House ($10,000) St. Helena Community Garden ($5,000) St. Helena Farmers Market ($6,400) St. Helena Historical Society ($10,000) St. Helena Preschool for All ($10,000) UpValley Family Centers ($10,000) Last year, when finances were much tighter, the city funded only $35,000 in grants, which was half of what the nonprofits had requested. The Rudd Foundation stepped in and granted the other half. The council will hold its next budget hearing on May 30. Councilmembers asked staff to come back with a clearer accounting of how the city is spending the Measure D revenue, in order to demonstrate to the community that the money is being used responsibly. With the Measure D sales tax bringing a new flow of revenue into city coffers, a majority of the City Council wants to consider drawing from the General Fund to pay for the long-deferred removal of the Upper York Creek Dam. The topic came up at the end of Tuesdays day-long budget hearing, after staff presented a balanced budget buoyed by $1.45 million in new sales tax revenue. Councilmembers Paul Dohring, Geoff Ellsworth and Mary Koberstein said the council should at least look at the impact of tapping the $12.8 million General Fund to cover the cost of removing the dam and take some of the pressure off water ratepayers who would otherwise have to pay for it. Dohring proposed taking $800,000 out of the General Fund this year and another $800,000 in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Mayor Alan Galbraith opposed the idea, saying the city couldnt afford to do it without taking a real hit to its reserves or cutting discretionary expenses such as library and recreation. The promise was that if Measure D passed we would be able to maintain our recreation and library services, Galbraith said. If we have to cut recreation and library services, I would view that as a breach of trust I sought to generate with voters persuading them to vote for Measure D. Dohring said he wouldnt be in favor of cutting the recreation or library budgets either. He said city staff should instead target the escalating costs that are projected in other departments. Im looking at the increases over last years budget, and seeing how much of that is absolutely necessary, he said. The cost of removing the dam contributed to the dramatic water rate increases the council approved in November, and which are under review by the Ad Hoc Utility Rate Committee. The new rates would contribute $1.7 million toward the $6.2 million project, with the rest coming from grants and bonds. If the General Fund covers the cost of the project instead, the water rate increases wont have to be as steep as currently planned. Critics have said the citys General Fund should bear at least some of the burden because previous city officials failed to get the job done. Construction costs have increased sharply in the years since the removal was first ordered in 1993. In 2010 the city signed a settlement agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries pledging to remove the dam by 2012. Water Audit California, a public benefit corporation associated with Southern California environmentalist Grant Reynolds that already sued the city over a separate water-related issue, has threatened to sue the city over the delay in removing the dam. The councils next budget hearing is scheduled for May 30, but the council might further discuss the potential cuts at a regular or special meeting sometime before then. One of the owners of Gillwoods has gone public with her frustration at what she calls a subpar response from the St. Helena Police Department after the restaurant was burglarized. Someone entered Gillwoods on the night of April 21 and stole an undisclosed amount of cash, keys and some frozen fruit. There have been no arrests in the case, and co-owner Debbie Fradelizio said shes been disappointed with the police investigation and the lack of warning that two other businesses had been burglarized a few weeks before. The businesses in St. Helena struggle, and the money we bring in also brings in the sales tax that we so need, Fradelizio told the City Council on April 25. Without us, you dont get that. We feel like we need some support from the police department and the city. She said the police claimed they hadnt been aware of surveillance cameras in the area that might provide clues, and said she and her husband Michael were the ones who found some evidence in a nearby garbage can. She also said that when Michael went to the police department for an update, he was told the original investigating officer was away on training and there was nobody else who could help. She said police have suggested it was an inside job, which she is certain is not the case because Gillwoods has a loyal and trusted long-term staff. Were like family, said Fradelizio, who has co-owned the restaurant with her daughter Jennifer since 2013. And there are areas that only our employees know about that werent touched. Police Chief Bill Imboden contradicted a few details of Fradelizios account, saying police had sought out surveillance footage from businesses along Money Way without being prompted and that the case was being actively investigated even though the initial investigating officer was temporarily away. The officers know very well there are cameras and have viewed video footage, he said. But he acknowledged that the owners did find some evidence in a garbage can that we didnt find and thats going to be useful. Imboden also said police take it personally when a crime occurs in their jurisdiction. We investigate crimes thoroughly, whether we think they were inside jobs or not, he said. We work very hard to catch that person and prevent it from happening again. Imboden declined to discuss the case in detail because its still under investigation, but said officers are still leaning toward the theory of an inside job. While Fradelizio was correct that some valuables employees would have known about hadnt been stolen, those items were not small enough for the burglars to stuff it into their pockets and then walk away inconspicuously, Imboden said. She makes a valid point that a thief looking for high-end items would not have left behind the things they left behind, he said. But the things they took versus the things they left behind point to the fact that it was somebody who knew what they were looking for. This wasnt a random crime. Imboden referred business owners to a letter Officer Justin Tharp wrote to the Star in February 2014. It was published in the Star and the Register as a guest commentary under the headline Reporting crimes that occur at your business, and the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce sent it out to its members, Imboden said. On Monday Fradelizio said she wasnt feeling any better than she was last week, even after receiving a follow-up letter from Imboden. She said his referral to the 2014 letter was not good enough. Fradelizio also questioned why the police didnt warn her and other businesspeople that two other downtown businesses had been burglarized. Beauty products were stolen from Salon Glorio on the night of March 31-April 1, and $3,600 worth of Xanax was stolen from Vasconis Pharmacy on the early morning of April 4 after someone smashed the front window. Imboden said both cases are unsolved, although police are investigating. There has also been a wave of residential and vehicle burglaries, and police have urged people to lock their doors and not keep valuables in their cars. If shed known about the other two burglaries and been advised to install surveillance cameras as police suggested after the burglary she would have done so, she said. She said the burglary was yet another blow for Gillwoods, which like other restaurants is reeling from a sharp increase to its sewer bill, which is being investigated by the Ad Hoc Utility Rate Committee. Dont you hate it when you rummage through your medicine cabinet for an aspirin for your headache, only to find expiration dates corresponding with previous presidential administrations? Hats off to Officer Fil Bianco of the St. Helena Police Department for getting a 24/7 pharmaceutical kiosk installed outside the PD lobby. The St. Helena Rotary Club sponsored the project to promote the No Drugs Down the Drain campaign and protect our local waterways from pollution. Jodi Nieman designed the graphics. Well done to all involved. And, by the way, joyful congratulations to Fil and Kelly on the birth of Vincenzo Alessandro Bianco on March 24. *** I have two academic accolades to tell you about. First, John Pearson of St. Helena won a scholarship from the Vermont Association of Broadcasters. John is a junior majoring in broadcast media production at Champlain College. Next, Sherrill Kelly of St. Helena was initiated in to The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at San Jose State University. I dont know Sherrills major, but whatever it is shes obviously quite well-versed in it. *** The great Mary Novak is surely looking down in pride (a glass of heavenly wine in her hand) as Spottswoode receives the 2017 Green Medal Environmental Award at the Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards, which honor California wineries and vineyards that are committed to sustainability. Congratulations to Beth Novak Milliken and all the other people at Spottswoode who are carrying on Marys legacy. *** The scruffy-looking teen outside the gas station approaches you and asks you, with unsettling politeness, to please, pretty please, buy him a bottle of booze. If alarm bells dont go off in your head, they should. The UpValley Partnership for Youth has recruited teens themselves to spread awareness about the consequences, legal and otherwise, of buying alcohol for minors. Liquor bottles at local stores might have stickers with messages like providing alcohol to a minor can result in a $2,000 fine or alcohol kills more youth than all other illegal drugs combined keep our kids safe and dont supply alcohol to minors. The Sticker Shock Campaign is the latest project for the partnership, which has also worked with local high schools on Know Before You Go events educating seniors about alcohol and other substances theyre very likely to encounter in college. *** The winter storms took a heavy toll on We Care Animal Rescue, which is looking at major expenses involving a leaky roof and other interior repairs. Cindy Hood tells me We Care will be closed Fridays and Saturdays for a few weeks, starting this Friday, May 5. She says We Care hopes to keep its open hours on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m., but you should probably call 963-7044 before heading over, just to make sure. *** May 11 is Bike to Work Day, and organizers are honoring Billy and Elio Eeo as Napa County Bike Commuters of the Year. The Eeos are described as a super bike commuting father-son duo who ride to work and school daily for physical health and to minimize stress. If youre fortunate enough to live and work near St. Helena, seriously consider biking to work next Thursday. If your usual afternoon commute involves Main Street traffic, a bike might shave a few minutes off your trip. *** Something else to put on your calendar: The Letter Carriers Food Drive, which is Saturday, May 13. Put your non-perishable donation in a bag by your mailbox, or bring it to the post office, to help Stamp Out Hunger. This years effort is the 25th anniversary of the first food drive, put on by the National Association of Letter Carriers. For details on the local drive, call Postmistress Lisa Hicks, 963-2668. Addressing the European Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee and Sub-Committee on Security and Defence on Wednesday (3 May 2017), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed closer cooperation between the European Union and the Alliance. He stressed that cooperation is now the norm, not the exception, and noted that a strong European defence contributes to fair burden-sharing. Mr. Stoltenberg also addressed the agenda of the upcoming meeting of NATO leaders in May. (Natural News) Children born to mothers who frequently used their phones were more likely to be hyperactive, according to a recent study. As part of the study, a team of international researchers examined 83,884 mother-children pairs from Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, and Korea between 1996 to 2011. According to the research team, children aged five to seven had a 28 percent increased risk of being hyperactive if their mothers used their mobile phones four times a day while being pregnant. The study revealed children born to mothers who used their mobile phones for an hour daily during pregnancy had higher odds of developing hyperactive behaviors. The research team also found that children born to mothers who never used their mobile phones during pregnancy had lower odds of exhibiting behavioral hyperactivity/inattention or emotional problems. Researchers speculate that radio waves emitted by mobile phones may have something to do with the increased risk of developing hyperactivity in children. However, an expert also cautioned to take these results with a grain of salt. Pediatrician Dr. Robin Hansen of the University of California inferred that children who feel that they were being ignored by their parents might be resorting to hyperactivity to get the attention that they wanted. Is it something about the cellphone itself? Is it something that impacts your parenting behaviour? Its not until you cry or you throw something or make a lot of noise, that your parents shift their attention from the cellphone to you. It reinforces hyperactive, attention-getting behaviour, Dr. Hansen added in DailyMail.co.uk. The findings were published in the journal Environment International. Mobile phone use may induce hyperactivity in adults too Excessive mobile phone use was also found to trigger hyperactivity in adults, a study revealed. As part of the research, health experts at the University of Virginia examined mobile phone use among 221 college students. During the first week of the study, half of the participants were instructed to minimize mobile phone interruptions by activating their do-not-disturb features. The participants swapped places during the second week of the study. The research team then assessed hyperactivity and inattentiveness in participants by determining the frequency symptoms similar to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The experts used the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a basis for identifying ADHD-like symptoms in adults. The research team found that up to 95 percent of smartphone users checked their devices during social gatherings. The experts also found that one in 10 users used a mobile phone during sexual intercourse. The study participants spent at least two hours a day using their devices, the study showed. The study also revealed that the participants reported symptoms similar to ADHD when their mobile phone notifications were turned on compared to when their devices were silent. Some of these symptoms include hyperactivity, reduced focus, inattention and sitting still. According to the lead researcher, smartphones trigger these symptoms because the devices serve as temporary distractions. However, the lead researcher stressed that ADHD is not a mere collection of symptoms, but is a completely separate psychological condition that has biological causes. (Related: Learn more about the latest discoveries in mental health at Mind.news) We found the first experimental evidence that smartphone interruptions can cause greater inattention and hyperactivity symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder even in people drawn from a nonclinical populationOur findings suggest neither that smartphones can cause ADHD nor that reducing smartphone notifications can treat ADHD.The findings simply suggest that our constant digital stimulation may be contributing to an increasingly problematic deficit of attention in modern society, said lead researcher Kostadin Kushlev in IBTimes.co.uk. The findings were presented at last years Human-Computer Interaction conference in California. Follow more news on the biological health effects of EMFs at EMF.news. Sources include: Reuters.com DailyMail.co.uk Wired.co.uk IBTimes.co.uk (Natural News) And suddenly the storms of early Trumptopia subside, or seem to. The surface of things turns eerily placid as the sweets of May sweep away the toils of an elongated mud season. Somebody stuffed Kim Jong Un back in his bunker with a carton of Kools and the Vin Diesel video library. France appears resigned to Hollandaise Lite in the refreshing form of boy wonder Macron. Its been weeks since The New York Times complained about the Russians stealing Hillarys turn as leader of the free world. Were given to understand that Congress managed overnight to cook up a spending bill that will avert a Government shut-down until September. Rest easy America oh, and buy every dip. (Article by James Howard Kunstle republished from Kunstler.com) A calm surface is exactly what Black Swans like to land on, though by definition we will not know theyre out there until our reveries are broken by the sound of wings flapping. Some kind of dirty bird showed up on Canadas thawing pond last week when that countrys biggest home loan lender suffered a 60 percent pukage of shareholder equity and had to be bailed out not by the Canadian government directly, but by the Ontario Provinces Health Care Workers Pension Fund, a neat bit of hocus pocus that amounts to a one-year emergency loan at ten percent interest. If thats a way for insolvent public employee pension plans to find enough yield to meet their obligations, then maybe that could be the magic bullet for the USAs foundering pension funds. The next time Citibank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and friends get a case of the Vapors, let them be bailed out by the Detroit School Bus Drivers Pension Fund at ten percent interest. That ought to work. And let Calpers take care of Wells Fargo. The situation across Western Civilization is as follows: virtually every major financial institution has become a check-kiting operation or a Ponzi scheme, and weve reached the point where they can only pretend to be rescued. Bailout or not, the Toronto-based Home Capital Group is still stuck with shit-loads of non-performing sub-prime mortgage loans its specialty and Canadas spectacular real estate bubble has hardly begun to pop. The collateral is starting to turn, like dead meat in the May sunshine, and the odium will waft across the border. It doesnt take much to blow things up, as the world discovered in several other historically recent episodes. The 1998 banking contagion started with the collapse of Thailands currency, called the baht. I doubt you could count on one hand the number of people in Wall Street or the Federal Reserve (with its 300-plus PhD economists) who gave a flying fuck about the Thai baht. Before you knew it, South Korea and Indonesia started whirling around the drain. And then Russia felt the suck. And then the Nobel Prize winning economists at a Connecticut hedge fund called Long Term Capital Management found out the hard way that their secret sauce investment formula which could not fail in the life of this universe or several like it, fatally poisoned its balance sheet on a repast of Russian sovereign bonds after only about eighteen months. And it took all the poobahs of American banking to paper over the firms death about five minutes before the global banking system would shut down via the greatest daisy chain of cross-collateralized financial booby-traps ever assembled. And ten years later, there was the fiasco of 2008, starring Lehman Brothers and a demonic host of grifters trafficking in worthless bonded debt around the sub-prime mortgage racket tied into a toxic web of derivative financial products i.e. bad bets between insolvent counter-parties masquerading as insurance against unsound investment. Trillions of bailout monies conjured out of thin air fixed that, oh yes it did! So enjoy the festivities around the Maypole today, and the suddenly calm waters of global affairs, and keep your ears pricked for the sound of wings flapping. Read more at: Kunstler.com (Natural News) If youve ever seen Idiocracy, youre probably familiar with the Great Garbage Avalanche of 2505. Unfortunately for the real world, garbage avalanches have already started. It seems weve got a 500-year head start on making the dystopian world depicted in the film a reality. If were actually honest with ourselves, its obvious that the would-be joke movie is a startling mirror image of the direction our society is headed in. Slightly exaggerated, perhaps but sadly becoming more accurate than not. Sri Lankas capital city, Colombo, was devastated by the collapse of a garbage mountain with a height in excess of 300 feet in mid-April. After four days, local authorities were reportedly forced to close down their primary dump along the northeastern corridor of the city. The collapse resulted in a massive landslide of rubbish that wiped out 145 homes and took at least 30 lives. Hundreds of troops were still looking for missing people days after the accident took place. The hope of finding survivors began to wane after four days of searching through the rubble, officials said. Six people have reportedly been missing since the garbage avalanche occurred, and some reports say that up to 100 people were trapped beneath the landslide of mud and rubbish. According to NBC News, authorities are having a hard time determining the exact number of missing people. Residents of the area, who mostly live in shanties, have been calling for the government to remove the dump due to health problems being caused by its presence. Some are also urging the government to assist those who lost their homes to the massive tidal wave of garbage. Liyanage Menaka, a survivor of the collapse whos home was destroyed, commented, The lives of more than 100 are lost. What we are asking is (that they) give us a solution and take care of our kids. Now, the president of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, has banned anti-garbage collection protests. Anyone caught trying to prevent city authorities from conducting garbage collection and disposal reportedly faces prosecution and an indefinite period of jail time. Any person who by word or deed causes a disruption of garbage disposal will be guilty of an offence [sic], the presidential order declares. Authorities say that they are disposing of garbage in alternative locations, but is that really going to be enough to combat this growing problem? While city officials from Colombo say that they will be finding new locations to put their rubbish, the issue of garbage accumulation is far from over. And its not just a Sri Lankan concern; garbage is a global issue. Putting waste in another part of the city or country is merely a temporary solution to a long-term problem. The garbage landslide in Sri Lanka is likely just the beginning. As the Los Angeles Times reports, in 2016 it was estimated that the worlds nations produced 1.3 billion tons of waste and by 2100, that number is expected to climb to 4 billion tons. Trash is a growing problem, and over half of the worlds people dont even have access to adequate waste collection. It is likely that we will literally be drowning in our own waste some day in the ever-nearing future. As urbanization and industrialization expand in countries around the world, the amount of waste created will also skyrocket. As reported by the Times, The United Nations Environment Program predicts the amount of waste will probably double in lower-income African and Asian cities as a result of population growth, urbanization and rising consumption. The UN says that public waste systems are already having trouble keeping up with expansion, and that the waste-producing trend seems to have no bounds. The global trash problem brings many harmful effects, though they are not all as clearly visible as a 300-foot trash mountain. Damages to the environment, human health and safety will be the outcome of our immense production of waste. Nothing is without consequence, and the rate at which humans are polluting the earth will certainly come with a hefty price tag. Sources: DailyMail.co.uk NBCNews.com NDTV.com LATimes.com (Natural News) Though malaria is a virtually unknown disease to many in the U.S., it is a global menace that affects upwards of 212 million people annually, killing close to half a million in any given year. In the past, the medical approach to the treatment of malaria has been to prescribe a type of drug called Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs). However, on the eve of World Malaria Day which falls on the 25th of April each year the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it will be starting to test a new anti-malaria vaccine in the fields of Kenya, Ghana and Malawi, beginning in 2018. Though scientists involved with the development of the vaccine have called this great news, insisting it will make a real difference, is this vaccine really necessary, and will it live up to the hype? Interestingly, on some fronts, the tide has definitely been turning in the war against malaria. In the 15 years from 2000 to 2015, there was a 62 percent reduction in the number of people dying from malaria, as well as a 41 percent reduction in the total number of diagnoses. This has largely been due to the hard work of NGOs and other groups on the ground who have been educating people about avoiding the disease by using mosquito nets and other control measures, making people more aware of the symptoms of the disease so that they can get treatment sooner, and distributing more medication to nations in need. One wonders, therefore, why there is so much interest in developing an anti-malaria vaccine now, when the battle is clearly already being won. Very disturbing, too, is the fact that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has been actively involved in the development of this vaccine, known as Mosquirix or RTS,S. The foundation has donated over $1 billion to family planning initiatives, and one of its stated objectives is to reduce the global population through its Global Health Development Programs. In a TED Talk back in 2010, Bill Gates stated, The world today has 6.8 billion people thats headed up to about 9 billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, healthcare, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent. [Emphasis added] Thats scary stuff. A vaccine is supposed to protect people and prolong their lives, right? So how on earth could vaccines possibly lower population? Logically, if they are as effective as theyre purported to be, they should increase the population by preventing deaths. Kinda makes you wonder whats in those vaccines, doesnt it? (RELATED: To find out more about what people like Bill Gates are up to, visit Depopulation.news) Granted, there has been a marked increase in the number of drug-resistant malaria cases worldwide, but that doesnt mean a preventative vaccine is the best solution. Even if it doesnt kill you and who knows, when the BMGF is involved vaccines have side effects and are not 100 percent effective. And there is a naturally available treatment that has been successfully used to treat malaria in traditional Amazonian, Chinese and African medicine for centuries, that doesnt have side effects, can be grown anywhere and can even treat drug-resistant malaria: The Artemisia annua plant, commonly known as sweet wormwood or sweet annie. The Health Ranger recently reported on a study published in the journal Phytomedicine, which describes how the Artemisia annua plant saved 18 patients in the Congo who were suffering from drug-resistant malaria that was totally unresponsive to any western medical treatment. When the patients failed to respond to ACTs, doctors tried the dried leaves of the Artemisia annua plant in a final bid to save their patients lives. After only five days of treatment, all 18 patients were 100 percent recovered, and blood tests revealed absolutely no remaining parasites in their blood. If a naturally occurring, freely available plant medicine is available to treat drug-resistant strains of malaria, and other preventative measures have already turned the tide in the fight against this disease, any thinking person has to wonder why the BMGF, the WHO and others are suddenly pushing for the release of this new vaccine. Sources: NaturalNews.com Edition.CNN.com NaturalNews.com YouTube.com OccupyCorporatism.com Herman K. Trabish, September 8, 2016 (Utility Dive) Editors note: Michigan lawmakers passed these bills after this story ran. A compromise very much like the one described here put in place a 15% renewables by 2022 mandate and a voluntary 30% by 2025 goal. The 10% energy choice provision remains but providers must meet the new requirements. Michigan faces an energy transformation. Two expansive proposals Senate Bills 437 and 438 have very different aims. SB 437 focuses on managing the states regulated electric utilities and the deregulated alternative electricity suppliers (AESs) who provide electricity to the 10% of customers enrolled in Michigans Electric Choice program. SB 438, meanwhile, centers on updating Michigans renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, along with its solar net metering policy. DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, the states two dominant investor-owned utilities, have focused their lobbying efforts on SB 437, worried that electric reliability could be threatened by proposals from Energy Choice Now (ECN), a nonprofit group that advocates for energy choice. The utilities have shown less engagement with the renewable energy debates in SB 438. The Clean and Efficient Energy Act (SB 438), is much less controversial and more wide-ranging legislation. Its most-discussed provision would increase the states 10% renewables by 2015 mandate to 30% renewables and energy efficiency by 2025. But it would also change the mandate to a voluntary goal one that critics say would be met with a combination of market forces and efficiency gains even if no legislation existed. If the GOP leadership and utilities would push for stronger renewable energy and efficiency provisions, observers said there could be a deal struck to advance clean energy in exchange for changes to the choice program in SB 437 click here for more Tweet Emory University President Claire E. Sterk today announced two key university leadership appointments. I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Dwight A. McBride, PhD, as provost and executive vice president of academic affairs as well as the appointment of Christopher Augostini as executive vice president for business and administration, says Sterk. These two appointments will build upon Emorys exceptional leadership team. We look forward to working with Dwight and Chris, whose leadership and vision will help Emory realize its bold ambitions now and well into the future, says Sterk. Dwight and Chris share a passion for academic excellence and a compelling vision for Emorys future, its faculty, students and staff. I would like to thank the search committees for their hard work and dedication in this process. Dwight A. McBride, PhD, will begin his tenure at Emory on July 1, 2017. Reporting to Sterk, McBride will serve as Emorys chief academic officer, directing and collaborating with deans from each of Emorys nine schools and colleges, with an emphasis on academic excellence and inclusivity. In addition, McBride will direct leadership of the Michael C. Carlos Museum, the Center for Ethics, and the Woodruff Library, as well as Emorys other libraries. He also will oversee Emory's strategic planning, including global strategies, university budgeting and other matters related to academic affairs. Im thrilled and deeply humbled to be selected as Emory Universitys next provost, McBride says. Ive long been impressed with Emory and its reputation for research, clinical and teaching excellence. And throughout this search process with each successive visit to Atlanta and to campus, I fell a bit more in love with the institution and the incredible aspirations its constituents have for its future. "I am delighted to be joining Emorys senior leadership team, and especially by the opportunity to work closely with President Sterk," he says. "Together, along with our faculty colleagues, we will ensure that Emory continues to advance its reputation for academic excellence. McBride joins Emory from Northwestern University where he currently serves as dean of the graduate school and associate provost for graduate education, as well as the Daniel Hale Williams Professor of African American Studies, English and Performance Studies. During his time as dean and associate provost, The Graduate School made unprecedented progress in diversifying Northwesterns PhD programs, oversaw a major increase to the base stipend rate and other forms of financial and academic support for PhD and MFA students, expanded professional development offerings for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and created the Office for Academic Affairs in The Graduate School, which is responsible for maintaining the excellence of the degree programs. In addition, McBride expanded outreach efforts to create a greater sense of community among graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, established the Office of Diversity & Inclusion within the school, and significantly increased the number of training grants and other sources of external funding to support graduate students and postdocs. McBride received his undergraduate degree in English and African American Studies from Princeton University. He earned his masters and PhD in English from the University of California, Los Angeles. McBride previously served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh. An award-winning author of numerous publications that examine connections between race theory, black studies and identity politics, McBride is the founder and co-editor of the James Baldwin Review. His work has received special citations from the Crompton-Noll Award Committee of the Modern Language Association, and his research has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. McBride has served on the executive committee of the Association of American Universities (AAU) Association of Graduate Schools; the board of directors of American Colleges & Universities; and the GRE Board, among others. Emorys search consultant was Heidrick & Struggles. Christopher Augostini will begin his tenure as Emorys executive vice president for business and administration on July 1, 2017. Augostini joins Emory from Georgetown University where he serves as senior vice president and chief operating officer. Emorys Business and Administration Division is a broad-based group of nearly 1,400 staff members dedicated to enabling Emory to achieve its vision and goals. The division is organized to support an environment that fosters excellence in people, facilities, infrastructure and financial resources. In his position, Augostini will be responsible for Emorys fiscal and administrative affairs. Reporting to Sterk, Augostinis primary responsibilities include strategic financial planning and stewardship of Emorys resources to support the academic and operational missions for the university. He will provide leadership to the finance, endowment management, human resources, campus services and internal audit functions, business practice improvement and, in collaboration with the two other EVPs, will serve as primary senior executive for information technology services, research administration and compliance. I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to join such a strong leadership team, says Augostini. It is exciting to be joining Emory University at this moment in its history. I look forward to the opportunity to immerse myself in the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Emory. Augostinis responsibilities at Georgetown University have included financial and operations leadership. In addition, he led Georgetowns master planning process, which revitalized the universitys physical and technological infrastructure. Working with faculty, staff, students and community leaders, Augostini led the first non-contested campuses planning process in Georgetowns history. During his tenure, Georgetowns endowment has increased by 270 percent, its bond rating has been upgraded by both Moodys and Standard and Poors, and the universitys unrestricted resource base and operating positions have improved. To strengthen the professional development and retention of the top administrative talent at Georgetown, Augostini established the Shaping and Advancing Georgetown Executives program, which equips participants with tools to advance within a climate of creativity and collaboration across units within the university. Before joining Georgetown University, Augostini served as chief of staff to the first deputy mayor of the City of New York under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, as well as deputy budget director and director of intergovernmental affairs overseeing the citys efforts in Washington, DC, and Albany, NY. He has served in numerous positions within New York State, including principal budget analyst for the NYS Ways and Means Committee and program analyst for the NYS Assembly Higher Education Committee. Augostini holds masters and bachelors degrees in public affairs and policy from the State University of New York at Albany. Emorys search consultant was Neumann Executive Search. U.S. district judge to deliver law school commencement keynote by Pete Rosenbery CARBONDALE, Ill. U.S. District Judge Staci M. Yandle will deliver the keynote address during commencement ceremonies for the SIU School of Law on Friday, May 12. The commencement ceremony for 93 graduates -- including four who will receive a joint J.D./Master of Business Administration degree -- is at 3 p.m. in Shryock Auditorium on the Carbondale campus. In addition, one graduate will receive a joint J.D./Master of Public Administration degree, one graduate will receive a joint J.D./Master of Education, and one graduate will receive a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree. SIU Carbondale Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell will confer the degrees at the ceremony led by School of Law Dean Cynthia Fountaine. The commencement is free and open to the public. Former President Obama nominated Yandle to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and she received U.S. Senate confirmation in June 2014. Yandle presides in the U.S. District Court in Benton. The Southern District of Illinois is comprised of 38 southernmost counties in the state. Yandle worked in private practice for 20 years before becoming a solo practitioner in 2007. She earned a bachelors degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1983 and her law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1987. A former president of the Metro East Bar Association, Yandle served on the Illinois Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights from 1992 to 1996, and by appointment to the Illinois Gaming Board from 1999 to 2001. The ceremony marks the 41st anniversary of the law schools first graduating class of 1976. Angela Upchurch, an associate professor, is this years Outstanding Faculty Member selected by the graduating class and will speak. Joseph A. Wade, chosen by his classmates to represent the Class of 2017, will also speak at the ceremony. The ceremony will recognize Waleed Abu al-Khair, a Saudi human rights lawyer, with the law schools Rule of Law citation. The citation is a formal recognition by the law school faculty of the important tradition of the legal profession that requires lawyers to stand firm in support of liberty and justice in the face of oppression and, by their words and actions, to honor and support the Rule of Law, even at great personal risk. A commencement hood and scroll placed on an empty chair in the front row with law school faculty symbolize the law school standing with lawyers who are suffering for the Rule of Law. Abu al-Khair began serving a 15-year sentence in 2014 after being convicted by Saudi Arabias terrorism tribunal for comments to news and social media outlets, including Twitter, criticizing that nations alleged human rights abuses. He cannot travel abroad for 15 years after his release from prison, and he received a $53,000 fine. Reports indicate Abu al-Khair was accused of being involved in terrorism-related crimes that included inflaming public opinion, insulting the judiciary, harming public order and disobeying the ruler and seeking to remove his legitimacy. Abu al-Khair did not take an active part in his defense during the trial because he did not recognize the courts legitimacy. Institute ranks SIU 76th in nation for technology transfer by Tim Crosby CARBONDALE, Ill. A national organization promoting economic opportunity has ranked Southern Illinois University Carbondale among its top 100 in the country for technology transfer. The Milken Institutes Center for Jobs and Human Capital placed SIU at No. 76 out of 225 in the nation in its Technology Transfer and Commercialization Index of Universities & Research Institutions ranking, which it released in April. The Santa Monica, Cal.-based Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that seeks to grow global prosperity by advancing collaborative solutions that widen access to capital, create jobs, and improve health. The Center for Jobs and Human Capital promotes prosperity and sustainable economic growth around the world by increasing the understanding of the dynamics that drive job creation and promote industry expansion. The reports authors point out that innovative activities, along with their commercial applications, drive long-term economic growth in the country. Although research and development pushes innovation, the main catalyst remains the American research university. In the 21st century, public and private research universities are the seed capital for creating knowledge that fosters scientific- and technology-based economic development, the report states. Creating human capital and conducting research, along with its efficiency as measured by output (patents, licenses executed, licensing income, and startups) relative to input (research expenditures), depict the production of good universities delivering on their mission. Robert Patino, director of the SIU Office of Technology Transfer, said the report confirmed that the universitys efforts in those areas compare favorably with other top universities with far more research funding in some case six to eight times more at their disposal. The report underscores the continued need for funding in our research and investment in our economic development centers to remain economic hubs in our respective communities and to attract scientists to pursue innovative endeavors, Patino said. Prafulla Samantara, the recipient from Asia of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize and the face of a determined people's resistance against bauxite mining in an Odisha forest, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "rethink" his corporate-friendly policies. The activist led a historic 12-year legal battle that affirmed the indigenous Dongria-Kondh's land rights and protected the Niyamgiri Hills, spanning the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada, from a massive, open-pit aluminium ore mine. "My appeal to the present government of India under the leadership of Narendra Modi... is that it should rethink his corporate-friendly policy (and change) to people- and environmental-friendly developmental policies in the interest of equity and justice for the common people of our country," Samantara told IANS from San Francisco after receiving the honour. The Goldman Environmental Prize honours grassroots environmental heroes from the world's six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands & Island Nations, North America, and South & Central America. He appealed to Modi to "keep his promise" of development without destruction (of ecological resources). "... but the process of present development in India leads to destruction of huge resources like rivers, forests, agriculture, lands through mindless mining and hazardous industrialisation for the profit of corporates," the 65-year-old lamented. Dubbing himself a product of the JP (Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan) movement against corruption in the 1970s, Samantara claimed that under global capitalism, the Indian state has been transformed into a corporate state "against the democratic and constitutional rights of our people" as enshrined in the constitution. Hailing from a farmer's family, Samantara began campaigning against globalisation and privatisation in the 1990s. His activism spurred him to organise a people's movement against bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills: a land of deep forests, gorges and cascading streams. The Dongria Kondh, who derive their name from dongar, meaning hill, are fruit farmers with an encyclopedic knowledge of the forest's medicinal plants. They hold deep reverence for various aspects of the hills. In 2003, Samantara saw an announcement in a newspaper about a public hearing to discuss bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri Hills. He noted that the public hearing would not be accessible to the isolated Dongria Kondh, who do not understand English or have access to computers. Samantara felt a responsibility to help them protect the Niyamgiri Hills. Samantara alerted the Dongria Kondh that their land had been given away. In October 2004, the Odisha State Mining Company (OMC) signed an agreement with UK-based Vedanta Resources to mine bauxite, an aluminum ore, in the Niyamgiri Hills. The massive, open-pit mine would destroy 1,660 acres of untouched forestland to extract more than 70 million tonnes of bauxite, polluting critical water sources in the process. The mine would also require roads to transport the bauxite, which would leave the forest vulnerable to loggers and poachers. Through peaceful rallies and marches, he organised the Dongria Kondh to maintain a strong presence in the hills to keep the mine project from moving forward. Meanwhile, Samantara filed a petition with the Supreme Court's panel governing mining activities, becoming the first citizen to use the legal system in an attempt to halt the Vedanta mine. Recalling the struggle, Samantara said: "The hired goons of the company tried to create obstacles. They also attacked other social activists who organised the tribal community. Innocent tribals were put in jail by police and I was also opposed by the advocates of industrialisation. "Once I was kidnapped along with many prominent people's leaders by the goons of company and twice there were attempts to attack me physically." Almost a decade after Samantara's initial filing, the Supreme Court issued a historic decision on April 18, 2013. The ruling empowered local communities to have the final say in mining projects on their land and gave village councils from the Niyamgiri Hills the right to vote on the Vedanta mine. By August 2013, all 12 tribal village councils had unanimously voted against the mine. But the war rages on to protect Niyamgiri -- the soul of the tribals. "Now Niyamgiri is saved from mining but the alumina plant of Vedanta is there at Lanjigarh, at the foothill of Niyamgiri. As a most polluting industry it threatens the ecology of Niyamgiri. So now the struggle continues to dismantle this plant," Samantara said. He warned against bauxite mining. "If bauxite is mined and exhausted there will be depletion of water resources, streams and rivers and ultimately this will destroy the rich biodiversity in the forest. The permanent existence of bauxite is necessary not only to keep Niyamgiri alive but also to ensure the sustainability of Dongria habitat," he said, adding states like Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and others are facing ecological crisis in the name of "corporate investment". As for the award, he termed it as an "international recognition of people's movements against corporate capture of natural resources, to protect the people's right of which I am a part and parcel". "I do feel this award has inspired me to work more and more to build people's power to fight against corporatisation of resources and also corporatisation of politics in India," he added. (Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in) --IANS sgh/ssp/vm/ky/tb ( 870 Words) 2017-05-03-12:32:08 (IANS) Inaugurating a research centre of the Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved here, Modi also found fault over what he said was the neglect of its traditional forms of medicine like Ayurveda. "While pre-independence period witnessed attempts to destroy India's indigenous and traditional arts and forms of healthcare like Ayurveda, a large part of post-independence period was spent in neglecting them." Modi lamented that the indifference led to foreign countries acquiring patents. "The world now is not just content with curing diseases but there is more emphasis on wellness and preventive healthcare. The best way to ensure and promote preventive healthcare is cleanliness," he said. "If we resolve to be clean, if we resolve not to litter or spread dirt and filth, we can save more lives than a doctor does. Cleanliness is the way ahead to make India disease free. "Our ancestors spent their lives making innovations and turning these innovations useful for humanity. "We must never forget that innovative spirit and continue making efforts to develop our traditional techniques and methods," Modi added. The Prime Minister hailed Ramdev for revolutionizing yoga in the country and creating global awareness about it. --IANS and/mr ( 219 Words) 2017-05-03-13:56:08 (IANS) Over 125 platoons of police force would be deployed during the nine-day Puri Car festival scheduled to begin on June 25 next to ensure that it passed off without any incident. Odisha Director General of Police K B Singh told newspersons after the coordination meeting held here to ensure the smooth celebration of the festival that in addition to it 200 senior officers, 500 Sub Inspectors, 5000 home guards and adequate number of commandants would be deployed for the smooth celebration of the festival. Mr Singh said the during the festival the entire pilgrim city Puri would be declared as no-flying zone and coastal security would be strengthened. The DGP said Special tactical and Special Operation Group units would be deployed during the festival to see that the festival was incident free. Additional Director General of Police Binayananda Jha will oversee the security management of the festival and IG Central Range S Priyadarshini will look after the temple security and crowd management and a senior Police Officer will be in charge of traffic control. As per an estimate over seven lakh devotees are expected to visit Puri during the festival to have a darshan of Lord jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, the presiding deities of the 12th century sri Jagannath temple. UNI BD DP KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-877589.Xml Slamming former defence minister A.K. Antony's statement where he called the Centre to give a free hand to the Indian Army in giving an 'appropriate reply' to Pakistan's barbaric act in Jammu and Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said the remark is ironical as neither the former nor former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had a free hand to run the UPA government during the tenure. "The hallmark of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is that the armed forces have been given a free hand to deal with the situation and to rebuff every attempt by Pakistan and to give reactive firing against every ceasefire violation. It sounds very ironical when the Congress talks about giving a free hand to anyone because neither Antony nor Dr. Manmohan Singh had a free hand to run the UPA government for 10 years," BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao told ANI. He further said that Dr. Manmohan Singh was acting as a rubber stamp in that government and it was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who was remote controlling. Echoing similar sentiments, another BJP leader Nalin Kohli said that the saffron party will continue to do what is correct, adding if the Congress Party wants to contribute then it should have a concrete suggestion. "It's a very sad and uncalled for statement coming from Antony who is a senior Congress leader. We care for every soldier and we are proud of every soldier. We salute their bravery and our hearts are with their families when they give their supreme sacrifice," he added. Calling on the Centre to give a free hand to the Indian Army in giving an 'appropriate reply' to Pakistan's barbaric act in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector, Antony yesterday reminded that such an incident had happened only once under the Congress regime. While clarifying that he does not want to politicise the incident, Antony said, "During our time, only one such incident happened. The incident of mutilation happened only once in eight years. But here it has happened thrice. It has affected the morale of the Indian Army. It puts a question on the security structure. Give freedom to the army to take appropriate action at appropriate time." The former defence minister further reiterated that the government must give a free hand to the Army to handle it in their own way. "My message is clear: Give freedom to the Army to take appropriate action as a reaction to this cruel, inhuman, barbaric action by Pakistan," Antony told the media. Indian Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt yesterday raised the issue of Border Action Team (BAT) camps near the Line of control with his Pakistani counterpart. Bhatt also raised the issue of fire support provided by the Pakistani posts. "DGMO Indian Army conveyed that such dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response," the Indian Army said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) has highlighted that the brutal Krishna Ghati incident occurred post the visit of the Pakistan Army Chief to the Line of Control (LoC), adding that Islamabad's BAT, involved in the attack, comprised Mujahedeen terrorists as well. "I would not like to comment formally on this. But yes, everybody knows that this has taken place immediately after the visit of the Pakistan Army Chief to the frontal area," said BSF Additional Director General (ADG) Western Command K.N. Choubey. The Pakistani soldiers along with their Border Action Team (BAT), which include trained border inhabitants had launched a joint attack. They first fired rockets and followed this up with firing from automatic weapons, near Kranti Post located in Poonch's Krishna Ghati Sector around 8.30 a.m. The Pakistanis then crossed the LoC, entered 200 meters into Indian Territory, and attacked a joint patrol of the Army and Border Security Force (BSF), heading towards a nearby post. It is the same Krishna Ghati sector where the Pakistani BAT had beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj and badly severed the head of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh of 13 Rajputana Rifles on January 8, 2013. (ANI) The decision was taken by former village pradhan Mohammed Gaffar, who decided that the Muslim community will support Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his campaign against cow slaughter. However, anyone found indulging in cow slaughter or cow theft would have to shell out Rs. 2 lakh, while those found selling liquor would have to cough up Rs 1.11 lakh. While, the Panchayat members also decided to impose Rs. 21,000 on girls who will be seen talking on mobile phones while walking on the street, in order to reduce the rate of crime against girls and encourages elopement. The quantum of punishment apart from the penalty would be decided by the entire Panchayat. (ANI) Geeta Mahali and Raju Mahali, the tribal couple, who shot to national importance overnight after hosting BJP president Amit Shah to a vegetarian lunch in their tin-roof hut last month, today joined the ruling Trinamool Congress. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh reacting to such latest political development said the poor couple did this under "duress" The tribal couple joined the Trinamool at its party office here a day after the two went missing. Mr Ghosh said their attempt to lodge an FIR for the two was foiled after police did not do so and then the BJP activists gheraoed the Naxalbari police station last night. " Now they have been taken to TMC party office at Naxalbari and forced to join the ruling party, " Mr Ghosh added. " If a person wants to join to the ruling party why then he or she would go missing the previous day, " Mr Ghosh asked and said " this way the party, government and administration function in West Bengal. " " We have already informed the matter to the top leadership in Delhi and Central leaders, " he added. Geeta and Raju Mahali were today inducted into the TMC as State Minister for Tourism Gautam Deb handed over the party flag to them at a simple ceremony, where the media people were called in advance. Mr Deb said the two couple had hosted BJP president Amit Shah as he was guest here for a brief period. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on April 25 launched the party's Mission Bengal from Naxalbari, a former red rebellion bastion in 60s,70s and 80s of Naxalite movement. Mr Shah had rice, roti, dal and sabji in the tin-roof hut of the tribal family at Dakkhin Katiajote village in Naxalbari. Mr Shah sat on the floor of Raju Mahali's house and had rice, moong dal, parwal fry, squash curry, salad and papad, served on a banana leafby Geeta and her daughters. The picture of Mr Shah having lunch in their hut under a humid and searing hot condition with Geeta sitting next to BJP president got huge publicity across India. UNI XC-PC SJC -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-878177.Xml Violence and pitched battles between BJP and ruling CPM cadres sweeping different places of Tripura in last 24 hours ahead of Amit Shah's visit has made political situation hostile in the state. According to report, as many as 16 people were injured in four locations of both the parties. However, there is no arrest so far. Police beefed up security in all the locations and held meeting with party leaders requesting them to maintain peace. Tension prevailed in Amtali area at the out skirt of Agartala, Northern town Dharmanagar as well as in Kamalpur in Dhalai district and Teliamura of Khowai district following alleged attack of ruling CPM activists on the BJP supporters. In Kamalpur while five persons were injured in the assault--four among them CPM and one from BJP while in Amtali situation became volatile following physical attack on a Yuva Mora activist allegedly by SFI state secretary Nabarun Deb. In Amtakli police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse angry BJP activists who tried to storm SFI secretary Nabarun Deb's home. The Yuva Morcha workers who were later joined by its mother organization BJP, in phase wise resorted to agitation and staged road blockades on the NH44. In Kamalpur the BJP workers retaliated heavily when one of their supporters Champalal Baul was assaulted by CPM cadres. It was alleged that the CPM workers first ganged upon the BJP worker in which he was severely injured. Three BJP supporters were wounded as miscreants pelted with stones at a street corner, organized by BJP in Teliamura in the evening. Allegedly, CPI-M backed goons' pelted with stones targeting the BJP supporters while BJP was holding a street corner at Ghilatali under Teliamura. BJP leaders alleged that a group of 'hard core' CPM supporters attended the meeting to join BJP and this has irked the ruling party. While BJP leaders were delivering speeches in presence of police personnel, goons suddenly started pelting with stones. In another incident at Dharmanagar, the BJP supporters were allegedly attacked by the CPI-M cadres when they raised allegation of poor quality construction of a road. At least three persons were injured in the incident. However, CPI-M has denied all the allegations stating that in all the cases BJP cadres have attacked the CPI-M workers in a pre-planned manner to create unrest in the state before its party chief visit. The party demanded police to investigate the matter and take appropriate action while urged the people of Tripura to prevent such violence polices of BJP. Meanwhile, BJP State Observer Sunil Deodhar alleged that suspicious movement of some local youths were found in front of his residence in Agartala near Secretariat for last couple of weeks. And he apprehended that there was a blue-print to attack on him by the criminals. BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb called IGP of Law and Order K V Sreejesh for providing security in front of his residence and ensure security of his party leaders alleging that CPI-M has been planning to attack BJP top leaders ahead of election.UNI BB KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-878188.Xml Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken today said that he has decided to continue as the chief of the Delhi Congress as party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has asked him to continue.Maken had, in the wake of the Congress debacle in the polls for the three Delhi Municipal corporations, announced his resignation from his post. Mr Maken had also announced that he would not hold any post in the orgasnisation for the next one year.Talking to the reporters here, Maken said, "I have talked to the Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi after the results of the MCD polls. He has told us (Maken and AICC incharge for Delhi PC Chacko) to continue.''In the wake of the MCD poll results, AICC incharge for Delhi PC Chacko had also offered to resign over the party's poor show.Mr Maken said that Mr Gandhi had also praised the efforts by the Delhi Congress workers to ensure an increase in the vote share of the Congress in the MCD polls.It is notable that the vote-share of the Congress in these polls was 21 per cent, a sharp rise from their vote-share of just 9 per cent in the 2015 Assembly polls in Delhi.UNI AR SNU 1358 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-878341.Xml Rail police arrested three peddlers with huge consignment of ganja from a bogie of New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Expresshere today. Sources at Government Railway Police (GRP) said 42 kgs of ganja were seized from a compartment of New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express following a tip-off. The three peddlers have been identified as Needan Majumdar, Rasihool Haque and Samir Haque were arrested from the spot. An intensive interrogation peddlers was on to nab other members of the gang, police added.UNI XC-DH KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-878275.Xml Former Enforcement Directorate (ED) Assistant Director Manoj Kumar was today remanded to 10 days police custody by a local court after his surrender following the Supreme Court order last month. The suspended official along with his counsels today appeared before the Bankshall court and surrendered himself as per the April 27 order of the apex court. Justice Debabrata Saha, after hearing the arguments and counter arguments of the government prosecutors, ordered for 10 days police remand of Kumar, who is accused of extortion and cheating. Before the Supreme Court's rejection to his anticipatory bail plea, Calcutta High Court in the third week of March had also rejected Kumar's bail plea in connection with an extortion case that was lodged against him by a chartered accountant (CA), Komal Somani, with the Shakespeare Sarani police station. Kumar, who was the chief investigating officer for ED in the Rose Valley scandal, was suspended after he was found in close proximity with Subhra Kundu, wife of Rose Valley Group chairman Gautam Kundu who is now in jail. The government prosecutors, while pleading for 14 days police custody, said they need to question the accused on many cases of cheating and his alleged unaccounted money kept in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They alleged Kumar used to run a racket with his accomplices by misusing the government position he held and minted money by creating fear among the business people. However, the court ordered for 10 days police custody until May 12.UNI PC AD1441 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-878419.Xml The STF had earlier registered FIRs against seven petrol pumps and arrested 23 people for using cheating chips. As many as 15 electronic chips and 29 remote controls have been recovered from the seven petrol pumps. Earlier this week, the special task force raided over a dozen petrol pumps to check theft of petrol in state capital Lucknow. STF sleuths found that a chip board-like device worth Rs. 3,000 was placed inside the petrol dispensing machine, which did the job. Receiving a tip-off from an informer, STF sleuths apprehended electrician Ravinder who had developed that chip which helped petrol pump owners and staff to sell less petrol but at the original price. According to reports, Ravindra had sold this chip to over 1,000 petrol pump owners across Uttar Pradesh. On raiding at least eight pumps in the city, three at Sitapur Road and one each in the Cantonment area, Chinhat at Kamta crossing, Samta Mulak crossing in Gomtinagar and KGMU, all were found to be using the said chip. After conducting a thorough investigation, the STF team arrested Ravindra, several petrol pump workers and owners. A customer told ANI, "We are very satisfied and happy. The government should continue this good work. I suggest strict action should be taken against wrong doers." Another customer suggested that raids should be conducted at every petrol pump. (ANI) A bench of the apex court headed by Justice Dipak Misra was hearing the case, and the matter will be heard again on May 8. On April 28, the Tamil Nadu Government had told the apex court that drought was not the reason for farmer suicides in the state. In its reply, the state government told the Supreme Court that farmers were taking the extreme step due to personal reasons. On April 13, the top court ordered the Tamil Nadu Government to file a detailed reply on the issue within two weeks. Expressing its displeasure over the state government's inaction on the issue, Justice Dipak Misra said, "It is very painful to hear it that farmers are committing suicide and the state government is not taking enough steps." An NGO had moved the apex court, pointing to the increasing cases of farmers' suicides. (ANI) Police said the three officers, Bhaskarjyoti Dev Sharma, Bhaskar Dutta and Amit Sharma, were arrested last night by a team of Dibrugarh police, which has been conducting the investigation in the case. The trio is being held at Assam Police office at Kahilipara in the city and is likely to be produced at a local court later in the day. Police is expected to seek remand of the trio, who has been arrested on the basis of recovery of their purported answer scripts of APSC examination from the residence of former APSC chief Rakesh Paul, who is in judicial remand in the same case. More arrests of candidates suspected to have cleared APSC examinations by allegedly paying bribe are expected in the course of investigation. Several arrests have already been made in the 'cash-for job' scam, including that of then-APSC chairman Rakesh Paul, two members and a deputy controller of examination, among others, so far. A former Congress minister has also been questioned in the case.UNI SG AD1523 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-878498.Xml On the basis of the initial information emerging in the honey trapping case of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP K.C. Patel, it has been revealed that the woman arrested in connection with this case is part of a bigger racket. According to sources, the Delhi Police suspects that the woman has criminal records from Muzaffarnagar and has claimed to know Patel's daughter. She came to Delhi around five years back to prepare for the Rajasthan Public Service Examination and later gave a preliminary exam of the UPSC. She further claims that she holds BA, MA (English) MA (political science) LLB and LLM degrees, however, the Police doubt the information provided by her and is likely to take her to Muzaffarnagar to verify her claims. In the Gujarat MP case, the woman claims the leader met her in the Supreme Court. However, the MP has asserted that she called him around six months back. Apart from this, CD, audio files have been seized from her house along with the CCTV footages. The woman was arrested on Tuesday and was sent to a five-day judicial custody. "The investigation is on and we have collected the evidence. The woman used to install CCTVs, keep the recordings and then used to blackmail by using these recordings for extortion. Earlier also, she complained about an MP in Tilak Nagar Police Station and filed a complaint of rape. Today, while appearing before the court, she completely changed her story. We will also try to find out the gang members involved with her. We will also investigate where they used to spend this extortion money. We will collect more evidence on it," Special Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena, New Delhi Range told ANI. Earlier on Monday, BJP MP Patel alleged that he was honey-trapped by a Supreme Court lawyer, who drugged him and shot a video of him in a compromising position. The lawmaker from Gujarat alleged that he was accused of rape and the woman threatened to upload the video and photos online and was demanding Rs. 5 crore from him. "I have full faith in justice and everything will become crystal clear. I am ready to cooperate fully with the police investigation," Patel told ANI. The woman, however, said that she was first approached by Mittal on the pretext of giving her more cases for work. She said that she was raped many times. Refuting Patel's claim, the victim said, "I never demanded anything from him. He is deliberately making such accusations to hide his misdeeds. He was neither drugged and even if he was drugged, how can he be in a state of mind to rape." She also alleged that the police was hand in glove with Patel and deliberately did not register the case, despite her visiting the police station several times. "On March 15th, I went to the police station to register the complaint, but they did not register. I was sitting idle in the station for several hours. On March 20, I went to the station again, but they refused to file my complaint. Later on 6.30 p.m., I got a threatening call from the MP while I was in the station. How can someone know about this? It proves someone is leaking this to him," she said. The victim said that she has now filed a petition in the Patiala High Court seeking registration of the FIR against Patel. In the complaint, she also alleged that the Delhi Police failed to lodge an FIR against the MP. (ANI) She is expected to appear before the tax investigating team. Earlier this month, several income tax officials raided Vijayabaskar's Greenways Road residence and other locations in Pudukkottai and Trichy. In his defense, Vijaybaskar said the income tax department was harassing him despite his full cooperation. (ANI) The hundreds of BJP workers staged demonstration before Superintendent of Police of Khowai district in West Tripura today demanding arrest of some CPI(M) cadres who had allegedly attacked BJP supporters in the district. BJP vice president Subal Bhowmik said that last night some miscreants belonging to CPI(M) party attacked on BJP leader Sunil Debbarma at Tulashikhar Khowai. And the party has lodged specific complaint against the accused but police did not take any action. "We made it clear unless the accused are arrested immediately, BJP will go for mass movement across the state to bring an end to the atrocities of ruling CPI(M) on opposition supporters in interior parts of the state," Bhowmik told media in Khowai. He blamed Chief Minister Manik Sarkar that in his speech during celebration of May Day, he terrorised CPI(M) cadres against BJP and instigated them to resort violence to stop the BJP in Tripura and added, "Sarkar labelled allegations against BJP to instigate his cadres and within 48 hours it started yielding result." The BJP workers and leaders were attacked in nine places across the state in past two days where as many as 24 persons were injured in different parts of the state, Bhowmik alleged adding that about 300 BJP supporters spent night on road in Khowai demanding security. Tension prevailed in Amtali area at the outskirt of Agartala, Northern town Dharmanagar as well as in Kamalpur in Dhalai district and Teliamura of Khowai district following alleged attack of ruling CPI(M) activists on the BJP supporters. In Kamalpur, while five persons were injured in the assault--four among them CPI(M) and one from BJP while in Amtali situation became volatile following physical attack on a Yuva Morcha activist allegedly SFI state secretary Nabarun Deb. In Amtakli, police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse angry BJP activists who tried to storm SFI secretary Nabarun Deb's home. The Yuva Morcha workers who were later joined by its mother organization BJP, in phase wise resorted to agitation and staged road blockades on the NH 44. In Kamalpur the BJP workers retaliated heavily when one of their supporters Champalal Baul was assaulted by the CPI(M) cadres. It was alleged that the CPI(M) workers first ganged upon the BJP worker in which he was severely injured. Three BJP supporters were wounded as miscreants pelted stones at a street corner, organised by BJP in Teliamura in the evening. Allegedly, CPI(M) backed goons' pelted stones targeting the BJP supporters while BJP was holding a street corner at Ghilatali under Teliamura. The BJP leaders alleged that a group of 'hardcore' CPI(M) supporters attended the meeting to join BJP and this has irked the ruling party. While BJP leaders were delivering speeches in presence of police personnel, goons suddenly started pelting stones. In another incident at Dharmanagar, the BJP supporters were allegedly attacked by the CPI(M) cadres when they raised allegation of poor quality construction of a road. At least three persons were injured in the incident.. However, CPI(M) has denied all the allegations stating that in all the cases BJP cadres have attacked the CPI(M) workers in a pre-planned manner to create unrest in the state before it's party chief visit. The party demanded police to investigate the matter and take appropriate action while urged the people of Tripura to prevent such violence polices of BJP. Meanwhile, BJP state observer Sunil Deodhar alleged that suspicious movement of some local youths were found in front of his residence Agartala near Secretariat for last couple of weeks. And he apprehended that there was a blue-print to attack on him by the criminals. BJP state president Biplab Kumar Deb called IGP of Law and Order K V Sreejesh for providing security the national leader in front of his residence and ensure security of his party leaders alleging that CP(-M) has been planning to attack on BJP top leaders ahead of election.UNI BB AKM 1656 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-878685.Xml West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today inaugurated and laid foundation stones for a bouquet of developmental projects for Dakshin Dinajpur during a public meeting at Narayanpur High School Maidan in Buniyadpur. The projects included the new outdoor unit of Tapan block hospital, the Hili polytechnic college, Karma Tirthas, government buildings, road projects, water supply projects, anganwadi centres, girls' hostels, waste management projects among other things. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stones for several projects, including a waiting hub for pregnant women, administrative buildings, godowns and water supply projects. She distributed benefits like Kanyashree, cycles under Sabuj Sathi, Kisan Credit Cards, Gatidhara, assistance to purchase agricultural equipment, Geetanjali, Swastha Sathi and other such projects. Speaking on the occasion, she said, " Development cannot be achieved only by speeches. Earlier people had to go to Kolkata for administrative work, now Nabanna comes to the districts. " Ms Banerjee stated that direct benefits of various government schemes were distributed to 1.2 lakh people today, which is a record in itself.MORE UNI SJC KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-878847.Xml Days after hosting BJP President Amit Shah for lunch at their village home, a tribal couple -- Raju and Geeta Mahali -- joined West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Wednesday. Trinamool's Darjeeling district President and Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said they joined the party of their "own will", but BJP state President Dilip Ghosh alleged that the couple was forced. Reading out a written note from the Mahalis, Deb said: "On being convinced about the developmental work undertaken by the state government led by (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee, we have joined the Trinamool Congress of our own choice and will." Denying Deb's claim, Ghosh said: "The tribal couple was threatened. The local Trinamool leaders pressurised them to invite the ruling party's leaders at their house. "They were missing since yesterday (Tuesday). We lodged a missing complaint (with police). The couple did not join the Trinamool willingly but were forced." Criticising the Trinamool Congress, BJP's National Secretary Rahul Sinha said: "The incident proves that days of the Trinamool rule are numbered. It reveals Trinamool's political poverty. They had to abduct members of a family who offered lunch to our President Amit Shah." "The Mahali couple joined the Trinamool but their hearts are with the BJP," he told reporters in Kolkata. He announced that the BJP will launch massive protests against such "torture" inflicted by the Trinamool Congress on a Scheduled Tribe family. "The incident indicates that the ruling party can torture anyone. The state government becomes a machinery of the ruling party," Sinha alleged, adding that the state BJP leaders will meet West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. "We demand Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement on the issue within six hours," Sinha said. BJP's Darjeeling MP S.S Ahluwalia said the couple was abducted by the Trinamool Congress' miscreants and promised a concrete house if they joined the ruling TMC. "They were enticed with promise of a concrete house and other things. Later, Raju was abducted last (Tuesday) morning and his wife and children abducted in the evening. They were forced to join the party." Ignoring the BJP leaders' allegations, Deb said, "What the BJP is saying is immaterial. The Mahali couple has given a statement that they joined the Trinamool willingly." During the first leg of his 'Vistar Yatra' to expand the Bharatiya Janata Party's base, Shah had lunch at the house of tribal daily wager Raju Mahali. He makes a living by painting apartments and buildings. Shah had sat on the floor at the spartan house in Dakkhin Katiajote village in West Bengal's Naxalbari block and was served a vegetarian fare on a banana leaf by Mahali's wife. Asked about the feeling after joining the Trinamool, Geeta said, "We are feeling good." --IANS bdc/ssp/tsb/bg ( 466 Words) 2017-05-03-19:04:09 (IANS) Delhi Police have arrested two drug traffickers from Uttam Nagar area of the city and recovered four kilograms of heroin worth Rs 16 crore in the international market. A police official said today that both the accused Darbara Singh (48) and Ajay (19) were apprehended from near Najafgarh drain, opposite VV DAV School in Uttam Nagar area on a tip-off that Darbara, who is known for receiving big consignments of heroin, has arrived Delhi along with one of his associate in an Alto car. He said that three kilogram of heroin was recovered from Darbara whereas one kilogram from his associate Ajay. A car with Punjab registration number and three mobile phones with SIM cards used in the drug trafficking were also recovered from them, the official said, adding, a case has been registered under appropriate sections of law. During interrogation, both of them revealed about the details of their associates including source of supply. It was found that they used to get supply of heroin from a person residing in the area, he said. The official said that further investigation was in progress. UNI DS ADG 1925 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0177-879022.Xml United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephonic conversation on Tuesday discussed about ending the ongoing war in Syria for the first time since the former had ordered a missile strike on Syrian military airfield last month. President Trump and his Russian counterpart agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," The White House said in a statement. "The United States will be sending a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4," the statement added. The two leaders also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. They also spoke about the best possible way to resolve the dangerous situation in North Korea. The talk emphasised on future coordination of Russian and U.S. actions to fight international terrorism in the context of the Syrian crisis. "It was agreed to bolster the dialogue between the heads of the two nations' foreign policy agencies in an effort to find ways to stabilise the ceasefire and make it durable and manageable. The aim is to create preconditions for launching a real settlement process in Syria. To that end, the Russian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State shall promptly brief the countries' leaders on any progress achieved," the Kremlin readout of the call said. President Putin called for restraint and an easing of tensions between the two sides. The two countries agreed to organise joint work aimed at achieving diplomatic solutions and a comprehensive settlement of the problem. President Putin and Trump agreed to continue their telephone contacts and spoke in favour of arranging a personal meeting during the G20 Summit in Hamburg on July 7-8. "The conversation was businesslike and constructive," the Kremlin said in a statement. This is not the first time that both the leaders had a telephonic conversation, Trump and Putin earlier held phone talks twice after Trump's inauguration. The call comes at a time when the relations between the U.S. and Russia are in hot waters. Trump accused Bashar al-Assad regime of carrying out the chemical attack, while both Russia and Damascus have denied the Syrian government role in the barbaric chemical weapons attack that killed 70 people. Trump had stated that "United States is not getting along with Russia at all "and relations between the countries may be at an all time low". (NAI) Head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdel Rahman said that at least five suicide attackers blew themselves at a camp for Iraqi refugees and displaced the Syrians in Hasakeh province. Thousands of people have fled to Syria to escape from IS-controlled territory in Iraq. Reports said that several children were amongst the dead and wounded. The ISIS territory has largely shrunk to western Mosul in Iraq and is facing severe pressure from an alliance of coalition forces in Syria. (ANI) He said that legislation needs 60 votes in the Senate because of the filibuster and suggested that it would be necessary to elect more Republicans or "change the rules." "The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We.... either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess!" Trump tweeted. Republicans are still split on whether to approve a bill Trump supports to roll back the Affordable Care Act, and also Trump had to agree to major concessions on a stopgap spending bill in order for it to win support in the Senate, which requires 60 votes to pass the legislation where as Republicans only control 52 votes in the 100-seat chamber. According to Senate rules, 60 lawmakers need to agree before most bills can move to a final vote. Trump is apparently disappointed with the spending deal Congress is poised to approve this week. Votes on the USD $1.1tn budget deal which would fund the government through September are expected this week. Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are sent home and national parks and museums are closed during the shutdown. Last time, 16 days shutdown took place during Barack Obama's administration in October 2013. (ANI) Both the leaders are likely to discuss bilateral relations, regional issues including Syria's ceasefire as Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria last week. "The presidents will discuss, among other issues, the strengthening of the ceasefire regime, the situation with prisoners and issues of mine clearance," Mustafa Yurdakul, the ministry's deputy director for Syria policy said, Sputnik reported. The most significant aspect of their meeting is that talks for procuring Russia-made S400 air defence system is at final stages and may pop up during their discussions. Both Russia and Turkey are carrying out their operations against the Islamic State group in Syria. Russia will put forward several proposals to resolve Syria crisis including a possible deployment armed groups of guarantor states for monitoring ceasefire. The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members are concerned over growing Turkey's close defence ties with Russia. (ANI) US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis and "the very dangerous situation" on the Korean Peninsula. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of de-escalation to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," said a White House statement on Tuesday, adding that they also discussed "at length working together" to fight terrorism across the Middle East. The US would send a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, Xinhua news agency cited the statement. Meanwhile according to a statement from the Kremlin, both leaders also agreed to intensify the dialogue between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on the search for options that help consolidate the ceasefire regime in Syria. "The goal is to create prerequisites for launching a real settlement process in Syria," it added. It was the first phone call between Trump and Putin since Washington and Moscow wrangled over a US strike on the Syrian government last month. On April 6, Trump ordered a targeted missile strike at a Syrian military airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. After the US strike, Syrian state TV called the assault an "aggression" and both Russia and Syria had denied that the Syrian government launched the chemical weapons attack. The Russian government also condemned the US strike against the Syrian government as "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law". After the incident, Trump told reporters last month that the US is "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low". --IANS vgu/ ( 296 Words) 2017-05-03-06:50:08 (IANS) Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has blamed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director and WikiLeaks for her loss in last year's White House race. In an Interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour at a Woman for Women International event in New York, Hillary said that she was on her way to winning the election if not for a last-minute letter to Congress from FBI Director James Comey and the release of campaign emails from WikiLeaks. She also pointed to Russian interference in the presidential elections as a factor for her defeat. "If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president," CNN quoted Hillary as saying. "I take absolute personal responsibility. I was the candidate, I was the person who was on the ballot. I am very aware of the challenges, the problems, the shortfalls that we had," she added. Hillary, who is currently writing a book that partly reflects on her 2016 loss, said she was on her way to win the elections but timings of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people and they scared off. She said the intervening events in the last 10 days of her campaign were also the reasons for her defeat. Amanpour joked that the President would soon tweet about Hillary's comment after she noted the three million more votes she won than United States President Donald Trump. Hillary said its fine if Trump wants to tweet about her, adding that it's better than the interfering in foreign affairs. The Democrat added that she is happy to be the diversion if he wants to tweet about me as they have lot of things to worry about. She asked Trump to do things that would be important for the country. (ANI) North Korea said today an American man it had detained in late April was being held for committing what it described as "hostile acts".The state-run KCNA news agency said the American, identified as Kim Sang Dok, was arrested at the Pyongyang airport for committing "hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country".Law enforcement authorities were conducting an investigation into the crime, KCNA said. Kim appeared to be the same man KCNA said Pyongyang had detained on April 22.REUTERS SV 1235 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-878217.Xml Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected the United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) decision to investigate allegations of crimes and inhumane treatment by Myanmar's security forces against minority Rohingya Muslims. Although the UN body decided to dispatch an investigation to the South Asian country in March, the Nobel laureate, told a press conference on Tuesday in presence of EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, "We do not agree with it. We have disassociated ourselves from the resolution because we do not think that the resolution is in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground," when asked about the probe by the Guardian. Reports of atrocities inflicted upon the minority community have surfaced despite the government's denial. As reported by the Guardian, Rights group estimates that 75,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh. The retaliation by the security forces comes after militants killed nine policemen in October. Aung San Suu Kyi rejected suggestions that she or authorities were deliberately overlooking the sensitive situation. "I am not sure quite what you mean by saying that we have not been concerned at all with regards to the allegations of atrocities that have taken place in the Rakhine," she said. "We have been investigating them and have been taking action".(ANI) May said the EU Commission President will soon find out how "bloody difficult woman" during the upcoming Brexit negotiations. May, whose political legacy rides on the Brexit negotiations, called for unexpected snap election less than halfway through her government's five-year term. Should she win, it will strengthen her hand during the Brexit negotiations. Her Conservative Party is already leading the polls against the opposition Labour Party. May addressed the voters, warning them of the strained Brexit talks with EU as the remaining 27 nations negotiate to cut a deal giving them maximum advantage. Opposition parties have criticised the Prime Minister of taking high-handed approach in dealing with the EU even as May promises to be 'difficult.'(ANI) The opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said on Wednesday it is halting its participation in the latest round of the peace talks, being held in Kazakhstan's capital Astana. SNC spokesman Ahmad Ramadan said that the opposition "delegation is suspending the meetings" over alleged airstrikes on civilians. "The suspension will continue until shelling stops across all Syria," he said. The move came hours after the fourth round of the talks, mediated by Iran, Russia and Turkey, began with a series of bilateral meetings in the Kazakh capital earlier in the day, Press TV reported. Reacting to the development, Aidarbek Tumatov, a senior Kazakh Foreign Ministry official, said he expected that the Syria opposition would return to the negotiating table on Thursday. "I hope that tomorrow the opposition will again take part (in the talks)," Tumatov said. The Astana discussions were set to focus on a Russian plan to resolve the Syria crisis that began in March 2011. The Russian plan calls for the creation of "de-escalation zones" in militant-held areas in the Syrian provinces of Idlib and Homs as well as the Eastern Ghouta region near the Syrian capital, Damascus. Three countries are called the guarantor states, with Russia and Iran on the side of the Syria government, while Turkey on the side of the rebels, reported Russian media outlets on details of the proposal. The plan emphasises the necessity to create conditions to drive out the Islamic State (IS) and the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front from de-escalation zones with the help of the Syrian opposition. The guarantor states would have to create conditions in de-escalation zones, in which the warring sides would allow a safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons, according to the leaked document. The plan also reportedly tasks the guarantor states with setting up a joint working group to draft maps of the safe zones by May 22 and monitoring a process of "disarmament". The Kazakh Foreign Ministry official confirmed that the delegations were discussing a proposal for safe zones in Syria. "If the guarantor countries agree and sign the document, then accordingly Damascus and the opposition will be obliged to fulfill it," the official told the Interfax news agency. The first round of the Astana talks between Syria's warring sides took place on January 23-24, followed by the second round on February 15-16 and the third round on March 14-15. --IANS soni/vt ( 407 Words) 2017-05-03-20:10:10 (IANS) Brad Pitt has opened up for the first time about his divorce from Angelina Jolie, admitting to heavy drinking and pot smoking and a lifetime of cutting himself off emotionally from others.The 53-year-old actor told GQ Style in an extensive interview released today that he had quit drinking, was undergoing therapy, and that he and Jolie were committed to resolving matters amicably and privately."I just started therapy," the "Moneyball" star said in the interview for the summer issue of GQ Style. "I love it. I love it. I went through two therapists to get to the right one."Jolie's sudden announcement in September 2016 that she was filing for divorce sent shockwaves through the celebrity world. The couple known as Brangelina, who married in 2014 and have six children, embarked on a bitter child custody dispute and Pitt was investigated for possible child abuse after losing his temper in front of some of the children.The actor was cleared of the allegations and in January the pair agreed to use a private judge in their divorce case.Pitt said the split with Jolie, 41, had been a "huge generator for change.""I can't remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn't boozing or had a spliff, or something..."I'm really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know things I wasn't dealing with. I was boozing too much," he said.Pitt said he loved wine, adding "truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good."He said he has quit drinking, replacing alcohol with cranberry juice and fizzy water.Regarding the divorce, Pitt said he and Jolie had decided to abandon the path of "vitriolic hatred" and work together to sort out their issues.Pitt said he was finding solace in working creatively with his hands. "I'm making everything. I'm working with clay, plaster, rebar, wood."As for the movie business, "I don't really think of myself much as an actor anymore. It takes up so little of my year and my focus. Film feels like a cheap pass for me, as a way to get at those hard feelings. It doesn't work anymore, especially being a dad."Pitt's latest movie "War Machine," a satirical look at the U.S. war in Afghanistan, is due for release on May 26.REUTERS SHS PM2135 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0139-879322.Xml Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 00:38:40|Editor: An Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation between Chinese online news service providers and entities with foreign investment should go through a security review, according to a regulation released Tuesday. The regulation, issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), requires the online news service providers to abide by the law, promote healthy Internet culture and safeguard national and public interest. The CAC will become the new regulator of online news service, replacing the State Council Information Office. The service providers should put in place a set of information security protocols and measures, such as reviews, checks and emergency responses regarding online news, the CAC said. There should be an editor-in-chief for all online news service providers and their staff should be qualified, according to the regulation. It said that platform operators should protect the privacy of users. The regulation particularly notes the obligations of online news platform operators, whose services would only be available to users who register with their real identities. Online news platform operators that violate the regulation will be punished. In the meantime, another regulation on administrative law-enforcing procedures was also issued by CAC Tuesday, aiming to standardize and safeguard the obligations of online news management departments, so as to properly implement administrative penalties and protect the legal rights of citizens, legal persons and other organizations. The two regulations will go into force on June 1. NICOSIA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- China's galloping economic growth over the past 30 years is bound to boost world trade in the future as the country's growing middle class will tend to buy more imported goods, Cypriot economist and politician Marios Mavrides told Xinhua in a recent interview. "I believe that in the coming years the trade between China and the West will grow more and will become a two-way process, as a middle class is being established in China that will tend to buy more consumer goods," Mavrides said. Mavrides teaches economics at the European University in Nicosia and is also a parliamentary deputy with the ruling party of the eastern Mediterranean island. Mavrides said that after many years of high growth rates, prospects for the Chinese economy seemed to remain very good. But he noted that China had sold low-cost goods to the world to fund its economic growth, but this was bound to change in the future. He explained that China will stop being only an exporting country and instead import large quantities of goods and services as its huge population becomes able to afford more. "It is in the interest of both sides to continue free trade and exchange of services between them," Mavrides added. He said that this could become possible as global management dexterity grows and adapts to interaction. China may not have developed the kind of enterprise management that is characteristic of western-style businesses, but it has a lot to teach other countries in its management style marked by improvisation, flexibility and speed. This is quite different from the tight structures of the West that prevent new opportunities and thus achieving quick expansion. Mavrides said that global management development was also a two-way process. "Innovation development and coordination are important elements of growth, but these cannot come through state agreements. These characteristics are developed by the forces of the free market," Mavrides noted. "In other words, free trade and globalization will find their way in an environment of political, economic, and social stability," he added. Mavrides said that globalization had succeeded in connecting the countries between them, as involvement in one country affected other countries. But he acknowledged that problems such as the refugee crisis, nationalism, and internal strife affected almost every country in the world as well as the process of globalization. He said that even though some of the problems were interconnected, each problem had its own root. Internal strife, Mavrides says, leads to the refugee problem and this, in turn, leads to nationalism in countries which receive refugees. Nationalism is a source of protectionism, he said. "I believe that free trade has been a very positive development, which, however, requires economic and social stability...The best way out would be finding a solution to the problems the world is faced with and to leave trade to develop freely. Then, globalization will again find its way," said Mavrides. Mavrides said that in this respect, reviving the Silk Road, which he described as an ambitious and daring plan, was a feasible project. But he added a caution that risk exists in the implementation. "This is because the cost is high and the benefits will come on the way, provided that no problems, mostly geopolitical, come in the way. But should it become a reality, it will lead to an important joining of China with Europe and will create more cooperation between the two sides with mutual benefits," said Mavrides. He said reviving the ancient East-West trade route would be a source of growth as it would lead to accessing the huge Chinese market that would boost the world economy. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 01:28:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TUNIS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia's trade deficit has intensified in the first quarter of this year, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) of Tunisia announced on Tuesday. The deficit has hit over 3,800 million dinars, or about 1,590 million U.S. dollars. It widened 8 percent year on year to 66 percent, INS said. The continued worsening of Tunisia's trade deficit is attributed to higher expansion of imports than exports, with increase rate of 20.3 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively, according to INS. As to the sharp increase of the country's imports, INS said it is due to larger crude oil imports as well as the surge in imports of agri-food and non-consumer products. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 01:28:47|Editor: An Video Player Close Photo taken on May 2, 2017 shows the Leadenhall Building in London. (Xinhua/Wang Wanqi) LONDON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- CC Land Holdings Ltd, a firm run by Chinese property tycoon Cheung Chung-kiu, has agreed to buy the city's "Cheesegrater" skyscraper for 1.15 billion pounds (1.49 billion U.S. dollars), the company announced Tuesday. In an announcement released by the Hong Kong-based developer, the company announced the acquisition of the Leadenhall Building, the tallest building in the city of London, which is known as the Cheesegrater because of its wedge shape. The commercial tower has over 46 floors and approximately 610,000 square feet of office and retail space. The building's tenants include a number of major international insurance companies as well as financial institutions, technology, and professional service businesses. The current annual rental income of the building is approximately 40.2 million pounds (51.9 million dollars). CC Land bought the property from the developer behind the 224-meter tower, British Land, and its joint venture partner Oxford Properties, the global property arm of a Canadian pension fund. The deal is the biggest sale of a single building in the UK since 2014, when the HSBC tower in Canary Wharf was sold to Qatar's sovereign wealth fund for 1.18 billion pounds. It is also one of the biggest Chinese purchases of British property. CC Land said the acquisition of the building was in line with the group's business strategy to invest in quality property developments in mature cities globally, as it is an iconic and award-winning building situated in the prime financial and insurance districts of London. "Completed in 2014, the Leadenhall Building is a world class skyscraper and office tower boasting an impressive lease portfolio commanding strong recurring rentals and will be held by the group as an investment property for long term capital growth. It is expected that the Leadenhall Building will generate a stable and strong recurrent income," said the announcement. (1 pound = 1.29 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 02:03:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GAZA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on Monday gave Israel a 24-hour ultimatum to respond to the demands of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who have been going on a hunger strike for 16 consecutive days in Israeli jails. The warning was made by Abu Obeida, the masked spokesman of al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing, in a short speech aired on the Gaza-based Hamas satellite television of al-Aqsa. "We give Israel 24 hours to respond to the prisoners' demand, and if it didn't, then we will add 30 new prisoners to the list of prisoners, who will be demanded to be released in any upcoming prisoners' swap deal," said Abu Obeida. In April 17, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners launched a gradual open-ended hunger strike in all Israeli prisons, jails and detention camps. In Israel, there are around 7,000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners, including women and children. "Al-Qassam Brigades will oblige the enemy to pay a price for everyday it delays a response to the prisoners' just and humanitarian requirements," said Abu Obeida. Earlier, Hamas organized rallies in Gaza city, where thousands of its supporters took to the streets waving Hamas green flags and chanted slogans that supported the striking prisoners. In the rally, the movement's supporters also slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, accusing him for increasing the tight restrictions imposed on the Gaza Strip. Abbas had warned that he will take unprecedented measures against Hamas if it doesn't hand over the Gaza Strip to his power. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 02:48:57|Editor: Liu File photo taken on Feb. 4, 2017 shows French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron addressing a campaign rally in Lyon,France. Centrist candidate and former minister of economy Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on Sunday came out on top in the first round of the French presidential election, according to projections by several pollsters. (Xinhua/Han Bing) PARIS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Two thirds of hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon's supporters refused to back centrist Emmanuel Macron in his bid to govern France for the next five years, his party staff announced Tuesday. The anti-capitalist "France Unbowed" movement, whose representative in the presidential election (Melenchon) failed to pass to the second round of voting, launched a "refusal of what's happening," said Charlotte Girard, co-head of the hard-left party's program. Its results showed that only a third of the party's members said they would endorse Macron in a second round compared to 36.1 percent who said they would cast blank vote and 29.05 percent who said they would abstain from voting. "Casting a blank vote or abstaining are a way to say 'no' to the National Front, but also to say that the Macron option is not desirable," she added. On April 23, Melenchon won 19.58 percent of the first round of votes, failing to make it to the run-off despite reporting spectacular public support days before the election officially kicked off. During the campaign, he was a harsh critic of Macron's liberal economic project and Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration policy. However, he proposed a similar protectionist approach involving an exit from the eurozone and refused to endorse either of the top two candidates. A poll released earlier on Tuesday predicted Macron would win the French presidency, despite having lost ground to his rival Le Pen, the leader of the National Front Party. On May 7, the former economy minister is expected to defeat Le Pen with 59 percent of the votes to her 41 percent, according to Elabe survey for BFMTV news channel and L'Express magazine. Five days ahead of the decisive round of the French presidential elections, Macron lost five percentage points compared to a poll conducted on April 24. A total of 18 percent of 3,956 respondents said they were sure to head to the polling station on Sunday; but they were still undecided as to which candidate to vote for. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 03:34:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close CARACAS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people died and another 37 injured in a crash between two buses in Venezuelan's northeastern state of Anzoategui early Tuesday morning, the state's governor, Francisco Rangel, announced. Rangel told a press conference in state capital Barcelona that the accident took place in the district of El Amparo, around 400 km northwest of the capital of Caracas. "They were returning in the morning (...) another bus was stopped and they hit," local report quoted the governor as saying. Rangel explained that once the authorities had been alerted, rescue teams were sent to the scene around 3 a.m.. The 37 injured people have been taken to nearby hospitals. It was reported that a number injured people belonged to the Ministry of Education and the Venezuelan Guayana Corporation, who participated in the International Workers' Day celebrations in the capital. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 03:39:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Stefania Fumo ROME, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is back in the saddle after being reappointed as leader of the ruling Democratic Party (PD) in the latest PD primary vote. The staunchly pro-European Union (EU) politician beat two other contenders by a wide margin, garnering over 70 percent of the vote as almost 2 million Democratic Party (PD) rank-and-file members and sympathizers cast their ballots -- down from the 3 million who elected Renzi in 2013 party primaries. Sunday's victory positions Renzi as the center-left candidate for prime minister in the next general election, which will likely occur in early 2018 and will see him pitted against Italy's current number one party: the populist, Eurosceptic, Five Star Movement led by comedian Beppe Grillo. In his victory speech at PD headquarters, Renzi did not hesitate to throw jabs at his political opponent. "The only alternative to populism is the people," Renzi told supporters. "When 2 million turn out to vote...these are persons not algorithms, flesh and blood not tiny numbers, votes and faces not emoticons on social media," he said in reference to the Five Star Movement's online voting system and internet-based methods. Renzi, who entered politics at the age of 21 and who turned 42 this year, quit as prime minister and PD secretary in December 2016 after almost three years in the post when close to 60 percent of Italian voters turned down his government's flagship constitutional reform. That vote -- which was widely hailed by populist, right-wing and Eurosceptic parties -- was seen as a judgment against the reformist premier and his pro-European, pro-immigration policies in times of sluggish economic recovery, in which the euro is being widely blamed for continued unemployment and a lack of prospects for Italy's youth. A caretaker government led by former foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni -- also of Renzi's PD -- was in place a week later, but the party suffered the defection of a left-wing dissenting minority in February led by former party chief and ex-premier Pier Luigi Bersani. As a result, the Democratic Party slipped to second place in nationwide polls while the Five Star Movement, which is clamoring for a referendum on leaving the eurozone, replaced it at the top. On April 25 this year, the Five Stars were polling at just over 29 percent and the Democratic Party at 26.8 percent, with Bersani's breakaway faction garnering 4 percent. By comparison, exactly two years ago, Renzi's PD stood at almost 37 percent of the vote, followed by the Five Star Movement at just under 20 percent. Remaining a member of the EU is becoming a tough sell in Italy, where average household income plummeted from some 40,000 U.S. dollars a year in 1991 to about 32,000 U.S. dollars in 2010, according to an April study from the Pew Research Center. By comparison, in 2010, Luxembourg had average household income of over 60,000 U.S. dollars a year, against about 52,000 U.S. a year in Norway and over 41,000 U.S. dollars per year in Germany, according to the Pew report titled "Middle Class Fortunes in Western Europe." While Renzi exceeded forecasts to score a resounding victory on Sunday, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to restore his weakened personal image, heal his party from the constitutional referendum defeat, and the fraction that followed. He will also have to answer to continuing popular discontent over sharpening economic divisions and 11.5 percent unemployment, and sway a majority of voters over to his EU vision. "We want Europe, but not this Europe," said the newly restored PD chief, pledging to fight for social and economic justice in the EU. Photo taken on May 1, 2017 shows the stand of China National Petroleum Corporation at the 48th Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, the United States. Chinese companies participated in the 48th OffshoreTechnology Conference (OTC), which kicked off Monday in Houston. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) HOUSTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese companies participated in the 48th Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), which kicked off Monday in Houston. Although the organizer did not give an exact number of Chinese companies attending this conference, it is a fact that more and more Chinese oil and gas companies have shown their interest in this event. Leading Chinese companies such as China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), China National Petroleum Corp. and China Petroleum Chemical Corp. attended the event, and the different models of drilling equipment from some Chinese companies are eye-catching. Photo taken on May 1, 2017 shows the stand of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation at the 48th Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, the United States. Chinese companies participated in the 48thOffshore Technology Conference (OTC), which kicked off Monday in Houston. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) Jin Xiaojian, president of China Offshore Oil Engineering Co., LTD, told Xinhua that the world offshore oil exploitation is actually a booming industry. Many experts also said that the oil and gas industry is still a sunrise one because oil and gas remains to be the efficient and green energy. "As an offshore oil and gas explorer, CNOOC is making great efforts to be a world-class enterprise. We can say that after the development over the past three decades, CNOOC is now actually an international level energy company," he said. Founded in 1969, OTC, the largest event in the world for the oil and gas industry, is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. Photo taken on May 1, 2017 shows China pavilion at the 48th Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, the United States. Chinese companies participated in the 48th Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), which kicked off Monday in Houston. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) This year's event features more than 300 technical papers from leading upstream firms, more than 60 technical sessions, 24 topical breakfasts and luncheons, along with several in-depth panel discussions. The annual event attracted over 2,300 exhibitors and attendees from 100 countries and regions. OTC Chairman Joe Fowler said that the conference represents an invaluable platform for new business opportunities and technologies, especially in challenging times. "OTC is important because it is the best source of technology for new offshore developments," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 03:59:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran will dispatch more military advisors to Syria to support the Syrian army and government in their fight against terrorist groups, a senior Iranian military commander was quoted as saying by Press TV on Tuesday. Iran would deploy more "as long as there is a need" for advisory support, Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said. "There is close coordination between the Syrian Army and the IRGC advisors," and Damascus is in coordination and unison with Tehran, Pakpour said. "We have advisors in Syria in various areas such as strategic, technical and specialized (sectors)," he added. Iran cannot stand indifferent and watch the enemies of Syria hatch plots to destroy a country that is at the forefront of resistance, the report quoted Pakpour as saying. The commander's remarks came after Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and his visiting Syrian counterpart General Ali Abdullah Ayoub denounced on Monday the recent Israeli and U.S. strikes on Syria and vowed to boost cooperation in the face of threats. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 04:04:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The 30th Tehran International Book Fair opened here on Tuesday, with Italy as a special guest of this year's event. Italian President Sergio Mattarella said in a written message that he feels honored that his country is the special guest of the cultural event, Tehran Times daily reported. He also said that this will be a turning point in the history of cultural cooperation between the two countries, according to the report. Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani said in a speech during the opening ceremony that "this cultural event shows Iranians' interest in learning, as paying due attention to wisdom is highly recommended in Islamic thought." The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Reza Salehi Amiri, said in a speech that his ministry is planning to entrust the task of organizing the book fair to the publishers in the future. "To achieve such a goal, We should find out how our libraries, our publications and the technology are run and we intend for the non-governmental organizations active in producing, distributing and selling books," he said. "The increasing number of book publications indicates the growing change in Iran's publication industry. The fair needs to offer new innovations and pave the way for more Iranian publishers to participate in the international arena," he added. The 30th Tehran International Book Fair will be held from May 3 to 13, 2017 in the southern district of Tehran. The theme of this year's event is "Read one more book." Publishers from 32 countries will attend the event. U.S. Ambassador to China nominee Terry Branstad speaks during a news conference held after "Happy Chinese New Year Concert In Muscatine", in Muscatine, Iowa, the United States, Feb. 1, 2017. Terry Branstad said Wednesday that he would play a constructive role in enhancing China-U.S. relationship during a news conference held in Muscatine, Iowa. (Xinhua/Wang Ping) WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's pick for Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, said on Tuesday that if confirmed, he would work to "positively influence" the U.S.-China relationship. "As Governor of Iowa, I saw first-hand the importance of a positive and healthy trade relationship between our two countries," Branstad said here at his confirmation hearing. If confirmed, he hoped to work towards the goal of positively influencing the U.S.-China relationship, he added. As the governor of a U.S. state whose economy is mainly driven by agriculture industry, Branstad noted that almost one out of every two rows of Iowa soybeans is sent to China, as well as 33.5 million U.S. dollars in pork in 2016. However, the importance of trade between the United States and China extends well beyond agriculture, he said. "Aviation products, manufactured goods, chemicals, electronics, and many other products and services are exported to China daily and help support and sustain the American economy," he told U.S. lawmakers. Calling U.S.-China relationship "multi-faceted," Branstad also noted that the two countries must work together on major security issues, including the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and cybersecurity. Branstad also said that he looked forward to "connecting with the Chinese people and continuing a vibrant exchange of culture and ideas." Branstad, 70, is the longest-serving governor in the United States, who also has long nurtured a close relationship with China and has visited China multiple times. He served as the governor of Iowa in 1983-1999, and again since 2011. He was nominated by Trump to be the next U.S. ambassador to China in December 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 04:54:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIRUT, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called Tuesday the political parties in Lebanon to agree on an election law reform the soonest. He warned that the country is "on the brink of the abyss" regarding the electoral law issue. But he stressed that his party is not seeking to "impose" the proportional representation electoral system on the country. There has been "an attempt to accuse Hezbollah that it is seeking to prevent Christians from electing their MPs with their own votes" recently, he said in a televised speech. "It has also been said that Hezbollah wants to impose full proportional representation on the Lebanese through its weapons and military might," he said. Nasrallah said that his party wants the fairest and most just representation and their stance is not partisan or sectarian. "It is not possible to impose an electoral law on Christians or on Druze should they reject a certain law," Nasrallah stressed. Parliamentary elections were scheduled to take place between May 21 and June 21, but deadlock over the new electoral law would lead to a delay of the polls. The Parliament has extended its mandate twice, in 2013 and 2014, over security fears. In April, Lebanese President Michel Aoun suspended parliament for a month to block plans to extend the assembly's term without election for the third time, aiming to push politicians to agree election law reforms. For years, the parties in Lebanon have been unable to agree on a new electoral law. Some politicians say the law divides the population into constituencies that do not fairly represent their supporters. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 05:04:18|Editor: xuxin Damaso Lopez Nunez (C), one of the leaders of an international drug trafficking cartel, is arrested in Mexico city, Mexico, May 2, 2017, according to the country's prosecutor-general (PGR). (Xinhua/Fernando Ramirez) MEXICO CITY, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Damaso Lopez Nunez, one of the leaders of an international drug trafficking cartel, was arrested on Tuesday in Mexico city, the country's prosecutor-general (PGR) announced Tuesday. At a press conference, PGR's head of criminal investigation Omar Hamid said that Lopez Nunez was captured early Tuesday in a residential building in northeastern part of Mexico City. The operation took place without any violence or guns being fired, Hamid added. Lopez Nunez works for Sinaloa cartel -- a drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime syndicate and is believed to be a likely successor to Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to head the cartel after Guzman was extradited to the U.S. in January. Lopez Nunez is the subject of one extradition request by the U.S. for money laundering and other charges. "We await the (U.S.) government to make a formal request," Hamid said. HELSINKI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Yellow city bikes appeared on the streets of Helsinki on Tuesday, kicking off this year's six-month season of the public transport instrument. According to the city of Helsinki, during the 2017 city bike season, there will be 1,500 bikes in circulation available to both locals and visitors at 150 bike stations in the capital area. Both the numbers of bikes and stations have tripled this year. In summer 2016, there were only 500 bikes and 50 stations around Helsinki. The city bikes are shared-use bicycles that can be rented temporarily. A daily or weekly or seasonal pass is needed to pick up a bicycle at a station. A bike can be used for no more than 30 minutes each time, and any prolonged usage would be charged with an extra price. "It was convenient, and the price is not expensive," said cyclist Kaspian, who had just finished his journey to his friend's and returned the bicycle to a station near the market square in southern Helsinki. The history of city bike system in Helsinki could be traced back to the year 2000. It was operated consecutively for ten years until 2010, when it was discontinued due to funding problems. The system resumed in May 2016 with a successful trial. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 06:14:27|Editor: MJ Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Highly rated Brazilian teenager William Camargo has signed a five-year deal with Spanish top-flight club Leganes. The 18-year-old joined the Madrid-based outfit after leaving Brazilian Serie A giants Sao Paulo over a pay dispute, according to the striker's father. "He has been there (in Spain) since March 11," Carlos Camargo told ESPN Brasil on Tuesday. "He is liking it and adapting quickly." Camargo will initially play with Leganes' B team, but the club will have the option to promote him to the first team squad. Leganes are currently in a fight to avoid relegation after being promoted to Spain's top division last year for the first time in their 89-year history. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 06:59:33|Editor: An Video Player Close CHICAGO, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese city Yiwu has led other Chinese cities in knotting the "Friendship City" tie with Muscatine in U.S. midwest state of Iowa. A ceremony was held on Sunday in Muscatine and the representatives of the two cities signed a letter of intent on the establishment of the tie. Located in East China's Zhejiang Province, Yiwu is well-known for its small commodity fair. With the establishment of the tie, enterprises from both cities have already worked out plans to visit each other to seek investment and business opportunities. Yiwu's friendship with Muscatine can trace back to 2016. In October 2016, a "U.S. Window - Muscatine Center" opened in Yiwu, giving local residents a glimpse of the life in this U.S. midwest small town on the Mississippi river. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 07:54:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The University of Washington (UW) Autism Center has established an infant clinic to evaluate infants and toddlers up to 24 months of age, so as to make early intervention possible. With only a few infant autism clinics scattered around the United States, families have brought their infants to the UW Autism Center from elsewhere in the country, and in a few cases, the world, said Annette Estes, who directs the UW Autism Center, as part of the UW Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences. While autism diagnoses have increased over the years, and an estimated one in 68 people has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), parents have looked for signs earlier in their children's lives. A growing body of research and practice suggests accurate assessment of children as young as 12 months old, though rare, is not only possible, but also useful. The average age for autism diagnosis in the United States is around 4 years old. A little over three years ago, the Autism Center accurately diagnosed its youngest client: a 10-month-old boy. Thanks to subsequent intervention activities, Estes has developed communication skills, engages socially and is thriving in preschool. "Many people have an unfounded belief that you have to wait until 36 months of age to diagnose autism. That is not the case," said Estes, a research affiliate at the Center on Human Development and Disability. "There is a great deal of value in diagnosing as soon as symptoms emerge -- it gives parents a great deal of relief and allows appropriate intervention to begin." Earlier this year, journal Nature published findings from the UW Autism Center's involvement in a North American effort that examined brain biomarkers in infants, including those with at least one autistic sibling. The study showed that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helped correctly identify 80 percent of babies who would go on to be diagnosed with autism at 2 years of age. Spotting the signs of autism early is critical, Estes was quoted as saying in a news release from UW, so that a family can connect with the right services, whether in the clinic or out in the community. United CEO Oscar Munoz (1st L) testifies before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on customer service policies on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 2, 2017. Major U.S. airlines were grilled at a heated hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, as lawmakers were pressing for better protection and service of aviation customers after a passenger was violently dragged off a United flight last month. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Major U.S. airlines were grilled at a heated hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, as lawmakers were pressing for better protection and service of aviation customers after a passenger was violently dragged off a United flight last month. The U.S. airline industry's overbooking and bumping policies have come under intense fire following the United incident which sparked global outrage. David Dao suffered from a concussion and two broken teeth when being dragged off the flight since the airline needed to make room for crew members. He has reached a settlement with the airline later last month. United CEO Oscar Munoz on Tuesday apologized again to Dao before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with the House of Representatives. "We had a horrible failure three weeks ago. It is not who we are," Munoz said. "We are here to talk about certain issues that won't happen again. We will work incredibly hard to earn - not your business necessarily - but your trust." During the hearing, the United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines agreed to shorten their lengthy customer service contracts, which customers must agree to whenever they book a ticket. United's contract is 46 pages with more than 37,000 words, while Alaska's is 67 pages and over 37,000 words long. The lengthy documents are also too complicated for the average person to comprehend. Alaska agreed to reduce it to one page, while the other three airlines promised they will work to simplify their contracts. However, the airlines' commitment to change is believed small in comparison with their service problems. House lawmaker Peter DeFazio, a Democrat, lamented a deterioration in airline service with crowded planes, narrow seats and breakdowns such as when computer failures strand thousands of passengers at a time. "Tempers are short everywhere," DeFazio said at the hearing. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 09:34:54|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen arrived in China on May 2 to pay a four-day official visit at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The following are some facts about Rasmussen. Rasmussen was born in Vejle, Denmark on May 15, 1964. He graduated with a law degree from the University of Copenhagen in 1992. From 1994, he began his political career as a congressman. From 1998 to 2001, he served as mayor of Frederiksborg County. Rasmussen acted as Interior and Health Minister from 2001 to 2007 before his appointment as Finance Minister from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, Rasmussen became the leader of the Danish Liberal Party. In the same year, he took over the post as prime minister of Denmark until 2011. In June 2015, Rasmussen's right-wing bloc won the general election and he became prime minister again. He is married with three children. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 10:25:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close YANGON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Myanmar's power sector dropped by 14 percent in the last 2016-17 fiscal year, which ended in March, local 7-Day News reported Wednesday. According to the figures of the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), 6.65 billion U.S. dollars' annual foreign investment came in 2016-17, the first re-declination of such investment over the past five years. Except transport and communications, manufacturing, power, real estate, hotels and tourist and livestock and fisheries, there came no foreign investment in the sectors of agriculture, mining and oil and gas during the fiscal year, according to the DICA. The transport and communication received investment of 3.08 billion U.S dollars, followed by manufacturing with 1.18 billion dollars, power with 909.883 million dollars, real estate with 747.62 million dollars and hotel and tourist with 403.646 million dollars. Countrywise speaking, Singapore stood as Myanmar's annual largest foreign investor in 2016-17 with 3.82 billion U.S. dollars, followed by Vietnam with 1.38 billion dollars and China with 482.59 million dollars, Thailand with 423.058 million dollars. Foreign investment totalled 70.35 billion dollars as of March this year since late 1988. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 11:20:32|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close CANBERRA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The illegal tobacco trade is costing Australia's government more than 1.6 billion Australian dollars (1.2 billion U.S. dollars) in tax, according to a report released on Wednesday. The Illicit Tobacco in Australia 2016 report, released by auditing firm KPMG on Wednesday, has said that illegal tobacco sales comprise 13.9 percent of all tobacco consumption, which have cost the government more than a billion dollars lost in tax revenue. The report said that 2.3 million kg of illegal tobacco was consumed by Australians last year, in the form of illicit cigarettes or loose leaf tobacco commonly known as "chop chop." The report also recommended a national strategy to combat the issue, which was also backed by representatives from the local tobacco industry. Last year, the Australian government announced a grant of 7.7 million Australian dollars (5.8 million U.S. dollars) for the Australian Border Force (ABF) to combat organized illegal tobacco crime syndicates. According to the ABF, in the last six months of 2016, their strike teams intercepted 142 tonnes of illegal tobacco, up from 82 tonnes in the year previous. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 11:40:30|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is seriously considering moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday. "The president of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," said Pence here at an Israel Independence Day event. He also noted that Trump was "personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict." However, it remains unclear how such a controversial move sure to anger the Arab world would contribute to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While it is not the first time a member of the Trump administration has mentioned the possibility of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, the latest revelation came on the eve of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to the White House on Wednesday. So far, the Palestinian side has made no comments on the remarks. Despite the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 by the U.S. Congress, which required the relocation of U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, former U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, consistently renewed a presidential waiver to delay the relocation on national security interests. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and not a single foreign country bases their embassies in the city. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 12:05:45|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- John Kutzbach, a U.S. climatologist and professor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received here Tuesday China's top science honor for foreigners, the International Science and Technological Cooperation Award. "I am honored to receive this international science cooperation award... It's a great honor," 80-year-old Kutzbach told a special ceremony in the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. Kutzbach was granted the 2016 award, along with four other foreign scientists and one international organization, for helping hasten the development of China's research in global climate changes. But he did not attend the award ceremony held this January in Beijing because of health reasons. On Tuesday, an emotional Kutzbach recalled that his 30-year cooperation with China started with a visit by two Chinese scientists to his university during a cold winter in the 1980s. "You can't see the future very well. So I had no dream that our work together would lead to so much scientific accomplishment involving so many U.S. and Chinese scientists and also deep friendships," he said. Kutzbach said this cooperation is "not something that has a beginning and an end" and should continue under the Trump administration. "We are doing this not for our generation, but for the future of our two countries," he said. "It's my hope the strong scientific cooperation between our two countries will strengthen and grow." Cen Jianjun, minister counselor for education of the Chinese embassy, spoke very highly of what Kutzbach has done for China's research on paleoclimate, or ancient climate on Earth. Cen praised the professor as an internationally recognized first-class scientist on climate numerical simulation and one of the pioneers and founders in paleoclimate modelling. "In the last 30 years, Prof. Kutzbach has made a great contribution in promoting bilateral cooperation in scientific technologies and he selflessly passes his knowledge and wisdom to our Chinese scientists," he said. "I would like to represent the Chinese government to express our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Kutzbach." The ceremony was also attended by Kutzbach's wife, son and other family members as well as his Chinese collaborators and friends. Kutzbach, born in 1937, is a long-term director of Center for Climate Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was elected a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2006. As one of the forerunners of paleoclimate modelers, he has studied the responding and feeding back mechanisms in the simulation of changing Earth process through groundbreaking connections of climatology, geology and ecology sciences with numerical method of physics and bio-geochemistry. He has successfully revealed the mechanism and driving force of climatic environmental changes at various tectonic to orbital time scales. His findings have opened up a new direction for a deeper understanding of the past, present and future changes of Earth system. China's International Science and Technological Cooperation Award was launched in 1994. Since then, 106 foreign scientists and three organizations have been awarded the honor. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 12:05:45|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian authorities had arrested six of its citizens for suspected involvement in activities related to the Islamic State (IS), the Malaysian police said Wednesday. The six suspects, four men and two women, were arrested in a series of counter-terrorism operations in several Malaysian states between March 24 and April 25. The police said one of the two female suspects was detained by Turkish authorities in February when she was trying to enter Syria to join IS. The other female suspect was accused of promoting terrorism propaganda through the social media platform of Google Plus. Of the four male suspects, two are accused of smuggling fire arms from southern Thailand. The third one was arrested at the airport after he returned from Syria engaging in militant activities. The last man was accused of using Facebook to promote terrorism and plotted to attack a mosque in northern state of Penang. The police also said they are still looking for another suspect, 27-year-old Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Bin Junaidi, who managed to flee to southern Thailand with a pistol and two M4 carbine assault rifles. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 12:50:51|Editor: xuxin Policemen cordon off the blast site in Kabul, capital city of Afghanistan, May 3, 2017. At least six civilians were killed and over 20 others injured after a suicide bomber struck a foreign forces' military convoy in a diplomatic district in central Kabul on Wednesday, an Afghan source said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah) KABUL, May 3 (Xinhua) -- At least six civilians were killed and over 20 others injured after a suicide bomber struck a foreign forces' military convoy in a diplomatic district in central Kabul on Wednesday, an Afghan source said. "The obvious target was a U.S. military convoy moving in Shashdarak locality where several diplomatic offices and government buildings are located. The explosion occurred roughly at 08:00 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) and details will be shared with media after an ongoing investigation," the source told Xinhua anonymously. Government troops cordoned off the area shortly after the blast, keeping people from gathering at the scene for fears that there might be a second blast. A public health official told local media that six civilians were killed and more than 20 others injured as the blast took place at morning rush hour. A thick black smoke was seen rise above the site following the blast. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. On April 12, a suicide bomber targeted a vehicle of presidential palace security personnel, killing five people and injuring three others in neighboring Muradkhani district. SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Suspected militants stormed a police post guarding court complex in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir and snatched five service rifles belonging to policemen deployed there, police said Wednesday. The militants attacked the police post on Tuesday night at Shopian town, about 47 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Last night militants attacked a police post inside a court complex at Shopian town, overpowering policemen and took away their five service rifles," a police official posted in Shopian said. "The police post is meant to guard the court complex in the town." However, the policemen were left unharmed. Reports said the gunmen immediately left the spot after taking away weapons. Soon after the matter was brought to the notice of higher officials, contingents of police and paramilitary troopers were rushed to the place to launch a manhunt aimed at recovering the snatched weapons. The incident occurred day after militants attacked a bank cash carrying vehicle in adjacent Kulgam district and killed five policemen and two security guards of the bank. The militants also snatched service rifles of the slain policemen. The killings triggered panic in the region, especially in the towns and villages south of Srinagar. Region's indigenous militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility of the deadly attack. Last year the incidents of weapon snatching saw an increase in the restive region. Militants occasionally target police and paramilitary troopers in Indian-controlled Kashmir. A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troopers stationed in the region since 1989. However, of late Indian policemen too have been trained to fight them. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 13:30:57|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Revenge attacks by drug gangs brought chaos to Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, blocking one of the city's major highways, setting fire to vehicles and causing panic among the public. According to local media, the attacks were retaliations against a police operation in the Cidade Alta slum, which is currently being disputed by two drug gangs. The two gangs had been engaging in armed conflicts which constantly left residents in crossfire. Police carried out an operation in the slum on Tuesday morning to end the drug war, arresting 45 people and seizing 32 rifles, 10 hand grenades, as well as other weaponry. Two men were killed in crossfire with policemen. In retaliation, the drug dealers decided to set fire to vehicles on Brasil Avenue, one of the main highways in Rio, which crosses the city's northern and western areas, connecting residential areas to the center. The gangsters aimed at causing chaos and scaring off the public. Nine buses and two cargo trucks were set on fire, blocking the highway and causing panic in drivers as two buses were looted. A serious traffic jam blocked several parts of the city. Classes involving 12,000 students had been suspended due to the chaos and shootings. Commuters had problems getting to work in the morning. Police Chief Carlos Leba said the order to block the highway and set fire to vehicles came from a criminal in a jail outside Rio state, whose identity was not disclosed. Rio state governor Luiz Fernando Pezao said he called President Michel Temer and asked for federal help. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 13:35:50|Editor: An Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Despite robust passenger growth, most listed Chinese airlines failed to see increased profits in the first quarter due to rising oil prices. All publicly traded Chinese carriers have released their first-quarter reports, and most reported waning profitability as higher fuel costs hit profit margins, Xinhua-run China Securities Journal reported Wednesday. China Southern Airlines, the country's biggest carrier by passenger volume, saw net profits slump 42.44 percent year on year to 1.55 billion yuan (about 225 million U.S. dollars) in the first quarter, despite a 10.58-percent growth in business revenue to 30.97 billion yuan. Rising fuel prices pushed up China Southern Airlines' operational costs by 21 percent year on year. Pressure from higher fuel costs are reflected in other carrier reports. Air China, the country's national flag carrier, saw net profit plunge 39.8 percent year on year to 1.47 billion yuan. Hainan Airlines saw net profit drop 42 percent to 835 million yuan. Smaller carriers saw their profits declining by a small magnitude, with Juneyao Airlines and Spring Airlines registering net profit declines of 7.5 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively. China's air passenger trips rose 13.8 percent year on year in March 2017, picking up pace from the 9.8 percent increase in February, and 11.8 percent for 2016, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. China ranks second in the world in terms of air passenger and cargo, trailing the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 13:51:01|Editor: An Video Player Close TOKYO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has said that the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) attracting members from Asia and beyond is a positive for infrastructure development in Asia. Kuroda, former Asian Development Bank chief, said in a speech recently that in terms of infrastructure development in Asia, there was room for more than just the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. "It's simply not possible for the ADB and the World Bank to fill the gap completely in infrastructure development in Asia," The BOJ chief said during a question and answer session after a speech he made in Yokohama on Tuesday. He also noted that healthy competition among various players is a positive for infrastructure development and economic growth. Kuroda was speaking at a gathering of think tanks organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Institute ahead of the 50th annual meeting of the ADB later this week. The ADB currently comprises 67 member states and regions and has for a long time assisted developing countries with advancement projects by way of loans. The AIIB's members, however, while not including Japan or the United States, have already stood at 70, with the bank poised to make significant inroads into regional infrastructural development projects. During his speech, the BOJ chief called on policy makers to ensure that households and businesses have access to financial services, stating that this is key to poverty reduction in Asia. He also said that removing existing barriers that are currently preventing financial inclusiveness is of paramount importance to reducing poverty. Kuroda added that information and communication technology will continue to play a large part in the development of Asia by way of helping financial inclusion mechanisms to expand. The former ADB chief said that economic growth in Asia specifically over the last 50 years has been key to driving down poverty. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 14:01:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican business community is ready for the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a Mexican business leader has said. The Mexican business community is ready for a new economic stage which will be more beneficial to Mexico, the United States and Canada, achieved through the modernization of NAFTA, with talks set to begin later this year, said Martin Rodriguez Sanchez, president of Mexico's International Council of Entrepreneurs. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Rodriguez Sanchez said U.S. President Donald Trump will soon announce his NAFTA plans to Congress, allowing for "true negotiation." "From there, we can analyze at what stage we're at and in which direction we need to head," he said. Rodriguez Sanchez said the Mexican side "must promote regional integration, help maintain North America as the most competitive region in the world, and become a pillar of qualified job growth and investment promotion in the region." For him, the 23-year-old NAFTA requires "great changes" in a number of areas, including agricultural products, conflict solution, data storage, energy exchanges, telecommunications and e-commerce. He added that agreements needed to be reached to "provide certainty to investment and trade between Mexico, Canada and the United States." "We need a lot of intelligence to explore what happened over the last 23 years of this trade agreement. From there, we need to see the new necessities and advantages that can be offered, not only to North America, but also to Central America, as well as looking how to best work with the existing agreements in Latin America," explained Rodriguez Sanchez. The business leader, who heads the Join Business Global Group's HR firm, said that entrepreneurs cannot easily accept the end of a trade relationship. "A business is not closed overnight ... This will be a difficult renegotiation but ultimately we will seek benefits for all which help entrepreneurs," said Rodriguez Sanchez. It is expected that Trump will seek to kick off NAFTA renegotiations in June or July. Trump has made it clear that he has concerns about the United States losing jobs or investments due to NAFTA and wants to renegotiate the deal. The U.S.-Mexican relations have been strained by his desire to build a border wall or to slap tariffs on imports from Mexico if NAFTA is not changed to his satisfaction. Trump has said that if "big changes" are not made to NAFTA, he is prepared to pull the United States out of the agreement. However, in late April, Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto spoke by phone and expressed their "shared" desire to modernize NAFTA. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 15:21:16|Editor: ying Video Player Close TOKYO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) Sazanami destroyer has joined the Izumo helicopter carrier in escorting a United States Navy vessel, marking the first time such a protection mission has taken place under the controversial new security legislation, sources said Wednesday. The Sazanami joined the mission having departed from a MSDF base in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Tuesday, Kyodo News quoted government and other sources as saying. Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD) previously said the inaugural mission, since the contentious new legislation took effect last year, is aimed at a showing of Japanese force alongside that of the United States. It is also to show that the Japan-U.S. alliance stands firm amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the MOD said. The security legislation that took effect last year which follows looser, more ambiguous constraints imposed on Japanese forces here, in contravention of Japan's war-renouncing constitution, allows for SDF members to escort and guard vessels and weapons that belong to U.S. forces. The protection mission proviso comes into play when the U.S. activities are deemed to be beneficial to the defense of Japan. In this case, the mission, ordered by Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, was made as the two countries may be engaged in joint exercises or the monitoring and information-gathering activities related to missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The helicopter carrier, Izumo, the largest warship Japan has entered into service since WWII, and widely regarded as de facto aircraft carrier, left its base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Monday morning for the mission. The Izumo, which is 248-meters in length and weighs 19,500 tons, joined the the U.S. Navy supply ship off the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, east of the capital, government sources said on Monday. They said it will sail for two days in the Pacific toward waters off the Shikoku region in western Japan. After escorting the U.S. ship, the Izumo, which is able to accommodate 14 helicopters and is also believed to be able to launch the controversial Osprey, as well as F-35B fighter jets from its lengthy flight deck, will continue on a three-month voyage to the Philippines and elsewhere. On May 15, both MSDF vessels are scheduled to take part in an event in Singapore, sources here said Wednesday. The U.S. ship, meanwhile, is expected to provide fuel for U.S. naval vessels on guard against any provocations from the DPRK, government officials here said. The United States Carl Vinson aircraft carrier Strike Group and MSDF vessels entered the Sea of Japan off the Korean Peninsula on Saturday to carry out joint exercises, ministry officials here confirmed. The latest actions of the MOD and the Maritime Self-Defense Force in particular deploying hardware and personnel into regions where there might be "infringements" threaten to invalidate Japan's pacifist constitution. The constitution states that the Japanese people "forever renounce war" and ban the "use of force" as a means of settling international disputes. It also states that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained." Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (L) flags off an Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) when he commissioned the APCs for the Kenya Police Service at General Service Unit Headquarters in Ruaraka, Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Feb. 1, 2016. The vehicles which were imported from China will be deployed along the volatile border of Kenya and Somalia, where the Kenyan military is fighting the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. (Xinhua/Simbi Kusimba) NAIROBI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed confidence that closer partnership between his country and Somalia will enable the two countries to overcome terrorism and other challenges facing them. Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday when he bade farewell to outgoing Somali Ambassador Gamal Mohamed Hassan, Kenyatta said he is particularly keen to see more coordination between the two countries in promoting peace. "I want to assure President Mohamed that he has a friend here. I like his approach of prioritizing security and we will work together in this," he said in a statement issued in Nairobi after the ceremony. The two countries have borne the brunt of terrorism attacks from Al-Shabaab militants who have increased their attacks on the two countries, especially in Somalia where the insurgents have been seeking to topple the government. Kenyatta said he was also keen to work with his Somali counterpart in encouraging formal trade between Kenya and Somalia. "I look forward to opening one border post -- either at Liboi or Mandera -- with President Mohamed to encourage the people of our two countries to do legal trade," President Kenyatta said. "We need to work together to formalize the cross-border movement of our people," he added, noting that the two countries will be holding regular high-level meetings to enhance their cooperation, saying "Somalia's problem is our also our problem". Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 15:51:21|Editor: ying Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Tuesday condemned a UNESCO resolution that criticizes the country's excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, a flashpoint area holy to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. The UNESCO resolution, sponsored by Arab countries, addresses Israel as the "occupying power" and urges it to stop "persistent excavations, tunneling, works and projects in East Jerusalem." Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in a move that has never been internationally recognized. "We denounce UNESCO and uphold the truth. There is no other people in the world for whom Jerusalem is as holy and important as for the Jewish people," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that UNESCO is "trying to deny this simple truth." The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the resolution, saying the decision points out "the need to confront the dangers posed by the illegal practices of Israel, the occupying power ... which threaten the cultural and historical integrity of these invaluable sites." The resolution, tabled by Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, and Sudan, was passed 22-10 with 23 abstentions. The resolution deals with Israel's archeological excavations in the Old City, home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock shrine, and ancient Jewish temples. Israel's work near and around the site often increases tensions in Jerusalem. Last year, UNESCO created an uproar in Israel after it passed a resolution that does not mention Jewish ties to the holy sites in Jerusalem. Israel ceased cooperation with the organization in response. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 16:01:25|Editor: ying Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani army said Wednesday that four terrorists were hanged for their involvement in terrorism. An army statement said the convicts were involved in "committing heinous offenses relating to terrorism, including killing of innocent civilians, attacking Armed Forces of Pakistan and the law enforcement agencies." They were the active members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, who had confessed their crimes in the military courts, the statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said. The convicts were also in possession of firearms and explosives, the statement further said. The military courts were established for the speedy trial of the terrorists after the deadliest attack on an army public school in Peshawar in December 2014. Nearly 150 people, mostly students, were killed in the Taliban-claimed attack. In March this year, the parliament approved a constitutional amendment to revive the military courts for two more years. The two-year term of the military courts expired in January. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 16:06:26|Editor: ying Video Player Close MANILA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines is ready to conclude a framework agreement on defense and security with Russia when Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visits Moscow this month, a government statement said on Wednesday. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on April 26 on the sidelines of the VI Moscow Conference on International Security. "It was the first ever meeting between the two defense officials," the statement read. According to the statement, both Lorenzana and Shoygu welcomed the positive developments in the bilateral relations and agreed to further bolster cooperation in the defense and security sphere. The upcoming official visit of Duterte to Russia this month is expected to generate more momentum for the development of Philippines-Russia relations, it said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 18:01:47|Editor: ying Video Player Close by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- As bilateral ties have been elevated to the level of "comprehensive strategic partnership," figures show the growing cooperation between Egypt and China in terms of mutual trade and investment in the light of China's Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping four years ago. The initiative, involving the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aims at reviving ancient trade routes to link China with numerous countries in Asia, Africa and Europe through trade and infrastructure networks. The volume of trade between China and Egypt, a focal spot in the initiative, has mounted to 11.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, ranking Egypt as the third African trade partner with China. Although most of the mutual trade between China and Egypt is represented in Chinese exports to the most populous Arab country, China imports of Egyptian commodities in the first two months of 2017 have reached 159 million dollars, with a 326.25-percent year-on-year growth. Amid the exchanged state visits between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi over the past few years, Chinese investments in Egypt have recently increased to 700 million dollars with a leap in the number of Chinese companies operating in the North African country. "The number of Chinese companies operating in Egypt increased from 30 in 2014 to more than 100 for the time being," Han Bing, minister counselor for economic affairs with the Chinese embassy in Cairo, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Having a strategic location connecting the continents of Africa and Asia and being an Asian portal for the African and Arab worlds and an African portal for Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt is considered a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative, as expressed by the Egyptian president. "Egypt supports the Chinese president's initiative to revive the Silk Road, and is keen on supporting such positive initiative that seeks to achieve cooperation and interests of peoples, bearing in mind that Egypt can be a main focal point for the implementation of this initiative through the Suez Canal projects," Egypt's President Sisi told Xinhua and Cairo-based Chinese media in a previous interview. China is already the largest investor in the development of Egypt's Suez Canal Corridor, a mega project showcasing the win-win partnership between the two countries. China's TEDA corporation, one of the oldest and largest industrial developers of the Suez Canal Economic Zone, has seen a steady increase in the number of its development projects and tenant factories since it entered Egypt and established a joint Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Ain Sokhna district of the Suez Canal Corridor, east of the capital Cairo. TEDA is working on the development of an area that increased to 7.23 sq. km in Ain Sokhna and it has completed its first phase, attracting some 68 enterprises, including Jushi, a fiberglass giant from China, 97 percent of whose employees are Egyptians. The second phase started in 2016. A couple of days ago, at least 15 Chinese firms including TEDA, Jushi, Hengshi Egypt Fiberglass Fabric Ltd, XD-EGEMAC High Voltage Co. Ltd and New Hope Group for agricultural industries, joined an employment fair in Egypt offering some 300 job opportunities to Egyptian youths. Both Egyptian and Chinese economists assert that Egypt is a "key player" in the initiative and that the country is seen among the "bright spots" in the sustainable development projects across the initiative routes. In early April, Cairo hosted the first round of the annual Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Conference, held under the slogan of "Egypt ... Your Gateway to BRICA," the Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Alliance, which discussed the horizons of trade and economic cooperation among the B&R countries. Organized by the Egyptian Businessmen's Association and China Federation of Industrial Economics, the conference was held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry. It was attended by some 150 Egyptian businessmen and 160 others from the BRICA states, besides large financial institutions including China Development Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, African Development Bank and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Beijing is scheduled to host on May 14 and 15 the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation whose opening ceremony will be attended by President Xi. Egypt will participate with a high-level ministerial delegation in the event that has been described by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as "the highest-profile international meeting on the Belt and Road since Xi put forward the initiative in 2013." Addressing Davos forum earlier in January, Xi told the audience that China's circle of friends along the B&R is growing bigger, and Chinese investment in the countries along the routes has surpassed 50 billion dollars in the past three years, noting that over 100 countries and international organizations welcomed the initiative and more than 40 signed relevant cooperation agreements with China. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 18:11:48|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Photo taken on April 19, 2017 shows a general view of the "Big Ben" in London, Britain. The British House of Commons on Wednesday approved Prime Minister Theresa May's call for an early general election on June 8. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland) LONDON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Parliament was officially dissolved on Wednesday, but without the traditional pomp and ceremony. At precisely one minute past midnight to Wednesday, all 650 members of Parliament, from Prime Minister Theresa May to back bench MPs, were stripped of their titles, becoming ordinary citizens. May will visit Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday afternoon to mark the dissolution of Parliament. Under a fixed term law, introduced by former prime minister David Cameron, the parliament sits for exactly five years which sets a specific timetable for dissolution and a new election. Current Prime Minister Theresa May used a break-clause in the fixed-term law to call a snap election on June 8, as Britain prepares to negotiate with the European Union on its withdrawal from the bloc. The dissolution of Parliament also signalled the official start of Britain's election campaign, with all 650 parliament seats are up for grabs. But the dissolution does not mean that Britain's government comes to an end. "Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until after the result of the election is known and a new administration is formed," said a Parliament spokesman. Students attend a recruitment event at the Suez Canal University in Egypt's Ismailia Province, April 30, 2017. Chinese companies operating in Egypt held an employment forum on Sunday at the Suez Canal University in Egypt's Ismailia Province, east of the capital Cairo. At least 15 Chinese companies joined the recruitment forum, which was held in cooperation with the Chinese embassy in Cairo. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) CAIRO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- As bilateral ties have been elevated to the level of "comprehensive strategic partnership," figures show the growing cooperation between Egypt and China in terms of mutual trade and investment in the light of China's Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping four years ago. The initiative, involving the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aims at reviving ancient trade routes to link China with numerous countries in Asia, Africa and Europe through trade and infrastructure networks. The volume of trade between China and Egypt, a focal spot in the initiative, has mounted to 11.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, ranking Egypt as the third African trade partner with China. Although most of the mutual trade between China and Egypt is represented in Chinese exports to the most populous Arab country, China imports of Egyptian commodities in the first two months of 2017 have reached 159 million dollars, with a 326.25-percent year-on-year growth. Amid the exchanged state visits between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi over the past few years, Chinese investments in Egypt have recently increased to 700 million dollars with a leap in the number of Chinese companies operating in the North African country. "The number of Chinese companies operating in Egypt increased from 30 in 2014 to more than 100 for the time being," Han Bing, minister counselor for economic affairs with the Chinese embassy in Cairo, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Having a strategic location connecting the continents of Africa and Asia and being an Asian portal for the African and Arab worlds and an African portal for Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt is considered a focal point in the Belt and Road Initiative, as expressed by the Egyptian president. "Egypt supports the Chinese president's initiative to revive the Silk Road, and is keen on supporting such positive initiative that seeks to achieve cooperation and interests of peoples, bearing in mind that Egypt can be a main focal point for the implementation of this initiative through the Suez Canal projects," Egypt's President Sisi told Xinhua and Cairo-based Chinese media in a previous interview. China is already the largest investor in the development of Egypt's Suez Canal Corridor, a mega project showcasing the win-win partnership between the two countries. China's TEDA corporation, one of the oldest and largest industrial developers of the Suez Canal Economic Zone, has seen a steady increase in the number of its development projects and tenant factories since it entered Egypt and established a joint Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Ain Sokhna district of the Suez Canal Corridor, east of the capital Cairo. TEDA is working on the development of an area that increased to 7.23 sq. km in Ain Sokhna and it has completed its first phase, attracting some 68 enterprises, including Jushi, a fiberglass giant from China, 97 percent of whose employees are Egyptians. The second phase started in 2016. A couple of days ago, at least 15 Chinese firms including TEDA, Jushi, Hengshi Egypt Fiberglass Fabric Ltd, XD-EGEMAC High Voltage Co. Ltd and New Hope Group for agricultural industries, joined an employment fair in Egypt offering some 300 job opportunities to Egyptian youths. Both Egyptian and Chinese economists assert that Egypt is a "key player" in the initiative and that the country is seen among the "bright spots" in the sustainable development projects across the initiative routes. In early April, Cairo hosted the first round of the annual Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Conference, held under the slogan of "Egypt ... Your Gateway to BRICA," the Belt and Road Industrial and Commercial Alliance, which discussed the horizons of trade and economic cooperation among the B&R countries. Organized by the Egyptian Businessmen's Association and China Federation of Industrial Economics, the conference was held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry. It was attended by some 150 Egyptian businessmen and 160 others from the BRICA states, besides large financial institutions including China Development Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, African Development Bank and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Beijing is scheduled to host on May 14 and 15 the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation whose opening ceremony will be attended by President Xi. Egypt will participate with a high-level ministerial delegation in the event that has been described by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as "the highest-profile international meeting on the Belt and Road since Xi put forward the initiative in 2013." Addressing Davos forum earlier in January, Xi told the audience that China's circle of friends along the B&R is growing bigger, and Chinese investment in the countries along the routes has surpassed 50 billion dollars in the past three years, noting that over 100 countries and international organizations welcomed the initiative and more than 40 signed relevant cooperation agreements with China. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 18:26:51|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close DHAKA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has signed three deals with Chinese and Thai firms on the country's first-ever metro rail project. Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), a Bangladeshi state-owned enterprise founded to implement the metro rail lines across the Dhaka city, signed the separate contract packages (CPs) including CP-2, CP-3 and CP-4 worth over 58.26 billion taka (about 719 million U.S. dollars) with the firms, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a Thailand-based construction firm, and Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited. Under the deals, the firms will build metro rail tracks, stations and depot of the long cherished 20.1-km Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 that will link north Dhaka with the south through 16 stations. According to the project, the package CP-2 is for the civil and building works of the Depot, CP-3 and CP-4 is for the construction of metro rail tracks and elevated stations. Officials of DMTCL, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a Thailand-based construction firm, and Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited signed the agreements on behalf of their respective sides at a ceremony on Wednesday in capital Dhaka. Sinohydro signed the deal worth 15.96 billion taka for CP-2 while Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited signed deal for all the three packages. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 18:31:52|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close A destroyed vehicle is taken away from the site of an attack in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, May 3, 2017. Eight civilians were killed and 27 others injured after a suicide bomber struck a foreign forces' military convoy in a diplomatic district in central Kabul on Wednesday, sources said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah) KABUL, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The local affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) group on Wednesday carried out a suicide car bombing at a U.S. military convoy in Afghanistan's capital that killed eight Afghan civilians. The IS-linked "Amaq" news website has claimed in an online Arabic language statement the attack which also injured 27 others including three service members of the NATO-led Resolute Support. Three cars, including one armored military vehicle, were destroyed by the blast in the area where the U.S. embassy and Afghan Supreme Court office are located. The blast which occurred at Makroryan-i-Duam near a road which turns to Shashdarak locality next to NATO-led RS headquarters at 08:00 a.m. local time also damaged several civilian vehicles and nearby apartment buildings. Several injured remained in critical condition. On April 13, the U.S. forces in Afghanistan struck an IS cave complex by the largest non-nuclear bomb in Achin district, eastern Nangarhar province, killing nearly 100 IS fighters and destroying a militants' hideout together with several bunkers and tunnels. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 18:36:53|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is ready to host the World Economic Forum on ASEAN, which is scheduled from May 10 to May 12 in Phnom Penh, government officials said Wednesday. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun will be among the 620 participants attending the forum, said Cambodian Transport Minister Sun Chanthol. He said the participants include political and business leaders, civil society and other key researchers from around the world. According to Chanthol, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will open the forum on May 11 under the theme "Youth, Technology and Growth". "This forum will be a good opportunity for Cambodia to showcase its investment potential to foreign investors, and to attract more foreign investors and tourists to Cambodia," he said at a press conference. In order to promote Cambodia's tourism, after the forum foreign participants will be granted free air-tickets from Phnom Penh to northwestern Siem Reap province to see the famed Angkor archeological park. The World Economic Forum was established in 1971 as a non-profit foundation with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The forum holds annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland, but also convenes regional meetings each year across Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Last year, the World Economic Forum on ASEAN was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The C919, the first large passenger aircraft designed and built by China, is seen during a high-speed taxiing test in Shanghai, east China, April 23, 2017. The C919 passed a fourth high-speed taxiing test in Shanghai on Sunday. (Xinhua/Wang Jiliang) SHANGHAI -- The maiden flight of the C919, China's first domestically-built large passenger jet, is scheduled for May 5, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) said Wednesday. The flight will depart from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. ---- SHANGHAI -- Chinese scientists have built world's first quantum computing machine that goes beyond the early classical -- or conventional -- computers, paving the way to the ultimate realization of quantum computing beating classical computers. Scientists announced their achievement at a press conference in the Shanghai Institute for Advanced Studies of University of Science and Technology of China on Wednesday. ---- WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday launched anti-dumping duty (AD) and countervail duty (CVD) investigations against imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam. The investigations are in response to a request from Waterloo Industries, a U.S. manufacturer of tool boxes, according to the Commerce Department's fact sheet. ---- WASHINGTON-- U.S. President Donald Trump's pick for Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, said on Tuesday that if confirmed, he would work to "positively influence" the U.S.-China relationship. "As Governor of Iowa, I saw first-hand the importance of a positive and healthy trade relationship between our two countries," Branstad said here at his confirmation hearing. ---- LONDON-- CC Land Holdings Ltd, a firm run by Chinese property tycoon Cheung Chung-kiu, has agreed to buy the city's "Cheesegrater" skyscraper for 1.15 billion pounds (1.49 billion U.S. dollars), the company announced Tuesday. In an announcement released by the Hong Kong-based developer, the company announced the acquisition of the Leadenhall Building, the tallest building in the city of London, which is known as the Cheesegrater because of its wedge shape. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 19:11:59|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for more efforts in promoting rule of law and cultivating talent for the cause. Xi made the remarks while inspecting China University of Political Science and Law ahead of Youth Day, which falls on May 4. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 19:37:04|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday urged all relevant parties to avoid actions that may increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula following a drill near the area by the airforces of the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK). "We are aware of the drill," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at the daily press briefing, adding that given the highly complicated and sensitive situation, China is opposed to any party taking actions that would increase tensions and damage regional peace and stability. According to reports, U.S. strategic bombers took off from Guam on Monday and conducted a drill with ROK fighter jets. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said the drill concerned its major targets and called it a "reckless provocation" that could push the peninsula to the brink of war. Geng said the priority was to ease the situation and restart dialogue and negotiation. He urged all sides to remain calm and restrained, to create conditions for contact and dialogue. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 20:27:10|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- As the biggest tax cut in U.S. history has a domino effect on the rest of the world, China may be about to become more aggressive in cutting its taxes to stay competitive. China has been trying for years to reduce business costs. May 1 is the one year anniversary of VAT reform, which replaced all business taxes with value-added tax, the most significant tax overhaul for two decades. Tangible goods have been subject to VAT for some time, but the levy on services was imposed on the value of a firm's sales. Such a crude system resulted in a tax on tax. VAT avoids this, as it is applied to the value added at each link in the production chain. Since last year, taxes on construction, property, finance and consumer service sectors are on value-added, such as the difference between wholesale and final sales price for a retailer. According to the State Administration of Taxation, VAT reform cut roughly 680 billion yuan (100 billion U.S. dollars) of tax for business, with some 98 percent of them feeling the difference. The reform is an attempt to reduce the burden on service industries, which have historically paid a disproportionate share. In 2016, the number of newly-established businesses in the service sector increased by a brisk 25 percent, hiring 43.5 percent of the labor force, compared with 36 percent in 2012. Auto maker Geely has benefited from the reform. Li Shufu, chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said the new tax scheme eased corporate payment by nearly 493 million yuan in 2016. That gives the company more leverage to increase spending on research. To fulfill its promise of around 350 billion yuan tax cuts in 2017, government announced new measures in April. From July 1, value-added tax will be simplified, small businesses will enjoy more income tax incentives, and pre-tax deductions for innovation-based tech companies will rise. "We must cut non-tax charges along with cutting taxes to reduce the burden on enterprises and raise their competitiveness. The government is responsible for creating a sound environment to achieve these goals," Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said at a State Council meeting in April. In late April, the U.S. government unveiled the biggest tax cut plan in U.S. history. It plans to reduce the number of income tax brackets and lower the tax on corporations from 35 percent to 15 percent. While any change to U.S. taxes still needs to be approved by Congress, it could see a wave of companies move back to the United States from overseas. Liu Xuezhi, an analyst with the Bank of Communications, said the U.S. tax overhaul is expected to reshuffle the global business environment. China needs more tax cuts to stay competitive. Compared with the United States, China's tax policy is not aggressive enough, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 21:17:27|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close CHENGDU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- On a precipitous cliff by the roaring Dadu River in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Gulu Village has sat in isolation and poverty for hundreds of years. Chang Zhaolin is among some 400 Yi ethnic minority people living in the village, known as the "Village on the Ladder to the Sky," situated on the 1,000-meter-high cliff. The name "Gulu" is said to be an onomatopoeia taken from the sound of a rock falling from a mountain. In the past, residents used a ladder when they wanted to leave the village. "When I was little, we used to climb down the cliff with a ladder made of sticks and cane," recalled Chang, 50. "The wind was usually quite strong and often made the ladder dangle. When we looked down, our legs would be shaking." In 2003, the local government built a narrow road, less than a meter wide. It takes more than six hours from the village to the cliff bottom and back via the road, which snakes along the mountain edge. "On a market day, we had to set off before dawn and always got back to the village at night," Chang said. Soon the treacherous journey will be a thing of the past. A ropeway for cable cars connecting the mountaintop and the bottom of the cliff has been built, and official operation will begin soon. The ropeway is about 650 meters long and 700 meters high. Its cable cars can hold up to 40 people each. What once took three hours from the village to the cliff bottom will only take three minutes. "We are currently looking for a company to operate the ropeway," said village official Luo Yunlian. "We will not only facilitate transportation for fellow villagers, but also try to attract tourists to boost the local economy through the ropeway." "EVERYBODY GETS NERVOUS" Legend has it that more than 400 years ago, the forefathers of the Gulu villagers had a huge fight with two other big families in Tianba Town, and only six of their ancestors survived. Two of them climbed over the mountains and the Dadu River before reaching the cliff. They settled into the dangerous landscape, realizing that the spot was easy to guard and hard to conquer. They could overlook their hometown from the top of the mountain. For now, elementary students in the village have to walk three hours down the mountain road to go to school. Chang Zhaolin said that even adults have to walk the road with extra care, especially when they carry heavy baskets full of goods on their backs. "Everybody gets nervous when they go on the narrow road," he said. ROPEWAY TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD In 2013, authorities began discussing plans to tackle the transportation problem in the village. "Local villagers demanded a highway be built, but it would cost more than 50 million yuan (7 million U.S. dollars)," said Hou Hongbin, an official of Yongli Township, which administers Gulu Village. "Besides, building a highway would inevitably damage the ecosystem in the mountain." Experts suggested that a ropeway would be a better choice to connect the village and the outside world, but the idea was met with strong opposition at first. "People were suspicious because none of us had tried a ropeway before," Chang said. To ease their concerns, authorities went door to door to explain the plan. "We told them about the safety of a ropeway and the benefits it would bring," said Hou. "A ropeway will not only make it easy to leave and return to the village while protecting the local ecosystem, but will also boost the local tourism industry, which can guarantee long-term revenues," said Luo Yunlian. The villagers finally accepted the plan, and with government funding of 24 million yuan, construction began on a ropeway stretching over the Dadu River in August 2015. The ropeway is supported by H-shaped hangers and two parallel cables, which keep two cable cars stable even in strong wind. A separate ropeway has been built near the main one for use by safety personnel in case of emergencies. The ropeway underwent testing late last year. During the test runs, curious villagers came to the construction site every day. "I did not expect the journey out of the village to be so easy!" said villager Li Shucai. "Besides, it will be fun to travel in the air." Authorities plan to develop tourism to boost the local economy and eliminate poverty. A tourist service center has been built near the ropeway station, and the local government has helped renovate traditional houses, build village roads and public restrooms to create a "Land of Idyllic Beauty" to attract tourists. The local forestry bureau has given out more than 130,000 walnut saplings to local villagers to encourage cultivation of the crop in the lush green mountains. "We are confident that Gulu Village will improve in the future," said Luo Yunlian. Belgian Police pass by during the Military Parade to celebrate Belgium's National Day in Brussels, Belgium, July 21, 2016. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) BRUSSELS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A Belgian who was sentenced in February 2016 to three months suspended jail for calling police officers "smurf" on his Facebook page, appeared before the Court of Appeal of Brussels on Tuesday, reports the Belgian news agency Belga. According to the Correctional Court of Antwerp, Cain R., a 37-year-old man from Antwerp, was found guilty of cyber-harassment. On Tuesday, the prosecutor-general did not demand a conviction. Counsel for the accused requested his acquittal but the civil party believes that Cain R. went too far. Cain R., which was tracked on Facebook by more than 150,000 Internet users, had been checked twice on May 11 2015 by the road police in the ring of Brussels. During these two checks, he took pictures of the agents. One of the officers had asked him to delete the photos, which he had not done. On the same day, Cain R. put his photos on his Facebook page and called the agents "smurf". The criminal court had sentenced R. in February 2016 to a suspended sentence of three months in prison and a fine of 1,200 euros for cyber-harassment. He had also been prosecuted for breach of the law on the privacy of agents but had been acquitted on this point. On Tuesday, the prosecutor-general did not demand a conviction because he was not convinced that the facts could be described as cyber-harassment. But, the lawyer of one of the agents asks for a conviction. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 21:22:29|Editor: ying Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the Freedom and Dignity hunger strike by 1,600 Palestinian prisoners in 200 Israeli jails. The ANC affirms its position that the Israeli state's pattern of arbitrary arrests and detention without trial of Palestinians "bears the hallmarks of apartheid South Africa", ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said in a statement. The Palestinian prisoners started the hunger strike on April 17 to press their demand for better daily living conditions. The prisoners are on strike to draw attention to the plight of Palestinian political prisoners, many of whom are held in solitary confinement. In a letter addressed to parliamentarians around the world, jailed Palestinian MP Marwan Barghouthi has called the arrest of Palestinian MPs by Israel "an insult to Parliamentarians everywhere ... an insult to freedom and justice, and an insult to human rights everywhere". "The ANC concurs with the sentiments expressed by Commrade Barghouthi," Mantashe said. Mantashe said progressive organizations in South Africa and around the world should be appalled that prisoners are denied their basic human rights in Israel. Israel reportedly has imposed general closures in the West Bank to prevent gatherings in support of the prisoners on hunger strike. This denial of the legitimate right to protest should be condemned, Mantashe said. He recalled apartheid's darkest days when hunger strikes remained the only means by which political prisoners were able to draw attention to their plight. Countless political prisoners embarked on hunger strikes in prison, including on Robben Island off Cape Town during the apartheid period. "The ANC affirms that the occupation by Israel of Palestinian lands has gone on for far too long. For far too long Palestinians have been denied their right to self-determination," Mantashe said. The ANC knows too well that every attempt will be made to break the morale of the prisoners on hunger strike; and salutes the Palestinian prisoners for their determination and courage, he said. 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| 2017-05-03 21:27:31|Editor: ying Video Player Close JAKARTA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government has warned Japan's largest oil and gas company Inpex Corporation over development of a gas field in the eastern part of the country. Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan on Wednesday threatened to abort a production-sharing contract (PSC) on the Masela block with Inpex if there is no progress in conducting a preliminary front-end engineering design (pre-FEED) on the field. "Actually there is no deadline, but if it is too long to conduct a pre-FEED... it is better for me to cancel the contract," said Jonan. "It is nearly seven months, Inpex has not started conducting a pre-FEED," he added. Inpex holds a 65 percent stake in the block. The government has offered two options on the liquefied natural gas plant capacity, namely 7.5 metric ton per annum (mtpa) with 474 million standard cubic feet of gas a day (mmscfd) and 9.5 mtpa with 160 mmscfd. The minister said the production of the block will be channelled to downstream sectors expected to be constructed near the block. The Masela gas field in eastern Indonesia's Arafura Sea has a capacity to produce 1,200 mmscfd and 24,000 barrels of condensate per day for 24 years. The block is expected to start operation by 2023. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 21:42:37|Editor: ying Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A senior official with the Tanzanian government on Wednesday announced 15,000 new job vacancies for civil servants. Laurian Ndumbaro, the Permanent Secretary in the President's Office responsible for Public Service and Good Governance, said the government will employ 15,000 new workers by the end of June this year. "The government is aware that there are areas that have been affected by the recent sacking of more than 9,000 civil servants," Ndumbaro told a news conference in the political capital Dodoma. He asked affected institutions to submit their employment requirements as soon as possible. Last week, Tanzanian President John Magufuli sacked 9,932 public servants found with fake academic certificates after verification of their academic qualifications. The President sacked the public servants shortly after he had received a report on public servants' verification of their academic qualifications. He ordered that April salaries for the 9,932 sacked servants should be withheld. Magufuli directed Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa that posts which were held by the 9,000-plus unqualified public servants should be advertised immediately. The President ordered that other civil servants whose certificates have been found with discrepancies should be prosecuted in courts of law. He said the crackdown on fake academic certificates for public servants will complement an earlier exercise by the government to identify phantom employees. In May last year Tanzania removed more than 10,000 phantom public servants from its public sector payroll after a nationwide audit. Photo taken on May 3, 2017 in Frankfurt, Germany shows the tower of the Deutsche Bank. (Xinhua/Luo Huanhuan) FRANKFURT, May 3 (Xinhua) -- By raising its stake to 9.92 percent in Deutsche Bank, China's conglomerate HNA Group has become the top single shareholder of the largest German commercial bank headquartered in Frankfurt, according to a filing by investment entity C-Quadrat which manages HNA Group's stake in Deutsche Bank. Based on Tuesday's closing price, the share of the DAX bank held by HNA Group is currently worth around 3.4 billion euros (3.71 billion U.S. dollars). The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bank announced in March that it would submit a proposal for the Annual General Meeting on May 18 for two new members to be elected to the Supervisory Board, including Alexander Schuetz, founder and chief executive officer of C-Quadrat, on behalf of HNA Group. HNA Group, headquartered in the southern Chinese city of Haikou, which started as a regional airline in early 1990s, has now transformed itself into a holding company with a wide range of business, owning the fourth largest airline in China, namely Hainan Airlines. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 21:47:47|Editor: Mengjie Drunken dragon dance is performed during the Drunken Dragon Festival to celebrate Buddha's birthday in south China's Macao, May 3, 2017. Buddha's birthday falls on Wednesday this year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Recognized as an item of China's national intangible cultural heritage, the Drunken Dragon Festival originates from a Macao legend of a Buddhist monk and a divine dragon who saved people from the plague during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) MACAO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The traditional Drunken Dragon Festival was held in China's Macao Special Administrative Region Wednesday, featuring Chinese dragon performance, sacrifice offering and a carnival. The festival was aimed at celebrating Buddha's birthday which falls on the eighth of April in the Chinese lunar calendar. Two drunken dragon performers, usually males that have practiced martial arts, held the head and the tail of the "dragon" respectively. The other two performers held liquor jars and beat the drum. This year they made the performance at the Red Market, a building which was built over 80 years ago, and its surrounding streets. Performers from Japan, Singapore and Malaysia also participated in this year's festival. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 21:57:49|Editor: ying Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian immigration police arrested 60 Nigerians during a raid on a rented villa in Phnom Penh's Chamkarmon district on Wednesday, a senior police official said. "They had illegally entered Cambodia for living and working," Major General Uk Heisela, chief of the General Department of Immigration (GDI)'s investigation and procedure department, told Xinhua, adding that none of them has a passport. "They will be deported to their birth country within a week," he said. According to the GDI, the Southeast Asian country expelled 3,509 illegal immigrants in 2016, most of them Vietnamese nationals. Under the country's immigration law, any alien living in Cambodia without valid documents such as passports, visas, or work permits are subject to deportation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 22:02:42|Editor: ying Video Player Close THE HAGUE, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Leading parties in the Netherlands on Wednesday resumed talks to form a new government after a break of 12 days. The negotiations for a government coalition between the rightist liberals VVD, the Christian Democrats CDA, the leftist liberals D66 and the green lefties GroenLinks started on March 29, two weeks after the parliamentary elections. Actually, the talks should have resumed Tuesday but were delayed due to the funeral of the mother of GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver. The mother of Klaver suffered from a stroke and had to be taken to hospital earlier this month. For that reason Klaver already had to leave the negotiation table temporarily two weeks ago. His mother passed away and had her funeral on Tuesday. Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's VVD won the elections with 33 out of 150 seats in the lower house of the parliament, before the rightist Party for Freedom PVV (20 seats), the CDA (19), D66 (19), GroenLinks (14). To form a government, the parties that can get a majority of the 150 seats in the lower house must reach an agreement on all major issues, which is difficult because especially GroenLinks has a dissenting opinion on several subjects. For instance GroenLinks wants to increase unemployment benefits, increase tax on capital and earnings, wants a more social asylum policy and supports several forms of pollution taxes, while the VVD has opposite opinions on these subjects. "The parties take their time. The last time the negotiators invited 12 experts to identify what the Netherlands is doing. It is expected that these lectures are over and there will be underway to mutual trust and a coalition," reported Dutch online newspaper Nu. The last government formation only lasted 54 days, but the Dutch record after World War II is on 208 days in 1977. Outgoing Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Edith Schippers leads the ongoing negotiations. Schippers said she aims to finish the negotiations before the summer. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 22:07:51|Editor: ying Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- At least two miners were killed and 21 others injured in a coal mine explosion in the northern Iranian province of Golestan on Wednesday, Press TV reported. Sadegh-Ali Moqaddam, head of the emergency department of Golestan Province, said that up to 50 people are believed to be trapped in the mine. Officials have blamed accumulated methane gas for the blast. Ambulances and rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene, which is near the city of Azadshahr in Golestan Province, he added. Hamidreza Montazeri, deputy head of Golestan Province emergency, said that 25 people, who had entered the mine to help the trapped miners, were taken to hospitals nearby due to gas inhalation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 22:07:51|Editor: ying Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and Iran agreed on Wednesday to boost border security and revive hotline between border security forces of the two countries. The agreement came one week after 10 Iranian border guards were killed in clashes with militants in southeastern Iran near the Pakistani border. Iranian leaders had alleged that the gunmen had "used Pakistani soil for the attack." A militant group called "Jaish ul-Adl" had claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria had stated that the incident had occurred inside the Iranian territory. He condemned the attack and sent condolences to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday morning, held talks with Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on various issues, including border security. "To remove irritants and overcome issues of mutual concerns in the areas of border management, illegal human and drug trafficking, the two leaders decided that operational committees at various levels would be constituted for identification of areas of cooperation," the Interior Ministry said. Pakistan and Iran have nearly 909 kilometers of common border. "Both sides will also address mutual concerns and suggest ways forward for further enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries with special focus on border management, information and intelligence sharing and curbing illegal human and drug trafficking," said the ministry in a statement. The two ministers also agreed on effective border management, curbing drug trafficking and checking illegal cross border movement through better coordination, greater intelligence sharing and frequent interactions at the ministerial level. "The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment not to let their borders and their lands used by anyone against each other," the statement said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 22:07:51|Editor: ying Video Player Close SOFIA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's GERB party and the United Patriots on Wednesday reached an agreement on the composition of their coalition government that is to replace the caretaker cabinet led by interim Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdjikov. "So far, it was only clear that Boyko Borissov, the chairman of GERB, the party that won the parliamentary elections, will be the prime minister of the new government," the United Patriots said in a statement. The Patriots, which signed a coalition agreement with GERB last Thursday, said that two of their co-chairs, including Krasimir Karakachanov and Valeri Simeonov, were nominated for deputy prime ministers in the new cabinet. Meanwhile, the press office of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said that on Thursday morning, Borissov will present him his proposal for a structure and composition of the new government. Radev will submit Borissov's proposal to the National Assembly immediately, and the legislators will vote for it the same day. The center-right GERB party holds 95 seats in the 240-member parliament, and the United Patriots have 27. To be approved by the National Assembly, the government needs a simple majority of more than half of the present legislators. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 22:12:52|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, held a telephone conversation Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties and regional cooperation. Xi said he met Duterte twice last year and reached important agreements with him, which led to the comprehensive rapprochement in bilateral ties. At present, the two countries are deepening political mutual trust and carrying out cooperation in various fields, he said, noting that a channel of dialogue and consultation on the South China Sea issue has also been set up. All these efforts, in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, have been fully affirmed by their Asian neighbors and the international community, he added. Xi called on China and the Philippines to promote their pragmatic cooperation in all fields so as to better benefit the two countries and peoples. China appreciates the Philippines' key role in boosting cooperation in East Asia along the right direction as the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the Chinese president. He welcomed Duterte, the leader of a friendly neighbor of China and important partner of the Belt and Road Initiative, to attend the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held on May 14-15 in Beijing, saying he looks forward to meeting with the Philippine president again. For his part, Duterte said he was happy to see Philippine-China friendship and solidarity enhanced and their exchanges and cooperation in various areas restored and pushed forward. As the rotating presidency of ASEAN, Manila is ready to advance the bloc's relations with China, and to conduct close communication and cooperation with Beijing in international and regional issues, he said. He added that he looks forward to attending the upcoming forum in Beijing. The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Xi said China firmly stands for the realization of a denuclearized peninsula and for the maintenance of its peace and stability, saying the issue should be solved through dialogue and consultations. The Chinese president urged all relevant parties to exercise restraint and return to the right track of dialogue and negotiations. China is willing to see ASEAN's active role in securing regional peace and stability, he noted. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 22:12:52|Editor: ying Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the suicide attack in Kabul that led to the loss of precious lives. A suicide car bombing targeting a U.S. military convoy in Kabul on Wednesday killed eight civilians and injured 27 others, including three service members of the NATO-led Resolute Support. Several injured were in critical conditions. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack. "Pakistan conveys its deepest sympathies to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured," the Foreign Ministry said. Terrorism is a common challenge and therefore warrants a cooperative approach, the ministry said in a statement. The blast, which occurred at Makroryan-i-Duam next to NATO-led Resolute Support headquarters at 8 a.m. local time (0330 GMT), also damaged several civilian vehicles and nearby apartment buildings. On April 13, the U.S. forces in Afghanistan struck an IS cave complex with the largest non-nuclear bomb in Achin district, eastern Nangarhar province, killing nearly 100 IS fighters and destroying a militants' hideout together with several bunkers and tunnels. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 22:22:47|Editor: ying Video Player Close LONDON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A British student has been found guilty of building a bomb and leaving it on a London metro train, local media reported on Wednesday. Damon Smith, 20, from Rotherhithe in southeast London, had admitted perpetrating a bomb hoax but tried to defend himself by saying that he only intended to make a smoke bomb to scare people. RABAT, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Japan vowed to strengthen trade ties between the two countries, Morocco's Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani said in a statement on Wednesday after meeting with visiting Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shunsuke Takei. The two sides expressed their satisfaction in the level of political ties and cooperation in other fields between the two nations over the last 60 years, the statement said. Takei is heading a delegation with 50 business leaders on a visit to Morocco. Japanese companies in Morocco have created 40,000 local jobs. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 23:28:08|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Wednesday night talked over phone with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and exchanged ideas on enhancing the comprehensive economic cooperation between the two countries. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-03 23:53:14|Editor: An Video Player Close Lan Weihong (L), deputy secretary-general of China National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC), speaks during a press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 3, 2017. Senior officials of Chinese and Indonesian anti-drug agencies met here Wednesday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation to fight against drug trafficking. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) JAKARTA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials of Chinese and Indonesian anti-drug agencies met here Wednesday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation to fight against drug trafficking. The meeting is a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on anti-drug cooperation signed by the two countries in March 2012. "The cooperation between China and Indonesia is very essential to prevent the trafficking of illegal drugs into the respective countries," Lan Weihong, deputy secretary-general of China National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC), told a joint press conference. Lan said both sides discussed issues such as the establishment of an annual meeting mechanism, the liaison hotline, intelligence information exchange, law enforcement cooperation and cracking down on drug trafficking in the sea as well as from the air, drug profiling, equipment assistance and capacity building programs. Deputy for Legal Affairs and Cooperation of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Arief Wicaksono Sudiutomo said that BNN and NNCC officials already held a meeting in Beijing in August last year. The meeting was part of the mandates mentioned in the MoU to hold rotating periodical meetings between anti-narcotics officials of both countries, he said. "Most of those drugs were crystal meth smuggled through golden triangle area that covers Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia," he added. The NNCC delegation's visit to Indonesia will last till Saturday. Besides holding a meeting with BNN, the NNCC delegation is also scheduled to visit the Indonesian Foreign Ministry and other related authorities. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa arrived in Brunei on Wednesday for a state visit to the country. The king, touching down in Brunei after concluding a four-day visit to Malaysia, was welcomed by Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, and high-ranking government officials at the Brunei International Airport. During his visit, the king of Bahrain will hold talks with the sultan on bilateral relations and ways to bolster ties in various fields. Talks will also focus on recent regional and international developments, as well as issues of common interests, according to a statement from the Bahrain side. Brunei and Bahrain established diplomatic relations in 1988. A number of cooperative agreements have been signed by the two countries in various fields, including air services and investment. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 00:18:28|Editor: Mengjie Police officers and firefighters try to cease fire at Beidahe forest farm in the Greater Hinggan Mountain region, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 4, 2017. Thousands of firefighters are battling a fire in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which broke out at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen) HOHHOT, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 5,000 firefighters are battling a fire in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The fire has spread to 10,000 hectares, said Shen Dongsheng, an officer with the forest detachment at the Greater Hinggan Mountains. Four temporary helicopter landing spots have been set up for artificial precipitation, and armored vehicles are also mobilized. The fire broke out at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Bilahe Beidahe forest in Inner Mongolia. Initial investigations found the fire was caused by illegal dumping of burning residue by a local furnace worker, who has been detained for further investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 00:23:28|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign exchange regulator dealt with 1,996 cases involving forex-related violations last year, according to a report made public Wednesday. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange said in the annual report that it fined and confiscated a total of 431 million yuan (65 million U.S. dollars). The regulator stepped up inspections on financial institutions last year to ensure their forex businesses complies with laws and regulations, the report said. The administration also made checks on illegal flow of funds, and worked with other departments on more than 80 underground bank cases involving a total value of 1 trillion yuan. This year, the regulator will step up authenticity checks of banks' forex businesses, reinforce cooperation with other departments and promote the creation of a credit system related to forex, according to the report. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 00:23:29|Editor: xuxin U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson delivers a speech to State Department employees in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, May 3, 2017. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States was preparing new sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) if Pyongyang takes steps that warrant new sanctions. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) WASHINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States was preparing new sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) if Pyongyang takes steps that warrant new sanctions. The United States is "preparing additional sanctions" if it turns out that the DPRK's future actions merit additional sanctions, Tillerson said here in a speech to State Department employees. Tillerson also said that the United States was ready to engage in talks with the DPRK "when conditions are right," adding that Washington was sending a "very, very clear and resolute" message to the DPRK that the country's security and economic prosperity "can only be secured" through commitment to denuclearization. Tillerson also reaffirmed that the United States was not seeking regime change in the DPRK. Tension has remained very high over the past two months between the United States and the DPRK over the former's threat to stage military attack upon Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile programs. The United States and South Korea also held their largest ever joint military exercises in the past two months, while the USS Carl Vinson nuclear aircraft carrier task group has arrived in the waters off the peninsula for joint drills with the South Korean military. NEW DELHI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- India said Wednesday a visiting delegation of Pakistani students was sent back in the wake of a flare-up on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir over the killing of two troopers. "A non-governmental organization (NGO) had invited Pakistani school students here. They had arrived in India on the same day when our troopers were killed in a barbaric manner," India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a press briefing. "The ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges." Reports said over 47 Pakistan school children accompanied by their teachers as part of a student exchange program had arrived in India on the invitation of a New Delhi-based NGO Routes 2 Roots. India said Monday that Pakistani troops killed two of its troopers in Krishna Ghati sector of frontier Poonch district, about 180 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. However, the Indian claim was strongly rejected by Pakistan saying India needs to furnish evidence. Both New Delhi and Islamabad have been accusing each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements, and both sides maintain that their troops gave befitting reply. LoC is the de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan-controlled parts. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 00:43:25|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang holds a welcome ceremony for Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, May 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China said on Wednesday it would send two giant pandas to Denmark and work on panda protection during Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen's visit. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Rasmussen held talks on Wednesday afternoon and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents on food and drug supervision, quarantine and panda protection, among others. It will be the first time China has sent pandas to Denmark. "The Danish prime minister visited Chengdu to see the two giant pandas to be sent to the Copenhagen Zoo to live there for some time. But The arrival of the pandas in Denmark will depend on when Denmark gets (the Panda House) ready," Liu Weimin, an official with the Chinese Foreign Ministry told reporters after the talks. "The giant pandas, as messengers of friendship, will play a positive role to our bilateral relations," Liu said. Copenhagen Zoo revealed in March the design of the panda house.Construction will begin in November and take about a year, according to Copenhagen Zoo director and CEO Steffen Straede. China and Denmark unveiled a plan to deepen cooperation from 2017 to 2020 and agreed to expand two-way trade and investment. Both sides identified agriculture, fisheries, food security, health and tourism as major areas for cooperation. "China hopes to work with Denmark to advance bilateral practical cooperation and guide the economic globalization towards more inclusiveness and fairness and promote liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment," Li said. Rasmussen said developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with China is a diplomatic priority for Denmark and invited Chinese investment to Denmark. As a EU member, Denmark supports progress in the talks of EU-China investment treaty and contribute to the EU-China relations, Rasmussen said. Before the talks, Li held a welcome ceremony for Rasmussen at the Great Hall of the People. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 00:43:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel said Wednesday it will cut one million dollars in funding to the United Nations over the approval of UNESCO resolution critical of Israel's policy in Jerusalem a day earlier. On Tuesday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passed a resolution that criticizes Israel over its continuing archeological excavations in East Jerusalem's Old City, a territory that Israel seized from Jordan in the 1967 war. Israel reacted angrily, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denouncing the resolution as "delusional" at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "In wake of the resolution, I have instructed Foreign Ministry Director General to deduct one million dollars from the funds that Israel transfers to the U.N.," Netanyahu said. "Israel will not sit by while the organization calls for the denial of our sovereignty in Jerusalem," he added. Also on Wednesday, Israel reprimanded the Swedish ambassador because of his country's vote in favor of the resolution. A statement released by the Foreign Ministry said that Ambassador Carl Magnus Nesser was summoned because Sweden was the only European country to support the resolution. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the resolution, saying the decision points out "the need to confront the dangers posed by the illegal practices of Israel, the occupying power ... which threaten the cultural and historical integrity of these invaluable sites." Shortly after its occupation, Israel annexed East Jerusalem, claiming it as part of its "indivisible" capital, in a move that has never been internationally recognized. The resolution, tabled by Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, and Sudan, was passed 22-10 with 23 abstentions. It deals with Israel's archeological excavations in the Old City, home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock shrine, and ancient Jewish temples. The resolution, sponsored by Arab countries, addresses Israel as the "occupying power" and urges it to stop "persistent excavations, tunneling, works and projects in East Jerusalem." According to the resolution, the excavations are a violation of international law. Israel's arachnological works near and around the site often increase tensions in Jerusalem. Last year, UNESCO created an uproar in Israel after it passed a resolution that does not mention Jewish ties to the holy sites in Jerusalem. Israel ceased cooperation with the organization in response. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 01:18:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close U.S. FBI Director James Comey testifies before the U.S. bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, May 3, 2017. James Comey on Wednesday defended his decision to announce a new investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails while staying quiet on the Trump-Russia one prior to the 2016 U.S. elections. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) WASHINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday defended his decision to announce a new investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails while staying quiet on the Trump-Russia one prior to the 2016 U.S. elections. Sending the letter to Congress about the Clinton probe less than two weeks before the elections was "one of the world's most painful experiences," Comey told U.S. lawmakers, saying he was facing a hard choice between "really bad or catastrophic" actions and he couldn't conceal. "Concealment in my view would have been catastrophic, not just to the FBI but well beyond," he said. Comey made remarks when testifying before the U.S. bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the probes into both Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and the accused Russian meddling in the presidential election. He also said he felt "mildly nauseous" to think he affected the final results of elections, as Clinton and many Democrats believe, arguing that politics can't influence the FBI's decision-making. "It was a hard choice" but he had no other option, said Comey, "I couldn't conceal that." During the hearing, the FBI chief was repeatedly grilled by lawmakers asking him why he revealed the Clinton investigation, but stayed quiet about the Trump-Russia probe during the campaign. "Was it appropriate for you to comment on one investigation repeatedly and not say anything about the other?" Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy asked. "I think so," Comey replied. The FBI chief insisted he treated investigations into both Trump and Clinton "consistently under the same principles" and suggested that will continue to be the case. He told lawmakers he has "high confidence" about the Russian hacking into the Democratic National Committee's email system, but there won't be another "peep" about the Trump-Russia investigation until it is done. The Russian government has denied all concerned accusations repeatedly. "With respect to the Russia investigation, we treated it like we did with the Clinton investigation," Comey said. "We didn't say a word about it until months into it, and then the only thing we've confirmed so far about this is the same thing with the Clinton investigation: that we are investigating, and I would expect we're not gonna say another peep about it until we're done." "A cloud of doubt hangs over the FBI's objectivity," Senate judiciary committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said in his opening remarks, "The public's faith in the FBI, Congress, and our democratic process has been tested lately." Clinton on Tuesday said she was "on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off." "If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president," she said at a Women for Women event in New York. Hours later after Clinton's remarks, Trump tweeted that Comey was "the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!" "The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election," said Trump on Tuesday night. Comey announced in July that FBI was closing the Clinton email probe and he would not recommend charging Clinton or her aides. But less than two weeks before the election, he sent a letter to Congress announcing the FBI had found more emails pertinent to the investigation. In March, Comey for the first time made public that the FBI had opened an investigation over the summer into accused Russian meddling in the presidential election and whether any Trump associates were involved. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 01:28:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that the United States and Russia have "almost no trust" between each other at the moment. In his second address here to the U.S. State Department since taking office, Tillerson also said the U.S.-Russian relationship was the lowest since the Cold War. "I characterized to President Putin (of Russia) our relationship was the lowest since the Cold War," said Tillerson. "He did not disagree." According to Tillerson, Washington and Moscow were working to see if trust could be rebuilt by starting one issue at a time. "We need to stabilize the relations that are spiraling down," said Tillerson. Tillerson's remarks came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin talked by phone for the first time since the two governments wrangled over a U.S. strike on Syrian government last month. According to a White House readout of the call, the conversation was a "very good one," and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones in Syria to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons. The two leaders also discussed "at length working together" to fight terrorism across the Middle East and "the very dangerous situation" in the Korean Peninsula. Trump on April 6 ordered a targeted missile strike at a Syrian military airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun allegedly launched by the Syrian government. After the U.S. strike, Syrian state TV called the assault an "aggression" and both Russia and Syria had denied that the Syrian government launched the chemical weapons attack. The Russian government also condemned the U.S. strike against the Syrian government as "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law." After the incident, Trump told reporters last month that the United States is "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low." A picture shows Damascus gate in Jerusalem's Old City on April 24, 2017.(Xinhua/AFP Photo) JERUSALEM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel said Wednesday it will cut one million dollars in funding to the United Nations over the approval of UNESCO resolution critical of Israel's policy in Jerusalem a day earlier. On Tuesday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passed a resolution that criticizes Israel over its continuing archeological excavations in East Jerusalem's Old City, a territory that Israel seized from Jordan in the 1967 war. Israel reacted angrily, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denouncing the resolution as "delusional" at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. "In wake of the resolution, I have instructed Foreign Ministry Director General to deduct one million dollars from the funds that Israel transfers to the U.N.," Netanyahu said. "Israel will not sit by while the organization calls for the denial of our sovereignty in Jerusalem," he added. Also on Wednesday, Israel reprimanded the Swedish ambassador because of his country's vote in favor of the resolution. A statement released by the Foreign Ministry said that Ambassador Carl Magnus Nesser was summoned because Sweden was the only European country to support the resolution. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the resolution, saying the decision points out "the need to confront the dangers posed by the illegal practices of Israel, the occupying power ... which threaten the cultural and historical integrity of these invaluable sites." Shortly after its occupation, Israel annexed East Jerusalem, claiming it as part of its "indivisible" capital, in a move that has never been internationally recognized. The resolution, tabled by Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, and Sudan, was passed 22-10 with 23 abstentions. It deals with Israel's archeological excavations in the Old City, home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock shrine, and ancient Jewish temples. The resolution, sponsored by Arab countries, addresses Israel as the "occupying power" and urges it to stop "persistent excavations, tunneling, works and projects in East Jerusalem." According to the resolution, the excavations are a violation of international law. Israel's arachnological works near and around the site often increase tensions in Jerusalem. Last year, UNESCO created an uproar in Israel after it passed a resolution that does not mention Jewish ties to the holy sites in Jerusalem. Israel ceased cooperation with the organization in response. LAGOS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said Wednesday President Muhammadu Buhari is taking his doctors' advice so that he can fully recover. The minister told reporters in capital Abuja after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) that Buhari continues to take a rest from official functions on the advice of his doctors. "The president chose today to rest, he was in his office yesterday, which you all reported," he added. Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presided over the meeting at the State House Abuja. It was the third time that Osinbajo presided over FEC meeting since President Buhari returned from medical vacation in Britain on March 10. Mohammed had told reporters last Wednesday that Buhari was resting and working at home, as part of reasons why Buhari did not attend last Wednesday's meeting. There have been controversies over the state of health of President Buhari, who returned to the country after a 49-day medical sojourn in London. LAGOS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's apex bank has barred 14 Money Deposit Banks from dealing in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) wholesale Forex window, an official with the bank said Wednesday. The banks were barred on Tuesday, following persistent complaints that some Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) deliberately frustrate efforts by many SMEs to access forex from the new window created by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Isaac Okorafor, spokesperson for the apex bank said in a statement made available to Xinhua in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub. He said the financial regulator took the decision to bar the erring banks based on field reports, which revealed that only eight banks out of 22 had sold forex to the SMEs segment since the inception of the new window. He said the CBN frowned at the action of banks that declined to sell foreign exchange to SMEs to enable them to import eligible finished and semi-finished items despite the availability of forex from the CBN. Okorafor, said all banks that had refused to sell forex to the SMEs after accessing over 300 million U.S. dollars offered through the SMEs window since its creation last month will be sanctioned accordingly. The barred banks are First Bank, Keystone Bank, Main street Bank, Ecobank, Stanbic IBTC, Citi Bank, Enterprise Bank and WEMA bank. Others are Guaranty Trust Bank, First City Monument bank, Union Bank, SunTrust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and United Bank of Africa. He listed the banks not barred to include: Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank, Heritage Bank, Jaiz Bank, Sterling Bank, Unity Bank and Zenith Bank. He warned that the CBN would not sit back and allow any form of instability in the inter-bank forex market through the actions of institutions or individuals. Meanwhile, the apex bank continued its massive intervention in the foreign exchange segment of the financial market by injecting 196.2 million dollars into the various segments of the Forex market on Tuesday. According to Okorafor, the apex Bank also offered 100 million to authorized dealers at Tuesday's Forex wholesale auction. A breakdown of the other interventions indicate that the CBN made available 52 million dollars to the SME segment, while invisible such as Personal and Basic Travel Allowance, medicals and tuition fees received 44.2 million dollars. The spokesman expressed confidence that the interventions would continue to guarantee stability in the market and ensure availability to individuals and business concerns. The CBN in April, opened a special foreign exchange window to cater to the SME sector. The window would enable SMEs to import eligible finished and semi-finished items not exceeding 20,000 dollars for an enterprise per quarter. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 02:39:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's regional state of Galmudug on Wednesday elected former lawmaker Ahmed Duale Gele Haaf as the new president, replacing Abdikarim Husein Guled who resigned in February due to poor health. Galmudug Parliament Speaker Ali Gaal Asir said Haaf, who won in the second round of voting, garnered 54 votes against 34 for his rival, Ahmed Sharif Ali Hilowle. A total of 89 lawmakers voted and one vote was declared spoiled in the parliamentary session which took place in Adado town. Haaf, a well-known businessman, promised to tackle rampant insecurity in the region and foster relations with the neighboring regional administrations. He called on warring parties who have been feuding for months to join him in the power sharing to foster peace and reconciliation. "We take Galmudug State from the ground and we live our neighbors with peace, we will secure and develop our region," said Haaf, who now becomes the second president of Galmudug since 2014, when the regional administration was declared in Adado city in central Somalia. The election comes as the international partners expressed disappointment over stalled talks between Galmudug state and the moderate Islamist group Ahlu Sunn. The partners urged all parties to continue the dialogue in good faith and pursue all opportunities to achieve reconciliation and prioritize the establishment of an inclusive administration in Galmudug. "The partners call on all parties to avoid any actions that could undermine reconciliation efforts, and they stand ready to facilitate the reconciliation process if all parties agree," said envoys from the UN, Africa Union, EU and U.S. in a joint statement on Tuesday. Observers say the dispute, which started in January and led to a vote to remove the President from office, is potentially destabilizing. President Abdikarim Guled lost no-confidence vote in Parliament in January after lawmakers criticized him of poor leadership. Enditem MOMBASA, Kenya, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Defence Force (KDF) on Wednesday said Kenyans who were recruited by Al-Shabaab militants are fleeing from the Horn of Africa nation over suspicion of spying for KDF troops. KDF spokesman Colonel Joseph Owuoth said several youths, mainly from Lamu and Mombasa, have been executed in broad daylight as locals watch, for allegedly spying for KDF. "We have increased operation along the Kenya-Somalia border to apprehend Kenyan youth who are escaping from Al-Shabaab and thwart possible attacks," said Owuoth. The Kenyan government has issued an amnesty to youth to surrender. On Sunday, a Kenyan who hails from Lamu was killed by Al-Shabaab for linking intelligence information to the African Union AMISOM troops. Two weeks ago, two Kenyans were also executed by Al-Shabaab's firing squad in Buq Aqable in Hiraan region. At least four Al-Shabaab fighters from Kenya have so far been murdered while the fate of others remains unclear. The fighters were recruited by Islamic extremists and even received military training in Somalia, manly youths from Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu counties and other parts of the country including central. Source indicates that KDF has managed to infiltrate the militant group in Somalia by recruiting spies, including foreigners within their ranks. Owouth promised to release the exact number of those killed in Somalia by the militant group. "We are yet to get the accurate figures but will confirm in due course," said Owouth. JUBA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's journalists on Wednesday marked the World Press Freedom Day with calls for respect of press freedom and protection of journalists in the war-torn East African nation. Edward Ladu Terso, General Secretary of the South Sudan Union of Journalists (UJOSS), said though there has been slight improvement in the media environment, media practitioners in the country still face significant challenges ranging from closure of media houses by security operatives, harassment to underpayment. Terso said since South Sudan's independence in 2011, at least 11 journalists have been killed, dozens detained without charges and many others forced to flee. "The media regulator body has tried to improve the situation this year but we still need more to happen to ensure that freedom of expression is respected in the country," Terso said. The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), a body tasked with monitoring South Sudan's 2015 peace agreement, said in a statement Wednesday that freedom of the press is critical in building peace and the promotion of national cohesion in the war-ravaged country. JMEC Deputy Chairperson Augostino Njoroge said free, objective and neutral media can help promote peace, enhance national dialogue and counter hate speech that would otherwise tear the fragile country apart and plunge it into further conflict. He said journalists in the country face threats of character assassination, sexual and physical assault, arrests and even death while performing their day-to-day duties. The peace monitor further called on the South Sudanese government, state agencies as well other important non-state actors to help promote and protect free media. "The media in South Sudan, like it is globally, can offer a platform for various voices that seek to promote tolerance, dialogue, cohesion and compromise. This will ensure an all-inclusive national healing and dialogue and also shape the development agenda of the country," Njoroge said. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranked South Sudan 140th in its World Press Freedom Index, adding at least eight journalists were killed in the past five years and tens of others detained or fled the country. Lydia Gachungi, Regional Communication Expert for UNESCO in Eastern Africa, said the South Sudan government must strengthen efforts to protect journalists and create conducive environment for freedom expression to prevail. Elijah Alier, Managing Director of South Sudan Media Authority, acknowledged that the media industry in the country suffered years of crackdown, intimidation and threats from security operatives who do not understand the role of journalist. He pledged that the media regulatory body would take full control of matters concerning the media industry and the security forces would be barred from arbitrary arresting and detaining journalists. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 03:09:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BRUSSELS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday stressed NATO-EU cooperation and addressed the agenda of the upcoming NATO summit at a meeting with members of European Parliament (MEPs). Addressing the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee and subcommittee on security and defense, Stoltenberg said a lot of progress has been made to deepen the cooperation between the European Union and the alliance since a joint declaration was signed in 2016. The meeting comes ahead of a key NATO summit in Brussels later this month, which U.S. President Donald Trump will attend. The two blocs also agreed on a series of concrete measures to strengthen the cooperation on some key areas, including countering hybrid threats, maritime security and cyber defense. During the meeting, growing EU-NATO cooperation to fight human trafficking in the Mediterranean and boost cyber defense capabilities were among the issues discussed between Stoltenberg and MEPs. On the meeting of NATO leaders on May 25, Stoltenberg said, "This will be a short but very important meeting because it will be the first time Trump has come to NATO as president and it will also be the first one with the new French president." He told the committee that the summit will focus on NATO's role in the fight against terrorism, as well as the transatlantic bond and fair burden-sharing. "This meeting, however, will I believe send a strong message about the transatlantic resolve. It will specifically address burden sharing and the ongoing fight against terrorism," Stoltenberg said. On terror, he said, "This is, of course, still a real threat as we have seen with several attacks in our capitals here in Europe. We have to fight back in many different ways and this will need a combination of political, military and economic measures." Highlighting the progress made by the alliance on defense spending in the last two years, Stoltenberg called on NATO allies to keep up momentum. While defense spending in western Europe returned to mild growth in 2016 following a six-year retreat, eastern Europe is currently one of the fastest growing regions in the world. defense expenditures in all countries in this sub-region are expected to be higher in 2021 than in 2016. Stoltenberg, in his speech to parliamentarians, said that burden sharing was not just about spending but also about defense capabilities,adding, "We need more and modern capabilities in order to prevent conflicts and all of this will also be addressed at the NATO meeting." He welcomed "stronger" European defense but underlined that what the EU does is "complimentary" to NATO and "does not compete with NATO". "This should not be about creating new command structures that duplicate NATO or about establishing a European Army," he added. Despite the security organization being branded as "obsolete" by Trump in January (Trump has since retracted this, saying the alliance is not obsolete), Stoltenberg voiced optimism in the long term viability of NATO. Stoltenberg has long professed NATO priorities similar to Trumps, in particular boosting defense spending among the member states and fighting terrorism. In his address to MEPs, Stoltenberg concluded, "What I can tell you is that NATO is adapting and responding to a more dangerous security climate and environment." Reaction was swift, with David McAllister, chairman of European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, saying, "We all agree that NATO and the EU need to work together intensively. Both share the same threats and challenges." He added, "We are convinced that all the challenges we are facing, such as war in Syria, terrorist ideology in Europe or developments in Western Balkans, should deepen our cooperation." Many MEPs welcomed further deepening of relations between the two organizations. Some MEPs, however, contested calls to invest 2 percent of GDP in defense that are made without specifying what capabilities this would add. MOGADISHU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen shot dead Somali Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji on Wednesday evening in the restive Mogadishu, police and government officials said. Somali Minister of Information and National Guidance Abdurahman Omar Osman confirmed the killing, saying the deceased was killed close to the presidential palace by gunmen. "I can confirm that the minister of public works and reconstruction of Somalia was killed in Mogadishu in an attack this evening, Security agencies are investigating the case, may his soul rest in peace," Osman said. He said security officers have launched investigations to establish the reason behind the killing which has sparked tension among government officials in the Horn of Africa nation. A senior police officer said four suspected soldiers have been arrested pending investigations into the attack. Siraji was the youngest member of the Somali Federal Parliament and became minister in the Somali cabinet in March. U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson makes his second address to all Department employees in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, May 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) WASHINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that the United States and Russia have "almost no trust" between each other at the moment. In his second address here to the U.S. State Department since taking office, Tillerson also said the U.S.-Russian relationship was the lowest since the Cold War. "I characterized to President Putin (of Russia) our relationship was the lowest since the Cold War," said Tillerson. "He did not disagree." According to Tillerson, Washington and Moscow were working to see if trust could be rebuilt by starting one issue at a time. "We need to stabilize the relations that are spiraling down," said Tillerson. Tillerson's remarks came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin talked by phone for the first time since the two governments wrangled over a U.S. strike on Syrian government last month. According to a White House readout of the call, the conversation was a "very good one," and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones in Syria to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons. The two leaders also discussed "at length working together" to fight terrorism across the Middle East and "the very dangerous situation" in the Korean Peninsula. Trump on April 6 ordered a targeted missile strike at a Syrian military airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun allegedly launched by the Syrian government. After the U.S. strike, Syrian state TV called the assault an "aggression" and both Russia and Syria had denied that the Syrian government launched the chemical weapons attack. The Russian government also condemned the U.S. strike against the Syrian government as "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law." After the incident, Trump told reporters last month that the United States is "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low." Somali security forces keep guard around the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 26, 2015. (Xinhua/Stringer) MOGADISHU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen shot dead Somali Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji on Wednesday evening in the restive Mogadishu, police and government officials said. Somali Minister of Information and National Guidance Abdurahman Omar Osman confirmed the killing, saying the deceased was killed close to the presidential palace by gunmen. "I can confirm that the minister of public works and reconstruction of Somalia was killed in Mogadishu in an attack this evening, Security agencies are investigating the case, may his soul rest in peace," Osman said. He said security officers have launched investigations to establish the reason behind the killing which has sparked tension among government officials in the Horn of Africa nation. A senior police officer said four suspected soldiers have been arrested pending investigations into the attack. Siraji was the youngest member of the Somali Federal Parliament and became minister in the Somali cabinet in March. NAIROBI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan state-owned pension fund on Wednesday called on Kenyans to embrace the saving culture in order to enhance their social security space upon giving up work. CPF Financial Services, a retirement benefit scheme administrator, which manages a pension plan that covers the country's 47-county government employees, said it is better to be penny-wise in youthful life but enjoy life in old age. "In the course of my working tours around the world, Chinese have emerged as the most frugal people in the world who save up to about 50 percent of their monthly income to cushion them in old age upon retirement," the firm's CEO Hosea Kili told journalists in Nairobi. Kili said Kenyans should embrace the saving culture and desist from using their children as security in old age because their offspring also face own challenges and might not offer the requisite assistance. Last year, a report prepared by the World Bank reveals that the low level of savings in Kenyan households is not only low and declining, but are also lagging behind other economies in the region which are less economically endowed. In the 1980s, the report adds, the savings rate was higher than in Senegal, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania but the Kenya stagnated in the last three decades, which allowed the rest to catch up and surpass it. Kili called upon the government to make compulsory saving mandatory through legislative means like taxation, adding that tangible development cannot be realized without saving. He said Kenya's pension scheme is worth 10 billion dollars but has the potential to go up to 100 billion dollars if the scheme is managed prudently. A report prepared by the Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation (KIDC) during the same period revealed that more than nine in 10 account holders in the country hold less than 1,000 U.S. dollars in their bank accounts and that 96 percent of Kenya's 31 million bank accounts hold deposits that can be withdrawn at any time. RIGA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- After hours of debating, the Latvian government decided on Wednesday to postpone the planned adoption of Latvia's tax reform for a week as the center-right Unity, a partner in Latvia's tripartite government coalition, raised three issues in the reform's context. At Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola's request, the government initially agreed to discuss the tax reform plan during the open part of the cabinet meeting, but after hearing Unity's objections the ministers continued debating the tax proposals behind closed doors. Economics Minister and Unity member Arvils Aseradens told his colleagues that there were three questions his party wanted to be answered before it could support the tax reform plan. The first issue raised by Unity concerns Latvia's underfunded health sector. The party wants the reform plan to include provisions that would ensure the necessary financing for healthcare. Secondly, Unity expects the government to ensure that the tax measures to not lead to a widening of national debt, and thirdly, the tax reform must not hamper the implementation of various government projects, or the so-called new policy initiatives. Aseradens said the cabinet ministers representing Unity had not yet received their party's mandate to approve the tax reform. Although the adoption of the tax reform was put off, the ministers continued debating the measures proposed in the reform plan. Last month, the Finance Ministry sent the blueprint of the national tax policy framework 2018-2021 to all ministries, as well as social and other partners in the hope that the government might adopt the plan by the end of April, but the adoption of the draft document was delayed as Unity started raising objections to the plan. The main tax reforms proposed by the Finance Ministry include setting a zero-tax rate on companies' undistributed profit and a 20 percent tax rate on distributed profit, cutting the personal income tax rate from 23 percent to 20 percent, scrapping solidarity tax which is charged on high salaries, leaving a reduced tax on microenterprises in place, and raising the minimum monthly wage to 430 euros from 380 euros. LJUBLJANA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia expressed its strong opposition on Wednesday to the European Commission's recommendation for another six-month extension of temporary controls on the border with Austria, holding that the measure was baseless, the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) said. Earlier, Slovenian interior minister Vesna Gyorkos Znidar addressed a letter to the European Commission on April 21 in which she opposed the extension, justifying her position by pointing out the low number of illegal border crossings. Only 76 foreigners were returned from Austria to Slovenia last year while only 11 have so far been returned this year, the ministry insisted in a press release, according to the STA. "The negligible number of illegal crossings of the internal Slovenian border proves that our measures are effective." It added that EU member states should be focused on implementing measures within their territories and not at their borders, and said the external Schengen border between Slovenia and Croatia was well protected. According to the ministry, border controls between Slovenia and Austria are causing long delays, in particular at Karavanke tunnel, and the situation is expected to worsen during the coming summer holidays. The supervision hampers the free movement of people, causes economic damage, and affects the cooperation of the border regions, the press release said, adding that temporary passport checks had failed to produce relevant conclusions regarding security risks. TIRANA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Albanian opposition leader Lulzim Basha and Prime Minister Edi Rama met Wednesday in a meeting brokered by the country's President Bujar Nishani but they failed to find a way out of the more-than-two-month-long political deadlock. The talks between the majority and opposition leader lasted about three hours but didn't result in any real agreement that could prevent Albania from entering June 18 elections without the opposition parties' participation. Although none of them made any official statement after the meeting, local media cited some confidential sources according to which opposition leader stood firm in the Democratic Party (DP)'s demand for resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and formation of a caretaker agreement. But Rama reiterated his stance against such requests. In another press statement, Rama told reporters that he had offered the opposition the opportunity to monitor all the state structures. He also declared that he was open and ready to hold another round of talks with the head of opposition in order to reach a deal and make opposition join elections process on June 18. Basha told reporters Wednesday that Rama remained the only obstacle to guaranteeing of the free and fair elections. Basha noted that DP would continue to stand firm in its request for the creation of a caretaker government as the only chance to have a democratic elections process. Meantime, it should be noted that by midnight, all electoral deadlines for registration would be totally exhausted, as the Central Elections Commission had granted a three-day grace period. The opposition has boycotted the parliament since February, calling for Socialist Prime Minister to step down and for the creation of a caretaker government that would see the parliamentary elections. DP and smaller parties in opposition have also threatened to escalate protest and start civil disobedience starting with the by-mayoral elections in city of Kavaja on May 7. KHARTOUM, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese economic analysts said Wednesday that Sudan's joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a turning point in breaking its economic isolation. Mohamed Al-Nayer, a Sudanese economic analyst, told Xinhua that the move came at a time when Sudan is suffering from a U.S. economic siege that has continued for about 20 years. "Sudan's joining the AIIB will be a turning point, particularly when the bank is concerned with infrastructure," he said. "Sudan needs infrastructures which motivate the investment in various fields. Sudan is also in great need of making use of the fund the bank provides with equity and balance and not according to political standards like what international funding institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund make," he added. Adil Abdul-Khaliq, another Sudanese economic analyst, stressed the importance of working out an ambitious plan and using the privileges provided by the AIIB. "Sudan previously prepared strategic projects to be financed by the Arab funds, but that did not happen. Now we can find the funds from the AIIB," Abdul-Khaliq told Xinhua. "Due to the American economic siege, Sudan will depend on the strategy of cooperation with eastern Asia, namely China. Sudan's joining the AIIB now comes to break the international isolation," he noted. Sudan has been suffering from U.S. economic sanctions for about 20 years, before U.S. former president Barack Obama decided to lift part of the sanctions in January. The news of Sudan's joining the AIIB, a Chinese-led initiative aiming at boosting regional development, was declared on March 23. Experts say the bank, with a capital base of 100 billion U.S. dollars, was established to finance railways, roads, electricity and other infrastructure projects in non-developed areas in Asia. File photo taken on Feb. 4, 2016, shows baby Luiz Philipe, who was born with microcephaly, being held by his mother Pollyana Rabello, in their house in Marica, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. (Xinhua/Daniel Castelo Branco/Agencia o Dia/AGENCIA ESTADO) WASHINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have developed a new test that not only can easily and quickly detect the Zika virus in mosquitoes and human bodily fluids, but can also distinguish between African and Asian strains, according to a study published Wednesday. The new method, published in the U.S. journal Science Translational Medicine, was based on an existing technology called loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP, which provides a very sensitive on-site analysis of DNA samples at low cost. "Using LAMP to detect Zika virus would be much less expensive for developing countries," co-author Nunya Chotiwan, a researcher at the Colorado State University (CSU), said in a statement. "The majority of the countries involved in the current outbreak (of Zika) are not rich," she said. "It's important for us to try to develop low-cost surveillance methods that might one day be used in these countries." As a rough cost estimate, the researchers said a heating device or heat block, as it is called, for LAMP costs 250 U.S. dollars or less. For comparison, real-time machines of a similar technology known as polymerase chain reaction cost between 15,000 and 25,000 U.S. dollars. In the CSU-led study, researchers started by squishing a mosquito in water. Results were available within about 30 minutes in the study, though it can take up to one hour, the researchers said. They validated the LAMP test using virus artificially spiked into materials obtained from healthy individuals, and also in clinical specimens collected from confirmed cases of Zika virus infection. LAMP was also sufficiently sensitive to identify one single infected mosquito from a collection pool of 50 uninfected insects. The test can detect Zika virus strains both from Asia and Africa. Zika virus was first detected in Uganda in 1947 and is predicted to be heading back to the African continent, Chotiwan said. However, CSU Assistant Professor Joel Rovnak, who led the study, cautioned that it would be "a long slog" to make their test available for widespread use. DURBAN, South Africa, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The World Economic Forum (WEF) and the South African government will launch a new platform project which seeks to improve the internet access in the country, said South African Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services on Wednesday. The project, called "South Africa Internet for All," is expected to increase internet use in the country, particularly in rural areas. According to the International Telecommunications Union, 52 percent of South Africans use the internet. This new mode of public-private collaboration will see many in the country accessing the internet for the first time. Siyabonga Cwele, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, said at the 27th World Economic Forum on Africa in Durban, "The partnership with the World Economic Forum and local partners will help us accelerate our efforts to connect South Africans to the benefits of the internet." "We are very pleased to welcome the World Economic Forum to South Africa to partner with the government on Internet for All. We value inclusive, multistakeholder efforts that will help bring many more South Africans onto the internet," said the minister. The project will support the government's National Development Plan and South Africa Connect plans by addressing the barriers that prevent universal internet access. These include affordability, skills and awareness and infrastructure connectivity. Jabu Mabuza, Chairperson of Telkom, welcomed the project which he said will accelerate Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa as a catalyst for inclusive growth. He said the project "creates fertile ground for sustainable, accelerated, inclusive economic growth in Africa." The "Internet for All" platforms are already in use in countries like Argentina, Rwanda and Uganda. South African Minister of Communications Ayanda Dlodlo also said education, training and skills for innovative and knowledge society are the key to the inclusive growth. Dlodlo said the youth must be included in the Digital Revolution, and digital infrastructure should be affordable and available to youth for both social and economic development. More than 1,000 participants are taking part in the 27th World Economic Forum on Africa in Durban, South Africa from May 3 to 5. The theme of the meeting is "Achieving Inclusive Growth through Responsive and Responsible Leadership." Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 04:24:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government on Wednesday accepted the Russian proposal of creating "de-escalated zones" in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said the Syrian government's approval comes out of its concern for the lives of the Syrians. It also stressed its resolve to keep on fighting terrorist groups wherever across Syria. Earlier in the day, a new round of intra-Syrian talks kicked off in the Kazakh capital of Astana, where a fresh Russian proposal for creating four or more "de-escalation zones" in Syria was being under discussion. According to leaks by Russian media outlets on the details of the proposal, the four zones will be flanked with safety lines along with checkpoints and monitoring centers, as Russia, Turkey and Iran could be sending armed factions for monitoring the cease-fire. The safety lines and checkpoints should allow the entry of unarmed civilians, and facilitate the humanitarian delivery as well as monitoring the cease-fire as these areas will be created to avert confrontation between warring parties in Syria. According to Russian reports, those areas will be created in the northwestern province of Idlib, the central city of Homs, and the eastern Ghouta countryside east of Damascus. Three countries are called the guarantor states, with Russia and Iran on the side of the Syria government, and Turkey on the side of the rebels. The document emphasizes the necessity to create conditions to drive out the Islamic State and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front from de-escalation zones with the help of the Syrian opposition. According to the leaked document, the guarantor states would have to create conditions in de-escalation zones, in which the warring sides would allow a safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons. CAPE TOWN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday voiced concern over disruption of Parliament, urging the House to look at the possibility of criminally charging those responsible. "As an institution which represents the people of this country, Parliament and its members must be protected at all times. In this vain, the institution must send a clear signal to all people of South Africa that parliament is not a playground for thugs and criminals," the party said. This came after Parliament's public hearing on the transformation of South Africa's financial sector was plunged into chaos on Wednesday after members of Black First Land First (BLF) organization verbally attacked ANC MP and Chairwoman of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Joan Fubbs, calling her a fascist and threatened to physically assault ANC MP and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Finance, Yunnis Carrim. "We find this behaviour extremely unacceptable and view it with the utmost disdain. This kind of behaviour is a regrettable sign of the immature and scatterbrain nature of this organization," the Office of the ANC Chief Whip said. The office condemned the "extreme disrespectful behaviour and deliberate disruption." The ANC called the disruption "a clear attempt at undermining parliament as an institution and the ANC in Parliament as the majority party." "We denounce this deliberate and misguided obstruction to the business of Parliament," said Nonceba Mhlauli, ANC spokesperson in Parliament. Mhlauli said the ANC in Parliament will be writing to the Office of the Speaker to request an urgent investigation into the matter and ensure that the responsible individuals are blacklisted from participating in any future parliamentary activities. Disruption of Parliament is not unrare in South Africa. Parliament sessions have been disrupted several times before when opposition MPs prevented President Jacob Zuma from making speeches or answering questions. SKOPJE, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The new Speaker of Macedonia's Parliament, Talat Xhaferi, on Wednesday officially entered his office where he received in a meeting the European Union ambassador to Skopje, Samuel Zbogar, the parliament's press office said. A day before, he was not allowed to enter his office by the MPs of the VMRO-DPMNE while former speaker Trajko Veljanoski said Xhaferri was elected in an illegal way. VMRO-DPMNE MPs contested his election, saying that the Constitution and Parliaments rulebook were breached. However, in the meeting with Ambassador Zbogar, the newly-elected speaker said that he would focus his activities on bolstering democratic processes and fulfilling the principles of parliamentary democracy in the functioning of the country's Parliament, the press statement said. On the other hand, he called for a swift formation of a new government. This process should be followed by joining all of our forces to respect, first and foremost, the independence of all branches of government so as to work for the wellbeing of all the citizens in the Republic of Macedonia and to meet our strategic ambitions NATO and EU membership, Xhaferri told media. EU ambassador congratulated Talat Xhaferi on his election, noting that with this, the Parliament and the Republic of Macedonia were resuming the process of full integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. He also said that a lot of time had been wasted and that the process of the reformation of institutions must continue. Zbogar expressed EU's readiness to cooperate with the parliament for the necessary reforms that the country needed in order to move forward. After this meeting, there was a reaction from VMRODPMNE as this party MP Dragan Danev said at a press conference that the party considered Talat Xhaferi's appointment as Speaker of the Parliament to be illegitimate. Meantime, three Members of the European parliament, Eduard Kukan, Knut Fleckenstein and Ivo Vajgl issued Wednesday a joint press statement in which they warned that the failure to form a government in FYROM may have serious consequences for the country, as media here reported. According to media reports, the three MEPs noted that the failure to form a new government had consequences and the European parliament might postpone the voting of the resolution for the country. They also called on Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov to respect the will of the parliament and allow the end of this crisis, noting that further delays in creating a new government would have irreparable consequences. KIEV, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday handed over a batch of digital equipment to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the World War (WWII) in Kiev, also known as Ukraine's WWII museum. The donation, which includes computers, monitors, and TV sets, was granted to mark the upcoming Victory Day in Ukraine and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Ukraine and China. The equipment will be installed in the exhibition pavilions and the children's center of Ukraine's WWII museum. At the handover ceremony, Ukrainian Culture Minister Eugene Nishchuk expressed his gratitude to China for providing the assistance. "For us -- for the Ministry of Culture, the museum and the whole state, this is a very large and significant gift. In addition, it is a good sign of our cooperation," Nishchuk said at the hand-over ceremony. He said that Kiev also views the gift as a testament to the close ties, friendship and mutual respect between Chinese and Ukrainian nations. For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Du Wei said that the donation is a sign of respect from the Chinese people to the Ukrainian people, who fought against fascist forces during the WWII. "We are making this small gift to the WWII museum to express our respect for the heroic Ukrainian people. We also want to express our great gratitude to all the people who supported the Chinese nation in the war against Japanese fascism," Du said. In 2015, Ukraine's WWII museum has joined the International WWII Museum Association (IWMA), which was established in Beijing to bring the world's WWII museums closer and provide a platform for cooperation. Ukraine's WWII museum closely cooperates with the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing and the Museum of Pingjin Battle in China's northern city of Tianjin. Ukraine's WWII museum is currently one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists in Ukraine, attracting thousands of visitors from China every year. On May 9, Ukraine will celebrate the Victory Day, marking the 72nd anniversary of Nazi Germany's surrender to the former Soviet Union. By Maria Spiliopoulou ATHENS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- An Athens court rejected on Wednesday the new request submitted by Ankara for the extradition of eight Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece last July a day after the failed coup attempt in Turkey. Wednesday's ruling applied to three of the eight soldiers who have requested asylum in Greece, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. Greek judges have already rejected the extradition of other three soldiers in April, while a decision on the last two is still pending. Greece's Supreme Court had turned down in January the first extradition request by Turkish authorities but a new one was submitted with supplementary charges of damage of public property. Ankara accuses the eight soldiers of participating in the failed coup attempt. The defendants have insisted on their innocence and expressed fear for their safety should they be returned to Turkey. Greek judges have accepted so far their claims that they will not receive a fair trial in Turkey and they may face mistreatment. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 05:30:30|Editor: Tian Shaohui German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a joint press conference with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (not in the picture) in Berlin, capital of Germany, on March 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi) BERLIN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday told B20 Summit 2017 in Berlin that globalization and inclusive growth are important for the global economy. To the G20-related business gathering, Merkel said the world is interconnected and the prosperity should be shared. There need to create a shared mechanism that can enable all countries to benefit from globalization and to restrict risks attached. Merkel assured Germany, as the host of Group of 20 (G20) Summit 2017, would commit to further promoting globalization and a strong, sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Merkel reaffirmed her position against protectionism and isolationism, warning, "Anyone who tries to withdraw from international competition can perhaps deliver short-term advantages. But over the medium- and long-term, their own capacity to innovate will be weakened." She said China's host of G20 Summit 2016 was a great success and offered good experience to Germany. But she also pointed to the difficulty of making progress in the G20. "We are 20 different countries, with 20 different political systems, with 20 different development levels," said Merkel. "This is no simple task (to get things approved)." She even said that sometimes holding on to what has been achieved is already a success, while some countries are reluctant to revisit previous statements on climate change and trade. ADDIS ABABA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's parliament unanimously approved on Wednesday an agreement with China on mutual extradition. According to the agreement, extradition of nationals can be sought if the conduct indicated in the request for extradition constitutes an offence according to the laws of the two countries, Ethiopia and China. Petros Woldesenbet, Ethiopian Parliament's Legal and Administrative Affairs Standing Committee Head, while briefing members of the House of Peoples Representatives said that the common agreement between the two partner countries on mutual extradition of nationals for an offence will help the east African country in its effort towards stability and peaceful implementation of judicial procedures. Meanwhile, members of the Ethiopian House of Peoples Representatives, the highest legislative organ in the country, have also on the same day approved another accord made with China on comprehensive partnership that facilitates partnership in trade. According to Petros, the approved agreement would help the two countries to capitalize their efforts in the fight against illegal trade and abolish the effect of contraband. The agreement, which is expected to create favorable frameworks for trading and cooperation, would benefit nationals of the two countries towards better working relations, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-04 06:05:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close HAVANA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro, Mariela Castro, stated Wednesday that she would not accept to follow her father as head of state of the country when he steps down in 2018, although she said there could be "surprises" when choosing the next leader. "Among the people of Cuba, there are millions of candidates...I will not let them nominate me for a task (the presidency) as large as that," said Mariela Castro in a press conference from Havana. Raul Castro, 85, has said repeatedly that he will step down as president after his second term ends in February 2018, after almost 12 years in power. Mariela, who is currently the director of the National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), indicated there could be "surprises" during this electoral process, which is set to begin toward the end of the year. In the first stage, around 600 deputies of the National Assembly will be elected. They will then be charged with naming candidates and then selecting those who will take over this historical change in the course of Cuban power. Mariela Castro also referred to the country's progress to eradicate existing prejudices against the LGBT community. Since 2007, CENESEX has led commemorations for the International Day against Homophobia on May 17, with a parade in Havana and educational activities across the island. "We are awaiting constitutional amendments to facilitate the legislative changes we are proposing, including broad topics for LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage," she commented. Castro has for 10 years led a national campaign against sexual discrimination and LGBT rights. Homosexual relationships have been legal on the island since 1979 and sex reassignment surgeries have been legal since 2008. However, no homosexual civil partnerships or marriages have yet been legalized. JUBA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in South Sudan on Wednesday hailed China's continued efforts to support the country' health sector by contributing at least 15 Chinese medical specialists annually to various health units for the past six years. Since independence of South Sudan in 2011, Beijing has dispatched five medical teams with a total of 66 members who offered specialized medical care and surgeries for more than 50,000 patients across South Sudan. Speaking during a farewell ceremony for Chinese doctors who ended their one-year mission in April, Health Minister Riek Gai Kok said there is no doubt that the health sector in South Sudan needs the technical and material support of China, now more than any time. "I appeal and would like to repeat it here that China's support to the health sector of South Sudan is not only needed, but vital and mandatory if South Sudan is to address the current worst health indicators ever recorded in contemporary human history," Kok said. He appreciated the Chinese medical teams for helping the people of South Sudan, calling on the Chinese government to increase the number of specialists' doctors coming to South Sudan. "This is the generosity of the People's Republic of China to send this dedicated team to South Sudan to help us fight these worst health indicators in the world," Kok said. "I would like to sincerely thank the outgoing Chinese medical team for their contribution in supporting service delivery at Juba teaching l and Kiir Mayardit Hospitals respectively," he added. Pawil Arop Yor, Acting Director of Juba Teaching Hospital, said the Chinese doctors helped to build capacity of local staffers and reduce the burden of work overload on the understaffed Hospital. "In addition to provision of medicines for our patients which is free of charge, we thank the team for the great job they have done here in Juba Teaching Hospital and we will work with this new team to establish a center for treating cervical cancer," Yor said. Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan He Xiangdong said health sector is among the top priorities of the Chinese assistance to South Sudan and bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The envoy added that China would continue to support South Sudan by funding health projects, capacity building and knowledge exchange through sending medical teams to help the African nation address the Challenges facing its health sector. "In addition to the provision of anti malarial drugs every year, China has assisted South Sudan with The construction of Kiir Mayradit in Rumbek, cash donations to eradicate cholera and training of medical personnel in China," He said. "I also wish early resumption of complete peace and stability of the republic of South Sudan," the envoy added. Early this year, China and South Sudan agreed to boost cooperation in the health sector by enhancing knowledge sharing, capacity building, and hospital to hospital collaboration. The pacts will also seek to modernize the health facilities in South Sudan, hospital to hospital collaboration and allow Chinese health specialists to set up experimental operations and management units in the East African nation. Trade missions in the works Gopee-Scoon said Export TT has identified a programme for the rest of this year which will look at exploring new business opportunities in these countries. She said the American Chamber of Commerce is leading the Nicaragua initiative while the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce is planning a mission to Guyana. The minister said ExporTT is looking at Cuba, Panama, Canada, Costa Rica. In terms of strengthening the non-energy sector, Gopee- Scoon said there are preliminary discussions for the expansion of the TT International Financial Centre (TTIFC) to include a new TTIFC tower, hotel and convention centre. Man in court for murder Manickrams attorney Richard Clarke-Wills expressed concern that despite the new Criminal Proceedings Rules, he is yet to receive a summary of the evidence against his client. I thought a prosecutor would have been assigned, Clarke-Wills said. He said it was like, extracting blood from stone, to get answers from the prosecution, adding it appears the new rules have made no difference. Prosecutor Insp Winston Dillon said while he did not want pre-empt the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, he could say that statements were obtained from witnesses but are yet to be sworn to and the police file into the murder investigations is expected to be sent to the DPP by May 23. In keeping with the new Criminal Proceedings Rules which mandates the defence to state its case from the outset, Clarke- Wills indicated that the case for the defence will be one of alibi. The matter was adjourned to May 31. Ag Chief Magistrate steps aside In March, former Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar set May 2, as the date when the trials against two would begin. Ayers-Caesar was appointed a High Court judge on April 12, but last week resigned after it was revealed she left behind a number of part-heard cases on her magisterial docket. Since her resignation, Ayers-Caesar has not returned to the magistracy and there are mixed views as to whether she can now legally do so. In Alexander and Mires matters yesterday, Earle-Caddle informed attorneys representing both that she could not preside over their cases. She explained that Alexander was involved in a school mentoring project of which she is also involved. I believe it would be in the best interest of everyone that I recuse myself, she said but informed attorneys she was ready to manage the case in keeping with the new Criminal Proceeding Rules recently adopted for cases in the magistrates and high courts. After being informed that the prosecution led by senior State Prosecutors Angelica Teelucksingh- Ramoutar and Mauricia Joseph - that seven photographs, a police sketch and interview notes of the two police officers were disclosed to the defence. It was also disclosed that there were no medical reports for the alleged victim and the prosecution will be calling nine witnesses. Teelucksingh-Ramoutar also indicated that the prosecution was recommending that the cases against the two are tried summarily and as a result, the charges were again read out to them. Both Alexander and Mires pleaded not guilty and opted to have their cases heard in the magistrates court. Alexander is charged with assaulting Santa Cruz resident Christopher Charles in July of last year, causing him actual bodily harm. PC Sheldon Mires, is charged alongside Alexander with two similar offences arising out of the same incident. He is charged with assaulting Charles by way of beating him and also committing a common assault upon the alleged victim. The offences were alleged to have taken place in Santa Cruz. The two were told to return to court on June 22 and their cases were transferred to the 4A Magistrates Court. Judge hears of accused mans murder Johnathon Moonsammy, 35, of Vistabella, was shot dead on Solomon Street and as a result, three accused appeared yesterday before the judge for a Cause List hearing of the matter. Justice Holdip who is adjudicating in a murder in the First Criminal Assize, presided in the Third Assize court where Ayers-Caesar was sitting up to last week Thursday before she resigned. Appearing before Holdip were Moonsammys cousin Kimberly Moonsammy, 34, Keston Franklyn, 45, of La Brea and Colleen Osbourne, 44, of Pleasantville, who are on bail. Attorney Keith Beckles appeared for Kimberly and Franklyn and told Justice Holdip that he was ready to proceed. Shabaana Shah and Krishna Jaglal represented the prosecution. The judge heard that one of the accused Johnathon Moonsammy was killed on Saturday. A relative handed State Attorney Jaglal the death certificate. Johnathon along with the others, were committed to stand trial in 2009 by Senior Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan for the kidnapping for ransom of Saada Singh from the Giselle Montessori School in 2005. Two days later, the child was found wandering along a lonely road in Siparia. On Saturday at about 8 pm, Moonsammy who was from Crawford Street in Vistabella, was liming at Solomon Street, Vistabella when two men shot him dead. Trini policeman on DUI charge in Tobago Constable Wayne Quintin, 51, of Malabar, who is assigned to the St Joseph Police Station was charged for DUI, using obscene language, resisting arrest and escaping lawful custody. The charges as read out in court allege the offences were committed on April 29 along Grafton Road in Courland. Quintin will continue bail which was fixed at the Scarborough Police Station and is expected to return to court on May 9. WPC Lennora Clarke laid the charge. In an unrelated case, Joseph King appeared in the Scarborough Magistrates Second Court on Monday to answer to a series of charges, as laid by Police Corporal Campbell. King, originally from Trinidad, was denied bail by Magistrate Alexander Prince after pleading not guilty to the charges. In the first matter, it was alleged that on April 24, King broke and entered the home of Dixeann Williams along Shirvan Road, Mt Pleasant with the intent of committing an arrestable offence, namely to steal. He was also charged for breaking and entering the home of Juliet Bobb along Shirvan Road, Mt Pleasant and stole liquor valued $1,240. He was also charged for breaking into Patinos Restaurant along Shirvan Road and stealing a number of items collectively valued $819. Another charge alleged that between April 15- 16, King broke into Rubys Kitchen at Buccoo New Road. Questioned by the magistrate as to if he had any other matters or convictions before the court, King responded in the negative. However, the prosecution was able to produce records of a number of convictions in Kings name for cases determined in the Trinidad courts. He was ordered to return to court on May 29. And in another case, a 20-year old unemployed man was on Monday reprimanded and discharged after he appeared in the Scarborough Magistrates Second court charged with possession of marijuana. The court heard that on the weekend, police on mobile patrol along Black Rock Main Road, had cause to stop a car in which Stephen Tyson was the front seat passenger. Tyson was searched and officers found a white cigarette box containing 1.5 grams of marijuana. Questioned about the find by the officers, the court heard, Tyson replied: Gimme a bligh nah. Tyson told Magistrate Prince that he has been a ganja smoker for the past five years but has intentions of getting his life in order. He was placed on a good behaviour bond for one year, as the matter was dismissed under section 71.1B. Magistrate Princes warned that should Tyson breach the bond, he will reappear in court and face sentencing. In letting off Tyson, Magistrate Prince encouraged him to walk the straight and narrow path and do not come back before the court. WPC Spencer laid the charge in the matter. TRUNK WOMAN CHARGED Reshma Maharaj of Julien Trace, Barrackpore who works at a medical doctors office, was brought to court at 3.45 pm in an unmarked car. She was taken downstairs to the Holding Bay, where prisoners are kept until their cases are called. Later, she was escorted into the office of Justice of the Peace Sandra Soogrim Ramsaran. JP Ramsaran read to Maharaj, in the presence of the accused womans attorney Subhas Panday, that on Monday at M2 Ring Road in La Romaine in the County of Victoria, she did cause the wasteful employment of police time knowingly making to Constable Trevor Rampersad, a false report that she was kidnapped by three men. The charge, Maharaj was informed, was laid summarily under the Criminal Law Act Chapter 10:04. JP Ramsaran did not call on Maharaj to plead to the charge and informed her that she would be allowed to do so today, when she returns to court to stand before a magistrate. Panday told JP Ramsaran that Maharaj has no previous conviction, is unmarried, has a fixed place of abode and is gainfully employed. She was granted own bail in the sum of $15,000. Panday confirmed outside the court, that the charge arose from Mondays incident in which Maharaj was rescued from inside the trunk of a car which was parked on the side of the M2 Ring Road. The car, a green Nissan Almera was parked in an abandoned area off the road and when police officers went there and opened the trunk on Monday, they found a woman bound and gagged. Police officers said she appeared to be disoriented and they took her to the San Fernando General Hospital where she was medically examined. While doctors attended to the woman, police took possession of the vehicle and detective Inspector Don Gajadhar led a team which began investigations into the incident. The Police Services Cyber Crime Unit became involved in the investigation. The woman was subsequently interviewed. Her parents were also questioned by police. It was reported to police by a woman that while she was driving a vehicle on Friday last, another vehicle struck the car from behind and ran it off the road. The woman claimed she was abducted by three men, taken to a house and drugged. She was then placed in the trunk of a car. Police officers also yesterday examined certain pieces of clothing belonging to the woman. At about midday yesterday, PC Rampersad laid a charge against Maharaj who was informed of her rights. She was later taken to court. As she left the courthouse after the case was put off to today, Maharaj became camera shy and covered her face with a shawl. Utility bills to increase with property tax Persad-Bissessar told residents of Barrackpore, WASA bills and other utility bills would go up as a result of the property tax now being imposed by the PNM-led government. She demonstrated what people should do when they receive the property tax form at UNCs Monday Night Forum held at Rochard Douglas Presbyterian Primary School, by tearing it to pieces. Persad-Bissessar said the youth of this country are suffering. She said, We built a south campus of UWI, so that the people from South will not have to go up to St Augustine for higher education. But the PNM government refused to open this. Instead, you have to go up to St Augustine and pay big rent money for accommodation in order for you to get your degrees, she said adding that the property tax will affect the amount paid for rental units as now this type of accommodation will cost more. Garcia: School dropouts, violence fall Speaking in the Senate, Garcia disclosed that in primary schools for the period 2015- 2016, drop outs stood at 151 (82 male, 69 female). For the same period in secondary schools, there was a total of 902 drop outs (546 male, 356 female). According to the statistics provided by Garcia, there was a total of 1,117 drop outs (651 male, 466 female) in the primary school system from the 2008/2009 to the 2015/2016 academic years. For the same periods, there was a total of 9,955 drop outs (5,492 male, 4,463 female) in the secondary school system. Garcia expressed satisfaction particularly with the reduction of primary school and secondary school drop outs between the 2014/2015 and 2015/ 2016 academic years. He noted that 2014/2015 was the last academic year under the former Peoples Partnership government. Garcia explained that drop outs refer to students who have discontinued their education during an academic year (September to July) and have been absent from the beginning of the next academic year up to November 30. The minister said that date is school census day and the mandatory age to attend school was increased from 12 to 16 years. Garcia identified the economic situation which some children and their families find themselves in as a reason for children dropping out of school. He said since assuming office, the ministry has been employing a school based management system and other strategies to encourage students to go to school. The minister said while certain postings on social media gave the impression that things are out of control in the nations schools, this is not the case. Garcia said there has been a 14.2 percent reduction in suspensions at primary schools and a 25 percent decrease in suspensions at secondary schools from 2015 to 2016. He added that extended suspensions decreased by 63 percent during this period. Garcia explained that all schools are required to have disciplinary committee and a discipline plan. Lee blames Govt for downgrade He made his case in a statement yesterday, Why did Standard and Poors as well as Moodys downgrade Trinidad and Tobago in only 12 months? Only one year ago the previous ratings received were hopeful, but now they have slipped into an indicator of economic doom and possible economic catastrophe. So what has led to this disastrous change? He claimed the Government has run the economy in a very haphazard and ineffective manner. Lee said the two agencies blamed the Government for poor economic management and excessive borrowing, which he claimed reflects a Government lacking vision and an economic plan, including measures for diversification and innovation. He asked whether the downgrades plus the high debt of State enterprises have tarnished TTs image on the borrowing market? Besides future difficulty in borrowing on the international and local market, the downgrades also pose a risk for State Enterprises (especially those in the energy sector) that have unsecured loans unsupported by collateral, he said. So the Government must now inform the population if the international and local creditors will be calling upon these State-owned companies to secure the outstanding owed value. He said creditors may call on the Government to guarantee the repayment of outstanding public sector loans issued unsecured at an economic period when TTs credit ratings showed an ability to successfully fulfill its debt obligations. Now that ratings suggest this nation is in junk status based on improper economic management by Government the pertinent question that those in authority must answer is how will the Government deal with this issue if it arises and what resources will be used as collateral to secure these debts? Moves to decriminalise certain offences The bill in intended to introduce a system of traffic violations for certain breaches of the Act, to provide for the implementation of a red-light camera system, to introduce a demerit points system and a reform of the fixed penalty system and related matters. Together, Al Rawi said, these measures aim to reduce the backlog of cases in the magistracy and free it up to deal with case management and trials of more serious cases than ticketing offences. The decriminalisation is not proposed for the serious offences such as causing death by dangerous driving, he said. The bill proposes 49 clauses and one schedule. Al Rawi said, it seeks to repeal the enforcement aspect of the Act. In the speeches of successive chief justices of the local judiciary, Al Rawi said, they have called for ridding the court of the multitude of ticket cases that clogs the courts but nothing has been done. Chief Justice Ivor Archie in 2008, he said, has spoken consistently about it. The judiciary in its annual reports between 2011 and 2015, he said, showed that an average of 120,000 traffic matters alone were dealt with between 2011 and to 2015 for traffic matters. They generated $171 million in revenue for the State. The compliance rate was 36 percent, which meant, he said, that 64 percent of matters that came to court occupied judicial time for nothing. Between August 2010 - to July 2016, he said that 67,926 cases are outstanding with some of the matters being 11 years. Revenue generated for the period was $250 million. In terms of the demerit points system, which will see drivers losing points for infringements and reform of the fixed penalty system, Al Rawi said the new proposals will see better use of technology in the issuance of tickets, increase in revenue, better use of manpower and the elimination of fraud. Though Al Rawi was upbeat about the provisions of the bill which he did not elaborate on, Opposition UNC Senator Wade Mark and Independent Senator Dhanayshar Mahabir said there were too contradictions, inconsistencies and unreasonableness in it. They questioned some of the high fines with Mark describing the bill as an income generating bill. Mark called on Government to send the bill to a Joint Select Committee and to consult with stakeholders for their opinions and recommendations. On the other hand Mahabir said Government needs to thoroughly review the bill and present a cleaner bill to the Parliament. Among Mahabirs many concerns were too many inconsistencies in the demerits and penalties proposed. For instance, he said, the fine for not wearing a seat belt is $1,000 and four demerit points while a motor cyclist who is more likely to die without a helmet in an accident is fined $450 for not wearing a helmet with two demerit points. I cant see the logic in that, he said. Instead of giving demerits to private cars for making a hustle and fining them, he suggested that TT do as other jurisdictions are doing and look at Uber and regulate it. It is more dangerous making a hustle, he said. Dillon: No gun amnesty While noting that data from last January to March showed a marginal increase in the number of crimes committed with illegal guns, Dillon said the number of illegal guns seized by the police increased from 691 in 2015 to 765 last year. He also said there was a 119 percent increase in the amount of ammunition seized from 2015 to 2016. The minister said 19,542 rounds of ammunition was seized last year compared to 8,943 rounds in 2015. Dillon identified increased search and stop exercises, increased surveillance of known offenders and intensified maritime and aerial surveillance by law enforcement agencies as some of the methods being used to confiscate illegal guns. On another issue, Dillon said the Police Service continues to intensify its efforts to curb incidents of sexual assault against women. Comparing data over the last seven years, Dillon said 2016 recorded the lowest number of such incidents with a figure of 494. He also said a task force has been created regarding the establishment of a border security protection agency. MP discusses property tax It is my view that the Property Tax Act is unconstitutional, Ramadhar said. He added that since Government announced the imposition of the tax he has been overwhelmed with calls from people indicating their concerns about the tax and what it means for them. The general view, he said, is that imposing property tax now, is bad timing and Government should reconsider its position at this point in time. People are concerned, the MP said, that they are being overtaxed at a time when the economy is unstable and the cost of living is rising steadily with the 12.5 percent value added tax (VAT) on goods and services being an added burden. Ramadhar has started a series of public meetings on the property tax and he met recently with residents in the Chaguanas West constituency. Last week he held talks with people at Tunapuna Market; met with property owners in Chaguanas East and with his constituents in St Augustine South. He reiterated that even before the property tax is implemented, Government should implement procurement legislation, party and campaign financing legislation and local government reforms. These are needed, he said, to ensure the taxes are used for what they were intended and the country gets value for money. Asked whether people have been filling out their VRFs, he said, the flyers which people have been receiving have no legal consequence, if they refuse to fill it out. It is not in keeping with the Act, which should come addressed to you and served properly via registered mail. That one carries legal consequence and possible prosecution, if you refuse. I have not heard of anyone receiving that document, Ramadhar said. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The leader of MPT (Machrou3 Pour la Tunisie) Mohsen Marzouk Tuesday called for the emergence of a new cabinet as he argued on his facebook account that the government of Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has failed in all aspects. What we call government of national unity headed by Youssef Chahed is over on all plans, moral, political and results, Marzouk said. The former ally of President Caid Essebsi noted that in order to salvage the gain of the 2011 revolution, there is a need to hold a national dialogue for the emergence of a new government of competent people under the gist of the elected and executive institutions. Marzouks comments came a day following the dismissal of financial and education ministers. The Tunisian government is facing social protest and outcry mainly in the Southern part of the North African country. Thursday last week, Chahed was booed in Tataouine and had to move back to Tunis. Attempts by Chahed to cool down protesters demanding job creation and implementation of development projects turned out a failure. Libyan Prime Minister and his rival Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar held an in-camera meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, under the auspices of the international community and the Arab world. This is the second meeting between the two men since Serraj was nominated in December 2015. The two opponents met in January last year in Haftars military base of Marj. Haftar, according to reports, finally accepted to meet Serraj after he underwent pressure from Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Moscow known as his major backers. A meeting between the Head of the Presidency Council (PC) and the east-based army commander planned by Cairo in February did not happen after Haftar refused to meet Serraj in the absence of his political supporter, the Head of the House of Representatives (HoR), Aguila Saleh Issa. The Libyan Political Accord (LPA) signed in Morocco in December 2015 has been stuttering over Haftars role in the future Libyan administration. Per the accord, Haftar will remain under PC authority but the Libyan army chief rejected the accord arguing that it imposes foreign agenda to Libyans. Both parties made no statement following the Tuesday meeting. Getting to 50 Senate votes on a health-care bill that can hold House Republicans together will be very tough for Mitch McConnell, but not impossible. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images Now that there is again at least a fighting chance the House passes the revised American Health Care Act, a.k.a. Zombie Trumpcare, it may be time to review the well-founded but hardly infallible conventional wisdom that the bill is doomed in the Senate. Everyone would concede that no matter how many obstacles there are to Senate passage of a bill that can eventually produce a compromise that can pass the House, the odds of running this gauntlet are a lot better than enactment of any major health-care legislation if the GOP bill fails a second time in the House. Some progress is better than no progress. The sobering reality for senators is that if the House passes anything, those in the upper chamber will soon be shooting with live ammo. This may help explain why senators arent loudly deriding the House effort this time around, as Politico reports: Compared with the Senate GOPs open attempts to sink the previous effort by House Republicans, senators have been relatively muted this time. Thereve been no blistering statements from conservative Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky, nor has Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas done a media tour warning that House members could lose their seats for supporting the legislation People are coming to a conclusion that its pretty important at some point we legislate on this. Weve got to deliver, said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). People are starting to calm down a little bit and tone down some of the rhetoric. If were going to get a solution, all of us are going to have to figure out a constructive way to make that happen. To put it another way, while the House is just trying to avoid a self-inflicted defeat, Senate Republicans know they need to produce a victory, or the entire party may suffer in 2018. That alone may make the Senate GOPs various factions more flexible. Substantively, Republican senators can add some nips and tucks to address various needs, including more tax-credit money for low-income individuals, more money for people with preexisting conditions, a slower death for the Medicaid expansion, and less stringent rules for Medicaid funding going forward. Keeping conservatives in both houses aboard may require more of the state flexibility magic that secured the endorsement of the House Freedom Caucus basically allowing states to implement conservative policies that Senate moderates oppose for the whole country. Indeed, an even broader state option approach has been kicking around the Senate for months in the form of the Cassidy-Collins legislation that lets states decide whether to keep or abandon the basic structure of Obamacare. A key question that cannot be answered yet is whether the state-option provisions in Zombie Trumpcare can survive a Byrd Bath the review of legislation by the Senate parliamentarian to determine whether provisions reasonably belong in a budget bill. If the parliamentarian plays ball, the Senates job gets easier in the sense that it can manipulate health-care regulations in the manner needed to get to 50 votes (versus 60 for a standard piece of legislation). And therein lies one big Senate problem: whereas House Republicans can afford to lose 22 votes and still pass legislation without Democratic support, the Senate GOP can only lose two senators. Both Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have strongly opposed provisions defunding Planned Parenthood without which no budget reconciliation bill can get to the starting gate with most other Republicans. Murkowski has separate concerns involving Alaskas unusual health-care needs. If Mitch McConnell is not careful, his conference could devolve into a long line of senators with their hands out wanting some special inducement in exchange for becoming the 50th vote for health-care legislation. Still another problem is optics: If the House does pass Zombie Trumpcare this week, it will dodge what will probably be a quite negative Congressional Budget Office scoring of the final bill in terms of its cost and coverage impact. The Senate will not have that luxury. All these concerns help illustrate why most observers are skeptical that the Senate can come up with a health-care bill that gets to 50 votes but that is still compatible with the unwieldy House alliance put together with baling wire and chewing gum to pass Zombie Trumpcare. For the many millions of Americans who will be adversely affected by any GOP health-care bill, though, betting on failure could be a costly gamble. Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images The United Kingdoms divorce from the European Union is definitely not going to be cheap. The Financial Times reports that Brussels is ready to slam Britain with an upfront 100 billion (about $109 billion) Brexit bill. The split was expected to be pricey, but that figure is higher than earlier estimates of around 60 billion. According to the Financial Times, certain EU member-states France and Germany among them are drawing this tougher line, with some asking Britain to cover some of the costs of farm payments and EU administration fees for 2019 and 2020 even after Britain has formally left the bloc. Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly, said the European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier. This is not the case. Britain balked at the figure. Well not be paying 100 billion, said David Davis, the United Kingdoms Brexit minister. What weve got to do is discuss in detail what the rights and obligations are. According to the FT, even if Britain would fork over the full 100 billion upfront, it would likely recoup some of the cost in EU spending and loans. Still, the opening bid has fueled more tensions between the EU and Britain in the weeks since British prime minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 at the end of March. May reportedly bristled at the idea of an exit bill (citizens rights for both U.K. nationals living in Europe, and Europeans living in Britain is another major sticking point) in a recent meeting with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker. A German newspaper leaked that Juncker, at the meeting, had told May that she was deluding herself and living in another galaxy about her Brexit demands. May, in response, later told reporters that she could be a bloody difficult womanand Juncker would find that out firsthand. And formal negotiations will not even begin until the end of May. Alton Sterling. Photo: Facebook Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that, following an investigation, evidence was insufficient to charge the two white police officers who fatally shot the 37-year-old Alton Sterling, who is black, outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge last summer. Sterlings death was captured on video, and sparked mass protests last July. Officers had reportedly responded to a report that a man had waved a gun near a convenience store. When they arrived on the scene, they discovered Sterling, and pinned him to the ground; someone shouted gun before the officers fired. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that given the totality of the circumstances the Justice Department could not prove either that the shots were unconstitutional or that they were willful. The formal announcement of the Justice Departments decision concludes a ten-month federal investigation, though reports had leaked Tuesday that prosecutors had reached this decision. But the case is not completely shut. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is leading a state investigation into possible criminal charges against the two Baton Rouge officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II. Both cops remain on paid administrative leave; they also face an internal review, which will determine if they violated the police departments policies. The Justice Departments decision on the Sterling case also comes on the heels of a plea deal between federal prosecutors and former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager for the 2015 death of black motorist Walter Scott, who was trying to flee when Slager fatally shot him in the back. Slager pleaded guilty to federal civil-rights charges. In return for his plea, state murder charges were dropped against Slager; he was expected to return to trial after the first case ended in a hung jury. Slager will likely face significant jail time, though will not likely receive the maximum sentence of life in prison. Analyze this. Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images For about half a year now, progressives have been squabbling about how to explain the tragic events of November 8. These internecine arguments have sometimes centered on a pair of related questions: 1. Was Clintons defeat caused primarily by a failure of persuasion (Obama voters flipping to Trump) or one of mobilization (Democratic voters staying home, while missing white voters flocked to the GOP standard-bearer)? 2. To the extent that Trump did win over some white Obama voters, did he do so by activating their racial resentment, or their longing for economic change (a.k.a. economic anxiety)? Debate over these questions was rarely characterized by a spirit of coolheaded empiricism. And not without reason each answer seemed pregnant with profound ideological and political implications. Some progressives saw explanations that centered the economic concerns of Obama-Trump voters as attempts to (once again) minimize the role that white racial animus plays in our politics. And they worried that this allergy to confronting the power of racism would lead the Democratic Party to court a romanticized white working class, instead of working to bring the millions of disengaged, left-leaning, young, black, and Latino voters into the electorate. Others on the left viewed explanations that painted Obama-Trump voters as irrelevant or, else, as motivated exclusively by racism as unfounded apologies for Hillary Clintons failure to offer a compelling economic message. And they worried that this allergy to confronting the inadequacy of center-left economics would lead the Democratic Party to court socially moderate, fiscally conservative suburban whites, instead of building the cross-racial, working-class movement necessary to bring about truly progressive change. These ideological investments and anxieties along with myriad others lent fights over the lefts dueling autopsies much of their intensity. But what made the arguments truly tenacious was the fact that everyones preferred autopsy was (at least a little) right. On Monday, a group of Democratic strategists released the findings of a months-long investigation into Hillary Clintons political demise. Heres what they concluded, per McClatchy: Obama-Trump voters effectively accounted for more than two-thirds of the reason Clinton lost, according to Matt Canter, a senior vice president of the Democratic political firm Global Strategy Group. In his groups analysis, about 70 percent of Clintons failure to reach Obamas vote total in 2012 was because she lost these voters His firms conclusion is shared broadly by other Democrats who have examined the data, including senior members of Clintons campaign and officials at the Democratic data and analytics firm Catalist. That same day, the Democratic super-PAC Priorities USA published the results of its focus groups and polls of Obama-Trump voters. The Washington Posts Greg Sargent rounded up groups most striking findings: 50 percent of Obama-Trump voters said their incomes are falling behind the cost of living, and another 31 percent said their incomes are merely keeping pace with the cost of living. A sizable chunk of Obama-Trump voters 30 percent said their vote for Trump was more a vote against Clinton than a vote for Trump. Remember, these voters backed Obama four years earlier. 42 percent of Obama-Trump voters said congressional Democrats economic policies will favor the wealthy, vs. only 21 percent of them who said the same about Trump. (Forty percent say that about congressional Republicans.) A total of 77 percent of Obama-Trump voters said Trumps policies will favor some mix of all other classes (middle class, poor, all equally), while a total of 58 percent said that about congressional Democrats. So: It was the Obama-Trump voters, in the Rust Belt, with the economic anxiety. Disaffected workers in deindustrialized America, who believed that Trump was a genuine populist and sympathized with Bernie Sanderss critique of the Democratic Party cost Clinton the election. But then, so did insufficient Democratic turnout. Heres McClatchy again: Democrats are quick to acknowledge that even if voters switching allegiance had been Clintons biggest problem, in such a close election she still could have defeated Trump with better turnout. She could have won, for instance, if African-American turnout in Michigan and Florida matched 2012 levels. Turnout vs. persuasion is a funny question. Obviously when a state like Michigan goes from +10 Obama to Trump, persuasion is a lot of it. (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) May 1, 2017 Indeed, maybe it's 70% (https://t.co/OY70BQLwGp) or more. But 30% isn't nothing in an election decided by less than a point in key states. (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) May 1, 2017 And so did white Americas discomfort with the anti-racist, multicultural vision of our country that the Clinton campaign embraced. Analyses of postelection survey data have revealed that in 2016, the American electorate was more sharply polarized along lines of racial tolerance than it had been at any time in recent memory and that individuals with high levels of racial resentment were more likely to switch from Obama to Trump. And Clintons defeat was also, probably, caused by James Comey, as she herself claimed today; and by the candidates own fatal combination of oratorical weakness and a (fair or unfair) reputation for coziness with malign special interests; and sexism; and her campaigns distaste for deep canvassing; and its neglect of the Rust Belt. When an election is decided by 80,000 votes, a plausible case can be made for the decisive impact of a wide variety of individual factors. And there is some evidence to support virtually every popular narrative for Clintons defeat. That said, there appears to be a growing consensus that Obama-Trump voters were a much bigger problem for Clinton than superior Republican turnout: Global Strategy Groups research actually found that Clinton won a majority of new voters in Ohio, even as she lost the state by eight points. But when one focuses on the fact that roughly 40 percent of eligible voters didnt turn out in 2012 and 2016 and that this enormous, nonvoting population looks demographically and ideologically favorable for Democrats putting outreach to Obama-Trump voters above efforts to expand the electorate can seem myopic. Particularly when one considers the large communities of unregistered Latino voters in Texass cities and all the Electoral College problems they could one day solve for Team Blue. Happily, the imperatives of persuasion and mobilization are in no way mutually exclusive. Priorities USAs focus groups with drop-off voters those who pulled the lever for Obama in 2012 and then stayed at home in 2016 suggest they have much in common with soft Obama-Trump voters. Specifically, many in both groups feel that their incomes arent keeping pace with the cost of living, and oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Obamacare. Tying Trump to the GOPs regressive agenda and stoking the class resentments of white workers in the Midwest does not preclude efforts to increase black and Hispanic turnout in the Sun Belt. Pushing for state legislatures to expand automatic voter registration and expand early voting does not undermine attempts to craft an economic platform and message that will resonate in Kenosha County. And, at least theoretically, you can do these things while also using Team Blues commitment to rationality and professionalism to make inroads with the moderate, college-educated white voters who find themselves discomfited by the know-nothing ethno-nationalists and far-right theocrats who have consumed Americas center-right party. Of course, there will be some tension between these efforts. A sharp class message pitched at cautious Obama-Trump voters could alienate parts of Panera land. And energizing nonvoting blacks and Latinos may require bold stances on immigration and policing that could theoretically alienate otherwise reachable whites from Youngstown to the Atlanta suburbs. If nothing else, the partys finite resources will force it to prioritize courting some voters over others, a fact that this years special elections have already highlighted. But a glance across the aisle shows that it is possible for a major party to make few ideological compromises on the federal level, while also cultivating disparate regional identities to remain competitive in hostile states. In recent years, even as their national party became evermore radically reactionary, Republican candidates won gubernatorial races in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Illinois; last fall, the GOP put a far-right demagogue in the White House and a Republican in Vermonts governors mansion. Further, once in office, elected representatives often display a significant degree of ideological independence from the leanings of their constituents: As political scientists Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels note in Democracy for Realists, when Republican House candidates win moderate districts, they frequently vote like conservative Republicans, and the same is true of House Democrats. Nor is there an inescapable correlation between the wealth of an area and its tolerance for redistributive economic policy. Californias 17th district is among the wealthiest in the country, encompassing parts of Silicon Valley and its congressman is pushing for a $1 trillion expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, a proposal that left-wing activists are cheering as the first step toward a universal basic income. All of which is to say: The lefts competing explanations for Clintons defeat and prescriptions for the path forward arent as mutually exclusive as many suggest. To be sure, the members of the motley crew marooned together on the left side of Americas political aisle still have plenty of sound reasons to claw at each others eyes. On the normative questions of what constitutes a progressive platform on education, financial reform, health care, national security, jobs, workers rights, immigration, policing, and many other issues, there are real divides in blue Americas tent. There are inherent conflicts between the Democratic Partys corporate wing and its activist base. And these fights have real stakes, no matter how much some in the party like to insist otherwise. But wed all be well-served by resisting the temptation to project the certainty of our moral convictions onto empirical questions of political reality. Doing so makes us susceptible to ignoring inconvenient but potentially useful insights, like the fact that Trump really did dramatically outperform the typical Republican candidate with low-income voters or that social democratic polices have not been a surefire prophylactic against white nativist backlash in other Western nations. Progressives should relentlessly defend their visions of what should be; but maintain an open mind about what is, and what has been. Laughing time is over. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images A 61-year-old woman may land in jail because she laughed during Jeff Sessionss confirmation hearing. Desiree Fairooz, a Code Pink activist, was arrested in January when she laughed after hearing Senator Richard Shelby say that Sessionss record of treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented. Sessions was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 over allegations that he made racist remarks, and he has criticized federal civil-rights enforcement efforts. He opposed federal legislation to extend hate-crime laws to cover LGBT people and argued passionately against the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Sessions also voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act twice. In light of this, Sessionss critics think Fairoozs outburst is understandable, but in court on Tuesday a Justice Department lawyer argued that her loud bursts of laughter disrupted congressional proceedings, and thus warranted a criminal charge. A number of heads turned around because it was loud, argued attorney David Stier, according to the Huffington Post. Fairoozs laughter is audible in this C-SPAN clip, but Shelby keeps reading his statement: Stier said he would submit that laughter is enough, standing alone to justify the charges, but Fairooz also made an outburst and waved a sign as she was being escorted out of the room by U.S. Capitol Police. I was going to be quiet and now youre going to have me arrested? she said. For what? For what? He said something ridiculous. [Sessions] voting record is evil. Another protester escorted out of Sessions hearing. Her original offense appeared to be simply laughing. pic.twitter.com/p6lWzBVFRW Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) January 10, 2017 Fairooz is on trial with fellow Code Pink members Tighe Barry and Lenny Bianchi, who dressed up as Ku Klux Klan members and pretended to support Sessions. Bianchi, who is representing himself, said he only protested before the hearing began because he didnt want to be arrested. Barrys attorney said the protestors created a spectacle, but didnt disrupt the proceedings. All three were charged with disorderly conduct, which carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and six months in prison. I felt it was my responsibility as a citizen to dissent at the confirmation hearing of Senator Jeff Sessions, a man who professes anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT policies, who has voted against several civil rights measures and who jokes about the white supremacist terrorist group the Ku Klux Klan, Fairooz said in a statement on Monday. In another administration the attorney general might be worried about how it looks to have Justice Department lawyers prosecuting a woman for laughing at their boss. Somehow, we doubt President Trump is going to call out Sessions for appearing to be thin-skinned. Donald Trump. Photo: Ron Sachs - Pool/Getty Images Amid a flurry of strange statements by President Trump, an especially peculiar one he made recently largely passed by unnoticed. Asked about his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, Trump told Bloomberg News, Bannons more of a libertarian than anything else, if you want to know the truth. That is a bizarre description. While certain libertarian-friendly notions lower taxes, spending, regulation serve as baseline-level beliefs shared by every Republican, Bannon might be the least libertarian member of the party of any stature. The ideas that excite Bannon the most are opposition to immigration and trade, on which he is pushing positions diametrically opposed to libertarianism. He has excitedly proposed a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan. He has publicly criticized the party for its fealty to libertarianism. (The Republicans, its all this theoretical Cato Institute, Austrian economics, limited government which just doesnt have any depth to it. Theyre not living in the real world, he told Robert Draper recently.) And libertarians generally distrust Bannon in return. Trump has no clear motive to miscategorize his chief strategist. Several more attractive, and also more plausible, terms are available: conservative, populist, nationalist. Trump simply does not grasp either Bannons thinking or libertarianism. It is widely known that Trump whose political profile over the decades has vacillated from liberal to conservative to moderate to populist, and supported and opposed abortion rights, higher taxes on the rich, and universal health care does not care very much about political ideas. This explanation is true, but incomplete. The president also does not know very much about political ideas. And it is not merely the details of policy that he lacks. Trump has no context for processing ideas. He does not understand which kinds of ideas imply support for which kinds of policies, nor why political figures tend to believe what they do, nor why they agree or disagree with one another. He is capable of forming strongly held beliefs about people in politics, but he does so in entirely personal terms. Trumps flamboyant, weird ignorance reveals a distinct pattern. He is not so much nonideological as sub-ideological. You can find out what Trumps scorecard is after 100 days in the video above. It is common to attribute Trumps protean identity as simple self-interest: He has aligned himself with whichever party seemed to benefit him at any given moment. And surely calculation plays a role. But it cannot explain all his puzzling statements about politics. Sometimes he expresses openness about unpopular policies his administration and party would never go for (like a higher tax on gasoline). Trump constantly relates questions about politics back to himself and his alleged deal-making genius not only because hes a narcissist, but because the contest of political debate remains largely mysterious to him. Many Americans share Trumps lack of ideological sophistication. High-information voters tend to clump at the ends of the political spectrum. They may not have sophisticated beliefs, but their identification with one of the party coalitions is a tool they use to make sense of individual issues. Low-information voters tend to have a weak understanding of what the political parties stand for and how those positions relate to each other. These voters can be roughly categorized as centrist because they dont line up neatly with one party platform or the other. But, rather than a consistently moderate outlook, they share a mishmash of extreme and frequently uninformed beliefs. Because they dont understand the philosophical basis for disagreements, they assume the two parties ought to naturally cooperate, and tend to see partisan bickering as a failure and an indication of personal fault by politicians. Trump thinks about politics like a low-information voter, which enabled him to speak their language naturally. His stated belief during the campaign that he could expertly craft a series of popular deals its going to be so easy appealed to low-information voters because it earnestly described the political world as they see it. Trumps experience as a developer and professional celebrity have put a narcissistic gloss on Trumps low-information worldview. He sees politics as a variation of real estate or reality television a field where the players are sorted not so much as combatants on opposing teams (though they may compete at times) but on a hierarchy of success, with the big stars at the top sharing interests in common. His vague boasts that his presidency would create terrific things that everybody loves and is winning again is a version of how he truly sees the world. Trumps professed admiration for Andrew Jackson has many of the same naive characteristics. Trumps gestures of affinity for the seventh president appear to be an element of Bannons strategy to establish a populist identity for the administration. But the strategy has sprung a series of leaks, largely because Trump does not grasp the context of the debate in which Jackson was rooted. He claimed strangely that Jackson would have stopped the Civil War, even though Jackson was dedicated to the expansion of slavery, and supported measures to prohibit debating the issue in Congress or mailing abolition literature to the South. The Civil War was a failure, and Jackson was a winner, so Jackson would have won by stopping it. (He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart. He was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War, he said, Theres no reason for this.) Trump also slipped up in March and praised Henry Clay, Jacksons blood enemy. To Trump, they are all simply a bunch of big names, and thus, in this respect, Trump-like. Trump was not using the phrase America First until New York Times reporter David Sanger suggested it to him in an interview in March of last year: SANGER: What you are describing to us, I think is something of a third category, but tell me if I have this right, which is much more of a, if not isolationist, then at least something of America First kind of approach, a mistrust of many foreigners, both our adversaries and some of our allies, a sense that theyve been freeloading off of us for many years. TRUMP: Correct. O.K.? Thats fine. SANGER: O.K.? Am I describing this correctly here? TRUMP: Ill tell you youre getting close. Not isolationist, Im not isolationist, but I am America First. So I like the expression. Im America First. At no point in the exchange, which continued on after this, did Trump show any recognition that America First was the slogan of an isolationist movement that has fallen into historical discredit since World War II. He was not making a bold play to revive a movement with a dark legacy. He simply liked the way the line sounded, and after the interview, began using it himself. Politics is a strange institution that forces committed professionals who have coherent philosophical beliefs to persuade voters who mostly do not. Barack Obama accomplished this in highbrow fashion. His characteristic political style was to incorporate the values of both left and right and try to technocratically synthesize the perspectives together. (Theres not a liberal America and a conservative America; theres the United States of America.) Trump accomplishes it in lowbrow style, by literally not understanding the source of the disagreement. Trump and EPA director Scott Pruitt. Photo: Ron Sachs - Pool/Getty Images The GOP is the only major party in the developed world that does not recognize the reality of manmade climate change. And since the Republican Party happens to enjoy significant influence in the worlds most powerful country, the entire international community has been forced to accommodate its superstitions. When 195 nations came together to draft the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015, the United States refused to allow any legally binding language into the text because if the agreement were legally binding, then Barack Obama would have had to submit it to the Senate for ratification and Republicans would have danced on the deals grave. In the view of most international diplomats, the Paris agreement has only one binding requirement: Each nation must publish an emissions reduction target, and draft reports explaining how it is meeting those targets. But the target itself is up to each nations government and can be changed at any time. Obama pledged to cut Americas carbon pollution 26 percent from 2005 levels by 2025. President Trump could pledge to cut them by a sum that would require no significant government intervention. Market forces alone are already phasing out coal and propelling the growth of wind and solar power, anyhow. So the Trump administration has little to gain by withdrawing from the Paris agreement. It does, however, have much to lose including Americas credibility as a world leader and an upholder of its international commitments. Whats more, once the rest of the world no longer has to worry about the Republican Party it could, theoretically, give the agreement more teeth including rules aimed at punishing nations that refuse to participate in the deal. Legally and economically, the United States would be much more vulnerable outside of Paris than in, one European official told Politico this week. Being outside a major multilateral environmental agreement like the Paris agreement leaves a country more vulnerable to trade-related measures from countries that are inside the agreement. The Paris agreement binds every significant country on planet Earth, on an issue of existential importance. Its hard to imagine a better way for the U.S. to marginalize itself than forfeiting its seat at that table. And yet, the White House appears poised to do just that: President Donald Trump may pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change as early as next week, sources with knowledge of the plans told HuffPost on Tuesday White House lawyers drafted a memo following a meeting last Thursday that argued that the administration could face legal blowback in U.S. courts if it moves to weaken the countrys emissions goals under the agreement. White House advisers convened lawyers from the Department of Justice, EPA and State Department on Monday to discuss the legal arguments. The case for withdrawal centers on a single line in the agreement, according to Politico and the Huffington Post: A party may at any time adjust its existing nationally determined contribution [NDC] with a view to enhancing its level of ambition. White House counsel Don McGahn and EPA director Scott Pruitt believe that this gives countries the freedom to tighten emissions limits, but not to relax them or, at least, that environmental groups and American judges could interpret the line that way, and create a bunch of legal headaches for the administration. The Sierra Club, for one, disagrees. In a recent internal memo obtained by Politico, the environmental group concludes, it would be extremely difficult to prevail on the merits in any legal challenge against the administrations right to weaken Americas domestic climate pledge. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the State Departments lawyers reportedly share this assessment. Which isnt too surprising, given that American diplomats will bear the brunt of the blowback should the U.S. withdraw from the deal. But Steve Bannon and Pruitt want out. And some White House lawyers think they may have a point. The president has said that he will make a final decision on the agreement in the next two weeks. Hmm, have we tried making it even less popular? Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images Last week House Republicans announced that by adding an amendment to their health-care bill that would allow states to loosen protections for people with preexisting conditions, theyd finally struck a deal that would allow them to do away with Obamacare. Over the weekend, several lawmakers suggested that wed see a vote by the end of the week. Then, on Monday, President Trump stirred confusion when he claimed that the bill was still a work in progress, and would certainly contain protections for preexisting conditions. I want it to be good for sick people. Its not in its final form right now, he told Bloomberg News. It will be every bit as good on pre-existing conditions as Obamacare. Trump was accused of having no idea whats in his own health-care bill, and judging from the inconsistent messaging emanating from the White House in recent days, its very possible that he got confused about the status of the resurrected Trumpcare legislation. But now Trump can claim that he actually had uncanny foresight about where the bill was headed. Following reports that Republicans were still struggling to find the votes to pass Zombie Trumpcare, the legislation is getting another last-minute overhaul. Per Politico: Senior Capitol Hill and White House officials said a new amendment being drafted Tuesday night would address concerns from key moderates about how the legislation treats individuals with pre-existing conditions. Earlier in the day, multiple sources said House leadership floated the idea of adding additional money to high-risk pools aimed at subsidizing more expensive premiums for people with such medical conditions. These changes could come out in the next 24 hours, and White House officials are still pushing for a vote before Congress heads home for an 11-day recess on Thursday. Obviously some members are looking for changes, said AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, adding, Weve not made any at this point, and dont know that we will. Since the original push for the American Health Care Act in March, House Republicans have been wavering between a moderate-backed version of the bill thats essentially Obamcare Lite, and a conservative version that reduces regulations and cuts costs for healthy people at the expense of the poor, sick, and elderly. Our GOP Goldilocks cant seem to find a bill thats just right because those ideas are contradictory. The version released last week was the first supported by the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, but now concerns over preexisting conditions have driven away centrists. This week both Representative Billy Long, a key Trump ally, and Representative Fred Upton, an influential health-care wonk, said they cant support the current measure because they arent sure it would allow sick people to receive affordable care. Trying to woo centrists by adding money to high-risk pools is a tricky maneuver. Its unclear where the funding would come from, and theyd need a lot of it. Historically, high-risk pools have been underfunded, and according to a new estimate from the Center for American Progress, those funded by the current GOP plan would fall short by at least $19.7 billion per year, or by about $200 billion over 10 years. And adding more funding for high-risk pools might not even do the trick. While a few undecided Republican lawmakers told the Huffington Post that they found the idea interesting, the reaction from the hard nos was less positive: Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) said that sort of amendment probably wouldnt change his vote and that he was not really in play at this point. Former Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who came out in opposition to the bill on Tuesday, also said the proposal wouldnt change his mind if Republicans didnt fix the protections for people with pre-existing conditions. More money does not do the trick, Upton said. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), the chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group, said that even with that sort of amendment, he still would have a number of concerns. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) said she was concerned that Republicans were making coverage for people with pre-existing conditions in name only, and that even $50 billion in new funding for high-risk pools would be a little baby down payment. Those members are key because the GOP can only afford to lose 22 votes, and there have consistently been about 20 firm nos. Two senior officials told Politico that if there are modifications coming, they cant be that significant, or we will lose the support from the Freedom Caucus. Representative Charlie Dent, chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group, told the Huffington Post that hes worried Republicans are setting a bad precedent by making concessions to conservatives to get the bill out of the House. The Senate is likely to push the legislation back to the center, and then the House Freedom Caucus would ultimately reject the bill over those changes. All this political capital is being expended on the first launch, knowing damn well that on the battle that matters the last one you wont get the support of those very same people, he said. Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images As videos and livestreams of people hurting themselves or others on Facebook become a regular part of the news cycle, the company has been facing mounting pressure to, well, do something about it. Today, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would be adding 3,000 people to our community operations team around the world on top of the 4,500 we have today to review the millions of reports we get every week, and improve the process for doing it quickly. Those reviewers will remove videos featuring hate speech, child exploitation, and, you know, murder and suicide. Theyll also coordinate with law enforcement if need be. A few things jump out about this announcement. One is the language with which Zuckerberg describes his new gore squad: [A]dding 3,000 people to our community operations team i.e., not hiring for Facebook itself likely implies that the company is contracting a third party to review user content, rather than hiring in-house. This is not new or shocking pretty much every major platform does this but it does mean that Facebook is not responsible for administrating or caring for thousands of people tasked with viewing truly heinous shit in often terrible working environments. Facebook declined to specify to Slates Will Oremus whether the workers would be employees, thus entitled to benefits, or contractors. Read into that lack of specificity what you will. The announcement also runs counter to Facebooks overarching agenda this year. At their annual F8 conference less than a month ago, the company spent much of its keynote talking about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep neural networks buzzwords that translate to computer smart. Now, Facebook is bringing in 6,000 eyeballs to answer tough questions that computers cant yet address, like, Is this footage of a person getting shot? Of course, the F8 keynote kicked off with Zuckerberg expressing remorse over Facebook Lives role in the murder of 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. in Cleveland, so its clearly on the CEOs mind. One question left unaddressed by Zuckerberg: Why did it take so long? Just three months after Facebook began heavily pushing Live in April 2016 Zuckerberg called the format emotional and raw and visceral in an interview with BuzzFeed video of Philando Castiles death at the hands of police was everywhere, thanks to the platform. Throughout 2016, Facebook continuously stumbled over itself in pushing live video, paying celebrities and media companies to manufacture spontaneity. The end goal for Live was to get users to share more, post more, and spend more time on the site, letting Facebook know more about each user and serve them more ads. It never takes very long for a product sitting in front of a billion and a half people to be used to spread graphic violence, and Facebook, in seeking to make broadcasting easy and spontaneous, enables this behavior. Adding moderators if we make the generous assumption that theyre properly compensated and protected will help fix the problem. But Facebook should have seen it coming from the start. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images Ever since her husband was elected to the highest office in the country, First Lady Melania Trump notoriously press-shy, not particularly talkative, and more fond of New York City than Washington, D.C. has remained something of an enigma. Who is she, really? What are her politics? How does she feel about her husbands presidency? We could report, we could speculate, we could write fanfic. Or we could check her likes on Twitter: Melania Trump has only two faved tweets and one (a few minutes old) is how much she hates her husband. pic.twitter.com/AV2XYpopXv Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) May 3, 2017 For about 45 minutes on Tuesday evening, one half of all two tweets that Melania Trumps Twitter account had ever liked was a tweet implying that she hates her husband. (The tweet contains a hugely viral GIF from the inauguration showing Melania quickly losing a smile as soon as shes out of range of the presidents eyesight.) To answer your questions: One, yes, this was her real, verified personal account @MELANIATRUMP, charming capitalization sic not her professional account @FLOTUS. And two, yes, it is absolutely real and was noted by multiple Twitter observers: Shoutout @MELANIATRUMP for the most savage passive aggressive tweet liking of all time pic.twitter.com/FHRl2XfXVg Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) May 3, 2017 By 10:53, she had removed the like, with no comment. When asked by Ringer writer Kate Knibbs if he had any connection to Ms. Trump, Andy Ostroy, the marketer, producer, pundit who authored the original tweet, responded, Hmmm I guess I do now Why would the First Lady like this tweet? The account isnt used much (it hasnt sent tweets since the election) and its possible that the like was an accident an overzealous intern didnt switch accounts, maybe. Or maybe it was Melania with an errant touch of the little heart during a search of @FLOTUS or Trump. Or maybe Melania has a very dry sense of humor. Or, maybe, shes like the rest of us and can only admit her deepest feelings and desires in her silent liking of tweets. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith takes a look. Photo: Robert Reiners/Getty Images Every day the internet presents us with countless unsolvable mysteries, words and pictures severed from their original context and freed into the unfolding matrix of online. Where does that image come from? Who said this quote? These mysteries are usually fleeting and easily solved or discarded, thanks to Google and the endlessly renewable web. But due to its very structure, the internet obfuscates and disguises things. It offers up unanswerable questions. For me, one of the most enduring internet mysteries concerns a file known as IMG_4346.jpeg. It is, based on file type, an image. But it is not an image I or any of the hundreds of thousands of people who might have come across the file name have ever seen. It is an image known only by its nondescript name, thanks to ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. At 10:15 p.m. on May 26, 2015, Smith tweeted: TAke a look, y'all: IMG_4346.jpeg Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 27, 2015 Smith might be ESPNs most famous onscreen personality, which is ultimately less a tribute to his insight than a testament to his ability to get under everyones skin as an improbably stubborn and belligerent devils advocate. He has built up a devoted following on Twitter, in part because he has the charmingly befuddled demeanor and topic selection of a grandfather: You're officially blocked, @BiblesNBlowjobs. Your twitter name alone should have you banned! Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 3, 2013 Btw....Ass, Damn and hell are allowed on my page. That's mild, generic profanity. Nothing else. Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December 14, 2010 It helps that he has an immediately recognizable pattern of speech, easily reproduced to viral effect on Twitter: PF Chang's waiter: "[Recites specials] Stephen A. Smith: (Acts surprised) "To me, that's preposterous. Crab Rangoon, things of that nature." David Roth (@david_j_roth) June 13, 2012 STEPHEN A: Skip I want to ADDRESS this issue. [BAYLESS nods] You KNOW I am sensitive to the Holocaust BAYLESS: Absolutely STEPHEN A: BUT! Jonny SUNN O))) (@Hegelbon) July 25, 2014 But no parody of Smith and no other tweet by the man himself has haunted Twitter quite like TAke a look, yall, a display of confident incompetence made more bold every day that it stays up without explanation or deletion. It has now lasted for two years without any context or follow-up. It is a memorial to stubbornness, an embodiment of Benjamin Jowetts dictum to never apologize, never explain. It is also very stupid and funny. How did it happen? The most likely explanation is that Smith copied the photo to his clipboard, expecting to be able to paste it into the text box as an attachment. Instead, the pasting was converted to the name of the file. This is not an uncommon problem in software, where dragging a multimedia file into a text-entry field will insert the items file path, rather than the original media. It is difficult to replicate numerous aspects of Smiths setup (the correct iterations of iPhone hardware, operating system, and Twitter app), so I can only work from this, which I believe to be the most plausible theory. As weve seen, Smith is not exactly the most savvy Twitter user, though he did join the service in its nascent period, in September 2008. The homepage linked to from his Twitter account is stephena.com, which redirected to one of those dubious scam pages telling me that I needed to upgrade my Flash installation. More curiously, the location field on his profile contains the geographic coordinates for an area containing a Social Security Administration office, a Walmart, and an Arbys east of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The location field appears to have been auto-filled by the Twitter client UberTweet (now known as UberSocial). Smiths relationship to UberTweet, and the Arbys, is a mystery for another day. Reviewing Smiths tweets directly surrounding this one reveals nothing. He did not correct the record. Five hours prior he tweeted about the Seahawks facing the Colts. The next morning he posted about a Kyrie Irving injury. But, on a lark, I emailed ESPNs PR department to see if they could help me out. I explained that I was looking for IMG_4346.jpeg a photo that is nearly two years old at this point in the hopes of putting this mystery to bed. ESPN, god bless them, did actually look into this for me. Earlier this week, communications manager Tara Chozet sent word: I talked to Stephen A. about this, and unfortunately, he doesnt remember the gaffe, which means he also doesnt remember which photo he was supposed to tweet. I love the premise and think we could have had a lot of fun with it, but it would be disingenuous for him to do this story. If I were busy radio-and-television personality Stephen A. Smith, Id have probably sent a similar response. I wrote out step-by-step instructions for Mr. Smith, with screenshots, explaining how to search for the photo on macOS, hopeful that the image had been transferred from his phone to his computer automatically via iClouds Photo Stream function. I do not expect to hear back. A possible new lipstick shade backstage at Balmain. Photo: Ivan Lattuada/IvanLattuada/IMAXTREE.COM Move over Kylie Lip Kits: Your friend Olivier Rousteing is getting into your business. The Balmain designer is collaborating with LOreal Paris, Paris Fashion Weeks newest sponsor, to design a line of lipsticks. Rousteing has been involved with the packaging design, ad campaign, and shade selection for its Color Riche lipstick, reports WWD. LOreal Paris and Balmain share the same strong vision of femininity and the same goal, to empower women and offer them diverse ways to express themselves, said Rousteing. The line will be unveiled this coming Paris Fashion Week in late September, with three special lipsticks and a jewel edition (most likely, bedazzled and studded) to be sold at the Balmain boutiques. Update, 5/4/17: Here are the first images of the upcoming collection: Code Pink protesters at Sessionss hearing. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images On Wednesday, a jury convicted three Code Pink protesters on charges of disrupting Jeff Sessionss attorney general confirmation hearing in January. The protesters now face up to 12 months in prison, the New York Times reports. One of the convicted protesters, 61-year-old Desiree A. Fairooz, maintains that all she did during the hearing was laugh when Senator Richard Shelby said Sessions had a clear and well-documented record of treating all Americans equally under the law. The verdicts were returned after a two-day trial in Washington. Fairooz was found guilty of disorderly conduct and parading or demonstrating on Capitol grounds, the Times reports. Two other activists she was with during the January 10 hearing, Tighe Barry and Lenny Bianchi, were acquitted of disorderly conduct, but convicted on two separate charges of parading or demonstrating. During Sessionss hearing, Barry and Bianchi dressed as Ku Klux Klan members and pretended to support Sessions before the hearing started. Another protester escorted out of Sessions hearing. Her original offense appeared to be simply laughing. pic.twitter.com/p6lWzBVFRW Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) January 10, 2017 Fairooz, of Virginia, told the Times that she was really disappointed by the verdict, and that her attorney will file post-trial motions to set the verdict aside (as it was too early to discuss an appeal). Well face that music when we get to that, Fairooz told the Times, adding that she will continue to protest in the meantime. Im so disgusted with so many different aspects of our current government. During the trial, Bianchi, who is representing himself, said he only protested before the hearing began because he didnt want to be arrested. Barrys attorney argued that while the protesters created a spectacle, they didnt actually disrupt the proceedings. As for Fairooz, critics of Sessions who was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 over allegations that he made racist remarks, opposed federal legislation to extend hate-crime laws to cover LGBT people, and voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act twice, among other things think her outburst was understandable. Yet, a Justice Department lawyer argued on Tuesday that Fairoozs loud bursts of anger disrupted congressional proceedings and thereby warranted a criminal charge. The three activists pleaded not guilty to the charges, rejected a plea deal, and demanded a trial, the Times notes. None of us planned to get arrested, Fairooz said. We just wanted to be a visible symbol of dissent. Good for ha. I'm always here to see nepotism benefiting black women. Reply Thread Link She worked so hard to achieve what she has. Let ha have a smoke break on the floor of the Met Gala! Reply Parent Thread Link LMAOOOO Reply Parent Thread Link good for her, it's not her fault her father was a sick paedophile and is rotting in hell Reply Thread Link How do you know that he was Reply Parent Thread Link I have functioning brain cells Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Except that he wasn't, but ok Reply Parent Thread Expand Link omg @ ppl defending that pedophile piece of shit. i guess i shouldnt be surprised Reply Parent Thread Expand Link These responses! Time to go.... Reply Parent Thread Link I can't believe there are still MJ defenders, especially after Wade Robinson accused him as well. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link her breakout role in Star was killer, showed off her natural talent how dare you OP... this isnt nepotism she earned ither breakout role in Star was killer, showed off her natural talent Reply Thread Link absolute star. Oprah who?!! More like Harrys_Headband! Reply Parent Thread Link this "dark comedy", filled with "Mexican drug lords, mercenaries and the FBI" no ty Reply Thread Link I root for her tbh so this is an instance of nepotism idrc about Reply Thread Link "dark comedy", filled with "Mexican drug lords, mercenaries and the FBI" Reply Thread Link They don't gaf about brown folks. Where's the march in DC lead by Hollywood resident yt feminists against the deportation of undocumented immigrants? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ppl always say that Paris, MJJ, and Blanket ain't MJ's kids, but doesn't MJJ have vitiligo too? Plus Blanket got that whole 80s Jackson look going for him. Reply Thread Link a lot of people think MJ's dermatologist is the bio father. He and MJJ look verrrry alike. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, i think joe's father or grandfather was biracial (black and either white or native american or possibly a combination of all three idr) and he has greenish eyes. the fact that people use her eye color to say she's not michael's kid is silly because if joe has green eyes, and michael gets the recessive trait for them, and if debbie has blue eyes, there's a chance that they'd have a kid who might not have brown eyes. Reply Parent Thread Link nothing about her seems interesting. Reply Thread Link i for one am glad that hollywood is finally confronting the long-neglected issue of mexican drug cartels Reply Thread Link mte Reply Parent Thread Link Ikr, it's an element that is lacking in cinema. Reply Parent Thread Link At last we'll be able to have Mexican actors portray drug dealers, so glad that's finally happening. Reply Parent Thread Link Looool. Its about time!! /s Reply Parent Thread Link i always thought that nepotism was that a relative actually got you a job working in the same place as them, not just that they happen to be a child of or related to a celebrity which is pretty much most of hollywood anyway. Edited at 2017-05-03 02:10 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Yes. You're right. There's nepotism at my job big time. Lol Reply Parent Thread Link I've already watched Narcos tho Reply Thread Link I have relatives who are politicians. Whenever my last name is mentioned people always ask me if I'm related to so and so. I do say yes not in a I'm-better-than-you way but i don't think i needed to lie about it; as a kid i thought it wasn't that a big deal, i mean they were just relatives. When i transferred to a new school, on my 2nd year, ppl at the school found out. So they kept making me join school politics, debates and askig me about government things and then and eveb asking me to forward requests to my relatives. for the life of me it made me annoyed bc i don't like talking about those things! I wasn't into it. It got to the point i have to run away bc ppl were being to weird about it. I mean, sure i accompany my relatives thru some charities that helps poor ppl in our area, but it i do it bc its nice, not in a political way. tldr, i have other goals and its not in politics. Reply Thread Link i hope ur a kennedy that stans taemin Reply Parent Thread Link You must be one of the Trumps! Reply Parent Thread Link good on you for breaking free Reply Parent Thread Link is your last name Trump? Reply Parent Thread Link "dark comedy", filled with 'Mexican drug lords, mercenaries and the FBI'" Yawn. That's all Mexico has to offer to these fools in Hollywood? Reply Thread Link mte. can hollywood at least revisit y tu mama tambien where diego and gael's characters reunite and fuck for us??? smh Reply Parent Thread Link good for him admitting he has a problem and got help/stopped. Reply Thread Link Us Sags are loyal to a fault but if we're damaged, we're really infected Reply Thread Link damn tell us how you really feel, did a sag break your heart or smth Reply Parent Thread Expand Link HA! tell that to my ex lol Reply Parent Thread Link My husband is a Sag and this is true. Reply Parent Thread Link is his loyalty why he cheated on his first wife tho? Reply Parent Thread Link Abso fucking lutely yes, damn. Reply Parent Thread Link totally agree. my ex, ~the love of my life~ was a sag and he was damaged. most tumultuous relationship i've ever been in. Reply Parent Thread Link Hmm, fair enough. But let's see if Wendy actually mentions this or if she continues to victim blame Angelina for prioritizing her kids over her public image just because she hates her for being the other woman. Reply Thread Link isn't she dating some former glee producer for like 3 years now? Reply Parent Thread Link The goal is to stay sober, though. Not start back up again. Reply Parent Thread Link Lol it's already happening. He's fully taking responsibility in print and people are still blaming her. Reply Parent Thread Link misogyny is the world's oldest prejudice, my guy. Reply Parent Thread Link And no matter what a woman does, people will credit a man for it. We should all just move to another planet, tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link Your icon omfg. The fucking wheelers will give me nightmares forever Reply Parent Thread Link I wonder if Angie will take him back if he stays sober. Reply Thread Link Would you? I don't mean this as an attack, I'm just genuinely curious. I personally wouldn't, I would be okay with working with someone/being in contact with someone. But I don't know if I could get back together with someone who had to face an ultimatum to get sober when kids were already involved. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link He also lay hands on their child, I don't think Angelina is the type to take that lightly. It's a messed up situation. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah I honestly don't know. She seemed really gutted to leave him and it's hard when they're the person you love while sober but someone else when drunk ya know? I've had alcoholics/addicts in my life and the whole Jekyll and Hyde thing is torture but I've never had the extra layer of kids. I can see them being friends again and coparenting but idk if she'll really take him back. Sad that he didn't wake up sooner. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I would. Not to sound all new age-y, but if change is possible, so is forgiveness and reconciliation. Reply Parent Thread Link I think it's such an individual thing. I dated an addict and when I finally broke up with him I knew that even if he got sober and I could see he really was, I could never get back with him because I just knew, deep down, I would never trust him. Now my brother is an alcoholic and has been sober for 8 years and he and his wife are still going strong. I feel like it all depends on how the issue was dealt with and what went on while the person was not doing well. Reply Parent Thread Link i think it depends highly on how that person hurt you when they were using. everyone (should) have their hard limits. i would never fault someone for protecting themselves and not taking someone back but addiction poisons people and can make them act in ways they never would sober, so i would be willing to reevaluate based on what kind of progress i saw after a bare minimum 12 months sobriety. Reply Parent Thread Link from what we've heard, it sounds to me like she has already given him an ultimatum before but he didn't follow through with it, so she might stand her ground. Reply Parent Thread Link I forget where I read it or how legit the source was, but I remember reading they were both ready to move on from each other and Brad's attack was the final nail in the coffin. Reply Parent Thread Link hopefully not. she deserves better Reply Parent Thread Link I remember reading about their divorce in magazines and so many publications were spinning how "Angie lost" and the kids "want Brad." Even if the kids wanted Brad I don't understand why they all gloss over the ramifications of substance abuse. Hollywood and drugs is its own beast when it comes to families. Reply Thread Link good for him Reply Thread Link JEEZ at those covers for GQ. Booze really did all THAT to him? goodness me. Reply Thread Link He's a heavy smoker too iirc. Cigs will make your skin look like a sunburnt nutsack eventually. Reply Parent Thread Link He's gonna try to stay with her like Affleck did with Jen, isn't he? Or is the divorce even final? Reply Thread Link i've read that they reach an divorce settlement in january. Reply Parent Thread Link well, unlike jen she filed for divorce 4 days after the plane incident and wasnt moping around for 2 years. they didnt reach divorce settlement but hired a private judge(the same that married them lol Reply Parent Thread Link how long till the tabs put jen into this and be like does brad want jen back? how does justin feel about this interview? Reply Thread Link I hope this works out well for everyone particularly the kids. Reply Thread Link It's the same photographer Reply Parent Thread Link lmao i luv u Reply Parent Thread Link that is great. hope it all goes well for him, admiting your problem is essential to getting better. Reply Thread Link Russia has exceeded its assigned quota for crude oil production cuts by 790 barrels a day, sources from the Energy Ministry told media. Russia was supposed to cut 300,000 bpd from its October 2016 average daily output levels, and it reached that milestone shortly before the end of April. Given the current market sentiment, which is still leaning towards pessimism overall, the news will hardly have a big effect on prices, especially with the market eagerly awaiting the latest weekly inventory report of the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Yesterday, the American Petroleum Institute estimated that inventories had dropped by 4.2 million barrels in the week to April 28. Meanwhile, most OPEC nations that are taking part in the production cut agreement struck last November are continuing to reduce their daily production, with the groups total falling to 31.97 million bpd, according to a Reuters survey. News from Libya, which is exempted from the cut, put further pressure on prices, when the National Oil Corporation said it had upped output to over 760,000 bpd the highest since December 2014. Analysts and industry insiders such as Continental Resources Harold Hamm believe that the cut extension is almost certain. The certainty comes from rising U.S. production, which is offsetting OPECs cuts, and from the fact that those that are cutting the most are also losing market share, which is hardly a good long-term strategy for price improvement. If OPEC does not extend its cut deal, one analyst told Platts, prices could revert to US$40 per barrel. On the other hand, FGE chairman Fereidun Fesharaki said that a price level of between US$50 and US$60 is sustainable with further cuts, perhaps even into 2018. Russia has given its principal support of an extension, but so far Alexander Novak has not gone into any details besides saying that the support is conditional on consensus within OPEC. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Efficiency and costs are the two magic words of the oil industry today. While just a few years ago the top priority was production growth, followed by more production growth, in the wake of the 2014 price rout everything has changed. Its all about becoming more efficient nowadays, in order to not just survive but to remain profitable at lower international oil prices. Big Oil is spending a lot of time and money on efficiency. Just the last couple of months saw three separate announcements from Shell, BP, and Baker Hughes, all about lower-cost exploration and drilling. Shell was first when, in late March, the Wall Street Journal published a report about the companys Gulf of Mexico operations, quoting sources as saying that production costs at its Mars platform could be lowered to less than $15. Shell officials claim that deepwater well drilling in the Gulf now takes 30 percent less time and 50 percent less investment than before the crisis. As chief executive Ben van Beurden put it succinctly, If the world needs deepwater oil, which it does, its going to obviously economically make sense to develop the lowest-development-cost oil first. BP also made headlines last week when it announced that improved seismic imaging technology has helped it to revise upwards the reserves of its Atlantis field, again in the Gulf of Mexico, and by quite a lot 200 million barrels. The company is so enthusiastic about this tech that it will be deploying it across its GOM fields, as well as in Azerbaijan, Angola, and Trinidad and Tobago. Related: Oil Prices Fall As Hedge Funds Throw In The Towel Enthusiasm is certainly in order: one of the biggest challenges for oil and gas explorers is that the earth is quite dense matter and producing a clear image of what lies hundredsor thousandsof feet below the surface is a tough task. This is what makes exploration a highly risky business and has pushed a lot of companies away from new projects in the last couple years. Now, BP says, it has been able to receive crisp images, basically showing that there is a whole new field below Atlantis. The potential savings that this technology can enable are impressive. Then, just a couple days ago, Baker Hughes showcased what it called a revolutionary multistage fracturing service focusing exclusively on deepwater drilling. The DeepFrac technology promises to significantly reduce drilling times and therefore expenses, while at the same time enhancing crude oil yields. According to the company, DeepFrac can save drillers between 30 and 40 percent of operating expenses per well by skipping some steps that are otherwise necessary after the drilling is done, such as casing and cementing, by using tube-like sleeves that can be connected to the wellbore directly. According to Baker Hughes, the technology was recently tested, yielding time savings of 25 days in rig time, and US$40 million in costs. Related: What Crack Spreads Say About Oil Prices What we are witnessing is a mind frame shift that is already bearing fruit: according to energy analyst and Reuters columnist John Kemp, the Gulf of Mexico accounted for the highest portion of overall U.S. crude oil production increase in the five months to February 2017. The daily average there expanded by 228,000 barrels in the period, while in the shale patch, growth was 175,000 bpd. Chances are there will be more breakthroughs in energy in the coming months and years as challenges for oil demand increase in the form of electric vehicles and renewables for power generation, and what some see as the second shale revolution gathers pace, pressing prices down and curbing investment appetites. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Political instability in Saudi Arabia is growing as King Salman bin Abdulaziz begins to overhaul the Saudi government, putting a long list of family members into positions of influence while increasing the power of his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. These actions have the potential to lead to a direct conflict with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. The expected internal power collision, predicted by many analysts, finally seems to be heating up. The real surprise, however, is that it is taking place while King Salman is still alive rather than during the succession period. King Salmans royal decrees, in which he has appointed two of his other sons, Prince Abdulaziz and Prince Khaled as Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Ambassador to the United States respectively, has opened up Pandoras box. At the same time, King Salman has decided to re-establish all allowances and benefits which were canceled last September during the oil price bust. Additionally, the King has stated that two months of salary will be paid as an allowance to the military and security personnel fighting in Yemen. The latter is a complete reversal on economic measures taken in 2016 when Saudi Arabia was hard hit by the global slump in oil prices. The power struggle in the coming months could emerge inside of King Salmans palaces as the current government overhaul is a direct move to increase the influence of the Salman branch of the Al Saud family tree. During this time, media sources in Saudi Arabia and the GCC have indicated that King Salmans decrees have moved several allies of his son, Mohammed bin Salman, into key positions. King Salman has also shown a keen interest, likely supported or instigated by Mohammed bin Salman, in strengthening relations with the United States. The appointment of Price Khaled as ambassador to Washington is convincing evidence of this suggestion. The appointment of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, half-brother of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as Minister of State for Energy Affairs is seen as very significant, as well. He will ease the overall burden on the Ministry of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources, Khalid Al Falih. Prince Abdulaziz will also be at the center of the Kingdoms critical energy portfolio, including upstream oil and gas, renewables, and power generation. Related: Kuwait Sees $80 Oil By 2020 The appointment of Prince Khalid, the full brother of Mohammed bin Salman, some suggest, is a move to push Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef further to the sideline. And while Nayef maintains strong high-level connections to the power brokers in Washington and the Trump Administration, it could also be seen as a move by King Salman to bring counterterrorism operations and political relationships back into the hands of the Salman Branch. Mohammed bin Nayef remains the current Crown Prince. And though Mohammed bin Salman has never openly challenged Nayefs claims to the throne, it is clear that there is a potential for an all-out power struggle, especially given the high-profile media coverage of Salman in the Kingdom. As the main power behind the Coalition War in Yemen, the plan to wean the Kingdom from its oil dependency via Saudi Vision 2030, and as the chair of Saudi Aramco, it is clear that Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is highly ambitious. King Salman has also created a new National Security Centre. The role of the national security advisor will be filled by Mohammed bin Salih Alghfaili who Saudi insiders have already linked to Mohammed bin Salmans inner circle. At the same time, another Salman loyalist, Major General Ahmed Assiri, was appointed as deputy chief of the General Intelligence Presidency. The NSC is in direct competition with the already existing security body, the Political and Security Council, headed by Mohammed bin Nayef, as the Minister of Interior leaving Nayef in a precarious position. The direct impact of Salmans reshuffle is obvious to most. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayefs main power position has been hit hard. Nayefs power structure is partly built on his links to the security establishment in the Kingdom. One of his main accomplishments before becoming Crown Prince were his very successful operations against Al Qaeda and other Islamic militants. The increased internal power struggle, in which Mohammed bin Salman and his allies have the upper-hand, doesnt bode well for the months to come. Stability on political and security levels are only possible if opposition elsewhere is countered. To quell political (or royal) discord, King Salmans government must continue to push for higher oil prices and revenues. This will present the Kingdom with a major challenge. As prices are still floundering around $50 per barrel, Saudi Arabia will have to use all of its power and international influence to get a grip on volatile oil markets. Riyadh will need a continuous influx of cash to support higher government expenses, subsidies, and salaries while also investing in the ongoing economic diversification projects. An OPEC production cut extension is the only option. Higher revenues are already expected by Riyadh, as optimistic statements by government officials are following each other quickly. Officially, the governments financial position has improved, but the Kingdom is still set to run up a deficit of around $50-53 billion over 2017. The latter will be partly mitigated by the high success rate of its bond issues, but still a strict fiscal policy should be held. In general, a move to reverse the financial cutbacks is not a positive one. Financially, it should have been blocked, but internal political and societal issues have forced the hand of Salman. Related: Trump Flirting With The Idea Of A Federal Gasoline Tax Increase Though opposition in Saudi Arabia is extremely quiet at present, the current situation could be the silence before the storm. King Salmans unexpected reshuffle of the government, transferring all power into the hand of the Salman Branch, while also handing out additional money to the public and army, is still a sign that there is a high level of opposition to the dreams of the Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmans coterie. Global oil and energy markets should not take these internal Saudi developments lightly. The threat of a royal conflict in Saudi Arabia or increased unrest in the streets will destabilize OPECs de facto leader. Reports already show that there have been nationwide calls for protests. Wire reports have also stated that security forces lined the streets of central Riyadh, but no demonstrations or clashes have yet been disclosed. Opposition has become increasingly vocal, especially the so-called April 21 Movement, which has been using the Twitter hashtag to demand the reinstatement of benefits and has called for an end to the Aramco IPO plans. Some have even demanded the end of the constitutional monarchy. In this light, Salmans benefit reversal and government overhaul is a rational one. Stability is the primary goal for Saudi royals. If the people of Riyadh were to unravel, combined with ongoing issues in the Shia Eastern Province, things could quickly go from bad to worse. Additionally, a destabilized Saudi Arabia would be a god-send for Iran. Taking out Tehrans main adversary would not only give Iran total freedom in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, but it could also threaten Bahrain - even Kuwait. Underestimating the still simmering conflicts in the region, especially between Iran and Saudi Arabia, is unwise. Internal unrest in Riyadh, in combination with the Iranian presidential elections (19 May), could start a bushfire which would be difficult to extinguish. By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Cuba will process Russian oil for the first time in two decades, after supplies from Venezuela saw an eight-month hiatus that ended in March, according to a new report from Reuters. On May 10th, a vessel with 249,000 barrels of Russian crude will reach a Cuban port, which mimics the Soviet Unions previous support of Fidel Castros regime prior to the 1991 disintegration of Russias former political arena. The Venezuelan halt had caused Cubas Cienfuegos refinery to stop production due to lack of supplies. State-run PDVSA had scaled back the export of its lighter grades to the Caribbean in order to use the fuel to dilute heavier grades. Cienfuegos is a Soviet-era refinery that had originally been built to process Russian crude. PDVSA later upgraded the facility to refine 65,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude a day. Rosneft announced on Wednesday that the shipments were part of a new agreement with state-run Cubametals, which authorized the import of 250,000 tonnes of Russian oil and diesel on an unspecified timeline. "It is very clear that Cuba is diversifying its long-term supply contracts in the event that its October 2000 subsidized oil agreement with Venezuela is terminated," Jorge Pinon, an oil industry expert at The University of Texas at Austin, said. Related: French Oil Giant Total Earning Like its 2014 Relations between Cuba and the United States Russias main geopolitical rival had begun thawing during former President Barack Obamas administration. President Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his leadership during the 2016 election campaign, but Congress is in the midst of investigating ties between the new White House and Moscow. This process is one of the reasons why the U.S. and Russia remain cold to each other, despite Trumps promises to bridge the gap between the superpowers. By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Exploration and production company Kuwait Energy plc said on Wednesday that it would be seeking an initial public offering on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, thus confirming reports from March that it was working on an IPO in London. Kuwait Energy is working with Bank of America on an IPO in London that could value the Middle East-focused group at US$1 billion, according to people familiar with the plans, Bloomberg reported in early March. Back then, the report suggested that the listing could take place as soon as the first half of this year. Today, Kuwait Energy said in its filing to the London Stock Exchange (LSE) that it intends to apply for admission of ordinary shares to the premium listing segment of the London bourse. Kuwait Energy expects the admission to take place in June 2017, and that following the admission, the company will be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE UK Indices. Kuwait Energy expects to raise gross primary proceeds of around US$150 million from an issue of new shares. The company would use most of the proceeds to continue developing its assets, especially those in Iraq that are seen as contributing significantly to growth. Should the IPO be successful, Kuwait Energy will become Kuwaits first company to have been listed in London. According to the filing to the LSE, Kuwait Energy had a total average daily working interest production of 24,432 boepd last year, compared to 24,988 boepd for 2015. Group revenue was US$138.9 million in 2016, down from US$155.6 million in 2015, and operating cash flow before movement in working capital stood at US$77.2 million, compared to US$79 million in 2015. Related: Saudis To Retain Full Control Over Aramcos Oil After IPO The LSE, for its part, is looking to attract more companies from the Middle East, following the collapse in EU listings after the Brexit vote. According to Reuters, LSE Group chief executive Xavier Rolet joined UKs Prime Minister Theresa May on her visit to Saudi Arabia in early April, to try to court Aramco for its upcoming listing. Aramco has plans to list shares on one or more international markets. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: From Brian. As most of you already know my wife Lorine has passed away. It was a great shock to myself, her family and many of you in the... by Freedom Candidates Project Ballots have been mailed for the upcoming May 16th election and voters are considering their options. For too long, local government has been dominated by tax and spend politicians who are more interested in running for higher office than they are making sure your tax dollars are spent wisely and effectively. If we truly want to change our state and return it to a land of limited government and economic opportunity for all, we will need to sacrifice our time and our resources. Liberals look at influencing government as a career while grassroots conservatives view it as a hobby. Our ideology puts us at a disadvantage. We must overcome this disadvantage or risk another decade or more of government run amuck. No matter where you live in Oregon, you can help local conservative candidates win their local elections with a last minute donation. Each of the candidates listed below is the only conservative in their race, running against one (or more) liberal candidates, and can accept donations online. They can immediately put your generous donation to use. Please consider supporting one or more of these fine conservative candidates. Hillsboro School Board April Davis Position 1 Glenn Miller Position 2 Alexander Flores Position 6 Salem-Keizer School Board Kathy Goss Zone 1 Jonathan Baker Zone 3 Jesse Lippold Zone 5 Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District Nathan Dahlin At Large Tigard-Tualatin Aquatic District Timothy Esau Position 2 Legislative panels previews Son of 97 tax ideas Gross Receipts Tax & Corporate Activity Tax By Taxpayer Association of Oregon A Joint Committee of the Oregon Legislature met yesterday to continue efforts to reform Oregons business tax system. The Joint Committee on Tax Reform has been looking at major taxes in light of voters rejecting the billion dollar Measure 97 tax last November. A replacement for Measure 97 i.e. a Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) that taxes all of the income a business earns at a low rate whether the business is profitable of not is one of the options discussed. The other would be a Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) which would be similar to a system adopted by Ohio in 2006. It would also seek to charge a low rate, but only on Oregon sales. It would apply to any Company that sells products in Oregon, even if it located elsewhere. Legislative Revenue Office Director Paul Warner noted that these business taxes like the current business income tax would, by some degree, be passed along to consumers. Knowing that lower income and middle class consumers would be hit with higher prices led to discussed ideas of ways to reduce the regressive nature of these taxes by including an increase in the States Standard Deduction, providing a lower bottom personal income tax rate or increasing the personal exemption. The Gross Receipts Tax would put Oregon Companies who export a lot of product or services at a competitive disadvantage and the idea is also not very popular on the State level. Only one other State currently has a Gross Receipts Tax with New Jersey and Indiana recently repealing theirs. The Corporate Activity Taxs weakness is it leaves open the possibility of pyramiding wherein the tax is charged at each step of a process from raw materials purchase, to manufacturing, to retail sale. In addition, the tax makes no distinction based on an industrys profit margin. As noted during questioning, grocery stores operate at very low margins, sometimes in the 1 2 percent range, and even a small tax on all their sales can be a large burden. A Corporate Activity Tax could raise a net increase of $288 million in the current biennium if instituted in January of 2018 at a of 1 percent rate. It would then generate about $450 million in succeeding biennia, not including any reductions in personal taxes to offset the regressive nature of the tax. A lot is riding on Samsung's newest smartphones - the Galaxy S8 with a 5.8-inch display and the Galaxy S8+ with a 6.2-inch display. The makers are hopeful that the new launches will refurbish Samsung's image, post the Note 7 battery fiasco, and give fierce competition to the much-anticipated iPhone 8. While there are some appreciable changes on the face of it, we reviewed the S8+ in detail to bring you the yays and nays. First off, kudos to Samsung for fitting in a huge display and yet retaining the compactness of the phone. The front and rear are made of glass, and a thin metal frame adorns the curves. Samsung's much-touted infinity display - the screen spills over the sides offering a seemingly endless display - is indeed impressive. Watching multimedia on this phone is a delight. The 1,440x2,960 pixel resolution makes everything look rich and colourful. Samsung has bid adieu to the physical home button; it is now at the bottom of the display. A shortcut key has been added on the left side panel for Bixby - Samsung equivalent of Apple's Siri and Google Assistant. The fingerprint scanner has been moved next to the camera module, making it slightly difficult to access. The S8+ has an iris and face unlock feature. The phone is IP68 certified water and dust resistant. Although putting a back cover for protection would not do justice to this good-looking phone, it may not be able to withstand accidental drops. The international version of Samsung S8+ runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, while the Indian version runs on Samsung's in-house Exynos 8895 SoC - both leverage the 10nm fabrication process that promises power efficiency. Paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64-GB onboard storage, the unit manufactured in India is on par with the Snapdragon variant. The S8+ runs on Android 7.0, and a refreshing UI. One can access shortcuts from the home screen; swipe upwards from anywhere on the homescreen for the app launcher tray. Aside from Google services, Samsung has neatly clubbed all its apps in one folder which can be disabled or uninstalled. For workaholics, Samsung S8+ has Microsoft apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and Skype. There's no dual camera module on the device, yet the 12-MP lens with f/1.7 and 1/2.5" sensor size does a fantastic job at capturing images in well-lit environment. The auto mode struggles a bit in low light, but the pro mode can be used to adjust settings. Samsung's new virtual assistant, Bixby, currently only shows schedules, upcoming reminders, cards, carries out image search and such. So, that's a sore point. The Galaxy S8+ works on a 3,500-mAh battery with Type-C charging port. It supports quick charge that can power up the phone from 0 to 100 per cent in just two hours. A single charge lasted me a day without any heating issues. Economy is progressing as government focusing on it: Nawaz Sharif LAYYAH: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Tuesday rejected the politics of mud-slinging and blame-game being practiced by his opponents. "We consider politics as a service to the people and will continue to serve them with devotion and dedication," he said while addressing a gathering after the ground-breaking of the Rs 7 billion Layyah-Taunsa Bridge. The Prime Minister said all areas of the economy were progressing as the government was equally focusing on them. He appreciated what he described as the 'one-mile long' gathering and said he was shocked to see empty chairs in the recent 'jalsi' by his opponents in Islamabad. Over 10 such 'mini gatherings' can be accommodated in today's PML-N gathering, he added. The people, he said, had rejected such leaders in the general election in 2013 and today's gathering was a reflection of the way things would turn out in 2018. The prime minister said had there been no tent, the opposition would have been shocked to see the mammoth gathering. The 'sea of people' had come out to support Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and his government. The prime minister said the enemies of Pakistan did not want to see the completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as they were against development, employment opportunities, construction of roads and bridges and an end to load shedding. He said, "Our opponents' agenda is only to level baseless allegations, telling lies and creating chaos as is evident from their daily tirade of accusations and lies, besides use of dirty language. However, we never stoop to such low levels. If the opponents had any courage they should nominate a candidate for contesting an election from here and then they would have seen the candidate's surety bond confiscated" he said. The Prime Minister said he was in Layyah to launch string of new development programmes. He said when he came to power he had promised an end to load shedding and initiated a number of power Projects. He said he had already inaugurated a few while many of them were nearing completion. "By next year we will add 10,000 MW to the national grid. It will not only be abundant, but also cheap," he said. The prime minister said for the farmers, the prices of urea and DAP fertilizers had already been reduced which would be further dropped in the coming days. The prime minister said the new bridge would reduce the distance between Layyah and Taunsa by about 150 km and now the people of the area would reach the Indus Highway in half an hour. He announced the supply of natural gas for Chowk Azam, Krore and Fatehpur to fulfill the long-standing demand of the people, besides construction of a new 50 km long rural road and remodelling of the Thal Canal. Nawaz Sharif also announced the Prime Minister's Healthcare Card Scheme for the area through which the government would fully fund treatment of the poor, who would now need not sell their property or take loans anymore for the purpose. He said all the designated hospitals would provide treatment and medicines free of charge to the people suffering from serious ailments. He said his government was proud to have launched a string of development schemes, unlike the opponents, who despite being the elected government in the province and making tall claims of a new Pakistan, had in reality pushed the country backward. The prime minister paid tributes to the people of Layyah and its surroundings and said he wanted to serve them by working round the clock. Earlier, PML-N President Ahmed Ali Aulakh, Member of the National Assembly Sahibzada Faiz ur Hassan and Syed Saqlain Bukhari addressed the gathering and lauded the dynamic policies of the prime minister, which had taken the country on the path of progress and prosperity. They denounced the dark era of dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf that plunged the country into an economic chaos. They said the prime minister was the only leader in the country who was tackling the challenges being faced by the country head on for betterment of the people. SC announced formation of a special bench to monitor JIT ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday announced the formation of a special bench tasked with ensuring the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on Panamagate and closely monitor the working of the joint investigation team (JIT). The special bench, comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan will announce the members of the JIT on Wednesday (today). The court also appointed a coordinator to manage all communication between the bench and the JIT. The case filed in the apex court to disqualify Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for allegedly misleading the nation on his family's involvement in corrupt practices, as outlined in the Panamagate case, ended on April 20 with the court ordering the formation of a joint investigation team to probe how the family's money was transferred to Qatar. The final verdict was split 3-2 in the five-judge bench. The special bench of the Supreme Court has been constituted to examine the case and it may also pass appropriate orders in exercise of its powers under Articles 184 (3), 187 (2) and 190 of the Constitution including an order for filing a reference against PM and any other person having nexus with the crime if justified on the basis of the material thus brought on the record before it. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also approved the appointment of Additional Registrar Muhammad Ali as the coordinator between the JIT and the SC bench on the case. The newly appointed liaison officer will be assisted by deputy registrar and assistant registrar during the JIT hearings. The JIT has been tasked to produce a report and apprise the bench with its latest updates every 15 days. The report will be forwarded to the bench via the additional registrar. The coordinator will also, in turn, forward the directions issued by the bench to the JIT. In addition to appointing the coordinator, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also approved establishing a cell dedicated for the JIT. Sources said there's been a delay in the formation of the JIT as the apex court expressed concerns over the names of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials recommended for inclusion in the six-member investigation team. Sources said that there was a possibility that top court assigns an officer from FIA other than the nominations. "The court is also reviewing names of officials sent by Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence for inclusion in the joint investigation team," sources added. In its April 20 judgment, the apex court had ordered the formation of the JIT to probe offshore assets of the prime minister and his two sons. The JIT, according to the court ruling, would comprise representatives from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), FIA as well as officials from the MI and ISI. It is rare and unprecedented that a sitting prime minister would be quizzed by officials from civil and military institutions for his offshore companies. The premier has all along denied any wrongdoing since the scandal first surfaced when documents from a Panamanian legal firm was leaked by a consortium of international investigative journalists in April last year. Although the majority of judges ruled against Sharif's sacking, the 545-page ruling did raise serious questions about the failure of the prime minister and his legal team to justify his family's offshore holdings. Meanwhile, Watan Party Chairman Barrister Zafarullah Khan filed a petition in the Supreme Court to review the split Panamagate case verdict. Barrister Zafarullah claimed in his petition that the decision for making a JIT was outside the legal bounds, and that the bench should form a commission instead to look into the case. He further claimed that the officials sitting in the JIT lacked experience in dealing with civil and financial fraud cases. The barrister also prayed to the apex court to expunge remarks such as quotes from "The Godfather" from the script of the verdict. From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... A former Northern regional minister and government envoy to Angola, Moses Bukari Mabengba was escorted out of the Tamale International Airport VIP lounge Monday by a worker. According to the worker, it was a decision from higher authority not to allow former NDC diplomats and heads of government departments to use the leisure room any longer. Since January weve been using this place until this morning I got to the place and a young man came to inform me that please you are no more allowed to come and use the VIP lounge, and I asked why and he said orders from above, Mr. Mabengba told Starr News. Mabengba noted he was relaxing in the lounge with raft of other VIPs including an NPP Member of Parliament for Ewutu Senya East Constituency and Minister for Special Development Initiative, Mavis Hawa Koomson whose pleas for the senior statesman to be spared was ignored. Her other interventions were not recognized and the airport worker who was sent to carry out the orders adamantly took the former minister out to join private citizens at the public waiting room. Fortunately for me, I was sitting in the lounge with one of the NPP MPs and also a minister, Hawa Koomson, and I told her look at what your people are doing they are asking me a former ambassador, minister, an MP not to use the lounge. Meanwhile, I know that while were in government this place was free and even cited several examplesI remember when we lost [and] the vice president visited, I received them at the airport, all of them including non-appointees of government, we were all allowed to pass through the VIP and today they did that to me, Mabengba told Starr News. The former ambassador was heard loudly protesting while being driving out of the hospitality facility. In fact, I wanted to refuse that order but I said if I do it that young man might lose his job because they would say he asked me to leave and I didnt leave, he stated. Another former NDC government appointee Joyce Bawa-Mogtari, now spokesperson for former president John Mahama, was also seen waiting with a pack of travellers at the public waiting room. It is, however, not clear whether she was also denied access to the lounge. She was unavailable for comments. The VIP lounge patrons enjoy special privileges and do not go through tedious booking procedures. Mabengba, a former Ghana ambassador to Angola, said the decision to bar former NDC government appointees from using the lounge was politically motivated. I told them, fortunately for me there was so many NPP people in the lounge with the minister that I will make case out of it not because I want redress but just wanted to be on record that after we left off, we were prevented from using some facilities so that if in future my party comes to government and the same measures are put in place, no sanctimonious pastor or civil society organizations or whatever should come and tell us that what we are doing are not correct , the NDC executive warned. However, authorities of the airport have responded denying issuing such orders and said they were yet to receive briefing on the Monday incident. Airport manager Micheal Omane Mensah spoke to Starr News saying, all former diplomats are allowed to use the VIP, adding: I dont know where that directive is coming from. Omane who said he was away from the region pledged to launch an immediate probe into the issue. Source: starrfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A child in Yemen and a child in Syria. Separated by hundreds of miles, they share the experience of warfare in Syria, a conflict that has churned along for over six years, in Yemen, a war thats intensified since 2015. Children in both countries share an uncertain future, with the ever-present specter of illness, trauma, and death. Both countries are on the verge of a total collapse of their respective health systems. But this is not a byproduct of warfare. It is an intentional tactic utilized by parties to the conflict in both countries, emblematic of the deterioration of international laws and norms that are designed to protect hospitals and health care workers in times of war. A Saudi-led intervention in Yemen has decimated civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and personnel. The destruction of airports, roads, and ports has led to perilous shortages of medicine, equipment, and staff. Compounding the suffering, there have been at least 160 attacks on health professionals and hospitals in the past two years. Less than half of the countrys medical facilities are still functioning. In Syria, that countrys government and its Russian allies have waged an all-out assault on the health care system, targeting hospitals and doctors in an effort to inflict maximum suffering in opposition-held areas. While opposition and Islamic State fighters are also complicit in hospital attacks, Syrian government forces and their Russian allies are responsible for more than 90 percent of the 454 medical facility attacks that Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has documented since 2011. We have documented these attacks on hospitals and clinics, doctors and medics, pediatric wards and maternity hospitals. The deliberate or reckless destruction of health care is a war crime with devastating impact. Not only do these strikes kill those who are trained to provide care in times of conflict; they also kill untold numbers of people who will die of preventable deaths without access to routine and emergency care. In addition to bombing health facilities and personnel, parties to both conflicts have cut off supplies of food, medicine, and vital medical equipment. Since last August, Yemens main international airport has been closed and seaports have been attacked. Now the country is on the brink of famine, and health professionals are struggling to treat the injured and dying without sufficient medicine and supplies. In January, one Yemeni doctor told Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict that he sees patients who travel hundreds of miles, past checkpoints and along dangerous roads, because local hospitals have run out of blood, oxygen, and other critical supplies. But its the cases of malnutrition we have seen, he said, where children are suffering the most. In Syria, too, life-saving aid has been intentionally blocked from reaching civilians, particularly in areas under siege. Last year, PHR documented dozens of preventable deaths from malnutrition and lack of medical aid in the besieged town of Madaya, including young children. After an April chemical weapon strike in the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun, where aid is in short supply, health professionals there didnt have the necessary supplies to treat victims. After all these years, we have become accustomed to death, a Syrian doctor told Physicians for Human Rights. But when you see children injured, it is hard. Indeed, in the hours after the attack, social media carried images of young children, struggling to breathe and foaming at the mouth. More than one member of our staff cried, said the Syrian doctor. We are always doing our best, but we couldnt provide any help. A year ago today, the UN Security Council unable to come to a consensus about how to stop the bleeding in Syria or Yemen issued a resolution reasserting core tenets of international law: that medical personnel and facilities are protected and that humanitarian aid must flow freely. Since that time, these attacks have continued with impunity. The pace is relentless, and accountability seems distant. Warring parties in both countries have powerful allies on the Security Council. Russia has not only covered for the crimes of Syria, Russian forces have also carried out these crimes alongside the Syrian military. Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom have turned a blind eye to Saudi atrocities, fueled by American- and British-supplied weaponry. The United Nations needs to lead the charge against these heinous attacks. The World Health Organization must systematically document strikes against medical facilities and personnel; the UN Security Council must convene regular briefings on conflicts experiencing such attacks; and the Security Council must mandate prompt, impartial investigations into all reported attacks to ensure that perpetrators will be held accountable for these egregious violations of international law. An entire generation of Syrian and Yemeni children will carry the mental and physical scars of these conflicts. War crimes trials and transparency and naming and shaming cannot erase those wounds. But they will send a signal to those who act with an utter disregard for international law and human rights: the world is watching. And justice must come. For Immediate Release On the anniversary of a UN Security Council resolution condemning attacks on health care in conflict, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict said today the all-out assault on health care is continuing unabated in conflicts around the world. Both organizations said the problem is acute in Syria and Yemen, where hospitals, doctors, nurses, and clinics are regularly and systematically targeted and medical aid is routinely blocked, both actions being flagrant violations of international law and obvious breaches of Security Council Resolution 2286, which passed one year ago. In Syria, snipers and aircraft have placed medics, doctors, and nurses in their crosshairs, taking aim at the very people who are committed to alleviating suffering, said PHRs lead Syria researcher, Elise Baker. PHR has documented 454 attacks on medical facilities across Syria since 2011, as well as the deaths of 796 medical personnel; PHR says more than 90 percent of the documented attacks were carried out by Syrian government forces and their Russian allies. PHR released a report earlier this year on the intentional, systemic blockade of humanitarian aid in Syria, which is also banned under international law and Resolution 2286. Such blockades have led to starvation and countless preventable deaths. To compound the immense suffering in Syria, the government is systematically blocking access to the most basic humanitarian and medical aid, said PHRs Baker. These are war crimes, and on todays anniversary, its troubling to see that such crimes continue with blatant disregard for international law and human life. In a report issued this spring, Watchlist documented a similarly grim series of 160 deadly attacks on hospitals and health professionals over the past two years in Yemen. More than half of the health facilities in assessed regions in Yemen are closed or just partially functioning. Attacks in Yemen are driving a humanitarian crisis that is having a devastating effect on all Yemenis, but particularly children, said Christine Monaghan, research officer at Watchlist. The country is on the verge of famine, children are wasting from malnutrition, and the very hospitals and clinics where they could get some form of relief are being bombed. In a joint presentation today at the Belgian mission to the United Nations in New York, Watchlist and PHR called on various bodies of the UN to gather data on attacks on health care, investigate such strikes, and ensure justice and accountability. Perpetrators obviously see attacks on hospitals and aid as an effective war strategy; as long as there is impunity for these crimes, they will continue, said Watchlists Monaghan. PHR and Watchlist are both member of the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, which today released its annual report documenting attacks on health facilities, health workers, and patients, as well as interference with the provision of health care in 23 countries. All members of the coalition call for an immediate halt of these attacks, as well as a full accounting of such crimes. Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict is a New York-based global coalition that serves to end violations against children in armed conflict and to guarantee their rights. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here. Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America. Democratic congressional candidate Patrick Nelson criticized comp time legislation that U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro supported. Thats not good. Framing it as convenience for workers I think is really kind of cynical, said Nelson, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Stefanik in the 21st Congressional District in 2018. Stefanik is a co-sponsor of the legislation HR 1180 which passed the House Tuesday, largely along party lines. The legislation allows private employers to offer paid time off in lieu of overtime, with the employee having a voluntary option to chose the form of compensation. Supporters of the legislation, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said it would provide more flexibility for employees, and provide a benefit that has been available to government employees for many years. This voluntary program would give flexibility to workers and would give North Country employers a powerful new took to recruit top talent, Stefanik said, in a post on her congressional office Facebook page. Opponents said it would deprive workers of additional income they depend on to meet expenses, and that employers would benefit from having extended use of that money without paying interest on it. Its basically legalizing wage theft. Thats not healthy for the country, and thats not good for workers, Nelson said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. On another topic, Nelson reiterated his call for Stefanik to discuss her position on the latest version of Republican legislation to repeal and replace former President Obamas health care plan. I think the congresswoman should put out a substantive statement explaining what she likes about the American Health Care Act and what she dislikes about it, he said. Stefaniks spokesman Tom Flanagin has said Stefanik wants to have a final version of the legislation before taking a position. I can understand that she has not made up her mind, Nelson said. But she should let her constituents in on what she feels the strengths of this legislation are and what the weaknesses are. Nelson said April was his second best month so far for campaign fund raising. We raised a little over two grand, so not as strong as March but stronger than any of the other months, he said. Weve opened this quarter a lot stronger than we opened the last quarter, so theres that. FBI Director James Comey strongly defended Wednesday his decision to alert Congress just days before the 2016 election about his agency's investigation into emails potentially related to Hillary Clinton's personal server, telling senators while the idea of impacting the election made him "mildly nauseous," he would not change what he did. "It was a hard choice, I still believe in retrospect the right choice," Comey told senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency. "I can't consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected." Comey is testifying the day after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticized him for his role in the outcome of last year's presidential election. "A cloud of doubt hangs over the FBI's objectivity," committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said in his opening remarks, which listed a series of issues he took with the agency. The Iowa Republican added later, "The public's faith in the FBI, Congress, and our democratic process has been tested lately." Grassley originally called the Wednesday oversight hearing of the FBI to examine what the agency knows about a 2015 terrorist attack in Garland, Texas. But the broad oversight hearing almost immediately shifted to the FBI's investigation into Russian meddling in the US elections, a subject on which there are four congressional probes in progress which have led to a steady stream of revelations since President Donald Trump was elected. Comey has become an almost equally divisive figure for Republicans and Democrats for his impact on the 2016 elections. His revelation that the FBI was examining additional emails from Hillary Clinton that were discovered on disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner's computer, has led Democrats -- including Clinton herself -- to say it cost them the White House. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said Tuesday in an interview conducted by CNN's Christiane Amanpour at the Women for Women International summit in New York. Following those remarks, Trump criticized Comey the night before the hearing. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony......Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump said in a pair of tweets Tuesday. Senate Democrats say the plan to grill the FBI chief about his decisions in the final days of the US election last year and his timing for releasing that information. "The most important investigation the FBI is currently conducting is into Russia's interference in our last presidential election," Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee, told CNN Tuesday. "This isn't just about understanding Russian interference and potential coordination of some kind with the Trump campaign. This is about defending our next election as well." But Comey's public announcement during the March House Intelligence Committee hearing that the FBI has been investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives since last July sparked the anger of Trump and his allies. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat on the judiciary committee, said he and others also plan to grill Comey on why he announced that the FBI was looking again at Clinton's emails -- just days before the election. "The American people really deserve answers about why he did release his comments and letter, and I think he may want to be more forthcoming and he may want to use this forum as an opportunity to tell the American people his side of the story." Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is leading his own investigation into Russia's interference in the election, said he still wants Comey to answer whether the FBI issued any warrants against the Trump campaign -- a question he asked months ago. "I just want an answer. I just want to know what is going on here," Graham said Tuesday. "You had (former Director of National Intelligence James) Clapper say there was no surveillance of the Trump campaign or Trump Tower. You've got press reports a FISA warrant was issued for Carter Page because of his ties to Russia. I just want to know what happened. And if we can't do it in an open session, let's do it in a closed session." Most recently, CNN reported Tuesday that former acting Attorney General Sally Yates is prepared to testify before a Senate panel next week that she gave a forceful warning to the White House regarding then-national security adviser Michael Flynn and his conversations with the Russians nearly three weeks before he was fired, contradicting the administration's version of events. Wednesday's meeting will be the first of two consecutive hearings for Comey this week. The second will be a closed-door meeting with the House Intelligence Committee, focused largely on follow-up questions from their explosive first meeting in March. CNN's Evan Perez, Pamela Brown, Jim Sciutto and Dan Merica contributed to this report. It is imperative the United States remain a party in the Paris Climate Agreement despite the weakening of the agreement by President Donald Trumps stagecraft, said Judith Enck, an environmental official in President Barack Obamas administration. Im afraid its become more symbolic than substantive now, Enck said in an interview at the Glens Falls Peoples Climate March on Saturday, where she was one of the speakers. Enck, regional Environmental Protection Agency director for seven years, said the agreement is linked with President Obamas Clean Power Plan that addresses coal-fired power plants, which Trump has signed an executive order to review. I think thats all a distraction because, on a surface level, we cannot achieve our goals (for reducing emissions) without the Clean Power Plan, said Enck, who now is an environmental law scholar at Haub School of Law at Pace University. Scorecard U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, received a 40 out of a possible 100 points on the American Conservative Unions 2016 congressional scorecard, the group announced Tuesday. The average House Republican score was 82, and the average House Democrat score was 2. Stefanik voted against the groups recommendation on 15 of 25 votes used as the basis of the scorecard, including six environmental-related votes.The environmental-related votes are as follows: Stefanik voted to retain a requirement that the Department of Defense use the most effective option for energy projects instead of the least expensive option; Stefanik voted against a 1 percent across-the-board reduction in energy and water spending; Stefanik voted against freezing at 2016 levels energy and water spending that does not have specific authorizing legislation; Stefanik voted to exempt federal Environmental Protection Agency actions pertaining to lead and copper in drinking water from judicial deference legislation; Stefanik voted against reducing EPA funding by $88.3 million; Stefanik voted for a measure to help the city of Flint, Mich., qualify for federal funding for emergency work to address lead contamination in its water system. Stefaniks 2016 score was slightly higher than her score of 33 in 2015, bringing her lifetime score to 36.5 for her two-year career. The American Conservative Union is a coalition of conservative policy and advocacy groups established in 1964. Democratic candidates Interest is increasing in seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, in 2018, said Warren County Democratic Chairwoman Lynne Boecher. Six potential candidates, in addition to Patrick Nelson, were making the rounds speaking with county chairmen at the recent New York Democratic Rural Conference convention, Boecher said in an interview at the Glens Falls Peoples Climate March on Saturday. Three are from Essex County, one from Saratoga County, and one from Franklin County, Boecher said. She could not recall what county the other potential candidate is from. She would not identify the potential candidates because none of the six has publicly disclosed an intention to run.Nelson, of Stillwater, a political activist and Bernie Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention, is the only announced candidate, so far, for the Democratic nomination. Comp time law passes Legislation that U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, co-sponsored to allow private employers to offer paid time off in lieu of overtime pay passed the House on Tuesday, largely along party lines. Taking time off instead receiving cash pay is voluntary for the employee, under the legislation. The legislation HR 1180 passed by a vote of 229 to 197, with six Republicans voting against it and no Democrats voting for it, according to the Clerk of the House Roll Call vote record. Supporters of the legislation, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said it would provide more flexibility for employees and provide a benefit that has been available to government employees for many years. Opponents said it would deprive workers of additional income they depend on to meet expenses, and that employers would benefit from having extended use of the that money without paying the employee interest. Born to Fly RecordsIt was Martina McBride who had a huge hit with This Ones for the Girls, but thats also very much the theme of the new album from Sara Evans. Saras debut project on her own Born to Fly Records will be called Words, and will feature cuts from 14 different female songwriters, including Ashley Monroe, Lady Antebellums Hillary Scott, Sara herself, and many more. Its worth noting that Hillary had a hand in writing Saras most recent #1, 2010s A Little Bit Stronger. Not only is Words the title to one of the songs Sara says, but I was always looking for lyrics that moved me and expressed a powerful range of emotions. Women are natural storytellers and Im proud to have so many amazing female songwriters represented on this record. The Missouri natives 14-year-old daughter, Olivia, also contributes background vocals on the album. Words is set to be released July 21. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Bombay High Court refuses to grant urgent stay on bail granted to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut; to hear ED's plea against bail on Thursday. For eight hours, I received high-level on-and-off track instruction from professional drivers. We had at our disposal the 526-horsepower Shelby GT350 (the single-day course is offered for free to any new owner of a Ford Performance vehicle). I learned a lot. But here were my five biggest takeaways: 1. Nobody except a pro driver is a pro driver. Being taught to drive better on track is a humbling experience. I've tracked numerous cars, but the pros who've been doing it since they were little kids in go-karts and who have actually raced for money are about 50,000 miles above me in terms of ability. I'm not fit to sit in the same car with them, much less a track-ready beast like the 526-horsepower Shelby GT350. That said, they're the best at figuring out what you're doing wrong and how to fix it. At the Ford Performance Racing School, by the end of a day of driving and learning, you get a hot lap with one of the instructors. This will and should boggle your mind. I can drive fast. But a pro driver drives fast on an entirely different plane. 2. Driving hard and fast is for the racetrack not the road. Ford offers a day at its Performance Racing School located at Utah Motorsports about a half-hour from Salt Lake City for all new owners of Shelbys, Focus RS and STs, Raptor pickups, and Fiesta STs so that they can fully explore their cars' capabilities. In the case of the GT350, the capabilities are mind-boggling. (I've also tracked a Focus RS, and its capabilities are also mind-boggling, just in a different way.) If anything, the way these cars can be pushed near their limits on a track should remind you that they shouldn't be pushed anywhere near their limits on the public roads. That's a big takeaway: speed is seductive, but it's dangerous and needs to be controlled. The FPR instructors stress safety, safety, safety. So, of course, you're wearing a racing suit, helmet, and are strapped in with a four-point harness the whole time. Speed is for the track, not the road. 3. You have $1 to spend and not a penny more. This might have been my favorite piece of wisdom, dispensed by instructor Charlie Putnam as he was explaining why you should only attempt a pass except on a straightaway and with the cooperation of your fellow driver (at our level). Putnam gave the example of a driver coming into a corner right before a long straight preparing to pass a car in front of it. The driver is steering, braking, and preparing to get hard back on the throttle. But a driver can only use 100% of any of those inputs. If you're using 50% steering, you only have 50% left over for braking and throttle. The driver who wanted to pass forgot this rule. He had "a dollar to spend," as Putnam put it, but because he went too hard back on the throttle while still spending some of his buck on steering, he went over $1 more like $1.30. Crash! Luckily he was OK. It was a great lesson. Performance driving is all about balancing the inputs. Overdo it on any of the inputs and you'll lose the car. At best, you'll have to correct, costing you time on a lap. At worst, you crunch your car. 4. A lot of it is in the eyes. This is my big problem. When driving fast on a track, you have to be constantly looking ahead. The eyes will tell your hands where to drive the car. If you stare ahead and focus only on hitting your marks corner entries and apexes, for example you'll be forever reacting rather than anticipating and the car will always be late to going where it's supposed to be. This bad habit was costing me whole seconds per lap. 5. Use all the track. On a road course, straights give way to different types of curves and corners. To plot the fastest route, you need to establish and follow the best "racing line." Our instructors exhaustively stressed this: the fast line is the fast line. It's physics. If your car steps off the line, you'll go slower. To find the line, you have to use the entire track. That means rolling wide on out of some turns or keeping it tight on others. The key point is that you want to be in the best possible place to take on the next racing challenge. So how much better did I get? Maybe 5% better. I definitely got more comfortable with a very high-horsepower car, something that I generally avoid when hitting the track. In the White House, as one of President Donald Trump's top advisers, she has taken that tagline one step further by pushing for policies that would benefit women, such as federal paid family leave. But Ivanka wasn't always a supporter of family-leave policies. Four years ago, she expected women to return to work soon after giving birth, according to a report in The New York Times published Tuesday. Marissa Kraxberger, a former executive for Trump's fashion company, told The Times that she asked Trump about paid leave when she was pregnant in the summer of 2013. Kraxberger recalled Trump saying: "Well, we don't have maternity leave policy here; I went back to work one week after having my child, so that's just not something I'm used to." Afterward, Kraxberger and others pushed Trump to adopt a paid-leave policy, but the company didn't implement one until the next year, according to The Times. A representative for Trump's fashion line told The Times that the company was new when the issue came up and it now offers two months of paid family leave and flexible hours, as well as a play area for children in its office. In her new book, out Tuesday, Trump describes her journey in dealing with the pressures of having children and continuing to work. As a new mother, she initially kept her family life private and didn't allow her work life and home life to overlap. "It took me a while to have the confidence to know that my authenticity as a mother with young children doesn't undermine my professional capabilities or my toughness at the negotiating table," she wrote, according to an excerpt published by Fortune. She says she's trying to be more open about the roles she plays both executive and mother and better integrate them to be a model for other working mothers. "One of the ways I'm setting an example for a different kind of corporate culture in my company is by involving my kids and spending quality time with them at the office," she wrote, according to Fortune. "By occasionally bringing my kids to the office, I'm sharing what I love to do with them but also sending the message to my team that I prioritize my family and they can, too." There are some important exceptions, however. People living near private wells do not enjoy the same rigorous testing as those whose water comes from public sources. Some public sources are not properly screened, as was recently seen in Flint, Michigan. A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests that the problem is much worse than researchers thought. It all comes down to testing or in some cases, a failure to do so. Typically, tap water is tested regularly for quality and contamination in accordance with laws from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The main law involved here is the Safe Drinking Water Act, passed in 1974. That act sets up a system of health-based standards that community water agencies must follow. Regular testing of the water supply tells experts when one of these standards isn't being met. In its new report, the NRDC documents more than 80,000 violations of the law by community water systems in 2015 alone. "Nearly 77 million people were served by more than 18,000 of these systems with violations in 2015," the agency says in a press release. "These violations included exceeding health-based standards, failing to properly test water for contaminants, and failing to report contamination to state authorities or the public." As the report reveals, the quality of your tap can vary considerably based on where you live. According to EPA law, you should receive an annual drinking water quality report, or Consumer Confidence Report, by July 1 that details where your water comes from and what's in it. But in 2015, this law was violated nearly 8,000 times by community water systems serving more than 14 million people, according to the report. That could mean that the reports were not sent out on time, not sent out at all, or not made publicly available. Formal enforcement action, or reporting the problem to the level where the EPA required the community water system to respond to a complaint, was taken in just 10% of cases. Here's a map from the report showing the number of people served by community water systems with at least one reported violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2015. Populations are shaded at the county level to show the number of residents served by systems with violations that occurred that year. Furthermore, the report found violations of parts of the law that regulate the amount of metals like arsenic, lead, and copper, nitrates and nitrites as well as three different classes of organic and inorganic contaminants in drinking water. But the problem doesn't end there. For its report, the NRDC looked exclusively at public community drinking water systems. If you live in one of the 15 million (mostly rural) US households that gets drinking water from a private well, the EPA isn't keeping an eye on your water quality at all. "It is the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain the safety of their water," the agency states on its website. Research suggests that the water from many of these wells is not safe to drink. In a 2011 report, 13% of the private wells that geologists tested were found to contain at least one element (like arsenic or uranium) at a concentration that exceeded national guidelines. The campaign is expected to benefit about 100,000 farmers in the region. The Minister disclosed this at the launch of the District Technical Committees for the campaign. The committees are made up of representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, District Co-coordinating directors, planning officers and farmers. The minister also reassured the famers that government would prevent any incidence of post-harvest losses by providing every district with storage facilities. Mr. Asomah-Cheremeh encouraged unemployed youth to engage in farming activities as measures being put in place by government to increase production would make farming more lucrative. He also reiterated the various roles individual members of the committees were to play and urged the public to support them. Sometimes, these people have bank accounts and we need to retrieve their money to either take care of them or to attend to other issues. But how do you go about it? Pulse.com.gh gives you the needed steps to retrieve money from such accounts. The processes, in this case, depends on the type of account the mentally retarded person operates. For an individual account: A notice of mental incapacity of the said individual must be presented to the bank. After the presentation of the notice, there should be no operation on the account until a Guardian Ad-Litem or Next-friend is appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction. If it is a Current Accounts, cheques drawn by the mentally incapacitated after notice must be returned unpaid. A court order must also be presented appointing someone as a Guardian Ad-Litem, Next-friend, or Next-of-kin. After this, the bank must update the account of its client to that effect. The Guardian Ad-Litem or Next-friend is made to open a new account and the balance of the mentally unstable fellow is transferred to the new account. For the operation of a Current Account, if the Guardian Ad-Litem or Next-friend is not known to the bank a reference must be obtained before the account is opened. If the account is a current account it must always be operated in credit since the Guardian Ad-Litem or Next -friend has no power to borrow. READ ALSO: Bank of Ghana reviews minimum capital The mandate of the Guardian Ad-Litem or Next -friend ceases upon the death of the mentally incapacitated. In such circumstances, the estate of the deceased will be handled by his/her Executors or Administrators as the case may be. For Joint Account Holders the Guardian Ad-Litem or Next -friend must act with the other account holder(s) for the operation of the account. Where the Joint Account is overdrawn and the bank wants to release the estate of the mentally incapacitated from liability: The remaining parties must agree to take over the liability. In such a situation a new account should be opened and the overdrawn position subject to credit approval transferred to the new account. A Joint Account The mental instability of a partner does not automatically dissolve a partnership. Meanwhile, the other partner(s) can apply to the court for its dissolution. When the dissolution is granted by the court the document must be furnished to the branch for the account to be closed and a new one opened. A Director or signatory to a Limited Liability Company or NGOs account The bank must be given a notice of mental incapacity of the said Director. The bank must not make any further withdrawals with the signature of the mentally incapacitated director once the bank has notice of his condition. Where there are more than two Directors and the mandate of the mentally incapacitated Director is mandatory, the other Directors must submit a fresh resolution on the mandate for operating the account. We have secured the required environmental permits and resources to self-fund a new underground mine and mill expansion at Ahafo. The Subika Underground mine will produce 1.8 million ounces of gold over 11 years with ore grades of 4.7grams per tonne and also create a platform to support longer-term growth. The Mill expansion project will increase mill capacity by more than 50 percent to nearly 10 million tonnes per year by adding a crusher, grinding mill and leach tanks to the circuit. The projects have been optimized to improve internal rates of return to more than 20 percent at a $1,200 gold price. In the first five years of full production, from 2020 through 2024, the projects will add incremental gold production of 200,000 to 300,000 ounces of gold per year, for total annual production of between 550,000 and 650,000 ounces at Ahafo and lower cost applicable to sales (CAS) by $150 to $250 per ounce compared to 2016 for total CAS of $650 to $750 per ounce. All-in sustaining cost (AISC) is expected to reduce by $250 to $350 per ounce compared to 2016 for total average AISC of $800 to $900 per ounce. The Subika Underground resource has been studied for 11 years and execution and technical risks are well understood. We expect to reach first production at the mine in the second half of 2017 and commercial production in the second half of 2018. We have held extensive consultations with our communities and stakeholders and will work towards meeting local hiring commitments, Mr. Pretorius added. READ ALSO: Newmont Ghana cautions against scam recruitment Development capital of between $300 million and $380 million will be funded through free cash flow and available cash balances. Newmont will uphold local hiring and procurement commitments and existing bargaining agreements through construction and operation. Commercial production at Ahafo began in 2006 and the operation achieved five million ounces of gold production in October 2016. Mr. Pretorius says construction of the two projects will not disrupt operations or the companys ability to meet cost and production targets. According to the President, the sustainable small-scale mining regime we envisage will protect our environment and protect the workers as well. Speaking at this years May Day celebrations, he conceded that since the Almighty blessed us with precious minerals, there will be mining in our country. This present generation does not own the earth, we hold the lands in trust for generations yet unborn and we cannot destroy it, he added. The President continued, I have not yet met anyone who is engaged in galamsey who is satisfied with the degradation of our lands and our environment that currently comes with galamsey. We are not fighting to put people out of work by seeking to end galamsey. Nigeria Gas Company is a subsidiary of WAPCo and if Ghana owes them, then it means WAPCo is yet to receive any money from government. This comment contradicts earlier tweet on Thursday April 13, 2017 made by President Akufo-Addo that all outstanding debt owed by government had been completely cleared. The Volta River Authority (VRA) stopped receiving lean gas from N-Gas, its main supplier last year after the nation failed to meet a deadline for the clearance of a US$100 million debt owed. This debt has however been reportedly paid by the incumbent NPP government until this recent revelation. Between WAPCo and the government we are aware of what the debt situation is and I think for us that is what it should be. There are still some monies to be paid. I dont know where that information is coming from but I believe WAPCo and the government knows the true situation of the debt. I dont know who put out that information to the public. But I am not sure that its from the government and is obviously not from WAPCo. Mike Enendu who doubles as head of Finance and Administration at WAPCo explained. He made these revelations to journalists during a forum on local content promotion and greater participation by local suppliers and contractors. Sonnie Badu received three awards; an honorary doctorate in divinity by the Canadian International Chaplaincy Association (CICA) International University and Seminary Houston, Texas, the UN Ambassador CDSE Commander of most Distinguished Order of special Envoy, and the Key to the City of Brooklyn, New York by the President of Borough of Brooklyn, Eric L. Adams. READ ALSO: Sonnie Badu denies death rumours Sonnie Badu joins hiphop star Fabulous who also received the key to Brooklyn during an Icon Talks ceremony on the 20th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.s death. In appreciating the awards, Sonnie Badu said, Never went to university, but determination held my hands. Today, we have written 15 books, and God has honored us The world has honored us, America has honored us, and Africa has honoured us. READ ALSO: Sonnie Badu shows men how to save saloon cost I am still reading about the new office I have assumed and meehhhnnn. All this, over 21 years in ministry has been worth it. The pain, the hurt, the accusations have been worth it. The decision to host IPA in Ghana has received the highest endorsement from H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, who will deliver the keynote address during the Awards ceremony. Ghanas selection as host country for IPA 2017 comes as a result of its commitment towards consolidating a thriving national innovation ecosystem. In its 60 years of independence, Ghana has been an example of progressive successes that have made the country and its advancements marketable and well respected globally. With the presence of world class accelerators and incubators, Ghana in recent years has become a noted sub regional hub for excellence in innovation. The Ghanaian technology and innovation ecosystem, led by a new generation of change-makers has received much international and local acclaim, making Ghana the ideal host country for IPA 2017. Hon. Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), asserts that, Ghana is open for business and brimming with an ecosystem of young talent that is already being tapped into. We thank the AIF for selecting Ghana to host the IPA 2017 event and use its platform to showcase Ghanas innovative aspirations to the global community. We are committed to building a knowledge economy, and providing platforms such as IPA to our youth to encourage them to play their role in innovatively creating solutions to African challenges. As we celebrate the 60-year anniversary of our independence, we are looking forward and committed to putting innovation at the core of our national agenda, not only to meet Ghanaian and African challenges, but also to provide home-grown innovations that will become competitive globally. As it celebrates its 6th year milestone with the theme, African Innovation: Investing in Prosperity, IPA 2017 promises to provide an unprecedented platform for African innovators and innovation enablers to network, share knowledge, explore business opportunities and boost collaboration. Commenting on the selection, Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, Founder, African Innovation Foundation, said, Ghana has one of the most established National Innovative Systems (NIS) for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the West Africa sub-region. During my recent meeting with H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, he highlighted his commitment in transforming Ghana into a knowledge economy and the importance of ICT in achieving the countrys objective of diversified economic growth. Ghanas corporate and business communities are also committed towards supporting efforts that raise the nations technology and innovation profile and with good reason. By enabling entrepreneurs and innovators to test and scale new inventions and technologies, home grown business solutions can help the country build resilience and secure its future prosperity. AIF, with its vision to increase the prosperity of Africans by catalyzing the innovation spirit in Africa, has over the years offered avenues of opportunity, growth and exposure to Africas next generation of innovators. The IPA is a landmark program of the AIF which has since its inception attracted more than 6000 innovators from 52 African countries, making it a truly Pan-African initiative. Commenting on the IPA process and achievements, the IPA Director Ms. Pauline Mujawamariya Koelbl stated: IPA has been growing stronger each year and not only the number of applicants continues to increase, but the quality of applications too. The IPA 2017 edition attracted more than 2530 respondents from 48 African countries; a strong indication of the creative potential that exists in Africa. Our goal is to unleash such potential. Our impact already speaks volume as we count approximately US$ 22 million investment value generated for IPA winners and nominees The 2017 edition call for applications ran from 27 September 2016 through to 3 January 2017 and proposed innovations showcased African ingenuity in the following five key categories: Agriculture and Agri-business; Environment, Energy and Water; Health and Well-being; ICTs; and Manufacturing and Service Industries. An expert panel of judges will carefully select Africas new crop of innovators through a rigorous, transparent process of critique, validation, interview and consensus. About the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) AIF works to increase the prosperity of Africans by catalysing the innovation spirit in Africa. About the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) IPA is a landmark initiative of the AIF and its goal is to strengthen African innovation ecosystems through supporting a culture of innovation and competitiveness, whilst spurring growth of innovative, market-driven African solutions to African challenges. IPA has been successfully celebrated in African major capitals representing African regions: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2012), Cape Town, South Africa (2013), Abuja, Nigeria (2014), Skhirat, Morocco (2015) and more recently in Gaborone, Botswana (2016) Besides a host of exciting side events and brand new initiatives for Africa by Africans, IPA 2017 will offer the following prizes and incentives to winners and nominees: Grand prize of US$100 000 Second Prize of US$25 000 Special Prize for Social Impact US$25 000 A voucher for each of the seven IPA nominees of US$5 000 Additional incentives include investment opportunities, training and access to our vibrant network of innovation enablers, ongoing PR support and media coverage Sponsorship and investment opportunities This is an event organised by Underline innovation enterprise in partnership with Accra Mall Limited, some art bodies and other stakeholders. Keteke Art Fair 2017 is a program designated to give platforms to artists who paint and draw, makers of artworks, sculptors, African fashion designers and anything in relation to African arts and craft in Ghana. READ ALSO: Mercedes Benz African Fashion Festival 2017 finally sets off this July The event will be held at the Accra Mall. READ ALSO: Ghana to host the 6th Innovation Prize for Africa Event in July 2017 This follows the previous events that were held at the West Hills Mall in December 2015 and October 2016. This years edition rides on a concept synonymous with the just ended elections. Last year candidates of the various political parties were vying for the Presidential seat thus borrowing from that idea, we at EMPIRE are asking with this struggle for musical power, which Artist gets to sit on the Seat of Power? On the night, Nii Ayi Tagoe would be doubling as a Dj and the speaker of parliament (MC); Vyrusky being the co-DJ together with last years battle of the dj segment winner K Krack. Then of course our battle DJs: All the way from Nigeria DJ Obi- the first African to break the world record for the longest DJ set and has managed to have his name in the Guinness Book of Records up against our very own DJ Lord from Live FM So the power is in your hands to vote for your favourite artist to SIT ON THE THRONE. Will it be Shatta Wale? Text SMV for Shatta Wale to 1736 on all networks. Will Davido get to sit on the throne? Text OBO for Davido to 1736 on all networks How about M.anifest being crowned the musical icon on the night? Text Man for M.anifest to 1736 Or Will Falz the Bahd Guy command the seat? Text Fal for Falz to 1736 The Elected artist would be inducted into the most honourable seat at the end of the event. Tickets would be out this Friday at Starr FM, Live FM, Unibank Branches Kokomlemle, Accra Mall or you can call 0577 619 555 for limited platinum tickets which comes with delivery to wherever you are and unlimited drinks on the night. Main Sponsors- uniBank Smile and Mastercard, Alomo Gold-Natural Herbs and Fruits,Paba Cosmetics, the luxurious Tang Palace Hotel, Nasco Mobile, Kasi Express, 7Fold, Emerge Ghana and Maaha Beach Resort. Undoubtedly, the media landscape in Ghana counts as one of the freest in the world, to the envy of many neighbouring countries. Within the past year, the Ghanaian media has chalked many successes. First off, the media distinguished itself by informing and educating the public of the happenings ahead of the December 2016 elections and its aftermath. The vociferous nature of the reports and fact-checking ensured that the electoral management body, the Electoral Commission, the security agencies, the political parties and candidates themselves were put on their toes to deliver the utmost best to the citizenry. By organising town hall meetings, debates, floats and educational campaigns such as the one we here at Pulse Ghana did in collaboration with IEA Ghana dubbed I Want to Know the media ensured that the public were adequately informed about voting processes, the candidates and the plans they have for their constituents when elected. Because of our collective efforts, the fears expressed ahead of the elections about fake news were largely extinguished by countering false information with the truth to ensure a peaceful handover of power once again in this country. READ ALSO: Five times journalists were attacked in Ghana in the last two years Again, the media through the courts, fought tirelessly to ensure that plans by the National Media Commission to screen programming content by Ghanas broadcasters did not materialise. A ruling by the Supreme Court ensured that the risk of censorship, which had been fought against in the past, did not rear its ugly head again. The courts also ensured that violence against journalists does not go unpunished by fining the assaulters of three journalists working on a story about access to Ghanas National Health Insurance Scheme. The office of Accras mayor and that of the Inspector General of Police were also forced to apologise for harassing two journalists and their driver while they were covering a demolition of homes. In the last year, Ghanas media has led a strong campaign for the protection of the environment by dedicating precious airtime and space to covering the destruction being caused by illegal mining in the country, commonly known as galamsey. Galamsey has led to the pollution of water bodies, destruction of trees, a slump in agriculture production, an increase in health problems and served as a lure to young people to abandon the classroom for illegal mines, where risk of mine pits collapsing is always present. The unabated attention on galamsey by the media has forced the hand of government to announce tough measures to curb the situation including an ultimatum for galamsey to cease, which has largely been respected by the miners, and a freeze on the issuance of small scale mining licences. Despite these successes, the press in Ghana, remains constrained in their efforts to serve the nation effectively as the watchdogs of society. Last minute, quite frankly insincere, efforts by the majority side in the last Parliament to pass the Right to Information Bill failed ensuring that once again, after 18 years and five presidents later, the bills has still not been passed. When passed, journalists in the country would have greater access to government information, comb through it and expose state corruption and wrongdoing. Over the years, the media has had to rely on leaks and anonymous sources in their efforts towards exposing wrongdoing by the arms of government, a situation although commended, is not ideal. Pulse Ghana urges the current administration, aided by its majority in Parliament, to honour its promise to pass the bill in its first year of office. The press in Ghana continues to suffer from harassment and brutal violence for doing their jobs. Impunity against journalists perpetrated by state and non-state actors have been recorded within the last year. In September 2016, a citizen journalist, Fadi Dabboussi, was arrested for posting a photo online that showed the misappropriation of state vehicles by the government for campaign purposes. In June 2016, journalist Fred Tettey-Djabanor of Accra-based Citi FM together with many others, was assaulted in court by the family members of trio involved in the infamous Montie 3 saga. In March 2017, freelancer Kendrick Ofei Ansah was physically assaulted by soldiers after he videoed them physically assaulting a member of the public. The actions of the soldiers were defended by Major Derek Oduro went on national television to praise the actions of the journalists by saying Mr Ansah deserved it because he had a big mouth. In April 2017, journalist Ridwan Karim Dini Osman, was assaulted while reporting on the scene of a fire outbreak at Ashfoam in Accra. With very little achieved by way of prosecution in previous assault cases, the seed of impunity has flourished to become the main impediment to media freedom in Ghana. Pulse Ghana calls for the strict enforcement of laws to protect journalists in the country whether it is perpetrated by members of the security forces or by members of the ordinary public. The accused was, however, released on bail in the sum of N50,000 after he pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate, Mr M.A. Etti, who gave the ruling, also ordered the accused to produce one surety as part of the bail conditions. Etti added that the surety must be gainfully employed and also show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government. Earlier the prosecutor, Sgt. Olusegun Kokoye, told the court that the accused committed the offence between April 25 and April 28 at Naija Bet Lotto Shop located at No. 59, Alaba Ojo Road, Amukoko, Lagos. Chjinedu, who resides at Ajegunle area of Apapa, Lagos, was accused of stealing N46,000, being proceeds from lotto sales, property of his boss, Chukwudi Nwachukwu. The complainant reported the case to the Police and the accused was traced to his house where he was arrested. The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes a three-year jail term for offenders. But a new study has indicated that drinking two beers is more effective at relieving pain than taking painkillers. The researchers from the University of Greenwich found that consuming two pints of beer can cut discomfort by a quarter. They explained that by elevating your blood alcohol content to approximately 0.08 per cent, you will give your body a small elevation of pain threshold and thus a moderate to large reduction in pain intensity ratings. Findings suggest that alcohol is an effective analgesic that delivers clinically-relevant reductions in ratings of pain intensity, which could explain alcohol misuse in those with persistent pain, despite its potential consequences for long-term health, the researchers indicated. Dr Trevor Thompson, who led the study at London's Greenwich University, told The Sun: [Alcohol] can be compared to opioid drugs such as codeine and the effect is more powerful than paracetamol. If we can make a drug without the harmful side-effects, then we could have something that is potentially better than what is out there at the moment. Some experts have, however, strongly indicated that the results of the study do not mean alcohol is good for humans. My youngest sister, Busola, was 12 years-old when she died because there was no air ambulance in Nigeria at that time to enable her to get to a specialist facility quickly. I set up my company, the Flying Doctors Nigeria, a leading pan-African air ambulance company and the first indigenous air ambulance company in Nigeria, to solve this problem. According to the Association of Air Medical Services, almost 100 million people in the US would not be able to access emergency healthcare without air ambulances. In Africa, where there are fewer healthcare professionals, an under-developed road infrastructure, smaller healthcare budgets and often huge distances between specialist medical facilities; the number of people that cannot access emergency healthcare without an air ambulance is much higher. Provision of specialist healthcare (building, equipping and running hospitals) is very expensive. Healthcare budgets in Africa are often lower than 0.1% of their counterparts in the developed world. Therefore, specialist care must be centralized, allowing the bulk of the budget for specialist care to be deployed into very few hospitals. This allows more efficient use of scarce resources; human capital and money. The high volumes of complex medical cases such as congenital heart disease will allow the doctors to specialize in these procedures and also produce economies of scale with regard to equipment, expertise, research and data. Centralization of specialist healthcare allows us not just to do more with less, but to do better with less. The British Medical Journal states that the centralization of specialized healthcare services is typically characterized by reorganization of healthcare services into fewer specialized units serving a higher volume of patients, and aims to improve patient outcomes and efficiency. Dr Ole Tjomsland is director of quality at the Regional Health Authority in Norway; a country that has drastically improved health outcomes through centralization. He argues that centralization is simply in the best interests of patients. He claims that it just isn't possible to provide consistently high-quality procedures in smaller, fragmented hospitals with low volumes. There are three types of delay that are relevant to almost every medical emergency: - Delay in recognition of life-threatening symptoms - Delay in transportation - Delay in in-hospital treatment But whilst a great deal of time, policy and investment is directed at the first and last of these, the second, logistics, is largely neglected. Air ambulances can vastly improve a healthcare systems response to emergencies. Increasingly air ambulances serve medically and geographically-isolated populations in new ways. This includes primary through to tertiary care without the need to build new clinics, hospitals or critical care centres. The Flying Doctors Nigeria Air ambulance service has worked across 10 African countries for nearly 10 years, providing essential, life-saving aeromedical transportation services. Our innovative systems and processes allow us to deliver this service at as low as 10% of the cost of similar services around the world. Our conversations at the World Economic Forum for Africa 2017 will centre around inclusive growth. As we deliberate, it will be important for us to bear in mind that a population's individual and collective health status directly affects a nation's economic development. Governments simply must take health seriously if they wish to sustain and advance socioeconomic outcomes. Empirically, high levels of population health go hand-in-hand with high levels of growth and income. African countries face an increasingly complex set of medical challenges. An ageing population, lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer, as well as the unfinished business of infectious disease. Most of the interventions for these diseases will take place in the community, primary care centres, or in the home. However, in emergency situations, patients will need to access specialized care swiftly and efficiently. This is where air ambulances provide an essential lifeline. There can be no truly inclusive growth without inclusive healthcare: healthcare provided through systems that allow every citizen to access medical care in a regional/national specialist hospital with minimal delay. Inclusive growth means ensuring that there are far fewer cases of children like my sister Busola, who died simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and there was no transportation to enable her access to specialist care. "The President's ultimate goal is to establish peace in the region," said White House press secretary Sean Spicer. That long-shot effort -- which has eluded US presidents since the 1970s -- got off to a rocky start early in Trump's adminstration. Trump renounced US support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of US policy held for decades. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday said Trump is still "giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem." That move would likely spark Palestinian fury and is privately seen by many in the Israel and US security establishments as needlessly inflammatory. At the same time, Trump has urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Pence said Trump is "personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict" and "valuable progress" is being made. "Momentum is building and goodwill is growing," he said at an Israeli independence day event at the White House. Abbas makes the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want the 82-year-old to resign. 'The home run' Abbas's term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. But he will be hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage a two-state solution to one of the world's longest-running conflicts. Palestinian officials have seen their cause overshadowed by worry over global concerns such as the war in Syria and Islamic State group jihadists, and want Trump's White House to bring it back to the forefront. The meeting Wednesday is a sign that "Trump's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more conventional than anyone expected," said Ilan Goldenberg of the Center for New American Security. "The big question now is what Trump will try to accomplish during this first meeting. If he goes for the home run and tries to restart negotiations, he is likely to fail." "Instead, Trump and his team should focus on incremental steps to improve the situation on the ground, preserve the possibility of the two-state solution at another time, and set conditions for negotiations in the future." One of Trump's top advisers, Jason Greenblatt, held wide-ranging talks with both Israelis and Palestinians during a visit in March. Abbas and Trump spoke by phone on March 11, and there are suggestions the US president could visit the Middle East this month. A group of three influential Republican Senators -- Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham -- have called on Trump to ask Abbas to stop funding Palestinian prisoners and their families. That could prose major domestic political headaches for Abbas, as he battles unpopularity and challenges from rival factions. But according to former White House official Dennis Ross, Trump is in some ways helping Abbas by extending the White House invite. "The president, in some ways, has already added to his relevancy by inviting him to come." But mutual distrust between Palestinians and Israelis will be a formidable, if not impossible, barrier for Trump to overcome. "The gap between the parties has probably never been greater, both psychologically and practically," said Ross. According to Mr Dodovi, a a delegation led by the PM, Abraham Boadi, and the Convener of the Environmental Sub-Committee of the assembly, Nana Yaw Wiredu, were in Accra recently where they met and negotiated with an investor, Alphar Power Company Limited, on behalf of the assembly without the knowledge of the house. The petition further alleged that the meeting was aimed at influencing a decision to secure a contract for the investor in the metropolis. READ ALSO: Find out how much Rattray Park fetches KMA monthly Some aggrieved members of the Assembly had earlier submitted a petition to the Chief Executive Officer of the KMA, Osei Asibey Antwi for action. The petition alleged that the airfares of the assembly members were paid by the investor along with an amount of GH30,000 to the delegation. The investor allegedly promised to add GH200,000 later. But in an interview with Graphic Online, Mr Boadi denied the bribery allegation. He, however, confirmed that he met the said investor in Accra at his request. According to him, each member of the delegation was offered GH500 for transportation on their arrival at the Kumasi International Airport. Chris is a resident of Medoma, near Kumasi, and he says he has been practising homosexuality for 16 years. He goes by the name Tracey or Ciara when she dresses like a female and visits night clubs in the city to woo men to sleep with him for a fee. READ ALSO: Ghanaian gay man denied asylum in Canada He was apprehended at about 9pm on Friday at Adum, the Central Business District (CBD) of the city by police patrol team. The Ashanti Regional Police Crime Officer, Chief Supt. Peter Baba, says his outfit was yet to prefer charges against the suspect. Reports indicate that Chris might be a criminal who only dresses like a woman to trap men, after which he robs them. READ ALSO: Lawyer Calls For The Arrest Of UG Gay Porn Actors Not long ago, he was nearly lynched by some men when Chris posed as a woman to attract men. The announcement was made by Smart Osei-Bonsu, the head of the Ghana Immigration Service in the Ashanti Region. He made the announcement when the new regional minister, Simon Osei-Mensah and his deputy Elizabeth Agyemang went on a tour of security installations in the region. READ ALSO: Mahama inaugurates Obasanjo Centre for Governance Chief Superintendent of Immigration Osei-Bonsu also announced that the service was also in the process of deporting 13 foreign nationals involved in galamsey, the Ghana News Agency reports. Within the last year, Ghanas media has led a strong campaign for the protection of the environment by dedicating precious airtime and space to covering the destruction being caused by illegal mining in the country, commonly known as galamsey. Galamsey has led to the pollution of water bodies, destruction of trees, a slump in agriculture production, an increase in health problems and served as a lure to young people to abandon the classroom for illegal mines, where risk of mine pits collapsing is always present. This means that Ghanas position remains unchanged from that of last years rankings. In its country report for Ghana, Reporters Without Borders said: General elections were held in December 2016 without major incidents or media freedom violations. Ghana is regarded as one of the most democratic countries in Africa, and Chapter 12 of its 1992 constitution guarantees media pluralism and independence. Thanks to extensive use of mobile phones, a great deal of news and information circulates online. Ghanas image was tarnished by the arrests of journalists and raids on newspaper that began occurring under former President John Dramani Mahama in 2014. Articles in the criminal code penalizing false news are sometimes abused in order to harass journalists. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands are ranked in the top five respectively in the world. According to him, its absurd that for well over three months the legislature upon receipt of the allegations failed to act on it by reporting the matter to the Police as it borders on criminality. A leaked document from the offices of the British High Commission in Ghana addressed to the Speaker, the Presidency and other high ranking offices, has cited three Ghanaian MPs and a former lawmaker for allegedly perpetrating visa fraud using their diplomatic passports. READ MORE: Former MP indicted in visa fraud by UK High Commission threatens legal action They include: Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East in the Western Region; Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Asutifi North (Ntotroso) in the Brong Ahafo Region; Johnson Kwaku Adu, MP for Ahafo Ano South West in the Ashanti Region; and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Brong Ahafo Region. They have been banned from travelling to the UK for 10 years as a result of their visa fraud. Some MPs who are incensed by the action of the British authorities have also slammed Jon Benjamin for allegedly leaking the document to the media. While some have accused him of having colonial mentality, others simply believe he is undiplomatic. But Martin Amidu in a statement said the unwarranted abuses on the UK High Commissioner by some MPs, including the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament is shameful. Below is Martin Amidus full statement: I have read and followed the publications on the online media since 26th April 2017 in which some Members of Ghanas 7th Parliament have made needless derogatory comments about H.E. Jon Benjamin, the High Commissioner of the United kingdom to Ghana for a letter he signed on behalf of the High Commission in Ghana dated 20th January 2017 and addressed to the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament: regarding the apparent involvement of three serving MPs and one former MP in visa fraud directly affecting the United Kingdom." The wrong perception has been created by the unwarranted attacks on the person and office of the High Commissioner that by writing that letter he has brought or facilitated the bringing of the reputation of the 7th Parliament into disrepute in the eyes of the sovereign people of Ghana. The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu (and the person acting as the Speaker of Parliament in the absence of the Speaker abroad) is reported to have slammed the High Commissioner over the latters decision to expose four Ghananian (sic) MPs for alleged visa fraud after he exacted penalties against them. The only fact supporting the likelihood that the High Commissioner personally leaked his letter to the Speaker appears to be what the First Deputy Speaker was reported to have told Starr FM the previous day: I think that that High Commissioner in so many instances has acted in ways that in my view transcends the bounds of decency and propriety. Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is also reported as having written in his capacity as Ranking Member, Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament and chastised the content of the High Commissioners letter and stating categorically that: Reading through Jon Benjamins letter, however, one cannot help but notice a rather regrettable colonial mindset for proposing a protocol to guide future applications for visa from MPs holding diplomatic passports. Regrettably the criticism of the High Commissioner by Hon. Ablakwa appears to have been made under the erroneous assumption that the grant of entry rights to foreign nationals into any country is a right and not a mere privilege. Ablakwas criticism of the content of the High Commissioners letter also assumed that the High Commissioner either personally leaked the letter or he should not have written it in the first place when he says: Even though many of us have had concern about the modus operandi and non-diplomatic tendencies of the top-most British diplomat in Accra, I will not advocate hostility or reciprocal action on British MPs. Other MPs have further been reported to have described the High Commissioner as a media freak, a very example of how not to be a diplomat, a media whore, etc READ ALSO: MP begs for forgiveness over visa fraud allegation The perception is thus disingenuously created by some Members of Parliament of the 7th Parliament that the High Commissioner personally leaked the letter to bring the reputation of the 7th Parliament into disrepute without providing any direct linkage between the leakage and the High Commissioner whatsoever. The insults coming from MPs from both sides of Parliament give the impression that Parliament is more hysterical about its reputation being brought into disrepute through the exposure of dishonourable conduct by its members rather than maintaining the honour and dignity of the institution of Parliament through a transparent, fair and credible constitutional process of dealing with members who bring the reputation of the institution into disrepute. But no institutional reputation can be achieved by covering up or insulting, or citing or threatening to cite whistleblowers or potential whistleblowers for contempt or abuse. The institutional reputation of Parliament is endangered when a majority of citizens, civil society organizations, and foreign embassies and other missions in Ghana perceive attempts to maintain Parliaments integrity as a mere window dressing. In any case, how is our Whistleblowers Act to function if MPs cannot tolerate the leakage of a simple letter stating perceived misconduct and suspicion of crime on the part of some members of Parliament? When one reads the letter of the British High Commission to the Speaker dated 20th January 2017, carefully one cannot escape the conclusion that it did not call for any attack or insult on his person or office by anybody in the 7th Parliament of Ghana. In writing the letter, the British High Commission noted that: the powerful words in your impressive inaugural address as Speaker, to the effect that, for Members of Parliament, holding a Diplomatic Passport is both a privilege and responsibility which should not be abused; and that those who abuse that trust would be appropriately dealt with. The letter was thus just a reaction or response to an undertaking made by the Speaker himself in his inaugural address. Did the Speaker at the time of making his inaugural address know that some members of Parliament in the previous Parliaments had abused the privileges accorded them in the issuance to them of Diplomatic Passports? The events narrated in the British High Commissions letter of 20th January 2017, had occurred at various times within the life of the 5th and 6th Parliaments of Ghana which had ceased to exist under Article 113 of the 1992 Constitution. The former (NDC) MPs application for visa for himself and his daughter were granted on 14/9/2012 under the 5th Parliament. There is no allegation that this former MP used a Diplomatic Passport to apply for the visa. The second (NPP) MP for Bia Easts applications with passport number DX001490 for visa were granted on 10/12/2015 under the 6th Parliament. The third (NPP) MP for Ntotrosos applications with passport number DX001459 were issued on 11/04/16 under the 6th Parliament. The fourth (NPP) MP for Ahafo Ano South Wests applications with passport number DX002267 for visa were granted on 07/07/2016 under the 6th Parliament. Whatever offences under the laws of Ghana each of the four Members of Parliament under the 5th and 6th Parliaments might have committed were done before the 7th Parliament was inaugurated this year. Consequently, I do not think that the 7th Parliament has any jurisdiction to exact any punishment from the one former (NDC) MP under the 5th Parliament and the three (NPP) MPs under the 6th Parliament for offences committed in previous Parliaments that have already been dissolved by law. The three (NPP) MPs of the 6th Parliament now serving in the 7th Parliament were elected thereto and took the oath under a different mandate which begun on 7th January 2017. The dissolution of those Parliaments did not affect whatever criminal offences involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude the MPs might have been suspected of committing outside Parliament when they were MPs in the 5th and 6th Parliaments. Consequently, even though the British High Commission wrote to the Speaker of Parliament upon his inaugural undertaking, this matter should have been disposed of by the Speaker timeously, as he had no jurisdiction, by referring the High Commissions letter to the Ghana Police Service for investigations in accordance with the laws of Ghana. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also at liberty to act administratively under the law dealing with the issuance of passports and travel documents. Unfortunately, for three good months the serious indictment on the honour and dignity of Members of Parliament under the 5th and 6th Parliaments were kept secret from the sovereign people of Ghana from 20th January 2017 to around 26th April 2017. When a whistleblower leaked the content of the letter, the High Commissioner who signed the letter was targeted for shameful insults and name calling by no less a person than the First Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Privileges Committee of Parliament, and other members of Parliament on the basis of pure conjecture. Instead of the Acting Speaker of Parliament and other members shamelessly insulting the British High Commissioner for his letter which in my opinion sought to defend the dignity of the Parliament established under the 1992 Constitution, Parliament should rather be explaining to the sovereign people of Ghana why this matter was not referred to the police for investigation for three whole months before the whistleblower blew the whistle to the public. The explanation from the office of the Speaker that the matter would be dealt with in accordance with the law as it affects the integrity and reputation of Parliament looks belated. It gives the impression that if the whistleblower had not blown the whistle this matter may as well have been covered up or window dressed. The Government of the United Kingdom and its Serious Fraud Office (now National Crime Agency) reported to and made available to the Government of Ghana documentary evidence of corruption involving public officers and Ministers of State in the Mabey and Johnson affairs somewhere in the year 2009. The Government of Ghana showed and continues to show a disinterest to pursue investigations and possible prosecution of the case even after the Supreme Court had ruled that the matter could be investigated even by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice. The Government of the United Kingdom, its High Commission, and High Commissioner are again needlessly being insulted and intimidated by some Members of Parliament simply because a letter sanctioning and calling attention to the fact that some Members of Parliament in the 5th and 6th Parliaments might have abused their privileges and committed criminal offences in their application for visa to the High Commission has been leaked by a whistleblower to the sovereign public. How do we expect the Government of the United Kingdom and other foreign Governments from these experiences to believe that Ghana is committed as a nation to upholding the principles of probity and accountability enshrined in our 1992 Constitution? It is a shame that while the Speaker of Parliament appears belatedly from abroad to be urging the use of temperate language in this matter by members of Parliament his First Deputy Speaker already led the pack of some of his members to attack the integrity of the British High Commissioner and his Government without any just cause. Ghana clearly has a long way to go to defend the principles of probity and accountability enshrined in the Constitution. I accordingly invite fellow patriotic citizens to join me in condemning the unwarranted attacks and shameful insults on the High Commissioner and his Government who only sought to defend the honour and dignity of Parliament as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution by pointing out past misconduct and suspected crime of some members of Parliament. Martin A. B. K. Amidu He will deliver an address on leadership at the summit today, May 3. READ MORE: Ghana ranked 120th in global tourism The meeting in Durban will review the developmental models of developed nations and use them as a basis of creating new models of growth. This years theme is "Achieving Inclusive Growth through Responsive and Responsible Leadership". More then 1,000 delegates from 100 countries are expected to attend the forum. Mahama who is currently in Durban in a Facebook post said I "Will be sharing my vision & insights of leadership with selected top executives of Forum Members at 2pm GMT." The Meet the Leader in Africa Session of the conference with John Mahama will be moderated by Philipp-Rosler. WEF Africa 2017 comes as host country South Africa faces sluggish economic growth, subdued investment and increasing fiscal and economic policy uncertainty amidst credit rating downgrades. President Akufo-Addo, who made the trip to Togo by road, was met at the Aflao border by the Togolese President, His Excellency Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, together with hundreds and hundreds of Ghanaians and Togolese who had lined up along the principal streets of Aflao en route to Lome. READ MORE: Nana Addo visits ECOWAS countries Amidst the waving of flags of the two countries, President Akufo-Addo and President Gnassingbe acknowledged the cheers of welcome and greetings from ecstatic residents, as they made their way to the presidential palace for their first meeting. The two leaders were met at the presidential palace by Togolese politician, Gilchrist Olympio, son of Sylvanus Olympio, Togos first President. Gilchrist Olympio was a long-time opponent of the regime of Gnassingbe Eyadema, and was President of the Union of Forces for Change (UFC), Togos main opposition party from the 1990s till 2013, when he responded to the calls by President Faure Gnassingbe, son of the late President Eyadema, for national reconciliation, which saw him take a senior position in the Togolese State. President Akufo-Addos visit to Togo is part of the first phase of his tour of countries of the ECOWAS region. The visit will afford him the opportunity to introduce himself, as the new Ghanaian leader, formally to the governments and peoples of Ghanas neighbouring countries, explore and deepen bilateral relations with them, and reiterate Ghanas full commitment to the ECOWAS project. On Wednesday, May 3, 2017, he will see him visit the Noepe border post, accompanied by President Faure Gnassingbe, before the pair hold bilateral talks at the presidential palace. A working ministerial session of the two delegations will also take place simultaneously at the palace. Foreign Minister, Hon. Shirley AYorkor Boatchway, MP; Trade and Industry Minister, Hon. Alan Kyerematen; National Security Minister, Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah; Interior Minister, Hon. Ambrose Dery, MP; Defence Minister, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, MP; Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Hon. Kofi Adda, MP, are all part of President Akufo-Addos delegation. President Akufo-Addo will also be taken on a tour of the harbour at Lome, before interacting with the Ghanaian community resident in Togo. A State dinner hosted by the Togolese President will be held in honour of President Akufo-Addo, later that evening. According to him, Nana Addo has proven that he is not ready for the position he currently occupies. President Nana Akufo-Addo has called the bluff of illegal miners threatening to vote against his party in the 2020 elections, if he continues with his anti galamsey fight. Speaking at Soabe in the Eastern Region, he said he is unfazed by these threats. "I havent said that I am going to stop mining. Mining has been done for decades in this country by several generations. I am only saying that I am against those mining without legal backing. Illegal mining, that is what I am against. Today, Kyebi, Abirem, its a sad sight to behold. Mining along the water bodies cannot continue if we want to preserve nature and our system. I have been told some of the people engaged in illegal mining, have threatened to vote against the NPP in 2020 if I crack the whip on the culprits. I am more concerned about fulfilling Gods purpose and devising measures to propel the nations development. Thats my focus and not election related issues," the president said. But Koku Anyidoho speaking in an interview on Accra-based Neat FM said "He [President Nana Addo] has already said he careless if they vote him out because of galamsey issues. "I am not surprise. Nana Addo does not need eight years, he doesnt even need four years. He just wanted to taste the presidency and he has." Akesse made the shocking revelation in one of his latest blog post. Narrating his ordeal, Akesse disclosed that he had met all the requirements to stay in South Africa for two weeks for a project he is embarking on but to his surprise, things turned out to be the unexpected at the airport. In a long blog post, Akesse Sanza narrated: South Africa, has, in the recent years become the favourite holiday destination of Ghanaians and as a Travel Blogger with many years of experience in the field, I took it upon myself to put together a complete travel guide for holidaymakers. And to make this project kosher, I had to embark on several trips to gather genuine and needed information. Theres no dubiety that South Africas economy is one of the largest and fastest growing economies on the African continent but the country is being sullied each passing day by some nefarious activities by her immigration officers. First to meet you on your arrival at the O.R. Tambo International Airport is one of these immigration officers who I would like to describe as Mr Corruption. And, I didnt miss him when I arrived on a Kenya Airways flight on a fine Saturday morning (April 10, 2017). On my arrival, the news of a lady denied entry by an immigration officer the previous day for no palpable reason got me edgy. I was catechised by the immigration officer in regards to my visit to his country. He then asked; How much do you have on you for your stay in my country? and I answered US$3,000. Then, he started smiling, suggesting his interest in my cash in other words, wanting a share of it. He then asked of my accommodation arrangements and quizzed whether I had paid for my hotel which I answered no. He said to me he had every right to deny me entry into his country because I had not paid for my hotel. In order to extenuate the issue, I explained to him that the hotel only accepts payment on arrival and that was clearly stated on the confirmation of reservation, again assuring him I had my accommodation very well sorted. READ MORE: That wasnt the end! Unconvinced by my explanation, he requested for US $50 or else, he would deny me entry (and entry denial usually attracts a ban for a specified period). With fears all over me, I unhesitatingly handed him the money as requested. He took me to an office at the airport and still went ahead to place a phone call to the hotel I had reserved a room to verify whether I had booked with them. The hotel confirmed it to him but was only for a night per my agreement with them. Then came his threat again: I have to send you back for booking a hotel for just a night when you will be staying for ten days. I explained to him that based on previous experiences, I only reserve a room for a night when travelling and only extend my stay in the hotel only when I am satisfied with their services or go look for another one. He then requested for an additional US $50 or else he will report to his head who will ensure they put me on the next flight back to Ghana. Do I look like a punk to this dude? I asked myself. I kept pleading and later had to succumb to his threats by paying him US $20. Im convinced he knew this experience may be put in a blog post some time to come knowing very well Im a Travel Blogger. He didnt hesitate to give me his phone number when I requested and assured me to count on him anytime I may need him. I wasnt the only one who went through this ordeal. Richard Koomson (a tourist from Ghana) had a rather funny experience when immigration officers asked him to bribe them half his rate for his entire stay. Funny, isnt it? He succeeded in paying US$ 100 out of the requested US$250 after spending half an hour explaining to them why he did not pay for his hotel in advance. One Stephen Mensah also encountered similar incident with security officials at the airport. He was told immigration officials erred in granting him entry into the country and was forced to bribe officials to be granted entry. He was fortunate enough to have his R200 accepted. Prince Osei Tutu (Ghanaian businessman visiting his girlfriend) had no option than to empty his wallet to satisfy some unscrupulous immigration officials. He also ended up paying an amount of US $100 as he had the rest of his money hidden elsewhere. Lydia Adutwumwaa (a tourist from Ghana) who had met all conditions to travel to South Africa was denied entry and sent back to Ghana because she did not understand the language when she was asked to pay for an entry stamp. Im sure you understand this language. Another tourist is currently serving a year ban from entering South Africa for overstaying his VISA after he refused to pay the requested bribe of US$ 200 (his US$20 offer was not accepted). This is how corrupt and enraging immigration officers at the O.R. Tambo International Airport can be. They have no shame and demand monies as if it's legitimate or legal and they do it without flinching, and even give orders with gusto, without considering the visitors status. They do not care about the consequences of their absurd acts; neither do they care they could be challenged and dismissed. From all indications, theres absolutely no visible discipline there. Officials at the O.R. Tambo Airport are always finding means to extort monies from travellers. Extorting money from travellers is the norm at the OR Tambo Airport as other officers look on and smile while you are being spoken to in 'figures'. Many have lost interest in visiting South Africa as immigration officers welcome them with unplanned bills from whoever they get in contact with. I know for sure that South Africa tourism sector alone generates much revenue and plays a major role in driving their economy. There are so many people out there that Im convinced have fallen victims to these demands and threats of corrupt immigration officers who havent been bold enough to voice their experiences. Its disgusting and very pathetic. Like many others, I spent over US $3,000 during my 10-day stay. So just imagine the loss if the country drives visitors away through bribery and corruption right at the border. One cannot fail to perceive the air of hostility that envelops the atmosphere at the airport on arrival and departure. READ MORE: So, the question is, who at all is accountable for these corrupt practices? I hope these corrupt activities have not gotten to top management at the airport. The response this blog post receives from the top officials would tell the world if this has eaten to the top. The authorities must act now to bring sanity to the O.R. Tambo International Airport. Now, many of us see travelling to South Africa as 'going to war' because you literally battle with the security officials as soon as you arrive. Its a pity! They are characterized not only by class and uniqueness but also with different kind of peculiarity. History of Itsekiri people: Once upon a time in the fifteenth century, there lived a hot blooded and self-willed young man known as Prince Iginuwa (Ginuwa). Prince Iginuwa was the eldest son of Oba Olua- the fourteenth Oba of Bini (Benin) kingdom. He was well loved by his father the king but disliked by the chiefs because he was impatient of the taboos and traditional conventions of the times. And not willing to wait for his time as an Oba to come before doing away with that which he considered as wrong, he paraded gangs of fellow hot heads and began a frequent terrorization on the chiefs and their supporters. As a result of this, the provoked chiefs who already harboured a dislike for him converged secretly and the meeting was presided by the chief minister (Iyase). A consensus would be reached: The young Prince Iginuwa and his associates are to be eliminated. Traditionally, it is the custom of the Bini kingdom for the son who was chosen Edaiken (crowned prince) to live outside the capital among the hereditary chiefs to whose ranks he belonged. This was the reason that made it possible for the young Prince to carry out his crusade without the curtailment of his father- Oba Olua. And likewise, the decision of the chiefs. However, upon hearing the secret conclusion of what was likely to happen to his son, Oba Olua consulted his chief priest ( Ogiefa ) as to what must be done to save the life of his boy. "An innovative way of smuggling the prince out of the kingdom as soon as possible," was the counsel the priest gave the king after consulting the oracle. Without further hesitation, Oba Olua ordered an "ark of iroko wood" to be hastily constructed: An ark big enough to convey not only the prince but also the eldest sons of the seventy chiefs of Bini. With this intention, a meeting of the central council was summoned when the ark was completed. Oba Olua informed the chiefs that he was sending his son Prince Iginuwa to perform desirable rites to the river goddess- Olokun; and to accompany him, he demanded from them their first sons. The king has spoken, and from the council, no objection was made. So, it happened that when the appointed day came, except for the Oba, the chief priest, and the palace attendant who birthed the escape plan, every other person including the chiefs didn't know that Prince Iginuwa and his entourage- their sons- were embarking on a voyage they would never return. And in their ignorance, they joined the Oba in wishing the prince safety and good luck on his journey in Edo language by saying "OKHIENWERE O..." Thereupon, the ark was carried by slaves through the dense forest which spans across the present route of Sapele for days... Upon arrival at the banks of river Ethiope, the iroko ark was lowered and prince Iginuwa came out, adorned himself with the regalia of kingship, and assumed the role of one. The rugged Prince made himself a king without a kingdom. However, after a long wait, the Bini chiefs got to realize that they've been deluded by their king and their next line of action was to dispatch soldiers to bring Prince Iginuwa and their sons back to the Kingdom. Somehow information would reach the prince that an onslaught for him was on. Upon hearing this he ordered a quick evacuation as he instructed them to board the ark. And from Ugharegin where it is believed the Prince and his retinue had first settled, they sailed to Efurokpe, but not being satisfied with the safety of the new place of settlement, the prince king launched another voyage. But this time the voyage would be long; tedious, and difficult. History has refused to tell us, precisely, how long it took the prince and his royal entourage to sail through the high waves of the Forcados River. And we in return are in no position to question why. Nonetheless, it came to be that their sail led them to the small settlement of Amatu, where they squatted for a prolonged while. It is said that Amatu was a place of beauty and wonder. Its glittering white sand was bed to crocodiles and alligators. The sun beam was soothing to the skin and the air a pleasure to exhale. But then these men were sojourners and not tourists: Food to them was far more important than the splendor of Nature. Amatu with all its wonders was unproductive. There were, however, more fertile headlands inhabited by the Ijohs (Ijaws). Oruselemo was one of them. A cordial relationship with the royal entourage was birthed as a result of the accommodating spirit of the Ijaws. Thus Oruselemo did not only become their home, Prince Iginuwa also married an Ijoh woman named Derumo. Incidentally, after several years at Oruselemo, a dispute arose between the migrants and the Ijaws of Gulani (Ogulagha) on the account of the woman Derumo. The hot-tempered prince had killed her. And the cordiality that existed between the royal entourage and the Ijaws was replaced with coldness. It is as a result of this that the prince king in his wisdom thought it more reasonable to move again. The ark was launched... and another voyage was embarked. They sailed passed the present site of Forcados and Burutu as the Ark steered north into the Warri River. It is said that the days of this particular quest were not only filled with strain and misery, depression and gloominess also thought it fit to take comfort in their souls. After days of hardship, Prince Iginuwa and his entourage finally landed at a virgin land that would be later known as Ijala. And as at now he had become the father of two fine boys: Prince Ijijen (Ijiyem) and Prince Irame. They would raise a mini town and settle there. But not long after they found comfort, news of their whereabouts reached Bini and as expected, an Army was sent to bring back the running prince. It should be emphasized here that this was the era when men were more spiritually inclined; and owing to this, messages will always find ways to deliver themselves. The information had come to them at Ijala and without hesitation the mobile kingdom started making preparations for another evacuation. But exertion has made weary the soul of their commander. King Iginuwa would not make it out of Ijala. He joined his ancestors amidst the preparations. And there, he was buried. It is for this reason that Ijala had become the only burial place of Olus (Itsekiri kings) since 1500 AD till date. Certainly, there was no time for exaggerated mourning... danger was fast approaching. Primogeniture would help pave the way for Prince Ijijen to take up the royal command. And without objection the honour of a king was duly accorded him. Thus, the planned movement from Ijala was, therefore, executed by Prince Ijijen with the aid of an Idibie (medicine man or a diviner) who threw a magical spear (Egan or Etsoro) that was believed to have landed at a location called Okotomu, now Ode-itsekiri (Big Warri). The tracing of that spear by Prince Ijijen and his people, with the help of the Idibie, finally brought them to the spear's location. Historically, the Itsekiris are painted as a collection of people with diverse origin. A people with complex mixture, different ethnicities and many races. According to Jackson Omasanjuwa Ireyefoju and Florence Ejuogharanmakelesan Ireyefoju in their seminal work "Ife Oracle in Itsekiri Social System of Nigeria," Itsekiri people came from Egypt after the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. The Mahim arrived and settled in the present Warri Kingdom in about 28 B.C in Gborodo, Ureju and Ode Itsekiri. The leaders of the teams were Iset, Iweret and Ipi. This part of Itsekiri history is one that cannot be kicked aside as there are more similarity in Itsekiri language and custom with those of the ancient Egyptians than any other civilization in the world. Tribes of Itsekiri People The people, Iset, Ipi Seikiri and Iweret came with some religions. Most of the gods were of the water. In a book titled "HISTORY OF THE ITSEKIRI" written by a renowned Itsekiri historian, William A. Moore, gave more revelations. He wrote, "Prior to the advent of the Benin Prince Iginuwa, the territory now known as the Kingdom of ITSEKIRI or IWERE, was inhabited by three tribes, namely, Ijaws, Sobos(Urhobos) and the Mahims." Also, according to another school of thought, during the time when the struggle for kingdom carving was at its peak, various communities in the Yoruba kingdom were engaged in inter-communal war. As a result of this, streams of migration flowed in from Ijebu-Ode, Akure, and Owo. They found their way into the kingdom, which then was not a kingdom, to settle in various parts; including Ureji and Ugborodo. This should explain the mystic affinity between the Itsekiri language and Ijebu. It is also said that groups from Igala in Nupe country came in through the creek. It was during the days this exodus that one Fifan Wandobo and his brother, Itsekiri, migrated along others from Kerenmu to Ijalosan. They would later move from Ijalosan to Okoyitemi (Okolomu): Itsekiri was the one who led that migration. He was thus head of the settlement when Prince Ijijen's led ark arrived. Several of Itsekiri' compatriots fled at the sight of the iroko ark but Itsekiri with the other inhabitants of Okorotom quarter remained. They submitted to the superiority of royalty and dwelt with Prince Ijijen as his subjects. This was the beginning of a kingdom whose birth was divinely orchestrated by the unseen hand of fate. Present day Itsekiri Undoubtedly, the rich traditional and cultural heritage of the Itsekiris is as a result of an evolution brought about by a hybrid of cultures. The Itsekiri people practice a gerontocratic system of governance where elders are chosen as leaders. The priests are also highly revered. They still confer with their deities through the Ife oracle. Still they believe in an overall God known as "Oritse". ALSO READ: A brief walk into the lives of one of the world's most ancient people Itsekiri People's dressing Traditionally, Itsekiri men wear long-sleeved shirts with George wrapper and coral beads. The women wear George wrapper and depending on the occasion, either have the wrapper tied on their chest or it is worn with a blouse. Marriage among Itsekiri People In the olden days, marriage took place through the family arrangement. The groom never met with the bride before the wedding day. The bride is dressed in George and elaborate ornaments of coral beads, gold and silver. The men are dressed in an attire called Kimeje Additionally, their women are known as good cooks and stories have it that they cook so well that a man can hardly resist. Comey said the meeting aboard an airplane in Phoenix set off a series of events that ended with a bombshell revelation in the FBI director's letter to congressional leaders 11 days before the November 8 election that the bureau would reopen the investigation. During testimony on Capitol Hill before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey said "a number of things" had caused him to worry that Department of Justice leadership "could not credibly complete the investigation and decline prosecution without grievous damage to the American people's confidence in the justice system." The "capper," he said, was the meeting. "I'm not picking on the attorney general, Loretta Lynch, who I like very much, but her meeting with President Clinton on that airplane was the capper for me," he said. "And I then said, 'You know what? The department cannot, by itself, credibly end this.'" The meeting happened days before Comey held a press conference to announce the conclusion of the investigation, at which he said the bureau would not recommend criminal charges but that the former secretary of state had acted recklessly by using the private server. Comey said he called Lynch the morning of the press conference to alert her to his decision to hold it. But Comey said he would not tell her what he was planning to say. "I said to her, 'I hope someday you'll understand why I think I have to do this,'" Comey said. "But look, I was not loving this. I knew this would be disastrous for me personally. But I thought this is the best way to protect these institutions we care so much about." He mentioned the press conference and his subsequent testimony under oath that the investigation was complete as reasons he had to go public when he knew that emails possibly relevant to the investigation were found on former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner's computer. "When the Anthony Weiner thing landed on me on October 27 and there was a huge this is what people forget new step to be taken, we may be finding the golden missing emails that would change this case, if I were not to speak about that, it would be a disastrous, catastrophic concealment," he said. "It was an incredibly painful choice, but actually not all that hard, between very bad and catastrophic. "I had to tell Congress that we were taking these additional steps," he continued. "I prayed to find a third door. I couldn't find it. Two actions: speak or conceal. I don't think many reasonable people would do it differently than I did, no matter what they say today. If you were standing there staring at that on October 28, would you really conceal that? So I spoke." Bill Clinton and Lynch said they discussed their grandchildren during the tarmac meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes. In December, Lynch told CNN's Jake Tapper she regretted the meeting. "I wish I had seen around that corner and not had that discussion with the former president, as innocuous as it was, because it did give people concern," Lynch said. "It did make people wonder is it going to affect the investigation that's going on, and that's not something that was an unreasonable question for anyone to ask." The assurance was given in a statement in Aba on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Enyinnaya Appolos. According to Appolos, the meeting held at the Governors lodge in Aba was convened to brief Aba shoemakers on the gains of having Chinese investors in the Aba shoe industry. The governor also challenged the representatives of the 14 clusters to leverage on the coming of the Chinese to improve on their skills and learn new ways of doing business. Ikpeazu further warned that the government would do everything to counter attempts to frustrate its efforts to attract foreign investment to the state. The governor said he invited them to for abrief on his recent trip to China and commended them for retaining their place in the Nigerian leather and garment industry. I promised when I was campaigning to be governor in 2015 that I will promote made-in-Aba goods. I have been doing that and I am ready to take it a notch higher to `make in Aba. When I went to China, I met with a major investor in the shoe industry who indicated interest in investing 1.5 billion dollars in our economy." The investor, Mr. Zhang Huarong of Huajian Shoe Factory Guangdong, China, visited Abia State last Sunday and I took him to some industrial locations within Aba, where we think he can site his industry." As those in the business, I must brief you and also assure you that his coming will not in any way affect your business negatively." As your brother and your governor, it is my duty to protect your interest and that I must do. But let me also challenge you to take advantage of his coming to improve and upgrade your processes and systems in the industry." This government will do everything to protect your business interest and also do everything to thwart any plan to frustrate foreign investment into the state, Ikpeazu warned. The governor told them that 100 shoemakers from Aba would be going to China any moment for further training in modern shoemaking that would impact positively on their output and quality. Responding, Chairman of the Omenka Shoemakers, Aba, Mr. Okechukwu Williams, thanked the governor for finding time to brief them, and also for dousing their fears over the Chinese investors. He said that they had thought the entrance of the Chinese would take away their businesses from them. He thanked the governor for promoting their products vigorously in an unprecedented way never seen in any regime since they started producing shoes. Williams also promised to take advantage of the coming of the Chinese investors to improve on their business processes and systems with a view to competing favorably. The Nollywood actress disclosed this during an interview in Accra, Ghana. The 32-year-old explained why she has remained single in the last two years, at least. Okoro revealed that although she is very ready to date, most guys find it difficult to walk up to her. She said: The issue is men dont have balls to come forward to ask me out because they think I am already hooked or perhaps I am very high maintenance. Also, I may still be single because most people think celebrities are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing partners but that is a very wrong perception. . "A good number of celebs are single because they are confused as to who to accept in their life. You see, you are not sure if the person is coming in because of your fame and money or the person wants to be with you because of real love. "It is not about money but if a man is not brave enough to come forward then I do not think I want to be with such a person. Anyway, who wants to be with a timid man?," She queried. 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! The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oshiegbu was charged with manslaughter before an Ikeja High Court. The State Prosecutor, Mr M.T Adewoye, told the court that the accused on April 1, 2015 punched Miss Ifeoma Ndidi, to death at No. 7, Majaro St., Agege, Lagos. The defendant had a verbal misunderstanding with the deceased which led to a heated exchange of words as well as insults. Angered by Ndidis insults, Oshiegbu punched her on the head which led to her collapse and eventual death, the prosecutor said. According to the prosecutor, the offence was contrary to Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. Oshiegbus defence counsel, Mr Shaw Jason, in a bail application, appealed to the court to grant bail to the accused on liberal terms. I wish to also notify the court that the defendant has been in prison custody for the past two years, Jason said. The Chief Magistrate, Mr A.T. Elias, who announced the bail condition, also granted the accused two responsible sureties in like sum. The accused, whose address is unknown, was arraigned for a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing. She, however, entered a `not guilt plea. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Omisakin, had told the court that the offences were committed on April 3 in Badagry. She said the accused, who was caught with two 10-day old babies, could not give a satisfactory account on how she came about them when quizzed. This gave rise to the suspicion that she might have stolen the babies, Omisakin said. The offences contravened Sections 277 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that child stealing attracts 14 years imprisonment, while conspiracy carries two years. Odo, who resides at Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, was sentenced on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating. The Area Court judge, Abubakar Sadiq, however, gave Odo an option of N10,000 fine while also paying the complainant N67, 000 as compensation. The convict had earlier pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency. Sadiq said that the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court the rigour of protracted prosecution. He also warned the convict to be of good behaviour. The Prosecutor Mrs. Florence Auhioboh, had told the court that on April 24, Blessing Nku-ekpany of Katempe Extension, Abuja, had reported the matter at Gwarinpa Police Station. Auhioboh said that on April 22, the complainant gave Odo N67 000 to buy materials for the construction of bed and dressing mirror. He said the convict refused to buy the materials or execute the job but dishonestly converted the N67,000 to his personal use. The prosecutor added that during police investigation the convict made a confessional statement. The U.S. Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the nets, valued at 5.5 million dollars, would be distributed in the 21 local government areas of the state. It quoted USAIDs Director for Health, Population and Nutrition, Nancy Lowenthal, as saying that U.S. also provided an additional 1.1 million dollars for logistics, including transportation of the nets, community mobilisation and training. Lowenthal said the nets and support for the distribution were a gift from the American people to the people of Kogi. The director said that the U.S. was supporting the efforts of the government and people of Kogi to protect the health of all, particularly the young and most vulnerable members of society. I believe that eliminating malaria in Kogi and throughout Nigeria as a whole is possible if we all work together, she said. According to her, malaria is one of the leading killers of children and a leading cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when the mosquito population increases. She said sleeping under an insecticide-treated net every night was the best way to prevent malaria. Bed nets put a vital barrier between people and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, particularly during the hours from dusk to dawn. Nightly use of insecticide treated bed nets prevents infections, which in turn prevents the spread of malaria. Since 2011, the U.S. Government has spent more than 420 million dollars to control malaria in Nigeria. Over 50 per cent of U.S. government funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits and malaria medicines, she said. Ihejieto, who is the Medical Director of Arewa Clinics and Maternity, Karu, a suburb of Abuja, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that most of the sexual enhancement drugs have side effects on consumers. He explained that most of these sexual enhancement supplements or drugs could cause elevation or an increase in high blood pressure for those that take them. According to him, most people who often abuse such drugs, herbs or supplements could have palaentation condition, which he described as abnormal beating of heart constantly. He added that such condition is dangerous to human system if not controlled. The medical expert also noted that intake of sexual enhancement drugs could cause anxiety and when such was set in, could lead to depression. Ihejieto stated that some sexual enhancers taken by men caused skin reactions because of the kind of components or agents used in preparing such drugs or supplements. However, he said that such reactions vary from person to person due to differences in individuals. Some of these sexual enhancement supplements actually cause people to have sleepless night because of pharmaceutical agents used in preparing such drugs, he warned. Some of these male enhancement that trigger erection could cause decrease in blood pressure which could result to shock." There was a time some men took sexual enhancement concoction known as Mojo Mojo in South West part of the country, which resulted to death of some of them that took such herbs, he said. The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the alternative roads had become dilapidated and urged the state government not to abandon them after completing the flyover. Mr Adewale Iyiola, a resident, said most of the alternative roads had become deplorable due to overuse, urging the Lagos government to fix them. At a point, motorists were using the Awori route to link Oja-Oba-Super route, linking Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway, but now both roads are no longer passable, he said. Mr Kazeem Adeyemo, a community leader in the area, said the alternative routes were in bad shape because the roads could not withstand the volume of traffic due to the road diversion. We know we cannot stop motorists from plying the routes, so we are asking the Lagos State Government not to abandon these routes when the flyover is completed, said another resident, Mrs Bolu Oseni. We know that it is illegal to close street gates but who will fix these roads when the major route is re-opened." Some boys in the area often extort money from motorists, resulting in clashes." Chairman of the committee, Shehu Sani said the Presidential Initiative on North-East (PINE) spent N50 million on two conferences but gave on N2 million to the IDPs. PINE was coordinated by the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal. Sani made this known while presenting the final report of the committee which probed PINE to the senate. He said all the companies awarded contracts were not qualified, and that some of the organisations were incorporated for the sake of contracts. According to Sani, out of the 39 companies given contracts by PINE, only eight letters were seen by the committee. He said, "All the companies awarded the contracts were not qualified. Some of them were incorporated for the sake of these contracts. "They used N50 million to do conference when IDPs get N2 million for food. "The Presidential Initiative on North-East took undue advantage of the provision of emergency situation contract award in the public procurement Act, 2007 to inflate contracts. "Also, contracts were awarded to companies belonging to top government officials cronies and close associates. For example, Rholavision Engineering Limited, incorporated in 1990 with RC No. 159855 at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, to carry out information and communication technology (ICT) services anchored by Engr. Babachir Lawal, the suspended secretary to the government of the federation, was awarded consultancy contract for the removal of the invasive plant species in Yobe state on 8th March, 2016. "The technical evaluation submitted to the committee by PINE shows that the company has only three out of the six pre-qualification criteria of BPP." Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, Mohammed maintained that President Buhari was at the office on Tuesday but chose to rest today. The minister noted that President Buhari's absence at FEC meetings in recent times was not strange. His words: He was in the office yesterday as you all reported, and if the doctor says Oh take a rest, I think you will recover faster when you know you ought to rest, rather than by forcing yourself to work when you are not fit to work. So, I think all he is doing is following his doctors advice, and I dont think its about, Oh, he wont come next week. Those are just simple guess work. The president told the nation that he has never been this sick, and that he is going to take it easy. He said it from day one when he came back from the UK. So, whatever is happening today is not any strange development. Its exactly what he said, that he has been advised to take things easy, and that he would soon also go back for further treatment. So, I dont think it is anything different from what he said. He has been quite transparent in the matter concerning his health. The Minister also denied reports that President Buhari was being fed by tubes. Meanwhile, residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja woke up to a surprise - President Buhari's 2019 campaign posters. A statement by Mr Chuks Okocha, a media aide to Saraki, quoted him as saying this when he received the South-East Professional Women Association of Nigeria and the Diaspora (SEPWAND) in Abuja on Wednesday. Though there are different adoption laws from the various states of the federation, the 8th Senate will ensure that these adoption laws are harmonised to make child-adoption easier for couples." The harmonisation of these adoption laws will go a long way to halt the increasing and rampant cases of girl-child sex slavery that make some girls get pregnant and later forced to sell the child."The Senate will debate these laws from the states, harmonise them and make them less stringent as they are and make adoption laws easier for couples that plan to adopt any child." This will stop the recourse to patronising illegal child-adoption centres, he said. He added that the amendment would enable vulnerable young girls to access credit to set up businesses and in the process put operators of baby factories out of business. President of SEPWAND, Mrs Nwankanya Ibe, said the South-East had recorded several cases of illegal adoption centres called Baby Factory. She said that the unfortunate development formed the basis for establishing the organisation. According to Ibe, SEPWAND is a non-governmental organisation whose key objectives are to eradicate girl-child abuse, sex slavery and all forms of violence against women. She added that the organisation was set up to empower the girl-child through scholarship awards, livelihood skill developments and empowerment of women in agriculture. We intend to have a skill development centre at our headquarters in Enugu for the pilot stage and eventually in all state capitals in the South-East." In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 3, Saba said that the board had filed an appeal against the judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on April 28, 2017. The media reports about the sacking of the bureau executives emanated from that judgment. In the judgment, Justice Nyako held that the five-year tenure of the chairman and nine others had expired since April 2015. She held that Saba and others, who were appointed in 2010, were only entitled to stay in office for five years. The judge cited section 155 (1) (c) and Paragraph 1, Part 1, Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), to back its claim. The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/411/2016, was filed by Kingdom Human rights Foundation International, through its director and lawyer, Mr. Okere Nnamdi. In the suit, the plaintiff sort an order compelling the President to remove and replace Saba and other nine members of the board. Justice Nyako did not grant the prayers but she directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami to advise the President on the tenure of the CCB board members. Buhari, Malami, and the CCB were the three respondents to the suit. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, to mark World Press Freedom Day, which is observed the world over on May 2nd, Dogara also expressed concern over Nigeria's international press freedom index. The Speaker said that it is disheartening that the Press Freedom Index - released last Wednesday by Reporters Without Borders (RWBl) - ranked Nigeria 122 out of 180 countries examined. The Speaker further argued that the role the media plays in the development of a country as watchdog - especially in a democracy - cannot be overemphasized, and called on the Nigerian media to partner with the present administration to make its task of fighting corruption a success, not only by objective reporting but through investigative journalism. Dogara assured that the House of Representatives, being aware that the press must be free to truly be the watchdog of the society, will continue to support measures to promote press freedom in Nigeria, especially through laws that facilitate the practice of journalism such as the Freedom of Information Act, which was passed by the National Assembly in 2011. "We all know the role of the media in promoting democracy, because democracy itself guarantees nothing, it's just a set of ideals that people utilizing the freedom that democracy brings to organize their lives in such a manner that delivers social progress and economic development," he explained. ALSO READ:Dogara releases pay slips for 6 months Dogara also said "The media serves as one of the voices of democracy and I believe that beyond all the roles played by all others, the media is far ahead in that it keeps the citizens informed about what government is doing and that enables them to hold public officials accountable, for instance, to the promises that they made." He urged practitioners to strive to ensure that there's always timely, accurate and balanced reportage. According to Punch, Fayose said he will continue to agitate for a better Nigeria, after leaving office. Fayose also seized the opportunity to praise the workers for their commitment, despite the economic challenges and inconsistent salaries. The Governor also debunked reports that Ekiti state has received the second payment of the paris club loan. He said I dont want to contest again, not even for senatorial race in 2019. One thing I have learnt was that, Ekiti people dont normally participate in some government policies where data are collated. And it used to affect us in getting extra grants or favour from the Federal Government and international agencies. The Federal Government is planning to renovate 1,000 health centres in Nigeria and Ekiti got only three. When I enquired, they said the data used to compile the figures didnt favour Ekiti. If they are to register for polio vaccine, our people wont make themselves available, because of nonchalant attitude That is why I wont care to declare more holidays for people to get registered. But I want to call on INEC to look into the faulty data capturing machines. We have had bad experiences since the commencement of the CVR programme last week and the commission must resolve all these anomalies in the interest of our people. ALSO READ: Ekiti workers kick against plan by labour to honour Fayose I also want to note that all these problems wont reoccur during the 2018 polls, that is the main reason why INEC, as a commission, must improve on its efficiency. The air force said that it conducted an air interdiction mission on some remnants of the insurgents in a village 3.42 km North East of Mangosum, Borno State. The Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja. Adesanya said NAF had successfully provided air cover to troops of 27 Task Force Battalion thereby enabling them to repel an attack by the insurgents. According to him, a NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft trailed the remnants of the insurgents that attacked the Battalion earlier to a village near Mangosum. Following which NAF conducted the air interdiction mission with two Alpha Jets and one F-7Ni aircraft. Battle Damage Assessment conducted after the strike showed that several leaders of the insurgents organisation and their followers were killed during the attacks. A sizeable cache of weapons and equipment were destroyed with the successful air interdiction, he said. ALSO READ: Civilians in the crossfire of terrorists and the military The director said NAF was able to frustrate yet another attempt by the remnants of the insurgents to regroup in the Sambisa general area. The panel will complete its assignment today, according to a statement by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande. The three-man Presidential Investigative Committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, under the chairmanship of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to inquire into the Discovery of Foreign and Local Currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at Osbourne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos and the Allegations of Due Process Violations in the Award of Contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) is completing its assignment today and is scheduled to present its reports to the President on Monday, May 8, 2017, the statement read. The panel is also investigating allegations of corruption leveled against suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal. Lawal is alleged to have misused funds meant for the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE). Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who is a member of the panel, earlier told journalists in Abuja that the report would be submitted on Wednesday, May 3. The money was found by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikoyi on April 12 and was subsequently claimed by the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke who said it was allocated to his agency for covert purposes. The revelation led to Okes suspension and the constitution of the panel, which is headed by Osinbajo, to investigate the incident. This was disclosed on Tuesday, May 2, by Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who is a member of the panel, while speaking to journalists in Abuja. The money was found by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikoyi on April 12 and was subsequently claimed by the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke who said it was allocated to his agency for covert purposes. The revelation led to Okes suspension and the constitution of the panel, which is headed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, to investigate the incident. Well, you know the presidential committee that is investigating the NIA and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is supposed to make submission by tomorrow (today), Malami said according to Daily Trust. So, it is pre-emptive now to discuss anything considering the fact that one, the committee is under the chairmanship of the vice president, who is supposed to brief the president in that respect and two, the schedule for the committees assignment has not elapsed," he added. The panel is also investigating allegations of corruption leveled against suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal. Lawal is alleged to have misused funds allocated for the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE). The monarch said since the elections have ended, it is wise for everyone to help Wike move the state forward. According to Channels TV, Saad Abubakar III also asked them to always pray for Governor Wikes progress. He said Now that the noise of the campaigns are over, support the leader to succeed. If the leader succeeds, the community benefits; if the leader fails, the community suffers the consequences. Both nominees were screened and confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Responding to questions from Senators, Ocheni supported the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the Federal Government. He however opposed the N56,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers due to Nigeria's economic recession President Muhammadu Buhari had forwarded the names of both nominees to the Senate for confirmation on Tuesday, February 23, 2016. Ocheni and Hassan are expected to serve as replacements for Late James Ocholi and Amina Mohammed, former Minister for Environment, who is the current United Nations Deputy Secretary- General. Recall that Ocholi died in a road crash on 6 March 2016. Fayose also warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against arresting people who intend to run for the presidency in 2019. He said It appears that the cabal in the APC led government that is holding Nigerians to ransom want their candidate to contest the 2019 election unopposed. Obviously, that is the reason for the arrest and detention of former Governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu and Alhaji Lamido, who have shown interest in the presidency. With the arrest of Alhaji Lamido, the detention of former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan since February this year and the arrest and detention of Dr Babangida Aliyu, it is becoming clearer that these APC people will only contest election against themselves in 2019. It will even be unnecessary to continue to fund the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, since they dont want anyone to contest the 2019 presidential election against their party. The APC cabal can as well proscribe INEC and declare their party the perpetual ruler of Nigeria instead of wasting money on conduct of elections. How can you arrest someone in April because of an election slated for July and keep the person in detention for the past 24 hours? Is it not even laughable that the APC government in Jigawa State is so afraid of allowing the people the freedom to participate in an election to be conducted by the state government itself such that it opted for the arrest and detention of a former governor of the state more than two months to the elections? ALSO READ:Sule Lamido to stay in prison till May 4 Nigerians will resist any attempt to foist a one-party state on the country and no matter how tyrannical the APC chooses to become, Nigeria will overcome its tyranny just like the country survived past tyrannical governments, he added. They also follow leaks about a disastrous dinner and exchanges involving May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, which has left the former battling to defend her Brexit strategy. The row marks a dismal start to the process, although formal negotiations will not begin until after Britain's election on June 8, in which May is expecting to return to office with a stronger mandate. The high stakes for the British premier were underlined Tuesday when, quizzed on the campaign trail about the dinner clash, she said Juncker would soon find out she can be a "bloody difficult woman". Barnier, a French former European commissioner and government minister, will be presenting his formal recommendations for the talks based on guidelines agreed on at Saturday's EU 27 summit. European commissioners will formally adopt his recommendations on Wednesday morning before he gives a press conference at 0900 GMT. The EU 27 will then on May 22 give Barnier, 66, a formal mandate to conduct talks over the next two years with Britain. Barnier has said he needs to wrap up talks by October 2018 to get any Brexit deal through the European Parliament in time for Britain's scheduled departure from the EU on March 29, 2019. Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016 in a closely fought referendum. 'Different galaxy' And if the first contacts in Britain's divorce from the union it entered four decades ago are anything to go by, the negotiations will be difficult. Barnier's recommendations, in an early draft seen by AFP, contain a demand for a lifetime guarantee of rights for EU citizens who have lived in Britain for five years. Under the EU single market, Europeans have the right to live, work and claim benefits in any country in the bloc. They also echo the EU 27's insistence that talks on a future EU-UK trade deal cannot begin until Britain resolves the issues of "people, money and Ireland". The EU says London must guarantee the rights of three million citizens living in Britain who are currently able to live, work and claim benefits there. It is also demanding Britain pay an exit bill of between 40 and 60 billion euros, a sum that the government insists it does not have to pay. Brussels also says London must resolve issues around the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. May wants trade talks and divorce negotiations to start in parallel -- one of the demands that led Juncker to say that some in Britain "underestimate the technical difficulties we have to face". A report in Sunday's edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said Juncker left the meeting "10 times more sceptical" about the prospect of a Brexit deal. It said sources close to the negotiations put the chances of Brexit negotiations collapsing without a deal at more than 50 percent. Juncker reportedly informed German Chancellor Angela Merkel of his doubts, saying that May was in a "different galaxy". Climate sceptic Trump should honour his country's commitments under the Paris deal, said Bainimarama, who will serve as president of the UN's COP 23 talks in Bonn later this year. "We can't have one of our best performers abandon the field of play... stay the course," the Pacific leader said in a statement issued by his office Wednesday. "Listen to those around you who are encouraging you to do so. Don't let the whole team down by leaving when we have a clear game plan and have put so many scores on the board." Bainimarama said the time for questioning the veracity of climate change had passed and the best scientific advice on the issue was clear. "Man-made climate change is not a hoax, it is frighteningly real," he said. Fiji is already dealing with the impact of climate change through wild storms such as last year's Cyclone Winston, he said, which killed 44 people and wiped out one-third of the country's economic production. Climate change meant such extreme tempests could flare up "out of nowhere, at any time", he added. "We are facing a situation in which a single event scoring a direct hit on Fiji could wipe out years of development and set us back for decades," he said. Paris agreement The Paris deal, known as COP 21, was struck in 2015 and signed by more than 190 countries. Bainimarama said the top priority at COP 23 was "to build a grand coalition of governments, civil society and the private sector to defend and uphold the Paris Agreement". While the November 6-17 talks will be held in Bonn, Germany has invited Fiji to act as president in order to give a voice to those on the frontline of climate change. Bainimarama said Fiji could never have hosted such a large meeting, which is expected to attract 20,000 people. "(It) is a selfless act of generosity on the part of the German government," he said. Under the Paris agreement, signatories undertake to limit global warming to "well below" 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two degrees Celsius) over pre-industrial levels, and to strive for 1.5 C. The United States agreed at the meeting to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 26-28 percent by 2025, compared to 2005 levels. Trump, in a tweet, suggested that on the contrary, Clinton was protected from criminal prosecution by FBI Director James Comey over her emails scandal. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign, Trump said on his Twitter handle. Clinton had in an interview at a Women for Women event in New York said she was on her way to winning the Nov. 8 election if not for a last-minute letter to Congress from Comey and the release of campaign emails from WikiLeaks. The former Secretary of State also said that she thought she would have won the election if not for the two major events during the home stretch of the campaign. I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comeys letter on Oct. 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off. And the evidence for that intervening event is I think compelling, persuasive, and so we overcame a lot in the campaign, Clinton said. She alleged that the Trump campaign quite coordinated with the goals of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the election, adding that Putin certainly interfered in our election to hurt me and help my opponent. The findings came in a special Belgian parliamentary committee report on the attacks on the Maalbeek metro station and Zaventem airport, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. The blasts killed 32 people and wounded about 230 others -- with many of the seriously wounded needing long-term care and rehabilitation -- and shattered the lives of hundreds of their loved ones. But the report found that victims have faced frustrating battles to get support from a labyrinthine Belgian bureaucracy that has already been heavily criticised for intelligence and security failings. Those affected have faced myriad problems including "poor insurance, lack of a special victim status, the maze of Belgian bureaucracy," Belgian MP Patrick Dewael said at a news conference. Dewael heads the committee, which has worked for months to review the shortcomings that helped allow the events in Brussels as well as the deadly 2015 attacks in Paris, which were planned in the Belgian capital by the same terror cell. Recommendations in the report include a "one-stop shop" for victims instead of the current requirement that victims register with several different authorities. Another proposal calls for victims to immediately receive compensation by the government instead of waiting long months to receive payouts from insurance companies. It is the latest attack to hit the mission, known as MINSUMA, stationed in the country since 2013 and considered its most dangerous active peacekeeping deployment. "A mortar and rocket attack was launched against the MINUSMA camp in Timbuktu," a UN statement said. "The provisional toll is nine wounded among the peacekeepers, four seriously who are being evacuated to Bamako. The attack also killed one person, they are still being identified," it added. The UN mission said it had reinforced the camp's defences and deployed air cover to identify where the enemy fire had originated, describing it as a "terrorist" attack. Sweden's armed forces confirmed one of its soldiers was wounded, though not severely. "A Swedish soldier was lightly injured and is now being cared for by the Swedish medical unit," it said in a statement. Liberia's armed forces, who also have peacekeepers among the mission, also confirmed "several injuries and other casualties", according to Prince Johnson, deputy chief of staff, but would not specify more. "We are investigating the matter," he added. Northern Mali fell to jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in March 2012, and although these forces were driven out of key towns by a French-led military intervention the following year, the Islamists have now spread further south. The 13,000-strong UN mission was deployed to provide security and assist Malian troops struggling to keep the country safe, but it has been targeted constantly by jihadists, with dozens of peacekeepers killed. Three Malian jihadist groups with previous Al-Qaeda links recently joined forces to create the "Group to Support Islam and Muslims" (GSIM), led by Iyad Ag Ghaly of Ansar Dine, and have killed Malian soldiers further east near the Burkina Faso border. The rhinos are being moved from South Africa to the Akagera national park in eastern Rwanda, according to the non-profit group that manages protected areas for African governments. "This extraordinary homecoming will take place over the first two weeks of May," it said in a statement. The Eastern black rhino, one of the sub-species of the rhinoceros, is in critical danger of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Back in the 1970s, more than 50 black rhinos thrived in the savannah habitat of the Akagera park, but their numbers declined due to wide-scale poaching and the last confirmed sighting was in 2007. 'Great symbol of Africa' Rhinos are one of the great symbols of Africa yet they are severely threatened and are on the decline in many places across the continent due to the extremely lucrative and illegal rhino horn trade, said African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead. According to the conservationists, there are fewer than 5,000 black rhino in the wild worldwide, with only about 1,000 of the Eastern sub-species. Since 2010 African Parks has boosted security at Akagera and has prepared to accept the rhinos with financial help from the Howard Buffett Foundation, headed by the son of US billionaire Warren Buffett. The measures taken include deploying a helicopter for air surveillance and an expert rhino tracking and protection team as well as a canine anti-poaching unit. "We are fully prepared to welcome them (rhinos) and ensure their safety for the benefit of our tourism industry and the community at large," said Clare Akamanzi, chief executive of the Rwanda Development Board. In July 2015, Rwanda had reintroduced lions in the Akagera park, 15 years after they had disappeared. The lions were decimated in the years after Rwanda's genocide in 1994 as Rwandans who had fled the slaughter returned and occupied the park killing the lions to protect their livestock. The park, which takes its name from the nearby Kagera river, is located near the border with Tanzania. The military campaign's headquarters in Kiev said three soldiers had been near the town of Debaltseve, a transport hub connecting the Russian-backed separatist fiefdoms of Lugansk and Donetsk where intense clashes raged in early 2015. It said one of them died after being wounded by a grenade he had thrown at advancing Lugansk fighters as he tried to avoid being taken captive. Kiev said two other soldiers were killed in a nearby firefight. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the fourth combat death occurred in Avdiivka, a flashpoint suburb of the rebels' de facto capital of Donetsk controlled by Kiev. The insurgents said separately that a civilian had died from wounds she sustained Tuesday in an alleged attack by Ukrainian forces 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of Donetsk. Ukraine has now reported losing 19 soldiers in fighting since the latest temporary truce agreement went into effect on April 1. The separatists reported 10 combat losses last month, which was one of the most peaceful in over three years of fighting that has claimed more than 10,000 lives. But April was also punctuated by the death in an apparent mine blast of an American paramedic who worked with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) while on a mission in Lugansk. The loss was the security watchdog's first in the former Soviet republic, prompting it to limit its patrols to safer paved roads and avoid dirt lanes leading to various Ukrainian and separatist positions. The OSCE mission has been monitoring the implementation of a largely-ignored broad peace and political reconciliation agreement the warring sides signed in February 2015. Already allowed by the leftist government to grow the weed in their homes and smoke it in clubs, Uruguayans in a few weeks will be able to buy it from the chemist along with their shampoo and aspirins. "This is a great step forward in the evolution as citizens," said Marcos Ferreira, 41, one of a small line of people queuing to sign on to the Cannabis Register at a post office in central Montevideo. "Uruguay is innovating to see if we get results," added Ferreira, who works in the tourist sector. Cheap and cheerful The move is the last step in implementing a 2013 law that fully legalized the production, sale and consumption of marijuana. Buyers must sign up to ensure they have fulfilled licensing procedures and do not exceed the monthly maximum purchase of 40 grams (1.4 ounces). The cannabis is grown at secret plantations near the capital by private companies regulated by the state. A gram of pot will cost $1.30, the secretary general of the National Drugs Council, Diego Olivera, said last month. "That's less than half the price on the black market," said the first person in line at the post office on Tuesday, shop worker Yamila, 26. "Young people and kids will go anywhere to buy marihuana. It is very expensive and you don't know what you're taking," added Yamila, who declined to give her last name. "Now I can go by myself to a pharmacy and order the product," she said, showing her registration slip to the news cameras. "It's better, more efficient and safer." Criticism Some lawmakers still oppose the law to legalize marijuana, passed under the colorful leftist former president Jose Mujica. A poll at the time indicated that nearly two thirds of Uruguayans opposed the law. It made an uncomfortable inheritance for his ally and successor, current President Tabare Vazquez, a cancer doctor. Vasquez passed strict anti-smoking legislation during his first presidential term from 2005 to 2010. To accompany Tuesday's launch, the government published videos online warning of the health risks of cannabis. But it insisted the law would help fight the violence and crime of the drug trade. The receipt handed to smokers signing up on Tuesday bore a printed phone number for information and help for drug problems. If you sell it, will they come? The governing Frente Amplio party has insisted it will not allow "cannabis tourism" to invade the country. Only Uruguayans or foreigners with permanent residency permits can sign up to the register. Ferreira, the tourism worker, said he thought tourists should be included too, as a way of drawing foreign revenue to this country of 3.4 million people. Joint Uruguayan-Spanish national Manuel Martin says he moved all the way from Spain to take advantage of the marijuana law. "It was a turning point," he told AFP, standing in line to sign up on Tuesday. "It is a blessing from God to be here and be able to register. What's more we can buy it in pharmacies with a guarantee of quality, not just buy any old thing in the streets," he said. The 45-year-old Australian denies the accusations in Sweden that date back to 2010, which he fears will see him extradited to the United States. He has been holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 and risks being arrested by British police as soon as he steps out of the building. His Swedish lawyer Per Samuelsson said the new motion was filed because US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in April that arresting Assange would be "a priority". "This implies that we can now demonstrate that the US has a will to take action... this is why we ask for the arrest warrant to be cancelled so that Julian Assange can fly to Ecuador and enjoy his political asylum," Samuelsson told AFP. He said the motion was filed in a Stockholm court on Wednesday and that it should take two to three weeks for a ruling. Assange fears imprisonment in the United States over the leaking by WikiLeaks of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents that first gained attention in 2010. He has made numerous appeals to Swedish courts, including the Supreme Court, but has lost eight bids to cancel the arrest warrant. The UAE is, with Egypt, the main supporter of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control most of eastern Libya, including its key oil ports, and who refuses to recognise the UN-backed government of Fayez al-Sarraj. The two men met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for only the second time since Sarraj was named prime minister in late 2015 as diplomatic efforts intensify to ends years of chaos and conflict in the North African nation. The meeting "brings optimism towards guaranteeing a political solution," the UAE foreign ministry said. It is an "important step to push forward the political process in Libya," it added, in a statement carried by the official WAM news agency. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, whose government has also been a major supporter of Haftar, was due in Abu Dhabi later on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if the visit and the talks were connected. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days to try to reconcile the rival administrations in eastern and western Libya. On Sunday, UN envoy Martin Kobler held talks in Sudan, a supporter of Sarraj's administration in Tripoli. On Monday, he met Mahmud Jibril, who headed Libya's interim government during a NATO-backed rebellion that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. An array of armed groups have fought over the country's oil wealth since the uprising and Sarraj's government has struggled to cement its control. The UN-brokered Libya Political Agreement (LPA) which created it gave no role to Haftar, and talks have focused on how to do so. In February, Sarraj said Haftar had refused to meet him in person in Cairo for Egypt-backed talks to discuss possible amendments to the LPA. Mattia Toaldo, senior policy fellow at the European Councilon Foreign Relations, said Tuesday's meeting came after a change of tack from Haftar, who seeks nationwide presidential elections next year. Haftar is "now pursuing a different strategy... exchanging his support for an amended LPA for a guarantee to have presidential elections early in 2018 in which it would be thinkable for him to run", Toaldo said. Sarraj in turn is seeking "badly needed legitimisation" from the eastern authorities, even as he struggles for internal support in western Libya where factions are hostile to Haftar. Despite their alliance in the 1950 - 1953 Korean War, analysts question whether Beijing would now rush to Pyongyang's defence in a military confrontation with the United States and South Korea. Chinese leader Mao Zedong once described the neighbours as being as "close as lips and teeth." For his part, Kim told Mao that signing the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance "raised our confidence, and we feel safeguarded", according to a memoir of Mao's diplomatic activities published in 2003. But the two leaders are long dead and China, which is now the world's second largest economy and a pillar of the global order, appears less enthusiastic about protecting its treaty partner in a conflict that estimates suggest could cost hundreds of thousands of lives and lay waste to Seoul. The current leaders of both nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, have never even met. The treaty constitutes "a very important part" of Sino-North Korean ties, professor Maochun Miles Yu at the United States Naval Academy told AFP. But, he added, it is by no means clear what China is actually prepared to do for the North if push comes to shove: "It's a mystery." Atomic threat North Korea's regular missile launches and the prospect of a possible sixth nuclear test are putting Beijing in a tight spot as it already faces US pressure to slash economic ties to punish Pyongyang. "It's hard to say how China would assist North Korea militarily in case of war, since North Korea is developing nuclear weapons, an act that might have already breached the treaty between the two nations," retired Chinese naval colonel Li Jie told the daily South China Morning Post last month. China's nationalistic Global Times newspaper invoked two scenarios, including one in which Beijing would refrain from defending Pyongyang. "If North Korea continues to carry out severe missile tests, and the United States launches a surgical attack on its facilities, Beijing should impose a diplomatic boycott, but there is no necessity of military intervention," said an op-ed published in the Global Times last month. But the daily said China "should immediately carry out necessary military intervention" if the US and South Korea launch a ground invasion in the North to overthrow the regime. While Beijing's commitment to the pact is in question, it remains sensitive to US military movements in the region. On Tuesday, China demanded that Washington "immediately" suspend the deployment of a missile shield in South Korea hours after officials announced that it was operational. "We will firmly take necessary measures to uphold our interests," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. 'Complicated situation' The military pact automatically renews every 20 years, most recently in 2001, meaning it is now valid through 2021. Last year, Xi and Kim exchanged messages to mark the treaty's 55th anniversary. The Chinese president wrote that both sides have cooperated in the "spirit" of the treaty and that their "friendship serves as a precious wealth." The treaty, Kim responded, "has become a firm legal foundation for constantly consolidating the friendly and cooperative relations that were forged in the bloody struggle for independence against imperialism and for socialism." But in 2013, a Chinese defence ministry spokesman said it would be "unprofessional" to answer a hypothetical question about whether Beijing would militarily back Pyongyang in an attack. Asked on Tuesday whether China was still committed to the pact's terms, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "The principle of (the treaty) is to promote ChinaDPRK friendly cooperation in various fields and uphold regional security." He added: "The current situation on the peninsula is highly complicated, delicate and tense. We urge all sides to stay calm and abstain from any action that may aggravate tensions." Young-June Chung, an associate professor at Shanghai's Tongji University, said the pact's "diplomatic status is a little bit obscure" as neither side has acknowledged that it is "invalid." In one corner is centrist Emmanuel Macron, with his pro-globalisation, pro-EU world view. In the other, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who champions "nationalism" and a "France-first" approach. "The country Mr Macron wants is no longer France, it's a space, a wasteland, a trading room where there are only consumers and producers," Le Pen told thousands of supporters at a recent meeting in Nice. Macron has a starkly different message: "I will be... the voice of hope for our country and for Europe," he said after the April 23 first-round vote. Le Pen and Macron, who says he is "neither of the left nor the right", eliminated France's traditional political forces to reach the May 7 run-off. The 39-year-old former investment banker, who had never before stood for election, started his centrist movement only 12 months ago but is now on the cusp of becoming France's youngest-ever president. Despite his lack of political experience, polls currently suggest he should beat Le Pen by around 20 percentage points. President Francois Hollande launched Macron's political career, picking him as an economic advisor and then parachuting him into his Socialist government as economy minister. Sensing a worldwide shift away from established parties, Macron turned his back on Hollande and quit the cabinet last August to concentrate on building his own centrist political movement "En Marche" (On the Move). Since then, he has amassed over 250,000 members and confounded critics who said his appeal would not reach beyond young, urban professionals. In politics as well as his personal life, Macron has broken traditions. The theatre and poetry lover from a middle-class family in Amiens, northeast France, fell for his secondary school drama teacher, Brigitte Trogneux. A 64-year-old mother-of-three, a quarter of a century older than Macron, she left her husband and married the young prodigy in 2007. The unshakeable confidence with which Macron pursued Brigitte has been evident throughout his career. But it nearly tripped him up after he finished top in the first round, when he gave what many saw as a triumphalist speech and then held a party at a Paris bistro. Opponents and allies were quick to remind him that victory was not assured, and he threw himself into campaigning. Hard-edged politics Unlike Macron, 48-year-old Le Pen is steeped in hard-edged politics. Her pugnacious father Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the run-off of the 2002 presidential election, but was soundly beaten by the centre-right Jacques Chirac. Fifteen years later, his gravel-voiced daughter believes she can become France's first woman president, and the first from the National Front (FN) party that her father founded. She faces an uphill task as her younger rival appears to attract a broader spectrum of voters. She also goes into the run-off with several investigations hanging over the FN and her entourage for alleged funding scandals, while she is also being probed after tweeting pictures of Islamic State jihadists' atrocities. In the last presidential election in 2012, Le Pen finished third with just under 18 percent. She has tried to portray the 2017 contest as "David against Goliath". She has worked assiduously to try to rid the party of its more extreme edge -- and kicked her father out of it after he repeatedly described Nazi gas chambers as a "detail of history". Over the past six years, Le Pen's rebranded "party of patriots" has been propelled by the anti-globalisation, anti-establishment fury that drove Britain's vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump's election in the United States. Now a twice-divorced mother of three, she guards her private life jealously, in contrast to Macron. She appears rarely as a couple with her current partner, the FN's vice-president Louis Aliot. Le Pen developed her flair for sharp putdowns as a state-appointed lawyer defending illegal immigrants facing deportation. Police last Wednesday arrested the 28-year-old army lieutenant, identified as Franco A., who had created a false identity as a Damascus fruit seller, complete with a spot in a German refugee shelter. Federal prosecutors, who handle terrorism cases, have taken over the investigation against the soldier, whose case came to light after he was caught with a loaded gun at the Vienna airport in February. Von der Leyen on Sunday harshly criticised the armed forces for leadership failures, attitude problems and for tolerating rightwing extremists, as well as sexual abuse cases, in its ranks. The scandal widened when it emerged that the lieutenant had expressed rightwing extremist views in a 2014 academic paper, but that no disciplinary action was taken against him. Von der Leyen criticised "a misunderstood esprit de corps" that had led superior officers to "look the other way". Soldiers have reacted angrily, accusing her of collectively tarring them while failing to take responsibility herself. Now the minister has called off a scheduled US visit and instead plans to visit Wednesday the Franco-German base near Strasbourg where the suspect had been stationed. 'Serious mistakes' "The minister's priority is to clear up the ongoing case around lieutenant A.," the defence ministry said. On Thursday she plans to meet about 100 high-ranking military personnel in Berlin to discuss ways to reform the armed forces. The military intelligence service is currently investigating around 280 cases of suspected far-right sympathisers in the forces. The lieutenant was first temporarily detained in February by Austrian police after he tried to retrieve a loaded, unregistered handgun he had hidden in a toilet at Vienna airport. This sparked an investigation in which a fingerprint check threw up an even bigger surprise -- the suspect had in December 2015 created a false identity as a Syrian refugee. The soldier, who has an Italian father and German mother, had pretended to be a Damascus fruit seller named "David Benjamin" -- ostensibly a Catholic with Jewish roots who had fled the Islamic State militant group. The Bild newspaper has reported that police found a "death list" compiled by the suspect, including anti-fascist leftwing activists. Police have also arrested an alleged co-conspirator, a 24-year-old student identified by the media as Mathias F. Von der Leyen and Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, in charge of refugee issues, have vowed to clear up the embarrassing case, which led the Social Democrats' secretary general Katarina Barley to label the two ministers a "security risk" for Germany. And the Social Democrats' parliamentary leader Thomas Oppermann attacked de Maiziere over the "incredible" case, in which a light-haired applicant who spoke no Arabic was nonetheless registered as a refugee. Q. What can be done about speeding motorists coming off the Centennial Bridge onto Gaines Street in Davenport, especially between 4:30-5:30 p.m.? Cars also fly through the alleys, and the area is an accident waiting to happen. Reader A. We contacted the Davenport Police Department to find out. Capt. Brent Biggs said the complaint was referred to the Traffic Safety Bureau and officers will be looking into enforcement in the area. In April, the Rock Island Police Department conducted traffic stops at the foot of the Centennial Bridge. An officer with a radar gun was on the bridge tracking speeders. Officers were pulling people over at the foot of the bridge and citing them. Rock Island Police Department Deputy Chief Jason Foy said, "Occasionally, we will run a traffic detail related to the Centennial Bridge. I am not aware of this specific day you mention, but yes we will run radar. In regards to the fines, that depends on the type of ticket issued and the offense." Q. Is anyone currently using the Transload Facility? I have passed by several times, and the facility looks like it is locked up. According to an article in the Quad-City Times, Savage Services Corp. was supposed to begin operations no later than April 1, 2017. Reader A. Quad-City Times reporter Devan Patel has been covering the Transload Facility story. He said, "Dan Price, the vice president of business development at Savage Services, said that they are just waiting on some agreements with the railroad, but they are open for new customers. He said that the facility was in no way 'locked up.'" We also contacted the city of Davenport. Brandon Wright, chief financial officer/assistant city administrator, said, "The city has a contract with Savage Services to provide short-line operations at the Transload Facility. Savage has been successful in pursuing interest from companies that are interested in utilizing the facility to haul and load freight. In order for full operations to commence, Savage and the city must receive authorization from the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for rail companies to operate on the city's new line that connects the Transload Facility to the Canadian Pacific rail line. Once the city and Savage receive authorization from the STB, operations are expected to commence." Q. The intersection at Splash Landing in Bettendorf, that light (Spruce Hills and Middle Road) if you are using the crosswalk, which I do almost every day, the Spruce Hills light crossing Middle Road heading toward the bike path on the north side is not long enough. It is red before you can walk across. My husband and I walk at a decent pace. You have to wait for the walk sign, and you start out, the timer flashes and about three-quarters across, it's done and red! Kathy A. We contacted the city of Bettendorf. Brian Schmidt, P.E., public works director for the city of Bettendorf, said, "Ill have staff look at the timing at the intersection of Middle Road and Spruce." The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld a sentence of life with the possibility of parole for one of five people convicted in the 1972 shooting deaths of three people at a Davenport bar. Glen Lee McGhee, 62, was 16 when he and four other men shot and killed a bartender and two patrons while robbing the Shamrock Tavern on Jan. 19, 1972. He was convicted of first-degree murder and given three life sentences without the possibility of parole. He was resentenced in October 2015 to life with the possibility of parole following rulings by state and federal courts that determined that a life sentence without possibility of parole for a juvenile is unconstitutional. McGhee argued in his appeal that the district court judge failed to use its discretion and failed to consider required factors during the resentencing hearing. The Court of Appeals ruled that although the district court did not expressly state what factors it was considering in imposing the new sentence, the court seemed to consider the length of time McGhee had already been imprisoned 43 years in 2015 the education and programming he had completed during that time and his chance for rehabilitation. While the sentencing court has been charged with considering a number of factors and circumstances, the court is not required to expressly consider each factor on the record, according to the courts ruling. Brown, a senior at the Waverly, Iowa, college, and senior Joseph Tarawali will travel to Sierra Leone this summer to equip local farmers with solar poultry incubators that will boost production. For their senior project, engineering students designed a new solar incubator system that can help small-scale poultry farmers improve their process and expand the poultry production sector in Sierra Leone. This project has required a lot of long hours in the lab, but we have been motivated because we know we will be helping someone, and we will get to see that in action, Brown said. This is an experience I will remember the rest of my life. With a loud crunch, the metal jaws of an excavator tore into a home on Bettendorf's Greenway Drive, just up from Duck Creek, beginning the removal of a fifth house purchased by the city in the flood-prone zone. The demolition Wednesday morning is part of an ongoing effort to remove homes prone to flooding in the area where Greenway Creek flows into Duck Creek and to rescue residents suddenly faced with high and rising flood insurance premiums. Five more homes are expected to be purchased and demolished over the next two years, John Soenksen, city planner and flood zone administrator, said. The buyouts are being paid for by a combination of federal, state and city money totaling $1,572,075. Of that, 75 percent, or $1,179,056, is coming from a Hazard Mitigation Grant overseen by FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security. An additional 10 percent, or $157,207, is coming from the state of Iowa, and 15 percent, or $235,812, is being provided by the city of Bettendorf as a match, Soenksen said. Watching the demolition on Wednesday was Ali Grise, who lives next door. She hasn't had a buyout offer, and she isn't sure she would take one. She is self-employed and has four children and doesn't think she would be able to find another home as nice as hers that she could afford. Her main concern on Wednesday was that the green space created by the removal of homes be kept up. Soenksen, who was on the scene in a hard hat, assured her that the parks department would keep it mowed. Targeted homes are 'first to flood' The 10 homes that are being removed were picked on the basis of their being the "first to flood" based on elevations, Soenksen said. So far, homeowners have received a range of $90,000 to $180,000 for their homes, the estimated fair market value as determined by the appraisal firm of Koestner, McGivern & Associates, Davenport, Soenksen said. Most are ranch-style or two-level homes built in the 1960s. The appraisals took into account that the homes are in the flood plain and are based on the sales of like homes, Soenksen said. The perception that the homes have no value because of the flood insurance issue isn't entirely accurate, he said. While average homebuyers would shy away, there are people willing to pay cash and assume the flood risk to be able to buy a nice three- or four-bedroom house in the Bettendorf school district near the bike path at a price they can afford, Soenksen said. That is what happened in the case of Duane Randleman, 2622 Greenway Drive, who had been trying to sell his house for more than two years. He had no luck a fact he blamed on his $200 per month insurance premium until he sold it in December 2015 to a couple who paid cash. Investors looking for rental property also are potential buyers, Soenksen said. Nevertheless, "we know there are some homes (in the area) in foreclosure," Soenksen said. He has had homeowners call him to say, "'Put me on the list, I'm getting in over my head.'" He said he does not know if there already are vacant or abandoned homes in the area. Abandonment would be a big concern for the city because empty homes quickly become rundown or attract troublemakers. The Bettendorf school district also is concerned because these are the types of homes, affordable to young families, that feed school enrollment. City to seek funds to buy more The city has identified at least seven additional homes that are at high risk and intends to seek more money for more buyouts, but there is no telling when additional funds might be available, Soenksen said. Until then, the choices for owners with mortgages are to pay the higher rates, alter or elevate their homes out of the base-flood elevation, sell at a loss or walk away. Everyone who has been bought out has been able to find other housing in the area, Soenksen said. A happy ending Among those feeling blessed and fortunate is Tracy Fisher. When she and her husband, Mark, bought their home at 1214 Parkway Drive in 1998, they knew about the 1990 floods and the need to buy flood insurance, but at that time, the cost was $550 per year, Tracy Fisher said in an interview. When they sold to the city, the premium was $1,800 per year, which still wasn't prohibitive, but officials who deal with flood matters have said that by 2020, homes will be charged the top rate of $5,000 to $6,000 per year, or $400 to $500 per month. That would have left the Fishers "strapped with a home we couldn't sell and couldn't pay off," Tracy Fisher said. When the home was torn down earlier this year, Fisher went over to watch. There was a bit of nostalgia when the equipment tore into her daughter's bedroom, but "it was more relief than grief," she said. The Fishers' children were 2 and 4 when the couple bought the house, and it was a great place to raise them. But every time there was heavy rain, Greenway Creek would swell and rush through the backyard. "To see that water and to feel it in the back and sides of the house, it was uncomfortable," Fisher said. In one instance, a flooded Duck Creek began to spill over Parkway Drive and police came to their house suggesting they evacuate. And every time the couple contemplated leaving town for the weekend, there was always that little worry in the backs of their minds. They put their home on the market in 2014 but couldn't sell it. Fisher said she hopes "others can find some resolution." Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered that flags over the state Capitol and on the Capitol complex be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in observance of Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at the Oran Pape State Office Building of the Iowa Department of Public Safety on the Capitol complex. Flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial, located at the Oran Pape State Office Building, will be flown at half-staff the week of May 15-19, 2017, in honor of National Peace Officer Week. The governors directive applies to all U.S. and state flags on the state Capitol building and on flag displays on the Capitol complex. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect. In the latest round of an ongoing saga in Muscatine, a prosecuting attorney on Tuesday called for the immediate removal of Mayor Diana Broderson, while her defense requested the dismissal of all charges against her. The contradictory proposals submitted to the Muscatine City Council come about a month after a series of impeachment hearings on March 23 and April 1, totaling almost 20 hours of testimony. At the City Council's meeting on Thursday, aldermen will vote on whether to discuss the post-hearing removal briefs and proposed decisions on May 11, when they could possibly take action on Broderson's removal. In his brief, prosecuting attorney John Nahra declared that Broderson engaged in "grave misconduct" and "flagrant incompetency" since taking office on Jan. 1, 2016. Among other numerous accusations, Nahra alleged that Broderson "used her office and title in a dishonest and fraudulent manner tantamount to corruption." The prosecution accuses the mayor of repeatedly violating Muscatine's city code and city code of ethics. She allegedly acted "beyond the scope of her authority" by: Forming two ad hoc committees/task forces without City Council approval. Directly contacting city staff without the approval of the city administrator on at least three occasions. Personally attacking the character or motives of elected officials and city staff on at least five occasions. Additionally, Broderson faces claims of asserting "false and baseless" allegations and misusing or abusing her authority or office for personal benefit. Those actions, the prosecution alleged, cost the city more than $100,000. While Nahra called Broderson "unfit" for her position, he wrote, "this removal action is not a grudge match between the City Council and Mayor of Muscatine." On the other side of the fence, Sueppel claimed the city did not produce evidence that showed his client "failed to properly perform her duties." In addition to the dismissal of the charges against Broderson, Sueppel requested the mayor's legal fees be repaid by the city. According to the defense, the evidence presented to the City Council during the hearings "did not rise to the level of a finding of evil intent or purpose to do wrong." In turn, Sueppel said the council cannot find that the mayor should be removed for willful misconduct or maladministration of office. If aldermen agree to discuss the briefs on May 11, a vote on the mayor's removal could be taken then. The vote requires a two-thirds majority. Early Tuesday evening, Alderman Bob Bynum, 4th Ward, said he had received the proposals from both legal parties, but had not yet read them. If the City Council decides to begin the removal proceedings, Broderson said she and her attorney plan to file an appeal in Iowa District Court. She said she also will file an injunction to halt the impeachment proceedings until the court hears the case. Were quite certain that once the district court has this in hand, we will prevail, Broderson said, noting the process is wasting taxpayer dollars. My hope is that the council will do the right thing and stop this process by not voting to remove (me)." 1. Cold early, then warmer and dry A good Wednesday to all. The Quad-Cities is under a frost advisory and, two flood warnings this morning but the region can look forward to dry conditions today. Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service. About that frost advisory: It's in effect until 8 a.m. this morning as temperatures dip into the 30s. Some very localized areas have the potential to see temperatures around 32 degrees or colder. Areas of frost are expected along and north of U.S. 30 but patchy frost can be expected as far south as a Sigourney, Iowa to Peru, Ill. line. Hopefully you covered your sensitive plants last night or moved them indoors or they could be damaged. About the flood warnings: Flood warnings continue for the Mississippi and the Rock rivers in the Quad-Cities. The Mississippi is expected to crest tonight at flood stage (15 feet). The Rock River is expected to rise to 13.3 feet Thursday morning then fall below flood stage Sunday. Flood stage is 12 feet. Today's forecast: We can expect patchy frost before 8 a.m. Otherwise, the day will be partly sunny with a high near 60 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 41 degrees Thursday will be mostly sunny and breezy with a high near 62 degrees and a low about 42 degrees. And no rain. 2. Barkan's closing its downtown Rock Island store After 71 years in business, four locations, a handful of evolutions and two generations, Barkan's clothing store is closing its doors in downtown Rock Island. Steve Barkan, who has worked full-time for 51 years at the store founded by his parents, said it is time to take it easy and devote more time to enjoying his grandchildren's activities. "I came to realize my desire to retire overtook my need to succeed,'' he said Tuesday on the first day of his going-out-of-business sale. Read more. 3. Lawyers split on future for Muscatine mayor In the latest round of an ongoing saga in Muscatine, a prosecuting attorney on Tuesday called for the immediate removal of Mayor Diana Broderson, while her defense requested the dismissal of all charges against her. The contradictory proposals submitted to the Muscatine City Council come about a month after a series of impeachment hearings on March 23 and April 1, totaling almost 20 hours of testimony. At the City Council's meeting on Thursday, aldermen will vote on whether to discuss the post-hearing removal briefs and proposed decisions on May 11, when they could possibly take action on Broderson's removal. Read more. 4. Gun rights, safety at odds after Iowa bill passage A new law recently approved by Republican majorities in the Iowa Legislature is part of a broad piece of legislation that included multiple changes to Iowas gun regulations, including the addition of a so-called stand your ground law. Local gun bans at public buildings that differ from state law have been prohibited by state law since 1990, but such bans have nonetheless been implemented and gone largely unchallenged. The new law maintains the prohibition of local gun bans and adds a provision that creates an avenue for Iowans to sue local governments over those bans. That new provision drew concern and criticism from officials like sheriffs, judges and county attorneys who work in public buildings. Read more. 5. Five ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo falls on Friday this year, which means there's no excuse to skip out on a taste of Mexican fare. Check back later this morning on qctimes.comn for five ways to get your Cinco de Mayo on around the Q-C. 6. New Q-C brewery to open in July A new micro-brewery is set to join the Quad-City beer scene in the upcoming months. Wake Brewing, which promises to offer "an eclectic taste" of brews, is on track to open near the end of the July at 2529 5th Ave., Rock Island, according to owner Jason Parris. Read more. United Way of the Quad-Cities Area will allocate more than $3 million for 38 community partners over three years for programs in the fields of education, health and financial stability. The three-year cycle begins July 1. Investment in education totals $1,217,313. The three main goals of the education component are getting students ready to learn, getting students to perform at grade level and remain in school, and having students complete high school and be college or career-ready. Investment in healthcare totals $912,988, which will be used to ensure children and adults live in a safe and healthy environment, and that they have access to mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment. Investment in financial stability totals $912,988, and will focus on ensuring Quad-Citians have access to food, shelter and transportation, reaching out to those who are under-employed or unemployed to seek additional education, and help people build financial stability. These areas are all interconnected, United Way president Scott Crane said during a news conference to announce the allocations. Rock Island-Milan School District Superintendent Michael Oberhaus said the district is receiving $154,000 each year for the next three years for after-school programs and activities for students during breaks in the school year. We have numerous partners in this, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, the Figge Art Museum, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and the Putnam, to provide children with experiences they may not otherwise have gotten, Oberhaus said. Were providing the academics but the others will provide enrichment activities. Crane said this is the first year that money raised for United Ways Community Impact Plan will be invested. The impact plan took several years to develop and United Ways board of directors approved it in February 2016. The organization received 80 applications in December in support of 26 strategies in the areas of education, health and financial stability. The amount of money requested in those applications totaled $13 million. Volunteer panels reviewed the applications and whittled them down to those investments that would produce the greatest returns. The requests at that time totaled $6.5 million. We were able to provide $3,043,289, Crane said. We will do a few things very well rather than do a lot of things poorly. Christine Gradert of UnityPoint Healths Robert Young Center for Community Health said the agency received $97,800 a year for the next three years. Gradert said that many of the mental health problems of children stem from uncertainty in the family, such as financial insecurity, having a safe place to sleep and food insecurity. Those issues make learning difficult and create behavioral issues. Economic hardship in todays economy is a lot for kids and families to cope with, Gradert said Counseling can help parents cope and steer them in the right direction for financial security and help children better cope. Another service provider, Community Health Care Inc., received $167,000 a year for the next three years. Tom Bowman, CEO of Community Health Care, said his agency is collaborating with Family Resources and the Robert Young Center to get mental health professionals in all of the Community Health Care facilities. Bowman said it is important to have the mental health component on site to work hand-in-hand with the physical health component. Community Health Care had requested $333,000 a year for the next three years, he said. We got $167,000, so well have to decide which programs have the biggest impact. Bowman said that 70 percent of the patients who use Community Health Care are on Medicaid, while 5-10 percent of the patients are on Medicare. Among providers receiving money to aid in the financial stability component are the Salvation Army Family Service Center, which received $42,000; Black Hawk College, $57,778; Project NOW Inc., $15,000; Supplemental Emergency Assistance Program, $52,500; and Bethany for Children & Families, $60,000. Crane said that each year the agencies receiving allocations will file reports with United Way. These reports will be evaluated to determine the success of each program. Gov. Terry Branstad did his homework before Tuesday's confirmation hearing in front of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations. And, along the way, the future ambassador to China made a few welcome statements that fly in the face of the Trumpian nationalism. "I see this as the biggest challenge I've ever had," Branstad told the committee, when asked about growing tensions with North Korea. "I want to do whatever I can to find a solution that will benefit the entire human race." Such a pledge would be boilerplate in most times. But, within the context of the White House's stated nationalism, Branstad's commitment to all of humanity -- regardless of national affiliation -- suddenly takes on real meaning. Clearly, Branstad is considering the human costs for the 20 million in and around cities such as Seoul, South Korea, should things blow up in the region. It's a welcome, if brief, return to normalcy. China is, after all, the only power with any real economic or political sway over Pyongyang. Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, accused the Chinese government of offering "head fakes" over the years because the Communist power has no interest in sharing a border with a unified, democratic Korean state. All the while, North Korea's nuclear program continued to blossom, threatening millions in Seoul and Tokyo. Branstad is all but assured the post. His hearing went smoothly. Senators from both parties lauded his grasp of the issues and preemptively congratulated him. Branstad pledged, under questioning, to press Chinese officials on human rights violations, clandestine opiate operations and trade irregularities. Branstad's close friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping won't mean much once he's pushing for U.S. economic and political interests. "Despite your relationship with President Xi ... they're tough negotiators," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. His will be a Herculean task that no previous friendship can soften. And it comes amid increased saber rattlings on both sides of the Pacific. North Korea has for years touted its nuclear ambitions. The Trump administration, though, has adopted a substantially more aggressive posture than those before it. Averting a second Korean War requires China's cooperation. "We need their help," Branstad said of Beijing. "I don't think they want war over this either. They don't want a bunch of refugees flooding in." Every American should be rooting for Branstad's success. Iowa's long-time governor is striding confidently into a minefield that's unmatched anywhere on the planet. Democrats on Foreign Relations rightly reminded Branstad his coming oath is to the U.S. Constitution, not the White House. Branstad could find himself caught between those two allegiances due to President Trump's financial interests in China. Branstad impressed Tuesday. He confidently touched on all the bullet points, from Chinese aggression in the South China Sea to its notorious human rights record. He pledged to annually visit every Chinese province, the Full Branstad, and to welcome and defend political dissidents from persecution. Plainly, Branstad said all the right things. In so doing, he touted global interests, which extend to the entire species. And he looked to mean it, too. Hopefully, political realities don't undermine his mission. MADISON | Authorities in Lake County say they have located the man suspected of shooting and wounding a sheriff's deputy. The McCook County deputy was shot around 2 a.m. Wednesday in an exchange of gunfire with the suspect. Lake County Sheriff Tim Walburg says the deputy is expected to be OK. The deputy has not been identified. The suspect ran from the scene of the crash after shots were exchanged. Officials say investigators are talking to the suspect near the site where he crashed his car following a pursuit by the deputy who was shot. The deputy initially tried to pull over the suspect for a traffic violation. See original story: MADISON | A McCook County sheriff's deputy has been shot and wounded following a pursuit and law enforcement officers are searching for the shooter. Lake County Sheriff Tim Walburg says the pursuit began around 2 a.m. Wednesday south of Madison. The suspect's vehicle ended up in a ditch. The deputy and suspect exchanged gunfire. The Argus Leader reports the deputy was struck and the suspect fled on foot. Authorities say the deputy is in stable condition at a Madison hospital. Walberg says a perimeter has been set up a few miles around the shooting scene and officers are going door to door to notify residents of the suspect at large. Law enforcement agencies from several counties are assisting with the search. Butte County is among recipients notified when the South Dakota Transportation Commission awarded 53 Bridge Improvement Grants (BIG) for a total of approximately $9 million at their monthly April 27 in Pierre. Butte County received a $27,600 preliminary engineering grant toward total engineering costs estimated at $34,384 for a bridge on Old Highway 212 east of Newell over Mud Elm Creek. The remainder of the engineering study would be paid for through county funds. Butte County Highway Superintendent Don Adams said the county had requested additional grants for bridge work on the five-year road and bridge program, but only the one engineering grant was approved. Adams said that apparently is because of the state criteria for the grant program. Counties with a higher wheel tax gain points toward priority. "I think a lot has to do with wheel tax," he said. "The more dollars you have, the more points you have. He said Butte County has a $2 wheel tax and some counties are up to $5 per wheel. Also traffic counts, and length of detour to go around a bridge, count toward points for the grants. "We're not on the high end of the point system," Adams said. He added that Harding and Pennington counties have no wheel tax and are not eligible for the BIG grant program. But, he said, Rapid City does qualify. According to the state news release announcing the grants, after a preliminary engineering study, "...some counties and cities may choose to construct the bridges on their own, without grant funding." Butte County made cuts in staff and froze wages for the coming year, largely due to increasing costs of road and bridge maintenance. The grant funding includes 17 bridge preservation projects totaling $2.681 million, seven bridge replacement/rehabilitation projects totaling $4.705 million and 29 preliminary engineering grants totaling $0.872 million. The balance of the $9 million (above) will be used for Construction Engineering costs. Along with Butte County among preliminary engineering grant recipients are Aurora County, Beadle County, Clark County, Day County, Deuel County, Hughes County, Hutchinson County, Jackson County, Jerauld County, Lawrence County, Lyman County, Marshall County, Miner County, Minnehaha County, Sanborn County, Spink County, Turner County, Union County and Watertown. Preservation grant recipients are: Brookings County, Campbell County, Codington County, Gregory County, Perkins County, Watertown, Yankton County and Ziebach County. Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation grant recipients are: Beadle County, Brookings County, Brown County, Davison County, Meade County and Union County. Grant funds are limited to a maximum of $4 million per entity over a three year period to ensure the funds are shared among as many local governments as possible. The local governments are required to pay a minimum of 20 percent matching funds and have three years to expend the grant. One hundred and ten applications totaling $20.55 million were received by the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT). Nine cities submitted 11 applications and 39 counties submitted a total of 99 applications. The BIG program was created in 2015 by Senate Bill 1. SB 1 set aside $7 million per year from funds generated by license plate fees to be used to repair and replace aging local government bridges. The SDDOT added an additional $2 million this year, making $9 million available. These grants are in addition to the $6 million in federal highway funding that SDDOT provides for local bridge projects for each of the years 2017 and 2018. The grants are divided into three categories: preliminary engineering, preservation and replacement. Preservation work is done to help extend the life of the structure. Project types include bridge deck overlays, railing repairs, adding riprap for scour protection, repairing backwalls, etc. Bridge replacement projects are more expensive and these projects are ranked using a point system. Structure condition, detour route length, traffic counts, economic development factors, amount of wheel tax and additional financial commitment are aspects used to rank the projects. The preliminary engineering grants included funding for survey, hydraulic analysis and structure sizing. This project work will ensure the grant requests for replacement funds will be more accurate. For more information regarding the BIG program, contact Doug Kinniburgh at 605-773-4284. STURGIS - South Dakota Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense program, announced Chief Geody VanDewater with Sturgis Police Department in Sturgis was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of two members of the National Guard who are employees of the Sturgis Police Department. The Patriot Award, created by ESGR, publicly recognizes individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who, like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nations call to serve. VanDewater was nominated for being highly supportive of Sargent Josh Whitford and Specialist Jameson Tebben. Sargent Whitford is an eleven-year member of the 842nd Army National Guard Unit. Specialist Tebben is a 3 year members of the 235th Military Police Army National Guard. Whitford noted that VanDewater works around his military schedule and is very supportive of his second career. Whitford has been a member of the Sturgis Police Department for 3 years. Tebben said he nominated VanDewater for the award as he is supportive of my drill weekends and training even though it is a tight schedule. Van Dewater understands the priority of the National Guard and takes time out of his day to make sure the schedule is covered so I do not have to make up the shift. Tebben has been with the Sturgis Police Department for 1 year. Chief VanDewater has two National Guard employees. He hires the soldiers because they have excellent skills that may be used in their civilian job. ESGR seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers principal advocate within DoD. PIERRE | The state Transportation Commission wants a public hearing May 25 to consider changing speed limits for highways in three western South Dakota counties. The proposals would affect several maintenance routes, a service road and a construction-zone crossover on Interstate 90 in Pennington and Meade counties. The commission plans to also consider a proposed speed-zone change for a segment of State Trunk Highway 79 in Meade County. Speed limit changes also are suggested for stretches of U.S. Highway 385 and State Trunk Highway 87 in parts of Wind Cave National Park in Custer County. Karla Engle, a special assistant attorney general for state government, gave public notice Tuesday to 15 interested parties. They included several people, associations, a cooperative and multiple state agencies. The hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. MDT in the Becker-Hansen Building at 700 E. Broadway Ave. The home for the state Department of Transportations central administration, Becker-Hansen is on the north side of Broadway behind the Capitol. Heres a summary of the proposed changes: Two segments of State Trunk Highway 79 in Pennington County would become State Highway Maintenance Route 231. The construction crossover on I-90 at milepost 78 aka New Underwood Road would be 45 mph for 16-hundredths of a mile. Pennington County has accepted jurisdiction over the rest of the crossover. The state speed limit would be repealed on State Highway Maintenance Route 230 along I-90 in the area of the Box Elder and Ellsworth Air Force Base exits. DOT transferred jurisdiction to Pennington County for the route, from six-tenths of a mile east of Exit 66 to Exit 63s junction. DOT also wants to repeal the state speed limit of 45 mph for maintenance route 230 between Exit 63 and a spot six-tenths of a mile east of the junction with State Highway Maintenance Route 435 at Box Elder. Pennington County has jurisdiction. A proposed rule change in Meade County calls for State Highway Maintenance Route 231 to be 55 mph for 1.05 miles from the north Pennington County line to Peaceful Pines Road, then decrease to 45 mph between Peaceful Pines Road and Norman Avenue. These changes reflect the different roadway designation segments of Maintenance Route 231 previously were segments of State Trunk Highway 79 and changes to the roadway network, caused by construction of Exit 52 on I-90, and removal of Exit 51 from I-90. Another proposed change in Meade County would reduce the speed limit to 45 mph from the present 55 mph on the I-90 service road on the west side of the interstate between Exit 40 and Exit 44. The service road has been realigned. In Wind Cave National Park, the 25 mph speed zone for eight-tenths of a mile of U.S. Highway 385 the road previously ran in front of the visitor center but has been realigned would be eliminated and recast at 45 mph, making the highway 45 mph throughout the park. The speed limit would be reduced for State Trunk Highway 87 within the boundaries of Wind Cave National Park to 35 mph, from the present 45 mph. DOT officials said their reason was Highway 87 is a winding two-lane scenic road through a national park. Citizens unable to attend the public hearing can submit their opinions about the changes to the South Dakota Department of Transportation, 700 E. Broadway Ave., Pierre, SD 57501-2586. They can also email their information to Darin.Bergquist@state.sd.us. Bergquist is transportation secretary for Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Comments by mail or email must reach the DOT no later than May 19 to be considered at the May 25 public hearing. Rosneft, Bashneft demand $1.9 billion from AFK Sistema MOSCOW, May 3 (RAPSI) Rosneft and Bashneft have filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Commercial Court seeking to collect 106.6 billion rubles ($1.9 billion) from AFK Sistema holding company, according to court records. The cause for legal action has not been disclosed. However, RIA Novosti agency reported citing spokesman for Rosneft Mikhail Leontyev, that the lawsuit is connected with alleged siphoning of assets. According to the oil companys representative, actions of AFK Sistema led to decrease of assets at this sum. Bashneft was controlled by the government of Russias Bashkortostan region until 2003, when a major stake was sold to companies affiliated with Ural Rakhimov, son of the former head of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov. The company was privatized in 2009, when Russian oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Sistema gained control of it. A court in Moscow ruled that Bashneft had been privatized in violation of law. The Prosecutor General's Office brought a suit to return a 71.6 percent stake in Bashneft to the government. The Moscow Commercial Court ruled on October 30, 2014, in favor of the Prosecutor General's Office. Misanthropic Division members to go on trial in Moscow MOSCOW, May 3 (RAPSI) The Moscow District Military Court will review a criminal case against three members and heads of subunits of Misanthropic Division extremist organization, prohibited in Russia, the Investigative Committee announced on Wednesday. According to investigators, defendants in the criminal case are Vitaly Tsaruk, Victor Pekhterev and Cyril Khalepo, charged with nine instances of criminal activity of terrorist and extremist nature. On April 10, Russian authorities launched a criminal case against Ruslan Pavlyuk, alleged head of a Rostov-on-Don cell of the organization. Allegedly Pavlyuk was participating as a member of the extremist organization and propagated extremist ideas. In the summer of 2016, Russian investigators launched probe into Dmitry Pavlov, citizen of Belarus and an alleged organizer of the Misanthropic Division extremist online community. The organization was allegedly founded in October 2013 and in 2014, when revolutionary movements started in Ukraine, the organizations activity assumed an international character and became more radical, according to Russias Investigative Committee. Misanthropic Division created branches in 19 countries including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, France, Poland, England and other European states. Pavlov and his associates promote on the social media racist and neo-Nazi ideas; publicly call to terrorism and extremism; incite hatred and enmity for a number of nationalities; speak disrespectfully of the Days of War Glory and memorable dates in Russia connected with defense of fatherland, former spokesman for the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin said earlier. MOSCOW, May 3 (RAPSI) - The Kirovsky Regional Court on Wednesday upheld a 5-year suspended sentence given to Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny in Kirovles embezzlement case, the court told RAPSI on Wednesday. Therefore, the sentence has taken effect. On February 8, Navalny was convicted of organizing embezzlement of 16 million rubles ($280,000) at the Kirovles timber company for the second time and received a 5-year suspended sentence, while another defendant in the case, Pyotr Ofitserov, received a 4-year suspended sentence. Additionally, they were fined 500,000 rubles ($8,500) each. According to investigators, while serving on a voluntary basis as an adviser to the Kirov Region governor Navalny organized the theft of over 10,000 cubic meters of timber from Kirovles company between May and September 2009. Investigators claimed that Pyotr Ofitserov, then Director of Vyatka Timber Company, and Kirovles CEO Vyacheslav Opalyov were involved in the scheme. Proceedings against Opalyov were treated as a separated criminal case after he had admitted his guilt. Navalny was given a five-year suspended sentence for embezzlement at the Kirovles timber company in July 2013. Later, Moscow's Lyublinsky District Court increased a probation period for him to 5.5 years. Ofitserov received a four-year suspended sentence. In February 2016, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held that the applicants right to a fair trial had been violated and ordered Russian authorities to compensate Navalny with 48,000 of legal costs and Ofitserov with 22,000. Additionally, Russia was obliged by court to pay 8,000 euro each in damages. In November 2016, the Supreme Court overturned sentences against Navalny and Ofitserov in Kirovles embezzlement case and sent it for retrial. The court delivered the ruling taking into consideration the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Associate of "Crossbow Coup" plotter sentenced to 1.5 years for extremism MOSCOW, May 3 (RAPSI) The Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow has sentenced nationalist Yury Yekishev, associate of convicted ex-colonel Kvachkov, to 1.5 years in a penal colony after being found guilty of extremism, the court's spokesperson Yevgeniya Gorokhova told RAPSI on Wednesday. A criminal case against Yekishev was launched after he published a video in one of the social networks. The defendant was an associate of Vladimir Kvachkov, retired Russian military intelligence colonel, who was convicted for attempted instigation of an armed riot. Before that Yekishev was a coordinator of the prohibited Movement Against Illegal Immigration. In 2006, Yekishev was also sentenced to 1.5 years for extremism. Kvachkov, who was acquitted of charges in the attempted murder of former UES CEO Anatoly Chubais in 2005, was found guilty on February 8, 2013, of organizing an armed coup and was sentenced to 13 years in prison and one year of custodial restraint. Later, the Supreme Court mitigated the sentence to eight years in a high security prison. Kvachkov is thought to have masterminded plans to oust the government with a small group of followers. Kvachkov has denied all charges but during the trial defended the right of Russian citizens to hold an uprising." Russian businessman acquitted of embezzling $8.3 million MOSCOW, May 3 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov) A court in the Rostov Region acquitted the owner of Energiya company Alexander Khurudzhi in embezzlement case, lawyer Alexander Selyutin told RAPSI on Wednesday. According to the judgement, an episode of embezzling 478 million rubles ($8.3 million) was excluded from the case. Money laundering charges were also dropped. Former companys head Sergey Konopsky was also acquitted. The court returned Khurudzhi bail amounting to 5 million rubles ($87,400). Konopsky was released from house arrest. Khurudzhi has a right for rehabilitation, Selyutin said. Persons guilty of stealing companys funds and loss of business will bear responsibility; trial will be held on this issue, the lawyer added. Investigators claimed that Khurudzhi and Konopsky had conspired to embezzle funds of DGC of the South, a subsidiary of Rosseti Holding, one of the largest electric companies in the world. The men along with their accomplices submitted unreliable documents to the regional tariffs service for setting Energiyas individual tariffs. Then they purchased additional network equipment, which allowed to ramp up delivered power, without tariff reduction. Thus, businessmen stole over 470 million rubles from DGC of the South. Interpol confirms cancellation of Red Notice against ex-president Yanukovych MOSCOW, May 3 (RAPSI) The Interpol has officially confirmed that it has deleted Red Notice concerning ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and removed related information from the organizations database, the Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP law firm, representing interests of Yanukovych, announced on Wednesday. According to the companys press-release, Interpol also deleted information concerning Oleksandr Yanukovych, son of the former president and suspended the so-called Diffusion, a request for co-operation in relation to investigation against him. The company claims that Interpol took these actions because the cases were politically motivated, lacked an evidentiary basis, and lacked due process. The Obolonsky District Court in Kiev will begin hearing a case against Yanukovych, who stands charged with treason, on May 4. The Ukrainian prosecutors accuse Yanukovych of the same crimes allegedly committed by former Berkut officers: using fire arms against protesters in Kiev in late 2013 and early 2014. However, his case is subject to separate criminal proceedings. In early 2015, it was reported that the Ukrainian Prosecutor Generals Office brought charges against Yanukovych in absentia and addressed Russia with a request to extradite the former president. On June 6 of the same year, Russia declined to extradite Yanukovych, according to the Prosecutor Generals Offices spokesman Alexander Kurennoy. Interpol published information on Red Notice against Yanukovych. However, in July of 2015, information related to Yanukovych vanished from the Interpol database with the organization removing his file from the list of requested persons. Ukrainian Interior Ministry then announced that information was temporarily removed because the Red Notice against ex-president was being appealed. Hamilton High School Envirothon teams were successful at the state competition in Lewistown, April 24 and 25. Envirothon competition is sponsored by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to educate students to be aware concerned citizens and challenge their knowledge of natural resources. Teams work with natural resource professionals from their own community for mentoring and learning the resource and conservation concepts with real life applications. Envirothon is one of my all-time favorite science competitions to be involved with, said Hamilton Coach Tom Schmit. It is set apart from other academic programs by the generous mentors who volunteer their time to teach our students. Working with these professionals from our community has also provided invaluable opportunities for students to explore potential careers in numerous areas of environmental science. The Hamilton students studied five areas of environmental science with a focus on Water Conservation and faced the written and oral competitions as a team. The testing and presentation components allow students with different resource conservation expertise to collaborate and interact during the event, Schmit said. Functioning as a team to address problems can be challenging but this type of collaboration is such an important skill for these students to learn as they prepare to enter the workforce. The Hamilton team of Grace Davenport, Olivia Schmit, Hadley Gideon, Alleah Jordan and Finn Belanger earned first place on the written tests for the second year in a row and were each awarded a VISA card of $300. They won second place overall out of 33 teams. Medals went to: Grace Davenport for first place in Soil Science, Olivia Schmit for second place in Aquatic Science, Finn Belanger for third place in Wildlife and Alleah Jordan for third place in Forestry. The second Hamilton team placed ninth overall with team members Colleen May, Bailey Evens, Gabe Hoenstine, Shelby Cruse and Lily Ogden. Advisors were Julie Ralston and Howard and Patti Eldredge from the Ravalli Conservation district. My wife is a retired science teacher and weve enjoyed it. This is a great format, Eldredge said. People dont realize how extensive the preparation is. The students spend several months getting ready and thats why the Hamilton team has done so well. The judging is rigorous by experts in the field; students have to know what they are talking about. The Hamilton team was mentored by Katrina Mendrey - Soil and Water Conservation, Stacy Pease - NRCS Soil and Water Conservation, Chris Clancy Aquatics, Walter Lujan Range, Ken McBride Soil, Rebecca Mowry Wildlife and Jack Losensky Forestry. Hamilton Coach Marie Antonioli said the teams value the mentorship and learning opportunities. The students are also grateful to landowners Ted and Laurie Jolley and Laura Garber for inviting the students to learn first-hand from their property and the Bitterroot Conservation District for their continued support, Antonioli said. The HHS Envirothon Team is having a silent auction fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 5, with art donated by local artists. Although we are not officially endorsed by RML, our fundraiser hopes to capitalize on a science friendly audience that will be here from 7 to 8 p.m. for the guest speaker, Adam Ruben, who is both a vaccine researcher and stand-up comedian, Antonioli said. It should be a wonderful presentation. A contested gate across a road in the upper reaches of the West Fork of the Bitterroot is going to stay locked for at least bit longer. Two families filed suit in Ravalli County District Court in April seeking to keep the county from forcing them to remove the gate across Hughes Creek Road. In January, the Ravalli County Commission voted 3-2 to deny a formal request by 10 landowners to abandon the portion of the upper Hughes Creek Road that been locked off to the public for 40 years. At the time, the commission gave landowners 120 days to remove the gate that kept the public out since 1978. Under that order, the gate would have been required to be gone by June 1. County officials say that may not happen now. Zachary and Tracy Bugli and Charlene and Violet Cox filed a lawsuit on April 10 asking the court to stop the county from forcing landowners to remove the gate. The suit claimed the county had already dismissed its claims with prejudice regarding the issue. The gate is located about nine miles up the Hughes Creek Road. The county has already tried once to force the landowners to remove the gate in a lawsuit filed in 1984. That original complaint said the county directed the landowners to remove the locked gate in 1981, but the issue languished for nearly a decade after the county was denied a preliminary injunction. In 1993, Judge Jeffrey Langton issued an order to the parties to show cause why the case should not be dismissed. At that time, then county attorney George Corn drafted a stipulation that said the case should be dismissed with prejudice, according to the recently filed lawsuit. That was signed by attorneys from both sides. The order that Langton signed in 1993 dismissed the case without prejudice, which means it could be brought before the court at a later time. The landowners are asking the court to rule on whether the case was dismissed with or without prejudice. The lawsuit also asks the court to require the county to accept a 1965 map and resolution filed by the county commission at that time that showed the road ending near the site of the current gate and the old road beyond that point reverting to adjoining landowners. The landowners also ask the court to award them damages and attorney fees. The county claims the original road dates back to 1900 when the county commission declared it a public highway that started at the Alta Post Office and ran east for about 12 miles to the Woods Placer Mining Company claims. The issue was brought forward last year when two retired Forest Service employees pointed to a Montana Supreme Court decision in Anaconda-Deerlodge County that found a petitioned road gated in 1980 was still a county road despite the fact that the public had been kept off of it for decades. Two commissioners and other county employees traveled the road last fall. They found the road past the gate to be in very poor condition, with limited potential for providing access to surrounding national forest lands. They did find that the road meandered onto public lands at a couple of points, which would provide the public access. It also touched Hughes Creek in several locations. Under state law, the county cant abandon a petitioned road if there isnt another public road that provides substantially the same access to the same public lands or waters. The three commissioners who voted against accepting the landowners petition to close the road found that access to those national forest lands and to Hughes Creek itself couldnt be duplicated if the road were closed to the public. On Tuesday, Deputy County Attorney Howard Recht said the county was in its initial stages of responding to the lawsuit. We will have to seek guidance from the court or a court order before we do anything about the gate, Recht said. The phrase public lands keeps cropping up on my TV screen, even when I have the sound turned off. In the U.S., public lands are held by central or local governments, for the purpose of public use, now or in the future. Personally, I am grateful that Theodore Roosevelt, as a leader of the Republican Party and his conservation group, Boone and Crockett Club, took matters into their own hands by creating laws and regulations that protected these national treasures. Why do I want them held in trust and not exploited for monetary gain? For my grandkids, and their grandkids, to discover and experience. There is no substitute for wild lands, wild creatures and the Presence of the Great Maker that lives there. There is no reclaiming the lands that are exploited for monetary gain. And frankly, humans make mistakes. If youve had a chance to see The Berkeley Pit in Butte (the countrys biggest superfund site), youve seen that human error destroyed not only a huge tract of the land (and the geese and ducks that land there), but also the drinking water for Butte, probably forever. Is that a fair trade for the millions of tons of copper that was extracted? Well, it supplied jobs. It made multi-millionaires. It left the workers from that era high, dry and full of toxins, and it leaves taxpayers paying for the cleanup. Why are public lands targeted? Its a simple argument that some folks fall for. Get government out of managing vast tracts of land, and let private enterprise make them profitable. But in this case government is people like you and me who manage those lands because they love them, not because they want to make money off of them. Its literally thousands of working folks making modest wages to manage plants, animals, fish, bird life, vast reserves of trees and a million other wonderful residents who thrive only in the wild. Its sort of like wanting to sell pieces of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. because its empty a lot of the time. No. Not acceptable. In the end, I think about seven generations hence. Those kids in 2192 deserve to experience the planet as the beneficent power of life, breathe pristine air, and drink pure water. We all do. Star Jameson, Hamilton Tanka Mani Sharma By Review Nepal Kathmandu, Nepal: Tanka Mani Sharma has been recommended as the Chief of the Office of Auditor General (OAG). A meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC) has recommended Sharma as the Cchief OAG. As per the constitutional provision, the Parliamentary Special Hearing Committee has to endorse the recommendation of the CC. Sharma is currently Secretary at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Hindu Yuva Vahini members pose inside the vigilante groupas office in the city of Unnao, India, on April 5, 2017. Photo: Reuters/File NEW DELHI: Indian police have detained four members of a hardline Hindu militia founded by the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh on suspicion of killing a Muslim man who had helped an interfaith couple elope, an investigating official said on Wednesday. A 60-year-old farmer was killed on Tuesday by a mob that included members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, or Hindu Youth Force, set up by Yogi Adityanath, a priest recently named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead Indias most populous state. Adityanath, backed by his volunteer force, spearheaded the campaign of Modis Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in this years Uttar Pradesh state polls, helping to secure a landslide victory in the northern state. Since his appointment, units of the Hindu Yuva Vahini have ramped up their anti-Muslim rhetoric and launched a campaign against so-called Love Jihad what they regard as an Islamist strategy to convert Hindu women through seduction and marriage. The case of a Hindu girl eloping with a Muslim boy led to religious tension and members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini declared it was Love Jihad, said Jagdish Sharma, a police officer leading investigations in Bulandshahr district, 70 km (40 miles) to the southeast of Indias capital New Delhi. The Muslim farmer was beaten to death in a mango orchard after he refused to share the whereabouts of the couple, said Sharma. The spokesman of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, P.K. Mall, denied that any members of Adityanaths youth force had been involved in the attack. We dont want Muslims to convert Hindu girls but we are not involved in any criminal activity, he told Reuters. There is a clear conspiracy to insult Yogi Adityanath and our religious group. Adityanath, who heads a Hindu sect based in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has a history of rabble-rousing street politics, and his sudden rise to political prominence has stoked tensions with Muslims who make up 19 percent of Uttar Pradeshs 220 million people. Since his appointment, members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini have called on police to enforce a ban imposed by Adityanath on illegal slaughterhouses and taken action to halt sales of meat from unlicensed butchers shops run by Muslims. Adityanath, according to Indian media reports last weekend, urged members of the group behave with decency. Supreme Court (SC) of Nepal By Review Nepal Kathmandu, Nepal: Challenging to the impeachment motion registered in the parliament by the lawmakers of ruling Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Centre against the Chief Justice Sushila Karki a writ has been filed at the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday. Advocate Sunil Ranjan Singh filed a writ petition at the SC claiming that the motion has breached the Articles 16.1, 177.1, 101.2, 101.6, 105, 126.1, 126.2, and 128.4 of Nepals Constitution. In the writ he has also alleged that the impeachment motion was brought to influence the judiciary and with an intent to build a guided judiciary. Dubbing the allegations against the Chief Justice hypothetical and intended to assassinate the Chief Justices character, the petitioner has claimed in the writ. As the impeachment motion was a matter of public interest, there was no other way to challenge the move, Advocate Singh has mentioned in the writ. By Review Nepal Kathmandu, Nepal: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has urged the Nepal Parliament to immediately reject the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki Claiming that the motion has threatened the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. Issuing a press statement, the international human rights non-governmental organization has termed the motion as unprecedented incident. The motion has threatened the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law, Matt Pollard, the ICJ chief has stated in the statement. The impeachment motion has raised very serious concerns about the independence of Nepals Supreme Court and the separation of powers in the country, the press release states further. This impeachment motion, the first against a sitting Chief Justice in Nepals history, raises very serious concerns about the independence of Nepals Supreme Court and the separation of powers in the country, said Matt Pollard, who heads the ICJs Center for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers. The impeachment motion seems timed to suspend Chief Justice Karki just as she was scheduled to hear a politically controversial case, he added. The impeachment motion comes in the wake of the decision of the full bench of the Supreme Court, chaired by Justice Karki, to revoke the Cabinets 12 February decision to appoint a new Inspector General of Nepal Police evidently in violation of existing processes and regulations. The motion to impeach Chief Justice was sponsored by two ruling parties, Nepali Congress and Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Center), pursuant to Article 101(2) of Nepals 2015 Constitution. This provision allows for an impeachment motion against the chief justice to be moved by one-fourth of the members of the LegislatureParliament on the grounds of serious violation of the Constitution and law, his or her incompetence, misbehavior or failure to discharge the duties of his or her office in good faith or serious violation of code of conduct. Justice Karki is scheduled to retire on 7 Jun 2017, when she reaches the mandatory retirement age. The timing of the impeachment action, so close to the Chief Justices scheduled retirement, gives credence to suspicions that it is aimed at preventing her participation in judicial activity during the next few weeks, Pollard said. Filing the impeachment motion immediately resulted in the suspension of the Chief Justice from her duties, pursuant to Article 101(6). The impeachment process under Article 101 does not comply with international standards on the independence of the judiciary, as the ICJ has pointed out repeatedly in its analysis of the 2015 Constitution, Pollard added, referring to the ICJs Briefing Paper on the Constitutional Draft. This recent motion starkly demonstrates the problems with the Constitutional provision. Nepals judiciary, including the Supreme Court, had also recently been criticized by officials in the ruling parties and the military in relation to a number of high profile human rights cases. Nepals Judiciary has been instrumental protecting human rights, rule of law and enforcement of the Nepals obligation under international law, Pollard said. The Nepali judiciary as an institution has strengthened and has gained international respect for its independence, so it should be celebrated and strengthened, instead of being subject to this kind of legislative attack, he added. The ICJ calls on the Government of Nepal and ruling parties to withdraw the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice in order to ensure judicial independence and the appropriate separation of powers under the rule of law in the country. Kathmandu, Nepal: Japan has welcomed the local level election scheduled for May 14 and June 14. Japan sincerely welcomes the forthcoming local elections, which are scheduled to be held for the first time in twenty years, issuing a press release Japanese embassy in Kathmandu has stated Japan expresses our deep respect to all the stakeholders concerned, including political parties, the Government, the Election Commission and civil societies, who have worked hard to make these epoch-making elections possible. Japan hopes to see Nepal making significant progress towards further democratization with steady implementation of the Constitution that was promulgated in 2015, the press release has stated adding Japan strongly wishes that the local elections would be inclusive, with participation of all groups who constitute Nepalese society and be conducted in a fair, impartial and peaceful manner. Japan, as a true friend of Nepal, will extend our continued support to the people of Nepal for the countrys peace and stability and its democratization and socio-economic development, reads the press release. KATHMANDU, May 3: Nepali Congress (NC) has said that it could enter into electoral alliance with any political parties as per the need of the NC's local level mechanism as the candidacy nomination for May 14 election is already over. At a press conference organised by NC's Central Publicity Coordination Sub-Committee at the party's central office at Sanepa today, NC shared that it has already fielded its candidates for all local units in the first phase of election. Coordinator of the Sub-Committee and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak said the public can't wait for the Election Day to cast its vote to the candidates of their choice. Expressing his confidence that the constitution second amendment bill registered at the parliament would be endorsed at the earliest, Minister Lekhak asserted that second constitution amendment bill seeks to accommodate all the political parties and according to the latest amendment, all political parties could contest in the poll. He also shared that the NC would soon nominate its candidate for the Minister for Home Affairs that has remained vacant in the cabinet following the resignation of Bimalendra Nidhi. RSS Kathmandu, Nepal : Ministers from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) tendered their resignations on Wednesday. Party Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister and Local Development Minister Kamal Thapa and other ministers handed over their resignation letters to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The RPP had on Tuesday decided to withdraw support to the government alleging the major ally of the incumbent government Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Centre for registering an impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki. An error occurred while processing your request. The page you are looking for on this website is unavailable, has moved, or does not exist. Please visit collinsaerospace.com to find the product or service you are looking for. catchnews.com - 27 April 2017 It is generally agreed, by supporters and opponents alike, that the late 1960s were the time of the Naxalbari movement. Even current Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah admitted as much when he decided to visit Naxalbari as part of his recent tour of West Bengal. Praised and reviled alike, Naxalbari has come to occupy a singular place of significance in the annals of radical politics in post-independence India. Much has been written on what had happened in that remote place in North Bengal 50 years ago, why and how the politics of Naxalbari engulfed the whole of West Bengal, and quickly spread to other parts of the country, the massive participation of students and youth in the mobilisations, the movements non-conformism, and heavy state repression. Journalists and chroniclers have also written on how the movement, in a different form known as the Maoist movement, continues. Yet some aspects of the time and the movement have gone unnoticed or have been taken as natural. It may be worthwhile today to look into them in some detail. When everyone was a Red Guard In one sense, this was a time of extreme radicalisation, which also meant extreme republicanism and egalitarianism. The time and mobilisation erased all distinctions, hierarchies, and inequalities from the map of revolution. The revolution did not recognise any caste, or gender, or occupational distinctions. Everyone was a Red Guard. How could this happen? Perhaps besides an extreme egalitarian ideology, the spiritual ambience of the time and the movement had something to do with creating a utopia on earth. Thus slogans like these were raised: Amar bari, tomar bari, Naxalbari, Naxalbari (Your home, my home is Naxalbari) Tomar nam, amar nam, Naxalbari, Vietnam (Your name, my name, Naxalbari, Vietnam) Chin-er chairman, amader chairman (Chairman of China, Mao, is our chairman too) Other slogans that had originated a little earlier were also popularised, like Jokhon-i janata chai bastra o khadya, Simante beje othe juddher badya (Whenever people want clothes and food, war drums beat on the borders instead). Lines from the Red Book (quotations from Maos writings) were turned into slogans, and became the stuff of legendary posters, such as Women are half the sky, Students and youth are like the sun of eight or nine in the morning, Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun, Revolution is not a piece of embroidery or a piece of fine art, but the deployment of force by one class over another, etc. These slogans, besides helping to mobilise the participants in a particular way, also created a world which challenged the very concept of politics practised then a hidebound, confined within a nationalistic and narrow imagination, parliamentary, docile, elite, chamber confabulation centric a and instead asked politics to be wide, adventurous, ethical, rebellious, and therefore, to a large extent, arrogant. The proverbial prairie fire happened not because any god willed it, but along with the reality of unrest, these slogans and other rallying cries conjured up a world where people could think that the impossible could be made possible, heaven could be made to appear in this world. These slogans and rallying calls carried a mix of classical ideas, rhymes and rhythms, avant garde style, and exhorting words. The mix was heady and the bare English translations of these can hardly give us a sense of the brew, lethal for the forces of order and stability. Literary connection The movement also had literary sensibility. It called for the past literary acts to appear before the tribune of history to prove if those acts had been in the interests of the people, or the literature produced earlier had served only the interests of the moneyed and the big gentry. Equally significantly, it also produced avant garde literature, music, drama, paintings, and even films. Theatre personalities like Utpal Dutt, poets like Birendra Chattopadhyay, Kamalesh Sen, well known essayists like Promod Sengupta, Amiyo Chakrabarty, story writers and novelists like Mahasweta Devi, and journalists like Samar Sen and Bhavani Roy Chaudhury made the time aesthetically sensitive in a distinct sense. Some of the cultural productions of that time have become part of the abiding legacy for todays Bengal. In this utopian world, which was too good to last long but was real at the same time, differences were effaced, as if the radical ranks did not suffer from any faultlines of identity of caste, gender, language, religion, etc. All were Red Guards. Parallel journals like Now, Frontier, Anushtup, Kalpurush a all avant garde initiatives a flourished. Literacy campaigns among peasants, workers, and slum dwellers started. Jails became places of intense self-introspection and learning. They became universities. And, make no mistake, these were not Kolkata-centric. Mofussil towns also immersed themselves in the second renaissance of Bengal. How did politics and culture mix? The question we must ask is this: short-lived as this heady period (1966-67 to 1970-71) was, and drowned in blood and caged in the prison houses of Bengal and outside the state too, how could politics and culture share the same space so intensely? This is not to say that the two sat easily with each other. Politics was extreme. It was not easy for cultural repertoires to march in the same steps as politics. There were divisions. For instance, Utpal Dutt broke ranks, some other literary activists were killed, yet some others quietly withdrew. But by and large, we may say, without the cultural repertoires, the Naxalbari movement would not have attained the glory associated with it. But we should not be surprised. As in the time of Swadeshi, a militant nationalist movement, any kind of death wish carries with it a spiritual strain. Why should I live if life cannot be spent meaningfully? What does death mean? What is inspiration? Questions like these, raised on the streets, did not derive their answers from politics. Aesthetic sensibility gave the answers. We may call this a kind of political spirituality. In this way, the political subject became a subject writing own its culture, appropriate to a meaningful existence on earth. Hence, is the all important question of repertoire. What was the role of repertoire in creating the new politics that had such a big impact on India, and specifically, Bengal? Innovation in repertoires If as earlier indicated, repertoires of politics changed, we must look deeply into how structures of mass politics changed in the 1950s and 1960s in Bengal, and to different extents elsewhere in India. The cycles and tides of contention changed since the years of Sino-Indian border war of 1962, promulgation of Defence of India Rule, the India-Pakistan war of 1965, widespread hunger, near famine condition in many parts of India, particularly Bihar, and food riots in Bengal. Mass movements created instability in the ruling party. It cracked in many places, which made possible for non-Congress governments to appear in many states for the first time. In such a contentious time, collective claim-makings increased. Every collective actors interest was at risk. Therefore many actors mobilised for action. Such a period of rapid political change produced sequences of innovation in repertoires. Successive innovations largely accounted for the ebb and tide of radical activity. Nobody willed that the Naxalbari movement would soon overflow the particular confines of a place called Naxalbari. No complex outcome ever results from the operation of a single causal mechanism. The diffusion of the mobilisation techniques and the ascendancy of the street in politics were partly non-relational a that is to say they had no direct correspondence with the actual land movement in Naxalbari. But organisational networks of students and youth and other political cadres took up the model of confrontation, street life, and spiritual interrogation of elite institutions. These mechanisms combined into processes, processes led to new coordination. Repertoires built up as a consequence of this collective process. Other mechanisms contributed. The appropriation of earlier radical devices, creation of new boundaries of politics, Chinas certification, shift in the identity of politics, and escalation a all these contributed to radicalisation. Repertoires changed as a result. A new ground was created. It was to be a common site of peasant activists and radical students and youth, factory organisers and literary practitioners. Yet, it is also true that a repertoire change was inconceivable without regime change. The change in political regime in the wake of Nehruas death, currency devaluation, two wars, and emergence of non-Congress governments in some states of India formed the milieu in which political repertoires found new forms. Relevance today It will be worthwhile for all those interested in the fate of politics to see how a single incident can produce movements and campaigns that break existing institutional frameworks. Under what conditions do campaigns ignite broader forms of contentious politics? Again, under what conditions does a movement create new bases? And thus, what explains the multiplicity of centres within a movement, its openness to new actors, the inability of a regime to accommodate new claims, and finally, how do all these contribute to new repertoires of politics? Some answers to all these will not only help us to understand what happened in Bengal in 1967 or Paris in 1968 or Pakistan in 1968-70, but will also unlock many of the stalled situations today. Stop the Attack on Minorities and Dalits in the name of Gau Raksha Punish the Gau Goondas Justice to the Pehlu Khan and Others New Delhi | May 03, 2017: The terror of Gau Goondas is rampant all over the country. The state have been unable to crackdown on the the Gau Rakshak who have been cowardly spearheading the attack on minorities and dalits in different ways. One month has passed after the death of Pehlu Khan where we only witnessed the arrogance of the state who have failed to meet the families of victims or crackdown on the culprits in the case. Rather the politicians and the state have justified the attack by shielding the act and Gau Rakshaks in many ways. Today, activists of peoples movements, womens organisations, trade unions, and others have protested in front of Bikaner House, demanding the justice to Pehlu Khan and other victims of the attack. A delegation of the people comprising Kavita Krishnan (AIPWA), Kavita Shrivastava (PUCL), Vimal Bhai (NAPM), Prem Singh (AIKM), Maimoona Mollah (AIDWA) and others met the resident commissioner after the protest and submitted the memorandum with demands for strict and quick action for justice to the victims. Memorandum submitted: To 03/05/2017 The Chief Minister Rajasthan. Via: Rajasthan Resident Commissioner, Delhi Subject: Justice in the murder of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan and assault on dairy farmers Azmat Khan, Rafiq and others by Gau goondas at Behror, Alwar district, Rajasthan. Dear Madam, As you are aware on the 1st of April 2017 Pehlu Khan a dairy farmer from Jaisinghpur, Nuh along with his two sons and two fellow villagers were brutally attacked by Gau Goondas returning from the Ramgarh Halwara, Jaipur with several cows and calves along with the required papers when they were brutally attacked by Gau Goondas Pehlu Khan died on the 3rd of April. Azmat Khan got serious injuries in his spinal cord, Rafiq had two of his ribs broken and his nose fractured. Shockingly the Behror Police has filed a false case of cow trafficking against Pehlu Khan and others, although the FIR filed by Pehlu Khan after he died was converted into a section 302 FIR. Although 6 of the Gau Goondas were arrested by the Alwar police, those named in the FIR have not been arrested as yet. It is even more shocking that the Home Minister in your Government has tacitly condoned the killing and given encouragement for more such killings by condemning Pehlu Khan as a aGau Taskara (cow smuggler). Meanwhile, all over the country, from Delhi to Bihar to J&K to Assam every week we hear of cases of human beings being lynched by mobs on the pretext of acow protection.a On 3 may, 2017 (today) the first month anniversary of Pehlu Khanas death, citizens all over the country are observing a public action day. As part of this national call, we the undersigned are submitting this memorandum to you in Delhi via the Resident Commissioner, Demanding 1. Justice for Pehlu Khan, Azmat Khan, Rafiq Khan and others 2. Immediate arrest of all those named in the FIR 3. 1 crore compensation be given to Pehlu Khan and 25 lakh and 25 lakh to Azmat Khan and 10 lakhs to Rafiq Khan and others. 4. An end to all violence in the name of the cow and eliminate all mobs indulging in such violence from the Rajasthan and India. We would also like to express our concern and protest at the fact that your Government cancelled the permission for the peaceful public action (dharna) at Alwar today. Why is your Government unable to prevent violent mobs from attacking injuring and even killing human beings in the name of cow protection but using police might to prevent peaceful protest actions against such violence? Sincerely, AIDWA, AIPWA, AIKS, AIKM, AISA, ANHAD, Delhi Solidarity Group, Democratic Human Rights Network, DYPI, NAPM, NCHRO, NFIW, PUCL (Delhi), Right to Food Campaign, Satark Nagrik Sangathan, MIM Youth, JNUSU For more details, please contact: 9818905316 or send an email to napmindia[at]gmail.com Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. You have permission to edit this html. Edit Close Seguin, TX (78155) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 83F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. "The Eighth Amendment's Milieu: Penal Reform in the Late Eighteenth Century" | Main | South Carolina Supreme Court rejects constitutional challenge to juve sex offender's mandatory lifetime registration/monitoring May 3, 2017 PBS Frontline covers the impact of Miller via "Second Chance Kids" As detailed via this posting, the PBS series Frontline premiered a new documentary last night titled Second Chance Kids. Here is a kind of preview from the posting: What happens when prisoners convicted of murder as teenagers are given the chance to re-enter society? In the wake of Miller v. Alabama the 2012 Supreme Court ruling that found mandatory life sentences without the chance of parole for juveniles unconstitutional some 2,000 offenders across the country are hoping to find out. With unique access, the new FRONTLINE documentary, Second Chance Kids, follows the cases of two of the first juvenile lifers in the country to seek parole following the landmark ruling including Anthony Rolon of Massachusetts. At age 17, Rolon stabbed 20-year-old Bobby Botelho to death. He was given life without parole during the countrys crackdown on so-called juvenile superpredators teenagers who were labeled violent, dangerous and incapable of change. The theory, which was popularized by academics and embraced by Democrats and Republicans alike, resulted in disproportionately extreme sentencing of black and Latino youths. As the documentary explores, the superpredator theory has now largely been discredited and disavowed. And a series of Supreme Court rulings, relying heavily on developmental science, has said that the personal circumstances of teenage offenders must be taken into account when theyre sentenced. The court has also ruled that many of them should have the chance to prove theyve changed. In the above excerpt from Second Chance Kids, go inside the parole hearing that will decide Rolons fate. Watch as Rolon and his legal team plead for his release after 18 years, and as Botelhos family argues against it. As juvenile offenders across the country await their potential re-sentencing, the documentary asks tough questions about crime and punishment in America, and what happens when some offenders are given a second chance. The PSB website allows one to watch the documentary in full, and it also has these two companion articles: "They Were Sentenced as Superpredators. Who Were They Really?" "How Brain Science Is Changing How Long Teens Spend in Prison" May 3, 2017 at 04:47 PM | Permalink Comments All Second Chance Kids are to be released to the adjoining homes of the Frontline producers and of officials at PBS. Frontline is a left wing hate speech propaganda outlet. It uses the methodology of, and has the credibility of the David Duke website. Duke is honest about his bias, and hatred of Jews and of blacks. Frontline pretends to be objective journalism. In the tradition of claiming the opposite of reality, developmental science shows adolescents to be superior to adults in every way, including their lower rates of violent crime. The lawyer is the stupidest group in our nation. The Supreme Court is the stupidest lawyers. The Supreme Court is the mortal enemy of all crime victims. It is a waking nightmare for crime victims. Posted by: David Behar | May 3, 2017 7:42:01 PM Doug, it is obvious that Supremacy Claus has rejected your request that he become more tactful and restrained in his posts. "The Supreme Court is the mortal enemy of all crime victims." His comments add absolutely nothing to your blog and has begun to deter thoughtful commentors. I would encourage you to pull the plug on him. Bruce Posted by: bruce cunningham | May 3, 2017 10:22:19 PM Bruce. Please, cite an instance when the Supreme Court supported a substantive right of crime victims, not those degrading attestations? The most substantive is the one to not be victimized. What you call "nothing" is the news from planet earth, from reality. I am sorry facts are bothering you. Posted by: David Behar | May 3, 2017 11:03:30 PM Doug, S.C. has proven my point. Now all four comments on a serious post are of no value to anyone. Bruce Posted by: bruce cunningham | May 3, 2017 11:06:07 PM Bruce. Try to stay on topic of Second Chance Kids. But, if you cannot, if you are getting emotional, explain how a request for a legal citation proves your point. You are an expert. You have access to legal research databases. Find a Supreme Court decision that supports the substantive crime victim right to not be victimized. And, do not start citing decisions by OW Holmes. Cite a pro-victim decision from the last 50 years. That time is when the Supreme Court set out on its jihad against the crime victim, especially the black crime victim. Then, Bruce, I demand that you provide your home address. All Second Chance Kids should be placed in the homes surrounding yours. You and the Supreme Court subscribe to the theory that people can change. Put the safety of your family on the line, and not the safety of minority families with less political clout. Can a comment get any more relevant to the subject of the post as that demand? I will give you time. If you ever find a decision, it will be like this blog, 1000 utterances pro-criminal to 1 pro-victim. Posted by: David Behar | May 4, 2017 12:25:54 AM "Why did you kill by drowning that 3 year old child when you were 6?" "He should not have touched my toy." "Got it." Then there is this case from England. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/001109_child.shtml Anyone want those persons loosed on the public, must provide a home address. We are bringing him to your family's doorsteps. And, Bruce, I am trying to make a policy point. You want to just discuss citations useful for your worthless government make work. You should be replaced by an email account between prosecutor and defendant. I am still waiting for a single recent Supreme Court decision supporting a substantive crime victim right, especially the one to not be victimized. For example, prosecutors and their agents, the police, have duties to the city, not to individual people. That precludes legal recourse when their carelessness results in a highly foreseeable injury, such as being murdered by an angry, paranoid husband. Can you explain how a duty can exist to a made up idea such as city, and not to a real person? That real person presented a signed judge's order to the police, for them to enforce. Their negligence was per se. Posted by: David Behar | May 4, 2017 7:20:51 AM The count of comments which are not useful to anyone on the blog has now reached seven. bruce Posted by: bruce cunningham | May 4, 2017 8:31:38 AM Does the Second Chance Kids program accept child serial killers? Posted by: David Behar | May 4, 2017 7:33:53 PM Bruce. While you are counting useless Comments, can you tell the class if you ever socialize with prosecutors? Do you people raise a glass and toast to the stupidity of the tax payer, allowing the games you people play? Posted by: David Behar | May 4, 2017 7:35:59 PM Post a comment The James Beard Foundation Awards for restaurants and chefs were last night in Chicago the media awards were all announced last week and the big San Francisco winner of the evening was Benu executive chef Corey Lee, who took home the second James Beard price of his career. Lee has been nominated in the Best Chef: West category for his work at Benu for five years straight, and he previously won in the Rising Star category in 2006 when he was chef de cuisine at The French Laundry. You can see the full list of 2017 winners here, and the other win for the Bay Area came in the restaurant design category, where SingleThread, the new fine dining destination in Healdsburg, won the prize for restaurants under 75 seats. San Francisco did not, alas, win any of the big national prizes this year for outstanding restaurant, chef, bar program, or best new restaurant (we had two finalists in the latter category, Tartine Manufactory and In Situ, however). And Eater National notes that Quince was a heavily favored contender in the Outstanding Restaurant category, only to be bested by Rick Bayless's longtime Chicago restaurant Topolobampo. Both Bar Agricole, which annual gets a nod in the Outstanding Bar Program category going back half a decade, and Belinda Leong and Michael Suas of B. Patisserie who were again nominated in the Outstanding Baker category, are now becoming the Susan Luccis of these awards. And as was announced several months ago, La Taqueria was honored this year in the America's Classics category for legacy restaurants. Among the media award winners last week, though, were a few more Bay Area names: Smuggler's Cove owner Martin Cate and wife Rebecca Cate won in the beverage category for books for Smugglers Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki, published in 2016; and SF-based Thrillist editor Kevin Alexander won in the journalism category for his profile of the New York Times restaurant critic, "Finding Pete Wells: A Search for America's Most Dangerous Restaurant Critic." Related: Tartine Manufactory And In Situ Among Finalists For 2017 James Beard Awards The cost of smoking pot is about to get higher, at least in the near term, if draft rules for California's medical marijuana industry move forward, as appears likely. The proposed rules, which come from state regulators in three departments, are open to public comment for 45 days and could take effect by the end of 2018. Of course, California legalized recreational marijuana with Prop 64 in November, but recreational use and sales are likely to be brought into alignment with medical rules by legislation expected later in the year, the Chronicle reports. Regulators say medical pot business owners might face added compliance costs of $524 per pound, or as much as $310,000 for an average-sized medical marijuana business. Smaller-sized businesses would be met with smaller fees, which lead the California Growers Association to approve the plan thus far. The added compliance costs mean that prices for patients are about to increase roughly 10 percent, but with quantifiable benefits to consumers. "The consumer is also getting something for that premium price," Growers Association director Hezekiah Allen told the Chronicle, referring to "mandatory testing, knowledge and confidence the product was grown by folks [who] were following the rules and taxes were being paid. While Allen is vocal in his support, others like Mara Gordon, the founder of a cannabis-based medical oils company in Bodega Bay, are coming out against the THC limits, which "shows a lack of understanding of a medical patients need. Our products, we call them bio-pharmaceutical products and we think of them as serious medicines for serious diseases, Gordon, whose company is Aunt Zelda's, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Its all getting lumped together with the self-medicating person who is using a gummy bear. Meanwhile, the Fresno Bee reviewed the draft rules to point out some noteworthy new regulations.Those include rules against free samples from dispensaries, pot bicycle delivery, and even pot drone delivery. Glad someone is thinking ahead. Previously: Barbary Coast, SF's Swanky New 'Speakeasy' Pot Lounge, Offering 4/20 Booth Reservations San Franciscans who love dive bars (which is most of us!), and San Franciscans who think the city needs to build more housing ASAP, which, come on, should definitely be all of us, are likely to feel conflicted over razing Lucky 13 for condos, a possibility that's hung over the Castro/Duboce Triangle bar for more than a decade now. Stirring those feelings again is a Notice of Building Permit Application posted on the building this month calling to demolish the bar at 2140 Market Street in favor of 27 units of housing as noted by a tipster to Hoodline. Some longtime bar goers already fear the worst: I can already feel how hungover I am from the Lucky 13 closing party. Jen Rizzo (@jrizzo) May 2, 2017 But developers won't be toasting their new condo project just yet, although Lucky 13's regular clientele are sure to use the notice as an excuse for a drink. The long-term odds are probably against the bar's longevity, but Lucky 13's owner Brian Spiers, who didn't want to speak on the record, is a developer himself, and hinted to SFist that nothing is going to happen soon or without a prolonged fight. Spiers should know: He's behind the long-delayed condo project on a nearby lot at the former Home restaurant. Current plans were submitted to raze Lucky 13 for condos in 2015, and the project received a certificate from the Planning Department last January exempting it from environmental review under the Market Octavia Plan. Neighbors may now file applications for discretionary review, and are likely to do so by calling the bar a historic space. It's been Lucky 13 for over a quarter-century, and its structure was built as a lodge for the Woodmen of the World. A similar spot across the street, the New Era Hall, is the only other such "lodge" from the era to survive, and that space was just given landmark status. As a Castro area bar, 2140 has served as several gay bars over the years, the best known of which was Alfie's. Harvey Milk once hosted an election night party there. Other claims of its historic nature might, however, be more of a stretch. And Lucky 13 figures in local beer culture history, too. Early in for serving local and Belgian beers with... https://t.co/SIbwMtiIOx Beer By BART (@beerbybart) May 2, 2017 Related: Citing Licensing Issue, ABC Shuts Down Lucky 13 Patio It's a bad week for notoriously bad landlord Anne Kihagi. Shortly after we learned that the serial evictor of rent-controlled tenants had been sentenced to a few days in jail in Los Angeles for her misuse of the Ellis Act down south, we get word that a San Francisco Superior Court Judge has issued a tentative ruling fining Kihagi and her associates $2.4 million. As the Chronicle reports, Judge Angela Bradstreet issued the ruling Tuesday following two years of investigation and prosecution by City Attorney Dennis Herrera. Kihagi could in fact end up paying well over $4 million to the city because the judge has also ruled she must reimburse the city for legal and investigative costs incurred in the case. The ruling, which is tentative in that it is pending some clerical corrections, also forbids Kihagi from having future contact with tenants, requires her to hire an independent property manager approved by the city, and voids all pending evictions. "This is a resounding victory for San Francisco tenants and the rule of law," Herrera said in a statement. "Ive gone after a lot of lawless landlords in my time, but Anne Kihagi has a special place reserved for her in San Franciscos abusive landlord hall of fame. Her cruelty is stunning." Kihagi's attorney, Karen Uchiyama, meanwhile told the Chronicle that the case was manufactured by "a tenant-activist group that influenced the city to [make] a scapegoat of Anne Kihagi." In her ruling, Judge Bradstreet noted the litany of complaints against and stories about Kihagi from tenants who had been harassed and/or illegally evicted, saying, "The record is replete with outrageous, unlawful, and fraudulent violations that were specifically targeted against often long term tenants who were protected by San Francisco's rent control laws." She further writes that Kihagi and her associates' "reprehensible conduct had a terrible effect on the lives of multiple San Francisco citizens, even to the point of forcing one tenant to quit a cherished career and move out of state and, in another case, forcing a tenant out of his long time home as he battled terminal cancer." Herrera first brought the suit against Kihagi in 2015, noting that she and some family members began assembling their SF real estate portfolio in 2013 after previously buying a number of building in LA and West Hollywood. They ultimately owned over 50 units in San Francisco, spread across the Mission, Castro, and Noe Valley, and Herrera found proof of a pattern of harassment and intimidation with the end goal of removing tenants who were paying low rent. He says that Kihagi and co. spent $24 million on SF real estate and through her tactics were able to add $8.8 million in value to the properties. The judge found evidence that Kihagi harassed and wrongfully evicted 23 tenants, and illegally harassed 10 other tenants, one of whom is now dead. Some choice bits from Herrera's release: Kihagis tactics included fraud; harassment; threats; intimidation; verbal abuse; interrupting gas, electric, water, and cable service; disrupting mail service; and failing to cash rent checks, only to later claim them as untimely rent payments. She and her agents also backdated correspondence and notices; violated tenants privacy by entering their apartments without required notice; refused to timely abate unsafe and substandard habitability conditions; and even retaliated against tenants who cooperated with city inspectors by installing video surveillance cameras aimed at the residents front doors. Well-known among tenants for her harassing text messages and shrieking, expletive-ridden personal interactions, Kihagi even made a veiled threat against a tenants cats, saying it would be a shame if they got out." The only photos that exist of her, apparently taken by a tenant, are like this one in which she appears holding a cellphone and looking exasperated. Herrera says, "I appreciate the courts precision, patience and attention to detail in this very complex case," and he adds, "I also want to applaud the bravery and perseverance of the tenants who came forward and testified about what they had to endure." Kihagi has been in nearly a decade's worth of legal battles with the city of West Hollywood resulting in last week's decision about the jail stay, and it only stands to reason that she will likely appeal this ruling. Related: Noted Bad Landlord Anne Kihagi Thrown In Jail In Los Angeles The area of Fifth and Market Streets was the scene of a fatal police shooting this morning, after police say that officers who witnessed a stabbing in process opened fire on the suspect. The SF Examiner reports that at a media briefing this afternoon, San Francisco Police Department Chief William Scott said that the incident occurred on the 900 block of Market Street, which is between Fifth and Sixth Streets. The incident began at about 11:20 a.m. when officers on patrol witnessed the stabbing in the 900 block of Market Street, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told reporters at the scene. Scott provided few details about what led to the shooting, but confirmed the suspect shot by police has died. The victim of the stabbing was taken to a hospital, and that persons condition was not immediately available. According to the Chron, "A witness, Frank Ortiz, 58, told The Chronicle that he saw a police officer shoot a man in the chest on Market Street near Mason street." In the course of the intervening, at least one officer discharged a weapon, Scott said at the scene. Despite the initiation of life-saving efforts, the shooting victim is dead. Scott said the stabbing was in progress when the officer fired at the attacker. The stabbing victim was transported to the hospital. These things, we really try to avoid them as much as we can, but we have a duty to protect the public, said Scott, who was named police chief by Mayor Ed Lee about three months ago. Police officers at the scene were seen attending to a man, whose face was covered in blood. It was unclear if the shooting occurred on the street or inside a Subway sandwich shop on Market near Turk Street, where police and paramedics were seen going in and out. CBS 5 reports that "A witness on the scene said that one person had been shot inside 940 Market Street, but so far police have confirmed no details." Few details were added by a statement sent by SFPD at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Here it is, in full: At approximately 11:22 AM, two uniformed SFPD officers were walking a footbeat on the 900 block of Market Street. The officers observed a white, male subject stabbing an Asian or Filipino male. The officers intervened and at least one officer discharged a firearm. The person who was stabbed was transported to a hospital for treatment. Despite the initiation of lifesaving efforts on the scene, the second subject was pronounced deceased. This incident is under investigation by the San Francisco Police Departments Homicide and Internal Affairs divisions; the San Francisco District Attorneys Independent Investigations Bureau; the Department of Police Accountability; and the Medical Examiners Office. This is preliminary information and this remains an active and ongoing investigation. Avoid the area of 900 Market Street due to Police activity and street closures. It is an ongoing investigation. Expect delays. #SFPD #SF pic.twitter.com/g1yUSNxNgq San Francisco Police (@SFPD) May 3, 2017 Shooting in front of my work building btw 5th & 6th on Market and they...evacuate us? Seems like a shelter in place situation. pic.twitter.com/4S3QIux9iz Whitney Merrill (@wbm312) May 3, 2017 Shots fired in Subway at 900 block Market St pic.twitter.com/1Jfs48Ovwh _ (@R27D) May 3, 2017 SPENCER, Iowa | The Little Sioux River at Spencer is under a flood warning through this evening, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. That warning, issued last night, joins another warning already in effect for the Big Sioux River at Hawarden that continues through Friday afternoon. As of Tuesday night, the weather service reported rain and melting snow had pushed the Little Sioux River to 9.9 feet, just one-tenth of an inch shy of its flood stage. It was expected to rise past the flood stage later in the evening. At stages near 10 feet, the right bank o the river overflows, resulting in minor flooding at the Spencer city park and some rural agricultural areas. The Big Sioux River at Hawarden is expected to crest at 19.4 feet on Thursday, four-tenths of an inch above its flood stage. At that point, agricultural flooding begins on the South Dakota side of the river. The National Weather Service is expected to update the flooding reports later today. iStock/Thinkstock(KABUL, Afghanistan) -- At least eight Afghan civilians were killed and three U.S. service members were wounded in Afghanistan's capital Wednesday in a morning rush-hour attack claimed by ISIS. U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Salvin, spokesman for Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan, told ABC News the U.S. service members were injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) that targeted a convoy of coalition-armored vehicles in Kabul around 8 a.m. local time. The convoy was able to return to a coalition base. Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan's Interior Ministry, said at least eight Afghan civilians were killed and another 25 were injured in the bombing in downtown Kabul near the U.S. embassy. The death toll may increase because some of the wounded are in critical condition. U.S. Embassy Kabul Special Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Hugo Llorens condemned Wednesday morning's "utterly despicable attack." "I extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their families of this cowardly and dastardly attack against innocent civilians," Llorens said in a statement. "The barbarity and depravity of this attack only reminds all Americans of why we are in this fight and strengthens our dedication and solidarity with our Afghan allies. I want to reaffirm to the noble Afghan people our commitment to stand with you and work together toward a brighter and more peaceful future." ISIS' Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued in Arabic and Pashto on Telegram, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist organizations. The statement claimed that a suicide bomber identified as Nusratullah detonated his explosives-laden vehicle amid a U.S. military convoy near the embassy, inflicting casualties and destroying several vehicles. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. SIOUX CITY | There were 550 pounds of prescription drugs collected during the police department's "Rx Drug Take Back" event Saturday. A press release said that turning in the unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs ensures that the drugs will be "disposed of in an environmentally safe way." "The Sioux City Police Department would like to thank all of the businesses and citizens who participated in the event," the release said. SIOUX CITY | Sioux City Police are asking for the public's help in locating a 57-year-old man who has an active warrant as a material witness in an ongoing homicide investigation in Florida. A news release issued Wednesday morning encouraged the public to come forward with any information on the whereabouts of Rodolfo Berrio, also known as Rodolfo Berrio Sandoval, a 57-year-old white male wanted by the Miami-Dade Police Department. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police through the Crimestoppers line, 712-258-TIPS. Those with information leading to the arrest of Berrio may be eligible for a reward of up to $3,000 from the Miami-Dade Police Department. All callers will be anonymous. A top Iowa Democrat said Tuesday there needs to be a resolution to questions over whether Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds has the power to appoint a successor when Gov. Terry Branstad steps down. A day after Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issued an opinion saying Reynolds doesn't have the power to appoint a new lieutenant governor, the Democratic leader in the state Senate, Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, said he expects the courts to eventually get the matter. "This is a big issue, and if there's going to be a constitutional fight over this, we need to get it resolved," he said. Miller's 23-page opinion, which also affirmed the proposition that Reynolds would become governor and essentially occupy both offices left Republicans fuming. Across the spectrum, Republicans ripped the decision and accused Miller of flip-flopping for political reasons, because he initially said she would have that power. Democrats, on the other hand, were conspicuously silent Monday. Hogg said Tuesday that was not by design. But he said he's had a chance to review the issue, and he agrees with the conclusion that Reynolds does not have the authority to appoint a lieutenant governor. Nor, he said, is it a good idea. "The idea that she would appoint a lieutenant governor who has never been elected to anything is a problem," he said. Earlier this year, a bill introduced by a Senate Democrat that would require such an appointment to be subject to legislative confirmation, but it was never taken up. It's not clear what will happen next. Reynolds said after the decision was released on Monday that she would stick to Miller's initial advice from December. Miller said Monday the December opinion was a "quick" decision that was changed after a deeper look. Ben Hammes, a spokesman for the governor's office, said Tuesday it still is examining its options, but he reiterated, "we still believe the law is on our side." Republicans point to a 2009 law they say backs them up. The National Lieutenant Governors Association also weighed in on the matter Tuesday, called Miller's decision "disappointing." In the event the matter does end up in the courts, it's not clear who would bring such a case. Miller said Monday he would not challenge such an appointment himself, but he didn't explain why. A spokesman Tuesday would only say that he didn't consider it appropriate. However, Gary Dickey, who was a general counsel to Gov. Tom Vilsack, said he or other attorneys would likely challenge an appointment, according to the Associated Press. State Sen. David Johnson, an independent from Ocheydan, who was the one who asked Miller for a definitive opinion on the question in February, said Tuesday he hasn't considered it himself. "The idea has not crossed my mind," he said. Johnson said he was just seeking certainty. "Those questions needed to be asked," he said. For fifteen years US support for Afghanistan has heavily emphasized military action and this has been clearly ineffective as vividly underscored by the recent Taliban massacre in Mazar-i-Sharif. Yet it seems we have learned nothing and now we are apparently considering sending an additional 5,000 troops to Afghanistan. Such an action would doubtless generate significant objection from an American populace strongly disenchanted with surges which have no clear concept of just what would actually be accomplished. Clearly, we need to do something different. But what? The core requirement is not to defeat the Taliban militarily, but conceptually; to focus not on beating the opponent down but on building the country up, inviting the opponents to join in a mutually profitable effort. As in any insurgency, the focus has to be to win not battles, but rather hearts and minds. Ultimately, what is important is not that Afghans think well of us, but of themselves and work to build a stable, inclusive and tolerant society. We need to show Afghans, and the world, an alternative, a different route that could get Afghans excited about their own future and working to make it happen. America is actually good at doing this, when it focuses on it, as demonstrated in post-war Germany and Japan, and then in South Korea; another war-torn, illiterate country with minimal resources was turned into an economic powerhouse. Afghanistan could do the same, particularly since it has a wide range of natural resources and a long history of quality agricultural production valued throughout the region. Obviously, the whole country cannot be changed at once. But specific regions could. Balkh province represents one such opportunity. Before the massacre it had been reasonably quiet and has strong local leadership and a multi-ethnic population. It also has good commercial potential with its agricultural base famous for cashmere, wool, wheat, vegetables and cotton; some dormant light industry, and a rail connection into adjacent Uzbekistan that could support a strong trade effort. The recent massacre could be a turning point, an incident that vividly drives home to local Afghans the need to stand up and move forward, to choose between waiting to be caught in a deluge or standing up and working together for a new life. What is most needed is for leaders to light a way forward. If they are to orchestrate a burst of economic activity, they need to form their orchestra, a collection of complimentary government, commercial and civic organizations. There has to be some central coordination group, working not to promote a few specific projects, but a whole cluster of mutually supportive efforts. Such a group, a Balkh Development Council, would include representatives of the provincial and national governments, as well as leaders of local business organizations and civic groups dedicated to education, health, and individual development. The local Community Development Council of the national Citizens Charter would have to be a central element in this effort. And against a background of widespread corruption in Afghanistan, it is critical that the activities of any council would be open and transparent, allowing both participants and local citizens to track the progress of any specific projects. Tied with Balkh's long history of cultural and commercial achievements, a council could also promote a positive Islamic view based on local customs and traditions. Afghan Islamic scholars now regularly stress that Islam teaches patience, peace and tolerance and in turn call on insurgents to denounce violence and stop the ongoing bloodshed. Such ideas can form an essential framework for a positive view of the future. A council can identify specific business and cultural opportunities and systematically advertise investment opportunities. While it can be difficult to make a good case for an individual investment project, having a variety of interactive projects can make for much more attractive offerings. Collectively such efforts can provide the most important factor: a reason for Afghans to fight for their own future, both literally and figuratively. Of course such an effort does not have to begin in Balkh, but it has to begin somewhere. Other centers could also be attractive, including Herat, Bamiyan, Kabul New City, Kandahar and Jalalabad. And while actions in one of them could spark a new national outlook, it also does not have to originate in only one location; several locations could compete to be the brightest spark showing a road to a new Afghanistan, exchanging information and experiences. The essential element is that the effort not focus on a few specific projects, but on a whole cluster of interactive and mutually supportive projects, a cluster that can bring the entire community working together toward a new future and setting an example for the entire nation. 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Read More 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. WASHINGTON (May 03, 2017)President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 federal budget could be a boost to Maryland's sprawling defense industry but negatively affect the state's economy in other areas, according to analysts. The administration's so-called "skinny budget," unveiled in March, seeks to increase national defense spending by $54 billion. Almost any increase would have a ripple effect in Maryland, which ranked fourth among states in defense spending at $20.5 billion in 2015, according to a Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment study. However, as envisioned by the White House, any increase in the defense budget would be offset by cuts to many other critical programs in the state. "What matters for Maryland is the overall federal budget," Benjamin Orr, executive director of the Baltimore-based Maryland Center on Economic Policy, told Capital News Service. "Increased defense spending means cuts to many other agencies, according to Trump's plan," said Orr, noting that the increase would be relatively small compared to the entire defense budget. The U.S. spent $604.5 billion on defense last year, more than the next 13 highest-spending countries combined, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Many Democratic members of Congress, including those from Maryland, have opposed Trump's plan because of proposed cuts to the State Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and numerous health and science agencies. "The president's ideas for building up our military at the expense of diplomacy and development, as well as research and development programs, will not make Americans safer," Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said in a statement to CNS. "We may need to spend more on defense, but sacrificing domestic programs to pay for more warplanes and battleships only degrade our nation economically and socially." Cardin also said he does not see how Trump's budget proposal benefits Maryland. "Maryland has a strong base of military facilities, but the work done at most Maryland military installations (is) reliant on research and development funding," the senator said. "Increases in overall defense spending towards personnel and ship procurement would not benefit Maryland and could potentially further strain and reduce additional research and development work in our state." Maryland's military industry accounted for almost 20 percent of the state's economy in 2012, according to the most recent study by the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University. "There are about 145,000 employees on Maryland military installations, both uniformed and civilian employees," Mike Hayes, managing director of military and federal affairs at the Maryland Department of Commerce, said in an interview with CNS. Hayes estimated that Maryland's defense industry contributes around $60 billion in economic output and has created more than 400,000 jobs for the state. He noted that Fort George G. Meade, the state's largest employer, is responsible for about half of this economic impact. "Typically, the state of Maryland is in the top five or six in defense spending nationally," Hayes said. However, until a defense budget is passed, Hayes said, it was "too early" to determine the potential impact on Maryland. "I don't think Maryland will suffer any particular losses, nor do I see any significant gains for the defense industry," Hayes said. Despite Trump touting his proposed defense spending increase as "historic," Hayes noted that it did not represent a significant increase from President Barack Obama's budget proposals. "Trump has made sweeping statements but offered no specifics to his defense budget," Hayes said. The extent of the defense increase in Maryland depends on how much of Trump's proposal, which he called "a public safety and national security budget," survives deliberations in Congress. Some clues may be found in the recent deal on fiscal 2017 spending, which is expected to be voted on by the House and Senate this week. The accord includes defense spending increases Trump and congressional Republicans wanted, but also includes $5 billion in new funding of numerous domestic programs that congressional Democrats secured. The budget negotiations revealed rifts among GOP lawmakers that, according to some congressional observers, gives Democrats power over future spending plans. If a budget similar to Trump's 2018 proposal passed, Orr said the net economic effect on Maryland would be "very bad." "Cuts made to the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and programs that help children and families will drastically outweigh the benefits of a small increase in defense spending," Orr said. While many Maryland politicians have spoken out against Trump's budget proposal in general, there seems to be some support for increased defense spending. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Timonium, "supports increasing resources for our Armed Forces," spokeswoman Jaime Lennon said in a statement. She said the congressman thinks a spending hike is "necessary if we are going to address major gaps in troop readiness, research and development and modernization caused by years of sequestration and band-aid budgets." "Congress has already told our military leaders to grow their standing forces as we look ahead to challenges including Russia, ISIS and Iran. Now we need to provide them with the funding to do so," Lennon said. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Cockeysville, Ruppersberger's colleague on the House Appropriations Committee, also supports enhancing the military. "It is imperative that Congress provides the military with the resources it requires to keep American citizens safeI support increased defense spending," Harris said in a statement to CNS. "The state of Maryland is home to various government agencies and private businesses engaged in defense activities, and will benefit from increased defense spending." Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., supports investments in the military but doesn't think Trump's budget proposal adequately meets domestic needs. "Our budgets should also address other vital national priorities like expanding economic and educational opportunities, and keeping our commitments to America's veterans and seniors," Van Hollen said in a statement to CNS. "Unfortunately, the Trump budget fails to reflect that balance. I look forward to working on a bipartisan basis to pass a new budget plan that addresses all our national priorities." While Trump has support to hike military spending, many observers think Congress will balk at the size of the increase the president envisions. "An increase that high won't likely pass because there will be trouble reaching a bipartisan budget," Todd Harrison, director of defense budget analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNS. "Many conservatives want to increase defense spending," Harrison added. "Democrats want higher defense spending but refuse to make the necessary cuts to the State DepartmentIn all likelihood, the (defense spending) increase will be much less than Trump's proposal." The specific impact of a spending increase on Maryland's defense contractors, military installations and economy will not become clear until after the 2018 budget is put into final form months from now. LA PLATA, Md. Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme. (May 03, 2017)The La Plata Barrack of the Maryland State Police (MSP) today released the following incident and arrest reports.POSSESSION OF COCAINE AND PARAPHERNALIA: On Tuesday, May 02, 2017, at approximately 0050 hours, TFC K. Burroughs #5968 stopped a black Infiniti exceeding the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour on northbound Route 301 south of Substation Road, Waldorf, Charles County. Contact was made with the driver who was identified as Sean George Joseph Garcia, 20, from Clinton, Md. While TFC Burroughs was speaking with Garcia, he detected a strong odor of burnt Marijuana emitting from the vehicle. A probable cause search of the driver and vehicle revealed one clear plastic bag containing Cocaine. Garcia was placed under arrest and transported to the Charles County Detention Center for processing. Garcia was charged with Possession of Cocaine and Paraphernalia.SEAT BELT VIOLATION LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF STOLEN VEHICLE: On 5/2/2017 at 1743 hours, TFC Hooten #5750 conducted a traffic stop on Route 925, south of VFW Road, Waldorf, Charles County, Md. on a 2008 Mercedes, operated by Rodney Benedict Evans, 48, from Upper Marlboro, for not being restrained by a seat belt. A check revealed there were two outstanding warrants through Baltimore County. Evans was arrested and transported to the Charles County Detention Center for service of the warrant. The arrest warrant through Baltimore County were for Unlawful Taking of a Motor Vehicles. The Mercedes that was stopped and was not on file by VIN/Registration with the MVA. The Mercedes was stored pending further investigation. Baltimore County Detectives Schmitz & Reason were contacted and responded to the barrack along with Detective Gross from the Prince George's County Police Department, who are all members of their respective agencies Auto Theft Unit. Further investigation by the detectives revealed a confidential VIN plate verifying the Mercedes was stolen through the PG County Police Department on December 23, 2016. Cpl. Wingfield from the MSP Criminal Enforcement Auto Theft Unit was notified and will be assuming the investigation. The South Florida AIDS Network (SFAN) functions as the networking and advisory body for the Florida Department of Health (FL-DOH) Ryan White Care (RWC) program in Broward County. Its monthly meetings are open to the public. This meeting consisted of local reports, an agency presentation, and a brief discussion of perceived problems. Joshua Rodriguez, FL-DOH RWC, reported that 85 percent of clients enrolled in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) had achieved viral submission. FL-DOH RWC has set a goal for 2017 of 90 percent virally suppression. This year, 1,175 ADAP clients have enrolled in Marketplace plans, according to Rodriguez. While 78 percent of those clients have enrolled in Florida Blue, 16 percent have enrolled in Molina. The rest have enrolled in either Ambetter or Humana. Despite confusion about future of the Marketplace, FL-DOH RWC will continue to enroll people in its plans. Rodriguez said that they would continue to run business as usual unless told otherwise. Rodriguez announced that Florida plans to implement a voluntary same-day HIV Test and Treat program. Under this program, someone could choose to begin HIV treatment on the same day that they first tested HIV-positive. FL-DOH RWC has set a target date of May 1, 2017 to begin this voluntary Test and Treat program. Alexis Howard discussed her agency, the Sarasota-based Community AIDS Network (CAN-Sarasota). This private non-profit has 24 clinics throughout Florida. It recently opened a clinic in Miami. Howard announced that CAN-Sarasota plans to open a clinic in Broward by the fall of 2017. CAN-Sarasota provides medical, social, and educational services. Howard described CAN-Sarasotas services. Its Miami clinic provides PrEP, an on-site lab, and emergency financial assistance. Howard reported that it provides tests for many sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It conducts blood tests for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, and herpes. The Miami clinic tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea in the penis, rectum, throat, and vagina. It also provides anal pap smears to test for human papillomavirus (HPV) and risk for anal cancer. While Broward County has many sites providing STI testing, it may need more. This county has higher infection rates per 100,000 than the rest of Florida for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis. Epidemiologists standardize infection rates per 100,000 people to compare groups that differ in size. CAN has partnered with four other organizations. Those partners are Pridelines of Miami, Family Foundation, Latinos Salud, and the Health Planning Council of South Florida. Joey Wynn, chair of SFAN, reported on some perceptions that surfaced at the March SFAN meeting. Wynn stressed that perceptions can differ from facts. Some people believed that in a Test and Treat program, treatment would be required. According to Rodriguez, the patient will have the right to decline treatment in Browards Test and Treat program. Some people believed that no services exist in Broward for high-risk HIV negative gay and bi men. They felt that condom distribution was the only service available for this group. (Note: The Pride Center, Care Resource, and other agencies have PrEP programs.) Some were also unaware of any local groups to build self-esteem among this group. SFAN selected an ad hoc task force to explore these issues further. Announcements The Broward HIV Prevention Planning Council will meet on April 20, from 1:30 to 4:30 at 2421 SW 6th Ave, Fort Lauderdale. This meeting will take place in the main auditorium. Next SFAN Meeting: Friday, May 5, 2017 at 10 a.m., at the Holy Cross Healthplex, 1000 NE 56th Street, Fort Lauderdale. Newcomers are encouraged to attend. For more information on the Sarasota-based Community AIDS Network, please visit https://www.cccsrq.org/our-mission/ Follow Sean McShee on Twitter @SeanMcShee The number of cities in South Florida that still allow the practice of conversion therapy on minors is dwindling yesterday one more city commission unanimously decided to ban the practice within city limits. Delray Beach followed in the footsteps of Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth and other cities on May 2 with the decision to ban all licensed state officials from practicing conversion therapy on anyone under the age of 18. The action to vote on the ban came at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC), which has worked to enact similar bans across South Florida. LGBTQ people are not mentally ill. They are not flawed and they do not need to be cured by anyone, Delray Beach City Commissioner Mitch Katz said in a statement from PBCHRC. Tonight, the Delray Beach City Commission is letting the public know that we oppose conversion therapy being performed on minors. It is not going to happen in our city. The ban only applies to doctors, osteopaths, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, marriage or family therapists and licensed counselors. Members of the clergy are not affected, unless they are also licensed by the state in mental health. During the meeting, Dr. Julie Herren Hamilton urged the commissioners to vote down the ban, stating that an enactment of the ordinance would prohibit children distressed by homosexuality from getting help. Herren Hamilton is the former president of NARTH (The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality), which is a small organization made up of therapists seeking to diminish the rights of LGBT people with claims that they are mentally disabled. They advocate anti-LGBT therapy for children as young as three years old. Dr. Hamilton is intentionally trying to mislead the City Commission, Judge Rand Hoch, founder and president of PBCHRC said. Minors protected by the ordinance may seek out treatment from licensed professionals as well as from unlicensed individuals, including members of the clergy in addressing any issues regarding their sexuality. Nothing in the ordinance will prevent minors from seeking help regarding same-sex attractions, or gender identity or expression, Hoch continued. Since August 2009, the American Psychological Association has recognized that reparative treatment, or conversion therapy, relied entirely on anti-LGBT bigotry and a distortion of scientific data. The Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Response to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts was adopted by the association to affirm their stance. The American Psychological Association has linked conversion therapy to depression, substance abuse and even suicide, and these risks are particularly acute for youth, Carolyn Reyes, Policy Council and Coordinator of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)s Born Perfect Campaign to end conversion therapy said in a statement. Reyes continued, We applaud the efforts by the Commission to ensure that the children of Delray Beach are protected from these harms, and that their families arent duped by trusted professionals to whom they turn for support during a vulnerable time. In 2017, the Oscars met Big Data. Google Trends has mapped out regional differences in film preferences. Any Internet User can now examine a films geo-social appeal and any geo-cultural differences. When someone talks about regional cultures, people tend to see the Blue-Red State divide. Color coded states reflect political choices, not cultural affinities. Mapping those affinities allows people to observe if, and how, those affinities differ from those choices. Blue-State voters have been described as Coastal Cosmopolitans. They live in Central/South Florida, Hawaii, the Northeast, the West Coast, and parts of the Midwest. Red-State voters have been described as people from The Heartland. They live in Alaska, the Plains, the Rockies, and the South. Six Oscar nominees this year for best picture highlight this cultural clash. While three films have a conservative, cultural focus, three others have an Afro-centric focus. Culturally Conservative Films Two focus on masculinist issues: Hacksaw Ridge and Hell and High Water. The first concerns a WWII pacifist who proves his courage in that war. The second concerns white Texans driven to violence to stop foreclosure. The third film, La La Land focuses on romanticist issues. It concerns young het white artists and lovers trying to make it. Hollywood could have filmed any of these in the 50s, if not the 30s. While the films with masculinist themes fit somewhat into the Blue-Red State divide, La La Land did not. The two masculinist films drew high interest from the Plains and Rockies, but less in the South. Hell or High Water drew some interest in Appalachia, Mississippi, and Texas. Outside of Texas and Appalachia, Hacksaw Ridge drew almost no interest in the South. Coastal Cosmopolitans showed great interest in La La Land. It also drew some interest from Texas and the Virginia/Carolina area. The South has distrusted Hollywood for a long time. Its failure to show much interest any Oscar nominee may reflect that distrust. The Plains and Rockies showed high interest in the masculinist films. This supports the argument that masculinist ideology partly drives GOP appeal. Masculinist ideology refers to the values and beliefs that support patriarchy and romanticize violence. A key belief holds that force solves all problems. It has nothing to do with Leather. Black Films The Black films stress intersecting identities. Hidden Figures deals with Black womens issues, Moonlight with Black gay male issues, and Fences with Black working class issues. Until recently, Hollywood failed to make any Black centric films. Only Hidden Figures and Moonlight interested people along the entire Atlantic coast. Moonlight has an unusual geographic spread. In the South, interest was greatest in the Atlanta-Washington DC corridor. Race could influence LGBT migration patterns. Some cities may be more attractive to certain racial groups than others are. LGBT Latinos may find bi-lingual Miami or Los Angeles more attractive than Anglo Seattle. If a visible LGBT group migrates in large numbers to an urban area, then their admirers will soon follow. This pull to Atlanta and Washington DC could explain the high levels of interest in Moonlight in these two cities. Method When people search YouTube for a films trailers, it leaves a cyber trace. Google Trends (GT) counted those searches for Oscar nominees. Each films total counts represented a proportion of all YouTube views. This became the national baseline. For regional totals, GT repeated this process at the county level. This provided a county's proportion. GT then compared how the county proportion differed from the national proportion. GT left those counties with lower proportions than the U.S. baseline unshaded. GT shaded those with higher proportions various shades of blue. To view all Oscar maps, please visit https://googletrends.github.io/google_oscars/ Follow Sean McShee on Twitter @SeanMcShee To say playwright Ronnie Larsen is obsessed with sex might be an understatement. His first hit, Making Porn, about a gay-for-pay adult movie star, ran Off Broadway and has since been performed on four continents. He followed Making Porn with a film documentary about the industry, Shooting Porn, that was subsequently adapted for the stage, along with more than a dozen plays, including All Male Peep Show, Cocksucker: A Love Story and My Boyfriend the Stripper. This weekend, the native Californian who recently relocated to South Florida, takes a drastic departureof sorts. His new play, Happy Ending, will receive its world premiere at Empire Stage in Fort Lauderdale and is already booked for a second production later this year in London. Its my play, Larsen said, matter-of-factly. Of course, its going to be sexy. But, hes also quick to describe the work as a psychological thriller. Yes, its a two-man show about an encounter during a routine massage session, but the plot quickly thickens even as the masseuse, Andrew (Matthew Pappadia), applies slick oil to his client, Mr. Miller (Josh Berresford). And yes, the title is intended to imply the extra attention some massage therapists offer their male clients at the end of the session. I cant tell you much more, he warned, without giving away the secrets, but I will tell you its based on a real-life experience. Over the course of the story, the men eventually open up to each other sharing their most intimate desires and darkest fantasies. Both desire happy endings beyond the physical pleasures of a chance encounter. Actor Berresford describes the play as more of a dark comedy, a ping pong matchback and forth until the big reveal. Berresford would know about dramatic tension. He starred in two seasons of the here! networks gay soap, Dantes Cove, at least until his character was killed in the second season. The ripped 38-year-old also promised Larsens loyal fans they would not be disappointed, I think theres going to be some boners in the audience...blood flow, lets put it that way. Berresford was a natural choice for the role of the straight Mr. Miller. Larsen has always had a fascination and attraction to straight men and that has inspired many of his plays. Berresford grew up in a small, rural borough north of Pittsburgh and, when pressed, readily described his acting persona as redneck (although, thats primarily a Southern thing), maybe even white trash. He admitted living in a trailer as a child without running water or electricity. Hes up against another New York actor, Matthew Pappadia, who is a personal trainer and certified occupational therapist. Pappadia was a perfect fit for the masseuse Andrew, Larsen said, because hes serious about his career and a little wary of Mr. Millers intentions. Im very excited, said Larsen from New York City, where he was rehearsing with the actors. Its definitely a departure, but in a very good way. Ronnie Larsens world premiere play, Happy Ending, will be presented May 4 28 at Empire Stage, 1140 N. Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $35 50 at RonnieLarsen.com. Lightning Onmyfeet was just that on Tuesday afternoon at Miami Valley Raceway, as he scored the fastest of seven $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old colts and geldings, pacing to victory in 1:53.1 for driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. The Mcardle colt is conditioned by Brian Brown for owners Erv Miller Stable, D. Robinson, J&T Silva Stables and Stable 45 and was bred by Iowas John Carver. This colt sustained an injury as a two-year-old, said Brown. But hes got a world of talent and just continues to get stronger with each start. Lightning Onmyfeet, a compact dark bay with a huge stride, upped his career earnings to $29,450 for his connections in his third lifetime victory from five starts. Parked out briefly to the :56.2 half, Lightning Onmyfeet then drew off from his rivals before sweeping under the wire a length and a half in front of Mclucky (Aaron Merriman), while Big Bad Bruce (Chris Page) was third. Brown also harnessed Hackett winner Mcraven, another son of Mcardle, to win the first OSS pacing division in 1:54.2 with Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. driving. Owned by Country Club Acres and L&H Management Services of Findlay, OH, it was the second straight victory for Mcraven and the fourth of his career in five starts. Bred by the Parent Racing Stable, Mcraven pushed his lifetime earnings to $81,500 as he defeated stablemate White Jet (Chris Page) by half a length, and third-place finisher Pace Car (Wilder) by three-quarters of a length with his wire-to-wire score. Trainer Chris Beaver had a pair of OSS winners as well; the trotting colt Fraser Ridge and the pacing gelding Heracer. Fraser Ridge, a son of Triumphant Caviar, won the first OSS test for trotters with a gutsy whisker victory over Goldfinger (Ryan Stahl) in 1:56.2. Bred by Steve Stewart and owned by the Ohio trio of D. Robinson, R. Mondillo, Beaver and RBH Ventures of New York, NY, the leggy sophomore now has career earnings of $138,031 after winning his 2017 debut with Aaron Merriman in the sulky. Merriman then steered the winning Art Official gelding Heracer to capture the fourth $40,000 OSS division for pacers in 1:54.1. Owned by Beaver, Synerco Ventures, Ontario; J. S. Burnett, OH; and T. S. Homan, OH, Heracer held off Mcthriller (Chris Page) in the stretch, prevailing by a head at the wire, with longshot Sunnys Bro (Greg Grismore) getting up for third. Bred by Michael Parisi, Heracer now has $46,589 in career earnings. The Wollam family and driver Mike Wilder dominated the second and third OSS trotting divisions, with Miles Wollam conditioning Full Surge to win in 1:57.1 and Marty Wollam harnessing Lord Of The Reigns to his first career triumph in 1:57.3. Full Surge is a bay son of Full Count, making his ninth lifetime start for the Ohio quartet of trainer Wollam, AN Fusco, RR Wollam, and RR Roll. A mild 13-1 longshot, Full Surge won by a neck over Dekeyser (Aaron Merriman) with Stormy Kromer (Peter Wrenn) nearly four lengths back in third. Bred by Mahlon Miller, Full Surge upped his career bankroll to $63,501. Lord Of The Reigns, a 23-1 longshot, used a :30.4 late stretch brush to nab Jailhouse Sam (Sandy Beatty) at the wire. It was the homebred trotters first career victory in his seasonal debut for Ohio-based owners James Beluscake and Bob Carson. The son of DejarmbroMariko HanoverCantab Hall now has $41,716 in his career coffers. Mark Fords Drunk On Your Love paced to a sobering 1:54 in the third OSS division for driver Danny Noble and trainer Jim Pollock, Jr. The Foreclosure N geldingwho was bred by the Bauder family of Ohiopicked up his fifth career win in eight starts and added the winners share of $20,000 to his bankroll of $76,250. The speedy bay gelding made a three-wide move down the backside to draw off impressively from his nine rivals, with Gotta Go B B (Josh Sutton) finishing second, while Mr Mcdreamy was nearly eight lengths back in third. (OSFD) According to Jim Rosica, who covers State government from Tallahassee for Florida Politics (floridapolitics.com), a gambling legislation deal that included decoupling went down the drain on Tuesday, May 2, three days before the scheduled end of the legislative session. The negotiators for the House and Senate couldn't see eye-to-eye on the proposed expansion of gaming in Florida. FSBOA President Joe Pennacchio was elated with the news, but warned that "we are never out of the woods on this issue, as it keeps creeping into discussion and bills year after year after year. "We are safe for this year," he added, "but you can never let your guard down in a situation that is as important as this. "I view decoupling as a cancer cell that could spread throughout our industry unchecked if it ever passes here in Florida. At some point down the road, we will have to face this threat again and the best scenario to put this to bed once and for all is to have a referendum for decoupling on the ballot for voters to decide. "With the positive impact on the economy here in south Florida over the past 10 years, I would think it would be difficult to get the 60 per cent vote needed for decoupling and it would be rendered dead forever." Pari-mutuel harness racing has been a fixture at Pompano Park since 1964. (Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association) The team of owners Richard Morita and David Yamada, trainer Lino Pacheco and leading driver Luke Plano book-ended last Fridays (April 28) program at Cal Expo, as they won the opener with Pancetta and the nightcap with Bettormeboy. Those were nice wins for each horse, Morita related. Pancetta is really coming around now, after very limited starts over the past two seasons. Luke knows him best, and when Pancetta is right, he can race with any of them. Leno Pacheco has done such a good job getting Pancetta sound, and with each completed start, he is getting stronger. The best is yet to come this summer, we hope. We are going to race him at Hawthorne for the start of summer, and see how it goes from there. He is superior on the turns, so a smaller track might be his ultimate destination. Bettormeboy completed the double last week, proving a punctual 6-5 favourite after attacking the leader first over on the final bend and gamely prevailing by a neck. He found his game again, not coincidentally, when reunited with Luke for that latest race, his co-owner noted. He was really sharp a little earlier in the meet, but tailed off a bit. We gave him a few easier starts, and he seems to be coming back on. That race was actually much more like an Open III event or something, with the likes of V Mack and Ragins Flight in there. All of the horses that Dave and I own will be headed to Chicago to race at Hawthorne. They have a lot of conditioned races there, including a late-closer for our fast improving mare, Delightfully Wild. Chip Lackey thought she might be a good fit there, so she will head there this week to prepare for opening week, with the others to follow. Cal Expo is our home track, and we want to support them as much as possible through the end of the racing meet. PLANO CRUISING; TRAINING TITLE UP FOR GRABS While Luke Plano long ago wrapped up the Cal Expo driving title, there is quite a battle going on for leading trainer honours between Bob Johnson, Kathleen Plested and Lino Pacheco with just two nights remaining. Plano comes into closing weekend with 141 snapshots from 585 trips to the post, while sporting impressive percentages in all the pertinent categories. Meanwhile, Johnson has a one-length lead over Plested in the trainer race with his 52 victories, while she likewise has a one-victory advantage over Pachecos 50 entrances into the charmed enclosure. Its certainly anybodys ballgame going into the Friday and Saturday programs, with each of those barns being well represented. TROTTING SIRE STAKES COMMANDING THE SPOTLIGHT A pair of California Sire Stakes for three and four-year-old trotters will take centre stage on Friday night at Cal Expo, the penultimate card of the meeting. First post will be 6:15 p.m. for the Watch and Wager LLC program. In the sire stakes for the four-year-old trotters, My Little Susie is a daughter of Claudius Augustus out of the S Js Photo mare Sues Photo who races for A Piece of the Action LLC and is conditioned by Gene Vallandingham. The hard-hitting mare has accounted for all three of the added-money contests decided for this group in 2017, putting her class and versatility on display in the process while winning on the front end and also getting the job done from a stalking position. She will be tough no matter how things shake out on Friday. Meanwhile, Gravel Girl moved to the head of the sophomore trotting class with her stakes score last week for owner/trainer George Luster and pilot Mooney Svendsen and looks to close out the meeting in style. The All In Tad filly made a break in her debut the previous week, but was all business at most recent asking as she sat the pocket to the lane and then ignited when it counted to waltz home with four and three-quarter lengths to spare. Saturday is closing night of the Cal Expo harness meet and there will be mandatory payouts in all wagers. Harness racing is scheduled to return on Saturday, October 28. (Cal Expo) Anita L. Cisco, 75, of Celina, Ohio, passed away on April 21 at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital in St. Marys. She was born on December 13, 1941, in Lima to the late William and Alma (Brodbeck) Cisco. She is survived by her companion of 50 years, Arnold Fast; and numerous cousins. She was preceded in death by two infant brothers. Cisco was a 1959 graduate of Celina Senior High School. She retired in 2008 from Reynolds and Reynolds in Celina after 45 years of service. She was a member of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in St. Marys. She and Arnold bred, raised and raced Standardbreds for 40 years. They raced in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. She was a member of the U.S. Trotting Association and the Scioto Downs Sulky Sweeties. She was also a past member of the Mercer County Harness Horsemen's Association. She was an avid genealogist and was a member of the Mercer County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, First Families of Ohio, First Families of Mercer County, Hamilton County, Butler County and Fayette County. She enjoyed exhibiting flowers and vegetables at the Mercer County Fair, playing cards and was always sending birthday, anniversary and sympathy cards to relatives and friends. She was a very special friend to many Amish families. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul's United Church of Christ, St. Marys. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Anita Cisco. (USTA) Mohawk Racetrack has announced a special first-race post time of 7:05 p.m. for this Saturdays (May 6) card of racing. The early post time will allow racing fans the opportunity to watch the Kentucky Derby at Mohawk and then catch live harness racing immediately following the big race. The Kentucky Derby will be shown on the infield screen and wagering is available on-track. The scheduled post time for the Derby is currently 6:34 p.m. The racing section of the Mohawk grandstand will open its doors at 5 p.m. on Saturday, but horseplayers looking to wager on the entire Derby card, from Churchill Downs, will be able to inside the Mohawk Racebook (located in the OLG Slots). (WEG) Contact: J.P. Duffy or Macie Malone, 866-FRC-NEWS or 866-372-6397 WASHINGTON, May 3, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Yesterday, Rev. Franklin Graham appeared on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins, a national radio show which airs on more than 240 stations across the country. On the show, Graham discussed the persecution of Christians around the world and the need to stand for religious liberty both at home and overseas. Rev. Graham has worked to respond to the genocide against Christians around the world by putting a spotlight on this issue, "It's because of what is happening at an alarming rate around the world, where thousands of Christians have been killed, it's around a 100,000 a year are being killed just for their faith. We're seeing entire areas of the Middle East that are being eradicated." Graham went on, "This is happening not just at the hands of Islam but, we see around the world where Christians, where they're the minority, where they're being persecuted. I want our politicians to see what's happening and I want the voices of these people who have been persecuted, I want their voices to be heard. I want to give them a stage for them to be able to tell their stories and do it right there in Washington where hopefully we can see some policy changes." Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, the host of Washington Watch, added, "I'm not sure people realize just how significant this problem is, Christians throughout the world were killed for no other reason than that they follow Jesus Christ. And that has been growing over the last few years." "I think in large part it's driven by the indifference toward religious freedom here at home. It's sending a message to the terrorists and tyrants abroad that they're free to do as they please when it comes to Christians." concluded Perkins. To listen to the full interview, click this link: soundcloud.com/family-research-council/20170502-franklin-graham The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie... The Net has described me as a 'mad scientist of RPG blogging,' and a 'Quixotic bastard' ... and also 'the most gonzo - and the grouchiest - old school DM.' Began playing Dungeons and Dragons at the age of 15, forty-two years ago. I am a steadfast AD&D gamer, but I have made so many changes to the original system that my present model is something of a Frankenstein's monster of role-playing design. I continue to make new changes every day to my game's structure and function. Play at the new site will be free and first come, first served through the... Paper or plastic? Grocery stores in Kelso may no longer ask that question if City Council members choose to outlaw plastic grocery bags. Council members Tuesday voted 5-2 to direct the city manager and city attorney to conduct research and draft an ordinance outlawing plastic bags and non-recyclable paper carryout bags within the city. According to baglaws.com, more than 15 cities including Seattle, Tacoma and Ellensburg have outlawed plastic bags, and most also have included a nominal fee for every recyclable paper bag issued to a customer. Kelso City Attorney Janean Parker presented the council with research on other bag laws throughout Washington as well as a sample ordinance for the council to consider. Most cities that banned the use of plastic grocery bags exempted the use of smaller plastic bags used for fruit, candy, bakery goods and other items. Most cities also required any paper bags used to be made of 100 percent recycled material and 40 percent post-consumer material. Most of those cities also required a charge of no less than five cents per paper bag, with exemptions for WIC, SNAP, FAP and other low-income program users. Plastic bag makers say they are convenient, light and reusable and use far less energy to manufacture than paper bags. Opponents note that 100 billion plastic bags are tossed away annually in America, contributing to a massive and costly waste problem. Council members stressed that the ordinance and research provided was simply for discussion purposes Tuesday evening. Parker recommended using public workshops to get a sense for how people would feel about the change, including local businesses. Upon adoption, I would also recommend (consistent with most of the other jurisdictions ordinances) a delayed effective date to allow compliance, Parker wrote in a memo to council. Council members Jim Hill, Rick Roberson and Todd McDaniel all supported for the idea. I would definitely want huge outreach to the retailers, Roberson said. I dont think anyone is going to close down a retail store because of bags (but) I want to make sure were not chasing retail merchants out of Kelso to do this. Mayor David Futcher said he thought the community isnt ready to take on a bag ban. I also think with our poverty level and our income level we have to be able to explain why were willing to pass this cost on to our residents, Futcher said. Even if there isnt a direct fee to the resident, the cost of paper over plastic to the retailer will go out to the user, obviously. Councilman Hill said he still believed the change would be worthwhile. Theres nothing wrong with a small community taking a leadership role, Hill said. Maybe were not going to make a universally huge impact on plastic consumption in the country but ... it has to start somewhere in our small communities. Up to 10 individuals from Cowlitz County are the target of a massive poaching investigation in Oregon and Washington that looked into the killings of dozens of deer, elk, bear, cougar and other animals over several years, according to court records and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers. The investigation began in December, when WDFW officers received a call from Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife officers. Oregon officers had set up hidden trail cameras after finding headless deer on several trails. The Oregon Fish & Wildlife investigation led to several Cowlitz County residents. Over 20 search warrants have been served connected to this investigation. When officers served the warrants at several Cowlitz County residences in March, they found more than 25 deer and elk skulls, said WDFW Region 5 Captain Jeff Wickersham. They had taken the heads and left the rest, Wickersham said. Thats what got us into the primary investigation. At the same time (Oregon State Police) had seized photo and video on their phones. Photos from the suspects phones include images of 26 deer heads and sets of antlers, graphic and grisly photos of dogs attacking bears, and multiple bear, wildcat and deer carcasses, Wickersham said. Using dogs to hunt black bear, cougar, bobcat or lynx is illegal in Washington and Oregon. Videos obtained and shared by WDFW dont show the faces of any suspects. But in one video, a man can be heard shouting Come on boys, get him! as several hounds surround what appears to be a black bear. Another video shows a poacher aiming a rifle at a cornered bear at close range and firing. After the bear falls, up to eight hunting dogs descend on the bear, biting and ripping it apart. Names of the suspects have not been made public because they have not yet been arrested. This is not the normal activity we see, Wickersham said. This was taking place in broad daylight in public areas. Typically we see this at night or behind a locked gate where nobody can get to. Wickersham said hes never seen a poaching ring or killing spree of this size. He said its likely the largest of its kind in Washington and Oregon. Deputy WDFW Chief Mike Cenci said he believes that most of the investigation is close to wrapping up. Theres a great deal of evidence. Officers have been sorting through that, Cenci told The Daily News Tuesday. And once that is completed, then its off to the prosecutors office. Cenci said the poached animals came from Southwest Washington and Oregon, though he declined to elaborate on specifically where they came from. However, he did comment that the mule deer came from Oregon in an area that is tightly secured for hunting and where it is highly competitive to get a hunting tag. Cenci lamented the fact that this organized poaching ring went on for so long, and so many animals were lost in the process. He said that chronic understaffing was a large factor in why nothing was done sooner. He said officer numbers have declined about 25 percent since the merger of the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Wildlife by the Legislature in 1994. So you have 135 Fish and Wildlife officers that are responsible for public safety and natural resources across the entire Washington landscape, 365 days a year, Cenci said. Its a depressing number for protecting natural resources and public safety. Phil Pedersen remembers the excitement he felt in 1953 when he became part of the first generation of students to attend Kelso Junior High School. IANS Worried about mobile tower emission impacting your health? You can now ask the government to come and check the radiation level in your house. The Department of Telecom (DoT) on Tuesday launched Tarang Sanchar, a web portal for information sharing on mobile towers and electro-magnetic field (EMF) emission compliance. An official statement said the EMF portal is designed to provide a public interface where an easy map-based search feature has been provided for viewing the mobile towers in vicinity of any locality. "By click of a button, information on EMF compliance status of mobile towers can be accessed. Detailed information about any tower site, if requested, will be sent on email to the users. Additionally, any person can request for EMF emission measurement at a location by paying a nominal fee of Rs 4,000 online," it says. The tests will be conducted by the local Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) field unit of the DoT and the test report would be provided to the requestor, the statement added. Allaying fears about mobile tower radiation, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha, who inaugurated the portal, said India had 10 times stricter norms than global standards prescribed by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection and recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). He also said more towers were needed to have better connectivity. "We always talk about no call drops, but we do not want towers near our house," the minister said. The minister said when people are ignorant about things, they tend to spread rumours. To have better connectivity, more infrastructure would be required, he pointed out. "(Such) radiation has no adverse impact on human health. During the last 30 years, the WHO has conducted some 25,000 campaigns on this subject and never stated that mobile tower radiation has adverse impact on human health," he said. Sinha said the launch of Tarang Sanchar portal will definitely help in clearing myths and misconceptions in public minds on mobile towers and EMF emissions from them. IANS The Indian Army on Tuesday successfully test fired the advanced version of the BrahMos land attack cruise missile in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. An official statement said the test fire revalidated "the formidable weapon's precision strike capability". "The land-to-land configuration of BrahMosBlock - III was launched from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) for its full-range, demonstrating the weapon's unmatched lethality of hitting the centre of a designated target with 'bull's eye' precision," the statement said. The test was the fourth successful launch of the Block -III version of BrahMos land attack cruise missile. "Meeting all flight parameters in a copybook manner while conducting high level and complex manoeuvres, the supersonic cruise missile successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in a top attack configuration," it said. The land attack version of BrahMos has been operationalised in the Indian Army since 2007. BrahMos Block-III is a joint Russian-Indian project, which is based on Russian P-800 Oniks missile. Block III had advanced guidance and upgraded software, incorporating high manoeuvres at multiple points and steep dive from high altitude. tech2 News Staff Nasa's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or Sofia has confirmed that a star system located 10.5 light years away is strikingly similar to our own solar system. The solar system is around the star known as Epsilon Eridani, or eps Eri for short. The star system is the closest system around with conditions similar to the very early days of our own solar system, and is a prime candidate for the study of planet formation. Previous observations of the star system around eps Eri from the Spitzer space telescope raised the possibility of two theoretical models for the star system. One model was a broad debris disk made up of gas, dust, and small rocky and icy bodies. The other model was bands of narrow disks of debris, similar to our own solar system. There is a concentrated ring of debris known as the asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and another belt beyond Pluto known as the Kuiper belt, which mostly has icy objects. The observations from Sofia confirmed that the debris was arranged in two narrow bands, similar to our own solar system. Additionally, the telescope found that there was a planet comparable to the mass of Jupiter, in orbit around eps Eri at about the same distance as Jupiter is from our Sun. Incidentally, the star system is the location of the space station from Babylon 5, an American science fiction television series. Sofia allowed for more detailed observations of the system because it was a larger telescope. Sofia has a diameter of 2.5 meters whereas Spitzer only measures 0.85 meters in diameter. Sofia is a telescope mounted on a Boeing 747SP. Sofia has previously detected oxygen in the Martian atmosphere, observed Jupiter up close, and studied the formation of young stars. Aditya Madanapalle There are various kinds of radiation all around us, even gravity is a kind of radiation. Some of the radiation that humans are exposed to, are known to be destructive to the body cells, and can potentially cause cancer. The kind of radiation that can knock electrons off atoms and create ions is known as ionising radiation, and studies have linked this kind of radiation to adverse health effects on the body. Common ionising radiation that humans are exposed to include gamma radiation, x-rays and ultraviolet rays. The natural sunlight is actually potentially more harmful to your body than telecom towers. Telecom towers use non ionising radiation. This is not the kind of radiation known to be destructive to human cells, and known to cause cancer. The radiation is similar to microwave radiation, and can potentially heat up tissue if the radiation is really concentrated. However, radiation from cellular towers are intermittent, and are not nearly powerful enough to have adverse health effects on humans. Fears of cell tower radiation have lead to arbitrary take downs of telecom infrastructure, including dismantling the towers or cutting off the electricity supply. This has aggrevated the call drop problem, and some telecom operators have responded by using smaller infrastructure, that is less likely to scare people. India has one of the harshest norms in the world when it comes to telecom infrastructure radiation. The levels of radiation allowed for cellular infrastructure is one tenth the globally accepted standards. The regulations in India are more than adequately cautious. The harsh norms apply to the handsets as well, and the exposure to the emissions from handsets is actually more than the exposure of humans to telecom infrastructure. From September 2012, mobile handsets are only allowed a Specific absorption rate (SAR) level of 1.6 Watt/Kg averaged over a mass of 1 gram tissue. The SAR level is an indication of the exposure to cell phone radiation. Telecom operators, the regulatory authority, the department of communication and independent doctors have all tried to allay the fears that people have when it comes to radiation from telecom infrastructure. Recently, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha recently launched the Tarang Sanchar web portal, which allows citizens to test the levels of cell tower radiation anywhere in the country. The tests will be carried out by the Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) on payment of a nominal fee of Rs 4,000, after which the results will be handed over to the individuals who requested the test. At the launch, Sinha said, "We always talk about no call drops, but we do not want towers near our house. Radiation has no adverse impact on human health. During the last 30 years, the World Health Organisation has conducted some 25,000 campaigns on this subject and never stated that mobile tower radiation has adverse impact on human health." DoT Secretary J.S. Deepak has commented on the issue, saying "There is no scientific evidence backing the claim that EMF radiation from mobile towers, which are below the safe limits prescribed by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), can cause adverse health effects. Our EMF norms are much stricter than what is followed by many developed nations, including the US, the UK and most parts of the European Union. The government has taken adequate steps to ensure that telecom service providers strictly adhere to these prescribed norms." Trai Advisor Agneshwar Sen has said "A number of judgements delivered by the High Courts in Gujarat, Kerala, Allahabad, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh have ruled that there is no conclusive evidence to prove that EMF radiation emitted from mobile towers has adverse effects on health. Thus, they cannot potentially harm humans. Trai and DoT have implemented stringent emission norms that ensure no adverse effects on human health from mobile tower emissions." The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Shripad Naik has said, "The Indian Council of Medical Research, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, clarified that there is no scientific evidence indicating using mobile phones will cause mental or physical disease." The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), in a statement has said "Indias mobile emission safety norms are strict and radiation from telecom towers is not a cause for concern." Ajay Kumar, a former president of the Indian Medical Academy and the sole Indian member in the World Medical Council has said, "There is no conclusive scientific fact which can directly link cellular tower radiation with cancer. Till the theory of the health hazards of cell phone radiation and towers gets a reliable backup of scientific proof, it would be highly unfair to censure the most wonderful technological advent of the 20th century for health risks and diseases as serious as cancer." Even the Delhi high court has put to rest fears of harm caused by telecom infrastructure, noting that "It is clear there is no scientific data available to show that installation of mobile phone towers and the emission of the waves by the said towers is in any way harmful for the health or hazardous to the health of citizens. There is no conclusive data to the said effect. The petitioner has not been able to produce any data whatsoever showing any such harmful effects on the health of human beings." Dr. Rajesh Dikshit, Department of Epidemiology, Urology (DMG), and Tata Medical Centre has said "A number of researches and studies have been conducted around the globe to ascertain if there is any relationship between the radio frequency (RF) emissions from the mobile phone and cancer. However, there is not enough evidence proving mobile phones cause cancer in humans." The DoT Secretary S Deepak has said, "We are absolutely committed to protecting the health of our citizens." while initiating a campaign to educate the public on the fears of radiation from telecom infrastructure. The campaign included pamphlets, reports and videos explaining to the people that there is no cause to worry about adverse health effects from telecom infrastructure, and the kind of radiation used for mobile communication is not the kind of radiation known to cause cancer. The most convincing evidence comes from the web comic, XKCD. The radiation dose chart tracks the various kinds of exposure to harmful radiation that humans may be exposed to. Dental x-rays, flying in an airplane, a brick house, sleeping next to someone, or eating a banana are all activities that exposes humans to more harmful radiation than cell phones or telecom towers. In a year's worth of average exposure of humans to ionising radiation, about 85 percent is because of natural sources, and the remaining 15 percent is mostly because of medical scans. PTI The Trump administration welcomed the decision by IT giant Infosys to hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years, saying it was a result of the US government's "pro-growth economic agenda." Infosys yesterday announced it will hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years and open four new centres in the US as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of H1-B visa curbs. The first of the four innovation centres for new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will open in August in Indiana, the home state of US Vice-President Mike Pence. In a statement to The Washington Post, the White House termed the announcement by the Bangalore-based tech firm a political victory for the Trump administration, which has on several occasions accused outsourcing firms of "unfairly" taking jobs away from the US. It said the decision was further evidence that companies are renewing investment in the US as a result of the Trump administration's "pro-growth economic agenda." "We're glad to see companies like Infosys see opportunity in the American economy again," said Ninio Fetalvo, a White House spokesman, in a statement to The Post. The US had accused Infosys and its larger rival, Tata Consultancy Services, of unfairly cornering the lion's share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system. Every year, the US grants 65,000 H-1B visas while another 20,000 are set aside for those with advanced degrees. At a White House briefing last month, an official of the Trump administration said a small number of giant outsourcing firms flood the system with applications which naturally ups their chances of success in the lottery draw. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of US President Donald Trump. He last month signed an executive order that seeks to make changes to a H-1B visa programme that brings in highly skilled foreign workers. The White House says the executive order will make it harder for tech firms to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour, and will strengthen rules barring foreign contractors from bidding on government projects. Rohan Naravane At an education-focused event in New York yesterday, Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 S. Unlike Windows RT from the years past (more on that here), Windows 10 S is essentially Windows 10 Pro, but with one big difference you can only install applications from the Windows Store. Microsoft suggests the S in Windows 10 S means the OS is streamlined for simplicity, security and superior performance. After watching the keynote yesterday, one could also say the S stands for students, as the company demonstrated how easy large-scale deployment and remote management of the OS can be with tools like Intune, Microsofts cloud-based device management system thats now specifically built for the school IT department. Its clear that Microsoft wants a piece of the pie that Googles Chrome OS has been enjoying in the education sector in western markets for years. Because Chrome OS is largely a browser-as-an-operating-system, the proposition is attractive to educational institutions for several reasons. One, because the OS is uncluttered, it runs on computers that cost as low as $150 in the US. Next, there are no recurring software upgrades to pay for, be it applications like an antivirus or the operating system itself. And the software updates automatically without any administrative intervention. Remote deployment and management of these cloud-centric computers is also easy to manage. Finally, select Chrome OS computers last year also got the ability to run Android apps, in a bid to fill the void that existed with Googles computer operating system for many years. Microsoft suggests that by only allowing apps from the Windows Store, it can act as a gatekeeper, deterring malicious .exe files that can ruin a typical Windows computer. The company has also said that these apps will run in controlled sandboxes, enhancing the security, performance and battery life of computers running 10 S. This is important as this OS is going to primarily run on low-end hardware, some of which will sell for as low as $189. Microsoft can curate the experience better for these machines because there can be no random apps running in the background, draining resources unnecessarily. Essentially, the experience will be similar to other closed operating systems like iOS, that only allow apps available in the App Store of an iPad or iPhone. macOS Apples proper computer operating system also limits the installation of apps from outside the Mac App Store and identified developers by default, with a facility to remove that restriction with a few clicks in System Preferences. Other versions of Windows 10 (like Home, Pro, or Enterprise) too received a similar feature in the recent Creator's update. But to do this on Windows 10 S, its going to be a $49 upgrade to Windows 10 Pro (free, if youre a student, teacher or school admin). Also, once you upgrade from 10 S to Windows 10 Pro, theres no way to revert to 10 S. Microsoft has made a compelling argument to institutions considering deploying Chrome OS to choose Windows 10 S instead, because other than a web browser, they also get access to Microsofts popular apps like Office, and an upgrade path to .exe-running Windows should they need to. But the company, weirdly, also put this specialised OS on their Surface Laptop, which has sufficient horsepower to run professional apps that Windows Store currently doesnt have. Fortunately, you can upgrade to the regular Windows 10 Pro on this MacBook Air/Pro competitor before the end of this year. So, can students practically use Windows 10 S? If we were to hand over a Windows 10 S computer to a student today, beyond the ones who require only a web browser and office productivity apps, many relevant apps just arent there yet. Take the case of an engineering student, who uses a variety of applications from source code editors like Notepad++, Sublime text and Atom Editor, to the Java Software Development Kit, to system design and analysis software like MATLAB. Heck, Microsofts own Visual Studio isnt available on the Windows Store yet. Civil engineering students wont have access to the full versions of AutoCAD, electrical engineering students wont be able to use electronic design automation apps like KiCAD, or students pursuing creative fields wont find video editing tools like Adobe Premiere Pro in the Windows Store today as well. Now, Microsoft repeats this over and over on the Windows 10 S FAQ page that theyre working with partners on app compatibility and asks users to check back later. It even warns that peripherals like printers may suffer from limited functionality in Windows 10 S, presumably since software that accompanies printers isnt listed on the Windows Store. Next, Microsoft Edge will remain the default web browser even if Google or Mozilla were hypothetically to release a version of the Chrome or Firefox respectively on the Windows Store. Whats more baffling the default search provider, which is Bing, in the Edge browser or Internet Explorer on Windows 10 S cant be changed. Microsoft suggests that if you need to resolve any of these limitations, you can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. In an ideal scenario, if Windows 10 S sees wide adoption at least in classrooms, it should incentivise developers to create apps for the Windows Store, which will benefit not just 10 S users but also users of the Home and Pro versions of Windows 10, which also have access the same app store. The new OS also has a silver lining for Microsofts apps and services like the Edge browser and Bing, which get the exclusivity they desperately need in a world dominated by Chrome and Google. But in what appears to be a classic chicken-and-egg scenario until Windows Store has all the apps that students use, many will have no choice but upgrade to Windows 10 Pro, effectively losing all the security and performance advantages of Microsofts new operating system. Trump impeachment a `real and growing possibility`: Ex-US Labour Secretary The Independent : Donald Trump is unlikely to finish his first term as President, according to the leading Democrat on the committee looking into alleged Russian interference in the US election. Senator Mark Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, privately told friends he puts the odds at two to one against the President completing a full term, the New Yorker reported. Mr Warner's spokesperson did not deny he had made the remarks, but told the paper the Senator was "not referring specifically to the Russia investigation, but rather the totality of challenges the President is currently facing." Donald Trump stops interview after being confronted about his Obama wiretap claims The Senator previously said the Kremlin had paid an army of more than 1,000 people to create fake anti-Hillary Clinton news stories targeting key swing states. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich said there was a "real and growing possibility Trump could be impeached" as he shared the New Yorker article on Twitter. It comes after a source told The Guardian the investigation now has "specific, concrete and corroborative evidence of collusion." The evidence allegedly proves discussions took place "between people in the Trump campaign and agents of [Russian] influence relating to the use of hacked material," the source told the paper. Suu Kyi rejects UN probe into Myanmar violence Myanmar\'s First State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi addresses a press conference after her meeting with the European Commission Foreign Policy Chief on Tuesday. AFP, Brussels : Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday rejected a decision by the UN's rights council to investigate allegations of crimes by Myanmar's security forces against minority Rohingya Muslims. The UN body agreed in March to dispatch a fact-finding mission to the Southeast Asian country over claims of murder, rape and torture in Rakhine state. "We do not agree with it," Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, told a press conference with EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini during a visit to Brussels, when asked about the probe. "We have disassociated ourselves from the resolution because we do not think that the resolution is in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground." Nobel laureate Suu Kyi said that the country would be "happy to accept" recommendations that were "in keeping with the real needs of the region. "But those recommendations which will divide further the two communities in Rakhine we will not accept, because it will not help to resolve the problems that are arising all the time." Suu Kyi has seen her international star as a rights defender wane over failing to speak out about the treatment of the Rohingya or to condemn the crackdown. Rights groups say hundreds of the stateless group were killed in a months-long army crackdown following deadly attacks on Myanmar border police posts. Almost 75,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh where they have related grisly accounts of army abuse. Navy Chief Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed called on Lebanon Foreign Minister Yacoub Riad Sarraf during his visit to Lebanon recently. BNP to join polls under neutral govt: Khaleda Staff Reporter : BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has said her party will join the next election under a neutral government, not under the Sheikh Hasina-led one. "We have long been saying the election won't be fair under them (current government). We have also said we would surely take part in the election but it has to be held under a neutral government," she told a Sramik Dal delegation on Tuesday night. The delegation met her at her Gulshan office, marking its 38th founding anniversary. The BNP chief further said, "We've seen many elections under you (Hasina) and those were not fair. No election will be fair under you in the future, too." Khaleda alleged that the ruling party men have got desperate to cling onto power by resorting to repressive acts. She said the government is also using law enforcers to oppress BNP leaders and activists to hang onto power. The BNP chairperson asked the Sramik Dal leaders to reorganise their organisation to make it ready for joining the movement for 'restoration' of democracy. Our priority for investment must be in domestic sector THE over enthusiasm for many Bangladeshi businessmen for investing money abroad is not a new phenomenon. It was once again echoed by a number of businessmen during the pre-budget discussion recently. However, according to Bangladesh Bank sources, as of now, it has granted permission to only five local companies to invest abroad based on the criterion of the exporter retention quota since capital accounts are not yet convertible in Bangladesh. The amount invested abroad by the five companies would not even surpass $10 million, while the rest unknown billions deposited with foreign banks in various countries was siphoned off illegally. The point, however, is to dig deeper inside the businessmen who are so keen to invest abroad? And, why such unending eagerness, when illicit capital flight from Bangladesh is shooting up at highly disproportionate rate every year. To place a recent statistics before our readers, illegal capital flight from Bangladesh surged 33.78 percent year-on-year to $9.66 billion in 2013 through corruption in trade invoicing and other transfer channels. Moreover, according to the Swiss Central Bank - Bangladeshi citizens' deposits with various Swiss banks rose to 36.02 percent year-on-year to Tk 4,283 crore (506 million Swiss francs) in the year 2014 alone. To add more, last year's leaked Panama Papers also put some well-known political and corporate leaders under the spotlight after their names cropped up in connection to offshore entities bearing roots in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, in the face of such colossal amounts of capital flight abroad, mainly illegally, it's time to encourage them to invest domestically while refraining them from channeling money via illegitimate means. It wouldn't have happened, if the government would have ensured a business-friendly investment environment in the country by implementing strict financial regulatory measures. Also it may sound sarcastic but has a logic - if so many dubious businessmen can reportedly siphon-off such huge cash abroad what's the reason for the argument on investing money in foreign lands via legal channels? Importance of investing for establishing business entities in domestic sector is not only for making profits and getting richer, but is in fact more - it creates job opportunities for the jobless, helps in rolling the economy while making it bigger. It also makes the supply chain even stronger aiding small scale traders and raw material suppliers etc.. But most importantly it is the businessmen's patriotic obligation to invest at home for the greater financial benefit of the country. That said - the illicit trade outflow from Bangladesh - between the years 2005 and 2014 - stood at some $75 billion and the lion's share of it was in some way invested in innumerable foreign companies. The country's economy and job market would have benefited - if at least half of illegally laundered money was invested at home. And also the government should understand by now that despite all its efforts for keeping capital accounts non-convertible, it is actually failing to prevent the illicit financial out-flows from Bangladesh. In the face of this menacing truth, we expect our businessmen to realize that profits coupled with a series of citizens' obligation is what the people expects from them. One possible reason for trafficking profits or money abroad is - if the money is illegally made or it is black-money, it can only go through illegal channel. If they are reluctant to invest at home, it's up to the government's concerned authorities to investigate and find out to duly address the causes behind such undesired reluctance. BCU launches campaign to collect relief goods for haor victims DU Correspondent : Bangladesh Chhatra Union on Wednesday launched a 10-day long countrywide campaign for collecting relief for flood affected people. The leaders of the organization urged the general students across the country to deposit their one day tiffin money in the Chhatra Union relief cell to face this catastrophic situation. The student body will also hold a concert at TSC of Dhaka University on May 13 in aid of the flood affected people. The Chhatra Union leaders said this at a press briefing at Madhu's Canteen of Dhaka University on Wednesday noon. Central Committee General Secretary Liton Nondi read out the written statement. He also urged the people irrespective of their party affiliation and belief, to promptly stand by the flood victims to alleviate their sufferings and recover their losses. Chhatra Union President Zilani Shuvo, Vice-President Sumon Sen Gupto and DU Chapter Secretary Foyez Ullah were also present at the press conference. Pen, Macron face off in final French presidential debate AFP : French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen face off in a final televised debate on Wednesday which is expected to be bitter, personal and potentially decisive ahead of the run-off vote this weekend. The stakes are high ahead of the contest between the pro-European Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, and far-right leader Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party. Their starkly different views on Europe, immigration, the economy and French identity will be explored for the first time face-to-face, after a week marked by bruising clashes between them. Polls show Macron holding a hefty but narrowing lead in the polls of 59 percent versus 41 percent, but previous debates during the rollercoaster French campaign have quickly shifted public opinion. "Our goal is to avoid being dragged into mud-slinging," an aide to Macron told AFP on condition of anonymity ahead of the two hours and 20 minutes of exchanges between the candidates. Whatever the outcome, the event marks a new step into the mainstream for Le Pen, whose party was once considered by France's political establishment to be an extremist fringe of racists to be boycotted. When her father Jean-Marie made it into the final round of the presidential election in 2002, his conservative opponent Jacques Chirac refused to debate him out of fear of "normalising hate and intolerance". Fifteen years later, Le Pen scored 21.3 percent in the first round of the French election on April 23 after successfully softening the FN's image-but without fully removing doubt about the party's core beliefs. She has consistently sought to paint her rival as the continuation of unpopular outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande and a champion of unbridled globalisation, the financial sector and immigration. "If he finds himself in difficulty, he can always ask Francois Hollande to come and hold his hand. I won't complain," Le Pen tweeted archly on Tuesday. With Le Pen trailing in the polls, the face-off will be her biggest chance in front of a television audience to impress millions of views or induce an error by her opponent that could tilt Sunday's election in her favour. Macron, who was economy minister under Hollande, is expected to be wary of making mistakes but has signalled his intention to take on Le Pen and challenge what he calls her "dangerous" ideas for tackling the country's deep economic and social problems. "I want to go head-to-head, to get to the bottom of the issues, to show that these are false solutions," the independent centrist told BFM television Tuesday. Recent uncertainty about Le Pen's stance on withdrawing France from the euro common currency could also give him an opportunity to target what is seen as a risky and unpopular policy by many voters. "Macron would do well to put maximum emphasis on the EU issue in the debate, especially the currency," veteran political analyst Philippe Braud told AFP. "It's the issue that causes the most concern, especially for businesses. It's not for love of Europe." Le Pen said Sunday that a new franc would be introduced for daily use while the euro would be retained for "large companies who trade internationally". 51 kg venison seized in Satkhira UNB, Satkhira : Members of Bangladesh Coast Guards in a drive seized 51 kilograms of venison from Kalirkhal area of the Sundarbans under Satkhira range early Wednesday. Acting on secret information, Coast Guard members conducted the drive in the area and seized the venison, officials said. They said there was no arrest as the venison smugglers fled the scene sensing the law enforcers' presence. NAM flats rented out! 47 MPs asked to quit Staff Reporter : The House Committee has issued notices to 47 lawmakers including a minister, asking them to leave the NAM flats immediately. In spite of living there, some lawmakers have allegedly given their allotted NAM flats to other people like their relatives, drivers, servants and officials. It is widely alleged that some flats were put on rent. The new directive came at a meeting of the house committee at Jatiya Sangsad with committee chairman A S M Feroz in the chair on Wednesday. "We have issued notices to 47 lawmakers who were not living in their allotted NAM flats," Feroz told journalists after the meeting yesterday. The committee decision follows the Prime Ministers' directive that asked the MPs to quit the flats. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 15 said members of parliament who were not living in their allotted NAM flats should leave them, or they would be left out of the allotment list. The House Committee chief also told journalists that in reply to the notices, four MPs assured the committee of leaving their respective flats, while most of them avoided the notices. However, he said, some lawmakers have not responded to the notices yet. Feroz lamented that some lawmakers hid the truth in a bid to provide shelters to their men only. When asked about the name of the minister, he pointed his finger at Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Sayedul Huq. "It is illegal and immoral. But we wonder when lawmakers try to hide the truth," he said. Earlier on August 26 last year and April 23 this year the House Committee had issued notices to the lawmakers. But the committee did not receive any satisfactory reply from them. According to Jatiya Sangsad sources, as the committee is not satisfied over the most lawmakers' reply, it is now thinking to call them through the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad. If needed, the committee will visit the flats where lawmakers and minister are illegally allowing their relatives or personal staff to live in apartments designated for the members of parliament (MPs). The flat allocation policy say only the legislators themselves or their spouses, parents, sons and daughters are eligible to reside in the 324 flats of six MP buildings on Manik Mia Avenue and four at Nakhalpara in the capital. A number of MPs several times blasted the treasury and the opposition bench lawmakers for allowing outsiders to live in the flats, saying it caused frequent thefts and embarrassment to other lawmakers living there with their family members. Some MPs who live in the flats with family members said outsiders through anti-social activities cause a terrible nuisance and pollute the social environment in the residential areas. The Housing and Public Works Ministry constructed the NAM buildings in 2001. The buildings, with modern facilities, housed 448 flats. No more comment about CJ publicly Law Minister retreats Special Correspondent : Law Minister Anisul Haq on Wednesday said that he would not make publicly any counter remarks over the statements of Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha; rather he would talk to the CJ if he has anything to say. The Minister said this responding to reporters' request for comments on the CJ's recent remarks on judiciary-executive relations at his Secretariat office in the city. Especially, some statements and counter statements of the CJ and the Law Minister in recent days have broadly exposed the 'misunderstanding' among the pillars of the state where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had also tried to cool the situation. "I'll not say anything about the comments of CJ. The media will justify the statements [of CJ] which he had issued in the meantime. So, if I have anything to say, I'll tell him face-to-face," the Minister told the journalists. The CJ last month raised allegation against the government that he was 'bypassed' while taking some important decisions about judiciary, particularly the publication of a gazette on judges' conduct rules [of lower court]. Besides, the CJ claimed that a certain quarter has been trying to create a 'gap' between the government and the judiciary. On April 26, the Law Minister openly criticized the CJ saying that any CJ in other countries usually do not talk so much in public. "If he has any 'pain' in his heart, he can share it to the executive branch.No CJ does issue such tempered statements in public," the Minister said. Against this backdrop, the CJ on April 30 said there is no rule of law in the country. "Bangladesh is the country where chief justice's speech is leaked. There is more to talk as the country lacks rule of law," said the CJ. At one stage, the CJ said the Supreme Court will not step back from scrapping any law or ruling if they are against the Constitution. "The Constitution has given authority to the SC to make judicial review of any law. In line with the Constitution, the SC has scrapped 5th, 7th, 8th, and 13th amendments to the constitution as they were contrary to the charter," said CJ Sinha. Earlier on April 28, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged for more cooperation among the judiciary, executive and legislative branches of the state. "These are the three pillars of a state. The state can never function when there is bickering and blaming. I would request all of you to keep that in mind," she said. "Law is made by the Parliament, the judiciary implements it and the executive branch enforces it. These branches cannot operate separately. So, no one is inferior to the other they must cooperate," the PM said. Apart from the above issue, the relations between the CJ and the government have turned sour nowadays over the installation of Lady Justice statue in front of the SC, removal of which has been demanded by rightist organization Hefazat -e- Islam. Echoing the same, the PM had advised the CJ either to remove the sculpture of Greek goddess Lady Justice Themis from in front of the SC or take proper initiatives so that it could not be seen from the National Eidgah. "Without any consultation, a statue of a woman has been installed in front of the SC. 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 had said. Father-daughter death accused arrested Staff Reporter : Police arrested main accused Shahid, son of one Nazir Uddin, in the father-daughter suicide case from Karnapur village in Sreepur upazila of Dhaka district on Tuesday night. Officer-in-Charge of Sreepur Police Station Asaduzzaman said that police arrested Shahid at night. Hazrat Ali (55) along with his daughter Ayesha Akhter (8) committed 'suicide' jumping before a running train near Sreepur Railway Station on Saturday morning having failed to get justice against attempt by a young man to violate his minor daughter, and grab his land. After the 'suicide', Hazrat Ali's wife Halima Begum filed a case with the local police station naming Shahid as the main accused. Halima claimed that their few neighbours, including Shahid, had long been trying to grab the land of Hazrat Ali. Not only that, an youth named Faruk tried to rape their daughter Ayesha about four months ago. Hazrat Ali informed Goshinga Union Parishad member Abul Hossain about it. But he got depressed when the UP member did not take any step, Halima alleged. On Monday, the National Human Rights Commission Chief Kazi Reazul Hoque visited the victim's house and said it was 'not an accident.' Police arrested UP member Abul Hossain on Monday and produced him in a Dhaka court for police's remand. Police said that they were trying to arrest the other accused. SSC results today UNB, Dhaka : The results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations will be published today (Thursday). The results will be handed over to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the morning. Later, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid will formally announce the results at a press briefing at the conference room of his ministry around 12:30 pm, said a PID handout on Wednesday. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe President Trump will soon have to decide what to do about Afghanistan. After weeks of wrangling inside his national security cabinet, top officials on Friday agreed on the broad outlines of a strategy to prosecute Americas longest war. The interventionists prevailed. According to administration officials familiar with the deliberations of the cabinets principals committee, the Afghanistan strategy would tie the United States to the success of President Ashraf Ghanis ambitious plan to build up an inclusive government and regain territory from the Taliban. While the strategy envisions eventually forging a peace deal with the Taliban, in the meantime it would increase the pace of strikes to encourage the Taliban to negotiate. The new strategy, according to these officials, is not cheap. There would be a baseline of at least $23 billion a year to support a variety of initiatives in Afghanistan, not only subsidizing Afghan police and military forces but also funding anti-corruption programs and other priorities. If that sounds expensive, bear in mind the untold costs if the United States instead failed to support Afghanistans recovery and the country became a safe haven for terrorists like it was before 9/11. While no troop numbers have been set, US officials told me they would envision an increase in both US and NATO forces inside the country. Most important, the strategy would jettison President Barack Obamas approach of setting arbitrary deadlines for the withdrawal of US forces and instead would link the participation of US troops inside the country to meeting clear conditions on the battlefield, such as winning back territory from the Taliban and denying safe haven to al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other bad actors, according to these officials. By the end of Obamas presidency, he had blown through his own deadlines for withdrawing troops from the country as the Taliban and other terror groups grew stronger. A similar dynamic has played out inside the Trump national security team. Throughout the deliberations, some officials raised concern that the plan would be throwing good money after bad, according to the US officials. This worry is not without basis. The US special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction wrote in January that: Afghanistan suffers from limited institutional capacity to conduct basic governmental functions, and from widespread and systemic corruption that consistently places it near the bottom of international rankings for public perception of corruption. Another fear raised at Fridays meeting was that the strategy would be committing the US to a role in Afghanistan for the next several years. The view of the national security adviser, General H.R. McMaster, prevailed. On Friday, none of those in the meeting objected to going forward with the more ambitious strategy. McMaster argued, according to these sources, that Trump should not make the same mistake Obama made by exiting Iraq too soon and allowing the Islamic State the room to regenerate and force another US intervention later. A strategy paper reflecting the consensus of the meeting on Friday is now being worked over by regional experts at the policy coordination committee and is expected to be sent to the presidents desk as early as this week. Still, an American recommitment to Afghanistan now can avoid past mistakes. If there has been one lesson from recent US interventions, it is that premature exits are costly. Sooner or later, America gets drawn back into the wars it had hoped were over. - The House Appropriations Committee voted to cut $237 million in healthcare from the state budget on Monday. It also voted to shift $190 million in homeowner flood relief money to a flood control project near Baton Rouge. Photo by Robin May The House Appropriations Committee sent a dramatically re-worked state budget bill to the House of Representatives on Monday, making good on a proposal to reduce state spending to avoid midyear budget cuts but leaving the specifics of the cuts up to the Edwards administration. The committee approved a series of amendments to HB1 which include a $237 million cut in funding for the Louisiana Department of Health. The committee also approved an amendment to shift $190 million in federal disaster relief money directed to homeowners hit by the August 2016 floods to a long-delayed flood control project in the Baton Rouge area. The bill now goes to the House floor where it awaits debate and votes on Thursday. The Appropriations Committee's version of HB1 was heavily amended on the House floor in 2016. It is likely that similar attempts to amend the budget bill will be made this year. It is not clear whether those efforts will succeed. The work of subgroups of the Appropriations Committee shielded much of the work on the budget from public scrutiny and even many members of the House. The committee chaired by Rep. Cameron Henry met publicly during the current session only a handful of times prior to Monday's decisive meeting. In all, the committee approved 83 amendments to the budget which came with varying degrees of specificity. While some amendments directed the shifting of tens of thousands of dollars between parishes and municipalities in them, when it came to the biggest cuts, the committee set targets and left the details to the administration. The LDH cut was made through a single amendment which orders and directs the commissioner of administration to cut to make two cuts in General Fund support for the department $81,862,855 and $155,514,857. The amendment does not specify which programs the combined $237,377,712 can be made, but it does specify what the cuts cannot affect. The parts of the LDH budget that are off limits from the cuts are "waiver services, applied behavioral health analysis rates, or graduate medical eduction." The $81 million cut is out of General Fund support for non-discretionary spending by LDH. The $155 million cut is out of the discretionary spending category. Both category of funding include Medicaid services that draw a match of federal dollars. It is not clear if the cuts in the two funding categories can be made without affecting those services or other programs that draw down federal matching funds. The $237 million LDH cut would leave the department's total budget just below $12.3 billion. Just over $9 billion of that money is from the federal government. The cut in General Fund support for the department ordered in HB1 as it left the committee would leave state tax dollar support for LDH at $1.86 billion. Rep. Valerie Hodges of Denham Springs might have introduced what could become the most contentious amendment to the budget. Hodge authored a proposal that became Amendment 13 in the committee's package. It would take $190 million from the recently authorized $1.6 billion federal disaster aid for homeowners and redirect it to the Comite River diversion project which has been on the books for nearly two decades. Aid for Acadiana homeowners affected by the August 2016 floods is included in that HUD relief package that Hodge wants to tap for the flood control project. The language of the amendment says that the money would be diverted to this use only "if eligible under federal law and regulations through the Community Development Block Grant Program." The governor's office announced its opposition to the change saying it could slow the process of getting funds to homeowners while permission from HUD to shift the funds is sought. Governor Edwards is seeking separate federal funding for that project. HB1 as amended is scheduled for debate by the full House on Thursday. Rep. Stuart Bishop's HB98 is up for House consideration on Tuesday. The bill would require all productive oil and gas wells in the state to contribute to the woefully underfunded Oilfield Site Restoration Fund. Photo by Steve F/Wikimedia The state fund used to restore oilfield drilling sites abandoned by operators is woefully underfunded, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Rep. Stuart Bishop hopes to help remedy the problem with his HB98, which will be debated by the full House of Representatives on Tuesday. Bishop's bill would decouple the fee from severance tax payments. Under current law, if a well is exempted from severance tax payments, it is also exempted from paying into the Oilfield Site Restoration fund. HB98 would impose a modest fee on production from every well, regardless of its severance tax status. A 2014 performance audit conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found gaping holes in the DNR Office of Conservation's management of its orphaned and abandoned wells program. Among the deficiencies cited was that Louisiana did not require sufficient financial security from drilling operators to provide for cleanup sites after drilling activities ceased. Bishop Photo by Robin May "If an operator abandons a well without financial security," the report states, "OC is authorized to use funds from Oilfield Site Restoration (OSR) fund to plug the well and remediate the site." At the time of the report, 58,000 oil and gas wells had been drilled in Louisiana, 75 percent of which had been exempted from putting up financial security for site cleanup. The report noted that the number of well sites needing cleanup was growing faster than the state's ability to clean them. Bishop's bill would not require more operators to put up money for cleanup, but would impose a fee on oil and gas produced from all wells in Louisiana and dedicate the funds to OSR. The fee would vary, depending on the price of oil. When the price of oil is at or below $60 per barrel, the fee would be 1.5 cents per barrel. If the price is between $60 and $90 per barrel, the fee rises to 3 cents per barrel. If the price moves higher than $90 per barrel, the fee would rise to 4.5 cents per barrel. The fee would also apply to the natural gas equivalent in price and volume produced. The fiscal note on HB98 predicts that it would raise $6.4 million for the OSR over the next five years. Schroder (Editor's Note: House consideration of these bills was delayed last week. Rep. Schroder's bills will be debated by the full House when it convenes on Monday afternoon.) The House of Representatives will debate two bills by Covington Rep. John Schroder that focus on reducing incidents of domestic violence in Louisiana. HB499 would toughen penalties associated with stalking, as well as close loopholes in existing law. HB509 would toughen penalties for violating protective orders issued against those already charged with domestic violence. In fiscal only sessions like the one currently underway, legislators can only introduce a total of five bills for consideration. That two of the five bills Schroder introduced this session address aspects of the state's domestic violence problem is an indication of the importance he places on the matter. "I think it's important that men step up and say that this is wrong and must stop," Schoder explains. He was interviewed in the Capitol on the bills late last week. "I was in the military police and consequently dealt with a lot with domestic violence issues there," the Covington Republican says. "And, my family has also been affected by it." (He would not go into details in order to protect those who were directly involved.) HB499 would require district attorneys or courts to issue protective orders against those convicted of stalking in addition to whatever penalties are imposed by the courts. The bill would also close a loophole in existing law which has allowed some stalkers to retain private detective to in effect be a third-party stalker. Private investigators who are hired by those convicted of sexual assault or who are subjects of protective orders could be charged with stalking under Schroder's bill. "Stalking is a form of intimidation," Schroder says. "A man can intimidate a woman without saying a word, just by his mere presence." Mariah Wineski, interim executive director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, says there is a direct connection between stalking and murder in domestic violence cases. "We know that 79 percent of women who are killed by their intimate partners were stalked before they were murdered," Wineski explains. "We support HB499 because we think it addresses a central issue connected to victim safety." HB509 would strengthen penalties for violation of protective orders. Protective orders are civil orders that are issued after criminal acts have been committed against victims. The effectiveness of the protective orders is directly related to how seriously law enforcement agencies take the orders. "Violations of protective orders correlate with the lethality of the relationships," Wineski continues. "If the protective orders are violated, then that is an indicator that there will be violent encounters later." "With proper enforcement, protective orders can be very effective," Wineski says. But, she points to a 2009 Department of Justice-funded study done on protective order enforcement in Kentucky which showed stark differences in the attitudes of law enforcement officers in rural areas compared to those in urban areas regarding domestic violence. Those attitudes affected enforcement of protective orders. The study involved an even split of domestic violence victims in urban and rural parts of Kentucky. "Results suggest that partner violence is a lower priority in selected rural area compared to the selected urban area," the study found. The Baton Rouge-based coalition and its partners are critical service providers for domestic violence victims in Louisiana. The partners, like Faith House in Lafayette, provide services and shelter for domestic violence victims across the state. Those services and shelters have been hit hard by years of tight state budgets and midyear budget cuts. "Funding cuts have hurt our ability to provide needed services to domestic violence victims," according to Michelle Voss, development director for Faith House. "We've had to close two offices in our seven-parish service area due to budget cuts, as well a reductions in private sector support resulting from the slower economy." Voss says Faith House served about 2,200 clients in 2016. Economic struggles produce stress in relationships and that stress can sometimes be expressed through violence. Faith House's Family Justice Center works with domestic violence victims to get legal advice and speak to law enforcement officers. Letesha Davis, a survivor advocate with the Family Justice Center says she and her co-workers work on about 60 protective orders each month, which only hints at the scope of the problem. "We're not involved in all protective orders even in Lafayette Parish because not everyone knows about Faith House and our work," Davis says. She believes domestic situations are also behind some murders in the area that are not immediately recognized as having roots in domestic disputes. "I know that about eight murders in this area have had domestic violence linked to them," Davis says. "Murder/suicides often are tied to domestic disputes." Schroder says the state's domestic violence problem is directly related to a lack of respect for women. He acknowledges that his bills won't change that but believes they can contribute to the safety of women by exacting real costs from those who commit crimes against women. Schroder's bills are scheduled to be debated on Wednesday afternoon when the House convenes. The House Criminal Justice Committee voted Tuesday to move to full debate on the House floor a bill allowing a person sentenced to life in prison to apply for pardon or commutation 15 years after being arrested, rather than 15 years after sentencing. The bills author, Joseph Bouie, D-New Orleans, says the average person spends three to ten years in prison before being sentenced to life. Under current law, a lifer that spends three years in prison before being sentenced would spend a total of 18 years in prison before becoming eligible to apply for a pardon. Im surprised this happens, said Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport. [Those prisoners] are here, but theyre not here. HB205 would also allow lifers who have been denied pardon to reapply after three years, instead of five. This bill allows us to better account for time served, Bouie said. The measure received no opposition, but amendments will be offered on the House floor that would tighten the language to ensure the time served is consecutive without bail. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Hurricane Update: Fears arise that Gov. Ron DeSantis may reroute Hurricane Ian from Florida coast to Martha's Vineyard Study: People who define themselves by what they stand against, are usually afraid to tell people what they stand for Liz Cheney: Voters need to ask themselves, why they are so out of touch with their politicians White House: IRS toy guns for children are now politically correct, mandatory BREAKING: Biden's economic sanctions on the U.S. to be partially lifted prior to November election GOP's new slogan for midterms: Make Dissent Patriotic Again PSA: Due to high gas prices police departments will now be responding and making arrests via Zoom. NYT: Roe vs Wade to be renamed the "Don't Say Fetus" law Democrats insist on carrying unwanted presidency to term Elon Musk went to bed thinking he owns Twitter. Then the mail-in ballots arrived at 2am... 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Gavin Newsom follows up by mandating them to have electricity by 2035 Election 2020: Joe Biden pledges to a peaceful post-election transfer of power to George Soros Out: Flatten the curve. In: Flatten the country. Breaking: the Democrat Party has finished transitioning from being the party of JFK to being the party of Lee Harvey Oswald Paradigm shift in Chromatics: Study shows Indigo (#3F00FF) mixed with Jamaic (#C0FF01) yields Black (#000000) Study: the trouble with wokeism is eventually you run out of victims Stacey Abrams refuses to concede to Harris; declares herself Biden's VP Election 2020: Spunky former presidential candidate wins VP slot by a head Churches in many states to hold services in opened up pubs and bars Election 2020: Xi Jinping still undecided on vice president for Joe Biden Reports: Republicans pounce on 'Republicans pounce' reports Minneapolis launches online looting app to combat Covid-19 DNC study finds lockdowns no longer necessary as the economy is now being destroyed more effectively by looters and rioters With America in lockdown, China offers to host Democrat primary Bernie Sanders tests negative for President In related news, Joe Biden follows other candidates in withdrawing from race and endorsing Joe Biden New York Governor Cuomo shuts down all 'non-essential' business, surprised to find himself out of a job Biden commits to picking a woman as running mate as long as she passes his sniff test Joe Biden's coronavirus prevention tips: always rub hand sanitizer on young girls before sniffing and fondling them Russian lawmakers warned that the American Democrats are meddling to re-elect Putin Joe Biden promises lucrative board member jobs as door prizes to get people to his rallies Democrats now worried they might even lose the illegal alien vote Soleimani's remains FedExed back to Iran and now no one knows what happened to the box BREAKING: massive search underway in Iran after Soleimani's boxed FedEx'd remains stolen off front porch Liz Warren harshly critical of Biden's suggestion to coal miners that they should learn to code, offers to have them trained as romance novelists instead Pelosi: "First we have to impeach Donald Trump before we can find out why we impeached him." Schiff calls his Amazon Alexa to testify: 'She knows absolutely everything' Iran answers to new Reagan statue in Berlin by erecting Obama statue at Tehran airport where he delivered pallets of cash California accepts award for most progressive environmental policies; further progressive developments to be announced as blackouts permit BREAKING: Romney DNA test reveals he is 1/1024th Republican California Governor Gavin Newsom blames electricity blackouts on Ukrainian kulaks, vows revenge Rat falling from White House ceiling fears for his life, begs reporters for protection, offers a tell-all memoir Latest UN climate report shows this month so far has seen the scariest climate pronouncements on record Climate science: there's no need for climate protests in China because China is already communist Islamic clerics split on whether Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib should be traveling around the world without an accompanying male relative Dem candidates call for the Beatles' song 'Get Back' and the 'White Album' to be banned; surviving two white guys of the group must pay reparations Bond's number is up: next 007 will be a black woman, played by Barack Obama NYT: moon landing was one small step for Man, one giant leap for White Male Supremacy HURRICANE WATCH: Tropical storm Barry has records sealed, once offshore expected to change name to Barack Trump politicizes the 4th of July, declares it henceforth to be called the 45th of July, or July the Trumpth Barack Obama critical of Trump for failing to insert 'I, me, my' into his 4th of July speech: "very unpresidential!" Congressional Democrats: John Dean's testimony proves Trump is Nixon in disguise and must be impeached Bernie Sanders admits to being a millionaire, promises to eat himself if nominated International Women's Day observed, women only paid 73% of attention afforded to men Democrats: anti-Semitism means never having to say you're sorry AOC: aborting babies helps preserve the planet for the next generation Bernie Sanders launches presidential campaign, promises to "build a great big beautiful Iron Curtain" around America if elected West Virginia renames itself Eastern Kentucky to avoid further embarrassment from Virginia BREAKING: Justice Ginsburg released from hospital after breaking 3 ribs at late night bar brawl in Adams Morgan DNA news: Senator Warren tanking in latest totem polls Orwell studies: 84% of academics believe problems raised in 1984 can be fixed with solutions from Animal Farm Progress in gender justice: online dating industry issues recommendations for men to wear body cameras, bring attorneys as chaperones Study: the only people who don't know what socialism is are the socialists Poll: 1 in 3 #FightFor15 activists believe movement is related to lowering the age of consent across America CNN expert: Kavanaugh confirmation will increase global warming by 3 degrees Harry Reid comes forth to say Judge Kavanaugh didn't pay any taxes in high school Hollywood to America: If you've got a flag on the Moon, you didn't plant that; some other country made that happen Protest march in straight jackets against Trump ends in chaos as participants try but fail to free themselves HEADLINES YOU WILL NEVER SEE: California Gov. Jerry Brown single-handedly stops wildfires in his state by issuing an immediate statewide ban on wildfires San Francisco closes all Planned Parenthood clinics after sting operation catches employees using plastic straws Vegan mother undergoes experimental surgery to force her breasts to produce almond milk With none of his emails answered, frustrated Nigerian man commits suicide and leaves $100bn fortune to charity California gives new meaning to strawman argument as caped Strawman battles supervillains in restaurants, bars, and fast food joints Violence increases in Mexico as cartels switch from smuggling drugs to plastic straws to San Francisco Obama proposes a Paris Economic Change agreement among nations to address how world will cope with future runaway economic warming Stormy Daniels plans border visit to give migrant children freebies San Francisco: man dumping off 20 lbs of human waste in plastic bag on street corner cited for using non-biodegradable plastic bag BREAKING: ICE renamed Planned Citizenship, immediately absolving it of all criticism Senate Democrats demand Supreme Court nominee not be unduly influenced by U.S. Constitution BREAKING: In 2018, Obama and Biden can finally celebrate Recovery Summer IG Report: the FBI broke the law, but since there was no criminal intent, no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case Pelosi on Trump's MS-13 "animals" comments: "Four legs good, two legs bad" Iran nuclear talks set to resume between the United States and John Kerry Report: The Mueller investigation has finally determined that the lyrics to Louie Louie are not about Trump and Russian collusion MARKETS: Demand for carbon credits spikes as Hamas seeks to undo damage to Earth's atmosphere caused by burning 10,000 tires on Gaza border BREAKING: After state reassignment surgery Pennsylvania will henceforth be known as Transylvania Experts: If we don't act now, unicorns will be extinct in just ten years. Children will ask, "Mommy, what's a unicorn?" Women and minorities will be forced to seek alternative hallucinations Korean war must continue: Hawaiian federal judge declares Trump's peace effort unconstitutional New York: feminists march on Broadway, demand the street be given new, non-misogynistic name Experts: California's planned transition of all state jobs from citizens to illegal aliens by 2020 will help to avoid bankruptcy and save money for social programs for illegal aliens Putin: If I didn't want Hillary to be president she would be dead Doritos maker PepsiCo to introduce snack line for women; new Doritas chips will be 77% as big as Doritos and won't make any scary 'crunchy noises' TMZ: Tooth Fairy accused of sexually assaulting millions of children, outs self as Transgendered Tooth Recovery Specialist RUSSIA COLLUSION: Trump offers Putin to trade Rep. Maxine Waters for two unnamed members of the State Duma Ikea founder dead at 91; his coffin arrived in a box with confusing instructions and took 3 hours to assemble This Thanksgiving ex-president Obama continues with his tradition of apologizing to turkeys everywhere for the injustice they suffered since America's founding Oslo, Norway: 2017 Nobel Peace Prize goes to advocacy group about which you'll forget immediately after reading this headline Cambridge, MA, library to replace racist 'Cat in the Hat' with inclusive 'Che in a Beret' Millions of men worldwide eagerly await broadcast of Hugh Hefner's funeral, solely for the articles Bill Gates offers to pay for Trump's wall on condition he gets to install Windows Bernie Sanders introduces single-payer public transportation bill to end America's unequal, unfair, and expensive private transportation system DNC embroiled in controversy after official Twitter account accidentally 'likes' pictures of US Constitution and Bill of Rights Hurricane Irma hits Cuba, causes millions of dollars worth of improvements to property and infrastructure Climate study: extreme weather may be caused by unlicensed witches casting wrong spells in well-meaning effort to destroy Trump Ex-president Obama declares Irma "Hurricane of Peace," urges not to jump to conclusions and succumb to stormophobia CNN: Trump reverses Obama's executive order banning hurricanes ISIS claims responsibility for a total solar eclipse over the lands of American crusaders and nonbelievers When asked if they could point to North Korea on a map many college students didn't know what a map was CNN: We must bring America into the 21st century by replacing the 18th century Constitution with 19th century poetry Pelosi: 'We have to impeach the president in order to find out what we impeached him for' BREAKING: As of Saturday July 8, 2017, all of Earth's ecosystems have shut down as per Prince Charles's super scientific pronouncement made 96 months ago. Everything is dead. All is lost. Life on Earth is no more. DNC to pick new election slogan out of four finalists: 'Give us more government or everyone dies,' 'Vote for Democrats or everyone dies,' 'Impeach Trump or everyone dies,' 'Stop the fearmongering or everyone dies' Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" is humanity's last chance to save the Earth before it ends five years ago Experts: The more we embrace diversity the more everything is the same BOMBSHELL: TMZ offers Kathy Griffin $5 mil to keep any future sex tape private DEVELOPING: CNN, WaPo, NYT anonymous sources say Vladimir Putin may have ties to Russia BREAKING: Manning and Snowden have come out with strong condemnation of Donald Trump leaking classified information to Russia Gun store goes into lockdown over report an "active university professor" roving the grounds Dozens injured at Ralph Lauren & Louis Vuitton headquarters after Ivanka calls in missile strikes on rival fashion houses BOMBSHELL: Evidence proves Donald Trump conspired with his campaign to defeat Hillary Clinton University ranked "very intolerant of free speech" fights the accusation by banning the study and all involved Concerned that Russians don't consume enough alcohol in the month of March, Russia's Orthodox Church makes St. Patrick's Day official holiday Grassroots group calls for "The Million Regulators March" on Washington, supported by all who fear the loss of their betters telling them what to do Experts: Starbucks CEO Schultz's hiring of 10,000 Muslim refugees likely to blow up in his face Will the groundprog be frightened by its own shadow and hide - or will there be another season of insane protests? Trump signs executive order making California and New York national monuments; residents have two days to vacate Women's March against fascism completed with 400,000 fewer deaths than anticipated Feminist historians uncover ghastly concentration camps where so-called "housewives" were forced to live inauthentic lives slaving away in kitchens Dictionary of the future: Global Warming was a popular computer simulation game, where the only way to win was not to play "Anti-fascist" groups violently protest misspelling of their original name, "aren't-we-fascists" Post-inauguration blues: millions of democrats distraught as the reality of having to find real jobs sets in "Journalism is the continuation of war by other means" is exposed as a fake quote by mainstream media journalists Congressional Democrats: "We cannot just simply replace Obamacare with freedom because then millions of Americans will suddenly become free" Schoolchildren jailed for building only white snowmen Obama's reckless attacks on Russia serve as recruitment tool to create more Russian hackers Hillary: "I lost, so I'm going to follow our democratic traditions, poison the wells, and scorch the earth" Children in Venezuela cook and eat their Christmas toys Hillary: "I can hack Russia from my bathroom" Hillary suggests to counter "fake news" with government newspaper called "Truth" ("Pravda" for Russian speakers) BREAKING: Millions of uncounted votes found on Hillary's private voting machine in her Chappaqua bathroom New York Times: Fidel Castro world's sexiest corpse After years of trial and error, CIA finally succeeds with the "waiting it out" technique on Fidel Castro Post-election shopping tip: look for the PoliticsFree label at your local grocer to make sure you don't buy from companies that don't want your business anymore In Hillary's America, email server scrubs you Obama transfers his Nobel Peace Prize to anti-Trump rioters Democrats blame Hillary's criminal e-mail server for her loss, demand it face prison Afraid of "dangerous" Trump presidency, protesters pre-emptively burn America down to the ground Clinton Foundation in foreclosure as foreign donors demand refunds Hillary Clinton blames YouTube video for unexpected and spontaneous voter uprising that prevented her inevitable move into the White House Sudden rise in sea levels explained by disproportionately large tears shed by climate scientists in the aftermath of Trump's electoral victory FBI director Comey delighted after receiving Nobel Prize for Speed Reading (650,000 emails in one week) U.N. deploys troops to American college campuses in order to combat staggeringly low rape rates Responding to Trump's surging poll numbers, Obama preemptively pardons himself for treason Following hurricane Matthew's failure to devastate Florida, activists flock to the Sunshine State and destroy Trump signs manually Tim Kaine takes credit for interrupting hurricane Matthew while debating weather in Florida Study: Many non-voters still undecided on how they're not going to vote The Evolution of Dissent: on November 8th the nation is to decide whether dissent will stop being racist and become sexist - or it will once again be patriotic as it was for 8 years under George W. Bush Venezuela solves starvation problem by making it mandatory to buy food Breaking: the Clinton Foundation set to investigate the FBI Obama captures rare Pokemon while visiting Hiroshima Movie news: 'The Big Friendly Giant Government' flops at box office; audiences say "It's creepy" Barack Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Micah Johnson" White House edits Orlando 911 transcript to say shooter pledged allegiance to NRA and Republican Party President George Washington: 'Redcoats do not represent British Empire; King George promotes a distorted version of British colonialism' Following Obama's 'Okie-Doke' speech, stock of Okie-Doke soars; NASDAQ: 'Obama best Okie-Doke salesman' Weaponized baby formula threatens Planned Parenthood office; ACLU demands federal investigation of Gerber Experts: melting Antarctic glacier could cause sale levels to rise up to 80% off select items by this weekend Travel advisory: airlines now offering flights to front of TSA line As Obama instructs his administration to get ready for presidential transition, Trump preemptively purchases 'T' keys for White House keyboards John Kasich self-identifies as GOP primary winner, demands access to White House bathroom Upcoming Trump/Kelly interview on FoxNews sponsored by 'Let's Make a Deal' and 'The Price is Right' News from 2017: once the evacuation of Lena Dunham and 90% of other Hollywood celebrities to Canada is confirmed, Trump resigns from presidency: "My work here is done" Non-presidential candidate Paul Ryan pledges not to run for president in new non-presidential non-ad campaign Trump suggests creating 'Muslim database'; Obama symbolically protests by shredding White House guest logs beginning 2009 National Enquirer: John Kasich's real dad was the milkman, not mailman National Enquirer: Bound delegates from Colorado, Wyoming found in Ted Cruzs basement Iran breaks its pinky-swear promise not to support terrorism; US State Department vows rock-paper-scissors strategic response Women across the country cheer as racist Democrat president on $20 bill is replaced by black pro-gun Republican Federal Reserve solves budget crisis by writing itself a 20-trillion-dollar check Widows, orphans claim responsibility for Brussels airport bombing Che Guevara's son hopes Cuba's communism will rub off on US, proposes a long list of people the government should execute first Susan Sarandon: "I don't vote with my vagina." Voters in line behind her still suspicious, use hand sanitizer Campaign memo typo causes Hillary to court 'New Black Panties' vote New Hampshire votes for socialist Sanders, changes state motto to "Live FOR Free or Die" Martin O'Malley drops out of race after Iowa Caucus; nation shocked with revelation he has been running for president Statisticians: one out of three Bernie Sanders supporters is just as dumb as the other two Hillary campaign denies accusations of smoking-gun evidence in her emails, claims they contain only smoking-circumstantial-gun evidence Obama stops short of firing US Congress upon realizing the difficulty of assembling another group of such tractable yes-men In effort to contol wild passions for violent jihad, White House urges gun owners to keep their firearms covered in gun burkas TV horror live: A Charlie Brown Christmas gets shot up on air by Mohammed cartoons Democrats vow to burn the country down over Ted Cruz statement, 'The overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats' Russia's trend to sign bombs dropped on ISIS with "This is for Paris" found response in Obama administration's trend to sign American bombs with "Return to sender" University researchers of cultural appropriation quit upon discovery that their research is appropriation from a culture that created universities Archeologists discover remains of what Barack Obama has described as unprecedented, un-American, and not-who-we-are immigration screening process in Ellis Island Mizzou protests lead to declaring entire state a "safe space," changing Missouri motto to "The don't show me state" Green energy fact: if we put all green energy subsidies together in one-dollar bills and burn them, we could generate more electricity than has been produced by subsidized green energy State officials improve chances of healthcare payouts by replacing ObamaCare with state lottery NASA's new mission to search for racism, sexism, and economic inequality in deep space suffers from race, gender, and class power struggles over multibillion-dollar budget College progress enforcement squads issue schematic humor charts so students know if a joke may be spontaneously laughed at or if regulations require other action ISIS opens suicide hotline for US teens depressed by climate change and other progressive doomsday scenarios Virginia county to close schools after teacher asks students to write 'death to America' in Arabic 'Wear hijab to school day' ends with spontaneous female circumcision and stoning of a classmate during lunch break ISIS releases new, even more barbaric video in an effort to regain mantle from Planned Parenthood Impressed by Fox News stellar rating during GOP debates, CNN to use same formula on Democrat candidates asking tough, pointed questions about Republicans Shocking new book explores pros and cons of socialism, discovers they are same people Pope outraged by Planned Parenthood's "unfettered capitalism," demands equal redistribution of baby parts to each according to his need John Kerry accepts Iran's "Golden Taquiyya" award, requests jalapenos on the side Citizens of Pluto protest US government's surveillance of their planetoid and its moons with New Horizons space drone John Kerry proposes 3-day waiting period for all terrorist nations trying to acquire nuclear weapons Chicago Police trying to identify flag that caused nine murders and 53 injuries in the city this past weekend Cuba opens to affordable medical tourism for Americans who can't afford Obamacare deductibles State-funded research proves existence of Quantum Aggression Particles (Heterons) in Large Hadron Collider Student job opportunities: make big bucks this summer as Hillarys Ordinary-American; all expenses paid, travel, free acting lessons Experts debate whether Iranian negotiators broke John Kerry's leg or he did it himself to get out of negotiations Junior Varsity takes Ramadi, advances to quarterfinals US media to GOP pool of candidates: 'Knowing what we know now, would you have had anything to do with the founding of the United States?' NY Mayor to hold peace talks with rats, apologize for previous Mayor's cowboy diplomacy China launches cube-shaped space object with a message to aliens: "The inhabitants of Earth will steal your intellectual property, copy it, manufacture it in sweatshops with slave labor, and sell it back to you at ridiculously low prices" Progressive scientists: Truth is a variable deduced by subtracting 'what is' from 'what ought to be' Experts agree: Hillary Clinton best candidate to lessen percentage of Americans in top 1% America's attempts at peace talks with the White House continue to be met with lies, stalling tactics, and bad faith Starbucks new policy to talk race with customers prompts new hashtag #DontHoldUpTheLine Hillary: DELETE is the new RESET Charlie Hebdo receives Islamophobe 2015 award; the cartoonists could not be reached for comment due to their inexplicable, illogical deaths Russia sends 'reset' button back to Hillary: 'You need it now more than we do' Barack Obama finds out from CNN that Hillary Clinton spent four years being his Secretary of State President Obama honors Leonard Nimoy by taking selfie in front of Starship Enterprise Police: If Obama had a convenience store, it would look like Obama Express Food Market Study finds stunning lack of racial, gender, and economic diversity among middle-class white males NASA: We're 80% sure about being 20% sure about being 17% sure about being 38% sure about 2014 being the hottest year on record People holding '$15 an Hour Now' posters sue Democratic party demanding raise to $15 an hour for rendered professional protesting services Cuba-US normalization: US tourists flock to see Cuba before it looks like the US and Cubans flock to see the US before it looks like Cuba White House describes attacks on Sony Pictures as 'spontaneous hacking in response to offensive video mocking Juche and its prophet' CIA responds to Democrat calls for transparency by releasing the director's cut of The Making Of Obama's Birth Certificate Obama: 'If I had a city, it would look like Ferguson' Biden: 'If I had a Ferguson (hic), it would look like a city' Obama signs executive order renaming 'looters' to 'undocumented shoppers' Ethicists agree: two wrongs do make a right so long as Bush did it first The aftermath of the 'War on Women 2014' finds a new 'Lost Generation' of disillusioned Democrat politicians, unable to cope with life out of office White House: Republican takeover of the Senate is a clear mandate from the American people for President Obama to rule by executive orders Nurse Kaci Hickox angrily tells reporters that she won't change her clocks for daylight savings time Democratic Party leaders in panic after recent poll shows most Democratic voters think 'midterm' is when to end pregnancy Desperate Democratic candidates plead with Obama to stop backing them and instead support their GOP opponents Ebola Czar issues five-year plan with mandatory quotas of Ebola infections per each state based on voting preferences Study: crony capitalism is to the free market what the Westboro Baptist Church is to Christianity Fun facts about world languages: the Left has more words for statism than the Eskimos have for snow African countries to ban all flights from the United States because "Obama is incompetent, it scares us" Nobel Peace Prize controversy: Hillary not nominated despite having done even less than Obama to deserve it Obama: 'Ebola is the JV of viruses' BREAKING: Secret Service foils Secret Service plot to protect Obama Revised 1st Amendment: buy one speech, get the second free Sharpton calls on white NFL players to beat their women in the interests of racial fairness President Obama appoints his weekly approval poll as new national security adviser Obama wags pen and phone at Putin; Europe offers support with powerful pens and phones from NATO members White House pledges to embarrass ISIS back to the Stone Age with a barrage of fearsome Twitter messages and fatally ironic Instagram photos Obama to fight ISIS with new federal Terrorist Regulatory Agency Obama vows ISIS will never raise their flag over the eighteenth hole Harry Reid: "Sometimes I say the wong thing" Elian Gonzalez wishes he had come to the U.S. on a bus from Central America like all the other kids Obama visits US-Mexican border, calls for a two-state solution Obama draws "blue line" in Iraq after Putin took away his red crayon "Hard Choices," a porno flick loosely based on Hillary Clinton's memoir and starring Hillary Hellfire as a drinking, whoring Secretary of State, wildly outsells the flabby, sagging original Accusations of siding with the enemy leave Sgt. Bergdahl with only two options: pursue a doctorate at Berkley or become a Senator from Massachusetts Jay Carney stuck in line behind Eric Shinseki to leave the White House; estimated wait time from 15 min to 6 weeks 100% of scientists agree that if man-made global warming were real, "the last people we'd want to help us is the Obama administration" Jay Carney says he found out that Obama found out that he found out that Obama found out that he found out about the latest Obama administration scandal on the news "Anarchy Now!" meeting turns into riot over points of order, bylaws, and whether or not 'kicking the #^@&*! ass' of the person trying to speak is or is not violence Obama retaliates against Putin by prohibiting unionized federal employees from dating hot Russian girls online during work hours Russian separatists in Ukraine riot over an offensive YouTube video showing the toppling of Lenin statues "Free Speech Zones" confuse Obamaphone owners who roam streets in search of additional air minutes Obamacare bolsters employment for professionals with skills to convert meth back into sudafed Gloves finally off: Obama uses pen and phone to cancel Putin's Netflix account Joe Biden to Russia: "We will bury you by turning more of Eastern Europe over to your control!" In last-ditch effort to help Ukraine, Obama deploys Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson's Rainbow Coalition to Crimea Al Sharpton: "Not even Putin can withstand our signature chanting, 'racist, sexist, anti-gay, Russian army go away'!" Mardi Gras in North Korea: "Throw me some food!" Obama's foreign policy works: "War, invasion, and conquest are signs of weakness; we've got Putin right where we want him" US offers military solution to Ukraine crisis: "We will only fight countries that have LGBT military" Putin annexes Brighton Beach to protect ethnic Russians in Brooklyn, Obama appeals to UN and EU for help The 1980s: "Mr. Obama, we're just calling to ask if you want our foreign policy back. The 1970s are right here with us, and they're wondering, too." In a stunning act of defiance, Obama courageously unfriends Putin on Facebook MSNBC: Obama secures alliance with Austro-Hungarian Empire against Russias aggression in Ukraine Study: springbreak is to STDs what April 15th is to accountants Efforts to achieve moisture justice for California thwarted by unfair redistribution of snow in America North Korean voters unanimous: "We are the 100%" Leader of authoritarian gulag-site, The People's Cube, unanimously 're-elected' with 100% voter turnout Super Bowl: Obama blames Fox News for Broncos' loss Feminist author slams gay marriage: "a man needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" Beverly Hills campaign heats up between Henry Waxman and Marianne Williamson over the widening income gap between millionaires and billionaires in their district Biden to lower $10,000-a-plate Dinner For The Homeless to $5,000 so more homeless can attend Kim becomes world leader, feeds uncle to dogs; Obama eats dogs, becomes world leader, America cries uncle North Korean leader executes own uncle for talking about Obamacare at family Christmas party White House hires part-time schizophrenic Mandela sign interpreter to help sell Obamacare Kim Jong Un executes own "crazy uncle" to keep him from ruining another family Christmas OFA admits its advice for area activists to give Obamacare Talk at shooting ranges was a bad idea President resolves Obamacare debacle with executive order declaring all Americans equally healthy Obama to Iran: "If you like your nuclear program, you can keep your nuclear program" Bovine community outraged by flatulence coming from Washington DC Obama: "I'm not particularly ideological; I believe in a good pragmatic five-year plan" Shocker: Obama had no knowledge he'd been reelected until he read about it in the local newspaper last week Server problems at HealthCare.gov so bad, it now flashes 'Error 808' message NSA marks National Best Friend Day with official announcement: "Government is your best friend; we know you like no one else, we're always there, we're always willing to listen" Al Qaeda cancels attack on USA citing launch of Obamacare as devastating enough The President's latest talking point on Obamacare: "I didn't build that" Dizzy with success, Obama renames his wildly popular healthcare mandate to HillaryCare Carney: huge ObamaCare deductibles won't look as bad come hyperinflation Washington Redskins drop 'Washington' from their name as offensive to most Americans Poll: 83% of Americans favor cowboy diplomacy over rodeo clown diplomacy GOVERNMENT WARNING: If you were able to complete ObamaCare form online, it wasn't a legitimate gov't website; you should report online fraud and change all your passwords Obama administration gets serious, threatens Syria with ObamaCare Obama authorizes the use of Vice President Joe Biden's double-barrel shotgun to fire a couple of blasts at Syria Sharpton: "British royals should have named baby 'Trayvon.' By choosing 'George' they sided with white Hispanic racist Zimmerman" DNC launches 'Carlos Danger' action figure; proceeds to fund a charity helping survivors of the Republican War on Women Nancy Pelosi extends abortion rights to the birds and the bees Hubble discovers planetary drift to the left Obama: 'If I had a daughter-in-law, she would look like Rachael Jeantel' FISA court rubberstamps statement denying its portrayal as government's rubber stamp Every time ObamaCare gets delayed, a Julia somewhere dies GOP to Schumer: 'Force full implementation of ObamaCare before 2014 or Dems will never win another election' Obama: 'If I had a son... no, wait, my daughter can now marry a woman!' Janet Napolitano: TSA findings reveal that since none of the hijackers were babies, elderly, or Tea Partiers, 9/11 was not an act of terrorism News Flash: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) can see Canada from South Dakota Susan Rice: IRS actions against tea parties caused by anti-tax YouTube video that was insulting to their faith Drudge Report reduces font to fit all White House scandals onto one page Obama: the IRS is a constitutional right, just like the Second Amendment White House: top Obama officials using secret email accounts a result of bad IT advice to avoid spam mail from Nigeria Jay Carney to critics: 'Pinocchio never said anything inconsistent' Obama: If I had a gay son, he'd look like Jason Collins Gosnell's office in Benghazi raided by the IRS: mainstream media's worst cover-up challenge to date IRS targeting pro-gay-marriage LGBT groups leads to gayest tax revolt in U.S. history After Arlington Cemetery rejects offer to bury Boston bomber, Westboro Babtist Church steps up with premium front lawn plot Boston: Obama Administration to reclassify marathon bombing as 'sportsplace violence' Study: Success has many fathers but failure becomes a government program US Media: Can Pope Francis possibly clear up Vatican bureaucracy and banking without blaming the previous administration? Michelle Obama praises weekend rampage by Chicago teens as good way to burn calories and stay healthy This Passover, Obama urges his subjects to paint lamb's blood above doors in order to avoid the Sequester White House to American children: Sequester causes layoffs among hens that lay Easter eggs; union-wage Easter Bunnies to be replaced by Mexican Chupacabras Time Mag names Hugo Chavez world's sexiest corpse Boy, 8, pretends banana is gun, makes daring escape from school Study: Free lunches overpriced, lack nutrition Oscars 2013: Michelle Obama announces long-awaited merger of Hollywood and the State Joe Salazar defends the right of women to be raped in gun-free environment: 'rapists and rapees should work together to prevent gun violence for the common good' Dept. of Health and Human Services eliminates rape by reclassifying assailants as 'undocumented sex partners' Kremlin puts out warning not to photoshop Putin riding meteor unless bare-chested Deeming football too violent, Obama moves to introduce Super Drone Sundays instead Japan offers to extend nuclear umbrella to cover U.S. should America suffer devastating attack on its own defense spending Feminists organize one billion women to protest male oppression with one billion lap dances Urban community protests Mayor Bloomberg's ban on extra-large pop singers owning assault weapons Concerned with mounting death toll, Taliban offers to send peacekeeping advisers to Chicago Karl Rove puts an end to Tea Party with new 'Republicans For Democrats' strategy aimed at losing elections Answering public skepticism, President Obama authorizes unlimited drone attacks on all skeet targets throughout the country Skeet Ulrich denies claims he had been shot by President but considers changing his name to 'Traps' White House releases new exciting photos of Obama standing, sitting, looking thoughtful, and even breathing in and out New York Times hacked by Chinese government, Paul Krugman's economic policies stolen White House: when President shoots skeet, he donates the meat to food banks that feed the middle class To prove he is serious, Obama eliminates armed guard protection for President, Vice-President, and their families; establishes Gun-Free Zones around them instead State Dept to send 100,000 American college students to China as security for US debt obligations Jay Carney: Al Qaeda is on the run, they're just running forward President issues executive orders banning cliffs, ceilings, obstructions, statistics, and other notions that prevent us from moving forwards and upward Fearing the worst, Obama Administration outlaws the fan to prevent it from being hit by certain objects World ends; S&P soars Riddle of universe solved; answer not understood Meek inherit Earth, can't afford estate taxes Greece abandons Euro; accountants find Greece has no Euros anyway Wheel finally reinvented; axles to be gradually reinvented in 3rd quarter of 2013 Bigfoot found in Ohio, mysteriously not voting for Obama As Santa's workshop files for bankruptcy, Fed offers bailout in exchange for control of 'naughty and nice' list Freak flying pig accident causes bacon to fly off shelves Obama: green economy likely to transform America into a leading third world country of the new millennium Report: President Obama to visit the United States in the near future Obama promises to create thousands more economically neutral jobs Modernizing Islam: New York imam proposes to canonize Saul Alinsky as religion's latter day prophet Imam Rauf's peaceful solution: 'Move Ground Zero a few blocks away from the mosque and no one gets hurt' Study: Obama's threat to burn tax money in Washington 'recruitment bonanza' for Tea Parties Study: no Social Security reform will be needed if gov't raises retirement age to at least 814 years Obama attends church service, worships self Obama proposes national 'Win The Future' lottery; proceeds of new WTF Powerball to finance more gov't spending Historical revisionists: "Hey, you never know" Vice President Biden: criticizing Egypt is un-pharaoh Israelis to Egyptian rioters: "don't damage the pyramids, we will not rebuild" Lake Superior renamed Lake Inferior in spirit of tolerance and inclusiveness Al Gore: It's a shame that a family can be torn apart by something as simple as a pack of polar bears Michael Moore: As long as there is anyone with money to shake down, this country is not broke Obama's teleprompters unionize, demand collective bargaining rights Obama calls new taxes 'spending reductions in tax code.' Elsewhere rapists tout 'consent reductions in sexual intercourse' Obama's teleprompter unhappy with White House Twitter: "Too few words" Obama's Regulation Reduction committee finds US Constitution to be expensive outdated framework inefficiently regulating federal gov't Taking a page from the Reagan years, Obama announces new era of Perestroika and Glasnost Responding to Oslo shootings, Obama declares Christianity "Religion of Peace," praises "moderate Christians," promises to send one into space Republicans block Obama's $420 billion program to give American families free charms that ward off economic bad luck White House to impose Chimney tax on Santa Claus Obama decrees the economy is not soaring as much as previously decreeed Conservative think tank introduces children to capitalism with pop-up picture book "The Road to Smurfdom" Al Gore proposes to combat Global Warming by extracting silver linings from clouds in Earth's atmosphere Obama refutes charges of him being unresponsive to people's suffering: "When you pray to God, do you always hear a response?" Obama regrets the US government didn't provide his mother with free contraceptives when she was in college Fluke to Congress: drill, baby, drill! Planned Parenthood introduces Frequent Flucker reward card: 'Come again soon!' Obama to tornado victims: 'We inherited this weather from the previous administration' Obama congratulates Putin on Chicago-style election outcome People's Cube gives itself Hero of Socialist Labor medal in recognition of continued expert advice provided to the Obama Administration helping to shape its foreign and domestic policies Hamas: Israeli air defense unfair to 99% of our missiles, "only 1% allowed to reach Israel" Democrat strategist: without government supervision, women would have never evolved into humans Voters Without Borders oppose Texas new voter ID law Enraged by accusation that they are doing Obama's bidding, media leaders demand instructions from White House on how to respond Obama blames previous Olympics for failure to win at this Olympics Official: China plans to land on Moon or at least on cheap knockoff thereof Koran-Contra: Obama secretly arms Syrian rebels Poll: Progressive slogan 'We should be more like Europe' most popular with members of American Nazi Party Obama to Evangelicals: Jesus saves, I just spend May Day: Anarchists plan, schedule, synchronize, and execute a coordinated campaign against all of the above Midwestern farmers hooked on new erotic novel "50 Shades of Hay" Study: 99% of Liberals give the rest a bad name Obama meets with Jewish leaders, proposes deeper circumcisions for the rich Historians: Before HOPE & CHANGE there was HEMP & CHOOM at ten bucks a bag Cancer once again fails to cure Venezuela of its "President for Life" Tragic spelling error causes Muslim protesters to burn local boob-tube factory Secretary of Energy Steven Chu: due to energy conservation, the light at the end of the tunnel will be switched off Obama Administration running food stamps across the border with Mexico in an operation code-named "Fat And Furious" Pakistan explodes in protest over new Adobe Acrobat update; 17 local acrobats killed White House: "Let them eat statistics" Special Ops: if Benedict Arnold had a son, he would look like Barack Obama AD GOES HERE CAIRO In a return letter, Housing and Urban Development Director Ben Carson tells the junior high students of Cairo that he is so impressed by their devotion to their hometown and thanks the children for writing to him but he offers no concrete solutions for providing new affordable housing to keep their families in the city of Cairo or secure the future of their school. You are living proof of the old saying, Home is where the heart is, reads Carson's letter addressed to the students of Cairo Junior High. The letter, along with a separate one to Superintendent Andrea Evers, was hand-delivered on Tuesday afternoon by Jereon Brown, HUDs Washington, D.C.-based general deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, who was in Cairo for a day of meetings. Despite our best efforts, we know that some families, your students included, may have to move outside of Cairo, concludes Carsons letter to Evers. My hope would be they never forget their Cairo roots and the inspiration youve provided. About two weeks ago, Cairo Junior High sixth-grade students, with the help of their teacher Mary Beth Goff, began a letter-writing campaign aimed at Carson asking him to help save their town and school by providing new affordable housing options within the city limits. A man-made housing crisis created by a lack of appropriate stewardship and oversight, and alleged misspending of federal funds threatens to displace from Cairo about 185 families comprising close to 400 people, many of them children. About half of Cairo Unit District 1s students live in public housing, specifically the Elmwood and McBride family housing complexes HUD says are no longer safe for habitation, according to Evers, the superintendent. Goff read both letters to the students on Tuesday, and passed them around for the students to inspect. Prior to sharing Carson's letters, Goff and Evers prepared the students by saying that not every response will be what the students hoped for, and that doesn't mean they should give up their opportunity to fight for what they believe in and be heard. Carson tells the students the relocation decision came after a lot of consideration proved it to be the only option to provide affected families with a safer, cleaner, healthier home. Since starting my new job at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in Washington, D.C., the situation in Cairo has become very important to me, Carson writes. I am working with very smart people who want to preserve affordable housing in Cairo. Sadly, many of the housing complexes there were built during World War II and have not been well cared for over the years. The problem is even more difficult because the Alexander County Housing Authority, which owns the public housing in Cairo, is facing financial challenges. The students seemingly took the response letters from Carson in stride. They asked questions about what his words meant for them, and also asked questions about what was next and who else they could write to for help. Social movements take time and persistence and this should be viewed as a learning experience, the educators told their students. In the separate, longer letter to Evers, Carson said there are sadly limited viable options for a nearly bankrupt housing authority. Because of that, Carson wrote that there are no "economically viable strategies" available to restore the ACHAs financial health. Hanging in the balance are not only the two developments that must be vacated, but also the ACHAs ability to continue to manage the other developments and scattered site public housing units it owns in Cairo and nearby Thebes. Carson said that if there was another way HUD would exercise that option. Relocating families is not something we do without extensive thought, research, and candidly, a fair amount of hand-wringing, Carsons letter to Evers states. We understand the deep ties and devotion for the place where one is born and raised. We cant feel what the people of Cairo feel, but please understand this is not a decision without feeling. The students wrote the letters to Carson on the heels of HUD's April 10 announcement that the agency would begin helping people relocate from the McBride and Elmwood housing complexes that have fallen into extreme disrepair. They announced at the time that tenant protection vouchers and moving services would be provided to all of the residents of the two complexes and that everyone would eventually have to move out, though no deadline has been established. My class and I are trying very hard to save the public housing, wrote student Keri Williams to Carson. I am writing this letter because we need your help, and if you dont do it our small town will be smaller than it already is. Student Pircola Brazil wrote to Carson that she hoped he would see by their letters how much the students care about Cairo and their school. I feel horrible about this whole thing, she told him. Gabriella Lyas closed her letter to Carson by pleading with him to please do something to help save the community. I dont want to lose my home, she wrote. We represent Cairo, we are Cairo. Residents of housing do not like the conditions in it, but they also dont want to move from their home town neither (sic), student Latrece Brooker wrote in her letter to Carson. Towanda Macon, a HUD administrator assigned to oversee the ACHA while it is in federal receivership, said during the April 10 community meeting announcing HUD's decision that efforts would be made to help as many people as possible find alternative housing options in Cairo. But she cautioned that because of a lack of affordable housing options in the city and the high cost of utilities, most people would likely have to relocate to other communities. At that, many residents expressed anger and frustration. Several affected residents said that while they no longer want to live at the run-down Elmwood and McBride complexes, they had expected HUD would provide other living options in Cairo so that they would not be uprooted from family, friends, and for many the only place their families have known as home for generations. Even some residents who said they might want to take the opportunity to move expressed that theres a difference between making that decision on their own, and being forced out. With tensions running high, Goff, the teacher, said she wanted to help the students direct their frustration and sadness into an effort that would provide a sense of empowerment and help them understand that despite the tragedy playing out in their town, they do have a voice. Some of the students shared their letters with The Southern, and read them on camera for a video the newspaper published on YouTube. That video was picked up by CNN and its affiliate HLN, and then circulated to a national audience on social media. In addressing the school superintendent, Carson thanked her for inspiring these young minds by teaching them how to make their voices heard. I truly appreciate the passion you bring to this very serious issue, Carsons letter reads. Carson said the housing situation in Cairo has been a priority of his since day one on the job. Carson is a renowned pediatric neurosurgeon who made an unsuccessful run in the crowded 2016 Republican presidential primary that gave its nod to Donald Trump. After being sworn in as president, Trump tapped Carson to the cabinet-level position overseeing the multibillion-dollar federal housing program. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 2. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., voted against Carson's confirmation, saying previously he was concerned about his lack of experience related to managing an agency as large and complex as HUD. In Cairo this past week for a town hall meeting with residents, Durbin blamed the Trump administration for the fact that the federal government likely would not come to Cairo's rescue with significant funding despite Durbin's promise to do what he could to convince Trump and Carson of the need. Durbin said he was not aware that HUD's managers overseeing the ACHA had asked for funding from HUD while former President Barack Obama was still in office and had been denied. Durbin and Obama visited Cairo together in 2004 while Obama was running for U.S. Senate. An aide to Durbin, who was aware of the failed application, said the ACHA under HUD's management was previously denied for the grant funds it sought in early 2016 because it did not score high enough based on a number of factors the agency uses to prioritize spending. Carson said that teams of experts have been searching for viable alternative options for public housing in Cairo, including the possibilities of rebuilding or utilizing manufactured homes. Carson blamed the lack of progress on the extreme financial situation facing the ACHA caused by generous employment and benefit agreements, and also the abnormally high utility costs in Cairo. Cairo Public Utility Co. is the citys exclusive electric and gas provider and operates under the terms of a 30-year agreement with the city of Cairo. That contract was inked by former Mayor James Wilson while he was serving a dual role as mayor and the director of the ACHA, a position he held for 24 years. At present, Wilson is at the center of a federal probe into the ACHAs alleged mismanagement and misspending of federal funds, the results of which have not been publicly released. Carson told Evers that nearly half of ACHAs units are uninhabitable due to a backlog of deferred maintenance. Additionally, his letter states, a number of residents are no longer paying rent. As of February, $218,000 in rent payments went uncollected, Carson writes. In other communications, HUD has stated that this is because of an unofficial rent strike by residents that began around the time HUD took over the housing authority. As a result of these factors, Carson told Evers the ACHA has completely depleted its cash reserves and is unable to pay its bills. Some residents and community leaders have questioned why HUD, which is charged with oversight of local housing authorities, has not stepped up to make this right since agency officials in Chicago apparently had knowledge of problems in Cairo dating back at least seven years and did little while federal dollars continued to flow into the ACHA by the millions, according to records requested from HUD by former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, and reviewed by the newspaper. Carson did not address those questions in his letters to the superintendent or the students. Richard Sitler contributed to this report CARBONDALE Hannah Loyd, McKenzie Smith, Abigail Montgomery and Tia McLaughlin have known each other for years, since they were in elementary schools. Their time together has been accomplished, the Vienna High School seniors shared Tuesday night at the 47th Annual Southern Illinois Society for High School Achievement Banquet at SIU. The high achievers are not just sharing valedictorian honors at their upcoming graduation all four, plus a fifth student, Remington Fisher, earned a 5.0 on a 5.0 scale for the highest academic honor but some will also be graduating in a few days with associates of arts degrees. They took advantage of the dual-degree enrollment program at Vienna High School; for instance, Loyd earned an associate of arts degree from Shawnee Community College and go on to Urshan College in Missouri, and Montgomery is set to earn a Certified Nursing Assistant's certificate and plans to continue her pre-nursing studies at Shawnee. They are among eight of the school's 75 graduating seniors to earn the advanced degree, school superintendent Joshua Stafford said. "They make it very easy, that's for sure," Stafford said. He said the school is one that has the traditional value of expecting students to do their best; the school had the second highest percentage of Illinois State Scholarships, based on class size, Stafford said. Students from the Johnson County school district Vienna were among about 200 seniors from area high schools celebrated at Tuesday night's banquet for their high academic achievement, leadership and character. Egyptian High School in Tamms, in Alexander County, also celebrated six of its top students: co-valedictorian Emmalea Bigham, who plans to study pharmacy, and co-valedictorian Daneesha Carthell who desires to be a trauma surgeon, both beginning their college careers at Shawnee Community College; Annabelle Foeste, who plans to enroll in the U.S. Air Force, where she plans to study to become a physician's assistant; Samuel Hale, who plans to study middle-school education at Southeast Missouri State University; Tyra Huff, who'd like to start her forensic psychology studies at Tennessee State University; and co-salutatorian Cheyenne Petzoldt, who wants to study middle school English education, also at SEMO. (The school's other co-salutatorian is Emily Pitcher.) The class of about 30 seniors in a high school of 145 young people graduates on May 12. "We really support each other," Huff said. "We help each other out," Carthell agreed. Their school counselor echoed the sentiments of another educator at the event. CARBONDALE A short-term journalist who is now a social work Ph.D. told a roomful of Southern Illinois' brightest students that there was probably not a lot she could tell them about being successful. But, what she did share with attendees at the 47th annual High School Achievement Banquet were the two major things she said she wishes she'd been told early on: that she was not the only one who probably felt the "impostor syndrome" and that it is important to be mindful of people she met in passing, "the strength of the weak ties." Beth Prusaczyk, a 2003 graduate of Frankfort Community High School, said she studied journalism for two years at Southern Illinois University before transferring to a college in the St. Louis area. She worked in journalism for about six months, before her paper was bought by another paper, leaving her without a job. She eventually found a job conducting research for a psychologist from Washington University, which led her to return to college for a master's and a doctorate in social work. In both instances, she said, she felt as if she didn't belong in those environments, as if she wasn't as smart as her fellow students who seemed to be doing just well and understanding everything happening. One of her mentors offered her a helpful perspective. "She said 'what you're experiencing is the 'impostor syndrome'," Prusaczyk said. "It's called the impostor syndrome because you feel like you're not supposed to be here which you will probably feel at school or on your first job or which you could be feeling right now. You feel like you're the only one in the room who isn't actually supposed to be here." She said she learned that many others probably felt the same way. In the other lesson, she said she learned about the value of being respectful and considerate to people she met in passing, as those kinds of people are most likely to make a significant impact on one's life. She called it the social network analysis of "the strength of the weak ties" those people farthest removed from your inner circle, but who are sometimes most valuable in deciding significant events for you, such as future employment. She was the guest speaker for the 47th annual Southern Illinois Society for High School Achievement Banquet, an event created decades ago by a group of area high-school counselors; the counselors wanted some way to recognize the academic achievements of high-school students. Since its beginning, The Southern Illinoisan has partnered with that group to host each annual banquet. "It's a really pleasant experience, because everybody here deserved to be here," said Executive Editor Tom English, in his first year helping with the banquet. "Everybody earned their way to be here, and it's great seeing kids recognized for academics and working hard and putting their minds to something that they know they can do." ST. LOUIS Flooded areas of the Midwest are bracing for another round of heavy rain Wednesday, the last thing they need with rivers in several places at or near record levels. Heavy rain last weekend resulted in a sudden rise in rivers in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. After a couple of days of calm weather, forecasters expect 2 inches of rain or more in parts of the same hard-hit areas through Thursday. Missouri has seen the worst of it so far. Five people have died in flooding in Missouri, and several towns have sustained damage. Along the Meramec River in suburban St. Louis, thousands of sandbags are protecting about 50 homes and several businesses in Eureka, and a levee is bulging at the seams in nearby Valley Park, where many residents have evacuated. St. Louis County officials say 200 homes along the Meramec have been damaged in the flooding and another 1,500 are potentially in harm's way. In Arkansas, parts of Pocahontas were evacuated as the flooded Black River rose to record levels and breached a levee near the town, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock. Forecasters issued a flash flood emergency and warned residents to move to higher ground. "This is a historical crest. The levees weren't designed for overtopping," Randolph County, Arkansas Judge David Jansen told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette before the levee failed. "When they go, we're going to have a wall of water pouring out." In Illinois, much of the central and southern parts of the state are under flood warnings. Three Southern Illinois counties, Jackson, Williamson and Franklin, declared disasters due to flood damage. Hundreds of roads are closed across the three states, including a 57-mile stretch of Interstate 44 from central to southern Missouri, and a 23-mile stretch in suburban St. Louis. A portion of Interstate 55 in St. Louis County was scheduled to close before daybreak Wednesday due to flooding on the Meramec. The nation's biggest rivers are flooding, too. Significant flooding is forecast by the end of the week on the Mississippi River south of St. Louis at towns such as Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois. Several points on the Missouri River in eastern Missouri are expected to rise 10 feet above flood stage or higher by the end of the week. CARBONDALE As rivers swell to major flood stages, regional emergency management officials are preparing for the worst. An additional two to three inches of rainfall are expected through Thursday in portions of Southern Illinois already ravaged by heavy rains and flash flooding last weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah. Jackson, Williamson, Alexander and Franklin counties have all released disaster proclamations this week, and a flash flood warning was in effect for all Southern Illinois counties through Friday morning. The Missouri Department of Transportation announced that it plans to close the Chester Bridge at noon on Thursday. The Mississippi River is projected to reach 44.7 feet at Chester by Thursday morning, according to National Weather Service data. The Illinois Department of Transportation closed the Cora flood gates on Illinois 3 at the Jackson/Randolph county line on Monday. The sheriff's office was asking motorists to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. Randolph County Emergency Management Agency Administrator Mike Hoelscher said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was assisting with sandbagging Kaskaskia Island as of Wednesday and was also fortifying levees in Prairie du Rocher. There have been no evacuations in the county yet, but residents on County Farm Road near the Mississippi and Marys Rivers have been notified that they may become stranded. Weve been very fortunate so far, Hoelscher said. The Big Muddy River was expected to be closed to boat traffic starting Wednesday, and access to the Big Muddy and Mississippi levees was restricted to levee commission personnel, according to a news release by the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency issued Wednesday. Officials from the Jackson County Sheriffs Office and Jackson County EMA met with officials from Grand Tower and levee districts in the county, and there appeared to be no immediate threat of any levee failure. Officials have completed sandbagging efforts in De Soto, according to the Jackson County EMA release; water levels in that area should be nearing their predicted crests on Wednesday night. In addition, Illinois Department of Corrections crews completed work in Jackson County, the release states, and were deployed to address infrastructure issues in other areas. The Big Muddy is projected to crest at 38.8 feet in Murphsyboro on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. On Tuesday, the Murphysboro Emergency Management Agency and Jackson County Emergency Management Agency opened a sandbagging facility at the former Curwood plant, on North 19th Street in Murphysboro. Sand and sandbags were provided, and local residents were invited to fill bags to protect their property. Brian Manwaring, director of the Murphysboro Emergency Management Agency, said State Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, donated several loads of sand to the facility. Right now its kind of a wait-and-see thing. Weve done everything we believe we need to do based on what happened in 2011, and were watching and monitoring everything, Manwaring said. Residents of mobile homes on the easternmost roads of the Mobile Ranch Trailer Court near St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, an area that flooded in 2011, have been notified that they may need to make evacuation plans, Manwaring said. The Murphysboro EMA has also sandbagged some critical infrastructure sites, including a sewer lift station that flooded in 2011. Were pretty confident in where we are, because things have stayed under the 2011 flood. There were a lot of unknowns in that flood because it was going higher than it ever had. Weve got that and we can look back on things we learned then and hopefully do better than we did then, Manwaring said. Officials in Williamson County have received reports of homes surrounded by flooding, according to a Williamson County Emergency Management Agency news release issued Wednesday afternoon. Several county roads remain closed. Williamson County EMA Director Kelly Urhahn is asking residents to report any damaged homes or evacuations by calling 618-998-2123 or 618-694-1741. Individuals living in flood-prone areas should come up with a plan of action in case evacuation is necessary, Urhahn said in the release. Motorists should detour from flooded roadways, and children should not be allowed to play in flood areas. Franklin Countys director of emergency management, Ryan Buckingham, said floodwaters in the city of West Frankfort have receded, although there is more sustained flooding in some areas of the county. Several homes near Mitchell Lake have been evacuated. Franklin County Emergency Management Agency has opened a disaster resource center in the lobby of the West Frankfort Public Safety Building, at 201 E. Nolen St., which will be open to all Franklin County residents affected by the flooding through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Local and nongovernmental agencies will be on hand to give information and resources and collect damage reports. This weekend, were going to deploy personnel from our medical reserve corps to go door-to-door to make sure people receive local assistance, Buckingham said. In the following weeks, the Franklin County EMA will start looking at damage assessment by conducting door-to-door surveys. Once we understand picture on individual assistance side, were going to switch to public assistance assessment, to include expenses by local government and also what damage occurred to local infrastructure, and tabulate all those costs, he said. Buckingham is asking Franklin County residents to submit damage assessment reports by calling 618-439-4362. He said these reports will help the county assess how much was damaged and to provide an accurate report to both the state and federal government about how much damage was sustained. Alexander County Emergency Management Director Mike Turner said the Mississippi River is expected to crest in Cairo in the early hours of May 7, while the Ohio River wont crest until May 9; that means the region wont have peak flow coming down both rivers at the same time. Right now were still waiting to see what happens. Its kind of a hurry up and wait situation, Turner said. Jackson County EMA provided the following safety rules when confronting flooding: Get to higher ground. Stay away from flood-prone areas, including dips, low spots, valleys and ditches. Avoid flooded areas or those with rapid water flow. Do not attempt to cross a flowing stream. It takes only 6 inches of fast-flowing water to sweep you off your feet. Don't allow children to play near high water, storm drains or ditches. Hidden dangers could lie beneath the water. Flooded roads could have significant damage hidden by flood waters. Never drive through flood waters or flooded roads. If a vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground. Water only two feet deep can float away most vehicles. Do not camp or park vehicles along streams and washes. At night, it is harder to recognize flood dangers. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is facing an unprecedented fiscal crisis. The school, the largest employer in our coverage area, is in the eye of the perfect storm: A state budget impasse (which hits the 672-day mark today) the likes of which the country hasnt seen in 80 years, competition from two-year colleges and tech schools (which are cheaper than a traditional four-year university experience), an uncertain future at the federal level under the leadership of a horribly inexperienced Secretary of Education. Not to mention a fluctuating reputation as party hotspot turned killjoy. And lest we forget the revolving door of chancellors, some beloved and some beguiled, but none sticking around long enough to become truly invested in the future of SIU, and by extension, the city of Carbondale and the Southern Illinois region. Its a complicated, layered situation that does not have an easy answer, but we believe the best candidate for chancellor is right under our noses. Over the past month, the university has hosted a series of interviews and open forums with the four candidates Jeff Elwell, George Hynd, Carl Pinkert and current SIU Carbondale interim chancellor Brad Colwell. And after attending the forums, we can tell you what our least favorite answer to SIU Carbondales woes: Optimism. Being an optimist may help two of the remaining finalists sleep at night, but its not clear how that attitude is going to help SIU Carbondale. Hynd, who is the current president of Oakland University in Michigan, called himself an unapologetic optimist and said of Illinois budget impasse: I have an unabiding faith that the budget crisis, currently created by others in this state, will be resolved to some extent, so Im looking for that tsunami to reach some high point, and then start to retreat. So I have some confidence that, probably next year, the budget challenges that are causing the greatest concern at this time will recede a little bit. That may be too optimistic but at the same time, I have an abiding faith that will happen. When asked how he would lead SIU through the state's financial crisis, he talked entirely about shared governance, and little about how his leadership would carry SIU Carbondale through a time of immense struggle. Pinkert, who is vice president for research and economic development at the University of Alabama, said he wanted to boost enrollment and get alumni more involved. Continuing with the theme of unbridled optimism, he said, There are a lot of strengths that exist on this campus. While Pinkert said hes dealt with financial issues at Alabama and Auburn, he never really got into specifics about how the university could generate more income. We have to start by having that sense of opportunity, inclusion and the quality education that will propel our students to that next level wherever they might want to go, Pinkert said during his forum. The outside candidate with the highest potential, an affable and dynamic candidate, Elwell, took a job elsewhere, taking himself out of the running for chancellor for the Carbondale campus. So that brings us to Colwell, who has been the interim chancellor for SIU Carbondale since September 2015. Colwell, a native of nearby Bluford, understands Carbondale, having essentially done a two-year practice run in the job he seeks. Colwell is thoughtful, and has already begun leading the charge for change on the Carbondale campus. When asked about the budget crisis, where other candidates offered polished peanuts, Colwell acknowledged there was no simple solution, and painted a detailed picture of what the future would look like for the university. He admitted the university cant be all things to all people, and pointed out that the university is no longer state supported (its state assisted, at best, he said). It may sound grim, but Colwell is realistic. He understands things cant just be put back to the way they were in what are considered SIUs glory days. Colwell also has the best background, which includes a bachelors degree in political science from Anderson University in Indiana and a masters degree in educational administration, a juris doctor degree and a doctoral degree in educational administration, all from the University of Illinois. Bottom line, its time for stability at SIU Carbondale. The revolving door of chancellors has to stop, so why not now? As a Board of Trustees, it may feel like an outside candidate is the best fix. But, that's not always the case. In this particular case, the in-house candidate is best. With an interim in front of my name, there were certain things I could not do, Colwell said. Take the interim tag off his name Colwell is the person to take SIU Carbondale into the future. Orangeburg Mayor Michael C. Butler proclaimed April 20 Healthcare Decisions Day in Orangeburg during a free community forum celebrating National Healthcare Decisions Week. The April 20 event, which was sponsored by the Regional Medical Center and Agape Hospice, focused on educating participants about the importance of advance healthcare planning. Butlers proclamation emphasized the need for citizens to work together with their healthcare team and their families to make crucial healthcare decisions. Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions, especially related to end of life care and medical decision-making when patients are unable to speak for themselves, Butler said. Many South Carolinians do not make adequate preparation for healthcare decisions in times of crisis, and such preparation is readily accessible through the medical and legal communities. The event included a video, a panel discussion, refreshments, vendors and door prizes. Panelists included Ed Cheeck, Agape' Hospice chaplain; Theresa Younis, RN, Agape Hospice CEO; Taylor Ott, staff attorney for South Carolina Legal Services; and Dr. Alvin Reaves III, RMC medical director of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care and RMC Ethics Committee member. For more information about making healthcare decisions and creating advanced directives, call RMCs Palliative Care Program at 803-395-2200 or toll free, 800-476-3377. A recent study found successful implementation of the Surgical Safety Checklist significantly improves patient outcomes. In 2010, the Regional Medical Center became the first hospital in South Carolina to adopt the use of the checklist. The statewide study conducted by the South Carolina Hospital Association, Ariadne Labs and Harvard Universitys T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the first to demonstrate the large-scale impact of the Surgical Safety Checklist, which was developed by the World Health Organization in an effort to reduce the risk of post-operative complications. The Regional Medical Center was proud to be the first hospital in South Carolina to implement the Safe Surgery Checklist, and we have witnessed its positive impact on patient safety firsthand, Interim RMC CEO and President Bert Whitaker said. In fact, as a result of the success of the program in the operating room, safety checklists have now been implemented in several other RMC departments that work with surgical patients. In 2016, RMC received the Safe Surgery Hospital Designation from the South Carolina Hospital Association and the Safe Surgery: SC Leadership Team after becoming 100 percent compliant with use of the Surgical Safety Checklist for a several year time-frame. As technology has improved, surgical procedures have become increasingly complex, said Dr. Gary Delaney, chair of the Surgery Department. This complexity can lead to an increased risk of complications. The Surgical Safety Checklist empowers our team to take timeouts to ensure patient safety. The 19-item checklist includes confirming the patients identity before administering anesthesia, marking the site of the surgery, confirming allergies and other steps to ensure patient safety. It is important that we use this model with every patient, every time, said Surgical Quality Coordinator Libby Myers. We have seen a positive shift in the safety culture as a direct result of the Safe Surgery Checklist adoption and use. RMC provides a variety of surgical services, including general, vascular, orthopaedic, dialysis access and endoscopic procedures as well as bariatric or surgical weight loss procedures. RMC operates a state-of-the-art surgical unit with nine operating suites and a separate suite solely dedicated to caesarean section births in the Her Place maternity care unit. RMCs Dialysis Access Institute features four operating suites for dialysis access procedures and provides training for physicians in dialysis access procedures from around the globe. Dont put it off. Those four words of advice are echoed by someone who should know: 32-year-old Shane Weeks. The Calhoun County resident noticed a change in his bathroom trips, and it was obvious to him that something was indeed unusual. However, like many, he brushed it off until the abnormalities had persisted for almost a year. It was then that Weeks decided it was time to stop ignoring the problem. In January 2016, he decided to have a colonoscopy, and a biopsy was taken. Two days later, the results were delivered. I kind of knew from the start, Weeks said. Dr. (Gabe) Saleeby informed me that I had a mean-looking mass. A second opinion from a Lexington colorectal surgeon confirmed the diagnosis: metastatic colorectal cancer. Upon being advised that surgery was necessary, Weeks decided he wanted to have the procedure take place at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Following the surgery, he had a temporary ileostomy. The surgeon was very encouraging, Weeks said, giving a 95 percent chance the cancer would not come back. No chemotherapy was required. All went well for the patient, and the ileostomy procedure was reversed in April 2016. Weeks said he got his energy back mid-summer. He returned to Houston last February for his one-year follow-up, with another colonoscopy and a CT scan. He remained in Houston for another day to get his results. According to the Clemson University graduate, I could tell from the look on my doctors face that something was not right. There is a mass on your liver, the doctor told him. Immediately, the doctor lined up a liver specialist and an oncologist. You will need to take four rounds of chemo over an eight-week period, she told him. One cell got away from the colon and set up shop in the liver. Upon Weeks return home, Orangeburg surgeon Dr. Dion Franga placed a port in the patients chest to start chemo. Chemo is rough, and people experience different side effects, Weeks wife Kimberly said. And for Shane, each dose of chemo added yet another side effect. Weeks doctors are encouraging, and he tries to maintain his normal routines. However, he offers the following advice: If you notice anything different in your bathroom visits, you need to be checked out. Do it. Dont put it off. According to Kim, people have come out of the woodwork to show their love and concern for her family. Total strangers have shown up with meals, she said. We are on almost everyones prayer list. Shanes fellow workers at Helena Chemicals in Mayesville have been great, she added. And so has the community of Lone Star. A barbecue chicken fundraiser was held May 6 at the Lone Star Community Center Donations to the Shane Weeks Cancer Fund can be made at any South State Bank location. WASHINGTON -- President Trump's first 100 days in office were mostly about empty noise. The next 100 likely will be the same. There is no principle at the heart of Trump's policies. In many cases, there are no policies at all, just improvised attempts to bridge the gap between Trump's rhetoric and inconvenient reality. This is no way to run a corner bodega, let alone the greatest nation on Earth. What kind of president calls North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a "pretty smart cookie," as Trump did in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation"? Who uses words of grudging admiration for a brutal dictator who consolidated power by executing hundreds of people, including his uncle? Who gives props to the leader of a rogue regime that threatens U.S. allies with nuclear weapons and may soon have missiles that can target Seattle? The aides and surrogates who speak for the president will have to walk back those remarks, just as they have walked back so many others. I'd feel sorry for Trump's mouthpieces, but they chose to do those jobs. What kind of president invites a man like Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House? Duterte has addressed his country's problem of drug-fueled crime with a campaign of assassination that has killed more than 7,000 people without arrest, trial or judgment, according to Human Rights Watch. That's not the kind of leader the U.S. president usually invites to drop by. Yet Trump and Duterte had a "very friendly" chat by phone on Saturday, according to the White House. The State Department and the National Security Council were reportedly caught off guard. Those who claim Trump is on a learning curve should be honest and acknowledge that he takes two steps forward, then two full steps back. What kind of president guarantees health insurance for those with pre-existing conditions, under the back-from-the-grave Obamacare replacement measure being considered by the House, when no such guarantee of affordable coverage is in the bill? "I guarantee it," said Trump. Not really, says the legislation. In the "Face the Nation" interview, it became clear that Trump does not understand what is in the bill he so vocally supports. States would be allowed to void the pre-existing conditions requirement if they establish "high-risk pools" to accommodate the unhealthy. But there is no requirement that states provide the ample funding necessary to make such an arrangement viable. The bill would punish the sick and renege on a central Trump campaign promise. He is either being dishonest or clueless. What kind of president seeks to govern a divided country -- he lost the popular vote, remember -- by holding campaign-style rallies designed to appeal only to his political base? Trump skipped the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner; the last sitting president to do so was Ronald Reagan in 1981, when he was recovering from a gunshot wound suffered in an assassination attempt. Trump decided instead to continue his absurd and self-defeating war against the news media. Speaking in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Trump called CNN and MSNBC "fake news" and railed against the "failing New York Times." Meanwhile, journalistic icons Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein stood on the dais at the WHCA dinner as a reminder that this isn't the first time an administration has sought to deflect scrutiny by attacking the media -- and that what Bernstein called "the best obtainable version of the truth" will emerge if journalists do their jobs. Protesters at the Harrisburg event waved Russian flags, a reminder that the question of possible collusion between Trump's campaign and agents of the Russian government remains unresolved. Woodward and Bernstein inspired a generation of journalists who are determined to unearth the answer. I chalk up two actual accomplishments for the administration in the first 100 days. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was nominated and confirmed. And substantial progress has been made on a pro-business -- and mostly anti-consumer -- agenda of deregulation. But what else has worked out the way Trump promised? He didn't, after all, label China a currency manipulator. He didn't, after all, pull the United States out of NAFTA. He didn't, after all, get funding to start building a border wall. He did, however, order a missile strike in Syria, breaking his pledge of an "America First" foreign policy. This nation isn't being led, it's being buffeted this way and that by the president's bluster. What British politician Gordon Brown once said about a rival is true, in spades, about Trump: "The more he talks, the less he actually says." President Donald Trumps retaliatory attacks against the latest major media polls may actually be more correct than even he alludes. The nations chief executive predictably came out swinging against ABC and NBC News regarding their newly released polls that found just more than 40 percent of their sampling groups approve of his job performance, the worst of any president after 100 days in office. Trump reminded his audience that those two particular polls were wrong in their election predictions, but the survey representatives quickly shot back to point out that their pre-election projection of Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote was in fact accurate. These pollsters are correct in this particular assertion, but we all know that the individual state polling, particularly in the key Great Lakes states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, was badly flawed and completely missed the mark. Digging deeper into the current and past election polls does produce a little-known factoid, however, and one that the president should find comforting. While the ABC and NBC representatives say their data find Trump to be the most unpopular short-term president, they fail to draw upon a critical comparison factor from their own previous polls. While a 40-54 percent unfavorable rating (NBC News/Wall Street Journal current poll), and the 42-53 percent similar index that the ABC News/Washington Post survey currently registers are clearly poor, these numbers actually represent a major boost for the president when compared to the data these same institutions and others were reporting directly before the election. In their final pre-election poll, ABC News/Washington Post (November 2-6, 2016; 1,937 likely U.S. voters) projected candidate Donald Trumps favorability ratio at 38-60 percent, with a full 50 percent saying their negative view should be categorized as strongly held. The last time NBC/Wall Street Journal tested pre-election candidate favorability came during the October 10-13 period and found Trumps approval at an even worse 34-62 percent favorable to unfavorable. Though Trumps approval ratings were in much worse condition right before the election, the controversial Republican nominee was still able to win the November Electoral College vote and, of course, the presidency. With his numbers improving a net 11 and 14 percentage points (ABC News/Washington Post and NBC News/Wall Street Journal, respectively) when comparing the most current surveys to their recent past data, the low 40s job-approval scores should be viewed in a different and more positive context. Trump still has a long way to go to break into positive territory, but he is ascending and his improvement must be considered significant. While the general populace views the presidents job performance negatively, the ABC News/Washington Post poll finds him less out of touch than either the Republican or Democratic Party. Asked whether the president is considered out of touch with everyday Americans, 58 percent agreed. But, 62 percent said the same of the Republican Party and a whopping 67 percent said that about the Democratic Party. Furthermore, the news organizations stated, as part of their current analysis, that 96 percent of the respondents who said they voted for Trump anticipate doing so again in the future. This type of loyalty factor is imperative for the president because it is his hidden base from the critical states that made the difference in the November vote. If his electoral base remains in tact, he has a legitimate chance of seeking and winning re-election, irrespective of what the traditional polling numbers and their analysts believe and report. While certain other presidents, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, specifically, were often said to be Teflon presidents because the attacks simply slid from them, Trump is closer to the opposite. Yet he still benefits from the same ultimate effect. In his case, Trump could be considered the Velcro president, because the attacks stick to him but dont seem to matter. Despite the slings and arrows, he so far always reached the finish line. Donald Trump is proving that he understands base politics, as these latest approval polls confirm. This must continue if he is to produce a successful presidency. With seven of 10 college graduates carrying more than $35,000 in student debt and 44 million Americans owing money on their higher education, reducing the burden is an economic priority. As part of a budget compromise reached in Washington, Republicans and Democrats in Congress took a step in helping lower-income students reduce the debt they will face from securing a college degree. The reinstatement of year-round Pell Grants will provide students with assistance to attend college continually. Students will be able to complete their degrees more quickly while borrowing less money for their educations. When Congress and then-President Barack Obama discontinued summer Pell Grants after two years because of funding shortfalls, the action had immediate negative impact. Some students enrolled in summer school for 2012 who had applied for Pell funds to cover their tuition and room and board found out about the new rule only after they attended classes, causing them to have a balance due and preventing them from registering for classes in the fall and spring unless the money was paid. The negative impact on enrollment extended beyond summer. Pell Grants, named after Democratic U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island and created by the Higher Education Act of 1965, are the foundation of student financial aid packages. The federally funded grants need not be repaid. They help about 5.4 million full-time and part-time university, college and technical college students nationally. Pell Grants have traditionally been used to fund fall and spring semester studies. When the spring semester was over, the student had to reapply for the next academic year beginning in the fall. But as more and more students have opted for taking classes over the summer in order to graduate and get a job more quickly, there is demand for year-round Pell Grants. With the federal government objective of increasing the number of students completing higher education, lack of support for summer school through Pell Grants is counterproductive. According to a 2009 study by researchers at California State University, Sacramento, students attending summer sessions are three times more likely to finish their degrees. "If someone who is eligible for a Pell Grant is going full time and wants to continue to pursue their education for the third semester, there is no good reason the program should not allow them to access another grant," advocate Jason Delisle, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, has said. Leaders such as the presidents of Orangeburgs two historically black universities are out front in urging Washingtons support for Pell Grants, which are vital to a high percentage of students attending South Carolina State and Claflin. During HBCU presidents meetings in Washington earlier this year with President Donald Trump and congressional leaders, Claflin President Dr. Henry N. Tisdale was among speakers urging support for the Pell Grant program through an increase in grants and restoration of the grants on a year-round basis. We thought it was significant and timely that we would be invited to have conversations at this time, early on, with the new administration and that we would have the opportunity to have our priorities heard at a time when we believe it can be included in the upcoming budget, Tisdale said at the time. So we expect to see some outcome from the conversations we had in the budget. As much as the outcome on summer Pell Grants is positive for the present, the issue is not resolved. Estimates are that offering students the summer grants will cost an additional $2 billion per year and it is unclear from where the money will come. The Trump administration has proposed to slash overall Pell Grant funding by $3.9 billion in next year's budget. But with Democrats favoring the grants because they mostly benefit the poor and Republicans backing them because they provide students with the flexibility to study at their own pace and graduate earlier, the hope is a track record of support on both sides of the aisle will result in more than a temporary return of summer Pell Grants. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov The Azerbaijani and Turkish Armed Forces continue joint exercises, which started in Azerbaijan on May 1 in accordance with the agreement on military cooperation between the two countries. During the next stage of the exercises, the units of the two countries have carried out various combat elements in the conditions of mutual consistency. The aim of the exercises is to improve coordination through the exchange of experience between the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as to achieve the interoperability of the military units of the two countries through joint headquarters planning, improving the readiness and capabilities of the units to conduct operations. The joint exercises involve military personnel, armored vehicles, artillery launchers and mortars, military and transport helicopters of the Air Force, as well as air defense units and anti-aircraft missile units equipped with modern defensive systems to protect groupings from the air. The exercises will last until May 5. 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. 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. By Azernews By Kamila Aliyeva Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan considers that Russia should lift trade sanctions against Turkey in order to completely normalize relations, TASS reported. Erdogan stated this in Ankara ahead of his flight to Sochi, where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If we want to achieve a trade turnover of $100 billion, then we need to urgently and completely remove all these restrictions. We want this to happen. We are making great efforts to resolve existing issues and to restore relations to the previous level," he said. Erdogan named the sanctions imposed by Russia as "the biggest obstacle" to the effective development of the trade relations. "Earlier, our ministers discussed the lifting of the sanctions, I will discuss this with Mr. Putin. The removal of restrictions is the most important condition for reaching $100 billion of trade turnover," he added. Erdogan noted that Turkey "seeks to balance trade and economic cooperation with the Russian Federation" due to the fact that the import-export balance is still in favor of Russia. He also mentioned that for effective development of the relations "it is necessary to remove visa restrictions." Russia had imposed a number of economic sanctions, including the suspension of visa-free travel, on Turkey at the beginning of last year in response to the downing of a Russian Su-24 bomber. The Moscow-Ankara relations began to improve after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized over the jet incident. Russia lifted the flight ban, but food embargo on Turkey's food and agricultural products remains partly in place. Turkey from March 15 suspended the issuance of licenses for duty-free supplies of wheat, corn and sunflower meal from Russia. Representatives of the Turkish business said that such measures were taken in connection with the fact that Russia has not completely removed the ban on the supply of Turkish products, in particular, tomatoes. The TransGriot is available for speaking engagements, college lectures, panel discussions, media interviews, conferences or Trans 101 education efforts for your school, business or professional organizations. For local Houston area, Texas or national events, you can e-mail me at transgriot@yahoo.com For events outside the Houston metro area, I ask that my travel and lodging expenses be covered. This is separate from my speaking fee. If you are interested in having me appear as a speaker or panelist, you can e-mail me with the date and details of your proposed event. Please book as early as possible because my speaking and event calendar slots during the year rapidly fill up. Rep. Mark Baker, a Republican from Rock Springs, submitted a letter of resignation from the Wyoming Legislature, effective May 15, he said Wednesday morning. Baker said he is moving outside House District 48 to Green River to start a business. Baker, who was elected in 2013, said one of his proudest legislative accomplishments is a bill that passed in 2015 that uses a portion of a court technology fee for electronic citations. Thanks to the new law, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and police in Casper and Cheyenne can input a drivers license into a scanner in their vehicles. The drivers license information goes on the ticket. It eliminates a lot of clerical errors and time at the side of the road, Baker said. Baker also led an effort in the 2016 legislative session to direct some of the $240 million in abandoned mine land funds to restore Bitter Creek in Rock Springs, which flows through downtown and has flooded homes and businesses. A company had rereouted the creek from a coal mine in the 1920s. Baker told Gov. Matt Mead in his resignation letter that the project needs to be completed, he said. Thats something I fought hard for, and I was pretty proud we were successful for that, he said. I would love to see the project continued and completed. Baker was a champion of medical marijuana legalization. He also stirred controversy in 2013 when he said on the House floor that only 1 percent of homosexuals die of old age. Reporters could not verify the statistic. Baker said he sent his resignation letter to Mead, who will notify the Sweetwater County Commission of the vacancy in the district. Commissioners will ask the county Republican Party to vet candidates and submit a list of three prospects. The commission will make the final decision on who will represent the central Rock Springs district, he said. The state entered into a contract with a private prison company last year to house inmates if the structurally unstable Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins became uninhabitable, the Department of Corrections director said recently. The Wyoming Department of Corrections inked the deal Aug. 2 with the Corrections Corporation of America, the nations largest private prison company, according to a copy of the 29-page contract that the Star-Tribune obtained Tuesday. The contract is in effect until June 30. In coming weeks, a new contract will be signed containing the new name of Corrections Corporation of America, CoreCivic, said Mark Horan, the spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Corrections. The contract states up to 750 male inmates could be sent to prisons owned by the Nashville, Tennessee-based company depending on the states need and available space at the corporations prisons. The state will pay the company up to $5.1 million. A portion of the contract increases July 1, the contract states. The Rawlins prison is experiencing structural problems walls separating, floors buckling and doors out of alignment. A task force of lawmakers and Wyoming leaders studied the penitentiary last year and recommended repairing the 15-year-old building, which is home to about 650 inmates. But in the 2017 legislative session, legislators didnt proceed with the proposal to fortify the building, which would entail construction techniques such as drilling and installing supports below the ground. Instead, they created a savings account for a new prison, ordered a peer review of the findings of last years task force and authorized Wyoming to spend up to $15 million from the rainy day fund in the case of a catastrophic collapse of the prison that would require moving inmates. Sabrina King, policy director of the Wyoming chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, noted the state has had a troubling past with its inmates in Corrections Corporation of America facilities. About 120 Wyoming inmates were in a Colorado prison during a 2004 riot in which prisoners set fires, smashed toilets and sinks, destroyed appliances and searched files for names of sex offenders and informants. Officials said no one from Wyoming was injured. There really needs to be a public process and a discussion about this, King said. And part of this discussion is really figuring out whats going on with the prison in Rawlins. But lets not use a private prison as a default. Its such a terrible backup plan. Recently, CoreCivic representatives met with lawmakers to discuss the possibility of hiring the company to build a new state penitentiary on a different site, said Jonathan Burns, a spokesman for the company. CoreCivics capabilities extend beyond correctional facility management, Burns said in an email. We have a long history and deep expertise providing real estate only solutions, like correctional facility construction and financing, that meet the unique needs of our government partners. We are interested in further discussions around those capabilities should the State decide it wants to replace the Wyoming State Penitentiary instead of renovating the current facility. Contingency basis On Friday, Wyoming Department of Corrections Director Bob Lampert said there needed to be a place for inmates if structural movement at the prison was so severe that people could no longer inhabit it. Last year, corrections officials began to look for options, he said. We put out a request for proposal to see if anybody had any beds available on a contingency basis, Lampert said. They had beds readily available if we needed them. Lampert said the contract would go into effect only if there was a catastrophic failure of the penitentiary and we need to move inmates. He said the inmates would return to Wyoming when the prisons problem was remedied. In December, inmates were placed on lockdown for nearly two days as maintenance crews repaired the facilitys doors. Lampert said the structural issues havent been that severe since then. But there are some indications that the prison continues to move. Doors and windows appear to have shifted. He said that maintenance crews continue to try to keep the prison safe for employees and inmates. Contract specifications Included in the $5.1 million contract is a $55 to $75 cost to house each inmate per day. The daily housing portion of the contract will increase by 2.5 percent on July 1, when the new contract kicks in, the contract states. CoreCivic would have to provide food for the inmates as well as routine medical care, clothing, bedding and basic hygiene and cleaning items. Inmates can buy additional hygiene items and other goods at the private prisons commissary. The contract doesnt delineate which items are basic and which ones are extras that inmates would have to purchase. It just says CoreCivic must follow its own commissary policies. All profits made at the commissary must benefit the inmate population, although the contract doesnt specify what precisely would constitute as a benefit to the prisoners. The contract requires CoreCivic to provide inmates access to the courts. Prisoners must be treated well, it states. CoreCivic shall provide humane treatment to agency inmates, free from unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain, grossly disproportionate treatment in light of their convictions, deliberate indifference to safety, health and welfare and other cruel and unusual punishment, the contract states. If a recent legislative effort succeeds, private industry would have an opportunity and an incentive to address problems that affect the nations wildlife. The WILD Act, introduced by Sen. John Barrasso, would offer a cash reward for creative ways to address and prevent crimes and problems that affect wildlife. Our state wildlife managers grapple with many challenges that innovators can help us solve, Barrasso said at a Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee hearing this spring. For example, poaching is a problem in Wyoming. Hundreds of animals are taken illegally each year in the state, according to our Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The bill a creative solution in itself would offer $100,000 a year in each of five important categories: prevention of poaching and trafficking, promotion of wildlife conservation, management of invasive species, protection of endangered species and non-lethal management of human-wildlife conflict. Wyomings chief game warden also traveled to the nations capital to tell Congress about ways he thought the bill could benefit wildlife and wildlife managers in the state. For one, Brian Nesvik said, it would be far safer to tally wildlife with the use of a drone rather than sending biologists into the air in planes to survey from above. He also mentioned employing infrared cameras to count more elusive animals such as mountain lions and bears. The benefits of solving those problems could extend well beyond the states borders, offering help for wildlife across the nation. Examples like that make it clear why the legislation, which unanimously passed the environmental and public works panel, has gained bipartisan support. The issues the bill tackles affect a variety of people and groups, and many support this push to reward innovation, including the Family Farm Alliance and the World Wildlife Fund. Its also gratifying to see a Wyoming politician become a leader on this important issue. The senator is supporting innovation and private industry while leading the search for solutions to natural resources issues. Barrassos colleagues in Congress, including the rest of Wyomings delegation, should follow his lead in this effort and more important, they should support coming up with innovative answers to these wildlife problems that afflict Wyoming and the rest of the nation. These problems are critical, the solutions are within reach and this bill provides the incentives to connect them. Tempe could become the home of Arizonas first used-car vending machine. Yes you read that right, a car vending machine. The vending machine would be operated by online used-car dealer Carvana, which already has vending machines in Nashville, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. The company has a smaller version of the concept in Atlanta as well. Now the Arizona-based company is looking to place a car-vending machine on a vacant lot at the northwest corner of Gilbert Drive and Scottsdale Road, north of Loop 202. The entire car buying experience takes place online. Carvana officials are asking the Tempe City Council to allow the company to build the glass, nine-story vending machine and allow automotive retail on land that was designated to be a general industrial district. Company officials note the footprint is much smaller than a typical auto sales lot. The council will vote on the project Thursday. If approved, the company will begin the building permit process. No time is yet set for the projects opening. Carvana is also in the process of moving its corporate headquarters from Phoenix to Tempe, which is expected to open in June at 1930 W. Rio Salado Parkway. HOW IT WORKS Those looking to purchase a car from the company go to carvana.com, find the car they want and buy it. The company makes 360 virtual versions of the car from composited photos so a prospective buyer can examine every inch of it, including the interior from a phone or computer. Once purchased, the buyer has two ways to get their new ride. Have it delivered. Carvana boasts being able to deliver within 20 minutes in certain areas. Go to a Carvana vending machine, insert a custom-made coin and get the car. The way the machine works, the buyer inserts an oversize coin, which triggers a robotic arm to grab the car. Another robot then drives the car out of the vending machine to the owner. However, a prospective buyer cant just go down and buy a car from the vending machine whenever they fancy. The vending machine is only for people who have already purchased a car and have chosen the option of using the machine for pick up. After purchase, there is a seven-day money-back guarantee period in case the vended vehicle isnt what was expected. CARVANA HISTORY The Arizona company was established in 2012 as an online used car dealership that would ship the car to the buyers home. The company aims to disrupt the auto industry by providing a unique car-buying experience that leaves a smaller environmental footprint, according to the companys filing with the city. Traditional car dealerships take up 10 to 20 acres of land, but the area Carvana is aiming to develop would take up 2 to 3 acres, according to the company. The company claims to be the most heavily funded private online auto dealer and offers a variety of vehicles from smart cars costing about $5,000 to a 2015 Maserati for $53,000. The company recently went public but shares lost more than one-quarter of their value dropping from an initial price of $15 each to close at $11.10 on the first day. Carvanas CEO Ernie Garcia III and his father, DriveTime founder Ernie Garcia II, hold a 96 percent voting stake in the company. Some media reports suggested that such tight control over Carvana might have turned off investors. The company was still able to make $210 million in stock sales, which will be used to repay debt and for general corporate purposes. Carvana has been growing rapidly, with widening losses, as it invests heavily in growth. In 2015, for example, the company lost $36.8 million on revenue of $130.4 million. In 2016, it lost $93.1 million on $365.1 million in revenue. Vehicle sales nearly tripled from 6,523 in 2015 to 18,761 last year. For a brief moment or two, Janet Jackson was set to play a big-time, stage-shattering, big-city-arena-worthy show at Tucson Arena. That was back in early 2016, but ... she cancelled. There were rumors, whispers and perhaps a lot of wishful thinking among her fans of a new date. But it never happened. Instead the 50-year-old R&B diva started a family. And then she had a baby, split from her husband and in a video to her fans on Monday announced that tour from last year the "Unbreakable" is back on again. Only now it's the "State of the World" tour and, not surprisingly, Tucson is not among the cities she'll hit beginning in September. But Phoenix will be. Tickets ($34-$125) go on sale May 5 for her Sept. 21 show at Talking Stick Arena. We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some May 3 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. William Huff, notorious child murderer, left prison on parole to live in a Tucson halfway house. A public uproar ensued. Even the governor got involved. And Huff realized hed made a mistake. I wont go back to Tucson, he told an Arizona Daily Star reporter. It would be too dangerous for me. He went on, I apologize to the Tucson community for all the trouble. It was wrong for me to come back there and bring up old fears. I knew Id have a problem there, but I didnt expect the protest to be so big. It was the mid-1980s. But the situation seems to be repeating. Huff, convicted of murdering two Sierra Vista girls in 1967, is back in a Tucson halfway house again. Morgan Loew, the KPHO TV reporter in Phoenix from Southern Arizona, revealed last week that Huff, now 66, has been living in a Tucson neighborhood for more than a year, since his release on home arrest by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency. No neighborhood notifications were made. The authorities were unaware. But so far, the situation seems to be working out. Huff has had no legal problems that court records show. If he had problems, hed probably have been put back in prison. But is it OK to have a man who as a teen brutally and senselessly killed a 6-year-old and a 7-year-old living here among us? To try to answer the question, go back to 1967. Sierra Vista was a small town of not much more than 5,000 people dominated by Fort Huachuca. Cindy Clelland, 7, disappeared on April 30. Three days later, her body was found in the desert. Shed been strangled, mutilated and disemboweled. Four days later, the police received a letter from a writer calling himself The Phantom, who threatened to kill a child on a specific street soon. He called them fools. On June 22, 6-year-old Janelle Haines who lived on a different street than the threatened child was found dead on Fort Huachuca near the Lakeside Officers Club. She had been stripped naked and bashed in the head with a rock. A week later, officers arrested Huff, then 16. He pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge in the killing of Haines and received a life sentence. In the state case, for killing Clelland, Huff received a 40-year to life sentence. They were to be served concurrently. This, of course, was all before truth-in-sentencing laws turned prison terms from optional to draconian. In 1982, the Arizona Board of Pardons and Paroles released Huff to federal custody but tried to retain control if there was ever a chance hed be released. It didnt work. In November 1984, Huff was released to a halfway house on Miracle Mile. He would bicycle to work as a janitor at Tucson International Airport, the Star reported, but outrage grew that he had been released from prison at all. A group called We, the People formed and called for him to be imprisoned again. Gov. Bruce Babbitt got involved. By January 5, 1985, Huff was back in federal prison, not to be released again until 31 years later, on Jan. 4, 2016. All those years were marked for Darlene Roy by Huffs parole hearings. Roy, who was 12 when her little sister Cindy Clelland died, regularly phoned in to listen to and oppose Huffs release when the hearings came up. It was a twice-a-year occasion because the laws of the time he was convicted required hearings that often. They regularly rejected his requests. Then, on Dec. 2, 2015, the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency shocked Roy by changing its mind. He had a clean record while hes been in prison, Roy recalled board members saying. They didnt seem to have any more reason to hold him. Now, they didnt release him altogether. In fact hes still considered an inmate though hes not in prison, the director of the clemency board told me in answer to emailed questions. Hes under home arrest at a halfway house in midtown, Ellen Kirschbaum noted. Huff also wears a GPS monitor and meets weekly with his supervising officer, she wrote. He is placed on the most intensive supervision within the Department of Corrections Community Supervision. So thats not nothing. And yet, Loews video showed that Huff is living in a neighborhood where kids freely pass by, and that he occasionally bikes around. Is it really too much to notify the neighbors that a man convicted of killing small children is moving into the neighborhood? Kirschbaum told me by law the board notifies registered victims, of whom Roy was one of three in this case, as well as the Attorney Generals Office, the arresting agency and the county attorneys office in the county where the crime took place. But it doesnt inform neighbors, as happens when some sex offenders are released. The board has no statutory authority to require an inmate released on home arrest to register as a sex offender if there is no court order to that effect, she wrote. There is no order of that sort in Huffs case because the murders were not considered sex crimes. In other words, you may get word if a released rapist moves into your neighborhood, but not if a released child murderer does. The argument can be made that Huff merited release from prison and has proved it by staying out of trouble while under house arrest. But the lack of notification makes no sense. The ex-wife of a Tucson fire captain said he was upset about their divorce and had recently threatened to kill anyone she was with in the months leading up to shootings April 14 inside a crowded restaurant at La Encantada shopping center, according to just-released sheriffs reports. Mary Jo Bair, who was shot in her left leg by Frederick Bair, told investigators she felt her ex-husband was stalking her because he had confronted her about information she had posted on her account at an online dating website. A friend of Frederick Bairs told investigators Bair had hacked into his ex-wifes account on Match.com to monitor her activity after their divorce in September. Authorities said Frederick Bair, a 24-year veteran of the Tucson Fire Department, shot and killed Eliot Cobb, a friend of Mary Jos, shortly after he showed up at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill where they were celebrating the recent sale of Cobbs online business eBags.com to Samsonite for $105 million. Frederick Bair, 60, then dragged Mary Jo into the restaurants bathroom, where he shot her in the leg before killing himself, the Pima County Sheriffs Department said. The department released about 150 pages of reports on Tuesday. The shootings sent patrons and workers in the popular restaurant running for the exits or huddled underneath tables. Mary Jo, 57, told detectives that on April 14 she and Cobb went first to North restaurant at the Foothills center and she saw Frederick there. Frederick Bair had words with Mary Jo and Cobb at North. She said her ex-husband had mentioned how he dressed nice for Mary Jo. She was uncomfortable and was wondering how Fred knew that she was there, a report said. She felt he was stalking her and was worried. Mary Jo and Cobb decided to leave North and went to Firebirds in the same shopping center. Mary Jo told investigators she and Frederick divorced last September after 25 years of marriage because Frederick had cheated on her. They had two grown daughters, and they remained on friendly terms, but Mary Jo did not want to get back with her ex-husband, according to documents. In February, Frederick bought Mary Jo earrings during the gem show and insisted she take them even though she did not want the gift. A warning came with the earrings. Mary Jo told investigators that Frederick told her that if she ever was with anybody, he would have to kill the person she was with, states a sheriffs investigative report. When Mary Jo and Cobb arrived at Firebirds, they went to sit at the bar. Eventually, Frederick arrived and went up to Mary Jo and conveyed what he told her months ago. Do you remember what I told you when I bought you the earrings? referring that he would have to kill the person that he saw was with her, reports said. Thats when Frederick pulled out a gun, Mary Jo told investigators. Others in the restaurant said they saw both men begin to struggle with Frederick apparently putting Cobb in a headlock, according to an employee. One restaurant server said he saw the men wrestling and knocking tables over at the end of the bar and the fireplace at the back of the room. The server, who did not know a gun was involved, attempted to break up the struggle by grabbing Fredericks upper arm and pulling him away from Cobb. The server saw Fredericks right arm extend and he pointed a pistol and shot Cobb in the head, according to documents. Cobb died at the scene, in front of the restaurants fireplace. As patrons and employees scrambled out of the restaurant, Frederick then forced Mary Jo to go with him into a hallway that led into the womens bathroom. She pleaded with her ex-husband that he not kill her, witnesses told investigators. Inside a bathroom stall, Frederick shot her in the left leg. Mary Jo said she was on the floor, and then she heard a gunshot and Frederick fell on her, pinning her while she screamed for help, state documents. In addition to her wounded left leg, her right leg suffered a fracture. An employee hiding in the stall next door said she heard the man say, Goodbye, Mary Jo, just before he shot himself, the reports said. Frederick Bair died in the handicap stall inside the bathroom. Investigators recovered 9 mm shell casings from the bathroom and from the bar area, near where Cobb was shot. While at the hospital during the interview, Mary Jo told investigators that she believed Frederick was getting information about her from her Match.com dating site account. It was through that site that she met Cobb in December, and that they had gone out on some dates, but nothing came of it and they were only friends. She hadnt seen him for a while but contacted him recently to congratulate him about the sale of his Colorado-based company. Mary Jo told investigators that she deleted her profile on the dating website and no longer went to the site. Investigators also spoke to a friend of Fredericks. The friend said he spoke to Frederick about twice a week and said Frederick was distraught over the divorce. He said Mary Jo and Frederick stayed in contact and would go hiking. The friend also said he learned that Frederick would monitor her activity. The friend, who was shocked by Fredericks actions, told him to stop, reports state. Investigators learned Frederick bought the gun recently before the shootings and went target-shooting the day of the shootings, the reports state. She said she was feeling a bit afraid of him because of the way he was acting lately, being obsessive and possessive, according to a report. After they divorced, he wanted to get back together with her. PHOENIX A first-term lawmaker says it's time to reconsider the 30-year-old requirement that students make it at least to the 10th grade before they can drop out of high school. In fact, Rep. Paul Mosley, R-Lake Havasu City, questions whether any parent should ever be forced to send a child to public school, at any age. Mosley, who attended public schools and has a bachelor's degree in business management, said he's not anti-education. But he told Capitol Media Services the current system of forcing children to go to school and forcing their parents to send them there is not creating a better educated society. "Do you know what our dropout rate is?'' he asked when queried about his position. "One of the highest in the world.'' And Mosley said Arizona, with more than 40,000 people behind bars, has among the highest incarceration rates in the world. "And we spent $1.1 billion every year,'' he said. "So how's compulsory education working for us?'' Mosley said he believes there's a nexus between compulsory education and incarceration. "Maybe we'd value education more,'' he said, seeing it as a privilege instead of something for which there is no choice. "Maybe we'd value the actual free education that the state offers to the children of Arizona,'' Mosley said, with the students who are in schools voluntarily more interested in learning what they can. As a starting point, Mosley said lawmakers should consider going back to the way the law was in the early 1980s when an eighth-grade education was considered sufficient and allowed someone to quit school, no matter the age. Current law requires completion of 10th grade. But in any event, a student can drop out at age 16. Various prior efforts to boost the age requirement were rebuffed amid arguments that forcing older students to remain in classes where they did not want to be would only cause disruption for everyone else. The question of whether Mosley translates his philosophy into actual legislation next year to repeal compulsory education remains up in the air. State schools chief Diane Douglas declined to respond to Mosley's comments but said she would weigh in if and when he actually introduces such legislation next session. Large patches of brown leaves dotted the aging cottonwood trees lining Empire Gulch Tuesday morning. Below, blackened fields of grass alternated with streaks of white ash on the ground. Many mesquite trees wore blackened surfaces. But it will be a while before the significance of this superficial scarring of the just-ended Sawmill Fire becomes clear along the gulch or elsewhere in the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, officials say. The blaze burned about 28 percent of the federal reserve, or about 12,000 acres. Much of the burned area was grasslands. But also damaged were stretches of Empire Gulch and Cienega Creek, both considered vital riparian areas serving as home for imperiled fish and frogs. The threatened yellow-billed cuckoo also lives in the cottonwoods and willows along Cienega and Empire, and the endangered Huachuca water umbel lives next to Cienega. So far, officials havent visited much of the conservation areas burned section because of its fire hazards, said Melissa Warren, field manager for the Bureau of Land Managements Tucson office, which runs the conservation area. BLM officials gave a media tour of the conservation area Tuesday, but only as far as the Empire Ranch, a short drive from Arizona Highway 83. Its historic buildings adjoin the cottonwood-shrouded Empire Gulch that serves as a tributary to Cienega. A team of resource specialists will do a full-scale assessment of the damages, but its too early to even say how long that will take, Warren said. For now, one of the biggest unknowns is whether ash left behind by the blaze could run off during monsoon storms into one of the creeks and potentially damage or smother native endangered fish. For now, the conservation area is closed to the public and will probably stay closed until May 8. Even after that, some of it may stay closed until its clear that public entry is safe, Warren said. The concern is that cottonwood trees burned in the fire could fall and injure someone, she said. But several realities are clear, even now. First, the ranchs 11 buildings escaped damage. Thats because in advance of the fire, BLM officials used weed eaters and other devices to remove grass and weeds adjoining the buildings to reduce the fire risk to the buildings that date to the 1870s, said Damon McCrae, a fire management officer for the bureau. Second, while fire is a destructive force when it attacks homes, its often beneficial to the ecosystem in grasslands. Thats true even though this fire was human-caused, started on April 23 by an off-duty Border Patrol agent doing recreational shooting on state land west of Las Cienegas. Las Cienegas grasslands are adapted to fire, will start growing back during the first month after the blaze and should regain most of their vigor in one to two years, said Karen Simms, the manager of the conservation area. Its now part of BLMs National Landscape Conservation System. The recovery time will depend on how much rainfall the area receives, Simms said. But in the meantime, there will be that much less grassland for the Tomlinson family, whose cattle now graze Empire Ranch, said Simms, adding that the BLM is working on a plan for them to resume grazing. The short- and near-term plans for grazing in that area are still to be determined, Warren said. For cottonwoods, its a different story. Some of the mammoth, 70- to 80-year-old trees above Empire Gulch and Cienega Creek may well have died if the fire penetrated into the heart of their trunks, Simms said. That wont be known until resource specialists do their assessment. If they do die, it could take another 70 to 80 years for younger trees to replace them in stature, she said. Its perfectly natural for the fire to burn over riparian areas and take out large trees. In that sense, its not that big a deal. But if you have habitat for rare birds such as yellow-billed cuckoos, thats not good for them in the short term, said Jeff Simms, a BLM biologist. He said its not certain whether ash could affect the endangered Gila topminnow and Gila chub that live in Cienega Creek, and the leopard frog living in both Cienega Creek and Empire Gulch. When the Aspen Fire burned much of Mount Lemmon in 2003, federal officials removed native fish from Sabino Creek to keep them from being smothered by ash running off during monsoon storms after that blaze was extinguished. This time around, We may have to do remediation to keep ash from running into the creek during monsoon rains, said Jeff Simms, who is Karen Simms husband. If theres enough ash, we could have a fish kill. Again, BLMs Warren said that at this point, theres not even enough known about the fire damage to know if the bureau will need to form a team to do emergency grass seeding and take other measures to stave off ash runoff. If there is risk to the fish, We can hold them in abeyance and put them in a temporary aquatic habitat in aboveground pools to protect them from flooding and ash flows, Jeff Simms said. Also, unlike Mount Lemmon, the burned watershed in the lands above Las Cienegas is relatively flat, Karen Simms observed. Summing up the damages, she said, I dont know whether we need to be concerned until we go out and do an assessment. Why I give My father Albert Mur, a truly good man who is deceased, was a city kid and athlete in New York City. He used to visit a cousins farm in upstate New York in the summers. That was his summer camp. Helping with the animals on the farm and riding horses gave him the love of animals. When I moved back to town after being gone for 20 years, I decided that helping to send a kid to camp might have the profound influence that going to the farm had on my father. I know he is smiling when I make this donation. Randee Dickey The YWCA is hosting a centennial birthday celebration Thursday and launching a public phase of a $1.5 million fundraising campaign. The celebration is set for the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Luncheon tickets are $55 per person and can be purchased at ywcatucson.org The YWCA has lead the fight for social and economic justice in Southern Arizona for 100 years, organizers said in a news release. Leaders of the organization say among its accomplishments are having the first bilingual workforce education programs designed by and for women, the first public pool to offer swimming lessons for children of color, and the first housing program for domestic-violence survivors. The organization is seeking to raise $1 million for the Womens Impact Fund to level the playing field for women in the private sector, said Kelly Fryer, chief executive officer of the YWCA Southern Arizona. Women are driving economic development in Arizona and we are stepping up our advocacy and focusing on our mission to eliminate racism and empower women by making sure that training, funding and resources are available, Fryer said. The group is also raising $500,000 for the Stand Together Arizona Training & Advocacy Center. The center supports local, grass-roots movements to advance legislative strategy to improve lives in Arizona, said Fryer. A man operates a drone to carry out spraying operations over a wheat field in Xinghua, East China's Jiangsu province, April 30, 2017. [Photo/VCG] The authorities are using drones to spray pesticide on wheat fields in Xinghua, East China's Jiangsu province, as part of this year's diseases and pests control program. The local government is introducing high-tech tools to ensure bumper harvest in the future and to boost the development of intelligent agriculture. In January, Vice-Minister of Agriculture Zhang Taolin for the first time acknowledged using drones as agricultural machinery, Caijing Magazine reported. Zhang said the government will subsidize agricultural drones in suitable pilot regions, which means agricultural drones have been included as the national subsidized agricultural machinery for the first time. According to a report by SWS Research, the agricultural drones' operations have clear advantages over manual operations on operation efficiency, pesticides efficiency, water consumption, and cost. The DJI Agras MG-1, the first agricultural drone produced by world leading drone maker DJI Innovations, can spray an area of 4,000 to 6,000 square meters in 10 minutes, 40 to 60 times faster than manual operations. As of last June, agricultural drone ownership in China reached 4,890, doubling from the end of 2015, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. As less than 2 percent of the 122 million hectares of arable land in China use drones, there is huge market potential for the application of drones in agricultural sector, Caijing Magazine reported. Consulting firm iResearch said in a report that the market scale of agricultural drone in China is expected to reach 20 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) by 2025. And SWS Research made a bolder prediction that the industry will reach 50 billion yuan by 2020. Help India! By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net The annual report of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), the umbrella body of all Muslim organisations of India, shows important progress made by Mushawarat in a number of areas. Support TwoCircles The report comes in the context of the new two-year cabinet of Mushawarat, which gained the chair on January 8, 2016, under the leadership of Navaid Hamid, who is serving as 7th president of Mushawarat. Hamid will serve the Mushawarat until the end of 2017. During these two years, one of the biggest achievements of Mushawarat was that for the first time ever, Uzma Naheed, a woman, was elected to be a member of Markazi Majlis-e-Amla(MMA). Soon after, she was elevated to the post of vice-president in AIMMM. During the reported period, six meetings of Standing Committee comprising Amanullah Khan, Ahmad Raza, Saiyid Samar Hamid and Sheikh Manzoor Ahmad were held on various dates. The key concerns of the Markazi Majlis-e-Amla (MMA) during the reported time were the execution and monitoring of decisions, stand on the issues of Triple Talaq and Uniform Civil Code, responses to the communal situation in different parts of the country, violence in Jammu Kashmir, stand on different national and international events, settlement with Mushawarat Trust, copyright of the Mushawarat Documents, resolution of disputes and controversies within the Mushawarat and the like. Four meetings of MMA were carried out during last year concerning all these issues relating to Muslim societies. During the past year, Mushawarat has worked extensively in uniting Dalit and Muslim voices together. On the call of the President Navaid Hamid, more than 30 Dalit and Muslim activists joined a meeting on April 2nd, 2016 at the Mushawarats office for discussing on need, contents, and modalities of Dalit-Muslim Dialogue. It was resolved that all participants of the meeting will be taken as members of the Organising Committee for the proposed Dalit-Minority Cooperation. According to the Membership List as on 31 December 2016, there are 204 members of the Markazi Majlis-e-Mushawarat (MMM). Out of them, 29 represent respective member organisations whereas 175 are individual members being eminent Muslims in their own right. In all, 27 new individual members and 13 organizational members have joined the Mushawarat during the reported period. Mushawarat Quarterly Bulletin has been published since June 2000. However, from July 2013 onwards it remained discontinued. After a lapse of almost three years, its publication was resumed with a combined copy of three quarters, i.e. from January to September 2016. Abdul Rashid Agwan took charge as Editor of Quarterly Bulletin after Navaid Hamids request. Also during the last year, Mushawarats online presence increased considerably. Its website was redesigned last year and reports and briefs are being uploaded on a regular basis. However, Mushawarat believes that they need to put more effort for a stronger online presence, and will work on managing its social media in a more efficient manner. Mushawarat has spoken effectively on the issue of Triple Talaq and has taken a substantial stand on the issue after Supreme Court allowed hearing on the petition over the same filed by a woman from Uttarakhand. President Navaid Hamid constantly remained in touch with other leaders of the community and tried to shape better perspective on the issue among them. Speaking with TwoCircles.net on the achievements of Mushawarat, Hamid said, We are destined to take Mushawarat forward. Mushawarat had become more of a paper organisation in past few years, but what we tried with it is for it to be an ideological base. Nowadays Muslim community is facing ideological assault more than the physical assault, especially after Modi became Prime Minister. So Mushawarats prime agenda is to counter those assaults with a vast ideological base and thats why we tried to bring all the Muslim organisations, even those who left us 25 or 30 years back and to make a consensus to counter the ideological attack on the Muslim society. The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) was established at a representative meeting of the community leaders held on 8-9 August 1964 at Nadwatul-Ulema, Lucknow, inaugurated by Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi and chaired by Dr. Syed Mahmood. Syed Mahmood was elected as the first president of Mushawarat that year. Help India! By Mushtaque Rahmat for Twocircles.net There are few who have managed the art of silence and the craft of spewing caustic ideas/thought, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one such person. Support TwoCircles Deaths and attacks in the name of cows, self-proclaimed love jihad, anti-Romeo squad, and Ram temple have become common, but our Prime Minister has no time for uttering a word about/against these. Of course, who knows a better use of these divisive and fringe politics than Modi. And BJP isnt unfamiliar with this kind of fringe-becoming- core style of functioning. Earlier, Atal Behari Vajpayee was the core and now defunct Advani, the fringe. Modi had long been, in the past, commandeering as fringe and perfecting the art of his brand of Hindutva politics in Gujarat with Advani at the core pushing Vajpayee in the oblivion. What a cruel joke of time would be when Yogi Adityanath, who is meant to denounce worldly affair will gravitate to the core, using the same formula of Modi, and shoving Modi into oblivion. Only time will tell if this BJP leader cycle will prove to be true. There have been more than 10 deaths since the current government came to power at the Centre, at the hands of so-called Gaurakshaks. Neither Prime Minister, except once that too when some Dalit youths were assaulted in Gujarat, nor anyone from his government done anything to stop this madness. It seems the loss of Muslim life at the hands of cow vigilante is business as usual. Rather on many occasions, they seemed to have justified these killings on one or the other pretext. One of the cabinet ministers, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi even denied that Pehlu Khan was lynched despite video of the very incident being played on all major news channels in India. Our police forces across India, wherever these happened, were more than a willing partner of thugs who operates as Gaurakshaks. Their inaction at times, inimical treatment of victims and act of collusion has been too obvious at times. The ill-thought ban on all kinds of beef trade has severely impacted the source of livelihood, especially of Muslims. And the consequent spike in Hate Crimes and harassments aimed at minority community are going unabated. Our Prime Minister has time to pay tribute to victims of terror activities in far-off lands but does not have time and space to express similar feelings for the victims of Gaurakshaks in his own country. He is under oath to protect each and every citizen of India and uphold constitution under all circumstances. Similar is the action of the Chief Minister of Rajasthan under whose watch one unarmed man was lynched to death only because he was carrying cows for his dairy farm legally. She too felt the pain of victims family in Belgium but not for Pehlu Khan of her own state. At times, silence is deemed permission and collusion. And history will not be kind to those who are not speaking against the racial killing of Muslims in the name of the cow. Around one hundred people died including 12 bank officials due to Demonetization brought by this government. Besides, it caused severe damage to our economy without any visible and verified gain of the proclaimed goals: removing black money and illicit wealth and terror funding. Hundreds of families lost their lifelong saving, undergone tremendous hardships for many months, people lost lives and livelihood to this Tughlaq-like Farman. Yet the government at the centre remained insensitive and indifferent to problems faced by people. Interestingly, a majority of India also remain silent and keeping their miseries to themselves. India is mainly an agrarian economy employing the largest number of people directly and indirectly. And it contributes to around 16% to Indias total GDP. There have been constant issues of farmers committing suicides mainly due to indebtedness and crops failure. According to one report, in total 300,000 farmers have committed suicides from 1995. And major cases are reported from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. In 2015 as per NCRB record, 8,007 farmers committed suicide: a 42% jump from 2014 which had recorded 5,650 deaths. Lately, there has been demonstration and dharna by farmers of Tamil Nadu in Delhi to draw the Central governments attention to their problems. They even walked naked towards Prime Ministers official residence and drank urine to demonstrate their plight. But no one seems to pay attention to their problem. As per The Economics Times report dated 18 November 2016 there is a total of Rs 12.60 lakh crore farmers debt in India. And one shouldnt be surprised to know that only five corporate houses owe 5.73 lakh crores to banks as per The Times of India dated August 2, 2016. Although the Chief Minister of UP has waived farmers loan which is a welcome distraction from the daily rhetoric of Gauraksha, Anti-Romeo squad and religion conversion/ ghar wapsi. However, all leaders big and small have plenty of time to play cow politics and let Muslim killed by thugs roaming on street disguised as Gaurakhshak. Going by the trend of rakshaks mushroom growth soon we will have innumerable varieties of rakshaks proclaiming to hold their interest and beliefs like Mohalla rakshak, Muslim rakshaks, Christian rakshak, Dalit rakshaks etc. Ours will be a society of various rakshaks bereft of any government writ. Gradually these rakshaks will metamorphose into a violent political entity or graduate to be warlords. Lets not fool ourselves, these rakshaks will consume those who have helped in its making or did not resist its rise. Recent attacks on the police force and gherao of a senior police officers residence UP are the writing on the wall. We, the people of India, will still remain silent and surrender our civil rights to merchants of a lawless society. Recent rhetoric, theatrics and antics of present ruling partys at the Centre and of its direct and indirect affiliates language have been caustic, coarse, abusive and divisive. And often their means violent and mafia-like. There is a certain tendency in their language and actions which reek of violence, trample individual rights and privacy and seems more than eager to take law and system in their hands. They are quite unmindful of others, scorn system and process, circumvent due diligence and always talk in terms of holier than thou. There is one politician of BJP Tarun Vijay who defended India is not racist saying we too have black people from Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. There is another leader who is baying for the blood of anyone who opposes construction of Ram temple at the disputed site. Another Chief Minister says he will hang anyone who is guilty of killing a cow. Akhlaqs murdered had triggered some reaction from mainstream political parties. But lately, there has almost complete silence on part of all political parties especially so-called secular parties who were, just a few months ago, courting Muslim as their messiah and flag bearer of secularism. It appears now those were just an election ploy, a gimmick for Muslims and minorities vote. All political parties have, probably, surrendered themselves to majoritarian agenda or do not have an alternative political discourse to offer. There is no protest, no dharna not even a proper debate in the parliament. Silences of civil society, general mass, and of intellectuals are deafening. Bol, ke lab azaad hai tere! New Coursera positive psychology courses have recently been launched on the massive open online course platform (MOOC) by the University of Pennsylvania in the USA available for learners worldwide. Entitled Positive Psychology: Well-being for life, the specialisation offers five courses to teach students the key theories and research in the field of positive psychology and its applications. Positive psychology is a burgeoning field of the psychological science which focuses on strengths that enable individuals, communities and organisations to thrive. According to the universitys Positive Psychology Center, the field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play. In a recent email to potential learners, the universitys Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology Dr Martin Seligman said: "I am thrilled to share with you that Foundations of Positive Psychology, our online specialisation offered by Coursera, is now available and open for enrollment." Courses offered Martin E. P. Seligmans Visionary Science This course explores the past, present and future of positive psychology as led by Dr Seligman, renowned worldwide as the Father of Positive Psychology, and his colleagues at the university. Applications and Interventions This course is taught by Director of Education and Senior Scholar Dr James Pawelski and explores the theory, research and practice of positive psychology interventions. Learners will be provided with basic tools to use and measure positive psychology in professional and personal settings. Character, Grit and Research Methods The university's Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology Dr Angela Duckworth and ImpactED Director Dr Claire Robertson-Kraft are the instructors in the course which teaches learners how to apply research methods to their positive psychology study. Resilience Skills Students will learn how to apply intervention skills in their professional and personal life. They will be exposed to cognitive strategies to manage anxieties and increase positive emotion. Learners will also learn critical relationship enhancement skills. The university's Director of Training Programmes Dr Karen Reivich delivers the course. Specialisation Project: Design Your Life for Well-being In this course, Dr Seligman will recap all the key concepts from the first four courses and brings them to practice to help learners develop and test a new intervention for an audience of their choice. What they say Learners expressed positive reactions to the course, with one of them saying: "I found this course incredibly interesting and eye-opening. I would be thrilled to be able to find ways to put what I have learned in practice, both in my personal as well as my professional life. Another anonymous student said: "Excellent Course! Opened my eyes (and heart) up to the possibilities of applying positive psychology in the work I do for others. I am eager to learn more!" Yet another said: "I found this course to be useful and powerful in creating new (for me) perspectives in psychology. I also found it hopeful and inspiring, solutions-focused and simple. It gave a really good deal of self-focus type information - the kind that makes you want to know more and also makes you feel more grounded in your own identity." After completing the five courses, learners will receive a certificate signed by all the instructors. Coursera is a favourite destination for people from all walks of life, including university graduates, who are facing difficulty in finding employment, to re-skill or enhance their knowledge base. Many of the Coursera courses are free, thus providing a somewhat informal but structured educational experience for those who question the current formal system. It is no secret, Donald Trump looks up to dictators. He has continually praised them for their expertise in controlling their people and their smarts. During his election campaign and as president of the United States, Trump has praised and shown much admiration for brutal and controversial dictators. Kim Jong Un A smart cookie The president of the United States says he would be honoured to meet with Kim Jong-Un in order to diffuse the rising tensions over the nuclear threat. He then added, "If it's under the, again, under the right circumstances but I would do that". However, this would make him the first U.S. president to meet with the North Korean leader while in power. He went on to heap praises on the North Korean dictator calling him a smart cookie. It was up to his Press Secretary Sean Spicer to elaborate on Trumps compliments. He suggested that Kim Jong-Un assumed power at an early age, survived many potential threats and he is a young person leading a country with nuclear weapons. An invitation to Rodrigo Duterte Just recently Donald Trump extended the hands of friendship to Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. In a phone conversation with the president he reportedly expressed his understanding of, and his appreciation for, the challenges the country faces especially in relation to drugs. He invited Duterte to the White House and says he was looking forward to a warm relationship with the President of the Philippines. Nicknamed the punisher, Duterte is said to have sanctioned the actions of vigilante death squads and during his presidential campaign, talked about his plan to massacre criminals. Praise for Saddam Hussein As the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump in talking about Saddam Hussein said that the U.S. should not have destabilised Saddam Hussein and praised him for his counter terrorism strategy. He referred to the deposed Iraqi leader as a really bad guy who did so good killing terrorists. Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006 following a quarter century of brutal crimes against his people. A Love fest with the Putin Heaping praises on Vladimir Putin and vigorously defending him was a feature of Trumps campaign and presidency. After receiving praise from the autocratic leader of Russia, Trump returned the favour by comparing Putins leadership to that of the U.S. He noted that at least Putin is a leader unlike what they have in the U.S. And when a journalist pointed out Putins alleged killing of Journalists, he responded that the U.S. was no different. He felt that being called smart by someone who heads Russia was always good From his re-tweeting a quote attributable to the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, to his perceived love fest with Russian president Putin, Donald Trump has been consistent in his admiration for often controversial and brutal dictators. Donald trump has referred to both Putin and Kim Jong Un as "smart". He has invited the Philippines president to visit the White house while commiserating with him on the country's drug problem - a drug problem which Rodrigo Duterte has reportedly handled with the use of death squads. The fallout from last week's Brexit Dinner continues. The emerging stories are as diverse as its attendants. While Theresa May has played down reports of what some have termed a "disastrous dinner" calling it mere Brussels gossip, the European media and political sources have made no secret of the pessimistic mood of attendants, most of all Jean-Claude Juncker. The differences are fundamental, regardless of what Theresa May may say. Juncker is said to have phoned Angela Merkel at 7.30am the next day, confessing that he was "ten times more pessimistic" about the prospect of successful negotiations. Sources have also outlined how Juncker believes Theresa May is "deluded" and resides in a "different galaxy". Appearances can be deceiving Juncker and May emerged from the dinner cordially, however, a report in Sunday's edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine has made it impossible for May to deny the gravity of the task ahead.The one-page spread described the fraught dinner proceedings in detail and confirmed what many have feared for a long time: little agreement and vast differences in the main Brexit points up for discussion. For starters, Theresa May wishes to discuss trade agreements first, while Juncker and the 27 remaining members of the EU want to deal with the cost of the divorce first. Secondly, May wants to hold discussions behind closed doors, something for which there is clearly no appetite among EU leaders. Thirdly, the speed of negotiations: May believes agreement on EU citizens living in Britan and British citizens living in Europe could be reached within weeks. Outraged at such expectations, Juncker supposedly presented May with a ultra-heavy dossier dealing with similar issues in relation to Croatia. Theresa May being a "bloody difficult woman" to Juncker. Bravo! https://t.co/IrVIOGxG5l via @YouTube wordnews27 (@anita_alig) May 3, 2017 The dinner was hardly, what May described as "constructive". If anything, the dinner itself and the subsequent fallout have emphasised the tough stance taken by both sides. Spinning it to her advantage - Theresa May uses dinner fallout as campaign tool Despite having played down the obvious tensions at the dinner, Theresa May has since tried to use these difficulties as a campaign tool, stating that the negotiations were indeed going to be "tough" and asking for a strong mandate to strengthen her position. In response, Jeremy Corbyn emphasised the need to focus on common ground rather than seek confrontation, while the Lib Dem Leader, Tim Farron, accused May of arrogance and complacency. Having the cake and eating it The question remains whether Britain can maintain the advantages of strong trade links with the EU while opting out of the obligations of membership. While May repeatedly may have said, "let us make Brexit a success", Juncker simply countered "Brexit cannot be a success". Jeremy Corbyn has come under fire from notable Tories Philip Hammond and David Davis. Hammond is of course the Chancellor of the Exchequer who recently released this year's budget to some controversy, and Davis is the Secretary in charge of Brexit. Theyve come out with a smear campaign against Corbyn, slamming him for a potential tax hike that a Labour government headed by him might enforce upon them. According to Hammond and Davis, Corbyns government will, if elected, slip in a 45 billion bombshell rise in taxes or lead Britain into further debt. This is absurd, though. It shows how desperate the Tories are. Corbyn assures voters that every single one of the commitments from the Labour Party so far are fully costed and fully funded, which is something that he claims the Tories already had knowledge of prior to their little smear campaign, due to them having read the material Labour have published laying out their election campaign. Corbyn has responded Corbyn issued a response to the attack from Hammond and Davis, noting that it suggests an air of desperation within the Conservative election campaign, and only two weeks into the election theyre resorting to these taxes. Corbyn promised they were wrong because Labour will not be raising tax" at all for people who earn low to middle incomes, if elected. He also pledges to protect the triple lock on pensions and to make sure that schools don't need to take "collections at the school gates just to pay wages to their teachers. Thats not his Britain. Current British Prime Minister Theresa May has appeared on Downing Street to make a public statement at No. 10. Shed been away for some time, but now shes returned to keep her public appearances up since the surprise general election she sprung on us all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago is, as she reminds us, just 36 days away. Of the key points of her statement, May said that this election is about the future, a change from her previous and more insular stance that it was an election solely about Brexit. She did then focus again on Brexit, mind you, saying that the main job for the government that follows hers (or possibly, God forbid, continues to be hers) will be attaining the best outcome possible from Brexit. Brexit will prove to be even more complicated than before for a new government As the last couple of days worth of election campaigning have shown, a new government (or even the current government) handling where to go with Brexit at this point will have their work cut out for them. The process as it is has proven to be tricky and complicated, and handing the reins over to an entirely different PM with an entirely different party with an entirely different agenda would only complicate things further. But May continuing on as PM would really suck, so lets let Jeremy Corbyn handle the complications. May says that Britains stance on Brexit has been misrepresented by the press across Europe, and as a result, threats have been made towards Britain. She never named the EU figures who have threatened us, which brings into question the validity of her comments, but she did say that all of these threats were made in an attempt to swing the outcome of our General Election. So, shes using the tactics of Trump and Clintons campaigns and confusing voters with a bunch of accusations and conspiracies about fake news and the medias attempts to influence the election. Its enough to make your head spin. Well see. May says there are misconceptions about Britains stance on Brexit. She didnt name these figures within the EU who are spreading false representations of Britain in order to sway the result of the general election, but she did say they are in Brussels. May describes Britains position on Brexit as reasonable, but says these people in Brussels dont want the reasonable negotiations with the EU to reach a positive conclusion. She uses this as her reason for the need for a stern and powerful leader, offering herself as such a leader. May worries Brexit negotiations will not be successful May says she is concerned that the Brexit talks with the EU will not be successful as a result of this meddling from Brussels, because the repercussions will be dire. She says that in just the past few days, the negotiations of Brexit have shown themselves to be tough. She blames this on the way Britains negotiating position with the EU has been misrepresented in the continental press. May also noted how the negotiating stance of the other side in Europe has unexpectedly hardened, and that threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials, who, again, remained nameless. She alleged that these threats and misrepresentations were deliberately timed and orchestrated in order to coincide with the general election campaign, in order to affect the result of the general election that will take place on 8 June. The way May sees it, the election is between her and Corbyn. No other candidate will win theyre the hottest two. She is concerned that under Corbyns government, Britain will become a coalition of chaos, whatever that means. She promises to give Britain strong leadership (which she has shown over the past few months, but its not the good kind), and will make Brexit go as well as can be, and pledges to make Britain stronger, and wants the economy to reward hard workers, and wants society to be fairer and give the disadvantaged more opportunities. Okay, good luck with that. Watch this space. Michael Moore is an Oscar-winning political documentarian. Hes tackled the big issues with his movies Bowling for Columbine took on the gun issue in America, Fahrenheit 9/11 took on the Bush administration, Sicko took on the healthcare debate, Capitalism: A Love Story took on Goldman Sachs...the list goes on. Hes yet to make a Film about Trumps America, but he probably needs some more material first, and to see how his reign as President pans out. And besides, he did a one-man show called Michael Moore in TrumpLand that was excellent and hes made himself known as a critic of the current commander-in-chief. Moore is currently promoting his new Broadway show, The Terms of My Surrender Now, Moores doing a new show on Broadway called The Terms of My Surrender (great title) in which hell take Trump to task. His aim with the show is to bring down President Trump, and to promote it, hes sat down for an interview with Variety, in which he touched on the 100 performances of the anti-Trump show hes doing over 12 weeks, where the hopeless and despaired Democrats can go from here, and his predictions for Trumps impeachment (after he correctly predicted the guy would win). Oh, and he also endorsed Dwayne The Rock Johnson for President in 2020. When asked who should run for the Democrats in 2020, Moore touched on the idea that Trump is a beloved TV star, which may have gone a long way towards getting him elected. Hillary Clinton is a politician with a political background, but a reality TV star was a breath of fresh air for voters. Moore reminds us that the Republicans have always used this tactic from Ronald Reagan to Arnold Schwarzenegger and that the Democrats should adopt this tactic because they have plenty of supporters who are beloved by the American people and yet Democrats always shy away from Hollywood. Moore says, People love Hollywood! They love the movies. They love stars. He recommends running a Democratic candidate like Tom Hanks or Oprah Winfrey. Its a really great idea. Either of those two are guaranteed to win. Run The Rock! The second the name Dwayne The Rock Johnson came up, Moore enthusiastically endorsed him for President: Run The Rock! Run The Rock. He said that, for President, I want the f*cking Rock! because he would scare anybody that would hurt us, which would make America so safe. He said the same goes for Liam Neeson, but mentions Neeson wouldnt be able to run because he wasnt born in the United States, but says the Democrats should run the American Liam Neeson...because nobody would f*ck with him. Dawn bombing attacks The Tuesday retaliatory dawn attack (4:00 AM local time or 1:00 AM GMT) happened at a makeshift camp where Iraq refugees and displaced Syrians in Rajim al-Salibeh near the Iraq border, it was reportedly done by five Suicide Bombers. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, confirmed that around five suicide attackers blew themselves up both inside and outside the camp for Iraqi refugees and displaced Syrians in Hasakeh province. With over 21 of the dead being displaced Syrians or Iraq refugees and over 30 wounded with some in critical condition with death tolls expected to rise, some people are still unaccounted for. The dead are expected to be buried in Al-Hol a nearby town. Civilians fleeing Islamic State (IS) in both Syria and Iraq have been making their way to the desolate border region seeking protection and possible onward access to safety in the Kurdish-controlled region. The conditions in the camp are as expected in a highly populated area, with little shelter and amenities and authorities being overstretched. Syrian Military efforts The U.S backed SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militia, has been busy seizing large swathes of Northern Syria from Islamic State in a campaign focused on pushing to drive the jihadist group out of their base of operations Raqqa city, with the SDF stating that they had claimed most of the strategic town of Tabqa 40 kilometres West of Raqqqa along the Euphrates. Isis who once controlled large parts of Hasekeh province but have now been pushed out of almost all of it with Kurdish authorities now having control of most of the area. Syria's government still maintains a small presence in the province mostly in its capital Hasekeh city. Isis, however, remains a potent power in neighbouring Deir Ezzor province where a lot of Syrians arriving at the border post are fleeing. Fighting is said to have continued on Tuesday to capture the last few districts of Tabqa whose location is a strategic position on a supply route about 55 KM West of Raqqa, as well as an adjacent dam, Syria's largest and the last major obstacle as militias prepare to launch an assault on Raqqa. The Islamic State attack on Hasaka was targetted at the Asayish, a Kurdish internal security force operating in Northwest Syria. Since the conflict began in in March 2011 with anti-government protests, over 320,000 people have suffered and died as casualties of the conflict. The war has also brought in foreign armies and fighters including jihadists fighting alongside IS. With the pressure mounting over the scandal linking Russia to the White House, Donald Trump is doing whatever it takes to turn the tables. While the majority of the mainstream media has been pushing evidence that ties Trump to the Kremlin, the president is using his own sources to back up his agenda. Trump's theory Just over a month ago, Donald Trump went on a tweet-storm and accused former President Barack Obama of wiretapping his office inside Trump Tower during the election, No credible evidence has ever been released to back up the allegations, with even the FBI and Department of Justice dismissing the claim, which was confirmed by FBI Director James Comey during a hearing in Congress last month. As expected, the former host of "The Apprentice" has labeled any reports disputing his conspiracy as "fake news," while quoting only right-wing and conservative-leaning news outlets in an attempt to validate his agenda. As seen on his Twitter account on April 3, Trump has once again used Fox News as his primary source of information. .@FoxNews from multiple sources: "There was electronic surveillance of Trump, and people close to Trump. This is unprecedented." @FBI Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2017 Taking to his Twitter feed on Monday morning, Donald Trump is not taking his foot off the gas in reference to his conspiracy. Trump's theory gained steam last week when Republican House Intel Chair Devin Nunes allegedly gathered private information, bypassed the House Intelligence Committee, and reported directly to the White House about the possibility of the president being spied on by unknown sources. Nunes' claim was all Trump needed to keep his theory alive, which he doubled down with using Fox News for cover. Trump Trusts 'Fox & Friends' Over His Own Intelligence Community https://t.co/pbOOCGhdn6 Soulfare (@SoulfareInc) April 3, 2017 "Fox News from multiple sources: 'There was electronic surveillance of Trump, and people close to Trump. This is unprecedented,'" Donald Trump tweeted out, before tagging the FBI in his post, while trying to get their eyes on the story. The Fox News story has not yet been confirmed as of press time, but it doesn't appear that it is stopping the president from using it to his advantage. Next up After just two months in the White House, Donald Trump has already been surrounded by a constant stream of controversy. While it's unknown how the Russian scandal will conclude, the billionaire real estate mogul and his favorite news outlets don't look like they are willing to throw the towel in just yet. Joy Lane, the former girlfriend of Facebook killer Steve Stephens, was recently interviewed by Inside Edition. Lane was mentioned in the Facebook Live video that Stephens posted to the social media platform as being his reason for shooting 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Before he took Godwins life on a Cleveland street, Stephens left voicemail messages for his girlfriend. One of the messages left by Stephens said that he was trying to be a better man and that he was now motivated to strive to be the best in life, stressing the words, Im really motivated. Joy Lane lived with Steve Stephens for three years Lane and Stephens, 37, lived together for three years. She told Inside Edition that two days prior to the murder, they were still together and according to her, everything seemed to be fine. However, she noted that Stephens had a gambling problem and that this was causing friction in their relationship. She finally gave Stephens an ultimatum, telling him it was either her, or the gambling. As reported by the New York Daily News, just before Stephens shot Godwin on the Facebook Live video, he mentioned Lanes name. In fact, he asked Godwin to repeat the name, before telling him she was the reason this was going to happen to him. He then shot Godwin dead in cold blood. Joy Lane asked if anyone blames her for the death of Robert Godwin Sr. Les Trent from Inside Edition asked Lane if anyone blames her for Godwins death and she responded in the affirmative. According to Lane, Stephens tried to call her twice before killing Godwin and he then disappeared. Lane said she had no idea what Stephens was calling her about or what he was going to say to her, and after the shooting the police reportedly told her not to text Stephens. Lane said she did, anyway, but he didnt get back to her. For her safety, and that of her three children, police moved them into a hotel, fearing Stephens might come after them following the shooting. However, it was three days later that he was tracked down by police in Eerie, Pa., where he shot himself after a police chase. Hear the Voicemail Steve Stephens Left Joy Lane Before Facebook Killing - https://t.co/RbhW82vUO2 pic.twitter.com/z7d90ldwDf Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 30, 2017 Lane told "Inside Edition" that she had no idea Stephens would snap like he did. She said she still thinks of him as being a good guy, but one who did something very wrong. Lane also believes that Stephens loved her like no other man has loved her before. When she heard what he had done, she said she screamed and cried. She never imagined he would do something like that. When asked about the moment Stephens blamed her for killing Godwin in the Facebook Live video, Lane said her reaction to that was pure sadness. The full interview can be heard in the video included below. The incident occurred at Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica, Mass. shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Hundreds of people were gathered inside the building for an auto auction when a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee sped through the crowd. One man and two women were killed and nine people were injured, some critically. Four of the injured were transported to Lahey Hospital, while others are being treated at other hospitals in the area. Jeep Cherokee crash believed to be accidental According to a news conference given by Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, police believe the incident was accidental. According to Ryan, vehicles were being driven into the building by employees for potential buyers at the auto auction to view. The Jeep was one of these vehicles, but she said it traveled through the building at a high rate of speed. The vehicle only stopped when it hit a cinderblock wall, crashing right through to the outside of the building. Ryan stressed that it is still a very active scene, saying the investigation is ongoing. The driver of that vehicle is said to be in his 70s and an employee of the company, but so far officials do not know what caused the accident. The driver was not among the victims hospitalized. Billerica Police Chief Daniel Rosa said it was a very tragic accident, adding that it was a chaotic and large scene with many bystanders. Massachusetts State Police said no evidence of a terrorist act As reported by CBS, the Massachusetts State Police said in a statement that at this stage, there is no evidence that points to the incident being intentional or a terrorist act. The information and evidence they have gathered so far points to an accidental cause. Officials have sent detectives and a crash reconstruction team to assist the Billerica Police Department in their investigation. According to Billerica Fire Chief Thomas Conway, with the amount of people attending the auction, it could have been much worse. According to officials, their investigation is centering around whether there was a mechanical failure, or if the driver suffered a medical emergency. #BREAKING: Sources say 3 dead, at least 13 injured after SUV speeds through crowded #Billerica car auction https://t.co/qHLInwsOQZ pic.twitter.com/OPSfIq7wJy WBZ Boston News (@cbsboston) May 3, 2017 WBZ-TV interviewed a witness at the scene, who gave his name only as Geraldo. He said he was inside the building when the incident happened and saw the Jeep speeding up as it drove through the crowd. To him, it happened very quickly and appeared to be an accident, as it went right through the building and hit the wall at the end. Other witnesses say the vehicle sped over eight lanes inside the building, with several hundred people inside. Jeep Cherokee recall for acceleration issues According to a report by Syracuse.com, CBS spoke to a car dealer, Wissam Merhab, who said he believes the vehicles' gas pedal got stuck, causing it to speed out of control. He said it is unclear whether the Jeep in question was among several other Jeep Cherokee models that were recalled because of acceleration issues. The influential director of the #Federal Bureau of Intelligence, #James Comey, has aggressively defended his reasons for telling Congress about #Hillary Clinton's email use on a private server less than fourteen days before the US election. On Wednesday Comey told Congress that the poplar views of him that he had changed the course of America's history by effecting the vote made him mildly nauseous. A Senate Judiciary Committee reveals some more His comments came during a workaday #Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing where his startling explanations of the tumultuous events of Election Day, and the proceeding weeks, was broadcast to the country. He described and explained his actions, and appeared to hope to calm the storm that he has stirred since that fateful day in 2106 when he came under fire. Comey explicated that he took his views on #Clinton's email use public on October 28 2106 because he believed that the emails themselves may have explained Clintons motives for utilizing her own private server during her tenure as the United States Secretary of State; hence he thought that this may effect the outcome of his investigation. If he hadn't informed congress, Comedy added, it would have been seen as an act of concealment. And in his view, concealment would have been catastrophic, and would have also have been disastrous for him personally and professionally. But what #Comey sees as concealment is what Justice Department specialists see as a simple act of following regulations and rules. For this reason, his explanation troubled some in the political sphere. Indeed, the #Federal Bureau of Investigation doesnt usually confirm any of its continuing investigations. In fact, according to the New York Times, Senior Justice Department officials pressed him not to contact Congress to tell them that the FBI was looking at new emails. His critics say that this proves he was wrong to inform the public of the investigation which had not yet reached a proper conclusion. On Wednesday, #Twitter and social media was awash with reactions to Comey's claims. Some uses bristled at his suggestions that he was acting from a space of regulatory duty. One Twitter user said that 'Comey, or should I say Comedy, is faithful to the tradition of J. Edgar Hoover, who was a total slimeball. ' Whilst another user said that Comey seemed to have no problem 'concealing Trump staff's interaction with Russians, which they were aware of ' Comey's management of the Clinton investigation was in fact proceeded by another equally outlandish event that involved him, this during 2004. This was a standoff at a hospital bed about Bush administration wiretapping. Comey was the acting attorney general during the memorable event, with his ill superior, John Ashcroft, beside him. Comey would not agree to authorize a program for eavesdropping without warrants, even though White house aides urged him to do so. When, in 2007, Comey retold that event to #Congress in 2007, he seemed unflustered and assured. But during his testimony on Wednesday he appeared to be a little more animated according to specialists and critics. At times he came across as cautious, perhaps even defensive. The hearing on Wednesday was meant to be a routine congressional oversight proceeding, unlike the House Intelligence Committee hearing that took place in March during which Comey shocked everyone by asserting that there was in fact carrying out an investigation into Russian meddling in the election taking place. This is something that FBI officials rarely do and to hear it from Comey unsettled many. Jeff Sessions asked Congress top give him money to Declare War on the states that legalized Marijuana. He has said, on multiple occasions that he doesn't see a medical use for cannabis and would like to keep it as a "banned" substance in America. New budget refused to fund war on marijuana The new budget of $1 trillion, allowed $1.5 billion for more border control and $12.5 billion for military spending; however, there was no money left for Sessions' war on marijuana. Congress agreed to the budget, which avoided a government shutdown, until the end of September. Sessions will continue to push his war on marijuana agenda Jeff Sessions planned to try to prevent the country, including the US territories from legalizing the use and consumption of medical marijuana. This comes on the heels of marijuana advocacy groups campaign to get cannabis removed from Controlled Substance Act. On March 15, Sessions address his opinion on marijuana use, comparing it to heroin. A few months ago he stated that he "knows people" who were addicted to cannabis. He added that he doesn't think that replacing heroin and opioids with cannabis is a good idea. Do you think America needs a war on marijuana, right now? It's no secret that Republicans and democrats can't seem to get on the same page. Following the election of Donald Trump, the political division in Washington D.C. has found a way to get even worse. Trump on Twitter During the eight years that former President Barack Obama was in office, the Republican Party made a habit of obstructing nearly all of the major pieces of legislation that the Democrats attempted to pass through Congress. The tension reached a fever pitch back in 2012 when Republicans, largely led by Sen. Ted Cruz and the Tea Party, refused to compromise with their Democratic counterparts on a spending bill and the United States government was partly shutdown as a result. A deal was later reached, but ultimately reflected negativity on the entire political process and those involved for letting partisan politics get in the way of running the country. Fast forward to present day with Donald Trump now in office and that division between the left and right is only widening by the day. After Congress reached a short-term spending bill to fund the government until the fall, Trump lashed out on Twitter on May 2 in an aggressive attack on Democrats. The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2017 Taking to his Twitter account on Tuesday morning was Donald Trump and the president didn't seem too pleased with what was going on in Congress. "The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there!" Trump tweeted out. either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good "shutdown" in September to fix mess! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2017 In a follow-up message on Twitter, Donald Trump then called for a government shutdown later this year. "We either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%," Trump tweeted, while demanding, "Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!" Moving forward While Donald Trump is openly calling for a government, or "country" shutdown, it's not likely going to go over well with the American people. The last time the government was shutdown, Congress managed to watch its approval rating drop even lower than it was. For the former host of "The Apprentice," he can't afford to have his poll numbers drop, as he is currently sitting on just a 40 percent favorable rating, which is the lowest number for a president's first 100 days in office in the last 70 years. Unless Trump and the Republican Party can find a way to reach a deal with the Democrats, it's almost certainly going to be a tough road ahead in Washington over the next six months. FBI translator Daniela Greene, 38, was tasked with investigating Denis Cuspert, a German-born former rapper whose career had changed to that of a bloodthirsty ISIS jihadist. However, she Fell In Love with the man instead and married him. It might sound a little like the plot of a television show Homeland comes to mind but it happened in real life. According to CNN, Cuspert had been seen on several execution videos, showing off the ISIS penchant for savagery, including footage which showed him holding severed heads. Even though Greene had watched those videos, at some time back in 2014 she fell in love with the ISIS terrorist, despite his brutal background, leaving her husband in the U.S. to join Cuspert in war-torn Syria. She then lied to the FBI about her whereabouts. Greene tasked with investigating ISIS terrorist The story goes back to around three years after Greene joined the FBI, when she was assigned to the Detroit Bureau of Investigation in January 2014 and handled the task of investigating Cuspert. Reportedly by June that year she had already fallen for the terrorist and made plans to meet the ISIS terrorist in Syria. The couple was then married sometime later that month. It seems the FBI translator eventually realized her mistake. It turns out she had been in touch with an unnamed person in the U.S. and had emailed them to say she was having second thoughts about the whole situation. In one email she said she was weak and that she couldnt handle things anymore, admitting she had made a real mess of things. She fled Syria and arrived back in the U.S. in August 2014, where she was immediately taken into custody. Court documents: Rogue FBI employee married ISIS terrorist: https://t.co/TjT6l6HZpV pic.twitter.com/aAzoJrMcZF ABC 7 News - WJLA (@ABC7News) May 2, 2017 Full cooperation by the FBI translator Reportedly after Greene was arrested, she offered to fully cooperate with the authorities. Greene pleaded guilty to making false statements in December 2014 regarding international terrorism. She was then jailed and released from prison back in August 2016 after serving a relatively short two-year sentence. She now reportedly works as a hostess in a hotel lounge. As reported by the New York Post, many say Greene got off easy, especially when compared to other Americans who have been prosecuted for crimes relating to ISIS. Reportedly a study run by Fordham University in 2016 found such people normally receive an average sentence of 13 years behind bars. However, it seems her willingness to cooperate with authorities ultimately gave her a lighter sentence. As for Cuspert, Pentagon officials reportedly released a statement back in October 2015 to the effect that the ISIS terrorist had been killed during an airstrike. However, that statement was later corrected to say he had survived. The ISIS terrorist was known under his rapper guise in Germany as Deso Dogg. He was infamous for terror-related rap songs including lyrics where Cuspert praised Osama bin Laden and rapped about killing then U.S. President Barack Obama. In Syria, he was known as The German or Abu Talha al-Almani. He is believed to still be somewhere in ISIS-held Syria. According to CNN, Greenes story has only recently come to light, after it was finally unsealed by the Justice Department.The documents were reportedly only unsealed after Greene completed her cooperation with the FBI. Her lawyer, Shawn Moore, a former assistant federal public defender, said Greene was a well-meaning person who got into something way over her head. More information about the case can be heard in the video included below. Hillary Clinton came out of hiding to talk about her devastating loss in November and what led to the Democrats losing the election. The former Democratic presidential candidate believes that FBI director, Comey, sexism and the Wikileaks Russian scandal contributed to her loss. The FBI investigation Comey's announcement to reopen Clinton's email server scared off potential voters. Those who may have been on the fence about who to vote for may have decided to vote for Hillary after the investigation came out. Many Trump supporters said at the time that they couldn't back a candidate that was under an FBI probe, so the choice for them was simple. Little did they know that less than three months later, the golden boy, Trump would be under a full-scale FBI investigation for his (illegal) ties to Russia. Wikileaks released Clinton emails If it was just the FBI investigation, Hillary might have been able to recover. However, at the same time, she faced another scandal---Wikileaks posted a series of emails that incriminated Clinton. In the hacked emails, Hillary's stance on gay marriage, a plan to defeat Sanders, and a plan to push for Trump to be her opponent so she would have a better chance at winning. What these emails did to Hillary's campaign was devastating. They made it hard for anyone to trust her. People who were on her side began to question whether she was a good candidate o not. Sexism Clinton believes that sexism played a part in her loss, too. She would have been the first female American president. She now believes that America may not have been ready for a woman president. Clinton noted that another obstacle she faced was people found her threatening because she is a successful woman who has accomplished more than some men in politics. Hillary spent years as a high-powered attorney before becoming the first lady. Later, she ran for a New York Senate seat and served with President Obama as the Secretary of State. Even with her 2016 loss, she has had quite a career. The last ten days decided her loss Clinton said that she ran a "good campaign," not perfect but it was good. She said that everything was going well and it looked like she was going to win the election, until the last ten days when Americans reacted to the Russian-led Wikileaks email hack and Comey's investigation. Even though she lost the election in November, she is proud of her campaign. She admits to making mistakes in her campaign but believes that she would have been a better president than Trump, even to this day. Clinton baited Trump Hillary said that she beat Trump in the popular vote by three million votes, even though he won the Elector College. Hillary added that she was sure that she would hear from the president or he would tweet about it. Hillary Clinton: "If the election were on Oct. 27, I would be your president" https://t.co/UYtfTevQZa pic.twitter.com/7lbjfjaSfd Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 3, 2017 "Fine. Better than the interfering in foreign affairs," Clinton said, according to CNN. "If he wants to tweet about me than I am happy to be the diversion because we ha a lot of things to worry about. He should worry less about the election and my winning the popular vote than doing some other things that would be important for the country." Of course, Trump responds President Trump responded to Clinton's comments. He said that Comey was the best thing that happened to Hillary, giving her a free pass to her "bad deeds," and cleared her of any wrongdoing. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 Trump claimed that his alleged connection to Russia was an excuse the Democrats created to explain why they lost the election. Of course, he had to point out that the reason he won was because he ran a "great campaign." ...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 Hillary Clinton spoke openly about her loss and reflected on the events that lead up to lossing the election to Donald Trump. She announced that she is working on a book that explains in detail why she lost and what the Democrats need to do to win back the presidency. For the last two years, Donald Trump has not held back when expressing his thoughts on social media. When it comes to Hillary Clinton's opinion on the subject, she was pretty clear in getting it across. Clinton on Trump When Donald Trump first announced that he was running for office, the consensus was that his campaign wouldn't last long and was met with mostly laughs. However, as time moved forward and Trump gained momentum, it was clear that the former host of "The Apprentice" was going to be the next Republican nominee for president. Despite his early success, Trump was seen as the underdog when facing off against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the general election. To the surprise of many, including himself, Trump was able to pull off the upset win over the former Secretary of State, winning in key swing states like Ohio, Florida, Michigan, and even the traditionally blue state state of Pennsylvania. Since the election, speculation has increased over how Trump was able to actually win in the first place, including, but not limited to, the Russian hacking scandal and the drama surrounding FBI Director James Comey. While Trump has continued to promote his election win as a legit victory, Clinton had a few words to say for herself, as reported by Mediate on May 2. (Clinton's comments about Twitter start at 3:00 in the above video.) According to Mediate on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton spoke with Christiane Amanpour during the Women For Women luncheon and didn't hold back her thoughts about Donald Trump, making sure to put a special emphasis on his Twitter obsession. "Negotiations are critical," Clinton said, before noting, "They have to be part of a broader strategy, not just thrown out on a tweet some morning." Hillary Clinton Calls Herself 'Part of the Resistance', Trolls Trump Over Election Results https://t.co/jwLlVwt6wK (VIDEO) pic.twitter.com/qdEDtMFRj2 Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 2, 2017 Hillary Clinton then noted that she actually won the popular vote over Donald Trump, which caused the crowd to laugh and cheer, promoting Amandpour to response, "I feel a tweet coming on." "Fine," Clinton responded, before adding, "Better that than interfering in foreign affairs if he wants to tweet about me." Not stopping there, Clinton went on to say that she was "happy to be the diversion." Moving forward While Donald Trump has not yet offered a response to Hillary Clinton's remarks, it wouldn't come as a surprise if he does due to his history of lashing out at his political opponents, especially his former general election opponent. Despite Trump's victory, he's currently sitting on a historically low approval rating for this early in a presidency, with only 40 percent of Americans holding a favorable opinion of the commander in chief. It's no secret that Fox News host Sean Hannity is a fan of Donald Trump. While Hannity has supported the president ad nauseam in the past, it's his recent comments about Trump avoiding the Vietnam War that raised eyebrows. Hannity on Trump When Donald Trump held his press conference on the floor of Trump Tower to announce his campaign for president back in June 2015, the consensus was that he wouldn't last long in the race. The majority of the mainstream media laughed at the former host of "The Apprentice," with only those in the right-wing media giving Trump their support. Over the course of the next two years, Trump found a way to bypass much of the press, using social media outlets like Twitter to get his message across. While Trump made it clear he wasn't a fan of reporters and journalists, he always had a safe space with Sean Hannity on Fox News. During Trump's first 100 days in office, Hannity stood by his side through thick and thin, defending the president in nearly every area, which appeared to continue during the May 2 broadcast of his show on Fox News. (The Draft Dodging remarks start at 2:45 in the above video.) During the Tuesday night edition of "Hannity," host Sean Hannity was joined by liberal panel guest Jessica Tarlov as well as conservative firebrand Tomi Lahren, when the conversation took an odd turn in direction. Lahren gave her usual shtick, blasting "social justice warriors" on college campuses for violently protesting against conservative speakers, while claiming they would never serve in the military. In response, Tarlov hit back hard at Trump. Sean Hannity Defends Trumps Draft Dodging: There Is a Legitimate Medical Condition! (VIDEO) https://t.co/P0nJfITivm pic.twitter.com/f2uXeO0jhY Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 3, 2017 "When you have a draft dodging president right now that you fully support please don't bring up the serving overseas issue," Jessica Tarlov said. "There is a legitimate medical condition!" Sean Hannity later fired back. "Stop!" Hannity continued, growing visibly frustrated with Tarlov. "Do you know it's not legitimate?" Hannity asked, before wondering, "Do you know anything about his medical condition? No. So let's not speculate." Moving forward While Sean Hannity continues to defend Donald Trump, he also has his own problems to worry about. In addition to the unfounded allegations of sexual harassment against him, rumors of Hannity's departure from Fox News have heated up after former co-president of the network, Bill Shine, left the company earlier this week. Hannity has since denied his exit from the network, but only time will tell how it all works out. Donald Trump spent the past several days granting a number of interviews with various media outlets, many of them he has called "fake news" outlets. The interviews published by outlets like Bloomberg, the SiriusXM radio network and CBS (Face the Nation) were timed to the 100-day mark of his presidency. One of those interviews was with John Dickerson of CBS Face the Nation and also shown on CBS Morning News, which ended suddenly when it was obvious President Trump was frustrated and perturbed by the continuing questioning about the charge that Trump was wiretapped by former President Barack Obama. At the end of the interview, Trump waved Mr. Dickerson away when he repeatedly and relentlessly questioned him about Obama and the false, unfounded charges. President Trump brings up false 'wire tap' charges On March 4, President Trump tweeted: "Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory." The claim has been roundly disputed by not only Obama administration aides, Democrats but also members of his own Republican party. The FBI and the intelligence communities have also pooh-poohed the charges that Obama ever "wiretapped" Trump. Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017 Trump ends uncomfortable interview with 'That's enough, thank you' As the interview heated up, Trump told Dickerson "That's enough, Thank You" and went to sit at his desk as shown in this video. What appeared to set off the volatile Trump was the mention of the words "fake news." In spite of this, Mr. Dickerson traveled with Trump as planned to a 100th-day rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Then during the Monday press briefing in the James Brady Room at the White House, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer directly contradicted his boss' earlier comments in denying the literal meaning of the presidents own words. Mr. Spicer was asked what Trump meant by the words, I dont stand by anything." He was asked how is the public to digest when the president says, "I dont stand by anything? WH Press Secretary Sean Spicer contradicts his boss Then Spicer said, I think the point is, he clearly stands by that. Thats something thats made very clear if you look at the entire back and forth exchange. White House press secretary Sean Spicer tells @CeciliaVega that Pres. Trump "clearly stands by" Obama wiretap claim. https://t.co/Qs5U4FeNmh pic.twitter.com/5iCfQttaJ7 ABC News (@ABC) May 2, 2017 In other interviews, Trump said he would be "honored" to meet with Kim Jong-Un, the violent North Korean dictator, under the right circumstances. The same man he has threatened with military action and the same man that is developing nuclear missiles and oppresses his people of North Korea. CNN's headline reads "Clinton: 'If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president'." The Washington Post reads "I would be your president': Clinton blames Russia, FBI chief for 2016 election loss." USA TODAY is running "Hillary Clinton blames James Comey, Wikileaks for 2016 election loss." Not a single mainstream media outlet led with the headline "Hillary Clinton Accepts Responsibility for 2016 Election Loss," or anything like it, although those were the words that left her mouth. In one of her few public appearances since the election, on top of mocking President Trump's twitter use, Hillary Clinton told CNN's Christiane Amanpour at a recent Women for Women International event in New York that "I take absolute personal responsibility. I was the candidate; I was the person on the ballot." This is as direct and sincere an acknowledgment of culpability as can be expressed. However, what stuck for many reporters were comments that followed, including "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian Wikileaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off." Clinton further added cultural misogyny on the whole to a contributing factor, coyly alluding that it would be further discussed in her upcoming book. Media drawing conclusions Clinton blew off her role This plain listing of contributing factors that led to her election loss left some reporters drawing the conclusion that she was blowing off her role. Aaron Blake at the Washington Post said, "The total picture was that of a candidate only adding things she blames for her loss rather than truly looking inward." Glenn Thrush of the New York Times sent no less than fourteen tweets on May 2nd engaging in commentary of what he deemed an insufficient expression of responsibility, writing in one tweet "Mea Culpa-not so much: Hillary says she was 'on the way to winning' but combination of Comey letter, Russia 'scared off' voters," and "I don't care if she takes responsibility. I care if her explanation jibes with reality. It does, sorta, with glaring omissions." What sort of admission of omissions is Thrush looking for? Does he want her to say that she should have gone to Wisconsin? Does he want her to say that she should have listened to Bill and went after working-class white voters? Should she unsheathe a katana and commit harakiri? Russia hacked both parties The reality is the factors Clinton alluded to are indisputable. Russia did hack both political parties and chose to release only the data found from the DNC, laundering it through Wikileaks which CIA director Mike Pompeo referred to as a "hostile intelligence service" in service of favoring Donald Trump. The letter released by James Comey on October 28th impacted her poll numbers, as pointed out by Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight. According to the FiveThirtyEight election model of the election probability moved from 81.5% Clinton 18.5% Trump on the day the letter was released to 64.5% Clinton and 35.4% Trump on November 4th. Comey's letter on October 28th only became more egregious in the eyes of history when he testified to the House Intelligence committee that the FBI had been investigating Donald Trump's campaign for collusion with Russian intelligence. It would be a whole article in itself (or maybe a book) to explain all the ways in which misogyny impacted Clinton's chances. Despite the inherent truth to her claims, Clinton is being beaten up in the press over not admitting enough guilt. Thus far, no one has presented what admitting sufficient guilt will look like. And the way the goalposts have been moved on Clinton for the entirety of her public life, I'm not sure it ever will. Ever since the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump has used social media to bypass traditional news outlets in an attempt to push his own political agenda. While his supporters still stand by him, many are getting fed up with his non-stop Twitter rants. MSNBC on Trump When Donald Trump first announced his campaign for president, he quickly came under fire when he labeled illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." The mainstream media were quick to report in a negative fashion, which resulted in push back from the former host of "The Apprentice." Over the course of the next year and a half, Trump and the press would engage in a war of words, with their feud only escalating further following Inauguration Day. Whether it's his controversial rhetoric, questionable executive orders and policy proposals, or his obsessive nature in how he handles his tweets, Trump has caused many to wonder about his mental health. Following another weekend of Twitter messages that raised eyebrows, the issue was highlighted during the April 3 edition of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough ripped into Donald Trump on Monday morning, targeting the president's recent tweets, which many have been debunked as falsehoods. "Hes repeated this over and over and over again, Scarborough said of Trump's wiretapping conspiracy, before comparing it to "picking the same scab over and over again. Scarborough then questioned the administration for not setting Trump straight on the issue, noting, "they keep making excuses for him." Joe Scarborough noted that one of Donald Trump's first acts as commander in chief was to "obsess about crowd size" during his inauguration, where he "starts lying." "Im sorry, that is not a healthy, normal, well-functioning man," he pointed out. "He starts lying about Barack Obama," the MSNBC host continued, once again calling "not healthy." "Something is deeply wrong with this man," he went on to say. "On Twitter, stop being stupid," Joe Scarborough stated. Scarborough then said that Donald Trump's political issues run deeper than his campaign, highlighting his push of the birther conspiracy during the Obama administration. "It was offensive, it was a lie and it was racist," he concluded, before explaining that the billionaire real estate mogul was simply motivated by "his political self-interest," comparing him to a "bigot in the South back in the 1940s." Next up While the media continues to hammer home the issues of Donald Trump's Twitter rants and rhetoric, the president doesn't appear willing to back down anytime soon. Though Trump has base support of about 35 percent, it looks like it's going to be a tough choir to improve those numbers any higher after only two months in the White House. This charity event is traditionally organized by the editor of American "Vogue" Anna Wintour, and this year it was dedicated to the Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo. The event was filled with glamour and celebrities who couldn't wait to show off their style. However, there were a couple of scandals as well and now we bring you the most important highlights from the event. The event was filled with unusual fashion combinations Exhibition of Rei Kawakubo, who is behind the brand Comme des Garcons, will be open on May 4. Visitors will be able to see 150 of her famous creations. This event always has a particular theme, and this is the second time in history that the theme of the Met Gala is a designer. In 1983 Met Gala was organized in honor of Yves Saint Laurent. Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen were hosts of this year's event, next to Wintour. The evening was marked by Rihanna, whose fantastic costume was an integral part of the exhibition. Katy Perry wore an unusually long red dress, and her face was covered with a red veil. In cooperation with the designer John Galliano, she added something of her own. It was in the form of three large diamond rings, and a personal touch was given with the word "witness". Kendall Jenner had a provocative transparent dress with 85000 crystals sewn on it. Her sister Kylie appeared in the company of Donatella Versace and both of them had very interesting dresses as well. Pharrell Williams arrived on the red carpet in jeans, a plaid shirt, and denim jacket, and his wife Helen Lasichanh also had an unusual outfit. She wore an oversized red jumpsuit and looked quite different from the rest of the guests. Model Bella Hadid wore a leotard for the occasion, which emphasized all of her attributes. Will Smith's son also appeared at the event and he had a very strange accessory. Instead of the usual fashion accessories, he decided to hold his hair in his hand. Kylie Jenner broke one of the most important rules However, not everything was as perfect as it sounds. This event has very strict rules and one of the stars was brave enough to break one of them. American reality star, Kylie Jenner decided to take a bathroom selfie with her friends, even though one of the Met Gala organizers strictly forbid selfies and media during the ceremony. However, Kylie published a large selfie from the bathroom on her Instagram profile. Next to Kylie we can also see Kim Kardashian, Frank Ocean, P. Diddy, A$AP Rocky, Brie Larson, Paris Jackson, Ashton Sanders, Luke Sabbat, Michelle Monaghan and Lily Aldridge. It is unknown whether Kylie will be fined for violating the rules and whether the photo which collected nearly 3.5 million likes will be taken off her profile. HOHHOT -- More than 7,700 people are battling a forest fire that broke out Tuesday in northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, authorities said Wednesday. The fire broke out in Beidahe forest in the Greater Hinggan Mountains. As of Wednesday morning, it had engulfed around 5,000 hectares of forest, according to the regional forest fire prevention headquarters. Dry vegetation, strong changeable winds and high temperatures are making it difficult to extinguish the blaze, according to the headquarters. State Forest Fire Prevention Headquarters are dispatching 12 firefighting airplanes to the site. Another 600 firefighters from neighboring Heilongjiang Province are ready to join the efforts if the blaze is not brought under control. The cause of the fire is unknown. This spring, temperatures in Inner Mongolia are higher than average, increasing fire risks. A cross-border fire broke out in another forest in the area Sunday. It was put out and cleanup is underway. Premier Li Keqiang guides Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen at an inspection of the People's Liberation Army Honor Guard outside the East Gate of the Great Hall of the People in Tian'anmen Square on Wednesday. FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY China and Denmark will strengthen cooperation in areas such as fishing, agriculture, food safety and drug regulations through a new collaborative work plan for the next three years, which is expected to bring the two countries' relationship to a new height. Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen of Denmark agreed to the joint work plan for their two nations from 2017 to 2020 during their meeting in Beijing on Wednesday. The plan details the road map and timetable for further cooperation. Rasmussen was making the first official visit by a Danish prime minister since the two countries established comprehensive strategic partnership in 2008. Li said he believes China and Denmark have great potential for further cooperation. And, as next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership, China is willing to use this opportunity to explore more cooperation between the two countries. Denmark is the first Nordic country to sign such agreement with China. Li stressed that China also is willing to work with Denmark in dealing with regional issues and international affairs while promoting free trade and investment convenience. Rasmussen praised China's rapid development since his last visit in 2010, and said China has shown increasing leadership on important global issues such as climate change. He expressed his willingness to fully implement the three-year work plan between the two countries and said Denmark, a firm supporter of free trade, warmly welcomes investment from Chinese companies. He also said as a member of the European Union, Denmark will promote the bilateral investment treaty between China and the EU to deepen relations. After the meeting, Li and Rasmussen observed as the signing of six documents: on food and drug regulations, quarantine and sanitary requirements and giant panda protection, among others. Liu Weimin, deputy director of the Department of European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the two leaders had long and candid discussions on promoting free trade amid increasing trade protectionism. He said Li emphasized that free trade benefits all countries and contributes to global peace and stability as well as the recovery of the global economy, while trade protectionism serves the no one's interests. Liu said the two leaders agreed to send strong signals to promote free trade and globalization in the upcoming China-EU Leaders' Meeting. Liu said both countries would work to enhance cooperation and, as 2017 is the year of tourism between China and Denmark, the first such activity between China and an EU country, steps to increase tourism were part of Wednesday's discussion between the leaders. China remains Denmark's largest trade partner in Asia with their bilateral trade reaching more than 110 billion Danish kroner (about $16.11 billion) a year, according to Denmark's statistical authorities. Combination of file photos show Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Dec 29, 2016 and US President Donald Trump at a press conference at the White House in Washington DC, the United States, on Feb 15, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis and fighting terrorism in the Middle East, the White House said on Tuesday. The two leaders also discussed "the very dangerous situation" on the Korean Peninsula, the White House said in a statement. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," said the statement, adding that they also discussed "at length working together" to fight terrorism across the Middle East. The United States would send a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, the statement added. It was the first phone call between Trump and Putin since Washington and Moscow wrangled over a US strike on the Syrian government last month. On April 6, Trump ordered a targeted missile strike at a Syrian military airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. After the US strike, Syrian state TV called the assault an "aggression" and both Russia and Syria had denied that the Syrian government launched the chemical weapons attack. The Russian government also condemned the US strike against the Syrian government as "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law." After the incident, Trump told reporters last month that the United States is "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low." Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 presidential election, attends a campaign rally in Paris, France, May 1, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] PARIS - Two thirds of hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon's supporters refused to back centrist Emmanuel Macron in his bid to govern France for the next five years, his party staff announced Tuesday. The anti-capitalist "France Unbowed" movement, whose representative in the presidential election (Melenchon) failed to pass to the second round of voting, launched a "refusal of what's happening," said Charlotte Girard, co-head of the hard-left party's program. Its results showed that only a third of the party's members said they would endorse Macron in a second round compared to 36.1 percent who said they would cast blank vote and 29.05 percent who said they would abstain from voting. "Casting a blank vote or abstaining are a way to say 'no' to the National Front, but also to say that the Macron option is not desirable," she added. On April 23, Melenchon won 19.58 percent of the first round of votes, failing to make it to the run-off despite reporting spectacular public support days before the election officially kicked off. During the campaign, he was a harsh critic of Macron's liberal economic project and Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration policy. However, he proposed a similar protectionist approach involving an exit from the eurozone and refused to endorse either of the top two candidates. A poll released earlier on Tuesday predicted Macron would win the French presidency, despite having lost ground to his rival Le Pen, the leader of the National Front Party. On May 7, the former economy minister is expected to defeat Le Pen with 59 percent of the votes to her 41 percent, according to Elabe survey for BFMTV news channel and L'Express magazine. Five days ahead of the decisive round of the French presidential elections, Macron lost five percentage points compared to a poll conducted on April 24. A total of 18 percent of 3,956 respondents said they were sure to head to the polling station on Sunday; but they were still undecided as to which candidate to vote for. With crude oil hovering around $50 per barrel, the 2017 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is less crowded and the displays smaller and less elaborate. However, Chinese companies are making a much stronger presence as the industry experiences a downturn. "I noticed that the China Pavilion area is much larger, and the number of Chinese companies has increased. I estimate that there are probably 200 to 300 Chinese companies at OTC this year," said Torry Wang, president of Houston-based Amphibian Petroleum Technologies. OTC, which runs from Monday through Friday, is the largest event in the world for the oil and gas industry with some 2,300 exhibitors representing more than 100 countries. The depressed oil price gave Chinese companies more opportunities to come to OTC, which has a long waiting list for exhibitors, explained Wang. His company has been taking part in OTC for seven years. "A lot of oil and gas companies decided not to show up due to the low oil price, thus freeing up spaces for Chinese companies. Some of them had tried for years to come to this event but couldn't get in until this year," said Wang. Wang's assessment was partially echoed by Yi Baishui, deputy general manager of CMEC International Exhibition Co. His company has been organizing Chinese companies to participate in OTC since 2008. "This year we brought more than 50 people from over 20 Chinese companies, much more than 30 some people last year," Yi said. "Although there are some policy uncertainties with the Trump administration when it comes to China-US relations, I am very glad to see more business exchanges going on between the US and China," said Zhao Zhenge, general representative of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). "I am certain the larger presence of Chinese companies at OTC will bring more bilateral business in this industry." Not only are Chinese companies more prominent at OTC, but more of them are selling products to the US oil and gas industry, according to Tim Gonzales, acting director of global business at the American Petroleum Institute (API). API certifies all products and services sold within the industry. Gonzales said that the number of API-certified Chinese companies has surpassed that of American companies since last year. "Now we certify more than 3,000 companies from China while we certify just about 3,000 companies in the US. It's very interesting," said Gonzales. Gonzales said that API, after working in China to bring US standards to Chinese manufacturers, is now interested in working with Chinese organizations and companies to develop industry standards that China requires. "So that when Chinese companies buy equipment such as pipes from the US, it will be the same as in China. We want to make the standard globally acceptable," said Gonzales, who discussed details with Zhao on how to work together to develop such standard for China. mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com Zhao Zhenge (right), general representative of CCPIT, talks to Tim Gonzales ofthe American Petroleum Institute at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston on Tuesday. MAY ZHOU / CHINA DAILY With crude oil hovering around $50 per barrel, the 2017 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is less crowded and the displays smaller and less elaborate. However, Chinese companies are making a much stronger presence as the industry experiences a downturn. "I noticed that the China Pavilion area is much larger, and the number of Chinese companies has increased. I estimate that there are probably 200 to 300 Chinese companies at OTC this year," said Torry Wang, president of Houston-based Amphibian Petroleum Technologies. OTC, which runs from Monday through Friday, is the largest event in the world for the oil and gas industry with some 2,300 exhibitors representing more than 100 countries. The depressed oil price gave Chinese companies more opportunities to come to OTC, which has a long waiting list for exhibitors, explained Wang. His company has been taking part in OTC for seven years. "A lot of oil and gas companies decided not to show up due to the low oil price, thus freeing up spaces for Chinese companies. Some of them had tried for years to come to this event but couldn't get in until this year," said Wang. Wang's assessment was partially echoed by Yi Baishui, deputy general manager of CMEC International Exhibition Co. His company has been organizing Chinese companies to participate in OTC since 2008. "This year we brought more than 50 people from over 20 Chinese companies, much more than 30 some people last year," Yi said. "Although there are some policy uncertainties with the Trump administration when it comes to China-US relations, I am very glad to see more business exchanges going on between the US and China," said Zhao Zhenge, general representative of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). "I am certain the larger presence of Chinese companies at OTC will bring more bilateral business in this industry." Zhao also will meet with local American and Chinese business leaders to broaden bilateral business cooperation. Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. HA NOI The US Department of Commerce has begun investigating the possibility of dumping of imports of tool chests and cabinets from Viet Nam and China. The investigation is being conducted following a petition from Waterloo Industries Inc., which filed an anti-dumping and a countervailing duty from the two countries on April 11. The company alleges a dumping margin of 159.99 per cent for China and a dumping margin of 21.85 per cent for Viet Nam. It also said exporters and producers from China had received unsuitable subisidisation from their government. The International Trade Commission (ITC) may reveal its primary investigation result on May 25. The investigation will be continued if ITC finds evidence that shows the import of tool chests and cabinets from the two countries is damaging or threatening the United States domestic industry. Last year, the United States imported tool chests and cabinet at a total value of US$989.9 million from China and $77 million from Viet Nam. The US anti-dumping law imposes special tariffs to counteract imports that are sold in the United States at less than normal value. For anti-dumping duties to be imposed, the US Government must determine not only that dumping is occurring, but also that there is material injury (or threat thereof) by reason of the dumped imports. Importers are liable for any potential anti-dumping duties imposed. In addition, these investigations could impact purchasers by increasing prices and/or decreasing the supply of tool chests and cabinets. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam lacks the legal wherewithal to deal comprehensively with dubious multilevel marketing companies operating in the country, officials say. While a crackdown on pyramid schemes by the Vietnam Competition Authority (VCA) has made some headway, authorities are unable to exercise due control over the multilevel marketing sector, they add. The VCA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), shut down 45 per cent of illegal multilevel marketing companies in the country last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). The MoIT said the VCA penalised 30 network marketing firms last year after careful investigation, imposing fines of VN8 billion (US$357,941). Of these 30 companies, 15 had their business licences revoked, 12 shut down their operations and three suspended theirs. The MoIT also said that the number of firms running selling networks apparently based on pyramid schemes decreased by 25 per cent between 2015 and 2016, from over 637,000 to about 425,000. We must concede that multilevel marketing is not a prohibited business, as regulated by the World Trade Organisation. However, in Viet Nam, legal documents relating to this issue are still lacking, particularly as to which goods or services are allowed. The ministry, therefore, has proposed to the Prime Minister and the National Assembly that more rules and regulations be developed for this sector, and firms be subjected to more investigation and control, said o Thang Hai, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade. He said provincial and municipal departments of Industry and Trade across the country have achieved greater success last year in implementing government regulations on illegal multilevel marketing activities. The Ha Noi Department of Industry and Trade levied fines of VN2.59 billion ($115,883) on network selling firms, with the infamous Thien Ngoc Minh Uy Co. paying the largest fine of more than VN1.5 billion ($67,114) as of April 2017. Multilevel marketing companies earned an estimated profit of VN7.8 trillion ($348.9 million) last year, down 2.5 per cent from 2015, seemingly unaffected by the drop in downline distributors. Also, just 11 firms made profits, with 18 reporting low earnings before taxes, not breaking even. Overall operating margin was reportedly just 0.5 to 3.8 per cent of net sales. Multilevel marketing firms paid around VN881 billion ($39.4 million) in taxes last year. The sectors post tax profit for 2016 is estimated at VN177 billion ($7.91 million), around 2.2 per cent of their annual revenue. It is also estimated that these firms paid their employees and downline distributors a total of VN2.4 trillion ($107.38 million), with an additional VN44 billion ($1.96 million) in promotional deals. The VCA has explained these numbers as the result of the extremely high level of value added tax paid by end consumers instead of actual corporate taxes. This also means that out of more than six hundred thousand network marketing participants in Viet Nam, only a handful are actual resellers. The rest are users. Most of the revenue for multilevel market companies came from functional food items (59 per cent) and cosmetics (24 per cent) from cosmetic items, followed by household goods, clothes and other products. According to the MoIT, it is difficult to regulate pricing for these items, which means illicit network sales companies can easily overprice them without reporting actual net sales to the authorities, enabling tax fraud. A common modus operandi for pyramid sales firms is to use multilevel selling for illegal trading of financial services or raising money illegally. In order to straighten up the network marketing scene in Viet Nam, the VCA intends to continue investigating, monitoring and dealing with irregularities, said VCA Deputy Director General Trinh Anh Tuan. A new circular and an amended decree have improved State management of multilevel sales activities, helping identify some subterfuges employed. Globally, pyramid and multilevel marketing schemes appeared in the seventies and generated a lot of controversy. In Viet Nam, it began in 1998 and the number of firms has been growing steadily in the last five to six years, at 20 to 30 per cent a year. The Vietnam Multi-Level Marketing Association, founded in 2009, has more than 100 member companies, though only 67 firms have been officially licensed by the MoIT. Multilevel marketing is a legitimate but controversial strategy in which the sales force is compensated not only for the sales they generate, but also for the number and net sales of other salespersons recruited, while applying different bonuses structures as the pyramid, binary and matrix models. VNS Covered warrants, a new investment tool, will be allowed to start trading on the HCM Stock Exchange this September. Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn HA NOI Covered warrants, a new investment tool, will be allowed to start trading on the HCM Stock Exchange this September. The launch of this product is considered the first step to introducing more option products in the future. This will be the fourth product traded on the HCM Citys bourse, together with stocks, bonds and fund certificates. The new product is expected to provide investors with more investment and hedge options, while helping draw foreign investments as there is no cap on foreign ownership of this product. Covered warrants, issued by a securities company, allow the holder to buy (call warrant) or sell (put warrant) the underlying stock (including shares, bonds or other securities) at a specific price on or before a pre-determined date. At a meeting last week, Nguyen Dich Thanh, deputy director for the product research and development division at the HCM Stock Exchange, said the bourse had launched a trial in late April. In the next four months, the exchange would complete the legal framework for support issuers (securities firms) in testing the trading system and issuing documents, Thanh said. Covered warrants, just like other options products, have potential larger capital gains/losses because of the difference between the exercise price and the stock price. However, investors must also take certain risks of default from issuers if they suffer financial stress. To mitigate risks, Circular 107 on the sale and trading of covered warrants by the Ministry of Finance, which took effect January 1 this year, set conditions under which an underlying security may have warrants and responsibilities of the issuance organization. The underlying stocks must be listed on a stock exchange and meet criteria in terms of market capitalization, liquidity, free float and business performance of the issuer. The stocks must also not be under special control, suspended from trading or soon to be delisted. Securities companies which want to issue covered warrants must satisfy conditions including charter capital and equity capital of at least VND1 trillion (roughly US$44 million), no cumulative losses and fully licensed securities operations. They are not being suspended and in the process of consolidation, merger or dissolution and their audit financial statements has no exceptions. The development of covered warrants is designed to prepare investors and derivatives market for more complicated products, including options. VNS TAY NINH Lavifood Joint Stock Company on May 2 broke ground for a fruit and vegetable processing plant in Tay Ninh Provinces Go Dau District. The 15ha Tanifood plant on National Highway 22B in Thanh uc Commune is expected to cost VN1.5 trillion (US$66.07 million). To be equipped with technologies from Germany, Sweden, Italy, and Japan, it will include a production line for fresh fruits and vegetables and heat treatment with a total capacity of 10,000 tonnes a year, a frozen fruit and vegetable production line with a capacity of 20,000 tonnes, a production line for drying, soft-drying and sublimation drying of fruits and vegetables, and a line for producing condensed fruit juice. It will also have a production line with a capacity of making fruit juices in 600 million cans, bottles and Tetrapak cartons a year. Pham Ngo Quoc Thang, general director of Lavifood JSC, said the new plant would make international standard products for export to the US, EU, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. The plant targets daily consumption of 500 tonnes of fruits like mangoes, passion fruits, pineapples and dragon fruits when it begins operation in November 2018. Pham Van Tan, chair man of the Tay Ninh Province Peoples Committee, said "The Tanifood plant is an important link in developing an agricultural value chain in the province and enhancing farmers incomes". Thangs company plans to build four more such plants in the province to enable Tay Ninh to become a high-value farm produce export hub and raise farmers incomes by three to four times from the current $1,500 per year. Many farmers in the province yesterday signed agreements with Tanifood to supply fruits for the plant. Established in 2014, Long An Province-based Lavifood processes and exports fruits and vegetables to the US, France, Japan, Australia, Korea, Algeria and other countries. The plant is its first project in Tay Ninh Province. VNS Eradicating the sidewalk economy to clear pavements for pedestrians is not a wise solution. Rather, the Government should consider pavements as public goods and plan to manage them in a manner that benefits all stakeholders. In mid-February, a team of police and urban management officers in HCM Citys District 1 cracked down on illegal sidewalk encroachment, kicking off a movement for localities - from the north to the centre - to follow suit. The issue made headlines in all media outlets. It was a hot issue not because it was being done for the first time, but because of the strong spillover effect on other localities something that had never happened before, and because of authorities forceful, even heavy handed response to pavement violations that have been a way of life. Imitating the pioneer in the south, many districts in large cities in the north like Ha Noi and Hai Phong, and in the centre, like a Nang, also tried to free up footpaths as part of a beautification effort and improve social security and order. Hang ao Street in Ha Nois Hoan Kiem District in one of the Old Quarters busiest and most crowded areas. VNS Photo oan Tung What they did They removed illegal parking areas, street vendors, advertising boards, extended canopies; dismantled ongoing construction works as well as parts of completed buildings, and even broke down perrons (exterior steps and platform at the main entrance to a large building) in front of peoples houses if they encroached a part of pavements. The actions were deserving of praise in so far as they restored pavements for pedestrian use and enhanced urban cleanliness. But the actions also came in for deserved criticism for their harshness, with pavements being cleared regardless of their width, not taking cognizance of the fact that several sidewalks were still wide enough for street vendors or households to open a stall and earn a living. Most of all, people are still wondering if such an aggressive campaign was really called for and whether it would bring long-term results. Weve seen similar campaigns earlier that were never as aggressive. Usually, they were launched just before Tet (Lunar New Year holidays) or some other special national events, and things returned to normal several weeks later. The root of the problem It seems that the pavement was being treated as a private good by some individuals/groups, and the State was failing its role as a public goods provider. It is pertinent to note that there are two important characteristics that differentiate public goods from private goods. First, it is non-competitive, meaning consumption by one user does not reduce supply available to others, and second, it is non-exclusive, meaning users cannot be prevented from consuming the goods. These characteristics make it difficult, if not impossible, to charge for public goods. So, according to the definition, pavements are public goods, but in Viet Nam, we could see that some pavements or pavement sections were being treated as exclusive property. An investigative report by the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in late March showed that several sidewalks in HCM City were owned and traded between local vendors. Depending on the location, a section of pavement could be sold for between VN100 million (US$4,400) and VN300 million, the newspaper reported. Some of these places were protected by gang members paid to help sellers keep the space from being occupied by other competitors and also to deal with inspectors. Local authorities seemed to be unaware of the situation till it was exposed by reporters. This, by itself, is evidence that the Government cannot eradicate the sidewalk economy completely. The consequences So what we saw was the emergence of an underground economy where pavements were traded as private goods. We saw the deprivation of opportunities for vulnerable, low-income migrants, and the loss of tax revenues, an important source for the State Budget. However, another aspect that should not be overlooked, is that for visitors, the pavement business is a prominent symbol of the attractiveness, friendliness and vitality of Vietnamese localities. Street food stalls, in particular, are a mystery and an adventure for foreign and domestic tourists. Recently, international news agencies have reported that street food stalls would be banned in all main roads of Bangkok a Southeast Asian city long renowned for its street cuisine. This move also prompted outrage among the nations citizens and disappointment among foreigners. We will have to wait and see what the city authorities do next to deal with the situation and what the ultimate outcome of this crusade will be. But I agree with Annette Kim, an associate professor at the University of Southern California and director of the Spatial Analysis Lab at the colleges Sol Price School of Public Policy, who was quoted by Saigoneer.com saying you could be losing an important part of the culture by following a homogenous, modernist approach to city planning. Experience from developed countries like Germany or France shows that sidewalks, as places for business by households and street vendors, can be an important source for employment/job creation and cities budget revenues if they are well managed. In these countries, authorities choose specific stretches of pavements dedicated to business households or street vendors to set up shops and they are only allowed to operate for a specific period of time in a day. In short, even if it is the key function, a pavement is not just for ensuring the right of people to have a walkway. It is also a space to promote the vitality of a locality. As a public good, it would neither be provided by the market at all, or would it be underprovided. In another words, even in public goods administration, things like market failure and social inequality can create conflicts of interest that the State has to deal with. Therefore, the State must intervene in providing this public goods space with appropriate plans that take into account social, economic, cultural and environment factors to minimise conflicts of interest. The planning and implementation must be done in a transparent, accountable manner. Otherwise, clear pavement or not, the State would have failed in fostering entrepreneurship and maintaining the nations cultural characteristics and identity. VNS Ngoc Bich YOKOHAMA The Asian Development Bank (ADB) this year plans to provide loans worth US$4.2 billion, doubling last years figure, to support developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region in addressing water challenges. The information was released by Deputy Director General of the ADBs Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department Amy S.P. Leung on Wednesday. Speaking at the media briefing on water and urban initiatives, Leung said that the Asia-Pacific region is facing a critical situation with water security. Currently, most of the region is facing problems of ageing infrastructure, weak institutions, poor governance, sub-optimal water management which results in low productivity and very inefficient use of water resources in almost sectors including agriculture, industries and domestic uses, Leung said. Water demand is estimated to go up by 55 per cent by 2050. The water shortage will get worse by 2050 and 3.4 billion people in the region would be living in water-stress areas, she highlighted. The World Economic Forums Global Risk Report last year assessed the emerging water crisis as one of the three most impactful risks that we will be facing in the next decades, Leung added. Population growth and economic development will continue to be the driver of water demand. As a result, many countries in the region will end up with lower water per capita in the coming year. The Asian Water Development Outlook 2016 ranks countries in terms of water security, and based on the assessment, 29 out of 48 countries in the Asia Pacific are water insecure. To help address the challenges, ADB has focussed on four areas: increasing water use efficiency, water and climate, integrated water resource management, and expanded sanitation and wastewater management. ADB will also continue promoting more innovative and transformative technology projects, for example, using remote-sensing technology for water accounting and productivity in irrigation system, and sludge dewatering and treatment technology so that treated wastewater can be reused. Of the sum of $4.2 billion, 1.5 billion or 38 per cent of the loans will be provided to irrigation and drainage while $1.4 billion or 35 per cent will be granted to water supply, sanitation and waste management projects. The rest will be used to finance flood management, water resources management and watershed protection, as well as hydropower generation projects. Leung noted that climate finance within water projects is still very low as developing countries still identified what they need to do to adapt water projects to climate, saying that "This is an area that we are expecting that we will provide more support." Last year, a small proportion of ADBs $2.4 billion loans was used in climate change resilience projects. Another issue that needs better management is water leakage, Vijay Padmanabhan, Urban Technical Advisor of ADB said. If we can manage water loss from poorly maintained pipes, we can save half of that. The amount of water saved can be provided to 150 million people without building new facilities, the expert stressed. Therefore, asset management and good governance are important to ensure water security for the region, he added. Beginning this year, ADB is combining concessional lending and ordinary capital lending, so we are able to lend more and we expect water projects would go up by 50 per cent in coming years, Leung said. ADB experts also urged more co-ordinated actions throughout the region and more cross-sector cooperation as the water security issue has become more complex and integrated. VNS HCM CITY British Emmy Award-winning composer and pianist Michael Price will travel to HCM City and share his experiences as part of a project launched by several city organisations. Price is one of the projects lecturers who will work with dozens of young Vietnamese musicians and film directors from local studios and art universities and colleges. His talks will focus on the most popular production and editing styles for soundtracks in the UK and Hollywood today, as well as the newest composing methods and connections between composers and film directors. Prices two-day trip, beginning on May 8, will also include work and exchanges with Vietnamese composers, music producers, filmmakers and film companies. Price and composer David Arnold won an Emmy in 2014 for their music for the BBC TV series Sherlock. Price worked as a music editor for Hollywood films such as Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings, Beeban Kidrons Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Nanny McPhee, and Richard Curtiss Love, Actually. In 2013, Price was nominated for two prizes, Best European Composer and Best New Composer, at the BSO Spirit Goldspirit Awards presented by BSO Spirit, a popular Spanish website about films. In HCM City, he will work with 15 young talents selected by the projects organisers, British Council and Salon Saigon, a lounge and place for young artists in films, theatre and the arts. For more details about the project, contact Salon Saigon at 6D Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street in District 3. VNS Polish Ambassador Barbara Szymanowska explains the significance of the National Day of Poland on May 3,and highlights the nations cultural and scientific contributions. All over the world, Poles and friends of Poland celebrate the Polish National Day by remembering the declaration of the nations constitution on May 3, 1791. On this occasion, allow me to share a few words about Polish history, some highlights of the Polish-Vietnamese relations as well as some remarks on Polands position in the international arena. The Polish Constitution was the first modern constitution in Europe and second, after America, in the world. It reflected the Polish spirit that enabled the nation survive 123 years of bondage and partitions. Over the years, celebration of the 3rd May anniversary has become a manifestation of patriotism, and it has become Polands most important civil holiday since the nation regained independence in 1918. At present the Constitution of May 3rd is believed to be the most significant breakthrough event in the history of Poland. It is a matter of pride for the parliamentary and democratic traditions of the Polish republic. Poland is a part of Europe, and since 2004, a member of the European Union. Poland has contributed substantially to the development of European culture and identity. In the era of growing threats and difficulties in Europe, it is essential to value the heritage of Polish political thought, which takes inspiration from its historic, geopolitical and social experiences and emphasizes co-operation between nations, intercultural dialogue and activities leading to respect and reconciliation. Protecting world heritage Poland is very active in protecting world heritages. Poland and Viet Nam have been successfully co-operating in this field. It is worth mentioning Polish architect Kazimierz Kwiatkowski, who actively contributed to preserving the cultural heritages of Viet Nam. Over 35 years ago, Poland established in Viet Nam the Polish-Vietnamese Monument Conservation Mission. It was the first international mission in Viet Nam after reunification of the country. It was also the first Polish conservation mission in Asia. Polands contribution to UNESCO is marker of the nations active role in this field. In July 2017, the Polish city of Krakow will host the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. This year, 2017, has been established by UNESCO as the Year of Zamenhof. Ludwik Zamenhof was a Polish medical doctor, inventor and writer. He is most widely known for creating Esperanto, the most successful constructed language in the world. It is a language which enables nations to overcome barriers between them. I am very happy that the Esperanto Association in Viet Nam is very active. Thanks to steadfast growth for 25 years, Poland has risen in the world economic rankings. For Poland, Viet Nam is definitely one of the most important economic partners in Asia. According to Polish statistics, bilateral trade in 2016 reached almost US$2 billion. It also made Viet Nam Polands biggest trade partner in ASEAN. Tolerant, safe Poland is a tolerant, safe country. Polish society has always been devoted to liberty and democratic values. Poland respects tradition, but at the same time, it is a modern, innovative and creative country. It is also worth to mentioning Polish contribution to science and culture. This year we are celebrating the 150th birthday of Maria Skodowska-Curie, the only woman who received 2 Nobel Prizes. She is quite well known in Viet Nam there are two schools named after her in Ha Noi and HCM City. Security in todays world has become a particular concern, and since 1999, NATO has become the main security pillar for Poland. NATO summits in Newport and in Warsaw in 2016 confirmed that the organization is determined to provide effective defence for its members and support for its partners. On the occasion of the Polish National Day, I wish all readers a lot of health, security and happiness. VNS HCM CITY A wide variety of cultural activities are scheduled for the Buddhist Cultural Week to celebrate Buddhas 2,561st birth anniversary. The event, organised by the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee in HCM City, kicked off on Tuesday night (May 2) at Pho Quang Pagoda in HCM Citys Tan Binh District. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, head of the committees Cultural Board, said the Buddhist Cultural Week celebrates Buddhas birth anniversary and honours, preserves and promotes the values of Buddhism. With the theme of Buddhist culture and nation, the event is an opportunity for followers and local residents to learn about Buddhisms culture, Tu said. The event features an exhibition on Buddhist cultural and art works, a Buddhist cultural fair and a vegetarian cuisine fair. Nearly 500 photos, calligraphy works and sculptures by 29 artists and sculptors are on display at an exhibition of Buddhist cultural and art works titled Lotus Flower Blooming Season. The Buddhist cultural fair with 29 booths showcases Buddhist publications such as Buddhist scriptures, books, tapes, dishes and paintings as well as items of daily use in pagodas such as incense and candles. The vegetarian cuisine fair with 18 booths offers various vegetarian dishes from different regions of the country. Buddhist music performance and film screenings will be held on May 9-10 at Viet Nam Quoc Tu Pagoda in HCM Citys District 10. The exhibition and fairs will run until May 10.VNS HA NOI Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Oshima Tadamori and his spouse will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from May 4 6, according to a statement by the Viet Nam National Assemblys Committee for External Relations. The visit will be made at the invitation of National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Viet Nam and Japan established diplomatic ties in 1973. VNS Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung in an interview with the press. VNA/VNS Photo MANILA The Vietnamese delegation, led by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, made important contributions to the success of the 30th ASEAN Summit, which took place in the Philippines on April 29 and 30. The statement was made by Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung in an interview with the press. According to the official, from the preparation phase, Viet Nam coordinated with the Philippines and other ASEAN countries in prioritising themes for ASEAN Year 2017 proposed by the host country, as well as putting forward general documents and contents to be discussed at the summit. Viet Nam also fulfilled its role as the Chair of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Task Force and the coordinator for the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership, while contributing constructive ideas during discussions on the basis of upholding ASEAN solidarity and fostering the development of a strong ASEAN Community, Dung said. To build a strong ASEAN Community, Prime Minister Phuc stressed the need to give priority to meeting peoples interests and building a people-centric ASEAN. The Government leader emphasised the necessity of reforms and the continued implementation of measures to improve operations and boost intra-bloc cooperation and regional connectivity. PM Phuc also discussed measures to deal with non-traditional security challenges such as climate change and piracy, while expressing concern over the accelerating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and in the East Sea and East China Sea. He stressed the need for ASEAN to uphold basic principles and a common stand in tackling disputes by peaceful means and in compliance with international law, stated Dung. The deputy foreign minister also told reporters that on the sidelines of the 30th ASEAN Summit, PM Phuc had bilateral meetings with leaders of Malaysia, Myanmar, Brunei, Thailand and the Philippines. During the meetings, the Government head exchanged opinions on the fields in which Viet Nam needs to intensify cooperation with these countries, and proposed several solutions to existing difficulties, he added. The diplomat said that during the ASEAN Summit and related meetings, PM Phuc and leaders of ASEAN member states focussed on three main issues: the building of the ASEAN Community, ASEANs external relations and regional and global situations. The leaders once again stressed the importance of solidarity and the central role of ASEAN in the evolving regional architecture, considering it a decisive factor to maintaining and promoting the groups role in the region and the world. They also stressed that ASEAN should have a strong voice and contribute practically to peace, security and stability in the region and the world in the context of complicated regional and global situations. They showed concern over recent developments in the East Sea, Dung said, adding that they affirmed ASEANs common stance of upholding the peaceful settlement of disputes, strictly and fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and working towards the formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). VNS HCM CITY The Government has issued a decree that offers HCM City special financial and budgetary policies and incentives in an aim to improve its infrastructure. The government decree, which takes effect next month, gives priority to investment in infrastructure development in order to maintain the citys status as the countrys economic hub. Under the decree, the city will be eligible to receive advance payments from the state and lending sources to hold auctions of land-use rights, after which the city will refund the state and repay the loans. The Government has also prioritised Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds and preferential capital sources for projects related to urban infrastructure and the environment. In addition, HCM City will be allowed to mobilise investment from public-private partnerships (PPP) and other public-private funding models. Lending sources The city needs a VN500 trillion (US$23.5 billion) to invest in urban infrastructure between now and 2021, and a similar amount for the next five-year period, according to the HCM City Finance and Investment Company (HFIC). Because of the enormous need for capital, the city has no choice but to take advantage of new incentives to generate investment from private sources, according to experts. They noted that many local residents keep their money outside banks or in the form of gold or foreign currency, particularly US dollars. Gold reserves kept at home are estimated at 400-500 tonnes, equivalent to $17-21 billion, according to the Viet Nam Gold Business Association. In terms of foreign exchange, the annual rate of remittance growth now averages 16 per cent. At this rate, by 2020, remittances could reach more than $28 billion. Ninety per cent of remittances are used for savings, investment in gold, real estate, or business production. The remaining 10 per cent of remittances, or around $9.7 billion, are assumed to be kept at home by residents. Economists said the large amount of foreign currency held by residents is far greater than official data. If such resources were properly exploited, policymakers would be more able to address the lack of capital for urban infrastructure, they said. Economists have also said that the city should be allowed to expand the collection base via a number of special revenue sources based on specific conditions. In addition, tax revenue could be expanded by new tax rates set by the city, in accordance with national law. Experts have also said the government could give HCM City a bonus if its tax collections exceeded expectations. The city plays an important role in providing a number of complex services on a large scale, much higher than in other areas in the country. Thus, economists believe the city should have more autonomy to regulate expenditures and spending in accordance with its needs, with priority given to new construction and renovation and infrastructure development. VNS HA NOI Failure to follow planning in many urban areas has negative consequences for urban development, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh inh Dung said at a recent conference of the construction sector. As regulated, an Urban Development and Management Board will be set up to help local authorities implement and manage development plans to ensure infrastructure connectivity and co-operation between contractors. The Ha Noi Capital Construction Master Plan was the first planning directed by the Politburo and approved by the Prime Minister, but many problems remained unsolved, such as traffic congestion, flooding and dense high-rise buildings in the inner city. The director of the HCM City Department of Construction, Tran Trong Tuan, pointed to a lack of connectivity between housing development and infrastructure development. Many home construction projects were built following approved planning but urban development projects, particularly technical and social infrastructure projects, failed to keep up with them. In some areas, there was some connectivity between these projects, but it did not comply with the Construction Law on comprehensive connectivity, according to Tuan. To tackle this issue, big urban areas like Ha Noi and HCM City need to complete housing development programmes on the basis of urban development programmes to deal with shortcomings relating to infrastructure and traffic, he said. According to Construction Minister Pham Hong Ha, the ministry will review and inspect planning and the implementation of planning of all urban areas this year, particularly big urban areas. The Linh am Urban Area in Ha Nois Hoang Mai District is a typical example of the problems raised at the conference. The area was planned ten years ago, but adjusted often since then. On an area of 3ha in the urban area, up to 12 high-rise buildings were built with a construction density of 50 per cent. Another land plot was planned for low-rise houses, but a 35-storey building was built instead. The Linh am Urban Area is now in disorder and all the initial planning has been wiped out. Experts said planning adjustments are common, but such excessive adjustments as in Linh am create a negative precedent. Recently, an investor asked Ha Noi authorities for permission to fill up one hectare of the 6ha Thanh Cong Lake to build an apartment complex. In exchange, the investor would dig up a hectare nearby to make a man-made lake. But the Vice Chairman of the Ha Noi Urban Planning and Development Association, ao Ngoc Nghiem, said the proposal did not match the urban planning. The developer suggested digging a man-made lake, but failed to take into account the connectivity with surrounding infrastructure, he said. Harmonious co-operation needed According to Construction Minister Ha, people and businesses are the ones affected by planning, but they have no say in it. For example, in big urban areas like Ha Noi and HCM City, if businesses choose to invest in an urban area in line with approved planning, they must ensure that the plans will not result in traffic congestion, he said. "Businesses themselves must not adjust planning without permission from local authorities, and both sides must abide by the approved urban planning." Associate Professor Nguyen Trong Hoa from the HCM City Institute for Development Studies said urban planning in some areas was not effective enough or lacked sustainability. Many urban areas incorporated construction planning into their socio-economic development plans but are still weak in building development plans. As a result, current urban development plans were just puzzle pieces of projects that the State had enough budget to invest in or businesses wanted to invest in because of their own interests, he said. Above all, authorities at all levels must manage urban development publically and transparently and be held accountable. Many countries in the world developed sustainably thanks to this gold principle, he said. All planning requires the participation of many relevant ministries and sectors, particularly localities which benefit from the planning. Therefore, if all ministries and localities have a responsibility to carefully study and contribute opinions to the planning, its quality would be much improved, Ha said. - VNS HA NOI Experts have objected to several provisions of a draft decree on foreign investment in education saying they need further clarification and revision. They expressed their opinions at a consultative workshop held last week on a draft decree prepared by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). "The draft is set to replace Decree 73 issued in 2012, and change procedures and investment conditions to boost competitiveness and help foreign investors enter the Vietnamese education sector," said Nguyen Xuan Vang, head of MoETs International Co-operation Department. According to Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of March 20, 2017, Viet Nam had attracted 320 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in education with a total investment of US$ 684.3 million, accounting for 1.3 per cent of the total number of FDI projects and 0.2 per cent of FDI capital. Experts said at the workshop that the provision that investors need a secured investment fund of at least VN 1 trillion (US$ 44.5 million) to establish a foreign higher education institution in Viet Nam could prove problematic. Vo Thanh Binh of the Association of Universities and Colleges Viet Nam said that Decree 73 required investors to prepare a minimum investment capital of VN300 billion, so the new decree would raise this by more than three times to VN1 trillion. What is the increase based on? Binh asked, implying that the increase could be a barrier to investment in education projects. Nguyen Kim Dung, head of Legal and Governance Relations of British University Viet Nam, said the increase in capital investment was reasonable, but it would be unreasonable to require this capital to be in cash. When applying for investment licences and establishing schools, investors can prove their ability through auditing reports that list their equity and assets, as well as through loan agreement contracts between bank(s) and the investors. "So, it is not reasonable to treat just cash as capital investment," Dung said. A representative from the ASEAN College in Hung Yen Province said that the investment of VN1 trillion could be enough to develop economic or foreign language schools, but would be insufficient for an institution teaching technology. If the increase is made without a firm foundation, the decree will require several guiding documents, which will cause difficulties for investors, he said. Vang responded that the secured investment fund for foreign higher education school project is the same as that of Vietnamese schools. He said that the fund would not cause difficulties for foreign investors, noting that some foreign universities in Viet Nam, like Viet uc University or Viet Nhat University had investments of US$100 million-200 million. Compulsory content Ho Thuy Ngoc, Head of International Training Faculty of the Foreign Trade University, said that under the draft decree, students have to complete compulsory content determined by Minister of Education and Training before attending foreign programmes. Our foreign partners will not agree to add Viet Nams complulsory content to their training programmes. They grant students certificates and they want the students to learn authentic programme, she said. The additional content will also be a barrier for students and education institutions when they try to access fully-imported training programmes, Ngoc said. Duong Thi Hoai Son of the Sakura Montessori School said she disagreed with the draft decree provision that requires teachers at nursery schools to be college graduates. She said this condition was not necessary because nursery teachers taking care of babies aged 12 months to 18 months did not need higher education qualifications. Enthusiasm and love for children are more important, she said . VNS THUA THIEN - HUE A police officer in central Thua Thien - Hue Provinces Hue City died after a speeding motorbike crashed into him on Tuesday afternoon, the citys Traffic Police Department confirmed on Wednesday morning. Sergeant Vo Duy Khanh, 30, was badly injured while trying to stop the motorbike on the byway of National Highway 1 that bypasses Hue City, but was instead hit by the vehicle. He was rushed to the Hue Central Hospital for treatment but died later. The motorbike driver was also injured. The case is under further investigation. Earlier last month, a police officer in Ha Noi was injured while chasing a motorbike rider who was carrying goods in excess of regulations. The rider ended up pulling the police officer while attempting to flee. VNS HA NOI A fire on Tuesday night destroyed a storehouse covering more than 600sq.m, used to store material to make advertisements and posters in Ha Nois Bac Tu Liem District. The storehouse is located in a residential area in Phu Dien Ward. The fire allegedly started at around 10.30pm. People living near the storehouse said they heard some explosions but failed to extinguish the fire with personal fire extinguishers. Ten fire engines and nearly 100 firefighters joined in to douse the fire. By 6.30am on Wednesday morning, the fire was stamped out completely. The police are investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fire. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam has become the latest member of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO), where its delegation is attending the 56th annual session of the organisation held in Nairobi, Kenya. This is the first time Viet Nam attended AALCOs annual session as a member, instead of an observer. The AALCO membership marks a new step in Viet Nams legal integration. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the session on Tuesday, Ton Sinh Thanh, Viet Nam Ambassador to India, where AALCO is based, said that Viet Nam appreciated the efforts and contributions of AALCO in helping member countries discuss international legal affairs that related to countries in Asia and Africa. The organisation also assists countries in drafting their recommendations to the United Nations and other international organisations. Thanh said that since Viet Nam attended the Bandung Conference held in Indonesia in 1955, the country has continued contributing to the Asian-African co-operation. Also, he confirmed that as an official AALCO member, the country would tighten co-operation with other State members in carrying out the organisations activities. AALCO, originally known as the Asian Legal Consultative Committee, was created on 15 November 1956. It is considered to be a tangible outcome of the historic Bandung Conference, held in Indonesia in April 1955. Seven Asian states, including Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, and the United Arab Republic (now Arab Republic of Egypt and Syrian Arab Republic) are the original member countries. Later, in April 1958, in order to include participation of countries from Africa, the organisations name was changed to the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC). Today, it has 47 member countries. One of its important contributions to international legal development is to join with developing countries and to submit opinions to complete the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). VNS HA NOI Overlapping and poor co-ordination among vocational secondary schools or technical high schools continues to drain the State budget. For many years, thousands of billion ong have been invested in many vocational secondary schools or technical high schools nationwide. However, many vocational training objectives have yet to be achieved. In some localities, vocational secondary schools which were built and furbished with modern machines and equipment remain idle due to poor student enrollment According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Ha Noi is known nation-wide for many achievements in vocational training, yet the enrollment in some facilities is very low. Doan Quoc Hung, deputy director of the Thang Long Transport Vocational Secondary School , said due to the low percentage of students enrollment, quite a few teaching facilities in the school remain idle. In some cases, we have to lend them to other vocational institutions. Hung also admitted that quite a few teaching staff in his school have quit their jobs. Similarly, in 2016, the vocational training centre in Ha Nois inner district of Hai Ba Trung saw fewer than 100 students enroll in short training courses there. Comprehensive review ao Ngoc Dung, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, frankly admitted that a key reason for the situation is poor planning. They have built vocational schools without conducting a survey of the market demand, while the work of equipment procurement has failed to meet the actual needs of the country. This poor planning is the key reason for the present problems of the countrys vocational training institutions, Dung said. o Manh Hung, former Vice Chairman of the National Assemblys Committee for Social Affairs, also blamed the situation on poor management ranging from the planning work to capital allocation, investment approval and management activities following the projects acceptance ceremony. Hung said that some localities already home to some vocational schools continue to submit proposals asking to build new vocational schools. This is one way to waste public money, Hung added. In his opinion, all localities must review what occupations needed to open for training to cater the needs of their localities. In addition, Hung said, such management agencies must do the last screening before making the final decisions to open the vocation training centres and procure teaching and learning equipment in these centres. Minister Dung said in 2017, the labour ministry willl launch a comprehensive review of all existing vocational schools nationwide to determine the strengths or weaknesses of these schools and plans for the coming years. He said following the inventory, the ministry will come up with specific plans to revamp the vocational training system nation-wide. He ordered all localities to review and make a list of what equipment they already have, but have not been used, and what they desperately need so that his ministry will make an adjustment between localities/ provinces. This is a good way to make the best use of our available resources, Dung emphasised. According to an inter ministerial circular between the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training, all poor vocational training schools/institutions will be given a certain time to revamp. Following that period, if there is no improvement, they will have to close. Meanwhile, the circular encourages the development of private vocational training centres in rural areas to meet local needs. In the long run, the circular called on concerned agencies to sit together to discuss and develop a set of standards on vocational education based on international standards. VNS BRUSSELS The European Unions chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier will on Wednesday unveil recommendations for forthcoming talks with Britain, despite increasing rancour over how the split will ultimately unfold. Barniers comments come four days after leaders of 27 EU nations met -- without British Prime Minister Theresa May -- and unanimously agreed on a tough overall strategy. They also follow leaks about a disastrous dinner and exchanges involving May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, which has left the former battling to defend her Brexit strategy. The row marks a dismal start to the process, although formal negotiations will not begin until after Britains election on June 8, in which May is expecting to return to office with a stronger mandate. The high stakes for the British premier were underlined Tuesday when, quizzed on the campaign trail about the dinner clash, she said Juncker would soon find out she can be a "bloody difficult woman". Barnier, a French former European commissioner and government minister, will be presenting his formal recommendations for the talks based on guidelines agreed on at Saturdays EU 27 summit. European commissioners will formally adopt his recommendations on Wednesday morning before he gives a press conference at 0900 GMT. The EU 27 will then on May 22 give Barnier, 66, a formal mandate to conduct talks over the next two years with Britain. Barnier has said he needs to wrap up talks by October 2018 to get any Brexit deal through the European Parliament in time for Britains scheduled departure from the EU on March 29, 2019. Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016 in a closely fought referendum. Different galaxy And if the first contacts in Britains divorce from the union it entered four decades ago are anything to go by, the negotiations will be difficult. Barniers recommendations, in an early draft seen by AFP, contain a demand for a lifetime guarantee of rights for EU citizens who have lived in Britain for five years. Under the EU single market, Europeans have the right to live, work and claim benefits in any country in the bloc. They also echo the EU 27s insistence that talks on a future EU-UK trade deal cannot begin until Britain resolves the issues of "people, money and Ireland". The EU says London must guarantee the rights of three million citizens living in Britain who are currently able to live, work and claim benefits there. It is also demanding Britain pay an exit bill of between 40 and 60 billion euros, a sum that the government insists it does not have to pay. Brussels also says London must resolve issues around the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. May wants trade talks and divorce negotiations to start in parallel -- one of the demands that led Juncker to say that some in Britain "underestimate the technical difficulties we have to face". A report in Sundays edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said Juncker left the meeting "10 times more sceptical" about the prospect of a Brexit deal. It said sources close to the negotiations put the chances of Brexit negotiations collapsing without a deal at more than 50 per cent. Juncker reportedly informed German Chancellor Angela Merkel of his doubts, saying that May was in a "different galaxy". Merkel then warned Britain against having "illusions" about the talks, prompting May to hit back by accusing the EU 27 of ganging up against her country. AFP Enjoy the first large-scale museum exhibition dedicated to tramp art since 1975. More than 150 examples of tramp art, concentrating on works from the United States, with additional international examples. For Immediate Release: October 24, 2016 (Santa Fe, NM) The Museum of International Folk Art presents No Idle Hands: The Myths & Meanings of Tramp Art, the first large-scale museum exhibition dedicated to tramp art since 1975. The exhibition will present more than 150 examples of tramp art, concentrating on works from the United States, with additional examples from France, Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Canada, Mexico and Brazil to demonstrate the far reach this art form has had. Additionally, the show will analyze and dismantle the myths and misperceptions about tramp art, particularly as they relate to assumptions related to class, quality, and the anonymity of the makers. Tramp art describes a particular type of chip-carved woodwork that was practiced in Europe and the United States between the 1870s and 1940s, making use of discarded cigar boxes or crates that were then notch-carved along the edges and layered. Objects made were primarily boxes and frames, but other household objects such as small private altars, crosses, medicine cabinets, wall pockets, clock cases, plant stands, and even furniture can be found. "Tramp art's place in art history has been troublesome. It has had detractorspeople who regard it as 'the ugly duckling' of folk artbut also numerous champions," said Laura Addison, Curator of North American & European Folk Art at the Museum of International Folk Art, and the show's curator. "This exhibition will erase any doubts about the quality and craftsmanship of the work and situate tramp art as a practice at the crossroads of cultural transformation at the turn of the 20th century," she said. Addison also pointed out that by juxtaposing historic pieces with those by contemporary artists working in the tramp art style, the exhibition frames this art form as an ongoing tradition that continues to capture the public's imaginationmyths and all. "The ingenious objects in the Tramp Art exhibition use recycled or repurposed wood, and highlight a moment in time a century ago when artisans, many of them immigrants to the US, created a new variety of folk art," said Khristaan D. Villela, Director of the Museum of International Folk Art. "They are a testament to the ability of untrained artists to produce objects of immense beauty and complexity," he said. For many years, tramp art was believed to have been made by itinerants and hobos, thus its name. It has been demonstrated, however, that this belief, first put in print by Frances Lichten in a 1959 Pennsylvania Folklife article, is erroneous. Nonetheless, the name "tramp art" has remained the only terminology used for this practice, and the paucity of scholarly studies to dispel the mistaken notions about tramp art have allowed the myths to persist. Whittling objects such as wood chains and ball-in-cage whimsies was a common pastime, including among railriding "hobos," and some examples of tramp art were likely by the hand of itinerant laborers or artisans. However, this style of carving was more commonly the practice of family men and blue-collar factory workers making functional domestic objects or gifts for the women in their lives. Efforts have been made in recent years to identify makers by name and unearth their biographies; these personal narratives illustrate a very different story of the makers of tramp art. As these makers and their stories come to light, it has become obvious that home and family are central to an understanding of the practice of tramp art. No Idle Hands will present tramp art objects according to four primary areas: Introduction/historical context, home & nation, frames & boxes and devotional objects. Works in the exhibition will come from the Museum of International Folk Art permanent collection as well as loans from a number of private and museum collections across the country. An exhibition publication will accompany the exhibition, with essays by Laura Addison, Curator of North American & European Folk Art, Museum of International Folk Art; Leslie Umberger, a curator in the area of folk art and self-taught art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum; and Eric Zafran, a retired curator of European art, most recently at the Wadsworth Atheneum. The Museum of International Folk Art Museum Shop is located in the museum at 706 Camino Lejo (Museum Hill just off Old Santa Fe Trail). 505-982-5186. MUSEUM OF INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART The Museum of International Folk Art is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The Museum of International Folk Art's mission is "to enrich the human spirit by connecting people with the arts, traditions and cultures of the world." Founded in 1953 by Florence Dibell Bartlett, the museum holds the world's largest international folk art collection of more than 150,000 objects from six continents and over 150 nations. The museum's collections represent a broad range of global artists whose artistic expressions make Santa Fe an international crossroads of culture. For many visitors, fascination with folk art begins upon seeing the whimsical toys and traditional objects within the Girard Collection. For others, the international textiles, ceramics, carvings and other cultural treasures in the Neutrogena Collection provide the allure. The museum's historic and contemporary Latino and Hispano folk art collections, spanning the Spanish Colonial period to modern-day New Mexico, reflect how artists respond to their time and place in ways both delightful and sobering. In 2010, the museum opened the Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn Gallery of Conscience, where exhibitions encourage visitors to exchange ideas on complex issues of human rights and social justice. Over 90,000 national and international visitors visit the Museum International Folk Art every year. Through folk art, the museum encourages all to find a common ground upon which to craft better lives for all. Museum exhibitions and programs are supported by donors to the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and its Director's Leadership Fund, Exhibitions Development Fund, and Fund for Museum Education, as well as by the International Folk Art Foundation, also established by museum founder Florence Dibell Bartlett. WASHINGTON Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed steps to ease Syrias civil war and a possible first face-to-face meeting, during what the White House described as a "very good call" Tuesday. The US and Russian leaders spoke by telephone, focusing on the six-year-old Syrian conflict, which has pitched Moscow and Washington into rival camps. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said. Trump aides also said "the conversation was a very good one" that included "discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones" in Syria "to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons." The White House said the two leaders also spoke about "how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea." And the Kremlin added that both men were "in favor" of meeting at a G20 summit in Germany this July. That meeting is sure to be closely watched in the United States, where Trump has come under sustained criticism over his campaigns ties to Russia and his praise of Putin. US intelligence agencies believe that Putin approved of a wide-ranging campaign to tilt the 2016 election in Trumps favour, prompting US sanctions imposed by former president Barack Obama. The FBI is still investigating possible collusion between the campaign and Moscow. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the call -- which he sat in on -- was "very productive" with "a lot of detailed exchanges." "Well see where we go from here." No details were given about the possible safe zones, which have long been discussed, but faltered as Bashar al-Assads regime and assorted groups of rebels, Kurds, Iranian-backed militias, Al-Qaeda and Islamic State fighters have kept-up a bloody war that has killed an estimated half million people. The Kremlin, meanwhile, said "the emphasis was put on the potential for coordination of actions by the United States and Russia in the fight against terrorism." The State Department earlier announced that it would send a junior minister to Russian-backed peace talks in Astana later this week. AFP PARIS French anti-terror police on Tuesday arrested four men and one woman and seized weapons in raids just days before the presidential election run-off, sources said. Some of the arrests were made in northern France, with two pistols and two machine guns found during one of the raids, a source close to the case said. The weapons belonged to a man close to one of the suspects, who held the guns legally. Some of the suspects were in touch on social media or the internet and some of their messages made authorities fear they were planning violent acts, the source added. The arrests came nearly two weeks after 39-year-old Karim Cheurfi shot and killed a policeman on the Champs Elysees in Paris before being killed by police gunfire. France votes on Sunday to pick its next president, with polling stations under high security after more than 230 people have been killed in a string of jihadist attacks in the country since January 2015. AFP MEXICO CITY Mexico on Tuesday announced the arrest of a senior lieutenant of the jailed Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman who was allegedly engaged in a bloody struggle to lead the Sinaloa crime syndicate. Mexican soldiers and federal agents arrested Damaso Lopez, the office of Mexicos attorney general announced via Twitter. The US Treasury Department designated Lopez as a drug "kingpin" in 2013 for his role in Guzmans "narcotics trafficking activities ... and for playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking." As a senior Sinaloa cartel operative, Lopez is "responsible for multiple-ton shipments of narcotics from Mexico into the United States." In 2001, Damaso Lopez also helped Guzman in his first of two escapes from a maximum security prisons. Guzman -- accused of running one of the worlds biggest drug empires -- was re-arrested in 2014, then escaped a maximum security prison through a tunnel the following year. Guzman was recaptured in January 2016 and extradited to the United States a year later. Now 59, he is currently detained in Manhattan where he is awaiting trial. Since Guzmans arrest top cartel operatives have engaged in a bloody struggle to control the group, resulting in a wave of violence in the western state of Sinaloa and nearby Baja California Sur. Two weeks after Guzman was extradited his sons sent a hand-written letter to a reporter claiming that they had been victims of an ambush carried out by Damaso Lopez. According to the letter, Lopez called for a February 4 summit with the Guzmans and Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. But when they reached the meeting place Lopez was absent, and instead his men tried to murder them. The US Treasury Department has identified three of Guzmans adult sons -- Jesus Alfredo, Ivan and Ovidio -- as Sinaloa cartel members. Lopezs arrest is the most recent blow to the cartel. Last week, a Mexican judge sentenced Ines Coronel Barreras -- the father of Guzmans third wife, former beauty queen Emma Coronel -- to 10 years and five months in prison for smuggling marijuana to the United States. And on April 14 the head of the team of bodyguards for Guzmans sons was killed in a shootout with military personnel in Sinaloa. AFP MARENGO A co-worker and friend of Cora Okonski testified Wednesday that Okonski was afraid her fiance, Tait Purk, was going to kill her April 16, 2000. Ricki Jo Sanchez took the stand on the opening day of testimony in Taits first-degree murder trial in Iowa County District Court, telling a jury of nine women and five men Okonski came to her house that Palm Sunday to borrow a notebook because Purk wouldnt talk to her, and she wanted to write him a letter. Okonski said she and Purk had been arguing and she feared for her life, Sanchez testified. She said Tait told her he was going to bust her head open, Sanchez said. Okonski vanished without a trace later that day. Purk has told police she left their home to walk to the store to buy cigarettes and never returned. Purk, 50, formerly of Tama, is charged with killing Okonski, 23, in a case in which charges were not filed until this past December. Purks been serving time on unrelated federal drug and gun charges. The trial, moved from Tama County because of pretrial publicity, started Monday with jury selection. Attorneys presented their opening statements Tuesday. Sanchez testified Okonski told her to keep her windows open and asked her to call police if she heard screaming. Sanchez took her dog for a walk so she could watch Okonskis house, which she could see from her yard, but she never heard any screams or saw anything, she said. In his opening statement, Tama County Attorney Brent Heeren told jurors Purk put Okonski in a choke hold and slammed her body to the floor, killing her. At the time, Purk and Okonski were arguing over money and their upcoming wedding in May, which Purk wanted to postpone, Heeren said. Defense attorney Aaron Siebrecht in his opening statement told the jury there is no evidence Purk killed Okonski, adding there is no proof she is even dead. Sanchez Wednesday testified earlier in the day April 16, 2000, she saw Okonski shortly after lunch. Okonski came to her home and asked for a ride to Belle Plaine to see one of Purks relatives. Okonski said she and Purk had been arguing and she needed to get out of the house to give him time to cool off, Sanchez said. Sanchez gave her the ride to the relatives, dropped her off and then returned to pick her up about 7 p.m. Okonski put gas in her car and bought cigarettes before they went to Belle Plaine, she testified. When Sanchez took Okonski home, Okonski asked her to come inside. Sanchez said her friend was nervous and scared about Purks mood. Purk didnt speak with Okonski. Sanchez then went home. The last time she saw Okonski was when she came over to borrow the notebook, Sanchez testified. On cross examination, defense attorney Scott Hunter asked if Okonski also asked for a ride to get some drugs and to see relatives. Sanchez said yes. Sanchez also said she had seen Okonski with bruises and a black eye in the past, and Okonski told her Purk had caused those injuries. Also Wednesday, Jennifer Schones, a former Tama County Sheriffs Office 911 dispatcher, testified about taking photos of injuries to Okonski in 1999. Okonski reported it was domestic abuse involving her live-in boyfriend. Schones testified there were two different injuries one abrasion on the top of her right arm and a large bruised area on her rib cage. Okonskis parents, Jerome and Cecelia Okonski, both of Oaklawn, Ill., both testified about their daughter, who they said was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a child. Jerome Okonski said she would frequently take off and had erratic behavior at times when she lived with them but she always stayed in contact. The Okonskis talked to their daughter for the last time on April 16, 2000. She was at Purks relatives home and the relative had computer problems. Jerome Okonski, a retired computer programmer, said he talked to her three or four times that day trying to help. Cecelia Okonski said she was concerned after learning her daughter was missing because whenever she had trouble she would call them for help and she hadnt called this time. The mother also pointed out her daughter wouldnt intentionally leave her then 2-year-old son, Austin. She loved her son, Cecelia Okonski testified. Jerome Okonski said Purk had called them a few days after he initially told them their daughter had gone missing. Purk wanted them to pick up Austin because he had to go to work and couldnt keep him. When the Okonskis got to Purks house, all of Austins toys and clothes were outside in front of the house, and Purk brought Austin outside, Jerome Okonski testified. The grandparents took Austin home with them, but a niece in Kansas City said she wanted to care for the child. Austin, who is now 18, was adopted by the niece. The trial is expected to go into next week. A top Iowa Democrat said Tuesday there needs to be a resolution to questions over whether Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds has the power to appoint a successor when Gov. Terry Branstad steps down. A day after Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issued an opinion saying Reynolds doesn't have the power to appoint a new lieutenant governor, the Democratic leader in the state Senate, Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, said he expects the courts to eventually get the matter. "This is a big issue, and if there's going to be a constitutional fight over this, we need to get it resolved," he said. Miller's 23-page opinion, which also affirmed the proposition Reynolds would become governor and essentially occupy both offices left Republicans fuming. Across the spectrum, Republicans ripped the decision and accused Miller of flip-flopping for political reasons after he initially said she would have power to appoint her successor. Democrats, on the other hand, were conspicuously silent. Hogg said Tuesday that was not by design. He said he reviewed the issue and agrees with the conclusion Reynolds does not have the authority to appoint a lieutenant governor. Nor, he said, is it a good idea. "The idea that she would appoint a lieutenant governor who has never been elected to anything is a problem," he said. Earlier this year, a bill was introduced by a Senate Democrat that would require such an appointment to be subject to legislative confirmation, but it was never taken up. It's not clear what will happen next. Reynolds said after the decision was released on Monday she would stick to Miller's initial advice from December. Miller said Monday the December opinion was a "quick" decision that was changed after a deeper look. Ben Hammes, a spokesman for the governor's office, said Tuesday it still is examining its options, but reiterated "we still believe the law is on our side." Republicans point to a 2009 law they say backs them up. The National Lieutenant Governors Association also weighed in on the matter Tuesday, called Miller's decision "disappointing." In the event the matter does end up in the courts, it's not clear who would bring such a case. Miller said Monday he would not challenge an appointment himself, but didn't explain why. A spokesman Tuesday would only say he didn't consider it appropriate. However, Gary Dickey, who was a general counsel to Gov. Tom Vilsack, said he or other attorneys would likely challenge an appointment, according to the Associated Press. State Sen. David Johnson, an independent from Ocheydan, who asked Miller for a definitive opinion on the question in February, said Tuesday he hasn't considered it himself. "The idea has not crossed my mind," he said. Johnson said he was just seeking certainty. "Those questions needed to be asked," he said. WATERLOO Dubuque Democrat Abby Finkenauer didnt expect to run for Congress in 2018. But the 2016 election didnt work out the way the second-term state representative anticipated. When I woke up that next day and realized the direction that not just our state but where our federal government was headed as well, I knew we had a lot of work to do, Finkenauer said during a stop in Waterloo on Wednesday. I grew up in a family that when there was work to be done, you say yes and you do it. Finkenauer, 28, is the first Democrat to challenge 1st District U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, a Republican. Iowas 1st District has more Democratic voters than Republicans, but the seat has twice been won by Blum, a Dubuque businessman. Finkenauer said she and Democrats have work to do to win the seat back. Thats one reason she decided to announce when she did. Its time to act. Its not time to sit back and watch. Its time to be talking to people in this state, and again, not bringing the D.C. message but bringing an Iowa message. And you only do that by talking to your constituents, so I need the time to talk to people to earn their trust and earn their vote and take this district back for the people, Finkenauer said. Recognizing the losses for Democrats in the state in 2016, Finkenauer said Democrats need to talk to Iowans, and not just those in their own party. People like to differentiate the rural and city folk, right? But again, they all want the same thing, that shot to live in that Iowa where you work hard, you play by the rules, you can make it, and thats gone, we know that right now, Finkenauer said. Finkenauer toured downtown Waterloo with state Rep. Ras Smith, D-Waterloo, after a short speech at the Black Hawk County Democratic Headquarters. Smith and state Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, praised Finkenauer for her willingness to step forward. I am really inspired that she took that step to come forward. She is putting herself out there; we dont see anybody else putting themselves out there right now, so I commend her fully on that, Brown-Powers said. Blum said he is surprised its been this long before Democrats put forward a candidate, recalling 2016 challenger Monica Vernon announced her plans to run before hed been sworn in. It never ends. It never ends in the House, Blum said about the campaign cycle for the two-year terms. As he went from one Capitol Hill committee meeting to another Wednesday, Blum said he expects a robust Democratic primary. I would imagine there will be multiple people on the Democrat side trying to fight it out to get the nomination, Blum said. James Lynch of the Cedar Rapids Gazette contributed to this report. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley said Wednesday there is a "cloud of doubt" hanging over the FBI's investigation into issues surrounding the 2016 election, and he has called on the Justice Department to closely scrutinize the bureau's investigations into politically charged matters. Grassley, R-Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised the questions as FBI Director James Comey testified before the committee on Wednesday and received a barrage of hostile questions from lawmakers over the agency's role in the election. The FBI has, since last year, been investigating Russian interference, including the possibility President Donald Trump's campaign might have been involved. Comey publicly acknowledged the inquiry in March. The bureau also spent months, including right up to shortly before Election Day last year, looking into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. In his opening statement Wednesday, Grassley raised questions about the objectivity of a top FBI official. And he even quizzed Comey as to whether he had been the source of leaks to the news media about investigations into Trump or Clinton. Comey said he was not. The FBI director faced sharp questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about his conduct during the election, which he defended. Democrats are angry Comey reopened the email investigation just 11 days before Election Day, then announced about a week later that it found no new evidence. Grassley's request for closer scrutiny by the Justice Department came in a letter dated Tuesday. The Iowa Republican wrote to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, asking that he "closely supervise and oversee" the FBI's investigations. In the letter and in his opening statement at the hearing Wednesday, Grassley raised questions about the objectivity of a top FBI official. He also complained Wednesday the FBI didn't investigate the Clinton email matter as aggressively as it could. The FBI said last month the FBI official, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, does not have a conflict. McCabe's wife ran for office in 2015 and received campaign contributions from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, an ally of the Clintons. Rosenstein, who served both the Obama and Bush administrations, was confirmed last week. He is the second in command at the Justice Department and would oversee the investigation into Russian involvement in the election because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself after previously undisclosed contacts with a Russian ambassador last year were revealed. Sessions denied anything improper. WAVERLY The organizer of an atheist group said he will keep coming to city council meetings until the mayor and council decide what, if anything, to do about their regular mayor-led prayer. Eastern Iowa Atheists organizer Justin Scott of Waterloo spoke again at Mondays Waverly City Council meeting during the public comments portion of the meeting. Scott initially said he was pleased with the friendly discussion he said took place at the previous weeks council study session, where council members talked about Scotts request for a nontheistic prayer to take place on occasion, or as part of a rotating invocation of speakers from different faith groups in the community. But he said he was disappointed there was no vote scheduled on the matter, and expressed frustration at Mayor Charles Infelt, a former pastor with Holy Family Ministries, who gave Monday nights prayer addressed to the dear author of life. That reeks of Christian arrogance, Christian privilege, Scott said. Lets not keep doing things the way were doing them. Neither the mayor nor the council responded directly after Scotts comments, after which Scott left the meeting. Later, Ward 5 council member Tim Kangas reignited the discussion in the end-of-meeting council comments, trying for humor when discussing Scotts remarks. When an atheist invokes hell, what are they talking about? he said. The joke was followed by laughter from a few council members. The council then discussed whether the mayor or the council had the power to keep or change the regular prayer. I guess, what is the next step? asked at-large council member David Reznicek. I just want to make sure were inclusive. If we continue these, it would seem appropriate to me to make some allowance from time to time for those who are not theistic, said Ward 4 council member Mike Sherer. I have said I would be happy to not do a prayer. Ward 2 council member Dan McKenzie said he had heard from other media outlets asking whether the council would vote on the matter. I would look to the mayor to use your best judgment, whether to continue course, McKenzie said. At-large council member Edith Waldstein asked, Does the council decide or the mayor? Infelt made no public comments on the matter but said in last weeks study session he believed his prayers are totally constitutional. Council members Wes Gade and Dan Lampe were absent. After the meeting, Reznicek said the discussion and Kangas joke were troubling, even though Reznicek said his religious views were different than Scotts. To sit and watch others on council mock someone with different views, (who) came to try to get council to be more inclusive, was very telling, Reznicek said. Scott on Tuesday said Infelt was digging his heels in on the issue of opening up invocations, and said he would continue coming to council meetings until a decision was made. Im fully aware it could be a resolution that isnt what Im asking for, but at least it stops being this ambiguous thing Heres where we stand, lets move on, Scott said. Scott has put pressure on other city councils to add a nontheistic invocation to the start of their meetings if they usually open with a prayer, and has successfully done so in Waterloo as well as Bettendorf. WATERLOO Local television news anchor Amanda Goodman is leaving KWWL-TV at months end to lead the Family & Childrens Council in Waterloo. The local nonprofit agencys board on Wednesday announced Goodman was named its executive director. She replaces former state Rep. Anesa Kaj-tazovic, who headed the agency for nearly two years. Kaj-tazovic has accepted a position with the Allen Foundation at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital as development director. The one thing that Ive learned in my years as a journalist is there is nothing more powerful than being a voice ... especially for those who feel like they dont have a voice, said Goodman. Working for Family Childrens Council will allow me to be a voice and advocate every single day for children and families in Black Hawk County. During her four years as evening news anchor at KWWL, Goodman founded the local chapter of Stand for the Silent, an anti-bullying organization, and went before the Iowa Senate Education Committee in an effort to toughen bullying laws in the state. Goodman is a graduate of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with a bachelors degree in communications. She worked in TV news for past 17 years and won two Regional Emmy awards while at KWWL. In March, Goodman announced she is pregnant with her fourth child and leaving the station at the end of May to devote more time to her family. Her last day at KWWL will be May 24. She said her hours in her new job will be more family friendly. Goodman was hired at Family & Childrens Council following a national search that generated over 20 applicants. After an extensive interview process with a number of highly qualified candidates, the board and staff stood unanimously behind Amanda, said Heather Feldkamp, council board president. A French runoff election affecting the fate of a unified Europe will pit an investment banker who served in a Socialist Party cabinet against a far-right admirer of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Emmanuel Macron, 39, the former economy minister under President Francois Hollande, received 24 percent of the vote in the first round of the French elections featuring 11 candidates. Described as Kennedyesque, he previously had never run for office. Marine Le Pen, the National Front Party leader, finished second with 21 percent. Francois Fillon, the Republican Party candidate and early favorite, was third with 20 percent. He recently was charged with several counts of embezzlement for putting his wife and two of his five children on the public payroll as parliamentary aides. The election was a rebuke of established parties the first post-war runoff without a Socialist or Republican. Macron ran as a centrist, founding the En Marche! (Onward) movement. He supports the European Union, promising to increase Frances role, endorsed NATO, although preferring an all-European defensive organization, and backed immigration policies. He has the support of most European leaders. Peter Altmaier, the top adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Macrons first-place finish shows France AND Europe can win together. The center is stronger than the populists think! Le Pen, 45, is the daughter of National Front founder and convicted Holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen, who made the runoff in 2012, receiving 17 percent of the vote against Jacques Chirac, the center-right candidate. She wants France out of the EU and NATO. During her campaign, Le Pen met with Putin in Moscow. She envisions new global leadership involving her, Putin and Trump. Her party received a 9-million-euro loan from a Russian bank in 2014. She endorsed Putins forced annexation of Crimea, formerly part of Ukraine. A new world has emerged in these past years, she said. Its the world of Vladimir Putin, its the world of Donald Trump in the United States, its the world of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi in India, and I think that probably I am the one who shares with these great nations a vision of cooperation and not a vision of submission. In the aftermath of a recent terrorist attack that killed a Paris police officer, Trump came close to endorsing her, stating shes strongest on borders, and shes the strongest on whats been going on in France. However, Le Pen also took a shot at Trump after he reversed his position on NATO, remarking, I am coherent. I dont change my mind in a few days. Le Pen would revoke the citizenship of anyone with joint nationality, returning them to their country of origin. French citizens known for their support of an enemy ideology would face immediate administrative or criminal attention. This war is asymmetric and revolutionary. It is a war in which all the population, all the country is targeted it is obviously a war we cannot lose, Le Pen said. The Islamist, Salafist ideology has no right to be in France and should be banned. Preachers of hate should be expelled and their mosques closed. Meanwhile, Macron has stated, To build a decent society, we need to accept people of all religions and ethnicities as true compatriots. To solve challenges like climate change, we need to deepen international cooperation. And to sustain a vibrant economy, we need to harness the power of globalization. Macron, a self-proclaimed candidate of neither of the right, nor the left, now has the support of nine other candidates, except for Jean-Luc Melenchon of the far-left who has yet to endorse. He backed a Frexit from the EU, derided NATO as an Old World anachronism, and wanted closer ties with Putin. Macron has vowed not to touch Frances retirement or pension programs, while slashing the federal bureaucracy and cutting the costs of labor. He would boost take-home pay by cutting payroll taxes, while also reducing corporate income taxes. It is an agenda largely seen as unworkable. Unlike Trump, Le Pen surprisingly received much of her support from younger voters, particularly in areas of high unemployment. As with Trump, most of her support came from rural regions and depressed cities in the north and southeast. The election was the latest rebuke in Europe (and England where the Labour Party languishes) to liberal candidates. It may reflect a perception overly ambitious European social welfare programs havent been sustainable, while placing inordinate burdens on the private sector. Macron, who would become Frances youngest president, is the overwhelming favorite, but once in office his success is critical. We are wary of the excesses of the far left and right, and his failure could swing France to one of the extremes. By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2017 | 04:13 AM | PADUCAH, KY A Ballard County man was arrested early Tuesday after police say he was caught sexting a young girl.According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Department, 27-year-old Matthew Pool of Kevil is accused of sending explicit messages and inappropriate photos and videos of himself to a 13-year-old girl. The girl told her parents, who said they intervened with the man on the girl's device, and contacted police when he allegedly continued to send pictures and videos. Detectives, posing as the 13-year-old girl, agreed to meet Pool after he got off work Monday night. Pool arrived just after midnight Tuesday morning and was taken into custody without incident. Inside Pool's vehicle, police found a loaded semi-automatic 9mm handgun, some marijuana, digital scales with residue, alcohol in a cooler and a Hydrocodone pill. According to deputies, Pool first denied knowing anything about meeting up with the girl and denied messaging her. But he later gave a full confession to detectives and admitted to all the messages, photographs and videos sent. Pool also admitted to being involved with illegal drug activity. Pool was arrested and transported to the McCracken County Regional Jail on charges of unlawful use of electronic means originating or received within the commonwealth to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited activities, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substance and possession of marijuana. 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29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) 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, May 03, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Fourteen Upper School Delphian students participated in the Model United Nations Conference on April 13 to 15 in Eugene, Oregon. This conference fosters students' interest in diplomacy and global citizenship. Model UN participants act as delegates and are assigned countries to represent. Delphian students were assigned to be delegates for Cambodia and Rwanda. Once assigned, students research their countries to gain insights on the pressing issues the country faces. Students are then assigned to a committee, whereby the group devises a strategy to address their country's problems. These committees debated important real-world topics, such as security, terrorism, and overpopulation. Model UN gives students an educational experience outside of a classroom that pushes them to think critically to solve real issues. By following the real United Nations procedural rules, the conference simulates how United Nations delegates would actually go about representing their countries. The Oregon Model United Nations is a student run conference for high school students that discusses world issues, such as economics, health, the environment and human rights. Such conferences are held around the world and vary by location. Devising solutions for countries' issues was the newest addition to the conference's program this year. The 2017 keynote speaker was Yashar Vasef, president of the United Nations Association of Portland. About: Delphian School (http://twitter.com/delphianschool) is an independent, coeducational day and boarding school located in Sheridan, Oregon open to students from around the world. We offer a rigorous academic independent-study program with a strong emphasis on practical learning for primary through high school students. Delphian also offers a highly regarded international entry program and boasts a diverse, international student body representing over eighteen countries. # # # May 3, 2017 | By Benedict The government of Catalonia in Spain has said it will invest 28 million euros in the creation of a Global 3D Printing Hub. The new additive manufacturing facility will encourage the adoption of industry 4.0 technology and is supported by HP, Renishaw, Ricoh, and other companies. Catalonia's new Global 3D Printing Hub will be built at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona In an effort to merge the respective talents and resources of the public and private sectors, the governing body (Generalitat) of Catalonia has decided to launch a multi-million-euro Global 3D Printing Hub that, in the words of Catalan business minister Jordi Baiget, will put Catalan industry at the forefront of the European and global 3D printing industry. The hub will occupy a space of more than 10,000 square feet at the Campus Diagonal-Besos, part of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona. The government will this year invest five million euros in the 3D printing hub, which will help to get the project going, before contributing a further 23 million euros by the year 2020, when the hub is due to open. The Global 3D Printing Hub, which will allow Catalan companies to make use of up-to-date 3D printing equipment and training, is being built to encourage innovation while bringing regional industry into the digital age. The facility will contain a dedicated accelerator for young 3D printing companies, as well as an exhibition area and material certification center. Companies such as HP, Renishaw, and Ricoh have all pledged their support to Catalonias new 3D printing Hub, while academic and research institutions including Eurecat-Leitat, Fira de Barcelona, and Instituto de Bioingenieria will all be involved in its development. L-R: minister Jordi Baiget, HP's Ramon Pastor, Renishaw CEO Victor Escobar, Generalitat president Carles Puigdemont We are on the brink of a new era, said Carles Puigdemont, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia. We can and want to lead the industrial change with this strategic project that will make us more attractive and help us to attract investments. HP, the printing company that released its Jet Fusion 3D printer last year, already has a location in Barcelona, and will play a part in the hubs development over the next three years. We live in times of change, which will affect the entire industry, commented Ramon Pastor, vice president and general manager of HP 3D Printing. This change, which is the digitalization of production, will bring about a paradigm shift in both the business and social worlds. Pastor added that the 3D Printing Hub could have knock-on benefits for areas such as healthcare and consumer goods, with on-demand production using 3D printers being more sustainable than other methods. Last June, Barcelona played host to In(3D)ustry: From Needs to Solutions, its first ever 3D printing congress. HP co-organized the event. Posted in 3D Printer Company Maybe you also like: May 3, 2017 | By Tess New Yorks annual Collective Design Fair opens today, andmuch to our delightwill feature a number of limited edition 3D printed design items from OTHR, one of our favorite 3D printing design studios and online marketplaces. OTHR, which is based in New York, will be debuting a range of 3D printed design objects at the fair, including a collection of abstract vessels called the Vanguard Series. The Vanguard Series consists of five pieces, each of which were each made by a different up-and-coming designer. OTHR invited five well-established designers to each choose a young or emerging designer to create their first 3D printed piece. Lets take a look at what will be on display. The first notable 3D printed object is a porcelain piece called Tulip. Created by New York studio Chen Chen & Kai Williams (chosen by curator Murray Moss), Tulip is a 3D printed vase that was loosely inspired by the iconic Dutch pyramid vases from the 17th century. Tulip by Chen Chen & Kai Williams The striking 3D printed object consists of several porcelain bud-shaped vessels designed to hold a flower eachwhich are stacked one on top of the other by steel, matt-black stems. We normally design by physically manipulating and shaping something. Working with 3D printing requires a lot more development to happen within your mind, said Chen Chen & Kai Williams of its first 3D printed piece. Another piece which visitors of the Collective Design Fair will be able to admire is Brutus, a set of modular 3D printed vessels inspired by brutalist architecture. The piece, which combines black and silver steel segments that can be assembled in different ways, was created by Egg Collective, an all-women design collective based in New York. Brutus by Egg Collective "The repetition and precision of this technology sort of allows this multiplicity that creates all of these different moments," said the designers. Architect Annabelle Selldorf, founder of NY-based Selldorf Architects, selected Egg Collective for the project. The third 3D printed piece debuted by OTHR today is created by Chicago-based designer Ania Jaworska, who was selected for the project by Pin-Up Magazine creator Felix Burrichter. Her piece, called Pavilion, is a 3D printed grid-inspired structure made from a matt-black steel. Pavilion by Ania Jaworska According to the designer, the piece is meant to be paired with other objects to be more functional. "With this project I was interested in ambiguous reading of the objects, as to offer more interpretations of their form and function," Jaworska explained. Suple N2 is an interesting piece by Chilean design studio gt2p, which was nominated by The Mets decorative arts curator Christian Larsen. Consisting of a black porcelain base and polished gold steel tops, the three-in-one vessel is a stunning piece of home design. Relatively new to 3D printing technology, gt2p founder Guillermo Parada said his biggest challenge in creating the object was figuring out how to fit different materials together that are traditionally hard to combine. Suple N2 by gt2p Last but not least is a 3D printed vessel called God Save the Queen, which was created by French designer Marie-Victoire Winckler, who was chosen by interior designer India Mahdavi. The three-part vase has a ribbed celadon porcelain base, a gold steel ring middle, and a striking white bulbous top. The visually interesting piece comes across as both traditionally ornate and technological. "What is interesting to me in this 3D technique is to be able to work with emptiness and space between elements in such a precise way," said Winckler of her design process and working with 3D printing. God Save the Queen by Marie-Victoire Winckler Each of the designers who contributed to the Vanguard Series worked with OTHR throughout the design process via Skype calls, using digital modeling and OTHRs 3D printing technology to realize the final pieces. Each of the vessels at the Collective Design Fair will be on sale for $5,000 a piece. The fair will be running until May 7, 2017 at the Skylight Clarkson Square venue in Manhattan, New York. Posted in 3D Design Maybe you also like: May 3, 2017 | By Benedict Meat & Livestock Australia, a not-for-profit red meat research organization, has unveiled a selection of 3D printed beef products that it says could be the future of red meat. The organization used a byFlow 3D printer from the Netherlands to create its intricately shaped morsels. When we first discovered what Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) wanted to do with 3D printed meat last year, we were naturally quite curious. Would 3D printing produce a tasty beef product? And would anyone be prepared to eat it? Excitingly, the nonprofit has now provided a clearer picture of what it thinks 3D printed meat products could look likeby cooking them up at a public showcase. The MLA wasnt alone in its meat-making adventure, either. Though it devised the offal-based printing idea on its own, the organization used a food-safe 3D printer from Dutch 3D printing company byFlow. These guys might not be household names yet, but their achievements include making a five-course meal using a 3D printer, so they clearly know a thing or two about 3D printing food. The treats themselves were prepared by MLA chef Sam Burke, who turned the 3D printed pieces into both canapes and meals. The 3D printed beef elements were complemented by edible flowers, squid-flavoured tapioca shards, and avocado smears. The 3D printed meat products were exhibited yesterday at Monash University in Australia. There, researchers demonstrated how so-called secondary cuts of beef can be turned into relatively desirable foodstuffs, including elegantly shaped swirls and patties. Of course, some might see this work as little more than novelty, but MLA is deadly serious about using 3D printing to create the next generation of meat products. byFlow's Frits Hoff and MLA chef Sam Burke (Image: Stuart McEvoy) This is real; this is happening now, said MLA Tomorrows Food manager Michael Lee. We are not saying this technology will replace all sausages and steaks, but that on some occasions 3D printed meat will be available and sometimes preferable. This may also present a value opportunity, Lee added. Currently one-third of each animal ends up as low-value burger trimmings for retailers like McDonaldswhy not see if this new technology gives us the opportunity to create more value for our farmers? If people are going to bite for MLAs 3D printed meat, its this value aspect that really needs to deliver. And according to the researchers, the numbers add up handsomely. Lee said that while high-quality Australian steak can be exported for up to 50 AUD per kilo, mince is far less profitable. But if farmers were to turn low-value meat into a 3D printable form, Lee reckons they could charge as much as 300 AUD per kilo for it. Thats a huge amount of money for the kind of meat that usually gets sold off in bulk to fast food joints. Interestingly, MLA and byFlow say that bio-synthesized meatnon-organic stuff made in a petri dish from from chains of peptidescould also be 3D printed. This would be great news for vegetarians and animal rights activists, though MLA says that demand for real meat currently has the edge. What we are finding in Europe is a preference for real 3D printed food over fake or bio-synthesized food, said ByFlow business development manager Frits Hoff. People definitely want natural food ingredients (in the cartridge) with no additives. But Hoff believes there is hope yet for biosynthesized meat, and demand for this kind of food will only increase as technology for making it improves. [The] level of acceptance may change as the price of synthesized food comes down and the taste improves, Hoff said. Two years ago the first synthesized meat hamburgers cost $250,000 each to produce and now are 10. So who knows when it will be cheap enough for McDonalds to look at synthetic meat proteins using 3D printers? MLA initially said that 3D printed meat products would be best suited to elderly eaters who have trouble chewing, though this latest showcase suggests the organization is eyeing up a wider market for these products. Posted in 3D Printing Technology Maybe you also like: Donna wrote at 5/5/2017 6:21:17 AM:Could this help to feed the millions of starving people in the world. Phyllis Korkkis in The New York Times: The workplace, like almost all places where people interact, can be a petri dish of conflict. Offensive remarks, unrealistic demands, people taking credit for others work, bullying the transgressions that occur can take many forms. They also have the potential to escalate out of control and permanently damage relationships. Gabrielle S. Adams, an assistant professor at the London Business School and a visiting fellow at Harvard University, has examined the role that empathy and forgiveness can play in resolving these conflicts. In recent studies, Professor Adams found that misunderstandings often exist between the victims of harm and the people who committed the harm. In many cases, the transgressors did not intend a negative effect, whereas the victims tended to think that the damage was intentional. In addition, transgressors frequently felt guilty and wanted to be forgiven much more than their victims realized. When someone feels wronged, it can help to actively empathize with the person who is perceived as the wrongdoer, according to a study that Professor Adams conducted along with M. Ena Inesi, also of the London Business School. That can enable the victim to realize that the transgressor may well wish to be forgiven, their study found. They came to these conclusions, in part, by having people record diaries, over a five-day period, of situations in which they thought they had harmed or offended other people, or been harmed by or offended by others. From these diaries, wide miscalibrations of other peoples perceptions became apparent, Professor Adams said. We ask victims to think about what it would be like to be the transgressor, and you reduce that miscalibration, she said. She also conducted a lab experiment in which people could select from a set of assignments. One of the assignments testing out various juice flavors was much more enjoyable than a different one: going through a set of nonsense words and crossing out the letter E. If given first choice of an assignment, people would almost always choose the fun juice test, which meant that the other participant was forced to take the tedious letter E assignment. As a result, the second person tended to be resentful of the first person but the first people indicated that they hadnt intended the harm and felt guilty about it. This is typical of many workplace conflicts, Professor Adams said. Think of bullying. Many people can cite instances in which they think they have been bullied. But how many people would say that they have bullied someone themselves? In a conflict, the people involved almost always have a different interpretation of events, Professor Adams said. This is partly because we have a built-in tendency as humans to think that we are good people, and also that we are right. By making it a point to resolve conflicts by encouraging empathy and forgiveness, workers and managers can improve workplace conditions, Professor Adams said. More here. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Not quite: It's 44-ton marine mammal. This year's gray whale migration up the California coastline will go down in history as one of the most violent, naturally occurring marine bloodbaths in recent memory. Gray whale calves (cetaceans still nursing from their mothers) have been unusually delectable to the killer whale palate of late: As of today, four gray whale kiddos have succumbed to brutal attacks from a pod of belligerent orcas, numbering only nine strong. "This has never happened in my 30 years [of research]," Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, told SFGate, further embellishing the frequency of the pod's murder streak as "remarkable" and "unprecedented." But, a group of blow-hole heroes has arrived on the scene: Monterey's resident humpback whales. Just this past year, scientists began speculating that humpback whales may, indeed, be more human-like than we previously thought. Altruismthe selfless belief of helping another, unrelated sentient being for nothing in returnwas theorized to be a behavioral characteristic shared only by human beings and great apes. Now, however, it's become abundantly clear that magnanimous acts are being performed miles from the nearest sandy beach. [rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Finline_colwidth__16_9%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fep_R_RLPitman-photo_16x9.jpg%3Fitok%3D4LLm00mo&ho=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencemag.org&s=62&h=01f7035d49e083e48d803143d7154fac1b8b0e1a3de3ff37ef2240b6f0ccea5e&size=980x&c=725038600 image-library="0" caption="A humpback last summer was photographed and filmed giving Weddell seal a belly-back ride\u2014away from the pack of orcas trying to consume it." pin_description="" photo_credit_src="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12343/full" photo_credit="(Courtesy of Robert Pitman/NOAA)" crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252Fstyles%252Finline_colwidth__16_9%252Fpublic%252Fimages%252Fep_R_RLPitman-photo_16x9.jpg%253Fitok%253D4LLm00mo%26ho%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.sciencemag.org%26s%3D62%26h%3D01f7035d49e083e48d803143d7154fac1b8b0e1a3de3ff37ef2240b6f0ccea5e%26size%3D980x%26c%3D725038600%22%7D" expand=1] A humpback last summer was photographed and filmed giving Weddell seal a belly-back rideaway from the pack of orcas trying to consume it. (Courtesy of Robert Pitman/NOAA) "Humpbacks like to interfere with the killer whales for some strange reason," Black adds. "They seem to want to protect the [gray whale calves]." Other accounts of humpbacks helping gray whales have been well recorded, tooso it looks like these aren't isolated incidences. Perhaps good deeds really are contagious. Check out the video below to see these saline superheroes in action! FGA is looking to disrupt the construction industry via innovation via their wholly owned subsidiary Horton Global Industries, they will be creating hundreds of technology and manufacturing jobs in Milledgeville, Georgia. SPRING, HILL, FL Falcon Global Acquisitions (FGA) , a private equity firm, is in the final stages of locating their techcentric manufacturing subsidiary, Horton Global Industries, in the town of Milledgeville, GA. The massive facility will house a technology driven modular manufacturing company, whos vision is to disrupt the construction industry via innovation. The process of constructing residential homes and commercial buildings has not dramatically changed over the centuries, other than the addition of new material. FGA via their wholly owned subsidiary Horton Global Industries plans on changing that. The stigma of modular or manufactured homes is one that we plan on debunking in 2017 via technology, Ive been involved in the modular building arena for some time and look forward to bringing the next generation of construction to our customer base, stated Robert Horton, VP of Modular Manufacturing for FGA. One of the goals of FGA is to create over 1,500 skilled jobs over the next five years, increase commerce and the tax revenue base for the county of Milledgeville, GA. Also working with the local technology institutions for research and development as well as create employment opportunities for graduates. This model will be mimicked in other parts of the country as part of the growth and expansion plans. Our goal is to use technology to build stronger, more intuitive and affordable smart modular homes and buildings. We have the ability to have a big impact on the affordable housing market, giving homeowners a sense of true pride in their owned homes or rented apartments. Including modern technology within our end products, whether its the actual builds, the tile, cabinets, sinks etc, allows us to reduce cost to the consumer meanwhile giving them a higher quality than they are possibly getting now with traditional builds. Stated Louis Velazquez, Managing Partner of FGA. About Falcon Global Acquisitions Falcon Global Acquisitions FGA was founded in 1998 and is a private equity firm with a keen focus on making acquisitions of viable privately held companies worldwide. FGA is currently making strategic acquisitions of viable manufacturing and technology companies which have synergy as well as vertical integration possibilities with current subsidiaries. FGAs primary focus is on companies that have good management in place that may be in need of some type of restructuring. These companies may have been mismanaged, may have little to no access to additional capital or may have been stunted due to lack of organic growth. For more information on FGA go to www.falconglobalacquisitions.com This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, and qualification under the securities laws of any such state. This press release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words anticipate, believe, expect, plan, intend, can, will, should, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including but not limited to expectations and assumptions concerning the receipt of required regulatory approval. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Contact: Sarah Jasper Media Relations 352-593-8248 Media Contact Company Name: Falcon Global Acquisitions Contact Person: Sarah Jasper Email: Press@falconglobalacquisitions.com Phone: 352-593-8248 Address:4377 Commercial Way Ste 180 City: Spring Hill State: Florida Country: United States Website: www.falconglobalacquisitions.com Impact Minerals Limited (ASX:IPT) is an exploration company listed on the ASX in November 2006. The Company manages extensive tenement holdings (>2,000 km2) within Australia featuring significant potential for high-grade mineral deposits of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, nickel and PGM's. The Directors of the Company have extensive experience in mineral exploration and a strong history of exploration success, business development and corporate management. Impact Minerals intends to build wealth for its shareholders through a vigorous campaign of project generation and evaluation with a view towards profitable mining operations. Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (TSE:AVL) (OTCQX:AVARF) is pleased to announce the results of a revised 43-101-compliant resource estimate for the Nechalacho Rare Earth Element ("REE") deposit, Thor Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. The revised resource estimate was prepared by independent consultant Scott Wilson Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. ("Scott Wilson RPA"), as part of the Prefeasibility Study ("PFS"), that it is preparing for the Company. The PFS is nearing completion and the results of the economic analysis will be disclosed within the next two weeks. iCollege Ltd (ASX:ICT) is a vocational education and training organisation that provides both accredited and non-accredited training solutions to existing workers, job seekers and school leavers throughout Australia and abroad. The training that is delivered by iCollege Limited and its three registered training organisations is targeted at individuals seeking essential skills and knowledge required to gain employment across a range of industry sectors including health and fitness, community services and business. Our mission is to give students a flexible and more engaging learning experience. We want people to realise or change their employment opportunities with the knowledge and skills we provide. WorleyParsons (ASX:WOR) Awarded Maricunga JV Engineering Contract Sydney, May 3, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Lithium Power International Limited ( ASX:LPI ) ( LTHHF:OTCMKTS ) ("LPI" or "the Company") is pleased to provide an update on activities at the Maricunga lithium brine project in northern Chile. Highlights - LPI is pleased to announce, after an extensive evaluation, that WorleyParsons has been selected as the engineering consultant for the Maricunga JV project feasibility studies to support the JV as it continues to advance the Maricunga lithium brine project to production. - The project infrastructure studies are advancing well and the Company will provide updates as activities advance. Austrade's Senior Trade Commissioner in Santiago, Shannon Powell, commented "We are delighted with the news that the design and feasibility contract for LPI's Maricunga Salar has been awarded to Australian firm WorleyParsons. Our Austrade office in Chile is working to ensure that Australian firms are the preferred service providers to Australian companies developing projects in the region. This outcome is a great testament to that work, ensuring that Australian capability is always well profiled". Engineering consultant selection After an extensive evaluation of engineering companies with appropriate experience the Maricunga JV has selected WorleyParsons ( ASX:WOR ) as the tier 1 engineering consultancy firm for the project design and feasibility studies. WorleyParsons is a global engineering company with headquarters in Australia and is listed on the ASX. The company has extensive expertise in engineering, procurement and construction, working across the infrastructure, mining, chemicals and hydrocarbon sectors. WorleyParsons undertook extensive engineering and feasibility at the Salar de Atacama in Chile and undertaken the engineering design for the definitive feasibility study on the Cauchari lithium brine project in Argentina. The company brings a wealth of infrastructure design, geotechnical, chemical, mechanical and electrical skills to the project. WorleyParsons' services will be provided from its office in Santiago, in the capital of Chile, which is close to the joint venture project office. Engineering milestones The engagement for project engineering studies will commence with a scoping study (Preliminary Economic Assessment) for the project, to be completed in late 2017 (for a +/-30% estimate of costs). This will be followed directly by the project definitive feasibility study to be completed during 2018 (to meet AACE 18R-97, Class 2 estimation standards with a +/-15% accuracy). WorleyParsons will undertake design of both the lithium carbonate and the potassium chloride production plants through the scoping study to the feasibility study. Lithium Power International's Chief Executive Officer, Martin Holland, commented: "Selection of WorleyParsons as the joint venture engineering consultant is another important step in taking the Maricunga project to production. We look forward to working with WorleyParsons through the feasibility studies, utilizing their extensive practical experience with lithium brine projects. In parallel with project engineering, the Company continues to advance with the pending Maiden JORC resource upgrade, infrastructure studies and environmental data collection." Maricunga JV Background The Maricunga JV is 50%-owned by LPI. The project is regarded by LPI management as one of the highest quality undeveloped pre-production lithium brine project globally, with a very high lithium grade and strong flow rates. The Company continues to advance towards a new JORC compliant resource estimate in 1H17, based on results of the drilling and pump testing program, with the project progressing to a scoping study later in 2017 moving directly to definitive feasibility in 2018. About Lithium Power International Ltd Lithium Power International Limited (ASX:LPI) is a pure-play lithium explorer and developer, focusing on developing and fast-tracking to production the high-grade Maricunga lithium brine project in Chile. LPI has a well-known performing technical team with the experience to take the Maricunga project all the way through the development stages to production. The regions that LPI is currently focused on are: 1. Maricunga JV (Chile) - Located within the "Lithium Triangle", Maricunga is Chile's highest grade and most advanced lithium project outside the Salar de Atacama. The project lies 170 km northeast of Copiapo and 250 km from the port of Caldera. 2. Pilbara (Western Australia) - LPI has three granted exploration tenements covering 203 km2 in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. The largest granted exploration tenement is the Pilgangoora tenement which is 2-3 km west of the Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) and Altura Mining (ASX:AJM) lithium deposits. 3. Greenbushes (Western Australia) - LPI has two granted exploration tenements covering 400 km2 in the Greenbushes area of southern Western Australia. The tenements are adjacent to the world's largest hard rock lithium mine owned and operated by Tianqi/Talison. 4. Centenario (Argentina) - Through its Argentinian subsidiary, Lithium Power holds a total of seven granted tenements in the Centenario lithium brine salar within the Salta province of the Puna Plateau. In total, the seven granted tenements cover an area of 68.46 km2. With the exception of the Maricunga JV, all tenements are 100% owned by LPI or LPSA (including rights to the Centenario tenements). Releases Quarterly Results and Completion of Successful China Visit to Chinese Cobalt and Battery Producers Sydney, May 3, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd ( ASX:COB ) CEO Joe Kaderavek and Chair Robert Biancardi recently completed a successful commercial/technical visit to China. They travelled extensively across four provinces, visiting companies responsible for over 80% of Chinese cobalt capacity. China processes approximately 50% of the world's cobalt and has long dated experience with cobalt extraction and technical expertise require to make cathodes (cobalt containing electrodes found in lithium-ion batteries). COB management believes there are enormous benefits to co-operation, for example deploying best in class technologies to achieve high yield, low cost extraction processes. The team were very impressed by Chinese research and development efforts, particularly focussed upon cobalt salt production from sulphide materials (such as Cobalt Blue). Further, plant design and state of the art process control allow for efficient processing of very high material volumes. From their viewpoint, Chinese refineries are looking for diversification away from an increasing dependency on sourcing cobalt from the African copper belt. The collective view was that current pricing (approx. US$25/lb) was sustainable, with all industry participants making a good margin. However, further upward price pressure may cause battery makers to "thrift" and use lower cobalt content cathodes in response. To view the Quarterly Report, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/26V4Y7K4 About Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX:COB) (FRA:COH) (OTCMKTS:CBBHF) is an exploration and project development company. Work programs advancing the Broken Hill Cobalt Project in New South Wales continue. Our ambitious goals are subject to funding availability. Cobalt is a strategic metal in strong demand for new generation batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries now being widely used in clean energy systems. Rolls-Royce joined Icelandair today to mark 60 years of power for the airline's fleet, with both companies celebrating today's anniversary in Iceland, with customers travelling between Iceland and the UK receiving a commemorative gift on selected flights this week. Icelandair has a special place in the history of Rolls-Royce, setting a number of records for the RB211-535E4 engines it operates. In 2000 Icelandair set a world record for continuous time on wing from entry into service when one engine achieved 40,531 flying hours, covering 18 million miles the equivalent of 37 return trips to the moon. Bruce Blythe, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President Customers, Civil Aerospace, said: Icelandair is a special customer and a history-maker in the RB211 story. Today, we continue to support Icelandair in service and look forward to the continued development of this longstanding relationship. Jens Bjarnason, Senior Vice President Icelandair Operations, said: Rolls-Royce has played an important part in our success story and continue to do so. They have not only delivered reliable power to us, just as importantly they have continued to service and support their engines, ensuring our aircraft are available to fly. Icelandair currently operates 28 Boeing 757 aircraft powered by the RB211-535E4 and last year signed an order for further Rolls-Royce engine support through the SelectCare CareService. The Rolls-Royce history with Icelandair comprises: Vickers Viscount 1957-1967 Dart engines Canadair CL-44 1964-1973 Tyne engines Fokker F27 1965-1993 Dart engines Boeing 757 1990+ - RB211-535E4 engines Icelandair itself is celebrating 80 years as an airline this year and is planning a series of events to mark the anniversary. We have tried to make a small difference in the lives of acid attack victims and sex workers daughters. The Eighth Edition of Newsmakers Achievers Awards function was held on 1st of May, 2017 at Rangswar Auditorium, Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Mumbai. This years award function was dedicated to acid attack victims and providing financial assistance to sex workers daughters education. Around 80 per cent of the victims of acid attacks are women, as many of them have to undergo severe hardships after assault. Women become soft targets of acid attacks due failed relationships, refused marriage proposal, property disputes and domestic violence. Many of them dont come forward to file a complaint against the miscreant and continue to suffer in silence. Their husbands too desert them after the incident. They have to run from pillar to post for seeking employment and financial assistance. Sex workers live in inhuman conditions and do not own any property. Many of them dont have access to bank accounts, lack identity proof and dont have any right to vote. Their children are denied education and have to face social isolation. Many of them find it difficult to enrol their children in schools as they are unable to disclose their fathers identity. The societys attitude towards them continues to remain unchanged. Aarti Thakur a 27 year old acid attack victim survivor said, I have undergone eight surgeries and two more will follow. I hope the accused should be awarded stringent punishment. Life is full of obstacles but one should struggle hard to overcome all obstacles. Daultabi Khan a 34 year of victim of acid attack said, I have to undergo huge hardships after the acid attack. I have lost vision in my one eye both my ears are deformed. I will utilise this money for treatment purpose. Deepika Solar a 29 year of acid victim survivor said, The percentage of burn on my face is 15 per cent. I am overwhelmed with the support shown by Newmakers for the cause of farmers. An initiative like this will make some difference in the lives acid attack victims. Newsmakers Felicitates Achievers Various personalities from all walks of life be it in media, politics, academic and social sector were also honoured on this occasion. The award was handed over to them by eminent personalities. Pandit Birju Maharaj and Shree Pradeep Welankar was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Diwakar Raote received the Best Politician Award. Aasha Warriar was honoured with the Best Spiritual Leader award. The award for Best Doctor was bagged by Dr Mukesh Batra. Dr Deepak Bhosale received the best Educationist award. Roxy Arora was honoured with the best Author award. Virag Gupta received the best lawyer award. Namrata Thakker was honoured with the Best Social Entreprenuer award. Deep Haider received the Best Journalist (Editor) award. Rashid Hashmi was felicitated with the Best News Anchor award. Vicky Nanjappa was honoured with Best Journalist (Digital) award. Varun Singh received the Best Journalist (Print) award. Anil Nagpal received the Best Photographer award. Nandita Venkatesan was felicitated with Best Writer/Reporter award. Asha Mamedi bagged the Best Social Worker jury award. Sushant Divgikar was felicitated with Best VJ award. Siddharth Nigan received the Best Child Artist award. Meghna Malik was felicitated with the Best Actress award. Darshan Kumaar received the Best Actor award. Lubna Adams bagged the Best Fashion Choreographer award and Ssumier S. Pasricha received the Best Comedian award. Dolly Parekh was felicitated with Best Fashion Designer award. Samidha Guru was honoured with the Best Marathi Actress award while Kishor Kadam bagged the Best Marathi Actor award. Vaidehi Taman, Group Editor of NBC said, This year award function is special for us as we have tried to make a small difference in the lives of acid attack victims and sex workers daughters lives. Often acid attack victims are neglected by the society as they feel helpless. By lending a helping hand to them we will rebuild their lives. We also are providing assistance for supporting sex workers daughters education and to bring them into the mainstream society. For more details, log on to www.nbcaward.in Dear Jimmy, The Sound of Vaccine Injury May I call you Jimmy? I feel like I know you, having invited you into my home so many times. Laughing with you. Crying with you when your Uncle Frank died. Reveling in your numerous guest appearances on The Howard Stern Show. Loving the updates from the fabulous parties you throw for him and Beth. I'm a fan, Jimmy. You make me laugh and Lord knows I need to laugh. So.... about this foray into vaccination politics. Can I just ask, "WTF?" I know you have a beautiful baby daughter named Jane. (Love the name, so much better than Kumquat or Des Moines.) I also know you have grown children by a previous marriage. (We "anti-vaxxers" don't just use the Google to find "myths and debunked lies" about healthcare, you know.) After airing a segment with doctors hilariously explaining the reasons to get your kids vaccinated , Kimmel got hate messages on Twitter that put Mean Tweets to shame. So, in the interest of fairness, the talk show host sent his community activists out to try and prove that vaccinations are bad (because kids prefer lollipops to needles). And the result is even more ridiculous than it sounds. Pray, Jimmy, that you NEVER NEED US. But if you do, we'll be here. Because THAT'S the vax injury prevention community. We may dislike you for your callous treatment of us and our kids, but we'll help. Despite our own broken hearts for which there is no surgery. You owe us an apology, Jimble Kimball.... Even Wendy would not be as cruel. I wrote the post below when Jimmy's daughter Jane was born. KIM Jimmy Kimmel sobbed (again) on his TV program about his newborn son and the heart surgery the baby needed. Who could blame him? A nurse noticed that the baby's heart had a problem - and medicine saved the child. There's no pain as sharp as watching your child in danger, with poor health, struggle, maybe even die. Remember when Jimmy Kimmel made fun of parents of vaccine injured children with autism on this same show? Remember when you noticed something very seriously wrong with your child and people like Jimmy Kimmel laughed at you and called you a liar and a silly Mommy? Remember your children with seizures, self-injurious behavior, children who drown, are beaten by those charged with teaching them, children whose life expectancy is mid-30s because of their autism? We do. This was from HuffPo in March of 2015: Your first set of kids were fortunate to have missed the autism juggernaut that was churning forward when they were young, heck, when my girls were young. The rate was increasing each year from 1 in 5000, to 1 in 500, 1 in 250, 1 in 188, 1 in 150, 1 in 88 and onward. I'm sure you count your blessings. Every parent does.Baby Jane is probably sleeping through the night now. Isn't sleep the greatest freaking gift ever? I mean it - sleep deprivation is a form of torture for a reason! All that infant crying has probably started to subside a bit - giving you and your wife Molly a chance rejuvenate after a hard day of writing comedy to make people like me, people who have a tough slog every day, laugh. The sound of a baby's cry will never be a memory for my husband and me. The first sign of vaccine injury in my 18 year old daughter (that's she in the photo above, her birth to the right) was a shrill cry that set in hours after her birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine. That vaccine had 12.5 mcg of mercury - far more than a 6 pound infant girl could handle. I have the piece of paper I signed from Doylestown Hospital authorizing that shot - I never questioned vaccination. I never got informed consent either. If baby Jane received a birth dose of Hep B, you can thank Lyn Redwood of Safeminds for the fact that Hep B no longer contains the full dose of the mercury-based preservative called Thimerosal. You see, Lyn, a nurse, watched her son decline into autism from vaccine injury, started asking questions, counted the mcg of mercury on the vaccine schedule and informed YOUR government that there were hundreds of mcg of mercury being injected into American infants in the early 1990s. If you can imagine, NO ONE at PHARMA OR CDC or AAP BOTHERED TO COUNT the cumulative dose of mercury. Kookamonga, right? I know! And in 1999, without a recall, since that would imply liability and wrong doing and we all know vaccines are made from fairy pee and unicorn farts, pharma started to produce "mercury free" vaccines, while selling the full mercury dose vaccines at the same time. Back to my kid. Miss G as I call her, came home from the hospital unable to nurse without biting me to a bloody pulp after 24 hours of perfect latching. And she developed a high keening wail that sounded like the banshees themselves in the midnight forest. There's a study that explains what the birth dose of Hep B did to baby primates. It destroyed their ability to suckle, shot oral motor planning to smithereens and brain injured them. I did not sleep. 18 years later, I still do not sleep. Below is a 2 minute file of Miss G crying yesterday - because of another snow delay here in Connecticut. She has autism - and while she can speak pretty well by full autism standards, her anxiety and overwhelming need for routine (shattered by yet another storm) launch her back to an infant/toddler screaming tantrum stage on a regular basis. The Sound of Vaccine Injury Put this on a loop. Listen for 18 years. Let me know when you stop laughing. Taunting. And please, pray your baby Jane never suffers a vaccine injury. I will too. I wouldn't wish what has happened to my daughter and so many of us on a dog. Not on a dirty lowdown dog. We "anti-vaxxers" don't roll that way. We don't wish ill on other people's children. Because we know the agony. You have vaccine rights as her Dad. Molly has rights as her Mom. There are bills that threaten to take away your right to make healthcare choices for your daughter. Today it's vaccination. Tomorrow? Thanks. Yours in health, Kim Stagliano Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism. Her new novel, House of Cards; A Kat Cavicchio romantic suspense is available from Amazon in all e-formats now. Her memoir, All I Can Handle I'm No Mother Teresa is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book. Look for 101 Tips for Parents Raising Girls with Autism this Spring, written by Tony Lyons, with contributions by Kim. Panalpina has announced two acquisitions: a Danish logistics operator with a seafreight focus and a Kenya-based perishables specialist in the export of flowers and vegetables. The Switzerland-headquartered logistics giant will acquire the family-owned Kenyan forwarder Air Connection, subject to conditions. The deal comes two years after Panalpina increased its presence in Kenyan flower logistics by acquiring perishables specialist Airflo, Kenyas second largest airfreight forwarder, and only two weeks after Panalpina formally announced the launch of its global Perishables Network. And as part of its global growth strategy, Panalpina has also taken a majority stake in Carelog Freight Service and its subsidiaries, a Danish freight forwarding and logistics company with a strong foothold in ocean freight and roots in the western part of Denmark. A spokesperson for Panalpina said that Carelogs portfolio complemented the new owner ideally in terms of geography, product strengths and customer mix. The two companies acquired by Panalpina have agreed not to disclose any financial details of the deal. Stefan Karlen, Panalpinas chief executive said of the Kenyan takeover: The acquisition of Air Connection will strengthen our existing global Perishables Network and our position as the clear market leader in the perishables arena in Kenya. Air Connection is specialised in the export of flowers and vegetables from Kenya to multiple destinations including the Netherlands and the UK, and is currently the countrys fourth largest forwarder in terms of air freight export volumes. The merged company will handle around 70,000 tons of perishables air freight per year. Manjit Brar, owner and managing director of Air Connection, said: While most of Panalpinas flower exports from Kenya currently go to auctions in Amsterdam, we are specialised in direct shipments to customers. And while Panalpina is strong with big charter shipments from Kenya to Europe, our strength lies in smaller shipments on scheduled passenger flights to over 150 destinations worldwide. Of the Carelog acquisition, Karlen said: We want to increase our market share in Denmark. The country has many export-oriented companies and its biggest industries, namely manufacturing, consumer, retail, fashion as well as healthcare, are industries that we focus on and serve globally. Founded in 2008, the Danish freight forwarding and logistics company started out with customers in the furniture and fashion industry and then expanded to other sectors such as machinery and agriculture. The merged Danish company employs approximately 70 people that provide ocean freight, airfreight and logistics services from six locations in all regions of Denmark including in Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense. Lars Engbo, managing director of Carelog, said that his company has a very healthy customer base. Engbo added: We are proud to become part of a larger family and reputable brand. And although we may merge with a global player we will always be conscious of our roots and stay flexible for and committed to our existing local customer. Engbo, who was one of the founders of Carelog, has been appointed as managing director of the new company that operates under the name Panalpina Carelog. Volker Boehringer, regional chief executive Europe at Panalpina, said: Panalpina and Carelog together create a respectable mid-sized freight forwarding and logistics company in Denmark and provide a solid foundation for further growth. In a market that is dominated by few enterprises, we have now a broader geographical footprint and a stronger, more balanced product offering. The ambition is clearly to become a leading player in Denmark. A trend towards direct shipments formed part of the rationale behind Panalpinas further expansion in the Kenyan perishables market as outlined by Conrad Archer, managing director of Panalpina Airflo. Archer said: Increasingly, buyers of perishables want to source directly from the producer and producers want to sell directly to the country of consumption. Direct shipping bypasses intermediaries, reducing touch points in the supply chain. "It removes unnecessary costs, potential delays and most importantly allows a fresher product to be offered to the consumer. At the same time, this development will make sophisticated end-to-end solutions even more important than today. Joining forces with Air Connection will offer additional opportunities to grow the perishables business in Kenya, especially with the export of vegetables, herbs and cuttings. The merged company will employ over 350 staff in Nairobi and offer 3,000 sq m of cold storage capacity, which is soon to be extended even further to 4,000 sq m. It will also run an office at the port of Mombasa where Panalpina plans to develop the ocean freight business for both perishables (using reefers) and dry cargo. The dry cargo activities involve the import of textiles and export of fashion products, mainly to the US. Brar, who founded Air Connection in 1993, will remain as a consultant. Investment continues to flow into the Kenyan perishables sector. A new cargo terminal for perishables and dry cargo is soon set to open at Kenyas Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, East Africa. Logistics provider Mitchell Cotts commissioned the terminal, opening in September 2018, which will have an annual throughput capacity of 80,000 tons. There are already plans to expand the capacity to 150,000 tons. Share this story Artist Lucia Torres presents a collection of abstract water color, acrylic and oil paintings that explore a deeply personal confrontation of historical trauma. Runs through 5/18. A new exhibition of paintings by educator and artist Lucia Torres opens with a reception on March 17, 2016. Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Lucia Torres is a Chicana Jew with indigenous heritage currently living in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her mothers family fled Spain to escape the Inquisition and her indigenous father was from the mountains of Monterrey. Nahalat Shalom will host this exhibition of her new work, which explores the effects the Inquisition has had on her family and is part of her process of reclaiming her Jewish heritage, which was hidden for many generations. Aves de Fuego means Firebirds and this collection of abstract water color, acrylic and oil paintings explores a deeply personal confrontation of historical trauma. Works entitled Introducion a mi Cultura/Introduction to my Culture, Rebirth of Consciousness, Kerido Mio/My beloved, Consevido bajo las Llamas/Conceived under the Flames, and others surround you with a sophistication of color, energy and emotion that you must experience. This event is open to everyone and free of charge. Refreshments will be served. April 28, 2017 To some legislators' consternation but to no one's real surprise, Lebanon's parliamentary elections have been delayed yet again for at least three months. On April 12, the day before parliament was scheduled to meet, President Michel Aoun invoked Article 59 of the Lebanese Constitution, which allows him to postpone a parliamentary session for one month. He may do so once during the legislative term. Speaker Nabih Berri had called for the session to discuss extending parliaments term, as members failed to agree on a new electoral law before a constitutional deadline expired. Aoun wants a new law implemented before elections are held for parliament, whose term ends June 21. He doesn't want the legislature to extend its own term without elections, which he considers illegal, but he also doesn't want a legislative vacuum. However, the constitution requires that voters be given 90 days to prepare for an election, so because of repeated delays one now can't be scheduled before August at the earliest. In a televised speech, Aoun addressed the Lebanese people, saying, I have warned repeatedly against the extension since it is unconstitutional and will definitely not be the path toward the recovery of the government and its authorities and institutions on a sound constitutional basis. Minutes after Aoun announced his decision, Berri set another session for May 15. In the meantime, Lebanese political forces continue their quest to agree on an electoral law by then. Simon Abi Ramia, a member of parliament's Change and Reform bloc, told Al-Monitor that despite differences between the parties, political forces seek to agree on a new electoral law and his political bloc will strive to prevent a parliamentary extension by all means. Aoun wants to replace the contested 1960 Electoral Law, which is based on a majoritarian (winner-take-all) district electoral system with limited exceptions. That law allows Muslim leaders to select Christian parliament members in some constituencies. Aoun, a Maronite Christian, along with Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, are insisting on a "total proportionality" system, while others want either a hybrid law or the majoritarian system. On the eve of April 13, the date set for the session to discuss the extension, the specter of civil war came back to haunt the Lebanese amid a sharp division of political forces and a serious threat by Christian political forces to take to the streets to prevent the session. They threatened to block the roads to prevent legislators from even reaching parliament. The mounting tension might have escalated into a sectarian rift in the country if Aoun hadn't moved to contain the situation. Adel Yamin, a constitutional expert and law professor at Lebanese University in Beirut, noted that the April 13 parliament session would have coincided with the anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese war. "Aoun defused political and popular tension that risked turning into a sectarian division," he told Al-Monitor. But what if parliament fails to pass a new electoral law? And what if, during the May 15 session, it approves the urgent draft law submitted by member Nicolas Fattoush to extend parliaments term for an additional year? Does the president have other constitutional cards up his sleeve? Yamin said Aoun has several options. Aoun may address a letter to the parliament urging it to reject the extension and approve a new electoral law that takes into account the requirements of the constitution and the 1943 National Pact. Parliament would then have to consider the letter within three days and take action. Yamin noted that to consider the extension draft bill, parliament would need a quorum, which is the attendance of at least 65 of the 128 members. The proposal would then need a majority of the members present to pass. If parliament were to approve the extension, Aoun could ask one time only for parliament to reconsider the draft within five days. Then, to pass, the reconsidered draft law would need an absolute majority: 65 of the 128 members. Yamin explained that if parliament passes the extension draft law, Aoun will have the right to appeal before the Constitutional Council within 15 days after the law is published in the Official Gazette. The council has the option to void the law, and its decision is final. If the parliaments term expires without any consensus being reached on the new electoral law, Aoun with the assent of the prime minister and the minister of the interior and municipalities can hold an election based on the amended law of 1960 at least 90 days after the decree is published, despite the vacuum it would create, Yamin added. The parliamentary elections situation has hit a new low amid the threats of protests, in particular by the Christian political forces objecting to the extension. But Yamin noted that the environment gives the president another option: Go directly to the voters and ask them to express their opposition to parliament's attempt, as he sees it, to violate the constitution and control the state by an extension. Lebanon's last parliamentary elections were held in 2009. After a four-year term during which they couldn't agree on the electoral law, they voted to extend their term for 17 months. Another extension in 2014 has kept them in office until this year. April 28, 2017 CAIRO Egyptian parliamentarian Riyad Abdul Sattar proposed a bill on on April 18 to control usage of social media platforms like Facebook by linking account access to the users national ID number and charging registration fees, at least in its first draft. Parliament member Mohammad Komi went a step further on April 21, announcing he would submit another bill to establish an Egyptian version of Facebook. The two bills aim to deter the usage of social media to criticize state figures like President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and institutions like the judiciary and military, as well as to track users who support terrorism. The bills set off a wave of sarcasm on social media, as Facebook is free to use and not owned by the Egyptian government. The government cannot impose a registration fee or force users to link their accounts to their national ID numbers. Many users objected to the idea of a monitored Egyptian social media platform, while others defended the bill, saying social media platforms threaten Egypts national security and must be brought under control. Abdul Sattar, defending the move, told Al-Monitor, People around the world have different cultures, and their freedom varies depending on their ability to bear responsibilities. A country like Egypt with a high illiteracy rate cannot be put on par with the US and Europe. According to statistics issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in September 2016, illiteracy rates in Egypt reached 29.7%, or 17 million people, in 2016. Abdul Sattar noted that social media platforms create a security gap that individuals, groups and enemy states like Qatar and Turkey seep through to destabilize Egypt. Abdul Sattar said that the bill is needed to allow the state to control this loophole that is being used for killing and destruction as well as the humiliation of Egyptian women through defamatory videos and photos. He added that the bill has gained enough support to advance to the parliament's legislative committee. On April 26, the parliament General Secretariat received the bill to be shown to Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal, who called on members of parliament to discuss the bill and consult the concerned committees. He explained the bill's procedure for creating a social media account: Users would have to fill out and submit an application form they obtain from the closest telecommunications center, entering their personal information such as name, address and profession, as well as the name of the organizational page, if one is being considered. The Ministry of Telecommunications will use this application to create a database and give each user a name and password to get through the firewall blocking Facebook. Individuals below 18 years of age will not be permitted to open a social media account under the bill. He added that he proposed financial and custodial sanctions, including a fine of 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($250) for those who fail to obtain a license within six months of the law's passage. If those caught and fined continue to use the sites without a license, they risk a six-month prison sentence. Abdul Sattar denied that registration fees would be imposed for social media websites. He said, The Egyptian media outlets are spreading these lies, and they claimed that a registration fee of 200 pounds [$10] per month will be imposed. I suggested 10 pounds ($0.50) as application charge, which is equivalent to the administrative costs of processing applications and building a social media user database. Komi said April 21 that he would submit a bill to establish an Egyptian version of Facebook, with a different name. He told Al-Monitor that there are technical difficulties in implementing Abdul Sattars bill. He added, I suggest an Egyptian Facebook-like website with Egyptian form and design. It would have a Pharaonic name and logo Egypts Horus, tentatively. Komi said, I consulted Chief of Information Security at the Ministry of Telecommunications Walid Abdul Maqsoud on the mechanism of establishing an Egyptian Facebook that would require the national ID card to open an account. A trial version of the website was tested offline and proved successful. The cost of buying servers and building a user database is being estimated. Despite primary studies indicating that the cost is high, the revenues will be as high. The Chinese and Russian versions of Facebook attest to the success of this experiment. Komi claimed that the bill will be beneficial on several levels. Financially, it will bring in millions of dollars from advertising and enable Egypt to retain the profits Facebook makes off Egyptian users, which according to Komi amounts to $1,400 per minute. The bill will also have social advantages like helping the state understand the interests and desires of the youths, and security benefits like easily tracking all pages and punishing perpetrators of cybercrime. He noted that one national ID number can be used to open only one personal account, and consequently there will be no fake, provocative or offensive accounts. Islam Khaled, coordinator of an activist group called the Internet Revolution movement, which pressures internet service providers and the Egyptian government to provide convenient internet service and defends free internet usage, told Al-Monitor, The two bills have put Egypt in a humiliating position, and countries around the world are having a field day criticizing Egypt. Facebook is not owned by the Egyptian state, which cannot control its services. The best the government can do is to ban the website in general. But hackers will definitely be able to break the ban. Besides, most youths will refuse to access an Egyptian version of Facebook that is monitored by security. He added that the National Telecom Regulatory Authority has a committee tasked with educating social media users that will reduce tensions by promoting the acceptance of different opinions. The director of the National Center for Security and Strategic Studies, Brig. Gen. Khaled Akasha, told Al-Monitor, The two bills are ridiculous and no security official in Egypt demanded banning social media websites or controlling their use. If they are banned, terrorist groups will find other means of communication out of the security services' sight. Akasha added that the security forces track the IP addresses of pages that incite violence. May 3, 2017 CAIRO Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratified on April 27 the legal amendments approved by the Egyptian parliament, allowing him to select the heads of four judicial bodies from among the various candidates for the first time in the history of the judiciary. Before the ratification, the general assembly of each body would submit the candidate for its presidency itself. This raised questions about the future of the Egyptian judiciary, namely whether or not the judiciary will consequently lose its independence. The amendments were aimed at the heads of the Egyptian State Council, the Court of Cassation [highest criminal court in the country], the Administrative Prosecution [Authority] and the State Lawsuits Authority, and came in a new law issued by Sisi a day after the approval by the Egyptian parliament. However, the judges opposed the law, saying it undermines the judiciarys independence and the separation of authorities, thus sparking a debate between the members of parliament. In a statement published by Al Shorouk newspaper April 27, former Supreme Constitutional Court President Maher el-Beheiri described the law as a blatant assault on the independence of the judiciary, interference in its affairs and a violation of its traditions and customs. Beheiri said that the new law is not in line with the goals of the revolutions of Jan. 25, 2011, and June 30, 2013, and represents a fallback from the gains achieved constitutionally and legally namely establishing the independence of the judiciary. Ahmed Helmy el-Sherif, the deputy of the parliamentary Committee for Legislative and Constitutional Affairs, proposed the law Dec. 23, and added amendments March 27 that increased Sisi's powers of choice. The parliament surprised the judges by approving the law without taking their opinion on the new amendments into consideration, contrary to Article 185 of the constitution. The article states, "All judicial bodies administer their own affairs. Each has an independent budget, whose items are all discussed by the House of Representatives. After approving each budget, it is incorporated in the state budget as a single figure, and their opinion is consulted on the draft laws governing their affairs. Independent Attorney Shawqi al-Sayed told Al-Monitor that the amendments show the executive authority wants to be in control, which paved the way for a clash between the legislative and judicial authorities, thus undermining the principle of judicial independence. He said that passing the law points to the regimes lack of wisdom and political acumen, especially since the judiciary unanimously opposed the amendments for objective reasons related to constitutional legitimacy, not for personal ones. Sayed added, "Being hasty and rushing into approving the law by the parliament and the president has raised doubts about whether the real reason for issuing the law was to prevent certain figures from heading some judicial bodies, such as Judge Yahya Dakroury, who ruled that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir remain under Egyptian sovereignty, and Judge Anas Amara Mahsoub of the Independence of the Judiciary movement. Mustafa Shaat, a legal researcher at the American University in Cairos Law and Society Unit, told Al-Monitor that the new amendments are a serious and unprecedented blow against the judicial norms that are based on the principle of absolute seniority when it comes to judicial appointments. Seniority was considered a fair criterion as it does not take into account the candidates political and social backgrounds, allowing for the stability of these judicial bodies. He noted that the amendments granted the president the authority to select the heads of judicial bodies, who might base his choice on the investigations conducted by the security services, thus creating a state of rivalry in the competition for judicial posts. Shaat added, The passing of the law was accompanied by a broader dispute concerning the political role of a number of judicial bodies in Egypt after June 30, 2013. The judicial bodies took advantage of the [political] parties weaknesses and the restrictions imposed by the current regime on political work over the last four years, to impose themselves [judicial bodies] as a party in the ruling political equation by supporting the regime. He explained, By doing so, the judicial bodies sought to protect their institutional and political privileges by intervening in appointing ministers of justice and reserving this position to judges only. They also sought to preserve the budget of the Justice Ministry, in addition to ensuring the institutional representation of the judiciary within a number of ministries, as consultants." He pointed out that the current regime was not entirely pleased with the judicial institutions' response to some issues that had political dimensions, such as the Tiran and Sanafir issue, canceling the decisions to freeze the financial assets of individuals and entities accused of being affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, or the Court of Cassation's accepting the appeals against a number of well-known prison sentences or the execution of a number of individuals accused of terrorism. According to Shaat, the regime believed that it was bound to put an end to political debate in courtrooms. Despite the strong objections to the law, the judicial authorities and courts have succumbed to the new amendments and submitted the names of their candidates according to the law; each judicial body submitted the names of three senior judges, from whom the president will choose one. In the past, each body would submit the name of the most senior judge for the president to appoint directly. Shaat said that passing the law resulted in confusion among the judicial bodies and since the heads of judicial bodies will soon be chosen (no date set yet), they succumbed to this fait accompli. The judges are significantly isolated in their current confrontation with the regime and the people have recently started seeing judges under a different light, and therefore judges will not be able to confront the authorities, he noted. The president of the Judges Club of Egypt, Mohamed Abdelmohsen, addressed all judges April 29, saying, This crisis [the law] and the possible other amendments to the law of the judiciary are evidence that the great Egyptian judiciary is undoubtedly targeted by many institutions in the state, and it has become imperative for us to unify our ranks, overcome our differences, set goals and unite our efforts in order for the willpower of Egypts judges to dominate and rightfully achieve victory. Shaat said, I believe this law is the beginning of future concessions that judges will have to make in favor of the authorities, such as reducing the age of retirement or extending the powers of the justice minister. For his part, journalist Abdullah al-Sanawi said that the law's passing signals dire conditions that affect the independence of the judiciary, pointing out that the law was hastily passed without taking the opinion of the Legislative Affairs of the State Council, which shows contempt for the constitution and legal rules. From a constitutional point of view, the independence of the judiciary cannot allow the president to choose from the candidates for the judicial bodies. After the new law is applied, will there be any independence of the judiciary left to talk about? Sanawi told Al-Monitor. The judges are likely to challenge the laws constitutionality, which will inevitably lead to endless clashes between state institutions. May 3, 2017 Two days after the first round of Irans presidential debates on April 28, an online poll indicated that First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri attracted national attention, taking a lead over his fellow competitor, incumbent Hassan Rouhani, who is running for a second term. Jahangiris booming popularity is widely attributed to his attacks against Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a conservative candidate, who has been Tehrans mayor since 2005. Ghalibaf, who is running for president for the third time in 12 years, was criticized during the debate over his management of Tehran municipality and his hard-line political approach. According to the online poll, conducted by Tabnak news website and republished by Aftab Online on April 30, 42% of respondents believe Jahangiri took the most advantage of the debate. About 34% said Rouhani was the best, while 15% voiced support for Ghalibaf. Other candidates, including Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the holy shrine of the eighth Shiite Imam and believed to be favored by the supreme leader; Mostafa Mirsalim, representing the conservative Islamic Coalition Party; and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, a marginal pro-Reform competitor got the least attention from the public, the poll showed. During the debate, Jahangiri introduced himself as a representative of the Reformists, a political camp largely silenced after the disputed 2009 presidential elections. He lashed out at Ghalibaf for labeling him as a cover candidate for Rouhani. His remarks in support of the Reformists made hard-liners launch a media campaign to foist him as the main candidate of the Reformists. Hossein Shariatmadari, the managing editor of the hard-line newspaper Kayhan, claimed in an interview with Fars News Agency on April 30 that the Reformist leadership would be shifting from Rouhani to Jahangiri in the days running up to the May 19 vote. The Supreme Reformist Council for Policymaking immediately reacted to the conservative claims, announcing that Rouhani will remain their main candidate in the upcoming elections. Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, the deputy head of the Reformist Council, said the body has no intention to make any change in its policy. He insisted that Jahangiris decision to run for president was made by consensus within Rouhanis team and that his presence in the debates will be aimed at highlighting the demands of Reformist groups. Some observers believe that the conservatives have made their claims about Jahangiri to sow division among Reformists. But there are signs that they are pursuing another strategic goal. The hard-liners know they have little chance to win this years election. Thus they may be after replacing Rouhani, whose stances have repeatedly been criticized by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Jahangiri, a politician who ultraconservatives believe would take a softer position against them. In other words, Jahangiri might be a pro-Reform candidate who can be managed more easily. The potential selection of Jahangiri as an alternative to Rouhani is not a new idea. Conservatives have been discussing this prospect for months. In November, a person with close ties to the right-wing parties told Al-Monitor that Jahangiri could be a preferred candidate if a conservative candidate has no chance of winning the vote. It depends on how [Khamenei] predicts his own health conditions, the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in a reference to Khameneis alleged prostate disease. He was implying that the supreme leader prefers Jahangiri to be in office in case his health conditions get worse in the next few years. Khamenei has repeatedly shown his dissatisfaction with Rouhanis political and economic approach. In the latest case, Khamenei criticized Rouhani for highlighting the nuclear deal he signed with six world powers as a big achievement, Kayhan reported on April 30. Khamenei said it is not correct that some officials say since they took office the shadow of war has been faded away. His comments were a clear reaction to Rouhanis recent campaign speech in the city of Yazd, where he had defended the nuclear deal as effective in preventing war and sanctions. For observers who have kept a close eye on the Rouhani-Khamenei relationship in the past four years, its clear that the supreme leader does not favor Rouhani in this years election. Khamenei already agreed in a meeting with Jahangiri that the vice president can play a mediator role between him and the Reformists, whose relationship with Khamenei got tarnished after the 2009 unrest. Jahangiri told Rahe Nou website earlier in March that he had met with Khamenei to see how they could re-open a communication channel between the Reformist camp and the supreme leader. Another key point that shows why hard-liners are trying to highlight Jahangiris role is that he is the head of the Resistance Economy Command Headquarters, which was formed after Khameneis call for greater focus on domestic economic capabilities in 2015. As the economy has been a major concern of the supreme leader, a candidate already involved in economic policymaking has an added value though there is no sign yet of Jahangiris level of comfort with the role conservatives have defined for him. Hard-liners are expected to step up their efforts to marginalize Rouhani in the coming days, but the final word comes, as before, from the spiritual leader of the Reformists, former President Mohammad Khatami a politician who has several times tipped the scales in favor of particular candidates in the final run-up to presidential votes. The restrictions imposed on Khatami in recent years have boosted his popularity among millions of young voters who desire major reforms in the country. His stated support of Rouhani on May 2 put an end to the noisy campaign against the moderate president. In a note on his own website, Khatami urged his followers to stand by Jahangiri by voting for President Rouhani, saying that the incumbents re-election is in the interest of the country and warning that his defeat will lead to the return of sanctions and isolation to Iran. May 3, 2017 Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), who leads the Reformist party, has announced his support for moderate incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, refuting rumors that he is backing a different candidate in the May 19 election. On May 2, Khatami stated on his website that First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri "and the wise figures of the country believe the interests of the people and the country is in the continuance of [a Rouhani presidency]. Today, Mr. Rouhani not being elected would mean the increased likelihood of the return of [Irans] isolation and sanctions," wrote the Reformist heavyweight. Khatami, a widely popular figure in Iran who played a significant role in Rouhanis 2013 victory, continued, All of us, along with Mr. Jahangiri, will support Mr. Rouhani. Jahangiri also is a candidate, but Khatamis statement indicates that despite some concerns among Reformists and speculation by conservative media, Jahangiri wont remain as a candidate come election day. Various reports argue that Jahangiri only stepped into the field to defend Rouhani and his moderate administration and that he will withdraw in favor of Rouhani. Jahangiris surprisingly good performance in the face of attacks by conservatives in the presidential debate April 28 made him popular among supporters of the Reformist current, and this led the conservative and hard-line media to publish reports about the possibility of Khatami and the Reformists supporting Jahangiri rather than Rouhani. Meanwhile, in a May 2 interview with the semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif strongly defended Rouhanis legacy. "The reality is that this is a choice that will determine in which direction the country will move in the next four years, Zarif said, underscoring that it will take time to remedy the effects of economic sanctions levied on Iran during the eight-year presidency of hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whom Rouhani defeated in 2013. Referring to Iran's nuclear deal, the foreign minister added, The time for the efforts related to the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] to bear fruit will gradually arrive. For the continuance of Irans power, the policies of the past four years should be continued. Referring to the expansion of Irans economic relationships with other countries following the signing of the nuclear deal, Zarif said, Today, foreign policy has come to help peoples livelihoods. ... Protecting the JCPOA should be the next government's top priority. In related news, the hard-line Endurance Front, under the leadership of Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, announced its support for conservative Ebrahim Raisi, describing him as the fittest presidential candidate. Of note, Yazdi and the Endurance Front have repeatedly stated that their only criteria for supporting a candidate are the persons righteousness and determination to protect the values of the Islamic Revolution. Yazdi supported Ahmadinejad in the 2005 election, which he won. In 2003, the Endurance Front backed former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who placed third with 11% of the vote. May 3, 2017 Its official: The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on May 1 that it recognizes Israel's 1967 borders. This is no trivial matter. The unyielding Hamas charter issued nine months after the movement was founded in 1988 left no room for such a compromise. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and other members of the founding team clearly delineated the borders of the Islamic Palestinian state they aspired to establish: from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, including all of Israel and the West Bank. The charter presented the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a clash between Islam and Jewish heretics. It ruled out any future leeway by designating the land on which Israel was founded as waqf, Arabic for sacred endowment. It warned that whoever gives it up would be considered a heathen and traitor to the Islamic religion. Article 11 of the Hamas Covenant declares, The land of Palestine is an Islamic waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgment Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any king or president, nor all the kings and presidents, neither any organization nor all of them, be they Palestinian or Arab, possess the right to do that. Over the years, the movements leaders, including Yassin, came to realize that there was a great distance between the founding document and reality on the ground. Although mass rallies in the Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas still echoed with calls for the annihilation of the State of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic one in its place, the leaders knew in their hearts that neither goal was feasible. Israel is a fait accompli, a strong and developed state, and calls for its destruction are an aspiration that cannot come to fruition. Over the years, top Hamas leaders have occasionally tried using back channels to pass along to the Zionist enemy messages in direct contravention of the charter. In his book Man in the Shadows, former Mossad head Efraim Halevy wrote that even Yassin wanted to find a loophole in the uncompromising charter that he himself wrote. Halevy recounted that after the failed Israeli attempt on Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Meshaals life in 1997 in Jordan, King Hussein asked Halevy why Israel was rejecting a proposal by Yassin then a prisoner in an Israeli jail for a long-term cease-fire. Halevy hadnt known anything about the proposal until that moment because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not informed the countrys top defense officials. The former spy master explained that the decades-old cease-fire initiative, unlike a diplomatic peace agreement, was a sophisticated maneuver designed to circumvent the religious prohibition on compromising over the waqf lands and renouncing the jihad against Israel. In 2005, Meshaal also conveyed to Israel a formal proposal for a diplomatic compromise, and it was sent to then-Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin via a Western intermediary. In my 2012 book Getting to Know Hamas, I disclosed a document headed Peaceful Coexistence that Meshaal passed on to Diskin in an attempt to convince then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to reach an agreement with Hamas. Without formally recognizing Israel, the document suggested a long-term cease-fire and an end to the armed struggle, based on an understanding that the future Palestinian state will be founded along Israels 1967 lines. These attempts continued even after Israel turned the Hamas initiative down. Ghazi Hamad, the former deputy foreign minister in the Hamas government and currently in charge of the power sector in Gaza, admitted in a 2013 interview with Al-Monitor that most of the movements leaders had concluded that there was no option other than recognizing the 1967 borders. In an address delivered in Qatar last week marking the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War, Meshaal admitted publicly that Hamas was in fact coming down from the tree it had climbed in its charter, and that it was willing to discuss a Palestinian state along the borders that delineated Israel on the eve of that fateful war. Meshaal did not mention a cease-fire, but the very recognition of the 1967 lines is a clear signal to Israel and the international community that the Islamic Resistance Movement is becoming more pragmatic and must be viewed in a different light. Netanyahu's office issued a statement calling the shift a smoke screen," saying, "We see Hamas continuing to invest all of its resources not just in preparing for war with Israel, but also in educating the children of Gaza to want to destroy Israel. The timing of the unveiling of the Hamas diplomatic program is highly significant. Meshaal is at the end of his political career, after declaring he will not seek re-election for the movements leadership. He is outlining new, pragmatic guidelines for his successor, who will likely be former Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Meshaal announced the plan on the eve of the scheduled White House meeting between his rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and US President Donald Trump. Hamas understands that Israel and the Palestinians (through the West Bank PLO leadership) may soon restart their negotiations, and its radical stance could isolate it and threaten its ability to rule the Gaza Strip and cope with its dire economic problems. The sanctions imposed by Abbas on Gaza last month and his plan to dissociate from the enclave are putting the screws to Hamas. And yet, Meshaals initiative is still something of an illusion. Hamas' power is at one of the lowest ebbs in its history, and its diplomatic proposal comes from weakness and deep concern for its future. The movements leaders may believe that this is a dramatic change in their stance, but given their current situation, no Israeli leader will accept recognition of the 1967 borders unless Hamas spells out recognition of Israel and pledges an end to the armed conflict against it. Hamas' leaders are trying hard to find the middle ground between an unyielding charter and a changing reality, but if they aspire to a viable future, they need to try much harder. May 3, 2017 Over the past few days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to lower expectations surrounding US President Donald Trump's visit to Israel, which is scheduled for May 22 (an official announcement about the visit has yet to be made). A source within Netanyahus inner circle commented that Netanyahu will not agree to negotiate terms for moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He also said that a statement recognizing Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel is just as important as actually moving the embassy. However, the embassy issue is not what is keeping Netanyahu up at night; he is more concerned about the "ultimate deal" that Trump keeps mentioning. Netanyahu is worried that Trump could drop a new "package deal" on his desk. The problem is that the prime minister lacks the coalition, energy and desire to deal with a new diplomatic process, especially one that is faster, more chaotic and more challenging than the last one. In this context, one particular "demon" marked by the prime minister's office is American Jewish billionaire Ronald Lauder. Once a close friend of Netanyahu, he was also his first patron, back in the 1980s. As Walla News reported on April 26, Lauder also has a historic and particularly close relationship with Trump, based on family, school and business ties, decades of cooperation and personal connections. While billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is close to Netanyahu, is beginning to show the first signs of disappointment with Trump, Lauder is one of the few people who has the president's ear. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Lauder has been whispering more than idle nothings into Trump's ear. As one of the people closest to Netanyahu told Al-Monitor recently, on the condition of anonymity, "If there are any two people who believe that it is possible to reach an arrangement in the Middle East, they are Donald Trump and Ronald Lauder." Lauder and Netanyahu have had no relationship whatsoever since the airing of Channel 10's "Bibi Tours" investigative report in March 2011. Since Lauder was then the biggest stockholder and controlling interest in the channel, Netanyahu's people placed enormous pressure on him to keep the report off the air. They were concerned about its serious allegations surrounding the Netanyahu family's activities, including Netanyahus ties with various billionaires and the way his international travel and other indulgences were funded. Some of those claims are, in fact, at the center of an ongoing police investigation. When Lauder failed to prevent the report from being aired, he was shunned and exiled from Netanyahu's inner circle, a situation that persists today. He went from being a favorite confidante to a pariah. Steven Schneier, an American who divides his time between New York and Jerusalem, oversaw the relationship between Lauder and Netanyahu for years. He tried to arrange a reconciliation between the two men, but all of his efforts were in vain. As one of the most prominent Jewish philanthropists in the world today, Lauder has served as president of the World Jewish Congress for the past few years. His biggest dream is to bring peace between Israel and its neighbors. In the 1990s, Netanyahu, then in his first term, sent Lauder on a shuttle diplomacy mission between Damascus and Jerusalem in an effort to reach an agreement between Israel and Syria. The mission may have failed, but the dream was never shelved. Having extensive ties with most leaders in the Sunni Arab world, Lauder has spent the past few years in intensive meetings with many Arab leaders trying to hammer out formulas that will allow for the resumption of talks with Israel and a comprehensive peace agreement with the Arab world. The basis of these talks is the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, with certain adjustments. Lauder believes in his plan, which he worked on with several aides, including some Israelis. Ever since Trump's election, he has also been trying to win the president's support for the plan. It's not very difficult either. Trump still insists that he can reach the "ultimate agreement." These developments have raised the level of concerns in Jerusalem considerably. Netanyahu still has his own representative in Lauder's inner circle: the same Steven Schneier who once oversaw their relationship. Schneier is still close to Lauder, but he also maintains his relationships in Jerusalem. Is he the one reporting to Netanyahu about what Lauder is up to, or is it the other way around? At this point, there's no way of knowing. Netanyahu is praying that the North Korean issue will distract Trump's attention and energy away from him. He is investing quite a bit of effort to convince the president's team that there is no way to reach a diplomatic arrangement with the Palestinians (because of the Palestinians, according to Netanyahu). His point men in this effort are his ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, who is very close to Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel. While the "ultimate deal" approach still has priority in the US administration, Netanyahu hasn't given up hope. During his first term, Netanyahu was able to play President Bill Clinton, and during his second, third and fourth terms, he was able to play President Barack Obama. Now he believes that he will be able to play Trump, too. Trumps visit on May 22 will play a critical role in determining the direction that he will eventually take. He is expected to spend little more than a day here, considerably less than Obama did during his 2013 visit to Israel. While people surrounding Netanyahu do not think that Trump will announce a decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem, they do believe that he will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Jerusalem also hopes that Trump will not declare his commitment to a two-state solution, since this would be unacceptable to most of Netanyahu's Cabinet, including his top Likud ministers. During their meeting in Jerusalem, Trump is expected to ask Netanyahu, "So what's your plan?" Netanyahu has already been asked the same question by Clinton and Obama and has successfully avoided answering it. At some point, the previous presidents realized that Netanyahu "played them," but by then it was too late to react. It's a very different game with Trump. The new president is a strange and unpredictable fellow who hates when people try to play him. He is all about personal relationships, his mood at the moment and his gut feelings. Netanyahu hopes to take advantage of his personal relationship with Trump to dissuade him. Most of all, he plans to use assets in the president's circle to push Trump eastward, out of the Middle East and toward the Korean Peninsula. If he fails, he could always blame Lauder. On the other hand, the cosmetics billionaire could then smile contentedly to himself. This small act of revenge directed at Netanyahu could be his big contribution to the Jewish people. At least he hopes so. May 3, 2017 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The house of Said al-Ghazali, 63, in Silwan town south of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem gives the impression of being in the Italian city of Rome. Mosaic paintings which Said handmade to reflect the art and architectural history of Rome after visiting there six months ago cover his walls. In early April, after continuous hard work since the beginning of 2017, Said managed to turn his house into an Italian mosaic museum to revive this art that disappeared in the Palestinian territories and in which people have shown no interest. Mosaic is an ancient form of art that was used to cover the floors of a variety of buildings in Rome during the Roman Empire. This art requires great attention to detail and precision. It also includes using small pieces to decorate floor gaps and walls by fixating them to the tiles and other surfaces and forming various multicolored designs. Most mosaics are made of small, flat, roughly square pieces of stone or glass of different colors. These colored pieces are then laid out in a decorative way to express religious, artistic and traditional influential art. After Said returned from Rome, he wanted to revive the ancient mosaic art that decorated the Dome of the Rock in Al-Aqsa Mosque. So he went to the dome to observe the designs that the Umayyads had painted in A.D 750. He also navigated the internet to learn the technique and discover the necessary tools. Said told Al-Monitor, Mosaic has lost its place in Palestinian territories because it requires peace of mind and economic capacities, which Palestinians do not have due to their tough economic and political circumstances. Mosaic has lost its old historic value, but I wanted to revive it because I love it and would like people to remember our ancient history. He added, Producing a mosaic painting includes several stages. The first is choosing and sketching the design. After making sure that the sketch is flawless, it is printed on a special piece of fabric, which is more cohesive than paper and risks rupturing during the execution process. Then, I meticulously choose the colors and types of stones to be used. I draw the picture in my mind first and then start execution. Said started producing mosaics five months ago; he would produce one or two paintings a week, but as of April he started making four paintings per week. He noted that his wife helped him a lot, saying, My wife does sculpture works and cuts and empties fabric sketches. She accompanies me to caves in the West Bank and Jerusalem to find the stones I need for my paintings. Said, a Jerusalem-based journalist working with local foreign agencies, such as The Associated Press, uses for his art stones that are 100% natural and do not add any color pigments. His stones are purely Palestinian. He collects them from Jerusalem and Hebron in the south of the West Bank, and the village of Jamain, in southeast Nablus, known for its strong and high-quality stones. He explained that the stones he uses in his mosaics are smooth, veinless, rocky stones of various natural colors, pointing out that the older a mosaic painting is the more beautiful and valuable it is. Said uses white liquid glue to assemble the pieces on the sketch painting. This requires patience, accuracy and tolerance to produce a beautiful and creative painting or design. He said he uses his free time to complete mosaic works and produce new mesmerizing pieces. These beautiful pieces of art are disappearing due to lack of interest in them and their high cost, as producing a mosaic painting costs up to 400 shekels [$100], he said. Sanaa al-Ghazali, 56, Saids wife and partner in mosaic work, told Al-Monitor, When my husband began painting five months ago, I noticed that he is always preoccupied with collecting and assembling stones. I decided to spend my free time with him to help around. I fell in love with mosaic painting after seeing the beautiful art pieces he draws. She added, Practice makes perfect. We created pieces that impressed our friends, neighbors and relatives and became a partial source of income. From paintings to boxes and small tables and even plates and national paintings, we had our hands full. Said said he displays 80 paintings in his own exhibition he created in his house, pointing out that he does not sell many of these paintings because of their high prices, starting from $100 and reaching up to thousands of dollars according to the size of the painting and the raw materials used. When we enter the small workshop in our house and begin working, we lose track of time. We do not stop until we finish the painting or architectural form we had decided on. A painting takes 14 days of meticulous work, and we keep it in our art room, Sanaa explained. Said and his wife want to hold an expo for their current and future paintings and other artistic pieces. But this would require a large number of pieces and financial effort, which they lack. There are no supportive parties. Still, Said wants to paint large murals to express his thoughts through different mosaic forms. Mosaics have a history of thousands of years. This art is likely to have been first used by the Sumerians. It then spread to Ancient Rome, where mosaic pieces decorated palaces and temples. The art flourished in the Byzantine Empire and was passed on to Muslims, who used this art to decorate the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. It should be noted that Palestinian and international experts working on the restoration of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem discovered in 2016 a mosaic angel painting described as a valuable archaeological treasure inside the church, which was built in A.D. 335 during the era of Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. May 3, 2017 A key House panel easily voted to slap new sanctions May 3 on Syria, but not before an acrimonious debate over President Bashar al-Assad's role in defending the region's beleaguered Christians. The bill from House Foreign Affairs ranking member Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., targets anyone who does business with the Assad regime while evaluating the feasibility of a no-fly zone. It cleared the House late last year but not the Senate. "If you're taking the side of the Butcher in Damascus over the Syrian people, you're going to get caught up in these sanctions," Engel said in his opening remarks. "That means Iran. That means Russia. The blood of the Syrian people is on their hands as well." The legislation prompted an objection from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., a longtime defender of authoritarian regimes' crackdown on Islamist extremists. He said he'd heard from more than a dozen Middle East Christian groups over the past couple of years, and only one supported removing Assad. "Assad is a bad guy, but we know that he's not such a bad guy that Syria under his leadership has been recognized by the Christians throughout the Middle East as the only place they can go and seek refuge and be safe," Rohrabacher said at the hearing. According to the UN Refugee agency, 25,000 registered and at least 11,000 unregistered Iraqi refugees have fled to Syria, a "small percentage" of whom are Christian. Rohrabacher went on to say that US strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq have also killed civilians, prompting a deluge of criticism from members on both sides of the aisle. "I officially ran out of WTFs during that entire speech," said Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a former Air Force pilot. "To put a moral equivalency of our action in Mosul to what Bashar al-Assad is doing made me honestly want to throw up." While Rohrabacher may have out-of-the-mainstream views on the committee, his argument that Assad is a bulwark against Sunni extremists taking over the country has some traction and helps explain Congress' reluctance to get more involved in the conflict. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, a committee member who missed the May 3 markup, has said much the same thing. "The Syrian people recognize and they know that if President Assad is overthrown, then al-Qaeda or a group like al-Qaeda that has been killing Christians, killing people simply because of their religion, or because they wont support their terror activities they will take charge of all of Syria," Gabbard told CNN after returning from a controversial trip to Syria in January. Christian groups close to Assad have made the same argument since shortly after the war began in 2011. In 2014, the US-based advocacy group In Defense of Christians invited Syrian church leaders for a forum in Washington, prompting criticism from some US lawmakers about their ties to Hezbollah. And earlier this year, a Syrian nun from Damascus who received the International Woman of Courage Award from first lady Melania Trump said Assad was "not a dictator." "I like our president," Sister Carolin Tahhan Fachakh told reporters at an event sponsored by the US Embassy to the Vatican after returning from the March 29 State Department event. "He's very close to us, as is the first lady. They're very close to the church." Supporters of Engel's bill countered that Assad is the one who precipitated a civil war that has killed a half million people and displaced more than 6.5 million, including countless Christians. They point out that a number of Syrian groups support the legislation, including Syrian Christians for Peace, the Syria Campaign, the Syrian American Council, the Coalition for a Democratic Syria and the Syrian Emergency Task Force. The bill is named after Caesar, the former Syrian army photographer who fled with a treasure trove of photographs that appear to document mass torture and killings in Assad's prisons. A number of the victims have since been identified. "The Caesar photos that this committee has had the opportunity to see indeed included Christian and Muslim torture victims," said Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass. "The Assad regime is also responsible for over 60% of destroyed churches in Syria." May 2, 2017 WASHINGTON In a sign of potential US openness to explore working with Russia on trying to de-escalate the war in Syria, the Trump administration said it was sending a top diplomat to observe Russian-brokered Syria cease-fire talks to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, May 3-4. The Trump administration is sending a senior Middle East envoy, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones, to the Astana talks instead of US Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol, who had previously attended as an observer. However, the US administration has doubts that the Russians can deliver the Bashar al-Assad regime on commitments it makes, said experts engaged with the US administration as it formulates its Syria policy. It's high engagement from the US to test the Russians if they can deliver, Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat now with the Syrian opposition, told Al-Monitor, referring to the decision to send Jones. The US administration wants to see if the Russians can deliver, but that doesnt mean they [Trump administration officials] have bought into the Astana process, the Middle East Institutes Randa Slim said. Because of the history [of the US and Russia last year] trying to work out [a Syria] cease-fire and failing at it, the Americans are going to wait and see, Slim said. They want to see if Russia is going to deliver before they engage fully. They have gone a step further by sending Stu Jones. The decision to send Jones to the Astana talks was announced after US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 2, which focused largely on Syria and a Russian proposal for zones of de-escalation in Syria. But the decision to send Jones appeared to have been made one day earlier, sources told Al-Monitor, noting that Jones on May 1 had canceled a speech he had been due to give a Washington-area think tank, saying he had to go to Astana. President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence, the White House said in a readout of the Trump-Putin phone call May 2. The conversation was a very good one and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons, the White House readout said. The United States will be sending a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 3-4. They also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. Finally, they spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea. The Kremlin said the focus of the Trump-Putin call had been on prospective coordination between the US and Russian efforts to fight terrorism in Syria, and said the two leaders had charged their respective secretary of state/foreign minister with looking for options to strengthen a Syria cease-fire. The focus was laid on the prospects for coordination of Russias and the United States action in fighting against international terrorism in the context of the Syrian crisis," the Kremlin readout of the call said, according to Russias Tass news agency. Putin and Trump agreed the two countries foreign ministers should look for options for the consolidation of the cease-fire and making it sustainable and controlled, the Kremlin readout continued. The goal is to create conditions for launching a real settlement process in Syria. Thus, the Russian foreign minister and the US secretary of state will inform the leaders about progress reached on this track. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on May 1, and the two agreed to meet on the sidelines of the Arctic Ministerial in Fairbanks, Alaska, May 11-12, the State Department said. The increasing US-Russian engagement on Syria comes as Russia has put forward a proposal for four zones of de-escalation in Syria. The Russian proposal is suggesting the freezing of the conflict in four areas, under the supervision of the Iranians, Russians and the Turks, Slim who runs a US-Russia dialogue on Syria as the head of Track 2 programs at the Middle East Institute told Al-Monitor. Its goals are very limited, Slim said, and the version she saw lacks enforcement mechanisms. However, I dont think the Americans are yet ready to engage in the same kind of cooperation that we have seen during the Obama administration, Slim said. Partly until now, Russia has not delivered the Iranians and the [Syrian] regime in Astana. So the Americans are going to vet this proposal. They see potential in it, enough to change their minds about engaging. The Syrian opposition considers the Russian proposal flawed because it legitimizes the presence of Iranian forces in Syria and does not call for any political process. US officials believe that all sides will meet and that there could be de-escalation along lines of contact. However, US expectations for Astana are low, because there has been a gap between Russian proposals and what they have been able to deliver. May 3, 2017 Turkey has become a minefield for journalists. Over a hundred of them are in jail and thousands of others are unemployed, either because of government pressure or because their media outlets were shuttered. The intrepid souls who soldier on often have to self-censor if they want to hold onto to their jobs. Foreign freelancers who arent guaranteed employment if they get kicked out of the country for rude reports about Turkey increasingly resort to self-censorship as well. The state of emergency in place since the failed July coup keeps getting extended. The restrictions on newsgathering are felt the most in the countrys war-ravaged mainly Kurdish southeast. In this climate, a May 2 report published by the International Crisis Group, Managing Turkeys PKK Conflict: The Case of Nusaybin, offers a treasure trove of insight and information on the situation in the Kurdish region. The report focuses on Nusaybin, a town on the Syrian border that was among the worst affected in the fighting that raged across the southeast after the 2-year cease-fire between the security forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) collapsed in July 2015. The report notes, "Nusaybin saw unprecedented violence in 2016, with a death toll of at least 184, of whom 24 were civilians. Six of the town centres fifteen neighbourhoods were fully destroyed, some 6,000 buildings were demolished or heavily damaged; around 30,000 people lost their homes. Nusaybin has always been a fount of Kurdish nationalism but its proximity to Syria adds a twist. Hundreds of Nusaybins residents cheered from their rooftops while thousands of others celebrated in the streets when PKK-linked Syrian Kurdish forces raised Kurdish flags over the town of Qamishli in July 2012, when Syrian regime forces withdrew from a string of majority Kurdish towns to fight opposition rebels elsewhere in the country. The move sowed panic in Ankara and fear of a PKK-led statelet across the border led to Turkeys fruitless campaign to roll back Kurdish gains in Syria. It propelled Turkey to resume peace talks with the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. His refusal to order his men to take up arms against the Syrian regime is one of the main reasons the talks failed. The Turkish army resumed operations against the PKK and began targeting its Syrian affiliate as well. Unsurprisingly, Nusaybin was among the mainly Kurdish towns the PKK selected to stage its ill-fated autonomy campaign, and fighters and weapons were said to be funneled into the town through secret tunnels from Syria. In 2015, the PKKs youth branch, the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement, began digging trenches and setting up barricades in several neighborhoods in the town as was done in Diyarbakir, Cizre and Sirnak, among others, declaring them liberated zones. The security forces struck back with a vengeance and seven times between Oct. 1, 2015, and July 25, 2016, imposed curfews, the last of which lasted 134 days. The security forces eventually prevailed, leaving behind a trail of destruction not so different from scenes from Aleppo or Homs. The ICG report provides invaluable insight about the local dynamics that came into play. This sense of being squeezed between the state and the PKK was particularly felt by women. Some mothers said they had begged their sons to leave the region so they would not be taken by PKK militants. Women said they were tormented by guilt for having left fighting sons and daughters behind in Nusaybin. Others related stories of grandmothers who during the curfews and clashes continued to knit socks 'to send to their boys in the mountains,'" a euphemism for the PKK. Like scores of others in the southeast, Nusaybins co-mayors have been unseated and jailed. The municipality has been taken over by government administrators who know little about the region and speak no Kurdish, leaving residents feeling alienated and like they are under occupation by Ankara. One of the most interesting aspects of the report is the differing narratives as to who reignited the fight. Government officials blame allies of Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based Muslim cleric said to have orchestrated the failed coup. According to this idea, Gulen-linked governors, police chiefs and military commanders purposely egged on the PKK to undermine the government. Hard-line Kurdish factions close to the PKK, on the other hand, allege that state agents infiltrated the insurgency and orchestrated the escalation in order eventually to discredit the legal Kurdish movement and provide grounds for criminalising its representatives. The report concludes that there is no military solution to the conflict; peace talks between Ankara and the PKK is the only sustainable way forward, accompanied on a separate track by answers to the legitimate demands for democratic rights of Turkeys Kurdish population. Ironically, the ruling Justice and Development Party long advocated the same prescriptions, only to ignore its own advice. But as the report notes, a resumption of the peace process seems unlikely in the near term, and certainly not before the simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections due to be held in November 2019. May 3, 2017 DIYARBAKIR, Turkey In a narrow street in Diyarbakirs ancient district of Sur, a young Kurdish boy grips a tiny fish bowl, his eyes moving between it and the commotion around. The single goldfish in the bowl must be his most precious belonging, one that needs to be cautiously taken care of as the family moves from a place it has long known as home. The boys mother, Fatma Oner, is bidding farewell to neighbors, reliving another forced uprooting she suffered as a child. Similar scenes are frequent these days in Sur, a historic quarter inside Diyarbakirs millennia-old fortress walls, as hundreds of Kurdish families, some of the citys poorest, evacuate homes that the Turkish authorities have expropriated and slated for demolition. Ankaras controversial urban transformation plan came atop its ferocious crackdown on urban militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which devastated Sur, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and other residential areas across the mainly Kurdish southeast. The latest exodus follows the inclusion of two more Sur neighborhoods into the scope of the renewal project after the evacuation of six other neighborhoods, which were at the heart of the clashes. The distraught Oner recalled how her family sought refuge in Sur three decades ago, when the authorities emptied their villages as part of a drive to deprive the PKK of hideouts and support in rural backwaters. I was a child when we came here, she told Al-Monitor, recounting a story that many residents of Sur share. For the Oners three-story building in the Ali Pasha neighborhood, which included two commercial compounds on the ground floor, the state has paid only 150,000 Turkish lira ($42,400) in compensation. Oner grumbled as she hurried to the pickup waiting for her. The neighborhood's residents are leaving their homes for a second time in two years, but this time for good. The area was temporarily evacuated during the clashes, which raged for months until March 2016. The locals had returned home, aspiring for some normalcy, but the urban transformation project dashed their hopes, swallowing another chunk of Diyarbakirs 10,000-year history. The walled quarter is Diyarbakirs poorest area. Most buildings are shanty houses and the rents are cheap. In other words, it is a place where people with no other choice live. Most residents are without stable jobs, surviving on irregular earnings as porters or construction workers. Given the housing prices in other parts of the city, the compensation amounts paid to Sur residents are laughable. Yildiz Kardas, a mother of four adult sons with their own families, lamented that their three adjacent houses in Sur had been valued at only 200,000 lira ($56,600). This family, too, has also previously known displacement; it has been struggling for years to stay afloat after fleeing a village in the neighboring province of Mardin in the 1990s. We are packing up but we dont have money to move the stuff, Kardas told Al-Monitor. Our homes were damaged in the clashes last year, and this year we are in trouble again. I have no idea what Im going to do. What they do to us is simply cruelty. An accommodation of a similar size costs double, 400,000 to 500,000 lira, in other parts of the city, Kardas said with despair. I spent the night crying. Weve become refugees in our own land. In the neighboring three-story shanty house, similar worries gripped the three families of the Aykac clan, which got only 100,000 lira for the building. We cannot buy a home with that money. The cheapest ones cost 200,000 lira at least, the matriarch, Fatma Aykac, told Al-Monitor. We have kids, three families living here. Isnt this cruel? I have no idea what we are going to do. We will end up in a tent perhaps. Some residents are in even more precarious situations. They are the tenants, forced to leave their homes without even the meager compensation that homeowners receive. Meleksah Umur, a mother of five, is under pressure to move out by both the authorities and the owner of the place. Three of her children are still students, while her two grownups are jobless. For the Umur family, the rents in other neighborhoods, even the modest ones, are difficult to afford. Moving out of Sur will also mean school-bus fees for the children, she told Al-Monitor, concluding that the family might end up living in the street. Veysi Cakar is another tenant in distress, facing an uncertain future. He lives on social support from the government, unable to work after a heart attack. I have no income. I live on a disability stipend. I dont know where to go, he said. Cakar has tried to make his pleas heard, but to no avail. I wrote twice to the prime ministry but got no response. I also telephoned them twice and they said they would take care of it but nothing came out. So I gave up. If this is a social state, it has to take care of its citizens, he grumbled. About 7,000 people are affected by the new evacuations in Sur. Thousands of others had left in the first stage, which saw six neighborhoods completely emptied. The demolition of nearly 2,000 buildings in those areas is going on. The residents of the ancient district are leaving in gloom, leaving behind a difficult past and facing a future that will be hardly any easier. Just like most people's, Gary Lowe's day starts with a commute. Unlike most people's, his commute is the start of a four-day journey that takes him all over the United States and beyond. As a commercial pilot for a major airline, Lowe gets to see the world from a unique perspective--one that's 30,000 feet above. Though he lives in Birmingham, Lowe is based in Atlanta, so each work week begins with a flight from here to there. "The good thing about most of the airlines is they don't care where you live, as long as you show up for work," Lowe says. His trips normally begin on a Sunday, when he commutes to Atlanta via a flight from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport. From there, his work begins. His hectic schedule typically consists of four-day trips, four times a month, with multiple flight legs each day. On a recent week, his schedule took him from Atlanta to Newark, New Jersey, back to Atlanta, then on to Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, with a day off on Monday. Tuesday, the schedule picked back up with him flying back to Atlanta, then onto Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then Detroit, Michigan. On Wednesday he flew Detroit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back to Detroit, and then back to Atlanta. After landing in Atlanta, he gets on the next flight back to Birmingham and heads home. Is it exhausting? Absolutely. But guys like Gary wouldn't have it any other way. -- Meanwhile, across the way from the airport, Gregory Floyd is preparing for his day. He's checking records, preparing classrooms, and making sure there's fuel for the airplanes. Although his day differs from Lowe's, a majority of it will still be spent in the air. Floyd's role as Director of Operations at the Birmingham Flight Center entails a little bit of everything, but his main role is instructing--whether that be teaching a new student to fly, helping a private pilot get his or her next license level, or training an instructor. At the flight center, there are no big classrooms and lecture halls with dozens of students. Courses follow a syllabus, but each student can go at his or her own pace. And it's all one-on-one. "It allows the instructor to zero in on that student and do everything necessary to make it perfect for that student," Floyd says. "We have a better success rate because of that." The coursework involves both groundwork and in-air training. Over the course of a year, Floyd estimates he flies 700-800 hours. And of course, that's the most exciting part for any pilot. -- When Michael Warren heads to work he has to suit up--but it's not the standard white shirt, black blazer, and black hat that most pilots wear. He dons an olive green flight suit and a navy blue garrison cap as a flight commander for the Alabama Air National Guard. A member of the 117th Air Refueling Wing, Warren also is an instructor pilot, teaching new members how to do in-air plane refueling. "Most people don't know that most aircrafts have to have gas in the air," Warren explains. "Because of the aerodynamics, they can't take off fully loaded with fuel if they're carrying cargo, rockets, missiles, etc." On an average week, Warren conducts two local training sorties (a deployment or dispatch of a military unit) where he teaches students how to fly, how to refuel, and how to do something called touch-and-gos, where they land the plane, then immediately take off again and do that over and over. Occasionally, Warren takes a crew to another location with 2-3 planes and does the same thing they do in Birmingham at that base. Once or twice a year, he's sent on a deployment that takes him on an extended mission to a location anywhere in the world. At last count, Warren estimates he's been to more than 30 countries. -- Grounded Beginnings Each man's journey to becoming a pilot followed a different path: civilian, academic, and military. Lowe, who grew up in a blue-collar family in Tarrant, Alabama, worked as an electrician before attending flight school. He first got his private license, flew with that for a while, and then attended Wallace State Community College to get his instrument (flying in weather), commercial, flight instructor, and instrument flight instructor licenses. He began working at a fixed-based operator at the Birmingham airport as a flight instructor before getting into the charter department. After flying charter for a year, he found out about a new commuter operation in Guam. For several years, he flew airplanes from Guam, up and down the Mariana Islands--to Rota, Tinian, Saipan. After returning to Birmingham, he flew corporate for a bit, found out his current company was hiring, and now has been with them for 19 years. "What people don't realize is what makes you qualified to be a pilot is the minimum number of hours--for most commercial airlines, it's 2,000 hours of pilot-in-command time," Lowe explains. "Everything depends on your background, your experience, how much flight time. You can't get your private license until you've flown 40 hours, you can't get instrument until 125, and you can't get commercial until 250 hours. It can be very challenging for a civilian guy like myself." Floyd, whose job is to help pilots get those necessary hours, knew from a very young age that he wanted to fly planes. At age 14, his parents signed him up for glider school, and he continued to pursue that as a hobby through high school. He wanted to enlist in the Air Force Academy, but unfortunately did not make the final cut. "Not to be undaunted, I took the financially detrimental route," Floyd laughs. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, where he majored in aeronautical science and minored in accident investigation. As he graduated, the market tanked. After about a year, a friend called to say he'd been hired at the Birmingham Flight Center. Floyd looked into it, applied for a line instructor position, got the job, and moved to Birmingham. After a year or two, he was promoted to chief flight instructor, and just two years ago to director of operations. He's now been with the center for eight years. "It's really where I discovered I had a passion for teaching," Floyd says. "I originally thought I wanted to be an airline pilot, specifically for UPS or FedEx. I actually spent a year working at FedEx as an intern and had a great time--but the most value it had was that I realized it wasn't for me. I wanted to fly different routes and different airplanes. So I stepped back from it for a little while and decided to do what I was passionate about." Passion is something Warren also can speak to. Growing up on a farm, crop duster planes are what initially piqued his interest in flying. His first flight was with an interim pastor of a Southern Baptist church who flew skydivers. He fell in love with it and knew it was something he wanted to pursue. "As a farm kid, though, I couldn't quite afford college and flight lessons, but at age 17, Uncle Sam was nice enough to send me to Basic [Military Training], give me a job enlisted, and I worked my way through school and graduate school at Auburn University, and the Air Force paid for it," Warren says. In the early '90s, he was in Birmingham for Drill weekend and saw the F-4 fighter planes the Guard was using at the time. "It's a very romantic aircraft, made for an airshow, and everyone who sees it wants to fly airplanes," Warren says. The wing had an opening for a pilot's position, so he applied and was accepted. Because he didn't have 20/20 vision, the commander asked if he could first be a navigator. Warren attended navigator school, and during his time as a navigator, the Guard changed to KC-135 tanker planes, so Warren never had the opportunity to fly the F-4. "At first I was upset, but the 135 has been the best thing that's happened to me because it's allowed me to travel the world," Warren says. "The F-4 never went anywhere--just Saudi Arabia and one deployment--but with the tanker, I've seen the entire world." -- Flight Paths When Lowe is in the cockpit, you know you're in good hands. He speaks about the mechanics of the plane, discusses the conditions for landing on runways, and notes that clear air turbulence is more common in winter due to the jet stream. Always with his passengers in mind, Lowe says the best piece of advice he ever got was that his mission is to fly his passengers from point A to point B without them knowing the attitude of the plane has changed--meaning they don't feel any pitch, roll, or other movement. "That's my philosophy now. I don't want these people to think 'What is this knucklehead doing up there?'" Lowe laughs. "A really good pilot understands what's going on with the plane and thinks in terms of 'How am I going to take care of these people in the back?'" Although the use of autopilot is standard on flights, Lowe prefers to "hand fly" the airplane as much as he can (hand flying involves using stick and rudder skills). A couple years ago, Lowe's company conducted a study to find out which of their fleets did the most hand flying, and found that the longest amount of time the pilots of that fleet hand fly the plane on a 15-hour leg is eight minutes. "With automation, we're not pilots anymore--we're managers," Lowe says. "I do things a little different because I want to keep those skills sharp. I hand fly the plane up to about 15,000-18,000 feet. Some guys turn the autopilot on at 5,000 feet, but I enjoy flying the airplane." In reality, it's the challenge Lowe enjoys. "On clear days, it's really boring [to fly]," he says. "To me, the most challenging part is when we have weather--fog, thunderstorms--because then you're having to take all your skills and apply them." But the challenges are worth the experiences Lowe gets to have. Some of the more challenging routes to fly are in South America where you have to watch for high terrain. Having been to every area of the world his airline services, Lowe's favorite destination is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he estimates he's been about 320 times. One of his favorite routes to fly is to Santiago, Chile, where he parallels the Andes. "The sun is normally coming up about an hour before landing so it is just spectacular. The highest peak in the Americas is there and you just fly right by it." The most challenging is Quito, Ecuador. "You always go in at night, and you're below the mountains in the valley, so you don't have a lot of luxury in making a mistake. You have to stay really focused." But no matter the challenges, as a pilot, Lowe's passengers remain his first priority. "We're all very appreciative of where we are and where we came from, and we just try to do a good job," Lowe says. "We're very conscientious of our passengers and the crew members, and we want to make sure we all get where we're going safely." -- Getting people back safely is the main focus of Floyd's job at the Flight Center. The first rating for all pilots is their private pilot rating--which involves 20-30 hours of ground training and a minimum of 40 hours of flight training. "We are pushing them to solo that airplane," Floyd says. "And when they do, their jobs are: 1. Come back safe. 2. Make sure the plane is reusable. And in that order. I don't mind if they break it! Just come back safe." The training alternates between ground and air, with the students flying with instructors until the instructor feels they are ready to fly solo. For that first time, the instructor and student do a flight together, then the instructor gets out, and the student does the same flight again--but this time alone. The next step is for students to fly cross-country--a distance greater than 50 nautical miles. After they've done that a few times, they take a test and get their private license. After that, the licenses build upon each other--instrument, commercial, multi-engine add-on, complex, flight instructor, flight instructor instrument, and airline transport pilot training. "We can take you from zero to hero," Floyd says. "We want it to be that way--a one-stop shop. It will take a bunch of your time, but you'll walk away with an awesome life." Floyd is a pretty brave guy to put his life in the hands of students, but he says he enjoys that part more than anything--especially when teaching students how to fly in weather. "It is scary to fly with someone for the first time," he says. "Anybody who says it's not, is lying. Teaching people to land--that's the obvious one right there. Am I terrified? No, but it's a nervousness that kind of gets you on edge. You want them to be safe and do it right but you can't let them hurt themselves. So, it's this delicate balance of letting them have just enough rope to where they can do it, but enough of a safety cushion where you know they're not going to hurt themselves practicing." He fully believes his students are his best educators, and he's incredibly passionate about the work he does. "I've been offered a bunch of jobs, but I've turned them down because in my heart of hearts, I just really love teaching people," Floyd says. "I've found my home here. I get to hang out with cool people and talk about cool stuff. I get to go home every night and that's what I'm grateful for." -- One of the biggest benefits, but also one of the biggest challenges, of being a pilot is the travel. Although Lowe, Floyd, and Warren have been all over the world, they do recognize the toll it takes. Warren says: "People are always like, 'Man, you got to go to Pisa and the South of France and Thailand,' but what they don't see is you standing in line with a backpack waiting to sleep in a tent, or being up for 32 hours because something went wrong and you're waiting for someone to come get you." As a military pilot, Warren has had to make more sacrifices than most. Although he now travels less than he used to, he still is eligible for deployment. Some of his longer stints have been in the South of France and Pisa, Italy. Each state in the National Guard is assigned a partner country. Since Alabama's is Romania, Warren also has been there several times. "A farm boy getting to see the world sounded great but when you have a family, you want to stay at home," Warren says. "As far as being a military pilot, to some extent they own you. My wife knew that when she signed on, but my kids didn't. They didn't volunteer, but they've suffered the most--although maybe now they'd argue that me being gone is OK," he laughs. When the crew is deployed, they're going over to train others on how to refuel planes. When a plane needs to be refueled in the air, the receiving aircraft comes up behind the aircraft with fuel. During the process, Warren hand flies the plane, since it's smoother than autopilot, while another crew member, known as the boom operator, sits in the back of the plane and directs the receiver aircraft. He then uses a boom to attach to a receptacle on the receiving craft and provide the fuel. The plane Warren flies is a KC-135R, which is very similar to a commercial plane; in fact, it has the same engines as a Southwest plane. The only difference is the 135 has four engines instead of two, to compensate for the amount of fuel the plane needs to carry, which can be anywhere from 40,000 to 200,000 pounds. Some of the most meaningful flights Warren has been a part of, he says, are aeromedical evacuations. He has gotten people out of Afghanistan and to the proper care they need. He recalls a particularly memorable flight where he had to transport a premature newborn from Japan to the big military hospital in Hawaii. "The baby was born very early with some problems they couldn't handle on the base in Japan," he says. "The flight doctors wheeled a makeshift NICU onto the plane, strapped it down, and fought like crazy to keep her alive while we set some speed records across the Pacific. Everything turned out fine for her. For a military pilot, that was pretty special to help those folks." Warren, who's been in the service for 31 years, says he's been blessed to have found this path. "It's a lot more dynamic being in the National Guard," he says. "It's dynamic because any aircraft can come up behind us to get fuel. And every day I could take off out of here and go to a foreign country because we have enough fuel." -- Cruising Altitude All different, yet, in a way all the same, Lowe, Floyd, and Warren bring passion to what they do every day. "It's a passionate industry," Warren says. "If you didn't love to fly, you couldn't stand it. There's a lot of payback but you can't just do it for a job. You have to love it and want to do it." While there are many stereotypes associated with being a pilot--some true, some not--there are a few things they wish others knew about flying. "It's the absolute safest thing you can do!" Floyd says. "You have a 9,000 percent more chance of dying on the drive to the airport than you ever do on a plane. The industry is so regulated, and every rule or policy is there for a reason. You'll never find an industry that is this good at trying to keep people safe." For Warren, it's the peacefulness he wishes more people realized. "Despite all the noise, all the complexity, all the hard work it takes to fly the plane, it's one of the most peaceful things you can do. It's calming, surreal, and very, very peaceful," he says. So next time you're on a plane, know you're in good hands, and when you look up in the sky and see a plane overhead, you'll know there is a pilot up there loving every second of it. "When I go to work, the one thing I can count on is I'll have a window seat," Lowe says. "And on a clear day, with light winds, when your office is at 32,000 feet doing 500 miles an hour, that's hard to beat." By the Numbers: 8: The longest time in minutes a pilot will hand fly the plane 40: The minimum number of flight time hours it takes to get a private license 1919: The year the world's oldest airline, KLM, was established 1,500: The minimum number of flight time hours most commercial airlines require before hiring 9,000: Average cost (in dollars) it takes to get your private license 61,000: The average number of people airborne over the United States at any given hour --Photos by Michael J. Moore This story appears in Birmingham magazine's May 2017 issue. Subscribe today! The Avenue soda jerk Soda Jerk will open later this year at The Avenue. (Courtesy) Here are some of today's top AL.com business headlines: A soda fountain concept with a modern twist is coming to downtown Huntsville. -- Mohawk Industries will invest $70 million in Jackson County as part of an agreement provided to AL.com by the Alabama Department of Commerce. -- It's Teacher Appreciation Week and Chipotle is celebrating by giving away free Mexican-inspired food today to educators. -- West Alabama Works has opened the Brookwood Career Center to help deliver job training services to people seeking employment in healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing. -- The early April release of financial disclosure forms from political-website-founder-turned-Trump-staffer Cliff Sims contained an interesting nugget of information: his website, Yellowhammer.com, was being sold to the Birmingham analytics and marketing company firm StrategyWise for $250,000. -- Jimmy John's will sell made-to-order subs for $1 each from 4 to 8 p.m. in celebration of Customer Appreciation Day, an annual event at participating locations across the U.S. -- For more news, visit AL.com/business. Ja'Miya Curry before prom. (Danny Austin Photography) A Birmingham high school student is creating some serious prom envy on social media thanks to viral video that showcases the glitz and glamour of the big day. Center Point High School senior Ja'Miya Curry said she wanted to capture her prom experience with a professional video similar to those often shot on wedding days in hopes of creating a memory that could last long after the dance was over. "I just wanted to do something different from everybody else instead of a photoshoot," said Curry. The video, which was shot by local photographer/videographer Danny Austin, features drone footage and more of Curry, along with her date Rhasheed Wilson, getting ready for the night out as well as debuting their looks to friends and family before heading off to the dance. Since being uploaded to Facebook on April 26, the video has garnered more than 47,000 views and 1,000 likes. While Austin and Curry were both hoping to create a video that would get people talking, the Birmingham photographer said he was still surprised when the project went viral so quickly. "I just got started doing video so I was playing around with it a lot," said Austin, who has been working as a photographer since 2009. "When she told me all the things she wanted to do, I was like "wow, that might go viral," but when I put it out there, it skyrocketed. It's a good feeling." While most have reacted to the video positively, Curry said there are some commenters who have made negative remarks based on the price of her dress, shoes and the car featured. However, the high school senior, who is an honor roll student and plans to attend Alabama State University in the fall, said she isn't going to let that get her down. "I just wanted to do it," said Curry. "I wasn't expecting the negative comments on it. It was just for me to have as part of prom and remember how I enjoyed it, but a lot of people that don't know me tried to dog me. I'm just going to try and prove them wrong." For fans of the video, it might not be too long before a new video is out. Curry said she plans to work with Austin on another project soon to capture her graduation. "We'll either do a video or a photoshoot, but no matter what, it'll be something different and creative," said Curry. (AL.com file photo) Get ready for a blast from the past. Boston, a monster prog-rock band in the 1970s and '80s, is on its way to Alabama. The group, known for its multi-layered sonic attack, hook-laden singles and killer production values, will perform three shows in our state, Thursday through Sunday. These dates in Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery are part of a "Hyper Space" tour that runs through the end of July. Hardcore fans are likely to flock to the shows here, along with casual listeners who'd simply like an authentic classic rock experience. But if you haven't been keeping up with Boston, you might be wondering about the state of the band in 2017. And that's where we come in. Here's a primer on the musicians you'll see on stage, plus a look at the players gone by. Don't Edit (Boston Facebook photo) Tom Scholz Founding member of Boston. Role in band: Guitarist, keyboard player, composer, producer, recording engineer. Years in band: 1976-present. Notable: Longtime Boston fan? Then you must pay homage to Tom Scholz. The multi-talented musician, 70, is the mastermind of the band, and has been its prime mover for four decades. He's all about creative control, preferring to record and release music on his own perfectionist timetable. That quality hasn't always been embraced by the industry, and it's sometimes caused friction with other musicians. But Scholz and Boston have endured. Don't Edit (Gary Pihl website photo) Gary Pihl Role in band: Guitarist. Years in band: 1985-present. Notable: Pihl, 66, wasn't around for Boston's first wave of success, but he's been a stalwart in the band for more than 30 years. Pihl (pronounced "peel") previously toured with Sammy Hagar, opening for Boston in the late '70s. He and Tom Scholz became friends and allies during that period, sharing music ideas and philosophies. When Hagar joined Van Halen in '85, Scholz recruited Pihl for Boston. He was a natural fit. Don't Edit (Courtesy photo/Tim Barrett) Tommy DeCarlo Role in band: Lead singer. Years in band: 2008-present. Notable: DeCarlo, 52, is one of those Internet success stories. His covers of Boston songs, posted on a MySpace page, impressed Tom Scholz and led to this key spot in the band. DeCarlo's role: to evoke Boston's original vocalist, Brad Delp, and hit sky-high notes with power and flair. DeCarlo made his debut with the band in 2007 at a tribute concert for Delp, who died that year. His renditions of "Smokin'" and "Party" clinched the deal. Don't Edit (Jon Viscott photo/Boston Facebook page) Jeff Neal Role in band: Drummer. Years in band: 2002-present. Notable: Neal, 47, made a big leap to Boston, transitioning from his own band, Punchbag. He was discovered by Tom Scholz during a gig at a ski resort in Maine. On the Boston website, Scholz praises Neal as "a regular guy who can really play." Don't Edit Don't Edit (Kamal Asar photo/Tracy Ferrie Facebook page) Tracy Ferrie Role in band: Bassist. Years in band: 2012-present. Notable: Ferrie is a former member of Stryper, a Christian metal band. His credits also include Whitecross and Guardian. Ferrie's first on-stage encounter with Tom Scholz and Gary Pihl came in 2008, at a benefit for the victims of The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island. Don't Edit (Bob Summers Photography/Boston Facebook photo) Beth Cohen Role in band: Backup singer, keyboard player, guitarist. Years in band: 2015-present. Notable: Cohen contributed backing vocals to "You Gave Up on Love," a song included on Boston's 2002 album, "Corporate America," and 2013's "Life, Love & Hope." When she's not touring with Boston, Cohen is a vocal coach in Miami. Don't Edit (Kamal Asar photo/Boston Facebook page) Curly Smith Role in band: Drummer. Years in band: 1994-2001, 2012-2013, 2014-present. Notable: Smith also plays percussion and harmonica. In recent years, he's shared duties at the drum kit with Jeff Neal, playing at some shows when Boston tours. Smith, a former member of Jo Jo Gunne, has a long list of credits as a session musician. Don't Edit (AL.com file photo) Gone but not forgotten Boston has seen its share of change, transition and tragedy. Here are some previous players who made their marks on the band, and in some cases, remain an important part of Boston's legacy. Don't Edit (AP Photo/The Daily Nonpareil, Ben DeVries, File) Brad Delp Role in band: Lead singer. Years in band: 1976-1990, 1994-2007. Notable: Delp's dynamic, acrobatic voice helped to define Boston's signature sound. He was the original frontman and a crucial contributor to the band's success. Delp split with Boston in 1990, but returned a few years later. Delp, who reportedly suffered from depression, committed suicide in 2007. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Photo courtesy of Everett Collection Sib Hashian Role in band: Drummer. Years in band: 1976-1983. Notable: Hashian (standing, third from left) can be heard on Boston's first two records, providing a rock-steady beat for classic songs such as "Don't Look Back" and "More Than a Feeling." He left Boston during recording sessions for the band's third record, "Third Stage," but made his presence known during the early years of fame. Hashian died in March 2017, while performing on a Legends of Rock cruise. Don't Edit (AL.com file photo) Barry Goudreau and Fran Sheehan Roles in band: Goudreau (right) was a guitarist for Boston; Sheehan, (second from right) played bass. Years in band: Goudreau, 1976-1981; Sheehan, 1976-1984. Notable: Both are original members and contributors to the first two albums, "Boston" (1976) and "Don't Look Back" (1978). You want the best-known lineup? Look at the photo above. Don't Edit (Fran Cosmo website photo) Fran Cosmo Role in band: Lead singer. Years in band: 1991-2006. Notable: Cosmo replaced Brad Delp as the frontman of Boston. When Delp returned to the band a few years later, he shared vocals parts with Cosmo on tour. Cosmo can be heard on the Boston albums "Walk On" (1994), "Greatest Hits" (1997) and "Corporate America" (2002). Don't Edit (AL.com file photo) Jim Masdea, David Sikes, Doug Huffman and others Like many classic rock bands, Boston has been through several lineup changes over the years. This photo includes Jim Masdea (fourth from left, standing) the very first drummer for Boston. He played on early demos, but was replaced by Sib Hashian during recording of the band's 1976 debut album. (In a way, Masdea is the Pete Best of Boston.) Masdea returned to the group in the 1980s for the "Third Stage" album and tour. David Sikes (seated, second from right) was a bass player for the band during the 1980s and '90s. Doug Huffman (second from left) was at the drum kit in the late '80s and early '90s. Other members of Boston have included Michael Sweet, Anthony Cosmo, David Victor and Kimberley Dahme. Don't Edit (Kamal Asar photo) If you go: Boston will perform in Birmingham on Thursday, May 4, at the BJCC Concert Hall, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $38.50-$124 via Ticketmaster. Boston will perform in Huntsville on Saturday, May 6, at the Von Braun Center Concert Arena, 700 Monroe St. Southwest. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $35.50-$95.50 via Ticketmaster. Boston will perform in Montgomery on Sunday, May 7, at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre, 201 Tallapoosa St. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $36.50-$125 via Ticketmaster. Don't Edit Don't Edit (Kamal Asar photo) More on classic rock Lynyrd Skynyrd: Who's in the band? Your guide to the musicians, present and past Tommy Shaw of Styx talks about his Alabama roots, early bands, Southern manners and more The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Elvis: For Alabama radio pioneer Dan Brennan, life was a Shower of Stars Allman's joy: Gregg says writing memoir, reflecting on life story has left him feeling thankful Michael McDonald talks duet with Sara Evans, reverence for Ryman, fondness for country music Acting Alabama attorney general announced Tuesday that an investigation into alleged wrongdoings at Alabama State University has been closed after a grand jury decided not to act on any of the claims. Acting AG Chris McCool said the investigation was launched in 2012 after receiving complaints from former employees. Former Gov. Robert Bentley, who served as the ex officio Chairman of the ASU Board of Trustees, announced that he would refer the matter for criminal investigation. Bentley's announcement came after former ASU president Joseph Silver was placed on administrative leave. Silver accused the board of letting him go for questioning the board about suspicious contracts at the school. The governor's office hired Forensic Strategic Solutions in December 2012 to investigate ASU's finances. In October 2013, a 38-page preliminary report from FSS claimed that family and friends of university trustees benefited financially from the school. It also talked about the possible mismanagement of a Medicaid contract. McCool was appointed by former attorney general Luther Strange, who recused himself from the case. McCool directed the AG's Special Prosecutions Division to empanel a grand jury in Montgomery County to investigate the claims. McCool said all allegations made by Bentley and others were investigated thoroughly. The grand jury declined to act on any allegation, which led to the case being closed, McCool said. Interim ASU President Leon Wilson called the preliminary FSS report "shabby" and said a great burden has been lifted off the university. "FSS failed to produce a final audit report or a scintilla of hard, true evidence of criminal wrongdoing at ASU, even after collecting more than two million dollars of Alabama taxpayer money for what can only be called a 'witch hunt,'" Wilson said. "This misuse of taxpayer dollars is shameful, as well as the false allegations and innuendos purported against the University, which only aspired to give its students the very best education possible." herring.jpg Birmingham City Schools superintendent finalist Lisa Herring speaks with parent Cedric Small and his daughter Mollie before her final interview on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. Herring was selected Tuesday, May 2, 2017 as the new superintendent for Birmingham schools. (Erin Edgemon/eedgemon@al.com) The Birmingham Board of Education on Tuesday named Lisa Herring as the school system's new superintendent. If she accepts the job, Herring will be the 10th person to lead the system in about 18 years. After disruption from several members of the audience at the Birmingham Board of Education's central office, the board voted 6-3 to hire Herring effective immediately. The motion to hire Herring came from board member Brian Giattina. He also asked for Herring to be offered a salary of $202,000. In a surprising move, the board in a 6-3 vote placed interim Superintendent Larry Contri on paid leave effectively immediately. The motion was made by board member April Williams following an approximately 30-minute closed to the public executive session. Board members Cheri Gardner, Sherman Collins Jr. and Daagye Hendricks voted against both measures. Board President Wardine Alexander and board members Lyord Watson, Randall Woodfin, Giattina, Sandra Brown and Williams voted in favor of both motions. Herring currently serves as chief academic officer for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky. The school system serves more than 100,000 students, making it the 27th largest school system in the United States. Williams said Herring received the most votes in a survey of residents, parents, staff and students. The second finalist, Regina Thompson, is a Birmingham native. She serves as the chief of teaching and learning for Richland County School District One in Blythewood, S.C. Search committee chair April Williams said Contri was placed on leave "to allow for a smooth transition for the next superintendent. "A lot of decisions have to be made soon and the school year is out in a month," she said. "It allows her to hit the ground running. This was in the best interest of the school district." During the meeting, Gardner said the decision to hire Herring and her salary "is being rammed down our throats." In reference to the ousting of Contri, Brown, during the meeting, said the board hasn't been concerned about Birmingham City Schools students "until the last day or two. "What we should be focusing on is children, in this present time, getting what they deserve in Birmingham City Schools," she said. Richard Franklin, president of the Birmingham American Federation of Teachers said he has never seen a board vote to hire a superintendent and set their salary at once. "I don't understand how you can remove the interim superintendent and bring someone who has never worked in the school district during this critical time," he said. Student testing is going on right now, Franklin said. Principal and teacher appointments also are being made. During her final interview for the superintendent post, Herring showcased herself as the candidate with the most experience, more than 20 years, working in urban school systems. If selected as superintendent, Herring said she would work hard to ensure the community's confidence. "My vision has to be your vision," she said. The search hasn't been without controversy. Collins, Gardner and Hendricks began speaking out against the search process when no internal candidates were selected as one of the five finalists during an April 11 meeting. Birmingham AFT filed a lawsuit against the school system on April 21. The suit alleges the school board violated state law by spending money for travel and other expenses for four out-of-state superintendent candidates without prior approval by the board, which requires a majority vote. The Birmingham Board of Education voted 6-3 on Sept. 22, 2016 to fire the previous superintendent, Kelley Castlin-Gacutan. She served in the post for only 16 months. Contri, Birmingham City Schools longest serving employee at nearly 50 years, was tapped as interim. Both Castlin-Gacutan and Contri received an annual salary of $202,000 in the superintendent post. In a 2014 lawsuit against BOE over a salary dispute, Contri agreed to retire on June 30, 2017. Despite that agreement, Contri applied for the superintendent post and attempted to halt the proceedings, in another lawsuit, when he wasn't selected as a finalist. SuttonCollage.jpg Fairfield Fire Chief Kevin Sutton, 54, was killed Sunday, April 30, 2017, in a traffic crash on I-59 in Birmingham. ( ) Services for Fairfield Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin Sutton, killed in a horrific weekend crash, have tentatively been set for this weekend. As of now, a Homegoing Celebration is planned for Saturday, May 6, at noon at the Bill Harris Arena next to the Birmingham CrossPlex, according to the department's Facebook page. Burial will follow at Elmwood. Visitation is expected to be held Friday from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Bushelon Funeral Home on 14th Street S.W. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service is helping to coordinate the processional. Representatives from fire departments all over the state are expected to attend and take part. Other events honoring Sutton are also planned in the coming days, including a fundraising benefit for his family at a Birmingham restaurant and a walk in his memory. The 54-year-old Sutton, who worked in Fairfield for 24 years, was killed in a Sunday afternoon crash with an 18-wheeler in Birmingham that injured his wife, and critically injured his daughter. His wife, Phyllis, was listed in fair condition Tuesday at UAB Hospital. His 26-year-old daughter, Tabitha Norman, remains in critical condition. The crash happened at 2:50 p.m. on Interstate 59 northbound at the Fourth Avenue exit. BFRS Battalion Chief Decimus Williamson, a longtime friend and colleague of Sutton, said an 18-wheeler traveling southbound on I-59 just past the Fourth Avenue Bridge crossed the median and struck two vehicles, one of them Sutton's SUV. Both of the vehicles traveled down an embankment. Sutton's daughter was thrown about 30 yards from the SUV. Sutton and his wife trapped inside. The motorist in the second struck vehicle was able to get out of the car and had only minor injuries. That victim refused transportation to the hospital, as did the driver of the 18-wheeler. Williamson said firefighters were able to extricate Phyllis Sutton in about 20 to 30 minutes. It was then that she told them her husband was the Fairfield fire chief. She and their daughter were rushed to UAB Hospital. The impact of the crash sheared the top off of the Suttons' SUV, authorities said. Sutton was pronounced dead on the scene. "It was difficult for me,'' said Williamson. The two became friends when they were both instructors at the American Red Cross. Firefighters on the scene learned that Sutton was the victim when Sutton's wife told them, and they saluted as Sutton's body was extricated from his mangled SUV and carried from the scene. "The rain had stopped, but right then the skies opened up. It was pouring, almost as if the sky was crying,'' Williamson said. "Everbody on the scene was professional, but it was emotional." Multiple efforts are underway to remember Sutton. On Thursday night, downtown Birmingham restaurant Yo' Mama's will donate 24 percent of all proceeds from 5 p.m. through 8 p.m. to help support Sutton's family. On Sunday, friends will hold a memorial walk in Sutton's honor from Railroad Park to Vulcan, beginning at 2 p.m. A balloon release and celebration will follow at Salon Textures on West Valley Avenue. Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India As his auto-rickshaw pulled up at Pari Chowk, the monumental roundabout at the navel of Greater Noida, 24-year-old Imran Ubas mind was on the scoop of chocolate he was planning to order at a nearby ice-cream parlour. It had been that kind of a day, pleasantly aimless a Monday without classes to attend or assignments to complete. The springtime afternoons were already hot enough to slow things down in the National Capital Region, which groups Delhi and its sprawling, skyscrapered satellites. But Imran found Pari Chowk bristling with energy. A public march for a teenage boy who had died that weekend had become an angry protest of perhaps 500 people. Imran, who comes from Kano in northern Nigeria and studies at Noida International University, neither speaks enough Hindi to have caught the gist of the protesters chants, nor reads it well enough to have clocked the slogans on their banners, so it didnt occur to him that he might be at risk. But he did notice a shiver of intensity shoot through the mob because that was what the protesters had now become and then, suddenly, that it was focused on him. As the crowd moved toward him, he caught the word Nigerian again and again, though he knew they would have called him that if he was Sudanese, or West Indian. It just meant that he was black. He stopped walking and stood with his arms pinned to his side, terrified. Imran is quite tall but narrowly built; in this pose he looks small and young. There was nothing he could do, he reflects, because there were so many of them. He remembers the view from the ground, the kicks striking his stomach and head. The next scene he recalls was a hospital room. Nobody could offer him an explanation, or even a narrative, for the violence until another wounded African man showed up at his bedside the next day and told him the story. The story involved an accusation of cannibalism before there had even been a death. High-schooler Manish Khari went missing on a Friday evening. He would reappear, unwell and disoriented, the following morning, but by then a crowd of Kharis community members had already burst into the home of five Nigerian students and reportedly searched their refrigerator. The Nigerians, they alleged, had killed and eaten Khari. READ MORE: Being African in India We are seen as demons When the boy died in hospital on Saturday, his family demanded that the police file murder charges against the Nigerian neighbours. Familiar stereotypes Africans as drug peddlers and kidnappers hardened into facts of the case in the gossip on the street. But by Sunday the accused had been released. The police confirmed that they had found no evidence against the Nigerian men, although the investigation into Manish Kharis death is stalled, awaiting the results of post-mortem testing. But lack of evidence made little difference to the mob. On that Monday, the crowd at Pari Chowk was hoisting banners demanding the eviction of Nigerians from their rented housing in Greater Noida. That was when Imran happened upon them. Three other African men were hunted down that evening inside the nearby Ansal Plaza mall, and attacked on camera. Here is another way the story has been told, again and again, in different words: a match was struck in a racist tinderbox in the backyard of Indias capital. But thats not a version the Indian government seems likely to accept. At the time of writing, the Ministry of External Affairs and police representatives stand by an official denial of the racial character of the attacks. Youre not exactly safe The same Monday, not very far away from Pari Chowk and Ansal Plaza, Elaine Tiende, a Cameroonian MBA student, drove to the market with a couple of friends to buy cooking oil. The market, Jagat Farm, is frequented by Africans, of whom there are several thousand living in Greater Noida the majority of them students. Some shops at Jagat Farm are African-run, selling African food and cosmetics, and offering African hair styling. On that day, though, the Africans shops were shuttered. Elaine and her friends appeared to be the only black people there. As they left with their bottle of oil, Elaine noticed subtle movement: locals clustering, tracking the three of them with their eyes. In French, Elaine told her friends: The minute I open the car, you lock yourselves inside. WATCH: Racism against Africans in India She felt alarmed, but she walked at a measured pace. In my culture we have a thing: If a dog is watching and you run, that dog will chase you, she says. A man blocked her path as she tried to reverse her car; she blasted the horn, then slid the car into gear and made him jump. They really banged my car up in the back, pretty bad, Elaine says. She shows me the damage: shallow dents and paint transfer. Nothing serious except a record of violent intent. When she got home, her landlady greeted her at her door with worrying news. Locals they call them Gujjars, I think, says Elaine, referencing the traditionally agricultural caste dominant in Greater Noida had been there, looking for her. The landlady offered to lock Elaine and her flatmates in; they agreed. It was the first time Elaine had been a victim of physical aggression in India, but it wasnt the first time she had felt threatened. She had arrived in Delhi as a patient at one of the capitals respected private hospitals. She had been in a serious car crash and needed a series of surgeries, some of them cosmetic. I looked pretty bad, she says. She had assumed that her injuries were what drew all the stares. But when she recovered, the stares didnt stop. Sometimes they look at you, she says, like youre something good to eat. In class at Sharda University, which has one of the biggest African student bodies in Greater Noida, Indian friends whispered to her, That persons not your friend. Behind her back, she was told, some classmates talked about Africans as cannibals and people-snatchers. It was basically advice from an Indian to a foreigner: Keep your distance. Youre not exactly safe. Its frightening, she says, before laughing: But theres comfort: Not all of them are like that. During the six days after the incident at Jagat Farm, she left the house just once, and then only with a police escort. On her third day behind drawn curtains, Elaine broke and called her parents, whom she had hoped to spare the worry. My father immediately said: The moment you can step out of that house, you take a flight back. READ MORE: Africans decry discrimination in India The law of mobs is always there Elaine wasnt the only African in Noida under self-imposed house arrest the week after the attacks. After news of the Pari Chowk and Ansal Plaza assaults broke, the Association of African Students in India (AASI) posted a volley of notices via Facebook and WhatsApp instructing members not to go out. The situation around the city is still VIOLENT, read one post, dated Wednesday, March 29. Abdou Brahim Mahamat, AASI senior adviser and former president, had little doubt it was a necessary caution. When he got word that the protest march for Manish Khari had degenerated, Abdou paid the nearest rickshaw driver whatever he asked for to rush him home along the back roads. Rumours spread fast in the communities, he says, adding: [In India] the law of mobs is always there. Since Abdou began his architecture degree at Sharda University in Greater Noida four years ago, he has been a kind of distant witness to several attacks on Africans by Indians. In 2014, a New Delhi mob cornered and thrashed three students from Gabon and Burkina Faso in a metro station, accusing them of harassing Indian women. In his studio flat, postered with sketched blueprints and study notes, Abdou flips open his laptop and pulls up online video footage of the assault. If my friends or African community members somewhere in India feel unsafe, I can feel it also, he says. Their pain is my pain. Abdou was plugged into the AASI WhatsApp nerve centre when, last year, a mob in Bangalore dragged a Tanzanian student from her vehicle, stripped her and set her car alight, after a Sudanese man she had never met was implicated in a fatal road accident. In May, he was in meetings with representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs after a 23-year-old Congolese man called Masonda Ketanda Olivier was beaten to death in an upscale Delhi neighbourhood. A week after his murder, a spate of assaults left seven Africans injured in Delhis Chhatarpur area. After the latest attacks, Abdou and his fellow AASI officers were in crisis management mode, liaising between the police and stranded students, handling calls from reporters, communicating with embassy staff. Racism: An undiagnosed sickness At a meeting of African student representatives with Superintendent of Police Sujata Singh, the mood is cordial, and the coffee is served in tiny china cups. Abdou and his colleagues thank Singh for the measures her force has instituted; they seek assurances and are given them. Police officers will continue to provide security to worried African students, says Singh, and she herself is just a call away. But the situation is now under control; your people should feel free to leave their homes. Six of the attackers are in custody; 60 had been identified by local spies and from CCTV footage. These goons are running scared, she told me in a later interview. At the end of the meeting, a grey-haired Nigerian nanotechnology PhD student called Chris Onuegbu stands, and after remarking that he had been impressed with the police in recent days, makes a request for a public condemnation of the attacks from the police and the government. Singh responds: It will be there. We are very particular about your security. No one seems to doubt the sincerity of Singhs commitment, or the reliability of her advice. But, as Chris explains after the meeting, it isnt enough. Government must be seen to come out in every seriousness, he says. READ MORE: Shock in India over mob attack on Tanzanian student On March 31, the heads of African diplomatic missions in India issued a blistering rebuke to the Ministry of External Affairs. They had reviewed historic incidents of violence against Africans and concluded that no known sufficient and visible deterring measures were taken by the government of India.They found that the Greater Noida attacks were not sufficiently condemned by the Indian authorities. They were in agreement that the aggression was xenophobic and racial in nature. They would call for an independent investigation by the UN Human Rights Council. On April 5, the response of Sushma Swaraj, the minister of External Affairs, came in an address to parliament. The African envoys statement was unfortunate and surprising; India was committed to ensuring the safety of all foreign nationals in the country. Please do not say that the crime was motivated by racial reasons till the inquiry is over, she said. A couple of days later, a former MP from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Tarun Vijay, made headlines when he offered his own denials on Al Jazeeras The Stream. If we were racist, why would we have all the entire south Tamil, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra why do we live with them? he said, referencing the often darker complexions of southern Indians. We have black people around us. Over the phone, Abdou responded: If there is a sickness in your body and you do not recognise it, then you cannot get the proper treatment. Everyday racism Long before the attacks, Nigerian chemistry student Zaharaddeen Muhammad had learned to expect daily abuse on the streets of Greater Noida. Hey bandar, he hears: hey monkey. Hey kalu, hey habshi: children call out derogatory names for black people. The accusations after Manish Kharis disappearance werent the first time he had been told that people who looked like him were cannibals, but, he says: It hurt, seriously. I bitterly cried for that. He speaks softly and looks tired. You know, Afghans are here. They dont face such challenges, such insult. In Delhi, a feminist movement is agitating against sexist, infantilising university hostel rules. But here, at Sharda Universitys Mandela Hostel, Adetutu Deborah Aina, a 33-year-old Nigerian lawyer and PhD student, says that the curfews and tight security make her feel safer, especially after she was harassed by a first-year student at another Greater Noida university. She had given him a questionnaire for a piece of research she was conducting. He called her and said he would fill it out if she slept with him. Are you seeing the insult? she asks, angry hands gesticulating. Its because I am black. His calls didnt stop; she grew afraid that he would try to break into her room and alerted campus security. They think that all Africans are prostitutes, she says. Out in public, strangers might grab at you, children tug at their parents hands and point, or duck away to hide, explains her friend Kumba Mbage, a 26-year-old Gambian law student. People sprint to overtake you, just so that they can turn and stare from the front. Sometimes, the looks they give you youd prefer they just beat you up and you die. She and Deborah laugh at the bitter hyperbole. Still, there is a silver lining. Everyday Indian racism has given Kumba a concept of race, of blackness, of Pan-African pride and solidarity, she says. At home in The Gambia, there was no question of race. Everyone was the same. You come to India, and Nigeria is like a metonymy for Africa. Africa is like one thing, and the whole thing is just reduced to blackness. She reads the hatred she has encountered as a projection of self-loathing by a population that spends more on skin-lightening cream than Coca-Cola. I have learned something from their ignorance, she says. I see myself more clearly for it. Enlightened ignorance The word ignorance is on many lips in Greater Noida. It feels like a kind of situational irony here, in Indias shiny new education hub. Ansal Plaza, the site of three of the attacks, is papered over in banner adverts for private schools and colleges, many of them international, and sits just outside an area called Knowledge Park III. Schools such as Sharda University take out ads in Nigerian newspapers, selling themselves on their cosmopolitan credentials. But a manager at Ansal Plazas KFC, witness to the mob attacks, says the Gujjars of Greater Noida are not part of this outward-facing, aspirational universe. They are uneducated villagers who, he says, got wealthy too quickly when the developers moved in. They tended to read cultural difference as cultural affront, and to police it with the sort of language that he could not bear to repeat in front of me, a woman. Chris Onuegbu, the Nigerian nanotechnology researcher, says: I dont think that this emanated from the enlightened class of society, and describes the local Indians as people who have never left, and never want to leave, the four walls of their own society. It tallies with Superintendent Singhs view that the problem is in essence a cultural clash, a deficit of trust, which must be remedied by opening wider channels of communication between foreigners and locals. But the implication that ignorance is restricted to the illiterate classes bothers Kumba. It sounds like a kind of justification, an excuse to her. Some people here are very educated, and they still dont like blacks, she says. Of course, elite racism might not shout kalu, bandar, habshi on street corners. It might, for that reason, be easier to deny. According to Samuel Jack, president of the AASI, it might exist in the denial itself. If you dont address the problem, he tells me on the phone, you are almost promoting it. Praying for peace and wisdom The Sunday after the attacks, at a church service held in the auditorium of one of Greater Noidas plush private schools, a Congolese woman called Ruth sings into a microphone: And if our God is for us / Then who could ever stop us. On stage behind her, Elaine Tiende is on back-up vocals. The congregation sways, their palms raised. An African woman in a red kurta points to the ceiling and closes her eyes; a little Korean girl fans out her skirt and twirls in the back row. This church, Elaine says, has been the best part of her experience in India. I came to the land in the world that knows the least about Jesus and I found him here, she laughs. Despite her fathers pleas, she wont go home until she finishes her degree in a couple of months. But once she graduates, she wont come back to India: Not for any reason. Whatsoever. This is the memory of India that she, and many other students in Greater Noida, will take back home with them. Kumba and Deborah say they would urgently counsel Africans studying in India. The indignity you face every day. Its too much. It is not worth it, Kumba says. When I met Imran, who spent most of his terms tuition fee on hospital bills, he was considering leaving partway through his degree, although he has since decided to stick it out. Indias rising power in Africa This negative legacy is something the African student leaders have warned of. Abdou, who, despite the difficulties and feelings of isolation says he would remember India as incredible, explains: These people who come here, they are the future leaders. They could build that connection [between India and their country]. But not if they treat us like this. Elaine hasnt quite worked out what she plans to do after her degree, other than go home. But when I ask her if she is worried about missing classes recently, she dithers modestly for a second before flashing a grin and declaring: No, Im not worried. Im smart. I learn that since she arrived, broken-bodied at Delhi airport, she hasnt only undergone multiple surgeries and navigated a degree, but she has also juggled a full-time traineeship at a logistics firm and started a business manufacturing maternity clothes for export to Cameroon. For the next month, she plans to keep her head down, and shuttle between work, school, church and home. She is more worried, she explains, for the Africans who have years left in Greater Noida. She gestures at the churchs empty seats. As many as half of the Africans she usually sees here on Sundays havent made it today. After the sermon, the pastor, an Indian man, addresses the absence: Many of our African brothers are not here, and we pray for them for their safety and security, he says. Then the congregation forms a circle, links hands and prays for the families back in Africa worrying about their children, and for peace. They also pray for the wisdom of the authorities. Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein is entering his 134th day of detention in Egyptian jails without formal charges. Hussein, an Egyptian based in Qatar, was stopped, questioned, and arrested by Egyptian authorities in December 2016 after travelling to Cairo for a holiday. He has been accused of incitement against state institutions and broadcasting false news with the aim of spreading chaos. Prior to working at the networks headquarters in Doha, Qatar, Hussein used to work in Egypt before Al Jazeera closed its bureau there in 2013. Husseins family say that he is in poor physical and psychological condition, and have told Al Jazeera that there has not yet been a solid allegation on which his lawyer can build a sufficient defence. Al Jazeera denies all accusations against Hussein and has demanded that Egypt unconditionally release Hussein and condemned his ongoing detention, which has been denounced by human rights and media organisations. Husseins daughter, Zahra, a media and journalism student, spoke to Al Jazeera about the familys experience with her fathers detention. Al Jazeera: Do you think your father ever suspected that he would be arrested? Zahra Hussein: I dont know. My father always came back to Egypt knowing that he does not have any records with the national security. He always went back and forth without any problems, so I think he was sure that as long as he didnt do anything nothing would happen to him. Al Jazeera: What was your initial response and the reaction of your family? Hussein: My family and I saw my father handcuffed. He was surrounded by more than 40 police officers who stormed into our house, breaking everything and wrecking the furniture. We saw him being humiliated, so my family, especially my younger siblings, were in a state of shock. My father is the eldest and hes like the Mukhtar (the leader of the family). Every day since my father was arrested, the whole family more than 70 people visit us as though it is a funeral. I think our family will remain in this pain until my father gets out. My worst nightmare is that my father might die in prison. Al Jazeera: What was it like when he was first detained? Was he given an explanation? Were you expecting him to be released quickly? Hussein: My father was held at the airport for more than 12 hours. When he arrived home, he said that he was faced with the usual questions they asked where he worked, where he lived and for how long. But then the questions turned into: What plans does Al Jazeera have for Egypt? My father said I have nothing to do with that, I work in the reporters section. So they let him go and he stayed home for two days, and then they asked him to come back to take his passport, which they had kept for 48 hours. When he went back to pick up his passport, the family was not expecting him to be away for too long. The whole family was gathered and came to welcome him because he had been away for months. Late at night, when everyone went back to their homes, police forces came to search the house. They broke into four of our houses both my uncles homes, who were also arrested, my grandparents home, and our house they broke everything and found nothing. He was forced to tell them [the security forces] about the place of the archives [Al Jazeeras old Egypt bureau files], which they saw as a hidden treasure. They saw the files as a threat to national security, but they were only archives that he kept at my aunts house. READ MORE: Mahmoud Hussein Freedom of expression is valuable When the police forces found the archives with dust all over, they had my father handcuffed, and forced him to speak before a camera Im here at my sisters house this is an archive. The police officers would then demand that he says that they [the archives] were a threat to national security. They wanted him to say things they could use against him, but he did not. They recorded him over and over, about 20 times. They aired it across several Egyptian television channels. This was a huge violation, even if my father was a criminal, hes still facing unproven charges. They havent sentenced him for anything. My father was on national television, he was being labelled as a terrorist, television presenters were saying were going to show you a terrorist that works for Al Jazeera, before airing the video he was coerced into recording. He was then moved to Torah prison, but it took us a while to figure that out. Al Jazeera: How was your mothers reaction? How did you deal with it? Hussein: We didnt know how to act or deal with it. It was the first time ever that we had to face this kind of situation. It was my mother and us no clue what to do and where to go. It was us against the unknown. We were afraid they [the police] would come back, we were up all night waiting, expecting them to barge in, though we were assuring our younger siblings that it was OK and no one was coming back. My grandmother, my fathers mother, says I think Im going to die, but I just need to die in the arms of my son. Al Jazeera: How often were you able to visit him? Hussein: At first, we were not allowed to visit him, and when we went to prison, they still kept telling us hes not there. But when I confronted the prison authorities and said, Someone called me, I know hes here -though no one actually called me they kept us waiting for five hours and then told us; He was here, but I cant allow you to see him. He does not have visitation rights yet. We returned every day, waiting from 7am until 3pm in line, under the sun. During the first few months of winter, we were worried about whether he was warm, and how he sleeps, whether he has a blanket. I was begging them to just let me give him a jacket, but no one responded. More than one and a half months later, they let us see him, but our visits were always under the close watch of investigators, officers in high ranks, etc. We were never able to talk freely. He appeared very weak, very tired and had lost a lot of weight. Al Jazeera: Can you give us a glimpse of what hes going through inside prison? Hussein: Hes alone in his cell, its dark and has neither electricity nor a bathroom. Whenever he needs to use the restroom he has to beg the guards to let him go. At first, he wasnt allowed to leave his cell at all but then they gave him an hour or two to walk between other cells, and eventually, was granted a daily hour in the sun. Hes accompanied by a guard 24 hours a day and is prohibited from speaking to anyone. My father has nine children waiting for his release. He is worried about our future and hes afraid that hell stay in prison forever. He says Im old enough, but Im scared that my last days would be in this place and no one will remember to say a word about me. As a journalist, he feels that the international community doesnt care about an Egyptian journalist in an Egyptian prison. As a family, and in my own personal opinion, we can see that. International news outlets havent said a word, when in other cases they were defending journalism and press freedom. I want someone to give me an explanation for that whats the difference in their minds, between my father and other journalists that they defended? Al Jazeera: How has this affected you personally in terms of your future plans? Hussein: My entire family was affected, I lost my job, my masters opportunity. The only thing I was doing was asking how I can get to my father, asking what I can do to speed things up. My sister is depressed and is in her final year of school. She wont study and says, What am I going to be in this country that takes fathers from their families for no reason? At work, they told me that they cant have me any more because my father was a terrorist, so they fired me. Even though some of them believed that it was all a bunch of lies, they said, We cant afford to have your face and your name with us, especially that the Egyptian public opinion believes him to be one. READ MORE: Baher Mohamed My 1,124 hours of solitary confinement in prison Al Jazeera: Do you feel that you have a future in Egypt? Hussein: Right now, we feel that were exposed and not able to walk in the streets or study freely. I walk frightened that someone may point me out and say: Is your father the one who appeared on national TV? If we left, where to? And if we stay, how will we manage? Al Jazeera: Do you think he could be released soon? Hussein: We simply do not know. He is innocent and I firmly believe that hell be released eventually. But from what I see in Egypt, and due to the international medias silence, my worst nightmare is that my father might die in prison. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Salar de Uyuni is the worlds largest salt flat. For generations, local salt gatherers or saleros have extracted salt from the Bolivian flat, scooping the raw mineral into mounds to let it dry before it is transported to processing plants and turned into table salt. But today, the profession is on the brink of extinction as Bolivia is steadily modernising and new sources of income are taking over. About half of the worlds reserves of lithium are buried beneath the Salar. The lightest metal on the periodical table is used in batteries for mobile phones, laptops and electric cars. As the demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow, commentators have asked if Bolivia could become the Saudi Arabia of lithium. President Evo Morales has said the value of lithium is the hope of humanity. The discovery of lithium has caused a societal split in Bolivia, particularly in the communities bordering the Salar. As the mining operation grows in size, the new infrastructure it comes with including electrical lines, water pipelines and paved roads are transforming the region, aiding other industries including tourism. While there are many people in the area who long for a more modern lifestyle, some like the saleros cannot easily part with their old profession and their connection to the land. For them, it remains to be seen if tradition can co-exist with modernisation. From the US to Azerbaijan, exposing corruption is vital despite intimidation from criminal networks and governments. This article is part of Al Jazeeras Journalism Matters project. As part of this series, we asked two Azeri journalists with opposing views on the state of the media in their country to share their perspectives. The other article, by journalist Azer Hasret, can be read here. It takes a network to expose the multibillion-dollar schemes of criminal networks. This is the idea behind the establishment of multinational journalism consortiums in which reporters from different countries work together to investigate criminal networks that are stealing, laundering public money, smuggling drugs, and trafficking humans. The only response to the investigations was arrest and harassment of journalists. by The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), of which I am a member, asked for my involvement in one of these projects in 2012. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the money trail tied to former Egypt president Hosni Mubarak and his aides was being hunted worldwide. The OCCRP had special expertise in the field. When Mubarak was still president, Romanian and Egyptian journalists had teamed up for an OCCRP investigation which revealed Swiss lawyers, representing children of Mubaraks close aide Hussein Salem, were behind a shell company incorporated in Panama. After the uprising, when Mubaraks team started cashing in its wealth and hiding it, the companys ownership mysteriously changed and two people from Azerbaijan appeared in the documents. My task was to find out who they were and if there was a link between Salem and the Azerbaijani owners of the company. The link was there. A well-documented investigation was published, leading to arrests and the exposure of millions of dollars stolen from Egyptians. Oddly enough, after I had written about a dozen investigations on Azerbaijani corrupt officials, the Egypt story was almost the only success story that I could cite to my students as one that has had impact. With the release of Mubarak from prison, I doubt if I can still cite the story as a success. OPINION: The dangers of online criticism in Azerbaijan We journalists in Azerbaijan are not as lucky as journalists from countries with established checks-and-balances systems. Imagine a democracy where an investigation reveals that the president ordered a minister of environment to choose the presidents daughters company to exploit six gold mines, while holding a 70 percent share in a consortium. Or a story on a Swedish company that had to pay the presidents family to get shares in a mobile telecoms company. Or a presidential assistant closing foreign radio channels and banning foreign soap operas so his sons media business will grow thanks to state funding for local soap operas and will get the frequency licence used by the BBC before it was banned. Or state-funded transportation projects which benefit only the transport ministers family? Or holding mega events such as Eurovision 2012, the 2015 European Games and the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games at the publics expense, enabling the families of the president and top ministers to earn more money on public contracts. None of these would go unpunished in democracies. This was not the case in Azerbaijan. No criminal investigation, no refunding, no change in the system. The only response to the investigations was the arrest and harassment of journalists. Investigative journalists in the US face a challenge Now, the illusion that established democracies have perfect checks-and-balances systems has been destroyed by what is happening in the United States. When another investigative network was established to help American journalists expose a link between President Donald Trump and corrupt Azerbaijani officials, I asked a fellow reporter whether there was a law that bans the US president from owning a business. He said there actually is no clearly defined law. When he saw my shocked reaction, he said that until now we didnt have to deal with conflict of business interest issues related to American presidents. OPINION: How transactional politics will affect journalism Now, investigative journalists in the United States face a challenge to watchdog their thin-skinned president, whose behaviour every day draws parallels with authoritarian leaders like those in Azerbaijan, Russia or Middle Eastern countries. Its a big challenge, since the networks that unite dictators are much stronger than the networks that we journalists create to expose their mismanagement and corruption. Criminals support each other. Authoritarian, corrupt leaders vote for each other in international organisations, to help each other avoid criticism, because they have shared interests. In countries like Azerbaijan, an investigative journalist cannot find an outlet to publish work, because no independent media is left in the country. by When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan all but declared war on the followers of self-exiled preacher Turkish Fethullah Gulen, the Azerbaijani station ANS TV was shut down for sending a correspondent to a Gulen news conference in the United States. Not for airing an interview or a news conference just for being there. For its part, the regulatory council, as it accused ANS of propaganda against the Turkish state, said the channel had interviewed Gulen. When Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev was mocked on Turkish TV for appointing his wife as a vice president, the TV correspondent lost his job. An Azerbaijani opposition group that started beaming a satellite TV programme into the country could not find a place on Turksat, owing to a gentlemens agreement between two governments. The same happened to Radio Free Europe (RFE) Azerbaijani language broadcast on Turksat, after the station dared to investigate the presidents family business in Azerbaijan. Journalist Rauf Mirkadirov, who was critical of the Azerbaijani government and Russian policy in the region, was handed over by Turkish police to Azerbaijani security services and spent more than two years in solitary confinement over fake charges. Dictators help each other to silence their critics, and investigative journalism, even with all its networks, is too weak to face these challenges. In countries such as Azerbaijan, an investigative journalist cannot find an outlet to publish their work, because no independent media is left in the country. The only option is to work for international outlets, thus facing a risk of being accused of treason, or being charged with illegal entrepreneurship for working for foreign media without accreditation from the foreign ministry, which is my case. Investigative journalists worldwide face challenges not only from criminal networks of drug smugglers and human traffickers, but also from governments who sometimes work hand-in-hand with these criminal networks, or whose own corruption and mismanagement create a rich environment for criminals Nevertheless, we keep exposing corruption because it is the right thing to do. Its a never-ending job. But dont despair about the lack of immediate impact. Continuing to tell the truth is already a win, given the circumstances Khadija Ismayilova is an investigative journalist based in Azerbaijan. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Those beyond the reach of attacking governments or groups must stand up for persecuted journalists and exert pressure. Vanessa Berhe is the president of One Day Seyoum, a human rights group, and studies law at SOAS University of London. I learned the true power of words when I was six years old. I had just started my first year of school in Sweden when my mother explained that my uncle was imprisoned in Eritrea, simply for speaking his mind. The next day, I told my friends what I had learned and when our parents came to pick us up, they found us collecting money in plastic cups on the schoolyard. When one of the parents asked what we were doing, my friend explained my uncles situation and said that we were telling people his story and collecting money to buy his release and a plane ticket. My uncles story had taught me that, if words alone were powerful enough to bring fear to the most powerful institution in a country, then they must be used actively, loudly, and fearlessly in order to bring about positive change in the world. Any government which wants to unjustifiably and cruelly control their citizens is right to fear a free media. by Our right to express ourselves freely is quite understandably considered one of the most sacred principles of democracy. When combined with an independent and responsible media platform, this freedom of expression is an essential part of a system of checks and balances that scrutinises people in power and holds them accountable. It informs the public, changes perceptions and initiates dialogues. It safeguards democracy and prevents tyranny. Any government which wants to unjustifiably and cruelly control their citizens is right to fear a free media. The consequences of impunity are deadly. Not only are innocent people being killed for performing their civic duty and doing their job, but the stories that journalists are trying to tell are not being heard. My uncle Seyoum Tsehaye was imprisoned is a journalist in 2001. Over 15 years later, he has still not been released. His imprisonment was a part of a wider campaign by the government to increase control in the country. READ MORE: Tales of an Eritrean fighter-photographer In the span of a week, the private media was shut down and all critical members of the government and outspoken journalists were imprisoned. I see the consequences of impunity in Eritrea every day, in the mass exodus from the country and the severe human rights violations they are fleeing. Impunity is not restricted to Eritrea, which according to Reporters Without Borders is last on the global press freedom index, below China, Syria and North Korea. Instead, it tends to exist in countries without democratic institutions to hold the government accountable for their unlawful actions. Consequences of impunity Governments all around the world silence people whose words they fear can challenge their power. Last year, UNESCO reported that on average, a journalist was killed every four days. With critics out of the way, governments can use media platforms, with their carefully chosen words, as a means to control the people and set the narrative. Just as easily as our words have the power to make positive change, they also have the power to corrupt. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) wrote in a 2014 report: Targeted attacks on the media have kept the world from understanding the full dimension of the violence taking place in Syria. Unchecked impunity has suppressed critical reporting on drug trafficking in Mexico, militant violence in Pakistan, and corruption in Russia. The targeted attacks and unchecked impunity play a key role to why all of the problems mentioned above still persist, three years after the report was written. The consequences of impunity are, indeed, dangerous and deadly. But to argue that freedom of expression only is being under attack in authoritarian states would be a misstatement. Media cannot simply exist on its own, it also needs to be independent and responsible. If not, it can easily be used as a tool to deceive, manipulate and control, and affect innocent peoples lives. The lying American president Our current political climate has shown just how vulnerable media is to becoming corrupt, regardless of where in the world it is. In the United States, a country that prides itself in their democracy, the current president has declared a war on media. But it is not a war on the entire media, only the ones he does not agree with. The ones he does agree with, he uses as sources for his speeches, sometimes without checking the accuracy. Like most Swedes, I was confused when the current US president implied that there had been some kind of terrorist attack by refugees in Sweden the night before. My social media feeds instantly filled up with sources refuting such an attack and it was quickly confirmed that no attack of any kind had happened in Sweden. The president had based his statement on a segment he had seen on Fox News, a right-wing news channel often criticised for its bias. The danger here is not only that the US has a president who actively and unapologetically lies about marginalised groups and pressing issues, but that there is a large group of people whose perception of reality is largely based on speeches from their leader and segments of biased and irresponsible news channels. As far as they were concerned, a terrorist attack had been committed by refugees and anything stating the contrary could easily be brushed off as fake news, just as the current US president labels news reports he simply does not agree with. READ MORE: Double standards Do all journalist lives matter? A former US ambassador to the United Nations once said: Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts. Today, those words are more important than ever. The media decides which stories they tell and how they do so. When they attack, we need to shout even louder ... with our words alone we can do wonders. Let us not let that power go to waste. by Demonising a group of people while camouflaging bigotry as fact can have dangerous implications we do not need to look far back in history to find proof of that. How do we then ensure that the validity of truth is not jeopardised, impunity is ended and freedom of expression can flourish? We can only do that by protecting this democratic principle actively, loudly, and fearlessly. OPINION: The media should resist far-right populist tendencies We need to constantly stay critical and challenge the narrative we have been presented, regardless of whether its propaganda from a dictatorship, a news report from a supposedly independent source, or a speech from a democratically elected president. The failure to do so will undoubtedly lead to terrible injustice. We need to hold governments who silence journalists and citizens accountable and speak up for those who cannot themselves. Governments might be able to silence their own citizens, but they cannot possibly silence the outside world. It is only when impunity itself is challenged by those beyond the reach of the attacking government that it can be ended. Foreign governments, international institutions, corporations, activists, journalists and world citizens all play a role in holding abusive governments accountable. Even the most isolated dictatorships are not immune from external pressure. We need to be persistent. A very long time has passed since I found out my uncle was imprisoned and I am still campaigning for his release. They wanted to silence him, so I decided to become his voice. They wanted him to be forgotten, so I decided to tell the whole world his story. Challenging governments is not easy and it will take time. When they try to block us, we need to find new routes. When they attack, we need to shout even louder. My then six-year-old friends understood it quickly; with our words alone we can do wonders. Let us not allow that power go to waste. Vanessa Berhe is the president of One Day Seyoum, a human rights organisation working for the release of unjustly imprisoned people in Eritrea. She is studying law at SOAS University of London. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. This article is part of Al Jazeeras Journalism Matters project. As part of this series, we asked two Azeri journalists with opposing views on the state of the media in their country to share their perspectives. The other article, by investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, can be read here. On this years World Press Freedom Day, the way the freedom of the media and the right to obtain and spread information is ensured globally and in separate countries is generating a wide-ranging discussion. We should admit that the entire world is now facing serious problems in this area, and there is little hope that these problems will be solved in the near future. An Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) official has recently highlighted sad statistics relating to the freedom of the media in 2016 in developing countries as well as in America and Europe. The murder of two journalists in Finland, pressure on media representatives in the United States and France, discussion of tough draft media laws in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK testified to a rapidly growing and disquieting trend. Lack of respect Creating a free environment for journalists or removing artificial barriers they face is not the main problem. In many cases, its about a lack of respect for key principles such as journalistic ethics and responsibility. Should someone who calls him or herself a journalist be sanctioned if he or she becomes part of dirty financial schemes or is engaged in tax avoidance? Can this person be held accountable if they act in the interests of separate circles and groups to conduct a smear campaign against others and to make groundless allegations to discredit them? Naturally, doing so is a serious crime and those who violate the law must be brought to justice regardless of who they are. Therefore, I think that the accusations against Azerbaijan made by Khadija Ismayilova, who was sentenced for such illegal activities, in her article published by Al Jazeera are biased and there are serious doubts about the credibility of these accusations. OPINION: As international scrutiny fades, Azerbaijan scrambles to silence critics I have independently studied the investigations of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and its articles written by Ismayilova. I do not want to focus on what OCCRP is, which sources it uses and what are main goals behind its articles. Investigating lost billions Similarly, I do not intend to investigate the allegations that former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak or other autocratic leaders have multibillion-dollar wealth. If these billions really existed, they would have been given back to the peoples of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and other countries hit by the Arab Spring. So this multibillion wealth was either a myth or a pretext or someone just squirrelled them away. Anyway, lack of information gives reasons to make such assumptions. The allegations that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has a wealth of billions of dollars, that his family owns off-shore companies and some of the largest companies in the country seem to be part of a campaign against Azerbaijan, which is chosen as another victim against the background of the Arab Spring. READ MORE: Azerbaijan releases Khadija Ismayilova from jail The documents that I have studied and my talks with officials give me reason to say that contrary to the allegations of OCCRP and Ismayilova, companies operating in Azerbaijani gold fields are not owned by members of Ilham Aliyevs family. Founded in February 2015, AzerGold is a closed joint-stock company, with 100 percent of its shares owned by the Azerbaijani state. Anglo Asian Mining PLC gold production company was cofounded by the Azerbaijani government and its foreign partners. Similarly, there is not any evidence or document proving that Aliyevs family members founded or own any mobile operator. The Azerbaijani mobile operator mentioned by Ismayilova in her article is related to Swedish TeliaSonera, which would hardly have overtly discredited itself. Baseless accusations Ismayilova alleges that the government of Azerbaijan is making a profit from the reconstruction of road and transport infrastructure. But is that the case? I dont think so. What and why should one accuse the government, if Azerbaijani citizens are driving their cars on world-class roads, if six airports have been built in the country, if air, sea and railroad infrastructure has been completely modernised to provide international transit services, if Azerbaijan has become a transit hub linking the east with the west and the north with the south? How can I accuse the Azerbaijani government over organising Eurovision, First European Games, Formula 1, Fourth Islamic Solidarity Games and other high-profile international events? These games and events have been hosted by France, Germany, the UK and tens of other developed Western countries as well as Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar. Is hosting high-profile international events indicative of corruption and embezzlement? This is illogical, isnt it? These events have introduced Azerbaijan to the world as thousands of Europeans, Arabs, Chinese and others are now coming to Azerbaijan as tourists. And the country is now getting back the money invested in organising these events, and is even making a profit. Is that bad? The Trump effect Targeting governments and states, portraying the authorities and the media as antagonists in the interests of certain groups is not independent journalism. by With his election as US president, Donald Trump has faced a tough campaign launched by a large and influential network. Along with Trump himself, this network has targeted all those who have close ties to him, and even those who have happened to meet and speak to him. This network has traced Trump-linked corruption allegations to different countries, including Azerbaijan. And the reason is that a firm owned by Trump constructed a building in Baku in partnership with an Azerbaijani company. As a result, Trump-related corruption allegations were tied to Azerbaijan. But not a single word has been said about the cancellation of the contract, which happened in early 2016, and no evidence of Trumps links with Azerbaijani officials has ever been provided. Maybe Ismayilova and the network she belongs to do not like the American president, and this is why they are trying to draw parallels between him and autocratic leaders. But it is the American people that elected Donald Trump as their president, and I think the choice of millions of Americans should be respected. Ismayilovas logic is quite simple: she is looking for the Azerbaijani trace everywhere and in everything from clashes between the Turkish pro-government forces and Fehtullah Gulen supporters to incidents in the remotest areas of the world. However ridiculous it may sound, even the dismissal of a journalist in Turkey, someones failure to broadcast his programme via Turksat satellite are explained by an Erdogan-Aliyev agreement. The aggressor Armenia and the Armenian lobby are conducting a similar anti-Azerbaijani misinformation campaign. It is thought-provoking. If OCCRP investigates Ismayilovas links in this regard and defines the mechanisms of the emergence of the ordered material in the media, it will make a significant contribution to ensuring the independent activity of journalists. Is there no free media in Azerbaijan? If an Azerbaijani investigative reporter is really unable to publish in the media, then how does Ismayilova publish her numerous articles about the president of Azerbaijan and his family? How can it be that in a country where there are hundreds of newspapers, magazines, television and radio channels, and internet resources, there is no free media? The Azerbaijani media does not abstain from criticism, it freely voices its opinion about both officials and the head of state because it is not prohibited by the law and because in Aliyevs view a journalist cannot face investigation for what he or she writes. He openly expressed this opinion in 2009, and no journalist has been investigated for his or her professional activity in Azerbaijan ever since. READ MORE: Double standards Do all journalist lives matter? By writing this article I do not mean to defend the Aliyev government. I do not claim that there is no corruption, that there are no unjust court verdicts and that journalists do not face challenges in Azerbaijan. But show me a country which does not have these problems. I just cannot tolerate such prejudiced attacks against my country, which is trying to stand on its own feet, prove itself and introduce itself to the world. And I cannot tolerate when the media is made an instrument for such attacks. Targeting governments and states, portraying the authorities and the media as antagonists in the interests of certain groups is not independent journalism. As the media aspires to be independent and wants to get rid of the influence of government circles, it should be able to resist different forces that want to take control of it. Otherwise, the media will never be independent. Azer Hasret is an Azerbaijani journalist based in Baku with more than 20 years of experience. He writes in English, Russian, Turkish and Azerbaijani languages. His work focuses on human rights, social and political developments, the media and corruption. He is a member of the International Press Institute and a Founder of its Azerbaijan National Committee. Since 2003 he has been a chairman of the Baku-based Central Asian and Southern Caucasus Freedom of Expression Network which won the International Press Institutes Free Media Pioneer Award in 2004. He has served as a member of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) Council between 2001 and 2005. He was among the founding board members of the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and is a founding member of the Azerbaijan Press Council. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales new venture claims that it will fix the news, but it may also be in need of fixing. The news is broken and we can fix it, says Jimmy Wales, cofounder of Wikipedia. He promises us that his new venture, Wikitribune , will fix the news. He tells us that it will fight and expose fake news and bring back our trust, as readers, in news organisations. No more gatekeeping, he says. Volunteers from the public will work alongside professional journalists to fact check news stories and re-establish news credibility. All of that is going to be achieved through crowdfunding. No ads, no dependence on clicks, Wales explains. Wikitribune is going to be free of an owners editorial control. Instead, he promises us something entirely different: community control. Wales is telling us that to support Wikitribune means ensuring that journalists only write articles based on facts that they can verify. We are going to be able to see their sources, he claims. It is going to be evidence based journalism. The community support is going to come in the form of crowdfunding and Wales admits that Wikitribune will need to recruit at least 10 full-time journalists for this new tool to materialise. In short, what Wales is trying to tell us is that citizen journalists will be working alongside professional journalists to bring us accurate, fact-based news in response to what is coined as fake news. Plagiarism vs journalism What Wales does not tell us is whether those citizen journalists or community members, as he identifies them, are going to be paid? Having community members feed in the news and then having these news items edited and authored by professional journalists, will make the end product closer to plagiarism than to real journalism except that the original author of those stories will be aware of what is going to happen and will probably indirectly consent to have his/her story edited and authored by a professional journalist. READ MORE: Is the media being played? Wales claims equality between the volunteers and the journalists, but what the model seems to suggest is a hierarchy of importance among authors. Being free from advertisement and ownership pressures is a dream for every journalist, but open source unlimited funding might not make it so. by Nevertheless, a difference between professional and citizen journalists in terms of skills do exist that is why we still train professional journalists in graduate schools. To have community members verify sources and facts and maybe have them author stories without payment does not make them equal to professional journalists. So the question pops up again, are they going to be paid for the work they do? If so, they should not be labelled as volunteers. Besides, we might be faced with another ethical dilemma here. Journalism students and journalism schools fresh graduates, who are seeking internships and work experience, might join such a venture and end up being labelled as volunteers. They would be producing work of a professional journalist, but will still not be paid for their work. The ability to combat fake news lies in having a team of fact checkers. They have become an essential support mechanism for journalism. The size of a fact-checking team depends on the size of the news organisation. If Wikitribune aims to cover global news, a team of 10 journalists wont be enough to carry on the job as other journalists have already indicated. As a result, the platform will have to rely heavily on volunteers and community members to fact check news stories and, in that, I see a model closer to exploitation than anything else. Repeating Wikipedias mistakes A model in which anyone can flag or fix an article and submit it for review might not be the best way to tackle fake news or to tackle inaccurate news stories, considering that those 10 journalists might be over swamped with work and they might not have the time to do a proper review. READ MORE: White and Western Wikipedia marks 15th birthday In this system, we will encounter mistakes similar to those we have been seeing in Wikipedia. Those mistakes tend to cause the same harm as fake news. Mistakes in Wikipedia, in the end, are mere lies listed as facts. Meddling with Wikipedia accounts has become a tool in media wars between political and economic rivals and also between countries that are in conflict over territory or that have conflicting historical narratives. We know that in the coverage of politics, for example, fake news stories are sometimes disseminated by figures of authority. That is why journalists need fact checkers. Fact checking has become a field of its own, with its own tools, software and training. It might not be a simple straight forward job a journalist can do, or has time to do. Im not suggesting Wikipedia has not revolutionised the world of encyclopaedias, but I just like many of my academic colleagues still deter my students from using Wikipedia as a research source. Wikitribune may not be similar to Wikipedia in this sense, but it is a thought to keep in mind. Open-source unlimited funding A question is also to be raised in relation to Wikitribunes financial independence. Is there a limit to how much a supporter can donate? If not, how would Wikitribune guarantee continuity of independence if supporters, who may have donate a lot of money to this venture, have a say in what stories they want covered and matter to them? Sustainability of crowdfunding is an ongoing debate and large sum donations might jeopardise the independent, free and transparent news platform the founder is aiming to achieve. READ MORE: Turkey blocks Wikipedia for not removing content Factual, truthful, honest and evidence-based journalism is what professional journalism is about. It is what good journalism is about. It is true that the news is broken, journalism is broken, but we need to be more realistic about what we can achieve with suggested platforms such as Wikitribune and what we cannot achieve. Considering all of the above, this community control approach cannot fix the broken news. This venture raises more questions than it gives answers. Involving the community in flagging fake news stories is always a good idea. Readers and audiences are what should matter to journalists and news producers. Being free from advertisement and ownership pressures is a dream for every journalist, but open-source unlimited funding might not make it so. Dr Zahera Harb is senior lecturer in International Journalism at City, University of London. She worked previously as a broadcast Journalist in Lebanon for local and international news organisations. She is board member of Ethical Journalism Network and several other professional and academic editorial boards. Harb has published extensively on Middle Eastern media and politics. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Satellite images show workers present at Punggye-ri facility as tensions remain high over fears of sixth nuclear test. Satellite images indicate activity has resumed at North Koreas nuclear test site, US-based analysts said, as tensions remain high over fears of a sixth atomic test by the reclusive state. Images of the Punggye-ri site captured on April 25 appear to show workers pumping out water at a tunnel believed to have been prepared for an upcoming nuclear test, monitoring group 38 North said. It also noted that a number of personnel were seen throughout the facility. It is unclear if this activity indicates that a nuclear test has been cancelled, the facility is in stand-by mode or that a test is imminent, researchers from the monitoring group at John Hopkins Universitys US-Korea Institute said. OPINION: Is war coming to North Korea? Workers were also observed playing volleyball at the guard barracks and two other areas at the site in satellite pictures taken on April 19 and 21. 38 North said the latest images were unusual and almost assuredly a component of an overall North Korean deception and propaganda effort and the result of media reporting on earlier images showing renewed activity at the site, which consists of a complex of tunnels and testing infrastructure in the mountains in the northeast of the country. North Korea has carried out five nuclear tests in the past 11 years and is widely believed to be making progress on building a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental US. On Monday its foreign ministry warned that the country was prepared to carry out a nuclear test at any time and at any location set by its leadership. North Korea will continue bolstering its pre-emptive nuclear attack capabilities unless the US scraps its hostile policies, a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency said. REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: Trumps North Korea dilemma are sanctions the way to go? The announcement came as US officials said the US militarys missile defence system in South Korea had reached an initial operating capability to defend against North Korean missiles. 38 North said last month that Punggye-ri was primed and ready to conduct a test, amid mounting speculation that Pyongyang would act to coincide with major anniversaries. US President Donald Trump said this week he would be honoured to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un under the right conditions, dialling down earlier threats of military action. The White House promptly told the press that conditions were not right yet. Washington is now exploring options at the UN Security Council to ramp up pressure on North Korea, with diplomats saying it was in discussion with China on possible sanctions. Over the past 11 years, the Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions on Pyongyang, including imposing a cap on coal exports among other measures in November. An Egyptian self-taught artist has spent three years creating what he hopes is the worlds biggest Quran and wants to submit it for inclusion in Guinness World Records. Saad Mohammed, who has hand-painted Islamic motifs on the walls and ceilings of his home in the town of Belqina, north of the capital, Cairo, has reproduced the Muslim holy book on a paper scroll 700 metres long. He displays the intricately decorated manuscript in a large wooden box with rollers at each end. This Quran is 700 metres long, and of course thats a large amount of paper, Mohammed told Reuters Television. I self-funded this project for the past three years and Im an average person. I dont have assets or anything. Guinness says that while there is a record for the worlds biggest printed Quran, there is so far no record holder for the largest handwritten version. Mohammed says he is hoping for help with the costs of applying to Guinness from the government or any other interested party. Lawyer cites statements by US officials calling for the WikiLeaks founders arrest as grounds to repeal detention order. Public statements by US officials saying the United States wanted the arrest of Julian Assange are grounds for Sweden to repeal the WikiLeaks founders arrest warrant, his lawyer said on Wednesday. Assange, 45, has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, after taking refuge there to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape, which he denies. He fears Sweden would in turn hand him over to the US to face prosecution over the publication of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents by WikiLeaks, in one of the largest information leaks in US history. OPINION: WikiLeaks CIA document dump will cause a ripple effect Lawyer Per Samuelsson said the US had now openly said it wants to arrest Assange. Given that the US is obviously hunting him now, he has to make use of his political asylum and it is Swedens duty to make sure that Sweden is no longer a reason for the fact he has to stay in the embassy, Samuelsson said. If they rescind the detention order, there is a possibility he can go to Ecuador and then he can use political asylum in an entire country. CIA Director Mike Pompeo last month branded WikiLeaks a hostile intelligence service, and US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, responding to a question about Assange, said the administration was stepping up its efforts against all leaks of sensitive information. Whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail, Sessions said. READ MORE: WikiLeaks to share CIA hacking tools with tech firms US President Donald Trump and his administration have put heat on WikiLeaks after it embarrassed the CIA in March by releasing a large number of files and computer code from the spy agencys top-secret hacking operations. The documents showed how the CIA exploits vulnerabilities in popular computer and networking hardware and software to gather intelligence. Supporters of WikiLeaks say it is practising the constitutional right of freedom of speech and the press. Samuelsson said Swedens Supreme Court had previously rejected a similar request for the detention order to be torn up on the grounds that there was little chance that Assange would be handed over to the US. With the Supreme Courts own reasoning, his detention should now be rescinded because we can now prove that the US is hunting Julian Assange, he said. He added it was unreasonable to demand that he should give up the 100 percent security of political asylum in Ecuador in exchange for the lower protection given by Swedish rules on extradition to the US. Samuelsson said he expected the court to consider the request in the next few weeks. Assange was questioned in November in Ecuadors London embassy over the alleged rape, and Sweden is now considering whether to proceed with its preliminary investigation. The offence is alleged to have occurred in 2010. Samuelsson said Swedish prosecutors would still be able to pursue their investigation against Assange even were he to be allowed to go to Ecuador. If they want to charge him and go to trial, that can happen just as well with him at liberty in Ecuador since thats the only place he can be, Samuelson said. It does not mean there would be any disadvantage to Sweden. ISIL claims responsibility for attack on NATO convoy in Afghan capital that killed at least eight people. At least eight people were killed in a large explosion in Afghanistans capital, Kabul, officials said, with reports saying the target was a NATO convoy. The attacker blew up his explosive-laden vehicle next to the convoy near a National Defence Security (NDS) checkpoint on Shash Darak road in the central Macroyan area early on Wednesday, military officials said. At least eight Afghan civilians were killed and 22 others wounded, including three US service members, officials said. The injured were transferred to two hospitals in the area; the Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital and the Emergency Hospital, Wahid Majrouh, a health ministry spokesman, told Al Jazeera. Some of the wounded are in a critical condition, Majrouh added. There are dead bodies lying on the road here,, Abdul Haq, a witness, told Al Jazeera. Police are clearing the area and the city is on high alert, he added. The blast occurred in an area not far from the US embassy and a compound used by the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. ISIL claim The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by its Amaq media arm. An affiliate of the group has gathered strength in recent years, and is now at war with both the US-backed government and the Taliban armed group. The blast came several days after the Taliban announced their so-called spring offensive, in which they vowed to target foreign troops. Kabul last month endorsed US General John Nicholsons call for thousands of additional coalition troops in Afghanistan to fend off the group during the spring offensive. Extra troops were needed to end the stalemate in the war, Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, told the US Congress. Separately, the Pentagon said it would deploy some 300 US Marines this spring to Helmand province alone. READ MORE: Blasts, gunfire hit Kabul military hospital The Marines will assist a NATO-led mission to train Afghan forces, in the latest sign that foreign forces are increasingly being drawn back into the worsening conflict. A recent UN report showed that Kabul province had the highest number of civilian casualties in the first quarter of the year due to attacks in the capital. The body had called on all groups to take every measure possible to prevent unnecessary and unacceptable harm to Afghan civilians. Additional reporting by Shereena Qazi in Kabul Wife of Nigerian leader plays down health worries as Buhari fails to attend third consecutive weekly cabinet meeting. Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari missed his third consecutive cabinet meeting on Wednesday because he needed to rest, according to officials, raising concerns about the state of his health. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the start of the session, which was open to the media. Buhari has been resting after treatment in the United Kingdom for an unspecific illness. Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the president had been in the office on Tuesday. He did not attend because he took today to rest, Mohammed told reporters on Wednesday. All he is doing is following his doctors advice to rest enough. WATCH: Nigerians rejoice as president Buhari returns home Meanwhile, the presidents wife sought to play down fears about her husbands health as Buhari faced calls to go on extended medical leave. Aisha Buhari said the head of states health was not as bad as its being perceived, without specifying the nature of his illness. He continues to carry out his responsibilities during this period, she wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday evening. Buhari, 74, has been under growing pressure to disclose his state of health since he returned from London in early March after nearly two months away. He missed two cabinet meetings in April, was absent from Friday prayers last week, and failed to attend his grandsons wedding on Saturday. His spokesman said that he had undergone a long period of treatment in London and needed rest. Concerns are growing now that Buhari again was not seen at the federal executive council meeting, Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from Nigerias capital, Abuja, said. Already there are some activists and prominent Nigerians who are asking the president to transfer power to his deputy and go and consult his doctors for proper medical consultation and treatment, he added, referring to an open letter signed by 13 civil society leaders on Tuesday. READ MORE: Muhammadu Buharis inconclusive medical vacation Nigerian media reported on Wednesday that former president Olusegun Obasanjo met other ex-military rulers Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar to discuss the situation. The health of Nigerias president has been a sensitive issue since the death in office in 2010 of Umaru Musa YarAdua, which sparked months of political turmoil. During the 2015 election campaign, Buhari rejected opposition claims that he was seriously ill with prostate cancer and said that they were a smear to show him as unfit for office. Opponents of Venezuelas President Maduro say his move to rewrite the constitution is a way of dodging elections. Violence has broken out in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, with police firing tear gas and protesters hurling petrol bombs during a mass rally against President Nicolas Maduros plan to rewrite the constitution. An 18-year-old man was reportedly killed in Wednesdays protests. The young man sustained serious neck trauma that sent him into shock and then heart failure, AFP news agency quoted Gerardo Blyde, mayor of the capitals Baruta district, as saying. The clashes were the latest in more than a month of unrest sparked by the countrys deepening political and economic crisis. Clouds of grey smoke from tear gas canisters filled the air as police with riot shields and trucks advanced along a major avenue in the east of Caracas. REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: Maduros in high-stakes gamble Opposition protesters at the head of a demonstration attended by tens of thousands hurled stones and Molotov cocktails, while officers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to push them back. Al Jazeeras Lucia Newman, reporting from Caracas, said there was pandemonium on the streets. The city has basically been divided in two. The roads are blocked. You cant move from one side of the city to the other, she said. The opposition has vowed to keep up protests for as long as needed to achieve its main demand of fresh elections. The latest mass protest came after the socialist president launched procedures with the electoral council to convene a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution. Maduro said on Wednesday the vote for the assembly would take place in the coming weeks. He has already said the 500 members of the constituent assembly would be elected by social groups, including workers, indigenous people and farmers, as well as on the municipal level. READ MORE: Venezuelas worst economic crisis What went wrong? His centre-right opponents said that was a way of dodging elections in order to cling to power. With this constituent assembly, the situation is worse than ever, protester Miren Bilbao, 66, told the Reuters news agency. Its a tool to avoid free elections. Weve been marching 18 years but this is our last card. Its all or nothing. Protesters blame Maduro for an economic crisis that has led to shortages of food, medicine and basic goods in the oil-rich South American nation. Capitalist conspiracy Maduro says the crisis is the result of a US-backed capitalist conspiracy. An influential group of US senators filed sweeping legislation on Wednesday to address the crisis in Venezuela, including sanctioning individuals responsible for undermining democracy or involved in corruption. But Maduro has received backing from regional leftist allies, including Cuba. Bolivias President Evo Morales said Venezuela had the right to decide its future without external intervention. More than 30 people have been killed, more than 400 injured and over 1,000 arrested since the unrest began in early April. Rescue workers recovered 35 bodies from a coal mine in northern Iran after an explosion caused a tunnel to collapse. At least 35 miners have lost their lives and scores of others were injured in a coal mine explosion in Golestan, a province in northeastern Iran. The blast occurred in the Zemestanyurt mine, about 14km outside the town of Azadshahr. Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei confirmed the latest death toll in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to Press TV, the English service of Iranian state television. Unfortunately, all miners trapped in the wreckage lost their lives, Rabiei told the press. Shahin Fathi, Head of the Iran Red Crescent Search and Rescue Unit, said more than 40 miners had been trapped and six of them were rescued with injuries. Rescue operations continue. The rescue operation was going slowly as tunnels were filled with poisonous gases and miners were stuck at the far end of a 1,000-metre shaft in a mine that is around two kilometres long. Some 600 metres (yards) of the tunnel has been cleared in the mine, said Reza Bahrami, a mining industry official in Golestan. Authorities were planning to dig a side tunnel to access the stranded workers in the mine, an official there said. Initial reports put the number of those trapped in the mine at 80, but that figure was later reduced significantly. Iran extracted 1.68m tonnes of coal in 2016, an increase on previous years, thanks to an easing of international sanctions. It exports only a fraction of the coal and uses most of it in domestic steel production. This is not the first disaster to strike Irans mining industry. In 2013, some 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, some 20 workers were killed in several incidents. Fayez al-Sarraj and Khalifa Haftar issue statements calling for end to crisis but offer no details about political deal. The heads of two rival Libyan camps issued separate statements on Wednesday promising to work to end the countrys crisis, without, however, outlining any concrete measures over a political deal. Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the UN-backed government in Tripoli, and renegade General Khalifa Haftar, head of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), held rare face-to-face talks on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates. International powers had for months been pushing the two men to discuss resetting a UN-mediated agreement which led to the creation of Sarrajs Government of National Accord (GNA) in late 2015. Haftar, whose forces control key oil ports, is a dominant figure for factions in eastern Libya that have rejected the GNA, contributing to its failure to expand its power in Tripoli and beyond. In their statements, the two men called for a resolution to Libyas political and economic crises and for joint efforts to battle armed groups, but offered no shared way forward for a political deal to unify the country. Sarraj said the two sides had agreed to put in place a strategy to form a unified Libyan army under civil control. The statement issued by his office also said the meeting with Haftar in Abu Dhabi had been held in order to achieve a peaceful settlement for the Libyan crisis and called for an expanded dialogue to establish national consensus. Haftars statement said the two sides had agreed to allow the military establishment to fully play its role in the fight against terrorism. It also said amendments to the UN-mediated deal that resulted in the GNAs creation had been discussed, without giving details. There was no direct mention in the statement from Sarraj of plans reported by pro-Haftar media on Tuesday to restructure the Tripoli government and hold fresh elections next year. Both men said they had agreed to put an end to violence in southern Libya, where LNA and pro-GNA forces clashed in early April around an airbase on the edge of the southern city of Sebha. Positive step Diplomats and observers have described Tuesdays meeting as a positive step forward, after Sarraj said Haftar refused to meet him in person in February. The Tuesday meeting brings optimism towards guaranteeing a political solution, the UAE foreign ministry said after the meeting. It is an important step to push forward the political process in Libya, it added, in a statement carried by the official WAM news agency. Apart from the UAE, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt also played a role in reconciling the points of view of Sarraj and Haftar, the GNA statement said. Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, with dozens of armed factions emerging. French presidential candidates trade barbs over economy and security in last debate before Sundays runoff vote. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron have clashed over Frances economy, security and Europe in an ill-tempered televised debate ahead of Sundays runoff vote for the presidency. The two went into the only head-to-head debate before the election with opinion polls showing Macron, 39, maintaining a strong lead of 20 percentage points over the National Fronts Le Pen, 48, in what is widely seen as Frances most important election in decades. The two candidates, seated opposite one another at a table in the television studios on Wednesday, mapped out diametrically opposed visions for France. Macron calls for liberal reforms to kick-start the French economy, while Le Pen rails against the loss of French jobs through off-shoring and would adopt protectionist trade measures. READ MORE: Populism The French elections big winner For Le Pen, the debate, watched by millions, was a last major chance to persuade voters of the merits of her programme, which includes cracking down on illegal immigration and ditching the euro currency. Macron accused her of not offering solutions to problems such as Frances chronic unemployment. In angry exchanges, Le Pen played up Macrons background as a former investment banker and economy minister, painting him as a continuation of the outgoing unpopular socialist government. Mr Macron is the candidate of globalisation gone wild, of Uberisation, of precariousness, of social brutality, of war by everybody against everybody of the butchering of France by big economic interests, she said, referring to the gig economy typified by US app-based taxi service Uber. Macron hit back by calling Le Pen a liar, saying she was talking nonsense and that her rhetoric lacked substance. On unemployment, Macron told Le Pen: Your strategy is simply to tell a lot of lies and just to say what isnt going right in the country. Barbs over security But the sharpest exchange was over national security, a sensitive issue in a country where more than 230 people have been killed in attacks since 2015. Le Pen accused Macron of being complacent over security. You have no plan [on security] but you are indulgent with Islamist fundamentalism, she said. Macron retorted that terrorism would be his priority if he is elected and accused Le Pen of being simplistic. What you are proposing is snake oil, he said, referring to her proposals to close Frances borders. I will lead a fight against Islamist terrorism at every level. But what they are wanting, the trap they are holding out for us, is the one that you offer civil war, he said. Battle over Europe Turning to the European Union, Le Pen said Macron as president would allow France to be crushed by its economically powerful neighbour Germany. France will be led by a woman, either me or Mrs Merkel, she said, referring to the German chancellor. Le Pen wants to hold a referendum on whether France should stay in the EU, while Macron is fervently pro-Europe. Le Pen set out her plans criticised by economists to scrap the euro for daily purchases and return to the franc, although the euro would remain the currency for central banks and companies. Macron responded: The euro is important. Its not just a policy. Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from the debate in Paris, said Macron had put in a strong performance. He really has looked very relaxed, very confident, and his strategy has really been to pull up the far-right Marine Le Pen on being too vague on policy, being too vague on detail, and he has really managed to get her on the back foot. Butler said Le Pen had, as expected, attacked Macron and painted him as the candidate of the bankers and herself as the candidate of the workers. But shes been quite taken aback by Macron, whos been quite relentless in trying to pick her up on these points of policy and often shes been left there not really being able to answer, said Butler. OPINION: Can the Muslim vote sway the French elections? More than 20 million viewers out of an electorate of close to 47 million were expected to tune in to the two-and-a-half-hour debate. Macron finished only three points ahead of Le Pen in the first round on April 23, but he is widely expected to pick up the bulk of votes from the socialists and the centre-right whose candidates were eliminated. Though Le Pen has a mountain to climb, the campaign has been packed with surprises. Le Pen has secured a degree of acceptance for the once-pariah party by softening its image in an attempt to dissociate it from past xenophobic associations. If Macron wins, one of his immediate tasks will be to build a parliamentary majority in follow-up elections in June to push through his programme. Macron heads a fledgling movement called En Marche! (Onwards!) which has no representation in parliament. A poll for Les Echos newspaper by OpinionWay-SLPV Analytics suggested Macrons party was set to emerge as the largest with between 249 and 286 seats in the 577-seat lower house, while the National Front was tipped to win 15 to 25. US President Donald Trump meets Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for the first time in the White House. US President Donald Trump has promised to revive the stalled Israel-Palestine peace process after hosting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, without, however, offering any details about how to resolve the long-running conflict. Speaking after their first face-to-face meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Trump pledged to support Abbas in being the Palestinian leader who signs his name to the final and the most important peace agreement that brings safety, stability, prosperity to both peoples and to the region. He also said he believes Israelis and Palestinians are both willing to make a deal. Ive always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is the deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Trump said. Lets see if we can prove them wrong, he added. We will get it done. Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from the White House, said the meeting did not bring any clarity to the US policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We know what they want, but we dont know how they are going to get there, he said. Trump is not telling us how he is intending to achieve the peace he is promising. On his part, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian demand for an independent Palestinian state along pre-1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Our strategic and sole option is to achieve the two-state solution, the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital to live side by side in peace, safety and stability together with the state of Israel along 1967 borders, he said. MARWAN BISHARA, AL JAZEERAS SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Trump has basically said nothing of importance about the issue, other than promising that he wants to and he will resolve it while providing absolutely zero details about it. We have absolutely no idea how he plans to accomplish it and whether this is a series of false promises. This process started in 1993 and until today it has really remained stuck in some of the basic differences between the Israelis and the Palestinians that dont look like they can be bridged by anyone because of the imbalance of power, and because the gap has in fact widened between the two sides. What is quite surprising, and sad, is when Abbas said we rely on God and Trump if thats the Palestinians last card today, the way to salvation and independence is to rely on God and Trump, then they are in trouble. Abbas has been president for 12 years, and elected only once. He really doesnt have much legitimacy among Palestinians today because he has been able to accomplish little other than symbolic gestures by the international community. On the ground, with the settlements increasing and thousands in prison, the situation continues to get worse. We are the only people in the world who remain occupied. That is why we are seeking our freedom, our dignity and the right of self-determination. Abbas also told Trump that the Palestinians had hope in him. We rely totally on God Almighty, then on you and we promise to be true partners to achieve a historic peace agreement, he said. Trump said that any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States. The Palestinians and Israelis must work together to reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship and thrive and prosper in peace, he said. Prisoners on hunger strike While Abbas was meeting with Trump, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the West Bank, rallying in support of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 17 days in Israeli jails. The prisoners are demanding better conditions, including more family visits, improved medical care and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Ramallah, said: Lawyers who have filed a motion within the Israeli Supreme Court on behalf of the Palestinian prisoners said that they have come to some arrangement with the Israeli side to gain access to the hunger-striking prisoners which has been banned up until this point. He said the ban was the part of the sanctions the Israeli prison system was taking against the hunger strikers for violating the code of behaviour by refusing to eat. READ MORE: Hamas accepts Palestinian state with 1967 borders Abbas made the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want the 82-year-old to resign. He is hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage a two-state solution to the conflict the idea of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side and at peace has been the bedrock of US diplomacy for the past two decades. But Trump, who promised during his election campaign to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, has previously challenged the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for a state and dropped his countrys commitment to a two-state solution. Trump has in the past said he doesnt mind if its a two-state or one-state solution, Al Jazeeras Bays said. All we have in the place of the roadmap we had in the past is optimism from the US president. OPINION: Donald Trump and the death of the two-state solution Abbas and Trump spoke by phone on March 11, and there are suggestions the US president could visit the Middle East this month. Though expectations are low, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, on May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. US and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit. Mutual distrust between Palestinians and Israelis will be a formidable, if not impossible, barrier for Trump to overcome. Trump faces deep scepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough. National Security Adviser H R McMaster said on Tuesday night that Trump does not have time to debate over doctrine, and instead seeks to challenge failed policies of the past with a businessmans results-oriented approach. Palestinian Authority president to meet Donald Trump for the first time on Wednesday in Washington, DC. US President Donald Trump will host Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the path forward in the long-running Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Trumps meeting with the head of the Palestinian Authority will be another test of whether he is serious about pursuing what he has called the ultimate deal of Israeli-Palestinian peace that eluded his predecessors. Abbas told Palestinians at a meeting in Washington, DC, on the eve of the talks: We hope this will be a new beginning. He blamed the lack of dialogue in recent years on the Israeli government, saying its leaders have no political vision, and reiterated his demands for an independent Palestinian state along pre-1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Without this we will not accept any solution, said Abbas, who touted an Arab League peace plan that offers Israel diplomatic relations with the Muslim world for a Palestinian state. There is no alternative. READ MORE: Palestinian day of rage in support of prisoners After hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February, Trump will host Abbas for the first time since coming to office. The presidents ultimate goal is to establish peace in the region, said Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, on Tuesday. That long-shot effort which has eluded US presidents since the 1970s got off to a rocky start early in Trumps administration. He renounced US support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of US policy held for decades. Vice President Mike Pence said Trump is still giving serious consideration to moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would spark Palestinian fury. At the same time, Trump has urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a long-standing concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Pence said Trump is personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and valuable progress is being made. Momentum is building and goodwill is growing, Pence said at an Israeli independence day event at the White House. READ MORE: Hamas accepts Palestinian state with 1967 borders Abbas makes the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want the 82-year-old to resign. He will be hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage a two-state solution to one of the worlds longest-running conflicts. Abbas and Trump spoke by phone on March 11, and there are suggestions the US president could visit the Middle East this month. Though expectations are low, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit Netanyahu in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, on May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. US and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit. Mutual distrust between Palestinians and Israelis will be a formidable, if not impossible, barrier for Trump to overcome. Trump faces deep scepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough. National Security Adviser HR McMaster said on Tuesday night that Trump does not have time to debate over doctrine, and instead seeks to challenge failed policies of the past with a businessmans results-oriented approach. OPINION: The two-state solution is dead Trumps unpredictability has rattled friends and foes alike around the world. Some analysts doubt he can succeed where experienced Middle East hands have failed for decades, especially when trust between Israelis and Palestinians is at a low point. The president is not a super-patient man, McMaster said. Some people have described him as disruptive. Theyre right. And this is good good because we can no longer afford to invest in policies that do not advance the interests and values of the United States and our allies. White former police officer pleads guilty to federal civil rights charges for killing an unarmed black man in 2015. A white former police officer whose killing of an unarmed black man running from a traffic stop was captured on video has pled guilty to federal civil rights charges that could send him to prison for 20 years. The plea from Michael Slager, 35, came five months after a jury deadlocked on state murder charges against him in the 2015 shooting of Walter Scott. South Carolina prosecutors had planned to retry Slager, but as part of Tuesdays plea bargain, they agreed to drop the murder case. Slager admitted violating Scotts civil rights by shooting him without justification. He could get up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing, though prosecutors agreed to ask for more than 20 years behind bars. No sentencing date was set. Slager pulled Scott over for a broken brake light in North Charleston on April 4, 2015. The 50-year-old Scott got out of his car and tried to flee. Slager chased him and shot him with a Taser, knocking him down. When Scott got up and ran again, Slager shot him five times in the back, killing him. READ MORE: When do US police use body cams? Slager had claimed that Scott tried to attack him with the Taser. A mobile phone video of the incident made by a bystander showed that Slager was in no danger and had no apparent reason for shooting Scott as he ran. Scotts family said he may have bolted because he was worried about going to jail because he was $18,000 behind on child support. Slager, who has been out on bail for much of the time since the shooting, was led away in handcuffs as the family looked on. God never fails, Scotts mother, Judy Scott, said outside court. Unnecessary and excessive force The chilling video helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement that emerged around the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. It was seized on by many as vivid proof of what they had been arguing for years: that white officers too often use deadly force unnecessarily against black people. According to the Mapping Police Violence database, police killed at least 308 black people in the US in 2016, and black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people. The plea agreement made no mention of race but said Slager used deadly force knowing that it was unnecessary and excessive, and therefore unreasonable under the circumstances. The state prosecutor who pursued the murder charges, Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, said in a statement that she was satisfied with the cases resolution. She said it vindicates the states interests by holding Slager accountable. The officer, who was fired after the video became public, testified at the murder trial that he feared for his life because Scott was trying to grab his stun gun. The video showed Slager picking the Taser up off the ground and dropping it near Scotts body in what prosecutors suggested was an attempt to plant evidence. Slager denied that, testifying he was following his training in accounting for his weapons. Slager also testified last year that he regretted what happened, saying, My family has been destroyed by it. The Scott family has been destroyed by it. Its horrible. Outside court on Tuesday, Chris Stewart, an attorney who won $6.5m for the Scott family in a settlement with the city of North Charleston, said: We know what justice truly looks like. It doesnt look like a big settlement check. It looks like today. As for what punishment Slager should receive, Scotts brother, Anthony, said, Murder deserves life in prison. Slager attorney Andy Savage had little to say outside court. This is a day for the Scott family and the government, he said. Alton Sterling case Separately on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that the US justice department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the death of a black man whose fatal shooting was captured on mobile phone video, sparking protests in Louisianas capital and beyond. Federal authorities opened a civil rights investigation immediately after the July 5, 2016, police shooting that killed Alton Sterling, 37, outside a convenience store where he was selling homemade CDs. A person familiar with the decision disclosed it to the AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity. The departments decision does not preclude state authorities from conducting their own investigation and pursuing their own criminal charges. Two videos of Sterlings deadly struggle with two white officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, quickly spread on social media after the shooting. A police report says Sterling was initially jolted with a stun gun after he did not comply with the officers commands to put his hands on the hood of a car. The report also says the officers saw the butt of a gun in one of Sterlings pants pockets and saw him try to reach for it before he was shot. State media says Kim Sang-duk, also known as Tony Kim, is being held over acts of hostility aimed to overturn DPRK. North Korea has confirmed the arrest of a US citizen who was lecturing in Pyongyang, accusing him of acts of hostility. Kim Sang-duk, also known as Tony Kim, was arrested at the capitals airport on April 22 as he tried to leave the country after teaching for several weeks at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). He is the third US citizen being held in the country. In North Koreas first confirmation of the professors detention, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said he had been held for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK, using the acronym for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. It added that Kim was under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes. INSIDE STORY: China welcomes US path of dialogue for North Korea Last month, PUST officials said the professor was being held, but did not comment further on his case. We cannot comment on anything that Mr. Kim may be alleged to have done that is not related to his teaching work on the PUST campus, the university, which was founded by evangelical Christians in 2010 and has a number of American faculty members, said in a statement. According to US media, the state department is aware of Kims detention and is working with the Swedish Embassy on his case. The embassy looks after consular affairs for the US in North Korea because the two countries do not have diplomatic relations. The confirmation of Kims detention comes as tensions remain high between Washington and Pyongyang. INTERACTIVE: Two Koreas History at a glance North Korea said on Monday it was prepared to carry out a nuclear test at any time and at any location after US officials said the US militarys missile defence system in South Korea reached an initial operating capability to defend against the Norths missiles. US President Donald Trump also said this week he would be honoured to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un under the right conditions. The White House promptly told the press that conditions were not right yet. At least two other US citizens are currently being held in the North after being sentenced to long prison terms. Last year, Otto Warmbier , then a 21-year-old University of Virginia student, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour in prison after he confessed to trying to steal a propaganda banner. Kim Dong-chul, who was born in South Korea but is also believed to have US citizenship, is serving a 10-year sentence for espionage. Leaders Putin and Erdogan agree on boosting trade and on need for a political solution in Syria during talks in Sochi. Russia and Turkey agreed to boost economic ties on Wednesday as Moscow hailed improving bilateral relations following tensions caused by Ankaras shooting down of a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian border in 2015. However, there was little obvious progress on Syria, where the two countries back opposing sides, as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian city of Sochi for talks that had been expected to focus on the conflict. The recovery process in Russian-Turkish ties is complete, Putin said during a joint news conference held by the two leaders. We are getting back to a normal cooperative partnership. Russia had retaliated against Turkey with a raft of economic sanctions in 2015 after the Russian jet was shot down, and Ankara later took retaliatory measures. READ MORE: Russia faces mounting pressure to abandon Syrias Assad Putin said Russia would launch a joint investment fund with Turkey with funds of up to $1bn, and that they would seek to boost energy cooperation. Moscow also stood ready to help Turkey to improve security measures at its tourist resorts, said Putin. Russia and Turkey have reached a comprehensive agreement to lift sanctions, Putin said. But the exact date of the removal of some sanctions is not clear. Political solutions Both leaders affirmed a commitment to seeking a political solution to the Syrian conflict through dialogue. Russia, Turkey and Iran have been brokering Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan. Russia and Iran are major military backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whereas Turkey supports certain rebel groups seeking to overthrow him. The two leaders met as the latest round of talks began in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. The meeting is supposed to pave the way for safe or de-escalation zones in Syria to mitigate the humanitarian crisis. During Wednesday news conference, Erdogan said he hoped this zone of de-escalation will be accepted at the talks. Putin stated that the idea of creating safe zones to protect civilians in Syria from fighting has wide support, but further discussions are needed to work out the details of how they would operate. We both proceed on the basis that and this is our common position the creation of safe zones should lead to further pacification and cessation of hostilities, said Putin. Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Sochi, said Putin and Erdogans press remarks had revealed no new details in terms of the conflict in Syria. Reading behind the lines it seemed that there wasnt much consensus on Syria, but this is just speculation because they didnt give us anything concrete, said Dekker. I think we are going to have to shift our focus to Astana over the next two days to see if anything was achieved here behind closed doors, she added. Astana talks But the talks in the Kazakh capital got off to a rocky start as the opposition delegation suspended its participation in protest against ongoing air raids in the war-torn country. Syrian rebel and government delegations were discussing a Russian plan for de-escalation zones on Wednesday when the opposition walked out, citing the bombardment of rebel-held areas. They arent fully withdrawing participation. Theyve walked out of the meetings but they havent left at least not yet, said Al Jazeera Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Astana. INFOGRAPHIC: Under Siege Syrias Eastern Ghouta Fadi Hakura, a Turkey expert at the UK-based think-tank Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that the bilateral talks had not clarified whether Russia would remove trade sanctions against Turkish agricultural exports or ease visa restrictions on Turkish citizens visiting Russia. To paraphrase Shakespeare, its much-a-talk about nothing. We saw a lot of discussion on process and procedures but nothing concrete was reached in those discussions, said Hakura. On Syria, Hakura said that both leaders had repeated their commitments to discussion and to contain the conflict. But fundamentally the main disagreement is that Russia favours regime stability, Turkey prefers regime change, said Hakura. And until, and unless, this fundamental disagreement is resolved, we will not see any concrete achievements. Flurry of diplomacy It has been a busy few days of international diplomacy for Putin. Tensions between the Russian leader and US President Donald Trump appeared to be easing as the two men expressed desire for a ceasefire in Syria during a phone call on Tuesday. This was their first known conversation since Trump ordered missile strikes on a Syrian airbase last month, a move that outraged Moscow. A White House statement said that the very good phone discussion included improving prospects for cooperation in Syria and a focus on setting up safe zones in the country. Trump will host Erdogan on May 16-17 at the White House, in the first meeting between the two leaders. Putin hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks in Sochi on Tuesday, in which they re-affirmed their commitment to the Minsk agreement for resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Putin said there was no alternative to the Minsk deal, while Merkel stressed that implementation is a problem, not the agreement itself. The accord was signed by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in February 2015 in the Belarusian capital of Minsk to stop the fighting in eastern Ukraine and withdraw heavy weapons 15km on either side of the frontline. It also says local elections must be held in the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Thousands take to the streets in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike for 17 days in Israeli jails. Thousands of Palestinians have rallied in the West Bank city of Ramallah in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Protesters gathered in Nelson Mandela Square on Wednesday, chanting Freedom, freedom and waving Palestinian flags and posters of Marwan Barghouti, leader of the hunger strike, currently in its 17th day. More than 1,500 prisoners launched the action on April 17 to press for better conditions, including family visits, better medical care and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention. Those taking part are ingesting only water and salt. Supporters of the prisoners say 50 more will join in their hunger strike from Thursday, among them prominent leaders such as Ahmed Saadat, of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Prisoners Intifada Speakers at the rally in Ramallah called for a new campaign of civil disobedience against Israeli occupation. Addressing the crowd, Barghoutis wife, Fadwa, delivered a speech on her husbands behalf, saying: This battle (the hunger strike) is part of our battle against the occupation and for independence and dignity. The freedom of the prisoners paves the way for the freedom of the entire nation, she said. Therefore, the people and the leadership should support the strike. Barghouti, 57, is serving five life sentences over his role in the second Intifada. In a statement released by the Palestine Liberation Organization on Wednesday, he wrote: Israel cannot silence us, nor isolate us, nor break us. READ MORE: Marwan Barghoutis health in serious decline NGO He added: This hunger strike aims to confront the ongoing and escalating unjust Israeli occupation policies against prisoners and their loved ones. We stress our determination to undertake this struggle whatever the cost. Qadoura Fares, head of a Palestinian prisoners rights group, called for a popular intifada in support of the intifada of the prisoners. Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently held by Israel for a range of offences and alleged crimes. About 500 are being held under Israels system of administrative detention, which allows for imprisonment without charge. READ MORE: No details as Trump tells Abbas well get deal done Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Ramallah, said Israel has imposed additional sanctions on the protesting prisoners, including cutting off their access to lawyers, a move that impelled a legal challenge at the Israeli Supreme Court. Lawyers for the prisoners have come to some agreement with the lawyers for the other side and they are expecting to gain access to at least some of those prisoners from tomorrow, Thursday, he said. The prisoners protest has drawn widespread support, with schools, banks and businesses closing in the West Bank last Thursday in solidarity. A group of students in the UK also launched a week-long hunger strike in a show of support. Paying the price Family visits are at the heart of the hunger strike. Relatives have received no news about their loved ones and live in a state of permanent anxiety, Mahmud al-Ziadeh, whose son Majd has been in prison for 15 years, told AFP news agency. Hind Afena has not seen her sons Ahmed and Salah since they were jailed six months ago and one year ago respectively. Prison authorities deny her visits for security reasons, she told AFP. READ MORE: How Israel denies rights to Palestinian prisoners The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a statement on Wednesday, urging Israeli authorities to stop what it called the systematic suspension of family visits for the hunger strikers. Family contact must be improved, not further restricted, said Jacques de Maio, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the occupied territories. The families are paying the price for this situation. For Palestinians, the prisons have become a stark symbol of Israels occupation. Palestinian prisoners have mounted repeated hunger strikes, but rarely on such a scale. Some 850,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned since the start of Israels occupation 50 years ago, Palestinian leaders say. Nationalists seek overhaul of Japans pacifist constitution as concerns grow over threats from North Korea. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced plans to seek the first-ever changes to Japans post-war pacifist constitution and said he wants the revisions to take effect in 2020. The changes, which would spell out the status of the nations self-defence military forces, were announced on Wednesday as Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the constitution written by American occupiers. The charter, which renounces Japans right to wage war, has been championed by progressives as a pacifist symbol born out of the countrys World War II defeat. But nationalists seeking an overhaul are gearing up for a major new push as concerns grow over North Korean belligerence. Constitutional revision In a video message to a gathering marking the commemoration, Abe said he aims to revise the constitution by 2020 when Tokyo will host the summer Olympics. I want to make 2020 a year when a new constitution will be enforced, Abe said without elaborating. He said that the revision should include a new clause acknowledging Japans Self-Defence Forces (SDF) as constitutional. We should eliminate room for discussions suspecting the SDF is unconstitutional, Abe said. READ MORE: Japans opposition regroups to protect constitution Abe, however, denied any plan to revise Article 9, which stipulates that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right and that land, sea and air forces will never be maintained. The government says this does not stop the country from maintaining an ability to defend itself, and thus to possess defence forces. Despite the peace constitution, Japan established the SDF in 1954, a year after the end of the Korean War. That conflict left Japan on the Cold War front line between the West and China and the Soviet Union. While the constitution has never been amended, post-war governments have interpreted it in ways that have effectively loosened some of its constraints such as recognising the SDF as a means to secure Japans right to defend itself. Pro-amendment parties can muster the two-thirds majorities necessary in both houses of parliament to pass constitutional changes. But these would be subject to a national referendum for final approval, and that is seen as the biggest hurdle. Public opinion polls show broad acceptance of the peace constitution as a whole, although views are divided on the hot-button issue of Article 9. Abbas Abdullahi, public works and reconstruction minister, dies after bodyguards for auditor general shoot at his car. Bodyguards for Somalias auditor general shot dead a government minister in an apparent accident near the presidential palace in Mogadishu on Wednesday evening, police said. Auditor general Nur Farahs bodyguards opened fire on a car carrying Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji, the public works and reconstruction minister, near a checkpoint close to the palace, said police captain Mohamed Hussein. Senior Somali security member Mohamed Hassan told the German news agency that the ministers bodyguards had falsely identified Farah, who was travelling in a bulletproof vehicle, as a threat and there had been an exchange of gunfire. Several of Sirajis bodyguards were wounded in the incident, according to Hassan. Another minister who was in the car with Siraji survived. The auditor general escaped unharmed. Security concerns are high in Somalias capital, Mogadishu, as the al-Shabab armed group continues to target the palace, military facilities and hotels with suicide car bombings and other attacks. BREAKING: Somali minister for public works, Abdullahi Sheikh Abbas, has been shot dead in #Somalia's capital Mogadishu. pic.twitter.com/iXHsK6UmHE Farhan Jimale (@farhanjimale) May 3, 2017 President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was elected in February and his new cabinet was sworn in on March 21. Siraji, a former refugee who spent large parts of his life at a camp in Kenya, had been the youngest member of Somalias new cabinet. Somalias information minister, Abdirahman Omar Osman, sent condolences over the death, calling Siraji a brilliant and rising young star who showed commitment in serving his country. The new president has vowed to improve security in the Horn of Africa country, which has seen a quarter-century of chaos. OPINION: Why are African men and women still fleeing to Yemen? Meanwhile, al-Shabab has said it will step up its attacks after the president announced a new military offensive against the group, which has been fighting to overthrow the countrys internationally recognised government. In March, a car bomb blast targeting a security checkpoint near the presidential palace killed at least five people and wounded several others. The US announced last month that it is deploying a few dozen troops to Somalia to assist the national army and conduct unspecified security operations the largest such deployment to the Horn of Africa country in about two decades. Talks suspended after rebels protest new barrage of air strikes on areas they hold in Syria. Syrian rebels have suspended their participation in the latest round of talks in Kazakhstan in protest against ongoing air raids in the war-torn country. Syrian rebel and government delegations were discussing a Russian plan for de-escalation zones on Wednesday when the opposition walked out, citing the bombardment of rebel-held areas. The opposition delegation, that is the military delegation, has announced they are suspending their participation in these talks, Al Jazeeras Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from the capital, Astana, said. They arent fully withdrawing participation, theyve walked out of the meetings but they havent left at least not yet, he said. No progress Syrias civil war, currently in its seventh year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and has drawn in world powers on all sides. The two sides are in Astana for a new round of talks sponsored by opposition supporter Turkey and Syrian government backers Russia and Iran. The Astana negotiations are viewed as complementary to broader United Nations-brokered talks in Geneva on a political settlement, but neither have yielded real progress so far. READ MORE: No miracles in Geneva talks as Syria fighting rages A source close to the opposition provided the AFP news agency with an Arabic-language version of a proposal drafted by Russia, which an opposition official confirmed was being discussed on Wednesday. It calls for the creation of de-escalation zones in rebel-held territory in the northwestern province of Idlib, in parts of Homs province in the centre, in the south and in the opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. The aim is to put an immediate end to the violence and provide the conditions for the safe, voluntary return of refugees. The designated zones would also see the immediate delivery of relief supplies and medical assistance. Four men hanged after being accused of belonging to Pakistan Taliban and found guilty by military courts. Karachi, Pakistan Pakistan has hanged four men convicted by military courts for being members of the Pakistan Taliban (known by the acronym TTP), the military said. The four civilians Barkat Ali, Muhammad Adil, Ishaq Hai and Latif-ur-Rehman were executed on Wednesday, according to a statement from the militarys press wing. Pakistan introduced military courts for civilian terrorism suspects in the aftermath of the 2014 massacre of 152 people, mostly children, at an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar. The courts were initially introduced for a period of two years but were renewed for a further two years in March by Pakistans parliament. They will now expire in January 2019. So far, Pakistans military has convicted at least 304 civilians in cases related to terrorism. Of those, 191 have been sentenced to death, while 113 face prison terms of various lengths. There have been no acquittals, the military said. In 140 cases, the military did not release any information on the trials, including the name of convicts, the crimes they were accused of or, in cases of imprisonment, how long the terms of punishment were. In cases where the military has released information on convicts, it reported that 94.5 percent were sentenced on the basis of confessions. All four men hanged on Wednesday confessed to having been involved in attacks on law enforcement officers and security personnel, the military said. Their executions bring the total number of civilians tried by the military courts to have been executed to 32, according to the militarys press wing. Rights concerns Rights groups have expressed concerns that the military trials, conducted in secret, do not meet international fair trial standards. Lawyers and family members of the accused, in interviews and appeals lodged in civilian courts following the convictions, have alleged their relatives were coerced into confessing and were not given access to lawyers of their choice, or to the evidence being used against them. Lawyers representing the convicts in civilian courts say they have been denied access to court documents, making it difficult to file effective appeals. In March, politicians lobbied to have additional protections built into the constitutional amendment, which renewed the mandate of military courts, particularly on rules of evidence and the right to a lawyer civilian or military of the suspects choice. OPINION: Military courts and terrorist heroes Those convicted by the military courts have the right to appeal their sentences, first in a military court of appeal, and then again in civilian courts. At least 33 such appeals have been lodged with the civilian courts since the military courts came into existence, and all have been rejected. In August 2016, in a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court rejected 16 such appeals, all alleging fundamental rights abuses, adjudicating that fundamental constitutional rights did not apply to those being tried by military tribunals. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. Follow him on Twitter @AsadHashim British PM says threats have been made against the UK, as the EU unveils its negotiating stance on Brexit talks. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday accused European Union officials of trying to influence the UK elections, ratcheting up tensions with Brussels over her countrys departure from the bloc. Just hours after the EU unveiled its plan for Brexit talks, which delays discussion on vital issues such as trade, May said that the European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election, she told reporters outside 10 Downing Street, in a speech aimed at rallying support for her Conservative Party ahead of the snap general election to be held on June 8. OPINION: Brexit is still happening, just not the way May hoped I think its a massive escalation and its truly extraordinary language, said Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan, reporting from London. Brennan said May had offered no specific proof or examples of how the EU had allegedly interfered in the UKs democratic election process. Its almost pressing the nuclear button on the Brexit talks and it certainly doesnt bode well for an accommodating spirit as the talks actually get started in the middle of June, said Brennan. Brexit talks Mays comments follow leaked comments in the British and European press suggesting the EU thinks Britain is not being realistic about the conditions of its EU exit and the complexity of the negotiations ahead. A German news report said that Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the EUs executive commission, left a private dinner with May last week saying he was 10 times more sceptical than I was before that negotiations will succeed. May dismissed the report as Brussels gossip. Michel Barnier, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator, earlier on Wednesday insisted that Britains accounts must be settled before any talks on its future trade relationship with the bloc can take place, as he warned that time is running out to seal a deal by the 2019 deadline. Unveiling the commissions negotiating mandate for Britains departure, Barnier said he was not hostile to Britain and the EU did not want to punish it for leaving, but we have to settle the account, not more not less. Barnier did not specify how much Britain should pay, but his negotiating mandate said it should cover budget payments, the cost of ending Britains membership of any EU institution including banks, and the bill for relocating any EU agencies on its territory. London must also pay in euros rather than pounds, meaning that it should bear the currency exchange costs. Under the negotiating mandate, EU states would have to approve progress on these and other immediate exit issues before Barnier can start negotiating the outline of the blocs future relations with Britain after it leaves. READ MORE: What will become of EU residents who call the UK home? The amount London owes the EU has become one of the most contentious subjects in the Brexit process, with some reports estimating it could climb to as much as 100bn euro ($109bn) a figure that Britain has flatly refused to pay. Money aside, the top priority of the talks is how to handle the rights of some three million citizens from the 27 nations living in Britain and up to two million Britons residing on the continent. All face massive uncertainty on such issues as health benefits, pensions, taxes, employment and education. Another key aim is to keep people and goods moving smoothly across the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, which is an EU member. Some British politicians, including May, have said walking away would be better than a bad deal, and Barnier conceded that the EU has planned for such a contingency. We are prepared for all options, he said. But the option I am working on is getting an agreement. READ MORE: Theresa Mays snap election Smart, risky or cynical? Al Jazeeras Brennan said the EUs stance shows they envisage a double-phase Brexit, and that the settlement estimate had ramped up the pressure on May. To some people within Theresa Mays supporters, they dont want to pay the European Union anything, said Brennan. So to be told that they might have to pay $110bn upfront, you can see that really didnt go down very well. This is the first time a member has ever left the EU, so these negotiations are unprecedented and complicated, and combined with fresh delays caused by the snap elections in Britain, are raising tensions between London and the 27 nations that will remain in the bloc. Before making her allegations about the EU, May signalled the official start of Britains Brexit-dominated election campaign on Wednesday with a visit to Queen Elizabeth II. May called on the Queen at Buckingham Palace to mark Wednesdays dissolution of Parliament, which means Britain no longer has any elected politicians, though the government continues to function. All 650 seats in the House of Commons are up for grabs in the June 8 election. Who and what is behind the rise of anti-Islamic sentiment in the United States? Filmmaker: Abdullah Elshamy The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 was a watershed moment in Americas relationship with the Arab world. Amid the grief and US military response that followed, American fear of the threat of international terrorism grew. George W Bushs so-called crusade against what he labelled the axis of evil fuelled suspicion of the Middle East as a whole, and as US military action increased and led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, this fear turned into one of Arabs generally and Muslims in particular. With the rise of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, and the way the mainstream US media reports on it, fear of Islam further increased, tending to demonise Muslims and portray them and their faith as dangerous and violent. Islamophobia in the USA is an investigation by Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Abdullah Elshamy into what and who is behind the rise of anti-Islamic feeling in the United States what they think, how they operate and where their funding comes from. Donald Trump is a textbook fascist and we will see whether or not that translates into fascist policies. by Hank Johnson, Democratic Congressman of Georgia The investigation uncovers a network of Islamophobic writers, campaigners, funders and politicians who combined to bring about the conditions in which Donald Trump would be elected president in November 2016. Trump openly campaigned for a total ban on all Muslims entering the US and has since issued executive orders aimed at limiting the movement of nationals of certain majority-Muslim countries to the US. Elshamy gains access to training exercises by a volunteer paramilitary group in Georgia calling themselves the Georgia Security Force, led by Chris Hill. Hill and the GSF took part in a local protest in September 2016. It was an armed demonstration against the proposed building of a mosque in Newton County. The protest raised enough local serious security concerns that the county government delayed granting the building permit. Hill believes firmly in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution about his right to bear arms but isnt so keen on the First Amendment relating to the free exercise of religion. To bring something of that size and that scope to the outskirts of Newton County is alarming. It wasnt that it was just a mosque, it wasnt just elementary school, it wasnt just a high school, it wasnt just a college, it wasnt just a burial ground. It was a compound. Newton Countys Muslim community is unfazed by groups like GSF. Al Maad Al Islami Mosque custodian, Mohammad Islam, says They [GSF] went inside the property. So they trespassed our property. And after that, they went to the court house with the threat that they will stop the Masjid project. They cannot do that because we know our right. As any religious institution we have the right to practice our religion. And this is the law in the constitution. Muslims are facing a two-front information war Prominent American Muslims like Edward Mitchell IV of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and politicians like Democratic Congressman Hank Johnson talk about Islamophobia as a whole, its growth and the threat it poses to the Muslim community in the US. If I was not a Muslim and all I know about Islam is what I saw in the evening news, I might be afraid of Muslims too, says Mitchell. So its one thing to read anti-Muslim rhetoric on the internet or to see it on Fox News. Its another thing to hear it from the president of the United States and so normal mainstream Muslims are being squeezed between these two opposing forces We are essentially defending ourselves in a two-front information war, says Mitchell. Leading Islamophobic figures like Pamela Geller, lawyer David Yerushalmi, Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum, commentator Steven Emerson, Robert Spencer and Frank Gaffney play a major role in the anti-Islamic lobby which under Trump has translated into White House policy. Daniel Pipes admits that he will have a larger role in the Trump administration than we did in the Obama administration we are more connected to it, we know more people, have better relations with them. Hank Johnson is pessimistic: I fear that a lot of the gains that we have fought for will be lost and I fear for the people who will suffer as a result of those losses. Donald Trump is a textbook fascist and we will see whether or not that translates into fascist policies. Our fight efforts to, try to in any way harass or treat people who practise the religion of Islam differently than you treat Americans or other people who are coming to America. When a ranger is killed near the Dominican Republics border with Haiti, the impact of illegal deforestation is exposed. Editors note: This film is no longer available to view online. In 2012, Eligio Eloy Vargas, nicknamed Melaneo, a park ranger in a Dominican National Park was found murdered with a machete. At the time, he was on patrol investigating an illegal charcoal production site run by Haitians coming across the border into a protected Dominican forest. His murder becomes the starting point to investigate the larger story of increasing tension between Haiti and the Dominican Republic over illicit charcoal exploitation and mass deforestation: the alleged murder weapon itself being the same tool used to chop down Dominican trees by the thousands. With stunning cinematography, Death by a Thousand Cuts investigates the circumstances of Melaneos death and the systematic eradication of the Dominican forests. The film interweaves the many sides of the story of Melaneos murder told through his Haitian wife, his brother, a local reporter and a park ranger. Environmental activist Yolanda Leon helps reveal the complex web of relationships in which the people living on the border find themselves. Industrial-scale Dominican complicity in illegal charcoal production and mass deforestation is exposed. The impoverished Haitians fight for survival leads to scapegoating, xenophobia and clashes between communities affected by the Dominican Republics anti-immigration policies. FILMMAKERS VIEW By Jake Kheel, Juan Mejia and Ben Selkow In the five years we have dedicated to making Death by a Thousand Cuts, we have witnessed the forests on the Haitian-Dominican border disappear slowly. In a process that was at times frustrating and at other times exhilarating, the story we wanted to tell grew and became more complex as we pursued different leads along the border. We journeyed by truck, motorcycle, motorboat, makeshift sailboat and helicopter, following the charcoal trail to try and understand the driving forces behind what has become a very important and lucrative but destructive industry. The Dominican Republic and Haiti make for a unique case study of how the exploitation of natural resources can directly affect the fate of a nation. The two countries share the island of Hispaniola, but their economic outlooks are starkly different in large part due to how they each have managed their natural resources. Haiti has a forest cover of less than two percent and is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The Dominican Republic, with roughly 25 percent forest cover, has one of the strongest economies in the region and is seen as a model for natural resource protection. In Haiti, charcoal made from trees is the primary source for cooking fuel. With no viable alternative, Haiti is becoming increasingly dependent on Dominican forests to produce charcoal to supply its markets. The forested area on the border of the Dominican Republic, including but not limited to the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, is being exploited to produce large quantities of charcoal. Charcoal producers find remote patches of forest, clear vast quantities of trees to make charcoal ovens and then smuggle the product back to Haiti in sacks for sale. Our four-man field production team consisted of co-directors Jake and Juan, director of photography Juan Carlos Castaneda and field producer Juan Yepes. We worked leads and filmed in remote locations all along the border. After long, hard days of filming, we would transcribe notes and send photos of the days work in the only internet cafe in town to Ben, who helped us track the developments of the story. Our search for information about the murder of Melaneo led us to cross the border from the Dominican Republic to Haiti and back half a dozen times, often accompanied only by local guides and a train of mules carrying our gear. The simple narrative we expected was that the main culprits in destroying Dominican forests were poor Haitians looking to meet their countrys high charcoal demand. But as we began to investigate the reality on the ground for this film, we quickly found that this idea while not entirely inaccurate was definitely incomplete. We learned that many of the largest charcoal-smuggling operations on Hispaniola were actually facilitated and paid for by select Dominicans, who controlled production and directly benefited from it. Both Dominican and Haitian charcoal producers struggle to make a living from charcoal, but often work for powerful Dominican merchants. These influential figures have not only increased charcoal production along the border area, but at times have also managed to acquire permits from the Dominican government, making it a quasi-legal activity. The role of influence, trafficking and corruption in the deforestation along the border became more and more clear to us. At its core, this film is a cautionary tale of how the increasingly fierce competition for natural resources combined with swelling wealth inequality can create fertile ground for civil strife. This combination of factors is at the heart of many international tragedies, even if at first glance they appear to be ethnic conflicts. Venezuela, Brazil, and South Africa come to mind. In the rising tensions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, we see these dynamics at play in real time. Credits: Directors Jake Kheel and Juan Mejia Botero; Producer Ben Selkow; Producer Jake Kheel Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Belisa Balaban, Christy Spitzer Thornton, Isaac Lee, Juan Rendon, Eric Douat; Editor Adriana Pacheco; Cinematographer Juan Carlos Castaneda; Composer Daniel Miller; Co-Producers: Nadia Pollard, Juan E. Yepes; Consulting Editor Mark Becker For more: http://deathbyathousandcutsfilm.com With highway accidents, the greatest carnage always attracts the most onlookers. So, too, with the 2007-08 financial crisis and its aftermath. Each review of those events paints an increasingly ugly picture of crass cronyism. Two administrations, one Republican and the other Democratic, claim only the most noble, disinterested motives for their actions, but everything done has conspired to protect established financial power and advantage it against competition. Collusion and cronyism dominated the buildup to the crisis and informed Washingtons otherwise seemingly ad hoc response. Now, Dodd-Frank has enshrined the inequitable practices in law. Whatever the sins of bankers and investors, Washington orchestrated the mess from the beginning. For years, the federal government insisted that banks direct their mortgage lending increasingly toward the dubious credits referred to as sub-prime. Under the 1992 Housing Community Development Act the two government agencies that support the mortgage market -- the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), known as Freddie Mac -- denied lenders support unless they made more and more loans to sub-prime borrowers. By the early years of this century, these agencies would only participate if half the loans involved were of this dubious character. Because this insistence put lenders in a precarious financial situation, it required collusion from others in Washington. Regulators turned a blind eye to the risk such lending imposed on bank balance sheets. They looked the other way when banks used exotic derivatives to pass that risk off to others. When regulators did worry, they encouraged banks to package the bad loans into securities and sell them on capital markets. Other authorities facilitated the process by allowing credit-rating agencies to give these questionable securities attractive rankings. When, despite these arrangements, this house of cards began to come down in 2007, Washington sprang into action. It said it wanted to protect the financial system. No doubt it did. It also had two other objectives: to conceal its role in creating the problems and to protect the established firms that had previously cooperated. Instead of sanctioning the firms and individuals who the government said were at fault, the authorities put billions of taxpayer dollars at risk to rescue them. Hurried legislation under Republican President George W. Bush and his Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson raised $700 billion of government funds for what the administration called the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). It bought from these lenders the distressed assets that Washington had previously insisted they acquire, at least those that these institutions had not yet unloaded onto unsuspecting investors. Under President Barack Obama, the Federal Reserve took over the rescue effort, extending such transfers literally into the trillions of dollars. Even as the government rescued the bankers, it blamed them for all that had gone wrong. President Obama showed superior finger pointing skills. He and the rest of Washington justified rescues to those that they held blameworthy by claiming a primary need to save the financial system. It is hard to argue with such priorities. Still, it is strange that, for all the animus the government showed, no prosecutions have occurred even now long after the crisis had passed and financial markets have recovered. Most of the managements of established financial firms remain in place to this day, as do their boards of directors, where turnover has been less than 10 percent from before the crisis. If this behavior does not at least hint at cronyism, there is more. It surely is telling that Washington in its crisis management chose to ignore a previously successful model. Back in the 1980s, the nation found its financial stability threatened from reckless mortgage lending by a class of financial institutions then called saving and loan associations (S&Ls). To deal with that crisis, Washington created the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC), which, in a kind of controlled bankruptcy, took over failing S&Ls, removed their managements and boards, immediately sold off their viable assets, and kept the questionable ones with a eye to working them out over time. Every failing firm was treated the same way. Markets stabilized as this systematic approach quickly relieved panic. Instead of opting for such an orderly approach, Washington in 2008 proceeded in a much less coherent manner. It treated each troubled firm in a different way. When, for instance, the investment bank Bear Stearns showed signs of trouble, the Fed arranged its forced sale to J. P. Morgan. Later, as the crisis gained momentum, government gave lavish loans to Citibank and a few others. Official Washington allowed another investment bank, Lehman Brothers, to go bankrupt but actually took a majority ownership stake in the insurer, AIG. If its goal was to save financial markets from a destructive panic, this was precisely the wrong way to proceed. A coherent, transparent approach, like a reconstituted RTC, would have gone a lot further to convince investors and other financial players that the authorities were in control. The ad hoc approach followed during this more recent crisis surely contributed to panic by raising in all a strong suspicion that official Washington had no clear idea of how to deal with the pressures of the moment. It is only fair to ask why Washington in 2007-08 never even considered a reconstituted RTC. Several have in fact asked raised this point, including William Seidman, who had served on the old RTC. None in authority have even tried to answer. Could it be that the RTCs evenhanded, if tough approach failed to serve an agenda that Washington preferred to hide? After all, an RTC approach would have penalized formerly cooperative managements and boards. Those few senior executives who lost their positions received lucrative severance packages, something an RTC arrangement would have forbidden. What is more, an RTC-like approach would have treated all troubled firms equally. This time the Fed and others in authority preferred to treat firms according to a clear crony-like hierarchy. Take the experience of Bear Stearns. When it became apparent in March 2008 that the firm was having trouble finding the liquidity to meet its obligations, no one in authority considered a rescue. The Fed explicitly rejected using its term-lending facility to help. Instead, it forced Bear Stearns to sell itself to JP Morgan at a bargain price of $10.00 a share, well off the stocks high of $133.20 a share hit during the previous year. What is even stranger is that the authorities, while denying Bear Stearns a dime, advanced Morgan the bulk of the purchase price in the form of a loan that the Fed said it would forgive should Bears assets go bad. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke never fully explained why he and the authorities seemed determined to destroy Bear Stearns while fashioning a sweetheart deal for Morgan. His most direct response revolved around technicalities, itself a strange thing to emphasize in an environment full of unprecedented official action. Of course, he could not say that Morgan was a member of a cooperative establishment while Bear was not, had in 1998 refused to join a Fed-organized bailout of the well-connected hedge fund, Long-Term Capital Management or that Bear, as The New York Times noted at the time, was notoriously considered an outsider that defied its more mainstream rivals. Maybe the authorities have less questionable motives. If so, no one from the Fed has stated them. AIG was also always considered an outsider. When it got in trouble later that year for guaranteeing some of the dubious mortgage-backed securities, the government, while extending loans to Citibank and others, insisted on an 80 percent ownership stake in AIG. Then, under management led by the New York Federal Reserve Bank, the firm paid full value on assets owed to those paragons of the financial establishment, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and Societe Generale, even though these firms announced that they expected a loss. Though the Government Accountability Office pointed to inconsistencies and contradictions in the New York Feds explanation for its decision, the investigation, as with so much else from that time, ended there with questions left open. All this dubious behavior occurred under the Bush administration, but, as if to announce the bipartisan nature of Washingtons crony system, the Obama administration passed Dodd-Frank. This huge and far-ranging piece of financial reform legislation advantages established firms at the expense of others. By imposing a raft of compliance and reporting requirements on all financial firms, it disproportionately burdens smaller companies. While explicitly imposing disadvantages on smaller firms, Dodd-Frank offers larger players an additional and particularly valuable competitive edge by designating them too big to fail. To be sure, the law requires those so designated to jump regulatory hurdles not required of others, but it compensates them with an implicit government guarantee against failure. It is no surprise that more than one fifth of the nations community banks have shuttered since Dodd-Frank became law. There is no smoking gun. There seldom is when government and industry collude to their mutual benefit. Still, a pattern of cronyism emerges, one sufficient to raise questions among voters and businesses about where government priorities lie. Mr. Ezrati is a writer living in New York. His latest book is Thirty Tomorrows and describes how the world can cope with the challenges of globalization and aging demographics. See more of his writing at https://thirtytomorrows.com. The international political and economic system is more likely to remain stable when a particular state is the dominant power, or hegemon, able to dominate the rules of both politics and economics. There has to be, as the economist Charles Kindleberger argued fifty years ago, referring to the world economy, a power capable of establishing hegemonic stability. Global markets can't police themselves, nor can the international political scene. The crucial question is what is in the national interest of the United States: whether the United States can or should fulfill that hegemonic role today. It is worth considering the issue in the light of American history. In international politics after World War I, the U.S. was an indirect influence but an absent presence, unwilling to commit or uninterested in commitment or action as a deterrent power. The situation was different after World War II, when the U.S. played a role in the revival of Europe, in the creation of international organizations, and in attempts to perpetuate liberal, democratic states. Today the problem arises: what role should the U.S. play, and can it be the hegemonic power in a world where, among other things, China is a challenge, militarily and economically? Donald Trump, as candidate and as president, has told us he wants America to be great again, but he is not an isolationist. However, does he want the U.S. to be the dominant superpower? After the decision to strike Syria with Tomahawks after the chemical attack by the Assad regime on April 4, 2017; the attack on ISIS in Afghanistan; and the joint naval exercises with South Korea after the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fleet led by the USS Carl Vinson entered the sea of Japan, Trump has been using strong language and suggesting possible action and a "major, major conflict," with North Korea (formerly the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the DPRK). Trump's rhetoric comes in light of North Korea's five nuclear tests and a series of ballistic missile tests, its threats of destruction of the U.S., and its progress in developing intermediate-range and submarine-launched missiles. We can learn from history about wars, some of them "wrong" wars. The reasons for the Peloponnesian War that broke out in 431 B.C. are complex, but of them was the refusal of Athens to agree to Sparta's demand to change its policy of economic sanctions toward the city of Megara. It was an unnecessary war because of incorrect analysis, since the basic issue was Sparta's suspicions of Athens. The U.S. has to analyze correctly the problems in the contemporary world, with conflicts employing new technology, drones, robotics, and cyber-warfare, and a general reluctance to place "boots on the ground." There are more than 40 active conflicts in the world today, as well as the threats and actions from organized Islamic terrorist groups from al-Qaeda and affiliates and ISIS and associates. The main issue, however, confronting Trump today is whether the U.S. should take military action against North Korea. According to Trump in a presidential debate in September 2016, the U.S. will no longer be the world's policeman. The issue then was of NATO countries not raising their due defense expenses, and the policy of NATO toward Russia. However, the issue today is different. General H.R. McMaster, national security adviser, calls on other countries to prevent North Korea from developing a nuclear arsenal, because North Korea was acting in open defiance of the international community. He preferred working with other countries to resolve the issue, but the U.S. must be ready to intervene with armed forces. After all, the U.N. Security Council has banned North Korean ballistic missile tests because they are a step to producing a nuclear-armed missile one that can reach the U.S. mainland. North Korea is a special case. It is a grave threat not only to the U.S., but to its neighbors in the Asian region South Korea, Japan, and China and also to the State of Israel, which has been threatened with "merciless, thousand-fold punishment." North Korea is believed to have helped Syria build a nuclear reactor, which was destroyed in an attack, probably by Israel, in 2007. The world is aware that North Korea cannot be trusted. Certainly, Bill Clinton was disillusioned and was forced to recognize a dead end as he asserted that the entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons. On October 18, 1994, President Clinton approved an agreement with North Korea to give $4 billion in energy aid to it if it froze and dismantled its nuclear weapons development program. As a result of North Korean improper behavior, the plan broke down in 2003. Trump has recognized that the enemy is North Korea, and his policy reflects this in a number of ways. At this point, he is unwilling to state overtly that the U.S. response means military action. In a mixed metaphor, he believes that policy toward North Korea is a "chess game." Though he has tweeted that the U.S. could have "a major, major conflict" with North Korea, and that North Korea cannot be allowed to have a better delivery system, he does not "want people to know what my thinking is." To some extent, the U.S. is in a dilemma. Trump has called DPRK leader Kim Jong-un "a pretty smart cookie" for achieving power at age of 27 and keeping it. But is he sane? Israeli defense minister Avigdor Lieberman has called Kim a "madman who is in charge of a crazy and radical group." Trump remains uncertain, though he is aware that North Korea is trying to develop a viable missile delivery system with a nuclear weapon. The U.S. cannot tolerate this, and it may lead to imposition of sanctions or military operations. Trump's policy is to forge alliances to restrain North Korea. China is the elephant in the room. Trump claims that his rapport with Chinese president Xi, a man he has gotten to like and respect, is "something very special," and his visit from Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe suggests future collaboration in dealing with North Korea. Trump's policy of alliances also explains invitations to controversial figures, heads of state to the White House. Two in particular have caused controversy. One is Prayut Chan-o-Cha, prime minister of Thailand and former commander in chief who took power in 2014 coup. He assumed sweeping powers and imposed restrictions on freedom of expression. Even more controversial is Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, being involved in an anti-drugs campaign in which 7,000 people may have been killed in mass murders over three decades. Both Prayut and Duterte are anticipated to help in restraining North Korea. The choice has been made. The restraint of North Korea is more important in U.S. national interest than the human rights issue in the Philippines, or even other foreign policy issues. Trump is willing to pay an economic price for the main objective. The U.S. will not be asking South Korea for payment for THAAD (terminal high-altitude area defense system), an anti-missile system being installed in the country and costing about $1 billion. Life is complicated. China has protested the deployment of THAAD because it can penetrate its territory and thus, it argues, undermine regional security. For the U.S., the alliance with and protection of South Korea is the U.S. top priority in the Asia-Pacific region. In his comment on the issue, Pope Francis suggested that a third country mediate the dispute between North Korea and the U.S., a conflict "risking a war." One can respect this point of view, but the danger to peace comes not from the U.S., but from North Korea, which is a threat to the whole Asian area and to the world. The national interest of the U.S. suggests that it become the modern political hegemon. On the 7th of April, 2017 (less than a month ago), President Donald Trump authorised the firing of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles (from the Mediterranean Sea) into Syria. These missiles were aimed at the Shayrat Airbase; which is controlled by the Syrian government. The strike was an immediate retaliation for the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack; which had occurred three days before -- on the 4th of April. (It's far from conclusive that Assad actually carried out a chemical attack.) This, fairly predictably, started a recurring debate about the rights and wrongs of intervening in the affairs of foreign countries. Many/most Americans think it's best not to interfere. Neocons, on the other hand, believe that we should intervene left, right, and center. I personally would class the position of noninterventionism as a happy medium between interventionism and isolationism; though I may be wrong. In any case, as we shall see, it all depends on definitions, history and the facts on the ground. American noninterventionism dates back to the 18th century. So does interventionism. Nonetheless, it seems, in retrospect, that interventionism has been the default mode of American governments; whereas noninterventionism has been the default mode of the American people. But this is tricky. Most Americans, for example, were in favour of the initial military actions in Iraq in 2003. Though, almost immediately after that, most Americans were against further foreign interventions. This issue isn't an easy case of either/or. Non-Interventionism Here's a simple account of noninterventionism offered by Henry Hodges in 1915. He said that non-interventionism is against the "interference by a state or states in the external affairs of another state without its consent, or in its internal affairs with or without its consent". Non-interventionism doesn't of course mean that our leaders should forgo diplomacy with other countries. Unlike isolationism, neither does it mean that no foreign wars can be fought either. A broad statement of the theory called political realism also puts the noninterventionist position in that it stresses the national interest and downplays the moral condemnations, etc. of foreign regimes which result in military interventions. According to political realism, the main two issues are national security and, ultimately, survival. That means that nations need to be prepared for possible conflict in the sense of having the military means to deter all aggressors. On the other hand, it's been said that the Bush Doctrine promoted unilateral foreign interventions. That doctrine was purportedly based on neoconservatism and what it called democratic peace theory. That theory justified and even encouraged military action against non-democracies. This would clearly fit the bill in the case of Iraq in 2003 as well as Syria today. What the American People Think What is the position of the American people, rather than of its political leaders? According to the Pew Research Center (in a poll conducted in December 2013 (as cited in the Washington Examiner), 52% of those who responded said that the United States "should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own." However, that percentage was radically different only ten years before -- just before the Iraq War in 2003! (Again, according to the statistics of Pew.) There was another poll (by Politico) in July 2014. This was said to be a poll of battleground voters in the United States. This poll found that: "77 percent in favor of full withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2016; only 15 percent and 17 percent interested in more involvement in Syria and Ukraine, respectively; and 67 percent agreeing with the statement that, 'U.S. military actions should be limited to direct threats to our national security.'" Despite these results, it surely could never be said that the same noninterventionist logic (if that's what it is) can be equally applied to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria in 2017. It all depends. Historical Noninterventionism Britain's Robert Walpole -- the first Whig prime minister -- had the following to say (in 1723) on the matter of noninterventionism: "My politics are to keep free from all engagements as long as we possibly can." The clause as long as we possibly can is admittedly a little vague. Though, in politics, it's been argued that we can't -- or even that we shouldn't! -- be anything else but vague when it comes to matters of war. After all, to take one example, noninterventionism doesn't mean no interventions ever. And even isolationism has never meant (in practice) complete isolation. What's more, those who can be called neocon interventionists (to take one example) don't want to intervene in every single place where there are innocents dying or a lack of democracy. Thus Realpolitik (as almost always) is a reality of politics. In any case, 18th-century Americans picked up on Walpole's position. Nonetheless, during the American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress debated about forming an alliance with France. In so doing, it rejected noninterventionism. Still, an alliance with France during the American Revolution isn't on par with, say, military interventions in Syria; or even, formerly, interventions in Iraq. Despite that, American noninterventionism trumped interventionism when George Washington declared neutrality during the Britain versus France war of 1792. Washington had the complete support of his cabinet and the 1779 treaty with France was annulled. Consequently, the continuing case for non-interventionism was put by Washington, in his Farewell Address of 1796. He said: The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities. Now if that's true of Europe, how much truer must it be of Syria? This isn't to say that everything that Washington said is perfectly applicable to the case of Syria; though it is to say that American noninterventionism (along with the reasons for that position) dates back to the late 18th century. If we now take a long jump to the first half of the 20th century, we can see that there was still a strong noninterventionist strain running through America's politics. Thus the United States had a noninterventionist policy in the case of both world wars; as well as in, for example, the Spanish Civil War. Of course, the U.S. did eventually intervene in both world wars; though only when there was a direct threat to -- or an attack upon -- the U.S. itself. All this begs the question as to whether, at these times, the United States would have militarily intervened in these disputes/wars if American itself wasn't under threat. (The direct threat to the United States was much less clear in the case of World War I than it was in the case of World War II.) The UN and Interventionism Perhaps it's slightly ironic (at least for sections of the right) that noninterventionism -- when such a thing was embodied in the United Nations -- once became part of international law. It was then argued (not just by those in -- and sympathetic to -- the U.N) that noninterventionism was responsible for post-World War II peace. Peace? That depends on where and when. In Europe, sure. Elsewhere, that wasn't the case. It's also ironic that the United Nations and many humanitarians reversed this position at the end of the Cold War. It was then that such institutions and people began calling for interventions in foreign affairs. Before long, they were calling for interventions under all circumstances. This is the period in which the notion of a responsibility to protect came into being. (Years later, it was much stressed by Tony Blair and the neocons.) To put their position basically, if a foreign state abuses its people (or doesn't protect them), then the United States and other Western countries have both a moral and political duty to help them. This is the terrible reality we must face because there must be dozens of foreign states which fulfil the humanitarian's criteria. Can we intervene in all these states? Of course not. Therefore, should we only intervene when the situation is truly genocidal? Alternatively, perhaps we should only intervene with there's a domestic reason to do so. Altruism, in other words, has and never will rule okay. All the above bore the fruit of interventions in Iraq in 1991 and in Somalia from 1992 to 1995. Later NATO interventions occurred in Kosovo in 1999 and in Libya in 2011. However, after Black Hawk Down (in Somalia), the United States refused to intervene in Haiti and Rwanda. Though, as just stated, it did intervene in other countries later. There are of course alternatives to the interventionism-versus-noninterventionism binary opposition (or bifurcation). One alternative is the isolationism-versus-noninterventionism opposition instead. Or, alternatively, isolationism-versus-noninterventionism. In any case, many of those whom cite these opposing positions have quoted George Washington's well-known Farewell Address as a rationale for their positions. Which basically means that it's all pretty complicated. Paul Austin Murphy's blogs can be found at Paul Austin Murphy on Politics and Paul Austin Murphy's Philosophy. He's also had pieces published in Broadside News, Intellectual Conservative, Liberty GB, New English Review, etc. If you watch TV, you are seeing ads for a new Alien movie (i.e., Alien Covenant). All hail Ridley Scott. This will be the sixth in the franchise. One thing all of the entries have in common is that a ghastly alien emerges, often with pointy teeth and covered in drool, from an egg or an astronaut's chest. This signature sudden, unforgettable moment is the essence of the cinematic covenant. An entirely hostile organism will burst out somewhere when you least expect it and kill you. That has to remind us of the year 1931, when the Education Establishment sprang its own alien on the country. With no testing, no proof of concept, no incremental introduction, and certainly no humility or shame, a small clique of education professors abolished common practice and, almost overnight, forced an alien method upon this country. Thus began the appropriation (that's Commie euphemism for conquest) of the U.S. via illiteracy. If you want to understand what we are up against when it comes to improving our schools, you have to reflect on how far a small group of ideologues will go to impose their destructive theories. Apparently, there's no limit. In the early 1930s, the country was crippled by economic failure. Even the rich felt weak and vulnerable. Who knew how bad things would get? The professors apparently thought this was an ideal time to roll a drunk, so to speak. People would be too demoralized to fight back. Tragically, that turned out to be true. The big change was that children were no longer supposed to bother with the alphabet. Always the alpha and omega of reading, the alphabet was mugged and pushed in the East River. A new theory called for memorizing entire words visually, without any concern for letters or the sounds they represented. In effect, the alphabet was vaporized. This was a huge and shocking change, almost as great as requiring that children first learn to count with Roman numerals or in binary. In the years before this "alien covenant," alphabet blocks were probably the most common toy given to children. The letters also appeared on cribs, clothes, cups, and wall decorations. Everyone agreed: children must know their ABCs. The alphabet was the only way into the secret heart of literacy. Look how Plato, 24 centuries ago, carried on about this need in The Republic: "Just as in learning to read, I said, we were satisfied when we knew the letters of the alphabet, which are very few, in all their recurring sizes and combinations; not slighting them as unimportant whether they occupy a space large or small, but everywhere eager to make them out; and not thinking ourselves perfect in the art of reading until we recognize them wherever they are found." John Locke, in 1693, suggested, "It must never be imposed as a task, nor made a trouble to them. There may be dice and play-things, with the letters on them, to teach children the alphabet by playing; and twenty other ways may be found, suitable to their particular tempers, to make this kind of learning a sport to them." Plato and Locke being world-class geniuses, that settles the matter. If you thought this for a second, you don't know our Education Establishment. As Progressives (aka Socialists), they were obsessed with cooperation and equality by any means necessary. The smarter children should not be allowed to sprint ahead. The simplest device for achieving all of their collectivist goals was to curtail reading. John Dewey opined that an emphasis on literacy in the early grades was "a perversion." He detested the thought of a child sitting alone, enjoying a good book. No child should be doing something that other children are not doing. That was the ideological starting point for Dewey's alien detour. The Russian Revolution was finalized by 1920, and then, in 1929, came our economic collapse. Karl Marx was proven correct. Our left wing was so excited that they could hardly stop cheering and popping bottles of champagne. Now they must move boldly ahead with their ruthless schemes. They must seize destiny. When would they have a better time than in the midst of a Great Depression? The United States is a vast country with millions of students and tens of thousands of schools. Imagine the chaos and craziness of trying to switch to a new, untested method in all of these schools more or less simultaneously. Apparently, the word came down to individual principals: destroy the old phonics books and use the new Dick and Jane reader. Tolerate no slackers. Non-compliant teachers were fired for using phonics. The people who wrote the new readers made piles of money, proving that crime does pay. The main guy was William S. Gray, who invented Dick and Jane. Other major players had Alice and Jerry, etc. Had there been any systematic testing to prove this theory, then maybe you could forgive the Progressives for wrecking the country's literacy. There wasn't. You can't forgive. Interestingly, the only testing seems to have been Dr. Samuel Orton's research on a few school districts over two years, 1926-1928. He found that Whole Word is a disaster. So you have a direct jump from 1930, when the Education Establishment began pushing this bunk, to this month, just in time for a new Alien movie and a study just announced in Science Daily magazine: "[n]ew research has shown that learning to read by sounding out words (a teaching method known as phonics) has a dramatic impact on the accuracy of reading aloud and comprehension." Shazam. In related research, scientists find that water is still wet. An alien killer naturally works at reckless speed. Changing the reading instruction for a whole country all at once? The speed tells you that these totalitarians viewed Americans as patsies and thought of themselves as saboteurs, striking in the middle of the night, when they could most likely get away with their conspiracy. What had worked well for centuries was terminated. Then you had millions of students, sans alphabet, stumbling dazed through the rubble. They are still stumbling. Typical estimates are that the country has more than 30 million illiterate adults and an even bigger number who are semi-literate. The plot continues. Bruce Deitrick Price explains educational theories and methods on his site Improve-Education.org. For info about his four new books, see his literary site Lit4u.com. A cascading tirade of abuse, privately labeled by Australian participants as "disgusting" and "extraordinary," disrupted an international meeting of governments in Perth, Australia. The specific issue at hand was the detailed language regarding the participation of a delegation from Taiwan, an issue with a long history of both contention and compromise. What is interesting is the degree of actual rudeness, particularly since the issues had been raised privately beforehand, according to the account that follows. Kelsey Munro of the Sydney Morning Herald reports: Participants at an intergovernmental meeting hosted by Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop in Perth have described "disgusting" and "extraordinary" scenes as the Chinese government delegation shouted over the welcome to country ceremony and forced the suspension of proceedings. ... Participants at the Kimberley Process intersessional meeting have described extraordinary scenes as the Chinese delegation noisily disrupted the official Indigenous welcome ceremony and forced the suspension of at least one other session on Monday. Members from the delegation used the microphone at their table to speak over the chairman of the meeting, senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official Robert Owen-Jones, as he tried to introduce the foreign minister Julie Bishop and the Indigenous welcome ceremony, attendees said. The Chinese delegation said they had a point of order and demanded to know if everyone in the room had been "formally invited". ... A spokeswoman for DFAT said Australia had invited the Rough Diamond Trading Entity of Chinese Taipei to attend the Kimberley Process in Perth as a guest of the Chair, "in line with earlier precedent". She said the invitation was consistent with Australia's One China policy. The foreign minister of the host government, a strategically important country for China, was humiliated by being unable to speak for a while, thanks to actual rudeness. It is not clear from the account if she was onstage, waiting to speak, during the interruptions. If so, that was an insult to the face of a foreign minister. She was eventually able to speak: photo from offical source via Sydney Morning Herald However, the venue chosen for the insult was a relatively low-level intergovernmental meeting, a "Kimberley Process intersessional meeting." The Kimberly Process is described as: ... an international meeting first convened in 2000 aimed at stopping the trade in conflict diamonds and to prevent the diamond trade from funding violence by insurgent movements. Taiwan was granted observer status in 2007. So a stinging message was sent, but in a less prominent venue. Literally, far from the rest of humanity. Perth vies for the title of "loneliest city on the planet" with Auckland, New Zealand, boasting that it is 2,100 km from the nearest metropolis of over one million. Smack in the middle of nowhere. China has pulled anti-Taiwan stunts many times. At the same time, there is a gigantic economic presence of Taiwan firms in China, and many direct flights to China from Taiwan. They are in bed. So it is clear that a message is being sent. Unless you believe that an international delegation would take this initiative on its own. Hat tip: Andrew Bolt, who asks: "Why didn't the government tell the Chinese, 'Welcome to our country you accept the Taiwanese delegation or you leave'?" During an abortion debate at Purdue university sponsored by the Boilermakers for Life student organization, a pro-choice professor accused his pro-life counterpart of displaying "child pornography" when images of fetuses were used in the presentation. David Sanders, an associate professor of biology at Purdue, appeared confused about the definition of "child pornography" and elicited laughs with his comparison. Campus Reform: "What would you call the public display of a butt naked body of a child?" Sanders questioned. "I would call it child pornography. Do they have their permission? Do they have the permission of the fetus? Obviously not." He went on to question whether or not Created Equal obtains "the permission of the parents to show these images of children," soliciting a shocked reaction from the audience, with one in attendance pointing out that Sanders had effectively admitted that "it's a child." "I didn't admit it. I'm using his language. He thinks it's a child. I do not," Sanders quickly retorted, but then appeared to equivocate, saying, "if you want to enforce and protect First Amendment rights to allow you to show child pornography, have at it." Drayer, responding to Sanders' argument, told The Liberty Conservative that "the claim that displaying abortion victim images in public is equal to child pornography is absurd (and laughable based on the reaction from the crowd gathered for the debate)," pointing out that the issue has already been decided by the courts. "Federal law defines child pornography as 'any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor.' By all accounts, images of abortion victims do not even come close to meeting that definition," he explained. "The displaying of images of dismembered preborn children in public have long been considered protected political speech by federal courts where displaying child pornography is a criminal act punishable with up to 30 years' maximum in prison." Sanders, however, contested Drayer's interpretation of the relevant statutes, telling Campus Reform that he "has misrepresented federal law." Additionally, Sanders claimed that the video in question was recorded in violation of the terms of the debate, calling the recording one that he had "explicitly demanded should not be made and about which the organizers of the debate lied," though Indiana requires only one party to consent to a recording when there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. This is another case of "leftist speak": changing the definition of words or phrases to buttress a political argument. In this instance, the accusation of child pornography was used in an attempt to to shut off debate entirely. We are all familiar with this tactic, especially on college campuses. Anything said in opposition to the dominant liberal view is branded "hate speech." Any speech that attempts to contradict a favorite liberal narrative about race is called "racist." The purpose of this deliberate and calculated alteration in the definition of words and ideas is to change the parameters of debate, ostensibly placing the liberal in an ascendant moral position from which he cannot be challenged. Hence, calling police "terrorists" and conservative ideas "hate speech" is just a logical outgrowth of tactics used to silence the opposition. I cannot believe that this professor actually thought the images of aborted fetuses were "child porn." Can anyone be that obtuse, that stupid? Rather, Sanders employed the well worn tactic because he believed that it would give him the upper hand in the debate. He was laughably wrong. Is there any bigger mark of a loser than a woman who blames everyone but herself for her failures? Hillary Clinton has just shown again why she lost the election. It's just amazing that she lacks any hint of introspection after her stunning loss to Republican Donald Trump seven months ago. Speaking to CNN, she kept up the same drumbeat of blame she's always pushed dating her miserable, screaming, chair-throwing election night. I was on the way to winning before Jim Comey's letter and 'Russian' Wikileaks ... scared off late voters. The old "Russians did it" meme from this out-of-touch political hack, as well as the "blame Comey" excuse, is being called out for more political mileage, and it's nothing she did herself. So the Russians are responsible for her election loss even though she sold them the uranium, sought defense spending cuts, and had many loyalists such as the Podesta brothers mired in Russian deals? It's gotten pretty clear based on these details as well as Kremlin sources that Russia both wanted and expected Hillary Clinton to win. But blaming the Russians is politically easy, so she does that. And FBI director James Comey, not her own behavior, is responsible for her loss. As President Trump noted in a tweet: Comey was a softie, "the best thing that ever happened to Hillary." "He gave her a free pass for many bad deeds," Trump said. The reality is, she belonged in jail for her illegal private server, which compromised the entire State Department communications system, opening it to any foreign intelligence agency with the gumption to go after the goods. Is she saying Comey should have covered for her instead? What she didn't say as she blamed others is worth looking at, too. Is she really saying the Clinton Foundation pay-to-play corruption had no effect on voters' decisions? Is she saying the growing voter perception that the Democrats are the party of the rich somehow wasn't derivative of her actions and probably had an effect on voters' decisions? Is she saying her obvious string-pulling for her no-merit daughter Chelsea meant nothing to hard up voters suffering in the Midwest? Is she saying her failure to campaign in Michigan and Ohio and a low-energy campaign in general as well as her empty audience rooms on campaign stops had nothing to do with her election loss? Is she saying her zero plan of action for ending the nightmare of Obamacare and telling voters that Obamacare, with all its skyrocketing premiums, high deductibles, huge fines, low choices, and imploding exchanges, was a good thing had no effect? Or that her lack of any economic plan of recovery after the devastation of the Obama years had zero effect? Or that calling frustrated voters "deplorables" somehow had no effect? And to return briefly to Comey and the Russians, did she really think her actions had nothing to do with why Comey's FBI agents had to investigate her security breaches in the first place, or that John Podesta's Wikileaks and all the embarrassing things he said were okay to say so long as no one published them? It's amazing, just amazing that Clinton can be that opaque to her own failures, which were so numerous. The Democrats have attempted a postmortem on their own disaster but have yet to put their fingers on the scope of the problem: Clinton was a bad candidate, and voters judged that she would be a bad president. Hillary Clinton may be repeating her memes in an Alinskyite bid to turn lies through repetition into truth, but this time, the only person she's fooling is herself. We were recently witness to the first debate of Iran's 2017 presidential election, which can be evaluated from a variety of perspectives. One simple conclusion is that all candidates failed to provide any hope for a better future. Remembering how the 2009 debates paved the way for nationwide uprisings, rattling the regime's entire establishment, this year's debate was shortened in timing to prevent any uncontrollable sparks. Despite all this, the arguments provided a vivid view into the regime's critical domestic crises. More important is the fact that, similar to all previous so-called "elections" in this regime, no candidate was able to provide a comprehensive political and economic agenda. Twelve rounds of presidential elections, parliamentary polls, and votes for city councils have provided nothing but more of the same. Why is it that nothing changes in Iran? Why is it that with a new president in the U.S., all policies are completely refurbished, including immigration, health, education, and so forth? The Trump administration's foreign policy is being overhauled, to say the least. Why is it that in smaller countries more similar to Iran say, the Philippines, Chile, or Turkey a new government brings with it changes across the spectrum in people's lives, all linked to the state's domestic and foreign policies? Yet when it comes to Iran, we see nothing but a cycle of the same factions coming and going, while further plundering the country's wealth and making the least difference in people's lives. The reason must be pursued in the very roots and nature of this regime. This is a dictatorship ruled by the four percent, as described by presidential candidate and Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in the recent debate. A vast 96% majority of Iran's population remains under the wrath of this cruel minority that relies on a completely fascist-minded set of laws resembling anything but a constitution. And when elections are held, all candidates are vigorously vetted by the Guardian Council, a body of 12 conservative clerics, of whom six are appointed directly and the other six indirectly by the supreme leader himself. And when a president is actually selected, he is nothing more than a puppet, acting according to the supreme leader's will. Based on the regime's "constitution," the president's authority must be confirmed by the supreme leader no matter what the people have "voted." All this brings us to a certain set of conclusions: Firstly The president in Iran has no true power or authority, as the supreme leader enjoys the final say in all subjects, including national security and foreign affairs. Secondly No regime president has ever had any specific economic-social agenda. Assuming any one of them had prepared such a blueprint, his agenda would need to be in complete compliance with the supreme leader's demands. Thus, one may ask the purpose of holding elections in such an establishment. Mohammad-Tai Mesbah-Yazdi, an influential senior cleric in the mullahs' ruling elite, provided probably the best response in an interview: Elections have two purposes[.] ... [T]he nation considers itself involved in establishing a religious state. As a result, they will further strive in supporting a state established with their backing, leading to the realization of important religious state goals. The second purpose is the importance of the people's role and votes disarming opponents. They intended to depict this Islamic establishment as authoritarian. However, when the people's votes are respected, opponents will lose all excuses[.] This brings us back to our initial argument: as faces change in this regime, it is to no avail for the greater good of the people. For example: The so-called "reformist" Mohammad Khatami, Iran's president from 1997 to 2005, doubled the number of executions in comparison to 1996 and quadrupled them in comparison to 1995! The so-called "principalist" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was even worse, and the "moderate" Hassan Rouhani has stood above all with a record of 3,000 executions in four years. Poverty and human rights violations have been on a continuous increase. Iran has 16 intelligence services, and the numbers could go up, according to the semi-official Fars news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards. The mullahs' own laws define around 1,800 counts of crimes that people must not commit! The slate includes what clothes to wear, what to eat, what to read, and what satellite TV they are permitted to watch. It is worth noting that France has only 300 such criminal measures. The country's national currency has constantly nosedived. Embezzlement cases have been on the rise year after year. Meddling in the internal affairs of regional countries, including Iran's involvement in Syria, has climaxed. This has been parallel to Tehran continuing its nuclear program and ballistic missile drive. Neither in domestic policy nor foreign strategy can we pinpoint any significant differences among Khamenei, Rafsanjani, Khatami, Ahmadinejad, and Rouhani. To this end, don't hold your breath or have any hope that the May 19 presidential "election" read: "selection" will render anything new from within the mullahs' regime. Heshmat Alavi is a political and civil rights activist. His writing focuses on Iran, ranging from human rights violations, social crackdown, and the regime's support for terrorism and meddling in foreign countries to the controversial nuclear program. In a contentious four-and-a-half-hour legislative hearing yesterday in Sacramento, Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, made a pro forma apology for conduct that should have gotten her fired. She tried to rig an independent state audit, and she got caught, and she is sorry (I paraphrase). Alexi Koseff explains further in the Sacramento Bee: University of California President Janet Napolitano apologized Tuesday for creating the "wrong impression" that she had improperly interfered in a critical state audit of her office released last week. At a legislative hearing to review the audit findings, Napolitano acknowledged that she and her staff communicated with campus leaders about a survey meant to independently assess the value of her office's operations. "While we believe we did things appropriately, it is clear in retrospect that we could have handled this better," she said. "I am sorry that we did it this way, because it has created the wrong impression and detracted from the important fact that we accept the recommendations in the audit report." She didn't just communicate her people got advance copies of the responses to the auditors' questions and then demanded and got changes. Auditor Elaine Howle has asserted that the UC Office of the President interfered with her work by reviewing surveys sent independently to campus leaders and requesting changes that reflected more positively on its operations before they were submitted. "In my 17 years as state auditor, we have never had a situation like this," she said Tuesday. As the well compensated chief executive of a $30-billion-a-year tax-exempt enterprise owned by the citizens of California, Janet Napolitano had a lot riding on the outcome of a state audit she was about to face. So she rigged it and got caught. Koseff even provides a chart showing the changes. And she still has her job. Despite the bipartisan anger that was expressed at the hearing. And nobody cares that she has dodged any responsibility for the safety of the Berkeley campus, despite her background as secretary of homeland security. Nobody has even asked her about it, so far as I know. The liberal left is in an uproar. And no, the howls are not coming from the childlike snowflakes on campus, who shut down speakers, or the even from the anarchists. This time, it is coming from the intellectual arm of the left, like the New Republic magazine, Vox, and the readership base of the New York Times. What has incurred this wrath? Nothing the president has done. It's that the New York Times has hired Bret Stephens, until recently a deputy editor and columnist at the Wall Street Journal, to add his voice to the Gray Lady's op-ed page. Stephens can be best described as a run-of-the-mill establishment conservative from the neocon camp. During this past year or so at the WSJ, he stood out for his hysterical ravings over Donald Trump's campaign and then his presidency. Of course, being a vociferous anti-Trumper is not what has the liberal base upset at the Times hiring Stephens. It was his first column (and some of the non-Trump-related things he said in the past) that has the liberals on the warpath. What precipitated this kerfuffle was Stephens's debut column of April 28 at the Times. There, he had the temerity to question the 100-percent certainty of the proponents of man-made global warming. And please note: Stephens is not what the left would call a climate denier. In interviews, he says he actually believes in man-made global warming (or maybe it's man-made climate change now). In his NYT column, Stephens merely questioned the certainty liberals demand that society place in their global warming hypothesis. That was bad enough, but what got the liberals down on their knees chewing the rug was how Stephens led off his column. It went like this: "When someone is honestly 55 percent right, that's very good and there's no use in wrangling. And if someone is 60 percent right, it's wonderful. it's great luck, and let him thank God. But what's to be said about 75 percent right? Wise people say this is suspicious. Well, and what about 100 percent right? Whoever says he is 100 percent right is a fanatic, a thug, and the worse kind of rascal." An old Jew of Galicia Essentially, Stephens was saying the radical Greens are fanatics and thugs (all true) in the pages of the liberal mothership, no less. To the liberal mind, Stephens committed a high sacrilege, for next to abortion, man-made global warming is most sacred dogma of the left. To have even a hint of doubt on the certainty of this proposition raised in the op-ed pages of the New York Times is akin...well, akin to the supreme ayatollah burning a Koran in the center of Mecca at high noon. Take Sarah Jones of the New Republic as one example. She unloads, writing that Stephens is the least of the problems at the Times, as the newspaper "is awash in out-of -touch, medicare columnists who are badly out of sync with the era in which we live." Over at Vox, Jeff Stein voices the same complaint against Stephens as did Ms. Jones. And to show what a narrow bubble these liberals are in, he writes: The Times's editorial page is a bit like the Supreme Court: Its opinions set the framework for the national debate, and its members tend to stay there for decades. so Stephens's beliefs are about to have a big impact on the national discourse. Talk about arrogance. Maybe in years past, before the rise of talk radio and internet blogs, the NYT could set the agenda of debate. But no more. Proof of that is in the just concluded election, where the NYT threw away what little integrity it had left to defeat Donald Trump...and lost. The liberals going after the NYT bring to mind the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, where two loathsome opponents went after each other. As I said then, I'll say now: have at it. The White House schedule is increasingly being scrutinized but not for the right reasons. First on the meetings list is Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and Fatah Party leader. Second is Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines. Americans mostly human rights activists and those left of center, to put it nicely applaud Abbas at the White House. However, those same eager individuals who cheer for Abbas are vehemently opposing Duterte. The truth is that displaying empathy for Abbas and hate for Duterte not only is appalling, but also disregards American foreign policy interests. There are good reasons to view Duterte with animus. His brazen, violent crackdown on illegal drugs domestically has violated human rights laws numerous times. He himself has publicly stated his desire to kill those he believes to be criminals. Yet his behaviors cannot overshadow or be compared to Abbas's. Abbas, who is portrayed by the media as the Palestinian leader trying to liberate his people from Israeli tyranny, is in reality the source of Palestinian suffering. Instead of ushering Palestinians into, at the least, an independent state, he has sunk them deeper into a national ideological belief predicated on the abolishment of a Jewish state of Israel. Throughout his corrupt twelve-year presidency of a four-year term, he has continuously called for the murder of innocent Israelis and rewarded terrorists and their families for heeding him. Instead of meaningfully educating Palestinian youths, Abbas's regime teaches children that the greatest accomplishment in life is to kill Jews. (The Palestinian Authority has recently banned UNRWA from teaching in schools due to its sensitivity to Israelis.) Disappointingly, the mainstream narrative couldn't be less fastidious about Mahmoud Abbas. Instead of calling for a reform of Palestinian leadership, or highlighting the government's sponsorship of terrorism and Palestinians' extremist beliefs, the media condemn Israeli settlements as the chief obstacle to peace (something the Obama administration believed when abstaining from U.N. Resolution 2234). Individuals who subscribe to the sinister initiatives of Palestinian leadership while fulminating over Trump's decision to invite Duterte to Pennsylvania Avenue misconstrue the situation. They also misconstrue America's values and foreign policy principles. Highlighting Duterte's meeting and not Abbas's ignores the repulsive behavior Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have shown to our greatest Middle Eastern ally, Israel. Such a perspective demonizes a leader whose partnership America crucially needs as it sets its sights on taking down its greatest threat: North Korea. The focus on these meetings needs to be reversed. Americans need to reframe Abbas for who he truly is: a direct representation of Palestinian terrorism. Working with such an individual on any Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is futile and undermines Israel's true desire for peace and security in the region. In the Pacific, Americans need to rebuild the bridge they lost with Duterte not because we welcome his bellicose behavior, but because his support can aid in a more dangerous and looming disaster than his deadly war on drugs namely, an American-North Korean conflict. A short time ago, a well-meaning but foolish young couple in my town adopted a "rescue" dog from New Jersey. It was a heavy (60-80 lbs) two-year-old Pit Bull. Scary, but they had attended several training sessions learning how to bond with the animal and overcame their fright by telling themselves they were doing a good thing. By "rescuing" it. I suspect that the dog needed to be "rescued" because it had previously attacked people and so was in danger of being put down, but I don't know that. Regardless, this couple seemed not to have even inquired; instead, they completed their final bonding session and took him home. But from the first night alone with the animal, they were terrified by its foreboding presence. The thing seemed to stalking them from room to room inside their home. Beyond frantic, the couple called the woman at the private shelter who had managed the adoption and asked her to take the dog back. She refused and instead offered them some advice about how to break through and made contact with the dog's inner happy puppy. Well, that night, the Pit Bull did some breaking through on his own and severely mauled the man, who, without the timely arrival of deputy sheriffs and the local Fire Department, would have died a horrible death. Just another Pit Bull story. My wife was severely bitten in the face by a Pit Bull while sitting at a client's kitchen table. Her offense? She made eye contact with the thing. My grandson was attacked and was luckily wearing clothing heavy enough to prevent injury before the Pit Bull was taken off him. A renter in a building next door would let his Pit Bull get out from time to time, and the thing would run onto my property, anxious to kill my Golden Retriever, Sparky, the friendliest dog in the world. Tired of talking to the local dog warden about the threat, I shot the Pit Bull in the butt with a .410 shotgun my mistake being that it wasn't a 12-gauge, because the thing managed to run off. My experiences are all of a piece with the spread of these "pets." A week or so ago, I started bookmarking stories about Pit Bull attacks, including one with a chilling video of a young boy being savaged, here. Here is one about a couple savagely mauled by their 28-year-old son's Pit Bull. Here is one about a Pit Bull killing the woman who owned it on the deck of her home in Pennsylvania. Here's one about a Pit Bull who killed a man in Dayton, Ohio after the thing broke its chain. Here's one (with video) of a man savagely mauled by two Pit Bulls trying to kill his Jack Russell Terrier. Stories noticed during just a few days, and mostly in only one publication. The fact is that these attacks are going on day in, day out in towns and cities all across the nation. Experts tell us that Pit Bulls (and Rottweilers, a comparatively rare breed) account for less than 5% of the dog population but 70% of the killings and mutilations, especially of children. And any patrol cop will tell you that dog complaints particularly those that involve pet dogs being hunted down and torn apart or attacks on citizens almost invariably involve Pit Bulls. But they have their defenders, with advocates telling you it's the owner's fault. That they're bad, not the breed. But if this were true, you'd have to somehow account for the fact that Pit Bull owners are fourteen times worse than average, which is ridiculous. It's the breed a breed that the British Government has banned after a series of egregious attacks by these dogs was researched and then thoroughly debated in Parliament. They should be banned in the United States, too, the breeding of them forbidden, and every one of these unstable creatures found and killed. Not grandfathered in, not neutered, not somehow retrained in doggie obedience school, but found and killed. This, so that children are no longer hunted down and mutilated or killed by these demons. And, of course, so they don't get you next time. Or me. Richard F. Miniter is the author of the acclaimed The Things I Want Most and the new What Sort Of Parents Should We Be?; A Man's Guide To Raising Exceptional Children. See it here. He can be reached at miniterhome@gmail.com. Two Chicago police officers, dressed in plain clothes, were shot and wounded in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood as they investigated an unrelated crime. The CPD believes THAT the two officers were "targeted" when one or possibly two cars pulled up alongside them at an intersection and opened fire "indiscriminately." ABC News: One officer was shot in the arm and hip and the other in the back, Johnson said. They were taken to a local hospital and are both expected to make a complete recovery, he said. The department believes that the officers were the intended targets. They returned gunfire, according to the department, but it did not say if they hit anyone. "They were firing at the officers," Johnson said. "Right now, there's an extensive manhunt underway for the individuals responsible and we will get them." The officers, who were dressed in plain clothes, were conducting a follow-up investigation to a previous incident when they were hit, according to the department. It declined to offer details on the nature of the case the officers were working on. Police found multiple weapons and a vehicle they believe are linked to the shooting, Johnson said. The department said it is questioning "a few" people in connection to the case. "It's just another example of how dangerous this job is," said Johnson. "And I think people take it for granted that when police officers come to work every day, they put their lives on the line every single day they get in their car." Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel echoed Jonson's comments in a statement posted on Twitter after the incident. "Tonight was a frightening reminder of the dangers our dedicated officers face," Emanuel tweeted. "Thank you @Chicago_Police for putting service above self." Johnson noted that the area where the shooting took place had been troubled by gun activity. "We have to do something about the gun violence in this city," he said. "If they will fire at police officers like that, then they have no type of thought process in terms of firing at other citizens in this great city." Witnesses reported hearing as many as 30 shots of gunfire, and some said it sounded like an assault rifle. Is it a coincidence that news of another high-profile police shooting of a young black man broke on Saturday? JORDAN EDWARDS This black 15-year-old was fatally shot Saturday by a suburban Dallas police officer while a passenger in a car that was moving away, not in reverse toward officers. Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber said Monday that police video contradicts his departments original statement about the high school freshmans killing by officers investigating an underage drinking complaint at a house party Edwards was leaving. The chief wouldnt identify the officer nor describe his race. The officer is on leave while police investigate, but the boys family wants him fired and criminally charged, their lawyer said. The officer involved has already been dismissed, according to reports. Coupled with the news that two Baton Rouge police officers involved in another shooting of an unarmed civilian last year won't face federal civil rights charges, the correlation between those reports and the attempted assassination of two Chicago cops becomes suggestive. Once again, Black Lives Matter rhetoric against the police must be examined as a possible contributing factor to this targeted assassination attempt. I don't see how you can avoid placing at least part of the blame on activists who all but advocate the shooting of police officers. The media tiptoe around this aspect of cop shootings because of the racial aspect of the crimes and the fact that black activists will pull out the race card when it comes to questioning anything BLM says or does. Those who use incendiary rhetoric against the police should be held to account for their words. So far, they've gotten a free ride for inciting riots and violence. Understandably, this has angered the police community, but it won't change until the media recognize the inherent danger of the explosive rhetoric coming from activistS that puts the lives of officers in danger. These days, various Trump administration officials are heard making remarks and taking measures regarding Iran. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has time and again spoken about Iran's notorious activities. "[T]he country that continues to cause the most havoc, whether it's Syria, whether it's Iraq, any place around the world you look at Iran, and you see there is a bad influence, and being that state sponsor of terrorism is something we don't want to reward," Haley said in a recent interview with CNN. Adopting a tone not seen in any other U.S. top diplomat, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also resorted to strong rhetoric about Iran: "Iran," Tillerson said in an April 19 press conference, "is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and is responsible for intensifying multiple conflicts and undermining U.S. interests in countries such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon, and continuing to support attacks against Israel[.] ... An unchecked Iran has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea, and take the world along with it[.] ... Iran's provocative actions threaten the United States, the region, and the world[.] ... Iran continues to have one of the world's worst human rights records." The fact that Iran has for years been the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and has destabilized the entire Middle East by meddling in other countries is nothing new. Iran's secret nuclear program, aimed at obtaining atomic weapons, parallel to its flagrant human rights violations dossier, is also nothing new. To this end, the question is, why has this regime for years been permitted to so internationally provoke and seek such meddling while launching such ruthless crackdown campaigns domestically? In other words, why has Iran developed such circumstances, and what must be done? The reason can be found first in the nature of the regime ruling Iran and the policies adopted by the West in the face of Tehran. This focus has hinged on appeasing the mullahs and engaging in rapprochement. The West sought to bring about changes inside Iran through such an approach, seeking "moderates" inside the regime. The mullahs, aware of such a miscalculated policy, instigated the matter and created an illusion of "moderates" actually existing in this regime. Iran depicted these domestic disputes to the West as conflicts between "moderates" and "hardliners," cleverly playing "good cop, bad cop." Events in Iran throughout the past four decades clearly show that there are no "moderates" to be found inside this regime, and until the mullahs' establishment is out of power, we will not witness any change from within. This is exactly why, over 40 years, be it during the tenure of "hardliners," such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or the so-called "moderates," seen in former president Mohammad Khatami and the incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, Iran's official policy has continued to focus on exporting crisis and terrorism abroad, quelling domestic dissent, and continuing efforts to obtain nuclear weapons. To divert Western policy vis-a-vis Iran, in addition to the "good cop, bad cop" scenario, Iran has also continuously claimed the absence of any credible opposition or alternative. Therefore, with no change in sight, the only solution is to seek change from within. The actual truth lies in the fact that the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as its main member, is the largest opposition against Tehran. This coalition enjoys the most support among Iranians inside the country and abroad, as seen vividly in its annual 100,000-strong rallies, where supporters gather in Paris from all four corners of the globe. Despite the Iranian regime launching killings sprees and massacring more than 30,000 PMOI/MEK members and supporters in the summer of 1988, this organization has remained the most powerful Iranian opposition movement, enjoying networks in cities across Iran. Senior Iranian regime officials have admitted time and again how the PMOI/MEK network organized the massive 2009 rallies without leaving a trace. And currently, Iranian officials are terrified of a 2009 repeat in the upcoming May 19 presidential election. In contrast to the misogynist regime ruling Iran that recognizes no rights for women, this opposition is led by a woman, seen in NCRI president Maryam Rajavi, who has presented a 10-point plan for a future, truly democratic Iran. Universal human rights, separation of church and state, a non-nuclear Iran, gender equality, freedom of religion, revoking the death penalty, banning torture, and respecting all international covenants are aspects of Rajavi's agenda. Tehran has pursued its deceptive policy and lured the West into a mirage of finding "moderates" in Iran. As a result, Western appeasers have failed to see the truth regarding Iran and never adopted a firm policy against Tehran's mullahs. Today, the Middle East and the world over are paying the price of such a mistaken policy. If this trend continues, we will unfortunately be witness to further catastrophes in the not so distant future. Were excited to announce that amm.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving metals market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. For San Angelo native and Angelo State senior Christian Garcia, honoring his family and his heritage have been his motivations throughout his college career. Christian Garcia I had a mentor once tell me, Youre brought into this world with one last name, Garcia said. Make it more valuable when you leave. A double major in accounting and finance, Garcia is taking major strides in doing just that. The grandson of immigrants looking to expand opportunities for their family, he is the winner of ASUs Presidential Award as the top graduate in the Class of 2017. Im so fortunate to receive that award, Garcia said. I hope this recognition will inspire more students from the Concho Valley to attend Angelo State University. And the Presidential Award is just the tip of the iceberg. This year alone, Garcia also won a prestigious Dennis Boe Award for undergraduate research at the Great Plains Honors Council Conference and was named a Venture for America (VFA) Fellow by the VFA national entrepreneurship and community enhancement organization. The VFA fellowship stemmed from his 2016 internship at Goldman Sachs in Dallas. Garcia accepting the 2017 Presidential Award from Dr. Brian J. May I was working at Goldman Sachs over the summer, Garcia said, and with the help of my team, I became good at the work, but I was not extremely passionate about my job. I felt like I needed something less structured; something that would let me make a direct impact on job creation and community revitalization while providing a platform to one day start a business. They (Goldman Sachs) gave me an opportunity, and for that I will always be grateful, he added. It was at Goldman Sachs I found out I wanted to work for Venture for America. Id definitely say ASU chose me. It didnt come down to me being stuck with ASU the university opened doors for many opportunities. Christian Garcia Currently in the VFA interview process, Garcia is working on being matched with the right company for his fellowship. Upon graduating on May 13, he will complete his training with VFA at Brown University in Rhode Island, then begin his two-year commitment to the company he chooses. It will be a full-time job, Garcia said. It will include the benefits of a full-time job. Hopefully, I will get to dabble in every department that way I can gain as much experience as possible. At the end of the two years, they (VFA) want you to have some type of idea of starting your own business. But these awards are not necessarily about me, he added. They are about the people who have helped contribute to my success. Every time I win an award or some type of recognition, I love to bring it back to San Angelo and the university, and most importantly to my family. I think thats what matters. Christian Garcia: Onward and Upward A San Angelo Central High School alum, Garcia was unsure about continuing his education. Through the help of his high school counselor and ASUs Up & Coming Scholars college preparation program, he found himself applying to ASU less than a month before the application deadline. I applied and got in, and was like, Look at that. Now Im going to college, Garcia said. I only applied to one school. Looking at it today, Im super grateful ASU had the Up & Coming Scholars program in place, because without that, who knows what Id be doing? Ive had quite a bit of success because of those people who impacted my life five years ago. In addition to the Up & Coming Scholars program, Garcia contributes his success to the dedication of his professors and to the ASU Honors Program. If I didnt have the Honors Program, I probably wouldnt have any of this, he said. I definitely credit the program for a lot of my success. The curriculum taught in the program helps you approach problems in a different way. You also learn to broaden your mind and to have a different perspective on the way the world and society works. Garcia will graduate in May, double majoring in accounting and finance. Going forward, Garcia plans to complete his VFA fellowship and then hopes to study abroad for a year through a Fulbright or Marshall program before earning his Master of Business Administration degree. His ultimate goal is to start his own business, focusing on investments. One thing is for sure he will continue to work hard and take advantage of opportunities, much like he did when he was accepted into ASU four years ago. Id definitely say ASU chose me, Garcia said. It didnt come down to me being stuck with ASU the university opened doors for many opportunities. Traditional black and white silver prints by prominent Finnish photographer Pentti Sammallahti. Runs through 6/24. ABOUT THE EVENT photo-eye Gallery will host an Opening for the exhibition Friday April 28th from 5 7pm, corresponding with the Railyard Arts Districts Last Friday Art Walk. Warm Regards will remain on view through June 24th, 2017. ABOUT THE ARTWORK Pentti Sammallahti is a traveler and a visual poet. Endowed with an extraordinary 15-year grant from the Finnish government Sammallahti has travelled widely from his native Scandinavia, across the Soviet Republics through Siberia, to Japan, India, Nepal, Morocco, Turkey, throughout Europe, Great Britain, and South Africa. Meticulously well-seen, Sammallahtis photographs are imbued with a sense of wonder, delight, and reverence for the world at large while reflecting on both beauty and the human condition. He focuses on the people and animals of far off places recording the relationships between them and their environment. A master craftsman, Sammallahti is always in pursuit of the perfect means to communicate his intentions by subtly toning each of his rich silver gelatin prints. Over the years, photo-eye Gallery has had the pleasure to receive Penttis prints in treasured bundles signed with "Warm Regards". ABOUT THE ARTIST Inspired by his grandmother Hildur Larsson, a newspaper photographer, and viewing Edward Steichens seminal The Family of Man at Helsinki Art Hall in 1961 Pentti Sammallahti began making images at the age of 11. At 21, Sammallahti was featured in his first solo exhibition marking the beginning of a professional career that would come to influence an entire generation of Finnish photographers. Prior to receiving the Finnish States 15-year artist grant, Sammallahti taught at the Helsinki University of Art and Design, and has released thirteen portfolios and monographs since 1979 including The Russian Way and Here Far Away. In 2003, at the opening of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris, France, Pentti was named one of Cartier-Bressons 100 favorite photographers, and works by Sammallahti where exhibited from Cartier-Bressons personal collection. Penttis work can be found at the Museum of Modern Art, the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France, Pushkin Museum, Moscow, Russia, among others, and he has received awards such as the Samuli Paulaharju Prize of the Finnish Literature Society, State Prizes for Photography, Uusimaa Province Art Prize, Daniel Nyblin Prize, and the Finnish Critics Association Annual. Map reveals white Europeans views on blacks How racist against blacks are white Europeans? You could simply look at the European Union whose immigration policy is firmly shut to those beyond its borders. If youre a dark-skinned African refugee, the EU will become a fortress and pay a lot keep you out. One other way of looking at white Europeans views of blacks is to look at this map. Since 2002 Harvard Universitys Project Implicit has invited visitors to take its implicit association test (IAT), a rapid-response task which measures how easily you can pair items from different categories. To create this new map, we used data from a version of the test which presents white or black faces and positive or negative words. The result shows how easily our minds automatically make the link between the categories what psychologists call an implicit racial attitude. Each country on the map is coloured according to the average score of test takers from that country. Redder countries show higher average bias, bluer countries show lower average bias, as the scale on the top of the map shows No country had an average score below zero, which would reflect positive associations with blackness. In fact, none had an average score that was even close to zero, which would reflect neither positive nor negative racial associations. Overall, we have scores for 288,076 white Europeans, collected between 2002 and 2015, with sample sizes for each country shown on the left-hand side. Spotter: The Conversation Anorak Posted: 3rd, May 2017 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink (ANSA) - Rome, May 3 - 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Beppe Grillo on Wednesday accused The New York Times of "fake news" over a editorial that said the anti-establishment group was feeding skepticism about vaccines. "Today The New York Times published an article which states that 'In Italy, the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) led by the comedian Beppe Grillo has campaigned actively on an anti-vaccination platform, likewise repeating the false ties between vaccinations and autism'," Grillo wrote on his blog. "There is nothing to support this lie, not even a link, a reference, a statement. Nothing. It's not there because it's a lie". The New York Times quoted Italian Ministry of Health figures reporting 1,739 cases of measles up to April 26, compared with 840 in all of 2016 and only 250 in 2015, and noted that 88% of sufferers had not been vaccinated. Ex-premier Matteo Renzi, the leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), called on Grillo to apologise. "Today Italy is in The New York Times because of the increase in measles cases. And for the fact that some parties like the 5-Stars are intentionally skeptical about vaccines," Renzi said on Facebook. "(It's) an incredible, international bad show. And what does Beppe Grillo do this morning? He attacks the The New York Times... "But how can you? Enough already. For once, Grillo, go back to being human: leave the clicks and the algorithms. "Take back the words you said against vaccines and against mammographs. Apologise and we will all respect your step back". (ANSA) - Rome, May 3 - Street hawkers blocked traffic in Rome Wednesday protesting the death of a Senegalese street hawker they said was knocked over by a traffic cop in civvies, a claim the police denied - while there were other reports he had suffered a sudden heart attack. Nian Maguette, 54, who had been in Italy for around 20 years and has two daughters here, died fleeing from a police clampdown on illegal selling when he was allegedly knocked over by a traffic warden on a scooter in civilian clothing, other African hawkers said. They said a stain on the pavement near the riverside Lungotevere street was the blood of Maguette. "He was running away and slipped and banged his head," said one of the witnesses. Other witnesses reportedly said Maguette collapsed on his own, without being hit by any vehicle, and may have had a heart attack. "He fell on his own, it looked like he had a bad turn," said a man who said he saw Maguette through the window of the shop he worked in. Another shop assistant said "he was corpulent, carrying a big black bag". An autopsy has been ordered into Maguette's death. Police gathered at the scene where the street hawkers protested the alleged incident, blocking the Lungotevere thoroughfare. Maguette was not run over by a traffic cop, Rome municipal police HQ said Wednesday, denying the hawkers' reports. "There is no direct link between the anti-illegal selling operation and the death of the Senegalese citizen which took place about 500 metres away," it said. "The agents who intervened say there was no pursuit," it said, voicing sympathy with the man's family and the whole Senegalese community. Deputy Rome municipal police chief Antonio Di Maggio said "we are sorry for this incident that has struck the Senegalese community. I flatly deny that any of the sellers who were checked was pursued. "We hope prosecutors wil clear this up". Police said they feared the protests might have turned violent. Rome prosecutors opened a probe into Maguette's death, against person or persons unknown and without any charges as yet. (ANSA) - Rome, May 3 - Street hawkers blocked traffic in Rome Wednesday protesting the death of a Senegalese street hawker they said was knocked over by a traffic cop in civvies, a claim the police denied. Nian Maguette, 54, died fleeing from a police check on illegal selling when he was knocked over by a traffic warden on a scooter in civilian clothing, other African hawkers said. They said a stain on the pavement near the riverside Lungotevere street was the blood of Maguette. "He was running away and slipped and banged his head," said one of the witnesses. Police have gathered at the scene where the street hawkers are protesting the alleged incident. Maguette was not run over by a traffic cop, Rome police HQ said Wednesday, denying the hawkers' reports. "There is no direct link between the anti-illegal selling operation and the death of the Senegalese citizen which took place about 500 metres away," it said. "The agents who intervened say there was no pursuit," it said, voicing sympathy with the man's family and the whole Senegalese community. (ANSA) - Milan, May 2 - Assisted suicide does not violate the right to life, Milan prosecutors said Tuesday in requesting the acquittal of right-to-die activist Marco Cappato in the assisted suicide of blind and tetraplegic former disc jockey DJ Fabo in Switzerland at the end of February. The Milan prosecutors' request for the Radical Party member is based on the contention that assisted suicide does not breach the right to life "in the case of terminal illness or serious suffering, unbearable for the patient". Cappato helped DJ Fabo exercise his right to "human dignity" in accompanying him to the Dignitas Clinic in Zurich, the prosecutors said. A preliminary investigations judge will now weigh the request for Cappato, who is facing 12 years in jail for breaking Italian law forbidding assisted suicide. This is one of several cases involving Cappato and others, On April 19 prosecutors in the Tuscan coastal town of Massa placed right-to-die activists Mina Welby and Cappato under investigation for helping multiple-sclerosis (MS) sufferer Davide Trentini commit assisted suicide in Switzerland. The move was automatic, as was the Milan prosecutors' probe, after Welby and Cappato reported themselves to police after helping Trentini kill himself on April 14. Trentini voiced the hope in a farewell letter that Italy would become a "civilised" country where euthanasia would be possible. "I really hope that Italy becomes a more civilised country, finally passing a law that lets people end enormous suffering, without end, without remedy, in their own homes, close to their loved ones, without having to go abroad, with all the difficulties involved without excessive expenditure," wrote the 53-year-old Tuscan, who was accompanied to the Dignitas clinic in Zurich by Welby with Cappato's support. "I will leave for my dream holiday", wrote Trentini. The scientific head of Exit Italia, of which Trentini was a member, Silvio Vitale, said: "I don't hesitate to express our satisfaction that Davide Trentini, one of our members, was able to legally die in Switzerland. "There remains the anger that he could not do so in Italy among his friends". Vitale said "I, like many other doctors, "am ready to do as my colleagues in Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium do, and I hope that day is not far off. Vitale added: "A thank you to Mina Welby who accompanied him, challenging the hypocrisy of Italian law". Many Italians including the headline-grabbing DJ Fabo, who lost his will to live after a road accident, have been helped to commit euthanasia by the campaigning Luca Coscioni Association, and especially its treasurer Cappato. The Coscioni Association has helped 268 people to die and has accompanied three to the Swiss Dignitas clinic, most taken there by Cappato. MS is a debilitating nerve-wasting disease. Trentini had been suffering from it for 26 years, since 1993, and had found his recent years unbearable, sources said. Welby is the widow of Piergiorgio Welby, an Italian poet, painter and activist whose three-month-long battle to establish his right to die in 2006 led to a debate about euthanasia in Italy, rekindled by DJ Fabo's and other Swiss suicides. A bill on end-of-life issues including living wills, but not euthanasia, is before parliament amid criticism from the Catholic Church and conservative politicians. photo: Cappato Israel slashes UNESCO funds by 1 mln after resolution Decision is bizarre and harrassment has a price, says PM (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MAY 3 - Israel will cut another million dollars from its already slashed funding to the UN, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday after UNESCO passed a resolution on Jerusalem the previous day. He said in opening a government meeting in Jerusalem that the decision taken was ''bizarre'' and that ''this harassment has a price''. Israel has cut its funding to the UN previously after other resolutions. The funds that Israel was to have contributed to the UN this year were slashed by six million dollars after UN Security Council resolution 2334 on West Bank settlements, on which the Barack Obama administration abstained. Another two million dollars were cut after a similar choice a month ago by the UN Human Rights Council. Media reports say that Israel's share of funding to the UN will thus this year total around 2.7 million dollars. (ANSAmed). Migrants: some states cause problems,not EU,Greek ambassador 'Goverments have domestic advantages, but they damage Europe' (ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 3 - Greece's ambassador to Italy, Themistoklis Demiris, said on Wednesday that member states refusing to cooperate were the main problem as concerns a lack of support as concerns the migrant crisis for Italy and Greece. ''It is not so much a problem caused by EU institutions,'' he said, as by the governments of two, three or four countries that have refused to cooperate,'' he added in speaking at an ANSA forum. ''Europe was unable to implement its proposals due to those countries. When it proposed things that were accepted by everyone, it worked, such as in the case of the agreement with Turkey,'' the ambassador said. ''Of course, the migrant relocation plan has not worked. But it is also true that it is a difficult situation that we had not seen before. And then there is this tendency for states to act independently. Perhaps they get advantages on the domestic front, but it harms Europe''. (ANSAmed). Car bomb hits Syrian rebel-held town near Turkey Several killed, 'FSA administrative building targeted' (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MAY 3 - Several people were killed on Wednesday morning in the rebel-held town of Azaz in northern Syria near the border with Turkey, Arab media reported. Local activists say that the car bomb targeted a government building used by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) for administrative purposes. Both civilians and FSA fighters were reportedly killed in the attack. Azaz has been hit by several similar attacks, some of which were claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS). (ANSAmed). ROME - Long, decorated traditional Ottoman kaftans will be exhibited in the Italian capital starting on Thursday afternoon at the Turkish cultural center Yunus Emre. The word 'kaftan' derives from 'khilat', which means something to be worn over something else and which in Arabic means 'attire of honor'. Made out of fur or valuable fabric, kaftans were worn by functionaries of the sultanate and especially by the Grand Visit, as well as those of a lower standing when they were awarded ranks or to show appreciation of the work they had done. While kaftans for men were linked to official capacities as part of the sultanate, for women it was a sign of wealth and prestige. The exhibition is being held under the direction of ATOM chief Selma Hasdemir. The kaftans are the work of women from the city of Unye in northern Turkey. A conference entitled ''The Language of Kaftans' will be held alongside the exhibition by Professor Seckin Evcim from the University of Ordu. Several dignitaries from the city of Ordu will be in attendance. Serraj and Haftar agree on elections in Libya by March 2018 Accord to dissolve militias decided in Abu Dhabi meeting (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, MAY 3 - The two main players in the multifaceted, lengthy Libyan crisis, Prime Minister Fayez Al-Serraj and General Khalifa Haftar, have met in Abu Dhabi. Media reports say that the two have reached an agreement to resolve the stalemate through joint control of militias and elections by March 2018. As usual in Libyan issues, the agreement must be considered in light of the fact that it may not take into account various strong militias that are against General Haftar. According to the caption of a photo on a Facebook page attributed to the armed forces answering to Haftar, the meeting between the general and the UN-backed prime minister happened in the UAE capital. In February, a planned meeting between the two fell through at the last minute after Haftar decided not to take part. Early Tuesday evening, the contents of the agreement were reported by authoritative Arab media but not by official sources. The agreement is said to have been achieved on the basis of a new 'Council of the Presidency of the State' including the speaker of the 'Tobruk-based parliament', Aghila Saleh, his counterpart in the 'Government of National Accord (GNA, now under Serraj), and 'Army Commander' Haftar. Analysts say that Haftar seems to be aiming for a political and not only a military role, as underscored by the suit and tie he was wearing in official photos next to Serraj. Libya's Channel has announced ''an agreement on preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections by March 2018.'' The agreement reportedly also calls for the dissolution of all ''irregular'' militias. (ANSAmed). Saudia is the only airline flying daily non-stop between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the PRC, flying its Boeing 777 between Jeddah and Guangzhou (CAN) the hub of China Southern Airlines. Both Saudia and China Southern Airlines are members of the Skyteam alliance. The new agreement now enables guests travelling with Saudia to Guangzhou (CAN) to connect onwards to the cities of Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG) and Wuhan (WUH). Passengers flying with China Southern Airlines (CZ) will be able to access the Saudia network from Guangzhou (CAN) and transiting through DXB. Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said: With this new partnership, guests flying with Saudia and China Southern Airlines will have additional flexibility and convenience when connecting from long-haul flights to select domestic routes in Saudi Arabia and China. We look forward to welcoming all of our guests on-board. This spring has already been a busy one for water managers. The Rio Grande and its acequias and irrigation ditches are currently full and forecasters predict more snow for the mountains this weekend. Unlike many years over the past two decades, when water managers wondered how to spread out water deliveries to farmers and growers so everyone made it through the growing season, this year the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) is watching for a different problem, one born of high water levelsthe pressure on levees. Its feast or famine, said Mike Hamman, chief engineer of the district, which delivers water to irrigators from Cochiti Dam to Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge. Its also election season in the district. Hammans bosses are the seven members of the MRGCD board of directors. This year, voters will decide who occupies four of those seats. Absentee voting began this week, and election day is June 6. The district includes just 86,000 eligible voters, only 7 percent of whom turned out for the 2015 election. But the districts impacts are felt throughout the entire Middle Rio Grande Valley. Even people who dont rely on water deliveries for irrigation benefit from the Bosque, the greenbelt and paths that flank the Rio Grande through the valley, said Hamman. Our mission used to be to deliver water and keep the system maintained, provide flood control, and protection and drainage for the valley, he said. Weve expanded our mission to include ecological and endangered species goals and requirements, as well as what I consider the quality of life componentthere are many other folks who enjoy living in the valley and dont necessarily irrigate. Eight years ago, an MRGCD election led to some significant changes in the district. At that time, the chief engineer had been there for about three decades. It was a one-man show, said Adrian Oglesby, a water attorney who was first elected to the board in 2009. If you had difficulties dealing with that one man, everything just stopped. Oglesby and three other candidates, including the Pueblo of Sandias Derrick Lentewho is now a state representativecame onto the board and made a push for changes. Perhaps the biggest change was looking for a new chief engineer. Ultimately, the board hired Hamman, who had been working as the Albuquerque Area Manager for the US Bureau of Reclamation. The motivation was to professionalize the management of the district, make sure it was being run with integrity and make sure it was customer-oriented and fiscally sound, said Oglesby, who since 2014 had directed the Utton Transboundary Resources Center at the University of New Mexicos School of Law. We also wanted to make sure it was environmentally and socially responsible and that employees were being treated right. The district employs more than 200 people, including clerks, accountants, ditch riders, equipment operators and scientists. On the board, Oglesby said he wanted to make sure the district was in good hands for the future and that it had strong relationships with the six pueblos within the district. He also wanted to make sure that environmental stewardship became part of the DNA and the core mission of the district, as opposed to something thats a frustration they had to deal with. That may become increasingly important now that a new process is in place for how the valleys water managers, including the district, deal with endangered species. Last year, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which enforces the federal Endangered Species Act, decided that water operations in the Middle Rio Grande are not jeopardizing the survival of a rare fish, the two-inch-long silvery minnow. For the past 15 years, the US Bureau of Reclamation and the district had to hustle to keep some water in certain stretches of the river for the fish. Now, they wont have legal flow requirements. Instead, theyre supposed to monitor fish populations, supplement their numbers with fish raised in hatcheries if necessary and do things like build fish passage structures on certain diversions in the Rio Grande. Good management of the district benefits everyone, Oglesby said. It improves economic and lifestyle values in Albuquerque, and spreads that out across the state. That is, the district doesnt only impact farmers. Its water operations affect everything from ecosystems to real estate values. Through conservation, the district has a role in making sure New Mexico meets its water delivery obligations to Texas, he said, and irrigated agriculture is a core part of the states economic engine. So is preservation of the Bosque. Peoples real estate values depend on the Bosque, he said, using the Village of Corrales as an example. Property values on the Bosque side of the main drag are tens of thousands of dollars higher per acre than on the other side. This year, Oglesby isnt running for the board again. And his replacement, Joaquin Baca, is running unopposed. Baca grew up in Belen and served almost six years in the US Army, on active duty and as part of the New Mexico National Guard. Having grown up in a community where the Rio Grande and the Bosque are so important, Baca said he was shocked to see the river when he was stationed in El Paso. The Rio Grande is dead in El Paso, he said. I grew up along the Bosque, developing that sense of place, attachment, understanding. To then go to a place where its dead, where you dont even step into it, that had a profound effect on me. And so did being deployed to the Middle East. After the Army, he went back to school and studied hydrology, geology and environmental science. Today, he works as a hydrologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. His duties are focused in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and northern New Mexico, he said, and not in areas within the districts jurisdiction. He said that if elected to the board, he would recuse himself from voting on any federal contracts. But hed still be able to offer advice and implement existing agreements. Ive always wanted to be a part of the MRGCD, Baca said. Since Im a hydrologist, if Im going to give back to my community this is the opportunity for me to do that, positively and credibly. The other seats up for election this year are competitive. In Bernalillo County, those candidates include Karen Dunning and Pat McCraw, and in Socorro County, James Lee Martin and Valerie Moore. In Sandoval County, Derrick Lente is facing a challenge from Orlando Lucero. For more information on ballots and voting locations, visit mrgcd.com. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan on May 3 addressed a congratulatory message on the World Press Freedom Day, press service of the Yerevan Municipality told Armenpress. The message reads: Dear representatives of mass media, I cordially congratulate you on the World Press Freedom Day. At the current stage of global developments, when the participation of civil society in the decision-making process on issues of public importance becomes more and more important, the role of mass media becomes more responsible both as an information source and as an influential tool for protection of freedom of speech and human rights. Many representatives of Armenian media field today bear their responsible post with an honor and are able to consistently draw the publics attention on the most urgent problems with high professional qualities which then become precedents and change stereotypes, people, including also our reality. And it is not coincidental that I fairly consider you as fourth power. I once again congratulate you on the World Press Freedom Day, wish you good health, success and new achievements. I also wish you to continue your professional work with an honor for the benefit of our country and the capital city of Yerevan. YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. The deliveries of Russias advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to Turkey were discussed at a meeting of Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan, Armenpress reports, citing TASS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "This theme was touched upon, like other issues related to military and technical cooperation," Peskov said. "Military and technical cooperation was discussed in a positive tone," the Kremlin spokesman said. Russia and Turkey have been negotiating the deliveries of S-400 air defense missile systems since last years winter but both sides have not announced anything specific so far. They have only stated that the talks are proceeding positively and have entered their final phase but have not yet reached the stage of signing a contract. In late April, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said that "a joint decision on forthcoming steps towards the acquisition of the Russian antiaircraft missile system" might be made following the negotiations between Putin and Erdogan. The video, which has gone viral, was uploaded to social media at the end of April and shows an eerie cluster of buildings clearly hovering in the sky above bewildered onlookers.Floating interdimensional cities have been reported multiple times in the past. In 2015, thousands of citizens in the same area in China reporting seeing a similar floating city which they say disappeared within minutes. Citizens in Africa and the UK also reported seeing parallel cities in the past. Ancient-code.com reports: Interestingly, this is the third time people have managed to record what appears to be a floating city above China. In early 2017, people in Yeuyang were left shocked after a similar phenomenon appeared in the sky.In 2016, another set of images and video recordings surfaced on the internet showing another mysterious floating city filmed above the clouds in Dalian in northeast Chinas Liaoning Province.In 2015, another floating city was recorded over the city of Jiangxi, as an eerie cluster of buildings appeared just above the sky.The Jiangxi incident however, was explained by experts who concluded that the phenomena to be a natural mirage, an optical illusion called Fata Morgana.Also in 2015, a floating city created confusion among residents of Foshan, as people watched in amazement a giant city appearing out of nowhere. According to media reports, thousands of people stood still, watching the ghostly city in what has been the second apparition of a flying city in China. The mysterious city was reported to have giant skyscrapers and other smaller buildings which are clearly visible in the image according to social network users.A video from the 2015 sighting:But not only have videos of floating cities been recorded over China, interestingly, similar events were also recorded around the world.In 2011, hundreds of people from the small border town of Dulali in Darazo, Nigeria, claimed to have seen a huge flying city in the sky. The giant floating city appeared out of nowhere, the entire city was surrounded by a thin cloud, it flew very close to the ground, through these clouds witnesses claimed to have seen beautiful large buildings, towers and the sound of machines originating from the city. According to local reports, 10-year-old Ibrahim could not believe what he was seeing.When reporters from the Nigerian national newspaper asked local residents about their opinion what they had seen, they said that it was the work of God, because of their religious beliefs. The Imam of the village, Mallam Shehu Liman, confirmed the sighting, though he attributed it to Allah and the Djinn, a reference to the spirits in the Islamic and Arab folklore. We believe that perhaps God used those sightings for us to open our eyes and see how the Djinn live in their own world, said Liman.Reports of mysterious structures appearing in the sky have been reported since ancient times. Many of us are familiar with stories about strange creatures that appear out of nowhere, mysterious creatures coming out of giant crafts, flames, spheres, etc These mythological ships were known in ancient India as the Vimana, mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics.While most of these videos are incrediblewhats cooler than seeing a floating city?it appears the explanation is actually much simpler than a Massive alien city appearing from another dimension.What people saw most likely is a rare type of mirage called Fata Morganaan optical illusion caused by specific weather conditions bending light rays.As explained by Wired , a Fata Morgana occurs when the Sun heats up a layer of the atmosphere but the layer of air below it remains cool. When different layers of the atmosphere are different temperatures, a temperature gradient is generated. These different temperatures also mean differing densities between the layers. Pyramids are a global phenomenon. For thousands of years, ancient cultures around the globe decided to erect Pyramids as if all of them followed an intricate blueprint from the past. Not a single expert today can answer why the ancients built Pyramids, and why so many of them are eerily similar despite the fact that mainstream scholars arguethe most distant civilizations around the globe were not connected.China is known for a lot of things, but a few know that many experts consider this part of the world to be home to the largest pyramid on the surface of the planet . During the end of World War II, American pilotprepared to complete a mission of providing food and supplies to the Chinese military forces. Suddenly, a fault in the aircraft engine forced his return to the Assan airbase in northern India, for safety, he performed his return journey at low altitude which made it possible to observe the incredible land below him. Shortly after flying over the city of Xian, heading southwest, the pilot encountered the presence of a giant pyramidal shape on the surface. Surprised, after making several passes over the structure, Gussman prepared to and took several photographs of the pyramid; he also created a detailed report, which he later handed to his superiors upon returning to base.But thats just one reference to ONE of the many mystifying pyramids in China The truth is there are many more Pyramids scattered across the region.If we travel Lake Fuxian, located in the Yunnan Province, China we will discover the remains of MASSIVE structures at the bottom of the lake. At the bottom of this poorly explored Lakewhich stretches through Chengjiang County, Jiangchuan County and Huaning County in Yunnan Province, rising 1,720 meters above sea level and encompassing an area of 212 square kilometersare structures that have mystified experts ever since their discovery.The enigmatic monuments were discovered in 1992 when expert diver Geng Wei came across hand carved flagstones and countless other stone relics scattered across the bottom of the second deepest freshwater lake in China. Geng Wei was left mystified by what many believe are the remains of a lost ancient city.So when were these enigmatic structures built? The answer is sort of simple: before the last Ice Agewhen water levels around the planet were much lower than today.Is it possible that the ancient structure located beneath Lake Fuxian are the remnants of an ancient culture that flourished before Earths last Ice Age? And is it possibleas author and researcher Graham Hancock arguesit was around 13,000 years ago when a cataclysmic event wiped out advanced civilizations from the surface of the planet?After over thirty dives and aid from submarines, experts discovered the remains of massive stone slabs, stairs, and walled structures. However, that was not enough to understand what exactly was located at the bottom of the lake.Then, in 2001, archaeologists from the Hunan Provincial Museum used advanced sonar equipment and cameras to survey the bottom of the lake for the first time ever.The results convinced experts in the field that the remains at the bottom of the lake once belonged to an extremely complex and advanced ancient culture that inhabited the region in the distant past, capable of building massive structure and more importantly, PYRAMIDS.One of the submerged pyramids at the bottom of Lake Fuxian has a circular shape and has a base of around 37 meters, while the other two, of greater height, are connected to each other by a corridor of stone of 300 meters of length.Researchers gathered enough data to convince them that the mysterious underwater structures covered an area of more than 1.5 square kilometersWhat if the structure at the bottom of the lake are evidence that before the Great Floodbefore the last Ice Agean extremely advanced ancient culture inhabited the area? If so, who were they and what happened to them after the great flood?Looking back at historical records we will find evidence that an ancient city called Yuyuan was established in the region were Lake Fuxian is located today.Historical records show that the city ceased to exist after the Sui and Tang Dynasty (589-907AD). Curiously, according to local legends and folklore, the ancient city of Yuyuan and its people sank to the bottom of the lake. So, did experts find the remains of the ancient city of Yuyuan? The answer is no.Why? Because after several studies, experts concluded that the sunken city Yuyuan or the capital of the ancient Dian Kingdom was in fact constructed mostly out of wooden and clay materials. The remains at the bottom of the lake are mostly made of stone.As noted by the Epoch times , the pyramids at the bottom of the lake are far more advanced than other similar pyramids around the globe as the stones are ornamented with various designs and symbols. Experts are said to have found curious shapes engraved on the stone structures at the bottom of the lake. Amongst the many engraved stones, one of them has attracted particular attention. On the top right of the slab, experts found a small carved circle with seven radial lines, a symbol that according to many experts is meant to depict the Sun. On the left side of the stone, there are more symbols; another circle with four radial lines. Singapore: Innovation fund created to fuel growth As part of its bid to fuel economic growth, Singapores government is setting up a S$1 billion (US$718 million) fund to help innovative companies to develop their businesses and expand overseas. Billed as the Makara Innovation Fund, the project is a collaboration between the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and local private equity firm Makara Capital. According to IPOS, the fund will invest S$30 million (US$21.5 million) to S$150 million (US$107.5 million) each in 10 to 15 companies with globally competitive technologies over the next eight years. According to Bloombergs 2017 innovation index, Singapore ranked sixth ahead of the U.S. and Israel. According to Bloomberg estimates, Singapore has the third-largest number of patents granted per one million inhabitants, trailing only South Korea and Japan. As per latest available data from 2015, Singapore had 10,814 applications for patents, the largest number of any Southeast Asian nation, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. According to IPOS, the agency plans to double the number of intellectual property experts in Singapore to 1,000 over the next five years and will train 4,000 people a year. It will also assist companies in using intellectual property as collateral for financing. IPOS expects these initiatives to add about S$1.5 billion (US$1.07 billion) in value to Singapores economy over the next five years. Philippines: Investment grade rating retained by S&P Global Standard & Poors (S&P) Global Ratings has retained the investment grade rating for the Philippines. The international credit rating agency affirmed its BBB rating for the country by stating that it reflects its assessment of the Philippines strong external position, which features ample foreign exchange reserves and low and declining external debt. S&P Global stated that the countrys strength is balanced by its lower-middle income economy and emerging policy-making settings. S&P Global noted the 10-point plan of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to reduce poverty, promote a law-abiding society, and achieve a peaceful resolution to the separatist conflict on Mindanao island. In comments made to the local press, S&P Global observed: The Presidents strong focus on improving law and order has given rise to concerns among some international observers. When combined with the Presidents policy pronouncements elsewhere on foreign policy and national security, we believe the predictability of future policy responses is slightly diminished. S&P Global forecasts the GDP per capita growth of the Philippines to average 4.9 percent per year from 2017-2020, and expects the Duterte administration to continue with the fiscal and economic development policies of the previous administration. Myanmar: Increased tourist arrivals recorded According to Myanmars Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, the country has recorded a 22 percent increase in tourist arrivals in the first two months of 2017 over the same period in the previous year. More than 600,000 international tourists visited the country by the end of February this year. However, 2016 recorded a decline in overall tourist numbers from 4.68 million visitors in 2015 to only 2.9 million last year. The ministry has clarified that this figure has been arrived at through a new system of collecting data, which it had adopted and which did not include day trippers with border passes. According to U Ohn Maung, Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism, The previous system counted visitors coming through international border checkpoints. But this years figures were systematically categorized into tourists, business travelers, day trippers. Tourism officials have indicated that the overall tourism outlook looks positive despite the 38 percent decline in 2016 due to the adoption of a new counting mechanism. About Us Asia Briefing, a subsidiary of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, the Silk Road & Vietnam. For editorial matters please contact us here and for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click ASEAN Briefing is published by, a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates . We produce material for foreign investors throughout Asia, includingthe. For editorial matters please contact usand for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click here Dezan Shira & Associates provide business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax and advisory services throughout the ASEAN and Asia. We maintain offices in Singapore, as well as Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City, and maintain Alliance offices in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila as well as throughout China, South-East Asia, India and Russia. For assistance with ASEAN investments into any of the featured countries, please contact us at provide business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax and advisory services throughout the ASEAN and Asia. We maintain offices in Singapore, as well as Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City, and maintain Alliance offices in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila as well as throughout China, South-East Asia, India and Russia. For assistance with ASEAN investments into any of the featured countries, please contact us at asean@dezshira.com or visit us at www.dezshira.com Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2017 An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2017 introduces the fundamentals of investing in the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, concentrating on economics, trade, corporate establishment, and taxation. We also include the latest development news for each country, with the intent to provide an executive assessment of the varying component parts of ASEAN, assessing each member state and providing the most up-to-date economic and demographic data on each. Human Resources in ASEAN In this issue of ASEAN Briefing, we discuss the prevailing structure of ASEANs labor markets and outline key considerations regarding wages and compliance at all levels of the value chain. We highlight comparative sentiment on labor markets within the region, showcase differences in cost and compliance between markets, and provide insight on the state of statutory social insurance obligations throughout the bloc. Senior BJP leader Shaina N C also came out in support of the demand by the doctors of Saifee hospital, which treated Eman for weight loss. Mumbai: Doctors treating 36-year-old Eman Ahmed Abdulati, the Egyptian national believed to be the world's heaviest woman, have sought an apology from her sibling Shaimaa Selim, who alleged that the hospital authorities used her sister for mere publicity and made false claims about the former's weight loss. 32-year-old Selim, in a Facebook video, had accuses the hospital of lying for publicity. "Everything was a lie. God forgive them for what they have done... Eman did not lose 240 kg or 260 kg," Shimaa says, speaking softly in the video. Senior BJP leader Shaina N C also came out in support of the demand by the doctors of Saifee hospital, which treated Eman for weight loss. "All said and done, it would be in order for her (Shaimaa) to apologise to Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and the hospital authorities for the good work they had done for Eman. "Her action is not only an insult to the doctors and hospital authorities, but to the governments of Maharashtra and India," Ms Shaina said. The BJP leader along with Lakdawala and Dr Aparna Bhaskar called on Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao last evening to seek an apology from Shaimaa Selim. "Eman Ahmed was looking quite well and it can be seen that she had lost considerable amount of weight," she said, adding, "I have already spoken to Eman assuring her that the hospital authorities and the government are her well-wishers." The Saifee hospital has already made it clear that they would not be charging any fee from Eman's family. Eman, believed to be world's heaviest woman, weighed around 500 kg when she was brought to Saifee Hospital in Mumbai in February. Sonia Gandhi has been at the forefront of evolving a consensus among Opposition parties for a joint candidate 'acceptable to all'. New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday said it will have an open mind if Prime Minister Narendra Modi consults it and other Opposition parties for a consensus candidate for the next President of India. According to NDTV, Congress sources also said that the party is open to supporting Pranab Mukherjee for a second term, who has said he will consider it only if the government asks him. But the Congress does not think Modi will consult it. "Modi will not consult the Opposition. He does not consult his own cabinet, leave alone allies and senior BJP leaders...He follows 'my way or the highway' policy," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala was quoted as saying. Congress President Sonia Gandhi earlier on Wednesday met National Conference working president Omar Abdullah and is learnt to have discussed the possibility of putting up a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Gandhi has been at the forefront of evolving a consensus among Opposition parties for a joint candidate "acceptable to all". The Congress chief has already met a number of leaders, including Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, both of the JD(U), Sharad Pawar of the NCP and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. Gandhi is likely to meet other Opposition leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati, besides M K Stalin of the DMK in the next few days, the sources said. She has also been holding discussions over telephone with SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on a united opposition taking on the BJP in the presidential elections, due in July, to replace Pranab Mukherjee. Sources said the Opposition is trying to put up a united face and jointly fight the presidential poll even though the numbers have tilted in favour of the NDA after Uttar Pradesh Assembly election results. Parleys are also being held among leaders of other Opposition parties. The presidential election has to be held before July 24 when Mukherjee's term ends. He had taken over the post in July 2012, defeating the NDA candidate late P A Sangma. Congress leaders have been saying that the party would take a "conscious, concerted and balanced call" on a joint Opposition presidential candidate after consultation with all Opposition leaders. There has been a sudden flurry of activity by the Opposition to forge a strong alliance to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP after its recent winning streak in several states. The BJP currently has governments in 13 states and is a junior partner in the ruling alliances in Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. Some feel that the united face of the opposition for contesting the presidential elections may well turn out to be a precursor to an anti-NDA front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Indian troops had killed at least seven Pak soldiers in a retaliatory attack on Pakistani positions on April 17. New Delhi: The attack on a patrol party of the Indian Army in Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch district early on Monday by Pakistans special forces was authorised by army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who wanted to avenge the killing of at least seven of his soldiers by Indian troops on April 17. According to a report in The Indian Express, the Pakistan army chief ordered the ambush, in which bodies of two soldiers were mutilated, after local commanders pressed for a retaliatory attack. The Indian military had fired on the Pakistani positions on April 17 in retaliation to shelling by Pakistan troops on both civilian and military positions in Rajouri that morning. The Indian military claimed to have killed as many as 10 Pakistani soldiers. Bajwa gave the orders for the ambush following his visit to Pakistani military positions in Haji Pir on April 30, IE quoted Indian intelligence and military sources as saying. Ever since the cross-Line of Control strikes that followed the Uri terrorist attack, things havent really quietened down an Indian intelligence official said. The skirmishing has been costly for Pakistan, and we think its trying to show India it is now willing to risk escalation, despite the weakness of its military position on the Line of Control. Pakistans BAT had entered 250 metres deep inside Indian territory early on Monday, set up the ambush and waited for a long time for the patrol team. It ambushed the Indian Armys patrol unit under the cover of heavy mortar shelling by Pakistani troops on two forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. Their target was a patrol party of 7-8 members, which had come out of a post, an officer told PTI, adding that as the posts were engaged, the patrol team members ran for cover. In the process, two members were left behind and targeted by the BAT. Head constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of the BSF and Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Regiment of the army were killed and their bodies mutilated. Basit was called in by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's strong views on the incident, the external affairs ministry said. New Delhi: An "outraged" India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and demanded action against Pakistani soldiers and commanders responsible for the beheading of two of its security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Basit was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's "outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May one, 2017 by Pakistani army personnel," an External Affairs ministry statement said. "It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control," it said. The Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt has conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. However, the Pakistan army on Monday had denied India's charge and described itself as a highly professional force that never disrespects any soldier. "Pakistan army did not commit any ceasefire violation on LOC or a BAT action in Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghati Sector) as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies is also false," Pakistan army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) said in a statement. The Indian Army had earlier claimed that Pakistan mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers who were killed in a ceasefire violation in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector. The Indian Army confirmed the news by releasing a statement. "Pak Army carried out unprovoked Rocket and Mortar firing on two forward posts on the line of control in Krishna Ghati Sector. Simultaneously, a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded. Two Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies mutilated by Pakistani troops on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop his 'Mann ki Baat' and instead start 'Gun ki Baat' to punish Pakistan for killing two Indian soldiers and mutilating their bodies. Addressing a gathering of party workers in Mumbai this evening, Thackeray said whatever needs to be done on the matter "has to be done now". "It's time...he (the PM) stops that ('Mann ki Baat') and starts 'Gun ki Baat' with Pakistan to teach it a lesson," he said. 'Mann ki Baat' is Modi's popular monthly radio address to the nation. Two Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies mutilated by Pakistani troops on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The attack was carried out by the Border Action Team (BAT), which generally comprises Pakistani army personnel and terrorists, in Krishna Ghati Sector in Poonch district. The Sena is a constituent of the Modi government and also part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in Maharashtra. Thackeray also said his party knows Mumbai inside out and that's why it has been able to thwart attempts by the BJP to control the affairs of the financial capital. She came to Delhi around 5 years ago to prepare for the Rajasthan Public Service Examination and later gave a preliminary exam of UPSC. New Delhi: On the basis of the initial information emerging in the honey-trapping case of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP KC Patel, it has been revealed that the woman arrested in connection with this case is part of a bigger racket. According to sources, the Delhi Police suspects that the woman has criminal records from Muzaffarnagar and knows Patel's daughter. She came to Delhi around five years ago to prepare for the Rajasthan Public Service Examination and later gave a preliminary exam of the UPSC. She further claims that she holds BA, MA (English) MA (Political Science) LLB and LLM degrees, however, the Police doubt the information provided by her and is likely to take her to Muzaffarnagar to verify her claims. In the Gujarat MP case, the woman claims the leader met her in the Supreme Court. However, the MP has asserted that she called him around six months back. Apart from this, CD, audio files have been seized from her house along with the CCTV footages. The woman was arrested on Tuesday and was sent to a five-day judicial custody. "The investigation is on and we have collected the evidence. The woman used to install CCTVs, keep the recordings and then used to blackmail by using these recordings for extortion. Earlier also, she complained about an MP in Tilak Nagar Police Station and filed a complaint of rape. Today, while appearing before the court, she completely changed her story. We will also try to find out the gang members involved with her. We will also investigate where they used to spend this extortion money. We will collect more evidence on it," Special Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena, New Delhi Range told ANI. Earlier on Monday, BJP MP Patel alleged that he was honey-trapped by a Supreme Court lawyer, who drugged him and shot a video of him in a compromising position. The lawmaker from Gujarat alleged that he was accused of rape and the woman threatened to upload the video and photos online and was demanding Rs. 5 crore from him. "I have full faith in justice and everything will become crystal clear. I am ready to cooperate fully with the police investigation," Patel told ANI. The woman, however, said that she was first approached by Mittal on the pretext of giving her more cases for work. She said that she was raped many times. Refuting Patel's claim, the victim said, "I never demanded anything from him. He is deliberately making such accusations to hide his misdeeds. He was neither drugged and even if he was drugged, how can he be in a state of mind to rape." She also alleged that the police was hand in glove with Patel and deliberately did not register the case, despite her visiting the police station several times. "On March 15th, I went to the police station to register the complaint, but they did not register. I was sitting idle in the station for several hours. On March 20, I went to the station again, but they refused to file my complaint. Later on 6.30 p.m., I got a threatening call from the MP while I was in the station. How can someone know about this? It proves someone is leaking this to him," she said. The victim said that she has now filed a petition in the Patiala High Court seeking registration of the FIR against Patel. In the complaint, she also alleged that the Delhi Police failed to lodge an FIR against the MP. The Patna HC based its order on the report of doctors that it would not be safe for the mother and the child. Counsel Vrinda Grover appearing for the woman told the apex court that the Patna high court had rejected her plea for termination of pregnancy. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to form a medical board to examine whether a 26-week-old HIV-positive foetus could be aborted, and the woman, a rape victim, could be saved. A three-judge bench of Justices Dipak Misran, A.M. Kanwilkar and M.M. Shantanagouder asked the board to examine the woman from Patna by May 6 and submit a report on May 8. We are concerned with saving the life of a destitute woman, the bench said. Counsel Vrinda Grover appearing for the woman told the apex court that the Patna high court had rejected her plea for termination of pregnancy. The Patna HC based its order on the report of doctors that it would not be safe for the mother and the child. Additional solicitors general Tushar Meht and P.S. Narasimha agreed with the apex court that every effort must be made to save the woman, and so another medical opinion is necessary. The 35-year-old woman sought termination of pregnancy on March 4 this year on the ground that after being sexually assaulted, she was given shelter in a women rehabilitation facility in Patna, where her pregnancy was discovered. It has also been found that she is HIV positive. She was then examined by Patna Medical College and Hospital, following which she moved the Patna HC. The apex court Bench asked counsels Mr Narasimha and Mr Mehta to assist the court on the issue and hold discussions with doctors. The court posted the matter for further hearing on May 8. The counsel argued that the new law was wholly disproportionate and excessive. New Delhi: While defending its move to link Aadhaar with PAN cards, the Centre on Wednesday admitted in the Supreme Court that Aadhaar card holders data was indeed leaked, but said that there was no leakage of information by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Government counsel Arghya Sengupta made this admission before a bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan when the court brought to his notice newspaper reports about leakage of Aadhaar data. The counsel said that the leakage was by various other government departments and state agencies, and the leakage might have occurred on account of balancing transparency and data protection concerns. Mr Sengupta said there could be some errors here and there and some IDs were perhaps issued in the names of Hanuman and dogs, but said UID remains the most sophisticated and authentic biometric system. He asserted that there was no absolute right to informational self-determination. The issue was not about discriminating between people on the basis of their having Aadhaar, but the purpose for UID was to prevent de-duplication and to ensure targeted delivery of services to the identified sections, he said. Justifying the new law, he said that no enactment could solve a problem in entirety and added that only individuals and not companies were required to have Aadhaar since individuals were the first target. Tomorrow, we may replace PAN with Aadhaar if such a need arises, he said. Senior lawyer Shyam Divan, appearing for retired Major General S.G. Vombatkere and social activist Bezwada Wilson, rejected the counsels argument that there was no leakage from UIDAI and said it was not enough for the Centre to say that UIDAI was not leaking data. In the eyes of citizens, all state authorities are State anyway. He said when the Aadhar law had not made Aadhar mandatory, how can the new law make linking of Aadhar with PAN mandatory and impose penal provisions for non-compliance. Mr Divan drew the courts attention to a report that Haryana had made Aadhaar compulsory for issuance of birth certificates to newborn babies, and said that the scheme makes wholetime surveillance, from cradle to the grave, possible. This is perhaps the worst project possible under our Constitution and invasion of ones fundamental right to privacy. The architecture of Aadhar is worthless as far as information security is concerned, he said. We are concerned with one-seventh of the total population of the world in the wake of a scheme where the degree of invasion is extremely high and protection much low. This system has never been tried in any democratic country in the world. It shows the sinisterness of the government action. We dont want our life tracked and monitored 24x7 as it be a tremendous compromise on civil liberties, he said. Mr Divan argued that a person cannot be compelled by another law to waive free consent so as to alter the voluntary nature of enrolment mandatory. By visiting those persons who do not have an Aadhar number with severe consequences, the object of the provisions of the new Income-Tax law is itself discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, he said. The counsel contended that there was no justification for discriminating against persons who do not wish to part with their sensitive biometric information such as fingerprints and iris scan. He said the State cannot hold an individual citizen hostage by compelling them to part with something that does not belong to the State. He said by virtue of the aforesaid provision, he and other citizens, who had refrained from enrolling in the Aadhaar scheme due to prevailing apprehensions regarding the infringement of the right to privacy, are being forced to give consent for the enrolment to the scheme. The counsel argued that the new law was wholly disproportionate and excessive. The so-called State interest is miniscule compared to the massive invasion on persons liberty and freedom, the counsel argued and prayed for quashing the offending provisions. Arguments will continue on May 4. Police announces Rs 10 lakh reward for info on suspected Hizbul militant. Srinagar: Gunmen believed to be militants have gone on bank robbery spree in the southern parts of Kashmir Valley. A day after a rural bank was looted at gunpoint in Kulgam district, masked men brandishing AK assault rifles and pistols on Wednesday barged into two other banks in Pulwama and decamped with over Rs 6 lakh. The robberies, which took place within a span of two hours, and the earlier two incidents, including murder of five policemen and two bank employees on board a cash van, have sent the authorities into tizzy. Also, the bankers, feeling scared, have decided to suspend their operation unless adequate security is provided to their businesses in the militancy-infested areas. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir police has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on Omer Majid who, it says, led a group of three Hizbul Mujahideen militants in shooting dead in cold blood five policemen and two J&K Bank security guards in Kulgams Pombai village on Monday. Reports from Pulwama said that the gunmen barged into the Ellaquai Dehati Bank in the districts Wahibugh village and looted about Rs 5 lakh. On Tuesday, the banks Kader, Yaripora branch in Kulgam was also raided by masked men who after taking the staff and customers hostage looted Rs 65,850 from there at gunpoint. Within two hours of Wednesdays incident, another group of suspected militants looted a branch of J&K Bank Nehama in Pulwama. Earlier on Tuesday night, militants snatched five self-loading rifles from policemen posted at a court complex in Shopian district, also in south Kashmir. They decamped with approximately Rs 1,30,000 and fled the area before the security forces could reach the spot, said an official here. The authorities have blamed all these incidents on separatist militants and said that their desperate acts suggest that they are faced with cash shortage. The policemen have been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty as they are reported to have offered no resistance to the militants. The officials said that a massive manhunt has been launched for the militants involved in the weapon snatching, the latest in a series of such incidents reported mainly from South Kashmir where the militants ranks have swelled after the killing of the Hizbs Internet-savvy commander Burhan Wani during an counterinsurgency operations on July 8 last year. On Wednesday, the police posted notices on the walls and lampposts of Kulgam, announcing additional cash reward of Rs 5,00,000 for the information or help that may lead the security agencies to Hizb militant Omar Majeed who already carried a bounty of same amount on his head. The officials said that the 22-year-old militant who is a resident of Kulgams Suchi village was identified by police with the help of some locals as well as the driver of the bank cash van that came under the attack on May 1. They added that Majeed joined the outfit last year and has been active in Kulgam and its neighbourhood for quite some time during which he committed several acts of terror. They further said that Ishfaq Palla, an over-ground worker for the Hizb, is also known to have been in the group responsible for the gory act. The police including members of its counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) along with CRPF raided several suspected militant hideouts and homes of the relatives of the accused and known sympathisers of the Hizb in various parts of South Kashmir overnight but could not find them. Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, visited the families of slain policemen and bank employees. An official handout issued here said that the Chief Minister personally conveyed her sympathies to the families of the victims who were killed by unknown assailants. She said they laid down their lives while preserving public money and their sacrifices wont be allowed to go waste. She promised to duly look after the bereaved families. Every help and assistance would be provided to them by the government, she was quoted as saying. She once again appealed the people, particularly civil society and youth, to rise against this dangerous trend of looting of public money by spilling innocent blood, thereby giving Kashmir a terribly bad name in the civilized world. In Delhi, the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, reviewed the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir for the third consecutive day at a meeting of top officials on Wednesday. Reports said that all top security officials including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Director Intelligence Bureau (DIB) Rajiv Jain, and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Anil Dhasmana were present in the high level meeting held at North Block. Earlier on Tuesday, the Home Minister had closeted also with Jammu and Kashmir Governor, N.N. Vohra, to discuss the situation in the restive Valley and the recent incidents along the Line of Control. Reports emanating from the Union Capital had said that Mr. Singh expressed his displeasure over prolonged unrest in the Valley and called for effective measures to meet the challenge. Sudhir Sudhir went to complain at the police station, he was allegedly beaten up and abused by the inspector. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party member of legislative Assembly Shivpal Yadav staged a dharna in Etawah district on Tuesday midnight against police atrocities on one of his supporters. Mr Yadav and some 100 supporters sat under a tree for over four hours after the police allegedly assaulted Sudhir Yadav, a bus driver, during a political argument. When Mr Sudhir went to complain at the police station, he was allegedly beaten up and abused by the inspector. District officials rushed to the spot and assured Mr Yadav in writing that action would be taken after an inquiry against the police officers. Mr Yadav then called off the dharna. These days, lumpen elements are beating up people, grabbing land, spreading anarchy, and all that the police is doing is to try to silence victims. This is unacceptable, Mr Yadav told reporters on Wednesday. Mr Yadav also criticised his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav. Ram Gopal has asked me to read the constitution of the party. I may not have read the constitution but Ram Gopal should read the Gita. In fact, every Shakuni should read the Gita to know his fate, Mr Yadav said. Congress reaches out to all in Opposition for joint Prez nominee. New Delhi: Taking on a historic responsibility, Congress president Sonia Gandhi will meet BSP chief Mayawati, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and DMK leader M.K. Stalin in a bid to arrive at a consensus over an Opposition candidate for the coming presidential poll. President Pranab Mukherjee completes his term in July. Mrs Gandhi, who met National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, has also spoken on the phone with Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. She has already met JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCPs Sharad Pawar and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader P.K. Kunhalikutty. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has also spoken over phone with former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav. Sources said that the Congress has decided to act as the building block for various parties to come together in this battle of ideologies, and the party thinks that it is a historic responsibility. The Opposition parties, which are taking baby steps towards a broad-based anti-Modi coalition, feel that the presidential poll is the acid test to see whether such a conglomerate can work. The parties first came together on May 1 on socialist leader Madhu Limayes birth anniversary as an ostensible show of strength. Mrs Gandhi is likely to call a meeting of all Opposition parties to thrash out the name of a final candidate after May 15. A structured meeting if needed would be held, the sources said adding that the parties were hopeful of finalising a name by the third week of this month. Congress sources said that they were not averse to talking to parties in the NDA for support as they realise that they have a limitation as far as numbers were concerned. But in this battle for ideologies, the Congress was not averse to broadening the discussion as well as assimilating support from all sides. The idea is to find a candidate who is acceptable to the entire country and not only to a certain section. The decision will be on the basis of national interest, upholding the ethos of Indian democracy and the Constitution of the country, a source said. The Congress was also open to the possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling Ms Gandhi for fielding a consensual candidate. But Mr Modi doesnt believe in consensus, party sources said. The parties which hold the key to the presidential polls include AIADMK, BJD, TRS, YSRCP, AAP and INLD. These parties maintain equidistance from the BJP as well as the Congress in their domestic state-level political considerations. Out of these, the BJD is currently miffed with the BJP after suffering losses in the recent civic polls in Odisha, while the AIADMK is in the midst of merger talks. The Opposition has calculated that the ruling NDA lacks a marginal two per cent majority to win the polls. Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit who denied any involvement of the Pakistan Army. The soldiers killed were Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Infantry and Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of BSF. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: India on Wednesday issued a demarche to Pakistan, expressing outrage at the killing and mutilation of two soldiers, saying it had sufficient evidence that this act was committed by personnel of the Pakistan Army who crossed the Line of Control (LoC). India said, The blood samples of the Indian soldiers and the trail of blood clearly show that the killers returned across the LoC. Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit who denied any involvement of the Pakistan Army. India also demanded that Pakistan take action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for this heinous act. With the MEA saying that the trail of blood is of Pakistanis, in this case personnel of Pakistans Army, who came from across the LoC, the obvious meaning is that one or more Pakistan Armymen were also injured in the cross-border raid they carried out in the Krishna Ghati sector on May 1. The MEA did not elaborate further, but it is also reliably learnt that blood from the severed body parts of the slain Indian soldiers was found in the blood trail leading upto the LoC, indicating that the returning Pakistani troops were taking them back with them. BSF jawan Prem Sagar, who was martyred in Pakistans firing, was finally cremated after UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath called up the bereaved family and persuaded it to lay him to rest. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, The foreign secretary conveyed Indias outrage at the killing and barbaric act by Pakistan Army personnel. It was conveyed that the government considers it a strong act of provocation and in contravention to all norms of civilised conduct. It is significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire by Pakistani posts in the Bhattal sector, the MEA said. The foreign secretary mentioned to the Pakistan high commissioner that he should convey the sense of outrage on this particular incident to his government on this barbaric act and his response was, he denied that the Pakistan Army was involved in any way in this incident but assured that he will convey the contents of the demarche, the MEA added. Home minister Rajnath Singh also chaired a meeting with top security officials, including NSA Ajit Doval, after an alert that Pakistan-based terror groups may strike in other parts of India. Security was beefed-up at all vital installations, including airports. Meanwhile, there were reports of a group of Pakistani schoolchildren on a trip to India returning earlier than planned after the MEA informed the NGO organisers that this was not the appropriate time for such a visit. Raju and Geeta Mahali, who had hosted Shah on April 25, joined the TMC on Wednesday in the presence of Tourism Minister Gautam Deb. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reminded West Bengal CM Mamata Banrjee of her struggle during the Left rule, claiming she cannot stop the march of democracy and people will support the saffron party. New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday accused the Trinamool Congress of abducting a tribal couple, who hosted its chief Amit Shah during his visit to West Bengal last week, and forcing them to join its ranks, terming it a text book case of revenge politics. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reminded West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banrjee of her struggle during the Left rule, claiming she cannot stop the march of democracy and people will support the saffron party "despite its pressure and violence". At a press conference in the BJP headquarters here, he wondered if the TMC's "desperation" was caused by the CBI's probe into Saradha chit fund scam case and the Narada bribary sting allegedly involving several of its MPs. "The investigation will not stop. It is based on evidence which is in the public domain. Bengal is seeing reckless violence and overpowering fear of the TMC," he said, adding the ruling party could not tolerate a tribal couple offering lunch to the BJP president. The "success" of Shah's visit has unnerved the TMC, he claimed. Prasad said the BJP workers and others whom Shah met during his visit to Bhawanipur, Mamata's Assembly constituency, are also under "pressure". Such violence and fear prevailed in the state during the Left rule and it is a tragedy that it remains so during the TMC rule as well, he said. He also used the opportunity to accuse the Mamata government of appeasing one section of the society, a reference to Muslims, by the "misuse" of state power and noted that it stopped religious processions during 'Ram Navami' and 'Hanuman Jayanti'. Raju and Geeta Mahali, who had hosted Shah on April 25, joined the TMC on Wednesday in the presence of senior party leader and Tourism Minister Gautam Deb. "I was inspired by the developmental work of Mamata Banerjee and that is why we have joined the TMC. Nobody has forced us to join the party," Geeta Mahali later said. Prasad said the BJP was "deeply sad and hurt" over the development but was not least concerned. Such tactics by the TMC cannot stop the BJP's expansion, he said. BJP calls it textbook case of revenge politics. BJP president Amit Shah having lunch at Raju Mahalis house at Dakkhin Katiajote village in Naxalbari, West Bengal, on on April 25. (Photo: PTI) Kolkata/New Delhi: The tribal couple that had hosted BJP president Amit Shah for lunch at their home in Naxalbari of Darjeeling a week ago, defected to the Trinamul Congress from the BJP on Wednesday. Raju Mahali and his wife Geeta, who were in the BJP, joined the ruling party in presence of Trinamul Congress MLA and state tourism minister Goutam Deb. The BJP described the incident as a textbook case of revenge politics by the TMC and claimed that West Bengals ruling party was feeling threatened of its growing acceptance and popularity in the state. While the Trinamul claimed that the couple joined the party willingly, the BJP cried foul play and accused the ruling party of kidnapping them on Tuesday and forcing them for the switch-over. The state BJP informed the incident to their central leadership in New Delhi. Also, the switch-over coincided with chief minister Mamata Banerjees tour in North Bengal now. Mr Deb, who is also the Trinamul district president, handed over the party flag to the couple at a party office in Naxalbari in the morning. He said, The couple belong to the tribal community. They have joined our party without any provocation. We welcome them. We will engage them to take part in social development of the minority community under the chief ministers leadership. In New Delhi, Union minister and senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad said said his party presidents visit had unnerved the TMC and even party workers and others whom Mr Shah met during his visit in the state, were under pressure. Mr Prasad said though the BJP was deeply saddened and deeply hurt over the incident but not the least concerned since the TMC supremo couldnt stop the march of democracy. Mr Prasad asserted that people in the state will support the BJP despite the ruling partys pressure and violence and such tactics couldnt stop the BJPs expansion in the state. On the BJPs allegations, Mr Deb added, I do not know what the BJP has claimed. Their allegation is irrelevant. The BJP is a political party but has no existence here. That is why they made some baseless allegation. We never force anyone. Everyone has the right to join any political party he or she wishes to. The couple said they joined the Trinamul willingly. No one forced us to join the Trinamul. We chose the party because we have been inspired by the chief ministers development works, Geeta said. Mr Deb later visited the couples house at Dakshin Katiajote village and had tea there. Mr Shah, accompanied by state BJP president and party MLA Dilip Ghosh, had had lunch there following his arrival on April 25 on a three-day-tour to the state. Rejecting the Trinamuls claims, Mr Ghosh alleged that the couple was being threatened by three local Trinamul leaders since Mr Shahs visit to their home and lunch there. Raju was kidnapped on Tuesday when he went out for work in the morning. Later his wife was also abducted. We lodged a missing diary with the police and also gheraoed the police station till night. It is the failure of the administration to rescue them. The couple was ultimately forced to switch to the Trinamul. Their body language spoke of the pressure they had faced to join the Trinamul. The entire nation now sees the political situation here. Our senior leader Rahul Sinha will meet Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to apprise him of the incident, Mr Ghosh said. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has ensured that the price cap will not stop regular supply of the stents The pricing regulator has asked the state drug controllers to carry inspections at manufacturing units and hospitals and take necessary action. (Photo: Pinterest) New Delhi: Ensuring price capping of the coronary stents along with their uninterrupted supply, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has warned manufacturing companies of stringent action in case of unavailability of stents. The pricing regulator has also asked the state drug controllers to carry inspections at manufacturing units and hospitals and take necessary action. The NPPA has also asked the doctors, hospitals and patients to lodge complaints at grievance redressal system "pharma Jan smadhan" on the NPPA's website besides complaining on 9958217773. The direction comes days after the Abbott Healthcare Pvt. Ltd and Medtronic India Pvt. Ltd filed their applications with the NPPA to withdraw certain high-end coronary stents from the Indian market which they claimed have become commercially unviable after government slashed the prices in February this year by up to 85%. In February, the NPPA had capped the price of bare metal stents at Rs7,260 and all drug-eluting stents at Rs29,600. While, in April, the regulator said price of stents can be increased by around 2% after taking into account the wholesale price index. However, recently Abbott sought permission to withdraw its Alpine drug-eluting stent and Absorb dissolving stent, while Medtronic had sought to withdraw its Onyx Zotarolimus eluting stents. Even as the NPPA rejected both the applications, in the recent order it had asked the manufacturers to maintain the supply of stents including that of Resolute Onyz zotarolimus, eluding coronary stent system by India Medtronic pvt. ltd., Absorb GTI-Bioserorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) by Abbott healthcare, Xience Alpine medical cardiac stent by Abbott, Synergy monorail Everolimus eluting platinum chromium with biodegradable polymer, Promus premier Everolimus eluting stent. The NPPA has asked the hospitals, patients and doctors to immediately inform them at their numbers, stent manufacturer by Boston scientific India. Refuses to apologise n Will decide his future Tuesday night New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party has once against landed in turmoil after one of its senior-most functionaries Kumar Vishwas on Tuesday said he is unwilling to apologise for his video titled We the Nation in which he apparently hinted at corruption within the AAP-led Delhi government. Mr Vishwas, 46, stood outside his Ghaziabad residence, teary-eyed and remained defiant despite the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals gag order of not talking to the media. He told reporters that he will take a decision tonight, indicating that he may call it quits. He said AAP lawmaker Amanatullah Khan was merely a mask behind those hatching conspiracies against him. Mr Khan was divested of an important party post for going public after he accused the poet-politician of hobnobbing with the BJP and the RSS. It was an attempt to placate Mr Vishwas. He, however, showed his anger by failing to turn up for the Monday meeting of AAPs political affairs committee (PAC). Had Amanatullah Khan said anything like this against Arvind or Manish (Sisodia), he would have been shown the door in 10 minutes, Mr Vishwas said, hinting that Mr Khan was a proxy for those who want to malign him. Minutes after the AAP leaders attack on the party leadership, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia lashed out him for airing his grievances in front of the media. Vishwas was invited to the partys PAC meet, but he didnt turn up. If he has a problem with the party, he should raise it in the party forum, Mr Sisodia said. While Mr Vishwas said that the party leadership was overlooking the sacrifices made by its workers, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia hit back saying such statements were not going to lift the morale of the party cadre. Volunteers understand who is he helping by airing his grievances through media, he said. Speculations are rife in the political circles that Mr Vishwas may join hands with the BJP, but he told reporters that he harbours no ambitions to become chief minister, deputy chief minister or AAP national convener and would continue to speak in favour of the country. His statements on camera indicated he was under pressure to apologise for his remarks in 13-minute We The Nation video. A few days ago while talking to a news channel, Mr Vishwas had also said that the AAP chief should have desisted from questioning the surgical strikes carried by Indian Army on terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied in Kashmir last year. Buckling under pressure, the AAP leadership called off the Tuesday PAC meeting fearing that Mr Kumar may speak against them and invite embarrassment for the party. After his historic victory in 2015, Mr Kejriwal and his team had thrown out founding members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the party fold for alleged criticism in ticket distribution. Mr Vishwas again has made similar allegations as a result of which he too could face the heat. It has launched 14 PhD scholarships for students in India to undertake PhD programmes at La Trobe's partner university, New Delhi: An Australian university on Tuesday signed a pact with AIIMS and three other varsities with an aim to provide 14 PhD scholarships worth Rs 25 million and also work with the premier health institute on tackling antimicrobial resistance. The La Trobe University of Australia has inked MoUs with major institutes like Amity University in Noida, JSS University in Mysore and O P Jindal Global University in Haryana, apart from AIIMS. The Australian university, which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary, has launched 14 PhD scholarships worth over Rs 25 million, for students in India to undertake PhD programmes at La Trobe's partner university, JSS University in Mysore. "La Trobe will also cover the cost of students travelling to, and spending upto six months studying at its Melbourne campus," said Professor John Dewar of La Trobe. "The objective is to strengthen Australia's relationship with India," Dewar added. The partnerships with AIIMS, Amity University and O P Jindal Global University will lead to collaborative research, and academic exchange between both the institutions. Speaking at the event, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said that La Trobe University will work in the area of dentistry with the Centre for Dental Education and Research apart from other research projects. "They will work on nanotechnology and its application in medicine and dentistry. We are also exploring the possibility of developing a project to deal with the challenges of antimicrobial resistance," Dr Guleria said. According to Dewar, these partnerships will allow students and staff in India and Australia to gain international academic and cultural experience. Dewar said La Trobe is also committed to working with local organisations to support women students in India. The university has also launched 'Women in Leadership Scholarship' worth AUD 80,000 for women from underprivileged backgrounds in India to undertake postgraduate studies in Australia. Dewar said India would continue to be a strategic priority country for La Trobe. "As we celebrate our 50th anniversary we are announcing new measures that will strengthen our already important relationship with India," Dewar said. "La Trobe is seeing continuous demand from students from the Indian subcontinent to pursue further studies in Australia and we want to do what we can to support those students," Dewar added. It is suspected that the killing was a fallout of personal enmity. Suspects have been identified and teams are raiding suspected hideouts. New Delhi: A 24-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by some unidentified men in southeast Delhi's Sagarpur area in the wee hours of today, police said. Around 12.25 am, police received information about the body of a man lying in Buddh Vihar area of Badarpur. The deceased, identified as Vijender alias Deepak, was previously involved in seven cases, including those of quarrel, snatching and robbery, police said. It is suspected that the killing was a fallout of personal enmity. Suspects have been identified and teams are raiding suspected hideouts, they added. People carrying banners and black ribbons tied to their arms objected to the demolition of the sacred artifact. Catholic associations hold silent protest against BMC, after it demolished a century-old holy cross in Bazar Road area in Bandra. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Mumbai : Mumbai Catholic Associations on Wednesday held a silent protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after they demolished a 122-year old holy cross in the city's Bazar Road area. People carrying banners and black ribbons to their arms objected to the demolition of the sacred artifact. "I am deeply hurt and sad after this incident; we are currently on a silent march. Despite believing in different religions, we should all live in harmony," said a local priest, who participated in the protest. Earlier this week, the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to remove all unauthorised religious structures. The court asked the BMC to remove 32 temples and six crosses from the H west ward, which falls under Category 'B' of a 2011 BMC resolution related to religious structures. Category 'B' pertains to illegal shrines that interfere with the city's development plans. The cross removal has elicited a sharp response from the Christian community. Trump looked uncomprehending at the time, or perhaps he was just programmed to be sceptical about anything Obama told him. On his first visit to the White House after winning last Novembers election, Donald Trump was informed by Barack Obama that his biggest initial headache as President would be North Korea. Trump looked uncomprehending at the time, or perhaps he was just programmed to be sceptical about anything Obama told him. And truth be told, hes had plenty of headaches in the 100-plus days since his inauguration, not least the realisation that wielding presidential power is a whole lot trickier than pretending to control a real-estate empire. But North Korea has lately indeed been at the helm of recent concerns, and some observers even see the Tomahawk missile strikes in Syria and the deployment in Afghanistan of the biggest conventional bomb in the American arsenal as warnings to Pyongyang. The dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the region and the setting up in South Korea of the THAAD anti-missile system have inevitably exacerbated fears of renewed hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, where the 1953 armistice following a devastating conflict that threatened to evolve into a third world war, with the US seriously toying with the idea of repeating the Hiroshima-Nagasaki experiment never evolved into a peace agreement. The habitual Washington mantra is that all options are on the table, and it has been reported that the US has contemplated the idea of knocking out a North Korean missile during a test. But, as the Americans acknowledge, theres no knowing exactly how Kim Jong-un might react to such a provocation. He would, in fact, have only two options: either to pretend it never happened, or to retaliate. What form that retaliation might take is, again, uncharted territory. Missiles with some kind of a nuclear warhead could be lobbed in the direction of South Korea or Japan, the primary US allies within reach of North Korean ordnance. Could Kims rockets reach Australia? Its unlikely, but no ones quite sure, and the government in Canberra has lately been busy finding a slot in the posterior of the Trump administration. One of the rewards is the first meeting on May 4 between Trump and Australias beleaguered Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard a warship off New York, which may have some symbolic significance. Pyongyang has been scathing towards Australian foreign minister Julie Bishops kowtowing to Uncle Sam during US vice-president Mike Pences recent tour of the region. Notwithstanding a degree of trepidation in Australia over the prospect of a conflict, though, there has been no spurt in demand for nuclear bunkers. Australia has lately been more torn than before over its essential trading partnership with China on the one hand, and its traditional racial and ideological affinity with the US, which led it to obligatorily participate not just in the Korean and Vietnam wars but also in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Trumps unexpected bromance with Chinas President Xi Jinping may have come as a pleasant surprise to Australia after all the flak that Beijing attracted from the Republican nominee during the American presidential campaign, including the charge that it was raping America, but its likely to be somewhat disconcerted by persistent indications that the US leader at least grudgingly admires his North Korean counterpart. Just a few days after declaring that his nation would tackle North Korea on its own if China proved unhelpful, Trump described Kim Jong-un as a smart cookie who had at a tender age outsmarted potential rivals in the Pyongyang hierarchy (he executed an uncle in 2013, and is believed earlier this year to have pronounced the death sentence on an estranged half-brother, among other purges) and, in the words of White House spokesman Sean Spicer, led his country forward. In a Bloomberg interview on Monday, Trump went further, saying he would be honoured to meet Kim in the right circumstances. Somewhat surprisingly, this is not inconsistent with his campaign rhetoric, in which he suggested he would be happy to have a chat with Kim if he came over, even though he might feel obliged to treat his guest to a hamburger at the conference table rather than a state dinner. What often gets left out of the media discourse is the crisis in South Korea, whose recently impeached and dethroned President Park Geun-hye, the daughter of a notorious military dictator, faces life imprisonment on corruption charges, with next Mondays presidential election expected to favour the relatively progressive Moon Jae-in, who is ambivalent about THAAD and prefers the idea of engagement with the estranged North. Trump and Kim, meanwhile, have at least one thing in common: the appearance of overgrown, frequently petulant, infants. The prospect of their bonding in a potential Mar-a-Lago playgroup may well be the best bet for continued peace on the Korean Peninsula. By arrangement with Dawn It is also true that mob violence in India is not the monopoly of thugs who kill in the name of the cow. The sounds and sights are familiar the mob fury, the merciless beating, the deaths, the images of the grief-stricken families, the polarising debates that follow on prime-time television. A steady stream of such incidents could soon trigger a feeling of sickly, mottled monotony. Sordid as each case may be, it has happened before. Why then does one feel compelled to speak out in the wake of the latest instance of mob fury in central Assam, which claimed the lives of two young men? Last week, Abu Hanifa and Riazuddin Ali were brutally beaten by a mob for the alleged offence of trying to steal cows from the local grazing ground. The local police claims it took the men to a hospital but that they couldnt be saved. Two men have been detained in connection with the lynching. The police says this is a case of mob fury and not part of the cow-related vigilantism going on elsewhere in the country. At the time of writing, no one knows Assams new chief minister Sarbananda Sonowals thoughts on the issue, because he has not expressed them. Curiously, the Opposition has also been muted in its response. Which brings me to the crux of the matter. We have reached a point where we are in grave danger of normalising mob violence. We have begun to see incidents of mob fury, cow-related and others, as routine. The death of Hanifa and Ali are not the first case of lynching of suspected cattle thieves in Assam. As one news report pointed out, there have been several such incidents in the past 15 to 20 years. Other states, including Left bastion Tripura, have witnessed lynching of persons suspected to be cattle thieves. But context cant be wished away. The latest savagery comes amid rising tensions over the killing and smuggling of cows in India. It is also true that mob violence in India is not the monopoly of thugs who kill in the name of the cow. Across the country, there are countless instances of an angry crowd taking the law into their hands for a range of reasons. Two years ago, a massive crowd, including school and college students, stormed the central jail in Dimapur, Nagaland, dragged out a rape suspect, tied him up by the waist, dragged him for seven kilometres, kicked and pelted him with stones till he was dead, and displayed his body on a clock tower. The horrific images of the incident went viral on the Internet. Media reports noted that it was not the first instance of mob justice in the country. A few years prior to that, a man in Agra had been beaten up and killed by a mob for harassing girls. This was not Uttar Pradeshs first brush with mob justice. In 2010, a 26-year-old man, Aslam, was also a victim of vigilante justice in Moradabad district. He was beaten to death inside the premises of the district court, barely 100 metres from the district magistrates office, for allegedly stealing water. Mob fury continues in Uttar Pradesh though the political leadership in the state has changed. And it is not just the Northeast or the Hindi heartland. Some time ago, photos and videos of resident doctors being brutally beaten in a government hospital in Dhule, Maharashtra, made a splash in social media. As happens so often, the voices of agitating doctors were heard for a few days. Then the public lost interest. Or it was back to normal. Despite myriad examples of public anger erupting into mob violence, we as a society have not collectively and unequivocally condemned it. That has perhaps been the most important reason why we see such attacks happening with increasing frequency and sometimes even being given some sort of pseudo- legitimacy by officials who should know better. The many instances of vigilantism in the name of protecting the cow have only added to the sordid saga of mob fury and mass apathy. The savagery is fast losing its sting because it is so repetitive. And each act of mob violence is emboldening mobs elsewhere, undermining the rule of law that holds society together. As thresholds of tolerance continue to plummet, it is important to ask whether these worrying trends can be reversed. And if so, how? How do we stop mob violence at its source? The one-line short answer is, dont normalise it. The starting point has to be by collectively saying what may seem obvious it is illegal to hurt someone, leave alone kill someone. A mob cant take the law into its hands, no matter what. The political leadership, from Parliament to panchayat, as well as the law and order machinery, have to send out strong signals that there will be zero tolerance for unlawful acts. This has to be enforced. If vigilante action is simply forbidden, and if each and every instance of vigilantism is punished in accordance with the law of the land, we can and we will avoid even beginning the cycle that leads to mob violence. But the point to note here there cant be exceptions. Next, we must prod everyone who is a social influencer at any level to speak out boldly against mob violence and we must ensure that such voices of reason are protected and not confronted by threats of violent retribution. Who eggs on a lynch mob? Who struck the first blow that eventually claimed the lives of the two young men in Assam and so many before them? It may be convenient and comforting to think that only the uneducated or the poor take to mob justice. But facts on the ground do not support that narrative. The lynch mob in Dimapur included school and college students. Those who sympathised with such a mob include people in positions of power. Middle class India is understandably shaken by the growing numbers of mob assaults. But simply worrying about the phenomenon will not lead us anywhere. There is a need to speak up so that a lynch mob is not formed in the first place, and mob violence is not normalised. Simultaneously, one must fight for better-trained and better-equipped police forces, more judges and more courts so that the peoples faith in the rule of law is restored. UKs Digital Economy Act has employed certain mandatory rules for various digital activities. The new Act has made it a right to have access to faster internet connections with speeds of at least 10Mbps. Theres a new Digital Economy Act enabled in the UK recently. Known as the Digital Economy Act 2017, the British government has incorporated certain changes to the Act implemented last in 2010. Amongst restricting porn for a certain age group and capping mobile phone bills, there are certain other revisions as well. You will find below some of the points that can affect the UK internet consumer massively. Age checks on porn sites The UK government has made it mandatory for all the porn websites to host an age-check filter. The "age-verification regulator" will have the power to fine websites up to 250,000, or up to 5 percent of their turnover. It will also be able to order ISPs to block websites that fail to comply and tell other providers to process payments or facilitate advertising on these sites to withdraw their services, effectively starving the domains of revenue. The changes will ensure that under-18 teenagers dont have access to pornographic material. Faster broadband for everyone The new Act has made it a right to have access to faster internet connections with speeds of at least 10Mbps. Rural areas will be able to request faster internet connections from Internet Service Providers (ISPs). In the future, the limit for the minimum speeds could be raised to 30Mbps when the infrastructure is ready. Mandatory bill caps for mobile contracts Service providers will have to provide some kind of cap to mobile bills that are about to extend their billing cycle. The system should warn the user beforehand to let him/her decide whether they want to revise their usage pattern to avoid incurring extra costs or continue the services as they liked. If customers continue to receive service after they've hit their cap, then the carrier is expected to pick up the rest of the bill. Crackdown on Pirates Via an amendment to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the jail term for piracy has been raised from two to ten years. The government wants to attack the root cause of piracy the pirates, not the average user who is exposed to the pirated content. They are also planning to ask the search engines to hide or remove links to pirated contents page from the search results. (With inputs from Engadget) White House termed the announcement by the Bangalore-based tech firm a political victory for the Trump administration. Washington: The Trump administration on Wednesday welcomed the decision by IT giant Infosys to hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years, saying it was a result of the US government's "pro-growth economic agenda." Infosys on Tuesday announced it will hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years and open four new centres in the US as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of H1-B visa curbs. The first of the four innovation centres for new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will open in August in Indiana, the home state of US Vice-President Mike Pence. In a statement to The Washington Post, the White House termed the announcement by the Bangalore-based tech firm a political victory for the Trump administration, which has on several occasions accused outsourcing firms of "unfairly" taking jobs away from the US. It said the decision was further evidence that companies are renewing investment in the US as a result of the Trump administration's "pro-growth economic agenda." "We're glad to see companies like Infosys see opportunity in the American economy again," said Ninio Fetalvo, a White House spokesman, in a statement to The Post. The US had accused Infosys and its larger rival, Tata Consultancy Services, of unfairly cornering the lion's share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system. Every year, the US grants 65,000 H-1B visas while another 20,000 are set aside for those with advanced degrees. At a White House briefing last month, an official of the Trump administration said a small number of giant outsourcing firms flood the system with applications which naturally ups their chances of success in the lottery draw. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of US President Donald Trump. He last month signed an executive order that seeks to make changes to a H-1B visa programme that brings in highly skilled foreign workers. The White House says the executive order will make it harder for tech firms to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour, and will strengthen rules barring foreign contractors from bidding on government projects. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the call -- which he sat in on -- was "very productive" with "a lot of detailed exchanges." Washington: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed steps to ease Syria's civil war and a possible first face-to-face meeting, during what the White House described as a "very good call". The US and Russian leaders spoke by telephone on Tuesday, focusing on the six-year-old Syrian conflict, which has pitched Moscow and Washington into rival camps. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said. Trump aides also said "the conversation was a very good one" that included "discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones" in Syria "to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons." The White House said the two leaders also spoke about "how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea." And the Kremlin added that both men were "in favor" of meeting at a G20 summit in Germany this July. That meeting is sure to be closely watched in the United States, where Trump has come under sustained criticism over his campaign's ties to Russia and his praise of Putin. US intelligence agencies believe that Putin approved of a wide-ranging campaign to tilt the 2016 election in Trump's favor, prompting US sanctions imposed by former president Barack Obama. The FBI is still investigating possible collusion between the campaign and Moscow. Trump has been muted in his criticism, but tensions between the White House and the Kremlin have resurfaced after the suspected use of the chemical agent sarin against civilians prompted Trump to strike a Syrian regime airbase also used by Russia. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the call -- which he sat in on -- was "very productive" with "a lot of detailed exchanges." "We'll see where we go from here." No details were given about the possible safe zones, which have long been discussed, but faltered as Bashar al-Assad's regime and assorted groups of rebels, Kurds, Iranian-backed militias, Al-Qaeda and Islamic State fighters have kept-up a bloody war that has killed an estimated half million people. The Kremlin, meanwhile, said "the emphasis was put on the potential for coordination of actions by the United States and Russia in the fight against terrorism." May called the snap election last month, saying she wanted a stronger mandate from the public ahead of the Brexit talks. London: Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday accused Brussels of deliberately making "threats against Britain" over the Brexit talks in order to affect the outcome of next month's general election. In a tough statement outside Downing Street, just hours after the European Union's negotiator set out his plans for the negotiations, May said some people in the EU did not want the negotiations to succeed. "In the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be," the Conservative Party leader said, charging that Britain's negotiating position had been "misrepresented" in the European press. "The European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials," she said. "All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on June 8." "The events of the last few days have shown that -- whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europe's other leaders -- there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed. Who do not want Britain to prosper," May added. May called the snap election last month, saying she wanted a stronger mandate from the public ahead of the Brexit talks, which are due to start in June. "Whoever wins on 8 June will face one overriding task: to get the best possible deal for this United Kingdom from Brexit. If we don't get the negotiation right, if we let the bureaucrats of Brussels run over us, we will lose the chance to build a fairer society," she said. May made her comments after she visited the head of state Queen Elizabeth II to mark the dissolution of parliament ahead of the election. Reports of atrocities inflicted upon the minority community have surfaced despite the government's denial. London: Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected the United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) decision to investigate allegations of crimes and inhumane treatment by Myanmar's security forces against minority Rohingya Muslims. Although the UN body decided to dispatch an investigation to the South Asian country in March, the Nobel laureate, told a press conference on Tuesday in presence of EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, "We do not agree with it. We have disassociated ourselves from the resolution because we do not think that the resolution is in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground," when asked about the probe by the Guardian. Reports of atrocities inflicted upon the minority community have surfaced despite the government's denial. As reported by the Guardian, Rights group estimates that 75,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh. The retaliation by the security forces comes after militants killed nine policemen in October. Aung San Suu Kyi rejected suggestions that she or authorities were deliberately overlooking the sensitive situation. "I am not quite sure what you mean by saying that we have not been concerned at all with regards to the allegations of atrocities that have taken place in the Rakhine," she said. "We have been investigating them and have been taking action". New rules will come into force on 1st June. All online news producers will need a government permit. Joint ventures with foreign media will need a security assessment. Chinese journalists will no longer be able to produce their own news content. China is ranked 176th in terms of world press freedom. The new Chinese encyclopedia will have 600,000 fewer articles than Wikipedia and will be written by specialised staff. Internet users will not be able to contribute. For Wikipedia co-founder, censorship is stupid." Beijing (AsiaNews) Chinas internet regulator has issued new tighter regulations banning private domestic and foreign companies from news production and dissemination. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has decided that organisations offering internet information services operated in joint ventures or with foreign investors must submit to it for a security check. This is the first major regulatory overhaul in 12 years across internet and social media formats. All online publishers including websites, apps, instant-messaging apps, blogs, social media accounts and forums must obtain permits from the authorities to publish news or commentaries online under the Internet News Information Service Regulations that will take effect on 1st June. No foreign company can enter the news market or invest in news-production. The editor-in-chief of any online news service must be a Chinese national and the organisation must be registered in the mainland. Chinese media are already tightly controls. They cannot cover many topics on their own, and must follow official channels (Xinhua, People's Daily, etc.). Until now, many foreign sources of information were accessible via internet or smartphone, although some outlets were blocked, including the New York Times, Bloomberg and even AsiaNews. Thanks to foreign servers, many users are able to get around censorship and read and enjoy such news. China this year ranked 176th fifth from the bottom on the World Press Freedom Index compiled by the NGO Reporters without Borders. Internet censors last year closed a number of news channels on leading domestic internet portals including Sina.com and Sohu.com, banning their websites editorial staff from doing their own reporting or producing original content. Early this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched a campaign against unauthorised internet connections, including virtual private network services that enable internet users to bypass the Great Firewall. In addition to new regulations, China yesterday announced plans to launch its own national online encyclopedia next year, to compete with Wikipedia. Officials said more than 20,000 people have been hired to work on the project, which will feature 300,000 articles at about a thousand words each. Chinese Wikipedia currently has more than 900,000 articles. Unlike Wikipedia, the new Chinese encyclopedia will be created by selected scholars from state-run universities rather than being openly editable by volunteers. Wikipedia is available in China, but some of its content such as Tibet, Xi Jinping, trade unions, etc. is blocked. Plans for a government encyclopedia date back to 2011, and will be implemented by next year. In 2016, the co-founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales tried to come to terms with the Chinese government. "I went to the ministry in charge of censorship," he explained at the time. "It was a kind of diplomatic mission to try and make them change their minds. We have been clear: we will not censor Wikipedia to please the Chinese government. I'm ready to wait a thousand years because I'm sure China will end up changing, [and will] find [censorship of Wikipedia] stupid. After President Rodrigo Duterte reappointed her as environment secretary, she met strong opposition and criticism because she shut down 23 mines. For Fr Edwin Gariguez, the environment and the poor were sacrificed for business and political interest. For Gina Lopez, Its very sad that [. . .] business interests have run the day. Manila (AsiaNews/CBCP) The Commission on Appointments (CA) of the Filipino Congress rejected Gina Lopez as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in President Rodrigo Dutertes administration. She held the department on an interim basis. A pioneer of corporate social responsibility, Ms Lopez was backed by the Catholic Church on several occasions for her action in favour of the population and environmental protection. President Duterte had reappointed her after she failed to get the CA backing before Congress went on a six-week break on 15 March. As an environmentalist and a philanthropist, Gina Lopez faced stiff opposition and criticism after she ordered the closure of 23 mines and the suspension of five more for failing to meet environmental and safety standards. An official with the Filipino Catholic Church said that the CAs rejection of Lopez as environment secretary shows how special interests won over the public good. For Caritas Philippines executive secretary Fr Edwin Gariguez, this was expected since some CA members have ties to mining companies. The decision is expected, given the powerful lobby of the Chamber of Mines and the vested interest of many politicians who wantonly opted to sacrifice the interest of the environment and the poor over their own agenda, noted the clergyman. Speaking at a press briefing in the Senate shortly after the CA rejected her confirmation, Ms Lopez said, Its very sad that in the Commission on Appointments, clearly, business interests have run the day. In view of this, she thinks that this needs to be reevaluated because how can a body, which is mandated to make decision based on the common good, make decisions based on business interests? by Christopher Sharma The Catholic movement was established in Manila in 1981 and is present in more than 100 countries. It arrived in Nepal in 2003. Its anniversary falls on Labour Day. " When workers and employers both live in Christ, problems are resolved automatically. Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - To celebrate the 14th anniversary of Couples for Christ (CFC) in Nepal, members of the Catholic movement met in Kathmandu on 1st May. On this date, Labour Day, Catholics marked together with their children the birth of their group and gave thanks to Christ for his presence in their lives. They promised to bear witness through their example to Christian teachings and spread their message through their families. "Christs presence is important in everybody's life and has even greater value in the life of couples," group spokesman Chirendra Satyal told AsiaNews. Founded in Manila in June 1981, the group is a Catholic lay movement that deals with the family, and is present in more than 100 countries. Initially its focus was on strengthening couples bond. Later, the need to involved all family members to build relationships emerged; hence, the need to include children in groups divided by age. Satyal noted that the movement has been active in the Himalayan nation since 2003. "CFC was established 14 years ago. Christ's teachings are our important value, and help us build stronger bonds within families. " During the day, couples are accompanied by priests and sisters. For Sujata Rai, a Catholic mother, "families can have misunderstandings and problems, but these programmes help us solve them and stay united in Christ. They also help our children grow in the Lord under a proper guide." The spokesman pointed out that the movements anniversary does not fall on Labour Day by accident. "When workers and employers both live in Christ, problems are resolved automatically. Living in Christ and following Gods signs could help Nepal and the world with the best workplace solutions." Gyan Rai, an airplane pilot, is grateful to God for his daughter, who followed in his footsteps and is now an airplane pilot. "Her success and that of my family is worthy of Gods grace and Christian teaching." by Thanh Thuy Ordained in 1994, the prelate shared the joy for this "grace". The diocese has 380,000 members and nearly one hundred parishes. One third is tribal in background. Dalat City (AsiaNews) On 8 April, Pope Francis appointed Fr Nguyen Van Manh, a Dominican, bishop coadjutor of the diocese of Dalat. Mgr Van Manh was born on 12 August 1955 in Can Tho province. He studied in the seminary from 1973 to 1977, then continued his education in philosophy and theology at the St Pius X Pontifical College in Dalat. On 29 May 1994, he was ordained by Bishop Batolomeo Nguyen Son Lam, and served as priest in Tan Hoa parish, in Bao Loc province for nine years. From 2003 to 2009, Mgr Van Manh studied at the Urbaniana University in Rome, where he obtained a doctorate in canon law. Back in his country in 2009, he became the legal representative of the Dalat diocese. The new bishop expressed with humility his joy for the appointment. "God has given me a grace. This is a sign of mysterious love, he said. It is a blessing and together a test tied to my mission and responsibility in the Dalat diocese." He shared with the Vicar General and the priests of the diocese the hope of being "ordinary priests who gather around our diocesan bishop. Let us remember each other, not only during the liturgy, and our prayers for each other, but also in our grateful hearts. We all share a liturgical and missionary commitment." Speaking to the local press, he noted that Dalat Bishop Anton Vu Huy Chuong is "mother and shepherd" (Me va Muc Tu '). "I am aware that we are born by Gods work. We grow in the Church. Jesus entrusted his flock to the apostles and their successors. Shepherds are approached by the Holy Spirit of Christ to grow and nourish the flock as a mother." "When I was in the seminary, I served for 14 years the Tan Thanh parish in Bao Loc in Lam ong province. Between 1980 and 1994, in a socialist country, the future of my vocation was dark (mu mit). But I appreciated and thanked some lay people because they carefully protected my vocation during this long period." The new prelate mentioned the period after his ordination, as vicar of the Tan Hoa parish, which covers three small areas, and includes families that fled northern Vietnam due to the events between 1954 and 1975, between the Communist seizure of power in 1954 and the [departure of the] Americans in 1975. "I still remember slippery roads with suspension bamboo bridges. All the lives of those lay people create a vivid image. So when I served the parish, I got a lot of pastoral experience and missionary work." Bishop Chuong often refers to the diocese's tendency to build itself and build parishes "to become a community of faith, a community of liturgy, a community of charity, and a missionary community." Dalat diocese covers an area of nearly 10,000 km2 with a population of some 1,385 million people. According to 2016 statistics, it has nearly 380,000 Catholics, of which more than 137,000 are tribals. The diocese is divided into 98 parishes with 174 diocesan priests, 128 religious priests, 76 superior seminarians, and more than a thousand religious in 50 congregations. One of Dalat dioceses special trait is the mission among tribal brothers and sisters. Missionary Jean Cassiagne was sent to the Linh missionary point in 1927, followed by priests of the Paris-based Societe des Missions etrangeres (MEP) in the 1940s, the Redemptorists in the 1950s, and the priests of the Missionary Congregation of St. Vincent later. Today's missionaries are followed by diocesan priests and by many nuns of various congregations who joined them. More than one third of the dioceses Catholic community or 137,000 are tribal. Currently, ten priests and more than 30 nuns of tribal origin work for the mission of the Dalat diocese. Interviewed by a local newspaper, Bishop Van Manh explained the role of Vietnamese Catholics today: "We, Catholics, live in a certain nation, just like Jesus, who is God and Man. He was a Jew and lived in a certain country. So, we are Vietnamese Catholics, who build the Kingdom of God and their native land." Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, non-resident representative of the Holy See to Vietnam, attended the first Conference of the Council of Vietnamese Bishops on 24-28 April 2017 in the diocese of Nha Trang. He shared and talked about the charitable activities of the Vietnamese Church. "Through the Caritas network across the country, we are able to bring the Good News to everyone, with silent but more convincing testimony than words or noisy action. We should visit and share with the poor and the abandoned. This is the way to go 'beyond' and proclaim effectively the Good News to people." Iraqi refugees and displaced Syrian refugees housed in the center. At least five suicide bombers managed to get inside. Unsubstantiated voices speak of dozens of civilians seized in hostage. Today, Astana talks resumed by Russia, Iran and Turkey. Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Over 46 dead, mostly civilians, and dozens injured is the still-provisional toll from an attack launched by militia of the Islamic State (IS) on a refugee camp in Syria near the border with Iraq. Iraqi refugees fleeing from the areas occupied by Syrian and internally displaced Jihadists who have left their homes and lands because of the conflict are located in the area. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (Osdh), at least five suicide bombers were involved in the attack yesterday. They targeted the reception center in the region of Rajem al-Salibi, in the province of Hassakeh. "Some suicide bombers - the source adds - managed to get into the field." IS claimed the attack on its Aamaq propaganda site, claiming that a group of five jihadists had "attacked" a position of Syrian Democratic Forces (FDS) near the camp. After the explosions there were clashes between jihadist militias and combat groups. About 300 families fled from Iraq or the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor, largely controlled by IS (formerly Isis), are living in the camp. "We are dismayed and saddened," said the International Rescue Committee (IRC) volunteers - by this attack "involving civilian casualties. An Iraqi source, speaking to the BBC, states that militants had seized dozens of civilians during the assault on the reception center. However, so far there has been no further confirmation of the news even if an Iraqi activist claimed that "some of the wounded have lost contact with their family members." In recent weeks, the Jihadist group has been repeatedly attacked in northern Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces, formed by Kurdish and Arab fighters and backed by US air raids. The coalition has made significant military victories, hunting most of the jihadists from Hassakeh. Now the goal is to take control of the city of Tabqa, a strategically important hub in the Euphrates River valley. It constitutes a line of defense for Raqqa, the stronghold of the Islamic State in Syria, and the ultimate goal of the offensive launched by Arab-Kurdish fighting groups with the support of the international coalition. On the diplomatic front today, two days of talks in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, are being held, mediated by Turkey, Iran and Russia. The goal of the meeting is to ensure a lasting ceasefire throughout the country. However, the three previous summits held so far, with the participation of UN representatives and American observers, have not achieved tangible results with a view to peace. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) issues statement. Sam Zarifi: "Lawyers are indispensable in ensuring human rights protection and upholding the rule of law in China." During the detention, serious torture and ill-treatment occurred. Chen Guiqiu, the lawyers wife, They promised his release by April." The promise of release tied to the recording of a "video-confession". Beijing (AsiaNews / RFA) - An international group of lawyers and judges is calling on Beijing to release human rights lawyer Xie Yang, detained in July 2015 following a series of mass arrests by the Chinese authorities. The tribunal of the city of Changsha, in the central province of Hunan, on April 25, postponed the Protestant Christian lawyers trial without reason. Xie had worked in numerous cases considered politically sensitive by the Communist Party. Like other lawyers pursued by the authorities, in the past he has provided legal assistance to dissidents. Among his clients were many Chinese activists who supported Hong Kong's democracy and Christians engaged in the defense of religious freedom. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has issued a statement on its website, launching an appeal to the Chinese government for Xies release. He has suffered serious torture and ill-treatment during detention. "Xie Yangs arrest and prosecution seem to be in connection with his performing legitimate professional functions as a human rights lawyer," ICJ secretary general Sam Zarifi said in a statement on the group's website. "No lawyer should ever be subject to persecution for carrying out their professional duties," Zarifi said. "Lawyers in China like Xie Yang are indispensable in ensuring human rights protection and upholding the rule of law in China. The government should release Xie Yang immediately and conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation on the allegations that he has been subjected to torture," he said. The ICJ revealed that Xie was no longer able to communicate with his lawyers from the moment he told them of police torture and is now represented by a government-appointed lawyer. In accordance with international human rights law, the association's statement states that the detainee must be released as soon as possible in the absence of a recognizable offense. Chen Guiqiu, Xie's wife, who is now in the United States, said the government's lawyer is colluding with the police and cannot provide an adequate defense for her husband. The woman also accused the authorities of breaking their promise for his release. "They told me he would be released around the end of April and that with all probability there would be some restrictions on his freedom for a few days. The conditions for the deal were that we should have stopped speaking out". Sources close to the authorities have revealed that the promise of release is in fact linked to the recording of a "video-confession" by Xie. The offer, according to sources, would be filed shortly after the publication of charges of torture against Beijing. by Nirmala Carvalho Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Christians from Mumbai came from all over the city to participate in the silent protest organized by the archdiocese against illegal an cross demolition in Bazaar Road, Bandra district. The rally is taking place from 10 am (local time) on the site where on April 29, municipal officials (BMC, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) demolished the Christian religious symbol. All participants wore a black band in their arms, a sign of mourning, held a cross and waved signs with the words "BMC, Build My Cross". Spokesman Fr. Nigel Barett,was present to represent the diocese. Speaking to AsiaNews one of the present, Fr. Donald Rogrigues, priest of the Church of Our Lady of Egypt at Kalina (Mumbai), tells that tonight another cross was demolished in the area of his parish. The authors of the gesture are still unknown. Below is the text published on the Archdiocese site, which reconstructs the story of the demolition of the Cross of Bandra. From the information we have received, we understand that the BMC had a meeting on April 3, 2017, with the local communities. The concerned Officer made the community members aware of the Supreme Court decision regarding unauthorised religious structures on roads. The representatives of the community then presented to the BMC official their legal position and were asked to submit their statements in writing. The Holy Cross, which was demolished, is situated on a private land being Plot No.38 situate at C.S. No.A/650 near D'Monte Street and Bazaar Road, Bandra West Mumbai 400 050. This particular Cross was erected in or around 1895, 122 years ago, and has both religious and historical significance. The notice issued on 26th April 2017 by Assistant Municipal Commissioner, Sharad Ughade, gives reference to Public Interest Litigation No.104 of 2010 pending before Hon'ble Bombay High Court. This PIL only relates to religious structures on public property. As such, the notice in question was invalid with respect to the Cross that was demolished, as the said Cross was on private property. In addition, the Owner / the Community Organisations had written/replied in time to the said notice and had even met Shri Sharad Ughade with documentary evidence, including Revenue Plan/Property Card. There can be no doubt that legal position was explained very clearly to Shri Ughade, with all the supporting documents. It disturbs us that the Holy Cross was demolished without due process, despite the clarifications and dialogue with the officials of the BMC. This insensitive and callous manner in which the Holy Cross was demolished, has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian community. We hope and we pray that the BMC will take cognizance of this and initiate appropriate action. Press Office Archdiocese of Bombay At the general audience, Francis retraces his visit last week. Peace that "is built through education, the formation of wisdom, of a humanism that comprehends the religious dimension as an integral part, and our relationship with God". The "healthy secularism" of the state. Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Promoting dialogue between Muslims and Christians and peace and consolidating relations with Orthodox Copts and were the goal of the Pope's journey to Egypt at the end of last week, as outlined to the 20,000 people in St. Peter's Square for the general audience. Peace, first of all, which, as Francis reminded us, was also the theme of the visit: "The Pope of Peace in an Egyptian Peace". Peace, he said today, is built by education, the formation of wisdom, of a humanism that comprehends the religious dimension, the relationship with God". This was the subject of his address at the conference organized by Al-Azhar University, also for the meeting with the Great Imam. Francis also pointed out that he emphasized the value of "healthy secularism" and respect for the law with the president and authorities of the country, while he urged Catholics - to whom he devoted the second day of the visit - to always find in Christ , "the joy of faith, the ardor of hope, and the power of witnessing our encounter with the Lord with love!" Looking back on the stages of the journey, the Pope first gave thanks for the invitation received from civil and religious authorities and called their commitment to the success of the visit "extraordinary". "My visit to Al-Azhar University, the oldest Islamic university and the highest academic institution of Sunni Islam, had a dual horizon: dialogue between Christians and Muslims and, at the same time, promoting peace in the world. At Al-Azhar I met with the Great Imam, a meeting which then extended to the International Peace Conference. In this context I offered a reflection praising the history of Egypt as a land of civilization and land of covenants. Egypt is synonymous with ancient civilization, art treasures and knowledge for all humanity; And this reminds us that peace is built through the education, the formation of wisdom, of a humanism that as an integral part of the religious dimension, the relationship with God, as the Great Imam recalled in his speech. Peace is also built from the alliance between God and man, the foundation of the alliance between all men, based on the Commandments written on the stone of Sinai, but much more deeply in the heart of every man of all time and place , a law that is summed up in the two commandments of the love of God and neighbor. " "This same foundation is also the basis of the construction of the social and civil order in which all citizens, all origins, cultures and religions are called upon to collaborate. This vision of healthy secularism emerged in the exchange of speeches with the President of the Republic of Egypt, in the presence of the authorities of the country and the diplomatic corps. The great historical and religious heritage of Egypt and its role in the Middle Eastern region give it a peculiar role in the path towards a stable and lasting peace, which lies not on the law of power, but on the power of law. " "Christians, in Egypt, as in every nation on earth, are called to be a leaven of fraternity. And this is possible if they live the communion in Christ in themselves. Thanks be to God, together with my beloved brother Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Orthodox Coptics, we were able to give this strong sign of communion. We renewed our commitment, even by signing a common statement, to walk together and to commit ourselves not to repeat Baptism administered in our respective Churches. Together we prayed for the martyrs of the recent attacks that have tragically hit that venerable Church; And their blood has fertilized that ecumenical encounter, in which the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew also participated. " "The second day of the trip was devoted to the Catholic faithful. The Holy Mass celebrated at the stadium, made available to us by the Egyptian authorities was a feast of faith and fraternity in which we felt the living presence of the Risen Lord. Commenting on the Gospel, I urged the small Catholic community in Egypt to relive the experience of the disciples of Emmaus: to always find in Christ, Word and Life Bread, the joy of faith, the ardor of hope and the strength to testify in the 'Love we have met the Lord!' My last encounter was with the priests, the religious and the seminarians at the Major Seminary. There are so many seminarians ... And this is a consolation. It was a liturgy of the Word, in which the promises of consecrated life were renewed. In this community of men and women who have chosen to give life to Christ for the Kingdom of God, I have seen the beauty of the Church in Egypt, and I prayed for all Christians in the Middle East so that, led by their shepherds and accompanied by the consecrated, they are salt and light in those lands, among those peoples. Egypt, for us, has been a sign of hope, refuge, and help. When that part of the world was hungry, Jacob, with his sons, went there; Then, when Jesus was persecuted he went there. For this reason, speaking to you about this journey, means entering on a journey of hope: for us Egypt has that sign of hope for both history and today, for this fraternity I have told you. " "I thank those who made this trip possible again - he concluded - and the many different ways they contributed, especially so many people who offered their prayers and their sufferings. May the Holy Family of Nazareth, who emigrated to the banks of the Nile to escape the violence of Herod, bless and protect the Egyptian people and guide him on the path of prosperity, fraternity and peace. " The number of South Koreans waiting to meet northern relatives is decreasing rapidly. In 1988 there were more than 131,000; now there are 61,000, 43 per cent over 80, and 19.4 per cent over 90. Seoul (AsiaNews) More than 1,200 South Korean members of families separated by the intra-Korean border since the 1950-53 war died in the first quarter of this year, South Korean government data showed Wednesday. Since the end of hostilities, countless families have been split, unable to meet. Eventually, the two Koreas organised family reunions as a good will gesture. The last one took place in October 2015 at a resort on Mount Kumgang on North Korea's east coast. The practice was suspended amid tensions in inter-Korean ties. Since 1988, South Korean authorities have tallied the number of separated family members. A total of 131,172 separated family members have registered on the waiting list for family reunions with their kin in North Korea. Since then, about 53 per cent of those on the list have passed away as of the end of March, including 3,378 in 2016, this according to South Koreas Unification Ministry. Given rising tensions between the United States and North Korea, and their repercussions on intra-Korean relations, it is likely that family reunions will not be on the agenda for the foreseeable future, leaving an increasingly smaller group warily waiting. Unification Ministry data indicate that 62 per cent of the 61,322 surviving family members are aged over 80: 43 per cent aged 80 to 89 and 19.4 per cent over 90. This means that many will die before North and South Korean authorities allow family reunions again. Technically, the two states are still at war since they have not signed a peace treaty. Overall, some 20 family reunions have taken place, and many families who are waiting for their turn are losing hope. Such meetings began in 1985. To take part, South Koreans must demonstrate that they have still living relatives in North Korea and must register with the Unification Ministry. They are chosen by lottery. Little is known as to how North Korea picks family members. A survey in 2016 by Seoul's Unification Ministry found that almost eight out of ten South Korean separated families said that the top priority should be placed on confirming whether their family members in North Korea are still alive or not. By Herman Thind, Special to The Post Growing up in rural Saskatchewan and Alberta, I always had a sense of what is fair, just, and decent. Raised in a liberal home, we embraced values of tolerance, equality, and evidence-based policy. As I became more involved in the political process, my small l liberal ideological side weighed heavily. I was part of the founding group of campus Young Liberals in university in the late 80s. I held several elected party positions in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC. My latest involvement was as communications director for the Liberal Party of Canada in BC (not to be confused with the BC Liberals). Along the way, I stood up for minority rights at every conceivable junction. I was involved in the RCMP turban debate against some very unpleasant Reform Party (i.e. Federal Conservative) activists on campus. I opposed the war in Iraq. I also stood as first speaker in support of the Liberal Party of Canadas same-sex marriage resolution (it was adopted as policy). As someone with a background in science, I have always favoured evidence and policy based on evidence and expert opinion. Show me the unbiased research first. Dont gloat about reports done by industry insiders, or partisan think-tanks. As such, Ive always favoured parties with a liberal ideology. As an adult, Ive worked in the tech sector, service sector, as well as in the oil and gas industry in Calgary, the heart of the new west. Ive worked in middle management positions in the corporate world, AND served as a union shop steward as a communications worker. Im currently a small business owner, working exclusively with small businesses. I also work in the alternative energy sector, serving as a communications liaison for a green tech startup. Like many of my generation, I have a family. My wife and I have a 5 year old daughter. Through her weve had the fortune of working with incredible teachers, and amazing recreation centre staff. We've also met some of the greatest doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff anywhere. As parents, these things make up the core of our existence. They matter. What drives our generation's discussions, are affordability, healthcare, and education. These are not just important issues for us, but for all professionals and members of what author Richard Florida calls the creative class. We are the thinkers, innovators, researchers, social activists, artists, artisans, and other creators. We write the apps you use daily. We build the websites you browse. We design the buildings you live in. We plan the parks your children play in. We brew the craft beers you sip on. We fuel the worlds most dynamic urban power centres. Regions like New York, Boston, the SF Bay Area, and Cascadia succeed for specific reasons. They succeed because they have the services, planning, and infrastructure to attract and engage people like us. They have affordable housing options, and urban plans that encourage creativity. They have great centres of research, progressive neighbourhood and workplace planning. They have access to the best accessible education anywhere. In the past 10 years, and longer, people like us have not seen this in the Lower Mainland, and to be honest, anywhere else in BC. Rather than fuelling the economy and jobs of the 2020s, we seem to be stuck in a time-warp pitching the economy of the 1920s. While we sit pat, the world has been passing us by. Many American states have adopted more progressive approaches to policy. They have managed to shore up entire new sectors for employment and GDP growth. Our rush to fund one industry has seen cuts to education - the exact place you want to spend the most, particularly when planning for the future. As parents, we are forced to organize fundraisers for textbooks and field trips. We also have to live in fear of the next earthquake, since there are over 180 schools in BC deemed seismically unsafe, which have yet to see any upgrade work. Our myopic future planning seems to be based on the whims of a single industry. We need a serious look at what we can offer with our strongest resource - our people. Our proximity to Seattle and Silicon Valley have resulted in some growth in the local tech sector. The election of Trump has provided companies with a few more skilled staff, yet we fail to engage local companies on major projects. As one industry insider put it, the tech sector has grown by itself, with little government leadership. She added, the government seems to prefer awarding contracts to American companies, ignoring the local shops. Local tech workers end up focusing on short-term contracts for small projects working with local businesses, while the Oracles, IBMs, and Microsofts swoop in and take long-term, good-paying government contracts. Many of these contracts end up employing foreign workers - not locals. BC has generous wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal resources, yet we fail to include these in any discussion of resources. The green tech sector are left to feel like a third-wheel. They end up working directly with municipalities that see a real need for the technology. The opportunity to employ thousands of welders, electricians, general construction workers, engineers, and other labour in green tech is completely untapped. In the 80s and 90s we emerged as a global leader, with companies like Ballard. Since then weve fallen far behind. We chose to run with the last remnants of the fossil fuel sector instead. Not only are we focused on the wrong industries, but our preference for boom & bust economies has led to unaffordable living conditions for most of our generation. Constructions jobs are great, but they just dont offer the salaries required to live in Metro Vancouver affordably. Workers end up couch-surfing, or living in their trucks. Based on the average salary in Greater Vancouver, the average home price is technically out of reach for most of us. Without affordable living space, we simply wont attract the creative class, the builders of great cities. BC has focused on the boom economy, and when it busts, our generational cohorts are just expected to pick up and move to Alberta or Ontario to chase the jobs as weve done for decades. Weve also ignored the needs of young families, when it comes to childcare. A family in Metro Vancouver has to ensure they have $2000 or so kicking around for childcare services, just so parents can work to pay their mortgages. Many choose to live with parents in large homes, to avoid the cost of childcare. People complain about mega-homes, but lack of affordability and childcare is just one of the reasons why inter-generational mega-homes exist. In Vancouver we have friends who are forced to find nanny-shares to mind children after school. Nannies are also getting hard to find, since they cant afford to live here either. As a parent, an owner of a tech-based business, these shortfalls are troubling. My kindergartener has a passion for science. She has built a solar-powered robot. Shes started programming in Scratch. Shes studied laminar flow and tidal power (okay, shes spent a lot of time on a particular Science World display). Shes ready for the new economy. So are all our kids. The foundations laid out by progressive governments in Ottawa in the 1970s and 80s led to the ability to handle the growth of the 90s and beyond. Education, universal accessible healthcare, and affordability were policy mainstays. We became a better society for those ideas, but weve lost our way. My liberal convictions seem to have become stronger since the birth of our child. I not only want whats best for her, but also for the greater society around me. Classic liberalism is not just a brand or label that one can affix to a party. It is an adherence to principles and ideology that works to benefit all society, the environment, and the economy. We will be voting in this election. I will cast my ballot for the party that best reflects the ideology of true small-l liberalism Ive described above. It wont necessarily be the one that uses the name Liberal. Herman was born and raised in small towns in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Outspoken as a human rights advocate, he organized protests against racist political views during the 1993 federal election at the University of Regina, was the first speaker in favour of the Liberal Party of Canadas same-sex marriage resolution at its 2005 policy convention, and most recently served as the Communications Chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (BC) through the Trudeau leadership and recent federal election. He is currently the Communications Director of the human rights non-profit Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation. Big changes ahead for Bakers Delight Bakers Delight is set for change with its original founders stepping down from the CEO role after 37 years. Roger and Lesley Gillespie opened the first Bakers Delight in Melbourne in 1980 with their friend Gary Stephenson. After growing the business into a global franchise, the pair have decided to hand the reins over to daughter Elise, and her husband, David Christie. Both Elise and David have been involved in the business for the past decade and say they now have aggressive plans to grow the business. We have aggressive plans to grow the business, with the Gillespie Family vision for 2030 to grow store numbers to 800 in Australia, 400 in Canada and a further 150 across other markets including New Zealand, David said. Bakers Delight first entered Canada in 2003 where it currently has 50 stores operating under the name, COBS Bread. Bringing Australians back to bakery bread Now in the top role, Elise and David say they are ready to take up the fight against cheap supermarket bread and the trend towards eating less gluten. Whilst we have about 15 per cent share of the bread market in Australia, we know that we need to be constantly demonstrating product and service innovation to stay ahead of the pack, Elise said. Both Roger and Lesly Gillespie will stay part of the business with the pair remaining on the Bakers Delight board as founding directors. Roger will also serve as chairman of the board. Related articles Murray Goulburns takes further drastic measures Posted by Andrea Hogan on 3rd May 2017 Murray Goulburn dairy co-operative will be shutting three plants and wiping framers debts in an effort to turn its business around. In an update to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Murray Goulburn (MG) said it will be closing its Edith Creek, Rochester and Kiewa processing facilities by the first quarter of its 2019 financial year. Closures at Rochester and Kiewa will commence August 2017 and a total of 360 jobs will be lost across all three plants. MG said the closures will cost AUD $60 million, but will save the company $40 $50 million annually once they take place. Farmer debts forgiven MG also announced that it would forgive all milk supply support package debts. The loan package was given to its farmers in 2016 after MG lowered the price it was expected to pay farmers for their milk. Wiping the debts will cost MG AUD $148 million, with the company giving back any repayments already made by farmers. This will be the case whether the farmer is still a MG supplier or not. MG said it remains committed to paying its farmers $4.95 per kilogram of milk solids for the 2017 financial year. Dairy Beverages and Nutritionals business scrapped Following a review, MG has decided to scrap its Dairy Beverages and Nutritionals business, deciding to write-down the $62 million already invested in the project. These have been difficult decisions to make Reflecting on the announced actions, MG Chief Executive Officer, Ari Mervis, said they were important for the business. These have been difficult decisions to make, however they are necessary steps on the journey to ensure the future strength and competitiveness of Murray Goulburn, Mervis said. A strong MG is of fundamental importance to the Australian dairy industry and these decisions are necessary to lay the foundation for the future, he stated. Related articles Teams from four international law firms have advised on the sale of six Australian restaurants which were operated by the collapsed Keystone Group under the Jamies Italian brand.The units, in Sydney, Parramatta, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, have been acquired by the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group. Herbert Smith Freehills restructuring, turnaround and insolvency team, led by partner Paul Apathy, advised Morgan Kelly and Ryan Eagle of Ferrier Hodgson, the receivers and managers of the Keystone Group.Ashurst partner James Marshall led the team advising the Jamie Oliver Group.The transaction was part of a wider disposal of former Keystone assets involving a further 10 restaurants and bars with the administrators of the group advised by K&L Gates.Jonathan Sui has joined Norton Rose Fulbright in Singapore as senior associate in the shipping and offshore oil and gas team. Sui was previously with Allen & Overy in Perth.NRFs shipping and offshore oil and gas team in Singapore has been further boosted by SD Choi who joins as of counsel from Campbell Johnston Clark in the city-state.The new hires are accompanied by the promotions of both Sue Ann Gan and James Bradley to of counsel.Simmons & Simmons has promoted 12 lawyers to partner including Hong Kong based corporate and commercial lawyer Jingyuan Shi.She is a PRC qualified lawyer and a practising solicitor in England and Wales who focuses her practice on private equity and venture capital transactions in the TMT sector.The other promotions are mostly in London with some elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East.People who attended a music festival on a remote island in the Bahamas could face legal action for posting negative accounts of their experience on Twitter.TMZ.com reports that lawyers have sent cease and desist letters to at least one person who tweeted criticism of the event. The letters suggested that unless the posts were removed it could be seen as civil unrest and potentially inciting riots.The festival organisers admitted on their website that the event did not run smoothly:The team was overwhelmed. The airport was jam packed. The buses couldnt handle the load. And the wind from rough weather took down half of the tents on the morning our guests were scheduled to arrive.Guests had little choice but to return to the US, where organisers say the event will be held next year!ong H Cuts to higher education budgets in Australia are not as drastic as feared, but fees for students will rise from the beginning of January 2018, it has been confirmed.But a row has broken out over the decision to end subsidies for students from New Zealand living and studying in Australia, which means they will have to pay the full cost of their studies.Fees will increase by 1.8% each year from 2018 up to 7.5% by 2021 and students who take out loans will need to pay them back sooner as the repayment threshold is being lowered from $55,000 to $42,000.New Zealand's prime minister, Bill English, said he was 'pretty unhappy' with the changes. Experts warned that the cost of degrees for New Zealand students at Australian universities could quadruple under the changes.When the full subsidy is removed and the full fee increase implanted it means that a New Zealand student enrolled at the University of Melbourne, for example, would see the cost of an arts degree rise from $6,349 a year to $29,632 and for a science degree from $9,050 to $35,824.'It's always been the case that students can move freely across the Tasman. Now some are looking at student debts in the hundreds of thousands and it's just absurd. I've had messages from people who saw the news and almost cried. They don't want their kids to leave university with these huge debts which are completely unexpected,' said Tim Gassin, chairman of the Oz Kiwi group.The New Zealand Union of Students' Associations accused the Australian Government of creating a double standard. 'New Zealanders will be left short changed as a result of these changes, forking out thousands more dollars to study in Australia,' it said in a statement.'Student loans in Australia won't go nearly far enough to make up for the additional cost of full fees. There exists a double standard when Australian students are entitled to domestic fees here, yet New Zealanders no longer will get the same entitlement in Australia,' it added.Australian Education Minister Simon Birmingham said that the change means that there will be a better balance of the contribution share between students and taxpayers from 42% to 46% for students and a fall from 58% to 54% for taxpayers.He also announced changes which he said would improve accountability and transparency in the country's higher education sector. Entry requirements will be made more transparent and universities will be held to account for improving retention, completion and employment outcomes.'We will ensure universities are accountable for how they spend public money by making 7.5% of each university's Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding contingent on performance against key benchmarks. In 2018 this funding will be dependent on participation in admissions transparency reform and cost of education and research transparency initiatives,' he said.'From 2019, this funding will be dependent on performance metrics such as student outcomes and satisfaction, transparency and financial management with a formula to be developed in consultation with universities. Legislation will require that any funds withheld be reinvested into well performing universities, new equity measures or additional research funding,' he added. The Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin is an adventure-tourer like no other. Heres a quick look at some of its interesting aspects. Honda's Africa Twin is somewhat of a big deal. The manufacturer has jumped into the budding adventure touring segment in India with a highly capable motorcycle which also has a lot of history behind its name. The best part is that Honda has stuck to the promise it made at the 2016 Auto Expo, and is assembling this motorcycle in India. This has kept its price at a reasonable Rs 13.06 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), at par with its Triumph and Ducati competitors; the Africa Twin, however, is the only one here to get a high-tech dual-clutch (DCT) gearbox. In fact, Honda is getting 50 Africa Twins in the first batch to India and the lot of them have already been sold out. We just had our first spin on the new Africa Twin and came away fairly impressed (read our first ride review here). Let's take a quick look at some noteworthy aspects of the bike. India will only get the DCT model (for now) Experienced riders might cringe at this, but Honda is initially only planning to get the six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) model to India. For the Africa Twin, Honda has packaged the gearbox in an extremely compact crankcase. It allows for manual shifts, through triggers on the left handlebar (or an optional foot pedal), and also a couple of auto modes 'D', designed for economy and comfort, and 'S' for sporty riding, which itself has three different shifting profiles to choose from. When manoeuvring at slow speeds, this transmission can slip the clutch to avoid sudden burst of torque to be sent to the rear wheel if the throttle is opened sharply. However, for off-road riding, a G button can be engaged in any riding mode and that makes the rear wheel more directly responsive to throttle inputs. The gearbox can understands how the bike is travelling on an incline and can delay upshifts when climbing and quicken downshifts while descending. The 999.11cc parallel-twin motor is very compact An adventure bike needs high ground clearance and an important step in achieving this is to have a compact motor. Honda chose a parallel-twin engine for the Africa Twin as a V-twin wouldve been too long or too tall for the job. To further package it tightly, it gets a vertically split crankcase with a semi-dry sump and in-tank lower-crankcase oil storage, water pump housed within the clutch casing and even a thermostat integrated into the cylinder head. Speaking of the head, this motor features Hondas SOHC Unicam system to drive the four valves per cylinder, which additionally contributes to its compactness, mass centralisation and low centre of gravity. With a 270-degree phased crankshaft and twin spark plugs per cylinder, power delivery is similar to that of a V-twin with a straight power curve and a meaty torque curve that delivers healthy doses of bottom-end pull. This compact motor design has helped Honda engineers package the Africa Twin in such a manner that it offers a fairly short seat height (820-840mm) while retaining a monstrous 250mm ground clearance. Its focused more on adventure than touring Just visually, the Africa Twin stands apart from other adventure touring motorcycles in its class. Its slim and compact design, with minimum bodywork, is more along the lines of an enduro bike rather than an out-and-out adventure tourer. Sure, it has what it takes to handle tarmac just fine, and has the ability to get decked out with a whole bunch of touring options like a top box, panniers and heated grips, but at the core of it all, the focus has been on manageability in the dirt. Its steel semi-double-cradle frame has been inspired from that of the Honda CRF450 Rally and even the 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wire-spoke wheels are shod with tube-type tyres for the benefit of simplicity. The instrument cluster is stacked vertically, much like an enduro motorcycle for readability when standing on the pegs and riding. To top things off, the braking system has an option to turn off ABS for the rear wheel to lock it when riding in the dirt. The suspension is fully adjustable The suspension on the Africa Twin isnt as sophisticated as the electronically controlled Skyhook system on the Ducati Multistrada. Honda has focused on simplicity, improved ability and low weight. At the front, the bike features 45mm Showa cartridge-type upside-down forks which offer a massive 230mm of travel. The forks are fully adjustable for rebound and compression damping. But their party piece is that, thanks to extensive use of aluminium and hollowed out parts, they are 0.86kg lighter than the 43mm telescopic units from the XRV750L Africa Twin. At the back, theres a Showa monoshock, with 220mm of travel, and it features a 46mm cylinder and remote reservoir much like the companys CRF series of motocross bikes. This allows for a lot more stable damping under extreme off-road conditions. The unit gets a dial on the shock body to adjust spring preload, while the rebound and compression damping are fully adjustable as well. Its got real racing pedigree The name Honda Africa Twin is pretty legendary in motorcycle circles. It comes from the legendary heritage of the bike that preceded the current CRF1000L. From 1986 to 1989, Honda dominated the Paris-Dakar Rally with back to back wins four years in a row with the 750cc and 800cc versions of its NXR rally bikes. From the lessons learned when developing these rally bikes, Honda decided to make an adventure touring version which was available to the general public. And thus, the XVR650 (and later the XVR750) Africa Twin was born, named after the continent that Honda conquered. And the same philosophy of the original is still applicable to the modern-day CRF1000L Africa Twin take race-winning technology and engineering to produce a bike that provides dominating performance and, at the same time, can be used for the daily grind. Take a closer look at the Honda Africa Twin in our image gallery Around a hundred Armenian civilians working for a Russian military base in Gyumri went on strike on Wednesday to demand their wages which they said have not been paid for the last three months. The workers involved in housing maintenance and utility services marched to the local headquarters of the base, protesting against the wage arrears. We havent been paid for February and March, one of them told RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). The April wages are supposed to be paid by May 15 but nobody will tell us if this will happen. The recently appointed commander of the base, Vladimir Yelkanov, claimed to be unaware of the wage arrears when he met with the protesters at the entrance to his headquarters. He said he will meet later in the day with senior executives of a Russian company maintaining the housing infrastructure of Russian military personnel stationed in Armenia. Some protesters cited rumors that the company went bankrupt recently. The Russian base is thought to number up to 4,000 soldiers mostly deployed in Gyumri. A Russian-Armenian agreement signed in 2010 extended the Russian military presence in the country by 25 years, until 2044. Pursuant to the provisions of the Rules and Regulations of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange d.d., Financial Instruments Market Act (ZTFI), and the Corporate Governance Code of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange and Warsaw Stock Exchange, the company Gorenje d.d., Velenje, hereby makes the following announcement: With regard to the announcements dated April 6, 2017, and April 14, 2017, the company Gorenje d.d. (hereinafter also referred to as the Company or the Issuer) informs the public that it adopted on May 3, 2017, a resolution to issue corporate notes with the symbol GV02, under the following terms and conditions: total face value of the entire Note issue shall be up to EUR 40 million; total issue includes 40,000 notes at par value of EUR 1,000.00 per Note; nominal value of the Note principal shall be redeemable as bullet repayment, i.e. in a single amount on the bond maturity date on May 11, 2022. Interest (coupon) shall accrue from May 11, 2017, and it shall be paid out at the end of each accrual period on May 11 of every year, starting on May 11, 2018; fixed coupon rate for the Notes shall be 2.45% p.a.; the Issuer's liabilities pertaining to the Notes, towards the holders or beneficiaries of such Notes, are backed by entire Issuer's property. The Notes are not backed by any underlying collateral or guarantee of the Issuer, and the Note holders shall not have any preferential treatment relative to other Issuer's creditors or their claims or receivables from the Issuer. The Issuer's liabilities pertaining to Notes shall be direct, unconditional, non-insured, and non-subordinated and shall always be at least equivalent in terms of the order of repayment (pari passu) both mutually and in respect to all other Issuer's existing and future non-insured and non-subordinated liabilities. All terms and conditions regarding the Notes shall be entered into the central register of the Central Securities Clearing Corporation (KDD), and they shall be disclosed in entirety in the presentation document for regulated trading with the corporate Notes. Actual issue of Notes will depend on actual subscription and payment of the Notes by potential investors. The Notes will be offered to invited investors in Slovenia and in other EU member countries, pursuant to the relevant legislation, based on exemptions from the publication of a securities offering prospectus. The Issuer will inform the public about the actual issue of corporate notes presumably on May 11, 2017. Issue and offering of corporate Notes of the company Gorenje d.d., Velenje, will be organized by Nova Ljubljanska banka d.d., Ljubljana. Disclaimer: The English text for all announcements is for information purposes only! The information included in this announcement will also be available at the official website of the company Gorenje, d.d., Velenje, at www.gorenjegroup.com, for a period of no less than 5 years from the date of announcement. Gorenje d.d. Management Board A USF St. Petersburg student who overcame incredible challenges is now receiving an incredible honor. Hunter Drake named "Outstanding Graduate of the Year" for USF St. Pete A decade ago, Drake was homeless, infected with HIV Drake plans to continue studying at USF USF St. Petersburg has named Hunter Drake their "Outstanding Graduate of the Year." "I'm honored," Drake laughed. "I never thought I would have those words used to describe me, but I'm proud." "Every now and then you get a special student that really stands out and Hunter is really one of those students," said USF St. Pete Professor Tiffany Chenneville. Chenneville nominated Drake for the award. Drake's path to graduation and to that award was by no means a traditional one. Earlier in life he left school early to enter the workforce as part of a successful IT business. He then lost that job after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He spent time on the streets, without a home, and was infected with HIV. Over the last decade, Drake turned everything around. Now, on the verge of graduation, Drake assists in research to educate people in Kenya with HIV. "Not in a million years did I think I could turn something so personal to me into something positive and that's definitely what happened here," Drake said. Drake will graduate from the Honors Program Sunday with a degree in Psychology. He plans to continue at USF St. Petersburg for his Masters Degree. GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. The search for an 82-year-old sailor missing off the coast of North Carolina is in its third day Wednesday. Boater from Clearwater missing off NC coast Richard Tomlinson, 82, was sailing to Maine Search ongoing - sailboat wreckage found, no sign of Tomlinson Richard Tomlinson of Clearwater is missing near Frisco, N.C. His wrecked sailboat washed ashore Monday in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina. Tomlinson left Maximo Marina in St. Petersburg Friday. He was heading to Maine. The Coast Guard continues to search with boats and a helicopter but there has been no sign of Tomlinson. Meanwhile, in Clearwater, Tomlinson's friends are holding out hope as they await word. An avid sailor, Tomlinson often sailed alone for months at a time, his friends said. "I'm so anxious to find out what circumstances he ran into that he could not handle," said Tomlinson's friend Steve Hodges. "I cant imagine him not being able to handle a situation in a sailboat. He is a sailor." Hodges said despite his age, his friend is a strong swimmer and that if anyone could survive this, it is Tomlinson. Richard Tomlinson of Clearwater is missing near Frisco, N.C. His wrecked sailboat washed ashore Monday in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina. By Bill Ayers Tucker Carlson. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore Fox News made the headlines last week when eleven current and former employees filed a class-action lawsuit against the network for racial discrimination. This was less than a week after the network ousted political commentator Bill OReilly for accusations of sexual harassment. Fellow commentator Tucker Carlson has since replaced him. In a time when Fox News is under scrutiny for its regressive and discriminatory conduct, its amazing to recall that some of the networks stars once rubbed elbows years ago with Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. None other than Tucker Carlson entered an online fundraising auction for two items Ayers and Dohrn were donating: choice seats at a Cubs game and dinner for six cooked and hosted by Ayers and Dohrn. When Carlson won the dinner, outrage poured out on the blogosphere. Ayers was excited and saw it as an opportunity to open a dialog. Some friends of Ayers and Dohrn clamored to have a front-row seat to dinner theater. Other friends and colleagues, however, argued that they should never comingle with the likes of Fox News commentators. Or they accused Ayers of being provocative and stupid, and faded into the background. But Ayers and Dohrn still made the preparations and welcomed their guests. Carlson brought along Jamie Weinstein, Andrew Breitbart, Matt Labash, Audrey Lowe, and Buckley Carlson. As the following passage from Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident shows, no one could have predicted how the soiree would turn out. *** And then they arrived. Let the rumpus begin! Spirited greetings and introductions all around, laughter at the improbability of the whole thing, a flurry of separate conversations as wine was poured and glasses lifted. I proposed a toast to Tucker, thanking him for his generous gift to the Public Square and reminding everyone that this was a dinner party, not an interview or a performance (of course, dinner is always a performance, and this one more than most). Then they were seated at the table, first course served. Friends had warned us that they would try to create a gotcha moment, but not much happened. Tucker and Bernardine gazed out the windows for a time at the Chicago skyline and discovered a shared Swedish background (Christmas cookies!). Jamie Weinstein acted the intrepid cub reporter, notebook in hand, copying the titles of books from the vast bookshelves (Look, Solzhenitsyn! And Vargas Llosa!), questions flying from him in a steady stream, but perhaps his manic, in-your-face manner was the result of jet lag (Im just off the plane from Israel, he said half a dozen times. My third trip!). Carlson and Breitbart had been on the primary campaign trail, and each expressed deep disdain for the Republican candidates seeking the presidency. When Jamie complained that none was a bona fide conservative, I asked him to define conservative for me. Small government, he said. Thats it? I asked. Yes. It certainly makes thinking easier, if not completely beside the point. I pointed out that Somalia, to take an obvious example, was a small-government paradise. Tucker told me at one point that his kids went to the same boarding school hed attended, and asserted that the only difference between his kids school and a failing Chicago public school was that at the prep school they could fire the bad teachers. I laughed out loud, and he smiled weakly. Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Bernardine was saying that the United States should close all its foreign military bases immediately, begin to dismantle the Pentagon, the CIA, and NATO, and save a trillion dollars a year at leasta small-government proposal if ever there was one. The boys werent buying it at all, clamoring for invasions here, aggression there, violence (normalized, routine, and taken for granted) practically everywhere. Andrew Breitbart, humid and heating up, argued noisily for US military interventions in Iran and Syria and, then, egging himself on, in North Korea and China(!)on humanitarian grounds, of coursewhile Bernardine, that notorious poster child for violence, steadfastly urged nuclear disarmament, withdrawal from occupations, peace on earth, goodwill toward all. It was utterly surreal. I gave each guest a swag bag with candy kisses and one of my books, autographed. Tucker took my comic book about teaching, and I signed it To my new best friend! I had bought his book Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites, with an epigraph (returned to again and again in the text) from Larry King: The trick is to care, but not too much. Give a shitbut not really. I asked him to please autograph it for me. He wrote: Thanks for the fantastic ribs! Please read every word of this the truth lies herein. Perhaps he was being ironic as well. As they were leaving, Breitbart told Bernardine that he was thrilled to know her, and he noted that we had at least one thing in common: we were all convenient caricatures in the lamestream media. It was all over in an hour and a half. Andrew Breitbart tweeted from the taxi ferrying them back to their hotel: Shorthand: Ayers, a gourmand charmer. Dohrn, hot at 70, best behavior. Potemkin dinner. Pampered by their coterie. He elaborated in a long radio interview later that night from his hotel bar: We were exposed to the two most sophisticated dinner party-throwers in the world. . . . This was their battleeld and they couldnt have been more charming. . . . I think Im going to try and reach out to Bill Ayers and try and figure out if I can maybe do a road trip across the country with himhim and meand he can show me his America, and I can show him my America, and maybe we can film it and let people decide. Because Ive got to be honest with you, I liked being in the room with him, talking with him. That road trip was a fun if unlikely prospect, but a few days after our dinner it became impossibleAndrew Breitbart collapsed and died outside his home at the age of forty-three, too young. Lifeshort or longalways ends in the middle of things. About the Author William Ayers was Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the founder of the Small Schools Workshop and the Center for Youth and Society, and the author of many books including Teaching Toward Freedom, A Kind and Just Parent, Fugitive Days, and Public Enemy. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamAyers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Teachers in at least three local school districts have been hit by a nationwide phishing scam asking users to open Google Docs. The scam sends emails from a user's account to their contacts asking them to open a file using Google Docs, an online app used for creating and sharing documents. When users click the link, they're asked to sign into their Google accounts, giving hackers access to their accounts. The same email is then sent to all of their own contacts. Locally, accounts from Silsbee ISD, Port Neches-Groves ISD and Bridge City ISD have sent the messages, along with colleges, schools and Google users across the country. The emails are sent to "hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com," and blind-copied to other recipients. To avoid infecting their own emails, recipients should not click the Google Docs link in the email, and check with senders before opening files. In a series of Tweets on the official "Google Docs" Twitter Account, the company said they "have taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs and have disabled offending accounts. We've removed the fake pages, pushed updates through Safe Browing, and our abuse team is working to prevent this kind of spoofing from happening again." "We encourage users to report phishing emails in Gmail," the company said. If you clicked the link, you can revoke the hacker's access to your accounts, according to the Washington Post. Go to https://myaccount.google.com/permissions, and delete the "Google Docs" app there, which is actually the phishing app. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Parts of Kountze sustained damage early Wednesday, potentially from a tornado. Hardin County Sheriff Mark Davis said areas of City Hall were damaged from the storm. Kountze ISD students sheltered in place until 9 a.m. as a precautionary measure, according to Superintendent John Ferguson. One of the district's teachers is married to a local meteorologist, he said, and they were able to prepare in advance for the tornado watches and warnings that were issued for the area. Ferguson said they briefly delayed the start of STAAR testing until after 9 a.m. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Kountze at 8:21 a.m. A NWS meteorologist said a tornado was reported in the area, but has not been verified yet. "It's the worst possible time for things like this when kids are either arriving or departing school," Ferguson said. "But everything is fine now, and our staff and faculty did an amazing job making sure everyone got to their designated areas quickly." Silsbee ISD wrote in a Facebook post that high school seniors "will not need to report to campus today because of heavy rain and flooding in the area." Due to standardized testing for underclassmen, seniors were previously supposed to arrive later in the day, but were told "to not attempt to drive the roads for school." Flash flood warnings have been issued for Newton, Jasper, Tyler, Orange, Jefferson and Hardin counties until 11:30 a.m., according to the NWS. Up to three inches of rain have already been reported with another 2-4 inches possible. Coastal flood advisories are in effect for Sabine Pass and High Island. A tornado watch will remain in effect until 5 p.m. for the following counties: Jasper, Tyler, Chambers, Jefferson, Newton, Hardin, Liberty, and Orange. In Jasper County, Buna ISD officials said students were sheltered earlier in the morning, but that they resumed normal class schedules around 10 a.m. A spokesperson at Buna Junior High said they are allowing concerned parents to pick up students, but that classes will resume as scheduled. There are water over some sections of US 96 in Buna, said the Texas Department of Transportation. The roadway remains open but motorists are urged to avoid the area as waters continue to rise. The Jasper County Sheriff's Office said they've had reports of rain, but no severe winds. The New York State Society of Anesthesiologists called upon legislators to oppose a bill that would allow nurse anesthetists to conduct anesthesia services. Here's what you should know. 1. NYSSA President Rose Berkun, MD, said in a release, "Multiple problems can arise when administering anesthesia, and it can be surprising and fast-acting. In these situations, life and death decisions must be made in seconds; it should be a physician, who makes those decisions." 2. The society says physician anesthesiologists have between 12 years and 14 years of education, which includes up to 12,000 hours to 16,000 hours of clinical training to specialize in anesthesia care. Nurses' education requires approximately 2,500 hour of clinical training in comparison. 3. NYSSA Board Member Vilma Joseph, MD, said the bill puts the high standard of care patients expect at risk, endangering patient safety. 4. Lawmakers vetoed similar legislation in 2012. Lawmakers said the legislative administration has a right to require healthcare organizations implement high patient care standards. NYSSA claims the bill is attempting to allow the State Education Department authority to create scope of practice regulations. 5. New York State Society of Anesthesiologists also cited a recent survey claiming 90 percent of an unspecified amount of patients want physicians to administer anesthesia. New York State Association of Nurse Anesthetists President Barbara Capogna, CRNA, refuted some of the NYSSA's claims to Becker's ASC Review. Concerning the unspecified survey, she said eight studies published in peer-reviewed journals like this one in Medical Care or this one in Nursing Administration Quarterly since 2000 confirmed anesthesia care provided by certified registered nurse anesthetists was as good as, if not better than care provided by anesthesiologists. 6. Ms. Capogna said NYSSA incorrectly argued that the bill would bypass the state legislative process by allowing the State Education Department authority to create regulations defining scope of practice. Ms. Capogna said the bill would authorize the SED to certify advanced practice nurses who meet several requirements, including continuing education. Ms. Capogna said the bill is necessary to "eliminate confusion for the provider community as well as ensure the public is receiving services by qualified anesthesia providers." She said to Becker's, "New York remains one of the only states in the country that does not recognize CRNAs as advanced practice nurses. This bill provides strong public protection, requires the highest standards of professional education, competency and accountability and is long overdue." John Pajka, MD, of Lima-based Eye Surgery Center of Western Ohio, and Robert Derick, MD, of Columbus (Ohio) Eye Surgery Center, completed mission trips to Nicaragua and Jamaica. The physicians performed more than 360 eye surgeries for poor and blind patients. Dr. Pajika is an AmSurg partner. HCA Holdings, based in Nashville, is changing its name to HCA Healthcare, according to The Tennessean. Here are five key notes: 1. CEO Milton Johnson told investors during an earnings call recently the company was changing its name to "better reflect how the company interacts with patients," according to the Tennessean. 2. The change is expected to take place later this month, as the company attempts to build networks in key markets including Nashville. HCA owns TriStar Health and recently announced plans to purchase three hospitals in Houston, making the total number of HCA hospitals in the city 14. 3. The company will continue to trade on the stock market as HCA. 4. Several other healthcare systems have undergone recent branding or name changes, including LifePoint Health's update from LifePoint Hospitals in 2015. 5. Health systems are increasingly expanding to include more outpatient facilities such as urgent care facilities, freestanding emergency rooms and ASCs in addition to hospitals. HCA currently includes 171 hospitals and 118 surgery centers in 20 states and the United Kingdom. The top three vendors hospitals used to attest to the meaningful use program are Cerner, Meditech and Epic, according to June 2016 ONC data. Here are 18 hospitals and health systems that posted job listings seeking EHR and IT expertise in the past two weeks. Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Job listings were compiled from job seeker websites. Cerner 1. Christiana Care Health System (New Castle, Del.): Seeks a PowerChart systems analyst 2. Community Health Systems (Franklin, Tenn.): Seeks an app systems analyst 3. Florida Hospital (Orlando): Seeks a clinical informatics analyst 4. Miami Children's Hospital: Seeks a clinical systems analyst 5. Regional West Medical Center (Scottsbluff, Neb.): Seeks an acute clinical application analyst 6. Sequoia Hospital (Redwood City, Calif.): Seeks a clinical informaticist in data analytics Meditech 1. CarePoint Health Medical Group (Jersey City, N.J.): Seeks a business analyst 2. Johnston-Willis Hospital (Richmond, Va.): Seeks an RN sepsis coordinator for quality management 3. MountainView Hospital (Las Vegas): Seeks an RN quality management coordinator 4. Norwood (Mass.) Hospital: Seeks a health information management processing associate 5. South Bay Hospital (Sun City Center, Fla.): Seeks an RN coordinator for computerized physician order entry informatics Epic 1. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (Memphis, Tenn.): Seeks an Epic analyst for hospital billing claims 2. John Muir Health (Walnut Creek, Calif.): Seeks an information systems analyst for Epic Cadence 3. NYU Langone Medical Center (New York City): Seeks an Epic Cadence analyst 4. NYU Lutheran Medical Center (New York City): Seeks a surgical service information system data analyst 5. Rush University Medical Center (Chicago): Seeks an app analyst for Epic specialty applications 6. Spartanburg (S.C.) Regional Healthcare System: Seeks an Epic team lead for hospital billing 7. Texas Children's Hospital (Houston): Seeks a systems analyst Here are the top five most-read health IT stories from April, beginning with the most popular. 1. Erie County Medical Center facing 8th straight day without full use of computer system Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, N.Y., is still in the midst of restoring its computer system, following a virus attack on April 9, says Peter Cutler, vice president of communications and external affairs at ECMC. 2. Artificial intelligence in healthcare: 6 health IT executives on what to expect over the next 20 years Artificial intelligence is gaining ground in healthcare. In 2012, there were fewer than 20 artificial intelligence startups focused on healthcare; last year there were almost 70. 3. Cerner impersonation scheme leader sentenced to 12 years in prison Albert Davis, the leader in a fraud scheme that established a fake company impersonating Cerner, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and ordered to pay part of the restitution costs. 4. New ransomware variant targets hospitals A new ransomware kit called Philadelphia enables amateur cybercriminals to target hospitals. 5. Study: Physicians spend 50% of their day on 'desktop medicine' A study in Health Affairs investigated how physicians split their time between patient visits and computer tasks. In 2016, Epic and Cerner led the EHR market space for acute care hospitals in the United States, with Meditech following close behind, according to the new KLAS US Hospital EMR Market Share 2017. The data in this study is based on acute care EMR purchasing activity that occurred in the United States from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2016. Here are eight things to know: 1. Epic held 25.8 percent of the U.S. acute care hospital market share, with Cerner (24.6 percent) and Meditech (16.6 percent) coming in a close second and third. 2. All other EHR vendors held 10 percent or less of the market share. 3. Thirteen of 23 contracts for integrated delivery networks (multi-hospital organizations) went to Epic. 4. Small community hospitals with less than 200 beds drove EHR purchasing decisions in 2016, accounting for 80 percent of all hospital EHR decisions in the country. 5. The increase in EHR adoption by small hospitals was fueled by the community-specific platforms from Cerner and Epic; acquisition and EHR-standardization activity of larger organizations; as well as an increased interest in athenahealth's new offering. 6. However, customers did complain about the lack of customization capabilities in both Epic and Cerner platforms. 7. While Cerner proved to be the most popular vendor among small hospitals in 2016, athenahealth grew the most. 8. The number of hospitals that contracted with athenahealth more than doubled in 2016, and one-third of the new hospitals included more than 25 beds. The governor has told Concord-based New Hampshire Hospital CEO Bob MacLeod to step down from his post, according to a Concord Mirror report. Here are nine things to know: 1. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu told Mr. MacLeod to resign after state officials found that Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock has been violating its staffing contract. 2. In September 2016, New Hampshire officials approved Dartmouth-Hitchcock's proposal to take over staffing for the state psychiatric hospital. 3. However, state officials discovered that only 10 psychiatrists are currently providing care at NH Hospital, even though the contract requires a total of 12 psychiatrists. 4. The two positions fell vacant after the psychiatrists were promoted to leadership roles. The positions were not filled. 5. State officials also discovered that the staffing reports they have been receiving from the hospital were incorrect. The reports show the benchmark for staffing levels as 10, when it should be 12. 6. Dartmouth-Hitchcock received a notice of non-compliance from the state. The health system has five days to provide a response. 7. Additionally, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services is considering an investigation into whether the staffing deficiency affected care quality at NH Hospital. 8. Gov. Sununu has asked the state Attorney General's office to review "the state's contract with Dartmouth-Hitchcock to explore what additional action could be taken," according to the report. 9. Gov. Sununu asked Don Shumway, former CEO of Greenfield, N.H.-based Crotched Mountain Hospital, to take over as CEO of NH Hospital. Editor's note, 5/9/17, 3:58 p.m.: This headline of this article has been updated. It previously stated that the New Hampshire governor ordered Bob MacLeod to resign. Four students at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston have contracted the mumps, according to a report from NBC-10 News. Clinicians with the state health department and medical professionals with the university are reportedly monitoring the situation. "All appropriate measures, as recommended by the Rhode Island Department of Health and CDC, have been and are being followed," said Ellen Reynolds, the university's director of health services, according to NBC-10 News. "Health services is advising everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of this virus. Two doses of mumps vaccine protects approximately nine of 10 people who receive it." Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox! Mumps is a highly communicable virus spread via person-to-person contact, which causes painful swelling of the salivary glands, fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite. To learn about the mumps, click here. Medical centers are increasingly seeking ways to limit the impact of pharmaceutical and device manufacturers' gifts on physicians' prescription methods, according to a report by WESA. Here are five things to know: 1. When hospitals employ the policies: Marketed drugs are prescribed 8.7 percent less often Non-marketed drugs are prescribed roughly 6 percent more often 2. Expensive, name brand drugs are marketed in-person more often than less expensive, generic alternatives. 3. In-person marketing has become known as "detailing." 4. Medical practices are increasingly rejecting gifts from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers due to concerns of conflict of interest. 5. Detailing policies may also restrict physicians from holding "consulting" positions with industry companies unless the role includes significant duties. The study's results suggest gifts of all sizes impact physician prescribing behavior but the leading researchers emphasized no definitive causal relationship exists between detailing policies and a physician's prescribing track record. More articles on practice management: 2017 Main Residency Match report reveals record-high positions filled 5 insights Back Pain Centers of America expands network services 5 details Salina Ortho re-brands 4 things to know Here are seven key stories on outpatient spine trends and news. Spine in ASCs: Key thoughts from Regent Surgical Health's Jeff Simmons ASCs are increasingly incorporating spine procedures as techniques advance and welcoming surgeons trained in minimally invasive procedures. Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health Chief Development Officer Jeff Simmons spoke about the key trends seen in ASC spine procedures today. Read about the trends here. How spine ASCs fit into the future of healthcare: Key thoughts from Dr. Anthony Yeung Anthony Yeung, MD, founder of Desert Institute for Spine Care in Phoenix, discusses his thoughts on how spine surgery will evolve over the next five years. Read his thoughts on opportunities and challenges in the market, here. Dr. Stephen Hochschuler on bundled payments in spine Stephen Hochschuler, MD, co-founder of Texas Back Institute in Plano, discusses bundled payments for global episodes of care and how the spine field is adapting to value-based payments. Find out how surgeons can successfully navigate bundled payment participation and more, here. Bridging the gap between new spine technology & patients The role of the Medical Science Liaison During a Paradigm Spine-sponsored webinar on March 29, Hallett Mathews, MD, New York City-based Paradigm Spine's CMO, and Devon Billeter, Paradigm Spine's Midwest/Central US Medical Science Liaison, highlighted how Paradigm Spine leverages medical science liaisons to connect patients with the coflex Interlaminar Stabilization device in any setting of care. How minimally invasive spine surgeons can stay independent: Opportunities from Dr. Brian Gantwerker Brian Gantwerker, MD, founder of The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles, discusses key opportunities for private practice spine surgeons in the future. Click here to see where Dr. Gantwerker envisions the field going in the next decade. MIS, outpatient spine, robotics & more Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics' surgeons talk technology Philip Schneider, MD, and Michael Goldsmith, MD, of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Bethesda, Md., highlight the various impacts of technology in the spine industry, including outpatient spine. Read more here. Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders performs world's 1st robotic-guided SI fusion in ambulatory setting Englewood, NJ's Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, a pioneer in spine surgery, performed the world's first ever robotic-guided sacroiliac fusion in an outpatient ambulatory setting with the assistance of Mazor Robotics technology. To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to send thousands of stranded Indian workers back to their country under an amnesty program. According to reports, more than twenty thousand Indian nationals had applied to return home under the scheme. Notably, most of the workers who are availing the scheme are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. A new 280m power station is a step closer after plans for what will become the largest such investment here in two decades were submitted, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal. Evermore is developing a huge gas-fired plant at Belfast Harbour. Co-founder Ciaran Devine told this newspaper it could power up to 50% of Northern Ireland's homes and businesses. He also said the project could help "achieve security of supply going forward". That comes after a Westminster committee reported that the province will need more energy than can be supplied by 2021. The new power station will take around two-and-a-half years to construct. The company has submitted a detailed masterplan for the development. Mr Devine, director of Belfast Power Ltd - the company running the project - told this newspaper: "A full planning application has now been submitted for the Belfast power station project. "Belfast Power Ltd and our consultants are continuing to work closely with planning officials in the Department for Infrastructure, who have been thoroughly professional in their approach to the project so far. "We are hopeful that a decision can be made on the outcome of the planning application before the end of this year. "With an output of 480MW, it will play a vital role in providing low-carbon electricity to more than 500,000 homes and businesses, "Importantly, the submission of the planning application coincides with a report from the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that said Northern Ireland needs new generating capacity to ensure we have enough electricity to meet demand after 2021. "As a local firm, we are delighted our project will help achieve security of supply." Belfast Power Ltd is proposing to develop a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power station at Airport Road West in the Belfast Harbour Estate. The development could include an underground gas pipeline connection and above-ground gas installation. Mr Devine said that, at its peak, the power station could provide between 40% and 50% of Northern Ireland's needs. "It's Northern Ireland's largest private investment for over 20 years," he added. "It's a conventional power station and will run off a conventional gas line that comes into Northern Ireland. It's the cleanest way of producing that sort of energy." Mr Devine is one half of Belfast-based Evermore, alongside brother Stephen. The energy company has already built an 83m biomass-fuelled power station in Londonderry, the first of its kind here. The 15.8MW biomass station sells directly into the grid and provides power for around 30,000 homes and businesses across Northern Ireland. Already up and running for a year, it created 200 jobs during construction. Two of Northern Ireland's major existing power stations will have to reduce their capacity in the next few years. That is in order to comply with rules around pollution for stations still fuelled by coal and oil. It comes after a report from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee this week said that unless action was taken to prevent a deficit in electricity supply within the next four years, Northern Ireland could face further unwelcome increases in energy bills. Improving electricity connection between the North and South will help alleviate concerns, the report added. The number of homes and businesses the new plant would provide with low-carbon electricity Northern Ireland business groups will meet politicians and think tanks in Brussels today to outline their concerns over the impact of Brexit. The groups will meet with permanent representatives from the UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic during the two-day trip. Among the organisations involved are Manufacturing NI, the Institute of Directors, the Quarry Products Association, the Londonderry Chamber and the Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency. Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, told the Belfast Telegraph: "The EU has been good for the Northern Ireland economy, removing borders, supporting peace-building, regenerating towns and cities, opening access to an all-island and pan-European economy and more. "While there are efforts from the UK and Irish Governments to ensure Northern Ireland-specific issues are articulated, the absence of agreement at Stormont has left many, particularly those in business, deeply worried. "There has never been a more important time to listen, engage, learn, build relationships and directly communicate about how we can avoid harm and make a success of Brexit for Northern Ireland, the UK and the European Union. "We hope after this trip we will be better placed to propose and influence solutions, particularly around customs arrangements, labour mobility and market and regulatory access, which are fair to the EU and the UK and give some hope and certainty for firms locally to invest for the long-term and in creating jobs." Responding to a UK-wide survey showing that output among manufacturers was at a three-year high, Mr Kelly said that while there may be a similar boost here, political uncertainty was continuing to create much concern. "Our soundings confirm a similar boost to the manufacturing sector locally," he added. "Our exports are more competitive and imports from outside the UK are more expensive, so firms are getting a decent bite from Great Britain and Northern Ireland customers and consumers. "There's a huge amount of political uncertainty, which is creating worry, so while some are making hay now while the sun is shining, many (others) are not making those critical investments which secure the long-term success of manufacturing businesses." Output in the manufacturing industry jumped to a three-year high in April as new orders charged ahead on strong domestic and overseas demand. The Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index showed a reading of 57.3 last month, up from a four-month low of 54.2 in March and above economists' expectations of 54. A reading above 50 indicates growth. Business confidence among manufacturers was robust in April, with UK markets driving the strongest inflows of new work since January 2014. The oil industry says the cost of trade could rise from the current 600 million a year to 1.1 billion if Britain is forced to revert to World Trade Organisation rules The UK's oil and gas sector could see its trade costs almost double under the worst-case scenario result of Brexit, industry leaders have said. Oil and Gas UK, the body which represents the sector, has raised concerns with the Prime Minister after a new study showed the cost of trade could rise from a current total of 600 million a year to 1.1 billion, if Britain is forced to revert to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules after it exits the European Union. With one in 20 (5%) of workers in the sector coming from other parts of the EU - and about 70% of this group in skilled posts - the trade body has also urged UK Government ministers to consider the role they play when developing future immigration policy. Oil and Gas UK raised the issues in a letter to Theresa May, urging the Government to seek to preserve "frictionless" access to markets and labour once the UK leaves the EU. Ministers should also seek to maintain a "strong voice" in Europe, the organisation said. There is approximately 73 billion of oil and gas-related trade between the UK and the rest of the world, with about 61 billion of this related to goods which could see tariffs imposed on them. While the worst-case scenario where the UK has to revert to WTO rules post-Brexit could see the cost of trade almost double, analysis for Oil and Gas UK shows that if Britain is able to negotiate minimal tariffs with the rest of Europe and improve tariffs with the rest of the world, the overall cost of trade for the sector could fall by about 100 million to 500 million. Oil and Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie stressed the organisation is "apolitical" and could not "take a position on Brexit". But she said it had commissioned the research " because we need to understand the possible impact on our industry - and the possible opportunities - from exiting the EU". She said: " We also identified other EU policy issues as critical to the oil and gas industry and will require negotiation with European counterparts, as well as discussions at the domestic level between Government, regulators and industry during the Brexit process. "During the global industry downturn, our industry has continued to focus on increasing its production efficiency, and on its unit operating costs which have improved by almost 50%. "We are becoming a more globally competitive industry, but we continue to be very sensitive to any additional burdens either in relation to cost or restrictions on the movement of key personnel required for critical operations. "There are still up to 20 billion barrels of oil and gas to recover from the UK Continental Shelf and, if properly supported, our already world-class supply chain could double its turnover by 2035. "Oil & Gas UK would welcome discussions with Government officials to outline industry's concerns and opportunities and help identify a path forward during Brexit negotiations. "Our request of Government is that any change, whether domestic or European, is managed in a manner that minimises risk to the oil and gas industry and provides predictability and clarity wherever possible, through constructive dialogue and consultation." Farmer's Bash will take place at the SSE arena in October. Country music stars Derek Ryan, Lisa McHugh and Robert Mizzell will headline Farmers Bash in Belfast - Ireland's largest indoor country music event. Also topping the bill will be Grassmen, with special appearances from Marty Mone Hit The Diff, Hugo Duncan and Country Harmony. The country music event will take place on October 6 at the SSE Arena Belfast. Farmer's Bash spokesperson Darren Gardiner said they are expecting thousands of country music fans to descend on Belfast for the massive event. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference He added: The Farmers Bash promises to be the ultimate country music event to be staged in Northern Ireland. Its one massive stage, one massive dance floor and one massive party. It will be a high-octane event of music and dancing as well as a few other surprises and special guests." He continued: Country music has soared in popularity in recent years and there is a huge fan base for the music, who want to come together to enjoy themselves, dancing to the music they love. The energy and excitement around this event will be something special." Tickets for the Farmers Bash are available from Saturday, May 6 at 10am from Ticketmaster. Michel Barnier has refused to rule out the return of a hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland after Brexit. The European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator has said the initial focus for the forthcoming will be on the border in Ireland. Michel Barnier said he will visit Ireland in the next week. He was speaking as he set out the Commission's detailed negotiating guidelines for the first phase of withdrawal talks, which are expected to begin after the June 8 general election. Read More Speaking in Brussels, Mr Barnier said the opening phase of negotiations would focus on the financial settlement, the status of expatriate citizens and the future border between the UK and EU in Ireland. "I will pay great attention to the situation in Ireland... I will be going to Ireland next week," he said. What he described as the "unique circumstances and challenges" of Ireland in the wake of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement will, he said, "require flexible and imaginative solutions". But Mr Barnier also warned that it is an "illusion" to think that the process of Britain leaving the European Union will be quick or painless. His comments came as news reports suggested that the Commission may present the UK with a 100 billion euro "divorce bill", sharply increased from the previous estimates of 60bn. But Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis rejected suggestions that the UK will foot a bill on that scale, saying Brussels will only receive what it is legally owed. Mr Davis also dismissed as "laughable" reports that Prime Minister Theresa May would be barred from negotiating with her counterparts. An Ulster Unionist candidate has told how he visited his daughter's grave after accepting the party's nomination to run in North Antrim - because it was such a big decision. Jackson Minford and his wife Alison lost their daughter Lauren in a car accident four years ago and the 59-year-old wanted to spend some "quiet time" with her. Lauren, who was in her mid-20s and had just become a primary school teacher, was killed in a crash with a lorry near Portglenone as she travelled to work. "We have always been a close family and I just wanted to go and be with Lauren," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "I said to her in my heart: 'I know you are not here but if you were you would be out canvassing for me'. "I knew even before I went that I would have her approval. "We live with her loss every day and, since this is a big step for me, I just wanted to be close to her and have some quiet time." Aged 59, he is the son of Nat Minford, the MP for South Antrim from 1951 until Stormont was abolished in 1972. His grandfather Hugh was also MP, from 1929 to 1950. An uncle, Bolton Minford, had also served as a member of Antrim County Council. "Unionism has always been in the blood of the Minford family but I had decided I wanted to retire around 60 and spend more time relaxing," Jackson said. "But I had decided quite recently to join the party and felt very honoured when the leader, Robin Swann, rang me to ask me to consider standing. I spoke with my wife and (daughter)Emma and, even though I had only retired a month ago, agreed to do it." Several of the Minfords fought former DUP leader Lord Bannside, Ian Paisley, in elections over the years. Now Jackson is campaigning against the former First Minister's son, Ian, who currently has a majority of more than 11,500 votes. For most of his life, Jackson has been a career civil servant, ending up in Transport NI. He said over his 43 years of service he had been "scrupulously politically neutral" with all the political parties. "Now I have retired I am free to stand for election and I intend to campaign vigorously for my party on the issues that matter to the people here," he said. Mr Minford identified the need for investment in the area after the recent closure of the JTI and Michelin factories. And he also said the length of time people are having to wait for hospital treatment is "unacceptable". Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann MLA yesterday announced many of the party's election candidates. The party had already decided to stand aside in Foyle, North Belfast and West Belfast, and has yet to announce anything about the key battleground of South Belfast, where an agreed unionist candidate could potentially unseat SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell. The party's two sitting MPs - Danny Kinahan in South Antrim and Tom Elliott in Fermanagh & South Tyrone - will be fighting to retain their seats. Former party leader Mike Nesbitt has already said he will be standing in his home constituency of Strangford. The other candidates announced yesterday are John Stewart in East Antrim; Richard Holmes in East Londonderry; Robbie Butler in Lagan Valley; Mark Glasgow in Mid Ulster; Alan Chambers in North Down; Harold McKee in South Down; Doug Beattie in Upper Bann; and Alicia Clarke in West Tyrone. "They demonstrate the depth and talent of the membership of the Ulster Unionist Party across Northern Ireland," said Mr Swann. "People immersed in their local communities who have a commitment to making Northern Ireland a place we can all be proud to call home and are unashamed advocates for the Union." He added that "this election is not a re-run of last year`s referendum on membership of the EU - that boat has sailed." Nigel Dodds has said he is confident of holding his North Belfast seat after Sinn Fein announced that its Westminster candidate would be the son of a Belfast solicitor murdered by loyalist paramilitaries. John Finucane's father Pat Finucane was killed by loyalists in front of his wife and three children at their north Belfast home in February 1989. The murder has long been considered one of the most controversial killings of the Troubles, after the security forces colluded with gunmen from the UDA. Read More The surprise nomination for Mr Finucane, a solicitor himself with a high media profile, will see him take on the sitting MP for North Belfast, the DUP's Nigel Dodds. Mr Dodds took 19,096 votes - 47% overall - in the 2015 general election compared to 13,770 votes for Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly, whose share of the vote was 34%. "I am proud to be nominating John Finucane to carry the torch for Sinn Fein in next month's Westminster election," said Mr Kelly. "This election is a contest between those who want the north to remain in Europe, who stand for equality for rights and for Irish unity and the DUP who support a hard Brexit, support Tory cuts and who have set their face against equality and rights." Read more Read More Despite Mr Dodds staying ahead of Sinn Fein by well over 5,000 votes in 2015, Mr Kelly said Sinn Fein would "pull out all the stops" to return a nationalist MP in north Belfast for the first time in history. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Funeral of lawyer Pat Finucane, murdered by loyalists. 1989. Pacemaker PACEMAKER BFST 31-03-98; Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane who was shot dead by Loyalists. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Funeral of lawyer Pat Finucane, murdered by loyalists. 1989. Pacemaker But Mr Dodds said he remained confident of keeping the seat he has held since 2001. "In keeping with Sinn Fein ideology John Finucane will seek to forward Gerry Adams' plan to destroy the Union and advance an extreme republican agenda," he said. "The clear choice in North Belfast is between a pro-Union candidate who will take his seat and stand up for North Belfast, and the Gerry Kelly-sponsored republican candidate who will boycott Parliament and leave the people voiceless in Westminster. Expand Close Nigel Dodds / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nigel Dodds "Whilst claiming to care about Brexit and 'Tory cuts', there will be no Sinn Fein members in Parliament to vote when it actually counts." The UUP are once again not running a candidate in North Belfast. The SDLP have yet to announce a candidate, although North Belfast MLA Nichola Mallon has a high profile in the area. The Finucane family have long campaigned for a public inquiry into Pat Finucane's murder. Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Geraldine Finucane, in red, and her two sons Michael, right, and John Finucane, left, and daughter Katherine in Westminster The family of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane, including his widow Geraldine, son John and daughter Katherine in Downing Street Pat Finucane / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Geraldine Finucane, in red, and her two sons Michael, right, and John Finucane, left, and daughter Katherine in Westminster Since 2001 they have so far been unable to make the Government see through a pledge made during the Weston Park political talks. Judges supported the Government's right to balance public interest factors like cost, permitting a review of the case papers rather than a full inquiry by Sir Desmond de Silva QC. In 2012, Sir Desmond published findings showing shocking levels of state involvement in the case. These included spreading rumours Mr Finucane had IRA sympathies, and that one or possibly more police officers proposed him as a target to loyalists. No evidence was found of an overarching conspiracy by the authorities against Mr Finucane. Sir Desmond did say, however, that the actions of a number of state employees "furthered and facilitated" the shooting. He also noted there were efforts made to hamper the criminal investigation. The former Prime Minister David Cameron later apologised in the House of Commons to the Finucane family for "shocking levels of collusion" in the murder. A pensioner whose family once owned one of Belfast's landmark pubs has been spared prison after he admitted sexually assaulting a girl A pensioner whose family once owned one of Belfast's landmark pubs has been spared prison after he admitted sexually assaulting a girl. James Thomas Catney (67), with an address in south Belfast, was told by a judge that although the custody threshold had been passed, there were "highly exceptional circumstances'' that allowed him to suspend a three-year prison sentence for three years. Read More Catney was placed on the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life and was also made the subject of sexual offenders prevention order. Belfast Crown Court heard he had previously denied a total of 20 offences - 10 counts of gross indecency and 10 of indecent assault. Prosecution counsel Kate McKay said that in March this year he entered guilty pleas to three counts of gross indecency and three of indecent assault. The offences he pleaded guilty to took place on dates between December 31, 1990, and January 1, 1994, when Catney was aged between 41 and 44 and his victim was aged between eight and 11. The remaining 14 charges were to be "left on the books and not to be proceeded with without the leave of the Crown Court or the Court of Appeal''. Judge Geoffrey Miller QC heard that at the time of the offences Catney's family owned The Kitchen Bar in Belfast. The charges related to an incident of touching when Catney attended a house where alcohol was consumed. The gross indecency charges, the court heard, were in relation to Catney getting the victim to indecently touch him. "It is accepted by the prosecution that the guilty pleas were of assistance to the Crown as there were a number of evidential difficulties and important witnesses were not prepared to come to court for the trial of these matters,'' said Mrs McKay. The judge was told that Catney has a previous conviction for indecent exposure to a landlady in 1970, for which he received a conditional discharge of two years. The defendant also has a number of convictions for dishonesty offences. Eilis McDermott QC, defending, said Catney had developed polio as a young child and had one leg shorter than the other as a result. She told the court he developed behavioural problems from the age of 16 onwards after he discovered that he had been adopted and started to abuse alcohol. She added that her client now suffered a medical condition brought about by his abuse of alcohol and was tended to by carers twice a day, which involved preparing his food, washing and clothing him. Ms McDermott explained that Catney now "lived the life of a recluse". He sits at home all day watching television and does not go out unaccompanied after he fell at home and sustained leg fractures, the barrister told the court. The lawyer accepted that the custody threshold had been met, but insisted that there were "highly exceptional circumstances in the case which would warrant a suspension of a prison sentence''. Ms McDermott said these included that probation officers had assessed Catney as having a low risk of reoffending. Telling the court that her client no longer consumed alcohol, the defence counsel added there were ongoing health issues and that the defendant had to use a walking aid to get around. A Belfast man standing trial on sex offences against a 14-year old girl branded a rape allegation "a joke", a court heard on Wednesday. William George McVeigh, from Forthriver Green in the Ballygomartin area of the city, is accused of raping the highly intoxicated teenager in Woodvale Park in the early hours of October 31, 2015. The 28-year old is also facing two 'alternative' charges, namely sexual activity with a child and sexual assault. He denies all the offences, and as the trial entered its second week at Belfast Crown Court, he was called to the witness box where he was questioned by both his barrister and a Crown prosecutor. The jury has already heard evidence and watched CCTV footage which suggested the 14-year-old was so drunk after attending a birthday party that she was seen stumbling about the street, and fell on several occasions. After leaving a pub with a friend and walking towards Lanark Way just after midnight, the girl met McVeigh - who had been drinking vodka at a friend's house - outside a Chinese takeaway. Despite telling her parents she was staying at a friend's house, the girl arrived home at 3.30am covered in mud and leaves. She told her mother that she couldn't recall exactly what happened the night before, but said she remembered being in Woodvale Park with an older man. That older man - McVeigh - claimed that after meeting the girl outside the Chinese they went for a walk before having consensual sex at the junction of Ainsworth Street and Caledon Street. Both during police interview after the incident, and giving evidence in front of a jury today, McVeigh maintained that the sex was consensual - and that she initiated it. When asked by his barrister "did you rape her", McVeigh answered: "No I did not, definitely not." And when asked what he made of the rape allegation, he replied: "It's a joke." McVeigh admitted that he knew the girl was "blocked", that he saw her staggering in the street and that he helped her to her feet on at least once occasion when she fell in front of him. He said that at the time, he was "five out of ten" drunk. He also claimed he had consensual sex with her on the street, that they never entered Woodvale Park and that she didn't seem upset or worried by what occurred between them. Under cross-examination by a Crown prosecutor, the jury heard McVeigh admit that on occasion he tells "white lies" and that he initially lied to police about his movements over the weekend of October 30/31, 2015. At one point, he turned to the girl's family who were sitting in the public gallery and said: "What the f*** are you lot laughing at?" Accused of telling lies to the jury about what happened, when asked by the prosecution "lies just trip off your tongue, don't they", McVeigh replied "sometimes." At hearing. Belfast woman Christine Connor was told she will be sentenced next month for a number of terrorist offences, including trying to murder a police officer in a pipe bomb attack. The 31-year old appeared at Belfast Crown Court and declined to stand when the six charges were put to her by a clerk of the court. When she was asked to enter a plea to the charges, she replied by saying: "I am not guilty, but on advice I will plead guilty." Police described the case as "complex and unusual" involving other police forces which spanned four years. They described Connor as a "very dangerous individual". We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Connor was charged with possessing explosives - namely improvised explosive devices - with intent to endanger life on May 16th, and of causing an explosion on the same date. She was also charged with three offences arising from a pipe bomb attack on a police vehicle in the Ballysillan area of the city on May 28, 2013. Connor, whose address cannot be disclosed due to a reporting restriction, was charged with possessing explosives - namely improvised explosive devices - with intent to endanger life on May 28, and of causing an explosion on the same date, as well as attempting to murder a police constable. When the attempted murder charge was put to her, Connor replied: "I am most definitely not guilty of that, but on advice I will plead guilty." She was also charged with preparing terrorist acts between February 2013 and May 2013 - namely "the acquisition and sharing of information, materials and knowledge about explosives and explosive devices" contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006. To this, she again responded "I am not guilty, but on advice I will plead guilty." After Connor entered the pleas "on advice", Belfast Recorder Judge David McFarland said he was accepting six guilty pleas to the charges levelled against her. Defence barrister Arthur Harvey QC, representing Connor, revealed she has been diagnosed with "two serious medical complaints" which required "further diagnostic tests." Asking that Connor be granted continuing bail ahead of next month's sentencing, Mr Harvey said his client had secured medical appointments on the NHS which "will not be facilitated within the prison." Mr Harvey also asked that as well as medical reports, a pre-sentence report be compiled. When he was informed by the Crown that was objection to continuing bail as it was recognised there are "medical issues that need to be clarified", Judge McFarland said these reports will be an "important aspect" in the sentencing process. Addressing Connor, Judge McFarland branded the offences as "serious matters." Granting her bail, Connor was told by the Judge not to take this an an indication as to the sentence he will impose. Telling her to return to the same court for sentencing on June 20, Connor was told by Judge McFarland "you are free to go now". Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes, of the PSNI's Serious Crime Branch, said: This has been a hugely complex and unusual case spanning over four years and involving UK police services working together to gather evidence in order to place a very dangerous individual before the Courts. Christine Connor meticulously planned the attack on police officers who were attending what they thought was a genuine emergency call for help from a member of the community who was in danger in the early hours of the morning. They had arrived at a residential address on the Crumlin Road to try and help a vulnerable woman, but instead they were lured to a hoax call which ended in an attempt to murder them. She planned this attack over quite a period of time and used a web of deceit and lies to enlist the help of Stuart Downes, 31, from Meole Brace in Shrewsbury, who had been due to stand trial also but who died in non-suspicious circumstances in June 2016. Christine Connors deceitfulness knew no bounds and involved using a fictitious name and a profile picture that bore no resemblance to her when communicating online with Stuart Downes to plan this sickening attack on officers who were simply carrying out their core job of protecting their community. She had two attempts at murdering police officers on two separate dates and both involved her making hoax 999 calls to lure them to where she was hiding. Her first attempt did not result in injury, although the improvised explosive device did detonate. However Christine used this as a trial run for the attack on May 28 when she threw two IEDs at officers, which resulted in my colleagues being very badly shaken but thankfully not injured. It is just sheer good fortune that they were not killed or seriously injured. What is clear though is the total disregard Christine had for the people within this community who also could have been seriously injured or killed. The shrapnel from the devices travelled for 35 metres and was found lodged in the homes of local people. A claim of responsibility for the attack on May 28, 2013 made from a Public Call Box in the Shrewsbury area formed a major part of the PSNI enquiry, police said. This resulted in the identification of Stuart Downes as a suspect, explained Detective Superintendent Geddes. This, together with CCTV evidence obtained in the vicinity of the May 28 attack in the Crumlin Road, resulted in the identification of Christine Connor as a suspect and subsequent investigations provided the link between Stuart Downes and Christine Connor. Todays outcome is the result of excellent joint working between the PSNI and West Mercia Police alongside the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit. A vast amount of evidence has been obtained from the examination of mobile telephones, computers, media devices and on line networking sites which evidenced the conspiracy between Christine Connor and Stuart Downes. Working together, we have disrupted the activity of a dangerous individual who will now face the rigours of the criminal justice system. Detective Inspector Martyn Barnes, of West Mercia Police, added: The outcome at court today is the culmination of a significant and detailed investigation involving three UK police services. It is a positive example of how we do not work in silo and we hope this case reassures the communities we serve that we can and do work together to ensure justice is done. A Co Tyrone mother and her seriously ill son look set to be forced to travel back to America for urgent treatment that Northern Ireland doctors promised would be delivered by the NHS. Eleven-year-old Billy Caldwell, from Castlederg, suffers from a rare, life-threatening form of epilepsy that has seen him endure daily seizures that turn him blue and do not stop unless he immediately gets medication and wears an oxygen mask. He was prescribed medicinal cannabis on the NHS in what is understood to be the first treatment of its kind in the UK for his severe form of epilepsy. The youngster and his mother, Charlotte, had been travelling to the US for the medication. They returned home in February after doctors at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast assured the family they would deliver Billys care plan. This included a prescription for medicinal marijuana and a brain scan with the option of surgery. While Billy now has access to cannabis oil through his GP, mum Charlotte, who is also her sons full-time carer, said the hospital had failed to carry out an urgent brain scan. The pair are now being forced to return to Los Angeles this Friday, which will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. The medicinal cannabis has held Billys seizures at bay for the last 94 days, but he has a lesion on the left temporal lobe and that has to be addressed as its the root of his seizures, said Billys mother. Now that he is seizure-free, his brain activity has calmed down, which will give doctors a clearer picture of his lesion. A scan will show whether it has shrunk and then they will decide if they can do laser surgery, which will be a less invasive form of brain surgery. If it hasnt shrunk, they would have to remove the lesion and the left temporal lobe, which I wouldnt want to happen as he would lose his memory and speech. He needs this brain scan now. He cant wait on the chance that he can take another seizure at any minute which could kill him. Its torture. The lesion brought back Billys seizures after eight years in remission, while the cannabis oil is helping to reduce the damage. Despite assurances by doctors in March that he would undergo a brain scan in Belfast, Charlotte said that time had run out and her desperate calls for help had not been answered. Im forced to travel more than 6,000 miles and pay for care in America thats available on the NHS and that was promised to us, she added. This is a scandal what they (the Belfast Trust) are doing to my son and the financial burden they have placed on me, a single mother who is fighting this to try and keep him alive. They have left him to die. A spokesperson for the Belfast Trust said: Belfast Trusts clinical team in Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children will continue to work closely with the Caldwell family to provide the best possible care for Billy. However, in the best interests of patients, we cannot discuss an individuals care or treatment. The father of a Scottish man plucked to safety from the Irish Sea after 32 hours lost at sea on a surfboard has said getting the news of his rescue was better than a lottery win. And Northern Irelands top surfer Al Mennie described the rescue of 22 year-old Glasgow man Matthew Bryce as miraculous. After 32 hours alone and adrift at sea, Matthews father John Bryce had doubted he would see his son alive again. The ecstatic dad expressed his gratitude to his sons rescuers. The past 48 hours have been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions for our family and we are so grateful that Matthew has been found safe and well, said John. To get that call from the police to say that he was alive was unbelievable. It was better than a lottery win you just cant describe it. Matthew means the world to us; he is such a strong character both mentally and physically, and we are looking forward to being reunited with him. Weve managed to speak to him briefly on the phone and he is obviously exhausted after his ordeal, but he is in good spirits and happy to be alive. Our family cannot thank the Coastguard, RNLI volunteers and police officers involved in finding Matthew enough. I would also like to thank our friends and family as well as the hundreds of people who offered their support on social media. We have been overwhelmed by your support and good wishes and we will be forever grateful to every single one of you. Mr Bryce went surfing at Machrihanish beach off the Argyll coast on Sunday morning, entering the water at 11.30am. After he was reported missing, Belfast Coastguard co-ordinated a sea and shoreline search. The massive operation involved RNLI lifeboats from Campbeltown, Islay and Red Bay, the Prestwick Coastguard rescue helicopter and Coastguard rescue teams from Campbeltown, Southend, Gigha, Tarbert and Port Ellen. With hopes fading and night approaching, Matthew was finally spotted clinging to his surfboard 13 miles from land by a Coastguard helicopter at 7.30pm on Monday. Expand Close Matthew Bryce / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Matthew Bryce Dramatic footage of the rescue taken from the Coastguard helicopter shows Matthew being winched to safety as the surfboard he clung to drifts away on the tide below. The surfer was conscious but hypothermic when found, and is now recovering from his ordeal at the Ulster Hospital. His thick neoprene wetsuit is thought to have been a key factor in allowing him to survive for so long in the cold water. Mr Bryce said yesterday he was exhausted as he paid tribute to his rescuers from a hospital bed. Expand Close Northern Ireland surfer Al Mennie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland surfer Al Mennie I am so grateful that I am now receiving treatment in hospital, he said I cannot thank those enough who rescued and cared for me, they are all heroes. Portrush professional surfer Mennie, who has crossed the world in search of monster waves to conquer, knows first-hand the challenges Matthew faced. In 2012, Al paddled across the Irish Sea on a similar route to raise money for Chest, Heart and Stroke NI. He stressed that the journey proved treacherous, even with training. Matthew is very lucky to have survived; I have never heard of anyone around here who has survived being in the water for that long, said Mennie. The tides between here and Scotland are notorious all over the world for how dangerous they are. I dont know Matthew, but Im sure he was petrified. There have been very strong south-easterly winds for the last few days, and he will have been going back and forward on the tide. When I crossed that stretch, it was in very similar conditions, with no surf and very little winds, and it was still very, very difficult, even with training. As soon as I heard where he had gone from, I had a fair idea of the path of the tide. Im not surprised they found him Im surprised he survived. Al believes that surviving in such situations is something which cannot be taught, but must be learned through experience. Matthew knew to stay on his surfboard, which kept him out of the water, and if he was in a compact ball that would have helped him to retain body heat, he explained. I also heard he was wearing a good, thick wetsuit, which was an advantage. Staying calm and hoping someone will come is another key element. Mental strength is as key to survival as the physical aspect. Since Matthews rescue, Al has published safety tips on his website in the hope of preventing future tragedies. Its very important that you know which way the wind is blowing and have an emergency plan, he said. At this time of year, places like Portrush get very busy, and a lot of people come who dont know much about the area. They put their safety in the hands of lifeguards and coastguards, but everyone should take responsibility for their own safety. A lot of people who are rescued are panicking in 10 minutes. Matthew sustained himself for more than 30 hours. Thankfully, this guy was rescued and survived and this warning is not a fatality. Alex Smith, Belfast Coastguards maritime operations controller, agreed that Matthew had been very lucky and that it was unusual to recover someone alive from the sea after that amount of time. I would suggest that when people go out surfing they do so in pairs, so that someone can raise the alarm or get help, he said. When Matthew is recovered we would love to hear from him, and if he wants to come in, the kettles on. A victim of a sex offender has spoken about her horrifying ordeal for the first time after her abuser was spared jail. The woman - who we have called 'Karen' to protect her identity - lunged at her attacker outside the courtroom at Belfast Crown Court yesterday shortly after he was handed a three-year prison sentence that was suspended for three years. Read More Karen, who apologised for her behaviour outside the court after a security officer intervened, was just eight years old when Catney - who requires the use of a walking aid - began a campaign of sexual offences that left her with a catalogue of nauseating memories; all horrendous, but some more vivid than others. Now in her 30s, the single mother said she was breaking her silence to stop the "dreadful crimes" committed by 67-year-old James Thomas Catney "from being brushed under the carpet". Catney, with an address in south Belfast, was placed on the sex offenders register for life and also made the subject of a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order. In an exclusive interview with the Belfast Telegraph, the victim said she still suffers nightmares as a result of the abuse which robbed her of her childhood. "When I close my eyes it all comes back," she said. "I can't remember dates. I was so young. I just remember being in bed and him creeping into the room and getting in beside me. "It was horrible." "He was stinking of alcohol. He just got into the bed and started touching me. He was disgusting," she said. "One night it was late and I was asleep when he came into my room and woke me up. "He told me not to say anything - that it was our secret - so I didn't. That's why I kept it to myself for so long." It was impossible for Karen to know when he would strike or how long the assaults - which she said took place in four different places of residence - would last. "Sometimes it went on for half an hour, or it might only be 10 minutes," she said. "If he heard somebody coming down the hall he would stop. But he just took every opportunity he got." Karen didn't tell her mother what was happening to her between the ages of eight and 11 because Catney, whom the court heard suffered alcohol addiction, had warned her she would get into trouble. "I remember it happened one Christmas morning - the year I got the doll's house - when he was in the living room lying across the sofa," she recalled. "I had come in and he kept calling me over." Catney then sexually abused Karen, who was aged only eight at the time. Eventually, after three years, Karen found the courage to confide in a neighbour and "it all came out then" because her mother was informed about what was happening. "I had had enough by then but I wouldn't have told if my mummy hadn't found out," she said. Karen admitted that the ordeal, which lasted from December 31, 1990, until January 1, 1994, has had a negative impact on her private life over the years, including the breakdown of a long-term relationship. "When I told my partner - my children's father - what had happened to me, neither of us could deal with it and we split up seven years ago," she said. "After we broke up I went off the rails, drinking and partying." Yesterday Karen - who said she wanted to be in court during sentencing - watched as Catney appeared in front of Judge Geoffrey Miller QC, dressed in a black suit and navy shirt. "At least he finally acknowledged what he did," she said. "But he didn't admit anything until the last minute a few weeks ago." Although judges are bound by sentencing guidelines, Karen feels Catney was dealt with leniently. "I didn't expect him to get a lot of time because of his health concerns but I'm angry. To me, he's getting off too lightly," she said. By speaking out, Karen said she hopes her story will encourage other people who have found themselves in a similar situation to come forward. "It has affected my life as a mother," she said. "I wouldn't let my children sleep over anywhere and there's hardly ever anyone staying overnight in our house unless it's family. "It takes over your head. It had been brushed under the carpet for too long but yesterday has finalised it. I have drawn a line in the sand and I'm going to try and not let it affect me any more. Today is the start of a new chapter." He is accused of sexually assaulting a female on six occasions between 31 August and 1 October 2015 A County Tyrone dentist is to go on trial in relation to multiple sexual assault charges, after pleading not guilty to all. Appearing in the dock of Dungannon Crown Court was Eamonn Patrick Edward McCann (57) of Dublin Road, Omagh. He is accused of sexually assaulting a female on six occasions between 31 August and 1 October 2015 Wearing a navy suit, white shirt and blue tie, McCann spoke calmly and clearly when indicating his denial of all matters a position he has maintained from the outset of proceedings. He was accompanied to court by his wife who was seated in the public gallery throughout the short hearing. A defence barrister described the case as relatively straightforward and estimated it would last three to four days. His Honour Judge Stephen Fowler QC set the trial for hearing on 11 September. McCann was remanded on continuing bail of 200. The General Dental Council (GDC) show McCann is Registered with Conditions which include notification of any post he accepts in which registration is required, and he must not work as a locum or undertake any out-of-hours work or on-call duties without the prior agreement of the GDC. In addition at any time he is providing dental services, which require him to be registered with the GDC, he must agree to the appointment of a reporter nominated by himself and approved by the GDC, and he must allow the GDC approved reporter to give reports to the GDC in relation to his practice. Four of the 12 conditions are marked, Private. At a GDC review hearing on 7 April 2017 the Interim Orders Committee varied and continued McCanns conditions, originally imposed on 20 November 2015, for the remainder of the 18 months order. This is to be reviewed again on 19 May 2017. A former treasurer of a masonic lodge appeared in court, charged with stealing around 120,000 from the organisation. Stanley William Murphy, from Broomhill Court in Magheralin, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday where he denied a total of 15 offences. The 63-year old Co Down man is facing a charge of fraud by abuse of position, as well as 14 separate counts of theft. Murphy was charged with, and denied, intending to make a gain for himself or cause a loss to another by abusing his position as treasurer "in which he was expected to safeguard or not act against the interests of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim". The offence relates to a period between January 14, 2007 and July 9, 2009. Murphy was also charged with 14 separate counts of theft, and he is accused of stealing around 120,000 in varying amounts on dates between July 2006 and July 2009. After Murphy entered not guilty pleas to all the charges against him, his solicitor said his client was a "man of previously good character". Branding the charges as both "serious" and "historic", the solicitor said the defence case would require expert forensic accountants. Revealing the crux of the case concerned cheques lodged into bank accounts, the solicitor said part of Murphy's defence was that signatures may have been forged. After hearing there were no Crown concerns over bail, Murphy was released from the dock by Judge David McFarland and told to return to the same court for his trial, which is due to take place on June 14. A Northern Ireland nurse with a crippling fear of heights is to climb the UK's highest mountain in the dark in memory of her late grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Larne Mum Michelle Mawhinney (37), who does not even like being upstairs in her own home, is aiming to scale 4,411ft Ben Nevis in July in honour of Rose. After witnessing first-hand the effects of the cruel disease, Michelle vowed to face her fears as part of the Midnight Challenge in aid of the Alzheimer's Society. She will join a team of 16 fundraisers who will navigate the peak's rocky, steep terrain by torchlight in a six-hour night-time climb, reaching the summit as dawn breaks. "This challenge is my way of pushing myself out of my comfort zone," Michelle told this newspaper "I think that I will be okay going up, but coming down is the problem. "I have gone up Slemish to practise as part of the strengthening and conditioning training, but then when I turned around to see the view I just froze - and Slemish is a lot smaller than Ben Nevis. "My fear of heights started during GCSE PE, when we were out in the Antrim Glens at the top of a hill and there was a sheer drop which we had to stretch to get over. "I just froze and from then on it has just gotten out of hand. "When I was a student at the City Hospital in the tower block, I couldn't even look out the window and I had to take the stairs instead of going up in the lift. "Every time it was a windy day, I imagined that the tower block was swinging in the breeze. But just because something is hard isn't a reason not to do it. If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. "I'm eager to get to the top and raise money for the Alzheimer's Society." Despite her nerves, Michelle is drawing strength from the memory of her beloved grandmother and is hoping that the funds she raises will ensure that other families do not have to face the same heartache. "We first realised my grandmother had Alzheimer's disease when she was 60," she explained. "Up until my grandfather died, she had seemed to be healthy. Very quickly we realised she had started to be forgetful and that our grandfather had been taking care of her, so the disease probably started when she was in her late 50s. "Our family is quite close, but it got to the point where she didn't recognise any of us, which was heartbreaking. "We tried to take care of her as long as we could, but eventually she had to go into a home. "Very occasionally, she would have a lucid moment where she would realise she was in a home and ask me where she was. She would have flashbacks of her previous life. "In the end, my uncle, Sammy, ended up in the home too as he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and they didn't know each other. They were in the same room and there was no recognition. "I always wanted to do something in my granny's memory, and when I saw that a team at my gym were going to do the challenge for the Alzheimer's Society, I had to get involved." Michelle's chosen method of fundraising has been met with support, and some surprise, from her family. "My Dad thinks it's hilarious - he knows I will do it, but that I will whinge the whole way," she said. "My 10 year-old daughter, Alex, is very excited. She keeps telling everybody that her mummy is climbing a mountain. "As with everything in my life, when something is difficult or challenging, I see it as more of a reason to overcome (it)." To sponsor or make a donation to Michelle's Ben Nevis mountain climb in aid of the Alzheimer's Society, visit her fundraising page on www.justgiving.com. Fr William Burke - a former colleague of Robert Nairac's in the British army, a fellow undercover officer, and now a parish priest in England A former undercover British soldier and colleague of murdered officer Captain Robert Nairac has appealed to the IRA to return his body. Robert Nairac was abducted and murdered in May 1977 while working undercover in Co. Armagh. His colleague who has since become a priest told tonights RTE Prime Time programme that he was glad that the bitterness of the Troubles was over, but that Robert Nairacs family and friends wished for his body to be finally returned. Asked what he wished to say to the IRA members who took Robert Nairacs body from the murder scene at Ravensdale in Co. Louth, Fr William Burke said Please may we have him back, may we have his remains for a Catholic funeral mass. For his family and his friends. Fr Burke travelled from England to visit the murder scene for the first time. As an undercover officer in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, William Burke operated in west Belfast, while his fellow intelligence officer Robert Nairac operated in Co Armagh. In his first ever interview about his work in Northern Ireland Fr Burke said he had left the British Army and became a priest as a result of Robert Nairacs murder. Expand Close Robert Nairac was murdered by IRA in 1977 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robert Nairac was murdered by IRA in 1977 Nairac was abducted after being attacked in the car park of the Three Steps Inn in Drumintee, Co. Armagh. At the time of his abduction he was armed but in plainclothes and was pretending to be Danny from Belfast. He was forced into a car and driven by a gang across the border, and shot dead in a field. But by the time the murder scene was located, members of the IRA had removed his body, and there has been no trace of his remains. In tonights RTE Prime Time programme, the lead investigator with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains, Geoff Knupfer, said he was convinced that Nairacs body could be found. He dismissed as myth, a rumour that has circulated that Robert Nairacs body was put through a meat processor. It was a story put about by those personally involved. It was really about distracting attention from this area after the murder scene was found. We believe he is buried somewhere in north Co. Louth, he said. Expand Close A never before published photo of a young Robert Nairac, taken in Spiddal, Co. Galway, some years before he became a British soldier / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A never before published photo of a young Robert Nairac, taken in Spiddal, Co. Galway, some years before he became a British soldier Mr Knupfer also described as wild allegations, stories which have previously circulated about Robert Nairac which allege his involvement in certain killings and atrocities down the years. Read more Read More The Commission for the Location of Victims Remains told RTE Prime Time it had investigated details of Robert Nairacs military service and it had not found one shred of evidence to support the allegations. Weve tried to undertake a degree of research into his background because of these stories and really to find out if they were fact or fiction. Weve done a lot of work on them. And weve not found a shred of evidence anywhere to support what are effectively wild allegations that he was involved in murder and mayhem and atrocities. He wasnt even in the island of Ireland when some of these events took place. And on other occasions he was elsewhere. "Its sad really because its because of that alleged reputation we just do not get any support from people who are probably in a position to help." Geoff Knupfer said he believed false stories about Robert Nairac had led to people not coming forward with information. Expand Close Robert Nairac's gun and his holster which were later found during the Garda investigation in Co. Louth / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robert Nairac's gun and his holster which were later found during the Garda investigation in Co. Louth The programme also heard from a brother of IRA member John Francis Green who was shot dead in a cross border attack in Co. Monaghan in 1975 that the Green family believed Robert Nairac was involved in some way in his brother's killing. Leo Green, himself a former IRA member, said his family did not bear Robert Nairac any acrimony and that his body should be returned. "My brothers death was not investigated north or south. There was a minimalist investigation. "We know in our heads and hearts what happened. We would like some acknowledgement by the British state of their role or not. Thats what we are looking for. "Although my family have a view that Robert Nairac was involved in my brothers death, there is no feeling of acrimony towards him. And there is no feeling of acrimony towards his family. I have described him as a victim in the same way that my brother was a victim. "The Nairac family entitlement to truth and Robert Nairacs entitlement to a proper burial, his siblings entitlement to give him that proper burial, its up there with all the questions that IRA members families have." To this day there have been no searches for the body of Robert Nairac, as the Commission dont know where in Co. Louth to excavate. Fr William Burke said he was speaking out in support of his murdered friend, and that he would like to one day attend Robert Nairacs funeral. "I accept that all sides made mistakes, that includes British army as well as other side, but Robert didnt do what he was accused of." Tuesday night's programme was by RTE Prime Time reporter Barry Cummins. London Bridge workers are due to stage a 24-hour strike this weekend. London Underground station staff are to be balloted for strikes in an escalating row over the sacking of a colleague. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action. Workers based at London Bridge are due to stage a 24-hour strike from Sunday evening in protest at the dismissal of a colleague the union maintains was tackling a violent fare dodger. The RMT had warned it would spread the dispute across the Tube network if the worker was not reinstated. London Underground disputes the unions version of the incident in which two other workers were disciplined. In a message to union members, RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: It was the worst case of multiple miscarriages of justice by London Underground as these members were subject to a vicious assault by a violent fare-evading passenger but instead of being supported and commended by the company, they have instead been wrongly punished. LU widely publicises a zero-tolerance approach to violence against members of staff but that promise has not been applied at all in this case. Furthermore the company has failed in its duty of care to its staff and has disregarded its own staff assault policy. Voting will start on May 10 and end on the 25th. Brian Woodhead, operations director for London Underground, said: The version of events described by the RMT union is simply untrue. CCTV footage from a number of different angles clearly shows a staff member displaying unacceptable conduct when dealing with a member of the public. The member of staff was dismissed following a full and thorough investigation. We have subsequently invited the general secretary of the union to view the footage himself, but our invitation has not been accepted. That offer is still open and, while we intend to keep London Bridge station open throughout the strike, I encourage the RMT leadership to do the right thing and call off this unjustifiable industrial action. When Sinn Fein is pontificating on workers' rights alongside their anti-Brexit rhetoric, it is worth remembering that they voted no to all previous EU/EEC referendums and Gerry Adams (and others) have said the EU institutions have a democratic deficit. Sinn Fein has criticised the austerity policies of the EU and accused the European Central Bank of "absolute disregard" for democratic institutions. Martina Anderson MEP has denounced "the right-wing elites of Europe" and the "anti-democratic actions of the ECB, IMF and the European Commission" regarding Greece. Deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has said: "Lisbon lowers wages. In recent years, the European Commission and European Court of Justice have made judgments that have the effect of driving down wages. The Lisbon Treaty provides the commission and court with an even stronger mandate to undermine workers' pay and conditions." Republic of Ireland Sinn Fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada has said: "The economic and fiscal policies of the European Union have had catastrophic effects on the lives of many of its citizens... the gap between the rich and poor in the EU is constantly increasing, social rights are being dismantled and the people of member states are being subordinated to poverty and stagnation ... it is unacceptable that Irish fishermen operating in Irish waters are at a massive disadvantage in comparison to other European fishermen... our fishing industry is effectively wiped out." ALAN DAY Cookstown, Co Tyrone Some said Brexit would be a disaster. Others predicted an historic triumph. What few seemed to realise is that it would send everybody, regardless of what side they were on in last year's referendum, stark staring mad. Brexiteers have gone batty with patriotic, flag-waving zeal and Remainers with visions of impending doom outside the... ahem... warm, loving embrace of Brussels. Europe has gone so doolally that it even seems intent right now on committing economic hari kari just to spite those upstart Brits for daring to leave the club. In Ireland, the craziness has chiefly manifested itself in a belief that a reunification of the so-called 'national territory' is on the cards. Devolved Assembly? Pah, who needs it? Instead, Sinn Fein and its useful idiots have got a whiff of the prospect of a border poll at which, they're convinced, a majority vote for Remain in Northern Ireland will translate automatically into a vote for a 32-county Irish Republic. Sounds even more nuts when you put it in black and white like that, but once lunacy takes hold there's no talking sense to those in its grip. The Scots went stir crazy, too, with Edinburgh's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, deciding that the time was right for another referendum on Scottish independence, despite a majority of Scots not wanting one. The difference there is that Scotland was - and is - on its own; the SNP is not being urged by foreign siren voices to hop aboard the SS Wishful Thinking and set sail for La La Land. For Irish nationalists, it was different, as the Irish government started rowing in behind calls for urgent discussions on the shape of a future united Ireland. That culminated last weekend with the EU's astonishing demand that Northern Ireland would not only be on the table during upcoming Brexit talks, but would have to be sorted out before talks could even begin. Taoiseach Enda Kenny hailed it as "hugely important". Hugely stupid, more like. But, then, that's what happens when collective madness strikes. It was astonishing to see this particular Taoiseach get his knickers in a twist about a future promise that Northern Ireland would get immediate entry to the European Union in the event of a vote in favour of unity. He's been an elected politician since 1975 and has never before shown any interest in jumping on the nationalist bandwagon and belting out a few choruses of The Four Green Fields. Indeed, he leads a party generally reviled by diehard united Irelanders as 'West Brits'. Has Brexit sent the Taoiseach mad, too? Even more astonishing is that Kenny instantly followed up the EU announcement by insisting that the time wasn't right for a border poll. So, why pull strings in Brussels to get a clause on a united Ireland's right to instant EU membership included in the Brexit talks framework in the first place, when that was never in doubt, any more than it was when East Germany reunited with its western counterpart? The real question is why the EU is making such a big deal about Northern Ireland all of a sudden. In the Republic, where - despite being landed with the lion's share of the bill for the continent-wide banking collapse - support for the EU remains at a surreally high level, this was seen as evidence of Europe's great benevolent concern for Ireland's welfare, as if we're meant to believe Eurocrats can't sleep at night for fretting about Ulster. It's nothing of the sort. The EU has not dragged Northern Ireland to the top of the agenda in order to help Northern Ireland. It's done so because, as attitudes harden in advance of Brexit negotiations, it needs as many sticks as possible with which to beat the Brits. And what bigger, or better, stick is there than Britain's messy and complicated relationship with the next-door neighbours? The EU is, in effect, saying to Britain: "You know that problem with Ireland that you've not managed to sort out for the past 800 years? Well, toddle off and get it fixed in the next few weeks and then we can talk." That is not the action of people seeking constructive negotiations with a member state which has decided it doesn't want to be a member state anymore. It's the action of someone who wants to deliberately and cynically brew up problems and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. If political instability worsens in Northern Ireland, that's our job to fix. If there's any return to violence, it will be the fault of those who carry it out. But Europe cannot disingenuously absolve itself of responsibility. They know exactly what they're doing by egging on Irish nationalists to focus on future fantasies rather than present realities. Dublin has merely allowed itself to be used to send a harsh message to London. During the Cold War, the United States and the USSR shied away from fighting one another directly, because they knew that meant mutually assured destruction, so they fought proxy wars in countries like Korea and Vietnam. In a symbolic way, that's what the EU wants to do now - pick a proxy squabble over Northern Ireland to stymie the UK's hopes of negotiating a successful Brexit, using our Remain vote as a weapon against us. It's not like they don't have form. Spain was encouraged to dig in its heels over Gibraltar, with assurances that the EU would back them up on that one, too. Gibraltar's disputed sovereignty has no more to do with the European Union than Northern Ireland does, but Brussels still leapt on it as a way of aggravating Downing Street. This isn't a game. It has consequences. Effectively tossing Northern Ireland's constitutional status back into play 20 years after the Belfast Agreement put it on ice is a breathtakingly irresponsible move by Brussels. After decades of staying neutral in its dealings with Northern Ireland, Europe has now shown itself prepared to throw fuel on the fire out of sheer mischief and manipulation, stoking tension at a time when tensions are already too high, and it's proving near impossible to repair political divisions and restore devolved government. If power without responsibility has, indeed, been the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages - as a former Labour Prime Minister once famously declared - then the European Union is behaving like the biggest scrubber of all, whipping up dangerous emotions about a united Ireland, safe in the knowledge that it won't have to clean up the mess if - or, more likely, when - it all goes horribly wrong. Bangladeshi secular activists and university students protest in Dhaka following the machete-killing of law school student Nazimuddin Samad, who had identified himself as an atheist in online writings, April 8, 2016. Bangladeshi ministers Wednesday rejected a new report by Amnesty International (AI) that rebukes efforts by government officials to blame secular bloggers and publishers killed by religious extremists since 2013. The report, published by the London-based worldwide rights watchdog a day earlier, slammed Bangladeshs government for failing to protect dissenting voices or hold accountable militant groups who threaten them, as well as for stifling free speech through repressive laws. The Amnesty International report is old and recycled. They have been issuing repeated statements against us, Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon told BenarNews. The report is not a reflection of the latest situation Bangladesh. We cannot accept this. The Amnesty report, which specifically points out comments by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal that appeared to cast blame on the victims of blogger-killings, was issued the same day that police announced the arrest of the suspected IT chief of a militant group blamed for murders of secular writers dating back four years. The report, titled Caught Between Fear and Repression Attacks on Freedom of Expression in Bangladesh, said the government had failed to protect at least seven secular activists killed starting with the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in February 2013. AI cited a statement from the prime minister, which was widely reported in Bangladeshi media following the August 2015 killing of secular blogger Niladri Chottopaddhya, who known by the pen name Niloy Neel. No one in this country has the right to speak in a way that hurts religious sentiment. You wont practice religion no problem. But you cant attack someone elses religion, Hasina said at the time. It wont be tolerated if someone elses religious sentiment is hurt. Additionally, the machete-killing in April 2016 of law student Nazimuddin Samad, who identified himself as an atheist in online postings, led the home minister, Kamal, to instruct police to scrutinize Samads writings to see if they contained anything objectionable about religion. On Wednesday, Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu ripped into the Amnesty report while appearing at a meeting at the National Press Club marking International Press Freedom Day. Amnesty International has published a biased and motivated report. Amnesty did not stand by Bangladesh during its Liberation War; they did not utter a single word when Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) was assassinated, he said. The minister was referring to Bangladeshs 1971 war of independence against Pakistan and Rahman, the countrys founding father and the late father of Sheikh Hasina. IT chief arrested On Tuesday, police announced the arrest of Ashfaqur Rahman (alias Ayan, Arif and Anik), who allegedly headed the information technology division of the military wing of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), which Bangladeshi authorities have blamed for the killings of secular bloggers. Rahman allegedly used his IT skills and computer science training to hack into social media accounts and collect information related to bloggers targeted for assassination by ABT, including obtaining their names and addresses as well as tracking their movements. Based on the information, the attacks were carried out, said Monirul Islam, chief of the Bangladeshi polices counter-terrorist unit. In the string of attacks on bloggers dating to 2013, only the alleged killers of blogger Rajib Haider have been brought to justice while at least 25 suspects have been arrested related to the killings of five others Chottopaddhya, Washiqur Rahman Babu, Ananta Bijoy Das, Avijit Roy and Faisal Arefin Dipan. Yet none of the suspects in these other murders have faced trial, AI reported. Secular writers who have survived attacks or have threats against them told AI about unbearable conditions they face that force many to leave the country. My family life has been totally destroyed. My two children are so traumatized, they keep thinking that someone will kill their father, said a secular activist who left Bangladesh and requested anonymity. Another blogger who had decided to stay in Bangladesh told AI that he and his wife had been in hiding since 2015, and that they felt compelled to move to a different location on a weekly basis. Others said they practiced self-censorship. The vast majority of activists, particularly those remaining in the country, had ceased writing and closed their blogs in response to the killings. Many also said that they had even grown afraid of expressing opinions on social media, or the internet in general, altogether, even anonymously, AI reported. The phone calls As far as media workers are concerned, some told AI that they or their colleagues had received threats from government officials, intelligence agencies or security forces. Bangladeshi journalists euphemistically refer to these threats as the phone calls, the report said. The threats often were not explicit, especially from government officials, but were implied through phone calls and other communication that raised concerns about particular reporting, journalists told AI. The Bangladesh constitution guarantees free speech and a free press, but the nations legal framework can place undue restrictions on those rights, the 64-page report said. The Information and Communications Technology Act, enacted in 2006, is frequently cited as the legislation most responsible for restricting free expression, the report noted. Several provisions grant authorities wide discretion in who can be charged and some of its provisions give broad scope to stifle criticism of the authorities, AI said. Kamran Reza Chowdhury in Dhaka contributed to this report. The mother of Paramjit Singh, one of two Indian soldiers whose bodies were allegedly mutilated by Pakistani troops in Kashmir, cries over his coffin during his funeral in Vein Pein village, 45 km (28 miles) from Amristar, May 2, 2017. India summoned Pakistans ambassador on Wednesday to register a protest against the alleged killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops on the de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir. Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and conveyed New Delhis anger over the beheadings of two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel Monday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. The foreign secretary conveyed Indias outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of the two Indian soldiers on May 1, 2017, by Pakistan Army personnel, the Indian ministry said. It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector. Blood samples of the Indian soldiers have been collected and the trail of blood clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control, it added. Pakistani troops fired about 50 rockets, followed by heavy mortar shelling, to create a thick smokescreen, an Indian army source told BenarNews, while giving details of Mondays attack in Poonch district. Before we could even respond, Pakistan Army personnel crossed over to the Indian side and beheaded two of our soldiers before returning to their side, the source said. The slain Indian soldiers were identified as Paramjit Singh and Prem Sagar. The Indian Army has warned of a befitting reply to its neighbor for the barbaric act, which will likely further strain ties between the two rival nations. India and Pakistan have fought three full-blown wars two of them over the ownership of the Himalayan region of Kashmir since the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947. The two sides routinely accuse each other of cross-border infiltrations and ceasefire violations along the LoC. Basit, who visited the Foreign Ministrys headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday, denied allegations that Pakistans army was behind the killings, MEA spokesman Gopal Baglay said. He [Basit] of course denied that the Pakistani army was involved, but assured he will convey contents of our demarche to his government, Baglay told reporters, adding, This was an extreme act of provocation. We have proof it [the attack] was carried out by the Pakistan Army. We have demanded from Pakistan that whoever from their army was behind this incident be punished. Describing the allegations as baseless and unfounded, the Pakistan Army said in a statement that it remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquility along the LOC and expect same from [the] other side and hope prudence is exercised. Mondays mutilation was the first reported case since Pakistani military forces killed three Indian soldiers and mutilated one of the bodies in November 2016, according to the Hindustan Times. In October 2016, another Indian soldiers body was found mutilated in the Machil area near the Line of Control, while units from the Indian and Pakistani armies exchanged cross-border fire, the newspaper reported. Massive outrage across India Indian analysts did not pay heed to Pakistans denial. Diplomatic relations between the two sides have anyway been on a standstill and this incident is further going to strain relations. There is massive outrage across India over the brutal killings of Indian soldiers and the government is under pressure to act, Ajai Sahni of the New Delhi-based Institute of Conflict Management told BenarNews. Pakistans denial is not surprising. Pakistan has always denied acts of terrorism. Such denials have no credibility globally and such actions are bound to bring more discredit to Pakistan at the international level, he said. But Noor Baba, a Srinagar-based political analyst, said New Delhi should not act in haste. I am fairly certain that some elements want to ensure that relations between India and Pakistan never improve. I reckon Mondays attack is the handiwork of such elements because Pakistan has denied its involvement outright, Baba told BenarNews. Clearly, India is under pressure to retaliate to the killings of its soldiers. But any response from India will only further escalate tensions between the two countries, he added. Students perform at the closing ceremony of the Congress of Indonesian Women Clerics in Cirebon, West Java, April 27, 2017. Women clerics should take a more active role on issues such as child marriage, polygamy and religious extremism, according to participants at a first-of-its-kind congress in Indonesia. Demonstrating that principle, the two-day Congress of Indonesian Women Clerics (KUPI) called on the government of Muslim-majority Indonesia to raise the minimum marriage age for girls to 18 and declared that sexual violence is forbidden inside marriage as well as outside of it. Its time for women clerics to come forward and discuss these issues and give strength to those working on the ground in all fields, said Bushra Qadim Hyder, an activist from Pakistan whose organization, PAIMAN Alumni Trust Pakistan, is working to promote peaceful Islam. Religious extremism is one of the most urgent issues for female clerics to address, since women are directly involved in raising children, Bushra told BenarNews on the sidelines of the conference in Cirebon, West Java, which drew more than 200 participants in late April. They should condemn extremism, and they should educate mothers to avoid extremism at home, and to support their children as tolerant Muslims and tolerant humans, Bushra said. Point of view Some issues facing Muslim women arise from the relative lack of female perspective on Islams holy book, said Nur Rofiah Bil Uzm, a lecturer in the postgraduate program at the Al Quran College of Higher Education in Jakarta. There is a verse about monogamy in the Quran. Why is it not popular? Maybe because female clerics have not yet emerged, she said during one of the congresss sessions. Its not easy for women to become leaders because of cultural perceptions favoring men, supported by mens interpretations of religious texts, said Machasin, a professor at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Yogyakarta. Men alone cannot make balanced religious interpretations because they bring only the male point of view, he said. Lack of access to education is another factor, according to Hatoon Al-Fasi, a Saudi historian who spoke at a seminar for international guests that kicked off the congress. Its really important to establish our rights. Weve been put aside and deprived of knowledge because some religious scholars called education as unislamic. That has deprived women of knowledge for a long time, she told journalists on the sidelines of the seminar. Weve all been affected by the controversial verses that are used to prove that women are inferior to men. These verses are interpreted by men and are haunting for women. Harmful The congress ended with a series of recommendations on social issues, including that Indonesia raise the minimum marriage age for girls from 16 to 18. All parties must do everything they can to minimize this harmful practice, Badriyah Fayumi, head of the KUPI steering committee, said of child marriage at the closing ceremony. Government agencies should not register child marriages, and officials who support the practice by falsifying identity documents should face repercussions, she declared. Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Saifuddin welcomed the recommendation. I will immediately communicate with the state minister for womens empowerment and child protection, to conduct this review, he said. But he called for more concrete specifications on the subject, saying certain exceptional cases need to be considered. He did not elaborate further. The female clerics also urged religious leaders to support victims of sexual violence, not allowing them to be stigmatized, cast out of society or forced to marry the perpetrator. From an Islamic point of view, the state has the obligation to guarantee citizens rights, especially victims rights, said Priyati, a congress participant from Jakarta who read out the declaration against sexual violence. Sexual violence in all its forms is haram whether in marriage or outside of marriage, because it violates human rights guaranteed by Islam, the declaration said. Moderation Lukman, the religious affairs minister, praised the congress. This congress has succeeded in affirming and emphasizing that Islamic moderation should always be our priority. Moderate Islam, Islam which is rahmatan lil alamin, Islam that does not marginalize women, he said, using an Arabic phrase that means a blessing for the world. Masrivah Amva, owner of Pesantren Kebon Jambu al-Islamy,the boarding school where the Congress was held, said she was very satisfied with its results. Our hard work has borne fruit beyond our hopes, and our aspirations have been heard, she told BenarNews. Masrivah said organizers, including the Syekh Nurjati State Islamic Institute of Cirebon and the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN) Indonesia, initially encountered resistance as the gathering was seen as unfriendly to men or aiming to change the role of male clerics. The Congress was very friendly and open to anyone, even foreign observers, she said. Senator and Yogyakarta queen GKR Hemas (third from right), Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Saifuddin (second from right) and Muslim cleric Nyai Haji Badriyah Fayumi (right) stand during the closing ceremony of the congress in Cirebon, West Java, April 27, 2017. [Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata/BenarNews] Members of the Royal Malaysian Police elite high-profile counter-terrorism tactical unit take part during the 210th Police Day parade in Kuala Lumpur, March 25, 2017. Malaysian police Wednesday announced the recent arrests of six Islamic State (IS) suspects and said they had warned Thai authorities about a seventh one, an alleged firearms smuggler, who fled across the border into southern Thailand. The arrests occurred in several Malaysian states from late March to late April and the suspect at-large, 27-year-old Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Junaidi, escaped to Thailand by crossing the Golok River along the border on March 22, Malaysias police chief said. The suspect was armed with an M4 carbine assault rifle and pistol. One of the six suspects in custody was a 26-year-old female college student in the Malaysian capital, who was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on April 4 after being deported by Turkish authorities, Police Inspector-General Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement. The woman had left the country for Turkey on Aug. 29, 2016, to join IS in Syria. On Feb. 5, she was nabbed by Turkish authorities while awaiting orders from Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi to enter Syria, Khalid said, referring to a Malaysian IS militant based in Syria. The suspect on the run, Muhammad Muzaffa, hails from the village of Gertak, Rantau Panjang, in Kelantan state, which lies just across Malaysias border with Thailand, Khalid said, adding that two other members of Muzaffas weapons-smuggling cell were nabbed in the same state days later. Across the border in Thailands insurgency-wracked Deep South, Lt. Gen. Piyawat Nakwanich, the commander of the 4th Army regional command, said police and military were searching for Muzaffa. Malaysian police released the picture of suspect Muhammad Muzaffa Arieff Junaidi, who is believed to have fled to southern Thailand on March 22. [Courtesy of Malaysian police] We know that there are natural passes between Thailand and Malaysia, but I dont want the public to get panicky because it can be false information, Piyawat told reporters, adding, Violence in Deep South certainly has nothing to do with the IS. In Bangkok, Thai Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha said no Thais were involved with the Middle East-based extremist group Islamic State and that the government was prepared to deal with the suspect if he were caught. The security officials are looking into this issue, and if we find him, we will coordinate to send him back. It is sensitive so I dont want to disclose that much information, Prayuth told reporters at Government House on Wednesday. Malaysian suspects The six Malaysian suspects, including two women, were rounded up by the Federal Police Counter-Terrorism division in the states of Melaka, Johor, Kelantan, Penang and Selangor, from March 24 to April 25, according to Khalid. The first two suspects, ages 26 and 41, were arrested in Kelantan on March 24 and 25, respectively. The duo was responsible for smuggling firearms into the country from Southern Thailand, for use by IS militants in Malaysia, he said. A security official said the two suspects had been smuggling weapons into Malaysia for almost a year. The weapons smuggled from syndicates in southern Thailand into Kelantan are worth about 6,000 ringgit (U.S. $1,400), the official, who requested anonymity, told BenarNews. Another suspect was a 41-year-old unemployed man who had joined IS in Syria and was arrested in the state of Malacca on April 20, according to Khalid. A 32-year-old woman who worked as an assistant engineer in Johor and had been promoting IS online, was arrested on the same day. The sixth suspect was arrested in Penang on April 25. The 41-year-old man, who was also unemployed, had been actively promoting IS through 15 Facebook pages that belonged to him, since 2014. The suspect had also been planning to launch attacks on Shiite mosques in Penang, Khalid said without naming the mosques. He said all six suspects were being held under the Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act 2012, which allows police to hold suspects for 28 days without charges. Since 2013, Malaysian authorities have arrested 300 people suspected of having links to IS, of whom 66 have since been freed, according to the latest figures obtained by BenarNews. Last month, Khalid said 49 Malaysian IS militants were planning to return to Malaysia and eight had already returned. Some of them, whose husbands have been killed, the wives married other IS militants. Their children are under the care of other militant families, he said. Doubts about Wanndy As for Muhammad Wanndy, whom the United States recently named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Malaysian authorities are challenging an account said to have been posted by his wife on Facebook post, in which she claimed that her husband was killed by a drone strike in Syria. We doubt this report and we are checking whether indeed he was killed, Khalid said. There could be reasons for Wanndy to actually stage his own death, we know. BenarNews staff in the Thai Deep South contributed to this report. Regina Lopez gestures as she sings I believe I can fly during a news conference at the Philippine senate in Manila after legislators rejected her appointment as environment secretary, May 3, 2017. Philippine legislators rejected the appointment of the countrys acting environment secretary on Wednesday, effectively ending her crusade against mining firms in the nation known as the worlds top nickel ore supplier. The commission on appointments, composed of senators and members of the House of Representatives, voted to remove Regina Lopez, whose unprecedented crackdown was largely supported by President Rodrigo Duterte. We have so many plans for the environment. Its such a waste, Lopez said Wednesday shortly after her defeat, but asked her supporters to keep the light shining. Lopez became the second member of Dutertes cabinet rejected by Congress, after former foreign minister Perfecto Yasay was dismissed in March. The commission found that Yasay was not fit to represent the countrys interests because at one time he had rejected his Filipino citizenship. Lopez, the 63-year-old daughter of a Philippine media mogul, has become the bane of big mining companies after an audit found them allegedly to have severely damaged watershed areas. She ordered the closure of 21 of 41 operating mines and the cancellation of dozens of contracts for undeveloped mines in February to protect water resources. She had also banned open-pit mining. In the mining audit, Lopezs team discovered that the mines that were ordered shut were found to be operating in watersheds, contributing to environmental degradation, including siltation, among others. She also accused the mining firms of displacing communities and getting as much as 80 percent of all income derived from their mining activities, instead of sharing them with their provincial hosts. The Philippines produced in 2015 about 420,000 tons of nickel, the metal derived from nickel ore about 20 percent of global supply and shipped mostly to China, according to a Bloomberg report. Latest figures were not immediately available. Vote split Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who led the confirmation hearings, said he was among eight senators who voted for Lopez, a scion of a wealthy clan that owns ABS-CBN, one of Manilas leading television networks. Four other senators and 12 House members voted against her. In his message delivered at the Senate floor, Pacquiao said he admired Lopezs love for the environment. I believe in my heart that no matter how several big people may be against Gina, she will always stand by what she believes is morally and environmentally right and righteous, he said, using Lopezs nickname. The church, environmental groups and other activists denounced Lopezs removal, with the left-leaning political group Bayan denouncing what it claimed as a victory for the mining oligarchs. An extraordinary chance to protect the environment and the rights of the people has been squandered. Bureaucrat capitalism and vested interests triumphed once again, it said. One can only wonder how such a rejection can happen under the Duterte regime, which wields the majority in both houses of Congress. Compromises appeared to have been made along the way, the group said. Big business interests continue to hold sway in the Duterte regime, both in the executive and legislative branches. Harry Roque, the deputy minority leader in the House, said that with Lopezs dismissal we lost a staunch protector of environment in government. Sen. Loren Legarda said the Philippines lost the opportunity to have someone who has the passion, integrity and political will to implement our environmental laws. Our natural environment has been compromised in the name of development, Legarda said. Our biological diversity has been significantly reduced and the general health of our environment is conceded to the greed of some. The powerful Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, which has welcomed the decision, earlier said it would not ever arrive at a productive and rational dialogue with Lopez. While it said it respected Dutertes decision to appoint Lopez, it found out that she was unwilling to work with the mining sector. The Chamber said the closure order could cost the country about 650 million pesos (U.S. $13 million) in lost revenues from the mine firms, including taxes and fees and charges collected by town and provinces. The sector also employs tens of thousands in areas where they operate, leading to job losses. Yeb Sano, executive director for Southeast Asia of environmental group Greenpeace, said Lopezs rejection was very disappointing and worrying because it shows that destructive mining continues to hold Philippine lawmakers by their neck. We were made to believe, through her appointment last year, that reforms, environmental protection and social justice are still possible in this country, he said. We thought that this administration is serious in implementing change by appointing a true environmentalist, he said, adding that Wednesdays vote only showed that some politicians have questionable loyalty. The rejection was also an indicator of factions between officials who have benefited from old corrupt practices and those who are genuinely advancing true reforms, he said. The greed of the powerful few has won this round, but we consider this a temporary setback, he said. We at the environmental movement will carry on boldly, for our rights, our environment and our future. New Peoples Army guerrillas stand in formation in the hinterlands of Davao del Sur province in the southern Philippines, April 19, 2017. The Philippines chief peace adviser said Wednesday that negotiations to end one of Asias longest-running insurgencies would go on despite a recent attack blamed on communist guerrillas. Rebels with the New Peoples Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, attacked three rubber manufacturing facilities in the southern city of Davao on Saturday, a day before Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the region. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said the government was dismayed that NPA forces still continue to wage attacks that victimize civilians and inflict damage on the civilian sector even as talks were continuing. Although a bilateral ceasefire is not yet in place, the publics common reaction to these incidents questions the sincerity of those whom we talk and deal with across the table, Dureza said. The public also questions their capacity to manage and control their forces on the ground. There are even calls now to stop the talks altogether and pursue an all-out military offensive against their armed groups, he said. Dureza urged the rebels to stop their attacks and emphasized that government security forces must and can stop the guerrilla offensives. But the incidents, he said, should not derail the talks. He said government must pursue with more vigor, these peace engagements with the communist rebels. Penchant for lawlessness The NPA has been waging war since the late 1960s, and the 220,000-strong Philippine military estimates guerrilla strength at 3,200 fighters. Some 40,000 soldiers, rebels and civilians have been slain over the course of the conflict. Negotiations between Manila and the rebels briefly collapsed in February after the guerrillas killed several soldiers and police in a series of attacks, spurring President Rodrigo Duterte to angrily call off the talks. The attacks in Davao on Saturday came two days after the rebels freed a captive police officer as a gesture of goodwill for peace negotiations between the government and the NPA. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the attacks were acts of terrorism. I take what happened today as a personal insult especially because the local government of Davao City has been supportive of the peace negotiations, she said in a statement that day. We condemn these acts committed by a group that pretends to champion social justice and equality, Duterte-Carpio said. She said that with the attack, the NPA had proven itself to be a terrorist organization with a continued penchant for lawlessness and bloodbath. Manilas chief negotiator with the rebels, Silvestre Bello III, has been asked to prepare for the new round of talks from May 27 to June 1 in the Netherlands, Dureza said. The working committees of both sides have been meeting continuously in the country for the purpose, Dureza said. Duterte, a self-confessed leftist, is a former student of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison. When he assumed authority as the countrys 16th president in June 2016, Duterte said resumption of peace negotiations with the communist rebels would be among his priorities. Duterte has also invited the ailing Sison to come back to the Philippines, and said the government would ask the United States to remove his name from a list of wanted foreign terrorists. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. 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Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. Degree candidates at the Universitys commencement ceremonies Friday (May 5) and Saturday (May 6) heard from alumni who have gone on to distinguished careers in academia, the Coast Guard and the financial services industry. The Bowling Green campus held three ceremonies, all in the Stroh Center. The 7 p.m. Friday event included the Graduate College and the colleges of Health and Human Services, Musical Arts, and Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering. Giving the commencement address was Anthony Rucci, who received a bachelors degree in psychology and masters and doctoral degrees in industrial/organizational psychology from BGSU. Rucci is now a clinical professor of management in the Fisher School of Business at the Ohio State University and a Distinguished Teaching Professor. The 9 a.m. Saturday commencement for the College of Arts and Sciences featured an address by Rear Admiral June Ryan, who earned a Bachelor of Science in biology in 1985. Ryan serves as the Ninth Coast Guard district commander, a position she assumed in June 2015. She is the senior Coast Guard commander for the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway. The colleges of Business Administration and Education and Human Development held commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday. Susan Mucciarone, who earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration in 1979, gave the commencement address. She is the managing director of Private Client Relationship Management at The Glenmede Trust Co. and a member of the Glenmede Management Committee. In this role, she leads private client investment and wealth advisory for individuals and families throughout the country. BGSU Firelands commencement ceremony was held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. William McDonald, executive dean of regional campuses at Ohio State, addressed the candidates. He received three degrees from BGSU: a bachelors in interpersonal and public communication and masters and doctoral degrees in sociology. Of the total 2,328 degrees awarded this weekend, 664 were with honors. The Graduate College awarded 436 degrees, including 404 candidates for masters degrees and 32 for doctorates. Those graduating included 102 international students from 30 countries. With this commencement, BGSU presented three honorary degrees. Dr. William Easterly, one of the most cited economists in the world, was honored at the Arts and Sciences commencement with an honorary doctorate of social sciences. A professor of economics at New York University and co-director of its award-winning Development Research Institute, he is the author of best-selling books including The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Harm and So Little Good (2006). He received his Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from BSGU in 1979. David Winstanley received his honorary doctorate of business administration at the College of Business Administration exercises Saturday afternoon. He received his Bachelor of Science in mathematics and chemistry from BGSU in 1964. Headquartered in the New England region, during his 44 years in real estate he acquired, developed and redeveloped more than 100 properties, representing more than 20 million square feet of buildings. In addition, he has planned and developed 3,500 acres of unimproved land for a multitude of uses. Stefan Sanderling, chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Liechtenstein, is soon to step down as principal conductor and music adviser of the Toledo Symphony, where he has served since 2002. He has brought national and international attention to the symphony, including a notable appearance at Carnegie Hall in 2011 for the Spring for Spring Series. He has fostered engagement with community groups and collaborations with BGSUs College of Musical Arts students and faculty. Sanderling was presented an honorary doctorate of musical arts at a performance of the Toledo Symphony on April 28. For Immediate Release, May 3, 2017 Contact: Bill Snape, Center for Biological Diversity, (202) 536-9351, bsnape@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Challenges EPA Chief Scott Pruitt to Keep D.C., Philadelphia on Track to Clean Air WASHINGTON Environmental and public-health groups filed a lawsuit today against Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt for his failure to finalize deadlines by which the District of Columbia and Philadelphia must meet 2008 clear-air standards to control smog. Smog also known as ground-level ozone pollution poses serious threats to public health, wildlife and ecosystems. Every day Scott Pruitt delays cleaning up the air will result in more people dying from smog-induced asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, said Bill Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. Pruitt has a history of fighting common sense rules to protect the air we breathe. But clean air is not an option. It's the law. The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to identify and set national ambient air quality standards for pollutants such as ozone. In 2008 the agency set clean-air standards for ozone. But more than eight years later it has failed to finalize deadlines to ensure that Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia have reduced ozone pollution to healthy levels. The EPA is supposed to determine by late this year which cities across the country meet a more protective smog standard put in place in 2015. But lawyers for the EPA told an appeals court earlier this month the agency is now considering simply rolling back the new standard and returning to the 2008 benchmark moving forward. Pruitt has a history of obstructing environmental laws on behalf of industry. In response to a formal ethics complaint by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Oklahoma Bar Association has opened an investigation into whether Pruitt lied to Congress, while under oath, about his connections to the oil and gas industry. As attorney general of Oklahoma, Pruitt sued to block the updated 2015 ozone standards, which reduce the threshold to 70 parts per billion to better protect public health. The 2008 standard is 75 parts per billion. Pruitt sued the agency he now heads 14 times in an attempt to roll back protections for clean water, clean air and climate pollution. Ozone pollution leads to the needless deaths of thousands of people, said Caroline Cox, research director at the Center for Environmental Health. We're going to fight the Trump administration to ensure clean air for all American children and families. Today's lawsuit, brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Environmental Health, demands that the EPA finalize findings that Philadelphia and Washington D.C. have reduced ozone levels. Background People exposed to excess ozone are at risk of reduced lung function and increased respiratory problems like asthma, increasing emergency room visits, premature deaths, and reproductive damage. Cumulative ozone exposure can not only stunt the growth of trees and damage leaves but also causes increased susceptibility to disease, damage from insects and harsh weather. An EPA study found that Clean Air Act programs to reduce ozone pollution prevented more than 4,300 deaths, tens of thousands of heart attacks and 3.2 million lost school days in 2010 alone. The Clean Air Act has also helped to keep the U.S. economy healthy by creating jobs, with more than 1.7 million Americans employed in the environmental technology industry helping to keep our air clean. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.3 million members and supporters dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. The Center for Environmental Health works with parents, communities, businesses, workers, and government to protect children and families from toxic chemicals in homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. For Immediate Release, May 3, 2017 Contact: David Willett, League of Conservation Voters, (202) 454-4598, david_willett@lcv.org Faith Gemmill, REDOIL, (907) 750-0188 Gwen Dobbs, Alaska Wilderness League, (202) 266-0418, gwen@alaskawild.org Cassady Craighill, Greenpeace, (828) 817-3328, ccraighill@greenpeace.org, Kristen Monsell, Center for Biological Diversity, (914) 806-3467, kmonsell@biologicaldiversity.org Jonathon Berman, Sierra Club, (202) 495-3033, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org Anne Hawke, Natural Resources Defense Council, (202) 513-6263, ahawke@nrdc.org Rebecca Bowe, Earthjustice, (415) 217-2093, rbowe@earthjustice.org Jennifer Witherspoon, Defenders of Wildlife, (202) 772-0269, jwitherspoon@defenders.org Tim Woody, The Wilderness Society, (907) 223-2443, tim_woody@tws.org Elisabeth Balster Dabney, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, (907) 687-4890, dabney@northern.org Lawsuit Challenges Trump Reversal of Arctic, Atlantic Drilling Ban Unlawful Executive Order Puts Climate, Sensitive Oceans, Coastal Residents, Economies at Risk ANCHORAGE, Alaska Conservation and Alaska Native groups today filed a lawsuit against President Trump, challenging his decision to jettison a permanent ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Trump's attempt to let the petroleum industry suck oil out of every last corner of our oceans is reckless and unlawful, said Kristen Monsell, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. We're taking Trump to court to stop his assault on our oceans and make sure Arctic waters and the Atlantic stay off limits to dirty, dangerous drilling. The groups, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Alaska Wilderness League, Defenders of Wildlife, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, REDOIL (Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands), Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace and The Wilderness Society, represented by attorneys at Earthjustice and Natural Resources Defense Council, issued the following joint statement: President Trump's April 28 executive order exceeds his constitutional and statutory authority and violates federal law. Responding to a national groundswell of opposition to expanded offshore drilling, President Obama permanently ended oil and gas leasing in most of the Arctic Ocean and key parts of the Atlantic Ocean in December, using his authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). Until Trump, no president has ever tried to reverse a permanent withdrawal made under OCSLA, which does not authorize such a reversal. Trump's executive order could open up more than 120 million acres of ocean territory to the oil and gas industry, affecting 98 percent of federal Arctic Ocean waters and 31 biologically rich deepwater canyons in the Atlantic Ocean. Offshore drilling in these undeveloped regions threatens to harm irreplaceable wildlife, sensitive marine ecosystems, coastal residents and the businesses that depend on them, and our global climate. Background Drilling in remote and inaccessible Arctic waters threatens injury to imperiled wildlife such as polar bears, whales and walruses and people that depend on them. Drilling there is particularly dangerous and risky because it would be effectively impossible to clean up an oil spill in icy, remote Arctic waters. The federal government itself has concluded that there was a 75 percent chance of a major oil spill if development and production in the Chukchi Sea moved forward under even a single large lease sale. In the Atlantic, drilling in the protected areas would threaten unique and critical habitat for a multitude of whale species, as well as swordfish and sea turtles. In addition, Atlantic drilling threatens the region's vibrant fishing and tourism industry a spill equivalent to the BP Gulf oil disaster could coat beaches stretching from Savannah to Boston. These major risks are particularly egregious and pointless in a world assaulted by climate change, given the extremely long lead times needed before these undeveloped offshore areas could be brought into production. Full development and burning of oil and gas from the Arctic Ocean alone could release nearly 16 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the equivalent of over nine years of tailpipe emissions from every car and truck on the road nationwide. Pursuing this development stands at cross-purposes with the nation's necessary and rapidly accelerating move away from fossil fuels, and with previous commitments to address global climate change. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Alaska. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. Contact: For Immediate Release, May 3, 2017 Contact: Randi Spivak, (310) 779-4894, rspivak@biologicaldiversity.org Congressman Griffith Introduces Bill to Block Public-land Expansion Legislation Would Put a Cap on National Parks, Monuments WASHINGTON Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) has introduced legislation to cap public lands, requiring the federal government to sell off existing property before acquiring any new lands. H.R. 2167 is part of a broader effort by conservative Republicans to dismantle the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses royalties from offshore oil and gas leases to fund strategic acquisitions of public lands. Investing in public lands is a great deal for the American people. Putting an arbitrary cap in place jeopardizes our most beloved national parks, monuments and forests across the country, said Randi Spivak, director of the Center for Biological Diversity's public lands program. This shortsighted bill shows that Griffith is completely out of touch with the values of his voters and most Americans, who overwhelmingly support protecting our public lands for future generations. In 1911 Congress passed the Weeks Act, which allowed for public-lands acquisition to protect water supplies, prevent soil erosion and restore forests. Congress established the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 1964 to provide a permanent source of funds to acquire public lands and conserve natural, cultural and scientific resources. The fund, sustained with royalties from offshore oil and gas leases in federally managed ocean areas, costs taxpayers nothing. Over the past 50 years, the fund has protected more than 5 million acres of land, purchasing inholdings within existing protected areas and expanding or creating new parks, wildlife refuges and national forests. For every dollar invested in public land acquisition, there is a $4 return to surrounding communities, including watershed protection, recreational opportunities and land management. The fund has a $19 billion budget surplus that could support land acquisition at current rates for the next 40 years. That surplus is largely because Republicans have blocked public-land purchases. Forcing the federal government to sell an acre of land before purchasing another makes no sense, economically or environmentally, Spivak said. Without land acquisition, the Jefferson and George Washington national forests in Griffith's district would not exist. These forests provide places for his constituents to hike, hunt and fish. They preserve fresh water supplies and they're an economic boon to surrounding communities. None of this would be possible without land acquisition. The Center for Biological Diversity's recent report, Public Lands Enemies, identifies the top 15 members of Congress trying to seize, destroy, dismantle and privatize America's public lands. Collectively these members have sponsored 132 anti-public lands bills since 2011. In the first four months of the 115th Congress, Republicans have introduced more than 38 bills to weaken public-lands management, turn over public lands to states, or otherwise repeal protections for public lands. The vast majority of voters across political parties support federal protection and maintenance of national parks, monuments and other public lands, indicating such lawmakers are out of touch with the majority of American voters including those in their own states. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For Immediate Release, May 3, 2017 Contact: Meg Townsend, (971) 717-6409, mtownsend@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Aims to Force Release of EPA Chief's Emails, Schedule Refusal to Release Public Documents Suggests Scott Pruitt Hiding Meetings With Oil Companies, Other Polluting Industries WASHINGTON The Center for Biological Diversity filed suit today to force the Environmental Protection Agency to turn over the emails and schedule of the agency's administrator, Scott Pruitt. Today's suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., comes after the EPA illegally refused to comply with a February request from the Center for these public documents. The Center filed its Freedom of Information Act Request out of concern over Pruitt's close ties to oil companies and other polluting industries. Americans need to know if Pruitt is still playing patty-cake with the big polluters the EPA's supposed to protect us from, said Meg Townsend, the Center's open government attorney. The agency's refusal to release these public documents suggests Pruitt is back to cozying up to oil companies and pesticide makers, at the expense of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Pruitt has a history of refusing to comply with public-records requests. For over two years, he stonewalled efforts by nonprofit organizations, the people of Oklahoma and the U.S. Senate to access thousands of pages of documents from his time as Oklahoma's attorney general. An Oklahoma judge finally forced Pruitt to provide those records, which showed his close ties to the fossil fuel industry and far-right organizations. The EPA's stonewalling is shady politics at its worst, said Townsend. By refusing to let the public see Pruitt's emails and schedules, the agency undermines the transparency and accountability of the federal government. The American people have a right to know how much power special interests like the petroleum industry have over the man making crucial decisions about our health and environment. The Oklahoma Bar Association recently opened an investigation into whether Pruitt lied to Congress under oath about his emails. That investigation, begun in response to a complaint from the Center and University of Oklahoma law professor Kristen van de Biezenbos, is examining possible ethical violations stemming from Pruitt's misrepresentation of his use of a personal email address while he was Oklahoma attorney general for official business and speeches he gave to right-wing organizations against environmental protection. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For Immediate Release, May 3, 2017 Contact: Chad Tudenggongbu, (917) 558-0849, ctudenggongbu@biologicaldiversity.org Indiana Governor Signs Bill to Cripple Residential Solar Development INDIANAPOLIS Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb yesterday signed Senate Bill 309, which takes aim at the state's net-metering program. The law will slash the rate at which customers with solar panels are reimbursed for excess energy, reducing compensation from the retail energy rate to a price just above wholesale. The controversial bill, which faced strong public opposition, could stifle residential solar growth in a state. Indiana is already ranked 28th in the country for renewable energy investment, and the new law will further constrict the industry's ability to develop. It's incomprehensible that Governor Holcomb would sign a bill whose sole purpose is to cripple Indiana's solar industry, said Chad Tudenggongbu, a senior renewable energy campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. Solar development in Indiana is still in its infancy. With one stroke of his pen, Holcomb has told the renewable energy industry's good-paying jobs to go elsewhere, and to take their cleaner air and climate action with them. The decision to sign the legislation runs counter to the governor's own plans to turn Indiana into a magnet for high-tech jobs and innovation. Growth in the renewable energy sector outpaces any other in the energy industry. In 2016 one out of every 50 new jobs added in the United States was created by the solar industry. Holcomb has robbed Hoosiers of the freedom of energy choice, said Tudenggongbu. By signing S.B. 309, the governor put special interests ahead of the people even though it weakens the economy, stifles individual freedom and threatens our environment. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has asked hospitals, doctors and patients at large to report on any shortage of coronary stents after companies had tried to withdraw from India last month. Hardening its stand against pharmaceutical giants Abbott, Medtronic and Boston Scientific, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has asked hospitals, doctors and patients at large to report on any shortage of coronary stents after these companies had tried to withdraw from India last month. The authority requested people to report back shortage of Medtronics Resolute Onyx Zotarolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System, Abbotts Absorb GTI-Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) and Xience Alpine Medical Device, and Boston Scientifics SYNERGY monorail Everolimus-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System and Promus PREMIER Everolimus- Eluting Coronary Stent System. These multinational companies had applied to withdraw their apparently latest generation coronary stents from the Indian market with Abbott leading the pack on April 22. Soon after the government had imposed price cap on stents, the companies had called it commercially unviable to bring the latest technology to India. However, on April 26, the NPPA denied Abbott and Medtronic permission to withdraw their stents from the country, stating the application was not duly signed. The NPPA had also ordered the companies, under the Drug Prices Control Order 2013, to ensure a steady supply of the stents in question and submit weekly reports on their availability. Opinion | 04 November 2022 | Interviews India needs to connect OPD with the cashless insurance network to bring them into the digital economy After having raised $1.2 million from Entrepreneur First and GrowX Ventures in 2021, how do you see the perfor...Read more Wan-Ifra has been selected by the EU's framework for research and innovation, Horizon 2020 to help facilitate the transfer to market of a new toolkit for modern journalism. The organisation joins Inject, a consortium of 14 international partners in six countries to develop new digital technologies for news organisations. The goal is to improve the creativity and productivity of journalists in a digital world, so they can continue to perform their crucial role in open societies. As journalists are under increased pressure to produce stories for a 24/7 news cycle and discussions about churnalism, filter bubbles and fake news raise questions about the possibility to do so, finding ways to continue producing original and quality stories is more urgent than ever. With the tools developed through Inject, Wan-Ifra hopes its member publishers will be at a distinct advantage over those who simply own the production and platforms of newsgathering and distribution. The EU funded Horizon 2020 programmes create an opportunity for traditional publishers to take ownership of their own development, and disrupt the earliest digital startups that were born out of the portal and search eras, and we are proud to be an engaged player in that process, says CEO Vincent Peyregne. Software uses NLP Inject will officially launch at the Cass Innovate conference in London on 4 May 2017. Exploring the ways in which technology can support journalists' work, Inject uses creativity techniques based on Natural Language Processing (NLP). The toolkit includes a creative search engine that reporters can use to search relevant databases for new angles, and to investigate further and deeper into the background of the stories they are working on (Juice), as well as a functionality that brings articles to life with interactive fact cards (Explain). It also scans texts for keywords and automatically links them to additional information. In order to make it easy for journalists to integrate the toolkit into their work practices, the software will be built directly into content management systems. George Brock, Professor of Journalism, City, University of London, said, Inject aims to do something which no other software for journalism attempts: to combine creative search techniques and ways of telling the reader more about background and sources. Moreover, this help is easy to use and fast. Neil Maiden, Professor of Digital Creativity, City, University of London, added, This is the first tool that seeks to integrate productivity and creativity support directly into the digital work of journalists. It builds on successes in other domains to deliver key innovations in journalism. Innovating together Inject is a collaborative innovation project joining journalists, academics, research centres, developers, media organisations and business organisations. Wan-Ifra joins the international consortium with the support of its Global Alliance for Media Innovation (Gami). Gami, with its network of international affiliates, will actively participate and support Inject to advance rapidly the solutions created by the consortium. Together with its partners, Wan-Ifra will contribute to increase the competitiveness of one of Europes most important creative industries: journalism. The Inject project incorporates the Google-funded Juice project that began in 2016 at City, University of London, as a collaboration between the Centre for Creativity in Professional Practice at the Cass Business School and the Journalism Department. Broader research into new tools for journalists won an EU Horizon 2020 grant of 1m and the Inject project started its work in January 2017. For more information, email Stephen Fozard, project director, Global Alliance for Media Innovation. Saatchi & Saatchi Australia took top honours by winning both the Grand Prix and the Product Innovation Special Award for Toyota Land Cruiser at the global Warc Innovation Awards, which recognise innovative thinking that delivers tangible results. Hugo Pinto, Warc Innovation judge Its Emergency Network campaign for car manufacturer Toyota brought emergency communications to the 5.3m square kilometres of Australias landmass that currently receives no mobile signal, by installing signal-providing devices in its Land Cruiser models. Warc Innovation judge, Hugo Pinto, Innovation Services leader EMEA, IBM Interactive Experience, described why this innovation on the part of Toyota was such a standout case study. There is nothing like this particular car to get you through rough terrain. Toyota is leveraging an asset here, creating a crowdsourced emergency network, where Toyota Land Cruiser owners can sign up to do their fair share and give back to their communities. This shows people that they can have a much bigger impact because they own a specific vehicle. It blurs the boundaries between personal and professional. This will be the next stage of the sharing economy. In addition to the Grand Prix, the 25-strong eminent judging panel of client- and agency-side experts, chaired by Dana Anderson, senior VP and CMO for Mondelez International and soon to be CMO of MediaLink, also awarded six Golds, four Silvers, three Bronzes and four more Special Awards recognising specific areas of excellence. The winners of the Warc Innovation 2017 Grand Prix and Special Awards share a $10,000 prize fund. Winners Grand Prix + Special Award for Product Innovation Saatchi & Saatchi, Australia, Toyota, Land Cruiser Emergency Network (LEN) Gold McCann, Australia, Vision Australia, Free Puppies Forever + Special Award for Non-for-Profit Kindred, UK, Penguin Random House, Tim Weavers Missing + Special Award for Channel Innovation J. Walter Thompson Beirut, Lebanon, Bou Khalil Supermarche, The Good Note AMV BBDO / Blue 449, UK, Currys PC World, Drop A Hint + Special Award for Co-Created Content DigitasLBi, US, Whirlpool, Care Counts AMV BBDO, UK, Bodyform, No Blood Should Hold Us Back + Special Award for Category Innovation Silver Formitas BBDO, Slovenia, Spar Interspar, Start It Up Slovenia BBDO Bangkok, Thailand, Helpmet - Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Injury Detecting Helmet FP7/DXB (a part of McCann Worldgroup), UAE, NHI-Daman, Giving People Vitamin D FP7/CAI, Egypt, Baheya Cancer Hospital, The Sweet Donation Bronze FP7/DXB (a part of McCann Worldgroup) / MediaVest Spark , UAE, Emirates NBD, The A/C Vests Livity, UK, Dyson, Rethinking Recruitment FP7/DXB (a part of McCann Worldgroup), UAE, MasterCard, A Priceless Delivery To view the case studies of all the winners, click here. Limited funding for medical intern posts has left nearly 100 medical graduates without jobs and the situation could worsen when about 1,000 graduates return from studying in Cuba. The public health system suffers from a shortage of medical staff and a study by research group Econex shows that SA has fewer doctors per 100,000 people compared with other middle-income countries. South African Medical Association vice-chairman Dr Mark Sonderup said there were graduates who had applied to be placed in 2016 who had still not been placed by April. He said while the posts were available, there were no funds made available to fund the posts. The identification and funding of posts is done by provincial health departments. Interns earn R380,000-R411,000 annually. A medical graduate from Stellenbosch, who declined to be named, said he had received a contract to start his internship at the Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein in April. But he found the province had not funded the post days before he was due to start. "There are about 70 of us who have not been placed and officials get annoyed when we call to inquire about placement." Sonderup said he had been working with graduates who needed assistance in placements since 2016 and was disappointed by health minister Aaron Motsoaledi's response in January that posts were available and funded, but interns had simply opted not to take posts in rural areas. "In our opinion, the minister spread fake news," said Sonderup. "There is a financial problem here and this was only the start." The interns from Cuba may not be placed in 2018 if the local interns are still waiting in line. However, department of health spokesman Joe Maila said the Cuban-trained doctors would require placement only from 2020 onwards as they would first complete their 18- month integration programme. Policy dictates that South Africans who studied at local institutions be placed first before foreign nationals and those who had studied at international institutions. While it remained the prerogative of the director-general and the minister to instruct the heads of departments to release funds for posts, the department's director-general, Precious Matsoso, told the parliamentary standing committee on appropriations in April that the healthcare system had a shortfall of 11.5% in available posts. She said the department had 45,733 vacant posts and 351,925 filled posts. Maila said 14 South Africans of the 1,499 who applied did not take up placements offered to them, adding that in the current 2017-18 cycle, 211 medical interns and 78 community service doctors had registered to apply for placement. In 2016, when Google announced that they were releasing their Data Studio reporting solution to brands for free, there was suddenly a flurry of conversation around data, visualisation and real time reporting methods. Humans are visual creatures with at least 65% of people being visual learners according to Index of Learning Styles (ILS) Doctor, Richard Felder. It therefore makes sense that digestible visuals are generally more easily understood than rows and rows of raw data. Historically real-time reporting was heavy on the pocket, often requiring intensive setup where data lines broke all of the time or multiple systems were needed to integrate into one report which caused algorithm issues and breakages. For digital specialists and marketers in smaller markets, this meant utilising legacy reporting methods; manual Excel and PowerPoint presentations that stole valuable time from ongoing optimisation and divulging actionable insights things that actually make brands and businesses better. Finally, Google Data studio has been rolled out and offered for free in South Africa in the first quarter of 2017. What does this mean for brands driving digital optimisation? What are the benefits and challenges? Below I have outlined some of these in more detail based on my experience in building visual reporting dashboards for clients; Benefits Naturally, the biggest benefit and first question asked would be around the fact that its free. Historically, there were limitations where users with Google Analytics access could create only five free custom reports with unlimited editing and sharing with Data Studio. Thereafter, users had to pay to benefit from unlimited reporting at no additional cost is unprecedented. User friendly; as long as you have a sound Custom Analytics implementation you will find creating these dashboards a breeze. Any marketer or advertiser has the ability to create these. There are many online tutorials in both written and video format to assist you making adoption a painless process: Image: Introduction to Google Data Studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FTUpceqWnc The tool is customisable; you can ensure your CI is adhered to. Images can be added for reference (re. the best performing banner, social media post or video). This of course means less work transposing data into PowerPoint. Seamless integration with Analytics and Google sheets; which means anything on a Google platform can easily be integrated. For example, when data sits on a non-Google platform, these items can be integrated by way of adding these items to a Google spreadsheet. This is a great way to integrate Excel data that doesnt sit within a Google property, such as lead or sales data. Customisable access and report scheduling; you can determine what portion of reports a particular user can see as well as schedule reports to certain users based on their preference. Challenges Restriction on sources; Data Studio can pull in any information from Google related products and report on metrics of users before they hit your site. For non-Google sources, we can only pull information in from the actions of users, from these sources when they hit the website. Restriction on third party data sources; similar to the above, if your business has its own data repository (CRM, leads and sales systems) that house data that does not appear in Analytics a dashboard cannot be created with this information, unless a data import with custom dimensions for the internal elements you want to report on is created. *As mentioned above another handy hack is to add all of your information to Google Sheets and pull this in directly. Currently (and this is normal for any new tool), the reports can be buggy where configuration errors occur. In time these will be optimised and occur less often, but for now, this has a time implication to the builder and person maintaining these dashboards. Time constraints; as mentioned above, it takes time to import manual data as well as create Google Sheets. Another potential setback is that if you have a number of reports that share a similar template, you cannot make a change in one that affects all of your other reports. In essence you will need to make each change, in each report. While not a serious issue it does require time investment to solve. The largest challenge currently is that Google Data Studio does not allow you to apply your Google Analytics advanced segments within the reports. This is a setback as marketers use these to segment their data on a daily basis. Custom filters can be utilised but again, this adds to the time required. Across the globe there have been many complaints about this perhaps this will become available in the future. Figure: sample report and template in Google Data Studio; https://datastudio.google.com/org/lfMIuf7lQQ63qS4ye-R52A/reporting/0B_U5RNpwhcE6SF85TENURnc4UjA/page/1M/preview?hl=en There are several free reporting solutions from Google that can help experts to create insightful and visually stimulating reports. With the addition of Data Studio, we are able to enhance offerings in a robust and visual way. The reality is that every business (and every person) has varied reporting needs and so there is very little chance of finding one tool that is the perfect solution for everyone. If you are looking to drive reporting efficiencies and streamline day to day work then you need to be willing to compromise; be that cost, time saving or features. A tool that adds the level of value that Data Studio can, and that is free, should certainly be in every digital marketers arsenal of the future. There are many positives to utilising these reports one of the biggest being that once setup, reports can be accessed in real time in an attractive and visually stimulating way. This tool really offers the opportunity to showcase to our clients that manual reports are a thing of the past. My vision is to see all clients move away from manual reporting and harness the potential that reporting software like Data Studio can provide. About the author: Kirsten Foster I am the D&I Product Unit Specialist and Santam Account Director, Data and Insights at iProspect. Heading up the Data & Insights team, it is my responsibility and passion to ensure that my team and I positively impact on clients' businesses by providing powerful insights, backed up by data. At iProspect I am fortunate to work closely with other teams in order to provide clients with highly optimized solutions; unique to their individual business objectives. With an emphasis on accuracy, efficiency and trends, our conversion team ensures that companies can achieve high goals by utilizing important information which we make available. IProspect places emphasis on integration across channels and teams, demonstrating that many heads are better than one... the proof is in the value we have shown to deliver time and time again. While bots are hard at work behind the scenes, and becoming more visible in some parts of the front-office too, they're unlikely to oust human beings. This is according to Jan Moganwa, chief executive: customer solutions at Absa Retail and Business Banking. Sergey Soldatov via 123RF Driverless cars, 3D printers and smart homes have arrived, and nobody is surprised any longer about pronouncements that artificial intelligence has come close to matching human capabilities, even surpassing it in some ways. Still, there are certain areas of life and business where the human touch will arguably always have a place over bots. Customer service - or at least components of it - is one of them. We dont see robots taking over; were envisaging a combination of the two - people and machines, Moganwa says. Machines are very good at certain tasks, such as processing big data and turning it into customer insights, but theyre terrible at understanding jokes and cultural nuances, and displaying empathy. In situations where youre feeling vulnerable, like when your credit card has been stolen, you want to interact with someone who can share your pain. Machines arent very good at that. Sharing the pain Nor does it seem likely that bots will, in the foreseeable future, evolve to the point where they can convincingly share a customers pain. In a study by Oxford University researchers on the future of employment, the authors say it is especially tricky for computers to emulate skills such as negotiation, persuasion and care. the real-time recognition of natural human emotion remains a challenging problem, and the ability to respond intelligently to such inputs is even more difficult, the authors say. They refer to the international Loebner Prize for artificial intelligence, which includes a Turing Test competition (named after World War II code-breaker Alan Turing) where prizes are awarded for the most human-like chatbox programs. Sophisticated algorithms have so far failed to convince judges about their human resemblance, say the authors of the 2013 study. This is largely because there is so much common sense information possessed by humans, which is difficult to articulate, that would need to be provided to algorithms if they are to function in human social settings. The best of both worlds It makes sense to blend the best customer service attributes of people and machines, says Moganwa. Robots function best in routine, non-empathy scenarios. For example, a customer might start an artificial intelligence conversation with a robot and, if the circumstances call for it, switch over to engaging with another human. Marius de la Rey, chief executive of customer channels, distribution and coverage at Absa, agrees that some components of customer service lend themselves to digitalisation, while others do not. Sometimes, its the vibe of humans that appeals to humans, he says, referring to an experiment in the hospitality industry, where coffee shop patrons taking part in a blind tasting consistently preferred the quality of coffee served by humans to that dispensed by vending machines. Its the psychological gap. Absa finding the sweet spot Absas strategy of bridging the gap finding the sweet spot where technology meets humanity is embodied by one of the banks latest advertising campaigns featuring Bongz and Bot. While Bongz represents all of us, the every man and our need for personalised banking services that work around our lives, Bot is all about technology and innovation, says De la Rey. The interaction between the two and what they teach each other is really what we are after. Key here is that our digital platforms are easy to use. Absas ChatBanking service, for example, is offered on Facebook Messenger and Twitter, allowing customers to check their balances, make payments or buy airtime and data without leaving their preferred social media channel. Other simple bot-type solutions are the Absa mobile phone app and the banks Siri software, which uses natural language processing to engage with customers, helping them perform simple tasks such as checking their balance. Our focus is on designing products and solutions with the customer in mind, says Moganwa. These are tasks that can frustrate customers, such as standing in long queues, filling in the same documents more than once, and being passed from pillar to post on the phone. Driverless cars might be here, but when it comes to bots in banking, theres still a person in the drivers seat - and thats the customer, says de la Rey. BEIJING - China has issued new internet regulations increasing Communist party control over online news providers, the latest step in the country's push to tighten its policing of the web. The ruling party oversees a vast apparatus designed to censor online content deemed politically sensitive, maintaining that such measures are necessary for the protection of national security. Sites blocked due to their content or sensitivity, among them Facebook and Twitter, cannot be accessed in China without special software that allows users to bypass the strict controls. New regulations released by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) Tuesday will increase party control over who can publish what online, taking effect June 1. All websites, apps, forums, blogs, microblogs, social media accounts, instant messaging and live streaming platforms and other entities that select or edit news will need a license to post reports or commentary about the government, economy, military, foreign affairs, and social issues, the CAC said. Such online news service providers must "correctly guide public opinion" and "serve the cause of socialism" while "safeguarding national and public interests", it said. Business and editorial operations must be kept separate, and those who do not receive public funding will not be allowed to conduct original reporting, it added. Staff at online outlets must undergo governmental training and assessment, and receive official accreditation, while top editors must be approved. Additionally, no Chinese outlets may set up a joint venture with a foreign partner without undergoing a "security assessment" through the State Council Information Office. Online news providers who fail to comply with the new regulations will have their licenses revoked and receive fines of up to 30,000 yuan ($4,352). The new guidelines come after the passing of a controversial cybersecurity bill last November, which also tightened restrictions on online freedom of speech. Paris-based monitoring group Reporters Without Borders last week ranked China as the fifth worst country in the world for press freedom, coming in 176th out of 180 countries, just one place ahead of war-torn Syria. Additional investments in science, technology, and innovation in Africa will improve health, spur economic growth, and reduce poverty across the continent. This was the common denominator at a meeting of African and global leaders representing governments, the private sector, and civil society to discuss health innovation and research capacity on the continent. The event a precursor to the World Economic Forum on Africa 2017 being held in Durban, South Africa - focused on the need for meeting highlighted promising initiatives and aimed to foster new partnerships and drive investments that will strengthen Africas role as a major player in global health technology development and innovation. The event also highlighted a number of recent examples of how African scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators are meeting local health challenges and contributing to economic development. One of them was the need for better drugs to treat TB. Africas future depends on its scientists, says Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, president of the Republic of Mauritius and an internationally renowned biodiversity scientist, delivered the keynote address. It urgently needs science, technology, and innovation to secure a prosperous, healthy, peaceful, and sustainable future. Similarly, Naledi Pandor, the South African minister of science and technology, says South Africa has increased its investments in health research because we believe that a stronger innovation ecosystem will deliver improved health outcomes as well as boost economic growth and create jobs. New funding is opening up opportunities for health innovation across Africa, says Dr Felix Olale, LeapFrog partner and global co-leader for health investments. Through a combination of government-endorsed plans for science and technology, and financing by private investors and multinational donors, a sustainable landscape for research and health care can be established. This approach will over the long term, deliver true community-based social and economic benefits. The general sentiment is that a recovery is underway in the resources sector and for the mining sector to secure a sustainable future, smaller projects are the way forward. The bottom line is we are in a new bull market that is just moving into the second innings and will this time likely be hot for the next eight to 10 years says Alan Clegg, chairman, Shumba Energy. Alan Clegg, chairman: Shumba Energy Junior mining companies are well placed to take advantage of the better-performing commodities in 2016/17, among which are gold, copper silver, nickel, tin and zinc, as well as lithium and graphite. However, on a continent that is in desperate need of strong growth in its infrastructure, building materials are looking to be the shining gem in the commodity market. Tipping point Whether junior miners in South Africa will benefit from this resurgence in the sector remains to be seen. The South African mining industry is at a tipping point, with ongoing political and regulatory uncertainty and recent ratings downgrades adding even more fuel to the fire. The countrys junior miners are likely to feel the ramifications of recent events even more acutely than the majors. From a South African perspective the main obstacles remain resource nationalism encompassing unrealistic and unsustainable political ideologies propagated by the ANC government and organised labour expectations, in other words, more for less. Hopefully, post-2019 we will see a reversal that will once again attract FDI into the sector. But until then forget South Africa and major capital investments that make a difference. Local majors will continue to either consolidate with mergers, shut down unprofitable operations or divest in favour of offshore assets in more supportive jurisdictions in Africa and globally, adds Clegg. So, what is next for the junior mining sector? What can junior mining companies do to take advantage of the increasing trend towards small to mid-tier mining operations? Government representatives, mining industry leaders, financiers and experts will gather at the 2017 Junior Indaba to interrogate these and other issues such as the current state of the exploration and junior mining sector, the development of a competitive regulatory regime, which commodities are hot and where funding is currently going. In addition, several junior miners have lined up to provide insights into mining projects. Senior representatives taking to the stage include Kuyasa Mining, Pan African Resources, Botswana Diamonds, Shumba Energy, Kibo Mining, Kalagadi Resources, Tranter Resources, DRDGold, Petra Diamonds and Masimong Group. Katherine Dewar will represent the University of the Witwatersrand in the 30th Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards, set to take place on 10 May in Gauteng. Katherine Dewar receives her prize from Musa Shangase of Corobrik. Musa Shangase, Corobrik commercial director, presented prizes to the architectural students of Wits, with Katherine Dewar the regional winner of R8,500, Samantha Aserman received the R6,500 second prize and Robert Dos Santos took home the third prize of R4,500. The prize of R4,500 for the best use of clay was won by Chamismoyo Parirenyatwa. Dewar's thesis is entitled Hyperembodiment and is an approach to discussing the interface between spaces for women [in Johannesburgs inner-city] and jewellery as a connector of the body to place. She proposes the jewellery hub be situated in New Doornfontein, a space that is male-dominated and where women are present but seem to be largely excluded, unsafe and vulnerable, is also full of vibrancy and activity. This area has the potential for a positive and radical cultural change, but currently remains disconnected and uninclusive for all people. Making space for women "By looking at spaces for women, as well as jewellery being a 'location' between the body and architecture, I aim to take an architectural design approach that solves issues of making space for women, and for jewellery practices in Johannesburg, says Dewar. Three multi-storey connected buildings on the main pedestrian route on Albertina Sisulu Road will be used for the hub and community centre. The ground floor is to offer community spaces and jewellery galleries, and floors above are for classrooms and workshops that embrace and introduce a space for women to learn, create and engage with each other. Shangase said that the winners in the Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards had shown outstanding maturity, innovation and technical skill in their designs which were a credit to the profession in both local and global terms. WASHINGTON, US - US farm equipment giant John Deere has dropped plans to acquire a unit of Monsanto amid concerns the merger would be challenged by regulators. Deere & Company had announced in November 2015 its plan to purchase Precision Planting LLC, a company owned by Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Monsanto. But competition authorities filed a complaint against the acquisition last August, fearing it would reduce competition in the sector. The proposed acquisition would have combined the only two significant US providers of high-speed precision planting systems, the Justice Department said in a statement late Monday. High-speed planting can allow farmers take the greatest advantage of the limited window for planting each year and achieve the highest crop yields. "The companies' decision to abandon this transaction is a victory for American farmers and consumers," acting Assistant Attorney General Andrew Finch of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, said in a statement. "Had this acquisition gone forward, significant head-to-head competition between Deere and Monsanto's Precision Planting - competition that has led to lower prices and more innovative products - would have been lost." A federal court in Chicago was due to hear the case on the merger in June. Source: AFP On 26 April 2017, following a review application lodged by the National Employers' Association of South Africa (NEASA) and supported by the Plastic Convertors' Association of South Africa, the Labour Court set aside the extension of the 2014-2017 Metal and Engineering Industry Bargaining Council (MEIBC) main agreement (covering, among others, wages and other conditions of employment for the steel industry) to non-parties. The setting aside of this agreement follows the setting aside of the extension of the 2011-2014 MEIBC agreement, also because of an application brought by NEASA. Because of this judgement (in respect of the 2014-2017 agreement) and the previous judgement (in respect of the 2011-2014 agreement), the last validly extended wage agreement for the steel industry ended on 30 June 2011. Since 2012, six invalid wage increases (not market-related and SMME hostile) were passed on to non-parties through unlawful promulgation by the Minister of Labour and eagerly enforced by inspectors of the MEIBC. These unlawful enforcements resulted in the closure of many businesses. During this period, and predominantly because of these unlawful wage arrangements, which made the steel industry 35% more expensive than any other industry governed by the bargaining council dispensation, the steel industry suffocated and consequently contracted. There were no winners; both business and workers were negatively affected. Employers who, through their federation SEIFSA, participated in these unlawful dealings, has much to answer for to the steel industry. So too does the Minister of Labour, who endorsed these unlawful actions, notwithstanding the fact that she was cautioned about the state of affairs on numerous occasions. NUMSA, a socialist movement, is not called upon to account to the industry, it simply constantly acted true to its nature, doing what one would expect them to do and it seldom, if ever, contributes anything positive to the industry. What is however undisputed is that the above-mentioned organisations were prominent actors, over a long period, in creating the dire situation in which the industry finds itself. The presiding judge in the 2011-2014 matter called their dubious dealings a sham and the judge in the latest matter expressed surprise at the fact that they simply do not learn from their mistakes and poor judgement. Collective bargaining in the steel industry finds itself at a crossroad. It has run out of money, its secretariat is in disarray and unless a solution is found, by which behind the scenes negotiations, unconstitutionally obtained agreements and the biased role of the Department of Labour can be completely eradicated, this Bargaining Council will soon cease to exist. You have been looking for the ideal property to purchase for months and finally find it, but there is a catch, there is a tenant who is currently renting the property. What now? Because the lease agreement is legally binding and was in place before, it stands - regardless if the owner of the home decides to sell. The lease agreement goes with the home. Essentially this means that purchasing the home automatically makes the new owner a landlord, whether they planned to be or not. If the property is being bought as an investment or as part of a rental portfolio, the fact that the home is occupied might be seen as a drawcard. However, if the property has been purchased as a primary residence and the new owner intends to live there, it could be a problem. The new owner will only be able to take occupancy of the home once the lease agreement has expired and the tenant vacates the property. For this reason, it is best for the buyer to go over the details of the lease agreement and see how long the tenant can stay in occupation before they decide whether it is worth their while to purchase the home. Legal rights and responsibilities There is also the matter of brushing up on the legal rights and responsibilities of a landlord. There are respective obligations imposed on both the lessor and lessee in a lease agreement, so it is important for the purchaser to understand the implications of buying the home from the outset. For example, if there was a security deposit paid at the initiation of the tenancy, this will need to be refunded back to the tenant at the end of the lease. The buyer must ensure that they get this money from the seller. Otherwise, they will find themselves out of pocket. Another aspect to check is whether the landlord is required to pay back any money that the tenant has paid for improvements to the property during the tenancy this is money that should also be recovered from the seller during the sales process. Speak to the tenant If all goes according to plan, the new owner will only have to wait until the lease expires to move into their new home. However, this is provided that the tenant plays along and vacates the property when they are supposed to do so. There are cases where the tenant has refused to move out, even once the lease agreement has run its course. Apart from having to deal with the delay, the new owner may also have to take legal action to have the tenant removed, which will cost money. If possible, before purchasing the property it is advisable to speak to the tenant and see what their intentions are, as this could save both time and money in the long run. A communicative, obliging tenant will make the process far smoother and pleasant. The focus at the WEF Africa summit in Durban this week is on inclusive growth and governments need to embrace digitalisation to ensure Africa evolves and provides education and employment opportunities for its citizens and remain globally competitive. The world is being transformed by technology and governments at all levels must embrace digital transformation and partner with the private sector to improve the lives and prospects of its citizens, observes Charmaine Houvet, director public policy, Africa, Cisco. The role of governments in the age of digitalisation cannot be understated, requiring them to embrace the digitalisation agenda in order to serve the needs of their citizens and remain globally competitive. In the 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Information Technology Report, South Africa ranked at 65th place overall for harnessing information technology, an increase of ten places on the Networked Readiness Index (NRI). While this is a marked improvement from the 2015 rankings, it was mainly driven by South African businesses usage of technology (ranked 32nd in usage), while government usage in the country scored a disappointing 105th in the ranking. There is clearly an opportunity for government to use ICT for increased competitiveness and well-being and bring the objectives outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) to life by connecting cities, communities and countries through the Internet of Things (IoT). Cisco is prepared to play its part in collaborating with government and its partners to support the NDP goals to transform education, healthcare and drive job creation. Streetlights, traffic data From intelligent streetlights to traffic data gathered through devices, to analysing big data to develop and better deploy social services; governments have many opportunities to drive digital transformation and improve lives. Beyond social impacts, the manner in which governments operate and engage with citizens, constituents, businesses and other government organisations can be dramatically improved through upgrading networks and numerous other digital interventions. As more businesses, devices and people are connected to the Internet, technological advancement will increase; requiring governments to be more agile and proactive in designing enabling policies that are transformative and encourage investment, transform the education landscape and invest in broadband infrastructure. International interventions Cisco has worked with governments globally to conceptualise and implement digitalisation strategies. In South Africa, it invested in various portfolios, including the Department of Science and Technology (DST) contributing R66-million in R&D investment towards the SKA project. In 2016, the company invested R12 million as one of the technology partners to the recently launched Tshimologong Precinct as part of Wits University and the City of Joburgs vision to turn Braamfontein into a digital hub/silicon valley. In 2011, Ciscos then CEO and current Chairman, John Chambers met with various Departments within the Egyptian Government to understand how to support their priorities. In 2016, Cisco made a $10 million venture capital investment towards seed capital for economic development and job creation. The Indian government worked with Cisco to launch manufacturing operations in Pune in October 2016. Cisco is working with the government to transform Nagpur into a connected city. In addition, it is also working closely with state governments in India to transform 14 cities and plants digitally and to connect 100 cities as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Digital India initiative. As Etihad Airways marks the 10th anniversary of flying to Sydney, its first Australian destination, it has announced that all 14 weekly flights on the Abu Dhabi - Sydney route will be operated with its flagship A380 aircraft, effective 29 October. The current daily A380 Sydney flights will be joined by a second daily superjumbo service. Richard Vandervord via Wikimedia Commons - Etihad_Airways A380 Meeting growing demand The additional deployment of the 496-seat double-decker aircraft means one of Australias largest cities will join London and New York as an all-A380 operation. Business and leisure travellers to and from Abu Dhabi, the airlines operational hub, will enjoy increased capacity. The carrier will meet growing demand from the UAE and connecting cities across the Gulf region, Middle East and Europe. The Sydney London Heathrow route, via Abu Dhabi, will also offer guests an all-A380 service in both directions. Etihad Airways three daily London Heathrow flights are operated with an A380. Beginning 1 June, the second daily New York service will be upgraded to the superjumbo. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief executive officer, said: Sydney is one of our busiest and best performing long-haul routes where we have experienced increased demand, particularly in our premium cabins, since the launch 10 years ago. By introducing the A380 on the second daily flight, we are able to ensure our flagship product is on all of the Sydney services each week. The upgrade of this service will help fulfill growing demand, benefiting travellers to and from Abu Dhabi, and across Etihad Airways global network. About Etihad Airways A380 The Residence is an ultra-private, three-room suite featuring a living room, bedroom with a double bed, separate en-suite shower room and dedicated personal butler trained at Savoy Butler Academy in London to look after the needs of its discerning guests. The cabin also comes with a private chef ready to custom-create menus to order. Etihad Airways' First Apartment on the A380 The nine First Apartments in first class are private living spaces featuring a flat-screen television, a chilled mini-bar, personal vanity unit, wardrobe and a fully equipped shower room for the exclusive use of first class guests. The 70-configured business studios are located on the upper deck of the A380, all offering direct aisle access and a fully flat bed. The Lobby, a lounge located between the first class and business class cabins, features two comfortable sofas and a staffed bar. A Flying Nanny trained by Norland College in the UK is onboard every A380 to provide dedicated childcare support for families travelling with young children. The main deck features 415 economy smart seats which offer unique ergonomic fixed-wing headrests, lumbar support and an 11-inch personal, high-definition monitor screen to enjoy over 750 hours of on-demand movies, TV programmes, improved gaming and live TV news and sports. Flight schedule: Abu Dhabi Sydney, effective 29 October 2017: ROME, Italy: Shareholders in Alitalia voted unanimously Tuesday to place the company into "extraordinary administration" as efforts continue to find a buyer and stave off liquidation for the troubled airline. The move follows last week's rejection by staff of a restructuring and refinancing plan based on hefty job and salary cuts which management had presented as a precondition for injecting new funds under a two-billion-euro rescue plan. The company said in a statement that flights would continue to operate as planned under the administrators, who will be appointed by the Italian government. The Italian government said last week it would provide bridging loan finance to keep Alitalia's planes flying for around six months but ruled out nationalisation as a solution. Potential 20,000 jobs out of Italian economy If no buyer can be found, the administrators will have to organise the winding-up of the company, a step which economists estimate will take 20,000 jobs out of the Italian economy. In a statement, Etihad Airways, which has a 49% stake, and Alitalia's Italian shareholders voiced "deep regret" at the outcome of the ballot and reiterated that they could not inject any more cash. The plan rejected by staff involved cutting 1,700 jobs from a global headcount of 12,500 and wage cuts of up to eight percent. Alitalia has been loss-making for years and has been squeezed hard recently by the emergence of leaner, low-cost rivals on domestic and European routes, particularly Ryanair, which is now the market leader in Italy. The company lost 460 million last year and a similar loss is predicted for 2017. The restructuring plan envisaged a return to profitability by 2019 and a subsequent expansion of long-haul operations. Source: AFP Amidst the sights and sounds of Cape Town's harbour, Hip Hop and dance enthusiasts from all over the country gathered for this year's Red Bull BC One South Africa Cypher held at the V&A Waterfront's Cruise Terminal on Saturday, 29 April 2017. Sixteen of the country's most prolific B-Boys went up against each other with the city's very own B-Boy Meaty (Dmitri Nell) taking the prestigious title. On the judging panel was some of South Africas most respected B-Boys. Last years winner Brandon The Curse Petersen, B-Boy Vouks, international Red Bull BC All Star Neguin, B-Boy Benny who has represented South Africa at the events World Finals on multiple occasions and local B-Boy legend, Ramone whittled down the B-Boy contestants. Neguin was impressed with the local breaking scene on his first visit: South Africa has such great talent. All the guys in tonights final have such good skills with great potential. The future of the local scene looks bright, especially if you look at talent like B-Boy Toufeeq who made it to the semi-final round. In the final, the atmosphere was electric as B-Boy Bashi from Johannesburg and B-Boy Meaty, who hails from Eerste River, went one-on-one, break by break. Ultimately Meaty brought out his best moves to win the battle. World final in Amsterdam on November Commenting on Meatys win Neguin said: Meaty is very confident in himself and very connected to the music. A lot of the other B-Boys tonight focused on their opponent but Meaty focused on himself. Thats what gave him the edge. I see a lot of myself in Meaty. The Red Bull BC One South Africa Cypher was the culmination of a host of festivities to nurture and support local breaking talent. Seventy B-Boys and B-Girls tried out for the last few spots in the main event on Thursday and spent time learning from Neguin who won the international event in 2010 on Friday. B-Boy Meaty will head to Amsterdam in November where he has a chance at winning a spot in the Red Bull BC One World Final. The annual motorsport extravaganza, the 2017 Jaguar Simola Hillclimb, kicks into gear in Knysna this weekend from 5-7 May 2017. The on-track action gets underway on Friday with Classic Car Friday, featuring 64 entries spanning a total of 58 years of motoring and motor racing pedigree along with some of the most iconic names in the automotive business. This years edition of Classic Car Friday will see the iconic Jaguar XJ-S make a return to racing. With its instantly recognisable TWR replica livery, this specially prepared XJ-S hopes to evoke fond memories among Jaguar fans and racing fanatics at the sound of its V12 engine. It will be driven by American racing champ Randy Pobst, who is also participating in the King of the Hill event in a mighty Jaguar F-TYPE SVR, with a 423kW supercharged V8. King of the Hill King of the Hill (KOTH) takes place on Saturday and Sunday, with the 84-car entry list comprising everything from purpose-built Hillclimb monsters with up to 1,500hp (over 1,100 kW) on tap to specialised lightweight single-seater race cars, exotic supercars and stunning road cars. There are three King of the Hill titles and Jody trophies up for grabs across the various categories. The Nissan GT-R also returns to Knysna to defend its supercar crown and fight for two of the three new King of the Hill titles. No less than 12 Nissans will compete in the various production, modified and supercar classes. Of these, 10 are GT-Rs from different areas and in different stages of tune. The fact that so many people have chosen the GT-R to race at Simola and that no single GT-R is alike, is a testament to the cars engineering brilliance. Some of the GT-R models are driven to the race, and then on the hill, with 95 octane fuel and standard road-going tyres. Other GT-Rs violently shred the tar with more than 1 500 kW of power, says Xavier Gobille, director for sales, marketing and aftersales at Nissan Group of Africa. Says international racer and past winner of the Motorsportsman of the Year, Jaki Scheckter: Last year we managed to beat all the European contenders with a MY15 model, so we have high hopes of retaining of KOTH title with the new GT-R. The extra power and better mid-range torque will certainly help and since it is a Black Edition, the Recaro seats are a definite boon. Aside from the cars, fans will be treated to some of South Africas most famous drivers gracing this years event, along with a strong contingent of international competitors from Inde Motorsports Ranch in the US as one of the many highlights. Watch it live For the first time in its eight-year history, the event will be broadcast live to fans across the globe for limited periods each day. Broadcast times: Friday, 5 May 2017: 1pm-4.15pm Saturday, 6 May 2017: 2.30pm-4.45pm Sunday, 7 May 2017: 1.30pm-5.15pm To view, log in via www.jaguarsimolahillclimb.com. Auto giant General Motors is poised to become the first manufacturer to make a profit from electric vehicles, a GM executive predicted on Monday. Jacek Sopotnicki via 123RF The company leads the pack in reducing the cost of electric vehicles and ultimately offering an affordable version, said Mark Reuss, GM's executive vice president for product development. Engineers have been working to reduce mass and improve battery efficiency since it does not take as much power to move a lighter-weight vehicle, he said. "That's the mantra of product development. That's what all our engineers are all working toward," Reuss told reporters. And as GM increases production of electric vehicles, particularly in China, where GM has plans to introduce 10 different electric models by 2020, it will help drive down the cost of battery cells. Vehicles that people can afford "We know the customers would like to drive electric but are unwilling to pay, and that's why we're going to be the first company to (produce) electric vehicles that people can afford at a profit," Reuss said. GM will soon introduce a plug-in, all-electric vehicle based on the Cadillac CT6 luxury sedan, and a Buick extended-range electric vehicle similar to the Chevrolet Volt. Other carmakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, PSA, Volkswagen, Ford and Tesla are promising to bring out additional electric vehicles, including Tesla's Model 3 due out in July aimed at the middle market. GM's electric vehicles also will serve as a platform for the company's efforts to launch autonomous vehicles, Reuss said. GM has already begun testing self-driving tests in Detroit, Phoenix and San Francisco. Reuss noted that deploying a fleet of all-electric autonomous vehicles would help lower battery costs. Source: AFP This Saturday the public relations (PR) industry will celebrate 20 years of the Prism Awards. Entries have grown since the first Prism Awards in 1997, and today over 200 entries are received on average, annually. With this the number of judges have also grown to over 60 this year, many of whom are seasoned judges in the Awards. Anton van Rensburg Anton van Rensburg, country director UK & Ireland, Expandi Group, and chief judge for Cluster 3 has been involved with the Prism Awards for five years. I have been fortunate enough to be involved with the Prism Awards since 2013 and can tell you that seeing the evolution of entries in this particular cluster has been an amazing journey. Cluster 3 judges the Financial Services, Investor Relations, Business-to-Business and Sponsorship Sectors and the Practices: Corporate Communications, Publications and Consumer PR for an existing product, service or category. Every year the judges look forward to learning about great campaigns, how they were planned and executed and how the results positively affected the various clients, he says. Its so much fun to see what different entrants experience in their efforts to bring a campaign to full fruition. Vicki St Quintin Cluster 5 chief judge, Vicki St Quintin, Corporate Affairs manager, Adcock Ingram Healthcare, believes there is a high standard shown in the entries that they judged. There was quite a lot of agility where required, and clever campaigns that would have a lasting effect on brand reputation. This is her fourth sequential year of judging the Prism Awards. Of these she has judged Cluster 5 three times. Cluster 5 includes Healthcare, Environmental, Community Relations, and Corporate Responsibility Sectors and the Practices: best use of an event to build or change reputation and the launch of a new service, product or category. Kevin Welman In his fifth year overall judging and his second for Cluster 7, Student Campaigns, chief judge Kevin Welman, director ByDesign Communications, says the industry has a lot to look forward to as these students enter the workplace in the next year or so. Our students have truly been educated in an integrated world where traditional and social media exist in parallel. This year I think there was a higher level of creativity, with several campaigns really being brought to life differently. Lucy Balona, head of Marketing and Communication, Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), has been chief judge for Cluster 1, which includes the sectors of Tourism, Travel & Tourism, Public Affairs, Public Sector and NGO Campaigns and the Practice of Crisis Management, for the last three years. She has been a Prism Awards judge since 2012. Lucy Balona Commenting on this years entries, she says some work needs to be done on really applying ourselves. Were in a tough economic climate at the moment, and every rand should be accounted for in terms of budgets. It is during tough times that PR professionals have a wonderful opportunity to be creative and use their PR skills to the fullest, she adds. When there is very little budget, we should be able to try to be more resourceful and come up with new ideas and methods that can really make an impact. She believes the country has a thriving industry. PR is so essential as part of the integrated marketing mix, so the Prism Awards is a super platform to showcase the real value PR offers. The Prism Awards take place on Saturday, 6 May at The Park House of Events on 7 in Gauteng. Novus Holdings's share price fell 3.68% to R7.85 on Tuesday after it announced the existing printing agreement with Media24 would not be terminated. The decision not to terminate what is, for Novus, an important contract that accounts for about 25% of group revenue, was taken after discussions with the JSE. The SENS announcement released by Novus did not refer to the details of the talks but said the existing printing agreements "remain in effect, on the terms as disclosed in Novus Holdings's prelisting statement dated 4 March 2015". The engagement with the JSE followed public criticism about an earlier announcement that Media24 was exercising its rights to end the existing contract. At the end of January, Novus informed shareholders that the death of Lambert Retief, a nonexecutive director and former Novus CEO, had triggered Media24's right and that the two parties were finalising new terms. That right was based on the terms of a management agreement between Novus, Media24 and Retief. However, a corporate governance expert and executive director of Ratings Afrika, Charl Kocks, raised concern that this right was not disclosed to shareholders at the time of Novus's listing. In mid-April, Kocks told Business Day he had searched through all the documents made public ahead of the listing for reference to this right, but could find nothing. "There is, in our view, no doubt that the lack of disclosure is unsound governance of a breathtaking nature." The only fair resolution would be for the agreement to be kept in place and for Media24 to relinquish its right to terminate it, he said. Novus's announcement on Tuesday indicates that the parties, following the JSE's input, came to the same conclusion. Kocks said whether or not Media24 had the right was countered by the fact that it had not disclosed it to shareholders. The announcement said that in terms of the interpretation of the parties to the printing agreements, Retief ceasing to be a party to the management agreement when he died gave Media24 the right to terminate the printing agreements. "However, Media24 has not terminated, and has subsequently waived, without derogating from any of its other termination rights, any right that it may have had to terminate the existing printing agreements as a consequence of Lambert Retief ceasing to be a party to the restated management agreement." Novus also said it expected headline earnings for the year to March to fall 20%-23%. Tuesday's share price was almost half the R16 level it traded at shortly after its listing. GENEVA - A new virtual currency aims to rival industry leader bitcoin by pegging its value to hard oil assets, a first in the rapidly growing digital money sector. The currency called "bilur" and created by London-based financial services company R Fintech uses the technology pioneered by bitcoin, while trying to offer an alternative for those weary of the wild fluctuations that have plagued digital currencies. "This is the first crypto-currency with a real value", R Fintech Ignacio M Ozcariz chief executive told reporters in Geneva. To start, the company has valued 1 bilur as equivalent to 6.5 barrels of brent crude oil, making it an asset worth $356 (326 euros). Texas-based oil company Hockley has initially set aside 1m barrels of crude as collateral to underpin the currency but has told R Fintech it can ramp up if bilur becomes popular. Like bitcoin, bilur is run with so-called blockchain technology, where encrypted digital coins are created by supercomputers, regulated and controlled by a community of users who try to guard against counterfeiting. Bitcoin was the world's top performing currency in 2016 and continues to hover around record highs of $1,400, after being worth just a few cents when it launched in 2009. It has appealed to those interested in bank-free transactions and to money not controlled by a government or central bank. But detractors have suggested that bitcoin could ultimately be undermined by its volatility, noting that the currency dramatically lost 75 percent of its value in 2013. Bilur is targeting those who like aspects of virtual currency trading but would prefer funds supported by a fixed asset -- similar to a gold standard for traditional currencies. "We're still a crypto-currency, we're just backing it up with a real physical thing", said Usama al Ali, an IT specialist at R Fintech. With the project in its infancy, there are no merchants accepting bilur as a valid form of payment. Bitcoin is in contrast increasingly accepted by merchants worldwide. R Fintech said it aims to make money through a small management fee, charging bilur holders roughly three percent per year. The name "bilur" is the Basque language word for "chain", a nod to blockchain technology, the company said. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sees scope to diversify and expand the US export basket to Sub-Saharan Africa and will set up a USA Pavilion at the Food & Hospitality Africa Expo 2017, to support the introduction of a broad range of American food products to local importers and retailers. William Perugini via 123RF Leading US food companies will meet southern African buyers and showcase a diversified range of foods and beverages at the Food & Hospitality Africa Expo in Johannesburg, 7-9 May 2017. With the top three sub-Saharan African export destinations Nigeria, South Africa and Ethiopia accounting for a combined total of around $2.3 billion in food exports in 2016, USDA believes sub-Saharan Africa is a receptive market for a wide range of US food and beverage products. Consumer-oriented product categories are reported to be growing particularly strongly, with US exports of prepared foods, condiments/sauces, and dairy products all increasing over the past five years. Aiming to raise awareness of a broader range of American food products and boost bilateral trade, major US food and beverage businesses will exhibit popular consumer brands, including health foods, condiments and beverages, at the Food & Hospitality Africa Expo 2017. The expo will be held from 7-9 May 2017 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Among the popular US brands to be showcased at Food & Hospitality Africa Expo 2017 are: the famous Hersheys, Wonka and Reeses chocolates; Starbucks Frappuccino flavoured beverages; new-to-SA Calypso lemonades and flavoured ice products; Kelloggs Pop-Tarts; Pringles USA snacks; Arizona Iced Tea the biggest iced tea brand in the US; the full range of Pinnacle foods; Duncan Hines cake mixes and toppings, Frenchs Mustard; and Franks hot sauce. Numerous sauces, condiments, preserves, spices and beverages will be exhibited, along with a huge range of convenience products, snacks and sweet treats such as Marshmallow Fluff, Toxic Waste sour candy, Banana Joe Chips, gums and candies. Also on show will be top quality organic and gluten-free products for health-conscious consumers. The USA Pavilion at the expo is supported by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Enterprise Florida, an organisation representing manufacturers and producers in the American state of Florida, will also exhibit at the expo. The participating US food producers will hold meetings with southern African importers, distributors and retailers during their visit to Johannesburg. We are an award winning - brand, data & technology led - digital business. Delivering results-oriented marketing solutions that enhance our clients brands, improve their sales and foster their growth. A recent report from Juniper Research found that, despite significant investment in cybersecurity, data breaches will have cost the global business community $8trillion by 2022, mostly in fines, lost businesses and remediation costs. New research, from Verizon, analysed more than 2,000 breaches from 65 organisations. Of the breaches analyzed, 300 were found to be espionage-related, many of which started out as phishing emails. This type of attack was found to be the most common type seen in the government, manufacturing and education sectors. Probably the biggest trend this year is the rise of ransomware. In Verizons 2014 report, ransomware was the 22nd most common form of malware. This year its number five. According to the report authors, the ability for hackers to get a quick buck from ransomware means this particular threat wont be abating any time soon. It doesnt help that people are still falling for phishing scams. According to Verizons 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report, 1 in 14 users were tricked into following a link or opening an attachment and a quarter of those went on to be tricked more than once. Where phishing successfully opened the door, malware was then typically put to work to capture and export data or take control of systems. Another cybercrime tactic discussed in Verizons report is pretexting, or the impersonation of a company official by spoofing and email to gain information from employees. Pretexting is a very big threat that will continue to grow because it takes advantage of urgency and common cultural situations where employees will set aside procedures and policies in order to make sure the boss does not get upset, says Paul Calatayud, CTO of Intelligent Security Management Firm, FireMon. Most phishing training focuses on the content: malware and links more than the sender and in this case the sender and what is being asked is the issue. People will no doubt feel under pressure to make sure the boss is happy and some of the requests will seem entirely legitimate to the right employee. Never miss Somerset's latest and breaking news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter Police and day centre users teamed up to take action against speeding drivers in Blandford. The towns Neighbourhood Policing Team spent the morning with members of the Speaking Up project, run by People First Dorset, carrying out speed checks. The initiative was supported by the Blandford Community Centre team. PCSO Jamie Burt, of Blandford police, said: It was great to engage with members of the Speaking Up group and to take positive action to tackle speeding in the town. These people have various learning difficulties and many of them are living independently, something which has taken years to achieve in some cases, and the issue of speeding traffic is clearly one that concerns them. The group wore high visibility jackets and took turns checking the speed of passing cars near Blandford Community Centre. Project manager for People First Dorset Lisa Dixon said: We were pleased that most people in Blandford were sticking to the speed limit, although we did spot one car excessively speeding on Salisbury Road, which made all of us feel quite uneasy. Following the success of the event, members of the Speaking Up group have expressed an interest in regularly supporting the local Community Speed Watch scheme, which enables volunteers from the community to support officers in monitoring road safety in their area. People First Dorset runs projects across Dorset to enable people with learning disabilities to have a stronger voice, to speak up and promote positive change in their communities. The Speaking Up project covers eight different towns in the county, engaging more than 180 people. Project worker Chris Mellor said: Before I worked on the Speaking Up project I was like a tortoise in my shell. The groups have made a positive impact on my life. I feel more confident and Im pleased to now more people are speaking up for themselves. Among the Rohingya refugees stopped were 16 children all below the age of nine, according to Lieutenant Commander Chaminda Walakuluge, the Navy spokesperson. One of the children is just 15-days-old and another is four-months-old. The refugees had been living in India for the past four years. Lt Cdr Chaminda Walakuluge said the Rohingya refugees were provided first aid as soon as they arrived on shore. "It was revealed during the preliminary investigation that these Myanmar nationals are Rohingya refugees. They sought asylum in India due to ethnic conflicts that have prevailed in their country, he said. They were granted refugee status in India four years ago and [their status] was due to expire in June this year, he said. A human rights official told Reuters that the six families were trying to get to Australia. The boat was operated by two Indian men. It entered Sri Lankan waters after crossing the sea border, and the coast guard informed the navy about the illegal boat around 10am on April 30. The refugees and the boat were handed over to the police soon after they were brought to the port. Police took the refugees to Mallakam Magistrate Courts on April 30. On May 2 they are expected to appear before the Jaffna Magistrate. Edited by Laignee Barron U Moe Kyaw, an officer at the Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association, told KIC News that Myanmar migrant workers still do not receive the government-stipulated minimum wage and are made to work beyond the hours established by Thai law. Seventy-five per cent of Burmese workers still dont receive 305 baht, the minimum daily wage set down by the Thai Labour Ministry for Mae Sot area. They also have to work between ten to eleven hours a day instead of eight hours a day as mandated by law, he said. U Moe Kyaw said employers and managers are knowingly flouting the labor laws and exploiting the migrant workers. He said both employers and the Thai government should be responsible for enforcing fair working conditions and respecting migrant workers rights. Over 400,000 Myanmar migrant workers are employed in the nine districts of Tak Province, Thailand. Mae Sot district alone has over 200,000 workers. The majority of the workers are employed in agriculture and livestock breeding industries and also work in factories, according to labor rights activists. I want Burmese migrant workers to receive the full salary mandated by law. Arresting workers for not having work permits when they are travelling between provinces [in Thailand] is totally against Thai law. Work permits should only be inspected at the workplace, said Ko Thar Gyi, managing director of an organization providing assistance to Myanmar migrants. The May 1 ceremony in Mae Sot was organized by the Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association. Over 400 people, including workers, local authorities, NGOs and labor activists attended. International Workers Day, or Labor Day as it is also called, is marked every year on May 1 in remembrance of the Chicago factory workers who staged mass protests in 1886 in order to demand an eight-hour day and improvement in working conditions. Workers around the world continue to lobby for the right to an eight-hour workday. Translated by Thida Linn Edited by Laignee Barron Protesters complained that the recent change in power distributors was not handled transparently, and said the new arrangement is not beneficial to the public. In the past, we only had to pay 4.30 baht [per kWh] for the electricity. Now, the company has raised the bill to at least 6 baht [per unit] based on the industry. The public is not satisfied, said Ko Thant Zin, who helped organize the protest and applied for permission to stage the demonstration. By comparison electricity per kWh in Philippines costs 6.67 baht, but in Thailand costs about 3.74 baht. The protesters gathered at Migyaungkone Monastery in Ward 4 before marching downtown. They shouted slogans and held vinyl signs calling for full voltage, removal of the state Electricity Minister for failing to meet public expectations and lowering the electricity charges to 4.20 baht per unit. They also demanded the government establish a local electricity committee that will include representatives of the local residents. NGL Company was previously responsible for buying electricity from Thailand and distributing it throughout Myawaddy, but Shwe Myit Thaung Yin Company took over after complaints of frequent blackouts. The new company raised the prices in March. In my opinion, the state government should be held responsible. The people are protesting because there are more blackouts and the power bill has been raised after the government gave the green light to the new company, said a local elder from Myawaddy. If the government truly represents the best interests of the public it should listen to the public and respond to the publics needs. The protest leaders said another demonstration will be held next week if local authorities and company officials do not respond soon with an offer to negotiate. Translated by Thida Linn Edited by Laignee Barron Prior to Thingyan, Thailand announced a New Years gift for its large community of migrant workers, declaring that passport-holding laborers could return home for the holidays without having to pay for a visa and without fear of arrest. Typically, workers holding temporary passports are unable to travel outside of the province where they are employed without a letter of permission. The March 14 announcement said the leniency period would extend from April 5 until April 30. As far as I know, no one has been left stranded. I heard news about the arrests yesterday so I asked officials from Thai immigration [about it]. They told me that they havent arrested anyone for lack of worker documents. Arrests may have been made only for committing crimes, U Aung Ko Than, a labor attache at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok told KIC News on April 28. However, Ko Thar Gyi, managing director of an organization assisting migrant workers in Thailand, said several workers have had issues crossing the border gate, counter to the embassy officials dismissal. We are contacting employers to help some female workers who were stranded because they didnt have official work permits. I denounce [the labour attache] for saying that no workers have been left stranded at the border. Migrant workers are currently stranded there, he said. He added that dozens of migrant workers faced delays and other issues returning over the Three Pagodas Pass border crossing last week. Some, he said, were denied entry by Thai border officials. The leniency scheme was under the supervision of the Ministry of Labor. Labour attaches U Moe Aung Khaing, U Naing Min Thu and U Aung Khin Myint were tasked with assisting returning workers from April 14 to 21. Labor attache U Aung Ko Than took over from April 21 until the end of the month. According to the Thailand Job Employment Office, over 1.79 million Myanmar migrant workers are officially working in Thailand. The number of undocumented Myanmar workers is thought to number somewhere between 2 and 3 million. Translated by Thida Linn Edited by Laignee Barron The Mon State Chief Minister, seeking to diffuse tensions, said that future naming decisions would be made differently. We named the bridge for Gen Aung San as a result of the current [Union] governments policy. We have plans to build more bridges in Mon State and will not use the same name then, said Dr. Aye Zan, the Mon State Chief Minister. He added that the Mon State government has plans to build two bridges spanning the Ataran in central Mon State, and would honor local input in naming them. The General Aung San (Bilugyun) bridge connects the Mon State capital of Mawlamyine (Moulmein) to Bilugyun Island, spanning the Thanlwin (Salween) river. The Pyithu Hluttawthe lower house of Myanmars (Burma) Parliamentvoted in March to change the name from Thanlwin Bridge (Chaungzon) over local objections. The move sparked months of protests, including a March 19 demonstration that drew a crowd of over 20,000. Many in Mon State feel that the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government is ignoring the needs of the minority ethnic groups in its coalition. We have already sent our petition to the Union Minister for Ethnic Affairs after collecting signatures, and we assume that they will contact us to meet soon to set up a meeting, said Nai Mon Ra Ja, a bridge activist. The bridge opened unofficially on April 27 but its official opening remained a matter of intense speculation. Two tentative opening dates in April came and went, and rumors about General Aung Sans daughter Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attending the ceremony have largely disappeared too. The southern Shan State locals said only a small number of people were invited to take part in the last minute, closed-door meeting. The invitation was sent on the 27th. Thirty-nine villages will be affected by the Tigyit project but only 70 people were invited, Ko Sein Thaung, a local resident, told the Shan Herald on the evening of April 29. The controversial power plant was suspended during President U Thein Seins administration amid a public backlash. Many fear the new government is trying to restart the project after a test run was carried out in October 2016. Tigyit was the first coal-fired power station to launch operations in the country. The 60 MW plant started running in 2005 under the management of China National Heavy Machinery Corporation and local companies Eden Group and Shan Yoma Nagar. The facility was suspended in 2014 amid local complaints over air pollution. Local residents say they developed skin and breathing problems after the coal-fired plant began production. Environmental experts have cautioned that the project could have detrimental affects on the nearby Inle Lake watershed. In 2016, upgrading work began under Wuxi Huagaung Electric Power Engineering, also of China. Shan, Danu, PaO, and Palaung people around the Tigyit area have all staged protests against the coal-fired project since April 2016 when the National League for Democracy took over the government offices. Residents have called on the government and the company operating Tigyit to publicly release the contract details, as well as the environmental impact assessment. Ko Win Shein Myat, an activist, confirmed that very few of the invitees attended the recent meeting at the Tigyit factory. Civil society organizations werent invited, he said. Translated by Thida Linn Edited by Laignee Barron Photo by local source- Villagers were injured during clashes between Burmese government forces and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan States Namkham Township. According to a member of a Taang youth group who wished to remain anonymous, heavy weapons were launched around three villages in Namkham Township yesterday. He said that a 75-year-old woman was caught in the crossfire and later pronounced dead at the local hospital. The clash broke out at about 10am on May 2 between Burmese army Infantry Division No. 88 and TNLAs Battalion No. 571 in the area between Nampakkha tract and Namkham Township, according to a report from the TNLA News and Information Department published on its website on Tuesday. It claimed that the Burmese military launched artillery and deployed three fighter jets over the villages of Namhom, Kongkhur and Pangzarm. Three villagers from Kongkhur were injured, a local source told Shan Herald. They have been identified as Aiang Tha, aged 48, wounded at the waist; Aiang Than Tey, 13, hit on her hip; and Ei Shwe Oo, 17, hit at the knee. They are being treated at Namkham hospital. Hostilities have been frequent between Burmese armed forces and TNLA troops since 2012, according to Myanmar Peace Monitor, a non-government project under Burma News Internationals banner. In 2016 alone, there were 309 clashes reported in northern Shan State in Naung Cho, Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Kutkai and Namhsan townships. On November 20 last year, the TNLA group and its allies the Arakan Army (AA), the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) launched coordinated offensives against Burmese military positions in the areas of Muse, Namkham and Kutkai townships, compelling thousands of local residents to flee their homes. The TNLA, also known as the Palaung Army, was among six armed groups excluded by the government from signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2015, during the era of the previous military-backed regime. The Palaung have also been sidelined from negotiations between Naypyidaw and ethnic armed groups hosted by the incumbent government, and headed by Aung San Suu Kyi. The next round of the talks, dubbed the 21st Century Panglong Conference, is scheduled to take place on May 24, when representatives of the government, military, political parties, ethnic armed groups and civil society are due to discuss the ongoing peace process in the country. By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? 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COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. The parcel carrier and third-party logistics provider has entered a definitive agreement to buy Irish express delivery service Nightline Logistics Group, UPS said in a statement. UPS has entered a definitive agreement to buy Irish express delivery service Nightline Logistics Group, the company said in a statement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Nightline is a privately held company and the acquisition is subject to closing procedures and regulatory approval, UPS said. Nightline will complement our existing services, increasing delivery density, while also adding innovative new service options, said Jim Barber, president of UPS International, in a statement. We also look forward to bringing UPSs extensive healthcare, high-tech and other specialized logistics expertise to the many Irish companies that specialize in these markets. Nightline started operations about 20 years ago, and has been led by founder and chief executive officer John Tuohy, who said this is the right time for the company to become part of a larger, international operator like UPS. With the addition of Nightline, we continue on our growth path in Europe, and will now be able to better serve customers who export into, and out of, Ireland, said Nando Cesarone, UPSs Europe region president. This is in addition to UPSs commitment announced in 2014 to invest U.S. $2 billion in its European infrastructure by 2020. UPS currently provides both small package and supply chain services to customers in Ireland. The company also operates cargo gateways at both the Dublin and Shannon airports. The troubled ocean carrier is ceasing service to Iran over concerns of rising tensions there rather than as a cost cutting measure, according to an executive with the company, Reuters said. Troubled Taiwanese ocean carrier Yang Ming Marine Transport is halting its container service to Iran, according to multiple media reports. Several larger shipping lines began calling Iran after sanctions were lifted a year ago, and Yang Ming is the first foreign shipping line to abandon the route after the lifting of sanctions, according to a company source, Reuters reported. According to Reuters, a Yang Ming executive said the firm had ceased direct services to Iran on concerns of rising tensions there. We took into consideration the recent sanctions against Iran as well as the current geopolitical tensions in the region and whats been going on between Iran, the U.S. and Europe. Yang Ming has been calling Iran just once a week, Reuters said. According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, Yang Ming has been calling Bandar Abbas on its CGX loop between Asia and the Middle East. Yang Mings latest online service schedules show the loops last call to the Iranian port will be with the May 16 arrival of the YM Bamboo. Last month, Yang Ming suspended its shares on the Taiwan Stock exchange from April 20 until May 4 as part of its financial restructuring and reverse stock split. The carrier reported a loss of 14.91 billion Taiwan new dollars (U.S. $492.1 million) for the full year in 2016. The Yang Ming executive said the carrier has also adjusted some of its routes in Asia as a result of the downturn, but that ending service to Iran was primarily fueled by geopolitical issues and was not a cost-cutting decision. BRAHMOS land-attack cruise missile being test fired from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher on May 2, 2017. An Indian Army photo/Twitter NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Army on Tuesday successfully test fired an advanced version of BRAHMOS land-attack cruise missile in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, revalidating the weapon's strike capability. The land-to-land configuration of BRAHMOS missile was launched from a mobile autonomous launcher (MAL). The test firing of the block III version of the missile demonstrated the weapon's unmatched lethality of hitting the centre of a designated target with "bull's eye" precision, a senior army officer said. He said the supersonic cruise missile successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in a "top attack configuration", meeting all flight parameters in a copybook manner. The test firing involved high level and complex manoeuvering by the missile, said the official. Its a ten-year millage for 2.5 mills, explains school board president Christine Stead. It will be spent on roofs and boilers. For example, last year, the boiler broke in Pioneer in January. And Huron probably needs a whole roof replacement. Its got a weird roof. Thats about $10 million right there. Originally adopted in 2002, the sinking fund would get us $200 million over the ten years to renovate school buildings, says superintendent Jeanice Swift. Our average age is about sixty years. Five of our buildings will have their one-hundredth birthday in just three or four years. The request comes only a year after voters approved the Washtenaw Intermediate School Districts ten-year, 1.5 mill special education tax. Since Ann Arbor was already paying for special ed from its general fund, that rendered us $9 million a year, says Swift. With part of it the schools gave 2 percent raises to all staff. That was about $3.2 million, the superintendent continues. We also hired 180 teachers to shrink class sizes. It was up to thirty students per class, says Stead. Now with K-2, we try to keep it down to less than twenty-five kids, and were closer to twenty-two. Classes in grades 3-5 run about twenty-five to twenty-six students. This years general fund budget was $225 million, and without the expanded sinking fund Swift says it looks like our [2017-2018] budget will be flat. The new normal is that thats a relief. Though governor Rick Snyders proposed budget would add $50 more per student statewide plus an additional $50 for those in high school, the superintendent isnt impressed. People think thats pretty good, but it ends up to be about to be about $1.1 million, which is 1/225th of our budget and does not cover the cost of living increases. Will the millage pass? I am not aware of any organized opposition, emails former trustee Kathy Griswold, who herself has organized such opposition in the past. In fact, most people are not aware of the May election. Though shes leaning towards support, Griswold allows that shes also amazed by Ann Arbors overwhelming support for tax increases, all while giving lip service to affordable housing. Taxes are a significant portion of housing cost in Ann Arbor. The sinking fund is one way the AAPS can make up for long-term cuts in state funding. The district currently gets $9,230 per student per year, about 5 percent less than it did eight years ago. Another way is to raise enrollment. Adding 1,000 students in the last three years, for a total of 17,449 last fall, increased state funding about $9 million annually. The board recently reauthorized the administration to accept up to 1,000 schools of choice students from other districts. New trustee Jeff Gaynor dissented, arguing that while that benefits Ann Arbor, it hurts neighboring districts. Swift admits thats true but adds that the most of the added students are residents of the AAPS districtsome preschoolers in the Young Fives program, some new to the area, and some from families who formerly passed over the AAPS. We want our families to pick Ann Arbor, Stead says. Were bucking the state trend by keeping students in the public school system. The board president estimates that about 20,000 school-age children live in the AAPS district. There are about 500 homeschoolersthere arent exact numbersand about 2,000 at private, parochial, and charter schools, she says. That works out to about 12 percent of the students in the district. By contrast, Swift notes, in the state of Michigan in the fall of 2015, 23 percent of students exited their district. The superintendent sees another 1,000 or so students coming as the population grows. Over off of Maple is new affordable housing, and thats about 150 students for this fall, she says. Theyll likely go to Abbot and Haisley. And though it wont happen this year, the district will also gain students from Nixon Farms, the complex of homes and apartments now under development on the north side. The last major subdivision within the city limits will be phased in, Swift says. We dont know exactly how many or exactly how long. The development is a seven-year [project], but the initial phase will be about 940 students. Thats pre-K through twelve. Thats as far as Swift will project into the future. All of those algorithms arent accurate anymore, because the birthrate in Michigan continues to decline, the superintendent says. However, our kindergarten roundups indicate were pulling out of that. Im anxious to see the 2020 census. Are we optimistic enough now to have more children? My anecdotal evidence would say yes. Swift, though, now has a new worry: the Trump administration wants to use federal dollars to support private and parochial schools. The presidents budget calls for an education tax credit for parents who would choose to take their children elsewhere, she says. Apart from the political discussion around whether we think thats OK or not, we would maintain that state and federal taxpayer dollars should be invested in the public schools. Its very worrisome when federal and state taxpayer dollars go to private or religious schools. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Brandon Police Service says it will have to train more of its officers to recognize when drivers are on drugs to prepare for the legalization of marijuana. The force is concerned that legalization will lead more people to drive while impaired by the drug, and says it will need more drug recognition experts to catch them. If legislation is going to legalize it, and people are going to feel more free to be using the substance and potentially getting behind the wheel while theyre impaired by the drug, then were going to need more, a lot more, Brandon Police Service Sgt. David Andrew said. And, were going to need more money to train police officers to become drug recognition experts. Training is expensive. The federal government plans to legalize pot for adult consumption by the summer of next year. Canadians will be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of cannabis, grow up to four plants per household and purchase it at shops. Police are concerned because more people may choose to use marijuana when its legal, and potentially increase the number of high drivers. Under the Criminal Code, its already illegal to drive while impaired by a drug. Andrew said marijuana use can impair judgement, coordination, concentration, and slow reaction time. Based on experience, in general any officer can identify a driver suspected of being impaired by a drug, Andrew said. A drug recognition expert (DRE) can make a classification of the type of drug thats causing the impairment. If an officer suspects that a driver is impaired by a drug, then a DRE is called in to evaluate. The force can request a urine or a blood sample for testing and confirmation. So far in 2017, two people have been arrested for driving while impaired by a drug. There is no universally accepted roadside device for testing impairment by marijuana, and the BPS isnt currently testing any. Other Canadian forces are testing devices that test saliva. Right now, some officers are trained in standardized field sobriety test (SFST), which is based on observations. Drug impairment is tougher to detect than alcohol impairment, Andrew said. And the signs of drug impairment vary between drugs. They dont show the same signs and symptoms. Andrew said that legalization of marijuana will bring the need to train more officers as DREs and in SFST, but its not yet known how many will be needed. Last month, the federal government reformed impaired driving laws to allow police to demand an oral fluid sample from a driver they suspect of driving with drugs in their system. That would help establish that the officer has reasonable grounds to believe an offence has been committed, so they can then demand an evaluation by a DRE or a blood sample. Having two nanograms of THC (the main psychoactive compound in cannabis) per millilitre of blood within two hours of driving, but less than five nanograms, would bring a fine. Five nanograms or more would be punishable by a mandatory fine of $1,000 for a first offence, bring 30 days in jail for a second-time offender, and send a third-time offender to jail for 120 days. Having a combined blood-alcohol concentration of 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood and a THC level higher than 2.5 nanograms per millilitre of blood within two hours of driving would also be an offence. That too would bring the $1,000 fine, with jail time for repeat offenders. Manitoba has introduced legislation that would make it illegal to smoke pot in public or in a vehicle moving on a street or road. That legislation would allow for 24-hour licence suspensions if a police officer believes a driver is under the influence of cannabis and unable to drive safely. ihitchen@brandonsun.com Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Thousands of ash trees in Brandon could be at risk if the highly-invasive emerald ash borer makes its way to Manitoba. Forestry experts hope to prevent the spread of the bug into the province for as long as possible, but it continues to creep closer. Just last year the pest was detected in Thunder Bay, Ont., while the closest infestation to the south is in Duluth, Minn. It has also been found in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Considering the amount of travel between Manitoba and Minnesota, this is definitely concerning to us, Kyla Maslaniec, urban forester with the Province of Manitobas Forestry and Peatlands Management Branch. Maslaniec recently presented to Brandon City Council on the topic, along with Paul Ziesmann, member of the Brandon Environment Committee and the citys parks department chargehand. Ash is a native species in Manitoba, and is abundant in the southern part of the province. The biggest problem is really that ash has been planted extensively in Manitobas communities, and in rural shelter belts, Maslaniec said. The emerald ash borer is native to parts of Asia and was first detected in North America in 2002 in Michigan. Maslaniec said it is likely that the pest had been there since the early 1990s. The insect kills the trees during the larval stage. They feed under the bark, disrupting the flow of nutrients to the tree. According to the province, EAB has killed millions of ash trees in the U.S. and in Ontario and Quebec. Brandon has approximately 10,000 ash trees on boulevards, in greenspaces and parks. This number does not include any of the ash trees on private property. Ziesmann explained that EAB is very hard to detect at low levels, and is often not noticed until its too late. Once detected, the pest typically kills the tree within two years. That tree would have to be removed, treated and replaced, and would have an estimated cost of $150-$170 per tree. If EAB is detected in a tree early, there is a treatment that can be injected, but according to officials, it can be expensive. So they wouldnt be done for large groups of wild trees, but high-value boulevard trees and yard trees, Maslaniec said, estimating it could cost $200 per tree. One of the main ways the general public can help prevent the spread of EAB, is to not move firewood. People pay for firewood when they go camping, and if they dont use it all, they want to bring it with them, Maslaniec said. We are definitely trying to discourage that. The province will be updating and increasing its firewood signage, and launched a Stop the Spread campaign this spring. Visit manitoba.ca/stopthespread for more information. Public education is a major focus for the province, as well as Brandon Environment Committee. The province has wood disposal bins at the border, and continues monitoring for the pest in southern Manitoba. Were really focusing on prevention because we are in what we call the pre-infestation phase and that is by far the cheapest phase, Maslaniec said. So we really want to keep it out of here as long as possible. The city is now planting a variety of trees, and increasing their trapping and monitoring program. Ziesmann explained that local arborists are also branch sampling, where they cut down one branch, peel back the bark and look for small cavities that the EAB would create. Its not all doom and gloom, theres a lot of good, positive work thats taking place right now in our community, he said. Posters can be seen on walking paths to alert citizens of the EAB issue, and staff members are participating in training workshops, along with representatives from the City of Winnipeg and the province. The public can also help by monitoring trees for early warning signs of EAB, which are typically seen in the crown of the tree. It will start to thin out at the top of the tree and then it just progressively dies back from there, she said. Another potential sign is epicormic shoots, growing out of the base of the tree instead of the top of the tree. The larvae is a creamy white colour, and can cause the bark to crack. Really any size of ash can be attacked, thats part of the problem with this pest, Maslaniec said. They dont really seem to care if the tree is stressed, and they attack all ash. jaustin@brandonsun.com Twitter: @jillianaustin Already have an account? Log in here Local residents are invited to Team Up to Clean Up on May 13 at Princess Park. We need your support! Local journalism needs your support! As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. After a few months of uncertainty, the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corp. has been given the green light to continue at full capacity through its current fiscal year. Last week, the non-profit organization received a letter officially confirming its provincial funding through the Neighbourhoods Alive! program is secure for the time being. It hadnt been a guarantee. Susan Spring Members of the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corp. team are seen during Mondays Push for Change event to end youth homelessness, which they helped organize. Last week, they received a letter confirming their provincial funding had been renewed another year. From left is board member John Scott, Florence Halcrow (Fresh Start supervisor), Carly Gasparini (general manager), Stephan Warrener (homelessness individual and family information co-ordinator) and Leanne Petrin (housing co-ordinator). The provincial government paused funding late last year, throwing Manitobas 13 community renewal corporations into states of uncertainty while everything was placed under a review. While there were some sleepless nights of worry, BNRC general manager Carly Gasparini said on Tuesday that she both understands and supports the provinces decision to review their funding. Despite this financial stress, she said that all of their programming remained on track, with any recent changes in staff having nothing to do with provincial funding. Charged with empowering all citizens of the neighbourhood through affordable housing, food security, employment efforts and other programming, BNRC is clear to continue chipping away at their latest five-year plan, which kicked off last year. The community-drafted plan lists 23 priorities, which Gasparini said are in various stages of follow-through; all in keeping with their overall vision of creating a vibrant, healthy, sustainable community neighbourhood of empowered stakeholders, successful community projects and partnering organizations. While Gasparini said that the review has taken a little longer than we would have liked, she understands that a new government coming in after 17 years of another political partys leadership will require a re-examination of things, with the review a prudent and fiscally responsible exercise. Beyond the 2017-18 fiscal year, the organizations previous state of uncertainty remains intact, with Neighbourhoods Alive! remaining under review before receiving funding commitments for future years. A spokesperson for Neighbourhoods Alive! affirmed their support for the review, citing some of the changes theyve made thus far as long-overdue. During the course of our review we have uncovered opportunities to simplify our community programs, cut red tape, and place a stronger focus on outcomes, the spokesperson wrote, adding that funding recipients would be contacted during the coming months to begin consultations to ensure that any changes undertaken are done with their input. Brandon East Progressive Conservative MLA Len Isleifson said that while the BNRC is an excellent program, its in the publics interest they invest taxpayer dollars wisely. A review will ensure just that, he said, commending Neighbourhoods Alive! with doing their part and coming on board and working as a partner. While the review is underway, Isleifson said that its nice to see that theyll be able to continue to do the great work they do. Our government does recognize that they play a very important role in their community, he added. With another years funding secured, Gasparini said the organization is in really good shape to continue undertaking their various existing efforts alongside whatever else might prove beneficial to the community, adding, Were always looking for the next opportunity. Gasparini said that shes optimistic that their organization would continue into the long term, with the province pledging to work with them closely to determine what will happen after the fiscal year wraps up. The BNRC also has a housing contract with the City of Brandon to take care of the municipalitys affordable housing portfolio. While local housing rental vacancy rates are at a much healthier level now than they once were, Gasparini said that the majority of vacancies are in higher-cost rentals, with affordable vacancies at a very unhealthy level an ongoing challenge they intend on tackling alongside various partners. tclarke@brandonsun.com Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Brandon is a giant step closer to getting a new school built in its southeast corner. The Manitoba government is planning four new schools one in Brandon and three in Winnipeg and is looking to partner with the private sector to make it happen, Premier Brian Pallister announced on Tuesday. The plan is to build a kindergarten to Grade 8, English-track school in southeast Brandon with the capacity to hold 450 to 675 students. File A table in a hallway used to work with students is seen during a tour of Earl Oxford School recently. The province announced on Tuesday a new school is in the plans for Brandon to deal with overcrowding. The facility will also include a daycare with enough space for 20 infants and 54 preschool students. In collaboration with the Public Schools Finance Board, the province released a competitive request for proposals (RFP) considering a public private partnership (P3) to construct the four new schools in Winnipeg, Seven Oaks is slated for a Kindergarten-to-Grade 5 French immersion school, Waterford Green will see a dual track Kindergarten to Grade 8 school and Waverley West in Pembina Trails School Division is expecting a high school for an estimated $100 million. Education Minister Ian Wishart said he is optimistic that partnering with the private sector is a cost-effective way to catch up on what he describes as a educational infrastructure deficit. In the last 10 years, we know that we have been under-investing in a major way in terms of schools so weve got to do a bit of running to catch up and this gets us out of the gate, Wishart said. P3s have been in fairly wide use across Canada, so there are certainly a lot of current, in-place models to follow we can actually build off other provinces. Brandon East Progressive Conservative MLA Len Isleifson said strategic investment in the Brandon community is an exciting possibility. When you look at a P3 model, what that does is it gives us the opportunity to really realize some cost savings and provide a better value for Manitobans. Its a very successful model thats been used across Canada, bringing the private sector into the public sector and allows us to work together, Isleifson said. Its another opportunity we have to invest in worthwhile projects that will allow us to move forward at a pace that doesnt increase taxes, so it doesnt increase the burden on the taxpayer. CUPE Manitoba, however, has spoke out against using a P3 model for the education sector, referring to the use of P3s in education in Nova Scotia and Alberta and some of the problems both provinces have faced. Pallister isnt telling the whole story when he tries to pitch P3s to Manitobans, president of CUPE Manitoba Kelly Moist said in a statement. P3s in other jurisdictions have cost more in the long-run, with less accountability over taxpayers dollars There is (more than a) 23 year history of P3 schools in Canada. P3 schools are not new, are not innovative, and have not been successful Pallister should learn from the mistakes of Nova Scotia and Alberta and stay clear of this disastrous policy. The government plans to learn from those mistakes, Wishart said, not to replicate them. More recent uses of the P3 model have been very successful, Wishart said. All of us know a lot more than we did 30 years ago, so were going to be using more modern examples to learn from and try and make it work as seamlessly as possible in Manitoba. NDP education critic Wab Kinew said he is happy to see there is finally a plan in place for Brandon to get a new school, but is concerned with the Pallister governments track record with transparency. Im not saying P3s are bad but the question is, is the P3 process going to build this school for cheaper and at the same level of quality as using the public process would? Kinew questioned. I want this report to be released once its done so Manitobans can take a look and say if its worth it or not whatever the case may be. School boards as well as the public will see the RFP results, reassured Wishart. Were not going to be secretive about this, its a public process, he said. Regardless of the model, a new school in Brandon, especially of that size, is a huge relief for the Brandon School Division, according to board chair Kevan Sumner. Its a different model, but at this point our stance is that beggars cant be choosers, Sumner said. Our priority is a new school whatever the province needs to do to get that built, were certainly not going to criticize. We need the space. A review of BSDs catchment areas will need to take place in the future, but the most immediate impact could be ending the busing of students out of southeast Brandon to schools such as Riverheights and King George will now be in walking distance of one, Sumner said. We certainly will be watching this process closely to see how it unfolds, there are ambitious targets in there and I think we need to be conscious that it could be subject to change, Sumner said. But we will be working with the provincial government to make sure this goes forward as smoothly as possible We already have money set aside from previous surpluses to cover any anticipated costs to the Brandon School Division, so were ready to go when they are. The deadline for RFP submissions is June 15, with the contract to begin Aug. 1. The goal is to break ground on the four schools in 2019. edebooy@brandonsun.com Twitter: @erindebooy Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is looking to the stars for guidance in making its highly anticipated fundraiser an out-of-this-world experience. Hosted tomorrow otherwise known as Star Wars Day as it plays on the iconic line May the force be with you on May the 4th the AGSMs 29th annual art auction and dinner will be an intergalactic gala, celebrating space and the galaxy. This year weve been really excited to invite some national artists to donate work the calibre of work this year is just phenomenal, AGSMs gallery services co-ordinator Kate Hill said. The artists are asked for work far enough in advance they can take a look into the space theme so some of the art is based on space as well. Submitted Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba curator Natalia Lebedinskaia and executive director John Hampton review work submitted for the 29th annual Art Auction and Dinner, this year being celebrated with an Intergalactic Gala on Thursday. Stormtroopers, Iggy Stardust and Starlord from Guardians of the Galaxy are all expected to make an appearance at the gala while a live pianist sets the stage playing music from Star Wars and Star Trek. Bennys will be catering the event, which will also feature cosmic cocktails and a space-themed dessert bar created by Well Dressed Cakes by Brett. Her stuff is beautiful her cakes are pretty much works of art in their own right so were really excited to see what shes putting on the table for folks to enjoy, Hill said. This years auction also has more works of art up for grabs, with 15 artists donating pieces for the live auction and more than 30 silent auction submissions, Hill said. Guests will have the chance to bid on never before seen pieces by local artists such Kathy Levandoski, Chris Reid, Curt Shoultz, and Fay Jelly, as well as works by some of the best artists from across Canada, including a photograph by Winnipeg-based Diana Thorneycroft and a series of prints by Saskatoon-based Adrian Stimson. Always a highlight is Curt Shoultz. He always creates us something specific to the event, and this year hes created Bran Dune 2217, set 200 years in the future, and its just so cool, Hill said. Another one Im really excited about is Kathy Levandoski her landscape images are just stunning. Theyre large and beautiful Its so nice to have her on board. Proceeds from the event go toward the AGSMs educational programs for all ages, Hill said. Its pretty important to us, Hill said. Its what helps us bring in visiting artists, it helps us keep our studios running at a professional level our ceramics program is phenomenal and so is our photography studio so it helps us keep those doors open and at a low cost. Tickets are available at AGSMs website, agsm.ca or by calling 204-727-1036. edebooy@brandonsun.com Twitter: @erindebooy Have you ever wondered which African country houses the majority of richest Africans? We know we have because it is not especially easy to become rich in Africa and to maintain that wealth. The truth is that with the way most African nations are struggling economically, ranks among the richest Africans are continually declining. The year 2015 was especially tough for the wealthy in Africa. By the end of 2016, there were approximately only 145,000 people with net assets worth $1 million or more living in Africa. The number had gone down 2% from the previous year, according to a report by AfrAsia Bank. Why the Richest Africans are found in certain Countries As we always point out, however, Africa is not a country and different realities exist in different places on the continent. As such, some parts of Africa support wealth more than other parts. Enterprising Africans and even foreigners find it easier to collaborate and do business in some countries on the continent more than in others. This is one of the reasons why you would find more rich people in one country than in others. The small island nation, Mauritius, for instance, managed to not only survive the downward swing in 2015 but actually showed an increase in millionaires. The number of millionaires in Mauritius grew by 20% in 2016, to 3,800, more than in much larger countries like Ethiopia and Ghana. Mauritius has really become a case study for making the most of the scenic white beaches and turquoise oceans that it is known for. With a modest economic growth that saw GDP rise by almost 3.8% in 2017, up from 3.5% in 2016, the island focuses on attracting existing millionaires from elsewhere instead of creating new ones. With that plan, the number of millionaires in Mauritius (population 1.3 million) has more than tripled in the past decade, compared with an average growth of 19% across the continent. According to World Bank, it is considered the easiest African nation to do business in. With low tax rates that are very attractive to outsiders, the country has structured its economy to make sure that it is as attractive to investors as tourists. For instance, people living in Mauritius are allowed to invest abroad with no exchange controls. Mauritius further threw open its borders to foreigners in 2002, allowing them to purchase properties outright. When they buy a property worth $500,000, they move a step closer to an automatic permanent residence. Wealthy South Africans have been especially attracted to Mauritius; 280 South African millionaires have moved to the island since 2006. The success of Mauritiusdiversification cannot be contested, the influx of wealthy residents has increased the average per-capita wealth of the country but there are some worries about rising inequality. Now that we are done gushing about the impressive economic growth of Mauritius, here are some stats about where the richest Africans live. Countries with the Highest number of Richest Africans Countries in Africa that have the highest number of wealthy Africans (worth $1 million or more); South Africa 40,400 South Africa has been at the top of the list for years now. Despite constant changes in its economy under the leadership of former President Jacob Zuma, the countrys richest have continued to hold their own. This may be due partly to the fact that the country remains an attractive investment destination (more so now that the highly distrusted President Zuma is gone) and also that rich South Africans conduct a lot of business across the continent. Egypt 18.100 The total wealth held in the Cairo, Egypt alone is said to be up to $140bn. The city is home to over 480 multi-millionaires and 5 billionaires. Major sectors in the city include real estate and construction, financial services and basic materials. Nigeria 12,300 The richest man in Africa is a Nigerian but he is not the only high net worth individual in the country. Despite the famed difficulty of doing business in Nigeria, high net worth individuals continue to exist in the country. Kenya 9400 The 9400 high net worth individuals in Kenya are said to hold as much as two-thirds of the countrys economy. Many of the richest Kenyans have stakes in the manufacturing and horticulture industries. Angola 6100 Angolas richest mostly resulted from the oil boom and the country is the home of Isabel dos Santos, the richest woman in Africa. Morocco 4600 Morocco should also have tourism to thank for the increase in high net worth individuals. The bustling tourist centre Marrakesh is said to be the ninth place with 15 residents worth over $30 million. Algeria 4500 Algerias richest have a main focus; hydrocarbons and natural gas. Hydrocarbons account for over 95 percent of export earnings and the country is also the sixth-largest gas exporter in the world. Mauritius 3800 A booming tourism industry and a status as a tax haven have given the country some pretty rich individuals. Namibia 3300 The World Bank has said that Namibias income distribution is one of the worst in the world but the economy which has diamonds as its most important export commodity favours 3300 high net worth individuals. Ethiopia 3100 A late joiner to the list, Ethiopias increased high net worth individuals have been helped by the relative political stability which has led to increased foreign investments since 2003. Countries with fastest growing percentage of Richest Africans Countries in Africa with a jump in wealthy Africans from 2006-2016; Mauritius 230% Ethiopia 219% Rwanda 107% Uganda 97% Kenya 93% DRC 85% Angola 82% Tanzania 82% Ghana 49% Cote dIvoire 45% South Africa and Egypt still have the highest number of wealthy Africans but considering the size of Mauritius, their position is laudable. They have also seen the highest percentage jump in richest Africans as we pointed out earlier. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO Each year, at least one million unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures are done in Canadian health-care settings. This means hundreds of thousands of Canadians are exposed to potential harm by unnecessary care. Unnecessary care could be a prescription drug, a diagnostic test or a medical procedure that doesnt improve a patients health outcomes and isnt backed by the best available evidence. It may also involve risks and harmful side-effects. In other words, this medical care offers no value to patients and strains resources. A recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, in partnership with Choosing Wisely Canada, demonstrates how pervasive unnecessary care is across the country and highlights several key examples where changes could benefit patients and the health system. So what are we better off without? Unnecessary imaging has consequences. The report says about 30 per cent of patients visiting Ontario and Alberta emergency departments for minor head injuries have CT scans. CT scans deliver strong X-ray radiation. Exposure to this radiation can increase lifetime cancer risk. Yet evidence shows there are good alternatives to CT scans for investigating head injuries. For example, doctors can use a set of questions, known as a clinical decision rule, to assess the severity of a head injury and decide whether further diagnostic testing is warranted. Unnecessary medications have side-effects. The report estimates that one in 10 Canadian seniors regularly uses sleeping pills, known as benzodiazepines, and other sedative hypnotics. The effect of long-term use of these medications outweighs benefits, which is why theyre only recommended for short-term use. These medications increase the risk of falls causing injuries and car accidents in seniors. Seniors arent the only population where there is unnecessary and potentially harmful medication use. The report shows a disturbing 300 per cent increase in dispensed prescriptions for the powerful antipsychotic quetiapine for insomnia in children and youth in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. This drug is not recommended for children or youth and has a long list of harmful side-effects. An important finding of the report is wide variation across regions and between provinces. Variation means major differences in medical practice, some of which are not evidence-based and can be harmful to patients. Reducing variation improves quality for all Canadian patients and can reduce waste. A good example is pre-operative testing. In Ontario, nearly one in three patients having eye surgery had a preoperative test, compared to one in five in Alberta. Medicine has evolved and so has medical practice. It used to be standard that before certain surgeries, like hip or knee replacements or cataract surgery, preoperative tests would be done to ensure a patient was fit for surgery. These tests could include blood work, electrocardiograms and chest X-rays. As surgical techniques and technology evolve, however, most of these preoperative tests are no longer needed unless theres a specific concern. In spite of the pervasiveness of unnecessary care, the picture isnt bleak. The report also provides several examples of how health-care providers work hard to put in place better practices or protocols to reduce waste, which may also harm patients. We know patients are aware of this problem, too. Ipsos Reid survey data shows that one in four Canadians say they have experienced unnecessary care in the past year. And 67 per cent of Canadians surveyed believe patient demand is also responsible for unnecessary care, rather than decisions made by health-care providers alone. Nearly half (42 per cent) of Canadians surveyed said they expect a test ordered or a prescription written when they visit a doctors office. But the vast majority (92 per cent) of Canadians surveyed also said they need more information to help make decisions and ask the right care questions. So what should patients do? Choosing Wisely Canada, a national, clinician-led campaign, has four key questions a patient can ask their care provider to help start a conversation about unnecessary care: Do I really need this test, treatment or procedure? What are the downsides? Are there simpler, safer options? What happens if I do nothing? Together with health-care providers, Canadians can help reduce unnecessary care by asking questions and having conversations about when more isnt always better. Wendy Levinson, MD, OC, is an expert adviser with EvidenceNetwork.ca, the chair of Choosing Wisely Canada and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. This column was also recently published by the Winnipeg Free Press. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 03/05/2017 (2016 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has corrected his boast about his role in defeating the Taliban in Panjwai province 11 years ago. He no longer claims to be the architect of Operation Medusa but attributes that role to David Fraser, the Canadian major-general who was in charge of the multinational force carrying out the operation. The opposition parties in Parliament, smelling blood, are now questioning Mr. Sajjans character and demanding his resignation. The case does not call for dismissal or resignation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might, however, leave Mr. Sajjan twisting in the wind for a little while, as an example to others. The wages of boasting is mockery. The spectacle of the defence minister facing his critics in Parliament after he has already admitted his fault should help encourage other cabinet ministers to think twice about enhancing their accounts of past triumphs. Whole shelves of the worlds libraries are filled with the recollections of Second World War veterans, each of whom played the crucial role in defeating Hitler. Allowance should be made for genuine heroes and Mr. Sajjan was commended for his personal bravery in the operation to shine a bright light on events whose importance others may not appreciate as fully. A cabinet minister, however, is held to a higher standard than other war veterans and is fittingly subject to mockery when his war stories veer into boasting at the expense of his comrades-in-arms. The mockery is a sufficient penalty. The minister is chastened, the record is corrected, the penalty is paid. The minister got in trouble on April 18 when he gave a speech in New Delhi, India, at a conference on conflict prevention and peacekeeping in a changing world. His speech, including the claim that he was the architect of Operation Medusa, was reported in Canada and elicited complaints from other Canadian veterans of the Afghan war. Someone distributed a video of the speech. Mr. Sajjan issued a statement on Friday saying many people had contributed to the success of Operation Medusa. He followed this with a Facebook post on Saturday retracting his description of his role and offering apologies to his colleagues and superiors. Police officers and airline flight attendants are learning the hard way that anything you do in front of witnesses may be recorded and that electronic record may be widely circulated. They are having to learn the extra mental discipline of asking themselves: how will this look when it goes viral on social media? We now have a defence minister who not only knows 21st-century warfare from direct personal experience but who also knows the perils of boasting about personal achievements where there were plenty of other witnesses to set the record straight. This is not a minister the country should get rid of. This is a minister with enough hard-earned scars and bruises to serve the government and the country well. Dont fire him. Stand him up in Parliament in front of his accusers. Let him take the flak, explain himself, lick his political wounds and then return to work. Let the rest of the government watch his self-induced ordeal and learn from it. Let them learn to back down immediately when they are caught, because the gradual, reluctant retreat just makes matters worse. Better still, let them learn to imagine the viral video of what they were about to say and hold their tongues. Winnipeg Free Press Update: 9;35am: The head of the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin says the homeless crisis is worse now than ever before. Brother Kevin Crowley has criticised the Government for its handling of the situation. It provides up to a thousand meals a day to those without a roof over their heads. Brother Kevin says the situation is appalling: And up to about four years ago we had about 400 people coming for food parcels. But now again in 2017 we would have anything from 1400-1700, every Monday our queues are up to 200 with mothers and babies, for baby food and baby nappies. Earlier: Home Sweet Home says they're looking to fund a 'sustainable project' to help people, rather than a quick one that would 'burn brightly'. It's been responding to a call from Dublin's Lord Mayor, for nearly 129,000 raised by the group to be handed over to longstanding homeless charities and services. The money is left over following the occupation of Apollo House in Dublin city centre. Spokesperson Freda Hughes says they're open to proposals from groups - but they want the money to be invested in long-term help: "We are accepting proposals, but we can only hope to supplement the many charities doing good work like McVerry, like Merchant's Quay, like those groups like Focus Ireland. "We are looking for a sustainable project rather than a quick fix that will burn brightly. "And this is a direct action, so now it is all about making this action sustainable and about creating reliable and suitable support." At least five people were killed when a large explosion shook a rebel-held Syrian town along the border with Turkey on Wednesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a car bomb went off in the town of Azaz close to the offices of the Syrian interim government, which represents the opposition in rebel-held areas. The Observatory and the activist-run Azaz Media Centre confirmed the death toll, which was expected to rise. The blast came as the Syrian government and the opposition resumed ceasefire talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, that are sponsored by Russia, a close ally of President Bashar Assad. The United States is sending a senior State Department official to the talks, and President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, signalled greater co-operation on Syria in a phone call on Tuesday. The White House said the two men discussed setting up safe zones in the country, where a civil war has been raging for more than six years. Syrian TV said the Astana talks began with a meeting between delegations from Russia and Iran, another close ally of Assad. Azaz is on a key opposition supply route, and is a hub for fighters and opposition activists. It also hosts people displaced from fighting elsewhere in the country. The town has been the scene of several attacks, some claimed by the Islamic State group. A huge explosion in January killed at least 50 people in Azaz. A video of the aftermath of Wednesday's explosion posted online by the Azaz Media Centre showed burnt-out cars and firefighters struggling to put out a blaze. Gunfire rang out as people gathered at the scene and ambulances arrived. The Turkish Dogan news agency said some of the wounded were taken to the state hospital in the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment. - AP A weapons-obsessed student is facing years behind bars for planting a home-made bomb on a busy Tube train. Former altar boy Damon Smith built the device at home with a 2 clock from Tesco after googling an al Qaida article entitled Make A Bomb In The Kitchen Of Your Mom. A jury at the Old Bailey took two hours to find Smith, 20, guilty of possession of an explosive substance with intent. He had already admitted the lesser offence of making a bomb hoax. Smith, who smiled throughout his trial, made no reaction in the dock as the verdict was given. On the morning of October 20 last year, Smith, then aged 19, packed a rucksack with explosives and deadly ball-bearing shrapnel as he headed off to college in Holloway, north London. He was caught on CCTV as he travelled on the Jubilee Line, casually flicking through a text book before getting off and leaving the bomb on the floor, timed to go off within minutes. At least 10 passengers were in the carriage at the time and some of them spotted the abandoned rucksack and alerted the driver. But the driver at first dismissed it as lost property and took it into his cab and carried on towards North Greenwich, jurors were told. During the journey he spotted wires coming out and he raised the alarm as he pulled into the station. Had Smith's bomb worked, it would have exploded just as commuters were being ordered off the platform, the jury heard. The defendant went on to college and, on returning home in the evening, checked the internet for news of what he had done. Upon his arrest by counter-terrorism officers, Smith admitted making the bomb but claimed he only meant it to spew harmless smoke as a Halloween joke. He told police he had been inspired from watching someone on a YouTube channel called Trollstation doing a bomb prank. A search of Smith's home in Rotherhithe, south London, revealed his fixation with guns, explosives and other weapons. Police seized a blank-firing self-loading pistol and a BB gun, both bought legally, as well as a knuckleduster and a knife which he showed off in an online video. Smith watched YouTube videos on explosions and posted a picture of himself on Facebook in a Guy Fawkes mask holding handcuffs and a knuckleduster. Police also uncovered torn-off scraps of shredded paper with bomb-making instructions on it and a "shopping list" of components. Smith told police he was interested in Islam but denied being an extremist even though he posed next to an image of the Brussels-born Islamic terrorist alleged to have masterminded the attacks in Paris in November 2015 In his defence, extracts of a psychiatric report were read out confirming an autism spectrum disorder. He had been interested in bomb-making since the age of 10 and said that it was "something to do when he was bored". Smith, who grew up living with his mother in Newton Abbot, Devon, said he had thought about putting a bomb in a park but decided it would be "more funny" to delay train passengers. His lawyer, Richard Carey-Hughes QC, told jurors that Smith was no "hate-filled jihadi", saying he intended to "make something that looked like a bomb but not function as one". Judge Richard Marks QC adjourned sentencing until May 26 to allow time for a probation report on Smith's risk to the public and further psychiatric reports. Sue Hemming, of the CPS, said: "Damon Smith's actions were incredibly dangerous and the consequences had the device worked do not bear thinking about." Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Throughout this investigation and subsequent trial, Smith claimed that his actions were meant as a harmless prank and that the object was nothing more than a smoke bomb. "It is hard to believe that leaving what has been described as an improvised explosive device on a Tube train, on a weekday morning, can be construed as anything but an attempt to endanger life. "It is fortunate that the device failed to work and that no one was injured. "At a time when the threat level remains at severe, I find it unlikely that anyone would consider his defence as an appropriate excuse for his actions. "The jury rightly disagreed with him and I expect that Smith will now face a significant prison sentence." PA Canberra's independent schools are scrambling to assess the financial impact of federal cuts set to take effect next year while the Catholic sector prepares to fight a 10-year funding freeze. A new funding model unveiled by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Education Minister Simon Birmingham on Tuesday spelled the end of special deals for non-government schools made by the former Labor government. Under the funding proposal, a patchwork of 27 agreements made throughout Australia will be rolled into a single, needs-based model, meaning all non-government schools will be brought into line with the school resourcing standard within 10 years rather than the projected 150 years. As a result, all Canberra Catholic schools will face a 10-year funding freeze, expected to leave them with less funding in 2027 than received in 2017. As well, nine ACT private schools currently funded above the school resourcing standard may face cuts. Investors have savaged Vocus Group after it unveiled its second profit downgrade in seven months. The junior telco slashed its guidance for underlying earnings by almost a quarter in an announcement to the market late on Tuesday. Vocus warned its annual underlying earnings would be down as much as 19 per cent to between $365 million and $375 million for the year ending June 30. Underlying profit after tax could be down as much as 26 per cent to between $160 million and $165 million for the year ended June 30, from its previous forecast of $205 million to $215 million. Cayuga Community College will host two informational sessions this month to provide more details about the state's Excelsior Scholarship. The first session is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at CCC's Fulton campus, 11 River Glen Dr. The event will be held in Room F167. Another session will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 18 at the college's Auburn campus, 197 Franklin St. The admissions office will host the session in Room M265. The purpose of the Excelsior Scholarship is to provide eligible students with tuition-free education at New York's public colleges and universities. Beginning this fall, students whose families earn up to $100,000 annually will be eligible for the award. The income ceiling will increase to $110,000 in 2018 and $125,000 in 2019. There are requirements for students who wish to receive the scholarship. They first must apply for other aid federal Pell grants and state Tuition Assistance Program grants before they're eligible for the Excelsior awards. If a student receives the scholarship, they must maintain an adequate grade point average and complete 30 credit hours in an academic year. The credit hour requirement is in place to encourage students to complete their studies within two years for an associate's degree or four years for a bachelor's degree program. After graduation, recipients will be subjected to a residency requirement that's linked to the duration of the scholarship. For example, if they received the scholarship for four years during their undergraduate studies, they must live and work in New York for four years after graduation. Failure to abide by the residency requirement will result in the scholarship becoming a student loan the graduates must pay back. The informational sessions at CCC are among several being held across the state. Several Cuomo administration officials will be leading similar sessions at public colleges and universities. Guillermo Linaries, acting president of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, will host an informational session at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 at Finger Lakes Community College in Geneva. CCC President Brian Durant touted the benefits of the Excelsior Scholarship. "The program is designed to help students take advantage of public higher education while minimizing or eliminating the burden of student debt," Durant said. "We are excited to provide this opportunity to explore all New York state student financial aid programs." For more information about the upcoming sessions at CCC, call (866) 598-8883 or email admissions@cayuga-cc.edu. Personally I think that he is just going through the motions to keep Shane Rattenbury onside. Personally I do not know why he bothers. Just keeping Shane in cabinet should satisfy him. Howard Carew, Isaacs The alternative routes depicted in "A bridge too far?" (May 2) serve as a reminder that that the Barr-Rattenbury tram line is going to be a dud, whatever plan is followed. The Capital Circle dilemma illustrates the futility of trying to make trams work in the sparse extents of Canberra. This is not Sydney or Melbourne where people might walk a kilometre from a tram stop along the covered walkways of these mega cities. Please, before this disaster unfolds any further, take a lead from the mandatory wire-free running and don't lay any steel rails. Put pneumatic tyres on the vehicles so that the system can deliver the flexibility that is desperately needed from any public transport system in Canberra. John L Smith, Farrer I apologise to Mr Steve Ellis (letters, May 2) for boring him with letters against the white elephant that is the Gungahlin-Civic tram. I can assure him that I am neither bitter nor foolish in criticising the wastefulness of this tram, just disappointed. He and many other daydreamers may have never bothered to investigate details of the project to realise that it does not stack up, being a political giveaway to the Greens. What would Mr Ellis think if he were to know that property rates will increase by an average of $500 per year to pay for Stage 1 alone? Every Canberran householder will pay, whether they ever ride on a tram or not. M. Flint, Erindale Self-determination Paul E. Bowler (letters, May 1) states "in the late 1980s, we citizens voted in two referendums on a proposal for self-government. In both cases we voted 'no'.". While this has become ACT folklore it is simply not true. Michael Hodgman, as Minister for the ACT, held an ACT plebiscite, which asked if ACT residents wished to change the assembly model (which was part-time and any decision made could be overturned by a simple mechanism in Federal Parliament) operating at the time. Voters indicated a preference for the status quo. ACT "self-government" was introduced by a different government several years later. A federal referendum on the powers of local government (effectively to allow direct federal funding of the "third tier" of government) was held and it failed to gain adequate support. Many ACT residents mistakenly thought this related to ACT "self-government". It didn't. At no stage were ACT voters asked if they supported "self-government" (I suspect the answer would have been no) and neither was the wider Australian electorate asked if Canberrans should govern themselves and for the city to pay its own way (I suspect the answer would have been yes). Kevin Gill, Kingston Traffic chokes trees I write to convey my disgust at the Development Application for the old Downer School site. While I disagree that population growth is either desirable or inevitable, my immediate concern is with a DA which is flawed, and internally inconsistent. Key concerns are that the DA covers only the first two of a three-stage development (and the third stage is we have been told about the same number of dwellings as the first two); that the traffic impacts have been greatly underestimated, and that the DA now proposes to remove all the heritage Monterey pines along the Bradfield and Melba frontages. I note that a key traffic study was undertaken during a school holiday period. The traffic report is badly deficient in other respects, and does not incorporate any measurement of the choke point where Melba and Antill streets meet. The impacts of on-street parking are also greatly underestimated. The Downer community has consistently been told that the heritage trees will not be touched, and that the maximum building height will be below the height of the trees. The DA now proposes to remove all the pines, and replant with 500-millimetre seedlings. To keep to the undertakings made during consultations, the buildings would have to be hobbit sized. The traffic and particularly the environmental reports have little integrity and were written to justify a pre-decided management action. This DA should simply be rejected. Neal Hardy, Downer Japanese first defeated on land by Australians at Battle of Milne Bay G.T.W. Agnew (Letters, May 2) should do more research. Japan's first defeat on land occurred at the hands of the 7th Australian Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Milne Bay (August 25 to September 6, 1942). The Kokoda Track campaign is generally acknowledged as finishing on November 16, 1942. It is somewhat ironic that Agnew is from Queensland and two-thirds of the infantry in the 7th Brigade were Queensland Militia from the 25th Battalion and 61st Battalion. It is also sad that the heroes of the 7th Brigade are forgotten and overshadowed by the populist appeal of the Kokoda Track. Jeff Carl, Rivett G.T.W. Agnew's 1942 World War II chronology (Letters, May 3), and thus his reasoning, is somewhat awry. The Japanese were first defeated on land at the battle for Milne Bay August 25 to September 7. They began their advance along the Kokoda Track on July 23, but logistic problems caused by the US invasion of Guadacanal on August 7 that required some Japanese troops be diverted, plus Australian reinforcements, caused their progress to be halted at Imita Ridge on September 17. A withdrawal by a starving enemy, occasionally reduced to cannibalism, commenced on September 24. Bill Deane, Chapman Show true leadership What a very different Australia we would have if the success of a prime minister was measured by the drop in the gap between the income of the top 10 per cent and the bottom 10per cent during their term in office. Currently our policies are dictated by the needs of the rich. There is no chance that negative gearing, for example, could ever be abolished or modified as this would not only reduce the wealth of most sitting MPs but, equally importantly, their friends as well. Meanwhile we live in a country in which the rich (the money addicts) get richer and the poor miss out on the opportunity to actually achieve, rather than just survive. An increase in university fees is testimony to this. It won't affect the wealthy as they can afford to pay for their kids, and as for themselves they are already educated in their chosen field. Making more money, a skill not taught in universities, is their concern, not lifelong learning and keeping up with the knowledge revolution, skills which would help them to govern more equitably. Audrey Guy, Ngunnawal Uni move muddled Washington is not the only source of muddled political messages. In the morning our Prime Minister, at his most oratorical, tells us that budget repair is essential to avoid passing "a mountain of debt onto the shoulders of our children and grandchildren", but, by sundown, we learn that there are exceptions; that it is OK for the children and grandchildren who want a university education to shoulder a mountain of debt. Why are politicians involved in setting course fees anyway? Do the armies of government and university bureaucrats who now micro-manage universities, and consume at least one-third of the budget, serve any useful purpose? Why are the top university bureaucrats in Australia paid three times as much as their Canadian counterparts? Are they incapable of balancing budgets? The only consistent government message is that the source of all problems is Bill Shorten. Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla Host an odd choice Indonesia is hosting World Press Freedom Day 2017 in Jakarta from May 1 to 4. It is the sickest of sick jokes that Indonesia is hosting this event. Ask the West Papuans living under brutal Indonesian colonialist occupation and severe restrictions on press freedom (including banning "foreign" journalists from visiting West Papua) what they think of Indonesia hosting such an event. Ask the East Timorese who endured decades of brutal Indonesian occupation and severe restrictions on press freedom (including the murder of five Australian journalists in Balibo in 1975) what they think of Indonesia hosting such an event. If a Western nation behaved like Indonesia the world would be outraged. Indonesia seems to get a free pass for its genocidal colonialist crimes and its appalling restrictions on free speech. Dr Bill Anderson, Surrey Hills, Vic. Budget blues It is a pity Scott Morrison has not ordered a review into the distribution of the defence and public service budget share in the states and territories as well (as the GST). Some benefit more from defence and public service spending than others. Perhaps states with a larger share of the GST break-up is in compensation for lack of defence and public service spending. Would the Treasurer of Western Australia be prepared to give up part of his state's defence and public service spend to say Tasmania? I don't think so. GST does not have the same impact as spending on defence and the public service. Dennis Camplin, Ravenswood, Tas. Bombs no answer Surely the time has come where the world cannot keep relying on bombing campaigns to demilitarise a state. The ongoing consequences of the US military intervention into Iraq over WMD are all too obvious. Likewise, relying on sanctions to resolve the issue is inadequate. North Korea for, instance, relies economically on its military prowess and industry partly because of sanctions. Ditto Iran. The geopolitical regulation of the military industries of states now seems critical: a difficult task indeed when war itself feeds into the dynamics of an industry which has become so prevalent not only in America and Russia, but now Australia. Laurelle Atkinson, St Helens, Qld Barking back Neurotic dogs can make you angry. I offer readers a secret strategy. Bark back four or five times. The less dog-like the better. Most dogs, being 50 IQ points ahead of their owners, know you are a human taking the P out of them. Fifteen minutes of silence guaranteed, or your money back. Barrie Smillie, Duffy TO THE POINT STAGED DISAPPOINTMENT Your editorial "Full steam ahead on light rail stage two" (May 2, p.12) listed issues the government must address. Others are: The stage one contract penalty for upgrading the trams to cope with a substantial stretch of wire-free running; the cost of upgrading stage-one trams to enable wire-free running; and the weight of batteries on the trams or power-rails to enable wire-free running. E. Dobson, Hughes With the ACT government embarking on stage two of light rail to Woden should we refer to their plans as the "tramsport policy"? Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla I'd like to thank Geoff Barker (letters, May 3) for clarifying the grubby political objective of light rail. I suspect it would be naive to expect the Barr-Rattenbury government to seek redemption by a transparent assessment of light rail stage two based on evidence and not spin. Mike Quirk, Wanniassa A PR EXERCISE Garry J. Wilson (letters, May 2) asks how can proportional representation, which can give a seat to someone with almost no votes, be regarded as democratic? My answer: A fair go requires even small minorities have someone to represent them among the majority representatives who will make decisions affecting everyone, not just the majority. John F. Simmons, Kambah A NEEDLESSLY HIGH BAR As a former International English Language Test examiner, I am shocked an IELTS score of 6 is being considered as a requirement for citizenship. This is a high score, which is acceptable for applicants to some university courses; it is an academic test and a score of 6 is a much higher level than is necessary to function in an English-speaking society. Clare Conway, Ainslie BROKEN RECORD I worry that Senator Cormann's minders might one day send him into an interview having forgotten to activate his recorded message mechanism. M.F.Horton, Adelaide, SA BIKE SAFETY IN NUMBERS I went for a ride with a friend last week and was amazed at the number of cyclists who ride by themselves. Riding alone can be dangerous. If you are in an accident who is going to find you? I don't like the new fashion where some cyclists are wearing all black tops. The original reason for wearing bright colors was for safety. Paul Agius, Goulburn LET THE STUDENTS IN The government's student newspaper budget lock-up lockout stinks. M.Moore, Bonython In just 100 days, President Trump has damaged American democracy while simultaneously accelerating democracy's global decline. No, Trump is not a dictator or a fascist, as some wrongly claimed. But he certainly has authoritarian tendencies and a baffling admiration for despots. He has a penchant for attacking democratic institutions and appears willing to sacrifice them in a heartbeat on the altar of his ego. And he has spouted several dangerous lies that a sizeable portion of his political base unfortunately believes to be true. As a result, he has already managed to do major damage to democracy at home and abroad in five important ways. Trump has repeatedly endorsed and applauded dictators and despots. Credit:Bloomberg 1. Undercutting the integrity of US elections Trump falsely claimed millions of people voted illegally last year. That's not true. Every serious study into voter fraud has concluded that it is a minuscule problem. North Carolina conducted a vote audit for 2016, and found one case of in-person voter impersonation out of millions of ballots cast. And yet tens of millions of Americans now wrongly believe that millions voted illegally. That is a serious challenge to public faith in the bedrock of American democracy. When the Japanese occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, Finch posed as a Filipino, but she became a United States citizen after the war. "Because she was over 18, she could have chosen to be American or Filipino," Murphy said. "When the Japanese landed, she chose to be mum, but in her heart she had chosen to be an American." Finch was born Loring May Ebersole on October 11, 1915, in Santiago, on Luzon Island in the northern Philippines. (It is unclear how her first name became Florence.) Her father, Charles, had fought in the Philippines for the army during the Spanish-American War and remained there after it was over. Her mother was the former Maria Hermosa. Betty, as Finch was known all her life, graduated from high school and was hired as a stenographer at army intelligence headquarters in Manila under Major E. C. Englehart. While working there, she met Charles E. Smith, a navy chief electrician's mate. They married in August 1941, a few months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7. When the war started, Smith reported to his PT boat. He died on February 8, 1942, trying to resupply American and Filipino troops trapped on Corregidor Island and the Bataan Peninsula. Five weeks earlier, Manila had fallen to the Japanese. Finch (then Mrs Smith) convinced the occupying forces that she was Filipino and, armed with superior penmanship, wangled a job writing gas rationing vouchers for the now Japanese-run Philippine Liquid Fuel Distributing Union. Unbeknown to her employer, she was actually collaborating with the Philippine resistance movement. Her job enabled her to divert precious fuel supplies to the underground and help sabotage shipments to the Japanese. After she learned of her husband's death, her efforts became even more vigorous. (She was honoured by the Philippine government in 2011.) Meanwhile, Major Englehart (he became a lieutenant colonel) managed to get word to her that he had been captured and that he and fellow war prisoners were being mistreated. She helped smuggle food, medicine, soap and clothing to them in a prison until she was caught. Confined to a two-by-four-foot cell, she was interrogated and tortured, enduring repeated shocks from electrical clamps on her fingers. She never talked. She was tried and sentenced to three years' hard labour at the Women's Correctional Institution in Mandaluyong, just outside Manila. When she was freed by American troops on February 10, 1945, she weighed 36.2 kilograms. Rather than remain in her native country, she moved to Buffalo, where her father's sister lived. She joined the Coast Guard Women's Reserve, or the SPARs (a contraction of the Coast Guard motto "Semper Paratus" always ready). She enlisted, she said, to avenge her husband. When her superiors learned of her wartime exploits, she was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon; the Coast Guard described her as the first woman to receive the decoration. The Medal of Freedom was bestowed for meritorious service. After the war ended, she was discharged as a seaman second class in 1946 and enrolled in secretarial school in New York City, where she met and married an army veteran, Robert Finch. A chemist, he was hired by Agway, the agricultural products supplier, and moved the family to Ithaca. Robert Finch died in 1968. In addition to her daughter, Betty, Finch is survived by a son, Bob; a sister, Olive Keats; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. As Finch was raising her children and working as a secretary at Cornell University, her neighbours never suspected that they were in the presence of a war hero. In the early 1990s, she was rediscovered by the military after she completed a government questionnaire that she had received in conjunction with plans to erect the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Washington. The Coast Guard named a building on Sand Island in Hawaii in her honour in 1995. Murphy decided to alert the news media about the building dedication, noting that her mother would be in attendance. "It was the first anyone knew," Murphy said. "I figured it was time. And when she came home and people met her at the bus station, she was flabbergasted." In 2015, the Coast Guard's official blog said of Finch: "Of the thousands of women who have served with honour in the United States Coast Guard, one stands out for her bravery and devotion to duty." Her wartime legacy will be publicly honoured again this weekend by a military honour guard. But privately her heroism endured without medals, plaques or flags. In a glass case in the modern conflicts and Middle East galleries at the Australian War Memorial hangs a gold-plated assault rifle, an AK47 issued by Saddam Hussein to one of his personal guards. It was "discovered" among a cache of gold-plated weapons (the explanatory plaque says) by the United States 101st Airborne Division in Kirkuk, and given to an Australian brigadier-general visiting US headquarters in Northern Iraq. Major-General John Cantwell hands the gold-plated assault rifle to then War Memorial executive Nola Anderson in 2007. Credit:Graham Tidy Patrick O'Hara says it's "war booty". He is a former volunteer guide and before that a long-time education officer at the memorial who has resigned in disgust. "Charles Bean designed the memorial to allow people to try to understand what Australian soldiers went through during war. It was designed to show the ugly reality of war. It wasn't meant to be political, gloating or a trophy cabinet," he tells me. O'Hara loves and respects the War Memorial "and all that it is meant to represent" but he sees the display of the AK47 as "a betrayal of a willingness of the then Australian character to put suffering and courage above politics". The Duke of Cambridge has demanded about $2 million compensation over photographs of his wife bathing topless after revealing how they had brought back distressing memories of the "harassment" suffered by his mother Diana by photographers. In a statement read at the opening of a criminal case against France's Closer magazine, the Duke described the decision to publish the images as "particularly shocking". Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was photographed topless while enjoying a private holiday in France in 2012. Credit:Getty Images A lawyer for the magazine countered by saying it was important for the public to know the royal couple were "getting on well". The Cambridges are demanding a "very significant fine" for publishing the images, taken during a three-day break in a chateau in Provence, southern France, in September 2012. "So I ask all of us to focus on kindness, understanding and respect. Don't look at people by their health, see people as people." "Health is not a moral obligation, it doesn't make you better or more worthy than someone else," she continued. "The reality is we will all die one day, it's inevitable, it's the one thing in life we know. "I guess it's true what they say, you can't polish a turd," one troll commented. "Since when did plus size equal obese?" Thorpe's thread, which has been republished around the world, has received widespread support with many on Twitter thanking her. The post echoes the sentiment of Bethany Rutter, who wrote an op-ed for Dazed last week arguing that "body positivity" has been hijacked by corporations to "sell women stuff". "In the recent past, at least when I started blogging in 2011, 'body positivity' was a label that my fellow plus size bloggers and other members of the fat community felt pretty peaceful with. It was a label that made sense to us, it pointed at the ways we might have been encouraged to feel disconnected from or hostile towards our bodies. It acknowledged that not all bodies are viewed equally, that some come with a huge amount of cultural stigma. Like, for example, fat bodies," Rutter wrote. "In 2017, however, body positivity is the easiest way for corporations to sell stuff to women, and the easiest label for influencers to claim in the search of moral kudos." She added: "Health has become the stick with which to beat fat people with, and the benchmark for whether body positivity should include someone. This fails on three levels, though: one, the idea that you can tell the state of someone's health by looking at them. This is false. Two, the idea that by being fat, you are intrinsically unhealthy. This is false. Three, the idea that being healthy is important and a moral imperative. This is also false. In a movement that's fair and compassionate, no one should have to prove they're healthy enough to deserve respect. The thought of jumping through hoops to prove that you're worthy of being cared about is violent." More than 55,000 federal public servants have been told their workplace rights and conditions are safe, in major concessions by the government agencies in their three-year industrial disputes. Tax Office bosses have pledged for the first time to preserve existing workplace rights and entitlements for their 19,000 public servants as the ATO tries to bring an end to its long workplace war. Canberra-based public sector workers including Human Services, ATO, Employment, and Immigration and Border Protection walk off the job. Credit:Jay Cronan The Department of Human Service, said on this week that it was prepared to to preserve "virtually all existing staff entitlements" in a new enterprise agreement for its 36,000 public servants. The statements are a significant departure from the approach of government agency's since the Abbott-government began to try forcing its tough bargaining policy onto its public servants in 2014. Queensland government schools will receive an additional $542 million in funding over four years under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Gonski 2.0 reforms. The federal government will start to overhaul the Australian education funding model in next week's budget in a bid to fix what national Education Minister Simon Birmingham has labelled "a hodge-podge" of arrangements for different states. Education Minister Kate Jones has welcomed the funding increase. Credit:Lostinbids Mr Birmingham said Queensland government schools had received about $1.56 billion in 2017, but it would grow significantly in subsequent years. "It's putting in $542 million for those Queensland schools over the first four years," he told ABC Radio on Wednesday. A prankster's use of smartphone technology to send a hoax bomb threat that forced a Gold Coast high school into lockdown may prove their undoing. Queensland police are questioning several students from Palm Beach Currumbin State High School after separate bomb hoaxes twice forced the school into lockdown on Wednesday morning. Police respond to a "suspect package" at Palm Beach Currumbin State High. Credit:7 News A cleaner discovered an envelope at the school gates around 6am containing a white powder and a handwritten bomb threat on the back. It's believed the message contained the words "enjoy the bomb". A man was shot during a violent burglary on the Gold Coast early Thursday morning. Police said two men wearing balaclavas broke into a home on Rutledge Street, Coolangatta, about 2.05am. A man has been shot in the leg during a violent home robbery at Coolangatta Credit:Steve Cassell Once they were inside the home an altercation between the men and a 32-year-old man who lived at the home broke out and the resident was shot in his left thigh. Intruders then took a safe that contained cash and a set of car keys before fleeing the scene in a stolen Audi. Lewis Warria hugs a supporter after leaving a Mental Health Court hearing into the deaths of seven of his siblings at the hands of his mother, Raina Thaiday. Credit:Jorge Branco "All the furniture from the house was taken outside and put in the yard," she said. "Inside the house was cleaned, in a most unusual way, including scrubbing the ceilings and the walls and a lot of Mrs Thaiday's possessions were thrown away. Family pictured in the aftermath of the death of eight children in Cairns in 2014. "And a lot of them were quite valuable." Things deteriorated still further the night of December 18. Her eldest daughter, niece and godchild had gone out shopping and did not return at 10pm as she had requested. 'Psychotic at the time of the killing': Raina Mersane Ina Thaiday. Mrs Thaiday walked up and down the street, "preaching" to neighbours about their use of drugs and alcohol. Agitated, she slept outside on a mattress dragged out in the cleaning. Justice Dalton said with the benefit of hindsight, the things neighbours heard as Mrs Thaiday walked up and down the street, talking to herself or on the phone, were "clearly psychotic". "She was saying things like 'I am the chosen one'," the judge said. "'I have the power to kill people and to curse people. You hurt my kids, I hurt them first. You stab my kids, I stab them first. If you kill them, I'll kill them'." At 11.40am on December 19, Mr Warria arrived home to find his mother slumped on the front verandah, covered in approximately 35 self-inflicted stab wounds that included a punctured lung. His siblings and cousin were dead inside. Nearly two-and-a-half years later Mr Warria was in the courtroom inside Brisbane's Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law as a judge heard the opinions of six psychiatrists who had painstakingly analysed his mother's mental state. The court heard when police and paramedics arrived Mrs Thaiday immediately admitted she had killed the children inside. "Papa God" had been speaking to her, she told psychiatrists, describing herself as the "anointed one" at risk from demons, who had to rid her Cairns home of an evil presence. Psychiatrist Dr Angela Voita treated Mrs Thaiday from the day she came into The Park, one of Australia's largest mental health facilities, on Christmas Eve 2014, five days after the mass killing. She assessed her more than 50 times and, along with three other psychiatrists who gave evidence to the hearing, unanimously agreed she was mentally ill at the time of the offences. After examining reams of evidence and interviews, Dr Voita said her patient was not capable of telling right from wrong or being able to control her actions at the time of the killings. Assisting psychiatrist Dr Frank Varghese described the "unique" crime as "a horrendous case, the likes of which I have never seen before, and hopefully will never see (again)." "This is not ordinary schizophrenia," he advised the judge. "This is schizophrenia at its very depths and at its worst in terms of the terror for the patient as well as for the consequences for the individuals killed as a result of psychotic delusions." Mrs Thaiday had no psychiatric history or previous contact with mental health services outside of counselling at a local indigenous health service. Independent psychiatrist Dr Pamela van de Hoef said there was some evidence that in 2007 she was also very disturbed. "She had cut all her own hair off and threatened to kill one of the children with an axe." In 2011, she had ideas to drown herself and similar thoughts two weeks out from the 2014 killing, the psychiatrist said. The court heard cannabis was commonly linked to the onset of schizophrenia in those already vulnerable to the illness. Ms Thaiday kicked a 10-20 cone a day habit in the months before the slaughter, leading psychiatrists to question whether her "psychosis" was a form of withdrawal, before mostly rejecting the notion. Instead, Dr Jane Phillips and Dr Donald Grant agreed it was more likely the illness began to affect her while she was still using cannabis, causing to her to develop "religious delusions" that "forced her to live a clean life". "Altogether it amounts to a very convincing body of evidence that Mrs Thaiday was psychotic at the time of the killing," Justice Dalton said. She ruled Mrs Thaiday had the defence of unsoundness of mind available to her and issued a forensic order for ongoing mental health treatment. The last people to see the McCulkin girls alive have told a murder trial there were two men at the family's Highgate Hill home the day they disappeared. Janet and Juneen Gayton spent the 1974 summer holidays playing with their Dorchester St neighbours Vicki, 13, and Leanne, 11. Barbara McCulkin (right) and her daughters Vicky (left) and Leanne (centre) disappeared from their home on January 16, 1974. The pair went round to the McCulkins' house on January 16 after they saw two men pull up in a brightly-coloured Charger, a type of car. Juneen told the Brisbane Supreme on Wednesday Vicki said the men were "Vince and Shorty", friends of her father. Two gunmen have ambushed six friends playing video games in a suburban garage, killing one man and injuring two others. The 22-year-old man had said goodbye to his friends about 10pm and opened the garage door when he was shot in the chest, dying in the street as his killer fled. Police and forensic officers at the scene of a shooting in Church rd Keysborough where one man was fatally shot and two more are in hospital with gunshot wounds. Credit:Justin McManus Two of his friends were also hit by bullets when two gunmen fired at them in Keysborough on Tuesday night. Inspector Mark Langhorn said police were aware of previous drug activity in the laneway at the rear of the Church Road property, but the three victims were not known to police. The body of a West Australian man who died after being robbed by a prostitute and two men during a drug binge on the Gold Coast was found naked with his hands tied, a court has heard. Gregory John Hudson had been snorting cocaine for days before his friend Simon Grezlo discovered him dead in the spare room of his Varsity Lakes townhouse in October 2014. Gregory John Hudson was found dead inside a residence in Varsity Lakes. Credit:Queensland Police Mr Grezlo on Wednesday gave evidence at the Brisbane Supreme Court trial of Benjamin Samy Ghobrial, Milan Chante Walker and Lee Benjamin Feld, who have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. During Mr Hudson's cocaine bender he had bought sex from Walker and throughout the night before he died was regularly texting her, trying to arrange a home visit. Just a few years ago Aung San Suu Kyi was feted in the world's capitals as a democracy icon and defender of human rights. Families poured onto Myanmar's streets in 2015 when her National League for Democracy won historic elections in a landslide, supposedly ending half a century of brutal military rule. But now when Ms Suu Kyi travels abroad she faces awkward questions about her silence on the plight of Rohingya Muslims and atrocities committed on them in her country's western Rakhine State that the United Nations says could amount to "genocide" and "crimes against humanity." Visiting Belgium this week, Ms Suu Kyi clashed with the European Union's top diplomat Federica Mogherini, who urged her to support a United Nations mission to investigate the Rohingya atrocities. Mexico City: US authorities have not been able to find any trace of ill-gotten assets belonging to jailed drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's attorney general said on Wednesday. Before he was captured last year and extradited to the United States in January to stand trial, Guzman was one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers and believed to have accumulated a fortune from reigning over his Sinaloa Cartel over many years. "As of today, US authorities have not found not even one dollar of El Chapo's assets," Mexican Attorney General Raul Cervantes said in an interview with top local broadcaster Televisa. Mexico has only found minor assets belonging to Guzman, Cervantes said. The NHS is frequently in the news about its ongoing funding crisis. New research suggests demand for health services is set to continue to grow faster than GDP per head in all developed countries around the world. Along with a paper about the J-value model for life-expectancy growth in industrialised countries, the research establishes a reason why people in the UK will want to spend an increasing fraction of their income on health services. The J-value, a new method pioneered by Professor Philip Thomas from the University of Bristol, is used to assess how much should be spent to protect human life. It has been validated across 180 nations out of the 193 members of the United Nations and has now been verified against UK data for life expectancy at birth. Using the growth in the UK's GDP per head as input, the J-value model is able to reproduce to within three months the four and a half year increase in life expectancy at birth that the UK experienced over a 20 year period - from 1985 to 2005. The validated J-value model includes the assumption that all nations apply the same fraction of their per capita income to life extending measures at a J-value of 1.0. Less developed countries can be expected to prioritise items such as the provision of clean water and safer transport systems, and may choose to keep their spending on health care a roughly constant fraction of their GDP per head. But more highly developed countries already have a good infrastructure, and this allows their citizens to put more emphasis on extending their lives through better health care, especially as new technologies become available. The evidence supports such a conclusion, as developed nations were found to devote an increasing fraction of their per capita income to health care between 1995 and 2015. The J-value model offers no indication that the process will halt in the near future. Even though an increase in line with GDP per head would imply a real-terms growth in health spending in expanding economies, the J-value model suggests that such a policy will not be enough to satisfy the aspirations of their people. Consequently, Governments and healthcare providers in the developed world would be advised to plan on the basis that future demand for health care services will increase faster than GDP per head. Philip Thomas, Professor of Risk Management in the Department of Civil Engineering, and author of the research, said: "The UK is lagging well behind France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Those countries are all spending a lot more on health care, not only in monetary terms but also as a fraction of GDP per head. For example, the Netherlands spent $5,200 per person in 2014, 10.9 per cent of GDP per head. By contrast the UK spent only $3,400 per person, 9.1 per cent of GDP per head. "So the UK may have to cope not only with health demand that is growing faster than GDP per head but also with a significant element of catch-up. It may need to learn lessons on provision from its European neighbours." Papers: 'Does health spending need to outpace GDP per head?' by Philip Thomas in Nanotechnology Perceptions 'Corroboration of the J-value model for life-expectancy growth in industrialised countries' by Philip Thomas in Nanotechnology Perceptions Latest News NABs net profit up 8.3% Good results driven by home loan growth, rising interest rates Refinancing volumes soar in changing market Brokers need to take advantage of $16.9 billion boost The head of the financial systems inquiry, David Murray , has publicly criticised chairman of the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) Greg Medcraft for overreaching in what Murray phrased as bank bashing.In an interview on Sky News Business, Murray responded to comments made by Medcraft welcoming tighter controls on banks to limit cross-selling.These recommendations were outside the intent of the inquirys original product intervention power with Medcraft well and truly exceeding the mandate set for him, Murray said.By attacking vertical integration of the banks, hes picking up a political agenda and running with it. For the regulators, that is the wrong thing to do.The topic of bank bashing was also raised after Medcrafts comments of the Australian banking oligopoly were raised.I think we should put in context what the banks actually do, Murray said. Whilst the structure is oligopolistic, thats not uncommon in Australia. We have two major airlines, we have a small number of [major] retail landlords, we have a small number of integrated transport companies, and on it goes.There is a need to start building and stop bashing, Murray said.You cannot have a large number of small, badly rated banks borrowing in foreign markets to intermediate the current account deficit. We need a small group of strong banks to do that.The act of bank bashing leads to systemic risk as this can lead to a fall in bank ratings, he said.If theres a political agenda for a Royal Commission that is a Royal Commission that you have to have when you dont really need one the Commission can go searching for solutions that we dont really need either.The current environment had already put a number of dark clouds on the banks that need not be there, including the present housing issue, Murray added.If foreign investors in banks and foreign lenders to our banks believe that thats an added layer of risk and their credit ratings could slide further than the Commonwealth government, we are then inducing a price spiral which will hurt the economy deeply.This bank bashing is really helping people think that a Royal Commission is necessary. Its not necessary. Latest News NABs net profit up 8.3% Good results driven by home loan growth, rising interest rates Refinancing volumes soar in changing market Brokers need to take advantage of $16.9 billion boost The Property Council of Australia has presented mixed messages about the Victorian Governments Budget released yesterday (2 May).While the association welcomed the commitment towards infrastructure and housing, it warned against the governments addiction to revenue from property taxation.The government is to be congratulated on investing in key industries that will provide jobs across Melbourne and regional Victoria, said Victorian executive director for the Property Council, Sally Capp.She cautioned against the state governments current over-reliance on the property sector to fund its ambitious expenditure however.This is a give and tax budget. Its important to invest in the community, but we need to keep growing jobs in Victoria. Increasing the cost of industry doing business decreases the number of new jobs. We call on the government to be more innovative in the way they fund their community programs, and reduce their reliance on property tax.At the moment, 44% of revenue in the state budget comes from property tax, Capp told Australian Broker.You can see that as property values have risen, that has worked very well but obviously theres always a risk.While there were a lot of initiatives proposed to take the heat out of the property market, it was ironic that any resulting turndown of property prices would significantly impact state government revenues, Capp noted.The budget as a whole was a missed opportunity to deliver meaningful taxation reform, she said, an aspect which hadnt been reviewed in over 15 years.Land tax has reached record highs and is long overdue for reform. Bracket creep needs to be addressed and the top rate of 2.25% must be dropped as a matter of fairness for all Victorians, Capp said.The move by the government to prioritise first home buyers could adversely impact mum and dad investors, small businesses and renters.This priority saw the state government announce support schemes for first home buyers, allocating $851m to abolish stamp duty for the purchase of homes valued up to $600,000 and cuts to stamp duty for dwellings worth more than that.An additional $50m was allocated to double the First Home Buyer Grant to $20,000 in regional Victoria to support up to 6,000 first home buyers.Those elements are very much the cornerstone of the Budget. Theyre a major platform around housing affordability. Ironically, we think it might have the other outcome, Capp said.The Budget also proposed a property tax on vacant dwellings. This tax would be worth 1% of the propertys capital-improved value and will come into effect on 1 January.Capp said these types of policies were mostly a PR exercise about trying to create supply.There is nothing in the data weve collected to show that there are huge amounts of properties sitting vacant. We also know this because if you are Australian, you cannot access any negative gearing benefits unless you are renting property out.The number of people accessing these benefits is a good sign that there are plenty of properties available for rent, she said. There were also a number of reasons for why a property might be left vacant and unavailable for rent many of which are recognised as exceptions by the government.This really only leaves a marginal group: foreign investors who may have purchased a property and left it vacant. Just looking at the overall housing structure of Victoria, this is a very small percentage.In the end, these types of policies are a way to tax non-voters in Victoria, she said. Latest News NABs net profit up 8.3% Good results driven by home loan growth, rising interest rates Refinancing volumes soar in changing market Brokers need to take advantage of $16.9 billion boost The Sedgwick review's proposed changes to bank staff's commission structure could mean in-bank brokers quit their jobs and venture out on their own, a leading union representative has said.In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, the national secretary of the Finance Sector Union (FSU), Julia Angrisano, said that overhauling remuneration for bankers while maintaining upfront and trail commissions for brokers would create an uneven playing field.Without immediate guarantees to those directly employed lenders that they won't be disadvantaged, then there is a real risk of a big exodus to the broker channel and that is something we are raising as a matter of urgency with all banks, she told the paper.[Bank-based brokers] get paid a good commission and that forms part of the reason why they're lenders. If that changes and theyre not compensated for other things then they will be looking to the third-party broker channel and that is a significant concern for the entire industry.About the Review of Mortgage Broker Remuneration by the Australian Investments & Securities Commission (ASIC), Angrisano said she was concerned about the lag time between ASICs recommendations and Sedgwicks.She suggested the banks move towards a fee-for-service model for the third party channel and pointed towards the 2013 Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) reforms which banned commissions for financial planners.I think there are some clear parallels between what we saw in the way in which the income and commissions are structured for financial planners and what were seeing here for the third-party brokers, Angrisano said.Fee-for-service is a very clear way of the customer understanding what is happening behind the scenes for that particular lender and what they receive for the service they are providing.She said the FSU has written to the major banks and hopes to meet with upper management over the coming weeks. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Its a flea for all! High-end Bric-a-brac bazaar Brooklyn Flea is leaving Williamsburgs East River State Park less than a month after it moved in because it clogged up the space where people used to sit and enjoy its sister food market Smorgasburg, according to one of its organizers. It became clear within a few short weeks that the addition of a second market was preventing us from optimizing the event experience in the world-class way our audience deserves and expects, said co-founder Eric Demby. The trinket emporium moved into the Kent Avenue park in April, sharing the waterfront space with Smorgasburg on Saturdays. Organizers set up the Flea on the concrete slabs next to the food stalls which previously housed tables and seating Smorgasburg attendees chilled out and chowed down on their meals a weekend tradition for some residents and many out-of-towners since 2013. But the feng shui was thrown out of whack when the bazaar moved in and organizers want to reclaim the space to put everything back in balance, according to Demby. We just needed that second slab for seating, hanging out, general crowd flow, he said. The market which has occupied several parks since its 2008 inception is now seeking a new location and will still operate in Dumbo around the Manhattan Bridge archway on Sundays. The Flea has had a rough relationship with Williamsburg residents over the years locals complain it directs business from brick-and-mortar shops and takes away valuable green space from April to November. And the addition of Flea on Saturdays took up a large chunk of the meadow, angering one denizen who says the state must start preserving its greenswards. I believe strongly that this is our public space and it is important space we have so little park space here in North Brooklyn, said Williamsburg resident and former Flea vendor Andre Van Hoek. Van Hoek added he noticed signs this weekend banning anyone from bringing food or drink into the park, despite it being a public space. The signage is really egregious, said Van Hoek. But the signs were actually there to let people know they arent allowed to bring glass or plastic into the market, according to Demby, who claims Smorgasburg isnt producing any waste this year and all of the trash goes to a composting facility. Picnickers, he said, can bring in whatever they want. The signs give advance notice that glass or plastic items should be disposed of before entering the park and market, he said. A parks department spokesman said the signs wont be back up for future incarnations and green honchos are working with Demby to make sure the wording is clearer. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams A lawsuit over two controversial towers planned for Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park lies in the hands of the court after reps for the green space and Brooklyn Heights Association failed to reach a settlement, according to the civic groups lawyer. There was an attempt to settle and the next thing is an argument on the merits. We are looking forward to being heard by the judge on the merits of the claims, said attorney Richard Ziegler. The litigants had previously spent the majority of their court appearances behind closed doors in state Supreme Court Justice Lucy Billings chambers trying to work out a deal they both could live with. Last Wednesday, reps for the park and Heights Association shuffled in and out of the private discussions for two hours. The next day, the civic group told the Brooklyn Eagle they had made no progress and the case will move on to arguments, barring further discussions. The Heights Association is alleging the park has plenty of cash and is violating its agreement to only build as much housing as it needs to sustain the meadow. And green space honchos say they need the money from the two towers at the foot of Atlantic Avenue to fund maintenance on the timber piles holding up the pier over the East River from wood eating crustaceans called marine borers. The groups will have an opportunity to make their arguments on either June 7 or June 9. The Brooklyn Heights Association did not return a request for comment. Middle school students get a bad rap. They are stereotyped as difficult to handle and difficult to teach, but in a small multi-age school like Peachtown, we are fortunate to see so many positive qualities in this age group. My sixth- through eighth-grade classes are an absolute pleasure to teach. Certainly, one can expect moody, hormonal seventh-graders and too much idle chatter, but as a group they are eager, independent learners, with reasonably mature manners and values. Peachtown was founded as a K-6 school in 1990. A few years later, we included prekindergarten and extended through eighth grade. Weve never regretted it. Carrying students through eighth grade is the reward for many years of teaching. Historically, elementary schools were K-8, and developmentally the eighth grade demarcation makes sense. Age 14 is one of those points in child development when a sea change in maturation occurs. Of course, anyone who has worked with teenagers knows that good judgement and impulse control are still issues, but upon leaving eighth grade, they really are young adults. So what happened to the K-8 school? Small progressive schools were thriving in the '20s and '30s, but the move away from small neighborhood elementary schools to large consolidated districts interrupted the momentum of the progressive education movement. The burgeoning enrollments of post-WWII baby boomers and the emergence of school buses and family cars made larger schools appealing. My father-in-law, the youngest of nine children, was the first to go to high school thanks to the purchase of a family car. In the southern hills of Indiana, the trip to the nearest high school was just too far to go on horseback. In the '30s, my own father risked his life riding from Scipio to Auburn High with his brother, who made at least one drive to school with the hand throttle set, his feet on the dashboard and a stogie in his mouth. He just grinned and exclaimed what a fine see-gar he had. Recall what I said above regarding good judgement and impulse control. The rapidity of school consolidation was remarkable. In 1930, there were over 250,000 public schools in the United States. In 2013, there were under 99,000 schools; from 1930 to 1950 alone, over 100,000 schools were closed. Rapid school construction and reshuffling of students in ever-changing building configurations set the process in motion. Spurred on by the different curricular needs of adolescent students, schools began to shift away from K-8 to intermediate, junior and junior high schools; eventually, the 6-8 or 5-8 middle school became the norm. Even though educators have put great effort into developing specialized curricula and healthy social environments for middle schools, I think its a pity that schools ever moved away from the K-8 model. While curricular needs are certainly different in the higher intermediate grades, they dont require separate spaces to accommodate. The charm of a wide range of ages is the natural familial environment it fosters. The young children look up to the older children, and in return the older students are natural caregivers to the young. Adolescence is a time marked by vulnerability, insecurity, high emotion and self-involvement one of the most confusing and difficult times of life. Grounding these years in familiar surroundings, in an environment where students have stature, respect and a secure sense of place, allows them to explore, test and sometimes fail without fear of repercussion. Older elementary students who spend their days surrounded by younger students modify their behavior, and their earned position in the school relieves them of that middle school struggle of trying to be someone bigger or older than they are. The passage from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood, in an optimal environment, is a steady, tempered emergence. Ironically, the longer children have to just be children, the more graceful their growth and the better the outcome. In a K-8 program, students seamlessly outgrow their childhood school ready to tackle high school. Its an old idea, but a good one. AUBURN Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education candidates Eli Hernandez and Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson both said they support the proposed 2017-2018 budget. Overstreet-Wilson said she supports the budget and the proposed 3.98-percent property tax levy increase that the board voted for in light of the district's $3.6 million deficit. "When I think about in totality, what has to happen, we definitely need to think about the care and the the structure of our school program and putting the kids first, and if this board believes that this is the best way to meet that need, then as an incoming board member, I will support that," Overstreet-Wilson said. The candidates discussed the budget and other topics at the Auburn School Board Candidate Forum at Cayuga Community College Tuesday. The televised event was moderated by Cayuga County Community College Foundation Executive Director Guy Cosentino, with questions from The Citizen's Executive Editor, Jeremy Boyer. Three board spots are on the ballot. Hernandez is running for his third three-year term, while Overstreet-Wilson is running for the first time. Fellow newcomer Joseph Sheppard couldn't attend the event due to business-related matters. The proposed budget which includes a 2.5-percent budget increase, the proposed tax boost and 13.5 recommended staff cuts came up when Boyer asked how the candidates felt about the budget. Hernandez said he both supports and intends to vote in favor of the budget. He is also in favor of utilizing that increased tax levy which was the cap set by the state in order to reduce the amount of job cuts to 13.5. Boyer asked how they felt about the proposed guidance social worker addition to staffing in light of the cuts. Both said they were in favor of the addition to help decrease truancy. Boyer also asked the candidates if they support the ongoing renovations to Holland Stadium and if they believe it is "a responsible upgrade," in his words, to make. Hernandez said he believes the renovation is a wise choice, saying that the funding for the turf is separate from the district's deficit and budget. "It is two different pots. End of story." Overstreet-Wilson said she voted for the renovations. "It wasn't 'We're going to take from the mouths of our babies and put down a new turf.' A budget hearing will be held May 9, and voting on the budget and the candidates is May 16. 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... Huh honored with teaching award BUFFALO, N.Y. Sahn-Wook Huh, PhD, associate professor of finance in the University at Buffalo School of Management, received the Milton Plesur Excellence in Teaching Award from the undergraduate Student Association in a ceremony on May 2. The annual award recognizes outstanding professors who create an atmosphere of creativity, enthusiasm and participation in their classrooms. Students nominate instructors who have inspired, excited or positively affected them from across the university. The honor is named for a beloved UB history professor, author and scholar who died in 1987. Huh holds a doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles, as well as an MBA from the University of Chicago and a bachelors degree from Seoul National University in Korea. His research interests include foreign exchange economics, behavioral finance, asset pricing, market microstructure and empirical corporate finance. He has been published in numerous academic journals, including Management Science, Review of Financial Studies and Review of Asset Pricing Studies. Huh is a member of the American Finance Association, Western Finance Association, Financial Management Association, Korea-America Finance Association and Korea-America Economic Association. He has several years of experience in private sector banking and with the Korean Ministry of Finance. your colleagues Borazjani receives Fulbright to study self-organizing systems in Austria A 3D simulation of four fish in a diamond arrangement illustrates how systems in nature often organize themselves into groups or patterns. As part of his Fulbright award, Borazjani will investigate the optimal conditions for improving this behavior. By SARAH DIORIO Iman Borazjani, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to teach and conduct research in Austria for the 2017-18 academic year. Borazjani will carry out his research in the area of self-organizing systems in aquatic environments at the University of Klagenfurt, located in Austrias southernmost province of Carinthia. Many systems in nature are known to self-organize into groups or patterns. For example, fish swim in schools, fireflies flash light in synchronization and some types of bacteria and/or cancer cells are known to assemble into swarms. Because the individual entities of these systems directly interact with one another and continuously react and adjust to changes in their local environment without any central coordination, they are viewed as being robust and adaptive. Our overall research objective is to identify the reasoning behind this self-adaptive behavior and to discover the conditions that enhance the performance of swimmers in aquatic environments, Borazjani says. These insights can then be used to illustrate and model processes in a wide variety of areas, including economics, psychology and technical systems, to name a few. Borazjani is one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research and/or provide expertise abroad for the 2017-18 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields. Iman is well-deserving of this prestigious award, which will undoubtedly allow him to further expand the impact he is having on the science of self-organizing systems across a number of important application areas, including collaborative locomotive systems and disease transport, says Kemper Lewis, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Borazjani says he is looking forward to building new professional relationships with his colleagues at the University of Klagenfurt and working together to learn new techniques, share information and publish research findings and new course materials. Since joining the UB faculty in 2010, Borazjani has received an NSF CAREER Award in 2015 for his proposal on Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) in Biological Flows and two early-career awards in 2013 from the American Heart Association and the American Chemical Society. He earned his PhD in mechanical engineering with a minor in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 2008. 50 women who have raised the profile of sports in South Jersey To mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX, we're spotlighting 50 women who have raised the profile of sports in South Jersey. may consider revising coal prices this year in case sales volume doesnt pick up to compensate for the revenue loss arising out of grade revision of its 177 mines. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Vijay Choudhary, promoter of Zoom Developers, in connection with a bank loan fraud case to the tune of Rs 2,650 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). has terminated the services of a foreign pilot who assaulted an examiner during a training session, sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the foreign pilot who operated a Boeing 777 aircraft was found to have assaulted a designated examiner last month during a training session in Bengaluru. "The service contract of the pilot has been terminated after an internal investigation found him to be guilty of assault. The thorough investigation was initiated after the trainer reported the assault incident," a source said. Subsequently, Jet Airways' pilots union demanded that the airline removes all foreign pilots. The pilots' union National Aviator's Guild (NAG) had asked its members not to operate flights with foreign pilots from May 1. However, the NAG later deferred its decision and is soon expected to meet the company's management over the issue. The airline currently employs around 60 foreign pilots, while the union has more than 1,000 Indian nationals. L&T Technology Services (LTTS), the engineering services arm of Larsen & Toubro, said it has signed an agreement to acquire US-based design services provider Esencia Technologies Inc. The company will pay $27 million (nearly Rs 180 crore) to acquire the California-headquartered firm and $15 million ( Rs 100 crore) will be paid upfront. "The rest will be paid over a period of four years," said Keshab Panda, chief executive officer and managing director, LTTS. SoftBank-backed has raised Rs 670 crore ($104.4 million) in fresh funding from investors including UC-RNT Fund, a venture between the University of California and Ratan Tata. While UC-RNT Fund has pumped in Rs 267.99 crore, another Rs 402 crore has been infused by FO Mauritius I Ltd, according to regulatory filing by ANI Technologies, which runs . However, the valuation of the company benchmarked against the fresh round of funding could not be ascertained. The said shares were allotted to the investors on March 31 2017. An email sent to the company remained unanswered. The Bengaluru-based firm, which is locked in an intense battle with US-based Uber for market leadership, had raised about $250 million from SoftBank in November, albeit at a lower valuation of $3 billion (compared to $4.5 billion earlier). ANI Technologies, which is not a publicly-traded company, has raised investments of over $1.5 billion from investors, including SoftBank Group, Tiger Global, Matrix Partners, Steadview Capital, Sequoia India, Accel Partners US and Falcon Edge. While has been successful in raising a sizable amount of funds, it continues to bleed on account of heavy advertising and promotional expenses and high employee cost. The company posted a consolidated loss of over Rs 2,311 crore -- about Rs 6 crore a day -- during fiscal 2015-16. ANI Technologies did see its revenues registering a stellar growth at Rs 758.23 crore during 2015-16 compared to Rs 103.77 crore in the previous fiscal. Ola, which has a presence in 110 Indian cities compared to Uber's operations in 29, has been aggressively expanding its portfolio of services. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. IT services firm Ltd plans to hire 10,000 U.S. workers in the next two years and open four technology centers in the United States, starting with a center this August in Indiana, the home state of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Thousands of undocumented overseas Indian workers in are flying home, as the Saudi government announced a 90-day amnesty period for all residence violators. Stranded Indian, who travelled there illegally and those who overstayed their visas, including a large number from Tamil Nadu, are ready to return to India. The Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York is searching for a puppy that was allegedly stolen from the Auburn shelter. According to a Facebook post from the local SPCA, someone recently broke into the shelter at 41 York St. and stole 8-week-old pit bull "Little Jed." Executive Director Carol Russell said Little Jed came into the shelter on April 11 as an owner surrender and was kept "under wraps" until he could receive his vaccinations. As he was too young to receive all of the required puppy vaccines, the pup was not yet available for adoption. According to Russell, Little Jed was last seen in his kennel at around 5 p.m. Tuesday when the shelter closed for the night. Staff realized he was missing Wednesday morning while cleaning the kennels. Russell said the suspect appeared to have gained access to Little Jed through a window in the back of the shelter. Anyone with information about the theft may contact the SPCA at (315) 253-5841 or the Auburn Police Department at (315) 253-3231. The government on Tuesday asserted in the Supreme Court that Aadhaar was made mandatory for PAN card to weed out fake PAN cards which were used for terror financing and circulation of blackmoney, while terming the concerns over privacy as "bogus". India will press for early extradition of fugitive businessman from the United Kingdom when the Home Secretaries of both the countries meet in New Delhi on Thursday. Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi will raise the issue of early completion of the extradition process of Mallya, when he will meet his UK counterpart Patsy Wilkinson, the second permanent secretary in the the British Home Office. The counter-terror cooperation between India and the UK besides a host of other issues will figure in the meeting, official sources said. Issues related to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, strengthening of the intelligence sharing mechanism and visa related issues will also be deliberated upon, they said. The 61-year-old Mallya, who has been living in Britain since last year, was arrested by the Scotland Yard last month on the extradition request of India. Within hours of his arrest, Mallya, who is accused of cheating and frauds, was released on bail by a London court. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will argue the case on behalf of the Indian authorities. Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines allegedly owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016. India and the UK have an extradition treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement -- Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002. However, unlike Mallya, he had submitted to the extradition order without legal challenge. India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the extradition treaty between India and the UK through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication, on February 8. The army has begun weighing its options to retaliate against Pakistani forces on the Line of Control (LoC), after their troops, employing jihadi extremists, killed and beheaded two Indian soldiers near Poonch on Monday, top generals said. Business Standard learns the incident took place when an Indian patrol of 8-10 soldiers was checking the border fence, a perilous task involving physically moving along the fence, very close to the LoC, to check that it has not been cut or its electronic sensors damaged. According to the modus operandi of Pakistani troops on forward LoC posts, the exposed patrol first came under intense fire from automatic weapons, which Pakistani soldiers had stealthily deployed in temporary positions, just across the LoC. With two Indian jawans injured in the firing, a border action team (BAT), comprising jihadi fighters, darted across the LoC to the border fence. Covered by the Pakistan armys firing, the jihadis killed the two jawans, beheaded them, and returned to their side of the LoC, bearing the heads as trophies. The employment of a BAT is a well-rehearsed Pakistani tactic that creates deniability by using jihadis to cross into the Indian side. If any jihadis are killed or captured, the Pakistan army disowns it as an infiltration attempt. Regular soldiers remain on their side of the LoC, firing on Indian posts and patrols to cover the BAT's move. A range of retaliatory measures are being weighed by Indias generals, including attacks by ground forces on Pakistani posts, or strikes by aircraft, missiles or massed artillery guns. Army vice-chief, Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, on Tuesday said, Humko kya karna hai voh hum yahaan bataana nahin chahte hain. Apni karyavahi hum apne aap karenge, at a time and place of our choice (I dont want to give out here what we intend to do. We will take action at a time and place of our choice). On Monday, armys director-general of military operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General A K Bhatt warned of retaliation during a phone call to his Pakistani counterpart. A defence ministry release stated: The DGMO of the Indian Army conveyed that such a dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley also sounded a warning on Monday, The country has full confidence and faith in our armed forces, which will react appropriately to this inhuman act. The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain. However, army sources emphatically rejected Indian media claims by India Today TV and Dainik Jagran newspaper the Indian Army had already visited retribution; killing ten Pakistani soldiers in an attack. Last September, the Indian Army had retaliated to a jihadi strike on an army post near Uri with multiple cross-LoC surgical strikes that are believed to have killed several jihadi fighters and a handful of Pakistani soldiers. After another attack in November, the Indian Army secretly moved 155 millimetre Bofors guns into forward firing positions, destroying two Pakistani posts in a massed fire assault. Even so, senior generals admit there are limitations on how much, and how often, Pakistani posts on the LoC can be punished, even in retaliating to an inhuman violation that involved mutilating Indian soldiers. Inadequate punishment fails to deter Pakistani violations, while an excess could set off a cycle of escalation that could spiral out of control. Moreover, the Indian military does not have a tri-service plan for immediate retaliation to such incidents. This would involve pre-selecting Pakistan Army or jihadi targets, earmarking the aircraft, missiles, guns or Special Forces to hit them and devising defensive measures for the inevitable Pakistani retaliation. In what might be an unlinked development, the army on Tuesday test-fired a Brahmos land-to-land missile, demonstrating what an official release described as the weapons unmatched lethality of hitting the centre of a designated target with bulls eye precision. The Brahmos would be an important component of any concerted Indian cross-LoC strike capability. Militants on Wednesday stormed a bank at Pulwama district in south Kashmir and decamped with around Rs 3-4 lakh in cash, the third such attack in as many days. The four armed militants entered the Wahibugh branch of the Elaquai Dehati Bank at around 1.50 pm and fled after looting the money at gunpoint, a police official said. He said that the bank employees informed the police and a case has been registered. A police party rushed to the scene and a hunt was launched to arrest the culprits and recover the stolen money, the official said. On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen barged into the Yaripora branch of the same bank and took away Rs 65,000. On May 1, militants attacked a cash van of Jammu and Kashmir bank and shot dead five policemen and two bank security guards in Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir. The policemen and security guards were returning to the district headquarters after delivering cash at a bank branch. The ultras had also looted four service rifles from the deceased cops. President Pranab Mukherjee honoured the winners of 64th Film awards on Wednesday in New Delhi. Renowned filmmaker K Viswanath was given a standing ovation as he received the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award by the President. Superstar Akshay Kumar was given the Best Actor award for 'Rustom', while Sonam Kapoor received a special mention award for 'Neerja', which also won the Best Hindi Film of the year. Marathi film 'Kasaav' got the Best Feature Film Award, while Rajesh Mapuskar was conferred with the Best Director Award for 'Ventilator'. Surabhi Jyoti was given the Best Actress Award for Malayalam film 'Minnaminungu'. A prominent name not just in Telugu cinema but also in Tamil and Hindi films, Viswanath, 87, became the 48th recipient of the Phalke award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema, which includes a golden lotus, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs, a citation and a shawl. An emotional Viswanath, who attended the ceremony with his wife Jaya Lakshmi, thanked his parents and fans in a brief acceptance speech. "It is an auspicious occasion to receive this prestigious award. I offer my 'pranams' to my parents and to the Almighty who is everywhere. Thank you to his excellency, the President, honourable ministers and jury members and to all my fans everywhere in India," the veteran filmmaker said. Lauding Viswanath's contribution to the Indian cinema, Mukherjee said, "I congratulate K Viswanath for receiving the Dada Saheb Phalke award and thank him for his contribution to the film industry, to unity, integrity and also for conveying strong message of peace." Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said Viswanath's speciality was that he made entertaining films without violence, vulgarity or fight. "He is a great inspiration for budding filmmakers," Naidu said. Viswanath, who started his journey as a sound artiste, directed award-winning films such as "Sankarabharanam", "Sagara Sangamam", "Swati Mutyam", "Saptapadi", "Kaamchor", "Sanjog" and "Jaag Utha Insaan" in his long career that included an equally successful stint in front of the camera. He was honoured with Padmashri in 1992, and also a receipient of five Awards. Meanwhile, Khiladi Kumar was accompanied by his wife Twinkle Khanna and son Aarav for the event. For the big day, Akshay chose to wear a black bandh gala with a fuchsia pink pocket square. Twinkle looked pretty in her silk checkered saree with a patterned pallu. Complimenting her saree was the low bun with gajra. Sonam was accompanied by her father Anil Kapoor, who clicked pictures as she received her award and made for an 'aww-dorable' moment. BJP ally Shiv Sena and the Congress party on Tuesday attacked the government over the mutilation of two soldiers' bodies by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC) with Uddhav Thackeray asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop his "Mann ki baat" and instead take up "Gun ki baat". Congress leader and former HRD Minister Kapil Sibal recalled the remarks of Smriti Irani in 2013 when she had threatened to send bangles to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when two Indian soldiers were similarly mutilated by Pakistani soldiers and asked whether she will be sending bangles to Prime Minister Narendra Modi now. Clarifying the government's stand, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was acting tough against border violations and the sacrifice of the soldiers will not go waste. In a sharp reaction to the killing and the mutilation of two Indian soldiers near the Line of Control, Thackeray said Kashmir is "burning" and the government must take action. "It's time to stop 'Mann ki Baat' and start 'Gun ki Baat' against Pakistan," he demanded, referring to the Prime Minister's monthly radio broadcast. Congress leader A.K. Antony, a former Defence Minister, said that during the party-led UPA regime there was just one incident of mutilation but since the BJP-led NDA took over at least three such incidents have taken place. "It (the incident) has affected the morale of Indian people, Indian Army and also the continuous attacks on military installations has put a question mark about the security structure on the border. More than anything, it has affected the prestige, respect and morale of the Indian Army," Antony said. He termed the act as cowardly and inhuman and asked the government to give a free hand to the Army to seek retribution. His party colleague Sibal wondered if Union Minister Smriti Irani would now "gift bangles" to Modi. "During the UPA regime there was a woman MP (Smriti Irani) who said the Prime Minister should be gifted bangles. Will the same MP who is now a Minister send bangles to Prime Minister Narendra Modi?," Sibal asked. Sibal also said the BJP-led NDA government will have time to protect the borders "only if they have time to spare from election campaigns". "What kind of a government is this that despite knowing that Pakistan will not change its ways, they invited the ISI to Pathankot," said Sibal, referring to the Pakistani team that went to Pathankot to probe the 2016 terror attack on an Indian airbase. "In the last 35 months, 135 soldiers have died in Jammu and Kashmir. Who is responsible for this?" he asked. "They said demonetisation will end terrorism, but terror attacks only increased after that. I remember when Hemraj was beheaded (in 2013) Sushmaji (External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj) said 'We should get 10 heads for one'...How many heads will they get for two?" Sibal wondered. Maharashtra Minister Ramdas Kadam, of the Shiv Sena, took potshots at Modi, saying he should concentrate more on security than elections. "What's stopping the Centre from taking direct action against Pakistan? How many more soldiers should we lose and how many more widows should we see before India does something?" he said, demanding direct action against the neighbouring the country. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that Modi's remarks on Pakistan and black money had become an albatross around his neck. Prasad rejected the opposition criticism and said the government was taking tough action on border violations. "The army has issued a public statement that adequate, suitable and effective response shall be given. Let's leave it to the armed forces to completely concretise their strategy," Prasad told CNN News 18 channel. The Aam Aadmi Party said it will support the government over its response to the mutilation by the Pakistan Army of bodies of the Army's Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and the BSF's Head Constable Prem Sagar along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. As the rift within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) deepened, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself reached founder member Kumar Vishwas' house in Ghaziabad late Tuesday night in a bid to pacify the latter. Vishwas has accused senior party leaders of conspiring against him. As many as 54 attacks on journalists were reported in 16 months, mainly by "lawmakers and law enforcers", a report compiled by media watchdog Hoot said on Tuesday, a day ahead of the World Press Freedom Day. The report said the actual figure could be much higher as a minister told Parliament that "142 attacks on journalists took place between 2014-15". "The stories behind each of these attacks reveal a clear and persistent pattern. Investigative reporting is becoming increasingly dangerous. Journalists who venture out into the field to investigate any story, be it sand mining, stone quarrying, illegal construction, police brutality, medical negligence, eviction drive, election campaigns, or civic administration corruption are under attack," it said. The attacks were committed by political parties and their leaders (8), police (9), and mobs resisting media coverage (9). Apart from attacks, the report took into account invocation of sedition law, suspension of Internet services in a region, self-censorship on part of media companies, censoring of films and other arts, among other instances which may frustrate free functioning of the media. The shutdown of the printing presses of two Kashmir newspapers after the killing of militant Burhan Wani, and the ban on Kashmir Reader for three months during the same period, were cited in the report as instances of media censorship. Other such instances included a one-day ban on NDTV news channel for its coverage of the Pathankot attack last January, which "... supposed to have revealed strategic information about the operation". The Information and Broadcasting Ministry however put the ban on hold after the channel approached the Supreme Court. The sedition law was also used unsparingly and "went viral", as the report said. "A large number of cases were filed -- 18 between January and June last year. By the end of the year, the figure was 40," it said. The media watchdog cited examples of killings of Right to Information (RTI) activists, and appointment of 'bureaucrats' as Chief Information Commissioners instead of "persons of eminence in public life", as the concerned Act says. "Currently, 91.6 per cent of Chief Information Commissioners in states are retired bureaucrats, as are 93 per cent of Central Information Commissioners," the report said. Jammu and Kashmir suffered the longest and bans on Internet services the most -- 13 times in 16 months, with Haryana coming second with Internet suspension nine times in as many months. Exporters have said that any change in the financial year to align with the calendar one is a welcome move. A Rochester woman has been arrested for falsely accusing a New York State trooper of making racial slurs during a traffic stop in Cayuga County, state police said Wednesday. On Jan. 29, 2017, state police stopped 36-year-old Tiffany Robinson-Clarke on Route 38 in the town of Moravia. According to a press release, Robinson-Clarke was on the phone with her husband an inmate at the Cayuga Correctional Facility throughout the entire traffic stop. Thus, police said the entire encounter was recorded. After the traffic stop, Robinson-Clarke contacted state police in Auburn and accused the trooper of making racial slurs toward her after issuing a ticket. Upon investigating Robinson-Clarke's complaint, troopers recovered the entire taped conversation from the correctional facility, which allegedly exonerated the trooper of the false allegation. Police arrested Robinson-Clarke Tuesday. She was charged with falsely swearing to a written statement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors. Robinson-Clarke was arraigned in the Town of Hayden Court and released on $500 bail. She was scheduled to return to court May 31. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 6,000 crore mega agro-processing scheme to streamline the ongoing initiatives by the government in the food processing sector. It also decided to restore the subsidy for states to ensure sale of 1 kg of sugar at a cheaper rate to the poorest of the poor, under the public distribution system (PDS). The financial services industry, more specifically banking, is expected to see a substantial rise in jobs in the next few years even as automation encroaches on most of its core activities. After nearly 24 hours of record bidding, with 600 bids coming in, the countrys most expensive limestone block in finally went to Dalmia (Bharat) Cement. The Centres main think-tank, the is reportedly working on developing a growth plan for Uttar Pradesh, where the ruling BJP, came back to power after more than a decade. Central Railway on Tuesday suspended three inspectors of Commercial department posted here for allegedly giving a "misleading" information on an RTI query, which created an impression of a 'scam' in the department, a senior officer said. The civil aviation ministry, which has for long toyed with the idea of a biometric identification system at airports, is close to rolling it out. Similar to marquee airports such as Schiphol (Amsterdam), Brisbane and Hamad (Doha), travellers could soon enter Indian airports without flashing their identity cards and clear the check-in process through fingerprint and iris scan. In a setback to $4.7 billion Indian seafood exports sector, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has unanimously voted to extend the anti-dumping orders on imports of frozen warm water shrimp for five more years. The United States is the largest market for Indian exporters. CCRUM holds a three day National Workshop on e-Granthalaya The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) has organized a three-day National Workshop on e-Granthalya 4.0 for Automation and Networking of Government Libraries in New Delhi from 2nd-4th May, 2017. With the objective to train library professionals on e-Granthalya 4.0, the latest version of the library management software developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC), the workshop comprises of theoretical and hands-on training sessions on its admin, cataloging, circulation and serial modules. Inaugurating the workshop, Prof. Vd. K.S. Dhiman, Director General I/C, CCRUM said that we are living in a world where not everyone is able to spare time to visit physical libraries and networking of libraries in such a condition can be very helpful in conducting research and academic activities efficiently. He further said that e-libraries could also be a tool for transmission from physical books to e-books that can preserve our environment apart from saving a lot of money spent on procurement of physical books. He urged the participants to get used to the e-Granthalaya software and adopt it for automation and networking of libraries at their respective institutions in order to ease the dissemination of knowledge. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ram Kumar Matoria, Technical Director, NIC said that the Government of India provides the free of cost facility of adopting e-Granthalya software and uploading the data on NIC cloud to the government libraries to facilitate their automation and networking. He urged that like CCRUM other institutes of AYUSH should also come forward and adopt this facility extended by the NIC. Earlier in his welcome address, Shri R.U. Choudhury, Assistant Director (CCRUM) said that the CCRUM has already adopted e-Granthalaya software making the catalogues of its eight libraries attached with its various institutes freely accessible to all globally. He further said that since the NIC has launched 4.0 version of the software with various new features, there was a need to organize such a workshop in order to make the library professionals used to it. PM offers prayers at Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand; inaugurates Patanjali Research Institute The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Uttarakhand today. He offered prayers at the Kedarnath Temple, and greeted a large number of people who had gathered there. The Prime Minister later inaugurated the Patanjali Research Institute in Haridwar district. He briefly visited the Drug Discovery and Research Laboratory at the Institute, accompanied by Swami Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that we will not ignore or forget the heritage that we have been historically proud of. He added that the innovative spirit of our ancestors must be kept alive. The Prime Minister called for bringing together as many people as possible, when celebrating the International Day of Yoga. He mentioned the new health policy, which covers various aspects of health and wellness. The Prime Minister said that cleanliness, or Swachhta, is one of the most important aspects of preventive healthcare. The Prime Minister also released the first volume of the World Herbal Encyclopedia. A Liverpool man has been arrested on child exploitation charges in Cayuga County. Jason Holcomb, 36, was arrested Tuesday in the town of Aurelius and charged with two felonies: first-degree attempted rape and first-degree attempted disseminating indecent material to minors. According to New York State Police, Holcomb tried to engage a 12-year-old girl in sexual contact in Cayuga County. Holcomb was arraigned in the Town of Aurelius Court. on Wednesday denied that it has plans of mediating between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue due to its investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, saying the $50 billion project has not affected its stand that the vexed issue should be settled bilaterally. China's clarification came a day after an article in the Global Times said that Beijing now has a "vested interest" in mediating between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue because of its hefty investment in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through PoK. "China's position on the issue of Kashmir is clear and consistent. It is an issue left over from history between India and Pakistan, and shall be properly addressed by India and Pakistan through consultation and negotiation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI. He also said that will play a "constructive role" for the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan. "The building of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) does not affect China's position on this issue," he said in a written response to a question about the article in the state- run Global Times, a ruling Communist Party of publication. "We sincerely hope that India and Pakistan will properly handle differences by increasing communication and dialogue, and jointly uphold regional peace and stability. China is willing to make constructive efforts for the improvement of India-Pakistan relations," Geng said. The article yesterday sparked concerns about a shift in China's stand on the Kashmir issue as India is averse to any third-party mediation. The article had also sought to justify Chinese intervention in bilateral disputes on the grounds of protecting heavy investments being made by Beijing under its Silk Road initiative, which is officially called the 'One Belt and One Road' project. The article had said China cannot turn a "deaf ear" to protect heavy investments by its firms in the CPEC and the Silk Road projects by continuing with its policy of non- interference. "Given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt, One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan," it had said. This was perhaps the first time that the Chinese official media floated Beijing's interest in playing a mediatory role to resolve the Kashmir issue. A European map of implicit racial bias. Author provided. This new map shows how easily white Europeans associate black faces with negative ideas. Since 2002, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have logged onto a website run by Harvard University called Project Implicit and taken an implicit association test (IAT), a rapid-response task which measures how easily you can pair items from different categories. To create this new map, we used data from a version of the test which presents white or black faces and positive or negative words. The result shows how easily our minds automatically make the link between the categories what psychologists call an implicit racial attitude. Each country on the map is coloured according to the average score of test takers from that country. Redder countries show higher average bias, bluer countries show lower average bias, as the scale on the top of the map shows. Like a similar map which had been made for US states, our map shows variation in the extent of racial bias but all European countries are racially biased when comparing blacks versus whites. In every country in Europe, people are slower to associate blackness with positive words such as good or nice and faster to associate blackness with negative concepts such as bad or evil. But they are quicker to make the link between blackness and negative concepts in the Czech Republic or Lithuania than they are in Slovenia, the UK or Ireland. No country had an average score below zero, which would reflect positive associations with blackness. In fact, none had an average score that was even close to zero, which would reflect neither positive nor negative racial associations. Implicit bias Overall, we have scores for 288,076 white Europeans, collected between 2002 and 2015, with sample sizes for each country shown on the left-hand side. Because of the design of the test it is very difficult to deliberately control your score. Many people, including those who sincerely hold non-racist or even anti-racist beliefs, demonstrate positive implicit bias on the test. The exact meaning of implicit attitudes, and the IAT, are controversial, but we believe they reflect the automatic associations we hold in our minds, associations that develop over years of immersion in the social world. Although we, as individuals, may not hold racist beliefs, the ideas we associate with race may be constructed by a culture which describes people of different ethnicities in consistent ways, and ways which are consistently more or less positive. Looked at like this, the IAT which at best is a weak measure of individual psychology may be most useful if individuals scores are aggregated to provide a reflection on the collective social world we inhabit. The results shown in this map give detail to what we already expected that across Europe racial attitudes are not neutral. Blackness has negative associations for white Europeans, and there are some interesting patterns in how the strength of these negative associations varies across the continent. North and west Europe, on average, have less strong anti-black associations, although they still have anti-black associations on average. As you move south and east the strength of negative associations tends to increase but not everywhere. The Balkans look like an exception, compared to surrounding countries. Is this because of some quirk about how people in the Balkans heard about Project Implicit, or because their prejudices arent orientated around a white-black axis? For now, we can only speculate. Open questions When interpreting the map there are at least two important qualifications to bear in mind. The first is that the scores only reflect racial attitudes in one dimension: pairing white/black with goodness/badness. Our feelings about ethnicity have many more dimensions which arent captured by this measure. The second is that the data comes from Europeans who visit the the US Project Implicit website, which is in English. We can be certain that the sample reflects a subset of the European population which are more internet-savvy than is typical. They are probably also younger, and more cosmopolitan. These factors are likely to underweight the extent of implicit in each country, so that the true levels of implicit are probably higher than shown on this map. This new map is possible because Project Implicit release their data via the Open Science Framework. This site allows scientists to share the raw materials and data from their experiments, allowing anyone to check their working, or re-analyse the data, as we have done here. I believe that open tools and publishing methods like these are necessary to make science better and more reliable. Tom Stafford, Lecturer in Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Sheffield This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Last fall, I attended a meeting of the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty, hosted by the World Bank. The small, somewhat ad-hoc organization has a quirky name but an urgent goal helping governments, companies and agencies grapple with complicated problems with enormous and enduring consequences, from forging policy to avoiding the collapse of a financial system. The (ADB) on Wednesday said the emerging orientation in the US and Europe for protectionism on trade is "worrisome" but not realistic enough to break the global . A day before finance ministers and central bank governors meet for the ADB's 50th annual meeting, the multilateral agency's Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada said it was "difficult" to say if protectionism was "good or bad" and he did not want to make any judgement. "I think ADB's position is, more open trade and more open investment climate will be beneficial for all the countries and economies. In that respect, I think we should support more open trade regime," he told a media briefing in Yokohama. Citing the example of China which is shifting itself from export driven economic model to more internal demand driven model, he said that in his opinion there was a trend in Asia that "domestic consumption and investment play a much more important role than external demand". This trend, however, does not deny the importance of trade, Sawadasaid. Asked why there have been no strong statement from ADB about protectionist measures, he said, "We don't think it is a realistic scenario to consider that the global economy, because of the policy changes in the US and Europe, will return back to the broken ." ADB, he said, emphasises on more open trade and more free movement of capital to all countries and it should play an important role to push open trade and investment regime. "This emerging orientation of the US and Europe is little bit worrisome situation but what I am saying is, it is unrealistic that global will move towards a broken economy that was happening during intra-war period and I don't see that scenario as happening," Sawadaadded. Last month, a communique from the IMF's steering committee in Washington dropped pledge to resist protectionism on trade. Omitting its October statement to "resist all forms of protectionism", IMF merely stated that officials are "working to strengthen the contribution of trade to our economies". In March, the finance ministers of G20 nations in their communique dropped the pledge to resist protectionism to suit the demand of the United States. There are fears that increasing protectionism in the US like tightening of visa regime and insistence on using American products may adversely impact global trade and investments. The ADB chief economist, however, said:"People seem to be worried about this protectionist sentiment, but I think this is unlikely (that) the global economy will become like a broken economy before World War-II. I don't think that is happening. That will never happen... That is an unrealistic scenario". Last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is scheduled to attend the ADB meeting here later in the week, had sounded a note of caution on protectionism, saying the world should debate whether it would make the global economy more efficient or sluggish. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel too had in his comments on the world economy stated that data pointed to a broad-based upswing in global growth, though risks remain, such as protectionism and geopolitics. There is an push-back against trade talk emanating from the US, Patel had stated last month, defending the benefits of an open trading system. EU negotiators have hiked possible payment demands for over recent weeks, officials say, widening the divide between Brussels and London, which questions whether it owes anything at all before talks start next month. The presidents of Russia and Turkey have said they support the creation of safe-zones in war-torn as a delegation of Syrian rebels walked out of cease- fire talks with the Damascus government underway in Kazakhstan, citing repeated violations of a similar truce agreed on in December. Meeting in the Russian resort town of Sochi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin on Tuesday expressed hope the Syrian government and rebels would adopt this latest proposal to "de-escalate" the conflict, which has run now for six years and claimed some 400,000 lives. Turkey and Russia are deeply entangled in the war in Syria, including each having troops on the ground there Ankara supporting various Syrian opposition factions and Moscow backing President Bashar Assad's forces. Before the rebels suspended their participation at the talks in Astana, the Kazakh capital, Russian representatives had presented the rebels with a proposal for four "de- escalation zones" in where the warring sides would be separated by "security lines." The Astana talks are proximity talks, with Syrian government representatives and the rebels separately meeting with Russian officials and other representatives. The rebels demanded a halt to the government's bombardment of opposition zones in . In Sochi, Putin said Russian and Syrian government jets would halt flights over the specified zones if all sides respect the cease-fire. Russia's 2015 military intervention in Syria and its air campaign have significantly boosted Assad's gains in the war. However, human rights groups say Russia is implicated in targeting hospitals and schools, and using indiscriminate cluster munitions and incendiary weapons against civilian areas as well. The proposal presented to the rebels in Astana delineates four zones in Syria where front lines between the government and rebels would be frozen and fighting halted, according to a statement made by rebels. The four include areas in the provinces of Idlib and Homs, the eastern Ghouta suburbs outside Damascus, and an area in the south of the country. The zones, according to the document received by rebels, would be monitored by observers and allow for the voluntary return of refugees. Late yesterday, Syria's Foreign Ministry said Damascus is "fully backing" the Russian initiative on the four cease-fire areas, according to the state-run SANA news agency. But Ahmed Ramadan, an opposition representative, told The Associated Press that rebels requested a written answer on a number of questions, including why the cease-fire would only be in effect in the four areas instead of a nationwide truce. Ramadan also urged that the sides respect an earlier cease-fire deal which was reached in December and which also included provisions for the release of detainees. He clarified that the rebel side, though it suspended its participation in the talks, would wait in Astana for a reply. This is the fourth round of talks in Astana since January. Separately, there have been five rounds of U.N.- sponsored Syria peace talks in Geneva since 2012 but none have led to a sustainable cease-fire. Later yesterday, the UN Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, called on the rebels to return to the talks in Astana "because what is important is also to look at the possibility of an outcome on a de-escalation." He stressed the importance of not destroying "the opportunity of good news" related to this issue. The United States has sent a senior State Department official to the talks for the first time, after President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart signaled greater cooperation on Syria in a phone call on Tuesday. The White House said the two discussed setting up safe zones in the country. The Tass news agency reported that Stuart Jones, an assistant US secretary of state, has already met separately with Russia's representative. Syrian TV said the Astana talks began with a meeting between delegations from Russia and Iran, another close ally of Assad. Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a car bomb went off in the town of Azaz, close to the offices of the Syrian interim government, which represents the opposition in rebel-held areas, killing at least five people and wounding others. The Observatory and the activist- run Azaz Media Center confirmed the toll, saying it was likely to rise. Azaz lies on a key opposition supply route and is a hub for fighters and opposition activists. It also hosts people displaced from fighting elsewhere in the country. The town has been the scene of several attacks, some claimed by the Islamic State group. A huge explosion in January killed at least 50 people there. A video of the aftermath of yesterday's explosion posted online by the Azaz Media Center shows charred cars and firefighters struggling to put out a blaze. In the footage, gunfire rings out as ambulances arrive and people gather at the scene. The Turkish Dogan news agency said some of the wounded were taken to the state hospital in the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment. Relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane at the Syrian border in November 2015 and Russia responded with trade and tourism sanctions. But Putin said on yesterday that relations have been restored. on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of a US citizen who was lecturing in Pyongyang - the third American held in the country amid growing tensions with Washington. Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, was detained at the capital's airport on April 22, as he tried to leave the country after teaching for several weeks at an elite university. In the North's first confirmation of the professor's detention, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said he had been held for "committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK", using the country's official name. It added that Kim was "under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes". The confirmation of Kim's detention comes as Pyongyang issues increasingly belligerent rhetoric in a tense stand off with the administration of new US President Donald Trump. Kim had been teaching accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), which said last month that the professor had been held. The school - founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010 - is known to have a number of American faculty members. Islamic State militants staged a surprise attack early today at a crossing frequently used by Iraqi and Syrian civilians seeking safety in northeastern Syria, killing at least 37 people, mostly civilians, Kurdish officials and activists said. The militants struck before dawn after sneaking into the village of Rajm Sleibi, located along a front line that separates the Kurdish-controlled Hassakeh province from IS- held areas further south. Some militants reportedly blew themselves up at a Kurdish checkpoint while attacked sleeping civilians in a nearby temporary camp sheltering hundreds of displaced people who fled IS-controlled territory. The Rescue Committee said thousands of people from the Iraqi city of Mosul have traveled west to the Sleibi crossing since October, often via smugglers. In a statement, it said several children were among the dead and wounded. "It was three in the morning when Daesh came and started to shoot at people," said Abdulah Khalef Hamid, an Iraqi refugee from Mosul, who said his mother-in-law was killed in Tuesday's attack. "I was wounded and they thought I was dead so they left me. We were around 200 families, they left at sunrise," he added. Daesh is the Arabic acronym for IS. Redur Khalil, a spokesman for the main Kurdish fighting force in Syria, said the attack started with an early morning assault by IS militants on a checkpoint in Sleibi belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed and Kurdish-dominated force that fights IS. The militants then "committed a massacre" against civilians as they sought to enter SDF-controlled territory, Khalil said. He told The Associated Press the attack came a few hours after IS suicide bombers dressed in civilian clothes sneaked into the town of Shaddadeh and attacked SDF forces, triggering clashes that were ongoing. Survivors from the attack on the camp said the militants arrived in four cars before shooting several people and kidnapping . "They were shouting 'You are infidels and you are going toward the infidels,'" said Fatima, a displaced Syrian woman who asked that her last name not be used, fearing retribution. "They shot at the checkpoint and at the civilians there, and they dragged the youngsters and put them in the cars and drove them away," she said. Issam Amin, a media activist in Hassakeh, said the victims arriving at the city's hospitals had stabbing and gunshot wounds. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the Syrian conflict through activists on the ground, said Tuesday's attack included suicide bombers and heavy clashes with the SDF. The Observatory put the death toll at 38, including 23 civilians, many of them Iraqi. Hawar, a news agency for the semi-autonomous Kurdish areas in Syria, put the death toll at 37. The Islamic State group is under attack by an array of forces in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, the SDF is now fighting to recapture the town of Tabqa, an important militant stronghold located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the IS group's de facto capital, Raqqa. Kurdish officials said Kurdish-led opposition fighters have pushed the extremists almost completely out of Tabqa and were cleaning up the town. They said IS continues to hold the nearby dam on the Euphrates River. In Iraq, the extremist group is fighting for survival against Iraqi forces and their allies in the last neighborhoods it still holds in the western part of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. IS claimed responsibility for today's attacks through its Aamaq media arm, saying its fighters attacked four Kurdish positions in the southern countryside of Hassakeh province. Rajm Sleibi lies about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the town of al-Hol, which houses a large refugee camp for civilians displaced from Syria and Iraq. A Kurdish activist said it is the entry point to Hassakeh for Syrians civilians fleeing the eastern cities of Deir el- Zour and Raqqa, and those fleeing from Mosul and elsewhere in Iraq. The civilians spend about two weeks in Rajm Sleibi while they get security clearance from Kurdish authorities, and are then taken to al-Hol. The activist spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety. The camp is within the zone of influence of the SDF but not directly protected by its forces. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has warned European Union (EU) Chief Jean Claude Juncker that he is about to find out how much of a "bloody difficult woman" she is, as cabinet frustration with the EU over the early phases of the negotiations intensified. May made the comments about the European Commission President on Tuesday after extensive details of a dinner she held with him and key negotiator Michel Barnier were leaked to a German newspaper over the weekend. May also used the interview with the BBC to confirm that she intends to serve a full term to 2022 if she wins the election on June 8. The Prime Minister's remarks come after a German newspaper reported that in the wake of a meeting with May, Juncker phoned Chancellor Angela Merkel and said the British PM lives "in another galaxy" and is "deluding herself" over . May hit back over the issue during an election campaign visit to the southwest. "During the Conservative party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman," she told the BBC. "And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker." May said there was a lot of agreement between Britain and the EU, but said the controversy over the leaks had proved that the upcoming negotiations would be "tough". Despite May trumpeting her "bloody difficult" credentials as a negotiator, the EU has long insisted that the talks would be run by the European commission acting on behalf of 27 member-states, according to the report. The account of last Wednesday's meeting in Downing Street, laid out in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, lifted the lid on major tensions relating to both Britain's "divorce bill" and the critical issue of securing citizens' rights. May was said to tell the group that Britain was not legally obliged to pay a penny, infuriating Juncker, who said he was "10 times more sceptical" about getting a deal done by the end of the session. Leaks to the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper suggested Juncker knocked back May's plan to reach a deal guaranteeing citizens' rights as early as June, because he believed the issue was too complex to agree so soon. Downing Street said it did not recognise the version of the meeting reported by the publication. Speaking about the issue, May said: "What is I think possible and what we want to do is to be able to give reassurance to EU citizens living here and to UK citizens living in Europe." Pope Francis recommends that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach and must integrate questions of justice to hear both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. In 2015 and 2016 more than 50 percent of evaluated Owasco Lake blue-green blooms exceeded by as much as 43 times the state Department of Environmental Conservation limit for safe recreational contact. However, Owasco Lake has remained open for recreation. During 2016, municipal water for which 46,000 Cayuga County residents paid more than $2 million was near the New York state limit of cyanotoxin contamination for finished drinking water, and as much as 1,200 times the chlorophyll-a threshold recommended for drinking water sources by DEC engineer Cliff Callinan. Parents of infants and immune-impaired residents were not educated in lay-person terms that cyanotoxins are reproductive system carcinogens, and liver, skin and nerve toxins. Free and readily available water was not provided to the 25 percent of Auburn residents and 15 percent of Cayuga County residents who reside in homes below the New York state poverty line. Establishment of a Local Owasco Watershed Resilience Fund of $16 million could rapidly gear-up and maintain an adaptive management project to ease Owasco Lake Watershed into a resilient state. The Statue of Liberty poem reminds us of a time when Americans were proud to say Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. New York state Attorney General Schneiderman advises that justice cannot be served when a victim of domestic violence or a witness to a shooting does not call the police because she fears that doing so will attract the attention of officials who wish to deport her family members, and that (1) absent a judicial warrant, it is not necessary to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests except when there is probable cause to believe the individual has illegally re-entered the country AND the individual has been convicted of a felony or the individual has or is engaged in terrorist activity, and (2) Customs should not be provided access to individuals in local law enforcement custody for questioning solely for immigration enforcement purposes. Franklin, St. Lawrence and Wayne counties are sanctuary counties that do not honor customs' detainers without a signed judicial warrant. Charlie Greene Niles A record high crop output, along with record imports, has created a mayhem in pulses market, with farmers unable to sell pulses even at the minimum support price announced by the government. In FY17, the total import if pulses increased 19.9 per cent to 5.67 million tonnes, which, along with 22.14 million tonnes of crop, has improved the availability for the year by around 27.8 million tonnes, against the average normal consumption of 24 million tonnes. Notorious Afghan warlord and the leader of Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will arrive in Kabul on Thursday. Hezb-e-Islami spokesman Qarib-ur-Rehman Sayed said that full preparations have been made for the return of Hekmatyar to Kabul. The announcement came after the Ghani government on Tuesday released at least 50 prisoners of Hezb-e-Islami from Kabul's main jail Pul-e-Charkhi prison, reports Khaama Press. Sources in the presidential palace said that President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has signed a decree of the release of the first batch of Hezb-e-Islami prisoners, consisting almost 70 people. Hekmatyar will return to public life after more than 20 years in exile after an agreement with the Afghan government. The Afghan government has sought to reintegrate warlords like General Rashid Dostum, (currently vice president) in the post-Taliban era by granting judicial immunity for past crimes. Hekmatyar, the most controversial figure, will adopt a political role under a 25-point peace deal signed in September 2016 with President Ashraf Ghani. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sonam Kapoor was on Wednesday conferred with her first ever National Award as she was presented with a 'Special Mention' at the 64th National Film Awards held in New Delhi. Apart from Sonam, and her rumoured boyfriend Anand Ahuja, who was also present at the event, her father and 'ageless' actor Anil Kapoor was seemingly beaming with joy. Seen clicking pictures as Sonam received her award, AK surely made for an 'aww-dorable' moment at an otherwise serious event. "Nothing can be bigger than this award. President Pranab Mukherjee and the Government of India have given this award to Sonam, so this day is really big and important for me, my family and Sonam. It is a very well deserved award for 'Neerja'," the 60-year-old told ANI, as he emerged out of the ceremony. 'Neerja', released last year, narrates the story of Neerja Bhanot, a Pan Am purser, who lost her life while saving the passengers when the Pan Am was hijacked at Karachi airport on September 5, 1986. Meanwhile, Anil Kapoor was all praises for his 'Welcome' and 'Humko Deewaana Kar Gaye' co-star Akshay Kumar too. When asked about Kumar getting his first National award, he quipped, "Congartualtions to him! Der aaye par durust aaye!" Akshay was conferred with his first even National Award for his movie 'Rustom'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers have been arrested in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam. The arrested officers were identified as Helem Bhaskar Jyoti Devasarma, Bhaskar Dutta and Amit Sarma. The Dibrugarh Police arrested them after their answer sheets of the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examination were seized from the residence of Rakesh Paul. Paul is the former chairman of the commission who is believed to be the kingpin of the scam and is currently in jail. The accused are being interrogated in Kahilipara. According to the police, two sets of answer sheets of each of the three ACS officers were recovered from Paul's residence and the office of the APSC. Subsequent forensic tests confirmed duplicity. "The three were selected based on the duplicate assessment. There could be some other such persons involved and we will nab them all," Assam's Director General of Police (DGP) Mukesh Sahay said. Last year, the Dibrugarh Police had arrested an assistant engineer, Nabakanta Patir, after he was caught red-handed accepting bribes of Rs. 10 lakh from a lady dentist. He had approached her promising a government job through the APSC and demanded the money. But she tipped off the police leading to his arrest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Backing former defence minister A.K. Antony's statement where he called on the Centre to give a free hand to the Indian Army in giving an 'appropriate reply' to the mutilation of two Indian soldiers' bodies by Pakistan, the Congress Party on Wednesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is neither able to protect the border nor the bodies of soldiers who are sacrificing their lives. "The BJP Government has not even completed three years yet and till now three such unfortunate incidents have occurred. In total, the current government is neither able to protect the border nor they are able to protect the bodies of soldiers who are sacrificing their lives. This shows the seriousness of the saffron party," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told ANI. He further said that Antony is admired for his honesty, adding only one such incident had taken place under the UPA government for which it took necessary actions. Resonating similar sentiments, another Congress leader Oscar Fernandes said earlier only one such incident had happened but now this is happening repeatedly. "As per I recall, this is the third time that such incident has taken place for which the Indian Army must be given a free hand to act and put an end to such events," he added. Calling on the Centre to give a free hand to the Indian Army in giving an 'appropriate reply' to Pakistan's barbaric act in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector, Antony yesterday reminded that such an incident had happened only once under the Congress regime. While clarifying that he does not want to politicise the incident, Antony said, "During our time, only one such incident happened. The incident of mutilation happened only once in eight years. But here it has happened thrice. It has affected the morale of the Indian Army. It puts a question on the security structure. Give freedom to the army to take appropriate action at appropriate time." The former defence minister further reiterated that the government must give a free hand to the Army to handle it in their own way. "My message is clear: Give freedom to the Army to take appropriate action as a reaction to this cruel, inhuman, barbaric action by Pakistan," Antony told the media. Indian Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt yesterday raised the issue of Border Action Team (BAT) camps near the Line of control with his Pakistani counterpart. Bhatt also raised the issue of fire support provided by the Pakistani posts. "DGMO Indian Army conveyed that such dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response," the Indian Army said in a statement. Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) has highlighted that the brutal Krishna Ghati incident occurred post the visit of the Pakistan Army Chief to the Line of Control (LoC), adding that Islamabad's BAT, involved in the attack, comprised Mujahedeen terrorists as well. "I would not like to comment formally on this. But yes, everybody knows that this has taken place immediately after the visit of the Pakistan Army Chief to the frontal area," said BSF Additional Director General (ADG) Western Command K.N. Choubey. The Pakistani soldiers along with their Border Action Team (BAT), which include trained border inhabitants had launched a joint attack. They first fired rockets and followed this up with firing from automatic weapons, near Kranti Post located in Poonch's Krishna Ghati Sector around 8.30 a.m. The Pakistanis then crossed the LoC, entered 200 meters into Indian Territory, and attacked a joint patrol of the Army and Border Security Force (BSF), heading towards a nearby post. It is the same Krishna Ghati sector where the Pakistani BAT had beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj and badly severed the head of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh of 13 Rajputana Rifles on January 8, 2013. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for the declaration of Vijayawada Airport as international airport, as per the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The proposal will add to improved connectivity to the State capital. It will provide a wider choice of services at competitive costs to the air-travelers and give a boost to domestic and international tourism and ensure the socio-economic development of Andhra Pradesh by bringing in international passengers and cargo traffic. The declaration of Vijayawada Airport as an international airport has been taken up keeping in view the passenger traffic growth, demands from airlines and the Andhra Pradesh Government. The Airports Authority of India has undertaken upgradation of requisite infrastructure and facilities for international operations. The move follows the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, after which the capital Hyderabad, as well as the state's lone international airport situated in the city, were transferred to the new state of Telangana. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, which bifurcated the state into Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh, provided that the Centre must "examine the feasibility of expanding the existing Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports to international standards and take an expeditious decision thereon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the initiation of the process of disinvestment of hotels/properties of the India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ITDC). The decision on disinvestment has been made, keeping in view that running and managing hotels on professional lines is not the work of the government or its entities. Further, there has been considerable development in the hospitality sector in the country in past years, with world class hotels and all leading international chains of hotels present in the country and providing services and facilities of highest standards. As part of the disinvestment policy, it has been decided to lease/sub-lease the hotels / properties jointly with the concerned states or return the properties to the States, after fair valuation. The states would then have the option to upgrade and operate the Hotels by involving the private sector or to utilize the properties as per their requirements. States have exercised their options accordingly, in each case going forward with the option best suited to their needs, in line with the overarching principle that it is not the of Government to run or manage hotels. In the first stage of the disinvestment process, three hotels listed below have been taken up for disinvestment: (i) Hotel Lake View Ashok, Bhopal (ii) Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati (iii) Hotel Bharatpur Ashok, Bharatpur. In all three cases, the hotels / properties are being given back to the concerned states. In the case of Bhopal and Guwahati, ITDC is divesting its share of 51 percent in the joint venture company formed for operation of the hotels whereas in the case of Bharatpur, the unit which was only managed by ITDC is being returned to the state government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Once known as the world's heaviest woman, Eman Ahmed is set to be discharged from the Saifee hospital here on Thursday and will be shifted to Burjeel Hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Eman is "stable, in good health & fit to fly", said the e-mail issued by the VPS Burjeel Hospital to Saifee Hospital COO Huzefa Shehabi. Earlier, Eman Ahmed's sister Saimma Selim had alleged that Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, who has been treating the former, is not correct about his updates about Eman's health and recovery, adding that her sister has not recovered at all. "Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala is a liar and is not giving right/factual updates about Eman's recovery. Eman has not recovered a bit," Saimma said. However, when ANI approached Dr. Lakdawala to know the other side of the story, he denied all the allegations leveled against him by Saimma. In fact, the doctor said that Eman was doing well. The doctor also said that Saimma is creating a scene because she does not want to take her sister back to Egypt due to financial reasons. "Eman is fine and is doing good. She has recovered well and only a CT scan is to be done to ascertain her neurological condition." "Actually, Everything was right with Saimma for initial 15 days after Eman's treatment started but when she recovered and we suggested that she can be taken back to Egypt, Saimma started to create all this drama as she doesn't want to take her sister back to Egypt due to financial reasons," he told ANI. On April 21, 36-year-old Egyptian Eman Ahmed, who was the heaviest woman in the world at 500-plus kg, had lost 250kg in two months after undergoing surgery here at Saifee Hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gunmen today looted two banks, in separate incidents, in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, within few hours. In the first case of robbery, a few masked gunmen barged into the Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Wahibug village of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district and looted Rs. 5 lakh. The second incident took place at the Nehama branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. Two masked gunmen, earlier on Tuesday, had looted Rs. 65,000 from the same bank. A few days back, militants had opened fire at a cash delivery van of a bank in Kulgam, killing five police constables and two bank officials. The terrorists attacked the van when it was returning after dispensing cash to local bank branches. On April 28, alert security forces foiled a bid by two militants to loot a branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank (J-K Bank). One militant was arrested, while the other managed to flee. The incident happened when the bank's Mehandi Kadal branch employees had gone to offer Friday prayers and the branch appeared to be closed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Hyderabad Police on Wednesday arrested an Army Major in connection with the death of his wife, who allegedly committed suicide in a dowry case. Earlier, the wife of the officer was found hanging at their official quarters in Bolarum area. According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North Zone, Hyderabad B Sumathi, the Major was posted under 54th Infantry Division and his wife was a radio jockey. As per the initial information, it was speculated that the woman herself committed suicide and the case for the same was registered. However, the family members of his wife alleged that the Major had been harassing her for dowry, after which a case under section 304 (B) and SC/ST Act was registered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Wednesday said it has credible incriminating evidence to show that Pakistani forces crossed across the Line of Controlled to kill and mutilate two Indian Army soldiers. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, "The Indian side has sufficient evidence that this act was committed by personnel of the Pakistan Army who crossed the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector. The government also demanded that Pakistan take immediate action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for this heinous act." When questioned about the veracity of the evidence collected by India, Baglay said, "Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the LoC.Those who came from across the Line of Control did not come from Pakistan, they came from PoK, and secondly, it is obvious that they returned to where they came from, the trial of blood is of Pakistanis who came from across the border. In this case, it is the personnel." This morning, New Delhi summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, and lodged a protest against the killing and mutilation of Indian Army soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir. "Foreign Secretary summoned Pakistan High Commissioner, conveyed India's outrage, demands action against Pakistan soldiers and commanders responsible," said Baglay in a tweet. The Pakistan Army has denied India's charge of mutilating two of the latter's soldiers and described itself as a highly professional force that never disrespects any soldier. "Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation on the LoC or a BAT action in the Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghati Sector) as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies is also false," the Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) said in a statement. The Indian Army in its statement said, "Pakistan Army carried out unprovoked Rocket and Mortar firing on two forward posts on the line of control in Krishna Ghati Sector. Simultaneously, a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Sessions court on Wednesday quashed a lower court order that directed nine Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students to appear before it to record their consent or refusal for a lie-detector test in connection with a case of missing university student Najeeb Ahmed. Additional Sessions Judge Siddharth Sharma dismissed a magisterial court's order dated March 30 and rejected the notice of Delhi Police. The Sessions court also granted liberty to issue fresh notice related to lie detector test of the students as per guidelines. Patiala House Court Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass had earlier asked the students to appear before the court. The Delhi Police had issued a notice to the students and asked them to appear before it for a lie-detector test. After receiving the summons, the students had opposed the police's move. Earlier in February, the Delhi Police was pulled up by the Delhi High Court over their slow progress in the case and was asked to explore other prospects of probe like polygraph test of other persons connected with the disappearance of Ahmed as all other leads in this case have not yielded any good result. "The student had gone missing in October 2016; it is February now. Nearly four months have gone by and none of the leads are going anywhere. We asked for a polygraph test as the other leads have not yielded any results," the court observed. The High Court was hearing an application by one of the nine students, who are suspects in the case, seeking recall of the High Court's order dated December 14 and December 22, 2016. The application had alleged that by means of these two orders, the court was regulating the manner of investigation, which was prejudicing the probe and violating their rights under Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution. The applicant had also challenged a notice issued to him by the Delhi Police to appear before the trial court to give consent for a lie-detector test. The Delhi Government's counsel opposed the application, stating that the same student had moved a similar plea through another lawyer earlier and the High Court on January 23 disposed it off by asking the student to come forward. A habeas corpus plea was moved by Najeeb's mother, Fatima Nafees, who sought direction to trace her son who has been missing since the intervening night of October 14-15. Najeeb, 27, a first year M.Sc. student, went missing from his JNU hostel, allegedly after a row with members of RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Bill. Earlier, the Rajya Sabha passed four GST Bills without amendments setting the stage for the government for the launch on July 1. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the GST will lead to new tax regime. The four bills passed on April 6 - the Central GST bill, the Integrated GST bill, the Union Territories GST bill and the compensation law - have already been cleared by the Lok Sabha, where the government enjoys majority. Now, a state GST Bill will be presented in the state assemblies for their approval. The GST rates will be discussed by the powerful GST Council on May 18-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lashing out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal over the party's performance in the recently concluded Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, former party leader Yogendra Yadav said the campaign was more of a 'personal referendum' than a wholesome party campaign. "The whole of Delhi was filed with pictures and hoardings of Arvind Kejriwal alone. It had nothing to do with promoting the AAP. It looked like a personal referendum," Yadav told ANI here on Wednesday. "This is reflected in the party's performance. The people of Delhi voted against the AAP due to the inefficiency of the current government, not because they wanted to favour the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," Yadav added, taking a jibe at the BJP. Commenting on the turmoil within the party management, Yadav said that as a 'spectator', it is sad to see a change in the party's ideology from transparency and moral principles to a 'power tussle behind closed doors'. "I am neither a player nor a referee. As the spectator I can say that based on the current situation of AAP, it can be said that there is no difference between the party and its contemporaries as was the case two years ago," he said. Latest in the line of developments in the AAP is the suspension of Delhi legislator Amanatullah Khan, who had accused Kumar Vishwas of having been planted in the party by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Amanatullah,who had resigned from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) following a high-end meeting of the party members, now stands suspended from the party. The announcement of suspension was made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Vishwas will now be in-charge of Rajasthan affairs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, and demanded action against the Pakistan Army personnel responsible for the mutilation of two Indian Army soldiers at Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir. "Foreign Secretary summons Pak HC, conveys India's outrage, demands action against Pak soldiers and commanders responsible," said MEA official spokesperson Gopal Baglay in a tweet. However, the Pakistan Army on Monday denied India's charge of mutilating two of the latter's soldiers and described itself as a highly professional force that never disrespects any soldier. "Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation on LOC or a BAT action in Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghati Sector) as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies is also false," the Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) said in a statement. The Indian Army had earlier claimed that Pakistan mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers who were killed in a ceasefire violation in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector. The Indian Army confirmed the news by releasing a statement. "Pak Army carried out unprovoked Rocket and Mortar firing on two forward posts on the line of control in Krishna Ghati Sector. Simultaneously, a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday appealed to the youth of the state to help restore peace. Taking note of the recent mutilation of two Indian soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector by the Pakistan Army and the loot of two banks, Mehbooba said nothing to be achieved by such acts. "What do we achieve by looting of banks and killing of soldiers? What are we doing for our community? We are not letting children go to school. These soldiers who are working here and taking care of their families are murdered so brutally. The savings of the people are looted by assailants. I would like to urge the youth of the state to work towards bringing prosperity in the state. Help us in bringing an end to this chaos," Mehbooba said. Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh earlier today asserted that Pakistan was doing everything to create havoc in Kashmir. "The Pakistan Army is known for such cowardly acts. We condemn the killing and mutilating the bodies of two Indian soldiers in the Border Action Team (BAT) attack. Pakistan is doing everything in their power to create havoc in Kashmir by engineering such terror attacks," Singh told ANI. The Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers in Krishna Ghati sector, where they had beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj in 2013. The Indian Army confirmed the involvement of the BAT in the gruesome act beheading Indian soldier. Earlier today, terrorists looted Rs. 5 lakh from Ellaquai Dehati Bank's branch in Pulwama District's Wahibug village. A second similar incident took place in a bank in the Nehama Kakapora area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Once known as the world's heaviest woman, Eman Ahmed, is set to be discharged from the Saifee hospital here tomorrow and be shifted to the Burjeel Hospital in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Eman is "stable, in good health & fit to fly", said the e-mail issued by the VPS Burjeel Hospital to Saifee Hospital COO Huzefa Shehabi. Today the team of doctors from Saifee will brief the patient's relative and the team from VPS Burjeel about Eman's current medical status. Earlier Eman Ahmed's sister Saimma Selim had alleged that Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, who has been treating the former, was not correct about his updates on Eman's health and recovery status, adding that her sister has not recovered at all. "Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala is a liar and is not giving right/factual updates about Eman's recovery. Eman has not recovered one bit," Saimma had said. However, when ANI approached Dr. Lakdawala to know the other side of the story, he denied all allegations leveled against him by Saimma. In fact, the doctor said that Eman was doing well. Turning the tables, the doctor also said Saimma was creating a scene because she does not want to take her sister back to Egypt due to financial reasons. "Eman is fine and is doing good. She has recovered well and only a CT scan is to be done to ascertain her neurological condition. "Actually, everything was right with Saimma for the initial 15 days after Eman's treatment started, but when she recovered and we suggested that she can be taken back to Egypt, Saimma started to create all this drama as she doesn't want to take her sister back to Egypt due to financial reasons," he told ANI. On April 21, 36-year-old Egyptian Eman Ahmed, who was the heaviest woman in the world at 500-plus kilograms, had lost 250 kilograms in two months after undergoing surgery here at Saifee Hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Condemning the mutilation of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan Army along Line of Control (LoC) in the Krishna Ghati sector of the Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Wednesday asserted that Pakistan was doing everything to create havoc in Kashmir. "The Pakistan Army is known for such cowardly acts. We condemn the killing and mutilating the bodies of two Indian soldiers in the Border Action Team (BAT) attack. Pakistan is doing everything in their power to create havoc in Kashmir by engineering such terror attacks," Singh told ANI. Defending the Prime Minister Modi-led Government, Singh further stated that the Centre was serious over Pakistan's attack and would soon take steps to combat it. "The Government is under pressure right now with all the allegations by the Opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious over Pakistan's attack issue. He will soon be taking steps to combat terror issues," Singh said. The Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers in Krishna Ghati sector, where they had beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj in 2013. The Indian Army confirmed the involvement of the BAT in the gruesome act beheading Indian soldier. "Pak Army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts on the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector. Simultaneously, a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In a unsoldierly act by the Pak Army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded," read the Indian Army's statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani strongly reacted at the suicide attack in Kabul, stating that the terror groups were hiding their defeats by conducting such attacks. The Afghan President, in a statement, said the terrorist groups had suffered unprecedented losses during the operations of the Afghan security forces and such attacks in the capital showed that the terrorist groups were attempting to hide them, reported the Khaama. Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg also reacted on the attack on the NATO convoy, which had left at least eight civilians dead. Stoltenberg said, "I condemn the attack on the NATO convoy in Kabul. The fight against terrorism continues. My thoughts are with all those affected." The blast targetted a convoy of armoured personnel carriers of the Resolute Support Mission forces led by the NATO in Kabul. The ISIS-Khurasan offshoot of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group has claimed the responsibility for the deadly suicide attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHOENIX Come this summer, school superintendents and principals will be able to hire people without formal training to teach in their classrooms. Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday signed legislation to create new exceptions to laws which generally allow traditional public schools to hire people who have gone through traditional teacher training. There already are some exceptions which allow people to enter the classroom while they get their certification. But the governor has argued these portals are not wide enough. Ducey also contends the change in the law will help alleviate the shortage of teachers. No longer will an outdated process keep qualified, dedicated individuals out of the classroom, the governor said in a prepared statement. Instead, principals will now be empowered to make hiring decisions and attract the best individuals to serve our students. That contention has been battled by Democrats and some teacher groups who have argued the answer lies not in lowering standards but making the profession more attractive. That includes higher salaries. The governor's plan invites people without any preparation and without any classroom experience to educate our children, said Joe Thomas, president of the Arizona Education Association. And he argued in his statement the infusion of new teachers without proper training actually will harm what already takes place in schools. By signing this bill, the governor is further burdening our teachers with the additional responsibility of training new, unprepared colleagues how to teach, Thomas said. All this does is set up a churn-and-burn model of low-wage teachers who will continue to leave after a few years, and our children will continue to suffer for the profit of adults. But it's not just the Democrats who sought a veto. State schools chief Diane Douglas also said the legislation is a mistake. In my opinion, lowering the standards for new teachers is not the way to correct the problem, she said in a prepared statement. More to the point, Douglas said there already are alternate pathways to become a teacher. Douglas, a former member of the Peoria Unified School District governing board, also said that having knowledge of a specific specialty or discipline does not necessarily mean the ability to actually impart that wisdom to a class full of students. The school superintendent also has lined up against Ducey on the issue of not just pay for teachers but how to fund that. Both Douglas and Ducey support extending the 0.6-cent sales tax first approved by voters in 2000. It raises close to $600 million a year. Without either legislative action or a public vote, that will expire in 2020. The governor, however, once again reaffirmed this week he is not interested in expanding the levy. Instead he said one way of getting more money to teachers would be to reallocate how the proceeds are divided. That, however, would mean taking revenues away from others who have benefited from the tax, including universities and community colleges. Douglas, by contrast, said boosting the levy to a full penny would raise an additional $400 million. And she said if all of those new dollars are earmarked for teacher pay, that could mean an 11 percent increase in salaries. Ducey had originally proposed a 2 percent increase, but phased in at 0.4 percent for the next five years. That has so far proven politically unpalatable to most lawmakers who are currently looking at condensing the time frame to just two years, one percent immediately and an additional percent next school year. The governor on Tuesday signed separate legislation that expands an existing loan forgiveness program for people who go into teaching. Current law earmarks the program for those who go to schools in areas experiencing a teacher shortage. The new law alters that to focus on those who teach in a public school that is low-income, rural or located on an Indian reservation. Loan forgiveness also would be available to not only those who go through traditional teacher training programs but pursue certification through alternate programs. Former All India Anna Dravida Munneta Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary V.K. Sasikala has filed a review petition against her conviction in the Supreme Court. Sasikala had suffered a major jolt with the apex court upholding the trial court's judgement convicting her in the 21-year-old disproportionate assets case against her. With this, Sasikala stood disqualified to take over as Tamil Nadu chief minister after late J. Jayalalithaa's demise. The Karnataka Government had challenged the state High Court verdict acquitting Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and her two relatives - V.N. Sudhakaran and Elavarasi - for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs. 66.65 crore during her first term as the chief minister from 1991 to 1996. This development comes amid an enraging power struggle between the two warring factions of the AIADMK - one led by former chief minister O. Panneerselvam and current Chief Minister E. Palanisamy. The two factions, however, are now looking for a merger, talks of which gained ground after an FIR was registered against Sasikala's nephew and ousted party leader T.T.V. Dinakaran for bribing an Election Commission official for staking claim of the 'Two Leaves' party symbol, in the wake of the by-polls in the R.K. Nagar constituency. Following this, Sukesh Chandrasekhar, Dhinakaran's alleged middleman, was arrested by police for striking a deal of Rs. 50 crore to help the AIADMK faction keep the 'two leaves' poll symbol. The Panneerselvam-led group later categorically stated that the merger between the two factions would not be possible until an affidavit stating the removal of Sasikala and Dinakaran from the party is submitted to the Election Commission. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Shiv Sena on Wednesday criticised the Centre for being silent on the recent Krishna Ghati incident. "It was claimed that we would get 40 heads of Pakistan jawans for one head of our jawan, but nothing like this has happened as yet. The government is not of the Congress now, but ours. Instead of giving a befitting reply to Pakistan, we are getting a good bashing from it. If this does not end at the earliest, then the atmosphere of nation will be ruined," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI. Putting aside the option of surgical strike, Raut said it would further worsen the situation. "What will happen with a surgical strike? What happened when the previous surgical strike was done? It will even worsen the situation. If Pakistan was afraid of it, it would have not dared to kill our soldiers by entering our soil," he said. Shifting his focus to demonetisation, Raut said, "Terrorism and naxalism have increased due to demonetisation. Circulation of fake notes of Rs. 2,000 has already begun in the economy. There should be a debate on the policy and a decision be taken." On Tuesday, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said Prime Minister Modi was still talking about 'Mann ki Baat', when he should be talking about 'Gun ki Baat', hinting at a well-planned military strike against Pakistan. "Soldiers are dying on the border. Women are getting widowed, and our Prime Minister is still talking about his 'Mann ki Baat'. It's time he talked about ' Gun ki Baat'." On Monday, the Pakistan Army killed and mutilated two Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector of the Poonch district. The Indian Army said this despicable act of the Pakistan Army would be appropriately responded. Pakistan denied India's charges and described itself as a highly professional force that never disrespects any soldier. Earlier today, The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, and demanded action against the Pakistan Army personnel responsible for the mutilation of two Indian Army soldiers at Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad and asked the Union Law Minister to uphold the dignity of his office. Reacting to Prasad's comment that the TMC is scared by the BJP's emergence in West Bengal, party leader Derek O Brien told ANI, "I think he is crossing the line, economical on facts, sitting in Delhi with no knowledge of Bengal and making these hollow statements. I will appeal to the law minister to uphold the dignity of his office." Prasad said that the BJP is surging in the state making the TMC bewildered of its rising presence. "They have no clue about Bengal, because only a few months ago people of Bengal deliverer a strong message to the BJP, asking them to not come with their cheap communal politics, that was the message to the BJP," Brien said. Prasad attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing her party of abducting the tribal couple, whose house BJP chief Amit Shah had dined at, and forcefully making them supporters of the TMC. "Yesterday, the TMC workers kidnapped the tribal couple. Our BJP unit tried to register a case in Siliguri, but it was not registered, and today, we were informed that they have declared themselves to be supporters of the TMC," Prasad said. "It is indeed an tragedy of our times that Bengal for long years, was a victim of the overpowering fear and reckless violence of the Left, and now, it is a victim of reckless violence and overpowering fear of the TMC," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Palestinian militant outfit Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has said that United States President Donald Trump has an 'historic opportunity' to pressurise Israel to find an "equitable solution" for the Palestinian people. "The Trump administration has a greater threshold for boldness and the current scenario presents an historic opportunity to pressure Israel to find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people and it will be to the credit of the civilised and the American administration to stop the darkness that we have been suffering from for many years," Meshaal said in an interview to CNN in Doha. Recently, the Hamas unveiled a new policy document that nominally softens its official position on Israel, while still calling for the complete liberation of Palestine. Hamas chief said it accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders in the West Bank and Gaza strip. He also insisted that his movement was Palestinian National Liberation movement that adopts moderate Islam. The Hamas leader's comments are significant at this juncture as a meeting between Trump and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled for Wednesday at the White House . The Hamas, which was known as an extension and part of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement, is now making an attempt to improve its regional and international relations by adopting a softer stance. Moreover, during a February press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu, Trump had stated, "I'm looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like..I can live with either one." Negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians have been at a stalemate since April 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force (STF) raided over a dozen petrol pumps on Wednesday to check the sudden spurt of petrol theft in the state. The STF had earlier registered FIRs against seven petrol pumps and arrested 23 people for using cheating chips. As many as 15 electronic chips and 29 remote controls have been recovered from the seven petrol pumps. Earlier this week, the special task force raided over a dozen petrol pumps to check theft of petrol in state capital Lucknow. STF sleuths found that a chip board-like device worth Rs. 3,000 was placed inside the petrol dispensing machine, which did the job. Receiving a tip-off from an informer, STF sleuths apprehended electrician Ravinder who had developed that chip which helped petrol pump owners and staff to sell less petrol but at the original price. According to reports, Ravindra had sold this chip to over 1,000 petrol pump owners across Uttar Pradesh. On raiding at least eight pumps in the city, three at Sitapur Road and one each in the Cantonment area, Chinhat at Kamta crossing, Samta Mulak crossing in Gomtinagar and KGMU, all were found to be using the said chip. After conducting a thorough investigation, the STF team arrested Ravindra, several petrol pump workers and owners. A customer told ANI, "We are very satisfied and happy. The government should continue this good work. I suggest strict action should be taken against wrong doers." Another customer suggested that raids should be conducted at every petrol pump. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On 03 May 2017 Arcee Industries announced that Vishesh Kumar Chugh, has resigned from the post of Company Secretary & Compliance Officer on 03 May 2017. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Of Rs 2.5 per share Kansai Nerolac Paints announced that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 2 May 2017, inter alia, have recommended the final dividend of Rs 2.5 per equity Share (i.e. 250%) , subject to the approval of the shareholders. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Punjab National Bank Ms Usha Ananthasubramanian presented a cheque of Rs. 29.85 lakh to Defence Minister Shri Arun Jaitley as donation towards the Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund, here today. Financial assistance will be provided to the families of the Army Battle Casualties out of this fund. The amount was contributed by the employees of the Madhya Bihar Gramin Bank, which is sponsored by the Punjab National Bank. While accepting the cheque, Shri Jaitley appreciated the concern shown by the employees of the Bank towards the families of the defence personnel who have sacrificed their lives for the country and expressed his confidence that such efforts will be continued by them towards this noble cause. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On 02 May 2017 MSR India announced that Dr. Copper - World's first seamless copper water bottle was officially launched on 02 May 2017 in Hyderabad. Dr Copper, was launch in January 2017. It is test marketed in Hyderabad and about One lakh bottles were sold in a period of three months. The Company plans to increase production from 18 lakh per annum to 36 lakh per annum in next six months, by ramping up production by 1.5 lakh per month from the next month onwards. Dr Copper is available at a price of Rs 799/-. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oil India fell 0.11% to Rs 328.70 at 11:37 IST on BSE, with the stock reversing intraday gains triggered by the company announcing two hydrocarbon discoveries in the Moran Petroleum Mining Lease in the Upper Assam basin. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 2 May 2017. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 16.96 points, or 0.06%, to 29,904.22. On BSE, so far 17,000 shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volume of 49,543 shares in the past one quarter. The stock was off day's high. The stock hit a high of Rs 333.65 and a low of Rs 328.05 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 367.43 on 11 January 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 239.81 on 5 May 2016. The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 801.51 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10. Oil India through its exploratory efforts has made two hydrocarbon discoveries in the Moran Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) in the Upper Assam basin in the month of April 2017 in the wells Borbhuibil-1 and Lakwagaon-1. The feasibility of bringing the discovery on production at the well Borbhuibil-1 at the earliest is under study. The Lakwagaon-1 well is currently on production. The discoveries have opened up avenue for further exploration of already identified leads / prospects in the area, Oil India said. Oil India's net profit rose 18.82% to Rs 454.69 crore on 7.1% rise in net sales to Rs 2376.37 crore in Q3 December 2016 over Q3 December 2015. Oil India is a premier oil company engaged in the business of exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, transportation of crude oil and production of LPG. The company also provides various E&P related services and holds 26% equity in Numaligarh Refinery. The Government of India held 66.6% stake in Oil India as per the shareholding pattern as on 31 March 2017. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHOENIX A first-term lawmaker says it's time to reconsider the 30-year-old requirement that students make it at least to the tenth grade before they can drop out of high school. In fact, Rep. Paul Mosley, R-Lake Havasu City, questions whether any parent should ever be forced to send a child to public school, at any age. Mosley, who attended public schools and has a bachelor's degree in business management, said he's not anti-education. But he told Capitol Media Services the current system of forcing children to go to school and forcing their parents to send them there is not creating a better educated society. Do you know what our dropout rate is? he asked when queried about his position. One of the highest in the world. And Mosley said Arizona, with more than 40,000 people behind bars, has among the highest incarceration rates in the world. And we spent $1.1 billion every year, he said. So how's compulsory education working for us? More to the point, Mosley said he believes there's a nexus between compulsory education and incarceration. Maybe we'd value education more, he said, seeing it as a privilege instead of something for which there is no choice. Maybe we'd value the actual free education that the state offers to the children of Arizona, Mosley said, with the students who are in schools voluntarily more interested in learning what they can. As a starting point, Mosley said lawmakers should consider going back to the way the law was in the early 1980s when an eighth grade education was considered sufficient and allowed someone to quit school, no matter the age. Current law requires completion of 10th grade. But in any event, a student can drop out at age 16. Various prior efforts to boost the age requirement were rebuffed amid arguments that forcing older students to remain in classes where they did not want to be would only cause disruption for everyone else. All that, said Mosley, goes in the wrong direction. And that, he said, goes back to his belief that parents don't value education. It might have to do with the state taking the parents' responsibility from the parents, Mosley said. So now it's not the parents' responsibility to educate their children, he continued. It's the state's responsibility because the state took it from the parents. The question of whether Mosley translates his philosophy into actual legislation next year to repeal compulsory education remains up in the air. I'd love to if I could get the support, he said. The first-term lawmaker Mosley backs up his stance about the problems with compulsory education with quotes from various historical figures. That includes Thomas Jefferson who in 1817 proposed legislation in Virginia for several years of basic public education but was against compulsory education beyond that. Mosley acknowledged that nothing in Arizona law actually forces parents to send their children to traditional public schools. Arizona has an extensive network of privately operated, tuition-free charter schools. There also are true private and parochial schools as well as the opportunity for parents to home-school their children. But Mosley said that home-school option for parents proves his point. All they have to do is sign a waiver, he said. So what's the point of compulsory education if you can just sign a waiver? State schools chief Diane Douglas declined to respond to Mosleys comments but said she would weigh in if and when he actually introduces such legislation next session. To launch 'SARAL GST' solution for taxpayers in the GST regime Reliance Industries announced that its subsidiary, Reliance Corporate IT Park has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SAP SE to launch 'SARAL GST' solution for taxpayers in the GST regime. The offering will enable taxpayers to be GST compliant and smoothly access the Government's GST System, once GST is rolled out from July 1, 2017. SARAL GST will leverage the expertise of RCITPL as GST Suvidha Provider (GSP) and SAP as Application Service Provider (ASP). Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least eight civilians and an attacker were killed here on Wednesday in a suicide bomb attack on a convoy of the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The explosion took place around 7.45 a.m. in the central part of Kabul, near the US embassy, Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid told EFE news. Three foreign soldiers and 25 civilians were wounded in the attack. "Three coalition members were wounded. All sustained non-life threatening wounds, are in a stable condition and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities," NATO spokesperson William K. Salvin said. "Deeply saddened by the terrorist attack killing innocent civilians in Kabul. I condemn the attack and stand in solidarity with the victims," Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah tweeted. No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An ailing Congress President Sonia Gandhi should quickly appoint her son Rahul Gandhi as party chief since the delay is only helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieve his ambition of a Congress-free India, a Congress leader said on Wednesday. "If Sonia Gandhi is sick, she should not make (the) Congress sick and thus help Modi to ensure a Congress-mukt Bharat," former Goa Congress President John Fernandes said. "If she wants to give leadership mantle to Rahul Gandhi, she should do it quickly because she is sick," Fernandes added. He also faulted the Congress high command for not holding an All India Congress Committee session for three years, after the defeat in the 2014 General Elections which, he said, was only harming the party. "The Congress should not be sick. The Congress can bounce back if there are workers like me and we work together. The Congress will come back because the people want the Congress. And the Goa election is an indicator," the two-term Rajya Sabha MP said. Fernandes was appointed state party chief in 2013 after the Congress rout in the 2012 assembly elections. He was subsequently replaced by Luizinho Faleiro in 2014. Reacting to Fernandes' statement, Goa Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said the comments had been taken seriously by the party and would be "reviewed" at an upcoming state executive committee meeting. "Fernandes's opinion about whether the honourable Congress President should continue in the post or not is not binding on the party and her," Kawthankar quipped. --IANS maya/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh will sign 'sister state' agreements with states of California, Iowa and Illinois during Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's visit to US, it was announced on Wednesday. A high-level delegation led by Naidu is leaving for the US on Thursday for a week-long visit aimed at inviting investment. Naidu would meet who's who in sectors like information technology, agriculture and education. The 'sister state' agreements are expected to facilitate closer interactions and investments in a wide range of sectors, said an official statement. California which shares many similarities with Andhra Pradesh is a power house of information technology and through the proposed agreement; Andhra Pradesh believes that it can share the best practices in areas of IT, agriculture and innovation. The sister state agreement with Iowa is expected to facilitate technology sharing in the field of agriculture. Andhra is keen on enabling transfer of smart technologies with the government of Illinois. The delegation will visit Tesla Factory in Fremont in San Francisco, which is one of the world's most advanced automobile manufacturing facilities in the world. On May 8, Naidu will receive the 2017 US-India Business Council's "Transformative Chief Minister Awarda in California. The award is being bestowed upon him for advancing the US-India partnership at the state level. The Chief Minister is scheduled to hold several meetings with a number of CEOs, besides making field visits to Apple, Google, CISCO, Oracle and other campuses in the Silicon Valley. Naidu along with the Governor of California will be present during the signing of the MoU on global climate between the governments of Andhra Pradesh and California. The Chief Minister will also address the Telugu NRIs on two occasions to exhort them to contribute their mite in the development of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu would attend the dinner meeting being hosted by John Chambers, Executive Chairman, CISCO and would hold a breakfast meeting with representatives of the Stanford University. He will also visit the Franklin Tempelton Office. The delegation will include Naidu's son and Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh, Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu and senior officials. --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bangladesh will be hosting the next Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers' meeting in the second half of 2018, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed. The senior officials meeting preparatory to the 44th Session of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of OIC took this decision on Tuesday at Jeddah, bdnews24 reported. The Foreign Ministry also said that a draft resolution was "unanimously" accepted welcoming the bid of Bangladesh for hosting the 45th session of the CFM of the 57-member organisation. Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque led Bangladesh at the senior officials meeting. Among a number of resolutions, one on the topic of Rohingya minority was also addressed. Through this resolution the member states expressed their 'serious concern' over the situation of Rohingya Muslim population in the Northern Rakhine State of Myanmar. OIC has asked for an early implementation of recommendations given by the Advisory Commission on Northern Rakhine State led by Kofi Annan, and also restoration of Citizenship Act of Myanmar to provide opportunity to Muslim minorities there and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to the Northern Rakhine State. The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary also called on the OIC Secretary-General Yousef A Al-Othaimeen on the sidelines of the meeting. --IANS akansha/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of Border Security Force trooper Ram Sagar, killed by the Pakistani Army in Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated at his native Deoria on Wednesday. Earlier Sagar's inconsolable and angry family had refused to cremate his mortal remains until Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited them. Officials informed that the Chief Minister spoke to the bereaved family late on Tuesday night and extended his sympathies to them. He also assured them a visit before the 'terhvi' (the thirteenth day post-death ritual observed by the Hindus). Angry villagers had blocked rail traffic for several hours in protest on Tuesday evening in Deoria. Adityanath is also learnt to have assured a "befitting memorial" honouring Sagar and a primary school in the village to commemorate him. Head Constable Sagar along with Punjab's Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member patrol team near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district when they were suddenly attacked by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) on Monday. Not only were Sagar and Singh killed brutally but their bodies were also mutilated. The act angered the armed forces who have since promised of a "befitting response". --IANS md/in/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China has hired more than 20,000 people to build the country's online version of national encyclopaedia to compete with Wikipedia, media reports said. The Chinese Wikipedia will be launched in 2018 and will feature 300,000 entries at about 1,000 words each, the BBC reported. The Wikipedia of China will be created by select scholars from state-run universities unlike the original Wikipedia that is openly editable by volunteers. Currently, Wikipedia is available in China but some of its contents are blocked. "The Encyclopaedia of China is not a book but a Great Wall of culture," the report quoted Yang Muzhi, the editor-in-chief of the project, as saying. According to Muzhi, China faces international pressure to produce its own platform to guide "the public and society". The Encyclopaedia of China already exists in paper form that was first published in 1993. Its second edition was released in 2012. However, the government has been accused of distorting and omitting facts and some entries for political purposes. "The need for information in China makes people use Wikipedia through the usual anti-filtering tools and this is far from ideal for an authoritarian state. "So, this initiative is to attract more users towards the state-approved content," said Taha Yasseri, a research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute. Last week, Turkish authorities banned access to Wikipedia in the country without giving any particular reasons. Aiming to provide better information about the country than what was already available on the Wikipedia, Russia in 2014 announced plans for an alternative version of the online encyclopaedia. --IANS qd/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stressing the importance of preventive healthcare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged people not to litter so as to make India clean. "I am sure the day the 125 crore people take a pledge to make India clean, the day won't be far when the entire country will become clean," he said here. The Prime Minister was speaking at the inauguration here of a state-of-art, multi-crore research facility run by Baba Ramdev's Patanjali group. Modi also found fault over what he said was the neglect of India's traditional forms of medicine like Ayurveda. "While pre-independence period witnessed attempts to destroy India's indigenous and traditional arts and forms of healthcare like Ayurveda, a large part of post-independence period was spent in neglecting them." Modi lamented that the indifference led to foreign countries acquiring patents. "The world now is not just content with curing diseases but there is more emphasis on wellness and preventive healthcare. The best way to ensure and promote preventive healthcare is cleanliness," he said. "If we resolve to be clean, if we resolve not to litter or spread dirt and filth, we can save more lives than a doctor does. Cleanliness is the way ahead to make India disease free. "Our ancestors spent their lives making innovations and turning these innovations useful for humanity. "We must never forget that innovative spirit and continue making efforts to develop our traditional techniques and methods," Modi added. The Prime Minister remarked that he felt blessed to have prayed at the Lord Kedarnath temple earlier in the day. He lauded the efforts of Ramdev in popularizing yoga and Ayurveda. "I am fortunate I have seen Baba Ramdev from close quarters. I can say that his real wealth is his commitment to people's health." While not much research was done in other fields, Modi said work done by the new generation in IT had indeed drawn global attention towards India. Earlier, soon after his arrival in the Uttarakhand capital, Modi flew by a chopper to Kedarnath and then came to Haridwar. Ramdev felicitated the Prime Minister by calling him 'Rashtra Rishi' and said the work done by him was winning followers across the globe. --IANS and-md/mr/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Militants looted Rs 4.92 lakh from a rural bank branch in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Wednesday, police said. Unidentified gunmen entered the Wahibug village branch of Ellaquai Dehati Bank (Regional Rural Bank) in Pulwama district and looted the money at gunpoint, police said. On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen looted Rs 65,000 from another branch of the same bank in Kulgam district. On Monday, militants killed seven people, including five policemen and two bank guards, when they attacked a cash van in Kulgam district. --IANS sq/ahm/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked why chewing of tobacco should not be banned, as such a step will put an end to the problem posed by "gutkha" and "pan masala". Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) whether banning of chewing tobacco had been taken up by the Centre or any of the state governments. The court was hearing an application moved by a tobacco manufacturing company challenging the Delhi government notification banning "gutkha". The court also asked FSSAI whether it was considering banning chewing of tobacco on its own, adding that if it did, the whole problem would be over. The court issued notice to the Delhi government and FSSAI and asked them to file replies. The court listed the matter for May 11 for further hearing. --IANS akk/nir/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after acourt sent a Supreme Court lawyer to five days police custody in connection with the "honey-trap" of a BJP MP, Delhi Police, which is probing the matter, on Wednesday said it had found that she had extorted over 20 politicians leveling charges of sexual assault and molestation. Police said the police teams went to the woman's residence and found hidden cameras which she installed in her bedroom. She used to first call prominent businessman and politicians including MPs, MLAs at her house in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram, develop a physical relationship by mutual consent or making her targets drunk and captured their private moments with the help of CCTV cameras. "The woman has extorted over 20 politicians and some businessman during last couple of years. She had in 2014 extorted money from a Uttrakhand MP after filing a false complaint against him of molesting her and criminal intimidation," said a senior police officer. She had in 2016 also leveled similar charges against senior politician, Shadi Lal Batra. But when police had started investigating the case she later denied her charges and backed off to avoid legal action against her, the officer said. In some other cases it has been found that she only leveled charges against some politicians after they refused to accept her extortion demands of huge sum of money to the tune of crores, the officer said. "Police are trying to ascertain how many politicians and businessman she had duped with using similar charges. We are suspecting that she and her other accomplices are involved in other cases too," the officer added. The police teams are also examining her LLB and LLM degrees too, he said. A court of Special Judge Judge Hemani Malhotra allowed Delhi Police to quiz the lawyer for five days after Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava told court that police required custodial interrogation of the woman to unearth the entire conspiracy. He added that interrogation of the woman will help in recovering visuals captured by her in her mobile phone, as well help in recovering call detail record, bank accounts and other details. Police also told the court that woman is required to take her native place - Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh - for investigation and they are also trying to identify other accused involved in the case. Police alleged that woman was not co-operating in the investigation which was opposed by hher defence counsel who said that she had become victim of filing a criminal complaint against BJP MP, K.C. Patel. --IANS sp/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 75 best hackers will come together at ICT4D Data Jam to come out with technology solutions for some of the challenges faced by farmers, a statement said on Wednesday. The two-day hackathon on May 12-13 will be held at ICRISAT at Patancheru near Hyderabad. Best hackers whether data entrepreneurs, data analysts, IT professionals or academics will put data to work to find solutions to how technology can better address the development challenges facing India today, said a statement from the organisers. Hackers will be set an agriculture and environment challenge and provided with related datasets and APIs to hack solutions in the 48-hour period. "Participants will think through tough questions about how technology and data can meet the needs of farmers and the environment, and how we can overcome common pitfalls of 'tech for ag' projects," it said. Winning teams will each win up to $1,000 and the chance to get access to up to $15,000 in donated business and consultancy services as well asAmembership at the newly-opened ICRISAT iHub. The ICT4D Data Jam is being held in partnership with the ICT4 Conference, ICRISAT, aWhere, AGDA Group, A-M-Z Group and the Hack4Farming series. "India's farmers are the backbone of the economy; they account for a large proportion of the working population and agriculture contributes around 16 percent to the nation's GDP. Like all other business people farmers need to maximise their profits and minimise risk, yet they face unique challenges in doing so," said the statement. ICRISAT's Head, Digital Agriculture & Strategic Initiatives Ram Dhulipala said: "Low-cost smartphones and tablets, drones, improved weather data collection services, the Aadhar system, social media, and mobile money are all paving the way for easier access to information for rural farmers, but we need data innovators to connect the dots and hack the next big thing for digital farming. "The ICT4D Data Jam gives just that chance and we are confident that Hyderabad, as a hub of Indian innovation, will deliver the answer." --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and China, part of the Like-Minded Developing Countries group, have favoured greater transparency in climate negotiations in Germany's Bonn next week as these are crucial ahead of the Paris climate change agreement COP23, climate negotiators said on Wednesday. The countries called for the 46th session on Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 46) to take up the matter of transparency and conflict of interest in its discussions while making a strong proposal to tackle the menace. Citing a Corporate Accountability International report released in Germany on Tuesday, an Indian negotiator said there are close to 250 groups, organisations, associations and trade bodies that have access to influence and hamper the climate negotiation process. Most of these groups are funded by the same industries responsible for climate change, he contended. The Corporate Accountability International report investigated six of the many fossil fuel- funded lobbies that are being allowed to "undermine" the climate negotiations process at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It names the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Mining Association, the Business Roundtable, FuelsEurope, the Business Council of Australia and the International Chamber of Commerce, as six industry associations that have been found to have stymieing climate action. An official associated with the Indian negotiation team told IANS last year a similar call was made by countries representing nearly 70 percent of the world population. However, it was met with intense opposition from the European Union, Australia as well as the US. This year, with the whispers of a possible backtracking by the US on the commitments it made in the Paris agreement, the call for identifying groups funded by fossil fuel industry and impeding climate action is growing even stronger, he said. "Right now hundreds of business trade associations have access to the climate talks, and many of them are funded by some of the world's biggest polluters and climate change deniers," said Corporate Accountability International's International Policy Director Tamar Lawrence-Samuel. "With so many arsonists in the fire department, it's no wonder we've failed to put the fire out." To limit the reach of such groups, the Like-Minded Developing Countries group, in its submission for the Bonn negotiations, suggested an example of WHO Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors, which not only provides for participation of non-state actors but also of protecting against "conflict of interest", "reputational risk" as well as "undue influence". The group proposes that UNFCCC develops a legal framework for non-state actors and non-party stakeholders in climate negotiation process related to implementation of the Paris Agreement. Climate negotiators are gathering in Bonn May 8-18 to develop a "rulebook" in order to translate the Paris Agreement into action against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump mulling a possible pullout of the landmark agreement. The Paris Agreement aims to limit average global warming to 2 degrees Celsius by cutting greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels. --IANS vg/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Kazakhstan held a meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism here on Wednesday, exchanging views on prevailing regional terrorist threats including state-sponsored, cross-border terrorism in the Af-Pak region. "As strategic partners, India and Kazakhstan held the fourth meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism. Both sides assessed and exchanged views on prevailing terrorist threats in their respective regions including state-sponsored, cross-border terrorism in the Af-Pak region," said an External Affairs Ministry release. It said that delegations held "useful discussions" on the current challenges posed by various terrorist entities, radicalisation, foreign terrorist fighters, drug trafficking and misuse of cyber space for terrorist purposes. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) and Kazakhstan delegation by A.D. Smagulov, Ambassador on Special Missions. The two sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation through exchange of information, capacity building, mutual legal assistance, sharing of best practices on countering violent extremism and cooperation in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. --IANS ps/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The central government on Wednesday approved a cooperation agreement between India and Spain in the civil aviation sector. The decision to approve the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the sphere of civil aviation was taken by the Union Cabinet, whose meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The MoU signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between India and Spain, and has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries," the Union Cabinet said in a statement. --IANS rv/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of next month's crucial elections in Great Britain, Mumbai-based author and filmmaker Pankaj Dubey has joined the Labour Party. Welcoming him, Labour Party General Secretary Iain McNicol said members like (Dubey) would be the party's greatest strength, especially during a general election. Thanking him for "joining at this most important time", McNicol said in a letter that "We must keep our movement growing to ensure we are as strong as possible on (election day) June 8." British Prime Minister Theresa May announced a snap poll in a very volatile political situation in the backdrop of Brexit. "I shall soon meet Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and brief him on issues pertaining to the Indian Diaspora in the UK and my plans to work among them," Dubey, 38, told IANS here today on Wednesday. "I decided to join the UK's Labour Party as I think I can relate quite organically with its vision, modus operandi and 'all inclusiveness'." He said the Labour party has launched a drive to invite people to join it from across Commonwealth countries. "I am ecstatic to share the fact that the Labour Party is open to members coming from across the Commonwealth landscape globally," Dubey added. Dubey said he is not averse to settling down in the UK and fighting elections there in the future. He acquired his lawyer degree from University of Delhi followed by a Masters in Applied Communication from Coventry School of Art & Design, England. Born in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Dubey is a best-selling bilingual novelist and filmmaker known for his books "What A Loser!" and "Ishqiyapa - To Hell With Love." A former journalist with BBC in London and the Resident Editor of Pravasi Today magazine for Indian Diaspora, Dubey said he later moved into filmmaking and is currently working on a couple of titles. He was instrumental in organizing India's first street film fest for slum and rural kids, 'Sadak Chhaap Film Festival' around seven years ago. --IANS qn/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 30th Tehran International Book Fair opened here with Italy as a special guest of this year's event. Italian President Sergio Mattarella in a message on Tuesday said he felt honoured that his country was the special guest of the cultural event, Xinhua news agency reported. According to him, this will be a turning point in the history of cultural cooperation between the two countries. Iran's parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said "this cultural event shows Iranians' interest in learning, as paying due attention to wisdom is highly recommended in Islamic thought". The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Reza Salehi Amiri, said his ministry was planning to entrust the task of organising the book fair to the publishers in the future. "To achieve such goals, we should know how our libraries, publications and the technology are run and we intend for the non-governmental organisations active in producing, distributing and selling books," he said. "The increasing number of book publications indicates the growing change in Iran's publication industry. The fair needs to offer new innovations and pave the way for more Iranian publishers to participate in the international arena," he added. The book fair will be held from May 3 to 13 in the southern district of Tehran. The theme of this year's event is "Read one more book". Publishers from 32 countries will attend the event. --IANS py/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also holds the Defence portfolio, has delayed by two days his travel to Japan for the Asian Development Bank's annual meet starting on Thursday amidst India-Pakistan tensions, official sources said on Wednesday. "The situation is tense, after the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers. So he (Jaitley) has delayed his programme," a highly placed source in the Finance Ministry told IANS. "FM will tentatively reach Japan on May 6 and return on May 9," the source added. The Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 50th annual meeting will be held in Yokohama, Japan from May 4-7. Meanwhile, the delegation consisting of Economic Affairs Secretary Shakitkanta Das and other joint secretaries has already left to attend the ADB meet. "There are 3-4 types of meetings. Some are being attended by Secretary Das, some by the Joint Secretary and some require the presence of the Finance Minister. He will arrive on May 6 and attend his meetings. If any of the meetings are missed by him then the Secretary can attend on his behalf," the source said. India-Pakistan tensions have escalated in the wake of Monday's killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir. India on Wednesday said it has provided Pakistan with "actionable evidence" of the involvement of the Pakistani Army in the incident that again flared bilateral diplomatic tensions. Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and conveyed India's outrage over the "barbaric act". --IANS mm/rn/vsc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eminent film director and actor Kasinathuni Viswanath received a standing ovation as President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday presented him the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country's highest award in cinema. The award is given by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. The 87-year-old attended the presentation ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan here, and received a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl. "I am honoured to receive the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award. I'd like to thank the Almighty and of course the jury members," Viswanath, a winner of multiple National Awards, said after receiving the honour. Clippings of his works were showcased before he took the stage. Vishwanath has directed 50 films, known for their strong content, endearing narrative, honest handling and cultural authenticity. Some of his major Hindi films include "Sargam", "Kaamchor", "Sanjog", "Jaag Utha Insan" and "Eeshwar". Born in February 1930 at Gudivada (in what is now Andhra Pradesh), Viswanath has won five National Awards, 20 Nandi Awards (awarded by the Andhra Pradesh government), and 10 Filmfare Awards including Lifetime Achievement Award. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 1992. His National Award winning movie "Swati Mutyam (The White Pearl)" was India's official entry to the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category in 1987. --IANS nn-rb/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Calcutta High Court Justice C.S. Karnan, whom the Supreme Court ordered to undergo a medical examination, is scheduled to visit a state-run hospital here on Thursday, a source said on Wednesday. Karnan would visit the Calcutta Pavlov Hospital and would be checked whether he was mentally fit to defend himself, the hospital source said. "We have received the Supreme Court order for Justice Karnan's medical check-up. He is supposed to come to our hospital tomorrow (Thursday)," he added. The medical board for Karnan's check-up would be set up by the state secretariat Nabanna and the details would be sent to them by Wednesday evening, the hospital authority said. The apex court passed the order to the Director of Health Services, from where it was on passed to the state secretariat. "We are not taking any decision internally for the check-up," the source said. "The responsibility of escorting the judge has been given to the Kolkata Police Commissioner's office," he added. A seven-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar on Monday directed the constitution of a medical board to examine Karnan on May 4 and submit the evaluation report on May 8. Karnan has been engaged in a over three-month long standoff with the apex court. He has termed the medical examination order as "ridiculous". Karnan is facing contempt charges for degrading the judiciary and making allegations of corruption against several Supreme Court judges. --IANS mgr/ssp/in/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas on Wednesday arrived at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence to attend the party's political affairs committee (PAC) meeting. The meeting is aimed at taking some key decisions on the infighting and structural changes in the organisation. The rift within the AAP deepened on Tuesday after founder member Vishwas accused senior leaders of conspiring against him. In a bid to pacify Vishwas, Kejriwal on Tuesday night reached his house in Ghaziabad where senior AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, were already present. After a brief talk, Kejriwal left for his residence at Civil Lines along with Vishwas. Vishwas has alleged a conspiracy against him and indicated his possible exit from the party. Sisodia, a childhood friend of the poet-politician hit back saying Vishwas should have used proper forum to raise his concerns. "I know I will be targeted. The efforts to tarnish my image will be made. But let me tell those conspirators that I will not allow you to do so," Vishwas said defying a party request not to rake up issues in the media. The poet did not take any name but his target was clear. Vishwas earlier dubbed Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who accused him of being a "BJP-RSS agent", as a "mask" behind those ganging up against him. Khan on Sunday alleged that Kumar Vishwas was conspiring to break the party and plotting a coup against Kejriwal. Pledging to keep highlighting the AAP's mistakes, Vishwas said he would continue to speak in the interest of the country. Asked if he would quit the AAP, he responded: "I will decide tonight and will soon tell you." He said he would not join any other "political party or Swaraj Andolan". Vishwas broke down while speaking. "I had not joined the movement for this." The AAP fielded Sisodia, a Kejriwal confidant, to counter the allegations. He slammed his former colleague for speaking publicly. "Rather than making statements on TV channels, he should have raised his concerns within the party forum. He should come and attend the PAC meet." Sisodia said Vishwas was never asked to apologise for a video he released last month in which, among other things, he made oblique criticism of the AAP. "No one asked him to apologize. He made it personal." "The party does not belong to Arvind, to me or to Kumar but to lakhs of workers in India and abroad," Sisodia told reporters. Sisodia said he and Sanjay Singh went to meet him, but Vishwas still skipped an AAP leadership meeting on Monday. "Everyone knows who is benefiting" from his public remarks. Vishwas has subtly attacked Kejriwal, accusing him of raising questions on the surgical strike by the Indian Army last year on terrorists in Pakistani territory. "If we made mistakes and gave a 'wrong message' which lowered the morale of our soldiers, then we need a course correction," he said. --IANS am-aks/py/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) professionals, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, adopted a resolution to strive for upholding freedom of independent journalism as well as condemning violence faced by journalists at the workplace and in society, globally as well as within India. At a panel discussion organized by the Indian Women's Press Corps to mark World Press Freedom Day, senior professionals "expressed concern over the shrinking of spaces for the media", a statement said. "They recognised that the challenges had become far more acute for professionals in the era of neo-liberalisation" and expressed "concern over the violence and insecurity of employment faced by a large number of journalists and called upon the journalist community to take on these challenges collectively". "Issues relating to the corporatisation of the media, the imposition of a certain kind of a discourse as well as challenges thrown up by the social media were also discussed," the IWPC statement said. The panelists included senior columnist Neerja Choudhary; "Wire' Founder Editor Siddharth Varadarajan, 'Jansatta' Editor Mukesh Bharadwaj and RSTV CEO, Gurdeep Sappal. The meeting was presided by IWPC president Shobhna Jain. The resolution was moved and adopted at the meeting. "On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the meeting resolves to strive for upholding freedom of independent journalism in the interests of the creation of a just, fair, democratic and humane society. "The meeting condemns a) the acts of violence faced by journalists at the workplace and in society, globally as well as within India; b) the deterioration in working conditions, unfair terms of contract and employment. "It calls on journalists to come together as a collective to uphold their rights and freedoms. It calls upon the government to uphold the rule of law in media establishments and to take steps that guarantee social security, decent wages and ensure an environment where journalists can work in free and fair conditions in the interests of upholding democracy." --IANS rn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) American band Metallica is set to stream a snippet of their final tour rehearsal in a special, "Now That We're Live", on May 9 on Facebook Live. The band will perform four full tracks - including current single "Now that we're dead" - from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, where they'll begin the North American leg of their WorldWired Tour the following night, May 10, reports rollingstone.com. After the livestream, "Now That We're Live" will be available to watch on demand through Metallica's website and the band's Facebook page. Members of Metallica's fan club, Fifth Member, can enter to win a chance to attend the rehearsal through the band's website. During the livestream, fans will be able to donate to Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation, which raises money for an array of charities, including education programmes and local food banks. WorldWired Tour will extend through the summer. --IANS nn/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Armed robbers struck again in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Wednesday, looting nearly Rs 6.5 lakh at gunpoint, police said. Gunmen believed to be militants barged into the Wahibug village branch of Ellaquai Dehati Bank (Regional Rural Bank) and looted Rs 4.92 lakh. The second robbery took place in the Nehama village branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. A police officer said the exact amount looted from the J&K Bank was not known but one report put the money at Rs 150,000. It was the second straight day of bank robberies in the state. On Tuesday, gunmen looted Rs 65,000 from a branch of Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Kulgam district. On Monday, militants killed seven people, including five policemen and two bank guards, after attacking a cash van in Kulgam district. --IANS ahm/mr (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.) Actor Mohit Madaan, who has wrapped up shooting for "Aksar 2", will share screen space with actress Hrishitaa Bhatt in JoJo D'souza's next directorial. "The film is about a husband coming to terms with dealing with his wife who has a split personality, his unconditional love and his trials... as he fights to seek acceptance," Mohit said in a statement. The title of the film is yet to be announced. "The shooting will begin soon," Mohit said. The actor feels blessed that he is getting opportunities in the film industry as he doesn't belong to a star family. And his list of movies doesn't end here. "A few more projects are lined up, but I can't reveal their names. I hope to win everyone's heart," said the "Love Exchange" actor. --IANS nn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following complaints of broken glass being strewn on Goa's beaches, the North Goa district police on Wednesday ordered a crackdown on drinking in public places, especially on beaches, police said. "We received a lot of complaints, both from tourists as well as locals, about people cutting themselves on broken liquor bottles while walking on the beaches as well as swimming in the sea. Therefore we have given instructions to the police to crack down severely on drinking of alcohol on beaches," Superintendent of Police Karthik Kashyap told reporters at a public interaction. "A lot of people are facing inconvenience due to this nuisance of drinking in the open," he said, adding that anyone found drinking in open will be booked under Section 34 of the Indian Police Act. Some of the popular beaches in North Goa are Calangute, Baga, Candolim, Anjuna, Morjim, Arambol, etc. Drinking in the open is already banned in Goa, but action is rare. Goa is one of the top beach tourism destinations in the country and attracts over four million tourists every year. The state is also popular for cheap alcohol thanks to a liberal excise regime. --IANS maya/vgu/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea on Wednesday confirmed that it was holding an American citizen, saying the man was being held for committing "hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country". The despatch by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, was its first official confirmation of the arrest in late April of Kim Sang-duk, who also goes by his American name, Tony Kim. Law enforcement officials were investigating Kim's crime, KCNA said. It gave no further details. Kim was detained at the airport in Pyongyang on April 22 while he was trying to leave the country. His arrest raised the number of Americans thought to be held by the secretive nation to three, the New York Times reported. Kim had taught accounting at Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China before travelling to Pyongyang, where he taught for about a month at a sister school, the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, according to Park Chan-mo, the university's chancellor. The detention comes at a time of escalating tension on the Korean peninsula due to repeated weapons tests carried out by the Pyongyang regime and a verbal spat with the US, which has hinted at possible pre-emptive strikes. The South Korean news agency Yonhap said Kim was also engaged in humanitarian work in the North, helping orphanages in the country's northeast. Last year, North Korea sentenced an American college student, Otto F. Warmbier, to 15 years' hard labour after accusing him of trying to steal a political banner from a hotel in Pyongyang. It later sentenced another American, Kim Dong-chul, to 10 years' hard labour on charges of spying and other offences. --IANS soni/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mutilation of two Indian soldiers on the LoC was carried out with the "active participation of the Pakistani Army", Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday. The denial by Pakistan of involvement in the Monday killings in Jammu and Kashmir carried no credibility, Jaitley told the media here. --IANS vsc/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, who chaired the feature film jury of the 64th National Film Awards and has courted criticism for choosing Akshay Kumar as Best Actor, says their decision may be slammed, but he stands by it. Without directly talking about the controversy, Priyadarshan said at the awards distribution ceremony here on Wednesday: "People might appreciate or criticise, but the jury's decision is final, and has to be appreciated. "We have given importance to movies with social issues that show our culture, our beliefs and project India. These are the major points we looked into while deciding the winners." Akshay, who often wears his patriotism on his sleeve in movies, bagged the Best Actor for "Rustom" -- a choice not many felt was apt, given that the year saw some power-packed performances like that by Aamir Khan in "Dangal". Priyadarshan, who has worked closely with Akshay, said the process of selection went on for two months, and "it was hard for them to decide" the winners. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu expressed his support. Ahead of the ceremony, he tweeted: "Toughest task in National Film Awards is to select the best from many entries. Commendable that jury saw over 600 films and read 30 books to decide. "Over the years, credibility of National Film Awards has increased thanks to the utmost sincerity, honesty and neutrality of the jury members." --IANS nn-rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thanks to Californias Prop. 13 and subsequent ballot measures throughout the U.S., tax caps have taken on a life of their own. It used to be that tax was only the first part of the phrase tax and spend. Revenues werent detached from needs and how the money would be spent. Elected bodies would determine priorities for public programs, then figure out how to raise the money to pay them. That changed beginning in the late 1970s, and 40 years later the bifurcation is just as strong. Many politicians dont wait for tax cap measures, instead taking the pledge not to raise taxes, no matter how high or low they are when assuming office. Taxes are to be capped or cut first, then needs scaled back or other sources of revenues tapped. Arizona has played that game with universities, freezing subsidies amid soaring enrollment, with higher tuition the result. For cities, counties and most other jurisdictions, property taxes are capped, forcing most agencies to turn to higher sales taxes. The result is an imbalanced municipal revenue stream that is highly dependent on spending and consumption while undervaluing investment that increases property values. In Flagstaff, the council majority adopted a voluntary freeze on property taxes for five years rather than let them rise by the maximum amount allowed by law: 2 percent a year. The freeze started during the recession using the rationale that if the job and incomes werent growing, neither should taxes. Then, after the economy began to recover, the argument was that rising sales and BBB taxes could fill the gap in the need for services caused by population and business growth. But now, a new council majority says the city has fallen too far behind. Theres a need for six new police officers and six new firefighters to keep up with rising calls in all, the city manager wants to add 31 positions. The aim is to have the new police and fire jobs paid for at first with matching grants, but eventually the city will be on its own to pay them. Cumulatively, the freeze has meant $1.7 million less in revenues, or a total savings of about $24 for the owner of a $300,000 house. The council has endorsed a plan to recoup the lost property tax levy in two stages: 7 percent this coming year, and 7 percent more the next, or 14 percent dating back seven years. The owners of that same house will wind up paying $34 more two years from now than they are paying now. How can it be that low? Thats because Flagstaffs primary tax, which funds general operations, has not only been frozen but is relatively low compared with other cities. The total property tax bill for that $300,000 house may be close to $2,500 (including taxes for schools, the county and city bonds), but the citys primary tax is only one-tenth that amount. So hiking it 14 percent over two years wont make much difference in the overall tax bill. Nevertheless, in a city like Flagstaff, with its high cost of housing and relatively low incomes, anything that adds to the cost of living here deserves a second and third look. Thats why wed urge the council to look at existing revenue sources that can be switched from programs with lower priorities. Or, in the alternative, phase in the 31 new positions and possibly commission an outside study of the organization of emergency services. In a city where 80 percent of the fire department calls are medically related, there must be a way to avoid duplication in responses by firefighters and ambulance personnel. That said, if the property tax hike goes through as proposed, it is unlikely to have much impact on local spending or the economy. But shoring up police and fire responses in a period of growth is one of the main tasks of any city and the officials who operate them. The city manager and council have found a revenue source for what they believe is a pressing need. That source shouldnt be dismissed out of hand just because it is spelled t-a-x. Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez on Wednesday honoured forward Cristiano Ronaldo for reaching the 400-goal mark with the club, which the Portuguese forward attributed to teamwork. Ronaldo received a commemorative shirt from Perez at the club's training ground with the number 400 on its back, after scoring a hat-trick on Tuesday against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, reports Efe. "The team did a tremendous job, we were outstanding. It was a complete performance and we performed very well right from the first whistle to the last. I'm very happy to have struck a hat-trick and made it 400 goals for Real Madrid," Cristiano told the club's media. "We've now got a good lead, but there's still the return leg to come and the tie isn't over yet. Atletico are a very fine, strong side and it's not by chance that they're in the semi-finals. We'll have to be focused for next Wednesday's game," he added. --IANS gau/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Singapore seized drugs valued at $300,000 from a Singapore-registered car at Woodlands checkpoint. The authorities said five suspected drug traffickers were arrested, Xinhua news agency reported. On Tuesday, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers uncovered Erimin-5 tablets concealed in a box of washing powder in a Singapore-registered car. A total of about 3.1 kg of "Ice", 2 kg of cannabis, 1,700 Erimin-5 tablets and 60 "Ecstasy" tablets were uncovered when the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) conducted further checks on other boxes. The 35-year-old Singaporean driver was arrested and CNB followed up with an operation to arrest the suspected intended recipients of the seized drugs. Another four suspects were arrested on Wednesday, officials said. Trafficking more than 250 grams of methamphetamine or more than 500 grams of cannabis will face death penalty under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Visiting Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has snubbed a UN resolution backed by the European Union recommending an international probe into the situation in Rakhine state of the Southeast Asian nation. Suu Kyi said on Tuesday that the resolution was not "in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground", Xinhua news agency reported. "If we think the recommendations are in keeping with the real needs of the region, we would be happy to accept them," she told media after a meeting with EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini here. Suu Kyi reaffirmed that Myanmar will not accept "those recommendations which will divide further the two communities", referring to the chronic tension between Rakhine's Buddhist majority and Muslim minority. "Because it will not help us resolve the problems that are arising all the time," she noted. Speaking to the media alongside Suu Kyi, Mogherini said the resolution was "one of the very few issues of disagreement" between Myanmar and the EU, but argued that dispatching an independent international fact-finding mission "can contribute towards establishing the facts for the past". Downplaying the bickering, Mogherini observed that the two sides agreed on the need to "focus on the future and the implementation of the recommendations included in the (former UN Secretary General Kofi) Annan report assessments". The Myanmar government's Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by Annan, on March 16 submitted an interim report and recommendations on the regional issue to the government. The commission, formed in August, proposed measures to address the situation in Rakhine, including an unimpeded access for humanitarian actors and journalists to the affected areas. The commission also called for an independent and impartial investigation into the allegations of crimes committed since October 9. The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on March 24 adopted an EU-tabled resolution to send a fact-finding mission to Myanmar to probe alleged human rights abuse by security forces against Muslims in Rakhine. A number of HRC member-countries have dissociated themselves from the resolution or voiced their opposition to the establishment of such a mission. In response to the armed attacks on police border outposts in October and subsequent allegations of human rights abuse, the Myanmar government formed an investigation commission led by Vice President U Myint Swe to look into the cause of those incidents. --IANS py/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said on Wednesday it is halting its participation in the latest round of the peace talks, being held in Kazakhstan's capital Astana. SNC spokesman Ahmad Ramadan said that the opposition "delegation is suspending the meetings" over alleged airstrikes on civilians. "The suspension will continue until shelling stops across all Syria," he said. The move came hours after the fourth round of the talks, mediated by Iran, Russia and Turkey, began with a series of bilateral meetings in the Kazakh capital earlier in the day, Press TV reported. Reacting to the development, Aidarbek Tumatov, a senior Kazakh Foreign Ministry official, said he expected that the Syria opposition would return to the negotiating table on Thursday. "I hope that tomorrow the opposition will again take part (in the talks)," Tumatov said. The Astana discussions were set to focus on a Russian plan to resolve the Syria crisis that began in March 2011. The Russian plan calls for the creation of "de-escalation zones" in militant-held areas in the Syrian provinces of Idlib and Homs as well as the Eastern Ghouta region near the Syrian capital, Damascus. Three countries are called the guarantor states, with Russia and Iran on the side of the Syria government, while Turkey on the side of the rebels, reported Russian media outlets on details of the proposal. The plan emphasises the necessity to create conditions to drive out the Islamic State (IS) and the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front from de-escalation zones with the help of the Syrian opposition. The guarantor states would have to create conditions in de-escalation zones, in which the warring sides would allow a safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons, according to the leaked document. The plan also reportedly tasks the guarantor states with setting up a joint working group to draft maps of the safe zones by May 22 and monitoring a process of "disarmament". The Kazakh Foreign Ministry official confirmed that the delegations were discussing a proposal for safe zones in Syria. "If the guarantor countries agree and sign the document, then accordingly Damascus and the opposition will be obliged to fulfill it," the official told the Interfax news agency. The first round of the Astana talks between Syria's warring sides took place on January 23-24, followed by the second round on February 15-16 and the third round on March 14-15. --IANS soni/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Ram Kapoor along with his wife Gautami was on Wednesday named brand ambassador of Philips Healthcare India to create awareness about sleep disorders. He says sleep is a very important part of a healthy life and people should take it seriously. Ram said at a press conference here: "A few years back when I went through a medical check-up, I got to know about the disease sleep apnea. My doctor suggested to get a check-up since I am overweight and my snoring increased. I think we should take our sleep seriously for a healthy lifestyle." Talking about the sleeping disorder, Gautami said: "There are some signs like feeling tired in the day time, not feeling fresh in the morning while waking up." Manvir Bhatia, Director of Sleep Medicine and Senior Consultant of Neurology at two key capital-based hospitals, was present at the event along with Priyank Aggarwal, Head of Strategy of Philips India. Emphasising on the importance of medical help for sleep apnea, Bhatia said: "Apart from snoring, feeling tired and lethargic in the day time, being obese, having a small throat... There are certain things that one should keep in mind. First of all, do not get unnecessarily worried if you face such symptoms once in a while. "If it is happening very often, then you need medical help and a check-up is needed. There are hundreds of sleep disorders. Do not mix it up with insomnia, which is a common problem in our urban lifestyle. Sleep apnea is different from insomnia." Bhatia, who has authored a book "Sleep Solution: Secrets For a Good Night Sleep", added: "In my book, I explained what is ideal sleep, what are the common problems and then its solutions. Understanding and awareness of your sleep pattern will help you to get a better lifestyle. We have to make an effort for good sleep." Philips officials said they have set up over 500 sleep labs throughout the country and about 70 in Maharashtra to create awareness among common people about the health issue. --IANS aru/rb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers have been arrested in connection with the cash for jobs scam of the Assam Public Service Commission while investigations were on to unearth more such incidents, police said on Wednesday. Police said that the three arrested on Tuesday night were identified as Bhaskar Jyoti Devasarma, Bhaskar Dutta and Amit Sarma, who had been working as Circle Officers in different districts. Police said that the three candidates has made it to the selection list by paying bribes to APSC Chairman Rakesh Paul. "We have arrested the three officers after conducting forensic tests on their answer scripts. Two sets of answer sheets of these three officers were recovered from the Paul's office and residence in November last year," police said. Assam Police had already arrested Paul and eight others, including two members of the Commission and an assistant controller of examinations for their involvement in the scam. Police said that while these three candidates are arrested on Tuesday night, investigation is still on to bring to the fore more such faces who had indulged in the corruption. Different organizations, particularly peasants body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samitee, who have been agitating since last several years against the rampant corruption in APSC under Paul, claimed that the arrests made so far were tip of the iceberg. They further alleged that there were many others who had secured jobs with the help of influential people, including politicians, they demanded a through investigation into the scam to nail all the wrongdoers. Last year, the Dibrugarh police had arrested assistant engineer, Nabakanta Patir, after he was caught red-handed accepting bribes of Rs 10 lakh from a woman dentist. He had approached her promising a government job through the APSC and demanded the money. But she instead tipped off police leading to his arrest. Based on his confession, a PSO of an APSC member was subsequently arrested. During interrogation of the duo, it emerged that they were working as conduits in the sale of the plum jobs through APSC. --IANS ah/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Tiger Shroff has reacted to filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma's "potshot" at him saying that criticising him for his style of dance is like pointing fingers at the talent of a legend like the late Michael Jackson. Varma had earlier this month tweeted and hit out at Tiger, tagging his style effeminate. Sometimes, he has also been told he dances like a girl. Commenting on that, Tiger, an ardent MJ fan, said in an interview GQ India May 2017 issue: "The concept of femininity and masculinity is stereotyped. To criticise the way I dance is to criticise the likes of Michael Jackson, James Brown and Hrithik Roshan. (But) some people like to take potshots at me." The young actor, who has flexible moves, has also paid a tribute to Jackson with a piece in his upcoming film "Munna Michael". Tiger, son of Jackie and Ayesha Shroff, has grown up amid the glitz and glamour of the film industry, but unlike many stars who party hard often, Tiger he says he finds himself a misfit in a bar. "I've had rum in chocolates, and it's disgusting," the teetotaller said, adding: "I feel extremely out of place and awkward in a bar. I don't feel like being there." The "Heropanti" actor spoke candidly about the tough phase his family saw at one point. "I remember all of the dark times. One by one, things in the house would disappear. My parents tried to protect me from all of it, we never spoke about it, but I knew we were in trouble. I would also read stuff in the media. "Giving up the house was a real low point for me. I had so many emotions attached to that house. But I never told my parents, I just kept internalising everything... When my mother's situation became public, it only made me focus harder. I yearned for respect. I wanted it so bad, for me and my family. "Every time I go to work, I keep this in mind. Whatever I do is for them, and I have to succeed for them. They should never want for anything," added the 27-year-old actor, who is also into martial arts and is a fitness freak. He admits he is competitive -- even if it means to compete with his father. "When our family goes out for lunch, I look at how many fans are gathering in front of Dad and how many in front of me. I like to win," he quipped. --IANS intern/rb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will on Wednesday depart for a whirlwind trip to the US and meet President Donald Trump for the first time since he took office in January. The meeting between the two leaders in New York, on the deck of a World War II-era aircraft carrier, the USS Intrepid, coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, during which Australian and US forces repelled Japanese Imperial Army, Xinhua news agency reported. Turnbull will be required back in Australia before the weekend to finalise details of the nation's federal budget, set to be handed down by Treasurer Scott Morrison on Tuesday. He said the "flying visit" to the US would involve discussion about regional issues and trade. Turnbull and Trump had an infamous phone call in January, which the US President labelled as his "worst" of the day and reportedly cut short the scheduled one-hour telephone conversation to 25 minutes. Turnbull before embarking his US trip brushed off concerns that the relationship between the two leaders was already strained following the fallout to the phone call. "We'll talk about a wide range of security and economic issues," he said. "(But) reports (of the phone call) were pretty exaggerated. It was a very frank, courteous and forthright call." By emphasising that his trip will "commemorate and honour" the Battle of the Coral Sea -- which protected Australia from a Japanese invasion, Turnbull would like to remind the US the camaraderie that both countries share since the World War II. "It's a great event that we're both attending. It's on the USS Intrepid and there'll be both Australian and American veterans. This was the sea battle in 1942 which was the first time the Japanese were turned back and defeated," Turnbull talked about the scheduled ceremony on Wednesday. "This was a great turning point in the war, so it's really a time to celebrate, commemorate and honour the rock solid alliance between the US and Australia." While describing the year 1942 as "bleak," Turnbull and Trump are facing with the gravest regional security situation in many decades as the tension on the Korean peninsula escalated recently. Turnbull also said the issue of Korean peninsula will be top of the topics between him and Trump. The Labour opposition has also weighed in before Turnbull's visit to the US. Labour's defence spokesman Richard Marles said maintaining a close relationship with the US was crucial to Australia's prosperity. "When you assess the value of the alliance with the US -- irrespective of who is the President and who is the Prime Minister -- it becomes clear how important this relationship is to Australia in terms of defence, economy, in terms of scientific cooperation and in medical research." "So I think it is really important that the alliance is invested in by Australia because it remains the centrepiece of our foreign policy and the nation's defence strategy," Marles said. --IANS py/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two drug suppliers were arrested here with four kg of heroin valued at Rs 16 crore in the international market, police said on Wednesday. Ajay, 19, and Darbar Singh, 46, were taken into custody on Tuesday night from Uttam Nagar in west Delhi by the Special Cell. "We had information that two members of an inter-state gang were coming from Punjab to supply drugs to their contacts in the Delhi-NCR region. We arrested them when they were waiting for a client," senior police officer Sanjeev Kumar Yadav told IANS. --IANS vn/sp/mr/py (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-comedian Vir Das's Netflix project "Abroad Understanding", which deals with global politics, Indian accents and more, will be turned into a live show. The comedy special was filmed in New York and New Delhi last year in November and is currently streaming on Netflix across the globe. Vir said in a statement: "The response (to the Netflix show) has been beyond overwhelming. I had kept my expectations to the minimum and then the response was much rewarding." "I have been getting innumerable messages, emails which is something I hadn't expected in the numbers it has come in. Many people had asked me much before if this special too would be performed live someday and now it's confirmed that it would happen this September." The "Abroad Understanding Live" will be a six-city tour, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune, where fans can expect a taste of Indian comedy. --IANS nn/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The White House has welcomed the announcement by global software major to hire 10,000 American workers in the next two years, calling it a "political victory". "We're glad to see like see opportunity in the American economy again," said Ninio Fetalvo, a White House spokesman, in a statement to the Washington Post. on Tuesday announced that it would hire 10,000 American workers in the next two years and would set up four technology and innovation hubs across North America to focus on cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, user experience, emerging digital technologies, cloud and big data. The first hub will open in the midwestern state of Indiana in August and is expected to create 2,000 jobs by 2021 for American workers. "The hubs will have technology and innovation focused areas and serve clients in key industries such as financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, retail and energy," said the firm in a statement. The White House characterised the Infosys announcement as a political victory, pointing to it as further evidence that are renewing investment in the US as a result of the Trump administration's "pro-growth economic agenda". Clients in the US contribute about 60 per cent of the company's software export revenue per year. "We are committed to hiring 10,000 American technology workers over the next two years to help invent and deliver the digital futures for our clients in the US," said Infosys Chief Executive Vishal Sikka in the statement. The $10.3-billion company will hire experienced professionals as well as recent graduates from major universities and local and community colleges to create talent pools for the future. The decision to ramp up local hiring by Indian IT majors like Infosys, TCS and Wipro comes also in light of Trump's order to ensure that H-1B visas were awarded to the most skilled and highly-paid. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Duterte discussed bilateral ties and regional cooperation in a telephone conversation on Wednesday. Xi said he met Duterte twice last year and reached important agreements with him. "At present, the two countries are deepening political mutual trust and carrying out cooperation in various fields," the Chinese President was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. "A channel of dialogue and consultation on the South China Sea issue has also been set up," Xi added. For his part, Duterte said he was happy to see Philippines-China friendship and solidarity enhanced and their exchanges as well as cooperation in various areas pushed forward. The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. --IANS soni/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a veiled attack on Narendra Modi, the Congress Wednesday said he has time to visit the Kedarnath shrine in a "fashionable" robe but none to say a word or meet bereaved families of the two soldiers who were beheaded by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference here, the opposition leader Shankersinh Vaghela said that for the RSS and the BJP "nation comes after person and party, contrary to the claims made by both the outfits". Without naming Modi, he said "He has no shame in his body language, speech or behaviour. He goes to inaugurate a private company's facility and visits Kedarnath temple in a fashionable robe. But (he) does not say a word or meet bereaved families of the (two) soldiers". The prime minister today paid obeisance at the Kedarnath temple as the portals of the eighth century shrine in Garhwal Himalayas were thrown open to devotees after their closure for winters. He also inaugurated a research institute at yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. In Gujarat, the home state of Modi, the Congress today held the candlelight march at some district headquarters as a tribute to the slain soldiers. Vaghela said the Congress will organise a state-wide condolence meeting in Ahmedabad tomorrow in the memory of Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Infantry and Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of BSF. "We will also take out a silent bike rally in Ahmedabad tomorrow to pay tribute to the soldiers decapitated by the Pakistani army," he said. Accusing the prime minister of "marketing" the surgical strikes in the PoK, Vaghela said, "He (Modi) set aside all principles to join hands with the PDP to form government in J&K. He visited Pakistan to greet (prime minister) Nawaz Sharif on his birthday, without caring about the soldiers being killed by Pakistani army." He also took a swipe at the Centre over absence of a "full-time defence minister". "Kashmir is slipping out of our hand, terror activities are at their peak, and soldiers are being killed nearly every day, but the BJP-led central government does not even have a leader who can be made full-time Defence minister. In the name of nationalism, they are fooling the nation," he said. Stating that people of the country want action, Vaghela said the government should deliver on its promises, which the BJP made before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, of giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should meet his party's booth-level workers to know the real reason behind its big win in the MCD polls. Shah's remark came as a response to Kejriwal, who alleged that electronic voting machines (EVMs) were manipulated to favour the BJP in the elections. Shah credited booth-level workers for the BJP's return to rule the three municipal corporations in the capital for the third time on the trot, winning 181 of the total 272 wards. Even the best strategies or candidates cannot ensure the party's win but booth workers can. They worked excellently by bringing voters to polling booths and ensured its victory, he said. "Kejriwal ji said the BJP won because of EVMs. But if he wants to know the real reason for this victory, he should meet our booth-level workers," Shah said. In the run-up to the MCD polls last month, Kejriwal had launched an attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of helping the BJP win the elections. The AAP convener had also objected to the use of EVMs brought from Rajasthan in the MCD polls and said that the Election Commission had become 'Dhritarashtra' with the only motive to help son 'Duryodhana' (Bharatiya Janata Party). His AAP had finished second with 48 wards in the MCD poll results announced on April 26. The party leaders had earlier cited an internal survey to claimed that it would win over 200 wards. There is a proposal within opposition ranks that leading non- Democratic Alliance (NDA) chief ministers should issue a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express their common concerns on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, commit their support to the Centre on the issue but also implore upon it the need to engage in a dialogue with all stakeholders in the state. Eleven American governors today urged US President Donald Trump not to withdraw from the Paris agreement, saying that if the US does not make the transition to clean energy then China and India will reap the benefits of the low-carbon leadership. The 11 governors - including those from California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Virginia, Connecticut, Hawaii, Delaware and Rhode Island - wrote a letter in this regard to Trump, days after he said that he is going to take a "big decision" on Paris Climate Change Agreement. Trump has been highly critical of the Paris Agreement arguing that the US has been unfairly treated by this international agreement and that countries like India and China have benefited from this. "Collective action to limit emissions world-wide is critical; without collaboration, climate change will cost the world's nations several trillion dollars in damages. Under the Paris Agreement, all the world's major economies are taking action on climate change for the first time, including China and India, which have put forward their own commitments to cut their carbon pollution domestically," the letter said. "If the US does not maintain global climate leadership through national policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to clean energy, China and India will. This would be a huge lost opportunity, putting us at a competitive disadvantage and potentially locking us into technologies and economic pathways that are increasingly obsolete while China and India reap the benefits of low-carbon leadership," the governors said. Observing that Americans citizens demand the low-cost, clean-air benefits that a clean energy transition can provide, the letter said the leading US companies recognise the need to address business risks and opportunities through the Paris Agreement, and are wisely investing in low-carbon fuels and technologies to stay on the cutting edge of the global economy. "Our track record-reducing carbon pollution while growing jobs and our economies-provides proof that we need not sacrifice opportunity for action. Indeed, we can secure that opportunity only by continuing to lead," they wrote. The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. The agreement was adopted by consensus on December 12, 2015. India, the world's fourth-largest carbon emitter with its population of 1.3 billion people, ratified the Paris agreement on climate change to become the 62nd nation to join the deal last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 12 workers were killed and as many injured following an explosion in a railway tunnel in China's Guizhou Province, as rescuers spent 14 hours searching the rubble for survivors. The blast occurred after gas filled the Qishanyan tunnel under construction through a coal seam in Dafang County, leaving 12 injured and 12 trapped. More than 2,000 rescuers and medical workers braved high carbon monoxide density and dust to search for the trapped workers. The rescue work ended at 4:45 AM today. The 12 injured are in hospital for treatment. None of them has critical injuries, state-run Xinhua agency reported. The cause of the accident is under investigation, the report said, adding that the tunnel was designed to pass through a coal seam. Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. In 2015, the country recorded 66,000 workplace deaths, according to the most recent government statistics. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 18,000 school students have been enrolled for summer camps organised in partnership with a Delhi-based NGO under Tata Steel's Thousand Schools Project in Odisha. The 45-day long camps, launched at Daitari Primary School in Keonjhar district yesterday, are being organised simultaneously in 363 schools in six blocks of three districts in partnership with ASPIRE, a company release said. The six blocks are Danagadi and Sukinda in Jajpur, Harichandanpur and Joda in Keonjhar and Koira and Kutra in Sundargarh districts of Odisha where the Thousand Schools Project of Tata Steel is being implemented. Around 18,000 children have been enrolled for 507 such camps that will run till June 15, 2017, it said. The initiative aims to engage children meaningfully and inculcate the habit of going to schools and learning, enhance involvement of the community in school governance and introduce Learning Enrichment Programme (LEP) - a component of Thousand Schools Project. This project is an important CSR intervention of Tata Steel in education sector of Odisha. In the camps the students are supposed to have activity based teaching including singing, dancing, playing fun games with the help teaching learning materials. Anand Sen, president, TQM and Steel Business, Tata Steel formally launched the camps in presence of Sunita Pradhan, Samiti Sabhya, Daitari, Krushnapriya Ojha, Principal, Daitari Primary School and other dignitaries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) craigslist: thailand jobs, apartments, for sale, services, community, and events craigslist provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, services, local community, and events At least seven people were killed and 25 others injured after a bus plunged into a gorge in central Bangladesh. The bus was en route to Dhanbari from Dhaka when it plunged off a highway in Tangail city last night, killing seven people and injuring 25 others, police said. The deceased included five men and two women. The injured have been admitted to local hospitals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The today suspended its Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan who had accused senior party leader Kumar Vishwas of being an "RSS-BJP agent". The suspension is seen as a compromise after Vishwas had threatened to quit the party. The AAP has also set up a disciplinary committee to look into the statements made by Khan against Vishwas. In the party's Political Affairs Committee meeting which lasted for three hours at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, a decision was made to give greater responsibility to Vishwas. "He (Vishwas) will be Rajasthan's party in-charge as the state goes to polls next year," Deputy Chief Manish Sisodia told reporters. The move comes after Vishwas, in a meeting with Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders last night, demanded stern action against Khan who had accused him of being an "RSS-BJP" agent and plotting a coup in the party, sources said. The Okhla MLA had on Monday resigned from the PAC. Vishwas had accused Khan of being a "mask" and acting at the behest of a "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal. After the emotional outburst, Vishwas had threatened to quit the party. Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had visited the Ghaziabad residence of Vishwas late in the night to pacify him. The three, along with party leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, then went to the chief minister's residence. The meeting continued until late in the night. Superstar Kamal Haasan today moved the Madras High Court for quashing of a complaint in a lower court seeking his prosecution for allegedly making insulting remarks against Hindu epic Mahabharata. A magisterial court of Valliyoor in Tirunelveli district had last month directed Haasan to appear before it on May 5 on the complaint filed by a local trader over his remarks made during a TV interview. In his petition, the actor submitted he was only replying to a question asked by the interviewer regarding oppression of women and increasing sexual assaults on them, including the film actresses. It was a discussion and he did not mean to hurt any person or his religious feelings, he said. The actor added a case had also been filed against him in Kumbakonam over the same issue. The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow. Magistrate Senthil Kumar had on April 21 also ordered the police to investigate the matter and file a report at the earliest on the petition filed by President of Anjugramam Traders Association Athinatha Sundaram. Haasan said the complaint against him had been filed with an oblique motive and he did not mean to offend any one. His statement should be understood in the true light of understanding, he said adding the magistrate had issued the summons mechanically. The petition to the lower court has alleged that the actor, in response to a question from the interviewer about the crimes against women, particularly in the film industry, had said the people in this country read even the epic Mahabharata, wherein a woman was staked in a game of dice. "Is there anything more disgusting than oppressing a woman. On one side, we boast that we are a developed society and on the other side, women are being dominated in the name of pride. It seems like we haven't moved on from the 'Game of Dice' incident of Mahabharatham," he had said. Hassan was referring to Pandava brothers staking their wife Draupadi in a gamble with their cousins and arch enemies, the Kauravas. Sundaram had said the actor's remarks had hurt the sentiments of Hindus and demanded maximum punishment for him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The owner of a Rajasthan-based advertising agency was today remanded in two-day police custody by a court here in connection with a multi-crore government advertisement scam. Ajay Chopra, the owner of Crayons advertising agency, surrendered in the court yesterday following which he was arrested by the ACB (Anti-corruption Bureau). Chopra was directed by the Supreme Court to surrender in a local court after his anticipatory bail applications were rejected by the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court recently. He was produced before a special ACB court today where the magistrate remanded him to two days of police custody for interrogation, according to public prosecutor. The ACB had registered the case against him over his role in issuing government advertisements worth around Rs 3 crore to a few advertisement agencies during the previous Congress regime from 2008-13. Five separate cases were registered against Chopra in connection with the alleged corruption. Although he surrendered in all five cases, the ACB arrested him in connection with only one of these cases. Chopra's anticipatory bail applications were rejected by High court and Supreme Court recently. On the basis of a complaint by Shankar Lal Gurjar, the FIRs were registered in 2014 under several sections ofthe IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Apart from Chopra, the ACB had also lodged FIRs against the officials of Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Directorate of Local Bodies, and Bureau of Promotion and Investment Department, and another advertising agency's person Amit Gupta (Unison). The ACB court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him last July as he went underground. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Muscles taut, armed with weapons and all geared up to single-handedly take on the enemy: Amish Tripathi's latest protagonist -- the warrior princess Sita -- came to life at the cover launch of his new book today. "Sita: Warrior of Mithila", the second in the author's Ramachandra series, promises to etch an unconventional image of Sita where she is no more the coy and obedient wife of Lord Rama. Instead, she will be seen combating several challenges to rise from being an adopted daughter to a warrior princess and ultimately a goddess. "The cover captures Lady Sita as a true warrior and an alpha-female, who is fiercely fighting hundreds of men, with only her lathi. And while she is easily outnumbered, she continues to charge on and doesn't accept defeat easily. She completely emulates the modern, contemporary woman," Tripathi said. With a lifelike illustration of Sita in a fierce attacking posture, the cover offers readers a tantalising glimpse of what is in store for them. The cover was launched by Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon who admitted to being an avid Amish reader. "Being a reader of Amish's books, I was looking forward to the launch of the cover. The cover truly depicts the power of a modern woman and her emotional will and strength to do what is right. I congratulate Amish on the unique book cover launch and I now await the release of the book," she said. Published by Westland Books, "Sita: Warrior of Mithila" will hit stands on May 16 and is available for pre-order online. It will be officially launched on May 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The succulent Banaganapalle mango has got Geographical Indication (GI) registration from the Geographical Indications Registry here today. The Registrar of Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, O P Gupta accorded the registration following an application from Horticulture Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as "the king of fruits." A GI tag indicates that the product comes from a specific region. Banganapalle mangoes are renowned for its sweetness and have been grown for over 100 years in the state. It also known as Beneshan, Baneshan, Benishan, Chappatai and Safeda. Besides, they are also called Banaganapalli, Banginapalli, Banaganapalle. The fruits could retain their quality under cold storage even up to three months, Andhra Pradesh government said in documents seeking GI. "The prominent characteristic of Banganapalle mangoes is that their skin has very light spots, stone is oblong in shape and having very thin seed with sparse and soft fibre all over," it said. The primary centre of origin of the fruit is Kurnool district comprising Banaganapalle, Paanyam and Nandyal mandals, according to Andhra Pradesh government which mentioned Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra as secondary centres of origin. The government has also listed Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Medak and Adilabad districts in Telangana as secondary centres of origin. Submitting documents for proof of origin, it also cited historical records like a "war fund seal (Banganapally-State Madras War Fund Seal)." A logo too is in place which features a bright yellow fruit around which the tagline says "Banganappalle Mangoes of Andhra Pradesh," with images of a man and a woman appearing to be farmers. According to an affidavit furnished in 2011 by the then Andhra Pradesh Commissioner of Horticulture, I Rani Kumudini nearly 7.68 lakh families, were involved in the production of Banaganapalle mangoes. About 5,500 tonnes of Banganappalle variety of mangoes were being exported annually to countries like the US and UK. While the annual turnover of Banaganapalle mangoes was approximately Rs 1,461 crore, exports were to the tune of Rs 20.68 crore, she had said. GI is covered under the Intellectual Property Rights and the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. A GI tag certifies the origin of a product or produce from a particular region as the quality or other features of the product is attributable only to the place of its origin. The tag helps farmers or manufacturers as the case may be to get a better price in the market. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The army's strategic preparedness and valour should be trusted, the BJP said today, noting that the forces had promised to mount an effective and appropriate response to the mutilation of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistani army. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke about trusting the army in answer to a question on the party's stand on the issue at a press conference here. Asked about the "misuse" of the social media in Kashmir, the IT minister said it was a serious issue and the government would act appropriately. The BJP also does not not endorse Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's call for a dialogue in the valley, a senior party leader said. It believed the government should not rush into any decision that would embolden "anti-national" forces. "It is her belief. The BJP does not share it," the leader said when asked if the saffron party favoured a dialogue with all stakeholders, including separatists, in Kashmir. BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav had recently said separatists had a single motto -- which was to have "one dead body a day" so that they could play "sentimental politics" over the bodies. "They use people of the valley as scapegoats in their reprehensible politics of violence and separatism. The security forces and the government on the other hand try their best to ensure that the ill-intentions of the separatists don't succeed," he had posted on Facebook last week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Matt Dawson's penalty corner conversion in the 52nd minute clinched defending champions Australia a 2-1 victory over Great Britain, virtually placing them in the final of the 26th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, here. Dawson's goal broke the deadlock after Australia had opened the scoring with a field goal from Trent Mitton in the 44th minute, only for Great Britain to equalise through Mark Gleghorne in the 51st. Nine-time winners of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Australia stay atop the standings ladder with 10 points in four matches. Australia have already placed one foot in the final. It would take a series of dramatic results, including World champions Australia's shock loss to lowly ranked Japan, for two teams to overtake them in the standings after the last round of league fixtures on Friday. Three other countries - India, Great Britain and New Zealand - are bunched together on seven points each from four outings. They will be vying for the second spot and a place in the title contest. India are now No. 2 in the standings due to a one-goal advantage they have over Britain in goals scored after today's matches, although they both have the same goal difference. New Zealand today rode on Kane Russell's 25th-minute goal to prevail 1-0 over hosts Malaysia. But they retain the fourth spot in the standings. India's 4-3 win over Japan kept them on course for a second successive appearance in the title contest. Australia had defeated India 4-0 in the final last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India today summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in connection with the beheading of two Indian security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan forces. Basit was called in by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's strong views on the incident, the external affairs ministry said. The Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt has conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Singh were slain by Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) by sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in Poonch of J-K on May 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Union ministers and a senior BJP leader today courted controversy by visiting a half-built, closed temple located near a mosque on government land, triggering demands to open it up for local people. The controversial step was taken by Union ministers of state Giriraj Singh and Ramkripal Yadav, and Bihar's Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar, who visited the temple and performed puja at the "Kali Mata Mandir" in this Muslim-dominated border district, triggering angry reactions from RJD and JD-U leaders. The BJP leader were here to attend the ongoing two-day executive committee meet of the party state unit here. Encouraged by the ministers' visit, people assembled in large number at the temple and demanded that it be opened to the devotees for regular visit. The temple is in vicinity of a mosque, which stands on government land, like the temple, and is in use. Speaking to the reporters later, Giriraj Singh accused Sub Divisional Officer Mohammad Shafiq of trying to demolish the half-built temple, located on a piece of government land near Kalu chowk, in October 2016. Singh alleged that following a strong intervention by the SDO, the construction of the temple was stopped and the people were prohibited from visiting it. Singh, who is a minister of state for MSME in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet, demanded immediate removal of the SDO and reopening of the temple for devotees. Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar alleged that the state's Grand Alliance government was indulging in appeasement of Muslims and stopping the devotees from paying obeisance at the Kali Mata temple. Reacting to Singh's comments, Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav accused the BJP of trying to vitiate the communal harmony in the state. His RJD colleague and Minister for Minorities Affairs Abdul Gafoor told reporters, "Since the BJP has no positive agenda in Bihar, they are trying to whip up communal tension by raking up the issue of a disputed temple at Kisanganj." State Congress chief and minister Ashok Choudhary also came down heavily on the BJP accusing its leaders of "making regular efforts to disturb "aman-chain" (communal harmony) in the state under the Grand Alliance government." Accusing MOS Giriraj Singh of "provoking" people, Choudhary sought action against him. Senior JD(U) leader and Deputy Leader in Bihar Assembly Shyam Rajak also criticised Giriraj Singh and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi remove him as a minister for "playing up with the law." The BJP is holding its two-day state executive meeting here, which started yesterday, in Muslim-dominated Kisanganj district on the border of West Bengal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A BJP MLC from Karnataka allegedly posted pornographic photographs on a WhatsApp group meant to share information between government officers and the media. Mahantesh Kavatagimath, however, apologised for posting porn pictures on the WhatsApp group of 'Belagavi Media Force', saying it was an "unintentional act". "The content was posted accidentally when my phone hanged while switching off, I guess. At that time I was travelling byflight. I apologise for the incident, it was not intentional," he told reporters. "Why would I share porn in a group with senior politicians,government officials and journalists?" he said. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, however, refused to comment on the incident saying, "I am not aware of it." To a query, Kavatagimath said there will be no political fallout because of this incident, as he had already apologised. Speaking to PTI over phone from Delhi, Congress spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa said it could be an unintentional act of Kavatagimath, but watching porn in public places has "been in the DNA of BJP leaders". "It could be an unintentional act, but it is in the very DNA of BJP leaders - DNA of watching porn. BJP should add one more 'P' so that it reads Bharatiya Janata Porn Party," he said. The list is long, Kalappa said, adding that three BJP ministers were caught watching pornography in the Assembly during the party's rule in Karnataka. In 2012, C C Patil, Lakshmana Savadi and Krishna Palemar, were caught while allegedly watching pornography in the Assembly, which forced them to tender resignations after the BJP central leadership asked them to quit. A few months ago, Congress Minister H Y Meti was asked to quit after a video clipping surfaced purportedly depicting him in a compromising position with a woman inside a taluk panchayat office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BSP supremo Mayawati today alleged that the BJP is exploiting people and raising slogans of patriotism and 'gau raksha' (cow protection) to divert the attention of people from its wrongdoings. She claimed that those who have looted the hard-earned money of people in the recent past have been found to be associated with the saffron party. The BJP's "narrow and divisive" policies and "hollow desh bhakti (patriotism)" is getting gradually exposed and soon people will become totally disenchanted with the party, Mayawati said. "After forming government at the Centre and in different states, the BJP has emerged as a party which exploits people," she said at a meeting of the BSP's Maharashtra and Telangana units. "Most of those who have looted the people, on inquiry, have been found to be associated with the BJP... The role of the BJP and its supporters has also been exposed in the latest scam of loot in the petrol pumps in Uttar Pradesh," Mayawati was quoted as saying in an official release. She regretted that because of lack of political awareness, the poor, the farmers, the Dalits and other backwards communities are still being exploited and ignored. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prem Sagar, the BSF Head Constable who was beheaded by Pakistan Army regulars was cremated at his native village here, after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke to the family members of the slain soldier. The slain BSF jawan's body was consigned to flames this morning at his native village Tikampaar. Earlier, Sagar's family had refused to cremate his body, insisting that the chief minister visit them. "We agreed to hold the last rites after the chief minister spoke to us late last night and assured that he will visit our house. The CM told us that senior minister Surya Pratap Shahi will represent the state government," Virendra, Sagar's elder son told PTI here. Late last night, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had called up Virendra. The cremation also got delayed as the family members insisted on seeing the body. DIG BSF Rajiv Ranjan Sharma, who was present on the spot, said, "Had we shown the mutilated body to the family members and villagers, there would had been massive outburst of anger." Apart from this, the local tradition of the village urges the people not to cremate bodies on Tuesdays as it may incur bad luck to the family. Shahi, who was present when the martyr's body was consigned to the flames said, "The supreme sacrifice of the brave martyr will certainly not go in vain." Strong anti-Pakistan sentiments marked the last journey of the slain soldier as his body arrived at the police lines and was taken to his native village, about 40 km from the district headquarters. Anti-Pakistan slogans were raised as the IAF chopper, carrying the soldier's body, landed at the police lines ground before being taken in a cavalcade for the last rites. Shattered with the of her father's death at the hands of the Pakistan's BAT (Border Action Team) in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghatti, Saroj the elder daughter of Sagar has demanded "50 heads in return" of her father's life. "His sacrifice should not be forgotten, we want 50 heads in return for his life," said Saroj while consoling her mother, who was yet to come to terms with her husband's gruesome death. Dayashanker, brother of Sagar - working with BSF and presently posted in Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh - said, "I am proud of my brother. He sacrificed his life for the nation, but it is very heart-wrenching the way he has been beheaded by the Pakistan military." Village head of Tikampaar, Lal Mohammad, who is an old friend of Prem Sagar, said, "Pakistan took away my friend in such a brutal manner that we can never forgive it. We want revenge." Sagar and Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member team that had gone to the spot on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to check a snapped communication line. Their mutilated bodies were recovered on Monday morning. Top sources said they could have been decoyed there and there is a possibility that the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba could have been involved in the attack, with the backing of the Pakistani army. Demands for retribution have come from all quarters. Opposition parties have urged the government to punish Pakistan, which has denied India's allegations. The army has issued a warning, saying "such despicable act will be appropriately responded". Hinting at strong action which goes over and above counter-fire at the Line of Control, Union Minister Arun Jaitley has said, "Such acts are unheard of even during war... The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain... The army will respond appropriately." Last year, after the huge terror strike at Uri, the army had launched surgical strikes on terror bases across the Line of Control. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Union Cabinet today approved an array of international agreements, including the one on rail safety between India and Japan. The agreement with Japan, signed in February but approved by the Cabinet today, will focus on cooperation on track safety. Core Indian personnel involved in track and asset safety will get trained in the latest techniques in Japan. Another memorandum of understanding which received the ex post facto approval of the cabinet is between India and Malaysia on the development of a urea and ammonia manufacturing plant in Malaysia with off take to India. The signing of MoU will ensure consistent supply of urea and ammonia to cater the need of the country at a lower price, if agreed to by both the participants. The Cabinet also approved renewal of MoU between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), United Arab Emirates. As part of the renewed agreement, ICAI will recommend introduction of new/revised courses and modules that will facilitate HCT students to write ICAI's Technical professional Examination with aim to acquire its membership. Another MoU approved is between India and Spain on cooperation in the sphere of civil aviation, which the government said has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Cabinet also accorded ex post facto approval to an agreement between the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Defence Services Command and Staff College, Dhaka for Cooperation in military education. The approval also came for an MoU on third line of credit of USD 4.5 billion to Bangladesh for implementation of developmental projects. The MoU was signed during the visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to New Delhi last month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chartered accountants' apex body ICAI will continue to provide technical assistance to UAE- based Higher Colleges of Technology, with the Cabinet today approving the renewal of pact between the two entities. The Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). Apart from providing technical assistance to HCT by reviewing the latter's current curriculum related to accounting and finance, ICAI would also suggest introduction of new courses and modules. The new courses would facilitate HCT students to write ICAI's technical professional examination with aim to acquire membership of the institute, an official release said. ICAI will also provide technical assistance in holding its professional examination for qualified HCT students. According to the release, the institute will collaborate to provide workshops for HCT students and faculty, certification courses for HCT students and also encourage faculty and student exchange programmes, among others. "HCT and ICAI will collaborate to offer short professional courses in the domain of accounting, finance and audit in UAE via HCT's Centre of Excellence for applied Research and Training (CERT)," the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Union Cabinet today gave its nod to international status for Vijayawada airport in Andhra Pradesh. This is as per provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Union minister Arun Jaitley said at a media briefing. The act bifurcated the state into Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh. As a result, the capital Hyderabad as well as the state's lone international airport situated in the city were transferred to the new state of Telangana. The decision is in keeping with "passenger traffic growth and demands from airlines and Andhra Pradesh government," an official statement said. The government hopes that the international tag for the airport at Gannavaram near Vijayawada will help improve connectivity to Andhra Pradesh and attract more domestic and international tourists. "Airports Authority of India has undertaken upgrade of requisite infrastructure and facilities for international operations," the statement added. Earlier this year, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the new transit terminal building at the airport. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu welcomed the decision and said this will help generate employment for at least 1,150 people. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 provides that the Centre must "examine the feasibility of expanding the existing Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports to international standards and take an expeditious decision thereon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A car bomb blast killed at least five people today in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz by the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The dead were four civilians and a police officer, the Britain-based monitor said, adding that the toll could rise because a number of those wounded were in serious condition. The blast littered the ground with debris and set an enormous fire that sent thick clouds of black smoke billowing into the air. Civil defence workers and residents tried to put out the blaze. The dead were placed in black body bags, next to which grief-stricken mourners sat weeping or staring in shock. The blast hit near a mosque and the headquarters of the opposition's provisional government, formed in November 2013, which administers some areas under rebel control. Azaz has regularly been targeted in bomb blasts, including on January 7, when at least 48 people were killed in a tanker truck blast. Most of those killed in that attack, which rebels blamed on the Islamic State group, were civilians. More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid spiralling tensions in the Korean peninsula, China today urged all sides to exercise restraint and avoid any action that may aggravate tensions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang expressed serious concern over the continuation of military exercises by the US and South Korean troops that are simulating drills near the border to attack North Korean targets. Reacting to reports of two US bombers from Guam military base joining the target practice, he said, "We (have) noted the military exercise is continuing. We (have) reiterated the current situation in the Korean Peninsula is delicate and complicated." China opposes any side taking action that may aggravate tensions and undermine regional peace stability, Geng said. "We again urge relevant sides to stay calm and restrained and stop provoking each other and create better atmosphere for dialogue and engagement," he said. Asked about what would happen if North Korea conducts another nuclear test, Geng said this was a hypothetical question and he would not comment on it. However, Geng said, "But there is one thing, I want to make it clear if you read closely UN security council (UNSC) resolutions, it clearly states that the UNSC expresses its resolution to take major measures in response to DPRK nuclear tests and launches. The security council has clear regulations." North Korea has conducted a total of five nuclear tests, in 2006, 2009, 2013 and twice in 2016. Mercurial North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un so far has refrained from conducting the sixth, reportedly under pressure from China as US President Donald Trump has virtually put the onus on Beijing to prevail on its ally Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. China in recent months has stopped import of coal from heavily sanctioned North Korea as part of the implementation of the UN sanctions which reportedly had a crippling effect on the North Korean economy. Geng also denied reports that Chinese Embassy in North Korea has asked its nationals to leave the country and return home in view of the tensions. "This is a false . According my information the Chinese embassy in DPRK has never issued a so called alert asking citizens to return home. China-DPRK are close neighbours with normal exchanges," he said. Asked whether China was worried that any North Korean nuclear test could trigger a volcanic reaction from Changbaishan volcano on the border between the two countries, Geng said "about whether future nuclear tests will lead to volcano eruption -- this is terrifying. But I don't know whether you have scientific grounds for it." He asked the media to talk to the concerned professional departments to get a reply. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Venezuelan police fired tear gas and protesters hurled gasoline bombs as thousands rallied today in anger at President Nicolas Maduro's plan to rewrite the Constitution. They were the latest in more than a month of worsening clashes that prosecutors say have killed 31 people in the oil-rich nation. The opposition accuses elected president Maduro of maneuvering to strengthen his grip on power. He has for months been resisting calls for a vote on removing him from office. Street protests are one of the few means the opposition has left to pressure Maduro, who has the public backing of the military. Clouds of grey smoke from tear gas canisters filled the air as police with riot shields and trucks advanced along a major avenue in the east of the capital. Protesters at the head of the crowd hurled stones and Molotov cocktails and officers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to push them back. Protesters were inflamed above all by Maduro's latest maneuver against opposition efforts to remove him from power. The socialist president launched procedures with the electoral council to convene a "constituent assembly" to draw up a new constitution. His center-right opponents and some international powers said that was a way of dodging elections. The opposition blames Maduro for an economic crisis that has led to shortages of food, medicine and basic goods. Maduro says the crisis is the result of a US-backed capitalist conspiracy. The opposition and some international powers fear the "constituent assembly" is a ploy to avoid regional and local elections this year. Maduro said it would represent more than just the "bourgeois" voting base of the opposition. The body would not include political parties with seats in the National Assembly but rather representatives of sectors such as workers, farmers and other communities traditionally loyal to Maduro. It aims "not to consult with the people, but rather for the ruling party itself to choose so as to have a tailor-made constitution," said Freddy Guevara, deputy speaker of the opposition-controlled National Assembly. "All dictatorships fall. This pantomime he wants to stage cannot take away our greatest strength: the people in the street." A presidential election is due to be held next year when Maduro's term ends. Regional polls were postponed in December and further local ones are due this year, but no date has been set for either. Private polls indicate that more than 70 percent of people interviewed do not support Maduro, who was elected in 2013 to succeed his late mentor Hugo Chavez. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid increasing incidents of bank robberies by militants, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today urged the people to rise against this "dangerous trend" of looting public money by spilling innocent blood. The Chief Minister made the appeal during her visit to the families of five police personnel and two Jammu and Kashmir bank guards who were killed on May 1 by militants when they were on their duty to disburse cash in Kulgam district of south Kashmir. "People, particularly civil society and youth, are appealed to rise against this dangerous trend of looting of public money by spilling innocent blood, thereby giving Kashmir a terribly bad name in the civilized world," she said. The Chief Minister visited Nehama village in Kulgam district to convey her sympathies to the families of JK Bank guard Muzaffar Ahmad and constable Farooq Ahmad. She later visited Ujroo to condole with the families of constable Muzaffar Ahmad and JK Bank guard Javed Ahmad at Yarkipora and ASI Bashir Ahmad at Bonigam. The Chief Minister expressed her heartfelt sympathies to the families of the slain personnel of JK Bank and Police. "They laid their lives while preserving public money and their sacrifices won't be allowed to go waste," she said. She assured the families of the victims that they would be duly looked after and every help and assistance would be provided to them by the government. Sharing the pain and grief of the bereaved families, the Chief Minister said these personnel were on duty to protect and disburse public money and their killing reflects "dangerous criminalisation turn" the society is taking. Later, Mehbooba visited the family of constable Ishfaq Ahmad at Batapora, Zakoora here, who was also killed in the said incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress in Gujarat today launched a ten-day "Kinara Bachao (save the coastline)" campaign to "highlight the plight" of fishermen, in the poll-bound state. The "boat yatra" was flaggeed off by the state unit Congress president Bharat Solanki at Mandvi in Kutch district. The yatra will culminate at Umargam in Valsad district on May 12, after covering the 1600-km-long coastline, the party stated in a release. Senior party leader Ahmed Patel will address a rally on May 12, it said. The yatra will cover around 30 ports, located along the state's Arabian Sea coast, as per the release. Party leaders like Arjun Modhwadia, Shankersinh Vaghela, Siddharth Patel, Shaktisinh Gohil to name a few, will join the campaign at several points to address the rallies of fishermen and people dwelling there, it said. "The opposition party will highlight the BJP government's failure to provide facilities to the people who make their living by fishing in sea. The boat yatra will pass through Sikka, Okha, Jaffrabad, Bhavnagar, Dahej, Hazira before culminating," it said. The programme is aimed at exposing the BJP's "falsehood" of announcing a Rs 11,000 crore package by then chief minister Narendra Modi before the 2012 assembly polls, and the recent announcement of Rs 45,000 crore made by Modi at Somnath temple recently for the fishermen community. "The Rs 11,000-crore package was announced under the 'Sagar Khedu Yojana', but the fishermen have not received even Rs 11 worth benefit from the scheme. The Rs 45,000-crore announcement is again made with the BJP eyeing the 2017 Assembly elections," the release said. The Congress said that not a single fishing port has been constructed by the ruling BJP in the last 22 years. "Instead, the BJP sold off the state ports to large industries," it said. The Congress said the quota of subsidised kerosene was reduced to 35 litres from 250 litres in the BJP rule. "A total of 442 fishermen from the state are lodged in the Pakistani jails while their 970 boats are in the custody of the neighbouring country. However, the government has done nothing for the affected families," it alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Israeli soldier who shot dead a wounded Palestinian assailant was back in court today, with his lawyers seeking to overturn his manslaughter conviction. The five-member panel of military judges is simultaneously hearing prosecutors' appeal against Elor Azaria's 18-month jail term, which they call "excessively lenient". Israel's Channel 10 TV posted video of him smiling broadly and shaking hands with family and friends as he entered the military courtroom in Tel Aviv. Azaria was convicted in January and sentenced the next month, after a trial that deeply divided Israeli society. He was due to begin his sentence on March 5, but a military appeals court agreed to postpone imprisonment until judgement of his appeal. The French-Israeli infantry medic is currently under "open arrest" confined to his army base. The March 2016 shooting in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron was caught on video by a rights group and spread widely online. It showed Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army. Azaria then shot him in the head without any apparent provocation. He said he feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up, a claim judges rejected. The Palestinian government described the 18-month sentence as a "green light to the occupation army to continue its crimes". Amnesty International said the sentence did "not reflect the gravity of the offence," while the UN human rights office said it was an "unacceptable" punishment for "an apparent extra-judicial killing". The trial captivated Israel and highlighted deep divisions in public opinion between those who decry his actions and those who see him as a hero protecting his comrades. A number of Israeli politicians have called for him to be pardoned, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The defence's decision to appeal was controversial, with three of Azaria's lawyers resigning from the case, saying they did not believe it served his best interests. In a direct response, military prosecutors said they would seek a prison sentence of three to five years. "The prosecution argues that the punishment imposed on the respondent is excessively lenient and is not consistent with the level of punishment which is acceptable and appropriate to the respondent's deeds," says their appeal. Defence attorney Yoram Sheftel's 44-page appeal alleges the court ignored video clips that he says support Azaria's version of events while the prosecution evidence does not stand up to scrutiny. Channel 10 quoted him as telling the court on Wednesday that while he and his assistant were two defenders, "there are millions more who believe in Azaria's innocence," an apparent reference to public support. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A city court today quashed a police order summoning nine JNU students for recording their consent or denial for lie-detector test in the case relating to the missing university student, Najeeb Ahmed. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sidharth Sharma set aside the order passed by a magisterial court after it noted a defect in the notice sent by the investigating officer (IO) to the students. It, however, allowed the IO to send them a fresh notice. The students had earlier approached the magisterial court against the notice sent to them by the IO for their consent or denial regarding the test. The magistrate had, however, directed the students to appear before the court and inform it whether they wanted to undertake the test. During the proceedings today, the sessions court noted that in the notice given by the IO, it was wrongly mentioned that the test was as per the direction of the Delhi High Court. It said while the notice given by the IO suggested that the test was as per HC's directions, the copy of the HC order does not say so. The ASJ said that the magistrate should have quashed the "defective notice" sent by the IO, while granting the police liberty to send a fresh notice to the students. The ASJ had on April 6 stayed the magisterial court's order summoning the students on a revision plea moved by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra on behalf of the students while issuing notice to Delhi Police. The magisterial court had dismissed the students' plea in which they had claimed that they could not be asked by the police to give their consent for the lie-detector test. The nine students, who are suspects in the case, had approached the magisterial court challenging the notice sent to them by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police seeking their presence before the magistrate for recording of their statement. The notice was sent after the Delhi High Court had asked the police to explore other avenues of probe as all other leads had not yielded any result. In its notice issued on January 23, the probe agency had claimed that students' lie detector test was required to get information about Najeeb's whereabouts. 27-year-old Najeeb has been missing since October 14 last year after a scuffle at his JNU hostel allegedly with ABVP activists the previous night. The RSS students' wing has denied any involvement in his disappearance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actors Eddie Redmayne and Tom Sturridge were reportedly denied entry to Rihanna's super exclusive soiree after a star-studded evening at the Met gala. The two along with Redmayne's wife Hannah Bagshawe, were photographed arriving to New York City's 1Oak nighctlub, but were turned away by security personnel not once but twice, a source told E! Online. "The Danish Girl" star and Hannah, who tied the knot in 2014 and share a 10-month-old daughter together, ascended the Metropolitan Museum of Art's iconic staircase in custom Prada ensembles. Hannah dazzled in a sequined purple gown and bold statement necklace, while Redmayne looked dapper in a royal blue suit. Sturridge, who co-starred with Redmayne in 2006 thriller "Like Minds", opted for grey and black pinstriped look. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in the United Arab Emirates today for talks with top officials, state media said. Sisi's visit comes 24 hours after the UAE brokered a meeting between Fayez al-Sarraj, head of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord, and military strongman Field Marshal Haftar who refuses to recognise the GNA. State-run agency WAM said Sisi was accompanied by Egypt's foreign and investment ministers on his two-day visit to the UAE, one of the main donors of Egypt's central bank. Egypt has received more than USD 20 billion in aid from Gulf countries that supported the overthrow of Sisi's Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi. The UAE alone last year pledged $5 billion to Egypt, which has been plagued by economic instability since the 2011 revolution that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. The UAE and Egypt are also joint allies of Haftar, whose forces control most of eastern Libya including its key oil ports. Yesterday, Haftar and Sarraj met in Abu Dhabi for only the second time since the latter was named prime minister in late 2015, as diplomatic efforts intensify to ends years of chaos and conflict in their North African nation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egyptian national Eman Ahmed, who was until recently believed to be the world's heaviest woman, will be discharged tomorrow from the Saifee Hospital here, where she underwent treatment for severe obesity. "Eman, who was brought here in February this year, weighed around 498 kgs on arrival. Her weight has reduced to 177 kgs," Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, bariatric surgeon who led the team of doctors treating Eman at the city hospital, told PTI today. "Huzefa Shehabi, COO Saifee Hospital, has received an e mail communication from VPS Burjeel Hospital (in Abu Dhabi, UAE) saying that Eman is 'stable, in good health and fit to fly'. She would be discharged from Saifee tomorrow at 10.30 AM," said Lakdawala. A doctors' team from Saifee will brief the team from VPS Burjeel about Eman's current medical status, he said. "We are extremely happy and pleased with her progress and wish her all the best," added Lakdawala. A team of doctors from VPS Burjeel, (a hospital initially introduced to Eman's family by Dr Lakdawala), had visited the patient here on April 26. Eman (36), who was accompanied by her sister Shaimaa Salem, would be shifted to VPS Burjeel Hospital for further treatment. The development came last week amid allegations by Shaimaa that Eman was not receiving proper treatment at the privately-owned Saifee hospital in South Mumbai. According to Saifee authorities, the total cost incurred on Eman's treatment was around Rs 3 crore, of which the hospital received Rs 65 lakh in the form of donations from Indians. "We have not asked for a single penny from Eman's family. We are happy that we did bring her weight down," Lakdawala said. Eman's sister, in an online video had recently alleged that the doctors at Saifee, made "false claims" about Eman's complete recovery and weight loss of 262 kg. Refuting the allegations, Dr Aparna Bhaskar, section chief of bariatric surgery at Saifee Hospital, had said that Shaimaa may be criticising the doctors to extend her sister's stay at the hospital. Dr Lakdawala too had denied the charge. Saifee authorities had on April 27 filed a written complaint against Shaimaa at VP Road police station for obstructing the medical treatment of Eman. The hospital had alleged that Shaimaa tried to put water in Eman's mouth, despite being told that she must be fed by tube only. Eman underwent bariatric surgery in March in which doctors reduced her stomach size by two-third, so as to reduce her food intake. Her genetic tests had showed that she has a rare gene mutation that cannot be cured through surgery. Eman has been treated by Dr Lakdawala and a team of around 15 doctors from various disciplines since she was brought here from Alexandria on February 11 this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today called for an end to crackdowns on journalists, stressing a free press was essential for peace and justice. In a message on World Press Freedom Day, he urged world leaders to defend media freedom to counter misinformation. "We need leaders to defend a free media. This is crucial for countering prevailing misinformation. And we need everyone to stand for the right to truth," he said. Guterres pointed out journalists went to the "most dangerous places" to give "a voice to the voiceless". Members of the media faced sexual assaults, character assassinations, detention, injuries and even death, he said. "On World Press Freedom Day, I call for an end to all crackdowns against journalists - because a free press advances peace and justice for all. When we protect journalists, their words and pictures can change our world," he said. Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice C K Prasad hailed journalists as crusaders of truth but lamented the absence of measures to safeguard them. Prasad was speaking at a roundtable in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 'Sharing of Good Practices with Newly Established Press Councils' under the aegis of UNESCO. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Gulf carrier Etihad Airways today expanded its services to Kerala with the launch of an additional flight on the Kozhikode-Abu Dhabi route. Etihad Airways, which is strategic investment partner in Naresh Goyal's Jet Airways, will now fly four times a day to the South Indian city from its Abu Dhabi hub, the airline said in a statement. The additional services provides passengers convenient connections to a host of international destinations, including London, New York and Chicago, among others, it said. The UAE's national carrier operates flights from Abu Dhabi to three cities in Kerala -- Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. "With our multi-frequency scheduled flights to and from Kerala, Etihad Airways...We have been able to bring the world closer to this state and connect the people of Kerala to destinations in the Gulf, including our Abu Dhabi home, which has also been the base for thriving ventures by Kerala business houses," Etihad Airways vice president for India subcontinent Neerja Bhatia said. With the introduction of new service, Etihad Airways now operates a total of 63 flights per week to these three cities. "This represents over 30 per cent of Etihad Airways' frequencies from across 11 Indian cities it serves," the statement said. In addition, Etihad's partner airline Jet Airways also operates seven flights a week from Kochi to Abu Dhabi. Apart from four flights a day to Kozhikode, the Gulf carrier also flies three times daily to Kochi and a double daily to Thiruvananthapuram with a mix of Airbus 320 and A321 aircraft in two class configuration -- Business (16 seats) and economy with 158 seats, the airline said. In the current year, Jet Airways plans to launch flights from Kannur and Chandigarh to Abu Dhabi, subject to appropriate regulatory approvals and completion of operational readiness at these airports, it said. The two carriers together operate over 250 flights per week to Abu Dhabi from 15 Indian cities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier insisted today the bloc was not punishing Britain as London firmly rejected a reported 100 billion euro exit bill. Barnier warned however against the "illusion" that leaving the European Union would be quick or painless, urging Britain to start talks as soon as possible after its general election in June. "There is no punishment, there is no Brexit bill. The financial settlement is only about settling the accounts," Barnier told a conference as he unveiled his proposed negotiating mandate for two years of talks. "There is no question of demanding a blank cheque from the United Kingdom, that is not a serious question," the French former European Commissioner and government minister said. Britain's Brexit minister David Davis said his country could simply walk away from the negotiations, following a report in the Financial Times that the estimated bill for Britain's departure had soared from 60 billion to 100 billion euros. "We will not be paying 100 billion," he told British media. "In the walk-away circumstance there is nothing to be paid." Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that she would rather Britain exit the EU without any agreement on future ties than accept a "bad deal". But May was put on the defensive this week after leaks about a disastrous dinner in London with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Barnier. The leaders of the other 27 EU nations on Saturday unanimously agreed a tough set of guidelines for the talks with Britain, covering issues of money, the rights of EU citizens, and the border in Northern Ireland. They insist that Britain must settle those divorce issues before talks on a future EU-UK trade deal can begin. Barnier warned that the "clock is ticking" for a settlement and urged London to get serious to boost the chances of reaching a deal. "Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives, or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case," he said. Barnier said the calculations of what the EU says Britain owes would be based on "rigorous methodology". He called on Britain to guarantee "for life" the rights of three million EU citizens living in Britain, who are currently allowed to live, work and study there freely under EU rules. Barnier will also visit Ireland next week for talks on avoiding a hard border with Northern Ireland which could jeopardise the peace process in the British province. The EU 27 are expected on May 22 to give Barnier a formal mandate to conduct talks over the next two years with Britain. Barnier has said he needs to wrap up talks by October 2018 to get any Brexit deal through the European Parliament in time for Britain's scheduled departure from the EU on March 29, 2019. Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016 in a closely fought referendum, the first country to do so. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A fire broke out at Antriksh Bhawan this evening on Kasturba Gandhi Marg, adjoining Connaught Place in the heart of the city. A call was received at 6.15 PM about the fire breaking out at Parikrama Restaurant located in Antriksh Bhawan, said a senior officer from Delhi Fire Services. Four fire tenders have been rushed to the spot and further details are awaited, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The arrest of a German army officer suspected of plotting a far-right attack is putting fresh pressure on the country's defense minister, already under fire over a series of abuse cases within Germany's armed forces. Canceling a planned trip to the United States, Ursula von der Leyen dashed to the French town of Illkirch on Wednesday to visit the barracks where the 28-year-old lieutenant was stationed as part of a Franco-German brigade until his arrest last week. Prosecutors say the man, identified only as Franco A. Due to German privacy laws, allegedly planned to carry out an attack. He had previously come to the attention of superiors for expressing far-right views in a 2014 dissertation written as part of his officer's training, but was let off with a warning. Von der Leyen said it had been a mistake for A.'s superiors to play down the initial concerns, given that his thesis contained views that were "clearly racist and far-right extremist" in nature. She planned to meet Thursday with the heads of Germany's armed forces to discuss the officer's case as well as separate investigations of alleged hazing and sexual abuse within the military stretching back several years. "We need to have a no-holds-barred investigation, and I say this also with a view to other incidents in recent weeks where people were bullied, where they were denigrated, which won't be tolerated under any circumstances," said von der Leyen. She said she wasn't ruling out dismissals. The allegations involving the army lieutenant is one of 280 instances of suspected far-right extremism being investigated by Germany's military intelligence, officials said. The Germany military, or Bundeswehr, has some 178,000 active duty personnel. A. Came to the attention of authorities after he was arrested in February for hiding a pistol in a Vienna airport bathroom. He was freed, but Austrian authorities informed Germany, and a fingerprint match showed he had managed to register as a refugee and claim financial aid. Investigators suspect he was planning an attack that he may have wanted to blame on foreigners. A 24-year-old student from the soldier's hometown of Offenbach was also arrested in the case. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said von der Leyen had "the full support of the chancellor and the entire German government to investigate all aspects of the Franco A. Case insofar as they concern the Bundeswehr." Merkel's main challenger in upcoming German elections, Martin Schulz of the Social Democratic Party, suggested the defense minister should take political responsibility for the case. "I think that in such cases...The political responsibility shouldn't be offloaded onto the troops," Schulz told public broadcaster WDR. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An unfazed FBI chief James Comey today strongly defended his controversial decision to alert Congress just days before the US general election about the probe into Hillary Clinton's emails, saying concealing the probe developments would have been "catastrophic". "It was a hard choice, I still believe in retrospect the right choice," the FBI Director told senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency. "I can't consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected," he said, a day after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticised him for his role in the outcome of last year's presidential election. Comey said he stands behind his letter to Congress that shook up the final days of last year's presidential election and he would do it again. Still, he said his decision to tell Congress that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had found new emails that could be relevant to Clinton's private email server was not an easy one. "This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election ... I would make the same decision," Comey, 56, said. Asked why he publicly announced an investigation into Clinton's emails days before the election, Comey said, "concealing in my view would be catastrophic." "It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly it wouldn't change the decision." "This has been one of the world's most painful experiences. I would make the same decision. I would not conceal that on October 28 (days before the November 8 election)." Comey said he notified lawmakers about the Clinton- related findings because he "testified under oath repeatedly" that the investigation was over. Comey said he thought he treated the investigations the same because he did not reveal either probe when they initially began. Comey has become an almost equally divisive figure for Republicans and Democrats for his impact on the elections. His revelation that the FBI was examining additional emails from Clinton that were discovered on disgraced former Republican Anthony Weiner's computer, has led Democrats, including Clinton herself, to say it cost them the White House. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said yesterday in an interview to CNN. Following those remarks, Trump criticised Comey the night before the hearing. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony......Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump said in a pair of tweets yesterday. At the panel's hearing, Comey got grilled about the investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election and into Clinton's use of a private email server at the State Department. Some Republicans defended Comey's actions and pressed him about what evidence underpins accusations of the Trump campaign contacts with Russia. While the campaign was still ongoing, Comey did not reveal the existence of the Russia probe, but he informed Congress that the FBI discovered thousands of message from the Clinton email domain on the computer of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Democrats repeatedly questioned about his decision-making process, which Comey defended. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has upstaged Bajaj Auto to become the No 2 bikes-maker in April, which has also pushed it within a striking distance of overtaking market leader Hero as the largest twowheeler maker. "We're happy that for the first time, we've become the No 2 motorcycle-maker, overtaking Bajaj Auto by a wide margin (over 21,330 units). This was possible after our overall sales jumped 34 per cent in April. Our bikes volume rose 22 per cent to 1,83,266 units from 1,50,711 a year ago," HMSI senior VP for sales and marketing YS Guleria told PTI today. As against this, Bajaj Auto saw its domestic sales plunge 19 per cent to 1,61,930 units in April from 2,00,433 units. With this, the Japanese company leads the Pune-based Bajaj by a wide margin of 21,336 units, while it has narrowed the margin with Hero to just 12,377 units, making it within a striking distance from the numero uno crown. The Japanese major began fiscal 2018 on a high note with a 34 per cent spike in sales taking its volumes to a record high of 5,78,929 units, making it the best-ever monthly sales for the company. While HeromotorCorp saw its sales decline by 3.5 per cent to 5,91,306 units in the month. The volume jump was led by a massive 40 per cent rise in its flagship scooter Activa which crossed for the first time 3.5 lakh monthly sales at 3,68,618, which also is a record for the company. When asked weather HMSI is hopeful of maintaining the lead over Bajaj going forward, Guleria parried a direct answer saying, "our present capacity allows us to sell only 1.5-1.8 lakh bikes a month and I am confident of fully utilising that capacity. "Having began fiscal 2018 year on a high, we're looking forward to meet the target set for the year-- 20 per cent volume growth at 6 million units over 5 million units in fiscal 2017". When asked if Honda will continue to narrow the gap with Hero and overtake it sooner than later to be the largest twowheeler company, Guleria again avoided a direct answer. "We are limited by our capacity now which is at 5.8 million per annum while Hero has about 7.8 million installed capacity. I can say anything about such an eventuality only after we open our new assembly line (11th one) in Karnataka in July. From August-September we will be able to sell more. "Currently my focus is on meeting the huge demand for scooters as the waiting period has shot up to over 30,000 units now. We can't also add an another shift as all the 10 assembly lines are running at full capacity with two shifts for long now". Guleria said the bike volumes were driven by the 125- cc Shine, which contributes close to 55 per cent of the volume. The over a decade-old Shine with its two variants has been its warhorse for long now. He also said the company is hopeful of crossing the 5.5 million cumulative sales of the Shine this month. The record April sales has pushed up the HMSI's market share to over 33 per cent, up 2.5 percentage points from the March pie. Its exports soared close to 60 per cent in the month to 27,045 units. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of the review of its record at the UN Human Rights Council, India said today it would continue to engage constructively with the council and other countries to promote and protect human rights. The 27th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group is being held from May 1-12th at the UNHCR in Geneva, where India's national report for the UPR-III shall be reviewed on May 4, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi, is leading the Indian delegation that comprises secretary (West) Ruchi Ghanashyam, Additional Solicitor General of India P S Patwalia and senior officials from the MEA, Home, Women and Child Development, Social Justice and Empowerment, Minority Affairs, Rural Development ministries and the NITI Aayog. "India would continue to engage constructively with the UN Human Rights Council and other countries of the world to both promote and protect human rights and to ensure that the national efforts in this regard continue to retain their primacy in the global discussion on this issue," the ministry said. When asked about the government's position and if it was divergent from NHRC, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said he was not aware of the India's stance but asserted that NHRC was one of the strongest human rights body in the world and added vibrancy to country's democratic system. The national report of India covers areas that were part of the recommendations accepted following the UPR-II in 2012. The report also covers areas that India wishes to share with member countries as part of the peer review mechanism and in a spirit of cooperative engagement and collaboration that has marked our approach to the issue of human rights, the Ministry statement added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 66-year-old Indian man has been arrested in Nepal for allegedly smuggling 15 human skulls, police said today. Bhagirath Singh of West Bengal's Khoribari was paid Rs 1,000 by an unidentified person to smuggle the cranial bones across the border, they said. The human skulls might have been smuggled for performing tantric rituals, Superintendent of Police Sailesh Thapa said. Singh was caught by police during a security check near Kakarbhitta customs office in Jhapa district on Monday, about 450 kms east of Kathmandu. He will be booked under the Public Offence Act as Nepal's law does not specify possession of human body parts as an offence. Kakarbhitta has become a transit point for smuggling of human bones in the recent years, according to the police. Nepalese and Indian citizens often smuggle human skulls to Nepal from Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram through Kakarbhitta border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that Israel would cut USD 1 million from its United Nations funding over a UNESCO resolution he says denies Jews' historical connection with Jerusalem. The resolution, passed yesterday at the UN organisation's Paris headquarters 22 votes to 10, with 23 abstentions, denounced actions taken by "Israel, the occupying power... To alter the character and status of the holy city of Jerusalem." It particularly criticised Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem after occupying it in 1967, a move never recognised by the international community. "UNESCO again accepted an absurd resolution yesterday about the status of Jerusalem - the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years," Netanyahu said at the opening of a cabinet meeting. "This systematic harassment has a price," said Netanyahu, telling ministers he had ordered the foreign ministry to "cut an additional USD 1 million from the money Israel transfers to the UN." Today's cut was the third time in recent months Israel reduced its UN budget over what it perceived as anti-Israel votes, putting the 2017 payments at USD 3.7 instead of the original USD 11 million, an Israeli official said. Netanyahu, however, noted the "silver lining" of Tuesday's vote, which he said saw more states supporting Israel's position than in previous similar resolutions. "This is a consistent trend," he said, thanking the countries that voted against the resolution, first and foremost "Italy, the first European state that announced its opposition to it." "For the first time at UNESCO more countries opposed and abstained than supported, and that is of course important." Also today, the Israeli foreign ministry summoned Swedish ambassador Carl Magnus Nesser and reprimanded him over Stockholm's support of the UNESCO resolution. Senior ministry officials expressed their "bitter disappointment" over the vote in their talk with Nesser, noting Sweden's "systematic voting" pattern against Israel, a statement read. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Kerala Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution condemning the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military on the Line of Control (LoC) and described the act as "inhuman". Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, said Pakistan's act was "brutal". "The House unanimously condemns the Pakistan military's inhuman act against Indian soldiers. We share the grief of the bereaved families of jawans," he said. Echoing the same sentiments, Opposition leader in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala said Pakistan was indulging in a "shadow war" against India and the beheading of soldiers was the latest proof of this. "Pakistan is trying to increase tension across the border. We cannot accept these kind of attacks crossing LoC. The cruel face of the Pakistan army was exposed through the mutilation of Indian jawans' bodies," he said. Under cover of heavy mortar fire, Pakistani special forces team had sneaked 250 metres across the LoC into the Poonch sector and beheaded two Indian security personnel on May 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala will soon witness a politician-bureaucrat wedding with young Congress legislator K S Sabarinathan set to tie the knot with IAS officer Divya S Iyer after being in love. The MLA from Aruvikkara Constituency near here, 33-year-old Sabarinathan announced the marriage through his facebook page and posted a photo of him and Divya together and sought the blessing from all. Sabarinathan is an engineering graduate and MBA degree holder while Divya a medical doctor. Son of late Congress leader and Assembly speaker G Karthikeyan, Sabarinathan said both of them share similar interests and perceptions and their families were happy and supportive of their decision. "It is a love-cum arranged marriage and we have known each other since the past few months," Sabarinathan told PTI. An elated Divya, now serving as the Sub-Collector in the state capital, said the marriage between a politician and an IAS officer did not have much precedence in the state. The 2013 batch IAS officer also said she and the MLA had first met for official purposes and their friendship grew later. "I met sub-collector Divya at Thiruvananthapuram. When we became close, we realised that our ideas, interests and life perspectives are similar," Sabarinathan said in his post. Besides the social media post, he also unveiled his wedding plan at a function in his constituency as the gathering including women cheered the young MLA. The wedding was likely to be held here next month, family sources said. Sabarinathan, who was with Tata Sons in Mumbai for seven years, took the political plunge following the demise of his father. He had won the Aruvikkara bypoll and became the youngest MLA in the state Assembly in 2015. He later retained the seat in the May 2016 assembly polls with an impressive margin. Thirtytwo-year-old Divya, who did her MBBS from Vellore Medical College, worked as Assistant Collector at Kottayam before moving to her home district here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A single-member inquiry committee, examining the allegations of land grab against senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, today completed its probe and is likely to submit its report to the state government "anytime soon." The single-member panel of Justice (Retd) Dinkar Zoting was appointed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last year following allegations that Khadse, during his tenure as the state revenue minister, had purchased a three-acre plot at Bhosari for a song. It was alleged that he bought the MIDC plot in the name of his kin for Rs 3.75 crore as against the market price of Rs 40 crore. "The recording of statements and arguments of both Khadse and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) concluded today. Now, the committee will study the matter and submit its report to the government," said a senior official. Senior counsel M G Bhangde, who appeared on behalf of Khadse, today gave a written reply on the points of argument raised by the MIDC yesterday, said MIDC counsel Chandrashekhar Jaltare. "Bhangde argued that the provisions of the Indian Evidence Act are applicable to the committee and it will not be able to suggest any criminal proceedings into the case," Jaltare said. The arguments into the matter have been completed and the commission will submit its report to the government anytime soon, he said. Besides the MIDC land deal, Khadse, the veteran BJP leader from north Maharashtra, had been facing some other allegations, including that of getting calls allegedly from fugitive Dawood Ibrahim's residence in Karachi on his mobile phone and the alleged bribe sought by his personal aide. A Pune-based activist and builder, Hemant Gavande, had filed a complaint against Khadse in connection with the MIDC land deal on May 30 last year. Following the charges, Khadse had resigned as a state minister in June last year. Thereafter, the Maharashtra government had announced the appointment of retired Bombay High Court judge Dinkar Zoting to probe the allegations. The state's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) last month had registered an FIR against former Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse, his wife, son-in-law and original owner of the land in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of the MIDC plot near Pune. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 27-year-old prisoner serving life sentence has escaped from a Chinese jail after stealing a truck and breaking through the separation net at the prison in southwest Yunnan Province. Zhang Lincang, was sentenced to life imprisonment for transporting drugs, and started his sentence in January 2017 at the No.1 Prison in Yunnan. "Zhang left the site where inmates were working yesterday night, stole a truck, broke through the separation net at the prison and fled," the provincial prison administration said. He abandoned the truck on a road two kilometres from the prison. Authorities have launched search operation to nab him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maldives police said today they have arrested two suspects in the murder of a prominent blogger and human rights advocate. Yameen Rasheed died last week after being found with multiple stab wounds in a house in the capital, Male. Police said in a statement that they are confident that the investigation into the case "can be concluded successfully in the coming days." Rasheed had criticized politicians and rising radical Islamic views in Maldives. He also spoke out on issues such as health, migrant workers' rights and policing. He was actively involved in seeking justice for his friend and journalist Ahmed Rilwan, who remains unaccounted for since being abducted about three years ago. Rasheed's family said last week that he had received death threats for months from local gangs who appeared to hold radical religious views. Maldives is a predominantly Sunni Muslim state where practicing other faiths and atheism are banned. There has been rising radicalism in recent years. President Yameen Abdul Gayoom's government has also curbed freedom of speech and assembly, with heavy fines imposed on journalists and social media users who are found guilty of defamation. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party called last week for an investigation with foreign assistance into Rasheed's death, saying the country's police do not have the capacity or impartiality to conduct a full and fair investigation. It said Rasheed had recently filed a case against police over their inaction in determining Rilwan's fate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 20-year-old university student was today guilty of planting a bag of explosives on a busy tube in the UK last year. Damon Smith was caught on CCTV dumping a bag containing a home-made bomb and deadly ball-bearing shrapnel on a Jubilee train with a detonator clock timed to go off 13 minutes later. Passengers reported the bag to the driver. The bomb did not explode. Smith's mother claimed that her son is suffering from Asperger's syndrome and did not understand what he was doing. A jury at the Old Bailey was shown footage of Smith's tube journey on October 20 last year, the report said. Former altar boy Smith built the device at his home with a 2 pound clock after googling an al-Qaeda article entitled 'Make A Bomb In The Kitchen Of Your Mom'. Smith, who faces several years in jail, will be sentenced on May 26. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Declaring the Mumbai Metro Line III project to be crucial to ease the traffic woes, the Bombay High Court today said it needs to consider if the lives of trees are more important than those of the human beings. "Primarily and importantly, the Metro has to come to Mumbai. Considering the traffic woes people are suffering from, Metro needs to come to ease them out. Now we will have to see what is more important - life of a human being or the life of tree," observed a bench of Chief Justice Chellur and Justice G S Kulkarni. The bench made the observation while hearing two pleas by the residents of Churchgate and Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai challenging the proposed felling of over 5,000 trees to pave way for the Seepz-Colaba Metro Line III project. The high court had earlier asked the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd not to cut any tree till further orders. MMRCL's counsel Aspi Chinoy today made a fervent plea to the court to vacate its order against cutting the trees. "The order directing a stay on cutting of trees needs to be vacated since it is causing a lot of damage to the project. A lot of work needs to be completed before the monsoon. Trenches, which have been dug, need to be filled after the necessary work is finished," Chinoy said. Chinoy added that the MMRCL was ready to abide by its undertaking to the court that for every tree that is cut in south Mumbai, another one will be planted at the same spot after the construction work is over. "This would be in addition to the three plants that will be planted in the suburbs," he argued. The petitioners, however, objected and said the entire project does not have clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). The court said if it vacates the stay, it would set up a committee to monitor if the MMRCL was complying with its undertaking. The court, after hearing arguments of all the parties involved, reserved its order on the interim stay granted. The MoEF in an affidavit submitted to the court today, said since the Metro is a civic amenity project, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, if any, will have to be taken from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA). The 33-kilometer Line III of the Mumbai Metro, also referred to as the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ line, is a part of the metro system which will connect Cuffe Parade business district in South Mumbai to SEEPZ in the north-central. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Spirituality, advice on yoga and other wellness disciplines were on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda today as he offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine and then flew to controversial yoga guru Ramdev's research institute in Haridwar. The famed Himalayan shrine accorded customary VIP treatment to the prime minister -- he was the first visitor at the famed Himalayan shrine that opened its doors today after a six-month winter break. He also became the first prime minister to visit the Shiva temple after V P Singh in 1989. Excitement ran high as Modi, accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, arrived in an army chopper at the helipad built close to the temple and headed straight for the eighth century shrine located at a height of 11,755 ft near Chorabari Glacier. Braving the early morning chill, around 4,000 devotees had turned up at the temple to witness its ceremonial opening and to catch a glimpse of the prime minister, who performed a rudrabhishek (ritual bath of the Shiva lingam) in the sanctum sanctorum. He did a 'parikrama' of the Nandi statue outside the temple before walking through the crowds to make for the convoy that was to take him back to the helipad. An hour later, Modi stepped into the chopper again to inaugurate Ramdev's research institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth. The yoga guru's consumer goods behemoth has been at the centre of several controversies over the years, ranging from allegations of misbranding to misrepresentation of its products. Late last month, Patanjali's amla juice was withdrawn from the canteens of defence forces across the country following a negative report from a Kolkata lab. Addressing the gathering, Modi rued that successive governments had sought to forget India's traditional medicinal systems instead of promoting them. Patanjali promotes its products as homegrown alternative to Western products. "In the pre-independence era, the gems of our traditional systems of medicine and healthcare were deliberately kept under wraps because we were a slave country. But even in the post-independence era, unfortunately, there was an effort on the part of successive governments to forget the distinctive specialities of our traditional systems rather than promoting them," Modi said. He said the new institute, designed to facilitate clinical trials and modern packaging of ayurvedic medicines, was a big step forward towards "holistic" healthcare and would pave the way for a wider acceptance of India's traditional therapeutic systems. He congratulated Ramdev for the research institute and for taking yoga "to every household across the world". Ramdev conferred the title of "Rashtra Rishi" on Modi for his "relentless efforts to build a clean, strong and united India". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Karnataka government has capped the price of film tickets at all theatres at Rs 200 and made it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Kannada and regional cinema during prime time. The ceiling on prices comes into immediate effect, with the government issuing a notification implementing the proposal announced in the state budget for 2017-18. The move comes barely a day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with his family watched the blockbuster "Baahubali 2-The Conclusion", by reportedly paying a hefty entry fee at a multiplex that was more than the normal price. The notification also makes it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Kannada and regional cinema during the prime time (between 1.30 pm to 7.30 pm) at least on one screen.However, the maximum cap of Rs 200 does not includet axes. While 'Gold Class Screen' and 'Gold Class Seats', IMAX and4DX screens have been exempted from the ceiling of Rs 200 inadmission fee, the number of seats in Gold Class has been restricted to 10 per cent of the total seats. The proposals were announced in the 2017-18 budget based on the recommendations by a 14-member committee, headed by filmmaker and Chairman of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy S V Rajendra Singh Babu, constituted to draft a policy for promotion of Kannada cinema. There were demands from various stakeholders of the film industry to the government, urging it to cap multiplex entry fee at Rs 120 as in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce President Sa Ra Govindu welcomed the decision, saying it meets a long pending demand and would give a boost to Kannada film industry. The Karnataka government has capped the price of film tickets in all theatres at Rs 200 and made it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Kannada and regional cinema during prime time. The ceiling on movie ticket prices comes into immediate effect, with government issuing a notification implementing the proposal announced in the state budget for 2017-18. The move comes barely a day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with his family watched the blockbuster "Baahubali: The Conclusion" by reportedly paying a hefty fee at a multiplex. It is also made mandatory for multiplexes to screen Kannada and regional cinema during the prime time (between 1.30 pm to 7.30 pm) at least on one screen. The maximum cap of Rs 200 does not include taxes. However, inspite of the cap on ticket rates, some multiplexes in the city are still charging the old rates, according to a reputed Kannada film producer, exhibitor and former Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) president. Some multiplexes are charging the same old rates in the range of Rs 300 to Rs 1,600 for "Baahubali 2", Chandrasekhar, who is also Veeresh Theatre Owner, told PTI. Chandrashekar said some multiplexes have decided to charge the old rates unless the government brings in an amendment to the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1964. "What Siddaramaiah government has announced is addressed to the authority - that is the home secretary. Now it is for the home secretary to bring in the amendment to the Act and then only it becomes a law. Until then some of the multiplexes will continue to charge old rates," he said. Chandrashekar said the Multiplex Association of India has written to the government, with a copy to KFCC, partially accepting the Rs 200 cap. But, he said, they have demanded relaxation of the Rs 200 cap on Saturdays and Sundays, and festival holidays. According to the notification, while 'Gold Class Screen' and 'Gold Class Seats', IMAX and 4DX screens have been exempted from the ceiling of Rs 200 in admission fee, the number of seats in Gold Class has been restricted to 10 per cent of the total seats. The proposals were announced in the 2017-18 budget based on the recommendations by a 14-member committee, headed by filmmaker and Chairman of Karnataka Chalachitra Academy S V Rajendra Singh Babu. There were demands from various stakeholders of the film industry to the government, urging it to cap multiplex entry fee at Rs 120 as in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. KFCC President Sa Ra Govindu welcomed the decision on the cap, saying it meets a long pending demand and would give a boost to Kannada film industry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Myanmar national was arrested by police with 2 kg of cannabis in the city. The man was stopped by police in Narwal area yesterday and a search of his belongings led to the seizure of the substance. A case has been registered at Trikuta Nagar police station and investigation is on, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly's new building is ready to hold its first session on May 12. Chief Minister Pema Khandu inspected the upcoming Assembly building yesterday. The Speaker of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Tenzing Norbu Thongdok briefed the chief minister on the status of the construction work, an official release informed here today. The Assembly building's hall with most advanced facilities has seating capacity of 90. The executing agency informed the chief minister that the main Assembly hall was complete. The Deputy Speaker Tumke Bagra accompanied the chief minister during the visit. The Assembly houses chambers for the chief minister, the speaker, the deputy speaker and a resting hall for the legislators. The chief minister also inspected the library hall, the cafeteria and the conference hall, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Peter Simpson says, Brasch was, before all else, a poet and his journals offer frequent insights into his own poetry and that of others. He writes movingly about his own work, and also about his love of nature and the outdoors, including lively descriptions of walking the Milford and Routeburn tracks. The book ends with his visit to Europe in 1957, which confirmed his sense that New Zealand had become for him a centre & a world. Nigerian officials today played down fears about the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, despite his third consecutive absence from cabinet and assurances from his wife there was no cause for concern. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the meeting instead of the 74-year-old Buhari, who has made few public appearances since he returned from medical treatment in London in early March. The devout Muslim was also absent from Friday prayers last week and failed to attend his grandson's wedding on Saturday. His spokesman said he had undergone "a long period of treatment" for an undisclosed illness in London earlier this year and needed rest. He was said to be working from his private residence. Information Minister Lai Mohammed said after the meeting at the presidential villa in the capital, Abuja, that Buhari was following medical advice. Buhari worked from his office on Tuesday, he told reporters, adding: "Mr President will stick to his doctor's advice so that he can recover much more quickly." The head of state and his entourage have been under growing pressure to disclose his true health condition since he returned from the British capital after nearly two months away. Prominent Nigerians and civil society activists have advised him to take medical leave. Local media reported on Wednesday that former president Olusegun Obasanjo met other ex-military rulers Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar to discuss the situation. Mohammed said the suggestion "shows how concerned Nigerians are about the health of the president. All their suggestions are being taken on board". But he rejected reports in recent days that the former army general was unable to eat or drink and was being fed intravenously. "It's absolutely untrue that he's being fed," the minister said of the report on the online site Sahara Reporters, calling Buhari's absence "not any strange development". "It's exactly what he said, that he has been advised to take it easy by his doctor and that he will soon also go back (to London) for further treatment." Buhari's wife, Aisha said her husband's health was "not as bad as it's being perceived", again without specifying the nature of his illness. "He continues to carry out his responsibilities during this period," she wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday evening. The health of Nigeria's president has been a sensitive issue since the death in office in 2010 of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, which sparked months of political turmoil and uncertainty. During the 2015 election campaign, Buhari rejected opposition claims that he was seriously ill with prostate cancer and said they were a smear to show him as unfit for office. But presidential aides have sent out mixed messages since January, first saying his trip to London was for "routine medical check-ups" and maintaining Buhari was "hale and hearty". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court has said the 'founder's quota" at Dr Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology, now run by Tamil Nadu government, is illegal and directed it not to fill up 12 seats "earmarked" under the same. Passing an interim order, the First Bench,comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P Devadass said Prima facie it appeared that reservation of 12 seats under founder's quota was illegal as per an order of the Supreme Court. "There will, therefore be an interim order directing the authorities of the State to proceed with the selection of candidates," it said. "However, no admission shall be made under the founder's quota until further orders of this court," the Bench said and added that admissions may however be made in the general quota and other quotas, if any. The bench passed the interim order on a PIL petition by one E Sankar,an advocate,seeking a declaration that admission of students in the college under the quota was illegal, void, and contrary to the provisions of Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2006. He alleged that non eligible candidates and did not have the prescribed cut-off marks had been admitted under the guise of this Quota and a huge racket was going on every year by literally selling a few government seats. The college is run by Dr. Alagappa Chettiar Educational Trust, a public trust.In 1985, the trustees agreed to hand over colleges under the trust with all properties attached to the government. The government had decided to accept the offer of transfer and to take over certain liabilities, Sankar said. Contrary to admission procedures and various rules, provision was made for admission of certain number of students nominated by the persons claiming to be the family of the college founder, both at the Guindy campus here and at the Karaikudi campus in the name of the founder's quota. These admissions can only be regulated under Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act, under which all seats in government colleges can be filled only by the appropriate authority on the basis of marks got by students in the relevant subjects, the petitioner contended. He submitted that the trust and trustees had no right to fill up government seats as per their whims and fancies and it took away valuable rights of meritorious students. The permission to trustees to fill up the seats under the founder's quota on their own was contrary to Act, he submitted and sought a direction to declare the quota as illegal. When the matter came up last week, the First Bench issued notice to Government Pleader M K Subramanian on behalf of the State government and A L Gandhimathi for AICTE and M Vijayakumar, counsel for Anna University and directed them to file counter affidavits by June 6 and posted the matter for further hearing to June 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the prime minister flew in and out of the temple town of Kedarnath in an army chopper today, pilgrims took to Twitter to complain about the suspension of helicopter services to the shrine following a directive by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had issued a notice to the Uttarakhand government last month, asking it to give directions to helicopter operators on permissible noise levels and the altitude at which a chopper could fly over the eco-sensitive zone of the Kedarnath Wildflife Sanctuary. However, differences between the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) and 14 helicopter operators resulted in a suspension of chopper services till May 5. The Twitter protest gathered ground as the 8th-century Kedarnath temple re-opened today after staying shut for six months, marking the beginning of the pilgrim season in the hill town. "Helicopter services to Kedarnath stopped. Thousands of pilgrims suffering. Take action immediately," tweeted netizen R Vijaya Kumar. Another Tweet addressed the prime minister, who offered prayers at the Shiva shrine when it opened today. "...Today you had your darshana at Kedarnath but why helicopter ride is stopped for 3 days," complained Kasturi Srinivasan. "We have heart condition, arthritis, diabetes people AND we are scheduled to go tomorrow but we can't take pony or walk. Please help." Shankar San Dubey tweeted, "@narendramodi sir, u visited Kedarnath on Helicopter but all other passengers waiting for approval from government so that they can use helicopter." Following the NGT order, the UCADA issued a directive to chopper companies on April 29. It said helicopters could not exceed noise levels of 50 decibels and mandated that they should fly at an altitude of at least 2000 feet. The operators said the restrictions were unreasonable. "No helicopter will have a noise level as low as 50 decibels. The helicopters used in Kedarnath have certified noise levels of 84-86 decibels," said Wangchuk Shamshu, co-founder, Himalayan Heli Services. Shamsu pointed out that their operations entailed flying over valleys and gorges. "There are points when we are barely 100 feet above land mass. Therefore, the limit of at least 2000 feet is irrational," Shamsu said. The 14 helicopter operators affected by this order also met officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) here yesterday. A senior DGCA official said it had written to the Uttarakhand government highlighting the concerns shared by the operators. The DGCA would carry out a safety compliance inspection on the Kedarnath route once the guidelines were revised. The UCADA has now called a meeting tomorrow with representatives of the chopper companies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and discussed the situation in the Kashmir Valley. During the 30-minute-long meeting, Omar expressed concern over the "failure" of the PDP-BJP government in the state and said the space for mainstream politics was shrinking. Omar, who is the working president of the state's main Opposition National Conference, accused the Mehbooba Mufti government of failing to boost the morale of the police force which had been able to weed out militancy more or less till 2013, party sources said. Both the leaders expressed concern over growing number of terror incidents in the valley, they said. The two leaders also discussed various other issues including having an Opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential poll. This was the first meeting between the two leaders after National Conference-Congress alliance candidate and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah won the Srinagar parliamentary seat. Omar has been critical of Mehbooba and has been expressing his opinion through various tweets highlighting growing unrest against the alliance government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 71.34 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has so far arrived in the mandis (wholesale markets) of Haryana, an official said today. Out of the total wheat arrived, the five government procuring agencies have purchased 71.28 lakh metric tonnes and traders have purchased more than 6,012 metric tonnes of wheat at Minimum Support Price (MSP), the official informed. The procurement process was running smoothly in the mandis and the figures are till yesterday, the spokesman of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department said here. Giving details of the wheat procured by government agencies, he said that more than 17.61 lakh MT of wheat has been procured by Food and Supplies Department, whereas HAFED has purchased more than 25.54 lakh MT of wheat. Food Corporation of India has purchased more than 8.41 lakh MT of wheat, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation has purchased more than 6.52 lakh MT, and 13.18 lakh MT of wheat has been procured by Haryana Warehousing Corporation, he said. With 10.07 lakh MT, Sirsa district was leading in wheat arrivals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan and Iran today agreed to manage their porous border effectively, revive hotline between their border security forces and boost cooperation to overcome "existing challenges" at the regional and the international levels. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan committed themselves to further the bilateral ties during a meeting, which came nearly a week after nine Iranian border guards were killed by militants in a cross-border attack on the frontier with Pakistan. Following the attack, Iran had summoned the Pakistani envoy to protest the attack. The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation, "encompassing all areas of mutual interest and concerns, including effective border management, curb drug-trafficking and check illegal cross-border movement through better coordination, greater intelligence sharing and frequent interactions at political, military, security and at the level of various ministries," said an official statement released after their meeting. They also agreed that their countries had "no other option" but to work hand-in-hand to overcome existing challenges at individual, regional as well as international levels vis-a-vis the issues confronting the Muslim Ummah (community)." Pakistan and Iran decided to set up "operational committees" for identification of areas of cooperation and addressing mutual concerns. "The two sides agreed in principle to revive hotline between the border security forces of the two countries in order to resolve any issues at border," the statement said. Zarif, accompanied by a 12-member delegation, is in Pakistan on a day-long visit to discuss various issues, including security and border management, after the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards on April 26. Khan, however, said the visit of the Iranian delegation would provide momentum to the bilateral ties. "Your visit will send a strong message to those who wanted to undermine Pak- Iran relations and always look for an opportunity to create mistrust between the two friendly countries." Zarif said Pakistan and Iran will have to work together for resolution of problems faced by the Muslim world. He said the two countries needed consensus on matters of international importance. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and Pakistan's National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua. Zarif is also expected to call on President Mamnoon Hussain during the visit. According to Pakistan's Geo TV, the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards will feature in his talks with other Pakistani leaders as well. Other matters, including regional situation, counter-terrorism measures along Pak-Iran border, gas pipeline project and SAARC summit may also be discussed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's maritime authorities today arrested 30 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in the country's territorial waters, bringing the total number of Indian fishermen detained this year to 304. A spokesman for the Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) said that 30 Indian fishermen were detained and their five boats were seized. The detained fishermen were later handed over to the Docks police for further legal procedures. The Indian fishermen will be presented before a judicial magistrate tomorrow and then sent to jail. The latest arrests come at a time when tensions between the two countries are escalating over various issues. Today's arrests come just one week after the PMSA had on April 27 detained 29 Indian fishermen and seized five boats. In March also, the PMSA had twice apprehended Indian fishermen. On March 26, the PMSA had arrested 100 Indian fishermen and seized 19 boats while in early March some 85 Indian fishermenwere arrested and sent to jail. On January 27, the Maritime Security Agency had arrested 60Indianfishermenand seized 10 boats. The arrests of fishermen have continued this year even though Pakistan released some 219 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture on January 5 and before that released another batch of 220Indianfishermenon December 25. Fishermenfrom both countries are arrested frequently by the maritime security agencies of both countries for illegal fishing and often stray into illegal waters due to absence of any proper technology to confirm the coastline border between Pakistan andIndianear Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Supreme Court today rejected the nominees forwarded by the central bank and the securities and exchange commission to be part of a joint investigation team that will probe Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his sons' alleged corruption in the Panama Papers case. "We want honest and professional officials to be members of the JIT (joint investigation team)," Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who heads a three-member special bench that held its first hearing today to implement the court's decision to oversee the formation and functioning of the six-member JIT. Khan said the officials nominated by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Securities and Exchange Commission Pakistan (SECP) did not meet the court's criteria for a transparent investigation. The special bench, comprising Justice Khan, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, ordered the chiefs of SECP and SBP to appear in person on May 5 with a list of senior officers from which it can pick suitable officers. Sharif, 67, had got a temporary breather last month from the Supreme Court which said there was "insufficient evidence" to remove him from office but ordered setting up of a JIT to probe the graft allegations against his family. The high-profile graft case is about alleged money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as the Prime Minister to purchase assets in London. Information about the assets surfaced when Panama Papers last year showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. Prime Minister Sharif has denied any wrongdoing since the scandal first surfaced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of Palestinians rallied today in the West Bank city of Ramallah in a show of support for Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli prisons. Gathering as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was about to meet US President Donald Trump in the White House for the first time, they chanted "Freedom, freedom". About 1,000 Palestinians are fasting in a protest launched on April 17 by jailed leader Marwan Barghouti. Those taking part are ingesting only water and salt. It is unclear how many have been on strike for the full period as some of the original participants have since pulled out while others appeared to have joined. Supporters of the prisoners say 50 more will join the hunger strike from Thursday, among them prominent Palestinian faction leaders such as Ahmed Saadat, of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The prisoners are demanding improved conditions including family visits, better medical care and phone access. Relatives have received no about their loved ones and live in a state of "permanent anxiety," says Mahmud al- Ziadeh, whose son Majd has been in prison for 15 years. Hind Afena has not seen her sons Ahmed and Salah since they were jailed six months ago and one year ago respectively. Prison authorities deny her visits "for security reasons," she says. Barghouti, a senior member of Abbas's Fatah party and a highly popular figure among Palestinians, is serving five life sentences over his role in the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising. "I am addressing you from solitary confinement, among thousands of prisoners and on their behalf, and among hundreds of prisoners who have decided to launch this hunger strike for freedom and dignity that will continue till their legitimate demands are met," he wrote in a statement released Wednesday by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). "Israel cannot silence us, nor isolate us, nor break us," it said. "This hunger strike aims to confront the ongoing and escalating unjust Israeli occupation policies against prisoners and their loved ones. We stress our determination to undertake this struggle whatever the cost." A Fatah rally in support of the prisoners in the Gaza Strip was called off, rights group Al-Mizan said, because "many Fatah members" were summoned to the offices of security forces of bitter foe Hamas, which seized control of the strip from Fatah in 2007. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has decided to set up inter-ministerial panels to examine financial woes of telecom and power companies and recommend solutions, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said today. While intense competition in the telecom sector has squeezed margins of some companies and raised fears of defaults on loans taken from banks, the power segment faces a situation where distribution companies are unable to pay to the electricity producers. "An inter ministerial group has been created to examine systemic issues of viability and repayment capacity and furnish recommendation for resolution of stressed assets at the earliest. It is for telecom and power," Sinha told PTI in an interview. According to a government source, similar panels will be formed for some other sectors also. The Reserve Bank last month asked banks to review immediately their exposure to the telecom sector, which has a debt of Rs 4.6 lakh crore, and make higher provisions to firewall their business against any future stress. Emphasising that the government is well aware of concerns of the telecom sector, Sinha assured that an "appropriate action will be taken at an appropriate time". He said that a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to discuss concerns of both the sectors. "... The policy reforms and strategic intervention identified by the inter ministerial group will be examined and processed expeditiously," Sinha said. The telecom companies have been bleeding due to the pressure on revenue and profitability in the wake of competition intensified by the entry of Reliance Jio. The minister today said that the customers have benefited from competition in the sector. "Whenever a new entrant comes, this kind of situation is created, but it settles down in a year or two," he said. Jio's entry, he noted, has not only reduced the tariffs but changed the traffic pattern from voice to data. The ministry wants competition in the sector and also to ensure strong financial health of the industry, he asserted. Citing the data explosion in the country over the past quarters, the minister said that the Indian market was large enough to ensure growth for all operators. "Everybody is trying to increase their footprint," he said. To a query on Internet companies struggling in the wake of low tariffs, he quipped, "If consumer is getting data for Rs 20, should the government intervene and say provide it for Rs 100!" Earlier this year, the Telecom Commission in a letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) warned of a loan default by operators. It asked the telecom regulator to revisit its tariff orders and free promotional offers of firms like Reliance Jio. The then Telecom Secretary J S Deepak, who headed the Telecom Commission at that point, had flagged the "serious impact" of promotional offers on the financial health of the sector and the capability of the companies to meet their contractual commitments, including payment of instalments for spectrum purchased and repayment of loans. Trai, however, strongly defended its stance and retorted that its policies were aimed at promoting competition and lower tariffs that benefited consumers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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" does exists. The garbage continued to pile up in the city today as the residents of Phursungi and Devachi Uruli villages did not allow the authorities to dump it in the depot located in the twin villages for over two weeks. The villagers today staged a protest and took out a symbolic funeral of garbage depot located in these villages. NCP MP Supriya Sule visited the dumping site in the twin villages and participated in the protest. Workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena protested outside the house of Mayor Mukta Tilak, who is in Mexico for a conference. The district guardian minister Girish Bapat is in Australia. Sule told reporters that the decision makers are on foreign trips. "I have written a letter to the mayor and also tagged (on twitter) chief minister Devendra Fadanvis and sought his intervention," said Sule. "Here the villagers are ready to talk to the administration, however, no one is ready to come and listen to them," the MP claimed. The dumping of garbage issue cropped after a fire broke out at the garbage depot. Though the fire was brought under control, however, villagers complained of fumes emanating from the garbage depot, prompting them to stop the trucks carrying garbage from the city. The villagers have been demanding that the civic administration should shift the depots to other places as continuous dumping of garbage has polluted the groundwater and atmosphere, leading to health hazards. Meanwhile, civic chief Kunal Kumar, who visited the sites yesterday, assured that the administration will soon resolve the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ram Gopal Varma has made a career out of gangster movies and now that he is venturing into the digital space, the filmmaker wants to focus on some of the biggest underworld rivalries. The "Satya" director says he is attracted to gangster dramas because "normal families" are boring. "I am working on a web-series that is based on the underworld and crime. It is going to be more real than what I have done so far in my films," Varma told PTI. The "Satya" helmer says his web series "Guns and Thighs", which is named after his memoir, will chronicle the fights that finished the underworld in Mumbai. "I am concentrating mainly on the time when Chota Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim broke up in 1996. So, between Daya Nayak, Praful Bhosale, Pradeep Sharma and Sachin Vale and others, 300 people (gangsters) were killed in the period of four years which technically finished the underworld. "My series will focus mainly on that but it will have a lot of flashbacks in the '80s with Karim Lala, Haji Mastan and others," he adds. Varma says he is always on the look out for interesting stories of gangsters and most of them come through his sources in the police department. "I am a writer so I look for the emotional and psychological aspects of every incident. The stories of the underworld and crime never tire me because I feel normal families are boring. I am intrigued by this world," he says. The filmmaker is looking forward to the release of his next directorial venture "Sarkar 3" on May 12, starring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The State Bank of India today told the Bombay High Court that it was ready to reimburse the cost of Rs six lakh incurred by a senior citizen for importing a cancer medicine for his wife, who was the bank's employee. The SBI counsel made the submission to a division bench of Justice Anoop Mohta, during the hearing of Pune-resident Nagesh Marathe's plea seeking direction to the bank to reimburse the cost of the medicine imported from Belgium for his wife Ranjana. Marathe's late wife Ranjana had been working for the bank's Pune branch since 1983. She was still working for it when she died in June 2015. On Marathe's plea, the bench had issued notice to the bank last week. The bench was today informed by the bank that it has decided to reimburse the amount with interest to the petitioner. The court accepted the statement and disposed of the petition. According to the petition, though the medicine was procured from Belgium at Rs 6.10 lakh, it was never administered to the patient as her health deteriorated and she died. Marathe had submitted to the court in his petition that he had applied to the SBI for reimbursement of the consultation fees and the costs of medicines and specialised investigation totalling Rs 6.33 lakh. The bank, however, had conceded to reimburse only Rs two lakh of the entire bill, while denying reimbursement of the remaining amount stating that importing medicine was not allowed and not required as the same treatment was available even in India, the petition had said. The petitioner said since 2013 when Ranjana was diagnosed with the cancer and the treatment was initiated, the bank paid all her bills on a regular basis. "In May 2015, however, Ranjana's health deteriorated and her doctor explained the need to administer a life-saving drug Kadcyla TMD-I, which was not available in India then. The treating oncologist instructed the petitioners to import the said medicine as the last resort to save Ranjana's life," the petition said. "The petitioners inquired and found a company, which helped him procure 18 vials of the medicine from a supplier in Belgium. The petitioners paid a sum of Rs 6.10 lakh for the medicine," it claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana's minority-dominated Mewat district has the lowest immunisation rate among the children under the age of 6 years, which is a matter of concern for the authorities who are now trying to rope in the Muslim clerics to address the situation. The immunisation rate here is 13 per cent, much lower than the state average of 62.2 per cent, according to the National Family Health Survey. Officials say the rate of immunisation in Mewat is low mainly because of rumours which started spreading more than 3 months back that the vaccines being administered under the Central government's Indradhanush programme would have sterlising effect on the children. With an aim of addressing the situation, top officials of the district and National Health Mission (NHM) today held an interaction with the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and the clerics, who agreed to render their help by negating the rumours. Maulana Yahya Kareemi, president of Al-aman Islamic Centre, Mewat, said he would speak about the "misinformation" related to the immunisation during the prayers at the mosque, including on Fridays when the number of devotees swells. The Indradanush programme is aimed at guarding children against diseases like polio, BCG, pentavalent (diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis b, haemophilus, influenza type-B) rubella-measles. Officials said the immunisation rate had risen to 30 per cent but it started sliding post-February after a video went viral on social media, claiming that the injections being administered would make the children sterile and check the population of the minority community. "As of now, no such injection or tablet has been invented which could render children sterile," asserted Mewat Deputy Commissioner Mani Ram Sharma, while rubbishing the rumours. He told the gathering, which included several clerics, that the region has several people affected by polio as the Meo community had skipped the polio vaccination drive 15 years back, again due to unfound apprehensions. "I see 15-20 physically disabled youngsters coming to see me at my office every day to seek assistance in the form of employment or finances," the IAS officer said. "We can tell only you (the ASHAs and religious leaders), but it is for you to spread the word among the stakeholders and raise awareness at grassroots level," Sharma said. Director of the National Health Mission in Haryana Amaneet P Kumar said two problems have plagued Mewat: immunisation and institutional deliveries. Kumar, an IAS officer, also rejected the rumours and said, "They are wrong. We should have faith in science." On their part, the ASHA workers highlighted the reasons, like vehement denial by some people, for the low immunisation rate. "People hurl strong words at us, they shut their doors at us but we still make an effort to go back to such houses to ensure that no child is left out," said 48-year-old Rehmani, ASHA at Karedi village in Nagina block. Raziya, ASHA coordinator at Mewat, highlighted the insufficient number of ASHAs and Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (village level health workers) in the district. "At present there are 874 ASHAs in Mewat as against a stipulated requirement of over 1400," said Raziya. As per the guidelines, she said, one ASHA is required for every thousand people. Also one Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM) is needed for every 5,000 people but in the district it is an ANM per 15- 17,000 people. Kareemi, while acknowledging the hard work of the district administration for public cause, extended support to them over the issue. "We have 400-500 youth coming to our institute every day and the number rises to over a thousand on Fridays. If the administration wants, we can spread the word quelling misinformation related to immunisation," he said. Another Islamic scholar, Hakim uddin, told the gathering of Muslim clerics and government officials besides Haryana Waqf Board CEO Hanif Qureishi, that any rumour must be checked. He also asked the community members to shun any "negative mindset" about government measures and instead verify reports/rumours. Qureishi, who is also the Commissioner of Police, Faridabad, said it was sad that health indicators in Mewat were the "lowest". "Its ramifications would not appear now but after 15-20 years," he remarked. Appealing to the community members for support in the immunisation drive, Qureishi underlined that in a democracy, the government has a social responsibility to look after the welfare of the people. "But the people have a freedom of choice, no decision can be imposed on them," he said. "This is your (religious leaders') responsibility to spread the message for welfare of the children, both for their safety as well as education," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to file a report on the latest status of the foreign nationals, including those from Pakistan, languishing in jails after having serving out their full sentence. A direction to this effect came from a bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan after Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar submitted that the Centre had filed a status report in the matter in April last year. "The Union of India had filed a status report in the form of an additional affidavit dated April 19, 2016. Let that report be updated and a latest report be filed," the bench said. The apex court also asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to file a report in this regard after senior advocate Bhim Singh, the petitioner in the case, said that the state should also be directed to furnish the details about such foreign nationals. Singh, who heads a political party, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, told the bench that when he had filed the plea in 2005, there were 82 such persons who were detained in Jammu and Kashmir. To this, the bench said, "What is the position today? Some of them must have been released or deported? We want to know the today's position." Singh said the Centre should furnish the latest report about such prisoners. The solicitor general referred to the orders passed by the apex court earlier in the matter and said the government, in its April last year affidavit, had given details about the system which was in place. The apex court, which has posted the matter to hearing on July 27, asked the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir to file the reports by July 20. The court was hearing a prayer seeking release and repatriation of foreign nationals languishing in different jails in India even after having served their full sentence. The petition has also espoused the cause of Pakistani prisoners arrested for illegally entering India through Jammu and Kashmir. The petitioner had earlier told the apex court that 37 prisoners were still languishing in Amritsar jail and they should be repatriated to their country as they have completed their sentence. Expressing serious concern over prolonged imprisonment of such prisoners, the apex court had directed the Centre to release and repatriate within four weeks 61 Pakistani nationals languishing in jails in India despite having undergone their punishment for various offences. It had also asked the government to bring in a suitable mechanism to ensure that such foreign nationals were not forced to remain in jails as courts were being frequently flooded with complaints about Pakistani nationals remaining incarcerated despite having served their sentence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today dismissed a review petition of a 55-year-old man and sent him to gallows for raping and stoning to death a four-year-old girl in 2008. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said "no case is made out" and dismissed the review petition. The bench, which also comprised Justices R F Nariman and U U Lalit, said "the aggravating circumstances and the barbaric manner in which the four-year-old was killed, clearly outweigh the mitigating circumstances." The convict is currently lodged in Nagpur jail. The court had on November 26, 2014 upheld the trial court as well as Bombay High Court judgements awarding death sentence to Maharashtra resident Vasanta Sampat Dupare in the 2008 rape-cum-murder case of Nagpur. The apex court had on July 14 last year agreed to examine the plea of Dupare, who had claimed he was not accorded a fair chance to put forth his arguments by the trial court which sentenced him to death. While upholding death penalty awarded to the convict, the top court had said that the rape of a minor girl child is nothing but "a monstrous burial of her dignity in darkness." The court had referred to the sequence of events in the case and said that the convict, who was a neighbour, lured the girl, raped her and then battered her to death using two heavy stones. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Sonia Gandhi today met National Conference working president Omar Abdullah and is learnt to have discussed the possibility of putting up a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Gandhi has been at the forefront of evolving a consensus among opposition parties for a joint candidate "acceptable to all". The Congress chief has already met a number of leaders, including Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, both of the JD(U), Sharad Pawar of the NCP and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. Gandhi is likely to meet other opposition leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati, besides M K Stalin of the DMK in the next few days, the sources said. She has also been holding discussions over telephone with SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on a united opposition taking on the BJP in the presidential elections, due in July, to replace Pranab Mukherjee. Sources said the opposition is trying to put up a united face and jointly fight the presidential poll even though the numbers have tilted in favour of the NDA after Uttar Pradesh Assembly election results. Parleys are also being held among leaders of other opposition parties. The presidential election has to be held before July 24 when Mukherjee's term ends. He had taken over the post in July 2012, defeating the NDA candidate late P A Sangma. Congress leaders have been saying that the party would take a "conscious, concerted and balanced call" on a joint opposition presidential candidate after consultation with all opposition leaders. There has been a sudden flurry of activity by the opposition to forge a strong alliance to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP after its recent winning streak in several states. The BJP currently has governments in 13 states and is a junior partner in the ruling alliances in Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. Some feel that the united face of the opposition for contesting the presidential elections may well turn out to be a precursor to an anti-NDA front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Sonia Gandhi today stepped up discussions for forging opposition unity on fielding a joint presidential candidate, holding talks with working president of the National Conference Omar Abdullah. Gandhi, who has been at the forefront of efforts to evolve a consensus among opposition parties for putting up common candidates for the posts of president and vice president who are "acceptable to the country", will be holding parleys with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati and DMK leader M K Stalin soon, Congress sources said. They added that the meetings with these leaders will be held over a week or 10 days. The Congress chief has already held talks with several opposition leaders including Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav of the JD(U), NCP president Sharad Pawar and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, besides Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) general secretary P K Kunhalikkutty. She has separately held telephonic conversation with SP's Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD's Lalu Prasad, even as party vice president Rahul Gandhi also held consultations with Sharad Pawar, Yechury and Uttar Pradesh's former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, the sources said. A senior Congress leader said opposition parties are trying to build a consensus on the issue. He also said that once the initial discussions are over, if needed, structured talks with important leaders could take place. He voiced hope that the names would be finalised before the end of this month. "One man decides all dictum will not do and one ideology can't be thrust upon this country. There has to be a national consensus on posts as important as the post of president and vice president," said AICC incharge of communications department Randeep Surjewala. He said Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have both held talks with a series of leaders and "our doors and minds are open, for we feel that one person cannot decide everything". The Congress leader claimed the Modi government had decided to not hold consultations even inside the cabinet, much less with NDA allies. Surjewala said, in these circumstances, should this country not rise in unison and agree to a person who would be best suited to defend our Consitution, lead our armed forces and protect the democratic ethos of the country. "The battle of ideologies, battle of defending the Constitution, battle of protecting what is core foundation of our democracy is larger than any other goal that any political party should strive for. That is what the Congress party and all other political parties are striving for today," he said. The Congress had not fielded its candidate against APJ Abdul Kalam when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister. "Modi is no Vajpayee. In his thought process there is no scope for dissent or dialogue. Perhaps that is the reason why prime minister and party do not consult their own allies," Surjewala said. The sudden flurry of activity by the opposition to forge a strong alliance to take on the Narendra Modi-led NDA in the presidential election has come after a string of victories for BJP in state assembly polls and municipal elections. Some feel the united face of the opposition for the presidential poll may well turn out to be a precursor to an anti-NDA front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The presidential election has to be held before July 24 when incumbent Pranab Mukherjee's term ends. He had taken office in July 2012, defeating the NDA's candidate late P A Sangma. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Sri Lankan court today stripped an actress-turned-politician of her seat in parliament after it was revealed she had Swiss nationality in addition to being a local citizen. Sri Lanka-born Geetha Kumarasinghe, who built a following on the silver screen before winning a seat for President Maithripala Sirisena's party in the 2015 general election, violated a new law by holding dual citizenship, the Court of Appeal held. "The court held that she had not provided any documents to support her claim that she had renounced her Swiss nationality," a court official told AFP. The 61-year-old was also asked to pay back her salary as well as the cost of all other privileges she enjoyed as a lawmaker, including a luxury car. Today's ruling is the first judgement on the issue of a foreign national holding elected office in the island nation. The new government in 2015 amended the constitution to bar Sri Lankans with dual citizenship from contesting elections, a move that directly affected two brothers of former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse who held US citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DMK working president M K Stalin today said he has been invited to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council' session in Geneva next month, but was yet to decide on participation. "Got an invite. Yet to decide (on participating in it), I will let you know after taking a call," he told reporters when asked if he will attend the UN meet scheduled to be held from June 6 in Geneva. Stalin, however, did not state for which speficic discussion he had been invited. On August 12, 2012, a Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation conference led by DMK chief and TESO chairperson M Karunanidhi here had sought equal rights for the Sri Lankan Tamils. Following that, Stalin and then DMK Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu had submitted the TESO resolutions to UNHRC authorities in Geneva. A resolution adopted at the TESO meet had said that UN's intervention would help Tamils determine their rights besides ensuring their livelihood in the island nation. The meet had also urged the Centre to intervene in the issue at the UN forum. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers were arrested in connection with the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) cash-for-job scam, police said today. The officers were sent to 14 days police custody by a local court here today. The officials were arrested yesterday after verification by the Forensic Laboratory of their APSC examination answer sheets that were seized from the residence of former APSC chairman Rakesh Paul, police said. The arrested officers are Halem circle officer Bhaskar Jyoti Devasarma, who had assumed office on Monday, Nalbari circle officer Bhaskar Dutta Das and Patharighat circle officer Amit Sarma, they said. The officers were arrested by a police team from Dibrugarh district and interrogated in the headquarters of police's Special Branch here. Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay said investigations revealed that the officers' answer scripts "were duplicate answer scripts which is a criminal offence. "We will strictly follow the law and the trail of evidence," he said. The trio was produced before the special court today which forwarded them to 14 days in police custody. Former APSC chairman Rakesh Paul was arrested on November 4 last year from his office here on charges of accepting money in exchange of jobs to those taking examinations conducted by APSC. Following Paul's arrest, eight others, including APSC's two members Samedur Rahman and Basanta Doley and assistant controller of examinations Pabitra Kaibarta, were also arrested in connection with the scam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's ties with its neighbours, including Pakistan, and New Delhi's engagement with major powers will be among the issues which are expected to be discussed at a four-day meet of heads of Indian missions abroad starting tomorrow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address one of the sessions at the conference, which is organised by the external affairs ministry every year. India's relationship with the Trump administration as well as with China are also likely to figure during the conclave, which will be attended by around 120 top Indian diplomats posted abroad. "They will discuss important issues pertaining to foreign policy" as well as domestic issues, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. Given that the conclave is taking place at a time when Indo-Pak ties have nosedived following the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the issue is likely to figure during the deliberations. India's ties with the resource-rich African continent as well as with the Gulf countries and the situation in the Middle East are also expected to be discussed during the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump today committed the US to helping Israel and the Palestinians reach peace, telling visiting Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas: "We will get it done." Trump spoke after welcoming Abbas to the White House for a meeting aimed at relaunching talks that have failed repeatedly to resolve the decades-old conflict. "I've always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is the deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians," Trump said. "Let's see if we can prove them wrong." "We will get it done," he said. Speaking through a translator, Abbas echoed Trump's upbeat tone, saying, "We believe that we can... Be true partners to you to bring about a historic peace under your stewardship." Barely two and a half months after having received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president greeted Abbas on the White House lawn, before ushering him into the Oval Office for their talks. The long-shot effort to bring peace -- which has eluded US presidents since the 1970s -- got off to a rocky start early in Trump's administration. Trump renounced support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of American policy held for decades. Vice President Mike Pence today said Trump is still "giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem." That move would likely spark Palestinian fury and is privately seen by many in the Israel and US security establishments as needlessly inflammatory. At the same time, Trump has urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Pence said Trump is "personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict" and "valuable progress" is being made. The 82-year-old Abbas made the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want him to resign. Abbas's term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. He will be hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage a two-state solution to one of the world's longest-running conflicts. Palestinians are watching closely, including the leader of the radical Hamas movement Khaled Meshaal, who called on Trump to break with past approaches to Middle East peace. "This is a historic opportunity to pressure Israel... To find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people," he told CNN. Hamas yesterday released a policy document that for the first time indicates a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the borders that emerged after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, although it stops short of recognizing Israel. Palestinian officials have seen their cause overshadowed by worry over global concerns such as the war in Syria and Islamic State group jihadists, and want Trump's White House to bring it back to the forefront. One of Trump's top advisers, Jason Greenblatt, held wide-ranging talks with both Israelis and Palestinians during a visit in March. Abbas and Trump spoke by phone on March 11, and there are suggestions the US president could visit the Middle East this month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a "very good" talk about ending Syria war and best ways to resolve the dangerous situation in North Korea, the White House has said after both leaders held a telephonic conversation. During their conversation, the two leaders also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East and spoke about how best to resolve the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea, the White House said yesterday. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said. The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons, it said. The US will be sending a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, it added. "They also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. Finally, they spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea," the White House said. Putin even invited Trump to talk more - and to meet face-to-face when both leaders are in Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 summit of major economic powers in July. It was at least the third conversation between the two leaders since Trump's inauguration. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A two-day mega event on Yoga will be held here by a social organisation in collaboration with AYUSH Ministry to create awareness about the ancient science. The event will begin on May 6 with a 'Yogathan-Run' from Indira Gandhi Panchayti Raj Bhawan and will culminate at Jawahar circle where the participants will also perform yoga, organiser Ghanshyam Paliwal said today. State Agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini, Mayor Ashok Lahoti and Olympian Gopal Saini are scheduled to flag off the run. On May 7, a national conference on Yoga will be held at the Bhawan which will be attended by professors, scholars and students of Yoga universities, along with experts and trainers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Police have arrested two persons with four kgs of heroin that was smuggled from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The two accused, Darbara Singh alias Billa (48) and his nephew Ajay alias Sandeep Singh (19), were arrested from Uttam Nagar in west Delhi with the police claiming to have seized the heroin, worth Rs 16 crore in international market, from them. "On May 1, an information was received that the duo would receive huge consignments of heroin. A trap was laid and the accused were nabbed while they were in a car," said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP (Special Cell). Three kgs of heroin was seized from Singh, while one from Ajay. An Alto car with a Punjab registration number and three mobile phones have also been seized, he said. He said the Special Cell sleuths were working for the last three-four months on tip-off about an international drug cartel being active in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. The heroin, that is supplied to these places, is smuggled from Afghanistan and Pakistan, Yadav said. The arrested accused were supplied heroin by a man residing in Uttam Nagar. It emerged that carriers from Afghanistan and Pakistan used to bring heroin in their stomachs by having capsules of heroin, said the officer. They would then hand over the heroin to suppliers in Delhi which was further supplied to the drug dealers in UP, Punjab and Haryana. The suppliers also used to send consignments of heroin to other countries, including England, France, Canada and South Africa, through courier companies and other modes, he added. During interrogation, it was revealed that Singh is an associate of one Buta Singh, a Punjab-based drug supplier who is currently lodged in Nabha jail. Police said Singh was convicted in three cases of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in Punjab and awarded 32 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 3 lakh. He was granted parole in 2015 for some days when he absconded. He went underground and restarted the illegal trade of drug trafficking. For more than one-and-a-half years, he has been receiving supply of heroin from some persons and their woman associate in Delhi, police said. His wife Sarabjeet Kaur is also involved in at least 10 cases registered against her under the NDPS Act. She is also convicted in two of these cases. She is facing trial in other cases and is currently lodged in Ludhiana Jail. Ajay gets Rs 10,000 per trip to Delhi and has been coming here along with Singh for the last six months, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two labourers were electrocuted when they came in contact with a live wire at a college here, police said today. The incident took place yesterday when they were constructing the main gate of the Kashinath Higher Education college. Harendra Bharti (30) and Narendra (25) died on the spot, police said. The college is owned by former MLA Kashinath Yadav, who has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for both families. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a dig at its ally, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today said BJP should work on strengthening the nation and not just their party, while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "tear Pakistan into pieces." "The BJP should concentrate on strengthening the country and the state rather than only strengthening the party. We are ready for mid term polls. In UP there is 'Yogi' Sarkar (government), but here (in Maharashtra) there is a 'NirupaYogi' (useless) Sarkar," he said while addressing a gathering of party workers here this evening. Shiv Sena is an ally of the Centre as well as the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government. "Enter Pakistan and tear them into pieces. The Shiv Sena will stand behind Prime Minister Modi," Thackeray said. In an unsoldierly act by the Pakistan Army, two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan border action team (BAT) by sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in the Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir on May 1. Meanwhile, commenting over the agrarian crisis prevalent in Maharashtra, Thackeray said the situation has become such that if somebody speaks in favour of farmers, they are touted to be anti-government. He said while the BJP's win in the recently held Uttar Pradesh polls was commendable, one could not ignore the outcome of the Goa Assembly polls. "The Congress did not portray any face in the Goa polls. Yet, they received four more seats than the BJP. This cannot be ignored," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN has assessed the border management capacity at Afghanistan's two main border crossings with Pakistan after an unprecedented 600,000 Afghans returned from the neighbouring country last year. "With returns in 2017 on track to meet or even surpass the levels of last year, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the current procedures at the border, and to look at how they can be improved," Afghanistan Chief of Mission of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Laurence Hart said in a statement. Last year, 600,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan through the Torkham border crossing in Nangarhar province and the Spin Boldak border crossing in Kandahar province. Over several visits to Torkham and Spin Boldak in April, the assessment team met officials from the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, Border Police, customs officials, humanitarian actors and migrants. Based on interviews and observations, IOM will produce an assessment report addressing key areas of administrative and operational capacity including infrastructure and available equipment; human resources and competencies; the regulatory framework guiding relevant government agencies; procedures and workflow; capacity gaps and issues. "The report resulting from the assessment will include short-term recommendations for streamlining registration, document security, other border procedures and technical assistance needs that could be addressed by IOM over the longer term," said IOM border management expert Erik Slavenas. As a first step towards improving efficiency at the border, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, with the support of IOM, rolled out the Afghan Returnee Information System (ARIS) last year. ARIS, a digital registration process for both undocumented and refugee returnees, replaced a paper-based registration system which allows for better data collection and data sharing. Some 4.2 million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan voluntarily under the UNHCR-funded Voluntary Repatriation programme since 2002. But United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Pakistani officials have said some 1.34 million registered refugees still live in Pakistan. A further half a million undocumented refugees are also estimated to still be in the country, making Pakistan one of the world's largest refugee-hosting nations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Public lender Union Bank has raised Rs 500 crore by issuing Basel III compliant bonds, a step that will add to its core tier-I capital. Union Bank said it has issued 5,000 non-convertible, unsecured subordinated Basel III compliant perpetual bonds today to be included as additional tier-1 capital. "The bond is issued for face value of Rs 10 lakh each at par aggregating Rs 500 crore on private placement basis," it said in a regulatory filing. Perpetual bonds are treated as equity than debt and so, they do not carry any maturity date. The bonds will carry a coupon rate of 9.08 per cent payable annually. The Mumbai-headquartered Union Bank's board of directors had approved the capital plan for 2017-18 on April 28. It had announced raising up to Rs 6,350 crore this fiscal in the form of core equity capital and/or additional tier I or tier II bonds for the current fiscal. Besides, the lender has planned to raise up to Rs 4,950 crore through follow-on public offer, rights and private issue, including qualified institutional placement or preferential allotment to the government. The stock closed 4.75 per cent up at Rs 178.60 on the BSE. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) United Airlines has reportedly paid a five-figure compensation to a British rabbit breeder whose giant bunny died under its care, the second out of court settlement the beleaguered American airline has made in a week. Three-foot Simon, who was expected to outgrow his father Darius to become the world's biggest bunny, appeared healthy when he touched down at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport en route to a celebrity buyer but was found dead a short time later. Giant bunny breeder Annette Edwards was paid a five- figure compensation by the United Airlines after the 1,800 pounds rabbit died in their care, The Sun reported. Under the agreement, "she received an undisclosed cash payout and his ashes will be returned -- providing she does not talk about the case which made headlines around the world", the report said. Simon froze to death after bungling ground staff at Chicago's O Hare airport put him in a chiller by accident and they later cremated him before a necropsy could be performed, it said. In a statement, Edwards, of Worcestershire, said, "I confirm that United Airlines has been in regular contact with me regarding the sad death of Simon the rabbit and that the matter has now been resolved to my satisfaction." "I would like to thank everyone for their condolences. This matter has now been resolved to my satisfaction and I will not be commenting further," she was quoted as saying. Simon's new celebrity owner in Iowa is also thought to have been included in the settlement but no details were released, the report said. "We were saddened by the loss of Simon and have worked with Annette Edwards to reach a satisfactory resolution," United Airlines told the daily. This was one among a slew of public relations disasters for the United Airlines in a tormented month. Three weeks ago, footage emerged of a doctor being violently dragged off from one their flights after overbooking meant United airlines staff had no seats. The matter was finally settled out of court last week. Just days after the incident, it emerged that a bride and groom headed for their wedding were booted from a United Airlines flight after they relocated to empty seats three rows up without permission. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh ATS today claimed to have smashed an espionage racket by arresting a suspected ISI agent from Faizabad and his accomplice from Mumbai besides picking up another suspect for questioning. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. In a joint operation conducted by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, 120 km from here, this evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, he said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. The deposits made in Aftab's bank accounts will also be verified, he said. While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and was being questioned. In another statement late night, Arun said the UP ATS in a joint operation with its Maharashtra counterpart arrested Aftab's accomplice Altaf Qureishi from Mumbai. Altaf was involved in Hawala transactions and had allegedly transferred money to the account of Aftab on the direction of ISI, the ATS said. Rs 70 lakh cash has been recovered from Altaf, it said. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. Aftab was also allegedly keeping a close vigil on the movement of troops in the area, especially between Faizabad and Lucknow, besides deployment of battalions, an ATS release said. ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Misra said more information about the ISI network will be known through the mobile phone of the accused and more arrests are likely. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information on several army cantonment areas and defence establishments in the state. The ATS was continuously getting reports about military information being leaked to intelligence officials in the Pakistan High Commission and the ISI and the agency was working on it through electronic surveillance, ATS sources said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and had contact with an official in the Pakistan High Commission and had also met him in New Delhi, Arun said, adding that the name of the official was being verified. "He was in constant touch with Pakistan High Commission," the ATS statement said. A government spokesman said tonight that the team led by ASP Rajesh Sahni will be awarded. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. "The group, allegedly trained by Pakistan's ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra," UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places - including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura - and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. Taking cognisance of the intelligence warning that an ISI-trained group in the garb of Hindu seers might strike prominent religious sites in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered construction of boundary walls around the holy spots. The priest-turned-politician had also asked the officials concerned to ensure laying of 4-lane road connecting famous temples for the convenience of visitors. The UP ATS has already alerted all district police chiefs and railway superintendents of police about the threat. "We are coordinating with other agencies to thwart such attempts," Arun said. Central intelligence agencies have been sharing inputs with the UP Police since February about increased activity of terrorists in the state. According to the latest alert, the ISI is planning to launch attacks in the northern state under the code name 'Operation Krishna India'. "The agency (ISI) has reportedly trained the group for months to familiarise them with Hindu religious practices. Members of the module are planning to enter UP through the Nepal border in the guise of seers," the reports said. In February, Intelligence agencies in the state were tipped off about four dozen terrorists sneaking into UP through the porous border with Nepal. Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3-km open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj. "As per the Intelligence inputs, the group has also been trained by Pakistan's ISI in Hindu religious practices, and might try to blend with the local populace before carrying out deadly strikes at prominent religious sites and other sensitive spots," police said. The Intelligence agencies had picked up intercepts through electronic surveillance in which youths were heard discussing the deaths of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) men in Telangana as well as IS suspect Saifullah in Lucknow. A Khurasan module was busted after Saifullah's death last month. Recently, some self-radicalised youths were also arrested by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). In 2016, eight suspected members of SIMI had tried to evade the police by adorning saffron robes in Madhya Pradesh. The men were later killed in a police encounter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three United Peoples Liberation Army (UPLA) extremists, including a woman cadre, were arrested from Khelmati area in Assam's Dibrugarh district and arms recovered from them, police said today. Acting on a tip off, a joint team of army and police raided the area and apprehended the extremists hailing from Karbi Anglong district, police said. The security forces seized two pistols and 13 live cartridges from the arrested ultras, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 48-year-old man in the US has been charged with hate crime after he pummeled an Asian man in the face screaming "We are white power", "Go back to your country! What are you doing here?", police said today. Steven Zatorski, stormed up to the 30-year-old victim on Third Avenue in New York and started kicking him on Monday, police said. "Go back to your country! What are you doing here?", Zatorski, who lives in a million-dollar condominium in the Flatiron District, screamed at him, police was quoted as saying by the New York Daily. "We are white power," Zatorski shouted as he punched the victim in the face," according to police. The two had not spoken before Zatorski attacked, they said. Witnesses to the beatdown alerted a nearby New York Police Department transit cop, who arrested the alleged attacker. He was charged with assault as a hate crime and was being held at Rikers Island on USD 5,000 bail, according to court records. The victim was treated at the scene. The incidents of hate crimes and harassment around the country have increased since the election of President Donald Trump. As many as 140 incidents of hate violence and 67 instances of xenophobic political rhetoric have been reported in the US against the South-Asian community during the 2016 election cycle, a report by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a leading national South Asian American advocacy organisation, had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of protesters were met with plumes of tear gas in Venezuela's capital today, just miles from where President Nicolas Maduro delivered a decree kicking off a process to rewrite the troubled nation's constitution. Surrounded by top-ranking socialist officials, a combative, riled-up Maduro told supporters dressed in red outside the National Electoral Council that the constitutional assembly was needed to instill peace against a violent opposition. "I see congress shaking in its boots before a constitutional convention," he said, referring to the opposition-controlled legislature. A short distance away, national guardsmen launched tear gas at demonstrators who tried marching toward the National Assembly. "The repression has started," said Miguel Pizarro, an opposition congressman, as clouds of white tear gas swirled near him. "That's how those who want to maintain a dictatorship with violence act." The latest push by Maduro to settle an increasingly deadly and contentious political crisis comes as the Trump administration warns it might impose more sanctions on Venezuelan officials and members of the US Congress are pushing the administration to act more forcefully to rein in Maduro. Today, a bipartisan group of senators said it will introduce legislation providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela while toughening sanctions against corrupt officials, according to Senate aides who spoke on condition of anonymity. The legislation, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, also instructs the intelligence community to prepare a partly unclassified report on Venezuelan government officials' involvement in corruption and drug trafficking. Four people were killed in the mounting turmoil overnight. Two died when the bus they were traveling in flipped when it tried to avoid a barricade set up by protesters, according to opposition activists who live near the accident site in Carabobo state. A third person was killed during looting at a shop in the industrial city of Valencia and a motorcyclist died after being struck by a car trying to swerve away from a protest, the chief prosecutor's office said. The deaths bring to at least 34 the number of people who have died in the unrest over the past month. Hundreds more have been injured. Driving the latest outrage is the decree by Maduro to begin the process of rewriting Venezuela's constitution, which was pushed through in 1999 by his predecessor and mentor, the late President Hugo Chavez. Opposition leaders called the planned constitutional assembly a ploy to keep Maduro and his allies in power by putting off regional elections scheduled for this year and a presidential election that was to be held in 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Looking to attract more Indian tourists on its flight to the UK, Virgin Atlantic Airways has unveiled 'Brexit calculator' that will help travellers compute savings based on pre- and post-Brexit prices. Virgin Atlantic operates a daily flight between Delhi and London Heathrow. In a release today, the airline said the Brexit calculator will help holiday makers in India work out how much they could save on a trip to the UK. "With an exchange rate of 1 Indian rupee to 0.012 British pound, the campaign draws attention to the bright side of Brexit and emphasises that there has never been a better time to book a trip to the UK," it added. The calculator will compute the savings based on the pre- and post-Brexit prices. Brexit refers to the UK leaving the European Union. Virgin Atlantic Airways' Head of India and Middle East Nick Parker said the Indian rupee is at a record high against the pound, "which means you will save on literally everything when you visit the UK". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata-SIA joint venture airline on Wednesday announced a flat 50 per cent discount on all business class fares starting as low as Rs 4,611. The offer begins from Wednesday and is available until May 6. It will be valid for travel between May 12, 2017 and February 20, 2018, according to the airline. The offer holds for some of the favourite holiday destinations like Goa, Port Blair, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Kochi, Guwahati, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, as well as metro cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru, among other destinations across Vistara's network. Under this plan, Delhi-Srinagar business class tickets for weekdays will be priced at Rs 6,250, Delhi-Leh at Rs 8,400 Delhi-Goa at Rs 10,250, Kolkata-Port Blair at Rs 10,250. Fares for weekend travels are lower. Seats under this offer are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, the airline added. serves 19 destinations with over 530 weekly flights and a fleet of 13 aircraft. Domestic full service airline is likely to place order for around 100 aircraft, including 50 wide-body planes by the end of the current quarter, according to an industry report. The Centre for Asia Pacific (CAPA), the Sydney-based aviation think-tank, in its report titled "Global Fleet and Financing Review 2017," also said that the airline is likely to opt for Boeing 777X for long haul operations. is a joint venture, in which Tata Sons owns 51 per cent stake and the rest is with Singapore Airlines. " is expected to be the next carrier to place a major order, of up to 100 aircraft before June, 2017, comprised of 50 narrow-bodies and 50 wide-bodies," CAPA said in its report today. This assumes significance in the backdrop of Vistara mulling launching international operations from mid 2018. The airline is expected to stick with Airbus for single-aisel equipment and is likely to opt for the 777X for long haul operations, the report said. When contacted, a Vistara spokesperson said that the airline does not comment on market speculations. "We don't comment on market speculations," the spokesperson said in response to a PTI query on the issue. The Delhi-based airline currently has 13 Airbus A320 aircraft in the fleet and it plans to take another seven (A320 Neo) planes by June 2018. The first of the seven A320 Neo planes is expected to be delivered to the airline this month. According to the report, the South Asia region is dominated by India, which accounts for 67 per cent of the total 742 aircraft in service. Also, India accounts for as much as 96 per cent of the 917 aircraft in the region, CAPA said adding India has one of the highest order book in service ratios in the world. Three of the eleven airlines -- Air India, IndiGo and Jet Airways - have a fleets of more than 100 aircraft. Gurgaon-based Budget carrier IndiGo alone has placed orders for 430 planes (in two separate orders of 180 and 250) with Airbus, a few of them have already been delivered to the carrier, while the other budget carrier GoAir has also placed orders for 144 planes with the European aviation major. Besides, Ajay Singh-promoted SpiceJet has also announced that it will purchase up to 205 new aircraft from Boeing with the order valued at Rs 1,50,000 crore. By Neha Dasgupta NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to make the use of local steel mandatory for government's infrastructure projects, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, aimed at boosting the sales of local companies. The ministry's flagship National Steel Policy, which seeks to outline a roadmap to increase the country's annual steel production to 300 million tonnes by 2025, was also passed by the cabinet, Jaitley said. An official with direct knowledge of the matter told earlier that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet might clear the proposals. The policy is broadly seen as a continuation of India's protectionist stance against countries such as China and Russia. It also comes in the backdrop of a trade probe launched by U.S. President Donald Trump against cheap imports into the United States, in a move that could aggravate trade friction among global producers. India wants to nearly triple its production capacity by the next decade and acquire technology to produce higher value products including automotive steel. The government policy will also provide a guiding light for Indian steel companies that are seeking to expand while saddled with huge debts. In March, had reported the steel ministry was considering a move making it mandatory to use local steel - pitching it as a WTO-compliant move. India is also expected to soon announce long-term duties on some steel products imported from China, Japan and Russia, despite complaints from some of the targeted countries. Between April and March, India's steel imports fell 37 percent year-on-year, data from a government body showed, primarily due to measures announced by the government. The proposed National Steel Policy, which was floated in October by Niti Aayog, an influential government think-tank that replaced the Planning Commission, recommended measures to also reduce dependence on imported coking coal, lack of which recently crippled production after heavy rains in Australia created shortages. (Additional reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj and C. K. Nayak; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and David Evans) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Egypt, traditionally a rice exporter, has contracted to purchase 20,000 tonnes of Indian rice, a cabinet statement said on Wednesday. The Egypt government statement did not explain why it had contracted to buy the rice. But in December, the government had said it would import rice after cancelling a tender to buy locally produced rice when the bidding companies all offered higher prices than the government had asked for. Egypt's 2016 rice paddy production is estimated at 5.1 million metric tonnes versus annual consumption of about 3.95 million tonnes, a United States Department of Agriculture report in October stated. In March, the government reached an agreement with private rice mills to produce white rice, potentially ending a standoff over the buying price of last year's crop that has led to millions of tonnes of paddy sitting idle since the harvest. The supply ministry said at the time it had agreed to pay private mills 6.3 Egyptian pounds ($0.3784) per kilogram of white rice, which the government would then sell at its outlets for 6.5 Egyptian pounds. GILLETTE, Wyo. Police in Wyoming and Montana are investigating the apparent unauthorized cashing of a $54,000 check from one business to another. An official at Slattery Enterprises in Gillette says the company mailed a check to Kois Brothers Equipment in Billings in early April. But Kois Brothers officials say their company never received the check and that it no longer occupies the building that the check was mailed to. However an official at Slattery Enterprises discovered that someone had cashed the check on April 15. Campbell County Sheriff Scott Matheny said his office is trying to get a copy of the check, and it's working with the bank and the Billings Police Department, which is having a detective look into the case. By Jonathan Stempel - Warren Buffett, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, will this weekend welcome thousands of people from around the world to Omaha, Nebraska, for the conglomerate's annual shareholder gathering, the largest in corporate America. The three-day weekend, which Buffett calls "Woodstock for Capitalists," includes shopping discounts, a five-kilometer run, a cocktail reception that consumes a shopping mall, and Berkshire's annual meeting on May 6. The meeting will be webcast on Yahoo Finance, in English and Mandarin. BERKSHIRE INFORMATION -Net income: $24.07 billion (2016) -Operating income: $17.58 billion (2016) -Revenue: $223.60 billion (2016) -Cash, equivalents and Treasury bills: $86.4 billion as of Dec. 31, 2016 -Market value: nearly $410 billion as of May 2, 2017 -Stock price: $249,000 per Class A share as of May 2, 2017, roughly 6.5 percent below its $266,390 peak two months earlier. The more widely-held Class B shares are worth about 1/1,500th as much. -Compounded annual changes from 1965-2016: -Book value per share: 19.0 percent -Stock price: 20.8 percent -S&P 500 including dividends: 9.7 percent (pre-tax) -Float (insurance premiums collected before claims are paid, which helps fund investments): $91.6 billion as of year-end -Major stock investments: American Express, Apple, Coca-Cola, IBM, Kraft Heinz, Wells Fargo. Berkshire has also taken big stakes in the four largest U.S. airlines: American, Delta, Southwest and United Continental. It also has a roughly $11.5 billion paper gain from warrants in Bank of America. -Selected business units: Benjamin Moore, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, BNSF, Borsheim's Fine Jewelry, Brooks, Business Wire, Clayton Homes, Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, Geico, General Re, HomeServices of America, IMC International Metalworking, International Dairy Queen, Johns Manville, Lubrizol, Marmon, McLane, National Indemnity, Nebraska Furniture Mart, NetJets, Pampered Chef, Precision Castparts, See's Candies. -Last major acquisition: Precision Castparts, January 2016 -Selected acquisitions (larger amounts rounded to nearest billion): Geico, $2.3 billion (1996); Dairy Queen, $590 million (1998); General Re, $16 billion (1998); NetJets, $725 million (1998); Clayton Homes, $1.7 billion (2003); PacifiCorp, $5 billion (2006); Marmon, $4.5 billion (2008); Burlington Northern Santa Fe, $27 billion (2010); Lubrizol, $9 billion (2011); NV Energy, $6 billion (2013); H.J. Heinz, $12 billion (majority stake, 2013); Van Tuyl, $4.1 billion (2015); Precision Castparts, $32 billion (2016). (Sources: Barclays Capital, Berkshire) -A failed acquisition: Dexter Shoe, $434 million (1993) (Buffett says he used Berkshire stock now worth roughly $6.3 billion to buy a business whose value "promptly went to zero") -Employees at year end: 367,671 -Employees in main office: 25, including Buffett -Succession: Buffett, 86, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 93, have not publicly signaled any plans to retire. Buffett has said Berkshire's board has a succession plan it could implement in fewer than 24 hours. -Potential successors: Investors view Berkshire insurance executive Ajit Jain and Berkshire Hathaway Energy chief Gregory Abel as top candidates to become chief executive. BNSF Chairman Matthew Rose is also a potential candidate. Buffett's investing lieutenants Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, who together recently managed $21 billion, may take over as chief investment officer. Buffett's eldest son Howard is expected to become non-executive chairman, and work to preserve Berkshire's culture. Buffett protege Tracy Britt Cool, 32, chairs several Berkshire units and is chief executive of Pampered Chef. ATTENDANCE AT BERKSHIRE ANNUAL MEETINGS 1965: 12 1979: about 24 1986: 1,000 1995: 4,100 1997: 7,700 2000: 13,000 2005: 21,000 2015: 40,000+ 2016: 37,000 (meeting was webcast for first time; 1.1 million unique online visits were logged in real time) (Sources: Omaha World-Herald, Berkshire, Reuters) FACTS ABOUT WARREN BUFFETT Birth date: August 30, 1930 Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Columbia Business School Net worth: $74.3 billion on May 2, 2017, ranking fourth worldwide. Bill Gates, the Microsoft Corp co-founder and a Berkshire director since 2004, ranked first. (Source: Forbes) Berkshire ownership stake: 17.9 percent as of March 17, 2017 Berkshire voting power: 32.7 percent as of March 17, 2017 Annual salary at Berkshire: $100,000 Buffett's takeover of Berkshire: Buffett planned in 1965 to sell back his shares in Berkshire, then a struggling textile company, for $11.50 each. But he got angry when the term sheet showed a price of just $11.375 per share. Buffett instead bought all the shares he could, and took control on May 10, 1965. The textile business closed in 1985. Year when Buffett met Charlie Munger: 1959 Munger's influence: Though Buffett and Munger admire famed investor Benjamin Graham, Buffett has credited Munger with pushing him to focus on buying wonderful companies at fair prices, rather than fair companies at wonderful prices. Famous Buffett quotation: "Lose money for the firm, and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless." - Sept. 4, 1991 Congressional testimony about Salomon Inc, where Buffett became interim chairman to restore order after a Treasury auction bidding scandal. Current wife: Astrid Menks, married on August 30, 2006 First wife: Susan, who died in 2004 Children: Susan, Howard and Peter Philanthropy: Buffett has since 2006 donated more than $24.3 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities, after pledging 85 percent of his net worth to them. His Berkshire stock will go to philanthropy after he dies. Home: Has lived in the same house since 1958. The 96-year-old, 10-room, five-bedroom, 2-1/2-bath home on 0.72 acres was assessed at $730,800 in 2017. (Source: Douglas County, Nebraska) Food preferences: Steak, hamburger, Cherry Coke, See's fudge and peanut brittle. Percentage of caloric intake from Coke products: 25. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz Co , North America's No. 3 food and beverage company, reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit and sales, due to weak demand for its Velveeta cheese, Planters nuts and Oscar Mayer meats brands in the United States and Canada. Shares of the company, which is backed by Warren Buffett and private equity firm 3G, were down 1.2 percent at $88.05 in after-hours trading on Wednesday. U.S. sales, which account for more than two-thirds of Kraft's total revenue, dipped 3.5 percent in the first quarter ended April 1. Canada sales fell 12.2 percent in the quarter due to delayed contract agreements with key retailers, the company said. Kraft said despite raising prices by nearly 1 percent, organic sales dropped 3.5 percent, as consumption fell across its brands in the United States, its biggest market. A muted spending environment in North America coupled with changing consumer tastes toward fresh, organic food over processed food has forced the packaged food maker to launch new products and revamp its ready-to-eat meals to remove synthetic colours and preservatives. Kraft, in January, had partnered with Oprah Winfrey to create a new healthy line of packaged food called Mealtime Stories. The company's net sales fell 3.1 percent to $6.36 billion, missing analysts' average estimate of $6.45 billion, according to Thomson I/B/E/S. Kraft, which aims to reduce $1.7 billion in costs by the end of 2017, said it continues to generate savings from zero based budgeting and supply chain initiatives in all areas apart from North America. The company made a $143 billion bid for Unilever , as part of its strategy to become a leading consumer goods giant by buying competitors, and cutting costs and jobs to drive profits. However, the U.S. company walked away from a tussle with Unilever in February, after the Anglo-Dutch company rejected the offer. Net income attributable to shareholders was $893 million, or 73 cents per share, in the first quarter, compared with $896 million, or 73 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Excluding certain items, Kraft earned 84 cents per share, missing analysts' average estimate of 86 cents per share. (Reporting by Gayathree Ganesan in Bengaluru; Editing by Martina D'Couto) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two months after Snapdeal laid off large number of its workforce across its major business units, the company has initiated payouts to the affected employees. The e-commerce major had previously fired many of its employees in a bid to cut costs. ALSO READ: Seven-member board to discuss Snapdeal sellout to Flipkart today The online retailer has now initiated severance packages to its ex-employees and is in course to meet the deadline it set for the payouts, reported The Economic Times. This is expected to comprise two and four months' of employee salaries. The number of employees affected by the layoffs ranges between 1,000-1,500 across Snapdeal, Freecharge and Vulcan Express, said ET. Additionally, over 4-5 per cent of the company's shareholding is reserved for employee stock options (Esops) which have seen a drop in value in the past few months. When once valued at $ 6.5 billion, Sanpdeal is now under talks for a sell-out to rival Flipkart at $1 billion. Snapdeal employees have already begun to write off their esops which will be worth around $ 40-50 million now. Many investors and employees have said that the value of their shares and options were shed up to 90 per cent. A former employee's esops was worth Rs 7-8 lakh which have now dropped to the value to Rs 1.8 lakh, reported ET. However, employees at the company's e-wallet arm which saw 100 layoffs have received their full and final settlements in the second week of April. Snapdeal reportedly hiked the salaries of its existing employees by 12-15 per cent to retain them While junior employees and staff at Freecharge received 12 per cent and 10 per cent hike respectively, associate directors and above got only 7-9 per cent hike. Apart from hikes, director level staff onwards were offered retention bonus of 2-3 months if they stayed up till June and 6 months retention bonus if they stayed back till November. Bangalore-based civil society group The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) has expressed concerns over the lack of security features associated with Aadhaar-linked financial transactions. The CIS report on information security practices of Aadhaar has come at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing a petition that challenges the government's decision to link the unique 12-digit Aadhaar number with one's PAN card, issued by the Income-Tax Department. Authored by Amber Sinha and Srinivas Kodali, the CIS report points out that unless sufficient security features are added, the system is prone to financial frauds. "The availability of large datasets of Aadhaar numbers along with bank account numbers and phone numbers on the Internet increases the risk of financial fraud," the report says. According to the authors, social engineering is often used to find out bank account details, credit card numbers and passwords to steal money from people's accounts. "One of the prime examples is individuals receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be from the bank. Aadhaar data makes this process much easier for fraud and increases the risk around transactions. In the US, the ease of getting Social Security Numbers from public databases has resulted in numerous cases of identity theft. These risks increase multifold in India due the proliferation of Aadhaar numbers and other related data available," they point out. The CIS research has found numerous instances of publicly available Aadhaar numbers along with other personally identifiable information (PII) of individuals on government websites. The report highlights four government projects - run by various government departments - with publicly available financial data and Aadhaar numbers, and estimates that the Aadhaar numbers leaked through these four portals could be around 130-135 million and the bank account numbers leaked could be at around 100 million. "Financial fraudsters could potentially link their phone numbers to Aadhaar numbers and also update those across the banks using individual Aadhaar information and thus deprive individuals of their benefits from the state. It has been reported that brokers do buy tonnes of copies of Aadhaar documents from shops selling SIM cards and other institutions for the purposes of identity fraud," they explain. According to CIS, Aadhaar Payments Bridge (APB) and Aadhaar enabled Payment Systems (AePS) are the prime reason why bank accounts are being mapped to Aadhaar. "While the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) claims that it does not store bank account details, and only store Aadhaar numbers and bank names, these are certainly being stored by various government departments who are seeding the NPCI mapper. The NPCI has also built an Aadhaar lookup for banks to know the status of an Aadhaar number (whether it is active or not), enabling district bank managers to have access to Aadhaar numbers of individuals," the report says. It cites the NREGA portal of Andhra Pradesh to provide a detailed understanding of the workflow for Aadhaar Payments Bridge (APB). "Officials exchange information for the APB in the form a text file containing Aadhaar numbers and disbursal amounts between the service provider and the banks. As of now, this process could be potentially exploited to transfer larger sums of money than the actual amounts. There are no existing standards for encryption and security procedures to safeguard these files or the security of the communication," the authors say. The report refutes the government's claim that the biometric data is safe. They allege that biometric data can be collected without consent as people's fingerprints can be lifted remotely from a variety of objects that they may touch, and their iris data can be picked up by a high-resolution directional camera from a distance. "In light of these factors, the public presence of Aadhaar numbers, DBT transfer details, registered mobile phone numbers and seeded bank account numbers presents a huge opportunity for financial fraud." The report also notes that the terms and conditions for Aadhar-enabled payment systems have been vague and in case a financial fraud, the consumer may not be able to assert his claims. The terms and conditions have been vague in the recent AePS applications like the BHIM-Aadhaar App, it adds. Regulations and standards around Aadhaar are at a very nascent stage, thus increasing financial risks for both consumers and banks who venture into AePS. The report agrees that Aadhaar-enabled payment instruments can potentially simplify payment transactions for governments and certain classes of people, but criticises the risks associated with it. "Its possible use without a two-factor authentication in banking and other security features are harmful and increase risk of financial systems for banks and account holders. In the banking industry, standards like Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) for payment cards, and ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 for risk assessment have to be carried out. However, in the case of Aadhaar, standards for data storage, sharing and transmission during collection are not available." The risk assessment includes modelling and evaluating threats constantly and mitigating them. However, the threats around Aadhaar are new and are not really understood by banks and other financial institutions, the report says. While current discussions are focusing on either having Aadhaar or discontinuing it, the CIS report points to a third possibility - that of making Aadhaar more secure. Central Railway suspended three inspectors of Commercial department posted here for allegedly giving a "misleading" information on an RTI query, which created an impression of a 'scam' in the department, a senior officer said. The inspectors were suspended after the reports appeared in certain sections of the media today, stating that the commercial department was involved in a "catering scam" as it had purchased each cup of 100-gram curd for staggering Rs 972. "The question of any scam does not arise as the edibles were not purchased at the prices being reported in the media. There is a miscommunication on part of the earring Information Officers who did not take proper precaution while furnishing the information," Central Railway Chief Commercial Manager Shailendra Kumar told reporters at a press conference. However, he didn't disclose the names of the suspended inspectors. Earlier in the day, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered an inquiry on the basis of the media reports and asked the Railway Board chairman to take strict action. Clarifying the goof-up, Kumar said, "It was a carton containing 108 cups of curd, each weighing 100 grams, which was purchased for Rs 972. However, our commercial inspectors inadvertently mentioned the price of each cup at Rs 972 while furnishing the reply (to an RTI query)," the officer said. Similarly, one carton (consisting 15 bottles of one litre each) of refined oil was purchased for Rs 870, he said. "In their reply, the concerned information officers (the three inspectors) inadvertently mentioned that each bottle was purchased for Rs 870, which was quite impossible for the committee, which takes decision on purchasing various materials, to sanction such a price (as stated in the reply)," Kumar said. He said the cups and oil bottles were purchased between January and June 2016, and the bills can still be produced. Kumar said his department would issue a set of guidelines to the staff on how to deal with such RTI queries in future and to take requisite precaution. He also dismissed the need for further probe, saying, "prima facie there is no wrong-doing and the question to investigate further does not arise as everything is crystal clear". India plans to order about a quarter less Iranian crude oil than it bought last year, people familiar with the matter said, as state refiners cut term purchase deals over a row between New Delhi and Tehran on development of a natural gas field. The drop in volumes follows India's threat to order state refiners - Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, and Indian Oil Corp - to reduce purchases from Iran if an Indian consortium is not awarded the rights to develop Iran's huge Farzad B natural gas field. The volume cuts would put India's imports of Iranian crude for this fiscal year at 370,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to the sources with knowledge of the planned deals. India is Iran's top oil client after China, and last year imported about 510,000 bpd of crude from the country, according to shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon. The reduced 2017/2018 imports include 199,000 bpd by state refiners, a decline of about a third from last year, the sources said. Private refiners Essar and HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) have renewed last year's term contracts to buy 120,000 bpd and 20,000 bpd, respectively, they said. Most of the state refiners did not respond to queries on the matter, while Essar Oil, MRPL and HMEL declined comment. ALSO READ: Govt may make local steel mandatory in infrastructure projects India's oil ministry also said it had no immediate comment. Analysts said apart from the gas-field row, India is also taking advantage of a narrow price spread between European oil benchmark Brent and Middle East price-setter Dubai crude, which makes it attractive to bring more oil from Europe into Asia. "Brent-related crudes are cheaper and sweeter than medium to heavy grades from Middle East," said Ehsan ul Haq of KBC Energy Economics. Also, Russia's Rosneft may start bringing more non-Iranian crude, likely from Venezuela, to India after buying Essar Oil's Vadinar refinery. Not all of India's refiners plan to scale back orders from Iran, though. Private refiner Reliance Industries signed its first Iranian deal in seven years to buy 30,000 bpd of heavy Forozan crude oil, one of the sources said. India's overall crude demand is around 4.6 million bpd, third highest in the world behind the United States and China. It was one of the few countries that continued to deal with Iran despite international sanctions that were in place until 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the states should make legislative arrangements "without delay" for GST rollout from July 1. Delivering the closing remarks at the third meeting of the Governing Council of Niti Aayog, he also urged states, local governments and NGOs to decide goals for 2022 and work in mission mode towards achieving them. "The Prime Minister reiterated that the legislative arrangements at the state-level for GST should be put in place without delay," an official statement said. The consensus on Goods and Services Tax (GST) reflects the spirit of 'one nation, one aspiration, one determination', Modi earlier said in his opening remarks at the meeting. The GST, which will subsume central excise, service tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and other local levies, is scheduled to be rolled out from July 1. Parliament has already passed the supporting GST bills and the states are also required to pass their separate legislations for smooth implementation of the new tax regime. The prime minister also called upon states to use the Government e-Marketplace portal for procurement of goods and services as it would help in reducing corruption and increase transparency in the government procurement. He said the use of technologies such as BHIM and Aadhaar would result in significant savings for the states. Observing that funds such as district mineral, CAMPA and the construction workers welfare would provide significant boost to the resources of the state, he asked Niti Aayog to come up with a roadmap for better utilisation of such funds by the states. Referring to the change in the budget dates, he said in a country where agricultural income is exceedingly important, budgets should be prepared immediately after the receipt of agricultural incomes for the year. He added that there have been suggestions to follow January to December as financial year. "He urged states to take the initiative in this regard," it added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurates a research centre at yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar during a day-long visit to Uttarkhand. Earlier today, Modi began the trip with his arrival in Dehradun where Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat welcomed him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Baba Ramdev at Patanjali Research Institute,Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar pic.twitter.com/essbp5Ga6s ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 He later visited the Kedarnath Temple, which opened after a six-month long break, and offered prayers. 1:12 PM: PM Modi invokes fomer Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, says a new health policy has come out, which covers various aspects of good health and wellness. 1:15 PM: Little kids were also became soldiers of my Swachh India Mission: PM Narendra Modi 1:14 PM: I want people of this country to take cleanliness pledge, says Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi 1:12 PM: By promoting yoga, Ramdev is serving the nation: PM Modi 1:11 PM: By promoting yoga, Ramdev is serving the nation: PM Modi preventive healthcare - : PM PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 3, 2017 1:09 PM: I can say it confidently, we will not ignore or forget the heritage that we have been historically proud of: PM Modi 1:06 PM:Ramdev has surprised me, says PM Modi 1:03 PM: I have complete faith in the blessings of the people of India. They are a source of energy: PM Modi 1:00 PM: I feel fortunate to be with all of you like a family member: PM Modi 12:56 PM: I don't trust myself as much as I do trust the people of these country, says PM Narendra Modi 12:52 PM : Uttarakhand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at inauguration of Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar #WATCH LIVE PM Modi at inauguration of Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwarhttps://t.co/LTLCUKI9oF India Today (@IndiaToday) May 3, 2017 12:50 PM: We have decided to mark this International Day of Yoga in Gujarat's Ahmedabad;will go all over the country to make Yoga popular: Baba Ramdev 12:48 PM: People want me to fall down, I won't: Baba Ramdev 12:43 PM: People have spread the rumour of my death on social media, says Baba Ramdev Uttarakhand: PM Modi inaugurated Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar pic.twitter.com/GveTKTu7zp ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 12:41 PM: India is transforming under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says Ramdev 12:39 PM: Baba Ramdev anoints PM Narendra Modi as "Rashtriya-Rishi' 12:38 PM: PM Narendra Modi has made India proud, says Baba Ramdev 12:35 PM: Baba Ramdev is speaking at the inauguration of Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar 12:24 PM: PM Modi reaches Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar Uttarakhand Governor Shri KK Paul, CM @tsrawatbjp and other dignitaries welcomed the Prime Minister to the state. pic.twitter.com/KhfoP3prZG PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 3, 2017 12:10 PM: PM Modi inaugurates a research centre at Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar "Tomorrow I will be visiting Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand. I will begin my Uttarakhand visit by praying at the Kedarnath Temple," the Prime Minister had tweeted yesterday. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had reviewed security arrangements in the shrine ahead of the visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, gifted a miniature replica of the temple. pic.twitter.com/BJo32gbBA5 ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Later in the day, Modi is scheduled to reach the holy city of Haridwar where he will inaugurate a research institute at Patanjai's Yogpeeth. The centre will conduct screening and research works on pre-clinical toxicology, drug standardisation, drug screening, drug safety, pharmacology, chronic diseases study. ALSO READ: Make arrangements for speedy GST rollout: Modi to states Patanjali Research Institute, will be India's first organization in India to conduct clinical trials as per international standards in the field of Ayurved. Also Watch: The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals of Essar Steel and Essar Power and upheld the Gujarat High Court's order holding them liable to pay Rs 1038.27 crore towards electricity duty to the state government. "We are dismissing the appeals," a bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said. Essar has been seeking electricity duty exemption for its power plant at Hazira, but the Gujarat government had rejected its demand as it sold power to other entities. The state government had earlier said that electricity duty exemption was only for captive power plants and Essar had not sought prior permission to set up the plant to meet the purpose of selling electricity. Counsel for Essar group companies had said its plant was a captive power plant which supplied power to its stake holders. He had said that Gujarat power board had 58 per cent stake in the power plant while 42 per cent belonged to other stake holders and it was very much within permissible limits to supply electricity to them. Senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for the state government, had argued that the company had itself admitted in one of its letters that they were not a captive power plant but an electricity generating unit. He had said 58 per cent stake in the plant was of the state government while 42 per cent stake was of Essar Steel and the electricity it generated was being supplied to other firms. Sundaram had said the state government stood by the verdict of the High Court and the company was liable to pay electricity duty. The state government had first refused Essar group's claims for duty exemption on electricity in 2003 and asked it to pay more than Rs 1,000 crore that was allegedly due. Essar group had then approached the Gujarat high court which had last year asked the company to pay the electricity duty to the state government. Judge Mary Jane Kniselys Yellowstone County Veterans Treatment Court is one of the top four in the nation, a model the 350 or so similar treatment courts across the country can now visit and learn from. On Wednesday, a delegation of 13 court officials and treatment providers from Santa Rosa, California, and Bullhead City, Arizona, visited Kniselys special court. One by one, veterans who may otherwise be jailed for a drunk driving or drug offense checked in with Knisely, and she asked each one, What can we do for you today? What we see here is not what we have, said Judge Andy Wick of the California Superior Court in Sonoma County. This is what it looks like when services are seamless. We have many of your services, but theyre not lined up like yours are. Wick said the visiting officials were all given reports on each veteran who appeared Wednesday. Some of them have been in the program only 60 or 90 days, and oh my gosh it was amazing to see what theyd done with their lives in that short time, he said. These treatment courts take a lot of time and effort, and thats OK, said Michael Perry, Sonoma Countys chief deputy public defender. If I have a client named John, I tell him hes going to become John 2.0. Its good that the Yellowstone County program has access to many services, Perry said. Without them, people dont know where their help will come from. In court Wednesday, one veteran spoke emotionally about the tragic mistake he made when, after drinking, he offered another person a ride home. An accident they were in killed the passenger. Knisley told him, The purpose of this court is to highlight your service, what youve done and what youre going to do, and not focus on your offense. During a Wednesday ceremony commemorating Knisleys Courts Assisting Military Offenders (CAMO) program and the countys other mentor courts, Jeff Kushner, Montanas drug court coordinator, read a letter from Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath. The justice called CAMO Court and other mentor courts an inspiration and an example to Montana (treatment) courts and now courts around the nation. Retired Maj. Gen. Butch Tate, chief counsel for the Alexandria, Va.-based National Association of Drug Court Professionals and a retired Army judge advocate general, praised Knisley and the program. This is a big deal for you and your court and for your veterans, but it comes with a lot of extra work. Youre now in position to help others understand best practices and the importance of standards, incentives and sanctions as well as helping others regain hope and live a life of sobriety and being clean, a lifestyle of recovery. Tate, a lawyer with a 31-year military career, said what he observed Wednesday morning in Kniselys courtroom inspired me to do better. Veterans treatment courts represent the absolute best of government, the courts and the community, he said. I have never seen those large entities come together better than they do in treatment court. What Knisely does is restore hope and unlock the potential in people, Tate said. Knisely herself became emotional while accepting a plaque from Tate, assigning most of the program's credit to court employees and program partners, including Billings Police Officer Jared Lausch, a one-year team member and military veteran whom Tate called a balance of accountability and empathy. We address the often invisible wounds of war, and so this is a great honor for our team, Kinsely said. The Indian cabinet may clear a proposal on Wednesday to make usage of local steel mandatory for government's infrastructure projects, an official with direct knowledge of the matter said, aimed at boosting sales of local companies and global steel makers' investments. The ministry's flagship National Steel Policy, which seeks to outline a roadmap to increase the country's annual steel production to 300 million tonnes by 2025, is also expected to be passed in the cabinet, the official told Reuters. The policy is broadly seen as a continuation of India's protectionist stance against countries such as China and Russia. A steel ministry spokesman was not immediately available to respond to telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment. It also comes in the backdrop of a trade probe launched by U.S. President Donald Trump against cheap imports into the United States, in a move that could aggravate trade friction among global producers. India wants to nearly triple its production capacity by the next decade and acquire technology to produce higher value products including automotive steel. The government policy will also provide a guiding light for Indian steel companies that are seeking to expand while saddled with huge debts. In March, Reuters had reported the steel ministry was considering a move making it mandatory to use local steel - pitching it as a WTO-compliant move. India is also expected to soon announce long-term duties on some steel products imported from China, Japan and Russia, despite complaints from some of the targeted countries. Between April and March, India's steel imports fell 37 percent year-on-year, data from a government body showed, primarily due to measures announced by the government. The proposed National Steel Policy, which was floated in October by Niti Aayog, an influential government think-tank that replaced the Planning Commission, recommended measures to also reduce dependence on imported coking coal, lack of which recently crippled production after heavy rains in Australia created shortages. Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber is all set to perform in Mumbai on May 10. But the bizarre list of 'demands' made by the pop star have gone viral. The 23-year-old global pop sensation is scheduled to arrive in India for his first concert in the country. Bieber will perform at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai as part of his Purpose World Tour. In a tweet, music journalist Arjun S Ravi shared images of a 'press release' which lists out the demands of the popstar. Justin Bieber's India tour rider includes a "Indian Yoga casket", a jacuzzi and a press release that lists all his demands out for you. pic.twitter.com/afwHpMJHJM - Arjun S Ravi (@arjun_s_ravi) May 3, 2017 Here's a list of bizarre 'demands' in the press release: Old Main LOGAN Utah State University is set to award 6,229 degrees this weekend during its 130th graduation ceremony. The numbers of degrees are up from the 6,039 awarded last year and have been steadily increasing since the 4,500 awarded in 2013. Commencement exercises will start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum with procession beginning at 9 a.m. on the Quad. For the 825 students receiving a masters degree and the 97 receiving a doctorate, hooding ceremonies will take place Friday May 5 at 1:30 p.m. in the Spectrum. The five most popular degrees this year are economics (376), communicative disorders and deaf education (288), business administration (184), human movement science (160) and psychology (146). Of the more than 5,000 undergraduate degrees awarded, 2,694 will be awarded to females, while the other 2,352 go to males. Among those, 49 states and 27 foreign countries will be represented. Of the foreign countries, China will have the most with 102 USU graduates, the Dominican Republic will have 21 and South Korea will have 10. During the commencement ceremonies, honorary degrees will be awarded to former District of Utah Chief Judge Ted Stewart; businessman and humanitarian Don Wang and former 20-year member of the Utah State House of Representatives Beverly Jean Larson White. New York Times bestselling author and Wharton University of Pennsylvania professor Adam Grant, who will be the speaker at the exercises, will also be receiving an honorary degree. Credit: Serggn/iStockphoto.com. LOGAN A judge is going to take several days before ruling on whether one of the 16-year-old boys accused in the shooting of Deserae Turner, should be tried as an adult. First District Court Judge Angela Fonnesbeck said she would be doing a disservice if she ruled without reviewing all of the evidence first. Judge Fonnesbeck said she would announce her ruling Monday morning. Her decision came Tuesday, after a second-day of testimony and closing arguments during the transfer hearing. Prosecutors called the defendants twin brother to testify. He described how in the fall of last year, he and the two suspects were playing video games together. The boy described overhearing the defendants talk about how to hide a body, by cutting off the limbs and putting it in a duffle bag, so they could hike into the mountains and hide it. Later, Smithfield Police detective Brandon Muir showed the sheath knife the defendant reportedly took to the canal on the afternoon of February 16, when the co-defendant shot the 14-year-old Amalga girl in the back of the head. He and prosecutor Spencer Walsh showed the court text messages between the two defendants, suggesting that the co-defendant tried to lure Turner to the canal five days earlier. The messages referenced the plan and the deed. They also brought up again the message from the defendant, sent on the day of the shooting that said, Lets get this done bro. Muir testified that the State Crime Lab conducted a ballistics test on the .22 revolver, suspected to have been used in the shooting. They determined that the shell casing, taken from the defendants window sill, had observable marks consistent with the gun. During cross examination though, defense attorney Shannon Demler showed how the report was inconclusive as to whether the casing was fired from the revolver. The most emotional testimony came from Deseraes mother, April Turner. She said her daughter will have lasting impacts the rest of her life from the shooting. She told the court how her daughter is like a toddler that you have to watch at all times. She also described how the girl is half blind because her eyes work, but her brain cant process what they see. During closing arguments, Demler said what happened to Turner was tragic but prosecutors had still failed to show that his client was a part of the shooting. He described how the defendant has no criminal history and is not as culpable as the other defendant. He asked the judge to leave the 16-year-old in the juvenile system, saying it is best for the community to treat and recognize minors differently than adults. Cache County Attorney James Swink placed a large photo in front of the court, showing the shell casing in the defendants room. He said the smoking gun may not have been in the defendants hands but the smoking bullet was in his windowsill. He asked the judge to transfer the teenager to adult court because the community cant consider itself safe, if the defendant is released when he turns 21. The defendant never testified during the two-day hearing and sat next to his attorney, twitching his leg up and down. He has been charged with attempted aggravated murder, attempted burglary and four counts of obstructing justice. He remains housed in the Juvenile Detention Center.

will@cvradio.com Both a member of the Utah State House of Representatives and a practicing physician, Dr. Ed Redd is gravely concerned about the fact that the rate of prescription opioids dispensed in Utah grew 30 percent from 2002 to 2015. Based on the most recent data available, nearly 300 Utah residents died of opiate overdoses in 2015. Redd said most Cache Valley residents know someone personally. On May 1, many Utah pharmacies began putting red stickers on bottles of opioids to warn patients about the risk of overdose and addiction as part of a new public awareness campaign by the Utah Department of Health to combat painkiller abuses and deaths. While he realizes that many people have persistent long-term pain, Redd said it is important for patients to become more educated on the dangers of opioid misuse during their treatment. Some people have some long-term chronic pain, and they need to be on [opioids] long term, he said. Sometimes theres no other option for them as far as pain managements concerned, at least no other option is available at this time and so they basically are left to use that, and its important that they follow up very closely with their physician and their physician knows exactly what medications theyre taking on top of or in addition to the opioids. The red stickers, which read Caution: Opioid. Risk of Overdose and Addiction, are intended to facilitate discussion between pharmacists and patients as prescriptions are being filled. Redd hopes the month-long campaign will help consumers understand how important it is not to take opioids differently than prescribed. They need to understand, Hey, you know, this is potentially dangerous,' Redd said. You need to be extremely careful and cautious when you use this, and you need to take it under the supervision of a physician. Somewhere in the Independent school district, six voters had their ballots rejected for reasons like a signature that didn't match their name as registered. If they cleared that up with the Yellowstone County elections office by 5 p.m. Wednesday, they could decide the fate of a $92,000 levy for the K-8 district north of Billings. Votes tallied up Tuesday night showed 470 votes in favor of the levy and 470 votes against. Yellowstone County elections administrator Bret Rutherford hasn't seen a school levy tie in his 11 years in the business, nor could any other elections office employees recall one. Either way, a recount could change the result. A total of 943 ballots for Independent's district were counted, three more than the levy vote total. Rutherford said it's most likely those voters weighed in on trustee elections and not the levy, but there's a chance that levy votes weren't filled in correctly to be read by the counting machine. In a recount, the intent of the vote matters, not strict-bubble filling rules, Rutherford said there's no potential for a hanging chad debate. Recounts are automatic only for ties in school elections; otherwise a recount can be requested for margins within .25 percent of total votes cast for or against. If the tie holds up, the levy appears to fail, though Montana school elections law doesn't specifically address a tie: "If the majority voting on the question are in favor of the additional levy, the governing body is authorized to impose the levy." The elections office will re-tabulate results Monday afternoon, accounting for any provisional ballots that were fixed. But any official recount goes to the school board. Montana law requires school trustees to canvass, or review, votes by May 17. Any recount petition must be filed within five days of a canvass, and a recount must occur within five days of the canvass or the recount petition. "There'll definitely be a recount," said Independent school clerk Debbi Orelup on Wednesday morning, although dates are yet to be determined. Independent officials asked for the levy to help mitigate a precipitous drop in state funding linked to an unexpected enrollment decrease. The general fund levy would raise taxes about $30 per year on a $100,000 home. Without it, the district will likely have to cut teachers, which in turn would raise class sizes. It could also result in the elimination of a reading and math intervention program, officials said. An Independent trustee race is also likely headed for a recount. Jamee Wilson trails Joe Lierow by one vote, 287-288, for second place in the trustee race for two open seats. If a tie prevails in that race, trustees appoint one of the candidates. Only one other school race in Yellowstone County appears it could be headed for a recount. Lockwood's general fund levy failed by 13 votes, according to preliminary results, 878-891. That's outside the recount margin, but there are 27 provisional ballots that could affect results. If that tightens up results, the race could qualify for a recount. Montana counties and cities will see an increase in their share of state fuel tax revenue for the first time in 34 years, if House Bill 473 becomes law. The legislation, carried by Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, and supported by Gov. Steve Bullock, was written to provide funds for safer roads statewide, including new revenue for the Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Highway Patrol and local governments. The bill's original fuel tax proposal was cut by more than half in the Senate, so neither the state nor local road funds will get as much new revenue as requested. But in this session, getting any new revenue is a major accomplishment. Thanks to the 28 senators and 57 representatives who voted for the highway bill. The reasons for supporting HB473 have always been clear: Montanas poor road conditions cost motorists an estimated $800 million annually in vehicle damage, crashes and congestion. Montana has a higher rate of fatal crashes than all but two other states. Montana has more than 900 deficient or obsolete bridges. Thirty percent of state roads are in poor condition. Its time we invest in Montana and change those outcomes, Garner said. The bill mandates increased transparency and accountability, requiring that revenue from the fuel tax increase be used only for the specified highway safety purposes. Local governments wont simply get a larger chunk of money. They will have to identify specific road projects they would use their allocation for and then provide $1 for every $20 of new state money they receive. The bill requires the MDOT to set up a website that shows how the new fuel tax money is being spent project by project by the state and local governments. Its important that people see were doing with the money what we said, Garner told The Gazette after the Legislature adjourned last week. The Montana Association of Counties estimates that new money shared with cities and counties will be about $15.6 million next March, nearly doubling the amount received annually for the past 34 years. For example, Billings, which this year received $1.76 million, is estimated to be eligible for an additional $1.54 million in March 2018. Every city and county in the state will see an increase. All 56 counties will see more road money, ranging from an estimated $28,623 in Treasure to $294,000 in Flathead. Yellowstone County, which has been getting just less than $300,000 annually, would see an additional $171,000. On July 1, Montana's gas tax would increase 4.5 cents per gallon and the diesel tax would go up 1.5 cents per gallon if HB473 becomes law. Those tax increase alone wouldnt fully fund state highway construction, MHP and boost the local road programs. However, the Legislature also approved House Bill 650, which would raise all drivers and vehicle fees by 3 percent and increase the cost of temporary vehicle licenses to raise about $3 million a year. As part of the final House Bill 2 budget, MDOT will lose 65 positions that presently are vacant. MDOT Director Mike Tooley said the department probably will have to contract for some of the work that state employees would have done. According to Garner and Tooley, the results of enacting both HB473 and HB650 will be that: The state collects enough money to fully match currently available federal highway funding. About $280 million in state projects (87 percent paid by federal funds) will move forward over the biennium. City and county governments will be able to use the fuel tax revenue to do more projects, potentially shifting away some dependency on property taxes that now fund most local roadwork. Ongoing highway funding will sustain Montana Highway Patrol staffing. We expect Bullock will sign this highway safety measure, along with House Bill 650. We call on him to approve them to secure the most important, bipartisan infrastructure investment to survive the 2017 session. | BY Lynchy | Early indications suggest there are hundreds of Aussies and Kiwis (including expats) going to Cannes this year and delegate numbers worldwide are expected to be up from last year with more seminars and events at Cannes 2017 than ever before. Campaign Brief, with the generous support of Sydney-Auckland-Los Angeles based production company Photoplay and boutique Design and VFX house Fin, based in Sydney and Shanghai, will be hosting our annual Welcome Cocktail Party for the Aussie and Kiwi delegates on Monday 19 June from 5.30pm. Venue TBA. Special guests include many of the Australian jurors and several prominent creative directors from around the world. If you are an Aussie or Kiwi (or an expat) going to Cannes, let Lynchy know now to secure your ticket: michael@campaignbrief.com *** LBB & Friends are back on the beach for Cannes 2017 and LBB member agencies + production companies from Australia and NZ* are invited Every year Little Black Book hosts one of the most fun, relaxed, and productive events at the Cannes Lions the LBB & Friends Beach, opposite the Miramar on La Croisette. And youre invited to hang out there from Tuesday thru to Saturday if you work for a LBB member agency or production company in Australia or New Zealand*. For some of you it has become your annual home and sanctuary for the week, the physical embodiment of LBBonline. A real community, getting together to share ideas and forge new partnerships. This is its seventh year, and each time it has been bigger and better, with an amazing line-up of co-hosts who make it a diverse and interactive experience for everyone. From Tuesday to Saturday of Cannes week there is a daily free happy hour, as well as massages, musical guests, and goodie bags stuffed with treats from all of your hosts. But mostly it is a lovely free space in which to unwind, take a meeting, or just enjoy the sun on a lounger. LBB member agencies In Australasia BMF, BWM Dentsu, Clemenger BBDO, Colenso BBDO, Core, Cummins & Partners, DDB, Disciple, The Hallway, Havas, Host, Innocean, J Walter Thompson, KWP!, Leo Burnett, Marcel, Matterhorn, M&C Saatchi, McCann, The Monkeys, Naked, Ogilvy, Reborn, The Royals,Rumble Creative, Saatchi & Saatchi, Special Group, Sugar&Partners, 303 Mullen Lowe, TBWA, VCCP, VML, WiTH Collective, Yolo, Zoo Group. LBB member production companies In Australasia Admusic.tv, Airbag, Alt.VFX, Curious, Cutting Edge, Eight, Engine, Exit Films, Film Construction, Filmgraphics, Fin Design + Effects, Flying Fish, Goodoil, Heckler, Infinity Squared, Jungle, Mighty Nice, Moth Projects, The Otto Empire, Passion Pictures, Photoplay, Plaza Films, Red Engine, Revolver, Robbers Dog, Rumble Studios, Scoundrel, The Sweet Shop, Tazer, Uncanny Valley, XYZ Studios. For LBB membership enquiries or to place your name on the VIP Cannes Beach list contact: michael@campaignbrief.com FAQ About LBB & Friends Beach Who is invited to LBB & Friends Beach? The Friends, our co-hosts and sponsors will all be on the beach and will be inviting their clients from all over the world; Bronze and Silver company members of LBBOnline will each receive a set number of wristbands for the beach in 2017. This includes most agency networks. If you are not sure whether your company has a membership, contact michael@campaignbrief.com to find out. This is the best way to make sure that members of your team can represent your company on the beach; Our LBB/LAB clients will be invited; Jury members, and other celebrated guests. How can I collect my wristbands? Wristbands can be collected on the beach between set times from Tuesday through Friday. Times TBA. They will also be available on the Monday afternoon/evening in Cannes, from the beach. Times TBA We will also have some days when they can be collected from our office in London prior to the festival. Dates and times TBA. If you are an LBB/Lab client, or an LBB Silver or Bronze member that will be active for June, then we can arrange to post you your wristbands in advance. How can we become sponsors of the LBB & Friends Beach? Contact michael@campaignbrief.com for details. Can I reserve a table on the beach for lunch and meetings? Only sponsors can reserve tables in the beach restaurant. Can I reserve loungers on the beach? These are available on a first come, first served basis each day. Are towels available on the beach? Yes. One of our sponsors, the London International Awards, are providing towels free of charge, while supplies last. You can come and use one, then take it home with you. Once these have run out, the beach restaurant can rent them to you for the day for a charge. Can I order food and drink on the beach? Yes. There is fabulous wait staff on the beach. The head chef designs a special menu for our beach that includes French classics, light dishes and a big burger and fries. Try the creamy truffle pasta. It will put you to rights. The restaurant opens for lunch and stops serving before Happy Hour at 4. The restaurant area will be closed for lunch orders on Friday as we will be hosting our lunch for the sponsors that day but you can still order food on the beach. Can I bring a large group down with me to the beach? Only if they all have wristbands, or are on the RSVP list at the door. What do I do if I get invited to the LBB & Friends Beach? In the invitation, there will be a link for you to RSVP. You MUST RSVP in order to be on the list at the door. We will only have one list on the door and that is the people who have RSVPed for the event. Can I swim? Wed be insulted if you didnt! And there are watersports for hire from the end of the pontoon. Dont forget your inflatable swan. Do I need to keep my wristband on? Yes. Without a wristband, you will be asked to leave and you will not be served at the Happy Hour bars. Were pretty nice but we can get a little tetchy when were hot and tired What is the dress code? Clothing is required. Will there be music? | BY Ricki Green | Starcom Melbourne has picked up the Home Timber and Hardware Group media account from Dentsu Aegis without a pitch. Home Timber and Hardware was acquired by Metcash in 2016, driving the creation of the Independent Hardware Group within Metcash, charged with leading the Home Timber and Hardware Group and Mitre 10 brands. Says Peter Toone, managing director, Starcom Melbourne: To be able to work with not one but two leading hardware brands is a rare opportunity, and one we are very excited to be able to fulfil. Both Mitre 10 and Home Timber and Hardware have a strong track record in building their brands and giving them a unique role in Australias hardware landscape. Says Karen Fahey, GM of marketing, Independent Hardware Group: Weve had a great relationship with the Melbourne team for a number of years, and are looking forward to extending the relationship further. As Australias leading independent home improvement and hardware wholesaler to the industry, the quality of our partners is paramount. Says Toby Barbour, CEO, Starcom Australia: Weve been fortunate enough to work with the Metcash group for over a decade, giving us a deep insight into their business and category, experience we look forward to applying to the Home Timber and Hardware business. | BY Kim Shaw | FCB New Zealand creatives Peter Vegas and Leisa Wall have created a new product in their spare time to answer what they think is a huge problem. People who park like dicks. Theyve wrapped their hands around the shaft of the issue and come up with Parking Dickets. Now, victims of bad parking can strike back with 13.12cm of flesh coloured justice (13.12cm is the average length of an erect penis). After issuing the dicket people are encouraged to send their dicket pic to the Dicket Wardens who upload it to the Parking Dickets Website. The website has also been designed to welcome the people who park like dicks with a simple yes or no question (try it out). Dickets have already penetrated the US, Australia and the UK. | BY Ricki Green | From today, advertisers will be able to bring meaningful interactive content into any environment they choose with oOh!media launching the Mobile Excite network- the next evolution of its interactive retail network. Boasting the latest 4k ultra high definition screens, oOh!s Mobile Excite network features the same sensory capabilities that saw their retail centre counterparts awarded Best Use of Technology/Innovation at the Outdoor Media Associations Creative Collection Awards in 2016. Excite panel features include multi-touch screen; Kinect 2.0 gesture control; voice recognition; web-cam; audio and 4G connection. NAB will be the first brand to use the Mobile Excite network for a campaign, with panels being placed in four branches across Sydney and Melbourne for all of May. The campaign will show branch visitors moments of truth video vignettes and encourage them to download a NAB property report with real time data that can be sent directly to their phone or email address. Blair Hamilford, group director oOh! Retail, said that the Mobile Excite network provides advertisers with an opportunity to engage their audience on a whole new level. Says Hamliford: The average two-week retail Excite campaign generates over 30,000 interactions so we know the interactivity of the screens creates a massive level of cut-through in busy environments. What were able to do with the Mobile Excite network is achieve that same level of interactivity and engagement for an audience in virtually any environment an advertiser wants. Whether it be a bank branch, sporting stadium, airport or office building weve untethered the limitations on where these meaningful brand interactions can take place, meaning brands can now be in any environment they choose. The only requirement is a power outlet. Placing the screens in environments like NAB branches means that brands can provide experiences with deeper engagement for a captured audience. Michael Nearhos, NAB general manager of brand experience, said NAB was always looking at ways to improve the customer experience. Says Nearhos: Were excited to be the first brand to use this new technology as a way to enhance the experience in our branches. With the Mobile Excite campaign were able to combine interactive technology with content thats useful to our customers which then gives our bankers the chance to engage them in more meaningful conversations. Last Friday the Montana Legislature adjourned without passing a bonded infrastructure bill to support many needed projects across the State. One of those unfunded projects was $5 million to help build the Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building on the MSU Billings campus. It was certainly a disappointment to come so close only to see the bonded infrastructure bill fail by a couple of votes. Well over half of the legislators were in support, but Montana law requires a two-thirds majority for this type of funding bill. I suspect 67 members of the House, the number needed to pass the bill, actually voted for some version the bill; we just did not see them all to vote yes on the same ballot. When the Legislature adjourned last Friday afternoon, I sent a message to all of the legislators in Yellowstone County, thanking them for their support for MSUB. While the infrastructure bill was ultimately unsuccessful, funding for MSUBs YSAHB would never have been included in the infrastructure bill without the support of our area legislators. I appreciate what they tried to do for MSUB, for Billings, and for Montana. So how do we move on? When I accepted the position as interim chancellor at MSUB, I assumed responsibility for continuing to raise the funds necessary to complete the Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building on the MSUB campus. Since my arrival in Billings, I have been working with Bill Kennedy, president and CEO of the MSUB Foundation, to raise funds for the YSAHB project, and we have raised nearly $500,000 since January. We will continue those efforts. The Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building is a necessary part of our future. The faculty and staff at MSUB have demonstrated their support for YSAHB: Over half have personally contributed to this project. The Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building will house instructional and research laboratories and state-of-the art classrooms. It will bring together faculty in the Science and Allied Health programs. The building has been designed to be a place for MSUB faculty and students to learn and discover together as students prepare for their future careers. Based on labor market projections, our community is going to need workers that are qualified to go into the workforce directly after graduation to fill immediate workforce needs. This is especially critical in the health care industry that is such an important part of the Billings community. Students taking courses in health care fields and the sciences at MSUB, and the synergy that is created within these programs, will directly benefit students, faculty and our community. The possibility of a bonded infrastructure bill generated a lot of support for the Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building project in the Billings community. Funding from the Legislature would have accelerated the YSAHB project, but the Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building is still needed and we will continue to work to get it built. Even as the infrastructure bill was being voted down, frustration over the failure to support needed infrastructure compelled one local couple, Bill and Anne Cole, to pledge $50,000 for the building. I am grateful for their support, and I hope that others in our community will join the cause. I appreciate the support that we have received from the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Big Sky Economic Development, and many, many others. The Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building is needed at MSUB, and we continue to need the support of our community to get it built. | BY Lynchy | Isobar Singapore has promoted Rohan Lightfoot to Regional Managing Director of Isobar Asia Pacific. In his new role, Lightfoot (pictured) will be responsible for developing regional clients, further developing Singapores position as one of eight Isobar hubs globally, and growing the agency footprint in Southeast Asia. He will relocate from Shanghai to Singapore and will report to Jane Lin-Baden, Isobar APAC CEO. Lightfoot will continue in his current role as Global Client Partner for Coca-Cola at Isobar. Since taking up this role in November 2016, Lightfoot has significantly grown Isobars relationship with the global drinks brand, helping Dentsu Aegis Network win Coca-Colas integrated media planning and buying business, spanning 13 brands in China, at the start of 2017. Lin-Baden said, Rohans energy, abundant creativity, and his natural ability to manage complex client problems, will make him a great asset for our teams and clients in APAC. He has been instrumental in driving impressive growth for Isobar Shanghai during his leadership the office has grown by 70%, winning new portfolio clients including Unilever and Huawei. Im confident that he will capably drive digital transformation for our clients across Asia Pacific. | BY Lynchy | Malaysia and Singapore based production house Directors Think Tank has made three major new appointments. Director Kelvin T will be joined by new directors Carol Chon and Zaim. DTT Regional GM Stephen Douglas (pictured inner right) said, These three new appointments signal our continued growth and strategic expansion in the market. DTTs recruitment policy is strictly the best talent combined with expertise and the right attitude. I am delighted to say all three appointments fit these criteria. T (pictured inner left) has a 15-year career in advertising and production, from heading the AV department at Leo Burnett Malaysia to Creative Director of a TV Station in Vietnam. Ts overwhelming desire to create had brought him back to where he started, and inadvertently topping an illustrious career in advertising as a Film Director. His passion for motorcycles and overland touring has seen him riding solo from Malaysia to Cambodia, racing the flats on Balok beach to riding the highest motor-able road pass at 5.359 M in the Himalayas! Douglas added, We are extremely chuffed to have Kelvin on board, as he makes films that people really love, whether theyre commercials, shorts, viral, branded content, whatever Hes got boundless potential that we cant wait to explore. T has just completed three new Hotlink spots for Leo Burnett Malaysia. As a Film director Chon (pictured far right) is most passionate about story-telling and more recently comedy. As an idealist, Chon finds inspirations from nature, music and conversations from people she meets. With a dream to tell beautiful stories from around the world through imagery (moving or still). Chon commented, I have worked with DTT on a freelance basis over the last few years, when it came to jump the fence and join a team full-time. DTT was the logical choice not only for the body of great work that has been produced over the years, but for the people that stand behind it. Its an atmosphere that fosters creativity and one that I look forward to contributing to for the next many years. Chons latest work is the new AIA campaign for Leo Burnett Malaysia. Rosli (pictured far left) has built a solid reputation as an outstanding photographer over the last six years. He has been capturing stills for editorials, travel, concerts and billboard ads. Some of his clients have included MAS, Tunetalk, Sunway, MMA, Tourism Malaysia and music artists such as Little Mix and Bryan Adams. As a Film director he is passionate about story-telling, technology and culture. Zaim has also managed to gain and build a reputation as one of stand out up-and-comers to watch thanks to his constant stream of unique, trendsetting and viral work that pushes boundaries and challenges convention, said Douglas. Rosli is currently working on a Sony project and has just completed a job for the highly regarded Japanese custom motorcycle company Zero Bike Engineering. "Too often I have witnessed, in frustration, ministerial council meetings where the ACT - apologies to all of you - with a population of around 400,000, not much more than Blacktown in Western Sydney, has an equal voice with a state of 7.7 million people," she said. "I looked at myself honestly in the mirror and I just thought, 'this is not who I am, and it's not who I want to be'. So I started going to the gym and running on the treadmill and feeling so fantastic afterwards that I started to research what happens when we exercise and particularly when we run. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority says it will announce a shortlist on 14 August and name the winner on 4 September. Bader Al Kharafi, vice chairman and group CEO of Kuwait-based Zain, said: Zain considers the Omani telecom market a promising growth opportunity complementing our regional footprint. Should we be successful, Im confident the Omani community would warmly welcome the Zain brand and the new mobile operation would be value accretive to Zains shareholders. STC said in a statement to Tadawul, the Saudi stock exchange, that its bid includes a complete business plan, technical and financial plans along with a financial offer for the licence. Etisalat said that its bid was in line with the groups expansion strategy, considering the market potential and similarities, footprint proximity to its core market, and likely synergies. According to Reuters, the two current licensees each has a market share of about 41%, with the rest held by virtual mobile network operators. The agency quotes IDC estimating the market as being worth $590 million in 2015 and saying it will be worth $700 million in 2018. In December 2016 the TRA said bids were open to companies with a turnover of at least $250 million a year from telecoms and a net asset value of $400 million or more. Companies must have provided services in their country of origin for 10 years and in at least one other country for five years. The TRA said at the time that it considers that the enhancement of competition in the mobile telecommunications services market will be of significant benefit to consumers and to the economy of the Sultanate, and is consistent with the general policy of the government as well the TRAs mandate to promote market entry under the Telecommunications Regulatory Act. CASPER, Wyo. Despite the tearful request of the victim and her family, a Natrona County judge sentenced a Casper man to boot camp and up to 12 years in prison for molesting a younger relative. The victim, thin and sobbing, stood before the judge and said she was not afraid of her assailant, Martin Piper, but that she wanted the abuse to stop. She said she worried that it would further hurt their family if Piper were sentenced to prison. "I want him to get probation," she said. But Natrona County District Court Judge Thomas Sullins said that when making sentencing decisions he must also consider punishment and deterring others from committing the same crime. He said that the decision was a "tough call" because of the requests of the victim and her family, who also asked him to sentence Piper to probation. However, Sullins ultimately decided to sentence Piper to between three and 12 years in prison, though the teen will have a chance to argue for a lighter sentence or probation if he successfully completes a 180-day Department of Corrections boot camp program. The judge also granted the family's and defendant's request that the sentence be postponed so that Piper could graduate from high school. Sullins ordered Piper to turn himself into the Natrona County Detention Center on May 24, the day after his graduation. Prosecutors charged Piper, now 19, with third-degree sexual abuse of a minor in August, and he pleaded guilty to the single charge in January. The Star-Tribune is not identifying the exact relationship between Piper and the victim to protect the victim's identity. The victim reported the assault in March and said that Piper had sexually assaulted her two days before, court records show. The girl was younger than 15 at the time of the crime and Piper was 18. In an interview with detectives the next day, Piper confirmed the girl's story, according to the documents. At the hearing Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Kevin Taheri said that there had been a pattern of allegations about similar incidents with the same victim that stretched back for years, though Piper was charged with only one count. "We do feel that a crime of this nature against a child deserves prison time," Taheri said. Piper's attorney, Zak Szekely, asked Sullins to sentence his client to probation, as recommended by a pre-sentence evaluation. He said that he recognized the severity of the crime but that prison time would do little to rehabilitate Piper and that the teen would do better on probation. He noted that Piper had the support of his family, who filled three rows in the courtroom. "I see a family that was devastated by this," he said. "To place this young man in the pen for three to 12 years would devastate this family again." The victim's family members, who are also related to Piper, asked the judge to sentence Piper to probation. When the judge read his sentence, some of the family members reeled in their courtroom seats. The girl burst into tears. GILLETTE, Wyo. Police in Wyoming arrested a 58-year-old school bus driver at a bus stop after receiving reports that the bus was being driven recklessly, running stop signs, speeding and leaving the road. Barbera J. Sleeth pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one count of driving under the influence and five counts of reckless endangering. All the charges are misdemeanors. Judge Paul Phillips set bail at $20,000 cash or surety. Sleeth indicated that she would like an attorney appointed to represent her. Sleeth was arrested about 8 a.m. Monday. Gillette Police Lt. Chuck Deaton says she was operating a 30-passenger bus with five children and an adult aide aboard. Deaton says Sleeth performed poorly on a field sobriety test and police found prescription medications on her. The land between the Elkhorn Ranch and the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park was identified as a potential test site for better oil field development practices, allowing industry to drill while also protecting the North Dakota Badlands. The idea for a pilot area came from the Badlands Advisory Group, a task force made up of representatives from ranching, government, conservation and industry sectors and formed in 2016 with the goal of creating an action plan for Badlands oil drilling. The need for this planning was identified by a Covenant Consulting Group survey of Badlands stakeholders, funded by the World Wildlife Fund, which asked about concerns when it comes to oil development and how it affects the livelihood and recreation activities of residents and visitors. With the advent of fracking and horizontal directional drilling came a wash of oil producers into the state drilling all across North Dakotas rugged Badlands, staking their claims with hopes of hitting black gold. The boom happened so fast no vision was ever created for development. Surveyors interviewed 71 people, including ranchers, government officials, conservation groups and oil companies. The response showed people appreciated the jobs and community revitalization that came with the boom, but the survey also revealed widespread support for protection of surface assets. The idea is better planning and communication could help it happen in a more cohesive manner that protects the region's natural resources. Advisory group members Gene Veeder, who represented the ranching industry, and Blaine Hoffman, a retired member of the oil industry, said many practices, like better reclamation practices and communication with landowners, have already been improved upon since the start of the boom. The action plan would take those best practices learned and apply them to future projects, starting it off from a better place and looking for even more ways to improve. When it comes to the idea for a pilot area to try out these concepts, some criteria would be: A multitude of landowners state, federal and private to test cooperative measures; An undeveloped area within the Badlands that includes at least one Area of Interest, designated by the North Dakota Industrial Commission for their historic or scientific value, with a limited number of oil companies leasing in the area and suitable to reclamation research. Group members called for landscape planning on a larger scale rather than on a unit-by-unit basis so one unit would not be adversely affected by a neighbor. They would also like to see shared infrastructure to reduce the footprint of development, as well as state funding to research reducing pipeline disturbances in the Badlands sensitive soil and landowner education on reclamation best practices. Hoffman provided the example of the Corral Creek Unit in Dunn County, the largest spacing unit in the Bakken to date. The plan was controversial but Hoffman said it achieved many of the goals identified by the advisory group. For example, because it was larger and only involved one driller, less infrastructure was required for its development and the landscape of the larger area was taken into consideration. A wildlife habitat improvement program could be another step. Some possible sites for this could include abandoned well or industrial sites, areas that no longer fit into normal farming or ranching practices or that are segregated from landowners operations. Wellsite footprints also could be reduced after drilling is complete. The group suggested a coordinating entity, such as the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, for this program. To make the recommendations a reality, the group suggests the governor establish a task force of agencies to coordinate efforts or establish an energy sub-cabinet to do so. Hoffman said he believes there are a number of things of value to the state and industry within the action plan. As far as development of a long-term strategic plan, that will depend on the governor. Rod Backman, of Covenant Consulting, said the advisory group is seeking feedback, gauging reactions before taking it to the state Industrial Commission. The governor has been briefed on the groups findings, as well as North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms and a multitude of lawmakers. Were hopeful we get a positive response, said Backman, pointing out that hes already had interest in the pilot project from a couple oil companies. Were optimistic. To view the full plan, go online to www.ndstakeholders.org. 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. An official employment notification has been released by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur calling out for interested, eligible candidates to apply for the posts of Senior Resident. In this regard, there is a walk-in-interview scheduled. Vacancy availability Number of posts: 105 Name of the post: Senior Resident Eligibility Educational requirement Those candidates who are interested in applying for this post must possess a post graduate medical degree/diploma in respective discipline from a recognised university/institute. Age criteria The maximum age limit of the candidates applying for these posts must not exceed 33 years. (Relaxation in age will be provided as per the government norms.) Salary Details The monthly salary for the selected candidates will be in the range between Rs 15,600 and Rs 39,100, along with a grade pay of Rs 6,600. Selection process The candidates will be selected on the basis of an interview. How to apply for AIIMS recruitment? In order to apply for AIIMS recruitment, the interested candidates must attend the interview. Documents to carry Candidates must carry along with them all original certificates of educational qualifications experience certificate photographs set of self attested photocopies Date and time of the AIIMS recruitment interview The interview will be conducted from May 8 to 22 at 10 am Venue: Committee Room, 1st Floor, Medical College Building, Gate No. 5, AIIMS, Tatibandh, G.E. Road, Raipur (C.G.) - 492099. About AIIMS According to AIIMS official website, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences was established as an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament with the objects to develop patterns of teaching in Undergraduate and Post-graduate Medical Education in all its branches so as to demonstrate a high standard of Medical Education in India; to bring together in one place educational facilities of the highest order for the training of personnel in all important branches of health activity; and to attain self-sufficiency in Post-graduate Medical Education. Defence Jobs: INMAS DRDO Intakes JRF and Research Associates The results of the Review Officer recruitment final examination 2016 have been announced by the Allahabad High Court. Those candidates who had given the exam can check the result online through the Allahabad High Court official website. The list of provisionally selected candidates from the Allahabad High Court Review Officer Recruitment exam results have also been published. What does the Allahabad High Court official notification read? "The candidates should note that the result of the candidates is purely provisional and does not confer on them any right of appointment in the establishment of High Court, Allahabad unless they are suitable in all respects and verification of documents and genuineness of candidature is verified", says the official notification. Call Letter Call letters will be sent to the candidates for certificate verification. In case candidates do not receive the same within three weeks from the date of declaration of result (2 May 2017), they shall have to contact the Joint Registrar (Establishment), High Court, Allahabad. How to check Allahabad High Court Review Officer Recruitment Exam results? Go to the official website at allahabadhighcourt.in Click on the result link Download the result available in PDF format Note: Due to traffic in accessing the results, the result link might be down for some time. Candidates are advised to exercise patience and try after some time or directly view the Review officer recruitment exam result at http://192.168.0.220/event/result_ro2016_02-05-17.pdf. RBI Recruitment: Apply for Grade B Officers Now! The results of the Higher School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) or class 10 is released by The Mizoram Board of Secondary Education (MBSE) on its official website. When was the exam conducted? The Mizoram board conducted the class 10 board examination between March 2 and March 18, 2017, at various test centers. How to check the results? Log in to the official website Click on the results tab. Enter your registration number in the space provided. Click on submit. Results will appear on the screen. Take a print out of the same for future reference. About MBSE: Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) was established by the Government of Mizoram in 1975 by the Mizoram Board of School Education Act. The MBSE has rules and regulations maintained by the chairman who is appointed on a contract basis. The Board has the power to supervise, regulate and control the schools and education in Mizoram. The secretary of Mizoram Board of School Education is the chief administrative officer who is assisted by three branches heads namely- Controller of Examinations, the Director (Academic) and the Deputy Secretary. SRMJEE Announces Results: Check Now! Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Government of Tamilnadu have been imposed a fine of one crore rupees for failing to adhere to the 50 per cent seat sharing norm stipulated. The Madras High Court yesterday fined the two bodies for failing to secure 50 per cent of the PG medical seats from private colleges against state quota. Justice N Kirubakaran said, "The fine is an 'exemplary cost' to make the authorities follow the law especially in the discharge of their public functions." The judge warned them that any negligence in following the law may result in hampering admission of many meritorious students and their constitutional right to education. Instructions for PG Medical Seats A detailed instruction was given by the judge to the state government to secure 50 per cent of PG medical seats for state quota in each specialty from private colleges and deemed universities except minority institutes. The admission to these seats will be on the basis of centralized common counseling conducted by the state on the basis of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) merit list, the judge declared. According to the court order, the concerned institutes should surrender all their seats including the 15 per cent seats reserved under NRI quota for the centralized common counseling procedure. The petition for seat sharing Petitioners including some doctors had sought court's direction to the authorities about securing 50 per cent seats in the PG degree and diploma courses from private medical colleges and the admission process. The judge censured the MCI's act that ever since the year 2000 when the regulation for seat sharing was formed, the body had not made any attempts to implement it and said that the facts made it clear that the bodies were attempting to illegally help the private institutes by not implementing the law. Fine amount goes to charity The proceeds from the fine that MCI pays will go to the Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu which is an institute for differently-abled people. The proceeds from the state government's fine will go to the Archaeological Survey of India toward their ongoing excavation in Keezhadi village in Sivaganga district where there have been findings related to an ancient civilization dating back to the 2nd century BC. Also Read:AIIMS Recruitment: Apply for Senior Resident Now! Nearly one week after adjourning, lawmakers in both legislative chambers are gauging their members' appetite for returning to Bismarck for a one-day session to possibly overturn recent vetoes issued by Gov. Doug Burgum. A veto override requires two-thirds votes in each chamber. Burgum has rejected portions of the Public Employees Retirement System budget passed by lawmakers. He issued a line-item veto on provisions allowing for the early termination of the state employee health insurance contract. The formation of a legislative committee tasked with studying and recommending terms for future contracts also was vetoed. I share the objective that the Legislature was passing, Burgum told the Tribune editorial board this morning. Im all in on (having) a conversation. His office announced line-item vetoes of provisions in eight agency budgets this week as well as one other bill relating to Job Service North Dakota-owned properties. Burgum staff reported the governor issued a total of 13 vetoes. Ten involved line items with the other three being entire bills. He signed a total of 440 bills that passed during the 2017 session, which lasted 77 days. Each session is limited to 80 days, according to the state constitution. The vetoes were the most by a North Dakota governor from a single legislative session since 1993, when Ed Schafer rejected all or parts of 20 bills during his first session as governor. Burgums line-item veto of House Bill 1023 strikes seven sections out of the 13-section PERS bill. A key section, which was vetoed, would have forced the state to terminate its six-year contract with Sanford Health Plan on June 30, 2019, rather than in 2021. As passed, HB1023 would have made the PERS board go out for bids for a new contract, with a self-funding plan for state employee health insurance being the primary bid. It is an unproven hypothesis that a two-year, non-renewal contract period will produce lower rates from potential providers, Burgum explained in a letter to the Legislature. Kirk Zimmer, Sanford Health Plan's executive vice president, thanked Burgum for vetoing the language in HB1023. House Bill 1023 was very problematic for the health of the insurance marketplace because bidders on contracts want to be assured they can count on the state honoring a mutually agreed upon set of terms within a contract. This is true for any bidder, not just Sanford, Zimmer said. This issue has taken a significant amount of time, resources and energy, and we are hopeful this veto allows everyone to gain closure because this effort to sever this contractual relationship has been going on for years. Most importantly, the 67,000 PERS members deserve the stability that this action provided. House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, had been the key proponent of the PERS budget changes, the result of a last-minute compromise, which provided additional funds for Dickinson State University. As long as I can take a breath, Ill keep working to make this right," said Carlson, who argued the changes would lead to cost savings and allow more legislative oversight. I dont agree with what he did, but he has every right to do it, he said of the governor's move. Carlson indicated he is willing to have lawmakers return to Bismarck to address HB1023 if there is enough support to override any of the vetoes. In particular, support in the Senate on HB1023 was soft compared to the House. Overall, Ive gone through all of the vetoes, and I dont really have a problem with any of them honestly, said Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson. Wardner said one issue that might cause some pushback is a line-item veto in Senate Bill 2013, the Department of Trust Lands budget, in which $16.1 million was appropriated for non-oil-producing townships statewide at $10,000 apiece. A total of $8.1 million would come from the State Disaster Relief Fund and the remaining dollars from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund. In Burgums letter outlining his rationale, he said no specific case was laid out for an across-the-board appropriation to statewide townships. He said taking from the State Disaster Relief Fund during a budget crunch wasnt prudent, either. A five-year plan for upgrades to non-lethal weapons for the Mandan Police Department was given the green light by the city commission Tuesday by entering a contract for a set of 22 new Tasers for its officers. The commission unanimously approved the contract through 2021 with Axon, formerly known as Taser International. Police Chief Jason Ziegler told commissioners the contract had a cost of $5,808 per year for 2018 through 2021. The budget for this year is more than $6,200; by trading in the departments older, obsolete model Tasers the department currently has the program can be implemented this year at no additional cost for this year. Currently the police department has 11 officers with Tasers, Ziegler said. Each officer does go through training. Ziegler added that for 2018 through 2021 there would also be a separate $1,500 line item included in the police budget for extra Taser batteries and cartridges thats not part of the contract. He said the need stems from not having enough of the devices for their 26 uniformed officers, of which there are 22 patrol officers, two school resource officers, one working in support services and a warrant officer. Its another tool for our officers to have, Ziegler said. Throughout the year there are several large events held by the city in which an increased number of officers are on duty, which would leave some officers without the devices if needed to respond to an incident. Tasers are best known for their use by officers by firing two barbs into peoples skin and using electrical currents run through wires the barbs are attached to in order to subdue a suspect. Newer models allow officers to regulate the amount of electrical charge that is emitted. I think the Tasers are a valuable resource to your officers, Commissioner Scott Davis said. Commissioner Dennis Rohr agreed. We didnt use it very often, Rohr said of his years as Mandan Police Chief prior to his retirement from the post in 2007. Ziegler said the proper use of force by law enforcement to protect the public and themselves is an important and extensive part of training and is a critical decision granted to officers. Could take seconds. Could take minutes, Ziegler said of the time it could take to elevate a situation to requiring the use of some level of force. In other business, the commission: --Approved a Class A liquor license for The Scapegoat Bar., Inc. The Scapegoat Bar is to be located at 202 E. Main St., the location of the former Moscow Bar. Its closed for renovation until December when it reopens under the new name with new ownership. --Welcomed newly hired Morton Mandan Public Library Director Jackie Hawes to the city. Hawes is a Kentucky native who spent the past three years in working in Missouri before being hired to her new role. Former director Kelly Steckler died last October. What we have here is a possible look at the 2018 Honda Fit/Jazz, thanks to images leaking out ahead of the models launch in Japan next month. A quick look around the exterior reveals a few subtle changes such as a repositioned grille (higher), new headlights and a restyled bumper rounding out the updated front fascia. Images gathered from Japanese website Livedoor also show newly designed wheels, sportier tailgate, new taillights and a new rear bumper with light reflectors and a chrome underlining. According to Indian Autos Blog, the 2018 Jazz will get black inserts for the front bumper and black mirror covers. There even seem to be a few new exterior color choices, from wide red to gun metallic and light blue. As for the interior, the new model is expected to get fresh dashboard trim, new instrument cluster backlighting and a new infotainment system. Also, updated Indian-spec models could get Hondas 7.0 Digipad touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav and MirrorLink. Powering the 2018 Fit/Jazz will apparently not be a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol unit, according to one of the leaked images. Instead, the facelifted model is expected to keep its current powertrain options. There will however be new safety tech on-board, such as Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and Road Departure Mitigation. The 2018 Honda Fit / Jazz could hit global markets in the second half of the year. H/T to Shrawan PHOTO GALLERY Its been four years since Porsche set the Nurburgring lap record with the 918 Spyder, and nearly two years since the model ended its limited production run. So it raised a few eyebrows when the German automaker brought one back to the Nordschleife recently during an industry pool testing day. The car in question appears to be equipped with the Weissach package and seems to be running pretty flat out. Though its wearing a different license plate, it looks like it could be the very same one that set the record in the first place. The question is: what is it doing there? The possible answers that come most immediately to mind is that either Porsche is trying to recapture the lap record from sister-brand Lamborghinis Huracan Performante, which recently clocked a time of 6:52 (beating the 918s 6:57), or that Zuffenhausen is preparing a new version to succeed it. Road & Track reached out to the manufacturer, which said that the hybrid hypercar is being used to benchmark against another new model. Just which that model would be, it didnt say. Porsche has several new models under development, including a new 911 GT2 and GT3 RS, as well as the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Any of those could be the impetus for the 918s return to the Ring, or it could be something else altogether. Or maybe, just maybe, the company spokesmans blowing smoke and theres a new 918 under development. One can only hope. Videos Photo: Contributed As we age, concern about memory function increases. These days, thanks to increased attention in the popular media and the baby boom generation reaching their late 60s, we seem to hear a lot more about Alzheimers or dementia. We offer a free memory assessment clinic and the number of people who are interested in this service is a reflection of this increased awareness and concern about memory function and deterioration with age. Most people over the age of 60 become aware of deterioration in their memory and develop concerns about the possibility of Alzheimers this is appropriate because the prevalence of dementia increases exponentially with age and doubles every five years starting at one per cent at age 60 and reaching 30 per cent by age 85. Ninety per cent of diagnosed dementia is related to Alzheimers disease, which remains largely a diagnosis by exclusion. In spite of this, memory assessment is not a routine part of a typical general medical practice. A family doctor can conduct a brief memory test when dementia is suspected, but these tests will typically only detect fairly large deficits and often do not detect the more subtle changes people notice before dementia would be diagnosed. In our clinic, many of the people we meet have discussed memory concerns with their family doctor, but not received convincing reassurance. Some have fairly large impairments but have not received a realistic appraisal of their significance. In reality, gradual memory loss is significant. Although a certain amount of decline in memory function is normal with aging, Alzheimers also begins with small memory changes that gradually get worse. With normal aging, many people have difficulty remembering details of conversations or events that took place a year ago or more, whereas with dementia, they may not be able to recall details of very recent events or conversations. Age-related memory loss may mean difficulty recalling the name of an acquaintance whereas a person with Alzheimers may not recognize or recall the names of family members. A person with age-related memory deficits may have occasional difficulty finding words whereas a person with Alzheimers will have frequent pauses and substitutions when finding words. With this in mind, many Alzheimer research centres have begun offering regular memory assessments so that people can track the progression of their memory difficulties. These services are typically not covered by provincial medical services plans, but are relatively low cost and usually take only about 30 minutes. Just as most of us have to get our eyes checked periodically, so it may be appropriate for people over the age of 60 to have a regular assessment of their memory - particularly if they or their loved ones have concerns that their memory is failing. Just like vision, memory tends to change so gradually that fairly significant impairment can develop insidiously. Mild memory problems are typically labeled mild cognitive impairment and defined by a combination of: concern over a change in cognition: evidence of lower performance in one or more cognitive domains that is greater than would be expected due to age or educational background objective evidence of cognitive decline. This last one can only be determined if cognitive abilities have been periodically assessed over time. Impairment is considered mild as long as an individual is able to function independently for every day tasks like paying bills, preparing meals and shopping. Memory assessments that can be repeated annually or more often can be obtained through our Memory Clinic at 250-862-8141. We are also actively recruiting for clinical studies in Alzheimers disease. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer The apartment building Wilson stole several bikes from A man will spend another 154 days behind bars over some stolen bicycles, breaches of probation and drug charges. Dustin Wilson, 21, who was accused of thefts at an apartment building on Calgary Avenue in Penticton, entered guilty pleas to charges of break-and-enter, possessing a break-in instrument, possession of stolen property, a breach of probation and two counts of possession of a controlled substance in court on Tuesday. Those charge stem from a few incidents, including a spree of bike thefts from a Calgary Avenue apartment building, where the Crown lawyer told the court Wilson was seen on surveillance breaking into. Between Feb. 14 and 21, police received a number of reports of stolen bikes from the locker at the property. After looking at the surveillance system, police recognized Wilson as the man in the images. When he was searched by police, several tools were found in his backpack, labelled break-in tools by police, along with several garage door openers. The Crown prosecutor noted that to get to the Calgary Ave. building's bike locker, a fob key or garage opener would have been required. Wilson was also found to be in possession of a number of items stolen from a Wal-Mart, after an anti-theft employee saw him unwrap some cologne and put it in his pants before walking out. When detained by police, other items, along with a single round of ammunition and 1.28 grams of methamphetamine were seized. In another incident, a man saw Wilson on his property, and, believing he was going to break into his shed, followed him to a nearby Tim Horton's, where he waited for police. When police arrived, he was arrested on another charge and found to be in possession of 0.2 grams of methamphetamine. Prior to his sentencing, Wilson had a lengthy back-and-forth with judge Gregory Koturbash, telling him he fell into the wrong crowd after moving to Penticton a year ago, eventually leading to drugs. I know I was going down a shitty path with drugs and stuff, and I dont want to end up like half my family is, so I want to be good, and do the right thing, he said, adding that has been motivated to go straight by his one-year-old daughter. Wilson brought a number of completion certificates from Okanagan Correctional Centre into the video conference box, showing them to the judge through the camera, for programs such as employability, money management and health relationships. I just dont want to let people down again, he said. Koturbashs sentence came in between the defence's request of six months, and the Crowns 7-9 months at 222 days. The judge said the steps Wilson has taken to improve himself while incarcerated, and insight into his own crimes tell him there is hope. You are still a very young person. It would certainly be much too early to give up on you and throw away the key. I think you have the opportunity to become a productive member of society, Koturbash said. The sentence also included 12 months of probation, including a six-month curfew upon release. with files from Colin Dacre Photo: Facebook Donald Brodie The man accused of running down a paper carrier in 2013 was in court Tuesday, as a judge decides the admissibility of his previous confession. Donald Brodie was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm and flight causing bodily harm after a car with Brodie and others inside drove through a police check stop in the early hours of Dec. 7, 2013, prompting a chase by police. During the chase, the black Eagle Talon struck Steve Kania near Highway 33 in Rutland, putting him in a coma and leaving him with a serious brain injury. Nathan Fahl was originally charged as the man behind the wheel, until Brodie allegedly confessed to police that he was the driver following a later arrest on Dec. 21, 2013. In June 2014, Brodie sent a handwritten letter to several local media outlets, including Castanet, accepting fault for the incident and expressing remorse, while blaming the RCMP for chasing him that night. No charges were laid against the RCMP officers involved. Brodie was back in court Tuesday for a voir dire to determine the admissibility of evidence in the case against him, including his prior confession and a strip search conducted by police. Brodie's voir dire, a trial within a trial, is expected to continue into next week, while the remainder of his judge-only trial is scheduled for July and September. Fahl, the man originally charged with hitting Kania, was recently sentenced to 30 months in jail for stealing a bait car in March 2016. Madison Erhardt You're never too old to get tech savvy at least that's what Okanagan Regional Library has to say. The Kelowna branch is hosting free weekly "mobile meet-ups" for seniors, to help them master the ins and outs of their cellphones and tablets. Experts are available to answer questions about the new-fangled gizmos that might be daunting to many. "It's an ongoing program we have as part of our revitalization project. We meet with seniors and provide them with technology help," said reference librarian James Stuart. The three-week course will have seniors texting and snapping selfies with confidence. The first week is an introduction, and the second and third sessions delve into settings and apps. Stuart says seniors leave the class with a better understanding of their devices and some peace of mind about technology. Photo: Dustin Godfrey A minor crash at the wrong time at the corner of Eckhardt Avenue and Government Street was enough to clog up the intersection Tuesday afternoon. The high-traffic corner saw a fender bender between two pickup trucks, including one from a local landscaping company, with only minor damage to the vehicles. The trucks and two fire engines sat on the side of the road along southbound traffic on Government Street, where a lane of traffic was shifted to the side, taking up the northbound's left-turn lane. That, combined with the timing, at about 3:30 p.m. near Penticton Secondary School, and the heavy traffic that flows along the streets was enough to cause some congestion at the intersection. Castanet's Evening Update for Tuesday, May 2, with reporter Wayne Moore. Photo: Contributed Photo: Colin Dacre B.C. Premier Christy Clark stopped at Pentictons Bad Tattoo Brewing on Tuesday as a part of a whistlestop tour of the Southern Interior. She met with a brewery full of supporters and delivered a short speech, touting the accomplishments of local incumbent Dan Ashton, crediting him for the Penticton Regional Hospital expansion. Clark drew big cheers when she said she would work with Ashton to bring a Canadian wine centre of excellence to Penticton. She also positioned the B.C. Liberals as the best party to stand up to growing protectionism south of the border. Theyve gone after our aluminum industry to try to make sure those jobs go south, they are going after our forestry industry to do the same thing, theyve gone after dairy, she said. Next they could go after apples, they could go after cherries, they can go after wine, they can go after all the products we produce here. We cannot let British Columbia be at risk, she told the crowd, adding that they will be standing up for B.C.s core industries. The stop in Penticton followed stops in Merritt, Princeton, Oliver and Osoyoos on Tuesday, and was followed by a 5:30 p.m. rally at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna. Every surge of right-wing populism confronts voters with a different dilemma. In the Brexit referendum, the risk was the policy, not the politicians. Voting to leave the European Union was not a vote to make Nigel Farage prime minister; it was a vote for a leap into the unknown, but one supervised by mainstream Tory leaders. In the case of Donald Trump, there was risk in the policy, but the central question was always about the candidate himself: about his fitness for the office, his ability to execute its basic duties, the effect that his demagogy and self-dealing would have on civic norms. In the case of Marine Le Pen presently facing off against Emmanuel Macron, the John Lindsay of the Eurocrats, for the presidency of France the main risk is her party. To elevate her to the presidency is to empower the National Front, an organization that despite years of renovation and attempted purges extending to Le Pens own father, Jean-Marie still includes figures like her successor (briefly; he just resigned) as its leader, who appears to have done the Im just asking questions thing about the gas chambers. Parties matter, their histories and undercurrents matter, and the Fronts Vichy taint is a good reason to prefer a world where a Le Pen never occupies the Elysee Palace. At the same time, individual personalities and their policies also matter and there the case for #NeverLePen seems weaker in important ways than the case for #NeverTrump. To begin with, nobody seriously doubts Le Pens competence, her command of policy, her ability to serve as president without turning the office into a reality-TV thunderdome. Trumps inability to master his own turbulent emotions is not an issue with his Gallic counterpart. Nor is there much evidence that Le Pen herself draws any personal inspiration from the Vichy right. However incomplete the project, she is the reason that her party has ejected Vichyites and disavowed anti-Semitism and moved toward the French mainstream on many issues. This has been done, of course, in the hopes of gaining power. But that is how the purging of poisons always happens, and being disowned by ones father is a quite costly and dramatic act of political purgation. Some argue that Le Pen has simply replaced anti-Semitism with Islamophobia. But her attacks on Islamic fundamentalism and her defense of a strict public secularism have been echoed by many mainstream French politicians. An argument for quarantining her perspective would apply to Nicolas Sarkozy or Francois Fillon, not just her. Overall, the politician that Le Pen has obviously strained to imitate is not her father or Marshal Petain, but Charles de Gaulle the de Gaulle who fiercely opposed European political integration, who granted Algeria its independence in part because he doubted France could absorb millions of Muslim immigrants, whose France First worldview consistently gave other Western leaders fits. Even the most controversial utterance of Le Pens campaign, a denial of widespread French complicity in the deportation of French Jews, was deeply Gaullist: An insistence that the true France existed with de Gaulles government-in-exile, not Petains regime. This is comforting myth, of course, and perhaps de Gaulles style of nationalism is too chauvinist and mystical for our era. But on the other hand, our eras enlightened governance has produced an out-of-touch eurozone elite lashed to a destructive common currency, and an experiment in mass immigration that has changed French society faster than integration can do its necessary work. These are the same sort of issues that helped Trump win the presidency, but in the European context the challenges are more severe and the populist critique more compelling. There is no American equivalent to the epic disaster of the euro, a form of German imperialism with the struggling parts of Europe as its subjects. There is no American equivalent to the challenge of immigrant-assimilation now facing France no equivalent of the domestic terror threat, the rise of Islamist anti-Semitism, the immigrant enclaves as worlds unto themselves. Which means that while much of Trumps notional agenda was an overreaction to the countrys problems, some of Le Pens controversial positions are straightforwardly correct. She is right that France as a whole, recent immigrants as well as natives, would benefit from a sustained mass-immigration halt. She is right that the European Union has given too much unaccountable power to Brussels and Berlin and favored financial interests over ordinary citizens. And while many of her economic prescriptions are half-baked, her overarching critique of the euro is correct: Her country and her continent would be better off without it. The French will presumably vote against her nonetheless. They will choose Macron, a callow creature of a failed consensus, over the possibility that the repulsive partys standard-bearer might be right. That decision will be understandable. But its the kind of choice that has a way of getting offered again and again, until the public finally makes a different one. More than 32,000 people are trying to catch a glimpse of the ospreys in Kelowna, and FortisBC has set up a live stream to make it happen. The creatures have garnered attention worldwide and a community of people have been keeping an eye on the birds, even naming one Storm. Its great to see that so many people are interested and engaged with the nest, said Fortis spokesperson Amy Bunton. We make sure if they are trying to build the nest, we stop them from building it or we move them to a pole that is not in use, said Bunton. When an osprey is observed trying to nest, crews will place orange cones on top of the pole. If the osprey does manage to build a nest on a live power pole, the nest is safely removed and an alternative pole with a suitable nesting platform is provided. We want to make sure the birds are safe and the other reason is because it mitigates any power outages to our customers or any interruptions to service, she said. To catch a glimpse of the ospreys on the livestream, click here. It's spring winefest time again in the Okanagan, and Culture Vulture TV's Leanne Allen is back to take us on a video tour of some of the hotspots. It's the 23rd year for the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival, which runs from Thursday through May 14 at venues up and down the Valley. For us, this festival is the unofficial kickoff to the busy summer season. Not only does it give us the chance to celebrate the new spring releases, but also the opportunity to reconnect with fellow wineries and industry partners to toast the beginning of another successful year," says Lindsay Kelm, with the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society. More than 80 events are planned. For more information, visit www.thewinefestivals.com. Photo: Dorian Poloway A Penticton woman caught a remarkable scene while out for a stroll on Monday. Dorian Poloway was walking by the Warren Avenue Oxbow and spotted a group of geese and their young, and snapped a photo. To my surprise, when I had arrived home to process the photos, I saw something very unusual, she said. As the goslings were hopping over a log, a Bass stealthily popped out of the water to snag himself some dinner. Poloway said she went back and did a headcount in her later photos, and the baby goose managed to escape. Bass fish have been known to prey on small birds, particularly baby ducks and geese. Photo: Britt Sellers April's winner in our Summer Fun Photo contest brought to you by Big Surf Beer, Rider Cider and Innerspace Watersports is Britt Sellers. Britt has won a wakeboard from Innerspace Watersports and an afternoon out on their boat. The contest continues, with another winner to be chosen for May and June. To enter submit your Summer Fun Photo here. To view this years entries so far, check out our gallery. Photo: CTV Union head Yves Francoeur The Crown prosecutor's office in Quebec called Tuesday for a criminal inquiry into corruption allegations made by the head of Montreal's police union against the Quebec Liberal party. Union head Yves Francoeur claimed last Thursday on a Montreal radio station that the Crown cut short a fraud investigation into one former and one sitting Liberal party member of the legislature due to political interference. He alleged the Crown was ready to press charges but was blocked by someone high up in the government. Francoeur said the investigation included wiretap and surveillance, but he did not reveal any names. Annick Murphy, director of the Crown prosecutor's office, said she formally asked the deputy minister of the Public Security Department to investigate Francoeur's claims. Quebec provincial police will head the investigation, with help from Quebec City and Montreal police. "The allegations are serious and we have to shed light on this affair," said Crown spokesman, Jean-Pascal Boucher. Murphy said Francoeur hadn't spoken with her office or the province's anti-corruption unit since he dropped the bombshell accusations five days ago. Francoeur said he had contacted anti-corruption investigators and will meet with them. In a brief statement, Francoeur said he stood by what he said in the radio interview. Murphy said she hadn't come across any file in her office related to Francoeur's allegations. The government was also forced to address reports Tuesday that Francoeur had been approached in January to run for the Liberal party. Sylain Langis, the party's chief organizer, vigorously denied anyone in a position to do so made an offer to Francoeur regarding the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeoys. Francoeur said he was approached by the party earlier this year and "on the spot, strongly and unequivocally rejected the offer of the Liberal Party of Quebec." The Montreal riding is currently held by former Liberal transport minister Robert Poeti, also a former police officer. Photo: Contributed The Senate ethics committee has recommended that the upper house take the unprecedented step of expelling disgraced Sen. Don Meredith for engaging in a sexual relationship with a teenage girl. It's now up to the full Senate, which has never before expelled a member, to decide whether to accept or reject the recommendation, which also calls on the chamber to declare Meredith's seat vacant. "He has brought disrepute to himself and to the institution," the committee said in a scathing report released Tuesday. "Your committee is of the opinion that Sen. Meredith's misconduct has demonstrated that he is unfit to serve as a senator. His presence in the chamber would in itself discredit the institution. "No lesser sanction than expulsion would repair the harm he has done to the Senate." Meredith must be given five sitting days in which to respond to the report, should he wish, so a vote on his fate can't occur before next Tuesday at the earliest. Meredith's lawyer, Bill Trudell, said the senator was with his family and had no immediate comment on the report. The senator has a right to speak to the Senate and a right of final reply and will decide in the next few days whether to exercise those options, he added in an interview. Trudell said he's troubled by aspects of the report, although he would not specify exactly what those were. Photo: Facebook A Canadian woman and her American boyfriend who had been missing for days in Belize died of strangulation, local police said Tuesday as the pair's friends and families were struggling to come to grips with their loss. The bodies of Francesca Matus, 52, of Toronto, and Drew DeVoursney, 36, from Georgia, were found Monday afternoon in a sugar cane field in the country's Corozal district. Police said in a statement that DeVoursney's body was found on top of Matus's body, and both were in an "advanced state of decomposition." Authorities said the deaths were being investigated as homicides. The pair had been missing since last Tuesday when they were last seen leaving a local bar around 11 p.m. Dozens of Canadian and American expats were involved in the search, scouring the beaches, waterways and the bush. On Sunday afternoon, Matus's car was found in a sugar cane field about 15 kilometres from the bar. Belize police Det. Zamir Noh said the bodies were discovered late Monday afternoon in another field "nowhere close to the truck." Police said autopsies conducted on Tuesday revealed how the pair died. Photo: Twitter With less than a week until Election Day in British Columbia, party leaders are making their rounds across the province trying to sway voters. At a campaign event in Kelowna yesterday, Liberal Leader Christy Clark tailored her election pitch to Okanagan voters. Clark says the province is under threat from the rising protectionism from Americans under U.S. President Donald Trump and only a Liberal government can keep the economy safe. Clark has responded to U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber by calling on the federal government to levy a tax on thermal coal shipped through B.C. ports, most of which comes from the States. NDP Leader John Horgan told laid-off mill workers in Merritt yesterday that the forest industry shed thousands of jobs under the Liberal's watch, and if elected, he would visit Washington within 30 days to make his case in the softwood dispute. In Vancouver, Green Leader Andrew Weaver attacked both of his opponents, saying his is the only party with a plan to create a prosperous future for the province. Weaver's schedule takes him to Vancouver, Victoria and Duncan today while Horgan is expected to campaign in North Vancouver and Surrey. Photo: Thinkstock.com A House of Commons committee is calling for repeal of a provision that allows Canada's spy agency to violate constitutional rights, with a judge's permission, in the name of disrupting national security threats. In a report Tuesday, the Liberal-dominated public safety committee also recommended requiring a judge's approval for any Canadian Security Intelligence Service disruption operations that fall short of breaching constitutional guarantees, but nevertheless break the law. Currently, CSIS efforts to derail plots could involve taking down an extremist's website, cancelling airline tickets, disabling a vehicle or even more drastic actions. In addition, the MPs said the scope of activities subject to recently enacted information-sharing powers should be narrowed to make them consistent with other national security legislation. Many of the 41 recommendations put flesh on the bones of Liberal promises to fix "problematic elements" of Conservative anti-terrorism legislation known as C-51. Conservative MPs on the committee issued a dissenting report saying the legislation should be maintained, while New Democrats tabled a supplementary opinion suggesting the government should go further by scrapping C-51. Photo: The Canadian Press Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is expected to set the stage Wednesday for the Liberals' much-anticipated defence policy by casting a glaring light on what senior defence sources say is a massive "hole" in military spending. The hole has been caused by years of under-investment in the Canadian Armed Forces, the sources argue, and resulted in little-to-no money for the replacement of essential but aging equipment. That includes new logistical vehicles and construction equipment such as bulldozers for the army, surveillance aircraft for the air force, and satellites for communications in the Arctic. The shortfall, which adds up to tens of billions of dollars, also includes upgrades to the military's current fleet of search-and-rescue helicopters and training for aircrews. The result is that work that should have already been underway to acquire a long list of equipment and services that the military needs to do its job has been stalled, the sources said, if it has started at all. Training and even support and benefits for military personnel have also failed to keep up. The full extent of the problem hasn't been well understood outside National Defence even by experts, the sources said, and caught the Liberals by surprise when they took office in November 2015. It has since posed a real challenge as the government has drawn up its new defence policy, which is expected to be unveiled before NATO leaders gather in Belgium later this month. A congressional spending bill announced Sunday has something North Dakota has been seeking for months. Included in the bipartisan proposal is $15 million for the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Program. The program provides funds to help state and local law enforcement respond to threats to public safety. The state has been asking for several months for federal assistance to pay for the costs of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. So far, we have gotten the cold shoulder. Sens. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., touted the $15 million has the possible beginning of reimbursement. Hoeven suggested the state could apply for and get all the $15 million. That wouldnt cover all the protest costs, with the pricetag presently estimated at $38 million with a final tally expected in July. Gov. Doug Burgum also has asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster because of the protests. That could result in more federal funding to pay for the protests. At the moment theres no guarantee the state will get funds from the assistance program or a presidential declaration. The Tribune Editorial Board has argued the federal government needs to pay at least some of the costs. It was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that allowed protesters to camp on federal land, which allowed the protests to grow. When the state repeatedly asked for help to deal with the situation, it got none. Its time for the federal government to help pay the tab. Congress must still approve the spending bill crafted by Republican and Democratic leaders, and Trump would need to sign it. The bill doesnt include many things Trump has promised, including funds for a wall along the Mexican border. It does prevent a government shutdown, which neither party relishes. Many conservatives in Congress dont like the spending bill, comparing to legislation in President Barack Obamas administration. Democrats seemed elated with the proposal. While the proposal may rankle conservatives, its far from the final word. A shutdown would hamper Trumps efforts to get his policies in place. Some may see the congressional agreement as a way to go around Trump, but its not easy to ignore a president. Whats needed is cooperation among both parties and Trump as we move forward. However, Trump signaled his displeasure with the agreement on Tuesday. The president used Twitter to argue the country "needs a good shutdown" in September to fix Senate rules that require him to negotiate with Democrats. The funds for the assistance program are important to North Dakota. The state bore the burden of the protests, which were a national issue involving federal agencies. State and local agencies got the job of policing the event. Its only fair the state, reeling from a revenue shortfall, get some reimbursement. Theres no doubt items in the spending bill that appeal to the other states. Theres always give and take in compromise legislation and we would like to think this is an indication of more cooperation in the future. However, we expect Congress will remain contentious. Photo: Contributed Advance voting for the May 9 provincial election resumes today. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. at a number of locations Wednesday through Saturday. Advance polls will be open at the following locations. Kelowna-Lake Country - 4 locations Kelowna International Airport, all four days Rutland Centennial Hall, all four days St. David's Presbyterian Church, all four days Winfield Memorial Hall, all four days Kelowna-Mission - four locations Evangel Church, all four days Mission Creek Alliance Church, all four days Okanagan Mission Community Hall, all four days Willow Park Church, all four days Kelowna West - four locations Emmanuel Church, all four days Grace Baptist Church, all four days Kelowna Curling Club, all four days Super 8 West Kelowna Motel, all four days To be eligible to vote in the May 9 provincial election, you must be a Canadian citizen, 18 or older on general voting day, and a resident of B.C. for the past six months. A little more than 231,000 people across the province voted in advance polls over the weekend, including 11,000 in the three Central Okanagan ridings. Photo: Contributed An alleged assault, a stolen car and a naked man had Kamloops RCMP on the move Wednesday morning. The strange scenario began at around 2 a.m. when police responded to a complaint from the public in the Sahali area of Kamloops regarding an alleged assault and theft of a vehicle. It was reported that a 41-year-old male had assaulted his father and fled in a stolen vehicle, said Cpl. Brandon Buliziuk. At approximately 7:00 a.m., members responded to another call from the public which indicated that a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle stolen earlier, was parked in an obscure manner in the Peterson Creek Park area of Kamloops. A male was later observed to be near the creek and was described as being naked. Several RCMP descended on the area and a perimeter was established. Kamloops general duty members, police dog services and other support units closed in on the male. After a brief yet effective verbal exchange, the male was brought into custody without incident, said Buliziuk. Kamloops Fire Rescue and BC Ambulance attended to aid in the extraction of the male from the park area and to further treat him for what was believed to be symptoms of hypothermia. The man was transported to Royal Inland Hospital for an assessment of his overall wellbeing. The investigation into the assault and theft of vehicle is ongoing, but it is believed charges will be forwarded to Crown Counsel for assessment in the near future. Everything you always wanted to know about how whiskey is made. Photo: Twitter Kelowna Liberals Norm Letnick and Steve Thomson are touting their party's transportation plan for the Central Okanagan. In a statement, the incumbent candidates for Kelowna-Lake Country and Kelowna-Mission listed their priorities, saying they will work to support: Completion of Highway 97 six-laning and the intersections improvement project. Completion of John Hindle Drive, connecting Glenmore to Highway 97 at UBC Okanagan. Completion of transfer of ownership of the old Highway 97 to the District of Lake Country and help Lake Country taxpayers turn it into a world-class public amenity. District of Lake Country to fix the bottleneck at Beaver Lake Road. Kelowna to extend the Clement Avenue expressway from Glenmore Road to Highway 33, taking more traffic off Highway 97 with fewer intersections. Completion of Westside Road improvements to improve travel safety and efficiency. Locally, our investment into bridges, roads and transit has been more than at any other period in B.C. history, starting with a new bridge over Lake Okanagan, said Thomson. And we will continue to work to advocate for more transit hours for our growing region, secure more funds for bike paths, and work with West Kelowna, Kelowna and Lake Country to ensure a safe, sustainable and efficient road network throughout the region. Photo: CTV The BC Liberals say they "stand corrected" on claims the NDP planted a woman at a campaign event to confront Christy Clark. The brief encounter last week between the woman and Clark has generated a buzz on social media as the hashtag #IamLinda became a rallying point on Twitter for people who oppose the B.C. Liberal government. When asked today if they believe the woman was an NDP plant, the Liberals issued a short statement that says: "We're happy to stand corrected." A video posted online last week shows Clark in a North Vancouver market shaking hands with a woman who introduces herself as Linda and says she would never vote for the premier and begins to explain why. Clark cuts her off, telling her there is no need to explain. The encounter went viral and has been shared and retweeted thousands of times on social media. Voters go to the polls on Tuesday. Photo: Okanagan College Click here to view gallery Photo: Okanagan College Photo: Okanagan College Photo: Okanagan College Former Kelowna mayor Sharon Shepherd is to receive Okanagan College's highest honour. Shepherd, Penticton resident Randy Manuel and Edna Terbasket of the Okanagan Indian Band are to be named honorary fellows of the college during convocation ceremonies in Kelowna this June. Shepherd is being recognized for nearly 40 years of work as a volunteer, educator, mentor, business owner, longtime councillor and two-term mayor. She has championed numerous causes for youth, families, women, the environment and health, including CATCH (Community Action Toward Childrens Health), Soles4Souls, Arion Therapeutic Farm and East meets West, according to a college press release. Shepherd also served as an honorary chair of the Red Cross fundraising campaign and was a member of the KGH Foundations Be a Lifesaver campaign. In recent years, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal, the Kotler United Way humanitarian award and the Anita Tozer memorial award. Shepherd also has connections to the college, acting as a mentor and judge at the School of Business and Enactus OC, and advocating for the Women in Trades Training program. I am deeply moved by this honour, said Shepherd. The college opens doors to education for so many people, not just in Kelowna but throughout the Okanagan. Manuel, an artist, writer, historian and public servant whose career spans more than five decades, will be recognized for his vision and efforts in preserving the history and ecology of the region. Manuel began volunteering with the Okanagan Historical Society at age 17 and has supported the organization for more than 50 years. He served as president of the Okanagan-Similkameen Parks Society in the late 1970s and established the Kettle Valley Steam Railway Society and the SS Sicamous Restoration Society in 1988. Manuel was the curator of the Penticton Museum from 1986 to 2005 and served as a Penticton city councillor from 2005-08 and then as a director and president of the Okanagan School of Arts. A renowned Indigenous educator, Edna Terbasket serves as executive director of the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society in Kelowna. Terbasket was a driving force behind the creation of the colleges Aboriginal career fair that began in 1995. She has also served on the Okanagan College board of governors (1999-2001) and in 2013 was named as one of 50 people who made a difference in development of the institution. In 2012 ,Terbasket received the education advocate of the year award from the Association of BC Deans of Education. She credits her mother, who overcame tremendous adversity in a lifelong pursuit of continuing her education, as one of her greatest role models. I draw great inspiration from her journey in education, explained Terbasket. My mother is 84 now and taught the Okanagan language until she was 82. When I see our youth struggle, I try to guide them to education, to find something they are passionate about and want to pursue. Photo: Google Maps A woman crashed her car on Highway 97, north of Kelowna Airport, Tuesday night, after the minivan in front of her braked suddenly. The woman, driving a silver Honda Civic, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, just after 6 p.m., and was helped by motorists passing by. She was later assessed by paramedics. The black Dodge Caravan that braked suddenly in front of the woman did not stop at the scene, but Vernon RCMP later found the driver. The driver of the minivan was ticketed by police. Photo: Kevin Rothwell The lines were not long and the wait was about 15 minutes at both Elections BC voting locations in Vernon on Wednesday. Advance voting in the B.C. election is taking place Wednesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Vernon Recreation Centre and the Schubert Centre ahead of the May 9 election. In Lumby, advance voting takes place at the White Valley Community Centre this Friday and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. "What we're hearing right now is that voting is steady," said Janice Mori, Vernon Monashee District electoral officer. Mori reminded voters to take their "where to vote" cards and a piece of picture of ID with them to the polls. Advance voting can often given people a chance to escape the big lineups on election day which is May 9. A total of 2,450 people voted at advance polls in Vernon and Lumby last weekend. Meanwhile, the four candidates in the riding face off tonight for what is expected to be the biggest all-candidates forum of the local election, at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre from 7-9:00 p.m. This event is free, however staff will be collecting non-perishable food or financial donations for the food bank at the door. If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,... DICKINSON -- End Citizens United, a liberal political action committee focused on driving big money out of politics, will be endorsing Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. for the upcoming U.S. Senate race. Tiffany Muller, executive director of End Citizens United, said Heitkamp has been a leader in the fight to reform the campaign finance system, even during her time as attorney general of North Dakota. Senator Heitkamp is a champion on the issue and always has been, Muller said. Just this last spring she helped introduce a bill that would increase transparency and pushback against the dark money in our elections. The SUN (Sunlight for Unaccountable Nonprofits) Act, which was introduced by Heitkamp and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., would allow the public to know when donors spend more than $5,000 on tax-exempt groups that engage in electioneering and would have no impact on nonprofits that dont engage in election activities. Billionaires outside North Dakota who dont know anything about our state shouldnt be able to impact North Dakotans opinions or how they vote through secret organizations that dont have to disclose their donors. Its one example of the many problems with our campaign finance system, and it needs to change, Heitkamp said in a statement. Since serving as North Dakotas Attorney General, Ive been working to reform campaign finance laws, make them more transparent and give North Dakotans the voice they deserve. Im proud to serve North Dakota and am honored to have the endorsement of End Citizens United. Established in 2015, the groups goal is to overturn the 2010 Supreme Court decision that deregulated corporate and union spending for or against specific candidates. According to their website, the group endorses Democratic candidates committed to a campaign finance overhaul. Last month, the group announced that it raised $4 million in the first quarter of 2017 with 100,000 donors who gave an average contribution of $14. It projects it will raise $35 million for the 2018 cycle, surpassing the $25 million it raised for the 2016 elections. According to a press release, the group has over 3 million members and was the third largest federal Political Action Committee of the 2016 election cycle. There are nearly 4,000 members across North Dakota. NAPOLEON A funeral was held Tuesday, for a former Napoleon police officer who killed himself about two months after he was fired under controversial circumstances. The officer, 31-year-old Nathan Weber, was a husband and father of three who lived in Napoleon, a Logan County town of roughly 800 people in south-central North Dakota. Weber and James Waldo, Napoleons police chief at the time, were both fired in February after receiving negative job performance reviews from Mayor Todd Moos. Weber died April 26. The next day, his mother posted a scathing statement on Facebook, calling the mayors issues with Weber and Waldo trumped up charges. Your city should not only be held accountable for the wrongful termination of two upstanding officers but also as a contributing factor in the death of Officer Nathan Weber, Linda Weber wrote. In a Feb. 7 letter, Moos told Weber the city intended to fire him. Moos wrote that in July, he had given Weber a list of changes to make in his work, including requesting vacation a month in advance, keeping a daily log, responding to ambulance calls in the city and monitoring the school in the morning. You have failed to adhere to these changes, the mayors letter said. Moos wrote that residents had complained about Weber, saying that he was aggressive and confrontational while making traffic stops. It has been conveyed to me by various members of our community that the public no longer trusts the City Police Department, the mayor wrote. Weber and Waldo subsequently filed a defamation suit against the city in Logan County District Court, asserting that Moos complaints against them lacked merit. The suit says that in job performance reviews, Moos falsely accused Weber and Waldo of lying, holding up paperwork and sending cases to city court that should have gone to district court. The suit notes that Moos gave the officers low marks in reviews, while other city officials gave them high marks. The city has filed a response to the suit, denying that it defamed Waldo and Weber. Waldo is seeking over $150,000 in damages, and Weber was seeking over $100,000. Both men were asking that the negative reviews be removed from their personnel files. How Webers death will affect the ongoing lawsuit is unclear. On Tuesday, the Napoleon Police Department referred questions to the mayor, who did not return phone messages. Waldo referred questions to his attorney William Black, who also represented Weber. Black did not return phone messages. Scott Porsborg, an attorney for the city, declined to comment except to offer condolences to Webers family. A phone message left for Linda Weber was not returned. Weber, who grew up in Devils Lake, was buried there Tuesday. He graduated from Devils Lake High School in 2004, according to his obituary. Weber attended Lake Region State College and was valedictorian of his police officer training class in 2007, his obituary said. He worked for various North Dakota police agencies before joining the Napoleon Police Department in 2014, city records show. Mobin Saulat, FCMA, CGMA, thought accounting would be a reasonable choice of career, if not an exciting one. He had finished his undergraduate education in Pakistan with high marks in physics and mathematics, and it seemed he might follow his father's path as an accountant in the country's civil services. "I'll be very blunt," he said. "Back in those days, any student who got a reasonable background with respect to the qualifications ... the expectation was either to become an engineer, or a doctor, or an accountant. We didn't have the luxury to explore any other thing." He took the accounting civil services exam to enter the bureaucracy. His aptitude for management and analysis, however, would lead him far beyond those expectations. Decades after taking that exam, a time that included jobs around the world, he headed home to Pakistan to work in project management at the grandest scale. Today, Saulat is the managing director and chief executive of the state-owned Inter State Gas Systems Limited, currently coordinating close to $7 billion of natural-gas pipelines that will reshape markets in the Middle East. He is responsible for planning and delivering some of the largest infrastructure projects in Pakistan's history. "That's a huge task and one of the most challenging experiences," said Saulat, a speaker of Urdu, Arabic, English, and Japanese. "... All these projects, they're one of a kind. We don't have such precedents in Pakistan." So, how has he found his way? He points first to the White Oil Pipeline, a $500 million project to run a 26-inch pipe across nearly 600 miles of Pakistan. Budget-wise, it's not even a tenth the size of the portfolio he's now working but it was an introduction to national projects. Project management This project, he said, was of "huge strategic value," as it would allow Pakistan to reduce its dependence on roads for oil transport. He was familiar with the subject matter, having worked in setting up infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia but that's not what his new employers wanted most. "It was actually the project management skill that was of most interest to them," he explained. "They wanted to set up an entire financial management system, dealing with this challenging task, in our part of the world." He identified a few key challenges early in the project. First, it would span from the port city of Karachi deep into Pakistan, meaning that transportation and coordination of materials would be a challenge. He also knew he'd be working with a consortium of Chinese and local companies, with no room for deviation from the design. The team started by sorting the project's tasks and components on two major axes: required lead time and required foreign assets. "The task was to identify which items are critical, which items are not locally available, and what sort of timelines are involved to get them into Pakistan," he said. This analysis revealed, for example, that there were no local manufacturers capable of building the pipeline's pumping stations. Instead, Saulat helped the team source the equipment from outside Pakistan. By identifying this and other obstacles, the team were able to ensure that they finished ahead of schedule. "Most of the projects in our part of the world failed because of this lacking of capacity," he said. "We were able to expedite this process." Talent management Of course, projects at this scale depend on people, too. Knowing that they faced a "huge communication gap", the managers intentionally hired numerous interpreters to keep on hand at all times. Meanwhile, Saulat was developing an eye for talent that would prove crucial as he moved on to even larger projects. During the White Oil project, he said, "there definitely was a realisation that certain expertise was not available." He had insisted on bringing in experts from abroad to fill that gap in the short term, but he focused that recruitment on Pakistani people living abroad, hoping to bring their talents home, and he required that consultants transfer knowledge and technology to his local team. Over the years, this strategy has built up a team of more than 60 engineers, accountants, and others at Inter State, greatly improving Pakistan's capacity for larger and larger international projects. "We started with almost 100% dependency on international expertise. Now we are almost less than 50% dependent on those external advisers," Saulat said. Bureaucracy management The executive himself has learned a few lessons in working at the state scale, too. Because his work is tied up in the procedures of government, he has memorised the bureaucracy just as well as he and his father learned the rules of accounting. He works, he said, with the understanding that he will be under constant scrutiny. Working with ministers and other government leaders, he added, "you need to help them not only to formulate a strategy but also to make sure the procedures are being followed." And, still, Saulat traces his own success to the transformation in his thinking that came when he left Pakistan and stepped into a world where accountants do more than count. "It's all looking ahead, taking a futuristic view, applying the financial skills, and understanding the implications on the decision-making," he said. "The role of the financial controller is always to see what is happening in all the segments of the project and, going back to my experience in the White Oil pipeline project, I realised immediately that everybody is looking to you." Andrew Kenney is a CGMA Magazine contributing editor. Like two magnets being pulled toward each other, tiny crystals twist, align and slam into each other, but due to an altogether different force. For the first time, researchers have measured the force that draws them together and visualized how they swivel and align. Called van der Waals forces, the attraction provides insights into how crystals self-assemble, an activity that occurs in a wide range of cases in nature, from rocks to shells to bones. "It's provocative in the sense that from these kinds of measurements one can build a model of 3-D assembly, with particles attaching to each other in select ways like Lego bricks," said chemist Kevin Rosso of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "Crystals are most everywhere in nature, and this work will help us take advantage of these forces when we design new materials." Fusion force Crystals form supporting structures in a variety of natural and synthetic materials. Larger crystals can build up from smaller ones. Although generally shaped like cubes, crystals have several different sides, some of which match well with each other and others that don't. When matching sides are oriented properly, crystals can fuse seamlessly, growing larger and larger. But what makes crystals get close enough to fuse in the first place, and can they self-align? Many types of forces have been hinted at through the years, but the tools to narrow down the correct ones have not existed. Now, Rosso and teams at PNNL, EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science User Facility at PNNL, and the University of Pittsburgh developed a new approach by combining an environmental transmission electron microscope, called an ETEM, with nanocrystal force probes that allows scientists to watch crystals interact in a life-like situation. PNNL post-doctoral chemist Xin Zhang and EMSL user Yang He, a Ph.D. student from the University of Pittsburgh, used resources within EMSL to examine how titanium oxide crystals couple. To understand their experiment, imagine holding two magnets and moving them toward each other. When they're so close that the attractive force overcomes the effort you're using to hold them apart, they will jump together. The PNNL team did this, but on a much smaller scale and with a force that isn't magnetism. One small jump The team needed to use very tiny crystals that wouldn't overwhelm the weak forces they expected to see. They attached titanium oxide crystals a hundred to a thousand times thinner than a human hair (depending on the hair) to either side of an instrument that measures force. The team then moved the crystals toward each other, twisted at several different angles between them, until the two snapped together. The team also pulled the crystals apart and measured how much force that took as well. These measurements allowed the researchers to characterize the force in detail. There are several different kinds of forces that work for objects of this size, and with additional analyses the team concluded forces called van der Waals were the ones at work causing self-alignment. And a twist In addition, they wanted to put a face to a name, in a manner of speaking, of a theoretical prediction of van der Waals forces made in the 1970s. The theory allowed scientists to calculate the torque between crystals that are being twisted relative to each other (imagine twisting a baguette to pull a piece of bread off) based on the angle between them. So the team also measured the force between two crystals held at a constant distance apart but twisted in opposite directions from each other. Co-author computational physicist Maria Sushko compared the data to predictions the theory made and showed that the theory held up. "This is the first measure and proof that the force depends on how the crystals are rotated relative to each other, what we call rotationally dependent," said Rosso. "If they are rotationally dependent, this implies that this force will contribute to aligning free crystals that bump together in a liquid environment, for example, increasing the rate of successful sticking." In addition, proving the connection means it will be easier to determine such attractive forces for crystals made of different materials, such as calcium carbonate found in seashells. Scientists will be able to determine these forces by plugging in numbers to an equation rather than re-doing all of the experiments. Europe is committing suicide due in large part to its rejection of its own values, according to an op-ed just published in the UK. Author Douglas Murray is an atheist and no social issues warrior. Nonetheless, he highlights the role that encroaching secularism, relativism, and cultural self-doubt play in the approaching European endgame: Europe today has little desire to reproduce itself, fight for itself or even take its own side in an argument. Those in power seem persuaded that it would not matter if the people and culture of Europe were lost to the world. There is no single cause of the present sickness, he writes. Yet the culture produced by the tributaries of Judaeo-Christian culture, the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the discoveries of the Enlightenment has not been levelled by nothing. He finds two events to have been pivotal in the downfall. The mass immigration of Muslims who display no interest in assimilation occurred at the same time [that] Europe lost faith in its beliefs, traditions and legitimacy. Yet the continent seems incapable of defining what should replace those measures of civilization, leaving an entire region to inherit the wind: If being European is not about race, then it is even more imperative that it is about values. This is what makes the question What are European values? so important. Yet this is another debate about which we are wholly confused. [R]eligion had not only retreated in western Europe. In its wake there arose a desire to demonstrate that in the 21st century Europe had a self-supporting structure of rights, laws and institutions that could exist even without the source that had arguably given them life. In the place of religion came the ever-inflating language of human rights (itself a concept of Christian origin). We left unresolved the question of whether or not our acquired rights were reliant on beliefs that the continent had ceased to hold, or whether they existed of their own accord. This was, at the very least, an extremely big question to have left unresolved while vast new populations were being expected to integrate. Murray rightly notes the Christian roots of human rights including non-sectarian government. He is more prescient to ask if the panoply of human rights will endure once Europe finds itself drifting away from its patrimony, as the cultural memory of classical European and Judeo-Christian values evaporates (or, for many of its newly minted citizens, never existed in the first place). Religions create cultures, which frame the boundaries of politics. That is why we have placed the question of transatlantic values at the heart of our coverage of the EU. People of faith and indebted children of modernity should mourn the likelihood that the continent will slowly drift away from the principles, economic systems, and political philosophies that produced the jewel of Western civilization. One suspects the values our readers would highlight may differ from any list enumerated by Mr. Murray. But we are grateful that people are asking the question. The full piece, which is excerpted from his book The Strange Death of Europe, is behind a paywall at the Times. Longer excerpts are available online. The Spring 2017 issue of Religion & Liberty, which deals with the issue of transatlantic values, may be downloaded here. (Photo credit: Dr. Les Sachs. This photograph has been cropped. CC BY 2.0.) Ofc. Mark Peters.jpg Officer Mark Peters is a four-year veteran officer with the Moss Point Police Department. Because of performing a good deed that became public, Peters was awarded the Officer of the Year by Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers. (Tyler Carter/tcarter@al.com) MOSS POINT, Miss. - Officer Mark Peters has a modest disposition and doesn't seem to care about being in the spotlight. Just the same, last week he was awarded the Officer of the Year award in Jackson County at the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers law enforcement appreciation breakfast. Peters went above the call of duty to help a woman in the community who was having trouble protecting her home from burglars, and another officer brought the story to the attention of Police Chief Calvin Hutchins. Hutchins said that bringing Peters' good deed to light demonstrates to the public that police do not simply arrest, but are there to help however possible. "We want to show the public that we don't just patrol and take people to jail and enforce the laws, but that we also reach out to render assistance to the public," Hutchins said. "This man here took time out of his busy schedule, saw a need, spent money out of his own pocket, and took care of the need." Peters said a burglary call led him to the resident's home, where he found that she had been having trouble with someone attempting to break into her home. "I responded to an alarm call and she had some security lights that had been off and she seemed to be pretty distraught about it," he said. "Apparently, she's had issues with her stuff being broken into or messed with. The next day, I went out to buy the stuff needed to fix her light receptacles, place new light bulbs in, and that's the extent of it," Peters said. Peters said he asked the woman if she had any children in the area who could help her, but she told him that they did not live in the area. He said he simply saw a need and wanted to help her. "I didn't feel that what I was doing was over and above, nor do I boast or brag about what I do, I just saw someone in need who needed a helping hand," Peters said. Despite Peters being awarded officer of the year within the county, he said he still feels there are those more deserving of the award than he. "Well, like I told them all, I feel like there's a lot more people more deserving of it," he said. "I mean, mine wasn't a heroic act, I didn't pull anyone out of a burning building, or save someone's life - there are a lot of officers who do that daily who don't receive recognition. I don't feel that I deserve it for just doing something that's just humanely done to help someone out." While he isn't looking to send a message, Peters hopes his action shows another side of his fellow officers. "The message I would assume it would hopefully send them is that this job is not just Monday through Friday - every day, we try to go over and above because we are in a fishbowl the whole time," said Peters. He continued: "Not for notoriety, but God blesses us with gifts and it is depending on how you use those gifts, whether on or off the clock. I use my gifts to build things and when I can take 20 minutes out of my time to help someone feel safer in their own home, I'll do it with no issue." PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Pascagoula City Council will have four new faces as a new administration will be sworn into City Hall on July 3 as incumbent Republicans councilwoman at-large Brenda Simkins, David Tadlock, and Burton 'Burt' Hill lost in Tuesday's primary election. In Tuesday's only Democratic primary election, Willie C. Jones defeated Willie Edward Sims and will face Independent Harold Payne on June 6 to decide who will become the new Ward 1 city councilman. Incumbent Marvin Pickett decided not to seek reelection. The city will also have a new councilwoman at-large as Jennifer Colmer received 52 percent to Simkins' 46 percent. Incumbent Ward 2 councilman Freddy Jackson will face Republican George Wolverton, Sr. in the June 6 general election. Ward 3 will have a new look as incumbent councilman Tadlock was unseated by newcomer Stephen Burrow. Burrow will move on to face Independent Marcel Kinnard in the general election on June 6. Ward 4 went to Republican Matt Parker, who defeated Hill outright to become the new councilman of that ward. In Ward 5, Republican Scott Tipton will return to his post after defeating M. Gentry Williams by a sizable margin. Republican Dane Maxwell, Democrat Jenafer Gurley and Independent Lazaro Rovira will meet on June 6 to decide who will replacement incumbent Mayor Jim Blevins, who like Pickett also decided not to seek reelection. Moss Point City Hall Moss Point was the last Jackson County municipality to report Tuesday night. With a stacked roster of candidates running for office, every seat besides Ward 5 will face a run-off election set to occur May 16. Billy Knight Sr. was the leading vote-getter in the Democratic primary, but his work is not complete as Mario King received the second highest number of votes. Because neither candidate received 50 percent plus one, they will meet in a runoff to decide who will meet incumbent Independents Mayor Billy Broomfield, Timothy Dubose and Wanda Williams, and Republican John Mosley on June 6. Ward 1 will have a new face as former alderman Democrat Sherwood Bradford defeated incumbent James C. Smith. In Ward 2, Democrat Ruby Hill leads incumbent Chuck Redmond by a small percentage, but this is another race to be decided after affidavit ballots are counted. In Ward 3, incumbent Democrat Robert H. Byrd Jr. gained 43 percent of the vote, while the second-highest vote getter James Winters obtained 24 percent. Incumbent Shirley Chambers vacated the Ward 4 seat after alderman at-large Houston Cunningham decided to run for mayor. Democrat Ennit Morris received 50 percent of the vote, but not the necessary plus one to solidify the seat. He will face Willie Mena Martin in the runoff. Floyd A. Downs won decisively garnering 67 percent of the vote in Ward 5. Downs moves on to face Republican Linwood Grierson in the June 6 general election. Democrat Robert Walker won the Ward 6 primary and will take on incumbent Independent alderman Wayne Lennep in the general election. Since Cunningham vacated the alderman at-large seat, Chambers challenged David E. Chapman for the seat. Chapman received 45 percent of the vote and will see Chambers in a May 16 runoff. Why these young voters in Pueblo want to get more youth involved in voting collage.jpg Incumbent Republican Ward 1 alderman John Gill (left) and Republican Ward 2 candidate Rickey Authement were out campaigning near their respective polling places Tuesday. Both men won their respective primaries to advance to the June 6 general election. (Warren Kulo/The Mississippi Press) OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Incumbent Republican Ward 3 alderman Chic Cody is headed for a runoff with fellow Republican Joey Bellman after none of the three candidates in the Ward 3 race reached the required 50 percent + one to win outright. With affidavit and absentee ballots yet to be counted, Cody had garnered 158 votes (46.3 percent) to Bellman's 146 (42.8). Ken Foley only received 37 votes to fall far short of the runoff. Bellman opposed Cody in 2013 as part of a three-man field, but in that case Cody got the necessary votes to win outright without a runoff. In Ward 1, seven-term incumbent John Gill, already the longest-serving elected city official in state history, won the Republican primary over challenger Robert Briggs, 205-160. Gill will face Democrat Roxanne Samies in the June 6 general election. In the hotly-contested Ward 2 race, where three candidates are looking to replace outgoing alderman Matt McDonnell, Rickey Authement defeated fellow Republican Heather Eason, 360-327. The 16 affidavit ballots remaining to be counted can not affect the outcome, thus Authement moves on to face Democrat Michael Pleasant in the general election. In Ward 4, where three more candidates sought to replace outgoing alderman Greg Denyer, Ken Papania easily defeated Tom Reynolds Jr., 259-143, in the Republican primary to move on to face Democrat Elizabeth Feder-Hosey in the general election. Two races moved straight to the general election: the mayor's race between Democratic incumbent Connie Moran and Republican challenger Shea Dobson, and the Ward 5 alderman race between Republican Rob Blackman and Democrat Matthew Pavlov. The two Ward 5 candidates are seeking to replace a third longtime alderman not seeking reelection, Republican Jerry Dalgo. Alderman at-large Bobby Cox and Ward 6 alderman Mike Impey are unopposed. While it is clear from my last several blogs that I believe that automation will drive a major restructuring of the world economy, I do not think that we are facing an end to work as we know it. As I argued in my last blog, driverless trucks will create new jobs and demand new organizational structures. Don't forget that the introduction of standardized shipping containers a half century ago actually increased longshoremen employment by integrating truck, rail and sea shipping thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the industry.[i] I was at a presentation last week where an information technology prognosticator of some acclaim lamented the prospects for future employment. The picture he painted was one where everyone was replaced by an Alexa controlled robot powered by the latest artificial intelligence (AI) apps. No jobs are safe in this brave new world. This is not a credible picture of future organizations. The world chess champion, Garry Kasparov, who will always be known as the one who lost to Big Blue (20 years ago!), states the position eloquently: Waxing nostalgic about jobs lost to technology is little better than complaining that antibiotics put too many gravediggers out of work. The transfer of labor from humans to our inventions is nothing less than the history of civilization. It is inseparable from centuries of rising living standards and improvements in human rights.[ii] Let me tell you why I think Kasparov is right. First, as Kasparov notes in his article, advancing technology has always created more and new jobs. He offers a quick list including app designers, 3-D print engineers and genetic counselors. These displacements create short-term adjustment problems as universities and technical training programs implement new curricula and workers make their way through training. Unfortunately, these feedback loops are sometimes slow resulting in significant amounts of frictional unemployment. There are long-term adjustment problems as well since many workers do not want to be or cannot be retrained. This may justify, as I have argued in earlier posts, readjustment compensation for displaced workers. Second, creativity is a uniquely human capability. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review by Tony McCaffrey (There Will Always Be Limits to How Creative a Computer Can Be) provides excellent analysis of this point. While AlphaGo, the latest computer program capable of beating world champions (the ancient game of Go in this case) was able to develop an almost unbeatable approach to playing Go, its decision making patterns could neither be either understood nor summarized for external review. How limiting is the factor? McCaffrey and his colleague Lee Spector developed a mathematical proof establishing that even the fastest computer cannot explore all of the options posed by a problem. Thus, there are serious limits on the ability of a computer program to analyze complex problems and understand how systems work. Work life is more than playing Go or Chess. Third, computer programs in isolation may not even be the optimal strategy for winning Go and Chess. While much has been made of the inability of world masters to beat computer programs at board games, the success of individuals against computer programs in certain circumstances has received much less attention. Stephen Cramton and Zackary Stephen, a couple of amateur chess players, developed a computer program to assist them in playing chess. This combination of computer program and humans was able to win a tournament against both master level players and various computer programs.[iii] This is a very interesting result. It suggests not only that there are elements of chess strategy that are not well duplicated by a computer program but also that the social facilitation of group decision making that has been long documented in the group dynamics literature is still important in the age of automation. Teams are a ubiquitous element of organizational life and AI is not going to change that. I suspect it will make teams even more important. What does this mean for logistics? We should be excited at the prospects of improved efficiencies that will be offered by AI applications to mechanical tasks from driving trucks to operating warehouses. The optimal application of these technologies will involve computer programs serving as aids to the decision making and operating processes. The challenge will be to develop organizational structures that facilitate the synergy between decision makers and AI. It is clear to me, however, that the winners will be those organizations that can effectively orchestrate this combination. _____________________________ [i] Mark Levinson, The Box (2nd Edition). Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016. [ii] Garry Kasparov, Learning to Love Intelligent Machines, Wall Street Journal , April 14, 2017. New studies of private school-vouchers in the District of Columbiathe nations only federally funded voucher programwill be prohibited from using the most rigorous scientific research method to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. That prohibition comes as part of bipartisan budget deal struck this week in Congress to keep the federal government running through September, but as my colleague Sarah Sparks reports , the move to change the research rules for the highly divisive voucher program has been in the works for more than a year. The ban also comes in the wake of a new evaluation of the 13-year-old voucher program known as D.C. Opportunity Scholarshipsthat found that students who used the vouchers posted weaker academic results than those who had applied for vouchers but did not receive them. That study was done using a research method that compared the performance of students who received a voucher through the District of Columbias lottery system to that of their peers who applied for a voucher but did not receive one. Democrats and other critics who want to halt the D.C. vouchers pounced on those results to argue for ending the program. Congress budget deal does allow for the Institute for Education Sciences to continue with its more-rigorous method of comparison for studies that are already underway. The ongoing studies would be directed to look at longer-term outcomes such as high school graduation and college enrollment, areas in which prior studies have shown positive results . For a full explanation of what this change could mean for research on private-school vouchers and other education programs, read Sarah Sparks take over at Inside School Research . Read More on School Vouchers By Antonio De Michele Foshan is the third largest city in Chinas wealthy Guangdong Province, and part of the immense Pearl River Delta Economic Zone. In 2015, Foshans GDP reached RMB 800 billion (about US$123 billion). That year, it attracted US$2.4 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), with an average investment size of around US$10 million also the third biggest in Guangdong. The citys economy revolves around manufacturing, including the production of various types of machinery and equipment. Particularly relevant is the consumer electronics industry, which manufactures half of the worlds air conditioning units and refrigerators. However, in alignment with Chinas broader efforts to overhaul the countrys manufacturing industry, Foshans economic structure will pivot on the so called Made in China 2025 program, leading to new opportunities for foreign investors in the city. RELATED: Pre-Investment and Entry Strategy Advisory from Dezan Shira & Associates The Foshan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone Approved in December 1992 by the State Council, the Foshan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone (hereinafter referred to as FHIDZ) covers an area of about 48.6 km and is located close to the centre of Foshan, benefiting from the citys proximity to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau. The area has become one of the most important spots for Chinas tech industry, and has developed a complete industrial chain for equipment manufacturing integrating R&D, engineering design, core components, precision machining, system integration, brand promotion, and high-end exhibitions. The main industries in the FHIDZ include home appliances, pharmaceuticals, auto parts, electronics, new materials, optoelectronics, and the more traditional food and beverage, ceramics, and textile businesses. Nanhai Park, in particular, is the biggest park of the FHIDZ. The park has rich land resources, is well located, and is equipped with plentiful infrastructure and facilities. Nanhai Park is also the first comprehensive experimental zone for finance, science and technology, and industrial integration innovation in Guangdong. Chimei, Honda, and Toshiba are some of the most important investors in Nanhai Park. HSBC has also opened its mainland service center in the area, proving the growing interest for investments in the banking, security, and insurance sectors. Other important zones in the FHIDZ are the Shunde District, in which Toyota and Nortel are located, and Chancheng District, which was designated the National Torch Plan Foshan Precision Equipment Manufacturing Base in 2008, and has many businesses operating in electronics, machinery, and construction materials industries. Investment policies Though Foshans economy is reliant on the secondary industry, the local government has made efforts to encourage the growth of the tertiary industry. In particular, the Guangdong Finance High-tech Service Zone, located within Nanhai Park, promotes the growth of financial services and attracts foreign investments in the area. The latest figures from June 2015 show that the Guangdong Finance High-tech Service Zone has attracted 237 enterprises with a total investment amount of RMB 51.8 billion (about US$7.43 billion). The projects cover many financial business sectors, such as banking, security, private VC, financing and renting, and internet finance. The Foshan government aims to build a Financial Silicon Valley to provide financial support for the development of high-tech industries throughout Guangdong province and the rest of China, and to attract top talents from both China and abroad. Made in China 2025 In 2015, the central government launched the Made in China 2025 program, with the goal of turning China into one of the leading industrial countries by 2049, drawing direct inspiration from Germanys Industry 4.0 plan. As part of the strategy, the government will utilize financial and fiscal tools, support the creation of manufacturing innovation centers, strengthen intellectual property (IP) rights protection, and promote a more effective use of IP in business strategy. Thanks in part to Made in China 2025, Foshans GDP is forecast to grow above 7.5 percent annually, to reach RMB 1.15 trillion in 2020. The citys total volume of foreign trade is projected to growth by an average of three percent each year, amounting to US$80 billion in 2020. The plan is poised to change Foshans economic structure. The service Industry will account for more than 40 percent of local GDP in 2020; 40 percent of industry added value will come from advanced manufacturing; high-tech products manufacturing will make up 60 percent of total industrial output value; and R&D expenses will take up 3.2 percent of GDP The local government also intends to develop a strong cultural and tourism industry, aiming for the industry to represent 12 percent of GDP by 2020. RELATED: Cash Incentives for High-tech Companies in Guangdong Province Opportunities in Foshans changing economy Foshan is a fast-growing area that still relies mainly on its manufacturing industry. However, the tertiary sector is growing rapidly, and the Made in China 2025 program will support this growth. The Foshan government is actively making efforts to change the citys economic structure by promoting the service industry, and leveraging it to attract investment and support the upgrade of manufacturing. Although the citys economy is pivoting from its traditional foundation, Foshans economic transformation presents new opportunities for foreign investors. About Us China Briefing is published by Asia Briefing, a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. We produce material for foreign investors throughout Asia, including ASEAN, India, Indonesia, Russia, the Silk Road, and Vietnam. For editorial matters please contact us here, and for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click here. Dezan Shira & Associates is a full service practice in China, providing business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax, IT, HR, payroll, and advisory services throughout the China and Asian region. For assistance with China business issues or investments into China, please contact us at china@dezshira.com or visit us at www.dezshira.com Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2017 This Dezan Shira & Associates 2017 China guide provides a comprehensive background and details of all aspects of setting up and operating an American business in China, including due diligence and compliance issues, IP protection, corporate establishment options, calculating tax liabilities, as well as discussing on-going operational issues such as managing bookkeeping, accounts, banking, HR, Payroll, annual license renewals, audit, FCPA compliance and consolidation with US standards and Head Office reporting. Payroll Processing in China: Challenges and Solutions In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we lay out the challenges presented by Chinas payroll landscape, including its peculiar Dang An and Hu Kou systems. We then explore how companies of all sizes are leveraging IT-enabled solutions to meet their HR and payroll needs, and why outsourcing payroll is the answer for certain company structures. Finally, we consider the potential for China to emerge as Asias premier payroll processing center. Dezan Shira & Associates The first China-themed library opens recently at Mexico's Anahuac University, hailed by rector Cipriano Sanchez Garcia and Cui Yuying, deputy director of China's State Council Information Office. [Photo/Xinhua] The first China-themed library in Mexico was inaugurated in late April to promote a cultural exchange. Books on Chinese history, art, culture, traditional medicine and music as well as digital and video archives, can be found at the new Chinese Library at Mexico City's Anahuac University. Officials from China and the prestigious private university were on hand to inaugurate the 14th library of its kind worldwide, as part of celebrations marking 45 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The Chinese Library serves as "a window that will allow Mexico to better know our country, and it will also be a new platform for deepening educational, academic and cultural exchanges", says Cui Yuying, the deputy director of China's State Council Information Office. Cui says she hopes China and Mexico "can work together and continuously invest in the construction, administration and use of the Chinese Library, with the goal of turning it into a true cultural bridge that connects the two countries and a window that fosters bilateral friendship". The library boasts 6,000 books and 80,000 digital archives with information on China's politics, economy, culture, science and technology, education and history. The 120-square-meter facility is equipped with large-screen monitors for viewing some 100 hours of video and virtual reality featuring China's different regions, ethnic groups and lifestyles. Chinese language students will find special software, in both Spanish and English, to learn Mandarin. Cipriano Sanchez Garcia, the rector of Anahuac University, says the library was made possible thanks to an initiative between China's State Council and center for higher learning from the Mexican side. "This collaboration proves we have the potential to approach one another, to learn from one another, to build bridges and weave networks of cultural understanding," says Sanchez. Speaking about the similarities between the two countries, Cui says: "China and Mexico are civilizations and countries with rich cultural heritage. Both are world renowned for their uniqueness, and both have remained strong through constant innovation. Throughout history, we have seen how both civilizations have progressed and learned from one another." Speaking about the new library, professor Li Yueyin from Anahuac's School of Languages, says it is bound to draw many visitors as "there is much interest" in China's past and present. More material is set to arrive at the library to help "make classes more interactive", says Li. Since 2012, Chinese libraries have been set up in Japan, Tanzania, Congo, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Australia, Belgium, Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, Russia, Peru and Turkey. The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday launched anti-dumping duty (AD) and countervail duty (CVD) investigations against imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam. The investigations are in response to a request from Waterloo Industries, a U.S. manufacturer of tool boxes, according to the Commerce Department's fact sheet. The company alleged that tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam were sold to the U.S. market at prices below the fair value with dumping margins of 159.99 percent and 21.85 percent, respectively. The company also claimed that Chinese exporters and producers of such products received improper government subsidies. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), another U.S. trade authority, is scheduled to make its preliminary inquiry determinations around May 26. The probe will continue if the ITC determines that there is a reasonable indication that imports of such products from China or Vietnam materially injure or threaten the domestic industry of the United States. Last year, imports of these products from China and Vietnam were estimated at about 989.9 million U.S. dollars and 77 million dollars, respectively, according to the Commerce Department. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has kept urging Washington to abide by its commitment against protectionism and help maintain a free, open and just international trade environment. CC Land Holdings, a Hong-Kong listed property dealer, released details of its acquisition deal of one of the tallest buildings in the City of London in a notice on Monday. Cheung Chung Kiu, chairman of CC Land Holdings. [File photo] According to the notice, Green Charm Investments, a subsidiary wholly owned by CC Land, entered an agreement in March to acquire 100 percent of the interests in the Leadenhall Building for nearly 1.14 billion pounds (10.1 billion yuan). Together with the interests, the company also took over its liabilities, which was assessed to be 12.7 million pounds. This is the most expensive property deal in Britain since 2014. Widely known as the Cheesegrater because of its shape, the Leadenhall Building was valued at 1.15 billion pounds on March 31. The building's annual rental fees were about 402 million pounds. The 224-meter-high skyscraper was built in 2010 and opened in 2014, with a cost of 286 million pounds. Besides the Leadenhall, CC Land has also acquired the One Kingdom Street in London's West End for 290 million pounds and owns 34.55 percent of the interests of an eight-story office building in Sydney, Australia, which cost 122 million HK dollars. While making substantial investments overseas, CC Land has offloaded almost all property projects in western China over the last two years, according to the company's 2016 annual report. Amid the rapid overseas expansion, the company has seen significant losses in revenue. By the end of 2016, the total value of CC Land was 14.64 billion HK dollars, with its revenue dropping 83 percent year-on-year to 1.13 billion HK dollars, the report showed. The company announced its shift from the Chinese property market to the global market in its 2016 annual report. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a loan of 160 million U.S. dollars to finance a power project in India, the bank announced on Wednesday. The project, co-financed with the World Bank, is part of the Indian government's 24x7 Power for All program and will strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. AIIB President Jin Liqun praised the multilateral development bank's close work with India, AIIB's second-largest shareholder, in energy and other infrastructure sectors. "AIIB supports its members in their transition toward a low-carbon energy mix by promoting the improvement of energy efficiency, such as upgrading the existing transmission and distribution networks," he said. The bank expects the Andhra Pradesh-24x7 Power for All project to be the first of many projects AIIB invests in India, said Jin. The project "will be the starting point for AIIB to extend its assistance to other countries in Asia moving towards an 'Energy for all' initiative," said D.J. Pandian, vice president and chief investment officer of AIIB. The AIIB was established in 2015 and started operation in January 2016 to provide financing for infrastructure improvement in Asia. Its membership has increased to 70, with 13 new members approved in March. You are here: Home The Bangladeshi government has signed three deals with Chinese and Thai firms on the country's first-ever metro rail project. Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), a Bangladeshi state-owned enterprise founded to implement the metro rail lines across the Dhaka city, signed the separate contract packages (CPs) including CP-2, CP-3 and CP-4 worth over 58.26 billion taka (about 719 million U.S. dollars) with the firms, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a Thailand-based construction firm, and Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited. Under the deals, the firms will build metro rail tracks, stations and depot of the long cherished 20.1-km Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 that will link north Dhaka with the south through 16 stations. According to the project, the package CP-2 is for the civil and building works of the Depot, CP-3 and CP-4 is for the construction of metro rail tracks and elevated stations. Officials of DMTCL, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a Thailand-based construction firm, and Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited signed the agreements on behalf of their respective sides at a ceremony on Wednesday in capital Dhaka. Sinohydro signed the deal worth 15.96 billion taka for CP-2 while Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited signed deal for all the three packages. French company Veolia, a world leading company in water, waste and energy management, on Wednesday announced it has signed three deals worth 864 million euros (943 million U.S. dollars) with China. Under the accords, Veolia will "provide a suite of solutions ... to improve (Chinese) clients' energy performance and to help them comply with the regulations for the new Chinese regulations of environmental standards," it said in a press release. Via its subsidiary Veolia China, the company won 341-million-euro project to bolster production of electricity and steam from biomass for chemicals and construction clients. The 25-year-old scheme will include construction, operation and maintenance of a biomass plant in north China's Hebei province in a bid to increase the use of renewable energy in the region's energy mix. The second deal worth 335 million euros is expected to improve energy performance management at the site of Shandong Hongda Chemical, one of China's leading industrial groups in east China's Shandong province, mainly by reducing costs. Under the third accord, Veolia plans to build a chilled water plant for a data center in China's main information technology hub in Beijing to help clients comply with the very stringent standards for energy efficiency in the region. "These new contracts reflect China's growing need for renewable energy and the management of the energy performance to reduce their environmental footprint and meet the requirements of the new regulations," said Regis Calmels, Veolia Senior Executive Vice President Asia. (1 euro = 1.091 U.S. dollars) You are here: Home Notices of punishment of legal personnel and institutions have been made available on the official website of the Ministry of Justice. Such notices issued after Jan. 1, 2017 by judicial administrations, notary and bar associations upon law firms, notary offices, judicial expertise institutions and its staff were available on the website from Monday. The move was aimed tat better protecting people's legal rights and standardizing professional conduct, according to the Ministry of Justice. You are here: Home The regulation requires the online news service providers to abide by the law. [File Photo] Cooperation between Chinese online news service providers and entities with foreign investment should go through a security review, according to a regulation released Tuesday. The regulation, issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), requires the online news service providers to abide by the law, promote healthy Internet culture and safeguard national and public interest. The CAC will become the new regulator of online news service, replacing the State Council Information Office. The service providers should put in place a set of information security protocols and measures, such as reviews, checks and emergency responses regarding online news, the CAC said. There should be an editor-in-chief for all online news service providers and their staff should be qualified, according to the regulation. It said that platform operators should protect the privacy of users. The regulation particularly notes the obligations of online news platform operators, whose services would only be available to users who register with their real identities. Online news platform operators that violate the regulation will be punished. In the meantime, another regulation on administrative law-enforcing procedures was also issued by CAC Tuesday, aiming to standardize and safeguard the obligations of online news management departments, so as to properly implement administrative penalties and protect the legal rights of citizens, legal persons and other organizations. The two regulations will go into force on June 1. Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Tuesday called on literary and art workers in China to seek inspiration from grassroots and create art works reflecting the trend of the times. Addressing a symposium to mark the 120th birth anniversary of traditional Chinese painter Pan Tianshou, Liu honored Pan's life for his great contribution to the country's art development. Pan, who died in 1971. was also an eminent art educator, theorist and poet, and is well known for his flowers, birds and landscapes in freehand brushwork. Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on literary and art workers to learn from Pan's devotion to art education and the spirit of creativity. Officials from the Ministry of Culture, the Chinese Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Zhejiang Province, as well as Pan's relatives attended the symposium. An exhibition of more than 120 works by Pan is on display at the National Art Museum of China. Arts and humanities education advocates were seriously alarmed when President Donald Trump proposed that the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities , both of which fund and support education work, be entirely eliminated. But the most recent budget proposal from leaders in Congress , announced Monday, might be a sign for hope: It would devote more money to both endowments for the remainder of the federal fiscal year, which ends in September, than in the previous year. The budget also includes an increase in funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services , which supports school and public libraries. The arts and humanities endowments would each receive $150 million in the proposed budget, up from $148 million apiece in 2016. The IMLS would receive $184 million, up $1 million from the previous year. The budget is part of a spending bill to fund government operations through September. The bill would also add funds to Title I and special education. (Read more about the budgets implications for the education department on the Politics K-12 blog .) Advocates for arts and humanities education and for libraries had asked supporters to contact representatives in Congress and to spread the word about the national impact of the agencies work after President Trumps budget was announced in March . The endowments have been a favored target for those looking for ways to cut federal spending for decades, with some critics raising concerns about the content of arts projects supported by the endowments. But representatives and leaders from both parties have voiced their support for the endowments and libraries in the weeks after the budget proposal was announced. Some observers were concerned that the bill didnt cut spending on education as much as Trump had suggested. But PEN America, the literary and human rights organization, said in a statement that this agreement is proof of strong, bipartisan support for these vital institutions, according to the Associated Press . President Trumps proposal to defund both Endowments in 2018 has been met with a loud, sustained outpouring of protest from people across the country who benefit from the work that the NEA and NEH do to make arts and culture accessible to more people, support the creation of new scholarships, and drive innovation and creativity. Related : The first pilot project to use China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC) cutting-edge third-generation ACP100 nuclear reactor has completed its preliminary design stage and is qualified for construction in Hainan Province. Visitors watch the models of ACP 100 nuclear reactor at an expo in Beijing, April 29, 2017. [Photo/China Daily] The company said that the ACP100, China's first small reactor developed by CNNC for practical use, which the company calls the Linglong One, is expected to be built at the end of this year in the Changjiang Li Autonomous County of Hainan. All research, development and design procedures have been completed, and work will proceed on the feasibility study, soil and water conservation research, environmental impact assessment, construction land geological disaster risk assessment and seismic safety assessment following the issuing of the relevant permits by the end of next month. Qian Tianlin, general manager of China Nuclear New Energy Investment, said earlier that small-scale nuclear reactor technology has reached a stage at which it can be used on a pilot basis. It can be used to generate heat for a residential district replacing coal-fired boilers, he said. According to Qian, small modular reactors are defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as advanced reactors producing up to 300 megawatts of power that can largely be built in factories and shipped to utilities and end users. They were widely promoted in the 1990s, thanks to their enhanced level of security and flexible use, including providing heat and sea desalination, he said. China is highly supportive of small modular reactors, and the company's Linglong One is the first reactor of its kind in the world to have passed the safety review by the IAEA, a remarkable breakthrough in global small multipurpose modular reactor development. Qian said he expects mass production of the small modular reactors after the pilot project in Hainan is up and running, and for the technology to be exported globally. Many countries, including Pakistan, Iran, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Brazil, Egypt and Canada, have shown a keen interest in potential use of the technology, it said. Wan Gang, head of the China Institute of Atomic Energy, said small modular reactors are safe amid growing public concern over nuclear safety following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. According to CNNC, compared with million-kilowatt reactor nuclear power plants, the Linglong One features low and controllable core temperatures and is economically superior to other power supply modes and is more environmentally friendly. President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for more efforts in promoting rule of law and cultivating talent for the cause. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on a visit to China University of Political Science and Law ahead of Youth Day on May 4. Fully implementing the rule of law is essential and an important measure in adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, said Xi, while talking with senior law professors and students. Implementation of the rule of law is impossible without a high-quality legal work force, said Xi. Xi called on the country's law schools to enhance their research on basic issues in rule of law and related areas and provide theoretical support for socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. "We should have confidence in developing our own legal disciplines and contribute to global rule of law with Chinese wisdom and practice," Xi said. China should take successful legal practices worldwide as reference, but not simply copy them, he said. Xi also called for more exchange between scholars and legal professionals. In cultivating legal talent, Xi highlighted training of students' virtue in addition to teaching legal knowledge. He also told the country's officials at all levels to take the lead in studying and observing the law and promoting the respect of virtue and law among society. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended greetings to young people, education workers, youth workers and those working for the rule of law nationwide. The future of China and the Chinese nation belongs to the young, Xi said, noting that the younger generation's belief, spirit and quality matter to the country's development, vigor and core competitiveness. He called on Chinese youth to uphold the belief in the country's "two centenary goals" and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation and take their responsibilities in the cause. He also expressed wishes that the youth would study hard and grow healthily. While talking with the university's students, Xi called on them to follow the Party's leadership and make use of their talent to serve the country and the people after graduation. "The youth period is a key period to foster one's scientific thinking," Xi said, noting that the students should integrate their thinking with their study, observation and practices. He also called on young people to fully use their creative spirit and be courageous in exploring and seeking the truth. "During one's growth and endeavor, the young may gain success and joy, but may also face difficulties and pressure," the president said. "One should treat the success and failure at the moment with a correct attitude, not slouch in prosperity and not be frustrated in adversity." Xi also ordered Party organizations in colleges and universities to perform their duties in both Party governance and school management and to pay attention to both ideological issues and Party building, urging them to solve practical problems of the teachers and students in their work, research, study and employment. You are here: Home A prison in southwest China's Yunnan Province offered a reward of 100,000 yuan on Wednesday for information leading to the arrest of an escaped convict. A class-A warrant has been issued for Zhang Lincang, 27, who escaped from No. 1 Prison in Yunnan Tuesday morning. Zhang was sentenced to life imprisonment for drug-trafficking, and started his sentence in January 2017. "Zhang left the site where inmates were working at around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, stole a truck and fled," the report said. He abandoned the truck on a road 2 kilometers from the prison. President-elect Rodrigo Duterte (front L) speaks during a business forum in Davao City, the Philippines, June 21, 2016. [Xinhua file photo] In a predictable sequence of events amidst great political pressure, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been invited to the White House. President Donald Trump's invitation immediately aroused widespread criticism in the U.S. and Europe amid all the controversy over Duterte's anti-drugs campaign, his signature scorched-earth social policy. Trump officials, of course, defended the invitation. The geopolitical angle is familiar. America needs allies in Asia to address the global threat of North Korean missiles. Still, it's somewhat baffling that Trump should court Duterte, to balance North Korea, for what can the Philippines offer in this regard? Surprisingly, Duterte's spokesperson was giddy about the invite. Ernesto Abella cited it as proof Duterte is doing a "great job" considering the enormity of the problems he inherited. It is important to mention that Duterte is extremely popular in Philippines, especially for his war on drug dealers and users, along with his support of farmers and his handling of the economy. However, geopolitics is the key question. What does Duterte want? Is he serious about solidifying his alliance with China, or is he playing both sides China and the U.S. until he can get an offer he cannot refuse? Right now, the signals are mixed. Duterte recently visited a Chinese warship in Davao City where he visibly softened his ASEAN stance with regard to China's territorial policies regarding the South China Sea. His visit was also heavily covered by media in the West. "Very impressive, it's all carpeted inside. It's like a hotel," he was quoted as saying after being presented with a Chinese naval beret. "This is part of confidence-building and goodwill and to show we are friends, and that is why I welcome them [Chinese naval flotilla] here." He also expressed a desire for joint military exercises with China, in the Sulu Sea. In comparison, he has said he wants to cut down the American presence and joint exercises with the U.S. This led his own Congress to accuse him of capitulating to China. Theoretically it's all very good. It makes sense for a small power to jump on the bandwagon with a bigger giant, especially one right next door. Duterte has seen what happened to Gaddafi (Libya) and Mubarak (Egypt). Both aligned themselves with the West against Al Qaeda. Both were jettisoned when the time came. Gaddafi died and Mubarak was deposed in a Western backed putsch. The lessons were not lost on Duterte. In international relations, a simple understanding is increasingly becoming clear to the leaders of small and medium powers, that leaders are not indispensable. With utility gone, they can be out of office in no time. Added to that is the idea that in the worst-case scenario, in a conflict, there will be no Western cavalry riding to the rescue. However, that doesn't mean Duterte is actively seeking an alliance with China. Or maybe he is seeking one, but his approaches so far are showing mixed results. If he meets Trump, and is happy to find that the American president is not criticizing his drug policies, that would mean his position on the South China Sea is essentially flexible, and he is willing to lean towards anyone who will appeal to his personal ego. That's not policy, and that shouldn't be what China or U.S. would base their policy on. My suggestion would be to focus on Duterte's actions and not his words. His upcoming U.S. visit may hold answers to a lot of questions. Sumantra Maitra is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. You are here: Home Flash Chinese tourists take pictures of seals in Antarctica in January, 2017. (Photo/China Daily) New stats are suggesting the number of Chinese tourists travelling to the Antarctica has risen forty-fold over the past decade. Figures from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) show some 4,100 Chinese people travelled to the southernmost continent in the 2015-2016 season. Ten years ago, the number was only 99. According to the Singapore-based zaobao.com, with the increase of disposable incomes as well as the relatively reasonable tour packages put forward by travel agencies, over 5,000 Chinese people are expected to travel to the Antarctica in 2017. And China is set to surpass Australia and become the second largest tourist source for Antarctica, following just the US. Currently, Antarctica tour packages in China cost between 70,000 and 160,000 yuan. Activities include a close look at local animals such as penguins, seals and whales, as well as camping and hiking. Most visitors land at the Antarctic Peninsula on vessels departing from southern Argentina. Flash Beautiful landscape at the border of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand (file photo) A new tourist route that crosses four countries has been officially introduced to Xishuangbanna in southwestern China's Yunnan province on the first day of May, opening a new chapter of tourism for the province. More than 200 tourists from all over the country became the first to experience the new route. It starts from the Lancang River's Guanlei Port in Xishuangbanna and to Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos by both river and road. The Lancang-Mekong River originates from the Tanggula mountain range in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and flows through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia before finally entering the South China Sea in Vietnam. Because of the "Belt and Road" initiative and an economic cooperation mechanism in the Lancang-Mekong sub-region, transnational tourism in the region has become Yunnan's hottest travel product. Zhu Chuanchu, who heads the tour agency which organized the new route, said that it not only lets people experience the natural beauty and cultural features of the river, but gives them a chance to understand the "Belt and Road" initiative in participating countries. "It is an 8-day trip in which tourists will travel 262 kilometers down the river," Zhu said. Compared with traditional road trips, the river trip is cheaper and safer and it offers tourists more flexibility. The trip's river-road combination will become a new way to experience cross-border tourism in Yunnan. It is also an extension of visitors' trips to Yunnan, further promoting the international tourism of Lancang-Mekong River. Qin Zongmo, Director of the Maritime Safety Administration of Xishuangbanna, said that the navigation on Lancang-Mekong River will be greatly improved after future renovation projects, bringing international shipping to a new level. You are here: Home Flash Crowds outside the railway station ticket hall (File photo) China's railway traffic during the International Labor Day holiday rose 6.7 percent year on year, indicating growing enthusiasm for travel among Chinese. About 49 million passenger trips were made via railway from April 28 to May 1, up 3.09 million from last year, according to the China Railway Corporation. Traffic peaked on April 29, when about 13.7 million trips were made in a single day, up 5.8 percent year on year while hitting a record high for the International Labor Day holiday. To accommodate the holiday rush, China Railway Corporation added a total of 1,901 train trips nationwide. Railway traffic has been rising steadily during China's holidays as interest in travel has increased in the past few years. The country's tourism industry raked in 79.1 billion yuan (11.5 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue during the holiday, up 16.2 percent from a year earlier, official data showed. Flash A U.S. former police officer on Tuesday pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges by shooting dead unarmed black motorist Walter Scott in April 2015 in North Charleston, the state of South Carolina. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a 250,000-dollar fine at sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled, local media reported. Michael Slager, 35, the former North Charleston police department patrolman, was fired after cellphone footage of the killing went viral. In the footage which has been viewed millions of times worldwide, he pulled over Scott due to a broken taillight. Scott, 50, then ran from the traffic stop and was struck five shots by Slager in the back. Slager's murder trial ended last December in a hung jury. The state of South Carolina, as part of the plea bargain, will drop the murder case and file no new charges against the plea. "The defendant used deadly force even though it was objectively unreasonable under the circumstances," the plea agreement says. Slager's federal trial was set to begin on May 15, and jury selection was slated to begin May 9, according to a NBC News report. "We hope that Michael's acceptance of responsibility will help the Scott family as they continue to grieve their loss," Slager's lawyer, Andrew Savage, said in a statement Tuesday. Slager was also indicted last year on charges of using a firearm in committing a crime of violence and obstructing justice. The shooting heightened tension between white police and black communities across the United States over alleged excessive use of force by law enforcement and systemic racism in policing. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis and fighting terrorism in the Middle East, the White House said on Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. [File photo/Xinhua] The two leaders also discussed "the very dangerous situation" on the Korean Peninsula, the White House said in a statement. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," said the statement, adding that they also discussed "at length working together" to fight terrorism across the Middle East. The United States would send a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, the statement added. It was the first phone call between Trump and Putin since Washington and Moscow wrangled over a U.S. strike on the Syrian government last month. On April 6, Trump ordered a targeted missile strike at a Syrian military airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. After the U.S. strike, Syrian state TV called the assault an "aggression" and both Russia and Syria had denied that the Syrian government launched the chemical weapons attack. The Russian government also condemned the U.S. strike against the Syrian government as "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law." After the incident, Trump told reporters last month that the United States is "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low." New York state is considering adopting a new set of K-12 reading and math standards that differ somewhat from the Common Core State Standards, which have had a rocky reception in the state since they went into place in 2010. Some of the proposed revisions to the standards are more substantive than others: In reading, several standards were merged to reduce repetition and to emphasize that students should read a balance of fiction and nonfiction . (Some teachers have complained the common core focused too much on nonfiction .) In math, standards were moved and clarified, and a few were added, including standards around learning time and money in the early grades. The states education department, with input from parents, teachers, and the public, has been working on revising the common core for two years now , according to a press release. The department will present the draft new standards, released yesterday, to the Board of Regents next week, and is accepting public comments until June 2. In a statement, Andy Pallotta, the president of the New York State United Teachers, praised the education department for having teachers help craft the new standards , calling that an important change. In relying on educators in an open, transparent process, the state education department is showing a commitment to getting it right, he said. Several states that initially adopted the common standards eventually revised and altered them. However, in some cases, the changes werent more than slight tweaks . (See a full map of where states currently stand on the common core .) In a Wall Street Journal article about the New York draft standards , Kathleen Scholand, a math teacher on Long Island and a member of the state committee reviewing math standards, said that in general, teachers will see the new expectations as similar to the current ones, but they definitely get to know that every single standard was picked apart and discussed, sometimes for hours. Much of the pushback around the common core in New York state has been related to testing, which critics say is punitive and overly burdensome for students and teachers. The opt out movement , which encourages test refusal as a form of protest , has been especially active in New York. Last year, as many as 20 percent of 3rd through 8th graders in the state opted out . In some Long Island counties this year, school officials are predicting up to 50 percent of students wont take standardized tests . Related stories: Flash Russian soldiers participate in a Victory Day parade in Vladivostok, May 9, 2016, to mark the 71st anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. [File photo / Xinhua] Russia will hold military parades in 28 cities to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on May 9, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday. Victory Day celebrations will be held in more than 400 cities across Russia, with 28 of them to stage military parades, Shoigu said at a defense ministry teleconference. He noted that over 140,000 servicemen will take part in these festivities, and more than 2,000 items of weapons and military equipment, 149 aircraft, as well as ships and submarines, will be involved. At the height of the Victory Day celebrations, a grand military parade at the Red Square in the center of Moscow will feature Russia's latest air defense technology, said Shoigu. The annual commemoration of the hard-won victory in the Great Patriotic War -- Russia's term for World War II -- has become a source of national self-esteem for the Russian people. Flash Iowa Governor Terry Branstad (Front) testifies before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a hearing considering him to be U.S. Ambassador to China on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 2, 2017. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) U.S. President Donald Trump's pick for Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, said on Tuesday that if confirmed, he would work to "positively influence" the U.S.-China relationship. "As Governor of Iowa, I saw first-hand the importance of a positive and healthy trade relationship between our two countries," Branstad said here at his confirmation hearing. If confirmed, he hoped to work towards the goal of positively influencing the U.S.-China relationship, he added. As the governor of a U.S. state whose economy is mainly driven by agriculture industry, Branstad noted that almost one out of every two rows of Iowa soybeans is sent to China, as well as 33.5 million U.S. dollars in pork in 2016. However, the importance of trade between the United States and China extends well beyond agriculture, he said. "Aviation products, manufactured goods, chemicals, electronics, and many other products and services are exported to China daily and help support and sustain the American economy," he told U.S. lawmakers. Calling U.S.-China relationship "multi-faceted," Branstad also noted that the two countries must work together on major security issues, including the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and cybersecurity. Branstad also said that he looked forward to "connecting with the Chinese people and continuing a vibrant exchange of culture and ideas." Branstad, 70, is the longest-serving governor in the United States, who also has long nurtured a close relationship with China and has visited China multiple times. He served as the governor of Iowa in 1983-1999, and again since 2011. He was nominated by Trump to be the next U.S. ambassador to China in December 2016. Flash Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka arrives at EU headquarters for an EU summit in Brussles, Belgium, Feb. 12, 2015. [File photo / Xinhua] Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka announced at a press conference on Tuesday that he would submit his cabinet's resignation to President Milos Zeman within the week over controversial business activities of Finance Minister Andrej Babis. Sobotka said it is unacceptable to keep Babis at the ministerial post, as he's in a position involving interest conflict. He explained that Babis as the finance minister controls the Financial Administration (FS), a body that is supposed to investigate his controversial purchase of untaxed one-crown bonds from the Agrofert company in 2013 when he owned it. The prime minister said he hopes his resignation could enable an impartial investigation. He explained that he wants to free the government coalition parties' hands to discuss ways to solve the situation. If the government coalition parties agreed on the continuation of their joint coalition, it would be necessary to discuss the post of the finance minister. Sobotka said he wants to explain his step to his coalition partners at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Flash Visiting Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday snubbed a UN resolution backed by the European Union (EU) recommending an international investigation into the situation of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. She said that the resolution was not "in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground." "If we think that the recommendations are in keeping with the real needs of the region, we would be happy to accept them," she told reporters following a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels. Aung San Suu Kyi reaffirmed that her country will not accept "those recommendations which will divide further the two communities in Rakhine," referring to the chronic tension between the state's Buddhist majority and Muslim minority. "Because it will not help us to resolve the problems that are arising all the time," she noted. Speaking to reporters alongside Aung San Suu Kyi, Mogherini conceded that the resolution is "one of the very few issues of disagreement" between Myanmar and the EU, but she argued that dispatching an independent international fact-finding mission "can contribute towards establishing the facts for the past." Downplaying the bickering, Mogherini underscored that the two sides agreed on the need to "focus on the future and the implementation of the recommendations included in the (former UN Secretary General Kofi ) Annan report assessments." The Myanmar government's Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by Annan, on March 16 submitted an interim report and recommendations on the regional issue to the government. The commission, formed in August, proposed a series of measures to address the situation in Rakhine, including an unimpeded access for humanitarian actors and journalists to the affected areas. The commission also called for an independent and impartial investigation into the allegations of crimes committed since Oct. 9. The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on March 24 adopted an EU-tabled resolution to send a fact-finding mission to Myanmar to investigate alleged human rights abuse by security forces against Muslims in the northern Rakhine state. A number of HRC member countries have dissociated themselves from the resolution or voiced their opposition to the establishment of such a mission. In response to the armed attacks on police border outposts in October and subsequent allegations of human rights abuses, the Myanmar government formed an investigation commission, led by Vice President U Myint Swe, to look into the cause of those incidents and allegations. Flash Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) Sazanami destroyer has joined the Izumo helicopter carrier in escorting a United States Navy vessel, marking the first time such a protection mission has taken place under the controversial new security legislation, sources said Wednesday. The Sazanami joined the mission having departed from a MSDF base in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Tuesday, Kyodo News quoted government and other sources as saying. Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD) previously said the inaugural mission, since the contentious new legislation took effect last year, is aimed at a showing of Japanese force alongside that of the United States. It is also to show that the Japan-U.S. alliance stands firm amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the MOD said. The security legislation that took effect last year which follows looser, more ambiguous constraints imposed on Japanese forces here, in contravention of Japan's war-renouncing constitution, allows for SDF members to escort and guard vessels and weapons that belong to U.S. forces. The protection mission proviso comes into play when the U.S. activities are deemed to be beneficial to the defense of Japan. In this case, the mission, ordered by Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, was made as the two countries may be engaged in joint exercises or the monitoring and information-gathering activities related to missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The helicopter carrier, Izumo, the largest warship Japan has entered into service since WWII, and widely regarded as de facto aircraft carrier, left its base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Monday morning for the mission. The Izumo, which is 248-meters in length and weighs 19,500 tons, joined the the U.S. Navy supply ship off the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, east of the capital, government sources said on Monday. They said it will sail for two days in the Pacific toward waters off the Shikoku region in western Japan. After escorting the U.S. ship, the Izumo, which is able to accommodate 14 helicopters and is also believed to be able to launch the controversial Osprey, as well as F-35B fighter jets from its lengthy flight deck, will continue on a three-month voyage to the Philippines and elsewhere. On May 15, both MSDF vessels are scheduled to take part in an event in Singapore, sources here said Wednesday. The U.S. ship, meanwhile, is expected to provide fuel for U.S. naval vessels on guard against any provocations from the DPRK, government officials here said. The United States Carl Vinson aircraft carrier Strike Group and MSDF vessels entered the Sea of Japan off the Korean Peninsula on Saturday to carry out joint exercises, ministry officials here confirmed. The latest actions of the MOD and the Maritime Self-Defense Force in particular deploying hardware and personnel into regions where there might be "infringements" threaten to invalidate Japan's pacifist constitution. The constitution states that the Japanese people "forever renounce war" and ban the "use of force" as a means of settling international disputes. It also states that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained." You are here: Home Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, held a telephone conversation Wednesday, discussing bilateral ties and regional cooperation. Xi said he met Duterte twice last year and reached important agreements with him. As a result, bilateral ties greatly improved, said Xi. At present, the two countries are deepening political mutual trust and carrying out cooperation in various fields, he said. A channel of dialogue and consultation on the South China Sea issue has also been set up, Xi noted. For his part, Duterte said he was happy to see Philippine-China friendship and solidarity enhanced and their exchanges and cooperation in various areas restored and pushed forward. The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Calling the Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader a "pretty smart cookie", and displaying amazing readiness to personally meet him, United States President Donald Trump has apparently softened his rhetoric, prompting some to imagine that once unlikely scenario might happen. Although the White House was quick to roll back, shifting the limelight onto the "right circumstances", which spokesperson Sean Spicer said "are not there right now", Trump's remark is in line with his new-found determination to find a resolution to the DPRK issue. Although the once clear-and-present danger of military conflict no longer seems as imminent, with both Pyongyang and Washington demonstrating restraint. It has not disappeared, and the road to denuclearization remains long and tortuous. Not just because the US and DPRK remain trapped in a vicious circle. In response to the latest military drill conducted by the US and the Republic of Korea during which two nuclear-capable B-1B bombers joined forces with the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and nuclear-powered submarines Pyongyang accused Washington of pushing the peninsula to the "brink of nuclear war" through "reckless military provocation". And we have had earfuls of that following each nuclear or missile test by Pyongyang. But also because the inevitable toll of any military action on the ROK weighs heavily on all decision-makers, and makes it extremely difficult to justify using force. That may be why the White House has chosen to remain somewhat vague and refrained from drawing a red line, despite its desire to mount maximum pressure. The most likely outcome, then, is the US and other stakeholders find themselves bogged down in protracted debate over a feasible way to translate their wishes for a peaceful solution into acceptable-to-all actions, while the DPRK continues with its brinkmanship while avoiding crossing what it perceives to be the US' bottom line. As a result, the DPRK will likely advance its nuclear weapons goals, even accomplish them. That would mean Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe claiming justification for putting to rest his country's war-renouncing Constitution. Abe has already managed to demolish legal constraints on "collective self-defense" without violating Article 9, and lifted the long-standing ban on weapons exports. On Monday, he reiterated the need to revise the county's Constitution, citing tensions in the region. On the same day, Japan dispatched one of its largest warships to protect a US navy supply vessel. To borrow a line from Trump, Pyongyang "will have good missiles", if the current stalemate persists. Abe, on the other hand, can ride the waves of confrontation and see his dream come true, without contributing anything substantial to end the stalemate. WASHINGTON - The US Commerce Department on Tuesday launched anti-dumping duty and countervail duty investigations against imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam. The investigations are in response to a request from Waterloo Industries, a US manufacturer of tool boxes, according to the Commerce Department's fact sheet. The company alleged that tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam were sold to the US market at prices below the fair value with dumping margins of 159.99 percent and 21.85 percent, respectively. The company also claimed that Chinese exporters and producers of such products received improper government subsidies. The US International Trade Commission (ITC), another US trade authority, is scheduled to make its preliminary inquiry determinations around May 26. The probe will continue if the ITC determines that there is a reasonable indication that imports of such products from China or Vietnam materially injure or threaten the domestic industry of the United States. Last year, imports of these products from China and Vietnam were estimated at about $989.9 million and $77 million, respectively, according to the Commerce Department. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has kept urging Washington to abide by its commitment against protectionism and help maintain a free, open and just international trade environment. Brenda Todds elementary school classes in Union County, N.C., have explored Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Indiawithout ever having left the country. Each year, Todd organizes her curriculum around a theme with both global relevance and local significance for her students in the Charlotte suburbs, on topics such as water quality and conservation, agricultural production and trade, and educational access. She supplements her lessons with virtual first-person accounts from collaborative partner schools in other countries. Todd uses the free blog platform Edublogs to pose questions to partner classrooms. Teachers and students in schools abroad then write back to her and her students at Rocky River Elementary. During her 2nd grade classs water unit, for example, she received responses from five countries to questions she had posed online about clean water access, use, and cost. Todd also used her blog, Going Global at Rocky River , to participate in the Flat Stanley project. Through the project, students in different countries exchange paper cutout characters"Flat Stanleys"and then send letters back and forth to recount their foreign visitors adventures. Instead of sending letters, Todds students contributed to blog posts about their Flat Stanleys that their partner schools could view online. In addition to blogging, Todds classes have Skyped with classes in England and Australia. Through this work, Todd was the first teacher in North Carolina to achieve the states Global Educator Digital Badge last year. The badge, which teachers obtain after 100 hours of global professional development and the completion of a capstone lesson unit, was developed in 2014. She completed her professional development through Participate , a company that runs a teacher exchange program and operates an online training platform for global educators. Todds capstone project, Perspectives About Feeding the World'Importance of Agriculture to Society is available on North Carolinas SchoolNet as a resource for other teachers statewide. As fears mount over U.S. students global competitiveness in an increasingly interconnected world, states have seen growing interest in global competencean understanding of international issues and ability to work with people of different cultural backgrounds. Like North Carolina, some states and school districts across the country have introduced global competency requirements or credentials for students and teachers. (See Education Weeks commentary blog, Global Learning , for further coverage of these issues.) Education Week spoke with Todd about her curriculum, the technology challenges she faces in implementing it, and her advice to other teachers looking to use digital curriculum to build students understanding of the international community. Her responses, some of which were provided by e-mail, have been edited for brevity and clarity. How did you begin teaching global studies, and what projects did your students work on? A lot of it started with blogging with the Flat Stanley project to a teacher in Australia. We corresponded back and forth by blog, rather than by mail, because it was cheaper. We answered the questions [and showed each other] what our Flat Stanleys were doing. And then I met [two other teachers in Australia and England], and we got into more blogging and Skyping. We did a little magazine that the Australian class published, and we answered questions that went into it about our school day. We did some other projects about [comparing] holidays. When the class in England went on a field trip to London, we were able to Skype and see some of their sights. It was like we had a field trip, but didnt have to pay for it. Can you describe your capstone project? It was about feeding the world and agriculture around the world. We [talked about] getting the food from the field to the table, and all the different necessary steps of planning it, getting a good harvest, bringing the harvest in. We talked about importing and exporting through different lessons. We talked about fair trade in some of the Central and South American and European countries. [The students] took everything we had gone through in the 13 lessons, and they had to act it out: What they would do if they were this seed being planted, to the farmer who was harvesting it, to the exporter, and getting the food to the people that needed it. We did blogs and emails during this unit, as we could never get a good time [to Skype] with everyone having working technology. (See Todds blog post Agricultural Around the World for her students conversations about imports and exports with peers from other countries.) What are the biggest tech hurdles youve faced? Time is an obstacle to Skyping. Both Australia and New Zealand are different times altogether. One time [the Australian] school had an overnight event that we did, and the other time we had come back to school for an evening performance, so students came in a little early so we could Skype. With England we managed to work out a time that was near the end of their day and near beginning of our day. More of our work had to be done by the blogs. Once we got to 3rd-5th grade, [the students] have their own laptops, so they each have a computer. It does not always connect [to the internet], but they do have a computer. But K-2, they share computers. Its kind of hard to have enough for every child to do much work with [the computers]. Has global education changed the way your students relate to the world? I think theyve become more curious. Theyre starting to see that theyre not the only ones in the world. Weve done a lot this year with schools, talking about some children not being able to get an education. [This] was our focus this year, where agriculture was last year. For many of them, they have not traveled outside of Monroe, North Carolina. Some of them, when they go to the fifth grade trip to Charleston, its their first time to the beach. We do have a large Hispanic population, so some of those children are from Mexico. They often talk about going back and forth to Mexico, and some of the Central and South American countries. Some of the children are able to tell you about their cultural background. They get really excited. I had a second grade girl this year that, on her own, decided shed do a project on her home country of Colombia. She did a wonderful job presenting to the class. When [the children] get enthusiastic and start doing it themselves, thats a good reminder that its worthwhile. What would you recommend to other teachers looking to implement global learning? Its especially good if you have a social studies blog, where you can bring in [information] about different communities around the world, or schools. Finding those few minutes to do it, and then having technology that is available and working, would always be the main [resources] that the teacher would need. I had never traveled myself. People are always amazed that I can bring global [education] into the classroom, having not traveled. I think thats a good point to tell teachers--that they dont have to travel to do it themselves. You have to do some research yourself and be ready to learn, yourself, about other places. Thats what I did. I had never blogged before, I had never Skyped before. Lots of things are new to the teacher, too. Youre learning along with the children, which makes you a lifelong learner. See also: Photo taken on May 2, 2017 shows the construction site of an urban road upgrading project undertaken by China Road and Bridge Cooperation in Rwanda's capital city Kigali. [Photo/Xinhua] KIGALI - China Road and Bridge Cooperation(CRBC) has started an urban road upgrading project in Rwanda's capital city Kigali, which is expected to improve the overall traffic situation in Kigali and the landlocked country. The 54.56 kilometers road upgrading project, invested by China Export-Import Bank in form of preferential loan, will effectively enhance the road traffic capacity in the urban areas of Kigali, facilitate the local residents to travel, promote the development of tourism, so as to promote the development of the local economy. Kigali is growing fast with many people coming into the city, the road upgrading project is being built for the perspective of making Rwanda's roads wider to meet the needs of growing population, Mayor of Kigali Nyamulinda Pascal told Xinhua Tuesday after visiting the site, adding that he is happy that the Chinese company is doing a good job and the progress of the project is good. Kigali's City Engineer Nkurunziza Alphonse told Xinhua that this project will improve traffic and other conditions of the city's central business district, employment, and public transport. He also said the work is going very well. Pascal, Alphonse, Director General of Rwanda Transport Development Agency Guy M Kalisa and other Rwandan officials on Tuesday jointly visited the project, accompanied by Chinese ambassador to Rwanda Rao Hongwei. CRBC will deliver a good road to the city and has taken measures to ensure that the project will be finished on time and with good quality, according to Li Jianbo, Director General of CRBC Kigali Office. CRBC has been rooted in Rwanda 43 years, the company's first project in Rwanda is Kigali-Rusumo road of 160 kilometers long and has been completed for 40 years which is still in good condition and has maintained the reputation of "African Model Road". CRBC was awarded Engineering Quality Award by the city in March for another urban road upgrading project of Kigali, which also presented the company Distinguished Contribution to the Beautification of Kigali City in 2010. Visitors watch the models of ACP 100 nuclear reactor at an expo in Beijing, April 29, 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily] Smaller, safer source of energy set for construction on pilot basis in Hainan The first pilot project to use China National Nuclear Corporation's cutting-edge third-generation ACP100 nuclear reactor has completed its preliminary design stage and is qualified for construction in Hainan province. The company said that the ACP100, China's first small reactor developed by CNNC for practical use, which the company calls the Linglong One, is expected to be built at the end of this year in the Changjiang Li autonomous county of Hainan. All research, development and design procedures have been completed, and work will proceed on the feasibility study, soil and water conservation research, environmental impact assessment, construction land geological disaster risk assessment and seismic safety assessment following the issuing of the relevant permits by the end of next month. Qian Tianlin, general manager of China Nuclear New Energy Investment, said earlier that small-scale nuclear reactor technology has reached a stage at which it can be used on a pilot basis. It can be used to generate heat for a residential district replacing coal-fired boilers, he said. According to Qian, small modular reactors are defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as advanced reactors producing up to 300 megawatts of power that can largely be built in factories and shipped to utilities and end users. They were widely promoted in the 1990s, thanks to their enhanced level of security and flexible use, including providing heat and sea desalination, he said. China is highly supportive of small modular reactors, and the company's Linglong One is the first reactor of its kind in the world to have passed the safety review by the IAEA, a remarkable breakthrough in global small multipurpose modular reactor development. Qian said he expects mass production of the small modular reactors after the pilot project in Hainan is up and running, and for the technology to be exported globally. Many countries, including Pakistan, Iran, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Brazil, Egypt and Canada, have shown a keen interest in potential use of the technology, it said. Wan Gang, head of the China Institute of Atomic Energy, said small modular reactors are safe amid growing public concern over nuclear safety following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. According to CNNC, compared with million-kilowatt reactor nuclear power plants, the Linglong One features low and controllable core temperatures and is economically superior to other power supply modes and is more environmentally friendly. A pedestrian walks past the Leadenhall Building in the City of London financial district, the United Kingdom. BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES A Chinese realty firm said it has paid 1.135 billion pounds ($1.462 billion) to buy the tallest skyscraper in City of Londonthe biggest Chinese investment in the United Kingdom's real estate market. Analysts said that the move showed developers were diversifying their investments by location and business models, with more stepping out of the domestic market and getting yields from rental income instead of sales revenue. Hong Kong-listed CC Land Holdings Ltd, controlled by property magnate Cheung Chung-kiu, one of the biggest real estate players in Chongqing, said in an announcement on Monday that one of its subsidiaries bought 122 Leadenhall Street, known widely as the Cheesegrater for its distinctive wedge shape. The deal includes debt of some 12.7 million pounds and on March 31, the building was valued at about 1.15 billion pounds, the announcement said. The 225-meter-high building was owned jointly by British Land and Canada's Oxford Properties. The combined space of the 46-floor Cheesegrater is about 56,600 square meters. The skyscraper's projected annual rental income, fully let, will be about 40.2 million pounds. This is not the only CC Land acquisition in overseas markets in recent years. In 2016 the group acquired One Kingdom Street, a 12-floor, 50-meter-high building in London for 290 million pounds. It also bought a 34.55 percent share of an office building in Australia for HK$122 million ($15.68 million). CC Land said in its annual 2016 results the company has been adjusting its business strategies to expand globally by investing in key cities around the world. Analysts said Chinese mainland enterprises are increasingly diversifying their investments globally with a particular appetite for trophy properties in prime markets, eyeing stable and steady, long-term yields from rental income. According to research by property services provider JLL, in the past three years investments in land, office buildings and hotels accounted for 90 percent of the Chinese mainland's total outbound realty investment. JLL said London was one of the top investment targets in the period, attracting about 16 percent of overall Chinese mainland outbound property investment, running second only to New York, which took 18 percent of the total spend. "Acquiring quality property in a bid to generate a long-term income stream has become a mainstream model for Chinese outbound property investment," a CITIC Securities Co research note said. A huge vessel with four gantry cranes docks at a wharf of the Zhoushan port, which is considered the largest wharf in China. With the start of the FTZ, Zhoushan is expected to transfer storage and transportation to value-added processing trade. YAO FENG / FOR CHINA DAILY Editor's Note: In this fourth part of the special series on the new free trade zones being set up across China, we look at the China (Zhejiang) Pilot FTZ at Zhoushan, which started operations on April 1. One of the seven zones built this year, it promises to enhance liberalization and introduce systemic reforms. That could help simplify procedures, give a global dimension to the energy-related bulk commodity trade (the mainstay of the local economy), save on time, storage and transport costs of companies, and speed up cross-border online shopping, giving consumers faster access to cheaper foreign products. The Zhejiang FTZ has the potential to transform lives. The stories below explain how. Liberalization, systemic reforms seen transforming lives of people The newly launched free trade zone, also known as FTZ, in East China's Zhejiang province is expected to further liberalize trade in bulk commodities. The China (Zhejiang) Pilot FTZ started operations on April 1. It is one of the seven FTZs built this year. The coastal Zhejiang province, with a population of more than 55 million, tops all seven new FTZs on the GDP Index, exceeding 4.6 trillion yuan ($676 billion) in 2016. "With the launch of the FTZ and three years' development, Zhejiang is trying to explore the commodity investment facilitation, and liberalization of trade, striving to become an important open port demonstration area, an international commodity trade liberalization pilot area and a resource allocation base with international influence in the eastern coastal region," said Liang Liming, vice-governor of the province, at the news conference after the launch. The 119.95-square-kilometer FTZ zone, located in the island city of Zhoushan and made up of both inland and anchorage areas, is a key part of the country's Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Zhoushan city, formed by 1,390 islands, is the only archipelago city in China. It stands on the most developed area of the Yangtze River Delta and has a rare deep-water shoreline resources, while Ningbo-Zhoushan port has constructed the largest wharf in China. The FTZ covers three sub-areas. The Zhoushan offshore sub-area covering 78.98 sq km and the Zhoushan Island north sub-area of 15.62 sq km focus on the oil industry chain-related businesses, while the Zhoushan Island south sub-area of 25.35 sq km focuses on aviation, fishing and marine tourism industries. Zhoushan had been depending on the "port economy" and the "crossing economy". With the start of the FTZ, it is expected to transfer storage and transportation to value-added processing trade. "More breakthrough of FTZ policies are underway," Ying Zhongmin, deputy director of the Zhoushan Municipal Development and Reform Commission, told reporters. The provincial government has identified five major tasks to be accomplished with regard to the FTZ: 1) Bring about a more efficient administration system and reform government functions. 2) Build a fairer market access mechanism and make full use of foreign investment by setting unified standards and enhancing the regulatory system. 3) Focus on oil refueling by scaling up storage capacity, increasing the openness of oil processing industries and boosting trade in oil products. 4) Attract more investment by developing the ore transfer and aviation industries. An international ore transfer base will be established in the area, and Zhoushan's aviation-focused industrial park will hold a Boeing completion and delivery center and supporting industries like aircraft manufacturing and repair. 5) Explore financial innovation, to make it more open to foreign investment and have fewer restrictions on capital flow. Cross-border use of the Chinese currency, and financial services for international cargo ships will be boosted. Additionally, customs procedures will be eased in the zone in safe and convenient ways to assist foreigners and promote the region's functional integration. Zhejiang's long-term plan for the FTZ shows the province's determination to make the FTZ an excellent pilot area within the next three years. It will likely benefit trade and investment with a cluster of high-end industries, a good legal environment, all-round financial services, efficient regulations and a strong positive effect on surrounding regions. The first batch of 12 enterprises announced start of their businesses in the FTZ at the FTZ launch. They comprise oil industry chain-related businesses, aviation, commodity trade and financial companies. Three weeks later, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Zhejiang province signed a comprehensive cooperation framework agreement with the Zhoushan municipal government. Some 21 projects were signed by provincial SOEs and financial institutions to cooperate with the city by investing 31.39 billion yuan. "Free trade zones reflect China's policy of opening-up and the benefits will mainly lie in the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment," said Huang Xianhai, vice-dean of the School of Economics at Zhejiang University. It is expected that the lives of Zhejiang citizens will be positively affected by the FTZ in many ways, according to Huang. "Cross-border online shopping will be easier and faster. People will have access to cheaper foreign products after the establishment of the zone. And it is foreseeable that more foreign banks will establish themselves in the FTZ, enabling people to manage their money in diversified ways," he said. For those seeking business opportunities, the expected simplification of administrative procedures and preferential financial policies in the China (Zhejiang) FTZ will attract foreign companies and investors, leading to increased business and job opportunities. A 300,000-ton Panama oil tanker, carring crude oil from Iran, docks at a wharf of Zhoushan port on March 8. YAO FENG / FOR CHINA DAILY When the YiDa Five supply vessel left Sinopec Zhoushan Company's fuel depot at the Aoshan wharf in the China (Zhejiang) Pilot FTZ for Shanghai Yangshan Port on April 18, its target was Panama freighter Paraburdooand the task was to deliver as much as 1,350 metric tons of bonded fuel oil. YiDa was laden with 5,000 tons of oil. Such an operation was made possible by the latest policies of Hangzhou Customs that came into being after the launch of Zhejiang FTZ. YiDa Five could park at Yangshan Port after accomplishing its mission and wait for its next customers, to empty itself of its cargo. Hangzhou Customs introduced 15 measures in response to the launch of the FTZ in April. Five of them are related to the bonded fuel oil trade, of which three benefited YiDa Five: One Ship Serves Multiple Vessels, One Depot for Multiple Ships and Cross-Regional Direct Supply, said Zhang Xiaoli, an officer with the Hangzhou Customs' Zhoushan Bureau. According to her, YiDa Five loaded the bonded fuel oil from Aoshan's public oil depot. "Bonded fuel oil is usually transported to the company's own storage depot first and then transferred to a fuel ship through an oil pipeline. The ship would unload the fuel oil into depots in Shanghai or other cities and freighters are fueled there," said Zhang. "The new measures simplify procedures, save on time, storage and transport costs for our company," said Zhang Ji, assistant to the general manager of Sinopec Zhoushan. She estimates 50 yuan ($7.3) can be saved per ton of bonded fuel oil now. "We provide 700,000 to 800,000 tons each year and that could save us up to 40 million yuan on annual operation costs." Sinopec Zhoushan is among the first batch of 12 enterprises that were granted permission to operate in the newly launched FTZ. Six of the seven main international oil transportation routes passing through China go across the waters of Zhoushan. So, the island city of Zhoushan, where the FTZ is located, has the country's largest commercial oil storage and transportation enterprises and bonded oil reservoir, with an oil reserve capacity exceeding 19.5 million tons. In 2016, Zhoushan supplied 1.06 million tons of bonded fuel oil, ranking second in China. Shanghai port topped the list. According to Zhoushan Customs data, bonded fuel oil supplies reached 330,000 tons in the first quarter, up 58 percent year-on-year. Bonded fuel oil trade is key to the FTZ as it completes the whole oil industry chain and energy commodity trade. Ying Zhongmin, deputy director of the Zhoushan Municipal Development and Reform Commission, stressed that the FTZ is expected to be a driving force in the development of the oil trade. "The development of the oil trade will add great value to the oil industry in Zhoushan. In the future, we'll allow several companies to engage in crude oil transactions," said Ying. He said the zone is making efforts to cut unnecessary administrative procedures, to optimize internal structures and to take advantage of online platforms. Singapore is the world's largest bonded marine oil supply port, an international oil trade center and the pricing center for Asian oil products. "We should learn from them," said Xia Wenzhong, deputy director of the Zhoushan FTZ's Planning and Construction Group. "The domestic bonded oil price is about $20 per ton higher than that of Singapore. China has seven of the world's top 10 largest container ports, yet many cargo ships that load or unload containers here choose to fuel at Singapore port due to the price gap and some policy factors," Xia said. In 2016, 42,400 ships chose to take a detour to fuel oil at Singapore port, accounting for up to 20.27 percent of its total fueling amount. "We are speeding up the construction of storage and refining infrastructure facilities and deepening policy research. We will provide some flexible measures and policies in the FTZ. All the passing cargo ships will have one more choice," said Xia. A foreign ship laden with containers docks at the Dapukou wharf of Zhoushan port, Zhejiang province. YAO FENG / FOR CHINA DAILY Work on building China's first 20,000-metric-ton ship capable of transporting goods by both sea and river began on April 19 in the island city of Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, boosting the local free trade zone's transportation and logistics capabilities. Zhoushan, located at the intersection of waterways of the Yangtze River and the coastline along the East China Sea, plays a significant role in water transportation. A service center for sea-river combined transport was approved for the city by State Council in April 2016. Building vessels capable of sailing on both seas and rivers was on the top of the list. Experts say there are great differences between seagoing and river ships. If a seagoing ship is to cruise on a river, technological obstacles need to be overcome. The obstacles restrict transport of bulk commodities, according to Xu Quanchang, director of the Zhoushan Port and Shipping Bureau. It was anticipated that about 60 million yuan ($8.72 million) will be invested for the construction of the first sea-river ship, around 10 percent less than that needed for an ordinary seagoing vessel. The ship, expected to be put into use around the Spring Festival of 2018, is a forerunner of Zhoushan's plan for an entire fleet of ships for both sea and river navigation. "This kind of ship is going to be an important boost to combined sea-river transport in Zhoushan," said Xu. "A new logistics mode will emerge here, cutting costs and improving efficiency." He must know. For, just a day before he said that, a bulk cargo ship named Pacific Warrior berthed at the Shulanghu Island wharf in Zhoushan FTZ, carrying 389,900 tons of iron ore from Brazil worth 240 million yuan. It unloaded the iron ore on the bulk yard, which would be transferred onto the river cargo ship later. "With the sea-river ship, we can unload the iron ore directly from the bulk cargo ship to the combined one, enhancing efficiency and decreasing waste during the transportation," said Xu. The FTZ has identified the port and shipping industry and bulk commodity trade as key to its future. "The throughput of Ningbo Zhoushan Port had exceeded 900 million tons in 2016, with the combined sea-river transportation reaching 200 million tons," said Wen Nuan, mayor of Zhoushan city. The bi-functional cargo ship is expected to widen the range of the FTZ's commodity trade. In addition, construction of a second cross-sea bridge connecting the cities of Ningbo and Zhoushan in Zhejiang was approved by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission in early February. Starting from Liuheng Island of Zhoushan, the 31-km-long bridge will reach Chaiqiao town of Ningbo. The construction will comply with the standards for highways with a maximum speed of 100 kmph. The new bridge is expected to cut at least one hour of travel time between Ningbo and Liuheng, according to the report from the province's official website. The bridge is expected to further develop the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port by helping the Meishan Bonded Port in Ningbo to reduce storage and logistics pressures, the report said. Meanwhile, construction of the Yiwu-Ningbo-Zhoushan corridor and the Ningbo-Zhoushan railway plan was emphasized in a government document in April, to extend and supplement the implementation of the Zhejiang FTZ strategy. BEIJING - In a bid to encourage the development of the country's logistics industry, China will offer favorable tax terms to lower the cost of commodity storage for logistics firms, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement released Tuesday. Tax rates on urban land use will be cut by half for logistics facilities that store commodities such as agricultural and mineral products. The term only applies to facilities that cover an area of 6,000 square meters or above, according to the statement. The tax cut will be in effect from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2019. Companies that already paid the extra will receive credit to be deducted from their taxes payable, according to the statement. China's logistics industry has been growing steadily thanks to government support that promises lower taxes and costs. In 2016, the gross revenue of the sector hit 7.9 trillion yuan ($1.1 trillion), up 4.6 percent from 2015. China will encourage more sophisticated development of the logistics sector from 2016 to 2020 to bolster economic growth and deepen supply-side reform, authorities said. BUENOS AIRES - Argentine Minister of Trade Miguel Braun Tuesday highlighted the importance of working together with China, saying his government will continue to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. He made the remarks at a trade and investment forum in Buenos Aires between a delegation of over 20 Chinese businessmen and their Argentinean counterparts seeking to deepen bilateral exchanges as both countries celebrate the 45th year of diplomatic ties. Braun said his government believes there is a phenomenal opportunity to do business in Argentina for the next 20 years, calling the forum an opportunity to show Argentina's natural potential to satisfy strategic demands, such as food security. "Our government has a commitment to working with you to ease investments and trade," added the minister. Braun told the Chinese entrepreneurs that his country was putting together the most ambitious infrastructure plan in Argentina's history, including investments worth a total of $260 billion. Yang Wanming, China's ambassador to Argentina, said he was convinced that "this closeness will lead to long-term entrepreneurial strategies. This year coincides with the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Over this period, cooperation has been the basis of the relationship." The diplomat called on both sides to "intensify exchanges between companies and localities to make them more fluid. We see in a positive light the opportunities for development in Argentina." Rodolfo Villalba, vice-president of the Argentine Agency for International Investment and Trade, added that "Argentina enjoys a special status as a comprehensive strategic partner of China." China, for Argentina, is "not just an opportunity in terms of markets, but to receive direct and financial investment, to develop the projects which are beginning to develop in the country," said Villalba, "Argentina also represents a highly attractive opportunity for China, in the areas of energy, mining and natural resources." "Argentina must look at China with renewed interest to seek new opportunities. The business environment has become highly agreeable over the last year. We can confirm that the bilateral business relationship is solid and will grow more in the years to come. China is a friendly country which can offer us multiple opportunities," Villalba added. BEIJING China will promote public-private-partnerships (PPP) in developing agriculture and "happiness industries" like tourism, culture and healthcare. The government will improve the PPP process and roll out a fourth round of demonstration projects, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance Wednesday. The central government is looking to PPP, a collaborative investment model between government and private companies, as a way to fund infrastructure projects amid concerns over high local government debt. Last year, the number of signed PPP projects and total investment more than quadrupled from 2015, with private enterprises participating in more regions and sectors than ever before. The strong momentum continued into the first quarter of 2017, which saw 28 percent more PPP projects inked year on year. Chinese economy is on a transition to one more driven by consumption and service sector as increasingly affluent Chinese are looking for quality of life. In a speech to the Summer Davos Forum last June in Tianjin, Premier Li Keqiang said the five "happiness industries" of tourism, culture, sports, health and old-age care are rapidly growing in China. BEIJING The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a loan of $160 million to finance a power project in India, the bank announced on Wednesday. The project, co-financed with the World Bank, is part of the Indian government's 24x7 Power for All program and will strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. AIIB President Jin Liqun praised the multilateral development bank's close work with India, AIIB's second-largest shareholder, in energy and other infrastructure sectors. "AIIB supports its members in their transition toward a low-carbon energy mix by promoting the improvement of energy efficiency, such as upgrading the existing transmission and distribution networks," he said. The bank expects the Andhra Pradesh-24x7 Power for All project to be the first of many projects AIIB invests in India, said Jin. The project "will be the starting point for AIIB to extend its assistance to other countries in Asia moving towards an 'Energy for all' initiative," said D.J. Pandian, vice president and chief investment officer of AIIB. The AIIB was established in 2015 and started operation in January 2016 to provide financing for infrastructure improvement in Asia. Its membership has increased to 70, with 13 new members approved in March. A majority of African-American and Latino parents say a lack of equitable funding, along with racism, are the two biggest contributors to racial disparities in public schools, according to a new national poll . The pollreleased Wednesday by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a national coalition of 200 organizationsis the second annual survey of black and Latino parents attitudes and perceptions about the state of public schools. Nonwhite students now constitute a majority of K-12 public school enrollment , but as a whole, black and Latino students lag their white peers on multiple indicators, including literacy, access to rigorous coursework, high school graduation, and college attendance. According to the survey, nine out of 10 black parents and families believe schools located in black communities are underfunded compared to those in white communities, an increase over last year when 83 percent of black parents said this. For Latinos, 57 percent of respondents said funding of their childrens school falls short of those located in white neighborhoods, a slight decline over last years results. The poll also found that perceptions of racism and racial bias in schools was the second most-cited reason for why black and Latino parents believe their children do not receive the same quality of education as white students. Another key finding from the survey reveals that black and Latino parents and caregivers whose children have teachers who are mostly white are more likely to think that schools dont care as much about educating students of color. Wade Henderson, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference, said the polls results should be a clarion call to policymakers and educators to devise K-12 policies at all levels that are responsive to the needs of all children. Henderson cited the urgency of broadly addressing the needs of students of color as states hammer out their plans for how to ensure schools perform well as part of their obligations under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. In other findings from the poll, nearly 90 percent of black parents and families think their children should be held to higher expectations and challenged more in school than they are currently. Eighty-one percent of Latino parents said the same. The surveydone in Marchwas conducted by telephone (landline and mobile phones) and surveyed 1,200 black and Latino parents who have children between the ages of 5 and 18. To learn more about how the new poll compares to last years resultsthe polls first yearsee Sarah Tullys write-up here . Police officers monitor the sky for drones that might interfere with aircraft at a checkpoint near Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Saturday.Li Zhi / For China Daily Airline safety threatened - and even some residents on ground were struck Police in Chengdu, Sichuan province, called for people to report illegal drones whenever they spot one flying in the clearance protection zone of the city's airport. An announcement by the city's public security bureau on Monday encourages people to report at any time around the clock, and pledges to hold those flying drones illegally to account. The clearance protection zone of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport refers to 10 kilometers from the center of its runways on both sides and 20 km from the ends of the runways. The announcement, which is effective for one year, came after illegal drones were found flying on Saturday, forcing 10 flights to land at alternate airports. It is not the first time illegal drones have showed up at the airport. Seven cases of drones flying without a permit took place in April, causing flights to be diverted, returned or canceled, according to Lu Junming, an information officer at the airport. At 2:38 pm on April 21, four drones flew in the clearance protection zone of the airport, and one passed below an aircraft in the process of landing. They forced 58 flights to land at alternate airports, four to return to their point of origin and at least 10 to be canceled. More than 10,000 passengers were stranded in the Chengdu airport, which did not resume normal operations until early the next morning, Lu said. On Monday, a drone in the protected airspace of an airport in Kunming, Yunnan province, forced 28 flights to land at alternate airports and four others to return to their starting point on Monday. Sources at Kunming Changshui International Airport said the drone was spotted at about 2 pm by crew members aboard a plane that was on its landing approach. The airport resumed normal operations after 3 pm. Known as "bombs in the air", illegal drones pose a safety hazard to civil aviation. Measures have been taken by police in the past two weeks to crack down on illegal drones flying around Chengdu airport, including a reward for anyone with information. The Sichuan provincial department of public security announced on April 20 that the reward would be raised from at least 1,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan ($145 to $1,450) if the facts are verified. On April 28, police set up 91 monitoring stations deploying people with telescopes in the protected zone. Residents in the zone say the illegal drone flying has gone on for a long time, endangering locals, too. A farmer surnamed Yang told how his 10-year-old son was knocked down by a drone three months ago, which hurt one of his ears. Another farmer, surnamed Zhang, was hit by a drone just more than 10 days ago. "I was angry and trampled the drone with my feet," Zhang said. Yang said drone fans come in threes and fives to a vast expanse of land 3 kilometers northwest of the airport to fly drones on weekends. Wang Mingwen, a professor of law at Xichang College in Sichuan, suggested regulations should be made to monitor drones. Each drone has to be registered with its owner's identification card number so that the owner can be found if it flies illegally, she said. huangzhiling@chinadaily.com.cn The Supreme People's Court has agreed to review the rape conviction of a man who was sentenced to life in prison more than a decade ago. Zhang Zhichao was detained at age 16 in 2005 after local investigators accused him of raping and killing a female classmate in Linshu county, Shandong province. He was found guilty of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment by Linyi city's intermediate court in March the following year. His lawyers appealed to China's top court after a similar motion was turned down by the provincial-level high court in 2012. "We've filed the case and reviews are underway," a senior official of the Supreme People's Court who asked not to named confirmed on Tuesday. The defendant and his family did not appeal immediately. "The grassroots court didn't inform us, and we were also unaware of the law," said Ma Yuping, Zhang's mother. "I didn't know what to do until I met my son in jail a year after the conviction. He told me he was tortured during interrogations." Since then, the 52-year-old mother has been collecting materials and turning to lawyers. Li Xun, one of the family's lawyers, said he decided to help after he found the judgment was made with insufficient evidence. "For example, investigators neither provided Zhang's semen stains nor other material evidence," he said. "Besides, the color of the victim's clothes was also different from my client's description. I didn't give up, although I met many difficulties in the appeal." In addition to sending case materials to the top court, the lawyer also delivered them to the provincial people's procuratorate, hoping prosecutors would play a supervisory role. In 2015, the prosecutors agreed to review the case, "but they stopped the work in April after the top court stepped into the investigation", Li said. Wang Dianxue, another lawyer for the family, said the highest court's review was a "significant development" in the case. "I'm looking forward to its thorough and strict review of the case's evidence and facts," he said. The mother was happy to learn that the case had been filed. "At least it means hope," she said caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn An explosion ripped through a railway tunnel that was under construction in Guizhou province on Tuesday, injuring 12 people and leaving 11 others trapped, local authorities said. The incident happened around 2:50 pm in Liulong township, Dafang county, a spokesman for the county government said. Explosive methane gas is suspected because methane is a byproduct of coal and the Qishanyan Tunnel passes through a coal seam, the spokesman said. The precise cause is under investigation. The local government in Dafang has mobilized a rescue team consisting of firefighters,police and medical staff and sent it to the site. However, rescue work has been hampered by high carbon monoxide levels, the authorities said. By 7 pm, one of the trapped workers, who was injured, had been rescued and sent to the hospital, according to a report by China Central Television. Authorities are still checking the identities of the trapped workers. The geological condition of the mountain through which the tunnel passes is said to be complex. The risk of more explosions adds to the difficulty of ongoing rescue work. The tunnel is part of a high-speed railway project linking Chengdu, Sichuan province, with Guiyang, Guizhou province. Visitors line up to buy tickets for Shanghai Disney Resort.Zhang Peijian / For China Daily Shanghai police detained 177 ticket scalpers at the city's Disney Resort over the three-day May Day holiday. On April 29 alone, the first day of the holiday, about 70 scalpers were caught, police said. The scalpers, who flew to Shanghai from across the country, were selling fast passes for park rides for about 100 yuan ($15) to tourists unwilling to wait up to three hours in line. "We try to catch these scalpers on peak days like May Day, while on other days police will figure out other ways to break the operation," said Shen Qing, public security chief at Shanghai Disney Resort. The detained scalpers were lectured about the regulations during an eight-hour session, and promised they wouldn't engage in improper activities. They were also asked to write a letter of repentance. Scalpers, commonly seen outside venues including hospitals, train stations and popular performances, buy tickets or book appointments in advance and then sell them at inflated prices. At Shanghai Disney, one of the country's most popular holiday destinations, scalpers smelled an opportunity, both at the gate and inside the park, where the park gives priority passes for rides. Police said scalpers have a clear division of labor: Some will identify target customers, while others stand in line inside the park to get fast passes to be sold later. These scalpers typically hold season tickets, so the cost of each entry into the park is low, police said. However, many tourists found that they could not use the fast passes because they could only be used in conjunction with the gate tickets they bought. To catch the scalpers, plainclothes police officers walked around the ticket office and the main entrance, and located scalping partners who lined up inside the park. Shen said the number of scalpers at the resort is decreasing, but simply trying to control their behavior won't solve the problem. "We now spend more time negotiating with Shanghai Disney Resort's representatives and asking them to strengthen their internal management, such as checking ticket information carefully," Shen said. He Qi contributed to this story. Chen Shulong, former vice-governor of Anhui province, has been removed from public posts and expelled from the Communist Party of China after a corruption probe. The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's top anti-graft authority, issued a statement on Tuesday saying that "Chen has long used his public posts to profit from engaging in businesses, and has reaped huge gains". "Chen has seriously violated political discipline and rules, has no political faith and has held a distorted worldview," the statement said. Chen, 54, a native of Anhui, began his career in the provincial government in his 20s after being an instructor at Anhui University of Finance and Economics for a couple of years. Chen held senior positions in a leading government bonds company, as well as securities and trust companies, from 1993 to 2002. He served as deputy mayor of the provincial capital of Hefei from September 2002 to December 2003. Later, he held several senior posts in Wuhu until he became secretary-general of the provincial government in October 2011. Chen was vice-governor of the province from June 2012 to November 2016. According to a news report from The Paper, Chen embezzled a large amount of public funds and lent the money to his old friends in the business sector. His friends profited from the capital market with the public money and rewarded Chen. The CCDI said that not only had Chen refused to cooperate in the Party's investigation, he had engaged in superstitious activities on numerous occasions, used public funds for his own recreational activities and falsified personal information submitted to the Party. Chen allegedly traded power for sex and money, and crossed the moral bottom line, and also connived with relatives, allowing them to use his influence to seek "huge profits" for themselves. Chen clung to political power, was insatiable for economic benefit, and was morally bankrupt, the statement said, adding that even after the 18th CPC National Congress, he still showed no restraint and his wrongdoings were grave. Xinhua contributed to this story. A pregnant woman is having sonogram. [Photo/VCG] A hospital in Beijing has been ordered to pay 40,000 yuan ($5,800) as compensation for the birth of a disabled baby, after a series of uncertain prenatal checkups, according to The Mirror, a local newspaper on Monday. The Changping District Court ruled that the hospital, the name of which was not revealed to the public, did not clearly inform the pregnant woman, surnamed Gao, that ultrasound tests were not always 100 percent accurate. Therefore, the hospital should pay 40,000 yuan to cover the costs of bringing up a disabled child. Gao underwent six ultrasound scans prior to delivery in the hospital in 2012, with all scans showing the fetus was in good condition. However, Gao found her baby's fingers were not developed on its right hand when she gave birth in 2013. Along with her husband, Gao took her case against the hospital to the Changping District Court, saying the hospital had neither fulfilled its responsibility to make correct antenatal diagnoses or give sufficient medical care. In court, Gao also claimed that the hospital had violated her reproductive rights. Responding to the accusations, the hospital defended itself by saying that the failure to detect the child's disability was caused by the ultrasound device being incapable of detecting the fingers undeveloped. However, an appraisal done by the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Science in Beijing refuted the hospital's argument, which says ultrasound technology is likely to detect deformities in the hands or feet of fetuses, but results can be affected by the limitations of some devices. Having looked up Gao's medical record, the Changping District Court judged the hospital did not fulfill its duty to let the patient know the potential risks that the machine might not be completely accurate, and did not let the patient sign any consent form before accepting the tests. Therefore, the hospital should be liable over its faults in carrying out the ultrasound scans, and pay child support to the couple. Some six in 10 Chinese parents tell their children to fight back when bullied, according to a report in Chengdu Economic Daily. A kindergarten in Leshan City in the southwestern province of Sichuan conducted a survey among 35 parents to find their reaction to school bullies. About 60 percent said they emphasized training their children to be tough, while 25 percent suggested their kids stay away from those who bully others rather than answering violence with violence. Local resident Wu Ping said her 5-year-old son met bullies in kindergarten and his grandfather urged him to fight back. She disagreed with that way of coping, but also worried her son might become a coward. Yang Jiao, who organized the survey, said 90 percent of parents reported their children brawled with others or were bullied at school. But it also showed 9 percent of parents admitted hitting their children often and 86 percent only occasionally. Thirty-four percent of parents fought with each other in front of their kids. Xiong Bingqi, an educational expert, urged parents to not advocate violence against violence because it's possible that a child may become aggressive in later stages of life. SHANGHAI -- Aged just two and a half, Wu Rui follows her mother to work every morning, joining her peers in day care while her mother works in an office a few paces away. Zhang Yi and her daughter have followed a similar schedule almost every week-day for a year, using the same day care center. Before the center was launched last April, baby-sitting was a headache for Zhang, a computing engineer with Ctrip, a Shanghai-based travel service. "Very few nurseries accept children under three, and even if they do the children are dismissed at 3 or 4 p.m. when parents are still busy at work," she said. "As a result, most toddlers stay home with grandparents. But when they are ill or out of the city, baby-sitting becomes a big problem." Last year, her company began to offer day care for employees' children aged from 18 months to three years. From 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., the children are tended by nurses and teachers, served meals, told stories and enjoy outdoor activities. "The center also helps tend older children, including primary school students who finish class early and need to wait for their parents to take them home," said Qian Kun, head of the day care center. "The center now provides services for 100 children, and the oldest are in grade three," she said. "This is really the best baby-sitting approach," Zhang said. "When I am tired at work in the middle of the day, I steal a look at the photos and video the teachers share in our WeChat group. My daughter's smiling face is such a relief." Since March 11, several other day care centers were established in Shanghai's office buildings, industrial parks and large companies, a move requested by the city's federation of trade unions, to help working mothers stay in their jobs. The number will expand to 50 before the end of the year. A 2016 survey by the federation and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences found that 80 percent of women of child-bearing age were unwilling to have a second child, mainly because no one in their families was available to baby-sit. "I hope Beijing will follow suit," said Wang Yan, who works for a Hong Kong-invested company and is expecting her second child in September. Wang, 37, remembers going to work with her mother as a toddler. "The nursery was run by my mom's factory in downtown Beijing and was close to her workshop," she said. "Mom said I began attending nursery when I was three months old, but she never felt miserable: we were so close to each other all the time." SHANGHAI -- The maiden flight of the C919, China's first domestically-built large passenger jet, is scheduled for May 5, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) said Wednesday. The flight will depart from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. "If weather conditions are not suitable, the maiden flight will be rescheduled," COMAC said. The C919, China's answer to the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320, signals the country's entry into the global aviation market as a strong competitor, analysts said. In 2007, plans to develop a Chinese-built large passenger jet were approved by the State Council. In November 2015, the first C919 jet rolled off the assembly line. "Engineers have completed over 118 tests and are prepared for the maiden flight," COMAC said. The plane passed expert technical appraisal this March. It has 158 seats and a standard range of 4,075 kilometers. COMAC has received 570 orders from 23 foreign and domestic customers, including from China's national carrier Air China, and leasing company GE Capital Aviation Service. KUNMING -- An inmate escaped from a prison in Southwest China's Yunnan province Tuesday morning, the provincial prison administration said in a report Wednesday. Zhang Lincang, 27, was sentenced to life imprisonment for transporting drugs, and started his sentence in January 2017 at the No. 1 Prison in Yunnan. "Zhang left the site where inmates were working at around 8:20 am Tuesday, stole a truck, broke through the separation net at the prison and fled," the report said. He abandoned the truck on a road 2 kilometers from the prison. The prison immediately reported the escape to higher authorities. Police are pursuing the convict, and the case is under investigation. Watered-down graduation requirements, mistaken calculations, and push-outs of unsuccessful students may have falsely boosted high school graduation rates in a few states, but are not widespread enough to have inflated the national graduation rate, which is at an all-time high of 83.2 percent, according to a study released Wednesday. The eighth edition of the annual Building A Grad Nation report took on the skepticism that surrounded President Barack Obamas October announcement of the national graduation-rate milestone . The report also includes detailed breakdowns of 2014-15 high school graduation rates, by state and student subgroup, along with a plea for states to pay better attention to low-income and minority students, students with disabilities, and students learning English, since larger shares of those groups tend not to earn their diplomas in four years. Statistics in the report capture the persistent disparities in graduation rates that lie just beneath the all-time, overall high of 83 percent. Here are the national 2014-15 four-year graduation rates by subgroup: A unique feature of this years report is its attempt to address doubts about the validity of the countrys high graduation rate. Even though states are now required to use the same method to calculate graduation ratesthe adjusted cohort graduation rate, which tracks the percentage of 9th graders who earn diplomas four years laterstates have wiggle room that can affect their calculations. For instance: How do they count students who become home-schoolers toward the end of high school? How do they count diplomas from alternative schools that also confer GEDs? If states dont count some students (most likely the ones who are mostly likely to drop out), researchers would expect to see more shrinkage in the size of each class than could be explained by enrollment declines. Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, which produce the Grad Nation report along with the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Americas Promise Alliance, examined cohort data and, in most states, didnt find evidence of such disproportionate shrinkage. But it did find that pattern in six states. It didnt name the states. It only noted that while inappropriately removing students from cohorts may be a cause of inflated graduation in some individual school districts, it is likely not an issue for the national trend of rising graduation rates. Skepticism About Graduation Rates Another source of skepticism about the graduation rate stems from schools increasing use of credit-recovery programs, which typically use computer-based, self-paced programs to help students complete work they need for their diplomas. Other doubts center on the way some schools get students who could be dropout risks off their books: They persuade those students to home-school, or shunt them into alternative schools. (Read Pro Publicas great investigation into this .) The Grad Nation report said that fears of push-outs to alternative schools are legitimate, but are more likely to affect school- or district-level graduation rates than state or national numbers. In most cases, the study said, state rates count the transferred students in their new schools. Convincing low-performing students to home-school, however, can indeed inflate states graduation rates, the report said, because it means students are removed from their class cohort, and not counted in the graduation rate. The same goes for a practice thats been uncovered in some alternative schools: getting likely-to-fail students off their books by assigning them a code that suggests that theyve enrolled in adult education. Right now, the home schooling and alternative school sectors arent a big enough slice of the national landscape to affect the U.S. graduation rate, the report said, but practices designed to shift low-performing students into those sectors warrant careful monitoring. One slice of the criticism of the national graduation rate has come from those who claim that its gotten easier to earn diplomas. They point out that states have created multiple types of diplomas, some of which carry less-rigorous requirements . The persistently flat line of high school students performance on NAEP has led others to question the legitimacy of the high school diploma. The Grad Nation researchers concluded that offering multiple kinds of diplomas doesnt, by itself, raise questions about the graduation rate. It can support students blending college-prep classes with career-and-technical education courses, a mixture that has been shown to boost college- and career-readiness. If states were lowering standards for diplomas, the report said, there would likely be declines in scores on tests such as the ACT and the SAT, and Advanced Placement exams. More students are taking and passing AP exams, the study said, and scores on college-entrance exams have held steady or risen slightly even as the pool of test-takers expands. States Graduation Challenges Vary Persistent gaps in graduation rates persist, as reported last fall when President Obama unveiled the 2014-15 numbers. Among Asian and white students, graduation rates are 90 percent and 88 percent, respectively. But theyre only 78 percent for Hispanic students and 75 percent for African-American students. For English-learners and students with disabilities, the graduation rate is 65 percent. Only 76 percent of low-income students graduate in four years. In 20 states, according to the Grad Nation report, less than three-quarters of low-income students complete high school in four years. States vary significantly, however, in the particular profile of their graduation-rate challenges. In some states, the biggest group that needs grad-rate improvement is low-income students. In others, it might be a racial minority group, English-learners, or students with disabilities. High schools that enroll 100 or more students and graduate fewer than two-thirds in four years are considered low-graduation-rate schools under the Every Student Succeeds Act and must get special support. In 2015, there were 2,249 high schools12 percent of all high schoolsthat fit that definition, the report says. Six in 10 of the students in those schools are low-income. Two-thirds are nonwhite. Low-graduation-rate schools are not equally distributed across the states. Among the 10 states with the biggest shares of low-grad-rate schools, New Mexico tops the list, with 44 percent. This years report examines, once again, the particularly low graduation rates in certain types of schools. It raises a particular flag about virtual schools. Charter virtual schools account for less than 1 percent of all schools, but 9.2 percent of schools with low graduation rates. (See Education Week s investigation of cyber charters, Rewarding Failure. ) Virtual schools that are district-operated are an even smaller slice of the pie: .2 percent, and yet they account for 2.6 percent of schools with low graduation rates. Alternative schools, too, come in for a big cautionary flag in the Grad Nation report. They make up 6 percent of all high schools nationally, but 30 percent of schools with low graduation rates. The fact that they serve large populations of at-risk students is particular cause for concern. For more stories about the high school graduation rate, see: States Get Leeway On Naming Dropout Factories Doubting That Record 83 Percent High School Graduation Rate? Illustration: Getty Images A person poses next to an aquatic mural in Dianzizhang village, in Shanghe county of Jinan, capital city of East China's Shandong province. [Photo by Zhang Ming/chinadaily.com.cn] A village at Shanghe county of Jinan, capital city of East China's Shandong province is getting more visitors thanks to lifelike 3D paintings on almost every household's wall. The 3D murals in Dianzizhang village feature animals, fairies and historical-themed paintings. They have been welcomed greatly by local residents, especially children. With a total population of 355, Dianzizhang village has 32 people who are now living in poverty. Since 2016, the local tourism authority has been putting efforts into developing the village into a rural tourism destination in a bid to lift the villagers out of poverty. BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, held a telephone conversation Wednesday, discussing bilateral ties and regional cooperation. Xi said he met Duterte twice last year and reached important agreements with him. As a result, bilateral ties greatly improved, said Xi. At present, the two countries are deepening political mutual trust and carrying out cooperation in various fields, he said. A channel of dialogue and consultation on the South China Sea issue has also been set up, Xi noted. For his part, Duterte said he was happy to see Philippine-China friendship and solidarity enhanced and their exchanges and cooperation in various areas restored and pushed forward. The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. BEIJING -- The South China Sea issue is not a problem between China and ASEAN, nor between China and the United States, let alone between the United States and ASEAN, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday in Beijing. "The South China Sea issue involves China and a few members of ASEAN," Geng said at a daily press briefing. "We hope that countries outside the region could respect efforts made by countries within the region for peace and stability in the South China Sea." Geng's comments follow reports that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will hold an informal meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers on May 4 in Washington. It has been suggested that the South China Sea issue and China's sovereignty of the area could be discussed. Geng said the situation in the South China Sea is becoming stable thanks to joint efforts from China and ASEAN countries. The hard-won results must be cherished and safeguarded by all sides, he said. KUNMING -- A prison in Southwest China's Yunnan province offered a reward of 100,000 yuan on Wednesday for information leading to the arrest of an escaped convict. A class-A warrant has been issued for Zhang Lincang, 27, who escaped from No. 1 Prison in Yunnan Tuesday morning. Zhang was sentenced to life imprisonment for drug-trafficking, and started his sentence in January 2017. "Zhang left the site where inmates were working at around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, stole a truck and fled," the report said. He abandoned the truck on a road 2 kilometers from the prison. One month into the Ministry of Environmental Protection's yearlong inspection of 28 northern cities which in uncovering violations on an almost daily basis companies are feeling the pressure to reduce pollution. The cities that have received feedback have responded quickly and thoroughly, according to local officials and the bosses of the companies targeted in the campaign, which is focused on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Yuntaishan Cement's factory in Wuan, Hebei province, was ordered to halt production on April 9, just two days into the inspection, after it was found with raw materials piled outdoors and no way to prevent dust pollution. The company was fined 120,000 yuan ($17,400) by the city's environmental protection bureau and given until the end of May to upgrade its equipment or remain shut down. "The improvements to reduce emissions will cost about 2 million yuan, which is not a small investment,"said Zhang Xinchang, the plant's manager. "But now is not a time for bargaining. Compared with previous inspections, the city government is taking a tougher stance, Zhang added. In fact, Guo Quansheng, Wuan's vice-mayor, said that based on the Yuntaishan case the Wuan authorities decided to launch a sweep of the city's 13 other cement factories. This resulted in three more being temporarily closed for pollution violations, while all were ordered to upgrade their equipment. "The violations exposed in one plant became a warning for us to check the entire industry,"Gao said. Cui Hongzhi, head of environmental protection for Handan, Hebei's second-largest city by land area, said government agencies covering the environment, economy and commerce have been given the responsibility of ensuring that problems identified by the ministry's inspection teams are fixed. Handan has a large concentration of iron, steel, cement, and coking businesses. Between April 8 and 16, the city ordered 26 companies to reduce or suspend production, closed 14 companies permanently and issued fines totaling 25 million yuan, the ministry said. Authorities said many problems have already been resolved in neighboring Xingtai. Si Guoliang, its environmental protection chief, said 158 of the 173 violations logged by inspectors had been addressed. It's the first time such an intensive environmental inspection has continued without a break, as previous ones were only conducted on days with heavy smog, he said, adding that the authorities will visit the polluting companies frequently to guarantee the problems are completely solved. "We will take it as an opportunity to reduce air pollution,"he said, adding that the city saw air quality worsen in the first two months of this year. Ministry inspection teams were also scheduled to randomly check 30 percent of the companies found in violation in Xingtai before May 6 to see if corrective measures have been implemented well. The ministry is publishing the violations found in the 28 cities every day, sending a strong signal that the central government is serious about reducing pollution. "How to correct the pollution problem is also a priority in making the inspection work,"said Tian Weiyong, head of the ministry's monitoring department. Cities that fail to deal with pollution issues will be punished by the ministry, Tian said for example by having projects restricted and officials held accountable. As of May 1, inspectors had checked 6,738 companies and exposed 4,570 violations in the 28 cities, of which 1,569 unregistered companies whose operations are not authorized were found with excessive emissions, according to the latest data from the ministry. International students from countries including India, Madagascar, Russia and Tajikistan at the University of International Business and Economics on Thursday attend the 8th International Culture Festival in Beijing, dancing, playing music instruments and selling their countries' souvenirs. ZHU XINGXIN/CHINA DAILY A recent festival at a Beijing university highlights the countries along the Belt and Road. Zhang Lei reports. Dances. Martial arts. Peking Opera. Applause erupted as Chinese and foreign students sang Together at the end of the three-hour-long opening ceremony of the 8th International Culture Festival on the campus of Beijing's University of International Business and Economics on Thursday. Otherwise, it looked like a hawkers market. Students called to passers-by, hoping to lure them to the 67 food stalls and exhibition booths, 37 of which were dedicated to the ancient Silk Road. This year's theme, "Youth Messengers on the Silk Road", nods to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that will take place in Beijing on May 14 and 15. The student festival was divided into three areas"Retrace the Silk Road", "World Customs" and "Charm of the Chinese Style". International students presented performances and staple dishes from their homelands. Croissants and baguettes were washed down with champagne that overflowed after corks were popped in the French booth. The Russian stand hosted nesting dolls, caviar and black bread. A Latvian candidate displays a piece of paper-cutting work during the 14th Chinese Bridge language proficiency competition held at the University of Latvia last month in Riga. [Photo/Xinhua] RIGA - The 14th Chinese Bridge language proficiency competition in Latvia was held at the University of Latvia in late April. Speaking about the contest, Janis Ikstens, vice-rector of the University of Latvia and a director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia, said that the Chinese Bridge was a good platform for Chinese language learners in Latvia. It has been playing a positive role in promoting Latvia-China culture exchanges and bilateral relation, said Ikstens. Huang Yong, the Chinese ambassador to Latvia, focused on the theme "Dreams Enlighten the Future", noting that the Chinese Bridge competition had been held in Latvia for 14 years in a row, not only improving Latvian learners' proficiency in Chinese and letting them appreciate the charm of Chinese culture, but also helping them fulfill their dreams to study in China. He thanked the Latvian government and the University of Latvia for their dedication to Chinese education and hoped that more Latvian citizens, especially young people, would deepen their understanding of Chinese culture through learning the language. Professors Peteris Pildegovics and Shang Quanyu, the Latvian and Chinese directors, respectively, of the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia, focused on three aspects of the contest. The first was the number of contestants, 70, an all-time high and an indication of the popularity of the Chinese language and culture in Latvia. The second was the ages of the contestants, which ranged from 7 to 70, an indication of the language's charm among the young and the old. The third aspect was the high percentage of children and teenagers among the contestants, suggesting a growing popularity of Chinese among Latvian youngsters. The 70 contestants who participated in the competition this year included 25 in the adult and university students' group, and 45 in the elementary and secondary school students' group. The competition was in four parts: self-introduction, themed public speaking, Q & A on Chinese general knowledge and a talent show. Some of the winners will travel to China to represent Latvia at the Chinese Bridge finals. Xu Jiang, head of China Academy of Art, gives the media a tour of the exhibition. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily] Modern ink master Pan Tianshou (1897-1971) pushed the creation and education of Chinese ink-brush painting to a new height, in the wake of a crisis of classic Chinese art in the first half of the 20th century. He explored forming a distinctive style of grandeur and magnificence in the realm of flower-and-bird painting, when this traditional genre had lost its appeal to people's taste at the time. Marking the 120th anniversary of Pan's birth, the Hangzhou-based China Academy of Art, which Pan headed, is organizing an exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition through May 14 shows Pan's 120 paintings reviewing his most celebrated figures and series of rocks and eagles. Related: Exhibition held in Beijing to commemorate Chinese artist Pan Tianshou Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Fuzhou addresses big data development and use in healthcare ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2017-04-27 Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, is determined to make the most of the new big data era and recently held a conference to address the new technologys growth and its application in the healthcare sector. The China Southeast Big Data Industrial Cooperation Conference took place in Fuzhou on April 25 and saw the release of the citys interim procedures for regulation of healthcare big data, which was a groundbreaking event in China, as well as he launch of the national (Fuzhou) healthcare big data network and service platform, and the signing of various agreements to boost the big data industry. The national (Fuzhou) healthcare big data network launches at the China Southeast Big Data Industrial Cooperation Conference in Fuzhou, Fujian province, on April 25. [Photo/fjsen.com] The trial measure regulates the collection, management and sharing of data involving healthcare and wellness collected through the internet, the internet of things and third party entities. The measure covers the full lifespan of all citizens and is critical for the security of national public health and bio-information. It also promotes the public use of healthcare data in a legal, orderly method and is intended to facilitate the transition from big data resources to products and services to realize the core value of the industry. Fuzhou government and Fujian Investment and Development Group sign a series of agreements with Fujian Electronics and Information Group to promote growth in the healthcare sector. [Photo/fjsen.com] The national healthcare big data network has accumulated nearly 10 billion pieces of data on public health, clinical information and genomics and relevant details from the internet of things data. It will provide data services on the premise of ensuring safety and privacy. The launch of the network will facilitate policy-making and healthcare reform, and enable the healthcare industry to provide better service to the public. A growing number of teachers nationwide are turning to GoFundMe to pay for classroom supplies, according to new data released by the fundraising website. Teachers have long reported reaching into their own wallets to pay for the resources their students need to learn. My colleague, Madeline Will, reports in the Teaching Now blog on a survey by the education company Scholastic of 4,271 public school educators who, on average, spent $530 a year of their own money on classroom items and basics their students needed, like food and clothing. Teachers in high-poverty schools spent 40 percent morean average of $672. You can read how donorschoose.org is helping teachers to raise money to supply their students with basic needs in this Teacher Beat blog . To date, 72,000 GoFundMe campaigns supporting K-12 teachers have raised $33.8 million, according to a recent press release by the company . The release also includes a link to a K-12 guidebook providing step-by-step instructions on how teachers can design their own fundraising initiatives, as well as state-by-state data showing how much money teachers across the country have already raised. At $4.7 million in total donations, California teachers have so far raised the most. Texas teachers are second with $2.1 million. The chart below shows how other states stack up. Teachers are looking to fund a range of items from the modest to the costly, from pencils and paper to iPads to bikes. A 2nd grade teacher at a low-income school in Key West, Fla., raised $960 to pay for a classroom rug, books, and other supplies. The money was donated over eight months, by 23 people. A teacher in Charleston, S.C., raised $80,662 of her $100,000 goal to provide each of the 650 students in her low-income school a bike, helmet, and bike lock. The campaign was shared more than 3,000 times on Facebook and Twitter combined, and ultimately funded by 925 people over 7 months. The step-by-step directions in the GoFundMe guidebook include tips for making a success of the self-initiated campaign. Tell your story with heart is the first one. Include as much heart and soul as possible so donors get a real sense of what their donation will be supporting, the tip reads. Other tips are to include photos, video, and a wish list of needed items. GoFundMe also launched on Monday a national contest called We Love Teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, which is May 8 through 12. K-12 teachers who create campaigns by May 8 and raise more than $500 by May 18 are eligible to win a $1,000 donation. Photo: Pixabay File photo shows Seoungju residents chant slogans during a protest against the government's decision on deploying a US THAAD anti-missile defense unit in Seongju, in Seoul, South Korea, July 21, 2016. The banner reads "Desperately oppose deploying THAAD". [Photo/Agencies] International observers were surprised to see the Democratic People's Republic of Korea celebrate its Army Day on April 25 without any act of provocation, such as a missile launch. Yet the brief tranquility on the Korean Peninsula was short-lived as the DPRK reportedly test-fired a ballistic missile four days later. Though the missile exploded shortly after liftoff, it still constituted a blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions which forbid Pyongyang from taking such provocative actions. Given that Pyongyang has repeatedly resorted to acts of provocation and defied the international community's call to stop its ambitious nuclear and missile programs, its latest move deserves to be condemned by the international community in the strongest terms. However, as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to escalate and the rival parties threaten each other with war rhetoric, it is necessary to ponder how the situation has worsened so fast and why it has tightened into such a complicated knot that it is almost difficult to undo it now. It takes two to quarrel. This fact applies perfectly to the peninsula situation. In fact, recent years have seen rival sides fall into a vicious circle of provocation and retaliation. The United States, despite claiming to have lost its "strategic patience", has shown overall restraint by playing down its calls for military action against Pyongyang. It has also stepped up efforts to communicate and cooperate with China to defuse the situation, reflecting its better understanding of how to restore peace and stability on the peninsula. However, on April 26 the US Air Force conducted an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile test with reportedly the DPRK as the imaginary enemy. It has also dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson toward the Korean Peninsula. Pouring oil on fire, Washington and Seoul have also accelerated their efforts to deploy an advanced US missile defense system in the Republic of Korea despite strong opposition from Chinese and ROK citizens. On paper, the US' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system is intended to protect the ROK from missile attacks from the DPRK, but its surveillance capability is also bound to undermine the security interests of other countries, including China's. A growing number of people in the ROK believe THAAD will only make their country unsafe, and they have staged massive protests against its deployment. Cheong Wooksik, director of the ROK-based Peace Network, recently published a book, Everything about THAAD, in which he says his country could be the biggest victim of deploying THAAD on its soil. As far as Pyongyang is concerned, it has interpreted these military maneuverings as provocations and threats to its security. And since the DPRK responded to such threats with an even bigger threat, its failed missile launch on Saturday was not surprising. On Sunday, officials in Seoul said Washington had reaffirmed it would bear the cost of deploying THAAD on ROK soil after US President Donald Trump declared a few days ago that Seoul should pay $1 billion for the anti-missile system. Analysts say Pyongyang's missile launch on Saturday may have prompted the US to make a U-turn on the cost issue, paving the way for completing the THAAD deployment between July and September, much earlier than the original schedule of the end of the year. In fact, parts of the THAAD battery were installed last week, and ROK defense officials said it already has an initial operational capability. With the ROK presidential election round the corner, the US may want to make the deployment of THAAD an established fact so that whoever wins the election will have little room to delay the installation, let alone cancel it. Such political calculation is dangerous because it can further complicate the already complex and volatile situation on the peninsula, and once the situation goes out of control, no party can emerge as a winner. The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn Hou Zhengang, an inspector with the general affairs department of the China National Tourism Administration, praised the role played by the tourism police during the three-day national holiday. As of now, 13 provinces have tourism police. In some popular scenic spots, tourism police are on duty 24 hours a day, and some places have established a tourism circuit court. The 5A level scenic spot Shapotou in Zhongwei in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region has 35 tourism police that patrol the scenic spot to ensure public security and provide assistance to visitors. Guilin in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has also established a tourist circuit court to quickly deal with tourism disputes and safeguard tourists' legitimate rights and interests. In Fanchuan in Central China's Henan province, traffic police and tourism police were on duty around the clock during the May Day Holiday. To cope with the security risks posed by the large number of tourists flocking to scenic sites during the three-day holiday, the China National Tourism Administration required local authorities to monitor the number of tourists and to issue security warnings when necessary. The administration said that scenic spots nationwide received 134 million tourists during the Labor Day Holiday, up 14.4 percent on the number last year. The overall income from tourism over the three days was 79.1 billion yuan ($11.5 billion), an increase of 16.2 percent on last year's income. The tourism administration described the domestic tourism market as prosperous and orderly during the holiday. A child stands out from the crowd at a temple fair in Beijing on Feb 1, the fifth day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. [Photo/VCG] ACCORDING TO A REPORT by Xinhua News Agency the number of 4A scenic spots in the country increased from 187 in 2001 to over 2,800 in 2016, and some places graded 4A, the second highest grade, are not scenic spots at all. Beijing News comments: The Xinhua news report listed an absurd example. Despite being a shopping mall, Luosiwan International Trade City in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, is graded 4A. Some argue that the shopping mall also attracts tourists, but that's not the case. Many places can be visited by tourists, but by scenic spots we mean those places with special natural or cultural attractions. The grading system is designed for such scenic sites, not malls and other commercial places. Therefore it is wrong to grade the Luosiwan International Trade City as a 4A scenic spot. Another controversial example cited in the Xinhua news report is Longquan Shengjing Tourism Zone, located in Qingyang county, East China's Anhui province. Some claim that it is a cemetery and only a few tourists visit it, but it is still graded as a 4A scenic site. In this case, it should be emphasized that a cemetery can well be a good scenic site. Many cemeteries and memorial parks in developed countries are famous tourist attractions because they offer good sightseeing experiences. Therefore, at least two measures must be taken to improve the grading system. First, curb the rampancy of bestowing 4A grades, and introduce a system to degrade those places that do not deserve to be graded 4A. Those places that do not deserve to be graded 4A only hurt the credit of the grading system and harm the interests of those scenic spots that truly deserve the honor. There should be regular checks and those that fail to meet the criteria should be removed from the list. Second, improve the grading system by clearly distinguishing scenic spots from ordinary tourism zones and grading each of them properly, so that each zone gets its deserved grading. An employee counts yuan banknotes at a bank in Huaibei, Anhui province June 22, 2010.[Photo/Agencies] According to the Ministry of Public Security, as of July 1, Chinese residents will be able to report the loss of ID cards and apply for new ones in any localities other than the places where their hukou, or household registration, are recorded. Since August 2015, when the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform passed a document aimed at cutting red tape, including simplifying procedures for the renewal of ID cards, efforts have been made to achieve this goal nationwide. For instance, since last year, Jilin, Hebei, Guangdong and some other provinces have confirmed that people can report the loss of an ID card and apply for a new one anywhere within the respective provinces. Concrete measures have also been taken to promote cross-province handling of the task. The Ministry of Public Security recently revealed that so far, more than 6.68 million new ID cards have been issued under these changes. China's economy and society have experienced huge changes since the launch of reform and opening-up. However, the country's social management has not kept pace with its rapid economic and social development. A typical example is the long-controversial practice of having to report the loss of an ID card and apply for a new one only in the place where a person's hukou is registered, an obsolete practice that causes not only great inconvenience but is also a waste of time and money. In this sense, the Ministry of Public Security's new policy should be warmly welcomed, as it represents progress in China's social management. The new practice is built on the huge progress the country has achieved in its push for sharing people's personal information on different public platforms. It also marks a step forward in making life less bureaucratic and easier for people. The government may have realized this point. China's Global Newspaper Sorry, the page you requested was not found. Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Chinadaily.com.cn, try visiting the Chinadaily home page A kid dances with foreign participants at the China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition in 2015 in Guilin. [Photo/VCG] After many unpleasant incidents in recent years involving rude, unruly and sometimes illegal behavior by Chinese tourists at home and abroad, national tourism authorities have stepped up punishments aimed at curbing some bad acts and repairing the reputation of Chinese tourists. The Tentative Regulations on the Management of Uncivilized Tourist Behavior, issued in 2015 by the National Tourism Bureau, is the first national-level legislation seeking to crack down on such behavior. It's also known as a "tourist blacklist". It claims to collect information on misbehaving tourists and share it with police, customs, banks and other authorities, which could impose penalties. Locally, for example, the Shenzhen Travel Association has released its own municipal regulation, which took effect on April 1. Both tourists and travel-service providers who display uncivilized behavior on tours will be blacklisted. While many people applaud the new measures, saying they are effective in deterring people from showing their worst sides while traveling, others have pointed to some technical difficulties and concerns that could make implementing the "blacklist" difficult, or even detrimental to its very purpose. For example, while various government agencies and authorities could help collect information on "bad behavior", who has the authority to objectively define such behavior? How can these authorities avoid invasions of people's privacy while at the same time trying to judge and document their behavior? Locals perform traditional dances to welcome tourists from both at home and abroad. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] A renowned Chinese poet, named Bai Juyi, once wrote While all the flowery scents fade in most places during April, peach blossoms in the mountain temple start to bloom. He made this comment in his masterpiece, Peach Blossoms in DaLin Temple, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). To a majority of the tourists in China, February and March is the golden period to take the ones they love on a romantic date, as the weather generally clears moving into Spring. In Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, however, the golden period is pushed back until April. To celebrate this period, the third Apricot Flower and Butterfly Festival kicked-off on April 22, 2017, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Yiwu county of Hami prefecture. The festival was constructed, and divided, into seven different parts, featuring a range of diverse activities: including flower scenery appreciation, a photography competition, prayer activities, food specialty taste-testing, and a range of sport games. When you come here, you will not only be absorbed by the amazing spring scenery, but involve yourself in the interesting folk culture and traditional customs, one tourist, attending the Apricot Flower and Butterfly Festival, said. In recent years, flower scenery can be seen everywhere, but it is not common to appreciate a sea of flowers decorated with swarms of butterflies, another tourist said. If you want to see this, you should come here. In addition, the 2017 festival also paid more attention to the interaction with, and interests of, tourists. Visitors were able to enjoy the traditional wedding performance of the Uygur ethnic group, and attended quiz shows to get awards and involve themselves in kite flying contests. Moreover, with the opening of the Beijing-Urumqi Expressway, the Yiwu government has accelerated the pace of developing local tourism. By utilizing the regions rich natural resources, the government will set out to give impetus to local tourism through the integration of economic industries with the tourism sector. According to the latest statistics from the local government, the third Apricot Flower and Butterfly Festival generated more than 70,000 yuan ($10,155). File photo shows UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura briefs the media during an international conference on the future of Syria and the region, in Brussels, Belgium, April 4, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] UNITED NATIONS - The UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will join the high-level meeting on Syria in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, on May 3-4, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Tuesday. "In view of the urgency and importance of re-establishing a de-escalation of the situation in Syria and moving on confidence-building measures, he has agreed to attend the meeting as an observer at the invitation of the Kazakh government," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. While in Astana, the special envoy will be supporting efforts by the guarantors of the ceasefire and other participants to de-escalate the military situation, he said. "He will be accompanied by a technical delegation of UN experts who have been present in previous Astana meetings." De Mistura will also use the opportunity to conduct political consultations with the ceasefire guarantors and others that will be present, the spokesman said. "This will be particularly timely as he is at present putting finishing touches on his deliberations regarding the next round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva." The upcoming talks will be the fourth international conference on Syria, where a political crisis broke out in March 2011 and developed into a civil war. The third round of the Syria talks was held in Astana on March 14-15. Representatives of Russia, Iran and Turkey, which had brokered a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, took part in the negotiations alongside the Syrian government delegation and experts from the United Nations, United States and Jordan. Is Animal Neglect a Crime? The Animal Legal Defense Fund defines animal neglect as "the failure to provide basic care required for an animal to thrive." But what do state and federal laws have to say on the matter? Just about every state has animal cruelty statutes, but do those also cover cases of intentional or unintentional neglect? Does simply chaining a dog for long periods of time constitute neglect? Here's a look at what might constitute animal neglect under the law. Animal Neglect Defined As with any criminal offense, state animal cruelty statutes may vary, and whether they cover cases of neglect and how they define neglect can depend on how the statute is written. More often than not, state animal cruelty statutes define a minimum standard of care that an animal caretaker must meet, including providing adequate water, food, shelter, and veterinary care. For instance, Alaska's animal cruelty law defines cruelty as both knowingly inflicting pain and suffering on an animal and failing to care for an animal in a way that "causes its death or severe pain or prolonged suffering." In Wyoming, anyone who "unnecessarily fails to provide it with the proper food, drink or protection from the weather, or cruelly abandons the animal, or in the case of immediate, obvious, serious illness or injury, fails to provide the animal with appropriate care" is guilty of animal cruelty. Levels of Animal Neglect While the majority of states prosecute animal neglect as a misdemeanor, there are cases when neglect can be charged as a felony. Generally speaking, felony animal neglect offenses are reserved for extreme cases or intentional acts. For instance, the District of Columbia classifies cruelty to animals "resulting in serious bodily injury or death" as a felony, and in South Carolina, whoever "tortures, torments, needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal or by omission or commission causes the acts to be done" can be charged with a felony. Cases of animal neglect are often associated with child neglect and domestic or elder abuse, so if you are aware of an animal being neglected or abused you should report it immediately. And if you've been charged with animal neglect, you should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Related Resources: Belt and Road plan considered crucial link between Asia, Europe Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen has called China's proposed Belt and Road Initiative "a future dynamo" for growth and prosperity in Asia and Europe. Ahead of his four-day visit to China that began on Tuesday, Rasmussen said in an emailed interview he would use his trip to further boost his country's relationship with China, pledging to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. "The Belt and Road Initiative is indeed a very interesting foreign policy strategy," Rasmussen said. "Further connecting Europe and Asia firmly through trade and bilateral cooperation can hopefully be a future dynamo for growth and prosperity for both continents." President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang are scheduled to meet or hold talks with Rasmussen, and will exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern. Rasmussen's visit is among the recent high-level exchanges between China and the Nordic countries. Shortly after Xi's visit to Finland in early April, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg paid a visit to China to enhance relations. Rasmussen visited China in 2010 during his previous term as Danish prime minister. His current term began in June 2015. Rasmussen said he hoped the Belt and Road Initiative could provide economic stability and development for Central and South Asia - gateways between East Asia and Europe. "This will be crucial for trade between the two biggest concentrations of economic power," he said. The Danish prime minister also said his country - as one of the world's foremost shipping nations - has been engaged in linking the two continents for centuries. This visit precedes the highly anticipated Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on May 14 and 15 in Beijing. He said his country's representatives will attend and would "be happy to contribute" positively on political and business levels during the conference. Rasmussen said China is Denmark's largest trading partner in Asia and his country was the first Nordic country to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. "We will now take our bilateral relationship to a new high," he said. "I am particularly pleased that we will launch our first Joint Work Program during my visit." The program contains 58 joint cooperation areas by 2020 between 80 Chinese and Danish state institutions, he said. It will take cooperation among institutions on both sides a step further. During his visit, the two countries will sign agreements to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, he said, and a Chinese-Danish Food and Drug Regulatory Cooperation Center will be launched that will help facilitate knowledge-sharing between public authorities in the two countries. In terms of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, the prime minister said the two countries will sign an agreement that allows China and Denmark to work on jointly produced films. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 05/03/2017 page3) The situation in the South China Sea issue has cooled down and the issue "is developing in a positive way", the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. "China has noticed expressions in the summit chairman's statement about the South China Sea," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said of a chairman's statement issued by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila on Sunday. "At present, thanks to joint efforts of regional countries, the temperatures of the South China Sea situation have gone down, things have eased up and the situation is developing in a positive way." The statement of the 10-country bloc spoke of "the improving cooperation between ASEAN and China", and did not include references to "tensions". An ASEAN diplomat told Reuters that the statement was a genuine representation of the atmosphere of the Manila meetings. "We respected the Philippines' views and cooperated," the diplomat said. "It clearly reflected how the issue was discussed." The Philippines holds the rotating ASEAN chairmanship this year. In another gesture reflecting warming ties, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visited three Chinese warships on Monday that would berth in his hometown of Davao city on the southern island of Mindanao. "This is part of confidence-building and goodwill and to show we are friends, and that is why I welcome them," he said. Duterte also repeated on Monday that he had agreed to hold joint China-Philippine military exercises. Geng said on Tuesday at the news briefing that Beijing welcomes Duterte's visit to the warships, "which reflects increasing mutual political trust between the two sides". He said the nations' ties have "improved comprehensively" since last year and brought tangible benefits to the people. "This fully confirmed that friendly cooperation is the right choice that is in line with fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples." Wang Baofu, a military strategist at the National Defence University of the People's Liberation Army, said the Chinese warships visited the Philippines at the invitation of Duterte. "The visit of the warships, under such a situation ... is very significant and has drawn close attention from countries in the region," Wang said in an analysis issued on the Defense Ministry's website. "It is not a symbolic move, but an important step for the two sides to build up military and strategic mutual trust." lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 05/03/2017 page3) Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, in Beijing on Tuesday. The two cochaired the first meeting of the ChinaUAE Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee. WANG ZHUANGFEI / FOR CHINA DAILY The United Arab Emirates will never become a safe haven for criminals involved in corruption, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday as he described progress on extradition cooperation. Wang and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, co-chaired in Beijing the first meeting of the China-UAE Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee. "I raised the issue of cooperation in the fight against corruption as well as the pursuit of fugitives and recovery of their assets with Minister Abdullah, and he responded very actively," Wang said. "The UAE will never become a safe haven for any corrupt Chinese fugitive," he added. Wang said both countries support trade, investment liberalization and facilitation and also advocate open and transparent regional free-trade arrangements. "We will further step up coordination and cooperation so that we can conclude the substantive negotiations for the China-Gulf Cooperation Council free trade area at an early date," he said. Regarding people-to-people exchanges, two-way visits exceeded 600,000 last year. According to Abdullah, since the UAE implemented a visa-free policy for Chinese citizens in November, the number of Chinese tourists to the country has increased by 7 percent. "The number of bilateral visits will probably be over 1 million this year and next," Wang said. He also said that both countries are satisfied with the achievements in oil cooperation, and will accelerate oil and gas exploration, port construction as well as the development of port industrial parks. "We also discussed bilateral cooperation in new areas such as nuclear energy and power, and the aerospace industry, which we both believe enjoy broad prospects and huge potential," he said. Wang said China remains committed to the stability and development of the Middle East, and China has regarded the UAE as an important partner in maintaining stability in the Gulf region. "Both sides will work together to push forward a political settlement of regional hot spot issues," he added. Abdullah emphasized the UAE's strong commitment to the one-China policy and said his country looked forward to enhancing the relationship with China in all areas. Zhu Weilie, an Arabic studies expert at Shanghai International Studies University, said the China-UAE relationship has been on the fast track in recent years, with the two countries working closely in areas such as oil and gas, production capacity and cultural exchanges. "Since the UAE will host the World Expo in 2020, the Persian Gulf country could also borrow experience from Shanghai," he said. mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn A book outlining the history of tribunals for accused Japanese war criminals, and its far-reaching impact, made its debut in Shanghai on Tuesday. The Tokyo Trial: For World Peace, showcases the latest viewpoints and evidence collected by researchers in China, Japan and the West, said Cheng Zhaoqi, the book's author and director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Center for the Tokyo Trial Studies. "We present the readers with a more substantial and objective legal basis of the whole process, from the establishment of the court and the disputes over jurisdiction to the court trials and the discussion of sentencing and measurement of penalties," he said. The book will be translated into eight languages, including Japanese. On May 3, 1946, the post-World War II trials, known as the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, began in Tokyo. The tribunal was active until Nov 12, 1948. As an initiative to implement the Cairo Declaration - a 1943 statement by China, Britain and the United States setting postwar goals - the tribunal followed the model of the Nuremberg trials. Japanese leaders were tried for conspiracy to start and wage war; atrocities against humanity; and planning, authorizing or failing to prevent transgressions by commanders. Officials in Japan have repeatedly tried to overthrow the result of the Tokyo Trial and sometimes call it "the trial of the victors", Cheng said, adding that more books denying the event than respecting it are in Japanese bookstores. "Their ultimate purpose is to deny the Tokyo Trial and thus overthrow the international community's judgment of Japan's aggression and atrocities. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize the achievements of the Tokyo Trial, and China must air a voice of justice," Cheng said. The trials in Tokyo and Nuremberg were not "trials of the victors" but of civilization and justice, said Wang Xin, a law professor at Peking University. "The fundamental purpose of the trials was not revenge or punishment but long-term international peace and stability - so countries can achieve a real reconciliation," he said. The highly readable book, with pictures and illustrations, is also good for the public, especially younger generations, to learn about history, said Xiang Longwan, son of Xiang Zhejun, who was among the Tokyo Trial prosecutors. zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn Cheng Zhaoqi, author of The Tokyo Trial: For World Peace and director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Center for the Tokyo Trial Studies, speaks at the premiere of the book at the university on Tuesday.Gao Erqiang / China Daily (China Daily 05/03/2017 page4) Iowa Governor Terry Branstad (Front) testifies before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a hearing considering him to be US Ambassador to China on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, the United States, on May 2, 2017. US President Donald Trump's pick for Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, said on Tuesday that if confirmed, he would work to "positively influence" the US-China relationship. [Photo/Xinhua] WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump's pick for Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, said on Tuesday that if confirmed, he would work to "positively influence" the US-China relationship. "As Governor of Iowa, I saw first-hand the importance of a positive and healthy trade relationship between our two countries," Branstad said here at his confirmation hearing. If confirmed, he hoped to work towards the goal of positively influencing the US-China relationship, he added. As the governor of a US state whose economy is mainly driven by agriculture industry, Branstad noted that almost one out of every two rows of Iowa soybeans is sent to China, as well as 33.5 million US dollars in pork in 2016. However, the importance of trade between the United States and China extends well beyond agriculture, he said. "Aviation products, manufactured goods, chemicals, electronics, and many other products and services are exported to China daily and help support and sustain the American economy," he told US lawmakers. Calling US-China relationship "multi-faceted," Branstad also noted that the two countries must work together on major security issues, including the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and cybersecurity. Branstad also said that he looked forward to "connecting with the Chinese people and continuing a vibrant exchange of culture and ideas." Branstad, 70, is the longest-serving governor in the United States, who also has long nurtured a close relationship with China and has visited China multiple times. He served as the governor of Iowa in 1983-1999, and again since 2011. He was nominated by Trump to be the next US ambassador to China in December 2016. French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. [Photo/Xinhua] Majority of Chinese-French voters in France favor presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, a poll shows. The poll, conducted by a Paris-based Chinese-language bi-monthly publication called Huarenjie, questioned 230 Chinese-French voters. It found that 61 percent of the respondents supported Macron, while only 24 percent went for Macron's rival Marine Le Pen. French centrist politician Macron and the far-right former National Front leader Le Pen were the two leading candidates in the first round of the French presidential election. Voters must now decide between the two in a second-round vote on May 7. The poll showed that immigration and economic policy are the major concerns among Chinese-French voters. Known for her hard-line and populist comments on the European Union and immigration, Le Pen has powered her campaign by preserving a sense of national identity, deporting illegal immigrants and pushing back against globalization trends. And it was her stronger anti-immigration stance, particularly in the wake of terror attacks in Paris, that helped her win some support groups. Some Chinese-French people fear that Le Pen's anti-globalization stance would cast a shadow on Chinese businesses and investment in France. During the first-round vote, center-right candidate Francois Fillon was the favorite among the Chinese community as he pledged to reduce taxes on companies and boost economic growth. Fillion, however, grappling with a nepotism scandal, was knocked out in the first round vote. The Chinese community welcome Macron's bid to solve France's economic problems through a series of reforms, according to Global Times. KABUL - Eight civilians were killed and 27 others injured after a suicide bomber struck a foreign forces' military convoy in a diplomatic district in central Kabul on Wednesday, sources said. "The blast occurred at Makroryan-i-Duam near a road which turns to Shashdarak locality at 08:00 am local time and the nature of the blast likely was a suicide car bombing," a security source told Xinhua anonymously. Among the injured people were three NATO-led Resolute Support service members who suffered non-life threatening wounds, the coalition forces confirmed on its twitter. "Most of the people affected by the incident were passengers of vehicles running in the two-line road surrounding by apartment buildings and several residents and passersby were also victimized," he said. Three cars, including one armored military vehicle, were destroyed and several car and buildings around the site were damaged by the blast in the area where the US embassy and Supreme Court office are located. The government Media and Information Center confirmed that eight civilians were killed and 24 others were wounded. The injured were shifted to the nearby Afghan military hospital where some of the injured remained in critical condition. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack came days after the Taliban militant group started their yearly rebel offensive across the country. They urged civilians to stay away from official gatherings, military convoys and centers regarded as the legitimate targets by militants besides warning people not to support the government. Further details about the incident are still forthcoming amid the absence of any official statement. The Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts as 715 civilians were killed and over 1,460 others injured in conflict-related incidents across Afghanistan in the first three months of the year, according to figures released by the UN mission in the country. The mission has attributed 62 percent of the civilian casualties over the period to the Taliban and other insurgent groups, 21 percent to security forces while the rest 17 percent were unattributed to or caused by explosive remnants of war. MANILA -- The Philippines is ready to conclude a framework agreement on defense and security with Russia when Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visits Moscow this month, a government statement said on Wednesday. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu on April 26 on the sidelines of the VI Moscow Conference on International Security. "It was the first ever meeting between the two defense officials," the statement read. According to the statement, both Lorenzana and Shoygu welcomed the positive developments in the bilateral relations and agreed to further bolster cooperation in the defense and security sphere. The upcoming official visit of Duterte to Russia this month is expected to generate more momentum for the development of Philippines-Russia relations, it said. SYDNEY -- The Dog Unit of Australia's New South Wales (NSW) Police Force on Wednesday announced that seven new police puppies will be named by sick children before joining the fight on crime. The puppies, all sable German Shepherds, were born in New South Wales (NSW) in March, with six of them set to serve in Australia, while the seventh will be sent to the New Zealand Police Force as part of a puppy exchange program. The NSW Minister for Police Troy Grant told Xinhua in a statement on Wednesday that these puppies are ready for action. "Just like our men and women in blue, our police pups are some of the best in the world," Grant said. "The Dog Unit achieves amazing things, and before we know it these cute puppies will be strong, crime fighting top dogs." Commander of the Dog Unit in NSW Dean Smith said that the puppies will be named by sick kids at Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney, with one stipulation. All the names have to begin with the letter "X". "We are working with The Children's Hospital at Westmead to give some of the kids who are chronically ill a chance to help choose their names," Smith said. "Once the most popular names are chosen, we will assign the names to the pups and take them on a social outing to the hospital so the kids can meet them." The NSW Dog Unit is the largest of its kind in Australia, and has currently serving dogs from a variety of breeds; German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, English Springer Spaniels, Belgian Malinois, and Labradors. Wisconsin's Controversial 'Cocaine Mom' Law Overturned In 2014, Wisconsin resident Tammy Loertscher went to a doctor looking for a pregnancy test, along with treatment for depression and a thyroid problem. But when blood tests found both a baby and drugs in Loerthscher's system, the results were reported to law enforcement and she was ordered to undergo mandatory inpatient drug treatment. Loertscher refused the treatment, and was promptly taken to jail where she did a total stint 18 days, 36 hours of which were spent in solitary confinement. She was finally released when she agreed to submit to urinalysis throughout the duration of her pregnancy Just one of thousands of pregnant women investigated under Wisconsin's so-called "cocaine mom" statute, Loertscher sued. And a federal judge agreed with her, blocking the state from enforcing the statute. Don't Drug and Mom Wisconsin's statute, enacted in 1998, gave courts the jurisdiction and authority to take expectant mothers into custody if: "... the adult expectant mother's habitual lack of self-control in the use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances or controlled substance analogs, exhibited to a severe degree, there is a substantial risk that the physical health of the unborn child, and of the child when born, will be seriously affected or endangered." According to the Wisconsin State Journal, law enforcement received 3,326 reports of abuse against fetuses were screened under the law between 2005 and 2014, 467 of which were charged under the statute. Nancy Rosenbloom, director of legal advocacy for National Advocates for Pregnant Women, told the State Journal that authorities went so far as to remove children from their parents after birth in at least 152 cases. Into the Void Loertscher argued the law was unconstitutional, and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin agreed. Judge James Peterson ruled that the statute as written was void for vagueness, meaning that a person of ordinary intelligence could not determine who was being regulated, what conduct was prohibited, or what punishment could be imposed under the law. "Erratic enforcement, driven by the stigma attached to drug and alcohol use by expectant mothers, is all but ensured," Peterson wrote in the court's ruling, adding that statutory language like "habitual lack of self-control" and "substantial risk to the physical health of the unborn child" was not "amenable to reasonably precise interpretation." Peterson also noted that the amount of drug use by pregnant women that would put fetuses at risk and therefore authorize state action was not clear. While Loertscher won her claim of unconstitutionality of the law, the court also ruled that she was not entitled to monetary damages stemmed from her incarceration. Related Resources: Chinese craftsmanship will be woven into the hundreds of exhibitions and workshops at the third-annual London Craft Week, which starts on Wednesday. More than 230 craft events are set to take place across the city during the five-day festival that ends on Sunday. Activities will showcase the best of international and British creativity. Organizers hope visitors will "experience beautiful things, not just as static objects but in the full context in which they were created, highlighting how imagination and talent combine with the very best materials and techniques". Caroline Cheng is curator of Experiments: Work of Young Craftsman of China at the China Design Centre, which highlights the work of young craft-makers producing such diverse items as pottery and ceramics made in Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province and contemporary performances of leather shadow puppets. Cheng said: "This exhibition is not just about bringing Chinese work to London, I also want to encourage the young group of artists to visit places such as the Tate and V&A museums, so they can understand how others are making their craft and learn from this." People will also get the chance to see award-winning artist He Weimin host a demonstration and workshop on traditional Chinese woodblock printing at the China Exchange in London's Chinatown. This year, London Craft Week will host the Fashion Farm Foundation: Emerging Hong Kong Designer Makers event. Several fashion, furniture, and industrial designers from Hong Kong will be in London to profile their work and demonstrate their craftsmanship. They include Jay Cheng, a hatmaker and designer who has British influences in her work. Cheng said she is excited to have the chance to display her designs, which she described as poetic, romantic and theatrical. She is a pioneer of millinery in Hong Kong, having introduced her version of bespoke hat-making to the Hong Kong fashion scene. Guy Salter, founder and chairman of London Craft Week, said: "China has been important to us from the beginning and I feel there's a real interest now in Chinese craftsmanship and skills. There is great interest in Chinese ceramics and that has led to increased interest in glass, silver and precious metals." Salter added that he would like to see the United Kingdom and China work together during the next five years to expand Chinese content at the event and attract more visitors from China. A major independent Scottish distillery is tapping into the lucrative Chinese thirst for whisky after securing a distribution deal with one of China's food and beverage giants. Castle Li from COFCO (right) and Bill White from Loch Lomond check a barrel of whisky at the distillery. [China Daily] Loch Lomond Group, which is based in Alexandria in Scotland, has entered into a partnership with China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation, which is also known as COFCO. The Scottish group's full range of whiskies, which include Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia, and Littlemill, will be available to customers throughout China. The deal will make China one of Loch Lomond Group's key export markets. COFCO has an extensive network of 700 off-licenses and more than 1,000 sub-distributors. Demand for high-quality whisky has soared on the Chinese mainland, driven in part by rising middle-class incomes. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, the value of exports to China increased 0.5 percent to 41 million pounds ($52 million) in 2016, with the market continuing on an upward trend. That followed a drop in sales after Beijing's anti-corruption measures curtailed lavish spending among public servants. Single malt exports to the world's second-largest economy amounted to 12.9 million pounds last year, a 66 percent jump from 2015. The Alexandria-based group noted whisky sales increased 12-fold in China during the last 10 years. Colin Matthews, chief executive of the Loch Lomond Group, said: "We're very excited about our new partnership with COFCO across the fast-growing Chinese market. COFCO is a very ambitious, energetic and innovative organization with a great team and exciting plans for the future, which matches our own aspirations, both for China and as a group." After visiting Loch Lomond Group's Alexandria malt and grain distilleries, as well as its Glen Scotia distillery in Campbeltown, Castle Li, general manager of COFCO Wine & Spirits, said: "COFCO is determined to use all of our resources, energy and routes to market strengths to succeed in bringing the Loch Lomond and Glen Scotia Scotch whisky portfolios to the Chinese market and its many millions of consumers." Li said the partnership will be a key part of COFCO's drive to become the No 1 imported spirits distributor in China. "We believe that the Loch Lomond Group's brands will have major appeal to a wide spectrum of consumers in China where we are seeing significant growth in demand for premium drinks brands, especially Scotch whisky." LONDON -- Britain's Parliament was officially dissolved on Wednesday, but without the traditional pomp and ceremony. At precisely one minute past midnight to Wednesday, all 650 members of Parliament, from Prime Minister Theresa May to back bench MPs, were stripped of their titles, becoming ordinary citizens. May will visit Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday afternoon to mark the dissolution of Parliament. Under a fixed term law, introduced by former prime minister David Cameron, the parliament sits for exactly five years which sets a specific timetable for dissolution and a new election. Current Prime Minister Theresa May used a break-clause in the fixed-term law to call a snap election on June 8, as Britain prepares to negotiate with the European Union on its withdrawal from the bloc. The dissolution of Parliament also signalled the official start of Britain's election campaign, with all 650 parliament seats are up for grabs. But the dissolution does not mean that Britain's government comes to an end. "Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until after the result of the election is known and a new administration is formed," said a Parliament spokesman. BEIJING -- A senior Chinese diplomat has predicted three possible endings of the Korean nuclear issue and suggested the resumption of talks as the way out. Fu Ying, chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, made the prediction in a paper published on Brookings Institution's website on Sunday. The first possibility is: The vicious cycle of US and UN sanctions followed by nuclear and missile tests of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) goes on until reaching a tipping point. Fu, who was director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of Asian Affairs and was involved in the multilateral talks on the Korean nuclear issue, noted that the vicious cycle is difficult to break because the DPRK is determined to possess nuclear capabilities for its own security, while the United States is unwilling to make any compromise and is also using the tension to enhance military presence in the region. The second possibility is: The DPRK regime collapses. This may not be realistic, as the Korean economy has already passed through its most difficult time and top leader Kim Jong Un has already stabilized the domestic situation. Then comes the third possibility: the restart of talks and serious negotiations. This scenario is getting harder with deeper mistrust between the United States and the DPRK and undermined confidence of parties due to many setbacks in multilateral negotiations. Fu suggested one realistic starting point: "double suspension," which requires the DPRK to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for a suspension of the large-scale US-South Korean war games. It's a concept explained by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in March this year. In the paper, Fu had a thorough review of the history of the Korean nuclear issue. She noted that the two Koreas are still technically at war is one of the root causes of prolonged instability on the Korean Peninsula. Since multilateral negotiations started in 2003, China has continuously made mediation efforts to push for fruitful agreements, including a statement reached on the fourth round of the six-party talks in 2005, which offered a glimmer of hope for resolving the issue. However, such peaceful agreements were not effectively implemented for various reasons, and in this case, the agreement was compromised by US financial sanctions against the DPRK. Fu noted that failing to implement such agreements in "parallel steps" led to a dead end. In 2008, even though the DPRK honored its commitments and disabled 75 percent of its nuclear reactor capacity, it didn't see corresponding measures being taken by other parties as heavy oil, equipment and material assistance had not been supplied as promised. Then the DPRK reversed its position. Fu also highlighted the influence of the US domestic political situation on the Korean nuclear issue, citing different positions held by previous presidents. The Korean nuclear issue has been escalated and intensified as from 2009 as a result of multiple factors, including the civil strife in Libya, where the fate of the government to some degree reinforced the DPRK's determination to pursue nuclear weapons. LONDON - The cost of Britain's oil and gas trade with the rest of the world could nearly double if the country fails to agree new tariffs when it leaves the European Union, the country's oil lobby group has warned Prime Minister Theresa May. The head of Oil and Gas UK told May in a letter seen by Reuters that yearly oil trade costs could rise to 1.1 billion pounds ($1.4 billion), from around 600 million pounds now, if Britain reverts to World Trade Organization rules after Brexit. May, whose government is negotiating the terms of Britain's exit from the EU, has said not reaching an agreement with the bloc would be better than signing a bad deal, leaving open the possibility of reverting to default WTO rules from March 2019. "Our request of government is that any change, whether domestic or European, is managed in a manner that minimises risk to the oil and gas industry," Oil and Gas UK Chief Executive Deirdre Michie wrote in the letter dated May 1. Michie also said her association's research showed that if Britain agreed minimal tariffs with EU member states and improved terms with other countries, trade costs could fall by around 100 million pounds a year. Britain's oil and gas trade with the world is worth about 73 billion pounds a year. Michie called for "frictionless access" to the EU's labour market as around 5 percent of Britain's oil and gas workforce are non-British EU nationals, many of whom fill roles the association deems critical. Agencies 3,000 Homeless Can Sue Denver After Citywide Sweeps Denver law enforcement officials have been using a 2012 city ordinance prohibiting unauthorized camping to conduct homeless sweeps throughout the city. The sweeps often involve police and other city workers detaining, citing, and arresting homeless people, while seizing and destroying their property. Just last week, a federal judge granted class action certification for a lawsuit filed on behalf of those homeless, meaning as many as 3,000 victims of the homeless sweeps can join the litigation. Class Injustice The lawsuit claims the property removal and destruction under the sweeps violates Fourth Amendment prohibitions on unreasonable search and seizure as well as Fourteenth Amendment due process guarantees. The plaintiffs are also claiming the way the sweeps were conducted amounted to cruel and unusual punishment: In a December 15, 2015 sweep, Defendant Police Dep't ordered homeless around the Samaritan House to evacuate the area, but leave their belonging [sic], telling Plaintiffs and Plaintiff Class that if they returned before being told that it was permissible, then they would be arrested. It was a bitterly cold day, less than 10 degrees and snowing. Plaintiffs and member of Plaintiff Class were forced into the cold without their jackets, blankets, any items to keep them warm. When they returned, they were met with the all-too-familiar sight of dump trucks and their property being thrown away like trash. Plaintiff Fredrick Jackson asked a Police Officer: "Why are you doing this to us?" The Officer responded, "You can try to sleep on sidewalks, but you can't be warm." Class Action Class action lawsuits are intended to resolve a large number of plaintiffs' claims involving one action or incident at the same time. In order to gain class action certification, the plaintiffs must prove: The injuries are the same or similar as those suffered by the other prospective class members; The class is clearly defined to the degree that it will be possible and practical to identity potential class members; The injuries of all potential class members resulted from a common set of facts and legal theories; and The potential class is large enough that successive, non-class action lawsuits would be impractical. In this case, the city of Denver tried to argue the number of possible homeless plaintiffs was both too large to be clearly defined and too small to be certified. But U.S. District Judge William Martinez was unpersuaded. "The homeless population in Denver is likewise 'shifting,'" Martinez wrote in his order, "and the Court is satisfied that it exists in sufficient numbers to reasonably infer that a sufficiently numerous subset have been and will be exposed to enforcement of the camping ban in a way that plaintiffs claim is unconstitutional." "Denver may succeed in proving that all of the alleged sweeps were different and that no homeless person's belongings were confiscated and discarded in an unconstitutional manner," Martinez wrote, addressing the potential for the homeless to prevail on their claims. "But plaintiffs claim to the contrary, and a number of them have submitted declarations attesting that they personally witnessed the conduct that they allege." Related Resources: Mexican Gray Wolves Lawfully Released Into New Mexico's Wilderness New Mexico lost its court battle against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for releasing Mexican gray wolves into the wilderness of west-central New Mexico. Arguing that the federal government did not have its permission, the state had asked the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold an injunction against further releases of the endangered species. But the appeals court said, in New Mexico Department of Game and Fish v. U.S. Department of the Interior, the state did not show that the releases would irreparably harm the wildlife environment. "For example, assuming arguendo that the Department is correct in asserting, for the first time on appeal, that a Mexican wolf may kill over twenty elk and deer per year, the Department offered no evidence that the release of one, ten, fifty, or even one hundred additional wolves would affect the overall populations of the state's ungulate herds or necessitate action from the Department in order to manage and maintain those populations," Judge Carolyn B. McHugh wrote for the court. First There Were Two The Mexican gray wolf was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1976. The wolves had nearly been killed off by hunters, primarily to protect livestock. The federal government developed a program to capture and repopulate the wolves in the Apache and Gila National Forests, which includes parts of New Mexico. By the end of 2015, about 97 Mexican wolves were living in the wild. New Mexico had cooperated with the program until 2016, when it refused to permit further releases. The state said it could not determine whether more wolves would conflict with wildlife management efforts. U.S. Fish and Wildlife released two more wolves anyway, leading to the litigation. Species' Survival at Stake The agency said it did not need a state permit because the species' survival was at stake. Moreover, the state had not shown irreparable damage would result from the releases. On appeal, the court agreed. The appellate panel said New Mexico's Department of Game and Fish did not present sufficient evidence that the wolves would irreparably harm the biosystem. "The Department did submit evidence detailing the number of Mexican wolf depredations on livestock or pets from 1998 to 2014. But because the Department's claims of irreparable injury relate to its ability to manage wild populations of ungulate species, this information is irrelevant to the present inquiry," the court said. Related Resources: (Photo : USAF) F-35As in Bulgaria. Advertisement The first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters of the U.S. Air Force deployed to the European mainland have been sent to Bulgaria, a NATO member with only 15 modern air superiority fighters. Two F-35As, the conventional version of the fighter flown only by the air force, accompanied by ground crews and security personnel are now based at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base located at the village of Graf Ignatievo, about 10 km north of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement This is the first overseas flying training deployment of air force F-35As. The deployment provides support to bolster the security of NATO allies and partners in Europe while demonstrating the U.S. commitment to regional and global security. Graf Ignatievo Air Base or the 3rd Fighter Air Base is the only fighter base of the Bulgarian Air Force and houses two BAF fighter squadrons. These squadrons are the 1st Fighter Squadron operating six obsolete Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters, and the 2nd Fighter Squadron operating 12 Mikoyan MiG-29A single-seat and three MiG-29UB twin-seat air superiority fighters. Deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England last week, the pair of F-35As are from the 34th Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing, and the Air Force Reserve's 466th Fighter Squadron, 419th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "The United States and Bulgaria have a strong and enduring relationship," said Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, Commander, Third Air Force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. "We routinely train through joint and combined initiatives like Operation Atlantic Resolve and in flying exercises like Thracian Eagle, Thracian Summer and Thracian Star. Our commitment to Bulgaria is but an example of our unwavering support to all allied nations." The F-35As are in Bulgaria for a training deployment conducted in close coordination with the BAF. The deployment to a frontline country facing Russia gives F-35A pilots the opportunity to engage in familiarization training within the European theater, while reassuring allies and partners of U.S. dedication to the enduring peace and stability of the region. "I have to say that for us, this makes us very proud," said Maj. Gen. Tsanko Stoykov, Commander, Bulgarian Air Force. "Our efforts have been appreciated and we are trusted as a reliable ally and it immensely contributes to the development of the bilateral relations between our two counties and our two air forces." Advertisement TagsBulgaria, Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, U.S. Air Force, F-35A, NATO, Graf Ignatievo Air Base, 3rd Fighter Air Base, Mikoyan MiG-29A, 34th Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing (Photo : Getty Images) In this handout photo provided by U.S. Forces Korea, a truck is seen carrying parts required to set up the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system that had arrived at the Osan Air Base on March 6, 2017 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Advertisement China demanded on Tuesday for the immediate suspension of a controversial United States missile shield a few hours after Washington announced that the defense system was now operation in South Korea. "China's position is clear-cut and firm. We oppose the deployment of the THAAD system in [South Korea] and urge relevant sides to immediately stop the deployment," Geng Shuang, the foreign ministry's spokeperson, said. "We will firmly take necessary measures to uphold our interests." Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The US and South Korea have agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployment last July amid the string of North Korean missile tests. However, the deployment was met by a strong opposition from China, which believes that the THAAD will weaken its own ballistic missile capabilities and risk regional security balance. Russia has also previously voiced its support to China, saying that the THAAD deployment would not "create conditions conducive to resolving the nuclear issue as well as other issues on the Korean Peninsula." Meanwhile, although the ministry lashed out the shield's deployment, it also expressed support on US President Donald Trump's comment that he would be "honored" to meet the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "China has always believed that dialogue and consultation... is the only realistic and viable way to achieve denuclearization," Geng said. "We also said many times that the US and DPRK... should make political decisions at an early date, take action and show good faith so that we can create a better atmosphere for resuming the peace talks and settling the issue," he continued. Advertisement Tagschina, THAAD, Russia, US, missile shield, South Korea (Photo : US Army) Explosion of an American nuclear bomb in the desert, 1957. Advertisement Russia is now allegedly "seeding" the ocean floor off some of America's largest cities along the East Coast such as New York with nuclear mines, and will detonate those megaton mines to generate massive tsunamis able to drown hundreds of thousands of Americans in the event of a war against Putin's Russia. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement This fantastic claim was made by Col. Viktor Baranetz, a retired officer in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation who was once spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. Baranetz said this operation was launched by Russian president Vladimir Putin and is ongoing. He refused to reveal how many nuclear mines, which he referred to as "mole nukes," are now emplaced off large American East Coast cities such as New York. Putin will detonate these mines in a war between NATO and Russia. These mole nukes complement Russia's use of tactical nuclear missiles against NATO military forces along Russia's western border Baranetz made the claims in an interview with the Russian state-owned media outlet, Komsomolskaya Pravda. He said Russia's use of undersea nuclear mines is a response to the U.S.' overwhelming military might. He also said planting Russian mole nukes close inshore is part of Russia's tactics of fighting a successful "asymmetric war" against the far more powerful NATO, of which the United States is the linchpin and most powerful member state. In asymmetric warfare, the weaker side (in this case Russia) uses unconventional and at times illegal tactics, to win the fight against a more powerful enemy. Guerilla warfare such as that practiced by the communist Viet Cong against the U.S. in the Vietnam War is the most successful example of asymmetric warfare. "'Our asymmetrical response is nuclear warheads that can modify their course and height so that no computer can calculate their trajectory," said Baranetz. "Or, for example, the Americans are deploying their tanks, airplanes and special forces battalions along the Russian border. "We are quietly 'seeding' the U.S. shoreline with nuclear 'mole' missiles. They dig themselves in and 'sleep' until they are given the command (to detonate)," said Baranetz. A massive explosion can generate tsunamis as proven by the devastating Halifax Explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on Dec. 6, 1917. The explosion of the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship packed with high explosives, in the Narrows, a strait connecting the upper Halifax Harbor to Bedford Basin, created a tsunami that wiped-out a community of Mi'kmaq First Nations people living in Tuft's Cove. The Halifax Explosion was the largest man-made explosion prior to the development of nuclear weapons. It unleashed the equivalent energy of 2.9 kilotons of TNT and killed 2,000 people while injuring 9,000 others. The Halifax Explosion, however, occurred in a river and devastated communities along both banks, hence the horrible death toll. There is doubt a nuclear explosion can generate a tsunami in the open ocean. U.S. experiments conducted from 1944 to 1945 during World War II proved that a single massive conventional explosion can increase tidal heights, but only by a few inches. The U.S. eventually abandoned its tidal wave creation program called "Project Seal" intended to develop a "Tsunami Bomb" despite the conclusion nuclear weapons might produce tsunamis. Tests revealed that a single conventional explosion can't produce a tsunami, but a line of explosives amounting to 2,000,000 kg (equivalent to four megatons) can create a tsunami if detonated some 8 km off a coast. Advertisement TagsRussia, seeding, nuclear mines, tsunamis, Col. Viktor Baranetz, mole nukes, NATO, asymmetric warfare, Halifax Explosion, Project Seal, Tsunami Bomb (Photo : BDB/Wikipedia/CC) Delegates of the UMC's General Conference worship together during the 2008 General Conference. The United Methodist Church's highest court ruled on Friday that consecrating a practicing gay bishop is a violation of the denomination's law. In the 6-to-3 ruling, the UMC's Judicial Council referred to the denomination's bylaws, known as the Book of Discipline, saying that it "requires all clergy persons make a complete dedication to the highest ideals of the Christian life, including but not limited to, their commitment to abide by and uphold the Church's definition of marriage and stance on homosexuality." "An openly homosexual and partnered bishop is in violation of these minimum standards," the ruling states. However, the Judicial Council added that the bishop's "constitutional right to fair and due process must be protected," and that her position will be maintained until the full disciplinary process against her is completed. Though the petition to the court did not name a specific bishop, it revolved mainly around Rev. Karen Oliveto, who was consecrated as bishop in July of 2016 by the Western Jurisdiction to oversee churches in the Mountain Sky Area of the UMC. This region includes churches in the states of Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and one church in Idaho. The South Central Jurisdiction brought the petition to the Judicial Council, asking the Council to decide whether the consecration of an openly homosexual clergy is in violation of the Book of Discipline. The issues surrounding human sexuality have been divisive in the denomination over the years. In the 2016 General Conference, the highest decision-making body in the UMC, the denomination was set to decide whether it will make homosexuality acceptable. However, it instead opted to form a commission that would deliberate on the issue. The General Conference, which usually meets once every four years, will have a special meeting in 2019 specifically regarding issues on sexuality. Bishop Bruce Ough, the president of the UMC's Council of Bishops, encouraged members of the UMC to "honor the Judicial Council ruling." "Yet," Ough added, "we acknowledge that the decision does not help to ease the disagreements, impatience and anxiety that permeates The United Methodist Church over the matter of human sexuality, and particularly this case. Our compassion and prayers of intercession extend to all those who are hurt, relieved, confused or fearful." "We urge you to join your bishops in daily prayers for all United Methodists and for the denomination as we tenderly hold the unity and mission of the church in our hearts and hands," said Ough. press@cdaily.co.kr - Copyright , #UMC Pu Zincung has arrived in Matupi town on 26th in order to discuss about current peace process in Myanmar at the fellowship program, invited by the student union. But the program was canceled by Mindat district administration group by the order of Home Ministry in Union government, said Salai Thang Lung, secretary of Myanmar Chin student union. We heard that they made excused on not mentioning panelist names in the program sheet. We didnt know what exactly the reason clearly. The objection came from Midat district as district is under controlled by state, and state also is controlled by Union government, he added. Salai Thang Lung said, CNF is now legal organization as they are one of signatories on NCA, and they have freedom to speak and travel, meeting with public as mentioned in NCA. This is the violation of NCA. We are very disappointed on what the government did. In fact, NCA is meaningless for us and we are very sad. In this regards, Salai Isaac Khin, Minister of Municipal in Chin state said, One of the main reasons is that student union is not political party or group, if political group invite him we have nothing to say it. And if he gives address on CNF organizing meeting or conference, we have no word to say, but in this case the organizer is student union. As he is a top leader, his words and opinions have to be harmony with NRPC. In fact, the student union has to inform state government in advance, then government officials will ask the opinion of NRPC, if they have no objection we can arrange as per their invitation to Khonumthung News. The Anglican Church of Ireland is considering a motion this week that would ask clergy to be more open to welcoming same-sex couples. The motion would not include a full endorsement of same-sex marriage, but would be a step in that direction. Christian Today reports that the Churchs general synod is set to meet in Limerick and will discuss the motion which asks clergy to acknowledge the injury felt by members of the Church who enter into loving, committed and legally-recognised, same-sex relationships, due to the absence of provision for them to mark that key moment in their lives publicly and prayerfully in Church. It goes on to ask clergy to take action and look into sensitive, local pastoral arrangements for public prayer and thanksgiving with same-sex couples. If the motion is passed, it will be brought before the annual synod meeting in 2018. Although the Anglican Church of England and Scotland have become more lenient toward gay marriage in their official Church doctrine, the Church of Ireland continues to be more hesitant to change Church teaching on this issue. The Church voted in 2012 to maintain the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com Publication date: May 3, 2017 I am writing this week from the Holy Land, where I spent yesterday watching Israelis celebrate their independence. Huge crowds gathered on the Tel Aviv beach to watch an air show performed by their nations military. Families filled every park I saw. The mood was upbeat and energetic. I was especially moved by our visit to Independence Hall, the building where David ben Gurion read a statement in 1948 declaring the existence of the State of Israel. At the time, he and those who met with him knew that the nations surrounding their tiny sliver of land were likely to respond by declaring war. The country they created could be annihilated before it began. Meeting just a few years after the Holocaust, the people in the hall that day knew that their future was tenuous at best. But they acted with courage and faith, believing in their cause and willing to sacrifice their lives in its service. Sixty-nine years later, the nation they birthed continues to thrive. It can be hard to believe in ideals the world rejects. When fear and faith are at war, how do we choose faith? One: Remember what matters most. It is tempting to value the material over the spiritual. But as Alfred Lord Tennyson so famously noted, Nothing worth proving can be proven. Paul succinctly described the Christians response to our visible world: We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). While we live in the present, it is hard to envision eternity. But one day soon, eternity will be all there is and we will be forever grateful that we chose faith. Two: Refuse to quit. Scripture promises: Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis has the chief tempter Screwtape advise his demonic understudy, Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do [Gods] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys. Toward the end of Independence Day, we stopped at the memorial to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in Tel Aviv on November 4, 1995. One of Israels greatest war heroes and strongest proponents of peace with the Palestinians, he was murdered by a Jew who wanted to derail the peace process. Twenty-two years later, it seems that the conflict Mr. Rabin sought to end is no closer to resolution. However, it is always too soon to give up on hope. At the plaza where the prime minister was killed there is a plaque in his memory with the words, His legacy is peace. What will your legacy be? NOTE: I encourage you to join our long-term partner GFM Ministries for their upcoming MBB Conference on May 1213 at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. This missions conference is designed to empower and equip Christians to reach Muslims with the love and message of Jesus Christ. Readers of the Denison Forum will receive a special 25 percent discount when they register at MBBConference.org with promo code 2017DENISON. I hope youll attend if you can and ask you to pray for my friends as they reach Muslims in Dallas and around the world. Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com Publication date: May 3, 2017 For more from the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, please visit www.denisonforum.org. Do you want to live a life in whole-hearted pursuit of loving God and others? Read today's First15 at www.first15.org. A Model of Fidelity and Love If the church is to prosper and mature, she will need faithful men to lead and care for her. The church will need men who are sound in doctrine, whose lives are guided by the Word of God, and who are willing to defend the truth. The church will need to hold up as its ideal those who model fidelity and love toward God, men who will pour themselves out for the benefit of the Lords sheep. Men of this mold are gifts to the church from her Lord. In the late 1700s the Lord did indeed give such a gift to the church Lemuel Haynes. Lemuel Haynes was born on July 18, 1753 in West Hartford, Connecticut. Early biographers speculated that Hayness mother was either a daughter of the prominent Goodwin family of Hartford or a servant named Alice Fitch who worked for one John Haynes. However, speculations about his parentage proved profitless. Abandoned by his parents at five months of age, Haynes was raised as an indentured servant by the Rose family in Middle Granville, Massachusetts. The Roses treated Lemuel as one of the familys own children, giving him the same pious instruction in Christianity and family worship that Deacon Rose gave all his children. Following his indenture, Haynes volunteered in 1774 as a Minuteman and in October 1776 joined the Continental Army, thus becoming part of the American Revolution. Haynes volunteered just as the Continental Navy and Army suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of Valcour Bay on October 11, ... Any definition of church growth that doesnt allow for, even celebrate, churches that contribute in non-numerical ways is incomplete. There's more than one way for churches to grow. But over the last forty years or so we've been given one model of church growth almost exclusively. Get more people in the building. That model is so prevalent that when I dare to suggest that many small churches are healthy churches with something to add to the body of Christ, I'm met with an incredulous chorus of how can it be healthy if its not growing? The answer? Nothing in nature keeps growing continuously. Every healthy organism grows bigger until it reaches maturity, then it grows in other ways after that. Why would we expect local churches to be any different? What if gathering a bigger crowd isn't the only way for the kingdom of God to advance in a local church body? What if gathering a bigger crowd isn't the only way for the kingdom of God to advance in a local church body? What if, for some churches and ministries, a bigger crowd was actually counterproductive to the way God designed them to grow, reproduce and contribute to the body of Christ? Some Disadvantages Of Only Using Numbers To Define A Churchs Success No, we dont need to get rid of numbers. Metrics tell us many important facts, including helping us to see things objectively. But theyre not the only way to make judgments about ministry success. And yes, a numerically growing church is a wonderful thing. But its not the only thing. 1. Its too narrow Any definition of church growth that doesnt allow for, even celebrate, churches that contribute to the body of Christ in ways other than constant numerical growth is missing out on the benefits those churches can bring. 2. It leaves most churches feeling like failures If getting bigger is the only contribution that we acknowledge, then any church not experiencing constant numerical increase (most of us) feel like failures. We need to stop treating the majority of churches like theyre the foot in Pauls body analogy, hearing the hand say I dont need you! 3. It closes our eyes to great churches and ministries Numerical growth is great. For the church its essential. But, just like an army requires dozens of support staff for every soldier on the field, is it possible that the church needs multiple churches that are discipling, counseling, comforting and more, for every church thats adding to our numbers? I dont know if thats the case, but we need to be open to the possibility, so we can utilize every churchs gifts. 4. It's shame and pride-based Its a strong pastor who can keep leading a church while facing static or diminishing attendance without being overwhelmed with feelings of guilt, frustration and shame. And its an equally strong pastor who can experience constant numerical growth and not be filled with pride, even arrogance. Yes, there are many pastors on both sides of that equation who keep a proper attitude of gratefulness and humility, but a numerically-based system of ministry success makes it much harder. Some Possible Advantages Of Defining Church Success In New Ways 1. Encouraging and empowering more churches Instead of insisting on numerical growth for every church, what if we did the hard work of helping churches discover what they are good at, then encouraging and resourcing them to do that ministry really well? 2. Sparking innovation When everything has to fit within a pre-ordained box even if its a good box it stifles outside-the-box thinking. There are some great, innovative churches doing wonderful work to get the message of the Gospel out in new ways. But the only ones we know about are big. As I wrote in my previous post, Getting Unstuck: Innovative Small Churches Find Alternatives, Not Excuses, the limitations within small churches shouldnt cause us to settle for business-as-usual, they should spark us to become more innovative. The limitations within small churches shouldnt cause us to settle for business-as-usual, they should spark us to become more innovative. Virtually every historical innovation happened, not when everything was going well, but when we faced challenges. If smaller churches were encouraged to look for fresh, new ways of doing ministry instead of being forced into a preconceived definition of success, a lot of them would step up and surprise us. 3. Decreasing the clergy/laity divide Small churches cant hire staff. So we have to equip the saints. In the church I pastor, for example, every staff member, ministry leader and volunteer has been raised up from within our church. So weve gotten used to the idea that people performing what are normally considered pastoral tasks arent trained clergy. Its just us helping each other. Some Possible New Ways To See Church Growth And Ministry Success So, what might some of those new definitions of church growth look like? We wont know until we create an environment where they can flourish and show us. In a previous post, 3 Ways Some Churches Grow Without Getting Bigger, I took a look at a few possibilities, so Ill list them here and leave it to you to click the link and get the details. Growth by multiplication Growth by sending Growth in influence Again, No Excuses Allowed Lack of numerical growth should never be seen as an excuse to settle for less. But it should also never be seen as a reason to criticize, diminish or ignore churches that dont fit into our definition of success. Every church has something they can contribute to the body of Christ. Every church has something they can contribute to the body of Christ. What theyre called to do may not be noticed by others, but if theyre practicing the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, they should be encouraged and empowered to keep doing it. And keep getting better at it. In fact, as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we need to remember that sometimes the greatest renewals, revivals and revolutions come from the places we least expect it. Copyright 2017 by the author or Christianity Today. Click here to read our guidelines concerning reprint permissions. Seth Perlman/STF Brightwood College in Houston is hosting a career fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 17 in North Houston. The event, at the 711 E. Airtex Drive campus, is free but requires registration by calling (281) 784-7300. A federal investigation into a plan to manipulate the market value of Chimera Energy Corp. has resulted in five people being charged with securities fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston announced. The indictment was unsealed Tuesday against Houston residents Eddie Douglas Austin, Jr., 66; Carolyn Price Austin, 62; and Charles Earl Grob, Jr., 37 along with John David Brotherton, 57 of League City and Scott Russell Sieck, 58, of Winter Park, Fla. Each is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Houston police cruiser was hit early Wednesday morning in southeast Houston while en route to a separate emergency call. The HPD patrol car was headed southeast in the 7700 block of Airport Drive when a resident driving a black Acura slammed into the cruiser at the intersection of Airport and Broadway Street, said HPD spokesman Victor Senties. The driver was headed northwest on Broadway and did not yield the right of way to the cruiser. The HPD officer was uninjured. The Acura driver complained of minor injuries and was treated and released at the scene, Senties said. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy of Marie Flanigan Show More Show Less 3 of 3 If you think of your family room coffee table as a place to set anything and everything, you might want to rethink that. It's a piece of furniture in your room that can do more heavy lifting -- in the style department, anyway -- than you think. According to Sai Htun Aung, an MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing Laikha Township, village elders and MPs met with representatives of the Burmese military on April 28. He said that the military officials agreed to give back the villagers lands. We have submitted details of the case to the Shan State parliament. The deputy minister of defense told us that they would return the lands to the rightful owners, said Sai Htun Aung. We are now moving ahead by checking and preparing the land. [Burmese army] Battalion No. 515 seized the residents lands in Honar Wanparng tract when they set up their base there in the 1990s, the SNLD lawmaker said, adding that the farmers claim about 184 acres of lands were confiscated. He added that no timeline had yet been laid out for when Battalion No. 515 would officially hand over the lands. Shan Herald reported on April 28 that the residents in Kha Laing village in northern Shan States Hsipaw Township had gathered in the street to demand the return of their lands from the Burmese military. During the era of the military junta, arbitrary seizures of farmers lands were common across the country, particularly in Shan State. By the 2000s, much of the seized land had been rented out to agri-business firms, and a massive government campaign was initiated to encourage investment in the harvesting of jatropha oil. Ultimately, the scheme failed; investors lost great sums of money, while farmers lost land and livelihoods. By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) If your property is stolen from your house or car, how confident are you the police can help get it back? The Wharton Police Department is sharing three important precautions every property owner should take to prevent thefts and help police solve theft and burglary cases. "No. 1, we need you to lock your car doors, guys and gals," Det. Ariel Soltura says in a Facebook video posted Tuesday by the police department. "Please, please, please, let's not leave an open invitation for thieves to come and steal our property that we've all worked so hard for." EMERCENCY TIP: Why Texas police want you to put ICE on your phone But what if it's already too late? Soltura says residents can prepare now by taking photos of all of their valuables. The third way to protect yourself - write down serial numbers for every item possible, immediately after purchase, Soltura said. "A Samsung TV, and a Samsung TV, and another Samsung TV - they all look the same, right? But, what makes them different is that serial number. So when you get the box, write down the serial number and keep it in a safe place." Tracking serial numbers of stolen items can help alert police if an item is pawned or if it comes up in another agency's search, Soltura said. "It's a valuable tool for us to get your stuff back." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Royal Caribbean is expanding its ship lineup in Galveston. The island will welcome the Enchantment of the Seas on June 23, 2018. Sailings on the new-to-Galveston vessel will be available to book starting Friday, May 5. WHERE TO GO FROM GALVESTON: Cruise destinations that depart from the Port of Galveston Some Miami guests who were previously booked on this ship for cruises after June 23, 2018 will now board the Mariner of the Seas instead. The cruise liner also announced in a press release that after a three-year hiatus, it will start cruising from New Orleans again with the 915-foot, 2,435-passenger ship Vision of the Seas. Cruises will begin Dec. 15, 2018 with seven-night itineraries to the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula. WHAT NYT GOT RIGHT AND WRONG: The New York Times highlights some of Galveston's best restaurants and attractions Previously when the Royal Caribbean's two-year agreement with the Port of New Orleans ended the cruise line declined to resume travel from the city. The Vision of the Seas will be sailing from to the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles on two separate 16-day trips before making its way to New Orleans. See the video above to learn how cruise liners are affecting the travel industry. A Kroger employee is accused of embezzling $275,000 from a Cypress-area store. Dana Williams, 29, has been charged with felony theft for a scheme prosecutors say started in March 2016, two years after she began working at the Barker Cypress Road store location. STOPPED: Citizens chase down suspect who allegedly tried to steal woman's purse at Texas H-E-B Sometimes the Houston woman just brazenly took cash out of the safe and stashed it in a hoodie pocket, court documents allege. Other times, she manipulated the self-checkout machines to account for money she stashed away, according to a sworn affidavit. The embezzlement scheme came to light after Williams missed work for a sick day and another employee was called in to do bookkeeping. When Harris County Sheriff's Office Financial Crimes investigators took on the case, they found numerous videos of her pocketing money, according to court documents. When a sheriff's office sergeant interviewed Williams, she admitted to the theft, saying she'd used the money to buy pills. Charges were filed Friday, and Williams was booked into the Harris County jail on Monday, where she's currently being held on $500,000 bail. She's due back in court on May 31. Kroger declined to comment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Italian Cultural Center 1101 Milford, iccchouston.com YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW: Stories about three very different women and the men they attract. 7 p.m. Thursday River Oaks Theatre 2009 W. Gray, landmarktheatres.com NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND: A pacifist princess desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet. Midnight Friday and Saturday Discovery Green 1500 McKinney, discoverygreen.com SING: A hustling theater impresario's attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates, even as its finalists' find that their lives will never be the same. 8:30 p.m. Friday GHOSTBUSTERS: Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts band together to stop the other-worldly threat. 8:30 p.m. Saturday MATCH 3400 Main, matchouston.org BREATHE: THE HOME BIRTH DOCUMENTARY: Film follows 10 women and their exciting journey through the home-birth process. 7 p.m. Tuesday Market Square 301 Milam, marketsquarepark.com OFFICE SPACE: Three company workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel against their greedy boss. 8 p.m. Wednesday Houston Museum of Natural Science 5555 Hermann Park Drive; hmns.org WILD AFRICA 3-D: A contrast of stunning deserts beside wild oceans and coral reefs. Multiple screenings daily DREAM BIG 3-D: Learn how today's engineers are shaping the world of tomorrow. Multiple screenings daily EXTREME WEATHER: Discover the complex forces influencing our weather. Multiple screenings daily Museum of Fine Arts, Houston 1001 Bissonnet; mfah.org GAZA SURF CLUB: A documentary chronicling the world of Gazan surfing enthusiasts as they navigate the challenges and restrictions of daily life under siege. 7 p.m. Friday AFTER THE STORM: After the death of his father, a private detective struggles to find child support money and reconnect with his son and ex-wife. 5 p.m. Sunday Rice Cinema 6100 Main, film.rice.edu RADIANCE OF RESISTANCE: The plight of children living under occupation in Nabi Saleh village. 4 p.m. Saturday RETURNING TO SEIFA VILLAGE: A profile of young Gazans returning to their village after an attack in 2014. 4 p.m. Saturday GAZA SURF CLUB: A documentary chronicling the world of Gazan surfing enthusiasts as they navigate the challenges and restrictions of daily life under siege. 7 p.m. Saturday GAZA A GAPING WOUND: A short film about the families from Gaza whose lives were shattered during the Israeli offensive in 2014. 7 p.m. Saturday WE CANNOT GO THERE NOW, MY DEAR: A documentary on Palestinian refugees fleeing from Syria, now refugees twice over. 5 p.m. Sunday FIRE AT SEA: A documentary on the refugee crisis and its effect on an Italian island. 5 p.m. Sunday This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A group of teenagers sitting around discussing Chinese infrastructure and United States foreign policy is not what most would expect to hear as they pass through the small patio off the teacher's lounge at Memorial High School on Thursday. But these students are members of the debate team and the subject matter isn't out of the ordinary for the foursome. The two juniors, one sophomore and one freshman have formed their opinions on national and global matters after months, even years of diving into high-level policy papers, essays and journals. "They read a lost of stuff your average teenager, or anyone has never really read, or thought about, like post modern philosophy," said Cecil Trent, speech and debate teacher at Memorial. In June, all four will travel to Birmingham, Ala., for the 2017 National Speech & Debate Tournament to pit their combined knowledge and debating skills against not only other U.S. high school teams, but teams from all over the globe. Memorial and Spring Woods High School both have strong debate reputations and send competitors to nationals most years, but haven't yet brought back the big prize. The practice of debate has been shown to improve student performance, and Ivy League universities are rife with former high school debaters. According to the American Debate League, "While only 50 percent of high school students in urban schools graduate, ninety percent of urban high school debaters graduate. What is more, 72 percent of high-risk secondary-school debaters graduate, versus just 43 percent of high-risk non-debaters. They also score better on ACT and SAT tests, get into better colleges, and perform better once in college. Furthermore, pupils do not need to debate forever to see results - even one or two debate experiences improves performance." The nationally-qualified competitors at Memorial HS know debate has already given them skills they'll need to succeed in college and beyond. "I was shy, and my mother made me take it," said Olivia Du, 14 and a freshman. "I've become a better public speaker and I've become more outgoing." Parth Misra, 15, sophomore, is Du's partner in the policy debate category. The topic they've studied all year and will debate at nationals is: "The U.S. should substantially increase its diplomatic relationship with China." The resolution is handed down to every high school across the country by the national association each year. The students must prepare arguments both for and against the resolution. Du and Misra are going to the national tournament for the first time and will compete against students that are older than them and are more experienced debaters. "It probably means we'll lose," said Misra. "But we gain some very valuable insight." Trent says participation in debate teaches kids that not only is there two sides to every issue, there's often multiple sides. All four say they've learned how to do research, be creative problem solvers and even start seeing themselves as having the potential to one day affect pressing global issues. "When you look at China it has a really interesting background in relation to how they've been shaped," said Misra. He names China's trade, cyber-war and prostitution as factors that have influenced the United States' relationship with the superpower. Kendrick Foster, 17, junior, has been on the team for two years and says he's grown as a person through the class. He wants to be a "policy wonk." 'Secret treasure of high school' Debate can seem like something reserved for affluent schools, but Barry Hammond, a River Oaks attorney and former debater at Clear Lake High School says the practice is too valuable for students to keep it locked up in an ivory tower. Hammond was a founding member of the Houston chapter of the Urban Debate League, a nonprofit that promotes and supports competitive debate at Houston-area schools. "I love debate because it can help in the careers that people typically associate with debate - politics, law - but also helps you in any career whether a doctor or running your own business," said Hammond. "You get to see these kids reclaim their pride and get self confidence and pick up skills, it's inspiriting to be around them." In February the team at Memorial travelled to Harvard University in Boston, MA. for a tournament against an international set of students and some of the best in the country. It cost $400 per student and covered airfare, hotel and entry fees. Over the last two years the debate team received a $3,500 budget each year, and the Memorial Booster Club often donates above that. All the students credit Trent with making sure each competitor who qualifies for a tournament has the chance to go, whether they can pay for expenses or not. "Mr. Trent calls debate the secret treasure of high school," said Samuel Yang, 17, junior. Submitted Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Rice Village's all-new Morningside Plaza with a free, mid-day performance of the Rice University Mariachi Band on Friday, May 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Morningside Plaza, the popular new Rice Village gathering spot with free WiFi and comfortable seating, is located between Times Boulevard and University Boulevard in front of D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe, Nao Ramen Houston, and newcomer Hopdoddy Burger Bar. A northwest Houston man wasn't about to allow three robbers to make it out of his house unscathed. The trio broke into the man's home in the 3200 block of Cliffmarshall around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, said Lt. Larry Crowson with the Houston Police Department to television reporters. The small crisis takes place countless times at the lunch hour in schools across Greater Houston: Students have no lunch money, for all sorts of reasons. The solution du jour in many area school districts is cheese on bread, which officials describe as a necessary balance between child nutrition and fiscal responsibility. While not exactly Dickensian, these "alternative meals" are the best the school officials say they are able to do. In Deer Park ISD, for example, children who don't have lunch are offered a hot grilled cheese sandwich, fruit and milk. Children are allowed to charge up to three meals or $5, whichever comes first. There is no charge for snacks. The lunch debt in the district was close to $3,000, but after hearing about the accumulating amount, a family in Deer Park came forward and took action. "A local family donated to pay over $600 of the student lunch debt," said Matt Lucas, Deer Park ISD spokesperson. If the debts are not paid by the students' families by the end of the school year, Lucas said, the district general fund reimburses the child nutrition fund the total amount of the negative charges left on student accounts. Those accounts are adjusted to zero to begin the new school year. Friendswood ISD is one of four area districts that serve regular meals instead of meager alternative ones. Friendswood ISD's total debt for unpaid meals is $3,565. If Friendswood ISD students don't have lunch for the day, the district provides them with the same lunch being served to other students. "It's more cost-effective for us that way," district spokeswoman Dayna Owen said. "This way, our staff isn't having to make two separate lunches to account for students who, for whatever reason, don't have lunch that day. They're just served the same thing as everyone else; we already have the lunches ready." The lunch tab accumulates and the student's family is asked to pay the final tab at the end of the year. Owen said that the district feels that it's important, not only for students to have a good meal, but also that they not feel ostracized if they don't have money for lunch that day. "We don't want them to feel embarrassed," Owen said. "Giving them the same lunch as everyone else can help with that." Neighboring Pearland ISD, which has an unpaid school lunch debt of $2,623, continues to serve a hot meal until a lunch account is $5 overdrawn. At that point, cafeteria workers are instructed to set aside the regular lunch tray, and students are given a sack lunch with a cheese sandwich, a vegetable and a carton of milk. Alvin ISD, with a lunch debt of $8,178, serves an alternate meal of sandwishes with soy butter or peanut butter and jelly or cheese along with milk. Pearland ISD spokeswoman Kim Hocott says campus staff are sometimes able to bend the rules. "There are exceptions made every day in Pearland ISD. Every situation is handled on an individual basis," Hocott said in an email. "In those cases where the student is a victim of the parent's negligence, the hearts of our people go out to that child and help. Unfortunately, it is usually more reliable to count on our school personnel than on such parents." Hocott wrote that campus staff sometimes step in to help students. "Our principals, teachers and food services staff are incredibly receptive and generous toward students - and unfortunately more conscientious and prompt than some negligent parents," she wrote. "If the school knows there is a problem at home, they help. Every day, every week in this district, there are teachers, staff and principals who give of their own personal resources to take care of kids. Again, this includes food, clothing, school supplies and many other needs. Most of them do so without announcing it with trumpets." Jennifer Basich, director of child nutrition services in Alvin ISD, said, "Our district uses an online meal payment system that parents can access 24/7. It sends low balance reminders and lets parents know what their student is eating. In addition, it allows parents to pay for meals instantly. "From my perspective, school districts are doing everything they can to help students. This issue is a USDA issue," she said. "If we as a nation do not like collecting money from parents, we should make his program universally free. Unfortunately, collecting money and dealing with the downside of it has become the burden of school districts nationwide." The issue is sparking debate from Austin to Washington over the obligation increasingly low-income public schools face to feed kids who either haven't applied for free or reduced-price meals or don't have lunch money. One local critic known as the lunch angel has founded a local nonprofit to address school debts. At least five others have launched fundraisers. State legislators in Austin continue to propose fixes, including House Bill 2159, a proposal introduced by Rep. Helen Giddings (D-DeSoto), that would allow at least a two-week grace period for parents to repay the schools. Other states have taken stronger measures. New Mexico recently outlawed shaming students whose parents have fallen behind making payments. Schools will be required to work with parents to repay debts or apply for help. How to handle those at other campuses who still struggle to pay, yet do not sign up or qualify for help, remains up for debate. Nutrition directors endeavored to find a palatable solution. With free lunch for all unlikely, each developed a slightly different answer. "You can argue it either way," said Fred Walker, child nutrition director for Clear Creek ISD. "There's not a right or wrong answer to the whole situation, other than the kid is the one who suffers for it." Schools consider alternative meals a last resort. Children complain about them, prompting parents to confront the issue. Nearly half of 2,426 students who owed money this year in Alief ISD, for example, qualified for free lunch. But no one wants to take away a hot meal. And directors worry over sandwich stigma. To reduce shame, the child nutrition director for Stafford schools serves cheese sandwiches monthly for everyone. Unpaid meal policies differ beginning with the limit on how much can be charged to an empty account. That might be $1, as in Clear Creek ISD, or $20, as in Humble ISD. Meals across grade levels cost an average of $2.27. Schools also have various methods for contacting families. Often, they issue alerts when accounts get low and send home letters when they empty. "We all work on it," echoed Jennifer Basich, director of child nutrition services in Alvin ISD. "It's the lunch lady. It's the cashier. It's the principal. It's the secretary. It's the parents." The free meal provided when charges run out is often cheese on bread - usually cold, except at Deer Park ISD, where it's grilled. It is common in part because of peanut allergies. Some offer sides. All provide juice or milk. Of 32 area districts surveyed, only four served a regular meal instead of an alternative one to students who continue to be unable to pay. In addition to Friendswood and Houston, they are Spring Branch and Cypress-Fairbanks, which cover costs with accounts funded by donations. "There's some things you just can't skimp on," said Kenny Thompson, aka the lunch angel. "You can't skimp on a child's health." Kristi Nix contributed to this story Five HSI KatyStudents Compete for their Campus Five students at Harmony School of Innovation in Katy are giving traction to their talents by submitting a painted pair of shoes to the eighth annual Vans Custom Culture art competition for a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles and $50,000 for their campus art program. More than 3,000 schools across the nation participate in this competition which asks students to create the most artistic and inventive design on a pair of black Vans. If a teacher registers their class to compete, students are provided with four pairs of blank Vans shoes, which they use to represent the four themes of the Vans' "Off the Wall" lifestyle: action sports, arts, music and local flavor. Vans employees choose the top 50 schools as semi-finalists, but the public chooses the top five who go to Los Angeles for a celebrity judge event to choose the winner. For more information, visit http://customculture.vans.com. Superintendent honors teachers Katy ISD Superintendent Lance Hindt recently surprised two teachers with the District-wide Campus Teacher of the Year Award. WoodCreek Elementary School teacher Kristal Parrish and Taylor High School teacher Phuong Nguyen were chosen for the elementary and secondary awards respectively. Randolph Elementary teacher Connie Summerford and McMeans Junior High teacher Sarah Brown were also recognized by the superintendent as District-wide Rookie Teachers of the Year. Family members along with campus principals and district staff joined all of the Campus Teachers of the Year to make their annual recognition ceremony an amazing and unforgettable event. Visit www.katyisd.org/sites/toy/Pages/TOY-2017.aspx and www.katyisd.org/sites/toy/Pages/OFTOY-2017.aspx for more information about teachers of the year and rookie teachers of the year. Teacher wins grant Bear Creek Elementary Academic Support Teacher Karen Baker has been awarded a grant from the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation. Approximately 90 applications were submitted to the organization from across Texas and Baker will receive $500 to be used for classroom needs. Educational Results Partnership and the Institute for Productivity in Education selected Campbell, Dickinson and Frost elementary schools in Lamar Consolidated Independent School District as three of only 727 public schools in Texas to receive the title of 2016 Honor Roll school. The Honor Roll is part of a national effort to identify higher-performing schools and highlight successful practices that improve outcomes for students. Schools receiving this distinction from leaders in the academic and business communities have demonstrated consistent high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time and reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. "We are very proud to be recognized by both education and business leaders," said Lamar CISD Superintendent Thomas Randle. "Our entire staff works tirelessly to keep the focus on high expectations and student academic achievement, while also continuously improving our practices. This hard work and dedication is paying off for all of our students, no matter their background." "These Honor Roll schools are clearly improving outcomes for their students, as the academic data show," said Charles Miller, chairman of IPE. "The next step is to understand how their educational productivity then translates to economic productivity. To do this, we must link academic and financial data to measure educational funding vs. student outcomes. Our economy will thrive when we are boosting student achievement without spending more that is to say, when we are getting the biggest bang for our education buck." "Many schools across the country are doing well, even those with high numbers of historically disadvantaged students," said Jim Lanich, ERP president/CEO. "The Honor Roll proves that all schools, no matter what ZIP code they are in, can achieve this kind of success. School and school district leaders have a great opportunity to find out what's working at these Honor Roll schools and replicate it." The Texas Honor Roll program is made possible by support from numerous businesses and organizations including the Texas Business Leadership Council, American Automobile Association Texas, Macy's, Wells Fargo, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, and several private foundations. Chevron Corp. provides support for the STEM Honor Roll. 7 students score well in math contest Seven Lamar CISD "mathletes" journeyed to Chicago to take part in the nation's most prestigious math competition. Arshaan Ali, a junior at George Ranch High School, earned a Gold medal with the second highest score among all of the juniors attending the event. MathCON is an academic competition hosted every year by Concept Schools. Approximately, 50,000 students nationwide competed in the online round of MathCON this year and the top 1 percent (576 students) were invited to the MathCON finals at the University of Illinois Chicago on April 22. Eight Lamar CISD students were in the top 1 percent and seven made the trip to Chicago to take the final written exam. Students had 80 minutes to complete 50 challenging math problems spanning across several mathematical disciplines: algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis, number systems and pre-calculus. Medals were awarded to the top performers in each grade level. Earning honorable mentions at the competition were: Ryon Middle School sixth-grader Zaina Ali, who is Arshaan's sister; Reading Junior High eighth-graders Millan Misra and Stefan Pham; and George Ranch senior Alexander Stockman. Lamar Consolidated High School junior Haily Arteaga and Foster High School freshman Meggie Wang were also in the one percent of the nation's math wiz's that made the trip to Chicago. We are incredibly proud when any of our students earn recognition for their accomplishments, and we are so excited seven of our students proudly represented Lamar CISD in the finals," said Katie Marchena-Roldan, the district's math coordinator. "The (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) field is such an important part of the future, and we actively encourage our teachers and students to find fun ways to use STEM inside and outside of the classroom." The 2016 Panama Papers story confirmed that many world leaders were availing themselves of money-laundries to secretly funnel their wealth offshore, with results ranging from severe embarrassment to radical changes in governments. The aftershocks are still being felt. In Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was put on trial after it was revealed that he, too, had been hiding his money offshore with the help of the disgraced Mossack Fonseca law firm, money launderers to the world. Sharif escaped conviction which probably says more about Pakistan's court system than anything else and his triumphant daughter Maryam celebrated by tweeting that "Panama is crap. Trashed in the rest of the world. Those relying on it to bring down NS wil bite the dust Insha'Allah," adding "Panama papers were never about corruption. Even the stealers & hackers (read originators) didn't say it was." Of course, this is bullshit. The prizewinning journalists from Suddeutsche Zeitum who broke the story replied: "Sorry to tell you: #panamapapers ARE about #corruption. We found an astonishing number of corruption cases in the documents and all real," adding: "Trashed in the rest of the world? ICYMI: ~150 investigations, audits & investigations #PanamaPapers in ~80 countries." "I don't know why she tweeted what she tweeted, looks like party politics," he told Dawn. His response, he said, was "generally about the Panama Papers". "To my best knowledge, no other head of state has challenged [their] veracity not even Vladimir Putin, whose best friend we found in the centre of a number of offshore companies," the German journalist said. Panama Papers 'is crap', tweets Nawaz Sharif's daughter [Shailaja Neelakantan/Times of India] Conroe police identified the man an officer shot and killed Monday as the ex-boyfriend of a woman involved in a deadly family disturbance earlier that afternoon. Detectives believe Joseph William Alain, 25 of Bellaire, was possibly upset about a recent breakup with his 24-year-old ex-girlfriend, so he drove up to Conroe before 1:30 p.m. to confront the woman at a home in the 500 block of Hildred Avenue. The two got into an argument, which detectives believe likely became physical at some point, according to Sgt. James Waller. Detectives gather that's when Denise Russell, 52, stepped in to protect her daughter and five-year-old grandson who was also in the house, Waller said. Police believe Alain then shot Russell, at which point the 24-year-old woman called 911. Police arrived shortly after the call and heard the disturbance inside the door, according to Conroe Police Chief Philip Dupuis. The officers approached the home, at which time the 24-year-old mother broke away from Alain and ran outside, Dupuis said. Officers shouted orders at Alain, who ran back into the house and reportedly pointed a gun at the officers. Dupuis said investigators were unsure whether the man fired his gun at the officers. After the officer shot the man, two officers entered the home and found not only the suspect dead, but also Russell's body, Waller said Monday. They also found the unharmed 5-year-old boy, who is Russell's grandson as well as the son of the 24-year-old woman who ran out of the home, according to Dupuis. Alain is not the father of the young boy, Waller said Tuesday. Autopsies have been ordered on the deceased individuals. As for the officer who shot Alain, he is a 13-year veteran with the Conroe Police Department and is on administrative leave as CPD and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office conduct their investigation. The last officer-involved shooting in Conroe involved a robbery suspect at the Walmart at Walden Road and Texas 105 West in February 2016. Christopher Allen Fillmore, who was 36 at the time, robbed the Walmart and allegedly pointed what officers believed was a handgun toward a responding officer, who shot Fillmore in the shoulder. Officers later determined the weapon to be a BB gun. The officer has since been cleared of any wrongdoing by a Montgomery County grand jury, Waller said. Fillmore is serving a 15-year sentence for the robbery after pleading guilty in September. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate La Vernia Independent School District will conduct an internal investigation of employees in connection with allegations of systemic hazing and sexual assault at the high school, the districts superintendent announced to the public Monday night. Dr. Jose Moreno said the district has gotten the green light from the Texas Rangers, who are heading the criminal investigation of La Vernia High School students, to begin interviewing school employees about their knowledge of alleged hazing practices. The districts attorney and administrators will conduct the interviews, which will probe whether any La Vernia ISD employees violated board policies, reporting procedures, administrative regulations or the code of ethics for teachers. Previously, the La Vernia Police Department had directed the district to hold off on interviewing school employees to prevent interference with the criminal investigation. We need to start asking the tough questions on our end to make sure were being thorough on our part, Moreno said. And its got to be based on fact. In addition, the district has hired a full-time campus police officer for the high school. The officer, a member of the La Vernia Police Department, will patrol the high school campus daily. Moreno said the officers presence will add a level of comfort and security for the students and their parents. Next week, La Vernia ISD will debut a new hotline called Listen to My Voice where students can anonymously report instances of bullying, harassment, threats and other misconduct. The system will enable to students to log in online or scan a QR code on their cell phones to make a report, Moreno said. We understand that students dont always want to come talk to adults about certain situations, so this just gives them another opportunity to communicate, Moreno said. Meanwhile, middle and high school students are participating in Rachels Challenge, an ongoing program that aims to reduce bullying and harassment in schools. Last week, La Vernia ISD trustees upheld the expulsion of two of the students who have been arrested, while two others withdrew their appeals and accepted their expulsions. The Texas Rangers are continuing to investigate allegations of sexual assault at the high school and will provide a report of their findings to the district once they finish, Moreno said. It is unclear if authorities will make any additional arrests beyond the 13 students who have already been charged with sexual assault. lcaruba@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A suspected member of the Aryan Brotherhood was charged with a hate crime Wednesday, accused of shouting a racial epithet while trying to trying to stab an African-American man. James Scott Lee II, 32, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with a "hate crime enhancement" added, bumping the maximum punishment from 20 years to life in prison, if convicted. "I hate n------ and I'm gonna kill me one today," Lee was quoted as saying as he brandished the knife, according to prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Lee, who is white, also had brass knuckles at the time of his arrest. Lee appeared agitated in probable cause court Wednesday as he denied that he made the statement. MOST WANTED: Aryan Brotherhood member caught in Harris County Prosecutor Lori DeAngelo requested he be held on $250,000 bail, which is more than eight times the normal amount for an aggravated assault case because of the hate crime enhancement and because he is suspected of being a member of the notorious Aryan Brotherhood of Texas prison gang. "I am a United States Army General," Lee told the magistrate judge. Prosecutors contended in a court document that Lee is either mentally unstable or has deep-seated animosity toward African-Americans, but that either way he poses an imminent threat to public safety. SOUGHT: Texas authorities add Aryan Brotherhood member to Most Wanted list "It can be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person is motivated by racial hatred, but in this case, the defendant's own words supply the evidence to charge him with a hate crime," First Assistant District Attorney Tom Berg said. The victim escaped Lee by jumping into a car and locking the door. The location of the incident was not disclosed, but the case was investigated by the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Lee has previously been convicted of domestic assault and violated a protective order. brian.rogers@chron.com twitter.com/brianjrogers Scroll through the gallery to see hate groups in Texas This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Waller County Sheriff's deputy, accused of improperly guarding Sandra Bland two years ago, has been fired in connection with a newly alleged incident. Deputy Dormic Smith, 30, of Hempstead, was fired Monday afternoon "for policy violations in regards to professionalism," Sheriff R. Glenn Smith confirmed in emails sent Tuesday. MORE SANDRA BLAND: Waller County and Texas come through on $1.9 million Sandra Bland settlement The alleged incident occurred in March during a patrol arrest, the sheriff wrote. The complainant first reported it to an officer he or she knew at another agency. The chief there contacted the sheriff, and an internal investigation resulted in his dismissal. No further details on the complaint were provided. Dormic Smith received his temporary jailer's license to work in Waller County on April 12, 2015, according to Texas Commission on Law Enforcement records. Sandra Bland died three months later, on July 13. Bland was arrested after a traffic step escalated into a heated confrontation with a state trooper, and she was found hanged in her cell three days later. Authorities deemed her death a suicide, and the trooper was later fired and indicted on a perjury charge. UPGRADE: Waller County may replace aging jail In a federal wrongful-death lawsuit, which has since been settled, Bland's mother Geneva Reed-Veal accused Smith of "failing to provide adequate monitoring of Sandra Bland to keep her safe and secure," court records show. Smith denied this in a subsequent filing. His attorney during that period, Larry Simmons, was not immediately available for comment. Smith received his full jailer's license on Feb. 17, 2016, according to the commission records. He was cleared to work as a peace officer later that year, on June 9. Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said he expected to receive the case for review Tuesday or Wednesday. "We will review everything once we get it and make appropriate decisions," he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Authorities found nearly 20 guns inside of a burning house in north Houston Wednesday morning. Officers arrived at the home in the 3600 block of Persimmon Street around 2 a.m. at the request of the fire department, said Lt. Larry Crowson with the Houston Police Department. Firefighters had just extinguished a blaze at the house. Police found 15 rifles and several pistols. Some of the rifles appeared to have been fully automatic, which requires a special license. Others appeared to have been stolen from states, including Georgia and California. No one was in the house at the time of the fire, but police believe someone did live there. Investigators do not know what caused the fire. The home on Persimmon Street was the third house to burst into flames overnight. Around 10 p.m., Houston fire fighters extinguished a blaze under two miles away, at a house on near the corner of Caplin and Torreon streets. Around 11:30, fire fighters headed to a burning house in central southwest Houston, on Dragonwick and Waterloo drives. No one was injured in any of the fires. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Kevin Fine, an attorney in Boerne whod previously served as a state district judge in Harris County, was jailed Monday evening in Kerr County by authorities investigating claims hed sought to trade legal services for drugs and sex. Fine, 50, was arrested during a sting operation by the Kerrville Police Departments special operations unit after seeking to sample what a cooperating individual told him was methamphetamine, according to Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer. He was charged with attempted possession of a controlled substance, a third degree felony, and his bond was set at $25,000, Hierholzer said. Fine already faced an identical charge in Kendall County, to which he pleaded not guilty after being arrested by Boerne police in an undercover operation there in April 2016. Hes a very, very fine criminal defense lawyer, said Wallace Ferguson, Fines lawyer in the Kendall County case. Kendall County District Attorney Nicole Bishop said Fines bond of $10,000 in that case was revoked Tuesday due to his arrest Monday. This is an incredibly unfortunate situation that demonstrates the significant impact that addiction has on so many members of our community, Bishop said Tuesday. As an officer of the court, attorneys are in a position of trust which requires they act with integrity and professionalism. Sadly, Mr. Fine has abused that trust. Fine, a Democrat, touted his own history of past drug use in his winning election campaign in 2008 for the bench in Harris County's 177th District Court. I ran because I felt like I could help more people as a judge than I could one at a time as clients, he said, according to published reports. As a recovering addict, Fine said, he was more qualified in the hopelessness and futility of addiction than his opponent. He generated headlines by declaring in 2010 the state's death penalty unconstitutional during a routine hearing, a ruling that was later reversed. He resigned the bench in 2012. Sheriff Hierholzer said the most recent investigation of Fine began last month, based on allegations that Fine was representing clients on drug charges and wanting to trade his services for either sex or drugs. The cooperating witness recorded conversations and exchanged texts with Fine to set up Mondays meeting, where the informant showed Fine that they had both cash and a substance purported to be methamphetamine. Fine asked to use some of the purported methamphetamine and the surveillance officers arrested him and placed him in the Kerr County Jail, said a press release issued by Hierholzer. A jail official said Fine was in the process of bonding out Tuesday evening. zeke@express-news.net Authorities in a Central Texas town arrested 10 people over the weekend on various charges, including drug possession and prostitution, during a three-day sting, the department announced Monday. The Woodway Public Safety Department, which resides over a small town just outside Waco, conducted the operation last weekend to target prostitution and narcotics offenses in the area. The death of Alton Sterling, whose videotaped shooting by police in Baton Rouge last summer prompted unrest across the city, and is planning to reveal in the next 24 hours that it has closed the probe, according to four people familiar with the matter. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Sterling family had yet to be informed by the Justice Department of the decision, and it is unclear how and when the department will announce its findings. "We have not heard nor received an update and are unaware of any charges that may or may not be filed," said Ryan Julison, a spokesman for the Sterling family's attorneys. "We have not received word, nor has the family been given any notice of upcoming updates regarding this case." The case will be the first time under Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the department has publicly declined to prosecute officers investigated for possible wrongdoing in a high-profile case, and officials in Baton Rouge have been girding for a possible reaction there. Sterling's death last summer sparked tense protests across the city. President Barack Obama weighed in on the matter then, declaring his confidence in the Justice Department probe and remarking, "We have seen tragedies like this too many times." The shooting came the day before a police officer in Minnesota gunned down school cafeteria manager Philando Castile during a traffic stop that was broadcast on Facebook, and in the same week that a black man upset by police and out to kill white people gunned down five officers in Dallas. A little more than a week later, another gunman targeting police shot and killed three officers in Baton Rouge. By the police account, officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake saw Sterling, 37, outside a convenience store in July after it was reported that a man had threatened someone there with a gun. Sterling, who was selling CDs outside the store, fit the description of that man, according to a search warrant affidavit in the case. A video of the shooting shows Sterling lying on his back with two officers on top of him. One of the officers appears to yell, "He's got a gun!" and then shots ring out. A detective wrote in the search warrant affidavit that officers had observed the butt of a gun in Sterling's front pants pocket. At issue in the investigation was whether Sterling was reaching for the weapon, as officers claimed, when he was shot and killed. The Justice Department declined to comment. Local police and city officials have said this week that they believed a decision was imminent, but they and representatives for Sterling's family said they had not been told when an announcement from the Justice Department was coming. Some local schools have sent notes to parents informing them of action plans in case of major protests, and several local lawmakers have publicly called on the Justice Department to end the suspense. "The Department of Justice's failure to communicate with the community has created angst and nervousness, and I fear carries the potential for increased tension between the community and law enforcement," Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D), whose congressional district includes part of Baton Rouge, wrote in a letter to Sessions on Friday. "It is inappropriate and against the interests of public safety . . . to allow this level of uncertainty to continue." Substantiating federal civil rights charges is extraordinarily difficult, requiring prosecutors to present evidence that might speak to an officer's intent at the time of the incident. Even in the Obama administration, federal prosecutors declined to bring such charges in high-profile incidents. In the case of Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014, the Justice Department found "no evidence upon which prosecutors can rely to disprove Wilson's stated subjective belief that he feared for his safety." Investigators reached a similar conclusion in the fatal 2015 shooting of Jamar Clark in Minneapolis, concluding that they could not prove that "the use of force was objectively unreasonable based on all of the surrounding circumstances." Civil liberties advocates fear, though, that the Justice Department under Sessions and President Trump might be even more reluctant to prosecute alleged wrongdoing by police. Trump has cast himself as a pro-law enforcement president, and Sessions has previously questioned broader police reforms. Last month, Sessions ordered the Justice Department to review the court-mandated reform agreements it has with troubled police departments across the country, and he has said he is worried that such agreements might bar aggressive police tactics. Sessions also has - unlike the previous attorney general, Loretta E. Lynch - offered a tacit endorsement of what's known as the "Ferguson effect," which refers to the contested idea that police might be afraid to get out of their cars and enforce the law for fear of ending up on a viral video. Sessions had, though, seemed to distinguish prosecuting individual officers from imposing sweeping reform agreements on departments. He said last month that while such cases were "usually easier to prosecute in state court," he did not feel that they chilled good policing, nor would he hesitate to involve the Justice Department when it was appropriate to do so. The Justice Department on Wednesday reached an agreement with former North Charleston, S.C., police officer Michael Slager in which he pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge in the shooting death of Walter Scott, an unarmed black motorist who was shot in the back as he ran away from a traffic stop. His killing, like Sterling's was caught on video. The Justice Department under Sessions still has a major investigation of possible police misconduct in the case of 43-year-old Eric Garner, who died after he was taken to the ground and put in an apparent chokehold by New York City police in 2014. That incident - like Sterling's death - was caught on video and prompted outrage across the country. The case was the subject of a vigorous debate under Lynch, who decided only at the end of her tenure to allow prosecutors to move forward and again present evidence to a grand jury. The timing of her decision effectively left the matter to Sessions, who last month declined to comment on what he might do. --- VIDEOS: The Justice Department is closing its investigation into the Baton Rouge police shooting death of Alton Sterling. (Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post) -- http://wapo.st/2pVC1HJ --Embed code: Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Alton Sterling's eldest son, talks about the last moments she had with Sterling before he was fatally shot by Baton Rouge police. (Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post) --Embed code: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In an explosive and rare move, Texas judicial authorities on Wednesday asked the Texas Supreme Court to suspend a Harris County justice of the peace accused of misusing illegal drugs, "sexting" a court employee and lying about her relationship with a convicted conman. The sordid list of accusations against Judge Hilary Green, Justice of the Peace in the county's 7th Precinct, were revealed in a 316-page court filing by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct's to the state's highest court. The document describes four separate judicial misconduct complaints against Green made between 2012 and 2016 that were previously not released under commission rules. RELATED: Divorce turns ugly for Ronald Green and Hilary Harmon Green In her response to the commission, Green admitted to many of the allegations, including illegally obtaining prescription drugs and using marijuana and Ecstasy at the same time she was presiding over low-level drug possession cases involving minors in her court, the records show. "Judge Green's outright betrayal of the public's trust warrants her immediate suspension pending formal proceedings," the filing says. The Texas Supreme Court has not yet taken action on the suspension request and there is no deadline for it to rule. The commission filing confirms that the latest misconduct complaint against Green arrived in 2016 from a man who Green has admitted was her extramarital lover, Claude Barnes. Other allegations were made by Green's ex-husband, former Houston Controller Ronald Green, as part of their divorce. Green has not responded to the commission's request she be suspended. But her attorney, Chip Babcock, said he plans to argue that Green cannot be removed from office for alleged misconduct that occurred prior to November 2016, when she was re-elected to office. Her re-election occurred after most of the allegations against her were made public in articles in the Houston Chronicle, or by her opponents during the campaign. In support of his argument, Babcock cited a Texas state law that says "an officer may not be removed ... for an act the officer committed before election to office." Others have interpreted that statute to mean before a public official initially took office, which in Green's case was in 2007. But Babcock emphasized in an interview that allegations about Green's illegal drug use and sexual misconduct came to light in 2015 and 2016 from "her ex-husband and an admittedly bitter and angry former companion." Babcock said that during Green's 2016 campaign, the bulk of the allegations against her "were aired publicly and after they were aired publicly, Judge Green ran in a contested Democratic Primary against a number of candidates opposing her and defeated them with a substantial amount of the vote and subsequently won the general election." In his complaint, Barnes describes several occasions when he saw Hilary Green illegally abuse drugs. He claims that during their long-time affair the judge asked him to illegally purchase Tussionex, a prescription cough medicine, on the black market for her. He also describes how he consumed both Ecstacy and marijuana with Green. And he claims that one of Green's court officers took marijuana from a detainee and gave it to her. In her commission responses, Green admitted to misusing drugs with Barnes and to a dependence on Tussionex. In interviews and in sworn statements, Barnes also provided details of two incidents in which he and the judge hired call girls for three-way sex - including an incident involving a woman summoned from Backpage.com in Houston, and another hired while Green was staying in a hotel for a judicial conference in Austin. Another misconduct complaint, initiated by the commission itself, is based on broader allegations published by the Chronicle in a May 16, 2015 article that described claims made by Ronald Green. In divorce filings, Green alleged his former wife was a prescription drug addict who engaged in several extra-martial affairs. In divorce papers, Ronald Green also alleged that his wife had lied to the commission in response to two older judicial misconduct complaints related to Judge Green's relationship with a convicted conman named Dwayne Jordon. The Houston Chronicle wrote about ethical questions raised about Green's rulings in Jordon's favor in 2012. But the commission initially took no action on two related misconduct complaints alleging she had a conflict of interest. RELATED: Ethics issues arise in rulings by justice of the peace: Two different people filed complaints in 2012 alleging that Green had failed to recuse herself from a real estate dispute and eviction matters involving Jordon, a five-time felon. In one of those matters, Green's rulings helped Jordon temporarily seize control of his grandfather's home from his uncle, through an illegal eviction. On Wednesday, the commission for the first time revealed that it had dismissed the 2012 complaints only after Green claimed to have no relationship with Jordon outside of court - except for "one time in 2009 or 2010 when my son was invited to a birthday party." In her responses, Green has said she simply forgot about other occasions when they'd socialized, commission papers show. But commission officials claim that Green told them several lies as they attempted to investigate the complaints against her, the agency's filing says. "Judge Green's pattern of deception to the Commission is incompatible with continuing to serve as a judge." The removal request against her is based in part on her own admissions to illegal drug use, lying to the commission and sexting with a court employee and asking him to obtain prescription cough medicine for her, the commission record shows. "Based on the evidence before it, the Commission concluded that Judge Green engaged in willful violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct, willful and persistent conduct clearly inconsistent with the proper performance of her duties that cast public discredit upon the judiciary and on the administration of justice in the State of Texas," the filing says. Most judicial misconduct matters are resolved quietly in Texas behind closed doors. But Green has vowed to publicly fight removal, Babock said. Ultimately, commission officials would have to hold a public trial before seeking authority to remove her from the bench - a step that's very rare in Texas, said Eric Vinson, Executive Director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The last contested formal proceeding in Texas was in 2008. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Elected Justice of the Peace Hilary Harmon Green repeatedly ordered the eviction of tenants and relatives on behalf of a five-time felon even though she and her husband, City Controller Ron Green, both had financial and personal ties to the home builder. In one case involving Dwayne K. Jordon - a convicted thief who has admitted to repeatedly pilfering people's properties for his residential construction projects - Green evicted Jordon's own uncle despite a dispute over whether Jordon held ownership of the family home. That ruling, which later was overturned by a county court, came in 2009 - the same year Green's husband, a lawyer, was paid an undisclosed amount of money to advise Jordon on his criminal case, meet with a Harris County prosecutor and recommend a defense attorney. Through her clerk, Hilary Green refused to comment on why she did not recuse herself from more than a dozen matters involving Jordon, who has been her neighbor, her home renovation contractor and for whom her husband has served as a character witness in the pending real estate criminal case. More Information Story: Houston city controller seeks leniency for con man Story: Con man met his match in Houston matriarch Interactive map: Real estate stolen in scam Graphic: Stolen properties in Sunnyside Video: Houston family fights to keep their property Ron Green and Dwayne Jordon: A timeline 2003 Green, newly elected to the Houston City Council, spends $150,000 trying to remodel his Riverside Terrace house but can't afford to finish; it sits uninhabitable. 2006 Green nearly loses house to foreclosure. 2007 Green and wife are living in rental home and meet Jordon, who is renovating the house next door. 2008 Green obtains $508,000 bank loan to finish renovations on his Riverside Terrace home; Jordon is the builder named in the contract submitted to the bank. 2009 Jordon is targeted in criminal probe and hires Green, campaigning for city controller, as his first defense attorney. 2009 Jordon is indicted for theft of properties from 2005-2007. 2010 Jordon is charged with fraud in obtaining 2008 construction loans; case pending. 2011 Jordon pleads guilty to felony theft in property scams. 2012 Green testifies as Jordon's character witness; sentencing set for Aug. 24. Source: Court records and interviews See More Collapse "Judicial ethics prohibit the Judge from discussing cases filed in this court," Green's chief clerk, Sheritta Johnson, wrote in a response to questions that the Houston Chronicle e-mailed to Green. "In accordance with the rules of ethics governing Judges, the Judge cannot speak with you about these cases. All information about each case is contained in the court case file." Three separate requests for Green's comment were denied. The Chronicle reported last week that both Green and her husband supported leniency for the contractor con man in his pending sentencing on felony real estate theft charges. Ruled on evictions In the last four years, Hilary Green has ruled in mostly routine eviction cases involving Jordon's company, E. Jordon Inc., her own records show. As an active builder, Jordon owned dozens of properties in Precinct 7 where Green is one of two justices of the peace, a review of electronic docket records shows. In at least 10 cases, Green ordered evictions after Jordon's tenants failed to timely pay rent - or dismissed eviction cases after tenants paid or moved - for duplexes that Jordon built and claimed to own, according to a Chronicle review of documents made available by Green's staff. In one recent case, however, Green ruled against Jordon in favor of a bank that acquired one of his properties through foreclosure. In 2007, the year Green became a justice of the peace for Precinct 7, the Greens lived in a rental house next door to Jordon because their own home, which they nearly lost to foreclosure, was uninhabitable due to unfinished renovations they could no longer afford. Impressed by the work Jordon was doing in their neighborhood, they agreed in 2008 to pay him more than $200,000 to renovate their own house. Their contract with Jordon helped the Greens land a $508,000 mortgage, though their house had an assessed value in 2008 of only one third that amount, according to Harris County tax records. Ruled in family dispute Ethically, Hilary Green should have recused herself on legal cases involving Jordon because of her other associations with him, said Lillian Hardwick, an Austin attorney and expert in judicial conduct who co-authored the authoritative Handbook of Texas Lawyer and Judicial Ethics. Green's most unusual ruling favored Jordon in a family dispute over the ownership of his grandfather's house in 2009. Jordon, who has five prior felony convictions for robbery, kidnapping, firearms, drugs and theft, was raised by his maternal grandfather, Ezekel Jordon Sr., who for decades owned a brick home on Simsbrook Drive only a block from Sims Bayou in Houston, according to records and family members. But soon after the elder Jordon died in September 2009 at age 87, Dwayne Jordon changed the locks on his grandfather's house and later claimed to be the true owner by presenting two different wills and a deed that his uncle denounced as forgeries, according to documents filed in related court cases. Dwayne Jordon, who helped manage his grandfather's money, also had taken out a loan against his grandfather's house, according to interviews and public records. Even before the funeral, Jordon filed an eviction case in Green's court against his uncle Ezekel Jordon Jr., his grandfather's only son, who had been living in the house for about month before the elder Jordon died. Despite disputes over the ownership of the house and the authenticity of documents, Green ruled for Dwayne Jordon and later denied his uncle permission to re-enter the house to collect his personal property, court records show. "She illegally evicted me," Ezekel Jordon Jr. told the Chronicle. "She would not let me say anything. I was trying to tell her that the will was fake and she would cut me off." Jurisdiction question Ezekel Jordon Jr. said Green never disclosed her relationship to his nephew in court, but he learned of it in a Chronicle article published last week. In November 2009, he won an appeal, according to an order signed by then-County Court at Law Judge Jack Cagle, now a county commissioner. Jordon lacked authority to evict his uncle because he never legally established ownership of the property and therefore Green, as a justice of the peace, should not have ruled in the eviction case at all, according to arguments made in the appeal by Jordon's attorney with nonprofit Lonestar Legal Aid. According to the Texas Government Code, justices of the peace do not have jurisdiction in matters where more than $20,000 is at stake or in trials to resolve "title to land." "Justices of the peace are not supposed to act in an eviction case when there's a dispute about title," said Rich Tomlinson, director of litigation at Lonestar Legal Aid. Ezekel Jordon Jr., who was unemployed in 2009 after a recent drug possession conviction, said he was unable to afford a lawyer to fight his nephew's claim to the house by contesting the will and taking it to probate court. Instead, Dwayne Jordon quickly resold the house, records show. Lone Star Legal later provided copies of two versions of the disputed wills to the Harris County DA's office for a possible criminal investigation. "The signatures (of the deceased) on the documents do not match," Tomlinson said. Jordon's attorney, Chip Lewis, said that Jordon's uncle agreed to give up his rights to the house after being compensated by a $2,500 settlement. Lewis said he knew nothing about the will dispute. Jordon is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in the court of Harris County District Judge David Mendoza after pleading guilty to felony theft for his role in a real estate scam. Two 2009 indictments describe how Jordon and an accomplice pilfered 23 different properties, mostly in Sunnyside neighborhoods, used forged deeds to take land from rightful owners and then built houses that were sold to others. Each man blames the other for the thefts. Urging light sentence None of the evictions handled by Green involved homes Dwayne Jordon built on stolen properties, according to a review of court records. But seven involved properties in a separate mortgage fraud scheme that is part of a pending 2010 felony criminal charge against Jordon, according to the indictment and a civil lawsuit filed against Jordon by his bank. Hilary and Ron Green, one of the city's highest elected officials, appeared in court on Jordon's behalf in March. Ron Green described him as a family "friend" and has urged a lenient sentence for Jordon so that he can pay back his victims. Prosecutors are seeking at least 25 years to life in prison. lise.olsen@chron.com A mortar shell exploded during a training exercise in Afghanistan in July 2013, killing four Afghan soldiers and a U.S. Army photographer, Specialist Hilda Clayton. Clayton was training one of them in photojournalism, and both were shooting as the shell exploded. The photos were released by the U.S. Army today. Clayton's is below, the unnamed student's above. A Spring woman remains in jail on a $2 million bail, accused of embezzling $1.2 million from her employer as an administrative assistant. Paige Moody Bisher appeared Wednesday before magistrate judge Blanca Villagomez who heard the 42-year-old worked part time as an administrative assistant for a small Houston company whose owner requested to see the books recently. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The University of Texas is back in the spotlight just days after a tragic stabbing on the campus where one student was killed and three others injured. As students returned to classes Tuesday, May 2, many noticed racist, 90's-esque propaganda posted all over the campus. READ THE ORIGINAL: 1 dead, multiple injured in stabbing attack on UT-Austin campus Student Kim Nguyen came across one of the fliers and posted a photo of it to Facebook with a caption sharing her displeasure. I know what happened yesterday was a tragedy and that people are scared, upset, hurt and/or looking for someone to blame. But this? This is not okay. I don't know who you are, but by doing this, you're only spreading more fear and hate and deepening the racism that already exists in our society. We need to show love, now more than ever, not hate. Please, if anyone sees these stickers floating around, tear them down, crumble them up, and throw them away. I (thought I) crossed out the website on the bottom but don't give them the satisfaction gaining the publicity they don't deserve. Don't let the actions of a select few define our school. We can do better than this. An image of the flyer, which reads "around blacks, never relax," and includes a racist image of a black male and a web address for a neo-Nazi, racist website was also posted to Imgur by user airvex888. FROM THE AREA: UT stabbing victim from Katy, according to GoFundMe page Word of the offensive fliers spread throughout the campus, and the university's president has since issued a statement saying the posters were being taken down immediately and such behavior is unwelcome on the campus. "I spent the afternoon speaking with students and listening to their ideas, frustrations and fears," said president Gregory Fenves. "Hateful fliers continue to inflame these fears and many from feeling safe on the 40 Acres....We will not tolerate the actions of those who seek to divide us." This is not the first occasion where racist flyers have popped up on UT or other Texas campuses. After the election, campuses saw a rise in similar posters and graffiti targeting groups such as Muslims, racial minorities and immigrants. In one instance a UT fraternity house was vandalized with graffiti calling the members rapists and racists. Campus officials maintains the stance that though free speech is supported, students must also feel safe on campus, and these kinds of acts are unwelcome. A victim in the stabbing attacks at the University of Texas at Austin campus has been identified through a GoFundMe page created on Tuesday. Stuart Bayliss, a graduate of Cinco Ranch High School, was one of four men who was stabbed at UT on Monday, according to the page. It further states that his family resides in Katy and that his mother is a Katy ISD elementary school teacher. A 40-year-old man was jailed Monday on accusations that he put a metal object to an Uber driver's neck and groped the driver's genitals on the way home from a "Fiesta"-themed party in Alamo Heights. Scott Ryan now faces a charge of unlawful restraint, a third-degree felony. He remains in the Bexar County Jail on a $5,000 bond. According to his affidavit, Ryan hailed an Uber ride on Friday from the home where the party was held to an address in Olmos Park. RELATED: Records: Border Patrol agent among 13 arrested in South Texas child sex sting operation Ryan made small talk with the Uber driver about the Spurs advancing in the playoffs, then "all of a sudden," the Uber driver felt Ryan grab him by the back of the neck and press a metal object to his neck, police records state. "Everything is okay," Ryan said to the driver, according to the affidavit. He then allegedly began groping the driver's genitals as they drove down what police believe was East Olmos Street. The driver made it to Ryan's requested location, at which point Ryan released his grip and exited the car, according to the record. RELATED: SAPD identify man who allegedly broke up party at gunpoint, held ex-girlfriend hostage for 8 hours The driver found an Olmos Park police officer and reported the incident. Officers investigating the incident talked to the host of the Alamo Heights party, who confirmed Ryan had been there. They also requested Ryan's info from Uber and confirmed he had been in the driver's car at the time of the alleged incident. Ryan heard from another person that the police were looking for him and visited the Olmos Park Police Department of his own volition. He immediately requested legal counsel. Police read him his Miranda rights, released him and later obtained an affidavit for his arrest. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com cdowns@mysa.com Twitter: @calebjdowns This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN One by one, Sen. Jose Menendez read the names of Texas teenagers who had committed suicide after falling victim to cyberbullying. The Woodlands, San Antonio, New Braunfels and Texas City, among other places. CYBERBULLYING: Michigan boy, 11, hangs himself after social media prank The San Antonio Democrat then recalled the common response from police: "There wasn't any bodily harm (from cyberbullying), so there wasn't any crime committed." In a Senate Chamber hushed with emotion with relatives of several cyberbullying victims watching from the gallery, senators on Wednesday unanimously approved a change in state law to make cyberbullying a crime for the first time. Dubbed "David's Law" in honor of David Molak, a 16-year-old Alamo Heights High School student who committed suicide in January 2016 after classmates for months had mocked his appearance and threatened physical violence, Senate Bill 179 was amended by Republicans who were initially concerned the new went too far in levying penalties and mandating new rules on school districts. The measure will now go to the House, where strong support for passage is expected. A separate but similar bill has been approved by the House committee. "This has become an epidemic," Menendez said, recalling one Texas case in which a teen, who had suffered from leukemia, was bullied online with hurtful taunts: "You should be dead . . . Your cancer should come back and kill you." GONE: One year ago, an Texas teen's suicide exposed the trauma of cyberbullying The bully then offered the youth ideas on how he should kill himself. In another case, the online bully sneered after a similar suggestion: "Hopefully . . . you will be too fat to enter Heaven." "In an era when bullies Are on our children's phones, they're on our computers . . . I believe we have a responsibility to act before we have any more of our children take their lives," said Menendez, the author of the bill. "We're specifically targeting the most heinous cases." Noting that suicide rates among young adults are at an all-time high, other senators said Menendez' bill is a first step to bring Texas law up to speed with technology at a time when increasing numbers of students are being threatened, harrassed and tormented online. Under the bill, harassment, bullying and cyberbullying of a public school student or minor and injury to, or death of a minor, would become a misdemeanor crime. WHITE HOUSE VS. BULLYING: Melania Trump vows to fight cyberbullying as First Lady School districts would be required for the first time to include cyberbullying in their district policies on bullying and notify parents if their child has been the victim of bullying or is the alleged aggressor. The bill also allows courts to issue subpoenas to unmask people who anonymously harass minors online. It would give schools the ability to investigate reports of cyberbullying off campus, if it affects the school environment, and allows schools to work with police to curb online bullying. Students who engage in cyberbullying could be sent to an alternative education program or expelled for enticing other students to commit suicide. Recognizing that bullying is also a mental health issue, the bill would encourage schools to invest in counseling and rehabilitation services for the victim and the aggressor," according to an official analysis of the bill. Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, was among several Republicans who pushed for changes in the final version of the bill to ensure it addressed cyberbullying issues without imposing too many new mandates on schools.He said he wanted to ensure a responsible approach to solving a serious problem in Texas. One Republican amendment changed language that would have allowed families to recover damages in court for physical, emotional or mental injuries. Even so, families can still ask courts for an injunction against an alleged bully. "We must do everything we can to keep our children safe, at school and out of school," said Sen. Donna Campbell, a New Braunfels Republican who had two cyberbullying victims in her district and is a co-author of the bill. "If we can save just one life with this bill, that will be worth it." jimmythecure AUSTIN -- The Texas House undercut the state's emphasis on standardized testing Tuesday by agreeing to revamp the state's A-F report card that will be used to grade schools and districts. On a voice vote, the chamber agreed to water down the impact standardized tests would have on a school's or district's grade. The bill would also delay implementation of the unpopular scale that superintendents, principals and teachers say oversimplifies the quality of a school. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN The Texas House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that requires legislators and other state officials to disclose their government contracts, bond counsel work and legal referral fees. The 147-0 vote came after a lengthy delay when state Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, offered an amendment that the bill's lead sponsor said appeared to be an effort to kill it. TAKE THAT, WASHINGTON!: Texas looks to nullify federal laws HB 501 requires state officials to disclose government contracts to the state Ethics Commission if ownership of a vendor is 50 percent or higher. Public interest groups have said that percentage should be 5 percent. The bill's lead sponsor, state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, said 5 percent was too low of a threshold for disclosure because the official involved might not know about a government contract. If a legislator, for example, owned 5 percent of a dry-cleaning business, that firm may not inform him or her that they landed a government contract, Capriglione said. And with only a 5 percent stake, that legislator might not even have shareholder's rights to company audits, he added. But Cain, a freshman who is a member of the House's right-wing Freedom Caucus, made an amendment to lower the threshold to at least 20 percent. The House voted 124-0 to table it. Cain did not vote on the tabling motion and asked Capriglione if he would accept an amendment to abolish the Ethics Commission. Capriglione didn't respond, but said in an interview it appeared Cain was bent on killing the bill. Cain said his intent was not to kill HB 501. "My goal was to improve transparency," he said. PLEADING FOR FORGIVENESS: Texas congressman tearfully begs God's forgiveness for abortion, same-sex marriage The most significant change in HB 501 is to require state officials to disclose business interests to the Ethics Commission if their ownership in a company is 5 percent or higher. Current law requires that disclosure on the annual personal financial statement only if the ownership stake is 50 percent or higher. "Ultimately, more things will have to be disclosed than is currently being disclosed," said Capriglione. "A lot of times people might have 49 percent ownership. Changing it to 5 percent makes it more disclosable." Also Wednesday, the House voted145-0 to approve HB 505 to prohibit ex-legislators who become lobbyists from using their campaign accounts for contributions for two years after they leave office. Both HB 501 and 505 now move to the Senate. The bills are part of Gov. Greg Abbott's platform for "ethics reform," among the issues he made a priority item in his State of the State speech. Behold, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! The original Japanese version of the film, Gojira (which few Americans saw until a decade and a half ago when it first appeared on DVD), was produced in 1954, just nine years after we dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. When the heavily Americanized version of the film came out in 1956 it had been retitled, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! About the Japanese version, Gojira, film scholar Tim Lucas writes [the film is] "dark, melancholy, crushing, and relentless" in his late lamented magazine Video Watchdog (Special Issue 2, 1995/96). On Wikipedia, Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka is quoted as saying, "The theme of the film, from the beginning, was the terror of the bomb. Mankind had created the bomb, and now nature was going to take revenge on mankind." Thus Gojira is a dramatic embodiment of the earth's rebellion against man's stupidity: a blow-torched stomping rumination on the horrors of the atomic age, The idea of a big rubbery monster emerging from the ocean sounds silly, however Gojira is anything but. The destruction it causes, though the special effects are primitive by today's standards, is genuinely horrific. You might be one of those folks who chuckle at the marvelously-crafted miniature cities being destroyed by what is obviously a guy in a monster suit, but if you think about what it really means, your laughter should catch in your throat. The film has a prominent anti-nuclear message and is one of the earlier films to shove it right in your face. Lucas's description of "dark, melancholy, crushing, and relentless" perfectly describes the savage devastation caused by the seemingly unstoppable monster. From hell it came. Few seem to escape: either you are crushed or roasted alive. Survivors who witnessed the actual effects of the atomic bombs in both Japanese cities describe peoples' flesh melting from their bodies. When an American distributor bought the rights to release the film in the U.S., the anti-nuclear message was mostly deleted (go America!) and the film was dubbed into English with dialogue being changed in the process. The original Japanese film runs 96 minutes; the American version cuts 16 minutes of the original and runs approximately 80 minutes. It's also padded with scenes of Raymond Burr as a reporter filing dispatches throughout the film. So, if you remove all the scenes of Raymond Burr even less of the original film exists in the English version. Cut were scenes of Japanese social culture and politics, and the bulk of the anti-nuclear message, leaving a mostly solemn film that still works, albeit with more focus on the monster and less on the reason it exists and the country which it terrorizes. Both films are worth experiencing, and quite different. The segments with Raymond Burr are surprisingly well integrated in the U.S. version, with recreated sets and doubles standing in for the Japanese actors, and his narration adds even greater solemnity to the horror. He is the perfect messenger of doom. But it is the Japanese version that fully reveals the insanity of nuclear weapons. If you haven't seen it you're in for a surprise, and as a warning against the use of nuclear arms, it ranks with The Day After, a 1983 telefilm from which scared the hell out of most of America43 million people watched its original broadcast and saw a radiation-burned Jason Robards wandering through a United States in ruins after a nuclear holocaust. The best way to watch both versions of Godzilla is the Criterion Blu-ray, which has excellent transfers of the films and ample extra features. The terror embodied in Gojira now seems more real than at any time in the last quarter century. North Korea is engaged in a mad race to build and launch nuclear-armed Intercontinental Ballistic Misses. It is likely the country could annihilate most of South Korea and Japan before other nuclear-ready countries could retaliate. And it only gets worse from there. World leaders don't know how to cope with this. There is a sense of rational destabilization that makes Godzilla more timely than ever. 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. Bill C-6 Amending Canadian Citizenship Legislation Passes Senate CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A A bill to change Canadas Citizenship Act has finally been passed by the Senate with amendments, bringing the legislation closer than ever to becoming law. As a result of this bill, immigrants to Canada would be able to apply for Canadian citizenship earlier and more easily than before. In a vote of 45 for, 29 against, and zero abstentions, Bill C-6 passed the Senate at around 4 p.m. on May 3, 2017. Senators in Ottawa have asked their colleagues in the House of Commons to review the bill, including amendments added by the Senate after the draft bill was previously passed by the House of Commons in June of last year. The bill must receive royal assent before becoming law. C-6 reduces the amount of time permanent residents have to live in Canada in order to become eligible to apply for citizenship, from four out of six years to three out five years. In addition, applicants who spent time in Canada on temporary status such as on a work or study permit would be able to count a portion of this time towards the three-year requirement. The wide-ranging bill would repeal many parts of the former Conservative governments citizenship legislation, including a provision that revoked citizenship from dual Canadian citizens convicted of terrorism, treason or espionage. C-6 would also repeal the governments authority introduced by the previous Conservative government to revoke citizenship for certain acts against the national interest of Canada. These grounds include convictions of terrorism, high treason, treason or spying offences, depending on the sentence received, or for membership in an armed force or organized armed group engaged in armed conflict with Canada. The bill also removes the intent to reside provision, and an increased number of applicants would be exempt from language proficiency requirements. The bill passed by the House of Commons last year placed an age range of 18 to 54 for language testing, but this was amended to 18 to 60 in the Senate following an amendment tabled by Independent Senator Diane Griffin. While being read in the Senate, Senators passed a number of other amendments to the bill. Among these were a provision requiring the Immigration Minister to inform individuals who have their citizenship revoked due to fraud or misrepresentation that they have the right to appeal the decision in Federal Court. Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act introduced by the previous Conservative government, removed the right to a Federal Court hearing for individuals subject to revocation of citizenship in cases where it was found that citizenship was obtained by fraud. Since C-24 came into effect, affected individuals have 60 days to respond in writing after being informed that their citizenship will be revoked. Another amendment, tabled by Conservative Senator Victor Oh, would allow minors to apply for citizenship without assistance from their parents. Under existing laws, parents and children are treated as one unit when applying. If the parents citizenship application is rejected, the children or child included on the file cant get citizenship either. In such a case, the child has to wait until the age of 18 to make another application. While it took almost a year to be passed by the Senate, that institution has stepped up to be one of sober second thought by giving the bill three readings and bringing in some important amendments, says Attorney David Cohen. The spirit of the bill remains intact, however, and, if and when it becomes law, immigrants to Canada will have a quicker and smoother pathway to Canadian citizenship. To find out more about applying for Canadian citizenship in light of the proposed changes to the Citizenship Act, please send an email to citizenship@canadavisa.com. Please include information about your time as a Canadian permanent resident, as well as any information about previous time spend in Canada with temporary status. To learn more about Canadian citizenship, click here. To find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada through one of the currently available programs, please fill out a free online assessment today. 2017 CICNews All Rights Reserved Canada Abolishes Conditional Permanent Residence Provision for Spouses and Partners CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Spouses and common-law partners sponsored to immigrate to Canada will no longer experience a period of conditional permanent resident status. Instead, they will have full permanent resident status upon landing. The removal of the conditional permanent residence provision was confirmed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on April 28, 2017. By eliminating the condition, the Liberal government said that it was addressing concerns that vulnerable sponsored spouses or partners may stay in abusive relationships because they are afraid of losing their permanent resident status, even though an exception to the condition existed for those types of situations. Abuse may be physical, sexual, psychological, and/or financial. The condition had originally been introduced by the previous Conservative government in October, 2012 as a means to deter people from seeking to immigrate to Canada through non-genuine relationships. While the current government admits that cases of marriage fraud may exist, it also states that the majority of relationships are genuine and most spousal sponsorship applications are made in good faith, adding that eliminating conditional permanent residence upholds the Governments commitment to family reunification and supports gender equality and combating gender violence. The elimination of the condition had been expected for some time. In its Forward Regulatory Plan released in October, 2016, IRCC stated its intention to [change] those provisions with the objective of addressing concerns that have been identified, such as the vulnerability of sponsored spouses. At that time, IRCC stated that On balance, the program integrity benefits of conditional permanent residence have not been shown to outweigh the risks to vulnerable sponsored spouses and partners subject to the two-year cohabitation requirement . . . The proposed repeal of conditional permanent residence recognizes that the majority of relationships are genuine, and the majority of applications are made in good faith. Eliminating conditional permanent residence would facilitate family reunification, remove the potential increased vulnerability faced by abused and neglected spouses and partners, and support the Governments commitment to combating gender-based violence. The governments action today, and over recent months, says to new immigrants and Canadians alike that they are trusted. It also reaffirms the governments belief that the existing legislation is robust enough to be able to deal with any possible case of abuse without recourse to a conditional permanent residence provision, says Attorney David Cohen. The safety and well-being of all residents of Canada is paramount, and by eliminating this provision, the government will allow more newcomers to settle and integrate, knowing that Canada is their long-term home. Overall, it helps to build a stronger society for all. What to do if youre in an abusive situation The government provided the following advice for persons in abusive situations: In Canada, abuse is not tolerated. If you are a sponsored spouse or partner and are experiencing abuse or neglect by your sponsor or their family, you do not have to remain in that abusive situation. Find out how to get help. Find out more about spousal/common-law sponsorship. To find out if you are eligible to sponsor your spouse/partner for Canadian permanent residence, fill out a free assessment form today. 2017 CICNews All Rights Reserved 'Baahubali 2' team is currently in the city of London to acknowledge a rare feat. Having delivered a historical success with the film, Rajamouli, Keeravani and producer Shobhu Yarlagadda left for London along with their families. The film is all set to be screened in British Film Institute which is rare feat to be achieved by the film. Thereafter, Rajamouli and members of his family will pay a visit to Bhutan to spent there for some time to get relaxed. Advertisement On the other hand, 'Baahubali 2' has destructed all the previous records of Indian films. The movie is on the verge of surpassing Rs.1000 crores nett collections soon. As we know, Young Rebel Star Prabhas, Rana, Anushka, Tamannah and Ramya Krishna have done lead roles of the film. Arka Media House is the production house. Copiii cu nevoi speciale din Stefan Voda au conditii de reabilitare mai bune, datorita UE si Fundatiei Soros Moldova The states health department has created a list of homes that have serious lead paint problems, but health advocates say the registry represents just a sliver of the states hazardous properties. The database includes homes and apartments that have been ordered vacated after their owners refused to clean up the lead paint. Those sites are where children who had lived in the homes tested positive for high lead levels. There are about 520 properties listed. While theres at least one in every county, the most are in Ohios biggest cities and neighborhoods with older houses containing lead paint, which was outlawed in the late 1970s. Children who ingest lead after their fingers touch contaminated dust and paint chips can suffer from lead poisoning, which has been tied to permanent damage to childrens brains along with lowered intelligence, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Ohios health regulators say creating the registry will give renters and home buyers more information about lead hazards. They also hope that rental assistance organizations will refer to the list to make sure they arent helping place someone in a house thats been deemed a safety hazard. The Ohio Healthy Homes Networks project coordinator, Patricia Barnes, said on Monday the registry falls short of having an accurate accounting of homes with known lead risks by not including sites where investigations were started but not completed. She pointed to Cleveland, which has 24 homes on the state registry. There should probably be hundreds of more properties on that list, she said. We need more full disclosure. The release of the registry comes when state lawmakers are considering a proposal that would take away cities ability to have their own rules addressing lead paint threats. The change, which will be considered as an amendment in the new two-year state budget, would give the Ohio Department of Health authority over lead abatement and stop cities from creating their own programs. Toledo last year approved requiring lead inspections of rental properties and repairs if problems are found. Cleveland also has looked at its own inspection rules. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Insurance companies have closed 87 percent of the 18,193 insurance claims filed in Beaufort County in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, resulting in a payout of more than $159.3 million. News outlets report that South Carolina Department of Insurance Director Ray Farmer says that nearly $587 million has been paid on 114,700 statewide claims related to the October storm. Farmers department assists residents who are experiencing difficulties in resolving their claims with insurance companies, as some in the region still havent been able to move home. He says 25 complaints have been filed by Hilton Head property owners. Teri Lewis, the Land Management Ordinance official for Hilton Head, says the town has 2,822 structures that need a repair permit, yet only 986 buildings have received the permit so far. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Featured Post Mohawk Nation News 'Kahnawake Mohawk Mothers Blazing a Trail' Posted on November 8, 2022 KAHNAWAKE MOHAWK MOTHERS BLAZING A TRAIL Mohawk Nation News https://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2022/11/08/kahnwak... White Mesa Ute Spiritual March to Shut Down Uranium Mill Mohawk Warrior Society Book Launch Lakota Jean Roach: The True Story of Leonard Peltier Justice for Dad: Taylor Dewey Shares the Harsh Road to Justice Justice Dept Files Lawsuit Against Rapid City Hotel Western Shoshone Ian Zabarte Speaks on Radiation Archive Search This Blog About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com Translate California citrus farmers on Tuesday blasted the Trump administration for lifting a 16-year import ban on fresh lemons from a key growing region of Argentina. At the same time, the industry charged the action was a "double standard" by an "America First" president who touts jobs and one that could end up hurting American family farmers. "The administration blindsided us," said Joel Nelsen, a farmer and president of the California Citrus Mutual, a citrus producers trade group. The U.S. industry claims allowing in the Argentine fruit will bring added risk of citrus diseases and pests that could jeopardize the domestic crop. Clearly, the issue also irritates domestic growers because the South American country produces the world's largest crop and is a global competitor in selling to lucrative markets such as Asia. Late Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would allow imports effective May 26 from four Argentine provinces, which are located in the country's top-producing northwest region. It followed a meeting last week between President Donald Trump and Argentine President Mauricio Macri at the White House. "Is the USDA setting a precedent for future trade negotiations because I hope not," Nelsen said. "The Argentine president was doing what he should do representing his growers and his business sector. Obviously, our president lost sight of that objective." The USDA didn't respond to a request for comment. More than 90 percent of the lemons produced in the U.S. are grown in California, and the remainder mostly in Arizona. Some U.S. citrus companies, such as Limoneira , source product from Chile and Mexico as a way to get fresh product throughout the year. Citrus executives were perplexed by the Trump administration's action to lift the import ban since they claim it could ultimately hurt thousands of U.S. family farmers growing the fruit. California exports about 10 to 15 percent of its lemon crop overseas, mostly to top Asian markets such as Japan, China and South Korea. Over the years, Argentina has aggressively priced its fruit in certain international markets to gain a competitive advantage against the U.S. and others. "If you take a look at what the president said on behalf of Wisconsin dairy farmers last week," Nelsen said. "He's always spoken about the need to protect each and every business sector in trade agreements and protect jobs. This [Argentine action] is a double standard." To be clear, growers say even if they wanted they probably couldn't technically use economic or competitive reasons as grounds for objecting to a lifting of the import ban. That's because the ban itself was a government rule specifically to protect against citrus disease. Even so, growers insist the ban is still needed due to continued risk of citrus diseases and pests from the key growing region of Argentina. The Obama administration pledged in December to lift the 2001 import ban and the Trump administration soon after the inauguration issued a 60-day stay on the prohibition. A second 60-day stay followed and is set to expire May 26. "I know about all the lemons," Trump said last week at a joint press conference with the Argentine president. "And believe it or not, the lemon business is a big, big business." Added Trump, "One of the reasons he's here is about lemons. And I'll tell him about North Korea, and he'll tell me about lemons." "It is evident that the California citrus industry is the pawn in a greater trade deal between the Trump administration and Argentina," said Richard Pidduck, a citrus grower and chair of the U.S. Citrus Science Council. In California alone, the state's citrus crop is a $3.3 billion business and is estimated to provide about 22,000 jobs. According to Pidduck, the Trump administration is not taking the citrus disease threat from Argentina seriously enough. "When the fruit comes into the U.S., it could bring things we don't want with it," said Pidduck. "There are a number of pest and diseases and phytosanitary issues in Argentina that we have not had to deal with here in the U.S. and that's why the fruit has been kept out." Indeed, the U.S. citrus industry has been fighting several deadly diseases, including citrus canker that can be found on the peel of fruit as well as citrus greening spread primarily by an insect the size of a grain of rice. The citrus greening problem has caused a loss of more than $3 billion in revenue in devastated states such as Florida as well as the disappearance of thousands of jobs since it was first discovered more than a decade ago, according to University of Florida estimates. A January report released by the USDA found the disease "continues to reduce production." Meantime, the proposed rule lifting the ban requires the imported lemons be treated with a surface disinfectant. Also, it requires a certificate as proof the crop has been inspected and found free of quarantine pests. In considering the rule change, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) looked into economic implications of lifting the ban on the domestic lemon industry. "The majority of businesses that may be affected by the proposed rule are small entities, including lemon producers, packers, wholesalers, and related establishments," the agency's documents stated. Furthermore, APHIS estimated lemon prices would decrease by about 4 percent with the ban lifted. "Consumer welfare gains of about $25 million would outweigh producer welfare losses of about $22 million," it stated. Some even questioned if the lifting of the ban by Trump could be a form of political pay back for California, a state the president lost in the 2016 election. During Trump's inaugural address, he pledged: "Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families." "California is not in the president's best graces," said Pidduck. "We're an easy industry to give up." Added Pidduck, "One day the administration is very nationalistic and another day it has global concerns. It's hard to track." Moreover, citrus officials claim the Trump administration essentially shut them out of the process and stymied their attempts to arrange meetings. "When we tried to meet with some of the people at senior levels of the administration we've been ignored," said Nelsen. "That is extremely aggravating." China this week issued tighter rules for online news portals and network providers, the latest step in President Xi Jinping's push to secure the internet and maintain strict party control over content. Xi has made China's "cyber sovereignty" a top priority in his sweeping campaign to bolster security. He has also reasserted the ruling Communist Party's role in limiting and guiding online discussion. PhotoTalk | E+ | Getty Images The new regulations, released by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on its website, extend restrictions on what news can be produced and distributed by online platforms, requiring all services to be managed by party-sanctioned editorial staff. The rules, which come into effect on June 1, apply to all political, economic, military, or diplomatic reports or opinion articles on blogs, websites, forums, search engines, instant messaging apps and all other platforms that select or edit news and information, the administration said. All such platforms must have editorial staff who are approved by the national or local government internet and information offices, while their workers must get training and reporting credentials from the central government, it said. Editorial work must be separate from business operations and only public funds can be used to pay for any work, it added. Under the rules, editorial guidance measures used for the mainstream media will be applied to online providers to ensure they too adhere to the party line, such as requiring "emergency response" measures to increase vetting of content after disasters. watch now watch now watch now watch now watch now Natalie Bacon had always known she wanted to be a lawyer, yet she never imagined the high-stress, high-paying career would push her to the brink. In early 2015, she was a young associate at a law firm in Columbus, Ohio, working with a team that specialized in financing and mergers and acquisitions. The job paid $110,000 with the opportunity to become a partner. Yet the money and prestige left Bacon feeling less than fulfilled, even though both were a step up from her first gig as an entry-level staff attorney. "I thought I was going to love this second job," the 30-year-old Bacon recalled. "It turned out I hated it so much so that I would be crying in the bathroom." Long hours and job-related stress weighed on her. Natalie Bacon ran a personal finance blog on the side while pursuing a financial advisor career. watch now watch now watch now She was also grappling with $206,000 in student loan debt from college and law school. That six-figure liability in a way guided her toward the next chapter in her life as a personal finance blogger and financial planner. Breaking away Financial planning had been on Bacon's mind since she received her first student loan bill after graduating from Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law in 2011. She continued thinking about it while she toiled as a lawyer. It also inspired her to start a blog on lifestyle and money. Natalie Bacon (far right) celebrates with friends after graduating from law school. Finances weren't really a topic of conversation when Bacon was growing up with her parents. She suspects that many other people were just like her: new to money matters and grappling with debt. Nevertheless, Bacon said her grandparents lived frugally and passed on to her some of their lessons. "I remember my grandpa one day saying that having a credit card is like taking a mortgage on your clothes," she said. "I don't use a credit card, and I never have." A new reality Bacon made the leap from law to personal finance in June 2015, when she started working at Summit Financial Strategies in Columbus as a paraplanner. She also passed the exam for the Certified Financial Planner designation in 2016. After June, she will be able to call herself a CFP. Natalie Bacon (third from left) as a panelist at the 2016 FinCon expo in San Diego. Life as a financial planner has been more fulfilling for Bacon. These days she works a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule. Greater happiness comes with a cost, though: She took a pay cut of about 50 percent, and some downsizing was necessary. "One way I cut expenses was to move from an apartment that was $1,300 a month to one that's $900 a month," said Bacon. She's also pulled back on her student loan repayments: She once put $3,000 a month toward her debt, and now she's paying $1,500. More from My Success Story: Here's how a family came up with $3 million to care for their autistic son This dad worked his way from prison to a career at MIT A tech worker quit his $120,000-a-year job to be a Facebook star Even though she's earning less, Bacon still saves for retirement: She's putting away about 10 percent of her income toward her 401(k), and she's getting a match at work. Were it not for the debt, she says she would be able to max out her 401(k) with an $18,000 contribution every year, plus saving in an IRA. To bolster her income, Bacon monetized her blog through a combination of advertisements and affiliate marketing in which she collects payments for promoting certain products. She's also ramped up her blogging and increased traffic to her page so that she gets 100,000 to 250,000 page views a month. I've learned about the business, and I have a blog. None of it would have been possible without my debt. Natalie Bacon staff financial advisor, Summit Financial Strategies Last year, Bacon earned about $30,000 from her blog, which gives her budget some breathing room. Though the blog addresses personal finance issues, it's separate from her day job as a financial planner. Student loan expertise While Summit's clients often seek retirement planning and investment advice, Bacon has become the firm's student loan expert. Her familiarity with college finances has helped her explain it to the firm's clients and their children. "I can't tell you how often I'm talking to people about their kids going to college or they or the kid has the debt how can we plan around it or get rid of it?" said Bacon. Meanwhile, she's making steady headway on her own loans, with nearly half her debt paid off. There are a couple of strategies for paying off federal student loan debt, including income-based repayment plans. Under these arrangements, you'll pay more over time, but your monthly payment won't be as high. Bacon rejected that strategy out of concern it would prolong her indebtedness. While Bacon wishes she had taken on fewer loans, she doesn't regret going to law school, as it ultimately helped discover her true calling. "I've learned about the business, and I have a blog," she said. "None of it would have been possible without my debt." Escape from your career Bacon also encourages others to leap out of an unhappy career if they have to. "There are too many options that can make you happy," she said. "There is no reason to stay in a career that you hate no matter what the pay is." Should you consider swapping careers, be sure to clean up your finances first. You have greater flexibility if your income isn't hamstrung by large debts. "The number one stumbling block for people changing careers is money," Kerry Hannon, author of "What's Next? Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond" and "Love Your Job." Natalie Bacon graduated from Ohio State University with a law degree. The wealthy Southeast Asian island of Singapore wants entrepreneurs to help it become the world's first smart nation. "We're looking at how innovation and ideas come together to solve real life problems for the economy, whether it's in finance, healthcare, or logistics," Tan Kiat How, CEO of Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA), told CNBC on Wednesday. "Everything is a business opportunity for companies to try out solutions here as a springboard into the broader ASEAN market," he said on the sidelines of the InnovFest Unbound conference. The city-state, which has attracted hordes of tech start-ups, traditional companies and venture capital firms thanks to a robust tech eco-system and a lack of bureaucracy, is an ideal laboratory for innovation, Tan said. At least 17 companies have generated more than $70 million worth of government contract opportunities through IMDA's accreditation program that helps start-ups find buyers for their solutions, Tan noted. "Singapore is a young country, but I think we have certain things working for us. Look at how we started, we were a a country of migrants with an entrepreneur spirit." Robert Churchill | Getty Images The threat from cyber attackers "is more organized and global than ever before", according to Yawar Shah, chairman of SWIFT, the international correspondent banking network that connects 11,000 banks around the world and facilitates cross-border payments. Speaking at the 2017 SWIFT Business Forum in London last week, Shah warned that it was "not enough" for every bank to have its own defenses anymore. "You also need to protect the infrastructure", he said on 25 April at the event in East London. SWIFT unveiled a new payment controls service in London that is designed to bolster its customers' fraud and cyber-crime controls. "It is aimed at smaller banks initially and intended to help them detect unusual customer flows and suspect activity before a payment message instruction is sent," said Shah. The new launch is accessible in the cloud and forms part of SWIFT's Customer Security Programme (CSP). This was launched last year after various hacking incidents involving Bangladesh Bank and, before that, Vietnam's Tien Phong Bank and Ecuador's Banco del Austro SA, which collectively threatened to undermine trust in the global banking platform. The CSP includes educational security training for SWIFT's many end users and a self-attestation requirement that all banks meet minimum security standards by the end of this year, which will be policed and regularly checked with various risk models and test scenarios. watch now "The challenge arises because everything is connected in today's world and criminals are attacking entire ecosystems, necessitating a response," said Gottfried Leibbrandt, CEO of SWIFT, speaking later on at the 2017 SWIFT Business Forum, London. The imminent need to meet minimum security standards in order to maintain access to SWIFT's network was a major talking point at the event. "Protecting individual perimeters is no longer the best cyber-security approach for a bank," added Leibbrandt. "Instead, you need to be ready to respond to multiple lines of attack with multiple lines of defense. It is the same with ecosystems, such as SWIFT's." Jean-Francois Legault, global head of cyber-security operations at JP Morgan, joined Leibbrandt during a panel session in London, and shared some tips for his peers in the audience. "Alignment is the key issue for me," he said, as he urged the risk team to work with the cyber-security team, with operations, legal and all other departments within a financial institution (FI). The need to communicate and cooperate stretches to external clients, counterparties, and infrastructures such as SWIFT. "You need control mechanisms looking at secure end-to-end processes that are validated and integrated into your enterprise-wide operations," said Legault. "This way you can leverage intelligence into making effective decisions. For instance, if a payment has been pre-identified as a potential risk maybe it is from a bad IP address then you can investigate before allowing it through." watch now This would reduce false positives as well, helping bank operations run smoother and more efficiently, as fake alerts and customer delays would be reduced. "Our problem is when you set a mousetrap, they build a better mouse," said JP Morgan's Legault, in reference to the escalating 'arms race' that exists between cyber attackers and defenders. "Criminals share information and co-operate online, which is why FIs must too." According to Javier Perez-Tasso, chief executive of the Americas & UK at SWIFT, who also took to the stage in London, dealing with the threat from cyber-criminals is a "team sport" that requires an "industry-wide response" because "there has been a 40% rise in attacks targeting FIs." Banks, insurers and others are four times more likely to be targeted than other sectors, added Perez-Tasso, as that is where the money is. "Getting hit is very expensive." Cyber threats to SWIFT Cyber-security is a particularly pertinent point for SWIFT as in recent weeks it has had to deny reports that the US National Security Agency (NSA) accessed a backdoor to its network in order to plant spyware and monitor data traffic from Middle-eastern banks. The NSA allegedly hacked into the EastNets SWIFT Service Bureau, which connects 260 banks to the messaging platform, and is popular with users in the Middle-east. The claims arose last month following a blog from Shadow Brokers, possibly a Russian-backed hacking group, which purported to show the latest nefarious activities of the NSA. Both SWIFT and Eastnets have denied the claims. Dado Ruvic | Reuters Wall Street got worked up about iPhone sales weakness in Apple's second quarter earnings report, but CEO Tim Cook said the cause was quite simple. "It's that there are more rumors floating and more press articles and mentions of new things, and when that happens, a percentage of people delay," Cook told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer on Wednesday. The CEO said that that the widespread leaks hit business particularly hard in China, where it is culturally popular to buy the newest gadgets. "That probably affects us more in China than other places because there's a tendency there to buy the latest thing, although I have to say, the [iPhone] 7 Plus has done extraordinarily well there," Cook said. Watch the full segment here: Barclays headquarters in London, England. Justin Solomon | CNBC U.K. lender Barclays has opened a new innovation center in Shoreditch, London, for its in-house banking and technology teams, as well as more than 40 co-located financial technology ( fintech ) start-ups. The announcement on Tuesday claimed the new Rise facility in east London is the biggest fintech co-working space in Europe. On a monthly basis it will host more than 200 hours of workshops, "hackathons", networking and learning events. The regular events are designed to help the 40 fintech start-ups firms housed in the new offices to develop innovative new ideas for the financial services sector, while encouraging Barclays' own in-house teams to become more nimble and experimental. The start-ups may also learn some lessons about business and operational tips from the co-located bank staff. The site forms part of Barclays' Rise program, which has so far signed up 70-plus firms exploring blockchain, big data and other technologies. The new London Rise facility joins existing offices in New York, Mumbai, Cape Town, Manchester, Tel Aviv and Vilnius. All operate with a brief to create new services, products, apps and platforms in conjunction with the start-up partners. watch now According to Jes Staley, Barclays Group chief executive, the bank wants to be a technology leader. It announced the creation of 750 new jobs in its U.K. technology centers just last week. "We believe that technology must be a core competency of a global financial institution," he said in a press release on Tuesday. "Fintech start-ups are at the front of the technology wave that is changing our industry," he continued. "Through Rise, we glean important insights: We can actively experiment with emerging technologies, and spot early trends and new markets as they form. This allows our employees, customers and clients to do things faster, better and at lower cost." watch now Barclays' head of innovation, Michael Harte, wants to tap into the "vibrant community" and harness "the agile and disruptive" nature of these ventures. "For us, the more vibrant we make the fintech community, the greater the value contribution to customers and shareholders as well as to the FS (financial services) sector as a whole," he added. Demo day Protesters carry signs during the Peoples Climate March at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 29, 2017. The legal battle has been brewing since December, when President Barack Obama issued an executive order that prevented much of the federally administered Arctic Ocean and parts of the Atlantic from being leased for fossil fuel exploration. Trump, then the president-elect, was widely expected to challenge the move. A coalition of environmental groups sued President Donald Trump on Wednesday, arguing that he unlawfully rescinded his predecessor's executive order aimed at putting large swaths of U.S. waters off limits to oil and gas drilling. In issuing its order, the Obama administration cited provision 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which states, "The President of the United States may, from time to time, withdraw from disposition any of the unleased lands of the outer Continental Shelf." That provision does not explicitly allow future executives to reverse their predecessors' action. The Obama administration essentially made a bet that a judge would determine Trump can't override its effort to permanently withdraw the areas from lease auctions. As expected, Trump pushed back last Friday, signing an executive order aimed at making available for lease more of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, the parts of the ocean and seabed under federal jurisdiction. Among other things, it rescinded Obama's December order. Now, environmental groups are asking the U.S. District Court of Alaska to prevent Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, also named as defendants in the suit, from executing the part of Trump's order that takes aim at Obama's offshore ban. "We're aware of the complaint and reviewing it. We have no further comment," a Department of Justice spokesperson told CNBC. The suit essentially takes the baton from the Obama administration, arguing Trump's order "exceeds his constitutional authority and his statutory authority under OCSLA, and is therefore ... unlawful" "Until Trump, no president has ever tried to reverse a permanent withdrawal made under OCSLA, which does not authorize such a reversal," the conservation groups said in a statement. Copper prices dropped Wednesday the most in 19 months after a jump in inventories increased worries about an economic slowdown in China, the world's largest consumer of the metal. Copper futures for July delivery settled 3.49 percent lower at $2.5435 a pound, below their 50-day moving average for the first time since April 6 and their worst drop since September 2015. Prices of the metal continued falling in extended trade to near $2.53 a pound. "I think the biggest thing is the worries about China," said Ryan McKay, associate commodities strategist at TD Securities. "First we had a large build in LME copper stocks today, adding concern to the already elevated inventory levels," McKay said. "Also manufacturing data from China this week has come in below expectations, raising concerns around Chinese demand." Copper performance so far this week Source: FactSet On-warrant inventories available for delivery at LME-registered warehouses increased by 38,950 tonnes, or 32 percent, to 160,200 tonnes, the highest since mid-April, according to Reuters. Late Monday Eastern Time, the Caixin/Markit manufacturing PMI, a key survey for the Chinese economy, for April showed a greater-than-expected decline to 50.3, the lowest since September 2016. Copper is a key material used in home construction, industrial manufacturing and consumer goods around the world. The Chinese government injected large amounts of loans last year in an attempt to prevent a sharp slowdown in the world's second largest economy. While recent economic reports have improved, the stimulus has also slowed. For copper, "demand conditions are still good, just not as good they were three to six months ago," said Dane Davis, commodities research analyst at Barclays. "The stimulus is wearing off and it's starting to feed through in real prices, particularly copper and iron ore." Iron ore futures fell more than 6.5 percent Wednesday. Earlier in the week, copper prices leaped to their highest in nearly a month. Traders expected prices to rise given a planned month-long strike at Freeport-McMoran 's Grasberg mine in Indonesia. CNBC's Gina Francolla and Reuters contributed to this report. President Donald Trump's travel ban and the "drastic changes" his administration has introduced in his first four months as president has hurt business at United Arab Emirates-based luxury hotel and lifestyle group H'Mark Hospitality, says the company's chief executive. "At the business volume basis, we've taken a hit," H'Mark Hospitality CEO Alexander Bohnekamp told CNBC in an interview in Dubai when asked about the impact of the White House's travel and laptop bans. "We don't have to over-worry, but we have to be extremely conscious on how to deal with those travel issues," he said. In January, President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from seven predominantly Muslim nations; Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan, from entering the United States for 90 days. U.S. courts blocked the order, but Trump responded by issuing a second travel ban six weeks later, excluding Iraq from the list. The second executive order also faced a setback in the courts. The hotel group's CEO said he expected the "hype" over the travel ban to dissipate in the near future while adding that the one saving grace for his company is that the United States is not the firm's primary target market, "should this continue for far too long." Founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post that new hires would help the company respond more quickly to "people hurting themselves and others on Facebook either live or in video posted later." Facebook says it will add 3,000 workers over the next year to monitor sensitive content but two tech investors said that's it's a "bare minimum" response that won't impact the company's bottom line. "What it shows is the algos cannot do the work of a human editor," Hippeau told CNBC's "Squawk Alley" on Wednesday. "It just can't. Because machines can't tell really the difference between one video and another. It can to some degree. But they can't get the murders off the platform via machines." Several gruesome incidents have been broadcast on Facebook Live, including a Thai man allegedly killing his baby daughter on Facebook then committing suicide. A suspect who posted an alleged murder on the platform was dubbed the "Facebook Killer." "I think it goes back to the key issue: Is Facebook a tech company or is Facebook a media company? Or is it a tech-enabled media company, like most media companies are today?," Hippeau said. "And Mark Zuckerberg has gone always to great lengths to say he's not a media company, and yet, the 3,000 people he's adding really are editors .... to me, that's a media company." Google has already had to deal with backlash from its business partners, as advertisers pressed "pause" after a Times of London investigation linked their ads with extremist content. But despite the controversy, Alphabet made even more money than Wall Street expected in the first few months of the year. Roger McNamee, managing director at tech investing firm Elevation Partners, told "Squawk Alley" on Wednesday that even if Facebook dodges an earnings impact from its new hires, the problem of extreme content will continue to get bigger. "This is not going to hurt their earnings much. The company is a monopolist in three or four different categories. And it's going to grow really dramatically in its revenues in at least a couple of those businesses," McNamee said. "The challenge I think they face, fundamentally, is that at their level of market share, they've become an issue for personal safety as well as personal privacy. I would be surprised if at some point the European regulators, in particular, didn't start to question the impact of internet monopolies on the rights of citizens. I think Facebook and Google have done has done the bare minimum to deal with this issue. " Hippeau said that Facebook faces an even greater challenge than YouTube, since its content is more complicated and dispersed. "I agree that they are doing they are doing the bare minimum," Hippeau said. "If they said to themselves, 'We have media company responsibilities in terms of editing content,' that would change the perception, change the internal view of how they have to deal with this problem." Still, Zuckerberg wrote on Wednesday that the company is already working on new tools that make the community safer. "This is important," Zuckerberg wrote. "Just last week, we got a report that someone on Live was considering suicide. We immediately reached out to law enforcement, and they were able to prevent him from hurting himself. In other cases, we weren't so fortunate." It can be easy to forget that Facebook sells advertising for a living until it reports its finances. In recent months, most of the attention paid to the company has centered on its dominant role as a provider of news especially the political kind -- and its alleged influence on elections. Facebook itself came out with a report last week about how it was combating fake news. And at its developer conference last month, the company highlighted its push into new technologies. But when the company releases first-quarter results Wednesday afternoon, investors will get a vivid reminder that Facebook butters its bread with sophisticated ad technology. "Facebook has become one of the leading platforms because of its analytics and targeting ability," says David Pierpont, vice president of social media in the Dallas office of Ansira, a St.Louis-based digital marketing agency. While Facebook was talking up virtual reality, telepathy-based communication and artificial intelligence at its F8 conference in San Jose last month, Pierpont was more excited about new ad products for small and mid-sized businesses. Known as Automated Insights, the new data package and accompanying user interface give even small-fry marketers the ability to easily roll out targeted ad campaigns. Such online ad programs previously have been the exclusive domain of national brands. "They've helped level the playing field," Pierpont says of Facebook. Wall Street analysts expect Facebook to report first-quarter revenue of $7.83 billion, up 45 percent from the same period a year earlier, while earnings per share are pegged at $1.12, up from 77 cents, according to Yahoo Finance. The company founded by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 to help Harvard University students meet now has ad products for each phase of the online marketing funnel, according to Pierpont. "They have units for awareness, consideration and conversion," he says. All this innovation has led to a boost in return on investment for digital ad buyers, which in turn has helped boost what they're willing to pay. "Facebook ad prices are going up because so is performance," says Pierpont. Others in the online ad business agree. While Google , Facebook's larger rival, has been improving its ad tools across its services including mobile search and YouTube the ad-buying experience is "not as seamless" as on Facebook properties, says Grant Cohen, a general manager at Kochava, a mobile-measurement firm based in Sandpoint, ID. "Facebook still provides better tools" than Google, especially for smaller advertisers with limited digital marketing expertise, says Cohen. For example, marketers can create a mobile ad campaign across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger from one "service dashboard," Cohen says. That helped drive Facebook ad prices higher, he says. However, Google has narrowed the gap in the last six months, especially in mobile ad targeting, according to Cohen. And because consumers will stand only so many ads on their mobile devices, Facebook's ability to sell ever more ads is limited. Facebook warned on its Q3 2016 earnings call that the number of ads it could cram into users' news feeds would slow meaningfully in the second half of 2017, and that deadline is almost here. So to maintain its robust sales growth, then, the company will have to keep improving its ad tools even as it works on more exotic projects. At the panel's routine hearing on oversight, the FBI director was grilled about the investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election and into Clinton's use of a private email server at the State Department. Some Republicans defended Comey's actions and pressed him to reveal what evidence underpins accusations of Trump campaign contacts with Russia. "This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election," Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I would make the same decision." Still, he said his decision to tell Congress that the FBI had found new emails that could be relevant to Hillary Clinton' s private email server was not an easy one. FBI Director James Comey told a Senate committee Wednesday he stands behind his letter that shook up the final days of last year's presidential election and he would do it again. While the campaign was still ongoing, Comey did not reveal the existence of the Russia probe, but he did tell Congress that the FBI discovered thousands of messages from the Clinton email domain on the computer of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Democrats repeatedly questioned the FBI director about his decision-making process when he sent the letter on Oct. 28, just days before the election. Animated as he defended his actions, Comey said he has tried over the course of his career to avoid taking any action ahead of an election that could potentially affect the vote. When considering whether to reveal the discovery of the emails, Comey said he considered the "catastrophic" implications of concealing the findings and the "very bad" effects of them potentially becoming public. Comey said he notified lawmakers about the Clinton-related findings because he had "testified under oath repeatedly" that the investigation was over. Comey said he thought he treated the investigations the same because he did not reveal either probe at their outset. "If I were not to speak about that, it would be a disastrous, catastrophic concealment," Comey said, repeatedly hitting his hand on the table in front of him. Comey told lawmakers that those emails marked a major development at the time because investigators thought they may include missing messages. "If you were standing there, staring at that on October 28, would you really conceal that?" he asked. In a public appearance Tuesday, Clinton said she had been on track to win November's election until a combination of factors, including Comey's Oct. 28 letter to Congress saying that he would review new emails potentially related to her server, derailed her. While the letter's effect on the election is impossible to ascertain, some Democrats have derided the decision, especially given that the FBI's subsequent review did not lead it to change its previous conclusions about Clinton. Comey confirmed in March that the FBI is conducting a counterintelligence investigation into Russian influence on the election, including any possible contacts between then-candidate Donald Trump's associates and Moscow. He said the investigation began in July. Critics have questioned why he did not reveal that probe but sent the letter to Congress about the Clinton emails. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia, and Moscow has denied the U.S. intelligence community's conclusions that it meddled in the election. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas backed Comey's actions, calling it "sad" for people to "condemn" him for telling lawmakers about the emails. "You were placed in an incredibly difficult position," Cornyn said. "You did the best you could." Some Democrats echoed Clinton in alleging that Comey's decision affected the election's outcome. Committee ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who pressed Comey about why the letter to Congress was necessary, said the FBI was "noticeably silent" on the Russia probe but made an "explosive announcement" about Clinton just days before an election. Comey added that he does not expect the FBI will say "another peep" about the investigation into Russian meddling until it is finished. That probe is still active. Watch: Comey testifies on the Hill FBI Director James Comey told senators Wednesday that Russia remains involved in American politics, saying he thinks the country poses the "greatest threat" to the U.S. political process of any in the world. During a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham a foreign policy hawk asked Comey "what kind of threat" Russia presents "to the democratic process." "Certainly, in my view, the greatest threat of any nation on Earth, given their intention and their capability," Comey said. The FBI director did not elaborate on what Moscow has done recently to try to influence American politics, but the bureau is actively investigating that question. The U.S. intelligence community concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election, according to a declassified report released in January by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. "Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency," that report said. "We further assess [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments." Trump repeatedly has denied that his campaign colluded with Russia, and has even cast doubt on whether the Kremlin tried to influence the election at all. Moscow also says that it did not try to interfere in the U.S. election, though it is widely believed to have interfered in the elections of multiple Western nations. Ashley Eckstein participates in Star Wars Weekend at Walt Disney World. Gustavo Caballero | Getty Images It all started with the search for a T-shirt. In 2008, actress Ashley Eckstein had been cast as the voice of Ahsoka Tano in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and went looking for women's Star Wars clothing that she could wear to conventions and celebration events. But there was one problem she couldn't find any. "I wanted items that girls could wear every day, not a costume," Eckstein said. "This was something that you want to show off, your fandom in your daily life, whether it is at school or work or going and running errands on the weekends." So, she decided to make her own. Nearly a decade later, Eckstein's company, Her Universe, is a multimillion-dollar fashion empire. The fashion and lifestyle brand for fangirls sells a range of products from dresses and hoodies to jewelry and collectibles. Her Universe, which was acquired by privately held Hot Topic in October 2016, has expanded from selling Star Wars merchandise to offering licensed products from Disney , Marvel, the BBC, Studio Ghibli and the Syfy Channel . Source: Her Universe.com "I wanted Star Wars clothes made for me and I honestly thought they existed," she said. "So, I went shopping one day and I came up empty handed. I scoured the internet and, once again, came up empty handed. So then I started doing my research because I know I'm not alone, and found out that half of all sci-fi and fantasy fans are women and girls and so I thought somebody has to do something about this." Eckstein tried and failed twice to get a Star Wars license from Lucasfilm, despite touting her work on "The Clone Wars." "Naively, I knew nothing about licensing, nothing about making merchandise, but I went to Lucasfilm," she said. "And they quickly told me, 'no', and they told me 'no' twice. So, I went away because I realized that I wasn't doing it the right way." That's when Eckstein started her company and found a manufacturing partner. After that, she went back to Lucasfilm. The third time around, Lucasfilm greenlit Eckstein for the license and she began selling her first line of female fan-centric T-shirts. The initial goal was to steer clear of the color pink, said Eckstein. Her rationale was that the only shirts available to women at the time were pink and they needed a bit more variety in their geek wardrobe. Since the brand's debut in 2010, Her Universe has expanded its range of products to include not only T-shirts but dresses, sweaters, activewear, leggings and outerwear. And, yes, some of those designs are pink. Source: Her Universe Of course, designing with fans in mind isn't always easy. "Sometimes what we want as the hardcore fan is not what the mainstream wants," Eckstein said. "And to be successful in retail, you have to design products that will speak to everyone, the casual fan and the hardcore one. If you find that design, that does that, that's like the unicorn design." Eckstein said that the brand had bottled lightning in 2015 when Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy wore one of Her Universe's designs during a "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" panel with director J.J. Abrams in Anaheim, California. The design, a series of lightsabers curled and situated to spell out "Star Wars" quickly sold out online and continues to be a top-seller for the site. Producer Kathleen Kennedy (L) and director J.J. Abrams speak onstage during Star Wars Celebration 2015 on April 16, 2015 in Anaheim, California. Getty Images At Star Wars Celebration Orlando in April this year, Kennedy wore another one of Her Universe's designs. Eckstein said that the brand sold out of almost all its merchandise the during the convention this year, noting that she expects to see a boost in sales now that the Celebration collection is available online. Many of the collection's pieces are designed by actual fans. Starting in 2014, Her Universe has hosted an annual fashion show at San Diego Comic-Con. The winning designers are brought on board to work with the Hot Topic team in creating a new collection. The fan designers help to bring fresh ideas to the company and stay close to what fans want in their geek fashion. The winners of the 2015 fashion show, Leetal Platt and Kelly Cercone, helped design the looks in the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" fashion line. "You want to be inspired by your favorite character, you even want to look like your favorite character, but you don't want to wear a costume," Eckstein said. That was the inspiration behind many of the looks that Platt and Cercone created for the collection, especially for pieces like the Captain Phasma jacket, Rey's hooded cardigan and Finn's jacket. Source: Star Wars; Hot Topic The eight-hour workday, or the 40-hour workweek, didn't become the modern labor standard by accident. Back when the government first tracked workers' hours in 1890, full-time manufacturing employees worked a backbreaking 100 hours each week. Years of pressure from laborer organizers, along with changes from companies like Ford Motor, reformed working conditions in the U.S. and protected workers from schedules that endangered their health and safety. Recent data indicates that the typical American worker is no longer adhering to an eight-hour workday. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American works 44 hours per week, or 8.8 hours per day. A 2014 national Gallup poll put the average number at 47 hours per week, or 9.4 hours per day, with many saying they work 50 hours per week. In demanding, competitive industries like tech and finance, professionals work in excess of 60 hours a week as a rule, and are available constantly by smartphone. A recent Bloomberg Businessweek story highlighted American factories where employees work upwards of 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week. In a time when Americans are working more than ever before and taking less time off, it's helpful to see how the U.S. arrived at its "standard" workday. House Republicans and the White House are working furiously to shore up enough votes on their health care bill even as the prospect of passing a bill in that chamber looks daunting. Vice President Mike Pence spent the morning on Capitol Hill for the second time in as many days, working to persuade hold-outs to support the measure. And President Donald Trump has also been speaking with individual members urging them to support the bill. More from NBC News: House Republicans Gear Up for Possible Health Care Vote This Week Republicans Have No Room for Error in Latest Health Care Push Poll: 50 Percent Have Little to No Confidence in GOP Health-Care Push The success of that two-pronged approach has been mixed. Republicans lost the support of a high-profile Republican Tuesday when Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, the former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and ally to leadership, came out against the bill in an interview with a local radio station. "I've supported the practice of not allowing pre-existing illnesses to be discriminated against from the very get-go. This amendment torpedoes that," Upton told WHTC radio. And Rep. Billy Long of Missouri said he told the president in a phone conversation that he's opposed. "I like the president a lot. I think he has done a very good job," Long said Tuesday. "I just think that some of the things we have been trying to do in the House haven't worked and I think the president needs to lead. He needs to use more leadership and tell us in the House exactly what he wants done and let us go out and do it instead of fighting amongst ourselves." Pence spent Tuesday morning in his office in the Capitol, meeting with some of the most vocal opponents to the bill and some who are undecided. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pennsylvania, who has been ardently against the measure, emerged from the meeting unconvinced. "I told him my concerns continue to be about Medicaid expansion not being soft on its landing," Dent said. "He knows my position." Reps. Dave Reichert of Washington and Peter Roskam of Illinois both entered the meeting undecided and left saying their position was unchanged. While 21 Republicans have come out against the bill, according to NBC News' count, there are at least 17 who are undecided. While leaders are trying to convince the no votes to change their mind, they are also focusing on those who are wavering, understanding they can't afford to lose any more . Many of those inclined to oppose the revised bill are centrists who come from districts where they are at risk of losing re-election. Twelve of the 21 members who have said they're voting "no" are being targeted by the Democrats' campaign committee, and so are half of the members who have said they're undecided. But Republican leaders are reaching out to members individually, hoping to convince them that the changes made to the bill that convinced the most ardent conservatives to support it don't actually gut coverage for pre-existing conditions. Leaders are also exploring ways to address their concerns to get them on board. Rep. Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania said he was promised a vote on a bill that would attempt to combat fraud related to the tax credits offered in the health care bill. "I think it will certainly ease the concerns for not only myself but many others," Barletta said. An amendment by Rep. Tom MacArthur of New Jersey has helped to revive the health care bill by addressing some of the concerns of conservatives. It allows states to opt out of some insurance mandates, such as the requirement that benefits cover maternity care and emergency care. John "Jack" Bogle is an icon and pioneer in the index-investing revolution. He is regularly quoted for his investor-first views centered on the idea that attempting to beat the market is folly. He should know. His early career days at Wellington involved work trying and failing to beat the market. The creator of the first index mutual fund more than 30 years ago, and founder of Vanguard, a mutual fund and ETF giant with some $4 trillion in assets under management, has long been known as a champion of indexing. But the vocal indexer isn't really preaching the end of active management. Speaking to an audience of 2,000-plus managers and investors at the Morningstar Investment Conference last week, Bogle said that index investing would probably come to represent 50 percent to 60 percent of the overall market someday. Active managers will survive, but only those who adapt to the times. More from ETF.com: ETF picks from a top tactical manager Don't choose an ETF based on fees alone Socially responsible ETFs as dividend plays The recipe for survival? Well, it depends on who you ask. Many market pundits, researchers and even consulting groups have offered various takes on what active managers need to do to thrive in the face of low-cost indexing's growing dominance. Bogle cited several in his keynote presentation in Chicago last week. Some, according to him, suggested active managers offer better active strategies, some better track records, some better business models, better value propositions, and some even better use of technology. Nonexistent consistency Meanwhile, the evidence against active managers is pretty damning. Anyone who's ever read a SPIVA report has seen firsthand the statistics that show active managers, by and large, underperform benchmarks after cost year after year. Those who do manage to eke out some outperformance only do so occasionally. Consistency in outperformance is nonexistent. So all the suggestions on what active managers need to do are great, he says, but none really mean much to investors if fees remain as high as they are. Active management is expensive, and investors don't really share in the gains. Did you hear the one about the funnyman who cried and got 14 million Facebook views? Jimmy Kimmel's tear-jerker of a monologue about the lifesaving heart surgery for his newborn son and about American health-care policy exploded on social media and potentially added to the difficulties President Donald Trump faces in getting an Obamacare replacement bill passed in Congress. Axios reported Wednesday that a video of the monologue from Monday's episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on ABC was met with social media engagement that greatly exceeded what is typically seen for Kimmel-related content. During the monologue , Kimmel criticized Trump's attempt to cut federal funding for the National Institutes of Health, and urged Republicans and Democrats to support health policy that protects all Americans from high medical costs. "We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until what, a few years ago, millions and millions of us had no access to health insurance at all," Kimmel said. "Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you'd never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition." Marine Le Pen, French National Front (FN) candidate for 2017 presidential election, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Paris, France, May 2, 2017. Charles Platiau | Reuters Marine Le Pen, the far-right French presidential candidate, told Reuters on Tuesday that she could use capital controls if she wins the presidential election and triggers a flight of money out of the country. Capital controls allow a government to limit the flow of money into or out of a country. There are worries that France could get hit by capital flight if it negotiates to bolt from the European Union, as Le Pen has promised to do. "I found her comments strange because, by saying that, she essentially admitted her policies would cause that kind of turmoil," said Charles Lichfield, Europe associate at Eurasia Group. Le Pen has been a staunch proponent of taking France out of the European Union and out of the euro currency. She told Reuters she would replace it with something similar to the European Currency Unit, a basket of currencies that preceded the euro. That would exist alongside a national currency. watch now Capital markets breathed a sigh of relief after the first round of the French presidential election on April 23, when Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron advanced to Sunday's runoff vote. The euro shot up to a 5-1/2-month high, while a rally in European equities spilled over into U.S. trading. Macron, contrary to Le Pen, is in favor of keeping France in the EU and is expected to win the runoff by a wide margin, according to recent polls. That said, the polling industry has been a terrible predictor of a number of global events, most noticeably the U.S. election and the United Kingdom's own referendum to leave the EU. 'Capital controls would be a must' If Le Pen were to somehow win, "capital controls would be a must," said Andrea Montanino, director of the global business and economics program at the Atlantic Council. "If you don't have capital controls, you will have a massive outflow" of cash out of France, he said. "And, if the banks lose liquidity, they could fail." Le Pen made her comments on capital controls as she is scrambling to broaden her appeal beyond the base that voted for her in the first round of the election. France holds two rounds in its presidential races. This week, Le Pen held a major rally in the Paris suburb of Villepinte, hoping to broaden her appeal. While she has gained ground, she has not managed to significantly narrow the gap with Macron in the polls. Macron is seen winning on Sunday with 60 percent of the vote, according to Opinionway, a French polling firm. That said, Le Pen might have one more chance to make it a close race. "The next test will be tonight at the televised presidential debate, in which Macron has a lot more to lose," said Eurasia Group's Lichfield. The debate will be held Wednesday afternoon ET. Watch: What could the French election mean for the markets? A North Korean military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo made available April 26, 2017. Ever since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, tensions with North Korea have escalated rapidly. The isolated country is barred by United Nations resolutions from carrying out ballistic missile tests or from having a nuclear arms program. Nonetheless, North Korea thumbed its nose at the resolutions conducting several ballistic missile tests this year alone and five nuclear tests since 2006, including two last year. Their most recent attempt to launch a ballistic missile capable of hitting the South Korean capital of Seoul took place on Friday. Like other tests, the missile failed. Meanwhile, leader Kim Jong Un has made no secret of the fact that his scientists are working on a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching America. More from NBC News: Trump to meet Palestinian leader Abbas and wants Mideast peace deal Refugees are fleeing Trump's America for this tiny Canadian town Bipartisan group of U.S. senators seeks sanctions, action on Venezuela One senior North Korean official told NBC News that the country is ready to test fire an intercontinental ballistic missile "at any time, at any place." The situation is so fraught that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently asked China Pyongyang's neighbor and powerful ally to "use their influence to convince or compel North Korea to rethink its strategic calculus." But Pyongyang has blithely ignored warnings by Tillerson that military action is "on the table" if they continued to test intercontinental ballistic missiles. North Korea's representative at the United Nations, Kim Im Ryong, flat-out warned that the Trump administration's get-tough strategy was creating "a dangerous situation in which thermonuclear war may break out at any moment." For his part, Trump has dismissed as failures attempts by his White House predecessors to derail North Korea's weapons programs. Jan Grue, a professor at the Department of Special Needs Education at University of Oslo, on stage at TEDxOslo in Norway. As a new parent, Jan Grue recalls feeling lost when it came to his son's moods. When his baby cried, was that a sign of hunger or some deeper distress? Given all the strides that have been made to track and monitor human health, could Grue find a digital solution to this? So Grue, a professor at the Department of Special Needs Education at University of Oslo, downloaded one of the many mobile apps that claim to provide new parents with insights into their infants' mood swings. Grue didn't say the specific app he used, but an internet search revealed apps like Wonder Week, which claim to leverage scientific research about infant development to keep parents informed about the "mental leaps and bounds of your baby." But he soon discovered that his instincts and knowledge were often at odds with the information provided by the app. His own research confirmed his worries. "Some of the earliest studies [on infant development] were carried out on baby chimpanzees," said Grue on stage at TEDxOslo in Norway this week, prompting a laugh from the audience. Grue discovered that many of these apps were reliant on such studies. Moreover, for the app he used, the predicted developmental stages were laid out based on a single source of information: The child's due date. That got him wondering: Who knows his baby the best? "Is it an app that knows one thing about him and a few things about baby chimpanzees? Or us, his parents?" This experience prompted Grue to think more deeply about the methods that app makers use to track human health. And the type of users they are looking to attract. Investors are getting more interested in in mobile health, and venture funding reached a record $1.3 billion in 2016, according to the market research firm Mercom Capital Group. Grue is in a wheelchair. For him, reaching 10,000 steps, the goal set out by many of the leading fitness trackers, would do him more harm than good. In his first months as a parent, he reached 3,000 steps, which resulted in a significant weight loss. "They don't make step-tracking apps for wheelchair users who can walk a little," he said. "My equilibrium lies at a different level." Grue noted a correlation between the fitness tracking apps that are made for so-called average or "normal" adult users and those that are targeted for new parents who want to measure the development cycles of the "normal" infant. "[Our son] might not be perfect or perfectly normal but he is himself," Grue concluded. Qualcomm is reportedly seeking to ban the import of iPhones into the United States, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing one source familiar with the matter. The news follows a decision by Apple last week in which the company said it would stop paying royalties to Qualcomm until an ongoing dispute over the payments is resolved. Qualcomm lowered its fiscal third-quarter guidance to a range of $4.8 billion to $5.6 billion, down from $5.3 billion to $6.1 billion, following Apple's decision. Apple originally sued Qualcomm in January charging that Qualcomm is charging royalties for "technologies they have nothing to do with." Qualcomm then countersued Apple last month, arguing that it wants to "enjoin Apple from further interference with Qualcomm's agreements with the companies that manufacture iPhones and iPads for Apple." Neither of the stocks moved much on the news. Both companies declined to comment. Watch: Apple cuts off Qualcomm watch now For years, we've heard that millennials were afraid of the stock market because of the Great Recession. The market rally since the election may have changed some minds. Nearly one-third of investors age 18 to 34 recently said they plan to move more of their retirement savings into stocks, according to a new survey from MassMutual. While most investors 60 percent plan to stay the course with their 401(k)s and other workplace retirement plans, millennials are the most open to changing their portfolios because of the rally, based on a poll of 450 Americans the first week of April. (See table below.) "I have a large number of millennial clients and I have noticed a definite uptick in the desire to own stocks," said Jonathan Swanburg, a certified financial planner with the Tri-Star Group in Houston, Texas. Last week, Swanburg had two young clients who use the robo-advisor Betterment manually shift their asset allocation from 90 percent to 100 percent stocks. "Clients shifting their own allocations, without first talking to the advisor, is a very rare thing. So two people doing the same shift in the same week is interesting," Swanburg said. " I don't have a problem with it if the clients are educated about long-term investing and matching their investments to their goals." Investors in their 20s and 30s should be more open to investing their retirement accounts in stocks. Greg Hammond a certified financial planner and CEO of Hammond Iles Wealth Advisors Many financial advisors like Swanburg see more enthusiasm for stocks among millennials as an encouraging sign. "Investors in their 20s and 30s should be more open to investing their retirement accounts in stocks," said Greg Hammond, a CFP and CEO of Hammond Iles Wealth Advisors in Wethersfield, Connecticut. "Millennials have a long time horizon to retirement and should be focused on long-term growth." Have a plan and stick to it MassMutual found that 20 percent of millennials were uncertain about how to invest their retirement savings. For young investors, building a plan can be pretty easy, especially if your workplace retirement plan offers a target-date fund. These set-it-and-forget-it funds automatically invest in a diversified mix of stocks and bonds that become less risky as you approach retirement. Often target-date funds are the default option in your 401(k). If you don't like an off-the-rack portfolio, you can develop your own strategy, use resources provided by your employer if you have them or seek help from a financial advisor, preferably one who is a fiduciary. Begin now if you haven't already and keep investing. watch now Ross Ulbricht, right, is shown in court as the prosecution rests its criminal case against him in New York, Feb. 4, 2015. Vanity Fair writer Nick Bilton's new book chronicles the life of Ross Ulbricht, who in 2011 at age 26 launched the Silk Road, a site where anyone could anonymously buy or sell "drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash, guns, grenades, and poisons." Under the pseudonym "Dread Pirate Roberts," Ulbricht's business raked in $1.2 billion in sales, with the Feds on the hunt. Below is an excerpt of "American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road." It had been difficult hiding the truth. Friends in the real world would say things to him like "Why don't you try this business idea or work on that app?" to which Ross would simply say, "Good idea, dude. I'll think about it." But, as he told his employees on the site, he just wanted to "scream at them, 'Because I'm running a goddam multi-million dollar criminal enterprise!!!!'" Lying came at a price. To separate those two worlds, and to justify the actions he had to make in eachtelling stories to his family and friends in one and making resolute decisions with vast repercussions in the otherthe man in the pink and green checkered shirt had become incredibly adept at separating the life of Ross Ulbricht from that of the Dread Pirate Roberts. As Ross he would go on these walkabouts with his friends (or alone), and the biggest decisions he had to make each day were where the adventure would begin and what he would eat for lunch. When he stepped into the role of the Dread Pirate Roberts, he hid Ross away, and DPR reveled in the power that came with dictating the rules of a world in which hundreds of thousands of people roamed. He was the one who decided who got to stay on his island and what they could do and could not do while they were there. And DPR, while seemingly the same person as the sweet Ross his mother had raised, was able to make tough decisions that a younger self would have cowered away from. This had happened just two weeks earlier, when DPR had been faced with a query on the site that no one had ever posed to Ross in his debate clubs back at Penn State. "Question for you," one of his employees had asked at the time. "Do we allow selling kidneys and livers?" Well, there's something Ross had never imagined people might want to hawk on the Silk Road. "Is it listed?" he replied. "Or someone wants to sell?" The employee then forwarded an e-mail that had come into the Silk Road's support page from someone who said they wanted to sell kidneys, livers, and other body parts; according to the anonymous sender, the sales of these internal organs would "all be consensual" between the buyers and sellers. On the black market a person's kidney could sell for more than $260,000 (though a kidney from a Chinese man or woman would only go for $60,000), and a good liver was $150,000. Almost every part of a person's body was for sale, and for a hefty profit. Bone marrow, for example, sold for as much as $23,000 a gram (compared with $60 a gram for cocaine.) A family who couldn't get that for their dying son in the broken U.S. healthcare system would happily pay for it on the Dark Web. "Yes, if the source consents then it is ok," DPR wrote, then noted to his employee that "morals are easy when you understand the non-aggression principle," citing the same libertarian argument he had used so many times in his debates at Penn State. Anything goes in a free market, the principle states, as long as you're not violent toward anyone else without cause. (If someone tries to harm you, then you have every right to defend yourself and your personal property, Dread explained. An eye for an eye was the way of the libertarian world.) Selling a liver or a spleen on a Web site was entirely moral and just, he noted. In addition to allowing organs on the site, the Dread Pirate Roberts had also recently approved the sale of poisons on the Silk Road. "So uhh we have a vendor selling cyanide," wrote another of Dread's employees. "Not sure where we stand on this, he's not listing it as a poison, but its only the most well-known assassination and suicide poison out there." The employee followed up with "lol." DPR asked for a link to the sales page. The listing pointed out that while cyanide could be used to kill yourself (in about seven to nine seconds)the person selling the acid had noted that with each order they were including a free copy of the e-book The Final Exit, which was a how-to guide for suicides. Cyanide did also have some legitimate uses, the seller pointed out, like cleaning gold and silver, and was "the perfect medicine to treat leprosy." After a couple of minutes deliberating, DPR said to the employee, "I think we'll allow it." And then he reiterated the site's mantra: "It's a substance, and we want to err on the side of not restricting things." The Silk Road, after all, was just the platformno different from Facebook or Twitter or eBayon which users communicated and exchanged ideas and currency. So who was DPR to err on the side of anything but yes? It wasn't as if Twitter dictated what kind of opinions people could and could not write in the little box at the top of the screen. If you wanted to spew brilliance or idiocy in 140 characters, then so be it. It was your God-given right to say what you wanted on the Internet, in the same way it was your God-given right to buy or sell whatever you wanted and put it in your bodyif you chose. . "Absolutely," the employee replied in agreement. "This is the black market after all :)" "It is," Ross responded, "and we are bringing order and civility to it." While these decisions were still difficult for Ross to make, the line where Ross ended and DPR began was beginning to blur. And just like other ambitious CEOs who ran other start-ups around San Francisco, he was unable to see how a single decision, made from behind a computer, could trickle down and affect an untold number of real, living human beings. Excerpted from American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton, in agreement with Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright Nick Bilton, 2017. On Wednesday, the city-state's Minister for Communications and Information, Yaacob Ibrahim, announced two initiatives launched by Singapore's National Research Foundation (NRF), in collaboration with various local agencies. Singapore is ramping up investments and initiatives in artificial intelligence (A.I.) and data science two key frontiers of technology in its bid to become both a smart nation and an innovation capital. First, a national program called AI.SG from a partnership between six government agencies: the NRF, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDG) in the Prime Minister's Office, the Economic Development Board, the Infocomm Media Development Authority, SGInnovate and the Integrated Health Information Systems. "AI.SG will do three key things," Yaacob said in a speech at the Innovfest Unbound conference in Singapore. "First, address major challenges that affect both society and industry, second invest in deep capabilities to catch the next wave of scientific innovation, and finally, grow A.I. innovation and adoption in companies." The minister added that the three focus areas of application for AI.SG were finance, city management solutions and healthcare. The NRF will invest up to 150 million Singapore dollars ($107.64 million) over five years in AI.SG. The initiative will be helmed by Tan Kok Yam, deputy secretary at SNDG, and Professor Ho Teck Hua, deputy president of research and technology at the National University of Singapore (NUS). "AI.SG builds on the current A.I. knowledge and capabilities that we have built up across our Singapore-based research institutions with our past R&D investments," said Professor Low Teck Seng, CEO of NRF, in a statement. The cost had been trending downwards from $7 billion since 2010 due to counter-piracy measures, but the report claims that decreased vigilance by the shipping community, such as hiring smaller private security teams, may have encouraged pirate groups. The State of Maritime Piracy 2016, a new report released Wednesday from NGO group Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), claims the economic cost of piracy caused by groups in Somalia increased to $1.7 billion in 2016, from $1.3 billion in 2015. This total includes costs paid by shipping operators for increased insurance, labor, armed guards and other protection measures, as well as ransoms paid by insurers and the costs of naval deployments. The economic cost of maritime piracy is increasing once again as Somali pirate networks resume attacks on ships, while kidnapping for ransom becomes a more popular tactic, according to a new report. An armed Somali pirate sits along the coastline while the Greek cargo ship, MV Filitsa, is seen anchored just off the shores of Hobyo town in northeastern Somalia where its being held by pirates. While zero vessels were hijacked in 2016, there were 27 reported incidents of pirate activity, according to the report. In 2017, there have been two high-profile hijackings by Somali pirates, including the Aris-13 tanker in mid-March and a commercial Indian ship in April. Emma Gordon, senior Africa analyst at global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, criticized the complacency of shipping operators. Only 31.5 percent of operators employed armed guards by the end of 2016. "Somali piracy is still a long way off 2012 levels. However, the recent attacks highlight that the pirate groups remain operational, and will be quick to capitalize on vessels that do not strictly adhere to advanced security measures," she told CNBC via email. "The importance of having armed guards is evident when looking at two recent tanker incidents. In October 2016, a U.K.-flagged chemical tanker fended off an attempted hijack when the armed guards engaged pirates in a firefight. By contrast, the Aris-13 the first commercial vessel hijacked since 2012 had no armed guard, and was ignoring best practice guidance on route and speed." This spike in activity has been blamed on the socio-political situation in Somalia. The OBP report says the lack of economic opportunity and law enforcement in the country remains unchanged, allowing piracy to flourish. Similarly, Thomas Waldhauser, the commander of U.S. military operations in Africa, said during a press conference in Djibouti that the spate of attacks was due to widespread drought and famine in the region, as many of the ships targeted carried food and oil, the Washington Post reported on April 23. Gerry Northwood, chief operating officer at MAST, the maritime risk management consultancy, blamed the rise in attacks on the decreased naval presence in the region. "The withdrawal of navies from the region and many vessels not having in place sufficient security measures, coupled with reports of extensive illegal fishing in Somali waters, will make Somalis return to the business model which proved so lucrative between 2008-2010, meaning seafarers will again be the ultimate victims of criminal activity, as we saw with the hijacking of the Aris 13," he told CNBC in March in an email. While much attention is paid to Somalia, attacks in West Africa are also increasing. There were 95 reported attacks in the region in 2016, up from 54 in 2015, with two-thirds of attacks taking place near Nigeria. Kidnap for ransom attacks increased, with 18 incidents of kidnapping and 96 seafarers taken hostage, up from 44 the previous year. "One of the reasons we are observing increased incidents of kidnap for ransom is that the model offers financial gain with less risk to the perpetrators than hijacking for cargo theft," said Maisie Pigeon, a lead author of the OBP report, in a press release. "Unfortunately, these kinds of attacks appear to have continued into 2017." Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Sprint said Wednesday it's going to boost wireless coverage around the United States by giving businesses and consumers a "Magic Box." The Sprint Magic Box is about the size of a shoe box and will be available for free. The box is capable of increasing download and upload speeds by up to 200 percent within areas of 30,000 square feet, Sprint said. That may sound compelling if you don't have good coverage, but Sprint's plan also sounds a bit selfish: The upgrade won't require the company to invest more in cell towers or other heavy-duty technology. Other carriers have tried similar approaches, though for different reasons. T-Mobile offers customers a Personal CellSpot, which boosts the signal of its network where it doesn't work very well. Verizon and AT&T also offer micro cells to boost coverage where a customer needs an extra push, like at a vacation cabin in the woods. With the Magic Box, Sprint is asking that customers essentially help create the expansion by placing ugly white boxes in their homes. If nobody wants these boxes, Sprint's expansion will fail. Flyspaces, a start-up based in Manila, is aiming to become Southeast Asia's Airbnb of office space, offering flexible rentals, the CEO and founder told CNBC's "Street Signs" on Wednesday. Mario Berta said his company wasn't a physical player in the office-space business. "Flyspaces is an aggregator of existing co-working spaces, serviced offices, boutique hotels, landlords that have extra office space," he said on the sidelines of the Innovfest Unbound conference in Singapore. The Flyspaces website offers the opportunity to rent space from periods ranging from an hour to by the month. The company first launched in 2015 in Manila, before expanding to Singapore a couple of months later. It's since added listings for Jakarta, Macau, Myanmar, Cebu, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. The company raised $500,000 of seed capital in 2016. Flyspaces has positioned itself as interest in co-working spaces has surged. Last year, Cushman & Wakefield estimated that 15 percent of Southeast Asia's office rentals would be occupied by co-working spaces by 2030. Co-working allows entrepreneurs from various businesses to rent a cubicle, an office or suite month-to-month and get access to office resources in a shared environment, often including shared events. President Donald Trump's right-hand man Steven Bannon can check off letting the public know what he's really doing in the White House that ship has sailed, thanks to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. "America's Rabbi," as Boteach calls himself, exposed what the Trump strategist has apparently been working on when they posed for a photo with Bannon's whiteboard containing his hand-written to-do list in the background. @RabbiShmuley: With @SteveBannon in the White House on #israelindependenceday. Steve is a great, stalwart friend of the Jewish State Then Boteach, who was at the White House for an Israel Independence Day celebration, tweeted the photo on Tuesday for all to see. More from NBC News: Comey: 'Mildly Nauseous' FBI's Clinton Probe Could Have Impacted Election Trump Meets Palestinian Leader Abbas and Wants Mideast Peace Deal Refugees Are Fleeing Trump's America for This Tiny Canadian Town But as soon as it went viral, the public quickly zeroed-in on the scribble in the background, not so much on the smiling fellows in front. One of the hand-written goals on the whiteboard is no secret to anybody who has followed the Trump campaign. "Build the border wall and eventually make Mexico pay for it," it says. And there is no check mark beside it to indicate mission accomplished. But, for reasons unclear, there are check marks beside two other Trump goals that have been blocked by federal courts, namely "Suspend immigration from terror prone regions" and "Suspend the Syrian refugee Program." Under the heading "Pledges on Immigration," there's a line that says "Cancel all federal funding to sanctuary cities." That has a check mark beside it even though a federal judge blocked that executive order too. And it appears to contradict the Trump Administration's official position that they only intend to withhold discretionary funding to sanctuary cities. Notably, there is also no check mark beside the top item on the white board, "Repeal and replace Obamacare." Currently, the White House is desperately trying to get the GOP-controlled Congress to do just that. Their first attempt failed spectacularly. There appear to be several dozen more goals scribbled on the board, including other unfulfilled promises like "Eliminate the estate tax" and "Hire 5,000 more Border Patrol agents." Boteach, 50, is a contributor to Breitbart News, which is Bannon's former outfit before he joined team Trump. Before that, the enterprising and outspoken Orthodox Jewish rabbi carved himself out a career as a TV host, public speaker, and author of several dozen books, including the best-selling "Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy." For a time, the right-wing rabbi was also an unofficial spiritual adviser to the late Michael Jackson and he made a failed bid to win a congressional seat in New Jersey as a Republican. House Republicans on Wednesday struggled to reach a consensus on the repeal of the Obama administration's landmark health-care law, with dozens of them expressing concerns that a proposed replacement plan would leave their constituents without coverage. But a closer look at the list of holdouts shows they may be even more concerned about the political winds back in their home districts as they face contentious re-election races next year. As of Wednesday afternoon, NBC News counted 19 House Republicans who were opposed to the bill, known as the American Health Care Act, which has failed to win enough support for GOP leadership to bring it to a vote. Another 24 were undecided, according to NBC News, and the count changed throughout the afternoon. Republicans can only afford to lose 22 votes from their caucus, assuming no Democrats support the bill, to enact the controversial overhaul plan. Two of the holdouts, Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Billy Long, R-Mo., said Wednesday they had decided to back the measure, helping to revive the legislation's chance of survival. But no vote has been scheduled and it's not clear if there was enough support to ensure passage. An aide to Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., told The Associated Press that Dent, a GOP moderate, remained opposed to the bill. He and other moderates have complained that the legislation erodes protections provided under the existing law that prevent insurers charging people with pre-existing illnesses unaffordable premiums. That concern is widely shared by Democrats, many of whom represent districts that have seen substantial increases in health-care coverage. Nationally, some 20 million people have signed up for insurance since the law took effect in 2010. Some GOP holdouts fear that provisions in their party's health plan could force some of those voters to drop coverage because they can no longer afford it. The number of voters at risk varies widely from one congressional district to the next, according to estimates by the Center for American Progress, based on national Congressional Budget Office projections and local data on current health insurance enrollments. But the risk of losing coverage appears to have little overall impact on GOP support for the new measure; House Republicans withholding support represent districts with a wide range of coverage at risk. Talk about low-energy stocks. The energy sector has the highest valuation in the , even though it's the market's worst performer this year. WTI crude oil has lost 10 percent this year and the sector is down nearly 11 percent, and some strategists see further downside. "I do think it's going to be a challenging road for oil, and we seem to just continue to be on a roller coaster that bottoms at $40, and tops out at $55. And we can't seem to get off of this roller-coaster ride," Gina Sanchez, CEO of Chantico Global, said Tuesday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." At nearly 28 times forward earnings, the sector's forward price-earnings ratio is significantly above the second most richly priced sector, consumer discretionary. Its trailing price-to-earnings ratio is 33 times, second only to real estate among the 11 sectors. This high price as compared with expected earnings comes despite a major comeback for energy profits; the sector is on track to report 790 percent net income growth this quarter from the first quarter of 2016, according to FactSet estimates. Energy is also reporting the highest year-over-year earnings growth of any sector, according to FactSet. Buying energy stocks is difficult at this juncture given how much the price of oil has vacillated this year, Sanchez said. Crude oil has bounced around a range of roughly $47 to $56 a barrel, and in Tuesday trading dove beneath its 200-day moving average to its lowest level in five weeks as higher output in the U.S., Canada and Libya pressured the price. This comes even as Russia and major OPEC member countries have lowered production. Oil prices just "aren't cooperating," Sanchez said. "We are probably going to see OPEC cuts hold, but we are seeing less and less compliance, and that's going to be a challenge." One popular exchange-traded fund that tracks energy stocks, the XLE , has fallen this year along with the sector. It closed at 67.31 on Tuesday. "It's not pretty here in the short term," Rich Ross, Evercore ISI's head of technical analysis, said Tuesday on "Trading Nation," examining a chart of the ETF. However, Ross said, absent a break below 65 a key level of support the XLE held last year he wouldn't write off energy and crude because he is more optimistic about fundamentals than he is of the charts. Sanchez said she could become more bullish. "Geopolitical tension tends to buoy the price of oil; in fact, it will cause oil price spikes. That's certainly nothing that anybody's hoping for," but it would be something that she is watching when considering the future of energy stocks and oil. Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on CNBC Wednesday was glowing in his praise of the White House's openness to work with all sides on the issues, but he voiced concerns about President Donald Trump's tweets. The Tennessee Republican told "Squawk Box" the president should think twice about what he shares on Twitter, saying the world today is more complex than the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. "I would say [only] tweet out those direct, honest things that help move policy ahead," Corker said. "I do think that these little interjections are harmful to him." While holding up his iPhone during Wednesday's interview, Corker said his staffers provide what he calls "adult supervision," and won't let him tweet. "Words matter," Corker said, citing Trump's ill-advised telephone call of congratulations to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a recent close vote there that granted sweeping presidential powers. Trump's words can "affect our allies," Corker said. "They affect people out on the battleground." Corker also reflected on his one-on-one dinner with Trump on April 25, saying this administration is "the most embracing" he's ever dealt with. He said he tells his Democratic friends, "Look these guys, they want input." Despite what he calls "the incredible talent" among Trump's Cabinet and advisors, Corker said, "It's not really working yet for them." Often times in government it can be two steps forward and one step back, Corker said. But so far for the White House "it's been one step forward and two steps back," he said. "All of us as a country whether you're Republican or Democrat should want him to succeed." U.S. air-traffic control badly needs first-class treatment. Donald Trump's administration wants to privatize the organization that coordinates flights and manages often antiquated systems. The Federal Aviation Administration, currently in charge, has faced obstacles in trying to upgrade its 1940s-era technology, a project estimated to cost about $35 billion. Canada pioneered a self-funding, stakeholder-governed model. A similar approach could work for the more complex American system if carriers, politicians and the like can dump their baggage. In most ATC operations across the United States, flight patterns are still organized on paper strips and passed by hand from one controller to another. The old-school radar used to mark planes with dots on screens can be off by as much as three miles. There were nearly 40 million flight movements in the United States in 2015, according to the FAA. Of the much smaller number of commercial flights, over 80 percent arrive on time, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, but that's still a lot of delays. Though the FAA is gradually upgrading its technology, almost a quarter of the late arrivals are attributed to air-traffic control and that doesn't include late-arriving aircraft, some of which may be delayed by ATC, as well. Those advocating for a new system including airlines as well as the administration say that the GPS capabilities of cell phones are more sophisticated than the technology that organizes U.S. air traffic. More from Breakingviews New York Times and CNN should beware news cycles Elite animal spirits shift to comfortable smugness India's Minister for Everything poses a problem An overhaul has been proposed multiple times since the 1990s, but policy and funding have been at the mercy of a dysfunctional Congress. The FAA was partly shut down in 2011 because of political budget squabbles, and in 2013 more than 15,000 employees, including 3,000 safety inspectors, were temporarily put on leave. Right now, Washington will probably rely once more on short-term budget extensions, and without a longer-term deal something similar could happen again.Trump has likened U.S. airport infrastructure to "a third-world country," while U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said at the Milken Institute conference on Monday that action on air-traffic control was overdue. It's true that plenty of other nations have jumped ahead with ATC technology. Dozens have upgraded their systems in recent decades. The UK is the only one that now has air traffic managed for profit within a public-private partnership, a model dating back to 2001. Other countries such as Germany and Australia have adopted government-owned company models, though Australia is considering a shift to something more like Canada's private, non-profit structure. A key feature that differentiates all of them from the FAA is that all of them are self-funded. Entertainment / Music by Christopher Ncube JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwe's Jazz music star Majahawodwa Ndlovu has build a working relationship with the Rhumba outfit Mlambos Express Band to uplift the standard of music in the Matebeleland region.Ndlovu, popularly known as Jeys Marabini in music circles, is currently in South Africa where he would meet the Mlambos manager, Thabani Ndlovu, to fine tune the details of how they will work together.V.P of Global Digital Box -Orrack Chabangu (SA) with ZIM musician Jeys Marabini at Sandton"I am in South Africa to meet the Mlambos band management so that we can sort out one or two things. I was really impressed by Ndlovu's (Mlambos Mananger) plans. He is such a wonderful man with direction and focus", said Kozekulunge band leader adding that he loves Mlambos music and their energy when they are on stage.He told Switchbod Arts Magazine that their core aim is to work together with other Zimbabwe musicians to uplift the young musicians.Apparently the union comes after the two have been signed by the same online distribution company called Global Digital Box. The company has been signing musicians across Africa and its Vice President Orrack Chabangu, a South African businessmen and a strong fan of Zimbabwean rhumba music described Jeys as a blue diamond that needs to be safeguarded for the benefit of African heritage.Confirming the new deal Mlambos Express Band manager Thabani Ndlovu said: " yes we are having a project with our legend Jeys Marabini, it is a pleasure to work with him. As a band of the people we are open to anybody who comes onboard in the name of developing our arts. Jeys himself was once described by one professor as the pride of Bulawayo,hence having him is a blessing to us and we know that we will tap into his experience inasmuch as people will also learn a lot from this collaboration. "In addition Marabini said that shows pitting him with Mlambos would be held in the near future as they want to walk their talk. A book written by Future "Jamelah" Moyo that outlines the life of Jeys Marabini as a musician and his social life will be launched alongside a band magazine for Mlambos- The Super Legends crafted by the same writer.The man who enjoys a good following because of his good music has opened an academy called Jeys Marabini music academy that teaches how to use the music instruments. He wishes to see an improved quality in-terms of music in the region so that the artists can compete with the world."We need to work together if we want to uplift each other in this industry. My collaboration with Mlambos will see us reach more people in Zimbabwe in particular and the world in general.I encourage all artists to work together for us to reach our goals."Marabini is one of the few artists who enjoys giving back to the community where they were bred and born."There will be a festival that will be held in Filabusi to promote arts and ensure that I give back to my community that has supported me to be what I am today. The name of the festival is uGodlwayo Yithi," Marabini said.According to Marabini, the budding artists should shun their tendency of imitating the foreign cultures. Marabini believes by doing that artists would not grow because their fans are not used to foreign cultures."Lets promote our things. Once we do that people will not shun us because that's what they know. Rhumba rocks everywhere where there are Zimbabweans because its their music, that's why you see people filling the halls to capacity at rhumba shows than at Maskandi shows," Marabini elaborated.To show his humanity and degree of maturity, Marabini never stops praising other artists.He leads by example in showing that unity can see artists achieving their goals."We have got great artists such as Charlie and Martin of Ndolwane Super Sounds and Magwaza , just to name but a few, who are sticking to our usual rhumba music. By so doing doing they are therefore enjoying a good following.'"Patience is needed in this industry. You don't plough today and reap tomorrow. Once one is organised and patient, then there is no doubt that we will see people releasing top quality projects", concluded the Filabusi born star. watch now Donald Trump is convinced that the Mideast should no longer be riven by violence and that peace is within reach. "I want to see peace with Israel and the Palestinians," he told Reuters in an interview last week. "There is no reason there's not peace between Israel and the Palestinians none whatsoever." For decades, this goal has eluded world leaders, including Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. That Trump has tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner with negotiating peace and longtime lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, to be his on-the-ground envoy deal are signs of the importance the president places on the issue. A possible step in the direction of peace will be his meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday. More from NBC News: Trump's Soft Spot for Strongmen Harms U.S. Image, Say Critics North Korea Crisis: How Events Have Unfolded Under Trump Trump and Putin Speak by Phone, Discuss Potential Meeting But according to Ghassan Khatib, a professor of political science at Birzeit University in the West Bank, Trump may be underestimating the task at hand. "The main concern for Palestinians is to make him understand that there are two sides ... and that the second side is important," he said. This "second side" is the Palestinian version of a long-running struggle that many such as Khatib feel Trump may not possess an in-depth knowledge of. At the heart of the conflict is the Palestinians' desire for an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem land Israel captured in 1967. Talks for this have ground to a halt with each side accusing the other of not being willing negotiate in good faith. According to Israeli emergency services, some 48 Israelis were killed and 608 wounded in attacks by individual Palestinians since August 2015 the latest bout of violence. During the same period, around 260 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and more than 18,000 wounded, according to Palestinian officials. Palestinians also allege that Israel is undermining efforts to achieve an independent state by allowing Jewish settlement on land occupied after the Six-Day War in 1967. The number of settlers on territory claimed by the Palestinians grew from 198,300 in 2000 to 385,900 in 2015, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Palestinians complain that these growing settlements make a contiguous state impossible. That Trump appears to have surrounded himself with people broadly seen to be close to Israel has made some question how much weight he will be prepared to give the Palestinian version of events. Chief among the figures is the U.S.'s new ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who is a fervent supporter of Israeli settlements and an opponent of Palestinian statehood. A Palestinian walks past a souvenir shop displaying T-shirts bearing images of US President Barack Obama (R) wearing a kaffiyeh and president-elect Donald Trump (L) dressed as a Hasidic Jew for sale in a souvenir shop in Jerusalem's Old City November 10, 2016. Ahmad Gharabli | AFP | Getty Images Trump also has a cordial relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying early on that he wanted to strengthen America's relationship with Israel which is already the U.S.'s largest recipient of foreign aid. While admonishing Israel in February over Jewish communities being built on Palestinian land, saying that he would like Netanyahu to "hold back on settlements," Trump also unexpectedly shifted years of U.S. policy when he withheld clear support for an independent Palestine. This possible endorsement of a one-nation solution to the conflict would be very difficult for both sides. It would either end up being two systems for two peoples, which Palestinians would see as apartheid and unending occupation or equal rights for all, which would compromise Israel's Jewish character. Trump has said he is looking "very, very strongly" at moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the disputed holy city that both Palestinians and Israelis lay claim to. So for Palestinians, it will be vital that Abbas simply presents an alternate view of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "For us the most important thing in this meeting is that it will allow a Palestinian perspective," Khatib said. "The current American president is very familiar with the Israeli side and is constantly in touch with the Israeli point of view, but is a stranger to the Palestinian narrative." Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa program at London's Chatham House think tank, said it is possible that Trump's well-known unpredictability could be a positive for the Palestinians. "He's not interested in details," he said. "Israelis and Palestinians know all the details. What Trump can contribute is that he is ready to act regardless of not knowing the details, which might do something ... in the unpredictable world we live in right now." Trump's close relationship with Netanyahu will not be the only thing the Palestinian Authority leader is up against. Abbas, 82, also faces challenges at home. Palestinians who are partly governed by militant group Hamas which has ruled the seaside enclave of Gaza since it won an election there in 2006 are more despondent and divided than ever. There is widespread disappointment at the lack of a political solution to the Israeli occupation and general malaise brought on by a slowing economy and high unemployment. The release on Monday of a Hamas political document declaring their recognition of Israel's 1967 borders while explicitly not recognizing the "legitimacy of the Zionist entity" draws attention away from Abbas' more secular government and undermines the message that he speaks for the Palestinian people as a whole. Israel has fought three wars with Hamas, which does not recognize its legitimacy as an independent Jewish state. Militant rockets are often fired at Israeli territory. The group rules the desperately poor population of approximately 1.9 million people 1.3 million of whom are refugees displaced during the establishment of the state of Israel with an iron fist. Abbas' Palestinian Authority is also at odds with Hamas in Gaza, which has been blockaded by the Israelis for years. His security officials regularly crack down on the pockets of the hard-line group in the West Bank. Kobi Michael, from the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank, called the release of the Hamas document "an internal Palestinian game." He added: "The pressure is for Hamas to change its policy and position towards Israel. They are not giving up on their armed resistance." A Palestinian protester hurls stones toward Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron, October 18, 2015. Mussa Qawasma | Reuters [The stream is slated to start at 10:30 a.m., ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Secretary of State Rex Tillerson addresses State Department employees Wednesday. It marks the second time he has spoken to all State employees since becoming the United States' top diplomat. The remarks from Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil CEO, come as the Trump administration has called for large cuts in the department's funding. May 2, 2017 NASA has awarded an early extension to its concessionaire, Delaware North, to continue operating Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the public face to the Florida spaceport. The extension comes as the Visitor Complex is about to mark its 50th anniversary, having first opened in August 1967. Delaware North, a hospitality and food services company, has operated the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex since 1995. In 2010, NASA chose to continue working with the concessionaire through a competitive bid process on a 10- year base period with options for another 10 years. The early extension will see Delaware North continuing to run the NASA visitor complex through 2028. "On behalf of Delaware North ... I want to thank NASA for giving us the opportunity to continue the work that we have done together to make the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex an absolute must-see experience for all," Scott Socha, the president of Delaware North parks and resorts division, said in a statement. Guests see space shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. (Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) Since 2012, Delaware North has worked with NASA to add new space center tours and educational programs, as well as increased visitor opportunities to see NASA and private launches from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The company has also overseen the design and construction of new attractions, including the $100 million Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit showcasing the retired iconic NASA orbiter, and Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, highlighting NASA's early space explorers. The early extension comes after the visitor complex set an annual attendance record in 2016 1.66 million people surpassing the previous high record set in 2009, the next- to-last full year of the space shuttle program. Recently, Delaware North has focused on adding exhibits to highlight current and near-future NASA programs and the initiatives of NASA's commercial spaceflight partners. For example, visitors can learn about current missions to the International Space Station and upcoming missions to explore deep space, including missions to the Red Planet, in "Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted." And just last month, the complex's "NASA Now" exhibition welcomed NASA's Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) spacecraft, which was launched in 2014 aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket into high Earth orbit. Space shuttle astronaut Jon McBride speaks to guests outside the Astronaut Encounter Theater at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) "Everyone with Delaware North is thrilled this extension will allow us to continue the momentum in enhancing the visitor complex over the next decade," said Therrin Protze, chief operating officer of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. "We have an incredible story to tell to millions of people about NASA's current and future space programs, as well as what SpaceX, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and the other private space companies are doing." The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is funded by sales from admission, food and beverages, as well as from retail and education programs, with no use of tax dollars. A portion of the funds is invested to add and enhance to the attractions and to maintain and preserve the hundreds of artifacts that are on exhibit at the complex, including the shuttle Atlantis, spacecraft from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, and rockets, including the only remaining Saturn IB and one of three remaining Saturn V boosters. In addition to operating the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Delaware North also runs the concession sales for several National Parks, including Sequoia and Kings in California, Shenandoah in Virginia and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. News / National by Staff reporter Zanu-PF women's league has said it holds no grudge against the party's beleaguered national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.The powerful wing, which is led by President Robert Mugabe's influential wife, Grace, has broken ranks with other branches of the fractured Zanu-PF party, which is currently divided along tribal and factional lines.While the ruling party's 10 provinces have already endorsed votes of no confidence against Kasukuwere, with the party's youth wing also following suit, the women's wing has taken a different approach.This comes after Grace convened a recent meeting of the women's league at her Mazowe property where she reportedly said the league only had locus standi to ensure the acrimonious divorce from the Zanu-PF influential wing of her erstwhile allies Eunice Sandi Moyo and Sarah Mahoka following weeks of unrest sparked by mega demonstrations held against them by irate members.Women's league spokesperson Thokozile Mathuthu told the Daily News yesterday that they are not part of the group calling for Kasukuwere's ouster."This issue has nothing to with the women's league because as a party, we are structured according to the organs and there is no way we can have issues with Kasukuwere because he is not a member of the league," Mathuthu said."If the youth league makes its own declarations, it's their own opinion. But like I said, we are an independent wing, so we have no issue with Kasukuwere. It's purely a main wing issue that we cannot get ourselves involved in, it is that clear."The women and youth leagues have previously declared publicly that they are inseparable, with the latter arguing that as children they will always follow where their mother (Grace) goes.Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has also thrown his weight behind Kasukuwere, describing those who are demonstrating against him as "renegades."Zanu-PF secretary for youths Kudzanai Chipanga has told State media that he is backing Kasukuwere's ouster and that there is no discord in the youth league over the issue."All youths are participating in the provincial activities that are taking place againstKasukuwere countrywide. All youths are supportive of that and we have not heard of any province which is against that," Chipanga said, adding that "they (youths) are speaking without any influence and it is their democratic right."Harare provincial youth chairperson Edson Takataka was singing a different tune altogether in an interviuew with the Daily News saying the province was behind the ruling party's organiser.Takataka declared his executive's support for Kasukuwere, describing him as "an extremely capable leader.""He is our PC, appointed by our beloved president so we have great respect for him and they should leave him in peace."He has done a lot of good work which explains why party programmes in the province are running smoothly and for that we love him and have a duty to protect him from some rowdy elements hired from outside the party by elements that have a sinister agenda to destabilise us," Takataka said. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form News / National by Staff reporter War veterans have made the first move to try and mend their relations with President Robert Mugabe after they lavished with praise their former patron for his recent speech at the burial of former ex-combatant and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) assistant director, Zenzo Ntuliki.The war veterans have been feuding with Mugabe since they issued a damning communique against the increasingly frail nonagenarian mid last year.In a surprising development, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) chairperson and former Cabinet minister Chris Mutsvangwa said former freedom fighters were inspired by Mugabe's Saturday eulogy at the National Heroes Acre."As War Veterans, we wholeheartedly welcome...Mugabe's...speech delivered at the burial of... Ntuliki. We are particularly heartened by the recognition and the accolades showered upon our defence and security establishment which owes its existence to the pain and sacrifice of gallant young men and women of the 1960-70s."That generation of youthful patriots selflessly bore arms as Zanla and Zipra to dislodge the evil minority racist settler colonial regime and gave birth to the new State of Zimbabwe. In equal measure we salute both...Mugabe and the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo for providing the militant leadership leading us to freedom and independence in 1980 and their subsequent sterling roles in nation building," said Mutsvangwa.This is in stark contrast to what the former freedom fighters said recently after the burial of yet another hero, James Murozvi, also at the National Heroes' Acre, as they felt affronted by Mugabe's speech.Then, Mugabe said unlike some war veterans, Murozvi was loyal to Zanu-PF until his death, as he attacked the Mutsvangwa-led executive. On Saturday, the nonagenarian delivered a riveting eulogy and chose the burial of Ntuliki, to remind Zimbabweans about the key role that spooks have played in the country's body politic. "Isu zvatiri pano hatingomhanyemhanye tichingodauka dauka zvisiri mugwara rinoonekwa nevaongorori vedu, nyanzvi dzedu dzine maziso, nzeve neruzivo rwekuti apa pakaipa, apa pane nyoka ... musafambe nepo pane nyoka mungarumwe (I always make my moves with advice from the CIO which warns me about my enemies)."Saka tinopiwa nyanzvi dzine maziso anooona zviri kure kure nenzeve, dzinonzwa zvinonyeyewa. Ndiko kurarama kwedu (The intelligence operatives who work with me are top drawer spooks who can sniff out any threats well ahead.)"The fact that he (Zenzo) is being laid here is a demonstration that he was a comrade, a comrade at arms."Self sacrifice was one of Ntuliki's strongest attributes sacrifice did not mean just going out and joining the other comrade. It meant that at heart, in your own mind as a comrade you were truly decided, come what may to fight for the country," Mugabe told mourners gathered at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.Mugabe has been having a tough time with war veterans ever since they issued a scathing statement on him in mid July last year.Until that happened, the fed-up ex-combatants had served as Mugabe's and Zanu-PF's pillars, waging particularly brutal campaigns against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC, especially in the bloody elections of 2000 and 2008.Their stunning fallout with Mugabe and Zanu-PF later saw Mutsvangwa, being fired from both the Cabinet and the ruling party last year, while many of their other top leaders were also banished from the imploding former liberation movement, in addition to being hauled before the courts. Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck joined University of Wisconsin Political Science Professor David Canon and John Nichols of The Nation and The Capital Times to discuss gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Organizing For Action sponsored the event, which attracted a full house at the Alicia Ashman Library in Madison. Common Cause Wisconsin also sponsored the event along with Fair Elections Project, Indivisible Madison, and Citizen Action. Wisconsin is the tip of the spear of a nationwide effort to end the manipulation of districts for political advantage. Last year, the states assembly districts were struck down as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. This is the first time in American history that a single-member district plan was struck down on partisan grounds. Common Cause is working closely with the Campaign Legal Center, who litigated the case, and the Brennan Center for Justice to organize amicus briefs in the likely event that the U.S. Supreme Court hears Wisconsins appeal in the case. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff-appellees who successfully challenged the map, it could result in a national prohibition against extreme political gerrymandering. 20,000 Indians to return from Saudi Arabia under amnesty scheme There is a ray of hope for thousands of Indians who have been stranded in Saudi Arabia and want to return home through the 90-day amnesty scheme. In fact, around 20,000 Indians are already availing of this scheme to return back to their country. The Saudi government has set up an exclusive centre in Riyadh for Indian nationals who want to exit the country. The scheme are for the Indians who are living illegally or whose visa has expired. About 20,000 Indian workers are planning to return to their country from Saudi Arabia under amnesty scheme. Photo courtesy: indiatomorrow.net Anil Nautiyal, counsellor (community welfare) at the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia, said that 20,321 Indian nationals had applied till Monday evening under the scheme. The embassy had appealed to all Indians staying in Saudi Arabia illegally to take advantage of the amnesty that is available in 21 locations across the Kingdom. A similar offer in 2013 was restricted to illegal immigrants in Riyadh and Jeddah only. Out of the total workers, around 1,500 from Tamil Nadu have applied so far under the scheme. Most of the other workers are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Nautiyal told an Indian newspaper The Times of India, The majority of applications we received were from blue collar workers wanting to return to India. The numbers are fewer than during the 2103 amnesty period but many families who overstayed now want to use the scheme to return. Volunteers are assisting embassy officials through the entire process. We have put up tents in the embassy and consulate for the Indians who have applied to fly back to India." Nautiyal said Saudi officials are giving out passes (one-way travel documents the authorities issue to Indian nationals to travel back home in the absence of passports) and exit visas free of charge to applicants. While they are facilitating the exit process, the applicants have to pay the flight cost. SIA partners CAAS to operate world's first Singapore Airlines (SIA), in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), has started operating a series of 12 green package flights over a three-month period on its non-stop San Francisco-Singapore route. Committed to the global effort to reduce international aviation emissions, SIA and CAAS said in a joint press statement on May 3, 2017. Photo courtesy: SIA Featuring SIAs latest-generation and most fuel-efficient aircraft, the Airbus A350-900, the green package flights are the first in the world to combine the use of biofuels, fuel-efficient aircraft and optimised flight operations. CAAS is facilitating the use of these optimised flight operations and Air Traffic Management (ATM) best practices to reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions for the flights. The first of the 12 flights, SQ31, had departed San Francisco at 1121hrs (San Francisco Time) on 1 May 2017 and arrived in Singapore at 1910 hrs (Singapore Time) on 2 May with 206 passengers on board. The initiative supports the efforts under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015 to develop Singapore as a Leading Green Economy. Businesses are encouraged to adopt more efficient and sustainable processes and measures to contribute towards a Sustainable Singapore. The flights will also raise awareness of sustainable biofuels for aviation. This will provide the industry with valuable insight on the economics, logistical requirements and performance of biofuels. Photo courtesy: SIA SIAs fleet is already among the most modern and fuel-efficient in the world. We now want to push ourselves further and are embarking on this initiative to help promote the use of sustainable biofuel in an operationally and commercially-viable manner," said Goh Choon Phong, SIA's Chief Executive Officer. "This is in line with our long-term commitment to further reduce carbon emissions while improving the efficiency of our operations. This initiative is especially memorable as our first biofuel flight departed from San Francisco on 1 May, when Singapore Airlines celebrated its 70th anniversary, he added. Overview: There are 40 Parliamentary constituencies in Wales. At dissolution Labour held 25, the Conservatives 11, Plaid Cymru three, and the Liberal Democrats one. Wales was a strong region for the Tories last time, holding ultra-marginal Cardiff North and picking up three seats, reaching the partys highest total since the 1980s. Now some quite extraordinary polling suggests theyre actually in the lead and could pick up six or even ten more, a genuine earthquake. Scotland having fallen, Wales has been the last part of the so-called Celtic fringe which helped provide Labours Westminster majorities. Last years ill-run campaign managed to lose two seats to the Conservatives by tiny margins, but if the Tory tide indicated in the polling is real theyll likely be fighting an almost purely defensive election no matter how well run their campaign. Weve listed their two 2015 losses, which were very close-run things, as targets. Once home to some of the partys safest seats, the Lib Dems have been lucky to avoid an actual wipe-out. Theyll be fending off the nationalists in their remaining seat whilst targeting only a handful more, most likely Cardiff Central. The last general election was a disappointing one for Plaid Cymru, who failed to translate the much higher exposure enjoyed by their leader into any gains in seats. Leanne Woods decision not to stand in a key target probably tells you want you need to know about the state of their campaign, but current polling suggests they are set to take a seat off Labour. Method: As in 2015, well be taking a region-by-region look at the seats which could change hands and offering our suggested lists of target seats for each party. These lists arent predictions of gains: rather, theyre just seats which we think could be competitive. They might be official party targets, have a small majority, or be subject to other factors which could leave them open to change. Amongst the resources well be using to steer us through these murky waters are Electoral Calculus, UK Polling Report, Number Cruncher Politics, and Election Polling, whilst all Leave vote share estimations are from Chris Hanrettys very helpful constituency-by-constituency charts. For Wales-specific stuff well be drawing on the excellent work of Professor Roger Scully and may also look at Welsh Assembly election results, although these arent always a clear guide as the Tories underperform at Cardiff Bay compared to Westminster and consistent turnout differences mean that they are almost fought with different electorates. Were also keeping an eye on the work of many other pollsters, psephologists, and analysts, some of whom our assistant editor has collated onto a Twitter list. Battleground Rating: 9/10 Targets by party: (NB These are our own suggestions of potential attack seats for each party including those officially designated as targets and others where the incumbent has a relatively small majority, or local factors are at play which may open the seat to change.) Conservatives: Alyn & Deeside: This has been Labour since its creation in 1983, but looks like one of the Conservatives better prospects in Wales with a Labour majority of just 3,343. This is slightly bigger than it was going into the 2015 election, when this seat appeared on a leaked list of Tory non-targets, but the very different polling situation should make them more confident this time, not least with almost 7,000 UKIP votes to squeeze in a seat which went 58 per cent Leave (est.). Electoral Calculus tips a gain in the 39th-most marginal Tory target seat. Bridgend: With a majority of less than 2,000, Labour incumbent Madeleine Moon is defending what Election Polling ranks as (on paper) the 20th seat on the Conservative attack sheet. Bridgend has only previously gone Tory during Margaret Thatchers 1983 landslide, but Electoral Calculus predicts it to do so this time a particularly stinging result for Labour as their First Minister, Carwyn Jones, holds the seat in the Welsh Assembly. This seat is estimated to have voted narrowly to Leave, which may help the Conservative candidate woo UKIPs almost 6,000 2015 voters. Cardiff South & Penarth: A breakthrough in Cardiff would suggest that the Conservatives are on track for a very good night in Wales indeed. The Labour majority here stands at almost 7,500, but it was only 4,709 after the 2010 election and between them UKIP added almost 5,300 votes to their share. Electoral Calculus thinks Labour will hold on but gives the Tories a four-in-ten chance of an upset in a seat which has never gone Conservative and used to have James Callaghan for an MP. Cardiff West: This is 76th on the Tories paper battleground, but like its southern neighbour its a seat where a very strong 2015 showing for UKIP turned Labours vaguely competitive majority of 4,750 into a much safer-looking 6,789. This seat has gone Conservative once before, in 1983, and although Electoral Calculus tips a narrow Labour hold they suggest the Tories have a 42 per cent chance of winning here. At 44 per cent, this is estimated as the most Leave seat in Cardiff too. Clwyd South: The Conservatives have run Labour fairly close in this seat since Susan Elan Jones succeeded Martyn Jones as MP in 2010. After the last election her majority stood at just under 2,500, and with Leave estimated to have picked up 60 per cent of the vote in this seat the Tories may be hopeful of picking up some of UKIPs almost 5,500 voters from two years ago. Electoral Calculus predicts a Conservative gain, and it would likely be an ill omen for the party if they missed out here. Delyn: Although it last elected a Tory MP in 1987, this may be one of the best Conservative prospects in Wales: in 2015 they managed to only shed a couple of percentage points despite UKIP putting on an extra 14.6 (the seat is estimated to have voted 54 per cent Leave), and at a shade under 3,000 Labours majority is one of the narrowest they face. Electoral Calculus predict a Conservative gain. Dwyfor Meirionnydd: As we explained at greater length in our initial report on the new Welsh polling, this is an outside chance of an upset. Plaids majority stands at a healthy 5,261, yet the seat is estimated to have voted 47 per cent Leave. The stars would need to align right for the Tories here: wooing the 3,000 voters who picked UKIP in 2015 and making inroads into the Leave-voting share of Labours 3,900 whilst hoping a Lib Dem revival erodes the nationalist lead. Electoral Calculus tips a Plaid hold with just over a one-in-three chance of a Conservative upset. Newport East: Here the Conservatives have profited from the collapse of the Lib Dems, who were second-placed until the last election. Labours majority of just over 4,700 would usually look fairly safe, but at this election Electoral Calculus predicts a real knife-edge battle (with the Tories noses in front). The seat voted 59 per cent Leave (est.), so the Conservatives will need to win over both UKIPs almost 6,500 voters from the last election and Leave-inclined Labour voters. A Lib Dem revival that took some of Labours more ardently Remain voters would help too. Newport West: A much better Conservative prospect than its eastern neighbour, Paul Flynns majority stood at just over 3,500 after the last election, the Tories holding position despite a 12-point increase in UKIPs share of the vote. This seat is estimated to have been slightly less pro-Leave than Newport East, but Electoral Calculus still predicts a Conservative gain with more than 50 per cent probability. Torfaen: This is another of those outside chances. Hanretty estimates that this seat went 61 per cent Leave, which may make it more vulnerable than its 8,000 Labour majority would indicate indeed in 2015 the Tories managed to gain ground on Labour despite an almost 17-point increase in the UKIP share. As in Dwyfor Meirionnydd the Conservatives would need to secure most of UKIPs 7,200 voters and make inroads into Labour Leavers Electoral Calculus gives them a 35 per cent chance of pulling it off. Wrexham: Despite having not returned a Conservative MP since 1918 (although they only fell 424 votes short in 1983), this is one of the partys top targets this time. The collapse of the Lib Dems leaves the Tories the clear challenger, and Ian Lucas majority has been whittled down to just over 1,800. If the Tory candidate can win over some of UKIPs 5,000 voters, or Leave voters who previously backed Lucas (Hanretty estimates that Wrexham went 58 per cent Leave) they should get over the top for the first time in a century or more. Electoral Calculus thinks they will. Ynys Mon: This provided a wonderful bit of British election trivia in 1979, when David Dimbleby pointed out that the Tories had picked it up for the first time since 1722. This seat, which was formerly known as Anglesey, is a three-way fight between the Labour incumbent, Plaid Cymru, and the Tories. On present polling the nationalists look set to take it (they cut Labours majority to just 229 in 2015, and are running a high-profile candidate in Ieuan Wyn Jones. However, the Conservatives could pull it off: they are only about 3,000 votes behind the two front-runners, and in 2015 UKIP took more tha 5,000 votes. In a seat estimated to have backed withdrawal from the EU, there may be a coalition there to put the Tories over the line. Oddly, Electoral Calculus predicts a Plaid gain with its headline but gives the Tories the best odds indicating a close fight, if nothing else. Labour: Gower: The most marginal Labour target in the country Tory incumbent Byron Davies majority is just 27 votes this was such an unexpected loss two years ago that Labour HQ had to hand-write it onto their battle-board. This time Electoral Calculus predicts a much more comfortable Conservative hold, with Davies reaping the advantages of incumbency and perhaps benefiting from the unwinding of UKIPs 2015 vote, which in 2015 was almost 5,000 votes here. Vale of Clwyd: Another unexpected defeat at the last election with another very narrow Conservative majority, this time of just 237 votes. Former MP Chris Ruane is hoping to win back Labours fourth-most marginal target, but Electoral Calculus gives Dr James Davies, the incumbent, a two-in-three chance of holding on. Once again, a strong UKIP vote will likely unwind to the Tories advantage in a seat estimated to have voted Leave. Liberal Democrats: Cardiff Central: Although the seats they have lost to the Conservatives in 2010 and 2015 (Montgomeryshire and Brecon & Radnorshire) used to be some of the partys safest, its against Labour that the Lib Dems have the best chance to increase their tally of Welsh MPs. The party won this in 2005 and held it in 2010 before Labour regained it in 2015, but the Lib Dems will be hoping that their message cuts through in a seat estimated to have gone two-thirds Remain. Electoral Calculus doesnt fancy their chances in what is on paper their 25th target. Plaid Cmyru: Ceredigion: The Lib Dems took this from Plaid by just 219 votes in 2005, but even during 2015s turkey shoot the nationalists fell more than 3,000 votes short of regaining a seat they had previously held since a shock gain in 1992. (It will doubtless add insult to injury that the incumbent, Mark Williams, is or was apparently the first non-Welsh-speaking MP for the seat since 1892.) That the Assembly seat is solidly Plaid illustrates how the nationalists suffer from the higher turnout in Westminster contests. Electoral Calculus thinks hell hold on again, and it seems unlikely that the nationalists have a better chance now than they did two years ago. Rhondda: At the 2016 Welsh Assembly elections Leanne Wood, the nationalist leader, managed to wrest this seat from Leighton Andrews, a former minister in Labours Cardiff Bay administration. After a rather public display of indecision she has decided not to contest the Westminster seat, which supports reports that Plaid dont expect great things from this election. Chris Bryants majority of just under 7,500 looks solid, and although proportionally Wood pulled off a bigger upset to win the Assembly seat the extra voters at Westminster elections dont tend to favour Plaid (as you might expect of people who tune out devolution). Ynys Mon: After failing to increase their Westminster caucus in 2015, this looks like the nationalists best opportunity to do it. Theyre running Ieuan Wyn Jones, a former Plaid leader who represented the island in the Assembly between 1999 and 2013. Current polling suggests theyre on course for victory, although as mentioned above Electoral Calculus rather confused prediction suggests the Conservatives may yet pip Plaid to the post. News / National by Stephen Jakes MDC-T deputy secretary general Tapiwa Mashakada has lamented the rise and fall of the new Zimbabwean currency Bond Notes and Coins a development which has further crumbled the country's economic situation.He said after the US dollar leaked out of circulation for various reasons including but not limited to externalization, capital flight, illicit financial outflows and low export receipts, the Reserve Bank introduced bond notes in a bid to tame the liquidity crisis."Bond notes were conceived of as export incentives whereby a 5% payout would be given to an exporter upon proof of export. A $200 million Afrexim-bank facility was put aside. But to date nobody has seen the term sheet. Pundits of bond notes argued that the multiplier effect of export incentives would yield $6billion export receipts upon the disbursement of the full Afrexim-Bank tranche," he said."From the onset, some of us refused to accept that logic. We argued that bond notes were an attempt to bring back the Zimbabwe dollar through the back door. We also argued that the export response was inelastic due to the economy wide supply bottlenecks. True to our predictions bank queues started forming. Cash withdrawal limits were imposed and retailers introduced a 3 tier pricing system for bond notes, US dollar, mobile payment."He said the cash crisis has now reached a head."Banks have run out of bond notes. Depositors are stranded. Zimbabwe yet again has been plunged into a deep financial crisis. Money demand is outstripping money supply all the time even under the bond note regime. This can only tell us that the monetary base has lagged behind aggregate demand. Zimbabwe needs a quick solution to end the financial crisis," he said. Apart from a brief stint on the Daily Telegraphs Peterborough column, George Osborne has almost no journalistic experience whatsoever. Until yesterday, he had never selected a splash. He has never managed a newsdesk. He has no formal training. He has never doorstepped an interviewee. I would be very surprised if he has shorthand. None the less, there is no reason whatsoever why his editorship of the Evening Standard should not be a stonking success and every reason why it should be, as this site said when his appointment was announced. As ConservativeHome put it: the mere fact of his appointment triumphantly demonstrates that he possesses an essential journalistic qualification in spades: a sense of mischief. Journalism is a trade, not a profession. One doesnt need qualifications, though they are certainly desirable. The essentials are a nose for a story, energy, rat-like cunning, impatience with flam, understanding your readers and being able to write though the last is not absolutely essential, at least if you work for a publication that employs sub-editors, the unsung heroes of journalism, who can knock your copy into shape. Osborne has all these qualifications in spades. He is also very smart and can lead a team. I worked for four people as a Shadow Minister: Caroline Spelman, Eric Pickles, David Willetts and Osborne. They might almost have been selected to demonstrate the variety that the Conservative Parliamentary Party can offer. Osborne was the most effective at making the weather. That knack will serve him well as an editor. Furthermore, he is sitting on a goldmine of information gleaned from his years as Chancellor, and has a sizeable contacts book at his disposal. In addition, he will not only be reporting news, but is news. The Standards assault on Theresa Mays EU policy yesterday would have caused no stir were Osborne not the papers editor. He may not have written it, but his hands were all over it: theres nothing wrong with repeating election campaign slogans, the editoral said. Only a former politician would fully grasp how important repetition is during a contest. We can look forward to a lot more of where that editorial came from. It is doubtless bad manners to ask, on day two of Osbornes new job, what he will do next. But he has that quality of making one ask what his plans are what he is up to, what he will do next that makes asking the question irresistible. Some wonder whether he may want to stand in 2020 as Mayor of London. I think this is unlikely, for two main reasons. First, because London leans Labour, and if Sadiq Khan stands again in 2020 he will probably win. Second, because serving in any other political post, having been Chancellor, would be settling for second-best save one. Readers do not need me to spell out which it is. Furthermore, engaging with voters directly never topped Osbornes list of priorities as a working politician. For what its worth, Im less enthusiastic about Osborne the Minister than about Osborne the journalist. This site took a very hard line on him during the EU referendum campaign arguing that it was irresponsible for a Chancellor deliberately to risk a market crisis and campaigned for Theresa May not to keep him on in Cabinet. A fair assessment of his record as a whole would be less exacting. Nigel Farage is sometimes described as a marmite politician but Osborne, so unlike him in most other respects, is a lot like him in that one: he has fervent admirers and critics alike. ConservativeHome took a middle way, believing that though he messed up on particular occasions (the Omnishambles Budget), his general record of helping to deliver economic recovery was sound. The key to Osborne is a liberal worldview (the Standard declared itself yesterday in favour of freedom, not a word that most politicians now tend to deploy) and his political upbringing. Unlike David Cameron, who served as a SpAd during the early years of the Major Government, Osborne started just a bit later, and his first experiences in politics came at roughly the same time as the Blair ascendancy. His fondness for New Labour-style political dividing lines the benefits cap, the debt trap, and so on reflected a mind shaped during that era. That approach is now out of fashion. And although Osborne sometimes refers to having made mistakes, there is no reason to think that his view of what makes a winning political formula has changed: social liberalism, relatively high immigration, free markets. When news of his appointment to the Standard was announced, this sites snap judgement was that this move looks like a step nearer Westminsters exit door. This turned out to be right, and for all Osbornes defiant noises about leaving the Commons for the moment, it is hard to see why he would seek to return while May is in place (and just as hard to see why she should seek to help him do so). But editing the Standard will not be the limit of his ambitions. His style of conservatism, and in particularly his attempts to squeeze the growth in welfare, rubs along nicely with Rupert Murdochs. If I know anything at all about Osborne, he will already be mulling his chances of eventually editing The Times. Nick Timothy, Theresa Mays chief of staff, called for Erdington modernisation, named after the part of Birmingham in which he grew up, in an article written for this site just over a year ago. According to Timothy, the most serious weakness the Conservatives haveis the perception that we simply do not give a toss about ordinary people. His insight was confirmed yesterday during a visit to Erdington, but deserves to be stated in wider form. People here think that politicians of all parties do not give a toss about ordinary people. Erdington has long been in Labour hands: in 2015, Jack Dromey held it by a majority of 5,129 over the Conservative candidate, Robert Alden, who is standing again this time. UKIP received 6,040 votes in that election, and if enough of those go to Alden, Dromey could lose. But the turnout last time was only 53.3 per cent, and the strongest impression left by these conversations is that the people of Erdington would rather not take part in the election at all. I dont vote, mate, as a 22-year-old man said in the tone of one who does not want to talk politics. On walking into Erdington High Street from the railway station, one finds the Free Library, the gift of Andrew Carnegie in 1906 on the left-hand side at the end of Orphanage Road, and on the right-hand side the Swan pub. Here three workers aged about 60 poured out their woes. One was a man who used to earn 25,000 a year as a designer, but is now reduced to pushing a vacuum, i.e. working as a cleaner, for the minimum wage of 7.50 an hour. Sorry, he said. Im not interested in politics. They had cutbacks and I got made redundant that was the politicians. Ive worked my fing arse off since I was 15, Ive got to work until Im 66, and Im pushing a vacuum. These politicians are on 70,000 a year. Lets see if Dromey wants to work for the minimum wage. Were expected to go in six weeks time to put a cross in a box so he can stay in his job. A woman related how after working for almost 40 years as a jewellery polisher, she was sacked by the young man who inherited the firm from his father: To me, the Government has given these people the leeway to do whatever they want to working-class people. Nobody listens to us. A second woman, who lost her job as a pharmacist, said: At this age, we cant get jobs. I do cleaning. I do skivvying. Im also a barmaid. The man went on: You know what, I hope Brexit does change the country. Why not? We couldnt be worse off than we are now. An electrician who was smoking a cigarette outside a shop a frequent sight in Erdington and was wearing a waistcoat with a watch chain, said he will vote Tory, and always has done, even when Margaret Thatcher was in power, as did his parents before him. The electrician looked at the street and remarked: Erdingtons going down in the world. He said of the general election: Itll be a close call, very close. An excitable man who was sitting on a bench smoking cigarette after cigarette said: Mr Corbyn is a good man. Better than that woman. Hes the lesser of two evils. But I wont be voting for any of them. I will never vote. I will never allow evil to grow and flourish and prosper. Theyre thieves and crooks and theyve put us in this position. Theyre charlatans. Nothings going to happen. Its going to be more of the same. The rich are going to get richer and the poor are going to get poorer and conditions are going to get worse and its going to lead to unrest. Emile Durkheim once said people become a product of their values, and Im inclined to agree with him. In the Oikos cafe across the road from the pub, a retired engineer who supports Labour, and will be knocking on doors for that party, said it was crazy of Labour MPs to have voted for an election: The only explanation Ive had is they didnt want to be lily-livered. But that is no reason to vote for a general election, because they must know theyll get absolutely slaughtered. He lamented that food banks are needed in Erdington: People are in work but theyre not earning enough. Thats terrible. All the churches have a collection every month. A retired car worker who used to work for Jaguar said: I always vote Labour. Its for the working man, Labour. I used to like Churchill. He was Conservative, wasnt he? He was for the working man. No one mentioned the West Midlands mayoral election which will be held tomorrow between Andy Street for the Conservatives and Sion Simon for Labour. The Birmingham Mail predicts a close fight which could be decided by the second-preference votes cast for the Green, UKIP, Lib Dem and Communist candidates. In the article mentioned at the start of this piece, Timothy called on the Conservative Party to adopt a relentless focus on governing in the interests of ordinary, working people. But I confess that as I talked to ordinary, working people in Erdington, who were for the most part very friendly, it was not immediately apparent to me how one would set about doing that. Perhaps the forthcoming manifesto will start to make this clear. The closest the Conservatives have come since the Second World War to winning Erdington was in 1983, when Daniel Moylan fell only 231 votes short. He is now a councillor in Kensington and Chelsea, was Boris Johnsons transport and aviation adviser, and last night said: In 1983 I was the Conservative candidate in Birmingham Erdington, a constituency long neglected by its outgoing and antiquated Labour MP and a defensive target for Labour. They managed to retain it in a difficult year and have held it since. Returning to it today, it is remarkable how little it has changed visually and in its built form. Like many of our smaller cities and suburbs outside the south-east, time seems to have stood still. But not the political landscape of Birmingham. In 1983, there were numerous Conservative MPs. The thought that Edgbaston, solidly Conservative under the serene Jill Knight, could one day fall to Labour would have seemed ludicrous. Yet Conservative MPs are now nowhere to be seen (except in the special case of Sutton Coldfield, a microcosm community stiffened in its identity by a conviction that it is part of Birmingham only in name). Losing its political representation, the Conservative Party also lost its narrative for cities. Indeed it is almost impossible to think of any story Conservatives have had to tell cities for decades (outside London). That may change. We have a chance now to take parliamentary seats and mayoral chairs in urban settings we have given up for lost long term. But to hold them we need the narrative and the policies. That will be the test. This site is not available in your country CORNWALL, Ontario Both Immaculate Conception and St. Columbans elementary schools have been slated for closure after a vote by the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) Board of Trustees on Tuesday, May 2. The Board accepted the recommendations of the final staff report which in addition to closing two schools, also called for consolidation with others, the introduction of French Immersion at St. Annes and Bishop MacDonell and turning all elementary schools into K-6 schools. Immaculate Conception will be closed in June 2018 with its students being sent to St. Peters Catholic School and Bishop MacDonell Catholic School. St. Columbans will be consolidated with Sacred Heart in June 2019. The combined school will be housed in a bew building either built on the current Sacred Heart site or somewhere else. The exact nature of this consolidation will be determined by Ministry of Education funding. All grade 7 and 8 CDSBEO students in Cornwall will be attending St. Joes as of September 2019. The CDSBEO raised the possibility of installing additional class space at that school to accomodate the influx of students. OTTAWA, Ontario Check your liquor cabinets, folks. The Liquor Board of Ontario (LCBO) recently pulled their Bombay Sapphire brand London Dry Gin from shelves due to an unusually high alcohol content. Consumers are urged not to drink the recalled product. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), one batch was bottled before dilution. Consequently, the affected batch contained a sky-high volume of 77% rather than the stated 40% alcohol content by volume. The recall was initiated by the company. The CFIA is currently conducting a food safety investigation which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings The recalled product is currently being removed from the marketplace. While there have been no reports of illness related to the recall, consumers are encouraged to return bottles they suspect may be affected by the recall. News / National by Staff reporter President Robert Mugabe's "foot soldier" is slowly but surely turning from being a poster boy for Zanu-PF's politics to being a villain, as the 93-year-old strongman grapples with fresh fissures in his faction-riddled party.Saviour Kasukuwere, the youthful minister of local government, who doubles-up as the Zanu-PF national commissar, is fighting for his political life, as he faces a myriad of allegations, top among them seeking to topple Mugabe.Hate him or love him, Kasukuwere has been credited with saving Mugabe from electoral defeat in the past decade by mobilising the restive population in successive aggressive election campaigns, including oiling the youth brigade and allegedly activating other institutions of violence against the opposition.However, in recent weeks the political tide has appeared to turn against him, with the party faithful demanding his head. Kasukuwere and his friend Jonathan Moyo are accused of fronting a young but powerful faction within the ruling party, which insiders claim wants Mugabe to die in power and is in sync with the aspirations of the First Lady Grace.While Kasukuwere has been at pains to vehemently deny the charges, his enemies have been sticking the knife, forcing Mugabe last week to set up a committee to probe the allegations.Parallel party structuresInsiders told News24 Mugabe's shock-trooper is "a dead-man" walking and that his fate and political career now solely depend on the Zanu-PF leader.Critics, however, say the nonagenarian is probably playing factions in his party against each other - typical of the Machiavellian politician the veteran leader is known to use to maintain and consolidate power.On his part, Kasukuwere is thought to be linked to a faction in Zanu-PF known as G40 which is said to be opposed to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe, while another faction, Lacoste, is said to be rooting for Mnangagwa. Lacoste is the camp reportedly behind Kasukuwere's predicament.But Kasukuwere told News24 he does not belong to a faction and is solidly behind Mugabe."I do not belong to a faction. Talk to those who have factions," said the Zanu-PF national political commissar, putting up a brave face amid vilification by the public media.Insiders claim despite appearing to be safe, the poster boy of Zanu-PF populist policies now faces his Waterloo due to his presidential ambitions - charges Kasukuwere says are trumped up by his political nemesis."There is no vacancy. President Mugabe is our party candidate in 2018," he says, as he dismisses charges being peddled against him that he seeks to topple Mugabe by setting up parallel party structures in the ten political provinces.'The system is not consistent and fair'With daggers drawn out against Kasukuwere, as provinces demand his ouster, critics say Mugabe and his wife appear to be protecting him, pointing out that those who in the past have faced similar charges have been summarily dismissed.Reward Mushayabasa, a political analyst says the recent events show that Mugabe is not an honest broker in the factional fighting within Zanu-PF."He is fully behind the First Lady as one of the driving forces behind G40. Without his tacit support, G40 would be toast by now. We all know what happened to former vice president Joyce Mujuru. She was fired without even being given a fair hearing and no shred of evidence was given to support the accusations levelled against her."We saw the same script being used against politburo members Eunice Sande Moyo and Sarah Mahoka. Both were fired without being given a fair hearing. The recent demonstrations against Kasukuwere show Zanu-PF 's perverted sense of justice," said Mushayabasa.He added: "The system is not consistent and fair. It depends on how close one is to the First Family. If you are part of their inner circle, you are assured of protection. I think Kasukuwere might have won the battle but he is far from winning the succession war. Hard times lie ahead and these will demand more grit."However, Reason Wafawarova, a political analyst with close links to Zanu-PF said: "I am sure the meaning of what the provinces have been doing is clear to them, and it is hard to believe that the First Family is sharing in grief the fate of Kasukuwere.'Powerful and overambitious'"What is easier to believe is that they understand what his predicament means, and that they want it managed in a way that will minimise any possible damage to the party. In short, it is hard to see a future in Kasukuwere's role as the party's commissar. His rivals simply want him removed from that role and it all appears like they are headed for achievement."But Ricky Mukonza, another political analyst closely following Zimbabwe politics, believes Mugabe will not get rid of Kasukuwere, saying as the poster-boy of Zanu-PF politics Kasukuwere represents a counter-faction that is necessary to keep the Mnangagwa one in check."This is how Mugabe has managed to remain at the helm of Zanu-PF for all these years - the old trick of divide and rule," said Mukonza.He added that all the drama about provinces voting Kasukuwere out may have been allowed for two reasons; firstly Mugabe may have realised that Kasukuwere was getting too powerful and overambitious and therefore needed to have his wings clipped, and secondly, it may have been a bait for the Munangagwa faction: meant to expose their strategies in their bid to replace Mugabe."What has been evident in the Zanu-PF power games is that Mugabe plans for both external and internal threats to his power in equal measure," said Mukonza.Although the committee to probe Kasukuwere has finished its investigations, insiders maintain he has morphed from being the Zanu-PF poster boy of politics to villain. News / National by Staff reporter An Epworth man has been dragged to court after he allegedly locked his wife up before striking her with an axe after finding her with a male workmate in their matrimonial house.John Nyadzombe, 31, of Belapezi Farm, was denied bail when he appeared before Harare magistrate Barbra Chimboza yesterday.He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court because he faces a third schedule offence of attempted murder.The complainant is his 23-year-old wife, Chipo Ranjisi.Prosecutor Sabastian Mutizirwa alleged that on April 29 this year, Nyadzombe returned home around at 7pm and found his wife sitting with a male counterpart she works with at Mbare Musika in the house.The court heard that Nyadzombe suspected that the unidentified man was his wife's lover and chased him out before locking the doors and remained with Ranjisi.It was alleged that in a fit of rage, Nadzombe pulled an axe that was under their bed and struck his wife once on the cheek.When he was about to strike her again, Ranjisi blocked the axe with her palm and was hit just behind the neck.Ranjisi screamed for help and was rescued by neighbours who also effected a citizen arrest on Nyadzombe and dragged him to Epworth Police Station.The court heard that Ranjisi sustained deep cuts on her face and neck, and was referred to Parirenyatwa hospital.She was later discharged, but a medical affidavit has not been compiled.The blood-stained axe used by Nyadzombe is set to be produced by the State as an exhibit during trial. Oppose bad laws Asked whether the ACTU should distance itself from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, which has faced 118 separate legal proceedings in various courts around Australia, ACTU secretary Sally McManus responded, Theres no way well be doing that. The CFMEU, when theyve been fined, theyve been fined for taking industrial action, she told ABCs 7.30 Report. It might be illegal industrial action according to our current laws, and our current laws are wrong. I believe in the rule of law when the law is fair and the law is right. But when its unjust I dont think theres a problem with breaking it. It shouldnt be so hard for workers in our country to be able to take industrial action when they need to. Quite often these workers have stopped when a worker has been killed on a building site. The fact is that there are oppressive laws which take away the rights of the people. During the wharfies dispute in 1998 when the then Howard government tried to bludgeon the Maritime Union off the waterfront, Victorian Supreme Court judge David Beach issued an injunction which banned anyone from going within 200 metres of Swanson Dock in Melbourne. The injunction not only illegalised pickets but in effect outlawed free speech. Even journalists were banned from going inside the 200 metre limit. Taking photographs was also banned. Seeing the anti-people nature of the injunction, civil libertarians and members of the public spoke out and branded the injunction as undemocratic which had to be opposed and fought against. There are many other examples. In 1954 the Menzies government passed legislation taking away the then existing rights of the Waterside Workers Federation to recruit labour to the waterfront. The WWF went on strike against this legislation and stated they would oppose its implementation. The ACTU declared that any person who made use of this bad, anti-union legislation would be branded as an industrial renegade a polite term for scab. Although the legislation became law it was never used by the government or the employer. It was a bad law and it was rightly defeated. In 1968, Clarrie OShea, secretary of the Victorian Tramways Union, was jailed for contempt of court when he refused to bow to the then existing anti-union laws. A general strike erupted in protest and he was soon released. From then on for many years these laws, imposing heavy penalties on the trade union movement, were shelved and not used. The demand that everyone should abide by the law when that law is oppressive and takes away the democratic rights of the people is a reactionary demand and in effect takes away the right of the people to reject and fight against attacks on democratic rights, such as to oppose racism. Judge Beachs injunction was an attack on the right of everyone in the community to free speech and the right to assembly, picket and protest. Laws which take away the democratic rights of the people the right of workers to organise being fundamental which attack the social, economic and political interests of the people must be opposed. The demand of the Turnbull government that everyone submit to their bad laws has to be rejected. When oppression becomes the way of governments, resistance becomes a duty. May Day Greetings The people united will win The Communist Party of Australia sends greetings of solidarity to the workers of Australia and the world as they celebrate May Day International Workers Day. The occasion this year is overshadowed by extremely worrying events that demand action on the part of the working class at the head of a mighty movement in support of peace with social justice. The immense suffering inflicted on Syria and Yemen, the destabilisation of Venezuela and other progressive governments in Latin America and the threats of a nuclear showdown against the DPRK are to the fore in our consciousness and planning as we observe May Day 2017. We also face an environmental disaster if we cannot change the policy direction of governments, including that of Australia, which are hell-bent on a monopoly, profits first agenda. As the Guardian pointed out last week, This May Day the world is on the brink of two irreversible catastrophes nuclear war and destruction of human life on our planet as a result of human induced climate change. Both catastrophes are being driven by capitalism and its rapacious and blinkered pursuit of profits. In Australia, we can play our part by joining the anti-imperialist movement to end the US alliance, close all foreign bases and adopt and assert Australias sovereignty and independence. Australian workers are coming under sustained attack on their rights, their incomes and conditions. Their unions are enduring a crippling legal assault to exclude them from the workplace and to bankrupt them. Precarious work is on the rise pointing to a grim future of powerlessness and indignity in the workplace. But we should also celebrate the resistance and the victories being achieved in this battle. The fight-back in the war on workers will be long but the workers and people united in this struggle will win. There is widespread support for the ideas of a return to organisation on the job and defiance of bad laws. These laws, such as the one re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission, must be repealed and the laws restricting legitimate and absolutely necessary trade union activity broken in a united display of working class solidarity. The CPA supports the call from the ACTU to all workers to join their unions and fight! Happy May Day! Bob Briton CPA General Secretary Vinnie Molina CPA National President Editorial Mr Turnbull goes to Washington A very relieved Australian Prime Minister is off to Washington to meet the US President in person, briefcase in hand with a wad of blank cheques. His greatest hope is to reverse the public humiliation of Donald Trump undiplomatically cutting short their phone call. The meeting is taking place on board the World War II aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid, now a museum. They will be marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea against the Japanese an appropriate occasion for two leaders preparing to take their countries into another war. Meanwhile tensions are mounting on the Korean Peninsula and in the East and South China Seas. The US and South Korea have been conducting the largest ever joint military exercise, Foal Eagle with North Korea the target. The US has made it clear that all options are on the table and that it is prepared to stage a pre-emptive strike, which could involve nuclear weapons. Washingtons bellicose threats about making a surgical strike are alarming and should have all anti-war and peace activists on the streets. There is no certainty of containing any conflict. Australia will be complicit, at a minimum, through the US forces and materiel stationed here and the USs spy base at Pine Gap. What we dont know is what commitments the government has made such as during Turnbulls discussion with US Defence Secretary James Mattis in Kabul, with Vice-President Pence during his visit to Australia and what Turnbull will sign on board the Intrepid. While demonising the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) for carrying out missile tests and developing nuclear weapons, the US continues to carry out its own testing and is generating an arms race. China has strongly condemned the US deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) aimed at weakening Chinas defence and which will escalate an arms race. The massive build up of US forces and regular military exercises with South Korea, simulating an attack on the DPRK, pose the greatest threat to peace. Without the presence of US forces, the DPRK would not need such weapons. Australia is already involved in the US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and looks set to be in those countries for the long term. There is growing concern about and opposition to Australias foreign policy as Turnbull looks set to take Australia into yet another war. According to a recent poll for The Australia Institute, 48 percent of voters feel that Australia should be more independent on military and security matters and 60 percent believe that the election of Donald Trump is a negative outcome for the world overall. War is not the solution. A nuclear war would have no winners and would render the planet uninhabitable. Australia is in an ideal position to play a key role as a peacemaker in our region. Australia has good relations with both China and the US. Instead of knocking on Washingtons door with blank cheques, Turnbull should be doing what the majority of Australians wish for adopting an independent foreign policy, recognising the sovereignty and independence of other nations and establishing relations based on mutual respect and cooperation. There is no security reason for the US military to be in Asia. There is no military threat apart from that of the US. The US must withdraw to allow the facilitation of a negotiated, peaceful resolution to current tensions. The clock is ticking to midnight. Regional Australia Real jobs plan needed Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) representatives appeared before the Senate Finance and Public Administration committee on April 11 looking into a recent government decision to relocate the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) from Canberra to Armidale, NSW. The CPSU is opposed to the move and has called for the decision to be reversed. Hearing highlighted many problems with the decision with many stakeholders expressing concerns including staff, scientists, industry representatives and other experts. The union points out that the whole inquiry underlines the fact the Turnbull government has no real national plan for regional public services and jobs. The CPSU was represented by Nadine Flood (national secretary), Rupert Evans (deputy secretary) and CPSU workplace delegate and regulatory scientist Ron Marks. The following is Nadine Floods statement. The Community and Public Sector Union represents people working in the Australian Public Service, including in the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Our community legitimately expects that government provide properly resourced, transparent and accessible public services that support people, industry and the national interest. Our community also expects legitimately that government locate jobs in regional communities as well as capital cities to support local people and local communities. It is a concern we share. The APVMA is the Australian government authority responsible for the assessment and registration of pesticides and veterinary medicines. Our members in the APVMA value and take pride in the work they do. It is work that is incredibly important to human and animal health, agribusiness, agricultural workers and the profitability of primary production generally. Indeed it is difficult to think of an agricultural industry function that is not impacted on by the important work that dedicated APVMA staff and our members do every day: from assessing the cancer risk to farmers and farm workers when they use certain chemicals, to assisting with the voluntary recall of contaminated agvet chemical products, to ensuring Australian primary producers do not miss out on using the latest products facilitating increased crop yields. Unfortunately, we appear here today to say that the APVMA is an agency that has been damaged. Highly valuable skills are being lost every day as staff leave the organisation to find stable, in most cases Canberra-based employment. Service standards are falling and the cost to industry is rising, as is the real consequential stress on the APVMA staff left behind. Indeed, there are very real prospects and fears that the compulsory move of this agency to Armidale and the means by which it is being done will lead to short- and long-term damage to the agricultural economy and producers of products for use in agribusiness. Those are concerns held by our members. Due to the way the move of the APVMA is being handled, staff morale is low and falling. The ongoing uncertainty is having a corrosive effect, with 90 percent of CPSU members indicating they have negative feelings towards the move. Since the announced move to Armidale, many experienced staff have left. From July 2016 to mid-February 2017, 48 staff left the organisation almost a third of their 176 employees and the same number the previous financial year. Twenty of those leaving since the middle of last year were regulatory scientists, and the government lost in this case a total of 204 years of experience, which is a very large loss in a small organisation. In particular the loss of 20 out of 100 regulatory scientists has created a significant skills gap. The loss of experienced regulatory scientists does not just affect work but has meant the APVMA cannot train effectively those replacements. The loss of staff has been particularly felt in the pesticides assessment area, which is understaffed. Unsurprisingly, pesticides approvals dropped significantly in the December quarter, with only 50 percent within time frame. The high levels of staff attrition from the relocation make it harder for the APVMA to perform its functions. There continue to be backlogs of applications, with one in four assessments overdue at the end of the December quarter, and there are expectations of increased applications. The increasing queries about late finalisation have only worsened the situation, as regulatory scientists are taken away from completing their assessments. That means this agency is increasingly placed by government in the position of struggling to make the best of a very poor public administration decision process. Disruptive Before making a comment on our advocacy for more regional public service employment generally, I want to make one thing clear: much of the reporting on this matter has focused on staff refusing to move to Armidale. Our members resent that description and the implications. Our members love their work and value the work of the APVMA; it is simply the case that the vast majority are unable to move to Armidale. They have families, lives and obligations that they cannot forsake. It is not a case of a wilful or stubborn refusal. These are real human issues, such as shared custody of kids with an ex-partner or children with complex medical needs, the sort that regional families have to move to access. For some, the problem is their partner could not get work in their field in Armidale and they either cannot afford or do not want to sacrifice their spouses job and income. I do not think too many Australians would begrudge a fellow citizen who signed up for a job in one city making the decision they cannot move 800 kilometres away based on whether they can share care of their kids or keep a job for their spouse. Families make decisions based on those things all the time. These APVMA staff have been devastated at the impact this announcement and the implementation of the move is having on their families and their ability to serve our community in this critical work. On regional jobs, the CPSU has long been supportive of more public sector jobs in regional areas, but that does not mean supporting this ill-considered decision. The concerns expressed to this inquiry about needing quality public sector jobs in regional communities are ones we share. It is important that Commonwealth Public Service jobs are not just in capital cities, but the decisions on this need to make sense and be evidence based. No pass mark The evidence on the APVMAs relocation is compelling that it does not pass that test. Rather than expensive and damaging moves of specialist functions or agencies which do little for local people and do not create jobs, the government should ensure the Commonwealth agencies that already have a presence in regional Australia at a minimum maintain that employment but preferably increase it and restore the jobs lost. The CPSU have been campaigning to keep Public Service jobs in regional communities for a number of years under both this and the previous government. Service delivery agencies such as DHS and the tax office have been cutting jobs from existing regional locations for some years. Too frequently cutting regional jobs and closing regional offices is seen as a quick fix for budget pressure and efficiency dividends. Unfortunately, accurate Public Service jobs level data at a regional level is difficult to access. Agencies do not provide geographic breakdowns of staffing levels, and the APSC (Australian Public Service Commission) has only just started to publicly publish this data. This is despite collecting this data for a number of years. The CPSU have previously requested this APSC data but were denied access. We have been able to obtain some limited data on regional job losses. We also provide in our submission some examples of jobs lost in regional areas based on feedback from our members and our involvement in a number of office closures and reductions over the past few years. Local economies The loss of quality public sector jobs in regional communities has a significant negative impact on local economies. As you know, many regional areas suffer from higher unemployment than the national average and have weaker job prospects. Rather than simply moving the existing jobs around, Commonwealth agencies that already have a footprint in regional Australia should make all reasonable efforts to maintain that employment, and specific action should be taken to restore jobs cut from regional Australia in agencies such as Human Services, the tax office, CSIRO, Defence and others. This could and should include the conversion of DHS casual staff to reliable ongoing employment in those regional locations. Our regional economies need more jobs. Overstretched services need more staff. If we are serious about regional jobs, this is a much more sensible public policy proposition. Climate change Looking back and looking forward When Richard Nixon was US President (late 60s - early70s) a government scientific report anticipated climate change. It advocated climate engineering initiatives to deal with an expected greenhouse effect, a rise in global temperatures caused by the release of industrial carbon gases into the atmosphere. The report recommended spraying aerosol chemicals into the stratosphere, and spreading pieces of silver foil across the oceans. These hair-raising recommendations were never implemented. They would undoubtedly have had a major adverse impact on the environment, even if they succeeded in moderating global warming. Even now, climate engineering is occasionally posed as the solution to climate change, rather than the very obvious solution of phasing out industrial processes that emit carbon gases. The tardiness of governments and the resurrection of red herring solutions to environmental problems stems from the political power and greed of corporations that benefit from polluting industries. The current struggle over climate change has a historical parallel. The first scientific paper linking asbestos to lung disease was published in 1909, but the material wasnt banned in developed nations until the 1970s and only after bitter opposition by the asbestos industry. Asbestos is still exported from Canada, where its use is banned, to India, for sale on the open market. The unspeakable pursuing the unthinkable In Australia the largest contributors to carbon emissions, the coal-fired power stations, are nearing the end of their working lives. The giant privately-operated Hazelwood plant ceased operation recently, and others will probably close within ten years. Corporations are unwilling to invest in new coal-fired power stations, because renewable energy now offers greater long-term profits than either coal or gas. Yet the government is determined to preserve coal-fired power generation, and is advocating construction of new-technology coal-fired plants, on the false pretext that theyre necessary to meet base load power demand. The US government has funded construction of nuclear power stations for decades. It appears the Turnbull government will take a similar approach, using taxpayer funds to prop up coal-fired power generation, even though the corporate world itself is writing that industry off. The only beneficiaries of that policy will be the shareholders of the stranded asset corporations that run coal-fired power stations. The government has set a $100 billion target for new investment in coal mining in Australia. Its also considering granting the Indian corporation Adani Group a low-interest $1 billion loan to build a 400 kilometre rail track, to facilitate the transport of coal from the companys proposed new coal mine at Carmichael in Queensland but only on condition that the line could be used by other companies to transport even more coal from their new mines. The Queensland Labor government has promised Adani unlimited access to groundwater for 60 years, plus 30 gigalitres of dammed surface water. Bill Shorten says a federal Labor government would approve the project, providing it meets environmental requirements. But how could it? The project, the biggest coal mine in Australias history, will endanger the Great Barrier Reef. Two thirds of the Reef is already bleached and dying because of rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change, which in turn is caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, especially coal. And combustion of coal from the $21 billion Carmichael mine complex would accelerate climate change and would help to drive the atmospheric temperature rise beyond the perilous 2 degree tipping point mark. When the bottom falls out of coal mining, as it eventually will, the Adani directors will doubtless shrug their shoulders, claim that the company cannot pay its debts, and derive consolation from vast profits stashed away with the benefit of their numerous offshore tax havens. The worst of times, the best of times One effect of climate change hand in hand with wars being waged is the mass displacement of people from countries that experience its worst impact. Thats already happening, with hundreds of thousands of people from drought-affected African and middle-eastern countries crushed into refugee camps in neighbouring nations. Scientists predict that because of climate change the annual monsoons that fall on South-east Asia will begin to move easterly, forcing water-deprived citizens of those nations to seek asylum elsewhere. Many would undoubtedly head for Australia, and most would travel by sea. Enforcing the deliberately cruel practice of turning back the boats would result in bitter opposition, and possibly military retaliation from the governments of the stricken nations from which the asylum seekers had sailed. In these circumstances, carrying the governments Fortress Australia immigration policies to their logical conclusion would involve treating the asylum seekers as hostile invaders, and taking the unthinkable step of leaving the boats abandoned at sea, or even sinking them. But an Australian government could adopt a completely different approach and actually turn the situation to advantage, by taking initiatives that offer long-term benefits well beyond the period of climate change mitigation. The climate crisis has already forced the world to develop renewable energy sources as an alternative to fossil fuels, which have polluted the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. In Australia, the obvious way forward is to accelerate the transition to renewable energy production and phase out the mining and export of coal and other fossil fuels. But we could do much more. To help feed the world, we could investigate the feasibility of managing our water systems with a view to diverting the floodwater that carries off our precious, fragile-thin topsoil, and transforming parched inland areas into fertile plains for agriculture or grazing. To preserve animal and plant species threatened by climate change, we could increase our contribution to the international struggle to store grain and genetic material And to find cures or immunisation against tropical diseases we could fund medical research to deal with those diseases as they move towards temperate climes because of climate change. As a priority we should implement the climate change mitigation measures coming out of successive international climate change summits, the most recent in Paris in 2016. But the Turnbull government isnt interested. Its solely focused on slowing down the transition to renewable energy production, rather than phasing it out. To meet the climate crisis we must replace climate-conservative state and federal governments with political coalitions that are seriously dedicated to protecting the environment. And we must do it as fast as possible. The beach shacks, an amazing saga During the Great Depression, parts of the Royal National Park south of Sydney were occupied by unemployed workers, mostly miners from the Illawarra region. Some of the shacks they built remain. Only reached by walking tracks, they provide physical evidence of the historic occupation of the area and rare examples of Depression era housing. Hotel Depression, Burning Palms, 1930s. The Park comprises the original southwest area, the former Garawarra Park, and areas adjacent to the beaches, Garie, Little Garie, Era, Burning Palms and Bulgo. The Dharawal people originally lived there for at least 30,000 years, but within 20 years of the arrival of the First Fleet their numbers had been decimated by introduced diseases, government punitive expeditions and clashes with armed settlers. The miners who moved to the Illawarra in the 19th century fought industrial battles and struggled to retain the shacks they built as desperation housing during strikes. The shack-owners amazing struggle to preserve the shacks and their unique communities has been extensively documented in historian Ingeborg Van Teeselings recently-published book Shack Life. Interviewed by Van Teeseling, Donna McLaren said her paternal grandparents arrived in Australia from Britain in 1918. They first visited Era in the 1920s, sleeping in tents made from chaff bags full of fleas they had to smoke out. During the Depression, the shackies caught fish and rabbits and grew their own vegetables. According to Donnas mother Joan Hendry, they helped each other build and maintain the shacks and mended each others clothes and shoes. Their cooperation and social cohesion helped them battle through the Depression much more successfully than financially-ruined former business owners. Nevertheless, life was extremely difficult. There was no regular income, and no doctors. One woman went into labour while digging up worms for fishing. She only made it to Lilyfield station and gave birth in the stationmasters house. After the War the shack owners fought a long and agonising struggle to save the shacks and the community. Historical objections to the presence of the shacks relied on myopic views regarding the significance of place, whether natural or built, and on contempt for the working class and the Aboriginal people. Aboriginal activist Marcia Langton pointed out that the terms wilderness and pristine, used by Myles Dunphy and others to justify removal of the shacks, have colonial and racist connotations. Van Teeseling commented, These terms presume that ... Aboriginal people were never there, or that they did not have an impact on the landscape, or that they were not human enough to be considered capable of spoiling it. Dunphy also said women bushwalkers would attract every Tom, Dick and Harry to the place, and that it would be preferable to restrict visits to the bush to the educated and appreciative. Dunphy detested the campers and shack owners, describing them as squatters, living on a pension and not impeded by regular employment. Totally ignoring their harsh situation, Dunphy wrote with bitter resentment: The average hard-working citizen had to honour all his economic responsibilities, and could not afford to buy a choice home site beside the sea. In researching Shack Life, Van Teeseling interviewed 40 shack owners. Their stories are fascinating. Many were involved in left-wing politics. Donna McLaren, whose parents built their shack in 1946, joined the Socialist Party of Australia in 1974 and is still an active Communist Party member. Her mother was a writer and Donna remembers Frank Hardy, Len Fox, Arthur Boyd, Betty Collins and many other writers visiting the shack. Donna McLarens parents built their shack in 1946. Dr Helen Voysey, president of the League, who campaigned for a renal clinic at Tennant Creek in 2002 before organising the court battle to save the shacks, commented: My Mother Eva was a [Jewish] refugee from Austria who fled in 1938. ... She was introduced to my father by John McKay, who also had a shack here. Eva was classed as an enemy alien and was officially not allowed to travel. ... She risked it because she loved [Era] with all her heart. ... One of my earliest memories is going out at night to clean my teeth and hearing the sound of the sea, doing a wee on the grass, looking at the stars and feeling the magic of the place. Dora Booth was in Vienna when the Nazis marched in. Her parents were in Australia and 14-year-old Dora had stayed behind to finish her education. Her family was Jewish and she only escaped because she had a British passport. She described Era as magical, a hidden paradise far from the worlds troubles. Max Humphreys, whose parents were communists, said I got beaten up at school on a regular basis because of my parents political views. Down here that would never happen, though. There were lots of different people, but none of the divisions that reigned up the hill. ... In fact, Era showed that the ideal world my parents were advocating was possible. Warwick Hilton commented: The idea of a Protection League was inspired by the way the [Communist] Party organised itself. ... The concept of saying no, of putting up a struggle instead of taking it lying down, the Party taught us that. The shack owners struggle demonstrates the potential strength of an alliance between left-wing and progressive political forces. Extensively researched, beautifully written and illustrated, Ingeborg Van Teeselings wonderful book Shack Life is recommended reading. PS: During a memorable long weekend at the Hendry shack at Era in 1966, your reviewer was persuaded to support causes more worthy than the re-election of Mr Menzies. Era beach. (Photo: Megan Badham) A Timeline (based on Ingeborg Van Teeselings research) 1797 - Coal was discovered at Coalcliff, north of Wollongong. 1825 - Former convicts Andrew Byrne and John Dwyer received permission to graze cattle on Byrnes area at Era and Burning Palms, and Dwyers at Bulgo. By then the Dharawal people and the manicured landscape they had cultivated was gone, and the Illawarra coast was being stripped of its cedar trees. 1831 - Byrne and Dwyer purchased their beach lands. The first shack on the Illawarra beaches was built at Era by Byrne for an Aboriginal stockman. By 1872 - All the land at Era, Burning Palms and Little Garie was owned by the Collaery family. 1878 - A coal mine was constructed at Coalcliff. 1879 - The Royal National Park was founded. Coal companies sought licences to mine within the park, and in 1883 Henry Collaery wanted to mine the Garie beach area. They were unsuccessful. 1897 - Collaery subdivided the Garie land, but there were no roads and he couldnt sell it. 1889 - The Illawarra railway line was opened, conveying coal as well as passengers. Some politicians were shareholders in the coal companies, and the original railway route was altered to pass near several coal mine settlements, including Helensburgh. The first miners lived in tents, then built humpies and finally small, rudimentary cottages. 1890 - During the economic depression, strikes by miners, shearers and other workers were suppressed by armed force. The Helensburgh miners distributed fish and rabbits they caught at the beaches to the most needy families. They were the last strikers to return to work. 1892 - The Labor Party won the balance of power, and in 1893 plural voting, which entitled big landowners to more than one vote, was abolished. Between 1888 and 1914 - The ratio of miners dying at work was 1.2 per 1,000. The ratio of women dying in childbirth was 5.76 per 1,000. The assistance the miners received from Friendly Societies was inadequate to cover the costs of medical care or sustenance for unemployed miners and their families. 1909 - Incensed at the jailing of a union delegate on a conspiracy charge, the miners again went on strike. Many people lived full time at or near the beaches, in tents or shacks. 1917 - After the Russian Revolution, Prime Minister Billy Hughes jailed 100 members of the Industrial Workers of the World. He declared the organisation illegal, but many miners supported it, and a strike of 100,000 workers took place in NSW. 1929 - The economy crashed. In two years the number of miners employed in the Wollongong area dropped by half and production fell from 2.3 million tons to under a million. Unemployed miners returned to the beaches, pitching tents or building shacks with natural materials from the bush or salvaged material carried kilometres down the hill by hand. 1931 - The Sydney Bushwalkers club launched an unsuccessful campaign to remove the shacks from the Hacking River. 1938 - The Era shack owners carted 17 tons of timber down the hill to construct a new surf club building. The shacks original canvas and bark siding was replaced with corrugated iron or timber boarding, and meat safes and kerosene fridges were installed. 1931 - The Sydney Bush Walkers, founded by nature conservationist Miles Dunphy, campaigned against shacks in the Park. He had previously objected to shacks in the Park on the Port Hacking River. He believed national parks should remain as idealised pristine wilderness, free of people except for bushwalkers. 1933 - Bushwalker Marie Byles campaigned to have the government resume the area between the original National Park and the beaches and remove the shacks and tents. 1934 - The government created a new park named Garawarra, but it excluded the Byrne and Collaery beach estates and adjacent farms, and only included a small part of Burning Palms, where the shack owners moved up the beach out of reach. The government also decided to build a new road to give the public access to the area. 1938 - The National Parks Trust asked the government to incorporate the Byrne and Collaery land into the Park, and remove the shacks. The shack owners, who now included many Sydney people, formed the Era Campers League. Laying the foundations for shack at Era, 1940s. 1943 - The Parks and Playground Movement applied unsuccessfully for the government to remove the shacks and take over the beach areas for use in the National Fitness Campaign. 1944 - A bush conservation club offered to buy the Collaery land at Little Garie and give it to the government, providing the shacks were removed. The Campers League, now named the Era-Burning Palms Protection League, offered the government 2,650 pounds for the Era land, on condition that the shacks remained and were maintained by the League. 1950 - The number of shacks had risen from 76 to 200. As Helen Voysey noted, There were gay people here, communists, miners, trade union members, policemen, artists. They included Hal Misingham, director of the NSW Art Gallery, and Gordon Andrews, who later designed the new Australian decimal currency. 1950 - The Byrne family offered the Era and Burning Palms land for public sale but not the shacks, which they treated as the property of the occupants. However, the government immediately resumed the land. The shack owners could remain rent-free until the Trust arranged permissive occupancies or rental arrangements, and the shacks could remain, but the owners would receive no compensation for the resumption. 1953 - The government surveyor recommended that on termination of the leases the shacks should be demolished. 1953 - The bushwalkers failed again in an attempt to have the shacks removed, and the next year the beach areas were formally added to the Park. 1959 - Most of the coastal shacks had been demolished, apart from those at Bonnie Vale, Bulgo, Burning Palms, Era and Little Garie. 1964 - The newly-elected Liberal government opposed the presence of the shacks, and subscribed, with some qualifications, to Dunphys concept of pristine wilderness. As Van Teeseling observed, In order for it to be pristine, all evidence of human past needed to be removed, and the shacks were part of that evidence. 1965 - The government introduced permissive occupancy licence agreements, which effectively cancelled ownership rights and allowed the government to demand removal of any shack at any time. If they did so, the owners would have to remove it themselves, or pay someone else to remove it. Meanwhile, a coal mining company applied for permission to mine 40,000 acres of the park, which had an estimated potential of 200,000 tons of coking coal. The Trusts resisted the move and argued that the beach shacks should remain. 1966 - The government introduced the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), dismissed all the NSW national park trusts and took full control of the parks. They proceeded to demolish the Hacking River shacks. As soon as a shack owner at Era, Burning Palms or Little Garie died or failed to pay the highly increased rents, the shack was demolished, with no compensation to the owners. The following year a Helensburgh miner, who had occupied a riverside shack for 40 years, committed suicide just before it was due to be demolished. 1969 - The NSW Crown Solicitors Office advised the NPWS that the shack owners were in effect tenants, had a right to occupy the land, and could not be expelled at the whim of the NPWS. The Protection League was never informed of this advice. 1971 - Only 171 shacks remained at the three beaches. The government ignored the role of shack-owners in providing surf rescue services, but in 1974 one of them initiated Australias first helicopter service, which rescued two people on its first day of operation. The government then doubled the shack rentals. 1976 - The new Labor government handed control of national parks to the new Department of Planning and the Environment. 1979 - Australia ICOMOS, the Australian division of the UN International Council on Monuments and Sites, signed the Burra Charter, which aimed to conserve places of cultural significance, including historical and social significance. 1988 - The new Liberal government wanted the shacks removed but favoured development within the parks. It also gave a licence for offshore coal mining opposite the National Park and sand mining between Port Hacking and Garie. 1990 - Shack-owner and town planner Malcolm Garder wrote a heritage study of Era. The Heritage Council of NSW recommended a moratorium on further demolitions and requested an assessment of the cultural significance of the RNP shacks. The NPWS commissioned a study of the shacks in all the national parks. 1994 - The Australian Heritage Commission entered the beach shacks on the Register of the National Estate, and the Wollongong and Sutherland Councils included them on their heritage registers. Heritage architect Geoff Ashleys study for NPWS confirmed the significance of the place, recommended preservation of all the shacks and recommended that some should be used for public rental, with one serving as a history museum. However, the NPWS said the Bonnie Vale cabins had to go, misquoted Ashley as saying that only some shacks should be preserved, and distanced itself from his conclusions. 1995 - The Burning Palms and Little Garie shacks were added to the Register of the National Estate. The Nature Conservation Council asked new Premier Bob Carr to demolish the shacks immediately, but the Protection League pointed out that in five years the surf clubs had rescued 377 people and given first aid to another 720. 1996 - A new NPWS report recommended that only the shacks at Era and Bulgo should be preserved. The League pointed out that because many of the shacks at Burning Palms, Bonnie Vale and Little Garie had asbestos linings their removal would cast taxpayers $3.3 million. 2000 - The Department promised to seek to retain a substantial number of cabins along the coast. The NPWS demanded a 444 percent increase in rentals. This was later dropped to 302 percent, but new draft licences said shack owners would only get five year licences, and only then if they could prove to NPWS they were bona fide owners. Other renters were classed as caretakers and could only get a one-year licence. Each shack owner also had to take out $10 million insurance, costing $800 annually. The shack owners refused to sign the new licences. The NPWS then claimed the shack occupants were not owners but licensees even though they were responsible for maintaining and repairing the shacks. 2002 - The NPWS told shack owners the current licences would expire in May the next year. Wollongong council objected strongly and was told, in effect, to mind its own business. 2003 - The Minister offered to permit two names on the licences but was overruled by Premier Bob Carr. The NPWS then claimed the Solicitor General had advised that the shack occupants were not in fact owners, even though private ownership of the shacks had been the very basis of the governments objections to their presence. 2004 - The NPWS announced that some of the shacks were to be advertised for lease to the general public, but the League than discovered in a heavily redacted copy of the Solicitor Generals report that Crown ownership of the cabins was legally challengeable. 2006 - A conservation plan prepared by architect Graham Brooks for NPWS on the shacks and their communities made no reference to agreements made between the shack owners and the government between 1957 and 1963, and contradicted the National Trust and Heritage Commission assessments of the significance of the sites. 2005 - The NPWS said all licences were to be terminated in seven months. However, Helen Voysey and Bob McClelland discovered documents indicating that a previous government had acknowledged ownership of the shacks by the occupants and also acknowledged the government would be liable for compensation claims if they were demolished. Greens member Lee Rhiannon used Parliamentary Standing Orders to obtain the former Solicitor-Generals advice and other documents which revealed the government had pressured Brooks to change his report. A week before the licence expiry date, the League took the government to court. The NPWS withdrew the termination notices and referred the matter to the Land and Environment Court. The shack owners won. All would receive boa fide licences, four people would be accepted as owners and the minister could renew expired licences. Rents would increase, but not by as much, and after five years any increases would be CPI-based. The NPWS and the Protection League were to make a joint submission for entry on the state heritage list. The court case had cost the shack owners $250,000 2012 - The shacks were listed in the State Heritage List. 2013 - The National Trust presented the Protection League with an award for the best advocacy campaign in the country. US demands Cambodia pay war debt The US, which invaded Cambodia in May 1970, bombing and killing hundreds of thousands of innocents and, in the process, creating the conditions for the emergence of the killing fields and ascendancy of the Khmer Rouge, is now demanding the repayment of its war loan. Apparently, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Cambodians was quite an expensive affair. The current US ambassador says its time to finally pay up. Almost half a century after dropping 500,000 tons of explosives and killing hundreds of thousands of people in Cambodia, the United States seems to be demanding that the country pay back US$500 million in war debts, a move that has sparked outcry across the political spectrum in Cambodia. To me, Cambodia does not look like a country that should be in arrears; buildings coming up all over the city, foreign investment coming in, government revenue is rapidly rising, William Heidt, the US ambassador to Cambodia, told local newspaper Cambodia Daily. Since the election of President Donald Trump, the Cambodian government has been urging Washington to cancel the debt, but the ambassador dismissed any plans to do so by the new administration. I will say that the issue of cancellation that wasnt on the table when I was here in the 1990s. It has never been on the table since then. So we have never discussed seriously or considered cancelling that debt with Cambodia, he said, while also calling for a deal to be struck between the two countries for debt payment. Speaking at a conference in early March, Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former commander with the Cambodian communists, slammed the ambassador for his comments and recalled the atrocities committed by the US in the 1970s. They dropped bombs on our heads and then ask us to repay. When we do not repay, they tell the IMF [International Monetary Fund] not to lend us money, Hun Sen said. We should raise our voices to talk about the issue of the country that has invaded other [countries] and has killed children. The US had given a US$274 million loan, mostly for food supplies, to the government of Lon Nol, who had taken power in a coup in 1970. The debt has almost doubled over the years as Cambodia refused to enter into a repayment program. As Lon Nol fought against the Khmer Rouge between 1970 and 1975, US fighter jets carried out secret carpet-bombings against the group in support of the right-wing government, killing more than 500,000 people, many of them women and children. After the Khmer Rouge took over the country in 1975, more than two million people died as a result of political executions, disease and forced labour. The idea that Cambodia owes the United States money is rejected by many, including those who witnessed the massacres. He [Heidt] has the gall to demand the loans back even though either the Khmer Rouge or the current government have been in power since 1975, that this money was still due, James Pringle, who served as the bureau chief for Reuters in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during the invasion of Cambodia, wrote in The Cambodia Daily. Cambodia does not owe even a brass farthing to the US for help in destroying its people, its wild animals, its rice fields and forest cover. Third World Resurgence Venezuela Set the record straight Venezuela is in flames. Or at least parts of it are. Since April 4, opposition militants have been carrying out targeted acts of violence, vandalism and arson, as well as deliberately clashing with security forces in an attempt to plunge the country into total chaos and forcefully remove the elected socialist government. Perth, April 20: showing solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. It is the continuation of an 18-year effort to topple the Bolivarian revolution by any means necessary although you may have seen it miraculously recast in the mainstream media as promoting a return to democracy in the country. A catalogue of the violence over the last 18 days is shocking schools have been ransacked; a Supreme Court building has been torched; an air force base attacked; and public transport, health, and veterinary facilities have been destroyed. At least 23 people [Update: 26 at time of publication] have been left dead, with many more injured. In one of the most shocking cases of right-wing violence, at around 10 pm on April 20, women, children, and over 50 newborn babies had to be evacuated by the government from a public maternity hospital which came under attack from opposition gangs. Anywhere else in the western world, this would have given way to horrified international and national calls for an end to the violence and the swift prosecution of those responsible making it all the more scandalous that these incidents have at best been ignored, and at worst totally misrepresented by the international press. Instead, those tasked with providing the public with unbiased reporting on international affairs have opted to uncritically parrot the Venezuelan oppositions claims that the elected government is violently repressing peaceful protests and is responsible for all deaths in connection with the demonstrations so far. This narrative cannot be described as even a remotely accurate interpretation of the facts, and so it is important to set the record straight. Whos behind the killings? To date, three people (two protesters and one bystander) have been killed by state security personnel, who were promptly arrested and in two cases indicted. At least five people have been directly killed by opposition protesters, while one person has died as an indirect result of the opposition roadblocks in Caracas (Ricarda Gonzalez, 89, who suffered from a stroke [after inhalation of tear gas] and was prevented from getting to a hospital). Five people have been shot in separate incidents near protests but under unclear circumstances. One of these victims was shot by an alleged opposition supporter from a high rise building, although the perpetrators political affiliation is yet to be confirmed. Nine protesters appear to have died as a result of their own actions (at least eight were reportedly electrocuted in the recent looting of a bakery). A cursory look at the reality reveals that the government is not responsible for the majority of these deaths. However, to paraphrase a remark recently made by Venezuelan author Jose Roberto Duque, the truth has suddenly become useless. Much of the media has failed to go into much detail surrounding the exact circumstances of these deaths precisely because the truth presents a serious obstacle to the narrative that all these people were killed during peaceful pro-democracy protests at the repressive hands of an authoritarian regime. This narrative isnt just overly simplistic; it distorts the reality on the ground and misinforms international audiences. Take this deliberately misleading paragraph from an article written by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres in the New York Times: Protesters demanding elections and a return to democratic rule jammed the streets of Caracas and other Venezuelan cities on Wednesday. National Guard troops and government-aligned militias beat crowds back with tear gas, rubber bullets and other weapons, and at least three people were killed, according to human rights groups and news reports. Casey and Torres opted to omit the fact that none of those three deaths has so far been attributed to state security forces. One of the victims was in fact a National Guard sergeant killed by protesters themselves. Moreover, those on the receiving end of the tear gas and rubber bullets are not quite the peaceful protesters Casey and Torres imply. Anyone in the east of the city on April 19, when both opposition and pro-government forces marched, could see how opposition supporters gathered in total freedom in Plaza Francia in Altamira even buying anti-government t-shirts, caps, and ice-creams and were able to march along the main highway linking the east to the west. Police repression has occurred in two specific scenarios. Firstly, when opposition gangs have set-up burning barricades and carried out violent acts of vandalism on the streets, including the targeting of public institutions actions deliberately aimed at provoking photo-op-worthy clashes with security forces. In the second instance, it has occurred when opposition marchers have attempted to cross a police line blocking them from getting to the working class municipality of El Libertador in the west of the city where government support is traditionally concentrated. Again, this action was a deliberate attempt to provoke clashes with security forces and their supporters by the opposition. They are well aware that they have not been granted permission to march into El Libertador since a short-lived opposition-led coup in 2002 that left 19 dead from opposition sniper-fire. Opposition violence absent from most reporting Details of the undemocratic actions of opposition leaders and their supporters ranging from these latest attacks to support for the violent coup of 2002 are glaringly absent from virtually all news reports. This is despite the fact that the oppositions current protest leaders Julio Borges, Henrique Capriles Radonski, Henry Ramos Allup, and Leopoldo Lopez were active players in the 2002 coup. The above article by Casey and Torres misleads the public concerning the dynamic on the ground in Venezuela. But unfortunately this is not just an isolated case of one news agency. The UKs Guardian, for instance, provided its readers with an image gallery of the oppositions April 19 march and ensuing violence, but failed to acknowledge that a pro-government march of similar size, if not greater, was also held the same day. They simply erased the actions of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. Whichever news agency you check, you will find largely the same, uniform consensus in their Venezuela coverage. There are no words to describe this state of affairs other than a total media blockade. The last time the country witnessed unrest on this scale was in 2014, when opposition militants again unsuccessfully tried to force the exit of President Nicolas Maduro using similar tactics, leading to the deaths of 43 people. The majority of those victims were innocent passers-by caught in the violence or state security personnel, who were given the somewhat impossible task (just like today) of responding without violence to people who are deliberately trying to provoke, maim, and kill them. The oppositions latest tactics While protests in 2014 were a response to violent unrest headed by the countrys right-wing student movement, this years commenced at the beginning of April after the Supreme Court issued a ruling granting itself temporary powers to assume the legislative functions of the National Assembly. It came in response to the Venezuelan parliament having been declared in contempt of court for more than six months after the opposition refused to remove three of its lawmakers under investigation for electoral fraud in violation of a Supreme Court order. These legislators were suspended from being sworn into parliament pending the results of the investigations. The opposition immediately hit out at the ruling, declaring it an attempted coup by the government that had come out of nowhere. Although the ruling was overturned almost immediately, the opposition took to the streets denouncing a rupture of the constitutional order. This soon morphed into a hodgepodge of ultimatums which have dominated the oppositions agenda since it won control of the countrys National Assembly (one of the five branches of the Venezuelan government) in December 2015 on a promise to depose the national government within six months something beyond the power of Venezuelas legislative branch. The oppositions current demands include the release of those they call political prisoners, the opening-up of a humanitarian channel for receiving international aid, and, most importantly, immediate regional and general elections. The street protests could be seen as a political necessity for the opposition, which was suffering from steadily decreasing popularity following an entire year of having squandered its legislative majority in parliament. Evidently, however, long-term strategy is not the oppositions strong point. History testifies to the fact that they tend to go for inflicting the maximum amount of damage in the minimum amount of time, no matter the cost. This brings us to the question of why this kind of violence, which has been employed several times throughout the last 18 years by Venezuelas well-seasoned opposition, is once again happening at this moment. If the government is so unpopular, as the opposition claims, why not just wait for the presidential elections in 2018 for their time to shine? At this point, it should be clear that the oppositions only goal, far from promoting a return to democracy, is to step right over it. They want to remove the elected government more than a year ahead of scheduled elections. But they dont want to stop there. As one opposition marcher told me: Get your stuff together Maduro, because youre going to jail! The oppositions goal is the total annihilation of Chavismo the legacy of the late Hugo Chavez. Whatever the governments many errors and faults over the past four years under the leadership of Nicolas Maduro, progressives around the globe have an obligation to defend democracy against the oppositions onslaught and the international medias blockade. The alternative is the same savage neo-liberalism currently being mercilessly unleashed by Brazils unelected government which previously squeezed blood from the entire continent throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The slogan No Volveran They shall not return! has never been more urgent. Peoples World Taking Issue Rob Gowland The moral clarity of a media rant Murdochs tabloid rag The Daily Telegraph really got its knickers in a twist on April 11 when well-known progressive academic Tim Anderson used social media to contradict the capitalist mass media line that the Syrian government had launched a deadly attack on its own people with poison gas. Syrias President, Bashar al Assad. The story that Bashar al Assads government had used Sarin gas in an attack on civilians including children surfaced very conveniently just as the US campaign to remove the Assad government was in need of an urgent propaganda boost. The Syrian Army was systematically pushing the remnants of Al-Qaeda and Daesh/ISIS out of the last parts of the country they still occupied. Simultaneously, also being sent packing was that US invention, the Free Syrian Army, whose ranks are full of special forces personnel and other volunteers from Chechnya, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and (many believe) also from Britain and the US. US propagandists are wont to call this artificially created terrorist grouping, whose sole reason for existence is to expedite the regime change that Washington so fervently desires in Damascus, moderate rebels to differentiate them from the fanatics of Daesh/ISIS. At the rate theyre going, the Al Assad governments army and their Russian allies would soon liberate the whole of Syria from the terrorists leaving the US and Turkey to devise a new strategy for gaining control of Syria. How fortuitous that the Assad government allegedly chose that moment to attack its own people with deadly Sarin gas. That the UN had previously supervised the removal of all chemical agents from the Syrian government forces was an inconvenient fact easily ignored by Murdochs media pundits. They preferred to run with the well-orchestrated campaign originating with Western intelligence services that boldly alleged that the Syrian government had used the poison gas and declared President Al Assad a brutal dictator who apparently sought to strengthen his hold on power by slaughtering his own people! The Western media was flooded with graphic photos of the innocent victims of the gas attack, as evidence of just how evil the Assad regime is. The rogue warmonger currently occupying the White House responded predictably, seizing the opportunity to demonstrate the USAs power: 59 cruise missiles were fired off from US warships in the Mediterranean to obliterate a Syrian air-force base. The slaughter of so many Syrian military personnel no doubt gladdened the hearts of Daesh/ISIS and the other anti Assad terrorists. Anderson, a lecturer at Sydney Uni, had the temerity to go on social media to deny the veracity of the Murdoch-approved version of events in Syria and the Telegraphs journos dutifully went on the attack. The very fact that Anderson didnt agree with the official Trump line was sufficient for the papers story to carry the pejorative label Sydney Uni Shocker, followed by a huge front-page headline declaring Dr Aderson a Sarin Gasbag, and a smaller one calling Syrias President Assad a tyrant. (A popularly elected tyrant, thats certainly a novel idea!) The Tele left no stone unturned in its effort to pour scorn on Tim Andersons expression of dissent. The story, written by Kylar Loussikian, actually led off with the fact that Sydney University was backing Anderson, as though that was so outrageous it was newsworthy in its own right. Dr Anderson was identified early in the article as someone who was charged but fully acquitted of the 1978 Sydney Hilton bombing and now earns $130,000 a year as a political lecturer, a curious juxtaposition of bits of unrelated information clearly intended to cast doubt on the reliability of his opinion. The article could have explained but didnt bother to that it is widely believed in progressive circles that the the Hilton bomber was in fact ASIO itself. The clumsy attempt to fit up Tim Anderson for the terrorist act failed dismally, but that didnt stop Loussikian from making sure his readers knew that Dr Anderson had been charged with it. Although he acknowledged that Dr Anderson was fully acquitted of the bombing, it was still clearly a smear, intended to leave a lingering doubt. After all, how many honest, innocent people get charged with placing a bomb outside a posh Sydney pub where a high-level conference was taking place and killing a council worker, eh? The article was accompanied by a photo of a casually-dressed (and very un-academic-looking Anderson) next to a photo of a small child victim of the gas attack the White House (and the Tele) is determined to blame on the Syrian government. Dr Andersons assertion that President Assads government was not responsible for the gas attack that the Trump Administration used as the pretext for radically increasing its overt military action against the Syrian army was labeled a bizarre rant by the Tele while Liberal Party politician, Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham, according to the same paper, demanded an investigation into the rant. Birmingham sought to justify his stance with this gem: Although universities are places where ideas should be contested, thats no excuse for being an apologist for [the Syrian government]: ideas are free to be contested as long as theyre our ideas. Simon Birminghams blatant attempt to curtail academic free speech did not go down well in academic circles, a Sydney University spokesperson noting that Dr Anderson was simply commenting on his area of expertise. But, of course, in the Teles universe, questioning the veracity of US propaganda is tantamount to heresy, no matter what your area of expertise. Loussikians article went on to describe Dr Anderson as a former Hindu sectist and a Fidel Castro-loving fan of Venezuelan socialist Hugo Chavez. In a rather convoluted sentence, Loussikian also observed that Dr Anderson has repeatedly supported positions consistent with Russian and Syrian talking points on the [Syrian] conflict. A remarkably McCarthyist-sounding approach to intellectual freedom. As his example of this pro-Russian/pro-Syrian bias, Loussikian cites Andersons agreement with President Assads assessment of the White Helmets as a front for Daesh/ISIS. Loussikian calls this widely discredited outfit a humanitarian group but his view is no longer shared by most people. He is also outraged by the fact that Doctor Anderson has publicly accused Israel of complicity in a US plan for a New Middle East. What a shameful thing to suggest! As if those lovely people in the Pentagon and the State Department would countenance such a thing! Everyone knows that all they want is peace, dont they? Oh, really, they dont? Fancy that! In right-wing circles, both here and in the US, to criticise Israel is to commit the ultimate sin. Despite its blatant racism, including its imposition of apartheid on the people of Palestine, and its frequent acts of aggression against its Arab neighbours, Israel is Americas favoured child, protected by a US veto at the UN and by US weapons in the Middle East. The Israel lobby in Australia and in the US is a powerful collection of companies and politicians with financial ties to the rogue state (yes that appellation properly belongs to Israel, not North Korea). The Turnbull government, as you would expect, backs Donald Trumps sabre rattling all the way, despite the very real danger it poses not just to world peace but to the very continuation of life on Earth. Attorney-General George Brandis told the Murdoch media that Trump authorising cruise-missile strikes on Syria was a swift, just and proportionate response to the horrific chemical weapon attack by the Assad regime against its own people. It is disappointing that Dr Anderson cannot see the moral clarity of President Trumps decision. Meanwhile, Trumps national security adviser, Lieutenant-General HR McMaster boasted on TV that the US had the twin goals of defeating ISIS and removing President Assad from power. That President Assad is a democratically elected leader cuts no ice with US politicians if he wont follow their direction. The new US Secretary of State, Trump nominee Rex Tillerson also boasted that steps are under way to organise a coalition to remove President Assad. I think Tim Anderson sees the moral clarity of Trumps (and Australias) position only too well. Ill let Tim Anderson have the last word: There is no doubt that a large majority of Syrians support Bashar al-Assad and frankly, thats all that matters. News / National by Ndou Paul Zimbabwe's retired Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has died.He was 70.The former judiciary boss died today while admitted at a hospital in South Africa. He had been battling cancer.Chidyausiku was a few months ago forced by the Ministry of Justice - overseen by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa - to go on early retirement ahead of his departure in a bid to manouevre Judge President George Chiweshe to replace him before President Robert Mugabe intervened to bring him back to preside over the process of selecting his successor..Mnangagwa's faction wanted Chiweshe to succeed Chidyausiku, while the G40 faction is backing Judicial Service Commission (JSC) secretary Rita Makarau.Chidyausiku, who turned 70 on March 1, was last August pressured by the Justice ministry to retire without President Robert Mugabe's knowledge after being told the "executive" had decided he should go early before his official retirement next month.Chidyausiku, who was seen by some in Zanu-PF and government as a stumbling block to Mnangagwa's succession ambitions, left under intense pressure and slipped away for about two months until he met Mugabe, by chance, at the former Midlands governor Cephas Msipa's funeral in Gweru last October.Chidyausiku was replaced by Justice Malaba.Details to follow.....This is a breaking news item and we will continue to update. Sometimes you can't even bat an eye at those sleazy tabloid headlines. "Brad Pitt's a womanizer!" We figured. "Russell Crowe starts hobo fight club!" Yeah, that's in character. "Gary Busey straight-up eats a guy!" Practically inevitable. But if one of them told you that Bill Nye stabbed a hooker in the face, or that Emma Watson set a homeless guy on fire, then they'd have your attention. Thankfully, we made up all of those previous examples, but the rest of these are absolutely true ... 5 AC/DC Drummer Phil Rudd Put A Hit Out On His Former Personal Assistant Phil Rudd was the drummer for AC/DC from 1975 to 1983, when he left the band due to drug and alcohol abuse, which you'd think would be mandatory for AC/DC. He joined the band again for 1994-2015, and started getting into meth. He was a man of the times. FlickreviewR 2/Wiki Commons "An artist always has to evolve." In 2014, Rudd released a solo album tastefully titled Head Job, but it didn't perform so well. Rudd also did not perform so well when he heard of the album's commercial failure. First he fired his entire staff for incompetence, because he knew the quality of his music couldn't possibly be the issue. But for reasons unknown (or at least not revealed to the media), Rudd had a particular vendetta against one former, unnamed personal assistant. Not content with merely giving passive-aggressive references, Rudd called another former associate of his and demanded that the PA be "taken out." And not to "a lovely brunch." Applications & OS News Partners Say New Docker CEO Will Face Growth, Scale Challenges As The Company Matures Joseph Tsidulko Share this Docker, the open source startup that kicked off the container-tech revolution, is entering a scaling phase of its business, one that will challenge the new CEO named Tuesday in some entirely different ways from his predecessor, according to partners. The appointment of Steven Singh, who previously led travel management software vendor Concur, and for the last eight months has been chairman of Docker's board, signals the pioneering container-tech vendor is looking to reach the next level of sales and channel maturity. Tim Hohman, CEO of BoxBoat, a Docker partner based in Washington, D.C., said the recent DockerCon conference, held weeks ago in Austin, showcased the degree to which Docker is penetrating the enterprise and competing head-on with some of the existing IT infrastructure powerhouses. [Related: Get On Board: Docker's Channel Maturity Unlocks The Container Tech Opportunity] To succeed on that front, Docker Inc., the commercial entity behind the eponymous open source technology, needs "to scale out their sales force and marketing, scale out their channel, get much more operationally sound," Hohman told CRN, "and they need a leader that's got experience doing that." Ben Golub, Docker's exiting CEO, whose career has been defined by work with early stage startups, will take a position on Docker's board of directors. Golub led Docker through a far different, but no less daunting, set of challenges, and partners praised his tenure at the company since 2013. Aater Suleman, CEO of Flux7, an Austin, Texas Docker partner, first met Golub at a conference several years ago, when Docker was still dotCloud, a Platform-as-a-Service vendor pivoting in a different direction. "Ben did some of the hardest parts of the job," Suleman told CRN. "Taking a company that didn't exist, and growing it into one of the most impactful forces in the history of our field." That initial growth phase presented a unique set of obstaclesthe next phase for Docker will bring entirely new ones, Suleman said. Perhaps the greatest challenge awaiting Singh will be countering a growing perception that Docker is in competition with many of the ecosystem partners whose businesses it enabled, Suleman said. Technologies like Kubernetes, which several of Docker's early partners are now bringing to market, compete with Docker's solution at the container orchestration layer, Docker Swarm. But ultimately Kubernetes adopts the Docker container standard, and the rival platforms are in many ways mutually beneficial, said Suleman. "A lot of their competition is really co-opetition," Suleman said of Docker and many other startups that have introduced services at various levels of the container stack. "You can't deny the influence and value Docker is bringing to their competitors." To that end, Singh will need to focus on "strengthening the alliances, and improving the overall messaging," Suleman said. "Not everyone being perceived as a competitor is a competitor." Singh will also have to take on the conundrum faced by all open source software vendorsmaintaining a balance between the company's open source roots and generating enough revenue to realize a profitable commercial business. "Those are hard problems to solve," Suleman said. Golub quit the leadership job after four years, which is a normal vesting period for a startup's CEO, said Alexis Richardson, CEO of Weaveworks, a Docker technology partner based in London. Golub was a "pro turnaround CEO with strong team and customer empathy," Richardson said. While he doesn't know Singh, Richardson expects him to "double-down on the sales motions" for Docker's Enterprise Edition, the commercial platform that's crucial to monetizing Docker's enormous success in the market. "That is the right thing to do, surely," Richardson said. While Golub wasn't exactly a founder, but rather an executive brought in by Docker's first venture capital investors, he deserves heaps of credit for guiding Docker to the next phase of growth, Hohman, of BoxBoat, told CRN. "He grew it from a bunch of open source community guys into a real company," Hohman said. "Now they need the guy who has a lot of experience running a real enterprise software company." And Singh has genuine credibility in filling such a role, Hohman said. At the helm of Concur, Singh guided what could have been a painful transition toward a Software-as-a-Service strategy, helping the company move from its perpetual licensing model to selling a subscription service. Concur was acquired in 2014 by SAP. Singh transitioned to president of SAP's Business Networks and Applications operations. Last month, the software giant announced he would be leaving the company. In a blog post announcing the leadership change, Golub, who worked at six startups before Docker three as CEO wrote that his "heart lies in startups" and that "different leaders with different skills are needed at different stages in a company's history." Cloud News Want To Restrain IT Spending? Move More To Opex, Gartner Analyst Tells Midmarket Tech Execs Rick Saia Share this Business spending on information technology may comprise only four percent of the average corporate budget, but there's an opportunity to save more by shifting some of that cost from capital expenditures to the operational costs, midmarket IT executives were told Tuesday. That requires such strategies as renegotiating contracts; standardizing and simplifying platforms, providers, applications and services; and automating processes, Gartner analyst Jim McGittigan said in Tuesday's keynote at Midsize Enterprise Summit East in Nashville, Tenn. The event is hosted by CRN and ITBestOfBreed parent, The Channel Company. From a financial management perspective, "most of us" are still struggling to manage IT spend, McGittigan told the audience, which included more than 200 midmarket IT leaders. [RELATED: Gartner Analyst: MSPs Can Be Big Help With Midmarket Cloud Migrations ] "What is it that we control in IT, and can do something about, versus what we don't?" McGittigan asked. To put that in perspective, reining in IT costs is not that difficult and doesn't yield much savings compared with the 96 percent of corporate spend that's dedicated to business optimization and joint work between IT and the business units, McGittigan said, citing Gartner research. The IT spend "has lower savings potential over time, but it's easier to do," he added. He urged the midmarket executives to look at the cost of something that can be a candidate for a capex-to-opex shift, its value to the business and the potential risk of a shift into the operating budget. "There's an opportunity here to do more than what we're doing today," McGittigan said. Where among the many cloud offerings should a midmarket IT executive look? Start with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which is seeing a 17.9 percent combined annual growth rate over five years, about six times that of non-cloud software, according to a Gartner forecast from 2016 that was part of McGittigan's presentation. To begin the shift from capex-to-opex, CIOs and other IT leaders need to understand their businesses' enterprise-wide financial strategy, then communicate the move from being an internal "software house" to help explain the capex-to-opex shift. One challenge, however, is that many enterprises prefer sticking with a capex model, McGittigan warned. That resonated with Daniel Erlenbusch, director of IT at Penrad Imaging, a medical imaging services provider based in Colorado Springs, Colo. There, the company prefers a mostly capex strategy, he told CRN. But whether to stick with that or shift to opex is a question Erlenbusch said he has been asking of his financial people for two years. While Penrad is "looking a lot" at cloud-based options that would shift some costs to opex, what he has seen in cloud offerings "hasn't passed the test" so far, he noted. But Erlenbusch is exploring cloud options for disaster recovery and backup; he said Penrad has a lot of files that can't be compressed or de-duplicated. What can companies target in a potential shift to opex? The biggest potential gains lie in the IT project portfolio, which Gartner says is mostly funded through the capital budget. Today, 73 percent of all IT spend comes out of opex; in 2018, Gartner believes that will rise to 86 percent. McGittigan offered these recommendations to his audience: "Make sure you understand 100 percent of IT spend" and optimize all IT costs; Be proactive with IT cost optimization, set targets and use a continuous process; Create a roadmap for IT financial transparency and treat it like a multiyear program; Be sure to always understand your opex/capex mix and manage it In the annual budgeting process, midmarket CIOs should "shift the focus" to opex, McGittigan said, adding that most CEOs and CFOs don't understand IT operating expenses and believe that 20 percent of the IT operating budget is wasted money. And as for IT spending in the business units, which McGittigan believes has "light" oversight, "find it and make sure it's governed appropriately." While cloud is part of the solution for a capex-to-opex shift, "this isn't about moving to the cloud," he said. "It's about making the right decision." News / National by Staff reporter Agrippa Mutambara appointed interim ZimPF president after the party interviewed former Industry and International Trade Minister Dr Nkosana Moyo, but he differed with its vision.The Zimbabwe People First has endorsed Agrippa Mutambara as its interim president.This was revealed at a media conference held by the ZimPF steering committee at the party's headquarters in Highlands, Harare, today.ZimPF secretary for administration Kudakwashe Bhasikiti told journalists that soon after the break up with Dr Joice Mujuru it was agreed to replace her immediately, revealing that Mutambara was endorsed as interim president.Bhasikiti said the provinces were consulted and agreed to elect and interim leader.He added that they also interviewed former Industry and International Trade Minister Dr Nkosana Moyo, but he differed with the vision of ZimPF.Bhasikiti also claimed that Dr Moyo hinted that he will contest the 2018 election as independent candidate, adding that Rugare Gumbo was also considered, before that party settled for Mutambara.ZimPF founders Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa walked away in protest against the endorsement of Mutambara. It is commonly referred to as information overload. An infosec professional throws out a wide net in hopes of stopping malware before it gets too deep into the network, but like a motion-sensor light, sometimes the alert catches a squirrel instead of a burglar. Rob Kerr, chief technology officer at Haystax Technology, cited the 2013 breach at Target, as an example in which thieves stole some 40 million Target credit cards by accessing data on point of sale (POS) systems. Target later revised that number to include theft of private data for 70 million customers. There were many missteps before the breach happened, but a big one was that Target missed internal alerts -- only finding out about the breach when they were contacted by the Department of Justice, he said. Kerr said there were two different issues relating to the alert problem: While the attack was in progress, monitoring software (FireEye) alerted staff in Bangalore, India, who in turn notified Target staff in Minneapolis. No action was taken because these alerts were included with many other likely false alerts. Kerr recalls that it also appeared that at least some of the company's network infiltration alerting systems were turned off to reduce false positives. A survey by FireEye polled C-level security executives at large enterprises worldwide and found that 37 percent of respondents receive more than 10,000 alerts each month. Of those alerts, 52 percent were false positives, and 64 percent were redundant alerts. This represents a huge burden on companies, as around 40 percent of them manually review each alert, Kerr said. In most enterprises, various monitoring and detection solutions are constantly combing through network and user activity data looking for anomalies that may indicate a malicious event is taking place. Each time the system gets a hit, an alert is generated that typically requires a human analyst to either verify it is a bona-fide threat, or clear as not applicable or too minor. The problem this creates is analyst overload, Kerr notes. In other words, the system is unable to provide sufficient context up front to filter out the anomaly before it generates an alert, so it falls to the analyst to do that manually. This is a big problem because there are thousands of pieces of data on network logins, printer activity and building access logs. So there will be an alert when Bob -- who typically works 9 to 5 every day -- reenters the office at 7:30 one evening and prints a large file on a Sunday, accessing a file server that is normally off-limits to him. The Cisco 2017 Security Capabilities Benchmark Study found that, due to various constraints, organizations can investigate only 56 percent of the security alerts they receive on a given day. Half of the investigated alerts (28 percent) are deemed legitimate; less than half (46 percent) of legitimate alerts are remediated. In addition, 44 percent of security operations managers see more than 5000 security alerts per day. Kerr added that the combination of filtering out minor activity and highlighting the highest-priority risks has the net effect of providing enough context to drastically diminish false positives and the burdens they place on overworked analyst teams. One of the key takeaways from a recent Rapid7 report was that reducing alert fatigue should always be a goal, but theres more to it. A better signal-to-noise ratio means responders and analysts are more likely to see meaningful trends. One trend is that attackers still heavily rely on user interaction. For instance, on Monday holidays, alerts dipped significantly, which Rapid7's analysts attributed to a lack of employees interacting with malicious emails, attachments, etc. Rapid 7s report also notes that if you design indicators based only on currently available information, rather than seeking out additional intelligence or adding industry- and company-specific context, the result will be low-quality alerts. In other words: while most alerts are triggered from known, malicious activity, the quality of these alerts is entirely dependent on the established indicators. Rebekah Brown, intelligence lead at Rapid7, said it is difficult to compile a list of common alerts that will be good for everyone, all the time. Even some that seem like obvious choices--i.e., alerting on hashes associated with ransomware--may not be universally applicable. For example, if they are hashes that encrypt Windows-based systems, they wouldnt be relevant in an organization that only uses Macs, she said. She added that a customer needs to identify what threats are relevant to them because of the systems they use, the data they have, and their threat profile. For example, a retail company that deals with both online and in-store sales would want to alert on: Threats to their e-commerce platform, which can come from a threat feed that gathers data on brute force and other attacks against that specific platform Threats to POS systems Threats reported by an industry-specific information sharing group, such as the R-CISC General threats to Windows systems including ransomware, credential theft or malware Custom alerts based on things that they have seen in their environment before Brown said there are three primary sources for detections: threat feeds (primarily from honeypots and network sensors), threat reports (primarily from IR investigations or research initiatives), and internal detections (from previous incidents). Staple lists Brown likes to use include Facebook threat exchange, Openbl_1d (open blocklist 1 day), Ransomware_feed by Abuse.ch and SSL blacklist by Abuse.ch. Common mistakes Kerr shared common security analytics mistakes that trigger false positives. They are as follows: 1. More alerts than you can process. Security analytics systems present a challenge for security organizations. They can alert on just about any event, and most of the time those alerts are for benign events. The natural response is to turn off the noisiest offenders. Turn off too many and you can miss events that are important. Good security analytics tools use context to give you the best of both worlds -- fewer, higher quality alerts. 2. Only alerting for things that are happening right now. Security analytics systems are most often configured to alert when something obviously malicious is occurring. But waiting until you see malicious activity puts your security team into response mode before they even start. Good security analytics tools are like spotlights and let you see negative behavior before it starts so you can take proactive action to stop it. 3. Only looking at network data. Security analytics systems are often configured to only see network data. This data is readily available, and connecting it to your system is generally painless. However, many potentially malicious network events are more likely benign events that triggered your security analytics system. Additional information is essential to clear the alerts and your security team spends its time gathering data to clear alerts. Good security analytics tools integrate with other internal and external data sources to eliminate specious alerts based on context. 4. Not prioritizing alerts. Time is our most precious commodity. Security analytics systems that don't effectively prioritize alerts waste your team's time by asking them to clear low-value alerts when highly important alerts linger at the bottom of their queue. Good security analytics systems drive your team to the events that most need attention via strong prioritization. 5. Alerts without context. When your security team processes an alert, the first thing they will do is look for additional information that provides the context they need to clear it. They will use a variety of on and off network tools to evaluate the alert and take the appropriate action. Good security analytics tools will assist that workflow by integrating with other internal and external data sources to minimize false alerts and prioritize real alerts more effectively. Setting up good alerts Brown said companies should look for reports that are specific to your industry, sector, or geographic region. Reports are better at this than feeds. Here are a few she recommends. US-CERT reports usually contain at least some contextual information, along with network based indicators that can be used to build detections for network traffic (primarily c2 nodes--if you see this then you already have malware on your system) as well as host-based detections, which are usually malware hashes or file names. These can be blocked or monitored for. If they are blocked you should still have a way to check those alerts, it is important to see who has attempted to attack you. DHS/FBI and other .gov reports are often not as timely as one would hope, but if the government is taking the time to put something out, it is worth your time to read. Look for the timing on when the attack/data was from. Most of the time with these reports it is good to look back in time for indicators rather than setting up alerts. By the time the government has put something out the attackers have likely changed infrastructure or moved onto a new evolution of malware samples. Commercial threat reports are often more timely than government reports, though they are also usually coming at the tail end of an investigation, so it may not be worth setting up alerts looking for future activity, especially when it comes to network-based indicators like IP addresses and domains that are often not active for long. Instead, look for attacker activities or behaviors to build detections for example, did an attacker use a phishing email to get an attacker to download a file, which then launched an executable (like we saw with the recent exploitation of CVE-2017-1099)? In that case, blocking or alerting on executables launched from word documents would be a good detection. The more a detection can look for an attacker behavior rather than just a discreet indicator associated with a piece of malware the more effective that detection will be. Researcher blogs are some of the best sources of intelligence on threats. They are usually timely and have good technical information, though they dont always provide higher level details such as which industries are targeted or what the impact of an attack would be. Still, they are some of the best places to get information on how attacks are being carried out. When building detections from blogs, I look for what can be alerted on (IPs, domains, hashes or behaviors such as where a malware sample executes), the timing and what the threat is related to. When you have these pieces you can understand what the threat is and what to do if you see something alert, Brown said. Rapid 7s threat report also found that attacks increase in volume during the afternoon and evening hours. This may correlate to when most users are active, but regardless, analysts should be aware of the hours of the day when the highest volume of threats are generated. The report also showed that most alerts come from known, bad activity, like multiple concurrent logins or malware. However, data showed a large increase in custom alerts relevant to only some organizations. This can be helpful for tracking new threats, but can also be misleading. When there are high volumes of alerts generated from a single rule in a short time period, it either means that you have a big problem with your network, or you have a big problem with the custom alert. Rapid 7 said attackers will always be faster, but understanding the threat landscape will go a long way toward shortening the time to respond and remediate critical issues. Knowing when you need to act fast and when to stick with a slow and steady (and reliable) remediation plan is the key. Positively send your comments to our Facebook page. Chinas counterintelligence capabilities continue to evolve. The newest arrow in their quiver to detect those who are breaking trust with Mother China is the bounty for identification of suspicious foreigners. The bounty can go as high as 500,000 Yuan to the private citizen who hits the jackpot and identifies a bona fide spy. On the second anniversary of Chinas National Security Day, Chinas counterintelligence apparatus launched their bounty program. An effort to crowd-source all 1.39 billion citizens, of which 21.5 million reside in Beijing the epicenter of foreign espionage in China, into the cadre of counterespionage sleuths. According to Sina, a Chinese media outlet, the People's Republic of China observed the day nationwide with "eye-catching street banners, community publicity events, vivid videos and graphs shared online." Sina continued, how students from primary and middle schools were given counterespionage readers. The readers contained cartoons and games designed to spread the knowledge of national security.. The Beijing State Security Bureau (BSSB and a part of the national Ministry of State Security) published, via the Beijing City Government website, their plea to the citizens to assist in the identification of illegal activities which endanger national security. Should a citizen stumble upon a suspicious situation, they are encouraged to report it to their local security organizations. Within Beijing, that would be the BSSB. The three ways are: Call the BSSB informant hotline Mail the information to the BSSBs mail drop. Or present themselves at the BSSB offices The BSSB announcement explains to the populace, to those informants whose information checks out, a cash award of up to 500,000 Yuan (~US$72,500) awaits. Do western businessmen and businesswomen need be concerned? With the xenophobic bounty program in place, every foreign national has the potential to fall under the over-zealous scrutiny of the Chinese citizen. This citizen, with little or no counterintelligence acumen, may interpret an innocent request as nefarious. Indeed, one can expect a healthy dose of false-positives to occur with this very broad brushed campaign. Advice from a seasoned traveler. Keep ones activities above reproach. Institute the buddy system, and attend meetings, dinners and other activities with others. Acquaintances may evolve to friendships, but understand that the friendship may draw the attention of the counterespionage authorities. Evolution of Chinas Counterintelligence Awareness Program In November 2014, China put into place a new Counterespionage Law. A law which provided the government with broad technical and physical surveillance authorities. Chapter III sets forward the obligations and rights of citizens and organizations. Thus setting the stage for the National Security Awareness initiatives which have followed. The 2016 education surge (see below) and the bounty program. In the 2017 BSSB bounty statement, espionage is rather broadly defined: (1) Activities that endanger the state security of the People's Republic of China that are carried out, prompted, or subsidized by a spy organization and its agents, or carried out by agencies, organs, individuals, or their collaborators domestically or outside the PRC borders; (2) participating in an espionage organization or being tasked as an espionage organizations' agent; (3) Activities carried out, instigated or subsidized by extra-territorial institutions, organizations and individuals other than espionage organizations and their representatives; or in which domestic institutions, organizations or individuals collude to steal, pry into, purchase or illegally provide state secrets or intelligence; or in which state employees are incited, enticed or bought over to turn traitor. (4) indicating targets for enemies; (5) conducting other espionage activities. On April 15, 2016 China observed the first National Security Education Day. This occasion was marked by the release of a 16-frame cartoon, Dangerous Love, highlighting the foreign espionage threat present in China. Specifically, featuring Da Wei (David) the wily foreigner and Xiao Li the unassuming Chinese government employee. David is in China conducting academic research. The entire series has been translated by China Law Translate. Suffice it to say the path to the compromise of Xiao Li, by Da Wei is predictable. The two become close friends, Da Wei asks for help in his research, she provides non-public information, he takes the information and disappears, leaving Xiao Li holding the proverbial bag. The lesson, one should not be too quick to trust the foreigner. No need to hunt for comments, they are over on our Facebook page. As retailers and other businesses increase security measures to prevent the use of gift cards purchased with stolen credit card numbers, cyber criminals have been focusing on fraudulent gift cards, according to a report released this morning by Flashpoint. Traditionally, gift cards have been a quick way to make stolen credit card numbers pay off quickly. They buy the gift cards online, in bulk, then use the gift cards at their leisure or resell them, without worrying that the credit card number has been canceled -- until the charge backs started coming in from the credit card companies and merchants wised up. So criminals have been turning to hacking the gift card systems themselves, figuring out how to find the gift card numbers of cards that have already been issued, but haven't yet been spent. Flashpoint tracks chatter in underground, criminal forums, and noticed a sharp increase of conversations around "cracked" gift cards last summer. The number of conversations tallied per month went from just a handful for the latter half of 2015 and the first half of 2016, then spiked to nearly 600 last summer, with another spike to over 300 this past December. These gift cards were legitimately purchased, and many recipients don't use them for a long time. The credit card companies don't complain because the gift cards were deliberately purchased by legitimate card holders. "As far as we have seen there are no charge backs related to this and we arent aware of any penalties facing merchants," said Liv Rowley, analyst at Flashpoint. Worst case, the recipient of a gift card would complain that it didn't have any money on it, or it didn't have as much money on it as they expected. "This type of fraud does indeed often times go unnoticed by customers," she said. But that doesn't mean that retailers should ignore the problem, she said. "Weve heard anecdotal evidence from retailers who absolutely see fraud happening at the levels of thousands of dollars lost," she said. "This type of fraud has a big impact on retailers, as they are selling products to people who arent the rightful owners of the gift cards or are providing products and services on gift cards that were never paid for." Merchants should add some security measures to their gift cards, she said, so that they are no longer such attractive targets for criminals. "Additionally, given the popularity of this fraud, its possible that compliance regulations will be implemented down the road, leaving gift card issuers not utilizing proper security measures scrambling to be in compliance," she said. And those additional security measures can be very simple. For example, many gift cards are numbered sequentially, making it extremely easy for criminals to guess numbers. The criminals then check numbers with the gift card company's online balance checker or on third-party sites to determine the value. Some criminals use bots that can check gift card numbers against thousands of websites in search for unused gift cards with balances. Some websites ask for PINs, according to the Flashpoint report, but usually those PINs aren't actually checked -- criminals can enter any random PIN to get their balances. Flashpoint recommended that companies issuing gift cards implement a real system for checking PINs when verifying card balances, use CAPTCHAs, and generate random card numbers or letter and number combinations. Give that gift that keeps on coming. Send your comments to our Facebook page. - T. S. Eliot Thoughts After Lambeth "The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Women from across Fairfield County celebrated the power of collective giving Wednesday morning and chose Stamford-based nonprofit Sexual Assault Crisis and Education Center to receive a $100,000 grant to launch a new program for sexual assault victims. Were hoping this creates a big change in how survivors are served, said Ivonne Zucco, executive director of the Sexual Assault Crisis and Education Center, following the announcement of its award. The grant is comprised of almost 200 individual contributions from members of Impact Fairfield County, a collective giving group formed by Greenwich residents Wendy Block and Vicki Craver in 2015. This marks the groups second time awarding a local nonprofit with $100,000, and Impact Fairfield members hope the coming years will bring in even more high dollar grants as additional members join. To look at whats developed in just two years is amazing, said Tamu Lucero, Impact member and Stamford Public Schools assistant superintendent. This money makes a huge difference for nonprofits, and if each of us asks just a couple more of our girlfriends to join, we can give away several of these $100,000 grants next year. Lucero added she likes how Impact members know exactly how their donations will be used through this grant process, which is unlike many other causes to which she and her husband donate. Similarly, many Impact members said the groups educational element is their favorite aspect. This is a great way to get to know the nonprofit community, said Amy Downer, a Stamford resident. Impacts grant application process lends itself toward educating members about the details of nonprofits and the programs they pitch for funding as well as teaching members how to conduct professional grant reviews, said Block, who has a background working with nonprofits. Impacts grant competition drew 51 applicants, which were narrowed down to 11 by an Impact committee. Those were eventually whittled down to five who presented at Impacts annual meeting Wednesday, hosted at University of Connecticuts Stamford campus. In the last few months, members visited all five finalists, which included Stamford-based Building One Community, The Center for Family Justice in Bridgeport, Stamfords International Institute of Connecticut, Sexual Assault Crisis and Education Center and SoundWaters in Stamford. The Sexual Assault Crisis and Education Center plans to use the grant to put together a coordinated effort between the center and Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk hospitals to provide timely, compassionate and trauma-informed sexual assault forensic exams to victims of sexual violence, according to its grant proposal provided to all members. The other four finalists each received $20,000 grants to go toward their operating budgets. Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Dunbar School was one of the lowest performing schools in the state when it joined the Commissioners Network in the fall of 2013. The East End school still is. Only 9.5 percent of students are at grade level in reading and 2.3 percent are at grade level in math, according to the states latest standardized test results. That is not what caught the state Board of Educations attention when it agreed in Hartford on Wednesday to leave the school in the network a fifth year. Instead, it was the schools high teacher turnover rate. Just one teacher hired at the beginning of the turnaround process remains at the school. Of 29 teachers now at the school, 23 have less than four years of classroom experience, Dunbar Principal Alyshia Perrin told the state board. That type of turnover cant be typical of the district, board Chairman Alan Taylor remarked. Or is it? Perrin called it a very big piece of the problem, but not the only one. Dunbars entrance into the Commissioners Network, a designation that promised extra support and financial assistance, came not only because of poor student performance, but the schools climate. Students said they did not feel safe. Fights were common. In four years, the school of 397 students has received $3.2 million in extra funding. In its first year in the network, Dunbar was paired with Family Schools for Urban Excellence, a charter management firm from Hartford. The group was fired after only a year. Left behind was Marilyn Taylor, a well-liked principal recruited by FUSE from Georgia. She later resigned, after she was charged with gambling away a student activity fund. Desi Nesmith, chief turnaround officer for the state Department of Education, characterized the start as rocky, Despite that, there have been decreases in chronic absenteeism and the suspension rate has been cut in half. Perrin said the school is working hard to teach students to control their emotions and has supplied them with mentors. There is a refocus room where staff work with students regularly who have chronic behavior issues. We are seeing some gains with those scholars, Perrin said Periodic testing in reading has showed gains over last year, the principal said. Some of the state money was used to hire more reading teachers to work with small groups of struggling students. As for the teacher retention issue, Perrin said staff she hired last summer were chosen based on their ability to connect with students. So far this year, she has not heard of any teacher planning to leave at the end of June. How much the school will get next year from the state is not determined. With just one more year left in the network, Board member Estela Lopez urged Perrin to focus on one or two goals. We are mindful given where they are, Nesmith told the board. Paul Laurence Dunbar School Grades: Pre-K-8 Enrollment: 397 Funding in first for years in Commissioners Network: $3.2 million Percentage of students on grade level in English/Language Arts: 9.5% Percentage of students on grade level in math: 2.3 % Suspension rate in 2015-16: 16.1 percent Best Natural Hair Products for Black Men AskMen's Picks for the Top Natural Hair Products for Black Men The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Product photos from retailer site. Natural hair remains to be one of the most misunderstood hair types. Its widely perceived as difficult to maintain. Many men with natural hair share similar concerns. Maintaining natural moisture and battling dry scalp among them. These can result in damaged hair that is prone to irritation and breakage. Most men think its too expensive to take proper care of their hair (not to mention time consuming). However, healthy hair is more accessible than some may think. RELATED: Best Razors for Men Natural hair care doesnt have to be complicated or costly. Don't believe us? We gathered 25 of the best (and most reasonably priced) products you can find for afro hair just to prove the point. You're welcome. TL;DR: These are the best natural texture hair care product for Black men, and your specific needs, sorted by category. You may already own some of these, or perhaps you've been shopping around for a new hair product of late. With consistent use of your hair care lineup, you will see an improvement in the state of your hair in record time. Keep reading for our full product reviews and more hair care products and tips for Black men. What Hair Type Are You? Black men typically have more coily or curly hair type. This of course differs for every Black man, depending on his genetics. Learn more about your hair type in the graphic below. Type 1 Straight Hair: Normally grows without bending and begins to lay down after a certain length Straight Hair: Normally grows without bending and begins to lay down after a certain length Type 2 Wavy Hair: Bendable hair that ranges from fine to coarse and shapes into waves typically in an S pattern Wavy Hair: Bendable hair that ranges from fine to coarse and shapes into waves typically in an S pattern Type 3 Coiled Hair: Takes on a loose or corkscrew curl or curly hair definition and usually more susceptible to frizz Coiled Hair: Takes on a loose or corkscrew curl or curly hair definition and usually more susceptible to frizz Type 4 Kinky Hair: Most known as afro-textured hair that forms very tight and small curls right from the scalp Hair Care Tips for Black Men Were witnessing an evolution in African American hair styling, with men sporting bolder and more natural styles. Regardless of how a man chooses to wear his hair the key to maintaining it lies in his haircare routine. Take some of these tips into account when treating your locks. Shampoo less: Chemicals and soaps used in many hair cleansers strip hair of natural oils produced from the scalp, so consider shampooing once a week. Chemicals and soaps used in many hair cleansers strip hair of natural oils produced from the scalp, so consider shampooing once a week. Condition more: The right conditioner will help you to maintain shiny, balanced, and hydrated hair. It will also help to avoid damage and breakage. The right conditioner will help you to maintain shiny, balanced, and hydrated hair. It will also help to avoid damage and breakage. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize: Since harsh weather conditions can dry out hair, hydrating daily will make it easier to maintain and keep healthy. Since harsh weather conditions can dry out hair, hydrating daily will make it easier to maintain and keep healthy. Priorities scalp care: A healthy scalp is essential to maintaining good healthy hair. A clarifying treatment or scalp exfoliating scrub are suggested. A healthy scalp is essential to maintaining good healthy hair. A clarifying treatment or scalp exfoliating scrub are suggested. Use the right hair products for you: Depending on the texture of hair and condition, certain products will save your scalp and keep your hair healthy and nourished. How Do You Keep Black Hair Moisturized? If dry hair and scalp are keeping you from healthy natural hair, we feel your pain. Aside from caring for your strands (and the delicate skin beneath it) you may need to drop some common bad habits. Are you forgetting to protect your hair before bed? Are you applying too much heat to your hair? Using products that cause buildup? These may seem like small issues, but the truth is that they're damaging your hair, and you're going to need to change things if you want to see positive results. On the flip side, there are things you can actively do to help repair your hair. Start using a moisturizer or leave in treatment. These allow you to lock in moisture longer. Choose a shampoo that contains olive oil, coconut oil, emu oil or jojoba oil, as these ingredients help lock in moisture. If you don't already, start using a conditioner, preferably one that contains healthy fats or oils (shea butter, argan oil, and coconut oil are common choices). Regular deep conditioning treatments are also encouraged. Keep reading below to see our picks for the best hair products for Black men. Best Scalp Care for Black Men Best Scalp Serum Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Treatment Serum You cant achieve healthy hair without maintaining a healthy scalp. Natural hair wearers are more prone to dryness, itchiness, and irritation. Briogeos treatment serum is a scalp saver. It works for coiled and tightly coiled hair. Ingredients like binchotan charcoal, peppermint, and witch hazel clarifies the scalp and removes product buildup. Youll find relief from that dry flakiness with this formula. The dropper applicator makes it easy to use on any hair length. Promising Review: "I have dry scalp really bad in just two areas of my head and I scratch so bad because it is itchy, my dermatologist gives me shots to help me when it flares up. I used this as soon as I got it, two days later it is no longer itchy and I am hoping to see hair growth in those areas. I just wish it wasn't so expensive." Duke $32 at Amazon.com Best Scalp Treatment Design Essentials Therapeutics Anti-Itch Treatment Design Essentials is a brand known for taking care for all hair types. Their lightweight treatment oil delivers relief and moisture directly to the scalp. Its main ingredient, salicylic acid, treats skin conditions such as dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. This is best used between washes on parted or sectioned hair This treatment is great for a protective hairstyle, like braids. This brand has long been a salon staple for treating dry hair and scalps for a reason. Promising Review: "It doesnt weigh my hair down. It helps with my dry scalp and keeping the flakes away. My hair stays shiny and moisturize after one time use for the week." TP $14.50 at Amazon.com Best Scalp Cleanse TPH Haircare Master Cleanse Natural hair is one area where celebrity brands are thriving lately. Taraji P. Hensons recently launched line has been buzzing. The Master Cleanse using tea tree oil and witch hazel, known for their scalp clarifying properties. Enjoy the cooling and tingling sensation as you cleanse. The triple pointed applicator is designed to work with any hair type. Gentleman, meet your new weekly hair and scalp treatment. Promising Review: "I usually dont write reviews but this is amazing. It is so tingly and feels so clean. When sis said detox she meant it! It is a little intense feeling but I loved it." Tiana $11.86 at Target.com Best Natural Hair Shampoo for Black Men Best for Hair Growth Pura DOr Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo Pura DOr Search for sulfate-free shampoos rich in oils such as argan oil, which is an effective ingredient for preventing breakage and hair loss resulting from weak hair. This Amazon best seller, as well as our Editors' Choice, takes full advantage of the additive, along with Moroccan oil to nourish the hair shaft as well as the follicles with nutrients that help reverse damage and are known to trigger hair regrowth. Hair loss? Not here. Promising Review: "Losing my hair as of my early 30's. About a year ago I found this product and will not go back. It smells great, it last a long time and yeah... It freaking works!! It's not going to grow all hair back, nahh. If you are looking for a product to strengthen your hair and make it actually give a thick feel and look this is for you. Try it, what's the worst that happens you have to send it back? The upside is you never go back to anything else!" Customer $39.99 for set at Amazon.com Best Hair Moisturizer Scotch Porter Hydrating Hair Wash Scotch Porter's beard care collection remains its most popular, but dont sleep on its shower care offering. This hydrating hair wash uses a complex infused with natural ingredients, botanicals, and vitamins, including vitamin B5, shea butter, coconut oil, and silk amino acids which deeply conditions the hair cuticle, resulting in a softer and silkier look. The woodsy scent serves as a pleasant wakeup call when stumbling into the shower on rough mornings. Promising Review: "Makes your hair feel soft and untangled. Works good for natural curly hair." DF $11.97 at Amazon.com Best Moisturizing Shampoo SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration Shampoo Known for its organic approach to haircare, SheaMoisture packs its hydrator with manuka honey to soothe the scalp, along with African rock fig, which comes loaded in vitamin C to keep dry hair looking soft and smooth. Plus, its free of unnecessary and potentially damaging hair harsh chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, and sulfates. Promising Review: "I love this shampoo it gives me a clean feeling without stripping all the moisture in my hair. It also smells lovely, and a little goes a long way, it doesn't take much for it to lather. I highly recommend!" Gee $8.69 at Amazon.com Best Natural Hair CoWash Eden Bodyworks Coconut Shea Cleansing CoWash Many men dont enjoy the hassle of regular washes. While we dont suggest frequent shampooing, a cowash is an effective way to maintain hair between wash days. This creamy treatment looks like a great moisturizer, but gently cleanses the scalp of debris and buildup as well. Coconut oil, shea butter, aloe, and avocado oil deeply treat dry hair, keeping it fresh and balanced. It also helps keep hair moisturized and tangle free. Who knew skipping shampoo could be so good. Promising Review: "I have used two other cowashes on my natural, 4c, dense, low porosity, gray hair and this is now a favorite. It smells great. After using it my hair felt cleansed and was super soft and not stripped. You get a generous amount in the jar and I feel it was worth the cost. I highly recommend this product. I will be purchasing it again." jclvnlife $9.60 at Amazon.com Best Conditioners for Natural Hair Best Hair Softener Oyin Juices Sometimes simpler is better when it comes to Black hair styling, and Oyin makes simple easy with its popular collection of moisturizer hair tonics. Known as The Juices, these moisture bombs are composed of naturally preserved grapefruit seed extract and citric acid, both excellent ingredients that aid in smoothing out tresses when taking a comb to your head. Applying it will improve pH balance, a vital component that fights dry hair to boost stronger hair production. It works wonders on locks and cornrows when used daily. Promising Review: "what I like is that it's not cloying or overzealous. Same is true for the moisturizing. Makes my roots (I'm locked) feel soft but without the feeling of residue." ReadWriteRepeat $13.99 at Amazon.com Best Scalp Healer SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration Deep Conditioner SheaMoisture Raw organic shea butter, sea kelp, and argan oil and the moisturizer trio found in this rich apres wash treatment. Shea butter, which has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, will moisturize and repair damage to your hair and scalp. Sea kelp detoxifies and argan oil nourishes. All of this comes in a creamy texture that can be rinsed out as usual, or left if after a shower for more treatment. Promising Review: "I have natural 4b hair. Unlike the deep conditioner version, this version makes my hair feel so soft and moisturized. After rinsing out I have unbelievable curls, definition and shine. It's weird that the deep conditioner version doesn't work as well. Would recommend buying this regular conditioner version. I use it with every wash day." FitConvert $17.99 at Amazon.com Best Hair Health Promoter Carols Daughter Hair Milk Leave-in Moisturizer Leave-in conditioners dont only moisturize hair, but also lock in essential oils to stop breakage, while leaving hair feeling fully nourished and hydrated. Carols Daughter has a product that delivers such results for the curly hair, coily hair, kinky hair, and wavy hair crowds. Its blend of soybean and sweet almond oils, cocoa and shea butters, and wheat germ oil maintain moisture without stripping and add healthy shine. Promising Review: "I adore the Curl Milk collection. I have thick, low-medium porosity 3c and 4a curls for reference. It works wonders keeping my hair moisturized and easy to detangle. It easily dethroned my previous favorite products after one use!." B $11.89 at Amazon.com Best Hair Masks for Black Men Best Follicle Strengthener Phyto Phytojoba Moisturizing Mask Backed by an exceptional concentration of angelica root extract, sweet orange essential oil, and wheat micro-proteins, this hair moisturizer boasts massive hair care benefits for guys with short curly hair to long hair no problem. Aside from nurturing hair health, it also helps hair regain elasticity and softness, seals in moisture to revitalize follicles and straightens hair for seamless styling. Promising Review: "I was experiencing build up from cheap shampoo and conditioner. It was so bad. My hair was gummy and I couldnt brush through it, wet or dry. It was brittle and breaking. When dry, my hair felt like I had soaked it in Aquanet and brushed through it. ONE USE of Phyto shampoo and conditioner and I instantly said to myself, Whose hair is this?!?! Absolutely life changing for me!! Ill never use anything else now." Swarthout Family $26 at Amazon.com Best Natural Hair Hydrator SheaMoisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Treatment Masque SheaMoistures lightweight hair moisturizer hosts several exotic ingredients coconut oil, manuka honey, and raw shea butter heals and hydrates damaged hair. Spreading it through hair enhances definition and protect them from environmental factors. Lastly, its creamy texture instantly penetrates strands and provides slickness for effortless comb-throughs. Promising Review: "First off, I am not associated with this brand economically nor did I receive the product in exchange for my review ... This is a smooth, creamy hair moisturizer / pack. Ive used a great many over the years and this rates second to only one other, and that one cost $45! My hair is very fine and thinning. Yet I can use from my scalp down. Makes hair soft and thick feeling, with no weight on my roots. Additionally I have a regularly irritated scalp and this helps. Highest recommendation." KLF $11.97 at Amazon.com Best Hair Strengthener Taliah Waajid Repair and Restore Hair Strengthening Masque This natural hair loving treatment uses shea butter, honey, and banana to deeply penetrate strands. Youll see shinier, more lustrous hair with regular use. It also locks in moisture, ideal thirsty hair in need of serious TLC. For best results, use weekly after shampooing. Leave on with a plastic cap for 20 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. This is a great product for repairing dry hair, brittle hair, and damaged hair. Get used to having much happier hair. $15.13 at Amazon.com Best Hair Styling Products for Black Men Best Pomade for Black Hair Rudys Shine Pomade If youre in the market for a water-based smear with medium-light hold and non-greasy shine, Rudys has something worth pursuing. The pomade spreads easily through the coarsest of threads, giving it a wet, stylish appearance that reshapes your hair to meet your styling needs. No residue left behind, and it can be easily rinsed out in the shower. Promising Review: "It lasts all day but doesn't feel too greasy or too thick. Probably the best product I've used so far! Smells pretty good, as well." Luis $22 at RudysBarberShop.com Best Styling Cream for Black Hair Bumble and bumble Grooming Creme Bumble and bumbles styling salve comes highly recommended for guys struggling with curly locks. Packed with a special blend of jojoba, sweet almond, avocado, and safflower oils, this cream helps maintain natural softness and leaves hair with a smooth matte finish. The solution also works great on color-treated hair and plays nicely with other hairstyling products to boost volume and curls. Promising Review: "I have thick, coarse hair that is dry and difficult. This cream, which I've been using for 20 years, keeps my hair manageable and attractive." Corey $26.79 at Amazon.com Best Styling Gel for Black Hair Afro Sheen Texture Setting Cream Gel This isnt the sticky hair gel or curl cream you might be familiar with. Afro Sheens cream gel gives you strong hold without the hard, flaky finish. Define curls, twists, and other textured styles. Formulated without mineral oil, this was made to work best on natural hair. Flaxseed oil, coconut oil, and shea butter provide added moisture and nourishment. Use as a daily styler to keep your look fresh and hair at its best. Promising Review: "This works really well, I tried it on my father-in-law and my son and their hair literally curled right up. They have similar curl patterns, on the looser side. I believe it will work with tighter curl patterns if the hair is longer, maybe at least 7 inches." JC $14.99 at Amazon.com Best Oils and Treatments for Black Men Best Scalp Nourisher Poppy Austin Pure Argan Hair Oil This moisturizing oil offers a wealth of skincare benefits, from anti-aging results to scalp nourishment, and doubles as a great beard oil for facial hair too. Hair frizz and split ends become an afterthought, as the solution softens and protects strands from environmental damage. The use of argan oil as its main ingredient increases the mixtures potency, doing wonders for not only hair, but skin and nails as well. Consider it a great fit for men who prefer a lubricant texture over creams. Promising Review: "I use this for my hair and I love it. just two or three dabs on my palm is enough for my hair leaving it slick. It lasts for the whole day and won't dry. I used this for a few weeks before doing a review." Luis $19.99 at Amazon.com Best Scalp Detox Act + Acre Cold Processed Hair Care Set Act + Acre Act + Acre's Hair Care Set is super-effective as a scalp treatment, feeding hair stimulant-based oils that generate moisture and strength for a fresher look. Not only will it promote stronger, healthier hair over time, all the way down to the root, but it will instantly give your hair a shine that radiates health and vitality. Promising Review: "My hair was showing signs of breakage and damage, this has helped stop breakage. Works not just for scalp but ends too. No smell, just a good clean product." Vince $92 at Amazon.com Best All-Purpose Treatment for Black Hair Agave Healing Oil Treatment Agave Healing Spoil your scalp, rebuild damaged hair, and rejuvenate roots with sunflower and safflower oils and allow Madagascar baobab seed oil to transform hairs outer layer. This treatment should instantly add back shine, relieving you of any residue while also blocking out humidity. Promising Review: "Best oil for thick hair. Have been using this product of years and my hair loves it! Quickly absorbs and leaves my hair silky with great flow. Again great for THICK hair." A. Morison $22.80 at Amazon.com Best Straighteners and Relaxers for Black Men Best Frizz Eliminator Mizani Butter Blend Medium Normal Relaxer Mizani chose to create a relaxer with shea butter, cocoa butter, and honey, serving as a rich relaxer with nourishing properties that eliminate frizz instantly. Available for fine, medium, and coarse hair, this softens coils of different textures without scalp flaking or irritation. Faithful users recommend taking precaution with the product, though, for its contents can be hazardous if misused, so consider reading the label or having your personal hairstylist apply it to your hair. Promising Review: "As a 25 year old guy with curly hair, I've tried my share of hair straightening treatments. The soothing experience of the Mizani Relaxer is the solution to my usual concern of hair damage and discomfort when straightening. My hair was left manageable and healthy. I recommend investing in a good leave in conditioner too! Of course, I credit my stylist for knowing her stuff!" Brae $30 at Mizani.com Best Hair Relaxer Softsheen Carson Optimum Care Multi-Mineral Relaxer Softsheen Carson has carved its own lane and produces a great line of haircare products for men of color. Its Multi-Mineral Relaxer system uses a formula containing three mineral hydroxides that cultivate free-flowing locks and perfect balance. $6.88 at Softsheen-Carson.com Best Hair Dyes for Black Men Best Subscription Hair Dye True Sons Hair Dye Foam True Sons relies on an oxidizing hair foam thats easier to spread through hair via the provided comb and takes as little as 15 minutes to work its magic. No nasty harsh chemical smells and no mess. From there, you jump in the shower and rinse off the solution to enjoy darker results. Choose from six different colors and monthly or quarterly plans. $30 monthly at TrueSons.com Best Easy-to-Use Hair Dye Just For Men Autostop Jet Black A brand most of us poke fun of when basking in full-flourished locks, yet cant live without when spotting ages threads, Just For Men is still one of the best for combating gray hair. This brush-in solution offers a no-mix, no-mess system with fool-proof, comb-in applicator that easily targets troubled gray areas. The solution is designed to shut off at a target color after 10 minutes of use, ensuring your natural shade doesnt get discolored. Promising Review: "Great for beards. I use this stuff for my beard. I only leave it on for about two minutes so some of the grey is still visible. Otherwise I'd look like an idiot with s&p hair and a jet black beard. The screw on comb attachment makes it easy to keep the product only on the beard area. Much easier than using the messy mix-and-brush Just for Men beard products, plus you get more oz. for your money. I would buy again." MikeyFTL $8.94 at Amazon.com Best Facial Hair Dye for Black Men Henna King Manly Guy Hair, Beard, and Mustache Color Facial grays can be sexy on some men. For others, its more of a deal-breaker. If you fall under the latter, Henna King guides your mug on the right path by enhancing its appearance with the natural hair color it deserves. Pure Henna plant dye coupled with all natural herbs engage to cover up all grandpa strands. The brand also promises no burning, itching, stinging, or other uncomfortable reactions when applied to the head or face. Promising Review: "I've searched for years for a product that works. Look no further! It take a few hours for me to achieve the color I want but it worth the wait knowing its an all natural product" Boss $16.95 at Amazon.com With these hair styling tips, tricks, and natural hair care products, you'll be on your way to detangling that wet hair and healthy hair follicle making sure you have the best hair you've had in a long time. You Might Also Dig: AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. Tourism Minister Presents Gibara as a New Destination Cubas Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero presented on Tuesday in Holguin, the town of Gibara as a tourism destination. Gibara has been the target of an investment program for over five years improving its parks, squares and increasing its hotel capacity. With the participation of guests and representatives of the Cuban Communist Party and government of the territory, Marrero spoke of Gibaras potential whose historic center was declared a National Monument in 2004, during an activity prior to the official inauguration of the 37th International Tourism Fair, FitCuba 2017, which will begin on Wednesday in the eastern province of Holguin. Among the attractions of the new tourism complex, Marrero mentioned the beautiful and exuberant landscape, its architectural beauty and perfectly outlined streets and houses although he stressed that the best part of the town is its people which he characterized as solidarity, human, loving, hospitable and proud of its culture. During the activity, held in the Jiba Theater, the Tourism Minister commented that after a tour held in 2010, they decided to bet for a tourism development in that town known as the White Villa of the Crabs, where Cristopher Columbus landed in 1492. He stressed that with the support of the local authorities a project was initiated based on the experience of other Cuban heritage cities to stop their deterioration and always respecting its natural and historic values. According to Marrero, the program includes the improvements of parks, squares and installations of the historic centers in addition to the main avenues that links of the two plazas of the municipality. The redesign of the culinary offers starting with typical dishes and the expansion of cultural installations are also incorporated in the development plan. He pointed out that installations like El Faro the oldest of the active beach resorts in the country- have been refurbished as well as the Ordono and Arsenita Hotels contributing in the growth of visitors. The Tourism Minister announced the reconstruction of the Vallado and Almirante heritage hotels, which will be inaugurated next year during the International Film Festival of Gibara. He added that, with the private sector needing to be developed, there are currently 39 homes that are rented a total of 78 rooms- and 7 private restaurants. Accompanied by Armgard Wippler, Assistant General Director of Germanys Economy and Energy, guest of honor at FitCuba 2017, Manuel Marrero participated in the opening of the Gibara Nautical Club, Rio de Mares seafood restaurant and the Hotel Plaza Colon with 14 rooms. Teimur Akhmedov was charged under Article 174: inciting hatred.By Catherine PutzThe DiplomatMay 04, 2017A district court in Astana sentenced a 60-year-old Jehovahs Witness to five years in jail on May 2. Teimur Akhmedov was convicted of violating Article 174 of the Kazakh criminal code, which concerns incitement of ethnic, social, religious, family, and racial hatred. According to RFE/RL, Akhmedov will appeal.In January, Akhmedov and 43-year-old Asaf Guliyev were arrested in Astana by the National Security Committee (KNB). The state claimed that between May and October of the previous year, the two men held several meetings to discuss their faith. As Interfax described the case: During such meetings, in the presence of their followers, the two men publicly spoke negatively about representatives of Islam, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy and said that one religion was superior to another.Among the attendees were KNB informants who secretly recorded the discussions.The verdict was criticized by Forum 18, a Norwegian Christian nonprofit which focuses on religious freedom, and has been closely following the proceedings. Akhmedovs lawyers claimed their defendant has cancer and should have been released from pretrial detention for treatment; they have also alleged that he was beaten in pretrial detention.Forum 18 and Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) say that the two Jehovahs Witnesses were invited by several men claiming to be students to discuss their faith in a rented apartment. The implication is that the two men were set up, led into incriminating conversations in response to questions posed by the students, and recorded.Guliyev was tried separately and confessed in February. He was given a sentence of five years restricted freedom. Akhmedovs trial began in early April and he denied the charges, resulting in his jail sentence of five years, plus an additional three year ban on preaching.Kazakhstan has been listed by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom as a Tier 2 country since 2013. In 2016, given state anxiety over public unrest, restrictions on religious expression by non-traditional religious communities increased.The most recent USCIRFs review of religious freedom in Kazakhstan notes that a state program to counter religious extremism and terrorism currently under development advocates for more state-supported alleged anti-sect centers, which often criticize Protestants, Jehovahs Witnesses, and Ahmadis and take part in their trials.There is a touch of hypocrisy in jailing a preacher for comments advocating the superiority of his own religion (which frankly seems a given who would follow a faith believing it inferior to another?), while also supporting centers which criticize non-traditional religions. Kazakhstans 2011 law on religions holds all religions equal under the law but also recognizes the historical role of Hanafi Islam and Orthodox Christianity.Though unrelated, the timing demands mention of the recent ruling by the Russian Supreme Court banning Jehovahs Witnesses as an extremist group. A report from the Christian Science Monitor noted that some saw the ruling as the hand of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church but that others (and this is the bit with more relevance for the Kazakh context): suggest its part of a more general wave of majoritarian social conservatism thats enforcing a gradual homogenization on the entire society. Civil rights experts worry the move could presage a wider crackdown on non-traditional religious faiths, generally viewed as alien to Russia, that took root around the country in the wake of the Soviet Unions collapse a generation ago.The same social and political factors that may be behind a wave of majoritarian social conservatism manifesting as pressure on non-traditional faiths in Russia also exist in Kazakhstan. TIM ELFRINKMiami New TimesMay 1, 2017.Not many politicians are willing to get on a stage with Scientology leader David Miscavige and heap praise upon his organization. After all, Miscavige is at the center of a firestorm of abuse allegations, and his church has been accused of widespread human rights violations.So why did Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado decide to show up with Miscavige this past Saturday to inaugurate Scientologists' new megacenter on South Dixie Highway? He says the answer is simple: Regalado tells New Times that he views Scientology the same as any other religion accused of wrongdoing."People criticize the Adventists because they're strict, the Jehovah's Witnesses because they're different, and the Catholics because priests abused children," Regalado says. "I'm a practicing Catholic, and I don't leave because of some abusive priests. They are a legitimate religion."Regalado says he's aware of the allegations made against the church, many of which were spelled out in detail in Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright's recent book, Going Clear. Wright reports on credible tales of the church forcing dissident members to divorce, locking members away under grueling conditions, and using violence to obtain control. Wright reports about dissidents who say they witnessed Miscavige himself striking and beating staff members "as many as a hundred times." (The church has disputed nearly every point in Wright's book.)But the mayor says he discounts those claims for two reasons: The church is allowed to operate as a religion by the Internal Revenue Service, and no criminal charges have been filed against Miscavige or other leaders. (Of course, as Wright reports in his book, Scientologists lost that tax-exempt status in 1967 and only won it back in 1993 after filing more than 2,000 lawsuits against the federal government, tying it up in decades of expensive litigation.)"They are protected by the Constitution," Regalado says. "They are a religion. I've heard of allegations, but I've never seen people arrested."Regalado praised Scientologists for renovating the $7 million building they purchased in 2012 at 2230 S. Dixie Hwy. and for offering to volunteer around Miami."They took an abandoned building, they fixed it, and they have a beautiful temple now," he says. "They came and offered their church members to do any volunteer work in the city in Miami of our choosing. They want us to tell them where to volunteer and what to do."Asked whether the abuse claims within the church clash with his longstanding activism against similar abuses in Cuba and Venezuela, Regalado responded that the cases are different."The fact is that human rights issues in Cuba have been condemned by the UN," Regalado says. He suggests Scientology's problems haven't been as well established and adds that Scientologists "have a foundation that is helping dissidents in Cuba." (Regalado didn't specify which foundation; his spokesperson hasn't responded to a question asking for more details.)So why are so few other politicians willing to stick up for Scientology these days? Before Regalado's appearance this past weekend, then-Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's 2012 public event with Scientology's leaders might have been the last by a major city mayor.Regalado has an answer for that fact too."I guess I'm different," he says. Stewart BellNational postMay 1, 2017TORONTO The far-right group Soldiers of Odin has splintered in Canada after the two main factions turned against each other in a dispute over whether to remain aligned with their racist namesake in northern Europe.The split began last week when the president of Soldiers of Odin Canada, Bill Daniels, denounced the racist agenda of Soldiers of Odin leaders in Finland and said his branch was no longer associated with them.Their ridiculous belief in racism has always been a huge issue for us in Canada as we do not support or share their views on race, Daniels said on Facebook, calling the Finnish leaders racist, unorganized, reckless thugs.The Finnish leaders of the anti-immigrant group responded by expelling Daniels and banning him from using the name Soldiers of Odin. The Quebec branch then said it was also splitting away from the Daniels wing.There is indeed a disconnect between SOO Quebec and SOO Canada, said the Quebec chapter president, Katy Latulippe. As the provincial president, and with a unanimous vote, we decided that Quebec would dissociate Canada.The Daniels faction will no longer be allowed to wear the colors of the Soldiers of Odin, she said. It is important to know that more than 50% of the divisions in Canada do not agree with Bill Daniels and also wishes to continue their activities under the banner of the SOO.The Soldiers of Odin emerged in Finland in 2015 as an anti-immigration group closely aligned with the racist far right. It spread quickly to Europe and North America but since arriving in Canada a year ago it has struggled with its identity.While the Canadian chapters have emphasized their community volunteerism, organizing events such as food drives, they have also clashed with anti-racism demonstrators, and posted blatantly anti-Muslim rhetoric on social media.It is an important group and it is growing tremendously, said Yannick Veilleux-Lepage, a Canadian researcher at the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews.Working with Emil Archambault of Durham University, Veilleux-Lepage has identified 265 Canadians associated with the Soldiers of Odin. An analysis of their Facebook linkages showed a close connection between the Canadian members and their Finnish and Swedish counterparts, he said.What that tells us is that members of the Canadian group are quite interlinked with at least the membership of the Finnish group, Veilleux-Lepage said in an interview.That means that while the Canadian groups claim to be distinct from their racist Finnish namesake, they interact with them online and share the same anti-immigrant narratives, Veilleux-Lepage said.The research results undermine the significance of the split between the Canadian and Finnish Soldiers of Odin over racism, he said. The idea of Soldiers of Odin as a multicultural group, its not the reality were seeing.Soldiers of Odin Canada declined to comment on the study. A Facebook post by the groups spokesman, Mike Montague, suggests the dispute is at least partly over money. He wrote that the Finland group wanted to collect an annual fee from each member.As for Quebec SOO they have decided to denounce us and continue working with Finland even though the rest of Canada SOO is running independent from Finland SOO, the group told the National Post. As far as we are concerned the Quebec SOO has gone rogue from SOO Canadas national leadership.Although the Canadian offshoot insists it is not racist, its Facebook page calls Islam a totalitarian ideology and speaks of a war with all of Islam. The page also supports Sandra Solomon, the former spokeswoman for the Toronto-based anti-Muslim group Rise Canada.The study, which has not yet been published, raised concerns about the growth of Soldiers of Odin, given its anti-Muslim, anti-immigration rhetoric and the apparent overlap of its membership with supporters of outlaw biker gangs like the Hells Angels.Veilleux-Lepage said there had always been an ideological gulf between the Canadian and Quebec factions, with the latter being more anti-immigration. But he said ultimately the current split might not mean much. We dont think its that clear of a breakup.National Postsbell@nationalpost.comTwitter.com/StewartBellNP There's an air of desperation about the insults spewing from eurocrats in their bid to undermine Theresa May over Brexit. 'Get real,' jeers Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Belgian chief negotiator. And he mocks her election slogan by tweeting that she lacks a 'strong and stable' grasp of the complexities. She inhabits 'a galaxy of own', sneers Jean-Claude Juncker, the cognac-soaked former prime minister of tiny Luxembourg, who struts the stage (somewhat unsteadily) as European Commission president. These are not the words of statesmen, anxious to forge a deal that best serves the interests of EU citizens, millions of whom depend heavily on British markets. Scroll down for video Guy Verhofstadt, the EU parliament's chief negotiator has waded into the Brexit row They are the wails of first-class passengers on the Brussels gravy train, terrified for the future of their club when it loses its second-largest contributor and desperate to stop others following Britain to freedom. So how depressing to see Remoaner media and MPs seizing with glee on every line fed to them by these posturing placemen. Led by the BBC, they were at it again yesterday, revelling in reports from 'EU sources' of a row between Mrs May and Mr Juncker at last week's Downing Street dinner. These were taken as proof that we will achieve nothing unless we surrender to the EU's preposterous demands. It's as if the Corporation and those such as Nick Clegg, who was given ten minutes on the Today programme to spout Brussels propaganda are willing the talks to fail. But what can we expect of Remoaners who cite any hint of disappointing economic news as evidence that Brexit will be a disaster but go quiet over such hugely encouraging signs as yesterday's figures for factory output and high street prices? Mr Verhofstadt accused the Prime Minister of not 'understanding' the scale of the fight she faces in the looming negotiations Their attitude is downright unpatriotic. With Article 50 triggered, our common interest Britons and Europeans, Remainers and Leavers lies in pulling together to strike the best deal for all. This paper welcomes the fact that we have a 'bloody difficult woman' to negotiate for Britain. With the likes of Messrs Juncker and Verhofstadt reminding us why we voted to leave, Mrs May deserves all the backing she can get on June 8. Cruel IVF deception DAY two of our disturbing investigation, and we reveal how unscrupulous fertility clinics offer wildly misleading information to persuade women wanting to delay motherhood to freeze their eggs. One doctor said our undercover reporter had a 65 per cent chance of a child in later life if she underwent the treatment, which costs up to 30,000. Another said freezing '15 or 20 eggs' was an insurance policy. Women who have been convinced to donate eggs for free IVF last night told of their guilt and distress (Stock image) Yet only 15 per cent of IVF cycles using frozen eggs are successful, while just one in about 50 eggs implanted leads to a birth. Could there be any crueller deception than raising hopes of motherhood, with such a strong chance they'll be dashed? After our revelation that women on low incomes are persuaded to trade their eggs for free fertility treatment a decision many regret for the rest of their lives the case for a thorough overhaul of the law and its enforcement is unanswerable. Disastrous Diane For sheer, astounding ineptitude, could anything cap Diane Abbott's clueless efforts to explain how Labour would finance its pledge to recruit 10,000 extra police (or should that be 250,000 she seemed unsure)? Indeed, her bungling performance would almost be funny but for the terrifying thought that this woman could be home secretary if her old flame Jeremy Corbyn wins power next month. Anyone tempted to vote Labour should read the transcript of her LBC interview on Page 10. And think again. Last week, Theresa May had the dinner party guest from Hell. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, visited 10 Downing Street for preliminary Brexit talks followed by a private dinner. Our Anglican-parson's-daughter Prime Minister, abstemious and demure, may not have much in common with Luxembourger Juncker, a boozer with wandering hands, a bad pinball habit and unfortunate family connections with the Third Reich; but, hey, you must sometimes put Queen and country first. And so Mrs May went out of her way to make Mr Juncker feel welcome, even stepping out into the street to embrace him (kissing Juncker is like grappling with an octopus). She extended the dinner invitation to his sidekicks. The best silver was polished and the wine was up to its customary standards. Mr Juncker, after all, is a thirsty fellow. Row: Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker discussed Brexit at a working dinner in No 10 last week (pictured) - but EU sources have repeatedly leaked details from inside talks Horror At the end of the night, the important (if unelected) Eurocrat tottered off to his waiting limousine, waving cheerio apparently full of good cheer. Was it just the vino talking? A few days later, that poisonous account of the evening appeared in a German newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, saying the dinner had been a horror from start to finish. Mr Juncker had snarled at Mrs May that 'Brexit cannot be a success'. He had plonked two fat documents on the table to show her how complicated EU trade negotiations can be. He had left in a huff, telling her he was now 'ten times more sceptical' than ever about Brexit. Oh, and the British hosts Mrs May and her Brexit secretary had squabbled among themselves. Plainly, someone in the Juncker party had been talking. Mrs May and Mr Juncker embraced in Downing Street last Wednesday ahead of the dinner to discuss the Brexit talks - she says that the leaks are merely gossip by pro-Brexit MPs say that the leaks are malicious Putting to one side the simple bad manners, what should we make of what the Germans are calling 'das desastrose Brexit-Dinner'. Was it indeed 'eine Katastrophe'? If so, for whom? And where does it leave the Brexit talks? Mrs May has dismissed it as 'Brussels gossip'. By 'Brussels', she probably meant Juncker's chief-of-staff, a German lawyer called Martin Selmayr, who was at the dinner and is said to have been the source of the story. Indeed, as Juncker left, Herr Selmayr could be seen lingering in No 10's hallway alongside Mrs May who was throwing back her head with laughter. All seemed well. But with Herr Selmayr you must never take things at face value. His nicknames in Brussels include 'the Monster', 'Lenin', 'Rasputin' and 'Darth Vader'. Rasputin was the sinister adviser to the Russian royal family before the revolution exactly 100 years ago. Martin Selmayr may not be quite as exotic, but he may be no less deadly to his own side. However, Mr Juncker is his boss and the man who must take responsibility for the 'leak' to the German paper and what is being seen in Westminster as a taste of things to come, a blatant bullying tactic to over-shadow preliminary Brexit talks. Mr Juncker likes to 'take ownership' of world statesmen by patting their faces and backs, pinching their cheeks and giving them whisky-scented triple-kisses (his favourite tipple is Glenfarclas single malt, which he knocks back like breakfast fruit juice). The working dinner, which included Mr Juncker (second left) and chief negotiator Michel Barnier (second right) at Downing Street broke up after around 90 minutes and has been described by Brussels sources as a disaster If he has an idealised view of the European Union, that may be because he is emotionally scarred by his father's experience of forcible conscription into the Wehrmacht on the Russian front. (In intriguing contrast, his father-in-law was one of Hitler's so-called Propaganda Commissars.) Many former presidents of the European Commission (which is the EU's powerful civil service) have regarded the position as an end-of-career consolation. For our friend Jean-Claude, however, it has come as a wonderful boon, propelling this obscure former finance and prime minister of tiny Luxembourg on to the global stage. His time in charge of his home country, which is the size of Surrey, was flecked by allegations of bibulous womanising, tax evasion by multinational corporations and chaotic extravagance, spending taxpayers' money not only on vanity projects but also on a swanky private jet. The man who so perfectly embodies all the faults of the European Union and its scheming bureaucracy plainly has a jolly time being EC President, but is he the intellectual power at the Commission, or is that his sulphurous Svengali, Herr Selmayr? A Westminster journalist colleague of mine who used to work in Brussels gives an example of the Selmayr modus operandi. He once urged my friend to write something that turned out to be untrue. When the journalist later complained that he had been cynically misled, Selmayr replied: 'That was a tactic. I have tactics. When I speak to journalists, I don't speak because I'm a nice guy. I want to achieve something. You write it. Somebody reads it. I instrumentalise you.' Theresa May, pictured at an election event in Cornwall today, has brushed off the leaks about her meeting with Mr Juncker last week as 'Brussels gossip' Obstacle In early 2016, when David Cameron was trying to re-negotiate UK terms with the EU (in the hope that it would persuade British voters to remain in the EU), Herr Selmayr was seen as an obstacle. The Cameron team concluded that Herr Selmayr actively wanted Britain to leave the EU. Perhaps he thought a European super-state, dominated by Germany, would be more easily achieved once Britain was gone. Although Berlin is not altogether keen on Herr Selmayr Germany's respected finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, once called him a 'meddler' for leaking sensitive material it was noticeable that after last week's dinner at Downing Street, Angela Merkel took very much the Juncker (or Selmayr) line in saying that Mrs May had Brexit 'delusions'. In public, Mr Juncker is insisting the dinner went fine (although, with characteristic clumsiness, he joked about the British food not being up to much). In private, we have this tale of antagonism. Details of diplomatic dinners are normally kept secret, at least until the politicians involved write their memoirs. There is a good reason for that discretion. Privacy allows politicians to speak more openly and to trust one another. That, in turn, makes a final agreement more likely. Venomous Does the European Commission, not least Martin Selmayr, want to stymie any Brexit deal? We in Britain could live with that. No deal really would be better than a bad deal and the Commission must know that. 'No deal' would also allow the Commission to shrug its shoulders, criticise the perfidious British, and make EU exit sound more daunting for other countries. But 'no deal' would be disastrous 'eine Katastrophe' for German car manufacturers, French vineyards and cheesemakers, Spanish farmers and the many industries of the EU which export to us. The 27 nations of the EU will see that and will want the Commission to reach a compromise with London. Last weekend's venomous briefing needs to be seen in the context of those pressures rather than as a simplistic 'EC versus UK' fight. Downing Street is keeping out of the fray. The paradox is that the row has probably helped Mrs May. The British voters will look at this puerile behaviour and conclude that they were never wiser than when, last June, they decided to get the heck out of the EU. Who on earth would want to be ruled by such gossipy oafs as the risible Mr Juncker and his slippery sidekick? Popular LBC radio host Nick Ferrari, 58, is deadly when interviewing politicians, as he proved while questioning shadow home secretary Diane Abbott yesterday about police figures. Before the 2015 General Election, then Green Party leader Natalie Bennett told him theyd fund 500,000 homes with 2.7billion. What, are they made of plywood? inquired Ferrari. Ms Bennetts no longer Green Party leader. Popular LBC radio host Nick Ferrari, 58, is deadly when interviewing politicians, as he proved while questioning shadow home secretary Diane Abbott yesterday about police figures Luvvies asked to appear in the BBC2 King Charles III film, which is shown on May 10, feared theyd lose out on honours, claims producer Rupert Goold. But, as the Mail pointed out, its star, the late Tim Pigott-Smith reprising for TV his stage role as Charles III got an OBE in the New Years Honours. Notorious royals-botherer Peter Morgan, who wrote the screenplay for 2006s The Queen, as well as Netflixs The Crown series, received a CBE in 2016. Their nominations went through the Arts and Media Honours Committee and the palace has no say, or veto, says my source. Jeremy Clarkson praised sarcastically the BBCs personable One Show presenter Matt Baker, 39, pictured, in a Sunday Times column. Matts the sort of man youd want your daughter to marry, he jeered. Matt has never looked at pornography on the internet or put a stickleback down a waste-disposal unit. Matt has great teeth and a range of jumpers that are lovely. I bet he writes long and brilliant thank you letters. Jeremy Clarkson praised sarcastically the BBCs personable One Show presenter Matt Baker, 39, pictured, in a Sunday Times column Whats behind this odium? Baker once apologised on behalf of the BBC after Clarkson, appearing on the One Show, commented on striking rail workers, saying: I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families. Shouldnt Jeremy be grateful he didnt have to do the grovelling apology himself? Six months into his job as BBC director of radio and music, Bob Shennan has won a pay rise, taking him from 244,565 to 271,000. His boss, ex-Labour MP James Purnell, who shares part of Shennans job title as BBC director of radio and education, is on 295,000. Previously, the BBC had ONE director of radio, Helen Boaden, who was paid 352,900. Shennan and Purnells combined salary is 566,000. Its only public money, provided via the licence fee. David Camerons 25,000 shepherds hut on wheels purportedly a writing base while scribbling his memoirs is mocked, justifiably. The late literary giant Roald Dahl, a real writer, built a working shed but it didnt have wheels, Farrow & Ball paint or a wood-burning stove. The ex-wartime pilot jury-rigged an electric heater to a ceiling wire controlled by his walking stick. Sir John Major, 74, whose Tory premiership ended 20 years ago, once said his successor, Tony Blair, was a Tory at heart, remarking: In many ways he was to the Right of me. I remember joking once that I had gone swimming in the River Thames and left my clothes on the bank and when I got back Mr Blair was wearing them. Sir John is as mysterious as Blair, isnt he? Female offspring of fit fathers showed no differences to those of sedentary dads Male offspring had lower levels of anxiety and behavioural issues Conducted on mice but there experts say it could relate to humans as well The research showed fit fathers influenced the mental health of unborn sons Study from the Florey Institute in Melbourne links healthy fathers to healthy sons Fit dads may be able to influence the mental health of their unborn sons, according to a new study by Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. While most studies focus on the lifestyle and health of mothers for unborn children, this Australian study assessed the influence of fathers who regularly exercise. The study was conducted on mice: one group were given a four week exercise program and the other were left to sit around. Fit fathers may be able influence the mental health of their unborn sons, according to new research (stock image) The study shows that men who regularly exercise may pass on the benefits of their lifestyle to their sons, but not their daughters (stock image) After the four week period, both groups were mated with unfit female mice and the babies were assessed on behaviour and anxiety. Leading Professor, Anthony Hannan told stuff.co.nz the results of the study indicated fathers need to pay just as much attention to their lifestyle as mothers. 'Our most striking finding was that the male offspring of running mice were better at suppressing bad memories as juveniles, and had lower anxiety levels as adults than male offspring of sedentary fathers,' Professor Hannan told the publication. Fathers need to pay just as much attention to their lifestyle as mothers, the study indicated (stock image) Molecular pathways were found in sperm that transmit beneficial exercise-induced signals from fathers to their male children (stock image) 'In contrast, female offspring of fit fathers showed no differences to the female offspring of sedentary fathers.' The scientists, based in Melbourne, identified molecular pathways found in sperm that transmit beneficial exercise-induced signals from fathers to their male children. Professor Hannan believed the benefits of exercise on mental health would be further increased if fit male mice mated with fit female mice. Benefits of exercise on mental health would be further increased if fit male mice mated with fit female mice (stock image) Keeping fit and healthy for your children is just as important for your own health as well, with previous research suggesting that men who put on 15kgs through teenage years to retirement, and were classed as overweight (a BMI of more than 25), had a 50 per cent higher risk of bowel, kidney, oesophageal and pancreatic cancer. Another study found men with a normal weight with an elevated waist-to-hip ratio apple-shaped run twice the risk of early death compared with those who are overweight or obese but of a pear shape. Supreme Court of Florida. SHANNON COPELAND Petitioner(s) v. THE FLORIDA BAR Respondent(s) CASE NO.: SC17-527 Decided: May 02, 2017 This case is hereby dismissed. This Court lacks jurisdiction to review an unelaborated decision from a district court of appeal that is issued without opinion or explanation or that merely cites to an authority that is not a case pending review in, or reversed or quashed by, this Court. See Wells v. State, 132 So. 3d 1110 (Fla. 2014); Jackson v. State, 926 So. 2d 1262 (Fla. 2006); Gandy v. State, 846 So. 2d 1141 (Fla. 2003); Stallworth v. Moore, 827 So. 2d 974 (Fla. 2002); Harrison v. Hyster Co., 515 So. 2d 1279 (Fla. 1987); Dodi Publ'g Co. v. Editorial Am. S.A., 385 So. 2d 1369 (Fla. 1980); Jenkins v. State, 385 So. 2d 1356 (Fla. 1980). No motion for rehearing or reinstatement will be entertained by the Court. A True Copy Test: John A. Tomasino Clerk, Supreme Court td Served: MARY HOPE KEATING BARRY SCOTT RICHARD SHANNON COPELAND HON. JON S. WHEELER, CLERK GWEN MARSHALL, CLERK HON. ANGELA COTE DEMPSEY, JUDGE Advertisement They eloped to Las Vegas in 2013 to tie the knot in an unconventional desert wedding complete with matching tattoos, smoke bombs, a first dance in a back street alley and a ceremony carried out by 'Elvis'. But after nine years of being a couple, and four years married, Australian couple Ainsley Hutchence and Sebastien Fougere, from the Sunshine Coast, have broken up. 'We're still soulmates and best friends,' Ms Hutchence told Daily Mail Australia just four weeks after the split. 'It feels sh**ty at times, but it's better than fighting all the time. I have feelings sometimes we'll end up back together one day in years to come.' Ainsley Hutchence and Sebastien Fougere, from the Sunshine Coast, eloped to Las Vegas to tie the knot in an unconventional wedding ceremony in November 2013 (pictured) But after nine years of being a couple, and four years married, the 'soulmates and best friends' have broken up (pictured: Ms Hutchence's blog post picture about the break-up) 'It feels sh**ty at times, but it's better than fighting all the time. I have feelings sometimes we'll end up back together one day in years to come,' Ms Hutchence told FEMAIL about the break-up (pictured at their lavish wedding) Their desert wedding came complete with matching tattoos, smoke bombs, a first dance in a back street alley and a ceremony carried out by 'Elvis' The couple originally met in an organic cafe back in 2008 - both of them had been married before and they had had kids from previous relationships Ms Hutchence and Mr Fougere met in an organic cafe in 2008, and decided to have a non-traditional marriage captured by their friend Janneke Storm in November 2013 because both of them had been married before: It broke my heart, but after ten minutes of laughing and crying, we knew it was the right thing to do 'We both have kids from previous relationships and wanted to get married mainly to get them settled,' Ms Hutchence, 33, said. 'Neither of us are really the married types, and that's why we chose Vegas as the location. Nothing changed after the wedding - if anything our relationship got even better. 'But this past year we've had about six big fights and it got to a place where we said a few times: "What should we do?". 'I am getting more work opportunities to travel and a month or so ago we agreed it was for the best if we broke up. It broke my heart, but after ten minutes of laughing and crying, we knew it was the right thing to do.' 'Neither of us are really the married types, and that's why we chose Vegas as the location. Nothing changed after the wedding - if anything our relationship got even better,' Ms Hutchence told FEMAIL However, Ms Hutchence also explained that the couple had had 'six big fights' over the past year in which they often came out of them wondering what they should do afterwards - eventually, they mutually decided to split It broke my heart, but after ten minutes of laughing and crying, we knew it was the right thing to do,' Ms Hutchence said (pictured: one of the break-up photos) The 33-year-old said she is getting more chances to travel for work, which she wants to do (both pictured) The pair have been taking a novel approach to breaking up - they had been continuing to live together until as recently as four weeks ago 'It's strange. One of us will go through a stage of feeling good and okay with things and the other will think they don't care anymore, then the other will feel okay and we'll be back down again,' Ms Hutchence said She said that they have been trying to give each other space, and let both of them get on with their own lives however Unlike many messy relationship break-ups, Ms Hutchence and Mr Fougere have taken a novel approach to calling it quits on their relationship. Until as recently as a week ago, they have been living in the same house and spending sporadic time together, while also letting each other do their own thing and come and go a little: 'It's strange. One of us will go through a stage of feeling good and okay with things and the other will think they don't care anymore, then the other will feel okay and we'll be back down again. 'We've tried to work around each other a bit, but maybe we've been in denial a bit,' Ms Hutchence said. The 33-year-old wrote a blog post on the break-up on Tuesday, titled #Relationshipgoals (something people always used to write underneath their Instagram photos). She intends to blog weekly - regardless of how she is feeling - throughout the break-up. 'It almost didn't feel real until I hit "post",' Ms Hutchence explained. 'I've started carrying around a little notebook to keep track of my thoughts. Today I've been writing down how much I've cried and I've already done so a few times. The blog is one of my favourite things I've done since we split, though.' Ainsley Hutchence will blog each week about the break-up and how she is feeling - she said it's helping hugely 'I've started carrying around a little notebook to keep track of my thoughts. Today I've been writing down how much I've cried and I've already done so a few times. The blog is one of my favourite things I've done since we split' She has already started to notice changes in how she's been acting - she has started to exercise more, but still said it's hard 'You get so comfortable sitting on the couch when you've been together for nine years. You get really familiar,' Ms Hutchence explained 'Can we really go through with this? Can we actually remain best friends (with benefits) and work mates? Can we hang out with our kids together as planned and be more than okay?,' she questioned on the blog The 33-year-old told Daily Mail Australia that even though she feels incredibly upset about the break-up, she is ready to try being single for the first time in nearly a decade and has already noticed little changes: 'I've already started exercising more, having green juices in the morning - all things Sebastien also does, but you get so comfortable sitting on the couch when you've been together for nine years. You get really familiar.' And while she maintained that she is married 'to the best man I have ever met, he's funny, sensitive, loving, creative', she said that there are problems in every relationship. These problems are mainly the fact that 'two completely different humans [are] spending copious amounts of time together, working together, raising each other's kids together, living on a fluctuating artist income'. She added that: 'I think he drinks too much, he thinks I work too much'. She is 'excited to see how the blog develops', but wondered which way it will go Their wedding in 2013 gathered huge attention, on account of it being so non-traditional and colourful Ms Hutchence said she is 'excited to see how the blog develops', but wondered which way it will go. 'Can we really go through with this? Can we actually remain best friends (with benefits) and work mates? Can we hang out with our kids together as planned and be more than okay? 'My stomach just leapt up into my throat! I want to wring out this red wine spill into my mouth to make this awful feeling go away,' she wrote in the emotional opening blog post. To read more from Ainsley Hutchence, visit the blog here. She's pursuing a career in business in the Big Apple, but Princess Beatrice is still managing to make time for a hectic social life. The 28-year-old history graduate, who just a week ago was in London to attend the launch of hot members' club The Ned with her mother the Duchess of York and her sister Princess Eugenie, was snapped leaving an exclusive LA nightspot with a gaggle of girlfriends in tow. The seventh in line to the throne left the secluded No Name club wearing a flirty red mini dress and black ankle strap heels. Her father Prince Andrew is also on the west coast, where he enjoyed dinner at celeb favourite Catch LA on Melrose Avenue, just a few minutes drive from where his eldest daughter was partying with friends. Beatrice has based herself in the US in recent months, where she is believed to be working on her own business consultancy in New York. Princess Beatrice chose a short red dress which she cinched in at the waist with a leather belt The seventh in line to the British throne smiles as she leaves No Name in West Hollywood The Princess, who graduated from Goldsmiths College, University of London, in 2011, is understood to have set herself up as a business matchmaker - linking investors with companies looking to expand. Her father the Duke of York's website states only that Princess Beatrice 'works full time in business'. Apparently enjoying a break on the west coast before heading back to the Big Apple, a beaming Princess Beatrice had cinched her loose-fitting dress in at the waist with a wide black leather belt, and she carried a studded black clutch bag with a tassel zip. Often snapped with her mother the Duchess of York and her sister Princess Eugenie enjoying nights out in London, the Princess had a group of girlfriends in tow to party in LA. The Duke of York was photographed leaving Catch LA on Melrose with his entourage The Duke of York is currently in Los Angeles, as is his eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice The girls were seen smiling as they left the club in West Hollywood, a discreet venue with anonymous frontage and a no-phone policy. A week ago Princess Beatrice joined a host of celebrities at a raucous party in London to mark the launch of The Ned, an exclusive members' club and hotel in The City. She was joined by her closest companions, her mother and sister, for the trio's second night out in a row. They had enjoyed a low-key dinner together in Mayfair the previous evening. This is the moment a girlfriend was left stunned when her boyfriend got down on one knee - just moments after she surprised him with a proposal. Jennifer Henio, from Noblesville, Indiana, popped the question to her partner of seven years at a family BBQ at his house, but as she got down on one knee, he pulled a ring out of his own pocket. The 35-year-old's friends and family had gathered to witness the special moment, and were left whooping in delight when her boyfriend PJ Warr shocked her with a proposal of his own. The clip shows a tearful Jennifer asking 'is this real life?' as she and her partner, both on one knee, embrace. Jennifer Henio (left), from Noblesville, Indiana, wanted to surprise her partner of seven years and decided to propose Laughing, a delighted Jennifer immediately agreed to marry PJ. Talking about the engagement, Jennifer says: 'We knew we were meant to be and I think this coincidence proved it perfectly. 'This is something extremely unique. I've never heard of this happening before. 'I was so surprised that he had a ring too. Little did Jennifer know, her boyfriend PJ Warr (right) had had exactly the same idea As Jennifer got down on one knee, PJ did the same and also produced a ring box for her 'I couldn't stop thinking how crazy it is that we had the same idea and how neat it was that we asked at the same time. 'PJ was so surprised but also happy that I had asked him.' The happy couple revealed that a week before the coincidence PJ asked Jennifer 'do you want to just say screw it and get married', as the pair sat on the couch. After initially laughing it off and telling him 'that's not how you ask somebody', a seed was planted in Jennifer's mind and she began to plan her proposal. Jennifer says: 'As the days passed, I thought about it and decided that I do love this man and why not marry him? 'The day I decided, I told my son what my plans were and he thought it was cool and I had his blessings. Jennifer, pictured putting on the ring, says: 'I couldn't stop thinking how crazy it is that we had the same idea and how neat it was that we asked at the same time' The couple had no idea that the other person was planning to propose and say 'the rest is history' 'We decided to use PJ's brother-in-law John's birthday [as an excuse] to get people to come [over], so PJ would have no idea.' Little did Jennifer know that when PJ went with the couple's friend KJ to pick some BBQ items, he had told her of his plans to propose that very same night. Already aware of Jennifer's plans, KJ managed to keep quiet, and PJ then told his parents his plan while they were grilling. Jennifer says: 'As he walked away they started laughing. 'They had no idea how this was all going to pan out. 'When John went up to say thank you to the family for the 'surprise party', that's when I thought the timing would be perfect. 'After he was done, I grabbed the mic and asked for PJ to come up - and the rest was history.' The Countess of Wessex showed her tough side today when she visited the Tapa Army Base in Estonia. Sophie, 52, met troops at Tapa's Brigade Training Wing on Wednesday including members of the British Army 5th Battalion The Rifles, of which she is Royal Colonel. And the mother-of-two was fascinated as she explored the army base, inspecting equipment including tanks and the soldiers' living quarters. The normally-stylish royal even donned a large camouflage jacket which she wore with a pair of sturdy army boots. The Countess of Wessex was all smiles as she donned a camouflage jacket to visit British Army Troops based at the Brigade Training Wing in Tapa, Estonia on Wednesday Mother-of-two Sophie made sure she got involved in the all of the activities during the day The first vanguard of troops headed to Estonia last month as part of a NATO exercise. It is intended to 'to reassure the Estonian Government and the Estonian Defence Force of our commitment to the defence of a fellow NATO member' according to Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson, Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion The Rifles. Sophie has been Royal Colonel of the British Army 5th Battalion The Rifles, currently based in Estonia, since 2014. Sophie, 52, is in Estonia to visit the British Army 5th Battalion The Rifles, of which she is Royal Colonel The Countess of Wessex laughed as she was shown around the bedrooms that the soldiers sleep in Taking time for a tea break, the stylish royal swept her signature blonde hair up into a relaxed pony tail Sophie blended in wearing the same camouflage jackets as those around her during the visit Today she met personnel in the logistics hub of Tapa Military base as well as soldiers from Estonia, Denmark and France. In stark contrast to yesterday's fitted tweed dress, patent heels and Mulberry clutch, the Countess of Wessex today wore her chunky camouflage jacket with dark skinny trousers. The royal swept her blonde hair up into a relaxed ponytail and cut an unusually martial figure as she toured the army base in Tapa. The mother-of-two needed a helping hand as she climbed down the edge of a tank Sophie stood tall as she was given a talk about the armoured fighting vehicle Using a hand rail, the royal was careful to take her time as she stepped off the army tank The Countess of Wessex bowed her head low as she exited one of the vehicles during her visit Sophie, who kept her jewellery simple for the occasion, has been on a whistlestop tour to Estonia this week and yesterday visited Stenbock House, where she met the Prime Minister Juri Ratas. And the royal , who is on a solo two-day tour of the northern European country, proved she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty today as she climbed atop the tanks. She also visited the rooms in which the soldiers sleep and even tested out the beds to see how comfy they are. Sitting on the bed, Sophie looked fascinated as she explored the soldiers' living quarters The royal was given a personal tour by one of the men in Tapa and appeared to be listening intently Keeping her make up simple, Sophie smiled during her visit to the Brigade Training Wing Keen to get involved, the full-time working royal was shown different apparatus the army use The Countess of Wessex was all smiles as she spent the day at the army base and took the time to look around and meet everybody. As a full-time working royal, Sophie divides her time between supporting the Queen and visiting the more than 70 charities and organisations for which she is patron. The Queen's daughter-in-law married Prince Edward in 1999 and the couple are parents to Lady Louise Windsor, 13 and James Viscount Severn, nine. Sophie, 52, is in Estonia to visit the British Army 5th Battalion The Rifles, of which she is Royal Colonel The sky was bright blue during the royal's visit in Estonia and she kept wrapped up in the brigade's camouflage jacket The royal is on a solo two-day tour of the northern European country and proved she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty as she climbed atop the tanks Sophie wasn't afraid to have a bit of fun during her visit and was seen laughing with those around her She leaned in for a closer look as she was being given a one-on-one tour of the barracks The royal, who made the trip alone, married Prince Edward in 1999 and the couple are parents to two children She enjoyed a successful career as a high-profile news anchor before becoming part of Spain's royal family. So it is of little surprise that Queen Letizia looked in such good spirits as she attended a journalism seminar in northern Spain today. The 44-year-old royal was on hand for the opening day of the 12th International Seminar of Language and Journalism in San Millan de la Cogolla, La Rioja. Stylish: Queen Letizia opted for a charcoal grey suit when she attended a journalism seminar Engaged: The former news anchor looked interested as she took part in the discussion Back to her roots: The Spanish royal looked comfortable as she spoke to others at the seminar The mother-of-two looked professional in a sleek charcoal grey pant suit, which she wore with a classic pair of patent black pumps. She brought a touch of fun to the outfit with a black envelope clutch bag with large stud detailing. The Spanish queen looked engaged as she spoke with other officials outside the monastery where the event was held before taking part in the seminar. Queen Letizia reported on international news events during her journalism career, including reporting from New York in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Radiant: Queen Letizia kept her make-up look simple and wore her hair straight and sleek Elegant: The mother-of-two showed off her slender frame in the figure-fitting suit Successful career: Letizia, pictured centre, reported from around the world during her career She also worked for broadcasters including Bloomberg and TVE. Letizia, who is mother to Princess Leonor, 11 and Princess Sofia, nine, swapped her journalism career for royal duties when she wed King Felipe VI in 2004. She was previously married to Alonso Guerrero Perez, a writer, but the pair divorced after just a year. Bristol Palin is still days away from her due date, but she already has a 'push present' from her husband Dakota Meyer to look forward to. The 26-year-old, who is nine months pregnant, shared a photo of a Louis Vuitton box on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday evening, reveling in her delight that Dakota already has a gift waiting for her when she gives birth. 'How did @dakotameyer0317 even know what that is?! Dying right now!' she captioned the photo, which sees the brown box wrapped with a royal blue ribbon and sitting on their bed. Scroll down for video Too cute: Bristol Palin is just days away from giving birth, and she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a photo of her one-year-old daughter Sailor Grace perched on her baby bump 'Dying right now': The expectant mom also shared a snapshot of the surprise 'push present' her husband Dakota Meyer got her from Louis Vuitton Although Bristol feigned surprise that Dakota would even know what Louis Vuitton is, this isn't the first time he has headed to the French luxury label to treat his wife of almost a year. Back in September, around the time she learned she was pregnant, she posted a photo of a Louis Vuitton shopping bag, revealing that it was a gift from Dakota. 'I do not even begin to deserve this man,' she wrote. The soon-to-be mother-of-three is often seen carrying around a Louis Vuitton handbag, which was presumably a gift from her doting husband. Almost there! Bristol, who is over nine months pregnant, posted a photo of herself sitting on Dakota's lap last week Special gift: Bristol is often pictured wearing the Louis Vuitton bag Dakota bought her last year Despite her excitement over her latest present, it appears as though she is waiting until she gives birth to open it. Bristol is due to give birth to her third child her second with Dakota this May, and the two recently announced that they are expecting another baby girl. For the past few weeks leading up to her due date, Bristol and her husband Dakota Meyer have been living a suburb of Austin, Texas, with their one-year-old daughter Sailor Grace and her eight-year-old son Tripp, her only child with her ex-fiance Levi Johnston. Throwback: Dakota surprised her with a Louis Vuitton bag back in September, around the time she learned she was pregnant Too cute: On Tuesday, Bristol took to Instagram to share a photo Sailor wearing the outfit her father Dakota picked out for her In less than a week, Sailor is going to go from being the baby of the family to a big sister, and it looks like both of her parents are showering her with some extra love and affection. Bristol took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to share a sweet photo of herself holding Sailor before her bedtime. The snapshot sees the little girl sucking on a pacifier and perched on her mother's growing baby bump before getting tucked in bed. Almost there! Bristol also filmed herself enjoying a walk with her mother Sarah Palin (left) and her son Tripp on Monday afternoon Embarrassed? Bristol's eight-year-old son Tripp gave his grandmother Sarah a look and shook his head at her 'Loving my cuddles from Sailor Grace,' she wrote, explaining that she is trying to stay as 'fit' and 'de-stressed as possible' in the final days of her pregnancy. At the start of the work week, Bristol shared a video of herself out for a walk with Tripp and her mother Sarah Palin, who traveled from their hometown in Alaska to Texas to be with her eldest daughter in the last days of her pregnancy. 'In the clip, Bristol films herself before turning the camera on the former vice presidential nominee, who is swaying to a song she is playing on her cellphone. Bristol then moves the camera to Tripp, who is riding a bike next to them, and he seems very unimpressed by his mother and grandmother. Look of love: Bristol recently posted a series of family photos, calling Dakota, Sailor, and Tripp her 'world' Almost there: Bristol is due to give birth to her third child her second with Dakota this May. She shared this picture on April 16 when she was three weeks away from her due date The little boy throws his grandmother a look as he shakes his head. Although she is more than nine months pregnant, Bristol looks comfortable and well-rested in the days leading up to her becoming a mother-of-three. On Tuesday, Bristol shared a precious photo of Sailor wearing a pink 'Dancing with the Stars' onsie with a tulle bottom tucked into cuffed jeans and hot pink sneakers. Bristol appeared on the ABC reality series in 2010, and it appears that she or her husband Dakota still has a fondness for it. 'When dad picks out an outfit #nothingsweeter #myfav,' she captioned the sweet image, which sees the little girl posed in front of their home with the family dog Lucy. A little girl has proved herself an inspiration to other cancer patients by dancing through her treatment, and urging others 'don't fall down'. The moment Darly Leviante climbs on to her hospital bed to dance has been captured in a touching video, showing how she's benefited from a new form of 'laughter therapy'. As a team of clowns dance outside the window of her hospital room, she jumps up on her bed in her pyjamas, while hooked up to a drip, to mimic their movements. Darly has been receiving radiation at the Puerto Montt hospital in Chile where doctors dress up as 'Clowntagiosos' to help cheer up the children. The youngster said of her positive attitude: 'I want to give a message to other children who are sick. To push forward. 'Life is not over and to continue with their strength they have, or had before. Don't fall down. Continue to encourage other children in equal measure.' Darly Leviante, above, is receiving radiation treatment at the Puerto Montt hospital in Chile Doctors came up with the new initiative to try and 'de-dramatise' what the younger patients are going through at the hospital. They regularly dress as clowns while doing rounds on the children's wards to encourage laughter and fun during treatment. Darly's doctor, Dr Pinika says his patient has an 'amazing energy' and explains: 'She shows us all that we have to push forward.' Dr Piniki continues, saying: 'We thank the fact she stood up on top of her bed that's what has caught people's attention. The little girl was filmed standing up on her bed and dancing in a touching video filmed at the hospital Doctors (above) came up with a new initiative to try and 'de-dramatise' what the younger patients are going through at the hospital 'That she stood up on her bed to play while at hospital. That's what makes the video stand out, what creates joy.' The doctor describes the children's treatment as 'aggressive' and says they have to shots and examinations. She says: 'You have to think of the children, these little ones who come here for treatment. 'The doctors do it with a lot of affection, but for them it's an aggression.' They dress as clowns (above) while doing rounds on the children's wards and not only did they manage to make a lot of them laugh, they even made one get up and dance Darly says 'I want to give a message to other children who are sick. To push forward' The little girl was captured looking happy as she danced freely on top of her hospital bed Their aim, as the Clowntagiosos doctors, is to 'encourage them, to lift their mood, and promote trust between the staff, the parents and the child.' Talking about Darly, Dr Pinika says: 'We think she is an incredibly brave little girl and is such an inspiration to other sick children. 'We hope her treatment will be over soon and she can return home to her family.' Designers have been making great strides in casting more diverse runways in recent years, but the fashion industry still has a ways to go when it comes to inclusivity with some designers have much farther to go than others. In a recent article for Refinery29, Connie Wang delved deep into the topic of models of color missing entirely from some runways, pointing out the this year's Met Gala honoree, in particular, struggles majorly with diversity. Connie noted that Comme des Garcons hasn't cast a black model in a Fashion Week show in over ten years and FEMAIL's own research discovered that the last show to feature a black model was Fall 1994, over two decades ago. Scroll down for video White on white: Comme des Garcons is being called out for not using black models Missing: Though the Japanese designer behind the label, Rei Kawakubo, casts plenty of Asian models, there are rarely women of color on her catwalk Wow: FEMAIL looked back and could not find a black model until Fall 1994 Comme des Garcons was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1973 by Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo. When the label launched and in fact, up until recently it wasn't unheard of for runways to feature no models of color at all. But with more industry pros and the public calling for diversity in fashion, most labels have taken the movement to heart. In March of this year, The Fashion Spot found that the Fall 2017 fashion shows in New York, Paris, London and Milan were 2.5 per cent more racially diverse than in the previous season. In fact, 27.9 per cent of models were women of color. New York had the highest diversity rating, with 31.5 percent models of color. Not much: There was the occasional black model in the early '90s, including Naomi Cambell in the Fall 1990 show Appropriation? The Fall 2007 show featured no models of color, but the white models all wore their hair in Afros White face? For several shows over the years, models' faces have been painted white Comme des Garcons shows in Paris, where over a quarter of models were nonwhite for the Fall 2017 season. At the CDG show, however, not a single model was black. This trend appears to go back decades for the designer. Though there has been a healthy mix of Asian models on the catwalk since the brand's inception, there have been few if any Latinas and black women. Adding insult to injury, for the Fall 2007 show, the white models' hair was styled into Afros. Quite a few shows have also featured white-painted faces, including for the Spring 2007, Fall 2005, Spring 2004, and Fall 2002 seasons. Diversity on runways has gone up over the past few years, but several designer still have a lot of work to do Honored: Comme des Garcons was honored at this year's Met Gala, where Rihanna wore one of the label's pieces On the red carpet: Helen Lasichanh (right, with co-chair Pharrell Williams) also wore a piece from the designer The last black model that FEMAIL could find working for the designer's main line was Chrystele Saint Louis Augustin, who walked in Fall 1994 Ready-to-Wear show. Naomi Campbell also walked for the brand in 1990. Despite an astounding lack of diversity on the runways, several black celebrity guests at the Met Gala on Monday wore the designer's work, including Rihanna and Helen Lasichanh. While CDG is coming under fire for what might be over two decades of whitewashed runways, however, the brand is certainly not the only one with a diversity problem. In February, the fashion community was in an uproar after it was discovered that certain design houses, including Lanvin, had a whites-only policy for picking models. Casting director James Scully made the charges on Instagram. With younger talent emerging left and right, many of today's rising stars find fame in the industry long before they reach legal drinking - or even driving - age anywhere in the world. However, unlike many other people their age, these young A-listers often attend events at which alcohol is freely flowing - such as Monday night's Met Gala in New York City, which played host to 12 stars under the age of 21, who - it would seem - were given free access to the alcoholic beverages being served. Images from the star-studded party show tables covered in wine glasses - while one picture even captures 19-year-old actress Elle Fanning toasting her tablemates with what looks like a glass of white wine. Scroll down for video Party: Elle Fanning was photographed during Monday night's Met Gala, sitting down at a table and holding up her glass to cheers with the other guests Context: A representative for Elle told the DailyMail.com that the young actress didn't actually drink liquor and only participated in the toast Elle was photographed during the reception, sitting down at a table and holding up her glass to cheers with the other guests, including the likes of Jessica Chastain, and Lupita Nyong'o - who appears to be raising a glass of water. Despite Elle being pictured with the glass however, a representative for the actress insisted to DailyMail.com that the young actress didn't actually drink liquor and only participated in the toast. According to the representative, the glasses were placed on the tables before guests were seated, which would explain how an underage attendees such as Elle had easy access to the drink, despite not legally being able to consume alcohol. 'Elle did NOT drink alcohol at the Met Gala,' the representative said in an email. 'The glasses were at the table before everyone was seated and she only participated in a toast.' Too young: According to Elle's rep, glasses of wine were placed on the tables before guests were seated, even though at least 11 other underage guests (such as Bella Hadid, 20) attended Still teens! On the highly sought-after guest list were also 19-year-old Paris Jackson (left) and 18-year-old Sistine Stallone (right), the daughter of actor Sylvester Stallone Exclusive: Guests to the event - such as 18-year-old Sofia Richie - must be reviewed and vetted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour before they can attend Forever young: Kylie Jenner, who was also on the exclusive guest list, is only 19 years old - meaning she is two years away from being able to drink legally DailyMail.com has also reached out to Vogue, which oversees the event, for comment. Representatives for the Metropolitan Museum declined to comment. In the image snapped of Elle's table, the actress can be seen sitting next to Lupita, 34, Sarah Paulson, 42, and Italian filmmaker Francesco Vezzoli, 46, all smiles as she takes part in the celebration. But while all of Elle's tablemates appeared to be of legal drinking age, at least 11 other guests at the event are currently younger than 21. On the very exclusive guest list were also Paris Jackson, 19, Kylie Jenner, 19, and Sofia Richie, 18. Bella Hadid, who made a noticed appearance on the red carpet with a nearly-nude catsuit, is only 20 years old. Juniors: Jaden Smith (left), 18, will have to wait three more years before he can legally drink, while 20-year-old actress Zendaya (right) is still a few months too young Just watching: A representative for Elle (pictured arriving at the gala) told DailyMail.com that the young actress didn't actually drink liquor and only participated in a toast Squad: Models Jordan Barrett (left), 20, and Cindy Crawford's son Presley Gerber (right), 17, joined the glamorous crowd at New York City's Metropolitan Museum The same goes for 20-year-old actress Zendaya and model Jordan Barrett, who were both part of the edgy event. Sistine Stallone, the daughter of actor Sylvester Stallone, is 18 years old, as is Jaden Smith. Also invited was Cindy Crawford's model son Presley Gerber, 17. His younger sister Kaia, also a model, attended the Met Gala last year when she was just 15 years old. Tickets to the Met Gala cost a staggering $30,000 a pop this year, according to the New York Times, and tables went for $275,000. But money is not enough to get entry to the A-list event: the gala is accessible by invitation only, and each guests must be reviewed and vetted by Vogue editor-in-chief and Met Gala chair Anna Wintour. Breaking the rules: Marc Jacobs, 54, Courtney Love, 52, and her daughter Frances Bean Cobain, 24, all posed for a picture in the bathroom while smoking - defying New York's ban Not permitted: A smoking Bella Hadid could be seen on social media smoking in the museum's bathroom next to Lara Stone and Ruby Rose Caution to the wind: Dakota Johnson was one of the many stars snapped breaking the New York smoking ban as pal Rita Ora captured her enjoying a smoke in the bathroom Puffing away: In the background, Behati Prinsloo could be seen taking a cigarette break Say cheese: Slick Woods and model Adwoa Aboah posed for Ashley Graham's camera, while Jourdan Dunn can be seen posing in the background Meanwhile, other guests engaged in another type of rule-breaking in the museum's bathroom: some celebs were seen in social media photos blatantly violating New York's strict indoor smoking ban. Bella could be seen puffing on a cigarette as she crouched on the floor next to Paris Hilton, fellow model Lara Stone, and Orange is the New Black star Ruby Rose. At 20, Bella is old enough to purchase cigarettes in New York - but still too young to drink legally. Dakota Johnson was also captured lighting a smoke in the bathroom by her pal Rita Ora, who posted the moment on Snapchat. In her new book, Ivanka Trump shares details of the 'unnerving' dilemma she faced upon college graduation when Vogue editor Anna Wintour called her up out of the blue to offer her a job. While positions at the fashion bible are highly competitive even with an 'in', most writers and fashionistas go up against a roster of fierce candidates during the interview process the 36-year-old First Daughter admitted she could have scored one of those coveted positions without even asking for it. Writing in a passage in her newly-released book Women Who Work, Ivanka said Ms. Wintour phoned her at school during her senior year to let her know that the job was hers if she wanted it. Scroll down for video Flashback: Ivanka Trump discusses in her new book how Anna Wintour offered her a job out of college (pictured together in 2008) Connected: The 36-year-old said that the Vogue editor phoned her while she was taking finals at Penn to offer her a position, without an application or interview Must be nice: Pictured four years after graduating, Ivanka said that she knew Anna from her modelling days and the editor knew she liked fashion 'Early one morning during finals, the phone rang... It was Anna Wintour, the editor and chief of Vogue. Anna is someone I've always admired; we met when I'd done some modeling as a teenager,' she wrote. 'She'd heard that I was graduating soon. She knew I liked fashion. She wanted to offer me a job at Vogue,' she added. Despite the plum position being offered up on a platter, however, Ivanka didn't jump at it, and in fact eventually turned it down completely. Then in her early 20s, Ivanka had already accepted a post-graduation job with the development firm Forest City Ratner but her dad urged her to mull it over. 'I think you should consider it, Ivanka,' he reportedly said. Busy: Ivanka's new book, Women Who Work, was released this week Women who walk: Ivanka modeled briefly as a teenager (pictured in 1999) Though she says she was 'unnerved', she ultimately decided to follow in her father's footsteps. 'I just wasn't willing to delay my dream of becoming a builder,' she said. The passage is already one of a few excerpts to earn attention, but this is not the first time Ivanka has spoken about the Vogue position. The First Daughter, who has posed for the magazine and attended the Met Gala for several years, opened up about it on Good Morning America in 2009. 'I had, like many people, pulled an all-nighter studying for the final exam that I had the next morning. And I receive a call the next morning directly from Anna Wintour, her assistant connected us, etc,' she said. 'She called my cell phone, so I was a little bit ... "taken off guard" would be sort of an understatement. Same circles: Ivanka also appeared in an issue of Vogue last year Other side: Anna Wintour was a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton 'And she very graciously inquired as to what I was planning to do after graduation, and offered me a position at Vogue, which to any girl, even if you're not particularly interested in fashion as life would have it I ended up starting a jewelry collection, and she's been an amazing supporter of me in my future endeavors. But it was a great honor.' According to Ivanka at the time, she never really thought she would take Ms. Wintour who supported Hillary Clinton during the election up on it. 'It never occurred to me that I would accept the job because of the focus that I'd had I'd been at Wharton, I'd always wanted to go into real estate, so that was my path, and I was very polite in my refusal, if you will. But when I told my father about this experience, he asked me several times several times almost to the point where it was a bit disconcerting to me why he was pressuring me to take the job at Vogue ... I was a little bit upset about it.' Fans: Tiffany and Lara Trump are among those who have taken to social media to promote Ivanka's book; KellyAnne Conway is not She loves the carpet: Ivanka (pictured in 2016) spent years going to the Met Gala, which Ms. Wintour hosts Not her path: Ivanka spoke out about the job offer before, explaining that she had already taken a position with a developer Since the book was released on Tuesday, several sites have called out Ivanka's passage about the job offer and criticized her for not recognizing her privilege. 'Without any sense of apparent irony, Trumps example of the good that comes from prioritizing passion is an unexpected job offer she received from Anna Wintour at Vogue,' wrote Stassa Edwards of Jezebel. In a paragraph dripping with sarcasm, Beth Teitell of the Boston Globe wrote: 'Ivanka's life seems pretty smooth, but in her book she reveals struggles, like the time Anna Wintour heard that she was about to graduate from college and called out of the blue with a job offer, a challenge familiar to many aspiring writers.' Commenting on the same passage, Bryce Covert of Think Progress wrote: 'She offers no thoughts on the insane privilege that represents.' Supreme Court of Texas. LEAH ANNE GONSKI MARINO, M.D. F/K/A LEAH ANNE GONSKI, M.D., PETITIONER, v. SHIRLEY LENOIR, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF SHANA LENOIR, AND CHRISTOPHER MCKNIGHT, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS NEXT FRIEND OF NAYLA MCKNIGHT, RESPONDENTS NO. 15-0610 Decided: April 28, 2017 JUSTICE WILLETT delivered the opinion of the Court. In this case, a resident physician sought dismissal of a malpractice claim on grounds that she was an employee of a governmental unit. We agree with the court of appeals that the physician did not establish that she was an employee under the relevant provisions of the Texas Tort Claims Act. We therefore affirm the judgment of the court of appeals. I. Background Shana Lenoir received prenatal care at the University of Texas Physicians Clinic in Houston. She was pregnant with twins and was seen by Dr. Leah Anne Gonski, a second-year medical resident. Gonski prescribed weekly progesterone injections, and a nurse gave Shana the first such injection at the clinic. Shana experienced breathing difficulties, and she and her unborn children died. Shana's mother and the father of Shana's living child (collectively Lenoir) brought a medical malpractice suit against Gonski and other defendants. Gonski was in a residency program in obstetrics and gynecology offered by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSCH). Dr. Pamela Promecene, the program director of this residency program, attested that the program is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). She stated that this residency program is sometimes called UTHSCH's Memorial Hospital or MMH program, because it is sponsored by UTHSCH and its primary clinical site under ACGME guidelines is Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. The University of Texas System Medical Foundation (Foundation) is involved in the administration of this and other University of Texas residency programs. The Foundation, as set out in its articles of incorporation, is a non-profit corporation. Its authorized powers include the employment of qualified persons to serve as residents or interns on the staff of any hospital owned or operated by the University of Texas System. The Foundation appointed Gonski to the residency program under a contractual University of Texas System Medical Foundation Notice of Appointment that was signed by Gonski and the dean of UTHSCH. Gonski filed a motion to dismiss under the election-of-remedies provision of the Tort Claims Act, specifically section 101.106(f). She claimed this provision entitled her to dismissal because she was an employee of a governmental unit, namely the Foundation, and met other elements of the provision. The trial court granted the motion. The court of appeals reversed and remanded as to Gonski, concluding that she had not established she was an employee of the Foundation. II. Discussion A. Standard of Review The parties submitted evidence in support of and in opposition to Gonski's motion to dismiss. On appellate review, we may consider whether there are issues of material fact that should have precluded the trial court from granting the motion to dismiss. Here we conclude the relevant evidence is undisputed, and our decision largely turns on whether, on these facts, section 101.106 requires dismissal. The question before us, therefore, is a question of statutory construction, and our review is de novo. B. The Governing Statutory Provisions Gonski sought dismissal under section 101.106(f), which provides: If suit is filed against an employee of a governmental unit based on conduct within the general scope of that employee's employment and if it could have been brought under this chapter against the governmental unit, the suit is considered to be against the employee in the employee's official capacity only. On the employee's motion, the suit against the employee shall be dismissed unless the plaintiff files amended pleadings dismissing the employee and naming the governmental unit as defendant on or before the 30th day after the date the motion is filed. Among other elements of this provision is the requirement that the individual defendant be an employee of a governmental unit. Employee is a defined term in the Act, and means a person, including an officer or agent, who is in the paid service of a governmental unit by competent authority, but does not include an independent contractor, an agent or employee of an independent contractor, or a person who performs tasks the details of which the governmental unit does not have the legal right to control.7 C. Analysis of the Evidence and Our Caselaw Gonski contends she was an employee of the Foundation under the Tort Claims Act. We agree with the court of appeals that the statute, the evidence, and our caselaw do not support this contention. The statutory definition of employee of a governmental unit requires that the defendant is in the paid service of the claimed governmental unit. Gonski offered proof that she was paid by the Foundation, and Lenoir does not dispute this element. The definition also expressly excludes a person who performs tasks the details of which the governmental unit does not have the legal right to control. This clause precludes Gonski's claim to employee status under the evidence presented. Gonski signed a Notice of Appointment whereby she accepted appointment to a residency program in obstetrics and gynecology. The Notice states that the appointment is made under a residency program administered by the Foundation. It states that the resident agrees to abide by the Notice and the Graduate Medical Education Resident Handbook. It further states that the resident agree [s] to comply with the policies of the [Foundation]. Brent King, the president of the board of directors of the Foundation, confirmed in an affidavit that residents are appointed by the Foundation to staff University of Texas hospitals, the Foundation pays the residents, and residents are required to comply with the Handbook. The Handbook states that the Foundation provides administrative and educational functions for the benefit of residents and the residency programs such as issuance of paychecks and maintenance of records. The Foundation provides malpractice insurance to residents. However, the Handbook states, The teaching staff will supervise the Resident Physician in a manner designed to facilitate progressively increasing responsibility for patient care according to level of training, ability, and experience. The level of responsibility assigned to each Resident Physician will be determined by the Program Director and/or teaching staff. It provides that residents are not authorized to leave their rotations without specific approval of their Program Director. Dr. Promecene attested that she was the Program Director of the obstetrics and gynecology residency program in issue. Promecene stated that she is a full-time employee of UTHSCH, not the Foundation. She explained that the UT clinics, which include the clinic where Gonski treated Shana Lenoir, are under the medical direction of UTHSCH's teaching and medical staff and are regarded by UTHSCH as internal sites. Promecene further attested: As the sponsoring institution of the residency program, UTHSCH must provide its residents with a variety of effective educational experiences leading to their development as competent physicians. As anticipated by ACGME guidelines, the residency program I direct fulfills this obligation by assigning its residents to various sites' in order to provide the contemplated training opportunities. These assignments are made pursuant to a deliberate and detailed curriculum. UTHSCH's resident handbook requires that its residents accept and perform the duties, responsibilities, and rotations as assigned by the residency program's director. Thus, the Program Director who works for UTHSCH is responsible for assigning resident rotations and other duties to the resident. Promecene stated that the UT clinics are staffed exclusively by physicians who are full-time employees of UTHSCH, and that UTHSCH is, at all time[s], responsible for the quality of medical care at these clinics. The Foundation's bylaws provide, at considerable length even for a legal document, that the Foundation does not control physicians like Gonski who work at hospitals not owned by the Foundation. Article VI (referring to the Foundation as the corporation) states in part: 4. All physicians employed by the corporation for the purpose of serving as a member of the staff of any hospital or hospitals that are neither owned nor operated by the corporation shall, in the performance of their duties as members of the staff of such hospital or hospitals, be subject to the direction and control of the hospital or hospitals upon whose staff he serves. No physician employed by the corporation shall serve upon the staff of a hospital not owned or operated by the corporation unless and until the governing body of such hospital shall agree in writing to assume full responsibility for the direction and control of the acts of such physician while serving upon the staff of the hospital and shall further agree in writing to hold the corporation harmless from all liability which may arise out of acts performed by such physician while engaged in the scope and course of his duties as a member of the staff of such hospital. No director, officer, or employee of the corporation shall be authorized to act on behalf of the corporation to direct or control the acts of any physician employed by the corporation while said physician is serving as a member of the staff of any hospital or hospitals not owned or operated by the corporation. 5. Physicians employed by the corporation shall have no authority to engage in the practice of medicine for or on behalf of the corporation except at a clinic, hospital, or other facility owned or operated by the corporation. There is no evidence that the Foundation owned or staffed the UT clinic where Shana Lenoir was treated. On the contrary, Promecene attested that the UT clinics are internal sites of UTHSCH, staffed exclusively by physicians who are full-time employees of UTHSCH. In briefing to the trial court and court of appeals, Gonski admitted the Foundation has not ever, strictly speaking, owned any hospitals, clinics or health care facilities. Gonski argues that we should not consider the bylaws because the relationship between Gonski and the Foundation is a matter of contract rather than unrelated corporate documents. But her contractual Notice of Appointment states that the resident agrees to comply with the policies of the Foundation. We think the policies of the Foundation would include those set out in a formal governing document of the corporation. Gonski and amici curiae also argue that the above-quoted language from the bylaws, on which the court of appeals relied, does not apply because she worked at a clinic rather than a hospital. But paragraph 5 references a clinic, hospital, or other facility. While the bylaws are not a model of clarity, we essentially agree with the court of appeals that [p]aragraphs four and five, when read together, require that a resident working at a location not owned by the Foundation be under the control of the entity operating that location. And regardless, the bylaws are cumulative of other evidence that the Foundation had no control over the details of Gonski's tasks as a medical resident. In Murk v. Scheele, we held that a physician was, for purposes of section 101.106, an employee of the University of Texas Health Science Center (UT). The physician, Murk, was on the UT faculty and practiced at the University Hospital where the plaintiff was treated. The hospital was staffed by UT faculty, residents, and students. As here, there was no dispute that Murk was in the paid service of his claimed employer, and the case came down to whether UT had the right to control the details of his work. We held that Murk was an employee, even though, like all doctors, he must exercise some independent medical judgment when treating patients. We held that the control element was met because Murk's medical decisions in the treatment of patients were subject to regimens prescribed by UT (such as required daily rounds), faculty supervision and review, and in some instances, veto by UT's senior faculty. Applying the reasoning of Murk, the evidence in today's case indicates that the details of Gonski's tasks as a resident physician were, under the relevant contract and other documents and in actual practice, controlled by UTHSCH and its physicians, not the Foundation. UTHSCH, through its Program Director and clinic medical staff, controlled the daily rotations, duties, and responsibilities of residents in its residency program. The Foundation paid Gonski and performed certain routine administrative functions such as record-keeping, but we do not think these functions rose to the level of controlling Gonski's daily tasks as a physician, her chosen occupation. The Foundation's own bylaws in fact expressly and emphatically disavow any right to control a physician working at any hospital not owned by the Foundation. In St. Joseph Hospital v. Wolff, a physician, Dr. Villafani, was a resident in a general surgery residency program operated by St. Joseph Hospital, a private Houston hospital. Under a program contract, St. Joseph and the Central Texas Medical Foundation established a resident training program at Brackenridge Hospital, a city-owned hospital in Austin. The Brackenridge residency program was described in the program contract as an integral division of the St. Joseph residency program. Villafani was assigned to Brackenridge. A patient, Wolff, alleging negligent treatment at Brackenridge, sued St. Joseph and other defendants. While Wolff did not concern election of remedies under the Tort Claims Act, we find it instructive because it analyzed whether a resident physician was an employee of a medical foundation. It reasoned that employee (as opposed to independent contractor) status turned on who controlled the details of the employee's work. We held that Villafani was not an employee of St. Joseph and was an employeespecifically a borrowed employeeof the Foundation because of the Foundation's control over the details of Villafani's treatment of Wolff. We noted that under the program contract between St. Joseph and the Foundation, St. Joseph generally would not control the details of the medical tasks performed by the residents when they are assigned to [the Foundation], and noted other evidence that control over the details of the resident's medical tasks belonged either to the resident's attending physician or the Foundation's director of medical education. Another physician, himself a resident, was both the attending physician and the Foundation's director of medical education. Under the reasoning of Wolff, the evidence in today's case again indicates that Gonski was not an employee of the Foundation because the details of her work as a resident physician were assigned to and under the supervision of the Program Director and medical staff of UTHSCH. Gonski stresses that the statutory definition of employee by its terms looks to whether the claimed employer lacked the legal right to control the defendant. Gonski argues that legal control means a formal right to control, in contrast to actual control. She and amici curiae argue the Foundation had legal control over her because the Resident Handbook made a part of her contract states that the Foundation reserve[s] the right to change any requirements affecting the terms and conditions of employment of the resident physician. We find this argument unpersuasive. Gonski essentially argues that legal control means a theoretical right to control as opposed to an actual right to control. We see no reason to adopt such a novel definition. The statute's express focus on the details of the employee's tasks suggests a focus on the real or practical, as opposed to theoretical. Moreover, as a general rule of statutory construction, we give words their ordinary and plain meaning. According to Black's, legal simply means [o]f or relating to law, or [e]stablished, required, or permitted by law. It is not ordinarily used as the opposite of, or in contrast to, actual. Further, we construe statutory language against the backdrop of common law, assuming the Legislature is familiar with common-law traditions and principles. Wolff explained that looking to control over the details of an employee's work is a longstanding common-law basis for establishing an employer-employee relationship, and distinguishing an employee from an independent contractor. Section 101.106(f) also, expressly, distinguishes an employee and independent contractor. Wolff, we think, looked to which entity actually controlled the resident under the relevant contract. Gonski focuses on one provision of a lengthy Handbook stating that the Foundation reserve[s] the right to change any requirements affecting the terms and conditions of employment of the resident. This provision generally concerns a legal right to control Gonski's work. But we conclude that, for purposes of section 101.106, a general right to change the terms and conditions of employment should not trump control of the details of Gonski's employmentthe relevant statutory inquiryas provided in the version of the Handbook and other legal documents under which Gonski in reality worked. The evidence shows that the details of Gonski's work were in fact supervised and assigned by UTHSCH personnel, as the Handbook specifies, rather than personnel of the Foundation. We note that Gonski makes no argument that the Foundation and UTHSCH should be treated as a single entity and that, for purposes of section 101.106, Gonski was both paid by and under the control of such umbrella entity. We do not know whether such an argument could prevail, given the evidence that the Foundation is a separately incorporated entity with its own articles of incorporation and bylaws. Suffice it to say that an argument for disregarding corporate formalities is not made and we will not sua sponte explore it. We also note that, in the trial court, Gonski suggested in her motion to dismiss that the Foundation and UTHSCH are separate entities. III. Conclusion In sum, the evidence demonstrates that Gonski was not an employee of the Foundation under the Tort Claims Act. The court of appeals therefore correctly reversed the trial court's dismissal of Gonski under section 101.106. We affirm the court of appeals' judgment. We remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings. FOOTNOTES . See St. Joseph Hosp. v. Wolff, 94 S.W.3d 513, 520 (Tex. 2002) (Medical residency programs are accredited under the general authority of [ACGME].). . TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE 101.106(f). . The trial court rendered a final judgment in favor of Gonski and another defendant, and severed that judgment, making it final and appealable. . Lenoir v. Marino, 469 S.W.3d 669, 687 (Tex. App.Houston [1st Dist.] 2015). The court of appeals also addressed an appeal of the dismissal of Shana's attending physician, an appeal not before us today. . See Franka v. Velasquez, 332 S.W.3d 367, 371 n.9 (2011) (explaining that in seeking dismissal under section 101.106(f), a defendant is asserting a claim of governmental immunity); Tex. Dep't of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217, 221, 22728 (Tex. 2004) (explaining that when appellate court reviews appeal of denial of jurisdictional plea asserting sovereign immunity, and evidence was presented to the trial court, appellate court addresses de novo whether evidence raises material issue of fact). . See Entergy Gulf States, Inc. v. Summers, 282 S.W.3d 433, 437 (Tex. 2009). . TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE 101.001(2). . Lenoir argued to the court of appeals in the alternative that the Foundation was not a governmental unit under the Act. See 469 S.W.3d at 681 n.5. Like the court of appeals, we do not reach this issue. . According to Paragraph 9 of the Handbook, Professional liability insurance (PLI) for Resident Physicians is provided through The University of Texas System Medical Liability Benefit Plan at no cost to the Resident Physician. . Texas Alliance for Patient Access, Texas Medical Association, Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, and Texas Hospital Association. . 469 S.W.3d at 679. . 120 S.W.3d 865 (Tex. 2003) (per curiam). . Id. at 867. . Id. . 94 S.W.3d 513 (Tex. 2002). . Id. at 521. . Id. at 543 (plurality op.), 544 (O'Neill, J., joined by Phillips, C.J., concurring). . Id. at 543 (internal quotation mark omitted). . Id. . City of San Antonio v. Boerne, 111 S.W.3d 22, 25 (Tex. 2003). . Legal, BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY (7th ed. 1999). . See, e.g., Entergy Gulf States, Inc. v. Summers, 282 S.W.3d 433, 443 (Tex. 2009) ([W]e presume that lawmakers enact statutes with complete knowledge of existing law.); McBride v. Clayton, 166 S.W.2d 125, 128 (Tex. 1942) (stating that statutes are presumably enacted with full knowledge of common law, Constitution, and other statutes, and are construed accordingly). . Nor does Gonski argue that she was an employee under section 101.106 because she was paid by one governmental unit and subject to the legal control of another governmental unit. See Franka v. Velasquez, 332 S.W.3d 367, 373 & n.20 (Tex. 2011) (expressing no opinion on validity of such an argument because it was not made). . In her motion to dismiss Gonski argued that the motion carefully establishes the identity of the Foundation as Dr. Gonski's true employer due, in part, to vague, past opinions addressing the employment status of UTHSCH resident physicians, which have not included an explanation of the relationship between UTHSCH, its residents, and the Foundation. The motion goes on to maintain that UTHSCH is a component of the UT System and a governmental unit for purposes of the Tort Claims Act, and that the Foundation is also a governmental unit for those purposes.Finally, we note that the amici curiae separately argue that [q]ualified immunity is absolutely essential to a resident's medical training so that residents have a window of time to practice in a structured educational setting without fear of litigation. We do not find this argument compelling. Many residents do not have immunity afforded to governmental employees because they are residents at private hospitals and work under residency programs administered by such hospitals. And of course we cannot rewrite the relevant statute to effect our own public policy goals regarding the best training environment for residents. Don R. Willett Justice When one high school senior didn't get asked to prom, that didn't stop her from attending. Instead, she brought a rather unorthodox date: her Harvard acceptance letter. On Twitter, Priscilla Samey, 17, of Anoka, Minnesota recently posted a photograph of her wearing a vivid orange African-style dress, golden jewelry, and embracing a red folder that reads '#Harvard2021' on the cover. The caption attached to the photo reads: 'Couldn't find a man to accept me for prom so I took a college that did.' #prom2k17, #Harvard2021: High school senior Priscilla Samey, 17, recently took her Harvard acceptance letter to her prom A smart move: Samey said that none of her male classmates asked her to the high school dance, and so she chose a more logical partner instead Samey told BuzzFeed News that, at first, she was disappointed in not having a date. Then, she saw the brighter side when she realized she could 'avoid all the competitiveness and expenses that usually go with prom.' Alas, the night of the dance the acceptance letter 'stayed in the car most of the time.' 'He's she and also I didn't want it to get trampled,' Samey joked. As for her stunning orange dress, Samey said it was a tribute to her African heritage, and hand-sewn by a family friend. Samey was recently accepted to seven out of right Ivy League schools. The only Ivy League institution she was not accepted to was Dartmouth, though it is unclear if she even applied to the school. 'My secret for admissions to top schools is definitely be yourself' Samey told BuzzFeed News. College blog site The Tab published Samey's Common Application essay, which is a moving tribute to her Tongolese immigrant parents and the power of the English language. Genius! Samey was recently accepted into seven out of eight Ivy League universities - all of them except for Dartmouth A bright future: Samey has said she intends on pursuing a degree in political science so that she may someday work in business law Samey and her 'date' have received overwhelming support from the Twitter community. 'I don't know you but I'm so happy for you, this just healed my soul and cleared my skin,' said one tweet. 'We need more women like you in the world. And honestly, HUGE loss for every guy at your prom!!' said another. Many others pointed out that Harvard is much more worthy than any 18-year-old boy could hope to be. 'Someday, one of these guys will be asking you for a job,' noted one tweet. In the fall of this year, Samey will be joining the Harvard class of 2021. She is the first student from Champlin Park High School, established in 1992, who will attend Harvard. At Harvard, Samey intends to major in political science. Later on, her goal is to get both a degree in business administration and law. With or without a prom date, Samey's future looks incredibly bright. Monday morning and a stranger is examining my bare feet, pressing, squeezing and wiggling my toes as if she is playing an intense game of eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Whats more, I appear to be crying. I have no idea why I was in quite a good mood a few minutes ago. But thats what happens when you walk into a room, take off your shoes and socks and let a complete stranger read your emotional and physical history through your feet. Marianna Power visited the Light Centre in London to try out Grinberg therapy Forget palm reading, the latest fad is foot reading. Eyes might be the window to the soul but it turns out that the hardened orange skin on the soles of my feet is a window to every- thing else. I first heard of Grinberg therapy from a friend who described it as an emotional massage a kind of physical therapy for psychological problems. Developed by Israeli reflexologist Avi Grinberg in the Eighties, it involves analysing the feet to see what is happening in the rest of the body and using a combination of deep tissue massage, breathing and talking therapy to help people work through emotions, and relieve physical ailments. You may have heard of reflexology a healing technique used by ancient Egyptians and the Chinese. Developed by Israeli reflexologist Avi Grinberg in the Eighties, Grinberg therapy involves analysing the feet to see what is happening in the rest of the body. It uses a combination of deep tissue massage, breathing and talking therapy to help people work through emotions, and relieve physical ailments This involves manipulation of pressure points on the feet to relieve physical ailments on the basis that different areas of the foot correspond to an organ in the body. The Grinberg method is not just reading the state of different organs but looks at a broader picture of a persons emotional and physical health. I am sceptical about therapies promising to change your life for 60 an hour. I am not someone who lines up to have my Chakras realigned or swears by the healing powers of Reiki. But over the past 12 months, Ive been experiencing ailments that neither a glass or two of wine, nor my GP could help me with. Last year I wrote my first book. Hours spent at my laptop left my neck and shoulders in agony. Then the months of isolation and overwork led to a bout of depression, and I was unable to get out of bed for weeks. I was prescribed antidepressants and, just as I was getting out of my black hole, my dad died in October and I got a virus I couldnt shake off. By the start of this year I was emotionally and physically exhausted, sleeping up to 16 hours a day. It was after a recommendation from a friend who said the Grinberg method fixed a chronic neck pain that I found myself at the Light Centre in London, as a therapist examined my feet. Ive become an expert in reading feet, says Rachel Glendinning, who has been a Grinberg practitioner for 13 years. I can tell a lot by the colour of your feet, the temperature, the lines, the kind of skin you have. I lay back and waited for her to read my mind or rather my bunions. Would you say you are an over-thinker? she asked me after examining my feet. I was not impressed by this opener. Im a writer of course I think too much. Not really, I lied. Do you find yourself re-playing situations in your head? Sometimes, but everyone does that, dont they? Undeterred by my guardedness, she continued to ask questions that were so incisive they would have knocked my socks off, were they not already scrunched up in a ball in my handbag. Do you find that you get emotional and tired? she asks me. Yes. Do you find it hard to express yourself? Yes. Would you say that you are passive, a people pleaser? Yes. And here was the kicker: Youre a good girl. And when she said that it made me shiver. Thats the nickname my friends give me, after years of seeing me run around in circles trying to do everything right. But how on earth can she tell all that by looking at my toes? Your feet are full of water and water is connected to emotions. Emotions are good and a part of being human but too many and we can feel overwhelmed. Emotions should flow and part of how they flow is by expressing yourself. The water in your body is stagnant, which means you are not expressing your emotions. Thats whats draining you. You adapt too much to others. You look confident but you are not. I was stunned. She had seen right through me. The foot analysis is just one part of the treatment. The next stage was body work where Rachel presses deep into places of tension on the body, based on what she saw on my feet. When she started with my shoulders it was pure agony. Your chest and shoulders are very contracted, she explained. I could see that because the balls of your feet are contracted. Then she asked me to exaggerate the contraction in my chest. Can you feel how shallow your breathing is? And how much energy you are using to keep your shoulders tight like that? she asked. And I could. Then she told me to relax and open up my chest. I tried, and then stopped. Just opening up my chest and relaxing my shoulders felt terrifying. If I do that someone will hurt me, I found myself saying. She asked me when I first felt like this and I remembered being a child, listening to my parents arguing and scrunching myself up into a tight ball. I found myself in tears at the memory. Everything comes from our childhood we learn patterns and repeat them but they are not useful. And because your breathing is so shallow, its no wonder you get tired. Oxygen is our main source of energy. She poked around in the other areas including my jaw. I let out a gasp, it was so sore. Your jaw is tight as you are always controlling what you are saying. It made me see that every body ache Id had, came from the way I was holding myself which was based on my emotions and which tend to revolve around being scared. I spend most of my days going through life like a rabbit in the headlights, always waiting for the worst to happen and all of that is having a huge effect on my body. Rachel also pointed out that my response to stress is to retreat from the world but this makes me feel lonely, which leads to depression. The thing I do to protect myself was making me sick, mentally and physically. With my head spinning from the combination of massage, psychotherapy and foot reading, I felt exhausted and inexplicably sad. When I got home I fell asleep for two hours. After I woke I no longer felt sad but calm and strong. The main point of this treatment is to teach us how to pay attention to our bodies. My homework was to notice every time I contracted my shoulders. It made me realise that I spend every day at my computer, hunched over, braced for impact. I have also realised the extent to which I clench my jaw, each time I notice it, I take a deep breath and try to relax my muscles. It might sound like a small thing, but I have a feeling that just doing this is going to make a huge difference. And all because a total stranger prodded and poked at my feet. bloom-wellbeing.com, lightcentremoorgate.co.uk Many people get a buzz of excitement when they get a Facebook notification informing them their latest snap has been 'liked'. Yet, receiving so-called 'likes' on the social media channel does not improve people's self-esteem or mood if they feel low, a new study reveals. People who actively seek 'likes' via paying or asking for them are more likely to have low confidence in their own worth and be less trusting. The same is true for those who admit to deleting posts or making an image their display picture based on the number of 'likes' it gets. Receiving Facebook 'likes' does not improve your self esteem or mood if you are feeling down ARE YOU ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK? IT COULD BE IN YOUR GENES Facebook addicts may be genetically programmed to love social media, a study has claimed. Scientists at King's College London compared the internet habits of around 4,250 identical twins with around 4,250 non-identical twins. They found genes were responsible for up to 39 percent of the time spent online. Experts claim this shows the media is not simply an external entity luring in and entrapping 'helpless' consumers. Rather, certain people naturally crave it. Advertisement Researchers from the University of South Wales recruited 340 participants via Twitter and Facebook. They completed questionnaires that asked them to what extent they agreed with 25 statements relating to whether social media makes them feel valued. Statements included 'the attention I get from social media makes me feel good' or 'I consider someone popular based on the amount of likes they get'. Study author Dr Martin Graff said: 'The proliferation of social media use has led to general concerns about the effects on our mental health. 'Although this is just a relatively small scale study the results indicate that the ways we interact with social media can affect how we feel and not always positively.' The findings will be presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Brighton on May 3 2017. This comes after claims that Facebook analyses the emotions of vulnerable teenagers and shares the information with advertisers. A 23-page document marked Confidential: Internal Only and dated 2017 was obtained by 'The Australian' newspaper. The leaked internal research detailed how the mood of users as young as 14 can be ascertained by key words. Having caring children could cut the risk of Alzheimers disease in elderly parents, according to a study. The likelihood of suffering the disease was lower in those whose families had a reliable, approachable and understanding relationship, British researchers found. But having a stressful and negative relationship raises the risk as does having no contact. Good news: Researchers found chance of suffering Alzheimer's decreased in 'caring' families The authors said critical, unreliable, annoying children and family members can cause intense stress that damages older adults health. And the findings, published in the Journal Of Alzheimers Disease, showed the impact of a negative relationship was greater than that of a positive one. Researchers looked at 10,055 over-50s who were free of Alzheimers in 2002 as part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants were interviewed every two years over a decade, with 3.4 per cent of them developing dementia. They also filled out a questionnaire that helped determine their level of social support from family members. The study found an increase in support could cut the risk of developing dementia by up to 17 per cent. Increased risk: But the study found those who had negative relationships with their families or no contact at all stood a higher chance of developing the disease But a more negative family relationship had a greater effect the other way, with the risk rising by as much as 31 per cent as a result. The authors, from the University of East Anglia, University College London, London Metropolitan University and Nottingham University, said negative support included critical, unreliable and annoying behaviours from spouses or partners, children and other immediate family. ROSEMARY FOR EXAM SUCCESS Pupils could improve their powers of recall during exams by inhaling the aroma of rosemary. The herb has long been thought to help memory and scholars in ancient Greece wore sprigs of it when taking tests. Now researchers at Northumbria University have studied the impact of rosemary essential oil on childrens recollection. Dr Mark Moss and Victoria Earle, who will outline their findings at the British Psychological Society conference tomorrow, had previously found the herb can boost adults memories. In the study, 40 children aged ten and 11 took tests, some in a room with diffused rosemary oil. Those in the room with scent scored significantly higher. Dr Moss said that the difference in results could be down to aroma affecting electrical activity in the brain. Advertisement And they suggested the stress of criticism and lack of reliability are possibly more harmful than the absence of a warm relationship. Possible effects of a bad relationship with adult children include a rise in drinking and smoking, sedentary lifestyles and obesity. Dr Mizanur Khondoker, of the University of East Anglia, said: It is well known that having a rich network of close relationships, including being married and having adult children, is related to a reduced risk of cognitive decline and developing dementia. However, a relationship or social connection that does not work well can be a source of intense interpersonal stress, which may have a negative impact on both physical and mental health of older adults. It is not only the quantity of social connections, but the quality of those connections may be an important factor affecting older peoples cognitive health. University College Londons Andrew Steptoe said the findings would add to the impetus to help isolated and lonely older people. A young girl bleeds from her eyes, nose, ears and skin every time she gets a headache. Phakamad Sangchai , 7, from Nongkghai, Thailand, started profusely bleeding almost six months ago. Despite receiving treatment at a local hospital, Phakamad continues to suffer from the baffling condition, leaving her family desperate for help. Phakamed said: 'I don't want to be famous, but I just want someone to help me with this mystery illness. It is really spoiling my life and I am so concerned that it will get worse.' She is thought to have hematohidrosis, which is an extremely rare condition that causes sufferers to 'sweat' blood. Scroll down for video Phakamad Sangchai , 7, from Nongkghai, Thailand, bleeds from her eyes, nose, ears and skin WHAT IS HEMATOHIDROSIS? Hematohidrosis is a rare condition that gives the illusion sufferers are sweating blood from unbroken skin. This may occur due to the expansion and rupturing of blood vessels beneath the skin at times of stress. Sufferers may experience weakness and mild dehydration from the blood loss. There is no cure. Drugs known as beta blockers may help to ease the condition, possibly by minimising patient's stress and anxiety. Hematohidrosis' exact prevalence is unknown, but may be as little as one in 10 million people. Advertisement Phakamed said: 'They tell me that only one person in ten million people gets this sickness.' Although shocking, Phakamed's condition is at least painless. Yet, the illness has still taken its tool on Phakamed's family as her mother, Nipaporn Khantain, desperately seeks answers to help her daughter's treatment. She said: 'The doctors are not 100 per cent sure what the diagnosis is, we can only hope they will find out soon. 'I have searched on the internet myself and found that something called Hematohidrosis, which could be the condition, but we are waiting for an answer from the hospital.' Despite Phakamed's disorder, Ms Khantain insists her spirits have not been dampened by the mysterious bleeding. She said: 'My daughter has always been a very happy child and still continues to smile when she can, she is a very brave girl' The condition, likely hematohidrosis, occurs every time the youngster suffers from a headache Phakamad's mother, Nipaporn Khantain, is desperate for a proper diagnosis to aid treatment Although treated at a local hospital, Phakamad's painless but disturbing disorder is no better Phakamad says the condition is ruining her life and she is concerned it will only get worse Hematohidrosis gives the illusion of sweating through intact skin and may be caused by stress It may be brought on by the expansion and rupturing of skin vessels lying beneath the skin Most women experience period pain at some point in their lives. For some, that 'time of the month' causes little or no discomfort, while for others it can be excruciating. Most of us dismiss period pain as just 'one of those things' and get on with it. However, it seems the level of discomfort you feel can be a warning sign of what level of pain to expect from child birth. Period pain that doesn't have an underlying cause tends to improve as women get older and many women also notice an improvement after they've had children 'The initial stages of labour are very similar to periods,' explains Dr Dasha Fielder, an Australia GP who specialises in women's health. 'Except with periods the pain stays about the same, whereas with labour it continues to increase and get worse until the baby is born.' The reason behind the thinking is that period and childbirth pain are similar as they both originate from the cervix opening. As with childbirth, menstruating also involves contractions. Period pain occurs when the muscular wall of the womb contracts to encourage the womb lining to shed away as part of your monthly period. During the heaviest days of our period, the cervix open ups to around one cms to allow the uterine lining to pass. The continually contractions are usually so mild that most women can't feel them. but for some, this process involves cramping and intense bursts of pain. During labour, the cervix needs to open not one cm but around 10 to allow the baby to be born. 'The initial stages of labour, when the cervix goes from around zero to five centimetres in diameter, are very, very similar to period cramps,' Fielder tells Mamamia. 'It tends to be in a cyclical fashion and the contractions come usually every half an hour or every 20 minutes, and it does feel exactly like period pain. 'I have tested it three times with my children, so I can tell you as a doctor and a mother it's exactly right.' She explained the pain comes from the many nerve fibres within the cervix. Women can be quite comfortable in the early stages of labour and some won't even realise they are in labour at all, she added. 'It's quite normal for women to not come into the hospital until they're about four or five centimetres dilated. 'But when they get to seven centimetres, that's when they reach what we call the transitional phase, and from there, if it hasn't been a problem already, the pain does become quite uncomfortable.' Consumers are being warned about the accuracy of common heart rate apps on their smartphones. A study has found a huge variability between commercially available programmes installed on the gadgets. Many readings are inaccurate and pose a significant health threat to users if they believe them to all be true, scientists warn. Swiss researchers said dangerous conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, could be missed if the readings come back too low. Instead, such apps shouldn't be used for fun. Medical advice should be sought from those who are worried about their heart rate, they claim. A study has found a huge variability between commercially available heart rate apps that are installed on many smartphones Dr Christophe Wyss, a cardiologist at the Heart Clinic Zurich, said: 'Heart rate apps come installed on many smartphones and once people see them, it is human nature to use them and compare their results with others. 'The problem is that there is no law requiring validation of these apps and therefore no way for consumers to know if the results are accurate. 'Consumers and interpreting physicians need to be aware that the differences between apps are huge and there are no criteria to assess them.' For the study, 108 patients had their heart rate measured using four apps on two different iPhone models. Two clinical methods were used for comparison, including an ECG and fingertip pulse oximetry, which uses similar technology to that of the apps. Half of the apps adopted photoplethysmography, allowing someone to obtain their heart rate by placing their fingertip on the phone. The others worked through non-contact photoplethysmography - where the camera is held in front of the face to take the same reading. THE DANGERS OF ABNORMAL HEART RATES Arrhythmias or heart rhythm problems are experienced by more than 2 million people a year in the UK. Most people with an abnormal heart rhythm can lead a normal life if it is properly diagnosed. Drinking alcohol in excess or being overweight increases your likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation - an irregular heartbeat. Having atrial fibrillation means your risk of stroke is five times higher than for someone whose heart rhythm is normal. You may also be at risk of developing an arrhythmia if your heart tissue is damaged because of an illness for example, if you have had a heart attack or have heart failure. Certain types of arrhythmia occur in people with severe heart conditions, and can cause sudden cardiac death. This kills 100,000 people in the UK every year. Some of these deaths could be avoided if the arrhythmias were diagnosed earlier, doctors say. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement The researchers found substantial differences in accuracy between all of the four commercially available apps. In some there were differences of more than 20 beats per minute compared to the ECG readings, they noted in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The researchers added that despite being relatively easy to use, the non-contact one performed the worst and had a tendency to report higher rates. However, the performance of the two contact-apps was also different, with one providing similar results to pulse oximetry, while the other didn't. Dr Wyss added: 'The one contact app was excellent, performing almost like a medically approved pulse oximeter device, but the other app was not accurate even though they use the same technology.' However, the researchers found the variation between the apps wasn't caused by the difference in camera technology, age, body temperature or heart rate itself. Instead, they believe it is down to the algorithm that each app uses to calculate such a rate. Dr Wyss added: 'The difference in performance between the contact apps is probably down to the algorithm the app uses to calculate heart rate which is commercially confidential. 'It means that just because the underlying technology works in one app doesnt mean it works in another one and we cant assume that all contact heart rate apps are accurate.' There is new hope for families of children with a rare disease that robs them of their speech, mobility and sight before they reach their teens. After years of waiting, a landmark treatment for Batten disease, a rare brain disorder that kills children, was approved by the FDA on Thursday. For Tracy VanHoutan, of Chicago, the news was bittersweet. He was a force behind launching the therapy, traveling to Germany and meeting with a pharmaceutical company that led to the first FDA-approved treatment of the disease. At the helm of the treatment plan since 2009, VanHoutan was trying to save two of his four children, who were diagnosed with a type of Batten disease that same year. However, due to the drawn out timeline of the approval, it is too late for their family. Their oldest child Noah died last year, weeks before his 12th birthday. For Laine, 11, condition is too progressed to control. Both Noah and Laine VanHoutan were diagnosed with a type of Batten disease. The FDA approved the first treatment for Batten disease on Thursday, however it is too late for the brother and sister (pictured together around the time of their diagnosis in 2009) Tracy and Jennifer VanHoutan (pictured in 2014) were influential in helping launch the treatment. Their son Noah (right) was diagnosed in 2009. He died in March 2016, weeks before his 12th birthday. Five months after his diagnosis, Laine, now 11, (left) was also diagnosed with CLN2 Batten disease is a brain disorder that robs young children of their personality, mobility, speech, sight and causes seizures that their parents are helpless to stop. Pictured: Noah (left) at age three and Laine (right) before she showed symptoms VanHoutan and his wife Jennifer realized along the way that treatment would do nothing for their children and the disappointment almost made them give up completely. From the moment they learned of their children's illness, the parents worked and studied tirelessly in attempt to try and save Noah and Laine. At age three, Noah began to have speech problems and tremors. Months later, Noah was diagnosed with LINCL in 2009. Five months after learning of Noah's condition, Laine was diagnosed with CLN2. Both had a type of Batten disease, which has 14 different types. VanHoutan said: 'When we started, it was fairly certain it wouldn't help Noah but we were very hopeful it would help Laine. But the timeline fell apart and the chance for her, it slipped away. 'I considered throwing in the towel. Kind of like, "we moved things along further than what they had been before, so that's good enough." 'But we knew people who were still going through it. We could see desperation in their eyes - the same look we had. 'That was a major factor pushing us forward. There was no one else for them.' Tracy VanHoutan (pictured with wife Jennifer and Noah in early 2009) was a force behind launching the therapy. The dedicated father traveled to Germany and met with a pharmaceutical company that led to the first FDA-approved treatment of the disease However, he realized the treatment would come too late to help his children. He said: 'When we started, it was fairly certain it wouldn't help Noah but we were very hopeful it would help Laine. But the timeline fell apart and the chance for her, it slipped away'. Pictured: The VanHoutan family together in 2015 WHAT IS BATTEN DISEASE? Batten disease, also known as Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses, is a rare genetically-inherited disease. It is caused by waste buildup in the cells which creates neurodegnerative effects including: Blindness Seizures Personality changes Dementia Loss of motor skills and the ability to walk, talk and communicate Because it is a rare disease, it is often difficult to diagnosed and untested at birth. Ways to diagnose: Blood or urine tests Skin or tissue sampling DNA analysis Electrical studies of the eyes There are 14,000 children worldwide that are diagnosed with the disorder. There is currently no known cure or treatment available for Batten disease. Advertisement The couple founded Noahs Hope and began working with the Batten Disease Support and Research Association to help raise money for the research. They are still actively engaged in following the progress of the treatment, although it's too late for Laine. She was tested at three years old along with her fraternal twin sister Emily. It was heartbreaking news when the parents learned that one of their daughters would be fine and the other wouldn't. Laine is now in a walker and it is a struggle to feed her while her declining body twitches out of her control. VanHoutan wrote on his website that it was devastating when Laine realized she could no longer run with Emily, as the two are very close. The therapy is called Brineura (cerliponase alfa) and is a treatment for a specific form of Batten disease, CLN2 or TPP1. It is the first FDA-approved treatment to slow loss of walking ability. Although not a cure, it has shown to stop or delay the progression of Batten disease by replacing missing enzymes. The father-of-four is the first to admit he is no scientist or gene expert; he comes from a finance and trading background. It was when his seemingly-healthy three-year-old Noah, collapsed in the basement of their family home in Chicago that he thew himself into binders of research on the brain disease, which eventually led to the approval of the treatment. VanHoutan said: 'I sat in the room when the data was presented and it was incredible. When you see it on paper, it is remarkable. 'In brain diseases, you don't see that type of effect from medication. There is a possibility that they will be able to regain ability from this.' The therapy is called Brineura (cerliponase alfa) and is a treatment for a specific form of Batten disease, CLN2 or TPP1. It is the first FDA-approved treatment to slow loss of walking ability. Pictured together as their health was deteriorating Laine was tested at three years old along with her fraternal twin sister Emily, five months after Noah was diagnosed with Batten disease. It was heartbreak for the family when they learned one daughter had the disease and the other didn't. Pictured: Laine (left) with Emily before her symptoms were in full effect VanHoutan said: 'It's really incredible to know that kids being diagnosed today, tomorrow or in months down the line, won't travel the same path as Noah and Laine.' Pictured Noah (left) aged two and Laine (right) as she lost mobility VanHoutan said he was in over his head at first, adding: 'I spent the first hours and days looking things up, calling people. It was really overwhelming. When I went to Germany, I walked away with a five percent understanding of what they said. 'But I found people incredibly approachable and having them explain things was really helpful.' The FDA approval is viewed as a success by VanHoutan, who said it was an incredible feeling to see it come into fruition since the beginning of the journey in 2009. He said: 'It meant so much to my family. During this time hundreds of kids have passed away. 'It's really incredible to know that kids being diagnosed today, tomorrow or in months down the line, won't travel the same path as Noah and Laine.' You may think Britains big drinkers are those twenty-somethings drunkenly stumbling through the streets for a night on the town. But these days the younger generation actually drink much less than their grandparents. Indeed, older people were the only age group to increase their alcohol consumption over the past decade, figures show. Concerning: Dr Tony Rao, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the rise in over 65s drinking could lead to mental health problems In an Office for National Statistics survey, 55 per cent of over-65s said they had at least one alcoholic drink in the previous week making them regular drinkers. But in the Facebook generation of 16- to 24-year-olds, that figure was less than half. The report on drinking habits from 2005 to last year said that, at the beginning of the period, six in ten young people were regular drinkers. But by last year this had fallen to just over four in ten. And rates of heavy drinking plunged even quicker in 2005, one in 14 young people said they had drunk alcohol on five days of the past week. By last year, that had dropped to just one in 50s. How things change: In 2005, one in 14 young people said they had drunk alcohol on five days of the past week. By 2016, that had dropped to just one in 50 Just orange juice, please! The Facebook generation of 16- to 24-year-olds are drinking less than their predecessors because of social media, experts say Smirnoff Ice anyone? Not anymore! Picture above, a group of students in 1999 when youth drinking was at its peak. In 2016, only one in 50 youngsters said they have had an alcohol beverage in the last seven days Experts speculate youths are drinking less because of technology and social media, as many youngsters now spend time alone on screens rather than socialising in person Last year, about 57 per cent of those over 16 said they had taken a drink in the last seven days, making regular drinking at its lowest level since 2005. This equates to 29million regular drinkers in Britain. The ONS said there were now just under five million heavy drinkers, and 10.6million said they never touched alcohol. The drop in drinking among the young matches the fall in smoking and drug use, while teen pregnancy rates have halved since 2007. It has led to speculation the changes are down to social media, as many youngsters now spend time alone on screens rather than socialising in person. But the persistence of the alcohol habit in over-65s brought a warning over their health. Dr Tony Rao, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said it could lead to mental health problems. It is very concerning that while the rest of the population reduces its alcohol intake, baby-boomers are increasing their weekly drinking and exceeding recommended guidelines, he said. AN ARTICLE on 28 April said that actor Orlando Bloom attended 35,000-a-year King's School in Canterbury. In fact, while Mr Bloom attended Kings Junior School, he went on to study at nearby St Edmund's School. We are happy to set the record straight. A news article on April 27 about a credit card loophole stated that Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act applied only to purchases between 1,000 and 30,000. In fact it covers purchases from 100 to 30,000. 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 United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS, LOCAL 18, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. OHIO CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, Defendant-Appellant. Case No. 16-4040 Decided: May 02, 2017 BEFORE: GIBBONS, SUTTON, and COOK, Circuit Judges. International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 18 (Local 18) filed suit to compel Ohio Contractors Association (OCA) to arbitrate a wage-rate dispute under a collective-bargaining agreement. Relying on this court's opinion in Local 18 International Union of Operating Engineers v. Ohio Contractors Association, 644 F. App'x 388 (6th Cir. 2016) (Hydro-Excavator)a case involving the same parties and contract clausesthe district court granted Local 18's summary judgment motion and compelled arbitration. The OCA appealed, and we AFFIRM. I. The Collective-Bargaining Agreement. Local 18 represents operating engineersworkers who handle the machinery used to construct roads and buildingsin Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The OCA is a construction-company trade group. The parties entered into a collective-bargaining agreement (Agreement) that places specified equipment within the union's exclusive jurisdiction; companies seeking to use such equipment must hire union members. The contract also includes a schedule pegging the members' pay rate to the type of equipment operated. Important here, the Agreement includes two arbitration clauses. One is triggered when a party seeks to designate a wage rate for new, unclassified equipment that is in service on a job site. The other, a general arbitration clause, governs disputes regarding the Agreement's meaning, intent, and application. The Dispute. Local 18 alleges that employers are using new, remote-controlled, multi-use excavation machinery (Brokk equipment) on highway construction projects. The union would have an arbitrator assign a wage classification to the machinery and thereby limit its use to union members. The OCA, on the other hand, aims to avoid a wage classification and thereby retain the option of using non-union labor. The dispute implicates the Agreement's new-equipment arbitration provision. It reads: If equipment within the jurisdiction of the International Union of Operating Engineers is used by an Employer and there is not an appropriate classification listed under the wage schedule herein, the parties must negotiate a pay classification, and if negotiations fail, arbitrate the dispute. According to Local 18, this wording requires the OCA to arbitrate a wage rate because the Brokk equipment 1) is new, in that crews hadn't previously used it in highway construction, 2) lies within the union's jurisdiction because it perform[s] the same functionexcavation, drilling, and demolitionas other machinery listed in the agreement, and 3) is used by an Employer. For its part, the OCA argues the inapplicability of the new-equipment clause because the Brokk equipment 1) is not new, as it has been in use for excavating since at least 1990 and has been used in Ohio in the highway heavy industry since at least 2011, 2) lies outside the union's jurisdiction because it differs from other machine-types enumerated in the agreement, and 3) no employer, as defined in the agreement, uses the equipment. The OCA thus refused to arbitrate, and Local 18 moved to compel arbitration. The district court compelled arbitration, reasoning that an arbitrator must determine whether the dispute satisfied the new-equipment clause's newness, jurisdiction, and employer-use requirements. The OCA appealed. II. We review de novo the district court's order. Great Earth Cos. v. Simons, 288 F.3d 878, 888 (6th Cir. 2002). [A]rbitration is a matter of contract and a party cannot be required to submit to arbitration any dispute which he has not agreed so to submit. United Steelworkers of Am. v. Warrior & Gulf Navigation Co., 363 U.S. 574, 582 (1960). In general, whether the parties have submitted a particular dispute to arbitration, i.e., the question of arbitrability, is an issue for judicial determination unless the parties clearly and unmistakably provide otherwise. Howsam v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 537 U.S. 79, 83 (2002) (emphasis and alterations omitted) (quoting AT&T Tech., Inc. v. Commc'n Workers of Am., 475 U.S. 643, 649 (1986)). We recently adjudicated a materially identical dispute involving the same parties and contract provisions. In Hydro-Excavator, Local 18 sought to compel the OCA to arbitrate a wage rate for members operating hydro-excavators, an equipment type not listed in the Agreement's wage schedule. 644 F. App'x at 38990. Like here, the OCA refused, arguing that hydro-excavators were neither new nor within the union's jurisdiction. We held that the general arbitration clausewhich directs the parties to arbitrate any dispute aris[ing] among any of the parties, (Employee, Employer, Association and/or Union) to this Agreement as to its meaning, intent or the application of its termsrequired that an arbitrator determine whether the dispute fell within the new-equipment clause's ambit. We explained that the general arbitration clause applies to disputes among any of the potentially interested parties, including disputes between the OCA and Local 18. Id. at 395. And we reasoned that the clause applies to disputes as to the CBA's meaning, intent or the application of its terms. No exceptions limit this broad coverage. Id. (internal alterations omitted); see also id. at 397 (same reasoning applied to OCA's argument that hydro-excavators were not new). We apply the same reasoning here, given that the agreement encompasses disputes between the Association and the Union, and given that the meaning, intent or [ ] application of the new-equipment clause's newness, jurisdiction, and employer-use requirements is at bar. As in Hydro-Excavator, an arbitrator, not the court, must determine whether the Brokk-equipment disagreement lies within the scope of the new-equipment clause. The OCA's weak counter-arguments fail to best Hydro-Excavator's on-point analysis. Its main contentionthat Local 18 pursued arbitration only under the new-equipment clause, rather than the general arbitration clausemisses the mark. Local 18 is pursuing arbitration under the new-equipment clause. The general arbitration clause matters only in that it requires the arbitrator, rather than a court, to determine whether the new-equipment clause bears on this dispute. The OCA's remaining argumentsthat 1) the union failed to follow a grievance procedure included in the general arbitration clause, 2) the contract prohibits an Arbitrator from adding a new classification rate to the agreement, and 3) specific contract provisions trump general provisionswere addressed and rejected by Hydro-Excavator, 644 F. App'x at 39697. III. For these reasons, we AFFIRM the district court's order compelling arbitration. COOK, Circuit Judge. More onus should be placed on brands sourcing garments, shoes, leather and natural stones from India to curb child labour, activists said on Tuesday. Companies were told they should help create and sustain child labour-free zones by mapping supply chains and working with communities to boost school enrolment. The Stop Child Labour Coalition of charities recently launched a campaign with guidelines for companies to help ensure that children living in 'labour hotspots' finish school. Companies have been told to create and sustain child labour-free zones by m apping supply chains and working in communities to boost school enrolment 'Brands must take responsibility and share their profits to help keep children in school,' said A. Aloysius, founder of Social Awareness and Voluntary Education, a charity in the south Indian textile hub of Tirupur that is part of the coalition. From ensuring fair wages for adult labourers to working with village councils on enrolment drives and improving access to education, the campaign aims to make 'potential child labourers work only in schools'. According to the International Labour Organisation, more than half of India's estimated 5.7 million child workers between the ages of five and 17 toil on farms, and over a quarter are in manufacturing on tasks such as embroidering clothes, weaving carpets and making matchsticks. India has an estimated 5.7 million child workers toiling on farms and in factories Children also work in restaurants and hotels, and as domestic workers. A 2017 UNICEF report, based on Indian census data, says the proportion of child workers in the five to nine-year age group jumped to 25 percent in 2011 from 15 percent in 2001. Many companies do not engage children in their own facilities but have no checks when they subcontract production to smaller factories or home workers, where the prevalence of child labour increases drastically, campaigners say. 'Child labour has often moved further down the supply chain, making monitoring more difficult,' said Venkat Reddy of the M V Foundation, a charity in the coalition. While most firms do not directly employ children, work is often subcontracted The coalition's guidelines urge the private sector, civil society and government to work together on interventions for child labour-free zones. After applying these guidelines, two communities in Tirupur with some 20,000 households in December were declared child labour-free. 'It was the first time that small garment manufacturers in the area agreed to work with us on the issue,' Aloysius said. The guidelines draw from successful interventions in the cotton fields of Andhra Pradesh, stone quarries of Rajasthan and shoemaking workshops of Agra. 'Like a quality check section, we want brands to add a social responsibility unit in the factories,' Reddy said. 'Supply chains run deep and brands know that. They don't have to build schools, just be part of programmes to keep children in school.' India-based information technology company Infosys announced on Tuesday that it will create 10,000 jobs in the US after creating a central Indiana tech center. CEO Vishal Sikka joined Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to announce the plan, which includes an $8.7 million investment to lease and equip office space in the Indianapolis area to accommodate 2,000 new workers by the end of 2021. 'You can't spell Indiana without starting with India,' Holcomb said after the event at the Statehouse. 'I've always said that we need to take Indiana to the world and bring the world back to Indiana, and today underscores that fact.' Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb (right) greets Dr. Vishal Sikka, CEO of Infosys, following an announcement at the Statehouse in Indianapolis The announcement comes as President Donald Trump has targeted the American H-1B visa program that tech firms such as Infosys have heavily relied upon to bring in skilled workers from Indian and other countries. Many in India will be disappointed to see much-needed jobs leaving the country but Sikka said Trump's focus on the visa program did not have an impact on the company's decision to move towards the US. Sikka said the the plans had been in the works for several years and a move to the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, who was Indiana's governor until January, couldn't hurt. 'Over the last few decades (the industry) became very reliant on the visas and all of that, but we need to change that,' said Sikka. Dr. Vishal Sikka, CEO of Infosys plans to increase its operations in the U.S, establishing four new state-of-the-art technology and innovation hubs in the US 'This is about a longer term journey, about having employees locally, complemented by a global talent pool. Having employees from the community working in close proximity to the clients.' The announcement caps a whirlwind courtship by state officials that started in February, shortly after Holcomb - and Trump - took office. Infosys officials said Indiana's business-friendly climate and a network of college campuses in Indianapolis that could provide a pipeline of workers made it an attractive place. President Donald Trump has targeted the American H-1B visa program that tech firms such as Infosys have heavily relied upon to bring in skilled Indians The state is also offering up to $31 million in economic incentives, including a tax credits worth as much as $15,000 for every worker hired. The Indiana center will be the first of four facilities the company plans to open in the US and will be focus on developing emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Infosys has not yet signed a lease, but is considering a number of locations in the Indianapolis metro area and hopes to be up and running by August. Putting military personnel above 'normal risk' is against the fundamental right to life, said the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, while it asked the Centre and HAL to pay Rs 55 lakh as compensation to a serving IAF officer rendered unfit for flying after a MiG-21 crash. The court held that manufacturing defect and faulty workmanship led to wing commander Sanjeet Singh Kaila's fighter jet falling to the ground 12 years ago. This was the first time a crash survivor took on the government seeking redress. The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter/interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. The court held that manufacturing defect and faulty workmanship led to wing commander Sanjeet Singh Kaila's fighter jet falling to the ground 12 years ago In 2012, the government told Parliament that more than half the 872 MiGs it had purchased from Russia had been lost in accidents at a cost of over 200 lives. The jet has become known as the 'flying coffin' or the 'widow maker'. In 2005, Kaila was posted in Rajasthan as a squadron leader. On January 4, he embarked on a regular flight exercise along with three other pilots. 'Immediately after the take-off, he experienced a drift to the left side of the aircraft. Simultaneously, he was informed by the other pilot flying the second aircraft, of a fire at the rear end of his aircraft. 'Ten seconds before the crash he ejected himself from the plane that led to the spinal injury,' said the pilot's counsel Bharat Kumar. Kaila called the order a step back for defence manufacturers like Hindustan Aeronautical Limited but termed it a giant leap for the defence industry. 'This is a revolutionary judgement in the Indian defence industry which would help in attribution of responsibility on defence manufacturer, henceforth,' Kumar said. In 2012, the government told Parliament that more than half the 872 MiGs it had purchased from Russia had been lost in accidents at a cost of over 200 lives. The jet has become known as the 'flying coffin' or the 'widow maker' (file pic) 'Furthermore, this is also the first time, the right to work in a safe environment for an armed forces personnel has been recognised by the Delhi high court.' Experts say India's 1.4 million-strong military is hobbled by outdated equipment and slow decision-making. The division bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Deepa Sharma said the armed forces cannot be put to 'more risk than they had bargained for' and directed the Centre to pay Rs 5 lakh and the aircraft manufacturer Rs 50 lakh as compensation. Kumar said Kaila was injured and later forced to discontinue flying after a comprehensive medical examination showed he was suffering from cervical spine injury. 'The medical report also clearly mentions that the petitioner was rendered unfit for flying duties because of the incident. He was additionally instructed and advised by the doctors to even refrain from performing even dayto- day tasks,' he said. The officer filed an RTI application to learn the reason for the crash and through this, he said, it was revealed that the incident was caused due to a manufacturing defect and poor workmanship at HAL's facility. Kaila claimed that despite sending a representation to the government on December 25, 2012, seeking justice by compensating him for the loss suffered by as a result of the air crash, no response was given by the government. In 2013, Kaila moved court seeking a formal apology for the manufacturing defect and the faulty workmanship of the MiG- 21 aircraft that allegedly led to the crash and hold HAL accountable and aware of the ramifications of its actions impacting the security of this country. The crash, he said, resulted in inestimable loss of health and well-being and caused him to lose out on significant employment prospects for no fault of his. The Indian Army is studying the implications of a Supreme Court direction for mandatory registration of FIRs against armed forces personnel involved in encounter deaths. The army feels its operations in places like Jammu and Kashmir may get tied up in complexity without the protection of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA). 'We are doing a detailed analysis of the Supreme Court order as we feel that this may tie down our men and officers in the areas like Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. The Supreme Court has demanded the mandatory registration of FIRs against armed forces personnel involved in encounter deaths 'We will seek clarity and directions from the government in this regard as the protection given to us under the AFSPA seems to be getting away,' sources in the Army told Mail Today. Sources said the commanders on ground in the Valley, which is going through a turbulent period, are feeling the impact of the order as officers are hesitating in taking strict measures while dealing with terrorists' sympathizers and stone-pelting mobs out to attack military personnel and vehicles. 'The matter has already been brought to the notice of the top brass in the force and they are planning to take it up with the Defence Ministry for issuing further instructions to the forces deployed there,' they said. Sources said the commanders on ground in the Valley, which is going through a turbulent period, are feeling the impact of the order as officers are hesitating in taking strict measures The Supreme Court decision restrains the army from using 'excessive or retaliatory force' in the country's conflict regions and ordered investigations into hundreds of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur between 1979 and 2012. In July last year, the apex court had ruled that despite AFSPA, the armed forces cannot use 'excessive and retaliatory force' in Manipur. The AFSPA was first invoked in 1958 for dealing with the insurgency in Nagaland while it was later extended to Manipur and then to Jammu and Kashmir in 1990 after Pakistan-supported Islamic terrorists started attacks on military and Hindus there. 'When the Army was deployed there, the troops would be working under the protection of the AFSPA but after this order, it seems the immunity given to the troops for ensuring national security under pressure conditions would be blown away,' the sources said. The AFSPA provides immunity to Army men from inquiry by police for deaths and excesses committed during operations against insurgents and militants. 'The order seems to have changed the law enacted by Parliament of India and we will have to ask government as to how do we fight terrorists and handle the situation in the areas impacted by this order,' the sources said. The Centre had also opposed the direction in the court saying this could jeopardise efforts to maintain peace and security in these areas. The Centre had filed a curative petition in the apex court on the issue last week. A curative petition is the last legal recourse available after a litigant exhausts all remedies such as appeals and review pleas. The Centre had said, 'If the position maintained by the impugned order continues, it may one day be well-nigh impossible to maintain peace and security.' 'The Indian Army has to, in given circumstances, take quick decisions which cannot be dissected later on like an ordinary murder appeal. In other words, the scope of judicial review against active military operations cannot be on the same parameters as in other situations. Dead soldiers Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh (left) and Head Constable Prem Sagar Therefore, action taken by Army during operations cannot be put to judicial scrutiny,' the government argued. In the recent times with rising violence levels at the behest of Pakistan Army and Islamic terror groups based across the border, the need for giving more freedom to the forces operating there has been felt but the order may result otherwise. In the last few years, there have been demands from several quarters, including the mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir, to repeal or relax the AFSPA from certain parts of the state. Human rights groups have also called the law draconian. But the security forces have staunchly opposed the removal of the law. How killers got past the India's heat scanners The Indian army outpost close to Krishna Ghati, where two Indian soldiers were brutally beheaded by a special forces team of the Pakistan army, failed to detect suspicious movement along the Line of Control despite having access to Hand Held Thermal Imagers. The Pakistani army men along with a team of at least 5-6 non state actors (Mujahideens) had sneaked 250 metres into the Indian territory under the cover of darkness. Army sources believe the trap was laid by the Border Action Team (BAT), the black ops unit of the Pakistani army. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat (left) arrives on a two-day visit to Kashmir Army officers confirmed that Kirpan post in Nangteki had HHTI, which was used by the forces on the intervening night of 30 April and May 1. But sources said that HHTI scanners are not foolproof and there are ways to avoid being detected. Thermal imagers capture the body heat of any living being and produce an image on their monitors. The enemy often takes cover of trees and big rocks to avoid being seen. The army also has passive binoculars with night vision, but even those have 'constraints'. Sources said that since the attack was carried out during the day at 8.40 am, chances are the men hiding on the Indian side of Line of Control were wearing the Ghillie Suit, a perfect camouflage clothing designed to give cover to attackers in green areas. Sources said this suit is used by Army and even terrorists trying to resemble the background environs such as foliage or sand. The suit has a cloth garment covered in loose strips of burlap, cloth or twine, sometimes made to look like leaves and twigs, and optionally augmented with scraps of foliage from the area. Once the attack was unleashed, the Pakistani Army continue to give cover fire pinning down the patrol team preventing them to rescue the two soldiers. Pakistani Army guns on their posts Roza and Battal were active in the area of incident even as they fired around 50 rockets followed by a heavy barrage of mortars which created a thick smoke screen. After the attack was completed in Poonch sector, the Pakistan army returned to PoK and took the heads as 'trophies.' Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras has good reason to be thankful for Brexit. Normally at this time of year, as Greece's latest debt repayments to creditors fall due, the country is enveloped in crisis. Yield on Greek bonds soar, bank shares plunge and extremists take to the streets and burn cars in blind fury. But the 2017 talks with its masters in Brussels and Frankfurt have passed off almost without hitch. With so much political effort going into embarrassing Britain over Article 50, Grexit has become unthinkable. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has won support for a 72.9bn bailout package On Tuesday, Athens won continuing support for its 72.9billion bailout package by agreeing to a broadening of the tax base, further cuts in pensions and legal changes so businesses can write-down debts. Athens looks to have won assurances that its burden of 269billion of debt, 181 per cent of output according to International Monetary Fund data, will be rescheduled. The IMF has been at odds with the EU about the best way of dealing with Greece. It has argued that the debt will never be repaid and Greece can never fully recover unless some means of easing debt repayments is reached. Brussels, having held out against any debt forgiveness, fearing other Club Med nations might demand the same, has changed its mind. The remaining obstacle is Angela Merkel, who may not want to sign off on a longer term Greek bailout until she is safely through elections in September. German taxpayers have never been too happy about bailing out profligate Greeks, although in better days they were not so reticent about flogging its citizens BMWs. Greece has been punished severely by the EU. As a result of austerity, output has shrunk by 25 per cent, unemployment reached 23.1 per cent of the workforce and the jobless rate among youth 45.2 per cent. Greek banks are weighed down by 45 per cent bad loans which means business finds it hard to get the credit it needs to invest. Recent improvements in unemployment are put at risk by output shrinkage in the final quarter of 2016. A nasty process has been avoided with the next 6billion loan repayment set to be forthcoming from creditors. Finally, the bungling bureaucrats of Brussels are starting to see the political error of past harshness. Brexiteers can take some credit for that. TV times There can be few complaints about Adam Crozier's seven-year record at ITV. He took a bombed-out terrestrial broadcaster, forever moaning about restrictions on advertising revenues, and refocused on production which drove up revenues. The result was a quadrupling of the shares and a rate of return of 24 per cent against 7 per cent for the FTSE 100. ITV has made great dramas for the UK, such as Downton Abbey and Broadchurch, and ITV Studios' hits, including Hell's Kitchen, have gone worldwide. The answers to ITV's past problems was to close studios. Crozier moved in the opposite direction, focusing on high production values. That's been good for investors and for Britain's reputation as a hub for creativity. The big question Crozier leaves behind is whether the ITV model of mass UK market advertising and British production values is durable. Bears would say that, in the digital era, it is outdated and ITV cannot possibly compete with the production budgets available to Amazon, Netflix and the like. Wrong. Fast-moving consumer goods companies need large-scale audiences, and ITV has shown it can deliver them directly to the sofa. The skills necessary for good programmes are built up over generations and are not easily replicated. Money, as Hollywood producers of epic flops could testify, does not guarantee a hit for general viewing. Would an overseas bid be welcome? Regulator Ofcom's answer should be 'no'. Does Crozier deserve a 'golden goodbye'? The answer to that is also 'no'. He already has been rewarded handsomely for his efforts, including a peak earning year when he took home 8million. Enough is enough. Sainsbury's slippage There was some stock market disappointment in Sainsbury's third profits decline in as many years. Investors (including this writer) shouldn't despair. Sainsbury's switch to online through Argos and its grocery service are significant steps in the right direction. And, encouragingly, it is working to make sure the supposed squeeze on household incomes is mitigated by being robust with its supply chain. The direction is sensible, but patience will be required. I'm back: Derek Sach is working at private equity giant CVC as an 'industrial adviser' Fred Goodwin's trusty lieutenant, Derek Sach, has resurfaced. Sach, 68, was head of Royal Bank of Scotland's Global Restructuring Group, a ruthless division that squeezed struggling firms for profit. He's now working at private equity giant CVC as an 'industrial adviser'. Cruel-mouthed, with an unpleasantly patrician air, Sach and his colleagues were described by eagle-eyed Treasury Select Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie as 'wilfully obtuse'. Barclays boss Jes Staley's future is much discussed after backing his brother-in-law in a legal battle with his bank's client KKR. Staley's tribe are a colourful bunch. Grandfather Edward ran department store WT Grant, whose 1976 bankruptcy was the second biggest in American corporate history. Brother Peter, 56, is an Aids activist who once chained himself to the New York Stock Exchange. Should Barclays give Jes the bullet, he could pen a lively memoir. Some 40,000 people are expected to descend upon Omaha in Nebraska this weekend for Berkshire Hathaway's AGM. The issue of who'll succeed founder Warren Buffett, 86, is likely to be discussed. Buffett refuses to disclose who it is, though most predict it'll be publicity-shy head of insurance Ajit Jain. He's regarded as 'unbelievably smart' and, aged 64, probably a more viable long-term choice than Buffett's 93-year-old deputy, Charlie Munger. Sailing in the America's Cup is a costly business. Britain's Land Rover Bar team, led by oil trading tycoons Chris Bake and Ian Taylor, have spent 100million. Current holder, show-off Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, 72, has spent 90million. Legendary financier JP Morgan, who won the trophy in 1899 and 1901, opined of the costs: 'If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it.' RBS chairman and self-appointed gourmand Sir Howard Davies recommends to Management Today readers a dish he recently tried during a stopover in Warsaw called Erich's Pork Knuckle. The delicacy is named in honour of East Germany's brutish Communist leader, Erich Honecker, who, Davies says, 'liked knuckles both in his tummy and other people's face.' Harry and Mavis Parkins' trip to Tenerife last November was going to be their last holiday abroad with their son, Keith. The couple, aged 92 and 87, find flying tiring and now worry about falling ill in a foreign country. But rather than a relaxing break, Harry, Mavis and Keith, 66, arrived at their hotel in the Canary Islands to find a building site. There were diggers and workmen everywhere. The air was filled with dust and the power tools were deafening. Hotel hell: Builders swarm around the pool at the Rubicon Palace in Lanzarote where Mail readers Mike and Joyce Whitfield paid 2,300 for a two-week stay Thomson, their tour operator, hadn't told them the hotel was being renovated or that the work was scheduled for their entire four-week stay. Harry and Mavis spent most of their 2,300 holiday in their room, hiding from the mess. Keith, a retired software engineer from Hampshire, says: 'Their last holiday abroad was ruined. We were told it was impossible to relocate as the island was packed.' When they arrived home, the family complained to Thomson. Keith, who booked separately and paid nearly 1,800, was offered 350 in cash or 550 in vouchers. Harry and Mavis are negotiating a payout. Every year, thousands of holidaymakers arrive to find their hotel is a building site after no advance warning. Money Mail has heard from families who've had to eat meals in clouds of dust, been unable to use the pool and endured endless drilling. Many have spent their holiday worrying about their children's safety amid scaffolding and rubble. When they have asked to switch hotel or come home early, they've been told to pay thousands of pounds extra. And those who have complained have typically been offered barely any compensation. Frank Brehany, of travel complaints firm HolidayTravelWatch, says: 'Unexpected building work is a common complaint and it's about time operators dealt with this.' Shocking view: This is the view that greeted Mail readers Harry, 92, and Mavis, 87, Parkins on their trip to Tenerife last November CHOKING ON DUST FROM THE DRILLING The majority of the complaints we've received are about Thomson Holidays, owned by TUI. The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) has fined the firm three times a total of 11,000 for not telling holidaymakers about building work before they travelled. Under Abta's rules, firms must tell you in advance if your hotel is undergoing work that could 'seriously impair the enjoyment' of your holiday. What are the rules? Under Abta's rules, firms must tell you in advance if your hotel is undergoing work that could 'seriously impair the enjoyment' of your holiday. Under Abta's code of conduct your tour operator must warn you of major works at your hotel, or a nearby building, as soon as it can. Under Abta rules, your tour operator should give you the opportunity to switch at no extra cost. If you find out before you travel, you can cancel the holiday and demand a full refund. The travel firm may offer you an alternative holiday but you may be asked to pay extra. Hotels don't always tell operators about building work. If you arrive at your hotel and it's a building site, complain to your holiday rep at the first opportunity. If there is no one there, contact your firm's call centre. Your rep must try to find a solution, such as another hotel or allowing you to use its services. If you refuse, you must have a good reason and can ask to go home early free of charge. They don't have to tell you if the hotel is repairing a lift or being painted, but they must say if it's digging up the pool, extending or closing large areas for renovation. Tour operators must also say if a nearby hotel or office block is carrying out major works. But, as Mike and Joyce Whitfield can testify, firms may not follow the rules. Every year the retired couple go to the five-star Rubicon Palace in Lanzarote. They thought they knew what to expect for their 2,300 two-week stay in January: lounging by the pool, sipping cocktails outside the piano bar and eating al fresco. But they arrived to find workmen were ripping up tiles by the pool and the piano bar was closed for a refit. The work was 40 feet from the restaurant, making it impossible to eat outside without choking on dust. Work lasted from 8am until 4pm every day but Sunday. Renovations started three months earlier but Thomson had not warned them. Mike, a 68-year-old retired policeman, says: 'Every day you'd see a queue of people looking to speak with the rep. 'I don't blame the hotel for renovating but Thomson should have said. We'd love to go back but it won't be with Thomson.' After complaining, Mike and retired social worker Joyce, 67, were offered a 220 holiday voucher. Money Mail stepped in Thomson increased its offer to 500 in cash. Work in progress: Another unwelcome scene at the Parkins' Canary Islands hotel. Harry and Mavis spent most of their 2,300 holiday in their room, hiding from the mess FACED 2,000 BILL TO MOVE HOTEL For many holidaymakers, the obvious solution to building work is moving to a different hotel nearby. Under Abta rules, your tour operator should give you the opportunity to switch at no extra cost. But, as Valerie and Martin Churchill found, some firms will try to charge thousands of pounds. The couple, from Wheatley in Oxfordshire, booked two weeks in Mexico over Christmas last year to celebrate Martin's 50th birthday. They splashed out 2,400 on luxury five-star hotel Riu Palace Pacifico. The reviews were glowing. But when they arrived they found workers tearing down another hotel just 100 feet from their pool. Sunbathers were plagued by the sounds of cranes and drills. Dust was kicked up by trucks carrying rubble. Valerie and Martin complained to their Thomson rep, saying they had not been warned. They asked to move hotels but were told it would cost more than 2,000. If they wanted to fly home early, it would be 1,000. This is time we won't get back. Thomson doesn't seem to get that The couple put up with the noise as the nearest town was a 40-minute walk away. Valerie, 58, who works for Oxford City Council, says: 'People spend a lot on holidays as they are a time for relaxing with family. This is time we won't get back. Thomson doesn't seem to get that.' The couple have referred their case to complaints handling service Resolver. In response to all of the cases Money Mail sent to Thomson, it says instances such as these are 'rare'. A spokeswoman says: 'We're sorry to hear this group of customers were unhappy with their holiday experience. 'We rely on our partners in resort to advise us of any maintenance work and regrettably this did not happen in these circumstances. 'We are in direct contact with the customers to better understand their complaints and to resolve each matter to their satisfaction.' SCAFFOLDING PUT CHILDREN AT RISK Sharon Fielder her husband took their eight-year-old twins Finn and Isla to Tenerife Sharon Fielder was not even offered the option of moving when she complained to her hotel last month. She and her husband had taken their eight-year-old twins Finn and Isla to Tenerife for a week. They were staying at the five-star Hotel Gran Tacande, which they booked through Monarch. The family, who live in Brighton, arrived to find two of the five main blocks covered in scaffolding. The main pool was being retiled, leaving just a tiny pool for guests to use. The Fielders asked to move to another hotel but were refused. The family say the hotel would not even arrange for them to use a nearby hotel's pool. Hotel staff offered a free meal each night and a family ticket to a nearby water park, but the Fielders rejected this. Sharon, 41, who runs a beauty therapy firm, says: 'It was unacceptable. Our holiday was ruined. The kids were devastated. We wouldn't let our kids play at a building site at home so why would we on holiday? We wouldn't let our kids play at a building site at home so why would we on holiday? 'We were unaware what we were in for. When we checked our travel documents we saw the work was in the small print. Even this made it seem like it was minor work.' A spokeswoman for Monarch said it's investigating the complaint and said it will be in touch with the Fielders once this is complete. HOW TO COMPLAIN Hotels often choose to carry out major building projects in their off-season, as they have fewer guests. So if you're travelling between November and March, check with the hotel before handing over money. Make sure to scour the small print of advertisements or travel documents for any mention of building work or pool and restaurant closures too. Under Abta's code of conduct your tour operator must warn you of major works at your hotel, or a nearby building, as soon as it can. If you find out before you travel, you can cancel the holiday and demand a full refund. The travel firm may offer you an alternative holiday but if it is more expensive you may be asked to pay extra. However, hotels don't always tell operators about building work for fear they will stop referring holidaymakers. And even when they do know, operators don't always tell you. If you arrive at your hotel and it's a building site, complain to your holiday rep at the first opportunity. If there is no one there, contact your firm's call centre. Your rep must try to find a solution, such as moving you to another hotel or allowing you to use its services. If you refuse, you must have a good reason such as you've paid for a five-star hotel and are being moved to a two-star one. In this instance, you can ask to go home early free of charge. Woes: The majority of the complaints received were about Thomson Holiday, sowned by TUI MAKE SURE YOU COLLECT THE EVIDENCE Make a note of who you spoke to and try to get evidence that you've lodged a complaint. Take photos and videos of the building work and make a diary noting any of the disturbances you experience. When you get home, send a formal complaint to the operator by registered post. Include details of what happened, who you spoke to and when, your booking reference number and any photographic evidence. If you weren't given prior warning you can claim compensation. There are no set amount guidelines of how much you can get you must negotiate this with the tour operator. Mr Brehany from HolidayTravelWatch suggests 40 per person per day is reasonable. Separate your compensation request into three sections: loss of value (your pool was closed), loss of enjoyment and stress, and out-of-pocket expenses (you had to eat out as the restaurant was too dusty to eat in). You can also ask for cash instead of travel vouchers. If your tour operator ignores your complaint, take your case to Abta. Abta is not an ombudsman and cannot force a travel company to pay compensation. But its intervention is often enough to prompt a travel firm to cough up. Call 020 3117 0500 or complain at abta.com. Abta also offers an independent arbitration scheme, which gives a legally-binding judgment. There is an administration charge of around 100 to 200, and you may have to pay a fee if you lose. Emma Morris, of comparison site Travelsupermarket, says it is unlikely your travel insurance would cover you for this type of event. However, you may be able to claim some money back from your credit card provider. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act your bank is jointly liable if you arrive at your hotel and it is not as described. You need to have paid more than 100 for the holiday but only 1 of this needs to have been put on the card from which you claim. p.thomas@dailymail.co.uk Alitalia has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in a decade after workers at the Italian airline rejected wage cuts linked to a 1.7billion rescue. The loss-making carrier, which has a history of financial trouble, said shareholders had voted unanimously to file for special administration after employees rejected a plan to cut jobs and salaries to secure funds. The airline said that shareholders and Gulf carrier Etihad Airways, which owns 49 per cent of the firm, had been 'committed to recapitalise and finance the plan with 2billion, but that without the approval of workers it could not go ahead'. Alitalia last filed for administration in 2008. It had been hoped Etihad's 1.5billion stake purchase in 2014 would help transform the company into a five-star operator. But it has lost its standing in Italy to budget rivals Ryanair and EasyJet. Etihad said it was 'disappointed' Alitalia had filed for bankruptcy. The Italian government, which has invested more than 5.9billion into the airline over the last decade, has already ruled out a bailout. The chairman of JD Wetherspoon has launched a broadside against the Confederation of British Industry over the lobby group's stance on Brexit. Tim Martin, who has publicly declared his support for Brexit on a number of occasions, said the CBI has been giving 'foolhardy advice' to the Government over its approach to securing a deal with the European Union. Director-general of the CBI Carolyn Fairbairn came in for particular criticism from Martin. Tim Martin said the CBI has been giving 'foolhardy advice' to the Government on Brexit. He said: 'Carolyn Fairbairn of the CBI has recently said that leaving the negotiating table without a deal shouldn't be Plan B, but Plan Z. It is doubtful if Ms Fairbairn has ever been involved in serious business negotiations herself, since this is the same as a housebuyer saying to a seller, I must have your house at any cost'. 'In this case the buyer will not pay the market price, but will pay the maximum that the seller believes he can afford. It is hard to believe that such foolhardy advice could emanate from a business organisation,' Martin explained. Martin said it was essential to the negotiations that the UK's willingness to trade on World Trade Organisation rules and the possibility of abolishing import tariffs unilaterally was promoted. He said such a move would lead to a sharp drop in consumer prices and boost living standards. 'The current desperation of the CBI and others for a deal is only encouraging the absurd posturing of the unelected President Juncker and his acolytes, and creates an absurdly pessimistic picture of the UK's position if a sensible deal is not forthcoming,' he added. A JD Wetherspoon pub in London's Victoria. 'As EU businesses know, they will suffer acutely if UK companies and consumers switch their allegiance to domestic or other non-EU suppliers. The CBI should let those businesses make the case for a free trade deal, rather than undermining the Government's negotiating position.' The comments came as the pub chain reported a like-for-like rise in sales of 4 per cent in the third quarter of its financial year, while total sales rose by 1.3 per cent. The company also said it has now opened nine pubs since the start of the financial year and sold off 36. Three further pubs have been closed and are being marketed, while one further location is due to be opened. Shares in JD Wetherspoon climbed 3.1 per cent following the update to sit at 1044 pence. Big wins for punters on the Grand National and the US Masters overshadowed a strong start to the year for bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair. The company said profits jumped 114 per cent to 91million in the first three months of 2017 after a successful Cheltenham Festival. Revenues rose 23 per cent to 416million. Paddy Power Betfair said profits jumped 114% to 91m in the first three months of 2017 after a successful Cheltenham Festival. Revenues rose 23% to 416m Cheltenham has proved costly for bookmakers in recent years, but Sizing John's shock victory in this year's Gold Cup was the icing on the cake for the industry as the majority of races went the bookies' way. Breon Corcoran, chief executive, said: 'Since then, however, at high-profile events, results favoured customers.' This included the victory for wellfancied One For Arthur in the Grand National followed a day later by a costly Masters for bookies as the popular Spaniard Sergio Garcia beat England's Justin Rose. Paddy Power Betfair shares yesterday fell 4.3 per cent, or 380p, to 8395p. ITV has revealed it is carrying out a boardroom shake-up that will see chief executive Adam Crozier step down after seven years. Broadcaster ITV could fall into foreign hands after the boss credited for turning around its fortunes announced he would be stepping down after seven years in charge. Adam Crozier, who has led ITV since 2010, will leave at the end of June, potentially paving the way for a swoop by American telecoms giant Liberty Global. The 53-year-old is credited with steering ITV through the recession and reducing its reliance on advertising by building up its production arm. Under his tenure, the company invested heavily in making its own content, producing runaway hits Broadchurch, Downton Abbey, Poldark and Vera. Crozier, who has pocketed 25.5million since joining ITV, will be paid the balance of his one-year notice period, as well as a bonus amounting to about 2million. Crozier's departure was first rumoured in December when it was claimed that chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette had asked head-hunter firm Spencer Stuart to find a replacement. However, Bazalgette insisted it was 'normal' succession planning and denied Crozier had any intention of leaving. Today, bosses said the company 'has a well-developed succession plan in place and a longer-term successor to Adam will be announced in due course'. For now, finance director Ian Griffiths will add the role of chief operating officer to his duties, while Bazalgette becomes executive chairman. Success: Under Crozier, ITV invested heavily in making its own content, producing hits Broadchurch starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman (pictured) Bazalgette said: 'Adam has been talking to me and the board for some time now about his plans. He has made a fantastic contribution to ITV and the board is deeply indebted to him.' But news of Crozier's resignation sent shares down 1.8 per cent and reopened speculation of a possible takeover. Analysts at Liberum said his departure could see a bid by Virgin Media owner Liberty Global, which controls 9.9 per cent of ITV, or a joint takeover with Discovery, another media business. Both companies are effectively controlled by John Malone, which bought UK TV production business All3Media, the maker of shows including Midsomer Murders, Skins and The Only Way Is Essex, in 2014. Jasper Lawler, senior market analyst at LCG Market Rundown, said: 'It could be that Crozier is clearing the way for a takeover of ITV, possibly by Liberty Global. The market's reaction of sending the shares lower was more bemoaning the loss of a good leader rather than acknowledging a step towards a takeover bid.' Adam Crozier said last night: 'Having spent 21 years as a chief executive across four very different industries, I feel the time is right for me to move to the next stage of my career.' The UK's biggest technology company, Sage Group, jumped towards the top of the FTSE after revealing software subscriptions rose by nearly 50 per cent in the six months to the end of March. The global accounting and payroll firm said it is 'very confident' of beating full-year growth expectations and had taken in more than 1.2m software subscription contracts over the period. Profits rose 32 per cent to 180mililon, while revenue rose 5.7 per cent just under its 6 per cent full-year target. It marks a change of pace for the Newcastle-based firm, which saw its shares crash in January following a disappointing performance in its US payments business. Shares yesterday rose 3.4 per cent, or 23.5p, to 707p. Tech boost: Sage Group said it is 'very confident' of beating full-year growth expectations and had taken in more than 1.2m software subscription contracts over the period Shares in education business Pearson were up 1.7 per cent, or 11p, to 656.5p, a welcome respite for the firm which has struggled to recover since tanking almost 10 per cent last month after being downgraded by broker Liberum. Yesterday's rise came as bosses announced an expanded partnership with a US university which will see it launch three new graduate degree programmes. The day before they unveiled a tie-up with another US university to launch three new online master's degree programmes. But the company is unlikely to rest on its laurels. It is due to hold its AGM later this week against a backdrop of criticism over its decision to give chief executive John Fallon a 20 per cent pay rise for 2016, to 1.5million, despite the company's 2.6billion annual loss. The FTSE 100 fell 0.2 per cent, or 15.52 points, to 7234.53, weighed down by miners which were hit by falling copper prices. Centamin was crowned the FTSE 250's second-biggest loser after reporting a 28 per cent drop in profits over the first three months of the year. STOCK WATCH - OSIRIUM TECHNOLOGIES Cyber-security firm Osirium Technologies sank after revenue growth for the 14 months to December 31 was slower than expected. The business makes technology which prevents gadgets and software from being hit by cyber-attacks. Chief executive David Guyatt said revenues suffered as recruitment took longer than expected after the firm listed last April but that it is now seeing signs of significant progress. Shares fell 12.9 per cent, or 16p, to 108.5p. The gold miner reported profits of 22.9million for the first quarter, with production down 13 per cent on the same period last year. As previously highlighted by the firm, it has spent the past three months digging out an area of its Sukari gold mine in Egypt, sacrificing part of its first-quarter production to increase the rest of the year's output. As a result, full-year production estimates were held at 540,000 ounces. Panmure Gordon analysts said the figures should not shock investors as Centamin had already warned of a drop in profits. Shares fell 5.9 per cent, or 10.3p, to 163.2p. Card Factory edged up after Peel Hunt rewarded its strong performance this year with a 'buy' rating. Analysts at the broker said the business is likely to see 'much more' momentum due to a commitment to keeping prices lower than competitors. This comes despite it revealing strong full-year profits of 398.2million at the end of March, up from 381.6million the year before. Peel Hunt said the firm is in 'great shape' and called its 8 per cent dividend yield a 'gift'. Shares rose 0.2 per cent, or 0.6p, to 332.1p. InnovaDerma's shares continued to storm forward as the life sciences firm announced a distribution deal with online retailer Asos for its Skinny Tan product. The self-tan product went on sale in Superdrug in February last year. In January, Innova said the product was largely responsible for its 80 per cent year-on-year sales growth. The deal will see Skinny Tan sold on Asos's website from June and marketed and distributed globally. InnovaDerma has seen shares rally 45 per cent over the past month. This has been helped in part by its acquisition of Ergon Medical, the manufacturers of Prolong, the world's only FDA-cleared medical device used to treat premature ejaculation. Shares rose 17.4 per cent, or 35p, hitting a four-month high of 236.5p. This is the moment a shameless fly tipper dumped a lorry-load of commercial waste across a cycle path before speeding away in a professional operation lasting just eight seconds. The truck was filmed as it unloaded the pile of rubble late at night in Enfield the country's worst-hit borough for fly-tipping. The driver is suspected of being part of a sophisticated gang of organised criminals that regularly dumps commercial waste at the site, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds a year. Scroll down for video Caught in the act: A shameless fly tipper dumps a lorry-load of commercial waste across a cycle path before speeding away in a professional operation lasting just eight seconds Gone in eight seconds: The tipper was caught dumping rubbish by MailOnline late at night in Enfield, the UK's most blighted borough for illegal fly-tipping Caught red handed: The offender's truck was later pictured, above, at a Sainsbury's petrol station in Walthamstow, north London, with its number plate covered with mud, circled MailOnline passed the footage to Enfield Council's investigations unit which is assessing it. If caught, the driver faces a fine of thousands of pounds and up to five years in prison. The truck was later pictured at a Sainsbury's petrol station in Walthamstow, north London, with its number plate covered with mud. In a separate incident, MailOnline pictured a woman piling black bags, cardboard boxes, mattresses and other domestic waste onto the pavement in Chingford, north London. She waited until after dark before leaving her flat and dumping as much rubbish as she could carry at the site before hurrying away. More illegal dumpers added to the pile of rubbish overnight and by morning it had spread all across the pavement. 'It happens all the time,' said a male resident, who asked to remain anonymous. 'These people have no respect for anybody else in their community.' The two incidents show the shocking scale of Britain's fly tipping crisis as almost a million cases were reported that year, which cost the government 50million to clear. There were 936,090 instances of fly tipping in 2016, a four per cent rise on the year before. But according to the Department for the Environment (Defra), the true figure is likely much higher since not all councils have robust mechanisms for reporting it. To make matters worse, just 0.2 per cent of reported cases resulted in prosecution. Shameless: In a separate incident, a woman was pictured piling black bags, cardboard boxes, mattresses and other domestic waste onto the pavement in Chingford, north London Litter: The woman waited until after dark before leaving her flat and dumping as much rubbish as she could carry at the site before hurrying away, unaware that she was being pictured Mess: But by the morning more fly tippers had added to the growing mess to create this eyesore in the street featuring a mattress, plastic chair and more plastic bags of rubbish Caught on CCTV: In February Enfield Council released this footage of a man apparently dumping a mattress and seeking his identity to issue him with a 400 fine for fly tipping It comes after residents were left in tears after 'scumbag' travellers dumped tons of rubbish in front of Laindon, a picturesque parish church in Essex, where more than 300ft of household waste was left at the illegal site before a convoy of caravans left. Among the thousands of items left lying on the grass were the stripped-out interior of a car, including its seats, and cups and saucers from a pensioner's house clearance - even including a leaflet for the Women's Institute. Enfield was named the worst place in the country for fly-tipping with more than double the number of cases as anywhere else in England. Last year the council recorded 70,930 cases, whereas neighbouring Haringey reported just 34,975. However, this is thought to be partly due to Enfield's pro-active anti-fly tipping unit. In March investigators from Enfield probing a large amount of illegally dumped rubbish found a boarding pass, old company accounts and a number of addressed envelopes found in the rubbish, which led them to a warehouse in nearby Tottenham. Menace: Scenes like this one in Dagenham, Essex, are repeated around the country. The worst borough for illegal rubbish dumping is Enfield, which recorded 70,930 cases last year Dumped: New figures show last year there were almost one million cases of fly-tipping like this one in Dagenham, Essex, which costs the government and taxpayers 50million to clear up Dirty: Enfield's fly-tipping unit investigated double the number of cases like this one compared to neighbouring Haringey, which had 34,975. 'It happens all the time,' said an unnamed man, who lives there. 'These people have no respect for anybody else in their community.' Flytipping: In March investigators from Enfield probing a large amount of illegally dumped rubbish found a boarding pass, old company accounts and a number of addressed envelopes found in the rubbish, which led them to a warehouse in nearby Tottenham, pictured Problem: It found the rubbish, above, had been loaded into a 40ft skip that had been stored in a locked warehouse awaiting legitimate removal. A criminal gang had broken into the warehouse and stolen the skip using a lorry. After dumping the rubbish they sold the skip It found the rubbish had been loaded into a 40ft skip that had been stored in a locked warehouse awaiting legitimate removal. A criminal gang had broken into the warehouse and stolen the skip using a specially modified lorry. After dumping the rubbish they sold the skip. Enfield Council said commercial fly tipping gangs are often involved in a number of other crimes. 'Commercial fly tippers can be quite sophisticated operators and some are engaged in a number of other crimes,' said Francesca Skipp, the council's investigator. 'People need to know that if you call a man with a van to take away your rubbish and he dumps it illegally, you are going to be liable because you did not carry out the proper checks. Rubbish: Enfield is the country's messiest borough for fly-tipping with more than twice as many cases as anywhere else in England. Pictured: A disgruntled resident posts this photo of an illegal dump in the borough Out of control: Enfield saw 70,930 cases of fly-tipping last year, more than double the number of cases as anywhere else in England She added: 'When you employ someone to dispose of your waste, you must ask them for their Waste Carrier's Licence and a transfer note showing exactly which legitimate dump they are going to use to get rid of it.' Councils have also been criticised for increasing charges for waste removal services as it is thought this may encourage fly tipping. Environment charity Keep Britain Tidy said gangs of 'unregistered waste carriers' have been exploiting the price rises by offering to pick up rubbish 'on the cheap' and then dumping it illegally. Defra plans to issue fresh guidance reminding councils that forcing people to pay to dispose of household rubbish is illegal. Organised crime: The council said commercial fly tipping gangs are often involved in a number of other crimes. But domestic waste fly tippers, pictured in Enfield, also contribute to the 50million cost of clearing it Burden: Francesca Skipp, Enfield Council investigator, told MailOnline: 'Commercial fly tippers can be quite sophisticated operators and some are engaged in a number of other crimes.' In an effort to confront the problem, convicted fly-tippers will be made to pick up litter under new Government proposals to crack down on the growing scourge. Fly-tippers given community service sentences will be told they must help local authorities to clear up waste. Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: 'The Government now wants to see more of those committing crimes like this taking responsibility for cleaning up the community by picking up litter and illegally dumped waste themselves.' She also warned that councils face tough new rules to stop them illegally charging householders for disposing of rubbish. Kim Jong-un may be planning to use his nuclear weapons to 'blackmail' the US into abandoning South Korea so he can take the country over, a White House official has claimed. The dictator could use his arms development to push for 'reunification of the Korean Peninsula', according to Matt Pottinger, Asia director on the US National Security Council. Pottinger said there may be some truth to claims that Pyongyang wants a nuclear deterrent to protect its communist dictatorship. Kim Jong-un (pictured) may be planning to use his nuclear weapons to 'blackmail the US into abandoning South Korea so he can take the country over, a White House official has claimed The dictator could use his arms development to push for 'reunification of the Korean Peninsula', according to Matt Pottinger, Asia director on the US National Security Council. A North Korean rocket is pictured at a military display in April But he added that the country's robust conventional military has worked as a deterrent for decades. Pottinger also suggested other 'disturbing' explanations for the North's development of 'an arsenal of the worst weapons in the world.' 'They have made no secret in conversations they have had with former American officials, for example, and others that they want to use these weapons as an instrument of blackmail to achieve other goals, even including perhaps coercive reunification of the Korean Peninsula one day,' Pottinger told a conference in Washington. The North, he added, also wants to coerce the United States 'to leave the peninsula and abandon our alliances.' Pottinger's comments at a panel discussion organised by Sasakawa USA, a group promoting US-Japan relations, came a day after President Donald Trump opened the door to a future meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, offering unusual praise for the globally ostracised leader at a time of surging nuclear tensions. The US has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test to advance its weapons programs. Pottinger also suggested other 'disturbing' explanations for the North's development of 'an arsenal of the worst weapons in the world'. Pyongyang carried out a live-fire drill last month (pictured) The North's nuclear and ballistic missile development already threatens South Korea and Japan, and within years could put the US mainland within striking range. The North also has a formidable array of conventional artillery and rockets trained on the heavily populated South Korean capital. Echoing other Trump administration officials, Pottinger said the US isn't seeking regime change in North Korea. Rather, he said the US wants an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons program. 'We really have no choice but to increase pressure on North Korea to diplomatically isolate them, to bring a greater economic pain to bear until they are willing to make concrete steps to start reducing that threat,' he said. As its own deterrent, the US retains 28,500 troops in South Korea and the Trump administration has at times warned of potential military confrontation if the North doesn't change course. This week, a contentious US anti-missile system in South Korea started operating, over Chinese opposition. President Donald Trump (pictured) opened the door to a future meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, offering unusual praise for the globally ostracised leader at a time of surging nuclear tensions The US strategy right now focuses on getting China to increase pressure on Pyongyang. But in interviews this week, Trump said he would be 'honored' to meet with Kim under the right circumstances and praised the young dictator as a 'pretty smart cookie.' The comments have bewildered South Koreans and stunned US lawmakers, even as the White House dismissed chances for a meeting soon. 'This is a dramatic departure from the kind of approach to foreign policy and human rights that I admired Ronald Reagan so much for,' Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. told MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on Tuesday. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, speaking at a luncheon in New York, mocked Trump's offer to talk with Kim, saying negotiations US should be weighed carefully as part of a strategy to pressure North Korea in coordination with other nations. 'Negotiations are critical but they have to be part of a broader strategy, not just thrown out on a tweet some morning that, 'Hey, let's get together and, you know, see if we can't get along, and maybe we can, you know, come up with some sort of a deal,'' Clinton said. 'That doesn't work.' Republican leaders in the US Congress were on the brink of another humiliating health care defeat Tuesday, as they struggled to wrangle enough votes to pass Donald Trump's latest bid to repeal and replace Obamacare. An earlier version of the Republican plan collapsed in March, when opposition from both moderates and conservatives torpedoed their own party's attempt to do away with Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. The president and the White House have touted an amended version of a health care bill multiple times in recent days, stressing that despite divisions within the Republican Party, they were gaining support toward reaching the 216 votes necessary to pass the House of Representatives. 'We're making very good progress,' insisted House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has already lost 21 Republican votes. Just one more and the legislation will be stalled yet again President Donald Trump faces a tough task of convincing enough Republicans to back a health care reform bill 'We're making very good progress,' insisted House Speaker Paul Ryan. But with all Democrats expected to vote no on the plan, and a prominent Republican announcing his opposition Tuesday, those advances were in jeopardy. Republicans can afford only 22 defectors in order for the bill to pass, and one whip count, by NBC News, put the Republican 'no' votes at 20, with a dozen more undecided. A 21st, congressman Fred Upton, came out opposed, saying he was uncomfortable with a new amendment which allows states to remove essential health benefits, including protections that require insurance providers to offer coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions. The amendment was crucial in bringing reluctant conservatives on board. But some Republicans remained unwilling to back a bill that waters down the pre-existing conditions provision, a popular element of Obama's signature health care law. 'There are a good number of us that have raised real red flags and concerns, and it's not going to get my yes vote the way that it is,' Upton told WHTC radio. On Monday, perhaps sensing the amended bill was in trouble, Vice President Mike Pence trooped up to Congress and huddled with Republicans. Confusion surrounded the new version of the legislation, especially after Trump himself insisted Sunday that the new bill would 'beautifully' protect people with pre-existing conditions. He also said that 'high-risk pools' would stabilize costs for the sickest individuals. The American Medical Association has urged Congress to oppose the new plan, warning that the bill provides 'no certainty' that the risk pool system would prevent discrimination against people with high-cost medical conditions. Marine Le Pen has declared she is the best candidate to face the 'new world' of US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The far-right leader also claimed she was better placed than her rival, centrist Emmanuel Macron, to defend France's interests and work with a post-Brexit Britain. Her comments come as the two presidential candidates prepare to face off in a televised debate today which is expected to be bitter, personal and potentially decisive ahead of voting this weekend. But about one in four voters in France plan to abstain on Sunday with protesters calling the race for the presidency as 'a choice between the plague and cholera'. Marine Le Pen (pictured on May 1) has declared she is the best candidate to face the 'new world' of US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin The far-right leader also claimed she was better placed than her rival, centrist Emmanuel Macron (pictured), to defend France's interests and work with a post-Brexit Britain The stakes are high ahead of the TV contest between the pro-European Macron, a 39-year-old former economy minister, and Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party. Their starkly different views of Europe, immigration, the economy and French identity will be explored for the first time face-to-face following a week marked by bruising clashes between them. Polls show Macron holding a hefty but narrowing lead in the polls of 59 per cent versus 41 per cent, but previous debates during the rollercoaster French campaign have quickly shifted public opinion. Yesterday, Le Pen, who rails against 'uncontrolled globalisation', said: 'I think I'm best placed to talk to this new world that's emerging, to talk to the Russia of Putin, to the United States of Trump, to talk to the Britain of (Prime Minister Theresa) May ... to talk to the India of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi.' She said that was 'because all of those countries are more or less turning their backs on the ideology of free trade, of competition and of undermining social protection. 'So I feel much more in line with their political philosophy than with (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel's,' she told Reuters, speaking at her campaign headquarters. About one in four voters in France plan to abstain on Sunday with protesters calling the race for the presidency as 'a choice between the plague and cholera'. Clashes erupted in Paris during demonstrations against the French far-right on May 1 Fears that a high abstention rate could help far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France's presidential runoff strengthened today when two-thirds of far-left supporters said they intend to abstain or cast a blank ballot. A demonstrator confronts police during the May Day worker's march in Paris Fears that a high abstention rate could help far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France's presidential runoff strengthened today when two-thirds of far-left supporters said they intend to abstain or cast a blank ballot. An internal survey of supporters of defeated far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon showed only 35 per cent would back pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron, Le Pen's rival and the frontrunner. The rest will spoil their voting papers or stay at home on Sunday, it said. Communist-backed Melenchon, who leads the France Insoumise (Unbowed France) movement, scored more than seven million votes and finished fourth in the election's first round on April 23. Macron still appears on track to become France's youngest president, with a poll on Tuesday giving him a strong lead of 19 points. But his camp has warned that a high number of no-shows, especially among left-wing voters, could hurt his chances. And other polls show 22 to 28 per cent of citizens likely to abstain. While most left-wing voters are turned off by Le Pen's anti-immigration and anti-EU policies, many also find it hard to back Macron's economically liberal approach. Company bosses, celebrities and scientific researchers have all called for people to rally behind Macron, who styles himself as 'neither of the left nor the right'. The stakes are high ahead of the TV contest between the pro-European Macron (pictured), a 39-year-old former economy minister, and Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party An internal survey of supporters of defeated far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon showed only 35 per cent would back pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron, Le Pen's rival and the frontrunner. Le Pen is pictured yesterday in Paris And the Socialist government said the far-left's decision to abstain en masse was 'an error'. Spokesman Stephane Le Foll said he could not understand the decision, adding: 'The left has traditionally always been in the fight against the National Front.' One of the highest-profile endorsements came from former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, an emblematic figure of the European radical left. Varoufakis said Macron was 'the only minister in Europe who did everything possible to help us' during the 2015 debt crisis. He told Le Monde newspaper that as the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank were putting pressure on Greece over its debt mountain, then-economy minister Macron convinced French President Francois Hollande to reopen negotiations. He said Macron 'offered to come to Athens incognito' for talks, but Hollande stopped him. Macron 'was the only member of the 'system' who opposed' the harsh stance on Greece, Varoufakis said. The support is significant because Melenchon is close to current leftist Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a veteran rebel of French politics, called on Melenchon's supporters to put aside their 'hatred' of Macron. France's unprecedented presidential race has thrown many voters into emotional turmoil, causing nerves to fray around the dinner table, at the office and on social media. Macron supporters are pictured at a meeting in Paris on Monday 'Think rationally and vote for Emmanuel Macron and defend democracy and freedom,' the former ecologist Euro MP told Europe 1 radio. Le Pen's own campaign hit a hurdle when it emerged Tuesday that she had copied parts of a fiery May 1 speech from one made on April 15 by Francois Fillon, the conservative candidate who was eliminated in the first round of the election last month. LE PEN'S NIECE 'GUARANTEES' GAY MARRIAGE REPEAL Marine Le Pen's niece has promised gay marriage will be repealed if the National Front candidate is elected president. Marion Marechal-Le Pen said she would ensure her aunt will replace a bill enabling people of the same sex to wed. The MP for Vaucluse told BFMTV TV: 'It will not be the first priority, but [repealing gay marriage] is a promise that we will stick to, and I will personally guarantee that this bill is demolished. According to Pink News, one of the National Front's proposals is to repeal same-sex marriages. Marine Le Pen's French presidential rival Emmanuel Macron backs gay marriage. Le Pen's proposal says: 'The Front National will replace the provisions made under the Taubira law [the bill enabling people of the same sex to wed, named after Justice Minister Christine Taubira] with civil unions.' Advertisement In the speech in question in Puy-en-Velay, Fillon spoke of France's relationship with neighbouring Germany, paid tribute to the French language and spoke of a third 'French way' for the 21st century. Analysis by the Ridicule TV YouTube channel showed that the nationalist Le Pen repeated these passages almost verbatim in her speech on Monday. Florian Philippot, the vice president of Le Pen's National Front (FN) party, said it was 'not plagiarism', but 'a nod to a short passage in a speech about France'. And Le Pen added to the intrigue later Tuesday, claiming in a television interview that the plagiarised passages had been deliberately used, likely in an effort to curry favour with Fillon supporters. 'We have in part the same vision of France as voters for Francois Fillon, of its greatness, the role that it must play in the world,' Le Pen, a 48-year-old former lawyer, said. 'If we hadn't have done it, you wouldn't have spoken about it,' she said of the apparent ploy. 'We know you so well, we know how it works.' France's unprecedented presidential race has thrown many voters into emotional turmoil, causing nerves to fray around the dinner table, at the office and on social media. Seven in 10 voters are unhappy with the choice before them, a survey found, as France heads into uncharted waters with the traditional right and left absent from the second round for the first time since 1958. The dilemma is expressed as a choice 'between the plague and cholera' at protest marches around the country. Unrest: Clashes took place at a march for the annual May Day workers' rally on May 1 in Paris The traditional May Day marches reflected the disarray in the electorate, with competing protests - some clamouring for a united front against Le Pen and others rejecting both candidates. 'I may very well be a dyed-in-the-wool leftie, but I'm voting for Macron,' said 80-year-old pensioner Constantin Sinelnikoff after taking part in an anti-Le Pen march in Paris. 'I never imagined the National Front could get so big,' he said. But Vanessa Harounyan, a teacher in the southern port of Marseille, said she was thinking about abstaining. 'I loathe Marine Le Pen, she makes me sick, but I'm thinking maybe France needs a real jolt,' Harounyan said. Many people voice similar animosity towards Macron, who was the protege of unpopular outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande before striking out on his own to form his centrist movement last year. Meanwhile, a number of young leaders in Europe are rallying behind the 'French Kennedy'. If Macron wins Sunday's run-off, the bloc's pro-EU liberals will finally have their champion. For centrists who have been licking their wounds since Britain voted to quit the EU a year ago, Macron will be the gallant young hero who slew the most dangerous populist dragon of them all, the National Front's Marine Le Pen. As France's youngest-ever president, Macron would step into the shoes vacated by Italy's youngest-ever prime minister, Matteo Renzi (pictured), who also took office at 39 and who stepped down last year after losing a referendum on constitutional reform. From a Paris dinner party with the young leaders of Belgium and Luxembourg, to a conspicuous Twitter friendship with Italy's ex-premier Matteo Renzi, Macron has already built a circle of like-minded peers, unafraid to promote closer EU integration at a time when voters are being tempted by the hard right and left. The young leaders present themselves as fresh faces, free of 20th-century baggage of left-right class war. But to fulfill their dream of a reinvigorated Europe, they still need to win over leaders from the old school, above all Germany's Angela Merkel. One senior German official said Macron's youthful stardust could give France some 'Kennedy-esque' optimism. But the official also injected a skeptical note: Berlin was 'willing to talk about Europe', he said, 'but the discussion has to be about responsibility as well as solidarity.' Macron discussed his plans for Europe at a private dinner party in March at the home of a French TV celebrity, attended by Belgium's 41-year-old Prime Minister Charles Michel and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, 44. 'It was a moment for sharing our commitments on Europe,' Michel told Reuters of the dinner, which was kept secret until word leaked out in April. 'In the coming months, we're going to have to relaunch the European project ... and for that we will need partners.' The three men are part of the first generation of European leaders to come of age with the benefits of EU citizenship. 'We are the Erasmus generation,' Michel told Reuters, referring to an EU exchange program that lets students attend universities in other countries across the bloc. As France's youngest-ever president, Macron would step into the shoes vacated by Italy's youngest-ever prime minister, Renzi, who also took office at 39 and who stepped down last year after losing a referendum on constitutional reform. 'Bravo to @matteorenzi,' Macron tweeted this week. 'Together we will change Europe with all the progressives.' Renzi tweeted back: 'Thank you dear Emmanuel. We are with you.' The Paris dinner party, held at Macron's invitation at the home of a TV personality Stephane Bern, a friend of Bettel, showed how the new generation of leaders is comfortable dispensing with the formality of traditional diplomacy. 'Everything's got more informal,' one person familiar with the dinner said. 'They've all got each other's mobile numbers. They text all the time.' Support: a number of young leaders in Europe are rallying behind Emmanuel Macron For centrists who have been licking their wounds since Britain voted to quit the EU a year ago, Macron will be the gallant young hero who slew the most dangerous populist dragon of them all, the National Front's Marine Le Pen (pictured) Guy Verhofstadt, the liberal former Belgian prime minister, Brexit negotiator and champion of more federal EU powers, sees in Macron not just an ally who wants to end old habits of state-to-state wrangling in the EU, but an example of how social media and networking is changing policymaking -- and maybe policy too. 'Political action will completely change,' Verhofstadt said. Still, however they may be buoyed by a Macron victory, the young liberals will have a steep hill to climb to achieve a broad consensus for closer EU integration. The historically unpopular outgoing president, Francois Hollande, failed to achieve similar aims in Europe and stands as a conspicuous example of how difficult it could be for Macron to persuade the French to back him. All roads to EU change still run through Berlin, where proposals will be met with caution even if Merkel loses re-election this year to her center-left, EU enthusiast challenger Martin Schulz. Germans widely see French deficit spending as a threat to the euro. Michel, Bettel and liberal Dutch premier Mark Rutte, 50, have jointly proposed an outline for EU reform to be debated after Brexit. It calls for faster integration of some states in a 'multispeed Europe', an idea that Germany was long cool to but which Merkel has lately signaled she might consider. Some senior Benelux officials hope for revival of Franco-German harmony. They see a possible 'grand bargain' where former banker Macron can eventually persuade Berlin that France can be trusted not to let deficits balloon if Germany is willing to drop its resistance to backing a share of other states' debt. A person close to Macron described the dinner on March 5 as a private meeting between like-minded young European reformers: 'It was part of his European outreach efforts.' 'There is common ground,' he said, while stressing Macron would not limit himself to such alliances. 'They support Macron's plans to inject new momentum into the European project and he supports the message sent out by the Benelux countries.' Jared Kushner didn't report on a government financial disclosure form that he is the part-owner of a real estate start-up that counts Goldman Sachs clients and billionaires Peter Thiel and George Soros among its investors. The Wall Street Journal first reported the connection, pointing out that the president's son-in-law and White House senior adviser, continued to have a stake in Cadre, which connects investors with real estate projects. Kushner's Cadre stake was one of many interests that the Journal found unreported in Kushner's disclosure firm, which also included loans totaling at least $1 billion from more than 20 lenders, including Deutsche Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland. President Trump's son-in-law also provided personal guarantees on more than $300 million worth of debt. Kushner's attorney Jamie Gorelick told the Journal that Kushner's stake in Cadre is under the umbrella of another company he owns called BFPS Ventures LLC, which is reported in his financial disclosures. Scroll down for video The Wall Street Journal found that Jared Kushner (pictured) didn't report on government filings that he was still a partial owner in the real estate start-up Cadre Cadre's early investors included Peter Thiel (left), President Trump's most prominent Silicon Valley supporters, and George Soros (right), a well-known Democratic donor Mr. Kushner will recuse himself from matters to which Deutsche Bank or RBS are parties, because he has provided personal guarantees on their loans, said a person familiar with his ethics arrangement. The documents that are currently public, however, don't mention Cadre by name. Gorelick also told Journal reporters that Cadre is identified in a revised version of his financial disclosure form and will be made public after it is certified by ethics officials. She said it's 'very normal' for there to be revisions for these kinds of things. She added that Kushner had discussed his stake in Cadre with officials working for the Office of Government Ethics, though a spokesman for OGE didn't immediately respond to the Journal's request for comment. Kushner, Gorelick said, 'resigned from Cadre's board, assigned his voting rights and reduced his ownership there.' Additionally, a person familiar with Kushner's ethics arrangement told the Journal that the aide will recuse himself from matters related to Deutsche Bank or RBS. President Trump's son-in-law co-founded Cadre in 2014 with his brother Joshua Kushner, the boyfriend of super model Karlie Kloss, and their friend Ryan Williams, who had worked with the brothers at Kushner Cos., the business Jared Kushner ran before his White House gig. According to its website, Cadre describes itself as a 'technology-enabled investment platform that connects qualified individuals and institutions to fully vetted, compelling real estate investment opportunities.' Investors, those willing to hand over six-figures or more sizable amounts, are able to put money into specific properties or larger funds. As users of Cadre have to fit a specific bill, Kushner and company first turned to a Goldman Sachs fund to finance their real estate projects, the Wall Street Journal found. One of those investors, Thiel, is Silicon Valley's best known Trump supporter, speaking in support of the now-president at last summer Republican National Convention and touting a Trump presidency at the National Press Club in Washington too. While Thiel's ties to Trump family members isn't surprising, the Journal also found that Cadre had secured a $250 million line of credit from the family office of George Soros, a top Democratic donor often portrayed as a liberal boogeyman in rhetoric coming from Republican candidates, including President Trump. Reporters for the Journal were later told by a person familiar with the affairs of Soros' family office that the investment was made in early 2015, before Trump announced his desire to run for president. Some of the money raised by Cadre went to Kushner Cos. real estate projects, according to information sent to investors and given to the Journal, including some projects where Jared Kushner personally has a stake, according to Cadre documents and the top aide's disclosure form. Williams, who is listed as the co-founder and CEO, on Cadre's website which doesn't mention either Kushner told the Journal that the company has been working with regulators to 'reflect Jared's non-operational, non-management relationship with the company, which has been in place since the inauguration.' Bill OReilly has scored a victory in his $10 million legal battle against his ex-wifes attorney after a judge ordered for records from his divorce and custody battle to be kept sealed from the public. Documents obtained by Dailymail.com reveal New York Supreme Court Judge Jeffrey Brown pointed to the divorce agreement that states he and his ex-wife Maureen McPhilmy, 50, will 'omit or redact confidential information in papers submitted to the court.' The 67-year-old had vigorously fought to keep McPhilmy's lawyer Michael Klar from publicly filing the records which included cheating and abuse allegations. Brown also ruled that the public right to access 'is not absolute' and these documents pertain to Family Court records, therefore the majority of them will be sealed in the case. The court order comes as good news for O'Reilly who was recently fired from his position at Fox following a a string of sexual harassment claims. He previously won a $14 million lawsuit against McPhilmy last year, claiming she made 'false representations' in their divorce settlement, Back in December, OReilly filed the multi-million lawsuit against Klar in a New York court on similar grounds. Good news for Bill: Court documents pertaining to O'Reilly's bitter divorce and custody battle with his ex-wife Maureen McPhilmy (pictured in 2002) have been ordered to be kept sealed from the public He accused Klar of aiding and abetting fraud to induce him into entering into an unreasonable divorce settlement under false pretenses. O'Reilly claims her lawyer submitted the agreement despite knowing he no longer agreed to the terms of the deal. He says Klar aided his ex-wife by knowingly making false representations and material omissions for the sole purpose of tricking him into agreeing to a consensual divorce to help Maureen obtain money and property. His ex-wife had hired Klar to negotiate the terms of her separation from OReilly back in 2009. The ex-Fox News host claims the original draft of the deal stated it was in the best interest of their kids to share joint residential custody and joint decision making for them. However, he's accused the lawyer and his ex of fraud and scheming to defraud him in a plot to oust him from his paternal role he negotiated and had been promised. O'Reilly says the two schemed to obtain a substantial payout in the agreement and a multi-million dollar home. The 67-year-old (pictured with his son Spencer last month) had fought vigorously to keep the court documents under wrap claiming they contained confidential information including tax returns and medical prescriptions The former news host had previously won a $14million lawsuit against his ex-wife Maureen McPhilmy, 50, claiming she made 'false representations' in their divorce settlement Following the execution of the deal and his hefty payout to his ex-wife, O'Reilly claims McPhilmy soon began a campaign with her lawyer to vitiate his parental rights and undermine him as the children's father while also violating her obligation to refrain from conduct that would hamper the development of love and affection between him and his kids. O'Reilly admitted he is furious for having relied on the representations by Klar and did so in an effort to protect his children and secure for them the peace and happiness they enjoyed during their parents early years of the marriage. He is seeking in excess of $10million dollars plus punitive damages. Recently, O'Reilly headed back to court demanding Klar not be allowed to file sealed documents from his divorce case. In response to the suit, Klar had asked the court to let him submit nearly 1,000 pages of sealed documents from O'Reilly's divorce, which the former television host called absurd. He claims the documents Klar wants to file are confidential, anonymous divorce proceedings, his ex-wifes tax returns, documents detailing the medications prescribed to his minor kids and the pedagogical concerns of the minor childrens parents and their educators, as well as the minors social security numbers and dates of birth. McPhilmy even filed documents pleading for the divorce records not to be unsealed and opposed her divorce lawyers attempt to file the records publicly. She claimed the exhibits contain private information that would be embarrassing to her and her family and the records include discussions with the childrens former therapist, report cards, and correspondence about the kids medical treatment. McPhilmy (pictured with her son in Manhasset, New York) had supported O'Reilly's motion to keep the documents sealed, claiming the records contain private information that would be embarrassing to her and her family O'Reilly's fraudulent claims against his wife were suspected to involve McPhilmy's relationship with Jeffrey Gross, a Long Island police detective she married after her split with O'Reilly A media company had also joined the legal fray. Gizmodo, which Univision purchased from the now-defunct Gawker Media after its bankruptcy last year, said in a March 23 motion that civil cases such as the one brought by O'Reilly are 'presumptively public,' and that there is 'a heavy [legal] burden to overcome' for anyone seeking to seal such records. Gizmodo argued that O'Reilly has 'fail[ed] to demonstrate that there is a compelling, non-speculative reason to justify any sealing order in this matter.' The media outlet also claimed there is a 'substantial public interest' in the case. 'The use of the courts by any individual is a matter of public interest, and Mr. O'Reilly's status as a public figure who routinely comments on morality and administration of justice, increases rather than diminishes, the public interest in this proceeding,' Gizmodo wrote. The judge ordered the separation agreement, correspondences between McPhilmy and OReilly concerning the care of visitation of their kids, the divorce judgement, the bulk of their divorce records will all be kept sealed. O'Reilly and McPhilmy officially split in 2011 after 14 years of marriage. During a lengthy custody battle over their two children, a therapist testified that the couple's daughter had seen O'Reilly drag McPhilmy down the stairs by the neck. O'Reilly called the allegation '100 percent false.' The court order comes as good news for O'Reilly who was recently fired from his position at Fox News. Media company Gizmodo had filed a motion arguing the records were a 'substantial public interest' in the case But the bitter feud didn't end after their divorce was finalized. O'Reilly hit his ex-wife with a $10 million fraud suit in 2016, claiming she made 'false representations and material omissions' in their divorce settlement and had an 'extra-marital relationship.' The fraudulent claims were suspected to involve McPhilmy's relationship with Jeffrey Gross, a Long Island police detective she married after her divorce with O'Reilly. McPhilmy and Gross allegedly began dating in 2010, before she and O'Reilly were officially divorced. McPhilmy reportedly told friends that the lawsuit with O'Reilly was part of a larger campaign to ruin her life after the divorce and a 'bitter attempt to wreck her happiness,' DailyMail.com reported last year. 'Bill has a lot of money. He also has a lot of power. He's determined to hurt them any way he can,' a source close to McPhilmy said. According to reports, O'Reilly also worked to undermine McPhilmy's relationship with the Catholic Church; she was still receiving communion despite the fact that she had been divorced and remarried. She was reportedly later reprimanded by her church. Gawker also reported in 2011 that O'Reilly attempted to get an internal affairs investigation launched against Gross by using his connections within the Long Island law enforcement community. O'Reilly won a $14 million settlement against his ex-wife in the fraud lawsuit last year, and is trying to replicate that success in his lawsuit against Klar. Chinese delegates have caused 'disgusting' scenes after loudly disrupting a welcome ceremony at an international meeting hosted by Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop. Witnesses at the Kimberley Process Intersessional meeting say the Chinese representatives shouted over the official Indigenous ceremony and caused one session to be suspended. The group objected to the attendance of the Taiwanese delegation, who were later ejected from the Kimberley Process meeting at the request of the Chinese officials, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Chinese delegates caused 'disgusting' scenes after loudly disrupting a welcome ceremony at an international meeting hosted by Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop (pictured) Witnesses at the Kimberley Process Intersessional meeting say the Chinese representatives shouted over the official Indigenous ceremony and caused one session to be suspended WHAT IS THE KIMBERLEY PROCESS MEETING? The Kimberley Process is an international meeting first called together in 2000 Its aim is to stop the trade in conflict diamonds and to prevent the diamond trade from contibuting to violence by rebel movements It's the first time Australia chaired the four-day intersessional meeting Advertisement The anarchy kicked off as senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official Robert Owen-Jones introduced the indigenous welcome ceremony and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, when the Chinese delegation took the microphone and loudly interjected. The group were angry that the Taiwanese delegation were invited to the four-day meeting in Perth discussing the prevention of conflict diamond trading. The Chinese officials said they had a point of order and demanded to know if everyone at the meeting had been 'formally invited', according to The Sydney Morning Herald. They refused to quieten down and let the ceremony or Ms Bishop's speech proceed until their desired point of order was addressed as the first item on the agenda. 'It was disgusting,' an unnamed Australian attendee told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'It was extraordinary, so uncalled for and so inappropriate, and so disrespectful.' China doesn't recognise Taiwan's independence as a nation and still regards the island nation as an illegally seceded state Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (right) speaks at a press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) at Parliament House in Canberra in February Later in the day it's understood that a panel discussion with mining company executives was cancelled after it was continually disrupted by African delegations who supported the officials from China. The Taiwanese delegation were later asked to leave. China doesn't recognise Taiwan's independence as a nation and still regards the island nation as an illegally seceded state. When both groups are in attendance at international events, organisers often refer to Taiwan as an 'economy' rather than a county, or call Taiwanese delegations 'Chinese Taipei' to avoid conflict. The group objected to the attendance of the Taiwanese delegation, who were later ejected from the Kimberley Process meeting at the request of the Chinese officials The group were angry that the Taiwanese delegation were invited to the four-day meeting in Perth discussing the prevention of conflict diamond trading (Pictured: Julie Bishop who was due to give a speech at the event) Australia invited the Rough Diamond Trading Entity of Chinese Taipei to attend the Kimberley Process as a guest of the Chair, with the invitation being 'consistent with Australia's One China policy', a spokesperson for DFAT told Daily Mail Australia. 'Australia invited the Rough Diamond Trading Entity of Chinese Taipei to attend the Kimberley Process in Perth as a Guest of the Chair, in line with earlier precedent.' 'The Chair had to withdraw the invitation to the Taiwanese following objections from China and several other delegations to the former's presence during the opening session, in order to enable the meeting to continue. 'Continual disruption to the proceedings in the opening session was regrettable and the Australian Government's concerns with respect to the behaviour of Chinese delegates have been raised with the Chinese Ambassador.' Casey Anthony was photographed giving a thumbs up while leaving a popular dive bar during happy hour with a female friend in Florida on Wednesday afternoon. The Florida mom who was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee in 2011 was photographed leaving the Brass Ring Pub in North Palm beach. The 31-year-old seemed to have a nice time at the bar, which is known for its burgers and well-chilled beers, as she was photographed smiling while walking out with her friend. Anthony was spotted out with the same woman back in February during an anti-Trump rally. Happy?: Casey Anthony was photographed giving a thumbs up while leaving a popular dive bar during happy hour with a female friend in Florida on Wednesday afternoon Anthony was photographed leaving the Brass Ring Pub in North Palm beach. The 31-year-old seemed to have a nice time at the bar, which is known for its burgers and well-chilled beers, as she was photographed smiling while walking out with her friend For Wednesday's outing, both women sported shorts, sandals and sunglasses as they appeared to enjoy their outing. After photos surfaced online of Anthony leaving the Brass Ring Pub, many social media users on Twitter blasted her. One person wrote: '@TMZ She should be rotting in prison on death row awaiting execution for murdering her daughter'. Another Twitter user added: 'She should have got death penalty.' 'She doesn't make the best choices when she's been drinking! She needs to stay far away from bars! Just FYI,' another person tweeted. Her daughter's death was highly controversial and has been chronicled in the recently released documentary titled Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery. Her father, George Anthony, appeared on the Investigation Discovery two-episode premiere of the documentary and addressed his daughter's shocking defense in her murder trial. After the photos surfaced online, many social media users blasted her on Twitter The Florida mom was acquitted of murdering her daughter Caylee in 2011. She is pictured above reacting to being acquitted Casey's lawyer Jose Baez said in his opening statement that George sexually molested his daughter and helped her hide the body of fer dead daughter Caylee after she drowned in a pool. A disgusted George denied both of those allegations, and said of Casey: 'My daughter could come right in front of me right now and say, 'Dad this is what really happened,' and I wouldn't believe her.' He also broke down as he read the suicide note he wrote three weeks after Caylee's body was discovered near his home in Orlando, Florida. In the special George is asked explicitly by the production team if he ever molested Casey. 'Definitely not. Definitely not would I do anything like that to my daughter,' said George. During the Anthony's murder trial, she was characterized as the 'most hated mom in America'. Anthony, who still claims she doesn't know how her daughter died, once told the Associated Press she doesn't care about public opinion (Casey and Caylee above) In addition, George was blunt and straightforward in stating that he believes his daughter had been drugging her daughter in the months before her death, and that is what caused Caylee's death. What's more, he called the idea that the little girl drowned in a pool 'bulls***.' During the Anthony's murder trial, she was characterized as the 'most hated mom in America' by HLN's Nancy Grace. Anthony, who still claims she doesn't know how her daughter died, once told the Associated Press she doesn't care about public opinion. 'I don't give a s--- about what anyone thinks about me, I never will,' Anthony said. 'I'm OK with myself, I sleep pretty good at night.' Grace McDermott, 26, pictured, from Long Island, was working towards her PhD in communications and teaching at Dublin City University in Ireland. She died in a tragic house fire in Limerick on Monday morning An American instructor and PhD student died in a house fire possibly caused by a cellphone charger in the early hours of Monday morning in Ireland. Grace McDermott grew up on Long Island, New York, and was a PhD researcher at Dublin City University in the communications department. The 26-year-old ran in a charity race in Limerick the day before the fire and posted a picture of the starting line on Twitter. Authorities were called to the scene at around 3.20am on Monday and firefighters found McDermott unresponsive on the second floor of the three-story house in Limerick. She was later pronounced dead. McDermott's family members are flying into Ireland on Tuesday to help identify the young woman, it is believed. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, though authorities do not suspect foul play. They believe it could have been sparked by an electrical problem with a cellphone charger. McDermott was found unresponsive on the second floor of her friends' house, pictured. She was later pronounced dead. Authorities were alerted to the fire around 3.20am on Monday morning Four others, three men and another woman, were also in the house, but they escaped without injury and were the ones who notified authorities. The three men are rugby players and lived in the house. It it believed McDermott was visiting her friends in Limerick for a festival over the weekend. McDermott co-founded and edited a website called Women Are Boring, which features female-led research from around the world and reaches 90 countries. She herself was researching Middle Eastern/Arab Identity and Islamophobia in the US news and digital media, according to her profile on the Women Are Boring website. McDermott had previously earned her Master's in International Tourism from the University of Limerick and her Bachelor's in Journalism and Public Relations from the State University of New York at New Paltz. McDermott, pictured right, was the co-founder of a website called Women Are Boring alongside Catherine Connolly, pictured left. The website features female-led research from around the world and reaches 90 countries After McDermott's passing, Connolly, right, tweeted: 'So devastated to share the news that our co-founder @grace_mcdermott died tragically yesterday. Women Are Boring is now on hiatus for a while' Loved ones of the young woman have taken to social media to express their grief at her passing. One person tweeted: 'I only met her a small number of times but when I did Grace was exceptionally warm, articulate and entertaining.' Another wrote: 'To her classes, her passion & enthusiasm was infectious. We're now all about to graduate, & we were only speaking highly of her 2 weeks ago.' The Women Are Boring Twitter page, run by co-founder Catherine Connolly wrote: 'So devastated to share the news that our co-founder @grace_mcdermott died tragically yesterday. Women Are Boring is now on hiatus for a while.' In a second tweet, she added: 'I will continue the project (Grace would be so mad if I stopped!) but will need a little time. Thanks to all for your support - Catherine.' Connolly followed her first tweet from the Women Are Boring page, pictured with a second that said: 'I will continue the project (Grace would be so mad if I stopped!) but will need a little time. Thanks to all for your support - Catherine' The day before she died in the tragic fire, McDermott ran in a charity race in the Barringtons Hospital Great Limerick Run. She tweeted from the starting line saying: '#BHGLR here we go!', pictured DCU communications replied: 'Our deepest condolences, Grace was an amazing student, academic and human being. RIP.' @HerstoryIreland, described her as 'a true inspiration'. The rugby players who escaped the fire were too upset to talk to the media, but the club's PRO, Tony Quilty, said: 'All our thoughts are with the boys, and with the young lady who died and her family.' Ms McDermott featured in an Irish Times article last September, along with fellow graduate Catherine Connolly, to highlight their Women Are Boring blog. At the time she said: 'We found quickly that the interest was there. People, men and women, were really interested and want to hear these (female) voices.' A source in the University of Limerick, where Ms McDermott graduated with a masters in international tourism before embarking on her PhD in Dublin, described her passing as 'unbelievably tragic'. Former DCU graduate Aisling McDonald wrote how Ms McDermott had given her and her fellow students 'inspirational lectures' in DCU. A postmortem is due to take place at University Hospital Limerick on Wednesday. Authorities have ruled out foul play. This is the moment Adriano Zumbo was confronted at an airport over allegations he was ripping off his staff and treating them poorly. The world-famous patissier was checking-in for a flight at Sydney Airport when he was bailed up by a television reporter after furious staff spoke out about working conditions at Mr Zumbo's pastry empire. Mr Zumbo has been accused of withholding superannuation from his staff, not paying them their proper rates and failing to pay them for overtime. 'They just say it's like hell in there,' an A Current Affair reporter said to Mr Zumbo as he hovered over a self check-in kiosk. 'Do you have an apology to make or are you going to try and make it better?' Adriano Zumbo pictured together with his new girlfriend My Kitchen Rules star Nelly Riggio Mr Zumbo responded: 'Of course I'm going to try and make it better, it's the first I've heard of it.' He said he had heard 'about the super but I've never heard about the other stuff.' When the reporter asked if he was concerned some of his employees were not happy at their workplace, Mr Zumbo responded: 'Of course I am'. The explosive allegations against Mr Zumbo were made by a group of five employees in an interview with A Current Affair on Tuesday. 'Who's setting me up for this?,' Mr Zumbo told the reporter. Pressed about a super fund saying they had never heard of one employee, Mr Zumbo said that 'does seem very strange'. Mr Zumbo, an Australian pastry chef, was confronted at the airport by A Current Affair about the alleged discrepancies Mr Zumbo admitted to discrepancies in his payroll system, according to A Current Affair. He reportedly told the program his staff 'will be paid what is owed to them'. Mr Zumbo, an Australian chef, was also accused of treating his staff 'like nothing'. Furious employees spoke out against the famed chef and business owner during Tuesday night's program. 'We might be pastry chefs, we love what we do. But we're not going to be treated like we're nothing,' one employee told A Current Affair. Furious staff members have spoken out against the famed chef and business owner The claims were made by his employees (pictured) in an interview which aired A Current Affair 'It's not fair. It's really not fair. How can you expect these amazing cakes to be produced? How can you expect the staff to love what they're doing if you're destroying everything they have? 'You're destroying their passion?' a second employee said. 'It's not OK to treat people like this,' one woman said. One Zumbo employee, Samantha, claimed she was not paid superannuation for six or seven months. She said she discovered her superannuation policy number was allegedly 'fake' and the super company had no record of her on their system. Mr Zumbo built his business empire off the back of appearances on Masterchef and his own cooking show on Channel Seven Zumbo's Just Desserts The boss: 35-year-old Zumbo hired girlfriend Nelly Riggio to work in the research and development team for his patisserie in September Fellow employee Kate claimed her superannuation payments were also withheld. Kate also claimed she discovered a fake policy number on her payslips. Alexandra told A Current Affair Zumbo told staff members they would no longer be paid overtime. She said the news was delivered to them in a meeting in January. 'If you write overtime, it's crossed out,' she told A Current Affair. Zumbo also made headlines in January when he went public with his girlfriend, Nelly Riggio, who was a contestant on My Kitchen Rules in 2016 Zumbo also made headlines in January when he went public with his girlfriend, Nelly Riggio, who was a contestant on My Kitchen Rules in 2016 A representative from the Australian Council of Trade Unions claimed Zumbo's operations were illegal, according to the documents she was shown. She said the business was 'actually falsifying documents' by providing fake policy account numbers for employees' superannuation accounts. Mr Zumbo's employees said it was 'absolute bullsh**' Zumbo was ignorant to what was going on. Mr Zumbo owns and runs 10 patisseries across Australia, six in Sydney and four in Melbourne Mr Zumbo built his business empire off the back of appearances on Masterchef and his own cooking show on Channel Seven, Zumbo's Just Desserts. He owns and runs 10 patisseries across Australia, six in Sydney and four in Melbourne. Zumbo also made headlines in January when he went public with his girlfriend, Nelly Riggio, who was a contestant on My Kitchen Rules. Mr Zumbo owns and runs 10 patisseries across Australia, six in Sydney and four in Melbourne Accused cocaine smuggler Cassandra Sainsbury is being taken advantage of by inmates at the notorious women's prison in Colombia she is locked up in. The 22-year-old has reportedly not stopped crying since she was transferred to the overcrowded and dangerous El Buen Pastor prison just over three weeks ago. An American woman who was released from the prison on Tuesday and helped look after Cassandra on the inside said she was not coping with the horrific conditions. 'Because she is so young there are a lot of people trying to take advantage of her,' the woman told the Daily Telegraph. Accused cocaine smuggler Cassandra Sainsbury, 22, (pictured after arrest) is not coping well with life inside a Colombian women's prison The young woman from Adelaide is reportedly being taken advantage of by inmates inside the notorious El Buen Pastor women's prison (prison inmates pictured cheering) The prison (pictured) houses drug dealers, murders and petty criminals - while squalid conditions, sickness and overcrowding are a harsh reality 'Not only that, when she was at the police station they took most of her stuff all of her clothes, her money,' the former inmate told the publication. 'She's just wearing a sweater and pants and a top, the same ones. I offered her something but she said no thank you.' The woman advised her not to make too many friends or trust anyone on the inside. Ms Sainsbury is reportedly sharing a tiny cell with one other woman. She was nabbed on April 11 as she prepared to fly home from Bogota with 5.8kg of cocaine stored in what she claims were headphones bought from a local man. The haul of cocaine, with a street value of $1.7 million in Australia, was hidden inside her blue suitcase next to perfume and moisturising creams 'that diminished the strong smell of the alkaloid', according to HSB News. The personal trainer from Adelaide has not stopped crying since she was locked up, according to a released inmate (women are searched by dogs before participating in a beauty contest) Ms Sainsbury is said to still be wearing the same casual clothes she was arrested in over three weeks ago (pictured with cocaine allegedly uncovered inside her luggage) Rusty Young (right), the author of a book detailing drug trade and prison life in South America, said Cassandra (left) faced 'horrific' conditions A prisioner leaves the polling station on February 7, 2010, at El Buen Pastor women's prison in San Rafael Arriba de Desamparados, about 6 kilometers south of San Jose, during national elections in Costa Rica Rusty Young, an expert on South American drug rings and author of the book Marching Powder, raised concerns for Ms Sainsbury's wellbeing in the prison - where squalid conditions, sickness and overcrowding are a harsh reality. 'It would be pretty horrific. It's extremely overcrowded, extremely dirty, there's a shortage of beds and medical services, and it gets very cold.' Nonetheless he said she was lucky to have escaped the male counterpart, where guns, grenades and gangland feuds are commonplace. 'She would at least be physically safe in there. She would be in the foreign section with foreign inmates,' he said. He said she faces a long and laborious road ahead in her trial, which could take almost a decade just to reach a verdict. 'Even if she pleads guilty, it would take six to nine months. If she maintains her innocence, it could be three to nine nears. 'That's not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs.' 'My thoughts go out to her and her family. It's a long road ahead.' Inmates of 'El Buen Pastor' (The Good Shepherd) women's prison cry as they attend a TEDx motivational talk on June 23, 2015 Former TV star Kelly Landry has claimed she was given a weekly spending allowance by her millionaire husband that was less than the couple paid their nanny. Ms Landry, 37, dubbed husband Anthony Bell 'financially mean' during the second day of their explosive apprehended violence order (AVO) hearing at Downing Centre Local Court, Sydney, on Tuesday. The former Getaway star told the court Mr Bell, 45, had given her a weekly spending allowance of $1000 - including $300 for groceries - despite the 'accountant to the stars' having an estimated total worth of $100 million. In January 2017, police took out an AVO against Mr Bell following an alleged physical fight between the pair at their Watsons Bay mansion in November the previous year. And on Tuesday, a police officer revealed that during an interview with Ms Landry in January, the former Getaway presenter claimed she and one of her two children had been thrown into a wall following an altercation with Mr Bell. Scroll down for video Kelly Landry, 37, has claimed her husband Anthony Bell, 45, was 'financially mean' to her, despite him funding their luxurious lifestyle including international first class travel Ms Landry told the Downing Centre Local Court she was given a weekly spending allowance of $1000, including $300 to spend on groceries The Downing Centre heard on Tuesday Mr Bell had control over the couple's finances, with Ms Landry claiming outside groceries and school costs she had to provide invoices for all expenses. They included everything from specialist medical treatment to hiring tradesmen and the repair of appliances. Under cross-examination by Mr Bell's defence counsel Ian Temby, QC, Ms Landry maintained she didn't have access to her husband's enormous wealth. 'Just because this says this on paper doesn't mean I have access to any of that,' she said. 'This was all at his discretion.' Ms Landry agreed she had sworn an affadavit in Family Court proceedings this year outlining her husband's spending on her. 'Anthony and I enjoyed a very high quality lifestyle during our marriage,' she wrote. That lifestyle included international travel at least twice a year, flying business or first class and staying in five-star accommodation. He had also bought her designer handbags and shoes as well as expensive jewellery, employed a cleaner and paid a nanny $23 an hour to work a 50 hour week. Four days after police took out an AVO against Mr Bell, Ms Landry told a pyschologist her husband was worth $100 million but she was paid less than the nanny. In a sworn affadavit revealed during proceedings in the Family Court earlier this year, Ms Landry said the couple had enjoyed a 'very high quality lifestyle' during their marriage Ms Landry and Mr Bell are currently in the middle of a five-day AVO hearing at the Downing Centre Local Court, Sydney Four days after police took out an AVO against Mr Bell, Ms Landry told a pyschologist her husband was worth $100 million but she was paid less than the nanny Ms Landry said she got the estimate of her husband's worth from newspaper reports. 'According to everything that's printed in the papers,' Ms Landry said. 'He's always labelled the $100 million accountant to the stars. 'So that reference was in reference to what his media people labelled him as.' The court also heard Ms Landry agreed Mr Bell had paid a tax bill in her name of $89,000 in the middle of last year, but said her husband had been 'funnelling' his tax through her. 'Yes, but I would suggest only a small amount of that was actually my tax,' she said. 'I haven't been employed since 2011 so how could I accumulate that tax?' Also taking the stand, Senior Constable Alison Coleman told the court Ms Landry had claimed she was being 'emotionally and physiologically abused' by Mr Bell. Snr Const Coleman claimed Ms Landry had mentioned two specific incidents of abuse - in February 2012 and again in November 2016 - and was worried that the incidents were taking a toll on her children. 'It appeared to me on the day that she was more concerned about the children,' Snr Const Coleman said. 'She didn't suggest that there was violence towards the children but that one of the children got caught up.' Mr Bell (middle) arrived at Downing Centre court in Sydney flanked by legal staff on Tuesday Ms Landry agreed Mr Bell had paid a tax bill in her name of $89,000 in the middle of last year but said her husband had been 'funnelling' his tax through her Snr Const Coleman said Ms Landry also claimed one of her children was showing signs of anxiety in the wake of the incidents. Among other explosive revelations heard in court on Tuesday were message sent by Ms Landry to her husband asking about an 'odd' relationship with Erin Molan. The Downing Centre heard Ms Landry had messaged Mr Bell saying: 'I know about Erin' in the wake of last year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Both Mr Bell and NRL Footy Show star Molan had been aboard the winning yacht Perpetual LOYAL in the days prior to Ms Landry sending the messages. Mr Bell, Molan and Channel Nine have all denied any 'infidelity'. The incredible destruction wrought by the US Army's MOAB - better known as the 'Mother of All Bombs' - has been revealed in new footage. Dropped in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, on a mountain riddled with tunnels, the 21,600lb bomb successfully killed 94 ISIS militants, including four commanders, according to the Afghan army. And in its wake, the device - the most powerful conventional weapon ever used in war - has left a scar on the scenic Afghan grasslands that is terrible to behold, Fox News reported. Scroll down for video Rubble: The 11-ton-yield Mother of All Bombs (aka MOAB) was dropped on mountains in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, on April 13, turning buildings to rubble (pictured) Body parts: Body parts (some pictured, blurred) of militants were left to rot in fields. The Afghan army said 94 ISIS militants, including four commanders, were killed in the explosion Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com The scenery around the bomb site is beautiful: Rolling, grassy hills folding and buckling up into towering, rocky mountains. But where the MOAB - or, to give it its official title, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast - landed on April 13 is a different matter. Designed to detonate six feet above the ground, and with an explosive yield equivalent to 11 tons of TNT, the bomb ravaged the area within a half-mile of its detonation point. Trees have been left as little more than splintered stumps poking from rubble-strewn soil. The body parts of militants lie torn, scattered and forgotten across the fields once controlled by the Islamic State Khurasan, or ISIS-K, group. Vehicles within the blast region are hollowed-out, burned up shells fit for nothing more than scrap. And buildings have been punched through like paper, bricks and chunks of concrete heaped in useless piles. Battered: Even at the edge of the half-mile blast radius, buildings were battered and left falling apart. The MOAB is the largest conventional bomb ever used in combat No escape: The bomb was designed to pulverize ISIS tunnels (pictured) under the mountains, and suck air out of any that survived. The damage is so fierce it's hard to see how much is left Burned out: Cars in the blast zone were left crumpled, gutted wrecks. The bomb pushed ISIS out of the area, to the relief of locals, although ground zero still has conflict 'There were tunnels that were entirely destroyed, decimated guns of ISIS, about 20 dead bodies and trees ripped from the earth,' Karim Amini, a local TOLO News journalist who toured the site, told Fox News. 'Scores of houses were also destroyed, and even parts of the mountain were, too.' In some of those houses that still stand, on the very edge of the blast zone, ISIS graffiti can still be seen on the walls. 'Surrender to us,' says one. 'Long live Islamic State,' says another. No-one lives there now. In another house on the edge of the blast, a bed and prayer mat lie in the same room as a cage - believed to have once contained prisoners of the psychopathic 'Islamic State'. The bomb was designed to pulverize everything beneath its detonation point and suck air out of any tunnel systems that withstood the blast Amini said of the blast zone itself: '[The destruction] was wide, but how deep the MOAB went was not clear as it dived into the earth and blew out the tunnels, which you can't see.' Gone: This building on the edge of the blast zone was left broken and empty, with ISIS graffiti scrawled onto walls Downed: The explosion twisted this pylon, causing it to crash to the ground. The actual area away from the blast is idyllic - a stark contrast with the devastation The bomb was first produced in 2003, but has not been deployed until now because the US Army has been fearful of collateral damage from its massive blast. But ISIS-K's isolated mountain fortress provided few such concerns. The Afghan government said no civilians were hurt in the blast; but a parliamentarian from Nangarhar, Esmatullah Shinwari, said a teacher and his son were killed in the explosion. Mohamad Omer Safi, former provincial governor of Kunduz and head of the UN Security Office-Afghanistan complained that the attack was 'inappropriate'. The US was just using Afghanistan as grounds to send a message to North Korea, Russia, trying to threaten them,' he added. He questioned why the bomb wasn't dropped two-and-a-half miles away Amini said that locals were in favor of the detonation provided it pushed ISIS out. "Now they want the 'father of all bombs' to be dropped and ISIS annihilated,' he said. The widow of Bra Boy Cade Dallas is suing his mother over his $30 million estate, which she claims is being using to fund her 'lavish' lifestyle despite him leaving his fortune to his two sons. Mr Dallas died after a two-week party binge in Bali in 2012 and allegedly left behind a handwritten will signed with a smiley face, saying his fortune and business was to be split equally between his children. But his widow, Veny Amelia, is suing Ms Dallas's mother, Kerrie, claiming she continued to run his lucrative clothing company, 'Somewhere,' the Advertiser reported. Mr Dallas converted to Islam when he married Ms Amelia in 2002 and this week the Adelaide Supreme Court is looking into Islamic religious law to decide who is entitled to the estate. Veny Amelia (left), the widow of Bra Boy Cade Dallas (right) is suing his mother over his $30 million estate, which they claim she is using to fund her 'lavish' lifestyle despite him leaving it to his sons Mr Dallas and Ms Amelia divorced in 2006, before reuniting, marrying and divorcing a second time in 2010. But Ms Amelia's lawyer, Greg Finlayson, claimed Mr Dallas' signature was 'falsified' on the first divorce papers and said the mother was never served the second ones. Cade Dallas' widow, Veny Amelia, is suing Ms Dallas's mother, Kerrie (pictured) Ms Amelia claims she is entitled to part of the fortune with the papers being rendered invalid. 'If she, as we say, remained the lawful wife of the deceased, there's continuing entitlement to half of his assets,' he told the court on Tuesday. Mr Finlayson also said Mr Dallas' alleged final handwritten will is invalid. 'I Cade Dallas want to give my sons 50% each my money cash in the bank,' the document read. 'I would like trust funds set up for both boys, but money given to them every week for them and there (sic) mothers'. Mr Finlayson also told the court Ms Amelia is entitled to part of the earnings Ms Dallas has made in the time she has been running her son's clothing business following his death. Mr Dallas died after a two-week party binge in Bali in 2012 and allegedly left behind a handwritten will signed with a smiley face (pictured) But Ms Dallas' lawyer, Simon Ower, said the allegations against his client were 'verging on scandalous' with no proof, the Advertiser reported. The trial continues on Wednesday. The Bra Boys, a Maroubra surf gang, were founded in the 1990s and were notorious for their links to organised crime and violence. The gang gained fame from their documentary 'Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water', and their depiction in Home and Away as the River Boys. The evening started cordially, with kisses and an embrace outside No 10 Downing Street for the cameras. Then Theresa May led EU president Jean-Claude Juncker inside, up the grand main staircase and past portraits of former prime ministers. At the top of the stairway, where there is a space reserved for the portrait of David Cameron, the man responsible for the referendum, members of the EU delegation joked about Mrs Mays unlamented predecessor. The evening started cordially, with kisses and an embrace outside No 10 Downing Street for the camera Drinks not champagne, for that would have seemed inappropriate and premature took place in one of the Downing Street ante-rooms followed by dinner in its Small Dining Room. Once known as the breakfast room and designed by Sir John Soane in 1827, it was a favourite of Lloyd George and could fit all 12 of the party round its table. The Prime Minister sat opposite Mr Juncker. Other guests included the British Brexit Secretary David Davis and his opposite number, the EUs silver haired chief negotiator and arch-federalist Michel Barnier who diplomats say is far from a soul mate for Britain. He has been described in some circles as the most dangerous man in Europe, and was accompanied by his deputy Sabine Weyand. Also there was Martin Selmayr, Mr Junckers chief of staff. The German lawyer is admired, despised and feared in Brussels and is nicknamed the monster. Early on, David Davis attempted to lighten proceedings by recounting how he had had his differences with the Prime Minister in the past. He explained how, as a backbench MP when Mrs May was home secretary, he had successfully challenged the Governments surveillance laws in the European Courts. Other guests included the British Brexit Secretary David Davis Davis reportedly laboured the point, telling the story three times. Mrs May, not noted for her sense of humour, was apparently unamused by the time of the third telling. Dinner was served by outside caterers and the main course was beef cooked in red wine dubbed Boeuf in Red Whine by one British diplomat who heard about it. As the meal progressed, the atmosphere grew chillier. When Mrs May suggested that the rights of one million British citizens living in Europe and three million Europeans living in Britain could be settled by the end of June, Mr Junckers mask slipped. He expressed astonishment at Mrs Mays demands and, in deeply patronising tones, accused her of under-estimating the complexity of the issue. Then, with a theatrical flourish, Juncker pulled two thick files from his briefcase to illustrate just how complicated any deal-making process with Brussels can be. One file concerned the EUs accession treaty with Croatia and the other the free trade deal with Canada both are more than 1,000 pages long. Unabashed, Mrs May pushed on, saying: Lets make Brexit a success. To which Juncker, by now abandoning any attempt at compromise, brazenly insisted it never would be. After Mrs May dismissed the idea that Britain would have to pay a 50billion divorce settlement up front before negotiations took place, Juncker insisted there could be no trade deal with Britain. As the red and white wine flowed, the mood went even further downhill. But although Mr Juncker enjoyed a glass or two he is famed for his consumption of alcohol he remained sober. After 90 minutes, proceedings broke up with Juncker declaring: I leave Downing Street ten times as sceptical as I was before. Yet a senior Whitehall figure was far more bullish. There were some very firm words on both sides but it was always very courteous, he said. Some blame Juncker himself for the leak. Immediately after the dinner, he telephoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel from the chauffeur-driven car taking him back to his hotel When the dinner ended it was not abruptly or acrimoniously. It was a skirmish, no more than that. Round One if you like, in a long bout. Mrs Mays camp could not have been more tight-lipped as to what went on. But the EU delegation seems to have leaked a version of events to a German newspaper that was deliberately negative and one-sided and designed to cause trouble for the Prime Minister. Some blame Juncker himself for the leak. Immediately after the dinner, he telephoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel from the chauffeur-driven car taking him back to his hotel. He phoned Merkel again at 7 the next morning, telling her that Mrs May was living in a different galaxy. In turn, Chancellor Merkel made a blunt speech in the German parliament warning Mrs May to drop her illusions. The more likely culprit was Martin the monster Selmayr. He was the last to leave Downing Street, pointedly going up to the Prime Minister to exchange warm words. They ended wreathed in smiles as he left to join Juncker but was his behaviour that of a smiling assassin? Whatever the case, the Whitehall source is phlegmatic: Its been a classic attempt by Germany and Brussels to try to bully and intimidate us. They did it with Greece and they did it with Italy. But it wont work with us. Whats clear from the leaked version of the dinner is that the Prime Minister stood her ground hence the poisonous briefing to the German newspaper. In fact, the source added, it was a constructive dinner: And Im also told the food was very nice, too... Senior Tories will today launch a double-pronged attack on Jeremy Corbyns weak stance on the economy and defence, with a warning that Labours plans contain a 45billion black hole. Chancellor Philip Hammond will outline a new Tory analysis of Labours previous tax and spending pledges which suggest Mr Corbyn would be unable to fund his plans without imposing swingeing taxes equal to 1,500 per taxpayer. The Tories will also revive the famous tax bombshell campaign poster, which was used to devastating effect against Neil Kinnock during the 1992 election. The Tories will revive the famous tax bombshell campaign poster, which was used to devastating effect against Neil Kinnock during the 1992 election The new poster depicts Mr Corbyn in front a picture of a bomb with the words More debt, higher taxes on the side. It adds the message: Corbyn: No bombs for our army. One big bombshell for your family. Brexit Secretary David Davis said: Jeremy Corbyns nonsensical and irresponsible ideas pose a grave risk to the future of Britains economy and the finances of every family in the country. His many, ill-thought through promises simply dont stack up and could not be paid for. Chancellor Philip Hammond will outline a new Tory analysis of Labours previous tax and spending pledges 'The damage this bombshell would do to the countrys finances if Corbyns coalition of chaos were given the keys to Downing Street would be disastrous. The Tory analysis trawls through a string of Labour pledges made since Mr Corbyn took charge such as abolishing university tuition fees, at an annual cost of 7.1billion. Even after existing Labour tax pledges, such as reversing cuts to corporation tax, are taken into account, the Tories identified a 45billion black hole. Sophie Hannah was selected by Agatha Christies estate to continue to write about Hercule Poirot A novelist chosen to write new Hercule Poirot novels has hit out at the snobbery of the literary establishment towards commercial crime fiction. Sophie Hannah was selected by Agatha Christies estate to continue the legacy of her sleuth and has written two novels featuring the Belgian detective, with another two in the pipeline. Miss Hannah, 46, said: There will always be some idiots who are determined to think that the more pleasure a book gives, the more worthless it must be. She said: 'It just makes no sense when books that are a nightmare to read, where you have to wade through them going, please let something happen soon, are considered to be deserving. She added: 'There is snobbery toward plot. There is a strand of literary snobbery that is willing to welcome with open arms a literary crime novel where the plot is either non-existent or very surreal and shadowy but if you have a brilliant plot that drives the narrative, it is very likely people will dismiss your book as just a commercial novel. Miss Hannah whose Poirot novels are called The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket revived the character 39 years after his last appearance with the blessing of the authors family. She was speaking in Dubai as part of a series of crime-writing workshops and talks hosted by the Emirates Literature Foundation. She drew a distinction between literary crime novels and commercial ones, adding scathingly that the only difference between the two was caring whether the reader has any fun or not. Literary genius: Agatha Christie, pictured left, is the most popular author in British history and wrote dozens of books, including the tales of detective Hercule Poirot (pictured right) Christie, pictured above, died in 1976 and at the age of 85 had sold more than two billion books, coming third only to the works of Shakespeare and the Bible And she said that writers who bored their readers with long dreary passages should be baked bean manufacturers. Miss Hannah said: In literary crime novels, other factors will be more important than the reader having a fun time and being gripped. There should not be a difference. It should just be [about whether] it is a good novel or not. But if I started a crime novel with a chapter in which a sofa cushion was narrating how it feels to be a sofa cushion and no murder happened, that would be a literary crime novel because in a commercial novel a reader is going to be thinking: Whats all this nonsense? Where is the murder? Where is the mystery? Christie, who died in 1976 at the age of 85, has sold more than two billion books, coming third only to the works of Shakespeare and the Bible. The most popular of her 80 books, And Then There Were None, recently televised by the BBC, sold more than 100million copies alone. But Miss Hannah said populist writers like Christie would never be shortlisted in a million years for the Man Booker prize. Miss Hannah, an honorary fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, is also a bestselling poet whose work has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot award. Her novels have been translated into 34 languages and published in 51 countries whilst her thriller, The Carrier, won the Specsavers National Book Award in 2013. Liz Smith (pictured sa Nana in the Royle Family) left a portion of her 688,000 estate to an Egyptian hospital for horses and donkeys Actress Liz Smith left a portion of her 688,000 estate to an Egyptian hospital for horses and donkeys, it has emerged. The star, best known for her role as Nana in sitcom The Royle Family, made a final request for some of her estate to go to the Brooke Hospital for Animals in Cairo. Miss Smith, who died last Christmas Eve at the age of 95, left a total of 688,611 to her two children, Robert, 63, and Sarah, 66. She requested her children divide part of the estate equally between the hospital, run by equine charity Brooke, and an animal birth control fund which she had set up. According to the will, the amount donated to the charities is at the discretion of her children and the remaining estate should be divided equally between them. The hospital in Cairo is one of six clinics run by the British charity in Egypt and provides free veterinary care for working horses, donkeys and mules. There are approximately three million working equines in Egypt used to carry out a range of jobs, including transporting tourists and heavy building material, in punishing heat. The hospital in Cairo is one of six clinics run by the British charity in Egypt and provides free veterinary care for working horses, donkeys and mules Brooke, which counts The Duchess of Cornwall as its president, aims to improve the welfare and care of horses, donkeys and mules with hospitals across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Miss Smiths death last year came just months after Royle Family co-star and writer Caroline Aherne died last July from lung cancer. She was described by actress Sue Johnston, 73, who played her daughter in the comedy as an extraordinary, sensitive woman and very bright. After a series of previous rejections, Miss Smiths acting career bloomed late when she won a part in Mike Leighs first feature film, Bleak Moments, at the age of 50. She became recognised for her comical facial expressions and her deadpan delivery in roles which included Letty Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley, alongside Dawn French. In 2009, Miss Smith was made an MBE for services to drama. Prince Charles told her the sofa-bound Royle Family characters were nothing like my family' The actress won a Bafta in 1985 for her performance in A Private Function and a Bronze Mask at the Taormina International Film Festival for the same performance. Nanas death in The Royle Family touched audiences in a performance that won Miss Smith best actress at the British Comedy Awards in 2007. She once told The Observer that awards made up for half a life of nothing but rejection. In 2009, Miss Smith was made an MBE for services to drama. Prince Charles told her the sofa-bound Royle Family characters were nothing like my family. The same year, she suffered three strokes in two days, forcing her to bow out of acting. I was sure my end had come, she said at the time. But still, I managed to tell my son Robert that I wanted to be buried in a wood without a coffin, so Id have a green funeral. The Tri-State Chapter of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge honored two students at their spring luncheon who attended the annual "Spirit of American Youth Leadership Conference". Danielle Tatrow, home-schooled, and Duncan Joyner, a student at Chattanooga Christian School, were both selected to attend the conference based on essays they submitted. The Freedoms Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization founded by President Eisenhower in 1949. Their goal is to promote good citizenship and patriotism. For more information about this chapter of the Freedoms Foundation , please contact Esther Taj at etaj@comcast.net. A pizza delivery driver has been jailed and faces possible deportation to India after he slashed two of his colleagues with a meat cleaver. Rajat Chaudhary, 32, was sentenced to two years behind bars following a work-related argument in Perth's east last year. A sausage factory worker by day, Chaudhary was angered when one of his Dominos colleagues threatened to bash him if he didn't comply with a rostering instruction. Rajat Chaudhary (pictured) was sentenced to two years behind bars following a work-related argument in Perth's east last year Judge Simon Stone said the provocation was minor compared to Chaudhary's (pictured) reaction The District Court of WA heard Chaudhary went home to collect the cleaver then used it to slash two colleagues during a fight outside the Swan View store. The victims had been loitering around the store, despite not working at the outlet that night. Judge Simon Stone said the provocation was minor compared to Chaudhary's reaction. 'It was a senseless dispute over employment issues,' Judge Stone said on Tuesday. 'You over-reacted in a significant way.' Chaudhary was jailed for two years and will be eligible for parole after serving one year. His wife held their 10-month-old child in the public gallery and wept as the sentence was handed down. Chaudhary collected the cleaver then used it to slash two colleagues during a fight outside the Swan View store (pictured) Would-be home buyers could be underestimating their moving costs by nearly 2,000, research has found. On average, people planning to buy a home estimate their costs will come to 7,643, according to Post Office Money. But research compiled by Post Office Money and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) suggests the average bill across the UK is 1,829 higher, at 9,472. Would-be home buyers could be underestimating their moving costs by nearly 2,000, research has found (file image) The total includes calculations covering stamp duty costs, estate agents and surveyors fees, conveyancing costs and removal charges. Nearly two thirds (65%) of people surveyed who are planning to buy a home said they had a budget of less than 9,000 for their moving costs. The average moving cost of nearly 9,500 could have been even higher had it not been for stamp duty reforms in December 2014 which changed the way stamp duty is charged. The changes pushed the average stamp duty bill down from 4,227 at the end of 2014 to 1,774 at the end of 2016, Post Office Money said. Nearly two thirds (65%) of people surveyed who are planning to buy a home said they had a budget of less than 9,000 for their moving costs (file image) It said average moving costs are forecast to hit 12,267 by 2020, having stood at 7,590 in 2006. Expected increases in house prices over the coming years will push moving costs up further, according to the predictions. Cebr looked at Office for National Statistics (ONS) house price data as well as a range of statistics from other sources to calculate average moving costs. In Scotland, stamp duty has been abolished, so the equivalent tax was looked at there to calculate the UK average. A survey of more than 500 people looking to move home was also included in the research. A four-year-old girl who watched as her mother lost control of a quad bike and became pinned underneath will be given a bravery award for saving her life. Georgia Ritter watched as her mother Natalie, 35, rolled the four-wheeler motorbike on the family farm in Bundook, north of Gloucester, north-west of Newcastle on Tuesday. Young Georgia has been labelled as a hero by authorities and the community after managing to call for help shortly after the crash - saving her mother's life. Georgia Ritter, pictured, saved her mother after she was involved in a farming accident on Tuesday The heroic four-year-old girl has saved her mother's life after she became stuck under her quad bike Natalie Ritter, pictured, was trapped under the bike for two hours while paramedic worked on her - she is now recovering in hospital Since the accident on Tuesday afternoon the family has been inundated with praise for the young girl. 'Here's to a speedy recovery Nat. Take the very best of care. What a wonderful little girl Georgia is,' one friend said. 'Just heard love. How terrifying!!! Hope you're doing okay. Give that beautiful, clever girl of yours an extra big squeeze for me,' said another. 'I always said Georgia was a little legend,' said another friend. Mrs Ritter suffered serious leg injuries in the crash which saw her land just 100 metres from the road. Georgia raced a kilometre to her mother after watching the crash from the family home - falling over and scratching her face in the process. The young girl walked a kilometre for help after her mother became trapped under a quad-bike when it rolled 100 metres down a hill on her country farm Paramedics worked on the woman 'for over two hours' before airlifting her to hospital, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Georgia is currently being cared for by relatives - as her father was working interstate. 'Officers from Manning Great Lakes Local Area Command will formally acknowledge the child's quick thinking and life saving actions,' police said. 'Police believe without the efforts of this young girl the circumstances may have been tragic.' The woman was taken to John Hunter hospital in Newcastle, the Daily Telegraph reported. The 35-year-old woman had serious leg injuries and was trapped in her vehicle Tens of thousands of people die every year because claims about statins side effects left them too afraid to take the potentially life-saving drugs, a leading scientist has warned. Professor Peter Sever yesterday called on health officials to remove information about adverse effects from the pills packaging. The Imperial College London professor said there was little evidence side effects such as muscle pain were caused by the statins. Tens of thousands of people die every year because claims about statins side effects left them too afraid to take the potentially life-saving drugs, a leading scientist has warned He added that by refusing to take the cholesterol-busting drugs, people were putting themselves at risk of heart attacks and strokes. Prof Sever, lead author of a major study into statins, found in a trial that patients who did not know they were taking statins started reporting muscle pain only when they were made aware they were on the drug. He said the only possible explanation was that the pain was not caused by the drug but was due to a nocebo effect. This is when people become convinced their drugs are causing side effects and is the opposite of a placebo effect in which dummy drugs improve peoples health. People are dying because of a nocebo effect, in my opinion, he said. This is not a case of people making up symptoms. Patients can experience very real pain as a result of the nocebo effect. What our study shows is that its precisely the expectation of harm that is likely causing the increase in muscle pain and weakness. Professor Peter Sever yesterday called on health officials to remove information about adverse effects from the pills packaging. He said there was little evidence side effects such as muscle pain were caused by the statins As well as muscle pain the supposed side effects of statins include sleep problems, erectile dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Prof Sever said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had jumped the gun by insisting the side effects be listed on packaging nearly a decade ago. He said: There are people out there who are dying because theyre not taking statins, and the numbers are large, the numbers are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. Roughly six million people in Britain are thought to take statins, preventing 80,000 heart attacks and strokes every year at the cost of roughly 20 a year per patient. However, another six million should be taking the drugs. Prof Sever, whose work is published in the Lancet medical journal, led a study tracking 10,180 patients aged 40 to 79 over five and a half years. In the first phase of the study, which involved academics from Oxford University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary University London, patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease were given either statins or a placebo but did not know which. THE GREAT DRUGS DEBATE FOR STATINS For those who have had a heart attack or stroke they slash the chance of a second attack, saving an estimated 7,000 lives in Britain a year Many doctors also recommend statins for millions with a small chance of a heart attack in the next decade The drugs cost only about 20 a year per patient Some experts say the risk of side effects is small and that only one in 2,000 people suffer muscular pain Backers of statins claim most side effects have a different cause AGAINST Many doctors are uneasy about over-medicalising the middle aged by doling out statins just in case The vast majority of those who take them would never suffer a heart attack or stroke Many GPs say the side effects are far higher than claimed, and a 2016 study said between 5 and 20 per cent of users stop taking the drugs because of muscle pain Some doctors question the theory that reducing bad cholesterol protects against heart disease Advertisement In the second phase the participants were given the choice of taking a statin or not. People who were kept in the dark were no more likely to report any side effects whether they were on statins or not. But when they were told they were taking the drug their complaints of muscle pain increased by 41 per cent. There was no significant difference in rates of erectile dysfunction or cognitive impairment between the two groups. Prof Sever, who himself takes statins, stressed there were some real side effects of the drugs, but these were rare. These include myopathy, which results in severe muscle weakness. There is also a real risk of developing type two diabetes. His trial was funded by drugs firm Pfizer which makes statins. Prof Sever said Pfizer had not influenced the study. London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, a critic of the mass use of statins, said their marginal benefits were clear in patients with established heart disease but if you are low risk, taking a statin wont prolong your life by one day. He added: I fear the misrepresentation of research on statins both in terms of benefit and harms will be one of the biggest cons and scandals in the history of medicine. An MHRA spokesman insisted side effects are listed on drug packets only if they are a reasonable possibility and the priority was to ensure the benefits of medication outweigh the risks. Britain lags behind the likes of Peru and Estonia in the availability of 4G mobile phone services. This is despite the fact Britons have paid billions of pounds through their mobile phone bills to fund the supposedly 'high speed' service. The average overall availability of access to 4G signals across the UK is 65 per cent, according to industry data. This means that one third of the time, people's handsets are connecting to the mobile system and internet through the slower 3G network. This puts the UK well behind the likes of Peru, Estonia, Latvia, and India in terms of availability. New research from Which? and OpenSignal looked at 4G mobile services in 20 UK cities, where availability tends to be above the national average. It analysed over 500million data readings from mobile phones taken from over 30,000 people using handsets across the country. Best 4G availability was found in the Middlesbrough and Teesside area at 82.7 per cent of handset usage. This was ahead of Sheffield at 79.3 per cent, Sunderland on 79 per cent and Leicester at 78.6 per cent. At the bottom of the league were Bournemouth and Poole at 67.5 per cent, with the Southampton and Portsmouth area at 69.6 per cent. Availability in London was 73.6 per cent, which was 16th of the 20 cities. Fast download speeds over the 4G system are needed for smooth access to the internet, emails and streaming video. Using this measure, the best place to live and work is Stoke with a download speed of 26.6 megabits per second (mbps).Second place went to Coventry at 24.8mbps with Leicester and Liverpool both on 24.4mbps.The most congested and slowest 4G services were in Brighton and Hove at 17.6mbps. Cardiff was at 17.7mbps and Bristol on 18.8mbps. Which? said the industry regulator Ofcom must make good on promises to ensure mobile networks improve their services. Alex Neill, managing director of home products and services at Which?, said: 'These latest findings underline the need for Ofcom to keep the pressure on mobile operators, so that every part of the country gets a decent service on their mobile phone.' Brendan Gill, chief executive of OpenSignal, said: 'The mobile data experience isn't the same in every city for UK consumers. 'OpenSignal users found signals more often in Middlesbrough than in Manchester and faster 4G connections in Stoke than in London.' In theory, 4G is up to ten times faster than the 3G system, but the average download speed with 4G mobile in the UK is 21.16mbps, which is just over three times faster than the figure of 6mbps for 3G. And in some circumstances, the 3G system could end up being faster when 4G networks become overcongested. Pictures showing the grisly crime scene where a former Perth student's wealthy family were found murdered have been deemed too shocking to be made public. The photos also show personal items such as a laptop and a handbag in full view, although it has been claimed by the man an 'intruder' had entered his family home. The family, who were hacked to death with an axe, were attacked with such ferocity that their blood ended up spattered on a neighbour's house, court documents show. Henri van Breda, 21, is accused of landing 15 savage blows on his parents and siblings during a frenzied bedroom attack at the family's luxury home in South Africa two years ago. In court on Tuesday, Van Breda looked unemotional as he flicked through a bundle of police photos taken at his former Cape Town home that a judge ruled were too graphic to be made public. Sergeant Adrian Kleynhans, who was first to respond, told Van Breda's lawyer Pieter Botha the scene he found was 'shocking'. Henri van Breda, 21, appeared stoic as he was shown photos of his family after they had been attacked with an axe that a judge ruled were too graphic to make public (file images) Van Breda is accused of slaughtering his family at their home in Cape Town (pictured outside) in a massacre so brutal their blood ended up spattered on a neighbour's house He denied there had been signs of a break-in, adding: 'If there had been a burglary things would have been missing. Nothing was missing.' But Mr Botha did admit that there have been 24 break-ins at the housing complex where the Van Bredas lived over the last 15 years. That is despite the fact that the estate boasts round-the-clock security and an electrified perimeter fence. Personal items, including novels, sunglasses and phones, are pictured untouched on tables in the bedrooms whose floors were left drenched with blood. News24 also reported a laptop and a handbag were also still in full view. Prosecutors say Henri (left) murdered father Martin (right), mother Teresa (front right), brother Rudi (center) and tried to kill sister Marli (front left) Van Breda appeared equally stoic as he read post-mortem reports for his father Martin, mother Theresa, and older brother Rudi that revealed the brutality of their deaths. The papers told how mother-of-three Theresa, 55, who died face down in her underwear, had her head split open by three axe blows. Her 44-year-old husband Martin, wearing just a pair of light shorts, sustained at least five strikes to his head and another to the back of his neck. He was photographed dead on a bed in his sons' room, close to the body of Rudi. The masters student, whom Van Breda witnessed 'gurgling' and 'thrashing about' as his life ebbed away, suffered four blows from the axe, which proved fatal, the post mortem report revealed. He also died face-down, his bloodied head coming to rest on his crossed wrists. Schoolgirl Marli, who is listed to give evidence against her brother, miraculously survived the assault and was found on the first floor landing, near her dead mother. Van Breda (pictured with his legal team at his old family home) says he watched through a crack in a bathroom door as his family were cut down two years ago A court heard that Van Breda's family were all hit multiple times in the head with a 9lb axe, leaving the house covered in blood (pictured, Van Breda during a tour of the home) At one point during the tour, Van Breda's solicitor, Lorinda Van Niekerk, scaled the home's side gate and a 7ft high wall (right) to demonstrate how intruders could have arrived and fled on the night of the grisly killing Stark images revealed the then-16-year-old suffered four axe blows to her head and another across her jugular just below her left ear which was almost split in half. Gouges made by the 9lb axe were also found in the walls upstairs. In a dramatic account of events read at the start of his trial last week, Van Breda claims he watched the scene of almost unimaginable carnage unfold through a crack in the bathroom door. He described how - after leaving his siblings and parents either dead and dying - the murderer then set about him with an axe and a knife, but only managed to inflict minor cuts to his chest and a wound to his side. Pictures of Van Breda were also shared with the Western Cape High Court showing him looking dazed at the crime scene while on a paramedics' stretcher, dressed in light blue boxer shorts. Stripes of thin, congealed blood from knife wounds across his bare chest and forearm were captured on camera, as well as a clean wound dressing on his left side. If Van Breda is found guilty, he will be denied access to his family's 13million fortune as people are barred from profiting from crime in South Africa Van Breda claims he was also wounded on the chest, arms, and torso during the attack as he fought the intruder off Then aged 19, Van Breda claimed he single-handedly fought off the triple murderer, chasing him and unseen accomplice off the property, before lighting a cigarette to calm down and then passing out for several hours. He claims he was unable to remember the correct number to dial for help, having just moved back from Australia. However, one photo from the crime scene showed a list of emergency numbers that was stuck on the fridge in the Van Bredas' kitchen. These included contacts for the estate's security guards, emergency medical assistance and the mobile numbers of neighbours. Marli is the sole survivor of the attack and has been listed as the prosecution's main witness, but lawyers are reportedly argonising over whether to call her It has been reported that Mali can remember nothing of the night she was found with a severed jugular and left in a coma Other pictures showed a neat and tidy family home on the ground floor - filled with board games and electronics. Van Breda, who is on bail, denies three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and perverting the course of justice. If convicted, he will be unable to inherit his share of his parents' estate, reported to be worth 13million. Van Breda said it took him four hours to phone for help because he did not know the right number to call, but photographs show a list of emergency numbers on the fridge The family home, worth 400,000, and a mansion in Queensland, valued at 1.9million, are both currently on the market. If Van Breda is not guilty, he stands to inherit from both Martin Van Breda amassed a fortune from property and other investments while living in Perth, Australia, for seven years. Shortly before the murders, he moved back to South Africa with his family to cash in on a lucrative business deal. Mr Botha, who is representing Van Breda, was on the team that secured an acquittal for Shrien Dewani, a British millionaire who was accused of ordering the assassination of his new bride during their 2010 honeymoon to Cape Town. A property acquire by the family on Australia's Sunshine Coast was also recently put up for sale for 1.9million. Whether Van Breda will inherit his parents wealth remains to be seen - as under South African law, no one convicted of killing can profit financially from their crimes. The trial continues. A decorated serving colonel who commanded UK forces in Iraq yesterday said a law firm's pursuit of false murder claims was 'harrowing' for his men. Colonel James Coote OBE, of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, said baseless accusations lodged by firm Leigh Day against British troops had caused him mental trauma. He told the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) in London that men under his command during the Battle of Danny Boy in 2004 had also 'suffered stresses and strain'. Colonel James Coote OBE, of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, said baseless accusations lodged by firm Leigh Day against British troops had caused him mental trauma Col Coote, who was a major in command of C Company of the regiment's First Battalion at the time, said the way the claims were investigated was 'unacceptable'. He also accused the firm accused of hounding British troops for a decade of 'sensationalism' and said the Iraqi claims had been investigated 'appropriately' at the time. Troops from 1PWRR, known as the Tigers, deployed after Mahdi Army insurgents ambushed their fellow units from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in May 2004. An intense firefight left more than 20 Iraqis dead and nine others were later detained and taken to nearby Camp Abu Naji. Leigh Day pursued damages claims against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the alleged murder and torture of captives at the British-run camp following the battle. A five-year 29million Al-Sweady Inquiry earlier dismissed the claims as 'wholly baseless' and the product of 'deliberate and calculated lies'. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) alleges the law firm and solicitors Martyn Day and Sapna Malik continued to act for the claimants when they had evidence it was 'improper'. The two solicitors face 16 misconduct charges, while fellow solicitor Anna Crowther faces four, including an allegation of destroying a key document. The firm which has made millions of pounds from Iraqi claims - is charged with 11 counts. All deny any wrongdoing. Pictures emerged (from left) of Anna Crowther, acting senior partner Russell Levy, Martyn Day, Sapna Malik and managing partner Frances Swaine Col Coote, who was awarded an OBE for his service in Afghanistan, said: 'What I can say is that 13 years later, individual soldiers, not the MoD but individual soldiers, have been put through a very harrowing process, which has added stress, added strain to their lives.' The 45-year-old, who has served in the Army for 25 years and received the distinguished service order for service during combat, said he had suffered years of sleep disorders and was sometimes unable to control his temper. 'I had some treatment for sleep disorders after my return from Iraq,' Col Coote told the tribunal. 'Some of those symptoms returned. My concentration was much shorter, my temperament was much shorter. 'I recognise that these have been exacerbated by the fact we went through this process for another couple of years after 2008.' He said some of his troops had also suffered psychological trauma following service in Iraq. He added: 'I'm clear some of the symptoms they've suffered have been described separately as PTSD. 'They've certainly been under a lot of stress and strain.' On February 22, 2008, Mr Day held a joint press conference with disgraced lawyer Phil Shiner, of firm Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), making multiple allegations of misconduct by the army during the Iraq War. Col Coote, who appeared before the tribunal wearing his Army uniform, gave evidence that he was angry at the public announcement of the allegations. There was certainly a sense of sensationalism He said: 'The impact of the lawyers' actions, I would characterise that in two ways. 'Physically, it meant that the investigations into the events of 2004 ran for several more years. 'Secondly, I think I felt, as I said, dismayed and a sense of anger that these allegations were brought in the way that they were, which I felt was inappropriate. 'There was certainly a sense of sensationalism.' He said the press statement was an 'inappropriate way' for these allegations to be brought. Patricia Robertson QC, representing Leigh Day, said the claims by Iraqi detainees needed to be investigated as there was a discrepancy about the number of detainees taken prisoner. Col Coote replied: 'To the best of my knowledge the allegations were investigated appropriately at the time.' She added: 'We apologise to you and your men for having to relive these events, but do you agree these claims needed to be investigated?' Col Coote replied: 'My knowledge is that individual soldiers had been put through a harrowing process and suffered stresses and strain in their lives. 'If they did need to be investigated it was the manner which I found unacceptable.' PIL was forced to shut down last summer after its legal aid was pulled and its lead lawyer, Phil Shiner, was struck off for misconduct by the SRA. The tribunal continues. Paul Gott, representing Leigh Day, said the shredding of the English translation of a crucial document that would have exonerated British troops was down to 'human error'. He also blamed PIL for not handing over the OMS detainee list, which revealed that those captured were Mahdi army fighters and not local farmers or civilians. The widow of convicted drug trafficker Andrew Chan has spoken out about his death, two years after he was executed by a firing squad for his crimes. Australian national Chan, 31, was shot dead on the prison island of Nusakambangan on April 29, 2015 alongside Myuran Sukumaran, both were ringleaders of the Bali Nine group and were convicted of attempting to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin into Australia. Chan's widow, Febyanti Herewila Chan, also known as Feby, married the doomed prisoner just hours before he faced the firing squad and told Whimn his death will impact her for the rest of her life. 'I have learnt as a woman how to stay by the side of the man you love facing the hardest moment in his life', she said. Febyanti Herewila Chan (right), widow of drug trafficker and Bali Nine member Andrew Chan has spoken out about his death, two years after he was executed by a firing squad Andrew Chan (Pictured in Kerobokan jail in February 2013) was convicted of attempting to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin into Australia A tower inside Kerobokan Prison in Denpasar, Bali where members of the 'Bali Nine', served their sentence Chan and Sukumaran were labelled as 'model prisoners' after their decade behind bars at Kerobokan Prison, where they passed the hours running art classes, counselling other inmates and - for Chan - preaching Christianity. Ms Chan, a pastor, met her husband in 2012 when she visited the prison to work, but they didn't realise their love for each other until two years later. 'Andrew was a man full of faith, and fun at the same time,' she told Whimn. 'His jokes were a little bit sarcastic but that's what made him fun to be with. We had lots of differences and disagreements but he never got offended and we always finished the day with smiles and laughter.' Ms Chan, a pastor, met her husband in 2012 when she visited the prison to work, but they didn't realise their love for each other until two years later Chan (Pictured centre in white shirt), one of two ringleaders of the 'Bali Nine' drug ring,seen being escorted to a court for his trial in Denpasar in 2006 Chan (right) and Sukumaran (left) were labelled as 'model prisoners' and passed the hours behind bars running art classes, counselling inmates and - for Chan - preaching Christianity Australian Myuran Sukumaran, poses with his artwork in Kerobokan jail in February 2013, he was also executed by a firing squad Ms Chan has fulfilled the couple's (pictured together with Mr Chan's nephew) dream to establish a youth centre and school to help underprivileged children Since her husband's death, Ms Chan has struggled to live with the all-consuming grief, but she is slowly learning how to get by. 'There are times I just wanted to be swallowed by the earth and just gone,' she said. 'I have learnt how to face my grief and not fall apart. I have learnt how to pick myself up again.' The couple's dream was to establish a youth centre and school to help underprivileged children on the tiny Indonesian island of Sabu-Raijua, a vision the young widow is proud to see come to life. The centre will provide free education and English classes for youths. Ms Chan says 'every detail' of the project makes her feel very close to her late husband and she still thinks about him every day. A federal minister is the latest in a long line of political figures to back calls for ABC host Yassmin Abdel-Magied to be sacked for her 'despicable' Anzac Day post. Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs, said the Muslim activist knew exactly what she was doing when she made the post. 'It was pretty despicable,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'She's been around public life for a while and everyone who has been knows how sacred Anzac Day is to Australians, we've seen examples of that before.' Scroll down for video Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs, has called for ABC to sack Yassmin Abdel-Magied for her 'despicable' Anzac Day post Mr Seselja said he believed the Muslim activist knew exactly what she was doing when she made the post Ms Abdel-Magied became the target of national outrage after making this Facebook post Ms Abdel-Magied, who hosts the ABC's Australia Wide program, became the target of national outrage when she published a 'disrespectful' Anzac Day post on Facebook which said: 'Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine...)'. The post incited outrage from her followers and prompted calls by members of both major political parties to sack or censure the controversial presenter. Senator Seselja said the national broadcaster had 'certain standards' it was expected to uphold, and backed a growing call to have Ms Abdel-Magied shown the door. He added that he didn't believe Ms Abdel-Magied was 'necessarily reflective' of the majority of the Muslims he had met through his role in government. On Monday night, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce slammed the 25-year-old for the post and took a jab at the ABC over how they handled the fallout from the post. Speaking on Q&A, Mr Joyce said Australians were 'up and down the street absolutely furious', adding that there were 'a lot of people' who believed the ABC leaned 'too far to the left' and lacked balance in their political views. Mr Seselja joins a long list of members from both political parties outraged by the post. On Monday night, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce slammed Ms Abdel-Magied r Joyce said Australians were 'up and down the street absolutely furious' about the post Ms Abdel-Magied, 25, also faced fierce criticism from former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Mr Abbott said the ABC needed to support Australian values and was 'appalled' an ABC presenter would disrespect Anzac Day the way Ms Abdel-Magied did. 'There's nothing more sacred that the commemoration of Anzac Day,' he told radio 2GB. 'You've got to join team Australia, you've got to accept our core culture, you've got to accept our fundamental values, and this idea that Anzac Day should be turned into some kind of crass political stunt is just appalling.' One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Queensland Coalition MP George Christensen both called for Ms Abdel-Magied to be immediately sacked, with Ms Hanson labelling her post 'disgusting'. Former Coalition minister Eric Abetz wrote to Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and formally asked her to stand Ms Abdel-Magied down from her seat on the council for Australian-Arab Relations. Former PM Tony Abbott said the ABC needed to support Australian values and was 'appalled' an ABC presenter would disrespect Anzac Day the way Ms Abdel-Magied did Queensland Coalition MP George Christensen (right) and former Coalition minister Eric Abetz both called for her sacking Criminals who drive Britains fly-tipping epidemic are costing the taxpayer 604 million a year, new research has found. A report into the soaring levels of waste crime in England found rogue operators exploit a legal loophole to obtain official licenses that allow them to transport rubbish with minimal background checks. They then advertise to dispose the waste at a knockdown price, before dumping illegally to avoid high charges at official sites. Criminals who drive Britains fly-tipping epidemic are costing the taxpayer 604 million a year, new research has found (pictured: waste in Hedley Hall, Tyne & Wear, last year) The activities of these illegal gangs costs taxpayers and legitimate waste operators 604 million a year in England, according to the report which was commissioned by the Environmental Services Association. The study criticised weak regulation as a key factor behind the soaring levels of waste crime in England, with one of the studys authors claiming he was able to register his dead dog as a legitimate waste carrier. The number of organisations registered to carry waste has more than doubled in the past decade and anyone can obtain a licence to transport waste by filling in an online form and paying a fee of 234 to the Environment Agency. The activities of illegal gangs costs taxpayers and legitimate waste operators 604 million a year in England (pictured: a pile of rubbish in Enfield, March 2017) Mike Brown, managing director of Eunomia, a consultancy which carried out the research, said he applied for a licence in the name of his dog Oscar, who died ten years ago. Mr Brown told The Times that the Environment Agency granted the license for Oscar immediately, without carrying out the simple background checks. Cases of fly-tipping have soared by more than 30 per cent in just three years after councils have scrapped weekly bin rounds and begun charging for waste collection. A government report released in March found councils across England reported 936,090 cases of fly-tipping in 2015/16. Cases of fly-tipping have soared by more than 30 per cent in just three years after councils have scrapped weekly bin rounds and begun charging for waste collection (pictured: a mound in Theydon Bois, Essex, December 2016) The true figure is likely to be much higher as official figures cover only dumping on public land, with fly-tipping on private land the responsibility of the landowner not the council. Jacob Hayler, Executive Director at the Environmental Services Association, said: Despite additional funding for regulators and stronger enforcement powers, waste crime is more entrenched than ever. Clearly, we need a different approach which targets the underlying causes of crime in our sector and which roots out the prevailing culture which allows waste crime to flourish. This report highlights the weakness in the current regime and puts forward ambitious recommendations aimed at stopping waste crime once and for all. Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc., named John Brown, ASLA, one of its 2017 Dan Barge, Jr. Award of Merit recipients at the firms annual employee banquet. The Dan Barge, Jr. Award of Merit was established in 1980 to recognize an employee for a specific extraordinary initiative above the normal duties of ones job in the prior year. Originally called the Award of Merit, it was renamed the Dan Barge, Jr. Award of Merit in 2005, as a tribute to founder Dan Barge, who passed away in 2004. The firm honors these employees that share the same passion and drive that elevates their communities, team, and themselves to make their surroundings better. Recipients are nominated by their peers and selected by the Board of Directors. Mr. Browns distinguished work as lead designer on the newest section of the Tennessee Riverwalk in Chattanooga was celebrated with this award. This award celebrates Mr. Browns achievements on the latest section of the Riverwalk opened in 2016, one of the most difficult and complicated projects undertaken by the firm. Mr. Brown overcame a myriad of project routing, land ownership, and funding challenges to keep the project moving forward. Business Unit Director of Land Resources Matt Stovall said, "This award-winning project is a significant accomplishment and will allow us to successfully compete with national design firms. Johns dedicated performance, leadership, creativity, and positive attitude as a Barge Waggoner employee were major contributors to the success of the project. Mr. Brown joined the firm in 2005. He holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. Mr. Brown is a Registered Landscape Architect in Tennessee and in three other states. The owner of a giant rabbit has received a five-figure compensation pay out after her giant bunny froze to death on its way to America. Simon, a three foot long and black-furred bunny, was expected to outgrow his enormous father to become the largest rabbit in the world. The prize animal was alive when he was taken off the plane from London's Heathrow airport but died at a holding facility at Chicago O'Hare Airport. An airport worker revealed that the pet was placed in frosty temperatures by mistake for up to 16 hours, causing it to freeze to death last Wednesday. Now, former Playboy model and bunny breeder Annette Edwards, has been awarded an undisclosed cash sum on the condition she does discuss the case. Simon, a three foot long and black-furred bunny (pictured), was expected to become the largest rabbit in the world. He died after he was flown to Chicago from London last week Annette Edwards, 65, of Stoulton, Worcestershire, learned on Friday that United had cremated the body without her consent or knowledge. She is pictured with Simon's father Darius, the world's biggest rabbit Edwards earlier told The Sun: 'The whole thing stinks of a cover-up. I had been asking United over and over again for his body so that I can have him examined here in Britain but they never got back to me. 'Then finally, late on Friday, they called and told me he had been cremated and there was nothing they could do. 'I suspected he was dropped but to find out he was frozen to death has really knocked me. I had asked for the CCTV but they wouldnt give me it and now I know why.' Earlier in the week, it was revealed that United Airlines staff allegedly locked away the animal for up to 16 hours in a freezer, where temperature dipped into frigid conditions. Edwards said a vet had checked Simon shortly before he was placed on the United flight on Wednesday last week and he 'was fit as a fiddle'. Former Playboy model and bunny breeder Edwards (pictured) claims Simon was 'fit as a fiddle' and was in perfect health when he was checked by a vet three hours before his flight An unnamed source told The Sun: 'The rabbit arrived fine but there was some sort of mistake and he was locked inside a freezer overnight. 'Everyone thought he was just having a nap or something. Nobody realized it needed to be taken out.' A United spokesman denied the claims, saying: 'That assertion is completely false. Simon was cared for at the PetSafe kennel facility which is kept at room temperature (on average 70F). 'He arrived at Chicago OHare airport in apparent good condition at 10:25 am (local time). He was seen by a representative of the kennel facility moving about within his crate about 11:00am. 'Shortly thereafter, a kennel representative noticed Simon was motionless and determined that he passed away.' The incident is the latest embarrassment to hit United after it sparked global outcry when a passenger was dragged off an overbooked plane earlier this month. United said the rabbit was moving around in his crate and appeared healthy when taken off the plane in Chicago, waiting to be put on another flight to Kansas City. The incident comes just weeks after the besieged airline hit the headlines when a doctor was dragged off a plane by stewards at Chicago O'Hare Airport About half an hour later, at the company-run pet facility, Simon seemed to be asleep. Shortly after that, a pet facility employee opened the cage and found the rabbit dead. The spokesman said the airline was reviewing its handling of the animal. 'We won't know the cause of death, because we offered to perform a necropsy free of charge - that's standard procedure - but the customer didn't want us to perform a necropsy, and we understand,' he said. The spokesman added that the airline offered compensation to the breeder but would not disclose the amount. Bryan Bergdale, a farmland investment manager, said he bought the rabbit for his boss, who had hoped to show him at the Iowa State Fair. He had driven from the Des Moines area to Kansas City and was nearing the airport last Thursday when United called with the bad news. At first, he didn't believe it. 'We'd built a pen and had toys all ready. It's sort of a sad deal,' he said. Edwards, pictured with Simon's father Darius (right) and his wife Honey. An United staffer said Simon was locked away in an freezer for up to 16 hours Mr Bergdale, 29, said he had tracked down the breeder and bought the rabbit for his boss, Steve Bruere, who owns a farm real estate company in the Des Moines suburb of Clive. Mr Bergdale said the rabbit cost $530 and the shipping was $1,800. He said the United representative didn't say anything about compensating him for the loss. 'We're still in the mourning process,' he said. 'We're not quite sure what we're going to do.' United had the second-highest level of animal deaths and injuries of any US airline last year, or 2.11 per 10,000 animals transported, according to the Department of Transportation. Only Hawaiian Airlines was worse at 3.99, the result of three deaths among the 7,518 animals it transported. United transported 109,149 animals last year, second only to Alaska Airlines with 112,281. United reported nine deaths and 14 injuries, the highest figures for each category among US carriers. Alaska reported two deaths and one injury. United said it works to protect the safety of animals through its PetSafe program, which is staffed 24 hours a day and allows pet owners to track their animals from point of origin to destination. 'Travel can be stressful for animals,' the spokesman said, adding that the carrier has plenty of tips for those who do decide to ship their animals. Had he lived Simon was expected to outgrow the world's biggest rabbit - his 4ft 4in father Darius. Simon's new owner is expected to sue because he paid 2,000 for Simon's flight, 85 vet bill and 300 for Simon himself. United is already working to repair its battered image after a passenger who refused to give up his seat on an overbooked flight was forcibly dragged from a plane at O'Hare Airport. Airport security officers removed David Dao, a 69-year-old from Kentucky, from the United Express flight. Images of his bloodied face were widely circulated online. Mr Munoz was widely faulted for his early responses to the situation. He first blamed Dr Dao but later apologized repeatedly for United's handling of the situation. Two weeks earlier, United was criticized after a gate agent stopped two young girls from boarding a flight because they were wearing leggings. The airline said leggings violate the dress code of the United Pass program, a benefit for employees and their dependents. The airline said Mr Munoz would not automatically become chairman of the carrier's parent company, United Continental Holdings, next year as originally planned. A United spokesman said: 'We were saddened by the loss of Simon and have worked with Annette Edwards to reach a satisfactory resolution.' Anthony Bell and Kelly Landry's former nanny has spoken out in court following claims she was sacked for taking Mr Bell's side in a domestic dispute. Merania Hibbard was hired to work for the couple at their Watsons Bay home in January last year but soon became embroiled in the high profile divorce. Ms Hibbard appeared in court the same day Mr Bell, a celebrity accountant, admitted to using a butter knife during a fight with his estranged wife. Ms Hibbard was pictured downcast as she walked away from the Downing Court Centre in Sydney's centre on Wednesday following the third day of the explosive hearing. Merania Hibbard was hired to work for the couple at their Watsons Bay home in January last year but soon became embroiled in the high profile divorce Ms Hibbard was pictured downtrodden as she walked away from the Downing Court Centre in Sydney's centre on Wednesday The Downing Centre previously heard Ms Hibbard was hired to work for the couple 50 hours a week. The court heard she was paid $23 an hour, which Ms Landry - who was given a weekly allowance of $1000 by Mr Bell - claims meant she was earning more than her. After Mr Bell moved out of the home late last year, Ms Hibbard continued to work at the Watsons Bay home until she received a letter from Ms Landry dated February 27 this year ceasing her employment . 'In the letter it said that having a nanny work across two households she felt was not ideal,' Ms Hibbard told the court. 'But I felt it was because I was more on Anthony's side than hers.' Ms Hibbard was pictured downtrodden as she walked away from the Downing Court Centre in Sydney's centre on Wednesday Merania Hibbard was hired to work for the couple at their Watsons Bay home in January last year but soon became embroiled in the high profile divorce Ian Temby, QC, for Mr Bell, asked Ms Hibbard if during the time she worked for the couple she had ever witnessed conduct by his client which caused her to have fears for Ms Landry's safety. 'No, I did not,' she said. Mr Temby: 'Were there any instances of violence by him towards her which you either heard or were told about?' Ms Hibbard: 'Absolutely not.' Kelly Landry and Anthony Bell's nanny Ms Hibbard pictured outside Downing Court Centre Anthony Bell admitted on Wednesday to using a knife during one of two alleged fights with now estranged wife Kelly Landry, which led to an AVO being taken out against him. Mr Bell, 45, revealed he and Ms Landry, 37, had argued at home on November 18 last year after attending Catalina restaurant at Rose Bay, then the home of a friend. Taking to the witness box at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, Mr Bell said he used the butter knife to unlock the door to their bedroom after Ms Landry locked herself inside following the argument at their Watsons Bay mansion. Among other testimony the 'accountant to the stars' delivered to the courtroom, he denied grabbing his wife by the throat in another argument four years earlier. Talking about the alleged fight late last year that led police to take out an AVO on Ms Landry's behalf, Mr Bell said the couple had been arguing throughout the night. Scroll down for video Kelly Landry and Anthony Bell's nanny Ms Hibbard pictured outside Downing Court Centre 'We had a discussion on a couple of different fronts,' he told the court. 'Kelly told me she was over it, meaning the marriage.' They'd argued earlier in the evening outside the Royal Motor Yacht Club, where they had planned to have dinner after leaving his friend's home. 'It was about the fact that Kelly was of the view that I was never going to take her to dinner by myself and the night was spoilt because friends were there,' he said. 'She was upset that the first hour and a half was with all my friends. 'I said to Kelly to come with me and she didn't want to.' Mr Bell took an Uber home without his wife. Back at Watsons Bay, Ms Landry had locked herself in a bedroom. Mr Bell opened it with a butter knife. Mr Bell was concerned his wife was sending text messages about their marital woes and reached for her phone. Taking to the witness box to give evidence for the first time on Wednesday, Mr Bell (pictured) admitted to using a butter knife to open a door during an argument last year but denied grabbing Ms Landry by the throat during another alleged fight in February 2012 Mr Bell said the couple had argued when she accused him of infidelity after an engagement party at Mosman, Sydney, in February 2012, but denied grabbing his wife by the throat 'I was upset that I felt Kel was talking to other people about our problems,' he said. Ms Landry says her arm was injured in that scuffle and that her child's head hit a wall. Mr Bell confirmed that the couple had struggled over Ms Landry's phone which she was using to record the incident, resulting in the child's head hitting the wall. 'Do you accept that it is because you tried to grab Kelly's phone that the child's head hit the wall?' Sgt Nightingale asked. 'Yes,' Mr Bell replied. The couple spent that night apart but travelled to the Southern Highlands for a getaway the next day. Kelly Landry did not complain of any pain the day after her husband Anthony Bell allegedly assaulted her in their Watsons Bay home, a court has heard. Mr Bell told the court the couple and their two children had gone to the Southern Highlands for a getaway the morning after the incident on November 18 last year. The accountant said Ms Landry made no complaint about an alleged injury to her right arm during the family's two-night stay at Fitzroy Falls. 'I didn't see it, nor did she complain about it,' he said. A nanny who worked for Kelly Landry and Anthony Bell (pictured) believes she was sacked because she took Mr Bell's side in their domestic dispute Mr Bell (pictured) took to the witness box on Wednesday to defend himself against claims he was physically, emotionally and financially abusive towards estranged wife Kelly Landry Mr Bell, 45, who split from the former Getaway presenter in December last year, denied he was 'financially mean' to Ms Landry saying if she needed extra money, she would ask for it When questioned by the Ms Nightingale about another incident in February 2012, Mr Bell refuted claims that when they returned home from an engagement party he'd snatched her phone, causing her to fall and hit her head on tiles. Mr Bell says it was Ms Landry who tried to take his phone during a disagreement. 'She wanted to get access to my phone,' Mr Bell said. 'We were having a conversation about a former girlfriend who was at the party. 'She was upset about a discussion I had with a former girlfriend.' The court heard Ms Landry had accused Mr Bell of infidelity and that while 'wrestling' over a phone, she fell and hit her head on a tiled floor. Mr Bell denied that. 'She fell on her backside, not her head,' he told the court.' Mr Bell also denied he had then put his hands to his wife's neck and pushed her onto their bed. At the time of the incident the couple's first daughter was five months old and was being fed by expressed breast milk. Police prosecutor Sergeant Laura Nightingale asked Mr Bell if Ms Landry was careful about her alcohol consumption while breastfeeding. 'No,' he said. Sergeant Nightingale: 'Do you accept that during the time she was breastfeeding she barely consumed alcohol at all?' Mr Bell: 'No'. The couple went to a barbecue the next day. More text messages between Ms Landry and Mr Bell from their tense exchange after his Sydney to Hobart win were also revealed in court. Just hours after accusing him of having an 'odd' relationship with TV star and fellow yacht teammate Erin Molan, the pair exchanged further messages. Ms Landry: 'I want nothing more to do with you. This abuse stops here.' Mr Bell: 'I'm not being treated and bullied anymore. Your behaviour in front of my mother and sister made me cringe... It's now too far.' Mr Bell had earlier told the court he did not know his wife had flown to Hobart until after he had won the race. 'The first time I saw Kel was when the boat passed the finishing line,' he said. 'There was a small inflatable boat with some friends on it and Kelly was part of it.' Asked if he was shocked to see his wife, Mr Bell said 'not really, because we won the race'. Mr Bell, whose yacht reached Hobart after 2am on January 28, spent much of the day at Customs House drinking with his crew. 'I came out a few times to speak to Kel but she was busy. 'She just was ignoring me.' The pair later argued after she ate dinner without him. The pair continued their argument via text messages and did share a hotel that night. They have not shared a bed since. Mr Bell admitted to using a knife during another argument with his wife on November 18, 2016, as a result of which police took out the AVO on behalf of Ms Landry (pictured) against him Ms Landry has previously claimed her arm was left bruised after the altercation with Mr Bell Mr Bell also denied he was 'financially mean' to Ms Landry, telling the Downing Centre if she needed more than her $1000 weekly allowance, she would ask for it. 'If she needed extra money, she just asked me at home and I would give it to her,' Mr Bell said. Police prosecutor Sergeant Laura Nightingale asked Mr Bell if he recalled several occasions where Ms Landry claims she was left stranded with no money. 'Do you recall the time that she was at the airport trying to get a taxi home and couldn't afford a taxi?' Mr Bell: 'No'. Sergeant Nightingale: 'Do you recall times when she contacted you because she had no money on her credit card to pay for dinner?' Mr Bell: 'No.' The court heard Mr Bell believed $300 a week was enough to cover his family-of-four's grocery bill, despite never doing the shopping himself. The accountant said his wife did all the grocery shopping and he believed that bill was about $300 a week. Ms Landry is sitting next to police prosecutor Sergeant Laura Nightingale as she cross-examines Mr Bell. Sergeant Nightingale: 'It's the case that $300 a week for a family of four in the eastern suburbs wouldn't go very far?' 'If she needed extra money, she just asked me at home and I would give it to her,' Mr Bell said, referring to Ms Landry's weekly allowance of $1000 The legal battle over an AVO taken out by the former TV star against her celebrity accountant husband began on Monday and will be heard in a Sydney court over five days Mr Bell: 'I'd imagine it would.' The champion yachtsman said he had been his family's sole financial provider since his wife ceased work with Channel 9 in September 2011, about the time of the birth of their first child. He agreed Ms Landry had been 'wholly reliant' on him for money. Magistrate Robert Williams and Mr Bell's counsel Ian Temby, QC, have asked Mr Bell several times to speak slower and louder. Mr Bell said he deposited $1000 a week onto Ms Landry's NAB credit card to cover household expenses and personal items for herself. 'I gave Kelly $1000 a week and part of that was for groceries,' he said. Major expenses such as the hiring of tradesmen were paid for by his personal assistant. 'Kelly would regularly put in a list of things to pay,' he said. If Ms Landry - who claims her husband was 'financially mean' - needed more money, she only had to ask. 'If she needed extra money she'd just ask me at home of a night time and I'd give it to her,' Mr Bell said. He denied knowing Ms Landry had once been caught at the airport without money to get a taxi home or had been stuck in a carpark without funds to get out. The 'accountant to the stars' claims came a day after Ms Landry told the court of her weekly allowance that was less than the couple paid their nanny. Ms Landry claimed that just because her husband had an estimated worth of $100 million, didn't mean she had access to the money. Downing Centre court heard Ms Landry told a psychologist one of her options in taking legal action against her husband Anthony Bell was to 'go to town' on him. Dr Anna Cohen said she saw Ms Landry on January 10 this year, five days after the AVO was commenced. Under cross-examination by Mr Temby, Dr Cohen said Ms Landry told her she did not realise police could take out an AVO without her asking for it. Ms Landry told her she had merely gone to police for advice. Dr Cohen agreed with Mr Temby that Ms Landry spoke of three options she was considering in response to the police action. One was to drop the proceedings. Another was to go to court armed only with photographs of injuries she says she sustained in an assault by Mr Bell on November 18 last year. The third was to 'go to town' with court action. A New Zealand Playboy playmate has come under fire for posing naked on a sacred Maori mountain. Glamour model Jaylene Cook, 25, and her photographer boyfriend Josh Shaw, 27, spent seven hours hiking up Mt Taranaki on April 26 and impulsively took the risque shot once they reached the summit. In the nude image Ms Cook can be seen admiring the view from the top while wearing just a hat, gloves and shoes. New Zealand Playboy playmate Jaylene Cook, 25, has been criticised by Maori locals for posing naked on sacred Mt Taranaki on the country's North Island (pictured) Ms Cook (pictured) and her photographer boyfriend Josh Shaw, 27, spent seven hours hiking up Mt Taranaki on April 26 to capture the risque shot once they reached the summit The glamour model is touring New Zealand with her boyfriend (pictured is Ms Cook) WHY IS MT TARNAKI SACRED? 'Maori legend has it that Mount Taranaki was initially located in the centre of the North Island, but lost a mighty battle with another mountain for the heart of pretty Mount Pihanga.' 'Banished west to his current position, it is still said that when the 2518m peak is hidden by clouds, the Mountain is hiding the tears he sheds for lost love.' 'The Taranaki Maori were driven from their land by invading Waikato tribespeople in the early 19th century.' 'When local Te Atiawa people returned decades later, they found the first English settlers the consequence of Captain Cooks discovery - had purchased their land from the few remaining Maori, sparking the turbulent decade-long Taranaki Land Wars of the 1860s.' 'In 1881, British confiscation of 1.3 million acres of prime Taranaki land resulted in a civil disobedience movement encouraged by chief Te Whiti O Rongomai, which saw hundreds of followers arrested and widespread damage to people, buildings and crops.' Source: Visit Taranaki Advertisement Although the couple said they didn't stand on the head of the mountain out of respect for the Maori culture, locals claim the picture is 'disrespectful.' Maori academic Dennis Ngawhare told Stuff.co.nz said members of the community are unhappy about the image. 'I'd imagine you will be getting a few comments from people saying what's wrong with that? Who cares? But I also know cousins and relatives who will be quite upset about it. They would consider it as being disrespectful towards the mountain.' Mr Ngawhare said his family has never climbed the mountain because it is believed to be an ancestor. 'I accept people climb up to the summit, but what we do ask is that people be respectful.' Ms Cook, who lives with Josh on the Gold Coast in Australia, argued that being naked is natural and not disrespectful. '[The photo's] not crude or explicit in any way. We made ourselves knowledgeable on the history of the mountain. We were quite respectful. Being nude is not something that is offensive in anyway. It's natural and pure and it's about freedom and empowerment,' she told Stuff.co.nz. Although the couple said they didn't stand on the head of the mountain (pictured) out of respect for the Maori culture, locals claim the picture is 'disrespectful' Ms Cook (pictured) said the couple stopped off in Taranaki and spontaneously decided to climb to the summit The couple bought clothes at a local second-hand shop and set off at 2am (pictured is Ms Cook) Ms Cook told Daily Mail Australia she's not surprised the picture has drawn some criticism but chalked it up to it 'being a matter of opinion.' 'It's just point of view. We believe that we were very respectful, we were picking up others people's rubbish that was left up there and we made ourselves aware of the culture.' The Playboy playmate said by the time the couple reached the top of the mountain, they were exhausted but exhilarated. 'It was an impulse to strip off and feel the cold air and embrace it a bit.' 'It was an impulse to strip off and feel the cold air and embrace it a bit,' Ms Cook (pictured) said of the image The 25-year-old said (pictured) she and Mr Shaw researched the Maori culture before beginning the hike and even picked up rubbish others had left behind The picture has gained more than 8,500 likes on Ms Cook's Instagram, which features multiple images of the 25-year-old in states of undress or entirely nude (pictured) Ms Cook, who is touring the country with Mr Shaw, said the couple stopped off in Taranaki and decided to go for a hike after seeing the beauty of the area. The couple bought clothes at a local second-hand shop and set off at 2am. The picture has gained more than 8,500 likes on Ms Cook's Instagram, which features multiple images of the 25-year-old in states of undress or entirely nude. 'This climb has forever changed me. I proved just how far I could push myself and I am truly proud of my accomplishment. This mountain was steep, rugged, ever changing and just pure brutal! Safe to say, I will never do it again,' she wrote with the image. The nephew of model Tyson Beckford got the maximum sentence for charges of manslaughter in the 2014 killing of an MTA bus driver. Domonic Whilby, 25, was sentenced to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison at his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the maximum allowed under each count. Whilby could still go before a parole board in a few years. He was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and reckless endangerment in the Manhattan Supreme Court in March, but was acquitted of 14 of the 18 counts against him, including murder. Scroll down for video Domonic Whilby, 25, pictured with his defense attorney, was sentenced to 8 1/3 to 25 years for aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and reckless endangerment at his sentencing hearing on Tuesday After drunkenly stealing a delivery truck, Whilby collided with an MTA bus, killing the driver, William Pena. Pena's wife, Nancy Rodriguez, left and his daughter Gabrielle Pena, right, attended Whilby's sentencing hearing and made statements to the court On February 12, 2014, Whilby attended a party hosted by his uncle, but was kicked out. Drunk with a blood alcohol level of .18 percent, he stole a delivery truck at around 5am and proceeded to hit other motorists on the Manhattan streets including a taxi, another truck and a man on a scooter. But when he turned the truck onto Seventh Avenue, he ran through a red light and hit an MTA bus, killing driver William Pena and injuring four other people. Pena was thrown from the bus after the collision. He was 49 when he died. Family of both the deceased and the defendant appeared in court for the hearing on Tuesday. Pena's widow Nancy Rodriguez and his daughter Gabrielle Pena attended the hearing and made statements to the court. Rodriguez told the court: 'My beloved William died like an animal. 'Domonic Whilby as a grown adult acted on his own and made choices to drink one drink after another,' the New York Post reported. Whilby also made a statement to the court, apologizing for what he did and asking the presiding judge to give him 'a second chance'. He said: 'This was truly an accident and I am here to say I messed up. Whilby, pictured in court with his lawyer, apologized for his actions in 2014 and asked the judge for a second chance. Instead, the judge gave him the maximum sentence for his charges Whilby's family, pictured in the second row, also attended the sentencing hearing in Manhattan on Tuesday A Florida man has been arrested for interfering with a custody order after he and his wife took their daughter illegally, police said. Alan Green, 55, picked up his daughter, Alexandria, five, from her Florida grandparents - who are her legal guardians - for a two-hour visit on Saturday. But when the pair didn't return, authorities fired up an Amber Alert search that ended Tuesday when the girl was found 800 miles away in Missouri. Missing: Alexandria Green (center) vanished from a Florida home with her dad Alan (right; her mom Mechealine Mazakis seen left) on Saturday, cops said. Her grandparents have custody Found: Alexandria was found in a Missouri hotel, 800 miles away, with Green and Mazakis on Saturday. She was unharmed and is being returned to Florida, authorities said Alexandria Alliclaire Green had last been seen at her grandparents' on the 10000 block of Southwest 186th Avenue in Dunnellon, Florida, The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said. She was found with Green and her mother, Mechealine Mazakis, 47, at the Harbor Inn and Suites in Hermann, Missouri, police said. It's not yet clear what happened in between those dates, whether the couple had any plans to travel on from Hermann, or how the girl was spotted. But Alexandria was said to be safe and unharmed. Green was arrested on an interference of child custody warrant out of Marion County, Florida, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office (MSCO). Mazakis has not been charged. The MSCO said that Alexandria's grandparents had been notified and that she was being transported back to Florida. Once there she will be placed into the Florida Department of Children and Families custody, per a pick-up order from a judge. It's not yet clear why Green and Mazakis did not have custody of their own daughter. On its Facebook page, MCSO said: 'We would like to extend a tremendous "thank you" to the Hermann Police Department in Missouri for their outstanding vigilance and excellent work in assisting us with this case.' Sam Armytage has slammed a woman who was pulled over by police for driving under the speed limit in the right-hand lane of a highway. The woman became a viral sensation after she shared a video of her rant accusing the NSW highway patrol officer of being in the wrong. When the woman appeared on Channel Seven's Sunrise program on Wednesday, Armytage said driving slowly in the right lane was 'illegal' and 'very annoying'. Sam Armytage has slammed a woman (pictured) who was pulled over by police for driving under the speed limit in the right-hand lane 'It is a basic road rule that if you want to go slower than the speed zone you go in the left lane,' Armytage said 'I was doing 85-87-km/h in a 90 zone. I was being cautious,' the woman explained, before Armytage interjected. 'It is a basic road rule that if you want to go slower than the speed zone you go in the left lane,' she said. 'Everybody knows this. It is a basic rule you need to pass your driving licence.' The woman said she believed the officer should have given her a warning, but the Sunrise co-host disagreed. 'No, if you break the road rules you don't necessarily get a warning on Sunday morning,' she said. After a fiery exchange, Armytage concluded that people driving under the speed limit are more frustrating than those speeding. 'People who drive slowly in the right lane cause more impatience for drivers than people who speed. It's actually quite dangerous.' She added: 'If you want to go 10kms, stay to the left. Why be in the right lane? 'It infuriates me, as you can tell.' The woman posted a video threatening to 'expose' NSW Police after she was pulled over The woman reached viral status after filming her rant when she was pulled over. She said it was 'absolutely disgusting' that she was stopped for 'not going fast enough in a 90 zone'. 'There's absolutely no sign telling me I have to take over to drive in the right lane,' she said in the scathing video, threatening to 'expose and report' NSW Police. She quickly removed the video after viewers pointed out the highway patrol officer was well within his rights to pull her over. According to road rules in NSW, drivers must keep left unless they want to overtake or turn right on all roads with a speed limit of more than 80km/h or with signage. But the woman appeared to be unaware of the rule and continued to blast the officer, who was inspecting her license, for pulling her over. The woman claimed it was 'absolutely disgusting' she was pulled over for 'driving too slow', but viewers were quick to point out she was breaking road rules in NSW 'This police officer just pulled me over for apparently not going fast enough in a 90 zone and because its a taking over lane which there's no signs at all,' she said. Panning her camera across the busy three-lane highway, she added that there were 'absolutely no signs' telling her she had to take over to drive in the right lane. 'Absolutely disgusting behaviour by police. I will have you all exposed and reported, pulling me over for no reason,' she captioned the video on Facebook. Since posting the viral video online, the woman's personal Facebook page has been flooded with memes and inflammatory comments telling her to 'keep left'. A Texas police officer has been fired after shooting dead an unarmed black 15-year-old as he left a party with friends at the weekend. Balch Springs officer Roy Oliver was sacked on Tuesday following an internal investigation into the fatal shooting. Jordan Edwards was shot in the head when Oliver fired his rifle into a car full of teenagers in the Dallas suburb on Saturday night. Jordan Edwards, 15, (above) was fatally shot in the head when Balch Springs officer Roy Oliver fired his rifle into a car the boy was in near Dallas on Saturday night The high school freshman was sitting in the front seat of the car with his 16-year-old brother and three friends. They were fleeing an end-of-school-year party after hearing gunshots and that police were arriving to investigate underage drinking. Balch Springs Police chief Jonathan Haber said on Tuesday that Oliver had 'violated several departmental policies' but declined to provide further information. Oliver had worked as an officer at Balch Spring since 2011. No other details about the officer have been released. Police had earlier stated that the car Jordan was in had driven towards police in an aggressive matter. The department chief told reporters that wasn't the case and that police video showed the vehicle was driving away, not reversing towards officers. Haber wouldn't release the police video or describe it in detail other than to acknowledge he erred in describing the encounter, but said he was troubled by what he saw. Jordan's parents Charmaine and Odell said in a statement they don't condone violence or threats against law enforcement following their son's death and urged people not to protest Balch Springs Police chief Jonathan Haber said on Tuesday that Roy Oliver had been sacked after an investigation found he had 'violated several departmental policies' The boy's family attorney, Lee Merritt, issued a statement saying the group of teens had gotten into the vehicle to leave the house party when the officer fired his rifle into the front passenger's side window, striking Jordan. The Dallas County medical examiner said Edwards died of a rifle wound and ruled his death a homicide. Prior to Oliver's termination, the Edwards family had called for the officer to be fired and criminal charged. Thousands of Facebook and Twitter users have posted about the case in recent days with the hashtag #jordanedwards. Some have been comparing his death to other police shootings of young black men. The boy's family said in a statement they don't condone violence or threats against law enforcement after police stated they had received death threats in the days following the shooting. They urged people not to protest or march in retaliation. A woman has allegedly posed as a nurse to steal a $10,000 engagement ring from a wheelchair-bound woman dying from cancer. Stephen Martin proposed on Christmas Day after his partner Janet Saunders was diagnosed with multiple cancers in October, Gold Coast Bulletin initially reported. With only weeks left to live, Ms Saunders has allegedly been robbed by a stranger who claimed to be a nurse and helped her to the bathroom. Stephen Martin proposed on Christmas Day after his partner Janet Saunders was diagnosed with multiple cancers in October (Ms Saunders and Mr Martin are pictured together) Mr Martin described the ring as being 18 carat yellow and white gold with a 1 carat brilliant cut diamond Ms Saunders was out to lunch with Mr Martin for his father's birthday at Ivory Tavern in Tweed Heads on the NSW border. 'Unfortunately, Janet was not well that day so we had to leave straight after finishing lunch,' Mr Martin wrote on Facebook. Ms Saunders said she needed to go to the toilet first before they made the 50 minute drive home to Wongawallan, when another guest offered to help her in the bathroom. 'When I attempted to help her into the ladies toilets, a lady kindly offered to look after her, claiming that she was a dementia nurse and knew what she was doing,' Mr Martin wrote on Facebook. 'Gratefully I accepted her help. 'I had put the ring on her finger before we went out and it was a snug fit. There is no way that it just fell off. The only way that it could have come off her hand was for someone to remove it,' Mr Martin said 'By the time Janet and the lady emerged from the toilets Janet was exhausted and I rushed her into her wheelchair, bundled her into the car and she slept the whole way home. When we got home I put her straight to bed to continue sleeping.' Mr Martin then attempted to get her up for dinner when he realised her engagement ring was missing. 'I searched the house and our car but I could not find the ring. 'I had put the ring on her finger before we went out and it was a snug fit. There is no way that it just fell off. The only way that it could have come off her hand was for someone to remove it. 'The only person who could have done that was the lady who took her to the toilet. 'It's a sad indictment on society these days, but you just can't trust anyone.' It is claimed that The woman pretended to be a nurse, offered Ms Saunders help to the bathroom and stole her engagement ring whilst they were at Ivory Tavern (pictured), according to Mr Martin Mr Martin has posted photos of the engagement ring to Facebook, offering a $1,000 reward. The post has been shared more than 1,600 times since the photos were uploaded on Friday. Mr Martin described the ring as being 18 carat yellow and white gold with a 1 carat brilliant cut diamond. He told Gold Coast Bulletin the alleged theft was likely covered under insurance, but the couple wanted that ring in particular back. Mr Martin described the woman as caucasian, in her late 40s or early 50s, and with blonde hair with dark roots. He said she was at the tavern with a man on a motorbike. Ms Saunders has lung cancer, which spread to her liver, bones, and brain. A NSW Police spokesman confirmed a police report has been made to Tweed Heads Police. Daily Mail Australia has also reached out to Mr Martin and Ivory Tavern. Do you know more? Contact rachel.eddie@mailonline.com Qantas' non-stop Perth to London flight has seen a record-breaking demand, with almost all the inaugural flights selling out in just five days. The first tickets went on sale on Thursday with a return economy seat setting travellers back $2270 for the 17-hour flight. Although the service does not launch until March 2018, but keen customers have already snapped up most of the tickets and travel agents said the demand has broken records, The West Australian reported. 'I have never seen a flight like this generate this much demand,' Amity Travel's Luke Chittock said. Qantas' non-stop Perth to London flight has seen a record-breaking demand, with almost all the flights selling out in just five days Tickets went on sale on Thursday with a return economy seat setting travellers back $2270 for the 17-hour flight (stock image) 'I knew it would be popular but this has exceeded my expectations'. Tourism Minister Paul Papalia said the WA government are supporting the new route and more than 3000 new hotel rooms have opened to accommodate the new visitor numbers. Air fares will start at $2270 for a return economy ticket, $4250 for premium economy and $9725 for business class. 'Like most airlines, our booking system loads schedules and fares almost a year prior to departure, so each day new flights become available for booking with plenty of options for customers wanting to travel on our new Perth-London direct service,' a Qantas spokesperson said. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said there had been global interest in the Perth-London flights since they were announced in December 2016. 'We're conscious that this is a long flight, but not much longer than our Sydney to Dallas service,' he said. 'It's the kind of route that the Dreamliner [Qantas' new Boeing 787 aircraft] was created for, because of its built-in features to reduce jetlag and improve the overall travel experience'. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said there had been global interest in the Perth-London flights since they were announced in December 2016 Flights for Qantas' Perth-London route will take to the air on 24 March 2018, leaving Western Australia at 6.50pm and land in Heathrow airport (pictured) at 05:10 the next day The 14,498km flight will take approximately 17 hours and when it launches, its expected to be the third-longest passenger flight in the world. The airline further announced that the long-haul flight to London will originate in Melbourne, replacing the current QF9 service to London via Dubai. This means passengers from the Victoria capital will have a quick stop in Perth before flying onwards to the UK. Fares from Perth to London on the current route which includes a stop over in Dubai are priced an estimated $1800, if you were to fly in June this year and return in July. Mr Joyce said the route makes Western Australia a new tourism gateway for Australia. 'We know from our research that theres a lot of appetite to explore the West, not just from British and European visitors but also from Aussies on their way to London. 'A lot of business travellers, particularly in the resources sector, will stop off in Perth on their way to the UK'. Footage of a 1 kilogram rat attacking a smaller rodent in Sydney has shocked viewers. Golden belly water mice, known by their Indigenous name 'Rakali', have been populating Sydney since the early 1900s and have even been seen on the steps of the Opera House. The CCTV footage was filmed at night in the bushland around Sydney Harbour. Scroll down for video Footage of a 1 kilogram rat attacking a smaller rodent in Sydney has shocked viewers The CCTV footage was filmed at night in the bushland around Sydney Harbour It shows a common rat minding its own business on some shrubs before the 1kg monster rodent appears out of nowhere. The rakali leaps to attack the rat, but the little guy turns its head and jumps out of the way just in time. Peter Banks, a Professor in Conservation Biology at the University of Sydney told The Daily Telegraph the Rakali are 'actively hunting them (smaller rodents) which is a good thing'. He said the carnivorous species are increasing in numbers around Sydney. 'They're the big predator of the rodents, things are scared of them.' Rakali can grow up to 1.3 kilograms, whereas a common rat averages about 200g. Originally from Indonesia, the marsupials have been native to Australia for over four million years. Boomers, Shakers and Beyond will host an estate planning workshop, What Makes Sense for You?, on May 17, 6:30 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church. Admission is free. Attorney Stephan Wright will discuss issues many people face when transferring assets to loved ones, charities, or others, whether via wills or trusts. He will also review other estate planning issues such as living wills, advance directives and power of attorney. The program will be held in the Youth Center at Christ United Methodist at 8645 East Brainerd Road (across from Publix). Registration for the program can be made at ChristChurchChatt.org under Get connected>Adult>Small groups. Participants may also register at boomers.shakers@yahoo.com. Boomers, Shakers, and Beyond is a community enrichment program designed for adults 50 + focusing on mind, body, and spirit. The program is designed for learning new things, enhancing old skills, exchanging thoughts on numerous topics, meeting new people, participating in community service projects, and in general having a great time! The father of accused Australian drug smuggler, Cassandra Sainsbury, does not want anything to do with his 22-year-old daughter's arrest in Colombia for cocaine smuggling. Stuart Sainsbury, who lives in remote Yorketown, South Australia, where his daughter went to school and briefly ran a gym said he was aware of his daughter's arrest - but didn't want to become involved. 'I don't want to be tied up in all this,' the father, motorcycle enthusiast and fisherman said. When prompted about how he felt about the young woman being held in a Colombian prison after allegedly being found trying to leave the country with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine he refused to comment 'Listen, whatever is going on has nothing to do with me, and I have nothing to say about it.' 'You can ring my lawyer if you don't understand me. It's got nothing to do with me.' The young woman was on a work trip to Canada in late January when she posted this picture with he hash tag work Stuart Sainsbury, Cassandra's father, told Daily Mail Australia he didn't want to be 'tied up with' Cassandra's drug smuggling charges Cassandra Sainsbury (pictured background) at her father's birthday celebrations in 2015 Cassandra Sainsbury was last pictured at her father's home in 2015 - perched on rocks behind a motorcycle which appeared to be a gift. Her father appears to have a close bond with Cassandra's step brother and sister and proudly celebrated his step-daughter's wedding last year. Ms Sainsbury was stopped at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport on April 11 after X-rays picked up 18 packages of cocaine in her luggage. She drew the attention of the DEA when her plane ticket home to Australia via London was reportedly purchased last minute by an 'unknown party' in Hong Kong. 'We found her because of an alert from the DEA,' Bogota airport's head of narcotics, Commander Rodrigo Soler, told News Corp Australia. Channel Seven reports that Colombian authorities had been forwarded her passport details as early as April 5 - six days before she was arrested at El Dorado International Airport. The young blonde from Adelaide told family members she thought the packages contained headphones she had bought cheaply off a 'nice Colombian man'. Ms Sainsbury was heading home to Australia with the packages, via London in an 'all expenses work trip' which saw her visit China and LA before her time in the south American country where she now awaits trial. Ms Sainsbury has been living in Adelaide since she left her home town of Yorketown after the collapse of her gym Yorke fitness in 2015. Shortly after her arrival in Adelaide, three hours from her home town and failed fitness business, the young blonde met now fiance Scott Broadbridge. Mrs Sainsbury with his wife Michelle, Cassandra Sainsbury's step mother The 22-year-old faces 25 years in jail after she was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine at an airport in Colombia Ms Sainsbury left Yorketown after the closure of her gym, pictured, in 2015 Mr Broadbridge claims the young woman has not been a personal trainer for six months - despite her sister Khala's claims she was in Colombia to promote herself as a personal trainer. Khala faced the media following her sister's arrest to ask for donations to help free her sister from prison and bring her home to Australia. 'Our hearts break, because we know she is innocent, but stands little chance of proving it in such a corrupt country,' Khala Sainsbury told Daily Mail Australia. 'The trip was at least in part to promote her personal training business.' Her mother Lisa Evans labelled her daughter as naive and also spoke to the media. 'I'm devastated that my little girl is in this place. I'm scared to death for her. Our family just wants her home safe,' she said. The woman went on a cruise in October, 2016, followed by a work trip to Canada in January. Her trip to Colombia recently started with time spent in China and America The young woman posted to Instagram a week before she was stopped in a Colombian airport to tell her followers about her trip which also took her to Las Angeles and China She was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in small packages wrapped in black plastic (pictured) Daily Mail Australia recently revealed the 22-year-old woman's lavish globetrotting lifestyle which saw her visit the Pacific Islands, Canada, China and North and South America in just six months. Colombian police claim a tip-off led to the arrest of an Australian woman who was found with 18 bags of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1.7 million. On April 3 she posted a photo of LAX - Los Angeles International Airport - with the caption 'going from China's lovely 27 degree weather to LA's 7 degree weather is killing me'. On April 8, she posted a photograph of some buildings indicating she was in America. 'Can't complain about an all expenses paid work trip which is mainly holiday and very little work,' she wrote. The young blonde went on a trip to Vanuatu in October 2016 The woman (pictured with her fiance) was detained on April 11 at Bogota Airport just as she was about to fly back to Australia after a working holiday The young woman used a variety of hashtags including the words work, holiday and fitness in her social media posts. Fresh reports from inside the prison where the accused drug smuggler awaits trial reveal she is still in the same clothes three-weeks after arriving. According to the Daily Telegraph the 22-year-old has reportedly not stopped crying since she was transferred to the overcrowded and dangerous El Buen Pastor prison. An American woman who was released from the prison on Tuesday and helped look after Cassandra on the inside said she was not coping with the horrific conditions. 'Because she is so young there are a lot of people trying to take advantage of her,' the woman said. 'Not only that, when she was at the police station they took most of her stuff all of her clothes, her money,' the former inmate told the publication. 'She's just wearing a sweater and pants and a top, the same ones. I offered her something but she said no thank you.' Khala said her sister (pictured) found a Colombian lawyer but he suggested pleading guilty to lesser charges to avoid an up to 25-year jail sentence Her family says she is innocent and being 'set up' - but Colombian anti-narcotic police believe she may have been a drug mule A message on the fundraising site from her fiance Scott Broadbridge. The fundraiser was cancelled after it received hundreds of negative comments On Tuesday Colombian police released photographs of Ms Sainsbury standing behind 18 black packages of cocaine. Ms Sainsbury was handcuffed in the images - she could face 25 years in a South American jail if found guilty of drug smuggling. The 22-year-old told her family she thought the packages were 15 headphones a local man posing as a translator had arranged to buy for her at a discount. Lt Colonel Jorge Triana, head of anti-narcotics police at the airport, told Daily Mail Australia he didn't believe Cassandra's headphone story. Lt Colonel Triana said drug mules often feigned ignorance when they were caught. Top drug cops in Colombia say her explanation is not credible. It's understood there were never any headphones in the packages (pictured) and they only contained concealed cocaine In Australia, six kilograms of cocaine has a street value of almost $2 million Pictured are the headphones that Cassandra believed she was buying from a man she had just met. Her family claims the man offered to be her translator and find gifts for her family 'It's a commonplace strategy that narco traffickers use to take drugs out of the country,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Her explanation is not credible. Everyone we catch says they didn't know it was in their luggage, but they know what they were doing.' Daily Mail Australia also understands there were never any headphones in the package and it only contained concealed cocaine. Lt Colonel Triana said even if Cassandra didn't know about the drugs she likely faced jail time either way. 'She recognised the luggage as hers so whether she knew there were drugs in it or not, it doesn't excuse her actions,' he said. He said foreigners were increasingly being lured into becoming drug mules by the promise of big payoffs when they made it to their destination - with 19 caught leaving Colombia this year alone. Her mother, Lisa Evans, has maintained her daughter is innocent, saying she had been 'naive' in trusting a Colombian man to help her get a good deal on headphones A snap showing the woman on holiday in the Gold Coast last year Cassandra's family insisted she was an innocent victim being 'set up' by a man she had just met. Jorge Mendoza, the ports and airports director for Colombia's anti-narcotic police, told AAP that Cassandra could have been working as a drug mule. 'She could possibly be a drug mule,' he told ABC radio through an interpreter on Tuesday. 'In going through security we found she had 18 packets inside her luggage which even before opening it we found covered in plastic.' Australian author Rusty Young, whose book Marching Powder was based on the three months he spent with an English drug smuggler in prison in Bolivia, has lived in Colombia for eight years and says he doesn't believe authorities there will make an example of Ms Sainsbury. 'Basically, the bigger traffickers are the ones they are after,' he told the Seven Network. The first photos have emerged of Cassandra standing in handcuffs next to her luggage Cassandra was arrested in Colombia after an airport X-Ray search allegedly revealed something suspicious in her luggage (pictured) Khala said her sister was tricked into being a drug mule by a man she just met who handed her a package containing the concealed drugs 'Small traffickers are just an annoyance for the country. 'Colombia loves foreigners coming in. One of their major industries now is tourism. They do not want the name. They don't want the media attention for drug trafficking.' In Australia, six kilograms of cocaine has an estimated street value of almost $2 million. Cassandra's fiance Scott Broadbridge was also understood to be concerned about the impact public attention, and rumours on social media, might have on her case. The couple are due to be married in February. The young woman's family raised $4,000 of their $15,000 goal and continue to claim she was tricked by the Colombian local who offered to find her cheap headphones for wedding gifts on her trip. Mr Broadbridge at a music festival, the woman's fiance claims she was a manager of a cleaning business Cassandra was planning a wedding to her fiance and 'love of her life' Scott Broadbridge (L) after they got engaged in October on a cruise to Vanuatu and New Caledonia The former personal trainer from Adelaide was denied bail and is being held at the overcrowded El Buen Pastor women's prison (pictured) until her hearing in two months Humpback whales are trying to fight off the pod of killer whales that have been targeting grey whales California coasts. In Monterey Bay, a pod of killer whales have killed seven gray whales over the last 12 days as they were migrating through the Bay on their way from Mexico to Alaska. And while the back-to-back killings have drawn attention, the humpback whales coming to the rescue have been the most surprising. Humpback whales have swarmed the coast of Monterey Bay, California, to fight off orcas that are preying and feeding on gray whales and seals (Humpback whale, far left, fights off three killer whales on Monday, May 1) The killer whales have killed seven gray whales over the last 12 days (seen here attempting to kill a gray whale calf on Sunday, April 30) Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, explained that the humpback whales have come to Monterey Bay a few weeks earlier than usual this year. She estimates that in the last two weeks, 60 to 70 humpbacks have arrived in the bay to witness the orcas' hunting season. 'Humpbacks like to interfere with the killer whales for some strange reason,' Black told SFGATE. 'They seem to want to protect the prey.' Drone video captured the humpback whales on Monday, May 1, interfering with the killer whale feeding frenzy that has taken place over the last several days in Monterey Bay. Over the course of the past two weeks, humpback whales have repeatedly charged over to the pod and tried to deter the killer whales from hunting or feeding. Black said she has seen the humpbacks, in groups of two or three, approach and trumpet loudly to disperse the orcas. On Monday, a pair of humpbacks attempted to use their flukes to push a pod of killer whales away from a feeding site. 'Every time the killer whales have been feeding, the humpbacks have been charging in,' said Black. 'Every single time.' Marine biologists with Monterey Bay Whale Watch say that between 60 and 70 humpbacks have appeared in the area a few weeks earlier than normal to disperse the killer whales (Humpback whale, far right, attempts to deter three killer whales, left, from hunting other fish on Monday, May 1) The marine biologists have revealed that every single time the killer whales appear to be hunting, the humpback whales charge to fight them off (Killer whales attack gray whales on Sunday, April 30) Killer whales and humpback whales regularly approach each other, but for entirely different reasons. In a study published in Marine Mammal Science in July 2016, researchers found that killer whales appear to be looking for calves to attack. But when humpbacks approach, the killer whales are almost always attacking or feeding on prey at the time. Researchers aren't sure why humpbacks interfere with killer whales' hunting habits. Black thinks the humpbacks may be fighting back against the orcas out of instinct, even though in these cases they're not the ones being hunted - a form of altruism. And while she hasn't seen the humpbacks successfully prevent a killer whale attack in Monterey Bay, a mother gray whale was able to save her calf from being killed on Sunday. Monterey Bay Whale Watch caught the encounter on drone video on Sunday, April 30. Humpbacks often interfere with killer whales' hunting habits, with one study revealing that 84 percent of the time the whales approach them, the orcas are hunting or feeding on prey - but researchers don't know why this is the case 'The mother took her calf, held her breath and made a run for the beach,' Black said. The mother held her breath for seven minutes and the pair escaped the pod of predators. 'This has never happened in my 30 years,' Black said. 'Just to witness that out in nature when you usually see that kind of thing on television is really spectacular.' A shocking video shows the bizarre moment a woman walks naked through a terminal inside Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The incident happened on Friday afternoon inside the popular airport's Terminal B where hundreds of Delta Airlines flights arrive and depart daily. A video shared to Twitter shows the woman casually strolling by several travelers as she's completely naked. Scroll down for video A shocking video shows the bizarre moment a woman walks naked through a terminal inside Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport The incident happened on Friday afternoon inside the popular airport's Terminal B where hundreds of Delta Airlines flights arrive and depart daily At one point, she shouts, 'whew Jesus', before stopping and bending over while grabbing her butt cheeks. 'Hey every f***ing body, look at how f***ed up my p**** is and I don't give a f***,' the unidentified woman shouts. She then stands upright before continuing to walk and shout, 'I don't give a f***.' Several travelers kept walking past the woman as others stop dead in their tracks appearing to be shocked at what she's doing. Several travelers kept walking past the woman as others stop dead in their tracks appearing to be shocked at what she's doing Police said the woman bought a ticket with cash before stripping naked and walking around inside the terminal, WXIA reported. She was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Her condition is unknown at this time and it's unclear if she will face charges. A representative from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport could not be reached for comment. Several people took to social media who were in the airport at the time of the incident to express their shock and amusement. One person wrote: 'Anyone get to see the completely naked woman walking around Conc B at @ATLairport a few minutes ago? #Delta #ATL'. Another person wrote: 'In ATL airport right now and there is a naked woman running around the airport showing people her private areas'. Atlanta airport has been the world's busiest airport since 2000. In 2015, more than 101million passengers passed through it, according to Airports Council International's 2015 World Airport Report. First Lady Melania Trump's official Twitter account apparently liked a tweet that seemingly mocks her relationship with the president. On Tuesday evening, progressive writer and producer Andy Ostroy took to Twitter and jokingly wrote: 'Seems the only #Wall @realdonaldtrump's built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #Trump'. In sharing the tweet, he posted a popular gif showing the former model during the inauguration smiling for a brief moment while Donald Trump looks her way before her smile immediately fades into a frown as he turns arond. Within the hour of being tweeted, it was liked by her official verified Twitter account, @MELANIATRUMP. First Lady Melania Trump's official Twitter account apparently liked a tweet from Andy Ostroy that seemingly mocks her relationship with the president On Tuesday evening, Andy Ostroy took to Twitter and wrote: 'Seems the only #Wall @realdonaldtrump's built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #Trump' He shared a screen grab of a notification he received saying that the @MELANIATRUMP account had liked it and wrote: 'I suspect this isn't a real account for @FLOTUS...' However, another one of his followers pointed out to him that it is her official account The only other tweet Melania has liked is her own from way back in 2012, which simply reads, 'Hello Twitter!' The @MELANIATRUMP account is separate from the @FLOTUS account that the First Lady and her staff also use. In addition, the @MELANIATRUMP handle was registered in January 2010 and is a verified Twitter page with over 865,000 followers. Around 10:50pm ET, the like from the @MELANIATRUMP account on Ostroy's tweet disappeared. At first, Ostroy seemingly didn't believe that she had liked his tweet. He shared a screen grab of a notification he received saying that the @MELANIATRUMP account had liked it and wrote: 'I suspect this isn't a real account for @FLOTUS...' Around 10:50pm ET, the like from the @MELANIATRUMP account on Ostroy's tweet disappeared. However, another one of his followers pointed out to him that it is her official account asking if he had a connection with her. 'Hmmm...I guess I do now...' Ostroy replied. Social media users had a field day over the tweet being liked by her personal account as many were in shock over the incident. David Barden shared a gif of Kim Kardashian looking coy and wrote: '@MELANIATRUMP the beauty/horror of a screenshot is that it lasts forever.' 'For as much of a Twitter troll Trump is, Melania liking this tweet just might be the best trolling of 2017 so far,' Twitter user Mike Zacchio wrote. Oksana Lukjanenko took Twitter and shared a photo of the First Lady greeting Michelle Obama split with a box opened showing a note that reads 'help'. 'We got you, girl! Just win and will come rescue you', Lukjanenko wrote alongside the photo on Twitter. David Barden shared a gif of Kim Kardashian looking coy and wrote: '@MELANIATRUMP the beauty/horror of a screenshot is that it lasts forever.' 'For as much of a Twitter troll Trump is, Melania liking this tweet just might be the best trolling of 2017 so far,' Twitter user Mike Zacchio wrote. Oksana Lukjanenko took Twitter and shared a photo of the First Lady greeting Michelle Obama split with a box opened showing a note that reads 'help'. 'We got you, girl! Just win and will come rescue you', Lukjanenko wrote alongside the photo on Twitter In similar fashion to Lukjanenko, another Twitter user jokingly wrote: 'blink once if you need us to get you right now.' In similar fashion to Lukjanenko, another Twitter user jokingly wrote: 'blink once if you need us to get you right now.' Once social media users noticed that the like on the post disappeared, some were disappointed and tweeted their sad reactions. Soren Larson shared a gif of Kim Kardashian crying and wrote: 'OMG SHE UNLIKED IT'. 'This is a historic tweet; never forget,' Wilfred Chan wrote along with sharing an American flag emoji. JD-800, another user on the social media site, tweeted: 'They're just going to say it was an accident and she doesn't know how to use Twitter.' 'Nobody knew how hard Twitter is,' JD-800 added in second tweet. Soren Larson shared a gif of Kim Kardashian crying and wrote: 'OMG SHE UNLIKED IT'. 'This is a historic tweet; never forget,' Wilfred Chan wrote along with sharing an American flag emoji. JD-800, another user on the social media site, tweeted: 'They're just going to say it was an accident and she doesn't know how to use Twitter.' 'Nobody knew how hard Twitter is,' JD-800 added in second tweet. Some users speculated if the @MELANIATRUMP account had been hacked or if it was a mistake by one of her aides. The last message written on that account is an election flyer that reads 'Vote #TrumpPence16' and that was shared on November 8, 2016. DailyMail.com has reached out to a Trump representative for comment. Melania has kept a somewhat low profile since her husband won the election, choosing to live in New York City with their son Barron. The 47-year-old Slovenian native is expected to move to Washington, D.C. with Barron when the school year ends. Her marriage to the president is her first and his third. They were married in 2005 and she is the second foreign-born First Lady of the United States. A man has filmed the shocking moment he spat at a moderate Islamic sheikh and called him a 'pig' as he walked down the street in the Muslim heartland of Sydney. Shia imam Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi was verbally abused as he walked along Haldon Street in Lakemba, which is home to Australia's largest mosque. A man shouted in Arabic as the sheikh ventured past shops with 7 News reporter Bryan Seymour shortly before noon on Monday. Asked by what the insult meant, Sheikh Tawhidi, who speaks out against radicalisation, said: 'It means, 'May God curse you, you pig, you dog.' The Muslim man, who describes Sheikh Tawhidi as a fraud and a 'lying piece of sh**' on his personal Facebook page, later uploaded footage of the confrontation online. Scroll down for video A man in outside a shop (pictured wearing black) in Lakemba called Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi a dog and a pig in Arabic The Muslim man, who describes Sheikh Tawhidi as a fraud and a 'lying piece of sh**' on his personal Facebook page, later uploaded footage of the confrontation online Sheikh Tawhidi picked up the footage and uploaded it himself, writing: 'A captured video footage from the very phone of the radical Muslim.' '"May God curse you, you pig, you dog". It's interesting how we are yet to see a pig or dog damage this planet like these radicals have,' he added. He later informed his supporters that he had banned the Muslim man in question for 'insulting members of the page'. Comments in support of Sheikh Tawhidi quickly flooded his Facebook page. 'Dont worry about the motor mouth ... at least you had the guts to walk the street and hold your head high,' one man wrote. 'You sir are a bl***y legend and all AU an NZ (sic) stand beside you. Thank you,' added another. Comments in support of Sheikh Tawhidi quickly flooded his Facebook page A few minutes after the verbal confrontation, Sheikh Tawhidi and the 7 News crew returned to an unmarked van to avoid the possibility of violence. Closed Facebook groups began sharing abuse online, with a Lebanese Muslim man using the Arabic word for dog to suggest there should have been a violent confrontation. 'This kalb walking through Lakemba. Can't believe no one did anything,' he said. Sheikh Tawhidi, who moved to Australia from Iraq when he was 12 in 1995, said this was the first time he had experienced abuse of this nature. 'We were abused, spat at, insulted, called pigs and dogs and they gathered to try and intimidate us,' the Adelaide-based religious leader told Daily Mail Australia shortly after the incident. 'I have never been insulted or abused in Australia by any non-Muslim. A man on a closed Facebook page used the Arabic word for dog, kalb, to wonder why violence wasn't inflicted on Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi Sheikh Tawhidi believes Islamists in parts of Sydney think they have a God-given right to the land 'I have never suffered from racial discrimination at all and today was the first time that I ever experienced racial discrimination in my entire life and it was from a Muslim.' Sheikh Tawhdidi said the holy Koran had influenced the men who abused him on Monday. 'They believe the land belongs to God and they are the chosen nation of God and that everybody that doesn't believe in the God that they believe in, the way they believe in, then it's basically not their land and they have no right to be on it,' he said. However, he fears something worse could happen next time. 'If this continues, there will come a time where an average Australian will require a visa to enter those areas,' he said. 'I was expected to be shot at, I expected to be stabbed with a knife, it was very normal for me and I was not afraid. 'My appearance today was a statement that I am not afraid.' Freed: Kevin Callahan, aka Kevin Reed (pictured) was freed Tuesday after Santa Cruz DA's office decided there wasn't evidence he killed a man he had fought on Saturday A pioneer of the 1970s surfing scene who has reportedly spent the last few years homeless and alcoholic was arrested on suspicion of murder on Sunday. Kevin Callahan, 58, better known as Kevin Reed, was arrested in Santa Cruz close to where the body of Steven Lee, 52, was found, The Mercury News reported. But on Tuesday the DA's office announced that the charges would be dropped after an autopsy and investigation turned up little evidence. 'Santa Cruz Police learned of an earlier altercation between Callahan and Lee that occurred sometime Saturday, April 29 that included choking,' police said in a statement, according to The Inertia. Scroll down for video 'The altercation occurred on the Main Beach near the location Lee's body was found.' Callahan himself was arrested around 100 feet from the scene in the early hours of Sunday morning and admitted to cops that he had choked Lee, he said. He also told them Lee was alive when he left the scene, but detectives believed the man had died as a result of the altercation. The DA, however, disagreed, citing the evidence collected by detectives and the result of an autopsy on Lee, and released him without charge. The investigation is ongoing. In 1972 Callahan, who was also a skateboarder, invented the 'aerial' - a skateboarding-inspired move in which surfers jump over the lip of the wave. That made him famous in the community, and in 1975 he made the cover of Surfing Magazine. No proof: It was thought that Callahan (pictured in 2010) had killed Steven Lee after he was seen choking him, but there wasn't enough proof. The investigation continues Pioneer: Callahan, a surfer and skateboarder, invented the 'aerial,' in which surfers leap over the lips of waves. He's spent the last few years homeless and struggling with drink, friends said He also appeared in a documentary, The Westsiders, in 2010; in a cut scene from the film, he talked of warning other surfers away from drugs. 'I did tell all of them, Barney, Ratty, all of them. I never want to see any of them living in the gutters, because surfing will not support you,' Callahan said. 'You need to have a real job.' But in the decades since, Callahan had fallen on hard times, according to pal and surf-shop owner Bob Pearson, who still considers Callahan 'one of the most famous guys in the world.' Callahan had turned to drink, Pearson said, and has spent the last few years homeless. 'You drive by homeless, you hear it a bunch of times: Dont judge the people, you dont know who he is, who she is, where they're from, what happened to them and whats going on in their life,' he said. 'I'm sure he has been judged wrong by a lot, a lot of people. It's unfortunate, some people just fall through the cracks.' Donald Trump has hit out at Hillary Clinton saying FBI director James Comey was the 'best thing that ever happened to her' after the former Democratic presidential candidate listed him among the reasons for her election loss. The president fired off a series of tweets on Tuesday night in retaliation to Clinton's blame game earlier in the day. 'FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony... Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?' he wrote. Scroll down for video Donald Trump has hit out at Hillary Clinton saying FBI director James Comey was the 'best thing that ever happened to her' after the former Democratic presidential candidate listed him among the reasons for her election loss Trump's senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway also had a dig at Clinton. 'You Ignored WI (Wisconsin). Called us deplorable/irredeemable. Had oodles of $$ & no message. Lost to a better candidate. From: Woman in the White House,' Conway tweeted. Clinton had earlier pointed to James Comey's letter to Congress on October 28, Wikileaks emails from Russia and misogyny as the trio of reasons for her loss. Her comments came as she was speaking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour at an event in New York on Tuesday as she previewed her forthcoming book. 'If the election had been on October 27 I'd be your president,' Clinton said. Clinton, who was speaking at a Women for Women International event, said she definitely deserved some of the blame too. 'Did I make mistakes? Oh my gosh, yes. You'll read my confession and my request for absolution,' she said, making several plugs for her next book throughout her appearance. 'But the reason I believe we lost were the intervening events in the last 10 days,' the former secretary of state said. While the new best-selling book 'Shattered,' portrays Clinton's campaign as a mess, the candidate didn't throw her aides under the bus. 'I'm very proud of the staff and the volunteers and the people who were out there day after day. And it wasn't a perfect campaign. There is no such thing,' she said. 'But I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian Wikileaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off,' Clinton said. Comey sent a letter to members of Congress informing them that more of Clinton's emails had been discovered as part of a separate case. It ignited a media firestorm. Trump's senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway also had a dig at Clinton on Tuesday night saying she lost to a better candidate Trump said James Comey was the 'best thing that ever happened to' Hillary, claiming the FBI director gave her a 'free pass for many bad deeds' Three days before the election, Comey wrote to Congress again, saying that the emails found had been looked through and didn't change the FBI's previous assessment that Clinton could not be charged with a crime for mishandling classified information due to her using a private email serve to conduct government business. She pointed to numbers guru Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight and said it was his assessment that had the election been held on October 27, she would have won. 'Oh, I think it would have been a really big deal,' Clinton replied of what could have been. Clinton would have been the first woman elected U.S. president. 'I'm writing a book and it's a painful process reliving the campaign,' she said. 'As you might guess,' she added. 'But I think that partly here at home there were important messages that that could have sent our own daughters, granddaughters, grandsons and sons,' Clinton said of her winning the election. Internationally, too, she believed it would have shown progress for women's rights. 'Part of what I really believe is that women's rights is the unfinished business of the 20th century,' she said. 'There is no more important, larger issue, that has to be addressed.' When Amanpour asked Clinton if misogyny still existed in the United States, the former secretary of state laughed. 'The book is coming out in the fall,' she said. 'Just to give you a tiny little preview, yes, I do think it played a role. I think other things did as well,' she added. 'Every day that goes by we learn more about some of the unprecedented interference, including from a foreign power whose leader is not a member of my fan club.' Hillary Clinton (right) sat opposite of CNN's Christiane Amanpour (left) who asked her how she lost to President Donald Trump Through the course of the interview, Clinton explained the genesis of the beef Russian President Vladimir Putin had with her too. During her tenure as secretary of state, Putin, who had been term limited as president and was serving a prime minister, decided to run for the presidency once again in 2012, in an election that Clinton described as 'rigged.' 'We do speak about rigged elections, that kind of goes with the territory,' she said of her job as secretary of state. 'At least, we did prior to this administration,' she said, digging at team Trump. 'So I did say it was an illegitimate election and it had been rigged,' Clinton explained. 'I wasn't telling hundreds of thousands, even millions of Russian something they didn't know.' But Putin, she said, blamed her for the demonstrations. 'So it kind of went downhill from there,' she said. Messing up the name of the television show, Clinton pointed out how within hours of the 'Hollywood Access' tape leaking, which showed Trump bragging that as a celebrity 'you can do anything' to women, including 'grab them by the p***y,' her campaign chairman John Podesta's hacked emails were published on Wikileaks, likely the work of the Russians. 'What a coincidence,' she muttered. 'So you just can't make this stuff up.' Clinton also pointed out that it's a 'historical fact' that it's difficult to succeed a two-term president from your own party, noting how the Democrats haven't done it since 'Lord knows, the 1830s, a long time ago.' The ex-first lady was likely referring to Martin Van Buren's successful run to replace two-term Democratic President Andrew Jackson in 1837. She omitted the fact that Democrat Harry S. Truman pulled out a squeaker of a win in 1948, after ascending to the presidency after the death of nearly four-term President Franklin D. Roosevelt thus preventing the White House from switching political parties' hands. She rightly pointed out that the last time Republicans were able to hold onto the White House after a two-term president was in 1988, with President George H.W. Bush's win after eight years of Ronald Reagan. 'Others may not have realized it, but I always knew it was going to be a hard election,' Clinton said. In the audience, activist and actress Meryl Streep, who was in attendance of the Women for Women International Luncheon in New York City Clinton was speaking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour at an event in New York on Tuesday as she previewed her forthcoming book In shielding her staff from criticism, Clinton also pointed to her popular vote win. 'And remember I did win more than 3 million votes than my opponent,' Clinton said. Amanpour joked that Clinton should anticipate a tweet in response from the president. 'Well, better than interfering in foreign affairs,' the ex-secretary of state said. 'If he wants to tweet about me, I'm happy to be the diversion because we have lots of other things to worry about.' 'And he should worry less about the election and my winning the popular vote,' she said defiantly. Trump has made it a habit to bring up his election night win. He's also continued to tweet, which Clinton discouraged especially in light of the rising tensions with North Korea. 'Now, the North Koreans are always interested, not just Kim Jong-un, but his father before him, were always interested in trying to get Americans to negotiate, to elevate their status and their position, and we should be very careful to give that away,' Clinton pointed out. She was asked to give her take on Trump saying he'd be 'honored' to sit down with the North Korean leader, at the right time and place. 'So negotiations are critical, they have to be part of a broader strategy,' Clinton advised. 'Not just thrown up on a tweet some morning, "Hey, let's get together and see if we can't get along, maybe we can come up with some sort of deal,"' she said, imitating Trump. Throughout the discussion, Clinton whacked Trump quite a bit on not having strategies to deal with both domestic and global problems, reminding Amanpour that during the debates he once made fun of her for being too well prepared. She, on the other hand, said she was waiting through those three presidential debates for a moderator or a questioner to ask Trump how, exactly, he planned to create more jobs. 'I thought that at some moment that would happen,' she said. 'And I was ready for that moment,' Clinton said with a grin. Clinton said she had been planning to implement policies that would help people in areas, even those who had voted for Trump, that would be impacted by robotics, artificial intelligence 'and things that are really going to be upending the economy for the vast majority of Americans.' But with her loss, went her policies and plans. 'I'm now back to being an activist citizen and part of the resistance,' she said. Hillary Clinton slammed 'groups of men' in Washington, DC for deciding the future of women's health protections. Speaking at the 100th anniversary gala honoring Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, the former presidential candidate took a jab at the Donald Trump administration. Clinton spoke to a star-studded room, with those in attendance including staunch supporter Meryl Streep, Scarlett Johansson, Chelsea Handler and Tina Fey. Hillary Clinton slammed 'groups of men' for deciding women's healthcare protections at the Planned Parenthood 100th Anniversary Gala on Tuesday, May 2, in New York In response to a photo tweeted by the White House that included Vice President Mike Pence and a dozen other Republican lawmakers debating healthcare reform, Clinton said: 'Could you believe those the photos of groups of men around that conference table deciding to strip away coverage for pregnancy and maternity care? '\This was a disturbing blast from the past' Criticism spread like wild fire after the White House tweeted a photo of a meeting on healthcare between Vice President Mike Pence and more than a dozen politicians - all of them male. The lawmakers discussed health care reform, including a provision to remove a federal law that requires insurance companies to cover maternity leave and pregnancy care. 'As we speak, politicians in Washington are still doing everything they can to roll back the rights and progress we've fought so hard for over the last century,' Clinton said. 'I mean, could you believe those photos of groups of men around that conference table deciding to strip away coverage for pregnancy and maternity care? 'This was a disturbing blast from the past.' After the first healthcare reform attempt of Trump's presidency failed, Republicans are pushing for a new reform bill - hoping to repeal Obamacare before next week's congressional recess. In a bipartisan budget agreement struck this week, Planned Parenthood avoided being stripped of funding. Clinton said this meant women 'narrowly averted a disaster with the budget,' and urged the audience not to think 'our fight is over'. 'Right now, they're trying to jam through a health care plan that would cost 24 million people their health insurance and gut funding for Planned Parenthood,' she said. Clinton largely steered away from discussing her failed 2016 bid - a topic she addressed at length earlier in the day at the Women for Women International Luncheon. Criticism spread like wild fire after Vice President Mike Pence tweeted a photo of a meeting on healthcare with more than a dozen politicians - all of them male The photo echoed one taken in January of President Donald Trump signing an executive order prohibiting any foreign aid organization that performs abortions from receiving federal funds with female politicians noticeably absent She blamed the loss on herself, FBI Director James Comey and attempted Russian intervention in the campaign via WikiLeaks. The event was a star-studded affair with producer Shonda Rhimes, actress Scarlett Johansson and comedian Tina Fey in attendance. Clinton spoke after actress Meryl Streep, with whom she met earlier in the day. The actress has been a faithful supporter of Clinton for years, calling the former First Lady 'the yardstick by which women their age measure their lives'. Clinton also pushed the attendees to try to understand the people who disagree with Planned Parenthood. The event was a star-studded affair with celebrities such as Meryl Streep, Tina Fey and Scarlett Johansson in attendance (Clinton pictured at the gala with Streep and her actress daughter Grace Gummer) Meryl Streep was also in attendance this afternoon at the Women for Women International Luncheon where Hillary Clinton discussed her loss for the presidency (Pictured left, Meryl Streep and Annette Bening, and pictured right, Scarlett Johansson) 'After decades of arguing back and forth, I think it's safe to say that people of goodwill and good faith will continue to view this issue differently.' But, she added, activists should 'never back down from our commitment to defend the ability of every woman to make these deeply personal decisions for herself.' In January 2016, Planned Parenthood announced it would be endorsing Clinton - the first time the organization made a presidential primary endorsement. Since Clinton's loss, President Trump and other Republicans in Congress have threatened to defund the women's health organization - as seen in the president's proposed budget. The bipartisan budget deal struck earlier this week included funding for Planned Parenthood, however, seen as a win for the organization and Democrats on Capitol Hill. Clinton (right) appeared earlier on Tuesday at the Women for Women International Luncheon where she spoke at length about her presidential bid loss. Streep (left) was in attendance for both events Streep has long been a staunch supporter of Clinton during all her presidential bids (Streep and Clinton pictured in Washington, DC in December 2012) Clinton closed her speech with a reference to The Handmaid's Tale, a television adaption of the 1985 book by Margaret Atwood where women's rights in a dystopian future erode. 'The show has prompted important conversation about women's rights and autonomy,' she said. In The Handmaid's Tale, women's rights are gradually, slowly stripped away. As one character says, "We didn't look up from our phones until it was too late".' 'It's not too late for us, but we have to encourage the millions of women and men who support Planned Parenthood's mission to keep fighting.' A 36-year-old man was arrested in North Geelong on Wednesday after an altercation with police which saw the man fire an officer's gun while it was still in its holster. Police were called to GEL motors at about 9am following a dispute, reported the Geelong Advertiser. While they were there, the man allegedly assaulted another man, and police attempted to break up the fight with pepper spray. A dispute reportedly broke out at GEL Motors on Wednesday morning, which police attended about 9am A scuffle then erupted between the man and police. During that time, Senior Constable Alistair Parsons says the man 'allegedly attempted to grab a police officer's gun and it discharged in its holster'. Nobody was injured as a result of the gunshot, but a policeman suffered minor injuries in the scuffle. A staff member at the Mule Coffee Shed told the Advertiser employees at the mechanic all came into the cafe 'very shaken'. After police arrived, the 36-year-old man allegedly assaulted another worker, and officers broke up the fight with pepperspray. The man then got into a scuffle with police which saw him fire an officer's gun while it was still in its holster 'It turned out there was a fight between some workers, the police were called in,' the staff member claimed. 'I got to talk with the guy who was involved in the initial altercation. He's a very strong person, but he was pretty upset and a bit shaken. 'I got to talk to a policeman who was involved in the initial incident too, and he was very upset.' The 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene and has been charged with conduct endangering life, assault police serious and indictable resisting arrest. He will appear in the Geelong Magistrates' Court this afternoon. GEL Motors declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. A brazen thief has been captured on camera robbing a Gold Coast supermarket armed with a sword. Police are hunting for the man who entered the Rose Valley Drive store at about 4pm on Tuesday. CCTV footage shows the masked man approaching the counter pointing a long sword at the 24-year-old cashier. Scroll down for video CCTV footage shows the masked man approaching the counter pointing a long sword at the 24-year-old cashier The thief can be heard demanding cash in the CCTV video as he holds out a blue Aldi shopping bag The thief can be heard demanding cash in the CCTV video as he holds out a blue Aldi shopping bag. 'Hurry up... all of the money go go go,' he says says. The man then fled with cash in a white Holden Commodore driven by a second person. Police investigations are continuing. The cashier was not injured in the incident. Police urge anyone with information on the robbery to contact them. A brazen thief has been captured on camera robbing a Gold Coast supermarket armed with a sword Cleveland/Bradley Youth Leadership Class of 2016-17 representing Bradley Central, Cleveland and Walker Valley High Schools and Tennessee Christian Preparatory School Following graduation exercises, Youth Leadership graduate Brandon Akiona, Walker Valley High School, spoke to the Chambers board of directors with a twofold purpose: to share the value of the program from a student perspective and to give board members a greater awareness of the purpose of this workforce development initiative. Brandon Akiona Previous Next Twenty-three future leaders representing Bradley Central, Cleveland and Walker Valley High Schools and Tennessee Christian Preparatory School graduated from the 15th Cleveland/Bradley Youth Leadership class of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce during special ceremonies held at Peerless Road Church. The nine-month program seeks to improve the students knowledge of Cleveland and Bradley County by learning about local economy, heritage and tourism, city and county government, health and human services, and state government. They also develop leadership skills and lasting friendships. Sherry Crye, director of workforce development for the Chamber, coordinates the Youth Leadership program. After each trip, the students filled out an anonymous evaluation of the days events and commented about their experience, she explained. One of the most rewarding parts of leading this program is hearing their comments about what the students are taking away from the experience. Students this year had this to say: This program is definitely unique, and I am very thankful to have been a part of it. I have gained a lot of knowledge about my community. Youth Leadership has motivated me to be involved in local affairs and to take advantage of local service opportunities. I never expected to have so much fun while learning a plethora of information today. During the nine-month program, the students were also involved in two service projects, raising more than $2,100 for the Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland construction fund and donating nonperishable food items to The Caring Place. Graduation ceremonies featured musical presentations by two youth leaders: Sydney Corum, Cleveland High School, singing It Is Well With My Soul a cappella, and Jasmine Ngo, Walker Valley High School, performing Chopins Valse in in G-flat major. Also featured were student representatives from each school who spoke of the value of the program: Caroline Gregory, Bradley Central High School; Breanna Melton, Cleveland High School; Maranda Dye, Tennessee Christian Preparatory School; and Brandon Akiona, Walker Valley High School. Dr. Jake Stum, Impact Cleveland, challenged the young people with this description of a leader: A true leader is a person who has the most respect from those closest to him or her. He also noted that 30 years of research had revealed five behaviors of leaders who were behaving at their best: (1) model the way, (2) inspire a shared vision, (3) challenge the process, (4) enable others to act and (5) encourage the heart. Ms. Crye described the class of 2016-17 as a fine group of young men and women . . . who are the promising future leaders of our community, our state and our country. Wherever Air Force One is in the world, an E-4B Doomsday plane isn't far away. There are four E-4B 'Nightwatch' planes in the fleet that are made up of specially modified Boeing 747s that follow the President of the United States, particularly when he goes overseas. The planes are outfitted as complete command centers for the president and his top officials including the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the case of nuclear war or national emergency. These aircraft have unique capabilities that cannot be duplicated by any other aircraft that the Air Force use. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO There are four E-4B 'Nightwatch' planes, one is pictured in 2013, in a fleet that are made up of specially modified Boeing 747s that follow the President of the United States almost wherever he goes These planes are some of the most unique in the Air Force's total air fleet and are designed to be airborne military command centers In the case of a nuclear attack or a national emergency, top Washington officials like the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff would go onto one of the E-4Bs. Pictured is a press 'briefing room' on the plane The Doomsday planes can operate with the largest crew of any aircraft in the US Air Force at 112 people, both flight and mission personnel. Pictured is the conference room in the middle deck of the plane The 'Advanced Airborne Command Post' planes have been operating since the 1970s during the Cold War, as one of the best ways to keep the president safe from a nuclear attack The planes, also called 'National Airborne Operation Centers' when they are in-flight, have special equipment and have the capability to communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world and support analysts and strategists on the flight. The design of the plane is meant to survive an electromagnetic pulse with all the systems intact, even down to the fact that they still use traditional analog flight instruments because they are less vulnerable. It is capable of operating with the largest crew of any aircraft in US Air Force history, at 112 people, both flight and mission personnel. The planes all have three decks The planes also have in-flight refueling and has been able to remain airborne and operational up to 35.4 hours. Though it has been designed to be able to operate in-flight for a full week. The E-4Bs are operated by the First Airborne Command and Control Squadron of the 595th Command and Control Group, are coordinated by the United States Strategic Command and are stationed near Omaha, Nebraska, at the Offutt Air Force Base. One of the planes is kept running at all times, with the engine running 24 hours a day at the Offutt base when the president is in the US. If an emergency happens, the plane is ready to meet with the presidents almost immediately. If he goes abroad, the E-4Bs follow and are known to the crews as 'Air Force One When It Counts', according to Politico. The E-4Bs are operated by the First Airborne Command and Control Squadron of the 595th Command and Control Group and their operations are coordinated by the United States Strategic Command The E-4Bs can communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world and using a special five-mile-long trailing wire antenna, the planes can even communicate with the nuclear submarine fleet When the president is in the US, there is always one plane with its engine on for 24 hours a day, ready to go pick up the president in case of an emergency. During the Cold War, there was a plane running at Andrew's Air Force Base The planes have in-flight refueling and after a test, an E-4B was able to remain airborne and operational for up to 35.4 hours. Though they have not been tested, the planes were built to operate in-flight for a full week Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, pictured on a Doomsday plane in 2004, announced in 2006 that all four E-4Bs would be retired by 2009, though that number went down to just one being retired in 2007 Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is pictured in an E-4B answering press questions in 2012 The planes are outfitted with special equipment including a wire antenna that keeps the president in communication with the nuclear submarine fleet, even if ground-based communications are destroyed. The E-4Bs were first operated in the 1970s during the Cold War. And through to the end of the war, one of the flying war rooms was kept constantly on alert at Andrew's Air Force Base, ready to lift off with the president in just 15 minutes. It was believed that these planes were the best way to keep the president safe in the case of nuclear attack. In 2006 there was talk that the E-4B fleet would be retired in 2009 when then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced his plan. Instead, just one of the fleet was retired in February of 2007. When Robert Gates took over as Secretary of Defense, he reversed the decision in May 2007 and the plane returned to the fleet because the planes have such unique capabilities. The latest blend of cooking and technology may have gone too far. Scientists and industry body Meat and Livestock Australia has unveiled 3D printed meat - using a benchtop machine to create serves from liquefied offal and mince. Experts claim 3D-food printers will one day be as common as coffee machines and microwaves, with hungry diners simply loading a cartridge full of emulsified beef or lamb offcuts into the machine, which prints the meaty mouthful up in layers. Australian chefs and scientists have come together to create 3D printed meat 'This is real; this is happening now; we are not saying this technology will replace all sausages and steaks but that on some occasions, 3D printed meat will be available and sometimes preferable,' Michael Lee from Meat and Livestock Australia told The Australian. 'This may also present a value opportunity (to the industry); currently one-third of each animal (slaughtered) ends up as low-value burger trimmings for retailers like McDonald's. 'Why not see if this new technology gives us the opportunity to create more value for our farmers?' The technique was launched by Meat and Livestock Australia at a Monash University conference on Tuesday, where curious foodies could sink their teeth into a new era of dining technology. Sam Burke a chef with MLA showed off the potential the 3D printed meat has, cooking a range of meaty dishes for conference attendees. 'Twenty-three years ago if you said I'd be cooking 3D food I'd probably laugh at you, but the future's here right now,' he told 9 News. And the equipment isn't just for the tech savvy. 'It's not only for fine dining, Mr Burke said. 'It's a great application for commercial caterer in aged care.' The organisation says the technology gives elderly diners the opportunity to enjoy more options with red meat, offering high protein and nutritious meals that can be presented in various shapes and sizes, and more appetising than the traditional pureed food. A Rabbi has unwittingly shown the world Steve Bannon's exhaustive to-do list after posing for a photo with Trump's chief strategist during a visit to the White House. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, 50, visited the White House on Tuesday to celebrate Israel's Independence Day. The Orthodox Jewish author documented his visit by tweeting several photos of himself standing alongside the likes of Mike Pence, Ted Cruz and Bannon. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach unwittingly showed the world Steve Bannon's to-do list after posing for a photo with Trump's chief strategist during a visit to the White House on Tuesday But it was his photos with Bannon - who he described as a 'great, stalwart friend of the Jewish state' - that has gained the most attention. A long list of Trump's campaign promises can be seen on the white board behind Bannon and Boteach - and ticks can be seen next to those the administration has already implemented or taken action on. The list covers immigration policies extensively, including building the Mexican border wall, tripling the amount of ICE agents and suspending the Syrian refugee program. 'Finally complete the biometric entry-exit visa tracker' and 'sunset visa so that Congress is forced to revisit and revise' also appear on Bannon's to-do list. Rabbi Boteach and his Debbie posed for a selfie with Bannon and managed to capture a list of campaign pledges and potential policies of the Trump administration A close up version of the photo clearly shows a long list of Trump's campaign promises. Some even have ticks next to them, presumably checking off completed items Repealing Obamacare and pledges on tax reform are among the first things on Bannon's white board. Boteach has occasionally written columns for Breitbart News in the past, which used to be run by Bannon before he took up a job with Trump's administration. Twitter users were quick to point out just what Boteach's photos captured with one person tweeting: 'The whiteboard is f@*ked up on so many levels.' Another person wrote: 'he used you to share his fake to-do list. congrats.' Shmuley and his wife Debbie (left) visited the White House on Tuesday to celebrate Israel's Independence Day. He posed for photos with Sean Spicer (right) A former soldier has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for stealing the real-life war story of a dead comrade to con his way into money and a free home. Brandon Blackstone, 35, from Arlington, Texas, was convicted under the 2013 Stolen Valor act for stealing the tragic story of his 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment comrade-in-arms Casey Owens. Owens killed himself after losing his legs in Iraq in 2004 - a tragic end that didn't stop Blackstone from stealing his story and using it to line his pockets, the San Diego Tribune reported. Scroll down for video Brandon Blackstone (pictured) pleaded guilty in September to stealing a fellow Marine's story and using it to defraud a charity and the government. He was sentenced to 21 months in April Blackstone (left) served with Casey Owens (right) in Iraq. Owens lost his legs in an explosion in 2004. Blackstone used his story to claim disability benefits and mortgage-free housing Blackstone claimed a disability pension from November 2006 to December 2015 after saying he had been injured in the same explosion as Owens. He also used the story to convince the Military Warrior Support Foundation - a nonprofit that helps set up wounded veterans with mortgage-free homes - to apply for a house, which he duly received. As well as his prison sentence, Blackstone has been ordered to pay the Department of Veterans Affairs $322,654 in restitution, the Star-Telegram reported. Blackstone pleaded guilty in September to wire fraud and fraudulent representation about the receipt of a military decoration for financial gain. After his sentencing on April 21, US Attorney John Parker said in a statement: 'Falsely claiming military honors is disgraceful by itself, but to do so for financial gain is particularly despicable.' Blackstone, from Arlington, Texas, was deployed to Iraq in 2004, where he served alongside Owens, another 1/7 marine, was less lucky. While he was racing to a downed serviceman, Owens' humvee ran over a double anti-mine bomb. It detonated and he lost both his legs. Blackstone was 400 yards from the explosion, his friends later told the media. Owens (pictured in hospital in 2004) was critically injured when his Humvee hit an anti-tank mine. He killed himself in 2014. Blackstone must repay $322,654 to Dept of Veterans Affairs Owens (pictured left and right) battled with physical and mental injuries prior to his suicide. Friends of Owens pieced together Blackstone's lies and informed the authorities Both men returned to the US that year: Owens due to his injuries, Blackstone because of appendicitis. But while Owens struggled with his new life, Blackstone was stealing it, using his story to get the pension and a house. WHAT IS THE STOLEN VALOR ACT? The Stolen Valor Act was signed in by George W Bush in 2006. It made it a federal misdemeanor for a person to falsely claim to have received any US military decoration or medal. The law was expanded in 2013, under Barack Obama, to make it a crime for anyone to pretend to have one of a series of medals in order to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefits. Those medals include the Purple Heart, the Medal of Honor and the Silver Star. As he falsely claimed to be a recipient of the Purple Heart - which is only given to those wounded or killed in service - Blackstone left himself open to prosecution under the law. Advertisement He claimed he had serious injuries to his knees, ankles, and head, and had a traumatic brain condition that meant he suffered constant migraines and seizures. He claimed to have been awarded a Purple Heart, and even gave media interviews where he spun his tall tale, one of which was published on YouTube in 2011. At one point in the four-minute interview, the 35-year-old said he was '100 per cent disabled'. Owens, who had genuinely battled constant physical pain and mental wounds, killed himself in 2014. But Blackstone pushed on with his lies - and that would be his undoing. A group of other 1/7 Marines were taking note of his claims - and slowly picking them apart in a Facebook group. When some of Owens' friends recognized a description of the explosion that took the legs - and ultimately life - of their friend, they spoke up to a former Marine turned FBI agent, who unmasked Blackstone's deception. One of those men was Andrew Rothman, a 1/7 Navy corpsman. 'This scumbag lied to try to get s**t,' he told the San Diego Tribunt. 'You don't do that. Its not honorable. Its not how we are. It's personal for me, especially, as a friend of Casey's. 'This kid essentially stole from all of us. And the honor part is bigger to us than the money and the house.' Owens' family blasted Blackstone after his guilty plea. 'Hes living off a fake story. Its disgusting,' former soldier Nick Sowers told the Morning News. 'It took my breath away that someone would do something like that,' Owens' sister, Lezleigh Owens Kleibrink, told WFAA. 'These were supposed to be your brothers, and you steal valor from one of your brothers? A treatment for heart surgery patient may raise the risk of heart attack and blood clot. The Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) System is being recalled in Australia after research linked it to elevated rates of heart attack and blood clot. The treatment is implanted in patients and opens blocked coronary arteries and is fully absorbed by the body. The Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (stock image) is being recalled after research linked it to elevated rates of heart attack and blood clot It has been removed from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and the Therapeutic Goods Association announced a hazard alert for the treatment on Tuesday. 'The decision to undertake this recall and remove Absorb BVS System was based on data from recent analyses that showed an elevated rate of major adverse cardiac events, specifically heart attack and blood clot, when compared to patients treated with an another alternate stent,' the TGA said. Abbott Vascular Australia is recalling all unused stock. Patients with an Absorb BVS System should talk to their health professional to ensure they are receiving appropriate treatment. The treatment is implanted in patients and opens blocked coronary arteries and is fully absorbed by the body (stock image of heart surgeons during heart operation) 'Know the signs and symptoms of heart attack and blood clot,' the TGA said. 'If you experience any new cardiac-related symptoms, such as irregular heartbeats, chest pain, or shortness of breath, seek immediate medical attention. The BVS has been removed from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods 'You should always follow any directions provided by your health professional, including taking medicines, known as dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), to reduce the risks of heart attack and blood clot.' Access to Absorb BVS System in Australia will now only be through clinical trials and the unapproved product pathways. Abbott Vascular Australia can undertake additional monitoring and data collection. The company has written to health professionals who have implanted the treatment. A spokesperson for Abbott Vascular Australia confirmed the company was limiting the use of Absorb BVS to select hospitals. 'Data from Absorb trials around the world demonstrate that when current implantation technique is used, efficacy and safety results are comparable to the gold-standard metallic drug eluting Xience stent, with the added feature of leaving no metal behind once it dissolves,' the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia in a statement. 'The majority of hospitals currently using Absorb in Australia are already part of studies that are planned to be part of the clinical registries.' If you have any questions or concerns about this issue, contact Abbott Vascular Australia on 1800 550 939. Satellite images show activity has resumed at North Korea's nuclear site, a US-based analysts has claimed amid fears Kim Jong-un is plotting a sixth atomic test. Pictures of the Punggye-ri site captured on April 25 appear to show workers pumping out water at a tunnel believed to have been prepared for an upcoming nuclear test. Monitoring group 38 North also noted that a large number of personnel were seen throughout the facility, with some groups possibly playing volleyball. Satellite images show activity has resumed at North Korea's nuclear site, a US-based analysts has claimed amid fears Kim Jong-un is plotting a sixth atomic test Images of the Punggye-ri site captured on April 25 appear to show workers pumping out water at a tunnel believed to have been prepared for an upcoming nuclear test There are fears that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (pictured) is plotting to carry out a sixth nuclear test at the site 'It is unclear if this activity indicates that a nuclear test has been cancelled, the facility is in stand-by mode or that a test is imminent,' said the researchers from the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Workers were also observed playing volleyball at the guard barracks and two other areas at the site in satellite pictures taken on April 19 and 21. 38 North said the latest images were 'unusual and almost assuredly a component of an overall North Korean deception and propaganda effort' and the result of media reporting on the earlier volleyball sightings. North Korea is on a mission to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five nuclear tests, two of them last year. Monitoring group 38 North also noted that a large number of personnel were seen throughout the facility, with some groups possibly playing volleyball Punggye-ri is a complex of tunnels and testing infrastructure in the mountains in the northeast of the country Punggye-ri is a complex of tunnels and testing infrastructure in the mountains in the northeast of the country. 38 North said last month that Punggye-ri was 'primed and ready' to conduct a test, amid mounting speculation that Pyongyang would act to coincide with major anniversaries including the birthday of regime founder Kim Il-Sung. A nuclear test has yet to happen, but North Korea's failed ballistic missile launch last week marked the hermit state's latest show of defiance. On Monday it said it would carry out a nuclear test 'at any time and at any location' set by its leadership. A nuclear test has yet to happen, but North Korea's failed ballistic missile launch last week marked the hermit state's latest show of defiance On Monday, North Korea said it would carry out a nuclear test 'at any time and at any location' set by its leadership US President Donald Trump said this week he would be 'honored' to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions, dialling down earlier threats of military action. Washington is now exploring options at the UN Security Council to ramp up pressure on the North, with diplomats saying it was in discussion with China on possible sanctions. Over the past 11 years, the Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions on Pyongyang, including imposing a cap on coal exports among other measures in November. Eight civilians were killed and another 28 people wounded, including three American soldiers, when an ISIS suicide bomber attacked a US convoy in Afghanistan. The convoy was passing close to the American embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul during the morning rush-hour on Wednesday when the attack happened. A militant drove a car packed with explosives into traffic before a powerful blast ripped vehicles apart and left a crater in the middle of the road. Eight civilians were killed and 28 people wounded, including three American soldiers, after an ISIS suicide car bomber attacked a US convoy in Afghanistan on Wednesday The convoy was travelling close to the US embassy in Kabul during rush-hour traffic when a car packed with explosives detonated nearby ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack which comes at the start of the annual 'spring-offensive' which sees an increase in violence Witnesses claimed they saw a white Toyota Corolla parked near the scene which exploded as the convoy passed, though this has not been verified NATO confirmed three coalition soldiers had received 'non-life threatening wounds'. '(They) are in stable condition, and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities,' a spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan said. The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq media arm. The blast, which NATO said was an improvised explosive device, damaged two heavily armoured Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles carrying the soldiers. MRAPs, which are designed to withstand large explosions, are routinely used by international forces moving around Kabul. At least three civilian cars were also damaged, with one ablaze, while windows even several hundred meters away were shattered. Firefighters and ambulances rushed stunned survivors to hospital. One security source told AFP that a white Toyota Corolla had exploded as the convoy drove by, though that had not been verified by officials. Ambassador Hugo Llorens said: 'I condemn this morning's utterly despicable attack in downtown Kabul. In recent days some have rejected violence and recognized that the only future for Afghanistan is through constructive dialogue and peace. 'Unfortunately, there are those who refuse to allow Afghans their chance at peace, and instead insist on killing and maiming innocent civilians. The convoy was passing close to the US embassy when the bomb was detonated, leaving three US soldiers with non-life threatening wounds At least three civilian vehicles were destroyed in the attack with one left on fire, witnesses said In total 25 civilians were wounded in the blast, though the extent of their injuries is not clear An ISIS-affiliated group has been gaining strength in Afghanistan in recent months as it fights government forces and the Taliban 'I extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their families of this cowardly and dastardly attack. The barbarity and depravity of this attack only reminds all Americans of why we are in this fight and strengthens our dedication and solidarity with our Afghan allies. 'I want to reaffirm to the noble Afghan people our commitment to stand with you and work together towards a brighter and more peaceful future.' Pentagon chief Jim Mattis warned of 'another tough year' for both foreign troops and local forces in Afghanistan when he visited Kabul last month. He would not be drawn on calls by NATO commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson for a 'few thousand' more troops to break the 'stalemate' against the insurgents. An ISIS affiliate has gathered strength in Afghanistan in recent years, and is now at war with both the U.S.-backed government and the much larger Taliban insurgency. Afghan forces have struggled to combat both groups since the U.S. and NATO officially concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counterterrorism role. The U.S. has more than 8,000 troops in the country. The Taliban and ISIS both aspire to overthrow the Afghan government and impose a harsh version of Islamic law, but they are fiercely divided over leadership and tactics. America has around 8,000 troops in Afghanistan in a non-combat NATO role designed to help authorities stabilise the country With only around a third of Afghan territory under government control, attacks by militants are frequent and often result in civilian casualties Car parts were left strewn across the road and up on to the pavement after the blast which also created a large crater in the middle of the tarmac Afghan security services sustained 'shockingly high' casualties during 2016, according to international observers, as they battle both ISIS and the Taliban The militants announced their 'spring offensive' last week normally marks an upsurge in fighting during warmer weather, though this winter the Taliban continued to battle government forces. Already beset by killings, desertions, and struggles over leadership and morale, they faced 'shockingly high' casualties in 2016 and the first part of 2017, according to a US watchdog SIGAR. The report did not include a massacre at a base near northern Mazar-i-Sharif last month which saw militants dressed in army uniforms slaughter at least 144 Afghan recruits, according to a US official. With more than one third of Afghanistan outside of government control, civilians also continue to bear a heavy brunt, with thousands killed and wounded each year and children paying an increasingly disproportionate price, according to UN figures. Kabul province had the highest number of civilian casualties in the first quarter of the year due to attacks in the capital, a recent UN report showed. Most were carried out by the Taliban, though Islamic State claimed several which targeted Afghanistan's Shiite minority. The UN had called on all groups to 'take every measure possible to prevent unnecessary and unacceptable harm to Afghan civilians'. A woman who has lived in Australia for more than 40 years fears she could be deported because of a bureaucratic bungle decades ago. Born in New Guinea, 44-year-old Qantas flight attendant Vanessa Clarke has called Australia home since she was just nine months old. But when the mother-of-three tried to renew her passport six weeks ago, she was told she is not an Australian citizen and has been living in the country 'illegally' almost her entire life. Qantas flight attendant Vanessa Clarke has called Australia home since she was just nine months old but now fears she may be deported because of a bureaucratic bungle The mother-of-three (pictured here with her children) has been told she is not an Australian citizen and has been living in the country 'illegally' almost her entire life 'I'm crushed about it. I feel like I'm in a bad dream and I'm yet to wake up,' Ms Clarke told Daily Mail Australia. 'I've never had any reason to believe I wasn't a citizen or I wasn't a part of this country.' Ms Clarke's British parents became Australian citizens shortly after they brought her to Adelaide as a baby girl in 1973. She has always believed she had been granted Australian citizenship as a child because New Guinea was still an Australian territory at the time. 'I'm crushed about it. I feel like I'm in a bad dream and I'm yet to wake up,' Ms Clarke, seen on a Qantas plane, told Daily Mail Australia. Ms Clarke has been in Australia since she was just nine-months-old. Here she is seen as a child in the 1970s 'When I applied for my first passport in 1990 - it was never an issue. They gave me a passport and I've been renewing them ever since,' she said. But for reasons unknown to Ms Clarke, the Department of Immigration has now discovered there is no evidence she is an Australian citizen, despite having voted in every election since she was 18 and being given several passports. 'I've had numerous passport renewals over the past 27 years. I still can't understand how this error can be made over and over,' she said. 'This isn't a one off thing - it's something they've continued to do and then all of a sudden I've popped up on their radar. Ms Clarke's British parents (pictured) became Australian citizens shortly after they brought her to Adelaide as a baby girl in 1973 'I've never had any reason to believe I wasn't a citizen or I wasn't a part of this country,' she said Ms Clarke is pictured (centre front) with a Qantas crew prior to a flight 'How has this happened? I want someone to tell me how I've managed to hold a passport for 27 years - and lived here for 44 years - and now they're telling me there's an error.' Ms Clarke said she fears she may be deported from the country, but to where, she doesn't know. 'I just don't know. When I ask the tough questions to Immigration they don't give me an answer,' she said. 'It's a complete change of subject. No one has answered the question without dancing around it.' Ms Clarke, pictured as a child with her mother, said she fears she may be deported from the country Ms Clarke is seen smiling in a pram as a baby. After 44 years in the country she's been told she isn't a citizen Nick Xenophon Team member and Federal MP for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie, has written to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton asking him to step in. 'We've got more pressing issues for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection - especially the Citizenship Bureau within them,' Ms Sharkie told Daily Mail Australia. 'We're not talking about someone who came here on a plane 10 years ago and threw away their visa documentation. 'We're talking about someone who came here as a very young baby from a place that was an Australian territory. 'I'm quite hopeful that the Minister will use his discretion to right this wrong.' Ms Clarke, second from right, said: 'When I ask the tough questions to Immigration they don't give me an answer' 'I've had numerous passport renewals over the past 27 years. I still can't understand how this error can be made over and over,' Ms Clarke, pictured with her children, said She has always believed she had been granted Australian citizenship as a child because New Guinea was still an Australian territory when she arrived. Above, she poses for a photo with her children In the letter written to Mr Dutton, seen by Daily Mail Australia, Ms Sharkie demanded an urgent review. 'Ms Clarke was raised in Australia; attended Reynelia East High School; registered to vote at 18 years of age; has paid taxes in Australia for the duration of her working life; and also works as a Qantas flight attendant,' the letter read. 'I kindly request that you urgently review the advice provided by the Passport Office in light of the gross oversight by successive Australian Governments.' A spokesperson for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection told Daily Mail Australia it became aware of Ms Clarke's case this year and sought verification of her citizenship status. Ms Clarke, pictured front as a child, believes the Department of Immigration is treating her unfairly Ms Clarke, who said she feels like she's 'in a bad dream', is pictured with her father in Adelaide in the 1970s 'This is standard practice for people born in Papua New Guinea (PNG) prior to PNG Independence Day on 16 September 1975,' the spokesperson said. 'Determining the citizenship of people born in PNG prior to PNG Independence Day can be complex due to the interaction between Australian citizenship law and the PNG Constitution as well as inaccuracy of historical records. 'The Department understands this would have come as a surprise to Ms Clarke. As such, the Department has engaged with Ms Clarke on a number of occasions and advised how the Department could assist in facilitating her application for Australian citizenship. 'To this point Ms Clarke has not taken up the Departments offers to work with her on this matter.' The 44-year-old mother-of-three is seen boarding a Qantas flight with her children A pregnant woman is one of dozens of refugees who have attempted suicide on Nauru in the year since a 23-year-old detainee set himself alight and died. Omid Masoumali, an Iranian refugee, died in April 2016 after he was filmed dousing himself in petrol and bursting into flames in protest of Australia's detention laws. In the wake of his death, 50 refugees threatened or attempted to commit suicide by setting themselves alight, former refugee worker Sandra Bartlett told a Senate inquiry into detention centres in Nauru and Manus, according to The Guardian. A pregnant woman is one of dozens of refugees who have attempted suicide on Nauru in the year since a 23-year-old detainee (pictured) set himself alight and died, a Senate inquiry has heard Omid Masoumali (pictured), an Iranian refugee, died in April 2016 after he was filmed dousing himself in petrol and bursting into flames in protest of Australia's detention laws In the wake of his death, 50 refugees threatened or attempted to commit suicide by setting themselves alight, the inquiry heard (stock image) Ms Bartlett, who worked for Connect Settlement Services last year, said while working with refugees in Nauru she noticed self-harm was 'rife' among asylum seekers and refugees. The former case manager said she had been working at the facility for a month when Mr Masoumali died. One week later, Somalian woman Hodan Yasin also set herself on fire and received burns to 70 percent of her body, The Guardian reported. Ms Bartlett said in the following months she learned of a young boy who tried to drown himself in the ocean, and a man reported walking in on his pregnant wife about to burn herself. Sexual assaults by Nauruan men are contributing to the feeling of helplessness and suicide attempts, Ms Bartlett told the inquiry. The former case manager said she had been working at the facility for a month when Mr Masoumali died (pictured) Ms Bartlett said in the following months she learned of a young boy who tried to drown himself in the ocean, and a man reported walking in on his pregnant wife about to burn herself (stock image) One woman who claimed she was assaulted by a staff member planned on killing herself and doused her clothes in petrol before changing her mind at the last minute, Ms Bartlett's report read. 'It is not uncommon for refugees on Nauru to state 'I am not an animal' or 'we are not animals',' she said. 'I believe that years of having no control over their lives or their choices, being spoken down to and feeling like they are seen as lesser people has had a profound impact on the mental health of many of the refugees on Nauru.' In April, the Senate delivered their findings after a seven-month-long inquiry. The committee called for the Australian government to admit they have control over the detention centres a duty of care to the asylum seekers and refuges. Intelligence that pointed to an 'imminent threat' of terrorism was behind the decision to ban large electronics in carry-on baggage, according to a senior Republican lawmaker. House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) told Fox News the government made the move based on 'specific and credible intelligence.' 'I think the administration took very responsible actions to safeguard the safety of Americans here in the homeland,' he said. House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said the government made the move based on 'specific and credible intelligence' The ban on electronics, which was imposed in March, stopped passengers from taking laptops and iPads in their hand luggage on flights to the US from 10 airports in the Middle East. It followed concerns terrorists had perfected a new type of airline bomb. It means travelers have to stow gadgets larger than a mobile phone in the hold. Last month it was revealed President Trump was considering also banning laptops in airplane cabins between the US and some European airports in addition to the primarily Muslim countries already restricted. Western countries including Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates may join the list. President Trump's administration is considering extending its ban on large electronic devices being carried in aircraft cabins to flights from Europe Last month both the US and British governments barred passengers from bringing large electronic devices on board incoming flights from six Middle Eastern countries. Above, the airports and countries targeted by the new American and British policies President Trump's administration was considering extending its ban on large electronic devices, according to The Times. The US have been put on alert that Britain could be one of those affected. The newspaper reported that the move could be implemented within weeks but that no final decision had yet been taken as to whether Britain would be included in the ban. A US official confirmed to The Times that Britain was on the list of countries being examined for extended security restrictions. The US Department of Homeland Security said: 'We will continue to evaluate the threat environment and make determinations based on that assessment but we have not made any decisions on expanding the current restrictions against large electronic devices in aircraft cabins from selected airports.' Recovery efforts continue on Dale Hollow Lake for the body of Christina Esparza, the 46-year-old Red Boiling Springs Woman who disappeared on Sunday. Ms. Esparza was kayaking with her son on rough waters. She was not wearing a personal floatation device. Clay County Rescue, Overton County Rescue, TWRA and Clay County Sheriffs Office continue to search in water depths well over 100 feet. on Sunday Strong stormsalong with high winds have made efforts more difficult. However, officers are dedicated with over 90 hours of search time, officials said. TWRA officer Dustin Buttram stated, This is one of the hardest parts of our job as wildlife officers. Were determined though and our thoughts are with her family. Recovery efforts will continue with a regional response occurring on Saturday if Ms. Esparzas body is not recovered in the next few days. Additional units from surrounding counties will join efforts and continue to broaden their search. TWRA urges boaters to wear personal floatation devices. Personal floatation devices are the number one way boaters can protect themselves. To find more on boating in Tennessee visit: tnwildlife.org. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says there's a limit to how much the Australian government can help Cassandra Sainsbury, who's in a Colombian jail after 5.8kg of cocaine was allegedly found in her suitcase. Ms Bishop says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has visited an Australian woman being held in Bogota's El Buen Pastor prison and provided her with names of local lawyers. 'Our diplomats are there to assist her in any way we can but I must stress there are limitations to what we can do once she's subject to the laws of another country,' Ms Bishop said in Adelaide on Wednesday. Scroll down for video Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says there's a limit to how much the Australian government can help Cassandra Sainsbury, 22 Ms Bishop says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has visited an Australian woman being held in Bogota's El Buen Pastor prison and provided her with names of local lawyers She said it would 'not be helpful' to speculate on emerging details of the 22-year-old's arrest at the El Dorado International Airport on April 12. 'But it is a stark reminder that when you leave Australia you are subject to the laws of the country that you're visiting,' she said. 'We have announced that we will have an embassy in Bogota and we don't yet have one so we are providing assistance from outside Colombia,' she said. Earlier it was revealed the US Drug Enforcement Agency reportedly alerted Colombian authorities to their suspicions about Ms Sainsbury, who was allegedly found with cocaine hidden inside 18 headphone boxes in her suitcase. 'We found her because of an alert from the DEA,' Bogota airport's narcotics chief, Commander Rodrigo Soler, told News Corp Australia. Colombian police were reportedly tipped off by the US Drug Enforcement Agency about Cassandra Sainsbury (pictured) The 22-year-old faces 25 years in jail after she was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine at an airport in Colombia The woman (pictured with her fiance) was detained on April 11 at Bogota Airport just as she was about to fly back to Australia after a working holiday She said it would 'not be helpful' to speculate on emerging details of the 22-year-old's arrest at the El Dorado International Airport on April 12 He said she had already cleared security and checked her bag. 'The alert said 'check this person' so we pulled her aside and we searched her luggage and we arrested her. We asked 'is this your bag, did you pack this?'. She said 'yes'.' Mr Soler told The Australian Ms Sainsbury's ticket, was bought by an unknown party and was just one of several red flags that caused North American agencies to alert Colombian police. Ms Sainsbury's family in Adelaide insists she is innocent and was set up by a Colombian man she met after arriving in the South American country on April 3 during a working holiday. Khala said her sister (pictured) found a Colombian lawyer but he suggested pleading guilty to lesser charges to avoid an up to 25-year jail sentence She was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in small packages wrapped in black plastic (pictured) The 22-year-old drew the attention of the DEA when her plane ticket home to Australia via London was reportedly purchased last minute by an 'unknown party' in Hong Kong They say she bought the headphones from him to give as gifts to family and friends at her upcoming wedding. This comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed Ms Sainsbury's father said he does not want anything to do with her, saying he didn't want to be 'tied up'. The young woman drew the attention of the DEA when her plane ticket home to Australia via London was reportedly purchased last minute by an 'unknown party' in Hong Kong. 'We found her because of an alert from the DEA,' Bogota airport's head of narcotics, Commander Rodrigo Soler, said. Advertisement Caroline Kennedy honored her father with a speech at the Smithsonian as she officially opened an exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth. Besides the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, other important guests on Tuesday night included his grand nephew and Congressman Joe Kennedy III, Congressman John Lewis, Senator John McCain and NBC anchor Tom Brokaw. They all came out to celebrate the life of President Kennedy. Others in attendance were singer Mavis Staples and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright. Caroline, 59, spoke at the event amid rumors that she is considering a run for a New York House or Senate seat. She has recently returned to New York after being the US ambassador to Japan for three years and there are other rumors that a memoir is in the works as well. Caroline Kennedy, 59, pictured, spoke at a gala on Tuesday night before the opening of an exhibit that will honor her father, President John F Kennedy Many other important guests attended the event including Joe Kennedy III, left, and Senator John McCain, right Congressman John Lewis, pictured left, also gave opening remarks at the gala and was among other guests like former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, right in blue, and singer Mavis Staples, far right The exhibit shows John F Kennedy's life in pictures, ahead of the 100th anniversary of his birth on May 29 The exhibition of photographs capturing President John F. Kennedy's life is opening ahead of the 100th anniversary of his birth. Called 'American Visionary: John F. Kennedy's Life and Times,' the exhibit opens Wednesday at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC, and will run through September 17. Were he still alive today, the nation's 35th president would have turned 100 on May 29. The 77 photos going on display were collected from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Getty Images, private collections and Kennedy family archives, among other sources. Legacy: The Smithsonian American Art Museum is set to open a new exhibit of photos capturing the life of President John F. Kennedy. Above, one of the photos that will be in the exhibit, showing then-Sen. Kennedy with his daughter Caroline in their Georgetown, Washington, DC home in 1958 Camelot begins: American Visionary: John F. Kennedy's Life and Times' will run from Wednesday through September 17 at the museum in Washington, DC. Above, another photo that will be on display, showing the president and first lady on his Inauguration in 1961 Father first: The 77 photos going on display were collected from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Getty Images, private collections and Kennedy family archives, among other sources. Above, President Kennedy plays with his daughter Caroline and son John Jr in the Oval Office in October 1962 Last moments: Curators say the 'iconic' photos 'capture the dramatic scope of Kennedy's life'. Above, President Kennedy with his wife in Dallas just before he was assassinated on November 22, 1963 Grief: A recently widowed Jacqueline Kennedy looks mournful at the funeral of her husband on November 25, 1963 The museum says Kennedy was photographed more than any politician of his era, and that his career coincided with the 'golden age' of photojournalism. Curators say the 'iconic' photos 'capture the dramatic scope of Kennedy's life' - and the spirit and optimism that accompanied his rise to the presidency. 'John F. Kennedy is still seen as a symbol around the world, representing and espousing the best and most universal elements of the American character,' his nephew, Stephen Kennedy Smith, said in a press release. 'It is our hope that the compelling images of President Kennedy's like and work on view in this exhibition will remind visitors not only of the values that defined his presidency, but also will introduce him to new audiences and future leaders.' Smith co-edited the book which provided the basis of the new exhibit, 'JFK: A Vision for America'. It was released Tuesday by HarperCollins. The weight of responsibility: Sun drenches the Oval Office as President Kennedy works in January 1961 - the first month of his administration Pure joy: Then-Sen. Kennedy and his wife smile and wave at well-wishers as they drive in Massachusetts shortly after he received the Democratic Party nomination in July 1960 Innovation: One of President Kennedy's lasting legacies was jumpstarting the space program. He's pictured above touring NASA facilities in Huntsville, Alabama on September 11, 1961 Nerves: JFK and members of his family (including brother Robert and his wife Ethel, back center) wait for election results from the Kennedy estate in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on November 9, 1960 Youth: A fresh-faced Kennedy holds a small dog on his tour of Europe in 1937 (left). Kennedy sailed to France and then spent the summer driving through Europe with a friend. He's pictured on the right with Jacqueline Bouvier in 1953, the year they got married President Kennedy boards the plane called the Carolina in 1960. The exhibition is the first major event celebrating JFK's centennial year. Various other events are being planned through the JFK Presidential Library and Museum In addition to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in DC, the pictures will also go on display at the New-York Historical Society, starting June 23. Various American embassies around the world will also get a chance to display the photos, including those in Australia, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Honduras, Kosovo, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Thailand and Venezuela. The exhibition is the first major event celebrating JFK's centennial year. Various other events are being planned through the JFK Presidential Library and Museum. 'The Smithsonian American Art Museum is proud to host one of the first centennial celebrations to honor the legacy of President John F. Kennedy,' Stephanie Stebich, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, said. 'The aptly named exhibition "American Visionary" is a fitting tribute to the 35th President, who understood the importance of the arts in American society and the power of images to convey the spirit and aspirations of a country.' International crisis: Americans listen in to a televised address from President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis on October 22, 1962 Fans: Sen. Kennedy surveys the crowd at the 1956 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois Fashion symbols: Movers transport Jack and Jackie fashion mannequins in New York City in 1961. The couple became fashion inspirations for their generation, as one of the youngest couple's to ever live in the White House Empty desks and chairs line the deserted offices at Sydney Morning Herald and The Age after journalists staged a walk off in response to far-reaching redundancies. A photograph of the Melbourne offices at The Age shows deserted workspaces after journalists at Fairfax Media metropolitan mastheads voted to strike for seven days. Reporters have also walked out of the Canberra press gallery. The strike means the Fairfax reporters will not be working on the night of the Federal Budget next Tuesday. Canberra Times journalists have voted in solidarity with affected colleagues. They will not strike but will not do additional work to fill the gaps left by striking comrades. WA Today and Brisbane Times journalists have also voted to strike and walked off the job on Wednesday. Newcastle Herald journalists will strike for 24 hours. The Melbourne office for The Age is pictured on Wednesday as staff walked off the job Staff at The Age newspaper are pictured with copies of the newspaper torn in protest to the announced redundancies Fairfax Media earlier announced 125 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs, or about one quarter of its metropolitan staff in Sydney and Melbourne newsrooms, will be cut in a massive restructure to save $30 million. Marcus Strom, the Science Editor at Sydney Morning Herald and a board member at MEAA union, told Daily Mail Australia the decision to strike in response to 'unprecedented' cuts was not taken lightly. 'The seven day strike reflects the feeling that we regard these cuts as an existential threat to the journalism we do, which is in the interest of a democratic society. 'We're not just concerned for our jobs. We're actually concerned for journalism, and being able to hold politicians and businesses to account - which is what we do every day. 'We want to send the message that you can't do decent journalism without decently funded newsrooms.' He said striking over the Federal Budget shows how serious staff are, and will be a reminder that Fairfax journalists are essential in Australia's media landscape. 'Society suffers without vibrant and diverse media,' Mr Strom told Daily Mail Australia. Staff are pictured on Wednesday shortly after voting in favour of a seven day strike Staff at The Age newspaper in Melbourne stage a walkout and pose with torn newspapers on Wednesday 'We are prepared to remove our journalism to let everyone know what's at stake.' He said staff were in tears as they staged a walkout at Fairfax newsrooms. Mr Strom said the 'continual culture of cutting newsrooms' to cut costs was bad for morale and bad for long-term commitment to journalism. 'It's high time that the people on the corporate side of the business start doing their job.' He said the company needed to invest profits into the heart of the business -journalism. Mr Strom said he did not want readers to cancel their subscription, and the strike was not calling for a boycott. He suggested people go to Fair Go Fairfax and sign the petition, as well as voice their concern on social media. He also called on readers to pay for the journalism they consume. Staff have until next Tuesday to volunteer for redundancy. The 125 redundancies includes 10 staff who have voluntarily left since the process began in April. Staff are pictured wearing Fair Go Fairfax t-shirts on Wednesday as journalists walk off the job Journalists at Sydney Morning Herald and The Age (pictured) voted in favour of a seven day strike Staff have been given until next Tuesday to volunteer for redundancy. Contributors to The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Australian Financial Review will now be paid per article instead of per word. Casual staff and freelancers will also be dramatically cut across the mastheads. Third-party deals are also being reviewed. The cuts were announced in an email from Sean Aylmer, Fairfax Media's Australian Metro Media editorial director. 'While we will be looking across all parts of the newsroom, at the end of the redundancy program we expect there will be significantly fewer editorial management, video, presentation and section writer roles,' the email said. The restructuring will reduce state-based topics, the position of digital editor will be 'refocused', and AM and PM editors will be replaced by news editors. Added positions include a news director, national creative director, national head of video, and a new head of travel and food. These new appointments will be made by May 12. Staff at The Age are pictured at the start of a seven day strike on Wednesday Journalists at Fairfax have gone on strike for a week following the announcement 125 jobs would be cut from mainstream mastheads MEAA, the union representing journalists, said it was 'appalled' at the decision. 'The decision indicates that, yet again, Fairfax is opting for savage cuts that will only weaken its business further rather than investing in its products and working to achieve smarter outcomes,' MEAA said in a statement on Wednesday. Union CEO Paul Murphy said: 'None of the other parts of the Fairfax business are worth anything without the journalism and yet it is the journalism that Fairfax always cuts. 'This will only undermine and damage its mastheads further, alienating its audience and leaving the editorial staff remain have to work harder and harder to fill the gaps. This is a dumb decision,' Mr Murphy said. Labor's Bill Shorten said the restructure was a 'great loss'. 'Very sad to hear about job losses across Fairfax newsrooms today. A very hard day for Fairfax staff, and a great loss for all of us,' he wrote on Twitter. Fairfax Media earlier announced far-reaching redundancies of about 125 staff, affecting 25 per cent of newsroom staff in metropolitan mastheads (staff protest on Wednesday pictured) Staff at The Age are pictured speaking with media as the strike begins Labor MP Linda Burney said it was a 'sad day'. 'Cuts to journalism are devastating for those who will lose their jobs but also a disaster for our democracy. Sad day.' Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon said she stood with Fairfax staff. 'My office will not be reading any Fairfax news or sharing media releases, quotes etc with Fairfax while the strike is on #fairgofairfax.' Matthew Guy, leader of the Victorian Liberal Party and state opposition, also spoke out against the cuts. 'Thoughts with all Fairfax staff and families. Democracy needs a strong media - Fairfax, please no cuts at The Age,' he wrote on Twitter. Unions NSW, CFMEU, AMWU and CPSU also announced their solidarity with staff. Activist group GetUp! has shared support for the strike. Staff at The Age are pictured posing with torn newspapers after redundancies were announced A prankster who left a note reading 'enjoy the bomb' and forced police to lock down a Gold Coast school twice on Wednesday was on campus at the time. Several students from Palm Beach Currumbin State High School are being interviewed by Queensland police after separate bomb hoaxes twice forced the school to shut down at 6am and 10am. Officers said they have cautioned a 13-year-old boy in relation to the threats. He has been dealt with under the Youth Justice Act, police said. A prankster who left a note reading 'enjoy the bomb,' forcing police to lock down Palm Beach Currumbin State High School on the Gold Coast twice on Wednesday, was on campus at the time (pictured) A cleaner discovered an envelope containing a white powder and a handwritten bomb threat on the back at the school gates at 6am. It's believed the message contained the words 'enjoy the bomb'. The powder was identified as flour by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and the school opened again at 9am, only to be placed on lock down again an hour later when a second threat was received. The threat was received by several students and staff on iPhones via the AirDrop messaging service. Police again searched the property before giving the school an all-clear just before midday. Police, however, say the AirDrop message has given them a good chance of identifying the perpetrator. 'AirDrop can only be successfully sent to other users within a very limited distance,' Senior Sergeant Bill Lythgo told reporters. 'That allowed us to determine it was highly likely the threat was coming from within the school grounds.' The school was shut down at 6am after the handwritten note and an envelope containing a white powder was discovered by a cleaner (pictured are police at the scene) Snr Sgt Lythgo said if the culprit was caught they would be prosecuted for their 'extremely serious' conduct. Police believe the same person who sent the AirDrop threat was responsible for delivering the envelope to the school around 5.20am. The school is one of the largest on the Gold Coast with approximately 2,500 students. Parent Vicki Kelly, whose teenage daughters attend the school, said Wednesday's events had been stressful. 'It's a bit of a worry,' Ms Kelly told News Corp Australia. 'You wonder why someone would do something like this.' The school used its Facebook page to reassure parents that all was well. 'Please be reassured we are running classes as normal for the remainder of the school day and encourage students to stay at school,' the statement read. 'Support will be offered to all students who may have experienced anxiety from this morning's incidents.' Erin Molan's fiance will take the stand as a star witness in the AVO hearing between Kelly Landry and Anthony Bell, just days after the Channel Nine star found herself at the centre of the bitter court battle. Sean Ogilvy, a homicide detective with NSW Police, proposed to the Channel Nine star last month, with Molan flaunting her rumoured $100,000 ring on the NRL Footy Show. And now, the TV star's 41-year-old fiance is set to take to the witness box, days after the Sydney courtroom heard Ms Landry had sent text messages to Mr Bell last year accusing him of having an 'odd' relationship with Molan. Erin Molan's (left) policeman fiance Sean Ogilvy (right) will take the stand as a star witness in the AVO hearing between Kelly Landry and Anthony Bell His appearance in the witness box came just days after Downing Centre Local Court heard Ms Landry (pictured) had sent messages to Mr Bell about his 'odd' relationship with Molan Ms Molan had crewed on the yacht Perpetual Loyal which Mr Bell skippered to win the race Detective Ogilvy has made a statement and is ready to give evidence for Mr Bell in the bitter legal dispute, the accountant's counsel told the court. Text messages revealed the now estranged couple had fought over the accountant's relationship with Ms Molan following last year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Ms Molan had crewed on the yacht Perpetual Loyal which Mr Bell skippered in both 2015 and 2016, including their Line Honours victory last year. The Downing Centre heard that in the wake of last year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race, Ms Landry had messaged Mr Bell saying: 'I know about Erin'. 'Just saw her run to you.' Mr Bell replied: 'Not wearing that. I'm calling her now to tell her (of) your accusation because it's not fair to her or me for that matter.' Ms Landry told Downing Centre Local Court that conversation referred to Molan. On Wednesday, Ian Temby, QC, referred Mr Bell to the 'I know about Erin' text. Mr Temby: 'Were you pleased or displeased by that message that she sent you?' Molan (pictured), co-host of the NRL Footy Show, recently announced her engagement to her policeman boyfriend Ogilvy and flaunted her $100,000 ring on the popular Channel 9 show Mr Bell's counsel Ian Temby, QC, told the court Ogilvy would give evidence about a weekend he spent in the Southern Highlands with the couple and their children on November 19 and 20 last year, just two days after Ms Landry alleged she was assaulted by Mr Bell Mr Bell: 'Displeased.' Mr Temby: 'Is that a matter you took up with (Ms Landry) in conversation later in the night?' It was, he said. Mr Temby said Ogilvy would give evidence about a weekend he spent in the Southern Highlands with the couple and their children on November 19 and 20 last year, just two days after Ms Landry alleged she was assaulted by Mr Bell. A Chinese healer has been arrested in the U.K. on an outstanding warrant for the manslaughter of a six-year-old Sydney boy in 2015. Police arrested Hongchi Xiao, 53, at a London airport on April 25 in a joint operation between St George Local Area Command and officers in the UK. Mr Xiao faced a Westminster Court on Monday, was refused bail and is being held in custody until June 8. Scroll down for video Chinese healer Hongchi Xiao, 53, (pictured) has been arrested in the U.K. on an outstanding warrant for the manslaughter of a six-year-old Sydney boy in 2015 Police are currently in the process of completing an application for the mans extradition back to Australia. Police had been investigating Mr Xiao since the boy in question was found dead just before 10pm on April 28, 2015. The boy and his parents had been attending a self-healing conference at Tasly Healthpac medical clinic in Hurstville, in Sydney's south, between April 22 and the day he died. Emergency services were called to a nearby hotel on Forest Road in Hurstville after reports the boy had been found unconscious. Paramedics performed CPR but the boy could not be revived. Police allege the boy was deprived of food and insulin during the course, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Xiao claims to have developed an alternative medicine technique known as a paidalajin, based on teachings from the 'Yellow Emperor's Inner Cannon'. The 'self-healing' involves stretching, fasting and slapping the body to the point of bruising. Police arrested Mr Xiao (pictured) at a London airport on April 25 in a joint operation between St George Local Area Command and officers in the U.K. Police had been investigating Mr Xiao (pictured) since the boy was found dead just before 10pm on April 28, 2015, after attending one of Mr Xiao's 'self-healing' courses with his parents Following an extensive investigation, police arrested the boy's mother, 41, father, 56, and maternal grandmother, 64, in March. They each face a charge of manslaughter, after being accused of recklessly endangering the boy's life by exposing him to Mr Xiao's treatment. A second death has also complicated matters. According to the Sydney Morning Herald British grandmother Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, who had diabetes, died in October during one of Mr Xiao's retreats in south-west England. Mr Xiao is the fourth person arrested as part of Strike Force Haviland. Police have alleged the boy who died was deprived of food and insulin during Mr Xiao's (pictured) course in Hurstville in 2015 A Muslim-convert academic who is married to The Project's Waleed Aly says Islamic women are often portrayed as meek and submissive. While Muslim women often wear the hijab or very occasionally the burqa in public, Dr Carland has used her book to argue the portrayal of Islamic women was misleading. The hijab-wearing author of 'Fighting Hislam: Women, Faith and Sexism' describes critics of Islam as Islamophobic but she is uncomfortable answering questions about female genital mutilation and the treatment of women in Islam. She did however have something to say about how Muslim women are portrayed in the West. Scroll down for video Author and Muslim convert Susan Carland (left) is married to The Project's Waleed Aly Susan Carland and her husband Waleed Aly had dinner last year with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and controversial Muslim youth activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied 'The stereotype of Muslim women is that they're meek and submissive. So they're seen as a weaker target,' she told News Corp. 'It's Muslim women and kids in Muslim school uniforms who are more likely to be targeted with Islamophobia'. Dr Carland, who converted to Islam when she was 19, is also close to controversial Muslim youth activist Yassmin Abel-Magied, who is continuing to face calls for her sacking from the ABC for an offensive Anzac Day post on Facebook. Ms Abdel-Magied sparked uproar in February when she described Islam as the 'most feminist religion' during a fiery clash with Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie. Susan Carland is close to controversial Muslim youth activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied Susan Carland has complained in her book about being asked questions on female genital mutilation Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali says it is misleading to equate Islam with liberal values like feminism Former Muslim turned atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born critic of Islam and author who campaigns against female genital mutilation, criticised Ms Abdel-Magied for equating Islam with the freedoms women enjoyed in secular, Western societies. In light of these criticisms of Islam from a woman who receives regular death threats, Dr Carland's book explores how Muslim women fight sexism. However, she is uncomfortable about being regularly asked about female genital mutilation, which is prevalent in Muslim-majority nations in Africa and Asia. Her reluctance to discuss uncomfortable issues also comes only weeks after Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir posted a Facebook video saying it was alright for husbands to hit their wives with a stick. 'When I do interviews, when Muslim women do interviews, we are asked the same questions Why do you wear hijab? Do you feel oppressed? Does your husband make you wear that? Why does your religion command FGM?,' she said. Dr Carland rattles off the queries she's fielded dozens of times, counting on her fingers. 'Sexism is everywhere not just the Muslim community. It's everywhere. It might take different forms in different communities but it is sadly everywhere'. She invited to her book launch left-wing feminist Clementine Ford. Secular British Muslim Maajid Nawaz coined the term regressive left to describe how the left regards any criticism of Islam as Islamophobic, despite the evidence of human rights abuses. Susan Carland invited left-wing feminist Clementine Ford to the launch of her new book Susan Carland, pictured with her husband Waleed Aly, said sexism was everywhere Susan Carland appeared at the TV Week Logie awards with her husband Waleed Aly China has tightened rules for online news in a bid to try and control information being spread through social media. The new rules were announced on May 2 and means that online publishers will have to obtain government licences to operate and foreign companies will be blocked from investing in online news. A statement from the Cyberspace Administration of China announced that Chinese news outlets will have to undergo a security review before working with foreign companies. People check additional information online at the National People's Congress (File photo) A woman visits a display booth for Chinese internet portal 163.com's news section (File photo) The new rules take effect on June 1. Since coming into power, President Xi Jinping has vowed to tighten controls on what can be published online. The Chinese government requires internet companies to censor what their customers see. If they fail to do this, they will risk losing their right to distribute news. Qiao Mu, a Chinese media expert told AP: 'This is aimed at the companies rather than the individual users. It's not only to ideologically control information, but also to control the source of the information.' Google effectively shut down its mainland operations in March 2010 (File photo) Visitors look at booklets belonging to a social network company (File photo) News services will face penalties such as criminal prosecution if they fail to 'safeguard national interest'. Qiao also said that three of China's biggest internet companies including Baidu, Tencent and Netease could be affected. There are more than 700 million internet users in China which has its own censorship system known as the 'Great Firewall'. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter are banned. Some people in China choose to use virtual private networks to navigate the wall allowing access to banned sites however this is also being cracked down on. Authorities have been attempting to block content from microblogs nearby for some time. Xiao Qiang, director of the China Internet Project at the University of California at Berkeley said that the rules reveal rising anxiety among the country's rulers over digital activism. Barby Dashwood-Morris leaving court today A senior Conservative councillor who altered her 14th-century cottage without getting planning permission has been fined 75,000. Barby Dashwood-Morris made some of the modifications to The Priest House in Hellingly, East Sussex, while serving as chair of Wealden District Council's planning committee. The 70-year-old, who lived with her then partner Alan Proudfoot, 54, created a grand entrance hall with a glass staircase. The 830,000 property even featured on Channel 4 show Double Your House for Half the Money as an example of how to design and renovate an old property. Dashwood-Morris admitted six of 22 different counts of executing the demolition or alteration of a building effecting its Listed character at Brighton Magistrates' Court. It is understood she bought the four-bedroom house, which dates back to 1374, in September 1997 for 224,200. It is now estimated to be worth in excess of 830,000, having more than trebled in value in less than 20 years. Sentencing, District Judge Teresa Szagun, said: 'It is inconceivable that intelligent and informed individuals such as the defendants would not have thought that the alterations went well beyond the statements on which they now seek to rely. 'They disregarded the risk and potential impact, focusing on their own needs and interests.' Barby Dashwood-Morris, pictured leaving Brighton Magistrates' Court made some of the modifications to The Priest House in Hellingly, East Sussex, while serving as chair of Wealden District Council's planning committee Councillor Dashwood-Morris told of her pride in 2013 when she and her des res featured on Sarah Beeny's show. However she was rumbled for making the illegal changes when she tried flogging the home two years before, when prospective buyers ordered a survey. Features of note within the house, include a vaulted entrance hall, a triple aspect drawing room with an inglenook fireplace, oak floorboards and exposed beams. At the time the house appeared on TV, Dashwood-Morris gushed: 'They were scheduled to spend two-and-a-half hours but actually were here for over four and they were so very enthusiastic about how the house looked - "even better than they hoped".' She added: 'I was thrilled. Although not a professional I do "dabble" and was responsible for all the design ideas throughout the house and it was a huge compliment to know others thought it was worth filming. 'Because The Priest House is over 600 years old and Listed, I worked closely with Wealden District Council Conservation department to ensure all the plans met with their approval. 'I started by commissioning an archaeological/historical report that gave the details of the changes made over the years. 'This gave a clear insight into what was precious and needed to be preserved and those areas that had little merit so could be altered or removed. 'Renovating a home of this age means finding and using a lot of craftsmen to undertake many rare and often forgotten skills and understandably that costs money.' Alan Proudfoot (left) leaves Brighton Magistrates' Court where he was the co-defendant with his ex-partner Barby Dashwood-Morris (right) 'So to keep to the budget I worked with a number of wonderful Sussex specialists who taught me some of their skills and I undertook many of the more labour intensive tasks myself. 'The entire project took over 10 years as I worked on one room at a time and after what seemed to be a life-time the house was complete. 'I have learned so much and the finished house if an example of how to turn an ancient Sussex Hall into a home that meets all the comforts of modern living.' But she was forced to step down as the Chair of Wealden District Council when she came under investigation for allegedly breaching planning rules while renovating her home. The council confirmed that the Chiddingly and East Hoathly councillor would not stand for a second year as Chair as she faced an ongoing inquiry by its planning department. Charges were laid following a detailed probe into claims she breached planning rules while renovating the 14th Century building. The changes are said to have been carried out between October 1997 and December 2015 and included ripping out an Elizabethan 'priest hole'. Among the charges she has admitted are removing a barley twist banister and associated rail and replacing them with a glass panel and new handrail. She has also pleaded guilty to removing a partition between a staircase and a bedroom and replacing them with modern glass without obtaining building consent, and removing a storage area in the sloping roof. The councillor also admitted removing the ceiling to the hallway including the associated joists and beam. The house comprises of a vaulted entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, four bedrooms, one with a shower room, bathroom, studio, attic room, walled garden, a working well, a detached oak framed cart lodge with storage, and around 0.1 acres of land When the property was put on the market in 2010, estate agents stated: 'Working closely with national and local conservation experts and craftsmen the property has been completely and carefully renovated and thoroughly maintained to a very high standard with an eye for detail to ensure no loss of ancient architectural features whilst creating a contemporary internal style and comfortable home. 'All external vertical tiles have been replaced with a stock of spare hand made clay tiles remaining at the property. 'An in depth archaeological survey by University College, London giving details of the development of this ancient Sussex Hall is available upon request.' Saira Kabir Sheikh, QC, prosecuting, said: These works caused substantial harm which cannot be rectified. Stephen Whale, defending, said: There was certainly no intention to commit offences. When building works unfolded they uncovered other issues they needed to address. Dashwood-Morris was fined 75,000 and ordered to pay 40,000 in costs. Her partner Proudfoot, who lives in France, was fined 48,000 and also ordered to pay 40,000 in costs. Prosecutor Saira Kabir Sheikh QC said after the hearing the pair had shown a deliberate disregard for the law. 'The sentence reflects the severity of the harm caused,' he said. 'She was chair of the planning committee and the judge took that as an aggravating factor.' A 'hero' father selflessly jumped into a freezing cold canal to free a trapped woman from her sinking car. Stephen Jones, 34, was visiting his parents near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire on Sunday evening with his wife and son when they heard a loud crashing noise. Insurance surveyor Mr Jones told Get Surrey: 'I ran out of the house and heard a blood-curdling scream - my biggest fear was that there was a child in the car. 'I knew I had to do something. My father was of the same mindset as me. I told him I had to help. My dad just said 'go'. There could have been children in the car. A 'hero' father selflessly jumped into this freezing cold canal (pictured) to save a woman Stephen Jones, 34, (pictured) was visiting his parents near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire on Sunday evening with his wife and son when they heard a loud crashing noise 'A car had gone straight into the canal and so I ran down the bank, well actually more fell down the bank and got into the water.' He said he waded over and reached in through one of the broken windows, which had smashed on impact and could not find anyone on the backseat. He said: 'I went straight into the water and tried to open the doors first of all, but couldn't. Luckily the windows were already smashed, so I went underwater and unlocked the doors and just had a feel around. 'I managed to feel someone in there and pulled them out. It could have been an awful lot worse than it was. I just did what any human would do. 'It was completely pitch black. I couldn't open my eyes either so it was literally by feel.' Insurance surveyor Mr Jones leaped into the canal and pulled the female driver to safety Mr Jones said he got the woman on to the bank and she coughed up water before screaming again. Despite the harrowing sound he said this was a relief because at least he 'knew she was alive'. He checked to ensure she was definitely alone in the car and then stayed with her as medical staff came - using his own body heat and towels to keep her warm. His wife called the emergency services and three fire engines, 10 police cars and two ambulances attended the incident. Dramatic photos of the crash show the vehicle sinking in the dark water as emergency services wade in. His wife called the emergency services and three fire engines, 10 police cars and two ambulances attended the incident Police have now praised Mr Jones's 'life-saving' actions, while his two-year-old son Freddie dubbed him a 'hero'.' Mr Jones later took Twitter to thank emergency crews for their help, writing: 'Very good result. That water was cold brrrr.' A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman replied: 'Steve, thank you for your life saving actions.' A 58-year-old woman from Spalding, Lincolnshire, was arrested at the scene and later charged with drink driving. She is due to appear at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on May 17. Yoga East Studio, at 7633 East Brainerd Road, celebrated seven years of business with a full weekend of community events, including Kitten Yoga which culminated the studio's community yoga and fundraising campaign for the first quarter of the year. During the events Yoga East Studio donated $1,000 to Pet Placement Center. Yoga East Studio Owner Jennifer Dixon said, "We are so proud to present the Pet Placement Center with a check for $1,000 that was generously donated by all our wonderful community of yogis. We had a blast celebrating yoga, kittens, and partnership. We hope you will join us as we raise funds for Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center this next quarter." Learn more at: www.yoga-east.net. Passengers on a Brussels-bound plane were stunned as a brawl broke out between two men - because one kept on walking down the aisle. The brawl happened mid-flight on a packed plane from Istanbul in Turkey to the Belgian capital. A seated man became annoyed with a fellow passenger, who he angrily told to sit down. He received a punch in the face as a result, sparking a fight which others joining in the violence. A man in a checked shirt (left) is seen attacking a fellow passenger who asked him to stop walking down the aisle The video footage shows a man in a checked shirt, believed to be the man who was walking up and down the aisle, launching the violent attack on his rival. But then other passengers, including one man in a blue shirt and another in a white shirt with elbow patches, attacked the man in the checked shirt, repeatedly kicking him as he crouched on the floor. The video has been widely shared online since it surfaced this week. One commenter wrote: 'Their crime was to put everyone's safety in jeopardy.' The two men who started the fight were reportedly arrested by airport police in Brussels where they are expected to face serious charges. The flight had departed for Brussels from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, one of the two international airports serving Istanbul, which is named after Turkey's first female combat pilot. Portuguese police say Scotland Yard's 11million investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been a 'waste of money' in yet another rift. Ten years to the day since Maddie vanished, Carlos Anjos, the former head of the country's Policia Judiciaria officers' union, also said the Met's theory that Madeleine was taken in a botched burglary is 'absurd'. And the detective leading the case, Pedro do Carma, says British police made four local men in Praia du Luz suspects for three years when they obviously had nothing to do with the abduction. Scotland Yard is still chasing a critical lead it believes could crack the case and it is understood they have returned to a theory that burglars were involved. But the Portuguese police, who have previously accused the British of acting like a 'colonial power' in their country, say there is no evidence to back this up. Revealed: The police officer who accused Kate and Gerry McCann of obstructing detectives has use dthe tenth anniversary of Maddie's disappearance to slam British police Tragedy: Madeleine disappeared ten years ago today, but her parents have never given up hope she is alive In the clear: Paulo Ribeiro (left) says police made him a suspect three years ago but has now been told he has no case to answer - Pedro do Carma, who is leading the probe says he and three others should never have been suspects but the Met insisted Mr Anjos, who accused Gerry and Kate McCann of hampering the abduction investigation in 2007, said: 'This burglary theory is absurd. Not even a wallet disappeared, nothing else disappeared. A child disappeared.' Carlos Anjos, who accused Gerry and Kate McCann of hampering the abduction investigation in 2007, said: 'This burglary theory is absurd. It came as the four men questioned over her disappearance in 2014 and still living in Praia Da Luz were told last week they have no case to answer. One of them, Paulo Ribeiro, told the BBC's Panorama: 'I thought it was incredible. I knew of nothing when the police arrived at my door with a piece of paper that had a drawing on it, saying it bore a likeness to me and that someone had said I was involved and that I looked like the person who had kidnapped Maddie. I don't know who that person was.' There are not believed to be any others with 'arguido' status - the Portuguese term for a formal suspect in a crime. Pedro do Carma, deputy director of the Policia Judiciaria, told Panorama these men should not have been made suspects. But he also suggested that Kate and Gerry McCann should never have been suspects in 2007 either. He said of the four men: 'I can only say that we questioned those people on request of the Metropolitan Police and only based on the request of the Metropolitan Police. 'We never questioned those people. We never saw or looked at those people as suspects of the crime.' Today family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the McCanns still believe their daughter is out there. He said: 'There are only two or three people on the planet who know what happened to Madeleine. There is no evidence to suggest that she came to physical harm so it is logical to believe she is still alive and still out there. Of course we remain hopeful'. A tribute to Madeleine McCann is left outside the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz in Praia Da Luz today Gerry and Kate, carrying Madeleine's favourite Cuddle Cat in her hand, were faced with the sudden shock of their daughter disappearing in 2007 and then felt police meant to be hunting for her treated them badly Madeleine McCann's parents claimed Portuguese police treated them inhumanely from the start of the investigation into their daughter's disappearance, according to a secret report leaked yesterday. Maddie's hairbrush is returned to Gerry and Kate 10 years on Madeleine McCann's hairbrush has been returned to her parents today. Private investigator Daniel Krugel was given it by Kate and Gerry McCann after her disappearance in the hope its hair could be used for DNA matching. But a decade on it had been given back to her parents, Sky News revealed today. Spokesman Clarence Mitchell (pictured today) said: 'Gerry did give a hairbrush to Mr Krugel at the time to assist in his work. 'He eventually returned to South Africa and the hairbrush slipped their minds. But they were delighted to get one of Madeleine's possessions back. We are very grateful for it.' Advertisement The Home Office document reveals they also later fell out with British officers and did not share 'a large amount of information' gathered by their own private investigators. The 'turbulent relationship' between Madeleine's parents and detectives in both Portugal and the UK hampered the hunt for the three-year-old who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal on May 3, 2007. Passages from the secret report ordered by then home secretary Alan Johnson in 2009 emerged as Gerry and Kate McCann mark the tenth anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance today. It says: 'It is clear that from the beginning the McCanns felt there was a lack of clarity and communication on the part of the Portuguese police. Despite the involvement of British consular staff, they were, by their own accounts, left for long periods without any updates or communication with the investigators. 'They state they were taken to the police station on more than one occasion and then left for hours waiting to speak to someone who never materialised. 'They describe this situation as inhumane, with no real consideration for their emotional and physical wellbeing.' It was written by the Child Exploitation And Online Protection Centre for the Home Office to establish if it was worth getting Scotland Yard to review the case. Report author Jim Gamble, former head of CEOP, said that 'frequent criticism of the Portuguese investigation led to accusations the UK was acting like 'a colonial power'.' The intervention of British detectives also created a sense of 'frustration' and 'resentment' among Portuguese officers, he found, and the decision to put Leicestershire Police in charge of the operation was a mistake because the force was ill-equipped to deal with such a big investigation. His report states: 'The McCanns have had a turbulent relationship with both Portuguese and UK law enforcement. They now openly acknowledge there is a distinct lack of trust between all parties.' Madeleine, who would now be 13, vanished from the family's holiday apartment as her parents dined yards away with friends. Even before the end of the original Portuguese investigation, Mr and Mrs McCann used money collected by fundraisers to hire private investigators, and continued to use them for the three years before Scotland Yard got involved in 2011. Kate and Gerry, outside court in 2014 when they successfully sued Amaral for damages over the claims he made in his book The report, unearthed by Sky News, concluded: 'It is clear that the McCanns and the private investigators working on their behalf have gathered a large amount of information during the course of their inquiries. Around 30 British detectives were working on the UK side of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine (pictured) 'This information does not appear to have been shared fully with the Leicestershire constabulary or Portuguese authorities.' Kate and Gerry McCann will tonight join villagers, family and friends to pray for their daughter on the 'unwanted' heart wrenching 10th anniversary of her disappearance. Kate and Gerry will gather at their local Anglican parish church in Rothley, Leics, to mark the milestone occasion. They are relying on their faith, pals, relatives and well wishers to help them through the painful anniversary, which Kate describes as 'a horrible marker of stolen time.' Maddie's great aunt and uncle Janet and Brian Kennedy will take part in the special service at St Mary and St John Church. The McCann's close friends Fiona and David Payne, who joined them for the fateful holiday to Portugal's Praia da Luz in May 2007 from where Maddie was snatched, are expected to be among supporters. As devout Catholics Kate and Gerry remember their daughter at the large imposing 14th century church, 1,617 miles away in the pretty seaside resort of Luz locals will be praying for Maddie too. Villagers will gather at the tiny whitewashed Nossa Senhora da Luz Our Lady of Light Church which became the couple's 'sanctuary' in the three months after their daughter vanished. Kate and Gerry prayed most days during their extended stay in the Algarve as they frantically searched for their daughter. They were even handed a set of keys by the priest so they could worship in the peace of the night whenever needed. Cruelly, their tormentor ex Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral insisted in a TV interview on Monday that Maddie's body had been hidden in a dead woman's coffin and cremated a claim their spokesman Clarence Mitchell dismisses as 'so insane it is almost laughable.' In Liverpool, where Kate hails from and her parents Susan and Brian Healy live, prayers will also be said. Yesterday a flower garden in tribute to the 140,000 children who go missing annually in Britain has been opened at Chiswick House in west London on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance Three-year-old Maddie was discovered missing from her bed in the rented apartment by her horrified mum shortly after 10pm on May 03, 2007. She had been left alone with younger twin siblings Sean and Amelie while her parents were dining in the nearby Tapas restaurant with their seven pals. Tonight former GP and now medical worker Kate, 49, and eminent heart doctor Gerry, 48, will pray for their eldest child they believe could still be alive. They have not yet decided if the event will be too traumatic for their 12-year-old twins, who they try to keep out of the spotlight, to attend. Kate's uncle Brian said: 'There will be a little programme at the parish church. Kate and Gerry will be there, they're not sure of the twins are coming or not, and while they won't be taking part in the short service they will probably say a few words of thanks to their supporters.' Former detective Goncalo Amaral (pictured), who wrote a widely discredited book saying Madeleiene died in the house, has now said he believes Madeleine's body was cremated Retired head teacher Brian, told how past anniversaries, barring a couple, had been marked with an informal outdoor gathering beside the village war memorial at Cross Green where a candle burns around the clock in Maddie's memory. Brian, who also lives in Rothley, explained: 'This year because of the significance of a 10th anniversary it was felt prayers in the church were more appropriate because of the amount of people wanting to show their support.' Kate, in her own message on the Find Maddie website, told how 'stressful and painful' this week and next would be - the 'unwanted' landmark anniversary and her daughter's 14th birthday in just nine days time. She wrote: 'We never thought we'd be in this situation so far along the line. Ten years- there's no easy way to say it, describe it, accept it. 'But the two themes that seem most appropriate to me as we reach this ten year mark are perseverance and gratitude: We will go on, try our hardest, never give up and make the best of the life we have.' A packed 250-strong congregation is expected to attend the service, with prayers led by vicar the Rev. Rob Gladstone, who has become a family friend. A collage of pictures of Maddie and other missing children are set to be placed at the altar. It is the church were on the first year anniversary of Maddie's kidnap her sobbing mum gave an impromptu speech to the congregation begging everyone 'to pray like mad' for her lost daughter. Overcome by emotion she collapsed into her husband's arms. Today a stronger Kate vows to do 'whatever it takes for as long as it takes' to find the teenager. She said: 'My hope for Madeleine being out there is no less than it was almost 10 years ago.' And she said across the world so many people are 'willing her home.' In BBC Panorama interview to be screened tonight Kate describes the decade anniversary as 'a horrible marker of stolen time' telling Fiona Bruce 'because we should have been a family of five for all that time.' Her husband adds: 'We're still looking forward, I think that's the most important thing, we still hope.' UK detective refused to head up Madeleine McCann probe because 'Scotland Yard would order him to prove Kate and Gerry were innocent and ignore other leads' A detective tipped to head up the Madeleine McCann probe was warned he would be ordered to prove she was abducted and ignore other leads. Colin Sutton said a high-ranking friend in the Met called him and warned him not to lead the case when Scotland Yard announced it would get involved in 2010. The source warned that he would be tasked with proving her parents Kate and Gerry were innocent and ignoring any alternatives to the abduction theory, he claims. Colin Sutton said a high-ranking friend in the Met called him and warned him not to lead the case when Scotland Yard announced it would get involved in 2010 Speaking to Martin Brunt on Sky News, he said he was warned he would be tasked with proving her parents Kate and Gerry were innocent and ignoring any alternatives theories Speaking to Martin Brunt on Sky News, he said: 'I did receive a call from a very senior met police officer who knew me and said it wouldn't be a good idea for me to head investigation on the basis that I wouldn't be happy conducting an investigation being told where I could go and where I couldn't go, the things I could investigate and the things I couldn't. Mr Sutton made no suggestion that Kate and Gerry (pictured) were guilty, but criticised the probe for being 'narrowly focused' Asked to clarify what he meant, he added: 'The Scotland Yard investigation was going to be very narrowly focused and that focus would be away from any suspicion of wrongdoing on the part of the McCanns or the tapas friends.' The Tapas Nine refers to the McCann parents and the seven friends they were out to dinner with when Madeleine disappeared in 2007. They were interviewed by Portuguese Police, who have always worked on the basis that Madeleine was abducted from her room, but Mr Sutton said other possibilities should be entertained. Speaking on Searching for Maddie, which looks at the case ten years on from her disappearance, he criticises the narrow focus of both Portuguese and British police. He added: 'If you are conducting a re-investigation you start at the very beginning. Look at all the accounts all the evidence all the initial statements and go through them and make sure they stack up and they compare.' A Delta agent was filmed smacking a 12-year-old boy's phone away as he filmed her as she gave excuses for a 17-hour flight delay. Matthew Boggan, 12 was stuck at New York's La Guardia Airport with his family when the incident took place last July. They were due to be flying to West Palm Beach in Florida but a 'weather event' set them back 17-hours. As the Delta agent addressed angry customers in the gate, Matthew began filming her with his iPhone. Footage shows the agent batting it away, telling him: 'Put the phone down,' to the shock of others watching. 'Don't grab his stuff!' said one onlooker. The Boggan family, who live in Suffern, New York, is now suing the airline for unspecified damages. Scroll down for video The unidentified Delta employee was speaking to disgruntled customers at New York's La Guardia Airport as they complained about a 17-hour flight delay when the boy began filming her. She pushed it down, saying: 'Put your phone away' They filed their lawsuit last year after the July 1 incident but it has not been settled. Now, they say they have been spurred on to pursue it amid global outrage of how airlines treat customers that was sparked by a Kentucky doctor's forcible removal from a United Airlines flight last month. 'We believe that Delta's actions here are indicative of the complete disregard the airlines have for their passengers,' attorney Terrence James Cortelli told DailyMail.com on Wednesday. 'They simply do not have any sensitivity for the men, women and children who ride their planes. We understand that delays happen. But here the delays went above and beyond. And not only that. They sought out and attacked and humiliated a child. 'As if he was to blame for the mess they created. And now they say he deserved it. 'Their actions are outrageous and we look forward to presenting our case to a jury.' A spokesman for Delta declined to comment on Wednesday. The lawsuit recounts how the family was forced to sleep on the floor outside the gate as they waited to take off. When the agent began addressing customers, Boggan took out his iPhone 6s and started filming the scene on Snapchat. Quickly afterwards, the woman batted the phone away. 'Put your phone down,' she said. According to the lawsuit, the employee then said it was 'illegal' for him to be filming her. Matthew's father, Brian Boggan, said other passengers started yelling 'This is child abuse' following the incident. The Boggans eventually boarded the flight to West Palm Beach but arrived so late that they missed most of the bar mitzvah they hoped to attend. Delta attributed the long delays to a 'weather event' and 'effects on the air crew's ability'. The agent has not been named. Matthew Boggan was stranded at the airport with his parents Michelle and Brian. They accused the Delta agent of child abuse The incident took place at New York's La Guardia (pictured above) airport on July 1, 2016 US lawmakers have threatened United Airlines and other carriers on Tuesday with legislation aimed at improving customer service after a passenger was hauled down the aisle of a flight last month. Top airline executives testified to the House of Representatives transportation committee and promised to address customer service failures at the hearing held to consider ways to address passenger frustrations with problems such as overbooking. The family say they were encouraged by the global outrage launched at airlines after a video of Dr. David Dao emerged showing him being dragged off a United flight in April The industry breathed a sigh of relief after the four-hour hearing, in which lawmakers did not outline any immediate plans for increased oversight on the largely deregulated sector. In April, video went viral on social media of 69-year-old passenger David Dao being dragged from a United flight at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after he refused to give up his seat to make room for crew members. United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz repeatedly apologized at the hearing for the removal of Dao, with whom the airline reached a settlement last week for an undisclosed sum. American Airlines experienced its own public relations fiasco last month when a passenger video went viral, showing a woman on a plane in tears holding a child in her arms and another at her side after an encounter with a flight attendant over a baby stroller. In response to the dragging incident, United has changed its policies by reducing overbooked flights and offering passengers who give up their seats up to $10,000. Airlines have said they routinely overbook flights because a small percentage of passengers do not show up. Delta Air Lines declined to testify. In a statement, the airline said it was working with individual members of Congress on customer service issues. Ed Miliband has taken election campaigning to the next level - by mowing a voter's lawn. The Labour former leader joked about his 'grassroots strategy' after photographs emerged on social media of him in action. They showed the Doncaster North MP wielding the lawnmower as he joined councillors canvassing in the Moorends area on Monday. Ed Miliband a photograph posted by Jane Nightingale, councillor for Bentley, showing him hard at work with the mower The Labour former leader joked that he was pursuing a 'grassroots strategy' A campaigner who posted the pictures on Facebook claimed that Mr Miliband's green fingers had won the vote of the surprised householder. Jayne Naphtali shared the photographs with the caption: 'Out canvassing with Ed Miliband and he starts mowing the lawn for a lady (we have her vote!).' The Labour MP reposted the pictures and added the message: 'Attn: Doncaster North voters. Labour's grassroots strategy in action.' He also retweeted a different photograph posted by Jane Nightingale, councillor for Bentley, which she said was a 'bit more of a close up to show he really did mow the lawn'. Mr Miliband was canvassing with Doncaster Council Labour councillors ahead of in local elections tomorrow. He is seeking re-election in Doncaster North in the general election on June 8. Jayne Naphtali shared the photographs boasting that Mr Miliband had secured the vote of the woman whose house it was Despite Mr Miliband's efforts, Labour is trailing far behind the Tories in the latest general election polls The mowing technique appears to have been rather more successful than some of Mr Miliband's previous campaigning efforts. In 2014 he was notoriously photographed struggling to eat a bacon sandwich on a visit in London. The episode played into the image of Mr Miliband as hapless - and some thought it contributed to his eventual defeat at the hands of David Cameron the following year. Mr Miliband made light of the episode yesterday after Theresa May was pictured awkwardly eating some chips on a visit to Cornwall. Retweeting a picture of the PM, he wrote: '@theresa_may we should talk...' The mowing was rather more successful that the incident in 2014 when Mr Miliband was notoriously photographed struggling to eat a bacon sandwich on a visit in London The PM suffered her own food fail yesterday as she seemed uncertain about how she should eat chips with the cameras trained on her in Cornwall North Korea has turned on its only ally China accusing it of 'absurd and reckless remarks' over Kim Jong-Un's missile tests. The nation's state media published a rare criticism of China on Wednesday, saying Chinese commentaries calling for tougher sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear program were undermining relations with Beijing and worsening tensions. A bulletin carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) referred to recent articles in China's People's Daily and Global Times newspapers, which it said were 'widely known as media speaking for the official stand of the Chinese party and government'. 'A string of absurd and reckless remarks are now heard from China every day only to render the present bad situation tenser,' it said. China has urged citizens to leave North Korea, it has emerged, amid heightened tensions between Kim Jong-un (pictured) and the US Current Chinese leader Xi Jinping has not met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and questions have been raised about whether China would honour a 1961 treaty with North Korea if war broke out Referring to North Korea by the acronym for its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it continued: 'China had better ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations.' China is North Korea's neighbour and only major ally and the United States has pressed it to use its influence to rein in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Diplomats say Washington and Beijing are negotiating a possible stronger UN Security Council response - such as new sanctions - to North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches. Tensions have heightened over North Korea's nuclear programme in Pyongyang The KCNA commentary said that the Chinese articles had attempted to shift the blame to Pyongyang for 'deteriorated relations' between China and North Korea and US deployment of strategic assets to the region. It also accused China of 'hyping up' damage caused by North Korean nuclear tests to China's three northeastern provinces. Chinese state media calls for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program were 'a wanton violation of the independent and legitimate rights, dignity and supreme interests' of North Korea and constituted 'an undisguised threat to an honest-minded neighboring country which has a long history and tradition of friendship,' it said. The KCNA commentary said calls by 'some ignorant politicians and media persons' in China for stricter sanctions on North Korea and not ruling out military intervention if it refused to abandon its nuclear program, were 'based on big-power chauvinism'. It said North Korea's nuclear program was needed for the 'existence and development' of the country and 'can never be changed nor shaken.' 'The DPRK will never beg for the maintenance of friendship with China,' the commentary said. China had earlier urged both sides of the North Korean dispute to stay calm and 'stop irritating each other' and has told its citizens in the secretive state to leave in case Kim Jong-un provokes a US attack. The US has urged China to do more to rein in its neighbour's nuclear and missile programmes which have prompted an assertive response from President Donald Trump who warned the 'era of strategic patience' is over. The US has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters and a pair of strategic US bombers flew training drills with the South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of strength this week. Scroll down for video The despot leader was tipped to carry out missile tests last month, culminating in a failed test on April 29 In response to that, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang stressed that the situation was 'highly complex' and sensitive. He said: 'The urgent task is to lower temperatures and resume talks. 'We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible.' The flight of the two bombers came as Trump raised eyebrows when he said he would be 'honoured' to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the right circumstances, and as his CIA director landed in South Korea for talks. North Korea said the bombers conducted 'a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects' in its territory at a time when Trump and 'other US warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike' on the North. 'The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war,' the North's official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. It comes as the Chinese Embassy in the hermit state urged citizens to leave North Korea amid fears of a missile strike as tensions rise between Kim Jong-un's regime and the US. The warning was first issued ahead of North Korea's Day of the Sun last month, when the secretive state was tipped to carry out missile tests. Dictator Kim used the occasion to demonstrate his county's military might, and an unsuccessful test was carried out on April 29. A Korean-Chinese citizen told Radio Free Asia he was advised to 'stay a while' in China, and stated: 'The embassy has never given such a warning. I was worried and left the country in a hurry.' But he said most Chinese citizens in North Korea had opted not to heed the warning. It comes amid questions over whether China would honour a mutual defence pact signed with North Korea under Communist leader Mao Zedong. When the pact was signed in 1961, Mao described North Korea as 'as close as lips and teeth'. Then-Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung and Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea, led countries whose relationship Mao said was as 'close as lips and teeth' but analysts question whether their 1961 defence pact would hold in the event of another war The two countries had been allies in the Korean war, between 1950 and 1953, which began after the North, under Kim Il-Sung, invaded South Korea. The current leaders of both nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, have never even met. The treaty constitutes 'a very important part' of Sino-North Korean ties, professor Maochun Miles Yu, of the United States Naval Academy, told AFP. But, he added, it is 'a mystery' what would happen if conflict escalates into use of weapons. North Korea regularly parades its military through its showcase capital of Pyongyang, but while the number of personnel is huge, observers question how effective it might be in modern armed conflict Beijing fears that in the event of the collapse of the North Korean state, the border between their two countries would be swamped with people trying to flee to China Trump last week called on China to distance itself from Pyongyang and support efforts to bring Kim to heel. Retired Chinese naval colonel Li Jie told the South China Morning Post last month: 'It's hard to say how China would assist North Korea militarily in case of war, since North Korea is developing nuclear weapons, an act that might have already breached the treaty between the two nations.' The military pact automatically renews every 20 years, most recently in 2001, meaning it is now valid until 2021. Last year, Xi and Kim exchanged messages to mark the treaty's 55th anniversary. The Chinese president wrote that both sides have cooperated in the 'spirit' of the treaty and that their 'friendship serves as a precious wealth'. The treaty, Kim responded, 'has become a firm legal foundation for constantly consolidating the friendly and cooperative relations that were forged in the bloody struggle for independence against imperialism and for socialism'. But in 2013, a Chinese defence ministry spokesman said it would be 'unprofessional' to answer a hypothetical question about whether Beijing would militarily back Pyongyang in an attack. Young-June Chung, an associate professor at Shanghai's Tongji University, said the pact's 'diplomatic status is a little bit obscure' as neither side has acknowledged that it is 'invalid.' But he added that Beijing 'would not sacrifice its relations with the US and South Korea for North Korea.' Witnesses described Kate screaming as Gerry (pictured) sobbed on a friend's shoulder on the night she disappeared Holidaymakers describing the night Madeleine McCann disappeared today revealed how they saw her distraught mother screaming 'the f***ing b******s have taken her'. Speaking for the first time since she went missing ten years ago, Paul and Susan Moyes revealed what they saw from the apartment two floors above the McCanns'. Mr Moyes, 68, said: 'The McCanns were in bits, he was crying on the shoulder of a friend. She was screaming "the f***ing b******s have taken her".' Speaking to The Sun, he added: 'There was no doubt about the emotion that night.' The couple, from Middlwich, Cheshire, claim they saw the McCann parents and their friends - known as the Tapas Nine - from their balcony before going to bed. They were then reportedly woken by a friend of the McCanns banging on their door around an hour and a half later, at around 11.30pm on May 3 2007. Another resident has also revealed key information on the night three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from her bed in the resort in Praia da Luz in the Algarve. Jenny Murat, who lives 100 yards from the Ocean Club complex where the McCanns were staying, saw a car driving towards their apartment. Speaking about the sighting for the first time, Mrs Murat told BBC Breakfast it was driving the wrong way down a one-way street. 'It was one of the small cars, like the rental cars the normal, everyday sort of rental cars,' she said. Speaking for the first time since she went missing ten years ago, Paul and Susan Moyes revealed what they saw from their balcony (top) two floors above the McCanns' (bottom) Also talking for the first time was Jenny Murat (pictured), who lives 100 yards from the Ocean Club complex. She said saw a car driving towards their apartmen 'I saw the driver, I was beside the driver. Both of us looked at each other. I think he had a very British look about him.' Mrs Murat also described seeing a woman standing outside the family's apartment on the night Madeleine went missing. 'I noticed her there and she kind of looked as if she was trying to hide from me. I do remember she was wearing a plum-coloured top,' she said. Mrs Murat's son Robert, a translator, was the first person to be made an arguido a named suspect in the case. He told the BBC he still cannot face reading about the case on the internet, despite being cleared of any involvement. 'The internet is full of theories I want to know the truth, not theories,' he said. 'I just want to know why that was the case. It didn't only lead to me being destroyed, it led to my whole family being destroyed, affected by those allegations. It was completely untrue.' A tribute to Madeleine McCann is left outside the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz in Praia Da Luz, Portugal (Steve Parsons/PA) A special church service will be held at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz for all missing people, including Madeleine, at 9pm on Wednesday. A candle bearing Madeleine's name and a card with her picture on have been placed outside the church in Luz where the service will later take place. The card, reading 'Maddie with love' features a photograph of the little girl surrounded by diamante stickers, with a butterfly, yellow bow and flower. Yellow ribbons, to signify hope, were placed around the village at the time of Madeleine's disappearance. The news comes after new information about the investigation was revealed this week by a Home Office report into the case. As devout Catholics Kate and Gerry remember their daughter at the large imposing 14th century church, 1,617 miles away in the pretty seaside resort of Luz locals will be praying too A detective tipped to head up the Madeleine McCann probe was warned he would be ordered to prove she was abducted and ignore other leads. Colin Sutton said a high-ranking friend in the Met called him and warned him not to lead the case when Scotland Yard announced it would get involved in 2010. The source warned that he would be tasked with proving her parents Kate and Gerry were innocent and ignoring any alternatives to the abduction theory, he claims. Mr Sutton made no suggestion that Kate and Gerry (pictured) were guilty, but criticised the probe for being 'narrowly focused' Speaking to Martin Brunt on Sky News, he said: 'I did receive a call from a very senior met police officer who knew me and said it wouldnt be a good idea for me to head investigation on the basis that I wouldnt be happy conducting an investigation being told where I could go and where I couldnt go, the things I could investigate and the things I couldnt. Asked to clarify what he meant, he added: 'The Scotland Yard investigation was going to be very narrowly focused and that focus would be away from any suspicion of wrongdoing on the part of the McCanns or the tapas friends.' The Tapas Nine refers to the McCann parents and the seven friends they were out to dinner with when Madeleine disappeared in 2007. They were interviewed by Portuguese Police, who have always worked on the basis that Madeleine was abducted from her room, but Mr Sutton said other possibilities should be entertained. Speaking on Searching for Maddie, which looks at the case ten years on from her disappearance, he criticises the narrow focus of both Portuguese and British police. He added: 'If you are conducting a re-investigation you start at the very beginning. Look at all the accounts all the evidence all the initial statements and go through them and make sure they stack up and they compare.' The documentary revealed details from a Home Office report on the case, ordered by then Labour minister Alan Johnson before the 2010 election, seen by Sky News' Martin Brunt. The report shows that Gerry and Kate McCann's relationship with Portuguese police after they closed the investigation into her disappearance. The Met took the unusual step of getting involved in the case in 2010 after the report was compiled, and recommends police collaborate with private investigators hired by the McCanns because of the 'unique nature of the case'. However, it also reveals that much of the information gathered by investigators had not been shared with police investigating the case so far. Revealed: Madeleine McCann's parents fell out with both the Portuguese and British police investigating her disappearance and their 'turbulent relationship' led to a breakdown in trust Highlighting the 'turbulent relationship' between the parents and detectives, it describes how the McCann's felt badly treated by the Portuguese authorities. They were called in to speak to officers then asked to wait for hours, only for a detective never to appear, in treatment they described as 'inhumane'. The relationship broke down entirely when Portuguese police closed the investgation in to Madeleine's disappearance in in Praia de Luz. Around 30 British detectives were working on the UK side of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine (pictured) When the Met Police came in, they also fell out with local police. The Met would later fall out with the McCanns too, the report revealed. Mr Johnson wanted to find out if the Met should intervene further in the case so the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre investigated. It was commissioned in late 2009, completed by March 2010 and published in May 2010, MailOnline understands. In May 2011 the Home Office launched the Scotland Yard review of the case. The Met's investigation has cost 11million so far. The report said: 'It is clear that from the beginning the McCanns felt there was a lack of clarity and communication on the part of the Portuguese police. 'Despite the involvement of British consular staff, they were, by their own accounts, left for long periods without any updates or communication with the investigators. 'They state they were taken to the police station on more than one occasion and then left for hours waiting to speak to someone who never materialised. 'They describe this situation as inhumane, with no real consideration for their emotional and physical wellbeing.' The report also reveals tensions between the Portuguese and British police, with the Met accused of acting 'like a colonial power'. Gerry and Kate, carrying Madeleine's favourite Cuddle Cat in her hand, were faced with the sudden shock of their daughter disappearing in 2007 and then felt police meant to be hunting for her treated them badly The report says: 'Clearly, the McCanns have had a turbulent relationship with both Portuguese and UK law enforcement. They now openly acknowledge that there is a distinct lack of trust between all parties.' The police in Britain and Portugal say they are working together to find Madeleine, who vanished on May 3 2007. The documentary was aired just hours after it emerged the former Portuguese detective Goncalo Amaral claimed Madeleine's body was cremated in a TV interview. The detective, one of the leading investigators early in the case, made the wild statement hours after her parents vowed to take him back to court over other claims. Amaral made his latest statement on a TV documentary to be aired on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance from the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal. Hundreds of women were filmed snatching clothes off racks in Saudi Arabia during a sale. Footage taken in department store, shows a large amount of women desperately grabbing clothes off several hangers in the shop. Brightly coloured skirts and t-shirts are seen being ripped off hangers and flailing in the air as the women battle to get the best bargains. Women were seen desperately grabbing clothes during a sale at a department store in Saudi Arabia At one point, two clothing racks collapse under the sheer weight of the women's forceful nature towards the hangers. The camera then pans around the shop showing a security guard and a young boy laughing at the situation, while other women are seen calmly observing the chaos and talking to each other. At one point, two clothing racks collapse under the sheer weight of the women's forceful nature towards the hangers The camera then pans around the shop showing a security guard and a young boy laughing at the situation, while other women are seen calmly observing the chaos and talking to each other Another man is also seen filming the scene. It is not clear which shop the video was filmed in or when it was recorded, but it was uploaded to video sharing website LiveLeak this morning. Aldi have launched their latest offensive in the supermarket war with Woolworths and Coles: butchering the price of meat. The German supermarket giant has taken the butcher's knife to its own brand mince, chicken breast and pork leg nationwide. A study from the discount grocer showed the average Australian household spends $46 a week on meat, showing they stand to save big with the new cuts. Aldi have launched their latest offensive in the supermarket war with Woolworths and Coles Under the new savings, 500g beef mince is now $5.49 down from $6.49, chicken breast is $10.00 a kg down from $11.49, and boneless pork leg is $8.00 a kg down from $9.99. Last June, Woolworths and Coles announced significant cuts to their meat products to compete with Aldi in the price war. Aldi has been increasing its fresh offering and has rolled out new store formats in Sydney that bring fresh food displays to the front of the shop. The National Farmers' Federation raised concerns they could not afford to absorb any price cuts due to increasing energy and transport costs. Under the new savings, 500g mince is now $5.49 down from $6.49 Chicken breast is $10.00 a kg down from $11.49 under the new cuts Relations between ministers and Brussels plunged to a new low today amid a bid to ban 'bloody difficult' Theresa May from taking charge of negotiations. The EU is insisting that the PM will not be allowed to hold talks directly with other leaders - and can only sit down with a senior Eurocrat. But Brexit Secretary David Davis dismissed the idea as 'laughable', saying the EU could not 'dictate' how the negotiations would happen. He also said the UK would fight for its rights to attend summits while it remains a paying member of the bloc. 'The decisions in this exercise at the end of the day are taken in Council - that's a gathering of all the leaders of the European Union - and, frankly, until the day we leave, we are full members of the Union, we have every right to attend every Council and we will exercise our right,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Row: Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker discussed Brexit at a working dinner in No 10 last week (pictured) - but EU sources have repeatedly leaked details from inside talks Theresa May, pictured at an election event in Cornwall today, has brushed off the leaks about her meeting with Mr Juncker last week as 'Brussels gossip' In a clear jibe at Theresa May, Mr Barnier told a press conference in Brussels today that 'some have created the illusion' that the process could be quick and painless 'Just as we are obeying the laws of the Union, exactly to the letter, we are also going to expect our rights. 'The idea that somehow one side of the negotiation can dictate how the other side runs a negotiation is laughable. 'This is an exercise in trying to shape public opinion and trying to pressurise us - it won't work.' Mrs May lashed back at Jean-Claude Juncker last night after poisonous briefings claiming she is clueless aboutBrexit negotiation. The PM insisted the EU chief is finding out she is a 'bloody difficult woman' amid signs that relations with Brussels are plunging to new lows. A bitter row erupted after a detailed account of a dinner betweenMrs May and Mr Juncker was leaked to a German newspaper. The pair clashed over how the talks will be conducted, including whether the UK must immediately agree to pay a divorce bill and when rights for expats will be settled. The situation escalated again today after an EU source told The Times that during the meeting Mrs May suggested she intended to take the lead in the final stage of negotiations. 'Juncker told her it is not going to work like that,' the insider said. 'It is not going to be a negotiation around a table between heads of state and government. It was very awkward. We thought David [Davis, the Brexit secretary] was in charge.' Dismissing the briefing as 'Brussels gossip', Mrs May - who has spent the day campaigning in the West Country - highlighted Tory grandee Ken Clarke's grudging praise of her as a 'bloody difficult woman'. 'I think what we've seen recently is that at times these negotiations are going to be tough,' she told the BBC. 'Now during the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker.' Asked if he had found that out in their meeting, Mrs May said: 'What I have done is set out a very clear picture of what I want to see from a Brexit deal for the United Kingdom.' The EU parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, has ramped up tensions by demanding Mrs May 'get real' and saying she did not yet 'understand' the scale of the fight she faces. Tory Eurosceptics have accused the EU of trying to 'bluff' its way out of a weak negotiating position and claim that Mr Juncker is bent on trying to 'punish' Britain for voting Leave last year. Mrs May and Mr Juncker are said to have clashed repeatedly during the working dinner in Downing Street last Wednesday night. Theresa May made a stop at a chip shop in Mevagissey, Cornwall, yesterday as she rallied the Tory troops in the West Country. The PM seemed to be uncertain about how she should eat her snack with the cameras trained on her yesterday Guy Verhofstadt, the EU parliament's chief negotiator has waded into the row by mocking the PM over her 'strong and stable' slogan Mr Verhofstatdt posted on Twitter: 'Any deal requires a strong & stable understanding of the complex issues involved. 'The clock is ticking - it's time to get real.' An EU source claimed Mr Juncker was 'vexed' that the Prime Minister refused to sign off the EU's mid-term review of its annual budget until after the June general election. It means that without unanimous from all EU nations approval the spending plans, including a proposal to send more money to Africa to stem the flow of migrants, is 'frozen'. The source told the BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler that Britain has a 'completely different reading' of the Brexit situation compared to Brussels. While the row with the EU raged on, Mrs May was out campaigning in Cornwall today Mrs May and Mr Juncker embraced in Downing Street last Wednesday ahead of the dinner to discuss the Brexit talks - she says that the leaks are merely gossip by pro-Brexit MPs say that the leaks are malicious The working dinner, which included Mr Juncker (second left) and chief negotiator Michel Barnier (second right) at Downing Street broke up after around 90 minutes (pictured) and has been described by Brussels sources as a disaster 'They gave Juncker no warning at all and told him the night before he came to dinner. They have no idea how Brussels works', he said. Another source close to the EU negotiation team said: 'The word 'echec' [French for failure] came up several times. The report in a German newspaper suggested the President of the European Commission emerged from the dinner describing Mrs May as 'delusional' and saying he was 'ten times more sceptical' about the prospect of securing a deal. The detailed account thought to have come from Mr Juncker's chief of staff Martin Selmayr, who is nicknamed 'the monster' by his boss was seen as an attempt to undermine Mrs May. He was said to have concluded that the chances of the talks failing were now 'over 50 per cent'. Mrs Merkel (pictured at the EU summit in Brussels on Saturday) voted with the other EU leaders to take a hard line position on the Brexit talks Labour and the Liberal Democrats seized on the report to claim the PM was 'complacent' about a 'disastrous' Brexit. Mrs May dismissed the reports, pointing out that they were at odds with the Commission's public description of the meeting as 'constructive'. But she also said the incident proved the negotiations 'are at times going to be tough' and showed the need for her 'strong and stable leadership'. 'There will be 27 countries on one side and of course there is the UK negotiating for the UK,' Mrs May said. 'I believe that we can get a deal that's good for the UK and good for the rest of the European Union. 'But how much more important is .. to actually ensure that we have the strong and stable leadership here in the United Kingdom to stand up for the UK, to fight for the UK and to get the best possible deal. 'There's only a choice of one of two be able to do that. 'It's either going to be me or Jeremy Corbyn.' Government officials also said they 'did not recognise the account' of the meeting with Mr Juncker. The report claimed Mrs May and Mr Juncker clashed repeatedly during the working dinner in Downing Street last Wednesday night. The PM said that the UK was not obliged to pay an estimated 52billion divorce bill, German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. She also reiterated her desire to 'make Brexit a success', only for Mr Juncker to reply: 'Brexit cannot be a success'. After the Prime Minister raised the prospect of settling a deal on the rights of EU and British citizens living abroad in June, Mr Juncker reportedly said: 'I think you are underestimating this, Theresa.' He is also said to have produced copies of Croatia's EU entry agreement and the Canadian free trade deal in frustration to emphasise the complexity of such deals. According to the report, Mr Juncker phoned Angela Merkel following the dinner to complain about the Prime Minister's approach, telling her 'Theresa May is living on another galaxy, she is deluding herself.' In a seemingly orchestrated move, the intervention is said to have prompted the German Chancellor to warn the UK about the 'illusions' of securing a good deal. The dinner was held to discuss plans for Brexit talks before EU leaders met to finalise negotiating demands on Saturday. In a show of unity, the bloc's leaders took just minutes to sign off the blueprint before firing a volley of warnings at Mrs May ahead of talks. The All Nippon Airways passenger who started a brawl on a flight headed for Los Angeles Monday night may have been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, claims the retired Marine who fought the man. Video filmed on the stationary plane at Narita International Airport shows the men, one wearing a bright red and white Hawaiian shirt, throwing punches at each other from their seats. Passenger Ryan Humphreys says that the fight kicked off after he saw the man, who he believed to be an active or retired military member, 'rambling' to other passengers and 'smothering' the woman sitting next him as he leaned over to talk to her partner. 'I would guess he has PTSD or maybe off his meds,' Humphreys, who now works for the US Department of Defense in Okinawa, told TMZ. 'He didn't strike me as being drunk.' The video, believed to have been filmed on a Japanese ANA flight, was posted online yesterday The other passenger was thrown off the plane in Tokyo and was arrested after allegedly putting an airline employee into a chokehold. Humphreys did not press charges against the man, but has now explained what exactly happened on the flight. He said of the incident: 'The guy in front of me - the guy in the red shirt - just starts rambling on. It sounded like he was talking to everybody. 'I'm looking around to see if anyone else is listening to this guy. Like no one is. 'He gets up out of his seat and he starts looking around. He turns around and looks at me and naturally I'm looking straight forward. 'I didn't say anything to the guy, and he's just like, 'What are you looking at', you know, 'I'll kill you', blah blah blah. Ryan Humphreys has chosen not to press charges against the man 'I'm just like 'Hey, it's OK, it's OK', and asked me if I lived in Vegas, so he has something to do with Vegas, I don't know. 'The couple sits down next to the guy. It's a three-seat row, he's on the window, the girl is in the middle and then her husband or boyfriend. 'Next thing you know, he's leaning over and he's up all in the girl's face and he's rambling, kind of what he was doing with me. 'And he starts to get physical with the man. 'It looked like he was trying to choke him out with a headlock with his hands. He's like smothering the woman because she's in the middle. That's when I intervened. 'He was either active military or a veteran. When his shirt got ripped I could see all his ink or whatever - I'm ex-Marine. 'I would guess he has PTSD or maybe off his meds. He didn't strike me as being drunk.' During video of the fight, stunned passengers can be heard begging the pair to 'please stop' as a baby cried in the background. One shouts, 'Someone help! This guy is crazy,' as airline staff tried to break them up. When the man in the Hawaiian shirt walks away, the other shouts 'Get this guy off this plane'. Just when the brawl appeared to have stopped, the man in the bright shirt charges back down the aisle and continued throwing punches. ANA staff eventually had to break up the men. The red-shirted man then shakes off the female flight attendant's attempts to restrain him and continues to throw punches. Japan Today reported that a 44-year-old American was charged with assault after he allegedly choked an ANA employee on a plane on Monday night. It shows the men, one wearing a bright red and white Hawaiian shirt, throwing punches at each other from their seats One shouted, 'Someone help! This guy is crazy,' as a desperate stewardess tried to break up the fight An ANA spokesman told the paper that the brawl broke out just before the plane was due to depart. 'The plane was about 50 minutes late, so everyone was a little irritated because of that, kinda frustrated,' Corey Hour, the passenger who shot the video, told the BBC. 'The flight attendants actually got caught up in the mix and that's when the video ends as I put my phone down and I actually got in the middle of everyone and confronted him,' Hour added. 'The suspect, a US citizen, was drunk and arrested after he injured an ANA official following the fight,' a member of the airport police told AFP. The man's arrest was formally over his injuring the airline official, not the onboard brawl, said the airport police spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. Fuji TV quoted police as saying an American passenger was allegedly drunk and started acting in an unruly manner. As of lunchtime on Wednesday, the man remained in detention in Japan, the police spokesman said. The fight, as well as bad weather, forced ANA to delay the departure of the flight by one hour and 40 minutes, local media reported The fight follows a string of plane dramas, which started earlier this month when 69-year-old Dr David Dao was left bloodied after he was dragged from a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville when the airline overbooked. The troubled airline was hit another blow when three-foot Simon the rabbit was killed during a flight from Heathrow. It is believed he froze to death after accidently being placed in temperatures of 0 to 2 degrees. Middle Valley Church of God announces that Pastor Mitch McClure will speak on the topic, "God Wants A Little More From Us" in the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday. This is part of a sermon series titled 'We Have To Find A Way To Fix This Problem.' This sermon series will focus on the need for redemption of humanity because of sin and how God's plan is revealed to all of us. Pastor Mitch McClure will lead the congregation in a time of prayer and worship on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. All are invited to participate in this event. Each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Sunday school classes are available for all age groupings. Presently Senior Adult Pastor Craig Paul is leading a Bible study on the Book of John each Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Administrative Classroom. All are invited and encouraged to participate in any or all of these services. Middle Valley Church of God is at 1703 Thrasher Pike in Hixson. For more information call the church office at 843-1539. Michel Barnier signalled a tough line as he gave details of the Brussels stance in the looming talks The EU's chief negotiator today warned that Brexit will be be painful as he insisted the UK will have to abide by the bloc's terms. Michel Barnier signalled a tough line as he gave details of Brussels' stance in the looming talks. In a clear jibe at Theresa May, he cautioned that 'some have created the illusion' that the process could be quick and painless. He bluntly stated that was 'simply not telling the truth' and there would be 'consequences' - warning there would be 'explosive' results if Britain refused to pay an exit bill that could run to more than 90billion. He also insisted the European Court of Justice must settle disputes over the relationship in future. At a press conference in the Belgian capital, Mr Barnier said: 'Some have created the illusion that Brexit will have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and easily. 'That is not the case.' He said there had to be a 'legal' process that covered all the technical points of the separation. That had to be settled before a future trade deal could be considered. 'That will take time,' he said. 'Commitments have been made and those commitments have to be honoured... The union and the UK have material commitments.' He stressed: 'This is not a punishment. Nor is it an exit tax of some kind.' THE EU'S TIMETABLE FOR BREXIT TALKS JUNE: Detailed Brexit talks get under way after the general election. The first phase will cover the 'principles' of the financial settlement, the status of expats living on the continent and in the UK, and the future border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. OCTOBER-NOVEMBER: EU takes a decision on whether enough progress has been made to move on to the next phase of talks. NOVEMBER TO OCTOBER 2018: Discussions on future trade arrangements. OCTOBER 2018-MARCH 2019: Potential votes at the European Parliament and Westminster to ratify agreement. END MARCH 2019: UK formally leaves the EU. Advertisement Mr Barnier confirmed that the opening phase of the talks would focus on the financial settlement, the status of expats living on the continent and in the UK, and the future border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. He suggested there would be a decision in October or November on whether sufficient progress had been made to move to the next phase - discussions on future trade arrangements. Mr Barnier said that would require 'clear commitments' from the UK on the initial topics and 'window dressing' would not be sufficient. Declining to give any precise figure for the divorce bill, he said: 'Things have to be done in a given order.' The Commission's calculation of Britain's liabilities should be 'incontestable' and there would be 'explosive' consequences if it was not met, he said. Mr Barnier was present at the now notorious dinner in Downing Street last week, when Mrs May and EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker clashed over a range of issues - including whether Brexit could be a 'success' and how long the talks would take. But he insisted the meeting had been 'cordial', and revealed he had bonded with the PM over their shared loved of mountain walking. In a bizarre piece of advice to Mrs May, Mr Barnier likened the negotiations to a journey up a mountain. 'If you like walking in the mountains, you have to learn a certain number of rules. You have to learn to put one foot in front of the other, because sometimes you are on a steep and rocky path,' he said. In a clear jibe at Theresa May, Mr Barnier told a press conference in Brussels today that 'some have created the illusion' that the process could be quick and painless Mr Barnier (pictured right in Brussels today) and Jean-Claude Juncker are working closely together on the Brexit negotiations 'You also have to look at what accidents might befall you - falling rocks. You have to be very careful to keep your breath, you have to have stamina because it could be a lengthy path. And you have to keep looking at the summit, the outcome. That's what I learnt when mountain-walking.' Earlier, David Davis flatly dismissed the idea of Britain paying a 92billion (100billion) divorce bill today after it emerged Germany, France and Poland had ganged up to inflate the sum. EU negotiators have doubled the charge the UK was thought to be facing in order to cover farm subsidies and plug the giant hole in its budget up until 2020. The bloc has been accused of extortion because it has said no trade deal can be struck before Britain agrees to pay. But the Brexit Secretary gave the new figure short shrift this morning, warning that the British people have not been 'impressed' with Brussels' manoeuvring over recent weeks. The Brexit Secretary gave the new figure short shrift as he appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain this morning, insisting: 'We will not be paying 100billion Theresa May, pictured at an election event in Cornwall today, has learned that the EU has upped Britain's divorce bill to 92billion (100bn) after pressure from France and Germany 'We will not be paying 100billion,' he told ITV. 'What we've got to do is discuss in detail what the rights and obligations are.' He insisted the UK was under no legal obligation to pay anything - saying the bullying tactics from the EU underlined Theresa May's view that 'no deal is better than a bad deal'. Amid rising tensions, Theresa May vowed last night that she will be a 'bloody difficult woman' if EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker tries to thwart a good Brexit deal. But it also emerged that the EU is trying to ban Mrs May from sitting in on Brexit talks. Lauren Thornton collapsed during her PE lesson just two days before her 14th birthday A 'popular' girl has died after suffering a fatal asthma attack in a PE class just two days before her 14th birthday. Lauren Thornton collapsed after struggling to breathe during the lesson at All Saints' Academy in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Pupils were distraught after paramedics arrived at the school in an attempt to save the 'beautiful' girl last Thursday, before she later died in hospital. Lauren's friends and family have been left 'completely in shock and heartbroken' by the death of the 'much loved' teenager, who was due to celebrate her 14th birthday on Saturday. Family member Marion Roope, 76, said: 'It has been very traumatic for the whole family. it would have been Lauren's birthday on Saturday. They had two ambulances and the air ambulance there but they couldn't save her. Until the post-mortem is over we won't really know. 'Lauren's mum is just devastated. You don't expect to be burying your child. It is a horrible situation. Everyone is rallying around her, they are all being very good.' A post-mortem was due to be carried out tomorrow to establish what caused Lauren's death. The girl collapsed in the class at All Saints' Academy (above) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Mrs Roope, who is the cousin of Lauren's grandmother, said: 'We can't exactly say that it was asthma. I know they worked on her for an hour at school.' The grandmother believed Lauren had been a healthy adolescent with no major health problems. She said: 'Lauren was quite a healthy teenager. I think that's why it came out of the blue. There was no suggestion before that it (Lauren's asthma) was that bad.' School principal Dermot McNiffe said: 'We are devastated by this tragic loss, and we send our thoughts and our love to Lauren's family and friends at this difficult time. 'Lauren was a much loved girl in our academy family. She was loyal, kind and generous to all her friends. 'She was a vibrant girl and a lovely student. We are all going to miss her greatly. This tragic event is extremely upsetting for our students, parents, and staff. 'We are supporting each other, as a strong and loving academy community through prayer and meeting the needs of all affected.' He added that the school will be taking time to remember Lauren - whose family are being helped through a GoFundMe page set up by friends - in the weeks ahead. The fundraising page says: 'A tragic accident happened, which claimed the life of a young, beautiful, popular, much loved girl, Lauren Thornton. 'Lauren was a 13-year-old student at All Saints' Academy, who was getting ready to celebrate her 14th birthday on May 6, when tragedy struck and she suffered a fatal asthma attack during her PE lesson at school. 'As you can probably imagine, we are all completely in shock, and heartbroken that such a vibrant, clever, beautiful, much loved girl has been taken away from us all so suddenly. 'She leaves behind a loving mother and younger brother, and stepfather, as well as doting grandparents, aunties and cousins. 'This page has been set up in Lauren's memory, to take away some pressure from family members at this very sad time, to raise money towards Lauren's memorial, headstone, any other unexpected costs that may occur and maybe even a trip away for Lauren's mum, step-dad and brother, to try and come to terms with their loss. We are all completely in shock, and heartbroken that such a vibrant, clever, beautiful, much loved girl has been taken away from us all so suddenly Family and friends on GoFundMe page 'Lauren is loved by so many, and has touched the hearts of so many more. We, as friends and neighbours, as a community, are all in complete shock and are truly heartbroken. 'We want to take as much pressure off Lauren's family as possible. To make this painful time a little less difficult, we want to make this as easy for them as possible. Please help us to help them. 'Whatever anyone can donate, will be gratefully appreciated, no matter how small, every little bit will help to make this terrible time slightly less stressful.' Friends were encouraged to raise funds in order to pay for a headstone and funeral for the pupil as well as sending her grieving family on a holiday. The page has so far raised 2,600 and has a 4,000 goal. Click here for details. A South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust spokesman said: 'A call was received at 11.53 to reports of a patient with breathing difficulties. 'We attended with two ambulances. The patient was taken to Gloucester Royal Hospital.' The father of accused Australian drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury has said he loves his daughter 'unconditionally' and does not believe she is guilty. Ms Sainsbury, 22, was stopped at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport in Colombia on April 11 after X-rays picked up 18 packages of cocaine in her luggage. Her father Stuart Sainsbury told 9 News he didn't believe she was a drug mule. Cassie Sainsbury's father Stuart (pictured) has said he loves his daughter 'unconditionally' and doesn't believe she is a drug mule. Cassie Sainsbury has been accused of smuggling 18 packages of cocaine in her luggage in Colombia Ms Sainsbury (pictured) was was stopped at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport in Colombia on April 11 after X-rays picked up 18 packages of cocaine in her luggage 'Shes just my kid, what parent thinks of her kid as a drug mule,' he said. 'I just love her, I cant change whats happened I just have to be here when she comes home' Earlier Mr Sainsbury told Daily Mail Australia he did not want anything to do with his daughter's arrest in Colombia for cocaine smuggling. Stuart Sainsbury, who lives in remote Yorketown, South Australia, where his daughter went to school and briefly ran a gym said he was aware of his daughter's arrest - but didn't want to become involved. 'I don't want to be tied up in all this,' the father, motorcycle enthusiast and fisherman said. Stuart Sainsbury, Cassandra's father, told Daily Mail Australia earlier that he didn't want to be 'tied up with' Cassandra's drug smuggling charges Cassandra Sainsbury (pictured background) at her father's birthday celebrations in 2015 When prompted about how he felt about the young woman being held in a Colombian prison after allegedly being found trying to leave the country with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine he refused to comment 'Listen, whatever is going on has nothing to do with me, and I have nothing to say about it.' 'You can ring my lawyer if you don't understand me. It's got nothing to do with me.' Cassandra Sainsbury was last pictured at her father's home in 2015 - perched on rocks behind a motorcycle which appeared to be a gift. Her father appears to have a close bond with Cassandra's step brother and sister and proudly celebrated his step-daughter's wedding last year. Ms Sainsbury drew the attention of the DEA when her plane ticket home to Australia via London was reportedly purchased last minute by an 'unknown party' in Hong Kong. 'We found her because of an alert from the DEA,' Bogota airport's head of narcotics, Commander Rodrigo Soler, told News Corp Australia. Channel Seven reports that Colombian authorities had been forwarded her passport details as early as April 5 - six days before she was arrested at El Dorado International Airport. The young blonde from Adelaide told family members she thought the packages contained headphones she had bought cheaply off a 'nice Colombian man'. Mrs Sainsbury with his wife Michelle, Cassandra Sainsbury's step mother Ms Sainsbury was heading home to Australia with the packages, via London in an 'all expenses work trip' which saw her visit China and LA before her time in the south American country where she now awaits trial. Ms Sainsbury has been living in Adelaide since she left her home town of Yorketown after the collapse of her gym Yorke fitness in 2015. Shortly after her arrival in Adelaide, three hours from her home town and failed fitness business, the young blonde met now fiance Scott Broadbridge. The 22-year-old faces 25 years in jail after she was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine at an airport in Colombia Ms Sainsbury left Yorketown after the closure of her gym, pictured, in 2015 Mr Broadbridge claims the young woman has not been a personal trainer for six months - despite her sister Khala's claims she was in Colombia to promote herself as a personal trainer. Khala faced the media following her sister's arrest to ask for donations to help free her sister from prison and bring her home to Australia. 'Our hearts break, because we know she is innocent, but stands little chance of proving it in such a corrupt country,' Khala Sainsbury told Daily Mail Australia. 'The trip was at least in part to promote her personal training business.' Her mother Lisa Evans labelled her daughter as naive and also spoke to the media. 'I'm devastated that my little girl is in this place. I'm scared to death for her. Our family just wants her home safe,' she said. The woman went on a cruise in October, 2016, followed by a work trip to Canada in January. Her trip to Colombia recently started with time spent in China and America The young woman posted to Instagram a week before she was stopped in a Colombian airport to tell her followers about her trip which also took her to Las Angeles and China She was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in small packages wrapped in black plastic (pictured) Daily Mail Australia recently revealed the 22-year-old woman's lavish globetrotting lifestyle which saw her visit the Pacific Islands, Canada, China and North and South America in just six months. Colombian police claim a tip-off led to the arrest of an Australian woman who was found with 18 bags of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1.7 million. On April 3 she posted a photo of LAX - Los Angeles International Airport - with the caption 'going from China's lovely 27 degree weather to LA's 7 degree weather is killing me'. On April 8, she posted a photograph of some buildings indicating she was in America. 'Can't complain about an all expenses paid work trip which is mainly holiday and very little work,' she wrote. The young blonde went on a trip to Vanuatu in October 2016 The woman (pictured with her fiance) was detained on April 11 at Bogota Airport just as she was about to fly back to Australia after a working holiday The young woman used a variety of hashtags including the words work, holiday and fitness in her social media posts. Fresh reports from inside the prison where the accused drug smuggler awaits trial reveal she is still in the same clothes three-weeks after arriving. According to the Daily Telegraph the 22-year-old has reportedly not stopped crying since she was transferred to the overcrowded and dangerous El Buen Pastor prison. An American woman who was released from the prison on Tuesday and helped look after Cassandra on the inside said she was not coping with the horrific conditions. 'Because she is so young there are a lot of people trying to take advantage of her,' the woman said. 'Not only that, when she was at the police station they took most of her stuff all of her clothes, her money,' the former inmate told the publication. 'She's just wearing a sweater and pants and a top, the same ones. I offered her something but she said no thank you.' Khala said her sister (pictured) found a Colombian lawyer but he suggested pleading guilty to lesser charges to avoid an up to 25-year jail sentence Her family says she is innocent and being 'set up' - but Colombian anti-narcotic police believe she may have been a drug mule A message on the fundraising site from her fiance Scott Broadbridge. The fundraiser was cancelled after it received hundreds of negative comments On Tuesday Colombian police released photographs of Ms Sainsbury standing behind 18 black packages of cocaine. Ms Sainsbury was handcuffed in the images - she could face 25 years in a South American jail if found guilty of drug smuggling. The 22-year-old told her family she thought the packages were 15 headphones a local man posing as a translator had arranged to buy for her at a discount. Lt Colonel Jorge Triana, head of anti-narcotics police at the airport, told Daily Mail Australia he didn't believe Cassandra's headphone story. Lt Colonel Triana said drug mules often feigned ignorance when they were caught. Top drug cops in Colombia say her explanation is not credible. It's understood there were never any headphones in the packages (pictured) and they only contained concealed cocaine In Australia, six kilograms of cocaine has a street value of almost $2 million Pictured are the headphones that Cassandra believed she was buying from a man she had just met. Her family claims the man offered to be her translator and find gifts for her family 'It's a commonplace strategy that narco traffickers use to take drugs out of the country,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Her explanation is not credible. Everyone we catch says they didn't know it was in their luggage, but they know what they were doing.' Daily Mail Australia also understands there were never any headphones in the package and it only contained concealed cocaine. Lt Colonel Triana said even if Cassandra didn't know about the drugs she likely faced jail time either way. 'She recognised the luggage as hers so whether she knew there were drugs in it or not, it doesn't excuse her actions,' he said. He said foreigners were increasingly being lured into becoming drug mules by the promise of big payoffs when they made it to their destination - with 19 caught leaving Colombia this year alone. Her mother, Lisa Evans, has maintained her daughter is innocent, saying she had been 'naive' in trusting a Colombian man to help her get a good deal on headphones A snap showing the woman on holiday in the Gold Coast last year Cassandra's family insisted she was an innocent victim being 'set up' by a man she had just met. Jorge Mendoza, the ports and airports director for Colombia's anti-narcotic police, told AAP that Cassandra could have been working as a drug mule. 'She could possibly be a drug mule,' he told ABC radio through an interpreter on Tuesday. 'In going through security we found she had 18 packets inside her luggage which even before opening it we found covered in plastic.' Australian author Rusty Young, whose book Marching Powder was based on the three months he spent with an English drug smuggler in prison in Bolivia, has lived in Colombia for eight years and says he doesn't believe authorities there will make an example of Ms Sainsbury. 'Basically, the bigger traffickers are the ones they are after,' he told the Seven Network. The first photos have emerged of Cassandra standing in handcuffs next to her luggage Cassandra was arrested in Colombia after an airport X-Ray search allegedly revealed something suspicious in her luggage (pictured) Khala said her sister was tricked into being a drug mule by a man she just met who handed her a package containing the concealed drugs 'Small traffickers are just an annoyance for the country. 'Colombia loves foreigners coming in. One of their major industries now is tourism. They do not want the name. They don't want the media attention for drug trafficking.' In Australia, six kilograms of cocaine has an estimated street value of almost $2 million. Cassandra's fiance Scott Broadbridge was also understood to be concerned about the impact public attention, and rumours on social media, might have on her case. The couple are due to be married in February. The young woman's family raised $4,000 of their $15,000 goal and continue to claim she was tricked by the Colombian local who offered to find her cheap headphones for wedding gifts on her trip. Mr Broadbridge at a music festival, the woman's fiance claims she was a manager of a cleaning business Cassandra was planning a wedding to her fiance and 'love of her life' Scott Broadbridge (L) after they got engaged in October on a cruise to Vanuatu and New Caledonia The former personal trainer from Adelaide was denied bail and is being held at the overcrowded El Buen Pastor women's prison (pictured) until her hearing in two months Former prime minister Tony Abbott has slammed Victorian civil libertarians for giving a free speech award to outgoing Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs. Liberty Victoria has given the commissioner its 'top free speech prize' despite freedom of speech controversies involving Queensland university students, the late cartoonist Bill Leak and murdered Charlie Hebdo cartoonists in France. Mr Abbott, who wants the Human Rights Commission to be axed, has ridiculed Ms Triggs' accolade from Victoria's peak civil liberties group. Scroll down for video Outgoing Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs has received a top prize for free speech Former prime minister Tony Abbott described Gillian Triggs as the 'arch enemy of free speech' 'She's been the enemy of free speech, the absolute arch enemy of free speech in the country,' he told Sydney radio 2GB host Ben Fordham on Wednesday. 'And I can only assume that someone with a warped sense of humour came up with this award. 'It cannot be taken seriously, anything that couples the name Gillian Triggs with free speech. 'She's paid half a million bucks a year to trample on people's free speech so I think it's just a joke that this award is going to her.' Ms Triggs, a Labor appointment paid $417,800 a year, was given the Voltaire Award on Wednesday, a week before her five-year contract ends. It is named after the French 18th century philosopher who is credited with saying, 'I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.' The late cartoonist Bill Leak was hauled before the Human Rights Commission over a cartoon about a deadbeat Aboriginal father Bill Leak's controversial cartoon which saw him go before the Human Rights Commission Veteran cartoonist was accused of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act's Section 18C The award comes only months after the Human Rights Commission interrogated the late News Corp Australia cartoonist Bill Leak, over a controversial cartoon featuring an Aboriginal dad in a dysfunctional remote community. In the artwork published last year in The Australian, an indigenous police officer says: 'You'll have to sit down and talk to your son about personal responsibility.' The dad, holding a can of beer replies: 'Yeah, righto. What's his name then?' Leak was hauled before the Human Rights Commission over potentially breaching Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and died a short time later, possibly from stress. At his memorial service in Sydney in March, veteran comedian Barrie Humphries wished Ms Triggs had died instead. 'You see I really hate talking at memorial services,' he told mourners. Comedian Barrie Humphries arrives at Bill Leak's Sydney Town Hall memorial in March 2017 Comedian Barrie Humphries told mourners he wished Gillian Triggs had died instead of cartoonist Bill Leak, who was hauled before the Human Rights Commission 'I suppose, the only one I would have enjoyed would have been the funeral of the Human Rights Commissioner.' In another case, three Queensland University of Technology students Alex Wood, Calum Thwaites and Jackson Powell were dragged before the commission over a 2013 Facebook post criticising an indigenous-only computer lab. They were accused of breaching the Racial Discrimination Act with the words, 'QUT is stopping segregation with segregation' and faced three years of stress and a $250,000 legal bill. The case was thrown out last year. Calum Thwaites was one of three QUT students dragged to the Human Rights Commission In both matters, Ms Triggs was criticised for not pushing for a settlement earlier. However, Liberty Victoria overlooked those controversies and focused on how she was disliked by Attorney-General George Brandis and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton over her criticism of the offshore detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru 'Its a recognition of her work and the courage she has exhibited in the face of very withering criticism from the government from time to time,' Prof Spencer Zifcak, the acting president of Liberty Victoria, told Guardian Australia. 'Most people would just have resigned in the face of the criticism that she has received.' In May last year at the Sydney Writers' Festival, Ms Triggs bizarrely criticised the editors of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, who were gunned down in Paris by Islamist extremists for mocking the Prophet Mohammad. An audience member who was there told Daily Mail Australia she described the cartoons published in that magazine as 'highly offensive to Muslims'. She described the artworks as 'causally connected' to the January 2015 murders of five cartoonists, at an event that was meant to be about free expression. A British doctor arrested for paying girls as young as 12 for sex in Cambodia had a suitcase packed with children's clothes and Barbie dolls, it has emerged. Clive Cressy, 69, from Hove, East Sussex, was arrested at a cafe in the capital Phnom Penh last Thursday after a police investigation and charged yesterday. The doctor is accused of paying for sex with four girls aged 12, 13, 14 and 15. Police claim he paid up to 2,300 to have sex with a virgin. After raiding his address, police are alleged to have found a stash of lubricants and sex toys. Scroll down for video British doctor Clive Cressy has been arrested for paying girls as young as 12 for sex in Cambodia. Police found he had a suitcase (pictured) packed with children's clothes and Barbie dolls, it has emerged Police found children's crayons, a passport and a doll during their investigation into Cressy Clive Cressy, 69, was arrested at a cafe in capital Phnom Penh last Thursday after a police investigation His Vietnamese girlfriend Chea Sokthy, 27, was also arrested at his apartment after being accused of procuring the youngsters. Yesterday, the pair appeared at the The Phnom Penh Municipal Court where they were both charged and remanded at the Prey Sar prison to await trial. Court spokesman Y Rin said Cressy had been charged with purchasing child prostitution while Sokthy with soliciting child prostitution. He said a trial would take place later this year but a date had not yet been set. Police raided Cressy's apartment and seized computer equipment, a camera, external hard drive and DVDs The doctor (pictured) is accused of paying for sex with four girls aged 12, 13, 14 and 15 Keo Thea, the Phnom Penh municipal anti-human trafficking police chief, said they had been following Cressy for a number of months. The doctor entered and left Cambodia a number of times during the investigation, police said. Cressy was arrested last week as he ate a sandwich in a shopping area of Phnom Penh known as the Russian Market. He was then ordered to lead child-protection police officers to his apartment where up to a dozen police searched suitcases, cupboards, drawers and allegedly found a number of sex toys - as well as 'normal' toys that could be used to keep children entertained. Keo Thea, the Phnom Penh municipal anti-human trafficking police chief, said officers had been following Cressy for a number of months Also seized were computers and still and video cameras. It is understood that inquiries are continuing into other possible child victims. A Cambodian news portal, NKD news, quoted on the expatriate website Khmer440, claimed that Cressy had been in Cambodia for a while as a tourist. He was described as being a qualified doctor living in Phnom Penh where he allegedly abused the children but it is believed he has actually retired. Police had reportedly been investigating him for some time after receiving complaints from the mothers of the girls who had allegedly been abused. According to NKD news, Cressy paid the 14-year-old $3,000 for her virginity while the younger girls were paid $200 to $300 to perform sex acts and for him being able to inappropriately touch them. Mr Thea said computers were being checked and they were 'doing more investigation' to trace other potential victims At his address, it is being alleged, police found Viagra, lubricants, sex toys and a number of pairs of girls' shoes. Because newspaper articles are in the Cambodian language, expatriates have asked for translations and learned from one that Cressy allegedly contacted someone to find and buy the four young girls and take them to his apartment. A company check shows a Hove address for 'Dr Clive Robert Kingsley Cressy'. He is listed on line as being a qualified translator in Swedish and his personal reading interests are children's literature, fiction and non-fiction works. He has interests in film, printing and publishing and tv, and his medical interests are in oncology, orthopaedics and radiology. Mihai Apostu pretended to be Italian, and lured his victim back to a house where he raped her A Romanian immigrant who bit and laughed at his victim as he raped her will likely be deported after serving a six year jail term. Mihai Apostu, 27, left his victim with numerous injuries when he started biting and hitting her after luring her back to a house following a night out in Hanley, Staffordshire. He posed as an Italian before he raped her last summer. On Tuesday, Apostu, of Shelton, Staffordshire, was jailed for six years after he admitted rape at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Judge Paul Glenn said: 'You had plainly realised she was affected by drink. She became concerned when you began to behave roughly with her. 'You bit her. You pulled her by the arms. You grabbed her by her head and ear and repeatedly pinched her. 'Repeatedly by this stage she was asking you to stop. Your response was to laugh, to ignore her and to carry on. 'She was quite plainly making it quite clear that she was not consenting at that stage to intercourse. 'But you did not stop. You carried on for a long period of time. She was left with unpleasant injuries. You actions had a profound effect on her.' Apostu moved to the UK two years ago and will be deported when he is released. He pleaded guilty to rape. Prosecuting, Jonathan Dickinson said: 'She told him to stop but he just laughed it off. 'He continued pulling her arms and grabbing her head and ears. All the time she was saying no. Apostu pleaded guilty to rape at Stoke-on-Trent crown court and was sentenced to six years in prison by a judge who said he would probably be deported 'He continued to grab at her all over her body. She was telling him she did not like it and to stop. He was hitting her and biting her while raping her. 'The defendant did not stop. He became more aggressive and bit her and hit her harder. She eventually stopped saying no. He was just laughing at her.' The victim confided to her friend about her ordeal and she contacted police. In a victim statement the woman said she has been left feeling humiliated, she has lost her confidence and now suffers from stress and anxiety. Peter McCartney, defending, said: 'It began as consensual sexual intercourse. When she told him to stop he did not. 'He is remorseful. He has stopped the victim from having to give evidence before a jury.' Apostu was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults. Renowned American novelist Ernest Hemingway led a shocking secret life as a Soviet spy, according to claims in a new book. The book, which claims to have access to top secret Soviet files smuggled out of Moscow, said Hemingway was recruited by the NKVD - the forerunner to the KGB - in 1940. The file suggested Hemingway wanted to work for Stalin on 'ideological grounds' rather than receive cash or other inducements and that he met Soviet spies outside America in the far-flung locations that he visited as a famous writer, such as China. Ernest Hemingway, pictured left, talking to German communist Gustav Regler, right, was reportedly recruited by the NKVD in 1940 and was given the codename 'Argo' Hemingway was a renowned war correspondent and received a bronze star for bravery Hemingway used his pleasure boat Pilar, pictured, in an effort to capture German submarines sailing in the Caribbean near his base in Cuba, without any success The startling revelations are detailed in a new book,'Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy' by former CIA officer Nicholas Reynolds and published by William Morrow. It is not known what exact task Hemingway was reportedly set by his recruiter Joseph Golos, but he is said to have been given the codename 'Argo'. Russian state archives are yet to release the secret files on the matter, and what is known is only available thanks to one file smuggled outside Russia by a rogue KGB spy, Mr Reynolds said. The book also offers an insight into the other complex set of relationships Hemingway enjoyed with American agencies including the FBI, Department of State, Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to the CIA. Hemingway, pictured here with Martha Gelhorn during the Spanish Civil War, wrote a play 'The Fifth Column' which featured an American counter-espionage agent pretending to be a journalist Mr Reynolds stumbled upon the Soviet connection one day in a book by former KGB officer Alexander Vassiliev which incorporated excerpts from Hemingway's official Soviet file which the KGB had smuggled out. 'The records of Hemingway's relationship with the NKVD showed that a Soviet operative had recruited Hemingway 'for our work on ideological grounds' around December 1940, at a time when Stalin ruled the Soviet Union with an iron hand and was aligned with Hitler under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact,' said Mr Reynolds. 'A lifelong Hemingway fan, I felt like I had taken an elbow deep in the gut when I read that he had signed on with the NKVD. How could this be? Hemingway, pictured on a chartered fishing boat, became increasingly paranoid later in life The author, pictured here in China in 1941 took his own life in 1961 following a spell in hospital 'Ultimately, I concluded that Hemingway's dalliance with the NKVD, and the political attitudes that explain it, made an important difference in his life and work, one that has been overlooked until now.' Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, short story writer and journalist, most famous for his book For Whom a Bell Tolls. Ernest Hemingway's action-filled life 1899: Born in Oak Park, Illinois 1916: Becomes a journalist in Kansas City 1917: Volunteers to serve in an ambulance unit in Italy during World War I where he was injured 1920s: Moves to Paris with a group of expatriate American writers. 1926: Publishes The Sun Also Rises 1929: Publishes A Call To Arms 1937: Covers the Spanish Civil War 1940: Writes For Whom the Bell Tolls 1944: Covers the D-Day landings and the invasion of Europe 1952: Publishes The Old Man and the Sea 1961: Takes his own life in Idaho Advertisement Hemingway was no stranger to conflict and agreed to report on the Spanish Civil War in 1937 for North American Newspaper Alliance. He reported on the conflict during World War Two and was present for the liberation of Paris. He received a Bronze Star for his bravery during the war in 1947. The book also details the writer's meeting in East Asia with communist leader Chou En-Lai who would become China's Premier and his various roles as an agent for the US Government. He hunted Nazi submarines with ONI-supplied munitions on his boat, Pilar, in the Caribbean and commanded an informant ring in Cuba called the Crook factory that reported to the embassy in Havana. '[dalliance with the NKVD] influenced many of the decisions he made during his last 15 years: where he lived, what he wrote, and how he acted,' explained Mr Reynolds. 'This chain of events even played a role in his suicide in 1961. Much of the drama played out in his mind, where he magnified it out of proportion. 'He did not understand politics and intrigue as well as he thought he did, and for long stretches of time overestimated his ability to control himself and others, even to change history. 'In the end, he began to understand his limits, and came to the tragic conclusion that the only way to reassert control was to kill himself.' An angry voter today accused Tim Farron of 'running this country down' as he confronted the Lib Dem leader on the campaign trail. Malcolm Baker, 65, a retired care worker who has an MBE for his charity fundraising, stood up to the party leader over his attempt to thwart Brexit. But the married father-of-two, who was celebrating his birthday today, was branded a 'f***ing idiot' by one of the party's supporters. Mr Baker also said that while he has been a life-long Labour voter he will be backing Theresa May in the General Election on June 8. In 2003 Mr Baker received an MBE from the Queen at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace for raising money for charity through his Elvis impersonation act, and has appeared on the ITV show Britain's Got Talent. In the angry clash in Kidlington near Oxford, the pensioner accused Mr Farron of talking Britain down. He said: 'You keep on about that we didn't know what we voted about, but we do though.' Mr Farron replied: 'Lots of my mates voted leave, I don't think they are racist.' But Mr Baker shot back: 'Yes you do, you keep going on all the time. 'I voted leave and I'm proud to have voted leave and I knew what I was voting for' The Lib Dem leader replied: 'Have you got grandchildren? Are you proud that they will inherit a poorer less powerful less secure country?' Malcolm Baker angrily confronts Tim Farron out on the campaign trail in Oxford today for his views over Brexit Mr Baker said he is proud Britain has voted to leave the EU and accused the Lib Dem leader of talking the country down But the 65 year-old said: 'Yes I do have grandchildren, and I'm proud that we will be coming out of Europe and we will have our own destiny, and not have people tell us we are going to pay 100 billion to get out. 'If that's your policy I hope you only get six seats.' The pensioner then walks away from the Lib Dem leader, before telling reporters: 'I tell you what, I've always voted Labour but I'll be voting for Theresa May.' Mr Baker, who turns 65 today, said he hopes that the Lib Dems lose seats in the election Mr Farron's campaign rally was already suffering a minor hiccup as Cillian, the child of Laura Coyle, the Lib Dem candidate for Henley, had burst into tears He added: 'I'm fed up of hearing this chap keeping on running Britain down. We are a fantastic country.' Mr Baker, who last year was given an award for his care work and retired earlier this year, accused the party leader of being an 'absolute disgrace' as he was surrounded by press and supporters waving Lib Dem placards out in a high street. But as he tells the crowd that he will be voting for Mrs May one man tells him he is a 'f***ing idiot'. Mr Baker, a keen England rugby fan, is a care worker who last year was honoured at the annual care and support awards. He has performed as Elvis at charity gigs to raise funds for children's hospitals and the elderly. He told the Mail Online that for the first time in his life he will not vote Labour at the General Election because he does not trust Jeremy Corbyn with Britain's security. Mr Baker said he does not agree with Mr Corbyn's opposition to trident, Britain's nuclear deterrent, and said his shadow home secretary Diane Abbott is 'incompetent'. Malcolm Baker, 65, pictured in his Elvis impersonator costume. He performs as the king of rock and roll to raise money for charity and has received an MBE form the Queen for his work The grandfather-of-one said he is a lifelong Labour supporter but has decided to vote for Theresa May's Conservative Party because he does not trust Jeremy Corbyn to lead Britain The care worker, who received his MBE when Tony Blair was PM, told the Mail Online: Tony Blair was centre left, Jeremy Corbyn is left of left. There are a lot of Labours policies which I love, but at this present moment in time I prefer, I feel more comfortable with five years of a Tory government led by Theresa May than I would a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn. I think Mrs May is quite strong willed, she is a woman. I think having a woman as a Prime Minister wold be a good thing for this country. I, like a lot of the shadow cabinet who resigned, have no faith in Jeremy as a leader. His history shows that he was always rebelling against the party, against various Labour prime ministers. He was a rebel. I dont think he has got the right temperament and qualities to be a leader. I think Mrs May does. The pensioner said he is fed up with remoaners who oppose Brexit lecturing the public about what they think. He said: I know how I feel and I know how a lot of my friends feel. They are feeling the same way as me. Key facts about Oxford West and Abingdon It is a moderately safe Conservative seat. Nicola Blackwood had a majority of 9,582 at the 2015 General Election - the Tories' 16th smallest majority in south-east England. It is one of the Liberal Democrats' top targets in the South East, and would need a swing of 8.5 per cent to change hands. The area of West Oxfordshire voted 54 per cent Remain in the EU referendum. The city of Oxford voted 70 per cent Remain. The Tories have held the seat since 2010. The Lib Dems previously held the seat from 1997 to 2010. Advertisement Mr Baker brushed off the abuse he received from one of Mr Farrons supporters, saying it was just a remoaner outburst. He said: 'It doesn't mater to me - water off a duck's back. These remoaners you see.' And he dismissed negative Brexit briefings coming from Brussels as sabre-rattling. He said: I hope that we get a very strong negotiation and a deal which suits everybody. (The EU) is just sabre-rattling. If Im honest I would say that the European leaders are playing mischievous games during an election. They are throwing spokes into the wheel. Mr Baker, who performed in front of Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan in the first series of Britains Got Talent, said he approached Mr Farron because he wanted to get his frustration of his chest. He told Sky News that he approached Mr Farron because he wanted to get a few things of his chest. He said: Its something that Ive been wanting to do for at least the last year, since the Brexit vote, and its ironic that its happened on my 65th birthday because I did want to get certain things off my chest with Tim Farron. There are various politicians that wind me up very much on the television, and Tim Farron is Im afraid one of them. He said Britons who voted to leave the EU knew exactly what they were doing and it is undemocratic for the Lib Dems to try to change that decision. He said: When I went and put my cross on the leave side of the ballot I knew exactly what I was voting for. And as a Liberal Democrat the democracy of this country is that we had an election, the result was we leave, we dont need another referendum. He said Britain is can succeed outside of Europe and needs a leader will be fighting for Britain. The lifelong labour supporter also said he is throwing his support behind Mrs May. He said: This will be the first time I have ever voted in the General Election for the Conservatives. Tim Farron tried to make a virtue of the humiliating confrontation by saying it showed his campaign events are not stage-managed and are open to anyone For me, Theresa May is strong, she has got this country at heart, she is going to this country for a mandate. Jeremy Corbyn is from a distant past, a left wing of the party, and things have moved forward. Mr Farron was out in the the constituency of Oxford West and Abingdon, which the Lib Dems held from 1997 until 2010. The area voted by a majority to stay in the EU and the Lib Dems hope to snatch it back from the Tories on June 8. But it will be a tough task as Tory health minister Nicola Blackwood has a majority of more than 9,500 in the constituency. Mr Baker's angry words sums up the fury many millions of voters feel towards the Lib Dems, who have mounted a bid to thwart Brexit. After initially walking off, he returned for a less heated chat with Mr Farron, joking: 'I've got no eggs on me whatsoever.' He added: 'Don't tell people who voted Leave that they didn't know what they were voting for.' The pair parted with Mr Farron wishing Mr Baker, who turned 65 on Wednesday, a happy birthday. But the pensioner was not the only aggrieved voter to make their feelings known during the Oxford West campaign event. Shortly before Mr Farron arrived in Kidlington High Street, a passer-by shouted at the group of Lib Dem activists waiting for the leader: 'You and the coalition, bloody Cameron' before booing. But Mr Farron insisted the party is winning back the voters who deserted it last time round. The Lib Dems want to hold a second referendum on the deal Britain gets in the hope that it can reverse last year's historic vote. And yesterday Nick Clegg, its former leader and one of its last remaining MPs, said the party will campaign to stay in the EU. He said the party wants to 'secure a referendum on the final agreement, so that the people can judge for themselves whether it is right future for the country. 'That referendum will offer two choices; accept the deal, or remain in the EU. 'Liberal Democrats will campaign for a remain vote.' Mr Farron tried to make a virtue of the humiliating confrontation. He said that unlike Theresa May, he is happy to meet and debate anyone. Farhan Mirza, 38 (pictured) pretended he was a doctor to seduce wealthy Muslim women on an online dating site A fake doctor who posed in scrubs to seduce wealthy Muslim women on a dating site before blackmailing them with sex tapes has been ordered to pay nearly 3,500 to his victims. Farhan Mirza, 38, was working as a taxi driver but convinced single women looking for potential husbands on matchmaking website Shaadi.com that he was a high-flying doctor. He then made covert films which showed them naked, before threatening to publish the footage unless they gave him money. His victims included a real doctor, a journalist and a psychology graduate. Mirza, described in court as a 'sexual and financial predator', was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in November last year. Newport Crown Court heard Mirza had pocketed 8,500 through his crimes. A Proceeds of Crime hearing has now ruled that Mirza can only afford to pay back 3,425. Judge Daniel Williams said Mirza has 28 days to repay the money or face an additional three months to his sentence. Timothy Evans, prosecuting, told the court Mirza had gone on a marriage website to target women who had money and could fund his lifestyle. Mr Evans said: 'There are cases where there are women who targeted because they were vulnerable and naive. That is not this case. 'Mirza wanted women who worked, who were single, who had money and their own income. Newport Crown Court heard Mirza (pictured outside court) had pocketed 8,500 through his crimes. Mirza (pictured outside court) has been ordered to pay back 3,425 'He targeted women who had money available to bank roll him and his family.' Mr Evans added that the women were 'intelligent, but eventually duped and pressurised.' Mirza, who lives with his mother Abertillery, Gwent, denied nine charges including voyuerism, fraud, theft and blackmail but was found guilty by a jury. The court heard he met two of the women through a website and a third, a doctor, when she treated his mother in hospital. He continued his ruse by hanging surgical scrubs in his wardrobe and carrying a stethoscope in his car. Mirza (pictured), described in court as a 'sexual and financial predator', was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in November last year The conman then threatened to bring shame upon the victims and their families unless they paid him. Judge Tom Crowther QC described Mirza's actions as 'a pitiless scheme' and said he had shown 'contempt' for the three women he targeted. 'You photographed two of the women without their knowledge - one during sex and one after. You led the third believe you had taken intimate photographs. You threatened release of photographs into the world,' the judge said. 'The fear of exposure of unguarded and private moments is a universal one. There is, however, an additional factor at play here. Each of these women was Muslim by faith and by heritage. 'Each of them knew the consequences of these films being released was devastating.' One woman told the jury her liberal family, who do not live in the UK, would disown her and she feared for their safety if the films were made public. Speaking after the case, PC Pat Maguire of Gwent Police said Mirza had shown no remorse for his crimes. 'Mirza made his three victims believe he was wealthy and looking for marriage,' he said. 'He created a fake profile on a dating website, posing as a doctor, to lure in two of his victims. He gained their friendship and trust and then exploited the relationships for his own personal gains. 'Mirza purposefully targeted women from a culture where honour is held in high regard and used this to strengthen his threats and make them feel more vulnerable and alone.' Video footage shows the bizarre 'ghost sea' in a vast Chinese desert. The mirage appeared on May 30 on the edge of the Flaming Mountains in Shanshan County. Footage shows tourists on a viewing platform taking pictures of the phenomenon. How strange: Footage shows the effect which appears to look like rolling waves of the sea A sight to behold: In the footage, the ripples almost look like crashing waves In the footage, ripples almost looking like crashing waves can be seen in the distance. According to CGTN, the wave effect occurs when light rays penetrate air layers of a different density. They then reflect to show an image of far away objects. This is often referred to as a 'Fata Morgana'. The Flaming Mountains are located in Turpan, China's Xinjiang province (File photo) The Flaming Mountains is the hottest place in China with temperatures reaching 47 degrees WHAT IS A FATA MORGANA? A Fata Morgana is a type of mirage that distort distance objects, and can be can be seen on land or sea. It's caused when the sun heats up the atmosphere above the land or oceans, which creates a gradient of temperatures. The air close to the surface is relatively cool and above that are layers of warmer air. When light hits a boundary between two layers of the atmosphere that are different temperatures and as a result different densities it bends and travels at a different angle. Our brain assumes that light travels in a straight paths , so when it bends, we think the object is where it would be if the light's path runs straight. Advertisement A Fata Morgana is a type of mirage that distort distance objects, and can be can be seen on land or sea. It is a common occurrence in Xinjiang province in the far north west of China. Visitors can see the mirage from May to October when the weather is rather warm. The Flaming Mountains are located in the north of Turpan. It is the hottest place in China with the highest temperature reaching around 47 degrees in summer. The mountains are located in the most inaccessible region on earth and is some 1,550 miles away from the nearest coastline. The area was made popular thanks to a classical Chinese novel, The Journey to the West which was later turned into a film. Neither rain nor winds will prevent the rescheduled groundbreaking for the Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital from taking place Monday, beginning at 10 a.m. The public is invited to attend this milestone event, both for Erlanger and residents of Chattanooga and this region. As previously announced, elected officials and hospital representatives will be on hand to help celebrate breaking ground at 804 Holtzclaw Ave. This 88-bed hospital is a joint effort between Erlanger and Acadia Healthcare, which owns the nations largest network of mental health facilities. The two-story, 69,000-square foot facility is being built on the corner of North Holtzclaw and Citico Avenues. It will include 24 beds for geriatric patients, 24 for adults, 18 for children and adolescents, and 22 for substance abuse patients. This is a much-needed treatment center that has received overwhelming support from the community, said officials. Parking will be provided for attendees at the groundbreaking site. America test-fired an inter-continental ballistic missile capable of landing a nuke virtually anywhere on earth for the second time in a week on Wednesday. An unarmed Minuteman 3 missile, with an effective range of 8,000 miles, was launched from a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 12.02am. The missile struck a target approximately 4,200 miles away on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, military chiefs said. The US military test-fired a Minuteman 3 missile, which is capable of landing a nuke virtually anywhere on earth, from a site in California (pictured, silo opening) The test, which took 10 months to plan, comes amid tensions between North Korea and President Trump over Kim Jong-un's own nuclear missile program. The launch was designed to test the accuracy and readiness of a weapon that was first developed during the Cold War but still forms the backbone of America's nuclear threat. The U.S. is estimated to have 450 such missiles, located in silos across the country. It was the second such launch in seven days from the Central California coastal base. Last week's had been delayed from the fall. Wednesday's test saw a single decoy warhead delivered to the target. The missile can carry up to three. The missile was launched at 12.02am (pictured) and landed a single decoy warhead on a Pacific island more than 4,200 miles away The military said the launch was designed to test the accuracy and effectiveness of the weapon, which was developed during the Cold War (pictured in flight) North Korea is known to possess missiles with a range of up to 930 miles, and is though to be developing a new projectile, the Taepodong-2, which has an estimated maximum range of around 3,700 miles. It is thought the nation attempted to test one of the missiles in 2006, but it failed shortly after launch. The dictatorship claims to have successfully launched a Taepodong-1 rocket in 1998, saying it put the first North Korea satellite into orbit. Experts disagree, saying the launch failed. The Taepodong-1 is thought to have a range of around 3,000 miles, though analysts believe it was never meant to be used as a weapon. It is the second time in a week that one of the $7million missiles has been launched from the same California base (April 26 launch pictured) The launch comes amid a tense standoff between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump over North Korea's own missile tests, though military chiefs say Wednesday's test was not related Fresh missile tests by North Korea and its progress toward developing a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States have made the isolated communist dictatorship one of America's top national security concerns. The U.S. has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test However, President Donald Trump on Monday said he might be willing to meet with that country's dictator, Kim Jong Un. 'If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it,' Trump told Bloomberg. An artist has been forced to rework a giant statue built for Thailand's late king after the inclusion of Apple, Facebook and Google logos on it caused an outcry. Artist Pitak Chalermlao included the logos on a two-metre tall statue of the Garuda - a half-bird half-human creature in Hindu and Buddhist mythology - as a way of paying tribute to King Bhumibol Adulyadej's embrace of technology. But their inclusion sparked a backlash when photos of the statue were published online, prompting their removal and an apology from the artist. Mr Chalermlao said: 'I have to apologise, I did this job to show my pride for His Majesty like everyone else.' He added that Bhumibol 'was a thinker' who 'made the world a smaller place' and that those tech companies became influential during his reign. The Apple and Google logos were nestled in the centre of each of the Garuda's wings while a Facebook logo was etched onto the animal's belt buckle. The Apple logo was included in the centre of each of Gaurda's wings and sparked a backlash Critics argued that Apple, Google (logo circled) and Facebook would have 'smiled at such advertising during a key event' The artist had included the logos (included Facebook, pictured) as a way of paying tribute to King Bhumibol Adulyadej's embrace of technology After they were published online, there was a backlash against the logos. 'I think it was not suitable for a cremation site,' one user wrote on the popular Thai forum Pantip. Another added: 'Apple, Google and Facebook would have smiled at such free advertising during a key event.' Cremations for senior Thai royals are huge, arcane and costly affairs, but a monarch's funeral - the last one was in 1950 - is on an even more monumental scale. The 50-metre high funeral complex springing up outside Bangkok's Grand Palace will be adorned with hundreds of statues, from Hindu gods to animals and mythical beasts. The cremation will take place on October 26 as part of a five day send-off planned for the monarch. His rule spanned seven tumultuous decades that witnessed significant economic growth but saw democratic aspirations wilt under the weight of multiple palace-endorsed coups. The monarchy is also shielded by a draconian lese majeste law that has seen critics sentenced to decades behind bars. The law was used more frequently towards the end of Bhumibol's reign, often for comments posted on social media. The Apple and Google logos were inserted in the centre of each of the wings while a Facebook logo was etched onto the animal's belt buckle Logos for the tech giants were initially included on a two-metre tall statue of Garuda as a way of paying tribute to the late king's embrace of technology An Australian woman says her romantic New Year's Eve getaway was ruined after her drink was spiked in Thailand. Anna Johnson, 28, traveled to Phi Phi Island with her boyfriend and despite being careful while out at night she was left unable to to see or control her body. The brand manager from Sydney said her boyfriend always got the drinks but she bought one herself when he was distracted talking to another couple. Anna Johnson, 28, says her romantic New Year's Eve getaway with her boyfriend was ruined after her drink was spiked in Thailand Despite being careful while out at night in Phi Phi Island she was left unable to to see or control her body About an hour later Ms Johnson started to feel unwell but her boyfriend thought she just had too much to drink and went to fetch her a glass of water. 'I remember sitting down and trying to look for him but apparently I was rolling around and my eyes were rolling back into my head,' she told News Corp. 'My partner then knew straight away what had happened. I couldn't see at all and I couldn't move my legs.' The couple visited a bar by the beach on Phi Phi Island (pictured) MOST POPULAR COUNTRIES WARNED FOR DRINK SPIKING Indonesia United Kingdom Thailand Japan India Malaysia Vietnam Hong Kong Italy Germany Advertisement Assisted by her boyfriend, Ms Johnson threw up in the bathroom to remove as much of the spiked drink from her system as soon as possible and was eventually able to get home. But she still felt 'fuzzy' the next day and after dinner the next day her symptoms returned despite not drinking alcohol. The couple were frequent visitors to Thailand and even their bike hire shop didn't think they were at risk traveling as a couple. 'But he said there has been a heavy increase in drinks being spiked, especially on Phi Phi,' Ms Johnson said. She warned others to be careful as it could happen to even the most experienced travelers. Thailand is one of 10 popular destinations for Australian tourists that the Department of Foreign Affairs issued warnings about drink spiking. A man charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting 11 women and girls has been accused of robbing and sexually assaulting a twelfth woman. He is accused of the alleged sexual assault and armed robbery of a woman in Parramatta in Sydney's west in May 2016. The man is said to have held a 20-year-old woman against her will, sexually assaulting her, robbing her at knife point and stealing $2,500 and her Canadian drivers license, reported Nine News. A man charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting 11 women and girls has been accused of robbing and sexually assaulting a twelfth woman. Pictured are police arresting him in Bondi in 2016 in his initial arrest He was arrested at Parklea Correctional Centre on Tuesday, where he has been held since his dramatic initial arrest in Bondi in 2016. He was arrested on 25 June 2016 following a police pursuit at Bondi and later charged with numerous offences including aggravated sexual and indecent assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, and police pursuit. Following further reports and investigations he was charged in relation to the alleged sexual or indecent assault of a further nine victims, which include a ten-year-old girl. He appeared in Central Local Court on Wednesday charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault, robbery armed with offensive weapon, detain with intent to commit serious indictable offence and indecent assault. He was refused bail and will reappear in court next week to face all 76 charges. The man allegedly sexually assaulted and robbed a woman in Sydney's west in May 2016. He has already been charged with the kidnapping and sexual assault of 11 other women and girls and was arrested at Parklea Correctional Centre on Tuesday for the alleged twelfth attack He was arrested in 2016 in Bondi (pictured) after a police pursuit and charged with aggravated sexual and indecent assault, kidnapping, armed robbery, and police pursuit. On Wednesday he faced court and was refused bail for the alleged twelfth attack Joel Puglia of Rock Hill, South Carolina, has been charged with burglary and petit larceny A man was arrested for breaking into his neighbor's house to make a pimento cheese sandwich, police said. Joel Puglia, 55, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, has been charged with burglary and petit larceny after authorities said he entered the locked house Saturday, the Rock Hill Herald reported. The stolen goods included a drink of clear moonshine, a Clover Valley kosher whole dill pickle, a scoop of Newk's pimento cheese and two slices of bread. The homeowner had installed the cameras after noticing things had gone missing inside his house. He alerted authorities on Saturday when the surveillance cameras in his house revealed Puglia helping himself to the food in his refrigerator. He started making a sandwich and took a pickle from an unopened jar, the homeowner told police. A responding deputy found a fork in the sink, which the homeowner said he did not use, according to a York County Sheriff's Office report. Puglia, who is renting another property from the homeowner, told deputies he broke in because 'he was hungry and did not have anything to eat at his house', the report said. Puglia, who said he pushed the locked door open, also admitted to entering the home on Dunlap Roddey Road on other occasions. Wichai Kwanprom broadcast himself attempting a hang his five-year-old daughter on Facebook live A depraved father has broadcast a video of himself attempting to hang his five-year-old daughter on Facebook. On Friday Wichai Kwanprom streamed the attempted killing on Facebook Live - days after a man in Phuket hanged his 11-month-old daughter in an online video before killing himself. In distressing scenes, Kwanprom put a rope around the neck of the child, stating: 'This rope will send me and my daughter to a better place.' He later told police he did it to get his wife's attention, accusing her of cheating on him, Coconuts Bangkok reports. He was released without charge. The horrifying footage was filmed at Kwanprom's home in the Phetachabun province in Thailand. He released his daughter after she started crying. Police lieutenant colonel Kritsanapong Patsit, said the father was released after having his 'attitude adjusted'. He said he returned from working in Bangkok to find his daughter alone at home, while his wife was allegedly with another man. The horrifying footage showed the father attempt to hang his five-year-old daughter, although he later claimed he did not mean to kill her The young girl is now being cared for by Wichai Kwanprom's sister after the attempted hanging, broadcast on Facebook Live Last week 20-year-old father Wuttisan Wongtalay hanged his 11-month-old daughter Beta in an abandoned building in Phuket. He streamed the video on Facebook Live. Two video clips of the disturbing incident were accessible on the fathers Facebook profile for around 24 hours. It is understood they were posted using the Facebook Live video service on Monday and finally removed a day later. The first clip was watched 112,000 times and the second 258,000 times. Local media reported that Wongtalay, suspected his wife Jiranuch Trirat of having an affair and had threatened to kill her in a jealous rage earlier that day. He then went onto storm out of the house with the baby. Lt Col Sanit Nookhong of the Thai Royal Police said the murder-suicide was an act of jealousy. Killer: Wuttisan Wongtalay (left), hanged himself and daughter Beta (pictured with mother Jiranuch Trirat, (right). He is pictured on the right holding his daughter Advertisement A British admiral's stunning collection of photos from his time in the Far East provide a fascinating glimpse into Korea - 40 years before it was split in two. Admiral Sir Arthur Moore was able to freely explore the Korean Peninsula during his service as Commander-in-Chief of the China Station between 1906 and 1908. He compiled a collection of photographs - which have been unearthed after 110 years - that cover his travels by ship and boat in China, Korea and Thailand and his interest in the places and people he encountered. Some of the places he visited would now be off limits to travellers because access to North Korea under the rule of dictator Kim Jong-un is notoriously difficult. A British admiral's stunning collection of photos from his time in the Far East provide a fascinating glimpse into Korea - 40 years before it was split in two. One picture (above), taken between 1906 and 1908, shows the entrance to a palace in Seoul, the capital of what is now South Korea Admiral Sir Arthur Moore was able to freely explore the Korean Peninsula during his service as Commander-in-Chief of the China Station between 1906 and 1908. One of his photos shows low-rise accommodation in Seoul - now a sprawling city with sktscrapers In one of his photos, taken between 1906 and 1908 and called 'a Street Scene', Admiral Moore captured adults going about their everyday lives and children playing in Seoul Admiral Moore visited Korea during the later days of the Korean Empire under the rule of Emperor Gojong who oversaw the partial modernisation of the country. Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 and remained under Japanese rule until the end of the Second World War. It was then divided into two zones by the United States and the Soviet Union, with the north occupied by the Soviets and the south by the Americans. An invasion by North Korea led to the Korean War of 1950. There was a ceasefire in 1953, but no peace treaty was signed. Some of Moore's pictures show the Yangtze River, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Peking, Shanghai and Seoul. The stunning collection also showed Seoul covered in snow. Some of the places Moore visited would now be off limits to travellers because access to North Korea under the rule of dictator Kim Jong-un is notoriously difficult Moore (centre) compiled a collection of photographs - which have been unearthed after 110 years - that cover his travels by ship and boat in China, Korea and Thailand and his interest in the places and people he encountered A selection of stunning temples and palaces feature prominently in the album including the entrance to the shrine of Confucius in Peking (now Beijing) and a majestic Pagoda. Adm Moore was also interested in taking photos of the natives going about their every day lives so there are bustling street scenes and children playing as well as photos of universities and sea ports. His album features powerful images taken after the Nanchang massacre of 1906 and a big typhoon in Hong Kong that year. Admiral Moore also posed with fellow naval officers in one of the photos. In total, there are 235 photos which have emerged for auction and they are tipped to sell for 6,000. Moore was born in Frittenden, Kent, in 1847 and joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1860 aged just 13. In 1881 he was given command of the battleship HMS Invincible in the Mediterranean fleet and in 1882 he commanded the corvette HMS Orion in the Anglo-Egyptian War where he was present at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir. The Commander-in-Chief of the China Station took pictures of the Shrine of Confucius (left), Temple of Heaven (centre) and the Summer Palace (right) on a visit to what is now Beijing Fascinating pictures show Seoul - in what is now South Korea - years before Korea was split in two. The photos are due to go under the hammer at auction and could fetch 6,000 Adm Moore was also interested in taking photos of the natives going about their every day lives so there are bustling street scenes and children playing as well as photos of universities and sea ports. The picture above shows an unknown port in China In 1906 Moore was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the China Station at a fascinating time in Chinese history in the dying embers of The Qing dynasty, the last imperial dynasty in China, which ended in 1911. These pictures show various views of what is now Beijing in China As Commander-in-Chief of the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station he took part in the closing phases of the Second Boer War. In 1906 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the China Station at a fascinating time in Chinese history in the dying embers of The Qing dynasty, the last imperial dynasty in China, which ended in 1911. Adm Moore died aged 86 in 1934 and was recognised as 'a fine seaman wholehearted in his profession, a gifted leader and a capable administrator'. Cecilie Gosselholm, specialist at London based Sotheby's who are auctioning off the photos, said: 'Sir Arthur Moore served as Commander-in-Chief of the China station in the early 1900s and these photos belonged to his personal collection. 'They were taken by British naval officers and local photographers while he was there doing his service. 'There are portraits, views and images of the aftermath of the Hong Kong thypoon and Nanchang massacre. 'He's annotated each photo and they offer an interesting contemporary view of China and Korea.' The auction takes place on May 9. A paralysed golden retriever is able to go for walks again after her doting owner fitted her with prosthetic paws. Six-year-old Molly was born unable to use her lower body because her spinal cord and vertebrae were deformed. Her back legs would get in the way and became covered in sores because of poor circulation. Molly was adopted by Jessie Pickard, from Virginia, USA, three years ago and, thanks to her new owner, she was fitted with specialist prosthetics that help her keep up with her canine friends. Six-year-old Molly was born unable to use her lower body because her spinal cord and vertebrae were deformed Molly was adopted by Jessie Pickard, from Virginia, USA, three years ago and, thanks to her doting owner, Molly was fitted with specialist prosthetics Ms Pickard, 46, adoption co-ordinator for golden retriever rescue (GRREAT), said: 'Since receiving her specialist prosthetics Molly is doing amazingly well. 'We foster special needs dogs and try to find them good homes, but Molly is deemed unadoptable because of her health issues and so we decided to become her permanent foster family. 'I immediately fell in love with her story and knew she needed a real home, she had already been passed around so many times. Molly (left and right) still has to visit several specialists every year who have made a huge difference to her health and happiness The prosthetics mean Molly (pictured left) can keep up with her canine friends during walks 'Ever since she was born she learnt to walk around on her two front paws but we wanted something extra to help her. 'We have tried using a wheelchair but because she has the use of her front paws she is not a candidate for wheels. Ms Pickard (pictured with Molly) said the prosthetics cost about 850 'We found Derrick Campana at Animal Ortho Care who suggested Orthotics would help and so he designed Molly a custom-made pair in pink camo. 'As well as helping her stand like a normal dog, they also protect the sores she has on her legs due to her poor circulation. 'In total they cost $1,100 (850) and have been a huge support for Molly, she can now run faster than ever.' Molly regularly visits several specialists every year who have made a huge difference to her health and happiness. Ms Pickard added: 'She has acupuncture, cold laser, and B12 therapy, as well as seeing a specialist for chiropractic treatment. 'The changes have been amazing and she even has some movement in her toes that hadn't been there before. 'Molly deserves to be treated and so she also sees a personal groomer for a monthly spa treatment to keep her squeaky clean and fluffy.' Despite her disabilities, Ms Pickard insists Molly is just like any other dog and loves to play ball. Despite her disabilities, Ms Pickard insists Molly is just like any other dog and loves to play ball 'Molly is unstoppable, she is capable of almost anything and doesn't know she is any different,' she said. 'She has a huge personality and loves swimming, she wears a life jacket whenever she goes in the water which is adorable. 'Because Molly is paralysed from the waist down she wears a harness with a handle on it so we can help her if needed, the harness also holds up her diaper. 'Unfortunately she also has kidney failure and is more susceptible to serious infections, but we are trying our best to keep any illness at bay in order to prolong her life.' Life in North Korea is often thought of as bleak, but it seems there is a stylish side to the Hermit Kingdom hipster haircuts. Sydney students Aleksa Vulovic, 24, and Alex Apollonov, 25, jetted to the reclusive state last year after reports the government was imposing strict hair-cut laws. Mr Vulovic told Daily Mail Australia the friends got a trendy trim after landing in Pyongyang for a government group tour. They said the result showed there was more to the North than meets the eye. Scroll down for video Sydney students Aleksa Vulovic (left), 24, and Alex Apollonov, 25, went to North Korea last year (pictured: the friends visit the Mansu Hill Grand Monumen) The friends were inspired after seeing reports the country had imposed strict hair cut laws on its citizens The friends were inspired after seeing reports the country had imposed strict hair cut laws on its citizens with a choice of limited hairstyles (pictured: hair styles inside a barber shop in Pyongyang) Mr Vulovic put the supposed state-sanctioned haircuts to the test by showing the barber an image of something excluded from their list - a hipster hairdo. She did a great job. It was better than any haircuts I've had in Australia, he said. It just goes to show there is a lot of discrepancies between the truth and what we hear about the North. I think people should take what they hear with a grain of salt. He said they found the living standards in North Korea to be 'pretty good overall' and that it was 'quite nice in the cities.' The friends filmed the experience on an SLR camera in for a documentary uploaded to YouTube this week. We were just supposed to be there as tourists and not actually filming like we were, so I would be hesitant to go back, he said. The friends filmed the experience on an SLR camera in for a documentary uploaded to YouTube 'I think people should take what they hear with a grain of salt: They said there is more to North Korea than meets the eye The pair said they were hesitant to return to the country after breaking the rules of their visa He said recent boiling tensions between the US and North Korea show people need to change their perspective. Its really spinning out of control. I think it could be different if people changed their perspective.' 'We see them as this crazy country that wants to blow up the world for no reason. A lot of the time its taken out of context. Its pretty unfortunate. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have reached a boiling point recently (pictured: a military parade last month) Kim Jong-un accused the US of pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war on Tuesday Fears of conflict on the Korean peninsula have reached a flash-point in the past month. The North is believed to be considering conducting its sixth nuclear test in defiance of pressure from the United States. Kim Jong-un accused the US of pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war on Tuesday after American bombers carried out training drills nearby. Muhibur Rahman, 19, was spotted by the officer as he robbed a man of his phone A teenage thug who mugged a stranger before stabbing a policeman as he tried to flee has been jailed for four years. Muhibur Rahman, 19, was spotted by the officer as he robbed a 20-year-old man of his phone at knifepoint outside a Tesco Express store on a busy main road. He held a knife to the victim's throat before throwing him to the ground four months ago on the high street in Stoke Newington, North London. Police Sergeant Carroll Weeden, who was patrolling the area on January 11, chased Rahman who tried to escape on a bicycle at about 5.40pm. When she caught up with him and tried to arrest him, he stabbed her in the arm. But she carried on chasing him - and arrested him with the help of onlookers. Sgt Weeden's skin was not punctured but she suffered extensive bruising. Rahman, from Stoke Newington, admitted robbery, possession of a knife and assault with intent to resist arrest. After he was jailed at Wood Green Crown Court, Sgt Carroll Weeden said: 'I am pleased that the court was able to recognise the gravity, seriousness and effects of knife crime on the victim of the knife-point robbery and me as a police officer. 'Police face increasing danger on a daily basis, and without fear or favour, put themselves in the line of danger regularly, with the risk of facing the gravest of consequences in doing so. 'I believe that I had a very lucky escape that night, and I am acutely aware that things could have been much more serious. I am immensely proud of the colleagues who came to my aid. I would like to thank members of the public who helped me that night and who showed tremendous courage, bravery and public spirit.' Detective Inspector Paul Ridley, who led the investigation by Hackney CID, said: 'Sergeant Weeden showed enormous courage in the most adverse circumstances. 'It was only through sheer fortune that the knife blade did not make contact with the officer's face or neck which could have proved fatal. 'CCTV footage and the radio transmission made by Sergeant Weedon on the night demonstrate the immediate and unexpected adversity that police officers can encounter. 'Despite the over-arching risk that confronted her, she was still able to capture and detain this violent offender. 'The sentence imposed by the judge and the comments made reflect that any individual carrying and using knives, especially against police officers, will be jailed for a considerable period.' Rahman was handed three years for the robbery, a one-year sentence to run consecutively for the assault, and a three-month concurrent sentence for the knife. Rahman held a knife to the victim's throat before throwing him to the ground four months ago on the high street in Stoke Newington, North London Sgt Weeden had been working her third day in the Stoke Newington and Clissold Park neighbourhood policing team when she was attacked. The mother-of-two said: 'I was walking towards the police station and I could hear loud noises, but they can be quite common in and around that area. 'It got my attention, so I turned round, and I could see Rahman trying to get on his bike running towards me. 'I chased him and noticed another member of the public chasing him too, and I managed to pin him against the window of a barber shop. 'That was when he took a lunge with the knife in a stabbing motion - he just missed the member of the public, but he caught me on the arm and drew down. 'I thought I'd been stabbed, I was stunned. He took that lunge with intent and struck my arm through my thick coat and Met vest. 'I don't know how I wasn't stabbed. It took a pounding and it was bruised and is still quite painful, but I'm very fortunate. 'He ran off again so I chased and up ahead, another member of the public had detained him and I handcuffed him. Rahman robbed a 20-year-old man of his phone at knifepoint outside a Tesco Express store 'It was really reassuring that members of the public stepped forwards and assisted, it showed the really good public spirit of Hackney.' Sgt Weeden, who has been a police officer for nearly nine years, said she has been assaulted before, but never with 'that level of violence'. She added: 'I've been assaulted before but not in Hackney. 'Once, we detained a suspect who was high on Class A drugs and when I tried to restrain him, I ended up with a dislocated knee which needed major surgery. 'He tried to bite my colleague too - all of these things do happen. But I've never had someone look me in the eye with that level of violence before that close.' Sgt Weeden worked in youth justice, mental health outreach, victim support and occupational therapy before joining the Metropolitan Police in 2008. She believes that it is 'becoming more normalised' for youths to carry weapons, and says a 'multi-faceted' approach is needed to eradicate knife crime. She added: 'I personally think it's becoming more normalised for people to pick up knives. Police Sergeant Carroll Weeden, who was patrolling the area on January 11, chased Rahman who tried to escape on a bicycle (pictured) at about 5.40pm 'When I worked in youth justice, we used to do cognitive behavioural therapy with young people to encourage them to think before they act, but with knife crime there's no thinking - it's become a normalised accessory. 'If there is any thinking, there is going to be premeditation like in this case. 'Any approach to it is multi-faceted - stop and search is a good tool when used proportionally and effectively, and it's a bigger issue than that for other agencies. 'We as police officers can't deal with it in isolation - we have to work with the community and engagement opportunities. 'Fear of crime is getting worse too, and that perpetuates people carrying knives. There's that link with mental health too.' Sgt Weeden praised her colleagues' bravery, and says there is a real fear that she will not return from work amid rising violent crime. She said: 'I've seen other officers confront people with machetes, and I see how brave and courageous they are on a daily basis with the smallest of things. When the police officer caught up with Rahman (rear right, next to lampost) and tried to arrest him, he stabbed her in the arm. But she carried on chasing him and eventually caught him 'Rahman could easily have taken a life or two with the simplest and smallest of actions, and I don't think that message gets through. 'There's a ripple effect of consequences for people's families, and it makes you think every time you leave for work 'am I going to come home?' 'It's the first time something to this level has happened to me, and it really does make you think. 'I am a police officer, and I did sign up for this job, but I'm a human being too and no one would sign up to that level of harm or risk - it's not a free reign to perpetuate violence against officers, and I'm equally a mum, daughter and aunt.' She spoke as the Met Police launched an 80-strong task force to tackle the epidemic of soaring knife crime. A squad of covert and uniform officers is to be deployed to trouble spots at a moment's notice to curb flare ups of violence across the capital. The moves comes as police are battling a 24 per cent rise in knife crime in London amid a stream of stabbings and murders. Capital Square, LLC announced Madyson Foster is joining the firm as executive assistant and marketing manager. Ms. Foster joins the firm to enhance the overall operation of the firm and more significantly embrace the world of digital media. Ms. Foster has over three years of customer service and marketing experience with Ameriprise Financial in Chattanooga. "Madyson is an excellent addition to our team of fee-based portfolio managers and has the experience and passion to give clients exceptional service," said Sandy Maddox, CEO and founding partner. "We believe Madyson will thrive at Capital Square." Having lived most of her life in Cleveland, Ms. Foster is a Raider Scholar graduate of Cleveland High School. More recently, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance from Birmingham Southern College in Birmingham/ "Capital Square was an obvious choice for me," said Ms. Foster. "Capital Squares growth plans include people just like me that want to be in this exciting and fast paced industry and grow with the firm. Capital Square is fully supportive of my personal career plans to eventually become an investment advisor representative so that one day I can use their fee-based platform to align my clients best interests with my own. That is a win-win scenario. The firms commitment to providing the environment and tools to excel in managing my client relationships and achieve my growth goals was also clear. Capital Square has given me a warm welcome, and it is a distinct pleasure to be a part of the firm." Ms. Foster has been involved with the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Chattanooga for over 15 years. In June of 2016, Ms. Foster was named co-chair of Chattanoogas Red Shoe Society, a group of philanthropic young professionals (ages 21-39) who work together to raise funds, encourage new volunteers and enhance awareness of the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Chattanooga. Ms. Foster is one of the founders and leaders of the new society in Chattanooga. Ms. Foster is located in the Chattanooga office and she can be reached at 877-6708 or at madysonfoster@capitalsquare.biz. A mother has appeared in court charged with plotting to fake her own death in Africa to claim a 140,000 life insurance pay-out. Arafa Nassib is accused of conspiring with her 18-year-old son Adil Kasim and another man, Yusuf Abdullah, to commit fraud against Scottish Widows between March and December last year. Nassib, aged 48, Kasim, and Abdullah, 24, all of Walsall, were not asked to enter a plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud during a brief appearance at Birmingham Magistrates Court. Arafa Nassib appeared in court today accused of conspiring to fake her own death. She hid her face behind a scarf as she walked into Birmingham Magistrates Court All three defendants were bailed to appear at Birmingham Crown Court for a plea hearing on May 31. The charges were brought last month after an inquiry into claims Nassib had died in Zanzibar, off the coast of mainland Tanzania. In a statement confirming the charges, police said Nassib was arrested in February when she returned to the UK from Canada. The case was handled by the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, who launched an investigation in November last year. A pensioner who was accused of murdering his wife in a failed double suicide pact gave a heartbreaking final plea for his charge to be changed to manslaughter. Brendon Constant fell at a family gathering on Thursday last week, just six days before his trial at Cambridge Crown Court over the death of his wife, Jean, was due to take place. The 87-year-old was rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge, where medics turned off his life-support the following day. But Mr Constant firmly believed he did not murder Jean, 86, because both of them were deteriorating in health and they wanted to die together after more than 60 happy years of marriage. Brendon and Jean Constant pictured together before their health began to deteriorate. He was charged with her murder following a failed double suicide and was desperate to have his plea changed In a letter to the court, he said: 'We had enjoyed a good life and it was the right time for us to end our joint suffering before it worsened. 'I wanted Jean to know that she would not be alone in death and that I would be at her side whilst she died. 'She knew that I would then take my own life and that is what I intended to do. Jean did not want to survive me and it was due to her mobility being so reduced that I set up the equipment that would ensure that our lives came to an end as quickly and as painlessly as possible. 'More than anything, we wanted to die with dignity.' Officers were called to reports of 'serious concern' for a man and a woman inside the property in the residential street of Chapman Way, on August 22 last year. A post mortem confirmed that Jean died of asphyxiation at the care home where the couple lived in Eynesbury, Cambridgeshire. Her husband survived the incident and was subsequently charged with her murder. Brendon Constant, 87, was due to appear before a judge at Cambridge Crown Court today after his wife, Jean, 86, was killed in August last year at the care home the couple live in (pictured) THE FULL HEARTBREAKING PLEA 1. The Crown are invited to consider whether they would accept a plea to manslaughter pursuant to s.4 of the Homicide Act 1957 on the following basis: 2. I was married to my wife, Jean for over 60 years. During that time we had, for the most part, enjoyed good health. We had a very happy marriage. She was my best friend and we knew each other better than anyone else. My wife had supported me throughout my career. She was more than my equal in life - a capable, determined, intelligent and creative woman. We only ever made decisions together on important things in life. We loved one another dearly and could not contemplate life without the other. 3. About five or six years ago, as our health began to gradually deteriorate, we spoke about what we wanted to do should either of our live's become unbearable. We decided together that, if we got to that stage, we wanted to end our lives together. It was a joint decision about a plan that we hoped we would never have to carry out. We knew that it may necessitate one of us having to ensure that the other had died before taking their own life and we were both willing to assist the other in those circumstances. I researched Exit which is an organisation which looks at suicide and we bought a book about ways of exiting your life. We both read the book, and although it was not something we talked about all the time, it was something we both had similar views about. 4. During June/July 2017, Jean was hospitalised. During that time she repeatedly said that she wanted to end her life. When she came out of hospital she found life very difficult and she believed and expressed the view that it would only become more difficult. Her view reinforced mine, I was distressed at her deterioration and, and distressed by her distress. I loved her so much. Watching her suffer was heartbreaking for me. 5. In July 2016, although my life was still bearable, Jean's was not. She was no longer able to care for herself and she knew that there would be no improvement in her condition. She was fearful of two things: that we would have to go into a care home and lose what little independence we still had; and/or that I would die before her. I could see that she was suffering and that she was very depressed. By the weekend of the 20/21st August 2017, we both knew that the stage had been reached where Jean's life was no longer bearable. She was deeply unhappy and had a very poor quality of life. We spoke of our plan and decided that the time had come to end our lives together. We had always been very independent people and we never wanted to become a burden on anyone. We knew that our children were happy and settled. We had enjoyed a good life and it was the right time for us to end our joint suffering before it worsened. I wanted Jean to know that she would not be alone in death and that I would be at her side whilst she died. She knew that I would then take my own life and that is what I intended to do. Jean did not want to survive me and it was due to her mobility being so reduced that I set up the equipment that would ensure that our lives came to an end as quickly and as painlessly as possible. More than anything, we wanted to die with dignity. 6. I accept that I helped Jean to take her own life. I did so because I loved her and she had told me that this was what she wanted. 7. I never anticipated that I would survive my attempt at suicide. I did not want to cause any unnecessary distress to anyone at Poppyfields and that is why we chose a Monday afternoon - it would give us the longest period of time to carry out the plan. I left a note on the door asking the carer not to enter but to contact the police. I did not want to be resuscitated but I did not have any choice about that. I wanted to join my wife in death. 8. Subsequent to my release from hospital after being resuscitated, I spent four weeks in a psychiatric unit. My own health is deteriorating. Throughout the time that I have been on police bail I have been living with my sons. This is not a situation that I ever anticipated or wanted. I miss my wife terribly. Advertisement But he fell at a family gathering for his grandson's birthday, after going upstairs to say goodnight to his great-granddaughter. In his plea, he added: 'I was married to my wife, Jean for over 60 years. During that time we had, for the most part, enjoyed good health. We had a very happy marriage. 'She was my best friend and we knew each other better than anyone else. My wife had supported me throughout my career. 'She was more than my equal in life - a capable, determined, intelligent and creative woman. We only ever made decisions together on important things in life. We loved one another dearly and could not contemplate life without the other.' The couple's sons Simon and John were at the court today and released a statement. It read: 'We cannot understand why he was charged with murder - the evidence did not support that charge in our view. Officers were called to reports of 'serious concern' for a man and a woman inside the property in the residential street of Chapman Way, where houses cost up to 340,000 'At the time of our father's death, the CPS were in the process of considering a lesser charge of manslaughter, based upon our father being the survivor of a suicide pact. 'Further, we cannot understand why it was deemed to be in the public interest to prosecute. Our father was 87 years old at the time he intended to die. 'He never anticipated that he would survive beyond the 22nd August 2016. He was resuscitated by paramedics who attended and subsequently took him to hospital. 'The impact of the prosecution was considerable and he was greatly distressed at the thought that there would be a further, public invasion into a life that he wished would remain private. 'We remain extremely grateful to all those in the police, the NHS, the paramedics and the staff at Addenbrooke's Hospital who cared for our father and treated him with compassion, respect, courtesy and kindness to the end.' A post mortem confirmed that Jean died of 'plastic bag asphyxiation' at the care home where the couple lived in Eynesbyury, Cambridgeshire, on August 22 last year As Mr Constant's sons sat in the public gallery earlier today, defence counsel Sally Hobson told Judge David Farrell: 'I'm told by his son when he retired he went to speak very briefly to his great granddaughter. 'He wished her good night, went upstairs and then fell. He suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of that fall. 'He was immediately taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital. It was determined that the head injuries were so bad that very little could be done for him and a decision was made to remove life support. The proceedings have taken a toll. 'He had hoped to end his life in August last year in the circumstances that they hoped would cause the least amount of distress to everyone else. 'Unfortunately it's ended in a murder charge being laid against their father and proceedings have been brought and a very sad end to his life. 'But I'm told by his children that they can be comforted by the fact that their father did not suffer at the end and is now in a place that he chose to be in August last year. 'I want to say that there's absolutely no suggestion that Mr Constant did take his own life. He is 87-years-of-age, he fell.' Pictured is a policeman at the care home where Jean Constant was killed in August last year Before their retirement, Mr Constant was the director of a company in Sandy, Bedforshire, while his wife ran a second hand pottery shop called Mainly Seconds. She was also a keen member of the St Neots branch of the Women's Institute, A former neighbour of the Constants, who had known them since they moved to St Neots., Cambridgeshire, from Dartford, Kent, in 1980, described them as 'lovely people'. She said: 'We used to see them all the time. They were active lovely people. 'She (Jean) was always in the garden and he (Brendan) used to get about even though he had a stick. 'I think she might have had something wrong with her. I don't know what it was. We never heard them argue or anything.' A mining company in Burma called in the army after 10,000 'scavengers' were accused of trying to steal a huge jade boulder, it has emerged. Police are hunting five people who discovered the 8.7-ton block of precious stone at a mine in northern Burma after a senior regulatory official claimed they had led an attempt to seize it. The prospectors found the jade block last week in a mine at Hpakant in Kachin State, where they normally work at night picking through the scraps left by the owners. They later returned with around 10,000 other 'jade scavengers' and tried to move the huge rock to a nearby school compound but were stopped by the company that owns the site, Taut Pa Kyal. Pprospectors found a huge 8.7-ton jade block (pictured) last week in a mine at Hpakant in Kachin State, northern Burma, where they normally work at night picking through the scraps left by the owners The company that runs the mine in Hpakant (file picture), Kachin State called in the army after 10,000 'scavengers' were accused of trying to steal the jade boulder, it has emerged The army was called 'to keep control of the situation' at a mine in Hpakant in Kachin State, northern Burma 'When the workers found the jade stone, many people came to that area... many illegal workers and many rich men who wanted to buy the stone,' said local aid worker Dashi Naw Lawn. 'The company called the army to keep control of the situation.' Local MP Tin Soe said Taut Pa Kyal paid the men who found the stone between 30-40 million kyat (17,000 - 23,000) each and all of the other workers in the crowd another 10,000 kyat to disperse. In total the company said it paid out over 100 million kyat, according to Tin Hoe. But the deputy director of the state-backed regulator Myanmar Gems Enterprise, Nay Tun, has since filed charges against the five men for attempted aggravated theft of the enormous boulder. Burma is the source of nearly all of the world's finest jadeite, a beautiful green stone highly prized in neighbouring China where it is known as the 'stone of heaven' Hundreds of poor itinerant miners die every year in landslides as they scour for pieces of jade left behind by the industrial diggers that have carved up the landscape. Pictures show a jade stone being cut at a village in Kachin State 'We are trying to arrest them,' police officer Khin Oo from the Lone Khin police station in Hpakant told AFP on Wednesday. 'We still don't know where they are.' Burma is the source of nearly all of the world's finest jadeite, a beautiful green stone highly prized in neighbouring China where it is known as the 'stone of heaven'. In October workers in Hpakant - the heart of Burma's jade-producing region - found a 174-tonne piece of jade worth about $5 million. But the secretive trade is poorly regulated and enormously dangerous. Hundreds of poor itinerant miners die every year in landslides as they scour for pieces of jade left behind by the industrial diggers that have carved up the landscape. The industry is overseen by the Myanmar Gems Enterprise, run by former military men, which both regulates the sector and makes money from the mines. Patricia Dawes, who has been caring for her husband Richard, 68, after a road crash, has won him a 3.37m compensation payout A wife has won a 3.37m payout for her globetrotting husband after he was left living like a 'wholly dependent and anxious child' following a horrific car crash. Pensioner Patricia Dawes has spent the last four years caring for her 68-year-old husband Richard after the retired couple were involved in a head-on collision. The crash, which took place on the A31 in Dorset in July 2013, left Mr Dawes with brain damage and serious disabilities. Before the crash, Mr Dawes, of Frome, Somerset, enjoyed travelling the world with his wife. Describing the impact of his injuries, Mrs Dawes told London's High Court: 'I have lost my husband and have in his place a wholly dependent and anxious child.' Mrs Dawes sued Keith Davies - the other motorist involved in the crash - on her husband's behalf. Mr Davies's insurers have now agreed to settle the claim and Mr Justice Morris has approved a compensation package worth 3.37m. The payout comprises a 1.275m lump sum and annual, index-linked and tax-free payments to cover the costs of Mr Dawes' care. Those payments will start at 85,000-a-year before rising to 100,000 in 2019 and then to 125,000 in 2022. The judge awarded an 80,000 payment to Mrs Dawes personally to compensate her for the care she has given her husband. The judge told the court the head-on smash occurred on July 9 2013 after Mr Davies 'allowed his car to drift into the opposite carriageway.' His insurers admitted liability for the accident in February 2014, the judge added. Prior to the crash, the couple had spent much of their time overseas on holiday and travelling the world. But the judge said: 'Mr Dawes suffered a very serious brain injury, which has had a significant effect upon his ability to enjoy life. 'He has suffered personality change and has cognitive and executive deficits. 'I wish to pay tribute to the wife and wider family. Mr Dawes is fortunate to have a loving family and, in particular, a wife who has been willing to do everything she has done for him. 'Despite her willingness to help, I recognise that her husband's accident has had a serious effect on her and the wider family.' Approving the payout at London's High Court (pictured), Mr Justice Morris praised Mrs Dawes for the care she had given her husband Approving the payout, the judge concluded: 'This is a case that, had it been taken to trial, would have represented a risk for both parties. 'This represents a reasonable settlement for the claimant, which it is in his best interests to accept. 'I wish Mr Dawes, his wife and wider family all the best in the future and I hope that seeing an end to this litigation will be a relief to them.' Portland Police say they were hit with full cans of Pepsi during violent May Day protests during which more 25 arrests were made. The move appeared to be a nod to a failed ad campaign by Pepsi featuring supermodel Kendall Jenner walking through a street protest and handing a can of Pepsi to a police officer. The ad drew outrage among viewers who accused the soda company of trying to appropriate Black Lives Matter protests to sell their product, and Pepsi had to eventually pull the plug on the ad. May Day marchers began throwing projectiles and smoke bombs at police in Portland, Oregon late on Monday, while others started setting fires and smashing the windows of businesses The move in Portland appeared to be a nod to a failed ad campaign by Pepsi featuring Kendall Jenner walking through a street protest and handing a can of Pepsi to a police officer Before violence broke out in Portland on Monday, one protester handed a Pepsi can to a police officer. After protesters started throwing rocks and turning violent, at least one police medic was hit by a full can of Pepsi but was not injured in the incident, officials said. Police eventually revoked permission for the May Day demonstration and deemed it a riot. More than 40 people across the country were arrested at May Day rallies across the country on Monday. Police were forced to shut down the marches in Oregon and New York when people started rioting and protesters turned on each other. Marchers began throwing projectiles and smoke bombs at police in Portland late on Monday, where 25 arrests were made, including a 14-year-old who was charged with rioting, while others started setting fires and smashing the windows of businesses. Police said they were forced to cancel the permit in Portland due to numerous incidents of thrown projectiles, incendiary devices, and other unsafe conditions Protesters in Portland set fire to what appears to be some placards in the middle of a busy street and authorities rushed to contain it Police said they were forced to shut it down when anarchists destroyed a squad car, damaged numerous windows and property, started fires in the streets and attacked officers. About 200 people, including families with children, were protesting peacefully in Portland before things escalated. It wasn't immediately clear if anyone had been injured but police said they had arrested three people. Protests in New York City also erupted when demonstrators clashed with people opposing their rally in Union Square. Pictures from the scene showed marchers physically clashing with those wearing Donald Trump hats and carrying flags in support of the president. It came as thousands across the country joined pro-labor, pro-immigration and anti-President Donald Trump rallies on May Day. Protests in New York City also erupted when May Day demonstrators physically clashed with people opposing their rally in Union Square Police arrested several people , including these two women, on 14th Street in New York City when protests turned violent Police in California arrested four activists who chained themselves together to block the entrance to the county administration building in downtown Oakland on Monday afternoon. Police threatened more arrests at the Alameda County Administration Building as more than 100 protesters demanded an end to what they call collaboration between county law enforcement and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Dozens of pro-Trump protesters stood across from a large crowd of May Day marchers in Los Angeles, waving American flags and blasting patriotic songs. The group left before any clashes or trouble emerged between the two sides. In Providence, Rhode Island, about 200 people gathered at Burnside Park before a two-hour protest that touched on deportation, profiling and wage theft. The group followed a flatbed truck that stopped for speeches and booing in front of the sites such as the Federal Courthouse and City Hall. The march in Chicago took up several city blocks, with organizers estimating an attendance of 20,000 people.Activists from labor groups, anti-police brutality organizations and groups seeking a higher minimum wage rallied before a march downtown. The father of a girl who disappeared 36 years ago says he wishes all missing children would get the same publicity as Madeleine McCann. Today is the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine, who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3 in 2007. But Richard Lee, whose daughter Katrice went missing in Germany in 1981, said other cases rarely get the same amount of coverage. Richard Lee, whose daughter Katrice (right) went missing in Germany in 1981, has said other missing children cases should get the same publicity as Madeleine McCann As well as long-running TV and media coverage, Madeleine's face was flashed up on the big screen at football matches, including this FA cup final at Wembley in 2007 Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Mr Lee said: 'I've got two major feelings, frustration that my daughter wasn't given a fair crack of the whip. 'And the second point is that there are thousands of other children out there and I believe that all missing children should get the same coverage. 'Why are we not working on the same level playing field for all these missing children?' He told presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield that missing child appeals should be flashed up on electronic boards on motorways to raise awareness. Katrice Lee was snatched from a supermarket while out shopping with her mother and aunt in Paderborn, in the north east of Germany, in November 1981. Mr Lee said the details of missing children should be flagged up on boards beside motorways A image was later released of Katrice, showing how she might look at an older age Katrice disappeared from a supermarket aisle in the city where her family were stationed through her soldier father Richard's role with the British Army. She was with her mother Sharon and aunt Wendy when she vanished. Both women had taken their eye off her for mere seconds when she was snatched. She has never been seen since, with police convinced she was either drowned in a nearby river or was taken by a childless couple. Mr Lee's comments came ahead of a special service in the Portuguese village where Madeleine McCann disappeared 10 years ago. A public gathering is also expected to take place in her home village in Rothley, Leicestershire, to mark the tenth anniversary of her disappearance. Today is the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine, who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz at about 9pm on May 3 in 2007 The appeal to find her was publicised by the Liverpool football team in 2007 Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have vowed to do 'whatever it takes for as long as it takes' to find their daughter, who would now be nearly 14. In an interview with the BBC's Fiona Bruce, Mrs McCann said: 'My hope for Madeleine being out there is no less than it was almost 10 years ago.' Speaking ahead of the anniversary, the couple described it as a 'horrible marker of time, stolen time'. Last month, Scotland Yard said its officers are still pursuing 'critical' leads to trace Madeleine, with officers receiving information on a daily basis. Advertisement Theresa May delivered a call to arms against meddling Eurocrats today - warning that they are mounting a desperate bid to to skew the election. The Prime Minister gave a bloodcurdling assessment of the 'threats' and 'misrepresentation' being touted by Brussels as she formally fired the starting gun on the national ballot. In a reference to poisonous briefing coming out of the top ranks of the EU, Mrs May said she believed concerted efforts were under way to prevent her getting a strong mandate from the British people. Appealing for the backing of voters so she can 'fight for Britain' despite the interference, the premier said: 'Britain's negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened. 'Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. 'All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the General Election that will take place on June 8.' EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has insisted he 'deeply respects' Mrs May as a 'tough lady' in an apparent attempt to cool the growing row between Brussels and London. After seeing the Queen, Theresa May delivered an extraordinary assessment of the 'threats and misrepresentation' coming out of Brussels In a reference to poisonous briefing coming out of the top ranks of the EU, Mrs May said she believed there were efforts to skew the election Poisonous briefing followed the visit to No10 by Jean-Claude Juncker (left) and Michel Barnier last week. They are pictured in Brussels today The extraordinary speech on the steps of Downing Street came after Mrs May went to see the Queen following the dissolution of parliament. It was warmly welcomed by Brexiteers - but drew howls of anguish from pro-EU politicians such as SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and the Jeremy Corbyn. Miss Sturgeon accused Mrs May or trying to 'poison the well' ahead of the Brexit talks, while the Labour leader said she was playing 'party games' with the issues. The premier lashed out witheringly at the 'coalition of chaos' that was being offered by Mr Corbyn. But she saved her most vicious language for senior EU figures, after a brutal spat threatened to kill off the Brexit negotiations before they even began. Relations have plunged to new lows after a detailed account emerged of a Downing Street dinner with EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and chief negotiator Michel Barnier last week. THE BRUSSELS THREATS THAT DREW THE PM'S WRATH German chacellor Angela Merkel Aides to EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker briefed that PM was 'deluded' and 'in another galaxy' after meeting her for talks last Wednesday night. Sources branded the meeting a 'disaster' and revealed he told Mrs May: 'I'm leaving Downing Street 10 times more sceptical than I was before.' German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Bundestag last week: 'A third-party state, and that's what Britain will be, cannot and will not have at its disposal the same rights, or be in a better position than members of the European Union. 'I have to say this clearly here because I get the feeling that some people in Britain continue to work under illusions, and that is a waste of time.' EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier jibed at Mrs May today: 'Some have created the illusion that Brexit will have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and easily.' He warned that failure to pay a divorce demand - expected to be as much as 90billion - would have 'explosive' consequences. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator, mocked Mrs May's 'strong and stable' election slogan. 'Any Brexit deal requires a strong and stable understanding of the complex issues involved,' he said. 'The clock is ticking it's time to get real.' Advertisement The briefing, thought to have come from Mr Juncker's chief of staff Martin Selmayr, accused Mrs May of being clueless and put the chances of talks falling apart at 50-50. Mr Barnier unveiled a hard-line stance for the talks today, warning that Britain will face 'explosive' consequences if it does not pay a Brexit divorce bill that has been doubled to around 90billion. Mr Juncker and Mr Selmayr appeared to be trying to take some of the heat out of the row tonight with more conciliatory remarks praising Mrs May's efforts to navigate the EU divorce. But the PM, who vowed yesterday to be a 'bloody difficult woman' in the looming talks, said the public were seeing quite how difficult the Brussels club would be over the coming years. 'The events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes and however reasonable the positions of Europe's other leaders, there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want Britain to prosper.' Politicians officially ceased being MPs at midnight and are now candidates once again, as the country prepares to elect a new House of Commons. However, the PM - and her ministers - remain in post to run the government during the period. Mrs May has described the ballot as the 'most important' in her lifetime, and a strong Tory majority is essential to secure the best possible Brexit deal. She warned today that people's livelihoods are on the line if the talks with the EU are not conducted effectively. 'If we don't get the negotiation right, your economic security and prosperity will be put at risk and the opportunities you seek for your families will simply not happen,' she said. 'If we do not stand up and get this negotiation right we risk the secure and well-paid jobs we want for our children and our children's children too. 'If we don't get the negotiation right, if we let the bureaucrats of Brussels run over us, we will lose the chance to build a fairer society with real opportunity for all. 'The choice the country faces now is very simple. Because there are only two people who can possibly be Prime Minister after June 8 to negotiate Brexit. 'It is a choice between me and Jeremy Corbyn.' Mr Corbyn said the PM was using Brexit for a 'political game'. 'Theresa May is playing party games with Brexit in the hope of winning advantage for the Tories in the General Election,' he said. 'By winding up the public confrontation with Brussels, the Prime Minister wants to wrap the Conservative party in the Union Jack and distract attention from her government's economic failure and rundown of our public services. 'The Prime Minister is right that there are those in Brussels who don't want a deal. But that is also true of leading figures in the Tory party, who want to use Brexit to turn Britain into a low wage tax haven. 'The Prime Minister says that no deal would lead to a different economic model for Britain. 'In plain terms, that means wiping out employment rights and consumer protections and giving still more tax breaks to the rich and big corporations. Miss Sturgeon, who has been looking to exploit Brexit to secure Scottish independence and tear the UK apart, said Mrs May was 'deliberately seeking to poison the well will make the negotiating task ahead even harder'. 'This is an irresponsible, gratuitous attack on our European neighbours, which is aimed at diverting attention from the Tories' dismal record on health, the economy, austerity and welfare by painting the EU as a bogeyman,' she said. The PM, pictured walking back into No10 after her speech, appealed for the backing of voters so she can 'fight for Britain' Mrs May saved her most vicious language today for senior EU figures, after a brutal spat threatened to kill off the Brexit negotiations before they even began Miss Sturgeon, who has been looking to exploit Brexit to secure Scottish independence and tear the UK apart, said Mrs May was 'deliberately seeking to poison the well will make the negotiating task ahead even harder' 'Insulting our neighbours simply makes the Brexit mountain much harder to climb, but unfortunately it is par for the course from Theresa May.' Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry described Mrs May as a 'hybrid of Nixon and Cersei Lannister' - the latter being a reference to the notorious Game of Thrones character. HOW THE EU WANTS TO INFLATE THE BREXIT DIVORCE BILL EU states have been piling on demands as they realise the scale of the hole about to be left in the bloc's finances by the departure of its second biggest contributor. The key elements of the divorce demand from Brussels include: The UK should keep paying into EU coffers until 2020 - after we formally leave - because that is when budgets have been set until. Farm subsidy payments and EU administration fees for 2019 and 2020. Britain should fund agreed loans that have already been agreed to poorer EU states. UK to be denied a share of the bloc's assets, such as buildings, which could have brought the sum down. Other costs include generous pensions for thousands of Eurocrats. Although the estimated 100billion total would be payable up front, some of the money would be expected to come back over the decades. Advertisement Mr Juncker told a press conference today that he was 'sorry' about the leaks from the Downing Street dinner. And his chief of staff, Mr Selmayr, attempted to cool the issue this evening by hailing Mrs May as an 'impressive woman and a very impressive negotiator'. 'That's the way we have come to know her, and I don't think that's going to change,' he said. 'We need a very strong negotiator who unites the whole nation behind her and then in a very strong and tough way leads the negotiations.' Mr Selmayr admitted that the leaks of last week's dinner had created 'a lot of havoc', but insisted that the EU side were treating the negotiations 'professionally'. 'Certainly there is much ado about this, but that doesn't change anything in principle for the President of the Commission, the EU and Michel Barnier,' he said. 'We will be going about this very professionally.' He added: 'Brexit will never become a success, of course, because it is a sad and sorry event. 'But as I have set out, it can be managed in a professional and pragmatic way.' Mr Selmayr suggested Mr Juncker will be spending only about 'half an hour a week' on the Brexit. Speaking from Brussels, Mr Juncker added: 'I deeply respect the British Prime Minister, I like her as a person. 'I have noted that she is a tough lady, so this is not for the future, this is the real-time description.' Polls suggest the Conservatives are on track for a huge victory on June 8. New research by Panelbase today shows the Tories 17 per cent ahead of Labour, which would translate to a majority of more than 100. Meanwhile, a Cantar poll gave Mrs May a massive 24 point lead. Even previously safe Labour seats are thought to be vulnerable to a collapse in the Ukip vote and Tory surge. But the country is in for an attritional struggle as Mrs May relentlessly hammers home her core message. In a classic moment of British pomp and ceremony, the Prime Minister made the journey earlier today from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace The Queen arrived at the Palace at around 14.45 (pictured) - just a quarter of an hour before the PM pulled up in her car The stakes on the election were underlined today as the EU set out a tough line for the looming negotiations. Mr Barnier warned thatBrexit will be be painful as he insisted the UK will have to abide by the bloc's terms. In a clear jibe at Mrs May, he cautioned that 'some have created the illusion' that the process could be quick and painless. The PM was greeted by an equerry as she arrived at Buckingham Palace after the short drive from No10 today Mrs May spent around 30 minutes inside the palace before heading back for her blistering speech outside No10 Mrs May's official Jaguar made the short trip from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace and back this afternoon He bluntly stated that was 'simply not telling the truth' and there would be 'consequences' - warning that Britain will be forced to 'settle' an exit bill that could run to more than 90billion. He also insisted the European Court of Justice would settle disputes over the relationship in future. At a press conference in the Belgian capital, Mr Barnier said: 'Some have created the illusion that Brexit will have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and easily. 'That is not the case.' He said there had to be a 'legal' process that covered all the technical points of the separation. That had to be settled before a future trade deal could be considered. The PM's car went through the famous gates of Buckingham Palace before she went inside to meet the monarch The latest polls suggest the Conservatives are on track for a huge victory on June 8 Although parliament only officially dissolved at midnight, in reality the campaign is well under way - with the Tories unveiling this poster today Jean-Claude Juncker's henchman dubbed the Monster is accused of leaking dirt on Downing Street dinner Brutal: Martin Selmayr He is referred to as the 'monster' by his boss Jean-Claude Juncker and privately boasts about manipulating journalists to get his own way. So it is perhaps unsurprising that the controversy over a Downing Street dinner between Theresa May and EU bosses has been declared the dirty work of Martin Selmayr. The German lawyer has developed a fearsome reputation in the European Commission, where he has an iron fist as Mr Juncker's chief of staff. Despite being relatively unknown outside Brussels, the 46-year-old is regarded as the brains behind major EU decisions. But he has garnered a wide range of enemies with his brutal style. Former Commission vice president Kristalina Georgieva blamed her resignation on his no-holds-barred approach, which she branded 'poisonous'. Colleagues and acquaintances have nicknamed him Lenin, Darth Vader and Rasputin. Advertisement Thousands of North Korean citizens have swarmed to see the outside world as Pyongyang organised a cruise trip to show its residents the landscape of China. Rare footage, shared by a Chinese news outlet, shows over 2,000 North Korean tourists standing on an overloaded boat. They were said to be cruising on the Chinese part of the Yalv River, which separates the two countries, and were not allowed to get off the boat. Over 2,000 North Korean tourists took a boat to see the landscape of China on May 1 The rare trip was organised by the North Korean government to celebrate the Labour Day A video clip showing North Korean tourists travelling to China has been released by QQ.com. Along with the footage were the news scripts translated from Korean into Chinese. A Korean-speaking anchor said that the cruise had been set up by the government to celebrate North Korea's Labour Day holiday, which fell on May 1. 'The cruise lets us see the scenery we don't normally see,' the anchor gushed. The curious visitors sailed on Yalv River, which separates China from North Korea The footage shows a large number of tourists standing on the deck of the boat. The boat appeared to be filled to the brim. The anchor said the ferry was so crowded it looked like 'a bean sprout plantation'. However, different from cruises in other parts of the world, none of the passengers on that boat appeared to be taking pictures using their cameras or phones. The news clip also interviewed a Chinese officer who said that more than 2,000 North Korean tourists travelled to China on the boat on May 1. The Yalv River (pictured), or Duck Green River, flows on the China-North Korea border North Korean tourists took the boat to see Dandong, a Chinese city with 2.4 million residents It's understood that North Korean citizens are allowed by their government to cruise into China on special occasions, such as the Labour Day and the National Day. On September 9, 2014, North Korean tourists reportedly cruised into China, also on Yalv River, to celebrate the country's 66th National Day, known as the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. Yalv River separates China's Dandong city from North Korea's Sinuiju Special Administrative Region. China and North Korea share the rights to use the 490-mile-long waterway, which originates in China's Changbai Mountain and flows into the Korean Bay in North Korea. Dandong (pictured) is also popular among Chinese tourists who wish to see North Korea It seems it's not just the North Korean citizens who are passionate about cruising on Yalv. Chinese tourists have also flocked to Dandong, a city of around 2.4 million residents, so that they could enjoy a cruise to North Korea. The trip was especially popular during the Labour Day, which is also a national holiday in China, according to Huanqiu.com, an affiliation to People's Daily. Labour will reverse dramatic cuts to inheritance tax if it wins power on June 8 in a new blow to middle class families, it emerged today. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell would raise 1billion by returning the threshold for couples to 425,000 - less than the value of an average property in London. While outside the capital the 425,000 band catches only bigger homes there are many parts of the country where it includes family-sized properties. The Conservatives branded the plan 'nonsensical' and claimed it would hit hundreds of thousands of working families. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell (pictured at a May Day rally on Monday) would raise 1billion by returning the threshold to 425,000 - less than the value of an average property in London The emergence of the plan gave the Tories more ammunition for their attack on Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in Bedford today) and his tax plans In addition to the inheritance tax plans, Mr McDonnell could also revive Labour's controversial mansion tax plans included in the 2015 manifesto but dropped in the aftermath of that election defeat. Mr McDonnell hinted at the change to inheritance tax in a BBC radio interview this morning as he vowed to reverse Tory 'giveaways'. And shadow Treasury team sources told the Standard: 'Labour do not support the Inheritance Tax giveaways announced by the Tories, as according to their own figures only 26,000 fewer estates would have no tax liability in 2020-21 at a cost of almost 1 billion. 'Labour will set out in detail our priorities on taxation in the coming weeks when we announce our manifesto, but we believe in a fair tax system that stands up for the many, not the few.' Properties available to buy for 425,000 today include a four bed terraced home in Durham, a four bed semi detached home in Chorley and a three bed mews terrace home in Chorlton, Merseyside. All of them in future would be expected to attract inheritance tax under the Labour plan, which is levied at 40 per cent of the value of an estate over the threshold. The threshold is currently 850,000 and under current plans, a married couples and civil partners will have a 1million allowance from 2021. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Labour wanted a tax raid on 'half of London' The new row came after the Tories launched a poster campaign warning against a 45billion Labour tax bombshell (pictured) Treasury Minister Jane Ellison, MP for Battersea, said it was a 'nonsensical idea'. 'Their obsession with raising taxes would leave half of London homes facing huge Inheritance Tax bills hitting hundreds of thousands of ordinary working families in the capital,' she said. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson added: 'Corbyn wants Inheritance Tax raid on HALF of London! 'Don't risk Labour coalition of chaos propped up by Lib Dems and SNP.' Liberal Democrat John Pugh told MailOnline: 'This is another shambles of a policy from a party that can't work out the difference between 300,000 and a 80 million or even 300 million. 'This isn't a policy to hit the rich it's aimed firmly at middle class working people who have saved their whole lives for something to pass down to their kids. 'I used to think Labour were making stuff on the back of a fag-packet but it seems that they are just dusting down 1970's copies of the Socialist worker and re-announcing it. Then, like now, they are standing next to communist flags.' Family homes worth 425,000 are available across the country today, all of which would be likely to fall foul of Labour's inheritance tax plans in future The new row came after the Tories launched a poster campaign warning against a 45billion Labour tax bombshell. Chancellor Philip Hammond unveiled a dossier on Labour's spending plans which he said the Conservative Party had produced in 'good faith'. Labour dismissed the attack as a 'blatant misrepresentation' of the Labour position and claimed it was a 'desperate attempt' to hide Tory plans to hike takes. Barack Obama proposed to a different woman - twice - before he met Michelle and kept on seeing her for the first year of his relationship with FLOTUS. Sheila Miyoshi Jager was almost entirely omitted from Obama's own biography, Dreams of My Father, where she was simply combined with his other white exes into one character. But according to Rising Star, by David J. Garrow, Jager played a huge role in Obama's formative years. So much so that even after Barack met his wife-to-be Michelle, he kept seeing Jager on and off for at least a year, the book claims. A new book claims that Barack Obama (left) proposed to Sheila Miyoshi Jager (right) before he met Michelle Michelle and Barack's (pictured in January) inspiring marriage may have been #relationshipgoals, but a new book claims he kept on seeing his earlier girlfiend for the first year of his relationship with FLOTUS The couple were very much in love in the mid 1980s when they were living together in Chicago, according to Jager, who described them as being 'an island unto ourselves.' Their relationship quickly progressed and in the winter of 1986, while visiting his girlfriend's parents, Barack popped the question, Jager told Garrow. But Jager's parents were concerned that she was too young - Jager was 23 and Obama was 25 - and refused his advances. They remained together, but it was about this time that Jager began to realize her then-boyfriend's 'deep-seated need to be loved and admired.' The book claims that Barack was living with Sheila Miyoshi Jager before he met Michelle in the late 1980s (pictured with FLOTUS) The book claims that Barack kept on seeing Jager for the first year he was dating Michelle but said it stopped after the couple married in 1992 Now 53, the associate professor and director of the East Asian program at Oberlin College in Ohio, told Garrow that Obama became 'so very ambitious very suddenly.' 'I remember very clearly when this transformation happened, and I remember very specifically that by 1987, about a year into our relationship, he already had his sights on becoming president.' But Obama believed he needed to 'fully identify as African American' to fulfill his political ambitions - and believed that having a non-black spouse could damage his prospects, according to the book. This reportedly put pressure on Obama's relationship with Jager who is of Dutch and Japanese heritage. By the time he was leaving for Harvard Law School, their relationship was on the rocks. According to Rising Star, by David J. Garrow, (left) Jager (right) played a huge role in Obama's formative years Jager, 53, is associate professor and director of the East Asian program at Oberlin College in Ohio But Obama was not ready to give up on Jager, and proposed to her for a second time - asking her to join him in Harvard. Again Jager turned him down. She believed that his proposal was 'out of a sense of desperation over our eventual parting and not in any real faith in our future.' The second marriage rejection was too much for their relationship, and the couple split. Obama went to law school where he famously met Michelle where she was working. The couple quickly fell for each other and began dating. But Garrow claims that Jager and Barack continued to see each other on and off after she arrived at Harvard for a teaching fellowship. 'I always felt bad about it,' Jager said. After the bumpy start, according to the book, the former first lady and president went onto have an inspiring relationship. Pictured Michelle straightens Barack's tie while they wait on the North Portico last September Michelle and Barack had two daughters Malia and Sasha together (pictured together) However, after Barack and Michelle married in 1992, Jager says that they stopped seeing each other and their contact was limited to the odd letter or phone call. The Obamas have not publicly responded to the claims in the book. But it is not the first time Barack's exes have been laid bare. Another biography by Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist David Maraniss detailed his earlier relationships with white women Alexandra McNear and Genevieve Cook who both allegedly accused him of being self-obsessed. Cook, who dated Obama before he dated Jager, said he would confide that he felt like an imposter as there was hardly a black bone in his body. She eventually told him he needed to go black (to date a black woman), whereas he countered that he would never find a black woman he would feel truly comfortable with. In the end, Cook tired of his emotional withheld-ness, his lack of spontaneity, and broke up with him in 1985. Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama is out on May 9. The zSpace Mobile Classroom is coming to Boyd Buchanan School on Thursday. The Silicon Valley education company announced last fall that more than 400 K-12 school districts across the United States have adopted zSpace Learning Labs, which feature all-in-one AR/VR computers with educational software to support their science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum, as well as art, social studies and CTE/Health Career programs. zSpace is traveling to schools and school districts to demonstrate the latest in AR/VR-based learning experiences in its zSpace Mobile Classroom. Boyd Buchanan Middle School students will interact with the zSpace computer using a stylus and tracking glasses, allowing them to lift and manipulate virtual objects from the screen and understand the science behind them. Unlike other virtual reality solutions, such as head-mounted displays, zSpace enables interaction and group collaboration. Dr. Jennifer Warnack, principal of Boyd Buchanan Middle School, said, "Boyd Buchanan strives to create a tech-savvy learning environment for every student; therefore, zSpace is a great fit because it bridges educational content with immersive AR/VR. We are excited to partner with zSpace to integrate these cutting-edge learning experiences into our curriculum." zSpace offers a learn by doing atmosphere for students by allowing them to undo mistakes and make changes in a safe environment with minimal clean up. For more information, visit www.zspace.com, or follow on Twitter @zSpace. A teacher destined for a promising career as a linguist hanged himself after feeling cut off from society and suffering from depression while teaching English in China. Oliver Hare, 22, a University College London graduate, was due to return to his teaching post in Shanghai but was found dead at his family's home on Valentine's Day this year. Oliver was spotted by neighbours hanged at the house in Worthing, West Sussex, just days after returning from a trip to Dubai with his mother. Oliver Hare, 22, a University College London graduate, was due to return to his teaching post in Shanghai but was found dead at his family's home on Valentine's Day this year Fluent in French, German and Spanish, Oliver, who suffered with depression, had complained to his parents about not knowing what to do with his life Coroner Elisabeth Bussey-Jones read out a statement written by his father, Chris Hare, who described him as a 'positive, warm young man'. He said: 'I was talking to him on Skype [when he was in China] and he became tearful which was so unexpected. I tried to find out what the problem was and he just felt that he wasn't connecting with people, or that he couldn't relate to people. 'During this Skype conversation it was clear that he was upset and it was clear that he had a problem relating to people out there.' Fluent in French, German and Spanish, Oliver, (pictured right) who suffered with depression, had complained to his parents about not knowing what to do with his life His mother, Ann Feloy, told the inquest she was out working in Dubai for the Ministry of Education when her son spent a week with her in the Middle Eastern city at the start of February. 'He was low but he was still fun-loving,' she said. 'We went up Burj Khalifa [tower], we went swimming, I took him to a few parties and he was calm - he was able to function exactly as he always has. 'He was feeling lost. He didn't really know what he wanted to do in his life. China didn't really work out, he had been working with the British Council. 'He knew London life at quite a high level but at the same time I do think that being stuck in a district of Shanghai, four million people living in high-rise buildings, teaching in a school - there didn't seem to have been much support from the British Council. Oliver was spotted by neighbours hanged at the house in Worthing, West Sussex 'He was just with five others [in Shanghai], and they loved him but it was a totally different existence to the one Oliver had known and that would have overwhelmingly contributed to this low mood. 'He did say he was really lost and didn't know what to do and did ask me 'am I a burden to you?' and I said 'no, of course not.' 'I don't want people to think he was the typical men-don't-speak case. He had always been very open about how he felt, he was very articulate - people knew he was very low and lost.' Oliver returned to the UK from Dubai on February 8, 2017 and was met in Sussex by his father, Chris. Oliver had previously visited his GP where he was diagnosed with depression and was prescribed the anti-depressants citalopram, which he didn't start taking until he returned to England. 'Because his mood didn't seem to have improved he tried taking the tablets. He only took four days' worth,' explained Mr Hare. He told the inquest that his son was anxious about returning to the other side of the world and had booked a doctors' appointment for 5.30pm for the day he killed himself. 'He became anxious about returning to China and said he would be in a lot of trouble if he didn't return,' he continued. 'I said 'You've been diagnosed with depression, nobody's going to make you return to work, we'll go to the doctors tomorrow and get you signed off from work. 'He was making the situation about returning to China into a huge event in his head and one of huge proportions.' Coroner Elisabeth Bussey-Jones read out a statement written by his father, Chris Hare, who described him as a 'positive, warm young man' Neither a pathology report, toxicology report or evidence from emergency services were read to the inquest but Coroner Bussey-Jones recorded the death as suicide, caused by hanging. 'On the morning of February 14 police arrived at the home address and it was discovered that Oliver had hung himself at his home address,' she said. 'Neighbours had noticed his position and paramedics were called but were unable to resuscitate him and as a result he was pronounced dead.' She continued: 'There's no evidence to suggest that anyone else had any involvement. In light of the mood of the deceased that has been described and the manner by which his body was found I am satisfied that he intended to take his own life.' A JustGiving page set up in Oliver's memory in March this year had raised more than 10,700 to fund a project aimed at preventing male suicide. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. Rich Wilson, 47, was wearing this Hawaiian shirt when he was approached by a group A white guest-house owner claims he was racially abused for wearing an Hawaiian shirt with one youth calling him a 'wannabe P***'. Rich Wilson, 47, was approached by a gang of youths on bikes when he headed to a Sainsbury's store in Hull, East Yorkshire. But he claims the group hurled abuse at him because he was wearing a colourful Hawaiian shirt. Humberside Police is now appealing for witnesses to the alleged hate crime in the city at 2am on Tuesday morning. Mr Wilson, who does work with the Afro Caribbean Association, said: 'I was heading to Sainbury's to get a bottle of wine and minding my own business. 'There was a gang of four youths hanging round outside and then one ridiculously called me a wannabe P***. I don't even know what that means. 'One of them then rode their bike at me and tried to run me down but I stood my ground. 'The little scrotes then swore before riding off. I chose not to get involved and react because it simply wasn't worth it. 'I am dark haired and when I have a tan I could possibly be mistaken for someone of foreign extraction but it doesn't really matter as it shouldn't be happening in this day and age. I am sure I was targeted because I was wearing an Hawaiian shirt.' Mr Wilson, from Hull, organised a Unity gathering last summer in the wake of the Brexit vote when there was a spike in racial tension. Mr Wilson (left) was wearing the shirt when he walked to his local shop to buy a bottle of wine He believes there has been another increase in racial abuse and is considering holding another event to promote tolerance. He said: 'I have heard of a few incidents of racial abuse recently. Someone told me there were a group in Princes Avenue brandishing a placard saying "go home foreigners" and abusing people. 'Hull is no worse than any other city but for some reason there has been a blip and maybe we need to come together again to show that this is just a minority. 'In this City of Culture year we have more foreign visitors and we don't want their trip ruined by a few idiots.' He was outside the Sainsbury's local store on Princes Avenue in Hull when he was allegedly racially abused Humberside Police confirmed they are investigating the attack on Mr Wilson. A spokeswoman said: 'We have received a call reporting a "race hate" incident on Princes Avenue, Hull, which occurred at 2am on Tuesday. 'We are in the very early stages of our investigations into the allegations but would appeal for witnesses.' Anyone with information about the attack on Mr Wilson or who has been the victim of racial abuse themselves should call Humberside Police on 101. A Miami woman in the final stage of labor pleaded for a c-section after 90 minutes of pushing - but her doctor ignored her cries and walked out of the room in a delivery that left her baby brain damaged, according to a federal lawsuit. It was not a high-risk pregnancy. But doctor Ata Atogho made a series of missteps that led to a tragic outcome for Marla Dixon and her baby and a $33.8 million malpractice judgment, according to a federal lawsuit. Not only did Atogho fail to perform a Cesarean section, he walked away from Dixon's room for long periods, once for an eight-minute phone call from his stockbroker, according to the verdict handed down in late April. Marla Dixon pleaded for a c-section after 90 minutes of pushing, but her doctor ignored her cries in a delivery that left her baby Earl Jr (pictured) brain damaged Earl Jr. (pictured with parents Dixon and Earl Reese-Thornton, Sr.) was suffocating during the prolonged labor. He can't speak or sit up by himself and needs to take dozens of pills every day By the time the baby was delivered on Dec. 2, 2013 at the North Shore Medical Center in Florida, he was blue in the face and his limbs were limp, theMiami Herald reported. It took a medical team to revive the infant named Earl Jr., and by then he had severe brain damage from lack of oxygen, according to the lawsuit filed by Dixon and the boy's father, Earl Reese-Thornton, Sr. Atogho had ordered nurses to administer the drug Pitocin for more than an hour to strengthen contractions. But every time the uterus contracts, the baby's blood supply is reduced, according to obstetrician Martin Gubernick, who testified in court. Doctor Ata Atogho lost the malpractice judgment, but is not responsible for paying up and continues to hold a Florida medical license Atogho also used a vacuum device to no avail, and the baby was suffocating after 90 minutes, according to court records. While Dixon told the doctor, 'Cut me. I want to be cut. I cant do this anymore,' Atogho did not offer to perform a C-section. He even falsified her medical records and wrote 'refused c/s', according to a nurse in charge of delivery. Had Atogho performed the C-section at least 16 minutes before EJ was born, Gubernick said there was 'a reasonable degree of medical probability the baby would not have suffered damage'. To top it off, Atogho walked out for long periods, and wasn't even in the room when the baby finally emerged, according to court records. He appeared five minutes later and cut the umbilical cord. Instead of apologizing, Atogho blamed Dixon for not pushing hard enough, she later said. Dixon added: 'He didn't care. He kept going on with his lies. He blamed me.' EJ has been hospitalized 30 times since Dixon was allowed to take him home at two months, according to Dixon's attorney Richard Sharp. He can't speak or sit up by himself, and has to take dozens of pills every day, while his parents have learned to clean the feeding tube inserted into his stomach. The $33.8million will help cover a life time of care for the boy. Atogho delivered two babies that year who were permanently brain damaged, and a third who was disabled for life, according to lawsuits. All were teen moms received care at Jessie Trice, and delivered at the North Shore Medical Center in Miami (pictured) Atogho did not respond to repeated phone calls and emails because he's on vacation, according to an assistant at Metro-Miami Obstetrics and Gynecology in North Miami Beach, where he works. Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney's Office, which represented Atogho in the Dixon case because he worked for the federally funded Jessie Trice Community Health Center at the time, refused to comment. But as Dixon would later find out, she was not the first parent to sue Atogho for seriously injuring a newborn he delivered in 2013. Atogho delivered two babies that year who were permanently brain damaged, and a third who was disabled for life, according to lawsuits filed by the injured infants' mothers all of whom were teen-aged moms receiving care at Jessie Trice, which serves many of Miami's low-income and uninsured residents. Despite the verdict in Dixon's case, Atogho has not received a reprimand and no other disciplinary action has been taken against his Florida medical license for the incident. He's not personally liable for the $33.8 million judgment, either. The U.S. government is on the hook for the money. Dixon and Reese-Thornton were able to sue the federal government because Atogho worked for a federally funded health clinic. China's first homegrown passenger plane, C919, is set to make its maiden flight on May 5 in Shanghai. Days before the landmark event, the Chinese state TV released a time-lapse video to show the building process of the highly anticipated aircraft. The narrow-body twin-engine C919 is set to rival the world's most popular airliners, Boeing 737 and Airbus 320, as China aims to spearhead the civil aviation market. A video released by CCTV News captured how workers built China's first homegrown airliner Workers transported the nose of the aircraft into the COMAC workshop in Shanghai The mid-rear part of the first C919 plane was moved into the factory for workers to assemble The made-in-China airliner is built by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), a Chinese state-owned aviation manufacturer based in Shanghai. The single-aisle aircraft, which has taken 11 years to develop, can fit 158 to 168 seats. HOW C919 COMPARES TO BOEING 737 AND AIRBUS 320 COMAC C919 Wingspan: 116ft (35.4m) Cruise speed: Mach 0.785 Maximum altitude: 39,700ft (12,100m) Passengers: 158-168 BOEING 737: Wingspan: 117.5ft (35.8m) Cruise speed: Mach 0.74 Maximum altitude: 41,010ft (12,500m) Passengers: 85-215 AIRBUS 320: Wingspan: 117.5ft (35.8m) Cruise speed: Mach 0.84 Maximum altitude: 39,800ft (12,131m) Passengers: 100-240 Advertisement In comparison, different models of Boeing 737 can seat 85 to 215 passengers; while an A320 can accommodate 100 to 240 people. The video was released by China Central Television on April 20 and captured the entire process of how the first C919 was put together. In the time-lapse clip, workers are seen spending 72 days assembling the aircraft at COMAC's factory in Shanghai after parts were sent in from four Chinese cities. China has spent 45 billion yuan (5 billion) on the research and development of C919, according to estimation. The aircraft has a flight range of up to 3,451 miles (5,555 kilometres), which means the aircraft can fly non-stop from Shanghai to Jakarta or from Paris to Montreal. Although the country has much ambition to challenge the world's current aviation giants, C919's maiden flight has been postponed for a number of times due to unspecified reasons. The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said on Wednesday the new date for C919's maiden flight would be May 5. The video shows workers spending 72 days assembling China's first homegrown airliner After the assembly, workers painted the livery on C919, which is set to take first flight on May 5 The plane is set to take off at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, subject to weather conditions, COMAC said in an online statement on May 3. C919 made its debut to the world in November 2015. On the debut ceremony, COMAC's chairman, Jin Zhuanglong, said: 'The roll-out of the first C919 aircraft marks a significant milestone in the development of China's first indigenous aircraft.' COMAC is yet to release the price tag of the jet, but a report by China National Radio predicted that C919 was likely to be priced at 32 million (US$50 million), which was up to 30 per cent cheaper than a Boeing 737 or an Airbus 320. This photo, taken on April 16, 2017, shows C919 being given the first high-speed taxi test at Shanghai Pudong International Airport C919, China's first self-developed airliner, is often compared to Boeing 737 (pictured) The Chinese aircraft is also set to rival Airbus 320, which is dubbed 'the work horse of the sky'. Above is a file picture of an A320 used by IndiGo Although the C919 is made in China, foreign firms are playing key roles by supplying systems as well as the engines, which are made by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric (GE) of the US and France's Safran. COMAC also plans a wide-body plane, the C929, in cooperation with Russia's United Aircraft Corp. Speculation is mounting that China will create a new aero-engine entity to try to produce the powerful jets needed for large civil aircraft. In a report released in October, 2016, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects that 7.2 billion passengers would travel in 2035. The figure nearly doubles the number of air travelers in 2016, which is 3.8 billion. Previously, Airbus' Global Market Forecast predicted that the world would need around 32,600 new passenger and freighter aircrafts in the next 18 years to meet the growing demands. China will become the leading country for passenger air traffic with its domestic traffic set to become the world' s number one within eight years, said the the same Airbus report. An American professor has been charged with trying to overthrow the North Korean regime as Pyongyang confirmed his arrest for the first time. Tony Kim, 58, who worked in California and also goes by his Korean name Kim Sang-Duk, was teaching accountancy at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology before he was arrested last month. University authorities said at the time that Kim was detained at the airport while trying to leave North Korea on April 22, but the regime had not confirmed it was holding him until now. Scroll down for video Tony Kim, 58, an accountancy professor who worked for decades in California, has been charged with trying to overthrow the North Korean regime A statement released by the Korean Central News Agency said Kim had been charged with 'committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn North Korea.' The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately funded university in North Korea. It held its first classes in 2010. It is unique in the North for its large number of foreign staff. Colin McCulloch, the director of external affairs, said the university is not under investigation and was continuing its normal operations. Though no details on why Kim was detained have been released, the detention comes at a time of high tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. President Trump has said Kim Jong-un needs to 'behave' as he sailed an 'armada' to the region comprised of three aircraft carries and two submarines. Meanwhile the dictator has warned of a sixth nuclear test 'at any moment' and said he can destroy the US carriers with a 'single strike'. Kim was working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (pictured) before being detained while trying to leave the country on April 22 Kim's arrest brings to three the number of Americans currently under arrest or in prison in the secretive state. Otto Warmbier, then a 21-year-old University of Virginia student from suburban Cincinnati, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor last year after he confessed to trying to steal a propaganda banner. Kim Dong Chul, who was born in South Korea but is also believed to have U.S. citizenship, is serving a sentence of 10 years for espionage. Another foreigner, a Canadian pastor, is also being detained in North Korea. Hyeon Soo Lim, a South Korean-born Canadian citizen in his 60s, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2015 on charges of trying to use religion to destroy the regime and helping U.S. and South Korean authorities abduct North Koreans. The mother of a weapons-obsessed student who tried to blow up a London tube train with a homemade bomb has blamed 'YouTube poison' for corrupting her son. Damon Smith faces a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of planting an explosive device on a Jubilee Line carriage on his way to college. A trial at the Old Bailey heard he had been interested in bombs and explosions since the age of 10 and researched how to build them using ISIS propaganda magazines he found online. The 20-year-old even took a selfie with Paris attacker Abdelhamid Abaaoud in the background when the killer's picture was shown on TV. His mother Antonitza Smith, 47, has now blamed terrorist videos on social media for leading her son astray and said the 'Government should ban' sites like YouTube. Damon Smith planted an explosive device on a London tube train after researching ISIS terrorists online. The court heard he had a long-running fascination with guns and bombs Police footage shows the excited-looking student answering questions during his interview She told the Telegraph: 'How to make a bomb - that shouldn't be on YouTube because people copy, especially vulnerable people. 'Whatever people put on YouTube, broadcast on YouTube - how to make a bomb, how to blow up a car, hacking etc - it's illegal really. 'The government should ban it so it might save another child from what my son has gone through.' In his police interview, an excited-looking Smith told detectives he left the bomb on the train 'as a prank' after realising he had 'two hours to kill before his next maths lesson'. Smith smirked after his arrest and throughout his trial, but jurors were told this was due to his Asperger's Syndrome. At an early court hearing, his mother stood up in the public gallery and shouted out to defend her son, who was described as still 'tied to her apron strings'. She said he 'didn't know what he was doing' and told him she loved him. Former altar boy Smith made his own bomb using a Christmas tree light, a 2 clock from Tesco, sparklers and a thermos flash packed with ball bearings. He left the device in an Adidas holdall, which had 'UKIM' printed on it - meaning UK Islamic Mission, on a train at North Greenwich Tube station - then headed off for his morning lecture. The device failed to go off and the driver took it into his cab thinking it was lost property. He then realised it was a bomb and could go off at any moment. Smith was arrested after CCTV footage of him planting the bag on the train was linked to footage of him leaving the station. The student, who was 19 at the time, claimed he had only planted the bomb to cause delays and see if it would make the news. He denied possession of explosives with intent to endanger life and cause serious injury, but was convicted by a jury following a week-long trial at the Old Bailey after less than an hour's deliberations. Chilling CCTV footage shows the moment Smith steps off the train at London Bridge, with the homemade bomb propped up against the seat by the door The would-be bomber looked stunned as the jury's verdict was read out but did not speak. Smith, who grew up in Newton Abbot, Devon, did not give evidence at his trial but told a psychiatrist he had been interested in bombs since he was 10 and began researching their design and construction using ISIS propaganda magazines. He had moved to London with his mother to study computer forensics at London Metropolitan University just a few weeks before planting the device. Smith said he made his first replica pipe bomb aged 14 after reading the Anarchist's Cook Book online. He is a judo black belt and an avid poker player and had won 500 from an online game on the morning he planted the bomb. Smith had posted a video of himself firing a blank-firing pistol online before the incident A Dr Ian Cummings said in a psychiatric report: 'He recalled watching the Boston Bombings and downloading the Al Qaeda magazine Inspire and visited some Islamic websites. 'He said at the time he didn't think it was an issue - he thought it was just an interest.' Of the bomb plot, he said: 'He said he wanted to make a smoke bomb and had no expectation that it might cause harm - he admitted he had used ball bearings but more to give an authentic look than to cause harm.' On the morning of 20 October last year, Smith boarded a Jubilee Line train at Surrey Quays with the device in a bag and then changed at Southwark to go in the opposite direction. He primed the timer mechanism on the device on the train by inserting batteries into the clock and then left the bag on the train between Southwark and London Bridge. Pictures released during the trial show the household objects Smith used to build the bomb The main charge was made up of 152.8g of the explosive material in a silver metal flask Materials: Metropolitan Police have released a photograph of some of the components Damon Smith used to make a home-made bomb Two members of the public spotted it and alerted the driver at North Greenwich station. But the driver thought it was lost property and took it with him into his cab - it was only on double checking that he noticed the wires protruding from the back of the clock. Both the train and platform at North Greenwich were evacuated and the device was then made safe by cutting a wire. Had the device detonated as planned, it would have gone off just as passengers were leaving the platform, potentially killing scores of people. Later that night, Smith began making Google searches to try and find news of his bomb. An explosives expert told the court that the device was viable but the initiator may not have been powerful enough to ignite it Home-made: Damon Smith created a bomb after reading an article about how to make a device using things from around the home When he was arrested the following day on his university campus by armed officers, he was carrying a copy of the Koran in his bag along with his lecture notes. At the south London address he shared with his mother police found bomb-making instructions and a shopping list of bomb components. They also recovered a blank-firing pistol and a video of him firing the gun he had uploaded to YouTube. Smith did not give evidence at trial, but his legal team claimed the bomb was just a prank He also had a carbon-dioxide powered revolver designed to fire ball bearings and a sheath knife which had also featured in YouTube videos. An image of a handgun labelled '2016 Islamic State fighter' was found on his university computer, and he was found to have 'liked' various videos of explosions. Smith had images of ISIS fighters and had searched for issues of the terror organisation's online magazine Dabiq. The issue he downloaded featured an article about the bomb which brought down a Russian airliner on 31 October 2015. Police found the image of him and Abaaoud on an iPad recovered from his grandparent's house. He told officers that he had been brought up a Christian but thought Islam was 'more true' because the Koran predicted scientific facts like finger prints. He said he didn't really practise the religion although he read the Koran and sometimes prayed in the morning when 'convenient'. Richard Carey-Hughes QC, for Smith, described him as a 'white boy from Devon' and 'tied to his mother's apron strings'. He was not charged with any terror offences, after the Crown Prosecution Service decided they couldn't prove he was radicalised. He will be sentenced on a date yet to be set and faces a lengthy jail term. A YouTube spokesman said: 'We do not allow bomb-making videos on YouTube and if there's content giving instruction on how to carry out harmful activities on the platform, we quickly remove it when it's flagged.' FBI Director James Comey told Senators he had not choice but to reveal new developments in the bureau's investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails just days before the presidential election, as he faced only bad options. Returning to Capitol Hill to get grilled by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey was immediately challenged by the top panel Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and ended up giving his most detailed explanation of the cross-currents he faced. 'Why was it necessary to announce, 11 days before a presidential election, that you were opening an investigation on a new computer without any knowledge of what was in that computer? Why didnt you just do that investigation as you would normally, with no public announcement?' Feinstein asked him. Comey laid out the details of the investigation, saying in detail why he felt he had no choice but to divulge information to Congress, which ultimately made it public. FBI Director James Comey prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation' Scroll down for video 'I could not see a door labelled "No action here," Comey responded. 'Speak would be really bad. There's an election in 11 days. Lordy that would be really bad,' he said, laying out his mindset at the time. 'Concealing in my view would be catastrophic.' Explaining the moment less than two weeks before the election when he faced the decision, Comey said: 'Whether it's a dog catcher election or president of the United States, but I sat there that morning and I couldn't see a door labeled no action here. I could see two doors and they were both actions. One was labeled speak the other was labeled conceal.' 'Because here's how I thought about - I'm not trying to talk you into this, but I want you to know my thinking,' Comey said. But Comey said that his agents had uncovered thousands of new emails that it had not yet reviewed in its Clinton investigation, because they ended up on the laptop of disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner, the husband of longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin. FBI Director James Comey said it made him 'midly nauseous' to think the FBI might have impacted the election results 'Honestly as between really bad and catastrophic, I said to my team, 'We gotta walk into the world of really bad," Comey said. Describing his own angst over the situation, Comey shared: 'Look this is terrible, it makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldn't change the decision,' he said. Feinstein weighed in only after Comey had laid out his entire thought-process. 'You took an enormous gamble,' said Feinstein. She said that some people felt he had helped determine the outcome without mentioning that Hillary Clinton had said as much on Tuesday. Then, she made a retreat. 'Let me go on to Section 702,' she said, changing the subject. Look this is terrible, it makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldn't change the decision. - James Comey Driving Comey to act was the discovery of thousands of new Clinton emails, which was relevant to the bureau because of its criminal investigation of whether the former secretary of state had mishandled classified information. Comey had announced during the summer that he could not successfully prosecute a case. He met with his team on October 27, as investigators 'laid out for me what they could see from the metadata on this fellow Anthony Weiner's laptop that had been seized in an unrelated case.' While Hillary Clinton took some personal blame for her loss, she pointed a finger at a trio of causes including FBI Director James Comey's letter, the Russian hacks and misogyny Hillary Clinton appeared Tuesday in New York and talked about how she lost last year's presidential election Comey continued: 'What they could see from the metadata were there were thousands of Secretary Clinton's emails on that device including what they thought were the missing emails from her first three months as secretary of state. We never found any emails from her first three months.' Piquing his interest was Clinton's use of a Blackberry. 'She was using a Verizon Blackberry then and that's obviously very important because if there was evidence that she was acting with bad intent that's where it would be. So they came in and said we can see thousands of emails from the Clinton email domain. Including many, many, many from the Verizon Clinton Blackberry domain. They said we think we've got to get a search warrant to go get these. And the Department of Justice agreed. We had to go get a search warrant. So I agreed,' he explained. Comey also explained his stunning decision to announce just two days before the election that the the renewed investigation hadn't turned up much that was new. 'And the team also told me, we cannot finish this work before the election. And then they worked night after night after night and they found thousands of new emails, they found classified information on Anthony Weiner,' Comey said. 'Somehow her emails were being forwarded to Anthony Weiner, including classified information, by her assistant Huma Abedin. And so they found thousands of new emails. And they called me the Saturday night before the election and said thanks to the wizardry of our technology we've only had to personally read 6,000. We think we can finish tomorrow morning, Sunday, and so I met with them.' But the new information did not change the final determination. 'And they said we found a lot of new stuff, we did not find anything that changes our view of her intent. So we're in the same place we were in July, it hasn't changed our view. I asked them lots of questions and I said if that's what you are I also have to tell Congress that we're done.' Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's COSTUME INSTITUTE Benefit Celebrating the Opening of Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, Arrivals, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Huma AbedinThe Costume Institute Benefit celebrating the opening of Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between, Arrivals, The Metropolitan Museum of Art 'Look this was terrible it makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldn't change the decision,' Comey said. 'Everybody who disagrees with me needs to come back to October 28 with me and stare at this and tell me what you would do. Would you speak or would you conceal. And I could be wrong, but we honestly made a decision between those two choices and even in hindsight this has been one of the world's most painful experiences, I would make the same decision. I would not conceal that on October 28 from the Congress.' Clinton disagreed, instead blaming Comey and Russian election interference for her loss in remarks on Tuesday. 'If the election had been on October 27 I'd be your president,' Clinton said in an interview on CNN. During one exchange, South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham asked a series of questions about Weiner, asking Comey if he agreed Weiner in 2016 shouldn't have had access to classified information. 'Yes thats a fair statement,' Comey responded. 'It would be illegal if he didnt have appropriate clearance,' Comey said when pressed. Asked whether Weiner had such a clearance, he said: 'I dont believe at the time we found that on his laptop that he had any kind of clearance.' Then asked whether 'somebody should be prosecuted' for having classified information without access, Comey said: 'It could be a crime,.' Graham wanted to know if there should be a law on that subject if for some reason there weren't one. 'Theres no Anthony Weiner statute,' quipped Comey. 'Well maybe we need one,' Graham said. THAT'S CLASSIFIED: Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) announced his resignation June 16, 2011. FBI Director James Comey says classified information was found on his laptop. He is married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin No regrets Comey was asked by Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal whether he had any regrets either for how he closed the Clinton email investigation last summer or how he revealed it was in effect reopened days before the election. 'The honest answer is no. Ive asked myself that a million times, because, Lordy, has this been painful. The only thing I regret is that mainly answering the phone when they called to recruit me to be FBI director when I was living happily in Connecticut,' he quipped. 'We would welcome you back,' interjected Blumenthal. 'Ive gotten all kinds of rocks thrown at me. And this has been really hard,' Comey continued, earnestly. 'But I think Ive done the right thing at each turn. Im not on anybodys side. Its so hard for people to see that. Ive asked that a million times. Should you have done this, should you have done that. The honest answer, I dont mean to sound arrogant is I wouldnt have done it any differently. Somehow Id have prayed it away, wished it away, wished that I was on the shores of the Connecticut Sound. But failing that, I don't have any regrets.' Earlier, Feinstein had touched on the other big issue surrounding Comey: alleged Russian election interference. 'I cant imagine how an unprecedented big and bold hacking interference in our elect by the Russian government did not also present exceptional circumstances she said. As he returned to Capitol Hill and immediately faced a grilling from senators who tore into the 'dirty dossier' of claims about President Trump's Russia ties as well as his own handling of the Clinton email scandal. Senate Judiciary chairman Charles Grassley of Iowa used his opening remarks to rip the dossier of information that a former British intelligence officer compiled on Donald Trump during the presidential campaign. 'Some continue to quote parts of this document as if it were gospel truth,' Grassley complained. He said it 'included debunked salacious claims.' 'Much of the dossier has been proven wrong and many of his outlandish claims have failed to gain traction,' Grassley said. Grassley also appeared to provide some cover for President Trump when he took a shot at claims of collusion between his former campaign aides and figures linked to the Russian government during the campaign. 'Once you buy into the claim of collusion then suddenly every interaction with a Russian .. .can seem like a confirmation of a conspiracy theory,' Grassley said. Grassley also brought up the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton investigation related to her email scandal, including immunity agreements that he said kept the bureau from reviewing the laptps of key figures. 'A cloud of doubt hangs over the FBI objectivity,' Grassley said. Feinstein in her remarks noted Comey's unusual decision to publicly reveal that the FBI was in effect reopening the Clinton investigation just days before the elections, only to reveal that nothing new had turned up. She contrasted that to the Russia probe, which Comey did not confirm before the elections, even as it grew in size and scope. She wanted to know 'why the FBIs treatment of these two investigations was so dramatically different.' Comey was attuned throughout the hearing to bolstering his own legacy and reputation by explaining the justification for his decisions, which reshaped the presidential campaign. He explained why he decided to give his own televised press conference announcing the closing of the Clinton investigation, rather than leaving it to the Justice Department or having DOJ put out a statement, even while bashing Clinton for careless handling of her emails. 'A number of things had gone on some of which I cant talk about yet,' he said, 'that made me worry that the department leadership could not credibly complete the investigation and decline prosecution without grievous damage to the American peoples confidence in the justice system.' 'And the capper was, and Im not picking on the [former] attorney general, Loretta Lynch, who I like very much, but her meeting with President Clinton on that airplane was the capper for me. And I then said, you know what, the department cannot by itself credibly end this. The best chance we have for the justice system if I do something I never imagined before, step away from them and tell the American people look heres what the FBI did, heres what we found, heres what we think.' He was referencing Lynch's famous tarmac meeting with the former president in Phoenix while the investigation was wrapping up. 'That was a hard call for me to make to call the attorney general that morning and say Im about to do a press conference and Im not going to tell you what Im gonna say. And I said to her, "I hope someday youll understand why I think I have to do this,"' he said. 'But look I wasnt loving this, I knew this would be disastrous for me personally,' Comey added. 'When the Anthony Weiner thing landed on me on October 27th and there was a huge this is what people forget new step to be taken We may be finding the the golden missing emails that would change this case, if I were not to speak about that it would be a disastrous catastrophic concealment,' he concluded. A University of Southern California student has been charged in a shocking sexual assault in a university dorm room. Armann Karim Premjee, 20, was charged on Tuesday with rape by use of drugs and sexual penetration by a foreign object in Los Angeles. He has pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $200,000. Sometime after 1am on April 1, Premjee was alone with a 19-year-old woman, also a USC student, in her dorm room, according to prosecutors. Armann Karim Premjee, 20, was charged on Tuesday with rape by use of drugs and sexual penetration by a foreign object in Los Angeles Prosecutors allege that the female victim was incapacitated by some kind of intoxicating substance, but have not provided further details. California's rape law includes alcohol in the definition of rape by use of drugs. The woman's roommate walked into the room in the middle of the assault, prosecutors said. Premjee abruptly got up and went into the bathroom. When he returned, the roommate confronted him and he left. Premjee, whose first name has been spelled variously by authorities, is a business administration student originally from Mumbai, India, according to his Facebook profile. He was expelled by Kappa Sigma fraternity last month after news of his arrest was made public, The Tab reported. A judge declined the prosecution's request to set bail at $1million in a Tuesday hearing, opting instead for a $200,000 bail. Premjee faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges. The boss of a controversial Sydney motorway project is set to be paid three times as much as the Premier of New South Wales just to meet deadlines. West Connex Motorway boss Dennis Cliche stands to take home $1.11 million after bonuses, making him the richest-ever state bureaucrat, The Daily Telegraph reports. That means the Sydney Motorway Corporation's CEO will be paid almost three times as much as Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who receives $377,780 a year to run Australia's most populous state. Sydney Motorway Corporation CEO Dennis Cliche will be paid $1.1 million a year after bonuses for meeting construction deadlines with the West Connex Motorway in Sydney Dennis Cliche will take home more than three times NSW Premier Glady Berejiklian His annual remuneration will also be equal to the median house price in Sydney, which is considered one of the world's more expensive property markets. The 33-kilometre toll road he is in charge of has met with community protest in Sydney's inner west since construction began in 2015. To ensure the $16 billion project is built by 2023, the NSW government revealed on Wednesday that Mr Cliche will be paid a 'short-term incentive target of 35 per cent' to his $717,000 a year base salary, along with another 20 per cent bonus, as the first and second stages of the motorway are built to deadline. Mr Cliche, 62, was the managing director of Melbourne's EastLink tollway before he joined Sydney Motorway Corporation, a private company established by the NSW government in 2014. Protesters in Sydney's inner-west believe public transport is better than a West Connex Motorway Accused cocaine smuggler Cassie Sainsbury was in tens of thousands of dollars of debt from a failed gym venture before she landed in a Colombian prison. A woman, who wished not to be named, claimed Ms Sainsbury owed money to several people after her business collapsed last September, reports The Advertiser. The claims come as ominous social media posts come to light in which the 22-year-old predicted a monumental event before her ill-fated trip. Daily Mail Australia revealed she was on the last leg of an world trip when she was nabbed with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine in Bogota airport. Scroll down for video Cassie Sainsbury was reportedly in thousands of dollars in debt from a failed gym venture before her il-fated trip Her social media posts appeared to forewarn a monumental event before her ill-fated trip A local florist also claimed she 'disappeared basically overnight' from Adelaide owing tens of thousands in debt, reports 7News. In the January 10 Instagram post, she appeared to be predicting a fateful event on the horizon. '50 days until I make the biggest move I've yet to do ... 50 days until everything changes.' In another deleted post from January 24, she said: 'Moving interstate driving me cray cray! #save me! Not long before the big move now, super excited and can't wait to leave so much baggage behind.' The posts also contained hashtags suggesting her relocation to Sydney in early March, when the countdown ended. Other posts revealed she jetted to Bogota from LA and arrived on April 3. It has been claimed Ms Sainsbury owed money to several people after her Adelaide gym (pictured) collapsed last September The young woman's family claim she was on a working holiday to Colombia to promote her personal training business The posts also contained hashtags suggesting relocation to Sydney for early March, when the countdown ended She faces 25 years in jail after she was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine at an airport in Colombia Colombian police claim a tip-off led to her arrest in Bogota The young woman's family claim she was on a working holiday to Colombia to promote her personal training business. But her fiance, Scott Broadbridge said she had not been a personal trainer for six months prior to the trip, and was working for a cleaning company at the time. Colombian police claim a tip-off led to the arrest of an Australian woman who was found with 18 bags of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1.7 million. On April 3 she posted a photo of LAX - Los Angeles International Airport - with the caption 'going from China's lovely 27 degree weather to LA's 7 degree weather is killing me'. In January, posts by the young woman indicate she was a separate 'work trip', this time to Canada, where she complained of being tired and used the hashtag #hometimesoon. The young woman posted to Instagram a week before she was stopped in a Colombian airport to tell her followers about her trip which also took her to Las Angeles and China Her newly appointed Colombian lawyer has claimed he could have her case ruled on in 90 days if she admits to a level of guilt in the drug smuggling, reports ABC. Lawyer Orlando Herran said she could end up with 'conditional liberty', allowing her the possibility of returning home to Australia to serve out a suspended sentence. "She would have to present herself before authorities and (follow) rules of conduct and a series of controls,' Mr Herran told the ABC. 'If we get this, we could ask that she return to Australia and keep this condition and finish her punishment with Australian authorities.' Mr Herran also said Cassandra had bought the headphones to 'sell in Australia and make money' - totally at odds with her family's explanation that they were gifts for her bridal party. The woman went on a cruise in October, 2016, followed by a work trip to Canada in January. Her trip to Colombia recently started with time spent in China and America She was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in small packages wrapped in black plastic (pictured) The woman (pictured with her fiance) was detained on April 11 at Bogota Airport just as she was about to fly back to Australia after a working holiday Columbia College Unveils Plans For Major New Student Center In The South Loop By Stephen Gossett in News on May 2, 2017 10:30PM Lobby / Courtesy of Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago announced plans for a big and bold-looking new student center on Tuesday. Designed by renowned architecture firm Gensler, the facility will rise five stories and span some 114,000 square feet, acting as the campus' "central hub." The new center will be a cornerstone of the student experience at Columbia, said Dr. Kwang-Wu Kim, president of the college. Our students have always sought out ways to collaborate and study in informal settings outside the classroom. Now, students will have a place designed especially for thema welcoming space as distinctive as they are." The new facility, which will go up at the corner of 8th Street and Wabash Avenue, will also include space for dance studio, digital and analog "maker labs," and an 800-person event room. But more details are expected over the next several months, as the college will host several events to answer questions and provide more info, including further design details. As architects and designers, the Gensler team appreciates what Columbia wants to achieve with this new hub for student creativity and collaboration, said Brian Vitale, principal and design director, in a statement. We want the new student center to welcome and inspire every student at Columbia. Interacting in a place of their own will benefit students who can expand their own thinking with new connections, thoughts and ideas. The facility is expected to break ground in October of this year. It is scheduled to be completed in late 2018. Dining loft / Courtesy of Columbia College Chicago Sales of vile gifts which mock the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have been stopped after complaints to an online printing company. The items include T-shirts and mugs with horrible slogans saying 'Maddie lives in my basement' and 'I heart Gerry and Kate McCann' with a cross put on the heart emblem. The twisted merchandise adds: 'Responsible parents don't leave children alone while they go out for dinner!' Two of the t-shirt designs being sold on the website CafePress, including a sick message that she lives in the wearer's basement, and criticism of Gerry and Kate's parenting It comes as the McCanns mark 10 years since their daughter disappeared and revealed they continue to buy her birthday presents every year. The Sun reports that the t-shirts are being sold through cafepress.co.uk, a site that allows people to design clothing items then sold and printed from their manufacturing site in Kentucky. The t-shirts start at 15.50 each, while mugs can be bought for 9. A spokesman for CafePress said: 'The shirts were brought to our attention earlier this morning, and we disabled sales immediately. The images will be completely removed from CafePress.com within 24 hours. 'To be clear, the designs were created and uploaded by a third-party shop from CafePress.com.' Maddie went missing from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. Maddie went missing in 2007, 10 years ago, from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. Right, Gerry and Kate McCann making the appeal to find her a decade ago The t-shirts are for sale online just as her parents and those in the town of Praia da Luz prepare to mark 10 years since she went missing, with villagers revealing they pray for her every week Villagers in the small holiday spot have prayed for her every Sunday since she disappeared, it emerged this week. A special church service will be held at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz for all missing people, including Madeleine, at 9pm on Wednesday. A public gathering is also expected to take place in her home village in Rothley, Leicestershire, to mark the tenth anniversary of her disappearance. Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have vowed to do 'whatever it takes for as long as it takes' to find their daughter, who would now be nearly 14. Another one of the sick t-shirts, which reads: 'McCann's gym (for unfit parenting)'. Cafepress has been contacted for a comment In an interview with the BBC's Fiona Bruce, Mrs McCann said: 'My hope for Madeleine being out there is no less than it was almost 10 years ago.' Speaking ahead of the anniversary, the couple described it as a 'horrible marker of time, stolen time'. Last month, Scotland Yard said its officers are still pursuing 'critical' leads to trace Madeleine, with officers receiving information on a daily basis. So far, 11million has been spent on the inquiry into her disappearance, with the Home Office last month confirming 85,000 was being given to the UK-based Metropolitan Police inquiry to cover operational costs from April to September. While Mr McCann defended the large amount of public money spent, Mrs McCann admitted she felt guilty other families had not been given the same resources. Cafe Press describes itself as the world's 'best online gift shop' and explains: 'Our massive array of designs are crowdsourced from a global community of more than two million independent designers. Our platform also offers the ability for customers to create their own individualized products, providing infinite possibilities.' The McCanns have been contacted for comment. Australian Sara Connor is expected to learn within two weeks if her four-year jail term for her role in the fatal assault of a Bali policeman will be increased, an Indonesian court has said. Days after the mother-of-two was sentenced in March over the assault of police officer Wayan Sudarsa, prosecutors announced they would be appealing the sentence. Her sentence was half of what prosecutors had called for, and two years less than what her British boyfriend David Taylor received. Scroll down for video Australian Sara Connor (left) is expected to learn within two weeks if her four-year jail term for her role in the fatal assault of a Bali policeman will be increased, an Indonesian court has said Days after Connor (right) was sentenced to four years jail over the assault and subsequent death of Bali police officer Wayan Sudarsa, the prosecution said they would appeal her sentence. A spokesperson for the Bali High Court said the appeal date is May 15 The spokesman for Bali High Court in Denpasar, Made Sujana, said on Wednesday the date for her appeal had been set for May 15. 'The verdict will be read in open session starting at 10am (1pm AEST),' he added. 'During that time, the chief judge and two member judges will discuss in court room to examine the prosecutor appeal and the counter memory submitted by Sara Connor.' In a response to the prosecution's call for her sentence to be increased, Connor wrote last month that even though the four-year term was 'very difficult' for her to accept, it 'reflected the sense of justice in Indonesian society'. Connor's sentence was two years less than her British boyfriend David Taylor (right) who was jailed for six years for his involvement in the police officer's death In response to the appeal, Connor said in April that she and Taylor (pictured centre) were innocent and were only trying to defend themselves The 46-year-old said she and Taylor - who was jailed for six years - were 'innocent' of the crime and were only trying to defend themselves. '(The sentence) is a very hard thing for me and my family. I'm a single mother with two children who need my attention.' She rejected the prosecutor's argument that she had not been deterred by the sentence, saying she felt very guilty. 'This is the most bitter experience and the last one (of its kind) in my life.' Connor (pictured) wrote: '(The sentence) is a very hard thing for me and my family. I'm a single mother with two children who need my attention' Mr Sudarsa's bloodied body was found covered in sand, with dozens of wounds to his head, chest and neck in the early hours of August 17. In the days following Connor and Taylor burnt their clothes from that night, before going to the Australian consulate and handing themselves in. Dr Dudut Rustyadi, who performed the autopsy on Mr Sudarsa, told their trials it would have taken him at least two hours for Mr Sudarsa to die, and had someone intervened he might have been saved. She said she felt very guilty about the officer's death. 'This is the most bitter experience and the last one (of its kind) in my life,' she wrote The undergraduate student body president at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is under fire after a leaked photo showed him making an offensive gang sign. Danny Siegel, the Undergraduate Students Association Council president, made a hand sign of the Bloods - a primarily African American street gang - in a photo leaked to Facebook earlier this week. The photo was shared in a GroupMe chat called 'Protect the Crown' by Brian Kohaya, Siegel's appointments director. UCLA student body president Danny Siegel made a hand sign of the Bloods - a primarily African American street gang - in a photo leaked to Facebook earlier this week The photo was shared in a GroupMe chat called 'Protect the Crown' by Brian Kohaya, Siegel's appointments director. Siegel, a third-year political science student, has said the photo was taken at least a year ago, before he was appointed to the role of president Upon sharing the image in the chat, Kohaya wrote: 'Problematic Danny. (Don't you dare repost that photo).' Students began sharing screenshots of the photo on Sunday, a day before voting for this year's USAC elections began. Siegel, a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and third-year political science student, said that the photo was taken at least a year ago, before he was appointed to the role of president. UCLA students have expressed outrage over the photo, and many students have demanded that Siegel resign from his position. 'When a white person throws up the gang sign, they're basically making a mockery of the oppression that African Americans in hyper-segregated neighborhoods face,' fourth-year Robert Gardner told the Daily Bruin of the incident said. 'A lot of black Bruins are extremely upset at this appropriation of our culture that's derived out of anti-black racism.' Gardner, whose cousin died as the result of gang violence, said many African Americans in segregated neighborhoods join gangs as a way to generate income or for protection. Freshman Kosi Ogbuli told the Daily Bruin that the photo was inexcusable. 'From where I grew up, it's a sign that implies a lot of things and a lot of danger,' Ogbuli said. 'It's like a name tag for what gang you're in that's your set and you're proud of being in it.' UCLA students have expressed outrage over the photo, and many students have demanded that Siegel resign from his position Siegel has since apologized for the photo with a lengthy post on Facebook. He said: 'This is indefensible. I'm not going to try and make excuses for this. Though this picture was taken over a year ago, and I question why whoever had possession of it decided to release now in the midst of our elections instead of engaging with me about it directly, that doesn't make the pain I may have caused folks looking at this go away. I engaged in narrow-mindedness and total disrespect. 'I want to be up front: this is a result of my white privilege and lack of perspective, something that so many victims of gang violence don't have the luxury of, in fact this behavior can put their lives at risk. When I as a white man make a 'simple mistake', 'joke', or 'claim ignorance', I can get off easy, while for a person of color it can be criminal.' 'I'm thankful to God and my family that I have never experienced gang violence, and trivializing it, regardless of my intentions, hurt people. And for that I'm sorry. 'I have learned a great deal this year as USAC President, working with, meeting, and supporting a lot of new people that have humbled me, helped me be more aware of advantages in society I have over so many, and what I can do about it. Siegel has since apologized for the photo with a lengthy post on Facebook, in which he says the photo is 'indefensible' 'I believe my work serving students has demonstrated that. But also I know that my apologies come off as empty to a lot of people that don't know me, and to that I recognize there is no reason to accept my apology. 'As we grow older and gain wisdom in our years in college, there are bad decisions that we make in our past, regrets that we have - this was one of mine. I only hope that whoever was offended by this, or if you have questions about my sincerity (rightfully so) would be willing to engage me in conversation on this in the future, if you so choose. 'Again, I'm sorry to my friends, my community, or anyone else who saw this picture and was hurt by my immaturity - I should have known better and take full responsibility for my insensitivity.' Dozens of students addressed Siegel directly at the weekly undergraduate student government meeting, demanding he resign or take action beyond apologizing. Many said that more than just Siegel were responsible for the photo, since several people were in the group where the photo was posted and did nothing. The Bloods are a predominately African-American street gang founded in Los Angeles. It is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips, another gang in the area. They are identified by the color red worn by members and by symbols made by particular hand signals. A teacher was able to distinguish between the colors of the rainbow for the fist time in his life, all thanks to his beloved students. History teacher, Matt Alzamora received a heartwarming surprise from his students when they presented him with a pair of special glasses that they raised money to buy, according to ABC News. Two of Alzamora's students, Andrew Bregman and Maci Chambers, were the masterminds behind the gift. Scroll down for video History teacher, Matt Alzamora (pictured) received a heartwarming surprise from his students (in the background) when they presented him with a pair of special glasses that they raised money to buy The students presented Alzamora (pictured) with the Enchroma glasses during Teacher Appreciation Week, after weeks of researching and raising money to buy them The Methacton High School students said they remembered their teacher talking about 'how he is color-blind'. 'One day in 7th period, he was talking about an experience he had with his daughter, where one day she was talking about how pretty the sunset was, and he said he just really wanted to be able to see a sunset,' Chambers told ABC. The students presented Alzamora with the Enchroma glasses during Teacher Appreciation Week, after weeks of researching and raising money to buy them. Bregman said his class found Enchroma, which manufactures special eyeglasses for color-blind people, and once they had a price, the students donated whatever they could. 'I had someone bring in over $100, someone over $50 - people brought in $20s, $10s, $5s so a lot of people pitched in more than what was necessary,' Bregman told ABC. Altogether the students raised $528, which was just enough for the glasses believed to have cost around $430. Two of Alzamora's students, Andrew Bregman (right) and Maci Chambers (left), were the masterminds behind the gift Alzamora said the timing of the gift is perfect as he prepares to take his students to France over the summer. He said his students 'are amazing'. Pictured is Alzamora (left) touching balloons as he saw color for the first time in his life HOW THE SPECIAL ENCHROMA GLASSES WORK THEIR MAGIC Instead of adding color, Enchroma glasses filter and separate muddled colors using a technique called chromatic contrast enhancement. People with color blindness are unable to differentiate between two colors - usually red and green - so the lenses add a new dimension to their vision and allow them to see the colors separately. Some people report that their color discrimination is faster and more accurate and that they are able to see more vibrant colors when wearing the glasses. They are also more likely to notice objects that are differentiated against a background based on color (such as a flower against background of leaves), whereas without the lens those objects would be overlooked. Altogether the students raised $528, which was just enough for the glasses (pictured) believed to have cost around $430 Advertisement The students surprised Alzamora with his eyeglasses during a staff meeting, where his wife and son joined in on the very special moment. 'Yeah they work. It's vivid. It's different. Like the balloons. I thought there was only a couple colors. And like now, you can see the difference,' Alzamora said as he reached out and touched a few balloons. And the timing for the gift is impeccable. Alzamora is taking his students on a trip to France this summer. He told ABC that it will be 'neat to see the Mona Lisa in color, to be able to see all the different pieces of art in color'. Alzamora said his students 'are amazing', adding that it's a 'credit to the community that they would do something for me of all people'. The sex secrets of the young Barack Obama have been revealed in an authoritative new biography of the ex-president. Obama slept with his girlfriend Genevieve Cook on their first date, before she wrote him a poem about their 'f***ing' and called their sex 'passionate', the book about the former president reveals. They also did cocaine together - and after they split she slept with his best friend. Obama also considered a gay relationship while at college, twice proposed to another white girlfriend, and cheated on Michelle with his ex during the first year of their relationship. His past is revealed in the 1,078-page biography Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama, to be published on May 9. Obama, a new Columbia graduate who was working for a firm that prepared financial reports at the time, made dinner for Cook at his apartment in Manhattan two weeks after meeting her at a New Year's Eve party and handing her his phone number. It was the start of a relationship which is one of a series revealed in Rising Star. Passionate sex: Genevieve Cook was an Australian-born 22-year-old who was Obama's first post-college lover. The two took drugs together and slept together on their first date Older woman: Genevieve Cook was three years the senior of Obama and a daily pot smoker living with her mother and stepfather in their Park Avenue apartment New York, New York: Obama was a graduate of Columbia working for a financial reports firm when he and Cook were lovers Drug link: Obama would party with three friends including Sohale Siddiqi (pictured) with whom he would do cocaine. Siddiqi, Hasan Chandoo, Imad Hussain took 'lots of cocaine', the new biography of Obama says The 1,078-page biography is the most comprehensive work ever on Obama and the first to be published since he left office. It was written after exhaustive research by Pulitzer-prize winning biographer David Garrow, and also reveals how he asked another woman to marry him and continued a relationship with her while dating Michelle, before she became his wife. Cook was 25 when she met 22-year-old Obama on New Year's Eve in 1983. Australian-born Cook was living in her mother and stepfather's Park Avenue apartment at the time, but had been brought up around the world, including - like Obama, Indonesia - as her father was an Australian spy and diplomat. She wrote about it in a private memoir and said that at the party 'I remember being very engaged and just talking nonstop' with Obama. Former President Obama was yesterday pictured with wife Michelle at a community event at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago 'The thing that connected us is that we both came from nowhere we really didn't belong.' Their first date involved more than talk however, with Obama cooking at the West 114th Street apartment he shared with two other roommates.. 'Then we went and talked in his bedroom. And then I spent the night. It all felt very inevitable,' she wrote in a private memoir, revealed by Garrow. She spent the night again with him a few days later and rated him highly in bed even writing a poem to him saying: 'B. That's for you. F's for all the f***ing that we do.' Garrow reveals that she said: 'Sexually he really wasn't very imaginative but he was comfortable. He was no kind of shrinking "can't handle it. This is invasive" or "I'm timid" in any way; he was quite earthy.' A new book claims that Barack Obama (left) proposed to Sheila Miyoshi Jager (right) before he met Michelle According to Rising Star, by David J. Garrow, (left) Jager (right) played a huge role in Obama's formative years First Lady: Obama continued to see Jager during the first year of his relationship with Michelle Obama, who he went on to marry Their relationship appears to have been deeply sexual, with her writing that 'all this f***ing' was 'so much more than lust' and also saying in her diary: 'Making love with Barack, so warm and flowing and soft but deep - relaxed and loving - opening up more.' She also wrote in her diary about 'passionate sex', the book says. But the couple also used drugs and Cook reveals that Obama was still a cocaine user when they were together. He would spend time with other friends - Hasan Chandoo, Imad Hussain and Sohale Siddiqi, who he had been friends with at Occidental College, in Los Angeles - and Cook said the trio was taking 'lots of cocaine'. They were far more prolific users than Obama, who she said probably preferred staying home to read than taking the drug. Chandoo - who was later to become a fundraiser for Obama - was the leader, the book claims. 'For every five lines that somebody did, he would have done half,' Cook said. The book also notes that Cook and Obama would smoke pot but only at parties and records one time when during tension in their relationship she wrote in her diary that they went to a party and got 'high' on cocaine. College girlfriend: Blonde Alex McNair was the focus of crushes by men at Occidental but it was Obama who became her boyfriend That Obama was still using cocaine in his early 20s is a significant revelation. He had previously only disclosed that he used it as a teenage student. The couple split in June 1985, after a year and a half together, the book says. But she was hardly out of his life - because she became involved with his friend Sohale in September of that year. She and Sohale did ecstasy together, and then had sex. When she wrote to Obama and told him he replied: 'The news of Sohale and you did hurt.' He also used - possibly inadvertently - a racial slur to refer to Sohale and the other two Pakistani-born friends, calling them 'the Pakis' in the same letter. His first name girlfriend in the book was Alex McNear, who is described as a 'beautiful blond' who was the focus of a crushes for many students at Occidental College. One male student even fantasized that she was 'the most beautiful lesbian'. Later, writes Garrow, Obama boasted to fellow Illinois state lawmakers at their regular poker games in the early 2000s about a sexual conquest who appears to align with her. One close acquaintance told Garrow: 'The only woman he ever talked about screwing was some really hot blond chick that he was still proud of. 'He was really proud that he'd banged some super-hot blonde from a super-rich family.' McNear was not super-rich and Garrow suggests this was an 'exaggerated' version of her upbringing being used by Obama. However the book is far sketchier on their time together, noting that she knew him in Manhattan as both moved there when he transferred from Occidental to Columbia. When Obama came to write Dreams From My Father, he created a composite girlfriend from the early 1980s, representing all his white ex-girlfriends. The book discloses that Jager felt particularity upset by his treatment of his white girlfriends in Dreams From My Father. Not only did she become part of 'a woman in New York who I loved', their time living together in Chicago for two years was dropped, and - she said - love letters he sent her were the basis for much of the narrative. 'I never understood why he wrote it this way,' she said. 'I wonder if the unedited Dreams is as inaccurate as the published version.' Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama is published May 9 and is available for pre-order now. WHITE WOMAN HE PROPOSED TO - AND CHEATED ON MICHELLE WITH Barack Obama proposed to a different woman - twice - before he met Michelle and kept on seeing her for the first year of his relationship with FLOTUS. Sheila Miyoshi Jager was almost entirely omitted from Obama's own biography, Dreams of My Father, where she was simply combined with his other white exes into one character. But according to Rising Star, Jager played a huge role in Obama's formative years. So much so that even after Barack met his wife-to-be Michelle, he kept seeing Jager on and off for at least a year, the book claims. The couple were very much in love in the mid 1980s when they were living together in Chicago, according to Jager, who described them as being 'an island unto ourselves.' Their relationship quickly progressed and in the winter of 1986, while visiting his girlfriend's parents, Barack popped the question, Jager told Garrow. Jager, 53, is associate professor and director of the East Asian program at Oberlin College in Ohio But Jager's parents were concerned that she was too young - Jager was 23 and Obama was 25 - and refused his advances. They remained together, but it was about this time that Jager began to realize her then-boyfriend's 'deep-seated need to be loved and admired.' The book claims that Barack kept on seeing Jager for the first year he was dating Michelle but said it stopped after the couple married in 1992 Now 53, the associate professor and director of the East Asian program at Oberlin College in Ohio, told Garrow that Obama became 'so very ambitious very suddenly.' 'I remember very clearly when this transformation happened, and I remember very specifically that by 1987, about a year into our relationship, he already had his sights on becoming president.' But Obama believed he needed to 'fully identify as African American' to fulfill his political ambitions - and believed that having a non-black spouse could damage his prospects, according to the book. This reportedly put pressure on Obama's relationship with Jager who is of Dutch and Japanese heritage. The book claims that Barack was living with Sheila Miyoshi Jager before he met Michelle in the late 1980s (pictured with FLOTUS) By the time he was leaving for Harvard Law School, their relationship was on the rocks. But Obama was not ready to give up on Jager, and proposed to her for a second time - asking her to join him in Harvard. Again Jager turned him down. She believed that his proposal was 'out of a sense of desperation over our eventual parting and not in any real faith in our future.' The second marriage rejection was too much for their relationship, and the couple split. It is also possible that Obama cheated on Jager with an Hispanic single mother of three he had met through his work as a 'community organizer'. Garrow says that Mary Ellen 'Lena' Montes became an 'intimate friend'. She was a divorced young mother who had become a prominent activist in Chicago. In the August after Obama first moved to Chicago, Jager visited her family and he spent time with Lena. 'Obama would remember some intense making-out,' Garrow writes, 'while Lena explained: "I'm a passionate person."' After he moved in with Jager, Lena had the impression that it was 'because of convenience'. Indeed, her existence may have precipitated his split from Jager, as Garrow recalls how after an argument, she found Obama's journal under his bed and looked through it. She was upset about 'someone' in the journal, Lena recalled later - although Lena did not know if she was the person Jager was upset about. 'I just remember him saying that she was leaving... because of this journal,' Lena said. Regardless of whether he was faithful to Jager, Obama went to law school then met Michelle. The couple quickly fell for each other and began dating. But Garrow claims that Jager and Barack continued to see each other on and off after she arrived at Harvard for a teaching fellowship. Garrow describes Obamas as having 'two powerful, overlapping relationships'. 'I always felt bad about it,' Jager said. However, after Barack and Michelle married in 1992, Jager says that they stopped seeing each other and their contact was limited to the odd letter or phone call. The Obamas have not publicly responded to the claims in the book. Advertisement THE GAY PROFESSOR AND HOW OBAMA CONSIDERED A SAME-SEX COLLEGE AFFAIR President Obama considered pursuing a gay relationship while he was a college student. Writing about the former president's two years at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Garrow discloses in Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama the close relationship Obama had with assistant professor Lawrence Goldyn. 'Goldyn made a huge impact on Barry Obama,' Garrow writes. 'Almost a quarter century later, asked about his understanding of gay issues, Obama enthusiastically said, "my favorite professor my first year in college was one of the first openly gay people that I knewHe was a terrific guy." with whom Obama developed a 'friendship beyond the classroom.' To say that Goldyn was out 'would be an understatement,' a fellow student at the college tells Garrow. Goldyn was 'funny, engaging' and 'wore these really right bright yellow pants and open-toed sandals.' It was the winter of 1980 when Obama took a political science course at Occidental taught by the openly gay professor, a 1973 graduate of Reed College in Oregon with a PhD from Stanford. To say that Goldyn was out 'would be an understatement,' a fellow student at the college told Garrow. Goldyn was 'funny, engaging' and 'wore these really right bright yellow pants and open-toed sandals.' Goldyn was one of the first gay people that Obama knew and Obama said the 'strong friendship that developed helped to educate me.' Goldyn would remember that Obama was not fearful of being associated with him. Three years later, writes the author, 'Obama wrote somewhat elusively to his first intimate girlfriend that he had thought about and considered gayness but ultimately decided that a same-sex relationship would be less challenging and demanding than developing one with the opposite sex.' To say that Goldyn was out 'would be an understatement,' a fellow student at the college tells Garrow. Goldyn was 'funny, engaging' and 'wore these really right bright yellow pants and open-toed sandals.' When the Advocate, a leading gay and lesbian magazine, asked president Barack Obama 2009 who had most profoundly influenced his ideas about gays and lesbians, he second person - after his mother -was his political science professor at Occidental College, Lawrence Goldyn, here visiting the president in the Oval Office. Goldyn has since become a doctor The Advocate, a leading gay and lesbian magazine asked President Obama 2009 who had most profoundly influenced his ideas about gays and lesbians, the second person he named - after his mother - was Lawrence Goldyn. 'He was a wonderful guy,' Obama said. 'He was the first openly gay professor that I had ever come in contact with, or openly gay person of authority that I had come in contact with. 'And he was just a terrific guy. He wasn't proselytizing all the time, but just his comfort in his own skin and the friendship we developed helped to educate me on a number of these issues.' Goldyn retrained as a doctor and is now an HIV specialist in Mendocino, California. David Garrow, author of the wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Martin Luther King Jr., and is a regular contributor to The New York Times and The Washington Post. Tim Mosedale has warned of a 'toxic mix' of inexperienced climbers attempting to reach the top of Mount Everest in Nepal A British mountaineer has warned of a 'toxic mix' of inexperienced climbers on Mount Everest causing problems as an increase in numbers of tourists tackling the world's tallest mountain lead to 'traffic jams' on its icy slopes. Tim Mosedale, who has reached the summit five times, said he was appalled to recently see 'fairly basic' safety procedures being ignored. In one instance, he said he had seen a climber with crampons applied to the wrong foot. His comments come as it emerged more permits have been issued for foreign climbers this year than for any year since 1953. The Nepalese government has issued 371. Experts have warned this could make climbing the prestigious mountain more dangerous. Just last week mountaineers were stunned by the death of renowned climber Ueli Steck in a fall at the foot of Mount Nuptse, close to Everest. In a lengthy Facebook post, Mr Mosedale wrote: 'Yesterday as we descended through the Khumbu Icefall we encountered some fairly strange and indeed dangerous activity. He shared a photograph of an inexperienced climber who was not following basic safety procedures, including wearing a helmet and with crampons on the wrong feet 'People not adhering to some fairly basic safety principles and by inference endangering themselves, their staff and everyone around them.' He added that some inexperienced climbers did not know how to use safety equipment, writing: 'Even worse... we saw clients having their harnesses being put on for them by their Sherpa staff and crampons being applied for the first ever time (or in one case crampons being removed to then be put on the right feet). 'When you overlay this with the knowledge that of a team of 14, 10 are trying to summit without oxygen it all adds up to a potentially toxic mix.' The Nepalese government has issued a record number of permits for mountaineers hoping to reach the summit of Mount Everest The climber stated: 'Everest is hazardous enough as it is without complete novices being looked after by inexperienced Sherpas from teams with a poor sense of professionalism.' Mr Mosedale shared a photograph of a climber who he said had appalled him. Explaining what was wrong with the image, he wrote: 'Helmet on his rucksack instead of on his head, pointless quickdraws about his person, an open compartment where things were spilling out of his rucksack, a complete inability to negotiate rebelays (he just stood there and let his Sherpa do everything) and, best of all, crampons on the wrong feet (his excuse was that he was in a rush to go to the toilet that morning). ' The high numbers attempting to reach the summit has alarmed guides. Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, who has reached the summit six times, told the Washington Post: 'We are of course worried about the high numbers Our discussions around base camp are often focused on the same issue what to do if traffic-related problems occur.' He said a long delay last year had seen two of his clients lose toes last year, and thin air and high altitude is especially dangerous. Measures being considered by the Nepalese government to increase safety include making mountaineers demonstrate their ability on smaller mountains before being allowed to attempt Everest. A murder suspect on the run with a 15-year-old girl in Tennessee has been arrested, and the girl found safe. Police in Nashville, Tennessee said Wednesday that Daniel Aaron Clark, 28, had been arrested on suspicion of murder and missing teen Trinity Faith Quinn had been found safe. Trinity was with Clark when he was arrested near near Charlotte Pike and Old Hickory Boulevard, police said. Trinity had been last seen with Clark about 1.5miles from the arrest location, at an Exxon Mobile station in Nashville during the commission of a homicide around 10pm on Tuesday. The clerk killed in the West Nashville gas station was identified as 58-year-old John Daniel Stevens. Police in Nashville, Tennessee said Wednesday that Daniel Aaron Clark, 28, had been arrested on suspicion of murder and missing teen Trinity Faith Quinn had been found safe Trinity had last been seen at 10pm at an Exxon Mobile station in Nashville during the commission of a homicide, along with murder suspect Daniel Aaron Clark In surveillance footage of the hold-up released by police, Trinity is seen wearing a grey T-shirt, camouflage hoodie, blue jeans and brown cowgirl boots Daniel Clark is a family friend who has known Trinity since she was a baby, the teen's mother said. Trinity even calls Clark 'Uncle Dan' Video courtesy of WZTV Fox 17 In surveillance footage of the hold-up released by police, Trinity is seen wearing a grey shirt, camouflage hoodie, blue jeans and brown cowboy boots. She is five feet tall, about 110lbs, and has red hair and blue eyes. Clark, seen in surveillance footage, is 5'10", 168lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes Clark is five-foot-10, 168lbs, with brown hair, a beard, brown eyes and tattoos on both forearms. He was last seen in a dark colored sweatshirt and ball cap. Police at first considered Trinity to be a runaway case. She went missing at 7am on Monday morning from her hometown of Dayton, Tennessee, about 150 miles southeast of Nashville. Her grandmother dropped the teen girl off at Rhea Central Elementary to wait for the school bus for her high school, which she never boarded, Trinity's mom told WRCB. Trinity got into a car instead, mother Stephanie Reed said. Daniel Clark is a family friend who has known Trinity since she was a baby, Reed said. Trinity even calls Clark 'Uncle Dan.' Clark's phone had been turned off since 5.30am on Tuesday, in a potential effort to evade tracking, Reed said police had told her. Clark previously worked at an automotive parts manufacturer, but his recent employment is unknown. Trinity (left) went missing at 7am on Monday morning from her hometown of Dayton, Tennessee, about 150 miles southeast of Nashville. Police found her with Clark (right) The Amber Alert came after Trinity was spotted on footage at the scene of the murder of Exxon clerk John Daniel Stevens, 58. Police say Stevens was shot Tuesday night during a robbery attempt at the store. Police found Clark's vehicle in a nearby parking lot and believed he and the teenage girl could be on foot. On Wednesday morning a SWAT team was searching the area near the gas station while a helicopter circled above. Japan can expect to be 'blanketed with radioactive clouds' if nuclear war breaks out, North Korea has warned. Pyongyang issued a threat to US allies in the region in a newspaper commentary called 'Japan's Reckless Act Which Drives Itself into Ruin.' It warned Japan to expect the biggest impact should any conflict arise out of the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. The Rodong Sinmun state newspaper said: 'First of all, Japan, which is the U.S. forces' logistics, launch and sorties bases, would be blanketed with radioactive clouds if a nuclear war occur on the Korean Peninsula.' Japan can expect to be 'blanketed with radioactive clouds' if nuclear war breaks out, North Korea has warned. Pyongyang dictator Kim Jong-un is pictured at a military demonstration last month Pyongyang issued a threat to US allies in the region in a newspaper commentary called 'Japan's Reckless Act Which Drives Itself into Ruin' (file picture) According to Yonhap, the paper claimed it would be a 'piece of cake' for the North Korean army to strike Japan. 'Not only those who try to harm us but their supporters will not be safe if any war breaks out,' the paper said, adding that Tokyo should try to ease the crisis peacefully. This morning, China called on all parties in the Korean standoff to stay calm and 'stop irritating each other' a day after North Korea said the United States was pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war. The United States has urged China, reclusive North Korea's lone major ally, to do more to rein in its neighbour's nuclear and missile programmes which have prompted an assertive response from the Trump administration, warning that the 'era of strategic patience' is over. The United States has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters and a pair of strategic U.S. bombers flew training drills with the South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of strength this week. China called on all parties in the Korean standoff to stay calm and 'stop irritating each other' a day after North Korea said the United States was pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war. A North Korean military drill is pictured U.S. President Donald Trump raised eyebrows when he said he would be 'honoured' to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (pictured) in the right circumstances, and as his CIA director landed in South Korea for talks Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, asked about the bomber flights, the drills and North Korea's response, stressed that the situation was 'highly complex' and sensitive. 'The urgent task is to lower temperatures and resume talks,' he told reporters. 'We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible.' The flight of the two bombers came as U.S. President Donald Trump raised eyebrows when he said he would be 'honoured' to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the right circumstances, and as his CIA director landed in South Korea for talks. North Korea said the bombers conducted 'a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects' in its territory at a time when Trump and 'other U.S. warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike' on the North. 'The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war,' the North's official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks, driven by concern that the North might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. The U.S. military's THAAD anti-missile defence system (pictured) has reached initial operational capacity in South Korea, U.S. officials told Reuters, although they cautioned that it would not be fully operational for some months The U.S. military's THAAD anti-missile defence system has reached initial operational capacity in South Korea, U.S. officials told Reuters, although they cautioned that it would not be fully operational for some months. China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the system, whose powerful radar it fears could reach inside Chinese territory, just as Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his efforts to rein in North Korea. It was widely feared North Korea could conduct a nuclear test on or around April 15 to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the North's founding leader, Kim Il Sung, or on April 25, the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army. The North has conducted such tests or missile launches to mark significant events in the past. Instead, North Korea held a big military parade featuring a display of missiles on April 15 and then a large, live-fire artillery drill 10 days later. Trump drew criticism in Washington on Monday when he said he would be 'honoured' to meet North Korea's young leader. 'If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it,' Trump told Bloomberg News. Trump did not say what conditions would be needed for such a meeting to occur or when it could happen. 'Clearly conditions are not there right now,' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. Trump warned in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that a 'major, major conflict' with North Korea was possible, while China said last week the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate or slip out of control. Trump has stepped up outreach to allies in Asia to secure their cooperation to pressure North Korea, and over the weekend he spoke with the leaders of Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines in separate phone calls. The United States has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (pictured) to Korean waters and a pair of strategic U.S. bombers flew training drills with the South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of strength this week The U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Joseph R. Donovan, told reporters Indonesia was among several countries that the United States was urging take a 'fresh look' at their North Korea ties. He declined to go into details of what action the United States wanted, but said: 'We are hoping that countries will look at what they can be doing to bring North Korea around to meaningful steps to end its nuclear and missile programmes. Chinese President Xi and his Philippine counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, discussed the Korean situation by telephone on Wednesday, China's Xinhua state news agency said. It did not give details. Trump's calls to the Asian leaders came after North Korea test-launched a missile that appeared to have failed within minutes, its fourth successive failed launch since March. It has conducted two nuclear tests and a series of missile-related activities at an unprecedented pace since the beginning of last year. The North is technically still at war with the South after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty, and it regularly threatens to destroy the United States, Japan and South Korea. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday meanwhile spoke by telephone about Syria and 'about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea', the White House said. The Fyre Festival organizers have been hit with the second class action in two days after the disastrous Bahamas event last week. Festival goers Chelsea Chinery, Shannon McAuliffe and Desiree Flores are suing Ja Rule, Billy McFarland and Fyre Media for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and fraud. The lawsuit states that while the festival promised 'stunning beach side villas, yachts with models draped over the top', guests arrived to find 'horrific' conditions. 'As Plaintiffs began to grasp the dire nature of the situation, upon witnessing the complete lack of infrastructure necessary to host such an event, a panic enveloped the crowd,' Personal injury attorney John Girardi, who is representing the trio, said. 'Plaintiffs were stuck on the island, with no way off.' Festival goers Chelsea Chinery (left) Shannon McAuliffe (right) and Desiree Flores (not pictured) are suing Ja Rule, Billy McFarland and Fyre Media for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and fraud Fyre Festival organizers Ja Rule and Billy McFarland (together in December) hit with another class action suit The lawsuit comes just one day after festival goer Daniel Jung filed a $100 million class action lawsuit against Rule and McFarland on Monday on behalf of all those who bought tickets to the Bahamas festival last week. He accused McFarland, Rule and co-organizer Jeffrey Atkins of fraud and breach of contract, claiming they continued to sell tickets to the event despite knowing it was doomed. His attorneys say he and everyone else who had bought tickets were put in danger by 'refugee camp' conditions and the lack of food water or transport on the island. They even attributed risk to the region's famous swimming pigs, a tourist attraction many visit the islands to see, describing them as 'wild animals' which were seen 'in and around festival grounds'. The tickets cost between $1,200 and $200,000 and the event was billed as an exclusive weekend of music, luxury cuisine and celebrities. It was promoted by It girls on Instagram and promised those who could afford it that they'd be partying in style in plush accommodations on ground once owned by Pablo Escobar. Hundreds bought into it and flocked to Fyre Cay, the 'private' island in the Exumas, where it was being held, on Thursday but were met with unfinished tents with no furniture and a dangerously low supply of food and water. The new lawsuit accuses Fyre organizers of breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and fraud over the disastrous event. Above, the festival site which his attorneys said 'rivaled a refugee camp' Hundreds of festival-goers flocked to Fyre Cay on Thursday for the event but they were met with chaos In Daniel Chung's lawsuit, the attorneys presented sketches of the campsite which organizers used to sell ticket. Attorneys compared them with images taken from the actual tents Personal injury attorney John Girardi is representing Chelsea Chinery (right) and Shannon McAuliffe (left) and one other festival goer in the suit The most recent suit, seen by Hollywood Reporter, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, says the organizers knew at least a month before the event that they couldn't pull off the lavish event they'd promised. But they made no attempt to contact the ticket buyers despite warning celebrities including Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski to stay away. The suit also claimed that guests were tricked into paying thousands of dollars for tickets by paying 400 social media influencers and celebs to promote it - without them ever revealing they were being paid to promote the event. 'Social media 'influencers' made no attempt to disclose to consumers that they were being compensated for promoting the Fyre Festival,' writes Girardi, who said that they breached FTC regulations. The lawsuit represents anyone who bought a ticket to the festival, with more funds to be awarded to those who tried to attend but found their flights were canceled; and the biggest awards to those who made it to the festival and were stuck there . It asks for an injunction to bar defendants from throwing any similar events and seeks restitution, punitive damages and disgorgement of any profits. Daniel Jung is suing Fyre Festival organizers Billy McFarland and Ja Rule (right together in December last year) for $100million on behalf of everyone who bought tickets to the disastrous event Organizers have issued an apology after furious and frightened customers shared the experience on Twitter and Instagram and have promised everyone a refund. They said they 'simply werent ready' for how popular and how big the event would get. 'The team was overwhelmed. The airport was jam packed. The buses couldnt handle the load. And the wind from rough weather took down half of the tents on the morning our guests were scheduled to arrive. This is an unacceptable guest experience and the Fyre team takes full responsibility for the issues that occurred,' the Fyre team said in a statement. They added that as more and more guests arrived they 'were simply in over our heads. We had no other options, so we began the process of getting guests quickly and safely back to Miami.' They confirmed that 'all festival goers this year will be refunded in full' and the organizers say they are planning to throw another event next year but have learned their lessons and will hold it on a US beach. All guests from this year, will get complimentary VIP passes to next year's event. In the earlier lawsuit, Jung's attorneys said the conditions 'rivaled a refugee camp' and that being stranded there was 'tantamount to false imprisonment'. From the offset, they say organizers oversold the event. 'The festival was even promoted as being on a 'private island' once owned by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar - the island isn't private as there is a 'Sandals' resort down the road and Pablo Escobar never owned the island,' attorney Mark Geragos wrote. The lawsuit stated that It girls including Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski (second and third left), who they had paid to promote it, were warned by the organizers not to attend the event as they knew it would fail - but no-one bothered to tell the ticket-buying public Bella (above during a promotional trip to the site earlier this year) has since said she feels 'so badly' about the saga As the festival date approached, the attorneys claim organizers knew they were ill-equipped and say they warned celebrities and performers not to attend but allowed the hundreds who had bought tickets to board planes from Miami. Once they'd arrived on the island, the situation became an emergency, he said. 'The festival was a disaster immediately upon the attendees' arrival. Concert-goers' luggage was unceremoniously dumped from shipping containers and left for them to rifle through in order to find their personal belongings.' They even listed the region's famous swimming pigs, which some festival goers visited to pass the time, as a hazard. 'In addition to the substandard accommodations, wild animals were seen in and around the festival grounds,' Geragos wrote, accompanying the complaint with an Instagram picture shared by one festival-goer of the animals. The lawsuit goes on to include photographs of social media posts shared by others on the island of the unfinished lockers and basic sandwich meals guests were confronted with. It also blasts the lack of event staff present and highlights the fact that none of the guests had cash with them to take local taxis or pay for accommodation because organizers told them not to bring any money. 'Festival-goers were unable to escape the unfolding disaster because of their reliance upon Defendants for transportation and because Defendants promoted the festival as a 'cashless' event... [they] instructed attendees to upload funds to a wristband for use at the festival rather than bringing any cash. The organizers tried to explain their shortcomings in a statement, writing: 'We thought we were ready, but then everyone arrived.' Jung's attorneys say organizers knew the event would not be finished but let everyone arrive anyway All of the festival-goers were stranded and had no money to get off the island because organizers told them not to bring cash Both Billy McFarland (left) and Ja Rule (right) have since apologized for the disaster and offered ticket holders a refund 'As such, attendees were unable to purchase basic transportation on local taxis or buses, which only accept cash.' They blamed these poor logistics for one festival-goer losing consciousness. While there was no escaping the conditions once festival-goers arrived on Thursday, the attorneys say McFarland, a tech entrepreneur who has since deemed the disaster the 'worst day of his life', knew it was going to fail and warned celebrities to stay away for their own safety. 'Mr McFarland and Mr Atkins began personally reaching out to performers and celebrities in advance of the festival and warned them not to attend - acknowledging the fact that the festival was outrageously underequipped and potentially dangerous for anyone in attendance.' They said the the entire event was 'nothing more than a get-rich-quick scam' designed to 'fleece' willing attendees and that everyone who bought tickets in good faith deserves to be compensated for the ordeal. Jung is suing on behalf of the hundreds of others who attended, claiming he 'experiences emotional pain and suffering from being stranded in a foreign country' as a result. Both McFarland and Ja Rule have apologized for the ill-fated event and promised to refund everyone who bought tickets. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee until last summer, said Tuesday that critics of Barack Obama's six-figure speeches should 'MYOB.' The Florida Democrat had been asked to respond Elizabeth Warren's and Bernie Sanders' complaints about the former president's planned remarks to Wall Street, for which he will be paid $400,000. 'It is none of anyone's business what someone who is a member of the private sector decides to accept in terms of compensation,' Wasserman Schultz told CNN. 'With all due respect to anyone who chooses to comment publicly on what Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or anyone earns as a member of the private sector, it's just, like, MYOB - it's none of your business.' Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee until last summer, said Tuesday that critics of Barack Obama's six-figure speeches should 'MYOB' The Florida Democrat had been asked to respond Elizabeth Warren's and Bernie Sanders' complaints about the former president's planned remarks to Wall Street, for which he will be paid $400,000 Warren, a progressive senator from Massachusetts, said she was 'troubled' that Obama would also cash in on his fame as a former president by taking checks from Wall Street. Sanders said it was 'not a good idea' and was 'distasteful.' The Democratic congresswoman said she was more concerned about the retired politicians' actions in office - 'and their public record is pristine.' Wasserman Schultz helmed the Democratic National Committee much of the time that Obama was in office, and she co-chaired Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign against him. She resigned her leadership post last July at the outset of the Democratic National Convention as an email scandal threatened to over shadow the party's grand unification event. Top DNC officials had their emails were leaked in droves. Wasserman Schultz was among them. Already under siege from the dormant Sanders campaign over a perceived DNC bias in the primary for Clinton, the disclosed communications put the congresswoman over the top. She resigned just as the convention that would formally declare Clinton the Democratic nominee for president was starting. Yesterday, Wasserman Schultz appeared on Erin Burnett's television program, and the CNN host asked her to comment on Warren's and Sanders' attacks on Obama. The former president, who has been out of office for just three months, is planning to keynote a September conference that's being put on by Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald. He's charging $400,000 for his remarks, Fox Business reported. It's the same amount he earned annually as president. The speech will put him in the same room with the 'fat cats' he hammered when he was a politician. Wasserman Schultz stood up for Obama - and Clinton, whose speaking fees were a subject of scrutiny during her political battle last year with Sanders Politico has previously reported that George W. Bush asks for as much as $175,000 a speech. He has given more than 200 paid speeches since leaving office in 2009. Warren, a progressive senator from Massachusetts, said she was 'troubled' that Obama would also cash in on his fame as a former president by taking checks from Wall Street. Sanders said it was 'not a good idea' and was 'distasteful.' Wasserman Schultz stood up for Obama - and Clinton, whose speaking fees were a target for Sanders during their political battle last year - however. 'Of all people to question...their commitment to getting money out of politics, to really making sure we restored integrity to political finance process, President Obama could not have done more,' she said. The congresswoman said she agrees more should be done to break up the big banks and punish the CEOs responsible for the financial crisis. 'Those are all offensive,' she said. 'As far as the compensation that a private citizen takes for a speech that they give, that's not my concern, nor any of our business.' 3 Questioned In 'Targeted' Shooting Of 2 CPD Officers In Back Of The Yards By Stephen Gossett in News on May 3, 2017 2:52PM Police officers investigate a crime scene on the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue where two police officers were shot May 2. Photo by Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist Three people are being questioned by authorities after two plainclothes tactical-unit officers were shot in Back of the Yards on Tuesday night, according to police. Police said the officers were shot by a "high-powered weapon" after shooters "indiscriminately in the direction of the officers" on Tuesday. CPD Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said authorities believe the officers were targeted, according to the Sun-Times. CPD questioning 3 people of interest from officer shooting. 2 guns recovered thus far. We believe officers were shot by high powered weapon Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) May 3, 2017 The officers were taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, but both stabilized. One officer was shot in the arm and hip; the second officer was shot in the back. Both officers are doing "quite well, thank God," said Supt. Eddie Johnson said, and are expected to survive. The shooting happened at around 9 p.m. near 43rd Street and Ashland Avenue. Officers from the Deering district were running a follow-up investigation from a previous incident, police said. One, possibly two, vehicles pulled alongside and "started firing indiscriminately at the officers," Johnson said. The officers, who returned fire but apparently did not hit anyone, were both struck. Police said that at least two weapons were recovered from the scene. A group of police officers one with an assault rifle search though and the alley near 3700 South Morgan for any signs of the suspects involved in the shooting of two police officers at 4300 South Ashland. Photo by Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist Johnson said there is an "extensive manhunt" for those responsible. "I think people take it for granted that when police officers come to work every day, they put their lives on the line, every single day they get in that car," he added. Two CPD officers shot during encounter. Transported to Stroger in serious condition. Superintendent responding to hospital. Updates to follo Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) May 3, 2017 Officers in stable condition - 1 shot in arm and hip, second officer shot in back. Offenders shot from a vehicle. Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) May 3, 2017 A police scanner captured audio from the shooting. Be warned, the audio is graphic and distressing. Hundreds of police officers gathered at the scene of the shooting and at the hospital on Tuesday evening, according to the Tribune. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who also reportedly visited the officers in the hospital, tweeted support on Tuesday night. Tonight was a frightening reminder of the dangers our dedicated officers face. Thank you @Chicago_Police for putting service above self. https://t.co/XTgQZtbQkP ChicagosMayor (@ChicagosMayor) May 3, 2017 In a joint statement, Ald. Patrick Thompson (11th) and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) said, "We are praying this evening for the two officers shot tonight and their families, and for the safety of those officers who are continuing the search for the offenders. We are in close communication with the 9th District Commander and officers, and we urge anyone with any information regarding this shooting to come forward immediately to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to swift justice." Chris Rock tried to reassure former First Lady Michelle Obama as she was ready to leave the White House in an awkward conversation that left the comedian feeling out of his depth. Rock, who appeared on Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night, recounted the star-studded farewell party at the end of Barack Obama's two terms, saying it felt like he died and 'went to black heaven'. But Rock ended up in a one-on-one conversation with Michelle, during which he said she could go on to do any job she wanted, whether that was joining The View, or becoming a cast member on The Housewives of Atlanta. Scroll down for video Chris Rock tried to reassure former First Lady Michelle Obama in an awkward chat during the former president's star-studded farewell party in January Rock attended the White House bash alongside heavyweight celebrities like Oprah, Jay Z, Beyonce, and Stevie Wonder in January. But it wasn't all fun and games, as Rock said he had 'never felt more stupid' than when he spoke to Michelle Obama. 'I'm not really supposed to be alone with Michelle Obama! That's not really my lane, I don't know how to talk politics,' he told Fallon. Rock explained the First Lady talked about the elections and questioned what would happen to the country when he interjected and said: 'You'll be be aight'. Rock said Michelle (pictured last week) could join The View, or become a cast member on The Housewives of Atlanta. His advice didn't go over well, he said Rock continued: 'You know, you'll get any kinda job you want! You know, The View, the Housewives of Atlanta. 'Michelle Obama looks at me and is like: "I was talking about the country! I wasn't talking about me!"' Rock concluded, 'I never felt so stupid in my life. It's like my GED flared up, you know. And she gives me a look like, 'Who let this [expletive] in my house." She didn't say that, but that's what the look was like.' Rock said Michelle quickly shouted for Oprah and ran off, leaving the comedian thinking: 'I've got to find some people as dumb as me. I gotta find people [of] my intelligence. I'm like, where the athletes at?' Rock attended the White House bash alongside heavyweight celebrities like Oprah, Jay Z, Beyonce, and Stevie Wonder in January (From (l-r), guests: La La Anthony, Terrence J, Kelly Rowland, Will Packer and rapper Wale) Rock joked that it felt like he died and 'went to black heaven'. Pictured, Magic Johnson (left) and his fellow Dream Team teammate Charles Barkley (second from right with his wife) at the party The Obamas have mostly kept to themselves since leaving 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on the heels of President Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. Michelle and Barack have spent the past three months quietly recuperating on vacation, and only returned from their latest exotic getaway to the French Polynesian islands in late April. Aside from a handful of visits to New York City, where their eldest daughter Malia, 18, is taking part in a film production internship at The Weinstein Company, the Obamas have largely been out of the country since Trump entered office. The couple, who are staying in Washington DC until their younger daughter Sasha finishes high school, signed a joint multi-million dollar book deal with Penguin. An Oregon man with a history of methamphetamine addiction and mental health problems has been charged with a crime most foul: sexually assaulting a chicken. Joshua Woltmon, 27, of Medford, was arrested on Monday evening on a slew of charges, including sexual assault of an animal, menacing, public indecency, disorderly conduct, theft and possession of methamphetamine, among others. According to court filings, Woltmon exposed himself and came into contact with a chicken's genitals. The 27-year-old man is also accused of threatening a man with sharp sticks. Fowl crime: Joshua Woltmon, 27 (left and right), of Oregon, has been charged with sexually assaulting a chicken and threatening a man with a stick on May 1 The court documents describe how the 5-foot-6, 155-pound man 'unlawfully and for the purpose of arousing and gratifying the sexual desire of a person [touched] the sex organs of a chicken, reported Mail Tribune. Craving: Woltmon is suspected of having come into contact with a chicken's sex organs for the purpose sexual gratification (stock photo) Woltmon was taken into custody shortly after 6pm on Monday in the 500 block of South Riverside Drive in Medford following his alleged encounter with the hen. On Tuesday, Woltmon pleaded not guilty to the eight criminal counts filed against him and was ordered held on $25,000 bail. Online records indicate that Woltmon has been arrested more than a dozen times over the last three years on a variety of charges, including assault, harassment, possession of meth and trespassing. OregonLive.com reported that in a 2014 guardianship case, Woltmon was described as having the mind of a 7-year-old and suffering from bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and unable to make informed decisions. If Woltmon makes bail, he will be required comply with mental health professionals. Advertisement Diving down into a hole of sludge with his bare hands, spare a thought for this poor sewer cleaner in Bangladesh who has one of the world's least desirable jobs. The man, who is an employee of the Dhaka City Corporation, has to unblock the city's sewer lines without any proper safety equipment. He often has to go dig around underground with only a long stick to help him and with no mask to protect him from the poisonous fumes the sewage emits. Scooping out liquid filth with his bare hands, the hardy worker has the thankless task of clawing out blockages in the bustling Bangladeshi capital. Dhaka has a population in excess of 14 million and has recently been hit by major floods caused by heavy rains and an insufficient storm drainage system. Despite the alarming rise in the number of deaths of manhole workers, cleaners are still not supplied with sufficient equipment and regularly have to enter the dirty sludge topless. Filthy: The sewer cleaner in Dhaka has to dig around in the sludge to clean out the city's sewers, a thankless task Mucky: The worker plunges into the sludge to clear out the city's sewers and spits out the dirty water Undesirable: The poor worker is only provided with a stick for safety and plunges into the hole topless and without a mask Dangerous: Workers are often surrounded by cockroaches, and have no masks to protect him from the poisonous fumes Tough job: The worker has to clean the muck from the drains in Dkaha with his bare hands In up to his neck: The worker goes deep into the hole knowing he could drown if caught in a sudden rush of sewage Perilous: Despite a rise in the number of deaths of manhole workers, they go into the manholes without any protective gear Miserable: The poor worker drags himself out the sewage hole after cleaning it out in Dhaka Authorities in Chechnya have threatened parents of gay children, telling them: 'Either you kill them, or we will'. Reports from the Chechen republic claim that homosexuals are being rounded up and killed on the orders of leader Ramzan Kadyrov. And last week the British Parliament heard Kadyrov intends to eliminate the gay community by the end of this month. Scroll down for video A gay man who has fled from Chechnya to Moscow has recounted being tortured in a Chechen concentration camp Reports from the Chechen republic claim that homosexuals are being rounded up and killed on the orders of leader Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured) Horrifying testimony from survivors from Chechen concentration camps say victims are being tortured and their family summoned to kill them. A survivor told France24: 'They tell the parents to kill their child. They say, "Either you do it, or we will". They call it "cleaning your honour with blood". 'They tortured a man for two weeks [then] they summoned his parents and brothers who all came. 'The authorities said to them: "Your son is a homosexual sort it out or we'll do it ourselves."' Ramzan Kadyrov is claimed to have threatened to eliminate the LGBT population in Chechnya, following reports that gay men were being rounded up and killed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov last week denied rounding up and murdering homosexuals and insisted one man declared dead was 'in good health and at home' And another survivor, identified only as Anzor, told the Associated Press how he had been tortured in one of the camps. He said: 'It's a feeling like they are breaking every bone of every joint in your body at the same time.' After his ordeal, Anzor fled Chechnya and is now in hiding in Moscow, fearing not only for his own life but for the safety of his relatives. Another victim of the anti-gay brutality said: 'For 20 to 30 seconds they spin the handle, you feel the electricity, then you fall down, they stop it, and then immediately you come back to consciousness and you are ready again for a new discharge. And it goes on five, six, seven times.' The abuse was first reported in April by the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which said that about 100 men suspected of being gay were rounded up and tortured, and that at least three were killed. Western governments and rights groups have urged Russian authorities to investigate. Sir Alan Duncan told MPs that the treatment of homosexuals in the Russian Chechen Republic is 'utterly barbaric' Chechen officials vehemently deny not only the reported torture of gays, but sometimes their very existence. 'There are no homosexuals in Chechnya. You cannot detain and persecute those who do not exist,' Alvi Karimov, a spokesman for Chechen leader Kadyrov, told the Interfax news agency. Last week Sir Alan Duncan told MPs that the treatment of homosexuals in the Russian Chechen Republic is 'utterly barbaric', with Kadyrov accused of rounding up LGBT people and executing them. And he said that the fundamentalist leader had threatened to eliminate the homosexual community by the start of Ramadan on May 26. Speaking about the recent round of arrests in Chechnya, Mr Duncan told Parliament: 'The actions in these reports are utterly barbaric. One of the most disgusting things I have seen is a Chechen security source stating that these arrests are part of what he called a preventative clean-up.' And he continued: 'Human rights groups report that these anti-gay campaigns and killings are orchestrated by the head of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. 'He has carried out other violent campaigns in the past, and this time he is directing his efforts at the LGBT community. 'Sources have said that he wants the community eliminated by the start of Ramadan. Such comments, attitudes and actions are absolutely beyond contemptible.' Michael Gallagher has a huge scar on his neck after a stabbing when he was in a disco in Lewisham in 1982 The police chief in charge of tackling knife crime in the capital nearly died when he was stabbed in the throat during a disco in 1982. Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gallagher was left with a foot-long scar from the attack in Lewisham, when he was stabbed with a carpet knife. He nearly died, and no one was ever brought to justice over the attack. The London Evening Standard reports that Det Ch Gallagher said: 'My surgeon told me later that as my throat went back my jugular vein sank into my neck so the knife skimmed over the top of it. If it had nicked it I'd have been dead in 30 seconds.' He had emergency surgery, having 24 internal and 44 external stitches. He joined the police force two years later. He added that knife crime was 'not a new thing' and his attack had a lasting impact on his life as well as friends and family. Det Ch Gallagher is leading phase eight of the Met's Operation Spectre, which tackles knife crime in London. This will focus on schools and habitual knife carriers. The paper also revealed that the Metropolitan Police is deploying an 80-strong task force to go to knife crime spots at a moment's notice. They will be a mix of plain clothed and uniformed officers. Det Chief Gallagher, the Met's 'Silver lead' for knife crime, said: 'This operation carries a positive and powerful message: this is about all of us addressing a problem that often has tragic consequences. This behaviour is damaging our communities; there is no excuse, people are better than this and our communities are better than this. Gallagher is the silver lead on Operation Sceptre, the Met's programme to tackle knife crime in the capital, which takes different focuses in each phase 'Across London there are number of excellent diversionary programmes that are bespoke to the needs of Londoners. This is clearly a safeguarding issue for the people who do, and would, carry knives and victims of knife crime. 'A collaborative and cohesive approach between statutory agencies, non-governmental organisations and communities is the only solution to achieving a long term reduction in this type of offence, underpinned by a strong academic evidence base and effective police enforcement.' It comes as police launched another murder investigation after a 23-year-old man died from stab wounds, the seventh stabbing in London in 10 days. The victim is believed to have been attacked in Oakwood, north London, on Tuesday evening. He managed to get himself to Barnet Hospital but was pronounced dead less than an hour later from his injuries. On Monday a 26-year-old was seriously injured when he was knifed in Newham, East London. It comes less than a week after a man in his 20s was stabbed to death in broad daylight in south-east London. He was pronounced dead at the scene in Peckham Rye on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, a murder investigation was launched after a man with a fatal stab wound was found on a bus in north-west London on Friday. The 48-year-old was discovered on the Route 189 bus in Gloucester Place near the junction with Dorset Square, Marylebone. Erbie Bowser, 48, claim low sodium levels in his body caused him to go on a murderous rampage in 2013 A quadruple murderer claims low sodium levels in his body triggered him to kill his ex-wife, ex-girlfriend and the two women's daughters. Erbie Bowser killed his former wife Zina Bowser, her daughter Neima Williams, his ex-girlfriend Toya Smith and her daughter Tasmin Allen, in Dallas, Texas, in 2013. Four other children were injured in the shootings. The 48-year-old veteran pleaded not guilty by way of insanity to four counts of capital murder last month. His attorneys called on medical experts on Tuesday to testify that a chemical imbalance in his brain brewed a 'perfect storm' of factors which led him to kill. When Bowser, a former Mavericks ManiAAC, arrived at hospital after the shootings in 2013, doctors found he had low levels of sodium which may have been caused by prescription drugs. Low sodium levels can cause increased water to build up and lead to brain swelling which is known to trigger confusion and exhaustion. He had already been diagnosed with PTSD from his time in the army despite never participating in combat, and also had lesions on his brain at the time of the killings. Doctors said the sodium levels piled on to an already dangerous combination of medical conditions and sent him in to a state of 'delirium'. One expert described it as 'a neuro-behavioral perfect storm that gave rise to this tragic event,' according to Dallas News. Toya Smith, 43, (right) and her daughter Tasmin Allen, 17, (left) were shot dead. Smith's 14-year-old son Storm (center) was also injured but survived Bowser's 47-year-old ex-wife Zina (left) and her 28-year-old daughter Neima Williams (right) were also killed. Bowser drove to his ex-wife's home and opened fire after the first killings Bowser's attorneys previously said he was acting out a 'military delusion' when he committed the killings. Bowser, who had danced for the Dallas Mavericks in the past, was suffering PTSD at the time He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 2000 for being overweight. Despite telling his family that he'd served overseas and been given the Purple Heart, military records showed he never fought and was only ever lauded for his marksmanship. On August 7, 2013, Bowser opened fire on Toya Smith, 43, at her family home. She died alongside her 17-year-old daughter, Tasmin Allen. The woman's son was also shot as was a friend who was visiting the house at the time. Both survived. After killing his first two victims, Bowser drove to the home of his ex-wife Zina. He used an explosives device to blow open the front door before opening fire on those inside. Police said he was in a 'catatonic' state when they found him at his ex-wife's home (above) after the shootings Zina, 47, died as did her 28-year-old daughter Neima Williams. Two young boys who were inside the home were also injured but survived. Bowser was arrested at the scene of the second shooting and was taken to hospital to be evaluated. Police said he was in a 'catatonic' state afterwards and tried to charge at them twice while in custody. He was charged with four counts of capital murder in the days that followed. The 6ft 7in man had also worked as a special needs teacher. Before her death, his ex-wife Zina told those close to her how he had once strangled her in his sleep. A shocking video shows the moment a Utah man stole a package from a family's home. The homeowner bought a stroller online and had it delivered to their home. It was sitting in front of their door on the porch when the man pulled up in a silver car. A shocking video shows the moment a Utah man (pictured) stole a package from a family's home The homeowner bought a stroller online and had it delivered to their home. It was sitting in front of their door on the porch when the man pulled up in a silver car. He then got out of his vehicle, took the package and drove off The man got out of his vehicle and casually walked up to the family's home, took the package and drove off. A security camera caught the entire incident, which occurred Monday, on camera. The homeowner then reported the stolen package to police after viewing the footage. In a second video, a woman is seen returning the package the next day. Driving the same silver car, the woman pulled up and walked up to the home and placed the package on the family's porch. The woman also included a note apologizing for the incident, a card, and some money. It's unclear what the relation is between the man and the woman. In a second video, a woman (pictured) is seen returning the package the next day Driving the same silver car, the woman (pictured) pulled up and walked up to the home and placed the package on the family's porch FBI Director James Comey confirmed Wednesday that his bureau is still looking into the Trump campaign's Russia connections in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election year hacks. Comey, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, was hit with questions from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., on how he could speak publicly about the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, but stay silent on the probe into Donald Trump. 'With respect to the Russia investigation, we treated it like we did the Clinton investigation,' Comey answered. 'We didn't say a word about it until months into it and the only thing we've confirmed so far about this is the same thing as the Clinton investigation that we are investigating.' Scroll down for video FBI Director James Comey confirmed that his bureau is still investigating President Trump's campaign's ties to Russia in the aftermath of the 2016 election hack James Comey, the head of the FBI, insisted that his bureau treated the Clinton email investigation and the Trump Russia probe the same James Comey was on defense with Democrats who were angry that he sent a letter to members of Congress 11 days before the election alerting them the FBI was investigating a new cache of Clinton emails, found on a computer belonging to Anthony Weiner 'And I would expect that we're not going to say another peep about it until we're done,' Comey continued. 'And I don't know what will be said until we're done.' 'But that's how we handled the Clinton investigation as well,' the FBI director pointed out. Comey was playing defense Wednesday morning, especially when Democratic senators were up at bat, trying to explain why he inserted himself into the presidential election just 11 days before voters headed to the polls. When new emails were discovered on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the husband of Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin, the FBI director said they needed a warrant, in case there were emails that might have shown the former secretary of state's intent, which would have been the smoking gun for prosecution. And he decided to alert Congress. 'Everybody who disagrees with me needs to come back to October 28 with me and stare at this and tell me what you would do,' Comey said to lawmakers. 'Would you speak or would you conceal?' But Democrats, including Leahy, pointed out that Comey seemed to be playing by a double standard, as he continued to conceal the existence of an investigation, that could be equally as politically problematic, into Republican nominee Donald Trump. 'People forget we would not confirm the existence of the Hillary Clinton email investigation until three months after it began, even though it began with a public referral and the candidate herself [talking] about it,' Comey said. Comey said in October of 2015 the FBI confirmed the Clinton email investigation existed. 'And said not another word, not a peep about it, until we were finished,' Comey said. In July 2016, Comey announced publicly that the FBI would not recommend any charges over Clinton's use of a private email server, and her handling of classified information, while serving as secretary of state. He then sent a letter to lawmakers on October 28 saying new emails had been found. 'Because I had testified under oath, repeatedly, that we were done, that we were finished there,' Comey reasoned. Clinton, speaking at a stage in New York City yesterday, pointed a finger at the Comey letter when explaining her loss. 'If the election had been on October 27 I'd be your president,' she said Tuesday, blaming the Comey letter, and pointing to an assessment made by numbers guru Nate Silver, along with Russia's interference, for her shocking defeat. President Trump has tried to obscure Russia's role in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee saying in an interview that aired on Face the Nation Sunday that 'if you don't catch a hacker, OK, in the act, it's very hard to say who did the hacking.' '[It] could have been China, could have been a lot of different groups,' the president said. Asked about Trump's comments Wednesday, Comey agreed that it was sometimes difficult to pinpoint the hacker, but not in this case. 'The intelligence community with high confidence concluded it was Russia,' Comey said. 'In many circumstances it's hard to do attribution of a hack, but sometimes the intelligence is there.' 'We have high confidence that the North Koreans hacked Sony, we have high confidence that the Russians did the hacking of the DNC and the other organizations,' Comey said. During her public appearance yesterday, Clinton explained why her campaign was targeted by allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. While serving as secretary of state in 2012, she called Putin's presidential election win 'rigged.' When Russians demonstrated against Putin, Clinton said she was blamed. 'So it kind of went downhill from there,' she said. Offering his own take today, citing the intelligence community's assessment, Comey explained why Putin was in favor of a Trump win. 'One is he wasn't Hillary Clinton who Putin hated and wanted to harm in any possible way,' Comey said. 'He was her opponent so necessarily they supported him.' Putin also preferred Trump's unusual background for someone entering the American political realm. 'Putin believed he would be more able to make deals, reach agreements with a business background than with someone who had grown up more in a government environment,' Comey said. Several senators tried to get Comey to say whether the Russians had blackmail on Trump, as alleged in the dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, prodded Comey asking him if anyone in the FBI had interactions with Steele. 'It's not a question that I can answer in this forum,' Comey replied. 'As you know I've briefed you privately on this.' Grassley also wanted to know if FBI policies allowed for an outside investigator to be paid for his or her work, as the Washington Post reported that Steele 'reached an agreement' with the FBI to be paid to continue his research on Trump-Russia ties. 'I don't know for sure as I sit here,' the FBI director answered. 'Possibly, is my answer, but I'll get you a precise answer.' Grassley asked for the answer to be provided in writing. Comey also couldn't answer whether Steele had been paid by the FBI or if the bureau had been aware that Steele, himself paid sources, who paid other people, to get information that ended up in the dirty dossier. More broadly on election tampering, while Comey noted that the FBI 'found no indication of any change in vote tallies' after voters cast ballots in November 2016, he confirmed that heightened attempts were made. 'There was efforts aimed at voter registration systems,' Comey said. Those attempts didn't got anywhere because 'the beauty of our system is it's a bit of a hairball.' In short, voter registration procedures differ state by state. Addressing Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., whose taken a hard line against Russia, Comey answered in the affirmative when asked if Russia was still involved in U.S. politics. Detailing efforts further to Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Comey said he believed Russia's interference in U.S. elections was a problem that wasn't going away. 'I think one of the lessons that particularly the Russians may have drawn from this is: this works,' Comey warned. 'And so, as I said a month or so again, I expect to see them back in 2018, especially in 2020.' Comey went as far as to call Russia the 'greatest threat of any nation on Earth, given their intent and capability.' Later in the day, when Press Secretary Sean Spicer was behind the White House podium he called it the 'view of the FBI' that Russia was still meddling in U.S. politics. When Spicer was asked about the president's assessment of what the greatest threat was, he pointed to North Korea, not the Kremlin. 'The president has been very clear that he thinks the threat that North Korea poses, with a potential nuclear weapon that has range capacity, is something that he finds threatening to the lives of Americans and our allies,' Spicer said. The first commercial batches of medicinal cannabis have arrived in Australia from Canada. Creso Pharma and Health House International have imported cannabis oil, which can be used to treat cancer and epilepsy. The medicinal cannabis, taken to Melbourne and Perth, was the first batch approved for patients. Scroll down for video Medicinal cannabis derived from marijuana has arrived in Australia from Canada Health Minister Greg Hunt said children suffering from epilepsy would benefit from medicinal cannabis Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said doctors would be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis with approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration. 'Children suffering from epilepsy and patients dealing with side effects caused by cancer treatment are most likely to benefit from these products,' he said in a statement. The Turnbull government liberalised import laws in February and have granted 30 permits to import medicinal cannabis from Canada, Switzerland and The Netherlands. More shipments are expected in May. Permits have also been granted for medicinal cannabis to be imported from Switzerland and The Netherlands (stock image) Comedian Wil Anderson, who suffers from osteoarthritis, has also spoken of smoking marijuana to cope with the pain. Both sides of politics, including Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, have called for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis. Nine licences have also been granted for the Australian supply and manufacture of medicinal cannabis. An inspirational photograph of a handful of black students who made it to Cambridge University has struck a chord with thousands who have shared it online. Cambridge's African-Caribbean Society posted the image of 14 of only 15 students accepted in 2015, gathered in one of the university's iconic courtyards. The image, which has been shared more than 1,000 times, was posted to show young black people that they too can make it into the prestigious institution. The post is said to have been inspired by a similar image taken by students at Yale University in Connecticut, one of the best in the US, which went viral in April. Students from the African Caribbean Society at Cambridge University posed for a photo, pictured, to encourage young black men to apply in the future The students, pictured, said it was 'important to let young black people know that this is something that they can aspire to' The Cambridge post said: 'In 2015, only 15 black, male undergraduates were accepted into Cambridge. 'However, it is important that despite their underrepresentation, we let young black people know that this is something that they can aspire to. 'Inspired by the viral image of young black men from Yale, the Cambridge ACS decided to capture just some of the black men who contribute to one of the world's most innovative intellectual spaces. 'Representation matters. #BlackBoyJoy #BlackMenofCambridgeUniversity.' The post has received 4,000 likes on Facebook and nearly 1,000 more on the group's Twitter feed. It was re-tweeted by famous London rapper Stormz, who has 685,000 followers. Hundreds shared their thoughts on the post, including one called Bilal, who wrote: 'Listen, having gone to Cambridge myself, yes the stats are shocking but take the message and be encouraged to apply.' The post struck a chord with thousands of people, many of whom felt inspired by the message that the image sent to young, black people with aspirations Leodora Darlington wrote: 'Just in case any bright black young'uns are considering uni options.' Pemiwa Arowojolu wrote: 'It is important that despite their underrepresentation, we let young black people know that this is something that they can aspire to.' Engineering student Folajimi Babasola, 20, who also appeared in the photo, told the BBC he wanted to 'challenge the stereotype of Cambridge students'. He added: 'The aim of the picture was really to encourage more black students to apply here because many people get discouraged by a particular image or stereotype of a Cambridge student that they have in their mind, thinking that they won't fit in or be accepted.' The photo, pictured, was inspired by a similar image taken by students at Yale University in the US last month It was re-tweeted by famous London rapper Stormz, who has 685,000 followers William Gore, 19, who studies English, added he was 'really lucky' to be involved in the photo and added: 'You don't need to change who you are to get here.' One of the students pictured, Dami Adebayo who is at Robinson College, added: 'Young black men don't grow up thinking they'll make it here. They should.' In 2016, Cambridge signed up to the Race Equity Charter to promote ethnic minorities and remove 'institutional and cultural barriers' around education. The Black Men of Yale University pictures were organised by 21-year-old sociology student Akintunde Ahmad, with black people making up just 10 per cent of the student body at Yale. He told the Huffington Post: 'By no means do we represent all the black men at Yale (there are hundreds of us), but we hoped to just give a glimpse as to what OUR daily lives look like 'We hope that these photos serve to dispel some of the negative stereotypes surrounding black men, but also act as a positive, uplifting and inspiring image of black men on college campuses.' A robot arm writes calligraphy. [Chinanews.com] The smart technology leading to an explosive growth of robotic replacement for human labor has begun to flourish beyond the traditional manufacturing bases, but also in China's service industry. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, robots have replaced humans in manual work in 5,000 industrial programs over the past four years in Zhejiang Province, involving investment totaling 500 billion yuan (US$72.5 billion). Ling Yun, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Economic and Information Technology Commission, said that, by 2015, the usual manual labor pool has slimmed down by some two million workers. Moreover, Anhui, Guangdong and Shandong provinces are pressing ahead with robotic substitutes in their cutting-edge industries where manual jobs for both men and women are being substantially reduced. According to the Beijing Morning Post, jobs better suited to robots comprise the assembly of intelligent vehicles, firefighting and medical care, which all benefit from the employment of industrial data analysis, information technology and 3D auxiliary design. The workshop of Shenzhen Rapoo Technology, facing a labor shortage of labor from 2005, purchased 75 robots in 2011, with immediate benefits in declining labor costs. Nowadays, one of its computer keyboard assembly lines needs only five workers responsible for monitoring the automatic processing by the robots that have replaced an estimated 100 workers previously employed there. The replacement has continued to prevail by moving from assembly lines to banking and logistics. In 2015, China Construction Bank installed a number of robots to replace staff in its call center. Currently, STO Express, one of China's leading privately- owned logistic companies, has adopted 320 robots to categorize deliveries in Linyi City, Shandong Province. The robots can deal with 18,000 parcels weighing a maximum of five kilograms each every single hour at a high rate (often 100 percent) of accuracy. As a result, the labor force in the Linyi branch was cut by 80 percent from 150 to 30. Despite the expansion of robots into the job market, experts have assured human workers not to overact to the smart automatic fashion as the trend can free them from the shackles of mundane toil for more complicated techniques and meaningful endeavor. Wang Yamin, an employee from Guangdong Changying Precision High-Tech Co Ltd, said, that when the work she was doing was temporarily taken over by robots, she attended a two-month training enabling her to get a promotion to be a technician with increased salary. "Currently, the robots, whose sensors remain weak, can only run in a certain framework," said Ding Han, dean of the Mechanical Science and Engineering School of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. "The special robots have to complete their missions with remote controls," he added. According to NEKKEI's Chinese news web, more and more young people receiving high education in China are not interested in repetitious manual jobs, which, in addition to the rising labor costs, are challenging the manufacturing competence of the country. The advent of robots, which can be used for at least 10 years, helps the country, an economic locomotive in the world, sustain the momentum of economic growth. This is the terrifying moment axe-wielding raiders wearing clown masks robbed a pregnant woman and her partner in their home. The two men smashed the rear patio doors to get inside the house in Hindley Green, Greater Manchester, before forcing the woman to the ground. One of the assailants then threatened the woman's partner with an axe and demanded cash, before the pair fled with a 'significant amount of money'. One of the axe-wielding raiders wearing clown masks arrives at the home in Hindley Green, Greater Manchester, before robbing a pregnant woman and her partner there The two men can be seen at the back of the house before smashing the rear patio doors to get inside the house, when they forced the woman to the ground One of the two men can be seen at the back of the house before smashing the rear patio doors to get inside the house, when they forced the woman to the ground They also took a men's Omega Seamaster watch worth more than 5,000 as they fled the home on Leigh Road and headed towards Thomas Street in the village. The woman was taken to hospital as a precaution but was not seriously injured. Now, Greater Manchester Police have launched an investigation and an appeal. The men took an Omega Seamaster watch worth more than 5,000 as they fled Detective Constable Ian Deary said: 'This was a shocking and violent burglary that has left a pregnant woman and her partner terrified in their own home. 'These men have forced their way inside wearing masks and armed with an axe - it is fortunate that nobody was seriously injured. 'I would urge anyone who was in the area at the time and noticed anything suspicious to come forward. 'I'm particularly interested in speaking to any local pawnbrokers that have been approached with a watch matching the picture or anyone who recognises the men in the CCTV stills.' Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 2594 of 02/05/17, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Omega Seamaster watches are on the market for between 1,500 and 23,000. The one pictured in the image from police is an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m co-axial chronograph 45.5m, which has a recommended sale price of 5,360. Scott Edward Iverson has been charged with attempted murder after he was accused of trying to push a fellow employee head first into a wood chipping machine Scroll down for video A 26-year-old man has been arrested after he was accused of trying to push a co-worker head first into a wood chipper. Scott Edward Iverson of Stayton, Oregon was arrested on Friday by Keizer Police Department following the alleged incident on Wednesday afternoon. For unknown reasons, Iverson is accused of sneaking up behind his co-worker, 22, and placing him in a choke-hold and trying to force feed him into the deadly wood chipper. A police report said Iverson was challenged by a fellow employee at the tree service site outside Salem. After a brief struggle, Iverson walked away from the scene before police arrived. However, he was arrested on Friday without incident at a restaurant in Stayton where he was charged with attempted murder and fourth-degree assault. Video courtesy of KATU According to the Statesman Journal, Iverson is being held in Marion County Jail subject to a bail bond of $50,000. Local police told Oregon Live: 'The victim told investigators he feared for his life and thought he was going to die when the incident occurred.' President Obama considered pursuing a gay relationship while he was a college student, according to a new 1000-plus page tome by a Pulitzer prize-winning biographer. Writing about the former president's two years at Occidental College in Los Angeles, author David J. Garrow discloses in Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama the close relationship Obama had with assistant professor Lawrence Goldyn. 'Goldyn made a huge impact on Barry Obama,' Garrow writes. 'Almost a quarter century later, asked about his understanding of gay issues, Obama enthusiastically said, "my favorite professor my first year in college was one of the first openly gay people that I knewHe was a terrific guy." with whom Obama developed a 'friendship beyond the classroom.' When the Advocate, a leading gay and lesbian magazine, asked president Barack Obama 2009 who had most profoundly influenced his ideas about gays and lesbians, he second person - after his mother -was his political science professor at Occidental College, Lawrence Goldyn, here visiting the president in the Oval Office. Goldyn has since become a doctor It was the winter of 1980 when Obama took a political science course at Occidental taught by the openly gay professor, a 1973 graduate of Reed College in Oregon with a PhD from Stanford. To say that Goldyn was out 'would be an understatement,' a fellow student at the college told Garrow. Goldyn was 'funny, engaging' and 'wore these really right bright yellow pants and open-toed sandals.' Goldyn was one of the first gay people that Obama knew and Obama said the 'strong friendship that developed helped to educate me.' Goldyn would remember that Obama was not fearful of being associated with him. Three years later, writes the author, 'Obama wrote somewhat elusively to his first intimate girlfriend that he had thought about and considered gayness but ultimately decided that a same-sex relationship would be less challenging and demanding than developing one with the opposite sex.' To say that Goldwyn was out 'would be an understatement,' a fellow student at the college tells Garrow. Goldwyn was 'funny, engaging' and 'wore these really right bright yellow pants and open-toed sandals.' The Advocate, a leading gay and lesbian magazine asked President Obama 2009 who had most profoundly influenced his ideas about gays and lesbians, the second person he named - after his mother - was Lawrence Goldyn. 'He was a wonderful guy,' Obama said. 'He was the first openly gay professor that I had ever come in contact with, or openly gay person of authority that I had come in contact with. 'And he was just a terrific guy. He wasn't proselytizing all the time, but just his comfort in his own skin and the friendship we developed helped to educate me on a number of these issues.' Goldyn retrained as a doctor and is now an HIV specialist in Mendocino, California. David Garrow, author of the wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Martin Luther King Jr., and is a regular contributor to The New York Times and The Washington Post. As the migrant crisis across Europe continues to escalate, one refugee centre in Calais decided they needed an extra pair of hands on deck. Wearing a black polo neck with the slogan Choose Love in block capitals, former pin-up Pamela Anderson supplied the manpower today. She waltzed into the distribution centre in Northern France with a dog and was pictured chopping vegetables, stirring huge cauldrons of food and sorting out blankets. The Baywatch star, 49, is a frequent visitor to migrant camps and after a previous visit to Calais, she criticised the UK for not taking in more refugees. Actress and former pin-up girl Pamela Anderson chops up butternut squash with centre staff The former Baywatch star is pictured waltzing into the distribution centre with a dog on a lead Pamela Anderson and a migrant centre worker chop up their greens inside a kitchen in Calais Pamela Anderson is pictured stirring a huge cauldron of food (left) and sorting out blankets (right) The Baywatch star is all smiles on May 3, 2017, wearing a polo neck with a slogan Choose Love In January she visited La Liniere outside Dunkirk, distributing children's books, food and other supplies. Anderson's visit to the La Liniere camp outside Dunkirk was preceded by a stop at an aid group's warehouse in Calais, where a huge makeshift camp harbouring thousands of migrants was closed after a forced evacuation in October. Wearing high heels, Anderson stooped to hand out fruit to children and passed out blankets, gloves and children's books. After the visit, she said: 'The dreadful scenes were seeing in the Mediterranean and across Europe are a symptom of the crisis. 'But make no mistake, this is a refugee crisis. 'In total, about 30,000 refugees claimed asylum in the UK last year. 'Compare this with Lebanon, which has accepted over a million since the Syrian crisis began. 'The UK must do it's bit to resolve this humanitarian crisis and provide these people the protection they deserve.' The American also held back some criticism for her home country. She said: 'The US should accept more refugees: the humanitarian crises is, after all, a consequence of US interventionism.' Wearing high heels, Anderson stooped to distribute fruit to children and passed out blankets, gloves and children's books La Voix du Nord newspaper quoted her as saying that everyone should see what a camp is like and ask what they can do. Anderson, 49, promotes animal, human and environmental rights but, of course, she initially shot to fame as a pin-up girl and for her role in Baywatch. French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was refused entry to the La Liniere camp. Anderson promotes animal, human and environmental rights but, of course, she initially shot to fame as a pin-up girl and for her role in Baywatch Actress Pamela Anderson has made a surprise visit to a refugee camp in northern France The model turned activists wants to encourage more people to visit the camp Writing on her blog Anderson said: 'I'm leaving Dunkirk now. I'm speechless. I'm so angry. The children are so lovely and polite. I gave out blankets, hats, gloves, fruit, coloring books and crayons. 'Some were so fearful they wouldn't get a blanket or crayons or an apple -It was chaos. I'll never forget today. 'I brought some whisky to the volunteers. La Voix du Nord newspaper quoted her as saying that everyone should see what a camp is like 'What an unusual and extraordinary group. 'They are amazing. 'They have been there for months, years. From the Calais Jungle to diff camps - tossed around.' The model turned activists wants to encourage more people to visit the camp. She said: 'Imagine if every person could come see this? Policy would change. It's hard to engage people to act without empathy - and unfortunately most people don't feel it by watching the news; but, by meeting people and seeing for themselves - It would change everything.' Writing on her blog Anderson said: 'I'm leaving Dunkirk now. I'm speechless. I'm so angry.' Anderson called the volunteers at Dunkirk 'amazing' and said 'unusual and extraordinary group' She said: 'Imagine if every person could come see this? Policy would change.' 'It's hard to engage people to act without empathy - and unfortunately most people don't feel it by watching the news,' she said The model added: 'Just people trying to live. 'I encourage more people to come visit, and volunteer if at all possible. 'It's just not fair. 'Closing borders, and closing people out is not the answer. 'It's backwards.' A high school senior who disappeared five days ago leaving behind a mysterious note has been found dead. The body of Jamie Lee Magras, 18, was found at around 10.50am on Monday in the woods near North Rock Hill Church - just a mile from her home - in York County, South Carolina. Police say they do not suspect foul play in her death. Jamie Lee Magras, who disappeared five days ago leaving behind a mysterious note has been found dead Magras, 18, was found at around 10.50am on Monday in the woods near North Rock Hill Church in York County, South Carolina (pictured) The teen was last seen early on Friday and had left behind a note for her family, promising she would be back soon. But Magras, who was on medication to prevent seizures, never returned. Her disappearance sparked a huge manhunt with assistance from a helicopter and K9 units, as well as a $10,000 reward in hopes of finding the 18-year-old alive. Police received hundreds of tip-offs - one of which led the cops to search the wooded area near a creek, just off Mount Gallant Road, where she was found. 'It's not the outcome that anybody wanted from this,' York County Sheriff's Spokesman Trent Faris told The State. 'There was an outpouring of support and an outcry to assist this family.' Magras' disappearance sparked a huge manhunt with assistance from a helicopter and K9 units, as well as a $10,000 reward in hopes of finding the 18-year-old alive Police received hundreds of tip-offs - one of which led the cops to search the wooded area near a creek, just off Mount Gallant Road, where she was found Courtesy of WSOC-TV Faris said the teen had not been abducted but had chosen to walk out of her home. Her stepfather, Robert Maietta, said Sunday that the family were concerned she may have met someone online after she left a note which said that she was going out at 1am Friday but would be home by 6am. 'We are investigating what happened after that,' Faris said adding that police do not suspect foul play but their investigation will continue. The York County coroner has not released a cause of death yet. Magras, who was born on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Island, was a senior at Northwestern High School and had been set to graduate in a matter of weeks. She had recently attended her school prom and friends and family say she had not talked to them of having any problems. Yesterday, Magras' classmates wore black in honor of the student and left flowers and tributes round the school. 'For the unsung hero who sat at the bottom of these stairs,' read one note left with a bunch of flowers' Yesterday, Magras' classmates wore black in honor of the student and left flowers and tributes round the school 'For the unsung hero who sat at the bottom of these stairs,' read one note left with a bunch of flowers. Pratibha Stanley wrote of Magras on Facebook saying it 'hurt me knowing that I ain't gone get to have them moments and bonds with her again. 'I can truly say she is one of the sweetest best of friends I had. I will never forget her. 'She will always be in my heart. Every moment I had with her was also a smile. I will definitely miss her.' 'Prayers for this family of peace &comfort...and may this beautiful child Rip,' another wrote. 'As a parent I cant imagine what you are going through,' another tribute left on the teen's remembrance Facebook page read. 'Please know that my families thoughts and prayers are with your family. We are so deeply sorry for your loss.' Fox owner Rupert Murdoch tried to buy Sky in 2010 but the deal collapsed at the height of the phone hacking scandal Rupert Murdoch's Sky takeover bid must be stopped because of a history of 'sexual harassment, racial discrimination and intimidation' at 21st Century Fox, a lawyer has claimed. Douglas Wigdor - who represents 19 current and former Fox News employees involved in a racial discrimination suit - claims the network turned a blind eye to a string of serious allegations until the scandals went public years later. In an explosive 36-page document sent to Ofcom, Mr Wigdor claims the allegations prove the company 'lacks the internal control' to ensure legal compliance and proper standards are met - suggesting Murdoch's company is unfit for the takeover. The letter could put a serious dent in 21st Century Fox's 11.7billion buy-out of the broadcaster, as Ofcom continues to decide whether the holder of the broadcast licence is a 'fit and proper person'. Urging Sharon White - Ofcom's Chief Executive - to halt the bid, he wrote: 'The fact that only a very public lawsuit from one of the networks most recognizable stars triggered this investigation suggests that Fox News lacks proper internal controls to ensure compliance with federal and state labor laws.' Mr Wigdor also claims that Fox attempted to 'intimidate and silence' victims of discrimination by forcing them to litigate their claims in confidential arbitration rather than in a public forum. Among those who he criticised are Bill O'Reilly, former Chief Executive Officer Roger Ailes - who has been accused of sexual harassment - ex-comptroller Judy Slater and the corporation's General Counsel Dianne Brandi. Citing the allegations against Mr O'Reilly - who was fired from Fox News over repeated claims of sexual harassment - he claims that his client's situations were similar to those who sued Mr Ailes, in that their voices were ignored for years. Bill O'Reilly pictured on his show The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. He was let go by the corporation over complaints of sexual harassment His letter says: 'It is telling that within two weeks of the lawsuit being filed, the law firm retained to conduct an investigation was able to speak with at least six other women who described similar behavior from Mr. Ailes. 'Had Fox News cared to conduct even a cursory investigation before bad publicity made it essential that it do so, it would have uncovered these claims and others from women and people of color who suffered workplace harassment.' The lawyer - who is an Oxford graduate - also says that Fox News ignored rife racism in the office for a number of years. Several Fox News employees also filed sexual harassment action against CEO Roger Ailes When a lawsuit was issued to Fox News over alleged racist abuse by Ms Slater, Mr Wigdor claims that 21st Century Fox leaked some of the allegations in combination with a pre-written statement, in a bid to salvage its reputation. Mr Wigdor said: 'This claim was completely false and designed to cover up the truth. 'Ms. Slater was not terminated because she engaged in discriminatory conduct as with Mr. OReilly and Mr. Ailes, Fox was willing to let her get away with that for years. 'Rather, Ms. Slater was terminated because Fox knew that the facts of Ms. Browns and Ms. Wrights Complaint would become public and wanted to salvage its reputation.' Fox News was apparently made aware of complaints of racism against Ms Slater eight-and-a-half years before she was eventually fired in March this year. But when Ms Brandi and head of human resources Denise Collins were told about the complaints very little was done, with the latter apparently saying 'Well, what do you want me to do about it?' Of the 37 spots that comprise the 21st Century Fox executive team and Board of Directors, there is only one black person. The company, which already owns 39 percent of Sky, agreed in December to buy the rest of the pay-TV group, which triggered a regulatory review of the politically sensitive deal. Accusations of sexual harassment, racial discrimination and intimidation have been levelled at 21st Century Fox (HQ pictured) in a letter by the lawyer of several ex-employees Fox owner Rupert Murdoch tried to buy Sky in 2010 but the deal collapsed at the height of the phone hacking scandal. MPs symbolically voted against the deal in 2011. The proposed merger has faced vocal opposition from campaigners and the Labour frontbench. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley confirmed last month that she would be eferring the issue to Ofcom amid concerns the company would control too much of Britain's media. She also suggested that Ofcom will be able to take the phone-hacking scandal into account if it does examine the situation. The Competition and Markets Authority is also investigating the implication of 21st Century Fox's bid for the British satellite broadcaster. A 21st Century Fox spokesman said: '21CF has taken prompt and decisive action to address allegations of sexual harassment and workplace issues at Fox News.' Jailed drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has continued to successfully conceal his assets, according to the Attorney General of Mexico. Guzman is believed to have amassed large sums of money throughout years of leadership over the Sinaloa Cartel prior to this extradition to the United States in January, but none of it has been tracked down. 'As of today, US authorities have not found not even one dollar of El Chapo's assets,' Mexican Attorney General Raul Cervantes said in an interview with Televisa on Wednesday. Guzman is believed to have amassed large sums of money throughout years of leadership over the Sinaloa Cartel prior to this extradition to the United States in January, but none of it has been tracked down, Mexican Attorney General Raul Cervantes said Wednesday; Guzman (R) is seen here with Sean Penn (L) during an interview for Rolling Stone 'Guzman is the alleged leader of a multi-billion dollar, multi-national criminal enterprise that funneled drugs onto our streets and violence and misery into our communities,' Acting Attorney General Sally Q. Yates said in a statement from January 20. It's estimated Guzman took in more than $14 billion while reigning over his drug cartel, based on his US indictment. The federal charge seeks the forfeiture of those drug proceeds and illicit profits allegedly derived from the Sinaloa Cartel's activities. But first federal authorities have to trace and locate it, if it even actually exists in such a sum. At least one expert on Mexico's drug cartels told Forbes that the figure of $14 billion is 'too high' and does does not take into account operating and protection expenses that Guzman incurred over his 30-year criminal career. Guzman was extradited to the United States on January 19, just one day before President Donald Trump's inauguration 'The drug business may earn Mexican drug lords up to $20 billion or so a year,' the University of Miami's Bruce M. Bagley said. 'El Chapo probably makes well below a billion per year.' Operating expenses may included things like bribes to public officials and profit sharing with the cartel, itself, Bagley said. 'Expenses are running high, his lieutenants are increasingly greedy and disloyal. His children now control his wealth and split it among themselves. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that he is still a billionaire as of 2016,' Bagley said. 'Guesstimate: $2-$4 billion at most.' Regardless, whether Guzman actually has $14 billion at present time is more of a theoretical question. Most seem to agree that he has a fortune, but no one can seem to find it. 'His money hasn't been found because he didn't use the financial system,' Cervantes said Wednesday. Mexico has only found minor assets belonging to Guzman, Cervantes said. A federal police officer stands guard over marijuana believed to belong to the Sinaloa Cartel in Tijuana, Mexico on October 24, 2015 Mexico also had trouble getting and keeping Guzman incarcerated. The international drug trafficking kingpin escaped twice while jailed in his native country. The last time was in January 2016. Guzman was extradited to the US to stand trial on January 19, just one day before US President Donald Trump was inaugurated. With Guzman out of the country, another criminal organization has become Mexico's biggest concern. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has overtaken the Sinaloa and the Zetas for the title of Mexico's largest criminal organization, Cervantes said in the same interview. Compared to the long histories of the latter two, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is a relatively new threat to contend with. The Sinaloa Cartel suffered another blow Tuesday, with the arrest of Damasco Lopez by Mexican security forces. Prior to his arrest, Lopez had been waging a bloody battle for power over the Sinaloa Cartel against the sons of El Chapo, despite having previously been called Guzman's 'right hand man' by the US. Guzman pleaded not guilty to charges of running a multi-billion-dollar drug empire in federal court in Brooklyn, New York on January 20. He remains in a lower Manhattan maximum-security prison while he awaits trial. An Austin police officer who allegedly tried to fake his own death and flee to Mexico was apprehended at a Texas airport on Wednesday after flying in from Colombia, officials have revealed. Officer Coleman Martin was arrested after flying into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. His final destination was said to have been Austin. Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that Martin faces a misdemeanor charge of making a false report. He will be booked into Travis County Jail upon his transfer back to Austin. As for the officer's employment status, the police chief said Martin will be placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of the investigation. The married cop was reported missing on April 25, when his wife called 911 saying he was suicidal. Found: Missing Austin Police officer Coleman Martin (pictured in arrest photo left and right in uniform), 29, was arrested in Dallas Wednesday, a week after he allegedly tried to fake his death and flee to Mexico Martin later contacted a woman he had a 'close relationship' with to tell her he is alive in Mexico, officials said. An unidentified woman told police that Martin had recently sent her an email to tell her that his plan for a staged death had been successful. When Martin went missing a week ago, Austin Police said he was under 'emotional distress', based on an interview with his wife, Jaclyn Williams, ABC News reports. Williams called police on April 25 to report that her husband was talking about ending his own life. Martin had told her that morning he had been depressed for the past two days over family issues and needed to leave to 'clear his head'. Later that day, Martin texted Williams a photograph of a handwritten note stating he was going to drown himself in a lake near the US-Mexico border. He also left a card at their home saying he needed some time to himself, Fox 7 reports. Williams has not seen or heard from her husband since. Police found Martin's unlocked vehicle with the keys inside near Lake Amistad on April 26 Police discovered that Martin withdrew $300 from the couple's joint bank account and purchased gas that morning. He then bought a raft at a sporting goods store in Austin, received $50 cash back, and purchased food at Wendy's. He bought rope and concrete blocks from a Home Depot. The Texas Department of Public Safety stopped Martin near Uvalde, Texas, that evening and he told the trooper that he was going to Mexico on vacation. The next morning, officials with the Amistad National Recreation Area found Martin's unlocked vehicle with the keys inside near Lake Amistad with the same 'suicide note' he sent his wife on one of the seats. Officers found Martin's wallet, a few personal items and an empty box for an inflatable raft. During their search for Martin, officials found a raft with his date of birth, 'date of death' as April 25 and his wife's initials on the shore a few miles away from his vehicle. Vultures are seen on the international boundary at Amistad Reservoir bridge on the US-Mexico border, near where Martin is said to have ridden his bike about eight miles to a convenience store to call a cab Remnants of a concrete block and scrape marks were found on the side of the raft that indicated that a block had been pushed over the side. A cross was also discovered drawn in the mud at the entry to the water. Martin allegedly sent an email to a woman to tell her that his plan for a staged death had been successful Officials also discovered during the investigation that Martin had purchased an HP tablet at a Best Buy in Austin that was equipped with WiFi capability. Investigators have not found the tablet. This is when police learned that Martin had a 'close relationship' with the unidentified woman. She told them she had evidence that he rode his bike about eight miles from the Amistad Reservoir to a convenience store. In an email Martin allegedly sent her, he described how he threw the bike in the dumpster behind the convenience store and took a taxi to the US-Mexico border crossing. Once in Mexico, Martin took a bus to the country's interior, it is claimed. Surveillance footage from a gas station in Del Rio, Texas, shows him using the store clerk's cell phone to order a taxi at 10.56pm on April 25. A year ago, Martin was awarded a Life Saving Medal from the Austin Police Department for reviving a man who overdosed on heroin. An infamous airport tarmac meeting between former President Bill Clinton and then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch last summer convinced FBI director James Comey that he needed to seize full control of the announcement regarding Hillary Clinton's emails. The meeting, which drew howls of protest from Donald Trump as well as criticism from watchdog groups and lawmakers when it was revealed, persuaded Comey that he, rather the the AG or another Justice official, should reveal to the nation the results of a prolonged investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. 'A number of things had gone on some of which I can't talk about yet,' Comey said 'that made me worry that the department leadership could not credibly complete the investigation and decline prosecution without grievous damage to the American people's confidence in the justice system.' 'And the capper was and I'm not picking on the [former] attorney general, Loretta Lynch, who I like very much but her meeting with President Clinton on that airplane was the capper for me,' Comey said. Scroll down for video FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on 'Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation' on Capitol Hill He was referencing the impromptu joint meeting between the two occurred on the Phoenix airport tarmac after Clinton learned through his protective detail that Lynch's aircraft was nearby. The meeting happened amid intense scrutiny of the FBI investigation as well as a Benghazi probe. 'And I then said, you know what, the department cannot by itself credibly end this. The best chance we have for the justice system if I do something I never imagined before, step away from them and tell the American people look here's what the FBI did, here's what we found, here's what we think,' Comey said. Comey indicated that he was convinced that he was the one who needed to update the nation on the decision not to prosecute Clinton something he had been thinking about before he reached the ultimate conclusion. FEEL THE HEAT COMIN' DOWN: Bill Clinton's meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch prompted FBI Director James Comey to change his thinking on how to handle the Hillary Clinton email probe, Comey testified Then-attorney general Loretta Lynch got grilled about her meeting with the former President after it was revealed 'That was a hard call for me to make to call the attorney general that morning and say I'm about to do a press conference and I'm not going to tell you what I'm gonna say. And I said to her, 'I hope someday you'll understand why I think I have to do this,'' Comey said. Many Democrats weren't persuaded. Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she believes Comey's decisions, as well as Russian election interference, cost her the presidency. At the press conference, he chided Hillary Clinton for extreme carelessness in handling her emails. Following the meeting, Lynch said she would abide by the decision FBI investigators made with respect to Clinton's emails. President Bill Clinton speaks on stage at the Food Bank for New York City Can-Do Awards Dinner 2017 on April 19, 2017 in New York City Comey indicated the tarmac meeting persuaded him to announce the FBI's decision about Hillary Clinton, rather than having the attorney general do it 'Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of the classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information,' Comey said at the July press conference. Comey infuriated Democrats a second time when he told Congress the investigation had essentially been reopened, then announced days before the election that it hadn't turned up anything new. 'But look I wasn't loving this, I knew this would be disastrous for me personally,' Comey said. Lynch dismissed the importance of the meeting after it was revealed, saying the two discussed grandchildren and other anodyne subjects. A Chino Hills, California resident took matters in to his own hands to defend his family and home when five males allegedly tried to break into his residence around 1.00pm Pacific on Monday. Yan Zhang managed to take a first-person perspective photo looking down the barrel of his firearm while he held three of the alleged burglars at gunpoint on his balcony until police arrived. Two of the suspects got away from Zhang but were later found with the help of neighbors, according to KTLA. Yan Zhang snapped a first-person perspective photo looking down the barrel of his firearm when he held alleged burglars at gunpoint in California on Monday Four of the men were between the ages of 18 and 20 and one was a 17-year-old juvenile, San Bernardino sheriff's officials said in a statement. Zhang shared the images he captured of the ordeal to Chinese social media, his neighbor, Tony Tran, said. 'They were home and then several kids kind of tried to pry the door open, tried to get in,' Tony said. '(Zhang) got a gun so he fired a warning shot and was able to apprehend them until the police showed up.' Four of the men were between the ages of 18 and 20 and one was a 17-year-old juvenile Two of the suspects got away from Zhang but were later found with the help of neighbors Zhang's wife kept the children away from the three males while they were apprehended by Zhang. A neighbor called 911, according to deputies. The four adults were all taken into custody, while the minor was cited and released to his parents. Roberto Alonso Salmon, 18; Garret Rogers, 19; Ruben Medivil, 19; Joaquin Leonardo Salmon Garcia, 20; and a 17-year-old boy were booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of attempted burglary. Garcia lives in Chino Hills, while the rest of the suspects, Rogers, Medivil, Salmon and the 17-year-old whose name was not released due to his age reside in Chino. A special education teacher who pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with her 14-year-old student appeared in court and blamed her actions on a drug habit. Stephanie Amato, 33, who taught at the Ethan Allen Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to serve 11.5 to 23 months in county prison on Tuesday and ordered to register as a convicted sex offender,Philly.com reported. Amato, the mother of a seven-month-old son, started using prescription opiods before started snorting heroin every day, her attorney said in court. The 33-year-old apologized to both her family and the student, saying: 'I truly feel that I do not believe this would have occurred if it were not for drugs.' Stephanie Amato, (above) who taught at the Ethan Allen Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with her 14-year-old student Allegations against Amato were first made 2014, and she was removed from the classroom pending an investigation. The boy's father told Action News at the time: 'I was very upset. She took my kid's youth and I really want justice to take care of this woman.' The father also said his son 'felt humiliated' and refused to go to school, adding: 'Since that happened he changed.' Before Amato handed herself in to authorities in June 2014, she posted images on Facebook, showing herself hanging out with her students. Several boys in her car posed with their middle fingers up in one photo, while she captioned another: ''My fav students!!' Assistant District Attorney Kelly Harrell argued for a sentence of five to 10 years in court, saying Amato's relationship had a negative effect on the victim, who is now in juvenile custody after committing a felony. Harrell said the two had vaginal and oral sex over the course of a few months, and DNA tests confirmed the sexual encounters occurred in her car and at her home, according to Harrell. The prosecutor also argued that Amato chose her special education student because she thought she could get away with it, and pointed to messages warning the boy: 'You know I can get arrested if you tell'. Amato, who turned herself in in June 2014, now faces up to 23 months of jail time and has to register as a sex offender. Pictured, a Facebook photo which Amato captioned: 'Fun with these kids!' Amato appeared in court and blamed her behavior on her use of heroin and prescription opioids. But a prosecutor said she chose her student thinking she could get away with it. Pictured, another of her Facebook photos captioned: 'My fav students!!' But the teacher sat in court on Tuesday and blamed her drug habit, which began in 2010 when she started taking prescription opioid narcotics recreationally. She underwent treatment in 2013 and 2014, and relapsed both times, her attorney said. By the time she was arrested, Amato was snorting heroin every day. But Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart said: 'I know drugs were involved, and that affects everything, but I understand that its not controlling of this behavior.' He issued a county prison sentence, explaining that it was her first offense before citing the 33 letters of support submitted from Amato's family and friend. Amato will also be put on 10 years of reporting probation and barred from contacting juveniles. She'll also have to register her address and report herself four times a year as a convicted sex offender. Police say a 35-year-old man may have roamed comic book conventions around the country to lure teenage girls into sex. Derrick La Marr Jones, 35, of Catonsville, Maryland, was arrested Tuesday in Salt Lake City, Utah on two counts of use of a communication system to lasciviously solicit minor between 15 and 18. Detectives said Jones contacted an underage girl in Ashburn, Virginia to coerce her into travelling to Baltimore to meet him. Police told WHAG that Jones, often pretending to be a teenager or in his 20s, used social media to contact underage girls around the country and meet with them at conventions. Derrick La Marr Jones (left and right) was arrested Tuesday in Salt Lake City, Utah on two counts of use of a communication system to lasciviously solicit minor between 15 and 18 He was known to use the aliases Kanovski Zan and Lee Vulgen, or simply 'Kano' or 'Lee.' The cross-country investigation took detectives from Virginia to Utah to effect Jones' arrest. Investigators are calling on anyone who has had contact with Jones, or who may be aware of potential victims, to step forward and speak to police. Since March, police say, Jones has been to conventions in Orlando; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona; Los Angeles and Sacramento, California, and Salt Lake City. Anyone with information about Jones is urged to contact detectives with the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office at 703-777-0475. A bloodied kidnap victim was found staggering barefoot down the streets with a rope around his neck after fleeing from a cave where he was brutally beaten. Juan Ramon Cordero was filmed stumbling across the road with his hands tied behind his back in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, one of Spain's Canary Islands. Horrifying footage shows Mr Cordero forcing cars to stop and pleading with drivers 'Please, untie me!' The victim claimed his captors bundled him into the boot of a car and beat him for four hours because he owed them 50 euros, before dumping him in a cave on the outskirts of the town. Juan Ramon Cordero was found staggering barefoot down the streets with a rope around his neck after fleeing from a cave where he was brutally beaten in the Canary Islands Mr Cordero claimed a man knocked on his door on Monday at around midday. 'He told me to leave for a moment, that he had to talk to me, but what I did not expect was for someone else to be waiting for me,' he told La Provincia. He then claimed a second man asphyxiated him and he lost consciousness in the car - and when he came to he was in the boot. Mr Cordero said his captors were armed with rope, insulation tape, irons and chains and took him to a ravine in the area of La Pedrera. 'Up there I was beaten and beaten , from two-thirty to four-thirty in the afternoon receiving blows, blows and more blows,' he claimed. 'They tied my hands and feet and told me that in four hours they were going to feed me and give me another beating - that they were going to be like this for several days until they got tired.' Mr Cordero was filmed stumbling across the road with his hands tied behind his back, pleading with drivers to untie him He said he was beaten because he owed them a 50 Euro debt for less than a month. After four hours of beating, they placed him on the floor face-down and left him ot his fate, Mr Cordero said. He claimed he was able to remove the knots binding his feet together and waited until his captors drove off to flee the cave. The victim told police he had been bundled into a car, beaten for four hours and then abandoned in a cave on the outskirts of the town He ran through the ravines barefoot until he reached a main road and could ask for help. Footage that shows him asking drivers for help in Carrizal was posted on social media and went viral. When police attended the scene, they released the man from his bindings and rushed him to hospital to treat his head wounds. Police sources said they had confirmed that Mr Cordero had been kidnapped. They added that no ransom had been demanded from his family or other people known to him. Mr Cordero did not want to reveal the names of his alleged captors, but identified three of his attackers to police several hours later, local media reported. It was reported that the suspects were already known to the police - who arrested them on suspicion of kidnapping. Speaking about their arrest, Mr Cordero said: 'I am calm because they have stopped them. I hope there is justice.' Police are now searching for the main suspect. It was not clear whether he had named them or simply described them. The investigation is ongoing. Advertisement The Fyre Festival organizers blew millions of dollars on their celebrity guests, private planes and yachts to promote their 'luxe' event - and yet failed to pay their caterers or even order toilets until last month, sources say. Kendall Jenner was paid $250,000 for one Instagram picture alone, while the event paid out hundreds of thousands for other top names such as Bella Hadid, Elsa Hosk, Emily Ratajkowski and Rose Bertram. In fact, even the smaller Instagram stars and social media influencers were not paid less than $20,000 each. Meanwhile, many of the festivals' suppliers claim they are still waiting to be paid for their services. One supplier told Vice that 25-year-old organizer Billy McFarland had failed to grasp even the basics of putting together such a large scale event. Fyre Festival organizers reportedly paid Kendall Jenner $250,000 for one Instagram picture alone (pictured) which has since been deleted The Fyre Festival organizers blew millions of dollars on their celebrity guests, private planes and yachts to promote their 'luxe' event - and yet failed to pay their caterers or even order toilets until last month, sources say (Emily Ratajkowski, Bella Hadid, Elsa Hosk and Hailey Baldwin pose for pre-festival promo shoot) Kendall Jenner, who was reportedly paid $250,000 for one Instagram picture to promote the event, spent Monday at the Met Gala after a lawsuit claims she was warned ahead of time to avoid the festival She was part of the pitch deck Fyre Festival organizers presented to investors for $25million in funding before the disastrous island event 'There was no infrastructure to even support the equipment,' said a toilet supplier who was only contacted by the festival in April - just weeks before the event was due to start. They warned that it didn't matter how much money they threw at the problem, the toilets and trailers simply would not get to festival through customs in time. 'They didn't even have a loading dock, they had no understanding of what vehicles were on the island to even move the stuff off the ship once it got there,' said the supplier. 'They said stuff like, 'Don't worry about customs; it's only for a weekend, you don't have to worry about customs.' Another toilet supplier, who did not get the contract, quoted Fyre $1 million just for the basic equipment - not including the shipping and emptying charge - because they had left it so last minute. But customs were a problem and officials on the Bahamas island have placed the site on 'lockdown' because 'Billy has not paid Customs duty taxes on the items that he imported,' the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism said in a statement obtained by ABC. Hundreds of festival-goers flocked to Fyre Cay on Thursday for the event but they were met with chaos The new lawsuit accuses Fyre organizers of breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and fraud over the disastrous event. Above, the festival site which his attorneys said 'rivaled a refugee camp' In Daniel Chung's lawsuit, the attorneys presented sketches of the campsite which organizers used to sell ticket. Attorneys compared them with images taken from the actual tents The statements by suppliers belie McFarland's claim that he could not have seen the PR disaster coming. Former Fyre employees as well as potential, revealed that the organizers knew months in advance that they were never going to be able to provide the dream festival they were promoting. The tickets cost between $1,200 and $200,000 and the event was billed as an exclusive weekend of music, luxury cuisine and celebrities. It was promoted by It girls on Instagram and promised those who could afford it that they'd be partying in style in plush accommodations on ground once owned by Pablo Escobar. They talk about f***ing bitches and hoes in conference meetings Former Fyre employee But festival goers complained that they arrived to find disaster relief-style tents, basic food and a trash-strewn site. And that was for those who made it to the island at all. Hundreds were stuck at the airport while others who had not left for the event, decided to stay at home. Other broken promises include Fyre's claims the event would be held on a private island, and that guests would stay in a rustic lodge. After tickets were sold, the company removed the lodge renderings from their website and festival goers arrived to find the disaster-relief style tents. The event was also devoid of the celebrities and models who had endorsed the event - most of them failing to tell the public they were being paid to do so - after Fyre warned them to stay away when he realized the festival was a flop, according to a class action lawsuit filed by a guest. Bella (above during a promotional trip to the site earlier this year) has since said she feels 'so badly' about the saga Of course, it may have easier to organize if McFarland had left himself more time. The event paid out hundreds of thousands for other top names to endorse the event in pre-festival shoots, Elsa Hosk, Lais Ribeiro, Bella Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Baldwin, Hannah Ferguson, Paulina Vega, Gizele Oliveira, and Rose Bertram Vice reports that the 25-year-old only came up with the idea last October and by November, promotions for the festival - the first large scale event he had ever hosted - were all over Instagram. And almost all their money immediately went into shooting their slick promotion videos, flying out with models and celebs on private jets and renting yachts for long weekends, according to former employees. One former staff member said the planning environment at Fyre HQ was a toxic 'boy's club' with McFarland, a tech entrepreneur, and his crew boasting about 'f***ing b*****s and hoes in conference meetings' while only male employees were allowed to accompany McFarland on the frequent trips to the islands. To living like movie stars, partying like rock stars, and f***ing like porn stars Co-organizer of Fyre Ja Rule 'It's a boys club,' they said, adding that McFarland would often urinate in the office with the door open so all the Fyre staff could see. It's 'low-key sexist and racist', a contractor added. While talent booker Chloe Gordon recalled a site visit where McFarland's co-organizer Ja Rule had made a toast: 'To living like movie stars, partying like rock stars, and f***ing like porn stars.' As time and money became to run short, the Fyre team were apparently unfazed. Gordon, a production coordinator, told Vice the team ignored the warnings, and advice to postpone until next year, with a member of the marketing team proclaiming: 'Let's just do it and be legends, man'. But by March, there was an edge of panic within the offices. Despite their claims that some people had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on ticket packages, most paid between $500 and $2,000, while predictions they could sell 40,000 tickets fell woefully short. Billy McFarland (left) and Ja Rule (right), both pictured back in New York on Monday, have since apologized for the disaster and offered ticket holders a refund Fyre Festival organizers Ja Rule and Billy McFarland (together in December) have now been hit with another class action suit With just a month to go before the festival, McFarland appealed for a second round of investment where, in one meeting, he hinted at having spent millions on celebrity endorsement. One New York socialite who made a significant investment was 'sold a story', a source told Vice. But it wasn't enough and many vendors say they still have not been paid by Fyre. The event's employees also claimed that Fyre tried to get them to use their own credit cards for hotel rooms in Miami and the Bahamas. Meanwhile, the sad, polystyrene trays of food - which had been billed as gourmet - may be explained because of Fyre's failure to pay Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr on time. The restaurateur ended up pulling out of their agreement on April 2. McFarland, and co-organizer Ja Rule, declined to comment to reporters on the allegations. The pair have now been hit by not one but two class actions suits by angry festival goers. Chelsea Chinery, Shannon McAuliffe and Desiree Flores are suing them and Fyre Media for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and fraud. The lawsuit states that while the festival promised 'stunning beach side villas, yachts with models draped over the top', guests arrived to find 'horrific' conditions. 'As Plaintiffs began to grasp the dire nature of the situation, upon witnessing the complete lack of infrastructure necessary to host such an event, a panic enveloped the crowd,' Personal injury attorney John Girardi, who is representing the trio, said. 'Plaintiffs were stuck on the island, with no way off.' Festival goers Chelsea Chinery (left) Shannon McAuliffe (right) and Desiree Flores (not pictured) are suing Ja Rule, Billy McFarland and Fyre Media for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and fraud The lawsuit comes just one day after festival goer Daniel Jung filed a $100 million class action lawsuit against Rule and McFarland on Monday on behalf of all those who bought tickets to the Bahamas festival last week. He accused McFarland, Rule and co-organizer Jeffrey Atkins of fraud and breach of contract, claiming they continued to sell tickets to the event despite knowing it was doomed. His attorneys say he and everyone else who had bought tickets were put in danger by 'refugee camp' conditions and the lack of food water or transport on the island. They even attributed risk to the region's famous swimming pigs, a tourist attraction many visit the islands to see, describing them as 'wild animals' which were seen 'in and around festival grounds'. Daniel Jung is suing Fyre Festival organizers Billy McFarland and Ja Rule (right together in December last year) for $100million on behalf of everyone who bought tickets to the disastrous event Hundreds bought into what was billed as an exclusive weekend of music, luxury cuisine and celebrities, and flocked to Fyre Cay, the 'private' island in the Exumas, where it was being held, on Thursday but were met with unfinished tents with no furniture and a dangerously low supply of food and water. The most recent suit, seen by Hollywood Reporter, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, says the organizers knew at least a month before the event that they couldn't pull off the lavish event they'd promised. The suit also claimed that guests were tricked into paying thousands of dollars for tickets by paying 400 social media influencers and celebs to promote it - without them ever revealing they were being paid to promote the event. 'Social media 'influencers' made no attempt to disclose to consumers that they were being compensated for promoting the Fyre Festival,' writes Girardi, who said that they breached FTC regulations. The lawsuit represents anyone who bought a ticket to the festival, with more funds to be awarded to those who tried to attend but found their flights were canceled; and the biggest awards to those who made it to the festival and were stuck there . It asks for an injunction to bar defendants from throwing any similar events and seeks restitution, punitive damages and disgorgement of any profits. Organizers have issued an apology after furious and frightened customers shared the experience on Twitter and Instagram and have promised everyone a refund. They said they 'simply weren't ready' for how popular and how big the event would get. 'The team was overwhelmed. The airport was jam packed. The buses couldn't handle the load. And the wind from rough weather took down half of the tents on the morning our guests were scheduled to arrive. This is an unacceptable guest experience and the Fyre team takes full responsibility for the issues that occurred,' the Fyre team said in a statement. They added that as more and more guests arrived they 'were simply in over our heads. We had no other options, so we began the process of getting guests quickly and safely back to Miami.' The organizers tried to explain their shortcomings in a statement, writing: 'We thought we were ready, but then everyone arrived.' Jung's attorneys say organizers knew the event would not be finished but let everyone arrive anyway All of the festival-goers were stranded and had no money to get off the island because organizers told them not to bring cash They confirmed that 'all festival goers this year will be refunded in full' and the organizers say they are planning to throw another event next year but have learned their lessons and will hold it on a US beach. All guests from this year, will get complimentary VIP passes to next year's event. In the earlier lawsuit, Jung's attorneys said the conditions 'rivaled a refugee camp' and that being stranded there was 'tantamount to false imprisonment'. From the offset, they say organizers oversold the event. 'The festival was even promoted as being on a 'private island' once owned by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar - the island isn't private as there is a 'Sandals' resort down the road and Pablo Escobar never owned the island,' attorney Mark Geragos wrote. As the festival date approached, the attorneys claim organizers knew they were ill-equipped and say they warned celebrities and performers not to attend but allowed the hundreds who had bought tickets to board planes from Miami. Once they'd arrived on the island, the situation became an emergency, he said. 'The festival was a disaster immediately upon the attendees' arrival. Concert-goers' luggage was unceremoniously dumped from shipping containers and left for them to rifle through in order to find their personal belongings.' Jung is suing on behalf of the hundreds of others who attended, claiming he 'experiences emotional pain and suffering from being stranded in a foreign country' as a result. Both McFarland and Ja Rule have apologized for the ill-fated event and promised to refund everyone who bought tickets. A young woman suffered a horrific reaction which left her hands swollen and 'blistered' after getting a 'black henna' tattoo on holiday. Sophie Akis decided to have the temporary tattoo after being approached by a street vendor on the beach during a holiday with her family in the seaside resort of Agadir, in Morocco. The 22-year-old, who was on holiday with her husband and other relatives, even opted to have her skin tested and waited 24 hours before paying the equivalent of 4 for the popular temporary inking. Scroll down for video Sophie Akis (right, with her mother, Wendy) suffered a horrific reaction which left her hands swollen and 'blistered' after getting a 'black henna' tattoo on holiday in Agadir, Morocco The 22-year-old, who was on holiday with her husband and other relatives, even opted to have her skin tested and waited 24 hours before paying the equivalent of 4 for the popular temporary inking. (Above, Sophie's injuries) 'We waited 24 hours and then she had the henna done on the tops of both hands. Within hours she was in a mess. Her hands were swollen and blistered,' said Wendy, a housekeeper from Yardley Wood, Birmingham, who had joined her on the family trip Now Ms Akis's mother, Wendy, who was on holiday with her daughter at the time, has issued a warning to holidaymakers, saying: 'Please, please do not go abroad and think this will be OK. It's not. It's a very high price to pay for a bit of art.' Wendy, a housekeeper from Yardley Wood, Birmingham, said within hours her daughter 'was in a mess' with her hands swollen and 'blistered'. She continued: 'We are a large Asian family so Sophie has often had henna tattoos for weddings when in this country and has been fine, but we took the precaution of having a test first in Morocco. 'Sophie reacted badly to hair dyes when she was younger so I wanted to be sure. 'We waited 24 hours and then she had the henna done on the tops of both hands. Within hours she was in a mess. Her hands were swollen and blistered. Wendy, 56, said that as soon as her daughter and husband landed in Turkey where the couple now live, they went straight to their local hospital. The British Skin Foundation has launched a campaign to #AvoidBlackHenna as summer approaches 'Because she was flying home the next day, we took her to a pharmacist who gave her a tablet and then bandaged her hands after putting some cream on so she could fly comfortably.' RED ALERT: BLACK HENNA DANGERS The risks of black henna lie in the pastes ingredients specifically, a chemical called paraphenylenediamine (PPD). Although PPD can lawfully be used in hair dyes in the EU, its use is strictly controlled. Real henna, normally safe to use, is an orange colour, with a red or brown tint. Dr Chris Flower, director general of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, advises people to be suspicious of black 'tattoos'. 'Real henna is never black, but is orange-brown,' he explains. 'Any very dark temporary tattoo should be treated with caution.' Source: NHS Choices Advertisement Wendy, 56, said that as soon as her daughter and husband landed in Turkey where the couple now live, they went straight to their local hospital. Doctors there said it was an allergic reaction and gave the distressed patient an iodine solution to bathe her hands in every 10 minutes for two days as well as a cortisone cream. 'She is still in a lot of pain,' said Wendy. 'I feel terrible for her. 'Hopefully if she looks after her hands carefully she won't be scarred.' The mother-of-four urged those travelling abroad to think twice before opting for the inkings which in many cases are not henna at all, but a substance called paraphenylenediamine which can cause blistering, painful skin burns and may even lead to scarring. The British Skin Foundation has launched a campaign to #AvoidBlackHenna as summer approaches. The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, meanwhile, also issued a warning confirming that 'having a 'black henna' temporary tattoo presents a significant risk of a very nasty adverse reaction to the tattoo itself.' Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton is backing a British Skin Foundation campaign to #AvoidBlackHenna as summer approaches. Upon returning from a holiday in Morocco, her son Alfie aged six was left with a scar on his leg where the tattoo had been. Advertisement Barack Obama revealed the first glimpse of the presidential center he plans to build with Michelle in the hope that it will become a hub for future leaders. The Obama Presidential Center will be constructed in Chicago's Jackson Park and is due to be completed by 2021. The former president and first lady unveiled the first plans for it on Wednesday at a community forum where he told of his hopes the center will be used to train the next generation of leaders. The Center will comprise of three buildings and will include a museum, library, auditorium, restaurants and tree-lined walkways. The museum will house memorable items from the couple's time as president and first lady. On Tuesday, Obama joked: 'Let's face it, we want to see Michelle's dresses.' The project will cover more than 200,000 sq ft of space and is likely to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Barack Obama unveiled the first plans for his presidential center at a community forum in Chicago on Wednesday The center will have three buildings - a museum, forum and library - which will house exhibitions, documents, restaurants and other work spaces The first artist renderings for the site were uploaded to The Obama Foundation's website Construction at the site will begin later this year. The former president hopes that it will be completed by 2021 Artist renderings of the building were published on The Obama Foundation's website. The library will house emails and documents from the president's eight years in office. Obama estimates the center will be finished in four years, but says programming will start this year. 'What we want this to be is the world premiere institution for training young people and leadership to make a difference in their communities, in their countries and in the world,' he told a crowd of local residents and lawmakers at the South Shore Community Center on Tuesday. He announced he and former first Lady Michelle Obama will personally donate $2 million to summer job efforts in Chicago. 'We don't want to wait for a building. This is about reaching out right now,' he said. The former president received a friendly hometown reception from the crowd, which included Mayor Rahm Emanuel, his one-time chief of staff. Obama didn't mention his successor, instead focusing on details about the center, including potential exhibits and traffic patterns. Obama says he hopes the center will become a buzzing fixture on Chicago's South Side, where Obama started his political career. 'President and Mrs. Obama chose to build the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side to give back to the community that has given them so much. 'The Center will strengthen the economic climate in our community by bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Chicago every year, creating new jobs on the South Side, and revitalizing historic Jackson Park in the process. 'The Obama Foundation our board, staff, and volunteers are honored to work side by side with community leaders and local institutions, including the Museum of Science and Industry, the DuSable Museum, the University of Chicago, and the City of Chicago on these efforts. Michelle was also present for the announcement at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago on Wednesday It is one of the first public engagements the couple has attended together in an official capacity since they left the White House Michelle was typically elegant in a black and white printed dress which she paired with a thin back belt 'The Obama Presidential Center and its landscape design will blend seamlessly with Jackson Park and the surrounding neighborhoods.' They hope the project will boost activity along Chicago's South Shore and drive visitors into the surrounding park in addition to using its facilities. 'We believe the Center will restore the promise of Jackson Park as the peoples park, building upon its history as a recreational destination for gathering on the South Side for families, community members, and visitors,' the Obama Foundation website announcement reads. 'Through participatory and immersive experiences, the Center will tell Barack and Michelle Obamas story, while lifting the hood on the mechanics of change and inspiring visitors to spark their own,' it concludes. After his appearance at the South Shore Cultural Center on Wednesday afternoon, the president is due to visit The Chicago Club to discuss the project. The couple received a warm welcome from Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel before they took their seats The former president spoke to members of the community after unveiling the first artist renderings of the project President Obama spoke excitedly about the project on Wednesday afternoon. It was his first speaking engagement since he left office The president tweeted excitedly about the project after unveiling the first plans at the community forum The Obama Foundation shared a promotional video for the center after the announcement on Wednesday. In it, the couple describes how they wanted to give back to the community after an 'amazing journey'. 'The South Side is where I first landed when I moved to Chicago. You had this community that had so much history. The people there, the universities, the businesses,' the former president said. 'With the foundation on the south side of Chicago, we'll be able to give something back home after this incredible journey. 'Whether a library or museum, it will be a living working center for citizenship. We will have projects all over the city, the country and the world,' the president said. The former first lady said simply in a voice over: 'It's home. I consider myself a South Sider.' The Obamas first announced plans for the library last year. It was designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects who said they were 'honored' to have been given the job. The pair were mobbed by local residents at the end of the discussions on Wednesday afternoon The project has been largely embraced by the community, safe for one protest group which said it should be built on vacant land near the park instead of in the park itself. The Obamas appearance at the event on Wednesday brings an end to a four-month break since they left the White House. They immediately fled Washington DC after handing over the presidency, retreating first to their friends' home in Palm Springs to relax. From there they traveled to the Caribbean where they rubbed shoulders with Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson. They then spent a month in Tahiti, relaxing on the island once owned by Marlon Brando where the president was rumored to have begun his memoirs. Obama has also been seen in New York City, where his eldest daughter Malia is undertaking an internship at Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein's production company. The former president returned to business last week, taking part in a panel at the University of Chicago. Ex-Indianapolis teacher, Kathryn Hagan (pictured) was arrested on charges alleging that she had sex with a student and bought another a gun A former Indianapolis teacher was arrested on charges alleging that she had sex with a student and bought another a gun. Kathryn Hagan, 38, was arrested by detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on accusations that she had an 'inappropriate sexual relationship' with a 17-year-old student in March, according to a police statement. After inviting the teen over to her home, the former Franklin Central High School teacher reportedly gave him Xanax. Hagan, who was employed as a licensed teacher at the time of the incident, also provided a firearm to a second juvenile student whom she knew intended to use it to commit a crime, police said. On April 7, the Franklin Township Community School Corporation received an anonymous tip about the relationship between Hagan and the teen. School administrators then notified the Indiana Department of Child Services and police. Hagan was placed on suspension and resigned as an employee of the school district. Court documents showed that Hagan invited the victim to her home on March 28, and gave him the Xanax. Three days later, she invited the victim to her home again, and they had sex in her upstairs bedroom, according to court documents. According to CBS 4, police spoke with other students at the school who said there was a 10-second video circulating around the campus that showed Hagan and the teen naked. Police spoke with other students at Franklin Central High School (pictured) who said there was a video that showed Hagan and the teen naked. Police said Hagan told the student, whom she bought the gun for, to use it to rob other students who may have evidence on their phones Students were trying to use the video to blackmail Hagan into giving them better grades, according to court documents. Authorities said Hagan told the student, whom she bought the gun for, to use it to rob other students who may have evidence incriminating her on their phones. The school district said in a statement that they are 'cooperating fully' with the investigation. Hagan's first day at the school was January 3, 2017, and she resigned in April. She was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, two counts of child seduction, dangerous control of a firearm, and dealing in a schedule IV controlled substance. Sean Hannity is staying put at Fox News. The conservative television personality told staff members on Tuesday that he was not negotiating a deal to leave the cable network, Politico reported. Hannitys future became a subject of speculation after the resignation on Monday of his friend and former producer, Bill Shine. Shine left the company after serving for almost a year as co-president of the network in the wake of the departure of longtime boss Roger Ailes. The spate of sexual harassment scandals that has rocked Fox News - and which forced Ailes to resign last summer - eventually led to Shine's exit. Shine has been accused of turning a blind eye to sexual harassment allegations at the network. Hannity publicly supported Shine after media reports emerged indicating that his future with the company was tenuous. Sean Hannity (above) is staying put at Fox News. The conservative television personality told staff members on Tuesday that he was not negotiating a deal to leave the cable network Hannitys future became a subject of speculation after the resignation on Monday of his friend and former producer, Bill Shine (above) Hannity tweeted that Shine's departure would be 'the total end of the FNC' after Gabriel Sherman of New York magazine reported that the Murdochs refused to release a statement of support Hannity publicly supported Shine after media reports emerged indicating that his future with the company was tenuous. It had earlier been reported that Hannity wanted to get out of his contract, which supposedly allowed him to leave if Shine ever left Fox. Hannity - host of his The Sean Hannity Show - has fired off a number of tweets in recent days referencing meetings with his lawyers. He had launched a passionate Twitter defense of Shine last week when speculation was rife that his time at the network was coming to an end. The polarizing host tweeted on Thursday afternoon amid rumors Shine was losing support from the Murdochs - particularly Rupert's sons James and Lachlan. New York Magazine cited a source close to Shine - who has been with Fox News since its inception - as saying he was 'expressing concern about his future at the network.' Rupert Murdoch, second from left, leaves a Manhattan restaurant with Fox News co-presidents Jack Abernethy, second from right, and then-co-President Bill Shine, right on Monday, April 24, 2017, in New York The magazine's writer, Gabriel Sherman, claimed in the piece James and Lachlan Murdoch have refused to publicly back Shine. They also ignored his request to release a statement supporting him. Responding to the article, Hannity tweeted at Sherman: 'Gabe i pray this is NOT true because if it is, that's the total end of the FNC as we know it. Done. Best Sean.' The host then continued to discuss the story, even going as far as to claim Shine was being sabotaged by someone within Fox News. 'Somebody HIGH UP AND INSIDE FNC is trying to get an innocent person fired. And Gabe I KNOW WHO it is. Best Sean. 'I'll change it. #Istandwithshine.' Shine had reportedly become an unpopular figure at the network in recent weeks, following the ouster of Bill O'Reilly amid a new sex scandal at the right-wing network. Women were reportedly planning to circulate a petition calling for Shine to be fired before he stepped down Monday, a source told New York Magazine. Shine, who has been at the company since its launch in 1996 and is described as Murdoch's 'right-hand man', reportedly walked into his boss's office around 9am Monday morning and said: 'What are we doing here?' Shine had reportedly become an unpopular figure at the network in recent weeks, following the ouster of Bill O'Reilly (above) amid a new sex scandal at the right-wing network Shine has been accused in the past of helping cover up former president Roger Ailes (above) conduct towards Fox News employees by 'silencing and smearing women who complained,' Then the two worked out an exit deal, New York Magazine's Gabe Sherman reports. 'Sadly, Bill Shine resigned today. I know Bill was respected and liked by everybody at Fox News. We will all miss him,' Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News, said in a memo to staff. Shine has been accused in the past of helping cover up former president Roger Ailes conduct towards Fox News employees by 'silencing and smearing women who complained,' Media Matters reported. He was also named in former Fox News personality Andrea Tantaros' lawsuit against network executives, who she said operated Fox News 'like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult'. This comes exactly a week after Shine had a lunch meeting with Murdoch and his co-president, Jack Abernethy. Shine was promoted to the position of co-president last August, after longtime president Roger Ailes resigned amid a sex scandal. Since then, Shine has had to deal with the loss of Megyn Kelly to rival NBC News as well as the O'Reilly sexual harassment allegations. O'Reilly was forced out of his job last month, while on vacation. Shine reportedly advocated to keep O'Reilly, against those gunning for him to go - Murdoch's sons Lachlan and James. Douglas H. Wigdor, an attorney representing three black women who claim they were racially discriminated at the company, took the news as a win for his clients. 'While long overdue, we are pleased that 21st Century Fox has taken a step in the right direction by permitting Bill Shine to resign and that our recent court filings apparently influenced that decision. Much more needs to be done, however, including holding Dianne Brandi [EVP of business and legal affairs] accountable for permitting a known racist to prey upon our clients and acknowledging and accepting responsibility for the harm our clients have and continue to suffer,' Wigdor said. Shine's position will now be split between two longtime Fox News executives. Suzanne Scott, Fox's executive vice president for programming and development, will now be president of programming, while Jay Wallace, EVP of news and editorial, will be president of news. An Afghan asylum seeker is under arrest in Germany suspected of stabbing a woman to death because she converted to Christianity. The victim, Fatima S. 38, was knifed on Saturday in front of a Lidl supermarket in Prien in Bavaria. The 29-year-old migrant attacked the woman in front of her five and 11-year-old children and she later died from her wounds. An Afghan asylum seeker is under arrest in Germany suspected of stabbing to death a woman outside a supermarket on Saturday evening Eyewitnesses said he stabbed her in the head and then slit her throat as her cries were heard for hundreds of feet around. One horrified witness said: 'I heard angry cries like, 'He has a knife, he wants to stab her! It was bad. A brave citizen tried to intervene and save the woman, everything was full of blood, it was inconceivably terrible.' And another said the alleged perpetrator first sat on a bench opposite the supermarket entrance before he attacked. The suspect was detained in a psychiatric hospital after shoppers including an off duty policewoman overpowered him. Now police confirm they are probing the possibility the killer struck because the mother-of-two - who arrived in Germany in 2011 - was a Christian convert. 'It's a possibility that we're exploring,' said a police spokesman, adding that the victim and the alleged attacker knew each other, The knifeman had arrived in Germany in 2013 and was residing at an asylum-seeker shelter. Germany took in more than a million refugees since 2015, and some have taken on the Christian faith. The murder happened on Saturday evening at around 6.45pm in front of a busy supermarket in Prien, a town in the German state of Bavaria. The White House claimed Wednesday under pressure that a see through structure the government had previously designated as a fence was in fact the border wall that President Trump said he would build. During a heated back and forth with a reporter, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the Department of Homeland Security would be replacing chain link fencing in several areas along the border with a '20-foot-high bollard wall.' In other areas they are installing something Spicer referred to as a 'levee wall.' 'The president said he's going to build a wall, and he's doing it,' Spicer declared, 'and hes using the best technology.' IT'S A WALL NOT A FENCE: The White House claimed Wednesday under pressure that a see through structure the government had previously designated as a fence was in fact the border wall that President Trump said he would build Trump said during his campaign that he would build an impenetrable wall made out of concrete that he would reinforce with rebarb. A spending bill making its way through Congress only allows for the replacement of existing fencing, however Trump said during his campaign that he would build an impenetrable wall made out of concrete that he would reinforce with rebarb. A spending bill making its way through Congress only allows for the replacement of existing 'fencing' along the southern border, however. The White House announced Tuesday that it would use the money it was being given to install steel bollard structures along the border - and called it a 'wall' so it could say it was fulfilling the president's promise. 'This is the wall, by the way, that DHS said they wanted,' Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said from the briefing room podium as he pointed to a picture of an existing barrier being installed in January in Sunland Park, New Mexico. 'We've talked about bricks and mortar We've talked about concrete walls. This is what DHS wants. Why? Because it actually works better....You can see through this one, OK? It's actually safer.' He said at another point: 'This wall is being installed on the southern border today.' In fact the picture was taken on January 25, just days after the new president's inauguration. At the time the barrier was known as a fence. This damaged fence near Naco, Arizona, is one the structures the White House said is being upgraded to a 'bollard wall' Spicer doubled down on the claim Wednesday. Throwing up a four-picture slide of dilapidated barriers on the border, Spicer said, 'We have a porous border right now with broken fences, things that can be cut through, places that can just literally be driven over.' 'And to replace this with 20-foot-high bollard wall will protect our country. Something that the DHS has designated the most effective way to do this,' he argued. Having switched to a second screen with three pictures on it of the structures Spicer said DHS would build, he was asked whether they were photos of 'fences or walls.' 'That is called a bollard wall, that is called a levy wall,' he said, pointing at each of them. 'There are various types of walls that can be built, under the legislation that was just passed, it allows us to do that.' The reporter, Breitbart News' Charlie Spiering, asked him a second time to identify the structures, and Spicer said, 'That is called a levee wall on the left. That is called a bollard wall....Thats what its actually called. Thats the name of it,' the White House official insisted. The White House revaled Tuesday that President Trump plans to build parts of his border wall out of steel - not concrete like he said he would. 'This wall is being installed on the southern border today,' Trump's budget director Mick Mulvaney said It's a fence - no it's a see-through wall: This is the actual picture used by Mick Mulvaney and Sean Spicer to show what the border 'wall' will look like in some areas. When it was taken it was described as a fence 'We are able to go in there, and instead of having a chain link fence, replace it with that bollard wall. That's what it is,' he proclaimed. Spicer called the construction a 'down payment on what the president is going to prioritize in a 2018 budget that starts Oct. 1.' The shift away from his campaign claim that the wall stretching along the entire southern border would be made out of solid concrete will allow the administration to start on its construction without delay. WHAT THE LAW SAYS Appropriations legislation making its way through Congress specifically says the Department of Homeland Security will receive: '$341,200,000 to replace approximately 40 miles of existing primary pedestrian and vehicle border fencing along the southwest border using previously deployed and operationally effective designs, such as currently deployed steel bollard designs, that prioritize agent safety; and to add gates to existing barriers' Advertisement Trump's Homeland Security Department has already begun replacing the cyclone fencing along some parts of the border with steel barriers that leave see through areas in between, Mulvaney said Tuesday. It was the first time the barrier had been referred to as a wall. Previously it was known as a fence. 'It's going to be a Bollard type of fencing so it's just going to be steel beams with about two to three inches apart from each other,' Border Patrol Agent George Gomez told an El Paso newspaper earlier this year as he described the barrier that's going up near Sunland Park - one of the sites the White House mentioned. 'Im not calling it a wall because we are talking about a fence that we can look through. Thats what we need,' a senior border patrol official likewise told CNN in February of the recommendations DHS had made. The spending bill that authorizes Trump's administration to put up the structures refers to 'steel bollard designs.' It specifically states the barriers must be 'previously deployed' elsewhere, which keeps Trump, a former developed, from coming up with and constructing a wall of his own design with $341.2 million DHS is being given. The bollard-style fencing is is made up of reinforced bars or steel, CNN said at the time, that are 6-by-6 inches wide and 18 ft. tall. They are placed 6 ft. below the ground to eliminate tunneling. Mulvaney took over the White House daily press briefing on Tuesday to combat Democratic claims that the spending bill that they're voting on this week in Congress is a blow to the agenda. The bill delivers $1.5 billion more for homeland security and allows for maintenance and upgrades to existing border structures. The administration is barred from putting the money toward putting up a wall in areas where there's not already fencing, though. On Monday Mulvaney conceded that the administration would not be able to lay down 'brick and mortar' along the border this fiscal year. Trump said Tuesday morning that his administration was 'beginning to build the wall,' nonetheless. Democrats are providing DHS with a 'down payment' on his wall, and they don't even realize it, he said. 'I think they'll go back and check their papers.' 'We're putting up a lot of new walls in certain areas. We're putting up a tremendous amount of money to fix the existing structures that we have, some of which we can keep into the future,' he stated. At the White House press briefing shortly after, Mulvaney suggested that Democrats - and Republicans - didn't realize that they were giving the administration the authority to begin building the massive structure that he showed off on television screens behind him. 'Until right now, I don't think anybody knew about this, because what you heard us say is no bricks and mortar, no bricks and mortar, it's all about technology,' Mulvaney said. 'My guess is they have not. My guess is they've been watching television and heard the Democrats side of the story.' Trump had said at a December 2015 rally that wall would be made of 'hardened concrete...rebar and steel.' Trump said yesterday morning that his administration was 'beginning to build the wall' - even though the spending bill he's getting the money from explicitly prohibits it At a January news conference he rebutted a reporter's claim that he wanted to construct a fence, stating quite explicitly: 'Its not a fence. Its a wall. You just misreported it. Were going to build a wall.' His administration has since said that 'the wall' could be made out of steel, concrete, a combination of concrete and steel, and supplemented with technology. Speaking to Fox News' Eric Bolling in an interview that aired Tuesday afternoon, Trump recommitted to the wall. 'The wall's happening, OK?' Trump said, pointing to 'a billion-and-a-half dollars for security' in the budget. 'The wall is going to get built, but we have had great success. General Kelly has been unbelievable and now we've stopped 73 percent, the highest in the history since they've been recording this stuff,' Trump continued. 'And now it's even better because people aren't even trying to come up.' The president noted that this has caused Democrats to say that there's no need, then, to build a wall 'because look at the good job Trump is doing.' But Trump again argued for the wall, a major campaign promise to 'stop drugs' and 'to stop human trafficking' An executive order Trump signed since taking office says only that the 'wall' will be defined as 'a contiguous, physical wall or other similarly secure, contiguous, and impassable physical barrier. Trump has said in the past that geological features would naturally protect some areas. In February Reuters reported that DHS was proposing 1,250 miles of wall, an additional 654 miles beyond what the government already considers to be already fortified. Mulvaney could not say Tuesday how much of the existing fencing would be replaced with steel - and where the construction would take place. 'I don't know where it's being built...we haven't done the mile, the per mile, I think the total spending is $347 million dollars on that, but we haven't done the math yet,' he said. Spicer said Wednesday that the 'bollard wall' is already being constructed in Sunland Park, New Mexico, and Naco, Arizona. The administration will use the money it's receiving from Congress to put up similar barriers near San Diego, California, El Paso, Texas, and in the Rio Grande Valley. The legislation that's on Capitol Hill allows for 40 miles of replacement fencing. Mulvaney said the wall would cost more to build in certain areas, so he could not be sure how far the money Congress plans to give DHS will stretch. 'We haven't done the math yet on how many miles we can build and where it will be. What we do is that we have several hundreds of millions of dollars to do this,' he asserted. The Nanyi Valley, a beautiful valley among the Himalayas, is located in Nanyi Township of Menling County, Nyingchi city, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The Nanyi Valley, hailed as the "medicine kingdom" of Tibet, boasts vast area of primitive forest, lush vegetations, as well as abundant water resources. Tourists are usually lost in admiration of the valley's beauty. [China.org.cn] 1 2 3 4 5 Next A Kansas woman charged with beheading her ex-boyfriend's mother has revealed that the killing had been preceded by an exorcism at her house. Rachael Hilyard, 35, was arrested on April 9 and charged with first-degree murder in the decapitation death of 63-year-old Micki Davis. Davis' headless body was discovered in Hilyard's garage in Wichita, Kansas, and the woman's head was found in the suspect's sink, according to an affidavit. Scroll down for video Jailed suspect speaks: Rachael Hilyard, 35, who is accused of beheading her ex-boyfriend's mother in April, says a pastor had performed an exorcism at hr home a few days earlier Hilyard (left) has been charged with first-degree murder in the decapitation death of 63-year-old Micki Davis (right) Spiritual cleansing: Pastor Terry Fox said Hilyard reached out to him sometime in March asking to perform a 'full-blown' exorcism at her Wichita, Kansas, home In a jailhouse interview with The Wichita Eagle on Tuesday, Hilyard said she feels horrible but said it was God, not she, who took Davis' life. The 35-year-old murder suspect also revealed that in the days leading up to the bloody incident, a pastor had come over to perform an exorcism in an effort to rid her home of 'evil spirits.' Her story was later corroborated in part by the cleric who had performed the spiritual cleansing ritual. Speaking to the paper this week, Pastor Terry Fox, of Summit Church in Wichita, confirmed that he and his assistants had spent a few days evaluating Hilyard's home for possible demonic activity but found no physical evidence of an evil presence, such as an upside down cross, or other 'dark objects.' Fox, who has been performing exorcisms for three decades, also said Hilyard showed no signs of violence towards herself or others. She was not aggressive to hurt anyone or herself. Had she been I wouldve reported it, Fox said. If I thought she was a danger to herself or someone I wouldve reported that. Fox recalled that the woman wanted him to carry out a 'full-blown' exorcism, but he only prayed over her house. Fox (left) said Hilyard (right) did not strike him as violent or aggressive towards herself or anyone else. He prayed over her house but found no physical evidence of a demonic presence The clergyman suggested that if he had more time to work with Hilyard, perhaps he could have made a difference in her life. During Tuesday's 20-minute jailhouse interview, Hilyard mentioned that she had been in a car accident in 2003 that left her with a traumatic brain injury, but she was quick to point out that it had nothing to do with 'it.' According to Micki Davis' obituary, the 63-year-old woman had five surviving children, a dozen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Davis was killed after coming over to Hilyard's home with her nine-year-old grandson in tow to pick up some of her son's belongings. Shortly after they arrived, a woman began viciously assaulting the grandmother in front of the nine-year-old boy, who fled in terror, Wichita police lieutenant Todd Ojile said in a press conference last month. Davis was a mother of five surviving children and a grandmother of 12. One of her sons used to date Hilyard. The 35-year-old had been in a car crash in 2003 Hilyard made a series of unsettling posts on Facebook in the week leading up to the murder The quick-thinking boy managed to grab a phone from his grandmother's truck and called 911 around 1.30pm, police said. Police found the terrified child on his own nearly half a mile away, and the boy bravely led them back to point out the house he'd fled from. When nobody answered the door, officers checked the home's attached garage and made a gruesome discovery. Davis had been decapitated with some kind of knife, and no other injuries were immediately apparent, police said. An officer later searched the interior of the house and came upon the woman's severed head in the sink. Cops found Hilyard hiding inside the residence and took her into custody. In the days leading up to the murder, Hilyard made a series of bizarre posts on Facebook referencing serial murder and beheadings. 'Well this is how it feels to be insane. & i must say that i don't like it,' she wrote one week before Davis was killed. Hilyard wrote two poems posted Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, both of which seem to reference fears of having her own head cut off by 'they' or 'them' This late night post seems to be a joke, but took on disturbing new context after the murder 'They can try to cut my head off,' she wrote in verse on Wednesday evening, 'But what im sure/They don't know/Is that i knew more than you.' 'Well my Psychopathic Serial Killers for beginners in training class is over for the day...."whew" now for homework time or what kids?' another post after midnight reads. 'Please don't let them cut my head off,' yet another post an hour later reads. Court records show that Hilyard faces separate pending charges of trespassing, assault, obstruction, and trespassing in connection with unknown circumstances. She is being held on $200,000 bail. 'Seriously troubled woman,' Hilyard's former roommate Jenn Wade wrote in a Facebook post after hearing news of the murder allegations. 'She had some serious mental issues going on, and I tried to reach out to her recently. I hope she gets help. So sad.' The Iranian military conducted a failed missile test from a submarine in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, US officials told Fox News on Wednesday. The cable news channel cites two unnamed US officials who say that Iran launched a missile from a Ghadir-class midget submarine. The submarine is based on the Yono-class miniature submarines that are manufactured by North Korea. Iran and North Korea are the only two nations to operate this type of vessel, according to Fox News. The reported test comes just days after a US warship was forced to change course and fire warning flares by an Iranian attack boat that raced towards it with its weapons manned. The Iranian military conducted a failed missile test from a submarine in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. US officials said Iran launched a missile from a Ghadir-class midget submarine (seen in the above stock image) The submarine is based on the Yono-class miniature submarines that are manufactured by North Korea. Iran and North Korea are the only two nations to operate this type of vessel The USS Mahan had to take evasive action as the Iranian fast attack craft approached it in the Persian Gulf on April 24. Fox News reports the foreign vessel did not come any closer than 1,000 yards, however that was still enough for those aboard the American destroyer to sound a warning signal and man its own weapons. A navy official confirmed the incident to the network, and described it as an act of provocation. 'Coming inbound at a high rate of speed like that and manning weapons, despite clear warnings from the ship, is obviously provocative behavior,' the anonymous official said. The reported test comes just days after a US warship, the USS Mahan (pictured above in 2012), was forced to change course and fire warning flares by an Iranian attack boat that raced towards it with its weapons manned The USS Mahan had to take evasive action as the Iranian fast attack craft (similar to the one seen above) approached it in the Persian Gulf on April 24 The Straits of Hormuz is a crucial pinch point at the eastern end of the Persian Gulf, where ships carrying millions of tons of oil from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates pass through every day The Mahan is a 505-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that is manned by more than 300 members. It can reach speeds of 30 knots, and is capable of firing standard and Tomahawk missiles. In January, crew aboard the vessel fired warning shots at four Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz from its .50 caliber machine gun. The shots were fired off when the Iranian boats refused to slow down after being requested to by the American crew. A US Navy helicopter also dropped a smoke float before the warning shots were fired. Pentagon officials said at the time the Iranian vessels came within 900 yards of the Mahan, which was escorting two other US military ships. The two incidents came after then-candidate Donald Trump threatened any Iranian vessels that harass the US Navy in the Gulf would be 'shot out of the water.' In August another US Navy ship fired warning shots towards an Iranian fast-attack craft that approached two US ships. The Straits of Hormuz is a crucial pinch point at the eastern end of the Persian Gulf, where ships carrying millions of tons of oil from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates pass through every day. Police in New York say three members of the MS-13 gang, all illegal immigrants, have been charged with attempted murder. Brothers Fidel Hernandez, 23, and Jose Hernandez, 26, and 18-year-old Miguel Urias Arguenta face attempted murder charges in a Sunday machete attack in Westbury, New York. Nassau County police said the attack took place shortly after 1am, after the Hernandez brothers got into a dispute with a 19-year-old. Fidel Hernandez swung a machete at him, grazing his stomach, and Jose Fernandez fired a 9mm handgun at him before all three ran away, police said. Arrested: (left to right) Fidel Hernandez, 23, and Jose Hernandez, 26, and Miguel Urias Arguenta, 18. All three face attempted murder charges in a Sunday machete attack The Hernandez brothers are also accused in a separate machete attack on January 15, which left a 19-year-old man with a gash to his face. 'All three have demonstrated that they are extremely dangerous people,' Nassau Police Chief of Department Kevin Smith said at a press conference on Wednesday. Smith said the Hernandez brothers are illegal immigrants from El Salvador, and that Arguenta, also from El Salvador, entered the US illegally as an undocumented minor. In the past six months, MS-13 has been linked to 11 corpses found in Brentwood and Central Islip, about 20 miles from the Sunday machete attack. The transnational gang has established a terrifying stronghold on suburban Long Island, drawing the attention of the nation. A makeshift memorial stands outside a park where bodies of four men were found on April 13 in Central Islip, New York. Police believe MS-13 is responsible for the murders Experts say the violent street gang preys upon children who entered the country as unaccompanied minors and received placement on Long Island, inducting them into their gang with threats and coercion. Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions vowed to 'demolish' MS-13 in a speech on Long Island. The speech drew protests from those who believe the Trump administration's immigration policy is too harsh. Federal prosecutors believe MS-13 has thousands of members across the U.S., primarily immigrants from Central America. A second grade teacher in Sepulpa, Oklahoma was arrested at school this week when police found needles and drugs in her purse. Another teacher reported Megan Sloan, 27, to Holmes Park Elementary administrators on Monday, after letting the teacher use her computer to sign into Facebook. Sloan forgot to sign out, leading the other teacher to read a message in which Sloan detailed how she pawned school items and sold heroin. Megan Sloan, 27, was arrested on Monday after police found 13 needles, meth and heroin in her purse while she was working at Holmes Park Elementary in Sepulpa, Oklahoma The second-grade teacher reportedly admitted to pawning to school laptops and stealing $125 in student field trip money The assistant superintendent called police who came to the school to interview Sloan in the principal's office. While talking to police, Sloan admitted to possessing Xanax, pawning two tablet computers belonging to the school and stealing $125 in student field trip money. They believe that Sloan used the money to buy gas and drugs. Police then searched her purse and found 13 syringes inside - one of which had a brown substance in it that turned out to he heroin. They also found meth, spoons to cook drugs, and the prescription drug Suboxone - which is used to treat pain and opioid addition. Police noted that Sloan did not appear high when they spoke to her. Sloan said she did not take drugs at school and never left her purse within reach of students. She was booked into the Creek County Jail on charges of possession or purchasing a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, embezzlement and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $41,000. The school said they are cooperating with police and that student safety is their number one priority. Sloan had been a teacher at the school for the last two years. She has no criminal history. Darryl Biles, now 26, jailed for at least 18 years for murdering his teen girlfriend in 2015 It took Darryl Biles 15 to 20 minutes to murder his teenage girlfriend by savagely beating her with his fists. Maleeta Hart's blood was spattered on every wall of their bedroom and on the ceiling, her face was unrecognisable, and blood poured from her face and soaked her hair. 'To kill another human being in this manner required sustained, persistent savagery,' said Justice Des Fagan as he jailed Biles for at least 18 years. In March, a NSW Supreme Court jury sitting in Dubbo found Biles, now 26, guilty of murdering Ms Hart, 18, on April 25, 2015 at Brewarrina in the state's northwest. They had been in a relationship for about three and a half years and Biles had a history of violence towards the teenager. 'Those earlier assaults, like the sustained assault which killed her, were cowardly and disgraceful,' the judge said on Wednesday. Maleeta Hart, 18, was beaten to the point that her face was unrecognisable as blood poured from her face and soaked her hair Biles had breached an AVO, been jailed and given opportunities to receive counselling and to correct his behaviour. 'He abused and disregarded those opportunities,' Justice Fagan said. 'It is difficult to see what more could have been done by the authorities to curb and correct the offender before he became a murderer.' The couple lived at Weilmoringle, a small settlement about 100km north of Brewarrina, and had travelled to that town to pay their respects after the death one of Biles' relatives. They both drank for about six hours before Biles punched Ms Hart repeatedly to the head and possibly kicked her in the head with sufficient force to break her jaw and render her unconscious. Women in the house heard her screams and moans but when they went to the closed door and asked what was happening, Biles said they were either having sex or going to bed. 'He was sufficiently in control of himself to fob these women off with false explanations while he continued to batter Maleeta Hart unconscious behind the closed bedroom door.' Victim impact statements demonstrated how widely Ms Hart had been loved by her family and friends, and how she had been a 'spirited and appealing young woman, full of life', the judge said. He found Biles' prospects of rehabilitation to be poor and set a maximum term of 24 years. Alton Sterling's family wept outside a Baton Rouge court on Wednesday after being told by Department of Justice officials that the two cops who shot him would not face federal charges. Sterling, 37, died in July last year after being shot in the chest and back while he was pinned to the ground in a parking lot outside a convenience store. The two white police officers who killed him, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, claimed they believed he was reaching for his gun when they opened fire. His death was caught on video and sparked protests across Louisiana and the rest of the country. Kimberly Pierson, the mother of Alton Sterling's teenage son, wept outside court on Wednesday after learning that no charges were being brought against the cops The Department of Justice said there was not enough evidence to bring federal charges against Blane Salamoni (left) and Howie Lake II (right) On Tuesday, rumors circulated that the Department of Justice had concluded its investigation into the case and were not planning to charge either officer due to lack of evidence. The rumors were confirmed in Baton Rouge on Wednesday where the man's family were told unequivocally that charges would not be brought. Louisiana prosecutors have vowed to launch their own investigation to determine whether state charges are applicable. In a statement, Justice Department officials said there was insufficient evidence to disprove the officer's claims that they felt their lives were in danger when they opened fire. The cops shot Sterling while sitting on top of him outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge last year Sterling's son wiped tears after the decision on Wednesday. His mother is pictured (right) Members of the Sterling family console one another as they leave the court on Wednesday Sandra Sterling maintained her composure after the decision on Wednesday 'Although the videos show that Sterling's right hand was not in or near his right pocket, Sterling was continuing to move, even after being shot three times and being told again not to move by Officer Lake. Sterling died on July 4, 2016. He was carrying an illegal handgun at the time 'Meanwhile, the officers were behind Sterling, and Officer Salamoni was lying on the ground, facing Sterling's back. 'Given these circumstances, the evidence cannot establish beyond a reasonable doubt that it did not appear to Officer Salamoni that Sterling was reaching for his pocket. 'Nor could the Department prove that the officer's conduct was willful,' the Justice Department said. The two officers were called to a convenience store on July 7, 2016, after receiving reports of a man with a gun outside. Acting US Attorney Corey Amundson announced the findings t the US Federal Courthouse in Louisiana Sterling's death sparked protest across the nation last year and spurred the Black Lives Matters movement Once there, they tackled Sterling to the ground and climbed on top of him as he writhed on the floor. His family claimed to have been told on Wednesday that before the shooting, the officers approached Sterling and threatened to kill him. The family arrived for the court holding hands and wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the words 'human rights'. The choice not to prosecute the two officers who were investigated for possible wrongdoing is the first of its kind under Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It comes a day after the white Charleston police officer who shot Walter Scott dead accepted a plea deal which could see him jailed for life. Michael Slager pleaded guilty to violation of Scott's civil rights. His family welcomed the development, describing it as a 'victory for justice' Civil rights groups, banded under a lengthy campaign by the group Black Lives Matters, protested against the Justice Department's decision on Wednesday, describing it as a sign that Sessions believes 'black lives do not matter'. Arm in arm, Antonitza Smith and her son Damon celebrate his 18th birthday with a grin, a chocolate milkshake and a thumbs-up for the camera. The picture has pride of place on the 48-year-olds Facebook page, with snaps of the duo sightseeing in London and playing with their dog Skippy. They are the sort of memories a doting single mum might want to preserve of precious time with an only child. But other images on the same Facebook page are altogether more perplexing. One shows Damon Smith with his face concealed by a mask, brandishing a knuckle-duster and handcuffs. Arm in arm, Antonitza Smith and her son Damon - an attempted Tube bomber - celebrate his 18th birthday with a grin, a chocolate milkshake and a thumbs-up for the camera Yesterday a jury took just two hours to convict the 20-year-old of possessing an explosive substance with intent to endanger life after he left a bomb on a London Underground train In another, the young man and another male pose with a fearsome-looking gun. The online album begs a simple question who is the real Smith? Is it the curly-haired one-time altar boy who still refers to his mother as Mumma and is in turn referred to as her baby? Or is Smith something far more sinister a man brainwashed by extremist Islamist ideology who, but for a failed detonator, was a spark away from bringing carnage to the London Underground? Yesterday a jury at the Old Bailey took just two hours to convict the 20-year-old of possessing an explosive substance with intent to endanger life. But because the trial lasted only four days and Smith declined to give evidence, the wider background to this case was not fully explored. While the Aspergers sufferer was undoubtedly a vulnerable young man it is the way in which that vulnerability was manipulated and given expression that is deeply worrying. Speaking to friends and family, the Daily Mail has built up a picture of a loner bullied at school, who struggled to make friends in the real world. Friends say Smith became obsessed with watching videos of beheadings (pictured posing in a mock execution) Instead, he turned to the darker reaches of the web. From his bedroom in the Devon town of Newton Abbot, he collected an arsenal of knives and other weaponry, even downloading details of how to make a bomb. His interests brought him into the orbit of Islamist extremists. Friends say Smith became obsessed with watching videos of beheadings. Quoting from the Koran, he insisted they call him Ismail and spoke of his desire to commit atrocities. Investigators found a photo of him with ex-postman Sajid Idris who has been arrested but not charged with belonging to a banned Islamist group. And where was his mother in all of this? Having indulged his every whim when he was a child, she continued through his teenage years. Believing his interest in Islam was entirely innocent, it was claimed in court she encouraged it in the same way she did other interests. What Damon wanted Damon got, it seems. He did not know what he was doing, she shouted during one hearing ahead of the trial. That Mrs Smith shouldered the burden of his upbringing there can be no doubt. She was 27 when he was born, having married his father Nicholas, a clerical officer from Surrey five years her junior, while heavily pregnant. Within a couple of years they had separated. From then, relatives say there was little or no contact between son and father. Mrs Smith, the daughter of Greek Cypriot parents, moved to Torquay in Devon, where she had grown up. She gave up work as a rail ticket inspector to raise her son. Smith was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a disorder that affected the way he interacted and can result in a lack of empathy. But the boy was categorised as high functioning and his condition did not impair his intelligence, meaning he could attend mainstream school. He got bullied quite a bit because of his high-pitched, girly voice and the way he acted, said Connor Smith, a friend. People thought he was gay they would take the mickey out of him. At times the bullying was so bad that his mother took him out of school to educate him at home. But she also found Smith hard to control. She was too soft on him, Paul Antoniou, her half-brother, told the Daily Mail. She would lavish love and presents on him. If he wanted a laptop, he got a laptop and he always had the latest mobile phone. He really controlled Antonitza and we all told her she shouldnt treat him like that. But she wouldnt listen. From his bedroom in the Devon town of Newton Abbot, he collected an arsenal of knives and other weaponry, even downloading details of how to make a bomb Chilling CCTV footage shows the moment Smith steps off the train at London Bridge, with the homemade bomb propped up against the seat by the door The one healthy distraction Smith enjoyed was judo. But his interest in martial arts extended to weaponry. At the age of 12, he bought a police baton and nunchuks online. He also had a collection of knives. This interest was all the more worrying given his temper. At 15 he was banned from his judo club for punching an opponent in the face. His mother was also on the receiving end of his mood swings. We saw Damon threaten his mum a number of times, said Connor. He would push her around if he couldnt get his own way. He would threaten her with pepper spray and his knife. Mrs Smith indulged another of her sons interests poker. His relative added: We saw the two of them together was at a casino in Torquay and I said to her Damon shouldnt be here. But she just shrugged her shoulders. On social media Smith posted photos of himself with wads of 20 notes he had won playing cards. Friends say he used the money to buy more weapons. Vinnie Jones, 19, became his best friend after Smith and his mother moved into a small terraced house in Newton Abbot four years ago. Smith dated Vinnies older sister, Deanne, but the relationship did not amount to much, partly because Mrs Smith insisted on accompanying her son on dates. Vinnie said: I would go round to play poker with him. It was during this time he began to tell me about his interest in IS. Material accessed on Smiths computer included interviews of Muslim converts in London headed Islam Winning The Hearts Of The Youth In Europe. Police found Islamist material at his home, including a picture of him posing with an image of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was behind the Paris attacks in 2015 He was always going on about how he wanted to join IS, Vinnie added. He had a black jihadi outfit and he showed me videos of executions by IS I argued with him that they were sick, but he just said he would love to be like them. On one occasion he told me he wanted to make a kitchen bomb He said he was going to Turkey where he was going to meet a guy and the two were going to try to get into Iraq. He also told me that when he was younger he had applied to join the police but he failed he was always very anti the police. In July 2016 the pair fell out after Smith posted a YouTube video he had made called Jihadi Jones. It combined old photos of Vinnie with IS videos. Vinnie said: After that I didnt want anything to do with him. But Smiths mother dismissed his fascination with weaponry as silly. During one hearing, prosecutor Jonathan Rees accused her of humouring and normalising her sons behaviour. Smith won a place at London Metropolitan University to study forensic computing, and so in June last year they moved to Bermondsey, south-east London. Mrs Smith told neighbours she was there so he did not have to live in halls. On October 20 he left a homemade bomb in a rucksack on a Tube train. Smith later checked the internet for news of his crime. Following his arrest, police found Islamist material at his home, including a picture of him posing with an image of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was behind the Paris attacks in 2015. They also found shredded pages from Inspire, an illegal Al Qaeda magazine, including advice on making a bomb in the kitchen of your mom. An iPad held a list of pressure cooker bomb materials ending with: Keep this a secret between me and Allah. #InspireTheBelievers. His lawyer told jurors there was no evidence he changed from clinging to his mothers apron strings to a soldier of Islam. Given what has emerged of his background and the threat he posed, it is a claim many will find hard to stomach. The morning of October 8, 1918, dawned misty with the promise of a better day to come in the trenches of north-eastern France. At 6.10am, Corporal Alvin C. York went over the top with the 2nd Battalion, 328th Infantry Regiment, part of the 82nd Division in the American Expeditionary Force. As it cleared its initial objective, a hill, Yorks platoon entered an open valley surrounded by the trees of the Argonne forest. They provided excellent cover for the Germans, who opened fire. By mid-morning Yorks platoon commander was among the dead and he found himself in charge of the seven soldiers still fit to fight. An evangelical Christian, York had been turned down for exemption from military service on religious grounds. That morning, the deaths of his comrades resolved his doubts about violence: he was later to attribute his survival to divine intervention, as he came under heavy German gunfire. Scroll down to listen to podcasts U.S. Marines in Belleau Wood, France, in 1918. The arrival of more than two million American soldiers in Europe offered fresh and much-needed military power to the tired Allies on the Western Front, finally allowing them to force a German retreat As soon as the machine-guns opened fire on me, I began to exchange shots with them, he recalled. There were over 30 of them in continuous action, and all I could do was touch the Germans off just as fast as I could. I didnt want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had. Using the hunting skills he had acquired from his childhood in rural Tennessee, he was personally credited with killing more than 20 Germans Every time I seed a German I jes teched [touched] him off, his published diary read and silencing 35 machine-guns. At one point, he said, six Germans charged him with fixed bayonets and he used his pistol to pick them off from the rear the way we shoot wild turkeys at home. You see we dont want the front ones to know that were getting the back ones, and then they keep on coming until we get them all. Sergeant Alvin C. York is welcomed home by his mother, Mary. Using the hunting skills he had acquired from his childhood in rural Tennessee, he was personally credited with killing more than 20 Germans one morning in north-eastern France, 1918 Today, Yorks 82nd Division is famous not for its participation in the bloody fighting of the Meuse-Argonne offensive (U.S. troops above) in 1918, but for its role in the Normandy landings in 1944 and more recently its record in Iraq and Afghanistan Eventually the Germans surrendered and with what remained of his platoon, York took an astounding 132 prisoners. The Allied generalissimo, Ferdinand Foch of France, in awarding him two French gallantry awards, called it the greatest exploit ever accomplished by a common soldier of all the armies in Europe. His own country gave York, who was immediately promoted to sergeant, the Medal of Honor and he became a national hero. Sergeant York, his actions later immortalised in the 1941 film of that name starring Gary Cooper, is one example of how the arrival of more than two million American soldiers offered fresh and much-needed military power to the tired Allies on the Western Front, finally allowing them to force a German retreat. Yet today, Yorks 82nd Division is famous not for its participation in the bloody fighting of the Meuse-Argonne offensive in 1918, but for its role in the Normandy landings in 1944 and more recently its record in Iraq and Afghanistan. A month ago, as President Donald Trump launched a rocket attack on Syria, the National World War I Memorial And Museum at Kansas City held a commemoration of the centenary of the United Statess entry into World War One, which passed virtually unnoticed in Washington DC. For Americans, World War One is the forgotten war. For Britons, moving from the centenary commemorations of the Somme in 2016 to those of Ypres and Passchendaele this year, such neglect seems unconscionable and even more extraordinary because the U.S. entry was decisive in determining the outcome. A month ago, as President Donald Trump launched a rocket attack on Syria, the National World War I Memorial And Museum at Kansas City held a commemoration of the centenary of the United Statess entry into World War One, which passed virtually unnoticed in Washington DC. Above, U.S. troops among the ruins of Varennes during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive In April 1917, the new world came to the rescue of the old, and it has done so off and on, and not always willingly ever since. But some wondered whether it would ever happen. In the winter of 1916-17, after an appalling harvest across Europe, the Allied peoples were tired and disillusioned. Britain and France, for all their generals efforts to put a positive spin on the battles of the Somme and Verdun, were deeply worried in March 1917 by the first of what would be two Russian revolutions, which threatened to take Russia out of the war and so free German troops fighting in the East for use in the West. The German U-boat campaign was testing Britains capacity, secured by its maritime strength and the international standing of the pound, to corral the worlds resources for the Allied war effort. On May 7, 1915, U-20 torpedoed the pride of the Cunard Line, the Lusitania, as it approached the Irish coast. Those on board the British liner knew that sailing from New York bound for Liverpool, taking them through war-torn waters, was risky. But they judged that Berlin would not dare an attack In addition, the French army had passed its peak by 1917 and the British would do so in that year. Thereafter both would decline in numbers. In the face of such adversity, Americas entry provided a clear timetable to winning the war. It would guarantee the continued flow of resources from North America, and by 1919 the U.S. would have the largest army in the world. Then, the Germans would be forced to come to terms. What seemed extraordinary to Britain was that it had taken so long for the U.S. to decide to reach this point. In 1914 Germany had invaded Belgium and France. For Britons, this was a war for democracy, law and liberty against Prussian militarism. In their view, Americas doubts should have ended 102 years ago this weekend, on May 7, 1915, when U-20 torpedoed the pride of the Cunard Line, the Lusitania, as it approached the Irish coast. Those on board the British liner knew that sailing from New York bound for Liverpool, taking them through war-torn waters, was risky. But they judged that Berlin would not dare an attack. Lots of talk about submarines, torpedoes and sudden death. I dont take much stock in it myself. What would they gain by sinking the Lusitania? the businessman Alfred Vanderbilt, travelling in first class, had told a reporter. In the event, the ship went down in just 18 minutes, listing wildly and so preventing the crew from launching all of its lifeboats. As panic spread, Mabel Henshaw, taking her eight-month-old daughter to meet her sick father in England, picked up her child and then remembered a toddler in the adjacent cabin. I had my baby in my arms and I tried to pick him up, she recalled, but I couldnt do it and I had to leave him. After the sinking of the Lusitania, former president Theodore Roosevelt in the U.S. called the German action murder on the high seas. Many Americans saw it as an act of war Charles E. Lauriat Jr, a publisher from Boston, described how he helped another woman into a lifeboat. As the Lusitania sank, the woman had been pulled down one of its huge funnels by the suction, but was then blown clear by a subsequent explosion the exact causes are still unclear today which allowed her to make a miraculous escape. He said: The clothes were almost blown off the poor woman, and there wasnt a white spot on her except her teeth and the whites of her eyes. Both survived but about 1,200 passengers did not, among them Alfred Vanderbilt, and many of them women and children. They included 128 American citizens, doubly protected as non-combatants and neutrals. The effect was, like the sinking of the Titanic three years before, immediate and global, but in this case there was somebody to blame. Germany defended its action by claiming the ship had large quantities of war material in her cargo, but anti-German riots erupted in London and across the Empire. In the U.S., the former president Theodore Roosevelt called the German action murder on the high seas. Many Americans saw it as an act of war. The U.S. ambassador in London, Walter Hines Page, was preparing to host a dinner party in honour of Edward House, President Woodrow Wilsons right-hand man, when news of the sinking arrived. House had crossed the Atlantic on the Lusitania in February 1915, on a failed mission to use U.S. neutrality to negotiate an end to the war. He had based himself largely in London, where he had struck up a warm relationship with Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey. At the American embassy on the evening of May 7, 1915, tensions round the dinner table mounted as the full scale of the losses on the Lusitania became evident. Ambassador Page was already strongly pro-British and believed that talk of peace was mere moonshine. He wanted America to join the war. House, Woodrow Wilsons man, was more optimistic, without realising that in fact the chances of peace were almost zero. The Germans were ready to make a separate peace with Russia, but only so as to be able subsequently to defeat France and Britain. To forestall that, all three countries committed themselves in 1914 not to negotiate separately. Grey regularly reminded House that Britain could not abandon its allies. The fighting was not going well, and Belgium and northern France were under occupation. Both Greys Cabinet colleagues and especially after the sinking of the Lusitania the country as a whole wanted to hit the Germans harder. At the end of Pages dinner party even House told the guests we shall be at war within a month. However, distance from Washington had caused him to misread the mood in the White House. Only the previous month, Woodrow Wilson had said America First (the phrase, beloved of President Trump, is hardly new). Three days after the sinking of the Lusitania, Wilson declared that peace is the healing and elevating influence of the world and strife is not. There is such a thing as a nation being too proud to fight. Roosevelt called Wilson a coward and demanded military preparations. However, Wilson remained committed to peace for the next two years. A former professor of politics at Princeton, he could be principled to the point of priggishness. British economist John Maynard Keynes called him a messiah, but Wilson had read American opinion right. In an effort to change it, Wellington House, Britains official propaganda organisation, had enlisted some of the countrys most famous authors, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling, to write books and pamphlets directed at U.S. opinion-formers like editors and politicians. On December 18, 1916, Woodrow Wilson launched a major peace initiative, which floundered. He finally came to recognise that, if the U.S. was to create a new and better world order, it would itself have to fight Daily Mail proprietor Lord Northcliffe, who also owned The Times and was committed to complete victory, felt it was more important to woo public opinion directly, in America as much as in Britain. Then as now, Britons pondered a relationship with a nation which had a common political inheritance and a shared language. The ambassador in Washington, Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, warned London that neither made Britain any the less foreign to Americans. Americans were mostly sympathetic to the Allied cause, not least because Allied orders had pulled the U.S. economy out of recession in 1914. So committed had American investors become to Allied victory that the Federal Reserve Board, the nations central bankers, warned they could face financial catastrophe if the outcome of the war went the other way. Nonetheless, there were significant sectors of the electorate who hoped it would: Irish immigrants with little affection for Britain and large numbers of Germans. Wilson, facing re-election in November 1916, fought his campaign on the slogan that he kept America out of the war and was returned to the White House. Yet Wilson by now appreciated that a great nation with the worlds largest economy could not remain aloof from the world. He became convinced that U.S. democracy could be exported and open diplomacy could forestall any future resort to conflict. On December 18, 1916, he launched a major peace initiative, which floundered; both sides still hoped to secure terms on which they would not compromise. Wilson finally came to recognise that, if the U.S. was to create a new and better world order, it would itself have to fight. That was the only way it could shape the peace at the wars end. German actions helped him on his way. In the wake of the sinking of Lusitania, fearful of provoking America into entering the war, Germany had imposed strict constraints on its U-boats. However Berlin realised the longer the war went on, the more likely it was to lose. So, on February 1, 1917, it resumed unrestricted submarine warfare attacking passenger and merchant ships without warning, to starve Britain as the only strategy able to deliver victory in short order. This upset Americans deeply, with memories of the Lusitania still painfully fresh. Discover our rich history Learn more about the past at the Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival in Wiltshire, which runs from June 26 to July 2. To buy tickets and find out more, visit cvhf.org.uk. Tickets can also be bought by calling 01722 781133. Friends of the festival will have access to a separate Friends car park, ticket offers, newsletters and priority seating. Advertisement Arthur Zimmermann of the German foreign ministry then infuriated the U.S. further by sending a telegram to Mexico, routed via Washington, promising it the lost territory of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona if it invaded the U.S. in the event of war between America and Germany. Zimmermann did not know that the British had intercepted and deciphered the telegram. On February 28, 1917, Wilson was told the contents, which were published on March 1. Zimmermann acknowledged their authenticity. When, on April 2, Wilson went to Congress to seek its approval to declare war, he was loudly cheered and America was united in its decision to join the conflict. Today many Americans, like many Britons, see World War One as wasteful and futile. But this view is even more lopsided in their case than in Britains. Even if Americas overall losses around 53,000 killed in combat were greater in its Civil War and World War Two, its daily casualty rate in its principal independent offensive on the Meuse-Argonne was greater than for any Civil War battle and bears comparison with that suffered by the British at the Somme and or at Ypres. Hero Alvin Yorks own unit suffered 30 per cent losses. However, the U.S. fought a short war that ended in victory. Every president since Wilson, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the good war of 1941-45, has supported similar principles democracy enshrined in a multilateral, liberal international order. The world still needs that commitment. As Sir Edward Grey told Wilsons man House in 1915: Germany is the peril today, but the peril will recur every century in Europe, if Europe is left to itself. Nail-biting drama brought to life Professor Sir Hew Strachan was involved in the making of a new five-part podcast docudrama, Enter The Peace Broker by Martyn Wade, produced by ChromeRadio and funded by a grant from the Rothermere Foundation. The docudrama uses first-hand accounts diaries, correspondence and contemporary Daily Mail coverage to bring to life the events leading up to American entry into World War I. To listen to the docudrama, visit audioboom.com and search for Enter The Peace Broker. The docudrama will also be available shortly from iTunes and other major podcast platforms. Sir Hews recent Radio 3 Essay series, The Long Road To Peace, can be heard at bbc.co.uk/radio (search for The Long Road To Peace). Any potential American military offensive against North Korea would include deploying special forces to destroy the Communist country's nuclear, missile, and nonconventional weapons sites, a senior commander told Congress on Tuesday. Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas, who heads US Special Operations Command, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the United States has special operations forces permanently stationed in the Korean peninsula, The Washington Free Beacon reported. The Army, Navy, and Air Force can also deploy additional special forces if the need arises, as there are 8,000 specially trained troops in over 80 countries, Thomas said. 'We are actively pursuing a training path to ensure readiness for the entire range of contingency operations in which [special operations forces], to include our exquisite [countering weapons of mass destruction] capabilities, may play a critical role,' Thomas told a Congressional subcommittee on emerging threats. Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas (seen right in this March 2016 file photo alongside Army Gen. Joseph Votel) told lawmakers on Tuesday that the United States has special operations forces permanently stationed in the Korean peninsula Satellite images show activity has resumed at North Korea's nuclear site, a US-based analysts has claimed amid fears Kim Jong-un is plotting a sixth atomic test 'We are looking comprehensively at our force structure and capabilities on the peninsula and across the region to maximize our support to US [Pacific Command] and [US Forces Korea]. This is my warfighting priority for planning and support.' Satellite images show activity has resumed at North Korea's nuclear site, a US-based analysts has claimed amid fears Kim Jong-un is plotting a sixth atomic test. Pictures of the Punggye-ri site captured on April 25 appear to show workers pumping out water at a tunnel believed to have been prepared for an upcoming nuclear test. Monitoring group 38 North also noted that a large number of personnel were seen throughout the facility, with some groups possibly playing volleyball. North Korea is on a mission to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five nuclear tests, two of them last year. Tensions have been on the rise as both North Korea and the United States threaten war. Pyongyang on Wednesday said that Japan can expect to be 'blanketed with radioactive clouds' if nuclear war breaks out. North Korea issued a threat to US allies in the region in a newspaper commentary called 'Japan's Reckless Act Which Drives Itself into Ruin.' It warned Japan to expect the biggest impact should any conflict arise out of the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. The Rodong Sinmun state newspaper said: 'First of all, Japan, which is the US forces' logistics, launch and sorties bases, would be blanketed with radioactive clouds if a nuclear war occur on the Korean Peninsula.' North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) made available on April 26, 2017 According to Yonhap, the paper claimed it would be a 'piece of cake' for the North Korean army to strike Japan. 'Not only those who try to harm us but their supporters will not be safe if any war breaks out,' the paper said, adding that Tokyo should try to ease the crisis peacefully. China on Wednesday called on all parties in the Korean standoff to stay calm and 'stop irritating each other' a day after North Korea said the United States was pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war. The US has urged China, reclusive North Korea's lone major ally, to do more to rein in its neighbor's nuclear and missile programs which have prompted an assertive response from the Trump administration, warning that the 'era of strategic patience' is over. The United States has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters and a pair of strategic US bombers flew training drills with the South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of strength this week. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, asked about the bomber flights, the drills and North Korea's response, stressed that the situation was 'highly complex' and sensitive. 'The urgent task is to lower temperatures and resume talks,' he told reporters. 'We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible.' President Donald Trump (left) drew criticism in Washington on Monday when he said he would be 'honored' to meet North Korea's young leader The flight of the two bombers came as President Donald Trump raised eyebrows when he said he would be 'honored' to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the right circumstances, and as his CIA director landed in South Korea for talks. North Korea said the bombers conducted 'a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects' in its territory at a time when Trump and 'other US warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike' on the North. 'The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war,' the North's official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks, driven by concern that the North might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. The U.S. military's THAAD anti-missile defence system has reached initial operational capacity in South Korea, US officials told Reuters, although they cautioned that it would not be fully operational for some months. China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the system, whose powerful radar it fears could reach inside Chinese territory, just as Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his efforts to rein in North Korea. It was widely feared North Korea could conduct a nuclear test on or around April 15 to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the North's founding leader, Kim Il Sung, or on April 25, the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army. The North has conducted such tests or missile launches to mark significant events in the past. Instead, North Korea held a big military parade featuring a display of missiles on April 15 and then a large, live-fire artillery drill 10 days later. Trump drew criticism in Washington on Monday when he said he would be 'honored' to meet North Korea's young leader. 'If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it,' Trump told Bloomberg News. Trump did not say what conditions would be needed for such a meeting to occur or when it could happen. 'Clearly conditions are not there right now,' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. Trump warned in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that a 'major, major conflict' with North Korea was possible, while China said last week the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate or slip out of control. Melania Trump's spokeswoman has said that the First Lady 'wasn't aware' that her official Twitter account apparently liked a tweet that seemingly mocks her marriage to the President. On Tuesday evening, progressive writer and producer Andy Ostroy joked on Twitter: 'Seems the only #Wall @realdonaldtrump's built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #Trump'. In sharing the tweet, he posted a popular gif showing the former model during the inauguration smiling for a brief moment while Donald Trump looks her way before her smile immediately fades into a frown as he turns around. Within the hour of being tweeted, it was liked by her official verified Twitter account, @MELANIATRUMP. On Tuesday evening, Andy Ostroy took to Twitter and wrote: 'Seems the only #Wall @realdonaldtrump's built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #Trump' First Lady Melania Trump's official Twitter account apparently liked a tweet from Andy Ostroy that seemingly mocks her relationship with the president 'The First Lady wasn't aware of any of this until I brought it to her attention,' communication director Stephanie Grisham told People. 'It isn't her primary account and we have since changed the passwords,' she added. The only other tweet Melania has liked is her own from way back in 2012, which simply reads, 'Hello Twitter!' The @MELANIATRUMP account is separate from the @FLOTUS account that the First Lady and her staff also use. She has not used the account since her husband was elected. In addition, the @MELANIATRUMP handle was registered in January 2010 and is a verified Twitter page with over 865,000 followers. At first, Ostroy seemingly didn't believe that she had liked his tweet. He shared a screen grab of a notification he received saying that the @MELANIATRUMP account had liked it and wrote: 'I suspect this isn't a real account for @FLOTUS...' He shared a screen grab of a notification he received saying that the @MELANIATRUMP account had liked it and wrote: 'I suspect this isn't a real account for @FLOTUS...' However, another one of his followers pointed out to him that it is her official account Around 10:50pm ET, the like from the @MELANIATRUMP account on Ostroy's tweet disappeared. However, another one of his followers pointed out to him that it is her official account asking if he had a connection with her. 'Hmmm...I guess I do now...' Ostroy replied. Social media users had a field day over the tweet being liked by her personal account as many were in shock over the incident. David Barden shared a gif of Kim Kardashian looking coy and wrote: '@MELANIATRUMP the beauty/horror of a screenshot is that it lasts forever.' 'For as much of a Twitter troll Trump is, Melania liking this tweet just might be the best trolling of 2017 so far,' Twitter user Mike Zacchio wrote. Oksana Lukjanenko took Twitter and shared a photo of the First Lady greeting Michelle Obama split with a box opened showing a note that reads 'help'. 'We got you, girl! Just win and will come rescue you', Lukjanenko wrote alongside the photo on Twitter. David Barden shared a gif of Kim Kardashian looking coy and wrote: '@MELANIATRUMP the beauty/horror of a screenshot is that it lasts forever.' 'For as much of a Twitter troll Trump is, Melania liking this tweet just might be the best trolling of 2017 so far,' Twitter user Mike Zacchio wrote. Oksana Lukjanenko took Twitter and shared a photo of the First Lady greeting Michelle Obama split with a box opened showing a note that reads 'help'. 'We got you, girl! Just win and will come rescue you', Lukjanenko wrote alongside the photo on Twitter In similar fashion to Lukjanenko, another Twitter user jokingly wrote: 'blink once if you need us to get you right now.' In similar fashion to Lukjanenko, another Twitter user jokingly wrote: 'blink once if you need us to get you right now.' Once social media users noticed that the like on the post disappeared, some were disappointed and tweeted their sad reactions. Soren Larson shared a gif of Kim Kardashian crying and wrote: 'OMG SHE UNLIKED IT'. 'This is a historic tweet; never forget,' Wilfred Chan wrote along with sharing an American flag emoji. JD-800, another user on the social media site, tweeted: 'They're just going to say it was an accident and she doesn't know how to use Twitter.' 'Nobody knew how hard Twitter is,' JD-800 added in second tweet. Soren Larson shared a gif of Kim Kardashian crying and wrote: 'OMG SHE UNLIKED IT'. 'This is a historic tweet; never forget,' Wilfred Chan wrote along with sharing an American flag emoji. JD-800, another user on the social media site, tweeted: 'They're just going to say it was an accident and she doesn't know how to use Twitter.' 'Nobody knew how hard Twitter is,' JD-800 added in second tweet. Some users speculated if the @MELANIATRUMP account had been hacked or if it was a mistake by her or one of her aides. The last message written on that account is an election flyer that reads 'Vote #TrumpPence16' and that was shared on November 8, 2016. Melania has kept a somewhat low profile since her husband won the election, choosing to live in New York City with their son Barron. The 47-year-old Slovenian native is expected to move to Washington, D.C. with Barron when the school year ends. Her marriage to the president is her first and his third. They were married in 2005 and she is the second foreign-born First Lady of the United States. You are here: Home Flash China's oldest observatory, in Dengfeng city, is now free to the public in a move to attract tourists at home and abroad, local authorities said Tuesday. The new ticket policy for Dengfeng Observatory took effect April 29, the first day of the International Workers' Day holiday, according to Dengfeng tourism bureau, central China's Henan Province. Previously, tickets cost 30 yuan (around 4 U.S. dollars) per person. During the three-day holiday, the scenic spot received 12,230 tourists, more than 66-times greater than the previous year. "The new policy aims to woo more young tourists especially students. They may be curious about the story of the oldest structure for astronomical observation in the country," said Wang Shaofeng, head of the bureau. With a history of more than 700 years, Dengfeng Observatory was built by Guo Shoujing, a prestigious ancient Chinese astronomer. Guo and others observed the regularity of the sun, moon and the stars, and calculated, correctly, that were 365.24 days in a year. Dengfeng is also famous for its Shaolin Temple, home of Chinese Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism. Kong Xiaohong, with general aviation operator Reignwood Star, said that the company provided a scenic helicopter tour linking the observatory with the Shaolin Temple Using a helicopter, travel time can be cut to seven minutes from more than 40 minutes when driving. Each helicopter can carry five tourists who need to pay a total of 8,000 yuan for the trial service. "Dengfeng will gradually open 12 free tourist attractions to the public in the near future. We aim to turn the city into an international tourist destination," Wang said. The historical architecture complex in Dengfeng, including the observatory and Shaolin Temple, was added to the World Cultural Heritage List in 2010. Two suspects have been detained in Belize over the brutal double murder of a former US marine vet and his Canadian girlfriend. Drew DeVoursney, 36, and Francesca Matus, 52, had been missing for almost a week in Corozal, Belize when police discovered them dead in a sugar cane field on Monday. Their bodies showed signs of being strangled and their wrists were duct-taped. DeVoursney's mother Char told WSB-TV she had been notified by authorities on Wednesday that two suspects had been detained and questioned for about two hours. Drew DeVoursney, 36, and Francesca Matus, 52, had been missing for almost a week in Corozal, Belize when police discovered them dead in a sugar cane field on Monday Local media in Belize reported that authorities were working on a number of theories including robbery, jealousy and a possible real estate deal that may have gone sour. Dennis Arnold, commanding officer in the City of Corozal, said they were investigating some threats that were made against Matus. Arnold said Matus, a real estate investor and mother of two, did not report any threats to police and would not confirm if they were death threats. 'Just open threats. I believe if a report of that threat to Miss Francesca (had been made), maybe she would be alive today,' Arnold said. He said he believed members of the tight-knit expat community in Corozal knew exactly what was happening as Arnold suggested the killings may have been carried out by foreigners. Francesca Matus (pictured) and her boyfriend Drew DeVoursney were found murdered in a sugar cane field in Belize last Monday. An autopsy report today revealed their wrists were duct-taped and they had been strangled Drew DeVoursney, 36, and Francesca Matus, 52, had been missing for almost a week in Corozal, Belize when police discovered their dead bodies in a sugar cane field on Monday The couple had been dating for six months after meeting in Belize. DeVoursney was due to return to his family in Atlanta this month, while Matus was supposed to fly home to Ontario on April 26 after living in the country for the winter. They were last seen leaving Scotty's Bar and Grill in Corozal near where Matus lived a week before they were found dead. When police came across the decomposing bodies, DeVoursney was found on top of Matus with their wrists duct-taped. The alarm was raised when a friend of Matus came to pick her up and take her to the airport on April 26. Her car was found abandoned in a sugar cane field near the village of Paraiso on Sunday and the couple's bodies were recovered the following day. 'When I arrived there to pick her up, the gate was closed and the car was gone,' her friend Joe Milholen told CBC News. DeVoursney enlisted in the US military after the 9/11 terror attacks and served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. His mother said he was overcoming post-traumatic stress disorder from his time abroad. Photographs have emerged showing the moment accused drugs smuggler Cassandra Sainsbury checked out of her Colombian hotel with a suitcase allegedly packed with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine. The CCTV images, obtained by 7 News, show the personal trainer cheerfully interacting with hotel staff before leaving the building in the same clothes she was arrested in. Her last night of freedom was spent in a cramped $40-a-night hotel room in a dodgy part of Bogota near the airport she had planned to fly back to Australia from. The 22-year-old from Adelaide was at the tail end of an international trip that saw her visit China and the United States before arriving in South America's cocaine capital. But she drew the attention of the DEA when her plane ticket home to Australia via London was reportedly purchased last minute by an 'unknown party' in Hong Kong. Scroll down for video Photographs have emerged of the moment Cassandra Sainsbury checked out of her hotel The 22-year-old appeared cheerful as she left the hotel in Bogota, Colombia, carrying a suitcase packed with cocaine and wearing the same clothes she was arrested in Hotel manager Ingrid Hernandez said Cassie had arrived alone and with no booking Hotel manager Ingrid Hernandez said she remembered the young blonde woman well because she was alone, had no booking and didn't speak a word of Spanish. 'It is unusual for tourists to arrive without a booking, particularly if they are a young woman alone like she was,' she told News Corp Australia. The security footage comes after claims emerged the personal trainer was in tens of thousands of dollars of debt from a failed gym venture before she landed in a Colombian prison. A woman, who wished not to be named, claimed Ms Sainsbury owed money to several people after her business collapsed last September, reports the Adelaide Advertiser. A local florist also claimed she 'disappeared basically overnight' from Adelaide owing tens of thousands in debt, 7 News reports. The claims come as ominous social media posts come to light in which the 22-year-old predicted a monumental event before her ill-fated trip. Cassie's last night of freedom was spent in a cramped $40-a-night hotel room (pictured) in a dodgy part of Bogota near the airport A carefree Cassandra bundled her suitcase and another bag of luggage from the hotel on April 12 - totally unaware her whole world was about to be turned around Cassie was reportedly in thousands of dollars in debt from a failed gym venture before her il-fated trip In the January 10 Instagram post, she appeared to be predicting a fateful event on the horizon. '50 days until I make the biggest move I've yet to do ... 50 days until everything changes.' In another deleted post from January 24, she said: 'Moving interstate driving me cray cray! #save me! Not long before the big move now, super excited and can't wait to leave so much baggage behind.' The posts also contained hashtags suggesting her relocation to Sydney in early March, when the countdown ended. Her social media posts appeared to forewarn a monumental event before her ill-fated trip It has been claimed Ms Sainsbury owed money to several people after her Adelaide gym (pictured) collapsed last September The young woman's family claim she was on a working holiday to Colombia to promote her personal training business The posts also contained hashtags suggesting relocation to Sydney for early March, when the countdown ended She faces 25 years in jail after she was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine at an airport in Colombia Colombian police claim a tip-off led to her arrest in Bogota Other posts revealed she jetted to Bogota from LA and arrived on April 3. The young woman's family claim she was on a working holiday to Colombia to promote her personal training business. But her fiance, Scott Broadbridge said she had not been a personal trainer for six months prior to the trip, and was working for a cleaning company at the time. Colombian police claim a tip-off led to the arrest of an Australian woman who was found with 18 bags of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1.7 million. On April 3 she posted a photo of LAX - Los Angeles International Airport - with the caption 'going from China's lovely 27 degree weather to LA's 7 degree weather is killing me'. In January, posts by the young woman indicate she was a separate 'work trip', this time to Canada, where she complained of being tired and used the hashtag #hometimesoon. The young woman posted to Instagram a week before she was stopped in a Colombian airport to tell her followers about her trip which also took her to Las Angeles and China Her newly appointed Colombian lawyer has claimed he could have her case ruled on in 90 days if she admits to a level of guilt in the drug smuggling, reports ABC. Lawyer Orlando Herran said she could end up with 'conditional liberty', allowing her the possibility of returning home to Australia to serve out a suspended sentence. 'She would have to present herself before authorities and (follow) rules of conduct and a series of controls,' Mr Herran told the ABC. 'If we get this, we could ask that she return to Australia and keep this condition and finish her punishment with Australian authorities.' Mr Herran also said Cassandra had bought the headphones to 'sell in Australia and make money' - totally at odds with her family's explanation that they were gifts for her bridal party. The woman went on a cruise in October, 2016, followed by a work trip to Canada in January. Her trip to Colombia recently started with time spent in China and America She was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in small packages wrapped in black plastic (pictured) The woman (pictured with her fiance) was detained on April 11 at Bogota Airport just as she was about to fly back to Australia after a working holiday Richard Bilton claimed today that the McCanns offered him exclusive information if he spied on the press pack for them A BBC reporter claims he was offered exclusive access to the McCanns' team if he agreed to spy on the press pack for their investigators. Richard Bilton, who covered the disappearance in 2007, said investigators hired by the family offered him the deal because they wanted information on a suspect. They asked him to find out what other journalists were saying about Robert Murat, who was later cleared by police but since said the accusation alone 'destroyed my life'. Speaking on Madeleine McCann: 10 Years On, Mr Bilton asked Mr Murat how he felt about the offer for an 'exclusive inside track' he said was made to him. 'That would make me incredibly angry because again you have taken the focus away from trying to get to the bottom of this and what actually happened and trying to put the focus on someone else,' Mr Murat replied. And 10 years ago, Mr Murat was the first person to be made an 'arguido' - a suspect - in the case after Madeleine disappeared from her parents' apartment in Praia da Luz. He claims his mother felt she was being followed and put under surveillance as Mr Bilton talked about the private investigators the McCanns hired when the Portuguese police ceased their investigation. Speaking of how his life had been affected, he told the BBC: 'The internet is full of theories I want to know the truth, not theories. 'I just want to know why that was the case. It didnt only lead to me being destroyed, it led to my whole family being destroyed, affected by those allegations. It was completely untrue.' His mother has also spoken for the first time since the disappearance, today revealing that she saw a 'British looking' man in a car driving towards the apartment on that night. The investigators asked him to find out what other journalists were saying about Robert Murat (pictured), who was cleared by police but since said the accusation alone 'destroyed my life' Mr Murat, was the first person to be made an 'arguido' - a suspect - in the case, said he was 'incredibly angry' when he was told on camera about the claim Madeleine (pictured) went missing from her bed in the apartment her family were staying in in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, in 2017 Kate (pictured clutching her favourite teddy bear, a Cuddle Cat) and Gerry's relationship with the police in Portugal deteriorated rapidly Jenny Murat also claims there was a man waiting outside the apartment - which she lives 100 yards away from - and he tried to hide from her when she spotted him. Also in the documentary, Portuguese police said Scotland Yard's 11million investigation into the disappearance has been a 'waste of money' in yet another rift. Ten years to the day since Maddie vanished, Carlos Anjos, the former head of the country's Policia Judiciaria officers' union, said the Met's theory that Madeleine was taken in a botched burglary is 'absurd'. And the detective leading the case, Pedro do Carma, says British police made four local men in Praia du Luz suspects for three years when they obviously had nothing to do with the abduction. Scotland Yard is still chasing a critical lead it believes could crack the case and it is understood they have returned to a theory that burglars were involved. But the Portuguese police, who have previously accused the British of acting like a 'colonial power' in their country, say there is no evidence to back this up. Revealed: The police officer who accused Kate and Gerry McCann of obstructing detectives has use dthe tenth anniversary of Maddie's disappearance to slam British police In the clear: Paulo Ribeiro (left) says police made him a suspect three years ago but has now been told he has no case to answer - Pedro do Carma, who is leading the probe says he and three others should never have been suspects but the Met insisted Mr Anjos, who accused Gerry and Kate McCann of hampering the abduction investigation in 2007, said: 'This burglary theory is absurd. Not even a wallet disappeared, nothing else disappeared. A child disappeared.' It came as the four men questioned over her disappearance in 2014 and still living in Praia Da Luz were told last week they have no case to answer. One of them, Paulo Ribeiro, told the BBC's Panorama: 'I thought it was incredible. I knew of nothing when the police arrived at my door with a piece of paper that had a drawing on it, saying it bore a likeness to me and that someone had said I was involved and that I looked like the person who had kidnapped Maddie. I don't know who that person was.' Carlos Anjos, who accused Gerry and Kate McCann of hampering the abduction investigation in 2007, said: 'This burglary theory is absurd. There are not believed to be any others with 'arguido' status - the Portuguese term for a formal suspect in a crime. Pedro do Carma, deputy director of the Policia Judiciaria, told Panorama these men should not have been made suspects. But he also suggested that Kate and Gerry McCann should never have been suspects in 2007 either. He said of the four men: 'I can only say that we questioned those people on request of the Metropolitan Police and only based on the request of the Metropolitan Police. 'We never questioned those people. We never saw or looked at those people as suspects of the crime.' Today family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the McCanns still believe their daughter is out there. He said: 'There are only two or three people on the planet who know what happened to Madeleine. There is no evidence to suggest that she came to physical harm so it is logical to believe she is still alive and still out there. Of course we remain hopeful'. Madeleine McCann's parents claimed Portuguese police treated them inhumanely from the start of the investigation into their daughter's disappearance, according to a secret report leaked yesterday. A tribute to Madeleine McCann is left outside the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz in Praia Da Luz today The Home Office document reveals they also later fell out with British officers and did not share 'a large amount of information' gathered by their own private investigators. The 'turbulent relationship' between Madeleine's parents and detectives in both Portugal and the UK hampered the hunt for the three-year-old who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal on May 3, 2007. Passages from the secret report ordered by then home secretary Alan Johnson in 2009 emerged as Gerry and Kate McCann mark the tenth anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance today. Maddie's hairbrush is returned to Gerry and Kate 10 years on Madeleine McCann's hairbrush has been returned to her parents today. Private investigator Daniel Krugel was given it by Kate and Gerry McCann after her disappearance in the hope its hair could be used for DNA matching. But a decade on it had been given back to her parents, Sky News revealed today. Spokesman Clarence Mitchell (pictured today) said: 'Gerry did give a hairbrush to Mr Krugel at the time to assist in his work. 'He eventually returned to South Africa and the hairbrush slipped their minds. But they were delighted to get one of Madeleine's possessions back. We are very grateful for it.' Advertisement It says: 'It is clear that from the beginning the McCanns felt there was a lack of clarity and communication on the part of the Portuguese police. Despite the involvement of British consular staff, they were, by their own accounts, left for long periods without any updates or communication with the investigators. 'They state they were taken to the police station on more than one occasion and then left for hours waiting to speak to someone who never materialised. 'They describe this situation as inhumane, with no real consideration for their emotional and physical wellbeing.' It was written by the Child Exploitation And Online Protection Centre for the Home Office to establish if it was worth getting Scotland Yard to review the case. Report author Jim Gamble, former head of CEOP, said that 'frequent criticism of the Portuguese investigation led to accusations the UK was acting like 'a colonial power'.' The intervention of British detectives also created a sense of 'frustration' and 'resentment' among Portuguese officers, he found, and the decision to put Leicestershire Police in charge of the operation was a mistake because the force was ill-equipped to deal with such a big investigation. His report states: 'The McCanns have had a turbulent relationship with both Portuguese and UK law enforcement. They now openly acknowledge there is a distinct lack of trust between all parties.' Madeleine, who would now be 13, vanished from the family's holiday apartment as her parents dined yards away with friends. Even before the end of the original Portuguese investigation, Mr and Mrs McCann used money collected by fundraisers to hire private investigators, and continued to use them for the three years before Scotland Yard got involved in 2011. Kate and Gerry, outside court in 2014 when they successfully sued Amaral for damages over the claims he made in his book The report, unearthed by Sky News, concluded: 'It is clear that the McCanns and the private investigators working on their behalf have gathered a large amount of information during the course of their inquiries. 'This information does not appear to have been shared fully with the Leicestershire constabulary or Portuguese authorities.' Kate and Gerry McCann will tonight join villagers, family and friends to pray for their daughter on the 'unwanted' heart wrenching 10th anniversary of her disappearance. Around 30 British detectives were working on the UK side of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine (pictured) Kate and Gerry will gather at their local Anglican parish church in Rothley, Leics, to mark the milestone occasion. They are relying on their faith, pals, relatives and well wishers to help them through the painful anniversary, which Kate describes as 'a horrible marker of stolen time.' Maddie's great aunt and uncle Janet and Brian Kennedy will take part in the special service at St Mary and St John Church. The McCann's close friends Fiona and David Payne, who joined them for the fateful holiday to Portugal's Praia da Luz in May 2007 from where Maddie was snatched, are expected to be among supporters. As devout Catholics Kate and Gerry remember their daughter at the large imposing 14th century church, 1,617 miles away in the pretty seaside resort of Luz locals will be praying for Maddie too. Villagers will gather at the tiny whitewashed Nossa Senhora da Luz Our Lady of Light Church which became the couple's 'sanctuary' in the three months after their daughter vanished. Kate and Gerry prayed most days during their extended stay in the Algarve as they frantically searched for their daughter. They were even handed a set of keys by the priest so they could worship in the peace of the night whenever needed. Cruelly, their tormentor ex Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral insisted in a TV interview on Monday that Maddie's body had been hidden in a dead woman's coffin and cremated a claim their spokesman Clarence Mitchell dismisses as 'so insane it is almost laughable.' In Liverpool, where Kate hails from and her parents Susan and Brian Healy live, prayers will also be said. Yesterday a flower garden in tribute to the 140,000 children who go missing annually in Britain has been opened at Chiswick House in west London on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance Three-year-old Maddie was discovered missing from her bed in the rented apartment by her horrified mum shortly after 10pm on May 03, 2007. She had been left alone with younger twin siblings Sean and Amelie while her parents were dining in the nearby Tapas restaurant with their seven pals. Tonight former GP and now medical worker Kate, 49, and eminent heart doctor Gerry, 48, will pray for their eldest child they believe could still be alive. They have not yet decided if the event will be too traumatic for their 12-year-old twins, who they try to keep out of the spotlight, to attend. Kate's uncle Brian said: 'There will be a little programme at the parish church. Kate and Gerry will be there, they're not sure of the twins are coming or not, and while they won't be taking part in the short service they will probably say a few words of thanks to their supporters.' Former detective Goncalo Amaral (pictured), who wrote a widely discredited book saying Madeleiene died in the house, has now said he believes Madeleine's body was cremated Retired head teacher Brian, told how past anniversaries, barring a couple, had been marked with an informal outdoor gathering beside the village war memorial at Cross Green where a candle burns around the clock in Maddie's memory. Brian, who also lives in Rothley, explained: 'This year because of the significance of a 10th anniversary it was felt prayers in the church were more appropriate because of the amount of people wanting to show their support.' Kate, in her own message on the Find Maddie website, told how 'stressful and painful' this week and next would be - the 'unwanted' landmark anniversary and her daughter's 14th birthday in just nine days time. She wrote: 'We never thought we'd be in this situation so far along the line. Ten years- there's no easy way to say it, describe it, accept it. 'But the two themes that seem most appropriate to me as we reach this ten year mark are perseverance and gratitude: We will go on, try our hardest, never give up and make the best of the life we have.' A packed 250-strong congregation is expected to attend the service, with prayers led by vicar the Rev. Rob Gladstone, who has become a family friend. A collage of pictures of Maddie and other missing children are set to be placed at the altar. It is the church were on the first year anniversary of Maddie's kidnap her sobbing mum gave an impromptu speech to the congregation begging everyone 'to pray like mad' for her lost daughter. Overcome by emotion she collapsed into her husband's arms. Today a stronger Kate vows to do 'whatever it takes for as long as it takes' to find the teenager. She said: 'My hope for Madeleine being out there is no less than it was almost 10 years ago.' And she said across the world so many people are 'willing her home.' In BBC Panorama interview to be screened tonight Kate describes the decade anniversary as 'a horrible marker of stolen time' telling Fiona Bruce 'because we should have been a family of five for all that time.' Her husband adds: 'We're still looking forward, I think that's the most important thing, we still hope.' UK detective refused to head up Madeleine McCann probe because 'Scotland Yard would order him to prove Kate and Gerry were innocent and ignore other leads' A detective tipped to head up the Madeleine McCann probe was warned he would be ordered to prove she was abducted and ignore other leads. Colin Sutton said a high-ranking friend in the Met called him and warned him not to lead the case when Scotland Yard announced it would get involved in 2010. The source warned that he would be tasked with proving her parents Kate and Gerry were innocent and ignoring any alternatives to the abduction theory, he claims. Colin Sutton said a high-ranking friend in the Met called him and warned him not to lead the case when Scotland Yard announced it would get involved in 2010 Speaking to Martin Brunt on Sky News, he said: 'I did receive a call from a very senior met police officer who knew me and said it wouldn't be a good idea for me to head investigation on the basis that I wouldn't be happy conducting an investigation being told where I could go and where I couldn't go, the things I could investigate and the things I couldn't. Asked to clarify what he meant, he added: 'The Scotland Yard investigation was going to be very narrowly focused and that focus would be away from any suspicion of wrongdoing on the part of the McCanns or the tapas friends.' The Tapas Nine refers to the McCann parents and the seven friends they were out to dinner with when Madeleine disappeared in 2007. Speaking to Martin Brunt on Sky News, he said he was warned he would be tasked with proving her parents Kate and Gerry were innocent and ignoring any alternatives theories They were interviewed by Portuguese Police, who have always worked on the basis that Madeleine was abducted from her room, but Mr Sutton said other possibilities should be entertained. Speaking on Searching for Maddie, which looks at the case ten years on from her disappearance, he criticises the narrow focus of both Portuguese and British police. He added: 'If you are conducting a re-investigation you start at the very beginning. Look at all the accounts all the evidence all the initial statements and go through them and make sure they stack up and they compare.' A father-and-son duo have captured the petrifying moment a giant five-metre great white shark swam ominous circles around their fishing boat. In a video uploaded online by Craig Hudson, the monster shark slowly drifts through the water and comes terrifyingly close to their small vessel 15km off the coast of Busselton in Western Australia. The man and his 10-year-old son watch on in horror as they film the five-metre creature encircle their boat - as the young boy becomes frightened by the shark. The monster shark slowly swam circles around the small fishing boat off the coast of Busselton, Western Australia (pictured) 'I'm f***ing shaking right now, that thing is massive,' Mr Hudson can be heard saying in the footage. 'It's probably bigger than the boat... getting a bit close now. I can't even keep the camera still I'm shaking that much.' After realising the shark was as big as the 16ft boat they were in, Mr Hudson said he quickly cut all of his fishing lines and instructed his son to sit in the bottom of the boat. 'I was going to get out of there ASAP but thought I would get some footage as it is a once in a lifetime chance,' he said. The man and his 10-year-old son watched on in horror as they film the five-metre creature encircle their boat - as the young boy becomes frightened by the shark (pictured) The man claims the great white shark (pictured) was even bigger than his 16ft boat 'My son was very concerned, which you can hear in the video, and I soon left as the shark made a line for the boat and went under the boat.' The video ends with the man assuring his son the shark was just 'having a look' before it abruptly cuts off as he makes a beeline for the shore. Great white sharks are often sighted around the Western Australian coast - with fatal attacks commonplace as swimmers venture too close to the deathly underwater creatures. Only last month 17-year-old Laeticia Brouwer was killed after losing her leg in a shark attack while surfing in Esperance, Western Australia. A cyclist has been killed in Melbourne after crashing into the rear of a parked car, Victoria Police say. The cyclist, believed to be a man aged in his 50s, died at the scene on Thursday morning during peak hour traffic. Emergency services are on the scene of the fatal crash in Elwood, in Melbourne's inner-south. Scroll down for video A cyclist has been killed after crashing into the rear of a parked far in Elwood, Victoria Emergency services are on the scene of the fatal crash on Thursday morning The cyclist is believed to have been riding north on Marine Parade, just south of Meredith Street, when he crashed into the rear of a parked car about 7am. The man's next of kin is yet to be notified. Get Traffic Victoria said there is slow traffic in Elwood, inbound on the Ormond Esplanade between Saint Kilda Street and Marine Parade. Brussels admitted yesterday that it faces an 'explosive' political crisis if the UK refuses to pay a multi-billion pound Brexit bill. Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, warned the fragile bloc could crumble if Britain resists demands for the settlement which, say analysts, has ballooned to around 100billion euros (85billion). His shock admission came as Brussels added more hard-line conditions to its aggressive negotiating stance. The bloc called for EU citizens who arrive in the UK just a day before Brexit to be granted full residency rights which can later extend to their families. Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, warned the fragile bloc could crumble if Britain resists demands for the settlement which, say analysts, has ballooned to around 100billion euros (85billion) It also demanded that millions of EU migrants in the UK should be governed by Brussels rules for decades to come even if this means providing better benefits than Britons receive. The bloc plans to increase the Brexit bill by more than 30billion than had previously been expected, it was revealed. EU bosses have previously insisted that the demand for a 'divorce' payment is simply an attempt to force the UK to 'settle the accounts' and honour previous commitments. However, Mr Barnier hinted at deeper concerns that the loss of one of the EU's biggest financial contributors could be hugely damaging to the bloc. The EU's latest demands were rejected by Brexit Secretary David Davis. He also dismissed threats from Brussels to use the issue to block a trade deal, insisting Britain will not pay a penny if talks collapse Describing the payment as 'incontestable', he said: 'Imagine what would happen if this were not to take place. 'We have to be rigorous in our approach to clearing these accounts. Otherwise the situation might be explosive if we have to stop programmes. Can you imagine the political problems which might arise?' His intervention reflects concerns that the withdrawal of Britain's 8billion net annual contribution to the EU could scupper sensitive projects or leave other countries to pay. Mr Barnier suggested stalemate could inflame the refugee crisis, pointing out that the UK contributes to the deal with Turkey which is restricting huge flows of migrants into Europe. The EU's latest demands were rejected by Brexit Secretary David Davis. He also dismissed threats from Brussels to use the issue to block a trade deal, insisting Britain will not pay a penny if talks collapse. Pointing out that the figures emanating from Brussels continue to grow without explanation, Mr Davis said: 'We will not be paying 100billion euros.' Asked what would happen if the UK leaves without a deal, the Brexit Secretary said: 'In the walk-away circumstance, there is nothing to be paid.' THE EU'S TIMETABLE FOR BREXIT TALKS JUNE: Detailed Brexit talks get under way after the general election. The first phase will cover the 'principles' of the financial settlement, the status of expats living on the continent and in the UK, and the future border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. OCTOBER-NOVEMBER: EU takes a decision on whether enough progress has been made to move on to the next phase of talks. NOVEMBER TO OCTOBER 2018: Discussions on future trade arrangements. OCTOBER 2018-MARCH 2019: Potential votes at the European Parliament and Westminster to ratify agreement. END MARCH 2019: UK formally leaves the EU. Advertisement Following advice from Government lawyers that Britain is not obliged to pay a bill, Mr Davis said the UK will only pay what is 'correct in law'. The higher figure from the EU came after influential states such as Germany and France called the UK's liabilities to be widened. Mr Barnier's package of demands clash with the Prime Minister's promise to end mass migration from Europe. As well as offering residency rights to migrants' families, they call for the UK to give those who left Britain many years ago an open offer to return. The negotiating blueprint demands that the European Court of Justice should preside over any problems relating to EU migrants, which flies in the face of Mrs May's promise to end its jurisdiction in the UK. She is determined to seal a deal on the contentious issue on rights to protect British citizens also living abroad, but the ambitious demands from Brussels could prove problematic. Current rules allow EU citizens who live here for five years to be allowed to claim residency. Calling for this right to be protected, the EU wants the five-year period to start at any stage before Brexit is finalised. The blueprint also calls for the rights to extend to family members who accompany them or join them at any point before or after withdrawal. Yesterday's guidelines were published by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, and will be signed off by ministers as a guide to negotiations. Eurocrats' red lines that could doom the talks Theresa May reacted with fury to a week of poisonous briefings by Brussels officials, accusing them of trying to interfere in the general election and undermine Brexit negotiations. As the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier darkly warned of the 'consequences' of Britain leaving, Executive Political Editor JACK DOYLE analyses its red lines. Theresa May reacted with fury to a week of poisonous briefings by Brussels officials, accusing them of trying to interfere in the general election and undermine Brexit negotiations THE BREXIT BILL What Brussels wants: A claimed 100billion euro Brexit 'divorce bill'. Analysis: In public, Mr Barnier claimed the demands were 'not a punishment, nor an exit tax'. But in an anonymous briefing to the Remain-supporting Financial Times, Brussels doubled its 50billion estimate. Mr Barnier said Britain must agree to pay for long-term programmes, relocating EU agencies from London and parts of the EU-Turkey refugee deal. Officials ruled out the UK getting credit for its share of the EU's 800billion euros of collective assets. Our government will honour its commitments, but will not pay anything like the sums demanded. EU JUDGES What Brussels wants: Huge powers for the unelected European Court of Justice (ECJ). Analysis: The EU says the judges in Luxembourg should retain huge influence over the UK. The court should also have power to rule over cases before we leave, over UK 'state aid' support for industry, and rights of EU nationals living here. Significantly, it should 'adjudicate' in disputes over terms of the deal particularly money. Mrs May is determined to end ECJ influence. EU MIGRANTS/UK EXPATS What Brussels wants: Blanket rights for EU nationals in the UK to bring in family. Analysis: Like Mrs May, the EU wants an early deal on rights of the three million EU nationals in the UK and 1.2million British expats on the continent. Brussels demands any EU national who arrives before Brexit even if they have been here a day has the right to remain after five years' residency. They should also have the right to bring in relatives who would receive similar protections. While some of the EU's demands will be difficult to swallow, the government will compromise but only if British nationals on the continent are fully protected. POST-BREXIT TRADE DEAL What Brussels says: Nothing. Analysis: On the first page of its negotiating position, the EU makes clear it is addressing the UK's 'orderly withdrawal' and not future arrangements. Mr Barnier says we must secure a framework deal on money, EU migrants and the ECJ before a trade deal. Mrs May wants to discuss the issues at the same time. Yesterday she repeated her mantra 'no deal is better than a bad deal'. If trade is not on the table, Mrs May will have to walk away. The stray puppy who was found in an almost statue-like state from being covered in industrial strength glue and dragged through the mud is healthy and loving life in his forever home. In November, Pascal horrified animal lovers everywhere when he was brought into the Istanbul-based rescue group He'Art of Rescue covered in glue and dragged through mud. He was so stiff he could just barely move and had been left in a box to die. The rescue group, which said it was kids who poured glue on the pup, said that the dried glue 'became a second skin in time and as thick as the cement, preventing blood flow to several points in his body.' Staff said Pascal moaned and dragged himself to a corner of the examination room and stared at staff in mistrust, a 'broken' soul. Scroll down for video When Pascal was brought into He'Art of Rescue in Turkey, he could barely move because of the thick, dried glue and mud on his coat, which had hardened into a cement-like substance After months of rehab and care, Pascal now lives with his new family in Spain and has a new doggy pal Pascal was recently shown running free on the beach, quite a difference from when he could barely lift his paw while covered in hardened glue When the stiff, thick glue was finally shaved completely off him and he could move again, staff said he stood in 'shock' for one day. His skin was red and raw. With the love and care of the rescue group, he slowly learned to trust and allow people to handle him, and he beat his virus and began acting like a normal puppy. He also made a fellow puppy pal during his recovery. The industrial glue had hardened around his body, leaving him in a shell from which he could barely move In addition to the glue and cement, Pascal had the dangerous virus parvo and was deaf in one ear, probably from the glue getting inside of it Pascal moaned and crawled to a corner of the room, where he watched the staff with wary, mistrustful eyes Covered in twigs and mud stuck into the glue, Pascal could basically move only his tongue After carefully shaving the hardened substance from his body, Pascal was left red and raw but could finally move Pascal was wary of humans, but developed a close bond with his vet Pascal's hair slowly started to grow in and his health improved, but he was still shy around new people He became fast buddies with a fellow rescue at the group, which helped bring him further out of his shell All that remained was for the loving but traumatized pup to find a forever home. In March, the group posted new pictures of an unrecognizable Pascal, now with a thick, fluffy, shiny new coat of fur. In pictures, he runs and leaps on the beach in Spain with his new mommy and his new doggy friend. 'HAPPY TIMES AFTER EVERYTHING HE WENT THROUGH FINALLY !!! PASCAL is spending the week-end with his family in Spain by the beach! Breathtaking view!' wrote the group. Pascal made strides in a foster home over Christmas where he learned to trust and play Pascal learned to love to live the good life, laying on the furniture and being spoiled, his eyes are now bright and relaxed, not fearful The staff holds Pascal who looks much more grown now and has a thick fur coat A mysterious pattern found on a rural Chinese mountain has reportedly kept scientists puzzled for a decade. The supposed formation, situated on Mengding Mountain in Sichuan Province, is thought by many to depict a warrior riding a dragon-like mythical creature, known as Qilin. Despite on-going research effort, experts are yet to give explanation on how the pattern has formed, according to Chinese media. Chinese experts have tried to demystified a mysterious pattern in Sichuan Province, China An illustration released by China Global Television Network shows what the image is supposed to look like. Many think it depicts a warrior riding a Qilin, a dragon-like mythical creature The alleged pattern was discovered in 2007 by a Chinese man who was using Google map to see the satellite images of his hometown, according to Huanqiu.com, a part of People's Daily group. The man, named Xie Qiang, worked for the Beijing General Research Institute of Mining of Metallurgy at the time. In an interview with China Central Television Station, Mr Xie said that he was using Google satellite to look for his hometown Ya'an, but his attention was quickly drawn by some lines on the surface of the mountains nearby. The man said: 'First, I saw the silhouette of a human face. 'Then when I zoomed out to see the entire Mengding Mountain, I saw more than a human face. In fact, I saw a pattern that looks like a warrior riding a Qilin.' Qilin, an auspicious creature in ancient Chinese mythology, is said to have the head of a dragon, the body of a deer, the tail of an ox and the hooves of a horse. Mr Xie thought the warrior looked like a gladiator in particular because of the shape of his helmet. The supposed pattern was discovered in 2007 by Xie Qiang as he was using Google map. Mr Xie thought part of it looked like a warrior, in particular a gladiator (pictured) Mr Xie also said the pattern included a Qilin (pictured), which is a mythical creature in China The 'dragon warrior' pattern is situated on Mengding Mountain on the 30th parallel north According to Mr Xie, the pattern measures about 6.2 miles (10 kilometres) long and 2.5 miles (four kilometres) wide, and is situated on the 30th parallel north, or latitude 30 degrees north. Since Mr Xie published his so-called discovery, Chinese scientists and media have tried to demystify the phenomenon. Teams of experts were said to be sent to the area to study its geological features while documentaries about the mysterious pattern have been aired on state TV. Wang Chaozheng, a resident of the Houyan village near the mysterious site, told a reporter from Huaxi City Daily that the locals have long heard about the alleged pattern. Mr Wang, 70, said: 'It's been featured on TV many times. Experts have come here to study too. However, so far nobody knows how it has formed.' A grandmother and her one-year-old grandson had to be rescued from a car in China after her daughter locked the pair inside and walked away. Police were forced to attend to the scene and smash their way into the car with hammers on April 30, reports Huanqiu, an affiliation of the People's Daily Online. The woman walked away from the vehicle during a family argument while on the way to a family outing from Nanchang to Ji'an. Rescuing the family: Police were forced to smash through the windows of the vehicle The temperature at the time had reached some 30 degrees Celcius The temperature had reached some 30 degrees Celsius when the pair were locked in the Audi Q7. According to reports, the older woman called her daughter but couldn't get through on the phone. She had to resort to calling the police for help. Desperate: According to reports, the older woman was forced to call police for help Police even called the driver to ask her to return but she hung up mid conversation Officers smashed through the car's windows after the pair began to become uncomfortable with the heat. According to police, the pair were dripping with sweat. Officers also called the daughter of the grandmother however she hung up the phone mid-conversation. The woman finally came back to the vehicle and apologised, thanking police for their help in rescuing the grandmother and grandson. Many people have commented on the news story on Huanqiu. One user said: 'This mother has no common sense. If the accident was worse then she would regret it for a lifetime.' While another wrote: 'Too self willed' And one user commented: 'Murderer!' A gamma-ray glow at the center of the Milky Way is most likely caused by pulsars - the super dense, rapidly spinning cores of collapsed ancient stars that were up to 30 times larger than our sun. Researchers used NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, which has been orbiting Earth since 2008, to make their observations. The new findings cast doubts on previous theories that the signal was a potential sign of dark matter - a form of matter that accounts for 85 per cent of all matter in the universe but has so far not been detected. Scroll down for video An excess of gamma-rays coming from the center of the Milky Way is likely due to a population of pulsars - rapidly spinning, very dense and highly magnetized neutron stars that emit 'beams' of gamma rays like cosmic lighthouses. The pulsars' location in the oldest region of the galaxy suggests that they leach energy from companion stars, which prolongs the pulsars' lifetime. This image shows the galactic center as seen by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory WHAT IS A PULSAR? Pulsars are collapsed stars that emit beams of gamma rays. These stars are made of matter much more densely packed than normal and which gives the entire star a density comparable to an atomic nucleus. Neutron stars, a type of collapsed star, have extremely strong magnetic fields which accelerate charged particles. The fields give off radiation in a cone shaped beam which sweeps across the sky like the light from a lighthouse as the star rotates. When the beam sweeps over Earth, it becomes visible as a pulsar, producing light that cycles every few seconds to just a few milliseconds. Their rotational period is so stable that some astronomers use it to calibrate instruments and have proposed using it to synchronise clocks. Advertisement The international team of astrophysicists, including researchers from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University, used NASA Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT), a sensitive 'eye' for gamma rays, the most energetic form of light. The Telescope was made at SLAC, which also hosts its operation center. The researchers came to the conclusion that the source of the gamma-rays were from pulsars, and not from dark matter colliding as previously thought. Most of the Milky Way's gamma rays originate in gas between stars that is lit up by cosmic rays, which are charged particles produced when stars explode, called supernovae. But gamma rays are also produced by supernova remnants, pulsars - collapsed stars that emit beams of gamma rays - and other objects that appear as points of light. 'Our study shows that we don't need dark matter to understand the gamma-ray emissions of our galaxy,' said Dr Mattia Di Mauro from the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), a joint institute of Stanford University and SLAC. 'Instead, we have identified a population of pulsars in the region around the galactic center, which sheds new light on the formation history of the Milky Way.' Dark matter makes up most of the mass of the universe, but it can't directly be observed, not does it emit light or energy. Researchers know that dark matter exists because it bends light from distant galaxies and affects how they rotate, but they don't know what it's made of. Most researchers believe it's not made of protons, neutrons and electrons, and instead is made of particles that have yet to be discovered that almost never interact with regular matter other than through gravity, which makes it difficult to detect them. One way scientists may observe dark matter particles either decay or collide and destroy each other. 'Widely studied theories predict that these processes would produce gamma rays,' said Dr Seth Digel, head of KIPAC's Fermi group. 'We search for this radiation with the LAT in regions of the universe that are rich in dark matter, such as the center of our galaxy.' Previous research has shown that there are more gamma rays coming from the galactic center than expected, which fueled reports suggesting the signal might have originated from dark matter particles. However, gamma rays are produced in other types of cosmic processes too, which must be ruled our first before any conclusions about dark matter can be drawn. This is challenging because the galactic center is extremely complex and researchers don't know the details of everything happening in that region. 'Two recent studies by teams in the US and the Netherlands have shown that the gamma-ray excess at the galactic center is speckled, not smooth as we would expect for a dark matter signal,' said KIPAC's Dr Eric Charles, who contributed to the new analysis. 'Those results suggest the speckles may be due to point sources that we can't see as individual sources with the LAT because the density of gamma-ray sources is very high and the diffuse glow is brightest at the galactic center.' This new study takes these earlier analyses to a new level, showing that the speckled gamma-ray signal is consistent with pulsars. 'Considering that about 70 percent of all point sources in the Milky Way are pulsars, they were the most likely candidates,' Dr Di Mauro said. 'But we used one of their physical properties to come to our conclusion. Pulsars have very distinct spectra - that is, their emissions vary in a specific way with the energy of the gamma rays they emit. When astrophysicists model the Milky Ways gamma-ray sources to the best of their knowledge, they are left with an excess glow at the galactic center. Some researchers have argued that the signal might hint at hypothetical dark matter particles. However, it could also have other cosmic origins 'Using the shape of these spectra, we were able to model the glow of the galactic center correctly with a population of about 1,000 pulsars and without introducing processes that involve dark matter particles.' The researchers are planning follow-up studies with radio telescopes to determine whether the sources are emitting their light as a series of brief pulses, the tell-tale sign gives pulsars their name. Discoveries in the halo of stars around the center of the galaxy - the oldest part of the Milky Way - also reveal details about its evolution, just as ancient remains teach archaeologists about human history. 'Isolated pulsars have a typical lifetime of 10 million years, which is much shorter than the age of the oldest stars near the galactic center,' Dr Charles said. 'The fact that we can still see gamma rays from the identified pulsar population today suggests that the pulsars are in binary systems with companion stars, from which they leach energy. 'This extends the life of the pulsars tremendously.' The new study also adds to other data that challenge the idea that the gamma-rays come from dark matter signals. Dr Digel said that if the signal were due to dark matter, we would expect to see it also at the centers of other galaxies. An excess of gamma rays coming from the center of the Milky Way has fueled hopes the signal might stem from hypothetical dark matter particles that collide and destroy each other (left). The radiation could also be produced by pulsars rapidly rotating neutron stars with strong magnetic fields (right) 'The signal should be particularly clear in dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. These galaxies have very few stars, typically don't have pulsars and are held together because they have a lot of dark matter,' said Dr Digel. 'However, we don't see any significant gamma-ray emissions from them.' The researchers believe that a recently discovered strong gamma-ray glow at the center of the Andromeda galaxy, the major galaxy closest to the Milky Way, may also be caused by pulsars rather than dark matter. Having said these things, the Fermi-LAT team studied a large area of 40 degrees by 40 degrees around the Milky Way's galactic center (the diameter of the full moon is about half a degree). But the extremely high density of sources in the innermost four degrees makes it very difficult to see individual ones and rule out a smooth, dark matter-like gamma-ray distribution, leaving limited room for dark matter signals to hide. Flash The immigration authority in Denmark revealed on Tuesday the country's first blacklist banning six foreign religious preachers from entry, local media reported. The six are not allowed to enter Denmark for at least two years, according to English newspaper The Copenhagen Post. "The government won't accept hate preachers coming to Denmark to preach hate against Danish society and indoctrinate listeners to commit violence against women and children, spread ideas of a caliphate and undermine our founding values," Immigration and Integration Minister Inger Stoejberg was quoted by the paper as saying. "So I am naturally very pleased that it is now clear to everyone that these people are not welcome in Denmark," she added. The Danish government announced a plan last May to establish a blacklist after a hidden-camera documentary exposed radical preachers in Danish mosques. The plan was broadly approved by the Parliament. "This shows that a person can be put on the list by doing something that would be in breach of the blasphemy paragraph if it happened in Denmark," Jacob Mchangama, director of thinktank Justitia, was quoted by Danish news agency Ritzau as saying. Fans of a classic handset who are eager to get their hands on its remake may not have to wait much longer. Hype around the new Nokia 3310 has been growing since details emerged back in February. And one UK retailer has listed the phone as available from next month. Scroll down for video UK technology retailer Clove has opened pre-orders for the new Nokia 3310 (pictured) for delivery in mid-June (stock image) THE NOKIA 3310 - Thin, light and durable - 22-hour talk time - One month battery life - Four colours - red, yellow, dark blue and grey - Limited 2.5G internet capability - Costs 41 ($51) to 59.99 - Revamped version of Snake will come pre-installed - Expected to be released this month Advertisement Rumours of the release date of the much anticipated handset have been circulating since it was announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), held in Barcelona, Spain. A spokesman for the manufacturer said at the time that the phone would go on sale during the second quarter of the year. Some speculated that this could be as early this month, but UK technology retail site Clove has opened pre-orders for the mobile for delivery in mid-June The website has also upped price expectations from 41 to 59.99 including VAT. The handset won't work in the US. The new Nokia 3310, with a slick look that pays homage to its original design, was first unveiled on February 27. All four colour options, warm red, dark blue, yellow and grey, are listed on the Dorset-based retailer's site. The iconic handset was a massive hit with users back in 2000 and the relaunched version will include a month-long battery, 22 hours of talk-time, and even its popular game, snake. While the handset looks similar to its predecessor, Nokia has brought its new model up to date and instead of the original display, a monochrome 84 x 84, it has a colour screen. All four colour options, warm red, dark blue, yellow and grey, are listed on the Dorset-based retailer's site. It has also has also upped price expectations from 41 to 59.99 However, it has limited internet capabilities, relying on 2.5G connectivity, with users browsing at speeds slower than if they were using 3G. It also has a single camera which has just two megapixels. The phone, which sold 126 million handsets until it was phased out in 2005, will be sold by Finish company HMD Global. Carphone Warehouse announced in March that record numbers of people had pre-registered for the handset. They said the 3310 attracted ten times more interest than any other flagship phone previously launched at the MWC. The iconic Nokia 3310 was a massive hit with users back in 2000 thanks to its hardy exterior and custom ring-tones The new 3310 attracted huge interest after details emerged from manufacturer HMD. Andrew Wilson, UK director of buying at Carphone Warehouse, told the Telegraph: 'There has been an astonishing groundswell of interest in the Nokia 3310 following the launch announcement of this reimagined classic. 'Levels of pre-registrations at Carphone Warehouse are incredibly strong, proving that it's not all hype and that consumers really want to get their hands on one.' Women who wear skimpy outfits to attract a mate may be wasting their time. New research suggests seems that females generate as much excitement in men when fully clothed as they do naked - and partial nudity may have the least effect of all. The same goes for males showing off their muscles in a bid to attract a member of the opposite sex. Scroll down for video Kendall Jenner arrived to the Met Gala in New York in a gown made entirely of hand-painted crystals on Monday night. New research suggests women who wear skimpy outfits to attract a mate may be wasting their time WHAT DID THEY DO? Women who wear skimpy outfits to attract a mate may be wasting their time. Scientists examined the pupils in the eyes of heterosexual men as they viewed pictures of clothed and naked women. They calculated how much the pupils widened an involuntary response when people are excited. The researchers from the University of Kent found there was little difference in levels of excitement, no matter how much flesh was exposed. Advertisement Scientists examined the pupils in the eyes of heterosexual men as they viewed pictures of clothed and naked women. They calculated how much the pupils widened an involuntary response when people are excited. The researchers from the University of Kent found there was little difference in levels of excitement, no matter how much flesh was exposed. Partial nakedness, where the sexual regions of the photographs were blurred, showed a less strong reaction than either fully clothed or naked pictures. Similar results were obtained when women were shown pictures of men. The study, presented in the Royal Society journal Open Science, did find one notably different response when nude pictures were viewed both sexes spent more time ogling the images private parts. Previous studies had found greater nudity generated higher levels of excitement, when factors such as genital arousal were included, the authors said. They suggest that it could mean only a low level of arousal is needed to cause a change in pupil size. Gigi Hadid turned heads in golden Tommy Hilfiger while attending the Met Gala on Monday with her short nude dress. Partial nakedness showed a less strong reaction than either fully clothed or naked pictures, according to the study Researchers at the University of Leeds studying how much flesh to put on display in a nightclub, found that women who revealed around 40 per cent of their skin were approached twice as often by men than those who bared more or less. In this study, each arm accounted for 10 per cent of the body, each leg 15 per cent and the torso 50 per cent. The impression that people are revealing more flesh in the media at least - is supported by research from the University of Buffalo. Distribution of fixations for a female (top row in panel) and a male (bottom row in panel) target in the dressed, blurred and naked exposure conditions for male observers. The study did find one notably different response when nude pictures were viewed both sexes spent more time ogling the images private parts Distribution of fixations for a female (top row in panel) and a male (bottom row in panel) target for female observers. Scientists calculated how much the pupils widened an involuntary response when people are excited A study of more than 1,000 Rolling Stone cover images over four decades found that the amount of sexualised images as measured by exposed flesh and suggestive poses had become more common over time. In the 1960s, 11 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women on the covers were sexualised. By the 2000s, 17 per cent of men and 83 per cent of women were sexualised, the US study found. Language has such a powerful effect, it can even influence the way in which we experience time, according to a new study. People who speak two languages fluently think about time differently, depending on the language they're using at that point. The findings show how language can creep into our most basic senses, including our emotions, our visual perception, and now it turns out, our sense of time. Scroll down for video Language has such a powerful effect, it can even influence the way in which we experience time, according to a new study THE STUDY The researchers asked Spanish-Swedish bilinguals to estimate how much time had passed while watching either a line growing across a screen, or a container being filled. At the same time, participants were prompted with either the word 'duracion' (Spanish for duration), or 'tid' (Swedish for duration). The results showed that when prompted by the Spanish word, bilinguals based their time estimates of how full the containers were by perceiving time as volume. They were unaffected by the lines growing on the screens. In contrast, when given the Swedish prompt word, bilinguals switched their behaviour, with time estimates becoming influenced by the distance the lines had travelled, but not by how much the containers had filled. Advertisement Researchers from the University of Lancaster and Stockholm University looked at the ways in which people around the world perceive time. Bilingual people go back and forth between their languages often, in a phenomenon called code-switching. But different languages embody different ways of organising the world around us including time. Swedish and English speakers usually mark the duration of events by referring to physical distances such as a short break, or a long wedding. But Greek and Spanish speakers tend to mark time by referring to physical quantities such as a small break, or a big wedding. The study found that bilingual seem to flexibly use both ways of marking duration, depending on the language context. This alters how they experience the passage of time. For instance, English speakers think about time as a distance, such as never-ending ruler. Meanwhile, Spanish speakers see it as an object, such as a glass being filled with water. In the study, the researchers asked Spanish-Swedish bilinguals to estimate how much time had passed while watching either a line growing across a screen, or a container being filled. At the same time, participants were prompted with either the word 'duracion' (Spanish for duration), or 'tid' (Swedish for duration). The results showed that when prompted by the Spanish word, bilinguals based their time estimates of how full the containers were by perceiving time as volume. Swedish and English speakers usually mark the duration of events by referring to physical distances such as a short break, or a long wedding. But Greek and Spanish speakers tend to mark time by referring to physical quantities such as a small break, or a big wedding IS BEING BILINGUAL BAD FOR THE BRAIN? Recent research suggests that being bilingual could in fact be bad for your brain. Researchers evaluated metacognitive processing in young adult monolinguals and bilinguals. Metacognition is the ability to simply have 'thoughts about thoughts'. This ability is a crucial function of everyday life, when we have to make decisions where the outcomes are not immediate. In a series of tests the researchers found monolinguals were better able than bilinguals at discriminating between when they were right and when they were wrong. These results indicate that bilingualism may be associated with cognitive disadvantages as well as benefits. Advertisement They were unaffected by the lines growing on the screens. In contrast, when given the Swedish prompt word, bilinguals switched their behaviour, with time estimates becoming influenced by the distance the lines had travelled, but not by how much the containers had filled. Professor Panos Athanasopoulos, who led the study, said: 'By learning a new language, you suddenly become attuned to perceptual dimensions that you weren't aware of before. 'The fact that bilinguals go between these different ways of estimating time effortlessly and unconsciously fits in with a growing body of evidence demonstrating the ease with which language can creep into our most basic senses, including our emotions, our visual perception, and now it turns out, our sense in time. 'But it also shows that bilinguals are more flexible thinkers, and there is evidence to suggest that mentally going back and for the between different languages on a daily basis confers advantages on the ability to learn and multi-task, and even long term benefits for mental well-being.' Mesmerising footage shows an exotic red sea slug that looks just like a flamenco dancer. The beautiful video of the floating mollusc, called a Spanish dancer fish, was captured by a professional diver off the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea. As the 'fish' drifts through the water, its vibrant red fins look just like a red dress twisting and turning in a dance. SPANISH DANCER FISH The Spanish dancer fish is in fact a sea slug - and one of the largest on the planet. It can grow to more than 16 inches (40cm) long. Its bright colours serve as a warning to potential predators that it does not taste good. The dancer fish spends most of its time crawling on the surface of the reef. It if feels threatened it flaps its gills - parading its bright warning colours. This movement looks like a Spanish dancer, which is how it gets its name. Advertisement 'It was a single dive, and I had already to prepared to go back to the surface when I saw a Spanish dancer' said diver Vitaly Bazarov who captured the amazing footage. 'It's a very beautiful mollusc, and usually divers find them at night and in the bottom of the ocean. 'I saw this creature during the day and in the shallow water for the first time', he said. The dancer fish spends most of its time crawling on the surface of the reef. If it feels threatened it flaps its gills - parading its bright warning colours - as seen in this amazing footage. The Spanish dancer fish is in fact a sea slug - and one of the largest on the planet. As the 'fish' drifts through the water, its vibrant red fins look just like a red dress twisting and turning in a dance The beautiful video of the Spanish dancer fish (pictured), was captured by a professional diver off the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea It can grow to more than 16 inches (40cm) long. Its bright colours serve as a warning to potential predators that it does not taste good. 'I was lucky that I had a video camera with me!' said Mr Bazarov. The Spanish dancer fish is in fact a sea slug - and one of the largest on the planet. It can grow to more than 16 inches (40cm) long The dancer fish spends most of its time crawling on the surface of the reef. It if feels threatened it flaps its gills - parading its bright warning colours 'The Red Sea is one of the best places for an underwater photographer, but to get the best shots it is important to dive alone.' This movement looks like a Spanish dancer which is how it gets its name. Spanish dancers are hermaphrodites, so all individuals are simultaneously male and female. The slugs lay eggs on the reef and then leave them - they contain a dose of defensive chemicals that warn off predators. Like their parents, their eggs are also brightly coloured which discourages potential predators from eating them. This movement looks like a Spanish dancer, which is how it gets its name. Spanish dancers are hermaphrodites, so all individuals are simultaneously male and female The slugs lay eggs on the reef and then leave them - they contain a dose of defensive chemicals that warn off predators Like their parents, their eggs are also brightly coloured which discourages potential predators from eating them It was meant to be a futuristic vision of how we could avoid the frustration of getting stuck in traffic. Elon Musk recently shared his dreams of high speed travel in self-driven cars, using underground tunnels built under cities. But this is a case of running before you can walk, according to one expert. Scroll down for video At the TED conference in Vancouver, Musk showed off a new video of electric 'skates' transporting cars in a narrow tunnel under a city before raising them back to street level in a space as small as two parking spaces. Behind him a Tesla car can be seen on one of the 'skates. WHY IS IT NOT REALISTIC? Costa Samaras, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has decades of experience in tunnel construction. The civil and environmental engineer believes that the task of mastering autonomous vehicle technology is enough of a challenge, without the added complexity of Elon Musk's plans. Dr Samaras believes that the elements needed to make it work, including cavernous areas that would require excavation and ventilation, as well as automatic elevators, would be expensive and could prove unreliable. This renders the project too expensive to be realistic. Advertisement Costa Samaras, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has decades of experience in tunnel construction. He previously worked on a mile-long extension to New York's No. 7 subway line in the mid-2000s, The project cost $2.5 billion (1.9 billion) and took a decade to complete. Musk's pipe-dream would see electric 'skates' transporting cars in a narrow tunnel at 130mph under a city before raising them back to street level. He revealed the first details of the radical project in an appearance at the TED conference in Vancouver, held last week. But the civil and environmental engineer believes that the task of mastering autonomous vehicle technology is enough of a challenge, without the added complexity of the Tesla founders plans. Many people incorrectly think that robot cars will be enable vehicles to drive faster and will lead to much less road congestion. But the professor believes that is almost certainly wrong, according to reports in Axios. Speaking to the website, Dr Samaras said: 'The affordability of going by car will be better than that of a bus. 'It will cost less than a bus ticket. So the amount of driving that occur will be much greater with shared autonomy, and traffic actually will get far worse. 'Maybe let's figure out shared, fully-driverless, electric mobility first?' Dr Samaras also noted that Musk's video shows cavernous areas that would require excavation and ventilation, as well as automatic elevators. All of these elements would be expensive and would need to be reliable. TUNNEL TRAVEL Elon Musk's pipe-dream cars travel at high speed in narrow underground tunnels before raising them back to street level. He revealed the first details of the radical project in an appearance at the TED conference in Vancouver, held last week. Musk showed off a new video of THE electric 'skates' that would transport cars in a narrow tunnel under a city before raising them back to an above-ground area as small as two parking spaces. Inside the tunnels, Musk said cars could travel as fast as 200 kilometers per hour (roughly 130 mph) Advertisement 'By my count, there are at least twenty plain old passenger elevators in the New York City subway system today,' he added. Musk has been teasing his tunnelling project since he first tweeted the idea during a frustrated rant aimed at LA's heavy traffic in December. Musk's video shows the 'skates' in action inside the tunnels. Cars could travel as fast as 200 kilometres per hour (roughly 130 MPH) according to Axois. 'You should be able to go from say Westwood to LAX in 5-6 minutes,' the Tesla and SpaceX founder said. He admitted he is spending only 2-3 percent on the tunnel effort, which was 'mainly interns'. He started the talk by admitting 'I ask myself that frequently' when asked why he was boring. Cars will use the system by simply driving into the designated parking areas, where they will be secured on an electric 'skate The skate will be lowered into a network of tunnels Musk hopes to bore under major cities around the world. The 'skates' would work on electric tracks, reaching speeds of upto 130mph An Instagram user believed to be a SpaceX employee tweeted a picture of what appears to be the firm's first tunnelling machine - although it was later removed from his account. The giant machine is expected to be used by the firm to dig test tunnels as musk tries to improve on existing boring machines. Earlier this year MailOnline exclusively revealed images of one of Musk's tunnels, which his 'Boring Company' began digging just outside his SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. ELON'S BORING COMPANY: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR December 17 2016 - Musk tweets his initial idea to start up a tunnel boring company to tackle LA traffic. January 25 2017 - Musk tweets: 'Exciting progress on the tunnel front. Plan to start digging in a month or so.' In response to a follower asking where he plans to dig, Musk tweets: 'Starting across from my desk at SpaceX. Crenshaw and the 105 Freeway, which is 5mins from LAX'. January 30 2017 - Excavators begin digging a test trench at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, Los Angeles. The trench reportedly measures 30 feet (9 metres) wide, 50 feet (15 metres) long, and 15 feet (4.5 metres) deep. February 4 2017 - Musk tweets a picture of what appears to be a piece of tunnel boring machinery with the caption 'Minecraft'. February 16 2017 - Musk reveals in an interview with Bloomberg that his machine is called 'Nannie' April 28 2017 - Musk reveals the first details of the radical project in an appearance at the TED conference in Vancouver, including a video Advertisement The trench measures 30 feet (9 metres) wide, 50 feet (15 metres) long, and 15 feet (4.5 metres) deep, and was started earlier this month, Wired reported. The new images reveal excavators, cranes and security personnel surrounding a large hole in the ground. This hole is likely where the huge Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) - revealed as 'Nannie' by Musk - was first lowered to begin digging. Dozens of tunnels would allow commuters to simply bypass gridlocked traffic by travelling underground The image shows a large boring machine with the Boring Company logo on. However, it was later removed by the user, believed to be a SpaceX employee A section of tarmac appears have been uprooted, either by Nannie's digging or having been removed before tunnelling began. Excavators pictured at the site help to remove rubble from the back of Nannie as the machine tunnels. A large pile of rubble can be seen behind the digging site made up of debris dug out of the ground. The tunnel is legal because it has been dug on private property. Elon Musk has been teasing his tunneling project since he first tweeted his frustration at LA's heavy traffic in December, and new images reveal that he is sticking to his word as a large trench can be seen dug into a car park near his SpaceX headquarters This hole appears to be the site where the 'Boring Company' has begun digging, and is likely where the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) - revealed as 'Nannie' by Musk - was first lowered to begin digging But extending the tunnel further than SpaceX's headquarters would require more discussion, paperwork, and LA City council approval. 'We're just going to figure out what it takes to improve tunnelling speed by, I think, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 percent,' he said during a Hyperloop design competition at SpaceX. 'We have no idea what we're doing - I want to be clear about that.' Musk came up with a plan to create a giant tunnel under Los Angeles to ease congestion last year. 'Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging...', he tweeted. Researchers have found that alcohol increases both men and women's interest in the same sex. Men who drank nothing expressed little or no interest in other men, but when they'd had more than ten drinks they were almost interested in men as they were in women. The researchers think this may be because alcohol reduces inhibitions, encouraging people to do or say things that would normally embarrass them or make them feel ashamed. Scroll down for video When men had nothing to drink, they showed little to no interest in other men, but when they drank heavily (more than ten drinks) they showed almost as much interest in the man as they did in the woman The study, conducted by researchers at Western Illinois University, examined 83 heterosexual people bar-hopping in the Midwestern US. They were asked to watch a 40-second videos of an attractive man at a bar and an attractive woman at a bar. The participants were then given questionnaires about how many drinks they'd had, how attractive they found the person in the video, and how willing they would be to perform various acts with the person. Acts varied from buying the person a drink, to going home with them or having sexual intercourse with them. Most men were more interested when the video showed a woman, and the reverse was true for women. Men also expressed more sexual interest than women did overall. HOW THEY DID IT The study, conducted by researchers at Western Illinois University, examined 83 heterosexual people bar-hopping in the Midwestern US. They were asked to watch a 40-second videos of an attractive man at a bar and an attractive woman at a bar. The participants were then given questionnaires about how many drinks they'd had, how attractive they found the person in the video, and how willing they would be to perform various acts with the person. Acts varied from buying the person a drink, to going home with them or having sexual intercourse with them. Advertisement The researchers then looked at how the amount of alcohol that was consumed affected participants' sexual interest. Men were willing to have sex with the female, regardless or how much they'd had to drink. When men had nothing to drink, they showed little to no interest in other men, but when they drank heavily (more than ten drinks) they showed almost as much interest in the man as they did in the woman. The results, however, were different for women. While men's interest in women wasn't affected by how much they drank, it was for women. Women who were sober expressed very low interest in the man in the video, but thy more women drank, the more interest they expressed. This was also true when they saw the woman in the video. So as women drink more alcohol, they become more interested in both members of the opposite and same sex. For men, alcohol may bring about more interest in other men because their inhibitions are reduced, and so they're able to express this taboo same-sex interest, especially given the findings of a recent study that Americans are more accepting of bisexuality in women than men. Perhaps this causes men to conceal their interest in other men when they're sober. Women who were sober expressed very low interest men, but they more women drank, the more interest they expressed. But as women drank more alcohol, they became more interested in both members of the opposite and same sex A car enthusiast has transformed his rusty old Volkswagen pickup into a $64,555 (50,000) jet-powered truck. Perry Watkins imported the 1958 Volkswagen truck from Oklahoma and has spent five years working on the crazy creation. The pickup now features a huge 5,000 brake horse-power fighter jet engine, that allows the truck to reach speeds of over 300 miles/hour (482 km/hour). Scroll down for video A car enthusiast has transformed his rusty old Volkswagen pickup into a 50,000 ($64,555) jet-powered truck OKLAHOMA WILLY Perry Watkins imported the 1958 Volkswagen truck from Oklahoma and has spent five years working on the crazy creation. It features a huge 5,000 brake horse-power fighter jet engine, that allows the truck to reach speeds of over 300 miles/hour (482 km/hour). The 55-year-old now hopes it will be recognised by the Guinness World Records as the World's most powerful road registered car. Advertisement Mr Watkins recently tested the hybrid vehicle, dubbed Oklahoma Willy, for the first time at Santa Pod raceway. The incredible footage has since gone viral - racking up more than one million views online. Amazingly the jet-powered truck is completely road legal thanks to the standard engine hidden in the boot. The 55-year-old single-handedly built the vehicle in his garage in Buckinghamshire and now hopes it will be recognised by the Guinness World Records as the World's most powerful road registered car. The pickup now features a huge 5,000 brake horse-power fighter jet engine, that allows the truck to reach speeds of over 300 miles/hour (482 km/hour) Mr Watkins said: 'It was extremely nerve racking the first time I drove the car under jet power. 'I had no idea how the car would react, it is after all 60 years old and as aerodynamic as a brick. 'The car could have spun out of control, flipped or even taken off as the 5,000 lbs of thrust was applied. Amazingly the jet-powered truck, which Perry Watkins spent 50,000 masterminding, is completely road legal thanks to the standard engine hidden in the boot Perry Watkins imported the 1958 Volkswagen truck from Oklahoma and has spent five years working on the crazy creation 'As it happens the car handled perfectly and the sensation of the jet propulsion I can only describe as feeling like I was strapped into a giant firework.' Mr Watkins is no stranger to crazy cars. He has previously created a host of other bizarre vehicles including a nine foot Dalek and a 24 inch tall replica of the Batmobile dubbed the Flatmobile. Perry Watkins recently tested his hybrid vehicle, dubbed Oklahoma Willy, for the first time at Santa Pod raceway. The incredible footage has since gone viral - racking up more than one million views online The 55-year-old single-handedly built the vehicle in his garage in Buckinghamshire and now hopes it will be recognised by the Guinness World Records as the World's most powerful road registered car In 2009, he also secured a Guinness World Record for the world's smallest road legal car called the Wind Up, which was the size of a washing machine. And in 2010 he claimed another world record for the world's fastest furniture - creating a car made from a dining table and chairs. The basic car was originally imported from Oklahoma, and Perry Watkins has spent five years working on the crazy creation A U.S. judge on Wednesday said he had not seen clear evidence that Uber Technologies Inc had conspired with an engineer on its self driving car program to steal trade secrets from Alphabet Inc's Waymo, and that he was wrestling with whether to issue an injunction against the ride service. At a hearing in San Francisco federal court, U.S. District Judge William Alsup said it was undisputed that the engineer, Anthony Levandowski, downloaded about 14,000 documents shortly before he stopped working for Waymo. If it were proven that Levandowski and Uber conspired in taking Waymo's information, that could have dire consequences for Uber, say legal and ride-hailing industry experts. Scroll down for video High-profile: Levandowski, a 'swaggering' six-foot-seven tech leader, is one of Silicon Valley's most significant figures in the development of self-driving cars WHAT IS LiDAR? In lidar or light detection and ranging scanning, one or more lasers sends out short pulses, which bounce back when they hit an obstacle, whether clouds, leaves or rocks. In self-driving cars, the sensors constantly scan the surrounding areas looking for information and acting as the 'eyes' of the car. Advertisement Uber's $68 billion valuation is supported partly by investors' belief it will be a dominant player in the emerging business of self-driving cars. However, Alsup expressed skepticism over whether Uber actually used any Waymo trade secrets. 'I've given you lots of discovery, and so far you don't have any smoking gun' showing that Uber knew Levandowski possessed any Waymo trade secrets, Alsup said. Waymo attorney Charles Verhoeven said the company suspects such evidence exists. Levandowski declined to answer questions during a deposition, citing his constitutional rights against self incrimination. Verhoeven also said Uber was improperly withholding thousands of documents on the grounds that they are confidential legal documents. The judge did not make a ruling from the bench on Wednesday. The hearing is the latest phase in a courtroom battle over trade secrets that threatens to topple a central pillar of Uber's growth strategy. Autonomous cars promise to change the economics of the ride-hailing business. Among Uber's biggest expenses is the cost of attracting drivers, who have a high turnover rate. The case is being heard by Judge Alsup, whosaid he had not seen clear evidence that Uber Technologies Inc had conspired with an engineer on its self driving car program to steal trade secrets from Alphabet Inc's Waymo And Uber's ability to expand into suburban and rural markets, and areas with low vehicle ownership, and continue to offer a ride within three minutes, largely hinges on the availability of a network of self-driving vehicles. Waymo on Wednesday sought to buttress its case by arguing that Levandowski and Uber had conspired against Waymo. It said the engineer was planning to work for Uber while he still was employed at Waymo. Levandowski formed a self-driving trucking company, Otto, after leaving Waymo, and Uber later bought Otto. Waymo attorneys showed a slide of an Uber document showing Levandowski had been promised 5.3 million restricted stock units of Uber. That was worth more than $250 million in January 2016, the lawyer said, without describing in detail the basis of the valuation. An Uber spokesman said the stock award was actually made in connection with Uber's acquisition of Otto in August 2016, and the vesting start date was backdated to late January so that Levandowski's time at Otto counted for the Uber vesting schedule. Alsup himself did not appear shocked. Anthony Levandowski is a fiercely talented and driven man who Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick (left) has likened to his brother from another mother - but now he is accused of stealing Google's self-driving car secrets before he left to work for Uber 'So what? Thats a lot of money I guess, but why wouldnt he get a lot of money?' he asked. Verhoeven said it was circumstantial evidence of bad intent by Levandowski and Uber. 'Hes getting awarded stock by Uber when hes supposedly starting his own company,' he said. Uber attorney Arturo Gonzalez on Wednesday said that attorneys had spent more than 6,000 hours on document review and had not found any sign of the Waymo documents in Uber's system. Alsup complimented Uber's search efforts. However, the judge said that documents Uber has withheld about its acquisition of Otto are 'a treasure trove' that will be key to the case. He has not decided whether Uber has properly shielded those documents. The judge also said he was still considering whether to send Waymo's trade secret claims to arbitration, which would not be public. Advertisement At first glance, it looks almost as if a giant creature is trying to break free. NASA today reveal this stunning image showing the north pole of Enceladus, just weeks after scientists said it contained some of the strongest evidence yet that alien life may exist. It shows craters and strange markings, entirely unlike the south of the moon, which is home to plumes of gas. Scroll down for video NASA today reveal this stunning image showing the north pole of Enceladus, just weeks after scientists said it contained some of the strongest evidence yet that alien life may exist. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Nov. 27, 2016. WHAT IT SHOWS This view looks toward the leading side of Enceladus. North on Enceladus is up and rotated 38 degrees to the left. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Nov. 27, 2016. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) from Enceladus and at a Sun-Enceladus-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 85 degrees. Image scale is 620 feet (190 meters) per pixel. Advertisement 'The north polar area of Enceladus (313 miles or 504 kilometers across) seen here is heavily cratered, an indication that the surface has not been renewed since quite long ago,' NASA said. 'In the north, Enceladus' surface appears to be about as old as any in the solar system. 'The south, however, is an entirely different story.' The south polar region shows signs of intense geologic activity, most prominently focused around the long fractures known as 'tiger stripes' that spray gas and tiny particles from the moon. The south is where NASA hailed a 'new frontier'. 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 Saturn's icy moons. The missing ingredient, hydrogen, was discovered for the first time on Enceladus during the deepest ever dive by NASA's 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 moon's surface, where it found hydrogen gas. The gas is the final piece of the puzzle following the discovery of water in an ocean under Enceladus's surface. It means Saturn's sixth moon may have the same single-celled organisms with which life began on Earth, or more complex creatures still. 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.' The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) from Enceladus and at a Sun-Enceladus-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 85 degrees. Image scale is 620 feet (190 meters) per pixel. '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 Enceladus's 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.' 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, Saturn's sixth largest moon, after Cassini's deepest ever dive into its cracks found hydrogen gas 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 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 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 moon's surface. This established that, while Enceladus is freezing on its surface, underneath is a liquid ocean. 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 moon's south pole, as its vapour erupted in plumes through cracks in the surface. 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 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 moon's 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 Earth's 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 NASA's 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 moon's 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 Jupiter's 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. Nasa's 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 Jupiter's 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 Saturn's 53 moons, is believed to have a subsurface ocean as salty as Earth's Dead Sea in Israel. As scientists look further for living microbes on Enceladus, NASA's 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, NASA's 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 Saturn's 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 there's life in there, it has to be completely different than ours in the sense that it's generated in a way that's not related to our life,' said Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, during the conference. 'We call that a second genesis.' A malicious email is spreading through the internet like wildlife and it includes an invitation to view a Google Doc. Users are asked to click on the link, which ultimate gives the hackers behind the attack access to the contents of their Google accounts, including email, contacts and documents. Not only are victims' accounts controlled by a malicious party, but if users follow the instructions, the same email is sent to anyone they have ever emailed and their contacts. Scroll down for video Users are asked to click on a link, which provides the hackers access to the contents of their Google accounts, including email, contacts and online documents. The malicious emails appeared to be addressed to 'hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com' with recipients BCCed PHISHING SCAM Clicking the malicious link takes users to a what looks like a Google-hosted page that presents them with a list of their accounts. The page asks users to select one of their accounts and provide an app called 'Google Docs'. Once you press 'allow', the Google Docs app, which was developed by the cyber trouble makers, can now sift through your emails and contacts, allowing it to continue the infected chain-mail. Although it may seem harmless, experts warn that these hackers now have access to your Google account and any personal information inside. Advertisement The scam seems to have surfaced sometime Wednesday afternoon and appeared to first target journalists - many reports from BuzzFeed, Hearst, New York Magazine and Gizmodo reported receiving the infected email. However, Google has since released an official statement. 'We have taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs & have disabled offending accounts,' Google Docs shared in a tweet. 'Weve removed the fake pages, pushed updates through Safe Browsing, and our abuse team is working to prevent this kind of spoofing from happening again.' 'We encourage users to report phishing emails in Gmail. When looking at one of the infected emails shared by Joe Berstein from Buzzfeed, it is clear to see that something was just not right. All of the malicious emails appeared to be addressed to 'hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com' with recipients BCCed. Victims have noted that the email sender may be someone you know or who is one of your contacts. Users are asked to click on a link to view a document, which provides the hackers access to the contents of their Google accounts, including email, contacts and online documents, according to security experts who reviewed the scheme. Clicking the malicious link takes users to a real Google-hosted page that presents them with a list of their accounts, TechCrunch reported. A Twitter user created a video to show users how the scam works, so they can be prepared if they receive the malicious email The page asks users to select one of their accounts and provide an app called 'Google Docs'. Once you press 'allow', the Google Docs app, which was developed by the cyber trouble makers, can now sift through your emails and contacts, allowing it to continue the infected chain-mail. Clicking the malicious link takes users to a real Google-hosted page that presents them with a list of their accounts. The page asks users to select one of their accounts and provide an app called 'Google Docs' Google had acknowledged the attack shortly after it surfaced Wednesday afternoon and released a statement on Twitter notifying the public that they 'are investigating a phishing email that appears on Google Docs'. The tweet continued to read: 'We encourage you to not click through & report as phishing within Google'. Once you press 'allow', the Google Docs app, which was developed by the cyber trouble makers, can now sift through your emails and contacts, allowing it to continue the infected chain-mail. Twitter users are sharing some of the emails to warn others of the scam Google had acknowledged the attack shortly after it surfaced and released a statement on Twitter notifying the public that they 'are investigating a phishing email that appears on Google Docs'. The tweet continued to read: 'We encourage you to not click through & report as phishing within Google' And although some may see this attack as nothing but spam, experts warn it is much more serious than that. 'This is a very serious situation for anybody who is infected because the victims have their accounts controlled by a malicious party,' Justin Cappos, a cyber security professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, told Reuters. And although some may see this attack as nothing but spam, as shared in some tweets, experts warn it is much more serious than that, as hackers are now able to get into user's Google accounts Cappos said he received seven of those malicious emails in three hours on Wednesday, an indication that the hackers were using an automated system to perpetuate the attacks. He said he did not know the objective, but noted that compromised accounts could be used to reset passwords for online banking accounts or provide access to sensitive financial and personal data. Rescued: Mr Bryce was lost for 32 hours after surfing at Scotland's Westport Beach The world watched in amazement this week when a 22-year-old was rescued by coastguards after spending 32 hours adrift in freezing Scottish waters. Matthew Bryce, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, had been surfing in Westport Beach when he suddenly went missing, last Sunday. He was eventually found by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency some 13 miles away, where he was described as 'very tired, but fine'. Yet, while his remarkable recovery verged on the miraculous, it certainly wasn't the first time someone has overcome adversity to survive at sea. To prove it, here's our guide to the most unbelievable (but completely true) rescue stories... Rolando Omongos This young fisherman was feared dead by his family when he went AWOL on the waves in early 2017. The 21-year-old Filipino embarked on a trip with his uncle, Reniel Omongos, who was on a second small boat - but within 48 hours a ferocious storm separated them. Rolando then spent 56 days battling thirst, hunger and despair on a tiny boat that drifted 3,000km from the Philippines to Papua New Guinea. Sadly, his uncle died after a month. Reunited: Filipino fisherman Rolando Omongos, 21, arrives at Manila International Airport Relief: The youngster was feared dead after going missing on a trip to Papua New Guinea Mr Omongos said he latched his uncle's body onto his boat for a few days but later let it sink into the water when it began to smell. He said he himself survived only by consuming rainwater and moss growing at the hull of his 2.5-metre-long boat. He would also find respite from the heat of the tropical sun by diving into the water. Mr Omongos weighed just over 20kg when he was rescued by a Japanese fishing vessel - after losing 41kg of his body weight during the ordeal. Jose Salvador Alvarenga This story reads like a Hollywood screenplay, but it's all true. Jose Salvador Alvarenga had been adrift in the Pacific Ocean for a staggering 16 months after setting sail from Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012. He was originally joined by a companion, who later died after they became lost when severe weather conditions separated them. To avoid a similar fate, Jose revealed he drank turtles blood and ate seabirds to survive the virtually-impossible conditions. Weatherbeaten: Fisherman Jose Salvador Alvarenga pictured after his amazing rescue Cheers to that! Upon his return he was seen alighting a cargo ship carrying a beer The Salvadorean castaway and his battered 24ft fibreglass boat eventually washed ashore on a remote coral atoll in January 2014. Naturally, when he was spotted stranded on the reef by locals, he was long-haired, emaciated and dressed only in ragged underpants. Upon return to his homeland he was seem alighting a cargo ship carrying a well-deserved beer. Brett Archibald Father-of-two Brett Archibald was 50 years old when he fell overboard from a tour boat in Indonesia, April 2013. He drifted nearly 11 miles from where he disappeared in rough seas and, amazingly, survived by floating for 27 hours - despite not wearing a lifejacket. The South African, from Camps Bay, was eventually plucked from the Mentawai Strait both sunburned and dehydrated, but otherwise in good spirits. Is he pleased to see you! Brett Archibald pictured being towed to safety by fellow sailors Fortunate: Mr Archibald (back row 1st left) fell overboard from a boat in Indonesia and spent 29 hours in the sea before being rescued Naturally, his family were overjoyed at his almost miraculous survival. In a Facebook message to them, Mr Archibald revealed he'd come close to drowning at least eight times during the ordeal, which saw him stung by jellyfish, attacked by seagulls, which tried to peck his eyes out, and nibbled by fish. He later recanted his horrifying tale in a book called Alone: Lost Overboard In The Indian Ocean. Jorge Morales and Dario Rodriguez This unfortunate pair were swept out to shark-infested seas off the Colombian coast during a scuba diving trip in November 2016. Part of a group of five recreational divers near the island of Malpelo, they spent 48 hours in perilous waters. The men huddled together and urinated on each other to keep warm, tying themselves together with special cords to avoid being separated. Safe and well: Jorge Morales pictured speaking to stunned journalists after his rescue Close call: Dario Rodriguez detailed how sharks and jellyfish tried to eat the men By the second day they were delirious and shivering with cold as the sun burned their faces with their heads bobbing just above the surface. They also had sharks and jellyfish circling them - the latter of which was worse, Mr Morales said after being spotted - and rescued - by a sea plane. 'They attacked us,' he detailed. 'What pain. Very intense. I don't know how many jellyfish there were, but it was a very tough moment.' Jacob Childs Australian Jacob Childs sparked a massive air and sea search after he disappeared during a diving expedition off the south-east Queensland coast in July 2016. The 30 year-old spent six hours alone in the water and drifted several kilometres from his group. Fearing the worst, he filmed what he believed were his final hours on a hand-held video camera. Ill-fated: Australian Jacob Childs sparked a massive air and sea search after he disappeared during a diving expedition off the south-east Queensland coast in July 2016 'So that's it. The sun goes down they won't do nothing. That's a wrap on old Jakey,' he said in the footage. As darkness approached, Mr Childs could see rescue teams circling above, but they couldn't spot him. Finally, a plane saw him floating in the water and police were able to rescue him. 'I was relieved and I wanted a cup of tea,' he said. Harrison Odjegba Okene In May 2013, Harrison Okene, then 29, survived three days in an overturned tugboat at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean - thanks to a tiny air pocket. His ordeal began when his boat capsized, later resting on the seabed upside down at a depth of about 100 feet. The cook - who was the only survivor in a crew of 12 - survived on one bottle of Coke, while two flashlights that he had found gave up after less than one day. Close: Mr Okene spent 62 hours below the surface after his boat overturned off Nigerian coast Wow: Harrison Odjegba Okene, second left, poses in a decompression chamber with members of the DCN Diving team who saved his life after being trapped for three days underwater Alarmingly, Mr Okene revealed he could hear fish eating his dead colleagues as he tried to remain above the water's surface. Incredibly, a video showed the moment he was rescued by a deep-sea diver who stumbled upon the wreckage. The 29-year-old still has nightmares and vows to never return to the sea again. The Robinson Family This motley crew were Britain's real-life Swiss Family Robinson. Together, they amazed the nation after staying alive for six weeks in the Pacific Ocean after a boating holiday turned into the ultimate nightmare. Captained by Dougal Robertson, then aged 47, the clan were sailing their boat, the Lucette, from Panama to the Galapagos Islands when it was attacked and sunk by a pod of killer whales on June 15, 1972. They managed to scramble aboard a small inflatable life raft and spent the next month and a half fighting for survival in one of the most hostile environments on earth. Lucky: The Robertson family pictured in Jamaica - shortly before their nightmare began As a former maritime captain, Mr Robertson was the only person on board with any sea-faring experience - wife Lyn, daughter Anne, 19, Douglas, 18, and twins Neil and Sandy, 10, were all complete beginners. The group only had six lemons, ten oranges, a tin of biscuits, a bag of onions and half a pound of glucose sweets to sustain them. More worryingly, there was only enough water for ten days - and before long they turned to turtle blood for hydration. Fortunately, after 38 days, the castaways were picked up 300 miles from land by a Japanese fishing trawler. Before his death from cancer in 1992, Mr Robertson senior wrote a book about the family's adventure called Survive the Savage Sea, which was turned into a film. Advertisement This explosive photo puts the power of nature into perspective, as a tiny drone buzzes by a volcanic eruption. Andrew Studer, 21, from Portland, Oregon, captured the shot as he stood around 2,600 feet away from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupting into the ocean in January. The fiery image shows liquid rock spewing out of a cliff face, with the unmanned aircraft flying unnervingly close to the glowing 220 degree Celsius torrent. Drone alert: Andrew Studer, 21, from Portland, Oregon, captured the shot as he stood around 2,600 feet away from Kilauea volcano Plumes of smoke can be seen powdering the air, with rocks flying in all directions. Studer told MailOnline Travel that he recently decided to share the image on social media to highlight the scale of the volcano. However, the image soon triggered a conversation around drones. One commenter said: 'National parks serve to preserve the nature and give the people a place to go and observe, experience and enjoy nature. Ever tried to do that with a drone buzzing around? 'I have, and I wanted to shoot it down, even though I appreciate them as creative tools and the images that they produce.' Drones are banned within the boundaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park unless approved by a superintendent. A section of sea cliff above the massive 'firehose' lava flow on Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano collapsed and splashed into the ocean in January as tourists and geologists watched (above, an image of the area) Many commenters noted that the drone wasn't in park boundaries as it was flying over the ocean. A section of sea cliff above the massive 'firehose' lava flow on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano collapsed and splashed into the ocean in January as tourists and geologists watched. The lava stream, dubbed a 'firehose' flow because it shoots lava outward from the source like water from a hose, had recently increased in intensity. Recalling the incident, Studer said: 'Experiencing the scale and magnitude of it was absolutely surreal and I think it's something I think everyone needs to witness at least once in their life.' Footage captured by the USGS's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory before the collapse reveals the remarkable volcanic 'firehose' in action, creating 'hazardous conditions on land and at sea.' Upon a careful examination of the 'unstable sea cliff', researchers discovered a hot crack just above the site where the lava is flowing out, with temperatures as high as 220 degrees Celsius. Seven's newest home renovation series House Rules debuted on Sunday night to 1.5m metro viewers, later dropping to 606,000 by Tuesday. The reality program's ratings on Tuesday were below that of ABC news, The Chase and Australian Story. And now a Seven spokesperson has told TV Tonight that the prize money for the winning couple will be $200k, as opposed to paying off a mortgage worth up to $520k. Set to burn? Seven's home renovating series House Rules, has taken $320k OFF its prize money, after debuting to shocking ratings on Tuesday night's premiere episode 'We decided to make it a cash prize this year to give the winner the freedom to spend the money exactly how they wanted to,' the Seven representative told the publication. 'This year's winner will walk away with their home completely renovated from top to bottom, inside and out, and $200,000 cash in their bank account,' the source added. Not only is the cash prize $320k off the initial amount promised, it's also $50k less than My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef. Lowering the appeal: Not only is the cash prize $320k off the initial amount promised, it's also $50k less than My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef Premise: House Rules returned to the Seven network on Tuesday night, for its fifth season. The reality program sees six teams handing over the keys to their home, leaving the renovation of every room in their abode to their opposition House Rules returned to the Seven network on Tuesday night, for its fifth season. The reality program sees six teams handing over the keys to their home, leaving the renovation of every room in their abode to their opposition. Teams have only six weeks to completely renovate the properties. Fixture: Channel Seven regular Johanna Griggs returns as host Familiar face: Judge Wendy Moore (pictured) returns to the fifth season of the home renovation series Contestants show off their renovation and home decorating skills, hoping to impress the judges. Johanna Griggs returns as host, alongside judge Wendy Moore. There are also new faces to the judging panel, interior decorator Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and architect and builder Drew Heath. She made a bold statement, matching her recently shaved head to her silver gown at the Met Gala on Monday night. But Cara Delevingne put in a rather more quiet appearance as she left her hotel in downtown New York on Tuesday morning. Perhaps feeling sleepy after enjoying a star-studded afterparty hosted by Rihanna at 1OAK the night before, the 24-year-old model hid behind edgy sunglasses and a beanie. Scroll down for video Feeling delicate? Cara Delevingne hid behind dark shades when she left her New York hotel on Tuesday morning following the star-studded Met Gala the night before Head-to-toe in silver: She made a bold statement, matching her recently shaved head to her silver gown at the Met Gala on Monday night Dressed in casual ripped jeans and trainers, she appeared engrossed in her phone as she left the hotel. Layering up in an oversized red hoodie and navy peacoat, she carried the quilted Chanel bag she was spotted with a day earlier. And hiding her newly-shaven head under a hat and going jewellery-free, she cut a dramatically more casual figure than the previous day. Casual: Perhaps feeling a tad hungover after enjoying a star-studded afterparty hosted by Rihanna at 1OAK, the 24-year-old model hid behind edgy sunglasses and a beanie A-list: The previous night Cara partied with Pharrell as Rihanna took over friend Richie Akiva's 1OAK nightclub to host her annual, and highly anticipated, Met Gala After Party On Monday night, the supermodel made a typically dramatic statement as she painted her bald head silver while arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the heart on New York's 5th Avenue for the ever-glam Met Gala. To complement the bold look, she sported a sensational plunging silver suit by Chanel which perfectly encapsulated Cara's high fashion fancy atop her trademark ability to make a bold style statement on the red carpet. Cara has long been known for her edgy androgynous looks, with Monday being no exception as she dazzled in the glitzy two-piece which boasted a masculine shape but super girly glimmering adornments. Oh my! Cara made a typically dramatic statement as she swept the famous steps outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the heart on New York's 5th Avenue for the Met Gala The blazer was perfectly styled to show off the British beauty's lithe frame as the huge shoulder pads staggered atop her unsupported chest and tiny waist, highlighted further with her thick silver belt. With an A-line bottom to the longline blazer, her trousers were tailored to extend the length of her staggering legs in a fluid slimline flare shape. Adding to her futuristic metallic ensemble was staggering silver stilettos, the perfect accompaniment to her belt and dazzling smattering of jewels extending across her fingers to add further to her A-list glamour. Sizzling: To complement the bold look, she sported a sensational plunging silver suit by Chanel which perfectly encapsulated Cara's high fashion fancy atop her trademark ability to make a bold style statement on the red carpet Stunner: Cara has long been known for her edgy androgynous looks, with Monday being no exception as she dazzled in the glitzy two-piece which boasted a masculine shape but super girly glimmering adornments Out and a pout: The blazer was perfectly styled to show off the British beauty's lithe frame as the huge shoulder pads staggered atop her unsupported chest and tiny waist, highlighted further with her thick silver belt Fresh faced: With such a bold beauty look added through her silver head paint, she kept the rest of her beauty regimen simple with just a lick of mascara opening her almond-shaped eyes while her lips were lightly outlined in a baby pink colour With such a bold beauty look added through her silver head paint, she kept the rest of her beauty regimen simple with just a lick of mascara opening her almond-shaped eyes while her lips were lightly outlined in a baby pink colour. Cara's famed thick eyebrow was perfectly in place, while she expertly preened and pouted to ensure her model prowess was plain for all revellers to see. The stunning star shaved her hair last week for her role in upcoming flick Life In A Year, which sees her play a dying woman. Sexy stuff: With an A-line bottom to the longline blazer, her trousers were tailored to extend the length of her staggering legs in a fluid slimline flare shape Legs eleven! The stunning star shaved her hair last week for her role in upcoming flick Life In A Year, which sees her play a dying woman Silver stunner: Her jewelled suit was typically bold A helping hand! The model was assisted by a helpful aide The girls! Cara posed with Lily-Rose Depp and Girls actress Jemima Kirke The theme of this year's Met Gala is Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons, with the focus being on the avant-garde designer's technique with silhouettes, draping and fit. The 74-year-old Japanese fashion legend is the second ever living designer to be the sole subject of the Met's fashion exhibit since Yves Saint Laurent in 1983. Earlier in the day, just hours before the gala kicked off, she covered up her new look as she headed out in daring ensemble. The model sported a beanie which coordinated with her monochrome racy ensemble - perfectly combining smart and casual. Showcasing her supermodel stats, she teamed a pair of chic monochrome trousers with a matching blazer and plunging bodysuit. Going braless, she adorned her cleavage with a sprinkling of gold necklaces. Making the most of her statuesque figure, Cara opted for a pair of matching brogues and accessorised with gold aviators and a quilted Chanel bag. Skinhead: Earlier in the day, just hours before the gala kicked off, she covered up her new look as she headed out in daring ensemble Monochrome madness: The model sported a beanie which coordinated with her monochrome racy ensemble - perfectly combining smart and casual Her appearance comes after she shaved her head on Monday, in order to fully get into character, sacrificing her famously glossy locks for the flick. The beauty gave fans a glimpse of her starkly different shaven head for the first time as she arrived on set in Toronto, ahead of another busy day shooting the emotional but romantic drama with co-star Jaden Smith. Cara, who unleashed her new pink-tinged crop on Instagram last week, revealed the reasoning behind her abandoning of her trademark silky bob to USA Today. Chic: Showcasing her supermodel stats, she teamed a pair of chic monochrome trousers with a matching blazer and plunging bodysuit Standing tall: Making the most of her statuesque figure, Cara opted for a pair of matching brogues and accessorised with gold aviators and a quilted Chanel bag The model explained: 'I have to shave my head for my next part, so I have to do something different. 'So I dyed it. Just for fun. Just to change it up.' Life in a Year, penned by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, follows 17-year-old Daryn (Smith) who learns his girlfriend (Delevigne) is dying and sets out to give her their entire life together, in the year she has left. No fear! Her appearance comes after she shaved her head on Monday, in order to fully get into character, sacrificing her famously glossy locks for the flick 'I have to shave my head for my next part, so I have to do something different', she explained It appears Cara has embarked on the method acting route in full dedication to the role, by ridding herself of hair altogether, despite her flourishing modelling career. The catwalk queen will be appearing on a silver screen near you long before 2018. Cara will soon be making an appearance in anticipated sci-fi thriller Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. The star, who landed her first acting role as Princess Sorokina in 2012 flick Anna Karenina opposite Keira Knightley, will give another role-model making performance as a fiesty young fighter in the film. He broke up with ex-girlfriend Nelly Riggio after they competed together on My Kitchen Rules in 2016. And while JP Huillet has kept a low profile since his former flame announced her relationship with Adriano Zumbo late last year, it appears he's been busy in the gym. The 30-year-old took to his Instagram account to show off his 'revenge body' amid reports his ex-girlfriend's partner is under fire for not paying his staff. Scroll down for video Transformation: JP Huillet took to his Instagram account to show off his 'revenge body' amid reports his ex-girlfriend's partner is under fire for not paying his staff The newly buff reality star posted a side by side image of his starkly different before and after physique. He described in the caption how he had given up 'drinking', was only eating 'good food' and was 'getting back in the gym and back to training'. He thanked his 'incredibly talented and insanely focused' Brisbane-based trainer Jaimy Chappelow for his body transformation. Aftermath: The 30-year-old has kept a low profile since his former flame announced her relationship with Adriano Zumbo late last year, and it appears he's been busy in the gym 'It was with her help and attention to detail that in such a short time and while working away I was able to achieve so much in the gym and with my nutrition,' he gushed. The capture's comments section was instantly filled with notes of support from his followers. 'Smoking! Well done...hope you find a lucky lady too!' one fan remarked. 'Thanks so much, it's actually been the best journey getting to that!' he immediately responded to the fan. Going strong: JP's ex-girlfriend Nelly has stood by her new partner Adriano Zumbo regarding the recent media attention on his allegeded business dealings JP's ex-girlfriend Nelly has stood by her new partner Adriano Zumbo regarding the recent media attention on his alleged business dealings. According to A Current Affair, the celebrity chef has failed to pay some of his employees superannuation, ailed to pay overtime to his workers and more. He released a statement countering the claims, stating: 'Had we been aware of [staff] concerns, our HR team and I would have been available to assist those staff members in the satisfactory resolution of their concerns.' She debuted her new romance with acclaimed actor Dev Patel in March. And Tilda Cobham-Hervey's own career appears to be on the rise, with the young star recently announced as one of the finalists for the Heath Ledger Scholarship. The 22-year-old is one of 10 nominees up for the prestigious award, created in honour of the late actor to give 'a huge boost' to an upcoming talent from Australia. Scroll down for video Up and coming: Tilda Cobham-Hervey's career appears to be on the rise, with the young star recently announced as one of the finalists for the Heath Ledger Scholarship Tilda will make her major film debut in the anticipated Hotel Mumbai, where Dev has the lead role. She has also starred in Australian television series like The Kettering Incident and Barracuda and local films like Girl Asleep and 52 Tuesdays. The Adelaide-born actress was first seen in public with Dev and his mother Anita at the Weinstein Company's pre-Academy Awards bash at Montage Beverly Hills. On the rise: The 22-year-old is one of 10 nominees up for the prestigious award, created in honour of the late actor to give 'a huge boost' to an upcoming talent from Australia They were then seen holding hands as they strolled in Los Angeles the day after the Oscars. Tilda, 22, who was dubbed the 'Aussie actress you need to know' by Marie Claire magazine last year, is one of a group of local actors up for the scholarship. Previous winners include Bella Heathcote, who went on to star in the big-budget Fifty Shades Darker. Accolade: Previous winners include Bella Heathcote, who went on to star in the big-budget Fifty Shades Darker Founding patrons of the scholarship include powerhouse exports Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Naomi Watts. Naomi selected this year's finalists, announced on Tuesday, alongside Gary Oldman, Ryan Murphy, Bruna Papandrea, Emile Sherman and a team of esteemed judges. The winner will be revealed at a star-studded event in Los Angeles next month, hosted by Australians in Film and the Ledger Family. Tziporah Malkah has paid tribute to the women's advocate who supported her during two years of homelessness. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the former model shared an image in which she proudly sits beside former politician Maree Davenport, 49. The 43-year-old captioned the image: 'Such an honour to call Maree Davenport not only a mentor but a friend. She works tirelessly on boards to help ppl, least of all for Women's Housing Richmond, where I spent 2 years whilst facing homelessness.' Scroll down for video Thank you: Tziporah Malkah has paid tribute to the women's advocate who supported her during two years of homelessness, former politician Maree Davenport, 49 The I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant went on to reveal she's been inspired to do some of her own charity work with women. She added: 'I'm looking forward to be privileged enough to do more work with her and womens housing to raise awareness and funds. Very humbling.' Maree Davenport was a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1996 to 2002 and is now an ambassador for Women on Boards. The former model has in the past spoken about her time living in a women's refuge after breaking up with billionaire James Packer. Opened up: The former model has in the past spoken about her time living in a women's refuge after breaking up with billionaire James Packer Inspired: The I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here contestant went on to reveal she's been inspired to do some of her own charity work with women Tziporah told The Project she had nowhere to turn when she returned to Australia after attempting to forge a career in Hollywood. Describing the day she arrived at the single women's refuge in Melbourne, she said: 'I was numb, in shock, I sat on the bed and wept ... It was pretty overwhelming.' 'I didn't know anything about homelessness so I thought I had to sleep under a bush so I Googled "Homelessness Melbourne",' she said. Hard: Describing the day she arrived at the single women's refuge in Melbourne, she said: 'I was numb, in shock, I sat on the bed and wept ... It was pretty overwhelming' She said: 'I just felt so ashamed, and so frightened of being recognised,' she said. 'I was quite reluctant to kind of talk to anybody for quite a long time' She found a shelter which she shared with about 20 other women, but found it difficult to speak to others because some would recognise her, despite dropping out of the world of showbiz eight years earlier. 'I just felt so ashamed, and so frightened of being recognised,' she said. 'I was quite reluctant to kind of talk to anybody for quite a long time.' The woman formerly known as Kate Fischer spent nearly two years at the refuge. She's become a household name after starring in last year's run of The Bachelorette. And newsreader-turned-reality star Georgia Love, enjoyed the perks of her newfound fame, as she attended Asilio's spring collection launch in Melbourne on Tuesday. The 29-year-old showed off her svelte frame in a fitted leather frock, as she was joined by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Snezana Markoski and Tully Smyth. Love-r of fashion! Bachelorette star Georgia, 29, showed off her svelte frame in a fitted burgundy frock, as she led the pack at Asilio's spring collection launch in Melbourne on Tuesday Georgia posed for a stunning snap in front of the brand's media wall. A burgundy dress drew attention to her lithe arms and slender waist, while a subtle split offered a glimpse of her lean legs. Toughening up the look with a pair of black boots, the brunette accessorised further with a black leather shoulder bag and statement drop earrings. Sweeping her locks into a chic top knot, Georgia enhanced her striking facial features with a dewy complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a matte lip. Pretty in floral: Former Neighbours star Natalie Bassingthwaighte (right), 41, opted for a floral print maxi-dress that cinched in at her tiny waist Also in attendance was former Neighbours star Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Posing for a snap with a stylishly dressed brunette, the 41-year-old opted for a floral print maxi-dress that cinched in at her tiny waist. Semi-sheer detailing showed off a glimpse of her toned legs, while delicate jewellery tied in with the feminine look. Allowing her blonde locks to fall in relaxed waves and in a middle parting, the mother-of-two defined her pretty facial features with a neutral makeup palette. Reality stars unite: Former Bachelor star Snezana Markoski (left), 35, cut a chic figure in an all-black ensemble, as she posed with Big Brother's Tully Smyth (right), 28 Fun and flirty: Channel Nine star Lauren Phillips drew the eye to her lean legs in a pastel yellow mini-skirt, teamed with a white blouse featuring oversized sleeves and black strappy heels Former Bachelor star Snezana Markoski, 35, cut a chic figure in an all-black ensemble, as she posed with a fashionable crowd, including Big Brother's Tully Smyth. The brunette sported a tailored blazer, teamed with a tank top, feathered skirt and opaque tights. Strappy pointy-toed heels elongated her frame and added a flirty touch. The mother-of-one's shoulder-length locks fell effortlessly around her face that was enhanced with a flawless base, defined cheekbones and nude colour over her plump pout. Spotlight: Asilio featured its spring collection launch well ahead of the fashion pack Big Brother's Tully Smyth, 28, donned a daring ensemble of an abstract frock with a large cut-out at the bust. The hemline finishing just above the knee showed off a fraction of her trim pins. Black strappy heels added height and gold cross earrings provided a touch of bling. The reality star's fair tresses were swept into a chic style with braid detailing, softening up her edgy makeup look of a smoky eye and kohl liner. Upcoming: Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week will take place in Sydney this month Channel Nine star Lauren Phillips looked fun and flirty, drawing the eye to her lean legs in a pastel yellow mini-skirt. The brunette beauty teamed the look with a white blouse that featured oversized sleeves and black strappy heels. Asilio's spring collection launch, which took place in Melbourne's Fitzroy, is well ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week, scheduled to take place in Sydney this month. She's a firm favourite with the fashion bible and has covered countless international editions in the past. And Kendall Jenner is back on the cover of VOGUE India this month, posing for a stunning shoot in the beautiful Samode Palace, outside of Jaipur. To kickstart celebrations leading up to Vogue Indias 10th anniversary this Autumn, Mario Testino has guest edited the May issue, choosing Kendall as his leading lady. Scroll down for video Cover girl: Kendall Jenner is back on the cover of VOGUE India this month, posing for a stunning shoot in the beautiful Samode Palace, outside of Jaipur The 21-year-old model perfected her poses, looking elegant in a sweeping Gothic gown with dramatic puffball sleeves. The floor-length number boasted a sheer bodice with dramatic lace detailing, set off with silver shoes. Kendall's dark locks were styled in a classic updo and her piercing eyes were lined with heavy kohl. Priya Tanna, Editor of Vogue India, commented: 'Mario Testino is to fashion what Milan is to fashion weeks - simply indispensable. As the editor of a fashion magazine, I've always admired Mario's repertoire. Regal: The 21-year-old model perfected her poses, looking elegant in a sweeping Gothic gown with dramatic puffball sleeves by Bottega Veneta 'To work with him, and share his creative vision was nothing short of spectacular. Seeing India through his lens offers a fresh perspective of the familiar. 'With over 100 pages of pure art, this collaboration has been so incredible that the May issue of Vogue India is undoubtedly a collector's special. Mario explained: 'Different elements of India have influenced my world and in turn this issue. It's the people, the art, the colours, the elephants and everything in between. 'I wanted to bring my world truly to this amazing nation, by shooting the issue in India. I wanted it to stay true to the Indian spirit.' To celebrate Testino's takeover of Vogue India's May issue, the renowned photographer is selling a limited edition print in support of local charity, Girl Rising India. See the full Mario Testino takeover in the May issue of Vogue India, on sale Thursday. She debuted her new hairstyle at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night. And Naomi Campbell continued to show off her sleek bob as she arrived at LAX airport on Tuesday. The supermodel, 46, rocked a casual cape ensemble and looked fresh-faced despite the previous night's festivities- thanks to her teetotal lifestyle. Scroll down for video Catwalk ready: Naomi Campbell continued to show off her sleek bob as she arrived at LAX airport on Tuesday Teaming her cream button-up poncho with a pair of Adidas joggers, she added height to her stature in a pair of wedged trainers. Letting her sleek new haircut take centre stage, she covered her stunning face with a pair of oversized sunglasses and added a choker to the mix. Accompanied by an entourage of helpers, the British model made her way out of the airport. Stunner: The supermodel, 46, rocked a casual cape ensemble and looked fresh-faced despite the previous night's festivities (as seen above at the Met Gala) - thanks to her teetotal lifestyle In January Naomi, who has a role in new Fox drama Stars, explained that her character is interesting to play as she has an alcohol addiction, unlike teetotal Naomi. 'It's challenging because I don't drink in real life and I have to be a little bit drunk all the time' she told the hosts. Naomi is one of the world's most iconic supermodels - having soaring to fame in the late eighties. Chic: Teaming her cream button-up poncho with a pair of Adidas joggers, she added height to her stature in a pair of wedged trainers Turning heads: Letting her sleek new haircut take centre stage, she covered her stunning face with a pair of oversized sunglasses and added a choker to the mix So it was no wonder that Naomi Campbell arrived on the arms of Edward Enninful, the new editor-in-chief of British Vogue, for the Metropolitan Museum of Art at New York's 5th Avenue for the star-studded Met Gala. The catwalk queen stunned in a striking black Azzedine Alaia gown which bared her enviably toned legs, while the OBE honouree flaunted his fashion credentials in a slick suit. In a sea full of celebrities, Naomi was sure to flaunt her style status in the sexy number which featured a matte black bodice before cinching in her waist with striking silver detailing. Style duo: Naomi Campbell arrived on the arms of Edward Enninful, the new editor-in-chief of British Vogue, for the Metropolitan Museum of Art at New York's 5th Avenue for the star-studded Met Gala on Monday night A soaring thigh-high split down one side allowed the photogenic star to exhibit her toned legs, which were boosted in towering black heels. Ensuring that the structured hemline of the eye-catching dress was a prime focus, Naomi opted to wear her glossy raven locks in a sleek centre-parted bob - complementing her immaculate make-up look. Edward, 44, also proved to be the perfect accessory, as he looked incredibly dapper in his fitted suit, which he teamed with a crisp white shirt. Feeling leggy: The supermodel, 46, stunned in a striking black Azzedine Alaia gown which bared her enviably toned pins Wow: In a sea full of celebrities, Naomi was sure to flaunt her style status in the sexy number which featured a matte black bodice before cinching in her waist with striking silver detailing Last month, Enninful, who hails from Ghana and is the son of a seamstress, was announced as the new editor of British Vogue, making him the first ever black male editor at the helm of the fashion bible. He will assume his role on August 1 and Conde Nast International chairman and chief executive, Jonathan Newhouse, says he is 'supremely prepared'. The theme of this year's Met Gala is Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons, with the focus being on the avant-garde designer's technique with silhouettes, draping and fit. The 74-year-old Japanese fashion legend is the second ever living designer to be the sole subject of the Met's fashion exhibit since Yves Saint Laurent in 1983. Pins on parade: A soaring thigh-high split down one side allowed the photogenic star to exhibit her toned legs, which were boosted in towering black heels Handsome: Edward, 44, also proved to be the perfect accessory, as he looked incredibly dapper in his fitted suit, which he teamed with a crisp white shirt The glitzy bash, formally known as the Costume Institute Gala, borrows its name from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the location for the annual NYC event. In 1946, the gala was launched, in a bid to raise money for the Mets Costume Institute. This year's lucrative fundraiser will see less that 600 glamorous attendees appear. Tickets market for up to $30,000, while tables cost $275,000. Guests must be personally approved by American Vogue editor and chairwoman of event, Anna Wintour, with former attendees including Madonna, Kim Kardashian, Anne Hathaway, Kanye West and Rihanna. She's one of the world's most high profile comedians, who often uses hysterical wordplay to highlight gender politics and bias. But Amy Schumer has been made the face of an inadvertent gynecological gaffe as NW Magazine have misspelled vagina in a headline splashed across the pages in this week's issue of the publication. While the stand-up star candidly addressed the 'controversy' surrounding the 'vajayjay talk' in her Netflix comedy show The Leather Special, it seems the magazine's sub-editors were a little less comfortable examining the subject closely. No 'I' in 'vagina': Amy Schumer has been made the face of an inadvertent gynaecological gaffe as NW Magazine have misspelled vagina in the headline splashed across the page Speaking to the magazine to promoter her new movie Snatched, the star was quickly asked to comment on the reaction by critics and online commenters. 'People make fun of female comics talking about their anatomy,' she said. 'It's like "Oh, I'm sorry I was born with a vagina."' 'I just talked about sex, my new relationship and what it's like to be a newly famous person in a new relationship trying to keep it sexy for the first year - and that's impossible.' Awkward!!! While the stand-up star candidly addressed the 'controversy' surrounding the 'vajayjay talk' in her Netflix comedy show The Leather Special, it seems the magazine's sub-editors were a little less comfortable examining the subject closely No filter, no spellcheck: The headline riffed on Amy's comment that 'People make fun of female comics talking about their anatomy,' she said. 'It's like "Oh, I'm sorry I was born with a vagina"' The interviewer was keen to riff on this theme, noting that 'you know what else was impossible? NW getting through this interview without breaking into fits of laughter.' Sadly the 'fits of laughter' have extended beyond the wit of the subject as the quote was reduced to 'I'm sorry I have a vagna' in massive text spread across the double page. 'Yep she really has no filter...' proclaimed the sub-heading, which possibly should have ended 'or spell check'. Better at word play: Speaking to the magazine to promoter her new movie Snatched, the star was quickly asked to comment on the reaction by critics and online commenters Accidental comedy: Sadly the 'fits of laughter' have extended beyond the wit of the subject as the quote was reduced to 'I'm sorry I have a vagna' in text spread across the double page Amy's comedy feature Snatched releases in May around the world, and sees her co-starring with her comedy hero Goldie Hawn. The Trainwreck star also spoke to NW about her boyfriend Ben Hanisch admitting that 'I mett him on a dating app and he is just nice and not a narcissist.' In good news for the magazine she also indicated she has a good sense of humour about herself, saying she keeps her awards 'in my laundry. 'You've got to stay humble.' Snatched ... or Sntched? Amy's comedy feature Snatched releases in May around the world, and sees her co-starring with her comedy hero Goldie Hawn Hr amzng byfrnd: The Trainwreck star also spoke to NW about her boyfriend Ben Hanisch admitting that 'I mett him on a dating app and he is just nice and not a narcissist' Matt Bomer came out as gay in 2012 while accepting his Steve Chase Humanitarian Award. However, the 39-year-old actor has just revealed how tough it really was for him and his family. Bomer's family didn't talk to him for 'six months' after he told them he was gay. Tough road: Matt Bomer came out as gay in 2012 while accepting his Steve Chase Humanitarian Award and now the 39-year-old actor has revealed how tough it really was for him and his family He admitted he wrote his parents a letter explaining his sexuality and received 'radio silence' from them for half a year before he finally got the courage to make a trip home to confront them. Bomer, who has been married to his husband Simon Hall since 2011, said: 'I wrote a letter to my parents. 'I would have lost my sense of direction if I tried to do it in person. There was radio silence for a long, long time, at least six months.' Long time: Bomer has been married to his husband Simon Hall since 2011 The White Collar actor revealed his trip home resulted in a 'huge fight' between himself and his parents, but once it was out of their systems they were able to learn 'how to love each other' once again. He added: 'We got that out of the way, and we got down to the business of figuring out how to love each other.' But Matt insists the healing process didn't happen over night, and it took 'years' before his family learned to accept him for who he is. Silence: He admitted he wrote his parents a letter explaining his sexuality and received 'radio silence' from them for half a year before he finally got the courage to make a trip home to confront them He said: 'I would say within a matter of years we started to figure it out. It was a struggle. It's a struggle for anybody to take their paradigms and set of beliefs and understandings and completely flip the script. So I'm empathetic toward everyone.' And the Magic Mike actor insists he now wants to help inspire people in his position to start the conversation with their family. He told OUT magazine: 'I'm here to tell people it can get better. Because I had so many people in my life saying, "You need to get rid of all expectations you need to cut them out." But I was like, "They're my family."' She revealed last week that she worked as a phone sex operator before landing her breakthrough role in Precious. And Gabourey Sidibe has bravely spoken about having suicidal thoughts as she struggled with her mental health, before she hit the big time. The actress - who turns 34 on Saturday - has revealed in her newly released autobiography This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare, that she was finally diagnosed with depression and bulimia after it came to a head when she was at college. Depression: Gabourey Sidibe has bravely spoken about having suicidal thoughts as she struggled with her mental health, before she hit the big time In the memoir, the New York native reveals that in addition to suffering panic attacks, she stopped eating, sometimes for days at a time. 'Often, when I was too sad to stop crying, I drank a glass of water and ate a slice of bread, and then I threw it up,' Sidibe writes. 'After I did, I wasnt as sad anymore; I finally relaxed. So I never ate anything, until I wanted to throw up - and only when I did could I distract myself from whatever thought was swirling around my head. 'I found a doctor and told her everything that was wrong with me. Id never run down the entire list before, but as I heard myself, I could sense that dealing with this on my own was definitely no longer an option. 'The doctor asked me if I wanted to kill myself. I said, "Meh, not yet. But when I do, I know how Ill do it." I wasnt afraid to die, and if there was a button I couldve pushed to erase my existence from earth, I would have pushed it because it would have been easier and less messy than offing myself. According to the doctor, that was enough.' Tough times: The actress - who turns 34 on Saturday - has revealed in her newly released autobiography This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare, that she was finally diagnosed with depression and bulimia after it came to a head when she was at college After her initial diagnosis, Sidibe says that she was prescribed an antidepressant and went to therapy. The Academy Award nominee extolled the virtues of under-going therapy. 'Heres the thing about therapy and why its so important. I love my mom, but theres so much I couldnt talk to her about during my Hoe Phase. I couldnt tell her that I couldnt stop crying and that I hated everything about myself,' she writes. 'Whenever I did try to open up, my mom seemed unconcerned. When I was sad about something, she told me to "get a thicker skin." When I was upset, she told me to "stop nitpicking." My mom has always had faith that things would be okay, but saying "tomorrow will be a better day" wasnt enough for me. 'When I first told her I was depressed, she laughed at me. Literally. Not because shes a terrible person, but because she thought it was a joke. '[She wondered] How could I not be able to feel better on my own, like her, like her friends, like normal people? So I just kept thinking my sad thoughts thoughts about dying,' Sidibe continues in the book. Frank account: In the memoir, the New York native reveals that in addition to suffering panic attacks, she stopped eating, sometimes for days at a time She says she became resigned to feeling that way: 'I just accepted depression as something thats part of my anatomy; its part of my chemistry, its part of my biology. When its too big for me to just turn around on my own, I see a therapist. I see a therapist anyway. We all should see a therapist. If only for the hour a week that you can talk about yourself and not worry about monopolizing the conversation? F-ing do it, its worth it!' Gabby skyrocketed to international fame in 2009 when she played the leading role in Lee Daniels' acclaimed movie Precious. Of her career in phone-sex, she describes it as 'degrading.' 'I was 21, couldnt afford to go to school, and couldnt get a job,' she begins. The Empire actress went on to explain that a discussion with her therapist at the time led to her suggesting telemarketing, but Gabourey writes all she heard was 'sex worker'. Acting: The star hit the big time when she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Precious (pictured May 2 in NYC) She then landed an interview at a phone sex office, which she describes as surprisingly 'normal-looking'. 'We learned that phone sex isnt about getting the caller off; its about stalling so you can make money,' she confesses. 'A good talker makes the caller forget hes paying to talk to you. She makes her answers as long as possible to keep the money rolling in.' But Gabourey admits her first day on the job did not go well. 'I had no idea what to say! I was 21 years old!' she writes, saying she was given the pseudonym 'Becky'. 'I wasnt a virgin, but I certainly wasnt some hot and horny temptress who knew what to do with that hard c*ck. I didnt know what to do with it in person, and I didnt know what to do with it in a white-male fantasy. I mean, damn!' And despite her less than wholesome beginnings, the talented star admits she's had worse jobs in acting. 'Ive had acting roles that I felt demeaned me as much if not more than the phone sex calls,' she writes. He has - easily - the best hair out of any Hollywood star, male or female. And it turns out Bobby Cannavale's fabulous locks are no accident either. The 46-year-old revealed just how much work he puts into his tresses in a funny short film he made with John Turturro for the Tribeca Film Festival. 'I need my guy!' Bobby Cannavale and John Turturro poke fun at well-groomed men in their Tribeca short film Hair Fittingly titled Hair, the rag & bone Films unscripted short sees the two actors meeting in a Brooklyn barbershop.... with Cannavale frantic because he hasn't got his normal hairdresser. 'I can't just have anybody doing my hair!' he frets to a much calmer Turturro who's having his hair washed. 'I thought that the whole thematic undertone of this film thing was about hair, and a man's particularness about his own hair... and I need my guy! He continues: 'They don't understand John, they're not artists like you and me. I need my hair done a certain way so I can get into character.' 'They're not artists like you and me:' Fittingly titled Hair, the rag & bone Films unscripted short sees the two actors meeting in a Brooklyn barbershop.... with Cannavale frantic because he hasn't got his normal hairdresser. Frantic: 'I can't just have anybody doing my hair!' he frets to a much calmer Turturro who's having his hair washed He explains that he has to use an 'ionic hairdryer' even though he doesn't know what that means, and that it causes the power in his house to black out. Whether in or breaking character, Turturro cracks up throughout, as the two discuss how Al Pacino and Christopher Walken play with their hair as an acting method, and how Cannavale no longer has hair on his legs from wearing skinny jeans. Turturro then listens straight-faced as his co-star explains how early man went from walking on all fours to upright, because they were constantly throwing their hair back out of their faces. Perfect: He explains that he has to use an 'ionic hairdryer' even though he doesn't know what that means, and that it causes the power in his house to black out Topical: Whether in or breaking character, Turturro cracks up throughout, as the two discuss how Al Pacino and Christopher Walken play with their hair as an acting method, and how Cannavale no longer has hair on his legs from wearing skinny jeans 'Its a short little comedy about mens vanity,' Turturro revealed in a making-of clip, adding he chose long-time friend Cannavale because they are "both obsessed a little bit with [their] hair." 'I love it, they're so close. They've got such a good friendship and work relationship,' Cannavale's partner Rose Byrne told People at the Festival. 'It's so cute, it's a really fun movie.' Turturro has directed Cannavale before in 2005's Romance and Cigarettes, and will again in the upcoming Big Lebowski spin-off Going Places, in which he reprises his role as bowling sexual miscreant, The Jesus Quintana. She's recently alleged she was 'dating' the Human Ken Doll. And Chloe Khan was unaccompanied by her supposed new man on Tuesday when she stepped out in style on Tuesday night, partying at Sexy Fish Restaurant in London. The buxom CBB beauty almost spilled out of her nude one-piece, which clung to her every curve, just a few days after putting on a very tactile display with the plastic surgery loving star. Scroll down for video Flying solo: Chloe Khan stepped out in style on Tuesday night, partying at Sexy Fish Restaurant in London... following her claims she's been dating the Human Ken Doll Chloe ensured her eye-popping 32HH assets were on full display in the low-cut one-piece, teasing a glimpse of her sizable curves. The brunette beauty stuck to a nude colour palette, slinging a beige coat with a faux fur trim over her shoulders. She carried a large, coordinating handbag and pulled her look together with a large choker. Sealed with a kiss: Chloe's outing comes just a few days after putting on a very tactile display with the plastic surgery loving star Busty: Chloe ensured her eye-popping 32HH assets were on full display in the low-cut one-piece, teasing a glimpse of her sizable curves Chloe was recently seen smooching the Human Ken Doll, aka Rodrigo Alves, famed for his extensive plastic surgery work. However, some onlookers queried whether the PDA could be a publicity stunt following her recent split from boyfriend Ashley Cain. She told OK! Online: 'I love my little Roddy! At the moment we're just having some fun, so let's take it day by day and see where it leads. 'We spend a lot of time together at the moment because we cant stand being away from each other too long, even though we're both super-busy with all of our work.' Glamorous: The brunette beauty stuck to a nude colour palette, slinging a beige coat with a faux fur trim over her shoulders Chloe has been open about her love of plastic surgery, and recently revealed she has splashed out roughly 50,000 on cosmetic procedures. Speaking to new! magazine, the Playboy playmate explained: 'In my circles, surgery isnt weird. Its like going for dinner! 'I love looking like a Barbie and being out of proportion.' PDA: Some onlookers queried whether the PDA could be a publicity stunt following her recent split from boyfriend Ashley Cain She added: 'Ive spent about 20,000 on my boobs, 9,000 on my nose, 8,500 on veneers, and my lips were another 10,000 - so about 50,000 in total.' Someone who could relate to her would be Rodrigo - known widely as the Human Ken Doll. The Brazilian socialite and TV personality has spent 400,000 on plastic surgery in recent years, and accentuated his enhanced features with a heavy application of make-up for his night out. Rodrigo, who was joined by Big Brother's Chelsea Singh and Hollyoaks star Fabrizio Santino on the night, ensured he would stand out at the bash as he donned a pure gold jacket with black lapels and Cristian Louboutin loafers. Brad Pitt is making his comeback after a stressful past year. The 53-year-old actor graced the cover of US GQ Style magazine, the first time he has appeared on the cover of any magazine since his split with Angelina Jolie last August. The actor appeared on three different covers for the magazine, gazing soulfully at the camera in each one. First cover shoot! Brad Pitt, 53, graced the cover of US GQ Style magazine, the first time he has appeared on the cover of any magazine since his split with Angelina Jolie last August Poignant eyes: The actor appeared on three different covers for the magazine, gazing soulfully at the camera in each one His piercing blue eyes are the focal point of each cover and the actor isn't smiling in any of the three cover photos. The interview, which has not yet been released, is the first since his split with estranged wife Angelina. Brad and photographer Ryan McGinley travel to White Sands National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and Everglades National Park and the photos are a result of that trip. Talking love and loss: The interview, which has not yet been released, is the first since his split He then sits down for a personal interview, which GQ describes as a 'raw and reflective' conversation about 'love, loss, fatherhood, and how to move forward after things fall apart.' But it does appear as if things are improving between him and his family as it was reported last week that his six children stayed with him at his Los Feliz home in Los Angeles for the first time in seven months. The Fury star welcomed Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins, Vivienne and Knox along with their two nannies for the weekend. The 53-year-old and the kids 'had a family dinner around the table, which Brad truly enjoyed,' a source told In Touch Weekly last Wednesday. 'It was total chaos, as the kids all wanted to eat different things, and Brad was grateful to have a chef who accommodated all of their requests,' the insider dished. Angelina, 41, insisted the nannies joined the children, according to the insider, 'because she is the one with sole physical custody of the children. Brad has no need to have his own nannies right now.' It was also recommended by the family therapist. Building relationship: The Fury star welcomed Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins, Vivienne and Knox along with their two nannies for the weekend Last month, a source also told ET that Brad had been speaking directly to his estranged wife about doing what's best for their children. 'It's still in the process of being resolved,' the source said of the couple's divorce, ending 11 years together, noting that they are making progress privately. 'Brad knows Angelina is a really good mom.' The couple recently agreed to resolve their divorce and custody dispute in private. They said in a joint statement at the time that they had engaged 'a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions and to facilitate the expeditious resolution of any remaining issues.' Back in February, Angelina opened up about the divorce for the first time to BBC News while in Cambodia promoting her latest film. Lena Dunham is said to be 'recuperating at home' following her unexpected trip to the emergency room following Monday night's Met Gala. The Golden Globe winner - who turns 31 next week - was forced to leave the Comme des Garcons-themed Costume Institute Ball due to complications from her endometriosis, according to People. It was hours before the Girls creator and star mingled with celebrities while clad in a single-strapped red-plaid Elizabeth Kennedy ball gown selected by her stylist Cristina Ehrlich. Convalescing: Lena Dunham is said to be 'recuperating at home' following her unexpected trip to the emergency room following Monday night's Met Gala Lena's health scare came less than a month after she underwent her fifth surgery for the painful condition, which causes tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside it. 'My surgery went off without a hitch,' Dunham wrote in her Lenny Letter. 'When I emerged, cotton-mouthed, [Dr. Randy Harris] told me something I hadn't expected to hear, maybe ever: there was no endometriosis left. Between my surgeries and hormonal intervention, I was disease-free. Scary: The Golden Globe winner - who turns 31 next week - was forced to leave the Comme des Garcons-themed Costume Institute Ball due to complications from her endometriosis 'From Dorothy in the Emerald City to Chic Steve Urkel': It was hours before the Girls creator and star mingled with celebrities while clad in a single-strapped red-plaid Elizabeth Kennedy ball gown selected by her stylist Cristina Ehrlich Ouch: Lena's health scare came less than a month after she underwent her fifth surgery for the painful condition, which causes tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside it Dunham wrote in her Lenny Letter: '[Dr. Randy Harris] told me something I hadn't expected to hear, maybe ever: there was no endometriosis left. Between my surgeries and hormonal intervention, I was disease- free' 'That doesn't mean it can never return, but for now, once my sutures have been removed and my bruises have changed from blue to yellow to green to gone, I will be healthy.' The My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea actress will kick off her Lenny America IRL Tour with nine other ladies, including Girls co-creator Jenni Konner, on May 31 in St. Louis. But it's unclear when HBO will air Lena's last directorial effort - a 1963-set feminist sitcom pilot called Max - which was supposed to star Peter Fonda, Cary Elwes, and Zoe Kazan. Hitting the road? The My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea actress will kick off her Lenny America IRL Tour with nine other ladies, including Girls co-creator Jenni Konner, on May 31 in St. Louis She is fresh off of a wild trip to Mexico with sister Kim and a gaggle of girlfriends to celebrate her 38th birthday. And on Tuesday, Kourtney Kardashian made sure to wear her largest sunglasses by RAEN for a trip to a skincare clinic. The mother-of-three showed off her fit and tanned body in a simple white tank top and very ripped denim jeans. Ripped and tanned: Kourtney Kardashian wore destroyed denim to visit the skin doctor in Beverly Hills She carried a black and red Louis Vuitton backpack to hold all of her essentials in. Her long, dark locks were worn straight and loose as she played with her tresses. The reality star posted a video of her working out with a girlfriend to Snapchat earlier in the same day. Kasual Kourt: The reality star carried a black Louis Vuitton backpack and wore sunglasses by RAEN On Sunday night's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney's relationship with ex Scott Disick takes center stage. Scott, who has three children with Kourtney, expresses that he's upset that she has begun dating again, even though they have been broken up for two years. 'This is probably the worst thing I could ever hear, ever,' Scott says to camera. Birthday suit: The eldest Kardashian daughter posted this cheeky pic while celebrating her 38th birthday in Mexico They broke up over his issues with sobriety, but he has gone to rehab to attempt to win Kourtney back. After hearing about his ex being spotted on a date by a friend of his, Scott goes out to party while in Dubai attending a promotional appearance. The next day, Kim, who was also in Dubai for a makeup demonstration, visit's Scott's hotel room and finds a purse in the living room. Ex marks the spot: On Sunday's Keeping Up With The Kardashian, Kourtney's ex Scott Disick finds out Kourtney is dating again and says 'This is probably the worst thing I could ever hear' Kim then becomes determined to find the woman the purse belongs to, blasting her as a 'groupie' and a 'whore.' When the episode aired Sunday, Kourtney tweeted along with fans. 'I didn't ask anyone to get mad but that's her natural reaction and it woulda been mine too,' she said of Kim's confrontation. She is said to be lying low after pictures emerged of her passionately kissing her ex-boyfriend, Nabil Gazal over the weekend. But Roxy Jacenko was grabbing attention on social media on Wednesday, posting a racy snap from the gym. The 36-year-old showed off her extreme cleavage in very revealing active wear during a workout. Scroll down for video Trying to get someone's attention? Roxy Jacenko was grabbing attention on social media on Wednesday, posting a racy snap from the gym The blonde beauty took a walk on the wild side with her selection of attire, opting for a sexy printed two-piece from Lorna Jane. Her cleavage was hard to miss in the snap, as she put her buff biceps to good use in a series of planks. Despite the sweaty workout, Roxy was glammed up, her blonde tresses coiffed in tumbling waves and she appeared to be wearing a light application of makeup. Meanwhile, the PR maven 'conveniently postponed' one of the events her company was promoting after kissing shots of her and her ex-boyfriend Nabil emerged. That kiss: Saturday night saw the Sydney-based star kissing her ex Nabil, a property developer, at a post-dinner party held at his luxury apartment Speculation: Meanwhile, Roxy reportedly cancelled an event her company was pushing scheduled for Tuesday evening The Daily Telegraph reports a Sweaty Betty employee blamed Tuesday's cancellation on a lack of produce. The unnamed employee told the publication on Monday: 'Due to the stocks not clearing customs in time for tomorrow's tasting, we have just been advised that we will need to postpone the event scheduled for tomorrow,' with the event to be held at Barangaroo's French Vine. Instead, Roxy enjoyed a low-key dinner with her children, Pixie and Hunter, her mother Doreen, and some friends on Tuesday evening. Doreen took to Instagram to share a snap of the dinner table, with Roxy clad in her exercise gear which she was pictured wearing in Sydney's Paddington earlier that day. Relaxed: Instead, Roxy enjoyed a low-key dinner with her children, Pixie and Hunter, her mother Doreen, and some friends on Tuesday evening Saturday night saw the Sydney-based star kissing her ex Nabil, a property developer, at a post-dinner party held at his luxury apartment. The sensational snaps obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia, saw Roxy in an intimate embrace with Nabil after the pair enjoyed dinner with friends earlier in the evening. Not concerned at hiding any affection, fellow revelers inside the apartment could be seen looking on as Roxy and Nabil leaned in to kiss. Making headlines: Saturday night saw the Sydney-based star kissing Nabil, a property developer, at a post-dinner party held at his luxury apartment 'This was no one off friendly kiss,' the snapper, who took the pictures, told Daily Mail Australia. 'It was a passionate long lingering snog.' 'Whatever the history, these two are obviously still into each other. 'If you're suggesting it was merely a little kiss between friends then I wish I had friend like that.' According to the photographer, Roxy was there until the early hours of the morning and he did not see her leave the premises. Family: Roxy is married to jailed husband Oliver Curtis (pictured) Roxy declined to comment on the pictures when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. Earlier in the evening, Roxy and Nabil were seen with a group of friends dining at Bar Machiaveli, an upmarket restaurant in Sydney's exclusive Rushcutters Bay. Noticeably absent on Roxy's left hand wedding finger was her wedding and engagement rings from husband Oliver. She did however wear a diamond band on her right hand, which is widely rumoured to be from Nabil. Roxy has denied the bling is from her former beau. The dinner date was the latest in a series of catch-ups Roxy and her former flame have had since husband Oliver Curtis was jailed last June, for conspiracy to commit insider trading. She made headlines last month with her twerking skills in the music video for Mo Bounce. And Iggy Azalea has wasted no time in promoting her upcoming album, teasing the release date for her next single Switch, that sees her team up with busty Brazilian artist Anitta. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the 26-year-old sizzled in the track's cover art, flaunting her ample cleavage in a skimpy swimsuit. Scroll down for video She's got some front! Iggy Azalea, 26, flaunted her ample cleavage in a skimpy swimsuit in the cover art for her upcoming single Switch, as she announced the track's release date Iggy simply captioned the cover art on Twitter with the track's release date, 'May 19'. The visual sees the Aussie rapper flaunting her curvaceous frame in a high-cut burgundy one-piece. A skimpy design shows off Iggy's ample cleavage and offers just a glimpse of her shapely legs. Teaming up: Switch will see Iggy team up with busty Brazilian songstress Anitta, real name Larissa de Macedo Machado, 24 Garnering attention: Despite being relatively unknown in the States, Anitta is a hitmaker in her native country, having performed at the 2016 Olympics The Sydney-born star's long blonde locks are styled straight and in a middle parting, effortlessly framing her face that's defined with a glamorous makeup palette. Defined brows, a smoky eye, contoured cheekbones and nude lipstick over her very plump pout finishes off Iggy's look. Switch will see Iggy team up with busty Brazilian songstress Anitta, real name Larissa de Macedo Machado. Hitmaker: The sultry brunette has also landed eight tracks in the top 10 charts Svelte: Anitta often flaunts her enviable figure in social media snaps Despite being relatively unknown in the States, the 24-year-old is a hitmaker in her native country, having performed at the 2016 Olympics. The sultry brunette has also landed eight tracks in the top 10 charts. Numerous snaps on Anitta's Instagram account sees the personality flaunting her shapely derriere and generous bust in scantily-clad attire. About to bust out: Switch will be the second track off Iggy's upcoming album, Digital Distortion, slated for release later this year She's not shy: Iggy's latest track Mo Bounce sees the Aussie rapper show off her twerking skills in scantily-clad attire Switch will be the second track off Iggy's upcoming album, Digital Distortion, slated for release later this year. The blonde revealed to Nova's Fitzy & Wippa earlier this month, that she would like to organise an Australian tour. 'We are talking about doing a tour in Australia, because I haven't actually had my own tour out here except when I opened for Beyonce,' she said. She shot to fame on MIC before establishing her successful swimwear range. And Kimberley Garner proved she is her own best advertisement as she sizzled in the latest collection from her eponymous designs - with the main look being a sexy sports-inspired two-piece, snapped on an idyllic beach. The 27-year-old fashionista showed off every inch of her envy-inducing frame in the incredible images taken in Miami for the perfect setting. Scroll down for video Stunning: Kimberley Garner proved she is her own best advertisement as she sizzled in the latest collection from her eponymous designs - with the main look being a sexy sports-inspired look, shot in a smouldering shots on an idyllic beach Kimberley joined Made In Chelsea in March 2012 before departing the following November, as she featured in some extremely tumultuous storylines. As she continues to promote her super-successful swimwear range, the stunning star puts her own good looks to fantastic use as she displayed her lithe frame. The white top to her two-piece was high-necked and halterneck with a sporty feel while the back was attached with one of her trademark gold adornments. On her bottom half she sported perilously low-cut bottoms which made the most of her taut abs with the back displaying her incredibly peachy posterior. Sizzling: The 27-year-old fashionista showed off every inch of her envy-inducing frame in the incredible images snapped in Miami for the perfect setting Cheeky! Kimberley joined Made In Chelsea in March 2012 before departing the following November, as she featured in some extremely tumultuous storylines Perky! As she continues to promote her super-successful swimwear range, the stunning star puts her own good looks to fantastic use as she displayed her lithe frame Kimberley's sun-kissed tan helped let the bikini stand out on her stunning figure while she wore her blonde tresses in loose waves which billowed in the sea breeze. To add to the beach vibes, she wore a bronze-coloured smokey eye with lashings of bronzer and a shimmering lip gloss to highlight her plump pout. Kimberley hasn't appeared on MIC since its third season, where she was seen causing a stir amongst the likes of Spencer Matthews, Jamie Laing and Richard Dinan. Glowing: Kimberley's sun-kissed tan helped let the bikini stand out on her stunning figure while she wore her blonde tresses in loose waves which billowed in the sea breeze Shocker: Kimberley hasn't appeared on MIC since its third season, where she was seen causing a stir amongst the likes of Spencer Matthews, Jamie Laing and Richard Dinan Chic: Ollie Locke, Binky Felstead and Cheska Hull ended up tagging along, which resulted in an almighty tiff between Cheska and Kimberley over Richard Eventually she and Richard became a couple, with the businessman whisking Kimberley off on romantic dates and eventually a holiday to Italy. Ollie Locke, Binky Felstead and Cheska Hull ended up tagging along, which resulted in an almighty tiff between Cheska and Kimberley over Richard. Kimberley didn't return to the show for the fourth season and hasn't featured since. Beauty: To add to the beach vibes, she wore a bronze-coloured smokey eye with lashings of bronzer and a shimmering lip gloss to highlight her plump pout Taut abs: Ollie Locke, Binky Felstead and Cheska Hull ended up tagging along, which resulted in an almighty tiff between Cheska and Kimberley over Richard Nigel Farage seems to have finally found himself a new party since leaving Ukip - after he was photographed drinking with Z-listers at Lizzie Cundy's birthday bash. The former Ukip leader was seen rubbing shoulders with several TV and reality stars during the night-out at London's trendy Chi Kitchen. He formed an unlikely pair with former WAG and birthday girl Cundy, 53, who revealed that Farage joined her for the night as he wanted to 'let his hair down'. She added that the politician felt 'down' following allegations of a romp with a glamour model on a flight back from the US. Scroll down for video Beaming: Lizzie Cundy no doubt left her birthday bash attendees in shock as politician Nigel Farage arrived at her party on Tuesday night where the duo were seen enjoying a raucous laugh throughout the festivities at London's Chi Kitchen Dashing: Beaming Nigel looked suave in a charcoal suit and patterned tie as he clutched a drink in his hand while he giggled away with his new found pal Way back when! Lizzie and Nigel were first spotted together in May last year at the premiere of the documentary Brexit: The Movie, where Lizzie once again glammed it up in a white gown while sporting a fascinator styled with the Union Flag Having a laugh! Nigel posed with alongside a kooky guest within the event Other guests to turn up included one-time TOWIE star Pascal Craymer, Apprentice reject Jessica Cunningham and Simon Cowell's ex Jackie St Clair. Speaking to MailOnline, Lizzie revealed that her and Farage have become friends after attending several parties together, including the launch of Brexit: The Movie. The pair met at the premiere of the documentary - a crowdfunded film advocating Britain's departure from the European Union - back in May. Lizzie revealed: 'Farage just wanted to let his hair down. 'I know Nigel from various events and went to the Brexit The Movie and went for drinks after. He liked my sense of humour.' The politician's appearance at the bash comes shortly after he was forced to deny a glamour model's claims that they kissed and groped on a transatlantic flight. Farage was flying back from Atlanta, Georgia, to celebrate Article 50 being triggered when he found himself sat opposite 30-year-old Valerie Fox. According to The Sun, the model had told a friend that the pair had their hands all over each other and had to stop themselves from joining the Mile High Club. But Nigel has vehemently denied the allegations, saying that he rejected her when she launched herself at him in the upper class section of the Virgin Atlantic flight. Let them eat cake! The stunning star brandished her cake joyously Sizzling: The former WAG left very little to the imagination in a sheer gown as she lived it up with the 53-year-old, who she revealed to MailOnline 'likes her sense of humour', leading to their unlikely friendship Huh!? Lizzie invited the Creme de la Creme of London's social scene to her bash, yet she was determined to stand out among her cohorts as she sizzled in her gold gown which flaunted every bit of her body Not appropriate for the House Of Commons... One-time TOWIE star Pascal Craymer was certainly not Conservative in her entirely sheer ensemble All the stars! Ola Jordan (left), formerly of Strictly Come Dancing fame, sizzled in a barely-there mini while Jessica Cunningham (right) opted for raunchy mini Denying the groping claims, he said: 'Not in that way at all. There was advances very much in one direction that were rejected. I saw what was going on and walked away.' He confirmed that he was sat opposite Ms Fox and that they were locked in conversation for a short period, but their interaction went no further. 'It's all a set up, isn't it,' he added. Lizzie seemed determined to stand out among her cohorts as she sizzled in her gold gown which flaunted every bit of her body. The sheer number clearly illustrated the fact she was braless underneath as her perky cleavage was just about masked by strategic appliques. Her appliques extended down to her bottom half also, as she flashed from beneath the sheer material to best show off her toned and tanned legs. All the greats! Jo Wood was also injecting glamour into proceedings Sexy stuff: The sheer number clearly illustrated the fact she was braless underneath as her perky cleavage was just about masked by strategic appliques Pals? Speaking to MailOnline about their bizarre union, Lizzie said: 'I know Nigel from various events and went to the Brexit The Movie and we went for drinks after. He liked my sense of humour!' Shock! While Lizzie's new friendship will no doubt cause stirs, she recently stunned when she revealed she always keeps a razor in her bag in case of emergencies Never one to turn her back on glamour, Lizzie injected a touch of designer cool into the ensemble with her staggering peep toe heels which boosted her height and lengthened her legs, while she also clutched an Yves Saint Laurent handbag. Her extension-enhanced tresses were worn in long straight lengths with a sweeping side fringe tickling her eyes in length to add to the glossy finish. Naturally her make-up was perfectly applied with her eyes drawn out with an expertly applied smokey eye and her lips boosted with the help of a slick of glossy lipstick. Her tan was glowing to complement her golden dress. While many stars were stepping out to help ring in the big day, it was Nigel who was the shock guest as he is not typically seen on the showbiz party circuit. Strutting her stuff: As she walked down the street she proved all eyes were truly on her She recently claimed she wasnt posh enough to land prominent acting roles at the start of what has proved to be a hugely successful acting career. But Gemma Artertons elegant surroundings were worlds away from her working class roots as she made an appearance at Mayfair restaurant Scotts on Tuesday evening. The former Bond girl, 31, caught the eye in a thigh-skimming floral minidress while making her way inside the upmarket seafood eatery a favourite of billionaire art dealer Charles Saatchi. Scroll down for video Blooming lovely: Gemma Arterton caught the eye in a thigh-skimming floral minidress as she arrived at Mayfair fish restaurant Scott's on Tuesday evening With a distinctive sheer mesh detail the outfit ensured Gemma commanded attention as she joined comedians David Walliams, Jack Whitehall and models Arizona Haze and Erin O'Connor at the West London restaurant. Strappy peep toe heels added to the look, while a tasteful lime green clutch gave the ensemble an added splash of colour. Evidently in high spirits, the British star beamed at onlookers while being led back to her car following an evening meal later that night. Here she comes: With a distinctive sheer mesh detail the outfit ensured Gemma commanded attention Upbeat: Gemma appeared to be in high spirits as she made her entrance at the West London venue Tasteful: Strappy peep toe heels added to her look, while a tasteful lime green clutch gave the ensemble an added splash of colour The award-winning actress - who shot to fame thanks to her role in big-budget 2008 Bond movie Quantum Of Solace recently claimed her career suffered in the past because she is 'not posh enough' to play certain roles. Speaking in an interview with the Irish Times newspaper, Gemma explained: 'I can only speak from my personal experience. There have definitely been times when I have not got jobs because it was thought I was not posh enough. I know that.' The Their Finest star acknowledged the idea can be overplayed at times, pointing out that some actors from working-class backgrounds simply wish to steer clear of playing 'posh' characters. In good company: Models Arizona Muse and Erin O'Connor joined Gemma at Scott's on Tuesday evening She's pleased: The actress beamed as she made her way out of the restaurant later that night Obstacles: The award-winning actress - who shot to fame thanks to her role in big-budget 2008 Bond movie Quantum Of Solace recently claimed her career suffered in the past because she is 'not posh enough' to play certain roles 'I think maybe it is a bit of a myth', she added. 'Don't forget that actors choose. Not all actors want to play posh.' The Gravesend born star said she prefers stage to film work, despite the eye-watering salaries on offer for high-profile movie roles. 'The theatre has always been my first love,' Gemma explained. 'I just love it. I love to be able to go out and just do a play. I like to be able to tell a whole story and have it be a little different every night. That's why I became an actor.' Night out: David Walliams and Jack Whitehall also paid a visit to Scott's Caitlyn Jenner arrived at the Los Angeles Times Ideas Exchange to talk about her new memoir. The former Olympian, 67, wore a bright orange dress and a leather jacket as she sat down to discuss her new book. She styled her brown tresses in big waves and a side parting for the day. Getting candid: Caitlyn Jenner arrived at the Los Angeles Times Ideas Exchange to talk about her new memoir All ears: The former Olympian, 67, wore a bright orange dress and a leather jacket as she sat down to discuss her new book She also made sure to contour her face and add a touch of lip gloss and mascara. Her new book has been a hot topic of late and it has certainly caused riffs with the Kardashian and Jenner clan. Meanwhile the Jenner's are experiencing their own dramas. Simple: She styled her brown tresses in big waves and a side parting for the day The whole thing: She also made sure to contour her face and add a touch of lip gloss and mascara Touchy subject: Her new book has been a hot topic of late and it has certainly caused riffs with the Kardashian and Jenner clan Kendall Jenner lost patience with her father Caitlyn over her obsession with her little sister Kylie during Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. 'You talk about it a lot. I am here. I am not good enough?' Kendall, 21, asked her as she admitted Caitlyn was hurting her feelings. Caitlyn earlier organized a trip to buy horses for Kendall and Kylie after building a barn to encourage them to visit her more often at her Malibu home. Bold colour: Caitlyn decided to go for an eye catching orange Taking tips from Kim? She also accessorized with a leather jacket KUWTK: She also appeared on the latest episode of the E! reality drama 'I am excited that the ball is rolling and we can start riding again,' said Kendall. Kylie stood up Caitlyn but stalwart daughter Kendall arrived at the meeting to look at horses to buy and immediately jumped atop a horse and started galloping around. Kendall sweetly asked her father to take a picture of her on the horse, but she instead fielded a call from Kylie who bailed out of the meet up. Kylie said she couldn't make it and blamed her skipping out on gatherings by saying that she was 'working every single day'. Chic shoes: She added a pair of black heels to complete her look Feelings hurt: Kendall Jenner was hurt over father Caitlyn obsessing over her younger sister Kylie during Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians Shocked reaction: Caitlyn was shocked when Kendall called her out for complaining about Kylie Good times: Kendall earlier met up with Caitlyn to look at horses to buy On the phone: Caitlyn ignored Kendall to field a call from Kylie Kendall then rode away ignoring Caitlyn as she called out her name. 'I get my dad missing hanging out with Kylie but I do make an effort to meet up and hang out with her. She is just obsessing over Kylie and ruining the time we are spending together,' Kendall said. The top model later shared her emotions after Caitlyn again moaned about not seeing Kylie. Riding around: Kendall immediately jumped on a horse and started galloping around Taking off: Caitlyn called out to Kendall who ignored her and rode off 'You keep complaining and it is making me not even want to be around you,' Kendall told her as she said she was done 'bottling up' her feelings. Caitlyn apologized and told her she thought she would be able to help in her relationship with Kylie. 'I get pretty insecure at times with all the kids and everything I have been through. Even with all my insecurities you have always been there for me and I appreciate that,' Caitlyn told her. Candid conversation: Caitlyn apologized to Kendall after she opened up about her feelings Stalwart daughter: Kendall was told by Caitlyn that her support was appreciated Kendall told the cameras she appreciated Caitlyn acknowledging the situation. 'She has had a little bit of a struggle bonding with all of the kids and I appreciate her opening up,' said Kendall. Kim Kardashian also brazenly confronted a 'tramp' that Scott Disick brought to his Dubai hotel room on the latest episode titled Guilt Trip. Hot drinks: The top model revealed that she gets the hiccups after drinking hot beverages The 36-year-old reality star found the 'groupie' hiding in the bathroom of Scott's suite and told the 'whore' she was having her booted out by security. The drama unfolded as Scott relapsed with alcohol as he was told by a friend that Kourtney was 'hooking up' with someone in Los Angeles. Kim discovered the girl after returning to the hotel from her comeback make-up event. Good eye: Kim's assistant Stephanie Sheppard noticed a black purse and questioned its ownership On it: Stephanie was on it immediately and Kim's own intuition soon kicked in 'What the f***, this cannot be. Something is up, Scott is pacing, something came over me, like Scott has a girl hiding somewhere and we are going to find her,' she said. Kim then asked if she could go into Scott's room to take a picture with the aquarium and Scott could be heard off camera whispering to a producer 'There's a girl downstairs.' 'I'm gonna have a heart attack. This is going to be really awkward,' Scott said. Cardiac arrest: Scott Disick said that he was going to have a heart attack as Kim started searching In Scott's suite Kim found that the bathroom was locked as Kim shouted she was going to kick down the door to find 'what f***ing whore is in there.' 'The bathroom is locked and I'm not f***ing stupid,' Kim yelled so Scott could hear her. Kim then burst into the bathroom and found the girl hiding in the toilet. Bathroom bust: Kim busted into the bathroom to confront the 'groupie' 'What the f*** are you doing here? Seriously you are just like a whore, such a tramp. Get your things and get the f*** out of here. F***ing groupie. Get your things and security will escort you the f*** out of here.' And in clips from next week's episode on the group trip to Costa Rica the family confronts Scott about bringing another girl with him. The episode began with Kris jokingly showing off her bondage bondage skills by tying Scott's hands together with a silky '50 Shades of Grey' restraint. Calling security: The mother of two told the groupie that she was calling security to have her kicked out Scott told Kim and Khloe that he and Kourtney had enjoyed their trip to Aspen, and that she had even wanted to go to dinner without the kids. 'Kourtney and I have been spending a lot more time together so i decided to take her and the kids to Aspen and she agreed to go, so for me that is a big thing,' he said. Scott told the girls it was the first trip in a long time when they had 'felt like a family' and it reminded him of 'the old days.' Tied up: Kris Jenner tied up Scott with some bondage gear early in the episode Big spread: Scott was greeted by Kim and a large food spread at the hotel in Dubai 'I am happy,' he told them. 'I feel that all Kourtney ever wanted from me was to be sober and healthy and just be there to take care of my family. I have been really present and not drinking. A year ago I feel like there was a point when we did not see or speak to each other so that feels good,' Scott said. Kim asked him if Kourtney ever knew Scott had bought her an engagement ring back in the day and he told her she did. Family vacation: Scott talked wistfully about the family vacation in Aspen Scott told them he had proposed but the pair 'had got scared' of the media reaction and they put the ring aside for 'another day.' 'I am really happy to see Kourtney and Scott in a good place. At the end of the day if Scott got his s*** together do I believe he and Kourtney would be together? Yes,' said Kim. 'He has been so good. I think Scott just has to keep it up.' So good: Kim remarked that Scott had been doing 'so good' and just need to 'keep it up' Kim told the cameras she was getting back to normal life after her Paris ordeal and told Scott and Kourtney she had been on social media for the first time since the robbery. 'I am slowly coming back,' she said. Kim then talked about how 'nervous' she was at 'freakish things happening' as she got back to work with her Dubai trip. Comeback appearance: The reality star traveled to Dubai to give a master makeup session Question and answer: Kim fielded questions from the audience in Dubai Fan favorite: The reality star told the audience that she hoped they learned a lot from her 'To say I am nervous or scared is an understatement but I am going to try and get back to normal,' she said. Kim got used to being back in the public eye in Dubai and admitted 'anxiety' at being in a busy restaurant as people took her picture. 'I think that my sense of what is going on around me is times 100 of what it used to be. I can just feel people around taking pictures or talking or saying my name. I don't want to be this crazy person saying people can't take a photo of me, I am in a public restaurant why can't they? I am trying to ease into it but it is just how I feel,' Kim said. Public eye: Kim admitted noticing her surroundings more since the Paris robbery ordeal Taking pictures: Fans were shown taking snaps of Kim while she ate out Kim then told the cameras how Scott had heard a rumor that Kourtney was 'hooking up' with someone. 'Kourtney is so secretive that I honestly have no idea what it is,' she said. Kim then told her friends over lunch that Scott was trying to 'win her back.' Keeping secrets: Kim admitted that she didn't know anything about Kourtney dating 'It must not be easy for him to take news like this, they just had the best time in Aspen. I was definitely like ''Okay they are back together.'' I feel so bad for him. 'It really sucks as he has had an amazing four months. He has said to me that he is doing it for himself and will stay the course,' Kim said. Scott then addressed the issue and finding out about Kourtney. Tough time: Scott addressed the issue of finding out Kourtney was out with someone 'I am here across the world in Dubai and I find out that Kourtney is with somebody else. I am trying to be friendly to all these people that came to see me at this appearance but little do they know I am dealing with something much bigger than anything right now. This is probably like the worst thing I could ever hear - ever,' said Scott dramatically. 'I don't think she realized a friend of mine saw her. Of course I called her and asked what is going on and she blatantly lied to me. It was somewhat heartbreaking. I did not see things going this direction. I feel like everything I have been working so hard for is kind of done now,' Scott said. While out shopping Kim admitted to feeling panicked by a crowd that built up outside the store she was in. Promotional appearance: The reality star kept up his public appearance Getting anxious: Kim said she was feeling anxious in crowds 'It gives me such anxiety,' she said before exiting out of the back of the store. As Kim prepared for her beauty event in Dubai her security team texted her and said that Scott was drunk at the hotel. 'I think this has a lot to do with what he thinks Kourtney is up to and that really sucks,' said Kim as she called Kourtney. Mother and daughter: Kourtn played with daughter Penelope while Scott was in Dubai Her sister told her that Scott was not her problem any more and that he could not be controlled. Kim told Kourtney that she needed to make sure there were no mixed messages between her and Scott over the status of their relationship. 'Kourtney should have been a little bit more honest and said ''Look we are not together' because he genuinely cares so much and I feel so bad for him,' said Kim. Calling in: Kim called Kourtney to let her know that Scott was drunk Before her appearance Kim told her friends about her anxiety. 'It doesnt change the way I feel about the world now. I live my life so publicly but after Paris I just feel like is this what I should really be doing?' she said. 'Is it worth me having all of this anxiety. I mean I don't know if I even want to do this any more.' Having doubt: The reality star wondered if the public appearances were worth the anxiety And Kim told the cameras that doing public appearance 'was not worth it' just seconds before taking to the stage but in the end was 'comfortable' during it. Back in LA, Kourtney told the cameras that Scott now had 'to take responsibility for his own actions' before enjoying a play date with Travis Barker from Blink-182. KUWTK returns next week on the E! network. They proved their doubters wrong when they tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in Portugal back in 2013. But Denise Welch, 58, has detailed her fears that toyboy husband Lincoln Townley, 44, would leave her if he struggled to deal with her 21-year battle with clinical depression. The former Loose Women panellist described the moment she thought her partner would walk out her in a video released by mental health organisation, Heads Together. Scroll down for video Happy couple: Denise Welch, 58, has detailed her fears that toyboy husband Lincoln Townley, 44, would leave her if he struggled to deal with her 21-year battle with clinical depression Denise said: 'As I was falling for you, I wondered how you would deal with my episodes of depression, which can sometimes be quite frightening. 'I remember looking into your eyes when I was poorly, and seeing empathy and understanding.' In spite of the former Coronation Street star's revelation, the couple looked more loved-up than ever as they attended Lizzie Cundy's birthday party at Chi Kitchen in London on Tuesday night. The Celebrity Big Brother winner couldn't take her eyes off her husband as she made a striking appearance in a pretty red skater-style dress. Battle: The former Loose Women panellist described the moment she thought her partner would walk out her in a video released by mental health organisation, Heads Together Denise teamed her party attire with sky-high heels and a flash of red lipstick to match her outfit. Pleased as punch with his wife's stunning look, artist Lincoln couldn't stop smiling as the star-studded couple arrived at the bash hand-in-hand. He rocked a casual ensemble head-to-toe in black, contrasting his wife's appearance as the lady in red. Denise and Lincoln have gone from strength to strength following the star's five-year milestone to fight for sobriety following her well-documented battle with clinical depression. Lady in red: Denise attended her pal Lizzie Cundy's birthday party at Chi Kitchen in London on Tuesday night Dressed to impress: The Celebrity Big Brother winner made a striking appearance in a pretty red skater-style dress as she attended the bash The TV personality had been living with clinical depression for 21 years when she met the love of her life. And the Lincoln proved to be a massive support for the star as he was always there for her. In a recent interview, Denise told The Sunday People: 'The first time I had a serious episode we were in between moving houses. 'Lincoln looked in my eyes and saw the deadness. He was absolutely incredible, especially for someone who has had no experience of mental illness, and remains wonderful to this day.' It's party time! Denise teamed her party attire with sky-high heels and a flash of red lipstick to match her outfit The couple's romance blossomed shortly after she divorced her second husband. She split with her first husband actor David Easter in 1988 after the couple tied the knot in 1983. Denise got remarried to Tim Healy in 1988, but the Loose Women panellist went public with their separation on the show in February 2012. The former flames raise their two children The 1975 frontman Matt, 28, and Louis, 16, together. BRIAN VINER: Philippa lives in Edinburgh, where she works in a dreary sales job and is passed over for promotion. 'You are at the right level for you,' says her condescending boss. She partied the night away at Rihanna's Met Gala after-party after making a show-stopping appearance at the annual fashion extravaganza on Monday. But for Cara Delevingne it was back to reality as she cut a chic, yet casual figure while heading out in Manhattan on Tuesday. The 24-year-old model, who wowed the night before by matching her newly shaved head to a plunging silver ensemble, went make-up free as she hid her locks with a beret and swamped her lithe frame in a long navy coat. Scroll down for video Stepping out: It was back to reality for Cara Delevingne, 24, following the Met Gala as she cut a chic, yet casual figure while heading out in Manhattan on Tuesday After being the life of the party at the Met Gala, Cara cut a more relaxed vibe as she manoeuvred through the streets of the Big Apple. The British sensation opted for a simple white tee and ripped black jeans, which she teamed with the over-sized coat which boasted a faux fur collar. The photogenic beauty forewent any make-up, instead hiding her features with a matching navy beret and a cool pair of shades. Cara completed the comfortable look with a pair of chic flats, while draping a chained handbag on one hand and a rucksack in the other. Low-key: The model went make-up free as she hid her locks with a beret and swamped her lithe frame in a long navy coat Chilling: After being the life of the party at the Met Ball, Cara cut a more relaxed vibe as she manoeuvred through the streets of the Big Apple On Monday night, the supermodel made a typically dramatic statement as she painted her bald head silver while arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the heart on New York's 5th Avenue for the ever-glam Met Gala. To complement the bold look, she sported a sensational plunging silver suit by Chanel which perfectly encapsulated Cara's high fashion fancy atop her trademark ability to make a bold style statement on the red carpet. Adding to her futuristic metallic ensemble was staggering silver stilettos, the perfect accompaniment to her belt and dazzling smattering of jewels extending across her fingers to add further to her A-list glamour. Casually cool: The British sensation opted for a simple white tee and ripped black jeans, which she teamed with the over-sized coat which boasted a faux fur collar In stark contrast: Cara made a bold statement, matching her recently shaved head to her silver gown at the Met Gala on Monday night With such a bold beauty look added through her silver head paint, she kept the rest of her beauty regimen simple with just a lick of mascara opening her almond-shaped eyes while her lips were lightly outlined in a baby pink colour. The stunning star shaved her hair last week for her role in upcoming flick Life In A Year, which sees her play a dying woman. The movie, penned by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, follows 17-year-old Daryn (Smith) who learns his girlfriend (Delevigne) is dying and sets out to give her their entire life together, in the year she has left. A-list: The previous night Cara partied with Pharrell as Rihanna took over friend Richie Akiva's 1OAK nightclub to host her annual, and highly anticipated, Met Gala After Party Oh my! The beauty made a typically dramatic statement as she swept the famous steps outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the heart on New York's 5th Avenue for the Met Gala It appears Cara has embarked on the method acting route in full dedication to the role, by ridding herself of hair altogether, despite her flourishing modelling career. The catwalk queen will be appearing on a silver screen near you long before 2018. Cara will soon be making an appearance in anticipated sci-fi thriller Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. The star, who landed her first acting role as Princess Sorokina in 2012 flick Anna Karenina opposite Keira Knightley, will give another role-model making performance as a feisty young fighter in the film. She's admitted she struggles with yo-yo dieting. But Claire Sweeney looked happy, healthy and absolutely stunning as she displayed her svelte hourglass curves at Lizzie Cundy's birthday party in London on Tuesday. Heading to Chi Kitchen, the 46-year-old presenter ensured she would turn heads on the night as she slipped into a classic little black dress. Scroll down for video Svelte: Claire Sweeney looked happy, healthy and absolutely stunning as she displayed her svelte hourglass curves at Lizzie Cundy's birthday party in London on Tuesday Strapless in design, the garment hugged her ample chest and cinched in at her tiny waist. Clinging to her every curve, Claire's dress fell at a flattering mid-calf length, with a peplum hem giving the dress a vintage twist. Adding to the glamour, the Brookside star donned a pair glittering black heels, whilst she accessorised with a chunky silver watch and cross pendant. Chic and cheerful! Heading to Chi Kitchen, the 46-year-old presenter ensured she would turn heads on the night as she slipped into a classic little black dress The 60 Minute Makeover host recently insisted it was 'too much' after she came back to perform in an Aladdin pantomime when he was just six-weeks-old - leading to her 'breastfeeding while dressed as a genie'. Claire was 43 when she had her first child, which led her to many fears surrounding the two-year-old's birth - including concern she would 'die in child birth'. In a chat on Lorraine, the stunning star was asked if she felt her return to work was too soon, to which she replied: 'I did, I was breastfeeding dressed as a genie when he was six weeks old. 'It was too much. I didn't know any different. I have to pay my bills, it wasn't because I was desperate for the sparkle, but I have a mortgage to pay.' Dressed to impress: Clinging to her every curve, Claire's dress fell at a flattering mid-calf length, with a peplum hem giving the dress a vintage twist Finishing touches: Adding to the glamour, the Brookside star donned a pair glittering black heels, whilst she accessorised with a chunky silver watch and cross pendant When she spoke before about her work woes, she explained: 'My confidence was gone. I was overweight. I would have liked to have had longer than nine weeks off work. 'But I was a single parent. I was the sole provider at the time, so it was a case of needs must. People thought I must be desperate to get back on the stage but it wasn't the case.' The Liverpudlian star shares Jaxon with her former partner Daniel Reilly, who she split with in June last year, yet is insistent the duo remain close. She said: 'We're still really good friends, it's so important. Whatever differences you have, I love him and his family and Jaxson can see our friendship.' Although she is a single mother, Claire revealed she does have help with looking after her son: 'He comes everywhere with me and I do have help. ' Monday night marked the first time in four years that she attended the Met Gala without her rapper husband, Kanye West, by her side. And after Kim Kardashian, 36, left the fashion-focused festivities, it appears that she had quite the low-key night, as she took to social media to share a snapshot of herself relaxing solo on a large white sofa as she scrolled through her phone. Still wearing her white off-the-shoulder Vivienne Westwood gown from the high profile bash, she also uploaded an image showing her enjoying a loving embrace from her younger half-sister Kylie Jenner as she sat at the edge of a bed. Scroll down for video Solo: Kim Kardashian shared a shot of herself relaxing solo after Monday night's Met Gala The images - captioned 'After Met' and 'After After Met' - were among a stream of uploads to her Twitter and Instagram accounts of her night out in New York City. One snap uploaded from the bash showed her posing alongside Donatella Versace, Bella Hadid and her sister Kylie, along with the caption: 'Girl power last night! Happy Birthday to the queen @donatella_versace.' And, as she enjoyed her coveted seat alongside pop superstar Rihanna and Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, the trio got together for a shot, which was captioned: 'With the baddest... Rih's the definition of the Met!' Strike a pose: Kylie Jenner also shared a post-Met snap captioning it 'our after party' Sister sister: The reality TV star also took to Instagram and Twitter to upload another showing her embracing her younger sister Covered up: The mother-of-two arrived at the Met Gala in an off-the-shoulder white Vivienne Westwood dress and simple sandals For the first time since 2013, when she and Kanye, 39, made their Met Gala debut, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star was without her loved one. The musician and fashion designer, who was hospitalised for mental health reasons late last year, opted to skip the proceedings this year, after months of shying away from high profile events. Ahead of the gala, held at the Big Apple's Metropolitan Museum of Art, a source told People magazine: 'It had nothing to do with the Met Gala. It was more about the stress and pressure of a big red carpet. He just wasnt quite there yet.' Glam squad: She uploaded an image showing her glam squad applying the finishing touches to her look ahead of her arrival at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art Crew: Once inside the bash, she posed with Rihanna and fashion designer Olivier Rousteing According to the source, the star remained in Los Angeles with the couple's two children: daughter North and son Saint. Kim was back in Los Angeles on Wednesday and back to the grind sharing some early morning workout snaps. Meanwhile, Kim took to her website ahead of the big gala to share three behind-the-scenes shots from her appearance at the 2015 Met Gala. No rest: Kim was back in Los Angeles on Wednesday and back to the grind sharing some early morning workout snaps All the gear: After her run the star worked on her body using different weights, a TRX and resistance bands All by herself: Kim, 36, attended the event on Monday for the first time since she and Kanye West, 39, made their debut as a couple there in 2013. They're pictured at the event in 2016 Reveal: Kim shared never-seen-before behind-the-scenes photos from getting ready for Met Gala 2015 on her website 'For the 2015 Met Gala, I wore a custom Roberto Cavalli gown by Peter Dundas,' the reality TV star began. Kim, who herself has been recovering from the trauma of enduring an armed recovery in Paris in October, added: 'I was two months pregnant with Saint at the time, so I was trying to hide it.' This year's gala theme was Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between, an exhibit that examines the work of the famed 74-year-old Japanese fashion designer over the span of 40-some years. They both found Mr. Right on reality TV, and subsequently shot to fame too. And on Wednesday, The Bachelor's Snezana Markoski and The Bachelorette's Georgia Love crossed paths when they both attended a breakfast for footwear brand Wittner at the National Gallery of Victoria. However, despite their many similarities, it appears that the two reality stars had little to no interaction with each other at the event. Stepping out: The Bachelor's Snezana Markoski and The Bachelorette's Georgia Love crossed paths when they both attended a breakfast for footwear brand Wittner in Melbourne Snezana, 36, arrived to the event with a blonde pal. The glamorous mother-of-one sported a casual chic look for the occasion in an oversized khaki shirt-dress. She added a sophisticated twist to the ensemble with a pair of eye-catching Wittner heels. She's got company: Snezana, 36, arrived to the event with a blonde pal Stylish: The glamorous mother-of-one sported a casual chic look for the occasion in an oversized khaki shirt-dress Georgia went for a much different look, sporting a bold pair of thigh-high boots. She paired the footwear with a pleated, printed skirt, and hung a leather jacket over her shoulders. The ambitious ex-anchorwoman was seen mingling with Big Brother villain Tully Smyth at the event, but photos failed to catch her with Snezana. Click click: Georgia, 29, took photos of the artwork on her phone Having fun? The Bachelorette star mingled with Big Brother villain Tully Smyth Two's company: Snezana stuck to her blonde friend during the event Snezana recently unveiled her new hairstyle to the world. The brunette beauty took to Instagram last week to show off her new hair, fueling speculation that the new look is for her upcoming wedding to Sam Wood. However, others have suggested that she may just be emulating Kim Kardashian's latest look. Socializing: Snezana sipped on a cup of coffee as she chatted away to various guests Although Wisconsin dairy is world famous, it is not every day you hear the president talking about our states dairy farmers. Until last week. A decision by the Canadian government to lower prices on Canadian produced ultra-filtered milk, a key ingredient in cheesemaking and a major Wisconsin export to Canada, has made Wisconsin dairy an international issue. The price change is an effort by the Canadian Government to get Canadian dairy processors to buy milk produced in Canada rather than importing it. This small change is having a big impact on Wisconsin farmers and processors. Grassland Dairy Products in Greenwood told dozens of Wisconsin dairy farmers that it will no longer be able to buy and process their milk after losing their Canadian customers. The change, effective May 1, has farmers across the state looking for buyers for their milk. In response, some Wisconsin cheese makers are pitching in by increasing processing to help keep farmers afloat, while cooperatives and farming groups consider scaling back production to help the industry weather the storm. Wisconsin legislative leaders have opened a dialogue with Canadian trade officials and are urging the federal government to help solve the dispute. Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Ben Brancel met with congressional staff and dairy cooperatives from Wisconsin and Minnesota to talk over next steps. In the short term, Governor Walker announced that the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority will provide amended loan guarantees to dairy farmers and processors, allowing more access to low-cost capital through August. Canada is Wisconsins largest international trade partner, buying more than one-third of Wisconsin-made goods sold internationally. That is more than our next six largest foreign trade partners combined. Dairy products are not included in the North American Free Trade Agreement, Americas 1994 free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, leaving dairy as one of just a few industries where Canadian tariffs still exist. However, the new administration has pledged to renegotiate the agreement, which could include more favorable terms for American dairy. During his recent trip to Kenosha to sign the Buy American executive order, President Trump said he would negotiate directly with Canadian officials to resolve the trade issues affecting the sale of U.S. milk to Canada. After initial talks failed to bring a resolution, the U.S. government announced tariffs of 3 percent to 24 percent on Canadian lumber companies. The U.S. last imposed tariffs on Canadian lumber in 2002, citing unfair government subsidies to the industry, but the dispute ended with a 2006 temporary agreement that expired last October. Increasing tariffs on Canadian products in order to reverse their milk pricing decision does come with risk. Wisconsins paper industry exports $525 million worth of products to Canada and sand mined in our area is used by Canadian oil companies. Wisconsin imports $4.5 billion in Canadian goods annually, including natural gas, plastics and fertilizer, and more than 320,000 Canadians visit our state each year, contributing $65 million to our states economy. Despite the challenges facing our farmers, it is encouraging to see our president, governor, congressional delegation and state legislative leaders putting the full force of American negotiating power behind an industry that is so important to communities across Wisconsin. If you or someone you know has been affected by the change in dairy prices need help, please contact the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Farm Center. They have a number of resources to assist affected farmers and those who have lost their processor. You can be reach them toll-free at 1-800-942-2474. She stripped off for a candid and unairbrushed photoshoot promoting body confidence. But Nadia Sawalha has revealed that whilst she may have looked at ease, in reality she was 'really, really frightened' about stripping off. Joined by Andrea McLean on Wednesday's episode of Lorraine, the 52-year-old presenter admitted that the group even headed to the pub in a bid to calm their nerves during the shoot. Scroll down for video Terrified: Nadia Sawalha has revealed that whilst she may have looked at ease in her body confidence shoot, in reality she was 'really, really frightened' about stripping off The Celebrity Big Brother star revealed: 'The morning was really tough, I had to go in on my own and I never look at myself in the mirror. 'At lunchtime, we escaped and went to the pub and had a couple of swift ones to get through the afternoon! 'The only instruction photographer Bryan Adams gave us was "no posing whatsoever"'. Laid bare: Nadia stripped off for a candid and unairbrushed photoshoot promoting body confidence alongside her fellow Loose Women panellists Stripped off: The Loose Women panellists have stripped off for a candid and frank look at their un-airbrushed forms while discussing their very own takes on their figures and flaws on new show Loose Women Body Battles Discussing the logistics of the shoot, Nadia revealed: 'There was no lighting, just harsh daylight in front of a rock god! 'I was really really frightened, I have so many body issues. 'But the reason I wanted to do it is that I needed to practise what I preach to my daughters, and I'm always saying be smart, be brave, be funny as everything else is just given to you.' Dutch courage: Joined by Andrea McLean on Wednesday's episode of Lorraine, the 52-year-old presenter admitted that the group even headed to the pub in a bid to calm their nerves during the shoot Nadia added that it was her daughter's reaction that made it all worth it, but admitted that she had only remembered to show Maddie the day before. 'I saw her open each picture and stretch it and zoom in, and I thought "oh God thats how people are looking at it!" 'She said "mum, this is so cool" and I had to go and make a cup of tea because I welled up.' Revealing that taking part in the shoot had only inspired her to be more vocal about body confidence, Nadia added: 'It's up to women of our age to say weve had enough. These bodies have born children.' 'They tell a story,' Andrea added. Scared: The Celebrity Big Brother star revealed: 'The morning was really tough, I had to go in on my own and I never look at myself in the mirror' Oops: Nadia added that it was her daughter's reaction that made it all worth it, but admitted that she had only remembered to show Maddie the day before Lorraine Kelly - who famously launched a bikini fitness challenge - admitted that she too was learning to love her flaws. 'I went a bit mad and was in my bikini,' she quipped. 'Ive got scars and lumps and bumps but you just have to say "so what" 'We all saw Kim Kardashians bottom recently and that was not the perfect bottom... Theres no such thing as perfect.' He's known for playing one of Australia's most infamous gangsters, Alphonse Gangitano. But Vince Colosimo is no fan of the Underbelly role that made him a household name, telling TV Tonight he doesn't know what all the fuss is about - 'I played Alphonse for two weeks'. It comes as the actor returns to acting on ABC series The Warriors later this year, his first role since being fined for possessing the drug ice in January. 'I played Alphonse for two weeks!' Vince Colosimo claims he has been left 'typecast' by iconic Underbelly role Vince played Alphonse on two episodes of Underbelly in 2008, later reprising the role in an episode of spin off series Fat Tony & Co in 2014. Vince told website TV Tonight he often felt frustrated that he was unable to 'shake it off'. 'I played Alphonse for two weeks and that rides me every f***ing day. Every day in a good way and a bad way,' he revealed candidly. Short and sweet: Vince played Alphonse on two episodes of Underbelly in 2008 Still known for it: Vince told website TV Tonight he often felt frustrated that he was unable to 'shake it off' The actor, who has also appeared in The Great Gatsby and Daybreakers, believes the role has prevented him from getting other parts. 'So whenever a role comes up, unless its a hitman or gangster or mafia, people say ''Vince isnt right for that. Hes Alphonse!'' They dont see it as you being a capable actor. They typecast you because you were good,' Vince said. He completely ruled out every reprising the role of Alphonse in future Underbelly series despite fans' pleas. Found with drugs: In January, Vince was fined $1000 after being busted for possessing the drug ice by police in 2016 'People say When are you going to do another Underbelly? But my character died! Hes f*** dead!' Vince said. Meanwhile in January, Vince was fined $1000 after being busted for possessing the drug ice by police in 2016. The Daily Telegraph claimed the actor had fallen on hard times in recent years and struggled to find acting work. Their mother, Lisa Rinna, is an actress who now stars on reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, while their dad, Harry Hamlin, is a veteran actor. But model Delilah Belle Hamlin, 18, and her sister Amelia Gray, 15, showed they're ready to start blazing a trail of their own on Monday night, when they made an head-turning appearance at Nylon's Young Hollywood Party. Delilah put her svelte frame on display, arriving at Hollywood hot-spot Avenue wearing a white floral bralet with a matching high-waisted miniskirt. Scroll down for video Night on the town: Delilah Belle Hamlin, left, and her sister Amelia Gray Hamlin attended Nylon's Young Hollywood Party at Avenue in Hollywood on Tuesday night Standing tall in a pair of pink strappy heels, she accessorised with hoop earrings and a collection of rings, while her golden tresses were worn straight with a centre-parting. Amelia also looked every part the model as she made her way into the event wearing a black camisole dress from Dyspnea with vertiginous strappy heels. With glittering chandelier earrings giving her ensemble a an extra touch of glam, the brunette's raven tresses were brushed back in high fashion style for the gathering. Svelte: Delilah put her svelte frame on display in a floral bralet, teamed with a matching mini Camisole: Her sister opted for a black camisole dress from Dyspnea, which she teamed with strappy heels Amelia and her IMG model sister Delilah Belle, have been said to be the next Bella and Gigi Hadid, as they are both siblings and their mothers star in the Real Housewives franchise. Both sisters are home-schooled, in order to accommodate their new jet-setting life. 'My sister and I go to Halfstrom Academy, which is a one-on-one individualised study school,' Delilah recently told WWD. Glamorous pair: The siblings made a glamorous pair as they posed for shots at the event Pose: The budding models showed off their skills as they struck poses for photographers Glittering: The siblings opted to largely forgo accessories, although each wore bold earrings 'You go into the office two hours a day and you meet with one teacher, one on one. Its honestly great. You only have 16 classes per class. Its geared to people who are travelling, and its been really helpful.' As for her move into the modelling field, Delilah admitted that social media played a huge part, explaining: 'I never planned on modelling. I had an Instagram and I would make my sister take pictures of me in our backyard. 'One day, a modeling agency contacted me and I said, I guess this could be a fun journey. They e-mailed my mom and they flew in to meet us, and that was really cool. And that was my first agency [Elite].' Connections: The sisters are the daughters of actor Harry Hamlin and actress Lisa Rinna He's one of the world's most celebrated movie soundtrack composers, creating music for blockbusters Gladiator and The Dark Knight. But composer Hans Zimmer, 59, almost didn't take the role that earned him an Academy Award for best original score, repeatedly turning down an offer to compose music for the Lion King. Hans told The Project that he only agreed to do the movie about 'fuzzy animals' because it meant he could finally take his young daughter along to the premiere. 'You've got the wrong guy!' Hans Zimmer reveals he only took Lion King composing role so he could take his six-year-old daughter to the premiere The celebrated composer, who is currently touring Australia, told the Channel Ten panel that he wasn't interested in taking the role, which would be his first animated film. 'I kept saying to Disney, you've got the wrong guy, I mean, I don't like Broadway musicals and don't like princess movies,' Hans said. Hans revealed he only accepted the role after realising it would mean his child could finally see his work. Good thing he did take it! In 1995 Hans won an Academy Award for the Lion King's score, with it later adapted into a Broadway musical 'Finally I took it out of the worst reason possible, my daughter at the time was six years old and I could never take her to the premiere!' He said. And after first struggling with writer's block over how he would compose music for 'fuzzy animals' Hans went to the heart of what the Lion King was about. 'I realised the story was deeply serious because it was really about the loss, you know, a child experiences the loss of her father,' he told The Project. No thanks! The celebrated composer, who is currently touring Australia, told the Channel Ten panel that he wasn't interested in taking the role at first 'And my dad died when I was really young, so suddenly all that stuff I had never had to deal with I found a gentle way, a playful way of dealing with it.' In 1995 Hans won an Academy Award for the Lion King's score, with it later adapted into a Broadway musical. More recently Hans has worked extensively with director Christopher Nolan, composing music for the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Interstellar. 'Suddenly all that stuff I had never had to deal with I found a gentle way, a playful way of dealing with it': Composing for the Lion King helped with his own grief over losing his father at a young age Hans said he and Christopher had an unconventional working relationship when it came to making music for the film. He had composed music for Interstellar before the film had even began shooting and was writing the soundtrack for Inception as scenes were simultaneously been filmed. 'It works because we talk about the movie a lot and he encourages my independence,' Hans said. She's synonymous with her signature blonde buzz cut since soaring to fame as Kanye West's ex-girlfriend in 2008. But Amber Rose decided to switch things up as she flaunted her new tumbling brunette mane at the NYLON Young Hollywood Party at AVENUE in Los Angeles on Tuesday - leaving her completely unrecognisable. The 33-year-old model and actress typically flaunted her eye-popping cleavage in a daringly low-cut dress - but debuted a more sophisticated cascading curly mane. Scroll down for video Who's that girl? Amber Rose, 33, decided to switch things up as she flaunted her new tumbling brunette mane at the NYLON Young Hollywood Party at AVENUE in Los Angeles on Tuesday - leaving her completely unrecognisable Always the life and soul of the party, Amber stole the spotlight furthermore as she took her new look out for a spin. Given the length, colour and style of her new tresses, the talk show host was completely unidentifiable at first. She swapped her short blonde hair for a dramatic, yet demure, side parted do, which was styled in tight curls and was glossed to perfection. The SlutWalk activist opted for a glamorous make-up look to match - consisting of lashings of mascara, chiselled cheekbones and a matte nude pout. Mane attraction: The actress and model, who is well known for her blonde buzz cut (a few days earlier on R) debuted a more sophisticated cascading brunette curly mane, which was glossed to perfection Sexy new look: The talk show host typically flaunted her eye-popping cleavage in a daringly low-cut dress - but given the length, colour and style of her new tresses, she proved to completely unidentifiable at first All eyes on her: Amber's clingy long-sleeved red number fell at a saucy thigh-skimming level - allowing her to flaunt her toned legs Her locks went on to fall beside her ample assets, which were fully accentuated in the perilously plunging skin-tight red dress. The clingy long-sleeved number fell at a saucy thigh-skimming level - allowing her to flaunt her toned legs. She proved to be loving her new look as she partied up a storm with her equally glamorous pals, Christina Millian, Bella Thorne and Eva Marcille. Squad: She proved to be loving her new look as she partied up a storm with her equally glamorous pals, Christina Millian and Eva Marcille. Having fun: The busty beauty was also joined by former Disney child star Bella Thorne Beautiful: The SlutWalk activist opted for a glamorous make-up look to match - consisting of lashings of mascara, chiselled cheekbones and a matte nude pout Guess blondes DON'T have more fun! This is a big change for Amber as she has been synonymous with her edgy signature blonde buzz for years Her new look comes after she posted a revealing video online where she flashed the flesh in a cutaway swimsuit, whilst also pointing out her cellulite and stretch marks. The mother-of-one failed to narrate the video apart from the caption, as she lingered on her near naked lower region. She wrote: 'Trappin #cellulite #stretchmarks,' adding a heart eyes emoji. Several fans commented on Rose's video to applaud her honesty, commenting: 'I see no cellulite or stretch marks. U look fabulous. Also I need to put down the double stuff oreos,' one user quipped, while another wrote, 'So bootyful.' Before making her mark in the movie world, Liv Tyler started out as a teen model, appearing in magazine editorials and commercials. And the 39-year-old actress is showing that the apple doesn't fall far from the proverbial tree, as her two youngest children - son Sailor, two, and daughter Lula Rose, 10 months - have joined her in a new ad campaign for fashion giant Gap. Joining a host of celebrity mothers and their adorable offspring, including Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel and her seven-month-old son Anaca, the tots appear to be naturals, smiling for the cameras as they play with bubbles. Scroll down for video Baby's first big campaign! Liv Tyler stars in a new campaign for Gap with her two-year-old son Sailor and 10-month-old daughter Lula Rose Wearing a red star-patterned romper, Lula Rose takes on her modelling duties with ease, posing alongside her 39-year-old mother and big brother for the American brand's star-packed official images. Liv, who co-directed the commercial - dubbed 'Mama Said' - with Paola Kudacki, also appears alongside actress Jurnee Smollet-Bell, model Coco Rocha, and artist and photographer Ali Bird and wife Cass Bird with all of their children. In the almost minute-long clip, the stars' children are given starring roles as they frolic around on the stark white set with their doting mothers, while Jurnee's rendition of the Bellamy Brothers' Let Your Love Flow plays in the background. Mama! Candice Swanepoel also makes an appearance with her seven-month-old son Anaca Playful: The Victoria's Secret Angel is seen playing with her adorable offspring on the set A shining star: The tot, whose father is Candice's longtime partner Hermann Nicoli, looked adorable in his little red cap as he clutched the stem of a glittering gold star Mama used to say: The new ad campaign is appropriately dubbed 'Mama Said' and features the youngsters wearing items from the Gap Kids and babyGap collections Minding the Gap: Naturally, all of the adult models in the campaign also wear items from Gap Of the Mama Said campaign, which supports the organisation Every Mother Counts, Liv said in a statement: 'I often think of the things my grandmother and my mother have been telling me my whole life. 'Remembering what your "mama said" as a child and growing up is very important. I often try to think of things that I can say to my children in a way that they can hear me the same way I heard my mom.' The daughter of rocker Steven Tyler and former model Bebe Buell added: 'Ive always loved the Gap. Growing up in America, Gap is such a big part of your life and I thought it was such a special thing to do a project that involves the mothers, the children and Every Mother Counts.' Bubble bubble: Liv's children are in their element as they enjoy a flowing stream of bubbles Vibrant things: Lula Rose and Sailor looked stylish in their vibrantly coloured ensembles Hands on: Actress Liv co-directed the fashion label's commercial with Paola Kudacki Fan: The daughter of Steven Tyler said in a statement that she's a longtime fan of the brand Family: She is also mother to 12-year-old son Milo, from her marriage to Royston Langdon Liv, who is also mother to 12-year-old son Milo from her marriage to Royston Langdon, now spends much of her time in London with British fiance Dave Gardner. Fans of the actress recently saw hers make an appearance on Who Do You Think You Are? alongside her Aerosmith rocker father Steven. The pair had traced back their family history in the hope of uncovering the mystery of her paternal grandmother Susan Blancha's maternal line. Ad: Coco Rocha is also a part of the campaign, along with her two-year-old daughter Ioni Balanced: The model is seen balancing her smiling offspring on her feet during the shoot Up, up and away! Little Ioni is seen chasing a balloon as she frolics on the stark white set Song and dance: In the ad, Jurnee Smollet-Bell's rendition of the Bellamy Brothers' Let Your Love Flow plays in the background Pucker up! The mother and daughter duo share a loving kiss in the midst of the shoot On the show, Liv found out she and Steven not only come 'from music from all sides,' but there are also former military members in their family. She discovered one ancestor was a brave soldier, who 'fought in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.' And when Liv was told she had a half African-American relative, her dad gave her a high five and said: 'Haha, I knew it! I'm so loving this. It explains it.' Angelic: Candice became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010, sporting the coveted Fantasy Bra during the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Everlasting love: Candice has been with Brazilian male model Hermann Nicoli since meeting him in Paris at the age of 17 Wed: Coco wed artist James Conran in June 2010, and he later became her part-time manager She's certainly a face to watch in the modelling world. And on Wednesday, Australian model Megan Blake Irwin teased her fans when she posed up on a photo-shoot in Milan, appearing to be wearing nothing under her robe. Sharing the shot to Instagram, Megan, 22, showcased her trim pins and put on a busty display. Robe life! On Wednesday, Australian model Megan Blake Irwin teased her fans when she posed up on a photo-shoot in Milan, appearing to be completely naked beneath the robe The blonde beauty posed with her hair out and over her shoulders. She showcased a golden tan and wore makeup including dewy foundation and bronzer. Megan captioned the snap: 'Whirlwind worldwide trip. First stop- Milano @IMGModels #OnSet #Italy.' Posing up: Megan is seen recently at another shoot One fan commented underneath, writing: 'Just Out Here Slay'n In A Robe!!!' 'Meggie coming in hot!!,' another added. Another wrote that they thought she wasn't wearing anything under her robe. If you've got it! Just one week ago, the model took to Instagram to showcase her flawless figure in a white bikini, as she enjoyed time at the beach Just one week ago, the model took to Instagram to showcase her flawless figure in a white bikini, as she enjoyed time at the beach. 'Missing the ocean... European summer please hurry up,' she wrote underneath the snap. The rumoured ex of Scott Disick told Daily Mail Australia in February that she wants to don angel wings for Victoria's Secret. On the rise: Megan has recently posed for clothing brands Witchery and Sheike 'Victoria's Secret is something that's always close to my heart,' Megan said. 'I think the [Victoria's Secret] shows are beautiful. I really admire the work they do,' she added. Megan has recently posed for clothing brands Witchery and Sheike. Brad Pitt has compared his split from Angelina Jolie to 'a death', admitting that he is an emotional 'retard' whose heavy drinking helped ruin his marriage. Jolie stunned the world in September, 2016 when she filed for divorce following an alleged altercation on a private jet between the actor and their 15-year-old son, Maddox. Now in his first interview since the shock separation, he reveals he is tee-total, is in therapy and says his family has been 'ripped apart', conceding: 'I hit the lottery and I still would waste my time on those hollow pursuits.' Scroll down for video Raw: Brad Pitt has compared his split from Angelina Jolie to 'a death' and admits his heavy drinking became a problem in his marriage in candid interview with US GQ Style He told GQ Style magazine that the split was 'self-inflicted' and when asked if the last few months had felt like he was grieving a death, he simply replied: 'Yeah.' The Fight Club star has quit alcohol since the incident, admitting it had become a 'problem' during his life with Angelina, adding: 'Truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good. 'I was boozing too much. It just become a problem. And Im really happy its been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but Ive got my feelings in my fingertips again. 'I mean, we have a winery. I enjoy wine very, very much, but I just ran it to the ground. I had to step away for a minute. 'But me, personally, I cant remember a day since I got out of college when I wasnt boozing or had a spliff, or something. Unhappy ending: Jolie stunned the world in August 2016 when she filed for divorce following an alleged altercation on a private jet between the actor and their 15-year-old son, Maddox Hitting the bottle: Brad is now tee-total and admits he 'could drink a Russian under the table', adding he was a 'professional' at knocking back booze 'I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know - things I wasnt dealing with.' He has now replaced boozing with therapy, adding: 'You know, I just started therapy. I love it. I love it. I went through two therapists to get the right one.' As for his new tipple now he his drink free? 'Cranberry juice and fizzy water. I've got the cleanest urinary tract in all of LA.' Too much: The star reveals his vices became a 'problem' in his marriage and a way of 'running away from his feelings' Determined: The star (pictured above in the GQ shoot) that he is rebuilding his life after going through a massive personal change He says in the interview: 'I hit the lottery and I still would waste my time on those hollow pursuits' Alongside his bombshell revelation that his drinking damaged his relationship, the actor says that he spent too much time away from his children working on films. 'I say that as someone who's let the work take me away. Kids are so delicate,' he explains. 'They absorb everything. They need to have their hand held and things explained. They need to be listened to. When I get in that busy work mode, I'm not hearing. I want to be better at that.' And it seems the therapy is working - Pitt refuses to take the magnifying glass away from himself, saying he is 'emotionally retarded' and hasn't 'been great' at proving his feelings to his children, explaining: 'It's hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more. I gotta be more for them. I have to show them.' Keeping busy: An tired-looking Brad Pitt was pictured leaving an LA art studio in the early hours of Sunday morning Well-connected: The 53-year-old actor is nearing completion of an arts project supervised by his close friend, British sculptor Thomas Houseago Pointing the finger: Brad was wearing a flannel shirt, ripped jeans and brown Chelsea boots on the day Popular guy: He made his circle of friends laugh as he talked and joked As for his movie career in the wake of the last nine months, Brad tells the magazine he wishes he could just change his name. 'I don't really think of myself much as an actor anymore. It takes up so little of my year and my focus. Film feels like a cheap pass for me, as a way to get at those hard feelings. It doesn't work anymore, especially being a dad... I wish I could just change my name.' Explaining his life in the weeks after Angelina filed for divorce, Brad says he was too devastated to return to his home in Beverly Hills and needed to get away. He slept on a friend's floor for six weeks as he tried to cope with the loss of his relationship and family homelife. 'I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family... I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was boozing too much. It just become a problem.' He tells the magazine: 'It was too sad to be here at first, so I went and stayed on a friend's floor, a little bungalow in Santa Monica. I crashed over here a little bit, my friend [David] Fincher lives right here. He's always going to have an open door for me, and I was doing a lot of stuff on the Westside, so I stayed at my friend's house on the floor for a month and a half.' Following the plane incident, Brad was investigated by the FBI following an anonymous tip-off. It was later closed with no charges but he faced a series of obstacles from Child Services in a bid to regain access to his six children. He and Angelina - who fell in love on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith in 2005 and wed in 2014 - are now working out their divorce privately, through the help of group counselling as a family, after a nasty start to their split. Passion project: The father-of-six has been working on a secret art project for months as he deals with the fall-out of his marriage collapse Secret talent: He has also spent a great deal of time working on his passion project, which is understood to be a sculpture, under the guidance of Houseago Keeping a low profile: Brad discussed his newfound love of the arts in the revealing interview 'I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called. After that, we've been able to work together to sort this out. We're both doing our best. I heard one lawyer say, "No one wins in court - it's just a matter of who gets hurt worse." And it seems to be true. 'You spend a year just focused on building a case to prove your point and why you're right and why they're wrong, and it's just an investment in vitriolic hatred. 'I just refuse. And fortunately my partner in this agrees. It's just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart. 'Kids are so delicate. They absorb everything. They need to have their hand held and things explained. They need to be listened to. When I get in that busy work mode, I'm not hearing. I want to be better at that.' Admission: He reveals he is in therapy and that he blames himself for the marriage crumbling, conceding: 'I hit the lottery and I still would waste my time on those hollow pursuits.' Building relationship: The Fury star welcomed Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins, Vivienne and Knox along with their two nannies for the weekend 'For me this period has really been about looking at my weaknesses and failures and owning my side of the street. I'm an a**hole when it comes to this need for justice. I don't know where it comes from, this hollow quest for justice for some perceived slight. I can drill on that for days and years. 'It's done me no good whatsoever. It's such a silly idea, the idea that the world is fair. And this is coming from a guy who hit the lottery, I'm well aware of that. I hit the lottery, and I still would waste my time on those hollow pursuits.' I'm personally very retarded when it comes to taking inventory of my emotions. I'm much better at covering up. I have to show (my kids). And I haven't been great at it. The 53-year-old actor graced the cover of US GQ Style magazine, the first time he has appeared on the cover of any magazine since his split. The actor appeared on three different covers for the magazine, gazing soulfully at the camera in each one. His piercing blue eyes are the focal point of each cover and the actor isn't smiling in any of the three cover photos. Brad and photographer Ryan McGinley travel to White Sands National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and Everglades National Park and the photos are a result of that trip. Talking love and loss: The interview also sees Brad brand himself 'emotionally retarded' when it comes to sharing his feelings It does appear as if things are improving between him and his family as it was reported last week that his six children stayed with him at his Los Feliz home in Los Angeles for the first time in seven months. The Fury star welcomed Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins, Vivienne and Knox along with their two nannies for the weekend. The 53-year-old and the kids 'had a family dinner around the table, which Brad truly enjoyed,' a source told In Touch Weekly last Wednesday. 'It was total chaos, as the kids all wanted to eat different things, and Brad was grateful to have a chef who accommodated all of their requests,' the insider dished. Angelina, 41, insisted the nannies joined the children, according to the insider, 'because she is the one with sole physical custody of the children. Brad has no need to have his own nannies right now.' It was also recommended by the family therapist. Last month, a source also told ET that Brad had been speaking directly to his estranged wife about doing what's best for their children. 'It's still in the process of being resolved,' the source said of the couple's divorce, ending 11 years together, noting that they are making progress privately. 'Brad knows Angelina is a really good mom.' The couple recently agreed to resolve their divorce and custody dispute in private. They said in a joint statement at the time that they had engaged 'a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions and to facilitate the expeditious resolution of any remaining issues.' Back in February, Angelina opened up about the divorce for the first time to BBC News while in Cambodia promoting her latest film. She said: 'It was a very difficult time. Many people find themselves in this situation. 'My whole family have all been through a difficult time. My focus is my children, our children.' 'We are and forever will be a family and so that is how I am coping. I am coping with finding a way through to make sure that this somehow makes us stronger and closer.' They shot to fame in two very revealing reality shows. And Love Island star Hannah Elizabeth and TOWIE's George Harrison are still living it up in the spotlight, donning racy bikinis for a day of sunshine in Barcelona. Hannah, who appeared in the 2015 series of ITV dating show Love Island, showed off her sensational figure in a skimpy leopard print two-piece, while 2014 TOWIE star George wowed in pretty pink. Girl time: Love Island star Hannah Elizabeth and TOWIE's George Harrison are still living it up in the spotlight, donning racy bikinis for a day of sunshine in Barcelona Hannah paraded her toned stomach and ample assets in a wild animal print bikini, which featured off-the-shoulder detail. The skimpy top just about covered the blonde's ample assets, while the frilled bottoms highlighted her long legs and thigh tattoo. With her bleached blonde locks tumbling around her shoulders, Hannah rocked a full face of makeup for her day larking about in the sunshine with her BFF. Wild thing: Hannah, who appeared in the 2015 series of ITV dating show Love Island, showed off her sensational figure in a skimpy leopard print two-piece Looking fab: Hannah paraded her toned stomach and ample assets in a wild animal print bikini, which featured off the shoulder detail The girls relaxed by the pool, at one point tucking into some juicy fruit. Meanwhile George looked equally gorgeous in her pretty pink and white print bikini. The halter-neck style highlighted the beauty's toned and tanned arms, while she kept cool in shades and tied her locks back into an effortless high pony. Hannah shot to fame last in 2015 when she appeared in revived ITV dating site Love Island on which she almost instantly fell for now-TOWIE star Jon Clark. Inked: The skimpy top just about covered the blonde's ample assets, while the frilled bottoms highlighted her long legs and thigh tattoo Feeling fruity: With her bleached blonde locks tumbling around her shoulders, Hannah rocked a full face of makeup for her day larking about in the sunshine with her BFF Quick snack: The girls relaxed by the pool, at one point tucking into some juicy fruit You shouldn't have! George passed her pal some of the fresh fruit as they joked around Their union kept fans tuned in during the summer seasons before Essex-born Jon eventually got down on one knee and popped the question to his new girlfriend. Soon after they returned, the pair began to argue more and their union came to a spectacular end when Jon began to attack Hannah's career as a glamour model. George starred in just three episodes of TOWIE in 2014 - during which she went on several dates with Tom Pearce. This is the life: George looked equally gorgeous in her pretty pink and white print bikini Summer chic: The halter-neck style highlighted the beauty's toned and tanned arms, while she kept cool in shades and tied her locks back into an effortless high pony Strike a pose: The girls spent much of their day parading their incredible figures around the pool Tuck in! The beauties made sure to keep their snacks healthy during the blissful day Claim to fame: Hannah shot to fame last in 2015 when she appeared in revived ITV dating site Love Island on which she almost instantly fell for now-TOWIE star Jon Clark Romance drama: Their union kept fans tuned in during the summer seasons before Essex-born Jon eventually got down on one knee and popped the question to his new girlfriend Nasty split: Soon after they returned, the pair began to argue more and their union came to a spectacular end when Jon began to attack Hannah's career as a glamour model She was also linked to Lewis Bloor, but producers felt the tenuous romantic storylines weren't enough to secure her a more permanent role on the ITVBe show, especially when Tom left the show. A source told Beamly: 'Every cast member sits down with producers before each new series to talk about their future but George was told bosses didnt believe she had big enough storylines coming up.' Since her brief stint on the show, George has enjoyed many beach breaks this year, including further trips to Spain and an exotic location in Thailand. Not missing Essex! George starred in just three episodes of TOWIE in 2014 - during which she went on several dates with Tom Pearce Dancing any troubles away: She was also linked to Lewis Bloor, but producers felt the tenuous romantic storylines weren't enough to secure her a more permanent role on the ITVBe show This is the life: The pals looked like they were having the time of their lives in the sun-drenched spot To me, to you: The girls even managed to turn their fruity snacks into props She recently boldly declared that she doesn't take on a film role unless she knows how much her male co-stars are making. And Jessica Chastain looked every inch the powerful woman as she arrived at the photocall for her film Miss Sloane - which has already hit UK and US theatres - in Madrid, Spain on Wednesday. The 40-year-old actress showed off her ample cleavage in a plunging figure-hugging green dress which fell at a stylish midi-level. Green with envy! Jessica Chastain, 40, showed off her ample cleavage in a plunging figure-hugging dress as she arrived at the photocall for her film Miss Sloane in Madrid on Wednesday The clingy number hugged onto the contours of her hourglass frame - putting emphasis on her assets and her tiny waist. The length of the number allowed the two-time Oscar nominee to flaunt her toned pins, which were boosted in a pair of shiny matching heels. Jessica infused the elements of sexiness and sophistication in the stunning number as she posed up a storm. Her side-parted flame haired tresses were styled in glamorous curls, as she relied on her naturally striking porcelain features which boasted bronzed cheekbones. Sexy style: The clingy number hugged onto the contours of her hourglass frame - putting emphasis on her assets and her tiny waist Walk this way: The length of the number allowed the two-time Oscar nominee to flaunt her toned pins, which were boosted in a pair of shiny matching heels All eyes on her: Jessica infused the elements of sexiness and sophistication in the stunning number as she posed up a storm Chastain plays the titular, ambitious lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane in the political thriller, which hit UK theatres in February. Miss Sloane also features Gugu Mbatha-Raw, John Lithgow, Alison Pill, Dylan Baker, and Mark Strong. Ahead of her appearance at the photocall, Jessica was spotted cutting a low-key figure as she prepared to jet out of New York's JFK airport after the Met Gala. Meanwhile, the star revealed that she's unimpressed with the gender wage gap in Hollywood and will not allow herself to take roles where she knows she is being paid far less than her male counterparts. Bottoms up! Her pert derriere looked sensational in the form-flattering number Gorgeous: Her side-parted flame haired tresses were styled in glamorous curls, as she relied on her naturally striking porcelain features which boasted bronzed cheekbones Starring role: Chastain plays the titular, ambitious lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane in the political thriller, which hit UK theatres in February 'Im not taking jobs anymore where Im getting paid a quarter of what the male co-star is being Speaking with Variety, she continued: 'I dont care about how much I get paid; Im in an industry where were overcompensated for the work we do.' 'But I dont want to be on a set where Im doing the same work as someone else and theyre getting five times what Im getting.' Smooth takeoff: Ahead of her appearance at the photocall, Jessica was spotted cutting a low-key figure as she prepared to jet out of New York's JFK airport Casually cool: She sported a funky bomber jacket, a 'feminist' white tee and ripped black jeans Dazzling: On Monday night, Jessica looked incredible as she put on a leggy display in a short black ensemble for the Met Gala And the actress admitted to turning down a role in a huge film because she wasn't prepared to accept the lower wage. 'I turned it down, and they didnt come back. I remember afterwards I was like, 'What did I do? Maybe it was a mistake.' Next up for the female empowerment advocate, Jessica will star in Painkiller Jane. She plays a police officer who gains supernatural powers after she's exposed to chemical weapons during a botched undercover operation. WASHINGTON For those who claim that Donald Trump has been pasteurized and homogenized by the presidency, his sour, 100th-day speech in Harrisburg, Pa., was inconvenient. Trump used his high office to pursue divisive grudges (Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is a bad leader), to attack the media (comprised of incompetent, dishonest, people) and to savage congressional Democrats (they dont mind drugs coming in). Most of all, Trump used his bully pulpit quite literally, devoting about half his speech to the dehumanization of migrants and refugees as criminals, infiltrators and terrorists. Trump gained a kind of perverse energy from the rolling waves of hatred, culminating in the reading of racist song lyrics comparing his targets to vermin. It was a speech with all the logic, elevation and public purpose of a stink bomb. On a selection of policy issues (Chinese currency manipulation, NATO, NAFTA), Trump has been forced to accommodate reality. But those who find the president surprisingly conventional must somehow dismiss or discount this kind of speech, which George Wallace would have gladly given as president. They must somehow ignore the children in the audience, soaking up the fears and prejudices of their elders. They must somehow believe that presidential rhetoric capable of elevating a country has no power to debase it. It is not sophisticated or worldly wise to become inured to bigotry. The only thing more frightening than Trumps speech arguably the most hate-filled presidential communication in modern history is the apathetic response of those who should know better. For vigorous and insightful criticism of Trump, we should turn to someone who is not an American at all. He is a Czech intellectual, playwright and politician who also happens to be dead. I viewed Trumps speech immediately after reading Vaclav Havels essay Politics, Morality and Civility (in an edition recently issued by the Trinity Forum). Havel surveyed the post-communist politics of his time and found leaders willing to gain the favor of a confused electorate by offering a colorful range of attractive nonsense. Sound familiar? His diagnosis continues: Making the most of the situation, some characters with suspicious backgrounds have been gaining popular favor with ideas such as, for instance, the need to throw the entire government into the Vltava River. The great temptation, in Havels view, is for people to conclude that politics cant be better that it is chiefly the manipulation of power and public opinion, and that morality has no place in it. This demoralized view of politics would mean losing the idea that the world might actually be changed by the force of truth, the power of a truthful word, the strength of a free spirit, conscience and responsibility. Genuine politics, argues Havel, is simply a matter of serving those around us; serving the community, and serving those who will come after us. And this responsibility grows out of a moral and spiritual reality. Genuine conscience and genuine responsibility are always, in the end, explicable only as an expression of the silent assumption that we are observed from above, that everything is visible, nothing is forgotten. Any kind of serious social renewal begins, in Havels view, with each of us. That is: in all circumstances try to be decent, just, tolerant and understanding, and at the same time try to resist corruption and deception. But political leaders can and should carry this work forward. I feel that the dormant goodwill in people needs to be stirred. People need to hear that it makes sense to behave decently or to help others, to place common interests above their own, to respect the elementary rules of human coexistence. Read the whole essay a Czech giving voice to real Americanism. It is certainly not the spirit of Trumpism, which exemplifies the moral and spiritual poverty Havel decries: the cultivation of anger, resentment, antagonism and tribal hostilities; the bragging and the brooding; the egotism and self-pity. All is visible. None will be forgotten. The alternative is the democratic faith: that people, in the long run, will choose decency and progress over the pleasures of malice. The belief that they will choose the practice of kindness and courtesy. The conviction that God blesses the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the stranger. Faith in the power of the truthful word. It is the job of responsible politics to prepare the way for new leaders, who believe that all of us are equal in dignity and tied together in a single destiny. But this can only take place if we refuse to normalize the language of hatred. After months of anticipation and almost a decade of development the first official trailer for science fantasy epic The Dark Tower has given fans a taste of what to expect when the film is finally released in August. This first three minute clip introduces Idris Elba as lone Gunslinger Roland Deschain, whose desperate quest to save humanity from extinction serves as the axis for what proves to be an archetypal battle of good versus evil. That quest involves finding and protecting the Tower, a crucial barrier between time and space, from merciless sorcerer Walter Padick, otherwise known as the Man In Black - played with relish by Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey. Scroll down for video Coming soon: After months of anticipation and almost a decade of development the first official trailer for science fantasy epic The Dark Tower has given fans a taste of what to expect when the film is finally released in August For a thousand generations the Gunslingers were knights... sworn to protect us from the coming of the dark, whispers Deschain by way of introduction, his gun blasting at an unseen foe. But he cannot do it alone, and fans are also given a glimpse of Jake Chambers, played by Tom Taylor, the 11-year old boy with a thirst for adventure whose visions of Deschain and the Man in Black foreshadow the epic battle that awaits. These are dreams, theyre not real Jake, the boy is assured by a concerned therapist but real they are, and Jakes desire to solve the mystery they present soon find him accompanying the Gunslinger on his monumental quest. Taking aim: This first clip from The Dark Tower introduces Idris Elba as lone Gunslinger Roland Deschain, whose desperate mission to save humanity from extinction serves as the axis for what proves to be an archetypal battle of good versus evil Grizzled: For a thousand generations the Gunslingers were knights, sworn to protect us from the coming of the dark, he whispers by way of introduction Sidekick: Fans are also given a glimpse of Jake Chambers, played by Tom Taylor, the 11-year old boy who soon joins the Gunslinger on his monumental mission Why does the Man in Black want to destroy the Tower? he innocently asks. The Tower protects both our worlds, comes Deschain's grim response. 'If it falls... hell will be unleashed. But the gravity of their quest, played out against the barren backdrop of alternative dimension Mid-World, is soon driven home as the unlikely pair confront a host of gruesome adversaries. 'Your world might be gone, but mine isnt,' he urges Deschain. 'If you let that Tower fall, millions of people die.' Stuff of nightmares: Oscar winning actor Matthew McConaughey plays the ominous Man in Black Life saver: Occupying an alternative dimension called Mid-World, Deschain is on a mission to protect the Tower, which serves as a crucial barrier between time and space. Failure to do so could result in the fall of humanity Deadly: Deschain and his young sidekick are confronted by a host of adversaries in the new trailer Adapted from the hugely popular eight-book series by novelist Stephen King, The Dark Tower comes almost ten years after plans to develop a film franchise were put in motion. Reflecting on the building anticipation amongst fans of the book series, Elba recently admitted to hoping he has presented an accurate portrayal of the Gunslinger. 'I want the fans to be satisfied by the character I portray especially since the characters are so well written in the book,' he told Complex. ' However the wonderful thing with being an actor in film is that I am able to interpret the character and I hope the fans are proud of our interpretation.' The Dark Tower is released in cinemas across the United Kingdom from August 4. Desolate: Mid-World's terrain is presented as barren, rugged and inhospitable: Hopeful: Reflecting on the building anticipation amongst fans of the book series, Elba recently admitted to hoping he has presented an accurate portrayal of the Gunslinger She's the acclaimed actress currently appearing on screen in The Zookeeper's Wife. And Jessica Chastain, 40, has revealed her bold stance in selecting movie projects, declaring she only wants to play roles that are 'the subject of a script'. In a candid interview with The Daily Telegraph this week, the flame-haired movie star said: 'I am not interested in female characters that are objects.' Taking a stand: Jessica Chastain is 'not interested in female characters that are objects' and only wants roles that are 'the subject of a script' Jessica explained that she felt lucky to have played a range of complex female roles that were properly developed. 'Perhaps thats why the characters feel very dynamic because they are written as fully dimensional human beings,' she said. In The Zookeeper's Wife, Jessica plays real life historic figure Antonina Zabinski, who hid Jews in the basement of Warsaw's zoo during World War Two. Substantial part: In The Zookeeper's Wife, Jessica plays real life historic figure Antonina Zabinski, who hid Jews in the basement of Warsaw's zoo during World War Two Despite her meaty role, she still feels frustrated that there is often not enough substantial roles out there for actresses. 'I am drawn to female characters that are the subject of a script. I am not interested in female characters that are objects,' she says. To remedy this, the Zero Dark Thirty star is currently preparing to produce and star in a graphic novel adaption of superhero Painkiller Jane. 'The problem in this industry is many female characters are not written in that way': Jessica explained that she felt lucky to have played a range of complex female roles that were properly developed 'The problem in this industry is many female characters are not written in that way,' Jessica said. Last month, Jessica revealed she refuses to take a role unless she knows the salary of her male co-stars. 'Im not taking jobs anymore where Im getting paid a quarter of what the male co-star is being paid. Im not allowing that in my life,' Jessica told Variety. She wowed in a red custom-made Diane Von Furstenberg gown at the Met Gala on Monday. And one day later, Emma Roberts stepped out in a more casual ensemble. The 26-year-old enjoyed a solo shopping session on Tuesday in New York City while dressed in ripped boyfriend jeans and a blush colored floral blouse by Ulla Johnson. Retail run: Emma Roberts enjoyed a solo shopping session on Tuesday in New York City while dressed in ripped boyfriend jeans and a blush colored blouse by Ulla Johnson The actress covered up in her loose fitting bottoms, which featured a distressed hemline. Emma balanced the ripped jeans with a pleated patterned Ulla Johnson top. The Scream Queens star hit the pavement in black and white sneakers with a canvas tote slung over one shoulder. Emma, who toted a cold beverage in her hand, added a delicate silver choker and her diamond engagement ring. Solo session: The 26-year-old covered up in her loose fitting bottoms, which featured a distressed hemline She styled her brunette tresses loose and chose to go without makeup, revealing her natural beauty. On Monday, Emma wowed at The Met Gala in her fitted crimson frock by Diane Von Furstenberg, which had lace detailing along the neckline. The star, who is the niece of Julia Roberts, attended the annual event with Jonathan Saunders, the Chief Creative Officer of DVF. Custom made: On Monday, Emma wowed in her fitted crimson frock by Diane Von Furstenberg at the Met Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Strike a pose: The star, who is the niece of Julia Roberts, attended the annual event with Jonathan Saunders, the Chief Creative Officer of DVF Emma's exquisite look had a long skirt with lace trim; she finished off her ensemble with a pink fur accessory and diamond jewelry. The movie star's makeup was done by Charlotte Tilbury with hair by Christian Marc. The Met Gala is an annual event that takes place at The Metropolitan Museum Of Art; it raises funds for the museum's Costume Institute. This year's theme was Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons. Emma is currently engaged to fellow actor Evan Peters, 30; the two met after working on the 2012 movie Adult World. What an absolute beauty: The movie star's makeup was done by Charlotte Tilbury with hair by Christian Marc She made a name for herself in The Big Lebowski wearing a bikini. And Tara Reid paid tribute to her rise to fame in a revealing Instagram post on Wednesday. The 41-year-old star showcased her ample bosom and toned tummy in a scant ensemble as she captioned the shot: 'Back home in LA!' Welcome back: Tara Reid, 41, celebrated returning home in a revealing Instagram post on Wednesday The blonde bombshell stunned in a small purple and pink bikini top that left little to the imagination. She threw on a stylish holster fashion piece that is all the rage these days. Her petite gams were covered in light blue denim. She donned a smart tan hat to cover her blonde tresses and let her piercing blues eyes shine while she dropped her shades low. Jet set: Tara has been traveling extensively. In an Instagram from March, she was seen on set filming in New Orleans Bella!: A week ago, she was pictured with two friends in Italy The American Pie star has recently been traveling extensively for both work and vacation, so it was no wonder she was excited to return home. In an Instagram from March, she was seen on set filming in New Orleans. A week ago, she was pictured with two friends in Italy. The jet setter posted an Instagram a few days ago where she is back at work in Kansas City. Hard at work: The jet setter posted an Instagram a few days ago where she is back at work in Kansas City Tara found her footing in Hollywood in the 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski, where she played trophy wife Bunny. This led to parts in huge Hollywood movies, including recurring roles in the career-making American Pie franchise. More recently, she has been back in the spotlight with the Sharknado series that tells the tale of sharks being swept up in tornadoes and terrifying humanity. This star's house is fast becoming a zoo as she has just added another four-legged family member to the mix. Hilary Duff has adopted a new puppy and has yet to settle on a name, so she has been asking fans for help. The 29-year-old adopted the little pug chihuahua mix on Tuesday and while he was called Mojito be the rescue she got him from, the star is hoping to pick out something different. Scroll down for video New member of the family: Hilary Duff adopted a pug chihuahua mix on Tuesday Currently she is stuck between Momo or Bean, Hilary said as she shared two Instagrams of the new pup. The star wrote as if she was the dog saying: 'Guys. My mom needs help. Should it be Momo? Should it be Bean? Momo or Bean? Hello! name me please! Woof (that's thanks in dog) and goodnight.' The black and white mix breed - or a 'chug' as the rescue organization, Love Leo Rescue, dubbed him - came from Mexico and were brought over the border by volunteers. The little pooch had three sisters, some of whom are still looking for homes. Decisions, decisions: While he was called Mojito be the rescue she got him from, the star is hoping to pick out something different Come a long way: The black and white mix breed - or a 'chug' as the rescue organization, Love Leo Rescue, dubbed him - came from Mexico and were brought over the border by volunteers Posting a picture of the happy star the rescue wrote on Instagram: 'Another win for #blackdogs everywhere. Mojito has found his forever home... happy in the arms of @hilaryduff This Little #chug went from 'unwanted'- to the best life ever. Thank you @hilaryduff for spreading the #adoptdontshop message and welcoming Mojito into your family.' The puppy is Hilary's third dog joining Bernese Mountain Dog, Dubois, and French Bulldog, Peaches. Hilary got Peaches from the same breeder that she got her beloved Frenchie, Beau, who passed away last year. She was (metaphorically) letting her hair down at the Met Gala on Monday with her newly shaven hair do. But Cara Delevingne was sporting long locks once again - and was getting back to work - as she was spotted in Toronto on Wednesday. The 24-year-old model wore a bright pink wig as she smiled and gave a thumbs up to her co-workers on the set of Life In A Year. Scroll down for video Pink lady! Cara Delevingne showed off ANOTHER transformation as she showed off a long rosy wig on set of latest movie... after showcasing her newly shaved head at the Met Gala Sporting a comfortable look, Cara wore torn denim jeans paired with an orange top and military print jacket. She cut a relaxed vibe as she negotiated her way down the Toronto side street, in her slightly Gothic get-up. She wore clunky black boots, a silver studded leather belt and decorated her hand with large silver jewelry. Her rosy-coloured wig fell about her shoulders in light waves and she wore a dusting of eye shadow on her eyes and a light lick of red lipstick on her pout. Low-key: Sporting a comfortable look, Cara wore torn denim jeans paired with an orange top and military print jacket Chilling: After being the life of the party at the Met Ball, Cara cut a more relaxed vibe as she manoeuvred through the streets of Toronto Just two nights before she had wowed by matching her newly shaved head to a plunging silver ensemble. On Monday night, the supermodel made a typically dramatic statement as she painted her bald head silver while arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the heart on New York's 5th Avenue for the ever-glam Met Gala. To complement the bold look, she sported a sensational plunging silver suit by Chanel which perfectly encapsulated Cara's high fashion fancy atop her trademark ability to make a bold style statement on the red carpet. Adding to her futuristic metallic ensemble was staggering silver stilettos, the perfect accompaniment to her belt and dazzling smattering of jewels extending across her fingers to add further to her A-list glamour. In stark contrast: Cara made a bold statement, matching her recently shaved head to her silver gown at the Met Gala on Monday night With such a bold beauty look added through her silver head paint, she kept the rest of her beauty regimen simple with just a lick of mascara opening her almond-shaped eyes while her lips were lightly outlined in a baby pink colour. Life In A Year sees her play a dying woman. The movie, penned by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, follows 17-year-old Daryn who learns his girlfriend (Delevigne) is dying and sets out to give her their entire life together, in the year she has left. Cara will soon be making an appearance in anticipated sci-fi thriller Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. The star, who landed her first acting role as Princess Sorokina in 2012 flick Anna Karenina opposite Keira Knightley, will give another role-model making performance as a feisty young fighter in the film. He's been amplifying the excitement around his latest action flick, Mission Impossible 6, as he films thrilling scenes in Paris. But Tom Cruise, 54, looked altogether more relaxed as he stopped to greet gathering crowds of fans on Wednesday. The throng of onlookers could not look more pleased that they caught a glimpse - and the attention of - the real life action man. Scroll down for video Action man: Tom Cruise, 54, looked relaxed on the set of Mission Impossible 6 as he stopped to greet gathering crowds of fans in Paris on Wednesday Dazzling: Sporting a pair of heavy black boots, the Hollywood heavyweight flashed his renowned dazzling grin as he waved at his fans Tom cut a cool figure in the signature all-black ensemble of his character, Ethan Hunt, as he sauntered down the Parisian road. Sporting a pair of heavy black boots, the Hollywood heavyweight flashed his renowned dazzling grin as he waved at his fans. With his brunette locks swaying in the wind, the actor looked rather windswept, but retained his handsome appearance. Tom even gave fans a cheeky wink, a move that undoubtedly thrilled his legion of female admirers. Charmer: Tom even gave fans a cheeky wink, a move that undoubtedly thrilled his legion of female admirers Cool dude: Tom cut a cool figure in the signature all-black ensemble of his character, Ethan Hunt, as he sauntered down the Parisian road Not one to shy away from giving his own artistic input to filming proceedings, Tom gesticulated as he spoke to crew and gave them directions. He kept warm in a black padded jacket, and looked cheery as he continued with filming for the exciting new movie. Tom showed off his masculine frame in the fitted outfit - the result of an intense year of training to shape up for the role. No rest for the wicked: With a determined glint in his eye, the actor looked ready to face a gruelling day of filming With a determined glint in his eye, the actor looked ready to face a gruelling day of filming. Despite the original Mission Impossible coming out 21 years ago when Tom was just 33, he has maintained his youthful looks, and hardly looks different from the inaugural movie. The star has kept his slimline figure in check with gruelling workouts, with fitness being of utmost importance - for the last Mission Impossible film, he was famously trained to be able to hold his breath for six minutes. Looking good: Tom showed off his masculine frame in the fitted outfit - the result of an intense year of training to shape up for the role 'Normally in underwater sequences, people hold their breath for 10 seconds, 15 seconds max,' Cruise explained in a behind-the-scenes video for Access Hollywood. 'So I had to prove to everyone that it was actually safe and spend time with the safety guys and the safety officers to show them not only is it safe, it's better that I know how to hold my breath because I'm going to be very relaxed. 'No-one's going to have to rush in. No-one has to panic.' Action! Not one to shy away from giving his own artistic input to filming proceedings, Tom gesticulated as he spoke to crew and gave them directions Youthful: Despite the original Mission Impossible coming out 21 years ago when Tom was just 33, he has maintained his youthful looks, and hardly looks different from the inaugural movie While most of the details of the plot of the latest film in the franchise have been kept tightly under wraps, Skydance Media CEO David Ellison revealed that Tom will be performing the biggest stunt sequence of his career in the film. Ellison told Collider: 'What Tom is doing in this movie I believe will top anything thats come before. It is absolutely unbelievablehes been training for a year. 'It is going to be, I believe, the most impressive and unbelievable thing that Tom Cruise has done in a movie, and he has been working on it since right after Rogue Nation came out [in 2015]. Its gonna be mind-blowing.' Celeb sighting: The throng of onlookers could not look more pleased that they caught a glimpse - and the attention of - the real life action man She first stepped into the role of Amy Mitchell in the 2016 movie Bad Moms. And one year later, Mila Kunis is back as the mother of two in the film's sequel, Bad Mom's Christmas. The 33-year-old actress was spotted on Wednesday rocking a holiday themed apron on the Atlanta, Georgia set of the movie. It's the first film she's worked on since welcoming son Dimitri five months ago. Beaming: Mila Kunis was spotted on Wednesday rocking a holiday themed apron on the Atlanta, Georgia set of the movie Bad Mom's Christmas Mila beamed while on set. The beauty rocked the colorful Christmas apron over a striped blouse, adding jeans and sneakers. Mila was seen chatting with a co-star in between filming. The mother of two wore her dark brunette locks pulled back with just a touch of makeup on her face. Taking a quick break between scenes: She first stepped into the role of Amy Mitchell in 2016 Bad Mom's Christmas is set to hit theaters on November 3, 2017. Her co-stars include Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Susan Sarandon, Jay Hernandez and Justin Hartley. The first film, Bad Moms, became the first R rated female led comedy of 2016 to surpass $100 million, reports The Hollywood Reporter; it had just a $20 million budget. What a stunner: The beauty rocked the colorful Christmas apron over a striped blouse, adding jeans and sneakers Cheers: The first film, Bad Moms, became the first R rated female led comedy of 2016 to surpass $100 million, reports The Hollywood Reporter; with Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn Mila is married to actor Ashton Kutcher; the two met when they were both cast in That '70s Show in 1998, although they didn't start dating until 2012. They became engaged in February 2014 and tied the knot in July 2015. Mila and Ashton, 39, are parents to two children: daughter Wyatt Isabelle, two, and son Dimitri, five months. Happily ever after: Mila is married to actor Ashton Kutcher; the two met when they were both cast in That '70s Show in 1998, although they didn't start dating until 2012; seen in October Earlier this week, Ashton visited The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he divulged how the couple came up with the name Dimitri. He told Ellen that during a date night Mila said: 'So I think Donald Trump is going to win the presidency and I think our baby's name is Dimitri.' Ashton explained: 'She called it...so that's it. She's my wife - everything she says is right.' She's been delighted her legions of followers with pictures of her trip to Cape Verde on social media. And Love Island's Olivia Buckland, 23, shared a very busty photo of herself wearing an eye-popping white bikini as she posed on a pink inflatable bird with fiance Alex Bowen, 24, on Wednesday. The pair could not have looked more loved up ahead of their 2018 wedding as they giggled while relaxing poolside. Scroll down for video Adorable: Olivia Buckland, 23, shared a picture of herself and fiance Alex Bowen, 24, relaxing on an inflatable during their Cape Verde getaway on Wednesday and posted it to Instagram With the former Love Islanders displaying their gym-sculpted, bronzed physiques adorned with tattoos in the shot, the pair looked blissfully happy. Earlier in the day, Olivia had once again melted the hearts of her 1.1 million followers with a beach shot of her fiance tenderly kissing her cheek. She revved up the glamour for the sweet shot, with a red lip to match her diamond-encrusted bikini. Heartwarming: Earlier in the day, Olivia had once again melted the hearts of her 1.1 million followers with a beach shot of her fiance tenderly kissing her cheek Olivia has been keeping her fans thrilled with a torrent of sexy snaps of her incredible figure during her holiday. The reality star proved she was as confident as ever in a bikini on Monday, as she took to Instagram to give another sizzling insight into her trip. She took to her story to share a playful video of her shimmying in a glitzy burgundy bikini - showing off her enviably slender body in all its glory. Bikini babe: Olivia proved she was as confident as ever in a bikini on Monday, as she took to Instagram to give another sizzling insight into her trip Fit to bust: The reality star, 23, took to her story to share a video of her shimmying in a glitzy burgundy bikini - before she documented her day of tanning (above) The reality star appeared to be in incredibly high spirits as she danced around for her 1.1 million followers in the glorious sunshine, with a cocktail in hand. Clad in a skimpy burgundy bikini, the beauty's enviably slender figure and incredibly tiny waist came into full view as she playfully shimmied for the camera. Plunging into a triangle neckline, her barely-there top gave a saucy flash of her cleavage as she frolicked by the pool, while her bottoms rose high at her hip to elongate her already leggy figure. Relaxed: The reality star appeared to be in incredibly high spirits as she danced around for her 1.1 million followers in the glorious sunshine, with a cocktail in hand Shake it! Clad in a skimpy burgundy bikini, the beauty's enviably slender figure and incredibly tiny waist came into full view as she playfully shimmied for the camera Eye-popping: Plunging into a triangle neckline, her barely-there top gave a saucy flash of her ample cleavage as she relaxed by the pool Maintaining her signature glamorous style even in swimwear, the two-piece was then adorned with gold sequins at the bust and sides to draw further attention to her assets and toned stomach. Leaving her hair in loose waves and adding only oversized sunglasses to her face, Olivia proved her stunning natural beauty and glowing skin as she spent another day in the tropical hotspot. The star has been heavily documenting her getaway on Instagram - posing in a racy semi-sheer costume to show off her tanned and toned physique again on Sunday. Sheer delight: She had already showed off her tanned physique in a racy semi-sheer bathing costume on Sunday as she continued to document her holiday on Instagram The beauty stood on a balcony in the picture with a black cover up slipping off her shoulders to reveal the figure-hugging swimwear beneath, complete with a saucy mesh front panel. In another snap, the blonde cosied up to her fiance Alex Bowen, who she is soaking up with - crossing her leg over her boyfriend's knee and her hand resting on his thigh in the sweet photo. She displayed eye-popping cleavage in a tiny gold bralette which she teamed with a slinky black cardigan and a pair of towering wedge heels. Cosy: In another snap, Olivia cosied up to Alex and displayed eye-popping cleavage in a minuscule gold bralette This is the life:T he Love Islander has been flooding her Instagram page with envy-inducing snaps of her exotic, romantic getaway Olivia also uploaded shots of herself in a burgundy bikini, as her cheeky boyfriend Alex started kissing her chest. While the star has continued to post racy snaps from her hols, she seemed a little emotional on Sunday night as she blasted trolls who hurled abuse at her bikini snaps. 'Fed up with people sticking their unknown noses into my life. Some people will say I asked for it being on reality but IM A REAL SOUL,' she angrily tweeted. PDA: Olivia also uploaded shots of herself in a burgundy bikini, as her cheeky boyfriend Alex started kissing her chest Come here you: The Love Island lovebirds couldn't keep their hands or lips off of each other She went on sadly: 'I have feelings man. Seriously like I ain't an actress. My life is real. Am a young women who feels s**t same as everyone else. Be nice x' Olivia still continued to exude confidence in her swimwear despite the cruel comments - having risen to fame on Love Island, where she stripped to a bikini on TV daily. It was on the ITVBe show last year that she met her now fiancee Alex Bowen - who popped the question in New York in December. She is set to tie the knot with her scaffolder beau, 24, in September 2018, with Love Island's host Caroline Flack, 37, as a guest and Olivia's best pal from the series, winner Cara De La Hoyde, 26, bridesmaid. Hitting back: While the star has continued to post racy snaps from her hols, she seemed a little emotional on Sunday night as she blasted trolls Engaged: Olivia captioned another shot 'Hubby to be' as she cosied up to her fiance Speaking to Closer magazine, Olivia revealed that she wants 'party animal' Caroline to come - despite the TV presenter being accused by viewers of being flirty with Alex in the 2016 show's finale. Olivia said: 'Caroline Flack needs to come to the wedding! She's a real party animal so we need her there. We're inviting all the Love Island producers too, as they made it happen.' The reality star did not mention whether fellow Love Islander Zara Holland, 21 - who slept with Alex on his first night in the villa, resulting in her losing her Miss Great Britain crown - would be on the guest list. Loving life: No doubt the stunner is excited to wed co-star and fiancee Alex in the ITVBe show's first-ever wedding after they met filming in Mallorca last year Olivia revealed she has started planning her dream day with former co-star and best pal Cara De La Hoyde - who won Love Island in 2016 alongside Nathan Massey, before confirming their split last week. Olivia also divulged that Cara is set to be a bridesmaid on the big day, telling Closer: 'Of course Cara is going to be my bridesmaid.' Olivia is keeping tight-lipped about details of the wedding, but admitted that it will be in the UK so the pair's friends and family don't miss out, and they will plan a 'fab honeymoon abroad' after. The curvaceous reality TV star has finished filming Say Yes To The Dress, so fans will have a sneak preview of what her dress is like before the big day. She's no stranger to provocative ensembles thanks to her role in the racy Fifty Shades Of Grey franchise. But Dakota Johnson kept it demure as she stepped out in a sophisticated suit in New York on Wednesday. The 27-year-old starlet was seen leaving a hotel in a tailored black jacket and pants that revealed her trim figure. The star seemed to have some trouble with her hair. A gust of wind blew up, sending her locks in her face. Classy: Dakota Johnson, 27, kept it demure as she stepped out in a sophisticated suit in New York on Wednesday The Texas native looked lovely as she donned a pale yellow shirt that had a bow at the neck and ruffles across the chest. The jacket cut a cool figure as the cuffs were frayed at the ends. Her pants were form-fitting and accentuated the actress's trim waistline. She sported chic open-toed heels and kept her brunette tresses long and loose. Exit: The starlet was seen leaving a hotel in a tailored black jacket and pants that revealed her trim figure Frills: The Texas native looked lovely as she donned a pale yellow shirt that had a bow at the neck and ruffles across the chest The scion of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith shot to fame leading the 2015 film Fifty Shades Of Grey, based on the first part of E.J. James' 2011 blockbuster trio. And it was a brave choice given the risque nature of the story in which she plays Anastasia Steele the naive young object of bondage-obsessed billionaire Christian, played by Jamie Dornan. Based on E.L. James' erotic bestsellers, their story continued in Fifty Shades Darker, released on February 10 this year. And it will reach its climax with Fifty Shades Freed, due out on February 9, 2018. Frayed: The jacket cut a cool figure as the cuffs were frayed at the ends Dakota's also slated to star in an Amazon Studios co-produced remake - out sometime this year - of the 1977 Italian ballerina horror film Suspiria. Directed by Dario Argento, the original film follows an American ballet student played by Jessica Harper whose training at a dance academy in Freiburg is interrupted by hideous murders and malevolent witchcraft. Luca Guadagnino is directing the new version, which along with Dakota stars Chloe Grace Moretz, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth and Jessica Harper herself, per IMDb. Dario, however, gave an interview Indiewire ran last August, expressing therein his view that 'honestly, I do think it would be better if it wasnt remade.' 'The People of the Way' -- WCC Presidents Share Annual Pentecost Message Contact: World Council of Churches, +41-79-507-6363; www.oikoumene.org/press GENEVE, May 3, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- "When the day of Pentecost came, the followers of Jesus were all in one place and of one accord They were of one mind in anticipation. There was a oneness, a conjunction, of fellowship (association), minds, and place." In their 2017 Pentecost message, the presidents of the World Council of Churches (WCC) reflect on what it means to be a people of the Way on a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, based on verses from Acts 2:1. "Christian spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and it encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle," the presidents reflect. "This is what Pentecost is all about. It is about embracing a new life in Christ." "The way is a common expression in Acts for the Christian religion," they note. "It is a metaphor for life and conduct. The way of God and the way of life are seen as the only right and true way." "We as people of the way should stand where God is standing," the presidents add and conclude, "we are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. This is our conviction. Christianity provides us a way, a path to engage in church and societyto embody the way." Message of the presidents of the World Council of Churches at Pentecost 2017 (also available in French, German and Spanish) The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. She has been rocking a brand new look for her latest movie Red Sparrow. And Jennifer Lawrence had her platinum blonde wig - complete with chunky fringe - on again as she continued shooting scenes for the film, this time in London. Spotted at Terminal two of Heathrow Airport, Jennifer slipped into her character as the sexy Russian spy with ease as she sashayed across the set in a long camel trench coat. Scroll down for video Camel-flage! Jennifer Lawrence shoots scenes for her Russian spy film in a long tan coat, a tight black polo neck and a blonde wig at London Heathrow Airport The 26-year-old actress shot scenes in which she was dropped off in a car, wearing a typically spy-like black ensemble beneath the coat. She showcased her slender frame in a tight black polo neck sweater, dark trousers, and flat shoes with a black leather bag slung over one shoulder. The Oscar winner wore deftly touches of makeup which accentuated her youthful features, darkening her eyes with a charcoal shade of eyeliner and plumping her pout with a touch of rouge lipstick. On location: The 26-year-old shot scenes at Terminal two of Heathrow Alter ego: Jennifer Lawrence had her platinum blonde wig - complete with chunky fringe - on again as she continued shooting scenes for the film, this time in London Flying solo: Spotted at Terminal two of Heathrow Airport, Jennifer slipped into her character as the sexy Russian spy with ease as she sashayed across the set in a long camel trench coat Previously seen in Austria shooting other scenes, the internationally renowned stunner, who has been coy about her relationship with Rachel Weisz's ex Darren Aronofsky, looked serious and steely as she shot the covert scenes. Jennifer was seen leaving her car and heading into the airport, greeted by an actress playing an air hostess. The Red Sparrow shooting schedule involves a gruelling filming schedule jetting around Europe. Just days ago Jennifer - who plays a young intelligence officer whose dreams of becoming a prima ballerina are shattered when she breaks her leg - and her co-stars were shooting scenes in Bratislava as well. Wrapped up snug: The Hunger Games beauty covered her slender frame with a tan coloured trench Natural beauty: Jennifer was filming scenes as a sexy Russian spy her new movie Red Sparrow Drop off: Just days ago Jennifer - who plays a young intelligence officer whose dreams of becoming a prima ballerina are shattered when she breaks her leg - and her co-stars were shooting scenes in Bratislava Welcome aboard: Jennifer was seen leaving her car and heading into the airport, greeted by an actress playing an air hostess The sought-after star plays Dominika Egorova, who is recruited for a secretive Russian spy agency where she is assigned to seduce a first-tour CIA agent who handles the CIA's most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The Cold War thriller is charged by trade-craft, deception and inevitably forbidden passion with Joel Edgerton's character Nathaniel Nash. A trailer for the forthcoming spy thriller was teased at ComicCon last month, by 20th Century Fox. Jennifer is once again working with Francis Lawrence, who directed the Hunger Games franchise, in which Jennifer took the lead as Katniss Everdeen. Secretive: The sought-after star plays Dominika Egorova, who is recruited for a secretive Russian spy agency where she is assigned to seduce a first-tour CIA agent who handles the CIA's most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence Back on the big screen: For the last year, Jennifer has been keeping a low profile and developing a romance with Darren Aronofsky Meanwhile, off-screen, Jennifer has remained schtum about her tryst with film director Darren. Darren, 48, is the former partner of The Mummy star Rachel Weisz, 47, who is now married to James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. Darren, who is known for hugely successful projects including Black Swan and Requiem For A Dream, shares a child with Weisz - but the pair split back in 2010. And rumours of a serious romance between the Harvard-educated film buff and Jennifer have intensified over the past months, despite the pair rarely being seen together in public. Covert operation: Jennifer looked steely faced as she shot the scenes Off she goes: Jennifer walked through the crowd of extras playing passengers Inside: The actress also acted in a sequence inside the airport 'Jennifer is comfortable with an older guy because she is mature and focused,' source told People about the gaping 22-year age gap. The two met while working together on drama Mother! which is set for release later this year. The source continued: 'Jen has been mesmerized by his talent and brains since she started working with him.' They are very sweet together and seem happy,' another source told the magazine. 'They hold hands. They Keep to themselves and don't seem to want a lot of attention.' Coming soon: A trailer for the forthcoming spy thriller was teased at ComicCon last month, by 20th Century Fox She wowed in Thierry Mugler at the Met Gala in New York City on Monday. And on Wednesday, Reese Witherspoon was spotted back on the West Coast in something a little more casual. The 41-year-old looked like the picture of spring in her denim skirt and coral blouse while leaving brunch in Brentwood, California. Southern Belle: Reese Witherspoon was spotted back on the West Coast in something a little more casual than her Monday Met Gala look; seen on Wednesday in Brentwood, California Earlier in the day, Reese broke a sweat during her morning yoga class, while dressed in cropped bottoms and a tank top. For her fitness session, the Sweet Home Alabama actress pulled her blonde locks back and opted to forgo all makeup. After her workout, she enjoyed brunch with friends at the Country Mart in Brentwood. For her afternoon get-together, Reese highlighted her sculpted legs in a thigh-grazing flared skirt. Natural beauty: Earlier in the day, Reese broke a sweat during her morning yoga class, while dressed in cropped bottoms and a tank top For her afternoon brunch, Reese chose a coral blouse featuring flared sleeves and a high neck. The Legally Blonde star complemented the bold top with a dark wash skirt, chunky gold necklace and layers of bangles and rings. She hit the pavement in blue corkscrew heels while toting the $195 Cherry Tall Tote from her company, Draper James. Lovely: The 41-year-old looked the picture of spring in her denim skirt with a pink blouse and cherry printed bag while leaving brunch in Brentwood, California Fancy: For her afternoon get-together, Reese highlighted her sculpted legs in a thigh-grazing flared skirt Pretty lady: For her afternoon brunch, Reese chose a coral blouse featuring flared sleeves and a high neck Sitting pretty: Reese later hit the stage to speak during the Milken Institute Global Conference 2017 which 'convenes the best minds in the world to tackle the most stubborn challenges' Looking fab: Reese was chic in a black lace dress with a smart white collar Reese founded her clothing and lifestyle company in 2015; she opened her flagship store in Nashville, Tennessee in October of 2015. Draper James is a nod to her Southern roots and upbringing; Reese was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Reese arrived for The Met Gala in a one sleeved Thierry Mugler gown, featuring different shades of blue. Breathtaking: She wowed in Thierry Mugler at the Met Gala on Monday Happy: Reese arrived for The Met Gala in a one sleeved Thierry Mugler gown, featuring different shades of blue; seen on Monday at The Metropolitan Museum Of Art in NYC The extra-special, special effect in a new all-star version of Murder On The Orient Express featuring Agatha Christies famous sleuth, Hercule Poirot, involved months of research. All that effort was to create a spectacular moustache for the eccentric Belgian detective. So impressive was the result that Christies grandson, Mathew Prichard, described it as the most magnificent moustache in England. All aboard! The remake of the classic Agatha Christie novel has a stellar cast including Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Dame Judi Dench Sacre bleu! Poirot has little grey cells .. and a huge grey moustache. While Albert Finney (left) favoured a restrained handlebar- design, Kenneth Branagh (right) is going for the full Kaiser Bill. That tuft of hair? it's called a chin puff Two very dour dames: Only West End royalty could do justice to frosty Russian emigre Natalia Dragomiroff. Wendy Hiller (left) played the imperious princess in the original while Judi Dench adds her own Siberian chill (right) Meekly magnificent: Offered the larger role of Princess Dragomiroff, Ingrid Bergman preferred to play the Swedish missionary, Greta. Her performance won Bergman her third Oscar. Penelope Cruz will play Pilar Pilar Estravados, a Hispanic version of Greta The body in question: Veteran tough-guy actor Richard Widmark was cast as the enigmatic U.S. businessman Samuel Ratchet, who is found stabbed to death in his cabin. With his caddish moustache, Johnny Depp (right) adds sex appeal to the role Kenneth Branagh, who plays Poirot, says the aim was to achieve something that is both striking visually from the front and from the side as well as little hint of a military background because Poirot was a soldier in the Belgian army before becoming an inspector in the police force. The intention was to give a sense of Poirots past involvement with physical encounters with violence. Murder On The Orient Express is based on Christies 1934 novel, and there are 13 suspects who could have plunged a dagger into the chest of shady American businessman Samuel Ratchett on the journey to Istanbul. Branagh, who also directs the film, says Oscar-nominated hair and make-up designer Carol Hemming combed as many period references as she could find to devise the double moustache or face furniture as Branagh calls it. Wisely, she created several copies in case they were damaged or lost. The film features a central prop, almost like a James Bond attache case, that opens up to reveal moustache brushes, tweezers, scissors, curling tongs and everything needed to wax a moustache. Red Vanessa Redgrave's Thirties hairstyle (left) has survived the test of time and in the remake Daisy Ridley (right) will play Mary Debenham, with the same finger-curl hairdo Ice maiden: Sultry Welsh star Rachel Roberts was almost unrecognisable as Princess Dragomiroff's German domestic servant. Hildegarde Schmidt. And Broadchurch's Olivia Coleman looks suitably unsmiling too Indeed, Christie had stipulated that it should be an immense affair. Albert Finney sported a more shipshape moustache in the 1974 original and others who have played the role on screen have been David Suchet, Peter Ustinov and Alfred Molina. The dynamic on set was said to be electric because of the casts star power. They include Michelle Pfeiffer as glamorous American Mrs Caroline Hubbard; Judi Dench as sharp-tongued fellow passenger Princess Natalia Dragomiroff; Johnny Depp as the murder victim; Penelope Cruz as Greta, a Spanish missionary with a secret past; Olivia Colman as Princess Dragomiroffs maid; Derek Jacobi, the victims valet and Daisy Ridley, recently in the new Star Wars fame, as a governess. Relative newcomer Lucy Boynton plays Countess Helena Andrenyi, Leslie Odom Jr (a star from the Broadway hit show Hamilton) is soldier Colonel John Arbuthnot and Tom Bateman has the role of Bouc, a director of the Simplon-Orient-Express line. A tough broad aboard: In the role of the loudmouthed American Mrs Hubbard, Lauren Bacall (left) got most of the script's wisecracks in the 1974 film. Michelle Pfeiffer (right) plays the merry widow in the 2017 version Knight train: Sir John Gielgud (left) brought sinister gravitas to the part of manservant Beddoes, who has a secret connection with another of the suspects. Sir Derek Jacobi also looks decidedly shifty (right) In this 100 million-plus spectacular, they follow in the footsteps of cinematic greats such as Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, John Gielgud, Vanessa Redgrave, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery and many more. Branagh hopes the movie will reflect the lavish care and attention that is a journey in the golden age of travel. He added: I wanted to give people a real taste of the train itself. The situation is full of dread. Its not a glossy romp. Set designers built a railway sidings with two tracks at Longcross Studios in Surrey so that the train which becomes stranded by an avalanche could crash (in a controlled way!) in real time. Branagh said that filming was huge fun and that Judi Dench was the naughtiest teasing him about giving the other actors orders. Among many witty scenes, theres one in which, in the haughtiest way, she says: I order the fish! Branagh remarks: She might as well have been saying: Ill have the fish, bitch! Murder On The Orient Express will get a UK release in November. He was known as the most handsome and debonair Hollywood star of the 1940s, 50s and early 60s. But despite his cool exterior, Cary Grant was wracked by self-doubt caused by childhood trauma for most of his life. Now Showtime is lifting the lid on his unseen personal world in a new documentary, Becoming Cary Grant, due to air on June 9. Scroll down for video Suave superstar: On Wednesday Showtime dropped a trailer for its documentary, Becoming Cary Grant, lifting the lid on demons that lay beneath the Hollywood icon's cool persona And it also dropped a trailer for the doc that will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on the French riviera this month. The premium cable net said the film 'explores Cary's long journey from childhood poverty to global fame and from darkness out into the light,' according to Deadline Hollywood. It also sheds light on his decision to undergo a long course of treatment with LSD to exorcise his childhood demons. The movie uses the star's own words from his unpublished autobiography, spoken by actor Jonathan Pryce, and newly discovered personal footage he shot to reveal more about the man who was born Archibald Leach in Bristol, England, in 1904. Humble start: Cary was born Archibald Leach in Bristol, England, in 1904 Home video: The documentary includes never-before-seen personal footage shot by the star He left school at 14 to join Bob Pender's troupe of knockabout comedians and two years later was one of eight Pender boys selected to go to New York to perform their Good Times show on Broadway. And he never looked back, becoming one of Hollywoods greatest movie stars and making 76 films between 1932 and 1966. Among Cary's many classics are director Alfred Hitchcocks North By Northwest, opposite Eva Marie Saint, in 1959, and Charade opposite Audrey Hepburn in 1963. In demand: One of Hollywoods greatest movie stars, he made 76 films between 1932 and 1966 when he retired from the big screen Blown in the wind: The documentary also sheds light on Cary's decision to undergo a long course of treatment with LSD in his 50s to exorcise his childhood demons Cary earned Lead Actor Oscar nominations for 1944's None But The Lonely Heart and Penny Serenade in 1941 and was finally presented with an Honorary Oscar by his friend Frank Sinatra at the Academy Awards in 1970, Married five times, the star retired from the big screen after his 1966 movie, Walk Don't Run, when he was 62. However, he continued with his one man show, Conversation With Cary Grant, and died age 82 after suffering a stroke at the Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa, on November 29, 1986. Fly past: Cary in one of his iconic roles in director Alfred Hitchcocks North By Northwest, opposite Eva Marie Saint, in 1959 She's made no secret about her plans to crack Los Angeles by moving out to the prestigious California location. But it seems that some of the properties were not quite up to Samantha Faiers' standards as she looked around the sought-after Venice location on Wednesday night's episode of The Mummy Diaries. The former TOWIE star viewed the stunning detached property, which is on the market for $2.3 million, but decided that the 'quirky' area was not up to her and partner Paul's standards. Scroll down for video LA dream: Samantha Faiers has made no secret about her plans to crack America by moving to Los Angeles with her partner Paul Knightley and baby Paul Not good enough: The former TOWIE star viewed a stunning property on the market for $2.3 million on Wednesday night's episode of The Mummy Diaries, but decided that it was not up to her standards Citing the property's location opposite a rather more run down bungalow, Sam quipped: 'You've got a 2.3 mil house opposite a shack... we don't wanna move to Venice.' She added: 'Venice is not for us! We can't wait to get back to Beverly Hills 90210' The fitness entrepreneur then enquired about the California version of Brentwood, stating that she is from the U.K. version - but was again disappointed that her and Paul would not get 'more bang for their buck' in the equally prestigious location. Quirky: Citing the property's location opposite a rather more run down bungalow, Sam quipped: 'It's a quirky area. You've got a 2.3 mil house opposite a shack... we don't wanna move to Venice.' Disappointing: 'For that price tag, you'd expect a gate, a swimming pool, two or three floors... this had none of that' Not for them: Sam quipped, 'Venice is not for us! We can't wait to get back to Beverly Hills 90210' 'For that price tag, you'd expect a gate, a swimming pool, two or three floors... this had none of that.' She said, disappointed. Continuing with their quest for the LA dream, Sam and Paul visited the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame outside the Chinese Theatre - but were again let down by the 'dirty' location. 'You imagine it to be more glamorous than it is - but it's actually quite dirty' She said, dumbfounded. Oh dear: Continuing with their quest for the LA dream, Sam and Paul visited the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame outside the Chinese Theatre - but were again let down by the 'dirty' location Iconic: 'You imagine it to be more glamorous than it is - but it's actually quite dirty' She said, dumbfounded Ambition: 'I can see myself here one day, doing my hands and tootsies. Samantha Faiers...' She said dreamily. Nudging Paul, she then joked: 'Actually by then it will be Samantha Knightley!' Revealing her ambitions to crack Hollywood, Sam cheerily smiled to the camera after putting her feet inside the iconic footprints of Marilyn Monroe. 'I can see myself here one day, doing my hands and tootsies. Samantha Faiers...' She said dreamily. Nudging Paul, she then joked: 'Actually by then it will be Samantha Knightley!' Her LA dreams appeared to be looking up, as she gathered attention from paparazzi. Rising star: Her LA dreams appeared to be looking up, as she gathered attention from paparazzi Loving it: 'I don't mind getting papped - I do a little pose and a strut and a smile.' Sam smiled. 'Paul gets a bit stiff and awkward though' 'I don't mind getting papped - I do a little pose and a strut and a smile.' Sam smiled. 'Paul gets a bit stiff and awkward though.' However, she was a little more embarrassed by the pap who managed to get a shot of her eating a hotdog at the organic market, where she went to gather research for a new business idea - although she admitted that she wasn't quite sure what it will be yet. 'I would love to have my own organic range... I don't know what exactly but definitely skin, babies, food. I need to take my inspiration and go to the drawing plan and work out my next business idea.' She revealed during the episode. Market research: Sam went to an organic market to gather research for a new organic business idea - although she admitted that she wasn't quite sure what it will be yet Big plans: Seduced by the beauty of the Hollywood Hills, Sam decided during the episode that a move to LA was imminent for her and Paul Cute couple: Sam has made no secret of her desire to be wed to Paul Sam also divulged her plans to build an 'empire' with Paul over a romantic dinner in their last night in LA. 'As soon as I met you, I knew we would get married and have babies and move abroad and build an empire. 'I always knew I was moving abroad and when I met you this is the man who's coming with me. We aren't even married yet and we've got one child and we want 5 so this is the beginning.' 'I'm gonna miss the food and sunshine and the big house and the Bentley.' Ambition: Sam also divulged her plans to build an 'empire' with Paul over a romantic dinner in their last night in LA Looking forward: 'I always knew I was moving abroad and when I met you this is the man who's coming with me. We aren't even married yet and we've got one child and we want 5 so this is the beginning' She was the My Kitchen Rules champion in 2011 while he tied the knot with a complete stranger on Married At First Sight in 2015. But it appears Bella Jakubiak and James Webster have moved on from their reality TV pasts, with each other. Speaking about the six-month romance, 33-year-old Bella told WHO magazine: 'I pretty much loved him from before our first date.' Scroll down for video Love at first sight! Former My Kitchen Rules champion Bella Jakubiak and ex-Married At First Sight contestant James Webster have begun dating The TV chef explained that the pair had chatted 'via Facebook' for several weeks before their first date as James was away for work. Recalling their first meeting at a house party in Bondi, Bella told the publication: 'We met in the real world. Through friends.' And despite having only dated since September, the pair are 'serious' about their future together, with Bella noting 'I wish we would have met earlier'. Reality TV past: Bella, 33 (right), appeared on the Channel Seven cooking competition show in 2011 alongside her sister Sammy (left) Looking for love: James meanwhile, attempted to find the love of his life via Channel Nine's social experiment (pictured with his MAFS partner Michelle) 'When you're at this age, we are like, "Let's not muck around if this is not serious,"' said James, 39. And the happy couple are already travelling the world together, having just embarked on a holiday to the US last week. Both Bella and her beau have taken to Instagram to document their adventures so far. Loved-up: Just six months after meeting at a house party in Bondi, James and Bella are already getting serious about their future plans 'USA HOLIDAY: boyfie and I have just arrived in sunny California! Orange County is as beautiful as you'd expect, with stunning beaches and crystal water! [sic]' Bella captioned a snap of the pair in California on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Bella is also preparing to introduce her man to her family back in her native Poland on a separate trip. 'I've never taken a man over before to meet my family,' the brunette revealed. Holiday mode: The pair are currently travelling the US together and have shared loved-up snaps from their adventures to Instagram Winners: Bella and Sammy won the cooking competition and are now working across catering businesses as well as The Morning Show appearances Bela, who now owns the catering company Bella's Feast and appears on The Morning Show's cooking segments, first made her TV debut alongside her sister Sammy. The Sydney-based siblings were crowned MKR winners after beating Victorian couple Kane and Lee. James meanwhile, attempted to find love while appearing on the premiere season of MAFS. However, his short-lived relationship with bride Michelle didn't work out, which his girlfriend Bella is 'glad' about. Second chance at love: Bella, who is preparing to introduce James to her family in Poland this year, says she's 'glad' his reality TV relationship with Michelle didn't work out in 2015 She hosted two seasons of Australian Princess in 2005 and 2006. And Jackie 'O' Henderson reflected on how she was instructed to be 'tough and hard' on the reality show during a segment on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Thursday. The 42-year-old said she felt 'really uncomfortable' in her role, which included eliminating young lady contestants being groomed by a celebrity panel for 'royalty'. Scroll down for video Out of character: Jackie O reflected on how she was instructed to be 'tough and hard' on reality show Australian Princess during a segment on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Thursday The blonde beauty described to her co-host Kyle Sandilands how producers pushed her to act out of character to spice things up for ratings. 'I was telling the girls, "You are not going to be the next Australian Princess, bye!"' she dramatically recalled. 'You were like a Mean Girl, but in real life,' Kyle offered. Awkward: The 42-year-old said she felt 'really uncomfortable' in her role, which included eliminating young lady contestants being groomed by a celebrity panel for 'royalty' 'No, I wasn't really,' she replied. 'They tried to make me be a Mean Girl on that show and I told them I didn't want to. They'd be like, "be tougher, be harder".' 'Be a b****,' Kyle added. 'I felt really uncomfortable doing that,' she stated. 'I don't think they liked working with me on that show.' 'No, I wasn't really,' she replied. 'They tried to make me be a Mean Girl on that show and I told them I didn't want to. They'd be like, "be tougher, be harder"' When questioned by her co-host why she felt that way, she responded it was because 'they wanted me to a b*** and I didn't want to be'. 'They actually said they wanted you to be tougher and more aggressive?' Kyle asked. 'One hundred percent, they'd say that every episode I'd film,' she said. 'They'd say, "We need you to be harder! Don't smile at them!"' 'One hundred percent, they'd say that every episode I'd film,' she said. 'They'd say, "We need you to be harder! Don't smile at them!"' Kyle asked her if they wanted her to act more like Tyra Banks on America's Next Top Model, who 'was quite tough'. 'I think they did, actually,' she said. 'Tyra got to be there for the whole episode and mentor them sometimes, though. I just came in at the end to deliver the bad news!' 'The smiling assassin is what you ended up being,' Kyle reasoned. Exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal unveils the Islamist movement's new policy document in the Qatari capital, Doha on May 1, 2017 Hamas has softened its stance on Israel after long calling for its destruction, but the Palestinian movement must do more to convince the world to end its isolation, analysts and diplomats said Tuesday. The Islamist movement, which runs the Gaza Strip, unveiled a new policy document on Monday night ahead of a first face-to-face meeting between US President Donald Trump and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, whose Fatah party remains at loggerheads with Hamas. Some analysts see the move as an attempt by Hamas to ease tension with regional allies and assuage hostilities with global powers. Speculation has also mounted over who will succeed 82-year-old Abbas, whose Fatah movement is based in the occupied West Bank, as Palestinian president. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the European Union, while it has strained relations with many Arab states. Some diplomats said while the announcement was potentially positive, they would need more to convince them the party had really changed its approach. "It is a piece of paper. We will see if there is a real shift or if it is window dressing," one Western diplomat said. While still attacking Israel, the document accepts for the first time pre-1967 armistice lines as a matter of "national consensus" -- in what many interpreted as implicitly accepting the existence of Israel. Hamas officials however said that it did not amount to a recognition of Israel as demanded by the international community. The document also says its struggle is not against Jews because of their religion but against Israel as an occupier, with Hamas officials stressing it was a shift. One Hamas leader, Ahmed Yusef, told AFP the updated charter was "more moderate, more measured and would help protect us against accusations of racism, anti-Semitism and breaches of international law." However the Islamist movement will still not negotiate directly with Israel and the original hardline 1988 charter will not be dropped, just supplemented, in a move some analysts see as a way of maintaining the backing of hardliners. Israel rejected the document, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman accusing Hamas of "attempting to fool the world." A member of Hamas's military wing takes part in a rally in Gaza City on December 14, 2016, marking the movement's 29th anniversary Israel has fought three wars with Hamas since 2008 and maintains a crippling blockade on Gaza. On Tuesday, there were a number of Hamas-organised protests against the decade-long blockade, with a few thousand protesters taking to the streets in different cities. - Muted response - Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a political analyst in Gaza, said the document sought to help improve regional and global relations. The document made no reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas was a splinter movement. In 2013, Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi was overthrown in Egypt, and the movement has since been suppressed in several Middle Eastern countries. "Hamas has been isolated regionally and internationally since the outbreak of the so-called Arab Spring and the exclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt," Abu Saada said. "It is about assuring Egypt and the other Arab states there is no relationship between Hamas (and the Brotherhood)." There was little initial public reaction, either positive or negative, on Tuesday. The United States, Russia and other global players remained silent, with Arab states remaining largely quiet. The office of UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov did not comment on the contents of the document. Another Western diplomat said that as the document did not officially recognise Israel or renounce violence, it would be impossible for them to change position publicly. Congressman Ed Royce, chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, offered a rare reaction, downplaying the document's significance. "Until Hamas recognises Israel's right to exist, its words are meaningless. I will see to it that Hamas remains designated a terrorist organisation as long as it continues to launch rocket attacks against Israeli civilians." A third diplomat based in Israel saw some reason to be positive, but stressed it would be unlikely to lead to any shifts in relations in the short term. "Diplomats have been pushing for a change to the charter for a long time," he said. "You need extremists to move towards the centre." Yossi Mekelberg from the Chatham House think tank in London said that while Israel was publicly bullish, some would interpret it as a positive sign. But he noted the issue had not received extensive coverage in Western media. "If you look at Europe, it is pretty self-obsessed right now," said Mekelberg, also a professor at Regent's University London. "They are hardly interested in Hamas. "I think the response from the international community will be that it is a good sign, something to be explored, but we won't see major shifts." Fairfax Media's chief executive Greg Hywood said the NZCC had "failed New Zealand" by stopping a merger between the country's two largest media companies A merger of New Zealand's two largest media companies was rejected Wednesday as the country's competition watchdog warned it would create a dominant news giant and threaten democracy. NZME and Fairfax Media NZ signed a merger agreement last September, hoping it would boost their ability to compete with global online giants such as Facebook and Google. The combined entity would control almost 90 percent of New Zealand's print media and reach an audience of 3.7 million -- more than 80 percent of the population -- New Zealand's Commerce Commission (NZCC) said. It stood by a preliminary decision issued in November to boycott the move, saying such concentrated media ownership was unprecedented in modern times. "This level of influence over the news and political agenda by a single media organisation creates a risk of causing harm to New Zealand's democracy and to the New Zealand public," the anti-trust regulator said. Australian-owned Fairfax NZ publishes titles such as Wellington's Dominion Post and the Christchurch Press, as well as running New Zealand's most popular news website stuff.co.nz. NZME owns the New Zealand Herald, which has the second largest news website, and a string of radio stations. Fairfax Media's Sydney-based chief executive Greg Hywood said the NZCC had "failed New Zealand" by stopping two local companies from aggressively competing on their home soil against the big internet companies. "This decision does nothing to address the challenge of the global search and social giants, which produce no local journalism, employ very few New Zealanders and pay minimal, if any, local taxes," he said in a statement. He also warned the company, which has already slashed jobs, would now have to look at more "cost efficiencies". "Further publishing frequency changes (of newspapers) and consolidation of titles is an inevitability." The Commerce Commission said a merger "could expand the lifespan of some newspapers" but the future for both companies was digital anyway. "In our view, without the merger NZME and Fairfax will be increasingly focused on their online businesses as their print products diminish in number and comprehensiveness over time," it said. NZME shares closed down 11.25 percent at NZ$0.79. Fairfax's Australian parent fell 0.93 percent to Aus$1.07 in Sydney, on a day when the company also announced it was cutting 125 jobs from its Australian newsrooms. Malian army forces patrol east of Timbuktu in 2015 Nine Malian soldiers were killed and five wounded in an area regularly targeted by jihadist groups, as the commander of France's counter-terrorism force for the region said an operation on the Burkina Faso border was ongoing. "A supply mission for the national armed forces fell into an ambush between Dogofri and Nampala. The initial toll is nine dead and five wounded," commerce minister and government spokesman Abdel Karim Konate said in a statement. He condemned the "cowardly and barbaric act" and said "our commitment, as well as that of our partners, is to relentlessly pursue the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking" in Mali. A Malian military source earlier said eight soldiers were killed and four wounded in the attack in the central region of Segou. The troops' vehicle hit a mine and they were then ambushed by the group, a Malian security source told AFP, recounting what is a familiar jihadist tactic. Nampala, a garrison town near the Mauritanian border, has been targeted by several jihadist attacks. Three Malian jihadist groups with previous Al-Qaeda links recently joined forces to create the "Group to Support Islam and Muslims" (GSIM), led by Iyad Ag Ghaly of Ansar Dine, and have also killed soldiers further east near the Burkina Faso border. Troops from Operation Barkhane, a French counterterrorism operation, announced at the weekend they had killed or captured 20 jihadists in the forest of Foulsare near the border of Mali and Burkina Faso. Barkhane's commander Francois-Xavier de Woillemont said in Ouagadougou the operation was not yet over, and the final goal of such missions was "to get rid of the terrorists" who "harass local people and stop them living a normal life." It was the next step in operations undertaken in the zone "where we know that terrorists come to hide," he added. Last July, 17 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base in Nampala claimed by the Islamist organisation Ansar Dine. A similar attack on the town in January 2015 claimed the lives of 11 Malian soldiers, who struggle to keep security in this sprawling west African nation despite the presence of French and United Nations troops. Residents of Niono, to the south of Nampala, told AFP they had seen reinforcements heading towards the area of Tuesday's attack. The region where the soldiers were killed on Tuesday, Segou, is also rife with tensions between ethnic groups who dispute the use of land for farming and raising cattle. Northern Mali fell to jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in March 2012, and although these forces were driven out of key towns by a French-led military intervention the following year, the Islamists have now spread further south. sd-cs-ab-pgf-jom/mtp/eb Rev. Franklin Graham Joins Tony Perkins on the Radio to Discuss the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians Contact: J.P. Duffy or Macie Malone, 866-FRC-NEWS or 866-372-6397 WASHINGTON, May 3, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Yesterday, Rev. Franklin Graham appeared on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins, a national radio show which airs on more than 240 stations across the country. On the show, Graham discussed the persecution of Christians around the world and the need to stand for religious liberty both at home and overseas. Rev. Graham has worked to respond to the genocide against Christians around the world by putting a spotlight on this issue, "It's because of what is happening at an alarming rate around the world, where thousands of Christians have been killed, it's around a 100,000 a year are being killed just for their faith. We're seeing entire areas of the Middle East that are being eradicated." Graham went on, "This is happening not just at the hands of Islam but, we see around the world where Christians, where they're the minority, where they're being persecuted. I want our politicians to see what's happening and I want the voices of these people who have been persecuted, I want their voices to be heard. I want to give them a stage for them to be able to tell their stories and do it right there in Washington where hopefully we can see some policy changes." Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, the host of Washington Watch, added, "I'm not sure people realize just how significant this problem is, Christians throughout the world were killed for no other reason than that they follow Jesus Christ. And that has been growing over the last few years." "I think in large part it's driven by the indifference toward religious freedom here at home. It's sending a message to the terrorists and tyrants abroad that they're free to do as they please when it comes to Christians." concluded Perkins. To listen to the full interview, click this link: soundcloud.com/family-research-council/20170502-franklin-graham The only specias of macaque outside Asia, the Barbary macaque lives on leaves and fruits and can weigh up to 20 kilogrammes (45 pounds) "If nothing is done, this species will disappear within 10 years," warns a poster on Ahmed Harrad's ageing 4x4 showing Morocco's famed Barbary macaque monkey. Harrad spends his time crisscrossing northern Morocco to try to convince locals to protect the endangered monkey. The Barbary macaque once lived throughout North Africa and parts of Europe, but is now only found in the mountainous regions of Algeria and Morocco's northern Rif region The only species of macaque outside Asia, which lives on leaves and fruits and can weigh up to 20 kilogrammes (45 pounds), was once found throughout North Africa and parts of Europe. But having disappeared from Libya and Tunisia, it is now restricted to mountainous regions of Algeria and Morocco's northern Rif region. Another semi-wild population of about 200 individuals in Gibraltar are the only free-ranging monkeys in Europe. Today, the only native primate north of the Sahara, apart from humans, is in danger of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Conservationists blame illegal poaching, tourism, and overexploitation of the cedar and oak forests that form the species' natural habitat for the decline of the Barbary macaques Conservationists blame illegal poaching, tourists who feed the monkeys and overexploitation of the cedar and oak forests that form the species' natural habitat. In response, Morocco has launched a campaign to save the species. "We are working on two areas -- monitoring and making a census of the species in the Rif and raising awareness among locals so that they actively help rescue it," Harrad said. Conservationists estimate that Morocco is home to between 3,000 and 10,000 Barbary macaques today, compared with 17,000 three decades ago As head of a local association, Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation (BMAC), Harrad has become a tireless advocate for the animal. He says it is often sold to buyers in Europe for between $110 and $330 (100 and 300 euros) despite laws forbidding the trade. "A lot of foreigners buy monkeys as pets," he said. Seen as quiet and cute when it is young, the adult monkey can become a burden, Harrad said. "It breaks things, bites, fights with children and climbs the curtains," prompting many owners to abandon their pets, he said. - Macaque remains 'in ashes of Pompeii' - But that hasn't stopped the tailless monkeys, with their thick grey-and-ginger fur, being highly sought-after by passing travellers throughout the ages. "If nothing is done, this species will disappear within 10 years," environmentalist Ahmed Harrad has warned on the plight of Barbary macaques According to National Geographic, skeletal remains of macaques have been discovered "in the ashes of Pompeii, deep within an ancient Egyptian catacomb, and buried beneath an Irish hilltop where the Bronze Age kings of Ulster once held court". Zouhair Ahmaouch, an official at Morocco's High Commission for Water, Forests and Combating Desertification, said the new conservation plan focused on tackling poaching. But Morocco "can't repatriate monkeys released in Europe, because we don't know whether they came from Gibraltar, Algeria or Morocco", he said. The North African kingdom has never conducted a nationwide census of the macaque, but scientists believe its numbers fall every year. Based on various studies, they estimate that Morocco is home to between 3,000 and 10,000 macaques today, compared with 17,000 three decades ago. They believe Algeria had around 5,500 Barbary macaques in the late 1980s. The number has since almost halved, according to the IUCN. Barbary macaques are taken by poachers and often sold to buyers in Europe for between $110 and $330 (100 and 300 euros) despite laws forbidding the trade. Algiers has also responded with plans to protect the species. While the macaques are hard to spot in the wilds of Morocco's Rif, some individuals in the forests of the Middle Atlas are tame, attracting tourists who come to feed them. But Ifrane National Park head Lahcen Oukennou said feeding can cause "health problems such as obesity, which affects their health and especially their reproductive capacity". Anouar Jaoui, director of Talassemtane National Park in northern Morocco, home to several dozen macaques, said the conservation strategy includes measures to "rehabilitate and rebuild the species' habitat". That requires "reducing the pressure from overexploitation of natural resources", he added. In the forests of the Middle Atlas, authorities are organising awareness-raising sessions for tourists to discourage them from feeding or approaching the monkeys. Pupils at local schools are also being educated about the species. In October, the Barbary macaque was listed as a species threatened with extinction on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Last October, the Barbary macaque was listed as a species threatened with extinction on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). That makes buying and selling the monkeys illegal except under exceptional circumstances. Ahmaouch welcomed the move. "It will allow Morocco and other countries to unify their efforts to fight against the illegal trade in Barbary macaques," he said. Morocco has a "global responsibility to conserve this heritage". Worshippers at Sunday prayer at the Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria, where Islam is going evangelical Sunday morning is usually the preserve of Christian pastors in the Nigerian megacity of Lagos but a new form of worship is emerging to challenge the monopoly. "Praise Allah!" shouts the imam of the Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) before thousands of his faithful, gathered under tents on the outskirts of the city. Pacing up and down through the crowd, he punctuates his message with vigorous "Allahs" in the trademark bombastic style of Nigeria's evangelical preachers. Entranced, men and women sitting on multi-coloured prayer mats, raise their hands to the heavens. NASFAT is one of a growing number of groups practising "charismatic Islam" in response to the massive success of pentecostal Christianity in Nigeria, said Ebenezer Obadare, a sociology professor at the University of Kansas. It has introduced "new modalities of prayer, modes of proselytising, and repertoires of devotion that closely approximate forms normally exclusively associated with Pentecostal Christianity," he told AFP. NASFAT's mission statement is "to develop an enlightened Muslim society nurtured by a true understanding of Islam for the spiritual upliftment and welfare of mankind". Along with traditional Friday prayers, it holds a special session every Sunday morning. "The aim is to maximise favourably the leisure time that exists among Muslims who laze away on Sunday mornings," NASFAT explains on its website. Unofficially, it also stops them from being invited to Sunday services at neighbouring churches -- even if the movement doesn't admit it. - Wave of conversions - "Friends invited me for the Sunday prayers," said Sheriff Yussuf, a well-dressed man in long white robes who joined the movement in 1998. "At the beginning I was very sceptical but then I thought, 'let me try, I'm not doing anything on Sundays'. Nigerian Muslims sit at Sunday prayer in Aseese, Ogun State "It creates an attraction to Islam, to start pulling Muslims out of the churches." NASFAT and other charismatic Islam groups born in its wake have been embraced by the Yoruba community, which is traditionally based in the southwest and one of the few ethnic groups in Nigeria not to be attached to a particular religion. In fact throughout southwestern Nigeria, a single family can celebrate Muslim festivals such as Eid as well as Christian ones such as Christmas. It's not uncommon to hear a Muslim release an enthusiastic "amen" or listen to the latest hit gospel song in a taxi decorated with quotes from the Koran. But the siren song of charismatic Christian churches in Lagos -- financial prosperity, miraculous healing, eternal fertility and a faithful soulmate -- is just too strong for many to resist and conversion to Christianity is very common. So instead of fighting the evangelicals, a handful of wealthy bankers from Ibadan, 130 kilometres (80 miles) northeast of Lagos, decided it would be better learn from their competitors. - Growing popularity - "We were gathering on Sunday to talk about the Koran, this is how it started," said Musediq Kosemoni, who was one of the seven founder members of NASFAT in 1995. "In three, four weeks, we started seeing an increasing number. It wasn't a planned thing, no-one can explain." NASFAT now boasts hundreds of thousands of faithful, with branches not only in Nigeria but also in England, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. Guest speaker Soliu Kewugbemi speaks at the Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria The movement, which encourages both Islamic and "western" education, first targeted the young, educated Yoruba upper class. But it is now becoming popular among all levels of society and even has its own university. "They're unique. They want to get every Muslim, men and women, educated, to enlighten them in order to take them out of poverty," said Lateef Adetona, head of the religious studies department at Lagos State University. "They think that the Salafists -- a more conservative school -- are discouraging people to turn to Islam." NASFAT hasn't gained traction in the Hausa-speaking community in northern Nigeria, which represents the majority of Muslims in the country and dismisses the southwest school. However, NASFAT says that despite their different approaches, they share the common goal of drawing people to Islam. "We are going against the ones who give Islam a bad name," said chief missionary Abdullahi Gbade Akinbode, arguing that NASFAT offers a better alternative than the hardline sectarian view of Islam espoused by Boko Haram jihadists. "We organise summits against radicalisation, against Boko Haram, to educate our people," said Akinbode. The missionary discreetly passes a copy of the NASFAT prayer book. On the cover, the group's slogan reads: "There is no help except from Allah." Manal al-Saayed, the mother of Israeli citizen Hisham al-Sayed, holds a picture of her son who is believed to have been held by Hamas since April 2015 Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned the "illegal" detention of two Israeli citizens by Hamas, releasing new details about the men who are believed to be mentally ill. The Islamist movement which runs Gaza is believed to have held Hisham al-Sayed and Avraham Mengistu since April 2015 and September 2014 respectively, after they sneaked into the blockaded Palestinian enclave. Both men suffer from serious mental health issues, the report said. Hamas media has claimed the two were soldiers, but HRW said Mengistu was rejected from Israel's military on medical grounds and Sayed was discharged after a few months. HRW said a third Israeli citizen, Jumaa Abu Ghanima, entered Gaza in July 2016, but there is no further information on him and it is unclear if he was arrested or joined a militant group. Hamas has never officially confirmed it is holding Sayed and Mengistu, but videos the group has published on social media have included their images. The Islamist group, which took control of Gaza in 2007, has not released any details on their condition or allowed rights groups to visit them. Israel bans its nationals from entering Gaza for security reasons. HRW said Hamas is demanding the release of a number of its members from Israeli jails before it will release information about the men. "No demand can justify disappearing and bartering over the lives of men, particularly those with serious mental health conditions," said Omar Shakir, HRW director for Israel and the Palestinian territories. Shakir said Hamas should either release the men or provide evidence of their alleged crimes. "While they are being detained they must treat them humanely and provide them with contact with their families," he told AFP. Sayed's father Sha'aban said his son, a Bedouin Muslim, has schizophrenia and had previously disappeared to Jordan and even Gaza multiple times, eventually being returned by the authorities. "We just want to ask Hamas why are they holding him? What is the reason?" he told AFP. "They say he is a soldier, an officer, in the Israeli army. This is a lie." Hamas did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. HRW said Mengistu, an Israeli Jew of Ethiopian descent, climbed over a fence along the Gaza-Israel border to enter the enclave. Sayed is believe to have walked across a relatively open area of the heavily fortified border. Last year, old images of the two men appeared in a Hamas video along with pictures of two soldiers who they claim were kidnapped alive in the 2014 war with the Jewish state. The Israeli army said the two soldiers were killed, but that Hamas has the bodies. In 2011 Israel exchanged more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier Hamas had detained for five years. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008. President John Magufuli, elected in October 2015 under a wildly popular, no-nonsense, corruption-busting, man-of-the-people reputation, has turned off some with his intolerance of criticism, impulsiveness and disregard for due process Press freedom in Tanzania is being squeezed under President John Magufuli, leaving journalists fearful. France-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (known by its French acronym, RSF) ranked Tanzania 83rd out of 180 countries in its latest annual press freedom report. The East African country was down a dozen places from the previous year, representing the second-largest decline in the world, after Nicaragua. Magufuli, nicknamed "tingatinga" -- meaning "bulldozer" in Swahili -- was elected in October 2015. His talent for publicity-grabbing stunts that bolster his reputation as a no-nonsense, corruption-busting man of the people, have made him wildly popular among some. But his intolerance of criticism, impulsiveness and disregard for due process worry others who see a wide authoritarian streak at the core of his populism. Magufuli "tolerates no criticism of himself or his programme," RSF said in a commentary published with the report last month. Tanzanian journalists have watched with concern as their situation has worsened under Magufuli. "Press freedom is being seriously limited," said Jenerali Ulimwengu, a veteran journalist, legal expert and former diplomat. "We are facing many challenges." Ulimwengu said Tanzania's Media Services Act of 2016 in particular "restricts people from practising independent journalism" by granting the government "extensive powers to control the freedom of the press." "We complained under previous regimes, but today we are really starting to suffocate," said a reporter at the Swahili language daily Mwananchi, on condition of anonymity. - 'What can my pen change'? - "We cannot even denounce abuses by a member of the president's entourage, because then the president feels personally targeted," the journalist added, citing the case of Maxence Melo, founder of the whistle-blowing Tanzanian website JamiiForums. Tanzanian journalists have watched with concern as their situation has worsened under Magufuli: "Press freedom is being seriously limited," said one Melo was arrested late last year and faces prosecution for not disclosing his sources for stories that revealed alleged corruption in private companies with links to government. RSF said last year that since Magufuli's inauguration, several radio stations have been suspended and at least a dozen people are being prosecuted for critical comments made on social media. In August 2016, advocacy organisation the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Magufuli's government "has taken a series of steps to restrict Tanzania's media environment." Journalists in Tanzania have responded to the deteriorating situation with weary resignation and self-censorship. "What can my pen change in a country where even MPs are arrested for criticising the infallible president?" asked a journalist working for the private daily The Guardian, who also did not want to be named. "Self-censorship is becoming widespread," the reporter added. In March, a group of Tanzanian organisations led by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) began a year-long campaign of seminars and discussions to push for respect for freedom of expression and the review of new laws, including the Media Services Act, which they say is too restrictive and needs to be reformed. In criticising two unnamed Tanzanian publications, Magufuli (2ndR) used words reminiscent of Rwanda's own strongman leader, President Paul Kagame (L), who is known for restricting basic freedoms while pushing for economic growth Magufuli, however, shows no sign of backing down. In January, he criticised two unnamed Tanzanian publications, accusing them of "jeopardising national peace" and "incitement". He compared the newspapers to media houses in neighbouring Rwanda that called for the wiping out of ethnic Tutsis ahead of the 1994 genocide. "This will not happen under my watch," he said, in words reminiscent of Rwanda's own strongman leader, President Paul Kagame, who is known for restricting basic freedoms while pushing for economic growth. Then-Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung (L) and Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea, led countries whose relationship Mao said was as "close as lips and teeth" but analysts question whether their 1961 defence pact would hold in the event of another war When North Korea's founder Kim Il-Sung visited Beijing to sign a mutual defence pact with China in 1961, he was comforted by the military protection promised by his fellow communist neighbours. But half a century and a few North Korean nuclear tests later, the agreement is beginning to look like a musty Cold War relic that China would rather forget. Despite their alliance in the 1950 - 1953 Korean War, analysts question whether Beijing would now rush to Pyongyang's defence in a military confrontation with the United States and South Korea. Chinese leader Mao Zedong once described the neighbours as being as "close as lips and teeth." For his part, Kim told Mao that signing the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance "raised our confidence, and we feel safeguarded", according to a memoir of Mao's diplomatic activities published in 2003. But the two leaders are long dead and China, which is now the world's second largest economy and a pillar of the global order, appears less enthusiastic about protecting its treaty partner in a conflict that estimates suggest could cost hundreds of thousands of lives and lay waste to Seoul. The current leaders of both nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, have never even met. North Korea regularly parades its military through its showcase capital of Pyongyang, but while the number of personnel is huge, observers question how effective it might be in modern armed conflict The treaty constitutes "a very important part" of Sino-North Korean ties, professor Maochun Miles Yu at the United States Naval Academy told AFP. But, he added, it is by no means clear what China is actually prepared to do for the North if push comes to shove: "It's a mystery." - Atomic threat - North Korea's regular missile launches and the prospect of a possible sixth nuclear test are putting Beijing in a tight spot as it already faces US pressure to slash economic ties to punish Pyongyang. "It's hard to say how China would assist North Korea militarily in case of war, since North Korea is developing nuclear weapons, an act that might have already breached the treaty between the two nations," retired Chinese naval colonel Li Jie told the daily South China Morning Post last month. Kim Jong-Un, the grandson of Kim il-Sung has never met Chinese President Xi Jinping China's nationalistic Global Times newspaper invoked two scenarios, including one in which Beijing would refrain from defending Pyongyang. "If North Korea continues to carry out severe missile tests, and the United States launches a surgical attack on its facilities, Beijing should impose a diplomatic boycott, but there is no necessity of military intervention," said an op-ed published in the Global Times last month. But the daily said China "should immediately carry out necessary military intervention" if the US and South Korea launch a ground invasion in the North to overthrow the regime. While Beijing's commitment to the pact is in question, it remains sensitive to US military movements in the region. On Tuesday, China demanded that Washington "immediately" suspend the deployment of a missile shield in South Korea hours after officials announced that it was operational. "We will firmly take necessary measures to uphold our interests," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. - 'Complicated situation' - Beijing fears that in the event of the collapse of the North Korean state, the border between their two countries would be swamped with people trying to flee to China The military pact automatically renews every 20 years, most recently in 2001, meaning it is now valid through 2021. Last year, Xi and Kim exchanged messages to mark the treaty's 55th anniversary. The Chinese president wrote that both sides have cooperated in the "spirit" of the treaty and that their "friendship serves as a precious wealth." The treaty, Kim responded, "has become a firm legal foundation for constantly consolidating the friendly and cooperative relations that were forged in the bloody struggle for independence against imperialism and for socialism." But in 2013, a Chinese defence ministry spokesman said it would be "unprofessional" to answer a hypothetical question about whether Beijing would militarily back Pyongyang in an attack. Asked on Tuesday whether China was still committed to the pact's terms, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "The principle of (the treaty) is to promote China-DPRK friendly cooperation in various fields and uphold regional security." The United States has sent its aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson to the area as part of an effort to ramp up the pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programme He added: "The current situation on the peninsula is highly complicated, delicate and tense. We urge all sides to stay calm and abstain from any action that may aggravate tensions." Young-June Chung, an associate professor at Shanghai's Tongji University, said the pact's "diplomatic status is a little bit obscure" as neither side has acknowledged that it is "invalid." But he added that Beijing "would not sacrifice its relations with the US and South Korea for North Korea." Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the world needed America's leadership, calling on President Donald Trump not to abandon the Paris climate deal Fiji pleaded with US President Donald Trump not to abandon the Paris climate deal Wednesday, as the tiny Pacific nation prepares to lead the latest UN talks on reducing global emissions. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the world needed America's leadership "as we confront the greatest challenge of our age". Climate sceptic Trump should honour his country's commitments under the Paris deal, said Bainimarama, who will serve as president of the UN's COP 23 talks in Bonn later this year. "We can't have one of our best performers abandon the field of play... stay the course," the Pacific leader said in a statement issued by his office Wednesday. "Listen to those around you who are encouraging you to do so. Don't let the whole team down by leaving when we have a clear game plan and have put so many scores on the board." Bainimarama said the time for questioning the veracity of climate change had passed and the best scientific advice on the issue was clear. "Man-made climate change is not a hoax, it is frighteningly real," he said. Fiji is already dealing with the impact of climate change through wild storms such as last year's Cyclone Winston, he said, which killed 44 people and wiped out one-third of the country's economic production. Climate change meant such extreme tempests could flare up "out of nowhere, at any time", he added. "We are facing a situation in which a single event scoring a direct hit on Fiji could wipe out years of development and set us back for decades," he said. - Paris agreement - The Paris deal, known as COP 21, was struck in 2015 and signed by more than 190 countries. Bainimarama said the top priority at COP 23 was "to build a grand coalition of governments, civil society and the private sector to defend and uphold the Paris Agreement". While the November 6-17 talks will be held in Bonn, Germany has invited Fiji to act as president in order to give a voice to those on the frontline of climate change. Bainimarama said Fiji could never have hosted such a large meeting, which is expected to attract 20,000 people. "(It) is a selfless act of generosity on the part of the German government," he said. Under the Paris agreement, signatories undertake to limit global warming to "well below" 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two degrees Celsius) over pre-industrial levels, and to strive for 1.5 C. The United States agreed at the meeting to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 26-28 percent by 2025, compared to 2005 levels. However Trump, who has described climate change as a "hoax", is under pressure from some in his administration to abandon the deal or significantly renegotiate it. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's visit to New York comes as Washington works to shore up regional support against North Korea Malcolm Turnbull will seek to steady Australia's longstanding alliance with the United States when he meets Donald Trump this week, after relations soured at a time of growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific. His visit to New York on Thursday comes as Washington works to shore up regional support against North Korea, ratcheting up pressure on China to do more to counter Kim Jong-Un's nuclear ambitions. But the advent of Trump has invigorated a debate over Australia's place in the world and whether its future lies with an unpredictable United States, or a closer relationship with China, its top trading partner. Turnbull, like Trump a businessman-turned-politician, has said he is "delighted" to meet with the US leader and affirm a relationship that has seen its militaries fight side by side for a century. "We'll talk about a wide range of security and economic issues, but top of the list obviously at the moment is North Korea," the Australian prime minister said on Wednesday. It will be their first encounter since a tetchy phone call rattled ties soon after Trump took office, when he took issue with a deal that the US would settle refugees from Australia's Pacific island camps. In Australia to mend fences Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed US would settle refugees from Australia's Pacific camps but it "doesn't mean we admire the agreement" The president took to Twitter afterwards to label the agreement struck with Barack Obama's administration as "dumb". On a trip to Australia last month aimed at mending fences, Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed the US would take the refugees but added it "doesn't mean we admire the agreement". The icy start was cooled further by Washington's withdrawal from a trans-Pacific trade agreement that would have given Australian businesses greater access to the US and key regional markets. "The single biggest thing is for the two leaders to establish some kind of rapport and get comfortable with one another," said Simon Jackman, chief executive at the United States Studies Centre in Sydney. The meeting will take place at the USS Intrepid museum in New York, where they will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World War II Battle of the Coral Sea when US and Australian forces fought against the Japanese advance in the Pacific. "All that imagery... will help paint a picture of a relationship that is getting increasingly normalised after a surprising and unexpected start," Jackman told AFP. "The Australian public in particular might want a bit of reassurance that despite the fact Trump is a very unconventional president -- a bit of a wild card -- that nonetheless the United States remains a willing partner on a number of important dimensions." -- Toeing the line -- North Korea recently warned Canberra to think twice before "blindly and zealously toeing the US line" or face the threat of a nuclear strike The history of military cooperation stretches back to World War I, and North Korea recently warned Canberra to think twice before "blindly and zealously toeing the US line" or face the threat of a nuclear strike. Australia has backed Washington in calling on Beijing to bring the rogue state to heel, although several former senior Australian diplomats have also urged Canberra to rethink ties with the US in light of China's rise. Turnbull is expected to reaffirm Australia's allegiance to the US on Thursday. "The Trump adminstration is now coming out, indicating quite strongly that it isn't going to be the isolationist presidency that we had feared," said the Australian National University's head of international security and intelligence studies John Blaxland. "From the Australian point of view we can be more forthright (when dealing with China) because you have greater confidence that the United States is not walking away." Nevertheless, Turnbull is expected to exercise caution on just how far he can back an unpredictable US president. James Laurenceson from the Australia-China relations institute at Sydney's University of Technology, said Turnbull would be receptive to Trump, "but at the same time he will always have in the back of his mind that Australia's economic interests are well and truly tied up in China". "It doesn't mean that we won't criticise China or shy away from that, but it will be factored in to it, in perhaps a way that it's not factored into US decision making," he added. China has been on a high-speed rail building spree for over a decade, putting up over 17,000 km of track at a rapid clip, raising concerns about corner-cutting Twelve workers died following an explosion in a high-speed rail tunnel in southwestern China, state media said on Wednesday, after rescuers spent over 14 hours searching the rubble for survivors. The blast occurred after gas filled the tunnel, which was being bored in the province of Guizhou, leaving 12 injured and 12 trapped, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Over 2,000 rescue workers searched the tunnel for survivors before ending the operation at 4:45 am Wednesday morning, it said. The cause of the accident is under investigation, the report said, adding that the tunnel was designed to pass through a coal seam. The country has been on a high-speed rail building spree for over a decade, putting up over 17,000 kilometres (10,500 miles) of track at a rapid clip, raising concerns about corner-cutting. Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. In 2015, the country recorded 66,000 workplace deaths, according to the most recent government statistics. Japanese police have arrested a drunken American man over a punch-up with another passenger on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight, which caused a delay Japanese police have arrested a drunken American man over a punch-up with another passenger on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight, which caused a delay, officers said Wednesday. The man, whose name has not been released, was pulled off the Boeing 777 that was due to fly from Tokyo's main gateway Narita airport to Los Angeles, after the brawl erupted before takeoff. "I will kill you!" the male passenger, wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, is seen yelling in video footage filmed by another passenger, who uploaded it on social media. "The plane was about 50 minutes late, so everyone was a little irritated because of that, kinda frustrated," Corey Hour, the passenger who shot the video, told the BBC. The man in the red Hawaiian shirt is seen throwing punches at another male passenger, as other people on the flight try to escape the area, until ANA staff separate the two men. The red-shirted man then shakes off the female flight attendant's attempts to restrain him and continues to throw punches. "The flight attendants actually got caught up in the mix and that's when the video ends as I put my phone down and I actually got in the middle of everyone and confronted him," Hour added. "The suspect, a US citizen, was drunk and arrested after he injured an ANA official following the fight," a member of the airport police told AFP. The man's arrest was formally over his injuring the airline official, not the onboard brawl, said the airport police spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. Local media reported that Japanese investigators also questioned the American about the fight on the plane. As of lunchtime Wednesday, the man remained in detention in Japan, the police spokesman said. The fight, as well as bad weather, forced ANA to delay the departure of the flight by one hour and 40 minutes, local media reported. ANA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This domain was recently registered at Namecheap.com. Please check back later! An aerial view of the Apple's new headquarters in Cupertino, California, seen on April 28, 2017 It is a sign of Apple's success but also a thorny problem: its cash stockpile has hit a staggering $256.8 billion, sparking debate on what do with such massive reserves. Apple's quarterly report on Tuesday showed its cash holdings -- the vast majority held overseas -- jumped to a sum that tops the entire economic output of Chile. The tech giant has resisted the idea of bringing the cash home, because of disincentives in the US tax code -- it allows multinational firms to defer profits while they are held overseas but taxes income at up to 35 percent when repatriated. Proposals by President Donald Trump and lawmakers could lower the tax rate for repatriated earnings, an incentive for Apple and others to put the money to work in the United States. While any company would gladly be in Apple's shoes with its cash hoard, "there's something not quite healthy about it," said Roger Kay, analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates. (From L) US President Donald Trump, Peter Thiel and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Inc., listen during a meeting with technology executives at Trump Tower in New York, in December 2016 "Normally, you would expect cash to fund investment opportunities, but obviously Apple doesn't have any use for that much cash." Apple has become the most valuable and profitable company of the current era. But the unique challenges it faces because its earnings come mostly from the iPhone, which faces increasingly tough competition in a saturated smartphone market. - Long-term strategy - Apple faces periodic pressure to return more cash to shareholders with higher dividends and more share buybacks, and has already spent some $200 billion doing this. Apple's arnings come mostly from the iPhone, which faces increasingly tough competition in a saturated smartphone market Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy argued that returning all the cash to shareholders "doesn't help further anyone's strategic interests" and that Apple needs to find ways to diversify its business. One way to do this would be "going vertical," or acquiring a chipmaker such as AMD to supply all Apple devices, Moorhead said. Netflix, he said, could complement Apple's business by offering content for Apple's ecosystem of devices. Moorhead said that if Apple -- which has a permit to test its self-driving car system -- is serious about autonomous vehicles "it would need to buy a car company" such as Tesla to ensure "the Apple experience." Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research said Apple has a staggering amount of cash and "could make enormous entries and completely rewrite industries" with it. "The challenge is culturally and organizationally, how do you integrate something that big," O'Donnell said. He said Apple has always sought to minutely manage details of its operations, "so making an enormous purchase goes against their culture." - The tax conundrum - Apple's situation has highlighted the growing stockpiles of cash held overseas by US multinationals, now estimated to be between $2.5 trillion and $3 trillion. Lisa De Simone, a Stanford University professor who specializes in international taxation, said the current code creates "incentives for companies to shift as much of their profits as they can offshore." But De Simone said a temporary tax "holiday" as Washington tried in 2004 would only increase the incentives. "Companies like Apple have only increased their income shifting in expectation they could get another holiday later on," she said, arguing for a permanent tax change. Georgetown University finance professor Lee Pinkowitz said companies with cash overseas are essentially holding the funds hostage to US policymakers. "The government already revealed in 2004 they were willing to negotiate with the hostage takers," he said. "What you would expect is that more hostages will be taken." The Trump administration is seeking to encourage firms to bring those earnings home for investment and job creation in the United States. But Pinkowitz said a major stimulus from repatriated assets is unlikely. With Apple, much of the funds are held nominally by its Irish subsidiary but are invested in US assets. "Apple has almost $50 billion in US Treasury and agency securities, so technically that $50 billion is already here. It just hasn't been taxed." - Made in USA? - Could Apple use some of the cash to bring large-scale manufacturing back to the United States? Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research said this is unlikely because of Apple's manufacturing and supply process. "We simply don't have the work force to support this scale of manufacturing," he said. "No tax break is going to offset that entirely." But Kay said he sees potential for Apple to bring factories home if the conditions are right. "I could see a happy solution where contract manufacturers and Apple partner and train American workers to be as efficient as the Chinese," he said. "It would take quite a bit to make it come true but it could bring down the myth that Chinese workers are more efficient." President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration had started a process he believes will lead to peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the US president said he believes the conflict between the two peoples can come to a resolution, but the two sides must agree to 'live, worship, thrive and prosper' in peace. Offering himself as a facilitator of discussions, Trump declared: 'We will get this done.' 'Over the course of my life time I've heard that perhaps the toughest deal, to make is the deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Let's see if we can prove them wrong,' the US president said. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration had started a process he hoped would lead to peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority after a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas Minutes later, at a bilateral luncheon, Trump said peace in the region is 'maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years.' The Israelis seem willing to make a peace deal, Trump stated. 'We believe you're willing. And if you are willing, we are going to make a deal,' he told Abbas. After hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February, the self-styled deal-maker-in-chief meet with Abbas on Wednesday the first time since coming to office. Abbas had visited the White House once before, in 1993 with deceased Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Trump mentioned the occasion, saying in his remarks that the man beside him had been at the White House 'almost 24 years ago' and stood with 'courageous peacemaker' Yitzhak Rabin. Rabin, the assassinated prime minister of Israel, and Arafat shared a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 with Shimon Peres for their roles in the Oslo Accords. 'Here at the White House, President Abbas signed a Declaration of Principles, very important, which laid the foundation for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians,' Trump said. 'The president, and Mr. president, you signed your name to the first Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.' Turning to Abbas, Trump said, 'You remember that well, right? And I want to support you in being the Palestinian leader who signs his name to the final and most important peace agreement.' Trump applauded the Palestinian Authority's coordination with Israel's security forces. 'They get along unbelievably well,' he said. 'I was actually very impressed and somewhat surprised at how well they get along. They work together beautifully.' But lasting peace cannot be achieved until Palestinian leaders speak out against 'violence and hate,' Trump said. "It is a great honor to have the president with us,' Trump said this morning as he convened a meeting with Abbas in the Oval Office Let's make a deal! Trump told Abbas that he believes the conflict between the two peoples can come to a resolution if Palestinians speak with one voice and let go of their 'hatred' The US president said today's talks mark the beginning of a 'very special relationship' between his administration and Abbas'. 'I look forward to welcoming him back as a great marker of progress and, ultimately, toward the signing of a document with the Israelis and with Israel toward peace,' Trump said. 'We will get it done. We will be working so hard to get it done. 'It's been a long time, but we will be working diligently. And I think there's a very, very good chance, and I think you feel the same way.' Abbas told Trump in his remarks, 'We believe that we are capable and able to bring about success to our efforts because, Mr. President, you have the determination and you have the desire to see it become to fruition and to become successful.' The Palestinian leader said 'its about time for Israel to end its occupation' of his people, especially as it is the only remaining one in the world. 'We are aspiring and want to achieve our freedom, our dignity, and our right to self-determination. And we also want for Israel to recognize the Palestinian state just as the Palestinian people recognize the state of Israel,' he said. Praising the former businessman's wisdom 'as well as your great negotiating ability,' Abbas said he also believes a peace deal is possible. 'The President's ultimate goal is to establish peace in the region,' said White House press secretary Sean Spicer ahead of the White House meeting. That long-shot effort -- which has eluded US presidents since the 1970s -- got off to a rocky start early in Trump's administration. Trump renounced US support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of US policy held for decades. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday said Trump is still 'giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.' White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer likewise said the change is 'still being discussed by staff.' Welcome to the White House:After hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February, the self-styled deal-maker-in-chief meet with Abbas on Wednesday the first time since coming to office That move would likely spark Palestinian fury and is privately seen by many in the Israel and US security establishments as needlessly inflammatory. At the same time, Trump has urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Pence said Trump is 'personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict' and 'valuable progress' is being made. 'Momentum is building and goodwill is growing,' he said at an Israeli independence day event at the White House. Abbas makes the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want the 82-year-old to resign. Abbas's term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas makes a trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want the 82-year-old to resign Israeli border police arrest a Palestinian youth during clashes after a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, in Bethlehem, West Bank Abbas's term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. But he will be hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage a two-state solution to one of the world's longest-running conflicts. Palestinian officials have seen their cause overshadowed by worry over global concerns such as the war in Syria and Islamic State group jihadists, and want Trump's White House to bring it back to the forefront. The meeting Wednesday is a sign that 'Trump's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more conventional than anyone expected,' said Ilan Goldenberg of the Center for New American Security. 'The big question now is what Trump will try to accomplish during this first meeting. If he goes for the home run and tries to restart negotiations, he is likely to fail.' 'Instead, Trump and his team should focus on incremental steps to improve the situation on the ground, preserve the possibility of the two-state solution at another time, and set conditions for negotiations in the future.' One of Trump's top advisers, Jason Greenblatt, held wide-ranging talks with both Israelis and Palestinians during a visit in March. Abbas and Trump spoke by phone on March 11, and there are suggestions the US president could visit the Middle East this month. Mutual distrust between Palestinians and Israelis will be a formidable, if not impossible, barrier for President Donald Trump to overcome A group of three influential Republican Senators -- Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham -- have called on Trump to ask Abbas to stop funding Palestinian prisoners and their families. That could prose major domestic political headaches for Abbas, as he battles unpopularity and challenges from rival factions. But according to former White House official Dennis Ross, Trump is in some ways helping Abbas by extending the White House invite. 'The president, in some ways, has already added to his relevancy by inviting him to come.' But mutual distrust between Palestinians and Israelis will be a formidable, if not impossible, barrier for Trump to overcome. 'The gap between the parties has probably never been greater, both psychologically and practically,' said Ross. 'In my mind, as someone who's worked on this for the last 30 years, I don't think we've ever been at a lower point.' Iran's reformist former president Mohammad Khatami has skirted a media ban to back moderate incumbent Hassan Rouhani for reelection on May 19. Here he gestures to supporters when in office in 2003 Iran's reformist former president Mohammad Khatami has skirted a media ban to endorse moderate incumbent Hassan Rouhani for a second term over conservative challengers in a tight May 19 election. Khatami, who during his 1997-2005 presidency oversaw a rapprochement with the West, has been barred from speaking openly since mass protests against the disputed reelection of his hardline successor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009. The hardliner's replacement by Rouhani in 2013 has seen a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that led to the lifting of most international economic sanctions but is threatened by a tougher stance from the new US administration of Donald Trump. "Mr Rouhani's defeat would mean an increased possibility of a return to international isolation and sanctions," Khatami said on his website on Tuesday. "The interest of the people and the country is in the continuation of Rouhani's government," Khatami added. Rouhani faces a tough campaign against two conservative challengers amid disappointment that the 2015 nuclear deal has not brought bigger economic dividends. Both Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and cleric-turned-judge Ebrahim Raisi have played on the concerns of the poor. Khatami, 73, was an important figure in Rouhani's first-term election victory, convincing reformist candidate Mohammad Reza Aref to stand aside in his favour. But he remains under a domestic media ban over the 2009 protests and both reformist candidates in that election are still under house arrest. In parliamentary elections last year, Khatami skirted the ban by publishing a video on YouTube and mobile messaging apps to call on voters in the capital to choose a pro-Rouhani list. All 30 candidates of the "List of Hope" won, defeating many leading conservatives. Two Turkish nationals who went missing in Malaysia have been arrested as a security threat, according to the police chief Two Turkish nationals who went missing in Malaysia have been arrested as a security threat, the police chief announced on Wednesday, but a rights group raised concerns of possible pressure from Ankara for the detentions. National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar tweeted that Turgay Karaman and Ihsan Aslan were arrested "because they threatened the security of Malaysia." No further details were provided by authorities and the Turkish embassy refused to comment. Local media reports had been circulating allegations that both men had been abducted. Another Turkish national Suheyl Ozcelik on Tuesday lodged a police report saying he had seen CCTV footage of five men abducting Karaman, a physics teacher, at a Kuala Lumpur carpark. "The CCTV recordings clearly showed the faces of these five unknown men who blocked Mr Turgay's (Karaman) face from the camera," he said in the police report seen by AFP. Ozcelik also said two of his Turkish friends were abducted last year and deported to Turkey. "I am very afraid for my safety and scared that my Turkish friends who are kidnapped and sent to Turkey will be tortured and killed," he said in his police report, without indicating possible reasons. Media reports say the other arrested Turk, Ihsan Aslan, is a businessman. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the national police chief should grant the two men immediate access to their lawyers and families and give details of how they posed a threat to Malaysia. He said Malaysia should not become "a handmaiden to Turkish repression". "They should not be taking the word of the Turkish government as their only source of information on Turkish nationals overseas," Robertson told AFP. "The Turkish government is on a witch hunt against the perceived enemies of President Erdogan." Erdogan's government has detained or sacked tens of thousands of people under a state of emergency imposed after last year's failed coup. The crackdown focuses on alleged supporters of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed for the failed coup. Elders in an Indian village ruled that women found using a mobile phone outside their homes would be fined 21,000 rupees ($325) -- a sum it would take most rural Indians several months to earn An Indian village has banned women from using mobile phones in public in an attempt to restrict their contacts with men and plans hefty fines for violators, police said Wednesday. Village elders ruled that women found using a mobile phone outside their homes would be fined 21,000 rupees ($325) -- a sum it would take most rural Indians several months to earn. The ruling was issued on Tuesday in Madora, a mainly Muslim village in the conservative northern state of Uttar Pradesh. "We have received reports about the Khap ordering the ban on women using mobile phones," local police chief Arun Kumar Singh told AFP, referring to the informal village councils known as khap panchayats in India. "Such orders are against the constitution and we will take action." The council believes that mobile phones are helping unmarried women to elope and that a ban will limit their interaction with men. The council also imposed fines on people caught slaughtering cows -- illegal in most Indian states -- or smuggling liquor. "We do support their measures against illegal activities but won't allow them to curb the freedom of women," Singh said. Khap panchayats are mostly run by male village elders. Although illegal, they have considerable influence in rural north India. They are known for issuing diktats aimed at upholding the socially conservative traditions that have long held sway and resisting modernisation -- such as banning women from wearing jeans. But they have also been blamed for ordering serious crimes, including the so-called "honour killing" of couples who marry outside caste or religion. Critics accuse them of acting like kangaroo courts and handing down public beatings and other punishments for perceived crimes. Fighters loyal to Libyan strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar hold a position on the outskirts of second city Benghazi on January 14, 2017. He held talks on Tuesday with the country's internationally recognised prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj The United Arab Emirates voiced optimism a political settlement could be reached in Libya after it hosted rare talks on Tuesday between its strongman ally and the internationally recognised premier. The UAE is, with Egypt, the main supporter of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control most of eastern Libya, including its key oil ports, and who refuses to recognise the UN-backed government of Fayez al-Sarraj. The two men met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for only the second time since Sarraj was named prime minister in late 2015 as diplomatic efforts intensify to ends years of chaos and conflict in the North African nation. The meeting "brings optimism towards guaranteeing a political solution," the UAE foreign ministry said. It is an "important step to push forward the political process in Libya," it added, in a statement carried by the official WAM news agency. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, whose government has also been a major supporter of Haftar, was due in Abu Dhabi later on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if the visit and the talks were connected. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days to try to reconcile the rival administrations in eastern and western Libya. On Sunday, UN envoy Martin Kobler held talks in Sudan, a supporter of Sarraj's administration in Tripoli. On Monday, he met Mahmud Jibril, who headed Libya's interim government during a NATO-backed rebellion that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. An array of armed groups have fought over the country's oil wealth since the uprising and Sarraj's government has struggled to cement its control. The UN-brokered Libya Political Agreement (LPA) which created it gave no role to Haftar, and talks have focused on how to do so. In February, Sarraj said Haftar had refused to meet him in person in Cairo for Egypt-backed talks to discuss possible amendments to the LPA. Mattia Toaldo, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Tuesday's meeting came after a change of tack from Haftar, who seeks nationwide presidential elections next year. Haftar is "now pursuing a different strategy... exchanging his support for an amended LPA for a guarantee to have presidential elections early in 2018 in which it would be thinkable for him to run", Toaldo said. Sarraj in turn is seeking "badly needed legitimisation" from the eastern authorities, even as he struggles for internal support in western Libya where factions are hostile to Haftar. "I doubt that anything negotiated by Sarraj would be accepted peacefully by factions in western Libya if it is seen as giving Haftar a too prominent position within the security sector or the political system," Toaldo warned. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who on May 3, 2017, announced plans to seek constitutional changes, speaks during a press conference in London on April 29, 2017 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday announced plans to seek the first-ever changes to Japan's post-war pacifist constitution and said he wants the revisions to take effect in 2020. The changes, which would spell out the status of the nation's "self-defence" military forces, were announced as Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the constitution written by American occupiers. The charter, which renounces Japan's right to wage war, has been championed by progressives as a pacifist symbol born out of the country's World War II defeat. But nationalists seeking an overhaul are gearing up for a major new push as concerns grow over North Korean belligerence. In a video message to a gathering marking the commemoration, Abe said he aims to revise the constitution by 2020 when Tokyo will host the summer Olympics. "I want to make 2020 a year when a new constitution will be enforced," Abe said without elaborating. He said the revision should include a new clause acknowledging Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDF) as constitutional. "We should eliminate room for discussions suspecting the SDF is unconstitutional," Abe said. Abe, however, denied any plan to revise Article 9, which stipulates that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right and that land, sea and air forces will never be maintained. The government says this does not stop the country from maintaining an ability to defend itself, and thus to possess defence forces. Despite the "peace constitution," Japan established the SDF in 1954, a year after the end of the Korean War. That conflict left Japan on the Cold War frontline between the West and the Soviet Union and China. While the constitution has never been amended, post-war governments have interpreted it in ways that have effectively loosened some of its constraints -- such as recognising the SDF as a means to secure Japan's right to defend itself. Pro-amendment parties can muster the two-thirds majorities necessary in both houses of parliament to pass constitutional changes. But these would be subject to a national referendum for final approval and that is seen as the biggest hurdle. Public opinion polls shows broad acceptance of the "peace constitution" as a whole, although views are divided on the hot-button issue of Article 9. US President Donald Trump (right) welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in February 2017 and hailed the "unbreakable" bond between their countries The United States has for several decades played a mediating role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while remaining Israel's main supporter. - Solid support for Israel - On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion founds the Jewish state of Israel, after the British mandate ends in Palestine. The administration of US president Harry S. Truman recognises the state minutes after it is proclaimed. However, the administrations of both Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower realise that too close a rapprochement with Israel risks harming US relations with the Arab world. Washington thus voices strong opposition to the Israeli campaign against Egypt in 1956, launched in coordination with France and Britain and known as the Suez Crisis. During the Cold War, relations between Israel and the United States take a new turn, becoming rock solid in the 1960s. During the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israel occupies the Sinai, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The Six Day War is a turning point for the US which becomes Israel's main backer. In October 1967, president Lyndon B. Johnson decides to order large-scale deliveries of arms to Israel. - Dialogue with the PLO - Israeli premier Yitzahk Rabin (left) and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (right) held a historic handshake after signing the Oslo Peace Accords during a 1993 meeting at the White House On December 14, 1988, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat accepts three conditions laid down by president Ronald Reagan for a dialogue. Arafat recognises Israel's right to exist, accepts UN Security Council resolution 242 which calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied in 1967, and he renounces terrorism. On December 16 the first official contacts take place: a Palestinian delegation meets in Tunis with the American ambassador, who has been designated as interlocutor with the PLO. George Bush, who takes over as president in early 1989, establishes channels of direct communication between Israel and the Arab countries, a process which will culminate with the first international conference on the Middle East, in 1991, in Madrid. - Single mediator - On September 13, 1993, after six months of secret negotiations in Oslo, president Bill Clinton orchestrates the historic handshake in Washington between Israel's prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat, after they sign a five-year transitional agreement on Palestinian self-government in Gaza and the West Bank. In 2000, Clinton blames Arafat for the failure of peace negotiations at Camp David from July 11-25. Clinton, with eight Israeli-Palestinian summits under his belt, proposes in late 2000 a peace plan which will serve as the basis of discussions in Taba, Egypt. These negotiations, without the direct participation of the new administration of George W. Bush, fail to reach agreement. In 2002, Bush floats a two-state solution, living peacefully side by side, but without Arafat. - Obama: tensions, but aid - After they respectively take office in 2009, relations between US president Barack Obama and right-wing Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu come under deep strain. In May, 2011 Obama speaks out in favour of a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 frontiers. But Netanyahu rules out any return to the borders that existed before the Six Day War. In 2013-2014 efforts led by US Secretary of State John Kerry to relaunch the peace process fail. In September 2016, however, the two leaders sign a deal on $38 billion in military assistance over a 10-year period beginning in 2018, the most generous military aid in US history. In December, Washington, for the first time since 1979, does not veto a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel's settlement building. - 'Unbreakable' bond with Israel - On February 15, 2017, new US President Donald Trump warmly welcomes Netanyahu to the White House and hails the "unbreakable" bond between their countries. He backs away from Washington's quest for a two-state solution to the conflict, saying he would back a single state if it led to peace. On May 1, Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas accepts the idea of a Palestinian state in territories occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. Hamas's announcement comes two days ahead of the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Palestininian leader Mahmud Abbas, with whom Hamas is at odds. The number of pilgrims visiting the El Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian holiday island of Djerba has fallen sharply since a 2002 suicide bombing claimed by Al-Qaeda Israel warned its citizens on Wednesday against visiting Tunisia, where Jewish pilgrims will celebrate a religious festival later this month, citing the threat of jihadist attack. It also said any Israelis there should "leave the country immediately." The festival of Lag BaOmer draws hundreds of Jews to tombs of revered rabbis as well as the famed El Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian holiday island of Djerba. This year the pilgrimage is due to start on May 12, according to organisers. "Terrorist elements, especially those affiliated with global jihad, continue to act toward carrying out attacks in Tunisia," the counter-terrorism bureau said in a statement released by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "There is a risk of attacks, against Jewish destinations as well," the bureau said, recommending that visits to Tunisia be avoided. In Tunisia, both the foreign ministry and the head of El Ghriba synagogue shrugged off the Israeli concerns as unfounded. The festival of Lag BaOmer draws hundreds of Jews to tombs of revered rabbis as well as the famed El Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian holiday island of Djerba Israeli authorities made "the same announcement in previous years. It (the pilgrimage) will take place in the best conditions possible. We have taken all measures to ensure the security of this national religious event," the ministry's Bouraoui Limam told AFP. Perez Trabelsi, chairman of the synagogue's board, urged worshippers not to allow such calls to spoil the pilgrimage. "I tell people: 'Come. We are in a secure country. They are lying to you so you do not come,'" he said on private radio station Mosaique FM. Last year's Djerba event took place without incident but under heavy security due to heightened worries following a string of jihadist attacks in the North African country. Tunisia was also where an engineer working for Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas was assassinated in December. Mohamed Zaouari, 49, was a drone expert, murdered at the wheel of his car outside his house in Tunisia's second city Sfax. Hamas accused Israel of killing him. Israel did not respond to the allegation. Last month, the counter-terrorism bureau warned Israelis against visiting Egypt's Sinai region ahead of the Jewish Passover holiday. It even took the rare measure of closing the border crossing. The move followed a series of deadly bomb attacks on Egyptian churches. During the 11 days the crossing was closed, a rocket from the Sinai hit southern Israel and an Egyptian policeman was killed near the peninsula's St Catherine's monastery in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Djerba is home to one of the last Jewish communities in the Arab world. But the number of pilgrims visiting El Ghriba has fallen sharply since a 2002 suicide bombing claimed by Al-Qaeda killed 21 people. Prior to the attack, the celebrations in Djerba would attract almost 8,000 people each year, from countries including Britain, France and Italy as well as Israel. Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram's shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau has been injured in an air strike, reports said Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has been injured and one of his deputies killed in an air strike in northeast Nigeria, civilian and security sources told AFP on Wednesday. Two Nigerian Air Force jets bombarded fighters who had gathered for prayers in Balla village, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Damboa, on the edge of the Sambisa Forest, last Friday. "Shekau was wounded in the bombings and is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon around Kolofata," said one source with contacts within Boko Haram. "His deputy, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba, was killed in the attack along with another key lieutenant, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha," he added. Babakura Kolo, a member of the civilian militia in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, gave a similar account, saying "Shekau was injured and a number of commanders were killed. "Among them is his deputy called Malam Abba. They suffered heavy casualties because the bombings targeted a large gathering of his followers attending Friday prayers." Jihadists believed to be loyal to a Boko Haram faction that is recognised by the Islamic State group attacked a Nigerian military base 90 miles from Maiduguri There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian military when contacted by AFP. The authorities have previously claimed to have killed Shekau on at least three occasions. In an emailed statement on Tuesday night, the air force said it had bombed "a gathering of Boko Haram terrorists" last Friday "in a village 3.42 km northeast of Mangosum". The "air interdiction mission" in the remote region involved three jets. "Battle damage assessment conducted after the strike showed that several leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist organisation and their followers were killed during the attacks," it added. - Reprisals - A senior military officer in Maiduguri confirmed the air force bombed Boko Haram positions "in the Damboa area on Friday where they hit the targets with precision". "We got intel (intelligence) that the terrorists were gathering at the location and we acted on the report," he added, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak about the operation. He said he was unable to comment on Shekau but the source with contacts in Boko Haram said Mustapha was preaching when the first jet bombed the mosque at about 1:00 pm (1200 GMT). Nigerian soldiers patrol the streets of Maiduguri, which was the birthplace of Boko Haram Moments later a second jet targeted worshippers as they fled. "Shekau was just leaving a house nearby for the mosque when the first jet struck. He was injured in the second strike," said the source, describing the casualties as "huge". "They spent the rest of Friday and the whole of Saturday burying the dead," he said, without specifying numbers. Shekau had been bed-ridden for days with malaria before the attack, he added. Local people in the Konduga area said Boko Haram fighters went on the rampage following the air strike. "They came by the river hurling insults at us, accusing us of providing information about their locations and movements to the military," said fisherman Ibrahim Bawa. "They said we were responsible for the attack on their mosque which killed many of their people. They were very angry," added another fisherman, Usman Sallau. The jihadists rounded up six fishermen and slit their throats. Others escaped by swimming across the river, he said. Boko Haram has killed over 20,000 people since it took up arms against the Nigerian government in 2009 to establish a hardline Islamist state. The insurgency has decimated northeast Borno state with the violence displacing 2.6 million from their homes and causing a hunger crisis. After years of suffering humiliating losses to Boko Haram, the Nigerian military has reclaimed swathes of territory back from the jihadists. Yet despite claims that Boko Haram is a spent force, the Islamists still launch attacks. Wikipedia has failed to remove two English-language pages that Ankara believes falsely linked Turkey to the activities of terror groups Turkey will not allow access to Wikipedia inside the country until rulings ordering the online encyclopedia to remove content that Ankara deems to be false are implemented, the head of the country's communications agency said Wednesday. Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) implemented the ban on wikipedia.org on Saturday as an "administrative measure" and an Ankara court on Monday then backed this up with a formal court order. The site remains inaccessible. Local media said that the ban on the entire site was implemented as Wikipedia failed to remove two English-language pages that Ankara believes falsely linked Turkey to the activities of terror groups. "It's impossible for access to Wikipedia to be allowed until judiciary decisions are followed," BTK head Omer Fatih Sayan said, quoted by the website of the Hurriyet daily. State media said the ban was imposed as Wikipedia failed to respond to repeated requests by Ankara to remove content it believes are promoting terror and accusing Turkey of cooperation with various terror groups. The Wikimedia Foundation has appealed the Ankara court's ruling, Hurriyet reported. Istanbul municipality officials on Tuesday also removed Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales from the guest list of the World Cities Expo, a major international conference to be held in the city on May 15-18. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has condemned the Turkish ban and tweeted "access to information is a fundamental human right" Reacting to the ban for Wikipedia on Saturday, Wales said on Twitter: "Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you to fight for this right." Turkey has frequently blocked access to websites temporarily including popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube following terror attacks or anti-government demonstrations. While opponents claim they are a restriction on freedom of speech and civil liberties, the government insists they are necessary for national security and temporary. Savvy internet users frequently resort to the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to get around these bans although there have been complaints that the use of VPNs has now also started to be blocked. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta's government is accused of seeking to 'undermine' the work of human rights groups The government of Kenya is hostile towards human rights activists and organisations, according to a report issued Wednesday that warned of safety concerns ahead of the country's 8 August elections. Since taking power in 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta's "administration has been showing open hostility towards human rights defenders, considered as enemies of the State serving foreign interests to destabilise the country," said The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. The government "has constantly been trying to undermine their legitimate work through judicial and administrative harassment and restrictive legislation," its report added. Allies of Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto blamed rights groups for their indictment at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity during widespread politically-motivated tribal violence that followed the 2007 polls. Charges against both men were eventually dropped but the antipathy towards non-governmental organisations, especially those focused on human rights, remains. The Observatory is a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). Its 50-page report, titled "2017 Elections: Broken Promises Put Human Rights Defenders at Risk", details the violence and pressures faced by Kenyan human rights activists and organisations. - 'Litany of offences' - Cases include the 2016 kidnap, torture and murder of rights lawyer Willie Kimani, which caused uproar in the country. The lawyer was defending a motorbike taxi driver who accused a police officer of shooting him for no reason. The bodies of the lawyer, his driver and the defendant were found bound and tossed in a river outside Nairobi. Four police officers have been charged with their murders. The Kimani case "is only the tip of the iceberg of a pattern of violence, aimed at silencing dissenting voices and perpetuating police and State security forces' brutality and impunity," the report said. It also detailed the excessive use of police force to prevent the holding of demonstrations and denounced "a litany of offences" -- including loosely defined crimes such as treason, unlawful assembly, disobedience of lawful orders and subversive activities -- used to penalise human rights activists in contravention of the spirit of the 2010 Constitution which enshrined basic freedoms. The report singled out the failure to pass the Public Benefit Organisations Act 2013 which was designed to protect and strengthen civil society. However, the government has delayed, sought to amend the act and in its absence the more repressive NGO Coordination Act 1990 remains in force enabling the imposition of stronger restrictions by the interior ministry. "As the general elections scheduled for August 8, 2017 approach, there is uncertainty about their potential impact on the situation of human rights defenders and civil society organisations," the report warned. Kenya's opposition last week lined up Thursday behind a single candidate, veteran political leader Raila Odinga, to challenge Kenyatta. Chief Syrian rebel negotiator Mohammad Alloush (C) of the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) faction attends the first session of peace talks at Astana's Rixos President Hotel on January 23, 2017 Syrian rebels on Wednesday said they were suspending their participation as a latest round of peace talks began in Kazakhstan, with the warring sides set to discuss a plan to create safe zones. "The rebel delegation is suspending the meetings because of the violent air strikes on civilians. The suspension will continue until shelling stops across all Syria," a rebel source in the Kazakh capital Astana told AFP. Syrian government and rebel delegations gathered on Wednesday for the start of a fourth round of talks sponsored by regime backers Russia and Iran and opposition supporter Turkey. The latest round of negotiations began with a series of bilateral meetings and was set to focus on a Russian plan to establish "de-escalation zones" around the war-torn country. A source close to the opposition provided AFP with an Arabic-language version of a proposal drafted by Russia, which an opposition official confirmed was being discussed on Wednesday. It calls for the creation of "de-escalation zones" in rebel-held territory in the northwestern province of Idlib, in parts of Homs province in the centre, in the south, and in the opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. The aim is to "put an immediate end to the violence" and "provide the conditions for the safe, voluntary return of refugees". The designated zones would also see the immediate delivery of relief supplies and medical assistance. According to the draft, "security zones" would be created around them, with checkpoints and monitoring centres to be manned by government troops and rebel fighters. Military units from unspecified "observer countries" could also be deployed. The document named Turkey, Iran and Russia as guarantors of the agreement and pledged that they would create a "joint working group" within five days of the document being signed by the warring parties. A streak of light trails into the night sky as the US military test fires an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on May 3, 2017 The US Air Force test-launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from California early Wednesday, the military said. Air Force Global Strike Command spokesman Joe Thomas told AFP from California that the test was routine and not meant to be a show of force in the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile program. The Minuteman III missile blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 0702 GMT, the strike command said in a statement. The missile traveled some 4,200 miles (6,700 km) and went down near a Pacific Ocean atoll that is part of the Marshall Islands and features a US military ballistic missile test site. The Minuteman III, capable of being fitted with a nuclear warhead, is tested like this about four times a year, said Linda Frost, also a spokeswoman for the strike command. Air forces photos of the launch show bright, roaring flames at the moment of liftoff, then a pale, slender, orange trail against the night sky as the missile arced over the ocean. "These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent," the strike command said in a statement. "The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational capability of the Minuteman III and ensures the United States ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of US national security and the security of US allies and partners," it added. Muslim pilgrims walk past the crane that collapsed at Mecca's Grand Mosque in September, 2015, killing at least 109 people A Saudi appeals court has ordered about a dozen people accused of negligence in a deadly 2015 crane collapse at Islam's holiest site to stand trial again, newspapers reported on Wednesday. By a vote of five to two, the appeals judges overturned the Mecca criminal court's decision that it had no jurisdiction over allegations of "safety breaches", the Okaz and Saudi Gazette newspapers reported. At least 109 people, including foreign pilgrims, were killed when the crane crashed into a courtyard of Mecca's Grand Mosque during high winds in September 2015. The mosque draws millions of pilgrims from around the world each year. Monday's ruling came after an appeal by prosecutors. The accused included at least one Saudi "billionaire" and nationals of Pakistan, the Philippines, Canada and several Arab countries, the newspapers reported. They gave no details of when hearings might resume, and have given differing figures for the number of accused, which are either 13 or 14. The accused were charged with "negligence leading to death, damaging public property and ignoring safety guidelines", Okaz and Saudi Gazette said. The crane was one of several the Saudi Binladin Group had erected as part of a multi-billion-dollar expansion plan to accommodate increasing numbers of faithful. King Salman suspended the firm from new public contracts for several months after the tragedy. Saudi Binladin Group, which developed landmark buildings in the kingdom, was founded more than 80 years ago by the father of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US commandos in Pakistan in 2011. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addresses members of his cabinet in March after returning from London where he underwent treatment for nearly two months for an undisclosed ailment Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari failed to show up for a weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, despite assurances from his wife that his health was not a cause for concern. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the meeting in the absence of the 74-year-old Buhari, who has now missed the last three gatherings of senior ministers and advisors. The devout Muslim was also absent from Friday prayers last week and failed to attend his grandson's wedding on Saturday. His spokesman said he had undergone "a long period of treatment" for an undisclosed illness in London earlier this year and needed rest. He was working from his private residence. Buhari has been under growing pressure to disclose his state of health since he returned from the British capital in early March after nearly two months away. On Tuesday, prominent Nigerians and civil society activists advised him to take medical leave. Local media reported on Wednesday that former president Olusegun Obasanjo met other ex-military rulers Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar to discuss the situation. Buhari's wife, Aisha, however said her husband's health was "not as bad as it's being perceived", without specifying the nature of his illness. "He continues to carry out his responsibilities during this period," she wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday evening. The health of Nigeria's president has been a sensitive issue since the death in office in 2010 of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, which sparked months of political turmoil and uncertainty. During the 2015 election campaign, Buhari rejected opposition claims that he was seriously ill with prostate cancer and said they were a smear to show him as unfit for office. A Yemeni mother tends to her malnourished child at a hospital in the port city of Hodeida on May 2, 2017 Commercial food imports are at a record low in crisis-hit Yemen as the country facing the world's largest food security crisis could also see a vital port shut down, aid groups said Wednesday. International concern for the lives of tens of millions of Yemenis is rising amid fears of a military attack on Hodeida, a Red Sea port that is the main entry point for aid and imports. Aid groups warned a solution to the Yemen conflict was the sole means to stem the spiralling humanitarian crisis. A Saudi-led military coalition for two years has fought Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels who control a string of key ports including Hodeida. More than 7,700 people have since been killed and around three million displaced, according to the United Nations. The United Nations has warned 17 million Yemenis -- 62 percent of the population -- are unable to access food. A third of the country's provinces are on the brink of famine. The non-governmental Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said commercial food imports were at an "all-time low, driving the price of basic commodities to rise on average by a third". The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that closure of the Hodeida port would "bring disaster to Yemen". NRC secretary general Jan Egeland called the situation in Yemen "a gigantic failure of international diplomacy". "Nowhere on earth are as many lives at risk," said Egeland at a news conference in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. "We are not even sure that the main humanitarian lifeline through the port of Hodeida will be kept open," said Egeland. "This makes Yemen the largest food security crisis in the world." Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council gestures during a press conference on May 3, 2017 in the Yemeni capital The NRC chief appealed to "men with guns and power" in Yemen and around the world to broker a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table to find a solution to the war. Rights groups fear the Saudi-led coalition is planning to attack Hodeida, which would likely destroy the port and cut supplies to millions of hungry civilians. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition has denied the alliance plans to launch an offensive on Hodeida. WFP chief David Beasley on Wednesday warned closure of Hodeida would spell "disaster" for Yemen. "Ninety percent of the imports into Yemen come in through the port of Hodeida. Something like 80 percent of all the World Food Programme food comes through that port," Beasley told AFP. "We're on the brink of famine in Yemen, and every day that passes... that we do not have a political solution is another day closer to famine." People inspect a hospital, damaged following an air strike a rebel-controlled town in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on May 1, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday pushed a plan to set up safe zones in Syria that could see planes grounded but details remained hazy as a latest round of Kremlin-backed peace talks on the six-year war floundered. Putin held talks with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as Moscow floated the proposal to set up four "de-escalation zones" in the war-torn country at a fresh round of negotiations involving Syria's regime and rebels in Kazakhstan. Speaking at a joint news conference in Sochi Putin insisted regime ally Moscow and rebel backer Ankara wanted to bolster a tattered ceasefire in Syria and that establishing safe zones should help. "We both proceed on the basis that -- and this is our common position -- the creation of safe zones should lead to further pacification and cessation of hostilities," Putin said. An Arabic-language version of the Russian proposal seen by AFP calls for the creation of "de-escalation zones" in rebel-held territory in the northwestern province of Idlib, in parts of Homs province in the centre, in the south, and in the opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. The aim is to "put an immediate end to the violence" and "provide the conditions for the safe, voluntary return of refugees" as well as the immediate delivery of relief supplies and medical aid, the document said. Putin said that the proposed zones would also be no-fly areas if fighting on the ground there stopped entirely. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) welcomes his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi on May 3, 2017 Erdogan, however, appeared more muted on the Russian proposals, avoiding a direct reference to them as he spoke vaguely only of a de-escalation zone in Idlib province. The two leaders have supported opposing sides in the Syrian conflict but their positions have drawn closer as they have patched up differences over Ankara's downing of a Russian jet in 2015 at a string of meetings. - Rebel walkout - The new proposal by Russia is the latest attempt by key powerbroker Moscow to breathe life into stalled peace negotiations after its military might turned the conflict in favour of leader Bashar al-Assad. People unload supplies from a Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) truck part of a SARC and UN aid convoy in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, early on May 3, 2017 The Kremlin's plan echoes calls by US leader Donald Trump to establish safe zones in Syria and Putin said "as far I could tell" the US leader broadly supported the idea in a phone call they held on Tuesday. The Russian strongman said that any agreement on the initiative would have to be hammered out by representatives from Damascus and the opposition currently meeting in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The Kremlin envoy at the Astana talks, Alexander Lavrentiev, said the initiative was meant to "help significantly reduce the level of armed confrontation between the Syrian armed opposition and government forces." But issues including which countries could police any safe zones remained major hurdles and there was no sign the warring sides were in any mood to start doing deals. Instead the opposition said it was halting its participation as the fourth round of talks sponsored by Assad allies Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey began. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan give a press conference following their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi on May 3, 2017 "The rebel delegation is suspending the meetings because of the violent air strikes on civilians. The suspension will continue until shelling stops across all Syria," a rebel source in Astana told AFP. The delegation met later with a US observer mission at the talks and spoke to the United Nations Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura but insisted they were sticking to their decision to withdraw. The Astana talks are portrayed as a complement to broader UN-backed peace efforts in Switzerland that have so far failed to bridge major rifts between the warring sides. Before they began, the rebel side laid out a list of demands including a regime withdrawal from areas taken after the start of a tattered ceasefire at the end of last year that the opposition accuses Damascus of frequently violating. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor meanwhile said a car bomb on Wednesday killed at least five people in the rebel-held town of Azaz near the Turkish border. The blast followed a bloody jihadist assault on Tuesday by the Islamic State group against a camp for displaced people on the border with Iraq that left at least 46 people dead. Rescue workers try to resuscitate a coal miner after he was pulled out from a mine in Azadshahr, northern Iran, following an explosion which left dozens of miners trapped on May 3, 2017 At least 26 coal miners were trapped in a mile-long tunnel after an explosion in northern Iran on Wednesday, Iranian media said. The mine in Golestan province collapsed when trapped methane gas exploded as workers tried to jump-start a locomotive engine, according to reports. President Hassan Rouhani sent Minister of Labour and Welfare Ali Rabii to the site, ISNA News agency reported. A provincial Red Crescent official, Shahin Fathi, rejected early figures of 80 miners trapped and said the number was 26 based on latest information. He said there was no information on the condition of those inside adding that workers sent to hospital were among those who had rushed to help after the blast. Some 25 miners were treated for gas poisoning and injuries, Fathi added. A local official said the tunnels were filled with gas, making rescue work difficult. "Work to remove the rubble and drilling for a side tunnel has begun to access the trapped workers in the Zemestan Yort mine," the official said. Another official who did not want to be named told state news agency IRNA that several workers probably died in the blast, but there was no official casualty toll. The mine has 500 workers and the explosion happened during a change of shift, state media said. Emergency teams and sniffer dogs have been dispatched to the mine and work to remove the rubble has begun. The New York Times has attributed some of its readership gains to renewed interest in its aggressive coverage of the Trump administration The New York Times said Wednesday it added more than 300,000 digital subscribers this year, resulting in a swing to profit for the newspaper branded as "failing" by President Donald Trump. The Times has attributed some of its readership gains to renewed interest in its aggressive coverage of the new administration, which has drawn frequent attacks by Trump. Net profit for the prestigious US newspaper group was $13.2 million in the first quarter, compared with a loss of $8.3 million in the same period a year ago. Total revenues rose 5.1 percent to $399 million, led by gains in digital subscriptions and online advertising. "These results show the current strength and future potential of our digital strategy not just to reach a large audience, but also to deliver substantial revenue," said Mark Thompson, president and chief executive officer of the New York Times Company. "We added an astonishing 308,000 net digital news subscriptions, making the first quarter the single best quarter for subscriber growth in our history." Overall circulation revenue rose 11 percent from a year ago to $242 million. Of that $76 million came from digital-only subscriptions, amounting to a 40 percent jump from a year ago. The number of digital-only subscriptions topped 2.2 million at the end of the quarter, a 62 percent jump from a year ago. Digital advertising revenue was $49.7 million, a rise of 19 percent from a year ago, and accounted for 38.2 percent of total ad revenues. But the gains failed to fully offset declines in print advertising. Thompson said the latest revenue figures were "a vindication of our decision to pivot towards mobile, branded content and a broader suite of marketing services, and to focus on innovation." The New York daily has been facing the familiar problems of major newspapers -- shifting to the less profitable online format as print readership declines. The Times earlier this year unveiled a new strategic plan that will likely reduce its newsroom staff of around 1,300, while making investments in key areas including "visual journalism" and boosting coverage of the Trump administration. The newspaper has moved to get more readers globally with a Spanish-language edition and an expanded office in Australia, and has launched a daily edition for the Snapchat Discover platform. Amid the readership gains, the Times faced a campaign last month for readers to cancel their subscriptions after it added conservative columnist Bret Stephens, who in his first piece raised questions about the evidence of climate change. China President Xi Jinping hailed the "dialogue" between Beijing and Manila over their border dispute in the South China Sea China's President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hailed the "dialogue" between Beijing and Manila over their border dispute in the South China Sea during a phone call with Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, state media reported. Duterte is loosening the Philippines' long alliance with the United States while strengthening ties with China and Russia, saying this week he might turn down an invitation from President Donald Trump to visit the US. The call came two days after Duterte toured a visiting Chinese warship on the southern Philippine port of Davao in a display of warming ties with Beijing. "The mutual political trust (between China and the Philippines) continues to grow and our cooperation is flourishing in all areas," Xi said, according to Chinese state media. "Channels of dialogue and negotiation on the South China Sea issue have also been set up, which will benefit the fundamental interests of our two countries," he said. In contrast to his predecessor Benigno Aquino, Duterte has pursued close relations with China despite its extensive island-building in disputed parts of the South China Sea. China claims nearly all of the strategically vital waterway, even waters approaching the coasts of its neighbours, despite partial counter-claims from several regional states such as the Philippines. Duterte has secured promises of billions of dollars' worth of investments from China in return for the diplomatic realignment. Aquino in 2013 took China to a United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal over the maritime row. The tribunal last year rejected China's claim over most of the South China Sea, but Beijing has ignored the ruling. Duterte vowed after his election last year not to "taunt or flaunt" the ruling, saying he did not want to go to war with China. On Monday the Philippine leader said he could not commit to visiting the US president because of a busy schedule, even though no firm date has yet been proposed. Nevertheless, Duterte said relations with the United States were improving now that Trump had taken over from Barack Obama, who criticised the Philippine president for his anti-drug war that has claimed thousands of lives. Rights groups have warned Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity, with police and vigilantes committing mass murder, and Trump's invitation has stirred controversy in Washington. Duterte denies his government is committing extrajudicial killings. A picture taken on February 26, 2017, shows Shifa Gardi, an Iraqi journalist for Kurdish network Rudaw who was killed while covering the Mosul offensive Eleven journalists died covering conflict or were assassinated in Iraq during the past year, a Baghdad-based watchdog said in a report released Wednesday to mark World Press Freedom Day. "From May 3, 2016 to May 3 (this year), 11 journalists were killed and 44 wounded across Iraq, including the Kurdistan region," said the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory. Some were killed accidentally covering military operations against the Islamic State group, some were murdered by the jihadists and others were assassinated in yet to be elucidated circumstances. The watchdog said it had also recorded a total of 375 violations of journalists' rights during the same period. The group's head, Ziad al-Ajili, urged the Iraqi security forces to do their utmost to protect media workers and also called on journalists to follow security procedures. Iraq is ranked 158 out of 180 countries in the Paris-based organisation Reporters Without Borders' 2017 press freedom index. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal is touting a policy document that for the first time shows a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within borders that existed after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war The leader of the radical Palestinian group Hamas called on US President Donald Trump Wednesday to break with past approaches to Middle East peace and find an "equitable solution" for Palestinians. Khaled Meshaal's comments came as Trump was due to receive Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at the White House to explore avenues for reviving the deadlocked peace process. Interviewed by CNN in Doha, Meshaal said Trump has "greater threshold of boldness" than previous US administrations. "This is a historic opportunity to pressure Israel ... to find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people," he said. "And it will be to the credit of the civilized world and the American administration to stop the darkness that we have been suffering from for many years." Meshaal pointed to a policy document released Tuesday by Hamas that for the first time shows a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within borders that existed after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. "This is a plea from me to the Trump administration -- the new American administration -- break out from the wrong approaches of the past and which did not arrive at a result. And perhaps to grab the opportunity presented by Hamas' document," Meshaal told CNN. The Hamas document stopped short of recognizing Israel, however, and Hamas for years has called for its destruction. "Israel doesn't recognize Palestinian rights. When Palestinians have their own sovereign, free state then they can choose without outside pressure," he said in the CNN interview. US President Donald Trump meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas in the Oval Office of the White House on May 3, 2017 in Washington, DC President Donald Trump confidently predicted that a Middle East peace agreement was within grasp Wednesday, as he hosted Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House. "We will get it done," Trump said, flaunting his deal-making prowess during a first meeting with the veteran Palestinian leader that marked the start of an ambitious -- some say quixotic -- presidential effort. Brushing aside the complexities of a decades-old conflict that has bedevilled successive US leaders, Trump told Abbas that together with the Israelis they could bag "the toughest deal to make." "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado. Israel's changing borders Eighty-two-year-old Abbas -- a veteran of innumerable US, European, UN and Arab peace initiatives -- echoed Trump's upbeat tone. "Our strategic option, our strategic choice is to bring about peace," he said, praising Trump's "courageous stewardship" and "great negotiating ability." "We believe that we can... be true partners to you to bring about a historic peace under your stewardship." But there was also a hint of the thicket that awaits the neophyte US president. "Mr. President, it's about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our lands," Abbas said, listing demands that the current Israeli government has baulked at. Among them, the right of return for Palestinians to lands currently held by Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and based on 1967 borders. - 'Gap never greater' - Supporters of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Ahrar movement, protest against Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on May 2, 2017 The two men's upbeat tone contrasted sharply with that of veteran Middle East watchers. According to former White House official Dennis Ross, the gap between Israelis and Palestinians "has probably never been greater." "As someone who's worked on this for the last 30 years, I don't think we've ever been at a lower point," he said ahead of the meeting. US President Donald Trump (R) hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in February 2017 Trump's long-shot effort to bring Middle East peace got off to a rocky start when he appeared to back away from supporting a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of American policy held for decades. But receiving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House early in his term, Trump also showed he was willing to press Israel on West Bank settlement building, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. On Wednesday, Trump offered no prescriptions for what a deal should look like, only saying that he would play the role of "a mediator, or an arbitrator, or a facilitator." "Any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States, or by any other nation," Trump said. During his four months in office, Trump has struggled to translate his skill in achieving business deals into effective governance. Efforts to overhaul health care, the tax system and government spending have faltered, despite Trump's Republican party controlling not only the White House but both houses of Congress. Hady Amr, who had three decades of Middle East experience before working on the peace process full time for secretary of state John Kerry, told AFP that Trump's Middle East push could similarly falter. Members of Hamas gather to watch a televised speech of Exiled Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal, in Gaza City on May 1, 2017 "When I was put into this job 24/7, three a half years ago," Amr said, it was even more complex than he had thought. "I hope I'm wrong, but I think that the president will discover, as he discovered about health care, that there is a reason it hasn't been solved." - 'Historic opportunity' - Abbas also makes an unlikely dealmaker. He made the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want him to resign. His term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. Palestinians are watching closely, including the leader of the radical Hamas movement Khaled Meshaal, who called on Trump to break with past approaches to Middle East peace. "This is a historic opportunity to pressure Israel... to find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people," he told CNN. Hamas on Tuesday released a policy document that for the first time indicates a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the borders that emerged after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, although it stops short of recognizing Israel. But Abbas will be encouraged that Trump did not publicly demand that the Palestinians cut funding to prisoners and their families. That could pose major domestic political headaches for Abbas, as he battles unpopularity and challenges from rival factions. "Mr President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace," Abbas said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke of "third country sanctions," warning that Chinese companies may be hit for working with Pyongyang The United States said on Wednesday that it hopes to work with China to halt North Korea's nuclear program, but warned that if this fails it might resort to sanctions. In an address to State Department staff, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke of "third country sanctions," warning that Chinese companies may be hit for working with Pyongyang. Tillerson said China has reaffirmed support for a "denuclearized" Korean peninsula but that Washington would test their commitment to help rein in their neighbor by "leaning into them hard". He said Washington would urge world powers to fully implement UN Security Council sanctions against Kim Jong-Un's regime "because no one has ever fully implemented those." And he warned: "We are going to to lean in to people to fully implement them. We tell them: 'We are watching what you are doing'. "When we see you are not implementing, we see companies or we see individuals that are violating sanctions we are going to contact you, we are going to ask you to take care of it," he said. "If you can't take care of or you simply don't want to care of it for own internal political reasons we will. We'll sanction them through third country sanctions." China approved UN sanctions targeting North Korea's nuclear program, but American observers believe Chinese banks are continuing to give Pyongyang access to international finance. Government of National Accord (GNA) leader Fayez al-Sarraj, seen in February 2017, and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control most of eastern Libya including key oil ports, held rare talks Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates The head of Libya's UN-backed unity government and a rival military commander said Wednesday they have agreed to work to end the country's crisis. Government of National Accord (GNA) leader Fayez al-Sarraj and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control most of eastern Libya including key oil ports, held rare talks Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates. In separate statements Wednesday, they called for a resolution to Libya's political and economic crises and for joint efforts to battle extremist groups, without outlining any concrete measures. The issue of how to form a new Libyan army loomed large in the talks. Haftar, who commands a self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), is accused of aiming to install a new military dictatorship in Libya, rocked by a complex multi-sided conflict since the 2011 fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Sarraj, whose unity government has struggled to impose its control across Libya since it was formed in 2015, said Wednesday the two sides had agreed to put in place "a strategy... to form a unified Libyan army" under civil control. Haftar's statement said the two sides had agreed to allow "the military establishment... to fully play its role in the fight against terrorism". Both men said they had agreed to put an end to violence in southern Libya, where LNA and pro-GNA forces clashed in early April around an air base on the edge of the southern city of Sebha. Haftar is backed by Libya's parliament based in the country's east, as well as by the UAE and Egypt. That parliament has refused to recognise the GNA, formed under a United Nations-backed deal that gave no role to Haftar and his forces. Diplomats and observers have described Tuesday's meeting as a positive step forward, after Sarraj said Haftar refused to meet him in person in February. The United Arab Emirates voiced optimism a political settlement could be reached in Libya after the meeting. The Tuesday meeting "brings optimism towards guaranteeing a political solution", the UAE foreign ministry said. It is an "important step to push forward the political process in Libya," it added, in a statement carried by the official WAM news agency. Apart from the UAE, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt also played a role in "reconciling the points of view" of Sarraj and Haftar, the GNA statement said. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days to try to reconcile the rival administrations in Libya's east and west. On Sunday, UN envoy Martin Kobler held talks in Sudan, a supporter of Sarraj's administration. On Monday, he met Mahmud Jibril, who headed Libya's interim government during the NATO-backed rebellion that toppled and killed Kadhafi. Mohammad Abbas of Pakistan disappointed as Roston Chase (L) and Shai Hope (C) of West Indies get runs Yasir Shahs stranglehold of the West Indies continued on the fourth day of the second Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday as the leg-spinner snared six for 90 to re-open the prospect of a first-ever Test match victory at the venue for Pakistan going into the final day. Despite a patient, disciplined Test best of 90 from Shai Hope and a succession of half-century partnerships that raised expectations of the home side batting their way to safety, West Indies slipped from the relative comfort of 235 for four to be 264 for nine at stumps. They go into the final day on Thursday ahead by 183 runs with the last pair at the crease. On a deteriorating pitch, Pakistans final target may still be a challenging one as they seek the historic win which would also give them a first-ever Test series triumph in the Caribbean. "Man of the Match" in the seven-wicket win the first Test in Jamaica, Shah was again the key performer when it mattered most for Pakistan. Hope appeared to have blunted the threat successfully through more than five hours of watchful batsmanship. However within sight of a maiden Test hundred, he drove Shah to cover where Azhar Ali held the catch that triggered the late slide. Having broken an 80-run fifth-wicket partnership with Vishaul Singh, Pakistan were celebrating again off the very next delivery as Singh was on his way back to the pavilion, bowled off the inside edge by seamer Mohammad Abbas for 32. Three wickets fell for one run when Younis Khan held his fifth catch of the match, a brilliant reflex effort at slip to remove West Indies captain Jason Holder off Shah. In his farewell series like captain Misbah ul Haq, Younis is now the only fielder to have taken 50 catches after the age of 35 in Test cricket. "Its about staying fit and staying sharp and expectant in the field," the 39-year-old explained. "This pitch is pretty much like what we play on at home and in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), so if we play properly and concentrate we should be able to get whatever the target is on the last day." Kraigg Brathwaite (L) of West Indies hits against Pakistan on May 3, 2017 In rampant mood after the late success, Shah then disposed of Shane Dowrich and Alzarri Joseph in quick succession just before the close to leave Devendra Bishoo and last man Shannon Gabriel to carry the fight for the home side into the last day. With more and more questions being asked about his continued presence in the regional side given a paltry average of 15.40 and a topscore of 41 prior to this innings, Hope went a long way in responding to the critics in a situation where the West Indies were always likely to capitulate. He came to the crease in the morning after Pakistan struck an early blow when the West Indies resumed at 40 for one, Mohammad Amir bowling Shimron Hetmyer before the left-hander could add to his overnight score of 22. Kraigg Brathwaite continued to bat resolutely in partnership with Hope, the pair putting on 56 for the third wicket despite the varying challenges posed by the tourists combination of pace and wrist-spin. It was Shah, the more experienced of the specialist slow bowlers, who provided the breakthrough when he removed the obdurate Brathwaite for 43. Fresh from a century in the first innings, Roston Chase proved an able partner to Hope for the rest of the morning and then deep into the afternoon session, their fourth-wicket stand producing 58 invaluable runs when Chase was deceived by a flighted Shah delivery to be caught-and-bowled for 23. AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh (L) gestures after receiving a top Arab prize for his coverage of the clashes in Kfar Qaddum at the 16th Arab Journalism Award (AJA) in Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah on May 2, 2017 A Palestinian photographer with AFP, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, has won the prize for best photograph at an annual Arab journalism awards ceremony held in Dubai. Ashtiyeh won the Arab Journalism Award for his coverage of clashes in the village of Kfar Qaddum on the occupied West Bank between Palestinians and Israeli forces on March 4, 2016. The award was handed out at the closing session of the regional Arab Media Forum conference Tuesday night. Ashtiyeh's photograph shows a man huddled over a child to pick him up from the ground, as an Israeli soldier stands pointing his rifle in the background. AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh won the Arab Journalism Award for this photo taken March 4, 2016 of clashes in the village of Kfar Qaddum on the occupied West Bank between Palestinians and Israeli forces Ashtiyeh also won an honorable mention at the NPPA awards in the United States for another picture of the same incident. Lebanese journalist Ghassan Charbel, editor-in-chief of the pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, was awarded the prize in Dubai for top journalist. Saudi online news portal Sabq took home the prize for best online journalism. The Arab Journalism Award hands out prizes worth $305,000 (279,000 euros) in total. Several hundred customers and staff had gathered for the Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica, where employees drive cars up and down lanes to be viewed for sale Three people were killed Wednesday when a jeep sped out of control through a crowd of several hundred people at a US car auction in Massachusetts, officials said. Nine other people were hospitalized -- including two with life-threatening injuries -- after the warehouse crash at Lynnway Auto Auction, a used car dealership in Billerica, just over 20 miles (35 kilometers) north of Boston. "The preliminary information we have right now suggests that this is a tragic accident," Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters. "At about 10:13 this morning police received a call of a vehicle that had gone out of control," she said. Several hundred customers and staff had gathered for the weekly auction, where employees drive cars up and down lanes to be viewed for sale. A Jeep Grand Cherokee "suddenly accelerated and traveled through the building at high speed," said Ryan. It struck members of the crowd before crashing into a cinder block wall at the far end of the warehouse. "One male and two females have died as a result of their injuries," said Ryan. Nine other people were being treated at a hospital, including two with life-threatening injuries, she added. The driver is a man in his 70s who works for the company. Reports suggested that he may have suffered a medical emergency, but Ryan said he was not hospitalized. Massachusetts State Police said earlier there was "no evidence or information to suggest the incident was caused by an intentional or terrorist act." "All evidence and information at this time suggests an accidental cause." The UN mission in Mali is considered its most dangerous active peacekeeping deployment Shelling and rocket fire on a UN camp in Mali's troubled Timbuktu killed one yet to be identified person and wounded nine peacekeepers, the United Nations mission said Wednesday. It is the latest attack to hit the mission, known as MINSUMA, stationed in the country since 2013 and considered its most dangerous active peacekeeping deployment. "A mortar and rocket attack was launched against the MINUSMA camp in Timbuktu," a UN statement said. "The provisional toll is nine wounded among the peacekeepers, four seriously who are being evacuated to Bamako. The attack also killed one person, they are still being identified," it added. The UN mission said it had reinforced the camp's defences and deployed air cover to identify where the enemy fire had originated, describing it as a "terrorist" attack. Sweden's armed forces confirmed one of its soldiers was wounded, though not severely. "A Swedish soldier was lightly injured and is now being cared for by the Swedish medical unit," it said in a statement. Liberia's armed forces, who also have peacekeepers among the mission, also confirmed "several injuries and other casualties", according to Prince Johnson, deputy chief of staff, but would not specify more. "We are investigating the matter," he added. Northern Mali fell to jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in March 2012, and although these forces were driven out of key towns by a French-led military intervention the following year, the Islamists have now spread further south. The 13,000-strong UN mission was deployed to provide security and assist Malian troops struggling to keep the country safe, but it has been targeted constantly by jihadists, with dozens of peacekeepers killed. Three Malian jihadist groups with previous Al-Qaeda links recently joined forces to create the "Group to Support Islam and Muslims" (GSIM), led by Iyad Ag Ghaly of Ansar Dine, and have killed Malian soldiers further east near the Burkina Faso border. Nine Malian soldiers were killed and five wounded Tuesday, an attack that has become near routine in the country's north and centre. Puerto Rico has several times failed to make payments towards its $70 billion debt, including a $2 billion instalment in July The governor of Puerto Rico announced Wednesday that the US territory would seek a form of bankruptcy protection to restructure its $70 billion debt, the largest municipal restructuring in US history. By declaring bankruptcy, the US commonwealth in the Caribbean can prevent any interruption in services to island residents, Governor Ricardo Rossello said at a news conference. "I have taken the decision to ask... that Puerto Rico be allowed to place itself under Title III protection to be able to develop a restructuring plan concerning repayment of the debt," he said. The mountain of debt has left Puerto Rico struggling and the island -- a former Spanish colony of 3.5 million and a US territory for more than a century -- has several times failed to make payments. That included a $2 billion installment due in July. Puerto Rico is barred from using the same bankruptcy law provisions benefiting other US municipalities. Introduced in 2016, the legal provision invoked by the governor would allow Puerto Rico to restructure its debt if San Juan fails to reach an agreement with its creditors. Rossello's decision came two days after the end of a moratorium on payments to creditors. Several of the island's creditors on Tuesday had rejected its offer to repay 50 percent, preferring to take the matter to federal court to seek the full amount. "This bankruptcy process is vital so Puerto Rico can receive the debt relief it was promised," said Eric LeCompte, executive director of Jubilee USA, which promotes debt forgiveness for poor countries. The "process can bring the debt back to sustainable levels, protect vulnerable communities and promote transparency," he added in a statement. The financial problems of the Caribbean island -- which has been locked in recession for more than a decade -- have shaken the large market for US municipal bonds, especially after Detroit declared bankruptcy in 2013. Puerto Rico has been able to sell huge amounts of debt due to its tax-free status in the US municipal bonds market, making its debt more valuable than other city bonds. But unlike Detroit, which declared itself broke to force creditors to write off some debt, as a commonwealth, the island has not been able to file for bankruptcy using normal US financial regulations. In July 2016, then president Barack Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), which establishes a financial control board to restore fiscal discipline on the island. It also blocks potential litigation between the island and its creditors. Rossello filed the protection request under the PROMESA law. Some critics condemn the US federal government for imposing "colonial"-style restrictions on the island, and austerity measures including rollbacks of minimum wage and overtime protections. (L-R) Chairman of the board of Orchestra of St. Luke's Norman Benzaquen (L), new principal conductor of the orchestra Bernard Labadie, and Orchestra Executive Director and President James Roe pose for a photograph on May 3, 2017 The Orchestra of St. Luke's in New York named master of early music Bernard Labadie as its principal conductor Wednesday, setting a new focus on advancing work predating the early 19th century. The chamber ensemble calls itself New York's second orchestra and performs at locations across the city, with its players collectively serving as music director. Star mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, who has frequently sung with the orchestra and serves on its board, said Labadie would fine-tune the mission of an ensemble known for versatility. "Bernard's area of expertise will further the identity of the Orchestra of St. Luke's," she said. Labadie, an expert in baroque, classical period and early romantic music, founded the chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy in his native Quebec and has been artistic director both of the Opera de Quebec and Opera de Montreal. Labadie said he wanted to "touch people directly" with great music rather than attempt to reconstruct performances from before the age of recordings. "I am absolutely not interested in performing in an 18th-century wig and trying to fool people and make them believe this is how the music was meant to be," he said. "Music is still about people, and the connection between performers and an audience." - Open mind on instruments - "I am absolutely not interested in performing in an 18th-century wig," said Bernard Labadie, the new principal conductor New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's Labadie said he was glad the debate -- the "war," he joked -- between proponents of modern and period instruments has abated in recent years. Instruments have evolved over time with modern versions -- such as bows for string instruments -- often significantly different in material or design than their ancestors. Orchestra of St. Luke's -- which has commissioned more than 50 new works since it was founded in 1974 -- performs with modern instruments. "I am a complete, total believer in period instruments and I work a lot with period instrument orchestras, but I do not believe that it is the only way to approach this repertoire," Labadie said. "In the word 'instrument,' there is the Latin root of 'manus,' the hand. I like to think that in the same way the hand is an extension of the body, the instrument is the extension of the musical mind," he said. Labadie succeeds the Spanish rising star Pablo Heras-Casado, who will take the new title of conductor laureate. - Back from health scare - Labadie's new job came after he survived a severe form of cancer, Stage 4 lymphoma. He was put in an induced coma for a month as he underwent a complicated transplant of stem cells. The 54-year-old said he felt healthy and that a relapse was highly unlikely -- but that the experience gave him a fresh perspective on life, as well as music. The appointment in New York "seems to be exactly what the doctor ordered, almost literally actually," he said with a laugh. Labadie will make his debut with the orchestra on July 2 at the Caramoor Summer Music Festival near New York, one of two key annual engagements for the ensemble along with a Carnegie Hall series. Orchestra of St. Luke's -- which initially played in a New York church of a similar name -- keeps finances stable by finding partners for most performances and recording film and Broadway scores. In 2011, the orchestra opened the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, which has offered advanced rehearsal and recording spaces to thousands of musicians. James Roe, the orchestra's president and executive director, said that the United States has lagged behind Europe in pursuing historical music. With Labadie's focus, "I think we will have an even more distinct place in the pantheon of New York City music," he said. Family members of Alton Sterling leave the US Federal Court House on May 3, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Louisiana police will not face federal charges over the shooting of a 37-year-old African American man whose death sparked widespread protests, the US Justice Department said Wednesday, in a decision slammed by rights groups as a message of impunity. Alton Sterling's videotaped shooting in Baton Rouge was one of a series of police killing of black men that triggered nationwide protests spearheaded by the "Black Lives Matter" movement. Civil rights groups said the decision not to bring charges in the emblematic case -- the first taken under Donald Trump's incoming attorney general, Jeff Sessions -- sent a clear signal that "black lives don't matter." Sterling was shot to death July 5, 2016 in a scuffle with two officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, outside a convenience store where he had been selling CDs. During a 10-month probe, FBI agents and prosecutors reviewed images of the incident captured by body cameras, cellphones and store surveillance cameras as well as witness accounts and other evidence. At the close of the investigation, the Justice Department said it found "insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges" against either officer. Members of Sterling's family were grief-stricken at the news. "It hurts so bad," Sandra Sterling, the victim's aunt, told a local television station, choking back tears. "All of this was for nothing." - 'Public execution' - Acting US Attorney Corey Amundson (C) announces the findings regarding the shooting of Alton Sterling on May 3, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana According to investigators, Officer Salamoni, shouting "going for a gun," shot Sterling three times in the chest and then three more times in the back in an encounter that lasted less than 90 seconds. The Justice Department said Lake subsequently found a .38 caliber revolver in Sterling's back pocket. No independent witness account has corroborated the police claim that Sterling reached for the gun. Nonetheless, the probe concluded that -- although videos show Sterling's right hand was not in or near his right pocket -- he was continuing to move, even after being shot three times. At that point, it said, Officer Salamoni was lying on the ground, facing Sterling's back. "Given these circumstances, the evidence cannot establish beyond a reasonable doubt that it did not appear to Officer Salamoni that Sterling was reaching for his pocket. Nor could the Department prove that the officer's conduct was willful," the Justice Department said. The head of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which combats racism and extremism, called the decision not to press charges "deeply troubling." "The American people need an answer as to why the final moments of Sterling's life looked less like a police stop and more like a public execution," said its head, Richard Cohen. Civil rights group Color of Change said the decision showed that, as far as Trump's administration was concerned, "black lives do not matter." Sterling's fatal shooting came amid a spate of race-tinged violence involving law enforcement. His death was followed by the killing of another black man, Philando Castile, a day later. That victim was shot dead by police in his car -- in front of his girlfriend and her young daughter -- after he was pulled over near Minneapolis, Minnesota for a broken tail light. The deaths sent shockwaves nationwide, fueling mass protests and a fierce debate over race and criminal justice. The United States was then set on edge for weeks in July after a gunman shot and killed five officers in Dallas as peaceful protestors finished a march against police brutality. A similar assault took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where three officers were shot dead by a former military veteran. The Eagles are suing a "Hotel California," saying the owners falsely tried to link it to the band's famous song The Eagles have sued a "Hotel California" in Mexico, saying the owners falsely insinuated an association with the band's famous song. The country-rooted rockers, whose hits from the 1970s make them among the top-selling bands of all time, asked the Hotel California to drop the name and hand over profits gained from selling merchandise. The hotel in the town of Todos Santos near the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula was originally called Hotel California but the name had long since been changed. The lawsuit, filed this week in a federal court in Los Angeles, charged that Canadian couple Debbie and John Stewart tried to create a new mystique around the hotel after buying it in 2001. The lawsuit quoted online reviews by guests who appeared to believe that the hotel was inspired by the song. "Consumers who visit the hotel and purchase defendants' merchandise then return to the United States with the infringing merchandise and inform others that they have visited 'the' Hotel California made famous by the Eagles," it said. The hotel's website says that "many visitors are mesmerized" by coincidences between the song's lyrics and the place. "There are numerous stories. Whether fact or myth, nobody knows for sure. However, one rumor, fabricated in the 1990s by someone with no connection to any owners of the hotel, states that the Eagles once owned it. This is unequivocally false," it says. The owners, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, state clearly that they do not have a link to the band. The Eagles have given various accounts of the meaning of "Hotel California," which has generally been taken as a metaphor for the promise and pitfalls of the American dream rather than as an actual place of accommodation. The cover of the album of the same name featured a photograph of the posh Beverly Hills Hotel. Ironically, art designer John Kosh later said in a documentary that the hotel management complained that it had not granted permission. NEW YORK (AP) - A battered news industry can find some flickers of hope in a survey that gauges public willingness to pay for journalism, as long as its leaders plan judiciously. A little more than half of American adults regularly pay for news, through newspaper and magazine subscriptions, apps on electronic devices or contributions to public media, according to the Media Insight Project, a collaboration between the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It's not only greybeards, either. Although they're less likely than their parents' generation to subscribe, close to 4 in 10 people under age 35 also pay. Younger people are also more likely to express a desire to support a news organization's mission as a reason for subscribing, the project's study found. On the other hand, young adults who don't pay for news are especially likely to say they're just not very interested in the content that's for sale. "We sense a shift," said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute. "There's this perception that people don't want to pay for news, especially young people, because they can get things from social media ... We found that's not true." A quarter of people who confess to regularly tapping a news source for free said it's at least moderately likely they'd be willing to pay for it if they had to. Chicago resident John Ashford subscribes to a handful of news organizations online, partly because of the work's importance. He said the truth behind a police shooting near where he lived likely would have remained hidden if not for reporters digging in to the story. "People don't have the time and the money to investigate what is going on," he said. "You have to have somebody to do it." Nearly one in five Americans donate money to at least one nonprofit media source, such as public television or radio, or a digital news site such as ProPublica, the study found. The New York Times saw slow and steady growth in its digital subscriptions from 406,000 at the end of 2011 to 1.09 million at the end of 2015. During 2016, the number of subscriptions shot up to 1.85 million, the Times said, a spurt contrary to President Trump's assertion that the Times is "failing." Even before the post-election controversy over fake news, the Times found new subscribers who were concerned about the reliability of some stories they saw online and "they understood that you get what you pay for," said David Rubin, senior vice president and head of brand for the newspaper. Rather than simply tout what a subscriber would receive, the Times is running an advertising campaign that focuses on the news organization's mission and the importance of journalism, including one that shows the dangers faced by a photojournalist covering the conflict between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State. The newspaper also recognizes the importance of building a relationship with subscribers, instead of simply making sure an article is seen by as many eyeballs as possible, Rubin said. Three-quarters of newspaper subscribers say they primarily read the product in print, while 21 percent said they primarily see it online, the study found. News executives can't afford to focus on one type of consumer at the expense of another, Rosenstiel said. The biggest reason people choose to subscribe is because they believe a news organization excels at covering issues they care about. Executives looking to cut costs need to consider the importance subscribers place in quality, he said. "Spreading the pain equally so you get a little worse at everything is probably a bad strategy," he said. "You've got to be more surgical." The poll of 2,199 adults was conducted Feb. 16 through March 20 with funding from the American Press Institute. It used a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone. ___ Follow David Bauder on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/dbauder ___ Online: Media Insight Project: http://mediainsight.org/ PRAGUE (AP) - The Czech prime minister unexpectedly announced on Tuesday that his government will resign over unexplained business dealings of his rival Andrej Babis, the country's finance minister. Premier Bohuslav Sobotka said that he will meet President Milos Zeman this week to formally submit the government's resignation. Tuesday's move reflects tensions in the ruling coalition about six months ahead of the parliamentary election. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka speaks during his news conference in Prague, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Sobotka said that his government will resign over unexplained business dealings of the country's Finance Minister and rival Andrej Babis. (AP Photo,CTK/Ondrej Deml) SLOVAKIA OUT Sobotka said there are suspicions that Babis, the country's second richest businessman, avoided paying taxes in the past. Doubts have also surfaced about how he became wealthy. Babis heads a centrist movement that is a favorite to win October's ballot, paving the way for him to become prime minister. He previously denied any wrongdoing. Sobotka's Social Democrats are a distant second. The Christian Democrats are the third member of the coalition that was created in 2014. Sobotka said it would be an option to fire Babis but that would mean his rival would be given extra time to campaign ahead of the vote. "That's the reason I'm opting for the only reasonable solution which is available, and that's the government's resignation," Sobotka said during a hastily organized news conference. "A trust of the public in politics is at stake," Sobotka said. The premier said the move will give the coalition a chance to form a government again, but without Babis. Another option is for Parliament to call early elections. Babis, the most popular government politician, called the move "incomprehensible." He said the premier had damaged everything the government has done. "(Sobotka) destroys everything," Babis told Czech public radio. The government was successful, we had results." "I reject his nonsense," he said. The presidential office didn't immediately comment. The president plays a key role in a crisis like this one because he has the right to select a new prime minister. Babis' centrist movement came in a surprise second in the 2013 parliamentary elections with an anti-corruption message Babis is sometimes dubbed the "Czech Berlusconi," a comparison to Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian media tycoon who until recent years dominated his nation's politics. Babis has often quarreled with the leftist Social Democrats in the government. Most notably, the Social Democrats pushed through legislation that limits the business activities of government ministers. The law bans ministers from owning media organizations, and bars companies in which ministers have more than a 25-percent stake from receiving state subsidies and participating in public tenders. Babis, who owned two major newspapers and the Agrofert conglomerate of some 250 companies which receives state subsidies, fiercely opposed the law but has complied with it. Despite the political bickering, the Czech economy has been doing well, with the country having the lowest unemployment in the European Union. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka speaks during his news conference in Prague, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Sobotka said that his government will resign over unexplained business dealings of the country's Finance Minister and rival Andrej Babis. (AP Photo,CTK/Ondrej Deml) SLOVAKIA OUT LONDON (AP) - An extremist who concealed information in USB-equipped cufflinks has been jailed for eight years in London. Samata Ullah was sentenced at the Old Bailey courthouse Tuesday. He had pleaded guilty to five offenses in March and admitted membership in the Islamic State group. Testimony indicated that he advised other extremists how to manage data without being caught and told them not to put information on computers but to use USB sticks instead. His cufflinks contained a Linux operating system loaded with extremist data, including a blog. Metropolitan Police Commander Dean Haydon said Ullah "set up a self-help library for terrorists around the world." He said Ullah advised extremists on how best to encrypt data. NEW YORK (AP) - Ex-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and a former U.S. attorney general seem "surprisingly disingenuous" and dismissive of the seriousness of criminal charges facing a wealthy Turkish businessman they've been hired to represent, a judge said on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman commented at a Manhattan court hearing designed to help him decide if Reza Zarrab understands conflicts of interest posed by hiring Giuliani and former U.S Attorney General Michael Mukasey as lawyers to help resolve the case against him diplomatically outside court. In affidavits written last month, Giuliani and Mukasey used nearly identical language to say they were hired to try to resolve the case against Zarrab, a well-known personality in Turkey accused of violating sanctions against Iran, as part of a deal between the United States and Turkey to promote U.S. national security interests. FILE - In this combination of file photos, then Attorney General Michael Mukasey, left, speaks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington on Dec. 16, 2008 and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani arrives for meetings with President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 20, 2016, in Bedminster, N.J. A judge said Tuesday, May 2, 2017, that Giuliani and Mukasey seem dismissive of serious charges lodged against a prominent Turkish businessman they've been hired to represent. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, left, and Carolyn Kaster, Files) They said none of the transactions Zarrab was alleged to have participated in involved weapons, nuclear technology or contraband. Instead, they said, the transactions involved "consumer goods." The judge said the affidavits "appear surprisingly disingenuous in failing to mention the central role of Iran in the indictment and indeed failing to mention Iran at all in their affidavits." He said they were "presumably attempting to be dismissive of the transactions set forth in the indictment" by saying they pertained to "consumer goods." The judge said Giuliani and Mukasey know "very well that if the allegations in the indictment are found or established by a jury, the defendants will be shown to have committed serious felonies." A prosecutor last month complained about the affidavits, saying entities that benefited from the scheme included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian banks that have been sanctioned for their role in providing financing for Iran's nuclear programs. Zarrab lives in Istanbul with his wife, Turkish pop star and TV personality Ebru Gundes. He has been accused of conspiring to process hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Iran's governments and has pleaded not guilty. Authorities say those transactions are banned by U.S. and international sanctions. The hearing, which will conclude next week, was scheduled after prosecutors informed the court in March that Giuliani and Mukasey had met with Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and were seeking to meet other Turkish and U.S. officials in a bid to resolve the case. The potential conflict of interest arises because both lawyers work for law firms that have represented banks that are treated as victims of the criminal conspiracy in the case. Also, Giuliani's firm has registered as a foreign agent for Turkey. Zarrab, answering questions posed by the judge, said he had never spoken to Giuliani. Attorney Benjamin Brafman, who represents Zarrab in court and submitted the Giuliani and Mukasey affidavits to the judge, declined to comment outside court. Brafman previously said Giuliani and Mukasey wouldn't be in court because they're serving in an ancillary role related to the prosecution. He said Giuliani, the city's Republican mayor from 1994 to 2001, and Mukasey weren't involved in trial preparation or plea discussions. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Devon Energy Corp. plans to sell off $1 billion worth of assets to focus more on drilling in Oklahoma, west Texas and New Mexico. The company said on Tuesday that the sales are expected to be completed during the next 18 months and will include part of its holdings in the Barnett Shale in north Texas. Central and southern Oklahoma's Sooner Trend Anadarko Basin Canadian and Kingfisher counties fields and west Texas and New Mexico's Delaware Basin now will be Devon's focus, the company said. CEO Dave Hager said in a statement the sales will help Devon concentrate on the highest-returning growth inventory in its portfolio. Devon on Tuesday also reported first-quarter net income of $565 million after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier. The hole-in-the-heart problem that plagues comedian Jimmy Kimmel's newborn son is one of the most common heart-related birth defects, and it usually can be fixed with surgery. Some people even live with it for several years before it's detected although the Kimmel baby's is the most severe form and was noticed just a few hours after his birth in Los Angeles on April 21. On his show Monday night, the comedian tearfully described the emergency operation needed after his son, William John, was found to have tetralogy of Fallot (teh-TRALL-oh-jee of fall-OH.) A quick take on the condition. FILE - This Feb. 27, 2017, file photo shows Jimmy Kimmel, left, and his pregnant wife Molly McNearney at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. The hole-in-the-heart problem that plagues comedian Jimmy Kimmel's newborn son is one of the most common heart-related birth defects, and it usually can be fixed with surgery. On his show Monday night, the comedian tearfully described the emergency operation needed after his son, William John, was born on April 21. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) THINGS NOT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE Tetralogy means four, a cluster of that many defects. The main one is a hole or opening in the wall separating the two sides of the heart. In a normal heart, the right side pumps oxygen-depleted, or blue blood from other parts of the body to the lungs to get more oxygen. The left side then pumps this oxygen-rich, red blood to the rest of the body. These types of blood should stay separated, but a hole in the heart wall lets them mix, so some blood without enough oxygen winds up getting pumped out into the body. This can be complicated by a second problem the Kimmel baby has - pulmonary atresia, a severely blocked heart valve, which prevents enough blood from reaching the lungs. WHAT CAUSES THE DEFECT? Usually the cause isn't known, although it is more common in children with certain conditions such as Down syndrome. In some cases, genes may play a role. Or it may just be a fluke, the result of abnormal development in the womb. WHAT SURGERY DOES Kimmel said the open-heart operation was to open the blocked valve so there's better blood flow. It's not known what else was done to address the other problems. Billy came home six days after that and is "doing great," his father said. The baby will need a second surgery within six months to fix the hole. Doctors often place a patch to close the opening, although there are a couple other possible solutions. "They are getting him bigger until he can do a more comprehensive repair," explained Dr. Peace Madueme, a pediatric cardiologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He has no knowledge of the Kimmel case and just discussed what's usually done. Kimmel said his son would need a third operation in his teens. "That usually is a pulmonary valve replacement," which sometimes can be done through blood vessels rather than in an open-heart operation, Madueme said. WHAT'S AHEAD "Lifestyle-wise, kids with tetralogy do really well, normal daily activities," Madueme said, citing Shaun White, the Olympic gold medal snowboarder with the same defect. White appeared on Kimmel's show Monday night to talk about his case. ___ Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP ___ This Associated Press series was produced in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's ban on displaying the Confederate flag doesn't apply to individuals even if they are on government property, state officials said this week in settling a free speech lawsuit. Fresno artist Timothy Desmond sued after his painting depicting the flag was barred from the 2015 Big Fresno Fair. His painting shows Confederate soldiers fighting in the 1864 siege of Atlanta, led by a soldier carrying the battle flag. California's 2014 law says the state cannot display or sell the Battle Flag of the Confederacy or any similar image unless it appears in a way that serves an educational or historical purpose. Fair officials used that law to ban Desmond's painting a year later, but they let him display the painting during the 2016 fair. This Sept. 11, 2016, photo provided by Timothy J. Desmond and taken by Emily Ladeairous shows Desmond's painting title "THE ATTACK" in Clovis, Calif. The painting depicts Confederate soldiers fighting in the 1864 siege of Atlanta, led by a soldier carrying the battle flag. California's ban on displaying the Confederate flag doesn't apply to individuals even if they are on government property, state officials said Monday, May 1, 2017, in settling a free speech lawsuit. Desmond sued after his painting depicting the flag was barred from the 2015 Big Fresno Fair. (Emily Ladeairous/Timothy J. Desmond via AP) The settlement signed by the state attorney general's office on Monday says that the ban applies only to the state government and not to private individuals. Individuals are still free to carry, display or sell the flag on private or government property. "The First Amendment is clear: the state may not ban the expression of certain points of view simply because some find them distasteful," Center for Individual Rights President Terry Pell said in a statement Tuesday. "Freedom of speech has costs, whether in the form of hurt feelings of those who are forced to listen or the cost of police necessary to protect against the riots that sometimes result." The nonprofit Washington, D.C.-based center represented Desmond in the lawsuit. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's office referred requests for comment to the state Department of Food and Agriculture, where the media office was not accepting messages after business hours. Desmond himself wasn't commenting on the lawsuit or the settlement, a spokeswoman for the center said. The center's website describes him as a retired high school science teacher who regularly entered his paintings in local art fairs. It says his relatives fought for the South during the Civil War, so he became interested in their lives and the battles in which they might have fought. He found that his great-grandfather's brother may have fought in the battle for Atlanta. BOSTON (AP) - The SUV prosecutors say ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez was in when he killed two men in 2012 is up for auction. The Boston Globe reports more than 60 people had placed bids on the Toyota 4-Runner on eBay as of Tuesday evening. The SUV's owner is a Rhode Island car dealer, who leased it to Hernandez as part of a promotional agreement. FILE - In this March 3, 2017, file, photo, the Toyota 4Runner held in a Boston Police evidence lot in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston is seen during a "view" of pertinent locations and evidence in the Aaron Hernandez trial. The vehicle, which prosecutors say Hernandez was in when he killed two men in 2012, is up for auction. The Boston Globe reports more than 60 people had placed bids on the Toyota 4-Runner on eBay as of Tuesday evening, May 2. The SUV's owner is a Rhode Island car dealer, who leased it to Hernandez as part of a promotional agreement. The former New England Patriots tight end was acquitted in the double slaying on April 14. He was in prison for the killing of a man who was dating his fiancee's sister. He hanged himself in his cell days later. (John Wilcox/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool, File) Hernandez was accused of shooting the two men after an encounter at a Boston nightclub. Prosecutors alleged Hernandez was in the SUV's passenger seat when he shot at the men's car, killing Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. The former New England Patriots tight end was acquitted April 14. He already was in prison for the killing of a man who was dating his fiancee's sister. He killed himself in his cell days after the acquittal. BEIJING (AP) - Authorities say 12 people were killed and 12 injured after a suspected gas explosion in a railway tunnel under construction through a coal seam in southern China. Officials in Dafang County in Guizhou Province said on a local government website that those killed had been trapped inside the Qishanyan Tunnel after Tuesday afternoon's blast. It took rescue teams 14 hours to recover the victims, most of them migrant workers, in an effort that ended early Wednesday. High levels of the deadly gas carbon monoxide hampered the rescue. The injured were taken to a hospital and the cause was under investigation. Coal seams can emit methane, an explosive natural gas. JERUSALEM (AP) - Human Rights Watch on Wednesday called on Gaza's Hamas rulers to release two Israeli citizens with a history of mental illness believed to have been detained by the militants, saying their extended detention and isolation was "cruel and indefensible." In a detailed report based on interviews with the men's families and with Israeli and Palestinian officials, the New York-based group said Avera Mangistu and Hisham al-Sayed likely wandered into Gaza on foot and had no connection to hostilities between Israel and Gaza. Hamas has indirectly acknowledged holding them but will not provide confirmation until Israel releases dozens of its jailed members. Until they are released, HRW demanded Hamas treat the men humanely and allow them to communicate with family. "Hamas's refusal to confirm its apparent prolonged detention of men with mental health conditions and no connection to the hostilities is cruel and indefensible," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East director. "No grievance or objective can justify holding people incommunicado and bartering over their fates." Hamas is also believed to hold the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2014 Gaza war, but it refuses to divulge more information without its demands being met. Mangistu, 30, a Jewish Israeli of Ethiopian descent who lived in the southern coastal city of Ashkelon, entered Gaza by crossing a barbed wire fence near the beach in September 2014. Al-Sayed, 29, an Israeli-Arab of Bedouin descent from the Negev desert, was seen walking across the Gaza border in April 2015. HRW said both were found unfit to serve in the Israeli military and had been institutionalized several times because of mental illness. HRW said a third Israeli citizen, 19-year-old Jumaa Abu Ghanima, appears to have crossed into Gaza in July 2016, but it was not able to confirm this. The group called on Hamas to unconditionally disclose what it knows about the status of all three men, and whether they are in fact in its custody. Failing to do so amounts to enforced disappearance under international law, it said, which leaves detainees exceptionally vulnerable to torture and other abuse. Whitson said that Mangistu and al-Sayed both suffer from serious mental illness and come from among the most marginalized communities in Israeli society. "There is nothing patriotic or heroic in forcibly disappearing them," Whitson said. Israel's Foreign Ministry and Hamas both declined comment. RINGGOLD, Ga. (AP) - In the northwest corner of Georgia, where cows and crops vastly outnumber people, a small cluster of privately owned treatment centers has sprung up in recent years for heroin and prescription painkiller addicts. And most of the patients aren't even from the state. Relaxed rules in Georgia and stricter regulations in Tennessee created a recipe for the facilities to locate a few miles from the state line. Each year, the Georgia centers draw thousands of addicts from Tennessee, some who drive for hours to get treatment. Locals are fed up with the onslaught of out-of-towners who pick up their meds and leave, and they complained so loudly that Georgia legislators recently passed a law essentially preventing any new clinics from opening up in the area. This March 8, 2017 photo shows early morning fog along Robin Road in Riggold, Ga. In the northwest corner of Georgia, where cows and crops vastly outnumber people, a small cluster of privately owned treatment centers have sprung up in recent years for heroin and prescription painkiller addicts. Methadone has been used to treat opioid addiction for 40 years and is the cheapest option. (AP Photo/Kevin D. Liles) "Georgia is getting inundated with these treatment centers and they're really drawing patients in from outside of our area and that's a big concern," Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk said. "We can't be the solution for all the surrounding states." Georgia leads the South in number of treatment centers with 71. Florida, with twice the population, has 69. Last year, one in five people treated at an opioid treatment center in Georgia came from out of state, according to state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities records obtained by The Associated Press under an open records request. In the northwest corner of Georgia, two out of every three patients were from out of state. Sisk has been with the sheriff's office for 27 years. He said that with the growth of the treatment industry, he worries about increasing crime, including parking lot brawls and people driving after abusing their medication. Patients and treatment center owners say the sheriff's concerns are overblown and perpetuate the stigma of trouble around facilities that are often disparagingly called "methadone clinics." A 2016 report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that, in general, there is more crime associated with a convenience store than opioid treatment programs. Counseling is also a large part of successful treatment. "Medication is really the smallest part of what we do," said Zac Talbott, the owner of Counseling Solutions in Chatsworth, Georgia, one of the five facilities near the state line. The shortage of treatment facilities is a problem nationwide. More than a dozen states have fewer than 10 clinics each. In 2015, fewer than 20 percent of people who needed addiction treatment received it, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. One of Talbott's patients is Ashley Gardner, who lives two hours away in Maryville, Tennessee. The 34-year-old woman said her addiction started in the seventh grade when she wanted to numb the pain after she was sexually assaulted. She was assaulted another time, and saw both fathers of her two children die from an opioid overdose. She said her parents disowned her, and by the time she was ready to get help, she was sneaking pain pills out of an emergency room and shooting up in the hospital parking lot. Gardner has tried treatment facilities closer to her house in Tennessee, but she said they were overcrowded and expensive. Instead, she travels to Georgia where methadone, her preferred medication, is cheaper. Tennessee Medicaid doesn't cover the drug, and she pays for it out of pocket in Georgia. "It's about half a tank of gas to get down here. But it's worth it you know? I mean, it's saving my life," she said. "It wouldn't really matter if it was a full tank to me." When patients first start receiving methadone, they have to take the medicine at the center and are permitted to take only one dose home per week. As patients build trust with their therapist and pass drug tests, they are slowly allowed to take a few doses home at a time. It takes two years of continuous treatment before a patient can take home a month's worth of methadone. Other drugs approved by U.S. regulators to treat opioid addiction do not need to be administered at special treatment facilities the way methadone does, and doctors have been turning to them more often in recent years. Vivitrol, an injection of the drug naltrexone, is meant to help a patient stay sober after detox by blocking the effects of opioids. Suboxone, a combination of the opioid buprenorphine and naloxone, which blocks the effects of opioids, is meant to help reduce cravings from opioids while also preventing people from feeling a high. Methadone has been used to treat opioid addiction for 40 years and is cheaper. While some maintain that addicts should aspire to complete abstinence, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Surgeon General and several federal agencies have all come out in support of medication-assisted treatment. Georgia state Sen. Jeff Mullis represents much of the northwest corner most affected by the influx of treatment centers. The Republican led a push this year to pass a new set of statewide regulations on the industry. The new rules will require programs to demonstrate a need for their services, similar to the certificate of need licensing program already used in Tennessee. Previously, open competition was really the only constraint on the number of clinics in Georgia. Mullis's bill also limits the number of centers that can open in newly established regions around the state. His region will already be at capacity as soon as the bill is signed. "It's really an issue of distribution," said Mullis, explaining that he does not have a problem with the treatment centers, but he is opposed to being the provider of service to neighboring states. Tennessee state Rep. Ryan Williams said community resistance and strict rules there are the biggest barrier toward expansion of treatment centers. "The challenge is that there's not a lot of education out there," the Republican said. In this March 8, 2017 photo, Ashley Gardner, 34, takes a dose of methadone at Counseling Solutions of Chatsworth, Ga. Gardner, 34-year-old woman said her addiction started in the seventh grade when she wanted to numb the pain after she was sexually assaulted. She was assaulted another time, and saw both fathers of her two of her children die from an opioid overdose. (AP Photo/Kevin D. Liles) In this March 7, 2017 photo, Paul "Rip" Connell, CEO of Private Clinic North, a methadone clinic, shows a 35 mg liquid dose of methadone at the clinic in Rossville, Ga. In the northwest corner of Georgia, where cows and crops vastly outnumber people, a small cluster of privately owned treatment centers have sprung up in recent years for heroin and prescription painkiller addicts. Methadone has been used to treat opioid addiction for 40 years and is the cheapest option. (AP Photo/Kevin D. Liles) In this March 7, 2017 photo, Catoosa County, Ga., Sheriff Gary Sisk poses for a portrait at the sheriff's office. In the northwest corner of Georgia, where cows and crops vastly outnumber people, a small cluster of privately owned treatment centers have sprung up in recent years for heroin and prescription painkiller addicts. "Georgia is getting inundated with these treatment centers and they're really drawing patients in from outside of our area and that's a big concern," Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk said. "We can't be the solution for all the surrounding states." (AP Photo/Kevin D. Liles) In this March 7, 2017 photo, traffic moves in downtown Riggold, Ga. In the northwest corner of Georgia, where cows and crops vastly outnumber people, a small cluster of privately owned treatment centers have sprung up in recent years for heroin and prescription painkiller addicts. Methadone has been used to treat opioid addiction for 40 years and is the cheapest option. Nationwide, more than a dozen states have fewer than 10 clinics each. (AP Photo/Kevin D. Liles) In this March 3, 2017 photo, Georgia Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, presents a bill on the Senate floor that would impose strict regulations on opioid treatment programs, in Atlanta. The bill eventually passed both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly and was sent to Republican Governor Nathan Deal to be signed into law. (AP Photo/Ezra Kaplan) In this March 8, 2017 photo, Ashley Gardner, 34, drives the 100 miles from her home in Maryville, Tenn., to Counseling Solutions of Chatsworth Ga., which she does three times a week to receive her methadone doses. Gardner said her addiction started in the seventh grade when she wanted to numb the pain after she was sexually assaulted. She was assaulted another time, and saw both fathers of her two of her children die from an opioid overdose. (AP Photo/Kevin D. Liles) BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The white police officer who shot a black man to death outside of a convenience store pointed a gun at the man's head and threatened to shoot him before they wrestled on the ground, lawyers for the slain man's family said Wednesday. The new details about the alleged threat were revealed after federal prosecutors announced that they would not file charges against that officer and a second white Baton Rouge officer involved in the deadly encounter with Alton Sterling last summer. Attorneys for Sterling's family met with federal prosecutors before their announcement and later described the threat to the media. Chris Stewart, an attorney for two of Sterling's sons, said the lawyers learned from U.S. Justice Department officials that Officer Blane Salamoni walked up to Sterling before their fatal confrontation and said: "I'm going to shoot you, bitch." Kimberly Pierson, mother of Alton Sterling's son Na'Quincy Pierson, cries as she speaks to reporters following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. An investigation into the police shooting death of Sterling in Baton Rouge found that there was not enough evidence to prove that the white officers acted unreasonably and willfully, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) The deadly confrontation was captured on witnesses' cellphones and shared widely on social media, leading to protests in Baton Rouge. The officers' body cameras and store surveillance also recorded the encounter but those videos have not been publicly released. U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson mentioned that Salamoni drew his gun and pointed it at Sterling's head, but he didn't say anything about a verbal threat during his news conference. He went on to explain that there was not enough evidence to prove that Salamoni and Howie Lake II acted unreasonably and willfully. Amundson didn't immediately return messages asking him about the alleged verbal threat. The investigation found that Salamoni shot Sterling three times after saying that Sterling was reaching for a gun in his pocket, and fired three more shots into Sterling's back when he began to sit up and move, the prosecutor said. The officers recovered a loaded revolver from Sterling's pocket. Two independent use-of-force experts reviewed the case and criticized the way the officers handled the situation but did not find that they acted excessively, Amundson said. The Justice Department's decision may not be the final legal chapter, however, because state authorities will conduct their own investigation. The family called on state Attorney General Jeff Landry to bring charges. "Jeff Landry, please open up your heart, your eyes and give us the justice that we deserve," said Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Sterling's oldest son. Amundson said every agent and prosecutor involved in the probe believed federal charges were not warranted for Salamoni and Lake. Sterling, 37, was selling homemade CDs outside the Triple S Food Mart when police were called to the store to investigate a report of a man with a gun. Amundson said the officers' encounter with the 6-foot-3, more than 300-pound Sterling happened in the span of about 90 seconds. "Life and death decisions were being made in split seconds," he said. Salamoni's lawyer said the officer was relieved he won't face federal charges. John McLindon said the "stress of the unknown" has been hard on Salamoni and his family. He wouldn't comment on the alleged threat made before the shooting and said he can't discuss the evidence due to the pending state investigation. McLindon expressed confidence that Landry's office will conduct a "thorough" review of the case. "But I think the end result will be the same: There was no criminal conduct," he said. Police arrested nearly 200 protesters in Baton Rouge in July following Sterling's death, which occurred a day before another black man was killed by police in Minnesota. Racial tensions in Baton Rouge were simmering when a black military veteran from Missouri ambushed and killed three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers and wounded three others before being shot dead on July 17. A disagreement appeared to be developing about who's in charge of investigating whether state criminal charges should be filed. Landry, a Republican, said he's directed the Justice Department to forward its investigative materials to the Louisiana State Police. However, Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who oversees the state police, said the investigation is in Landry's hands. And the head of the state police sent a letter to Landry saying the state police will help Landry's office if the attorney general decides further evidence collection is necessary. Edwards said it was disrespectful that Sterling's family learned the outcome of the Justice Department investigation from the media on Tuesday. Edwards said the leaked information also jeopardized carefully-devised public safety plans prepared for the announcement. The decision in the Sterling case was the highest profile decision not to bring charges against police officers in a deadly shooting since Jeff Sessions became attorney general. But the federal investigation into possible civil rights violations by the officers was seen as problematic. Authorities in such cases must meet a difficult standard of proof, a challenge that has complicated prosecutions in past police shootings. Both officers remain on administrative leave, a standard procedure. Sandra Sterling, aunt of Alton Sterling makes a gun gesture with her finger after she spoke to reporters following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. An investigation into the police shooting death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge found that there was not enough evidence to prove that the white officers acted unreasonably and willfully, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Kimberly Pierson, mother of Alton Sterling's son Na'Quincy Pierson, is comforted by Cameron Sterling, another son of Sterling's, as she speaks to reporters following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the shooting death of Sterling. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) FILE - In this Tuesday, July 5, 2016 image made from video, Alton Sterling is restrained by two Baton Rouge police officers, one holding a gun, outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. Moments later, one of the officers shot and killed Sterling, a black man who had been selling CDs outside the store, while he was on the ground. Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II were placed on administrative leave. Neither has been charged. The U.S. Justice Department decided not to charge the two officers, according to a person familiar with the decision who disclosed it to the AP on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Federal authorities opened a civil rights investigation immediately after the shooting. The Justice Department's decision doesn't preclude state authorities from conducting their own investigation and pursuing their own criminal charges. (Arthur Reed via AP) Cameron Sterling, right, son of Alton Sterling, holds the hand of a family member as family and attorneys speak following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the shooting death of Sterling. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Cameron Sterling, left, son of Alton Sterling, hugs family members after they spoke to reporters following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the shooting death of Sterling. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Sandra Sterling, aunt of Alton Sterling, center, listens as family and attorneys speak following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The Justice Department, has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the fatal shooting of Sterling, whose death was captured on cell phone video, fueling protests in Louisiana's capital and beyond. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Cameron Sterling, son of Alton Sterling, wipes his eyes as he listens to family and attorneys speak following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The Justice Department, has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the death of Sterling, whose death was captured on cell phone video, fueling protests in Louisiana's capital and beyond. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Kimberly Pierson, mother of Alton Sterling's son Na'Quincy Pierson, cries as she speaks to reporters following a meeting with the U.S. Justice Department at federal court in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the death of Sterling, whose death was captured on cell phone video, fueling protests in Louisiana's capital and beyond. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia's prime minister said Wednesday that he and U.S. President Donald Trump will engage as two seasoned businessmen-turned-politicians when they meet for the first time, focusing on North Korea, security and economic issues. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was speaking hours before he departed Sydney for New York, where he will meet Trump on Thursday, more than three months after the two had a heated telephone conversation over a refugee deal. "We'll talk about the wide range of security and economic issues, but top of the list obviously at the moment is North Korea," Turnbull told Seven Network television. Turnbull described media reports of his Jan. 28 telephone conversation with Trump, in which the president reluctantly agreed to honor an agreement with President Barack Obama's administration to take up to 1,250 refugees off Australia's hands, as "very exaggerated." He has previously denied media reports that Trump hung up on him, but has provided few details of the conversation. "The president and I had a frank, forthright and courteous call. We are both people with a long background in business and I think - I've got no doubt - that we'll get on fine," Turnbull told Sydney Radio WSFM. Turnbull, Australia's wealthiest lawmaker and a former Goldman Sachs partner with an estimated fortune exceeding $150 million, will highlight the U.S.-Australian defense alliance by standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump at a ceremony marking the 75 anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. U.S. and Australian warships and fighter planes fought the Japanese from May 4-8, 1942, with the Japanese navy being forced back for the first time in World War II. Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based foreign policy think tank, will attend the ceremony aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. Fullilove said it was important that Turnbull "establish a working, personal relationship with Mr. Trump." "The first phone call was really disastrous, in a way," Fullilove told Australian Broadcasting Corp. from New York. Turnbull will need to strike a balance because Trump is unpopular in Australia, Fullilove said. The Lowy Institute commissioned an opinion poll last year that found 77 percent of Australian respondents wanted Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton to become president, and only 11 percent preferred Trump. The phone survey of 1,002 Australian adults was conducted on June 1-9 and had a 3.1 percent margin of error. "The Australian public want to know the Australian prime minister has the ear of the president," Fullilove said. "You pull off a successful meeting, but at the same time, you're not trying to pretend that you're chummier than you really are." Under the Obama-era refugee resettlement agreement, the U.S. will take up to 1,250 refugees - mostly Muslims from Africa, the Middle East and Asia - that Australia houses in immigration camps on the Pacific island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Trump, who campaigned on tough-on-immigration policies, was enraged by the agreement, prompting a tense phone call with Turnbull and an angry tweet in which the president dubbed the deal "dumb." Turnbull told the president: "I'm a businessman, you're a businessman. A deal is a deal," Australian officials said at the time. VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - The U.S. has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile from California for the second time in seven days. The Air Force says an unarmed Minuteman 3 blasted off from a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base Wednesday morning and delivered a mock warhead to a target at Kwajalein (kwah-juh-leen) Atoll in the Pacific Ocean after a 4,000-mile flight. The test of the nuclear missile took 10 months to plan. Another Minuteman 3 was launched from the same base exactly a week earlier. The U.S. has about 450 of the missiles and they are routinely tested. But the latest tests come amid rising tensions with North Korea, which has tested its own nuclear missiles - including some designed to reach the United States. The U.S. has sent warships to the region to deter that country from conducting such tests. PRAGUE (AP) - Czech leaders met with President Milos Zeman on Wednesday in efforts to resolve a political crisis triggered by the prime minister's decision to resign with his government over the business dealings of the finance minister. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka announced the resignation on Tuesday, saying the minister, billionaire businessman Andrej Babis, had not allayed suspicions that he avoided paying taxes. Babis denied any wrongdoing. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka speaks during his news conference in Prague, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Sobotka said that his government will resign over unexplained business dealings of the country's Finance Minister and rival Andrej Babis. (AP Photo,CTK/Ondrej Deml) SLOVAKIA OUT Sobotka was planning to formally submit the resignation to Zeman on Thursday. His surprise move reflects tensions in the three-party ruling coalition less than six months before the next scheduled parliamentary election. Babis is a rival of Sobotka's leftist Social Democrats and heads the ANO centrist movement that is a favorite to win October's parliamentary elections. After meeting Zeman on Wednesday, Babis said still didn't understand the prime minister's decision. He said he told the president "I can't see any reason why the government should resign. We think the government has been successful." Zeman has the power to select a new premier. Babis said he understood Zeman would accept the resignation, even though he could reject it. He said he expected Zeman to select a member of Sobotka's party that won the 2013 general elections to lead the government. Zeman also met Sobotka's deputy, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec on Wednesday and will talk to Pavel Belobradek, chairman of the Christian Democrats, the third coalition party, on Thursday. Another option would be to hold early elections, but that might be difficult due to a lack of time. BEIRUT (AP) - The presidents of Russia and Turkey say they support the formation of so-called safe zones in Syria and hope an agreement about them will be reached at the multilateral Syria talks underway in Kazakhstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Wednesday at the Russian presidential complex in the resort city of Sochi. This photo provided by Azaz Media Office, a Syrian anti-government activist group, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian White Helmet civil defense worker extinguishing a burning car at the explosion scene, in Azaz town, north Syria, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Syrian activists say a large explosion in a northern town along the border with Turkey has killed and wounded several people. (Azaz Media Office via AP) They spoke to reporters at a joint press conference after their meeting. Erdogan says he and Putin discussed Russia's plan for safe, or de-escalation, zones in Syria. The Turkish leader says he hopes "this zone of de-escalation will be accepted" at talks in the Kazakh capital, which also include representatives of Iran and the United States. Relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane at the Syrian border in November 2015 and Russia responded with trade and tourism sanctions. But Putin said on Wednesday that relations have been restored. This photo provided by Azaz Media Office, a Syrian anti-government activist group, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows a Syrian White Helmet civil defense worker extinguishing a burning car at the explosion scene, in Azaz town, north Syria, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Syrian activists say a large explosion in a northern town along the border with Turkey has killed and wounded several people. (Azaz Media Office via AP) ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Police in Greece say gunmen killed a man outside a primary school near Athens as parents were still dropping off their children. Police say at least two armed men attacked the victim Wednesday outside the side entrance of the school in the Glyka Nera area, east of the capital. Police say the incident may be linked to rivalry between extortion gangs in the area but gave no further details. Authorities say a woman among the bystanders was injured and taken to a nearby state hospital. She was reported to be out of danger. The Education Ministry says the school was closed for the day following the incident. ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan and Iran reached an agreement Wednesday to strengthen security along their shared border after last week's incident when gunmen killed 10 Iranian border guards, officials said. The border is frequently used by drug smugglers and Islamic militants, both of whom have attacked border patrols in the past. Iranian media blamed last week's attack on "terrorists," without providing details. On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Islamabad for talks with Pakistani leadership. In meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, he also raised the issue of the border incident, officials said. According to an Interior Ministry statement, both sides agreed to bolster border security through "better coordination, greater intelligence sharing and frequent interactions" among political and security officials. They also agreed in principle to revive a hotline between their border forces to coordinate activities, it said. Sharif expressed condolences over the killing of Iranian guards. His office said Sharif and Zarif also discussed issues of peace and stability in the region. Last month, Raheel Sharif, an ex-Pakistani army chief, took his post as the chief of a Saudi-led military alliance committed to fighting terror. Iran, a Shiite rival of the Sunni power Saudi Arabia, is not part of the alliance. Pakistan has said it will not take part in any action against Muslim countries. In 2015, Islamabad rejected a Saudi request to send troops into Yemen as part of a Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen's Shiite rebels known as Houthis. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy Saudi-Iran war. CHICAGO (AP) - A manhunt was underway Wednesday after two plain-clothes Chicago police officers were shot and wounded as they sat in an unmarked vehicle in what authorities are describing as a targeted attack. Two vehicles pulled up alongside the officers and opened fire Tuesday evening in the high-crime Back of the Yards neighborhood on the city's South Side. One officer was shot in the arm and hip and the other in the back, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. The officers were conducting a follow-up investigation to a previous incident, but Guglielmi said they were wearing civilian clothes with vests bearing police badges. Johnson said their vehicle was unmarked. Chicago police investigate the scene where two police officers were shot on South Ashland Avenue in Chicago on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. The officers were shot and wounded late Tuesday during an incident in a high crime neighborhood of the city's South Side, a police spokesman said. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP) "We believe that the officers were definitely targeted," Guglielmi told The Associated Press. Both were released from the hospital Wednesday, Guglielmi said. Authorities are searching for suspects and questioning three people of interest, he said. Police believe the officers were shot with a high-powered weapon and have recovered two guns and a vehicle that could be linked to the shooting. "Listen, if they will fire at police officers like that, then they have no thought process in terms of firing at other citizens of this great city," Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. "So we are going to get them." The police investigation includes "expediting processing of ballistic evidence and gun traces," Guglielmi said. Chris Villanueva, 36, said he was walking back to his car in a strip mall parking lot south of the shooting scene, when he heard about a dozen rapid-fire shots. "I thought it was fireworks maybe, but around here you hear gunshots a lot," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Next thing, cops are everywhere." Chicago police investigate the scene where two police officers were shot on South Ashland Avenue in Chicago on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. The officers were shot and wounded late Tuesday during an incident in a high crime neighborhood of the city's South Side, a police spokesman said. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - Washington policymakers have a time-tested method for rolling out new ideas: float a trial balloon. Spread rumors of a policy change or selectively leak it to the press, then see how it plays and proceed only if it looks doable. President Donald Trump has flipped that script. Big and startling ideas fly out of his mouth or from his Twitter feed. Then the rest of his administration scrambles to catch up - and to figure out when his statements signal new presidential policies and when they're offhand remarks that mean little. FILE - In this March 10, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, during a meeting on healthcare. Washington policymakers have a time-tested method for rolling out new ideas: float a trial balloon. Spread rumors of a policy change or selectively leak it to the press, then see how it plays and proceed only if it looks doable. Trump has flipped that script. Big and startling ideas fly out of his mouth or from his Twitter feed. Then the rest of his administration scrambles to catch up _ and to figure out when his statements signal new presidential policies and when they're offhand remarks that mean little.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) In the past week alone, Trump has suggested he's open to higher gas taxes, tweeted that a government shutdown could be a good thing and called North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un a "smart cookie" whom he'd be honored to meet under the right conditions. Trump also invited Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, with a troubling human rights record, to visit the White House and insisted the GOP health plan would provide coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions, even though an ironclad guarantee is not reflected in the latest version of the legislation. Such pronouncements sometimes force Trump's top policy advisers to try to adjust administration policy to sync with the president's remarks. His communications aides contort themselves to explain away inconsistencies in administration messages. And blindsided GOP congressional leaders have to decide when to realign their positions and when to stay the course. "It's a scramble drill in the White House every day, and certainly a scramble drill in Trump's mind every day," says Calvin Jillson, a presidential scholar at Southern Methodist University. The frustration of Republican legislators was clear when Trump tweeted Tuesday that the government "needs a good shutdown" in September to fix the "mess," after Democrats prevailed on a number of spending issues in a bipartisan budget bill designed to keep the government open. "I do wish somebody would take his iPhone away from him," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. "I wish he'd think twice before tweeting," seconded Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. House Speaker Paul Ryan wondered aloud: "How many times have I had this, 'Do you agree with the tweet this morning?'" Ryan said he shared the president's aggravation with Democrats over the spending negotiations. But he also defended the budget deal, telling reporters it was an "important first step in the right direction." On North Korea, Trump seemed to recognize the startling nature of his conciliatory comments about Kim in which he told CBS on Sunday that he would be "honored" to meet the leader if circumstances were right. The president labeled his own comments "breaking news." White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer quickly stressed that Trump wouldn't meet with the North Korean leader unless he changed course and showed "signs of good faith." Asked how Trump could be honored to meet with someone who's threatened to destroy the U.S., Spicer said that because Kim was a head of state, "there's a diplomatic piece to this." Likewise, it fell to Spicer to tamp down expectations after Trump told Bloomberg in an interview that he would "certainly consider" generating more money for his big infrastructure plan by raising gasoline and diesel fuel taxes. The idea of raising taxes is a no-go zone for most Republican legislators. Spicer said Trump was merely showing "respect" for an idea that had been raised by industry groups and "there was no endorsement of it or no support of it." Trump's interviews sometimes make news to his own team. When Trump promised an AP interviewer last month that he'd roll out his tax plan the following week, officials at the White House and Treasury Department, as well as Republicans on Capitol Hill, were caught off guard. The announcement sent aides scrambling to put together a one-sheet outline of a tax plan by the president's surprise deadline. Trump's Twitter feed is an ongoing source of surprise, perhaps most notably his March accusation that President Barack Obama had him wiretapped during the presidential campaign. That triggered an all-out effort by aides to find ways to justify the claim. Jillson allowed that sometimes Trump may appear to be winging it when his statements are planned, such as the president's phone conversation during the transition with the president of Taiwan. The call generated speculation that Trump had unthinkingly broken longstanding U.S. policy but appears to have been part of a calculated effort to throw China off-balance, Jillson said. Trump's White House invitation to Duterte, whose record includes extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and users, caught key players at the State Department unaware and left White House officials trying to explain why it would be a good idea. White House chief of staff Reince Priebus framed the president's invitation as part of an effort to counter the military threat of North Korea, adding that "it doesn't mean that human rights don't matter." Jillson said that while administration officials may feel compelled to align the policies they're developing with Trump's latest statements, GOP members of Congress are becoming more discriminating about when they need to sync up with the president's pronouncements and when they can disregard them. On the bipartisan budget deal, he said, congressional Republicans and Democrats "forgot about Trump for enough time to craft a deal, almost without reference to him, and got a win." "They're learning to let this stuff wash off their backs and continue to try to think systematically," Jillson said. ___ Associated Press writers Julie Pace and Josh Lederman contributed to this report. ___ Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/nbenac PARIS (AP) - Paris police say an unidentified man was killed while trying to climb on the roof of a Eurostar train bound for London. A police official said the man was apparently electrocuted Tuesday by the cables above the train at the Gare du Nord station, Eurostar's terminal in Paris. The incident briefly disrupted traffic on Eurostar trains under the English Channel. Police could not confirm news reports that the man was a migrant. Several migrants have been killed in recent years trying to sneak from France to Britain via the undersea tunnel, notably around the northern city of Calais. Calais has long been a magnet for migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Mideast and Africa trying to reach Britain. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - An enormous Russian mosaic started arriving at the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans Wednesday, in what Serbia's leaders hailed as a sign of "eternal" friendship between the two Slavic nations. The first part of the 40-ton mosaic, personally approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrived in 66 sections at the Saint Sava temple in Belgrade, one of the largest of Christian Orthodox churches in the world. One section, featuring the head of Jesus, was put on display for people attending a service. When completed by the end of the year, the mosaic will cover some 1,230 square meters (13,230 square feet) of the inside of the church, whose construction started in 1985. A priest kisses a mosaic from Russia depicting Jesus Christ that will decorate the inside of St. Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Russia has been looking to increase its sway in fellow-Orthodox Christian Serbia, a Moscow ally in the Balkans. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) State TV reported the mosaic will cost 4 million euros ($4.3 million) and is partly financed by Russian energy giant Gazprom. At a ceremony inside the sprawling church, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said the mosaic "will once again show our unity and togetherness with the Russian people and the Russian state." "We must cherish eternal brotherhood and friendship with the Russian federation in these turbulent times when we need friends most of all," Dacic said. Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership, but under the current populist leadership it has increasingly been turning to its traditional ally, Russia. People attend a service next to a mosaic from Russia depicting Jesus Christ that will decorate the inside of St. Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Russia has been looking to increase its sway in fellow-Orthodox Christian Serbia, a Moscow ally in the Balkans. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Workers carry a mosaic from Russia depicting Jesus Christ that will decorate the inside of St. Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Russia has been looking to increase its sway in fellow-Orthodox Christian Serbia, a Moscow ally in the Balkans. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Metropolite Amfilohije performs during a service nearby a huge mosaic from Russia depicting Jesus Christ that will decorate the inside of St. Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Russia has been looking to increase its sway in fellow-Orthodox Christian Serbia, a Moscow ally in the Balkans. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) BANGKOK (AP) - Thai media organizations have called on the military government to withdraw a bill that would set up an appointed council to regulate print and online media and require journalists to be licensed or risk jail. The Protection of Media Rights and Freedom, Ethics and Professional Standards Act was passed Monday by the National Reform Steering Assembly, a 200-member body appointed by the military after it took power in a 2014 coup. Thirty Thai media organizations issued a joint statement Wednesday calling for withdrawal of the bill, which must get Cabinet and legislative approval before becoming law. Thai video journalists working at Thai Journalists Association during the International World Press Freedom Day before a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Thai media organizations have called on the government to withdraw a bill that would set up an appointed council to regulate print and online media, which along with journalists and contributors would be required to be licensed. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) They say the bill's definition of who needs a license is too broad, and it restricts freedom of expression. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Police in the Maldives say they have arrested two suspects in the murder of a prominent blogger and human rights advocate. Yameen Rasheed died last week after being found with multiple stab wounds in a house in the capital, Male. Police said Wednesday that with the arrests, they believe the investigation in the case can be concluded successfully in the coming days. Rasheed's family said he had received death threats for months from local gangs who appeared to hold radical religious views. Rasheed had spoken out against rising radical Islamic views in Maldives. He was actively involved in seeking justice for his friend and journalist Ahmed Rilwan, who remains unaccounted for since being abducted about three years ago. LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria's president missed his weekly cabinet meeting for the third straight time Wednesday as concerns mounted about his health, while his wife took to Twitter to defend him. President Muhammadu Buhari disappeared for six weeks of medical leave in London earlier this year, leading some to call for his replacement. The 74-year-old returned to work in mid-March but often works from home, according to aides. The uncertainty over Buhari's health has raised fears of instability in Africa's most populous nation and one of its top oil producers. FILE - In this Friday, May 29, 2015 file photo, Nigerian President elect, Muhammadu Buhari, arrives for his Inauguration at the eagle square in Abuja, Nigeria. Nigeria's president is again missing his weekly cabinet meeting Wednesday May 3, 2017, as concerns mount about his health. President Muhammadu Buhari took six weeks of medical leave in London earlier this year, leading to some calls for his replacement. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File) A tweet from his office on Wednesday said the latest cabinet meeting was being presided over by the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, who had been in charge during the president's medical leave. Buhari's office last month put out a statement saying he remained in charge even though doctors had advised "on his taking things slowly." On his return to Nigeria in March, he made reference to blood transfusions and said he had not been so sick in decades. The president was following his doctor's advice to take some rest on Wednesday, Information Minister Lai Mohammed told reporters. "Mr. President will stick to his doctor's advice so that he can recover much more quickly," Mohammed said. The minister added that Buhari will soon "go back for further treatment," but it was not clear whether that means another trip to London. Buhari's wife, Aisha, tweeted late Tuesday that her husband's health "is not as bad as it's being perceived." Nigeria continues to grapple with crises that include Boko Haram extremist attacks, millions facing starvation in the country's northeast and an economy that last year contracted for the first time in a quarter-century. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked Congress to work with him on extending school choice programs nationwide to benefit millions of students, including low-income African-American and Hispanic children. While Trump gave no specifics on what legislation he is proposing, the statement was the clearest indication yet that he intends to follow through on his campaign promise to fund a $20 billion school choice program. "During my campaign for president, I promised to fight for school choice," Trump said. "Very important." President Donald Trump, accompanied by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, arrives to speak during a school choice event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Speaking at a White House event attended by about two dozen children, including some participating in a federally funded voucher program in the nation's capital, Trump said, "Every child has the right to fulfill their potential, and, if we do our jobs, then we will never have to tell young, striving Americans to defer their dreams for another day or for another decade." The Washington, D.C., voucher program allows low-income students to use federal funds to attend private schools. Although it is the nation's only federal-funded voucher program, some states, including Vice President Mike Pence's home state of Indiana, have funded similar programs. Trump asked lawmakers to "extend school choice to millions more children all across the United States of America, including millions of low-income Hispanic and African American children who deserve the same chance as every other child to live out their dreams and fill up their hearts and be educated at the top, top level." The Education Department would not say what specific legislation the administration was proposing. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a long-time school choice advocate, said having access to public, charter or private schools or distance learning programs should be every parent's right. DeVos "looks forward to working with the White House and Congress on legislation that accomplishes that goal," press secretary Liz Hill said in a statement. Mike Petrilli, president of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute, said that Trump was likely referring to a federal tax program that would allow individuals and perhaps corporations to donate money to scholarship funds in exchange for tax credits. That method would circumvent restrictions on using public money to fund religious private schools, which many states have, by giving the money directly to parents instead of schools. "It's a roundabout way to provide scholarship to private schools for low-income and working class children," Petrilli said. But Petrilli cautioned that such a bill might not pass the Republican-controlled Congress. "Conservatives for a long time have wanted a smaller federal role in education and have believed that the federal government messes up everything it touches on education," Petrilli said. But John Schilling, head of the American Federation for Children, an advocacy group that DeVos used to head, disagreed, saying such a tax credit would in fact foster local control. "There is no greater form of local control than directly empowering parents to choose the best school for their child," Schilling said. Lindsey Burke of the Heritage Foundation said her conservative group supports voucher programs, but believes they should be implemented on the state, not the federal level. However, Heritage is proposing the use of federal funds to help military-connected kids and Native American children attend private schools. The D.C. voucher program has been shown to increase graduation rates, but a government study released last week showed math scores dropping for students who participated. Other studies have also produced mixed results, but Petrilli said competition from charter and private schools has shown to improve outcomes in public schools. DeVos, a long-time advocate for charter and private schools, has made school choice a priority. Her efforts have been met with fierce criticism from Democrats and teachers' unions, who fear that school choice options will hurt public schools. "This administration remains committed to serving all students, especially the most vulnerable," DeVos said. "These students particularly benefit from school choice programs." Marking national charter school week, DeVos said there are over 6,900 charter schools in the United States serving more than 3 million students. More are needed, she said. "I believe it should be a right for every parent, not a privilege," DeVos said. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers said some parents choose to participate in the D.C. voucher program because they think private schools provide a safer environment for their children. "If the president really listened to the public, he wouldn't slash public education budgets that go to ensuring kids have safe, strong learning environments with lower class sizes, after-school activities and enrichment opportunities, and other programs that actually help kids," Weingarten said in a statement. Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee said she would strongly oppose a school choice bill. "If President Trump truly wanted to help low-income students succeed he would stop trying to privatize public education, stop trying to push taxpayer dollars to private schools - and work with Democrats to make sure every student has access to a high quality public education," Murray said. President Donald Trump stands with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as he arrives to speak during a school choice event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a school choice event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington Wednesday, May 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) - Authorities say a man being pulled over by a police officer in South Carolina was shot after firing at the officer. Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride told reporters the officer was not hurt in the Tuesday afternoon shooting, and the wounded man was being treated at a hospital. This was the 19th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina this year, including five in the past 12 days. The sheriff didn't say why the deputy was pulling over the man. Their names have not been released. McBride says the officer is on paid leave. State Law Enforcement Division spokesman Thom Berry says the shooting was not recorded on camera and both men are white. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Latest on a man accused of shooting two western Iowa sheriff's deputies, killing one, before stealing a jail transport van to escape. Police say he was recaptured in Omaha, Nebraska (all times local): 11:45 a.m. A Nebraska prosecutor says he expects a man accused of shooting two Iowa deputies, one fatally, while escaping from jail to agree to be sent back to Iowa this week to face charges there. Wesley Correa-Carmenaty is escorted into court for his initial appearance, Wednesday May 3, 2017, in Omaha, Neb. Correa-Carmenaty, a convicted felon, is accused of shooting two western Iowa deputies then escaping in a jail van before being recaptured in Nebraska had his bail set at $10 million. (Kent Sievers/Omaha World-Herald via AP) Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, the Omaha area's top prosecutor, said Wednesday that a public defender for Wesley Correa-Carmenaty has said he will waive an extradition hearing in court Thursday. That would allow officials to take him back to Iowa as soon as that afternoon to face murder, attempted murder and other charges. Correa-Carmenaty was being transporting to the Council Bluffs jail Monday when officials say he managed to grab one of the deputies' guns and shoot them both, killing Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Burbridge. ____ 10:30 a.m. A Nebraska judge has set bail at $10 million for a man accused of shooting two Iowa deputies, one fatally, while escaping from jail earlier this week. Wesley Correa-Carmenaty was surrounded by six officers Wednesday as the Omaha judge read off the Nebraska charges against him, including kidnapping, which carries a potential life sentence. Prosecutors allege that the 24-year-old carjacked a woman after escaping from the jail across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and didn't let her go until he drove to Omaha. Correa-Carmenaty was being transporting to the Council Bluffs jail Monday when officials say he managed to grab one of the deputies' guns and shoot them both, killing Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Burbridge. He faces several other charges in Iowa, including murder and attempted murder. CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on two Chicago police officers who were shot and injured (all times local): 11:50 a.m. Chicago police say one of the two plain-clothes officers who were shot and wounded as they sat in an unmarked vehicle has been released from the hospital. Chicago police investigate the scene where two police officers were shot on South Ashland Avenue in Chicago on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. The officers were shot and wounded late Tuesday during an incident in a high crime neighborhood of the city's South Side, a police spokesman said. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP) Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi (goo-lee-EHL'-mee) said Wednesday that the other injured officer remains hospitalized. He says police are investigating, including questioning several people and expediting the processing of ballistic evidence and gun traces. Guglielmi has said that police believe the officers were "definitely targeted." Officials said the injuries weren't life threatening. The two officers were shot late Tuesday on the city's South Side. Authorities say they were in an unmarked vehicle when two other vehicles pulled up alongside the officers and opened fire. Police say the officers were conducting a follow-up investigation to a previous incident when they were shot. ___ 6:15 a.m. Authorities say two plain-clothes Chicago police officers who were shot and wounded as they sat in an unmarked vehicle were targeted in the attack on the city's South Side. A manhunt is underway Wednesday. The shooting happened Tuesday evening in the high-crime Back of the Yards neighborhood when two vehicles pulled up alongside their vehicle and opened fire. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says one officer was shot in the arm and hip and the other in the back. Guglielmi says "the officers were definitely targeted." He says police have recovered guns and a vehicle that could be linked to the shooting and are questioning three people. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson visited the officers at Stroger Hospital and says both are alert and expected to recover. Chicago police investigate the scene where two police officers were shot on South Ashland Avenue in Chicago on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. The officers were shot and wounded late Tuesday during an incident in a high crime neighborhood of the city's South Side, a police spokesman said. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP) RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Several thousand Palestinians rallied in a West Bank square on Wednesday in solidarity with hundreds of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Speakers called for a new campaign of civil disobedience against Israeli rule. The prisoners launched the open-ended protest, now in its 17th day, to press for better conditions, including family visits. The International Committee of the Red Cross issued a rare statement Wednesday, urging Israeli authorities to stop what it called the "systematic suspension" of family visits for the hunger strikers. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) In the West Bank city of Ramallah, protesters gathered in Nelson Mandela Square. They waved Palestinian flags and posters of Marwan Barghouti, the leader of the strike, bearing his quote: "Our chains will be broken before we are." Addressing the crowd, Barghouti's wife delivered a speech on her husband's behalf, calling for "the largest campaign of civil disobedience" against 50 years of Israeli rule. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war. Palestinians hope to establish a state in these lands. "The freedom of the prisoners paves the way for the freedom of the entire nation,' Fadwa Barghouti said on behalf of her husband. "Therefore, the people and the leadership should support the strike." Barghouti, a leader of the second Palestinian uprising, is serving five life sentences handed down by an Israeli court for directing two shooting attacks and a bombing that killed five people. Barghouti disputed the court's jurisdiction and didn't mount a defense. He has been in prison since 2002. "This battle (the hunger strike) is part of our battle against the occupation and for independence and dignity," Fadwa Barghouti said. Qadoura Fares, head of a Palestinian prisoners rights group, also told the crowd that Israel had no choice "but negotiate with the leaders of the strike and accept their demands." The international community's silence "is encouraging the Nazi-like occupation," he said. He called for a "popular intifada (uprising) in support of the intifada of the prisoners." The rally coincided with a White House meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and President Donald Trump. The two men said they were hopeful about reaching an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, but did not say how they would get there. About 6,500 Palestinians are currently held by Israel for actions related to the long-running conflict, including stone-throwing, membership in organizations outlawed by Israel and attacks that wounded or killed Israelis. Several hundred Palestinians are held without charges or trial. Family visits are one of the issues at the heart of the hunger strike over conditions in Israeli prisons. The ICRC's statement criticized Israel's cancellation of family visits to hunger striking prisoners in recent weeks, saying "the families are paying the price for this situation." Israel Prison Service spokesman Assad Librati said around 850 Palestinian prisoners are still striking, down from about 1,300 last week. He denied claims that Israel was violating international law, and accused the ICRC of helping create the crisis. Last year, the ICRC reduced the family visits it facilitates from twice a month to once a month, citing an increasing number of "no-shows" by Palestinian relatives of prisoners. The ICRC said the responsibility for family visits rests on Israeli authorities, not the Red Cross. It said Israel's incarceration of Palestinians in Israel, rather than the West Bank, was a violation of international law. ___ Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report. BOSTON (AP) - Police in Massachusetts say officers found fentanyl, cocaine and pills at a church and arrested the pastor. Willie Wilkerson, of Dorchester, was charged Tuesday with drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute. Police say a search of his home and Mission Church and Victoria's Kitchen Food Trailer in Roxbury found 50 Percocet pills, fentanyl and other drugs, along with about $10,400 in cash and stolen property worth about $20,000. Police say they're still investigating and that the 58-year-old Wilkerson could face additional charges. He will be arraigned Wednesday. It wasn't immediately known if he has an attorney. Racism may have played a role in a white gunman's shooting rampage at a weekend pool party attended mostly by black guests, according to survivors. Assistant Chief Brian Ahearn said investigators have interviewed party guests and family members, associates and the ex-girlfriend of gunman Peter Selis. Selis reportedly told one party guest, a white woman, 'you can either leave or you can stay here and die,' as she was trying to help Monique Clark, a black woman who had been shot dead. Scroll down for video Pictured: This is Peter Selis, the 49-year-old father-of-two who opened fire at a pool party in San Diego Sunday evening People look over the scene Monday, May 1, 2017, in San Diego, where police are trying to decide whether or not the shooting rampage was a hate crime Police searched his apartment, social media accounts and email while determining he opened fire because he was despondent about a recent breakup with his girlfriend. On Wednesday, San Diego police that they still have found no evidence to support those suspicions that it was a race based crime. 'He made no statements, gestures, and showed no behavior toward the group that were racially tinged that would then classify this as a hate crime,' Ahearn said. 'I'm not suggesting that maybe that didn't happen but we have zero information suggesting that was the case.' Some survivors said they believe Selis selected minority victims at the upscale apartment complex where one woman was killed and six people were wounded. Five of the victims were black, one was Latino and one was white. Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Chapman, who was at the party, said the gunman avoided shooting at least one white woman. Chapman later spoke to the woman, who said the gunman told her, 'you can either leave or you can stay here and die.' The unnamed woman was attempting to help Monique Clark, a black woman and mother of three who was shot and killed by Selis. She could not be reached for comment by The Associated Press. Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Chapman, who was at the party, said the gunman avoided shooting at least one white woman. Chapman later spoke to the woman, who said the gunman told her, 'you can either leave or you can stay here and die' as she attempted to help Monique Clark (pictured) who had been shot dead by Selis Seven people were shot and rushed to nearby hospitals. One of the female victims later died of her injuries Police have not ruled out a hate crime since all of Selis' victim were men and women of color. Above, the pool after the shooting Additionally, Chapman said that two white women sitting much closer to the gunman than those who were shot also escaped unharmed 'I'm a realistic person and we need to acknowledge race was a factor,' said Chapman, who is black. 'Maybe it wasn't everything, but it was definitely something. We need to get that dialogue open. Yes, he was bankrupt. Yes, he had relationship issues, but I think we need to acknowledge the possibility of bias.' Selis had filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and again in 2015. Mychael Gary, another black party guest, agreed. He said Selis seemed to calmly pick out his victims. 'I believe the group that he was going after was targeted, that's what I believe,' Gary told The San Diego Union-Tribune. Chapman said the white woman who was shot was sitting at a table surrounded by African Americans. Ahearn confirmed that Selis told a white woman to leave the area and added that he told a black woman helping another victim that she could not move the person to safety but he would not shoot her if she stayed put. She did not move and was not shot. Selis took out his gun, which was hidden under his shirt and then started shooting at partygoers from his pool chair. Above, survivors after the shooting Witnesses say that the man who was celebrating his birthday party went up to Selis to offer him food and drink, and that he declined. Above, two survivors Police have said the 49-year-old Selis briefly called his ex-girlfriend during the Sunday night shooting and said he was 'shooting it out.' He was killed by police after firing his .45-caliber handgun at a sergeant and two officers. The ex-girlfriend and others who knew Selis told police they did not believe he was a racist, and investigators found no racist propaganda, emails or other materials, Ahearn said. 'Based upon the facts that we have, this group was shot at because it was compact and a large number of people in close proximity to Selis at the moment in time when he decided to shoot innocent people,' he said. Selis' family said they could not explain the 'senseless acts' of violence. 'We cannot understand what would have caused Pete to do this,' the family said in a statement sent to KFMB-TV. 'Words cannot express our profound grief and sorrow for all the victims and their families. ... We will miss our beloved Pete forever.' GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) - The Latest on a court appearance by an immigrant living in a Denver church to avoid deportation (all times local): 2:50 p.m. An immigrant who has been living in a Denver church to avoid deportation has cleared one legal hurdle in her bid to remain in the country. Supporters of sanctuary church resident Ingrid Encalada Latorre carry signs outside the Jefferson County Courthouse, in Golden, Colo., Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Latorre, an immigrant who has been living in a Denver church to avoid deportation, feared being arrested by federal immigration agents as she ventured out of her sanctuary to a court hearing Wednesday to try to stay in the United States. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) Ingrid Encalada Latorre ventured to court Wednesday despite fears she could be arrested by immigration agents. She is trying to change her plea in a 2010 identity theft case involving the purchase of immigration papers. A judge ruled that she didn't have good legal representation and agreed to consider whether she can change her plea. Some of her supporters surrounded her as she left the courtroom and followed her into an elevator. ____ 11:35 a.m. A Mexican man arrested by immigration agents in Colorado last week has been temporarily freed after U.S. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet intervened. Arturo Hernandez was released Tuesday after being granted a 30-day deportation delay. His lawyers plan to appeal his case to try to keep him in the United States permanently. Hernandez spent nine months living in the basement of Denver's First Unitarian Church starting in 2014 after immigration authorities tried to send him back to Mexico. He left after they assured him he would no longer be a priority for deportation. He was detained last week as he went to his job. Bennet filed a bill to help Hernandez and said he asked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more time to process his case. ___ 11:30 a.m. An immigrant who has been living in a Denver church to avoid deportation is appearing in court despite fears that federal immigration agents might try to arrest her there. Ingrid Encalada Latorre on Wednesday is trying to get a 2010 felony identity theft conviction changed to a misdemeanor in the hopes it would enable her to remain in the United States. The native of Cusco, Peru, says her lawyer at the time didn't warn her that there could be immigration consequences for her guilty plea. In court in suburban Jefferson County, she testified that she left sanctuary in the church because she wanted to fight for her case and be able to stay with her family. The courtroom was packed with supporters. ____ 9:05 a.m. An immigrant who has been living in a Denver church to avoid deportation has ventured out to a court hearing to try to stay in the United States. Ingrid Encalada Latorre moved into the Quaker meeting house with her 1-year-old son in December to avoid being arrested by immigration agents, who generally don't enter houses of worship. She was able to travel to court in suburban Jefferson County about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) away for her Wednesday appearance. Supporters prayed with her in the hallway before her hearing. The native of Cusco, Peru pleaded guilty to a felony identity theft charge in 2010 and is trying get that changed to a misdemeanor so she isn't targeted for deportation. She says she didn't know the immigration papers she bought were stolen. NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A military trial is set to begin for a Taiwan-born Navy officer accused of passing military secrets to China or Taiwan. Lt. Cmdr. Stephanie Turo, a Navy spokeswoman, confirmed on Wednesday the espionage trial in Norfolk will begin Thursday. Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin is accused of failing to report foreign contacts and passing along secret national defense information. He is being held in a Navy brig in Virginia. Court documents do not reveal whom Lin is accused of spying for. But officials told The Associated Press last year that the country involved is China or Taiwan, and possibly both. Civilian defense attorney Larry Younger declined to comment. Lin's sister, Jenny Lin, wrote to members of Congress last year and said the Navy lacks evidence to support the charges. BOSTON (AP) - The SUV prosecutors say Aaron Hernandez was in when the ex-NFL star killed two men is no longer up for auction. Westford Auto Sales owner Buddy Clair tells The Boston Globe that eBay pulled the ad on Tuesday night. Clair was handling the sale of the Toyota 4-Runner on behalf of the owner, a car dealer who leased the vehicle to Hernandez as part of a promotional agreement. An eBay spokeswoman tells WPRI-TV the listing violated the company's offensive materials policy. FILE - In this March 3, 2017, file, photo, the Toyota 4Runner held in a Boston Police evidence lot in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston is seen during a "view" of pertinent locations and evidence in the Aaron Hernandez trial. The vehicle, which prosecutors say Hernandez was in when he killed two men in 2012, is up for auction. The Boston Globe reports more than 60 people had placed bids on the Toyota 4-Runner on eBay as of Tuesday evening, May 2. The SUV's owner is a Rhode Island car dealer, who leased it to Hernandez as part of a promotional agreement. The former New England Patriots tight end was acquitted in the double slaying on April 14. He was in prison for the killing of a man who was dating his fiancee's sister. He hanged himself in his cell days later. (John Wilcox/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool, File) Prosecutors had alleged Hernandez was in the SUV's passenger seat in 2012 when he shot at the men's car after an encounter at a Boston nightclub. He was acquitted April 14. Hernandez was serving a life sentence in the killing of a man in 2013. The former New England Patriots tight end killed himself in his cell days after the acquittal. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia's royal court says an older brother to King Salman has died. Prince Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was reportedly 93-years-old. He had been head of the Allegiance Council, the body established to formalize the succession process in the kingdom. The council is stacked with the sons and prominent grandsons of Saudi Arabia's founder, the late King Abdulaziz, who vote in secret to pick the king and crown prince from among themselves. The Saudi throne has for decades passed between his sons. Prince Mishaal had served as defense minister twice in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The royal court said in a statement published on Wednesday by the Saudi Press Agency that funeral prayers will be held in the holy city of Mecca. NEW YORK (AP) - Millionaire heir Robert Durst's current wife helped him cover up what happened to his long-vanished former spouse, new court papers say. The allegations, made by his first wife's sisters, add to the swirl of accusations that has enveloped the New York real estate scion since Kathleen Durst was last seen in 1982. The former fugitive has long been eyed but never charged in her disappearance, but he has been charged in two other deaths in a saga that stretches through several states, multiple aliases and a chilling HBO documentary, "The Jinx." Kathleen Durst's sisters already were suing him. Now, they're also taking aim at his second wife, Debrah Charatan, and a friend of his, Susan Giordano. Their lawyers declined to comment Wednesday on the allegations, filed in court this week. FILE - In this Dec. 21, 2016, file photo, millionaire real estate heir Robert Durst sits in a courtroom during a hearing in Los Angeles. Former in-laws of Durst are accusing his current wife of helping him cover up the killing of his long-vanished former spouse. Durst, the protagonist of a 35-year-long story of suspicions that stretches through his wife's disappearance, the deaths of two acquaintances, several states and a chilling documentary, has never been charged in his wife's vanishing and denies involvement. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Pool, File) "Charatan, a cold-blooded opportunist, conspired and agreed to help Durst conceal" the killings of his former wife and confidante Susan Berman, the sisters' lawsuit says. Durst, who has been charged with shooting Berman to keep her quiet about his wife's fate, denies killing either woman. The lawsuit maintains Charatan and Giordano know that he did, without specifying how or when they might have found out. But it argues that Charatan, a real estate entrepreneur who lives with one of Durst's real estate lawyers, quietly married Durst in 2000 to shield their communications. She handled his finances and supplied him with money so he could lay low after an investigation into Kathleen Durst's disappearance began heating up around 1999, the suit says. In return, Charatan reaped millions of dollars of Durst's roughly $100 million fortune, the suit says. His estranged family owns several New York skyscrapers and runs the World Trade Center's signature tower. Giordano, who got $350,000 from Durst, also helped route money to him and agreed to store dozens of boxes of his documents to keep them out of sight, the suit says. Giordano has said she "had no idea that anything in there was damaging" until the boxes were examined by filmmakers for their 2015 HBO documentary miniseries. The series featured Durst muttering to himself on a live microphone: "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course." He was arrested in Berman's 2000 death shortly before the final episode aired. The claims against Charatan and Giordano, filed in suburban Mineola, were first reported by The New York Times. Durst's criminal-case lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, said "someone can file a lawsuit and write anything," casting the new claims as "piling on." He declined to discuss Durst's dealings with his wife or Giordano, except to say he's very close with both. Durst, 74, is jailed in the Berman case in Los Angeles. In 2001, Durst was charged with killing a 71-year-old neighbor in Galveston, Texas, where Durst was living disguised as a mute woman. While conceding he chopped up neighbor Morris Black's body and tossed it in the sea, Durst was acquitted of murder after testifying that he was defending himself. A New York judge recently declared Kathleen Durst dead as of 1987, beyond the state's legal time limit for a wrongful-death suit. The sisters' case, which instead invokes a state law giving families the right to determine a loved one's burial, seeks at least $100 million. But the point "is to make sure we find out what happened to Kathie ... and to make sure these people are held responsible for their involvement," said the sisters' lawyer, Robert Abrams. ___ Associated Press writer Kiley Armstrong contributed to this report. BOSTON (AP) - A Massachusetts man who falsely claimed he first came up with the character and story for the 2008 animated movie "Kung Fu Panda" has been sentenced to two years in prison. Jayme Gordon also was ordered Wednesday in federal court in Boston to pay more than $3 million in restitution. He was convicted of wire fraud and perjury charges in November. The 51-year-old Gordon had filed a lawsuit in 2011 designed to obtain a multimillion-dollar settlement from DreamWorks Animation SKG. Prosecutors say Gordon fabricated and backdated drawings of characters similar to those in "Kung Fu Panda," lied repeatedly during his deposition and destroyed computer evidence. Prosecutors say beyond what they called superficial similarities, the panda characters and story that Gordon created have little in common with DreamWorks' movie. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Argentina's Supreme Court on Wednesday reduced the jail sentence of a man serving time for crimes against humanity committed during the country's 1976-1983 dictatorship. Luis Muina was sentenced in 2011 to 13 years in prison for the kidnapping and torture of five people during a military operation. Three of the top court's five justices decided that his days spent in prison before a firm conviction should count double toward his sentence, meaning Muina could get out eight years earlier. The court said the ruling was based on an interpretation of a repealed law that had not previously been applied to human rights convictions. The so-called 2x1 law was in effect in 1994-2001, when most dictatorship-era human rights criminals were still free. "This ruling determined that common crimes are the same as crimes against humanity," said Andres Gil Dominguez, a lawyer who specializes in constitutional law. "It's a new judicial and ideological way of looking at human rights crimes by the Supreme Court." The two Supreme Court justices who voted against reducing the sentence said the other judges' "interpretation of the law" should not be applied to human rights abuses. Activists criticized the decision as setting a precedent that could lead to the early release of other convicted human rights abusers. "This ruling is abominable," said Estela de Carlotto, president of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo human rights group. "What kind of crimes against humanity that are part of a state-sponsored terror campaign can be equaled to common crimes?" Official estimates say about 6,000 people were killed or disappeared in a government-sponsored crackdown on leftist dissidents during Argentina's "dirty war." Human rights activists believe the real number was as high as 30,000. Hundreds of babies were also born to prisoners at clandestine torture centers and turned over illegally to the families of military officers and others. Carlotto said the court's ruling is in line with what she believes is a dramatic shift in human rights policies under President Mauricio Macri. Former President Cristina Fernandez and her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, made uncovering human rights abuses and trying perpetrators from the military dictatorship central to their administrations. "Argentina moved back 20 years in human rights issues," Fernandez said on her Twitter account. "This ruling would not have happened in the previous government." SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Latest on the investigation into Sunday's shooting rampage at a pool party in San Diego.. (all times local): 3 p.m. San Diego police say they still have no evidence that racism played a role in a deadly weekend attack by a white gunman on a party attended mostly by black guests. Assistant Chief Brian Ahearn said Wednesday that the investigation was continuing after officers interviewed guests and family members, associates and the ex-girlfriend of the gunman. Police also say they have searched his apartment, social media accounts and email. Some survivors say they believe gunman Peter Selis selected minorities to shoot at the poolside party at an apartment complex. Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Chapman, who was at the party, says the gunman told at least one white woman to leave. Ahearn said Selis told one black woman he would not shoot her if she stayed put. One woman was killed in the attack Sunday and six people were wounded. All but two were black. _____ 1 p.m. The survivors of a weekend shooting rampage at a San Diego apartment complex pool say it is too soon for police to rule out that the attack by a white gunman on a party attended mostly by blacks was not motivated by race. Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Chapman who attended the pool party told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the gunman appeared to be targeting minorities. Chapman says she saw two white women sitting much closer to the gunman than those who were shot. Chapman says the gunman also told the white girlfriend of the party's host "you can either leave or you can stay here and die" as she tried to help a black woman who was shot. The black woman later died. Police say the gunman who shot seven people was despondent over a breakup and nothing indicates race played a role. They continue to investigate. ___ 10:30 a.m. The family of the gunman who shot seven people at a San Diego pool party over the weekend says they feel "unbearable pain" and cannot explain the actions of Peter Selis. Monique Clark, 35, was killed in the shooting Sunday. Police killed 49-year-old Selis at the pool. Officials say Selis was despondent over a breakup. "Our family feels the unbearable pain caused by Pete's senseless acts," the Selis family said in a statement sent to KFMB-TV (http://bit.ly/2pIw5kx ). "We cannot understand what would have caused Pete to do this. Words cannot express our profound grief and sorrow for all the victims and their families. On behalf of our family, we are so sorry that this happened. We ask that you please respect our privacy. We will miss our beloved Pete forever." WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress has narrowly voted to overturn an Obama-era rule designed to guide states as they create retirement savings programs for low-income workers. The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 Wednesday to reject the Labor Department rule, sending the measure to President Donald Trump. With an estimated 55 million Americans lacking access to retirement savings plans at their jobs, some Democratic-leaning states have been working to fill the void. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. pauses while meeting with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 2, 2017, following a policy luncheon. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) At least seven states have launched programs requiring employers to automatically enroll workers in state-sponsored individual retirement accounts managed by investment professionals. The Obama administration gave states the green light last year. But congressional Republicans said the state programs discourage small businesses from offering private retirement plans and have inadequate safeguards. While the state-run plans "might not seem too bad on the surface, what they really add up to is more government at the expense of the private sector and American workers," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The state plans would be exempt from federal protections that apply to private plans and would have a competitive advantage over private plans, McConnell said. If the repeal measure is signed, states still will be able to set up retirement plans but must follow federal laws that protect the workers' investments, McConnell said. Two Republicans, Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Todd Young of Indiana, joined Democrats in opposing the repeal measure. The Senate voted to overturn the rule using the Congressional Review Act, a law that allows a simple majority in the House and Senate to overturn executive-branch regulations that lawmakers consider onerous or burdensome. Trump and congressional Republicans have overturned more than a dozen Obama-era regulations since Trump took office. Democrats said the GOP measure would jeopardize efforts by states to help low-income workers. States that have begun offering the plans include Illinois, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Oregon and Washington Americans are not "clamoring" for Congress to take away their ability to save for retirement if their company doesn't offer a plan, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Instead, Wall Street financial firms that manage retirement plans "don't want to see any competition from city or state retirement plans," Schumer said. He called the GOP legislation "another giveaway to the wealthy special interests" that will hurt working Americans who need have more low-cost choices for their retirement. In Illinois, a new state program called Secure Choice will give 1.3 million residents the opportunity to save for retirement - "a pragmatic solution to address a real world problem" that now is at risk, said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. "Instead of encouraging greater competition that will help 55 million Americans save money for retirement, some of my colleagues appear to be listening to Wall Street lobbyists who want less competition and who want to take away a retirement savings option from people," Duckworth said. California state Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon vowed that his state will continue its retirement program. "We will place the future and well-being of our workers over Wall Street greed," he said, promising that "Californians who have worked hard all their lives can retire at a reasonable age with a measure of dignity." ___ Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC An angry voter disrupted a Liberal Democrat campaign visit to confront leader Tim Farron over his position on Brexit. Pensioner Malcolm Baker told Mr Farron voters did know what they were voting for in the EU referendum and accused him of believing Leave supporters were racist. The party leader was in the middle of a television interview in Kidlington, near Oxford, when the 65-year-old took him to task over his position on the EU. Pensioner Malcolm Baker confronts Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron while he was the election campaign trail in Kidlington, near Oxford (Sam Lister/PA) Mr Baker said voters do know, we did know what they were backing in the referendum. When Mr Farron insisted he did not believe Leave voters were racist, he replied: Yes, you do. I tell you what, you keep going on all the time Mr Farron questioned the disgruntled voter about whether he was proud his grandchildren would inherit a poorer, less powerful, less secure country. Im proud that they will be coming out of Europe and that we will have our own destiny and not have people telling us we are going to pay 100 billion to get out, Mr Baker replied. Lib Dems are out in Kidlington, Oxford West, for a Tim Farron visit. They need to overturn a 9,582 majority to win pic.twitter.com/x66nwPRHRe Sam Lister (@sam_lister_) May 3, 2017 If thats your policies I hope you are going to get six seats. Mr Baker added: I have always voted Labour but I will be voting for Theresa May. He later told the Press Association: Im fed up of hearing this chap keeping on running Britain down. Mr Farron said Mr Baker had only voted for Britains departure, not the final deal. He told the Press Association: We didnt get round to the niceties of the argument. What Malcolm voted for was departure last June. I respect that. He didnt vote for destination, he wasnt asked. None of us were asked. A passerby isn't too happy with the Lib Dems. Shouts 'you and the coalition, bloody Cameron' before booing pic.twitter.com/EOJCi23Jx2 Sam Lister (@sam_lister_) May 3, 2017 The Lib Dem leader said claims about clashes between the Prime Minister and EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker showed how the negotiations were playing out. The destination that we end up at we are getting some little clues from May and Juncker about what the next several months might look like, which will be he said, she said, pointless spats, lots of things behind closed doors, bits of which leak, and the end result imposed on the lot of us with a stitch-up, he said. That is not democracy. So, for Malcolms sake and, dare I say, particularly for his grandchildrens sake, that stitch-up must not be imposed on the British people. People should have the final say, not the politicians. Unlike Mrs Maybe, @timfarron is not afraid of meeting members of the public...we welcome every opportunity to do so! #LibDems #GE17 Mathew Hulbert (He/Him) (@MathewHulbert) May 3, 2017 After initially walking off, Mr Baker returned for a less heated chat with Mr Farron, joking: Ive got no eggs on me whatsoever. He added: Dont tell people who voted Leave that they didnt know what they were voting for. The pair parted with Mr Farron wishing Mr Baker, who turned 65 on Wednesday, a happy birthday. This spring, local and general elections are being contested just weeks apart a highly unusual political event. Here, the Press Association finds out whether the local elections will be an indicator for how people will vote in June and what to look out for on the night. On Thursday, elections will take place at 88 councils all of those in Scotland and Wales and 34 in England, including 27 counties. There are 15,403 candidates contesting 4,851 seats. Of these, 107 will be unopposed. There are also mayoral elections in Doncaster and North Tyneside as well as in six new devolved super-regions. Where polls are being held in the May 4 local election graphic These large areas (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Greater Manchester; Liverpool City Region; Tees Valley; West Midlands; and West of England) will see mayoral elections for the first time. These mayors will enjoy a host of additional powers reaped from responsibilities devolved from central government, over issues ranging from policing to housing. Some results will be declared in the early hours of Friday May 5 but most will come in during the day. A provisional figure from the eight areas holding mayoral elections show 7,205,134 people are free to vote in Thursdays poll. Turnout is likely to be considerably below this number and is often contingent on factors such as the weather. The Conservatives are expected to win the most votes in both elections. People usually vote for the opposition during local elections but this rule of thumb generally only holds true when the poll occurs in between general election cycles, according to Anthony Wells, research director at polling company YouGov. Estimated final declaration times of councils in Thursday's local elections graphic He told the Press Association: It matters who is in power and who is out of power, but thats the sort of thing that is going to be upset by being very close to a General Election. He added the two times in modern politics that both local and general elections have happened weeks apart (1983 and 1987), the same party won both. No Mr Wells said he expects the Conservatives to win the most votes in the local elections but by a smaller percentage than in the General Election. Polling data from April in Wales shows the Conservatives winning by two percentage points in the local elections and then by 10 points in the General Election a month later. This mirrors what happened in 1983 when the Conservatives took just a three-point lead in the local elections nationally, and then Margaret Thatcher won a landslide majority the next month. Local issues are more important, says Mr Wells. There are people who actually do vote on local issues, who do vote on how well their councils doing and whether they like their local councillor or not, so that will make a difference, he said. Also, one of the main drivers of Labour losing support is Jeremy Corbyn and the Conservatives are obviously campaigning very hard on Theresa May personally. Welsh councils to watch in the May 4 local election graphic The fact that the votes this week arent going to put Corbyn or May in power, they will just put someone local in the town hall, will be another source of difference. If the Tory lead in the local elections is only five or six points, I think youll get a lot of people saying look, its much closer than we think, maybe the polls showing big leads are wrong, Labour can win, he added. Professor Tony Travers, from the London School of Economics department of government, told the Press Association that if Labour lose the local elections, there is almost no chance of them winning the national vote a month later. Its virtually unknown for an opposition party to win a general election when it hasnt been getting quite high percentage votes in the local elections immediately before, Prof Travers said. Scottish councils to watch inthe May 4 local elections graphic On the night, watch out for the county councils of Derbyshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire to test the waters for Labour support. Prof Travers said it would be bad news for Mr Corbyns party if they lost majority control of Derbyshire or failed to remain the largest party in the other two counties. Expect the Liberal Democrats to put a spanner in the works too historically they get their biggest successes at local elections and rumours of a Lib Dem fightback among Remain voters should help them gain more council seats. However, an increase in Lib Dem vote share in the local elections alone will not indicate more MPs in June, Mr Wells said it matters where that support comes from. Is that support really concentrated in places that voted Remain, places that have got history of having a Lib Dem MP? If thats the case, they will probably win lots of MPs. Or do they just do quite well everywhere, in which case they will find that increasing support quite hard to translate into MPs. Paul Pogba, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones all trained with their Manchester United team-mates ahead of Thursdays Europa League clash against Celta Vigo. Bailly and Luke Shaw were the latest to join Uniteds lengthy injury list when they were both forced off during Sundays 1-1 draw with Swansea. Shaws foot injury could well end his season but key defender Bailly, who limped off in the 61st minute, does not appear to have suffered any lasting damage. Picture Neither Smalling nor Jones have featured for United since picking up knee and toe injuries respectively on England duty in mid-March. United boss Jose Mourinho has been critical of both for not making themselves available sooner and had said he did not expect either to be fit for the first leg of the Europa League semi-final in Spain. Mourinho had been faced with the prospect of having to either play Michael Carrick in the centre of defence or teenager Axel Tuanzebe. Semi-final starter? Wayne Rooney has had a hand in 5 goals in 5 #UEL games for Manchester United this season (2 goals, 3 assists). pic.twitter.com/r59opmaqq7 UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 28, 2017 But it now looks as though he will have more options at his disposal, while Pogbas return after missing the last two matches is more welcome news. Playmaker Juan Mata could make his first appearance since groin surgery and Marouane Fellaini, who is serving a three-match domestic ban, also comes into contention in Europe. United remain without a number of first-team players, however, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcos Rojo and Timothy Fosu-Mensah joining Shaw on the sidelines. London Underground station staff are to be balloted for strikes in an escalating row over the sacking of a colleague. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action. Workers based at London Bridge are due to stage a 24-hour strike from Sunday evening in protest at the dismissal of a colleague the union maintains was tackling a violent fare dodger. Union to escalate dispute as @RMTunion prepares for action from Sunday over "London Bridge Three" https://t.co/tEIJn5TO0i pic.twitter.com/tS20tGKDWW RMT (@RMTunion) May 3, 2017 The RMT had warned it would spread the dispute across the Tube network if the worker was not reinstated. London Underground disputes the unions version of the incident in which two other workers were disciplined. In a message to union members, RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: It was the worst case of multiple miscarriages of justice by London Underground as these members were subject to a vicious assault by a violent fare-evading passenger but instead of being supported and commended by the company, they have instead been wrongly punished. LU widely publicises a zero-tolerance approach to violence against members of staff but that promise has not been applied at all in this case. Furthermore the company has failed in its duty of care to its staff and has disregarded its own staff assault policy. Tube trains stand idle at a depot in west London Voting will start on May 10 and end on the 25th. Brian Woodhead, operations director for London Underground, said: The version of events described by the RMT union is simply untrue. CCTV footage from a number of different angles clearly shows a staff member displaying unacceptable conduct when dealing with a member of the public. The member of staff was dismissed following a full and thorough investigation. We have subsequently invited the general secretary of the union to view the footage himself, but our invitation has not been accepted. That offer is still open and, while we intend to keep London Bridge station open throughout the strike, I encourage the RMT leadership to do the right thing and call off this unjustifiable industrial action. A baby lamb called Stinky had a very special visitor giving him a bottle of milk the Duchess of Cambridge. The Duchess met Stinky during a visit to the Farms for City Children in Arlingham, Gloucestershire - a charity set up by childrens author Michael Morpurgo to teach inner-city children about farming. Stinky, who is six weeks old, is being bottle-fed as he fell ill shortly after being born and had to be taken away from his mother and hand-reared by staff. The Duchess helped out with feeding time at the farm and made friends with a lamb named 'Stinky' pic.twitter.com/j5IHHZR3lI The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 3, 2017 Farm manager John Goodman explained how Stinky a Lleyn breed of sheep who was born on the farm earned his name. He got a bit of a stomach infection and he had diarrhoea and he was a bit smelly. The children said he was stinky and the name stuck, he said. The Duchess of Cambridge feeding a lamb We had to take him away from his mother and siblings and bottle-feed him and the children were not allowed to touch him. Its too late to return him to his mother so he will be bottle-fed. He has got back to full health now. Stinky is a twin and his brother and sister are still with their mother. The Duchess of Cambridge feeding a lamb Mr Goodman added: Hes destined to be eaten the kids will be horrified. The Duchess, who was wearing dark brown knee-length zip-up boots, light brown trousers and an outdoor jacket, had arrived at the farm for a private lunch with the children and staff. Michael Morpurgo, with the Duchess of Cambridge, reads to school children during the Duchess's visit to a farm in Glos pic.twitter.com/mFMNnfkYEK Rod Minchin (@rodminchin) May 3, 2017 She then joined a story-time session led by Mr Morpurgo, who founded the charity with his wife Clare in 1976. The Duchess was then taken on a tour of the farm where she helped children - from Vauxhall in London - pot vegetable plants and plant onions in the allotments, as well as tending to the chicken coop. Duchess of Cambridge helps children plant onions during a visit to a farm in Glos pic.twitter.com/XNOs8z4Dus Rod Minchin (@rodminchin) May 3, 2017 While helping to plant the onions, the Duchess asked: Do any of you like onions? One child replied that they made their eyes water and the Duchess replied: They make things nice and tasty. You can put onions in curries. Duchess of Cambridge helps children plant onions during a visit to a farm in Glos pic.twitter.com/cVSDDTm8y7 Rod Minchin (@rodminchin) May 3, 2017 She also saw a super wriggly worm and asked the children: Have all of you held a worm before? The Duchess then tried her hand at pig weighing - which involves corralling a pig into a pen to be weighed. Duchess of Cambridge helps children during 'pig weighing' while visiting author Michael Morpurgo's farm in Glos pic.twitter.com/5X7PDBk6Rb Rod Minchin (@rodminchin) May 3, 2017 We use pig boards to coral or drive the pigs into the crate to weigh them, Mr Goodman said. The Duchess had a pig board and was brilliant with it. She said she had never done pig weighing before. The expression is stubborn as a mule and pigs can be just as bad. We made sure we had three really quiet ones. Duchess of Cambridge helps children to 'pig weigh' during a visit to a farm in Glos pic.twitter.com/dmBKzek5Kb Rod Minchin (@rodminchin) May 3, 2017 The Duchesss visit was rounded off with a short tea party. Speaking afterwards, Mr Goodman said: Its been good fun. The Duchess is really hands on and really good fun and brilliant with the children - she has a rapport with them. The organisation, which now has three working farms, welcomes around 3,200 children and 400 teachers a year. Fernando Alonso was handed his first taste of the Indianapolis 500 after he made his debut in a private test at the famous Brickyard on Wednesday. The double world champion flew straight from Russia to America after his fourth retirement in as many grands prix of his desperately disappointing start to the new Formula One season. Alonso, who will miss the Monaco Grand Prix later this month to participate in the 500-mile race, took to the Indianapolis Speedway shortly before 11am local time, and completed a number of stints in clear conditions. Picture First time down the @IMS front stretch and across the Yard of Bricks for @alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/Vq3wovoOzz J. Douglas Boles (@jdouglas4) May 3, 2017 The 35-year-old, racing for the Honda-powered Andretti team branded in McLaren orange, reached average speeds in excess of a 215mph at the 2.5-mile oval circuit. Alonso is participating in the American race as he bids to become only the second driver in history to complete the Triple Crown, that of winning the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours Le Mans race and the Indy 500. Britains Graham Hill is the only driver to complete the set. Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, who will replace Alonso at McLaren in Monaco on May 28, sent a message to his former team-mate prior to his debut. Fernando, its your replacement, here, Button said. Remember me? I used to be your team-mate. I have just seen a picture of your car which looks awesome. Good luck and stay safe. I will keep your seat warm in Monaco and get lots of juicy points for when you return, and make you jealous you did not race. Zak Brown, McLarens chief executive officer, who was integral to Alonso switching codes for the one-off race, watched the Spaniard in action from the pit lane. Alonsos test at Indianapolis will come as a welcome relief to the two-time world champion and his McLaren team after a miserable start to their campaign. Alonso has failed to reach the chequered flag of any of the four races this year and did not even start in Russia on Sunday after he suffered a Honda engine failure on his way to the grid. The Spaniard will be back in Formula One action at his home race in Barcelona a week on Sunday. Suit up. Fernando pulls on his #Indy500 overalls for the first time. Looking good! #AlonsoRunsIndy pic.twitter.com/8RMDZHklJG McLaren Indy (@McLarenIndy) May 3, 2017 Alonso said after the test: It was funa little bit difficult at the beginning but on the next stages it felt good. At the moment the car is driving me, Im not driving the car. But everything looks good and now Ill start the real thing. The team is amazingly helpful. Its been a good experience so far but now I think starts the real deal. British number four Aljaz Bedene exited the Istanbul Open on Wednesday as top seed Milos Raonic hit back from losing the first set to win their second-round encounter. Canadas Raonic, the world number six who was playing for only the second time since February due to injury, prevailed 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 7-6 (7/3) in a tight tussle that lasted just over two and a half hours. He will now face Australian sixth seed Bernard Tomic in the quarter-finals. Milos Raonic World number 58 Bedene came into this tournament having last week reached the Hungarian Open final, in which Lucas Pouille inflicted his first defeat in 17 matches. An SUV being shown to prospective buyers at a crowded indoor car auction in the US suddenly accelerated with a screech of its tyres and crashed through a wall, killing three people and injuring nine. An auction employee in his seventies was behind the wheel of the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it apparently lurched out of control and mowed people down at LynnWay Auto Auction in Billerica, about 32 kilometres (20 miles) north-west of Boston. One man and two women were killed in the crash, Middlesex district attorney Marian Ryan said at a news conference. Wreckage after the crash Nine people were hurt, including two with life-threatening injuries, she said. The driver was not taken to hospital, she added. The preliminary investigation suggests this is a tragic accident, Ms Ryan said. Wreckage after the crash Massachusetts state police investigators are working to reconstruct the accident, which happened while several hundred people were in the building. Woody Tuttle, an employee who saw the crash, told WCVB-TV that the building has eight lanes in which vehicles on the auction block line up. People were standing between the lanes when one vehicle suddenly took off, Mr Tuttle said. I heard a screeching of tyres, and, I believe, a Jeep Cherokee went flying by me, he told the station. Emergency personnel work at the scene In avoiding the cars, whoever was driving this vehicle hit several people. The vehicle then went through the wall of the building, Mr Tuttle said. The driver avoided the cars, and went on to hit the people who were standing between the cars, Mr Tuttle told WCVB-TV. Emergency personnel were quick to respond to the scene because four police officers and a firefighter are routinely stationed at the auction site because of the large crowds it draws every Wednesday, Billerica police chief Daniel Rosa said. ATHENS, May 2(Reuters) - Greece said on Tuesday it expects to wrap up talks with its foreign creditors on fiscal issues and reforms by May 22 to conclude a crucial bailout review which will open the way for the disbursement of vital loans that the country needs to get to repay debt. Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos also said it wants an agreement on debt relief by then, the day when Eurogroup finance ministers meet in Brussels. The Greek parliament will legislate on May 16 new measures agreed with international lenders. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Lefteris Papadimas Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) By Brenda Goh and Andrew R.C. Marshall KHON PI LONG, Thailand, May 3 (Reuters) - China's plan to blast open more of the Mekong River for bigger cargo ships could founder on a remote outcrop of half-submerged rocks that Thai protesters have vowed to protect against Beijing's economic expansion in Southeast Asia. Dynamiting the Pi Long rapids and other sections of the Mekong between Thailand and Laos will harm the environment and bring trade advantages only to China, the protesters say. "This will be the death of the Mekong," said Niwat Roykaew, chairman of the Rak Chiang Khong Conservation Group, which is campaigning against the project. "You'll never be able to revive it." Niwat said blasting the Mekong will destroy fish breeding grounds, disrupt migrating birds and cause increased water flow that will erode riverside farmland. Such opposition reflects a wider challenge to China's ambitious "One Belt, One Road" project to build a modern-day Silk Road through Asia to Europe. Second Harbour Consultants, a subsidiary of state-owned behemoth China Communications Construction Corp (CCCC) said it was surveying the Mekong for a report that China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand would use to decide whether blasting should go ahead. It added that it was not tasked with the blasting work, which would need to be tendered. The company said in an e-mail it had held meetings with local people "to communicate, build confidence and clear doubts." China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Clearing the Mekong for bigger ships is not officially a part of One Belt, One Road, a project announced in 2013; China blasted sections of the river in Laos several years earlier. But some Chinese engineers involved in the survey speak of it as a part of the broader plan, and it is consistent with Beijing's Silk Road objectives. Even in its Southeast Asian backyard, where it has sympathetic governments and ancient historical ties, China sometimes struggles to convince ordinary people that One Belt One Road will benefit them. Thailand, Laos and Myanmar have approved the survey work, which is funded by China, but further studies and approvals are needed before blasting. KEEPING A LOW PROFILE The Mekong River originates in the Tibetan plateau and cascades through China and five Southeast Asian countries. China has built a series of dams along its stretch of the river that Thai campaigners say has impacted the water flow and made the regional giant hard to trust. Chinese flags now flutter from company speedboats, while CCCC Second Harbour has met with Thai protesters three times since December in a bid to avert opposition to their work. A unit of the conglomerate faced violent protests in January in Sri Lanka, where people objected to plans for an industrial zone in the south. Chinese engineers on the Mekong said they were worried that Thai protesters would board the rickety cargo ship where they slept, prompting them to moor it on the Laotian side of the Mekong each night. "We are afraid for our team's safety," one engineer told Reuters, declining to be named because he wasn't authorised to speak to the media. "We keep a low profile here," he added. "We want to do this project well and benefit Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China, these four countries. This is not just for China." China wants to remove rocks and sandbanks to allow ships of up to 500 tonnes to sail from its landlocked province of Yunnan to the sleepy Laotian town of Luang Prabang. That would expedite the shipping of Chinese freight deep into northern Laos, said Paul Chambers, an expert in international relations at Thailand's Naresuan University. "Luang Prabang may seem sleepy, but northern Laos ... represents a hub of Chinese influence," he said. LOCALS REMAIN WARY Despite reassurances from CCCC Second Harbour, some locals still believed the engineers were marking out areas for blasting, said Niwat, who represented campaigners in meetings with the Chinese company. His group draped a large white banner reading "Mekong Not For Sale" on the bank overlooking the Pi Long rapids, whose name in Thai means "lost ghosts." "At the moment we're only thinking about the economy and the earning figures without considering the unimaginable value of the eco-system to humanity," he said. The military seized power in Thailand in 2014 and banned gatherings of five or more people. But Narongsak Osotthanakorn, governor of Chiang Rai - the Thai province where the Mekong is currently being surveyed - said people could "protest freely" against the Chinese plan. Narongsak said the survey was the first stage in a process that would include an environmental study, public hearings and negotiations between China, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. While he wouldn't say whether or not he supported blasting, Narongsak said local people had much to gain from increased river trade. "I think no country would be happy to lose the benefits," he said. (Editing by Mike Collett-White) By Clyde Russell LAUNCESTON, Australia, May 3 (Reuters) - China's coal imports from the seaborne market fell in April, with top exporting countries unable to fully cash in on the loss of Australian shipments in the wake of a powerful cyclone that knocked out mines and infrastructure. China's seaborne imports will be around 18.95 million tonnes in April, down from 19.5 million the prior month, according to vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts. Imports from Australia fell by a third to 5.67 million tonnes in April from 8.37 million in March, showing the impact of Cyclone Debbie, a category four storm that hit the major coal-mining state of Queensland on March 28, disrupting mines and shutting down most of the rail system. Much of the coal exported from Queensland to China is high-grade coking coal used in steel-making, although the state also ships lower quality thermal coal mainly used in power plants. The main beneficiary of Australia's weather-related misfortune was Indonesia, the world's top exporter of thermal coal, with vessel-tracking data showing its exports to China rose 37 percent to 9.49 million tonnes in April from March's 6.93 million. This was the highest level of shipments from Indonesia to China since December, and it's possible the April figure could be revised higher in coming days as cargoes that arrived at the end of the month get added to the count. China mainly buys low-rank thermal coal from Indonesia, which is often blended with domestic supplies before being burned to generate electricity. It's therefore likely that some of the increase in imports from the Southeast Asian nation was more related to underlying demand for this grade of fuel, rather than as a result of the loss of Australian cargoes. Major coking coal exporters also appeared slow to respond to the loss of Australian shipments, with the vessel-tracking data showing Canada boosted exports to China by 17.6 percent in April from March to 1.27 million tonnes. Russia managed to increase its exports to China by 21.7 percent to 1.85 million tonnes in April from March, while imports from the United States fell by 64 percent to just 266,000 tonnes, or four cargoes. While the percentage increase by Canada and Russia may look impressive, the volumes aren't, with the gain in April over March from these two producers amounting to only 520,000 tonnes, or less than a fifth in the drop in imports from Australia. What the data doesn't show is coal arriving in China via rail and truck from neighbouring Mongolia, another major source of imported coking coal. Chinese customs figures for April will be available around the third week of May, but in the first quarter imports from Mongolia jumped 113.5 percent from the same period in 2016 to 8.14 million tonnes, which actually made the landlocked country the second-biggest supplier behind Australia and put it ahead of Indonesia in the first three months of 2017. EXPORTERS STRUGGLE FOR QUICK OUTPUT BOOST Perhaps the main takeaway from the April shipping numbers is how seaborne coking coal exporters struggled to ramp up output quickly in response to a supply shock, even though prices nearly doubled to close to $300 a tonne. Years of low prices forced miners to cut operating expenses to the bone, leaving them ill-prepared to boost production if needed, as they lack readily-available equipment, labour and mine plans. The problem for miners and exporters in the United States, Canada and Russia is that by the time they can boost production, it's more than likely that Australia's output will recover, causing prices to retreat back to levels where they can't compete against the lower-cost operations of the world's biggest exporter of coking coal. It's therefore likely that the May numbers will see some increases from the smaller shippers of coking coal, but by June it's expected that Australia's mines will be able to produce and export at normal levels. This will once again make price the determinant in whether countries like Canada and the United States can export to China, with the current price of coking coal futures on the Singapore Exchange suggesting they still have a window of opportunity. The contract, which is based on the spot free-on-board price from Australia, ended Tuesday at $197.19 a tonne, down from the cyclone-inspired peak of $285 but still comfortably above the $154 level just prior to Debbie's landfall. (Editing by Richard Pullin) SOFIA, May 3 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. -- Prime Minister designate Boiko Borisov is expected on Wednesday to name the ministers in the coalition government his centre-right GERB party is agreeing with nationalist alliance United Patriots. (Standart, Trud, Sega, 24 Chasa, Monitor, Duma) -- Bulgaria's anti-monopoly commission said it has approved the acquisition of Bulgartabac's main cigarette brands by British American Tobacco in deal worth more than 100 million euros ($109.26 million). (Standart, Trud, Capital Daily, 24 Chasa, Duma) -- Prosecutors have launched a probe into state-run Sofia airport over reports that the airport had allowed full access to its database which is considered part of the country's national security system, to a private company. (Trud, Standart, Sega, Capital Daily, Duma, 24 Chasa) CAPITAL DAILY - Oil and gas company Elenilto, founded by Israeli businessman Jacob Engel, has also filed a bid for the Bulgarian assets of Czech utility CEZ, a source familiar with the process told the newspaper. Elenilto has not responded to the newspaper's requests for comment. -- Bulgaria's bourse is expected to set up a new exchange market to allow trades of issues of foreign financial instruments that have already been admitted to trading on regulated markets in other European Union member states. (Standart, 24 Chasa) ($1 = 0.9152 euros) BUCHAREST, May 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Wednesday. PPI Romanian industrial producer prices ROPPIY=ECI rose 3.9 percent on the year and 0.3 percent on the month in March, data from the National Statistics Board showed on Tuesday. FX RESERVES The Romanian central bank's foreign exchange reserves, excluding 103.7 tonnes of gold, rose by 1.27 billion euros ($1.39 billion) on the month to 35.96 billion euros at the end of April, it said on Tuesday. UNEMPLOYMENT Romania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down to 5.3 percent in March from 5.4 percent in the previous month, the National Statistics Board said on Tuesday. CEE MARKETS Strong manufacturing surveys failed to lift most Central European currencies on Tuesday, with the crown easing after Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said he would resign along with the entire cabinet. WEALTH FUND Romania's pending sovereign wealth fund will have an initial capitalisation of around 1.8-1.9 billion lei and its portfolio will include up to 30 state energy, transport and health firms that are running a profit, Economy Minister Mihai Tudose told news agency news.ro on Tuesday. The draft bill setting up the fund will be released for public debate on May 15. For the long-term Romanian diary, click on For emerging markets economic events, click on For an index of all diaries, click on For other related news, double click on: --------------------------------------------------------------- Romanian equities RO-E E.Europe equities .CEE Romanian money RO-M Romanian debt RO-D Eastern Europe EEU All emerging markets EMRG Hot stocks HOT Stock markets STX Market debt news DBT Forex news FRX For real-time index quotes, double click on: Bucharest BETI Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX -------------------------------------------------------- MANILA, May 3 (Reuters) - Philippine lawmakers on Wednesday rejected the appointment of Regina Lopez as environment minister, 10 months into her term in office, confirming an earlier Reuters report. The Commission on Appointments moved to reject the appointment made by President Rodrigo Duterte who has largely supported Lopez's mining crackdown. Lopez was the second member of Duterte's cabinet dismissed by Congress. Congressman Ronaldo Zamora earlier told Reuters about the outcome of the vote, which removed Lopez. Lopez angered the mining sector after ordering in February the closure of more than half the country's mines and the cancellation of dozens of contracts for undeveloped mines to protect water resources. Last week, she banned open-pit mining. Cabinet ministers in the Philippines undergo a confirmation hearing, often long after they begin work. (Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr.; Editing by Richard Pullin) By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala DAR ES SALAAM, May 3 (Reuters) - Tanzania on Wednesday extradited three suspects, including an alleged drug kingpin, who are wanted in the United States on narcotics trafficking charges, the U.S. Embassy said. The arrests of Ali Khatib Haji Hassan, also known as Shkuba, and his two associates Iddy Salehe Mfullu and Tiko Emanual Adam was the result of collaboration between Tanzanian and U.S. security, law enforcement and justice agencies, the embassy said in a statement. Tanzanian President John Magufuli launched a drive against narcotics in February, reflecting growing international concerns that East Africa is being used as a hub by drug traffickers. Hassan was arrested by Tanzanian authorities in 2014 for smuggling more than 200 kg of heroin. The U.S. Treasury Department said last year that Hassan was a major international drug kingpin who smuggled multi-tonne shipments of heroin and cocaine to Africa, Europe, Asia and North America via his East Africa-based drug trafficking organisation. The Tanzanian national is also accused of having overseen an extensive drug network in Latin America that distributed South American cocaine into East Africa en route to Europe and China, according to investigators. While most Europe-bound Afghan heroin still goes through Iran and the Balkans, a spate of record-size hauls near Kenya and Tanzania has raised fears East Africa is seen as an easier route because of loosley-controlled borders and weak maritime surveillance. (editing by Katharine Houreld and Angus MacSwan) BERLIN, May 3 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday Europe should not push Turkey away despite worries about President Tayyip Erdogan's tightening grip on power, seeming to play down talk that its aspirations to join the European Union are over. The EU's top official dealing with Ankara has told Reuters that Turkey had disqualified itself from joining the bloc due to Erdogan's crackdown on dissidents, his "Nazi" jibes at Germany and a referendum that granted him sweeping new powers. However, in an interview published in the Berliner Zeitung, Merkel said that Turkey was "an important partner in the fight against Islamist terror" and it was in the EU's and NATO's interests to have good relations with Ankara. "You should not just push away such a partner, even in view of negative developments that we must address," she said. Asked about EU membership talks, Merkel was more cagey, although she reiterated that Turkey would cross a red line with the EU if it were to reintroduce the death penalty. "We in Europe must jointly discuss what sort of future relationship we want with Turkey," she said. Many in Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) are sceptical about Turkey joining the bloc but Merkel has long argued that it is important to talk to Ankara and no decisions on actual membership are close. She also rejected calls from some conservative allies to tighten up the rules on dual citizenship, which affect many of the 3 million people with Turkish roots living in Germany, an issue in the run-up to a Sept. 24 parliamentary election. "Dual citizenship will not be an election campaign issue like it was in 1999," Merkel told the Koelner Stadt Anzieger in an interview, referring to a debate before Germany changed the rules in 2000 which made it easier to get dual citizenship. Merkel's government has for the last decade talked about the need for greater integration of Germany Turkish community. The arrival of more than 1 million migrants in the last two years had intensified the debate. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Louise Ireland) By Felix Onuah ABUJA, May 3 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari missed his third straight weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday because he needed to rest, officials said, fuelling concerns about the state of his health. A Reuters reporter witnessed the start of the session and Buhari's failure to arrive for the meeting, which was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The 74-year-old former military ruler has hardly appeared in public since returning home in March after nearly two months' medical leave in Britain, where he underwent treatment for an unspecified illness. Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the president had been in the office on Tuesday. "He did not attend because he took today to rest," Mohammed told reporters. "All he is doing is following his doctors' advice to rest enough." On Tuesday, the president's wife Aisha Buhari, seeking to counter growing concerns about his ability to run Africa's biggest economy, said his health was not as bad as assumed. She gave no details. Nigeria is in its second year of recession, brought on by low oil prices which have slashed government revenues, weakened the naira currency and caused chronic dollar shortages. Osinbajo, a lawyer who is seen as more friendly to business than Buhari, has chaired cabinet meetings during the president's medical leave and played an active role in driving policy changes. (Writing by Ulf Laessing and Chijioke Ohuocha, Editing by Mark Trevelyan) TOKYO, May 3 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday he hoped the first-ever change to the country's 70-year-old pacifist constitution would be enacted by 2020, and that it would enshrine the status of the military. Under the constitution's Article Nine, Japan forever renounced its right to wage war and banned maintenance of a military, though successive governments have interpreted it to allow a military exclusively for self-defence. Japanese troops have taken part in international peace-keeping operations, as well as a non-combat reconstruction mission in Iraq from 2004 to 2006. Abe, in a video message to a gathering celebrating the anniversary of the enactment of the charter, proposed making explicit reference to the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in the constitution. The document currently does not make any mention of the force. "By making explicit the status of the SDF in the constitution, we should leave no room for contending that the SDF may be unconstitutional," he said in the video, aired by Japanese television broadcasters. "I strongly hope to make 2020 the year in which a new constitution takes effect," Abe added. It was his first public mention of a date. A recent ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) rule change means Abe could well still be prime minister in 2020 if his party stays in power. Under Abe's watch, parliament in 2015 voted into law a defence policy shift that could let troops fight overseas for the first time since 1945, but any formal constitutional revision would require the backing of two-thirds of members of both houses of parliament and a majority of voters in a referendum. But voters are divided over his campaign to revise the constitution, against a backdrop of growing tension in the region, particularly over North Korea, according to a poll released on Wednesday. A Nikkei Inc/TV Tokyo survey showed support growing for Abe's push to revise a charter written by the United States after Japan's defeat in World War Two and never amended. About 46 percent of respondents favoured keeping the constitution as it is, four percentage points lower than a similar poll last year. The number favouring a change stood at 45 percent, up five percentage points from a year ago. Nuclear-armed North Korea has over the past year stepped up missile tests, the most recent of which was a failed launch on Saturday. It has also threatened to attack Japan. In March, Abe's LDP formally proposed that the government consider acquiring the capability to strike enemy bases and beef up missile defence in the face of the North Korean threat. Acquiring such weapons would likely anger China, where bitter memories of Japan's wartime aggression run deep. A separate survey released by Kyodo News on Saturday showed 49 percent of respondents said Article Nine needed to be revised, against 47 percent opposing a change. (Reporting by Tokyo bureau; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Robert Birsel) NAIROBI, May 3 (Reuters) - Kenya has charged 62 people with offences linked to party primaries for national elections in August, including bribing voters and inciting violence, the prosecutor's office said on Wednesday. The Aug. 8 presidential ballot between incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga will run alongside elections for members of parliament and local officials. Devolution of some powers to county level under Kenyatta's presidency, and the associated access to lucrative local budgets and high official salaries, has sparked intense interest in the local contests. Last month's primaries for those seats, in which voters chose party candidates, were marred by violence, claims of rigging and cancelled ballots. Record numbers of candidates who failed to secure party tickets have also rushed to register as independents. Among the 62 charged were one sitting lawmaker and a candidate for the governorship of one of the country's 47 local authorities, the director of public prosecutions (DPP) said in a statement. Political parties are due to hand over the names of their candidates to the electoral commission by May 10, and the DPP said it would work to ensure "a secure environment for a free and peaceful election". Kenya's last elections in 2013 were largely trouble-free. But the country is still haunted by the two months of violence that followed a disputed presidential poll in 2007, when political protests degenerated into ethnic bloodletting. More than 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 fled their homes. (Reporting by George Obulutsa; editing by John Stonestreet) By Andy Home LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) - "This is not a China-phobic program, this has to do with a global problem." That was how U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross described the latest investigation into his country's aluminium imports. This one has been launched under Section 232(b) of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which lets a president act against imports on national security grounds. It follows hot on the heels of a similar Section 232 probe into U.S. imports of steel. Although a Section 232 investigation is explicitly not supposed to be a substitute for trade complaints and despite Ross's assurances it's not about China, it's hard to see this latest manoeuvre as anything other than exactly that. Namely, another turn of the screw on the Chinese authorities to do something about the country's overcapacity and its exports. As such, it overlays the current specific investigation into imports of Chinese foil and intertwines with a broader generic complaint about alleged subsidies to the Chinese aluminium sector lodged by the Obama administration with the World Trade Organization (WTO). How China responds to this mounting pressure is fast becoming the single most important question in the global aluminium supply chain. U.S. Imports of Primary Aluminium - top 10 suppliers: http://tmsnrt.rs/2p55b28 U.S. Imports of Plate, Sheet and Strip - top 10 suppliers: http://tmsnrt.rs/2p8lD2x ALL ABOUT IMPORTS...? The specific concerns behind this Section 232 investigation relate to the shrinkage of the U.S. aluminium smelter sector and its ability to produce enough metal to cover defence needs. The United States has only five operating smelters and only one, according to Ross, capable of producing sufficiently high-purity aluminium for use in items such as combat aircraft. As plants have closed, the country's imports of primary aluminium have risen from 3.2 million tonnes in 2013 to 4.3 million tonnes last year. The largest source of imported aluminium into the United States is Canada, unsurprising given its geographic proximity and a long shared aluminium history. Russia and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as increasingly significant sources of primary metal as historically important suppliers in Latin America closed capacity. China features very low on the list of U.S. primary imports, accounting for just 2,077 tonnes of last year's tally. Indeed, it's questionable whether China has sufficient high-purity production capability to feed its own military needs. If this were just about imports of primary aluminium, China would have nothing to worry about. ...OR ALL ABOUT CHINA? Except it's not. The steady decline in U.S. aluminium smelting is part of a broader retreat by just about every producing nation other than China, which has lifted its share of global aluminium production from around 25 percent a decade ago to in excess of 55 percent last year. The transmission mechanism for Chinese oversupply to affect other producers comes in the form of exports - not of primary metal, but of semi-manufactured products. Such exports have totalled more than 4 million tonnes in the last two years, serving in part to displace units from other producers. The U.S. import picture looks very different, for example, when it comes to aluminium plate, sheet and strip. On this basis China has been by some margin the largest-volume supplier to the U.S. market in recent years. Which is where this Section 232 investigation potentially dovetails with the WTO case. The underlying question behind both is how China has expanded its control of the global aluminium supply chain at the expense of others, first and foremost the United States. The charge in that WTO case is that it has done so through systemic subsidies of its aluminium sector. PREPARING TO TALK? China rejects all accusations of illegal subsidies. But it has clearly been rattled by the latest developments, both in aluminium and steel. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Sun Jiwen said the country was seriously concerned about the new aluminium investigation. The official China Daily newspaper reacted to the steel probe by warning against "unilateralism" and calling for the issue to be dealt with using the WTO dispute resolution process. And in many ways, the accumulation of U.S. investigations into aluminium imports can best be seen as preparation for some tough future negotiations. The Section 232 probe, in particular, injects a fast fuse into what would otherwise be a slow-burn affair at the WTO. But what will China bring to any aluminium trade talks in its defence? It would no doubt help China's negotiating position, if it could already demonstrate that it was trying to tackle overcapacity in its aluminium sector. This has been its stance on steel overcapacity and it looks likely that something very similar is going to be tried in aluminium. The market has been jolted by a succession of announcements by Beijing policymakers. First came the promise to close aluminium (and steel) capacity around Beijing over the winter heating season that runs from November to March. Then came the order to stop work on around 2 million tonnes of new aluminium smelter capacity in the northwestern province of Xinjiang. Most recently has come another directive, requiring every smelter to submit to a detailed audit to prove it is fully compliant with all planning and operational regulations. It seems highly probable that not all of the current operating capacity in China will pass that audit process. How much will close and how much will be shuttered over the next winter heating season are probably the hottest topics in the aluminium market right now. Even the threat of closures has turned the light metal's fortunes. This time last year, aluminium was trading below $1,600 per tonne and widely forecast to fall further. As of today, London aluminium is trading at $1,920 and widely expected to move higher. The difference is "supply-side" reform of the aluminium sector in China. Beijing has good domestic reasons, economic and environmental, to reform its domestic aluminium producers. But make no mistake. The real urgency to tackle the sector's problems has just been injected by the United States. (Editing by Dale Hudson) By Mathieu Rosemain and Gwenaelle Barzic PARIS, May 3 (Reuters) - Qatar has become media group Lagardere's top shareholder in terms of both share capital and voting rights as a result of a French law that favours long-term investors. Qatar Holding, part of the emirate's sovereign wealth fund, said on Wednesday that its Lagardere voting rights had risen to 16.7 percent, based on a share stake of about 13 percent. The Gulf state previously held close to 10 percent of the voting rights, while Lagardere's chief executive Arnaud Lagadere held 7.65 percent of its capital and 11.9 percent of voting rights at end of last year, a 2016 registration document showed. Qatar, which first invested in Lagardere in 2006, has been a staunch supporter of Arnaud Lagardere whose strategy for the company founded by his father has faced criticism from some shareholders. "The Lagardere group welcomes the trust placed in it by Qatar Holding LLC, known for being a demanding and long-term shareholder," a spokesman for Lagardere said in an email. France's 2014 "Florange" law, named after a closed steel plant, gives double voting rights to investors who register shares in their name and hold them for at least two years. Qatar said in its filing to French markets watchdog AMF that it could increase its stake further, but it had no plans to gain control of the company. It also said it was considering seeking representation on Lagardere's supervisory board and was eyeing strategic partnerships, reiterating options already laid out in previous filings. Lagardere, which will hold its annual shareholders' meeting on Thursday, has a limited partnership structure that gives the founding family near-absolute control and responsibility, even with a minority stake. The group reported in March a 13.5 percent increase in full-year core operating profit to 395 million euros ($431 million) on group revenue of 7.39 billion euros, up 2.5 percent on a like-for-like basis. Lagardere shares are up 7.75 percent so far this year, valuing the company at 3.7 billion euros. ($1 = 0.9168 euros) (Editing by Adrian Croft and Alexander Smith) By Emma Farge DAKAR, May 2 (Reuters) - West African countries have detained seven Chinese ships for fishing illegally and the boats' owners could be subject to millions of dollars in fines, environmental group Greenpeace and government officials said. Inspectors from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau boarded the ships off their coasts that they found to be violating regulations on catching protected fish and using nets with small holes to facilitate bigger hauls. The arrests came after a two-month regional patrol on a Greenpeace ship, the Esperanza, that carried inspectors from the West African countries in a bid to supplement national efforts often hamstrung by budget and technology constraints. "This is a surprisingly high amount of arrests, especially considering that the vessels knew about our patrols in advance," Greenpeace's Pavel Klinckhamers said on Tuesday. West Africa has some of the richest waters in the world, but stocks are being depleted as industrial trawlers, some operating illegally, comb the oceans from the seabed to the surface, Greenpeace says. A study in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science estimated West Africa's annual losses from illegal and unregulated fishing at $2.3 billion. The Esperanza patrol found 11 vessels in breach of regulations out of 37 stopped, and reported the breaches to local authorities, who towed them back to port. Some of the ships were released after fines were paid. Others remain under investigation. Two other foreign vessels were found to be non-compliant, including a European ship with shark fins aboard, and further investigations are under way, Greenpeace said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China consistently opposes all forms of illegal fishing, and demands that firms operate legally and protect the maritime environment. "China hopes that the relevant countries can enforce the law in a civilised manner, handle it in accordance with the law and protect the legal rights of the relevant Chinese companies and their employees," Geng said. An EU official in Dakar was not immediately available for comment. The EU, which imports around 874 million euros ($954 million) of fish products each year from West Africa, is subject to fishing quotas and pays compensation to local governments. It has also provided funding to crack down on illegal fishing. Guinea's fishing minister, Andre Loua, confirmed the detentions and added that it needed more money and boats to effectively control illegal fishing. Sierra Leone Minister of Information Mohamed Bangura said three Chinese vessels had been detained and fines paid, without giving details. A Guinea-Bissau fishing official said fines were still being negotiated for some of the seized vessels. ($1 = 0.9164 euros) (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing, Saliou Samb in Conakry, Umaru Fofana in Freetown and Alberto Dabo in Bissau; editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Robin Pomeroy) By Bryn Stole BATON ROUGE, La., May 3 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors said on Wednesday they would not charge two Louisiana police officers in the fatal shooting of a black man last summer, prompting family members of the slain man to call for a state investigation. The death of Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge, the state capital, was one in a series of racially charged police killings that inflamed a national debate over treatment of minorities, and especially young black men, by law enforcement. The July 5, 2016 shooting prompted nationwide protests including a demonstration two days later in Dallas at which five law enforcement officers were fatally shot by an African-American former U.S. serviceman. As of nightfall on Wednesday, the streets of Baton Rouge were quiet, with a few protesters gathering under intermittent rain. In announcing the decision not to file federal charges against officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson told reporters in Baton Rouge there was "insufficient" evidence to prove civil rights violations. Amundson said investigators could not determine whether Sterling was reaching for a gun at the time he was shot. Members of Sterling's family, in a simultaneous news conference, called on Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to pursue state criminal charges against the officers. "Open up your heart, your eyes, and give us the justice that we deserve," said Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Sterling's oldest son, fighting back tears. Lawyers for the family said U.S. officials told them Salamoni was recorded on video threatening to kill Sterling less than 90 seconds before firing the fatal shots. A lengthy summary of the Justice Department's findings released on Wednesday did not include that detail. Landry warned that a state investigation, which was delayed to allow the federal probe to proceed, "could take a considerable amount of time." The decision not to charge the two officers by the U.S. Department of Justice came amid scrutiny of how aggressively President Donald Trump's administration will seek to hold police officers accountable in such situations. Both Trump and his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, have criticized the Obama administration, saying it targeted police unfairly in civil rights investigations. Sessions is still responsible for deciding whether to bring charges in other high-profile police killings, including the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York and the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland that same year. The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union's state chapter, Marjorie Esman, however, said the decision was consistent with the Obama administration's approach in similar cases, given the high legal standard in federal civil rights cases. Wednesday's events came a day after a white former South Carolina officer pleaded guilty in the 2015 shooting of an unarmed black man and a Texas officer was fired for shooting an unarmed 15-year-old boy on Saturday. Sterling was shot outside a convenience store after a resident reported he had been threatened by a black man selling CDs. Officers said that Sterling was attempting to pull a loaded gun out of his pocket when Salamoni opened fire, according to the Justice Department summary. The two officers are on paid administrative leave pending an internal police investigation. Salamoni's attorney, John McLindon, said he expects the state will come to the same conclusion as the federal probe. "Theres not going to be any finding of any criminal conduct," McLindon said by phone Wednesday evening. Lake's lawyer, Fred Crifasi, said the officer was relieved by the Justice Department's decision but would not comment further. (Additional reporting by Dan Trotta and Gina Cherelus in New York, Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Letitia Stein in Tampa; Writing by Joseph Ax and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis) HAVANA, May 3 (Reuters) - With Cuban President Raul Castro set to step down next year, his daughter Mariela Castro said on Wednesday she would never want to be a contender for the presidency. Raul, 85, who took the reins from his older brother, the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, has said he will step down in February 2018 at the end of a second five-year term. His heir apparent is Cuba's First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, 57, and experts say the latter would have to stumble badly for someone else to leapfrog him in Cuba's arcane system for choosing its leader. Still, speculation there could be other candidates is rife on the Communist-ruled island. Mariela Castro, 54, a lawmaker and director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX), was evasive when asked about the issue at a CENESEX news conference. "The men and women of the people of Cuba are candidates," she told reporters. "I don't say: 'We are,' because I will never let myself be nominated for such a big task." "Sometimes, you orientate yourself one way and then suddenly, you look over there, and you say: 'How interesting is this person whom I hadn't checked out before,'" she said. "There are always surprises." (Reporting by Sarah Marsh and Nelson Acosta, editing by G Crosse) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today the Cabinet had not taken any decision to set up a special army unit and that the President was the head of the security forces according to the law. He said this in response to a question asked by JVP MP Vijitha Herath on the controversy over the appointment of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka as a head of the security forces. "Field Marshal Fonseka has experience working as an army commander. The President and myself have admired his contribution both in the Cabinet and outside. We do not intend setting up any special army unit. We use the security forces only to safeguard the country's sovereignty and security," the Prime Minister said. MP Herath said Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne had categorically stated that the President had requested SF to take up a post in the security forces. The Prime Minister said he could not reveal what was discussed at the Cabinet meeting except the decisions taken by it. He said Minister Senaratne would explain to parliament what he said at the Cabinet briefing and added that the government's attention was only focused how to maintain essential services without interruption or disruption. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera) In the absence of parental care, siblings often become the most important people in each others lives... The most cherished memories that are often treasured are those that lie within ones childhood. Reminiscing and reliving the moments spent amongst laughter and happiness with family is a common pleasantry that the best of us may be charged guilty of. But not everyone holds the fortune of experiencing a happy childhood. Childhood treating them cruelly, from a very young age a handful of children are orphaned due to the demise of parents, abandonment by parents, poverty or disharmony at home which may include domestic violence, alcoholism and land disputes. That is where SOS childrens villages Sri Lanka (SOS CVSL) steps in. Established in May 1980, under the agreement of SOS Kinderdorf International and the Ministry of Social Services, government of Sri Lanka, SOS CVSL is committed to the welfare of these children who are orphaned, abandoned or neglected and deprived of a happy childhood, giving these children the opportunity to build lasting relationships with a loving family by placing them in homes that are part of an actual village in a family-based long term care with individualized attention, helping them to shape their own futures. Currently there are 6 SOS villages in the country and around 40 other SOS projects being managed. SOS CVSL supports children and adolescents by providing day care, education, vocational training opportunities and medical services. Through their most valued family strengthening programme, SOS CVSL provides direct support, education and counseling to families experiencing hardships, so that parents can cope up with their burdens and the ultimate goal being that the children continue to grow up in their own families, preventing the misfortune of these children losing parental care and thus leading to the worst case scenario i.e. institutionalization. Their vision is that every child belongs to a family and should grow with love, respect and security. Their mission is to build families for children in need, to help them shape their future and share in the development of their communities. Children whose families cannot take care of them can find a loving home in one of the SOS families. Sibling relationships are emotionally powerful and to be separated with siblings, the only bridge to the natural families of these children in need, can add to the trauma that they undergo through the separation with their parents prolonging their distress. In the absence of parental care, siblings often become the most important people in each others lives Hence in the efforts of avoiding such emotional upheaval, keeping siblings together was initiated under never give up on a child advocacy programme of SOS CVSL which can be regarded as yet another endeavor by SOS village in ensuring the best interests of the child. To shed more light on the initiative, keeping siblings together for public awareness, the Daily Mirror spoke to Ms. Chathuri Jayasooriya, national advisor-advocacy, SOS CVSL.There is no smoke without fire and when asked what led to the initiation of keeping siblings together she related a heartfelt tale that dated back to November 2014. The Juvenile Courts in Battaramulla gave an order for a child to be given in adoption where the child concerned was one of a pair of twins who were living at SOS CV Piliyandala. The child was 11 years old and did not wish to be adopted by being separated from his siblings, yet in April 2016 the relevant District Court Judge gave an interim order for the adoption regardless, claiming it to be in the best interest of the child, violating both the law and the rights of the child. The children were greatly affected emotionally following the adoption process as they did not want to be separated. The child didnt settle down with the adoptive parents. This caused distress not only to the separated sibling but also to the adoptive parents as well and finally the child was reunited with his siblings and the SOS family in August 2016 as he was unable to adapt to the new family. Ms.Jayasooriya described the moment of the twins reunion as a heart-rending moment. She further pointed out that the only biological link that these children have in the absence of parental care is with their siblings and separation can cause immense emotional dilemma on the children. The importance of the bond between siblings is strongly highlighted through what a child from SOS CVSL had to say regarding this matter. It is such a blessing that I get to live with my elder sister. We have a strong bond between us. I wont be able to bear it if I ever have to send her to a different place. I wont be able to express that pain with words. If something like that happens,either I will go with her or I will find her somehow.We can never be away from each other.And so the initiative keeping siblings together was born. According to the UN guidelines of 2010, the UN provisions articulate that, siblings with existing bonds should in principle not be separated by placements in alternative care unless there is a clear risk of abuse or other justification in the best interests of the child. It is further stipulated that every effort should be made to enable siblings to maintain contact with each other, unless this is against their wishes or interests. The issue of sibling separation has also been addressed by the national child protection authority in the draft, guidelines and standards for child care institution in Sri Lanka (2013) which states, Priority should be given to children with siblings when allocating them to institutions and efforts should be made to keep the family intact as far as possible. But this issue has not been addressed in any of the key laws and policies pertaining to alternative care of children ordinance and the orphanage ordinance. Miss. Chathuri remarked on this by saying, However the above guidelines are not commonly known, referred or adhered to by child care institutions or relevant government officials including some probation officers and judges, who routinely separate siblings owing to current practice.The advocacy programme, keeping siblings together has also developed a policy brief which includes recommendations pertaining to this matter which has already been presented to the government and civil society stakeholders which has been received positively, and is to be extended shortly to the public and child care institution owners, managers and caregivers. It has also been stated that SOS CVSL is lobbying with the ministry of women and child affairs for a circular to be issued in order to solidify the efforts of keeping siblings together. The circular is expected to be issued to all relevant stakeholders including law enforcement authorities.SOS CVSL is also lobbying with the provincial commissioner to issue circulars and incorporate it into existing provincial laws and policies. However, Miss. Jayasooriya stresses on the fact that all their hard work will come out meaningless without the infrastructure and the resource basis to implement them. Although as a country we still do not have sufficient infrastructure to accommodate the siblings, especially sisters and brothers, together in the same child care institution except SOS CVSL and a few others. This circular is expected to raise awareness among relevant authorities on prevention of possible sibling separations until such facilities are made available island wide. Siblings placed in alternative care are separated primarily on the basis of gender. Only 19% of the child care institutions accommodate both girls and boys while some of them admit both genders only up to a certain age due to cultural and systematic issues. The govt should take measures and invest resources as there is a resource issue that exist within children homes and the accommodation of both boys and girls is not possible. I am only requesting the renovation of existing homes to accommodate siblings of both genders, improving the facilities as well as the capacity of caregivers in at least one chosen child care institution in each district to accommodate and care for natural siblings of both genders. Ms. Jayasooriya noted that the heads of both the NCPA and the National Department of Probation and Child Care Services (DPCCS) have agreed to this proposal and they are currently continuing discussions in this regard to explore ways in which this can be done practically. Sri Lanka celebrated the International Labour Day on May 1 and all major political parties held rallies to mark it. Despite the massive crowds that attended these rallies, they offered very little to labourers and workers as the emphasis was either on regaining the lost power or maintaining the already acquired political power. Labour Days in Sri Lanka have been long hijacked by political parties. The picture shows a labourer in Colombo, who literally had no importance in the Sri Lankan Labour Day context (AFP Photo) Sri Lankas premier trade chamber, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), yesterday called on the government to launch a targeted and accelerated programme to support the sectors capable of expanding their exports to the European Union (EU) in the wake of the countrys prospects for regaining the GSP Plus trade concession remain high. This can range from funds for technology upgrading and innovation, targeted support for market development, addressing labour shortages and fast-tracking approvals and certifications. The governments trade and export agencies, together with the exporter community, can collectively embark on a focused competitiveness programme, using the GSP Plus period as breathing space rather than a comfort zone, the CCC said in a statement. The trade chamber also stressed that since the country approaches the upper-middle-income status and will thereafter not be eligible for GSP Plus, building export competitiveness beyond the GSP Plus concession is crucial. However, the CCC said it is encouraged by the prospects of regaining the GSP Plus trade preferences and is hopeful that the final vote at the EU Council of Ministers on May 15 would be favourable to Sri Lanka. The granting of GSP Plus to Sri Lanka once again will have a significant positive impact on the countrys exports to the European Union. It comes at a good time for the country as overall exports have been flagging and has affected the countrys external payments position, the CCC said. The trade chamber commended the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Commerce Department, which were instrumental in this victory. The process that led up to this vote was no doubt arduous but has reiterated the importance of international diplomatic engagement for Sri Lanka, the CCC noted. Regaining GSP Plus at this time is welcome also because the EU economies are showing signs of economic recovery, which would hopefully improve the demand condition in the key European markets. Apparels, fresh and processed food products, seafood, toys, ceramics and porcelain are some of the sectors that will benefit from the additional tariff concession under GSP Plus. Given that, most orders have already been finalized for the year 2017, the real boost is likely to be seen from 2018. Nevertheless, several chamber member companies have noted that they are already in contact with the EU buyers who are keen to place new orders as soon as GSP Plus is reinstated. Rajitha, John clash at Cabinet JO basks in May Day glory Foreign Missions watchful of developments in SL SL commits to initiate time-bound action to implement projects with India MoU modified in New Delhi, outlines a number of projects to be executed Confusion reigned within the government regarding the proposal to appoint Minister Sarath Fonseka, the one-time tough, battle-hardened Army Commander to deal with the emergency situation arising due to trade union actions. It evoked a provocative response from the trade union leaders. Let alone, the govt ministers started taking on each other on the matter, with some denying the veracity of this proposal and the others vouching for its accuracy. It puzzled people being unable to understand who was telling the truth. Of such infighting, the bitterest emerged between Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne who, as the Cabinet Spokesman announced such a move to the press and Labour and Trade Union Relations Minister John Seneviratne, who not only denied it but also asked the former to make his utterances responsibly at the weekly Cabinet meetings. Infuriated by the latters response, Dr. Senaratne unleashed a verbal barrage against his Cabinet colleague. Miffed by such slandering, Minister Seneviratne complained about it at Tuesdays Cabinet meeting in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena. This led to a kind of showdown between the two. During the height of tense cross talks, Dr. Senaratne even called Minister Seneviratne a boot licker of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Minister Seneviratne retorted saying if he were a boot licker, all the others who served in the Rajapaksa governments Cabinet could be labelled so. He would have intended to say so because Dr. Senaratne was also a Cabinet Minister in the MR government. Finally, the President intervened and apologized to Minister Seneviratne over what had happened. Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera looked concerned about the Cabinet Ministers taking on each other. So to speak, he suggested that all should stop this and forge ahead amicably in the greater interest. The President sounded serious about this suggestion as he pledged to call for a meeting next week between the two parties - the UNP and the SLFP to discuss differences among the ministers. The news about the proposal involving Minister Fonseka came about, ahead of May Day. Therefore, it was not a decision timed well because of the scope for its interpretation that the government was bracing for repression of trade union activities. In fact, the trade unions, mostly affiliated to the political parties such as the JVP, scorned the proposal and vowed to leave no stone unturned in thwarting the implementation of it. It helped the political parties, oppositional to the govt, to solicit the support of workers and form public opinion against it. In fact, the Cabinet spokesman announced this after the strike by petroleum workers who crippled fuel distribution of the country. It was a strike action against the proposed plan to lease out the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm to Lanka Indian Oil Company (IOC). The govt has a lot of such projects involving foreign investment up its sleeve. The snowballing of trade union activities would hamstring the smooth channelling of those projects; and as such, the govt may be contemplating a move to pre-empt such an eventuality. This proposal, if meant seriously, could be viewed as a warning signal to those planning strike actions. May Day was conducted this time in the backdrop of such developments in the country. Rather than focusing on workers rights, May Day served as an occasion for the respective political parties and formations to display their political might and crowd pulling strengths. JO basks in May Day glory Of the rallies, the Joint Oppositions May Day rally was the much-talked about one this time. Galle Face Green is a large area for a political rally to be conducted. The JO, led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa asked for this ground. The government readily agreed to it. Most view that the govt granted it in the hope that the JO would fail in filling up the massive ground with people. Failure in this regard would amount to a political setback. Though the JO asked for it, it was also apprehensive initially whether it could accomplish the task. Finally, it managed to fill the ground, somehow or the other. Today, the JO is basking in the glory of its success. Former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa played the pivotal role in bringing such large crowds in buses, trains and private vehicles to the city. In the aftermath of this rally, the JO anticipates two responses from the govt. On the one hand, the govt may intensify its action to neutralize the JO. Or else, it would remain silent given the public following the JO has. Actually, Health Minister Senaratne, in his address on the UNP May Day rally, urged strong action against the Rajapaksas. So did Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka. While these govt politicians demand stern action against the Rajapaksas, some leaders of the JO advocate continual mass demonstrations, laying siege to the capital, to force the govt to step down. Party leaders Wimal Weerawansa and Vasudeva Nanayakkara made remarks to this effect. If the two sides take such extreme ends, nothing but turmoil would erupt in the country. Foreign Missions watchful of developments According to diplomatic sources, the foreign missions in Colombo are watchful of political developments in Sri Lanka. China, a country seeking major investment in Sri Lanka is perturbed over policy inconsistency in Sri Lanka. India is equally concerned since the ground situation is becoming unfavourable. SL commits to initiate time-bound action to implement projects with India India had issues with the previous govt due to some measures which, India believed, were detrimental to its security interests. It is widely believed here that the role India played in unseating the previous regime. Developments, that happened after the installation of the new govtt, gave credence to such analysis. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a state visit to Sri Lanka in March, 2016, just two months after the new government assumed office. He is coming for the second time on May 11 in view of UN Vesak Day celebrations in the country. During his 2015 visit, he remarked that the world saw India as the new frontier of economic opportunity. But, our neighbours should have the first claim on India. And I again repeat, the first claim on India is of our neighbours of Sri Lanka. India and Sri Lanka are too close to look away from each other. Nor can we be insulated from one another. We have to ensure that our proximity always translates into closeness. I also assure you of India`s full commitment to development partnership with Sri Lanka. We see this as a responsibility of a friend and neighbour. Sri Lanka is a leader in advancing cooperation in South Asia. And, it is important for the future of the Indian Ocean Region. Sri Lanka`s progress and prosperity is also a source of strength for India. So, Sri Lanka`s success is of great significance to India, he said at the time. This seems to be the line of thinking behind the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries recently. MoU modified in New Delhi, outlines a number of projects to be executed The projects mentioned in the MoU are; Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fired 500 megawatt capacity LNG Power Plant, for which GoSL will issue a Letter of Intent to GoI or to GoI representative by end May 2017. An LNG Terminal/Floating Storage Re-gasification Unit (FSRU) in Kerawalapitiya, in the Colombo suburb; a piped gas distribution system; retail outlets for supply of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to the transportation sector; and conversion of liquid fuel-based power plants to R-LNG fired power plants in Sri Lanka. GoSL will issue a Letter of Intent for the FSRU and the LNG package to GoI by mid May 2017. For the LNG Terminal/FSRU in Kerawalapitiya, a Joint Venture will be formed among entities of Sri Lanka, India and Japan. For which, modalities would be worked out by end July 2017. A Joint Working Group (JWG) would be constituted and would meet in the first half of May 2017. GoI would submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to GoSL by end August 2017 on the piped gas distribution system and retail outlets for supply of CNG to the transportation sector. A U.S. antimissile defence system recently installed in South Korea is now operational, a U.S. official said Monday, in the latest sign of an enhanced U.S. response to threats from North Korea. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss military operations overseas, said the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, an American-made system to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles, had reached initial operating capability. The U.S. militarys installation of the THAAD battery in South Korea has been hotly contested. China considers the system a threat to its own security, while critics in South Korea allege that the United States is scrambling to set up the system before that country can hold a presidential election that might lead to a decision to halt its use altogether. The scrutiny of the THAAD installation, which has been under discussion with Seoul for years, reflects heightened tensions over North Koreas ballistic missile and nuclear programmes. Today the THAAD system has taken on new urgency for the United States as South Korea approaches its May 9 election. The leading candidate in that race has said he would review the previous governments acceptance of THAAD. Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trumps national security adviser, suggested Sunday that the United States might in the future ask South Korea to reimburse the United States for at least some of the THAAD system. - The Washington Post The Court of Appeal today ruled that MP Geetha Kumarasinghe was disqualified to be a Member of Parliament as she holds dual citizenship. The Attorney General had earlier informed the Court of Appeal that MP Geetha Kumarasinghe was still a citizen of Switzerland and according to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, a person who has dual citizenship cannot be an MP. Deputy Solicitor General Janak De Silva had informed Court that, according to clause 91(1) of the Constitution, she was not entitled to Parliamentary privileges and could not be a Member of Parliament. Video by Courts Prasanna Related articles The European Union (EU)-Sri Lanka Investor Dialogue meeting was held at the Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry yesterday. This meeting was chaired by Minister Malik Samarawickrama. EU Ambassador Tung Lai Margue, Ambassador Delegation of the EU to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, high officials from the ministries and departments participated in this meeting. The Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (EASL) yesterday welcomed the efforts of the government to secure the vote from the EU parliament to regain GSP Plus tariff concessions for Sri Lanka exports entering the European Union. EASL said once the concession is fully in place, Sri Lankan exporters can look forward to being in a position to be more competitive, thus reviving markets and capturing new export opportunities. Exporters of apparel, fish and seafood, ceramics, spices, fruits and vegetables and floriculture in particular, will be able to increase their exports to the EU and enhance forex earnings, EASL said. The European Parliament recently voted in favour of Sri Lankas readmission to GSP Plus. However, the final decision by the European Parliament on granting GSP Plus to Sri Lanka is expected to be taken on May 15. MP Geetha Kumarasinghe said today she would file a case in the Supreme Court against the Appeal Courts ruling which deprived her from her seat in Parliament. The Court of Appeal today ruled that Ms. Kumarasinghe was disqualified to be a Member of Parliament on the basis that she holds dual citizenship. She said she hoped to continue as an MP until a decision was given by the Supreme Court following her petition. Im not criticizing the court ruling but I regret it. I hope justice will prevail one day. I will seek further judicial assistance in this regard, she told Daily Mirror. (Darshana Sanjeewa) The GSP+ going through is no doubt a big victory for Sri Lanka, given the many challenges the government has been facing in the last few months and the negativity surrounding it. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe needs to be congratulated for his efforts to restore the GSP+. Those responsible for managing exports now need to get on with it. It was less than 30 months ago when many right-thinking people watched with alarm and disappointment the steady decline in the moral values of our nation with politics for material benefits overtaking our cherished values. The breakdown of our religious values, traditions and culture, the level of politicization of the public administration reached new heights, which led to nepotism, bribery and corruption never seen before in our history. The election of President Maithripala Sirisena gave Sri Lanka an opportunity for real change. Many people hailed the election of Sirisena as a victory for liberty, justice and democracy, as against autocracy and nepotism. The new government went out of the way to protect the newfound political and social freedom the only major hiccup being the bond controversy. We, Sri Lankans, unfortunately have very short memories and have no patience. Many want the government to deliver like yesterday. Many people are slowly getting disillusioned with the style of governance, largely because the government has done very little to educate the public about the challenges the government is facing and the negativism largely driven by inaction and some people in authority not knowing what their roles and responsibilities are in the administration. As a result, to the diehard supporters of Yahapalanaya, these are days of fading hope and overwhelming despair and those who toiled hard for the Yahapalanaya are slowly giving up and many of them are openly venting their frustration on social media. Therefore, it is important that the people, who have put their future in the government, are not let down by an underperforming government and thereby undermine the January 8 mandate. Moreover, people are now lamenting the government has no backbone to deal with emergencies. Therefore, Sirisenas move to bring back the former army chief, Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka, to overlook the military at a political leadership level in order to bring discipline to the country, is a move in the right direction. The prime minister and president have demonstrated the benefits of cohabitation. Reinventing government Post 2015, the executive presidency in Sri Lanka was strengthened by the dictatorial powers added on by the 18th Amendment. As a result, the entire state administrative machinery of the country in all aspects of functioning was politicized beyond redemption. The 18th Amendment not only led to a gradual and systematic destruction of liberty and democracy but also destabilized the economy by creating an opportunity for corruption and free spending of public money without accountability, destroying the very social fabric of our society. The Sirisena government passed the 19th Amendment in record time and that paved the way to establish law and order and an independent public service. The promise to establish an accountable parliamentary system, strengthening democracy with accountability and transparency, was delivered after August 18, 2015. In addition, the government worked tirelessly to restore human values, human rights, rule of law, decency and economic freedom. The question now is has the government gone overboard and created a culture of indiscipline and lethargy? The general view is the government needs a rapid and major course correction. They need to learn from the US elections last year. The lessons: stop taking party and progressive voters for granted and make challenging the status quo a top priority. Need for change People see the government policies are not change but a continuation of the past. Rather than challenging the cronies and poorly performing public servants, the government is seen to be rewarding them. Priorities for the government should be debt management, healthcare, housing and jobs. The United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) should not take their voter base for granted assuming they have nowhere else to go. They will pay a hefty price and the price will get higher if they do not learn the obvious lessons: excite your base, challenge the bureaucracy and business and demonstrate the change in direction by remaking the government. The government needs to reach outside to get a clear reading of the mood of the country. From most of their appointees they will not hear the right message. It is time to clean the house, restart and set a new direction more consistent with the presidents promise to change the way the government operates and delivers on the promises made. If the president and prime minister want to really bring hope and change, they need to become progressive populists. Way forward The government in the remaining three years need to ensure steady and balanced economic growth within a conducive environment that will help to create new job opportunities, develop agriculture, industry and reposition our education and skills development effort. Housing for the homeless and empowerment of the socially marginalized and disabled including war victims should also be priority concerns. Creating a conducive climate to do business and to rebuild business confidence amongst investors, both locally and internationally must be a top priority. By continuing to depoliticize the system a lot of the demotivated business leaders can be rejuvenated and re-energized. The stock exchange must be supported to ensure the exchange attracts genuine investors and also provide opportunities for a broader group of investors to benefit by investing in the stock exchange. To ensure this, the government should only act as a facilitator and that requires better regulation and governance. Therefore, the message that is required is that business will only be done by the private sector and the government will provide a level playing field and provide long-term investment-friendly policies that will benefit all businesses, irrespective of their affiliations. Therefore, many regulations and tax and fee structures that are perceived as a deterrent to investment and doing business must be removed via a consultative process between the public and private sectors. Special emphasis also needs to be given to the welfare of the weak, disabled, elderly and unemployed, as well as environmental conservation. However, to do this, it is important that people with the right competence and credibility are appointed to key government positions; the mistakes of the past should be avoided. Those secretaries and heads of public institutions who have failed miserably must be removed immediately after an objective performance assessment (survey results of non-performing state institutions are readily available on the web). The government today is on the wrong side of a battle between certain government cronies and voters. In the final analysis, the government is going to have to make decisions fast to set a new direction for the administration or will continue to be seen as a weak and unsuccessful government. The two leaders need to a) challenge the administration head on and also the ministers without wasting any more time, b) rally the people who put them into office and ensure real reform to get on the side of the people once again. Both leaders have the capability and the will to change course to deliver a performance-oriented government. (Dinesh Weerakkody is a thought leader) Transitional Justice refers to the set of judicial and non-judicial measures that are implemented in countries which are coming out of a period of armed conflict, or state repression, and are in transition to a state of peace and good governance. Transitional justice is the process through which It is sought to redress the wrongs done, to make reparations and bring about reconciliation and non recurrence. This process includes institutional reform of those institutions which have been involved in or unable to prevent abuses, truth commissions, criminal prosecutions and reparation programs. It is eight long years after the war and the question arises as to how far these processes if any have been implemented in our country. Every time a Geneva session of the UNHRC takes place attention is focused on the UNHRC Resolutions 30/1 of 2015/ & 2017, and particularly on the accountability process. The Tamil political lobby concentrates on this aspect and expects the international community to be their fairy godmothers, the Government looks on the Geneva sessions as an occasion for crisis management with sweet talk, and once a period of deferment is obtained it goes into a state of lethargy till the next sessions of the Council. Neither side (appears to) see the need to engage with and communicate the larger picture to the citizens of the country and enlist their commitment towards doing away with a culture of impunity and reasserting our cultural values of compassion and right conduct. Thus far the only subject which has been hotly debated/contested is the question of whether or not foreign judges should sit alongside local judges on the domestic tribunals/special courts, which would be constituted. But there is no information available in the public domain on preparation or discussion on the setting up of these courts and how they will function, nor the other aspects of Transitional justice namely reparation, truth seeking and ensuring non recurrence. To commence on the Accountability process, we will need legislative measures and the incorporation into national law of the Geneva Conventions, as well as crimes under international law. For example use of civilian populations as a human shield or intentionally directing attacks on civilian objects including hospitals which are not per se offences under Sri Lankan law. In the case of offences such as extra judicial killings or enforced disappearances, the prosecutor would have to rely on ordinary penal offences such as murder or kidnapping, which do not reflect the gravity of such crimes. Moreover, when such crimes are not incorporated into national law, establishing command responsibility or joint criminal enterprise is not possible. An example from another small Asian country is of some relevance. In East Timor, (now known as Timor Leste) after the armed struggle for independence between the Timorese insurgents and the Indonesian Army, special criminal tribunals were established both in East Timor and Indonesia. As a consequence, the new Penal Code of East Timor includes a detailed section on war crimes and crimes against humanity. In 2009, the Timorese Parliament passed a resolution emphasizing the need to ensure reparations to victims. These are examples we can follow. The matter of reparations has not been adequately dealt with in the Sri Lankan context. Those civilians whose properties have been damaged, destroyed, sequestered as well as those civilians who have been disabled or suffered injuries and there are a large number of them, have not received compensation/reparations. The family members of the disappeared would also have to receive compensation, at least in those cases where it was proved through evidence collected by the Disappearances Commission (also called the Paranagama Commission) and the LLRC which are already available which can be complimented where needed by the long awaited OMP when it is finally established, that the disappearances were caused by state and non state actors as a consequence of the conflict. So while the setting up of the Office of Missing Persons (yet to be made operational) is a step in the right direction it will also involve setting up alongside it an Office of Reparations. Reparations though primarily monetary must also take the form of guaranteeing of employment and livelihood opportunities, educational support mechanisms for children inclusive of transport for schooling. In lands which are returned where the homes have been destroyed and wells filled up, help to rebuild these abodes and facilities. These measures would make reparation more meaningful to the affected communities. The UNHRC Resolution 30/1 also refers to the need for institutional reform. These too have to be undertaken not just in the context of Transitional justice but also in the interests of good governance in the country. The International Commission of Jurists which conducted a workshop with lawyers in Colombo recently (November 2016) has submitted a synopsis of its findings which gave recommendations for legal reforms and identified the strategies for making such reforms. They have pinpointed the Attorney Generals Department, Police Department and the Judiciary. The findings stress the need to increase the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and provide support and resources for legal research and specialized courts for specialized areas, so that the judges sitting in those courts are specialized in those areas of the law. Also provision of better language and translation facilities in the courts so that suspects and defendants can have proceedings communicated to them in their own language. They also advocate strengthening the criminal justice system by allowing greater public oversight of legislative initiatives and greater inclusion of civil society in the drafting process. An example is the Witness Protection Act which would have improved with such oversight. These are all matters which the reconciliation bodies within the government and the Tamil Political lobby, could address themselves to, and help towards the implementation of the Transitional justice process, namely truth, justice, reparations and non recurrence. Politicians too can help to build positive public opinion keeping in mind the larger interests of good governance in the country which requires that the culture of impunity be eradicated. Transitional justice, if correctly implemented, would make citizens of the country of all communities have confidence in the criminal justice system and the impartiality of the governing authorities. Hence making the legal and institutional changes required, remedying the abuses and wrongs suffered and enforcing the rule of law will make for non-recurrence and peaceful resolution of the countrys issues without the need for external interference. The name Atlas, conjures much nostalgia, many memories and so much love amongst young and not so young homes, schools, offices and communities across Sri Lanka. Many successful professionals and entrepreneurs look back in life to acknowledge that Atlas played a critical and inspirational role in their journey of success. It is therefore a fitting accolade that Atlas, the market leader in school and office stationery in Sri Lanka, has been conferred with the honour of being ranked No. 1 as Sri Lankas Most Loved Brand amongst a plethora of brands across multiple categories in 2017. This ranking and compilation was based on a research carried out by Brand Finance and presented by Media Services, publisher of the business magazine LMD. As stated in the LMD The research study involved 1700 respondents in Colombo and Gampaha and the survey was conducted in October and November 2016. We are simply thrilled and overwhelmed by this honour, said Muhammad Hamza commenting on this achievement. He also went on to say that all we have achieved is as a result of children, mothers and the people of Sri Lanka who have chosen to use Atlas everyday. We are equally aware of the responsibility and accountability we carry to continue to delight and nurture success in all spheres of life. It is an honour and we are humbled by the people who have chosen us to be the No. 1 Most Loved Brand. Atlas has continued to build on its strong equity, design-centered portfolio of products and relentless pursuit of quality to climb from no. 21 in rankings in 2015 to no 4 in 2016 and to reach the top at No. 1 in 2017. Atlas is the only stationary company within the first 50 ranks, and it is the only brand in the top 10 ranked brands to climb up in the ratings from last year to this year. The brand which began close to 60 years ago with a simple pencil, has grown to be present across many sub categories from books, pens, pencils, colour pencils, pastels, clay, glue, water bottles, lunch boxes, back packs, office stationery, sporting items and markers with a portfolio of over 350 products. Each product is designed with care to ensure in use delight and maximum performance. The brand is nurtured by a group of passionate professionals who believe in democratizing fun and design, and go to much length to ensure the brand continues to inspire creativity and innovation amongst all who use the brand, providing them necessary and fun tools for success in life. Atlas believes in nurturing holistic individuals and seeks always to innovate by adapting to changing consumer lifestyles and environment. The brand has been able to win the hearts and minds of users across all social strata and age groups as it weaves the magic of creativity and fun through colours and products that allow everyone to have a better life and a greater opportunity to be successful in their chosen careers and walks of life. For over five decades, Atlas has been committed to providing the highest quality stationery products, combining cutting edge technology with the highest levels of quality and innovation to deliver superior products that enhance the learning experience. As a reputed brand, the cornerstone of our success has been our customer centric approach, which gives us the insight to move forward. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to address Tamils of Indian Origin at the Norwood town in Nuwara-Eliya and hold discussions with the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPP) during his visit to Sri Lanka for the UN Vesak celebrations, PP MP Mylvaganam Tilakarajah said yesterday. The Nuwara-Eliya District has a concentration of Tamils of Indian Origin with five members from two different political parties representing them in Parliament. Their vote was crucial at the 2015 presidential election which was won by Presidential Maithripala Sirisena. Mr. Modi will arrive in the country next week and during his short stay, he will also participate in a function to mark the opening of a hospital in Dickoya built with financial assistance from India. India has funded numerous projects for the benefit of people of Indian origin living in the upcountry. (Kelum Bandara) Sri Lanka has been given a fresh opportunity to showcase its investment and export portfolios to the emerging markets as well as the huge Russian region through a premier global forum, dubbed as Russias Davos. St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is a unique event in the world of business and economics. We officially invite you to SPIEF 2017, said Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alexander Karchava yesterday in Colombo. Karchava was addressing Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen during his call on Bathiudeen at the ministry yesterday. Joining the minister was Ministry Secretary Chinthana Lokuhetti and DG Commerce Sonali Wijeratne. Dubbed as Russias Davos, SPIEF is a huge annual conference targeted at the highest levels of government personalities across the world, drawing high-ranking participants. Among global figures at last years SPIEF were Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. This forum has become a leading global platform for representatives of the business community to meet and discuss the key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets and rest of the world. Its held under the auspices of the president of the Russian Federation. Our Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff Sergey Prikhodko has invited you to join us at SPIEF 2017, revealed Karchava. According to the Commerce Department, exports to Russia recorded US $ 181.98 million in 2016. Russia became the 12th leading buyer of Lankan products taking 22 percent of Sri Lankas total exports to the world in 2015. Tea, apparel, fibres are the main exports to Russia tea accounts for more than 70 percent of total exports. Among top imports from Russia to Sri Lanka in 2016 were iron, steel, wheat, asbestos and coal. Bathiudeen, responding to Karchava said Sri Lankas participation at SPIEF 2017 shall enhance the countrys appeal in the Russian region. Forty two officers attached to former president Mahinda Rajapaksas security detail had been recalled to the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) today, Mr. Rajapaksas Private Secretary Udith Lokubandara said. He said no replacement had been made so far. Meanwhile, Mr. Rajapaksa's Media Secretary Rohan Weliwita said the group of security officers had been recalled on immediate service requirements. However, when contacted, Police Spokesman DIG Priyantha Jayakody said no such order had been issued by the Police Headquarters so far but an internal order may have been issued by the MSD. (Lahiru Pothmulla) SRINAGAR AFP May1, 2017 - Indias security forces suffered a double blow Monday in disputed Kashmir, with five policemen shot dead in a bank raid and two soldiers killed in an attack along the border with Pakistan. Suspected militants opened fire on a bank van carrying cash around 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of Kashmirs main city of Srinagar, killing everybody on board, police said. Pakistan naval ship PMSS Dasht arrived at the Colombo Port on a goodwill visit this morning. The ships complement is scheduled to take part in a range of programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy during their stay in Sri Lanka. The ship will depart from the Colombo Port on May 6. The Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives of the Pathfinder Foundation, in partnership with New Delhi-based Carnegie India and Vivekananda International Foundation, conducted a conference aimed at enhancing connectivity between India and Sri Lanka last week in Colombo. The one-day conference was well attended with participation of leading academics, professionals and subject matter experts from India and Sri Lanka, who made presentations and discussed benefits of connectivity to both countries. Representatives of several Sri Lanka-based think tanks also participated in the conference. The event focused on three broad themes viz. connectivity in the past and current status of relations, assessing obstacles hindering connectivity and exploring ways to overcome them and identifying new possibilities. The four major sectors covered, included promoting religious tourism aimed at developing people to people relations, multi-modal sea and air links and two-way power grid connection between Sri Lanka and peninsular India, energy security through strategic storage of hydrocarbons for industries and options for coastal shipping in the Bay of Bengal framework. The Indian scholars, who made presentations, included Carnegie India Director Dr. Raja C. Mohan, former Indian Ambassador D.P. Srivastava representing Vivekananda International Foundation, India Development Foundation Senior Fellow Dr. Nalin Metha and Carnegie India Research Analyst Darshana Baruah. The Sri Lankan participants included Pathfinder Foundation Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke, Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives Director Admiral Dr. Jayanath Colombage, Lirneasia Founder Chair Professor Rohan Samarajiva, University of Colombo Senior Lecturer in Tourism Development Dr. Suranga Silva, Tourism Development Authority of Sri Lanka former Director General S. Kalaiselvam, SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Captain Suren Ratwatte, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Director General Damitha Kumarasinghe and Shippers Academy Colombo Chief Executive Officer Rohan Masakorala. In addition, representatives of the Institute of Policy Studies, Lakshman Kadiragamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, Institute of National Security Studies of Sri Lanka, Verite Research and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce participated in the proceedings. Colombo-based deputy heads of missions of Norway, India and their representatives also attended the conference. Enhancing physical connectivity, a subject of discussion in the SAARC and BIMSTEC context, has been a major national priority for both India and Sri Lanka. Promoting internal, trans-border and regional connectivity has become an urgent imperative for both nations, as they seek to develop economic growth. India is conscious of its geo-economic interests and its location at the cross-roads of Asia in the heart of the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka has begun to leverage its strategic location as the maritime fulcrum of the trade routes in the Indo-Pacific littoral. While the impact of the separatist conflict retarded connectivity between the two countries, economic liberalization by India has encouraged Colombo to focus on benefitting from the physical proximity to its larger neighbour. Delhi and Colombo have signalled political will to build on this latent realization and have decided to deepen connectivity. But several issues have thus far limited the progress. These include political, economic and institutional issues, as well as entrenched popular apprehensions. Any effort to promote connectivity between the two countries must be understood by the ease of movement across the frontiers in the past and its deterioration in the second half of the 20th century due to the armed conflict and changing political dynamics. Some new areas identified during the conference with a view to enhance connectivity between the two countries were, promoting people to people links facilitating increased Buddhist trails to India and Hindu pilgrimages i.e. Ramayana, Murugan, etc. to Sri Lanka, further relaxing visa formalities to ease travel between the two countries, joint promotion of tourism, pre-clearance of passengers to and from popular Indian destinations, connecting power grids - via submarine cables - as in the case of Bangladesh and Bhutan with Indias, for two-way power exchange based on demand and storage of energy for commencing energy-related industries. The main outcome from the conference would be a report for circulation among the policymakers in the two capitals and interested stakeholders, including those in regional and global institutions. In the second stage of the project, specific sectors would be taken up for further elaboration at track I.5 level. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya told Parliament today that the Supreme Court had held the Exchange Control Amendment Bill to be consistent with the Constitution of Sri Lanka. He said the Supreme Court had recommended the rectification of some minor shortcomings. Meanwhile, three petitions had been filed in the Supreme Court against the Bill. The Bill sought to name the Central Bank as the agent of exchange control and to allow a person to use his or her foreign assets to pay for any transaction in or outside Sri Lanka.(Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana) The report for the development in Asia and the Pacific region is scheduled to be handed over to the United Nation with the patronage of Sri Lanka. The report was prepared following the conclusion of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held in Bangkok, Thailand last week. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake was appointed as Chairman of sessions and thereafter, the report was prepared under the patronage of the minister. The conference was held in Bangkok on April 28 and 29. The keynote address of the conference was also delivered by Karunanayake. The final report was prepared after having several rounds of discussions with the member nations of the region. This report includes challenges that stand in the way of Asia and the Pacific nations in their journey towards development. Recommendations that explain how to face such challenges have also been added to the report. The report is scheduled to be handed over to the UN this month. Sri Lanka received prominence at this conference. The commitment made by Sri Lanka towards development, its financial discipline and transparency were recognized at the conference. Further promoting the concept of Pharmacy Wellness and Beauty in Sri Lanka, Healthguard opened its newest full-service store for the public in Thimbirigasyaya recently. The newly-established outlet is the 23rd of the countrys premier pharmaceutical retail chain. Healthguard is a fully-owned subsidiary of Sunshine Healthcare Lanka (SHL), the healthcare arm of the diversified Sunshine Holdings conglomerate with interests in several key sectors of Sri Lankan business including agriculture, FMCG, renewable energy and consumer packaging. The opening ceremony, which took place on the groups 50th anniversary, was graced by Sunshine Holdings PLC Founder G. Sathasivam, Sunshine Holdings PLC Group Chairman Munir Shaikh, Sunshine Holdings PLC Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy, Sunshine Healthcare Lanka Managing Director Shyam Sathasivam along with other company officials and distinguished guests. Speaking at the opening, Shyam Sathasivam said, Since its inception in 2004, Healthguard has become a leading service brand in Sri Lankas health sector. Our aim is to set a benchmark in healthcare retailing in the country while creating more and more one-stop shops for pharmaceuticals, wellness and personal needs. Our novel concept of promoting beauty and wellness has disrupted the business model of a traditional pharmacy. Rather than narrowing ourselves to just pharmaceuticals, we are driven to serve our customers with different offerings, solutions and formats to enhance their beauty and wellness shopping experience. Each full service store offers a wide assortment of brands in cosmetics, perfumes, personal care, skin treatments, medical devices, mother and baby care products, supplements, etc. The new store format has been designed for convenience while offering consumers an enriched shopping experience. Leading the market as Sri Lankas most modern retail pharmacy chain, Healthguards business model is focused on creating value, expanding choice and delivering superior service to customers. Building on the immense brand loyalty and goodwill generated by Healthguards breakthrough business model, the company plans to rapidly expand its footprint across the Western Province, extending its customer touch points to a total of 35 stores within the next two years. Suresh de Silva, Chief Executive Officer - Eguardian Lanka Private Limited and DCS International Private Limited LIMRA Holdings announced the appointment of ICT industry veteran Suresh de Silva as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its IT cluster companies, Eguardian Lanka Private Limited (Eguardian Lanka) and DCS International Private Limited (DCS International) with effect from 1st May 2017. I am delighted to announce the appointment of Suresh de Silva as the Chief Executive Officer of Eguardian Lanka and DCS International. He joins us at a time when Eguardian Lanka is actively growing its overseas operations while both companies are also focused on expanding their service offerings within the market. Given his extensive experience in the ICT sector, I strongly believe that his appointment will add great value to the two businesses, propelling them to greater heights, said Nabhan Akeel, Managing Director, LIMRA Holdings. With over 20 years experience in the ICT Industry, Suresh was previously Country Business Head for EMC in Sri Lanka and Maldives where he helped set up a strong partner eco system and achieve a significant growth in customer base during his 5 year tenure. Prior to joining EMC, he was with TATA Communications Lanka and Suntel where he held leadership roles in value added services & enterprise sales and internet sales, respectively. Suresh holds an MBA from Edith Cowan University, Australia. LIMRA Holdings is a diversified group of IT solutions and mother and child care companies with partnerships with some of the worlds foremost brands in these sectors. Eguardian Lanka is a provider of cyber security services which specializes in digital forensics, threat hunting and threat intelligence services. With its head office in Colombo, the company has operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Oman and Bangladesh as well as a strategic office in Atlanta, USA. Eguardian Lanka is the sole distributor of Fortinet security solutions in Sri Lanka and value added distributor for Symantec, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Arista solutions in the country Lanka. DCS International Private Limited is the exclusive distributor of ESETs award-winning security solutions in Sri Lanka providing outstanding country-specific cyber security coverage as well as alerts on threats specific to the market. To be born means, to be born as a male or female. Gender difference is common to all beings of nature. Though such is nature, history shows that the position of women has fluctuated from culture to culture and from era to era. It has been proved beyond any reasonable doubt both scientifically and medically that intellectually, spiritually and aesthetically men and women are equal. The continuity of the human species is ensured through procreation. The bulk of the burdens, sacrifices and responsibilities for procreation are being borne by the female of the species. Hence, there is no reason why a woman should be held inferior to man. This also shows that women are made of much sterner stuff than men. Status of women in pre-Buddhist India In the pre-Buddhist India, the position of women varied from time to time depending on changes in religious ideologies. In Vedic India women held an honourable position in society. According to the Rigveda women had access to the highest knowledge. They also had the freedom to participate in religious ceremonies. In domestic life there was no seclusion of the sexes and women were well respected. There is no evidence of child marriages. However, during the Brahmin period women suffered greatly. For that matter they were classed together with the Sudras said to be the lowest caste of untouchables as well as the dogs and the crows. In fact, Manus code of law the most relentless of the Brahmin law givers contains the most anti-feminist diatribes. Manu deprived women of their religious rights and spiritual life. Sudras, slaves and women were prohibited from reading the Vedas.Women could not attain heaven through any merit of their own. Manu elaborated the myth that all women were sinful and prone to evil. According to the code of Manu women do not need to perform any sacrifices or religious rites or observances on their own. Obedience to the husband alone would exalt the woman to heaven. This Brahmin superiority and monopoly was challenged by the Upanishads which questioned the very core of the Brahmin ritual system. But the Upanishads were not powerful enough to completely change the attitudes moulded through a long period of Brahmin supremacy. In certain primitive societies in India, Africa and America wives were regarded as the personal property of their husbands; hence the custom of slaying, sacrificing or burying women alive to accompany their deceased husbands along with their belongings. The best known example is the Sathi pooja or self immolation of high caste Hindu widows; a savage crime which continued until early British times In India. In all patriarchal societies the desire for a male offspring is very strong for the continuance of patrilineage. In the case of Hindus a son was necessary for the due performance of funeral rites as only a son could carry out the funeral rites of his father and thus ensure the future happiness of the deceased. The laws of Manu inflicted domestic subservience to women. The road to heaven was barred to her. Matrimony and obedience to the husband were the only means available for a woman to reach heaven. It was also widely believed that women were intellectually inferior to men and hence had no capacity to reach higher spiritual attainments. Further more, the birth of a daughter was regarded as a calamity by the people of ancient India. Arrival of Buddhism and emancipation of women The arrival of Buddhism in the 5th century BC, created a minor stir against Brahmin dogma and superstition. Buddhism rejected the caste structure, excessive ritualism and sacrifice.The basic doctrine of Buddhism which is salvation by ones own effort; presupposes the spiritual equality of all beings both male and female. The Buddha saw the spiritual potential of both men and women and founded after lot of hesitation the order of Bhikkhunis or Nuns; one of the earliest organizations for women in the ancient world. The Buddha Sasana consisted of Bhikkhus, Bhikkhunis or laymen and laywomen, so that women were not left out of any sphere of religious activity. Thus, Buddhism accorded to women a position of absolute equality. In early Buddhist literature, one sees an intermingling of the genders. During the time of the Buddha, there was in Indian society the widespread belief that woman was inferior to man. The Buddha while granting equality of status to women pointed out that women had an important and dignified role to play in society. He has defined the role of woman in society with great insight, fitting her harmoniously into the social fabric. Also, the Buddha hailed the woman as a lovable member of the household, held in esteem by numerous inter relationships and respected above all as the mother of worthy children. He stressed that sex did not matter and that in character and in her role in society, she may even rival men. The Buddha raised the status of women and made them realize their importance in society. He did not humiliate women but only regarded them as somewhat physically weak by nature. He saw the innate good of both men and women and assigned to them their due place in his teaching. The Pali term used to denote women is Matugama which means mother folk. The mother holds an honourable position in Buddhism. So doesw the wife. She is regarded as the best friend or Paramaskha of the husband. The hostile and antagonistic attitude to women both in religion and in society which was widespread at the time was roundly criticized and challenged by the Buddha on numerous occasions, In the Kosala Samyutta the Buddha contradicts the belief of the Brahmans that the birth of a daughter was not as much a cause of joy as that of a son. The Buddha pointed out clearly that the woman had a dignified and prominent role to play in the family and in the society. In the Samyutta Nikaya the Buddha had said that the woman is the commodity supreme because she is an indispensable utility as Bodhisatvas and world rulers take birth through her. Early Buddhist literature is full of stories pertaining to the women across the board from royalty to commoner who became Bhikkhunis by sheer conviction and attained Arahantship such as Mahaprajapati Gotami, Visakha, Khema, Uppalavanna and hundreds of such others. Just as Arahants Sariputta and Moggllana were made the two chief disciples in the order of Bhikkhus,Arahants Khema and Uppalavanna were made the two chief female disciples of the order of Bhikkhunis. During the Buddhist period in India there were many women who were distinguished for their learning. Theri Sagamitta sister of Arhant MahindaThera had mastered the Vinaya Pitaka. It is said that she taught the Vinaya Pitaka, the five collections of the Sutta Pitaka and the seven treatises of the Abhidhamma. Among the Bhikkhunis, who came to Anuradhapura and taught the Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma were Anjali, Uttara, Sapatta, Channa, Revati, Angamitta and many others. It is evident that the Buddhist doctrine had imbibed a marvellous impact on many women, who were moved by the power of the Dhamma and renounced the world to lead a pious life. Womens position in Buddhist societies Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka at a time when both men and women in India were actively involved in its practice. In Sri Lanka too Buddhism evoked considerable interest irrespective of gender. This fact is clearly evident from the cave grants and the Pali chronicles. From the very inception of Buddhism in Sri Lanka both men and women were ordained as monks and nuns respectively.It is well known that the highest in the land together with their near and dear ones opted for ordination. Theri Sangamitta arrived in Sri Lanka accompanied by ten Bhikkhunis and they set in motion a succession of Vinaya teachers. Chinese chronicles have recorded visits of Sinhalese Bhikkhunis to Nanking in the 5th century AD followed by the establishment of the Bhikkhuni order in China. Historical records in Sri Lanka have clearly established that there were flourishing Bhikkhuni Vihares belonging to the Mahavihara, Jetavana and Abhayagiri sects up to the 10th century AD. The Chola occupation of Sri Lanka in the 11th and 12th centuries caused widespread damage and destruction to the Buddhist monasteries and institutions which resulted in the disappearance of both the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sasanas from the country. Fortunately for the monks some Sinhala Bhikkhus who had taken refuge in Burma were brought back by King Vijayabahu and the Bhikkhu order was restored. Unfortunately the Bhikkhuni order had perished for good and to this day it remains in total disarray. In Sri Lanka their is ample historical evidence to establish the participation of women in all religious observances and activities from the very inception of Buddhism without any let or hindrance. Several rulers honoured their mothers and wives by naming temples and monasteries after them. The naming of temples and monasteries after females seemingly did not bother the resident monks. Also, up to medieval times there were no restrictions on female employment in monasteries, a practice which is quite unacceptable today. In Sri Lanka there were no religious taboos with respect to women. It is abundantly clear that women did not lead cloistered lives. While the women of the upper classes took part both in politics and religion; all women rich or poor took part in religion freely and devoutly. In Buddhism death is considered to be a natural and inevitable end. As a result woman suffers no moral degradation on account of her widowhood. In Buddhist societies a widow was not called upon to advertise her widowhood by shaving her head and relinquishing her ornaments nor was she required to undergo self mortification or pay any penances. Above all there was no barrier to her remarriage. Also, they had the right to remarry after divorce. It is therefore clearly evident that Buddhism saved women from suffering various indignities, granted them near equality with men and retrieved the widow from abject misery. More important than the equality of status that the women in Buddhist societies enjoyed was the non segregation of the sexes. Segregation of the sexes in many non Buddhist societies has resulted in the seclusion and confinement of women behind veils and walls. The Buddhist injunctions on the marital relationship is reciprocal containing mutual rights and obligations. Among Buddhists, marriage is a contract between equals. However, in Buddhist societies including Sri Lanka, there is a facade of husband domination. On the subject of terminating a marriage contract it is seen that in most cultures the woman is irretrievably bound by the chains of matrimony while the man can shed his shackles easily. In Buddhism marriage received no religious sanction and in the absence of a Buddhist legal code like the laws of Manu of the Hindus or the Sharia law of the Muslims, the dissolution of the marriage contract was settled by the individuals concerned or their families. Down the ages women in Buddhist societies have enjoyed equal status as Buddhism does not consider women to be inferior to men. In fact the husband is admonished to consider the wife a friend, a companion and a partner. The present day liberal attitude towards women in Sri Lanka is a trend that has continued from the remote past obviously under Buddhist influence. The position of women in many Buddhist countries especially in Thailand and Myanmar has been as favourable as in Sri Lanka. This is in direct contrast to the position of women in several non Buddhist societies as evinced by the veiled women of Islamic societies, the zenanas where high class Indian ladies lived in seclusion, the harems of imperial China in which thousands of concubines lived guarded by eunuchs and the devadasis of India who in the name of God were forced into a life of prostitution. Thus compared with the neighbouring Hindu, Confucian and Islamic societies women in Buddhist societies have enjoyed a much higher degree of freedom, independence and more often than not even equality of status. In the wake of May Day, President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday proposed to the Cabinet to set up a committee made up of representatives of the unity government's two main parties to iron out differences and forge ahead. Minister John Seneviratne is reported to have raised concerns about him being slandered by Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne in public while the other ministers had also put expressed their views in this regard. The President said he would call for a meeting of the the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to discuss ways and means of fostering unity and to work amicably without atagonising each other. (Kelum Bandara) In the last one month, Sushil Kumar Modi, the opposition leader in Bihar Legislative Council, has made several allegations against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav and his family. Many of the allegations were substantiated by documentary evidence. The nature of charges includes quid pro quo dealings as a railway minister and of allotting ministerial berths to those who gave up land to the Yadav clan. Sushil Modi alleged that the RJD chief had recommended RJD MP Raghunath Jhas name to become a minister in UPA-I after he had gifted his three-storied house along with the land in Gopalganj. This land at a costly location was gifted to Prasads minister sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav. A day later, BJP leader Sushil Modi alleged that the RJD chief had taken land at a prime location in Patna along with the construction on it from Kanti Singh for making her a Union minister. He said: On March 13, 2006, Kanti Singh, her husband Keshav Prasad Singh and son Rishi Kumar in writing gave away 95 decimal land along with three rooms built on it and a deep water boring in the name of Rabri Devi. Raghunath Jha's son Ajit asked what the big deal was if his father had gifted land. "We have family relations with Laluji," he said. Kanti Singh said she had given her land so that Lalu's cows could get a home. Critics say that quid pro quo could be the reason behind Kanti Singhs spectacular rise in politics. She became MLA for the first time in 1995, an MP in 1996 and was made Union minister. In any mature democracy, such a charge where ministers get posts in exchange of prime land would have resulted in a massive uproar. But why does such a serious charge not create a ripple in the political discourse of India? The answer lies in the fact that it is an open secret that electoral tickets are sold by various parties. Selling of tickets by some political parties is, in fact, now the accepted norm. In the last Bihar Assembly election, BJP MP RK Singh alleged that party tickets were sold to criminals. In this case what was surprising was that Singh made this charge while still in the party, whereas it is the norm for politicians who quit a party to make such allegations. If money changes hands for getting tickets, why not land for getting ministries? This could be the reason that such allegations do not shake up the people, media and even the political class. Absconding businessman Vijay Mallya got elected to the Rajya Sabha with the help of the BJP in 2010. Photo: Reuters Money always plays a very important role in politics. Absconding businessman Vijay Mallya got elected to the Rajya Sabha with the help of the BJP in 2010. He was supported by JD-S and Congress for the first term in 2002. Janata Dal-Secular had been a supporter of Mallya for both terms. If not for monetary considerations, why else would all of them have supported him? Were they supporting Mallya because of his track record of social work or was he so popular that all of them were forced to send him to Upper House? The Rajya Sabha elections have become a happy hunting ground for money bags from India and also abroad. One of the favourite destinations for such people is Jharkhand. This tribal-dominated state has sent several deep-pocketed people to the Upper House, despite having no association with the place. Two such people presently representing Jharkhand are Prem Chand Gupta and Parimal Nathwani. Eminent Congress leader Buta Singh was convicted in the multi-crore Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MPs bribery case. The Delhi High Court set aside the trial court judgment but it was hardly a clean chit. The high court severely indicted the CBI for shoddy investigation. Yet, it didn't deter the Congress from appointing Buta Singh as Governor of Bihar. The late BJP MP Dilip Singh Judeo was caught on tape saying: "Paisa khuda toh nahi par khuda ki kasam khuda se kam nahi (money may not be god but by God it is no less than god)." He was a minister in the AB Vajpayee government and had to resign in 2003 in the wake of a sting operation. But that didn't stop the BJP from giving him a Lok Sabha ticket in 2009. A report by the Centre for Media Studies says nearly Rs 30,000 crore got spent in the 2014 elections. The officially accounted figure for the elections added up to some Rs 7,000-8,000 crore. Part of this yawning gap may have been filled by some or all political parties selling quite a few election tickets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi can always be counted upon to say the right words at the right time, even though the reality might not be exactly matching his sentiments. On World Press Freedom Day today (May 3) PM Modi tweeted his greetings to the journalistic community and reiterated his unwavering support towards freedom of the media and press. PM Modi said: A free, vibrant press is vital in a democracy. World Press Freedom Day is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards a free & vibrant press, which is vital in a democracy. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 3, 2017 In today's day & age, social media has emerged as an active medium of engagement & has added more vigour to press freedom. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 3, 2017 Wise words indeed. In fact, PM Modi has, in his speeches, batted for a free media, saying government should not interfere into the working of the press. For example, at the Ramnath Goenka Awards in November 2016, he said that the days of Emergency must not be repeated and media has a big role to play in that. However, lets look at the real picture. Firstly, India has slipped to 136th position out of 188 countries, in the press freedom rankings. For a few years now, our neighbours in the press freedom index have been Pakistan, South Sudan, among other countries, which Indians often offer as the counter-examples of what a democracy mustnt look like. Secondly, a report in The Hoot, the media watchdog, documents that 54 reported attacks on journalists, 45 instances of internet shutdowns, mostly in Kashmir Valley, 45 cases of sedition, etc have been recorded in the past 16 months. This is an abysmal record and frankly betrays the climate where freedom of speech and press is hardly safeguarded, but can land us in deep trouble with the authorities. Thirdly, media is at present undergoing a tectonic shift and seeing a deep crisis of credibility. While mainstream media is divided between shrill debates on television and increasingly straitjacketed, close-circuit liberalism of the print, theres an acute disconnect among journalists themselves, who are now grappling with the fast-changing fabric of Indias sociocultural reality. Today world press freedom day. India ranks 136 in rankings, Pakistan 139! Enough said! Salute the few who still stand up to be counted! Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) May 3, 2017 Truth is, India has great tradition of a free press. Sadly, biz models/Pvt agendas have led to freedom being misused. #WorldPressFreedomDay Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) May 3, 2017 Most reporters I have worked with have been honest and hard working: the rot, as always, often begins at the top. #WorldPressFreedomDay Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) May 3, 2017 It is interesting that PM Modi issues the timely and important reminder that free media is vital to democracy; constitutionally, its the fourth estate, or the fourth pillar, after executive, legislature and the judiciary. Medias role is to be the watchdog of the society and the powers that be, hold the government into account not as a matter of boldness and bravery but as routine daily requirement. Yet, this basic premise of free media is exactly what is sorely missing from contemporary Indian journalism. As the ecstatic coverage of UP elections and the crowning of Yogi Adityanath proved, once again, Indian media is more interested in acting as what Louis Althusser had called the ideological state apparatus. In modern parlance, its called public relations on behalf of the government. Even prominent journalists who on social media claim that theirs is the republic of truth and courage, act as propagandists for the regime, openly advocating a pro-military, pro-nationalism editorial approach, when media is required to be absolutely unbiased. Such hypocrisies are hardly anomalies now; in fact, they are the new normal. And PM Modi indeed has a huge role in shaping the media to suit his larger-than-life image. While the PM dominates much of media space, and not all of it is critical of his governments gargantuan failures on demonetisations economic logic, surgical strikes across the border, national security, the Kashmir question, foreign policy, tackling Pakistan, tear in the secular character of the nation, politics of polarisation we nevertheless have a government that is riding high on the Modi wave, and much of it is thanks to a rather easygoing media. It is interesting that PM Modi issues the timely and important reminder that free media is vital to democracy; constitutionally, its the fourth estate. (Credit: Reuters photo) This was exampled in the manner the Finance Bill, 2017 was almost blacked out in mainstream media, with very few of its countless draconian amendments taken up and dissected on television and in the opinion pages of the biggest news dailies. In fact, the resistance came from smaller opinion portals, which have sustained their principled opposition against the Aadhaar-PAN mandatory link, which this government is hell bent on, but which is an affront to fundamental and civil liberties of citizens. That PM Modi pays lip-service to World Press Freedom Day, which is observed internationally and was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 following a recommendation adopted at the 26th session of the UNESCOs general conference in 1991, he nevertheless invites and shares dais with world leaders who have strangled press freedom in their own countries, such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Truth is, our press has done more to keep public figures honest than other civil soc institutions. So let's celebrate #WorldPressFreedomDay Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) May 3, 2017 At present, journalism has become one of the most perilous professions in the country, with intrepid reporters regularly threatened, trolled online, beaten up and even left for dead for doing their jobs well. The other extreme is the studio debate where the news anchor presents a skewed worldview thats instead of challenging the government, makes it easy for its official spokespersons to set the narrative as it wishes. PM Modi, while he pays lip-service to press freedom and autonomy, would do well to remember what Raj Kamal Jha, editor-in-chief of The Indian Express, had said in this short valdectory speech at the RNG Awards, just after the PM had spoken. Jha had said, Criticism from the government is a badge of honour for journalists. Trouble and AAP are never far apart. Or, so it seems as the AAP plunges into another crisis with Kumar Vishwas, one of its tallest leaders and member of its highest decision-making body, PAC, raising the banner of revolt against the top leadership. What began as an indirect attack on the AAP leadership through a much-shared video in which Kumar claimed to air the questions that people needed answers to has swiftly turned into a full-blown crisis, with AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan accusing Kumar of working at the behest of the RSS-BJP. Khan apparently has the support of AAP's top leadership, as the demand for his expulsion from party by Kumar's faction has been cold-shouldered. ! We, The Nation!Watch, Listen and Share if you feel for Nation! ????????????https://t.co/xKqFQuVB5j Dr Kumar Vishvas (@DrKumarVishwas) April 14, 2017 Amid this high-drama, Kejriwal's closest ally and Delhi's deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia (who is also a childhood friend of Kumar Vishwas) has publicly hit out at Kumar and asked him not to discuss the internal affairs of the party in public. Yet Kumar Vishwas seems to be unwavering in his defiance as he claims to be the voice of those party members who are disappointed with the AAP. He has tried to claim the moral high ground in the AAP's rift, but if he is sincere about it, here are five questions that he needs to answer: 1) How is his right to speak his mind more sacred than others? Kumar is repeatedly asserting that he will continue speaking publicly what he feels is right, even when the party urged restraint in public articulation of the differences. He feels it is important for the party to be on the right track. Also, it is his moral duty to speak the truth. But then why did Kumar oppose similar rights for other members of the party? If he should not suffer any consequence for speaking his mind, then why is his faction demanding that his rival Amanatullah Khan be ousted from the party. Like Kumar, Khan too has only aired his view, which he feels are in party's interest. So, why should the freedom to air one's views be restricted only to Kumar? Does Kumar not come across as a hypocrite and opportunistic in his demand for this right when he targeted Prahsant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and many other AAP dissidents who have been eased out of the party in the past few years. Then Kumar, as party spokesperson, preached about the virtue of party discipline. But now he suddenly wants a more democratic alternative for party leaders to freely air their views outside the party after he systematically helped eliminate that democratic space. How convenient! 2) Is he not reaping what he sowed? When Kumar went against Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, his main ground was that they were working against the pary's interest and playing to the rivals' advantage by hatching a plot to replace the AAP's top leadership. In any democratic party, the concentration of power in any individual is an anathema. Yet Kumar led the brigade that defended this concentration of power in the AAP in its convener. He also, as the party's leading public face in running down Yadav and Bhushan, participated in establishing the "norm" within AAP where any challenge to its supremo's position was seen as illegitimate action driven by a person's greed and selffish motive. That was a time when Kumar, assured of being in the inner circle of the AAP supremo, stood to benefit from the undemocratic empowerment of its supremo at the cost of others in the party. But today, when he seems to be no longer in the good books of Kejriwal, Vishwas, must ask himself is he not reaping what he sowed? 3) Is politics merely a medium of self-promotion for him? Kumar's attempt, to ride the wave of discontent among many of AAP's volunteers (in light of party's below expectations performance in Punjab and MCD election), is being seen by some as mere opportunistic fishing in troubled waters as he has been missing in action when the party was facing its most crucial battles. Kumar was conspicuous by his absence in both these critical electoral battles. If Kumar was truly committed to politics and the AAP, he would have woken up earlier. Also, when Kumar try to take the moral high ground against his "rivals", it's hard to miss how he is on and off politics as his heart seems to be more in minting money to sustain his expensive lifestyle. He is unabashedly extravagant. It doesn't escape the notice of people what media limelight on Kumar's political life brings to him how he has been encashing it. In comparison, most of the political volunteers and leaders (especially the self-made ones), at least spend years in public service before they aspire for some great office. Even Kejriwal, is in public service for years now and he, like most top leaders, give their head and heart to politics. So, Kumar needs to answer how can he claim to belong to the masses when he doesn't even have that absolute commitment to political life and not to live a life of extraordinary comfort, which betrays a certain lack of compassion and sensitivity to those unlucky in ovarian lottery. 4) If his accusations of AAP's failure are correct, does he not share the blame? If his accusations of failure to tackle corruption and moral turpitude is correct, does he not share the responsibilty, or is he merely using it to further his personal ambitions. In the now famous video, that was the immediate trigger of this crisis, Kumar has implied that the AAP leadership failed in firmly tackling corruption charges against the members of the party and the government. If this is indeed true, then how can he escape responsibility? Why did he stay silent when such things happened? Why did he not use the might of his post to ensure that the AAP didn't deviate from its principles? And if its not true, then the less said the better. He has had been the quintessential insider of AAP. In either case, Kumar Vishwas seems to be attempting to score brownie points by manipulating people, by selling himself as an outsider to the party's system, even though he has had been the quintessential insider. 5) Is Kumar's pop nationalistic, self-righteous rhetoric not similar to that of the RSS? Kumar has positioned himself as the voice of the people, especially on the issue of nationalism, on the threat from Pakistan and issues of corruption. He has tried to make a self-righteous appeal to garner supporters. And one must grant that Vishwas has a way with words. He has a good grasp on poetry, which he uses in different political situations, besides skillfully deploying incisive arguments. But Kumar's nationalistic arguments (like his vilification of Pakistan), militarism (glorification of army and opposition to making armed forces accountable), demand for taking excessive pride in one's nation, belief in exclusivity of one's own nation, contempt for human rights, et al, are so eerily similar to the RSS worldview. In effect, what Kumar Vishwas is demanding in the guise of his volunteers' demand, is to turn the AAP into another BJP, at least in its world view. This runs quite contrary to the the space the AAP currently occupies the left of centre. Also, if the AAP really turns itself into what Kumar is demanding, it would kill all chances of the AAP filling the void of a true liberal alternative in India. Nawaz Sharif may have escaped being ousted from office, but his predicament is far from over. A split judgment of the five-member Supreme Court bench has ordered further investigation into the money trail to offshore companies and the properties the Sharif family owns in London. It's quite a damning ruling for the prime minister with two of the five judges calling for his disqualification for not being honest. The other three may not have agreed to this extreme action, but there is consensus that the Sharif family has failed to provide substantive evidence regarding the source of the money used to buy expensive properties in London. Hence, the need for further investigation. Pakistan's top court began hearings last year on the petitions filed by Imran Khan and others against the prime minister after the Panama papers leaks revealed that the Sharif family owned several offshore companies and properties in London's upscale neighbourhoods. The leaks generated a political maelstrom in the country. The court ruling came as Sharif enters the final year of his five-year term. Sharif's political fate will now be decided by a joint investigation team (JIT) to be set up by the Supreme Court. The commission, consisting of various civilian investigation organisations and military intelligence agencies, is mandated to conclude its probe into the financial scandal spanning two decades and involving three generations of the Sharif family in just 60 days. The court ruling has provided strong leverage to Sharif's arch-rival, Imran Khan, to step up the pressure on him. For the first time in the country's history, a sitting prime minister will appear before an investigation team probing allegations of financial wrongdoing. This raises the pertinent question of whether he should stay in his high office during the investigation. Sharif's position is certainly compromised as he faces an inquiry into a financial scandal with his moral authority diminished. But the prime minister is determined to fight to the end and not succumb to the Opposition's pressure to step down. His supporters appear confident that they will be able to drag the JIT inquiry long enough to get close to the elections next year. A major challenge for a morally and politically weak prime minister is to deal with an extremely aggressive Opposition. Almost all the major opposition parties seem united on the demand for his resignation. Though inconclusive, the court ruling has provided strong leverage to Sharif's arch-rival, Imran Khan, to step up the pressure on him. It's obvious that the growing political polarisation has put the military leadership under immense pressure. There is a danger that it could get more deeply involved in the crisis if the situation becomes grave. Every political crisis has consequences for the civil-military balance of power. A weakening of civilian authority invariably leads to the military gaining more space. As the political stand-off continues, options for the two sides are becoming limited. It may be true that a fractured Opposition cannot force the prime minister to quit through mass agitation. But it can still create huge difficulties for the Sharif government. Perhaps it is true that the prime minister does not face an imminent threat to his position, either through the court or any Opposition-led mass movement. Yet the confidence among Sharif's supporters may be misplaced, given the political uncertainty triggered by the divided ruling. Sharif can hang on because of his party's domination of the National Assembly and its power base in Punjab. But the very perception of him being "damaged goods" does not portend well for the ruling party or the family dynasty as the country approaches the next general elections. There is some indication that Sharif may be considering some other options to keep power within the family. It is quite possible that he will not seek a fourth term, and instead, bring forward his daughter Maryam Nawaz as the next leader. One positive point in the ruling for the PML-N is that she has come out unscathed. Maryam has long been promoted as the heir apparent. She has virtually been running the party and was also involved in important government decisions in the absence of her father last year. The party has already announced that she will contest the next elections. For Sharif supporters, it is the only way to keep power within the family. But that may also intensify family rivalry. It will not be an easy transition with a powerful uncle, Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, in the line of succession too. The landscape of Nepal is a geographical staircase, descending from snow-capped Himalayan mountains, through steep middle hills, to the lush flat plains of the south. This is the location for the latest BBC Our World: Banished for Bleeding. In the middle step, in the remote far west of the country, life has changed little over the decades. For 18-year-old Ishwari Joshi, this means doing as her mother and grandmother did before her and leaving her home when she has her period. The practice is called chhaupadi - a name for menstruation which also conveys the meaning that a woman is unclean when she is bleeding. The first time I had my period I was 15. I had to stay out for nine days, she says. "We have to sleep outside." Ishwari's village Dhamilekh clings to an exposed hillside, commanding breathtaking views of high mountains and a low green valley criss-crossed by two rivers. When a woman starts her period, she has to leave her house for the seclusion of a specially built hut. About 100 families live here, snugly squeezed together in three-storey, mud-plastered houses. Cattle sleep on the ground floor, families on the middle, while the top floor is used for cooking. When a woman starts her period, she has to leave this warmth for the seclusion of a specially built hut. These are tiny spaces, shared by several families, without proper beds or bedding. When the women are isolated here, they can't cook, eat nutritious food, drink from or bathe in the village water source. They are forbidden from touching plants, cattle or men. It is said that if we touch a cow, they will not give milk, says Ishwari's friend Nirmala. We've never seen anything like that happen, but our elders say we must not touch the cows. Kalpana Joshi, 45, is resigned to her monthly stays in her chhau hut, a room little bigger than a crawl space beneath her village shop. Nothing will happen, she says, reassuring the younger women who fear attacks by animals and drunk men. A few metres away is the village toilet Kalpana helped build as part of a government drive to stop open defecation. It's out of bounds to her because it's believed she will pollute the water supply. We're not allowed to touch the toilet because it's the same water we use at home, she says. We have to go to the fields far away from the house where nobody can see us. After four days in the hut, the village women bathe in a stream an hour's walk away and are purified with cow urine. Only then can they return to normal life. They say chhaupadi is not enforced as strictly as it used to be, telling stories of mothers and grandmothers who were exiled during their monthly bleed. But even this more relaxed interpretation of chhaupadi is too much for some. I told my parents, 'I won't go, why should I?', says 22-year-old Laxmi. My parents got angry, but my brothers understood so they don't mind if I stay at their house, she says. Laxmi knows her protest is unlikely to continue when she marries and moves into her husband's household, as is the tradition in Nepal. If the family insists I have to sleep outside, I will have no choice, she says. I will be forced to do it. Devaki Joshi has campaigned against chhaupadi. Breaking down the huts There has been another drive to end chhaupadi. Over the past two years, the local government and NGOs have helped organise a campaign to tear down the huts in the village of Majhigaun. Devaki Joshi owns the local shop and was part of the organising committee. In the old days, people didn't shower or wash their clothes so it was more unhygienic during periods - perhaps this is why chhaupadi began, she says. But now at school they have a cupboard with sanitary towels for students. But not everyone has accepted the change. A few houses down from Devaki's shop, Chiutari Sunar sits outside with her mother-in-law. We still follow the same practices, she says pointing to the space beneath the house where the buffalo are kept. It's her new chhaupadi sleeping spot now her old hut has been demolished. In our house, when we are menstruating, we can't go inside at any cost, no matter what the government says. This is even more important to me than going to the temple. Even Devaki, who is enthusiastic about the success of her project, admits that some people may never accept the change. We don't want to hurt the feelings of the older people like my mother, she says. We still don't touch them when we have our period. Lila Ghale, the local head of the government department for women and children, says it may take another generation before chhaupadi is fully eliminated. We are working with everyone - men, women and even witch-doctors, she says. Our culture is patriarchal and many women are illiterate which makes it hard to change things. And, says health worker Pema Lakhi, changing attitudes is not just about telling people chhaupadi is bad. She wants Nepali girls to celebrate their monthly bleed. Who says it is impure? It gives life. We tell women there is power in their periods, she says. We tell them there's power in your blood. Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities. The Utility segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. The Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment engages in the ownership, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power plants; and ownership of interests in non-nuclear power plants that sell electric power to wholesale customers, as well as provides services to other nuclear power plant owners. It generates electricity through gas, nuclear, coal, hydro, and solar power sources. The company sells energy to retail power providers, utilities, electric power co-operatives, power trading organizations, and other power generation companies. The company's power plants have approximately 24,000 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity, which include 5,000 MW of nuclear power. It delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The company was founded in 1913 and is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. Avery Dennison Corporation manufactures and markets pressure-sensitive materials and products in the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and internationally. The company's Label and Graphic Materials segment offers pressure-sensitive label and packaging materials under the Fasson, JAC, and Avery Dennison brands; graphics products under the Avery Dennison and Mactac brands; and reflective products under the Avery Dennison brand. This segment provides its products to the home and personal care, beer and beverage, durables, pharmaceutical, wine and spirits, and food market segments; architectural, commercial sign, digital printing, and other related market segments; construction, automotive, and fleet transportation market segments; traffic and safety applications; and sign shops, commercial printers, and designers. The company's Retail Branding and Information Solutions segment offers brand embellishments, graphic tickets, tags and labels, and sustainable packaging solutions, as well as creative services; radio-frequency identification, visibility and loss prevention, brand protection and security, shelf-edge, and price ticketing and marking solutions; and care, content, and country of origin compliance solutions. It serves retailers, brand owners, apparel manufacturers, distributors, and industrial customers. The company's Industrial and Healthcare Materials segment provides tapes and other pressure-sensitive adhesive-based materials and converted products, mechanical fasteners, and performance polymers under the Fasson and Avery Dennison brands; and tapes under the Yongle brand for wire harnessing and cable wrapping. It serves automotive, electronics, building and construction, electrical, general industrial, personal care, and medical markets. The company was formerly known as Avery International Corporation and changed its name to Avery Dennison Corporation in 1990. Avery Dennison Corporation was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Mentor, Ohio. South Jersey Industries, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides energy-related products and services. The company engages in the purchase, transmission, and sale of natural gas. It also sells natural gas and pipeline transportation capacity on a wholesale basis to residential, commercial, and industrial customers on the interstate pipeline system, as well as transports natural gas purchased directly from producers or suppliers to customers. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 147 miles of mains in the transmission system and 6,815 miles of mains in the distribution system; and served 384,062 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southern New Jersey. In addition, it markets natural gas storage, commodity, and transportation assets on a wholesale basis for energy marketers, electric and gas utilities, power plants, and natural gas producers in the mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, and southern regions of the United States. Further, the company owns and operates rooftop solar-generation sites. Additionally, it owns oil, gas, and mineral rights in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania; acquires and markets natural gas and electricity to retail end users, as well as provides total energy management, fuel management, and energy procurement and cost reduction services. The company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Folsom, New Jersey. (6) As soon as practicable given the unique circumstances of claims filed pursuant to this section, the district court shall act as follows: (b) Upon receipt of a response contesting the petitioner's declaration of actual innocence or his or her eligibility for compensation regardless of petitioner's claim of actual innocence, or both, the district court shall set the matter for a trial to the district court or, at the written election of either party, to a trial to a jury of six, at which trial the burden shall be on the petitioner to show by clear and convincing evidence that he or she is actually innocent of all crimes that are the subject of the petition, and that he or she is eligible to receive compensation pursuant to this article. A trial to a jury of six must result in a unanimous verdict. Following a trial to the district court, the court shall issue a final order on the petition, which order shall include findings of fact as to whether the petitioner has established by clear and convincing evidence that he or she is actually innocent and whether the petitioner is eligible for compensation under this article. If the court finds that the petitioner is actually innocent and eligible for compensation pursuant to this article, the district court shall issue a final order awarding the petitioner compensation pursuant to section 13-65-103. Upon a finding by a jury of actual innocence, the district court shall also issue an order awarding the petitioner compensation pursuant to section 13-65-103. The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce delegation enjoyed productive discussions with our federal legislators last week in Washington, D.C., as we took part in the Nebraska Chamber Legislative Fly-in. The Columbus Area Chamber was represented by our Board Chair Steve Line and also enjoyed having City of Columbus, Platte County and Loup Public Power District represented in our meetings. The Columbus group was able to meet individually with each Nebraska member of Congress and their staff members. We are very aware that in other states that level of access doesnt necessarily exist, so we are very grateful our Nebraska delegation sees the value in hearing from constituents. As you might expect, we heard more uncertainty in D.C. this year compared to years past. In fact, words were used like uncharted territory and unprecedented more than once in our meetings. However, I would say that we also detected some renewed energy and even optimism. Now, obviously we meet with people who tend to be from the conservative side of the aisle in the Nebraska delegation and in groups like the U.S. Chamber and National Association of Manufacturers, so that may be somewhat expected. Regardless of that, there is more activity in Congress today than weve seen for a decade or more. Obviously the Trump administration is giving them plenty to debate, so there are issues now being considered that have not been before this year. We talked with our legislators about a range of issues: Workforce needs/Immigration policy -- The Nebraska delegation has heard from business about the workforce shortages and I think generally understands the challenge. Immigration reform will follow tax reform and health care, so it will be some time before Congress takes that up. Health care -- We told the offices that our chamber members want certainty about health care policy. Unfortunately, right now there isnt much certainty to be found on this issue in Congress. Government regulation -- There is universal concern among the Nebraska delegation regarding government over-regulation, and there is clearly a different sense about regulation in this administration, which was refreshing to hear. We felt like our partners at Loup Public Power had productive discussions regarding the relicensing of the Loup Canal. Trade -- Generally, the Nebraska delegation is favorable toward trade and we believe they will advocate with the administration that agriculture and manufacturing in Nebraska relies on international trade. It was clear that the new administration is still finding its way, which I dont think should be surprising since we elected someone who was not a politician previously. Just as one indication, the U.S. president appoints some 7,000 positions, 1,200 of which are confirmed by the Senate and 750 of which are considered significant. Today, there arent 100 of those jobs filled. We heard optimism about the future of the economy from the U.S. Chamber. In fact, their senior vice president told us the only reason the economy has done so poorly over the past decade is federal policy and that is likely going to change. Id say we also came away optimistic from a meeting with James Ray, senior adviser to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. He told the Nebraska group that the DOT in this administration is going to review the process and find how they can streamline and apply common sense. Those are words that havent been used in D.C. in a really long time. He shared with us that federal red tape on the gas tax costs 40 percent of whats collected and theyre looking for ways to change that. Overall, it was an interesting time to be in Washington and an honor to represent our members in that setting. A detective with the Madison County Sheriffs Office has been charged with four counts of sexually exploiting minors. Bruce A. Harvey, 40, has been charged with two counts of transporting minors across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and two counts of interstate travel with minors with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Federal prosecutors, along with members of the Virginia State Police and the FBI, said in a news release that Harvey was arrested and taken into custody on Wednesday morning. Harvey, of Reva, had been assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and was formerly an instructor at the Tong Leong School of Karate in Madison. An announcement from the Justice Department said that Harveys alleged criminal activity took place between 1998 and 2007, and involved two female victims who came into contact with Harvey through his work as a karate instructor. Calls to the number listed for the Tong Leong School of Karate went unanswered. The Madison County Sheriffs Office issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying that Harvey has been suspended without pay pending further investigation. The statement noted that the office was first notified of the arrest on Wednesday morning and that the nature of the charges was not specified at that time. An email to Sheriff Erik Weaver was not returned. The Justice Department is asking anyone with information about the crimes or a potential victim to call the FBI at 800-CALL-FBI. Jens Soering, the German national convicted of the brutal homicide of his girlfriends Bedford County parents in 1985, has a new ally in his corner. In a letter to Gov. Terry McAuliffe dated Tuesday, Albemarle County Sheriff J.E. Chip Harding expressed his opinion that Soering was wrongfully convicted of the murders of Derek and Nancy Haysom. Soering has maintained his innocence since his conviction in 1990 and has since been denied parole 11 times. After spending more than 200 hours reviewing the 32-year-old case, in his letter Harding stated, Soering would not be convicted today on the evidence that has since surfaced or was improperly submitted or omitted from the jury and the evidence appears to support a case for his innocence. Soerings attorney, Steven Rosenfield, will submit the letter to the governors office as part of the second supplement to his petition for pardon, which also will include new information about blood stains collected at the scene of the crime. A new review of the DNA and serology (forensic testing used prior to DNA testing) of the blood suggests there may have been two unidentified males present at the time of the killings. All of this is to aid the governor with his determination, said Rosenfield. The Haysoms were killed in their Bedford County home on March 30, 1985, when their daughter and Soering were students at the University of Virginia. The Haysoms were found with dozens of stab wounds and their throats cut from ear to ear. Their daughter, Elizabeth Haysom, pleaded guilty to first degree murder as an accessory before the fact. She currently is serving a 90-year sentence, but will receive mandatory parole in 2032, when she is 68 years old. Rosenfield approached Harding a couple of months ago and asked him to review the details of the case. Citing Hardings extensive law enforcement career, Rosenfield said he believes this is the first time a sheriff has written a letter of this kind in support of a petition for pardon. He is probably the most experienced law enforcement investigator I have ever known, Rosenfield said. For his part, Harding took on the case because he said investigation work has always been an important part of his job. Harding served almost 30 years with the Charlottesville Police Department, most of which was in investigations. After reading John Grishams book The Innocent Man, Harding said it opened his eyes to mistakes made within the criminal justice system. It made me realize everything were doing in law enforcement isnt right all the time, Harding said. Not long after reading the book, Harding became involved with the Innocence Project and assisted in an investigation of the conviction of Michael Hash in Culpeper. Hash served 10 years of a life sentence for the murder of Thelma Scroggins in 1996, but has since been cleared of wrongdoing and freed. When Harding agreed to look over the Soering case, he went into it with the belief that Soering was probably guilty, he said. But as he looked through the court transcripts, reviewed the evidence and interviewed Soering in prison, he realized that it was unlikely Soering would be convicted if the trial were held today. I completely changed my mind, Harding said. In his letter, Harding breaks the facts down into blood evidence, sock evidence, shoe impressions in blood, Soerings recanted confession, the alibi and night of the crime, Elizabeth Haysoms confession, the motive and the serology and DNA evidence. Harding is working pro bono on the case. I was not trying to interpret the evidence in my letter; I just showed the factual evidence, Harding said. Its my opinion, but part of the reason I wrote the letter was that I wanted to show, beyond my opinion, what the evidence was. Gov. McAuliffe can give any weight he wants to it. Harding structures his letter around analyzing the closing arguments made by prosecutor James Updike and the main evidence used to convict Soering. One of Updikes most compelling pieces of evidence was Type O blood left at the scene of the crime, which didnt match either of the victims, nor their daughter. Therefore, Updike said, the blood must have belonged to the killer. The problem, Harding writes, is that the DNA testing done in 2009 on the blood stains concluded that the Type O blood does not belong to Soering. Who left the blood at the crime scene is unknown at this time, wrote Harding. Bloody sock and shoe prints found at the scene also were attributed to Soering, but Harding said both prints were much too small to match Soerings feet. Instead, the prints likely were made by a woman wearing size 6 to 7 shoes or a man wearing size 5 to 6 shoes. As for Soerings recanted confession, Harding points out multiple inconsistent statements that do not match evidence found at the scene. When he first spoke to police, Soering told detectives that Nancy Haysom was wearing jeans the night of the murders, but she was actually wearing a flowery housecoat. Soering also said he cut each victims throat before running out of the house. Their throats were cut, but Derek Haysom also was stabbed 11 times in the chest and 14 times in the back, while Nancy Haysom also was stabbed multiple times. Soering reportedly never said anything about the additional injuries. I was amazed this was not questioned, Harding wrote. There also was blood evidence that indicated someone took a shower after the murders, but Soering never mentioned that. Soering also said that after Derek Haysom pushed him, Soering fell back and bumped his head on the wall, but in the crime scene photos, there was a window, not a wall. Harding also questioned the alibis given by Soering and Haysom. Each said they stayed behind in Washington, D.C. while the other left. But Haysom said that when Soering returned in a rental car after presumably murdering her parents he was wrapped in a sheet and covered in blood. But Harding said no traces of blood were ever recovered from the car. Every homicide investigation of which I have been involved and where the defendant has attempted to remove any form of blood evidence from a vehicle, whether using a cleaning agent or not, luminal still led us to blood, wrote Harding. Haysoms lie is more revealing than most because the science is so crystal clear that traces of blood would surely have been discovered, but none was. Instead, Harding lays out pieces of evidence that support a conclusion that Haysom was at the scene. Haysoms Type B blood was found near her mothers body; the brand of cigarettes she smoked were found outside of the front and back doors; the shoe print found at the scene was consistent with her shoe size; she openly hated her mother; she had the best opportunity to shower after the crime and change her clothes, thus leaving no blood in the rental car; and she confessed to the killings, Harding wrote. And, Harding wrote, Soering would have had no real motive to kill Haysoms parents. Harding also interviewed Carlos Santos, who covered the trial as a reporter at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Frank Green, a current reporter with the Times-Dispatch. Both told Harding that Haysom told them in interviews that she committing perjury at Soerings trial. She also told them that her mother had been sexually abusing her for years prior to the murders, they said. In one of his final points, Harding refers to a new report by Dr. Moses Schanfield, a professor of forensic science and expert witness, that shows Soering must be excluded as the donor of unidentified blood stains found at the scene. Rather, the DNA evidence supports the conclusion that two unknown men left blood at the scene. It is my opinion that Mr. Soering was eliminated as the contributor of Type O blood at the crime scene, wrote Schanfield in a letter that will be included in Rosenfields second supplement. Because the DNA report does not prove that a contributor of Type A, AB or B has the same DNA as the item 6 [front entrance] sample, then at least one or more male contributors, each having a Y chromosome and with Type O blood other than Mr. Soering were at the crime scene. In his theory of the case, Harding said he believes Haysom was at her parents home at the time of the murders and was assisted by two men. Harding said he does not believe Soering was there because there is no evidence that ties him to the scene, and that Haysom had a much greater motive to kill her parents. Based on my training and experience, almost every piece of evidence raised by the prosecution is subject to inaccuracies, unreliabilities and scientific contradictions, Harding wrote. The jury was misled in many places. Harding will continue to investigate the case, but said he hopes to see Soering get at least a conditional pardon from McAuliffe that would allow him to go home to Germany. The governors office has opened an active investigation, according to Rosenfield, but it could take several months to hear anything. If more or new info comes up, I intend to bring it to the governors attention, Rosenfield said. One never knows where these things go in these investigations. Sometimes people come out of the woodwork. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. Harding said he also is concerned there are two men who have escaped justice for the past 32 years. Is he completely innocent? I think the evidence pushes me more in that direction than another, Harding said. Its hard to say someone 100 percent didnt do anything, but our standard is beyond a reasonable doubt. I think there is a strong reason to doubt he is guilty, he said. If I was on a jury, I wouldnt have been able to convict him. A group in Crozet is almost ready to send out a survey for community members to take to assist Albemarle County with updating the areas Master Plan. At an Albemarle County Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, Commissioner Tim Keller read a statement from Commissioner Jennie More, who was not able to be present, to give an update on the survey. The past survey of the Crozet area was done in 2009, the statement said. There were just over 700 responses and over 1,200 written comments. There are many new residents in the Crozet area, and the survey committee has been working to update the survey and create and administer the survey to create an opportunity to gather community feedback. A committee of the Crozet Community Association, a volunteer group that serves as a forum for Crozet residents to discuss issues, has been working on the survey throughout the winter, according to Mike Marshall, president of the Crozet Board of Trade. We had this idea last summer and started talking about the survey in the fall, and its taken us six months to get it where its ready for the public, he said earlier Tuesday. The idea came about at a Crozet Community Advisory Committee meeting in July, when residents found out that the Crozet Master Plan was not going to be updated in the near future. The CCAC provides assistance to county staff and the Board of Supervisors on issues related to implementation of the areas Master Plan. Master plans for each development area in the county serve as guides for development, and become part of the Comprehensive Plan, the countys guiding document for land use and resource protection issues. The Crozet Master Plan was created in 2004 and then updated in 2010. Between the initial Crozet plan and the update, master plans were adopted for the Pantops and Village of Rivanna development areas. County staff typically finishes one plan before it starts another, mainly due to staffing for plan development and public engagement, Elaine Echols, principal planner for the county, said in an email. The Places 29 plan was adopted in February 2011. In that year, the Comprehensive Plan update began and the Southern and Western Urban Neighborhoods Master Plan was adopted in June 2015. Although Pantops plan was the next to update, the board decided to do a small area plan for the Rio/U.S. 29 intersection next, Echols said. Development of that plan is occurring. Pantops has been patiently waiting for their turn and they will be next. The Board of Supervisors will decide which plan will be updated next after Pantops. For many in Crozet, they do not want to wait much longer for the plan to be updated, as more developments are on the table and the population is increasing. A lot of people had bought into the Master Plan thats why the town got its nose out of joint when the supervisors started to approve rezonings that were way off what people expected would happen, Marshall said. The CCAC has opposed projects that have come forward recently, such as the West Glen and Adelaide developments, saying parts of the projects were not in line with the Crozet Master Plan. The fact is that theres really strong support for the Master Plan in Crozet and we have a lot of confidence in the plan, but we also want it to be brought up to date and we dont want these little kinks that theyve found to be used against us, Marshall said. Supervisor Ann H. Mallek, who will be giving a short update on the survey to the board at its meeting Wednesday, said shes excited about the survey and to learn about what residents are thinking. It takes challenges, sometimes, to get people to coalesce around their community, and I think the folks in Crozet, because theres been such an enormous population growth out there in the last 10 years, they really realize how important this is to give their time to, she said. The committee that prepared the survey includes Marshall, Crozet Community Association president Tim Tolson, retired planning commissioner and current CCAC member Tom Loach and other interested residents. Echols, Mallek and More also have worked on the survey. Tom Guterbock, director of the University of Virginias Center for Survey Research, and Shawn Bird, a resident who worked for a political polling firm, also assisted the committee as survey pros. Weve done our best to try to make it be neutral questions, Marshall said. These guys who are pros, they really are sensitive on certain constructions, certain words, and all that was groomed out, so were pretty confident that we have a survey that doesnt lead anybody anywhere in its questions. The survey will be done online, and an instruction letter with an individual code to complete it will be mailed to 3,000 households 2,000 in the growth area and 1,000 in the surrounding area. The committee is hoping to receive at least 500 responses to get a scientifically valid, random sample. The Crozet Board of Trade, a nonprofit that has raised funds for Crozets Independence Day fireworks show, is currently raising money to buy addresses in the census precincts that Crozet occupies, and to send the mailers, Marshall said. They estimate the cost will be around $6,000. The survey will consist of about 34 questions and the goal is for it to be able to be completed in about 20 minutes. It covers a lot of subjects about specific places that might grow or attitudes about what the principles of the plan ought to be, and theres one space where you can volunteer a comment, Marshall said. For those who do not receive a code in the mail, copies of the survey will be available at the Crozet Library, online and will run in a copy of the Crozet Gazette, which Marshall owns. The idea is we want everybody to see it, and if they want to respond, they can tell us what they think, he said. We also want people to know what kinds of questions are being asked. At the Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, Echols said it is important to note that the survey is community driven, and that its not completely geared toward the Master Plan update. The results of the survey will potentially provide some focus for the Master Plan update, but the variety of questions that are in the survey really ranges far and wide, she said. For example, theyre going to be asking questions about what the community wants to see along [U.S] 250, in that area between the development area boundary and the Yancey Mills community. Other questions are related to what businesses people would like to see in the Crozet area, which could be used for the development of the Crozet Square, she said. Neil Williamson, executive director of the Free Enterprise Forum, said during the meetings public comment period that independent neighborhoods having to fund their own surveys, with the best intent, is a flawed program. Youre relying, your Comprehensive Plan, perhaps, on their survey, he said. Regardless of how objective any survey is, there is bias in every survey. According to the statement from More, the survey codes will be mailed out in mid-May and will be available to the public in late May. The results will be made public once they are compiled. CULPEPER First-time political candidate Ben Hixon, of Culpeper, has been selected as the Democratic nominee in the 30th District House of Delegates race. The 34-year-old computer programmer narrowly won the nomination by one vote at a caucus Saturday, with members of the Culpeper, Orange and Madison Democratic committees choosing him over Annette Hyde, a yoga teacher from Madison. So far, the reaction of local Democrats has been positive, said Harold Boyd, chairman of the Culpeper County Democratic Committee. He said he believes Hixon could win in November over incumbent Republican Nick Freitas, an Iraq war veteran who first won election in 2015 in an unopposed contest and faces no GOP challenger this year. It will take a lot of hard work, but the political atmosphere has changed the possibilities for Democrats, Boyd said. As always, politics in Virginia and Culpeper are never dull. Hixon, who moved to Culpeper last year from Seattle, is the first openly gay candidate to run in the historically conservative 30th District. In fact, what prompted him to run for office was Freitas religious freedom legislation that sought to shield from penalties state contractors opposed to gay marriage for religious reasons. Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed the measure. Hixon is running as a liberaltarian, meaning he supports maximum personal freedoms, but with provisions for certain government services, including universal health care. He thanked local Democrats for choosing him as the nominee, and Hyde for making it a better competition. Since Saturdays caucus, Hyde, 58, has been recruited to run for a seat on the Madison County Board of Supervisors. Hyde said Monday that she is working to get the 125 signatures needed to be on the November ballot. As for Hixon being the 30th District nominee, Hyde said she is optimistic. I think we Democrats have the best chance in years to win the 30th District race, she said. Suzanne Long, chairwoman of the Madison Democratic Committee agreed. Ben Hixons message of diversity, acceptance and effective freedom speaks to all, no matter the neighborhood, apartment, farm, business or homestead, she said. A Democrat can win this election when voters come out to support progressive policies that enhance our lives and our communities. Freitas, in an email Monday, congratulated Hixon on his nomination. He said his office during the past two years had accomplished a great deal by working with the people to craft legislation relevant to the district. Rolling back onerous regulations, rejecting tax increases, returning a significant amount of control over education back to localities and significantly increasing government budget transparency have all been policies I ran on and have gotten done, Freitas said. He added that the success was accomplished by working with people of all different political leanings and focusing energy on areas of agreement. There is still a great deal to do and we continue to work with members of the community, local government and law enforcement to address criminal justice reform, opioid addiction, education reform, as well as tax and regulatory reform. We are already in the process of getting next years bills ready for draft, Freitas said. He said competition in politics, like in business, is a healthy thing. My opponent recently referred to himself as a combination of Bernie Sanders and the ACLU, so there will clearly be significant contrast in the way we approach the Constitution and the appropriate role of government in our lives. I look forward to the campaign, Freitas said. WASHINGTON Aetna is quitting Virginia's Obamacare market for 2018, the second state that Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini is exiting as he seeks to limit his insurer's risks from the beleaguered health law. "We will not offer on- or off-exchange individual plans in Virginia," Aetna said in an emailed statement, citing $200 million or more in losses the company anticipates this year on individual products. The insurer also cited "growing uncertainty in the marketplace" for the plans. UnitedHealth Group, which has largely stopped selling ACA health plans, said last month it was pulling out of Virginia. Also in April, Aetna said it wouldn't sell Obamacare plans on Iowa's market next year. With Aetna's Virginia exit, the insurer will only be in Delaware and Nebraska next year, if it doesn't leave those too. "We will communicate decisions on our remaining states as appropriate," Aetna said in the email. Insurers have been questioning their participation in the Affordable Care Act as they take losses and see a Republican Congress and White House that have threatened to repeal or undermine the law. President Donald Trump's administration has said it may withhold some subsidies that help low income people use their health plans. That could cause insurers to leave or to significantly raise rates. Aetna said yesterday that its per-person losses from Obamacare plans are worsening. Going into this year, the company exited most states where it had been participating in Obamacare. When Jerry Mundil heard Bill Williams speak at the Colfax County Senior Center he felt compelled to help raise money for Mondays honor flight to Washington, D.C., for Nebraska Vietnam War veterans. The trip organized by Williams and his wife Evonne through Patriotic Productions took 650 veterans to the nation's capital to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and other monuments. There arent many people in this world doing much for Vietnam veterans, Mundil said. Mundil, his wife Rose and brother Richard, who lives in Howells, organized a steak fry in Howells and hamburger feed in Schuyler to raise money for the flights. Between the events, they contributed around $25,000. It makes me feel good that people helped me put this on," Mundil said. "One person cant do it all themselves." Mundil also volunteered to serve during the Vietnam War. From 1970-74, he was a section leader on the flight deck of the USS Constellation. Mundil and fellow Schuyler Vietnam veterans Norbert Drueppel, Donald Eckstein and John Russ were on board Monday's flights to D.C. Drueppel was excited to go on the trip. Looking forward to it, he said. With 650 of my closest friends. Drueppel graduated from Lindsay Holy Family and decided to enlist in the Army along with a group of friends. At that time you considered it inevitable that you were going to Vietnam, he said. So some of us had a lets do it and get it done way of thinking about it. He served as an Army specialist in the central highlands region and said his time in the service had a positive impact on his life. At that time, being a rural kid from Nebraska, you didnt have a handle on how things were in the world, he said. I think you appreciate every day after going through that and making it out alive. Every day is a bonus after that. Drueppel and his wife still go on vacations with some of his friends from the war. They visited Vietnam a few years ago when a cruise they were on stopped there for a few days. Vietnam is a young country, so not many people living there today remember the war, but one of Drueppels tour guides did. Her No. 1 comment was how tough it was that during the day we controlled the village, and at night we left so the Viet Cong were in charge, he said. I thought that was a very interesting perspective. Hed also visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial before Monday's trip, once with another group of veterans. He found a list of all the men in his company who were killed before this week's trip. Some I knew, some I didnt, he said. Hopefully Ill have enough time to pay my respects. Eckstein also looked forward to seeing the wall, especially the name of a friend he served with who was killed in the field. Kind of hard to think about the day that he died, Eckstein said. Eckstein served as an Army specialist and aide to a commanding officer in the northern mountain area. He has a very straightforward take on his service. To me, it was a job to do, he said. We went over there to do a job. Thats about it. On a few occasions he went out with Special Forces to do community service in the villages, mainly infrastructure projects such as building drinking water systems. Russ is a newcomer to Schuyler. He and his wife, who was born and raised here, moved to town in 2009. Before that, they lived in California where Russ was the chief of medical administration services at a Veterans Affairs hospital. I was there to serve the veterans, he said. Russ was a staff sergeant at the logistical support base in Dalat in the central highlands of Vietnam. He doesnt like to go into detail about his service. I dont talk about my experiences in Vietnam, he said. Its not something you normally talk about." But he did talk about how that experience affected him. It changed my whole outlook on life, he said. I had never before then been in a position where you live day-to-day. KETTERING, OhioFamily and friends of an Ohio soldier killed in Afghanistan last week are gathering this week to honor him. The Dayton Daily News reports a candlelight Wednesday night for Sgt. Cameron Thomas and a celebration of life this Sunday are being held in Kettering, about 50 miles (81 kilometers) north of Cincinnati. Thomas graduated from a high school in Kettering in 2012. He was one of two Army Rangers killed in a raid on an Islamic State compound in Afghanistan. The military is investigating to see if they were accidentally killed by ground fire from Afghan commandos or other American forces. Thomas father said his 23-year-old son was due home on leave in a few weeks and had planned to visit his family, now living in Rixeyville, Virginia. Native spring wildflowers and childrens creativity will be celebrated during Shenandoah National Park's 31st annual Wildflower Weekend, May 6-7, according to a news release. Special hikes and programs will focus on the diversity and value of hundreds of species of flowering plants that are protected by the park. Visitors may also view the winning entries in the parks annual Youth Art in the Park wildflower art contest. The top-winning works will be exhibited at Byrd Visitor Center from May 6-13, and at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center from May 14-21. Winning artists will be recognized in a ceremony at noon on May 6 at Byrd Visitor Center. The featured speaker on both days will be watercolor artist Betty Gatewood, who will conduct botanical art workshops starting at Byrd Visitor Center and moving outside. No art experience is necessary, and all materials will be provided. FreeConferenceCall.com Brings Conferencing to Tanzania Share Tweet By Alicia Young Web Editor By Alicia YoungWeb Editor As someone who lives in the suburbs and is only a quick train ride away from New York City, its hard to imagine living in a place where going to school or the office can be difficult due to poor travel conditions. Im sure Im not alone in this feeling, but thats the reality for thousands of people living in Tanzania. Although the East African economy is growing, getting to work still isnt the easiest task. Thats why FreeConferenceCall.coms decision to bring its conferencing services to Tanzania has the potential to completely change the workforce there. With this expansion, Tanzania joins Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa on the list of countries FreeConferenceCall.com is empowering through its conferencing services. The company is determined to bring free global conference calling to as many people as possible. We are excited to continue to support the growing East African economy by expanding our services to Tanzania, said Josh Lowenthal, president at FreeConferenceCall.com. This expansion marks a milestone moment in our international growth as we continue to introduce our world-class products and services to new audiences. Tanzania is home to 53 million people, and now they can all access high definition audio conferencing, audio recordings and mobile applications at any time. Additionally, theyll have unlimited access to local free audio, screen sharing and video conferencing. This effort is great for Tanzanians, but perhaps even better for FreeConferenceCall.com. The company now has the potential to reach a user base of about 350 million people in Africa. Thats a pretty big number, and it lines up perfectly with FreeConferenceCall.coms end goals. For the past 15 years, our free collaboration model has changed the way people communicate. Users gain rapid free access to high-definition audio, screen sharing and video conferencing so they can meet and conduct business internationally with as little friction as possible. It is our mission to continue to broaden our reach in Africa and across the world. We will not stop until every country has access to free conferencing services, Lowenthal stated. With any luck, Tanzanians will benefit from this service as much as FreeConferenceCall.com is set to. Access to conferencing has the potential to transform the way the workforce is handled in the country, enabling more remote work and meetings. Well have to wait and see if video conferencing in Tanzania has the desired effect. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Article comments powered by Disqus Edited by Maurice Nagle BERLIN - Germany - SS-Verfugungstruppe, Colonel Martin Selmayr, a decorated officer of the EU army has been put in charge of punishing Britain during the Brexit process. Formerly a lawyer of high regard, but now the right hand man of Herr Juncker, he has been useful in disposal operations in the past. When it comes to effective disposal, Colonel Selmayr is a leading proponent in discreet handling but vicious punishment. He comes from the rear or the side, and when no one is looking, schlapf! Its over, one of Junckers aides revealed. EU Volksgemeinschaft A true believer in the thousand year EU project, otherwise known as Reich, Selmayr conducts hits on anyone who gets in the way as ordered by his leader Jean Claude Juncker. Colonel Selmayr has subsequently been credited with some of the European Unions most hard-line negotiating positions, including its demand that Britain must pay a 80 billion Brexit divorce bill, as well as leaking a damaging account of Mrs May to a German newspaper during recent talks in Downing Street. He works underhand, below any known belt line, and from the shadows. People disappear, one minute they are there, the next they swim with the fishes, and no one knows where they are. He is an expert in clandestine operations, disinformation, propaganda and trickery of the highest order, a scared Brussels worker revealed to the BBC, but has not been seen since speaking up. Page Content The world is changing fast. Europe's regions and cities have a chance to innovate and become pioneering, smart leaders, which can address the challenges through evidence based policy-making. As a Pioneering Smart Region, the Basque Country was the ideal setting to analyse the first year of the "Science meets Regions" pilot scheme, which took place under the coordination of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). "The Basque Country, like all of Europe's regions and cities, are confronted with a plethora of societal challenges. By enabling the scientific community, business and citizens to become catalysts of change, we want to mobilise local potential and find solutions together " said Markku Markkula, President of the CoR. " Basque projects are good examples of a bottom-up approach in Smart Region initiatives. During my visits to the EU-funded Mutriku Wave Energy Plant and the Basque Culinary Centre this week, I saw how local challenges can become strengths by building on synergies between education, research, innovation and government. It is crucial that no stakeholder remains outside of the ecosystem creation process, if you want to be on the pioneers map." President Markkula met Inigo Urkullu, President of the Basque Country, in Vitoria-Gasteiz one year after attending in Bilbao the signature of the Basque Declaration on sustainability which seeks innovative ways of meeting current economic, environmental and social challenges. The Lehendakari Inigo Urkullu said: " The Basque Country seeks to position itself as an innovation and research benchmark in Europe. The 'Science meets Regions' seminar is an occasion to highlight that by sharing experiences and best practice, EU regions and cities can play a crucial role in the construction of Europe ". Markku Markkula made a keynote speech at the 'Science Meets Regions' seminar in Donostia-San Sebastian on 3 May together with Arantxa Tapia, Basque Regional Minister for Economic Development and Infrastructures. Arantxa Tapia said: " As Europe is going through a period of renovation and with tensions being spread in several member states, the role of European Regions in the European project is more relevant than ever ". Regional Minister Tapia added: " At the European level, interregional cooperation and alliances amongst innovative and pioneering regions helps the Basque Country to raise its competitiveness ". This seminar was co-organised with the CoR and the JRC as well as the Basque government. The "Science Meets Regions" pilot scheme has proven to be a success for local collaboration in 2016 with regional pilots taking place in Bratislava, Espoo, Karlsruhe, Sofia, Trieste, and Wiesbaden and covering diverse themes such as energy efficiency, smart cities, stability of capital markets, food security, active aging, smart specialisation, quality of education and climate change. A call for regional and local "Science meets Regions" events during 2017/2018 will be launched in June and their conclusions will feed into the annual "Science meets Regions" conference, scheduled for late 2017. Contact: David Crous david.crous@cor.europa.eu Bookings for the model are open across all 24 authorised Jaguar retailers in India. New Delhi: Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) today said it has started accepting bookings for the diesel variant of the Jaguar XE in India. The new variant will be powered by 2.0l-litre diesel engine that delivers a power output of 132 kw. It will be in addition to the 2.0l litre petrol engine that is already on sale in the country since February 2016. "In the past one year, Jaguar XE has gained immense popularity and success in the Indian market and we are now pleased to offer the choice of diesel to our customers," JLR India Managing Director Rohit Suri said in a statement. Bookings for the model are open across all 24 authorised Jaguar retailers in India, the company said. New Delhi: The government has decided to setup inter-ministerial panels to examine financial woes of telecom and power companies and recommend solutions, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said today. While intense competition in the telecom sector has squeezed margins of some companies and raised fears of defaults on loans taken from banks, the power segment faces a situation where distribution companies are unable to pay to the electricity producers. "An inter ministerial group has been created to examine systemic issues of viability and repayment capacity and furnish recommendation for resolution of stressed assets at the earliest. It is for telecom and power," Sinha told PTI in an interview. According to a government source, similar panels will be formed for some other sectors also. The Reserve Bank last month asked banks to review immediately their exposure to the telecom sector, which has a debt of Rs 4.6 lakh crore, and make higher provisions to firewall their business against any future stress. Emphasising that the government is well aware of concerns of the telecom sector, Sinha assured that an "appropriate action will be taken at an appropriate time". He said that a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to discuss concerns of both the sectors. "... the policy reforms and strategic intervention identified by the inter ministerial group will be examined and processed expeditiously," Sinha said. The telecom companies have been bleeding due to the pressure on revenue and profitability in the wake of competition intensified by the entry of Reliance Jio. The minister today said that the customers have benefited from competition in the sector. "Whenever a new entrant comes, this kind of situation is created, but it settles down in a year or two," he said. Jio's entry, he noted, has not only reduced the tariffs but changed the traffic pattern from voice to data. The ministry wants competition in the sector and also to ensure strong financial health of the industry, he asserted. Citing the data explosion in the country over the past quarters, the minister said that the Indian market was large enough to ensure growth for all operators. "Everybody is trying to increase their footprint," he said. To a query on Internet companies struggling in the wake of low tariffs, he quipped, "If consumer is getting data for Rs 20, should the government intervene and say provide it for Rs 100!" Earlier this year, the Telecom Commission in a letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) warned of a loan default by operators. It asked the telecom regulator to revisit its tariff orders and free promotional offers of firms like Reliance Jio. The then Telecom Secretary J S Deepak, who headed the Telecom Commission at that point, had flagged the "serious impact" of promotional offers on the financial health of the sector and the capability of the companies to meet their contractual commitments, including payment of instalments for spectrum purchased and repayment of loans. Trai, however, strongly defended its stance and retorted that its policies were aimed at promoting competition and lower tariffs that benefited consumers. Company's telecom towers demerged into TIPL will be 100 per cent owned and independently managed by Brookfield Infrastructure. New Delhi: Reliance Communications Ltd today said its subsidiary Reliance Infratel Ltd has received shareholders' approval for the demerger of its tower division into Towercom Infrastructure Private Ltd (TIPL). Reliance Infratel Ltd (RITL) has "approved with 98 per cent majority the scheme of arrangement for demerger of the tower division of the RITL into Towercom Infrastructure Private Ltd," RCOM said in a statement. Reliance Communications in December last year had announced an agreement to sell its tower business to Canada- based Brookfield Infrastructure and its institutional partners for Rs 11,000 crore. The deal is touted as the largest-ever investment by an overseas financial investor in the infrastructure sector in India. Upon the completion of the demerger and other conditions, Rapid Holdings 2 Pte Ltd, a company which is a part of the Brookfield Infrastructure Group will acquire 100 per cent of TIPL and thereby create the second largest independent and operator-neutral tower company in India. Reliance Infratel has already received approval from the Competition Commission of India. "The company's telecom towers demerged into TIPL will be 100 per cent owned and independently managed by Brookfield Infrastructure," the statement said. The upfront cash payment that RCOM will receive will be solely used to reduce its debt. The already announced combination of RCOM's wireless business with Aircel, and the monetisation of the tower business, will together reduce RCOM's overall debt by Rs 31,000 crore (USD 4.8 billion), or nearly 70 per cent of existing debt. RCOM and Reliance Jio will continue as major long term tenants of the TIPL along with other existing third party telecom operators. A petition is filed with the NCLT, Mumbai Bench, for approval of the scheme, the statement added. New Delhi: Tata-SIA joint venture airline Vistara today announced a flat 50 per cent discount on all business class fares starting as low as Rs 4,611. The offer begins from today and is available until May 6. It will be valid for travel between May 12, 2017 and February 20, 2018, according to the airline. The offer holds for some of the favourite holiday destinations like Goa, Port Blair, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Kochi, Guwahati, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, as well as metro cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru, among other destinations across Vistara's network. Under this plan, Delhi-Srinagar business class tickets for weekdays will be priced at Rs 6,250, Delhi-Leh at Rs 8,400 Delhi-Goa at Rs 10,250, Kolkata-Port Blair at Rs 10,250. Fares for weekend travels are lower. Seats under this offer are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, the airline added. Vistara serves 19 destinations with over 530 weekly flights and a fleet of 13 aircraft. Government had earlier said that opening up of commercial coal mining to private companies will bring in competition in the coal sector and will reduce power tariff. New Delhi: The government is working on various auction models with regard to sale of coal blocks for commercial mining by private companies, a senior official said today. "We are formulating a proposal detailing the auction models to be considered by an inter-ministerial committee," Coal Joint Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said. An inter-ministerial panel under the chairmanship of coal secretary and members from ministries like power and finance would consider the auction models for commercial mining. The official was speaking on the sidelines of a launch of a book titled 'India's Coal Story'. India is in the process of throwing open commercial coal mining to private firms for the first time in four decades, with the aim of shifting the world's third-biggest coal importer towards energy self-sufficiency. The government had earlier said that opening up of commercial coal mining to private companies will bring in competition in the coal sector and will reduce power tariff. The government had said it wants to convey to potential investors that sustainable and efficient mining, not revenue maximisation, is the idea behind commercial coal auction. New Delhi: Banks will be able to recognise their stressed assets as non-performing more uniformly with an RBI directive calling for extra disclosure on asset categorisation, India Ratings (Ind-Ra) said today. The Reserve Bank (RBI) has asked banks to make additional disclosure on divergence in asset classification and provisioning. This is being done to improve governance and smoothen transition to Indian Accounting Standards (IND-AS 109), India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said in a note. "The additional disclosure requirements for banks would compel banks to tighten their internal non-performing loans (NPLs) recognition and provisioning norms," it added. "It will improve the overall quality of disclosures and provide a platform for more uniform recognition of stressed assets as non-performing across different banks." Migration to IND-AS 109 is likely from the next year, and the proforma numbers are to be released from June 2017 onwards. "The new accounting standards would require provisioning based on expected loss replacing the current incurred loss provision. The blanket higher provisioning, however, generally seems to have been prescribed for meeting a larger objective and is not necessarily limited to credit risk," Ind-Ra senior analyst Udit Kariwala said. In April, RBI had flagged concerns about banks' exposure to various sectors, including telecom, real estate lending, unhedged foreign and capital market exposure, among others. However, the proposal for an increased provision on sectoral exposure in anticipation of credit losses may achieve the objective only partially, it added. Bengaluru: Hiring in the IT industry in the country has slowed down drastically with the advent of automation, growing protectionist sentiment in various foreign markets and changing business models of the Indian IT services firms. IT industry can no longer be seen as a net employment generator of the country. The Indian IT firms have been looking to rationalise headcount as they have been automating processes and leaning to do the job in a more productive way, said Rituparna Chakraborty, president, Indian Staffing Federation (ISF). With the Indian IT firms adopting local hiring policy fearing the likely changes to the H-1B visa program, the entry level Indians can no longer dream of going to the US. Ms Chakraborty feels that Infosyss declaration to hire 10,000 American locals is more of a posturing in front of the US government than anything else. However, lack of availability of skilled workers in the US still is a bigger concern that needs to be addressed effectively. She said that the entry-level engineers under the Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000-salary bracket will now have to forget about going to the US as the Trump administration has increased the salary threshold for the employees under H-1B visa program. The Indian IT companies in the past would send entry-level employees in larger volumes. The IT firms would pay entry level engineers in Indian rupees and earn revenues in dollars. This has been their business model to earn margins for many years now. Though, the employees would get allowances for relocation, their base salaries would still be paid in Indian rupees. Companies can still send the entry-level employees to the US by paying them $100,000, which doesnt make sense. In that case, theyll have to hire locally, said Ms Chakraborty. They can only send people with many years of experience to justify $100,000 salary paid to them. She suggested the entry-level employees to focus on the India-centric jobs and look at new territories such as West Asia, Canada and Africa. Though these new markets wont be able to substitute the US and Europe markets, they will eventually turn out to be lucrative. Approximately, the demand for It employees is around 4 lakhs every year. However, the supply is around 16 lakh. This is the reason why IT companies have stopped campus recruitment and have hardly been hiring in the past one year. Meanwhile, American software giant Adobe on Wednesday said that 30 per cent of its R&D staff work is in India, making a fundamental contribution to each of its product and hinted that the country will continue to be the innovation hub for it. A lot of our intellectual property gets created out of India. We have over 30 per cent of our R&D staff sitting out of India. We also have got the global services delivery centre in this country, Adobe India country head Kulmeet Bawa told reporters here. The company employs 4,200 people across three centres in Noida and Bengaluru, which together employ a fourth of its global workforce. The study, which was submitted to the government in 2013, was procured by the UPA government in 2012. New Delhi: The income-tax (I-T) department has found that a large amount of black money was converted into gold or routed through shell companies after demonetisation to avoid depositing junked money in banks to escape notice of tax sleuths. The I-T department has launched a country wide campaign to detect black money based on the data generated during the demonetisation after tax amnesty scheme Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) ended in March. The department has found that to escape tax authorities black money holders bought gold from jewellers so that they dont have to deposit their unaccounted money in the banks after demonetisation. In turn, the jewellers camouflaged the identities of the actual buyers and offered split bills after taking hefty commissions. I-T officials told a news agency that the jewellers saw in demonetisation an opportunity to ramp up their sales and thought they could get away by showing these amounts as sales. Jewellers offered a platform to convert unreported cash into gold, the official told the news agency, adding that split bills were below the value of `2 lakh, the threshold above which buyers have to provide the permanent account number (PAN) issued by the income-tax department. The buyers lists provided by the jewellers were false. After verification, it emerged that many of the buyers were financially weak and not in a position to spend such huge amounts shown in the invoices, the official said. In many cases where jewellers did not have required gold, demonetised currency was taken as advance booking and gold was delivered at a later date. What raised suspicion of the I-T department is that they have found records which show as many as 90 per cent across cities were closed at the time of the demonetisation announcement and sales at the days closing had been reported. Still, we found sales were registered in the accounting system either on November 8 or a date prior to that after the closing sales were reported. These sales were manipulated, said I-T officials. Shell companies also provided a strong helped to black money hoarders. I-T department has dummy directors of these companies included a cancer patient who signed documents for a `10,000 monthly fee or charges of `200 for every signature. Shell companies were also used as instruments to buy bullion. We found invoices for bullion sales were generated against such companies while actual beneficiaries received the bullion, tax officials told news agency. Mumbai: 'Neerja' was a career-defining role for Sonam Kapoor and the actress says being recognised by the National Film Awards jury for her work in the movie is "sweet and encouraging". The Ram Madhvani-directed biopic on Neerja Bhanot was adjudged as the best Hindi film while Sonam received a special mention. "My mother (Sunita) told me that I had received a special mention and I found it sweet and encouraging. I was like 'is it a consolation award?' She told me to speak to Anupam Kher uncle as he received it for 'Daddy'. I spoke to Shabana (Azmi) aunty as well about it," Sonam told PTI. Sonam will be with her parents in the capital to receive the special honour. "I am very excited about it. It is such a matter of pride that my parents will be there with me. I don't know how to describe it in words but it is definitely the most special feeling. There is a lot of pressure from now on as an actor," she says. The 31-year-old actress says she did not do the film for awards but is happy that the story on Neerja's life was recognised. "I don't think I did 'Neerja' for rewards. The whole film signifies the idea of human compassion, kindness and strength especially in this day and age when there is so much competition around and it is about survival of the fittest. "It is so important that a film like 'Neerja' gets an honour like this. It is really great." Sonam, however, is not nervous as she already had a rehearsal of sorts in 2007 when she accepted the National Award on her father's behalf. "My father has won two national awards -- for 'Pukar' and 'Gandhi My Father', which he produced. He was in South Africa and I was shooting for 'Aisha' in Delhi. Nobody could get in touch with him so my uncle told them that I will receive the award on his behalf," she says. Sonam will next be seen in R Balki's 'Padman' and Rajkumar Hirani's biopic on Sanjay Dutt. Mumbai: The two good looking and talented actors- Vatsal Sheth and Sanjeeda Shaikh- who were appreciated for their sizzling chemistry in their popular show, Ek Haseena Thi, have once again impressed the audience with Vikram Bhatts Gehraiyaan. The web series is in the news for Vatsal and Sanjeedas intimate love making scenes. Interestingly, the actors had a whale of time shooting for lovemaking scenes which most actors find it difficult to shoot considering their friendly rapport. A source says, "While shooting for romantic scenes, Sanjeeda and Vatsal used to often laugh between the scenes whenever director used to call action. Vatsal and Sanjeeda have been friends from Ek Haseena Thi days and get along like a house on fire on the set, so shooting romantic scenes was really funny for them to shoot. They used to burst out into laughter whenever they had to shoot for romantic scenes." "Finally, after few attempts both of them decided to hold up their laughter and completed the shot giving a perfect intimate shot, which will certainly sizzle the digital audience," adds the source. In the web series, Sanjeeda and Vatsal play a young couple in an urban setting. Their characters get caught in the webs of dark forces, challenging their love. The web series went live on 31st March last month. Mumbai: It would not be wrong to say that Akshay Kumar has been among the most vocal supporters of social causes in recent times from Bollywood. While his massive contribution to the families of martyred soldiers have made headlines, he has gone one step ahead by launching his dream, an app which makes it easier to make donations to the families of the soldiers, last month. The superstar has also been using the platform of social media brilliantly and expressing his views on various topics of social interest in videos. He had vented his anger on the mass molestation incident that had taken place in Bengaluru few months back and also highlighted the problem of lack of toilets in the country. The actor has now raised the issue of suicides committed by students in his latest video. Akshay, starting off about his recent National Award win, talks about an incident in his childhood where he had once failed in his exams and he was scared to go back home for the fear of being beaten up by his parents. His father was very understanding and asked him about his interests and when Akshay told about his love for sports, his father was very supportive and let him pursue his interests. That freedom allowed him to go from a khiladi to try martial arts, modelling and eventually becoming an actor and a Khiladi. Akshay feels disappointed hearing about the suicides of IIT students and management graduates and said it was sad that 8 lac people in the world commit suicide every year, out of which 1.5 lac were from India. He feels it was foolish to people to think that their lives were cheaper than an examination marksheet and dont value the importance of life due to the stress associated with studies. He also criticised parents who themselves were busy with their lives because of which the children cant confide in them about their problems. He goes on to say that it was important not to hold on to all the negative thoughts and share them with your close ones. He also stressed that taking the help of doctors and counsellors for stress was extremely important so that it could stop people from taking the extreme step. On the professional front, Akshay will next be seen in Toilet Ek Prem Katha. Watch the video here: Sporting bandages on his chin and near the left eye, he stands with the national flag fluttering over him. Chennai: Actor Kamal Haasan today released the first look poster of his sequel 'Vishwaroopam 2,' on his Twitter handle. "With love my country and its people 7:04 PM - 2 May 2017," he said, releasing the poster. Haasan appears in a bright blue suit against the backdrop of India Gate in the poster. Sporting bandages on his chin and near the left eye, he stands with the national flag fluttering over him and his right hand placed over his heart as if taking a pledge. The poster has kindled curiosity among fans on how racy and action packed the movie will be if the first-look appearance of the actor was any indication. While the release date has been speculated for quite some time by the fans, the actor in the poster just said "tarteting release 2017." The movie is written and directed by Kamal Haasan and it is being produced by the actor's production house Raajkamal Films International. The Tamil letters indicating Vishwaroopam has been written in the style of Urdu. "Happy to announce: Today 7pm Vishwaroop 2 Hindi first look poster & Vishwaroopam Tamizh Telugu 1st look posters release Exclusively for you," he had tweeted earlier in the day. Vishwaroopam's earlier part had witnessed trouble during release in view of objections by some sections of people. Mumbai: Pradeep Kumar, a young actor who played the lead role in Tamil TV serial Sumangali, was found dead at his house in Puppalaguda, Hyderabad at around 4 am on Tuesday. Reportedly, the actor committed suicide by hanging himself. The actor didnt leave any note behind so the exact reason for the suicide is yet to be known. The Hyderabad police have registered a suicide case and are investigating Pradeeps family members and friends. The actor, who recently got married to television actress Pavani Reddy, made a mark on the small screen with his splendid performances. His wife was reportedly not at the residence during this incident. This surely comes as shocking news as the couple were successful in the world of television. Pradeep has appeared in TV soaps and plays such as Saptha Matrika and Aruguru Pativratalu, while his wife Pavani is seen in the show Agnipooulu. Several reports suggest that the actor was going through some rough time with his family, while there are also speculations that he was under pressure due to heavy debts. However, nothing has been yet confirmed. The first look of Kamals Vishwaroopam 2 which the filmmaker-actor put out on Tuesday shows him embracing the Indian flag. His face has plaster covering his cheek. That, considering the physical and emotional battering he has been through in recent months, is an image truly in character! The ever-affable never-say-die actor-director laughs, The injury is in continuity from part one of Vishwaroopam. The flag is an emblem of what the protagonist Wisam stands for. He recalls the problems he had to face for the first films release in 2013 Some states threatened to ban it but it was only Tamil Nadu that actually went ahead and banned it. There was panic among theatre owners in TN because of the uncertainty, and I cant blame them. Film exhibitors are like any business on the streets. If there is a war theyll pack up and leave. When there is a riot, theyll shut shop. During the release, Muslim organisations had objected to portions of the film. Says Kamal I wonder where these groups were when I was being attacked for Hey Ram 17 years ago. At that time, my film was a threat to the saffron colour. In Vishwaroopam it was the colour green! Only the colour challenges. The pattern of illogical protest remains the same. I am against any kind of terrorism, whatever its colour is: green, saffron or khaki. I love all Indians, regardless of religion. The actor promises the sequel to Vishwaroopam would be even more politically provocative You will see many more layers to my character the sequel will be even more volatile.Wed get into my characters antecedents. The highlight of the sequel would be Jaideep Ahlawat. The film also has the legendary Waheeda Rehman playing Kamals mother. The enchanting actress, who regaled us with her nimble dancing in Vijay Anands Guide 50 years ago, will be seen again as a Bharatanatyam dancer in Vishwaroopam 2. The last time Waheeda was seen dancing was the Mujra in Gulzars Namkeen 37 years ago! In Kamals movie, she would be seen as she looked in her Guide days, thanks to the marvels of technology. The ever-innovative Kamal has morphed Waheedas face from her heyday onto a young Bharatanatyam dancers torso in the dance scenes! The role of an aging classical dancer is a pivotal one of Kamal Haasans mother. The actor-director was very keen that Vyjanthimala do the part. But she resolutely turned him down. It was then that Waheeda Rehman slipped into the picture. A declaration (living will) to family members or children that medical care must not be provided in case of terminal illness has been struck down by the government as legally invalid. Hyderabad: Modern medicine has ensured that people live longer lives, but often with more disease. And as the end nears, not many patients are asked what they want. The end is traumatic for most, especially those with terminal disease. Those who can afford it breathe their last in an ICU after aggressive treatment; the poor often die neglected and without treatment. In such a scenario, its vital to create awareness about palliative and end-of-life care that makes dying easier. But its important to make relatives and loved ones a part of this conversation. Death is classified into sudden death, terminal illness, organ failure and due to frailty and dementia. Doctors, palliative care experts and legal experts who gathered to discuss 'End of Life Care stated that the most difficult thing to do is bring near and dear ones to terms with the fact that medically no cure is possible and only care must be provided. The transition from cure to curative care is a tough call and doctors often wait till the last minute for that one response from a patient, which can signal a bounce-back. M.R. Rajgopal, chairman of Pallium India, a palliative care unit, explained, When patients are at this critical juncture doctors are also confused as they do not know how to talk about the end stage to the family. Their dilemma comes from the fact that the medical curriculum only teaches them to save lives, their primary duty. When they realise that medicines are no longer working, they dont know how to tell relatives that the patient is dying. This is the most difficult part for the medical fraternity and we find a lot of doctors struggling. Lack of effective communication, compounded by inability to choose the right words, is one of the most difficult tasks. For relatives, even the introduction of palliative care is not easily accepted. In the case of cancer patients, it is only after the final round of radiation or chemotherapy that the family accepts that there must now be a transition hospital to hospice. However, the number of cancer patients making it to hospice centres is less than one per cent. The idea that everyone lives by is that there is a cure and it will work. But what in cases when it doesnt work? Dr. Raj K. Mani, a senior doctor spearheading the concept of end-of-life care, explained, With brain dead being accepted and organ donation finding a foothold in peoples minds, they also need to come to terms with the end stage of life. We need awareness and a change in public attitude. Presently, most hospice centres only have cancer patients. But there are a large number of dementia and Alzheimers patients who require care; their families are often not clear where to go and whom to approach. Dr. Sridevi Seetharam, pathologist and palliative care provider, said: For cancer patients the stay is a minimum of a month and maximum a year. But in dementia and frail patients, care can extend for years together. We need proper systems in place to take care of them. The need is to identify, accept and then work on a solution where these patients are given the empathy and care they need and not left outside hospitals or locked inside homes. Who decides on end-of-life care? A declaration (living will) to family members or children that medical care must not be provided in case of terminal illness has been struck down by the government as legally invalid. Advance directives to family members are also not considered. The rules state that the medical team must decide. Medical experts state that ICU expenses are highest in end-of-care patients, taking up almost 70 per cent of their total expenditure. Only 14 per cent people are able to bear these costs. More than 30 per cent families take loans or sell property for this. Those unable to do so opt for no care and often neglect patients. With the patient unable to decide or not in a capacity to take a decision, who will tell loved dear ones their the end is near and medically nothing can be done? Emerging home-care facilities are able to take care of wounds, injuries, injections and also provide other palliative care. But the emotional connect is predominant among these patients and they yearn to find their space in the family system in the last days. Maximum patients in this stage of life complain of neglect, lack of care and emotional abandonment by family members. Kin need to be more pro-life While euthanasia is not legal, its often the only recourse of tired patients and drained family members. Senior neurologists in the city say they sometimes encounter relatives who tell them to go slow and not be very aggressive in treatment to very senior patients. A senior neurologist at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences explained, We are asked what are the chances? Most doctors evade this question for a few days. If there is no improvement in the next two to three days, the relatives say the treatment must be slow. While this is taken in writing and also a video consent, the number is about one per cent of the in-patients. Doctors state that understanding of relatives helps them decide the case better. Dr. Sujeet Ranjan, senior pulmonologist who also runs a palliative care centre, said: In cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the patients come with breathing problems and often want to get back to stability. But the later stages make life difficult. If the family demands results, the situation becomes complex and tough to handle. Experts state that there are some who cannot tolerate the sight of tubes, catheters and other intensive care treatments, but there are many others who want their loved one fit-and-fine as soon as possible. A senior doctor, seeking anonymity, explained, Often relatives state that the patient walked in all hale and hearty and is now bed-ridden. They fail to comprehend that there were ailments within and those aggravated, which has led to this condition. When people are coming with multiple diseases and their diagnosis is done at the hospital, then allowing the person to walk back home is very difficult. This is often not explained by doctors who merely continue with various types of treatment till the body responds, the doctor said. It is only when there is no response that they ask relatives to take the patient away, which is often not taken well. Chennai: Madras high court has directed the state government to reach out to people through media explaining to them that immunization has got nothing to do with cancer and also inform them that vaccination protects children from childhood cancer and specifically in childhood RMS (Rhabdomyosarcoma). Disposing of a suo motu taken up HCP, a division bench comprising Justices S.Nagamuthu and Anita Sumanth said, "We are hopeful that the government would unfailingly reach out the people and sensitize them". Taking cognizance of a news report published in a Tamil daily under the caption "Contusion caused by immunization injection resulted in a cancerous growth-A child aged 6 years struggles for life without treatment," the bench had on March 21 directed the authorities to admit the child in Adyar Cancer Institute and give treatment to him. Accordingly, the child was admitted into the hospital on the next day and treatment was being given to him. During the course of hearing, when it was brought to the notice of the court by authorities that the immunization given to the child has got nothing to do with the present disease of cancer and occurrence of cancer following the immunization was not reported anywhere in the world, the bench referred the matter to the experts for their opinion. After going through the reports, the bench said the cancerous growth on the right thigh of the child was not due to immunization injection given when the child was four months old. "We apprehend that in future, the people, more particularly innocent, ignorant and remote villagers may be reluctant to take their child to the government institutions on time to immunize them. This will have a disastrous impact on the society. We are told that because of immunization some viral diseases have almost been eradicated in the country", the bench added and gave the directive. As far as treatment to the child was concerned, the bench said the treatment be continued at the cost of the government, to ensure that the child lives his full span of life. The bride Xiao Liu found out that the guests which were over 200 were cab drivers and broke college students who were paid between 9 11 pounds to act like his friends. (Photo: Pixabay) Most couples who decide to get married meet each others parents and family before the big day. However, a Chinese bride was recently shocked when she met the parents and guests from the grooms side because they were not really his real parents. According to a media report, a Chinese couple in Xian recently had the most unusual reception when the bride met the grooms family. She got to know that all of the bridegrooms family and friends were hired people and not really his own family. The reason for hire is nothing we havent heard before but yet surprising the grooms family did not agree with the marriage and so had decided to skip it. The bride Xiao Liu found out that the guests which were over 200 were cab drivers and broke college students who were paid between 9 11 pounds to act like his friends. She didnt have the slightest of doubt because they had been dating for the past three years and had a different group of friends that hardly met. The dejected bride called the police and they are currently probing into the matter. Vaibhav Vishal had found his 30-year-old wife Sandhya Singh hanging from the ceiling fan at their official quarters located under Bolarum police station limits in Hyderabad, last month. (Photo: File/Representational Image) Hyderabad: An Army major, who was booked on charges of dowry death after his wife--a radio jockey (RJ) with a local FM channel-- allegedly committed suicide in Hyderabad, was on Wednesday arrested, police said. "Vaibhav Vishal, who is currently working in 54th Infantry Division in Secunderabad, was arrested on Wednesday," Bolarum Police Stations S Maheshwar said. Vaibhav Vishal had found his 30-year-old wife Sandhya Singh hanging from the ceiling fan at their official quarters located under Bolarum police station limits in Hyderabad, last month. Earlier, based on the information provided by her husband, a case of suicide had been registered on April 18. However, the family members of the deceased alleged that her husband had been harassing her for dowry. Following which the Army major was booked under section 304 (b) (dowry death), and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. According to police, it was a love marriage and the deceased belonged to Scheduled Castes (SC) community from Uttar Pradesh. The woman was lured to India with the hope of being given a job but she was sold to the brothel that pushed her into the sex trade. (Representational Image) New Delhi: A Bangladeshi national, who was rescued from a brothel in Pune in 2015, has sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get Rs 10,000 she had in old denominations convert to new ones. The woman was lured to India with the hope of being given a job but she was sold to the brothel that pushed her into the sex trade, according to a report in Mid Day. Although she was rescued in December 2015, she could not get the notes converted because she was fighting her battle to reach home to Bangladesh. A picture of her letter was tweeted to Modi after Bangladesh cleared her request to return. In her letter, she explains to the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that she had collected the amount as tips from her customers and they were in possession of the brothel owners at the time of demonetisation. Screenshot of the letter that was tweeted to PM (Photo: Rescue Foundation/Twitter) After being in an abusive marriage for three years, she divorced her husband and took up a job at a garment factory in Bangladesh for Rs 9000 and also looked after her parents. However, one of her colleagues told her about a job in India where she could earn Rs 15000. "As my financial condition was not good, I agreed to it and he brought me to Vashi. where, to my horror, he sold me to a Nepali women for a mere Rs. 50,000," the survivor wrote. "I was then taken to Bengaluru and handed over to another woman who forced me into prostitution. Later, I was assured that I was being sent back to Bangladesh, but instead ended up in Pune, she added. In December 2015, she was rescued with the help of the Rescue Foundation after more than a year's torture. However, all her belongings and the money were stashed away at the brothel. With the help of the Rescue Foundation and the police she was able to recover her stash from the brothel when she brought it to their notice that some of her belongings were still back there. Unfortunately, it was all in old denominations. Screenshot of the letter that was tweeted to PM (Photo: Rescue Foundation/Twitter) The organisation had tweeted the picture of the letter to the two top leaders, on behalf of the Bangladeshi woman. "In my home country, my family is not aware of what I have been through. I had told them that I would be doing a good job at a decent salary. Instead, I had to sell my body and soul to earn this money. I come from a very poor background and can't let this money go to waste. It was my bad luck that I lost everything here. This is a huge amount for me to start a new life," she said, while talking to. Dipesh Tank, project director, Rescue Foundation, said that the organisation has requested the government to consider this as a special case as most of the victims of human trafficking are unaware about the important decisions taken by the government. The succulent Banaganapalle mango has got Geographical Indication (GI) registration from the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai on Wednesday. (Photo: File) Chennai: The succulent Banaganapalle mango has got Geographical Indication (GI) registration from the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai on Wednesday. The Registrar of Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, O P Gupta accorded the registration following an application from Horticulture Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as "the king of fruits." A GI tag indicates that the product comes from a specific region. Banaganapalle mangoes are renowned for its sweetness and have been grown for over 100 years in the state. It also known as Beneshan, Baneshan, Benishan, Chappatai and Safeda. Besides, they are also called Banaganapalli, Banginapalli, Banaganapalle. The fruits could retain their quality under cold storage even up to three months, Andhra Pradesh government said in documents seeking GI. "The prominent characteristic of Banaganapalle mangoes is that their skin has very light spots, stone is oblong in shape and having very thin seed with sparse and soft fibre all over," it said. The primary centre of origin of the fruit is Kurnool district comprising Banaganapalle, Paanyam and Nandyal mandals, according to Andhra Pradesh government which mentioned Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra as secondary centres of origin. The government has also listed Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Medak and Adilabad districts in Telangana as secondary centres of origin. Submitting documents for proof of origin, it also cited historical records like a "war fund seal (Banganapally-State Madras War Fund Seal)." A logo too is in place which features a bright yellow fruit around which the tagline says "Banaganappalle Mangoes of Andhra Pradesh," with images of a man and a woman appearing to be farmers. I, Rani Kumudini and nearly 7.68 lakh families, were involved in the production of Banaganapalle mangoes. About 5,500 tonnes of Banganappalle variety of mangoes were being exported annually to countries like the US and UK. While the annual turnover of Banaganapalle mangoes was approximately Rs 1,461 crore, exports were to the tune of Rs 20.68 crore, she had said, according to an affidavit furnished in 2011 by the then Andhra Pradesh Commissioner of Horticulture. GI is covered under the Intellectual Property Rights and the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. A GI tag certifies the origin of a product or produce from a particular region as the quality or other features of the product are attributable only to the place of its origin. The tag helps farmers or manufacturers as the case may be to get a better price in the market. New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday said it will have an open mind if Prime Minister Narendra Modi consults it and other Opposition parties for a consensus candidate for the next President of India. According to NDTV, Congress sources also said that the party is open to supporting Pranab Mukherjee for a second term, who has said he will consider it only if the government asks him. But the Congress does not think Modi will consult it. "Modi will not consult the Opposition. He does not consult his own cabinet, leave alone allies and senior BJP leaders...He follows 'my way or the highway' policy," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala was quoted as saying. Congress President Sonia Gandhi earlier on Wednesday met National Conference working president Omar Abdullah and is learnt to have discussed the possibility of putting up a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Gandhi has been at the forefront of evolving a consensus among Opposition parties for a joint candidate "acceptable to all". The Congress chief has already met a number of leaders, including Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, both of the JD(U), Sharad Pawar of the NCP and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. Gandhi is likely to meet other Opposition leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati, besides M K Stalin of the DMK in the next few days, the sources said. She has also been holding discussions over telephone with SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on a united opposition taking on the BJP in the presidential elections, due in July, to replace Pranab Mukherjee. Sources said the Opposition is trying to put up a united face and jointly fight the presidential poll even though the numbers have tilted in favour of the NDA after Uttar Pradesh Assembly election results. Parleys are also being held among leaders of other Opposition parties. The presidential election has to be held before July 24 when Mukherjee's term ends. He had taken over the post in July 2012, defeating the NDA candidate late P A Sangma. Congress leaders have been saying that the party would take a "conscious, concerted and balanced call" on a joint Opposition presidential candidate after consultation with all Opposition leaders. There has been a sudden flurry of activity by the Opposition to forge a strong alliance to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP after its recent winning streak in several states. The BJP currently has governments in 13 states and is a junior partner in the ruling alliances in Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. Some feel that the united face of the opposition for contesting the presidential elections may well turn out to be a precursor to an anti-NDA front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Mumbai: Doctors treating 36-year-old Eman Ahmed Abdulati, the Egyptian national believed to be the world's heaviest woman, have sought an apology from her sibling Shaimaa Selim, who alleged that the hospital authorities used her sister for mere publicity and made false claims about the former's weight loss. 32-year-old Selim, in a Facebook video, had accused the hospital of lying for publicity. "Everything was a lie. God forgive them for what they have done... Eman did not lose 240 kg or 260 kg," Shimaa says, speaking softly in the video. Senior BJP leader Shaina N C also came out in support of the demand by the doctors of Saifee hospital, which treated Eman for weight loss. "All said and done, it would be in order for her (Shaimaa) to apologise to Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and the hospital authorities for the good work they had done for Eman. "Her action is not only an insult to the doctors and hospital authorities, but to the governments of Maharashtra and India," Ms Shaina said. The BJP leader along with Lakdawala and Dr Aparna Bhaskar called on Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao last evening to seek an apology from Shaimaa Selim. "Eman Ahmed was looking quite well and it can be seen that she had lost considerable amount of weight," she said, adding, "I have already spoken to Eman assuring her that the hospital authorities and the government are her well-wishers." The Saifee hospital has already made it clear that they would not be charging any fee from Eman's family. Eman, believed to be world's heaviest woman, weighed around 500 kg when she was brought to Saifee Hospital here in February. New Delhi: India said on Wednesday it has "sufficient evidence" that the two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan army regulars and Islamabad has been asked to take action against its army commanders for the act. India considered the mutilation of Indian soldiers "a strong act of provocation", Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. Asserting that the government has "sufficient evidence" that Pakistan army was involved in the mutilation of Indian soldiers, he said the "blood trail" shows that the perpetrators who entered the Indian side from Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK), returned from where they came from. He also said that blood samples collected from the site in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) matches with the blood of the two Indian security personnel. Responding to a series of questions on the issue, he said Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, who was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, denied that Indian soldiers were mutilated. Basit said he will convey the "content of the demarche" to his government, according to Baglay. Earlier, Basit was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's "outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May one, 2017 by Pakistani army personnel," an External Affairs ministry statement said. "It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control," it said. The Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt has conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. However, the Pakistan army on Monday had denied India's charge and described itself as a highly professional force that never disrespects any soldier. "Pakistan army did not commit any ceasefire violation on LOC or a BAT action in Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghati Sector) as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies is also false," Pakistan army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) said in a statement. The Indian Army had earlier claimed that Pakistan mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers who were killed in a ceasefire violation in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector. The Indian Army confirmed the news by releasing a statement. "Pak Army carried out unprovoked Rocket and Mortar firing on two forward posts on the line of control in Krishna Ghati Sector. Simultaneously, a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded." New Delhi: An "outraged" India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and demanded action against Pakistani soldiers and commanders responsible for the beheading of two of its security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, the MEA had summoned Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit to express its strong views about the incident and demanded immediate action against whoever is involved in the same. Basit was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's "outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May one, 2017 by Pakistani army personnel," an External Affairs ministry statement said. "It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control," it said. The Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen A K Bhatt has conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. However, the Pakistan army on Monday had denied India's charge and described itself as a highly professional force that never disrespects any soldier. "Pakistan army did not commit any ceasefire violation on LOC or a BAT action in Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghati Sector) as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies is also false," Pakistan army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) said in a statement. The Indian Army had earlier claimed that Pakistan mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers who were killed in a ceasefire violation in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector. The Indian Army confirmed the news by releasing a statement. "Pak Army carried out unprovoked Rocket and Mortar firing on two forward posts on the line of control in Krishna Ghati Sector. Simultaneously, a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded." Chennai: The Income Tax (IT) department on Wednesday issued summons to Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar's wife. She is expected to appear before the tax investigating team. Earlier this month, several income tax officials raided Vijayabaskar's Greenways Road residence and other locations in Pudukkottai and Trichy. In his defence, Vijaybaskar said the income tax department was harassing him despite his full cooperation. Nearly 100 sleuths of the IT department along with security personnel had last month conducted searches at over 30 locations across the state belonging to the official residence and properties owned by Vijayabaskar and also at the home of Sarath Kumar in Chennai. The searches on the premises of an associate of the minister allegedly revealed routing of Rs 89 crore for "distribution to voters" in RK Nagar Assembly constituency which was supposed to go to the polls on April 12. Vijayabaskar, who is a prominent loyalist of the AIADMK (Amma) faction, had slammed the raids by the I-T department saying, "their intentions were not fulfilled." "They have not seized any unaccounted money or documents. Their intentions are not fulfilled by the raids," he had said. But the Election Commission cancelled the bypoll in RK Nagar, after examining the documents submitted by IT officials. Srinagar: Militants on Wednesday stormed a bank at Pulwama district in south Kashmir and decamped with around Rs three to four lakh in cash, the third such attack in as many days. The four armed militants entered the Wahibugh branch of the Elaquai Dehati Bank at around 1.50 pm and fled after looting the money at gunpoint, a police official said. He said the bank employees informed the police and a case has been registered. A police party rushed to the scene and a hunt was launched to arrest the culprits and recover the stolen money, the official said. On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen barged into the Yaripora branch of the same bank and took away Rs 65,000. On May 1, militants attacked a cash van of Jammu and Kashmir bank and shot dead five policemen and two bank security guards in Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir. The policemen and security guards were returning to the district headquarters after delivering cash at a bank branch. The ultras had also looted four service rifles from the deceased cops. Bengaluru: A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Karnataka, Mahantesh Kavatagimath, allegedly posted pornographic images on a Whatsapp group, triggering a controversy, a report in the Hindustan Times read. It further stated that the action led to his exit from the Belagavi Media Force, which includes media professionals and district administration officials. No action was taken against Kavatagimath for the alleged act in spite of the presence of senior police officers. Ravindra Gadadi, additional superintendent of police, said no case had been registered, quoted the report. Nobody has come forward to lodge a complaint, so no case has been booked, Gadadi said. Gadadi too was part of the group, but said that he did not check the message because he had no access to internet. When asked if the police could not take up a case suo motu, Gadadi said it was up to the groups administrator to complain. Only if child pornography is shared can we take suo motu action, he said. The Whatsapp group was formed a few years ago so media professionals could be provided with quick updates and information. It also intended at easing out the coordination between reporters and officials. Sections 66 and 67 of the Information Technology Act have been applied against others in the past for similar incidents. Last year, Tanveer Sait, state primary and higher education minister was caught going through seemingly pornographic photos on his phone at a state-sponsored celebration in Raichur, following which the BJP had demanded his resignation. It was also condemned by the the RSS, Christian organisations and a section of historians. In 2012, two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers were caught on camera watching a pornographic video when the House was in session. TV channels had filmed cooperation minister Lakshmana V Savadi watching porn clips on his mobile phone, and women and child development minister CC Patil peeping in during a discussion in the House. Kavatagimath remained unavailable for comments. The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military on the Line of Control (LoC). (Photo: PTI) Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military on the Line of Control (LoC) and described the act as "inhuman". Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, said Pakistan's act was "brutal". "The House unanimously condemns the Pakistan military's inhuman act against Indian soldiers. We share the grief of the bereaved families of jawans," he said. Echoing the same sentiments, Opposition leader in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala said Pakistan was indulging in a "shadow war" against India and the beheading of soldiers was the latest proof of this. "Pakistan is trying to increase tension across the border. We cannot accept these kinds of attacks crossing LoC. The cruel face of the Pakistan army was exposed through the mutilation of Indian jawans' bodies," he said. Under cover of heavy mortar fire, Pakistani special forces team had sneaked 250 metres across the LoC into the Poonch sector and beheaded two Indian security personnel on May 1. Coimbatore: Police on Wednesday questioned Sayan, a key accused in Kodanadu estate break-in and murder case, days after he was hospitalised in Coimbatore after being injured in a road accident in Kerala. Nilgiris District Superintendent of Police Murali Rambha interrogated Sayan alias Shyam at a private hospital in Coimbatore, where he has been undergoing treatment since April 29. He was wanted in connection with the break-in and killing of a security guard at the Kodanadu estate bungalow of late Chief Minister J Jayalalitha. Rambha said the health condition of Sayan was stable. However, considering that he may develop unnecessary stress, he was questioned only for a few minutes, the SP said. Sayan, alleged accomplice of main conspirator Kanagaraj, was on Tuesday questioned by a Kerala police team in connection with the April 29 road mishap in which he was injured and his wife and daughter were killed near Thrissur. Sayan, who was driving the car, had rammed the vehicle into a stationary truck. Kanagaraj was killed in a road accident in Salem on the same day. Sayan had said to the police that the accident involving his family occurred as he was deprived of sleep in the previous days. Meanwhile, as part of the investigations into the case, the Kodanadu estate workers and villagers in Kotagiri were also being questioned, police said. Investigation so far has revealed involvement of 11 persons, including the main conspirator Kanagaraj, former driver of Jayalalitha. Five persons have been arrested so far in connection with the case. The gang members had planned the dacoity based on Kanagaraj's information that there was a huge amount of cash in the bungalow, police said. The Kodanadu estate figures in a disproportionate assets case involving jailed AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala and late Jayalalitha, among others. New Delhi: Condemning the mutilation of two Indian soldiers bodies by the Pakistan Army along Line of Control (LoC) in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Wednesday asserted that Pakistan was doing everything to create havoc in Kashmir. "The Pakistan Army is known for such cowardly acts. We condemn the killing and mutilation of bodies of two Indian soldiers in the Border Action Team (BAT) attack. Pakistan is doing everything in their power to create havoc in Kashmir by engineering such terror attacks," Singh said. Defending Prime Minister Modi-led Government, Singh further stated that the Centre was serious over Pakistan's attack and would soon take steps to combat it. "The Government is under pressure right now with all the allegations by the Opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious over Pakistan's attack issue. He will soon be taking steps to combat terror issues," Singh said. The Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers in Krishna Ghati sector, where they had beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj in 2013. The Indian Army confirmed the involvement of the BAT in the gruesome act beheading Indian soldier. "Pak Army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts on the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector. Simultaneously, a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded," read the Indian Army's statement. BENGALURU: Paired Kidney donation, a concept introduced by the US-based not-for-profit organisation Alliance for Paired Kidney, founded by UT transplant surgeon Dr Mike Rees, might soon be a reality here in Bengaluru, a city thats battling high dialysis costs and a long waiting list for transplants. Dr Rees, Dr Eric Velez, founder, Pre-Renal (an NGO that runs a paired kidney donation programme in Mexico) and Dr Shalini Rajneesh, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), along with members of the Gift Your Organ Foundation talked about the possibilities of paired kidney alliances in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Pairing takes place with the help of a software developed by computer programmer Alan Rees, who, along with his son, designed the first prototype of a paired kidney donation matching system in 2000. The computer programme matches willing, incompatible donor and recipient pairs. Dr Rees completed the first transplant through the internet- based matching system four years later. AKPD uses a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm to match one incompatible pair with another. A scoring rubric developed by a team of healthcare professionals is used to find the best possible match. "We are ready with a software and are willing to give the State which is where innovation happens the software as well. We want to give you access to our 15 years of donationa and the software and not make the mistakes which we made. The software would help secure a living donor for every patient that needs one," explains Dr Rees who adds that their organisation has already facilitated international kidney exchange programs in, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Philippines. APKD is already in talks with Gift your organ Foundation to start with the program of creating an altruistic donor chain. The Foundation is already in talks with four hospitals to implement the software and set the donor pool ready. Speaking about challenges Dr Rees adds, "Indian law has to be modified further because what if your first degree relative does not love you enough to donate? But, there is one willing donor who wants to help and donate," he adds. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju laying a wreath at the coffin of BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar after it was brought at Palam Airport in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Pakistans Border Action Team (BAT) is believed to have ambushed a patrol party of the Indian Army in Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu & Kashmirs Poonch district early on Monday on the order of the army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. According to a report in The Indian Express, the Pakistan army chief ordered the ambush, in which bodies of two soldiers were mutilated, to take revenge for the killing of at least seven of his soldiers by Indian troops on April 17. The Indian military had fired on the Pakistani positions on April 17 in retaliation to shelling by Pakistan troops on both civilian and military positions in Rajouri that morning. The Indian military claimed to have killed as many as 10 Pakistani soldiers. Bajwa gave the orders for the ambush following his visit to Pakistani military positions in Haji Pir on April 30, IE quoted Indian intelligence and military sources as saying. Ever since the cross-Line of Control strikes that followed the Uri terrorist attack, things havent really quietened down an Indian intelligence official said. The skirmishing has been costly for Pakistan, and we think its trying to show India it is now willing to risk escalation, despite the weakness of its military position on the Line of Control. Pakistans BAT had entered 250 metres deep inside Indian territory early on Monday, set up the ambush and waited for a long time for the patrol team. It ambushed the Indian Armys patrol unit under the cover of heavy mortar shelling by Pakistani troops on two forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. Their target was a patrol party of 7-8 members, which had come out of a post, an officer told PTI, adding that as the posts were engaged, the patrol team members ran for cover. In the process, two members were left behind and targeted by the BAT. Head constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of the BSF and Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Regiment of the army were killed and their bodies mutilated. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Tamil Nadu Government to file a report on steps being taken to create awareness about Minimum Support Price (MSP) of all foodgrains. A bench of the apex court headed by Justice Dipak Misra was hearing the case, and the matter will be heard again on May 8. On April 28, the Tamil Nadu Government had told the apex court that drought was not the reason for farmer suicides in the state. In its reply, the state government told the Supreme Court that farmers were taking the extreme step due to personal reasons. On April 13, the top court ordered the Tamil Nadu Government to file a detailed reply on the issue within two weeks. Expressing its displeasure over the state government's inaction on the issue, Justice Dipak Misra said, "It is very painful to hear it that farmers are committing suicide and the state government is not taking enough steps." An NGO had moved the apex court, pointing to the increasing cases of farmers' suicides. C.B.S Kumar, the petitioner in the matter had knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, seeking the registration of an FIR against Kamraj. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi/Chennai: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rapped the Tamil Nadu Government for not initiating a probe against state food minister K. Kamraj, who is an accused in a Rs 30 lakh land cheating case. The court asked, "Was the minister above the law, and why has the state government not filed an FIR as yet?" It further asked, "Why was there a delay in the registration of an FIR against Kamraj?" The court granted time till Monday to the Tamil Nadu Government to submit a detailed report on the case. The Supreme Court ordered the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Mannargudi to conduct an inquiry against Kamraj and submit a detailed report on Monday. C.B.S Kumar, the petitioner in the matter had knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, seeking the registration of an FIR against Kamraj. Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop his 'Mann ki Baat' and instead start 'Gun ki Baat' to punish Pakistan for killing two Indian soldiers and mutilating their bodies. Addressing a gathering of party workers here this evening, Thackeray said whatever needs to be done on the matter "has to be done now". "It's time...he (the PM) stops that ('Mann ki Baat') and starts 'Gun ki Baat' with Pakistan to teach it a lesson," he said. 'Mann ki Baat' is Modi's popular monthly radio address to the nation. Two Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies mutilated by Pakistani troops on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The attack was carried out by the Border Action Team (BAT), which generally comprises Pakistani army personnel and terrorists, in Krishna Ghati Sector in Poonch district. The Sena is a constituent of the Modi government and also part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in Maharashtra. Thackeray also said his party knows Mumbai inside out and that's why it has been able to thwart attempts by the BJP to control the affairs of the financial capital. Hyderabad: The TS government has issued guidelines for the implementation of the financial assistance to single women scheme. To get pension under this financial assistance to single women scheme, the beneficiary should have an an-nual income of less than Rs 1.5 lakh in rural areas and Rs 2 lakh in urban areas. Also, the beneficiary should not be covered under any other social security pension scheme. Under this scheme, the beneficiaries will get Rs 1,000 per month. In their guidelines, the government said single women referred to married women above the age of 18 who had been separated from their husbands or whose husbands had deserted them. Also, the separation period needed to be more than one year among unmarried single women who were above 30 years of age in rural areas and above 35 years of age in urban areas. For those separation periods where documents were not available, these details could be ascertained by the local tahsildar after due inquiries. The beneficiaries so identified, ought to belong to a household with annual income of less than Rs 1.5 lakh in rural areas and Rs 2 lakhs in urban areas. Also, the beneficiary should not be covered under any other social security pension scheme or should not be a pensioner under any public or private sector organisation. Women who belong to these categories but are above 65 years of age, shall be covered under the old-age pension Aasara scheme. In case the beneficiary remarries or gets permanent employment or economic stability after the sanction of financial assistance, the benefit shall be discontinued after ascertaining the status. This shall be done every three months by Mandal Pari-shad Development Officers (MPDOs) in rural are-as, Municipal commissioners in urban local bodies, Deputy Commissioners in GHMC other than Hydera-bad district and tahsildars in Hyderabad district. The panchayat secretary in the rural areas, bill collector in urban local bodies and village revenue officer in GHMC area shall receive applications and shall be entrusted with the task of verifying the applications. Gram sabha will be conducted by the tahsildar for identification of the eligible beneficiaries, in GHMC area, ward sab-ha will be conducted in the slums by the tahasidars/ deputy collectors with the help of municipal staff. In other urban local bodies municipal commissioners will conduct the ward sabha. In GHMC limits of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Sangareddy and Medchal- Malkajgiri districts, the district collectors shall take the assistance of municipal authorities for identification of beneficiaries. The state government said 10 per cent super checks shall be conducted by the special officers appointed by the district collector and any wrongful identification and certification of beneficiaries shall bring about severe disciplinary action against the violators. New Delhi: India's ties with its neighbours, including Pakistan, and New Delhi's engagement with major powers will be among the issues which are expected to be discussed at a four-day meet of heads of Indian missions abroad starting on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address one of the sessions at the conference, which is organised by the external affairs ministry every year. India's relationship with the Trump administration as well as with China is also likely to be discussed during the conclave, which will be attended by around 120 top Indian diplomats posted abroad. "They will discuss important issues pertaining to foreign policy" as well as domestic issues, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. Given that the conclave is taking place at a time when Indo-Pak ties have nosedived following the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the issue is likely to figure during the deliberations. India's ties with the resource-rich African continent as well as with the Gulf countries and the situation in the Middle East are also expected to be discussed during the meeting. New Delhi: The Supreme Court today allowed former union minister Salman Khurshid to assist it as an amicus curiae in hearing of a batch of pleas challenging constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims. A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and SK Kaul also permitted Khurshid, who is a senior advocate, to file his written submissions in the case. "We will take it on record. It's not an issue," the bench said when the Congress leader said that the time for filing written submission in the matter has already expired and he intended to file certain pleadings in the case. A five-judge constitution bench would commence hearing from May 11 to decide a batch of petitions challenging 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims. The Centre had on April 11 filed fresh submission in the apex court, saying these practices impacted the social status and dignity of the Muslim women and denied them the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The government had reiterated its earlier stand and said these practices rendered the Muslim women 'unequal and vulnerable', not only compared to the men of their community, but the women of other communities as well. The apex court had on March 30 observed that 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy were important issues involving 'sentiments'. The Centre had said these practices emerged from 'patriarchal values and traditional notions about the role of women in society', asserting that 'the right of a woman to human dignity, social esteem and self-worth are vital facets of her Right to Life under Article 21'. 'Nikah halala' is a practice intended to curb incidence of divorce under which a man cannot remarry his former wife without her having to go through the process of marrying someone else, consummating it, getting divorced again, observing the separation period called 'Iddat' and then coming back to him. Seeking to declare these practices as unconstitutional, the government had said reforms in Muslim personal law have not taken place for over six decades and Muslim women, who comprise eight per cent of the population, have remained 'extremely vulnerable' due to the fear of instant divorce. Influential Muslim organisations like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have opposed the court's adjudication of these matters, maintaining that these practices stemmed from the Holy Quran and were not justiciable. Several Muslim women have challenged the practice of 'triple talaq' in which the husband, quite often, pronounces talaq thrice in one go, sometimes over phone or even a text message. The apex court had earlier said it would decide the issues pertaining to the legal aspects of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims but would not deal with the question whether divorce under Muslim law needs to be supervised by courts as it fell under the legislative domain. The Centre had on October 7 last year opposed in the apex court these practices and favoured a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism. The AIMPLB had told the court that pleas challenging such practices among Muslims were not maintainable as the issues fell outside the realm of judiciary. The apex court had on its own taken cognizance of the question whether Muslim women faced gender discrimination in the event of divorce or due to other marriages of their husband. Days after sharing lunch with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah at their house, a tribal couple joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. (Photo: Twitter/@biswajitroy2009 Kolkata: Days after sharing lunch with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah at their house, a tribal couple joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. According to a report in NDTV, Tourism Minister, Gautam Deb happily welcomed Raju Mahali and his wife, Geeta after they offered to join the party. In an effort to gain hold in West Bengal ahead of the local body elections in 2018 and also the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, Amit Shah last week embarked on a door-to-door visit of the state. He had lunch at the house of a tribal couple at Dakkhin Katiajote village in Naxalbari area. Shah sat on the floor of Raju Mahali's house and had rice, moong dal, 'potol' fry, squash curry, salad and 'papad', served on a banana leaf. BJP West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh who had also attended the lunch with Shah, claimed that the couple "was kidnapped and forced to join the Trinamool Congress." Deb, who inducted the couple into the party retorted to the allegation saying that they had joined the party by their own free will, and that the party hadn't threatened or offered them any money. Raju's wife, Geeta said they had joined Trinamool because they liked her. The couple also offered to serve lunch to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee if she ever visited their place. According to the report, the couple had gone missing on Tuesday, but were found taking shelter in a Trinamool worker's house so that the BJP could not get access to them. The ruling Trinamool Congress party sees Shahs visit as an attempt to make a dent in Bengal. Lucknow: BJP chief Amit Shah took a jibe at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday saying that he had undertaken more foreign trips than Prime Minister Narendra Modi but nobody ever noticed. As he said this, Shah referred to Singh as "Mauni baba", another jibe at the former PM's reticent nature. "It is said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertakes frequent foreign trips. Earlier when 'Shrimaan Mauni Baba' used to go to foreign tours, nobody knew about it," he said. Shah was addressing the BJP executive meeting here on its concluding day. He said, "PM Modi has undertaken less foreign tours as compared to Manmohan Singh. But now we know that the Prime Minister is on a foreign tour." The two-day executive meet was held for the first time after BJP swept the 2017 UP Assembly elections. Hyderabad: The Telangana government doctors association has urged the state government to increase the number of doctors in government hospitals. Association president P. Praveen said, The lack of sufficient human resources in primary health centres (PHC) and Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (VVP) is causing serious problems to the patients. The patients are not getting proper facilities in these hospitals because there is lack of staff. The government is urged to immediately recruit permanent doctors rather than appointing contract doctors. He noted, The doctors in Ammavadi are overburdened, especially the gynaecologists, as many of them are attending to nearly 300 patients a day in the PHCs. The government is urged to immediately train MBBS doctors and recruit them to make the Ammavadi hospitals successful. New Delhi: India on Wednesday issued a demarche to Pakistan, expressing outrage at the killing and mutilation of two soldiers, saying it had sufficient evidence that this act was committed by personnel of the Pakistan Army who crossed the Line of Control (LoC). India said, The blood samples of the Indian soldiers and the trail of blood clearly show that the killers returned across the LoC. Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit who denied any involvement of the Pakistan Army. India also demanded that Pakistan take action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for this heinous act. With the MEA saying that the trail of blood is of Pakistanis, in this case personnel of Pakistans Army, who came from across the LoC, the obvious meaning is that one or more Pakistan Armymen were also injured in the cross-border raid they carried out in the Krishna Ghati sector on May 1. The ministry of external affairs did not elaborate, but it is also reliably learnt that blood from the severed body parts of the slain Indian soldiers was found in the blood trail leading up to the LoC, indicating that the returning Pakistani troops were taking them back with them. Pakistan says Army was not involved The MEA said, The foreign secretary conveyed Indias outrage at the killing and barbaric act by Pakistan Army. The foreign secretary told the Pakistan high commissioner that he should convey the sense of outrage on this incident to his government and his response was, he denied the Pakistan Army was involved in any way in this incident, the MEA added. The system will be introduced across the state by June, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman said. (Photo: File) Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government on Wednesday said installation of Electronic Point of Sale (E-Pos) in all ration shops is fast progressing as part of the National Food Security Act to ensure transparent functioning of PDS. Tenders have been floated for E-pos to be installed in Public Distribution System shops and once the entire process was completed, all irregularities in PDS would be contained, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman informed the assembly on Wednesday. He was replying to a notice for an adjournment motion moved by the Congress led UDF Opposition, which alleged that the PDS in Kerala has come to standstill and government has failed to check the price rise of essential commodities. Stating that Kerala has started distributing food grains under NFS Act, he said a pilot project started in April to provide essential commodities directly to ration shops, avoiding middlemen and to check diversion has been expanded this month to six more districts,including Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode. The system will be introduced across the state by June, he said. Under PDS supply, 1.54 crore people are entitled to four kg rice and one kg wheat free of cost, 1.24 crore people to two kg of rice at Rs two per kg and 65 lakh people, one kg of rice at Rs 8.90 and wheat at Rs 7. The Minister denied the Opposition charge that government had failed to check price rise of essential commodities and claimed that effective intervention of the State Civil supplies Corporation in the open market had resulted in price of rice and other essential food items coming down. Thilothaman also said there was no justification for the Centre to cut the state's share of rice and wheat under PDS and demanded that the Centre restore the state's quota of food items. Attacking the government, Opposition leader in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala said PDS had come to standstill. The opposition members later staged a walkout in protest against Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan's refusal to allow a debate on the matter. Mumbai: A group of farmers dumped tur dal, bananas and onions at the gate of state secretariat here to highlight the problems being faced by agriculturists in Maharashtra. The protesters, hailing from Pandharpur in Solapur district, were members of the Baliraja Shetkari Sanghatnan, an organisation of cultivators. The farmers arrived at Mantralaya (secretariat) in south Mumbai and suddenly started throwing stocks of tur dal, banana and onion near its gate. They also raised slogans against the BJP-led government and accused it being insensitive towards their plight. Security personnel posted at the gate detained the agitating farmers. A similar agitation was carried out by the members of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna on March 7 outside Vidhan Bhavan. The organisation is led by Raju Shetti, a Lok Sabha MP and an ally of the ruling BJP. New Delhi: The fissure in the AAP widened on Tuesday with senior party leader Kumar Vishwas threatening to quit over the attacks on him by a "coterie" surrounding Arvind Kejriwal. The party has, meanwhile, sent senior leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh to pacify Vishwas. Late in the night, Kejriwal and Sisodia visited Vishwas' residence in Ghaziabad. Kejriwal later took Vishwas to the former's official residence at Civil Lines, where a meeting is underway. The AAP had earlier fielded Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to contain the damage who retaliated against Vishwas saying people were aware that his comments would help a "particular party". The flurry of developments, a day after Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan resigned from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) over a spat with Vishwas, plunged the poll-battered party into turmoil, almost reminiscent of the 2015 bitter public spat involving then AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. Amid murmurs that he wants to head the party, poet-turned-politician Vishwas, earlier in the day, said he harboured no ambitions to become chief minister, deputy chief minister or AAP national convener. Several MLAs too are in favour of a greater role for Vishwas in the AAP after the party's poor show in the Punjab Assembly and MCD polls. They also expressed their displeasure over the "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal, as claimed by Vishwas, but pledged their loyalty towards the Aam Aadmi Party chief. "I have conveyed this to Arvind, Manish (Sisodia) and I reiterate it today that I do not want to become chief minister, deputy chief minister or AAP's national convener. "I do not want to join any political party or Swaraj India (political party founded by expelled AAP leader Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan). I do not know what you want to do, but I do not want to do this," Vishwas told reporters outside his Ghaziabad residence as he turned emotional. The AAP leader was particularly upset with Khan who had alleged on Sunday that the former was plotting a coup against Kejriwal and that he was an "RSS-BJP agent". "Had Amanatullah Khan said anything like this against Arvind or Manish, he would have been shown the door in 10 minutes," Vishwas said, adding that he, along with Kejriwal and Sisodia had dreamt of an anti-corruption movement, which later became a political party. He said Khan was merely a "mask" behind the "coterie" hatching conspiracies against him. "A lot of tarnishing of image will take place. Let me tell those hatching conspiracies that I will not let this happen. I will take a decision in a day," Vishwas said. Kejriwal had sought to quell rumours of a rift with Vishwas by referring to him as his "younger brother". Vishwas had differed with Kejriwal on the issue of electronic voting machines (EVMs). He had refused to attribute the AAP's recent poll upsets to alleged manipulation of voting machines and had instead stressed on the need to introspect. He had pointed out the "communication gap" between party leadership and volunteers after a string of electoral defeats in the past few months. "I thought after six electoral defeats, I had pointed out the right reason for the debacle. The coterie was responsible (for the defeats) which was behind ticket distribution, the one who engineered the statements (given by Khan). The morale of our volunteers has taken a hit," Vishwas said, adding that several of them had left their jobs for the party. Vishwas appeared defiant despite the party's gag order of not ventilating grievances before the media and said he will keep highlighting the mistakes of the AAP and state what was right in the interest of the country. "If by raising voice in favour of the nation my party gets upset, even then I will keep on raising these issues," Vishwas said. He had also differed with Kejriwal over the controversy after the surgical strike and said it could have been avoided. The BJP had accused Kejriwal of demanding proof for the strike last year. "When the morale of our forces fighting terrorism were down and we raised questions. In that case, we need to do course correction," he said. Reacting to this, Sisodia said Vishwas' comments were only hurting the party and affecting morale. "He does not talk in the PAC. He should speak there," Sisodia said, adding Vishwas was turning the issue into a "personal fight". "It would be wrong to say that only Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal and I made the party, which he has been repeating. He should speak in the PAC. He did not attend last night's PAC. I and Sanjay (Singh) had gone to meet him. Arvind has spoken to him for three hours at a stretch," Sisodia said. Workers know which party, individuals and powers are getting benefited from Vishwas' television interview, Sisodia said as he urged him to come to PAC and raise these issues. Earlier in the day, several AAP MLAs, including Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra met Vishwas, seeking to pacify him. However, it appeared to have yielded no results. Chennai: The May Day meetings by the AIADMK (Amma) leaders at various places in the state brought out the glaring differences in the ruling faction over the continuance of merger talks with AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) headed by former Chief Minister. Even while Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami struck a pessimistic note about talks, Lok Sabha deputy Speaker in Karur suggested that Panneerselvam faction should come out with modalities for the removal of AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala. He said "The issue of removing Sasikala could be sorted out if both the factions sit together for talks". At the same time in Chennai, the Chief Minister was complaining that a few people in the rival group were placing hurdles in the negotiations. Initially, the OPS group said the talks would be unconditional, but later they reversed their stand and started coming out with conditions. Their activities show that they are not interested in holding merger talks, the Chief Minister said. However, Thambidurai, who expressed optimism over continuance of negotiations, said "No one is listening to Sasikala or her family and they are under the control of the Chief Minister alone". "There is no split in the AIADMK. We are united. There are small differences of opinion. They could be solved through negotiations. Both of us have formed committees for talks. Both the factions should sit together for talks. The two leaves symbol has not been frozen but only suspended. If both the groups joined together, we can retrieve the 'two leaves' symbol". On the demand for CBI inquiry into the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, he said Panneerselvam was the Chief Minister after Jayalalithaa's death. He could have ordered a CBI probe when he was the Chief Minister. "So, the demand for CBI probe could not be a stumbling block for negotiations. OPS group should come out for talks with an open mind", he added. Thambidurai also attacked the DMK accusing the rival party of trying to exploit the situation to form its own government. leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin has been repeatedly talking about I-T raids. He is asking details of raids on former Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao. "But, the question should be posed to Panneerselvam, who was the Chief Minister at that time". Stalin is also speaking about the raids on Shekar Reddy, involved in sand mining, Thambidurai said. However, the diary of Shekar Reddy contains the names of former DMK ministers. If the details came out, many DMK leaders would be in jail, he warned and said Stalin should understand this and speak. As the talks have not began after 15 days, Panneerselvam is considering dissolving team. However, a section of Kongu lobby in AIADMK (Amma) seems to be still carrying hopes for the start of negotiations. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Infantry and Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of BSF, who were killed and mutilated by Pakistan Army. Jammu: The BJP in Jammu and Kashmir hit out at the political leaders in the state on Tuesday for not condemning the mutilation of bodies of two soldiers by Pakistan's BAT and killing of seven innocent Kashmiris by militants in Kulgam. BJP State General Secretary Narinder Singh said that the leaders issue lengthy statements whenever a terrorist is killed, but remain silent when our soldiers are martyred or innocent civilians are killed by the terrorists. Warning the Kashmiri leaders that they have been exposed by not condemning the two incidents, he said "Beware, these venomous snakes (separatists and militants) whom you are giving shelter and allowing them to grow in your backyards will one day finish you." The BJP leader alleged that it was obvious that the sympathies of these leaders were with the separatists and terrorists, and they subscribe to the salafi jehadi philosophy of 'either follow us, else be prepared to be killed'. Singh said except Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti no political leaders had condemned this barbaric act. He condemned the "barbaric and uncivilised act" of the Pakistan army wherein after a ceasefire violation its border action team mutilated the dead bodies of two Indian soldiers. He also condemned the killing of seven innocent Kashmiri (five policemen and two bank employees) at Kulgam by terrorists while the former were performing their duty. The BJP leader said looting of Rs 50 lakh from the J&K Bank cash van and snatching of weapons was also a serious matter and threat to the security to common people. NEW DELHI: In a move to placate its senior leader Kumar Vishwas, the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday suspended its Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan and set up a disciplinary committee to probe his statements against the poet-politician, who has of late been critical of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Earlier on Sunday, Mr Khan had sent out WhatsApp messages alleging that Mr Vishwas met AAP MLAs and ministers in a bid to takeover the party. After resigning from a key party post, he had even accused Mr Vishwas of being an RSS-BJP agent. In the political circles, Mr Khans suspension is seen as a compromise after Mr Vishwas addressed the media, teary-eyed, and threatened to quit the party. The AAP has also set up a disciplinary committee to probe the allegations against Mr Khan. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the partys political affairs committee (PAC) has formed a three-member committee comprising the AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta and senior party leaders Ashutosh and Atishi Marlena. Mr Khan said he is willing to present his case before the three-member panel. In the partys PAC meeting which lasted for nearly three hours at Delhi chief minister Mr Kejriwals residence, a decision was made to entrust Mr Vishwas with the responsibility of Rajasthan which goes to polls by the end of 2018. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has convened a full-fledged extended meeting of police officials, from ground-level to higher-level, at Pragati Bhavan on May 19, signalling a revamp of the state police department. The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of AICC general-secretary Digvijay Singhs recent allegation that the TS police is running a fake website to encourage Muslim youth to join the terror outfit ISIS. Mr Rao will interact with officials from SI to DGP level. All IPS officers have been invited for the meeting. This will be the first such meeting in which Mr Rao is expected to review the working of police department and interact personally with a cross section of police officials to know the ground situation. The CM is expected to discuss issues relating to further strengthening and revamping of the police department. He is of the view that besides law and order, tackling of social evils, curbing anti-social activities and action to be taken against the gangs should be discussed in the conference. The CM wants to personally interact with police officers working at the ground-level since this would help him get to know the issues of the cops and citizens. Mr Rao has asked DGP Anurag Sharma to invite police officers working in Law and Order wing, from sub-inspector to DGP, and officers from all other departments and IPS officers. The CM wanted the ensuing conference to deliberate on these issues and take permanent measures. He asked officers to attend the conference equipped with proper information and data on all these issues. Points to ponder Raju Mahali and Geeta Mahali had hosted BJP chief Amit Shah on April 25 during his visit to the state. Kolkata/New Delhi: The tribal couple that had hosted BJP president Amit Shah for lunch at their home in Naxalbari of Darjeeling a week ago, defected to the Trinamul from the BJP on Wednesday. Raju Mahali and his wife Geeta, who were in the BJP, joined the ruling party in presence of Trinamul MLA and state tourism minister Goutam Deb. The BJP described the incident as a textbook case of revenge politics by the Trinamul and claimed that West Bengals ruling party was feeling threatened of its growing acceptance and popularity in the state. While the Trinamul claimed that the couple joined the party willingly, the BJP cried foul play and accused the ruling party of kidnapping them on Tuesday and forcing them for the switch-over. The state BJP informed the about incident to their central leadership in New Delhi. Also, the switch-over coincided with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees tour in North Bengal now. Mr Deb, who is also the Trinamul district president, handed over the party flag to the couple at a party office in Naxalbari in the morning. He said, The couple belong to the tribal community. They have joined our party without any provocation. We welcome them. We will engage them to take part in social development of the minority community under the chief ministers leadership. In New Delhi, Union minister and senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad said said his party presidents visit had unnerved the Trinamul and even party workers and others whom Mr Shah met during his visit in the state, were under pressure. Mr Prasad said though the BJP was deeply saddened and deeply hurt over the incident but not the least concerned since the Trinamul supremo couldnt stop the march of democracy. On the BJPs allegations, Mr Deb added, I do not know what the BJP has claimed. Their allegation is irrelevant. The BJP is a political party but has no existence here. That is why they made some baseless allegation. We never force anyone. Everyone has the right to join any political party he or she wishes to. The couple said they joined the Trinamul willingly. BJP national president Amit Shah, who is scheduled to undertake a three-day tour of the state from May 23, is sure to talk about farmers woes and the inept handling of the issue by the TRS government.(Photo: PTI/Representational Image) Hyderabad: On expected lines, the problems being faced by farmers in the state have come in handy for the Opposition, especially the BJP, which is trying to make inroads into TS, to attack the government with. BJP national president Amit Shah, who is scheduled to undertake a three-day tour of the state from May 23, is sure to talk about farmers woes and the inept handling of the issue by the TRS government. He plans to make three trips this year. Wednesdays Market Intervention Scheme announcement by the Centre for chillies is being seen as part of the strategy of the BJP which heads the NDA government to prepare the ground for Amit Shahs trip. As per the MIS announcement, the Centre will buy chilli at Rs 5,000 per quintal though farmers have got nearly Rs 10,000 last year. TS BJP president Dr K. Laxman, during his meeting with Amit Shah recently in New Delhi, apprised him about the farmers woes, glut in the market, damage to crops due to hailstorms and ongoing protests in TS and AP. It is no secret that while the TRS government is smarting due to the overdose of chilli, it is a blessing in disguise for the Opposition, which has been bulldozed by the TRS in all aspects. Dr Laxman, who addressed the BJP party meet in Mahbubnagar, had said: Amit Shah plans to meet 8 lakh people, 32,000 booth level committee members. Only those who work will be leaders and stay. Booth should be the home of BJP leaders. Unless we work in tandem, we cannot achieve the goal. In a Bloomberg interview on Monday, Trump went further, saying he would be honoured to meet Kim in the right circumstances. On his first visit to the White House after winning last Novembers election, Donald Trump was informed by Barack Obama that his biggest initial headache as President would be North Korea. Trump looked uncomprehending at the time. And truth be told, hes had plenty of headaches in the 100-plus days since his inauguration, not least the realisation that wielding presidential power is trickier than pretending to control a real-estate empire. But North Korea has lately indeed been at the helm of recent concerns, and some observers even see the Tomahawk missile strikes in Syria and the deployment in Afghanistan of the biggest conventional bomb in the American arsenal as warnings to Pyongyang. The dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the region and the setting up in South Korea of the THAAD anti-missile system have inevitably exacerbated fears of renewed hostilities on the Korean Peninsula, where the 1953 armistice following a devastating conflict that threatened to evolve into a third world war, with the US seriously toying with the idea of repeating the Hiroshima-Nagasaki experiment never evolved into a peace agreement. The habitual Washington mantra is that all options are on the table, and it has been reported that the US has contemplated the idea of knocking out a North Korean missile during a test. But, as the Americans acknowledge, theres no knowing exactly how Kim Jong-un might react to such a provocation. What form a retaliation might take is, again, uncharted territory. Missiles with some kind of a nuclear warhead could be lobbed in the direction of South Korea or Japan, the primary US allies within reach of North Korean ordnance. Could Kims rockets reach Australia? Its unlikely, but no ones quite sure, and the government in Canberra has lately been busy finding a slot in the posterior of the Trump administration. One of the rewards is the first meeting on May 4 between Trump and Australias beleaguered Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard a warship off New York, which may have some symbolic significance. Pyongyang has been scathing towards Australian foreign minister Julie Bishops kowtowing to Uncle Sam during US vice-president Mike Pences recent tour of the region. Trumps unexpected bromance with Chinas President Xi Jinping may have come as a pleasant surprise to Australia after all the flak that Beijing attracted from the Republican nominee during the American presidential campaign, including the charge that it was raping America, but its likely to be somewhat disconcerted by persistent indications that the US leader at least grudgingly admires his North Korean counterpart. Just a few days after declaring that his nation would tackle North Korea on its own if China proved unhelpful, Trump described Kim Jong-un as a smart cookie who had outsmarted potential rivals in the Pyongyang hierarchy and, in the words of White House spokesman Sean Spicer, led his country forward. In a Bloomberg interview on Monday, Trump went further, saying he would be honoured to meet Kim in the right circumstances. Somewhat surprisingly, this is not inconsistent with his campaign rhetoric, in which he suggested he would be happy to have a chat with Kim if he came over. What often gets left out of the media discourse is the crisis in South Korea, whose recently impeached and dethroned President Park Geun-hye, the daughter of a notorious military dictator, faces life imprisonment on corruption charges, with next Mondays presidential election expected to favour the relatively progressive Moon Jae-in, who is ambivalent about THAAD and prefers an engagement with estranged North. Trump and Kim, meanwhile, have at least one thing in common: the appearance of overgrown, frequently petulant, infants. The prospect of their bonding in a potential Mar-a-Lago playgroup may well be the best bet for continued peace on the Korean Peninsula. By arrangement with Dawn. So bad is the situation that, according to a PTI report from Beijing published on Wednesday, the Chinese have been emboldened to claim a vested interest in mediating between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, knowing perfectly well that its ally Islamabad is desperate to internationalise Kashmir while India insists on bilateral conversations in line with the principle sanctified by the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. An article in the Chinese Communist Party-run paper Global Times makes the self-serving argument that while Beijing believes in the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, its $50 billion investment in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir against Indian objections) is placed at risk due to the current uncertain situation between India and Pakistan. Beijing, the article says, cannot turn a deaf ear to the demands of Chinese enterprises in protecting their overseas investments. This is the argument of a hegemon, which colonial and imperialist powers have made for over a hundred years. Socialist China is doing so now. But its necessary to take every necessary step to set it right. In this editorial, it had been argued that India needed to factor in any possible moves from Chinas side in aid of Pakistan in the current volatile situation. That moment has arrived sooner than expected. It is, in fact, not unlikely that Islamabad and Beijing have been planning military and political moves against India in tandem. Kashmir is the perfect place for the mischief-makers to seek to manipulate, and we have provided them the opportunity by ensuring that it become a flashpoint. The civilized way of holding a conversation was seen as a sign of weakness by the high priests of the current establishment. What a monumental blunder this has been is evident from the fact that ordinary people across the Valley, and politically moderate and liberal elements who welcome Kashmirs 1947 accession to India, have been pushed on the backfoot by the rising crescendo of pro-Pakistan disturbances. The Lok Sabha byelection in Anantnag that was due to be held on May 25 has been indefinitely postponed by the Election Commission, which quoted state government sources to describe the situation as scary. This is the first time since the early 1990s insurgency that an election in Kashmir is not being held. To deal with China or Pakistan, we need to bring back near-normality to the Valley on an urgent basis. In todays scenario, where the Internet is getting more and more ubiquitous and where people are finding more innovative ways of trying to connect to the Internet, it is a utopian dream to completely block specific websites. (Photo: Representational Image) It will only act as a catalyst: Pavan Duggal The recent blocking of various social media websites in Kashmir by the Centre has engaged the attention of relevant stakeholders. The blocking has been done keeping in mind the broader national interest of India, but the blocking has presented numerous challenges. The first of the challenges was the fact that the order for blocking of websites was issued under the Indian Telegraph Act, whereas statutory powers for blocking lies under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Second, in todays world, blocking is an outdated and antiquated phenomenon. Blocking of websites is akin to trying to fix a leaking roof by means of putting a Band-Aid. With the Internet providing so many distinct new tools, as well as VPN facilities to bypass the blocking orders, people are increasingly getting tech-savvy. No wonder reports have come that people in Kashmir are using VPNs for accessing the blocked websites. In todays scenario, where the Internet is getting more and more ubiquitous and where people are finding more innovative ways of trying to connect to the Internet, it is a utopian dream to completely block specific websites. If a person has the will to access the blocked websites, he will be able to find innovative mechanisms to access them. Needless to say, sovereign governments are facing immense practical challenges in terms of the misuse of social media. The governments of the world, including India, now need to come up with more customised and innovative approaches to deal with the misuse of social media. In the Indian context, the government needs to take far more concrete steps rather than to look at short-term ad hoc measures like blocking of websites in Kashmir. It is imperative that the provisions of the Indian cyber law, being the Information Technology Act 2000, need to be appropriately amended so as to be made it topical and relevant in the context of todays times. Further, I distinctly believe that India needs to extensively work on strengthening its legal frameworks and regimes on intermediary liability. This is so because the government has yet to come up with specific, concrete guidelines for intermediaries and service providers for dealing with content published, transmitted and disseminated on their networks, which is against India or which is impacting the sovereignty, security, integrity of India, defence or foreign relations with other nations. Ultimately, cumulative steps need to be taken to address the blocking of social media websites. Blocking may be the effective method a few decades back, but in todays scenario, blocking is only acting as a catalyst for increasing traffic to blocked websites, apart from arousing the curiosity of the netizen community to find out what was so special on the blocked websites which led to the blocking. Clearly, numerous steps have to be taken by the government to deal with the challenges pertaining to misuse of social media. It will be interesting to see how the Government of India now deals with these challenges of misuse and abuse of social media targeted against the Indian nation. The writer, a Supreme Court advocate, is Asias leading expert and authority on cyber law, cyber security law and mobile law. Mobilisation of mobs will halt swiftly: Arun Kumar Singh In the early 1990s, when I, as a serving naval officer (and contact with foreign nationals for military personnel was prohibited), first became familiar with the Internet, my first reaction was: It would be now impossible for government agencies to monitor messages to and from India. I was wrong of course, since I later learnt that the Americans, post-9/11, monitor the Internet with computers, to pick up words like terror or nuclear etc. The facility of using the Internet to make telephone calls was well exploited by terrorists in the December 2001 attack on Parliament. By 2007, when smartphones were introduced, I recall worrying about how a spy could click pictures of our military installations or warships sailing out with his phone and send high-quality photographs in real time to our enemy nations. Advancing smartphone technology and burgeoning cyber cafes with higher Internet speed have made it easier to send real-time photos, videos, messages by social media (includng email, Twitter, Facebook) to a large audience. The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks showed how the Internet and visual media could be used by terrorists. Not surprisingly, having allowed the Kashmir situation to get out of control yet again due to political inaptitude, we now face radicalised Kashmiri youth responding to social media calls by their Pakistan-based handlers and local terrorists, to pelt stones at the Indian security forces. Our defence forces in Kashmir are deployed to engage with terrorists. The stone-pelting incidents lead to injury to both sides. According to a news report, WhatsApp groups were being used to mobilise stone-pelters in Kashmir to disrupt security forces operations at encounter sites, of which 90 per cent have been shut down. Each of these 300 WhatsApp groups had around 250 members, while determined attempts were being made to disrupt the operations of the security forces by mobilising stone-pelting mobs at the encounter sites. The government has belatedly banned the Internet in Kashmir, with only 2G speeds being permitted. This has stopped access to Internet and resulted in slowing the mobilisation time of stone pelters, who are now informed by phone voice or SMS only. With no Internet services, the mobilisation of mobs will almost become impossible. The current state of turmoil in Kashmir can only be resolved by a political solution within the Indian Constitution, after the military has brought the latest unrest under control, and a befitting military response (short of war) given to Pakistan. Imposing a ban on the Internet in the disturbed areas of Kashmir for a limited period of time (and perhaps even stopping 2G) may be justified to contain the violence, reduce radicalisation and save lives in the current scenario. Peace and stability, however elusive, should be sought in Kashmir. However, banning the Internet in India would be impossible and would put a brake on the economic growth of digital India, discourage FDI or Make in India and prevent access to higher technology and education, all of which are computer and technology driven. The writer retired as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam. NASA's Cassini spacecraft is shown diving through the gap between Saturn and its rings in this artist's depiction. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech As NASA's Cassini spacecraft prepares to shoot the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings for the second time in its Grand Finale, Cassini engineers are delighted, while ring scientists are puzzled, that the region appears to be relatively dust-free. This assessment is based on data Cassini collected during its first dive through the region on April 26. With this information in hand, the Cassini team will now move forward with its preferred plan of science observations. "The region between the rings and Saturn is 'the big empty,' apparently," said Cassini Project Manager Earl Maize of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "Cassini will stay the course, while the scientists work on the mystery of why the dust level is much lower than expected." A dustier environment in the gap might have meant the spacecraft's saucer-shaped main antenna would be needed as a shield during most future dives through the ring plane. This would have forced changes to how and when Cassini's instruments would be able to make observations. Fortunately, it appears that the "plan B" option is no longer needed. (There are 21 dives remaining. Four of them pass through the innermost fringes of Saturn's rings, necessitating that the antenna be used as a shield on those orbits.) Based on images from Cassini, models of the ring particle environment in the approximately 1,200-mile-wide (2,000-kilometer-wide) region between Saturn and its rings suggested the area would not have large particles that would pose a danger to the spacecraft. But because no spacecraft had ever passed through the region before, Cassini engineers oriented the spacecraft so that its 13-foot-wide (4-meter-wide) antenna pointed in the direction of oncoming ring particles, shielding its delicate instruments as a protective measure during its April 26 dive. Cassini's Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument was one of two science instruments with sensors that poke out from the protective shield of the antenna (the other being Cassini's magnetometer). RPWS detected the hits of hundreds of ring particles per second when it crossed the ring plane just outside of Saturn's main rings, but only detected a few pings on April 26. When RPWS data are converted to an audio format, dust particles hitting the instrument's antennas sound like pops and cracks, covering up the usual whistles and squeaks of waves in the charged particle environment that the instrument is designed to detect. The RPWS team expected to hear a lot of pops and cracks on crossing the ring plane inside the gap, but instead, the whistles and squeaks came through surprisingly clearly on April 26. "It was a bit disorienting -- we weren't hearing what we expected to hear," said William Kurth, RPWS team lead at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. "I've listened to our data from the first dive several times and I can probably count on my hands the number of dust particle impacts I hear." The team's analysis suggests Cassini only encountered a few particles as it crossed the gap -- none larger than those in smoke (about 1 micron across). Cassini will next cross through the ring plane Tuesday, May 2, at 12:38 p.m. PDT (3:38 p.m. EDT) in a region very close to where it passed on the previous dive. During this orbit, in advance of the crossing, Cassini's cameras have been looking closely at the rings; in addition, the spacecraft has rotated (or "rolled") faster than engineers have ever allowed it to before, in order to calibrate the magnetometer. As with the first finale dive, Cassini will be out of contact during closest approach to Saturn, and is scheduled to transmit data from this dive on May 3. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Wikipedia is available in China, but some of its content is blocked in the country. (Representational image) China is planning to launch its own official version of its online encyclopaedia Wikipedia by next year. However, unlike the openly editable Wikipedia, the Chinese version will be created by selective scholars from stat-run universities and institutions. Liu Guohui, deputy editor of the publication, said that more than 20,000 scholars had been hired for the project, which will include 300,000 entries, each about 1,000 words long with 103 disciplines in 2018. Wikipedia is available in China, but some of its content is blocked in the country. As a result, Chinas netizens have limited options to look for reference information on various topics. The national encyclopaedia of China already exits in paper form, with two editions published in 1993 and 2009. But it is yet unclear how factual it is as many critics point the government-funded works has omitted or distorted some entries for political purposes. In 2011, Chinas State Council, the countrys cabinet, approved the online project, but work on it began only recently. China has felt pressure to catch up with other national encyclopaedia to guide the public and society. But the online encyclopaedia of China will be a Great Wall of Culture, Yang Muzhi, the editor-in-chief of the project, who chairs the Book and Periodicals Distribution Association of China, said in April. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. After Cyanogenmod shut down its operations, the phones stopped receiving software updates, letting its potential customers switch to other Chinese brands for better value. (image: Tech2) In what comes as an expected development, Micromaxs Yu Televentures is in the process to pull down its shutters. The sole venture of Micromaxs founder Rahul Sharma has not been reportedly able to devise a proper roadmap for the companys future operations, resulting in the suspension of plans to operate in the smartphone market. According to sources from TeleAnalysis, the company has already suspended operations of Yu Televentures. Yus resources and manpower have been merged with Micromax, which itself isnt doing great in the Indian smartphone arena. It has been also reported that leftover stocks of Yu smartphones are yet to be sold, post which the company might announce the decision officially. The Yu smartphones ran the Cyanogemod operating system, which was based on Android. After Cyanogenmod shut down its operations, the phones stopped receiving software updates, letting its potential customers switch to other Chinese brands for better value. Yu also promised to be an online-only brand and provide a connected ecosystem of smart devices as well. The companys first smartphone the Yureka was launched in January 2015 with the promise to be an online-only brand. But YU went back to traditional offline stores with its partnership with Reliance Retail after just a year. On connected ecosystem front, the company could not make any mark. The company launched smart accessory products like YUfit and HealthYu that could monitor biological activities like running, heartbeat, blood pressure and more. However, they could not get enough customers for those products. They also launched the YUpix portable printer and a power bank later. The company was supposed to release their next smartphone after the Yu Yunicorn last October. But the dates were pushed to the end of the year before finally going silent on releasing the Yu product. It was expected that Yu Televentures could be adopting the stock Android platform for its devices but there were no hints of the same from the company. Yu Televentures got a fair amount of attention from the consumers when it launched its first smartphone in 2015. The products were hailed for offering incredible value for money with class-leading specifications, a highly customisable operating system and decent build quality for a very low price. The arrival of Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo crippled Yu as well as its parent company, which has dropped out of the top 5 smartphone makers in the last quarter. It remains to be seen if Micromax can utilise Yus resources and manpower to gain its former glory in the smartphone market. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. In a joint order issued by Varanasi district magistrate it was made clear that any factually incorrect, rumour or misleading information on a social media group could result in a prosecution against the group administrator Karnataka police yesterday arrested two people, including the administrator of a WhatsApp group, in connection with sharing of objectionable content against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On May 2, Murudeshwar police of Uttar Karnataka district arrested Krishna Sanna Thamma Naik, the group admin of The Balse Boys, and Ganesh, a group member who posted a picture of Modi with obscene content. The arrest was made based on a complaint by a resident of Bhatkal, according to a report by an English Daily. According to the report, besides Ganesh and Krishna, another member of the group named Balkrishna has been also identified as an accused. However, he is yet to be arrested. Between the other two arrested under the IT Act, Ganesh has been released on bail, while Krishna is now under judicial custody. Last month, in a joint order issued by Varanasi district magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra and senior superintendent of police Nitin Tiwari, it was made clear that any factually incorrect, rumour or misleading information on a social media group could result in a prosecution against the group administrator. Concerns have been raised about social media misuse as fake news, morphed photographs and disturbing videos with fabricated local narratives can easily be circulated that can trigger tension and even communal rift in an area. However, no such arrest following the order was made so far. This for the first time a WhatsApp group admin has been arrested in connection for posting of objectionable content on a group. There are over 200 million WhatsApp users in India. The joint order issues last month directed that social media group administrators should be ready to bear the responsibility and ownership of the groups. According to the order, the administrator must include only those members who are personally known to him or her. If any statement is made by a group member which is fake, can cause religious disharmony, or rumour, the group admin must deny it on the group and remove the member from the group. In the event of inaction from the group admin, he or she will be considered guilty and action will be taken against the group admin. Such a post must also be reported to the nearest police station so that action can be taken against the member under the law, it said. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. New York: A 48-year-old man in the United States has been charged with hate crime after he pummeled an Asian man in the face screaming 'We are white power', 'Go back to your country! What are you doing here?', police said today. Steven Zatorski, stormed up to the 30-year-old victim on Third Avenue in New York and started kicking him on Monday, police said. "Go back to your country! What are you doing here?", Zatorski, who lives in a million-dollar condominium in the Flatiron District, screamed at him, police was quoted as saying by the New York Daily. "We are white power," Zatorski shouted as he punched the victim in the face," according to police. The two had not spoken before Zatorski attacked, they said. Witnesses to the beatdown alerted a nearby New York Police Department transit cop, who arrested the alleged attacker. He was charged with assault as a hate crime and was being held at Rikers Island on USD 5,000 bail, according to court records. The victim was treated at the scene. The incidents of hate crimes and harassment around the country have increased since the election of President Donald Trump. As many as 140 incidents of hate violence and 67 instances of xenophobic political rhetoric have been reported in the US against the South-Asian community during the 2016 election cycle, a report by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a leading national South Asian American advocacy organisation, had said. Washington: The Trump administration on Tuesday pledged to work against recent surge in hate crimes, including those against the Hindu and Sikh communities, and said it has established a task force subcommittee to look into the issue and submit its recommendations. "The Attorney General (Jeff Sessions) has made fighting violent crime one of his top priorities," Eric Treene, special counsel for religious discrimination civil rights division at the Department of Justice, told the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing on increase in religious hate crime. One category of violent crimes are those based on actual or perceived race, color, national origin, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and similar factors,generally known by the shorthand hate crimes, Treene said, adding that addressing hate crimes must be part of our national effort to reduce violent crime. In February, Sessions established a task force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. The task force has a Hate Crimes Subcommittee, which will develop a plan to address hate crimes to better protect the rights of all Americans. On June 29, the Hate Crimes Subcommittee will hold an additional one day summit focusing solely on identifying, prosecuting, and preventing hate crimes. In his testimony, the Justice Department official referred to the several instances of hate crimes against Indians, Hindu and Sikhs communities. "An arrest has been made in the Kansas City shooting the President referenced, in which two Indian-American men were shot, one fatally. That investigation is ongoing," he said. Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said religious hate crimes are on the rise. "Crimes against Jews are the most common religious hate crimes and they have increased. Religious hate crimes against Muslims are the fastest growing category. These crimes increased by 67 per cent between 2014 and 2015, the last year for which FBI figures are available," Grassley said. Asserting that fear for practicing one's religion should never happen in this country, Grassley said that government action to enforce the First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion is necessary if these rights are to be protected against those who commit hate crimes. Too many people in this country feel unwelcome, unsafe, said Indian-American Vanita Gupta, a former civil rights official at the Justice Department under Obama administration. "Ultimately eliminating prejudice in the US will require that Americans develop respect for cultural differences and establish dialogue across racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious boundaries," she said, adding education, awareness, and acceptance of group differences are the cornerstones of a solution to prejudice, discrimination, and bigotry in the US. From the tragic shooting of two Indians in Kansas to mosque arsons and synagogue vandalism to the defacing of a Maryland church, an alarming number of gut-wrenching incidents of hate-motivated violence have shaken the public, Gupta said. "It is incumbent upon all of us to reduce hate violence and bias-motivated incidents. Hate crimes have been referred to as this country's original form of domestic terrorism," Gupta said in her testimony. "There is no question that many South Asians, Sikhs, and people of other faiths are targeted because people believe they are Muslim. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that many people are also targeted because of their actual identity," she said. Sikhs, for example, may be mistaken as Muslims, but they also have a long history in this country and in others of facing persecution and discrimination, Gupta said. Dr. Prabhjot Singh, a Sikh American who has experienced hate violence first hand, said while it is clear that Sikh Americans are not alone in experiencing a rise in hate crimes, the experience of the community is important to understand how dangerous this current era of inflammatory rhetoric promises to be if action is not taken. According to Sikh Coalition surveys published between 2008 and 2010, approximately 10 per cent of Sikh respondents in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area reported that they had experienced assaults or property damage because of their religion, he said. "Ominously, the Sikh Coalition has consistently found that a majority of Sikh students in our nation's public schools experience bias-based bullying and harassment," Singh said, adding that Sikh Americans are as vulnerable as ever to hate crimes. In his testimony, Singh recommended that hate crime reporting should be mandatory, not voluntary. "We cannot address what we do not know. As a physician, I can attest that mandatory data reporting is crucial when the scope of a challenge is unknown and solutions are urgently needed," he said. "Words matter. Politicians must hold each other accountable for putting their constituents in danger. It seems fashionable these days for politicians to scapegoat immigrants and Muslims, but this endangers all of us.My personal experience with hate violence is a case in point. Please hold each other accountable and make it stop", Singh said. Washington: US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a "very good" talk about ending Syria war and best ways to resolve the dangerous situation in North Korea, the White House has said after both leaders held a telephonic conversation. During their conversation, the two leaders also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East and spoke about how best to resolve the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea, the White House said on Tuesday. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said. The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons, it said. The US will be sending a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, it added. "They also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. Finally, they spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea," the White House said. Putin even invited Trump to talk more and to meet face-to-face when both leaders are in Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 summit of major economic powers in July. It was at least the third conversation between the two leaders since Trump's inauguration. After dropping a monster bomb on its fighters, then targeting its leader, the US military is looking to destroy the Islamic State groups Afghan branch before battle-hardened reinforcements arrive from Syria and Iraq. Washington: After dropping a monster bomb on its fighters, then targeting its leader, the US military is looking to destroy the Islamic State groups Afghan branch before battle-hardened reinforcements arrive from Syria and Iraq. While US and Kabul government forces have mainly been combatting Taliban fighters since 2001, ISIS local offshoot also known as Islamic State-Khorasan, or ISIS-K has a stronghold in eastern Afghanistan. First emerging in 2015, ISIS-K overran large parts of Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, near the Pakistan border, but their part in the Afghan conflict had been largely overshadowed by the operations against the Taliban. Many Americans first heard of ISIS-K last month when the US dropped the Mother Of All Bombs on its Nangarhar bastion an aerial munition that the Pentagon said was the biggest non-nuclear weapon it had ever used in combat. US and Afghan forces then raided a compound last week close to the site of the bombing, with the Pentagon saying it believed it had killed ISIS-Ks leader Abdul Hasib during the operation. Captain Bill Salvin, spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan, said the local ISIS presence peaked at between 2,500 to 3,000 but that defections and recent battlefield losses had reduced their number to a maximum of 800. US-backed fighters also appear to have ISIS on the ropes in Syria and Iraq, where an operation to wrest back control of the major northern city of Mosul has been ongoing since October. But both the military and analysts acknowledge there is a danger of ISIS fighters heading to Afghanistan if they are forced out of Iraq and Syria. Stacy Jacobs clearly stood out at the recent 100 days of resistance because she wore a sari at a protest rally. The US woman has worn the #protestsaree in the march against the ban on Muslims and several other issues. Ms Jacobs has been a fan of Indian saris for quite a while and fell in love with textiles when she came to Chennai in 2015. Washington: Donald Trump has angered a lot of people, both with his election and his recent actions and people still cant deal with him. However, while Indians may be dejected, a US woman has decided to take up the protest by wearing a sari in the recent march after Mr Trump completed 100 days as President. According to a media report, Stacy Jacobs clearly stood out at the recent 100 days of resistance because she wore a sari at a protest rally. The US woman has worn the #protestsaree in the march against the ban on Muslims and several other issues. Ms Jacobs has been a fan of Indian saris for quite a while and fell in love with textiles when she came to Chennai in 2015. She used the attire because it would help her stand out in the crowd and make her point while supporting South Asians at the same time too. She said it was also an attempt to support people who were racially attacked in the US and it looks like she is making a difference. An unfazed FBI chief James Comey on Wednesday strongly defended his controversial decision to alert Congress just days before the US general election about the probe into Hillary Clintons emails, saying concealing the probe developments would have been catastrophic. It was a hard choice, I still believe in retrospect the right choice, the FBI director told senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency. I cant consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected, he said after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticised him for his role in the outcome of last years presidential election. Mr Comey said he stands behind his letter to Congress that shook up the final days of last years presidential election and he would do it again. Still, he said his decision to tell Congress that the FBI had found new emails that could be relevant to Ms Clintons private email server was not an easy one. This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election ... I would make the same decision, Mr Comey, 56, said. The test, which took 10 months to plan, was the latest designed to check the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the US nuclear force.(Photo: AFP/Representational Image)) An unarmed missile capable of sending a nuclear bomb across the world was launched on Wednesday from California amid rising tensions between the United States and North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile blasted off from a silo at 12:02 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and delivered a single re-entry vehicle to a target approximately 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The test, which took 10 months to plan, was the latest designed to check the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the US nuclear force. The US has about 450 such missiles, each capable of traveling about 8,000 miles.It was the second such launch in seven days from the Central California coastal base. Last weeks had been delayed from the fall. Both come at a time when the US has expressed concern about North Koreas nuclear capability. Paris: Britain's royals are seeking 1.5 million euros in damages over the publication of topless photographs of Prince William's wife Kate, it emerged Tuesday on the opening day of the trial of six media representatives for invasion of privacy. French gossip magazine Closer and regional newspaper La Provence in September 2012 published long-lens photos of the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing topless in the south of France, triggering outrage in Britain. The prosecution in the invasion of privacy trial called for "very significant fines" over the grainy pictures, while a lawyer for Closer said the royal couple wanted 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in damages. The lawyer Paul-Albert Iweins insisted that the photos showed a "positive image of the couple" and criticised an "Anglo-Saxon reasoning of damages and interest". The pair were snapped on a break at a chateau owned by Viscount David Linley, the son of Princess Margaret, the late sister of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. One of the most intimate shots, which were offered to some publications but not published in Britain, shows the Duchess of Cambridge topless. Laurence Pieau, Closer's editor in France, Ernesto Mauri, chief executive of the Mondadori group which owns the magazine, and Cyril Moreau and Dominique Jacovides, two Paris-based agency photographers suspected of taking the pictures, face charges of invasion of privacy and complicity at the trial in Nanterre outside Paris. 'Not shocking' La Provence's publishing director at the time, Marc Auburtin, and photographer Valerie Suau are also standing trial. The case had been delayed for four months to give the lawyer for the agency photographers more time to prepare their defence. Prince William's Kensington Palace office declined to comment ahead of the trial when contacted by AFP. The case was being heard shortly after the royal couple visited Paris in March. Pieau defended her publication's actions at the time of the scandal, saying the pictures of Kate, now 35, were not in the "least shocking". Police said two photographers were confirmed to be near the chateau at the time of the royal couple's stay after combing through lists of hotel guests and telephone numbers. But both photographers have denied taking the photos, despite evidence that both received substantial payoff amounts after the images' publication. The magazine has steadfastly refused to divulge the identity of the photographer who took the topless pictures. A week before Closer published the shots, other images of the couple from a different angle were printed in La Provence. La Provence photographer Suau has been charged for taking photos of Kate in a swimsuit in the same place, but her paper has denied that their photographer took any topless images. The snaps triggered a furious reaction from the British royal family and a furore in Britain where several newspapers had rejected an offer to buy the pictures. The angry royal couple launched legal proceedings soon after they were published. Their lawyer argued that the photos were particularly distressing as it brought back painful memories of William's late mother Princess Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi. French authorities sided with the couple by banning any further reproduction of the pictures before launching a probe into how the snaps were obtained. But the topless photos still appeared in several other European publications in Italy's Chi, which, like Closer, is owned by Mondadori, in Ireland's Daily Star and sister magazines in Sweden and Denmark. Last month, there were reports the Chechen authorities had allegedly rounded up more than 100 men who were suspected to be gay.(Photo: Pixabay/Representational Image) Chechen authorities are reportedly urging parents to kill their gay children, according to one of the survivors of the countrys gay torture camp. The man, who has not been identified, said the police have been telling parents of gay men to sort it out or the state will intervene. Weve always been persecuted, but never like this. Now they arrest everyone. They kill ... do whatever they want, he told France24. They tell the parents to kill their child. They say Either you do it, or we will. They call it: Cleaning your honour with blood, he said. They tortured a man for two weeks then they summoned his parents and brothers who all came. Police said to them: Your son is a homosexual sort it out or well do it ourselves. Another survivor, named only as Anzor, told AP that the torture felt like: like they are breaking every bone of every joint in your body at the same time. Last month, there were reports the Chechen authorities had allegedly rounded up more than 100 men who were suspected to be gay. Many were tortured and at least four were allegedly killed. However, a spokesman for President Ramzan Kadyrov said the news was absolute lies and disinformation and claimed gay people did not exist in the state. Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told his Indian counterpart Lt Gen A K Bhatt that neither ceasefire violations occurred in the Sector, nor crossing of the LoC by Pakistanis troops have taken place. (Photo: AP) Islamabad: Pakistan army on Tuesday asked India to produce "actionable evidence" on its claim that a Pakistani Special Forces team sneaked across the Line of Control (LoC), beheaded two Indian security personnel and mutilated their bodies. The issue was discussed during a hotline contact between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India this morning to defuse the tension. "Pakistan rejected Indian allegations of ceasefire violation and mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers," according to a statement issued by the army. Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told his Indian counterpart Lt Gen A K Bhatt that neither ceasefire violations occurred in the Sector (pointed out by India in the mutilation allegation), nor crossing of the LoC by Pakistanis troops have taken place. "Pakistan army is a professional military outfit and upholds the highest standards of conduct. Allegations of mutilation are an Indian attempt to divert the attention of world from situation within the Valley," Mirza claimed. A junior commissioned officer and a Border Security Force head constable were killed and their bodies mutilated by the Pakistan army team which sneaked about 250 metres into the Indian territory along the LoC in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan's border action team crossed into the Indian side as the Pakistan Army launched heavy rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts in the Krishna Ghati sector. The Pakistan DGMO asked his Indian counterpart to provide "actionable evidence" related to the incident and urged the Indian army to look inwards to probe the incident, the army statement said. He said that Pakistan was fully committed to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LoC. He accused Indian troops of continuously targeting innocent civilians on LoC and apprised the Indian General that continuity of such action would invite appropriate response. "Any misadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing," the Pakistan DGMO warned. The DGMOs contact followed after the local commanders level hotline contact was established last night at Rawlakot- Poonch sector on LOC between the army authorities of the two countries, the army statement said. Local commanders of Pakistan also told Indian counterpart that no ceasefire violations was committed by their side. "Indian counterpart was told that there has been no ceasefire violations from Pakistan side nor mutilation of Indian soldiers' bodies. Indian authorities were told that there is unnecessary media hype following the allegations," the army said. The statement also said that Pakistan remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC and expects the same from the other side. Pakistan army said it hopes prudence is exercised and no steps are taken that may lead to the vitiating of the environment and affect peace along LoC. The incident evoked a sharp reaction from India with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley saying such attacks do not even take place during war and that the whole country has full faith in the armed forces. "Bodies of soldiers being mutilated is an extreme form of barbaric act. Government of India strongly condemns this act. The whole country has full faith in our armed forces which will react appropriately to the act," Jaitley had said. The blast occurred after gas filled the tunnel, which was being bored in the province of Guizhou (Photo: AP) Beijing: Twelve workers died following an explosion in a high-speed rail tunnel in southwestern China, state media said Wednesday, after rescuers spent over 14 hours searching the rubble for survivors. The blast occurred after gas filled the tunnel, which was being bored in the province of Guizhou, leaving 12 injured and 12 trapped, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Over 2,000 rescue workers searched the tunnel for survivors before ending the operation at 4:45 am Wednesday morning, it said. The cause of the accident is under investigation, the report said, adding that the tunnel was designed to pass through a coal seam. The country has been on a high-speed rail building spree for over a decade, putting up over 17,000 kilometres (10,500 miles) of track at a rapid clip, raising concerns about corner-cutting. Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced. In 2015, the country recorded 66,000 workplace deaths, according to the most recent government statistics. A Christian paramedical staffer asked religious scholars to sort out the issue as the hospital administration was pressurising them to leave their jobs. (Photo: AP) Lahore: The administration of a government-run hospital in Lahore forces its non-Muslim staffers to either recite verses from the Holy Quran at morning assembly or be marked absent for the day, a Pakistan media report said on Wednesday. The issue came to light when Mian Mir Hospital, run by the City District Government Lahore, Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Sarfraz allegedly slapped a Christian paramedical staffer for not attending the assembly, the Express Tribune reported. Following the incident, all paramedical staff protested against the superintendent and other hospital administration by shutting down all functions of the medical facility. "This act of the MS is a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan," a Christian paramedical staffer, Marshal, was quoted as saying by the paper. He asked religious scholars to sort out the issue as the hospital administration was pressurising them to leave their jobs. "It is professional workplace; I don't know why the administration is forcing our Christian brothers to do this. This is totally unacceptable," said another staff Fahad Ahmed. Meanwhile, City District Government Lahore Health CEO Dr Muhammad Saeed said a high-level committee had been formed to look into the matter and a strict departmental inquiry would be initiated against anyone found guilty. The hospital was named after Sufi saint Hazrat Mian Mir who rose to prominence during the time of Mughal emperor Jehangir. The saint himself was a big proponent of interfaith harmony. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has set a three-point agenda to AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal and his team for Karnataka spend more time in the state, forge unity among all leaders and retain power. Venugopal and his team of four secretaries Manickam Tagore, Madhu Yashki Goud and P C Vishnunadh had detailed discussions with Rahul on Tuesday morning before setting on Mission Karnataka. They also met Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the evening. During the 90-minute meeting with Rahul, the team was apprised of the new approach of the AICC in dealing with the states. Venugopal and his team has been asked to spend maximum time in Karnataka to gear up the state unit for the Assembly elections next year. Congress sources said the new team was asked to be in mission mode for the next years Assembly elections. You just cannot go for a few days and touch some districts, was the clear message from Rahul to the leaders. We have been given the mission to retain power in Karnataka, Venugopal said in an informal interaction here. He said he would visit Bengaluru along with his team of secretaries some time next week to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC chief G Parameshwara and other leaders. Venugopal is also expected to allot districts to each of the four secretaries in a day or two. Rahul also asked the new team to submit monthly reports about their work in the state. Venugopal also met senior Congress leaders Motilal Vora, A K Antony and Mullapally Ramachandran, who is the chairman of the Central Election Authority of the party. On Saturday, the Congresss high command had removed Digvijaya Singh as AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka and appointed Venugopal in his place. Venugopal, who hails from Kerala, is a former Union minister. Besides Venugopal, Sonia appointed four AICC secretaries Goud, Tagore, Vishnunadh and Sailajanath to supervise election preparations in Karnataka. These appointments, according to AICC sources, signalled a strong message to the rank and file in the Karnataka to gear up for the state polls, which would have to be won at all costs. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, will usher in accountability and transparency in the sector making the home buyer the king. Addressing a press conference here, Naidu said provisions of the Act, which became a law on May 1, will ensure that developers keep the promise they have made in their prospectus to buyers. The regulations have been brought to protect home buyers and encourage genuine private players, he said. The government wants the developer to fulfil all promises made to the buyers like facilities and time-frame. Those who cheat will face action. Naidu pointed out that the Karnataka government was yet to frame rules for the Act. Karnataka Housing Minister M Krishnappa promised that the final rules would be notified within 15 days, Naidu said. He said as land is a state subject, state governments have been given the powers to make small changes in the legislation. However, the state governments should not dilute the spirit of the Act, he said. The Act has a provision to curb jacking of land prices. Land prices in some pockets of Bengaluru are higher than that in New York and Washington, which is atrocious, he said. Naidu, who also holds the Urban Development portfolio, reviewed the implementation of Smart City Mission, Amrut, Swacch Bharat, Hriday and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Karnataka. He said it is the dream of every citizen to own a house and the Centre is trying to make it possible through Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The total demand for houses under the scheme is 18.35 lakh and the state government has been asked to verify the genuineness of the applicants. Construction of 1.46 lakh houses has already commenced, he said. Naidu said the Centre has urged the state government to make amendments to master plans of cities and earmark land for affordable housing besides removing requirement of permission for separate non-agricultural use if the land falls in the residential zone. Ministerspeak Rs 428 cr sanctioned for Smart City Mission in Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru. Progress of integrated development of Badami town under Hriday scheme poor. Ranking of cities under Swacch Bharat to be announced in New Delhi on May 4 25.45 lakh new water connections have been provided in 27 cities in the state under Amrut scheme Credit rating of all municipalities taken up Bengaluru to be declared open defecation-free by Aug 31, 2017, and entire Karnataka by Oct 2, 2018 Draft rules soon Bengaluru Development Minister K J George on Tuesday said the state government will finalise the rules for implementing the Real Estate Act within 15 days. The government is currently holding discussions with all departments concerned and experts on finalising the rules. The draft rules will be placed before the Cabinet to take an appropriate decision, he told reporters. The Common Entrance Test (CET) 2017 for admission to engineering, technology, science, ayurveda, homoeopathy and other courses began on Tuesday, in the state. On the first day of the two-day test, candidates wrote the Biology paper in the morning session and Mathematics paper in the afternoon session. Karnataka Examinations Authority, which conducts the test, said in a press note that the test was conducted in a fair manner. This year, for the first time, the question paper was bilingual, with questions in Kannada and English. Exam centres were also randomised so that no student wrote the paper in their own college. Of the 1,85,418 registered candidates, about 1,41,545 (76.34%) attended the Biology paper and 1,79,027 (96.55%) attended the Mathematics paper. A KEA official said that the 24% absenteeism in the Biology exam was because NEET has been made mandatory for medical and dental seats. The general consensus among students was that both the 60-mark papers were better than expected. Ramesh Acharya, a student of Sheshadripuram college found the Biology exam to be easy. Most of the questions were from syllabus we had in the first year of pre-university. It was quite easy and time was sufficient too, he said. Another student, Richard Fernandes also said that the paper was easy. The questions were straightforward and from the syllabus. There were no errors but it was time-consuming, he said. About the Mathematics paper, Akshar Prasad, a BASE student, said that the questions were directly from the first-year and second-year PU textbooks and straightforward. Students are optimistic about the Physics and Chemistry papers on Wednesday. President Donald Trump is personally committed to resolving the long-running Israeli- Palestinian conflict and will never compromise on the safety and security of the Jewish State, US Vice President Mike Pence has said. He said Trump's "tireless leadership" has helped in making progress towards attaining the peace in the region. "The President has personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Even now, we're making valuable progress toward the noble goal of peace," Pence said at a White House event to mark the Israeli Independence Day. "Thanks to the President's tireless leadership, momentum is building and goodwill is growing. While there will undoubtedly have to be compromises, you can rest assured President Donald Trump will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish State of Israel - not now, not ever," he said yesterday. Pence said Trump had made it clear that America stands alongside Israel as friends and as allies and together they will confront those who threaten their people. "Since the moment of their nation's birth, there's hardly been a day when the people of Israel have not lived without war or the fear of war, or the grim reality of terror," he said. Pence said under Trump, America's support for Israel's security was at a record level. "In President Trump, America has a leader who will call our enemies by their name. I want to promise you, as the fight even goes on now in precincts around Mosul and Iraq, even in northern Syria and Afghanistan, this President is determined to keep his promise to the American people," he said. Trump will meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House today. Asserting that the ISIS is on the run, Pence said the US will hunt down and destroy the dreaded terror group so that they no longer threaten American friends and allies. Under Trump, America will stand strong in the face of the leading state sponsor of terrorism, he said, adding that the current administration has put Iran on notice. "America will no longer tolerate Iran's efforts to destabilise the region and jeopardise Israel's security. Under President Donald Trump, the United States of America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. This is our solemn promise to you, to Israel, and to the world, Pence said. Indian troops today opened "speculative fire" along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. Earlier, an Army officer had said that there was a ceasefire violation in the area and that details are being sought. "There was no ceasefire violation along the LoC in Poonch. It was speculative fire", an army officer of northern command said. Speculative fire is normally used to check movement of suspicious persons along the border. The Supreme Court on Wednesday came to rescue of an HIV- afflicted woman, also suffering from partial retardation, for terminating her 26- week pregnancy. The court directed for her medical examination by ordering the Union government to bring her to Delhi on Thursday from Patna. A bench presided over by Justice Dipak Misra directed Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha to furnish her medical report on Monday. Activist advocate Brinda Grover brought the woman's plight into attention of the court. She said her matter was poorly handled by Bihar state government. It was pleaded to the government for terminating her pregnancy when it was just 17 week old. But now after the delay, the foetus has become 26 week old, beyond the 20 week statutory limit mandated under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. Acting with due alacrity and absolute sympathy with the woman, the court has now ordered her medical examination by a panel of doctors from AIIMS New Delhi. The court has earlier intervened in critical cases and ordered termination of Pregnancy beyond the statutory bar, she said. A massive search operation has been launched by the Punjab Police to track down three persons who have gone missing after abandoning a robbed SUV at a village here. Police said the three had been directed to stop at a checkpost at Berhampur in the district, but instead sped through it. The cops then gave chase, but found the vehicle abandoned at Makhanpur village near Bamiyal here. Pathankot SSP Vivek Sheel Soni today said the SUV was robbed by the suspects from Sambha in Jammu yesterday. "We have launched a search operation to trace them," Soni said. Around 200 policemen have been deployed near Mankahnpur village, police said. Nothing suspicious was found from the vehicle, police said, adding that it has now been seized. The SUV had a fake registration number, they said. The SSP said the three were not dressed in army or police fatigues, as was the case with the terrorists in the 2015 Gurdaspur attack. Three heavily-armed terrorists wearing army fatigues, had hijacked a car and stormed a police station in Dinanagar town of Gurdaspur district in July 2015. They killed seven persons, including a Superintendent of Police, before they were gunned down during a day-long operation. Last year, four terrorists who had sneaked in from across the border had attacked the Pathankot air base on the intervening night of January 1 and 2, claiming the lives of seven security personnel. Militants snatched five assault rifles from Jammu and Kashmir police guards posted at southern Shopian district court complex on Tuesday night. Sources said that a group of militants attacked a police post in the District Court complex at around 9.15 pm and decamped with five self-loading rifles (SLRs). Two police guards, who were on duty, were overpowered by the militants and tied with a rope inside a room, they said. Reports said soon after the incident senior police, army and para-military officers reached the spot and a manhunt was launched in the area to nab the militants responsible for weapon snatching. The policemen were suspended for alleged dereliction of duty as they offered no resistance when the militants looted their weapons, sources said. This was the second major strike after Mondays killing of five police men and two bank officials and looting of five rifles from a Jammu and Kashmir Bank van in neighbouring Kulgam district. In March, militants had snatched four assault rifles from policemen guarding the residence of a PDP minister. There has been a spurt in the incidents of weapon-snatching by militants in the Valley since last July. According to official figures, at least 62 rifles, six pistols and 182 magazines were looted by militants and unruly mobs from security personnel in Kashmir last year. Due to the sudden rise in local recruitment of militants, there is a shortage of weapons in terror outfits and incidents of weapon snatching are taking place. Such incidents are also planned with a view of embarrassing the security personnel, a senior police officer told DH. Though isolated incidents of weapon snatching were happening in the Valley for the last three years, it saw a spurt after unrest broke out in the wake of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year. Zakir Bhat, Burhans close associate, in a video message in December said that several youth have snatched weapons from security forces and have joined the Hizbul ranks. A conglomerate of four districts - Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Anantnag - which has been the epicentre of unrest and militant activities, is believed to have accounted for the disappearance of nearly 100 youths in the past three months, sources said. These youth are desperate for weapons as it is a loyalty test for them. The militant handlers wont allow anyone to be part of their groups until he either snatches a weapon or kills policemen, and then all the doors of leading a normal life gets closed, they said. Army and police have time and again termed the incidents of rifle-snatching as a cause of concern and have taken several measures to stop the menace. However, despite that the militants are carrying out weapon snatching strikes at will. A 17-year-old youth has been detained by the Alwar Police in connection with the Pehlu Khan lynching case. The accused, who is a school student, was identified on the basis of a video in which a mob is seen assaulting Khan and others, Investigating Officer Parmal Gurjar said today. The youth was sent to a juvenile home, the officer said. Several accused have already been arrested in the case. Efforts are on to identify and arrest the other accused visible in the videos shot during the attack, the officer said. Khan, who hailed from Haryana, was attacked by cow vigilantes in Behror when he along with others was allegedly transporting cows illegally from Jaipur to Haryana. Khan died during treatment at a hospital. The National Green Tribunal today announced that anyone found dumping electronic waste (e-waste) on the banks of river Ramganga in Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh would have to pay Rs. one lakh as environment compensation. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also constituted a committee of representatives of departments concerned to immediately remove the waste lying on the river bank and sought a detailed report within two weeks. The committee would comprise member secretary of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) or his nominee, district magistrate of Moradabad, representative from UP government, Moradabad Nagar Nigam and Deputy Superintendent of Police of the area concerned. "It has been brought to our notice that huge quantity of hazardous e-waste generated from various industries in powder form is being disposed on the bank of river Ramganga in Moradabad," the bench said, adding that this fact has been duly verified in the joint inspection conducted by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It further said that this hazardous waste is highly polluted and contains heavy metal which are injurious to human health and environment and noted that all authorities are escaping responsibility for disposal of waste and "shifting the blame on each other". "We are of the considered view that it is the responsibility of the state government including the local police to take action and dispose of the hazardous waste as per Hazardous And Other Wastes Rules, 2016... "All such industries which are found illegally dumping such e-waste shall be liable to pay environment compensation of Rs one lakh per incident," the bench said while ordering the sub-divisional magistrate of the area concerned to recover the money from defaulters. The bench also made it clear that the environment compensation would vary from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh depending on the quantum of waste dumped in the river. The tribunal's order came during the hearing of a case related to cleaning of river Ganga when the UPPCB counsel sought direction from it with regard to proper disposal of e- waste. The counsel told the bench that district administration has turned a blind eye to such incidents and they have not taken any action against the violators. The bench noted that Ramganga, a tributary of river Ganga, is highly polluted. The river, which spans a length of 596 kms, carries a BOD load (Biochemical oxygen demand) of 128 tonnes per day and is polluted by heavy discharge from various industries like - sugar, distillery, pulp and paper, textile and dying, it noted. 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 UP border, UP border to border of Jharkhand and border of Jharkhand to Bay of Bengal. The tribunal had on February 23 directed inspection of Ganga flood plains to probe dumping and burning of waste after a plea alleged illegal processing of electronic waste on the banks of Ramganga in western UP. PTI PKS AG DV 05031432 The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused a plea to haul up individual police officers for any incident of violence in the name of cow vigilantism. A bench presided over by Justice Dipak Misra said," The states will take care of it. We don't want to pass any order right now." The court's response came as senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for activist Tehseen S Poonawalla, said individual police officers should be held responsible if any incidents get reported from a particular area. "If one police officer is held responsible, things would get sorted out," Hegde said. He was arguing on a PIL challenging different state laws granting immunity from prosecution to individuals (Gau Rakshaks) involved in cow protection. Hegde's bid to take the name of newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also shot down by the bench. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, quipped that Hegde's submission was to hit headlines in the media. Hegde, however, shot back, saying all those incidents relating to violence in the name of cow protection had hit the headlines. The court, however, asked the Union Government as well as the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, to file their response within 6 weeks to the PIL. During the hearing, Hegde also referred to a recent incident of violence in Delhi. Notably, the Karnataka government has defended before the Court its law granting protection to 'Gau Rakshak' for prevention of cow slaughter. In an affidavit, the state, however, had maintained the act done only in good faith was protected under the law and not any violent or criminal activities bringing disharmony between communities. Poonawalla and two others had sought directions to declare the provisions in the laws of Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, which granted recognition to vigilante groups for cow protection as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Tamil Nadu government to spell out the steps taken to ameliorate the plight of farmers. The court also wanted to know if any awareness campaign was on to inform the farmers about the minimum support price of their produce. A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Dipak Misra also asked the state government to tell the court about the steps it was taking to ensure establishment of 'mandis' and procurement centres within approachable distance from agricultural farms. During the hearing, the bench also explained that it has entertained the PIL filed by 'TN Centre for PIL' only to ensure relief for farmers and ensure affirmative actions were being taken by the state government. The exercise should not be treated as adversarial but as participative proceedings, the court added. Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appointed as amicus curiae, cited M S Swaminathan report showing lack of awareness about MSP in farmers, leading to rise of middlemen. The court asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha, appearing for Tamil Nadu, to file its response by Friday in the PIL. The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea made by a death row convict to review the 2014 judgement awarding him the capital punishment for raping and murdering a four-year-old girl child. Vasanta Sampat Dupare, lodged in Nagpur central jail, urged the court to reconsider the 2014 judgment. He, through senior advocate Anup Bhambhani, contended, that the mitigating circumstances like chances of his reform, his past records in jail and his age of 47-year at the time of incident in 2008 was not duly considered at the time of sentence. He also contended that his conviction and sentence was pronounced on the same date, without giving him sufficient time. A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justices R F Nariman and U U Lalit rejected his plea and affirmed the sentence, saying no case is made out to take a different view in the matter. We have given anxious consideration to the material on record but find that the aggravating circumstances namely the extreme depravity and the barbaric manner in which the crime was committed and the fact that the victim was a helpless girl of four years clearly outweigh the mitigating circumstances now brought on record, the bench said. The apex court had in 2014 dismissed the appeal filed by the petitioner against the Bombay HC judgement of 2012. The HC had confirmed the capital punishment awarded to him by the trial court in Nagpur. According to the prosecution, the appellant took away the victim, daughter of his acquaintance, on his bicycle on April 3, 2008 in the name of offering her chocolates. He ravished the child at a secluded place and bludgeoned her to death. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid obeisance at Kedarnath as the portals of the eighth century shrine in Garhwal Himalayas were thrown open to devotees after their closure for winters. Modi is the first prime minister to visit the famed temple in 28 years after former prime minister VP Singh had paid a visit to the temple in 1989. Accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Modi arrived in an army chopper at the helipad built close to the temple and headed straight for the shrine located at a height of 11,755 ft near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini. Braving early morning chill around 4000 devotees had turned up at the temple to witness its ceremonial opening and to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister. The temple doors were opened at 8.50 am and the Prime Minister arrived just about half an hour later sporting a brown overcoat and dark glasses to offer prayers and perform a rudrabhishek (ritual bath of the Shiva lingam) in the sanctum sanctorum of the centuries old shrine. The prime minister took off his shoes and glasses before entering the sanctum sanctorum of the temple through its eastern gate to pay obeisance. The rituals supervised by the priests of the temple lasted about 20 minutes after which Modi emerged out of the temple and waved to the crowds waiting outside for a glimpse with a broad smile. He was gifted a shawl, a rudraksha, a wooden replica of the temple and books on the Himalayas by the priests of the temple as he came out of the shrine. He did a 'parikrama' of the Nandi statue outside the temple before walking through the crowds to make for the convoy that was to take him back to the helipad. On his way back, the Prime Minister stopped to pat a child in the arms of a soldier. He was seen speaking with the jawan and the child. The Prime Minister also went to the spot where a huge rock named Bhimshila had rolled down from the mountains in the wake of the June 2013 deluge and was stuck at the back of the temple. Christened Bhimshila after the tragedy also known as the Himalayan Tsunami the rock is credited with protecting the shrine from major damage. After spending about an hour at the temple, the Prime Minister left in an army chopper for Haridwar. Modi is the first prime minister to visit the famed temple on the very first day of its opening after the winter break. Kedarnath is the third and perhaps the most important of the four Himalayan shrines in the 'chardham' circuit to reopen today. Gangotri and Yamunotri have already opened on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya whereas Badrinath is slated to reopen on May 6 when President Pranab Mukherjee will visit the temple. People in the state feel the visit by the Prime Minister and the President to Kedarnath and Badrinath will boost tourist arrivals at the two temples by sending the message of a safe chardham yatra to people outside the state. While hearing a writ petition filed by an aggrieved parent Ram Pukar Yadav, the single bench of Justice Chakradhari Saran Singh issued notice to the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), which conducts matriculation examination in the State, and asked it to submit its reply to the High Court within a week. The result of the matric examination is slated to be declared later this month. The petitioner pleaded before the HC that due to the teachers strike, the BSEB engaged incompetent secondary school teachers of Class VII and VIIth to evaluate the answer books of matriculation examinees. Due to strike by contractual teachers, the BSEB engaged teachers of middle school, who mostly taught students of Class VIIth and VIIIth, and were thus not qualified enough to evaluate Class Xth answer books, said Rajendra Prasad Singh, the senior lawyer, arguing on behalf of the petitioner. He pleaded that the answer book of the petitioners daughter be re-evaluated by a competent person before the result was announced. According to the rules, only those teachers who have atleast three years of experience teaching students of Class Xth or XIIth can evaluate the answer book of matriculation examinees. The board, however, maintained that the apprehension of the petitioner was unfounded and the board does not have any specific directive about who all are eligible to evaluate such answer book. Justice Singh then asked the BSEB to submit a detailed reply on May 8, the day when the High Court will hear the matter next. It is worth mentioning here that BSEB had hit the national headlines last year when the Bihar Intermediate toppers were found to be fake and undeserving candidates. While the three toppers Ruby Rai, Saurabh and Rahul Kumar were arrested, the then chairman of the BSEB Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh is still cooling his heels behind bars. The Patna High Court on Wednesday took strong exception to a report that several teachers of Class VIIth and VIIIth were hired to evaluate the answer books of matriculation examinees who appeared for Class Xth board in Bihar this year. With the expansion of the BJP in mind, the Modi government has sought state-wise progress report on various major development and welfare initiatives taken by all ministries and to what extent they have benefited people. In a letter to all ministers, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has asked them to submit state-wise data and figures in the form of comparative statements, graphical presentations and infographics so that the prime minister's goal of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' becomes a reality. The information would be incorporated in a three-year report card which the Narendra Modi government would present before the people ahead of its third anniversary later this month, Naidu said. "The overwhelming mandate of the people, election after election, across the country has been in our favour. Satisfied though, we have a very large ground to cover to expand our base across the country so that the prime minister's goal 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' becomes a reality rather sooner than later," Naidu wrote in the letter. In an earlier letter, Naidu had urged ministers and senior BJP leaders to communicate with the people on the positive changes that have been brought about by the Modi government. It had also asked the departments to submit their five major achievements that have benefited people, including key reforms to be compiled in a booklet that the government plans to publish before May 26, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge three years ago. A BJP MLC from Karnataka allegedly posted pornographic photographs on a WhatsApp group meant to share information between government officers and the media. Mahantesh Kavatagimath, however, apologised for posting porn pictures on the WhatsApp group of 'Belagavi Media Force', saying it was an "unintentional act". "The content was posted accidentally when my phone hanged while switching off, I guess. At that time I was travelling by flight. I apologise for the incident, it was not intentional," he told reporters. "Why would I share porn in a group with senior politicians, government officials and journalists?" he said. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, however, refused to comment on the incident saying, "I am not aware of it." To a query, Kavatagimath said there will be no political fallout because of this incident, as he had already apologised. Speaking to PTI over phone from Delhi, Congress spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa said it could be an unintentional act of Kavatagimath, but watching porn in public places has "been in the DNA of BJP leaders". "It could be an unintentional act, but it is in the very DNA of BJP leaders - DNA of watching porn. BJP should add one more 'P' so that it reads Bharatiya Janata Porn Party," he said. The list is long, Kalappa said, adding that three BJP ministers were caught watching pornography in the Assembly during the party's rule in Karnataka. In 2012, C C Patil, Lakshmana Savadi and Krishna Palemar, were caught while allegedly watching pornography in the Assembly, which forced them to tender resignations after the BJP central leadership asked them to quit. The senior legislator shared over 50 pictures, much to the embarrassment of the group members. The WhatsApp group comprises senior officials including deputy commissioner, police officials of various ranks, the Belagavi police commissioner, Belagavi district superintendent of police, police inspectors, member of parliament, Zilla Panchayat members, city councillors, women officials of various departments, social activists and representatives of media houses. Kavatagimath, around 4.20 pm yesterday, posted over 56 PDF files that comprised over 50 pictures of nude women from his official mobile phone. Sharing objectionable contents on social media platforms is a serious offence and violation of cyber laws. Even as the group members noticed the obnoxious postings, there was brisk activity in the group. Admins of the WhatsApp group started quitting from the group, senior officials remained tightlipped, while women officers who were embarrassed, left with serious remarks condemning the postings. Most of the group members were stunned and expressed shock. Kavatagimath, who even failed to regret the postings, was removed from the group by the group admin. The MLC was not available for comments as he had switched off his mobile phone. Around 50 Pakistani students, visiting India at the invitation of an NGO, were sent back today after the government advised it against hosting them at a time which was not "appropriate" in the aftermath of beheading of two Indian soldiers. "An NGO had invited Pakistani school students here. They came to India on the same day when the barbaric and inhuman act of killing and mutilating our soldiers happened. "The ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges after we learnt that the children had crossed over to India on May 1," Gopal Baglay, a spokesperson of the MEA, said. Routes2Roots, a Delhi-based NGO, had invited 50 students from Pakistan as part of their Student 'Exchange for Change' Program. The students from Pakistan were scheduled to go on a day-long trip to Agra today and participate in an exchange of experiences with Indian students tomorrow at the Pakistan Embassy here. Expressing regret over the return of the delegation, Routes2Roots said that the trip had to be shortened and the students and teachers have been sent back to Lahore. "Around 50 students aged between 11-15 years along with their teachers arrived in Delhi from Pakistan on May 1 and were supposed to meet their Indian pen friends and hosts of other programs which had to be cut short. "Keeping in view the security and sentiments of fellow Indians the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," Rakesh Gupta and Tina Vachani, founders of Routes2Roots, said in a statement. In October last year, a similar programme by the NGO was cancelled after the announcement of surgical strike by India along the LoC in September. "Even then as a precautionary measure we cancelled the exchange programme and now the same thing has recurred. If things go well, we will again bring the students, possibly within a month or two," Rakesh told PTI. A routine immunization drive in Muslim dominated areas in Haryana has landed the government in a piquant situation. The immunization drive has hit a roadblock with myths doing the round that the vaccination would cause impotency. Desperate to accomplish its health mission, the authorities are now looking towards Muslim clerics, propagators of faith and community leaders for a remedy. The situation turned complex when majority of families in Muslim dominated region of Mewat and Hathin in Palwal refused to administer immunization shots to their children. Muslim families did this gripped with the myth that immunization shots would eventually lead to impotency. This after an uncorroborated content went of such side effects went viral on social media. The content originated from southhern states of Kerela and Tamil Nadu. A health drive that would have ideally got the department accolades is being met with frown and stiff resistance. By the time the heath authorities intervened to square the circle, the floating myth already did the damage. Nearly 85% of households in these regions are pending immunization. The immunization if not done on time could lead to heath abnormalities, authorities warned. The government decided to seek the help of Muslim clerics, community leaders and members of the Waqf Board. A meeting with them was held yesterday. The authorities want Muslim clerics to advice, and counsel Muslim families not to fall prey to such myths. The task may begin soon. Muslim clerics and community leaders sounded optimistic to achieve a breakthrough once the dialogue commences. The government hopes its health teams will once again be able to set out in these areas without resistance. Indicators suggest that Muslim dominated Mewat region is socially and educationally backward than the rest of the areas in Jatland. The government pays special attention in these areas. Being an educationally backward area, officials say, people here appear more gullible to myths than believe in science and its practices. With many states reporting agriculture sector crisis including indebtedness of their farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the implementation of farmers' welfare schemes on Friday with concerned ministries and their officials. The agenda of the meeting also includes steps being undertaken to double farmers income by 2022. The focus will be on availability of credit and access to capital at reasonable rates to farmers, official sources said. The government increased farm sector credit target by 11% to Rs 10 lakh crore for the current fiscal and announced two dedicated funds with a corpus of Rs 5,000 crore for micro irrigation and dairy processing. The budgetary allocation for agriculture ministry has been raised by 7.81% to Rs 52,655 crore in financial year 2017-18. However, the government has drawn flak for the recent farm loan waiver undertaken for Uttar Pradesh which has led to similar demand from other states. Recently farmers from Tamil Nadu took to a bizarre mode of protest in New Delhi seeking a relief package from the Centre. They also demanded loans waiver for their crops ruined in drought and subsequent cyclone. In the wake of these developments, the prime minister is expected to review the insurance programme for farmers Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana --aimed at securing them from unpredictable weather woes. E-National Agriculture Market (NAM), a pan-India e-trading platform launched to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities will also be reviewed, the sources said. They said the awareness level and implementation of Lab-To-Land, Har Khet Ko Paani and Per Drop More Crop schemes will be reviewed. The Prime Minister had also launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), an end-to-end solution to end irrigation woes with the objective of water to every field. The programme is aimed at developing long-term remedies to mitigate the effect of drought. It is being implemented in mission mode by three ministries with the ministry of water resources leading the project. Ministers of agriculture, food, water resources will be present in the review meeting along with officials of finance and other ministries. Apart from doubling farmers income, the government has also committed to making them tech savvy, boosting agriculture research and education, and building farm-related infrastructure for the overall growth of the farm sector. The Indian Army is all set to operationalise an extended-range version of the Brahmos cruise missile, almost a year after India became a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime. Because of the restrictive export control regime, the previous version of the cruise missile, developed with Russian collaboration, had a maximum range of 290 km as export of missiles with more than 300 km range was prohibited under the MTCR rules. Nine months after India becomes a MTCR member, defence scientists successfully tested a 450 km range Brahmos missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off Odisha in March, 2017. Now for two consecutive days, the Southern and South Western Commands of the Indian Army have successfully fired Brahmos Block-III land attack cruise missile system in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In both cases, the missile demonstrated an accuracy of less than one metre. While the Army is using Brahmos since 2007, the new version has several advanced features besides its extended range. These missiles are capable of riding crest-shaped obstacles and pick up the target for precision hitting. It is our most important weapon in a conventional role, said an Army officer after missile tests ended on Tuesday. This is the fifth consecutive time when the Block-III version of Brahmos land attack cruise missile has been successfully launched and hit the land-based target in top-attack mode, an incredible feat not achieved by any other weapon system of its genre. The Army has four regiments of these cruise missile, each having two batteries. There are plan to raise a fifth one, sources said. After the first successful trial of the Brahmos-ER, Sudhir Mishra, the chief executive officer and managing director of Brahmsos Aerospace said, With the successful test firing of Brahmos Extended Range, the armed forces will be empowered to knock down enemy targets far beyond 400 km. Based on the Russian technology, the missile was jointly developed by DRDO and Russia agency NPOM for launch from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets. Currently tests are being held for the air-launched version of Brahmos from a modified Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet. Lynching of an elderly Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh's communally sensitive Bulandshahar district allegedly by the activists of Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), an outfit formed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, for helping two lovers of different communities elope, found mention, triggered alarm bells within a section of the state BJP leaders, who vented their unease on the dominance and misdeeds of the Vahini, though in a subtle way, in the recently concluded state BJP executive committee meeting. The old man, identified as Ghulam Ahmed, a resident of Sohi village in the district, was beaten to death by alleged members of HYV on Tuesday. Ahmed had allegedly helped two lovers, who hailed from different communities, in their elopement. Police on Wednesday arrested 14 persons in connection with the lynching. Incidentally it was not the first time that Vahini activists had turned vigilantes since Adityanath assumed charge of the state in March this year following BJP's landslide win in the assembly polls. Vahini members had earlier publicly assaulted a Muslim youth and dragged him to the police station accusing him of what they termed 'love jihad'. Last month scores of HYV activists had barged into a church in Maharajganj district during a prayer and assaulted the priests there alleging that they were ''forcing'' people to convert to christianity. UP BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya, while speaking at the executive committee meeting, dropped enough indication that he was referring to HYV, when he said that some people, who were not part of the BJP, were trying to sideline genuine party workers and bringing bad name to the government. ''Any attempt to sideline the genuine workers will not be tolerated...we will not allow outsiders to push our workers behind...we will not spare backstabbers,'' Maurya said. Though Yogi Adityanath was also present, when Maurya made the remarks, the former chose to remain silent. State BJP sources said that similar concerns had been aired during the party leaders' meeting with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionaries here a few days back. Sources said that Adityanath had, during his recent visit to Gorakhpur, had a meeting with Vahini office bearers and asked them to stay away from controversial issues including 'Love Jihad', conversion and cow vigilantism. India will press for early extradition of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya from the United Kingdom when the Home Secretaries of both the countries meet here tomorrow. Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi will raise the issue of early completion of the extradition process of Mallya, when he will meet his UK counterpart Patsy Wilkinson, the second permanent secretary in the the British Home Office. The counter-terror cooperation between India and the UK besides a host of other issues will figure in the meeting, official sources said. Issues related to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, strengthening of the intelligence sharing mechanism and visa related issues will also be deliberated upon, they said. The 61-year-old Mallya, who has been living in Britain since last year, was arrested by the Scotland Yard last month on the extradition request of India. Within hours of his arrest, Mallya, who is accused of cheating and frauds, was released on bail by a London court. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will argue the case on behalf of the Indian authorities. Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines allegedly owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had fled India on March 2, 2016. India and the UK have an extradition treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement - Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002. However, unlike Mallya, he had submitted to the extradition order without legal challenge. India had given a formal extradition request for Mallya as per the extradition treaty between India and the UK through a note verbale, a diplomatic communication, on February 8. Congress on Wednesday made it clear that the elections for President and Vice President will be through contest and not consensus irrespective of the numbers, signaling the shaping of an anti-BJP coalition. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is expected to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati and DMK leader M K Stalin over the next 10 days as part of efforts to build a consensus on the opposition candidate for the post of President and Vice President. National Conference President Omar Abdullah met Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday. "Efforts are on to reach a consensus on the post of the President and Vice President," Randeep Singh Surjewala, in-charge of the AICC Communications Department told reporters here. The Congress chief has already held discussions with CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, CPI leader D Raja and IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty. Besides, she has also spoken to former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Rahul Gandhi has had separate meetings with Pawar and Yechury and held telephonic talks with SP President Akhilesh Yadav and Nitish Kumar on the need to jointly counter the BJP that is aggressively expanding its footprint in newer areas. Though a few names of probable presidential nominees have been discussed, a senior Congress leader refused to share the same contending that the consultation process was still on and it would be premature to reveal it at this stage. We have an open mind. Why should we rule out any name, the leader said to questions whether President Pranab Mukherjee or vice president Hamid Ansari could be the candidate of the opposition. The 2017 presidential election could become a closely fought affair as the BJP-led NDA is approximately 18,000 votes short of majority, which in percentage terms is just about 2%. But, for the election to become even tighter, all opposition parties need to stick together to ensure the victory of their candidate. The Congress plans to reach out to other regional parties such as the BJD, YSRCP, TRS and even sulking BJP allies, as the broad grouping of opposition parties reaches consensus on presidential and vice presidential nominees. All non-BJP parties are welcome, the Congress leader said adding that opposition unity was necessary to counter the autocratic ideology propagated by the BJP-RSS combine. The Opposition realises there was a limitation of numbers, but this dictum of one man decides all and one ideology thrust upon all needed to be challenged in the larger interest of the country, the leader said. Japanese auto major Honda has unseated Bajaj Auto to become second largest bikes-maker for the time in April, and has also moved within striking distance to overtake Hero as the country's largest twowheeler company. "Driven by a 34 per cent rise in overall volumes, we have become the No 2 motorcycle-maker in the country in April, unseating the incumbent by a wide margin (over 21,330 units). We sold 1,83,266 bikes in the month, up 22 per cent from 1,50,711 units we had sold a year ago," Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India senior vice-president, sales & marketing, YS Guleria told PTI today. As against this, Bajaj Auto saw its domestic sales plunge 19 per cent to 1,61,930 units in April. With this, the Japanese twowheeler major leads the Pune-headquartered company by a wide margin of 21,336 units, while it has narrowed the gap it has with the market leader HeromotorCorp to just 12,377 units, making it within a striking distance from the numero uno crown. The Japanese company began fiscal 2018 on a high note with a 34 per cent spike in sales taking its volumes to a record high of 5,78,929 units, its best-ever monthly sales. As against this HeromotorCorp saw its sales decline by 3.5 per cent to 5,91,306 units in the month. Even last in fiscal 2017, HMSI lead the market growth selling more than 5 million units, and has closed the year with double-digits growth while the industry managed to remain in the green. HMSI contributed around half the incremental volume in the year. The April volume jump was led by a massive 40 per cent rise in its flagship scooter Activa which crossed for the first time 3.5 lakh monthly sales at 3,68,618. When asked weather HMSI is hopeful of maintaining the lead in the bikes category going forward, Guleria said, "our present capacity allows us to sell only 1.5-1.8 lakh bikes a month and we are confident of fully utilising that capacity. "Having began fiscal 2018 year on a high, we are looking forward to meet the target set for the year -- 20 per cent volume growth at 6 million units over 5 million units in fiscal 2017". Asked if Honda will continue to narrow the gap with the market leader in overall volumes and overtake it sooner than later to be the largest twowheeler company in the country, Guleria said, "we are limited by our capacity now which is at 5.8 million. We could speak about higher volumes only after we open our new assembly line (11th one) in July in Karnataka." "HMSI will be adding 0.6 million units at its Karnataka plant by July, investing over Rs 1,000 crores. With this the Karnataka facility will be largest for the company with 2.4 million units annual capacity. Honda already runs the world's largest scooters only plant (1.2 million units) at Vithalapur in Gujarat which was commissioned in February and June 2016. "Currently our focus is on meeting the huge demand for scooters as the waiting period has shot up to over 30,000 units now. We can't also add an another shift as all the 10 assembly lines are running at full capacity with two shifts for long now," Guleria said. It can be noted that Hero has much larger installed capacity with around 7.8 million units per annum. Even after HMSI opens its 11th assembly line in July, its gap with Hero will still be 1.4 million a year. Guleria said the bike volumes were driven by the 125- cc Shine, which contributed close to 55 per cent of the April bikes volume. The over a decade-old Shine with its two variants has been its warhorse for long now. He also said the company is hopeful of crossing the 5.5-million cumulative sales of the Shine this month. The record April sales has pushed up the HMSI's market share to over 33 per cent, up 2.5 percentage points from the March pie. Its exports soared nearly 60 per cent in the month to 27,045 units. Bolstered by the double-digit growth during the first quarter in India, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook on Wednesday said the company is going ahead with its plan to strengthen its local presence across the country. We continue to strengthen our local presence across the entire ecosystem, and were very optimistic about our future in this remarkable country with its very large, young, and tech-savvy population, fast-growing economy, and improving 4G network infrastructure, Cook said during the first quarter earning call. The California-based company said its revenue for the March quarter is $52.9 billion. Our growth rates were even higher, over 20% in many other markets, including Brazil, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, India, Korea and Thailand, he said. Even though Cook said he is not ready for the geographic specific forecast, he pointed out that Apple has began to give more information about India and investment game plan. We have a tonne of energy going into the country on a number of fronts, and it is the third largest smartphone market in the world today behind China and the US, he said. Cook also emphasised that the 4G network investment began rolling in in a significant way toward the last quarter of last year in India. And so we believe, particularly now that the 4G infrastructure is going in the country, and is continuing to be expanded. And so that and the demographics of the country is why were putting so much energy there, he said. While the revenue from services this quarter was $7.04 billion, which represents 18% growth year-over-year for the category, the company sold 50.8 million iPhones compared with 51.19 million in the same period last year, registering a degrowth of 1% in the same period a year ago. International sales accounted for 65% of the quarters revenue. Karnataka awaits formal announcement Even though Apple CEO announced about strengthening its local presence in the country, Karnataka government is awaiting for its formal announcement of the assembly unit. While Apple announced its hiring plans, its global supplier Wistron has already announced its decision to brace up for production in Bengaluru. According to a state government official, the Apple assembly plants operation is a matter of getting solid tax clearance. The company is looking at the GST rollout so that it can reap maximum benefit. The first phase will be only an assembly unit, and will have limited investment, said the official. The second phase of Apple investment will bring sizeable investment along with its partner ecosystem. The state government is ready to give all requisite support for Apple to begin its operation, added the official. A 25-year-old female student of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) on the Bangalore University campus was molested by an unidentified man who came on a bike on Nagarabhavi market road in Chandra Layout recently. The incident occurred on April 10. The victim, however, lodged a police complaint on April 29, after discussing the incident with her friends, family and professors, police said. The victim, along with her friend, had stepped out of their hostel around 8.30 pm for a walk near their college. They then ordered food from an eatery on Nagarabhavi market road, 80 metres from the college gate, her complaint said. While the women were waiting for their order, the man came by, touched her from behind and went away. He was riding single and wearing a helmet. He stopped the bike in a dark corner, waited for a few minutes, came back and caught her hand, the complaint said. He then headed towards a bike servicing garage nearby and was seen standing with a few men. When the man again started coming towards them, the women sensed danger and moved swiftly into their college campus. It said the man was wearing a green T-shirt and brown trousers. He is wheatish in complexion, 5 feet 8 inches tall, of normal build and was clean shaven. Teams formed Chandra Layout police have registered a case, collected CCTV footage from nearby locations and have formed two teams to nab the culprit. The victim said there was a delay in filing the complaint as she was in a state of shock. We have taken the case seriously. Two teams have been formed. They have clues about the culprit and he will soon be nabbed, said M N Anucheth, DCP (West). DH News Service Soladevanahalli police have filed a charge sheet into the sensational case where an advocate was shot dead by his lovers husband. The woman rushed her grievously injured lover to a hospital, after which she hanged herself to death at a lodge nearby. The incident had occurred a day before Sankranti on January 13, 2017. The police have filed the 500-page charge sheet into the murder of Amit Keshavamurthy by Rajesh and his father Gopalakrishna. The suicide of Rajeshs wife, Shruthi Gowda, was investigated as a separate case. The statements of 47 witnesses have been recorded in the charge sheet, which said Amit and Shruthi became friends on Facebook and were in touch for over two years. Six months before the murder, Amits wife Ranjitha who came to know of her husbands affair with Shruthi called up Rajesh and asked him to rein in his wife. On December 31, 2016, Amit sent a message to Shruthi, wishing her Happy New Year. When Rajesh questioned her about the message, she lied to him that she was not in touch with him any more and he was only wishing her on New Year. Rajesh did not believe her and picked a quarrel with Shruthi a panchayat development officer (PDO), suspecting her fidelity. On January 8, on the pretext of taking Shruthis Swift car for service, Rajesh got it fitted with a GPS device so as to keep track of her movements. On January 13, Shruthi left home, saying she was going to the Nelamangala panchayat development office and told her husband not to disturb her. When Rajesh checked the GPS, the car was traced to Hesaraghatta, near Acharya College. Rajesh knew he would catch his wife red-handed. Armed with a loaded pistol, he reached the place along with his father. They confronted the lovers and Amit was shot at twice, killing him on the spot. Shruthi drove her dead lover to Sapthagiri Hospital, after which she took a room at a lodge, where she hanged herself to death. The anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday nabbed a suspected agent of Pakistans spy agency, ISI. Police sources said that in a joint operation by the ATS and military intelligence, Aftab Ali was nabbed from Faizabad. Ali has been to Pakistan many times and has received training from ISI, said a senior police officer. The officials said that Ali also used to inform the ISI about the movement of the Indian Army. Difference have surfaced in the Siddaramaiah government over a proposal mooted by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department to extract water from underground rivers by going in for deep subterranean exploration. Such projects disturb the ecological balance. We should not go against nature, Minor Irrigation Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The project named Pathalaganga has been proposed by RDPR department in association with the India unit of US-based company WaterQuest Hydroresources Management. The move comes at a time when several parts of the state are reeling under severe drinking water shortage due the long-prevailing drought. The State Cabinet is yet to give its clearance for the project. Jayachandra said the groundwater table in several pockets of the state has been severely depleted due to over exploitation. Instead, measures can be taken to recharge the groundwater table by constructing check dams and going in for rain water harvesting. The company has proposed to locate underground hydrological resources hundreds of feet below the ground level and use its deep-drilling expertise to extract water. It has proposed to set up 10 such units at different locations in the state. Each unit will cost of Rs 12.48 crore. Replying to queries, Jayachandra said a detailed project report (DPR) for the Rs 5,912-crore Mekedatu drinking water project that involves building a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery in Chamarajanagar district will be finalised within the next 15 days. He said the DPR is being prepared in such a way as to ensure that the project does not face any legal hurdles. The government will seek clearances from the Supreme Court, Central Water Commission and Ministry of Environment and Forests, he added. India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and provided him evidence on Pakistan Army personnels involvement in the barbaric killing of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC). Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar handed strongly-worded demarche to Basit which noted that India considered the incident as a strong act of provocation by Pakistan. The blood samples collected from the slain soldiers and the trail of blood from the scene of killing up to a spot near the LoC clearly proved that the killers had returned to Pakistan after their barbaric act, Jaishankar told Basit. The foreign secretary conveyed Indias outrage over the incident and asked Pakistan to take immediate action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for this heinous act. New Delhi made it clear to Islamabad that the barbaric mutilation of the mortal remains of the slain Indian soldiers by Pakistan Army personnel had been in contravention to all norms of civilised world, Gopal Baglay, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, said. Blood samples of Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the LoC, Baglay quoted the foreign secretary telling Basit. Jaishankar also pointed out to Basit that the attack along the LoC had been preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Buttal sector. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Infantry and Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of BSF were brutally killed by Pakistan Border Action Team on Monday. Denial not credible: Jaitley Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday asserted that Pakistan Armys denial to have any its role in mutilating the bodies of two Indian soldiers carried no credibility, DHNS reports. The denial itself carries no credibility. This can't happen without protection or participation or actual indulgence of the Pakistan Army itself, Jaitley said after a Cabinet meeting. On such a heavily guarded border where posts are located close by, this could not happen without the support of the Pakistan Army, which provided cover fire, he said. Asked about the responses from Indian Army, Jaitley said, Apni fauj par bharosa rakhiye (Have faith on your own Army). The Karnataka government is unlikely to pass any state amendments to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, Jayachandra said a final decision in this regard will be taken at the Cabinet meeting next week. The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea by a death row convict to review a 2014 judgement awarding him the capital punishment for raping and murdering a four-year-old girl. Vasanta Sampat Dupare, who is currently lodged in the Nagpur central jail, urged the court to reconsider the 2014 judgement. Through senior advocate Anup Bhambhani, Dupare contended that mitigating circumstances such as the chances of reform, his past records in jail and the fact that he was 47 years at the time of the incident in 2008 were not duly considered at the time of the sentence. He also contended that his conviction and sentence were pronounced on the same day, and that he was not given sufficient time to act. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra rejected his plea and affirmed the sentence. We have given anxious consideration to the material on record, but find that the aggravating circumstances, namely the extreme depravity and the barbaric manner in which the crime was committed, and the fact that the victim was a helpless girl of four years clearly outweigh the mitigating circumstances now brought on record, the bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman and U U Lalit, said. In 2014, the apex court had dismissed the appeal filed by the petitioner against a judgement by the Bombay High Court in 2012. The high court had confirmed the capital punishment awarded to Dupare by a trial court in Nagpur. The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused a plea to haul up individual police officers for any incident of violence in the name of cow protection. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said, The states will take care of it. We dont want to pass any order right now. The courts response came as senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for activist Tehseen S Poonawalla, said police officers should be made accountable if such incidents are reported from a particular area. If one police officer is held responsible, things would get sorted out, Hegde said. He was arguing on a PIL challenging different state laws, including that of Karnataka, granting immunity from prosecution to individuals (gau rakshaks) involved in the protection of cows. Hegdes bid to name Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also shot down by the bench. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, said Hegdes aim was to hit headlines in the media. Hegde, for his part, said all the incidents relating to violence in the name of cow protection had already hit headlines. The court, however, asked the Centre as well as the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand to file their response in six weeks. Notably, the Karnataka government has defended before the court its law granting protection to gau rakshaks for prevention of cow slaughter. In an affidavit, the state had maintained the act done only in good faith was protected under the law, and was not a violent or criminal activity aimed at bringing disharmony between communities. The PIL had sought directions to declare as unconstitutional the provisions in the laws of Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand that granted recognition to vigilante groups for cow protection. During the hearing, Hegde also referred to a recent incident of violence in Delhi. Veteran filmmaker K Viswanath was given a standing ovation as he received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award from President Pranab Mukherjee at the 64th National Film Awards ceremony here on Wednesday. I bow to all great people. It is an auspicious occasion to receive this prestigious award. I offer my pranams to my parents and to the almighty who is everywhere, he said, delivering an acceptance speech after receiving the award. He also thanked his fans and the members of the jury that named him for the award. Viswanath (87) was accompanied by his wife Jaya Lakshmi to the award ceremony. Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu had ordered a break from convention and allow this years recipient to address the gathering for the first time in the awards history. The President, who also presented the award to Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and several others, acknowledged Viswanaths contribution to Indian cinema. I congratulate K Viswanath for receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and thank him for his contribution to the film industry, to national unity and integrity, and also for conveying a strong message of peace, he said. The Phalke award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema, carries a golden lotus, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a citation and a shawl. Addressing the event, Naidu noted that the Indian cinema had remarkably showcased the vast richness of our cultural diversity, our beautiful landscapes and languages. DH News Service The lynching of an old Muslim man in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahar district reportedly by activists of Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) for helping two lovers of different communities elope triggered alarm bells among state BJP leaders. The seniors voiced their unease about the dominance of HYV, an outfit formed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, at the state BJP executive committee meeting. Ghulam Ahmed, a resident of Sohi village in the district, was beaten to death by suspected members of the outfit on Tuesday. The police on Wednesday arrested 14 people in connection with the lynching. Incidentally, it was not the first time that Vahini activists had turned vigilantes since Adityanath assumed charge of the state in March. They had earlier publicly assaulted a Muslim youth and dragged him to the police station, accusing him of what they termed love jihad. Last month, scores of HYV activists had barged into a church in Maharajganj district during a prayer and assaulted the priests, saying they were forcing' people to convert to Christianity. Back-stabbers, beware State BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya, while addressing the executive committee meeting, dropped enough indication that he was referring to HYV when he said that some people who were not part of the BJP were trying to sideline genuine party workers and bringing a bad name to the government. Any attempt to sideline genuine workers will not be tolerated... we will not allow outsiders to push our workers behind... we will not spare back-stabbers, Maurya said at the meeting,which concluded on Tuesday. Though Adityanath was present when Maurya made the remarks, he chose to remain silent. State BJP sources said that similar concerns had been aired during the party leaders meeting with RSS functionaries here a few days ago. Minor detained in Alwar lynching case The Alwar police on Tuesday detained a 17-year-old boy in connection with the Pehlu Khan lynching case, DHNS reports from Jaipur. The accused was identified on the basis of a video footage, which had gone viral following the attack, said the police. In the video, the accused, who is a Class 12 student, could be clearly seen assaulting Khan. On April 1, Khan and four others were assaulted over suspicion that they were smuggling cows. Work on cleaning up Bellandur lake gained momentum on Wednesday as two harvesters began clearing weeds from the 910-acre water body. According to Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officials, the machines arrived on Tuesday and entered the lake from the direction of Sun City on Wednesday morning. The machines were to arrive last week from Mumbai, but were delayed because they needed road transport clearance, said a BDA official. The BDA expects the machines to complete the work within three months. Harvins Engineering, which has bagged the BDA contract to weed Bellandur lake, has tied up with a company called Clean Tech to procure the machines. Gaurav Chopra, executive director of Clean Tech, said the harvesters had begun working on the surface, and long-boom excavators would soon remove weeds from within the lake. About 60% of the lake is filled with weeds, and we will make all attempts to complete the work within the stipulated time. But it is difficult, he said, hinting at a potential delay. The BDA is yet to decide what to do with the weeds removed from the lake. Officials are still looking for yards to dump the weeds and silt. Surviving natural wetland A natural wetland in one part of Bellandur lake provides hope that the dying water body can be revived, said Prof C R Babu, well-known botanist. He visited the lake with Prof T V Ramachandra of the Indian Institute of Science, and G Vidyasagar, chief executive officer of the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority. Babu and Ramachandra offered suggestions to fine-tune the draft wetland model created by the lake authority for presentation before the National Green Tribunal. The surviving natural wetland offers hope that more such stretches can be created, Babu said. Babu is working on a biodiversity park on the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi. He is helping create a similar park at Madiwala. Experts say the natural wetland alone cannot treat the 200 mld of sewage that enters the lake. They have suggested the creation of a crescent-shaped wetland near an inlet, Vidyasagar said. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has promised sewage treatment plants planned in the vicinity of the lake will be operational by 2020. Babu and Ramachandra were shocked to learn the BWSSB was planning bio-remediation in concrete drains. Bioremediation is not possible in a concretised closed storm-water drain. I had told the BBMP and the BWSSB engineers about this, Ramachandra said. Bioremediation is a technique that involves the use of organisms to neutralise pollutants at a contaminated site. He believes the valley has ample space that the state government can reclaim from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board. The board had acquired it and given it to Mantri Developers. This land is originally a natural wetland, and it should be restored, with the BWSSB setting set up a sewage treatment plant here. This is the fastest way to restore Bellandur lake, Ramachandra said. DH News Service Stopping an ambulance to clear the path for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's convoy has infuriated the public with many terming it VIP culture. The incident happened when the chief minister was on his way to Ravindra Kalakshetra to attend Bhageeratha Jayanti organised by the Kannada and Culture department. As the convoy reached Town Hall, police stopped the traffic on JC Road. Among the vehicles stuck in the snarl was an ambulance. The siren and flash-lights of the ambulance were on, indicating that the driver was in a hurry to take a patient to a hospital. However, traffic police did not allow the ambulance to move even as they made way for the chief minister's convoy. There were numerous cars of supporters that followed the chief minister's vehicle. It took nearly 10 minutes for the whole convoy to pass. The ambulance was stuck in the same spot during this time," an eyewitness said. He said other commuters urged the police to make an exception for the ambulance. But, police only shouted at them back. Once the road was opened for public, there was a huge rush and the ambulance took five minutes to cross Hudson Circle," he added. Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he did not know that an ambulance was stuck in traffic. If we had known, we would have allowed it to pass by, he told reporters. Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner Praveen Sood has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Stoppage of any emergency vehicles especially ambulances is not allowed for any reasons. I have sought details about the incident, and necessary action will be taken if there is any lapse on the part of the police officials concerned, Sood told reporters. Minister for Medical Education Dr Sharan Prakash Patil is in the midst of a controversy for eyeing a 4,000-sqft plot in HSR Layout, which the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had allotted to someone else in 2011. Documents available with DH show that the BDA had allotted a G Category site measuring 2,400 sq ft at HBR Layout to Dr Patil in 2005 and the lease-cum-sale deed was executed in his name in 2007. However, in 2012 he asked the BDA to allot him a plot measuring 50X80 ft in HSR Layout cancelling the one in HBR Layout. On April 18, 2012, the BDA obliged him and allotted him site number 1089:A in HSR Layout, Sector-3. While allotting the site, the BDA did not verify that it had already allotted the same site to R Gunashekhar on December 1, 2011. On October 10, 2014, the absolute sale deed was executed in his favour and three days later, on October 13, 2014, the BDA issued possession certificate to him. After 16 days of obtaining the possession certificate, Gunashekhar sold the site to Sanjay O J who in turn sold it to Kumar M on September 30, 2015 for Rs 3.5 crore. Since then Kumar possesses the site. Kumar said, Before purchasing the property, I issued a public notification in four prominent newspapers of Karnataka and there was no objection from anywhere. The current position is that Kumar is not allowed to go near his own property. I am receiving threat calls. Even the local police have advised me not to venture near my property, he claimed. When contacted, Dr Patils instant remark was: Are those people (property owners) innocent? The BDA owes an explanation, not me. He then explained that in 2005, the BDA had agreed to give him a site measuring 4,000 sqft but in 2007 it allotted a site measuring 2,400 sqft. The site at HSR Layout, which Kumar is possessing was actually allotted to Minister for Tourism Priyank Kharge but he surrendered it. The sale deed was canceled in 2012. I then applied to the BDA to allot me the same site, which Kharge had surrendered. The BDA officials obliged, Dr Patil said. DH News Service This Harry Potter Actress Thinks That Priyanka Chopra Is The Most Beautiful Woman Nokia flagship is rumoured to arrive in two different sizes and retail at around Rs. 45,000 HMD Global, the company with the license to sell Nokia-branded devices, has already announced its first range of smartphones - Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 - slated to go on sale sometime later this year. The company is also expected to announce more smartphones this year including its flagship device and a new report originating from China sheds light on its specifications. According to MyDrivers, Nokia's upcoming flagship will be available in two different size variants, and will use metal design. This contradicts earlier rumours suggesting that the company might opt for a metal and glass build. The handset is tipped to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor coupled with either 4GB or 6GB RAM. Other specifications include the use of a 23-megapixel rear camera with Carl Zeiss optics, but without the Pureview branding. Nokia's flagship is tipped to launch in the Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000 price range. Earlier rumours indicated that HMD Global may announce around 7 Android smartphones this year and the company is tipped to be working on Nokia 7 and Nokia 8 mid-range Android devices, which are likely to be powered by Qualcomm's yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 660 processor. The srt.phone by Smartron is designed, engineered and made in India. Smartron is back and has launched a new phone called the srt.phone, which is inspired by the companys prime investor Sachin Tendulkar. The srt.phone is available in two variants with prices starting at Rs. 12,999. The phone will be available exclusively via Flipkart from today itself in only one colour variant called Titanium grey. Smartron has also announced some launch offers such as upto Rs. 1,500 discount on exchange of an old phone and early customers will also get Sachin Tendulkar-design back covers worth Rs. 599 for free. Further, users will get free extended warranty worth Rs. 1,400 and additional 5 percent cashback for Axis Bank Buzz credit card holders. The smartphone offers a simple design with Smartron's signature orange accents and a plastic build. It is powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 652 SoC, which was last seen on the Coolpad Cool 1 in the same price category. There is 4GB of RAM available on the phone and the device is available in 32GB and 64GB storage variants. While the phone does not support microSD cards, the company will provide unlimited cloud storage with each smartphone via its t.cloud storage service. On the camera front, the device has a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and PDAF, which is aided by a dual-LED flash. There is a 5MP camera at the front, which uses a wide-angle lens. The phone also comes with a fingerprint scanner, which resides under the rear camera. Further, the back panel is removable and hides two SIM card slots, which support 4G and VoLTE. There is a 3000mAh non-removable battery on the phone and offers support for Quick Charge 2.0. Smartron claims that the phone does not heat up while charging like other budget devices. Smartron also claims that the new srt.phone has the "best drop test results in the category" and has "best in class antennas for ensuring lowest call drop rates." The company also assured that it will provide timely Android security updates and the device will be supported for at least 2-3 major Android updates. The Carbide SPEC-04 is a basic and budget cabinet. The beauty of this cabinet is that even though there arent any premium features but you will still be able to assemble a powerful gaming rig inside. Its certainly refreshing from the SPEC-03 while missing out on minor aspects that we would have been appreciated as an upgrade. The place where the cabinet excels is its price and build quality. Selling at Rs. 5,499, you should be able to get the cabinet for around Rs. 5,000 or even below if youre fortunate to come across a sweet deal online. The SPEC Alpha ships with three fans, offering better cooling in its out-of-the-box setting while also supporting a 240mm radiator at the front and a fan speed controller on the IO panel. Hence, spending a bit more (around Rs. 6,500) and buying the SPEC Alpha is what we would recommend over the SPEC-04. Corsair Carbide SPEC-04 detailed review Corsair has a huge roster of cabinets that can take care of several use-cases when it comes to building a PC. The Carbide series is itself further classified into several categories and falling under the beginner-friendly cabinets, the SPEC-04 is the latest model Corsair has to offer. Its an upgraded version of the older SPEC-03 which was also a great budget cabinet during its time (it still is). There are a few interesting upgrades from the previous model that well be covering in this review. Well also go through the various features such as cooling options, storage capability and temperature performance, finally arriving at a conclusion whether its a worthy upgrade or not. Specifications Motherboard form factor: ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX PSU form factor: ATX standard (max. length of 225mm) Front I/O: 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, Mic in and Audio Out, Power and Reset button Drive options: 3 x 3.5-inch HDD, 2 x 2.5-inch SSD Fan support: 3 x 120mm (front), 2 x 140mm (front), 2 x 120mm (top), 1 x 120mm (rear), 1 x 120mm (HDD cage) Radiator support: 120mm (front), 140mm (front), 120mm (rear) Dimensions: Length 492mm, Width 201mm, Height 433mm Maximum GPU length: 370mm Maximum CPU height: 150mm Maximum PSU length: 225mm Whats new? Speaking of the design, lets talk about the differences between the SPEC-03 and the SPEC-04 first. The ODD cage has been discarded which has anyway become the norm in cabinets nowadays. This enables you to install a 120mm or 140mm radiator on the front panel which was impossible on the older model. Another update is the front panel design that follows the Corsair Bulldog angular design also seen on the Corsair SPEC Alpha. The IO panel has also been moved to the side of the chassis whereas the SPEC-03 had IO ports on the top. Earlier, two SSD trays were located on top of the HDD cage and this time, the trays have been moved to the motherboard plate. This time, the HDD cage is removable as well. The final noticeable change on the SPEC-04 is the motherboard cutouts. The SPEC-03 did support mini-ITX motherboards but on the newer model, you get extra cutouts to easily route cables including the motherboard power and SATA cables. Design: External and internal The SPEC-04 essentially has a barebones design seen on regular cabinets. As mentioned earlier, the major update aesthetically is the front panel following Corsairs Bulldog angular design approach. Only time will tell whether Corsair is heading towards converging few other cabinets under the same design. Placing the IO panel on the right side of the cabinet is great since having the ports on the top collects a lot of dust over time. The front panel can be easily removed without any tools to gain access to the fan mounts. The SPEC-04 comes with a white LED 120mm fan on the front which supports up to a total of three 120mm fans. The front panel is lined with a dust filter that can be removed without any tools for cleaning. Its too much to ask at this price but it would have been great if the Corsair logo on the front panel could lit up, and we arent even asking for RGB lighting. The top panel seems to be the same as seen on the SPEC-03 supporting fan mounts for two 120mm fans. Theres not enough clearance to install a radiator on the top panel. Since Corsair brought the angular design to the SPEC-04, a top panel with the same angular design could have been attached, rather than having a naked frame, to complete the aesthetic of the cabinet. Due to the absence of a dust filter, the top panel will become a gateway for dust to enter your cabinet. Having no fans installed on the top panel will only make it worse. The rear panel includes a 120mm fan mount where a radiator can also be installed. GPU and PSU installation will require tools. Since this is an upgrade, we expected the expansion slots to be tool-less using thumb screws to hold the GPU. The bottom panel can house a PSU of a maximum length of 225mm. The HDD cage consists of three trays that can also house SSDs. The trays could have been of higher quality and rubber mounts on these trays would have been appreciated. In case you dont require HDD storage, then you can detach the HDD cage by removing the four screws on the bottom of the chassis. Do note, this will make you lose support for HDDs in your system and you will have to depend on the two SSD trays and on-board devices for storage. The SSD trays are located on the motherboard plate near the front panel, right above the HDD cage. The motherboard plate includes dedicated cutouts for the SSDs which is a good thing whether youre using angled SATA cables or not. Cooling options As you already must have figured out, in terms of liquid cooling, there isnt much scope other than installing a 140mm or 120mm radiator on the front panel or just a 120mm radiator on the rear panel. You can reach a maximum of six fans in the cabinet including three on the front panel, two on the top and one on the rear panel. Due to the space present above the HDD cage, you can also install a reservoir for custom watercooled system. The cabinet comes with a 120mm fan and it would have been great if they had shipped another or two 120mm for exhaust. It can be connected to the motherboard directly using the 3-pin connector. This is a step back from the SPEC-03 since it shipped with three fans two on the front and one at the rear. To achieve better cooling, you will have to spend some more to get fans for your cabinet. You can read more about this in the temperature performance section. Assembly and cable management Assembling the SPEC-04 was a breeze and we didnt face any glaring problems while inserting the components. Although there are certain aspects that we noticed during the assembly. The CPU power cutout near the top is placed right behind the motherboard plate which makes it impossible to insert the cable after youve installed the motherboard. So, your only option is to route the CPU power cable from the top cutout in the middle or directly from the front (without routing it behind the motherboard plate). SSDs can be mounted either on the front or at the back, whatever you prefer, but if youre inserting them on the front, youll need longer screws. Cable management was average and the basic cables including the motherboard power, SATA and PCIe were comfortably routed. If youre using a non-modular PSU, youre going to have an ugly mess of cables at the bottom of the cabinet. If youre a cleanliness freak, then a modular PSU is recommended. Even if you find extra cables dangling around, you can shove them below the HDD cage. The side panels are easy to install with thumbscrews. The plastic transparent window panel has a black tint that ensures the LED light from the fan isnt too bright for your eyes. Cabinet test rig Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme9 CPU: Intel Core i7-4960X GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 7790 RAM: Corsair Dominator 2x8GB DDR3 (16GB) HDD: WD Red 2TB SSD: Kingston SSDNow V300 (120GB) PSU: Corsair RM1000x CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 Temperature performance Our tests are executed in the default setting as it arrives in the box. You can obviously extend the cooling capabilities by installing more fans or liquid cooling systems. The objective of our test is to determine the hottest temperature that the cabinet can reach using air cooling since most users will be going with this option. Due to the presence of only one fan, the system ran hotter as expected. Setting the system to stay idle for about 30 minutes, the Intel Core i7-4960X stuck at 30 degrees Celsius whereas the Sapphire Radeon HD 7790 stayed at 38 degrees Celsius. The CPU hit 70 degrees Celsius in our Prime95 stress test which is a few degrees above average. The GPU touched a maximum temperature of 65 degrees Celsius in the FurMark 1080p preset benchmark. Just to measure the difference, we installed the Corsair ML120 Pro 120mm fan (capable of reaching a top speed of 2,400 RPM) on the rear panel and ran the same set of tests above. We found the CPU to idle at 25 degrees Celsius and GPU stayed at 33 degrees Celsius with no load on the system. After running our tests, the CPU settled at 57 degrees Celsius whereas the GPU reached 61 degrees Celsius. This clearly shows adding just one exhaust fan considerably dropped the temperature in its idle and full load state. Another thing to note is that aftermarket fans perform better than stock fans, so you will be able to achieve a similar level of cooling with one exhaust fan at the rear. In its full potential of six fans, you will be able to hit much lower temperatures. Final thoughts: Corsair Carbide SPEC-04 The Carbide SPEC-04 is a basic and budget cabinet. The beauty of this cabinet is that even though there arent any premium features but you will still be able to assemble a powerful gaming rig inside. Its certainly refreshing from the SPEC-03 while missing out on minor aspects that we would have been appreciated as an upgrade. Aesthetically, we would have loved the top panel following the same approach of the angular Bulldog design which is seen on the front panel. Theres only one fan included in the cabinet and since the SPEC-03 already ships with three fans, we expected the same with the SPEC-04. The cabinet is limited in terms of cooling options in its default setting, especially liquid cooling. Cable management is average and to achieve a clean system, we would recommend installing a modular PSU. Youll find dust filters on the front panel and bottom panel below the PSU but nothing on the top panel which will attract dust into the cabinet. The place where the cabinet excels is its price and build quality. Selling at Rs. 5,499, you should be able to get the cabinet for around Rs. 5,000 or even below if youre fortunate to come across a sweet deal online. The SPEC Alpha is another cabinet from Corsair that costs a little higher than the SPEC-04 and looks brilliant since its built with the Bulldog design from scratch. Here, you get the option of adding a 240mm radiator on the front and additionally, you get a fan speed controller switch on the front IO ports. The SPEC Alpha ships with three fans, offering better cooling in its out-of-the-box setting. Hence, spending a bit more (around Rs. 6,500) and buying the SPEC Alpha is what we would recommend over the SPEC-04. Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has warned that humans will need to find a new home outside of planet Earth within 100 years. Hawking has made a new documentary called Expedition New Earth for BBCs new science series Tomorrows World. In the documentary, Hawking will highlight how humans will fail to endure climate change, multiple asteroid strikes, overpopulation and epidemics set to happen in the future. As per Hawking, this makes a strong case for humans to start looking for a home beyond Earth. This is not the first time Hawking has warned us about the end of days on Earth. In many instances before, Prof Hawking has said that humans are about to wipe themselves off the Earth, that aliens might hate meeting us, and that Artificial Intelligence could chase us out of our own planet. Lecturing in London last year, Hawking said, "Although the chance of a disaster to planet Earth in a given year may be quite low, it adds up over time, and becomes a near certainty in the next 1,000 or 10,000 years." Now, he feels that it will be imperative to leave Earth before 2117, given tensions between world superpowers, global warming and even genetically engineered viruses. As per a report by the Telegraph, Professor Hawking will travel around the world with one of his former students named, Christophe Galfard, to figure out if and how humans can live in outer space. Galfard has previously worked with Prof Hawking on black holes and the origins of the universe. He has also written multiple children's books explaining the science behind how the world works. Christophe Galfard & Stephen Hawking BBCs Tomorrow's World series returns after a 14 year break. The series first aired on BBC in 1965 and was on air for 38 years until it got cancelled at the beginning of 2003. Renowned Astrophysicist and TV presenter Brian Cox will help curate the resurrected series. Commenting on its comeback, Cox told the Telegraph, The 21st century Tomorrows World represents so much more it represents the institutions of Britain coming together to inspire current and future generations, to convince them to embrace the opportunities that science brings, to foster a spirit of curiosity and tolerance, and to embrace the unknown not in fear but in wonder. The series will further explore concepts like robotics, 3D printing, Mars travel and more. Another interesting programme within the series will follow 12 men and women undertaking rigorous training to become astronauts. Finding a liveable exoplanet is on the top of our watchlist though. Image courtesy: Pinterest Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Subscriber content preview He's entertaining the idea of restoring Glass-Steagall, the 1933 law that put a firewall between commercial banking and investing. By MARCY GORDON AP Business Writer WASHINGTON While Republicans in Congress craft a bill to unwind the tighter financial rules that took effect after the 2008 crisis, President Donald Trump is looking in another, seemingly opposite direction: He's entertaining the idea of restoring the Depression-era firewall between commercial banking and its riskier investment side. If Congress reinstated such a law, it might lead to the breakup of big banks. . . . Subscriber content preview The tax breaks are expected to save Boeing more than $8 billion through 2040, but 9,000 Boeing jobs have been lost in the last year alone. By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press OLYMPIA Frustrated by the loss of thousands of Boeing jobs in recent years, lawmakers are weighing two measures that would tie Boeing's eligibility for tax breaks to the amount of people they employ in Washington. The House Finance Committee heard public testimony on the measures Tuesday. The bills are a tweaked version of bills introduced in previous years that never gained traction in the Democratic-controlled House, but have received renewed interest after another round of Boeing layoffs were announced last month. . . . Subscriber content preview BELLEVUE Bellegrove Medical Building at 1535 116th Ave. N.E. has sold for $4.8 million, according to King County Records. The seller was TLP35 LLC, which acquired the property in 2012 for $926,500. The buyer was Tan WA Investment LLC, which is associated with private investors with the surname of Tan. . . . Study says beer may be better pain reliever than paracetamol Beer is the world's most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, even though it is associated more with the negative aspects of alcohol than its positive side. However, a study has once again highlighted the positive side of the drink as a better pain reliever than paracetamol. Researchers from Greenwich University in the UK looked at 18 studies involving over 400 participant to analyse if drinking beer could blunt the sensation of pain by acting on brain receptors or if it could lower anxiety, which then reduced the perception of discomfort. The researchers found that beer consumption lessened the pain people felt. "We have found strong evidence that alcohol is an effective painkiller," Trevor Thompson from Greenwich University was quoted as saying by 'The Sun. "It can be compared to opioid drugs such as codeine and the effect is more powerful than paracetamol," Thompson said. According to the researchers, the findings suggested that alcohol was an effective analgesic that delivered clinically-relevant reductions in ratings of pain intensity, researchers said. They said, this could explain alcohol misuse in those with persistent pain, despite its potential consequences for long-term health. "If we can make a drug without the harmful side-effects then we could have something that is potentially better than what is out there at the moment," Thompson added. There is however, a darker side to the study, which noted that the pain-dulling effect, "could explain alcohol misuse in those with persistent pain despite its potential consequences for long-term health." According to the study, this could be a contributing factor to why some people who experienced physical pain drank alcohol, which could lead to more studies that would help raise ''awareness of alternative, less harmful pain interventions to vulnerable patients." A Donegal man has been acquitted of the sexual assault and assault of a woman he had been drinking with. Samuel James Clarke, of Magherane, Raphoe had denied all charges at Letterkenny Circuit Court. Mr Clarke claimed he had consensual sex with the woman who is in her 40s. Clarke, 53, and another man called to the home of the woman with alcohol at 8.30 in the morning and they all began drinking together on a date in 2015. The woman admitted that she had more than 20 drinks over a number of hours and claimed Mr Clarke assaulted her by pressing her hand down on a stove and later sexually assaulted her. She denied she ever had sex with Mr Clarke. The woman said she left her house after Clarke and another man called to her home and went to visit a relative and continued drinking. It was here she claims that Mr Clarke pressed her hands down on a stove and she had to put cold water on her hands as they blistered. During this time in her relative's home, other witnesses said the woman continually sat on Mr Clarke's lap which she denied. She then asked Clarke, who denies assault and sexual assault, to drive her to her home to feed her dog and then went to Clarke's home in Raphoe. Mr Clarke claimed they had consensual sex at his home. The woman claimed he forced himself on her, put his knees on her arms and tried to sexually assault her. She told the court she then "kneed him in the balls" and ran out of her house and back to her relatives home. However, in cross-examination the woman then said she stayed for a drink after the incident before leaving. In his statement to Gardai, Clarke said he did have sex with the woman and that it was consensual. He said they had sex and that the woman was not wearing any underwear, but that after they had sex, she asked him for a loan of 1,000. He then claimed that after they had sex the woman said she could cry that he had raped her. Cross-examining the woman, barrister for Mr Clarke, Shane Costelloe (SC), put it to her that this was the fourth such claim of sexual assault she had made against different men, but she denied this. Garda Brendan McCann said there was no evidence that the woman had made the complaints of other alleged sexual assaults. The court was also shown a letter which the woman had signed saying she wished to withdraw her complaint. The woman said it was her signature and that she did sign it because she was fearful of giving evidence in the case. Clinical nurse specialist Connie McGilloway carried out an examination of the woman at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in Letterkenny at 11am on May 20th, 2016. She said the woman was "quite shaken" and was tearful in the unit but did calm down. Following a 'top to toe' examination, it showed that the woman had numerous bruising (59 bruises) and abrasions on her body as well as blisters on her hand. Nurse McGilloway said she did not carry out a genital examination as the woman said there had been no penetration. Barrister for Mr Clarke, Shane Costelloe, sought a direction from the court that the case not be allowed to go to the jury. Having studied the application, Judge O'Sullivan granted the direction on both charges. In relation to the first charge of alleged assault, he found that the proof did not reach the required level of intention. On the alleged sexual assault charge, Judge Terence O'Sullivan said the charge was so fraught with difficulties that it would be dangerous. for it be allowed to go to the jury. Judge O'Sullivan told the jury of four men and eight women to find the accused not guilty "on the direction of the judge." Young people in Donegal have been warned to treat life with caution at the funeral of one of the two young men who died in the countys latest fatal road collision. Hundreds of mourners packed into St Marys Church, Cockhill, Buncrana, for the funeral of Nathan Dixon-Gill, the 17-year-old who died in the fatal single-vehicle crash which took place between Moville and Quigleys Point in the early hours of Saturday morning. He died along with his friend Nathan Farrell (18) whose funeral is to take place in the same church today, Thursday. The two men were killed in a single vehicle collision on the R238 at approximately 3.35 a.m. Three other men also in the car were injured. Two are being treated in Letterkenny University Hospital, while the third is being treated in Belfast. Mementos of Nathan including his passport application form, his work helmet and jacket, and a montage of family photographs were presented before the Requiem Mass. Nathans mother, Sinead, clutched a photograph of her and her son together. She was joined in mourning by Nathans father Leonard; his stepfather Liam; Nathans grandparents and his young siblings, Erin, Padraigh and Cahir, who accompanied the coffin into the packed church. Buncrana priest Fr John Walsh expressed deep and sincere sympathies to the family. Fr Walsh said the community had been left shattered by the tragedy and there had been a massive outpouring of love, solidarity and support for Nathans family in the last few days. LOVED LIFE He said Nathan was a superior young man who loved life - a bubbly individual full of fun and life. Nathan was a brother who was admired by his siblings. A friend who was loved by his peers. Nathan left school last June. He was due to take up a job in Scotland on Sunday and had planned a summer holiday with some of his friends. Fr Walsh asked if Nathan would allow him to address the young people and so many, young shocked and grieving friends who were gathered in the church. May he allow me to say that you are not indestructible at the age of 17 or 18 or 19, or 15 or 16 for that matter, he said. You are very fragile, all of us are. Life itself is fragile and we have to be careful, even wise, if we are to survive into adulthood and middle age and old age. He said there was no easy prescription or magic bullet for holding onto life. Theres no cutting of corners. Nothing is guaranteed in this world, but care and caution are a mighty help. He told the young people that he was not there to lecture them. I was your age, too, and I felt indestructible and even eternal, but none of us is. Thats the plain fact of life. So please, please live life on its terms, live life within its rules, with its caution; otherwise life will be pitiless towards you and the family and friends who have to come to this or another church to bear you to the grave. Fr Walsh went on to talk about his own experiences as young man 45 years ago in the months before he was ordained. He said he spoke from experience and authority as he lost a friend in a car crash in 1973 and he and fours friends were involved in a car crash returning to Maynooth from the funeral. One of his friends spent the rest of his life paralysed from the chest down as a result of the crash. Dear young people. I know what I am talking about. Life is fragile. A former Beverlye Magnet School band director was found guilty of four counts of engaging in sexual contact with a student Tuesday. A Houston County jury deliberated for several hours before finding Robert Leslie Lee guilty following his trial in Dothan. Circuit Judge Brad Mendheim sentenced Lee to 12 months in jail for each count, with two of the counts running consecutively, effectively resulting in a two-year sentence. Lee must also pay fines and court costs. Under Alabama law, consent is not a factor in determining guilt or innocence in cases involving a student and teacher. Lee was arrested in February of last year and indicted by a grand jury in June. Trial testmony continued Tuesday morning before the jury began deliberating. Lee's attorney, Billy Joe Sheffield II, continued to seek inconsistencies in the victim's testimony. The victim was 15 at the time the incidents occurred. I believe what happened is my client put an end to this relationship and you were hurt. You wanted to get back at him for him calling off the relationship," Sheffield said during cross examination Tuesday. "Yesterday, you said you and my client had done marijuana together. Did you provide the marijuana? I believe my client realized he had made a mistake. His wife was pregnant with their child and I believe realized what he done was wrong and called it off. The Dothan Eagle is not publishing the name of the student because she was a minor at the time of the alleged incidents. Also, the Eagle does not publish the names of sexual assault victims Sheffield continued to point out the dates of sexual contact between the two given by the victim, with dates mentioned in previous police records. The victim said she ended the relationship. The victim also stated the information about the inappropriate relationship was leaked by a friends mother. The mother noticed text messages on a phone which alerted her to an inappropriate relationship. Dothan Police was then notified. There are just too many inconsistencies in your story, Sheffield said. Assistant District Attorney Russ Goodman countered Sheffield's cross examination by questioning Dothan Police Investigator James Harvey, who investigated the case. Mr. Harvey, the defense has constantly stated too many inconsistencies are in the victims story, Goodman said. Mr. Harvey, does the information she gave you during your investigation match what she has given today and yesterday? Harvey responded the information he received during the investigation did match what she was given in court. - This story was changed May 3, 2017 to clarify that Lee was found guilty of sexual contact with a student Geneva County authorities are working to solve a series of burglaries that have occurred in the county's Highnote community. Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms said four people have been arrested recently on multiple charges, ranging from stolen property to burglary. According to Helms, the Highnote community runs through Geneva County and into Holmes County, Fla. Geneva County is home to about 600 miles of dirt roads, Helms said. This particular area tends to be used for both Alabama and Florida residents trying to purchase or sell drugs, as well as, a quick route to avoid the law when it comes to committing a crime. Both the Geneva County Sheriffs Office and the Holmes County Sheriffs Office are working the community to make sure we put an end to the mischief taking place in this area. Helms reminds residents to make sure to look after their property as well as their neighbors property. In todays time, we all need to look out for each other, Helms said. If you have a storage building, check on it weekly. If you have a building in your yard, lock it. Helms said residents noticing any suspicious activities are urged to call 911. We would rather respond to a call, and, it is nothing, than to never receive a call and someones home be burglarized, Helms said. The most important piece of advice I can give anyone is be neighborly and help each other. Look out for each others homes." Kia makes no secret that the Picanto city car which arrived just over 12 months ago was a test run. The South Korean brand wanted to see if there was a market for the sub-compact city car, even if the model it brought to Australian showrooms was already five years old. The answer to the test? Not only is there a market for the little machine but the Picanto is already the most popular. It comfortably outsells the likes of the Mitsubishi Mirage, Holden Spark and Suzuki Celerio, capturing more than 40 per cent of the Micro Car segment. So it comes as no surprise the brand has opted to introduce the new Picanto that brings fresh styling and more technology but the same compact size and sharp value as its predecessor. As has been the case with all new Kia models, styling plays a big role in the Picanto's appeal. The updated looks are a joint effort from the brand's South Korean and German studios and it is a clear evolution of the previous model. The silhouette is the same as before even though the wheelbase has been stretched by 15mm and the front overhang has been shortened, but the details have been sharpened up. The 'tiger nose' grille, for example, is now bigger and bolder than the old model. Inside, the extra wheelbase has been supported by a redesign of the dashboard to create more cabin space for the occupants. The new interior design is like the exterior, similar to the old model but sharper, with more focus on the details and featuring more modern equipment. The most noticeable new item is the 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen that sits proudly atop the centre of the dashboard. It replaces the old Picanto's small, mono-colour display and also incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for the first time; adding much desired functionality for would-be young buyers. The introduction of the screen also sees a reversing camera added as standard equipment, addressing a major shortcoming in the out-going car, as well as maintaining items such as cruise control, air conditioning and cloth seats in a single trim level that keeps things simple and a step clear of the similar-priced entry-level Rio city car. Nothing much has changed under the bonnet with the same 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine carried over from the previous model along with its four-speed automatic transmission. The only new addition is a five-speed manual gearbox for those who prefer changing gears themselves - or saving a few pennies. The engine produces 62kW of power (a 1kW drop) and 122Nm of torque (a 2Nm increase) which proves adequate most of the time. Disappointingly, fuel consumption has actually increased in the automatic Picanto, despite the relatively unchanged powertrain, up to 5.8-litres per 100km from 5.3L/100km in the old model. The manual undercuts them both using a claimed 5.0L/100km. Serial entrepreneur Nick Bell has sold leading digital marketing agency, WME Group, to Melbourne IT for $39 million. Bell, who was included in last years BRW Young Rich List, founded WME Group from his bedroom in 2008, using his last $400. Rapid growth has seen the end-to-end digital marketing solutions provider place in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the past three years. In addition to having more than 200 staff, it boasts large clients including Spalding, The Atlantic Group, Rodger David and Allied Pickfords. During his time at the helm of WME, Bell started, co-founded or invested in a number of other companies in Australia and overseas including Appscore, Hosting Australia, Tribe, Vervoe, Ideapod and Leadchat. He also heads up a global group of digital companies employing 300 people across six countries. While key management will remain with WME Group, Bell will exit the agency at the end of June to focus on his other business interests, both here and abroad, as well as angel investing and helping start-ups. The growth and sale of WME has been an extremely challenging and enjoyable experience, Bell said in a statement . I am extremely happy to be handing over the reins to Melbourne IT who have a great reputation for service and success. It was very important to me that the company was left in the hands of people who genuinely want to continue its growth. Martin Mercer, CEO of Melbourne IT, said WME Group is a strong strategic fit for the company, adding Melbourne IT of today is almost unrecognisable from the Melbourne IT of three years ago and that managed marketing solutions are now the growth engine of our SMB division. Meanwhile, Emma Hunt, Managing Director of the SMB division of Melbourne IT said he acquisition clearly aligns with MLBs strategy of transitioning our SMB organisation into the leading digital solutions partner for small and medium businesses. See also: Five marketing lessons to learn from Trump (Nick Bell), Find your niche, ride the entrepreneurial wave, operate like a start-up: Nick Bell on his journey (Nick Bell), When theres a will theres a way: founder of WME, Australias largest digital marketing agency rises from failure to $45 million Entries are now being accepted for the 23rd annual Telstra Business Womens Awards, which recognise the achievements of exceptional business women from across Australia and Asia. Telstra Group Executive Joe Pollard described the Awards a unique platform for business women to be seen and heard as well as as a springboard for them to to achieve even greater success. However, she said a survey of past finalists showed that fewer than 20% self-nominate We are encouraging business women to stand up and be recognised for their hard work and effort and to nominate themselves or their peers to enter the awards program, she said. The 2016 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year, Andrea Mason, CEO of Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Womens Council encouraged women to back themselves by self-nominating. When opportunities are given to you which stretch you and even make you feel vulnerable, this is the time to step up and to take the opportunity to learn and grow, she said The Awards allowed NPY Womens Council to be aligned with success and influence at a national level. Participation in the Telstra Business Womens Awards starts with a nomination. Nominees then submit a completed online entry form. For more information, visit: telstrabusinesswomensawards.com/nominate. The first medicinal cannabis products to be imported into Australia under the Federal Governments new import legislation have arrived in Perth. ASX-listed cannabis company Creso Pharma and its partner West Australian medicinal cannabis wholesaler Health House have this week received an importation of cannabis oils from Canadian cannabis group CanniMed. Under Government legislation put in place in February, approved domestic companies are now permitted to import and sell medicinal cannabis from overseas sources. Medicinal cannabis products have already been used internationally for a number of conditions, including chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and nausea in cancer related chemotherapy. This first successful import of medicinal cannabis products is a ground-breaking moment for patients and the medical industry in Australia, said David Russell, Chief Operating Officer of Creso Pharma. The Australian market has been catching up with community expectations while the regulatory framework around medicinal cannabis was being developed. Now these products will allow patients to have the option of medicinal cannabis treatments if it is prescribed by their physician. This is particularly important given the unmet but often immediate need to access a timely medicinal cannabis supply across Australia. Health House International was granted one of the first import licences on 24 February, soon after Health Minister Greg Hunt gave the green light to fast-track the importation of medicinal cannabis treatments, while local cultivation processes catch up. Were excited to be playing a key part in the Australian governments efforts to improve access to medicinal cannabis around Australia, said Paul Mavor, Director of Health House International. Being able to supply Australians with some of the worlds best medicinal cannabis oils is a tremendous achievement not just for us, but for the local market. This legislation and these products will make it far easier for patients to access the products they need when they are prescribed by a doctor. To be prescribed medicinal cannabis products, patients must see a physician who is an authorised prescriber, or apply for SAS Category B prescription under the Therapeutic Goods Administration regulations. An agreement between Airtasker and Unions NSW aims to improve conditions for workers who use the online job-posting platform, according to reports. In addition to updating its price guide to reflect award wages or higher, Airtasker will introduce a personal injury policy as well as a dispute resolution process to be overseen by the industrial umpire, Fair Work Commission. It will also work with the Unions NSW to ensure workplace safety standards. The agreement follows a report, released by Union NSW in September 2016, entitled Innovation or Exploitation Busting the Airtasker Myth. At the time, union secretary Mark Morey warned of the impact of the gig economy on labour standards. The world of work is changing, with new forms of digitally enabled, gig-based work emerging, he said. Known as the gig-economy, this form work is eroding labour standards and turning traditional jobs into short term tasks with no employment protections. Morey also accussed Airtaker of using a cloak of innovation and progress as a means of circumventing minimum wage rates and remove employee safety nets, and that it encouraged a race to the bottom, by pitting workers against each other in reverse auctions for work. Following the release of the report, Airtasker CEO, Tim Fung agreed to meet with Unions NSW to discuss its concerns. Speaking to the ABC AM, Morey described the agreement with Airtasker as positive start. He added, Airtasker have taken a leadership role in the gig economy by making this decision and wed like to see other gig providers follow their lead. See also: Up for the task and on the job: Airtaskers Tim Fung on shaking up the local labour market. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz on Tuesday apologized to the United States Congress for his company causing a passenger to be dragged off a UA flight last month. United failed its customers and failed as a company in that incident, and this has to be a turning point for the airline, Munoz told the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation Committee at a hearing into airline industry practices. United should not have called on law enforcement to drag the passenger, David Dao, off the plane, Munoz told the committee. It also should not have rebooked crew at the very last minute, which led to its requesting passengers to deplane voluntarily and switch flights. When none did so, Dao was selected at random to give up his seat. Dao informed the crew that he was a doctor who needed to see patients, and refused to comply. Law enforcement officers then dragged him off the plane by force, bloodying his face in the process. United should have offered more compensation to persuade passengers to give up their seats, Munoz said, acknowledging that the companys protocols detracted from customer service. Committee chairman Bill Shuster warned the industry that the committee will take action if it does not see meaningful results that improve customer service, and that companies would not like the outcome. Committee members discussed the level of competition in the industry. They said they were looking into what Congress could do to get airlines to address customer service issues better, and warned they would hold airline executives accountable. In addition to Munoz, United Airlines President Scott Kirby and senior executives from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines attended the hearing. William McGee, aviation consultant with the Consumers Union, also appeared. Room for Improvement Uniteds apology to Dao and its settlement of his threatened lawsuit out of court is probably enough to put this particular incident to rest, suggested Wayne Plucker, director of aerospace and defense research at Frost & Sullivan. However, overall, theres still much to be done, he told CRM Buyer. Most seats are filled on flights, making passengers irritable, Plucker said, so any additional inconveniences can spark overreactions. Both ground and air crews have little guidance and even less experience with handling these situations, he said. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA submitted written testimony to the hearing, noting that crew are overworked, flights are understaffed, and the airlines have reduced seat size and increased the number of seats in the cabins. Further, respect for authority, as well as decency and decorum, are lacking, the letter states, which can lead to dangerous working conditions for flight attendants, whose work increasingly includes de-escalating conflicts. The Overbooking Problem Southwest pledged to end overbooking altogether. However, Munoz defended the practice, saying it leads to better service, and American Airlines said it would not stop overbooking either. We recommend the airlines not sell more confirmed reservations than they have seats, and if they want to overbook in anticipation of no-shows, let people know theyre buying standby tickets, said Douglas Kidd, executive director of the National Association of Airline Passengers. The situation with Dao arose because United wanted to fly crew members for another flight to their destination. Airlines should reserve a row of seats for employee use on all flights, and sell them only with the understanding that the passengers who buy them may have to relinquish their seats if needed, he recommended. That way, no one needs to be volunteered the way Dr. Dao was, Kidd told CRM Buyer. Better training would have helped avoid the situation with Dao, he said. The Pain Felt by Passengers Pasenger abuse is a growing problem, but there are many other problems with air travel in general, said Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights.org. FlyersRights.org has had a proposed Airline Passenger Bill of Rights 2.0 on its Website since 2012, with 30 proposals, but none have been enacted, and no member of Congress is even willing to introduce them, he told CRM Buyer. The congressional investigation will put United Airlines on the rack, and the industry as a whole could see changes to the passengers bill of rights, which is certain to cost it money and flexibility, suggested Frosts Plucker. However, the legislative process is slow, cumbersome and unwieldy, and Congress already has a lot on its plate, Kidd observed. I do not expect much to change any time soon. BALTIMORE A car crash shattered Stuart Anders thigh, leaving pieces of bone sticking through his skin. Yet Anders begged emergency room doctors not to give him powerful opioid painkillers hed been addicted once before and panicked at the thought of relapsing. I cant lose what I worked for, he said. The nations opioid crisis is forcing hospitals to begin rolling out non-addictive alternatives to treatments that have long been the mainstay for the severe pain of trauma and surgery, so they dont save patients lives or limbs only to have them fall under the grip of addiction. Anders, 53, from Essex, Maryland, was lucky to land in a Baltimore emergency room offering an option that dramatically cut his need for opioids: An ultrasound-guided nerve block bathed a key nerve in local anesthetic, keeping his upper leg numb for several days. It has really changed the dynamics of how we care for these patients, said trauma anesthesiologist Dr. Ron Samet, who treated Anders. An estimated 2 million people in the U.S. are addicted to prescription opioids, and an average of 91 Americans die every day from an overdose of those painkillers or their illicit cousin, heroin. This grim spiral often starts in the hospital. A Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February raised the troubling prospect that for every 48 patients newly prescribed an opioid in the emergency room, one will use the pills for at least six months over the next year. And the longer theyre used, the higher the risk for becoming dependent. Doctors and hospitals around the country are searching for ways to relieve extreme pain while at the same time sharply limiting what was long considered their most effective tool. Its a critical part of the effort to overcome the worst addiction crisis in U.S. history but, as Anders experience shows, their options are neither simple nor perfect. Anders excruciating injury eventually did require a low opioid dose when the nerve block wore off but, Samet said, far less than normal. Provide them with good pain relief initially, for the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery, the pain that comes back after that isnt necessarily as hard and as strong, said Samet, an assistant anesthesiology professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. And some doctors are discovering an added benefit of cutting back or even eliminating opioids. At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a program called enhanced recovery after surgery is getting some patients home two to four days faster following major abdominal operations, using non-opioid painkillers that are gentler on the digestive tract. Our patients are very afraid of pain, especially the patients with a history of opioid addiction, said Dr. Jennifer Holder-Murray, a UPMC colorectal surgeon who helped start the program. When they come back to me and tell me they didnt even fill their opioid prescription, thats a remarkable experience. In trauma centers and surgery suites, there are no one-size-fits-all replacements for prescription opioids narcotic painkillers that range from intravenous morphine and Dilaudid to pills including Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin. They so rapidly dull severe pain that theyve become a default in hospital care, to the point where its not uncommon for patients to have an opioid dripping through an IV before they wake from surgery, whether theyll really need it or not. Now, amid surging deaths from drug overdoses, some hospitals and emergency rooms are rethinking their own dependence on the painkillers, taking steps to make them a last resort rather than a starting reflex. The new approach: Mixing a variety of different medications, along with techniques like nerve blocks, spinal anesthesia and numbing lidocaine, to attack pain from multiple directions, rather than depending solely on opioids to dampen brain signals that scream ouch. Its known by the wonky name multimodal analgesia. Consider colorectal surgery, so painful that standard practice is to administer IV opioids in the operating room and switch to a patient-activated morphine pump right afterward. The University of Pittsburgh program ended that opioid-first mentality. Instead, doctors choose from a wide mix of options including IV acetaminophen and prescription-strength anti-inflammatory painkillers known as NSAIDs, anti-seizure medications such as gabapentin that calm nerve pain, muscle-relaxing drugs, and others. Without the opioid side effects of nausea, vomiting and constipation, patients may find it easier to start eating solid food and walking around hours after surgery. Some do still need a low opioid dose, Holder-Murray cautioned, but few require a morphine pump. And for those who go home earlier, the approach can save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. Its not just changing a medication or two. Its a whole culture change, she said. At MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, anesthesiologist Dr. Joseph Myers is adding to his non-opioid cocktail a long-acting version of the numbing agent bupivacaine thats squirted into wounds before theyre stitched closed. Called Exparel, its controversial because it costs more than standard painkillers. But Myers said it lasts so many hours longer that he recently used it for a cancer patient who had both breasts removed, without resorting to opioids. Hours after surgery, she was eating crackers and drinking ginger ale and she says shes fine, he recalled. At Stanford University, pain psychologist Beth Darnall says its not just about using different medications. Patients who are overly anxious about surgical pain wind up feeling worse, so doctors also need to address psychological factors if theyre to succeed in cutting the opioids. In Baltimore, Anders remembers waking up in the University of Marylands Shock Trauma Center and telling doctors and nurses, I am a recovering addict. Years earlier, another car crash had led him to a pain clinic that prescribed Percocet just like candy, Anders said. Before getting addiction treatment, he said, I came close to losing my job, losing my wife. Samet, the anesthesiologist, estimates that Anders nerve block cut by tenfold the amount of opioids hed otherwise have received for his latest injury. Samet wheeled over a portable ultrasound machine, placed a probe over Anders pelvis and searched the black-and-white screen for the dots that mark key nerves. He threaded a tiny tube directly to Anders femoral nerve, allowing for repeated infusions of a non-addictive numbing medication for three days. Its like a Godsend. If you can have something like this, why would you want to take anything else?, Anders said a day after surgeons implanted a rod in his femur to fix the break. I can wiggle my toes, I can move my foot, theres feeling right above the ankle, but in that damaged thigh, I cant feel anything. Patients need to ask about these kinds of alternatives, Samet said, but theyre not available at all hospitals. Nerve blocks are becoming more common for elective bone surgery than in fast-paced trauma care, for example. What Samet calls a lingering weak link: Even if patients go home with only a small supply of an opioid for lingering post-surgical pain, too often they get a refill from another doctor who assumes that prescription must be OK if a hospital chose it. Not Anders. Sent home with some low-dose oxycodone, he discarded the last 20 pills. I didnt want them, he said, and I didnt want nobody else getting their hands on them. Facebook on Wednesday told its F8 conference audience about two new cutting-edge projects that could change the way humans engage with devices. Over the next two years, the company will work on a new technology that will allow anyone to type around 100 words per minute not with fingers, but using a process that would decode neural activity devoted to speech. What Facebook envisions is a technology that would resemble a neural network, allowing users to share thoughts the way they share photos today. This technology also could function as a speech prosthetic for people with communication disorders or as a new way to engage in an augmented reality environment, suggested Regina Dugan, vice president of engineering at Facebooks Building8. The other project announced at F8 would change the way users experience communication input that is, it would allow them to hear through the skin. The human body has, on average, about two square meters of skin that is packed with sensors. New technologies could use them to enable individuals to receive information via a haptic vocabulary, Facebook said. Putting the Best Interface Forward About 60 employees currently are working on the Building8 projects among them machine learning and neural prosthetic experts. Facebook likely will expand this team, adding experts with experience in brain-computer interfaces and neural imaging. The plan is to develop noninvasive sensors that can measure brain activity and decode the signals that are associated with language in real time. The technology would have advance considerably before individuals would be able to share pure thoughts or feelings, but the current effort can be viewed as the first step toward that goal, said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Type With Your Brain Facebook is not the only company working on technology that could allow a direct brain-computer connection. Elon Musk last month launched Neuralink, a startup dedicated to developing a neural lace technology that could allow the implanting of small electrodes into the brain. One difference between Facebooks type with your brain concept and Musks neural mesh project is that Facebook wants it to be noninvasive, said futurist Michael Rogers. Thats a tough one, because the electrical impulses in the brain are very small and the skull is not a great conductor, he told TechNewsWorld. The nerve signals outside the skull that trigger muscles are much stronger, so reading brain waves noninvasively means filtering a lot of much-stronger noise. The existing neural cap technologies that allegedly let wearers, say, learn to control computer games with their brains, are actually probably training them to unconsciously use their eyebrow and forehead muscles, suggested Rogers. Interesting, but not the same as typing with your brain. Hearing Through Touch Just as Braille has allowed the blind to read, Facebooks technology to hear through the skin could be a game changer for those who are deaf. Sound through the skin sounds more like a tool for the profoundly deaf than for everyday use, observed Rogers and it might not be the best solution for those with such hearing problems. Im still a big believer in the potential for bone conduction temples on smart glasses as a really good audio solution that doesnt require earbuds, he added. Delivering information through this technology may be less challenging than processing it. It is technically easy to translate the data to a speech pattern, but the hard part is training the human to understand it, said Paul Teich, principal analyst at Tirias Research. Facebook can simplify the words to codes, but you are still stuck with the training to understand the code, he told TechNewsWorld. There is no way to immediately understand what is being sent, and this isnt very intuitive as I see it, added Teich. With the right training, however, a coded message could be understood in real time. Facebooks Timeline Zuckerberg emphasized that Facebook is taking the first steps toward development of these technologies, and it could be a lot time before they have practical applications. Having bold visions and making ambitious predictions characterizes some of todays most regarded tech entrepreneurs, said Pascal Kaufmann, founder of Starmind. [*Correction April 25, 2017] There seem to be no limits, and one can easily fall prey to the belief that everything is possible, he said. However, climbing a high tree is not the first step to the moon actually, it is the end of the journey, Kaufman told TechNewsWorld. Despite some gradual improvements in speech recognition these days, understanding of context and meaning is still far beyond our technological capabilities. Taking a shortcut through directly interfacing human brains, and circumventing the highly complex translation from nerve signals into speech and back from speech recognition into nerve signals, I consider one of the more creative contributions in the last few months, he said. It is certainly an alternative to the brute force approaches and the unjustified AI hype that seems like climbing a tree rather than building a space rocket. Zuckerbergs announcement describes a space rocket; it is up to us now to develop the technology to aim for the moon, said Kaufman. Both of these technologies are well within reach. This kind of brain imaging has been used in academic settings for years, and scientists developed versions of skin hearing devices over 30 years ago, said Michael Merzenich, designer of BrainHQ, professor emeritus in the UCSF School of Medicine, and winner of the 2016 Kavli Prize. The real challenge is making this science practical. How can a brain be trained to learn to control these new devices? he asked. Every new form of communication from writing to the telephone to the Web changes human culture and human brains, Merzenich told TechNewsWorld. What impact will using these new devices have on our brains and our culture? *ECT News Network editors note April 25, 2017: Our original published version of this column identified Pascal Kaufmann as CEO of Starmind. Kaufmanns current title is founder, according to spokesperson Joshua Kail. The title change has no impact on his role in the company, which is working internally to give him a new title, Kail told TechNewsWorld. 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The 1-inch, underground pipeline had been cut about 10 feet from the recently built home on Twilight Avenue where two men died and one woman was severely injured, Frederick-Firestone fire department officials said. Why the flow line was cut off, left uncapped and still connected to the producing well is currently unclear. Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District chief Ted Poszywak said at a Tuesday press conference that the pre-refined gas was not odorized for safety as it seeped from the cut-off line into the home through French drains and a sump pit. Those inside the home would not have smelled it, he said. Mark Martinez and his brother-in-law Joseph William Irwin III, both 42, were killed in the explosion. Marks wife, Erin Martinez, was injured as well her 11-year-old son. The Anadarko well was less than 200 feet from the home. The well was drilled in 1993 and had previous owners. It was in place before the Twilight home was built. Poszywak stressed that it was not the wells proximity to the home that caused the explosion, rather it was the pipeline leading to the well head that caused the buildup of methane that led to the explosion. He said no adjacent homes are in any danger as a result of the severed line. According to the Associated Press, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission director Matt Lepore said that the flow line was cleanly cut, meaning it could have been severed by construction equipment while the neighborhood was being built. Lepore said that a line taken out of service should be disconnected and sealed at both ends and all flammable gas is supposed to be removed. He added that regulators do not yet know whether the line had never been disconnected from the well, or if it had been disconnected but later reconnected for some reason. Anadarko, Colorados largest oil and gas producer, has shut more than 3,000 producing vertical wells following the explosion. The company said it is cooperating with investigators. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has since ordered inspections of all similar gas lines within 1,000 feet of occupied buildings. He said energy companies must ensure that flow lines no longer in use are properly marked and capped, and any abandoned flow lines that are cut off underground must be sealed. Public safety is paramount, Gov. Hickenlooper said. We are assessing whether these operations were conducted in compliance with state law and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commissions (COGCC) rules. The tragedy has resulted in fierce outcry from locals, anti-fracking activists and environmental groups over the risks of oil and gas production in Colorado and they are calling on state regulators to impose tighter setback requirements. The state imposes a 500-foot setback between new oil and gas wells and existing homes. However, local governments decide how close new homes can be built to existing wells. The house that burned in Firestone was built 178 feet away from the existing wellwell within the towns standard of at least 150 feet. Our families safety and security must be our highest prioritynot corporate polluters profits, Jim Alexee, director of the Colorado Sierra Club said. Immediate action must be taken, and we support Governor Hickenloopers directive to revisit the integrity of all oil and gas lines within 1000 feet of occupied buildings. In March, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that the states oil and gas commission strike a balance between the regulation of oil and gas operations and protecting public health, the environment and wildlife. In light of the appellate courts decision, the Sierra Club is calling on the Colorado Oil & Gas Commission to place an immediate halt to the issuance and processing of all permits not yet approved or applied for. Earlier this month, the Colorado legislature voted against a bill that would have moved new drilling operations at least 1,000 feet away from school playgrounds, Alexee said in an earlier statement. I call on our leaders to reconsider safe, common sense protections that will put the health and safety of Coloradans first. Just a week before the fatal Firestone explosion, state lawmakers killed a setback rule bill that would have prevented oil and gas producers from drilling wells within 1,000 feet of school property lines. The Firestone explosion has also sparked worries from residents in other energy-rich states. A source pointed out to EcoWatch that Ohios setback rules are only 100 feet from homes and other occupied buildings. Block Island, the smallest town in the countrys smallest state, is now powered by Rhode Islands Deepwater Wind, the nations first offshore wind farm. Block Island Power Company officially silenced its diesel generating plant in the early hours on Monday, meaning its 2,000 electric customers now have access to clean, renewable energy. The utilitys interim president, Jeffery Wright, told The Block Island Times that the towns electrical system was successfully transferred to the wind farm and National Grids Sea2Shore submarine cable on May 1 at 5:30 a.m. The towns switch ends nearly a century of dependency on costly, nosy and polluting generators that burn 1 million gallons of diesel fuel annually, Wright told Newsday. Block Islanders will save $25 to $30 a month off their electricity bills with a starting cost of 24 cents per kWh, according to InsideClimate News. Wright told Rhode Island Public Radio that switching to clean energy eliminates the risks of transporting diesel fuel to the island. (The fuel) gets loaded onto a truck, it gets transported over here, it gets unloaded out of the truck and the risk of a spill is always something were concerned with, and that risk right now was diminished a lot, he said. Deepwater Winds 30 megawatt Block Island wind farm consists of five wind turbines. Company CEO Jeffrey Grybowski said its our honor to celebrate this historic milestone with Block Islanders. Were confident that the example Block Island has set will inspire communities up and down the Eastern Seaboard to chart their own path toward a renewable future, he added. By Jeremy Deaton and Laura A. Shepard In Indiana, solar employs nearly three times as many people as natural gas, according to the Department of Energy. You might think, given the numbers, that legislators would want to protect the states nascent solar industry. You would be wrong. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed a bill Tuesday that shreds incentives for rooftop solar, delivering a blow to solar installers and their customers. Currently, if rooftop solar owners generate more electricity than they use, the power utility will buy the excess power at the retail ratearound 11 per kilowatt-hour. This practice is known as net metering. Under the new law, the utility would buy the excess power at a little more than the wholesale ratearound 4 per kwh. The bill is an improvement on a previous version that would have required rooftop solar owners to sell all of the power they produce at the wholesale rate and buy it back at the retail rateeffectively treating homeowners both as power plants and consumers. But, the new version restricts solar in other important ways: It ends net metering for new customers after 2022. It ends net metering for existing customers who replace or expand their solar system after 2017. It empowers utilities, with the approval of the regulatory commission, to charge rooftop solar owners an additional fee for energy delivery costs. Additionally, the bill may be interpreted to end net metering for homeowners who lease their panels or subscribe to a shared solar arraywhats known as community solar. Its somewhat ambiguous in the current legislative text, but I wouldnt be surprised if thats the intent of the language, said Amit Ronen, director of the George Washington University Solar Institute. This bill is obviously an attempt to derail the rapid growth of rooftop and community solar in Indiana. Students at Purdue University installed solar panels on this Lafayette home. Purdue University Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, said the public vehemently opposed the bill. Ask Republicans, What kind of feedback are you getting from your constituents? Theyll tell us that they have gotten dozens and dozens of calls opposing the bill, but zero supporting the bill. Still, Indiana legislators have been trying to stifle the growth of solar for years. A 2015 bill would have radically scaled back net metering, but advocates defeated the legislation. This time, they werent so lucky. A lot of representatives that I know didnt listen to the people and thats a bummer, said Paul Steury, a solar installer at Indiana firm Photon Electric. Steury said the law strips away incentives for rooftop solar, which could put a dent in sales. I feel solar is the future, and we need to think more about the future. Clean energy has also become a significant source of jobs in Indiana. While coal is the biggest source of electricity in the state, renewables employ far more people. Coal power generation employs roughly as many people as solar. The wind industry employs more workers than either power source, in large part through manufacturing and construction. Employment numbers for power generation in Indiana. Department of Energy But utilities see a threat from rooftop solar, which lets customers buy less power from the grid. Utilities contend that net metering is unfair to ratepayers who dont own solar panels. Rooftop solar owners get to sell their surplus power to the grid without paying for transmission lines or other infrastructure needed to deliver that power to homes and businesses in the community. But proponents of rooftop solar say its a net win for the grid. Owners absorb the infrastructure cost of generation, through the panels and installation, and they deliver their surplus power to customers nearby, minimizing the volume of electricity lost in transmission. Perhaps the biggest benefit for the grid is that solar output peaks in the middle of the day, when demand for electricity is at its highest. When demand spikes, grid operators turn to small, gas-fired power plants that sell the most expensive electricity. Rooftop solar offers a cheaper, cleaner alternative. Indiana solar jobs by county. SEIA Among customers, net metering is exceptionally popular. We definitely pay a lot less, said Indiana rooftop solar owner Lanette Erby. I would say that our bills are coming in at about 60 to 80 percent less than what they were, and that was over the winter obviously, when were using a lot more electricity to heat and do things like that. Were currently on an inverter with the electric company, but obviously if the net metering bill were to go through, we would be purchasing battery back ups. Thats where were at, said Erby. The same kind of legislation killed the solar industry in a couple of other states which is terrible because its creating so many jobs. In 2015, Nevada changed its rate structure so that utilities would pay rooftop solar owners at the wholesale rateas opposed to the retail ratefor their surplus power. That same year, Arizona levied a $50 monthly charge on rooftop solar customers, purportedly to cover transmission costs. In November, Florida voters narrowly defeated a constitutional amendment that would have severely restricted rooftop solar. Advocates say policies like these pose a distinct threat to solar jobs. In his 2017 state of the state address, Gov. Holcomb committed to creating jobs and supporting small businesses, which he called the heart and soul of Indianas economy. He said of the new measure, this legislation ensures those who currently have interests in small solar operations will not be affected for decades. But advocates see the law as a clear threat to solar installers, many of which, like Photon Electric, are small businesses. Erby said the measure marks a departure from a truly free market. She added, We are actually considering moving out of state. My parents want some help back in Pennsylvania and the laws are a little more lax there. Reposted with permission from our media associate Nexus Media. (Photo: Courtesy Radio Vatican)Philippines' bishops Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is facing opposition from one of the country's most powerful institutions and one that the country's leaders have often been loath to take on - the Roman Catholic Church. Priests and bishops the Southeast Asian nations that is overwhelmingly Catholic were seen as being initially quiet after Duterte assumed office in the middle of 2016 and began a violent crackdown on suspected drug dealers, New Europe reports. In just nine months Duterte's contentious war on drugs has led to the death of more than 8,000 dead people. New Europe cited a report in USA Today online, that the powerful Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines issued a recent pastoral letter that condemned Duterte's war on drugs as a "reign of terror." On March 19 the Catholic bishops issued a pastoral letter against the death penalty saying, "Even with the best of intentions, capital punishment has never been proven effective as a deterrent to crime. "Obviously it is easier to eliminate criminals than to get rid of the root causes of criminality in society. Capital punishment and a flawed legal system are always a lethal mix," said the bishops without naming Duterte in their powerfully worded letter. "And since in any human society there is never a guarantee of a flawless legal system, there is always the great likelihood that those without capital will get the punishment more quickly because it is they who cannot afford a good lawyer and a guarantee of due process." They noted that as a law the death penalty directly goes against the principle of inalienability of the basic human right to life, enshrined in most constitutions of countries that signed the universal declaration of human rights. They called for the Catholic faithful to pray fervently for the legislators of the Philippines as they were they preparing vote on death penalty in the country's Senate. "As a church we don't want killings," Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the conference, which issues guidelines and policy for the Catholic Church told USA Today. "But it's becoming the new normal in our society. There's killing everywhere. The church right now is speaking forcefully against these issues." Duterte has issues a number of strongly worded criticisms of the Catholic Church, often using provocative language such as calling Pope Francis "a son of a bitch," and last month called the church one of the "oligarchs of this country." Despite the Church's condemnations, his war on drugs did not slow down as the Philippines celebrated Easter: when there were 39 reported drug-related killings. The USA Today reported noted that the Catholic Church is not the only institution taking on Duterte. A formal impeachment complaint was filed I March against him by Rep. Gary Alejano for crimes committed during the war on drugs and corruption allegations that claim Duterte has amassed $40m in unexplained wealth. IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT AGAINST DUTUERTE The opposition lawmaker the impeachment complaint against Duterte, accusing him of crimes ranging from abuse of power to running his own "death squad" when he was mayor of Davao. But the president dismissed the claims, as he looks to ramp up his deadly war on drugs and seeks to silence any dissident voices, Vice News reported. In making his complaint Alejano admitted it would be an "uphill battle" to impeach the president given support for him in both houses of parliament but said it would give the people of the Philippines a chance to voice their opinion on Duterte. "We wanted to give him the chance to run the country," Alejano said. "But what we're seeing so far is a clear indication of his policies, of killing without trial and due process of law. That is very dangerous to our democracy." On April 24, a Filipino lawyer filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court in The Hague accusing Duterte and 11 other Philippine officials of mass murder and crimes against humanity. AB Vista appoints new business manager for EMEA AB Vista has appointed Fernando Garcilopez as business manager for Spain, Portugal and Italy. Garcilopez comes with more than 15 years' experience in the feed additives commercial and technical area, having worked with some of the key players in the animal nutrition industry. His product portfolio will include Quantum Blue phytase and Econase XT xylanase for the monogastric industry, as well as AB Vista's growing ruminant product portfolio. Juan Ignacio Fernandez, AB Vista's sales director for West and South Europe, says a key part of Fernando's role will be providing technical support and advice to distributors and customers in his area. Advances in enzymes, and technologies such as Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy, enable customers to optimise their feed quality and improve profitability. Fernando is a key part of our team conveying that message and working with customers in helping them to better understand the ingredient quality and the application of AB Vista products and services, Fernandez adds. Garcilopez graduated from the Universidad Politecnica of Madrid, where he specialised in animal nutrition and production. He is also a qualified agricultural engineer. Ari Kiviniemi, AB Vista's global sales director, says the new appointment will benefit European customers who are looking to improve margins and animal performance while facing significant challenges. The appointment of experts who understand our customers' needs is particularly valuable in constantly changing environments and mature markets like Spain, Italy and Portugal, he comments. - AB Vista Cargill in Vietnam inaugurates new aquaculture feed line Cargill in Vietnam marked a milestone with the opening of its 10th aqua feed line at its feed mill in Ha Nam, Vietnam, in late April. This new line strengthens the company's long-term commitment to contribute to the development of the local agricultural economy. It is Cargill's second aquaculture feed line in the North of Vietnam. With a production capacity of 3,000 tonnes/month, this modern line focuses on high quality extruded feed for tilapia and other local species to serve the local demand for floating fish feeds. Thanks to its strategic location in Ha Nam province, the new aquaculture feed line will improve access to customers in the major agricultural areas of Ha Nam, Hanoi, Thai Binh and the broader North Central Vietnam region where farmers are rapidly switching from extensive to intensive farming practices. It will help reduce delivery time to customers and enable fish farmers to grow healthy seafood, increase their output, and lower their production costs per kilogramme while reducing their impact on the environment. "Vietnam is a critical aquaculture market for Cargill, and we are excited to be expanding our aquaculture feed capability to our sixth plant location to continue our growth in Vietnam and in Asia South," said Chad Gauger, managing director of Cargill Aquaculture Nutrition Asia South. "Cargill's global innovation and expertise combined with our strong plant operations in Vietnam and commercial teams will bring exciting new technologies to the Vietnamese farmer to help them thrive." Cargill's first aqua feed facility in Vietnam was inaugurated in Bien Hoa in 1998. Upon the acquisition of EWOS in 2015, its manufacturing facilities in Vietnam were integrated into Cargill's plant network in the country. , 14 : 40 ; 3 Carrier bag charge plans being considered The Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister has confirmed plans to introduce a plastic bag levy on the Isle of Man are being considered. Geoffrey Boot revealed in this week's sitting of the House of Keys that carrier bag charges and a bag for life scheme were recently discussed at a UNESCO Stakeholder group, chaired by the Chief Minister. DEFA's Ecosystem Policy Team are now working on the plans, which will then go out to consultation before they can be brought in. Mr Boot pledged to provide a further update during an October sitting of the House. Does anyone even remember the communal violence that tore apart Bhagalpur in Bihar in 1989? According to official estimates, around 250 villages and 50,000 people were affected. The official death toll was estimated to be over 900 although the unofficial toll was higher. It was a familiar story because it had happened before. And since then it has happened again. And will do so in the future. The partition of India after the British left is now history. But everyday there are partitions taking place in independent India, where people who have coexisted, tolerated difference, even celebrated it, are now being forced into separate territories, their differences highlighted and exacerbated by a dominant politics that has given a new twist to the old divide and rule policy of the British. Jakob De Roover in Europe, India and the Limits of Secularism seeks to critique what he calls the liberal model of secularism and toleration as practised by the Indian state and in turn, blames it for the increase in conflicts between Hindus and Muslims since Indian independence.1 One might have expected a substantiation of this claim to consist of a detailed study of cases of communal violence and their relationship to the state or more specifically, to the states policy of liberalsecularism. However, the book argues for a different approach by providing a genealogy of the liberalsecular model through Christianity in the West. This genealogy, as cultural contextualisation, is meant to prove the inadequacy of secularism in India through three interrelated claims: (i) The basis of the liberalsecular model and its distinction between the religious and the secular is Christian; (ii) the contemporary West lacks a sufficient grasp of this basis and is, therefore, unclear about the liberalsecular model that it professes; and (iii) if even the contemporary West is insufficiently clear about the basis of its own models, the model cannot, with any seriousness, be considered applicable in India.2 SecularReligious Distinction The United Kingdoms decision to leave the European Union will have an impact on the way European countries organize their defense policies. The bloc has traditionally managed its defense through a variety of channels individually on the level of member states, in the EU and through NATO. Brexit will alter the interplay among these three formats and will likely cause greater fragmentation in European defense, thus increasing the risk of a weaker political and military capacity of the Europeans to act. Although Brexit is not very likely to damage Europes single set of forces the sum of all military forces in Europe Europes political capacity will probably suffer from the poisoned atmosphere and the uncertainty about Europes future in the light of Brexit negotiations. The main challenge for both sides the UK and the EU will be to think about the very meaning of European defense. The existing third-party agreement the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) which has more than 40 non-EU beneficiaries, offers a starting point for future UK contributions. It allows non-members to join EU operations but does not give them much, if any, space for their own vision, strategy and design. Therefore, in case of the UK, it may be worth thinking about giving London a special position and involve the country in planning processes earlier in order to provide incentives for Britains contributions. Non-EU countries also have the option to participate in the European Defense Agency (EDA) and a regular EU-UK dialogue could produce common ground on operations, capability cooperation, and industrial collaboration of their mutual interest. NATO would welcome a healthy and well-functioning EU-UK relationship since it would facilitate and simplify the implementation of the 2016 EU-NATO Joint Declaration. The next main step is obviously to rethink European defense itself. Most Europeans connect the solutions to their security problems to institutions, mainly the EU and NATO. Yet, both have limitations. NATO has always been and remains to be a military alliance. Non-military threats largely remain on the EUs agenda. The CSDP contributed to the continents security but the main tools and instruments sit with the Commission and member states. Therefore, it is misleading to ask which institutions will organize European defense. The key questions are how Europeans can ensure effective defense and identify the needed capabilities to protect populations, states, and borders. The significance of institutions draws on the bundling of forces and ideas and fostering agreements wherever necessary. In contrast, the individual states role is to ensure the coordination between the various formats and offer political leadership. European Defence in View of Brexit Commentary by Claudia Major and Alicia von Voss Stiftung Wissenshaft und Politik (SWP). (The Commentary can be downloaded here) Hi all, I'm new to this forum and am after some advice. I am lookin to move to Abu Dhabi for work, however I am concerned for my partner. Can any one inform me what the work prospects for a female hair stylist would be in the UAE? I have tried numerous google searches for people's experiences and have come up short. The sort of info I'm after is; is there much opportunity in this line of work? How are the workers treated? The type of Salary to expect? And in general how have people found working there? Any info is greatly appreciated. They did away with that thing about having to choose at age 18 ages ago. And certainly at the moment, you can hold not only dual nationality but also multiple nationalities in addition to US. The only "inconveniences" are that your son will have to file US income tax returns once he starts to earn income exceeding the filing threshold, and that having a second (or third, or fourth....) nationality gives him no excuse for failing to do anything expected of US citizens, though as always, they would have to find out about any alleged violation to do anything about it. Cheers, Bev Leadwood's interim city hall office at the Leadwood United Methodist Church will close at 2 p.m. on Thursday so city officials can move into the new city hall building across the street. City hall will remain closed until 10 a.m. Tuesday when the new office will be opened for business. rose_oc said: Seems a bit irresponsible to keep enrolling high numbers of teaching students when there aren't the jobs for them. Click to expand... Unless Canada wants to pay foreign stay-at-home-moms? Click to expand... You're preaching to the choir on that one. In Ontario the government's genius decision to help alleviate the situation was to make teacher's college a two year program rather than the one year program it had been. But all that did was create a dip in numbers for a year or two, and then they went right back up again.Another big problem is that retired teachers keep working. They retire, collect their pensions, and then go back to work as supply teachers. Because of seniority, they get jobs. And schools love to hire them because, due to their experience, principals can assign them a class and forget about then whereas they would have to keep tabs on new teachers to make sure everything was fine. A close friend of mine's Dad is a retired principal and one of his friends kept hiring him for long term supply assignments because he knew that there was nothing he couldn't handle. By doing that they are obviously depriving new teachers of jobs, even as supply teachers, but the union doesn't care because it feels it is catering to its established members and those established members are too greedy to give up their high salaries (they get paid at the last rate they were earning before retirement) and just go off into retirement.I don't think you would have recourse to public funds. Even if you did, your husband's salary would be taken into account thus making you ineligible. Hi again, Does anyone happen to know which organisation or department is accountable for prefectures in France? Is it the ministry of interior? I have contacted several different prefectures (for obtaining information sake) and I have received very inconsistent replies in terms of what's required for an EU and non-EU carte de sejour. Also, some prefectures, such as the Paris ones, state that an application can be made and that an appointment will have to be made. Appointment times are issued for November 2017. Only one prefecture has stated that if an application is complete, it is processed the same day and a card will be issued after 3-6 months. I guess the natural question is what the process is. If November is when they physically start to look at residence permit applications for processing, what is handed to the applicant in the interim? Is it the receipt (recepisse)? Is it possible to travel whilst you have a recepisse? Is it safe to assume that the inconsistencies are simply down to the workload at the prefectures and nothing else? Lyon and other such regions seem to have the best turnaround time in this case and as an AE with flexibility on location, I'd ideally just like to move somewhere where this can get done. The St. Francois County Commission approved a request made by Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin at its Tuesday morning meeting to file a temporary restraining order on behalf of the county to stop event planners from holding the third annual Cosmic Reunion at Astral Valley set for the Memorial Day weekend, May 25-28. Astral Valley is a private property located in the north end of St. Francois County. Mahurin said he is awaiting additional names to add to the restraining order and expects to file it as early as Thursday. The Steve Miller Band is the headliner for this year's event. The event brings in a crowd of thousands each year. Appealing to the county commissioners, Mahurin said, "Basically what this entails is that at the north end of the county there is a piece of property that is being used for by statute, you'd call them festivals and basically, they're rave parties. Something akin to a small Woodstock." He explained that his reasoning for filing the restraining order was "multifaceted." "I'm getting inundated with a lot of calls from various individuals on the north end of the county," Mahurin said. "Ste. Genevieve County is getting calls. Jefferson County is getting calls. This property is being used to put on these parties for days upon end and they're playing loud music, the amount of people is in the thousands. "Also, we have Statute 316.150. It defines what a festival is and I went through that with this possible petition to file. The other thing is and I actually had one of my clerks call I don't believe that they have filed a request to hold a festival with the county clerk. Is that right, Mark? They haven't filed anything with you?" County Clerk Mark Hedrick, who attends all county commission meetings, indicated festival planners had not filed any request with his office. Mahurin continued, "The statute says they have to file that 60 days in advance of having any of these festivals and of course then it allows the county commission to hear the possibility of having these one, as for health and safety, along with the possible public nuisance. "Now, there is a case from 1958 that defines what public nuisance is and it's never been overturned as far as I can find, so I think we're on good footing with the law. I also know that the sheriffs had a lot of phone calls. We've had law enforcement the highway patrol, county, other counties have called us, municipalities and, of course, then, a lot of concerned citizens. "So, the fact that they have not complied with the statutes and filed the appropriate request for license to have these festivals, the fact that they haven't applied for anything statutorily, the fact that we have an overabundance of people coming in ... "The other problem that we have is that there's going to be in the years past when they've had these festivals there's a substantial amount of drug use. We're seeing things like Ecstasy; date rape drugs; of course, marijuana; a lot of party drugs that we're seeing in this area. And then of course there's been accidents that is my understanding, as well some traffic accidents." Mahurin described the public nuisance associated with the event as being "on many different levels." "And I will tell you that in 2001, when Judge [Wendy Wexler] Horn was the prosecuting attorney, she filed a similar case to stop similar rave festivals," he said. "Of course, that was good. It was upheld and I believe that was made a permanent injunction." Presiding Commissioner Harold Gallaher asked Mahurin, "Is that a different location or the same one? He responded, "It was a different location, different individuals. The people I have listed there right now are the people we know are involved. Of course, there is a lot of different ones 'doing business as' and then there are several individuals that are involved, as well. "There may be one or two other names that the highway patrol is getting me later today that we'll have to add just for service, but these are the individuals that are primary actors with regards to the actual Cosmic Family Reunion at Astral Valley." Mahurin reiterated that his request for permission to file a restraining order, while made on behalf of the people of St. Francois County, would also be "protecting the inhabitants of the region," including those living in Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve counties. Sheriff Dan Bullock expressed his agreement with Mahurin's seeking of a temporary restraining order against the event planners. "As Jerrod has said, we have been inundated with calls from people, citizens, in Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois County asking what the county commission can do. That's kinda what spurred us to look into this. I know that they do not have restroom facilities to handle that many people up there. It's mostly out in the woods and in streams. "Also, the people that live on this one-lane road, when this event gets started, the road is blocked. People can't come and go from the property. I'd like to ask that the prosecutor be allowed to file this injunction and maybe we can get something done." Commissioner Patrick Mullins recalled a story that appeared in the July 23, 2016 issue of the Daily Journal regarding neighbors' complaints about noise and other concerns connected with the Cosmic Family Reunion. After reading the article aloud, Mullins said, "This is an ongoing issue and I support [the filing of a temporary injunction] wholeheartedly. I'll even be happy to make the motion that we support this." In seconding the motion, Commissioner Gay Wilkinson said, "I remember testimony or concerns voiced that even the livestock would get to the far ends of their fields just to get away from it as much as they could. So, it affects everything." The commission voted unanimously to allow Mahurin to file a temporary restraining order against the Cosmic Family Reunion. AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott made a strong statement in support of Israel with his first public bill-signing ceremony Tuesday, putting his name to a measure to prevent state contracts with companies that boycott it. You can always count on Texas, Abbott said at the Jewish Community Center here to sign the bill into law. Any anti-Israel policy is an anti-Texas policy. Texas is not going to do business with any company that boycotts Israel. JENNIFER WHITNEY /JENNIFER WHITNEY A federal three-judge panel in San Antonio has rejected two attempts by the state to delay a trial over whether its district boundaries for Congress and the Texas House of Representatives drawn in 2013 discriminate against minority voters. In separate rulings, the panel rejected the states request to dismiss claims by civil rights groups and minority voters and politicos that the Legislature adopted the maps in 2013 with the intent to discriminate. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate More than 50 new and expecting moms in San Antonio received a free baby box, in which their infants can safely sleep, during a Baby Box Company launch event at the DoSeum on Tuesday. The San Antonio moms are the first in the state to receive the boxes, which will soon be available for free online to every new and expecting mom in Texas. The Texas baby boxes, made of cardboard, are decorated with pictures of bluebonnets. Moms can get a free box after completing an online education course, available through Baby Box University. Each box comes with a foam mattress and is designed to promote safe sleeping habits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that babies sleep on their backs on a mattress covered by only a fitted sheet with no toys or bedding. Accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed is the leading cause of accidental infant deaths in Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. And so far this year, 106 babies have died due to sharing a bed with an adult or older child, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Samantha Traverzo brought her three-month-old daughter to the event after seeing a notice about the event on Facebook. She said she took the online course Monday, which she completed in about 45 minutes to an hour between baby breaks. I wish I wouldve known this right when I had her, it wouldve been amazing, Traverzo said. I didnt know I was doing a lot of things wrong. She said her daughter has been sleeping in a bassinet with a cushioned blanket, which she removed after finishing the education course. She says the light-weight box will be easy to take with her to her mother-in-laws house in Killeen. The Baby Box Companys model mirrors a service in Finland that provides every pregnant woman in the country with a free baby box after she gets prenatal care. According to the World Health Organization, the initiative contributed to a decrease in Finlands infant mortality rate. Baby Box Company, in partnership with University Health System, Baby Education for South Texas (or B.E.S.T.), Dallas Medical Center, Dallas Regional Medical Center, Texas Childrens Health Plan and The Center for Women and Children, and Childrens Memorial Hermann Hospital, will provide 400,000 free baby boxes to new moms in Texas over the next year. The boxes were funded by private donations and the company. Now the big job is to make sure that everybody in the city knows about this opportunity and the education, said Dr. Sanjie Garza-Cox, a neonatologist and president of B.E.S.T. The education continues on before delivery, during delivery and way after delivery because they talk about car seat safety and pool safety and everything else, Garza-Cox said. Garza-Cox said B.E.S.T. is working with San Antonios six hospital systems to provide them with informational cards to give to new mothers about the program. It can take up to several weeks for the boxes to arrive, so Garza-Cox recommends that expecting moms order them before they give birth. bmartin@express-news.net Twitter: @beedotmartin AUSTIN With less than a month to go before the Legislature adjourns, tensions are rising in both chambers as bills are bottled up in committees awaiting action or waiting for more than a month to even be assigned to a committee. And with deadlines for passing bills fast approaching, proposals on many key issues are sitting idle from the controversial bathroom bill and a ban on texting while driving to Jennys Law, designed to keep crime victims from being jailed, and a measure designed to keep the states treatment for violent sex offenders from being ruled unconstitutional. The Legislatures top task passing the state budget also remains unresolved, with the House and Senate at odds over how to pay for the versions of the states spending blueprint. In a solidly red state where both chambers are overwhelmingly Republican, the present paralysis on several key issues might seem surprising. But the same problem is playing out in Washington, where Republican President Donald Trump has GOP control of the U.S. House and Senate but has been unable to pass major legislation so far. Both Republicans and Democrats in Austin on Tuesday blamed it on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus being so far apart ideologically, as well as Gov. Greg Abbott maintaining such a low-key presence to allow the two legislative chambers to work through their differences on their own. Much the same, they say, has the Trump era split the Washington political establishment. The backlog (of bills) is worse this year than Ive ever seen it because of the split between the House and Senate, really a civil war, said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat who has been in the Legislature since 1991. If the two chambers werent so far apart on ideological issues, you wouldnt see the problem were now facing. I wouldnt be surprised if we end up in a special session over the budget. While other lawmakers on Tuesday were less pessimistic about how the session will end, they acknowledged that having hundreds of bills awaiting action in both legislative chambers, with just 28 days to go before the 140-day legislative session ends, has started the nail-biting. That urgency was underscored by Abbott signing his first bill into law Tuesday. House Bill 89 rohibits state contracts and investments with companies that boycott Israel. Any anti-Israel policy is an anti-Texas policy, Abbott said during a signing ceremony at the Austin Jewish Community Center. Aside from the budget, which House and Senate negotiators profess to be moving to resolve significant differences on a spending blueprint thatll probably end up around $218 billion, the two chambers remain far apart on the Senate bathroom bill, which would limit access to restrooms and locker rooms based on the sex listed on a persons birth certificate. While its passage is a priority for hard-line grassroots GOP conservative Patrick, its off any list for the more moderate Straus and his lieutenants. The tough Senate-passed version has foundered in the House, which has a much softer version that remains stuck in a committee. A statewide ban on texting while driving, which passed the House weeks ago, has not yet come up for a vote in the Senate. Senate-passed bills seeking to expand the states anti-abortion stance have not yet advanced in the House, where support is less strident. A Senate-passed bill that would allow the state to opt out of covering abortions was referred to House State Affairs Committee on Monday, less than three weeks before it must get a hearing and be voted out, and another Senate measure to prohibit so-called dismemberment abortions has not yet to a committee in the House, where support appears tepid compared with the Senate. On the Senate-passed school choice bill that would allow parents to use state funds to enroll their students in private and parochial schools, the bill in the House is stalled in a committee and funding for the initiative was expressly banned from the House budget. Significant school-finance reform, a hot issue in the House, has gained little traction in the Senate. Much the same is true, so far, for constitutional carry of handguns and a ban on so-called sanctuary cities, which House and Senate leaders disagree on. There are a lot of bills backed up, yes, but what youre seeing is the dog days of May in the Legislature, said Houston Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a key Patrick lieutenant who chairs the Senate Republican Caucus. Whatever bills are coming down the hill to us from the House will be heard, as time allows, but its true that the deadlines to pass bills are approaching. This is what happens every session at this time. Staff Writers Bobby Cervantes and Andrea Zelinski contributed to this report. In November 2015, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that Texas would not participate in this countrys resettlement of Syrian refugees escaping the brutal reign of Bashar al-Assad. Three weeks later, however, the governor dropped his threat to block all Syrians from entering the state, and allowed three refugee families to arrive in Dallas and Houston. To Cynthia Brehm, a social conservative who is currently running for the District 8 City Council seat, Abbotts actions amounted to a betrayal. So Brehm took to Facebook in December 2015 and expressed her disapproval this way: Did you see that Abbott backed off his stance to forbid the entrance of Syrian refugees? God help us, what will become of our country? On the same Facebook thread, Brehm wrote this about the refugees: We dont want them, we dont need them, send them back! Brehms social-media broadsides came back to bite her last month, when the Muslim Children Education and Civic Center (MCECC) hosted a District 8 candidate forum for an audience of 120 people. Near the end of the April 14 forum, a resident asked Brehm if she stood by her Facebook diatribes. The next questioner asked how San Antonio can guard against Islamophobia. Brehm, 59, seemed uncomfortable dealing with the issue, repeatedly saying, in reference to discrimination, Its just there. At that point, two of her opponents, Manny Pelaez and Tony Valdivia, jumped in to call out Brehm for her Facebook posts. Brehm refused to acknowledge the words she had written. Someone stood up in a political room, she said, and made accusations, saying I said something. Really? I havent seen it. I want to see it. The next day, Pelaez complied with Brehms request. He posted her 2015 comments on his own Facebook page. Sakib Shaikh, the forum moderator and a spokesman for MCECC, said he talked to Brehm immediately after the event. Shaikh said Brehm insisted that the constituent who asked about her Facebook posts was planted by Manny Pelaez. Shaikh asked how she knew, and Brehm replied, Because he (Pelaez) is a lawyer; he would do something like that. Pelaez dismissed Brehms allegation Tuesday, saying, No, its kind of hard for me to imagine how I would orchestrate that. Brehm did not respond to an interview request for this column. Shaikh said that five days after the forum, Brehm called him to say that her 2015 Facebook comments were taken out of context. He said Brehm told him that she loved Muslims and that her Facebook posts were specifically referring to terrorists going into Europe from Syria. I guess she was trying to win points with me, Shaikh said. So she said, You know how in Saudi Arabia, if you steal, they cut off your hand? I wish they would cut peoples hands off here if they steal. Its impossible to read Brehms Facebook posts and mistake the context. In reference to Syrian refugees, she wrote, What concerns me is how long will our tax dollars be used to pay for their well-being? They cant speak the language, they cant assimilate because they are foreigners. If Brehm was expressing fear about terrorists committing acts of violence, it was odd for her to frame the issue by complaining about their ability to assimilate and learn the English language. Those factors wouldnt seem to be at the top of your list of concerns about terrorists. Brehms campaign took another strange turn last Saturday. Pelaezs brother and parents were in the parking lot of the Cody Library polling site when Brehm approached Pelaezs 76-year-old father, who broke his hip last year and was sitting in a lawn chair. Brehm told Pelaezs father to move his chair, according to Pelaez. When he balked, Brehm allegedly challenged the elder Pelaez to a fistfight. Francisco Benavides, a volunteer for District 9 council candidate John Courage, witnessed the exchange and said Brehm was speaking to them (Pelaezs family) in a somewhat serious and aggressive manner. Benavides said Brehm eventually told Pelaezs father to stop talking, and turned away from him. Then, in what seemed like a real mocking and very vulgar gesture, she started slapping her behind at him, Benavides said. It was a real Jerry Springer type of insult. Then again, Brehm seems to be running a real Jerry Springer type of campaign. ggarcia@express-news.net Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Mapping the barley genome effectively provides a dictionary from which genetic words and sentences can be produced that identify the genes that control traits, such as yield, adaption to climate, quality and pest and disease tolerance, he said. Through the co-investment of the Global Innovation Linkage and the partner organisations we are able to conduct a detailed analysis into the genetics underlying important agronomic traits in wheat in more than 7000 wheat lines, she said. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Rain showers this morning with some sunshine during the afternoon hours. High near 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement. Support He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media. Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates. Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications. A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission. He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups. Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association. He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV. Best-selling authors like Lee Child and John Mankewicz, head writer for the American version of House of Cards, are paired with exonerees innocent people convicted, jailed and eventually exonerated in Anatomy of Innocence: Testimonies of the Wrongfully Convicted. The book aims to show what it feels like to be inside the mind of an innocent person as they are sucked into the vortex of the criminal justice system. Anatomy of Innocence, which has received stellar reviews since its recent release, benefits Life After Innocence, a Chicago clinic devoted to helping exonerees start over. When the clinic began in 2009, one or two exonerations happened across the United States in a year. Now there are on average three a week, and most of those exonerees have spent nearly a decade in prison, often more. We asked Laura Caldwell why. Laura Caldwell By Jennifer A Feeney False Confessions Yes, they do happen and with surprising regularity. More than half of exoneration cases include false confessions. In Anatomy of Innocence, master thriller writer Sara Paretsky takes us inside the mind of someone on the verge of making a harrowing and terrifying decision to falsely confess to a murder. Mistaken Identification Most of us think our memory is pretty good. Most of us are wrong. Memory is fallible and malleable and often changes as we retell stories. In other words, memory is delicate, and juries should be made aware of this so they can judge any witness IDs. Government Misconduct Most people in the criminal justice system enter it for the right reasons fighting crime and finding the right person accountable for it. But as we show in Anatomy of Innocence, a few bad apples including police and prosecutors can send scores of innocent people to prison (68 percent of wrongfully convicted homicide cases involve government misconduct). As Scott Turow discusses in Anatomy of Innocence, he was shocked to learn as a federal prosecutor how often police and others lied on the witness stand, sometimes simply because they didnt remember the investigation and relied on notes made by other people, thereby presenting it as their own testimony. Ineffective assistance of defense counsel Bad lawyering and investigations go both ways. Oftentimes, defense lawyers are overworked, underpaid and overwhelmed by the amount of work, leading to failure to track down definitive aliases or evidence that clearly shows innocence. Bad science From Shaken Baby Syndrome to Bite Analysis much expert testimony relied on to convict innocent people has been shown to be false. Bill Dillon, an exoneree profiled by Phillip Margolin in Anatomy of Innocence, was convicted by a dog sniffing expert whose false and fake testimony sent many people to prison. Incentivized Informants Incentivized informants, a slightly fancy way to refer to paid witnesses or those motivated by other things (such a reduced sentence on another case), wreak a lot of havoc on the justice system. Snitch testimony, in fact, is one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in death penalty cases. Chris Pratt thinks Star-Lord's character is evolving in every passing movie. Chris Pratt The Hollywood actor plays Star-Lord in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' films and is set to reprise the role in 'Avengers: Infinity War' - and Chris has given fans an insight into what they can expect from his character in the future. Chris shared: "He's more grown up. In the first movie he became the leader of the Guardians and that was his arc: to go from a selfish little kid who's socially stunted as a nine or 10 year old, to someone who's determined to become the leader of this ragtag squad and try to keep them out of trouble, with mixed results." But Chris says Star-Lord develops a more emotionally mature attitude in the new movie. He told io9: "In the second movie, he learns some seriously painful lessons about love and loss. And so, I think the connections are deeper. I mean, you're gonna see some s**t go down in 'Infinity War'. It's really powerful. But he doesn't go backward. He is a different character, for sure." 'Avengers: Infinity War' marks the first time Chris has worked on a Marvel movie without writer/director James Gunn leading the process, and he's admitted that it created a different on-set dynamic. The actor explained: "It was a little bit like flying on our own. Being pushed out of the nest and having to fly. "We had conversations on the phone, and he definitely wanted to make sure that we all felt okay with what we were doing. But the Russos [directors of 'Infinity War'] are really good. They know what's up. And so at first, it was a little daunting, but we felt okay." W. Earl Brown has confirmed the script for the 'Deadwood' movie has been finished. W. Earl Brown The 53-year-old actor, who played Dan Dority in HBO's TV movie, told his followers on Twitter that he has seen and read the story for the film which is an adaption of the series that ran from 2004 to 2006. On Twitter the actor wrote: "I've read the 'Deadwood' film script. It's stunning. (sic)" Brown also revealed reading the 126 page script was both "thrilling" and "heartbreaking". He said: "I've read, of had Dave (Milch, the creator) read to me, sections of it over the last two years. I now have the completed version ... While it may lack the physical heft of olde, it's emotional and philosophical heft is gargantuan ... The hour and half it took me to read was f***ing thrilling and f***ing heartbreaking. (sic)" Earlier this year, HBO reaffirmed its interest in making the movie with the president of the company Casey Bloys confirmed 'Deadwood' creator David Milch was still working on the script which is now completed. Last month, Milch told TVLine that "a two-hour movie script has been delivered to HBO, saying: "If they don't deliver a finished product, blame them." The Ian McShane-starring series, set in Deadwood, in South Dakota, followed Sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and other members of the town. 'Deadwood' also starred Timothy Olyphant, Molly Parker and Robin Weigert and in February McShane told denofgeek.com he would love to return. He said: "I would love to do that again, be reunited with David and Tim and everybody concerned with it. But they better make a deal sooner or later because we're all getting on a bit. It would be great to work with David Milch again, which was maybe the best experience I ever had." Since the show was cancelled by HBO there have been various rumours about reviving the western including talks of two feature length TV films. The late Princess Diana's former bodyguard advised her "strongly" not to give up her security following her divorce from the Prince of Wales. Princess Diana The royal tragically died in a car accident in France in 1997 aged 36, which came one year after she split from Prince Charles, but Metropolitan Police protection officer Ken Wharfe urged her not to ditch him and his team just because the couple had ended their romance. Speaking in an upcoming two-hour programme 'The Life and Death of Princess Diana: A Dateline Investigation', which is set to air on NBC on Friday (05.05.17), he recalled saying to her: "Whatever you want to do, you will always be Diana, the Princess of Wales. The one thing that you shouldn't give up is your security. I urge you strongly not to do that." Although Diana didn't take Ken's tips, he believes no one else could have convinced her to change her mind other than Queen Elizabeth II, and he thinks if she had of listened the nation's sweetheart - who has sons Prince William and Prince Harry - would still be alive. He added: "There's only one person that could - in my view - that could have insisted that she retain her security, and that would have been the queen herself. "If the queen had insisted that she retain that security then we wouldn't be having this discussion because Diana, in my view, would have been alive today." And Ken has claimed Diana's "big fear" was that Charles' current partner the Duchess of Cornwall would try to be her children's "substitute mother". Ken said: "Her big fear was that this is not a substitute mother for the boys. That they would try to sideline Diana and that Camilla might use her post." Shilpa Shetty Kundra made the most of her recent trip to London, which was a work-cum-mini-vacation with husband Raj Kundra by her side. On one of the days, the actress bumped into Hollywood star Goldie Hawn in the English capital. Shilpa, a huge fan of the 71-year-old star's work, decided to make the most of it. Given how fit Goldie looked for her age, their conversation veered towards health, food and fitness. Shilpa discussed yoga with Goldie and was pleasantly surprised about how well-versed the latter was with the Indian form of exercise and meditation. Goldie, few would know, has even studied meditation. Shilpa has been a regular practitioner of yoga for years now. Yoga got the ladies talking, and their conversation lasted close to an hour. Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Eminent fashion designers from Peru are showcasing exclusive garments made of pima cotton, alpaca and vicuna at the Sao Paulo Fashion Room during April 27-May 25, 2017 in Brazil. The event, which seeks to foster business between Peruvian designers and high-fashion boutiques in Brazil, brings together about 250 Brazilian buyers seeking high-end apparel. Eminent fashion designers from Peru are showcasing exclusive garments made of pima cotton, alpaca and vicuna at the Sao Paulo Fashion Room during April 27-May 25, 2017 in Brazil. The event, which seeks to foster business between Peruvian designers and high-fashion boutiques in Brazil, brings together about 250 Brazilian buyers seeking high-end apparel.# Peru's participation at this clothing industry exhibition and sale space for high fashion apparel and accessories in Brazil has been facilitated by Peru's Trade Office in Sao Paulo (Ocex Sao Paulo) and Exports and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru), according to a Peruvian news agency report. Eminent fashion designers from Peru are showcasing exclusive garments made of pima cotton, alpaca and vicuna at the Sao Paulo Fashion Room during April 27-May 25, 2017 in Brazil. The event, which seeks to foster business between Peruvian designers and high-fashion boutiques in Brazil, brings together about 250 Brazilian buyers seeking high-end apparel.# On the first day, Brazilian firms like Espaco Edna Aguiar, Maison, Village, Martha, Sabrina Paiva, among others, witnessed Peruvian designs by Meche Correa, Claudia Bertolero, Sergio Davila, Jose Clemente and Sumy Kujon, whose work includes embroidery practices by Peruvian communities, the report said. Eminent fashion designers from Peru are showcasing exclusive garments made of pima cotton, alpaca and vicuna at the Sao Paulo Fashion Room during April 27-May 25, 2017 in Brazil. The event, which seeks to foster business between Peruvian designers and high-fashion boutiques in Brazil, brings together about 250 Brazilian buyers seeking high-end apparel.# "The event seeks to foster business between Peruvian designers and high-fashion boutiques in Brazil. For this purpose, we are encouraging the usage of the Internationalisation Platform, established in 2005 by Ocex Sao Paulo and Promperu - a strategy that facilitates access of Peruvian garments into this market," Peruvian ministry of foreign trade and tourism (Mincetur) said. Eminent fashion designers from Peru are showcasing exclusive garments made of pima cotton, alpaca and vicuna at the Sao Paulo Fashion Room during April 27-May 25, 2017 in Brazil. The event, which seeks to foster business between Peruvian designers and high-fashion boutiques in Brazil, brings together about 250 Brazilian buyers seeking high-end apparel.# This internationalisation strategy enables Brazilian buyers to acquire Peruvian products without an import permit. The platform provides Brazilians with the possibility to purchase as in Brazil, using their local billing and delivery address. Eminent fashion designers from Peru are showcasing exclusive garments made of pima cotton, alpaca and vicuna at the Sao Paulo Fashion Room during April 27-May 25, 2017 in Brazil. The event, which seeks to foster business between Peruvian designers and high-fashion boutiques in Brazil, brings together about 250 Brazilian buyers seeking high-end apparel.# The trade platform has helped set up new sales channels for baby clothing, pima cotton t-shirts for Brazilian public institutions, private labels and multi-brand lines. (SV) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Lenzing Group, Austria-based leading, global supplier of high-quality, botanic cellulose fibres like dissolving wood pulp to standard and specialty cellulose fibres, to the global textile and nonwovens industry, has announced that the company has appointed Heiko Arnold as the new chief technology officer of the Lenzing Group on May 1, 2017.The management board of the company led by chief executive officer, Stefan Doboczky, was expanded by a new position for technology and increased from three to four members in view of the forthcoming expansion of production capacity; according to the sCore TEN corporate strategy the Lenzing Group aims to increase the share of specialty fibres as a percentage of revenue to 50 per cent by 2020. Lenzing Group, Austria-based leading, global supplier of high-quality, botanic cellulose fibres like dissolving wood pulp to standard and specialty cellulose fibres, to the global textile and nonwovens industry, has announced that the company has appointed Heiko Arnold as the new chief technology officer of the Lenzing Group on May 1, 2017.# The Munich-born manager, Heiko Arnold, studied chemistry at the Darmstadt University of Technology. In addition to a strong scientific and technical education, Heiko Arnold contributes his longstanding experience in realising large-scale investment projects and ongoing operational improvements at BASF, especially in Asia. Moreover, he has gained considerable experience in the field of research and development.The creation of a new management board position has enabled the Lenzing Group to bundle all its technical competencies. The new member in the companys top management body will be particularly responsible for the disciplined implementation of the approved and planned expansion steps, including the production facilities for Tencel fibres in Mobile (US), Grimsby (Great Britain), Heiligenkreuz (Austria), and in Asia. These initiatives are essential as a means of further driving organic growth.Lenzing CEO Stefan Doboczky said, We are pleased to have Heiko Arnold on our Management Board team. He is a proven expert with extensive technological know-how and broad-based international experience, especially in the Asian region. The creation of a new management board position will help us to continue pursuing the growth path we have set out upon and achieve our objectives within the context of our corporate strategy sCore TEN.Heiko Arnold said, Over the past few months I have gained a very good insight into the company. I am very much looking forward to carrying out the responsible tasks I have assumed on behalf of an innovative company such as the Lenzing Group. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India BP Global Petrochemicals has decided to sell its 50 per cent stake in Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Company to Gaoqiao Petrochemical, a 100 per cent subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), BP's joint venture partner, for a consideration of $1.68 billion. The decision aligns its petrochemicals business in China with its global focus. BP Global Petrochemicals has decided to sell its 50 per cent stake in Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Company to Gaoqiao Petrochemical, a 100 per cent subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), BP's joint venture partner, for a consideration of $1.68 billion. The decision aligns its petrochemicals business in China with its global focus.# "This decision aligns our petrochemicals business in China with our global focus on areas where BP has leading proprietary technologies and competitive advantage. China is a key region for our chemicals business and BP will continue to look for opportunities to build on our position in the country," said Rita Griffin, chief operating officer, BP Global Petrochemicals. BP Global Petrochemicals has decided to sell its 50 per cent stake in Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Company to Gaoqiao Petrochemical, a 100 per cent subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), BP's joint venture partner, for a consideration of $1.68 billion. The decision aligns its petrochemicals business in China with its global focus.# SECCO is currently owned by BP (50 per cent), Sinopec (30 per cent) and Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited (20 per cent), in which Sinopec holds a majority interest. Based in Shanghai, SECCO is a major producer of olefins - ethylene and propylene - together with polymers and other derivatives including polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile styrene, polystyrene, butadiene and other products. BP Global Petrochemicals has decided to sell its 50 per cent stake in Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Company to Gaoqiao Petrochemical, a 100 per cent subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), BP's joint venture partner, for a consideration of $1.68 billion. The decision aligns its petrochemicals business in China with its global focus.# "China is a country of great significance to BP given its market potential. BP has been committed to doing business in China for more than four decades. Looking into the future, we plan to continue to invest in China in areas that provide the best growth opportunities for BP, our Chinese partners and the country," said Dr. Xiaoping Yang, BP China president. BP Global Petrochemicals has decided to sell its 50 per cent stake in Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Company to Gaoqiao Petrochemical, a 100 per cent subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), BP's joint venture partner, for a consideration of $1.68 billion. The decision aligns its petrochemicals business in China with its global focus.# The transaction is subject to a number of regulatory approvals and other conditions, subject to which, it is currently anticipated to complete before the end of the year with the consideration payable in installments. (SV) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Felix Schoeller Group, the Osnabruck-based specialty paper manufacturer, is presenting its entire diverse product portfolio for digital printing, including digital textile printing, at this year's FESPA to be held in Hamburg, Germany from May 8-12. The company will be showcasing its S-Race papers for sublimation printing to the audience at the event. S-Race tacky is the first microporous tacky paper for sublimation printing and is the fastest drying tacky paper on the market. S-Race papers' key outstanding features are their extremely fast drying time, short transfer time, excellent line sharpness and superb lay-flat properties. They produce excellent print results - both on soft and hard substrates - and the 55-gram paper performs exceptionally well with soft substrates such as fabrics and textiles. The 100-gram paper S-Race tacky is a new addition to the portfolio. It was specially developed for all types of elastic polyester textiles and prevents what is known as the 'ghosting effect'. One of the highlights at the stand will be a sublimation demonstration. Visitors to the Felix Schoeller stand will have the opportunity to experience a live demonstration of how impressive prints on S-Race paper are with their true-to-life colours and how they depict the motifs superbly after transfer to hard substrates. Felix Schoeller Group, the Osnabruck-based specialty paper manufacturer, is presenting its entire diverse product portfolio for digital printing, including digital textile printing, at this year's FESPA to be held in Hamburg, Germany from May 8-12. The company will be showcasing its S-Race papers for sublimation printing to the audience at the event.# "We are delighted that the live sublimation demonstration will enable us to illustrate the advantages of S-Race to our customers under realistic conditions and in a more immediate way," said Florian Murrmann, senior vice president and general manager of Felix Schoeller Digital Media. "Felix Schoeller will be exhibiting its products on its own stand as they are typically used in applications so that trade visitors will be able to see the final result and excellent outcomes for themselves," added Murrmann. (KD) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The number of facilities certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) demonstrated a substantial increase, from 3,814 facilities in 2015 to 4,642 facilities in 2016. GOTS certified facilities are now located in 63 countries around the world. Their growth has been evenly spread across market segments like mass market and the big brands. GOTS certification covers the processing of organic fibres along the entire supply chain from field to finished product. Countries or regions with the largest increase in GOTS certification in 2016 are Bangladesh (+121), China (+68), Italy (+54), Germany (+41), India (+47) and Pakistan (+30). The top ten countries in terms of total number of certified entities were India (1488), Turkey (423), Germany (347), Bangladesh (331), China (269), Italy (195), Pakistan (172), Portugal (96), Korea (61) and Japan (58). "The significant growth in numbers of GOTS certified facilities shows the willingness of more and more decision makers not only to drive change by complying with the strict GOTS criteria but also to prove this change by undergoing an independent third party certification," said Herbert Ladwig, managing director, GOTS. The number of facilities certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) demonstrated a substantial increase, from 3,814 facilities in 2015 to 4,642 facilities in 2016. GOTS certified facilities are now located in 63 countries around the world. Their growth has been evenly spread across market segments like mass market and the big brands.# To date the 18 GOTS accredited independent Certification Bodies report more than 1.4 million people in 4354 (out of the actual 4642) working in GOTS certified facilities. "The increasing market acceptance is a result that GOTS delivers solutions for sustainability based problems for both, business need for risk management and credibility and consumers need for transparency", says Claudia Kersten, director marketing & finance, GOTS. For GOTS, 2016 was a revision year resulting in the release of GOTS Version 5.0 on March 1, 2017. The key changes in brief are the use of viscose and modal (additional fibre content) is now restricted to 10 per cent (25 per cent for sportswear and socks). Lyocell fibre made from certified organic or FSC sources may still be used up to 30 per cent because of its more sustainable manufacturing processes. For the first time, GOTS will allow 'Combined Products' such as prams with textile fabrics, bassinets, car seats or furniture with textile fabric upholstery to have certified and labelled textile components. Regarding the GOTS social criteria, an explicit section on Ethical Business Behaviour including a corruption ban was added, based on the UN Global Compact Principles. The mandatory GOTS Social Compliance Management System for the first time includes guidance on the use of tools such as SAI Social Fingerprint to help companies measure and improve their social performance. In 2016, seven regional representatives were working on GOTS promotion. Three new regional representatives have been appointed Lina Pfeifer in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Lori Wyman in North America and Elif Yarasik was appointed the first regional GOTS representative in Turkey. Given the fact that Turkey is the country with the second most GOTS certified facilities worldwide, it a very important sourcing market. India continued its top position in a row with 1,488 GOTS certified facilities. GOTS is also a part of the QCI-UNFSS India National Platform on Private Sustainability Standards, which was launched in year 2016 by ministry of commerce, Government of India. GOTS Representative in India, Sumit Gupta, is a member of textile subcommittee in this platform. In India, the interest in GOTS certified organic textile products is on the rise in both consumers as well as industry. India also witnessed an increase of brands and stores selling GOTS certified textiles in retail. Bangladesh has also maintained its fourth position with 331 facilities. Dhaka hosted highly successful National Seminar on GOTS Certification in November 2016, which was attended by 170 people from 5 countries. (KD) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT'S OPENING ADDRESS AT THE FIJIAN TOURISM EXPO 2017 The Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Lands and Mineral Resources Honourable Faiyaz Siddiq Koya, Na Momo na Tui Nadi Ratu Vuniyani Navuniuci, The Permanent Secretary for Industry, Trade and Tourism - Mr. Shaheen Ali, Chairman of the Tourism Fiji Board - Mr. Andre Viljoen, Valued members of the Fijian Tourism Industry Valued international buyers and members of the media, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen,Ni sa bula vinaka and a very good evening to you all.It is such a pleasure and honour to be here this evening and to officially open the Fijian Tourism Expo 2017.For the last four years, the Fijian Tourism Expo has established and created long-term relations within the Industry for both exhibitors and international buyers. We expect this years Fijian Tourism Expo to be an even more exciting, but more importantly, successful event for Fijis Tourism Industry.I warmly welcome our visitors and friends, the 160 international travel buyers and members of the international media from across the globe who are attending this years event. Ni sa Bula Vinaka and welcome to Fiji. Similarly, also a Bula Vinaka to those of you who are gracing our shores again. It is such a pleasure to have you back.I have been informed that some of the buyers who are present here today have travelled from countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and America, and closer to home from our traditional neighbours and friends from Australia and New Zealand. On behalf of the Government and all Fijians, may I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for supporting our Tourism Industry in attending this week-long event.I would also like to thank all the members of our very own Fijian Tourism Industry who have done such a marvellous job in using this platform to showcase the diverse and exquisite products and services we have to offer our visitors.Strengthening existing partnerships and creating new ones is an essential goal for the Fijian Tourism Expo, and in view of this, we have retained the theme, considered it prudent to Team Fiji for this years ExpoThis theme is also considered timely and apt in identifying the Tourism Ministry in playing a lead role as part of our National team with other stakeholders who have been most helpful in our collective effort in moving Tourism Fiji forward together.I have been informed that our 2016 Rio Olympic Gold Medal winning Fijian Sevens team will be making an appearance at the Expo, to play a game of touch rugby with attendees.Ladies and gentlemen, our Sevens team is a perfect example of great teamwork. They continue to be a source of inspiration for us all - to work together, to achieve our goals as individuals, organisations and as a nation. It is a brand which we hope to utilise to further promote Fijis Tourism Industry.Ladies and gentlemen, It was the team spirit of the tourism industry that ensured that the industry was able to turnaround and maintain a healthy trajectory status for 2016, despite the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Winston on the nation. Fiji recorded the highest number of visitor arrivals of 792,320, which was a five percent increase compared to 2015. Furthermore, total earnings also increased by 2.7 percent to $1.6 billion.Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2018 outlook for the travel and tourism sector remains positive and strong as the Fijian Government and our destination marketing arm - Tourism Fiji - remain committed to supporting this growth. Our national airline Fiji Airways plans to upgrade five of its Boeing 737s to Max 8 aircrafts should greatly contribute towards enhanced visitor comfort for travellers who come to Fiji from the West coast of America, the East of Australia and the Island State of Singapore.Ladies and gentlemen, the Fijian Government wants the Tourism Industry to continue to improve its income generating capacity, therefore it has embarked on mapping out strategies that would better consolidate and coordinate efforts towards enhancing the growth of the industry.In this regard, the Fijian Government begun work on the Tourism Development Plan or Fijian Tourism 2021 to set the platform that should elevate Tourism to a $2.2 billion industry by the end of 2021.Fijian Tourism 2021 is a whole-of-government and industry long-term strategy to build the resilience and competitiveness of the Fijian tourism industry and grow its economic contribution.It focuses on improving the industrys performance and competitiveness by pursuing new opportunities for growth and addressing supply-side factors.The objectives of the Plan are to:1. Expand visitor expenditure and tourism yield;2. Create a conducive environment for sustainable increase in visitor arrivals; and,3. Support development of a sustainable and inclusive tourism sector.In a nutshell, the Fijian Tourism 2021 is a comprehensive plan that aims to address the fundamental issues for the continued development of the Fijian tourism industry.This includes, among other considerations, environmental sustainability to complement the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. It also includes caring for our Oceans. The tourism industry could play a lead role in this area of sustainable development.You will already note that Fijis Prime Minister Honourable Voreqe Bainimarama is calling on the world to help address climate change, which is already becoming the most significant challenge for humanity.Fiji intends to play its part not only through co-chairing with Sweden the United Nations Oceans Conference in New York in June this year, and presiding over the 23rd session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or COP23 in November, but also in considering practical measures that will further reduce its carbon footprint from an already negligible level.Fiji will also work towards championing the interests of all Pacific Islands Countries and other low-lying and vulnerable nations and peoples around the world.As President and Head of State, I would like to challenge the tourism industry and all its stakeholders to come together as Team Fiji and work with Government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism to ensure that Fijian Tourism 2021 is a success.We want everyone to take ownership of this Plan it is your Plan and not just a Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism Plan. Therefore, everyone from the relevant government agencies and the industry should work together to achieve the targeted outcomes and goals set therein.The Ministry has undertaken extensive consultations on the draft plan over the past few months and is continuing to receive favourable comments from stakeholders.If we do not work together as a team, we will not be able to achieve the vision set for the industry. Hence, as Team Fiji we need to build on our strengths and find solutions to positively resolve our challenges and overcome our weaknesses. We will not be able to achieve the desired results if we keep dwelling on the past and not live and plan for the future. The strategies identified in the Fijian Tourism 2021 are the avenues for a bigger, better and more sustainable future for the tourism industry in Fiji.In summary, the plan focuses on building a resilient and productive industry that is focused on quality. This will be achieved by rigorous marketing of the Fijian brand, investment in infrastructure that lead to increased investment in tourism and related activities, focus on sustainable development, providing support for small and medium enterprises, building capacity within the industry, to name a few.Ladies and Gentlemen, In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that effective partnership is vital for the growth of the tourism sector and to achieving the goals set for the sector. I call on the industry to support the Fijian Tourism 2021, and effectively contribute to the consultation process.We look forward to the continued support from you, our travel partners and tourism operators, because I believe that together, we can achieve anything.With those words, I wish you all a productive and an enjoyable time at the Fiji Tourism Expo 2017. As we say, Fiji is Where Happiness Finds You.Vinaka Vakalevu, Thank you and may God Bless You all. Mammootty has a big budget project in his kitty, in the form of the actor's upcoming film with Rajadhiraja fame Ajai Vasudev's second directorial venture, shooting of which is currently progressing in Kerala. With each passing day, updates are pouring in regarding the movie, which has raised the expectations on this much awaited venture. Now, certain reports are doing the rounds that this upcoming venture has been given a title. Rumours are rife that this Mammootty movie has been titled as Eddy. No official confirmation has been made regarding the title of the movie, from the makers side. Fan made posters of the movie, with the title Eddy are already doing the rounds in Social media. Interestigly, Mammootty will be playing the role of a strict college profesor named Edward Livingstone aka Eddy Livingstone in this venture, which is expected to be an out-and-out entertainer. The upcoming film has its script written by Udaykrishna. After becoming an independent writer, it is for the first time that the writer is penning a script for a Mammootty starrer. Apart from Mammootty, the upcoming film also features Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Mahima Nambiar, Poonam Bajwa, Gokul Suresh, Mukesh, Santhosh Pandit etc., in prominent roles. Parvathy, the talented actress has emerged as the most celebrated actress of her generation, with some exceptional roles. If the reports are to be believed, Parvathy has now also become the highest paid actress of contemporary Malayalam cinema. According to some believable sources, the actress has raised her remuneration to 1 Crore, post the huge success of her latest release, Take Off. Earlier, Parvathy was charging around 30-35 Lakhs for a film. Manju Warrier, who was earlier crowned as highest paid actress of M'town, has now been pushed into the second position. Manju is reportedly charging 50 Lakhs-1 Crore for a film. Nayantara, who charges 35 Lakhs per movie, is in the third position. Parvathy, who made her acting debut with the 2006-released movie Out Of Syllabus. Even though she later appeared in a few promising projects including Notebook, Vinodayathra, Flash, etc., the actress failed to make a mark in Mollywood. She made a strong comeback to Malayalam cinema, by playing the role of RJ Sarah in Anjali Menon directed blockbuster movie Bangalore Days. Her portrayal of the paralysed radio jockey earned highly positive reviews from all over. The actress later appeared in Ennu Ninte Moideen and Charlie, in which she was paired up with Prithviraj and Dulquer Salmaan, respectively. Parvathy won the Kerala state film award for Best Actress, for her performance in the movies. MANILA, PHILIPPINES -- (Marketwired) -- 05/02/17 -- Mindoro Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: MIO)(FRANKFURT:WKN 906167) ("Mindoro" or the "Company") today announced the filing of the Company's annual audited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2016. Highlights in this news release should be read in conjunction with the Company's Annual Audited Financial Statements and the Management Discussion & Analysis, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise stated. Financial Net loss of $4,959,000 in 2016 includes the Company's proportionate share of the net income of the Company's equity investment in AMVI amounting to $451,000, compared to a net loss of $1,633,000 in the same period of 2015. The Company borrowed $500,000 from TVIRD pursuant to the terms of a secured promissory note on December 19, 2014. This agreement was intended as a bridge financing while negotiating for a larger financing arrangement with TVIRD and its shareholders. The note was originally due on January 31, 2015, but the term has been subsequently extended until a financing agreement is completed. The note accrues interest equal to 8% per annum and is secured by Mindoro's interest in its wholly owned subsidiary, MRL Nickel Philippines, Inc. In 2016, the Company received additional bridge loan of $715,000 from TVIRD, including $245,000 in the 4th quarter. As at December 31, 2016, total borrowings from TVIRD amount to $1,651,000, including accrued interest of $140,000. At December 31, 2016, the cash balance was $93,000 and has a working capital deficit of $7,542,000, excluding warrants liabilities, compared with a cash balance of $118,000 and working capital deficit of $6,066,000, respectively, at December 31, 2015. About Mindoro Mindoro is a Tier 2 issuer trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (MIO) and Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WKN 906167). Mindoro has a direct and beneficial 40% interest in the Agata Mining Joint Venture and direct and beneficial 75% interest in the Agata Processing Joint Venture with an option to acquire an additional 25% interest in the Agata Processing Joint Venture. Mindoro also holds 75% interest in the Pan de Azucar Sulphur-Copper-Gold Project, Iloilo City. TVIRD has the option to earn up to 60% interest in the Agata Processing and Pan de Azucar projects by meeting the earn-in requirements outlined in the June 24, 2013 press release, which include producing a definitive feasibility study for a nickel processing facility. As of October 16, 2015, a PMRC compliant DFS was completed by Agata Processing Inc., which would result in TVIRD earning a total of 60% interest in API shares. Mindoro also holds 75% interest and an option to acquire additional 25% interest in the Tapian San Francisco Copper-Gold Project, Mindanao. Reader Advisory Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intent", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "scheduled", "to be", "will be" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this News Release are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (known and unknown) that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, such things as inherent risks associated with the exploration and development of mining properties, ultimate recoverability of mineral reserves, timing, results and costs of exploration and development activities, availability of financial resources or third-party financing, new laws (domestic or foreign), changes in administrative practices, changes in exploration plans or budgets, and availability of equipment and personnel. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance upon the forward-looking statements contained in this News Release and such forward-looking statements should not be interpreted or regarded as guarantees of future outcomes. Forward-looking information respecting cash flows anticipated from future production of high-iron/low nickel DSO at the Agata Mining Project, is based upon high-iron/low nickel DSO prices in effect as at the date of this News Release, management's forecasts of trends in prices of high-iron/low nickel DSO, current mining rates of high-iron/low-nickel DSO from the Agata Mining Project, estimates of the size of the high-iron/low nickel DSO reserves at Agata Mining Project, the current development plan for Agata Mining Project, AMVI's current budget and overall strategy for Agata Mining Project, which plans, budget and strategy are all subject to change. Forward-looking information respecting the anticipated timing of future shipments of high-iron/low nickel DSO from the Agata Mining Project, is based upon current mining rates of high-iron/low nickel DSO from the Agata Mining Project, the terms of the third party offtake agreement for the purchase of high-iron/low nickel DSO produced at the Agata Mining Project, estimates of the size of the high-iron/low nickel DSO reserves at the Agata Mining Project, the current development plan for the Agata Mining Project, AMVI's current budget and overall strategy for the Agata Mining Project, which plans, budget and strategy are all subject to change. The forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this News Release are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement. Various risks to which the Company is exposed in the conduct of its business (including mining activities) are described in detail in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2015, which was filed on SEDAR on April 29, 2016 and is available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly revise the forward-looking statements included in this News Release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Contacts: Mindoro Resources Ltd. Mary Anne B. Antazo Interim CEO +63 917.322.6975 mbantazo@mrlnickel.com ALISO VIEJO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/02/17 -- BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) Highlights Appointment of Robert Beachler, a 30-year technology veteran with prior public and private company experience in marketing, business development and operations. Acquired an exclusive license to JAST, a next-generation spiking neural networking technology. Achieved the integration of the Spikenet Technologies neural network in an FPGA hardware platform. Accelerated momentum in commercial surveillance with deployment of Game Outcome at Mohegan Sun. Accelerated momentum in civil surveillance with the French Department of Homeland Security. BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) ("BrainChip" or "the Company"), a leading developer of software and hardware accelerated solutions for Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications, is pleased to provide an update on the quarter ended March 31, 2017 to accompany the Company's quarterly cash flow report. Significant developments for the quarter include the appointment of Robert Beachler as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, the acquisition of an exclusive license to the JAST Neural Networking technology, the integration of Spikenet Technologies software solution in an FPGA hardware platform, and the deployment of Game Outcome at the independently operated Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort. WEBCAST UPDATE / Wednesday May 3, 2017 / 7:00 p.m. EDT / 4:00 p.m. PDT The Company will host a webcast update on Wednesday May 3, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. EDT /4:00 p.m. PDT (Thursday May 4, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. Australia EST). BrainChip's Chief Executive Officer Lou DiNardo will host the webcast. Attendees will be required to register for the webcast ahead of the event and can do so by following either link: Direct link to webcast: https://fnn.webex.com/fnn/onstage/g.php?MTID=e0e58015cd524bb054ecc9a73de703fd5 Company's Investor Relations Page: http://ir.brainchipinc.com/asx-announcements OPERATIONS Appointment of Robert Beachler The Company announced the appointment of Silicon Valley veteran Robert Beachler as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development during the quarter. Mr. Beachler is a Silicon Valley veteran with over 30 years of success in developing and marketing cutting-edge technologies. His background includes more than 16 years of experience in a variety of engineering and marketing roles at Altera Corporation, a leading provider of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) products, which was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2015 for over $16 billion. He has also served as Vice-President of Marketing, Operations, and Systems Design at Stretch Inc., a provider of embedded video processing solutions up until its acquisition by Exar Corporation in 2014. While at Exar, Mr. Beachler was appointed Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Business Development. Most recently, he served at Xilinx Corporation, the leading worldwide independent provider of FPGA products, and led the marketing of imaging, video and machine learning solutions for Xilinx's industrial, scientific, and medical markets. Appointment of Robert Beachler The Company announced the appointment of Silicon Valley veteran Robert Beachler as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development during the quarter. Mr. Beachler is a Silicon Valley veteran with over 30 years of success in developing and marketing cutting-edge technologies. His background includes more than 16 years of experience in a variety of engineering and marketing roles at Altera Corporation, a leading provider of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) products, which was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2015 for over $16 billion. He has also served as Vice-President of Marketing, Operations, and Systems Design at Stretch Inc., a provider of embedded video processing solutions up until its acquisition by Exar Corporation in 2014. While at Exar, Mr. Beachler was appointed Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Business Development. Most recently, he served at Xilinx Corporation, the leading worldwide independent provider of FPGA products, and led the marketing of imaging, video and machine learning solutions for Xilinx's industrial, scientific, and medical markets. Business Development The appointment of Robert Beachler positions the Company to capitalize on targeted large addressable markets in artificial intelligence. Mr. Beachler has a proven track record of success in bringing products to market and driving growth. He will build a marketing and business development team in Europe and the United States this year, followed by Asia and Australia in 2018. Mr. Beachler's initial efforts will be to drive revenue growth in markets where the Company has demonstrated success, expand the number of customers in these markets, and introduce the Company's hardware accelerated products to further enhance its position in large-scale deployments. The appointment of Robert Beachler positions the Company to capitalize on targeted large addressable markets in artificial intelligence. Mr. Beachler has a proven track record of success in bringing products to market and driving growth. He will build a marketing and business development team in Europe and the United States this year, followed by Asia and Australia in 2018. Mr. Beachler's initial efforts will be to drive revenue growth in markets where the Company has demonstrated success, expand the number of customers in these markets, and introduce the Company's hardware accelerated products to further enhance its position in large-scale deployments. Commercial Surveillance: This market is highlighted by engagements in the gaming industry. The worldwide gaming industry includes approximately 2,600 casinos and over 50,000 gaming tables. In addition to existing deployments, the Company is currently in discussions or trials with 17 casinos including the MGM Group in the United States, the Crown Casino Group in Australia, a Sands China operated casino in Macau and a number of independently operated Native American Tribal casinos including Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Pechanga in California and Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania. The Company's business model in the gaming industry is based on a fee paid for each active table on a daily basis, thereby creating an ongoing revenue stream from a potentially large and diverse customer base. The Company is in the process of signing another evaluation protocol with the CISCO Innovation Centre of Perth. The CIIC will perform the evaluation of BrainChip's advanced video analytic technologies, aiming at boosting the reliability of access authorization around sensitive areas. This is in addition to the ongoing trials by the CIIC of advanced video analytics for transport safety, which are currently expanding to a national level. The Company's business model in the gaming industry is based on a fee paid for each active table on a daily basis, thereby creating an ongoing revenue stream from a potentially large and diverse customer base. The Company is in the process of signing another evaluation protocol with the CISCO Innovation Centre of Perth. The CIIC will perform the evaluation of BrainChip's advanced video analytic technologies, aiming at boosting the reliability of access authorization around sensitive areas. This is in addition to the ongoing trials by the CIIC of advanced video analytics for transport safety, which are currently expanding to a national level. Civil Surveillance: The growing threat of terrorism and violent crime is driving demand for real-time video analytics. This is a large and growing market, which includes Homeland Security, Metropolitan Law Enforcement, Airports and Mass Transit. The market for Civil Surveillance is large, well funded and geographically diverse. The Company serves the challenging requirements for video analytics, including facial and pattern recognition. The Company continues to work closely with the French Department of Homeland Security and Paris municipal law enforcement. Drawing on the success of these relationships, a new trial is set to begin in June with the law enforcement agency in Toulouse, France, which will further inform the Paris municipal law enforcement agency regarding the compelling benefits of the BrainChip video analytic solutions. Additionally, there is another new trial planned in the third quarter of 2017 with the Toulouse passenger rail authority. The Company has opportunities with multiple schools in the United States and is currently in discussions with a school district in the state of New York for a deployment that represents potential revenue of $600,000. The Company has already been selected as their vendor for video analytics and the school district is in a funding process that will enable them to begin deployment. The market for Civil Surveillance is large, well funded and geographically diverse. The Company serves the challenging requirements for video analytics, including facial and pattern recognition. The Company continues to work closely with the French Department of Homeland Security and Paris municipal law enforcement. Drawing on the success of these relationships, a new trial is set to begin in June with the law enforcement agency in Toulouse, France, which will further inform the Paris municipal law enforcement agency regarding the compelling benefits of the BrainChip video analytic solutions. Additionally, there is another new trial planned in the third quarter of 2017 with the Toulouse passenger rail authority. The Company has opportunities with multiple schools in the United States and is currently in discussions with a school district in the state of New York for a deployment that represents potential revenue of $600,000. The Company has already been selected as their vendor for video analytics and the school district is in a funding process that will enable them to begin deployment. Machine Vision: The desire for highly accurate visual inspection methods is driving demand for artificial intelligence. The Company has partnered with companies such as SAFRAN in Paris, France, which is developing an innovative inspection system for a mission critical manufacturing application. As well, at Airbus in Toulouse, France, the Company has collaborated on a variety of video analytic projects. Other applications include vehicle identification and infrastructure inspection. The Machine Vision market is most notably represented by the automotive industry. As Autonomous Driver Assisted Systems (ADAS) and fully autonomous vehicles become more prevalent the requirements for real-time video analytics become more critical. BrainChip's Spiking Neural Network represents a best-in-class solution for this demanding application. The Company is currently engaged with IniLabs in Switzerland, a developer of DVS cameras that are applicable in autonomous vehicle applications. The Company is also engaged in discussions with Volkswagen. The Machine Vision market is most notably represented by the automotive industry. As Autonomous Driver Assisted Systems (ADAS) and fully autonomous vehicles become more prevalent the requirements for real-time video analytics become more critical. BrainChip's Spiking Neural Network represents a best-in-class solution for this demanding application. The Company is currently engaged with IniLabs in Switzerland, a developer of DVS cameras that are applicable in autonomous vehicle applications. The Company is also engaged in discussions with Volkswagen. JAST Technology License In March of 2017 the Company acquired an exclusive license to a next-generation neural networking technology developed by CERCO (Brain and Cognition Research Center) in Toulouse, France. The technology has been developed specifically for use with spiking inputs. The advanced Spiking Neural Network and learning rules maximize processing speed while minimizing power consumption. The JAST technology will be implemented on the Company's proprietary SNAP core. This solution will provide compelling advantages in systems where autonomous real-time learning is critical, including but not limited to autonomous vehicles and drones, ADAS and financial technology aimed at improving the speed of trading algorithms. In March of 2017 the Company acquired an exclusive license to a next-generation neural networking technology developed by CERCO (Brain and Cognition Research Center) in Toulouse, France. The technology has been developed specifically for use with spiking inputs. The advanced Spiking Neural Network and learning rules maximize processing speed while minimizing power consumption. The JAST technology will be implemented on the Company's proprietary SNAP core. This solution will provide compelling advantages in systems where autonomous real-time learning is critical, including but not limited to autonomous vehicles and drones, ADAS and financial technology aimed at improving the speed of trading algorithms. Integration of Spikenet Technologies in an FPGA Platform In March of 2017 The Company made a major achievement by integrating the field proven Spikenet algorithms and software with a hardware core developed specifically for visual applications. The FPGA hardware solution will provide a fast, low-power solution that can run a large number of video streams simultaneously for video analytics including facial and pattern recognition. A multi-core FPGA hardware solution is expected during the second quarter and the Company plans to engage early adopter customers in the third quarter of 2017. The hardware solution will reduce the total cost of ownership in large deployments of surveillance systems and is expected to drive significant revenue growth for the Company. CORPORATE Option and Performance Rights Issue The Company issued 27,100,000 unlisted options during the quarter to newly appointed staff as a part of its incentive program and in order to appropriately align the interests of staff and shareholders. The Company issued 1,500,000 performance rights to Robert Beachler as part of his appointment, which vest subject to various time and performance based hurdles. 1,000,000 unlisted options lapsed in accordance with their terms during the quarter. Quarterly Expenditure Expenditures in the quarter were materially higher than in the previous quarter primarily due to staffing in marketing and engineering, and legal and financial expenses associated with the Company's evaluation of domicile and exchange listing. The Company has made no decision as yet on re-domiciling the Company. The Company had approximately $1.9 million in cash at the end of the quarter. The Board is closely monitoring the Company's funding needs and expects to initiate a capital raise to support future cash requirements including continued engineering on the SNAP technology, and staffing in engineering, sales and marketing to further the Company's engagement with customers and support revenue growth. Forward Looking Statements Any statements, estimates, forecasts or projections with respect to the future performance of BrainChip Holdings Limited and/or its subsidiaries contained in this presentation are based on assumptions made by BrainChip's management and about circumstances and events that have not yet taken place. Such statements, estimates, forecasts and projections involve significant elements of subjective judgment and analysis, which, while reasonably formulated, cannot be guaranteed to occur. Accordingly, no representations are made by BrainChip or its affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, agents, advisers or employees as to the accuracy of such information; such statements, estimates, forecasts and projections should not be relied upon as indicative of future value or as a guaranteed of value or future results; and there can be no assurance that the projected results will be achieved. About BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) BrainChip is a leading provider of software and hardware accelerated solutions for Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications. The Company's Spiking Neural Adaptive Processor (SNAP) can learn autonomously with a small sample set and provide real-time information, data analytics and knowledge in image and video processing applications, high frequency data streams for financial analysis and event, speech, and speaker recognition from audio sources. BrainChip's SNAP technology can quickly learn, recognize, and track events in real time from multiple sources and identify repeating patterns in complex data streams. The Company currently provides software and hardware accelerated solutions that address high-performance requirements in Civil Surveillance, Facial Recognition, and Visual Inspection systems. Future solutions include audio analytics and deep learning for financial and other data intensive applications. www.brainchipinc.com. Company Contact: Robert Beachler Email Contact +1 (949) 330-6750 Investor Contact: Laura Guerrant-Oiye Principal Guerrant Associates +1 (808) 960-2642 Email Contact KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/02/17 -- The number of Malaysian residents visiting New Zealand has increased by 54% in the last year, paving the way for increased investment into the nation's booming property market, according to real estate group CBRE. A report released by government agency Statistics New Zealand shows in the 12 months until the end of January, 53,008 Malaysian residents arrived in New Zealand for a stay of less than 12 months. This represents an increase of 18,528 or 54% on the previous corresponding year. In the same period, the number of permanent and long term arrivals, staying for more than 12 months, increased by 20%. "We're seeing that the increase of Malaysians into New Zealand is coinciding with an increasing appetite amongst investors there to capitalise on the increasing property values in Auckland and new projects," explains CBRE's National Director of Residential Projects in New Zealand Gavin Lloyd. One of these projects is The Pacifica, at 178 meters high it's set to be New Zealand's tallest residential tower. It's being developed by Hengyi Pacific, a respected Australasian developer, and will sit in the heart of the Auckland CBD. The 54-level tower with 295 apartments will offer its residents views over the Auckland skyline and its iconic harbour. Interested buyers will have 34 different floor plans to choose from, among them one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus study, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and penthouse apartments. Prices for apartments start at around NZD$657,000 (approx. 2.1 million Malaysian ringgit) and for luxurious, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom Sky Homes, which sit between the 42nd and 49th floors, go up to about NZD$2.25 million (approx. 7 million Malaysian ringgit). Penthouses are also available with prices available upon enquiry. Amenities include a lap pool, sauna, steam room, spa, gym, cinema, library, residents' lounge, and barbecue terrace. Twenty-four-hour valet parking will also be available. "Apartment living is really on the rise in Auckland. There's a chronic shortage of housing and the city is starting to build up." "Auckland needs 421,000 new homes built by 2040 and is currently falling well short of what's required," says Lloyd. He adds that with Auckland's population forecast to increase from 1.6 to 2.6 million by 2030, he expects house prices to continue to rise. "The historic long term growth trends for Auckland property show that, regardless of market cycles, property prices in Auckland double every 6 years. The level of security Auckland offers is driving interest in The Pacifica. "On top of that, there's no stamp duty or land tax in New Zealand, the government here really welcomes overseas investment," says Lloyd. The level of interest in Auckland apartments has prompted CBRE to hold an exhibition on The Pacifica for Malaysian investors at The Westin Kuala Lumpur, 199 Jalan Bukit Bintang, on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th May from 11am-7pm. Those interested in attending the event or learning more about The Pacifica are encouraged to contact CBRE l WTW's William Yuen on 016-337 6664 or at william.yuen@cbre-wtw.com.my. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3135362 CBRE l WTW's William Yuen 016-337 6664 Email Contact SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 05/02/17 -- The definitive luxury malt, The Dalmore is set to release an exceptionally rare, Domaine Henri Giraud champagne-finished, 50 year old single malt to mark its Master Distiller Richard Paterson's 50th year in the whisky industry. As the creative force behind some of the most iconic and innovative releases in the world, Richard Paterson's passion, expertise and artistry has seen him pioneer the art of maturation and cask finishing which has been instrumental to the success of The Dalmore. Building on the celebrations surrounding Richard's 50th anniversary, the limited edition, The Dalmore 50 year old has been meticulously crafted in partnership with four other legendary luxury houses, to serve as a fitting tribute to each year of his illustrious career. With up to 50 decanters released, which will be hand-filled on order, The Dalmore 50 has been matured in American white oak, Matusalem oloroso sherry casks from the world-renowned Gonzalez Byass Bodega and port Colheita pipes from the Douro region of Portugal, before undertaking a final finesse for 50 days in rare champagne casks from Domaine Henri Giraud. Paterson did not select the champagne cask by chance. Considered to be one of the region's hidden gems, Domaine Henri Giraud family estate is regularly lauded by experts from around the globe and is one of the only champagne houses to still mature their wines in casks. The casks selected have a unique intensity and aromatic complexity, giving Paterson the final flourish of wood needed to create this exceptional expression. To hold this unique whisky, the artisans at prestigious French crystal house Baccarat have skilfully created crystal decanters, each of which will be held within a presentation case designed and crafted by the accomplished furniture makers at LINLEY. Finally, each decanter will be adorned with a solid silver stag, created by silversmiths Hamilton & Inches, holder of The Royal Warrant. Richard Paterson, Master Distiller at The Dalmore said: "This is a special year for me so I chose to finesse this whisky in a champagne cask, as this magnificent drink is synonymous with celebratory occasions. Bringing the champagne together with Matusalem oloroso sherry and port is perhaps the greatest example to date of our ability to innovate in both maturation and cask finishing while preserving the signature flavours of The Dalmore. This whisky is exceptional, as are the luxurious and sophisticated finishes applied by the craftsmen at Domaine Henri Giraud, Baccarat, Linley and Hamilton & Inches. They are true masters of their art and it is a pleasure to have worked with them to bring the 50 year old to life in such a magnificent way." Journey of The Dalmore 50 1966: The Dalmore new make spirit began its journey in American white oak exBourbon casks 2003: The maturing whisky is transferred to Matusalem oloroso sherry casks 2012: The whisky is transferred to Port Colheita pipes 2016: In January of 2016, the spirit was transferred to Bourbon barrels as it reached its desired taste profile, prior to finessing November 2016: The whisky was finessed in Domaine Henri Giraud Champagne casks for 50 days before bottling Celebrating Richard's 50th anniversary in the whisky industry - the majority of which spent at Whyte & Mackay and The Dalmore Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, he first took on this illustrious career back in 1966. Learning the ropes about whisky making coincided with the gradual rise of whisky blending at that time, and the expressions he has created over the last 10 years has been produced with such superior quality and finishing that he has come to be known as one of the most revered whisky connoisseurs. Richard's exceptional gift for discerning the structure of whisky solely based on smell had also earned him the title of 'The Nose' in his road to whisky mastery. He can often nose hundreds of samples of expressions over the course of a day. Match with an unparalleled passion, expertise and intimate knowledge of rare casks has also led to the creation of a super luxury single malt category, a category that The Dalmore continues to define until today. 50 years on and Richard is still the custodian of The Dalmore, creating and developing some of Scotland's oldest and rarest whisky stocks. Richard has made it his mission to continually evolve the art of multi-cask maturation and finishing, which has led to definitive releases such as The Dalmore King Alexander III, the first single malt whisky in the world to achieve a six cask finish. The Dalmore Constellation Collection is another example which includes a selection of 21 single cask releases which perfectly showcase the depth and complexity of stocks, a signature of The Dalmore. As part of the worldwide tasting tour commemorating Richard Paterson's 50th Anniversary with The Dalmore, he will be stopping by Singapore on 24th May 2017 for a visit, before continuing on for the Asia leg. For inquiries, please call The Dalmore concierge hotline at +65 9108 5545. For more information, please visit www.thedalmore.com For high resolution images, please visit http://bit.ly/2oOFdje FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES, KINDLY CONTACT: Cheryl Lee / Keith Jonathan PR Communications Pte Ltd Telephone: +65 6227 2135 Email: Email Contact / Email Contact REDMOND (dpa-AFX) - Microsoft corp. (MSFT) has introduced Surface Laptop, which is powered by Windows 10 S. Surface Laptop starts at $999 and will be available beginning on June 15th. The Surface laptop comes in four colors -- gold, platinum, blue and burgundy -- and ditches a metal area around the keyboard for a softer microfiber lining. Surface Laptop has up to 14.5 hours of battery life. The company noted that customers can pre-order Surface Laptop starting today in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom where available at Microsoft Store, microsoftstore.com and BestBuy.com. Surface Laptop will come to China later this year and we will announce availability in other markets in coming months. The company said, 'We built Surface Laptop to do two things: refresh the classic laptop form factor that our customers, especially college students, have been asking for; and make a Surface that works seamlessly to showcase the best of Windows 10 S.' The company noted that the users can open this Surface with just one finger and see the brilliant 13.5' PixelSense Display, made with edge-to-edge Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It's the thinnest LCD touch screen display on any laptop Surface Laptop comes with a 7th Generation Intel Core processor and even as light and thin as it is, up to four more hours of battery power than a 13' MacBook Pro. And for a limited time, Surface Laptop comes with an offer for one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal and 1TB of free storage on OneDrive, giving the useres full access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. 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. BERKELEY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Bonsai, provider of an emerging AI platform for programming intelligent systems, today announced that it has been selected as a finalist for the Innovation Showcase at MIT Sloan's 14th Annual CIO Symposium taking place May 24 at MIT in Cambridge, MA. Amidst some of the world's most creative and influential IT executives, the Innovation Showcase highlights early stage companies that have developed cutting edge solutions that provide both strong value and innovation to digital enterprises now and in the future. "The Symposium provides an opportune environment for these early stage companies to form valuable partnerships with CIOs and a platform to demonstrate their technologies that are building the digital enterprise," said Anton Teodorescu, Co-Chair of the Innovation Showcase. The Bonsai Platform brings together state of the art techniques in machine teaching and machine learning, providing developers, data scientists and subject matter experts with the tools to teach domain expertise to a system, while automating the complex, low level mechanics of machine learning. Using Bonsai, enterprises can more efficiently build application specific AI models that increase the automation and operational efficiency of sophisticated industrial systems. "It's an honor to be a finalist for MIT Sloan CIO Symposium's Innovation Showcase," said Mark Hammond, co-founder and CEO, Bonsai. "Bonsai's vision is to make intelligence a core component of every hardware and software application. The Bonsai Platform abstracts away the complexity of powerful machine learning libraries and algorithms, making the programming and management of AI models more accessible to developers and enterprises globally." Bonsai has also been recognized as one of CB Insights AI 100 and as a Strata+Hadoop World Startup Showcase winner. About the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is the premier global conference for CIOs and digital business executives to become more effective leaders. In one day, CIOs and senior IT executives explore enterprise technology innovations, business practices and receive actionable information that enables them to meet the challenges of today and the future. The Symposium offers a unique learning environment by bringing together the academic thought leadership of MIT with the in-the-trenches experience of leading, global CIOs and industry experts. The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is organized and developed by the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association, the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE), and the MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research (CISR). For more information and to register for this year's Symposium, visit: http://www.mitcio.com. About Bonsai Bonsai offers an AI platform that empowers enterprises to build and deploy intelligent systems. By completely automating the management of complex machine learning libraries and algorithms, Bonsai enables enterprises to program AI models that improve system control and enhance real-time decision support. Businesses use these models today to increase automation and improve operational efficiency of industrial systems including robotics, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, energy and utilities. Based in Berkeley, CA, Bonsai is backed by leading investors including NEA, Microsoft Ventures, ABB, Samsung NEXT and Siemens. To learn more, please visit: https://bons.ai/ or follow on Twitter @BonsaiAI. Media and Analyst Contacts: Bridget Hickey bridget.hickey@bons.ai +1-860-214-7665 Amber Rowland amber@therowlandagency.com +1-650-814-4560 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Power Metals Corp. ("Power Metals Corp." or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: PWM)(FRANKFURT: OAA1) is pleased to announce it has entered into an Arrangement Agreement with its newly created, wholly-owned subsidiary, Power Lithium Corp., to carry out a Plan of Arrangement (the "Arrangement"). The Arrangement Agreement is available on the Company's filings on SEDAR. Through the Arrangement, Power Metals intends to transfer all of its interests in its hard rock lithium properties (the "Properties") to Power Lithium and list that company on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE). In addition to the Properties, Power Metals will transfer an amount of cash to Power Lithium in the Arrangement so that it will meet CSE listing requirements for available funds and be in a position to carry out the first year of its work program. Johnathan More, Chairman of Power Metals states, "There has been an incredible amount of work that has gone into planning this Arrangement as we move forward with the creation of 2 companies from 1. We are committed to maximizing every ounce of value that we can give to shareholders as the creation of Power Lithium Corp. will host our exciting hard rock lithium assets where we intend to begin an aggressive drill program in the very near future. I would like to personally thank all parties that have helped us get to this exciting point in the growth of Power Metals. " Pursuant to the Plan of Arrangement, Power Metals Corp. shareholders as of the Record Date will receive 1 common share of Power Lithium for every 1 share of Power Metals he or she holds. The Record Date will be established in the Information Circular for the upcoming Power Metals AGM. The Hard Rock Lithium Properties to be transferred to Power Lithium include the Case Lake, Larder River, Paterson Lake and Gullwing-Tot Lake mineral property claims and interests held by Power Metals as of the closing date of the Arrangement. The completion of the Arrangement and the listing of Power Lithium on the CSE are subject to the approval of the Power Metals Corp. Shareholders, Supreme Court of British Columbia, TSXV and CSE. There is no guarantee that the Arrangement and listing of Power Lithium on the CSE will be completed. About Power Metals Corp. Power Metals Corp. is one of Canada's newest premier mining companies with a mandate to explore, develop and acquire high quality mining projects for minerals contributing to power. We are committed to building an arsenal of projects in both lithium other and clean power fuels. We see an unprecedented opportunity to supply the staggering growth of the lithium battery industry. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Johnathan More, Chairman None of the TSX Venture Exchange, the CSE nor their Regulation Service Providers (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of Power Metals such as the statement that: (i) the Plan of Arrangement will be completed; (ii) Power Metals shareholders will receive shares of Power Lithium on a 1:1 basis pro rata with their shareholdings in Power Metals; (iii) Power Metals will transfer all of its interests in its hard rock lithium properties to Power Lithium (iv) Power Lithium will be listed on the CSE or at all and (v) Power Metals will transfer an amount of cash to Power Lithium through the Arrangement such that Power Lithium Corp will meet CSE listing requirements. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and Power Metals' plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information, including other factors beyond Power Metals' control. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, Power Metals assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. Contacts: Power Metals Corp Johnathan More Chairman 646-661-0409 info@powermetalscorp.com Cloud-based B2B commerce platform recognized for its completeness of vision and ability to execute CHICAGO, 2017-05-03 08:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CloudCraze, an enterprise digital commerce solution built natively on Salesforce, has once again been named a Visionary in the 24 April 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce. "We believe it's an honor to be named a Visionary by Gartner for the second year in a row. For us, this recognition demonstrates that we are a disruptive force in the digital commerce market and are providing significant value for our customers through fast implementation and robust B2B functionalities," said Chris Dalton, CEO of CloudCraze. "We feel this reaffirms that our Salesforce-native cloud-based approach to digital commerce is exactly what B2B organizations need to be successful in the shift towards digital." CloudCraze delivers robust B2B commerce built natively on Salesforce, the world's #1 CRM and most-trusted cloud platform. It enables native capabilities for incorporating Salesforce Sales Cloud and Service Cloud functionality into the digital commerce platform, providing a single view of the customer by sharing data and businesses processes across CRM and commerce systems. Centralized data empowers sales representatives with a clearer picture of customer needs and purchasing habits to cross-sell, upsell and personalize offerings more effectively. CloudCraze provides strong B2B capabilities and faster site launches. Simplified implementation through an agile approach enables faster time-to-market, resulting in an earlier payback period for B2B organizations. Additionally, CloudCraze's depth of B2B functionality address the complex nature of the B2B commerce industry. The platform's B2B-specific capabilities include contract pricing for multiple contracts at once, order and pricing override functionality based on a person's role, and account-based viewing settings. The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce analyzed 21 vendors on their completeness of vision and ability to execute. Vendors are assessed on market presence and company viability, product functionality and product agility. The vendors with the highest aggregated evaluation scores in the inclusion criteria are included in the report and placed on a market spectrum of leaders, challengers, visionaries and niche players. "Over the past year, we've continued to expand our ability to deliver a customer-centric digital commerce solution as a Salesforce Platinum ISV Partner and through strategic partnerships with leaders in digital innovation, including Adobe and Deloitte Digital," Dalton furthered. "Our commitment to regular product enhancements, including our recent Spring '17 release, will ensure we're continuing to provide the fastest, most flexible B2B commerce platform on the market." This announcement comes on the heels of CloudCraze's recognition in The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q1 2017. To learn more about CloudCraze's recently launched Spring '17 release and its new product, CloudCraze Exchange, click here. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About CloudCraze CloudCraze delivers robust B2B commerce native on Salesforce. It allows businesses to generate online revenue fast and easily scale for growth. Its Customer-First Commerce model puts the customer at the core, informing every interaction with data across commerce, sales, marketing, service and more. With the trusted Salesforce infrastructure and core capabilities, CloudCraze provides infinite flexibility to extend functionality, add products and channels, and conduct billions of dollars in transactions anywhere. CloudCraze powers Customer-First Commerce for industry leaders such as AB InBev, Barry-Callebaut, Coca-Cola, Ecolab, GE, Kellogg's, L'Oreal, Symantec, and WABCO. CloudCraze is funded by Insight Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures. CloudCraze is recognized in The Forrester Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Q1 2017 and as a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce 2017. CloudCraze is a Salesforce Platinum ISV Partner. Media contacts Rachel Gulden Senior Account Executive rachel.gulden@walkersands.com 312.267.0530 Sarah Traxler Senior Director, Marketing sarah.traxler@cloudcraze.com 312.752.4473 x1003 Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Regulatory News: GenSight Biologics (Paris:SIGHT) (Euronext: SIGHT, ISIN: FR0013183985, PEA-PME eligible), a biopharma company that discovers and develops innovative gene therapies for neurodegenerative retinal diseases and diseases of the central nervous systemannounced it has appointed Barrett Katz, M.D., M.B.A., as Chief Medical Officer, effective November 1, 2017. Dr. Katz replaces Mohamed Genead, M.D., who resigned from the position for personal reasons. He brings extensive years of experience from both academic medicine and the industry as a neuro-ophthalmologist, including his most recent role as Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurosurgery at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Dr. Katz will oversee clinical development and medical affairs at GenSight Biologics. He will be part of the Executive Committee and will report directly to Bernard Gilly, PhD, Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Katz will be based in New York. "Barrett's tremendous experience as both a recognized clinician and a seasoned biotech executive is a fantastic addition to the senior management team at GenSight," said Dr. Gilly. "As we are now 6 months away from first Phase III topline results, he will play a central role in moving GS010 forward to regulatory filing in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Barrett will also be instrumental in leading clinical development of GS030 as we move to the clinic in Retinitis Pigmentosa later this year." Prior to joining Montefiore and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Katz had been engaged in the biotech industry and drug development space for several years. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Danube Pharmaceuticals, Chief Medical Officer of Fovea Pharmaceuticals and Vice President of Medical Affairs and Strategy at Eyetech, which brought the first medical therapy for macular degeneration to market. Prior to that, he had a distinguished career in academia, recently as Francis DeJur Chair of Ophthalmology and Executive Director of the Office of Clinical Trials at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In over 35 years, Dr. Katz has earned a reputation as a gifted clinician and teacher, an accomplished researcher, as well as a seasoned biotech executive. He also served as co-director of a joint fellowship in ophthalmologic drug development co-sponsored by George Washington University and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Katz received his medical degree from Case-Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in medicine at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, served as a research staff associate in neuro-virology at the National Institutes of Health, and completed residencies at Harvard University and Tufts-New England Medical Center in neurology and ophthalmology, respectively. He completed fellowships at Harvard and at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Katz obtained an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester's Simon School of Business, and has served on the faculties of the University of California at San Diego and San Francisco, the University of Rochester, Cornell University and New York University. Dr. Katz has authored numerous articles published in peer reviewed journals, and he has served as chairman of the board for several professional societies, including the Center for Ophthalmology Research and Education and the World Eye Mission Foundation. "I am delighted and honored to be joining the GenSight team as it reaches maturity and progresses towards successful completion of two Phase 3 trials in LHON," said Dr. Katz. "GenSight's mitochondrial targeting sequence technology and its application to inherited blindness opens the door to gene replacement therapies in neurodegenerative diseases more widely, offering the opportunity for meaningful therapies where none currently exist." About GenSight Biologics GenSight Biologics S.A. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel therapies for neurodegenerative retinal diseases and diseases of the central nervous system. GenSight Biologics' pipeline leverages two core technology platforms, the Mitochondrial Targeting Sequence (MTS) and optogenetics for retinitis pigmentosa, to help preserve or restore vision in patients suffering from severe degenerative retinal diseases. GenSight Biologics' lead product candidate, GS010, is in Phase III trials in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a rare mitochondrial disease that leads to irreversible low vision and legal blindness in teens and young adults. Using its gene therapy-based approach, GenSight Biologics' product candidates are designed to be administered in a single treatment to each eye by intravitreal injection to offer patients a sustainable functional visual recovery. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171024006098/en/ Contacts: GenSight Biologics Thomas Gidoin, +33 (0)1 76 21 72 20 Chief Financial Officer tgidoin@gensight-biologics.com or RooneyPartners Media Relations Marion Janic, +1-212-223-4017 mjanic@rooneyco.com or The Trout Group Investor Relations Chad Rubin, +1-646-378-2947 crubin@troutgroup.com nuTonomy will seamlessly integrate its self-driving software and sensor system into the new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV for on-road testing later this year. The ultimate goal of the partnership is the deployment of thousands of fully autonomous cars in cities worldwide. Regulatory News: nuTonomy, the leading developer of state-of-the-art software for self-driving cars, and Groupe PSA (Paris:UG) today announced a strategic partnership through which nuTonomy will seamlessly integrate its sophisticated software system into customized PEUGEOT 3008 SUVs for on-road testing of fully autonomous cars in Singapore. The PEUGEOT 3008 SUV was recently named 2017 European Car of the Year. Under the initial phase of the partnership, nuTonomy will install its software, along with specialized sensors and computing platforms, into PEUGEOT 3008 SUV vehicles that have been customized by PSA's innovation teams. nuTonomy expects to complete the integration of its autonomous vehicle (AV) system this summer, with on-road testing of the self-driving 3008s beginning in Singapore in September. Seamless integration of AV software with vehicle hardware is viewed by both companies as a critical step toward deploying driverless cars at scale, over extended life cycles. This partnership provides an opportunity for both companies to study autonomous vehicle system performance, as well as the end-to-end user experience of an on-demand AV mobility service in urban use cases. This collaboration bolsters Groupe PSA's ambition of becoming the preferred mobility provider for customers worldwide, as described in the company's strategic plan "Push to Pass" issued in April 2016. This collaboration, which is being implemented under the Groupe PSA's "Autonomous Vehicle for All" (AVA) program, will bring to market on-demand mobility solutions offering full autonomy. Anne Laliron, Head of the Business Lab, Groupe PSA, said, "This collaboration is a significant step towards fully autonomous vehicles, which will enable us to offer different mobility solutions to our customers. We are excited to work together with nuTonomy's team of software and robotics experts to make the concept of self-driving PSA cars more and more concrete." Karl Iagnemma, CEO and Co-founder of nuTonomy, said, "We're confident that working with Groupe PSA will bring us closer to our goal of deploying a safe, efficient, fully autonomous mobility-on-demand transportation service for urban driving environments. We look forward to future collaboration opportunities with PSA." Following the initial phase of this partnership, the companies will consider expanding their on-road AV testing initiative to other major cities around the world. Groupe PSA's Business Lab and Innovation Division are launching this collaboration to identify and evaluate new business opportunities, particularly in the Mobility and Digital fields. nuTonomy has been conducting public trials of an on-demand AV mobility service in Singapore since August 2016. The partnership with Groupe PSA expands nuTonomy's test fleet, which operates in one-north, the AV test bed designated by the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA). Singapore actively supports the development of new mobility solutions, as it seeks to embrace a growing population while maximizing the efficient use of infrastructure. nuTonomy's founders and the LTA have been R&D partners in the development of commercial AV services since 2010. About Groupe PSA With sales and revenue of 54 billion in 2016, the Groupe PSA designs unique automotive experiences and delivers mobility solutions that provide freedom and enjoyment to customers around the world. The Group has three car brands, Peugeot, Citroen and DS, as well as a wide array of mobility and smart services under its Free2Move brand, to meet the evolving needs and expectations of automobile users. The automobile manufacturer PSA is the European leader in terms of CO 2 emissions, with average emissions of 102.4 grams per kilometre in 2016, and an early innovator in the field of autonomous and connected cars, with 2.3 million such vehicles worldwide. It is also involved in financing activities through Banque PSA Finance and in automotive equipment via Faurecia. Find out more at groupe-psa.com/en. Media library: https://medialibrary.groupe-psa.com// Twitter: @GroupePSA About nuTonomy nuTonomy is the leading developer of state-of-the-art software for self-driving cars founded by two world-renowned experts in robotics and intelligent vehicle technology, Drs. Karl Iagnemma and Emilio Frazzoli of MIT. The company is developing the first-of-its-kind complete solution for providing point-to-point mobility via large fleets of self-driving cars; this includes software for autonomous vehicle navigation in urban environments, smartphone-based ride hailing, fleet routing and management, and controlling a vehicle remotely through teleoperation. nuTonomy is conducting the world's first public trials of a self-driving car service in Singapore, and is testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads in Boston, MA. For more information about nuTonomy, visit: http://nutonomy.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170502007026/en/ Contacts: Groupe PSA Media Contacts: +33 1 40 66 42 00 or Marguerite Hubsch,+33 1 40 66 34 67 marguerite.hubsch@mpsa.com or nuTonomy Media Contacts: U.S.: KARV Communications Jonathan Leibowitz, +1-212-333-0273 press@nuTonomy.com or Singapore: WATATAWA Stephen Robertson, +65 9005 3990 stephen.robertson@watatawa.asia LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Senior plc (SNR.L), a manufacturer of high technology components and systems said it has appointed Bindi Foyle as the Group Finance Director of the company. Bindi will join the Senior plc Board as an Executive Director on 3 May 2017 and will become Group Finance Director on 1 July 2017. Bindi succeeds Derek Harding who, as previously announced, is taking up a role outside the Group and will be leaving Senior on 30 June 2017. Bindi joined Senior as Group Financial Controller in January 2006, a role she held until July 2014 when she became responsible for the Group's Investor Relations activities. Most recently, Bindi has been Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. Charles Berry, Chairman of Senior plc since 2012, has informed the board of his intention to retire at the Group's next Annual General Meeting in April 2018, following the appointment of a successor. The Senior Independent Director will lead the Nominations Committee process for the recruitment and selection of Berry's successor, who is expected to join the Board later this year to facilitate an effective induction period. 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. MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwired - May 03, 2017) - Gigya, the leader in Customer Identity Management, today announced the opening of a data center in China to help clients comply with that country's new cybersecurity law. In November 2016, the China National People's Congress published a revision of its existing Cybersecurity Law, with enforcement set to begin in June 2017. The revised law requires that any organization defined as having "critical information infrastructure" must securely store and manage all personal data collected from Chinese citizens within the borders of China. Although the law makes exceptions for companies that can prove the necessity to transfer customer data overseas, those companies must seek government approval in advance. Penalties for non-compliance range from financial fines to operational suspension and even criminal liability. Gigya is now offering a primary data center in Shanghai to help the company's global clients meet these requirements without the complexity and expense of establishing their own data centers within China. This is Gigya's fifth regional data center, in addition to sites in the United States, Western Europe, Russia, and Australia. By default, clients using the Shanghai data center will have Chinese customer data stored only in that repository and all offline backups will also physically remain within the country. Because this new data center is primary, rather than secondary, Chinese customer information will remain separate from data stored in our other data centers. Gigya has also just successfully completed a rigorous audit for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant's SOC 2 Type 2 program, administered by the global advisory services firm EY (Ernst & Young). Along with holding SOC 2 and other high-level international certifications to meet global best practices in data security, Gigya offers full redundancy, replicating customer data in real-time between two physically separate data centers in China, and every server operates in a cluster so there is never a single point of failure. In addition, Gigya keeps pace with the privacy policies of more than 25 social networks and other third-party identity providers, including the Chinese networks WeChat, RenRen and Sina Weibo. "When it comes to data privacy and protection regulations, the world is quickly becoming a more challenging and confusing place to do business," said Marisa Sires Wang, vice president of product at Gigya. "As the leader in customer identity and access management (CIAM), we are dedicated to providing a platform that takes the burden of compliance off the shoulders of our clients, for whom we manage 1.3 billion customer identities. Our new China data center is part of this continuing commitment to keep our clients ahead of the curve." For more information, Gigya has posted a data sheet at http://www.gigya.com/resource/data-sheet/new-chinese-data-center/. About Gigya Gigya's Customer Identity Management platform is helping companies build trusted digital relationships with over 1.3 billion consumers. With Gigya's technology, businesses increase registrations and identify customers across devices, consolidate data into rich customer profiles and provide better services, products and experiences by integrating data into marketing and service applications. For global businesses operating in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, Gigya optimizes compliance and customer trust, with discrete regional data centers and customer self-service options for managing profile, preference, opt-in and consent settings. More than 700 of the world's leading businesses rely on Gigya to build identity-driven relationships and to provide scalable, secure and compliant customer identity and access management. Media Contact: Mike Langberg Gigya +1 650 353 7249 mike.langberg@gigya.com BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Hungary's foreign trade surplus declined more than initially estimated in February, latest figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office showed Wednesday. The trade surplus for February was revised down to EUR 881 million from EUR 911 million reported earlier. In the corresponding month last year, the surplus was EUR 967 million. Exports rose 5.5 percent year-over-year in February, just above the 5.4 percent increase seen in the flash data published on April 7. Imports grew 7.5 percent annually in February, revised up from a 7.1 percent climb estimated initially. 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 (dpa-AFX) - At 3:55 am ET Wednesday, the Federal Labor Agency releases Germany's unemployment data for April. The number of people out of work is expected to decrease by 11,000 in April compared to a drop of 30,000 in March. Ahead of the data, the euro fell against its major rivals. As of 1:50 am ET, the euro was trading at 0.8445 against the pound, 1.0818 against the Swiss franc, 1.0918 against the U.S. dollar and 122.49 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. RENO, NV--(Marketwired - May 03, 2017) - Klondex Mines Ltd. (TSX: KDX) (NYSE MKT: KLDX) ("Klondex" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on project development activities and underground drilling at its Hollister Mine ("Hollister") located in northern Nevada, USA. These drill results will be included in the Company's initial mineral resource estimate scheduled to be released in the second quarter. Project Development Highlights: Rehabbed approximately 4,000 feet of underground workings in the main zone Replaced approximately 4,000 feet of air and water lines Repaired the dewatering system, ventilation system, electrical sub-station and underground mobile equipment Actively developing the Gloria vein system including approximately 1,025 feet and 2,600 feet of waste and ore development, respectively Initial mineral resource estimate for the Gloria vein system in the second quarter Gloria Vein System Underground Drilling Highlights: (see TABLE 1 for complete results) G17-041: 12.96 opt AuEq over 1.4 ft., or 444.3 g/t over 0.4 m G17-044: 4.18 opt AuEq over 4.0 ft., or 143.3 g/t over 1.2 m G16-021: 2.57 opt AuEq over 1.6 ft., or 88.1 g/t over 0.5 m G16-018: 1.35 opt AuEq over 4.3 ft., or 46.3 g/t over 1.3 m G16-010: 0.75 opt AuEq over 4.2 ft., or 25.7 g/t over 1.3 m KEY POINTS: Thirty Nine underground core holes totaling 14,656 ft. (4,467 m) were drilled during this reporting period. The intent of this drill program was to infill the pre-existing drill holes to increase the drill hole density in the Gloria zone. This will allow the Company to produce an initial mineral resource estimate for the Gloria vein system, which is expected to be released in the second quarter. Mr. Brian Morris, Senior Vice President, Exploration said, "We are seeing excellent grades and widths in the drill results which are consistent with what was historically mined in the main Hollister Mine." Mr. Morris continued, "Moreover the mineralized vertical extent appears to be similar to the Main Hollister workings." Assays were performed by American Assay of Sparks, Nevada, as directed under the supervision of Klondex staff. This organization is an ISO 17025 accredited independent laboratory. Underground drill core samples were assayed using a fire assay one-assay ton method with an ICP finish. If initial Au assays were > 5ppm or Ag was > 200ppm the sample is re-assayed with a gravimetric finish. The quality control and assurance program included the insertion of standards and blanks, the retention of pulps and rejects. The core lengths are actual lengths as drilled and were not adjusted for the true width of the mineralized zones. About Klondex Mines Ltd. (www.klondexmines.com) Klondex is a well-capitalized, junior-tier gold and silver mining company focused on exploration, development, and production in a safe, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective manner. The Company has 100% interests in three producing mineral properties: the Fire Creek Mine and the Midas Mine and ore milling facility, both of which are located in the state of Nevada, USA, and the True North Gold Mine (formerly known as the Rice Lake Mine) and mill in Manitoba, Canada. The Company also has 100% interests in two recently acquired projects, the Hollister mine and the Aurora mine and ore milling facility (formerly known as Esmeralda), also located in Nevada, USA. Qualified Person Scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Brian Morris (AIPG CPG-11786), a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information This news release contains certain information that may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking information"), including but not limited to the exploration potential at the Hollister Mine; and the preparation of an initial resource estimate and the timing thereof. This forward-looking information entails various risks and uncertainties that are based on current expectations, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such information. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the global economy; the price of gold; operational, funding and liquidity risks; the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; the degree to which mineral reserve estimates are reflective of actual mineral reserves; the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; the risks and hazards associated with underground operations; and the ability of Klondex to fund its substantial capital requirements and operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and United States available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. Readers are urged to read these materials. Klondex assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by law. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors Regarding the Use of Mining Terms This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. All resource and reserve estimates included or referred to in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ significantly from the mineral reserve disclosure requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC") set out in Industry Guide 7. Consequently, reserve and resource information contained in this news release is not comparable to similar information that would generally be disclosed by U.S. companies in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/5/2/11G137618/Copy_of_Copy_of_Gloria_Intercepts_Final-c646542e3c128e15914716710629b79e.pdf For More Information John Seaberg Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Development O: 775-284-5757 M: 303-668-7991 jseaberg@klondexmines.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- (All amounts expressed in U.S. Dollars unless otherwise stated) Torex Gold Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Torex") (TSX: TXG) is pleased to report production of 70,887 ounces of gold and its financial results for the first three months of 2017, as ramp-up continues at its El Limon-Guajes Mine (ELG) in southwest Mexico. This release should be read in conjunction with the Company's first quarter 2017 Financial Statements and MD&A on the Company's website or on SEDAR. Fred Stanford, President & CEO of Torex stated: "In 2016, the first year of the ramp-up, cash flow was managed by processing above life of mine (LOM) average grades while the plant was being de-bottlenecked and throughput levels were below LOM design levels. In 2017, the second year of the ramp-up, we are transitioning to LOM average grades and LOM average throughput levels. Unit costs in Q1/17 were impacted by the return to LOM grades, without a full transition to LOM throughput levels. Throughput levels increased consistently during the quarter and accelerated into April as efforts to de-bottleneck the tailings filtration plant took hold. Throughput in April averaged 12,749 tpd or 91% of capacity, versus 66% of capacity in Q4/16. If the two scheduled maintenance days in April, are taken out of the mix, the plant averaged 13,480 tpd or 96% of capacity. Reconciliation of grade and tonnes also turned the corner in Q1/17. 26% more ore tonnes were mined than predicted by the reserve model, at 96% of the predicted grade for 121% of the predicted ounces." He added - "Other business enhancement efforts are also progressing according to plan. The SART plant construction team has completed the earthworks and concrete pours, and are now standing steel. This plant is on track to deliver $100 / ounce cost savings by the end of the year. Additional filtration capacity has been purchased, the project is on budget and schedule, with commissioning anticipated in Q4. The Sub-Sill ramp is only 85 metres from contact with the Sub-Sill skarn. High grades from this deposit in the second half of the year could be helpful with our aggressive guidance targets. A 15 km infill and step-out diamond drill program for the Sub-Sill got underway in early April and is expected to be complete at the end of Q3/17. Early holes in the program are targeting the area where the ramp intersects the skarn, and these results will aid the mine planning efforts that are underway. For mid-term growth, optimization of the Media Luna mine design progressed in Q1/17 and recruiting efforts are in progress for a feasibility study team. 2017 promises to be an interesting, exciting, and transformative year for Torex and we are all looking forward to the journey and the results." Q1/17 HIGHLIGHTS -- Tonnes processed of 941 kt at an average gold grade of 2.49 gpt and an average gold recovery rate of 85%, resulting in gold production of 70,887 ounces for the first quarter of 2017. -- Plant throughput averaged 10,455 tpd in the first quarter of 2017, or 75% of design capacity (91% in April). -- Tonnage and grade reconciliation to the reserve model in Q1/17 was 126% for ore tonnes, 96% for grade, resulting in 121% of the ounces predicted by the reserve model. -- Net income for the first quarter of 2017 totalled $8.9 million, or $0.11 per share, on a basic and diluted basis. -- Adjusted net earnings(1), which excludes, amongst other items, unrealized derivative and foreign exchange gains and losses, totalled $5.9 million, or $0.07 per share on a basic and diluted basis for the first quarter of 2017. -- Earnings from mine operations for the first quarter of 2017 totalled $16.0 million. -- Cash flow from operations totalled $19.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017. -- Revenue totalled $87.0 million and cost of sales totalled $71.0 million, or $1,004 per ounce of gold sold. -- Gold sold in the first quarter of 2017 totalled 70,747 ounces for total proceeds of $86.3 million. The average realized gold price(1) for the first quarter of 2017 was $1,227 per ounce. -- Cash balances as at March 31, 2017 totalled $108.5 million (of which $14.6 million is restricted). -- Total cash costs(1) of $671 per ounce of gold sold in the first quarter of 2017. -- All-in sustaining costs(1) of $923 per ounce of gold sold for the first quarter of 2017. -- Ore in stockpile as at March 31, 2017 was 0.6 million tonnes at an average estimated grade of 1.50 gpt. -- Maiden underground resource for the Sub-Sill was announced and included 1.33 million inferred tonnes at 7.58 gpt Au containing 324,000 inferred gold ounces and 353,000 indicated tonnes at 7.82 gpt Au containing 89,000 indicated gold ounces. (1) Total cash costs, all-in sustaining costs, average realized gold price and adjusted net earnings are financial performance measures with no standard meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Refer to "Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures" in the Company's Q1 2017 Management's Discussion and Analysis for further information and a detailed reconciliation. Please refer to Figure 1 for "Average Tonnage Processed Per Day and Throughput Rate"; Figure 2 for picture "Construction of SART Plant" and Figure 3 for "Guajes and El Limon, Reconciliation of Grade and Ounces". Qualified Persons Scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dawson Proudfoot, P.Eng., Vice President, Engineering of Torex Gold Resources Inc. and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Conference Call The Company will host a conference call today at 9:00 am (ET) where senior management will discuss the First Quarter 2017 operational and financial results. Access the conference call as follows: Webcast access: A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's website at www.torexgold.com. Telephone access: Please call the numbers below approximately ten minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. Toronto local or international 1 (416) 915-3239 Toll-Free (North America) 1 800-319-4610 Toll-Free (France) 0 800-900-351 Toll-Free (Switzerland) 0-800-802-457 Toll-Free (United Kingdom) 0 808-101-2791 The webcast will be archived on the Company's website. About Torex Torex is an emerging intermediate gold producer based in Canada, engaged in the exploration, development and operation of its 100% owned Morelos Gold Property, an area of 29,000 hectares in the highly prospective Guerrero Gold Belt located 180 kilometers southwest of Mexico City. Within this property, Torex has the El Limon-Guajes Mine, which announced commercial production in March of 2016 and the Media Luna Project, which is an early stage development project, and for which the Company issued a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) in 2015. The property remains 75% unexplored. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Notwithstanding the Company's efforts, there can be no guarantee that the Company will not face unforeseen delays or disruptions. Forward-looking information also includes, but is not limited to, completing the remaining construction and commissioning of the mine and processing facilities of the ELG Mine, including the addition to the tailings filtration plant ("TFP") and the expectation the project will be completed on schedule and budget, achieving full production, completing the construction of the SART plant and the expected cost saving from the operation of the SART plant, plans to complete the access ramps to El Limon Deep and Sub-Sill targets, plans to mine and process the material from the Sub-Sill area and expectation that the material will help achieve the production guidance targets, plans to complete the infill and step-out diamond drilling program on the Sub-Sill deposit and other future exploration and development, safety and security, and access to the ELG Mine.Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken", "occur", or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including those risk factors identified in the Company's annual information form ("AIF") and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A"). Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management, which may be identified in the AIF or MD&A, made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Such assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions include, without limitation, the timely completion of development and construction of the mine and processing facilities, including TFP, to bring it into full production, the timely completion of construction and commissioning of the SART plant, the mineral resource estimate for the Sub-Sill deposit, the timing and receipt of any required approvals and permits, the ability of the Company to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner, the ability of the Company to obtain financing on acceptable terms, the ability of the Company to access the Morelos Gold Property and the ability to conclude the land access agreements for Media Luna. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the figures associated with this news release, please visit: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1093521f.pdf Contacts: Torex Gold Resources Inc. Fred Stanford President and CEO (647) 260-1502 fred.stanford@torexgold.com Torex Gold Resources Inc. Gabriela Sanchez Vice President Investor Relations (647) 260-1503 gabriela.sanchez@torexgold.com www.torexgold.com -- Order intake reached EUR 62.0 million (1Q16: 56.6), an increase of 9.6% compared to previous year. -- Order book increased 2.9% to EUR 112.1 million (1Q16: 108.9). -- Revenues totaled EUR 53.2 million, an increase of 15.5% compared to previous year (1Q16: 46.1). -- Operating result (EBIT) amounted to EUR 3.5 million (1Q16: -2.5), corresponding to a margin of 6.6%. -- Profit for the period was EUR 2.0 million. Earnings per share basic and diluted increased to EUR 0.025 (1Q16: -0.050) -- Operating cash flow was EUR -0.2 million (1Q16: -2.8). -- Net debt decreased 25.2% to EUR 23.7 million (1Q16: 31.6). Comment from the CEO A strong start to the year The period was positive for Cavotec with large orders, which had previously been postponed, registered for our Ports & Maritime and Airports & Industry business units. These included innovative aircraft servicing systems for Dubai Airports' prestigious new hub airport, one of Cavotec's largest airport equipment projects to date. Order intake improved by 9.6 per cent for the first quarter compared with a year earlier. The first quarter also marked a crucial new phase in the development of the Group, with the implementation of our five year Strategic Plan, and a new organisational structure, which is now based on two Business Units - Ports & Maritime and Airports & Industry - which have full P&L responsibilities, and that are backed up our new Supply Chain organisation encompassing our engineering, R&D and manufacturing activities. Major orders for Ports & Maritime In February, we announced orders for our innovative systems for marine propulsion, shore power supply, and crane electrification systems, with a combined value of EUR 10 million. Orders that highlight the Group's pivotal position in the global high tech Ports & Maritime segment. One of the largest of these orders - placed by a major crane manufacturer - was for motorised cable reels to power and control advanced rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGC) and Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASC) at two container terminals. and Airports Also in February, we announced several Ground Support Equipment (GSE) orders for major airports in the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US, with a total value of EUR 11.5 million. Included in these projects, Cavotec was awarded a turnkey GSE contract to design, supply, install, test, and commission Super Cool DX Pre-Conditioned Air (PCA) units at Dubai International Airport's new Concourse C development. The US projects included fuel hydrant systems for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and La Guardia Airport. We are also supplying our latest Series 2500+ 400Hz converters and hatch pit systems to the VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering Hangar (VTMAE) at Pensacola International Airport in Florida. In further positive news for the Airports & Industry Business Unit, in March we announced a breakthrough order for Pre Conditioned Air (PCA) and power supply technologies for Dubai's newest gateway airport, Al Maktoum International. This EUR 17.5 million order is one of the largest airport equipment projects in the Group's history. The systems will be installed at more than 60 remote aircraft parking positions and several Multiple Aircraft Ramp System (MARS) stands, where the equipment will service all types of aircraft, including wide body aircraft such as the Airbus A380. Cavotec welcomes Mikael Norin as new CEO In February, we announced the appointment of my successor, Mikael Norin. With extensive global experience in a variety of sectors, Mikael is very well positioned to lead Cavotec into its next stage of growth and development. He will join Cavotec on May 1, 2017 and will, after a transition period, assume responsibility as CEO from July 1, 2017. He will be based at the company's headquarters in Lugano. As for me, I will continue to serve on the Board of Cavotec SA as a non-executive director, and will pursue several other strategic assignments. Planning for future growth The Strategic Plan implemented on January 1, 2017 will enable us to focus on our strengths more effectively, and continue building a company ready to meet our strategic goals of the coming five years. Cavotec's goals are to become a EUR 500 million global company by revenue, with an EBIT of more than 12 per cent by 2021. We will continue to focus on completing our transformation from an engineering and manufacturing company to a global system and solutions provider: a partner trusted for its worldwide operational and innovation excellence, thereby realising sustainable growth and creating shareholder value. Looking ahead With larger orders returning, our new organisational structure and strategic goals in place, and despite a soft overall economic outlook, I believe that Cavotec is well positioned for the future growth. I expect 2017 to be a transitional year, with signs of stabilisation emerging in some markets. The short-term outlook is, however, clouded by macro-economic and geopolitical uncertainty. At this stage, we are positive about 2017. We have a strong position today, and our ambition is to strengthen it by further improving our profitability. ENDS This is a summary of the 1Q17 published today. The complete 1Q17 report and full year summary with tables is available at http://investor.cavotec.com/results.cfm. Investors should not rely on summaries only, but should review the complete reports with tables. For further details, please contact: Kristiina Leppanen Group Chief Financial Officer & Investor Relations Telephone: +41 91 911 40 11 - Email: investor@cavotec.com The information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Cavotec SA under the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. This information was publicly communicated on 3 May 2017, 12:00 CEST. Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=629339 Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Coloplast delivered 8% growth when measured in DKK and 7% organic revenue growth, as well as an EBIT margin of 32% at constant exchange rates in the second quarter of its financial year. The results are in line with the company's expectations. In the second quarter of the 2016/17 financial year, Coloplast delivered 8% growth measured in Danish kroner corresponding to DKK 3,881m, and 7% organic revenue growth. EBIT was up by 7% to DKK 1,246m and net profit for the Q2 reporting period was up by 2% to DKK 931m. Organic growth rates by business area were: Ostomy Care 7%, Continence Care 8%, Urology Care 14%, and Wound & Skin Care negative 4%. Geographically, the European markets contributed 5% growth with the UK and France as the standouts. Other established markets delivered 8% growth, while Emerging markets delivered 10% growth. -- "We're delivering a satisfactory Q2 result with many of our European markets performing well. In addition, the integration of Comfort Medical in the US is progressing according to plan and our US Chronic Care business reported double-digit sales growth in the second quarter after inventory levels at our large distributors had been normalised in the first quarter. That is having a positive effect on our Ostomy Care and Continence Care businesses, and we expect continued positive sales growth in our US business in the coming quarters. Currency developments continued to have a negative effect on reported sales as well as earnings, while the acquisition of Comfort Medical had a positive effect on reported sales in the quarter," said Coloplast CEO Lars Rasmussen. -- "Sales growth in the Wound and Skin Care business was adversely affected by a very strong performance of the US Skin Care business in the second quarter of last year. On the other hand, the Wound Care business in China reported positive momentum in the second quarter, which we expect will continue in the coming quarters," said Mr Rasmussen. New products to drive growth Coloplast continues to launch new products in all core markets, including the SpeediCath Flex catheter and the Biatain Silicone Sizes & Shapes wound care portfolio. Both products have received very positive feedback. In the Ostomy Care business, Coloplast is now relaunching the SenSura Mio Convex, having expanded production capacity in Hungary to accommodate market demand. In addition, the new SenSura Mio Hospital portfolio will be available in all core markets over the next 12 months, and the Brava Protective Seal accessory product is now available in 13 countries. Financial guidance for 2016/17 Coloplast maintains its guidance for organic revenue growth of 7-8% at constant exchange rates and reported growth of 7-8% in DKK. The EBIT margin guidance remains at 33-34% at constant exchange rates and at about 33% in DKK. CONTACTS Dennis Kaysen Director, Corporate Communications +45 49 11 26 08 dkdk@coloplast.com Ellen Bjurgert Director, Investor Relations +45 49 11 33 76 dkebj@coloplast.com Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=629387 Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de GOTEBORG, Sweden, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --January - March 2017 Net sales MSEK 3,914 (3,603). Organic sales growth 3.3% (3.7) and total sales growth 8.6% (3.6) Operating result (EBITDA)[1] MSEK 342 (296) and margin 8.7% (8.2). EBITDA increased by 15.5% Operating result (EBITA)[1] MSEK 232 (195) and margin 5.9% (5.4). EBITA increased by 19.0% Operating result (EBIT) MSEK 209 (176) and margin 5.3% (4.9). EBIT increased by 18.8% Profit for the period[1] MSEK 152 (122). Earnings per share after dilution[2] SEK 1.10 (0.86) [1] Refer to page 32 for definitions of EBITDA and EBITA. Profit for the period refers to profit attributable to parent company shareholders. [2] Refer to note 2 for calculations of earnings per share (before and after dilution). CEO comments: "A solid start to the year." Total sales growth was close to 9%, of which organic sales growth was 3.3%. The EBITA growth was 19% A continued and further strengthened positive development in Nordic and Germany with 42% and 22% EBITA growth respectively, from higher volumes, productivity improvements and leverage from acquisitions France continued the persistent work to compensate for the government's price reductions and has so far fully compensated the 2% price reduction in money terms. The aim is to reach an unchanged EBITA margin for the full year Recent acquisitions are strengthening our Nordic and German operations, adding net sales of MSEK 900 on a full year basis We are increasing our efforts in digitalization, starting in primAary care in Sweden with our750,000 listed patients Nordic continued to show solid net sales and result growth in line with expectations. Organic sales growth in the quarter was 4.9% and total sales growth was 13.1%. The operating result (EBITA) increased by 42% and the margin (EBITA) improved by 110 basis points to 5.1%. The result development was positively impacted by the Easter calendar effect. The productivity increase in primary care in Sweden contiAnAued and Capio S:t Goran's hospital in StockAholm continAued to enjoy good sales growth. Specialist care is successfully developing the geriatric business in Stockholm resulting in good growth, and is continuing the work to streamline its offer in the free healthcare choice market. A country wide orthopedics division has been formed with the ambition to help to eliminate waiting lists in this specialty in the 21 county councils. Digital test consultations within primary care will start during the spring and summer with a full roll-out of digital doctor consultations from the autumn and onwards. In France the aim this year is to keep the EBITA margin flat and in a longer perspective increase margins despite the tough pricing environment. The tools for this are a continued implementation of Modern Medicine leading to a more Rapid Recovery for patients and a larger proportion of treatments being made without over-night stay in hospital. Improved medical quality and expansions in new specialties will continue to drive the patient growth. Germany continues the good trend from last year. 4.6% organic sales growth and 22% EBITA growth do not only reflect an Easter calendar effect, but also continuous improvements in the general hospitals. The focus going forward is of course on securing the ongoing positive trends in the current business by intensified work with Modern Medicine and Modern Management. Since the end of 2016, we have increased acquisition activities. We have so far added net sales of MSEK 900 from acquisitions on a full year basis. Acquisitions made have margins above group average and will contribute positively to the margin developAment in 2017 and will gradually be enhanced further by synergies. The acquisition activity is expected to continue. Thomas Berglund President and CEO Presentation of the interim report Investors, analysts and media are invited to participate in a telephone conference on May 3, 2017 at 13.30 pm (CET). President and CEO ThomasBerglund and CFO Olof Bengtsson will present the report and answer questions. The telephone conference will be audio casted live on www.capio.com. To participate in the telephone conference, please register at www.capio.com and dial in five minutes prior to the start of the conference call. Sweden: +46-8-566-426-92 UK: +44-203-008-98-01 US: +1-855-753-22-35 Finland: +35-898-171-04-93 France: +33-170-75-07-12 Prior to the start of the telephone conference, presentation slides will be available at www.capio.com. A recorded version of the audio cast will be available at www.capio.com during the afternoon (CET). For further information Thomas Berglund President and CEO Telephone: +46-733-88-86-00 E-mail: thomas.berglund@capio.com Olof Bengtsson CFO Telephone: +46-761-18-74-69 E-mail: olof.bengtsson@capio.com Kristina Ekeblad Investor Relations Manager Telephone: +46-708-31-19-40 E-mail: kristina.ekeblad@capio.com Henrik Brehmer SVP Group Communication and Public Affairs Telephone: +46-761-11-34-14 E-mail: henrik.brehmer@capio.com For further information regarding Capio's IR activities, refer to www.capio.com This information is information that Capio AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person Henrik Brehmer set out above, at 12.30 (CET) on May 3, 2017. About Capio Capio AB (publ) is a leading, pan-European healthcare provider offering a broad range of high quality medical, surgical and psychiatric healthcare services through its hospitals, specialist clinics and primary care units. Since the Danish operation was acquired at the beginning of 2017, Capio operates in five countries; Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France and Germany. In 2016, Capio's 12,435 employees provided healthcare services during 4.7 million patient visits across the Group's facilities, generating net sales of MSEK 14,069. Capio operates across three geographic segments: Nordic (54% of Group net sales 2016), France (38% of Group net sales 2016) and Germany (8% of Group net sales 2016). For more information about Capio, please see www.capio.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/capio-ab/r/capio-ab--publ--interim-report-january---march-2017,c2256436 The following files are available for download: MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Sphinx Resources Ltd. ("Sphinx" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: SFX) provides an update on its projects in Quebec. Since the beginning of 2017, two (2) drilling programs have been completed on the Corporation's projects and one (1) drilling program is expected to commence during the month of June. This year's exploration activities are as follows: Calumet-Sud (zinc-lead-silver-gold project), partnership with SOQUEM inc. - A 13-hole drilling program totalling 1,098.5 m, has been completed. Three holes intersected semi-massive to massive sphalerite horizons with thicknesses ranging from one centimeter to several centimeters spread over several metres. Assay results are expected in late spring. Green Palladium (palladium-copper project), 100% owned. - A drilling program of ten (10) holes totalling 969 m, has been completed. Geological continuity of the mineralized reef over an 800-metre length, has been confirmed. Complete assay results are expected at the beginning of summer. Chemin Troilus (gold), 100% owned. - In 2016 Sphinx defined a prospective area of 1.2 km by 1.0 km, up-ice from the dispersion train of mineralized boulders and till samples containing pristine gold grains. An induced polarization survey over the prospective area was completed in April 2017. Interpretation of the survey results is underway to identify drilling targets that can be tested during the month of June. Cheechoo-Eleonore Trend (gold), partnership with Sirios Resources Inc. 50-50% - Results from the till sampling program completed last October will be available shortly. Field work planning is underway with our highly-qualified and experienced team. Somanike (nickel, gold, base metals) 100% owned. - Compilation of all historical drill data in conjunction with the helicopter-borne survey performed by Sphinx in 2014 identified previously unrecognized sulphide iron formations occurring across the project. These formations may be prospective for gold mineralization. Numerous drill targets have been generated. The Corporation is actively seeking a partner to fund the next exploration program. Sphinx continues to review acquisition opportunities with a focus on precious metals and high-grade zinc. The technical information presented in this press release has been approved by Normand Champigny, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sphinx, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. About Quebec Ranked 6th globally, Quebec has established itself as one of the world's most attractive mining jurisdictions. The Quebec government has created market confidence by following a proactive approach to mining policy. Quebec's mining sector has also been encouraged by the clarity and certainty of the legal and regulatory framework adopted by its government. About Sphinx Sphinx is engaged in the generation and acquisition of exploration projects in Quebec, a Canadian province which is recognized as an attractive mining jurisdiction worldwide. For further information, please consult Sphinx's website. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and activities to vary materially from targeted results and planning. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Sphinx's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Sphinx from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. Contacts: Sphinx Resources Ltd. Normand Champigny President and Chief Executive Officer 514.979.4746 info@sphinxresources.ca www.sphinxresources.ca VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Anfield Gold Corp. ("Anfield" or "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ANF) has completed an updated mineral resource estimate on its Coringa Project ("Coringa" or "Project") located in the Para State of Brazil. The updated mineral resource estimate is based on approximately 25,200 metres of infill drilling, which concluded in March 2017, and prior drilling completed by Magellan Minerals (which was acquired by Anfield in 2016). The mineral resource estimate is comprised of an Indicated Mineral Resource of 726 thousand tonnes at an average grade of 8.4 grams per tonne ("gpt") gold and 17 gpt silver, containing 195 thousand ounces of gold and 396 thousand ounces of silver. In addition, there is an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 4.3 gpt gold and 5.1 gpt silver, containing 181 thousand ounces of gold and 215 thousand ounces of silver. The Indicated Mineral Resource estimate is based on drill results from three veins at Coringa, Serra, Meio and Galena, and is expected to form the basis for a feasibility study. Anfield commissioned this more rigorous mineral resource estimate to obtain an improved resource model on which to base the initial years of mine production. The updated mineral resource estimate incorporates increased drilling information and more refined data inputs; in addition, more constrained assumptions have been used to classify mineral resources when compared to prior mineral resource estimates. While this updated mineral resource estimate has resulted in a reduction from the previous mineral resource estimate prepared for Coringa(1), Anfield remains confident in its ability to expand Coringa's mineral resource base through additional drilling from surface and from underground, once below surface development work is initiated. (1) Technical report prepared by Snowden Inc. entitled "Magellan Minerals Ltd. - Coringa Mineral Resource NI 43-101 Technical Report, Project No. V1491" dated May 13, 2015. Coringa Mineral Resource Estimate Summary: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Gold Grade Silver Grade Contained Gold Contained Silver Zone (000's) (g/t) (g/t) (koz) (koz) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serra 488 7.5 16.1 117 253 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meio 160 10.7 20.7 55 106 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Galena 78 9.4 14.7 24 37 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 726 8.4 17.0 195 396 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Serra 262 4.3 8.7 36 73 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meio 229 4.2 6.1 31 45 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Galena 63 3.4 3.5 7 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mae de Leite 244 5.9 2.6 46 20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Come Quieto 253 4.5 7.5 37 61 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Valdette 249 3.0 1.0 24 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 1,301 4.3 5.1 181 215 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: Base case cut-off grade is 2g/t gold. Minimum thickness is 0.8 m horizontal. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves because the economic viability has not been demonstrated. Totals may not add due to rounding. Estimates of mineral resources are made using a three-dimensional block model with a nominal block size of 1x5x2 metres. Grade estimates for gold and silver are based on the geology, drill hole spacing and geostatistical analysis of the drill hole sample data. The mineralized vein domains are interpreted using sample grades and geologic information based on a minimum horizontal thickness of 0.8 metres. The effects of potentially anomalous high-grade sample data, composited to 0.5 metre intervals, are controlled using both traditional top-cutting as well as limiting the distance of influence during block grade interpolation. The grade models have been validated using a combination of visual and statistical methods. Blocks in the model estimated using three or more drill holes drilled on a maximum 50-metre grid pattern are included in the Indicated category. Blocks within a maximum distance of 100-metre from a drill hole are included in the Inferred category. The estimate of mineral resources demonstrates relatively continuous zones of mineralization that are considered amenable to underground extraction methods. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as the economic viability has not been demonstrated. The Company is progressing work on a feasibility study to assess the optimal mine plan, plant configuration and throughput rate based on the above mineral resource estimate; it expects the study to be completed by July 2017. The existing equipment on site, including the two ball mills purchased from Troy Resources, affords management flexibility as it assesses different engineering and development options, including implementation of a staged production ramp-up. Pre-construction activities at site permissible under Anfield's current permits are continuing in anticipation of the receipt of our Trial Mining Operating License and Vegetation Suppression and Fauna Capture authorizations. Management continues to work with the Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade (SEMAS) and the Instituto Nacional de Colonizacao e Reforma Agraria (INCRA) to receive these authorizations. Following which, construction activities are expected to take approximately nine to twelve months to complete. On April 21, 2017, the Company commenced approximately 500 metres of drilling at the Galena vein, intended to add to the existing 24 thousand ounces of gold in the Indicated category. Results from this drill program are anticipated by the third quarter of this year. Marshall Koval, Anfield's Chairman and CEO, commented: "Although the infill drill results did not yield as large an indicated mineral resource estimate as anticipated, we remain committed to advancing Coringa forward to production. Our team in Brazil is prepared to begin full construction activities at Coringa as soon as the required permits are received." Quality Assurance All Anfield sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control / quality assurance ("QA/QC") program including the insertion of blind standards, blanks and the reanalysis of duplicate samples at a second umpire laboratory. The results of the QA/QC program and the resampling program indicate that the sample database is of sufficient accuracy and precision to be used for the generation of mineral resource estimates. Qualified Persons Robert Sim, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), is responsible for the estimate of mineral resources presented in this news release and has reviewed, verified and approved the contents of this news release as they relate to the mineral resource estimate. Leo Hathaway, P.Geo, Chief Geological Officer and the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 for the Project has reviewed, verified and approved the contents of this news release as they relate to the other scientific and technical information contained herein. About Anfield Gold Anfield Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE: ANF) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious metal exploration and development company focused on the development of the Coringa Project located in Para State, Brazil. Anfield's strategic plan also includes the acquisition of other gold projects with the goal of becoming a mid-tier gold mining company. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://anfieldgold.com Anfield Gold Corp. Marshall Koval, Chairman & CEO 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 news release. Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans," "intends," "will" "are expected" or variations of such words and phrases. Forward looking statements or information in this press release include, but are not limited to, the mineral resource estimate; the preparation of, and timing to completion of, a feasibility study for the Project; Anfield's strategic plan to acquire other gold projects with the goal of becoming a mid-tier gold mining company; Anfield's ability to expand Coringa's mineral resource base through additional drilling; Anfield's plans for further drilling at the Project; the timing to complete construction at the Project and timing of drill results from the further drilling occurring at the Galena vein. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, Anfield has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on information currently available to Anfield as well as Anfield's current beliefs and assumptions (including Anfield's belief in the accuracy of the mineral resource estimate). Although Anfield considers these beliefs and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, that mineral resources may never become mineral reserves and do not demonstrated economic viability, Anfield may not be able to achieve the base case during actual mining at the Project, additional drilling and exploration may determine that there is no potentially viable mine plan for the Project, risks associated with the business of Anfield, risks related to reliance on technical information provided by Magellan Minerals Ltd. as related to the Project; risks relating to exploration and potential development of the Company's projects; risks related to obtaining the permits and approvals necessary to develop and commission the Project on terms that are acceptable to Anfield; risks related to Anfield identifying suitable acquisition targets; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; prices for commodities to be produced and changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of mineral resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and changes to business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally. Although Anfield has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Anfield does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Anfield Gold Corp. Scott Hicks 604 646-1884 604 687-7041 (FAX) MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- SEMAFO Inc. (TSX: SMF)(OMX: SMF) today reported its financial and operational results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2017. All amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise stated. First Quarter 2017 - in Review -- Gold production of 55,400 ounces compared to 61,300 ounces for the same period in 2016 -- Gold sales of $66.9 million compared to $74.6 million for the same period in 2016 -- Total cash cost(1) of $699 per ounce sold and all-in-sustaining cost(1) of $892 per ounce sold compared to $505 and $695, respectively, for the same period in 2016 -- Adjusted operating loss(1) of $1.9 million mainly due to an increase in depreciation expense, compared to an adjusted operating income of $20.1 million for the same period in 2016 -- Adjusted net loss attributable to equity shareholders(1) of $4.4 million or $0.01 per share(1) compared to an adjusted net income of $11.0 million or $0.04 per share(1) for the same period in 2016 -- Cash flows from operating activities(2) of $23.1 million or $0.07 per share(1) compared to $35.2 million or $0.12 per share(1) for the same period in 2016 -- Guidance revision following geological interpretation challenges at Mana -- Strong financial position of $255.2 million in cash and cash equivalents as at March 31, 2017 Boungou Mine (Natougou Project): -- Development on schedule with $38 million spent as at March 31, 2017 -- Detailed design and engineering completed at end of April 2017 -- Earthworks for the water storage facility have commenced -- Mobilization of mining contractor -- Ground-breaking ceremony held on March 31, 2017, and project named "Boungou Mine" -- Operational savings on selected power plant and re-allocation of capital expenditures (1) Total cash cost, all-in sustaining cost, adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted net income (loss) attributable to equity shareholders, adjusted basic earnings (loss) per share and operating cash flows per share are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standard definition under IFRS. See the "Non-IFRS financial performance measures" section of the Corporation's MD&A, note 18. (2) Cash flows from operating activities exclude changes in non-cash working capital items. Mana, Burkina Faso Mining Operations Three-month period ended March 31, ------------------------------------ 2017 2016 Variation Operating Data Ore mined (tonnes) 479,400 500,300 (4%) Ore processed (tonnes) 731,800 682,900 7% Waste mined (tonnes) 4,638,400 3,459,400 34% Operational stripping ratio 9.7 6.9 41% Head grade (g/t) 2.55 3.04 (16%) Recovery (%) 92 92 - Gold ounces produced 55,400 61,300 (10%) Gold ounces sold 54,700 62,800 (13%) Statistics (in dollars) Average realized selling price (per ounce) 1,223 1,187 3% Cash operating cost (per tonne processed)(1) 52 42 24% Total cash cost (per ounce sold)(1) 699 505 38% All-in sustaining cost (per ounce sold)(1) 892 695 28% Depreciation (per ounce sold)(2) 460 275 67% (1) Cash operating cost, total cash cost and all-in sustaining cost are non- IFRS financial performance measures with no standard definition under IFRS. See the "Non-IFRS financial performance measures" section of the Corporation's MD&A, note 18. (2) Depreciation per ounce sold is a non-IFRS financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS and represents the depreciation expense per ounce sold. 2017 First Quarter Results Production in the first quarter totalled 55,400 ounces of gold compared to 61,300 ounces in the prior-year quarter. During the first quarter of 2017, the ore processed was 731,800 tonnes at an average grade of 2.55 g/t Au, including 252,400 tonnes of stockpile and low-grade material at an average grade of 2.24 g/t Au. The grade was adversely affected by the geological interpretation of the upper portion of Zone 9, a mineralized zone in the south-west sector of the Siou pit that was first included in the 2017 mine plan. The upper portion presents a complex geometry as the area comprises the junction of three different zones. This resulted in misleading ore outlines and led to a significant variation in grade. However, the geometry becomes simpler and more rectilinear at depth. Mining will commence in the area at depth in the coming weeks. Accordingly, we adjusted our 2017 guidance to between 190,000 and 205,000 ounces of gold at a total cash cost of between $685 and $715 per ounce and all-in sustaining cost of between $920 and $960 per ounce. For more information, consult our April 24, 2017 press release. Additional cross-sections of Zones 9, 55 and 56 may be found on www.semafo.com/en/Siou. The decrease in gold ounces produced and sold is a direct result of lower head grade, partially offset by higher throughput. The Corporation's first quarter gold sales decreased relative to 2016 due to lower gold ounces sold, partially offset by an increase in the average realized gold price. Relative to the first quarter of 2016, the average realized selling price increased by $36 per ounce of gold or 3%. Mining operating expenses increased during the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016 mainly as a result of higher operational stripping ratio and higher throughput. First quarter operating income decreased compared to the same period in 2016, primarily as a result of lower gold sales, higher mining operating expenses and higher depreciation. The decrease in cash flow from operating activities in the quarter compared to the same period in 2016 is due to lower gold sales and higher mining operation expenses. In the first quarter of 2017, the total cash cost and all-in sustaining cost reached $699 and $892 per ounce sold, respectively, compared to $505 and $695 per ounce sold, respectively, for the same period in 2016 due to the lower head grade and higher cash operating cost per tonne. Boungou Mine (Natougou Project) In the first three months of 2017, ground preparation progressed on-time. In addition, the following achievements have been made: -- Development on schedule, with $38 million spent as at March 31, 2017 -- Detailed design and engineering completed at end of April 2017 -- Earthworks are progressing including: -- Bulk earthworks for the water storage facility -- Earthworks for the processing plant with first concrete pour expected in the second quarter of 2017 -- Earthworks for the resettled village including site clearing and moving bricks on site -- Construction has started on accommodation for supervisory personnel and expatriates -- Fencing work continues, with construction of the main entrance and guardhouses ongoing -- Procurement - selection of principal suppliers fully completed -- Mobilization of both the mining and engineering, procurement, construction management (EPCM) contractors on site -- 927 personnel including contractors were employed on site at end of March 2017, 96% of which are Burkinabe Operational Savings on Selected Power Plant and Re-allocation of Capital Expenditures In the feasibility study, the capital expenditures for the power plant were based on a BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) project over a period of three years. Accordingly, a portion of the capital expenditures was to be deferred over the first three years of production and accounted for as deferred capital expenditures in the feasibility study. However, the bid process was characterised by supplier disinterest in BOOT projects in Africa and by expensive financing terms. We concluded that it was more cost-effective to purchase the power plant up front rather than pursue a BOOT scheme. Therefore, deferred capital expenditures for the power plant have been reduced by $12 million to $3 million while initial capital expenditures have been increased from $219 million to $231 million. Furthermore, the selected power plant is expected to deliver savings of approximately $600,000 per year over the life of mine compared to the feasibility study. Ground-breaking Ceremony On March 31, 2017, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the Boungou Mine (Natougou Project) in the presence of Mr. Oumarou Idani, Minister of Mines and Carriers in Burkina Faso, who represented the President of Burkina Faso, His Excellency Roch Marc Christian Kabore. The ceremony was held to mark the beginning of construction at the mine, which has now been named "Boungou Mine" after the closest village. Some 2,000 persons attended the event including Burkinabe government officials, representatives from the Canadian government, senior community figures and members, in addition to members of our management team. Exploration Mana Project, Burkina Faso The Mana exploration program in the quarter targeted the Siou deposit at depth. A total of 12 holes (5,020 meters) tested the Siou mineralized structures at depth in order to better orient the subsequent delineation drilling program (Phase II), which has been designed to provide 50-meter center coverage of the southern half of the zones. The Phase II delineation program is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2017. Although some assay results from Phase I remain pending, three holes returned significant results. Hole MMP17-008 returned a grade of 11.3 g/t Au (31.7 g/t Au uncut) across 11.2 meters, hole MMP17-018 returned 6.98 g/t Au (121.2 g/t Au uncut) Au across 4.7 meters, while hole MMP17-019 returned 6.1 g/t Au over 4.7 meters. Tapoa (Natougou Project) West Flank Sector During the first three months of 2017, a total of 25,700 meters was drilled in 170 holes, with sixty-five percent of the assay results received to date. The infill program is now three-quarters through with completion expected in the second quarter of 2017. All holes served to drill the West Flank Sector up to 40-meter by 40-meter spacing. Results to date are generally in line with the 80-meter x 80-meter model. In the second quarter of 2017, further geotechnical holes will be completed for engineering measurement purposes. Subsequently, drilling will focus on the East Flank target where an additional 67-hole program will be conducted with the aim of providing a 40-meter x 40-meter space sampling of the mineralized zone. South of Natougou - Trend 045 In addition, a 23,600-meter auger drill program was completed along Trend 045 located south of the Natougou deposit. Results from this work will serve to drill test the interpreted structure in the second half of the year. Yactibo (Nabanga Project) During the first quarter, a total of 56 RC holes (6,050 meters) tested six different targets proximal to the Nabanga deposit. The program is focusing on identifying parallel structures near the main mineralized quartz vein. The RC program is completed, and assay results are expected by the end of the second quarter of 2017. Kongolokoro, Burkina Faso An exploration program began in mid-April on the Kongolokoro Sector, where 7,200 meters of RC and 1,200 meters of core drilling have been scheduled for the year. Korhogo Ouest (Cote d'Ivoire) In March, a first trenching /RC drill program commenced on the Korhogo Ouest permit that builds on the results of 2016 airborne geophysical and soil geochemical surveys. Work on the first of the 11 trenches (100 meters of 2,000 meters) has started and is ongoing. A scout RC drill program is planned to follow up on targets defined by both the survey and trench results. Michel Crevier, P.Geo MScA, Vice-President Exploration and Mine Geology, is SEMAFO's Qualified Person and has reviewed this press release for accuracy and compliance with National Instrument 43-101. SEMAFO's Management's Discussion and Analysis, Consolidated Financial Statements and related financial materials are available in the "Investor Relations" section of the Corporation's website at www.semafo.com. These and other corporate reports are also available on www.sedar.com. First Quarter Conference Call A conference call will be held today, Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 10:00 EDT to discuss this press release. Interested parties are invited to call the following telephone numbers to participate in the conference: Tel. local & overseas: +1 (647) 788 4922 Tel. North America: 1 (877) 223 4471 Webcast: www.semafo.com Replay number: 1 (800) 585 8367 or +1 (416) 621 4642 Replay pass code: 10612421 Replay expiration: May 24, 2017 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders SEMAFO's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. EDT at Club Saint-James, Salon Midway, 1145 avenue Union, in Montreal, Quebec. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and meet the management team and members of the board of directors. About SEMAFO SEMAFO is a Canadian-based mining company with gold production and exploration activities in West Africa. The Corporation operates the Mana Mine in Burkina Faso, which includes the high-grade satellite deposit of Siou, and is targeting production start-up of the Boungou Mine in the second half of 2018. SEMAFO's strategic focus is to maximize shareholder value by effectively managing its existing assets as well as pursuing organic and strategic growth opportunities. CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and accordingly, actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include words or expressions such as "guidance", "will", "expected", "scheduled for", "planned", "targeting", "pursuing", "growth", "opportunities" and other similar words or expressions. Factors that could cause future results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include the ability to meet our revised 2017 production guidance of between 190,000 and 205,000 ounces of gold at a total cash cost of between $685 and $715 per ounce and all-in sustaining cost of between $920 and $960 per ounce, the ability to commence the mining of the Zones 9, 55 and 56 at depth in the coming weeks, the ability of the selected power plant to deliver savings of $600,000 per year over the life of mine compared to the feasibility study, the ability to complete the Phase II delineation program at Siou in the second quarter of 2017, the ability to identify parallel structures near the main mineralized quartz vein proximal to the Nabanga deposit, the accuracy of our assumptions, the ability to execute on our strategic focus, fluctuation in the price of currencies, gold prices and operating costs, mining industry risks, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral reserves and resources, delays, political and social stability in Africa (including our ability to maintain or renew licenses and permits) and other risks described in SEMAFO's documents filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. You can find further information with respect to these and other risks in SEMAFO's 2016 Annual MD&A, as updated in SEMAFO's 2017 First Quarter MD&A, and other filings made with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. These documents are also available on our website at www.semafo.com. SEMAFO disclaims any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. The information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of SEMAFO under the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. This information was publicly communicated on May 3, 2017 at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time. Consolidated Results and Mining Operations Financial and Operating Highlights Three-month period ended March 31, 2017 2016 Variation ---------------------------------- Gold ounces produced 55,400 61,300 (10%) Gold ounces sold 54,700 62,800 (13%) (in thousands of dollars, except amounts per share) Revenues - Gold sales 66,886 74,556 (10%) ---------------------------------- Mining operation expenses 35,565 28,722 24% Government royalties 2,692 3,018 (11%) Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 25,268 17,340 46% Share-based compensation 1,219 3,678 (67%) Other 3,927 3,962 (1%) ---------------------------------- Operating income (loss) (1,785) 17,836 - ---------------------------------- Finance income (736) (373) 97% Finance costs 324 302 7% Foreign exchange gain (829) (4,909) (83%) Income tax expense 1,840 4,125 (55%) ---------------------------------- Net income (loss) for the period (2,384) 18,691 - ---------------------------------- Attributable to equity shareholders Net income (loss) (2,691) 16,184 - Basic earnings (loss) per share (0.01) 0.05 - Diluted earnings (loss) per share (0.01) 0.05 - Adjusted amounts Adjusted operating income (loss)(1) (1,889) 20,073 - Adjusted net income (loss) attributable to equity shareholders(1) (4,374) 10,961 - Per share(1) (0.01) 0.04 - Cash flows Cash flows from operating activities(2) 23,147 35,204 (34%) Per share(1) 0.07 0.12 (42%) (1) Adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted net income (loss) attributable to equity shareholders, adjusted basic earnings (loss) per share and operating cash flows per share are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standard definition under IFRS. See the "Non-IFRS financial measures" section of the Corporation's MD&A, note 18. (2) Cash flows from operating activities exclude changes in non-cash working capital items. Interim Consolidated Statement of Financial Position ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Expressed in thousands of US dollars - unaudited) As at As at March 31, December 31, 2017 2016 $ $ Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 255,161 273,772 Trade and other receivables 19,967 16,945 Inventories 48,191 51,391 Other current assets 2,528 2,513 -------------------------------- 325,847 344,621 Non-current assets Advance receivable 2,969 3,060 Restricted cash 5,768 5,689 Property, plant and equipment 550,464 536,237 Intangible asset 1,536 1,595 Other non-current assets 4,892 4,074 -------------------------------- 565,629 550,655 Total assets 891,476 895,276 -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Liabilities Current liabilities Trade payables and accrued liabilities 43,326 41,964 Current portion of long-term debt 310 310 Share unit plans liabilities 5,763 6,635 Provisions 3,224 3,271 Income tax payable 4,909 5,422 -------------------------------- 57,532 57,602 Non-current liabilities Long-term debt 56,951 56,726 Share unit plans liabilities 1,772 4,899 Provisions 8,331 8,137 Deferred income tax liabilities 32,824 32,329 -------------------------------- 99,878 102,091 Total liabilities 157,410 159,693 -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Equity Equity Shareholders Share capital 621,980 621,902 Contributed surplus 7,328 7,357 Accumulated other comprehensive income 1,913 1,095 Retained earnings 74,983 77,674 -------------------------------- 706,204 708,028 Non-controlling interest 27,862 27,555 -------------------------------- Total equity 734,066 735,583 -------------------------------- Total liabilities and equity 891,476 895,276 -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Interim Consolidated Statement of Income (Loss) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Expressed in thousands of US dollars, except per share amounts - unaudited) Three-month period ended March 31, 2017 2016 $ $ Revenue - Gold sales 66,886 74,556 ---------------------- Costs of operations Mining operation expenses 38,257 31,740 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 25,268 17,340 General and administrative 3,542 3,827 Corporate social responsibility expenses 385 135 Share-based compensation 1,219 3,678 ---------------------- Operating income (loss) (1,785) 17,836 ---------------------- Other expenses (income) Finance income (736) (373) Finance costs 324 302 Foreign exchange gain (829) (4,909) ---------------------- Income (loss) before income taxes (544) 22,816 Income tax expense Current 1,721 3,954 Deferred 119 171 ---------------------- 1,840 4,125 ---------------------- Net income (loss) for the period (2,384) 18,691 ---------------------- ---------------------- Attributable to: Equity shareholders (2,691) 16,184 Non-controlling interests 307 2,507 ---------------------- (2,384) 18,691 ---------------------- ---------------------- Earnings (loss) per share Basic (0.01) 0.05 Diluted (0.01) 0.05 ---------------------- ---------------------- Interim Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Expressed in thousands of US dollars - unaudited) Three-month period ended March 31, 2017 2016 $ $ Net income (loss) for the period (2,384) 18,691 ------------------------- Other comprehensive income Item that may be classified to net income Change in fair value of the investment in GoviEx (net of tax of nil) 818 - ------------------------- Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period, net of tax (1,566) 18,691 Attributable to: Equity shareholders (1,873) 16,184 Non-controlling interest 307 2,507 ------------------------- (1,566) 18,691 ------------------------- ------------------------- Interim Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Expressed in thousands of US dollars - unaudited) Three-month period ended March 31, 2017 2016 $ $ Cash flows from (used in): Operating activities Net income (loss) for the period (2,384) 18,691 Adjustments for: Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 25,268 17,340 Share-based compensation 1,219 3,678 Unrealized foreign exchange gain (1,008) (4,790) Deferred income tax expense 119 171 Other (67) 114 ---------------------- 23,147 35,204 ---------------------- Changes in non-cash working capital items (5,752) 6,765 ---------------------- Net cash provided by operating activities 17,395 41,969 ---------------------- Financing activities Repayment of long-term debt (76) (30,000) Proceeds on issuance of share capital, net of expenses 49 1,405 ---------------------- Net cash used in financing activities (27) (28,595) ---------------------- Investing activities Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment (37,232) (19,543) ---------------------- Net cash used in investing activities (37,232) (19,543) ---------------------- Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 1,253 5,670 ---------------------- Change in cash and cash equivalents during the period (18,611) (499) Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period 273,772 167,166 ---------------------- Cash and cash equivalents - end of period 255,161 166,667 ---------------------- ---------------------- Interest paid 888 1,582 Interest received 439 361 Income tax paid 2,161 85 Contacts: Robert LaValliere Vice-President, Corporate Affairs & Investor Relations Cell: +1 (514) 240 2780 Robert.Lavalliere@semafo.com Ruth Hanna Analyst, Investor Relations Ruth.Hanna@semafo.com Tel. local & overseas: +1 (514) 744 4408 North America Toll-Free: 1 (888) 744 4408 www.semafo.com LONDON and CLEVELAND, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Archie and The Bunkershail from the birthplace of punk and a major rustbelt gem: Cleveland, Ohio. Self-described "hi-fi organ punk", the band is two brothers still in high school - one on drums, the other on organ. Although newcomers to some extent, the results are electric and positively explosive, some say reminiscent ofThe Cramps, The Hentchmen, Billy Childish- every incarnation of top-notch rock you can imagine. It's rare to take an organ and make it the centerpiece of a rock 'n' roll band and have it make so much sense. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/506770/Archie_and_the_Bunkers.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/506771/Archie_Tour_Poster.jpg ) They are a musical anomaly in that the compositions they write are refreshingly new, but they draw their influences from classic musicians and movies of the past. The band's raw garage punk sound draws heavily from Cullen's melding of divergent musical styles. Influences range from jazz organ greats likeJimmy Smith,andRichard"Groove"Holmes,to punk iconsDead Boys, The Stooges, The Screamers,and more. On stage, the siblings attack their songs with an energy that whips the audience into a frenzy. The unique growl of Cullen's whirring, overdriven organ and the driving beat of Emmett's 4-piece drum kit, leave concert-goers in shock at the sonic assault levied by only two. 2015 marked the release of their first full-length album onDirty Water Records.Its 12 songs were recorded at the storiedGhetto Recorders in Detroit.Legendary producer/engineerJim Diamondcaptured that unique Archie sound that's been dubbed 'HI-FI Organ Punk.' Emmett describes their sound as, "rock'n'roll that's been peeled back to its raw foundation. That neither 18-year-oldEmmett(on drums and vocals) nor 16-year-oldCullen(organ and vocals)O'Connoris old enough to ask for booze on their backstage rider, doesn't matter. Not a jot. They pump out simple, and simply good, stripped-back punk sounds that are bereft of BS. A year and a bit more has passed, since the 'dynamic duo' sent in their demo intoDirty Water Recordswar room, where we jumped at the chance to propel these brilliant "snot rags" up to where they belong; the future of rock 'n' roll.Now, it seems almost every label and 'tastemaker' worth their salt are bidding up on the boys. Archie and the Bunkers are on a trajectory that transcends the record industry and have always been the masters of their own destiny. The late, greatLux Interior(and Cleveland native) fromThe Crampspredicted them way back in 1991, "You got your big business types trying to make this happen all over the place, but that's not the way it ever happens.You get some nasty little 15-year-old kids who make music in their garage, and that's the way it happens. They get tired of waiting for somebody else to do something for them, they do it themselves."They self-released a vinyl-only, 6-song EP titled, "Mystery Lover." The band kicked off 2016 with a tour that spanned 7 countries and every time they played, people's jaws would drop to the floor and within two songs everybody at the bar had left their seats to go stand in front of the stage to watch and listen to them. Archie and the Bunkers, this summer are really pulling out all the stops with a five week 'uber grinder' tour of the European continent covering every prime club and festival slot this summer. If you didn't get stung by their buzz last time around, you have ample opportunity to get your eyes and ears kicked in. The band's success and growing popularity on the Global music scene is no mystery to Emmett who says he never experienced any form of stage fright or pre-show jitters. "I just like playing out, having a good time and sharing our music with other people in the clubs," he said. "I love the adrenaline." Soon, Europeans all over will be loving it too. The Dirty Water Club started in October 1996 in the Tufnell Park neighborhood of north London, at a venue called The Boston. The club's name is derived from The Standells' 1966 hit 'Dirty Water' which glorifies the US city of Boston, Massachusetts. Past performers have included The White Stripes (voted byQ Magazineas one of the top 10 gigs of all time, Mojo one of the top 30 and Kerrang one of the top 100!), The Gories, NOBUNNY, Kid Congo Powers (from the Cramps), The Fleshtones, Billy Childish, Radio Birdman, The Dirtbombs, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, The 5.6.7.8's, The Horrors and The Brian Jonestown Massacre to name just a few. The club has also seen some original '60s performers, such as The Monks, - and the Mysterians, Kim Fowley, Sky Saxon, GONN, Michael Davis of the MC5 and more grace its stage. Their in-house record label,Dirty Water Records, is one of the leading punk/garage/beat/(real) R&B labels in the world. Archie and the Bunkers Archie and the Bunkers Bandcamp Archie and the Bunkers Facebook Archie and the Bunkers Twitter Third Man Records Dirty Water Records Dirty Water Records Bandcamp Dirty Water Records Facebook Dirty Water Records Twitter Dirty Water Records Television Dirty Water Records Soundcloud Media Contact: Matt Hunter matt@dirtywaterrecords.co.uk DALLAS (dpa-AFX) - Straight Path Communications Inc. (STRP) said its board of directors has determined that a revised offer from a multi-national telecommunications company to acquire 100 percent of the company's issued and outstanding shares for $135.96 per share constitutes a 'Superior Proposal' as defined in Straight Path's previously announced definitive agreement and plan of merger with AT&T Inc. (T) and Switchback Merger Sub Inc., dated as of April 9, 2017. The revised offer reflects an enterprise value of approximately $2.3 billion and will be paid in Bidder stock in an all-stock transaction. The Bidder previously submitted an unsolicited offer on April 24, 2017 to acquire 100 percent of the issued and outstanding shares of Straight Path for $104.64 per share, which has been superseded by the revised offer announced today. Under the terms of the AT&T Merger Agreement, AT&T agreed to acquire Straight Path in an all-stock transaction in which Straight Path stockholders would receive $95.63 per share, reflecting an enterprise value of $1.6 billion, which would be paid using AT&T stock. AT&T now has the option for the next three business days to negotiate a possible amendment of that agreement to match or exceed the bidder's offer. 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. LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / September 26, 2017 / Pro-Trader Daily takes a look at the latest corporate events and news making the headlines for Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), following which we have published a free report that can be viewed by signing up at http://protraderdaily.com/optin/'symbol=AMZN. The Company announced on September 22, 2017, that its Amazon Restaurants section has entered into a partnership with Olo, a New York-based food delivery service, to streamline online ordering and to list Olo's clients on the Amazon Restaurants food delivery section of its website. For immediate access to our complimentary reports, including today's coverage, register for free now at: http://protraderdaily.com/register/ At Pro-TD, we make it our mission to bring you news that matter about the stock you follow. Today, our research desk covers a blog story on AMZN. Go directly to your stock of interest and access today's free coverage at: http://protraderdaily.com/optin/'symbol=AMZN Deal Details As part of the agreement, Olo's clients would be listed on the Amazon Restaurants section of Amazon.com. Amazon Restaurants has integrated into Rails, Olo's application programming interface (API), enabling the restaurant operators to list their menus on third-party marketplaces. Amazon arranges deliveries. The deal will drive incremental sales without having to install tablets and manage orders in multiple places. Customer orders from Amazon Restaurants are integrated seamlessly into existing point-of-sale (POS) systems, helping to reduce response times and also reducing the likelihood of manual errors. Olo allows its restaurants to offer guests counter and curbside pickup for orders placed by phone, web, mobile web, app, Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices, and more, as well as delivery through Olo Dispatch and Olo Rails. This agreement is likely to help Olo's customers connect with Amazon Restaurant's delivery services. Also, Amazon's customers can access more restaurant options. New Delivery Sales Channel Likely to Drive Olo's Increased Visibility Noah Glass, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Olo, stated that the Company is thrilled to work with Amazon to provide Olo's base of restaurant customers with a new delivery sales channel that drives increased visibility, as Amazon's obsession with providing great customer and restaurant experience supports the evolving expectations and behaviors of today's consumer. Glass added that Olo is excited to connect more of Olo's restaurant brands with Amazon Restaurants. Integration will Enable Amazon Restaurants to Onboard New Restaurants with Ease Gus Lopez, General Manager of Amazon Restaurants, expressed his excitement to leverage Olo's digital ordering technology and continue rapidly growing Amazon's network of restaurants to give Amazon Prime members more options for fast delivery from their favorite brands. Lopez further said that this integration will enable Amazon Restaurants to onboard new restaurants with ease, as well as quickly add more new choices and delivery options for customers. Amazon acquired Organic Foods Supermarket, Whole Foods Market, in August 2017 On August 28, 2017, Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $13.7 billion. Following the acquisition, Whole Foods Market is offering lower prices on a selection of best-selling grocery staples across its stores. In addition, Amazon and Whole Foods Market technology teams have integrated Amazon Prime into the Whole Foods Market point-of-sale system, enabling prime members to receive special savings and in-store benefits. About Amazon Restaurants Amazon Restaurants delivers food to its premium customers from top-rated restaurants if they meet a minimum purchase amount. It delivers the food quickly, typically in one hour or less. About Olo Founded in 2005, Olo is a mobile and online food ordering platform that allows customers to order food from online menus and prepay in advance from their mobile or desktop device. Based in New York City, Olo is the main ordering software provider for some 200 restaurant brands with around 40,000 locations across the US. Last Close Stock Review On Monday, September 25, 2017, the stock closed the trading session at $939.79, falling 1.60% from its previous closing price of $955.10. A total volume of 5.09 million shares have exchanged hands, which was higher than the 3-month average volume of 3.44 million shares. Amazon.com's stock price surged 10.98% in the past six months and 16.64% in the previous twelve months. Furthermore, since the start of the year, shares of the Company have rallied 25.33%. The stock is trading at a PE ratio of 237.14. At Monday's closing price, the stock's net capitalization stands at $455.97 billion. 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If you're a company we are covering and wish to no longer feature on our coverage list contact us via email and/or phone between 09:30 EDT to 16:00 EDT from Monday to Friday at: Email: contact@protraderdaily.com Phone number: (917) 341.4653 Office Address: Mainzer Landstrasse 50 Frankfurt am Main, Germany 60325 CFA and Chartered Financial Analyst are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute. SOURCE: Pro-Trader Daily TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 06/20/17 -- Darnley Bay Resources Limited (TSX VENTURE: DBL) (the "Company") announces that it will seek shareholder approval to change its name to Pine Point Mining Limited at the Company's annual and special meeting of shareholders to be held on July 17, 2017. Jamie Levy, President and CEO comments: "With the Company's main focus now bringing the Pine Point zinc project back into production, it is appropriate at this time to adopt a new name." Mr. Levy further adds that "The name change certainly does not take away from our other excellent projects, including the original Darnley Bay gravity anomaly near Paulatuk, also in the Northwest Territories." The Company plans to change its TSX-V ticker symbols to "ZINC". The timing of the name change, ticker symbol change and corporate re-branding will be announced at a later date. Subject to the name change, the Company's web domain name will change to www.pinepointmining.com. Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that Darnley Bay expects are forward-looking statements. Although Darnley Bay believes the expectations expressed in such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the statements. There are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. These include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Darnley Bay, investors should review registered filings at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Darnley Bay Resources Limited Jamie Levy President and Chief Executive Officer (416) 567-2440 jlevy@darnleybay.com www.darnleybay.com Renmark Financial Communications Inc. Steve Hosein (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989 shosein@renmarkfinancial.com www.renmarkfinancial.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/17/17 -- Great Lakes Graphite Inc. ("GLK" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: GLK) (OTC PINK: GLKIF) (FRANKFURT: 8GL) announces today a new non-brokered private-placement offering for a total of 40,000,000 units at a price of $CDN 0.05 per share, for gross proceeds of CDN $2,000,000. Each Unit in the Offering consists of one common share of the Company and one common share-purchase warrant (the "Warrants"); each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $CDN 0.10 for a period of twenty-four (24) months after the closing of the Offering, which is contingent upon approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company may pay a finder's fee on the Offering. The net proceeds of the private placement will be used for general working capital. All securities issued in the private placement will be subject to a statutory four month hold period. Closing of the private placement is subject to negotiation and execution of definitive documentation and receipt of all regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Changes to Board of Directors Accompanies Transition The Board of Directors further announces the resignations of Chairman Richard Lane and Director Greg Murphy, effective August 10, 2017. "The Board is appreciative of the efforts of Greg and Richard on behalf of the Company and wish them both the best in building their respective businesses," said Paul Gorman, the Chief Executive Officer of Great Lakes Graphite. About Great Lakes Graphite: Great Lakes Graphite is a Clean Technology Minerals Processing Company supplying customers with innovative, high quality value-added carbon products. There is no significant graphite production in North America now. As pricing and demand continue to rise, Great Lakes Graphite is one of the first new domestic suppliers to a growing regional customer base. We continually work to deliver products of the best quality with outstanding customer service. The Company is party to an agreement for long-term supply of high quality natural graphite concentrate from Brazil (see news release dated 03/23/15). Great Lakes Graphite is presently working with an established US-based processor for toll micronization services. The Company has partnered with Ashland Advanced Materials for commercial-scale purification operations at Ashland's 110,000 square foot purification facility located in Niagara, New York. Through our partner relationships, Great Lakes Graphite began selling micronized synthetic graphite beginning in 2016 and now supplies micronized and high purity micronized natural flake graphite products to a growing customer base. Further information regarding Great Lakes can be found on the Company's website at: www.GreatLakesGraphite.com. Great Lakes Graphite trades with symbol GLK on the TSX Venture Exchange and currently has 125,656,830 shares outstanding. 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. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information: Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward looking information" which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking information. When used in this press release, such forward looking information may use such words as "may', "will', "expect', "believe', "plan' and other similar terminology. Forward looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations relating to the future events and the operating performance of the Company, and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company to fulfill the orders and future orders, regulatory requirements, general economic, market or business conditions and future developments in the sectors of the economy in which the business of Great Lakes operates. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Please see the Company's financial statements, MD&A and other documents available on www.sedar.com, for a more detailed description of the risk factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward looking information, whether a result of new information, future results or otherwise, except as required by law. Contacts: Paul Ferguson Chief Marketing Officer Email: PFerguson@GreatLakesGraphite.com 1-800-754-4510 x106 Paul Gorman Chief Executive Officer Email: PGorman@GreatLakesGraphite.com 1-800-754-4510 x109 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- StrikePoint Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE: SKP)(OTCQX: STKXF) ("StrikePoint" or the Company) is pleased to welcome Eric Sprott as a +10% shareholder and announce that it has closed on its $5-million non-brokered private placement (the "Financing") as previously announced on April 18, 2017. Shawn Khunkhun, CEO of StrikePoint remarked, "We are very pleased to have Eric Sprott and other large, strategic institutional investors participate in this financing. After closing $3 Million on April 4, 2017, this additional $5 Million private placement has allowed the expansion of this year's drill program." The Financing consisted of 13,157,000 flow-through units ("FT Unit") at an issuance price of 38 cents per FT Unit for total proceeds of $5-million. Each FT Unit consists of one flow-through common share and one-half non flow-through share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a "Warrant") with each Warrant being exercisable at a price of 50 cents for a period of two years from closing. The FT Units are subject to a hold period expiring on September 3, 2017. In connection with the Financing, finder's fees of $280,763 cash ($771.40 as to Leede Jones Gable Inc., $6,995.80 as to PI Financial Corp., and $272,995.80 as to Medalist Capital Ltd.) and 738,850 finder's warrants (2,030 warrants as to Leede Jones Gable Inc., 18,410 warrants as PI Financial Corp. and 718,410 warrants as to Medalist Capital Ltd.) were paid. The finder's warrants will have an exercise term of two years from issuance with an exercise price of 38 cents and be subject to a hold period expiring on September 3, 2017. The proceeds from the issuance of the FT Units will be used to incur Canadian exploration expenses on the company's gold projects located in the Yukon Territory. As a result of the Financing, Eric Sprott, through 2176423 Ontario Ltd., a corporation which is beneficially owned by him, acquired 6,842,000 common shares and 3,421,000 Warrants for total consideration of $1,999,916.60 representing approximately 11.6% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a non-diluted basis and 16.4% on a partially diluted basis. The above percentages are calculated based on 59,203,837 common shares issued and outstanding after giving effect to the Financing. Prior to the Financing, Mr. Sprott did not directly or indirectly own any securities of the Company. The common shares and Warrants were acquired by Mr. Sprott, through 2176423 Ontario Ltd. for investment purposes. Mr. Sprott has a long-term view of the investment and may acquire additional securities of the Company either on the open market or through private acquisitions or sell securities of the Company either on the open market or through private dispositions in the future depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors. A copy of 2176423 Ontario Ltd.'s early warning report will appear on the Company's profile on SEDAR and may also be obtained by calling (416) 362-7172 (200 Bay Street, Suite 2600, Royal Bank Plaza, South Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J2). The private placement is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD of STRIKEPOINT GOLD INC. Shawn Khunkhun CEO and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Shawn Khunkhun 604-602-1440 sk@strikepointgold.com Blue Earth Diagnostics, a molecular imaging diagnostics company, announced the peer-reviewed publication of results from the reader training component of Axumin Phase 3 registration data that evaluated the impact of reader training on the blinded, independent evaluation of Axumin (fluciclovine F 18) images. Axumin is a novel, FDA-approved molecular imaging agent indicated for use in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in men with suspected prostate cancer recurrence based on elevated blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) following prior treatment. Results of this study, based on PET/CT (computed tomography) images from the Axumin image database at Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., demonstrated that, with standardized Axumin reader training, previously na?ve readers were able to achieve acceptable diagnostic performance and reproducibility when using Axumin PET/CT images to re-stage patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. The manuscript, "Reader training for the re-staging of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer using fluciclovine (18F) PET/CT," was accepted by The Journal of Nuclear Medicine and is now available online: J Nucl Med 2017; doi: 10.2967/jnumed.116.188375. The manuscript will also appear in an upcoming print issue. Lead authors are M. Miller of Blue Earth Diagnostics, Oxford, UK; L. Kostakoglu of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; D. Pryma, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa. and J. Yu of Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pa. Significant contributions to the reader training study were provided by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's Clinical Trial Network and the American College of Radiology. "This Phase 3 study demonstrated that reader training is effective in enabling physicians new to Axumin PET/CT image interpretation to replicate results from an expert center," said Jonathan Allis, D. Phil., CEO of Blue Earth Diagnostics Ltd. "Axumin use in the United States continues to expand from expert technical centers into general clinical use. In addition to this increasing U.S. commercial availability and access, Blue Earth Diagnostics Inc., in collaboration with the SNMMI's Nuclear Medicine Clinical Trial Group, continues to provide reader training in image acquisition and interpretation to new users of Axumin as part of our commitment to helping men with recurrent prostate cancer." "Commonly used imaging techniques for the identification of suspected recurrent prostate cancer are limited in the information they provide, leaving physicians with difficult medical challenges in defining appropriate care for their patients," said Lale Kostakoglu, MD, MPH, Professor of Radiology and Chief of Nuclear Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. "This study demonstrated that Axumin reader training enabled overall consistent image interpretation at the patient level and for regional sites of recurrence. In my experience, PET/CT imaging with Axumin effectively detects and localizes recurrent disease, which can help guide my patient management decisions." About the AxuminTM Phase 3 Reader Training Study This Phase 3 study assessed the ability of readers without prior experience in reading Axumin PET/CT images ("na?ve readers") to interpret images from men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer with acceptable diagnostic performance and reproducibility. Primary objectives were to establish individual readers' diagnostic performance and the overall interpretation (2/3 reader concordance) compared to standard of truth data (histopathology (i.e., biopsy) and/or clinical follow-up) and to evaluate reproducibility of interpretation among the readers. Standardized image interpretation methodology was established in conjunction with the SNMMI Clinical Trials Network, with the blinded independent evaluation conducted at the American College of Radiology Clinical Research Center. Axumin images and standard of truth data from 110 patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer were collected from Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. Three independent readers were trained using standardized interpretation methodology, who then evaluated Axumin images in a blinded manner. Analyses of 121 images were conducted at several levels: lesion; prostate region (prostate, including prostate bed and seminal vesicles) and extraprostatic (including all lymph nodes, bone or soft tissue metastases); and patient. Results demonstrated that the overall ability of the readers to classify Axumin uptake as malignant at the lesion level had a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 71% (98/139). The PPV at the region level was 73% (53/73) for the prostate region and 92% (24/26) for the extraprostatic region. The PPV at the patient level was 79% (68/86). The Readers' PPV and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) were broadly consistent for the regions that were measureable, with each other and with the onsite read. Overall Sensitivity (SEN) at the patient level was 92% (68/74). The SEN at the region level was 91% (53/58) for the prostate region and 86% (24/28) for the extraprostatic region; and 64% at the lesion level. Importantly, readers in this study were able to identify areas of recurrent cancer on fluciclovine (18F) PET/CT images with comparable accuracy to fluciclovine-experienced readers who had access to histopathological findings and subject data, as reported in the literature (Bach-Gansmo T, et al. J Urol 2017;197:676-83). Though interpretation errors can occur and clinical correlation is still recommended, the authors concluded that standardized interpretation methodology and a specific training program for evaluating Axumin images enables na?ve readers to achieve acceptable diagnostic performance and reproducibility when staging recurrent prostate cancer. Blue Earth Diagnostics provided financial support for the study. For the latest information on Axumin image interpretation training, please contact Blue Earth Diagnostics, Inc.'s Medical Information Hotline at medinfo@blueearthdx.com or 1-855-AXUMIN1 (298-6461); Option 3 or visit SNMMI's Nuclear Medicine Clinical Trial Group: www.snmmi.org/research/index.aspx?navItemNumber=673 Indication and Important Safety Information About Axumin INDICATION Axumin (fluciclovine F 18) injection is indicated for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in men with suspected prostate cancer recurrence based on elevated blood prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels following prior treatment. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Image interpretation errors can occur with Axumin PET imaging. A negative image does not rule out recurrent prostate cancer and a positive image does not confirm its presence. The performance of Axumin seems to be affected by PSA levels. Axumin uptake may occur with other cancers and benign prostatic hypertrophy in primary prostate cancer. Clinical correlation, which may include histopathological evaluation, is recommended. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, may occur in patients who receive Axumin. Emergency resuscitation equipment and personnel should be immediately available. Axumin use contributes to a patient's overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure, which is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Safe handling practices should be used to minimize radiation exposure to the patient and health care providers. Adverse reactions were reported in 1% of subjects during clinical studies with Axumin. The most common adverse reactions were injection site pain, injection site erythema and dysgeusia. To report suspected adverse reactions to Axumin, call 1-855-AXUMIN1 (1-855-298-6461) or contact FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. Full Axumin prescribing information is available at www.axumin.com About AxuminTM (fluciclovine F 18) Axumin (fluciclovine F 18) injection is a novel product indicated for use in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to identify suspected sites of prostate cancer recurrence in men. Recurrence of prostate cancer is suspected by an increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels following prior treatment. PET imaging with Axumin may identify the location and extent of such recurrence. Axumin was developed to enable visualization of the increased amino acid transport that occurs in many cancers, including prostate cancer. It consists of a synthetic amino acid that is preferentially taken up by prostate cancer cells compared with surrounding normal tissues, and is labeled with the radioisotope F 18 for PET imaging. Fluciclovine F 18 was invented at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., with much of the fundamental clinical development work carried out by physicians at Emory University's Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. Axumin was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2016, following Priority Review, and is the first product commercialized by Blue Earth Diagnostics, which licensed the product from GE Healthcare. The molecule is being investigated by Blue Earth Diagnostics for other potential cancer indications, such as glioma. About Prostate Recurrent Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States. While most primary prostate cancer can be successfully treated, the disease recurs in approximately one-third of patients. In some patients recurrent disease is detectable only by a rise in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, yet the location of the recurrence cannot consistently be located by conventional imaging, potentially impacting subsequent management of these patients. About Blue Earth Diagnostics Blue Earth Diagnostics is a molecular imaging diagnostics company focused on the development and commercialization of novel PET imaging agents to inform clinical management and guide care for cancer patients in areas of unmet medical need. Formed in 2014, Blue Earth Diagnostics is led by recognized experts in the clinical development and commercialization of innovative nuclear medicine products. The company's first approved and commercially available product is AxuminTM (fluciclovine F 18), a novel molecular imaging agent for use in PET imaging to detect and localize prostate cancer in men experiencing suspected biochemical recurrence. Blue Earth Diagnostics is funded by Syncona Limited, an investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange (LON: SYNC). For more information, visit www.blueearthdiagnostics.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503005244/en/ Contacts: For Blue Earth Diagnostics Inc. (U.S.) Priscilla Harlan Vice President, Corporate Communications (M) 781-799-7917 p.harlan@blueearthdx.com or Media Sam Brown Inc. Cory Tromblee (M) 617-571-7220 corytromblee@sambrown.com or For Blue Earth Diagnostics Ltd. (UK) Dr. Val Jones Val Jones PR Ltd (M) +44 (0) 7917 175 192 v.jones@blueearthdx.com Availability of documents Regulatory News: Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) informs its shareholders that its Combined Shareholders' Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 3 pm at Dassault Systemes' headquarters (Amphitheater), 10 rue Marcel Dassault 78140 Velizy-Villacoublay. The preliminary notification to the General Shareholders' meeting stating the agenda and the draft resolutions to this meeting, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires (BALO) on March 31, 2017, and is available at the address:http://www.3ds.com/investors/shareholders-meetings/2017 The convening notice stating the agenda have been published today in the BALO and will be made available at the foregoing address. Documents and information relating to this meeting are, since May 2, 2017, available to the shareholders at Dassault Systemes' headquarters or at Societe Generale (address: Service des Assemblees 32, rue du Champ-de-Tir, CS 30812 44308 Nantes, Cedex 3) under the conditions provided by law. A major part of this information is mentioned in the Dassault Systemes 2016 Annual Report filed on March 22, 2017 with the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) and on its website (http://www.3ds.com/investors/shareholders-meetings/2017) as per article R.225-73-1 of the French Commercial Code. About Dassault Systemes Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, provides business and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported. Dassault Systemes' collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world. The group brings value to over 220,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com. 3DEXPERIENCE, the Compass logo and the 3DS logo, CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, ENOVIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA, GEOVIA, EXALEAD, 3D VIA, BIOVIA, NETVIBES and 3DEXCITE are registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503005100/en/ Contacts: Dassault Systemes: Francois-Jose Bordonado/Beatrix Martinez +33 1 6162 6924 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Hillary Clinton says she would have won the presidential elections had it been held on October 27th, the day before FBI Director sent a report to Congress confirming that the former Secretary of State was 'extremely careless' in handling her email system. In an interview with CNN at a Women for Women International event in New York, the failed Democratic presidential candidate blamed FBI, Wikileaks and Russian hackers for her defeat to Donald Trump in the November 8 election. 'I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian Wikileaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off,' Clinton told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. 'If the election had been on October 27th, I'd be your president. And it wasn't, it was on October 28th and there was just a lot of funny business going on around that,' according to her. Trump responded in his characteristic style in a series of late night tweets on Tuesday, saying that FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds. The President further said the phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election, and that he just ran a great campaign. In one of the worst bitterly fought US presidential elections in modern times, the New York business tycoon had stunned the world with a surprise win over his Democrat rival after political pundits and most opinion polls almost ruled out his chances to enter the White House. Trump completed his 100th day in office, but with the lowest approval rating at that point of any president in polls since 1945. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE: MEK) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the discovery of gold mineralization located one kilometer (km) west of the Thomas Ogden Zone (TOZ) in the Timmins Gold Camp. Results have been received from the first two holes of a four hole 980m (see MEK news release March 30, 2017) diamond drill program designed to further evaluate stratigraphy west of TOZ. Hole OG17-002 was collared to test a geophysical Induced Polarization (IP) target and was successful in intersecting two zones of gold mineralization. The first zone, which is interpreted to be the main zone, intersected 3.97 meters (m) (96.88m to 100.85m) of 4.96 grams per ton (g/t) Gold (Au) within a broader zone which assayed 3.07 g/t Au over 8.22m. This intercept is characterized by pervasive albitization and silicification with associated pyrite-arsenopyrite mineralization as well as visible gold, which is similar to the main zone at TOZ. A second zone, further down the hole, returned a core length intercept (129m to 143m) of 1.43 g/t Au over 14m. This mineralization is hosted within a strongly altered felsic dyke with visible gold and is similar to footwall mineralization in the TOZ. Significant folding of the stratigraphy has been identified, a key indicator in the TOZ area to potentially host higher-grade gold mineralization along the fold hinges. The second hole, OG17-01 was drilled 150m west of hole OG17-02 and also intersected stratigraphy typical of the TOZ, returning a down hole intercept (76.0m to 93.0m) of 0.24 g/t Au over 17m. Management is highly encouraged by this latest discovery exhibiting similar alteration and mineralization to that of TOZ and other deposits in the Timmins Camp consisting of albitization, silicification, with associated pyrite, arsenopyrite and minor amounts of galena, sphalerite and visible gold. An updated longsection and a surface plan are available on the Company's website at www.metalscreek.com Results from the remaining two holes will be released once results are received and compiled. The Ogden Property is held under a joint venture in which Metals Creek owns 50%, and Goldcorp Canada Ltd. ("Goldcorp") owns 50% (as manager and on behalf of the Porcupine Joint Venture, a joint venture between Goldcorp Inc. and Goldcorp Canada Ltd.) with MEK being the operator of the project. The Ogden claims cover eight kilometers of strike length of the Porcupine-Destor Fault between Goldcorp's 16 million oz. Dome Mine and Tahoe Resources West Timmins Mine. The vast majority of the Porcupine-Destor Fault on the property is underexplored, compared to other properties in the Timmins Gold camp. Reported drill intercepts are not true widths. At this time there is insufficient data to calculate true orientations. All split core samples were sent to Activation Laboratories, an accredited laboratory in Ancaster, Ontario. The precious metals were analyzed utilizing a standard fire assay with an atomic absorption finish. As part of the Corporations QAQC protocol, approximately 10% of the samples submitted for assay were also sent for check assays. Standards and blanks were inserted randomly into the sample shipments as part of the sampling protocol. Samples with fire assay results above 1.0 g/t gold are re-analyzed using a gravimetric finish and samples with fire assay results above 5.0 g/t gold or samples showing visible gold are analyzed using the pulp metallic method. Michael MacIsaac, P.Geo and VP Exploration for the Corporation and a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for this release, and supervised the preparation of the information forming the basis for this release. About Metals Creek Resources Corp. Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property, including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has a 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF) that stretches between Timmins, Ontario and Val d'Or, Quebec. The Company has also recently entered into an Option/JV with Trifecta Gold Ltd. on Metals Creek's Squid properties in Yukon. Metals Creek also has a JV with Benton Resources on Metals Creeks Staghorn Gold Project in Newfoundland as well as two option agreements with Anaconda Mining Inc. on Metals Creek's Jacksons Arm and Tilt Cove Properties also in Newfoundland. The company is engaged in the identification, acquisition, exploration and development of other mineral resource properties, and presently has mining interests in Ontario, Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador. Additional information concerning the Corporation is contained in documents filed by the Corporation with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Metals Creek Resources Corp. Alexander (Sandy) Stares President and CEO (709)-256-6060 (709)-256-6061 (FAX) astares@metalscreek.com www.metalscreek.com www.twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes www.facebook.com/MetalsCreek 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. AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap") (NYSE: AER) has announced it has signed a lease agreement for a Boeing 777-200ER with Austrian Airlines. The aircraft is scheduled to deliver in January 2018. Manufactured in 2001, the aircraft was operated by Aeromexico. AerCap President and Chief Commercial Officer Philip Scruggs said, "The 777 remains a work-horse of the industry. This transaction proves the continued demand for the aircraft type. We have leased 777-200ER to both scheduled flag carriers and leisure operators. The combination of size and performance makes the 777-200ER an ideal aircraft for Austrian Airlines' fleet requirements." About AerCap AerCap is the global leader in aircraft leasing with, as of March 31, 2017, 1,541 owned, managed or on order aircraft in its portfolio. AerCap has one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 200 customers in approximately 80 countries with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and has its headquarters in Dublin with offices in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Shannon, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Singapore, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Seattle and Toulouse. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements, estimates and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates and forecasts are "forward-looking statements". In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "potential" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate or correct. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this press release might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information regarding AerCap and to be added to our email distribution list, please visit www.aercap.com and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/aercapnv. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503005757/en/ Contacts: AerCap Holdings N.V. For Media: Gillian Culhane, +353 1 636 0945 Vice President Corporate Communications gculhane@aercap.com or For Investors: Brian Canniffe, +353 1 418 0461 Head of Investor Relations bcanniffe@aercap.com ISTANBUL, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Turkish Airlines, the carrier that flies to more countriesin the world than any other airline, now offers its "Stopover" service for its transfer passengers, departing from Pakistan to arrive to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., Ireland, and having more than 20 hours connecting time. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161202/445171LOGO ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/507425/Turkish_Airlines.jpg ) Stopover offers those passengers a complimentary accommodation and a great opportunity to discover the unique beauties of Istanbul during their connecting time. This new service - that set Pakistan as pilot region for the initial phase - will enable the transfer passengers that depart from Pakistan to arrive to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., Ireland, and also have more than 20 hours connecting time, to stop over in Istanbul with an accommodation cheque prepared by Turkish Airlines' authorized staff after completing the flight booking process of the passenger. This cheque will enable the economy class passengers to stay 1 night at a 4-star hotel; and also the business class passengers to stay 2 nights at a 5-star hotel in Sultanahmet and Taksim, generally described as the central points of Istanbul. Moreover, within the scope of this project, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Turkey has began to offer a complimentary 7-day transit visa to Pakistani passengers who will travel with Turkish Airlines from Pakistan to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., and Ireland. Turkish Airlines, Inc. Media Relations About Turkish Airlines: Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 337(passenger and cargo)aircraft flying to 299destinations worldwide with 250international and 49 domestic. According to the 2016 Skytrax survey, Turkish Airlines was chosen as "Europe's Best Airline" for the sixth and "Best Airline in Southern Europe" for the eighth consecutive time. Having won in 2010 the world's "Best Economy Catering Service", in 2013 and also in 2014 the world's "Best Business Catering Service", and "Best Business Class Lounge Dining", "Best Business Airline Lounge" awards in last year's survey, Turkish Airlines was awarded again the world's "Best Business Class Dining Lounge" and "Best Business Class On-Board Catering" prizes in this year's survey. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official websitehttp://www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, andInstagram. About Star Alliance: The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Avianca Brasil, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,450 daily flights to 1,300 airports in 190 countries. Turkish Airlines Inc. Office of Media Relations General Management Building 34149, Yesilkoy-Istanbul Tel: +90(212)-463-63-63-11153 / 11173 Fax: +90(212)-465-20-78 press@thy.com FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Commerzbank AG's (CRZBY.PK) annual General Meeting resolved on external auditor and election of new member to the Supervisory Board. Commerzbank will sustainably increase its profitability by the end of 2020. The shareholders voted on the proposal to elect Dr.Tobias Guldimann as a new member to the Supervisory Board. Furthermore, the shareholders elected a new external auditor. The Supervisory Board is proposing that Ernst & Young be elected as external auditor for the financial year 2018. Martin Zielke, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Commerzbank, said,'The environment remains challenging which is why implementing our strategy is so important. We are fundamentally realigning the Bank. In 2020 Commerzbank will be simpler,faster, and better.' Zielke explained that bBoth 2017 and 2018 will be years of transformation. new strategy is aimed at achieving the Bank's sustainable profitability. Therefore the bank will has to invest more than 1 billion euros in restructuring stemming from the reinvestment of earnings-the challenging environment makes this necessary. The implementation of the strategy is on track. Zielke said: 'We had a good start into the year and achieved a decent result. We continue to grow strongly in the Private and Small Business Customers segment and have won more than 150,000 new customers in the first three months of the year. In the Corporate Clients segment we launched a 6 billion euros loan initiative for German SMEs.' Zielke noted that commerzbank will sustainably increase its profitability by the end of 2020. As part of its 'Commerzbank 4.0' strategy it will consistently focus on its core businesses, digitalise 80 per cent of relevant processes thereby achieving significant efficiency gains. The Bank's business is divided into two key client segments: Private and Small Business Customers as well as Corporate Clients. In the Private and Small Business Customers segment, the Bank intends to win 2 million new net customers in Germany by 2020. It remains committed to its dense branch network. In Corporate Clients , the Bank is combining the strengths of its Mittelstandsbank (SME) franchise leveraging its capital markets expertise. The objective is to acquire 10,000 new corporate clients by the end of 2020. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 3, 2017) - Midnight Sun Mining Corp. (TSXV: MMA) (the "Company" or "Midnight Sun") is pleased to announce the commencement of drilling on the Mitu copper-cobalt discovery on the Company's optioned Solwezi properties. The Company has contracted Blu Rock Mining Services Ltd. to conduct a diamond drilling program intended to further expand and define the extent of the previously announced ore-shale type copper-cobalt discovery (see news release dated January 12, 2017). A geophysical survey on Mitu, including 37 line-kilometers of natural source audio magneto tellurics ("NSAMT") conducted by the Company, indicates a very large 'banana' shaped anomaly running south of the initial discovery area on the western flank of the Solwezi Dome. This favourable contact zone along the western flank of the Solwezi Dome extends for over 17 kilometers on the Company's optioned properties. Midnight Sun is currently conducting air core drilling to confirm the presence of the ore-shale unit closest to surface as indicated by the NSAMT survey. To date, this shallow drilling (approximately 60 meters in depth) supports the NSAMT interpretation which indicates the ore-shale potentially continuing along the full 17 km contact zone. The goal of the diamond drilling is to test the dip extent of the ore-shale, which is estimated by the NSAMT survey to be 3 to 4 kilometers at a 20 degree angle from surface. NSAMT surveys are used extensively in the Zambia/Congo Copperbelt with known efficacy in identifying the blanket style deposition of ore-shale mineralization. Ore-shale mineralization is the dominant form of copper-cobalt deposition in the Zambia/Congo Copperbelt, the largest single copper-cobalt production area in the world. Mineralization is associated with shale units which form chemical and physical 'traps' for base metals at or near the contact between the Upper and Lower Roan units. The sedimentary nature of these ore-shale deposits lends themselves to the potential for both high grade as well as very large tonnage. Examples of this type of deposition in Zambia include the Sentinel mine, owned by First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum"), which has a measured and indicated resource of over one billion tonnes of copper1, and the Nkana copper-cobalt mine, jointly owned by Glencore International AG, First Quantum, and ZCCM Investment Holdings Plc, which has been in production since 1932 and still contains a measured and indicated resource of 211,300,000 tonnes of copper and cobalt.2 "We are at a transformative time for the Company" said Robert Sibthorpe, President "This drill program at the Mitu area should give us the big picture - whether Mitu has the strike and dip extent to potentially develop into a world-class deposit." While Mitu is the most advanced of the Company's Solwezi property targets, the earlier stage Dumbwa and 22 Zone areas remain highly prospective. ____________________ 1 First Quantum website. Available at http://www.first-quantum.com/Our-Business/Development-Projects/Trident/Sentinel/Reserves-and-Resources/default.aspx 2 Glencore Resources and Reserves as at 31 December 2016. Available at http://www.glencore.com/investors/reports-and-results/reserves-and-resources/ Qualified Person: Richard Mazur, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical data and contents of this release. Mr. Mazur is a Director of the Company and, as such, is not independent. Stock Option Expiration: 525,000 previously issued stock options at a strike price of $0.25 are set to expire on May 31, 2017. The Company expects these options will be exercised prior to expiration. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Robert Sibthorpe B.Sc.(Geology), M.B.A. President & CEO For Further Information Contact: Al Fabbro Director Tel: 604-351-8850 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 NEWS RELEASE. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, changes in market conditions, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in commodity prices, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Dr. Sheldon Seidman, a Chicago dentist, believes that preventative care is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy and beautiful smile. Although he offers a wide range of cosmetic and restorative procedures at his practice, Dr. Seidman emphasizes to his patients the importance of protecting their teeth and gums to reduce the risk of developing serious dental concerns. According to Dr. Seidman, routine oral exams can be the most important step a patient can take to preserve good oral health. "An oral exam can reveal much more than your oral health to an experienced dentist," says Dr. Seidman. The teeth and soft tissues of the mouth often indicate lifestyle habits of the patient and information about their overall health. For example, Dr. Seidman states he can often detect if patients bite their nails, drink sugary beverages, or have a vitamin deficiency. He also highlights that dentists can sometimes predict if a woman is pregnant just by looking inside the mouth: "Almost 40% of pregnant women will develop gingivitis, and sometimes pyogenic granuloma or a 'pregnancy tumor' will appear on the gums." For those of a more advanced age, Dr. Seidman provides tips for how these individuals should alter their lifestyle to maintain good oral health. While routine oral exams can be a vital preventative measure for patients of any age, the Chicago dentist advises that patients who are over the age of 65 are vigilant about scheduling biyearly visits. According to Dr. Seidman, older adult patients tend to have softer teeth, which makes them more prone to damage and decay. Fluoride treatments can be used to help protect the teeth and reduce the risk of cavities. In addition, older patients may benefit from preventative measures such as oral cancer screenings and should receive prompt treatment should any sign of the disease be detected. Ultimately, routine oral exams can play a significant role in preserving the health of the teeth and gums. Dr. Seidman believes that twice-yearly exams is a habit that can benefit patients of any age, helping them maintain their oral health and prevent serious dental issues from developing. About Sheldon Seidman, DDS Dr. Seidman earned his dental degree from Northwestern University Dental School and went on to complete extensive post-graduate programs at the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum and the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. Dr. Seidman has formerly served as President of the North Side Branch of the Chicago Dental Society, and he currently serves as an active member of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is available for interview upon request. For more information about Dr. Seidman and Smile Chicago, please visit smilechicago.com and facebook.com/SmileChicago. To view the original source of this press release, click here: https://www.smilechicago.com/news-room/chicago-dentist-offers-tips-for-maintaining-healthy-teeth-and-gums Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3134259 Smile Chicago 400 N. Michigan Avenue Suite 1014 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 644-4321 Rosemont Media (858) 200-0044 www.rosemontmedia.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (TSX VENTURE: LIT)(FRANKFURT: OAY1)(WKN: A0RK7E)(OTCQB: PNXLF) ("Argentina Lithium" or the "Company") is pleased to report that its first exploration program has successfully identified drill targets at the 20,500 hectare Arizaro Lithium Project ("the Project") on the Arizaro Salar in Salta Province, Argentina. The Vertical Electric Sounding (VES) geophysical survey has identified conductive and semi-conductive zones interpreted as geologic units at depth that are saturated with high-density, and potentially lithium-bearing, brines. Of particular interest are conductive zones which thicken to the north and west towards the centre of the salar where the geophysics suggests a sub-basin is located that that may host potentially lithium-bearing brines separate from shallow or at-surface brines. Based on the results of the VES survey, 3-4 initial drill holes reaching depths of up to 400 metres below surface are being planned. "We are pleased that our model for a deep brine target at Arizaro is so far supported by the geophysics," said Nikolaos Cacos, President and C.E.O. "We look forward to drill testing these first targets for the presence of brine with high lithium values at depth, while continuing the exploration work on this very large land package." Program Details The geological environment at Arizaro includes volcanic rock outcrops (ignimbrites, dacites, rhyolites and basalt) and structural conditions similar to other salars in the Puna region where lithium and potash are found. In addition, the large size of the Arizaro basin makes it is possible to find geological and hydrogeological conditions for establishing sub-basins of independent evolution within the salar. These factors support exploration for deep layers of lithium-rich brine which are not directly linked to the surface fluids at the Arizaro salar. This initial exploration program at Arizaro was, therefore, designed to acquire initial hydrogeological understanding of this largely un-tested salar and to identify conductive zones at depth that may host lithium-bearing brines. The Vertical Electric Sounding ("VES") program was conducted by Conhidro SRL ("Conhidro"), an experienced local independent contractor. The VES method uses resistivity to characterize the hydrogeological conditions of the salar, including conductive and semi-conductive zones interpreted to be clastic and/or fractured evaporitic sedimentary layers that may contain brines bearing lithium and potash. VES is effective to depths of approximately 400-500 metres below which alternative surveys such as Controlled Source Audio-frequency Magneto-tellurics (CSAMT) are required. Twenty-six stations were selected throughout the 20,500 hectare property, eighteen along north-south and east-west lines in the North Block, located in the central salar, and the remaining eight in the South Block at the southern salar margin. At most of the survey stations trenches were dug up to three metres depth to characterize the surficial lithological layers and to establish the existence, and level, of the water table. Near-surface fluid samples collected from the trenches returned low lithium (less than 10 mg/l) and potash (less than 1,500 mg/l) levels. The very large size of the salar and its geomorphology support the potential for discovery of deep brine layers with potential to host higher concentrations of lithium, as well as potash. The VES survey of the North Block of claims (stations 1 - 17 and 26) identified conductive to semi-conductive zones in the which thicken to the north and west towards the centre of the salar. Modelling of 1D survey data into 2D profiles was completed along north-south and east-west section lines (see Figure 1: https://argentinalithium.com/assets/img/maps/VES2.jpg On the north-south profile, which is 20 kilometres in length, four main units below a surface salt crust were identified based on electrical properties; they are described below and displayed on Figure 1 - VES Line 1: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VES Line 1: North-South ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zone Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upper Conductive Zone - red-yellow - low resistivity - 0.1-9.7 Ohm m - slight thickness increase from south to north range 1-28 m ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Semi-Conductive Zone - green colour - low resistivity values - 10-46 Ohm m - significant increase in thickness from south to north - 114-385 m - interpreted as being evaporite facies and may be fractured and brine saturated ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Semi-Resistive Zone - blue colour - moderate resistivity values - 32-143 Ohm m - increasing in thickness from south to north ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resistive Zone - blue-violet - high resistivity values - 130-52 Ohm m - present in the southern part of the profile at relatively shallow depths - interpreted to represent massive halite and/or Tertiary sediments on the margin of the salar ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The west-east profile in the North Block covers 13.6 kilometres. Four main units below the surface salt crust, described below and in shown in Figure 1- VES Line 2, were distinguished based on electrical properties: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VES Line 2: West-East ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zone Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upper Conductive Zone - red-yellow - very low resistivity - 1-23 Ohm m - decreases in thickness east to west 1.4-206 m - interpreted to represent brine-saturated evaporites/clastics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Semi-Conductive Zone - green - low resistivity - 26-54 Ohm m - decrease in thickness east to west - 43-120 m - interpreted to represent halite which may be fractured and brine-saturated ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resistive Zone - blue to violet - high resistivity - 67-131 Ohm m - shallower in west and deeper to east - 178-202 m thick in west - interpreted as massive halite or clastic rocks on salar margin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lower Conductive Zone - yellow-green - low resistivity - 26-54 Ohm m - present in the western part of profile below 210- 249 m depth - interpreted to be evaporite facies, mainly halite, with degree of fracturing less than Upper Conductive Zone - may indicate a sub-basin hosting brine, separated from the surface brines by the resistive zone above ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the southern block of claims the density of the survey points (stations 18 to 25) is considered insufficient to develop a 2D profile. Conhidro has concluded that the VES results, as well as the geologic and geomorphologic setting, climatic conditions, and hydrogeological environment at Arizaro, when compared to other well-studied salars, including Hombre Muerto, Rincon, Antofalla, Llullaillaco, and Rio Grande, indicate that there is a high probability to find brines at depth with high densities of 1,210 to 1,225 g/l and conductivities higher than 200 microS/cm. The VES results successfully identified clear targets for an initial drill campaign. Three to four holes up to 400 metres in depth are planned to test these targets. To date, the geophysical results have not defined the basement of the salar. The VES was carried out using a Schlumberger four-pole electrode device of geometric constant K = pi. ((AM.AN) / MN). The lengths between the electrodes of current (AB) were variable, up to a maximum distance of 1,600 metres. The separations between the potential electrodes (MN) varied between 1 and 200 meters. About the Arizaro Lithium Project The Company has the option to earn a 100% interest in the Arizaro Lithium Brine Project, including 20,500 hectares in the central core of the Arizaro Salar, the largest in Argentina and third largest in the "Lithium Triangle". Very little historic exploration work has been done on the Arizaro Salar, however the central area is interpreted to have the geologic conditions to be the most prospective for quality brine resources. Furthermore, the Arizaro Salar benefits from a strategic location for infrastructure, including: a railway that connects to the deep water port of Antofagasta, nearby advanced mining projects that are expected to bring significant development of access routes and power, and the availability of water for development. For additional information on the Project please see the Company website www.argentinalithium.com . Qualified Person The contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by David Terry, Ph.D., P.Geo. Dr. Terry is a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director 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. Contacts: Corporate Communications Tel: 1-604-687-1828 Toll-Free: 1-800-901-0058 info@argentinalithium.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Alianza Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: ANZ) ("Alianza" or the "Company") has acquired new ground, by staking additional BLM lode mining claims at the Company's Horsethief gold property, located 26 km (16 miles) east of Pioche, NV. The new claims double the size of the property to 525 ha (1299 acres) in size. In conjunction with the staking, a sampling and prospecting program was conducted resulting in the identification of new jasperoid outcrops and stratigraphy prospective for Carlin-style sediment-hosted gold mineralization on the eastern portion of the property. Jason Weber, President and CEO of Alianza Minerals commented, "Horsethief remains our highest priority sediment-hosted gold target in Nevada. The additional claims essentially double the property's size and cover coincident geochemical pathfinder elements and geophysical anomalies that are strong targets for drilling. With a minimal amount of work we will have excellent targets for drill testing in 2017." Exploration at Horsethief is targeting sediment-hosted gold mineralization in a window of Cambrian carbonate rocks overlain by volcanic flows and pyroclastics. Work by prior operators included mapping and sampling hematite-rich jasperoid breccia outcrops and shallow drilling. Historic drilling, generally 100 metres or less in depth, returned multiple intervals of gold mineralization including 13.7 metres averaging 1.2 g/t gold and 39.6 metres averaging 0.79 g/t gold with four holes terminating in mineralization. Gold mineralization was hosted in both silty limestone and jasperoid. Subsequent geophysical surveys (Induced Polarization chargeability and resistivity) indicate that stratigraphy and potentially mineralized targets dip to the east under the volcanic cover. The current program confirmed the presence of carbonate stratigraphy on the new claims. A total of 60 grab and chip samples were collected during the program. About Alianza Minerals Ltd. Alianza increases the chances of success in mineral exploration by using the "Prospect Generator" business model, focussing on gold and copper exploration in Latin America and Nevada. The Company has 33.3 million shares issued and outstanding, and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE: ANZ). Mr. Jason Weber, BSc, P.Geo., Alianza's President and CEO is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Weber supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this release. 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. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, OTHER THAN PURELY HISTORICAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES OR EXPECTED RESULTS, MAY INCLUDE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON NUMEROUS ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES INHERENT IN RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A RESULT, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY VARY MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. Contacts: Jason Weber President and CEO (604) 687-3520 Sandrine Lam Shareholder Communications (604) 687-3520 (888) 889-4874 (FAX) www.alianzaminerals.com MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- KHALKOS EXPLORATION INC. ("Khalkos") (TSX VENTURE: KAS) announces the signing of an agreement to buy back a 1% NSR royalty on the JAG block (24 claims) of its Malartic property. The conclusion of this buyback is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. To complete the buyback, Khalkos needs to make a cash payment of $ 10,000 and issue 1,000,000 common shares to the owner (J.A.G Mines Ltd.). There will be a hold period of four months and one day on the common shares issued. Following the buyback, the 24 claims of the JAG block will be subject to a royalty of 1.5% NSR. By buying back the 1% NSR royalty from the JAG block as well as the existing royalties on the Malartic Lakeshore block (press release of March 23, 2017), Khalkos has diminished or eliminated royalties on 50 claims in an area where mining activity has been present for more than 80 years. Khalkos controls more than 10 km of prime land in one of Canada's most active mining camps. This press release was prepared by Robert Gagnon, geologist, President of Khalkos, Qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Khalkos Exploration Inc. Robert Gagnon, P.Geo President (819) 825-2303 (514) 510-7964 (FAX) rgagnon@khalkos.com Khalkos Exploration Inc. Christian Guilbaud, B.A.A Corporate Development (514) 813-7862 (514) 510-7964 (FAX) cguilbaud@videotron.ca www.khalkos.com Alytus, Lithuania, 2017-05-03 15:21 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AB "Snaige", Pramones str.6, Alytus, Lithuania. The April 25, 2017 general meeting of shareholders of Snaige AB (company code 249664610, address: Pramones str. 6, Alytus, Lithuania) resolved to distribute the company's profit of 2016 and to allocate dividends to the company's shareholders amounting to EUR 0.024 (before taxes) per share. Dividends will be paid to the shareholders who are shareholders of Snaige AB at the end of the tenth business day after approval of the resolution by general meeting of shareholders, i.e. May 10, 2017. Dividends will be paid starting from May 11, 2017. Dividends will be paid in the following procedure: For those shareholders, whose securities accounting is handled by securities dealers or departments of credit institutions providing the securities accounting services, net of tax dividends (after deducting Personal Income Tax or Income Tax in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Lithuania) shall be transferred to the securities dealers or departments of credit institutions, and they shall accordingly transfer them to the account of those shareholders. Dividends to other shareholders will be paid upon a written request by bank transfer to their personal account. The requests, containing personal bank account details, should be submitted in written form and sent to the company's address (AB "Snaige", Pramones str.6, Alytus, Lithuania or e-mail address akcininkams@snaige.lt). The dividends are subject to taxes as follows: Dividends paid to physical bodies resided in the Republic of Lithuania as well as to physical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to 15 per cent of residential income tax and will be paid after deduction of taxes, which will be paid to the Republic of Lithuania budget. Dividends paid to juridical bodies of the Republic of Lithuania as well as juridical bodies residents of foreign countries are subject to taxes as it is provided in Republic of Lithuania law. The information available by AB "Snaige" phone +37052113589 Managing director Gediminas Ceika Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 3, 2017) - Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (OTCQB: ATTBF) (CSE: ATT) (the "Company" or "Abattis") is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Northern Vine Canada Inc. ("Northern Vine"), has officially launched its flagship laboratory, having completed its first successful test analysis. "I am very pleased to announce this significant milestone in our Company's development," said Robert Abenante, President and CEO of Abattis and Northern Vine. "I am proud of our dedicated team for working diligently to make this day a reality." Northern Vine obtained a Health Canada Dealers' License pursuant to the provisions of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Narcotic Control Regulations. On November 30, 2016, the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation published a report which emphasized the importance of independent lab testing of all cannabis products. "As Canada continues down the path to legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, quality regulation and health awareness are becoming more important than ever," stated Mr. Abenante. "As large quantities of legalized marijuana enter the marketplace, comprehensive independent testing should be a cornerstone of the legislation." "Although it is our goal to provide the best and most efficient customer service for our clients, it is our primary objective to perform the tests using the highest possible standards available," said Katie Maloney, Senior Scientist and the Qualified Person in Charge ("QPIC") at Northern Vine. "Our lab will give clients the peace of mind of independently verified testing, while keeping their information strictly confidential." Northern Vine has already begun taking samples from select Licensed Producers ("LPs") and is building a sales force to aggressively grow its client base. Located in the valley of Langley, BC, amongst a consortium of MMAR and ACMPR license holders, Northern Vine aims to establish itself as a first class testing and analytics facility by offering a convenient location, efficient turnaround times, unparalleled customer service and the highest quality testing program. "Customer experience is very important to us," said Dr. Jaclyn Thomson, PhD and Senior Manager of Operations at Northern Vine. "While being responsible for the quality assurance of testing methods and procedures, I am very cognizant of the customers' needs. We will strive to deliver the highest standard of service in the industry." The Company's Northern Vine laboratory solidifies another central piece in its vision to become a fully integrated medicinal marijuana company. Abattis continues to grow as a well-rounded biotechnology company now able to provide analytical research, development, extraction and testing services. Northern Vine has signed an agreement with a company in the last stages of becoming an LP and continues to entertain other joint-venture opportunities with LPs in Canada and abroad to further expand its reach in the cannabis market. Abattis recently announced that it has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Suzhou Raybot Material Tech Corp ("Raybot"). Raybot has developed a technology capable of extracting legal cannabis derivatives such as Cannabidiol ("CBD"), Tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") and Cannabigerol ("CBG") from marijuana or hemp. Per the exclusive agreement with Raybot, the Company is able to sell the machines, receive royalties and service LPs by exclusively offering toll processing and extraction services of their technology. Raybot has provided results whereby CBD was extracted from hemp to an above 99% purity level. This is currently the only technology capable of producing industrial scale extraction at this purity level, without the use of CO2. Harnessing economies of scale, Raybot claims their technology is capable of extracting CBD at $0.20 per gram. With these two significant milestones achieved, Abattis can begin to re-ignite its formulation division, which once boasted over 100 Natural Product Numbers ("NPN's"). The Company has a sales division, Vergence Visionary Bioceuticals, ("Vergence"), that has a sales and marketing group with established distribution channels ready to market, sell and distribute newly formulated products from the Company's Northern Vine lab. Vergence aims to promote healthy living through natural remedies and is developing new cannabis lifestyle products with plans to develop and distribute these products to global markets. "There are revolutionary advancements in the medicinal community stemming from research into natural cures from the cannabis plant," said Dr. David Galvez, Senior Science Advisor at Northern Vine. "Abattis is uniquely positioned to formulate and distribute innovative, high quality products which could potentially revolutionize the way we treat patients for a variety of pains and illnesses as well as to develop advanced nutraceutical and cosmetic products for high-end markets." Dr. Galvez has a PhD. in Plant Physiology and a Bsc. in Botany. "I would like to thank our loyal shareholders and many stakeholders for working with the Company over the past three years to achieve this very significant milestone," says Mr. Abenante. "I believe this marks the beginning of new growth for the Company as it now transforms from a development company to a revenue and profit generating entity." About Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. Abattis is a specialty agricultural technology and biotechnology company which aggregates, integrates, and invests in agricultural technologies and biotechnology services for the legal cannabis industry developing in Canada. The Company has successfully developed and licensed natural health products, medicines, extractions, and ingredients for the biologics, nutraceutical, bioceutical, and cosmetic markets. The Company is also seeking to acquire exclusive intellectual property rights to agricultural technologies to be employed in extraction and processing of botanical ingredients and compounds. The Company follows strict standard operating protocols, and adheres to the applicable laws of Canada and foreign jurisdictions. About Northern Vine Canada Inc. Northern Vine Labs is licensed by Health Canada (Dealers License) for the possession of Cannabis and related active ingredients, as well as the production of extracts for the purpose of analysis. Northern Vine Labs product certification and quality assurances programs incorporate global best practices and procedures for application in the legal Canadian cannabis market. About Vergence Visionary Bioceuticals Corp. Vergence Visionary Bioceuticals, dba Vergence Sales and Marketing Group, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Abattis, based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. The Vergence team are bioceutical marketing specialists focused on health products to penetrate the fast-growing market for natural, safe and effective natural products that meet unmet wellness needs. For more information, visit the Company's website at: www.abattis.com. For more information, visit the Company's website at: www.abattis.com or www.northernvinelabs.com. "Rob Abenante" Robert Abenante, President & CEO For further information, contact the Company at (604) 336-0881 or at news@abattis.com. FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the expected timing of opening of the Company's lab, the activities to be undertaken at the lab, the Company's short and long-term growth plans, the Company's goal to become one of the premier companies in the cannabis sector, and the Company's plan to acquire exclusive intellectual property rights to agricultural technologies. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including that the Company will not be able to open its new lab or execute its proposed business plan in the time required or at all due to regulatory, that the Raybot equipment may not function as intended or the cost-savings of extraction may not be as significant as anticipated among other issues. Additional risk factors are included in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements are made as at the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, where as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / July 31, 2017 / In a landscape where digital currency is increasingly becoming more mainstream, investment banker and CEO of SG Morgan Financial Services, Shaun G. Morgan is set to launch a new cryptocurrency network named Sinocoin. Sinocoin is to be led from China, positioning the network in a country which is currently at the forefront of industry development and research. Since the beginning of 2017, the market price and market capitalization of digital money have skyrocketed, largely due to cryptocurrency mining activity in China and Japan. China is home to about 70% of Bitcoin mining and trading, making it one of the most important trade players worldwide. The Chinese government also appointed a Blockchain consortium, which is examining how digital payment infrastructure would be set up once it becomes ready for deployment in the country. With these substantial movements towards nationwide market adoption of digital currency, Shaun G. Morgan saw China as the area that made the most business sense to launch his new operation - Sinocoin. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) recently opened its Digital Currency Institute in Beijing, becoming one of the first central banks in the world to actively explore cryptocurrency and develop blockchain technology. The research conducted will maximize the full potential of digital money within the Chinese financial industry. PBOC Vice Governor, Fan Yifei, told Bloomberg News that the current conditions are ripe for digital currencies with Internet access increasing and encryption technology improving. The PBOC has also completed a digital currency trial, which saw transactions settled via a distributed ledger system. Several major commercial banks, such as the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, plus privately owned WeBank participated in the trial, suggesting a potential push toward the digitization of China's Renminbi. This places Shaun G.Morgan's Sinocoin network in a highly progressive and burgeoning Chinese market, alongside a number of other key cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. While Bitcoin and Ethereum have been in a state of flux, there is no other asset class in the world with such a strong historic performance, and the volatility of the market appears set to level out moving forward. Not only does launching Sinocoin come as a great success for Shaun G. Morgan, it also positions him as a pioneer in the current global financial environment. With over twenty years of financial experience, Shaun G. Morgan is the Managing Director of Emirates Consolidated Investments, as well as CEO of his leading investment bank, SG Morgan Financial Services. Internationally successful in the financial industry, his wealth of experience has led Mogan to become an Economic Adviser to Royal Family members in Saudi Arabia, as well as leading businessmen in UAE and governments in Africa. Shaun G. Morgan - Managing Director of Emirates Consolidated Investments: http://shaungmorgannews.com SG Morgan Investment Bank - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SG-Morgan-Investment-Bank-1791608931082759/ SG Morgan Financial Services LLC: http://sgmorgan.com Contact Information: ShaunGMorganNews.com http://shaungmorgannews.com contact@shaungmorgannews.com SOURCE: Shaun G. Morgan REDWOOD CITY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- In response to growing global interest, Lastline, Inc., the leader in advanced malware protection, today announced participation in industry events across three regions. This month, the company will be attending Japan IT Week in Tokyo, The IT Security Analyst and CISO Forum in London, and GISEC (the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference) in Dubai. "We're seeing significant interest across sectors and geographies," noted Bert Rankin, CMO of Lastline. "Enterprises world-wide are realizing the importance of advanced malware protection and are seeking us out at these events to learn how Lastline can eliminate data breaches with a very low TCO." These events come on the heels of eight consecutive quarters of double-digit growth and demonstrate a commitment to expanding the Lastline Sales and Marketing organizations and programs. Q1 saw a significant investment in go-to-market activity, including attending RSA in San Francisco, CA, and Detect and Defend in Munich, Germany, and sustained Q2 activity also will include Infosecurity Europe in London in June. Lastline's flagship product, Lastline Enterprise, detects and defeats advanced malware that can easily evade "advanced" or "next-generation" security products and infiltrate networks. It delivers unmatched visibility into evasive malware, accelerating companies' ability to respond to malicious files and network activity before damaging data breaches occur. For more information about our presence at these events or to schedule a meeting, please send an email to marketing@lastline.com. To learn more about Lastline advanced malware protection, go to www.lastline.com. About Lastline Lastline is innovating the way companies detect active breaches caused by advanced persistent threats, targeted attacks, and evasive malware. Headquartered in Redwood City, California with offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia, Lastline's platform is used by global managed security service providers, Global 5000 enterprises, and leading security vendors worldwide. www.lastline.com. Media Contact: Lastline, Inc. Email Contact PUNE, India, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Offshore Decommissioning Market, by Service (Well Plugging & Abandonment, Platform Removal, Others), Depth (Shallow & Deepwater), Structure (Topsides, Other Infrastructure), Removal (Leave in Place, Partial, Complete), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets', the market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 5.91 Billion in 2017 to USD 8.76 Billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 5.05%. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 63 market data Tables and 41 Figures spread through 150 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Offshore Decommissioning Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/offshore-decommissioning-market-20319591.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. Ageing offshore oil & gas infrastructure and maturing fields are driving the Offshore Decommissioning Market. Low oil prices of the past couple of years has made it even more difficult to maintain low production mature reserves, driving companies to accelerate decommissioning plans for such oil & gas fields. Well plugging and abandonment: The largest segment of the Offshore Decommissioning Market, by service type The Offshore Decommissioning Market has been segmented by service type, water depth, structure, removal type, and region. The market has been further segmented, by service type, into project management, engineering and planning, permitting and regulatory compliance, platform preparation, well plugging and abandonment, conductor removal, mobilization and demobilization of derrick barges, platform removal (includes topside, jacket removal, subsea), pipeline and power cable decommissioning, materials disposal, and site clearance. The well plugging and abandonment service segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2016, and is also projected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecast period. Well plugging and abandonment involves the safe and permanent closure of production or exploration wells and is one of the biggest and most critical activities in any decommissioning project. With increasing regulatory requirements for proper abandonment of unproductive reserves and increasing environmental concerns, the market for well plugging and abandonment is estimated to grow at the fastest pace among all decommissioning services. Download PDF Brochure @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=20319591 The shallow water subsegment is estimated to have the highest growth rate in the Offshore Decommissioning Market, by depth. Based on depth, the market has been segmented into shallow water and deepwater segments. The application of offshore decommissioning in shallow water projects is estimated to lead the market, both in terms of market value and growth. The shallow water basins on the U.K. Continental Shelf and the Norwegian North Sea will play a major role in driving the Offshore Decommissioning Market. Shallow water operations are typically less expensive compared to deepwater operations and a majority of the old and ageing offshore installations are in shallow waters. Thus, the market for offshore decommissioning will be the largest in shallow water projects. Europe: The largest market for offshore decommissioning Europe was the largest market, by value, for offshore decommissioning in 2016, driven largely by activities in the U.K. and Norway. The U.K. offshore industry leads other regions in terms of well-developed and mandatory decommissioning guidelines. Authorities in the region are taking active steps to commit operators to decommission old infrastructure by providing expertise, policy support, and financial incentives. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico is the second largest market, closely behind Europe, with a large number of platforms being decommissioned each year. Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=20319591 To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top service providers in the Offshore Decommissioning Market. These players include Amec Foster Wheeler ASA (France), Aker Solutions (Norway), AF Gruppen S.A. (U.S.), Tetra Technologies (U.S.), John Wood Group PLC (U.K.), Able UK (U.K.), DNV GL (Norway), Heerema Marine (The Netherlands), Allseas Group (Switzerland), DeepOcean Group (The Netherlands) and Technipfmc PLC (U.S.), among others. Browse Related Reports: Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market by Reactor Type (PWR, BWR, & GCR), Strategy (Immediate Dismantling, Deferred Dismantling, and Entombment), Capacity (Up to 800 MW, 801 MW-1,000 MW, and Above 1,000 MW), and Region - Global Forecast to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/nuclear-decommissioning-service-market-86234662.html Offshore Support Vessel Market by Type (Anchor Handling Tug Supply, Platform Supply Vessel, Multipurpose Support Vessel, Standby & Rescue Vessel, Crew Vessel, Chase Vessel, Seismic Vessel), Depth (Shallow & Deepwater), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/offshore-support-vessel-market-1212.html About MarketsandMarkets' MarketsandMarkets' provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets' for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets' are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets' now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets' is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Rohan MarketsandMarkets' 701 Pike Street Suite 2175, Seattle, WA 98101, United States USA: 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/energy-and-power Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets Subscribe Reports from Energy & Power Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp intu properties plc LEI: 213800JSNTERD5CJZO95 Regulated Information Classification: Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State of the EU 3 May 2017 RESULTS OF PROXY VOTING AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At the Annual General Meeting held on 3 May 2017, all resolutions proposed at the meeting were passed by vote on a show of hands. For information, the following proxy votes were received prior to the meeting: Resolutions: For: % Against: % Total votes cast: Withheld: 1. To receive the Company's accounts, the strategic report and the reports of the Directors and the Auditors for the year ended 31 December 2016. 962,844,200 99.95 502,355 0.05 963,346,555 1,476,348 2. To declare a final dividend of 9.4 pence per ordinary share. 964,229,672 99.99 86,067 0.01 964,315,739 507,164 3. To re-elect John Strachan as a Director (Chairman). 951,865,073 98.93 10,271,861 1.07 962,136,934 2,685,969 4. To re-elect John Whittaker as a Director (Deputy Chairman). 957,489,845 99.29 6,816,806 0.71 964,306,651 516,252 5. To re-elect David Fischel as a Director (Chief Executive). 962,402,172 99.8 1,904,279 0.2 964,306,451 516,452 6. To re-elect Matthew Roberts as a Director (Chief Financial Officer). 958,784,922 99.43 5,521,729 0.57 964,306,651 516,252 7. To re-elect Adele Anderson as a Director (Non-Executive). 963,237,813 99.89 1,067,743 0.11 964,305,556 517,347 8. To re-elect Richard Gordon as a Director (Non-Executive). 957,833,630 99.33 6,472,851 0.67 964,306,481 516,422 9. To re-elect Louise Patten as a Director (Non-Executive). 962,122,765 99.77 2,182,935 0.23 964,305,700 517,203 10. To re-elect Andrew Strang as a Director (Non-Executive). 963,150,102 99.88 1,155,168 0.12 964,305,270 517,633 11. To re-elect Rakhi Goss-Custard (Non-Executive). 919,131,829 95.32 45,173,897 4.68 964,305,726 517,177 12. To re-appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Auditors. 958,915,683 99.48 4,977,154 0.52 963,892,837 930,066 13. To authorise the Audit Committee of the Board to determine the remuneration of the Auditor. 960,951,176 99.66 3,296,006 0.34 964,247,182 575,721 14. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 December 2016. 960,231,282 99.63 3,540,973 0.37 963,772,255 1,050,648 15. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Policy as contained in the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2016. 959,154,529 99.5 4,783,947 0.5 963,938,476 884,427 16. To authorise the Directors to allot new shares. 644,275,825 66.81 320,006,269* 33.19 964,282,094 540,809 17. To dis-apply the pre-emption provisions of section 561(1) of the Companies Act 2006 (Special Resolution). 940,000,183 97.48 24,254,965 2.52 964,255,148 567,755 18. To authorise the Company to purchase its own shares (Special Resolution). 957,958,382 99.35 6,307,780 0.65 964,266,162 556,741 19. To approve the Scrip Dividend Scheme. 765,792,774 79.41 198,522,981* 20.59 964,315,755 507,148 20. That a general meeting other than an Annual General Meeting may be called on not less than 14 clear days' notice (Special Resolution). 880,583,224 91.62 80,577,227 8.38 961,160,451 3,662,452 Notes Any proxy appointments which gave discretion to the Chairman have been included in the 'for' total. 2. A 'vote withheld' is not a vote in law and is not counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes for or against a resolution. 3. Total voting rights of shares in issue: 1,355,040,243. Every shareholder has one vote for every ordinary share held. * The Board notes that, although all of the resolutions passed, certain South African institutional shareholders have lodged significant proxy votes against Resolutions 16 and 19, reflected in the above tabled results. These votes are a reflection of, and in accordance with, prevailing institutional voting guidelines in South Africa, which differ from those generally applied in the UK regarding the subjects of both resolutions. The Board notes that the authority granted today by shareholders in respect of resolution 16 falls within the Investment Association's Share Capital Management Guidelines. In accordance with LR 9.6.2, a copy of the resolutions passed at the meeting has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at: http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM This announcement can also be viewed on intu properties plc's website at: intugroup.co.uk Enquiries: Susan Marsden Group Company Secretary Telephone +44 207 887 7073 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Tuesday with Russian Vladimir Putin regarding the situation in Syria, the White House revealed. The call marks the first time Trump and Putin have spoken since the U.S. missile strike on a Syrian airbase last month in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on civilians. The White House described the conversation between Trump and Putin as a 'very good one' and said it included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons. 'President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence,' the White House said in a statement. Trump and Putin also discussed working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East as well as how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea. While Trump previously expressed a desire to improve ties between the U.S. and Russia, relations soured after the attack on Syria. Russia condemned the U.S. attack and has rejected claims Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out a chemical weapons attack on civilians. (Photo: Marc Nozell) 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. 56% of mid-market companies say workforce productivity is a top priority Only 52% have implemented UC Just one in five is 'very satisfied' with UC system Biggest bugbears include cost, audio conference facilities and lack of social integration 56% of mid-market companies say workforce productivity is a top priority, but only 52% have invested in a UC system and the majority are missing out on the full collaborative potential of UC for their businesses. As well as being too expensive, mid-market UC bugbears include sub-optimal audio-conferencing facilities, poor data sharing abilities and failure to integrate with company social networks. This mid-market UC dissatisfaction is highlighted in a new report published today by Cloud and Data Centre and Communications specialist, Node4, titled 'UC deployment amongst mid-market businesses in 2017'. The report is based on research which examines the IT priorities of mid-market companies with a turnover of 15- 800m. While supporting the needs of the modern workforce is a priority for 40% of the mid-market, the uptake of tools to support this is seemingly lagging behind workplace expectations. Only 18% benefit from fully-featured UC including voice, video, mobile convergence, file sharing, presence, integration with social media and other business software. Just one in five is 'very satisfied' with their UC system, which is perhaps not surprising given that 70% are missing out on full collaborative features and making do with voice functionality, fixed mobile convergence, video conferencing and a few additional collaboration features. However, on a more positive note, those that haven't yet implemented UC are either running a pilot (17%), planning a trial in the next 12 months (12%) or considering various UC options for their business (12%). The study suggests that the mid-market is just beginning to embrace UC as a service (UCaaS), which represents one in ten UC deployments in our study. "In the last year we've sensed real hunger within the mid-market for the kind of advanced, fully-featured UC systems that, until recently, only the largest enterprises have been able to afford," commented Simon Herbert, Cloud Solutions Development Specialist, Cisco. "There's an enormous opportunity here. It's only right that more advanced functionality should start to migrate down the chain via a UcaaS model. We're delighted to see that Node4 enabling this transition and offering its partners a clear route to addressing this need." Paul Bryce, Commercial Director at Node4 commented: "Mid-market companies are expecting to create thousands of new jobs by 2020. Many of these employees will expect to be able to move seamlessly between multiple communications types to collaborate with colleagues. Being able to meet their needs will be crucial to recruiting and retaining the right talent. "Yet our research shows that the mid-market is still a long way from realising the full potential of UC for employee collaboration. This is partly because enterprise-class UC systems have been unaffordable and inaccessible for the mid-market. However UC, as a service, is now available meeting an obvious market need for advanced, fully-featured UC systems at an affordable price." Node4 has recently launched a UCaaS product, which brings enterprise-class UCaaS to the mid-market, with all the features of Cisco HCS. These include voice, video, instant messaging and presence, teleconferencing, voicemail and integrated messaging, mobility, and contact centre functionality. To book an appointment to see a demo of Node4's game-changing new mid-market system at UC Expo, or to discuss Node4's views regarding UC and the mid-market, contact node4@wildfirepr.com. ENDS Notes to editors Node4 commissioned a survey of 200 IT Decision Makers from mid-sized UK companies, defined as companies with turnover of between 15m and 800m. The IT leaders surveyed were responsible for an average IT account of around 90 people, with an annual IT budget of up to 10m. For more information, visit: www.node4.co.uk. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006027/en/ Contacts: For Node4 Kiran Saini/Alex Perryman Wildfire node4@wildfirepr.com +44 208 408 8000 Regulatory News: Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE Euronext Paris: PM) held its 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders today. Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman of the Board, addressed shareholders and answered questions. Andre Calantzopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, gave the business presentation, which included an overview of PMI's strong momentum, the exciting progress of its reduced-risk product IQOS, and its commitment to returning cash to shareholders. "2016 was a pivotal year for PMI, reflecting exciting progress in our transformation to a smoke-free future. While our cigarette portfolio continued to drive our income growth, we began to see clear signs of the enormous potential for our reduced-risk products portfolio," said Mr. Calantzopoulos. "We have started building PMI's future on breakthrough smoke-free products that we believe are a much better choice for adult smokers than cigarettes. We have set a bold new course for the company, and are leading a full-scale effort to ensure that smoke-free products replace cigarettes to the benefit of adult smokers, society, our company and our shareholders. Today, over two million adult consumers have already stopped smoking and switched to our heated tobacco alternative, IQOS Mr. Calantzopoulos concluded his presentation with the company's focus on shareholder returns: "Dividends remain the primary strategic use of our operating cash flow after capital expenditures. Last September, we increased our annual dividend for the ninth consecutive year since the spin in 2008, representing a total increase of approximately 126% and a compound annual growth rate of 10.7%. Our total shareholder return since the spin through the end of April 2017 was approximately 225%, substantially above that generated by our Peer Group and the S&P 500. We have also substantially outperformed our Peer Group and the S&P 500 on a year-to-date basis." More than 89% of the shares entitled to vote were represented at the meeting in person or by proxy. The shareholders elected thirteen nominees for director; approved on an advisory basis the compensation of named executive officers; recommended that advisory votes on executive compensation be held annually; approved both the 2017 Performance Incentive Plan and the 2017 Stock Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors; ratified the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers SA as independent auditors; and defeated two shareholder proposals. Final voting results will be included in a Form 8-K that will be filed with the SEC. An archived copy of the audio webcast of PMI's Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be available until 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at www.pmi.com/2017annualmeeting. About Philip Morris International Inc. ("PMI") PMI is the world's leading international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15 international brands and products sold in more than 180 markets. In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, including Marlboro, the number one global cigarette brand, and other tobacco products, PMI is engaged in the development and commercialization of reduced-risk products ("RRPs"). RRPs is the term PMI uses to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continued smoking. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry-leading scientific substantiation, PMI aims to provide an RRP portfolio that meets a broad spectrum of adult smoker preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, see www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006051/en/ Contacts: Philip Morris International Inc. Investor Relations: New York: +1-917-663-2233 Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666 or Media: Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500 STOCKHOLM, May. 03, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tobii Dynavox, the global leader in Assistive Technology for communication, announced today the launch of the PCEye Plus, the world's first device that combines advanced eye tracking, switch and infrared (IR) control with speech recognition. The PCEye Plus connects via USB to a Windows computer, giving users with physical challenges full controlof any standard software and the surrounding environment. The PCEye Plus starts shipping to customers today and comes complete with the next generation Tobii Dynavox Windows Control and infrared remote control software. Tobii Dynavox eye tracking technology helps thousands of individuals with physical challenges, including spinal cord injuries or ALS, lead more independent and connected lives. It allows users to access a computer and the Internet using only their eyes - without requiring alternate access methods such as a mouth stick or head mouse. With a simple glance at a computer screen, a mouse cursor can be controlled through eye movement. "The PCEye Plus provides users with an unprecedented level of freedom and control" said Fredrik Ruben, President of Tobii Dynavox. "The technology and the new Windows Control software is faster, more accurate and has a wider range of use than any of our previous products - giving our users a true ability to explore the world and communicate with others." The PCEye Plus enables users to surf the web, connect with friends online, play games, turn on the lights or TV, and even make spreadsheets using only their eyes. To further enhance these activities, verbal users can use speech recognition for dictation through an integrated high quality 4-array microphone system. Additionally, the PCEye Plus has a switch port on the device, which gives the power to control a computer more intentionally and efficiently, when combined with eye tracking. The new Windows Control software provides access to everything others can do with a mouse and a keyboard -- giving full gaze-enabled control of all settings, from calibration, languages or input methodology. The PCEye Plus comes with the EyeR Infrared dongle and a new Virtual Remote software. By simply plugging the dongle into a computer's USB port, it unlocks the entire range of environmental controls including sensory rooms, IR toys, TVs and smart home functions. To learn more about PCEye Plus and the next generation Windows Control software, visit tobiidynavox.com/pceye-plus This information is information that Tobii AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, on May 3, 2017, at 17:30 p.m. CET. CONTACT: Contacts Investor relations Sara Hyleen, Corporate Communications Director, Tobii AB phone: +46709 16 16 41, email: sara.hyleen@tobii.com US Grace Nah, Marketing Director North America, Tobii Dynavox phone: +1-412-209-6633, email: grace.nah@tobiidynavox.com Sweden Nils Lindhe, Vice President Global Marketing, Tobii Dynavox phone: +46 768 94 84 84, email: nils.lindhe@tobiidynavox.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/r/tobii-dynavox-launches-pceye-plus--the-next-generation-eye-tracker-for-individuals-facing-mobility-c,c2256282 The following files are available for download: PYONGYANG (dpa-AFX) - The head of the United Nations atomic agency has expressed serious concern about North Korea's nuclear program, saying all indications suggest that the country is moving ahead with its nuclear efforts. Speaking the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Tuesday, Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noted that North Korea continues to launch missiles and threaten other countries. 'This is extremely worrying,' the Director General told the participants at the session, where he also provided a broader overview of important developments in key areas of the IAEA's work relevant to the implementation of the Treaty since 2015. In his speech, Amano urged Pyongyang to cooperate with the IAEA in implementing NPT safeguards, to fully comply with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and resolve any outstanding issues. He also noted that IAEA inspectors are ready to return to the country 'at short notice' if political conditions allow it. 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. Solid business performance, driven by dynamic growth internationally First acquisitions to expand presence in Home care sector completed in Belgium and Germany Annual revenue growth and operating margin objectives confirmed Regulatory News: Korian (Paris:KORI): REPORTED REVENUE 1 In millions 1st quarter Reported Organic 2016 2017 change change 2 France 387 389 0.4% 0.7% as a of revenue 53.0% 50.9% International 343 375 9.3% 4.6% as a of revenue 47.0% 49.1% Germany 208 217 4.2% 4.7% Italy 77 74 -3.7% 1.1% Belgium 58 84 45.2% 8.6% Group Total 730 764 4.6% 2.5% Consolidated revenue up 4.6% in first quarter 2017 At 31 March 2017, the Group had consolidated revenue of 764 million, up 4.6% in reported figures. Growth was driven by the acquisitions in Belgium in the second half of 2016 (mainly Foyer de Lork and OTV) and organic growth of 2.5%. The revenue of international subsidiaries grew by 9.3%, with organic growth of 4.6%, and now accounts for 49.1% of the Group's revenue. In the first quarter, the number of beds that Korian operates increased by more than 500 units, primarily in Belgium and Italy. The negative calendar impact, due to the fact that 2016 was a leap year, is estimated at approximately 1% for the period. On a same-day basis, organic growth was around 3.5%. Strong business performance in France Revenue in France totalled 389 million, up 0.4%. This figure includes the impact of the disposal of Centre Hospitalier des Courses early 2017. Restated for this impact, organic growth was 0.7%, and 1.5% on a same-day basis. The Senior business line (nursing homes) posted an underlying growth momentum over 2% (on a same-day basis) thanks to healthy average daily rates, in line with the strategy of broadening the range of services offered to residents. The Group continued to deploy its proprietary social network application, called "Korian Generations", which is now available in all facilities. This approach is consistent with the Group's policy to introduce digital innovations for the benefit of its residents and their families. In the Healthcare business line (mainly post-acute and rehabilitation clinics), the sale of additional services and a favourable case mix contributed to offset the decrease in rates. The occupancy rate remained very high. Furthermore, a first reconfiguration of existing facilities was successfully commissioned and, as a result, two facilities were combined on a new site at Guyancourt, close to Paris, and an out-patient care activity developed. Three other facilities (including one greenfield) are due to be completed in 2017 pursuant to the growth acceleration plan, which is based, in particular, on improving the case mix and developing out-patient activities and hospitality services. Continued dynamic growth internationally International revenue totalled 375 million, up 9.3%. The scope impact was primarily due to the acquisitions of Foyer de Lork and OTV in Belgium, partially offset by the ceasing of operation on four facilities in Italy in 2016. Organic growth was sustained at 4.6% (5.7% on a same-day basis), driven primarily by Germany and Belgium. Germany posted organic growth of 4.7% in the quarter. Revenue increased by 4.2% after taking into account the ceasing of operation on a facility in connection with the portfolio optimisation policy. Growth was driven by the impact of prices due to the application of new regulations and the ramp-up of facilities opened over the last twelve months. Seven facility openings (greenfields) are scheduled by the end of the year. Moreover, the Group acquired a new home-care business, thereby continuing its strategy to expand its presence in the community-based care services sector. Revenue in Italy fell by 3.7% in reported figures, due to the ceasing of the operation on four facilities in 2016. Organic growth totalled 1.1% as a result of higher occupancy rates and a positive trend in rates in the clinics division. The Company acquired two new facilities in the first quarter. Organic growth was very strong in Belgium at 8.6%, driven by the ramp-up of the beds that were opened in 2016. Revenue increased by 45.2% in reported figures due to the consolidation of Foyer de Lork as from 1 September 2016, and of OTV, leading player in the home care business in Flanders, as from 1 January 2017. Confirmation of annual objectives The Group confirms its objectives of revenue growth and operating margin for 2017, as announced on March 15 when it released its 2016 annual results. Telephone conference Korian will hold a telephone conference on 3 May 2017 at 6.00 pm (Paris time). Dial-in numbers: +33 1 70 77 09 35 +44 203 367 94 53 To re-hear the conference: France: +33 1 72 00 15 00 UK: +44 203 367 94 60 access code: 308461# Next event: 19 July 2017 after the close of trading Q2 2017 revenue ABOUT KORIAN Korian, the expert in providing care and support services for seniors, with 715 facilities, operates Europe's largest network of long-term care nursing homes, specialised clinics, assisted-living facilities, home care and hospital home care services. At the end of December 2016, the Korian group has the capacity to accommodate around 72,000 beds in four countries (France, Germany, Belgium and Italy) and employs around 47,000 people. For more information, please visit our website at www.korian.com Korian has been listed on Euronext Paris Compartment A since November 2006 and is a component of the following indices: SBF 120, CAC Health Care, CAC Mid 60, CAC Mid Small and MSCI Global Small Cap Euronext Ticker: KORI ISIN: FR0010386334 Reuters: KORI.PA Bloomberg: KORI.FP (1) Revenue and other income (2) Organic growth in revenue includes: a) year on year change in revenue (year "N" vs. year "N-1") of existing facilities; b) revenue generated in year "N" by facilities created in year "N" or year "N-1"; c) the change in revenue (year "N" vs. year "N-1") of facilities that were restructured or expanded in year "N" or year "N-1"; and d) the change in revenue, in year "N" compared to the equivalent period in year "N-1", of facilities recently acquired. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006085/en/ Contacts: Korian INVESTOR CONTACT Nadine COULM, T: +33 (0)1 55 37 53 55 VP Investor Relations Financing Nadine.coulm@korian.com ou PRESS CONTACT Sophie Bodin Shahan Sheikholeslami T: +33 (0)1 40 70 11 89 DGM Conseil s.bodin@dgm-conseil.fr / shahan@dgm-conseil.fr WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Breast cancer death rates have dropped by 39 percent between 1989 and 2015, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. This translates to 322,600 averted breast cancer deaths in these years in the United States. The study has attributed the declines in breast cancer mortality rates to early detection by mammography as well as improvements in treatment. Yet, breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women, with approximately 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer expected in 2017. Around 40,610 women are expected to die due to breast cancer this year. As per the study, a woman living in the United States has a 12.4%, or a 1 in 8, lifetime risk of being diagnosed with the disease. The study also found that overall breast cancer death rates increased by 0.4% per year from 1975 to 1989 but since have decreased rapidly, for a total decline of 39% through 2015. Eighty-one percent of breast cancers are diagnosed among women ages 50 years and older, and 89% of breast cancer deaths occur in this age group. The study also found that between 2006 and 2015, breast cancer death rates decreased across racial and ethnic groups, including American Indian/Alaska Natives. However, non-Hispanic black women continued to have around 39 percent higher breast cancer death rates than white women. Notably, breast cancer death rates were not significantly different in black and white women in 7 states. Lead study author Carol DeSantis, director of breast and gynecological cancer surveillance research for the cancer society, reportedly told, 'This means that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Some states are showing that they can close the gap.' 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. 8 May 2017 - Kvaerner maintained steady performance and delivered a solid order intake in the first quarter of 2017. The company delivered an adjusted EBITDA of NOK 105 million, versus NOK 106 million in the same quarter last year. In spite of the challenging market, the order intake in first quarter amounted to NOK 6.6 billion. With that, the order backlog has increased to NOK 10.8 billion. "We have a predictable performance in all segments of our business, we have strengthened our competitiveness and we have an order book which provides improved visibility. Kvaerner is well positioned to pursue further opportunities in the market we see ahead", says Kvaerner's President & CEO Jan Arve Haugan. Kvaerner's EBITDA margin increased in the first quarter this year, compared to the corresponding quarter last year. The revenues for the first quarter 2016 were NOK 2 228 and the adjusted EBITDA was NOK 106 million, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 4.8 percent. In the first quarter 2017, the revenues were NOK 1 554 million while the adjusted EBITDA was upheld at NOK 105 million, resulting in an increased EBITDA margin of 6.8 percent. The positive margin development is an effect of enhanced performance, reduced cost base and phasing of projects. In the first quarter, total revenues, including jointly controlled entities (Field Development segment), amounted to almost NOK 2.1 billion, with EBITDA of NOK 120 million. Since the oil price started a decline in 2014, the market for both new investment projects and for operation of existing facilities has been turbulent. Kvaerner sees signals that the decline may now start to level out. The company has identified a growth in the number of relevant prospects which oil companies expect to be sanctioned over the next years. Some few of these prospects may end up as projects of a large size, while the majority of the prospects represent projects of a moderate size. "Throughout this market shift, Kvaerner has continued its high activity level and delivered solid results. Our activity is now lower for a period, as an effect of a market with few contracts to bid for over the last two years. However, much of this effect is compensated by the fact that our current projects are in phases where a large degree of the value creation is delivered by Kvaerner's own internal resources", says Jan Arve Haugan. The first quarter presentation and financial appendix can be downloaded from www.kvaerner.com (http://www.kvaerner.com) and the links below. ENDS For further information, please contact: Investor inquiries: Ingrid Aarsnes, VP Investor Relations & Communications, Kvaerner, Mob: +47 950 38 364, email: ir@kvaerner.com (mailto:ir@kvaerner.com) Media inquiries: Torbjoern Andersen, Head of Communications, Kvaerner, Mob: +47 928 85 542, email: torbjorn.andersen@kvaerner.com (mailto:torbjorn.andersen@kvaerner.com) About Kvaerner: Kvaerner is a leading provider of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services, and delivers offshore installations and onshore plants for upstream oil and gas production around the world. Kvaerner ASA, through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Kvaerner"), is an international contractor and preferred partner for oil and gas operators and other engineering and fabrication contractors. Kvaerner and its approximately 2 600 HSSE-focused and experienced employees are recognised for delivering some of the world's most amazing and demanding projects. In 2016, the Kvaerner group had consolidated annual revenues of close to NOK 8 billion and the company reported an order backlog at 31 March 2017 of NOK 10.8 billion. Kvaerner is publicly listed with the ticker "KVAER" at the Oslo Stock Exchange. For further information, please visit www.kvaerner.com (http://www.kvaerner.com). To subscribe or unsubscribe to our press releases, please see our web page: http://www.kvaerner.com/en/toolsmenu/Media/Subscribe-to-releases/ (http://www.kvaerner.com/en/toolsmenu/Media/Subscribe-to-releases/) This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. 1st quarter 2017 Presentation (http://hugin.info/134981/R/2102352/797268.pdf) 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: Kvrner ASA via Globenewswire Global procurement market intelligence firm, SpendEdge (a unit of Infiniti Research) is hosting a webinar titled 'Streamlining Logistics and Warehousing in Direct Distribution Markets' on May 9th and 10th. The 45-minute webinar will also include a Q&A session, allowing attendees to put questions to their team of sourcingexperts. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006149/en/ SpendEdge is hosting a webinar on streamlining logistics and warehousing in direct distribution markets. (Graphic: Business Wire) The evolving logistics landscape has led to a rise in investments insupply chain resources, technology, and fulfillment strategies, which has helped companies achieve a seamless experience across direct distribution markets. With the increasing need for customer responsiveness, most 3PL companies are shifting towards a more collaborative operating model that will help them in attaining operation efficiency and transparency. This webinar aims to provide organizations an overview of the transforming logistics and warehousing industry, which can help them better understand the following: Role of big data analytics in enhancing the visibility of the supply chain The challenges in managing order cycle period Implementation of a global trade management system Cost savings through improved warehouse management Speakers' Profile: Yatheesh Chandrasekaran works with the Sourcing team in the Bangalore office of Infiniti Research. He has 10+ years of cumulative experience in finance, strategic sourcing, procurement. He has worked with clients in industrial services, media, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences industries in the areas of procurement benchmarking, strategic sourcing, contract management, etc. Sanya Sehgal works with the Sourcing team in the Bangalore office of Infiniti Research. She has experience in working across sectors such as media, pharmaceutical, automotive, and industrial services in the areas of procurement benchmarking, strategic sourcing, and quantitative market modeling, etc. Follow our free registration procedure to join the webinar: For EMEA Audience Registration link https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/539990333847823105 Webinar ID 567-784-835 Date and Time Tue, May 9, 2017 11:00 AM 11:45 AM BST Duration 45 min For NA Audience Registration link https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7993365253774032641 Webinar ID 298-194-931 Date and Time Wed, May 10, 2017 10:30 AM 11:15 AM CDT Duration 45 min For more information on all SpendEdge webinars please visit https://www.spendedge.com/webinars About us SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are a preferred market intelligence partner for leading Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across industries. Our strength lies in delivering actionable insights that help sourcing and procurement professionals get the right information in the right format, without any unnecessary frills. Our procurement market intelligence coverage extends across critical processes of sourcing strategy planning process and helps clients achieve more than mere monetary savings. Our procurement insights are well-defined to meet the information needs of the procurement organizations and are aimed at helping category managers extract hidden values out of sourcing teams, suppliers, contracts, and processes. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006149/en/ Contacts: Jesse Maida SpendEdge Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 https://www.spendedge.com/ hello@spendedge.com DENVER, COLORADO and VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Sandspring Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: SSP)(OTCQX: SSPXF) ("Sandspring" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has qualified for trading on the OTCQX Best Market, operated by OTC Markets Group. The OTCQX market is reserved for established, investor-focused U.S. and global companies that meet high financial standards, provide timely news and disclosure to investors, and are sponsored by a professional third-party advisor. "Trading on OTCQX will enable Sandspring Resources to build visibility, expand access to its news and financial disclosure and provide a more transparent trading market for its investors," said Jason Paltrowitz, Executive Vice President of OTC Markets Group. "We look forward to supporting Sandspring Resources and its shareholders in the public markets." "Admission to the OTCQX market is part of a long-term strategy to allow for greater exposure, accessibility, and liquidity to a broader international audience," said Rich Munson, Chief Executive Officer of Sandspring Resources. "It provides us with a trading platform for current and future American investors as well as a means of increasing our international visibility." Sandspring Resources will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under its existing symbol "SSP". U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Sandspring Resources Ltd. "Richard A. Munson" Director and Chief Executive Officer About Sandspring Resources Ltd. Sandspring Resources Ltd. is a Canadian junior mining company currently moving toward a definitive feasibility study for the multi-million ounce Toroparu Project in the Guyana, South America. A prefeasibility study completed in May 2013 (NI 43-101 Technical Report, Prefeasibility Study, Toroparu Gold Project, Upper Puruni River Area, Guyana, dated May 24, 2013 completed by SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc., available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) outlined the design of an open-pit mine producing more than 200,000 ounces of gold annually over an initial 16-year mine life. Sandspring and Silver Wheaton have entered into a gold and silver purchase agreement for the Toroparu Project. Additional information is available at www.sandspringresources.com or by email at info@sandspringresources.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Richard A Munson Chief Executive Officer 303-991-5669 info@sandspringresources.com Regulatory News: United Company RUSAL Plc (Paris:RUSAL) (Paris:RUAL): NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (EXCEPT TO QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any advertisement, offer, solicitation or an invitation to make offers to acquire, purchase or subscribe for securities or an invitation to enter into an agreement to do any such things, nor is it calculated to invite any offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for any securities. The information contained herein is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan. The materials do not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America, nor may the securities be offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration or an exemption from registration as provided in the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder. There is no intention to register any portion of the offering in the United States of America or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States of America and the securities will only be offered for sale in the United States of America to "qualified institutional buyers" (QIBs) as defined in and in reliance upon Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act 1933, as amended and will only be offered for sale outside the United States of America to persons other than U.S. persons under Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act 1933, as amended. The information contained herein shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities referred to herein in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The offering and the distribution of this communication and other information referred to herein may be restricted by law and persons into whose possession this communication or such other information comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This announcement contains no information or material which may result in it being deemed (i) to be a prospectus within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Companies (Winding up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Chapter 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong), or an advertisement in relation to a prospectus or proposed prospectus or extract from or abridged version of a prospectus within the meaning of section 38B of that Ordinance or an advertisement, invitation or document containing an advertisement or invitation to, or directing at, the public falling within the meaning of section 103 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) or (ii) in Hong Kong to have effected an offer to the public without compliance with the laws of Hong Kong or being able to invoke any exemption available under the laws of Hong Kong. This announcement does not constitute or form part of and should not be construed as a prospectus, notice, circular, brochure or advertisement offering to sell or issue or solicitation or invitation of offers to acquire, purchase or subscribe for any securities of the Issuer or any other member of the Group in Hong Kong or intended to invite such offers or inducing or intended to induce subscription for or purchase of any securities of the Issuer or any other member of the Group in Hong Kong nor should it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or commitment or investment decision whatsoever. This announcement is directed only at persons who (i) are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (iii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc") of the Order or (iv) to whom this announcement may otherwise be directed without contravention of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. FCA/ICMA stabilisation applies. In member states of the European Economic Area, this announcement is directed only at persons who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of Directive 2003/71/EC (the "Prospectus Directive") ("Qualified Investors"). This announcement is an advertisement for the purposes of applicable measures implementing the Prospectus Directive. This announcement or information contained therein is not an offer, or an invitation to make offers, to sell, exchange or otherwise transfer securities in the Russian Federation to or for the benefit of any Russian person or entity and does not constitute an advertisement or offering of securities in the Russian Federation within the meaning of Russian securities laws. Information contained in this announcement is not intended for any persons in the Russian Federation who are not "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 51.2 of the Federal Law No. 39-FZ "On the Securities Market" dated 22 April 1996, as amended (the "Russian QIs") and must not be distributed or circulated into Russia or made available in Russia to any persons who are not Russian QIs, unless and to the extent they are otherwise permitted to access such information under Russian law. The securities mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered in Russia and are not intended for "placement" or "circulation" in Russia (each as defined in Russian securities laws) unless and to the extent otherwise permitted under Russian law. The ratings mentioned herein are strictly for information purposes only and not for any other purposes. Such ratings do not constitute a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and may be subject to suspension, adjustment or withdrawal at any time by the rating agencies. Investors and shareholders of the Company are advised not to place any reliance on the information disclosed herein but to exercise due caution when dealing in the securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Any investor or shareholder of the Company who is in doubt is advised to seek advice from professional advisors. UNITED COMPANY RUSAL PLC (Incorporated under the laws of Jersey with limited liability) (Stock Code: 486) UPDATE ON THE U.S. DOLLAR-DENOMINATED FIXED RATE NOTES OFFERING Reference is made to the announcement of the Company dated 25 April 2017. The Company is pleased to announce the completion of its second USD500,000,000 5.3% offering of Eurobonds due 2023. The Notes are rated "B+" by Fitch Rating Ltd and "B1" by Moody's Investors Service Limited, Russian Branch. The Irish Stock Exchange approved the admission of the Eurobonds to listing on the Official List and trading on the Global Exchange Market of the Irish Stock Exchange. The net proceeds of the offering of the Eurobonds will be applied by the Company and its subsidiaries for refinancing of their existing indebtedness. No listing of the Eurobonds has been or will be sought in Hong Kong. DEFINITIONS In this announcement, the following expressions have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: "Comepany" United Company RUSAL Plc, a limited liability company incorporated in Jersey, the shares of which are listed on the main board of the Stock Exchange. "Eurobonds" US dollar-denominated fixed rate notes issued by the Issuer, and guaranteed by the Company and several of its operational subsidiaries under Rule 144A/Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. "Irish Stock Exchange" The Irish Stock Exchange Plc "Issuer" Rusal Capital D.A.C., wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated in Ireland. "Listing Rules" the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange. "Stock Exchange" The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. "USD" United States dollars, the lawful currency of the United States of America. By Order of the Board of Directors of United Company RUSAL Plc Aby Wong Po Ying Company Secretary 3 May 2017 As at the date of this announcement, the executive Directors are Mr. Oleg Deripaska, Mr. Vladislav Soloviev and Mr. Siegfried Wolf, the non-executive Directors are Mr. Dmitry Afanasiev, Mr. Ivan Glasenberg, Mr. Maksim Goldman, Ms. Olga Mashkovskaya, Ms. Gulzhan Moldazhanova, Mr. Marco Musetti, Ms. Ekaterina Nikitina, Mr. Maxim Sokov and Mr. Daniel Lesin Wolfe, and the independent non-executive Directors are Mr. Mark Garber, Mr. Philip Lader, Dr. Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Mr. Dmitry Vasiliev, Mr. Matthias Warnig (Chairman), and Mr. Bernard Zonneveld. All announcements and press releases published by the Company are available on its website under the links http://www.rusal.ru/en/investors/info.aspxhttp://rusal.ru/investors/info/moex/ and http://www.rusal.ru/en/press-center/press-releases.aspx, respectively. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006245/en/ Contacts: United Company RUSAL Plc WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has indicated that Republicans are 'getting extremely close' to securing the votes needed to approve a bill to repeal and replace the healthcare reform law known as Obamacare. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday, Ryan said the House GOP continues to make progress in building support for the American Health Care Act. Ryan declined to comment on when the bill would be brought up for a vote, however, suggesting the legislation would be brought to the floor when it has the 217 votes needed to pass. 'We're going to bring them up when we have the votes. We're getting extremely close,' Ryan said. 'We're having very, very productive conversations with our members. The president is having good conversations with our members. The vice president is. His whole staff is involved.' He added, 'So I feel very good about the progress we're making and we'll make the announcement when we make the announcement. It's how I handle these things.' Republicans and President Donald Trump suffered a major setback earlier this year when the House leadership was forced to withdraw the Obamacare repeal bill. The withdrawal came amid opposition from a number of more conservative lawmakers, who felt the bill did not go far enough to dismantle Obamacare. The conservative House Freedom Caucus has announced its support for a revised version of the bill, but the changes have raised concerns among some moderate Republicans about protections for people with pre-existing health conditions. Congressman Fred Upton, R-Mich., has offered an amendment that would provide $8 billion over five years to help people with pre-existing conditions obtain health insurance. 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. WORLD-CLASS HOMEWORK HELP NOW AVAILABLE FOR ALL STUDENTS NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --When Socratic launched on iPhone in July, founders Chris Pedregal and Shreyans Bhansali knew they had a hit: the app shot to the top of the App Store and garnered a 5-star rating. The founders weren't satisfied though because the app was only available to English speakers with iPhones. Today, Socratic is launching on Android devices and in six languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Indonesian, and Portuguese. "Silicon Valley startups don't often prioritize launching in other languages because it is so hard to do. Chris and I grew up outside of the U.S., so we have a different perspective. We're so excited to open Socratic up to the world," said Shreyans Bhansali, co-founder and Head of Engineering. "With our new languages, Socratic has the potential to reach 1.5 billion people in their native language." The Socratic app, where students can snap a photo of a homework question and learn how to answer it, has dominated the App Store education rankings. Socratic gets over 10 million homework questions a month and was recently named an Honoree by the Webby Awards. Now, with Socratic launching on Android, students from Sao Paulo to Jakarta will have access to this tool. Unlike other educational apps, the entire Socratic experience is completely free. Check out a video of the app Students simply take a photo of their question and the app provides explanations, definitions, curated videos, and Q&A. With a focus on pedagogy, Socratic gives students learning content that teachers can trust. The app helps students with homework from any major high school subject, including Math, Science, History, and Literature. Today's international Android launch signals a change for students around the world: whether studying Algebra or Chemistry, students can rely on Socratic to help them understand tricky concepts and get their homework done well. For more information and press assets: socratic.org/press blog.socratic.org About the Founders Shreyans Bhansali, Head of Engineering, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. The son of Indian parents, he grew up in Indonesia. Christopher Pedregal, CEO, graduated from Stanford University. He was born to a Spanish father and a French mother, and grew up in Brazil and Mexico. Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlm8FKCZYQ To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/top-ios-homework-app-socratic-launches-on-android-in-6-languages-300450827.html According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the machine tools market in the USis expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 4% during the forecast period. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006193/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the machine tools market in the US from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) This research report titled 'Machine Tools Market in the US 2017-2021' provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This report also includes an up to date analysis and forecast for various market segments and all geographical regions. According to Raghav Bharadwaj Shivaswamy, a lead analyst at Technavio for automation research, "Machine tool applications are categorized into three important product segments, which consist of metal cutting machine tools, metal forming machine tools and other accessories. The metal cutting machine tools segment dominated the market in the US with a market share of around 51% in 2016, primarily due to the higher demand for industrial metal cutting applications." Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. The market research analysis categorizes the machine tools market in the US into three major end-user segments. They are: Automotive Aerospace Metal Fabrication Machine tools market in the US by the automotive industry Globally, the US is the second-largest automotive market. The machine tools market in the US by the automotive industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 4% due to the upward trend of automobile sales in the US. "The flexible investment structure, large consumer base, government incentives, and advanced technologies are likely to further boost the demand for both automotive and machine tools market in the US during the forecast period," says Raghav. Machine tools market in the US by aerospace industry The machining applications in the aerospace industry include spare parts, components, and materials that are ultimately used in aircraft and sub-assemblies. Thus, the aerospace industry holds the second-largest share in the machine tools market due to the extent of the application scope. The demand for machine tools is evolving continuously due to both fresh investments as well as replacement and retrofitting activities. As the raw materials used undergo constant evolution to enable the production of high-quality and lightweight aircraft, most of the growth in the machine tools market is expected to come from CNC machines. The use of alloys and composite materials to manufacture aircraft components is likely to increase the importance of CNC machining tools during the forecast period. Machine tools market in the US by metal fabrication Metal fabrication units are the intermediate producers of many materials and components used by diverse industries. In addition, many of these metal fabrication requirements are highly cyclical. End-users considered in this segment are residential and commercial construction, mining, energy, and general industries. Metal fabrication, another major segment of the machine tools market, is likely to grow due to the rising demand from heavy industry in the US. The recent initiatives taken by the current US President to bring the manufacturing sectors back to the US will offer significant growth opportunity for the machine tools market in the country. The top vendors highlighted by Technavio's industrial automation market research analysts in this report are: Dalian Machine DMG MORI Haas Automation JTEKT Komatsu Browse Related Reports: Facility Management Services Market in Europe 2017-2021 Global Advanced Process Control Software Market 2017-2021 Global Industrial Variable Speed Belts Market 2017-2021 Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like robotics. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006193/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com DUBLIN, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Rare Earth Metals Market 2017-2021" report to their offering. The global rare earth metals market to grow at a CAGR of 13.67% during the period 2017-2021. Global Rare Earth Metals Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. One trend in market is rise in production capacities and emergence of alternative suppliers. Lucrative trade and the growing demand for rare earth metals has resulted due to the intense evaluation of domestic reserves for exploitation and leveraging them for strategic uses by several countries. This is being encouraged by large rare earth metal consuming nations in order to leverage their supply risks. The analyst observes an increased investment in this sector in India, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These countries are likely to emerge as reliable alternative suppliers to China. New developments in North America (mainly Canada), Australia, and Africa are contributing to the new rare earth element resources. Japan has committed huge investments in these nations in order to reduce its import dependence on China. Most of the mines currently being developed are expected to come on-stream by 2017-2020. Therefore, the analyst expects a further drop in the supply share of China. According to the report, one driver in market is elevated usage in direct-drive turbines for wind energy production. Wind energy has become one of the most recognized, cost-effective, and clean solutions for generating electricity. A clean alternative to non-renewable fuels, wind energy farms provide an alternative method to generate electricity and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Wind energy generation is expected to be one of the fastest-growing markets in the future because of growing federal incentives for renewable energy production and easing regulations. Further, the report states that one challenge in market is demand-supply outages and the rise of substitutes. The global supply of rare earth metals is heavily concentrated in certain geographies while the demand is widely spread across the world. As a result, trade plays a major role in the reach of rare earth oxides to various end-use industries across the world. The current production is mainly restricted to the US and China with other geographies having scarce produce. As a result of this overdependence on a limited number of mining sites, any disruption to production often results in huge price fluctuations and challenges the availability to various sensitive end uses. Key vendors Alkane Resource Arafura Resources Avalon Advanced Materials China Minmetals Rare Earth Lynas Corporation Other prominent vendors Baogang Group Canada Rare Earth Corp China Rare Earth Holdings Frontier Rare Earths Greenland Minerals and Energy Indian Rare Earths Jiangxi Copper Company Montero Mining and Exploration Namibia Rare Earths Neo Quest Rare Minerals Rare Element Resources Showa Denko K.K Ucore Rare Metals Key Topics Covered: Part 01: Executive summary Part 02: Scope of the report Part 03: Research Methodology Part 04: Introduction Part 05: Market landscape Part 06: Market segmentation by element type Part 07: Market segmentation by application Part 08: Geographical segmentation Part 09: Decision framework Part 10: Drivers and challenges Part 11: Market trends Part 12: Vendor landscape Part 13: Appendix For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5wn7v9/global_rare_earth Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (ticker: PSH:NA) today announces that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's ordinary shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"): Date of purchase: 3 May 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 10,000 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 1,225 pence 15.82 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 1,220 pence 15.76 USD Average price paid per Share: 1,220.65 pence 15.77 USD PSH intends to cancel these Shares. The net asset value per Share related to this Share buyback is USD 18.48 which was calculated as of 30 April 2017. After giving effect to the above Share buyback, PSH has 240,107,692 outstanding Shares. The prices per share in USD were calculated by Jefferies. The number of PSH Management Shares and the 1 special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) has not been affected. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (PSH:NA) is an investment holding company structured as a closed ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503006537/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Maitland James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151 Media-pershingsquareholdings@maitland.co.uk Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 3, 2017) - Westminster Resources Ltd. (TSXV: WMR) (OTC Pink: WMRSF) (FSE: 08W1) announces a non-brokered private placement of up to 12,000,000 units at $0.12 per unit to raise gross proceeds of up to $1,440,000 (the "Offering"). Each unit will be comprised of one common share and one common share purchase warrant. Each common share purchase warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at $0.16 per share with an expiry date of five years from the closing of the private placement. A finder's fee commensurate with TSXV policies will be paid where applicable. The funds raised will be used for expenditures on the Company's project in Sonora, Mexico and for general working capital. ON BELHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WESTMINSTER RESOURCES LTD. "Glen Indra"___________ President About Westminster: Managed by an experienced team, Westminster is focused on exploring and developing prospects on a land package of approximately 17,854 hectares of continuous mineral concessions in Sonora, Mexico. The Company's focus has been to assemble and explore unique and newly-discovered targets including (a) the Guayacan partially unroofed epithermal and copper-gold porphyry system, and (b) the Sierra Hydrothermal diatreme breccia tertiary rhyolite hosted structure. Systematic exploration of the Company's new mineral district is ongoing in this region of Sonora with well-developed infrastructure, favorable permitting, and a strong mining history and community support. For further information regarding Westminster Resources Ltd., please contact Bill Conlin at 604-608-0400, Toll free: 1-877-608-0007. 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. NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Brookfield Investment Management Inc. will host a webcast for the Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. (NYSE: RA) (the "Fund") on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 4:30pm ET. Brookfield will provide an update on the Fund and on general market conditions. There will be an opportunity to ask questions about the Fund during the call. Questions may also be submitted ahead of the call by sending an e-mail to funds@brookfield.com. Registration and Webcast Link: http://services.choruscall.ca/DiamondPassRegistration/register?confirmationNumber=10002881&linkSecurityString=1cce06bc5 (Note - Webcast link will not be live until day of webcast.) A replay will be available via this link shortly following the webcast until June 12, 2017. A transcript of the call will also be available by calling 855-777-8001 or emailing funds@brookfield.com. Access to audio only: 800-319-4610 Brookfield Investment Management Inc. (the "Firm") is an SEC-registered investment adviser and represents the Public Securities platform of Brookfield Asset Management. The Firm provides global listed real assets strategies including real estate equities, infrastructure equities, real asset debt and diversified real assets. With more than $14 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2017, the Firm manages separate accounts, registered funds and opportunistic strategies for institutional and individual clients, including financial institutions, public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth investors. The Firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $250 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2016. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com. The Fund is managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc. The Fund uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the Fund is routinely posted on and accessible at www.brookfield.com. Contacts: Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. Brookfield Place 250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10281-1023 (855) 777-8001 funds@brookfield.com NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - MetLife Inc. (MET) released earnings for its first quarter that gained ground compared to the same period last year. The company said its bottom line climbed to $1.55 billion, or $1.41 per share. This was up from $1.33 billion, or $1.20 per share, in last year's first quarter. Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.27 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company said revenue for the quarter fell 11.7% to $16.27 billion. This was down from $18.43 billion last year. MetLife Inc. earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q1): $1.55 Bln. vs. $1.33 Bln. last year. -Earnings Growth (Y-o-Y): 16.5% -EPS (Q1): $1.41 vs. $1.20 last year. -EPS Growth (Y-o-Y): 17.5% -Analysts Estimate: $1.27 -Revenue (Q1): $16.27 Bln vs. $18.43 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -11.7% 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) - Fidelity National Financial Inc (FNF) revealed earnings for its first quarter that gained ground compared to the same period last year. The company said its bottom line came in at $118 million, or $0.42 per share. This was higher than $94 million, or $0.33 per share, in last year's first quarter. Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.36 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company said revenue for the quarter rose 17.5% to $2.22 billion. This was up from $1.89 billion last year. Fidelity National Financial Inc earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q1): $118 Mln. vs. $94 Mln. last year. -Earnings Growth (Y-o-Y): 25.5% -EPS (Q1): $0.42 vs. $0.33 last year. -EPS Growth (Y-o-Y): 27.3% -Analysts Estimate: $0.36 -Revenue (Q1): $2.22 Bln vs. $1.89 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): 17.5% 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. RIVIERA BEACH, FL--(Marketwired - May 03, 2017) - Florida Governor Rick Scott toured South Florida-based RGF Environmental Group, Inc., today as part his "Fighting for Florida's Future" tour. RGF Environmental is a global company headquartered in Riviera Beach that manufactures and produces air, food and water purification/sanitation systems for homes, schools, office buildings, hotels, cruise ships, food processors and hospitals and industrial water treatment/reclaim systems. RGF has created over 50 new jobs over the past four years and currently employs nearly 130 Floridians, with plans to expand the near future. The company exports to 33 countries and has over the years received numerous one-on-one trade consultations from Enterprise Florida and has participated in EFI trade missions to China, India, Mexico, South America, S. Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. RGF has also saved more than $65,000 in taxes since the permanent elimination of the sales tax on manufacturing machinery and equipment, which is money that has instead been used to hire and train new employees. Ron Fink, President, Founder and CEO of RGF Environmental Group, said, "RGF was proud to welcome Governor Scott to our facility today. Our mission is to provide the world with the safest air, water and food, and Florida has proven to be an excellent location for us to work on meeting that important goal. We appreciate Governor Scott's focus on supporting tax cuts and economic development programs like Enterprise Florida that make it easier for businesses like RGF to succeed and we look forward to continuing to grow in Florida." About RGF RGF manufactures over 500 environmental products and has a 30-plus year history of providing the world with the safest air, water and food without the use of chemicals. RGF is a research and innovation company that holds numerous patents and patents-pending for wastewater treatment systems, air purifying devices, and food sanitation systems. To meet a growing need for indoor air quality improvement solutions, RGF developed both the patented REME-HALO and BLU QR. RGF's Advanced Oxidation Systems are proven and tested to be extremely effective in destroying mold, odors, bacteria, and viruses. Situated in the heart of the Port of Palm Beach Enterprise Zone, RGF Headquarters spans 7.5 acres, with 100,000 square feet of manufacturing, warehouse, and office facilities. RGF has recently upgraded its facilities, creating an increased vertical approach to manufacturing, allowing the company to provide the highest quality and engineered products on the market. For more information, visit rgf.com or contact Kelly Kendrick, Director of Marketing, 561-253-7880. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/5/3/11G137841/Images/DSC_0413-ab4ec0f369559e04bf66fd5da4792186.JPG Elizabeth Kelley Grace Elizabeth@thebuzzagency.net 561.702.7471 PERTH, Australia and SANTA CLARA, Calif., 2017-05-04 00:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curtin University has selected Hitachi to deploy an internet of things (IoT) solution to advance its vision of a smart campus that enhances the student experience, improves classroom learning and ultimately attracts more industry to collaborate on data-driven research. Curtin is achieving this by partnering with Hitachi to co-create solutions that harness IoT data through advanced analytics to provide insight into the daily running and utilization of the campus. Curtin University has more than 60,000 students and 4,000 staff on 300,000sqm of floor space. It is Western Australia's largest and most culturally diverse university, and has one of Australia's largest international student populations. Ian Callahan, chief operating officer of Curtin University said: "Understanding our campus operations and building utilization has become a major factor in Curtin's smart campus initiative. With the Hitachi IoT solution, we can collect data using a variety of sensors to gather information on building trends, study patterns, and course attendance that can ultimately be used to improve student experience and enhance learning." Ultimately, these data insights allow Curtin University to generate contextual information about the lifecycle of the student, the day to day reality of a staff member, the activity pattern of a lecture theater, and the dynamics and environmental health of a library. Callahan added: "We are effectively creating a living laboratory that is an open invitation to our own researchers and scientists from other universities to use our campus to discover and innovate with data-driven research. Hitachi demonstrated not only technology leadership but approached us with a very open mind, to participate in that living environment and collaborate with others." With the Hitachi solution, the university will be able to combine video data with operational data across its campus facilities to provide analytics that support a smart campus. This is achieved through the integration of Hitachi Visualization Suite, Hitachi Video Analytics, Pentaho, Live Face Matching and Hitachi Data Systems Infrastructure and Compute. The single analytics dashboard provides the real-time knowledge the university needs to make informed decisions about their classes, operations and future requirements. "Curtin University is a prime example of forward-thinking organizations that have challenged Hitachi to develop its video analytics solutions to go beyond surveillance and public safety. They are effectively pioneers of digital transformation," said Mark Jules, vice president of public safety and smart city solutions at Hitachi Insight Group. "We're excited to be co-creating a comprehensive IoT-enabled solution with them and we look forward to working with Curtin University and their research partners to accelerate future innovation through our ongoing collaboration." Find Out More -- Twitter -- HDS News Hub -- Facebook About Hitachi Insight Group Hitachi Insight Group is dedicated to driving business and societal transformation through digitalization. Its digital solutions deliver connected intelligence from the internet of things and actionable insights that support better decision-making, exceptional outcomes and smarter, safer, healthier, more efficient societies. Leveraging Hitachi's rich industrial heritage and extensive expertise in both operational and information technologies (OT and IT), Hitachi Insight Group accelerates solution creation with the Lumada IoT platform, serving public and private sector customers across three market categories: Smart City, Digital Energy and Industrial IoT. The group is based in Santa Clara, CA, USA, with offices and operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.hitachiinsightgroup.com. About Hitachi Data Systems Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., offers an integrated portfolio of services and solutions that enable digital transformation through enhanced data management, governance, mobility and analytics. We help global organizations open new revenue streams, increase efficiencies, improve customer experience and ensure rapid time to market in the digital age. Only Hitachi Data Systems powers the digital enterprise by integrating the best information technology and operational technology from across the Hitachi family of companies. We combine this experience with Hitachi expertise in the internet of things to deliver the exceptional insights business and society need to transform and thrive. Visit us at HDS.com. About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2015 (ended March 31, 2016) totaled 10,034.3 billion yen ($88.8 billion). The Hitachi Group is a global leader in the Social Innovation Business, and it has approximately 335,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation, Hitachi is providing solutions to customers in a broad range of sectors, including Power / Energy, Industry / Distribution / Water, Urban Development, and Finance / Government & Public / Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com. HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners. Contacts: Isabel Wagner Hitachi Data Systems +61 2 9325 3319 Isabel.Wagner@hds.com Hope Nicora Hitachi Insight Group +1-831-227-3660 hope.nicora@hitachiinsightgroup.com Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/17 -- Canacol Energy Ltd. ("Canacol" or the "Corporation") (TSX: CNE)(OTCQX: CNNEF)(BVC: CNEC) is pleased to provide the following update for the Canahuate 1 exploration well, the Corporations seventh consecutive gas discovery in the Lower Magdalena Basin, and an update of its remaining gas exploration wells for 2017. Canahuate 1 Gas Discovery Esperanza Exploration and Exploitation ("E&E") Contract Geoproduction Oil and Gas Company of Colombia, 100% Operated Working Interest The Canahuate 1 exploration well was spud on March 24, 2017 and reached a total depth of 8,263 feet measured depth ("ft md") in 13 days. The well encountered 124 ft md (86 feet true vertical depth) of net gas pay with average porosity of 18% within the primary Cienaga de Oro ("CDO") reservoir target. Two different zones were completed and flow tested within the CDO. The first zone tested within the CDO was perforated between 5,067 to 5,872 ft md and flowed at a final stabilized rate of 23 million standard cubic feet per day ("MMscfpd") of dry gas at a flowing tubing head pressure of 997 psi and 60/64 inch choke with no water over a 23 hour test period. The second zone tested was perforated between 4,965 to 4,990 ft md and flowed at a final stabilized rate of 5.4 MMscfpd of dry gas at a flowing tubing head pressure of 1,524 psi and 30/64 inch choke with 8 barrels of water over a 20 hour test period. Based upon the salinity of the produced water management has concluded that it is brine related to the drilling and completion of the well. Work is underway to tie the Canahuate 1 well into the Corporation's gas processing facility at Jobo approximately 3 kilometers ("kms") to the south. Toronja 1 Gas Exploration Well VIM 21 Exploration and Production ("E&P") Contract Geoproduction Oil and Gas Company of Colombia, 100% Operated Working Interest The Tuscany 12 drilling rig used to drill and complete Canahuate 1 is being mobilized to drill the Toronja 1 exploration well located on the VIM21 E&P contract approximately 6 kms to the southeast of Jobo. The objective of the Toronja 1 exploration well are the shallow Porquero reservoir sandstones which were recently proven as a new commercial play type by the Corporation with the nearby Nelson 6 gas discovery late in 2016. The Toronja prospect displays a well-developed seismic anomaly indicative of the presence of gas within the Porquero sandstone reservoirs. The Corporation anticipates spudding the Toronja 1 well in early June, 2017, and it is expected that the well will be drilled and tested four weeks after spud. Pandereta 1 Gas Exploration Well VIM 5 Exploration and Production Contract CNE Oil and Gas S.A.S., 100% Operated Working Interest Upon completion and testing of the Toronga 1 exploration well the Tuscany 12 rig will be mobilized to drill the Pandereta 1 exploration well located approximately 10 kms to the east of the Clarinete and Oboe fields on the VIM 5 contract. The objective of the Pandereta 1 exploration well are proven sandstones of the CDO reservoir. The Pandereta prospect displays a well-developed seismic anomaly indicative of the presence of gas within the CDO reservoir sandstones. The well will be spud in late October 2017 and is expected to be drilled and tested five weeks after spud. The Corporation shall provide updates on the exploration drilling program as information becomes available. Canacol is an exploration and production company with operations focused in Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico. The Corporation's common stock trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the OTCQX in the United States of America, and the Colombia Stock Exchange under ticker symbol CNE, CNNEF, and CNE.C, respectively. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, including without limitation statements relating to estimated production rates from the Corporation's properties and intended work programs and associated timelines. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Corporation cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these forward looking statements. They are made as of the date hereof and are subject to change and the Corporation assumes no obligation to revise or update them to reflect new circumstances, except as required by law. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. These factors include the inherent risks involved in the exploration for and development of crude oil and natural gas properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological and geophysical data, fluctuating energy prices, the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs or delays and other uncertainties associated with the oil and gas industry. Other risk factors could include risks associated with negotiating with foreign governments as well as country risk associated with conducting international activities, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Corporation. This press release contains non-GAAP measures such as EBITDAX, funds from operations, working capital, operating netback per barrel and realized contractual gas sales that do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management uses these non-GAAP measures for its own performance measurement and to provide shareholders and investors with additional measurements of the Corporation's performance and financial results. Realized contractual gas sales is defined as gas produced and sold plus gas revenues received from nominated take or pay contracts. Boe conversion - The term "boe" is used in this news release. Boe may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of cubic feet of natural gas to barrels oil equivalent is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. In this news release, we have expressed boe using the Colombian conversion standard of 5.7 Mcf: 1 bbl required by the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia. Contacts: Canacol Energy Ltd. Investor Relations 214-235-4798 IR@canacolenergy.com canacolenergy.com Consumer, corporate and investment bank Barclays has opened its flagship open innovation site, Rise London, in Shoreditch. Rise aims to combine a curated community of FinTech startups from across the world, corporate clients and other experts, to work on Barclays customer and business opportunities and to shape innovative financial services. At Rise, Barclays co-creates new products, services and platforms along with startups and corporates, investors and industry experts across seven sites internationally in New York, Manchester, Mumbai, Cape Town, Vilnius, London and Tel Aviv. In each location, the banking group operates multiple programs for open innovation, including the Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars, which aim to facilitate engagement between Barclays and the Rise FinTech community, driving the development of new models, long-term financial solutions, and the creation of relationships. Rise London will host more than 40 FinTech companies, along with Banking and Technology teams from Barclays, and will serve as a gathering place for leaders in the FinTech and venture capital communities. It will also host more than 200 hours of learning, workshops, hackathons and networking on a monthly basis. FinSMEs 02/05/2017 Bookmytrainings.com is a Bangalore, India-based provider of an online training marketplace. Launched in 2011, the company has since expanded in major cities nationwide serving both professionals as well as enterprises. In these years, Bookmytrainings.coms growth has been rocketing as the brand has gained popularity among professionals, entering into the list of the leading names in the training industry. THE OFFERING The company currently offers a wide variety of courses to professionals to enhance their skills in specialized areas and several sectors. The training portal serves as a platform for individuals as well as companies to scale up their competencies and skills servicing the individual and enterprise level based on the target audience. The company ensures the audience get tremendous support during the course. Based on the unique needs of any entity, Bookmytrainings.com also arranges customized training and organizes events, workshops, conferences and seminars in major cities in India beyond providing online materials and e-leaning for professionals who cannot afford to attend classroom training. The portal is regularly updated to share the latest schedules and events taking place in different parts of the country in order to allow professionals to select the course at their convenience. Bookmytrainings.com currently provides training programs in the following areas: Technical Management Soft skills Personality Development Leadership Functional The company also offers certifications in various areas to add a feather to a professionals career profile. Detailed description of courses are available in the portal for professionals to choose the training program based on their unique requirements. Booking of the training slots is done on an early bird basis from the portal to avail various discounts. Counsellors are available all the time to assist you in choose the right course. Trainers are qualified professionals and the company maintains a common repository where SMEs share their knowledge in the form of articles on the latest trends in the market. Check out the articles written by our SMEs here. THE VISION Bookmytrainings.com, which has received various prestigious awards for its commitment to offer high quality training and continues to get a lot inquiries via its website, aims to become a 1-stop-shop for professionals to get training based on their unique needs, to maintain excellent standard in training and materials offered and to expand into new markets globally attracting more professionals to its network. Yieldify, a London, UK-based marketing experience company, raised $6m in its second funding round. The round was led by Binomial Ventures with participation from John Giuliani, CEO of digital marketing leader Conversant, who has also joined the Yieldify board as Chairman, and Tom Singh, founder of fashion chain New Look, and existing investors GV (formerly Google Ventures), SoftBank Capital, Hoxton Ventures and Data Point Capital. The company intends to use the funds to continue to scale in the e-commerce market. Launched in 2013 and led by Jay Radia, Chief Executive Officer, Yieldify provides marketers with a platform to deliver experiences that engage and retain customers through a combination of smart technology with expert services. The company already serves some recognizable brands including Marks and Spencer, Dominos Pizza, Omni Hotels and Anthropologie. FinSMEs 3/05/2017 I have never done Oxy but my little sister did after surgery. She told me she will never take Oxy again and she is a public school teacher heavily involved in her Christian church. edit: I did not know Demerol was an opiate but when I won a bar fight the pinky knuckle on my right hand got broke and went to the emergency room because the Doctor was my next door neighbor. Dr. Esler, Vietnam Vet, said that is a classic boxer break and told the nurse to give me a big shot of Demerol before he set it. I got in an arm wrestling contest with him and won when he was setting it. Is Demerol a synthetic morphine? Just asking because I don't know. E-commerce giant Amazon continues to aggressively expand its operations in the country with the addition of seven new warehouses, a move that will provide employment to about 4,000 people. The US-based company, which has committed an investment of $5 billion in the Indian market, will have 41 warehouses or Fulfilment Centres (FCs) by the end of June this year. Amazon, which is locked in an intense battle with local rival, Flipkart, has been pumping in funds to expand infrastructure and technology platform in the country. "This (new FCs) will double our storage capacity this year as compared to last year. We continue to invest in strengthening our infrastructure to match our pace of business expansion in India," Amazon India Customer Fulfilment Vice President Akhil Saxena told PTI. He added that this year, a total of 14 FCs will be added taking the total to 41 FCs. Saxena, however, declined to comment on the investment details. Last month, Amazon.in had announced setting up seven warehouses to cater exclusively to its large appliances and furniture category. FCs are warehouses where sellers can stock their inventory. They can save money by replacing their upfront capital expense with low variable cost and pay only for the storage space they use and the orders Amazon fulfils. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos had recently said Amazon.in is the most visited and the fastest growing marketplace in India. He had also assured that the company will keep investing in the Indian market. Saxena said the new centres announced on Tuesday are located in the states of Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. "These new FCs will create about 4,000 new jobs, both temporary and permanent," he said. Amazon.in has seen shipment of units grow almost 85 per cent in the first quarter of 2017 and continues to rapidly expand to tier II and III cities. Apart from the greenfield FCs, Amazon.in is also expanding capacity of its FCs in Ahmedabad and Delhi to support increased customer and seller demand. "These FCs will help us deliver faster and enable thousands of small and medium businesses to fulfil their orders in a cost-efficient manner," Saxena said. On 23 August, 2016, the government of India formally announced the formation of the Watal Committee (see pix). On 1 September, the government issued instructions stating that the committee had been formed under the chairmanship of Ratan P Watal, principal advisor, Niti Aayog, and former finance secretary. The committee was urged to submit its report on the way forward to ensure digitisation and epayments were introduced smoothly and succe3ssfully in the country. It was also requested to study other model for digitisation and epayments in other parts of the world, and suggest suitable legislation both enactment of fresh legislation or modification of existing ones for the implementation of digitisation and epayments in India. Accordingly, on 9 December, the committee submitted its report -- Medium Term Recommendations to strengthen Digital Payments Ecosystem. -- to the government. This was exactly a month after demonetisation was introduced in India. The urgency for introducing digital payments was stressed upon by the government. But, soon after the report was submitted, the government seemed struck with some kind of paralytic attack. It just refused to move ahead with the recommendations suggested by the Watal committee (excerpts of the recommendations may be downloaded from 2016-12_Watal-Committee-recommendations). The committee had suggested timelines many of them were to be put in place by February 2017 (see the excerpted timelines by downloading it from 2016-12_Digital-payments-watal_report-timelines). The entire Watal Committee report can be downloaded from ). It would appear that there is a spoken of war within the government. Nobody wants to speak of it. But there are indications that the government itself does not know what to do about digital payments. Take for example the manner in which the government quietly without much discussion -- slipped through a legislation in mid-February which delegated the entire responsibility of epayments to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity). Since epayments is a banking function, shouldnt it have been with the finance ministry? How can Meity regulate banks and financial intermediaries? As a result, nobody knows who is responsible. The RBI? The Finance Ministry? Or Meity? Thus, no legislation for specifying the rules of business for regulating epayments has been introduced. There is no regulator without which the process for dealing with potential fraud and mismanagement become more difficult. It is the perfect example of the government placing the cart before the horse. As always, the person who loses money is the common citizen. He uses the digital payments platform assuming that the government has thought through the system. He assumes it is safe and secure and that the government will protect his interests. Unfortunately, recent events have shown that the customer is not safe. The digitisation process is headed for a big mess, or even a series of scams. Take the first incident: 1. Sometime in February 2017, Maharashtra Bank reported a loss of Rs 25 crore on account of flaws in the UPI (Unified Payments Interface). About 50-60 people in Aurangabad discovered this loophole. The fraud was reported first on 22 February, On 20 March, NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) issued a statement saying that ... there is no vulnerability or loophole reported in Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) application or UPI system. NPCI has done intensive testing, robust design of security controls and continuous monitoring of its UPI infrastructure. By end of March 2016, the story hit media headlines. This came on the heels of another data breach in the Indian banking system involving 3.2 million debit cards. The breach in the systems of service provider Hitachi Payment Systems was detected when some banks raised an alarm over customers card being fraudulently used in China and the US, while these customers were in India. In spite of this, the government continues to promote BHIM. Once again, unknown to many, the creator of BHIM is NPCI which claims that any misuse of BHIM is the users responsibility. NPCI refuses to take up the liability. This a departure from the practices adopted by Master and VISA. So, who should tell NPCI what to do? After all, there is no regulator. 2. The absence of a regulator gets highlighted once again when one recalls the manner in which ICICI refused to honour transactions put forth by PhonePE. ICICI did this because it said that PhonePE was not using the accepted protocols. This led to a spat between PhonePE and ICICI and dragged in NPCI too. When NPCI asked PhonePE to follow the right protocols, the latter snapped back telling NPCI that it had no locus in the matter. The use of protocols is crucial. They define the manner in which transactions should take place. They decide how reconciliation of debits and credits should also take place. Absence of standardised protocols could mean customers losing money. For instance, even today, there is a large mobile player which has debit amounts from customers without providing them transaction codes. The customers have been running around trying to find out how to recover their money. The rules of engagement between private players on the one hand (like PayTM, PayU, PhonePE, Rupay, VISA and Mastercard, among many others), and the banks where businesses and individuals park their money on the other, have not yet been clearly defined. This can lead to big scams and misuse of epayment gateways for private profit through thievery. 3. Take another incident that these columns reported on just a couple of days ago. Oraganisations can still adopt practices which try and get the merchant discount rates (MDR) to be paid by customers rather than by merchants. Conventionally, MDR is to be paid by merchants only. The violation of this rule took a queer form when Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was the possible victim of some unscrupulous players in its finance department working in collusion with savvy IT professionals, in collusion with a payment gateway and a bank. The modus operandi appears to be that when a customer pays his bill through a digital platform, he gets a receipt for the same amount as the bill, but the bank statement displays a different amount. Since the additional amount is not there on the BMC receipt, this amount is not subject to the BMC auditors scrunity. The payment gateway appears to be one which this author is unfamiliar with, even though the website stated that it was HDFC. HDFC denies its involvement. It appears that some IT professional used the name HFDFC, but wrote the underlying script to take the amount through another gateway. The additional funds are parked with a third entity that has been be identified. Both the BMC and HDFC are investigating this matter. Since BMC has an annual budget of Rs 25,000 Rs.30,000 crore, even a 1 percent skimming would amount to a scam of around Rs 300 crore annually. Multiply this several fold to take in account other municipalities and quasi government agencies, and the skimming could run into thousands of crore rupees. So much for government supervision and assurances of security. Then there is an unstated war between two camps over MDR itself. The first wants status quo on the current MDR regime, where merchants are charged the fee, and not the customer. MDR is itself negotiated between the merchant and the financial intermediary (Rupay, Mastercard or others). The other group wants all financial transactions linked to Aadhar. And since government itself is the biggest beneficiary, this group wants the government to pay the MDR to the financial intermediary. After all, they say, Epayment is what helps the government identify tax defaulters. Moreover, the meta data generated can be used for planning future businesses and strategies. But there is another group which wants MDR to continue, allowing for a degree of market competition. They point to how the government itself allowed marketing companies to pay the MDR for petrol, diesel and CNG, instead of either the petrol pumps or customers. The same principle could be extended across India for all services, they add. The government hasnt decided what to do. And this is where one does not know why the government has been pushing digital payments without any regard to customers, the payment ecosystem, or even the economy itself. The reports first stage recommendations were to be implemented within two months that is by February 2017. We are already into April with nothing being done on this front. So is the government actually promoting scams? Has the government forgotten its commitment to good governance? Does it want more customers to get defrauded? There are so many questions, so many cries of helpless customers. But there are few answers forthcoming. Chennai: There were no automatic blocking of bank accounts that did not comply with Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). However, in the case of mutual funds, the blocking kicked in automatically, according to industry officials. "The FATCA non-compliant bank accounts did not get blocked. Perhaps the patch for the software is not yet ready. Till the last week of April we were under impression that FATCA is applicable only for those having accounts overseas or for foreigners having accounts in India," an experienced official with a government-owned bank told IANS preferring anonymity. "Only during the last week of April we were told to get all the bank accounts FATCA compliant. That's not an easy task," he added. The situation in the mutual fund industry is different. "In case of FATCA non-compliant (mutual fund) folios, an investor will not be able to redeem unless the account gets compliant. Once the investor gives the declaration then the folio gets compliant and redemptions can be done," Balasubramanian, Chairman, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) told IANS on Tuesday. "Investments in the case of systematic investment plan (SIP), where the monthly instalments are to be received from the banks will not be affected. The investments will continue to happen," Balasubramanian added. "As per the mutual fund industry data, the total number of folios that were not FATCA compliant were between 8-9 lakh. Subsequently some of the investors may have submitted the self-certification forms," Gaurav Nagori, Senior Vice President-Head of Customer Service and Operation, DSP Blackrock Mutual Fund, told IANS. Balasubramanian said compliance is an easy process. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), in a statement issued earlier, had said account holders of banks, mutual funds and National Pension Schemes (NPS) would have to be informed that their accounts would be blocked if self-certifications were not submitted by 30 April, 2017. What is FATCA? "FATCA is a unique piece of legislation, enacted in the US, which requires financial institutions (FIs) to provide information about account holders who are US persons to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)." "Non-compliant FIs are liable to a punitive withholding tax of 30 per cent of their US sourced income," Rahul Jain, Partner, Nangia and Co, an international tax advisory and accounting firm, told IANS. "The agreement is reciprocal in nature and allows for India to receive tax information in respect of its own residents," he said. "The FATCA agreement will, therefore, allow for exchange of information between the two countries and will help considerably in detection of unaccounted money held by US persons in India and vice versa," he added. Under Indian Income Tax rules, financial institutions have to obtain self-certification and carry out due diligence in respect of all individual and entity accounts opened between July 1, 2014, and 31 August, 2015. The last date for submission of self-certification ended on 30 April, 2017. According to Jain, any organisation or individual who has not been able to submit its or his FATCA self-declaration by the deadline of 30 April could make such declaration now and ask for his account with the Indian FIs to be unblocked or de-frozen. A government-led scheme to improve energy efficiency and cut emissions in some of Indias most energy-intensive industrial units has purportedly exceeded targets, saving enough energy to avoid capacity addition equal to Indias entire nuclear-power capacity as of end 2016, and preventing as much CO2 from being released into the air as would have been discharged by 19.4 million Indians in one year at 2013 levels. For perspective, this is equivalent to the population of Delhi and Bengaluru. However, the government is not making the relevant data public, citing companies right to keep them confidential. Releasing the data even partiallyby sector, if not by individual unit, for instancewould encourage good performers while creating pressure on under-achievers to do better during subsequent cycles. Targets surpassed The first cycle of the governments Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) energy efficiency scheme, which ran from 2012 to 2015, contributed to an emissions reduction of 31 million tonnes of CO2, energy savings of 8.67 million tonnes of oil equivalent, and avoided capacity addition of about 5.6 gigawatt (GW), the ministry of power said in a March 2017 press release. One tonne of oil equivalent (toe) is equal to the approximate amount of energy that can be extracted from one tonne of crude oil. It is used to compare energy from different sources. The scheme also resulted in monetary savings of Rs 37,685 crore, and channeled an investment of Rs 24,517 crore into energy-efficient technologies by the participating industrial units, the ministry said. The PAT scheme uses a market-based mechanism to enhance energy efficiency. Large industrial consumers of energy (called designated consumers or DCs) are given energy efficiency targets. Those who exceed their targets are awarded energy savings certificates, or ESCerts, which they can sell to those who fail to meet theirs. At the end of the first cycle, 3.8 million certificates were issued, one tonne of oil equivalent being equal to one ESCert. The scheme was launched under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), one of the eight missions announced under Indias National Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008. The NMEEE is run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), which functions under the ministry of power. Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme: Industry-wise Targets For Energy Saving Sector Annual Energy Consumption (In mtoe) Target Energy Saving (In mtoe) Power (thermal) 104.56 3.211 Iron & steel 25.32 1.486 Cement 15.01 0.815 Aluminium 7.71 0.456 Fertilizer 8.2 0.478 Paper & pulp 2.09 0.119 Textile 1.2 0.066 Chlor-alkali 0.88 0.054 Source: Bureau of Energy Efficiency; mtoe: million tonnes of oil equivalentUnder cycle 1 of the Perform, Achieve and Trade scheme The first PAT cycle, PAT-I, covered eight energy-intensive sectors, in which 478 designated consumers (DCs) took part. These sectorsaluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, fertilizer, iron and steel, pulp and paper, textiles, and thermal poweraccount for one-third of Indias total energy consumption. Lowering energy intensity (energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product, measured in megajoule per rupee) through efficiency measures remains intrinsic to solving the countrys dual challenge of rising energy requirements and falling energy security. Source: Ministry of Power Source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Energy efficiency measures are also vital because a unit of energy saved is greater than a unit produced, since it saves on losses during production, transmission and distribution, thereby creating what is known as a Negawatt, greater in value than a megawatt, according to the 2006 Integrated Energy Policy report released by the erstwhile Planning Commission. For the second cycle, PAT-II, which began in 2016 and will run until 2019, the number of designated consumers rose to 621 and sectors to 11 (with the addition of petroleum refineries, railways and electricity distribution companies), which account for close to 45% of Indias industrial energy consumption. We do not have actual energy consumption [statistics] for the industrial sector. The main reason for this is that substantial consumption happens in the small and medium enterprises, and it is not possible to gauge the consumption happening at the micro level, and the estimate varies from 150 million tonnes of oil equivalent to 200 million tonnes of oil equivalent, Shubhashis Dey, Manager of the Energy Efficiency Program at the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in New Delhi, told IndiaSpend. The DCs are given targets for decreasing their specific energy consumption (SEC), which is the net energy input divided by the net quantity of output measured in tonne of oil equivalent per unit of product. The mandated decrease in the specific energy consumption under PAT programme has led to a decline of 4-5% in their specific energy consumption in 2015 as compared to that in 2012, this 2015 report from the ministry of statistics and programme implementation stated. The SEC reduction targets under the PAT scheme are unit-specific, and not uniform across the board for every sector, which makes comparisons difficult especially as energy consumption varies widely even within sectors. A homogeneous baseline was not possible under this programme because every unit within each industry has a different kind of set up, with variations in technology, age and size. Hence, all the DCs were given individual targets based on three years of base data provided by DCs since 2009, Sanjay Dube, Director for South Asia at the International Institute for Energy Conservation, an NGO that works across Asia, told IndiaSpend. Audit data not released Energy auditors accredited by the BEE verified energy use reductions by DCs, based on which the ministry of power issued ESCerts on February 16, 2017nearly two years after the end of the first cycle, and after the second cycle had already begun. However, none of the savings information verified by energy auditors is in public domain. The declaration from BEE is on the basis of the data they have received from the designated consumers, which is supposed to be verified, but it is not shared in the market, neither is it available on their website, Dube said. Accredited auditors were to cross-check the savings, based on which the ESCerts were to be issued. How much of this information has been verified and how it is going to be documented for future reference remains unclear. In response, SK Khandare, Energy Economist at the BEE, said all the savings data have been verified. We have all of the individual audit reports but these are confidential files so we cannot release them. Information about how many DCs have achieved their targets and how many have not are only given out to certain stakeholders since this is restricted information. The participating industrial units have requested confidentiality because this is highly sensitive information, and they are right, because this is where their business interest lies, Khandare told IndiaSpend in a telephonic interview. Businesses are increasingly mindful of environmental costs, and going green presents a lucrative opportunity. Indias oldest stock exchange, the Bombay Stock Exchange, for instance, launched a green index in 2012 to enable businesses and investors to assess companies carbon performance. The government could tap this increasing awareness to encourage more and more businesses to reduce their emissions and overall carbon footprint. Trading delayed The second aspect of the programmetrading of ESCertshas been delayed due to technical problems, leaving doubts over the potential prices ESCerts will fetch as well as whether there will be an oversupply given that the energy saving target has been overshot. Dey said PAT-I offered plenty of low-hanging fruitfor example, an iron and steel plant could install a waste recovery unit to utilise the gases coming out of the blast furnace to generate electricity for use within the plant. Achieving targets during PAT-II will be technologically and financially more difficult and will entail process innovation to save energy along the production line. Therefore, some businesses may hoard their ESCerts to sell or use during the next cyclebusinesses can carry forward their ESCerts to PAT-II, though not beyondas tougher targets will mean fewer ESCerts, which may fetch higher prices. Since targets for PAT-II are more stringent, saving ESCerts now and utilising them during PAT-II makes economic sense. This is why there is a need to strengthen the trading part of the programme, Dey said, expressing confidence that the programme will work: Every industrial unit that was part of the first PAT cycle has actually saved money in the long run by using energy efficiency interventions, which means that the incentives are already built into the system. The focus now should be to expand the PAT scheme by including more industries and creation of an energy efficiency fund to support innovation. (Patil is an analyst with IndiaSpend and FactChecker.) New Delhi: India on Tuesday conveyed to Australia its concern over the possible impact of the changes made by that country in regulations regarding a visa programme for skilled professionals, official sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a phone call from his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, during which the Indian concern was voiced, a Ministry of External Affairs statement said. "The two Prime Ministers agreed that officials from both sides will remain in close touch on the issue," it said. They also discussed the follow-up action taken after Turnbull's visit to India last month, and the steps required to further strengthen bilateral relations. A few weeks ago, Turnbull had announced his decision to abolish the 457 Visa, which allows businesses to hire foreign workers for up to four years for skilled jobs. Infosys battling Trump administrations adamancy on H-1B visa issue, has resolved that if Mohammed cannot go to mountain, mountain should go to Mohammed. In other words, if President Trump restricts Indian IT techies from taking onsite jobs in the USA, Infosys would itself set shop in the US, and hire local talent. It is going to open four knowledge centers, euphemism for the rather sullied expression call centers with the first being in the state of Indiana. The four centers among them would generate about 10,000 jobs. This should be music to the ears of the cantankerous US President Donald Trump but will it work for Infosys? There are ominous straws in the wind and precedents. Infosys may have to walk gingerly on eggshells. Think global act local is a sensible mantra and watchword but it is the local element that often spells the difference between failure and success of the foreign foray. Infosys should take a clue from Tata Steel which had to bite the dust after claiming a pyrrhic victory in acquisition of the Anglo-Dutch company Corus Steels. The following are some of the more important factors that could sour Infosys dreams: 1. The US labor market unlike Indias is organised and comes under the organised sector. Labor unions are strong despite the US being a capitalist country. Contrast this with India where Bangalore, the IT hub of India, was declared to be out-of-bounds for unions. The point is while IT majors could have lined their pockets by paying abysmally low to the low level employees that constitute the lions share of the wage bill of any IT services organisation, the same strategy simply will not work in an enlightened labor market like the US. 2. President Trump wants local talent to be hired all right but would, given his short but obdurate track record, make life difficult for foreign companies setting shop in the US. He has already given dark hints. H-1B visas would be fast tracked for those who are paid US $1, 30,000 or more. He has thus benchmarked the kind of salary he wants techies to be paid. Indian IT majors sooner or later would have to face head winds on this score with politicians playing to the gallery. 3. Though not on a scale of a steel company, IT infrastructure also calls for massive initial investments by way of IT backbone and fast communication facilities. Much of them could go up in smoke should Infosys find headwinds unable to contend with. 4. Japan perfected the art of similar resistance by setting up automobile factories in the US when the latter made life difficult for Japanese auto majors in exporting to the US. While Japan curiously has remained outside the IT rat race, countries like Vietnam and Philippines could throw spanner in the works of Infosys. China too could grid its loins. It is true that the Indian IT talent is far superior to these Johnny-come-latelies but this may not remain so forever. 5. The US itself ironically doesnt boast much brain power, with bulk of it coming from immigrants. This being so, the local talent Infosys would be hiring would be immigrants who have made US their home. And this could rankle the Republicans especially of the tea party hue. Infosys would do well to keep all the above factors and more in its mind even as it forges ahead with this arguably a bold plan which takes the fight to the tormentors camp. The path would be riddled with many hurdles. But it can take heart from the Japanese auto companies that entrenched themselves in an alien land. It should keep in mind a foreigner or foreign company faces more intense scrutiny vis-a-vis the locals. Call this xenophobia which incidentally is not unique to Indian swadeshis. Is Vishal Sikka the new Indiana Jones for India's IT industry, conquering the Wild West with his adventurous ways? Is he taking the "Out" out of "Outsourcing" from the US? The Infosys CEO has walked his talk by announcing that his Bangalore-based company will hire as many as 10,000 workers in the US, and set up four technology hubs, including one in Indiana. The immediate link of this step is to President Donald Trump and his protectionist postures evident in the capping of H1-B work-permit visas and some muscle-flexing by a presidential aide and others recently that Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys were among those "gaming" the US visa regime to bring in more workers into the US through dubious means -- a charge vehemently denied by the National Association of Software and Service Companies. The immediate concern is that Infosys may take a hit on its profit margins because US-based workers may cost more than Indian counterparts flown into the US as "onsite" workers. But there may be more to this than it appears. Here are three ways Infosys will likely gain by setting up its promised four technology hubs. 1) Better bargaining power for future visas: There is a possibility that steps by Infosys to hire more workers in the US pleases officials in Congress and Capitol Hill and smoothens issues for medium-term improvements in the visa regime. The step will provide ammunition for Indian lobbyists to convince the Trump administration that it should not be overdoing visa restrictions. 2) The focus is on innovation, not wages: Sikka, who was a high-tech lynchpin at German software giant SAG earlier, is a man known for innovation and the Infosys statement on new hiring talks not about simple implementation or maintenance of software packages in the US in an old-world way but entering new areas including big data, analytics and artificial intelligence with an emphasis on innovation. A key focus area is artificial intelligence, in which there is considerable scope to create intellectual property and productivity-boosting solutions. For Sikka, the Trump policy may be a blessing in disguise because his heart has always been in product development, and the right kind of hiring in the US can take Infosys to an innovation-driven approach to the company's "global delivery model" rather than a cost-based approach in which "capacity utilisation" and "offshore-onsite mix" have been the mantras to squeeze more work or profit out of an army of techies now numbering more than 200,000. It is significant that Sikka's hiring announcement comes within a week after Infosys launched "Nia", an artificial intelligence-based platform. a year after launching another AI platform, Mana. Techies working on such platforms may be likened to car drivers given a larger vehicle that can carry more passengers -- which means their productivity is higher. 3) Embracing of software automation and robotics is changing the business model: The old "time and material" based calculation of profitability may give rise to a more complex measurement of outsourcing-based IT engagements. Analysts may need a new approach to measure Infosys profits in the coming days, with a higher weight for intellectual property-based project pricing or licensing revenues. It is an open question whether the same innovation that Infosys is planning to do in the US can be done cheaper in India. The answer may be a no. In cutting-edge areas where computer science graduates and PhDs are preferred to simple code jockeys, even India-based techies command premium salaries as part of a global war for talent. Companies including Amazon, Google and Microsoft compete for such R&D-oriented talent. Whatever the detail, Infosys may anyway be doing a sufficient amount of innovation to significantly alter its traditional approach. Remember, Sikka is based in the US himself. The least he has done by blending high-tech platforms with increased US hiring is to buy himself time to take on boardroom critics and showcase his special skills. (The author is a senior journalist. He tweets as @madversity) Washington: The Donald Trump administration on Wednesday welcomed the decision by IT giant Infosys to hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years, saying it was a result of the US government's "pro-growth economic agenda." Infosys on Tuesday announced it will hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years and open four new centres in the US as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of H1-B visa curbs. The first of the four innovation centres for new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will open in August in Indiana, the home state of US Vice-President Mike Pence. In a statement to The Washington Post, the White House termed the announcement by the Bangalore-based tech firm a political victory for the Trump administration, which has on several occasions accused outsourcing firms of "unfairly" taking jobs away from the US. It said the decision was further evidence that companies are renewing investment in the US as a result of the Trump administration's "pro-growth economic agenda." "We're glad to see companies like Infosys see opportunity in the American economy again," said Ninio Fetalvo, a White House spokesman, in a statement to The Washington Post. The US had accused Infosys and its larger rival, Tata Consultancy Services, of unfairly cornering the lion's share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system. Every year, the US grants 65,000 H-1B visas while another 20,000 are set aside for those with advanced degrees. At a White House briefing last month, an official of the Trump administration said a small number of giant outsourcing firms flood the system with applications which naturally ups their chances of success in the lottery draw. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of US President Donald Trump. He last month signed an executive order that seeks to make changes to a H-1B visa programme that brings in highly skilled foreign workers. The White House says the executive order will make it harder for tech firms to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour, and will strengthen rules barring foreign contractors from bidding on government projects. Amidst the roaring success of SS Rajamouli's war epic Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, its lead actor Prabhas has become the first south Indian actor to be immortalised through a wax statue at Madame Tussaud's Museum in Bangkok. Film critic Ramesh Bala, who had broken the news about this development last year, posted pictures of the wax statue of the Telugu superstar unveiled at the Bangkok edition of Madame Tussaud's Museum. The Indian Express reports that the statue will now be toured worldwide. Wax statue of #Prabhas as #Baahubali at #MadameTussauds Bangkok.1st South Indian Actor to have his statue at museum pic.twitter.com/k7NGvFzHG3 Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) May 2, 2017 Prabhas has been immortalised in his avatar of Amarendra Baahubali, sporting a ferocious look highlighted by a war zone setup. In the process, Prabhas has beaten the likes of Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal to become the first south Indian star to be featured at the museum. Besides him, other cinema personalities who have their statues there include Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan among others. Hindustan Times quotes Prabhas as saying, "I am really happy to have been selected by Madame Tussauds and I think this was only possible because of fans. I am grateful for their unconditional love and support. I am also thankful to my guru, SS Rajamouli, for the opportunity to work on this fantastic project Baahubali." The same report states that the actor, when he met the artists, he got as many as 350 pictures clicked for their reference. It looks like all the toil and patience has gained fruition now that his wax statue has been unveiled at the museum. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion also stars Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan. It is the sequel to Rajamouli's 2015 blockbuster Baahubali: The Beginning. It is produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Deviprasad Srineni's Arka Mediaworks. It has been released simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Its Hindi version is backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. Tokyo: If there's one theme that ties together director James Gunn's movies be it Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Slither or Dawn of the Dead, all of which he also wrote then it is the presence of strong female characters. Gunn says it's not intentional and comes naturally. "I think that as a human being, I am male but as a writer, I feel like a female and a male. I have just always been attracted to female protagonists as a writer, whether in Slither or Dawn of the Dead," Gunn told IANS during an interaction at a Disney press meet for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which releases in India on Friday, here in the Japanese capital. "I just feel these are natural characters, just like male characters. And in Guardians of the Galaxy, I found this idea of (exploring the relationship between) two sisters to be something that is not utilised much in films, especially in superhero movies. They are always about brothers, or father or son... I think in the first part too, having a movie about a mother and son was a unique thing for a superhero movie. "I just like having everybody's point of view. Growing up feeling like I was an outcast, I always wanted to tell stories of people who feel like they don't have a voice," he added. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Gunn has three brothers, who are also in showbiz, and a sister. His tryst with filmmaking started with an eight-millimetre camera when he was 12. Gunn started his career in Hollywood with studio Troma Films and went on to work on bigger films like writing scripts for Scooby-Doo movies and Dawn of the Dead. He was first noticed with his screenplay for Tromeo & Juliet in 1996. After writing and directing Slither in 2006 and Super in 2010, he made the right noise with superhero film franchise Guardians of the Galaxy which he directed and co-wrote. The second part of the film is raking in big internationally too. According to deadline.com, the film bagged $106 million in its overseas opening this past weekend. The third part has already been announced, and a Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers crossover is also in the pipeline. Guardians of the Galaxy starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Asian actress Pom Klementieff with Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper as voice talent is a story of misfits uniting together to save the galaxy. This time, in volume two, the film will focus on family ties too. Gunn asserts that he doesn't think about diversity, but definitely about "trying to get as many different types of people in a film". "I will say that one of the greatest experiences that I ever had in casting was for the role of Mantis (essayed by Klementieff). She is an Asian female in the comics and I thought that she should be Asian female in the film too." With a long and gruelling audition process for the role of Mantis, Gunn unearthed a reality of Hollywood. "It was a real testament to me that some people aren't given as many chances as other people." Talking about the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, Gunn said: "Everybody gets their piece of pie this time and that is what made this movie so much fun to me. Because I do come naturally from a place where I like telling ensemble stories about a bunch of characters as opposed to just one." American citizens are sick and tired of being made into tax-slaves to finance a maternity ward for the poverty stricken populations of other countries who invade our borders to give birth. SEE: Trump Says Hell Sign Congress Spending Deal That Jettisons His Goals Schumers spending proposal includes funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is a propaganda arm of our Washington Swamp Creatures, and it increases funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, two more propaganda arms of the Washington Establishment ___ both of which Trump promised to defund.The bill continues to fund Planned Parenthood and will fund the federal Department of Education to the tune of $71.6 billion. Where in our Constitution has Congress been granted a power to tax for, spend on and regulate public school systems created under State Constitution? The Bill will also double the number of H-2B visas which are used to replace American workers, while it forbids one dime to be spent to build a needed wall to help stop illegal immigration, human and drug trafficking. In addition, the bill will not cut off new money to sanctuary cities as Trump promised.There is also a reported $295 million for Puerto Ricos Medicaid program, and less than half of the money requested to fund our border security.In the words of Charles Krauthammer, Trump got rolled on the budget deal.Actually, Trump has embraced Paul Ryans and Chuck Schumers spending deal, and American taxpaying Citizens will once again bite the bullet and be played by the Washington Swamp creatures, which now appears to include Donald Trump as its Ring Master.JWK What's more fun than passing off stalking celebrities on social media as work? Very little, right? And so, we scanned the Instagram and Twitter accounts of celebs from India and abroad, to bring to you weekly updates from the interwebz. Who tweeted to whom? Who reposted last night's party pics? Who went on a rant about-... well, whatever Kanye West rants about. Whatever it is, don't worry, we've got you covered. We stalk, you read. Deal? This week, our stalking skills ranged from Hollywood to Bollywood to the hottest stars of Indian television. From birthday wishes to fan moments to baby showers, we stalked them all! Priyanka Chopra wishes Baywatch co-star Dwayne Johnson a Happy Birthday Happy birthday @therock you are one of the nicest most driven people I have ever met. Always an inspiration for everyone who works with you. Thank you for being such a positive force in everything i do. Here's wishing you tremendous love happiness and laughter! A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 2, 2017 at 4:55am PDT Hollywood star and former WWE superstar Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock celebrated his 45th birthday on 2 May. While wishes came in from every quarter, his Baywatch co-star, India's very own Priyanka Chopra wished him on Instagram with an adorable picture and a heartwarming caption. Sushant Singh Rajput enjoys fanboy moment with Aamir Khan And when you meet the 'inspiration' in the process:)#perfectionist pic.twitter.com/EWQ7V8TOux SHIV Sushant Rajput (@itsSSR) May 2, 2017 Rajput, who has been undergoing intense physical training for his role of an astronaut in the upcoming space adventure film Chanda Mama Door Ke, bumped into Aamir in the gym. While Aamir will also be seen as an astronaut in Saare Jahan Se Achha, the biopic of Rakesh Sharma, he was seen in his Thugs of Hindostan look while posing with Rajput for a fanboy click. Karan Mehra and Nisha Rawal host a baby shower Sometimes the littlest things take up the most room in your heart. Thank you Junior KarNish for already bringing so much into our lives. pic.twitter.com/04BsmPXHnv Karan Mehra (@_KaranMehra) May 2, 2017 The two television actors are gearing up to welcome the newest member of their small family. Mehra referred to the new member as 'KarNish', an amalgamation of Nisha and his names. He posted adorable pictures of Nisha hosting a baby bump and the couple celebrating the occasion with close friends. By Ben Blanchard | BEIJING BEIJING China on Wednesday urged all parties in the Korean standoff to stay calm and "stop irritating each other," a day after North Korea said the United States was pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war.North Korea's state media published a rare, strong, criticism of China on Wednesday, saying Chinese state media commentaries calling for tougher sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear program were undermining relations with Beijing and worsening tensions. {nL8N1I55TR]The United States has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein in its neighbour's nuclear and missile programs, which have prompted an assertive response from the Trump administration, warning that an "era of strategic patience" is over.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday Washington was working on more sanctions targeting North Korea if Pyongyang takes steps that merit a new response.Tillerson said last week that China had said it had warned Pyongyang it would impose sanctions of its own if North Korea carried out another nuclear test.The United States has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters and a pair of strategic U.S. bombers flew training drills with South Korean and Japan in another show of strength this week.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called the situation "highly complex" and sensitive."The urgent task is to lower temperatures and resume talks," he told reporters."We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible." The bomber flights coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump raising eyebrows when he said he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the right circumstances, and as his CIA director landed in South Korea for talks. North Korea said the bombers conducted "a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects" in its territory at a time when Trump and "other U.S. warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike.""The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war," North Korea's official KCNA news agency said.A commentary on KCNA on Wednesday took aim at China and state media articles it said had attempted to shift the blame to Pyongyang for "deteriorated relations" between China and North Korea and U.S. deployment of strategic assets.It also accused China of "hyping up" damage caused by North Korean nuclear tests to China's three northeastern provinces and said the nuclear program was needed for the "existence and development" of the country and "can never be changed nor shaken."Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks, driven by concern that North Korea might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. CHINA OPPOSES THAAD U.S. officials told Reuters the U.S. military's THAAD anti-missile defence system had reached initial operational capacity in South Korea, although it would not be fully operational for some months.China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the system, whose powerful radar it says can reach inside Chinese territory, even as Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his efforts to rein in North Korea.Trump has stepped up outreach to other Asian countries to secure their cooperation to pressure North Korea. Last weekend, he spoke with the leaders of Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.He drew criticism in Washington on Monday when he said he would be "honored" to meet North Korea's young leader. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it," Trump told Bloomberg News.Trump did not say what conditions would be needed for such a meeting or when it could happen, but White House spokesman Sean Spicer said "clearly conditions are not there right now."Washington has said any future talks on North Korea must based on its willingness to abandon its nuclear weapons program.Trump warned in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that a "major, major conflict" with North Korea was possible, while China said last week the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate or slip out of control.In a telephone call with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, Xi urged all sides to exercise restraint and return to talks as soon as possible, Chinese state radio reported.North Korea on Saturday conducted its fourth successive failed missile launch since March. It has conducted two nuclear tests and dozens of missile tests since the beginning of 2016.The U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Joseph R. Donovan, told reporters Indonesia was among several countries that the United States was urging to take a "fresh look" at their North Korea ties."We are hoping that countries will look at what they can be doing to bring North Korea around to meaningful steps to end its nuclear and missile programmes," he said.Trump also spoke on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed "how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea", the White House said. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, June Torbati and Steve Holland in WASHINGTON and Tom Allard in JAKARTA; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Robert Birsel and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Dasha Afanasieva and Michelle Price | LONDON/HONG KONG LONDON/HONG KONG The London Stock Exchange is working on a new type of listing structure that would make it more attractive for oil giant Saudi Aramco to join the bourse, sources familiar with the discussions said. Exchanges around the world are vying for a piece of Saudi Aramco's initial public offering (IPO), expected to be the largest in history. The company is expected to list on the Riyadh exchange, the Tadawul, and at least one major international stock market.The LSE is seen as one of the front-runners to win part of the IPO and has been pushing hard to land it. LSE chief executive Xavier Rolet travelled with British Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this month to Saudi Arabia, with the pair meeting the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, which is expected to be a major decision-maker in the listing process.But none of the exchange's current listing structures are likely to appeal to Aramco. It is working on a new model that would allow it to avoid the most onerous corporate governance requirements of a primary listing, without being seen as second class. Such an approach could leave the British stock market open to criticism that it is changing the rules in order to attract large state-backed companies which are reluctant to meet more stringent corporate governance requirements. Currently most companies on the LSE have a "premium listing", which is required if they are to be included in the FTSE index. That requires firms to list at least 25 percent of their shares in a free float, unless regulator Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) makes an exception, and be subject to corporate governance rules which include giving minority shareholders extra voting power on issues such as independent directors. But Saudi Aramco, which estimates its total value to be around $2 trillion, has so far indicated it wants to list no more than 5 percent of its shares, leaving private investors with little chance to influence the company. RETAINING CONTROL The existing alternative is for Aramco to opt for a "standard listing" which has less onerous corporate governance requirements, especially in relation to the issue of controlling shareholders. Standard listings are however generally seen as less attractive to investors and have connotations of being second best. Advisers often tell companies not to pursue this option. "By listing as premium or standard, big pension funds and asset managers know where they sit in terms of governance," said Russell Holden, corporate partner at international law firm Taylor Wessing. Instead, sources said the LSE and the UK Listing Authority, which is part of the Financial Conduct Authority, are discussing a new category of listings for large international companies which may fail to meet the premium listing standards but is more prestigious and more appealing to investors than the "standard" category. In a recent discussion paper, the FCA said a proposed international segment "may be attractive to companies where there is a founding family or government that wishes to retain control rights that are incompatible with a conventional premium listing". While the paper discussed general listing rules, sources familiar with negotiations said the new segment was being devised specifically with Aramco in mind. They said both the LSE and government were putting pressure on the FCA to help them come up with a workable structure of this kind in order to clinch the deal. An FCA spokesman declined to comment on an individual company's listing arrangements but said it aimed to ensure markets functioned well:"Our recent work considers some important questions about the primary markets, and some potential enhancements, and are part of the FCAs wider work on UK primary markets as set out in our 2016/17 Business Plan," the spokesman said in response to questions about the creation of a new segment.The LSE declined to comment. Saudi Aramco said it did not comment on rumour or speculation. "BESPOKE TREATMENT" The creation of a new listing segment comes just four years after the UK Listing Authority (UKLA), which is part of the FCA, announced new rules designed to prevent controlling shareholders from exercising undue influence over a company's board.In the 2000s, as the LSE sought to attract new money from overseas companies, the UKLA waived the usual governance requirements for five new overseas companies, allowing them to list less than 25 percent of their shares as it sought to attract money from overseas. Those rules were tightened in 2013 after scandals at two high-profile emerging market companies - ENRC and Bumi, both controlled by foreign tycoons - left investors nursing heavy losses.The FCA made several changes then to protect minority investors, including introducing a requirement for companies in which one shareholder owns more than 30 percent to have a "relationship agreement" in place to ensure they can operate independently from that shareholder. But there has never been a listing close to the size Aramco is proposing, and a person familiar with May and Rolet's visit said some of the current rules may not be appropriate for Aramco.The source characterised the approach to accommodating Aramco as bespoke treatment.In a note, law firm Davis Polk questioned whether the new listing segment was targeted at only those companies with the type of features that caused the past scandals, investor outcry and tightening of the premium listing regime.Even if it lists with the proposed new structure, there are still doubts over whether Aramco would be eligible to join the UK's FTSE stock indices. The FTSE 100 is the most traded index of British firms in the world and inclusion would give Saudi Aramco access to passive index tracker funds as well as exposing it to more active stock pickers. Two of the sources said benchmark inclusion was unlikely for Saudi Aramco, with one saying clients of the FTSE would complain: its huge market capital would mean it dominated the index. JP Morgan, not yet formally mandated but said by bankers to be leading negotiations on index inclusion, declined to comment.One of the sources noted that the London Stock Exchange pitch talked about a "flexibility of the listing structure". "FTSE will strongly defend the integrity of the benchmark," the source said. (Additional reporting by Reem Shamseddine and Katie Paul in Riyadh; editing by Andrew Roche) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The results of the MCD polls made the fault lines in the Aam Admi Party visible. But this does not ensure Bharatiya Janata Party a political success in the capital city as it has to tackle a number of burning issues related to the lives of the Delhites. The BJP won the third consecutive term in the MCD polls despite an expected and strong wave of anti-incumbency against it. The win, however, was not because of its credential in successfully solving local issues, but because of a national mood in the partys favour set by a historic victory in Uttar Pradesh. The party acquired the aura of being an invincible force after the results in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. One of the main reasons for the BJPs victory in the MCD polls was its ability to pass the buck to the AAP-led Delhi government in almost all pressing issues. But after its landslide victory, the party has four major burning problems to address before it arrives at its next goal: to attain power in the Delhi government. The issues are as follows: I. Health and sanitation The recent order of Anil Baijal, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to state hospitals to prepare themselves to fight the menace of vector-borne diseases like dengue should be seen as a gentle reminder to the BJP that it is time to set the euphoria of victory aside and get back to work. Last year the capital city saw a major outbreak of vector-borne diseases where more than 3,000 people were affected and more than 30 died. The BJP cannot shake-off responsibilities in case of recurrence of such outbreak as cleaning clogged drains, fogging out mosquitos and destroying mosquito larvae are sole responsibilities of the MCDs led by the party. The major challenge in front of the party in preventing vector-borne diseases comes from the MCDs themselves, as the sanitation workers often call for a strike in case of non-payment of salary and other dues. The BJP-led MCDs earlier attributed such financial crises to AAP-led governments non-payment of dues. But this time around the BJP is unlikely to have this option as the party has assured the people of financial aid from the centre in such cases of non-payments by the state government. With the financial crisis in the MCDs far from being solved, the BJP is likely to have a tough time ahead in balancing public interest and that of the MCDs. Satya Sharma, the outgoing mayor of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation told Firstpost: "We have to pay Rs 125 crores as monthly salaries to our 28,000 employees. But we receive property tax of Rs 120 crore a year." The property tax alone constitutes 45% of the MCDs revenue. The party has a daunting task of searching ways to increase source of revenue. II. Education In addition to a paucity of funds, the MCDs have the legal mandate to fill vacancies in teachers post. The NGO Social Jurist that has been continuing a legal battle to fill up these vacancies mentions in its affidavit to the Delhi High Court that 9,65,000 students study in 719 schools run by the three MCDs. Ashok Agarwal, the advocate for the NGO told Firstpost that there are nearly 6,000 posts vacant in all the three MCDs. The MCD schools have fared badly in terms of providing education. Last year, the education department of Delhi government came up with the statistics that 74 percent students taking admission in high schools run by the Delhi government cannot read. Most of these students were pass outs of primary schools run by the MCDs. The deplorable condition of the MCD schools was in news just before the civic body polls. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had alleged that the condition in MCD schools are deteriorating and 50,000 students have left schools from the period starting from the year 2013 to 2016. BJP has the mandate to cater to the demands of more than nine lakh students when the MCDs themselves are in deep financial crisis. III. Housing Despite the fact that both Aam Admi Party and BJP have put up a pro-poor face, the issue of housing to the slum dwellers in the capital city is dealt with least importance by both the parties. As AAPs victory in 2015 Delhi Assembly polls was attributed to the support from the 49 percent of Delhis population who live in the slums, its defeat in recent MCD polls is attributed to their withdrawal of it. Though the AAP-led Delhi government has been putting up a pro-poor face, in reality, it has curtailed Rs 469 crore from housing schemes under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission in its two and half year long tenure, despite having a budget surplus. The pace of project implementation in Delhi has also been seen in poor light, as nine out of 16 housing projects under JNNURM remain incomplete even beyond their respective stipulated period. Out of the target of building 55,424 homes for the poor under this scheme, only 31,424 could be completed putting the success rate at as low as 57 percent, although stipulated period to complete all the projects was over by 31 March 2017. The present AAP governments performance is dismal in implementing the project as only 288 of the 31,424 completed flats have been occupied by beneficiaries till now and only one project is completed in three years. The AAP-led dispensation has failed to accommodate beneficiaries even in the flats that were completed before 2013. Strangely enough, the BJP too failed in taking up this issue of gross failure on the part of the AAP-led Delhi Government. The capital city that accommodates 695 slums and jhuggi-jhopri clusters and 1,797 unauthorised colonies require urgent relocation or standard housing facility so as to meet the challenge thrown by vector-borne diseases from time to time. As per the Delhi Economic Survey, 22 percent of the slums do not have a toilet and only 30 percent of them use septic tanks. IV. Public Grievances The three BJP-led MCDs fared the worst in public grievance redressal in the previous two terms. In the last two-and-half years, 45,000 public grievances have remained unresolved in the MCDs. Firstpost obtained data related to public grievance management of 24 government departments and agencies, where the MCDs top the list in terms of pending cases. As per the records maintained in the system, the total number of complaints concerning the MCDs in the last two-and-half years was 50,983, out of which 5,588 number of cases were resolved satisfactorily, leaving more than 45,000 cases pending. Deepak Dua, a Delhiite, lodged a complaint about a problem of stagnation of water in Vijay Vihar Phase 2 in the year 2015 in North Delhi Municipal Corporations website. Since his complaint fell on a deaf ear, he uploaded it on a portal. But it remained the same even after that. To ensure good governance and its future success in Delhi the BJP MCDs have to deal with these issues at the earliest. New Delhi: With a spurt in cases of violence against medicos, the resident doctors of AIIMS will undergo training in taekwondo, a form of martial art, so that they can defend themselves if attacked on duty. Around 1,500 resident doctors, in batches of 100, will be trained at the Gymkhana Club between 7 and 8 pm everyday for six months from 15 May. There have been a number of attacks on doctors in the emergency and out-patient departments by the relatives of patients. The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of AIIMS had requested the hospital administration to organise self-defence classes following which the decision was taken, AIIMS RDA president Vijay Gurjar said. More than 3,000 resident doctors in Maharashtra had gone on strike for five days in March after more than two incidents of attacks on doctors were reported. The AIIMS RDA had extended support to their Maharashtra counterparts by wearing helmets at work while the resident doctors in Delhi government hospitals had observed one-day mass casual leave. "There have been several instances in the past when the attendants of patients attacked doctors and hospital staff. "We understand their pain in that moment of crisis when their loved ones are suffering. But they cannot take law in their hands as we also try our level best to treat them," Gurjar said. Jaipur: A 17-year-old youth has been detained by the Alwar Police in connection with the Pehlu Khan lynching case. The accused, who is a school student, was identified on the basis of a video in which a mob is seen assaulting Khan and others, Investigating Officer Parmal Gurjar said on Wednesday. The youth was sent to a juvenile home, the officer said. Several accused have already been arrested in the case. Efforts are on to identify and arrest the other accused visible in the videos shot during the attack, the officer said. Khan, who hailed from Haryana, was attacked by cow vigilantes in Behror when he along with others was allegedly transporting cows illegally from Jaipur to Haryana. Khan died during treatment at a hospital. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any order to direct DGPs of states to appoint a police officer in each district to enforce the ban on cow vigilante groups, saying it will first seek the response from Centre and the state governments. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said at this juncture, it cannot pass any order directing the DGPs of states to appoint police officers to enforce ban on such groups without knowing the stands taken by the Centre and the state governments. The bench also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and MM Shantanagoudar said the Centre and five states, which have not filed their replies so far, should file it in six weeks. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde informed the court that only Karnataka had filed a reply so far with regard to the plea, while the Centre and the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have not filed them yet. He said that by the time the state governments file their replies, the police chiefs of the states should be directed to appoint a police officer to ensure the ban on these groups as there were increasing incidents of violence. "No, we cannot pass orders like this. We have to first see what is the response of Centre and state governments. Let the reply come," the bench said. The bench posted the matter for further hearing after summer vacation while allowing an NGO Vishwa Gau Raksha Vahini to be impleaded as party. The NGO has sought dismissal of the petition as non-maintainable. The apex court had on 7 April sought the response of six states on the plea within three weeks. On 21 October last year, the top court had agreed to examine the plea which sought action against cow vigilantes who were allegedly indulging in violence and committing atrocities against Dalits and minorities. Activist Tehseen S Poonawalla, in his plea, said violence committed by these 'Gau Raksha' groups have reached such proportions that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared them as people who were "destroying the society". The plea also alleged that these groups were committing atrocities against Dalits and minorities in the name of protecting cows and other bovines and they needed to be "regulated and banned in the interest of social harmony, public morality and law and order in the country". "The menace caused by the so-called cow protection groups is spreading fast to every nook and corner of the country and is creating disharmony among various communities and castes," the petition said. The plea sought to declare as "unconstitutional" section 12 of the Gujarat Animal Prevention Act, 1954, Section 13 of Maharashtra Animal Prevention Act, 1976, and Section 15 of Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964, which provide for protection of persons acting in good faith under the Act or rules. Seeking action against the vigilantes, the petition said the atrocities committed by them were punishable under various provisions of IPC and under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of atrocities) Act, 1989. In a sensational development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested six people including BB Rajendra Prasad, the incumbent Commissioner of Income tax (Appeals), Mumbai, on charges of receiving bribes from a corporate house, The Indian Express reported. According to an ANI report, Rs 1.5 crores was seized by the CBI during the raid against the six accused. The case came into light when the CBI caught the accused accepting a bribe of Rs 19 lakh, DNA reported. The investigating agency also raided Essar's Mumbai office and seized some documents, an action which took place based on an FIR filed in Vishakapatnam, Moneycontrol reported. #FLASH: CBI arrests Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) BB Rajendra Prasad, along with five others. More than 1.5 crore seized pic.twitter.com/hi7XFL8bHP ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Prasad and the five others will be produced in a Vishakapatnam court on Wednesday, DNA added. "We will be seeking their transit remand and will produce them before a court in Vishakhapatnam," a CBI official was quoted by report as saying. Jayalalithaa aide and former AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala has filed a review petition in Supreme Court against her conviction in a DA case on Wednesday, media reports said. #Sasikala has filed a review petition in Supreme Court against her conviction in a DA case. pic.twitter.com/DMQakaKzNP ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 According to News18, Sasikala was convicted by the Supreme Court and sentenced to four years in jail in a 20-year-old disproportionate assets case, dashing her plans to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The conviction effectively debarred her from contesting elections for 10 years six years after having served a jail term for four years. The Supreme Court bench of Justice Amitava Roy and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose had delivered separate concurring verdicts in February but had abated proceedings against late CM Jayalalithaa since she is no more. The SC in effect had upheld in total a trial court verdict that convicted all the accused, which, however, was overturned by the Karnataka High Court later. "Nevertheless, we reiterate that having regard to the facts, the charge framed against them by the trial court is restored," the bench had said. On 7 June last year, the apex court had reserved its verdict in the case after hearing detailed arguments from all the parties including the Karnataka government. On 27 July 2015, the apex court had issued notices on Karnataka government's appeal seeking a stay of the high court judgement to Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and her relatives. The Karnataka HC had on 11 May 2015 ruled that Jayalalithaa's conviction by special court suffered from infirmity and was not sustainable in law, clearing decks for her return as Tamil Nadu chief minister. The special court had in 2014 held Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore. Jayalalithaa and three others were accused of allegedly amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during her first term as chief minister from 1991 to 1996. Mumbai: Egyptian national Eman Ahmed, who was until recently believed to be the world's heaviest woman, will be discharged on Thursday from the Saifee Hospital here, where she underwent treatment for severe obesity. "Eman, who was brought here in February this year, weighed around 498 kgs on arrival. Her weight has reduced to 177 kgs," Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, bariatric surgeon who led the team of doctors treating Eman at the city hospital, said. "Huzefa Shehabi, COO Saifee Hospital, has received an e-mail communication from VPS Burjeel Hospital (in Abu Dhabi, UAE) saying that Eman is 'stable, in good health and fit to fly'. She would be discharged from Saifee on Thursday at 10.30 am," said Lakdawala. A doctors' team from Saifee will brief the team from VPS Burjeel about Eman's current medical status, he said. "We are extremely happy and pleased with her progress and wish her all the best," added Lakdawala. A team of doctors from VPS Burjeel, (a hospital initially introduced to Eman's family by Dr Lakdawala), had visited the patient here on 26 April. Eman, 36, who was accompanied by her sister Shaimaa Salem, would be shifted to VPS Burjeel Hospital for further treatment. The development came last week amid allegations by Shaimaa that Eman was not receiving proper treatment at the privately-owned Saifee hospital in South Mumbai. According to Saifee authorities, the total cost incurred on Eman's treatment was around Rs 3 crore, of which the hospital received Rs 65 lakh in the form of donations from Indians. "We have not asked for a single penny from Eman's family. We are happy that we did bring her weight down," Lakdawala said. Eman's sister, in an online video had recently alleged that the doctors at Saifee, made "false claims" about Eman's complete recovery and weight loss of 262 kg. Refuting the allegations, Dr Aparna Bhaskar, section chief of bariatric surgery at Saifee Hospital, had said that Shaimaa may be criticising the doctors to extend her sister's stay at the hospital. Dr Lakdawala too had denied the charge. Saifee authorities had on 27 April filed a written complaint against Shaimaa at VP Road police station for obstructing the medical treatment of Eman. The hospital had alleged that Shaimaa tried to put water in Eman's mouth, despite being told that she must be fed by tube only. Eman underwent bariatric surgery in March in which doctors reduced her stomach size by two-third, so as to reduce her food intake. Her genetic tests had Her genetic tests had shown that she has a rare gene mutation that cannot be cured through surgery. Eman has been treated by Dr Lakdawala and a team of around 15 doctors from various disciplines since she was brought here from Alexandria on 11 February this year. We are ALL a product or possibly by product of our upbringing, our experiences, our work, our social circles and our communities. We are emotional. We are subjective. Some of us live in very small worlds. Some of us are not educated. Some of us are followers and some are just NOT interested in politics, religion, history or civics. Some of us believe what we are told--as children, as college students and as adults. Some believe what our parents believe--what our pastors believe---what our civic leaders tell us.....and we NEVER bother to question.I think many DTT posters are interested in history, law, politics and current events. We may not agree and may stand on different sides, but we try to fact check and source our data. We try to read or listen to different opinions and make sense of them OR at least present a decent debate point. Unfortunately the backfire effect (a name for the finding that, given evidence against their beliefs) people reject the evidence and believe it even more strongly is deeply entrenched in some of our posters.I learn something new every day on this site and it probably comes as no surprise that I'm a big advocate of life-long learning. AND...btw, were Georgie Washington's teeth wood?? Ms. Google says his teeth were made of everything BUT wood--yes, some human teeth: The Trouble with Teeth George Washington's Mount Vernon New Delhi: Concerned with cases of student suicide at IITs, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has decided to revamp its curriculum in a way that helps them tackle study pressure effectively and keep suicidal tendency at bay. The move comes against the backdrop of HRD ministry asking all IITs to take new initiatives, in addition to the existing measures, to stem the trend of student suicides. The revised curriculum, which is likely to be implemented from next year, will have reduced focus on theory and students will be offered more hands-on experience. The departments at IIT have been asked to draft a revised curriculum which will then be approved by the Governing Body, which also approved the required changes in the credit system. "There is a constant efforts at the IITs to help students cope with stress but there are always one or two cases. All IITs are undertaking initiatives but nothing seems to be enough," IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal Rao told PTI. He said the IIT Delhi in an internal survey found that there is a mismatch between the students' and the institution's expectations. "By the time students come to IIT, they are tired of endless studying and they want to enjoy a bit. We, unfortunately, do not offer any scope for that," Rao said. He also said it is important to guide students at fresher-level only, because, he said, if they start developing "coldfeet" and have "backlogs", it becomes difficult for them to survive for another three years. "Hence a major rehaul was necessary to reduce the theory component and introduce more hands-on training so they can simply go to the lab and try applying what they have learnt so far," he said. The IIT Council, the apex coordination body for 23 IITs, had last week decided at a meeting chaired by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar that all IITs will have wellness centres to help students deal with mental stress and also non-academic induction programmes for freshers. The issue drew attention after the recent suicide by an IIT Kharagpur student, the third such case at the institute in this year. There is no consolidated data available about the number of student suicides across IITs. However, it has been a matter of concern for previous governments as well. In 2011, under the then HRD minister Kapil Sibal, the IIT Council had decided to set up a task force to address students' mental health needs. United Nations: Secretary General Antonio Guterres is "paying attention" to the tensions between India and Pakistan at the border but the UN has not received any reports of alleged recent ceasefire violations, his spokesperson said. "The Secretary General is paying attention to this issue," UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the daily briefing on Wednesday when asked about the escalating tensions between two nuclear armed South Asian neighbours. "We checked with our colleagues at UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan). We have not received any alleged ceasefire violations reports from the Indian authorities related to the latest incident that we saw yesterday," he said. Dujarric said the UN continues to reiterate the need for the "parties to find a peaceful solution through engagement and dialogue". He also rejected claims that UNMOGIP is partial as it only speaks about developments on the Pakistani side as India does not allow it to operate on its side. "UNMOGIP is impartial," Dujarric said. "We are fully aware of operational environment in which UNMOGIP is forced to work." Tensions have escalated between the two nations after two Indian jawans were killed and mutilated in Kashmir in unprovoked firing by Pakistan this morning. The Indian army has warned of "appropriate response" for the "despicable act." Defence minister Arun Jaitley said in Delhi that the "sacrifice (of the two killed) will not go in vain" and the Indian armed forces will react "appropriately" to the "inhuman act" of the Pakistani troops. "This is a reprehensible and an inhuman act. Such attacks do not take place during war, he said. The Indian army issued a statement saying that the bodies of an army soldier and a BSF head constable were mutilated. The soldiers killed were Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of the 22 Sikh Infantry and head constable Prem Sagar of the 200th Battalion of BSF. BSF constable Rajinder Singh was injured but is out of danger. As Indias problems in the Kashmir Valley continue to get messier and further complicated, it seems as though the world cant get enough of the K-word. Now on the heels of the offers by the US and Turkey to be part of some sort of mediation or third party-initiated dialogue between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, a recent report in the Chinese Communist Partys English language mouthpiece Global Times has argued for Chinese mediation in the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan. The report had the following to say: China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, but that doesnt mean Beijing can turn a deaf ear to the demands of Chinese enterprises in protecting their overseas investments. Given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt, One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan. By playing the role of a mediator between Myanmar and Bangladesh, China can gather experience, which could perhaps serve as a prelude to future efforts by China to engage in regional affairs in South Asia and Southeast Asia. On the face of it the argument about China playing the role of a responsible status-quoist power in its neighbourhood seems appealing. After all, given the Chinese influence cultural, political and economic in some of the smaller Southeast Asian countries, the idea at least seems plausible as has been argued in the report, between Myanmar and Bangladesh. Unfortunately, when it comes to South Asia, this idea seems a bit of non-starter and unfair, especially when that mediating role is expected to benefit one of the parties in the conflict. And that is precisely the case when one looks at India-Pakistan and Kashmir issue. At the risk of repetition, it needs to be asserted that just like Pakistan, China also illegally occupies a part of Jammu and Kashmir 37,240 square kilometres of Aksai Chin in Ladakh. China may consider this territory that it received from Pakistan through a bilateral agreement in 1963, as a done deal. However, from Indias point of view this illegal occupation of Aksai Chin is very much part of the Kashmir problem. Therefore, it is a bit rich on Beijings part to offer mediation to resolve the Kashmir issue. Not to mention Chinas growing profile in other illegally-occupied Indian territories Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Chinas infrastructure projects in this area have been touted by Beijing as a showpiece of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, as part of the One Belt, One Road initiative. This growing presence economic and some say military too has been taking place even as India has repeatedly flagged its security concerns and opposed any sort of international presence in the region. If the growing investments in Pakistan are a factor through which the Chinese are hoping to get their mediation proposal some traction in India, then Beijing is grossly mistaken. If the third party mediation on Kashmir proposal from the US seems to be a bizarre idea for India, despite the growing strategic proximity between New Delhi and Washington, then clearly the Chinese offer will be seen even with more suspicion and scepticism in South Block and rightly so. Imagine a recalcitrant neighbour who has illegally occupied a part of your home, offering to resolve your dispute with your tenant! If that idea appears to be an odd one, then this is exactly what China is trying to propose in case of India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue. In fact, if the Chinese investments in Pakistan is what leading China to think of mediation, then India should use the same logic to argue that it is precisely for the sake of multi-billion dollar $62 billion at last count investment in Pakistan, that Beijing should prevail upon Islamabad and Rawalpindi to change their revisionist behaviour for good rather than trying to change the status-quo through promoting cross-border terrorism in India. In fact, the idea should be taken further to urge upon China to cease its cross border advances in the Ladakh sector, because they vitiate the regional security environment, which then adversely affects investments. China should restrict its efforts for mediation to some of the smaller countries in the region and take steps to address Indias concerns. How about showing willingness to stop blocking attempts to designate Maulana Masood Azhar of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) as a terrorist by the United Nations? The Chinese always cite ancient and medieval history, to justify their actions. So it would do no harm to them to look at this piece of recent history: JeM cadres used to frequently roam in the compounds of Islamabads Lal Masjid the same place that later became the scene of a bloody crackdown by the Pakistan Army on militant groups, after the Chinese were accused of running a prostitution racket in the area. Hope some better sense prevails in Beijing. India has rejected the proposal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding put forth by the UK which deals with immigration and organised crime, and includes the provision of deporting alleged illegal Indian immigrants, The Indian Express reported. According to the report, the UK was keen to sign the deal. However, Indian officials became the roadblock as they raised objections as previous cases of deportation from UK saw people from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, claiming themselves to be Indian, with the notion that they could be treated well. In December last year, they provided a draft of the agreement, but (Indian) security agencies pointed out that some of the clauses were against Indians settled in UK, "Without any proper documents, it is very difficult to establish their country of origin, the report quoted an official as saying. The home ministry may opt for a joint re-drafting of the bi-lateral MoU. According to the report, a delegation from the UK led by Patsy Wilkinson, second permanent secretary, British Home Office, who is also responsible for immigration policy, will meet Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi in New Delhi on Thursday. Wilkinson will be in India as part of the first India-UK home affairs dialogue on 4 May. India and the UK had in November 2016 agreed to start a strategic dialogue on home affairs issues covering areas like visas and organised crime even as they voiced concern over terrorism, which they saw as threat that was not a "limited security challenge" and whose arc spread "across nations and regions". With inputs from PTI A Karnataka MLC created a flutter on Tuesday evening, when he forwarded around 50 images of naked women to his contacts on social networking application WhatsApp. The BJP MLC from Belgavi, Mahantesh Kavatagimath, sent a PDF file to a WhatsApp group, the Belgavi Media Force, which also includes senior politicians, government officials and journalists. This PDF contained over 50 images of pornstars. According to a report in The Times of India, the attachment caused an instant furore among the group members, before administrator Mahaboob Makandar removed Kavatagimath from the group. Makandar said he has known Kavatagimath as a decent politician for a long time. "I don't know how the pictures were posted to the group. But I immediately removed him from the group," he said. Disseminating objectionable content on WhatsApp can be considered a criminal offence, and the law was recently amended to say that administrators can be penalised even if other members of the group indulge in this. But when Makandar was asked about his culpability in the crime, he said he couldn't be held responsible, as it was someone else's mistake. He also told The Times of India that a police complaint needs to be registered in order for action to be taken against him. And moreover, he pointed out, nobody's image was maligned. But while the media in the state went into overdrive with the news, Kavatagimath remained untraceable. A report on India Today said Kavatagimath switched off his phone and has remained unreachable after the message and the news went viral. He is said to have apologised to the Belagavi media, saying he had sent it by mistake. This is far from the first time Karnataka ministers have been caught in a controversy regarding sleazy content. In 2012, three ministers CC Patil, Lakshmana Savadi and Krishna Palemar were caught watching pornography in the Karnataka state Assembly while it was in session. More recently, state excise minister HY Meti was asked to step down last year after a video emerged showing him in a compromising position, seeking sexual favours from a woman inside a taluk panchayat office. New Delhi: The NHRC has told the UN Human Rights Council that the use of pellet guns during the turmoil in Kashmir Valley was "controversial", but human rights of security personnel are also involved as crowd pelted stones at them. The National Human Rights Commission said the turmoil in Kashmir was "augmented by trans-border terrorism and jihadi funding from the neighbouring country", in a veiled reference to Pakistan. "The turmoil in Kashmir is on the spotlight now... The use of plastic pellets by CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) is controversial. "The NHRC has taken up a case on the matter but withholds its comments now because human rights of both sides are involved, when young crowd pelt stones at police personnel," the rights panel says. India's human rights record will be examined by the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group on Thursday in a meeting in Geneva that will be webcast live. The NHRC report has been submitted to the UPR Working Group. The use of pellet guns by security personnel to control the crowd has been at the centre of a raging debate. The Commission also said there was a 17 percent rise in communal violence in 2015 as against 644 in 2014. The Communal Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill 2013, was yet to become law, it added. In its report to the UN body, the NHRC also referred to violence due to beef eating. "Sporadic instances of violence concerning eating of beef have been reported. The fringe wing of Hindutva brigade is alleged to be behind these incidents which are few and far between. "Though disquieting, it is too early to assess whether they could be a threat to secular and pluralistic structure of Indian society," NHRC said. The rights body also slammed the government for not ratifying the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT). The Commission says, "The legal system continues to be dysfunctional with slow disposal of cases and inordinate delay in giving finality to both criminal and civil litigation." On Centre's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', the NHRC said even though the government has taken initiatives , "a large number of habitations/households do not have access to safe drinking water sources." The trial in the case of the alleged custodial death of 27-year-old Khwaja Yunus began on Tuesday with the deposition of a key witness before a court in Mumbai. Two persons were killed and 31 injured when a powerful explosion occurred in a bus at suburban Ghatkopar on 2 December, 2002. Yunus, a software engineer working in a firm in Dubai, was picked from Parbhani in Maharashtra's Marathwada later in December 2002 in connection with the blast. Police had claimed that he escaped after the vehicle in which he was being taken to Aurangabad met with an accident at Jategoan in January 2003. But co-accused in the case, Dr Abdul Mateen, had claimed that Yunus died due to torture in custody. Later, a complaint was filed against Yunus in Parner police station. Yunus's father Sayyed Khwaja Ayub alleged that his son was killed in police custody and filed a habeas corpus petition in the Bombay High Court. The court handed over the case to state CID in March 2003. Those facing trial are former encounter specialist Sachin Vaze, Rajendra Tiwari, Rajaram Nikam and Sunil Desai. The high court also ordered CID to close the FIR filed by Vaze, which had said that Yunus had escaped, as CID found that the complaint was false. Later, CID filed a new FIR on the basis of statement given by Mateen who said that Yunus was tortured to death. After investigations, CID filed a charge sheet against the four accused, though it had pointed fingers at 14 police officers for the custodial death. On Tuesday, Mateen, who deposed before the Mumbai court as the trial in the case commenced said that he was arrested on December 2002 and was produced before the metropolitan magistrate court four days later on 27 December along with Yunus, The Indian Express reported. Mateen also told the court that he had been assaulted by officials of the Mumbai crime branch in Ghatkopar. Another report in Hindustan Times said that Mateen, in fact, said that that the police beat him up "like an animal" in lock-up. The report also said that the case has seen many adjournments over the past few months and the hearing was yet again adjourned for a month on the request of the defence. The defence lawyer had asked the court not to let the trial begin until the prosecution submitted a case diary maintained by the investigating officer. With inputs from PTI Strongly protesting the mutilation of two soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector , the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday reiterated that the barbaric act had been committed by Pakistan Army. Addressing the media, MEA spokeperson Gopal Baglay said that the Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit had been summoned by India's foreign secretary S Jaishankar to lodge a strong protest against the 1 May incident. Foreign Secretary summons Pak HC, conveys India's outrage, demands action against Pak soldiers and commanders responsible pic.twitter.com/lKaRzIlhKb Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) May 3, 2017 Bagalay told mediapersons that India had provided strong evidence pointing out Pakistan's hand in the mutilation. Responding to questions whether India has any actionable evidence against Pakistan, Bagley added that a blood trail was found leading to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir from Roza nallah. This, Baglay repeatedly said that pointed towards Pakistan's hand. He added that the infiltration by the Border Action Teams (BAT) unit of the Pakistan Army was aided by the cover fire from the Pakistani posts across the LoC. Consider it a strong act of provocation,was preceded by covering fire from Pak soldiers:Gopal Baglay,MEA on mutilation of Indian soldiers pic.twitter.com/z8xSLIdqY0 ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Baglay urged the Pakistan Army to take strong action against the commanders and jawans who were involved in the attack. Have demanded from Pakistan that whoever from their Army was behind this incident be punished: Gopal Baglay,MEA pic.twitter.com/wjRHqklXUr ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Reiterating India's stand against state-sponsored terrorism by Pakistan, Baglay added that the world community has supported India in its fight against terrorism. When asked whether India's policy towards terrorism has changed, the spokesperson denied it and added that it must be asked whether those who support terror have changed their ways. On 1 May, Pakistan mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers, who were killed in Poonch firing near the Line of Control (LoC) at Udhampur on Monday, said media reports. The soldiers killed were Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Infantry and Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of BSF. According to CNN-News 18, this time, Pakistan had launched a two-pronged attack, by shelling at the border post and and BAT's attack on the patrolling team. "The Pakistan Army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts on the LOC in Krishna Ghati sector. In an unsoldierly act by the Pakistan Army, the bodies of the two soldiers in the patrol were mutilated," the Northern Command had said in a statement. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: An "outraged" India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and demanded action against Pakistani soldiers and commanders responsible for the beheading of two of its security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Basit was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey India's "outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May one, 2017 by Pakistani army personnel", an external affairs ministry statement said. "The Foreign Secretary summons Pakistan High Court, conveys India's outrage, demands action against Pakistani soldiers and commanders responsible," tweeted foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay. Foreign Secretary summons Pak HC, conveys India's outrage, demands action against Pak soldiers and commanders responsible pic.twitter.com/lKaRzIlhKb Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) May 3, 2017 The Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen AK Bhatt had conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF head constable Prem Singh were allegedly slained by Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) by sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir on 1 May. According to reports, a Border Action Team (BAT), made up of Pakistani military and the terrorists it trains, was behind the heinous crime close to the Line of Control. "It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in the vicinity of village Battal). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control (LoC)," it said. The Indian Army had vowed an "appropriate" response to the "despicable act", which significantly took place a day after Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa visited some areas along the LoC and promised support to the Kashmiris. The Pakistan Army, however, has denied that it was involved in any attack. Defence minister Arun Jaitley said in Delhi that the "sacrifice (of the two killed) will not go in vain" and the Indian armed forces will react "appropriately" to the "inhuman act" of the Pakistani troops. "This is a reprehensible and an inhuman act. Such attacks do not take place during war," he said. "Bodies of soldiers being mutilated is an extreme form of barbaric act. The government of India strongly condemns this act. The whole country has full faith in our armed forces which will react appropriately to the act," Jaitley had said. According to a defence ministry spokesperson, despite the criticism from India, "Pakistani Army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts along the LoC in Krishna Ghati Sector (in Poonch district) on 1 May." "They attacked with rockets a forward BSF post (which lies) ahead of the fencing and opened heavy fire from automatic weapons. They violated the ceasefire," a BSF spokesman had told PTI. The Indian troops had retaliated and the firing continued for some time intermittently. In Islamabad, the Pakistani Army said it did not commit any ceasefire violation on LoC or a BAT action in the Krishna Ghati sector. Meanwhile, some official sources have said the Indian army patrol, whose two members were beheaded might just have walked into a death trap laid by the enemy. The incident in Krishna Ghati sector along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir occurred when a joint team of the Indian Army and the BSF had gone to check the veracity of an intelligence report that landmines had been planted by Pakistani troops on the Indian side. With inputs from Agencies Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Dehradun on Wednesday and offered prayers at the Kedarnath temple, one of the holiest Hindu shrines. Modi reached the Kedarnath minutes before it reopened its gates at around 8.50 am, after the six month-long winter break. The Prime Minister took part in an important ritual inside the sanctum sanctorum. He was then presented with a miniature replica of the shrine. Kedarnath is one of the four Himalayan shrines on the Char Dham circuit. Earlier, Modi was welcomed by Uttarakhand Governor Krishna Kant Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on his arrival here. A day before his visit to Uttarakhand, Modi on Tuesday tweeted: "Tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be visiting Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand. I will begin my visit by praying at the Kedarnath Temple." "I will be inaugurating the Patanjali Research Institute... (in) Haridwar tomorrow (Wednesday)...," he said in another tweet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence following the mutilation of two Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC) could well be part of his strategy of keeping his cards close to his chest. The prime minister has a habit of working behind the scenes and saying nothing. But sometimes, that enigmatic option becomes a luxury. Apart from a short and terse statement about India never bowing its head and promising an apt response there has been little pressure on Pakistan. Even if one gives him the benefit of doubt, a nation that is hurting does need its leaders to lead from the front. There is a boiling rage in the country, and Indians per se feel that where Pakistan is concerned they are all too often left holding the thin edge of the wedge. Pakistan gets away with murder literally. On this occasion, Modi has let Defence Minister Arun Jaitley run with the ball and that is fair enough. But is it enough? Ever since the Kulbhushan Jadhav death sentence, Pakistan has been placing burrs under the Indian saddle and trying to get a rise out of New Delhi. There is a school of thought which believes that Modi's refusal to speak out on these issues confuses the Pakistani trinity since they cannot second guess what he is thinking. So they have to contend with multiple scenarios regarding the possible repercussions. Perhaps they are right to an extent, but perceptions do have a role to play and the perception currently is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is weak on Pakistan. There is no concerted action in the aftermath, and worse, no visible consequences. Last episode was Sajjan Jindal meeting Nawaz Sharif, ostensibly carrying a message from Modi. That was five days before Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) acted sans provocation to kill the soldiers. If there was a message, we received a reply! Another couple of days will pass and the issue would have filtered into the back pages, and once again Pakistan would have gotten away with it. Not only that, but Islamabad has also created froth over the Indian "game of deception", and accused New Delhi of having cooked up this story. Its PR machine is going full throttle on throwing the ball into our court, and gradually gaining traction by shrilly demanding proof, claiming India is engaging in misadventures, saying nothing ever happened, etc. In contrast, while the media and the masses are pushing for retaliation, the government is still weighing options. In that lies its weakness. By now, 70 years down this rocky road, we should have a Plan A and a back-up Plan B for all contingencies. That is what intelligence services do, they preempt, not react. As for the nonsense about this grotesque incident not having occurred, who do you think was in the coffins? Closed coffins for obvious reasons. Paramjit Singh and Prem Sagar were bid farewell by their families and by a grateful and tearful nation, and even though there will be a freeze on relations this time, that does not seem to be enough. India has to be seen to be taking concrete action. There are occasions when subtlety is not the answer. This is one of those. Although one is loath to encourage warfare over stoning of soldiers under orders to restrain themselves, and these mutilations were clearly designed to lower the morale of Indian troops, a sharp and decisive military response is necessary. Our forces are being hamstrung. Pakistan truly believes India will never up the stakes and a little comeuppance might be necessary. Time to stop being the nice guys and definitely time to stop sipping at the straw of the 2016 "surgical strikes" as evidence of intent. Those strikes are history. The Centre, on Tuesday, informed the Supreme Court that over 12,000 farmer suicides have been reported since 2013, according to The Times of India. The report added that these are the numbers despite steps taken by the government to improve the social and economic conditions of the farmers. The court was hearing a plea filed by NGO Citizens Resource and Action and Initiative, seeking compensation to the families of the debt-ridden farmers who had committed suicide in Gujarat. The bench had earlier expanded the scope of the petition to the entire country. The bench consisted of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and Sanjay Kishan Kaul. " Today, we find it hard to intervene in the case. All the steps that need to be taken is squarely in the executive's domain, what should be the minimum support price for agricultural produce as well as crop insurance:" it said. The statistics submitted by the Centre revealed that the maximum number of suicides (4,291) were reported from Maharashtra followed by "Karnataka with 1,569, Telangana 1,400, Madhya Pradesh 1,290, Chhattisgarh954, Andhra Pradesh 916 and Tamil Nadu 606. Together, these seven states accounted for 87.5 percent of total suicides in the farming sector in the country 11,026 of 12,602," the report said. The Supreme Court had earlier asked the Centre about its policies to prevent farmer suicides in the country, saying that paying compensation to the victim's families is not the real solution. A bench had stated that the issue of farmers' suicide is of "extreme importance" and it is surprising that the government has not taken any action to address the causes behind these suicides, happening for so many decades. The bench said that it was sad and unfortunate that farmers were committing suicides on account of crop failure and inability to repay agricultural loans. "We feel that you (government) are going in a wrong direction. Farmers take loan from banks and when they are unable to repay, they commit suicide. The remedy to the problem is not to pay money to farmers after the suicide, but you should have schemes to prevent this," the bench had stated. On Tuesday, the NGO's counsel also argued that the central government's "PM Fasal Bima Yojana had not reached even 20 percent of small and marginal farmers" and the bench gave Centre four weeks time to file a response. With inputs from IANS Islamabad: The Pakistan military warned India against any "misadventure" after the Indian Army cautioned Islamabad that it would have to face the consequences of mutilating the bodies of two Indian soldiers. The Pakistan Army's remarks came during a hotline contact between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India on Tuesday morning to defuse the tension. "Any misadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing," according to a statement issued by the army. The statement also said that Pakistan remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquility along the LoC and expects the same from the other side. The Pakistan Army also asked India to provide "actionable evidence" to substantiate its charge claim that a Pakistani special forces team sneaked across the LoC, beheaded two Indian security personnel and mutilated their bodies. The incident evoked a sharp reaction from India with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley saying such attacks do not even take place during war and that the whole country has full faith in the armed forces. "Bodies of soldiers being mutilated is an extreme form of barbaric act. Government of India strongly condemns this act. The whole country has full faith in our armed forces which will react appropriately to the act," Jaitley had said. India's Vice Chief of Army Staff Sarath Chand said that Pakistan will have to face the consequences of mutilating the bodies of two Indian soldiers and the army will respond to the dastardly act at a time and place of its choice. Mathura: The family of soldiers killed in the line of duty in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday called for giving absolute powers to the Army in order to give a "befitting reply to Pakistan". "Give full powers to Army and place Kashmir under President's rule. If the Army is given full powers, it would teach a lesson to Pakistan," Ravita Devi, wife of Babloo Kumar, who was martyred in the valley last year, said in Mathura. "India should take revenge with hundred heads in place of two heads," Seema Chaudhary, widow of Shaheed Samod, who was also killed in Jammu, said. They were reacting to the beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces along LoC on Monday. Jai Singh, brother of Hemraj, who was beheaded in Jammu by Pakistani troopers in 2013, said, "Attack Pakistan and crush it." Kamlesh, who lost her husband Soren Singh in the Kargil war, said enough was enough and Pakistan should be taught a lesson. The attack by a Pakistani special forces team, which sneaked across the Line of Control (LoC) and beheaded two Indian security personnel and mutilated their bodies in Poonch, was reportedly authorised by Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to avenge Pakistan's losses on the LoC. According to The Indian Express, Bajwa authorised the attack after a visit to Pakistani military positions in Haji Pir on 30 April. Sources told the newspaper that local commanders had told Bajwa about the need for revenge after the killing of seven to 10 soldiers in an attack by Indian artillery on 17 April. "Lieutenant-General Nadeem Raza, who commands the Pakistan X Corps, responsible for Kashmir, pushed back against concerns that the retaliatory action could lead to escalation on the LoC," the report quoted sources as saying. The Pakistan military on Wednesday also warned India against any "misadventure" after the Indian army cautioned Islamabad that it will have to face the consequences of mutilating bodies of two Indian soldiers. The Pakistan Army's remarks came during a hotline contact between the Director-Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India this morning to defuse the tension. "Any misadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing," according to a statement issued by the army. The statement also said that Pakistan remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC and expects the same from the other side. The Pakistan Army also asked India to provide "actionable evidence" to substantiate its charge claim that a Pakistani special forces team snuck across the LoC, beheaded two Indian security personnel and mutilated their bodies. The incident evoked a sharp reaction from India with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley saying such attacks do not even take place during war and that the whole country has full faith in the armed forces. With inputs from PTI The first sex reassignment surgery in Kerala performed at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital in January this year had raised hopes among transgenders, but it has turned out to be a nightmare for the person who underwent the surgery. Sagar (formerly Subhadra) who went for the female to male surgery in the plastic surgery wing of the medical college hospital said that the procedure had endangered his health. He told Firstpost that he could regain his health only after long treatment in a private hospital in Mumbai. I had opted for the surgery at the government hospital due to the high cost in private hospitals. But the treatment I needed to rectify the complications caused by the free surgery cost me about Rs 10 lakhs. This is more than the cost of a complete surgery in a private hospital, said 42-year-old Sagar. He said that he had to sell his house and borrow money from many to meet the expenses involved in the procedure. Sagar, who has lodged a complaint with Health Minister KK Shailaja and State Human Rights Commission, said he also had to endure physical and mental hardships as the doctors had allegedly performed 13 surgeries on his body as against three surgeries normally required for sex change. He alleged that the doctors at the MCH had to perform additional surgeries because they had no training or previous experience in conducting sex reassignment surgeries. None of the members in the team led by head of the plastic surgery division K Ajayakumar had even been associated with such surgeries before, he said. They took my body for their experiment. The doctor I consulted in Mumbai told me that the surgery at the Thiruvananthapuram MCH was not done according to protocol. This in turn led to several complications. The strong antibiotics they gave me for the infection caused further serious health issues, Sagar added. Ajaykumar has refuted Sagars allegations. Sagar might have undergone some procedures conducted for refining his body parts as part of sex reassignment. He said that they had conducted only three surgeries and not 13 as alleged by Sagar. He told Firstpost that the surgery was performed according to international protocol by a panel of doctors having more than 20 years of working experience. Any expert in plastic surgery can perform sex reassignment surgery. The plastic surgery department in the medical college has been conducting classes on sex change surgeries for the past 50 years. We had the required expertise, but we could not do any surgery at MCH as there were no rules for conducting them. We were fully prepared to do the surgery when the laws came into force. We selected Subhadra for the surgery as she pestered us, Ajaykumar told Firstpost. He said Subhadra had approached MCH for the surgery 10 years ago. She had mounted pressure on the hospital by taking up the matter with higher authorities several times. The surgery was performed after she was given counselling by the psychiatry wing to adjust to male mentality for five years and hormone therapy for another five years. She was educated about every aspect of the procedure and its consequences. She fully understood it and gave her free consent. I feel her present complaint is the result of instigation from certain quarters. It could be even from within. Professional jealousy is everywhere, the doctor added. Sagar has strongly denied the allegation. He said there were no external hands behind his complaint. He said that he had lodged the complaint as the surgery had rendered him physically unfit. He said that the surgery had confined him to the bed. I had severe pain in my thighs, from which tissues were taken for reconstructing the genital. I had also problem in urinating. I felt this was due to the lapses in the surgery. The treatment in Mumbai has confirmed this. They completely replaced the penis made by the MCH team. I have the medical report to prove my charge, Sagar said. He said that he had lodged the complaint not to seek any financial compensation but to ensure that nobody else falls victim to such experiments in future. He said that he was pursuing the matter for the rest of the transgender community, who considered the facility in the medical college as a lifeline. Chilla Anil, executive director of Chilla, a non-governmental organisation of the transgenders, said that they had looked into Sagars complaint and found substance in his allegations. He alleged that the plastic surgery wing had undertaken the surgery without enough home work. Usually hospitals set up an ethics committee before launching a new procedure. In this case, no such committee was formed. The government could also send some doctors for training in a hospital were similar surgeries are performed before beginning the surgery in the MCH. If this was done, the surgery would not have failed, he added. He said the transgenders in the state had welcomed the initiative as it gave them a cheaper option to change their sex. In the absence of such facility, either in government or private sector in the state, they were forced to go to metros for the surgery. Majority of the transgenders who want sex change is poor, who cannot afford to go to Mumbai, Bengaluru or Chennai for the procedure, which takes minimum two years. Moreover, most of them also do not have the support of their families, he added. The transgenders have been demanding introduction of the facility in at least government medical colleges to help such people. Interestingly, the state government had last year announced introduction of the facility not only in medical colleges but also in district hospitals in the state. However, the present controversy has dashed the hopes of the transgenders, who were preparing for sex reassignment surgery at the MCH. A report in Scroll said a survey conducted among the transgenders in the state last year had found that nearly 81 percent of the estimated 25,000 transgenders wished to change their gender identity. The survey found that as many as 76 percent of the transgenders were reluctant to reveal their actual gender identity because of the fear that they wont be accepted if their gender identity were revealed. Majority of the transgenders who wish to change their identity reported lack of support for the surgery from any quarters. Anil has urged the government to review the procedure done at MCH and rectify the mistakes so that transgenders could make use of the facility without fear. New Delhi: CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday flayed the government for making Aadhaar cards mandatory for issuing PAN cards. "Goalposts constantly shifted on making Aadhaar mandatory. From passing it as a money bill to violating SC's orders, this is a dangerous game," Yechury said on Twitter. "Arguments put forth by the government to mandatorily impose Aadhaar and subvert every Indian's fundamental right to liberty are devious and irrelevant," the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader said. Yechury's remarks came in the wake of the government defending its decision to make Aadhaar mandatory, saying it was done to curb the use of fake PAN cards across the country. The apex court is hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Section 139 AA of the Income Tax Act, which provides for mandatory quoting of Aadhaar or enrolment ID of Aadhaar application form for filing of income tax returns and making an application for allotment of PAN number with effect from 1 July this year. There are currently two assumptions behind Pakistan army's decapitating of two Indian soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch on Monday. The act, a flagrant violation of all international norms and conventions, is considered extremely provocative and serves as an open invitation for retaliatory violence. Pakistan army has carried out such barbarisms in the past (1999, 2000, 2013, and twice in 2016). None of these instances have gone unanswered. The Pakistan army has slipped into habitual denial but unless the Indian soldiers at the LoC decapitated themselves, the denial is meaningless. Details of the act and overwhelming evidence point to Pakistan army's collusion and even active involvement. In a media statement, on Wednesday, shortly after Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit was summoned, India's Ministry of External Affairs said: "It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector. Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control." There is little doubt that Constable Prem Sagar and Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh, who had gone to verify some intelligence about landmines being planted on the Indian side of LoC, were ambushed by Pakistan's Border Action Team that had earlier sneaked in under heavy cover fire from rival army posts. This is clear. The pertinent question is, why is the Pakistan army risking an escalation of conflict with India at this time? One of the reasons, as discussed in my previous column, could be that Pakistan army felt threatened by Nawaz Sharif's hosting of Sajjan Jindal. The Indian businessman is reportedly close to both Narendra Modi and the Pakistan prime minister and the Sharif-Jindal meeting was widely interpreted in Pakistan as a back-channel device to cool the heat around Kulbhushan Jadhav. The Pindi khakis want nothing more than to retain their status as Pakistan state's sole power broker and one way of sabotaging Jindal was to re-escalate the conflict. Praveen Swami of The Indian Express writes of a second possibility. Quoting sources, he says the act could have been authorised by Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa who visited Pakistani military position on 30 April in Haji Pir as a retaliation for the deaths of seven to 10 Pakistani soliders in an 17 April Indian artillery assault. Which brings us to the central question. If the act of barbarism is a provocation and is sure to invite some sort of Indian reprisal, what gives Pakistan army the stomach for escalation against an army that is considerably more powerful? Failure of India's successive political establishments to tackle this question central to Pakistan's asymmetric warfare has resulted in the situation that we find ourselves in now. Pakistan is forever pushing the envelope of India's tolerance because it feels that the bar has been set higher each time. Its army, which in all purposes is synonymous to the state, is turning an ideological war into a tactical victory because India is inconceivably bound by a moral burden and has shown an unbelievable willingness to be blackmailed on this count. In dealing with an adversary that respects no rules, conventions or norms and is bound by no compunctions, moral or ethical, India has shown a marked failure in being agile. General Shankar Roy Choudhary, one of our most decorated war heroes, was roundly criticised when he proposed setting up of India's own fidayeen squads following the Uri attacks. This is the problem. As a nation we are so intoxicated by the prospect of taking the moral high ground that we lose connection with reality. And the reality is that Pakistan army is fixated on an enduring rivalry with India. Do we lack the capability to teach Pakistan a lesson? No. Our problem is not capability but intent. We want "peace" against a neighbour that was born out of a two-nation theory and has since suffered from a pathological hatred of 'Hindustan'. Its army, the self-appointed guardian of Pakistan's Islamic identity, has made the 'eternal civilisational clash' an existential and tactical necessity. This war is aimed not only at containing India's rise as a regional hegemon a project in which it gets Chinese help but also at distracting people's attention from deep structural inabilities that plague Pakistan. Finally, its revisionism on Kashmir, as Professor C Christine Fair's argues in her seminal work Fighting to the End, is indicative of its nature as a fundamentally 'greedy nation' driven by the need to increase its stature, religion or ideology. Therefore, efforts from India to normalise relationship through talks or 'strategic restraint' is meaningless. Discussions can carry on till the next millennium but that won't deter Pakistan from engaging India in the 'eternal war' through all tools at its disposal, be it guerrilla tactics, low-intensity conflicts, Islamist proxies or terrorism (Fair, 2014). When the motive behind enmity is existential and ideological, 'strategic patience' will be interpreted as weakness and any concessions (even if territorial) will, instead of satisfying Pakistan, may increase its greed and lead to even more regional instability. To quote from Fair's Fighting to the End, Oxford university Press, (Page 4), "Pakistan's revisionism persists in regards to its efforts not only to undermine the territorial status quo in Kashmir but also to undermine India's position in the region and beyond. Pakistan will suffer any number of defeats in its efforts to do so, but it will not acquiesce to India. This, for the Pakistan army, is genuine and total defeat." It follows that the only way ahead for India is to either raise cost of Pakistan's asymmetric war, or better still, carry out proactive, preemptive strikes while staying within the nuclear threshold. Pakistan's task has been made simpler by the fact that India, instead of testing Pakistan's army's limits in this regard, suffers from a paranoiac fear of nuclear conflict. This is a self-imposed fear because Pakistan army, for all its ideological idiosyncrasies, isn't stupid. The surgical strikes had provided ample proof to the extent that Pakistan army denied such a thing had happened to control the ladder of escalation. Put simply, Pakistan dares to provoke India time and time again because it is secure in the knowledge of India's reluctance to test the boundaries of Pakistan's nuclear rhetoric and limitations of political will. The key word here is political, not military. This self-imposed limitation has resulted in a psychological defeat for us. As Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan writes in Outlook, " India should not fall for such hyped up fears of nuclear escalation. Pakistan is a rational actor that understands the limitations of nuclear weapons the actual use of nuclear weapons is far difficult except under extreme circumstances. In addition, if Pakistan does use nuclear weapons, even tactical nuclear weapons against Indian forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Indian nuclear doctrine suggests its response will be massive. Therefore, it is a not an easy decision for Pakistan to contemplate the actual use of nuclear weapons but certainly the rhetoric of the use has worked for them." This self-imposed limitation has also proved quite costly for India. We suffer from an inability to teach Pakistan the kind of lesson it deserves and consequently, we encourage it to further instabilise the region. In an article in War on the Rocks, Fair writes, "Nuclear weapons raise the cost of any Indian punishment because they pose the risk that any conflict can escalate to nuclear use. Second, they coerce the international community to intervene after any Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in India to persuade India not to escalate. This essentially protects Pakistan from the consequences of its action. Third, they permit Pakistan to blackmail the international community to continue providing lucrative economic bailouts that allow the state to continue with these dangerous policies. The sooner India comes out of this self-defeating tactic, the better it is for us and South Asian region. The important question is, does our political establishment have the intent and stomach for a fight? Posturing post Poonch raises no such prospects. Congress and BJP have looked more interested in collecting brownie points by milking the tragic incident instead of arriving at a consensus on national security. At the end of day, as R Jagannathan has written in Swarajya magazine, "Pakistan Isnt The Problem, Its Us". New Delhi: Around 50 Pakistani students, visiting India at the invitation of an NGO, were sent back on Wednesday after the government advised it against hosting them at a time which was not "appropriate" in the aftermath of the beheading of two Indian soldiers. "An NGO had invited Pakistani school students here. They came to India on the same day when the barbaric and inhuman act of killing and mutilating our soldiers happened. "The ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges after we learnt that the children had crossed over to India on 1 May," Gopal Baglay, a spokesperson of the MEA, said. Routes2Roots, a Delhi-based NGO, had invited 50 students from Pakistan as part of their Student 'Exchange for Change' Program. The students from Pakistan were scheduled to go on a day-long trip to Agra today and participate in an exchange of experiences with Indian students tomorrow at the Pakistan Embassy here. Expressing regret over the return of the delegation, Routes2Roots said that the trip had to be shortened and the students and teachers have been sent back to Lahore. "Around 50 students aged between 11-15 years along with their teachers arrived in Delhi from Pakistan on 1 May and were supposed to meet their Indian pen friends and hosts of other programs which had to be cut short. "Keeping in view the security and sentiments of fellow Indians the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," Rakesh Gupta and Tina Vachani, founders of Routes2Roots, said in a statement. In October last year, a similar programme by the NGO was cancelled after the announcement of surgical strike by India along the LoC in September. "Even then as a precautionary measure we cancelled the exchange programme and now the same thing has recurred. If things go well, we will again bring the students, possibly within a month or two," Rakesh said. A group of six professionals from the Ukraine who work with people with disabilities is visiting Corvallis this week through the Sister Cities program. The group spent Tuesday touring Jefferson Elementary School, Linus Pauling Middle School and Corvallis and College Hill high schools to see how students with intellectual and developmental disabilities are incorporated into traditional classrooms. Members also toured specialized programs such as Life Skills classrooms, the Corvallis Community Transitions program, the WINGS program and even got to visit the chickens at the Urban Farm program at College Hill. Hanna Stynych, a music teacher at a boarding school for orphans and children with disabilities in Corvallis sister city Uzhhorod, said with the help of a translator that the idea of keeping special education students in traditional classrooms has come to the Ukraine, but its not something thats been implemented yet. We have the opportunity to see what it means in real life, and it really works, she said. She added she was impressed by seeing how special education teachers dont view their students as a burden, but instead center everything on their needs. Tetiana Mykhailova, who has a daughter with Down syndrome and works with a nongovernmental organization that advocates for parents of children with disabilities, said Ukrainian parents cant count on their children getting specialized services at local schools. So most children with disabilities end up in boarding schools, unless they have a parent who can stay home with them. She said she would like to bring something like the WINGS program, which helps students in special education programs transition into adulthood after they complete high school, to the Ukraine. We are very much impressed by the opportunities they have in schools and the quality of facilities and programs, she said. Mykhailova added that shed learned that none of this happened overnight, and that it was something people fought for over time. The key was securing the rights of people with disabilities in the law. The group also will visit local nonprofit agencies that work with people with disabilities and spend time in Salem meeting legislators and advocates for people with disabilities. Alice Rampton, a Corvallis resident who in 1999 co-founded a project that financially supports an Uzhhorod orphanage, is helping coordinate the group's visit. She said it was exciting to see the professionals, three of whom have children with disabilities themselves, learning things that they could bring back to the Ukraine. We are influencing thousands of children by what these women will bring back, she said. Rampton said over the years the TOUCH project (Take One Ukrainian Childs Hand), a sponsorship program for Ukrainian children, has raised about $1 million to support children and family programs in Uzhhorod. I talked about the money, she said, but mostly we bring hope. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that there should be "affirmative action" of the Tamil Nadu government to provide relief to the families of those farmers who committed suicide. The apex court made it clear that it is not treating the plea seeking relief for farmers in the state as adversarial but participatory and would not go into the figures of farmers who have committed suicide. "We will not go into the figures of suicide. What matters and the issue at hand is how and what relief is provided to the families of farmers who committed suicide," the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said. The bench also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and M M Shantanagoudar said, "We entertained this PIL to ensure that there should be affirmative action of state government to provide relief to the families of farmers, who committed suicide." The apex court asked the state government to specify the steps taken to create awareness on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on 26 crops so that farmers do not rely on middlemen who come at their doorsteps to sell their produce. It also asked the government to inform it about steps it intends to take to setting up mandis and opening of procurement centres on time in the acceptable radius to farmers. "As advised at present, we intend to focus on two aspects. One aspect pertains to availability of awareness pertaining to Minimum Support Price (MSP). "The second aspect pertains to establishment of mandis within an acceptable radius of the holdings and for opening of procurement centres on time," the bench said. Additional Solicitor General P S Narsimha, appearing for Tamil Nadu, said that steps are being taken to set up awareness camps. Measures have also been taken to have mandis which are easily accessible and procurement centres have been opened, he said. The bench also asked Narsimha whether there is any programme in Doordarshan to make aware the farmers about the MSP, the establishment of mandis and procurement centres. The ASG sought time till 5 May to make available all records with regard to queries of bench and said that the government is not taking it as an adversarial litigation but a litigation in which the state must play a participative role. Advocate Gopal Shankarnarayanan, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, gave certain short-term and long-term suggestions to deal with agrarian crisis being faced by the southern state. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on 8 May. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier told the court that a total of 30 farmers have committed suicide across the state in 2016-17 and it was taking appropriate measures to deal with the situation. An affidavit filed by the state government before the apex court said that the kin of 82 farmers, including the 30 farmers who have committed suicide, have been give Rs 3 lakh each as ex-gratia from Chief Minister's Relief Fund. It had said as per the reports compiled from information given by district collectors, 52 of the listed 82 farmers had died of various other reasons, but not committed suicide. The affidavit said Tamil Nadu has faced the most severe drought in over 100 years and was adopting a proactive approach towards farmers it extended crop loans to the tune of over Rs 4,000 crore to over seven lakh farmers in 2016-17. The apex court had earlier this month rapped the state government over farmers' suicides and said it cannot leave the poverty-struck agriculturalists at the mercy of their fate. It had also sought the government's response within two weeks on the plea filed by Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation (TNCPIL). It appointed advocate Gopal Shankar Narayan as the amicus curiae to assist it in the case. Noting that the state government was in a position of a "loco parentis (role of a parent) to the citizens", the bench had said when there were so many farmers' deaths in Tamil Nadu, "it becomes obligatory on the part of the state to express concern and sensitiveness to do the needful and not allow the impecunious and poverty stricken farmers to resign to their fate or leave the downtrodden and the poor to yield to the idea of fatalism. "As is manifest from the assertions and the grievances that have been agitated, deaths are due to famine backdrop and other natural causes and also due to an immense financial problem. The State, as the guardian, is required to see how to solve these problems or to meet the problems by taking curative measures treating it as a natural disaster. Silence is not the answer." The Uttar Pradesh ATS, on Wednesday, arrested a suspected ISI agent from Faizabad and nabbed another for interrogation. In a joint operation, conducted by the UP ATS, Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad on Wednesday evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Suspected ISI agent Aftab Ali arrested by UP ATS in Faizabad. pic.twitter.com/XkbQIfcAwW ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 3, 2017 Ali is believed to have received training from Pakistan's ISI and was in touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, the spokesperson said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. While Ali was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and was being questioned. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. Aftab was also allegedly keeping a close vigil on the movement of troops in the area, especially between Faizabad and Lucknow, besides deployment of battalions, an ATS release said. ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Misra said more information about the ISI network will be known through the mobile phone of the accused and more arrests are likely. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information on several army cantonment areas and defence establishments in the state. The ATS was continuously getting reports about military information being leaked to intelligence officials in the Pakistan High Commission and the ISI and the agency was working on it through electronic surveillance, ATS sources said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and had contact with an official in the Pakistan High Commission and had also met him in New Delhi, Arun said, adding that the name of the official was being verified. "He was in constant touch with Pakistan High Commission," the ATS statement said. A government spokesman said tonight that the team led by ASP Rajesh Sahni will be awarded. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. "The group, allegedly trained by Pakistan's ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra," UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places - including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura - and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. Taking cognisance of the intelligence warning that an ISI-trained group in the garb of Hindu seers might strike prominent religious sites in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered construction of boundary walls around the holy spots. The priest-turned-politician had also asked the officials concerned to ensure laying of 4-lane road connecting famous temples for the convenience of visitors. The UP ATS has already alerted all district police chiefs and railway superintendents of police about the threat. "We are coordinating with other agencies to thwart such attempts," Arun said. Central intelligence agencies have been sharing inputs with the UP Police since February about increased activity of terrorists in the state. According to the latest alert, the ISI is planning to launch attacks in the northern state under the code name 'Operation Krishna India'. "The agency (ISI) has reportedly trained the group for months to familiarise them with Hindu religious practices. Members of the module are planning to enter UP through the Nepal border in the guise of seers," the reports said. In February, Intelligence agencies in the state were tipped off about four dozen terrorists sneaking into UP through the porous border with Nepal. Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3-km open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj. "As per the Intelligence inputs, the group has also been trained by Pakistan's ISI in Hindu religious practices, and might try to blend with the local populace before carrying out deadly strikes at prominent religious sites and other sensitive spots," police said. The Intelligence agencies had picked up intercepts through electronic surveillance in which youths were heard discussing the deaths of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) men in Telangana as well as IS suspect Saifullah in Lucknow. A Khurasan module was busted after Saifullah's death last month. Recently, some self-radicalised youths were also arrested by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). In 2016, eight suspected members of SIMI had tried to evade the police by adorning saffron robes in Madhya Pradesh. The men were later killed in a police encounter. According to The Economic Times, last month, the state police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. The Uttar Pradesh police said the group, allegedly trained by the ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra. The report said security was upgraded at several religious places including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: A village in Uttar Pradesh, Madora, has banned women from using mobile phones in public in an attempt to restrict their contacts with men and plans hefty fines for violators, police said Wednesday. Village elders ruled that women found using a mobile phone outside their homes would be fined Rs 21,000 a sum it would take most rural Indians several months to earn. "We have received reports about the Khap ordering the ban on women using mobile phones," local police chief Arun Kumar Singh told AFP, referring to the informal village councils known as khap panchayats in India. "Such orders are against the constitution and we will take action." The council believes that mobile phones are helping unmarried women to elope and that a ban will limit their interaction with men. The council also imposed fines on people caught slaughtering cows illegal in most Indian states or smuggling liquor. "We do support their measures against illegal activities but won't allow them to curb the freedom of women," Singh said. Khap panchayats are mostly run by male village elders. Although illegal, they have considerable influence in rural north India. They are known for issuing diktats aimed at upholding the socially conservative traditions that have long held sway and resisting modernisation such as banning women from wearing jeans. But they have also been blamed for ordering serious crimes, including the so-called "honour killing" of couples who marry outside caste or religion. Critics accuse them of acting like kangaroo courts and handing down public beatings and other punishments for perceived crimes. Chandigarh: The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The police said that the search was still on. They are linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. An officer said there were at least six persons inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned. "It had a fake registration number plate. The car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu," the officer said. Security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district in July 2015. Both districts share an international border with Pakistan. Both districts are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's Pakistan policy is as ineffective as that of the Manmohan government but it appears worse because of the BJP's false bravado in and out of power. A day after the Indian Army revealed that Pakistan forces fired rockets and mortar bombs at two Indian posts along the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector in the Kashmir border and killed two of our soldiers and mutilated their bodies, the Congress has come up with some statistical information to lay claim that its regime was far better in handling the Pakistan affairs compared to the current BJP-led regime. A K Antony, the senior Congress leader and former defence minister, said on 2 May that during his eight-year stint as defence minister, only one incident of mutilation of a soldier's body by the Pakistani forces was reported, but in less than 36 months of the Modi government in power, three such incidents had already happened, the ghastly act of 1 May being the latest. To buttress the argument, the Congress has adduced some more data for comparison on the performance of the NDA ad the UPA government vis a vis Pakistan that in 35 months of the Modi government 1,343 ceasefire violations took place and 172 terror incidents were recorded, whereas during the previous 35 months of the Manmohan government only 470 ceasefire violations were reported and 85 terror incidents had occurred. The Congress slapped itself on the back claiming superior performance of its government, compared to that of the BJP government, in handling Pakistan. But the BJP has pooh-poohed the Congress claim as a bunch of lies and has argued that Modi has brought a degree of decisiveness in sternly handling the Pakistan affairs which was missing earlier. The party has presented its own set of data to argue that its government's performance on the Pakistani front has been far better than that of the predecessor government. This game of one-upmanship will continue as our major political parties will seek to eke out as much political mileage as possible out of the tragedy involving our soldiers. The BJP did it while it was in the Opposition. The Congress, now in opposition, is paying back in the same coin. But the BJP appears to be in a more vulnerable position as it had invariably displayed a macho image while it was in the Opposition and was running down the Congress government as insipid and impotent. When Lance Naik Hemraj of Indian Army was beheaded by Pakistani forces in 2013 to which Antony referred Sushma Swaraj, the then leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had challenged the government to take revenge by killing 10 Pakistani soldiers for every Indian soldier getting killed. Kapil Sibal, the Congress leader, rhetorically asked Sushma Swaraj, who is now the external affairs minister, on Monday as to why her government was not living up to her words get 10 Pakistani heads for every Indian head? The Congress also highlighted the much-publicised utterance of Smriti Irani, then a BJP activist but now a union minister, who had offered to send bangles to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his failure to stop Pakistani incursions into the Indian territory. Will she now send bangles to her own prime minister, the Congress asked. The hyperbole that the BJP leaders indulged in while they were in opposition has come back to haunt them when they have come to power. They now realise that chest-thumping does not square with astute diplomacy. In the aftermath of the Uri attack, the Indian army carried out a surgical strike at the terror camps in Pakistan in September last year. It was a successful operation. But the way the BJP government tom-tomed it and the BJP leaders went about the hype that the backbone of the terrorist outfit had been broken once and for all appeared amateurish. The surgical strike had the intended effect of temporarily demobilising the terrorist activity masterminded by the Pakistani forces, but to expect that it would act as a deterrent for Pakistan from continuing with the proxy war against India was like a daydream. Not even a fortnight passed before Pakistani agents resumed their anti-India operations. That clearly was a slap on the face of those BJP enthusiasts who had claimed that the Modi government's 'unprecedented' decision to launch the surgical strike was a permanent lesson for our neighbour. The fact is that surgical strike on 29 September, 2016 was not an 'unprecedented' decision. As the Congress claimed and which has been corroborated by the army records - the Indian armed forces had resorted to surgical strikes thrice in the last three years of the UPA regime, on 1 September, 2011, 28 July, 2013 and 14 January, 2014. But the Congress had decided to exercise strategic restraint on such occasions. As it said on record: "In its maturity, wisdom and in the interest of national security, the UPA government avoided making a loud claim for the effective response and action of Indian army, which had the full support of the political leadership." As a matter of fact, the Manmohan government carried forward the policy of strategic restraint vis-a-vis Pakistan enunciated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in the first years of this century. Vajpayee's celebrated visit to the iconic Minar-e-Pakistan and his invocation that a strong and prosperous Pakistan was in the larger interest of India helped him break new ground in India-Pakistan relations. Vajpayee remained firm in the policy of strategic restraint and did not allow any Pakistani incursions to deviate from this policy. To his credit, Narendra Modi began following the footsteps of Vajpayee; he invited Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his inaugural ceremony, he even made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan to wish Sharif personally on his birthday. But, unlike Vajpayee, Modi has refused to stick to the policy of strategic restraint. His government's aggressiveness, however, has not yielded commensurate results. The BJP claims that Pakistan has been isolated internationally because of the pro-active approach of the Modi government, but these claims are far from true. Facts speak for themselves. For the first time, Pakistan has been offered the command of the 41-nation Muslim Military Alliance propped up by Saudi Arabia and Raheel Sharif, Pakistani General, has taken charge last month. Again, for the first time in the history, Russia undertook a joint military exercise with Pakistan in September last year, Just after the Uri incident. And, more important, Pakistan today has wormed its way to be the biggest economic and military recipient of China's largesse. Clearly, our Pakistan policy, under the Modi government, has been a disaster. It was not much different during the Manmohan regime but the BJP's bravado in and out of power exposes the hollowness of its words as well as its actions. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath founded Hindu Yuva Vahini is on the wrong side of the law again for allegedly lynching a 45-year-old man in Bulandshahr. "The victim identified as Ghulam Mohammad was thrashed by some men after his relative eloped with a Hindu girl a few days ago," an India Today report said. The man reportedly met with a gruesome end for allegedly helping one of his relative to elope with a Hindu girl. Even as Mohammad's family members pointed fingers at the right-wing outfit, the police have not taken the name of any individual although it named the organisation in its FIR. "Seven persons reportedly attacked the deceased but not a single person belonged to the Hindu Yuva Vahini," the Meerut range in charge of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, Vivek Singh told The Hindu. As reports say, a 19-year-old boy eloped with an 18-year-old which was seen as kidnapping by the girl's family. "The group allegedly arrived when the girl's family complained that the police hadn't taken action. Around 9.30 am on Tuesday, the attackers spotted Ghulam Mohammad sitting in a mango orchard, dragged him to a deserted spot and allegedly lynched him," an NDTV report said. In March, the fringe group's members allegedly barged into a home in Meerut and thrashed a young couple on the suspicion of "love jihad", the term used for the baseless allegation that Muslim men were seducing Hindu women to convert them to Islam. The boy has accused the group's members of moral policing, reported Zee News. "I have asked the police to take strict action as the Muslim boy was romancing with a Hindu girl in the house. He wanted to convert her religion. I also insist on taking strict action against the landlords, who give rooms on rent without proper verification," ANI had quoted Nagendra Singh Tomar, the head of Hindu Yuva Vahini, as saying. Kumar Vishwas has finally called a truce with his party, AAP and two of its top leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia. In an indication that happy days are here again, whatever little happiness was there to celebrate, some AAP leaders distributed sweets. But the packet size of sweets appeared to be too small to sweeten mouths of the huge number of workers gathered there. Others were left as high and dry as they ever were, and if this symbolism has any meaning in politics it means that peace formula may not have a lasting impact on the party which has lately been in the headlines for wrong reasons. Firstpost has learnt that Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia's decision to drive from chief minister's official residence in Civil Lines area to Kumar Vishwas's residence at Vasundhara in Ghaziabad was not borne out of friendly goodwill reasons for a friend who was unhappy with them but was guided by hard realpolitik and prudent reasons. It was need of the hour for Kejriwal to mollify Vishwas at whatever cost and save his face, keep his party united and buy time to settle issues at an opportune time. A senior AAP functionary who was privy to unfolding developments said on condition of anonymity that it was clear to all concerned that Vishwas through his forceful advocacy of reminding Kejriwal and other leaders of values which had led to creation of AAP, how the party had completely derailed from its chosen path and how blaming Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) for electoral losses in Punjab, Goa and Delhi was becoming counterproductive. Vishwas apparently pointed out how the party which was supposed to be a volunteers' party had got into personality (Kejriwal) worship syndrome where communication gap between the leader and the worker had become an order. Vishwas also drew attention to the fact how the party is gradually adopting a Congress culture and how his video on Kashmir and other statements where he had taken on Kejriwal for seeking proof of Indian Army's surgical strike in PoK and such other things had touched the raw chord of a vast mass of party workers. Vishwas's argument to his fellow colleagues in the party was that this culture of 'vyakti puja' (personality cult) should be immediately contained. The tendency to force autocracy in the name of internal democracy was unacceptable for it didn't allow voices of ordinary workers to be heard by the leaders. Even during Anna Hazare movement, the activists had freedom to express themselves yet basic discipline was never violated. Another party leader who was once very close to Kejriwal said Vishwas had somehow the voice of thousands of party workers. They saw reason and merit in what Vishwas or Kumar as he is popularly called in party ranks, was saying on various media platforms. Party MLAs, ministers, and workers started contacting Vishwas, privately hailing him for his fearless remarks. According to a party source, 41 out of 67 MLAs in Delhi Assembly were in touch with Vishwas. The shocker for Vishwas was a media statement of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, his childhood friend. In his statements Sisodia took on Vishwas for making public statements, insinuating that he was doing this for benefit of rival political parties and telling the world that Kejriwal was unhappy with contents of his video address. The video was though on Kashmir but Vishwas had hit hard on Kejriwal for shielding corrupts and warning that people were watching and would not forgive him turning a blind eye to corrupt within government and party fold. That prompted Vishwas to come out with a statement and publicly telling the world that he would take a final decision on whether to continue in the party or chart out another independent path within a night. He had turned emotional while saying so and was seen controlling his tears and emotions. Former minister and MLA Amanatullah Khan's reiteration of charge that Vishwas was a BJP plant in AAP and was working in tandem with money bags in the BJP to split the party had made Vishwas believe that Khan was just a mask, playing proxy for higher up real face and force. By Tuesday evening Kejriwal had realised that the script had gone awry and things were spiralling out of hand for him. Kejriwal in the meanwhile had called MLAs for one-on-one meetings to get a feedback on unfolding situations. A source said he had met about 50 MLAs only to understand that the party legislators were finding merit in Vishwas's utterances. There was a feeling with a section of AAP leadership that bravado apart, Vishwas' departure would inflict severe damage to the party's strength and image. He was no Prashant Bhushan or Yogendra Yadav. There was also a feeling that Vishwas' services as a proven public campaigner should have been utilised in Punjab assembly and Delhi municipal elections. Vishwas' growing marginalisation and coterie culture around Kejriwal where nothing else but real or perceived proximity with chief minister mattered most, was also an issue with a large number of party workers. Sources said when Kejriwal landed at Vishwas' house in Ghaziabad with Sisodia and took him to his residence there were clear indications that he was willing to walk an extra mile, for now, to soothe ruffled feathers of his angry friend and party colleague. When they sat for a heart-to-heart talk, Vishwas put forward three conditions -- first, he was not going to express any regret over his nationalism video as there couldn't be any compromise on soldier and farmer issue. Second, workers connect with the leadership had to be restored. Currently, there is an all-pervasive communication lag between senior leaders and workers on the ground. Almost 80 percent workers were feeling disenchanted after successive losses in elections. Third, there had to be zero tolerance on corruption. Blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for any action from investigative agencies on corruption-related issues will not do any help to the party. It goes without saying that removal of Khan from the party remained to be the most important issue for Vishwas. Kejriwal's argument was Khan should be given an opportunity to explain, as "principle of natural justice" demanded and express regret if need be. The 11 am PAC meeting, the highest policy making body of AAP was thus more of a formality, to give an official stamp to peace formula. Given the positioning from both sides and statement given by Vishwas after PAC meeting that "we will do course corrections" as needed from time to time and keep on communicating whether in agreement or in disagreement is indicative that current peace is only fragile. It has to be thus handled with care by all concerned. Ahmedabad: In an apparent bid to win the sympathy of agitating Patel community ahead of assembly polls, Gujarat Congress on Tuesday announced formation of a body with an aim to provide them "support and guidance". The body 'Patidar Daman Pratikar Samiti' has been floated by Congress leader Siddharth Patel and others. Local Congress leaders, however, claimed that the body is a non-political movement initiated by the community itself while Congress is only backing it. Earlier in the day, several Congress leaders and MLAs attended the first gathering of the samiti in Ghatlodia area of the city. The development came a day after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expressed sympathy with the Patel community during his speech at Dediapada in Narmada district. Those who attended the convention included former Gujarat Congress chief Siddharth Patel. Several Congress MLAs belonging to Patel community, such as Raghavji Patel and Tejashreeben Patel, too shared their views with the invited guests. Siddharth Patel accused the BJP government in Gujarat of treating Patel youths as "terrorists". "This BJP government arrests innocent Patel youths whenever prime minister or chief minister are visiting any part of the state. The government is treating our people as if they are terrorists," Patel told reporters after the meeting. Nitin Patel, a local Congress leader and organiser of Tuesday's meeting, claimed that the party is only backing this body. "This is purely a non-political body aimed at supporting and guiding our youth, as they are subjected to atrocities by the government every now and then. "Apart from Congress leaders, others, who are concerned about the current situation, also attended today's programme," said Nitin. "This body will work towards bringing the community under one umbrella to fight against the atrocities. We want to give a clear message that Patels will not bow down. In coming days, we will form district-wise committees and call similar convention to spread the message," he added. Panaji: An ailing Congress president Sonia Gandhi should quickly appoint her son Rahul Gandhi as party chief as the delay is only helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieve his ambition of a Congress-mukt India, a Congress leader said on Wednesday. "If Sonia Gandhi is sick, then she should not make (the) Congress sick and she should not help Modi to make Congress-mukt Bharat," former Goa Congress president John Fernandes said. "If she wants to give leadership to Rahul Gandhi, she should do it fast because she is sick," Fernandes added. He also faulted the Congress high command for not holding a session of the All India Congress Committee for three years, after the defeat in the 2014 general elections, which he said would only harm the party. "Congress should not be sick. Congress can bounce back, if there are workers like me and we work together. Congress will come back because people want the Congress. And the Goa election is an indicator," the two-term Rajya Sabha MP said. Fernandes was appointed state president of the party's Goa unit in 2013 soon after the Congress was routed in the 2012 state assembly elections. He was subsequently replaced by Luizinho Faleiro as state president in 2014. New Delhi: The fissure in the Aam Aadmi Party widened with senior party leader Kumar Vishwas threatening to quit over the attacks on him by a "coterie" surrounding Arvind Kejriwal. The party has, meanwhile, sent senior leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh to pacify Vishwas. Late on Tuesday, Kejriwal and Sisodia visited Vishwas' residence in Ghaziabad. Kejriwal later took Vishwas to the former's official residence at Civil Lines and held a meeting. The AAP had earlier fielded deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to contain the damage who retaliated against Vishwas saying people were aware that his comments would help a "particular party". The flurry of developments, a day after Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan resigned from PAC over a spat with Vishwas, plunged the poll-battered party into turmoil, almost reminiscent of the 2015 bitter public spat involving then AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. According to Times Now, Kejriwal has called for a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting at 11 am on Wednesday. According to reports, Vishwas has agreed to attend the meeting. Amid murmurs that he wants to head the party, poet-turned-politician Vishwas, earlier on Tuesday, said he harboured no ambitions to become chief minister, deputy chief minister or AAP national convener. Several MLAs too are in favour of a greater role for Vishwas in the AAP after the party's poor show in the Punjab Assembly and MCD polls. They also expressed their displeasure over the "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal, as claimed by Vishwas, but pledged their loyalty towards the Aam Aadmi Party chief. "I have conveyed this to Arvind, Manish (Sisodia) and I reiterate it today that I do not want to become chief minister, deputy chief minister or AAP's national convener. I do not want to join any political party or Swaraj India (political party founded by expelled AAP leader Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan). I do not know what you want to do, but I do not want to do this," Vishwas told reporters outside his Ghaziabad residence as he turned emotional. The AAP leader was particularly upset with Khan who had alleged on Sunday that the former was plotting a coup against Kejriwal and that he was an "RSS-BJP agent". "Had Amanatullah Khan said anything like this against Arvind or Manish, he would have been shown the door in 10 minutes," Vishwas said, adding that he, along with Kejriwal and Sisodia had dreamt of an anti-corruption movement, which later became a political party. He said Khan was merely a "mask" behind the "coterie" hatching conspiracies against him. "A lot of tarnishing of image will take place. Let me tell those hatching conspiracies that I will not let this happen. I will take a decision in a day," Vishwas said. Kejriwal had sought to quell rumours of a rift with Vishwas by referring to him as his "younger brother". Vishwas had differed with Kejriwal on the issue of electronic voting machines (EVMs). He had refused to attribute the AAP's recent poll upsets to alleged manipulation of voting machines and had instead stressed on the need to introspect. He had pointed out the "communication gap" between party leadership and volunteers after a string of electoral defeats in the past few months. "I thought after six electoral defeats, I had pointed out the right reason for the debacle. The coterie was responsible (for the defeats) which was behind ticket distribution, the one who engineered the statements (given by Khan). The morale of our volunteers has taken a hit," Vishwas said, adding that several of them had left their jobs for the party. Vishwas appeared defiant despite the party's gag order of not ventilating grievances before the media and said he will keep highlighting the mistakes of the AAP and state what was right in the interest of the country. "If by raising voice in favour of the nation my party gets upset, even then I will keep on raising these issues," Vishwas said. He had also differed with Kejriwal over the controversy after the surgical strike and said it could have been avoided. The BJP had accused Kejriwal of demanding proof for the strike last year. "When the morale of our forces fighting terrorism were down and we raised questions. In that case, we need to do course correction," he said. Reacting to this, Sisodia said Vishwas' comments were only hurting the party and affecting morale. "He does not talk in the PAC. He should speak there," Sisodia said, adding Vishwas was turning the issue into a "personal fight". "It would be wrong to say that only Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal and I made the party, which he has been repeating. He should speak in the PAC. He did not attend last night's PAC. I and Sanjay (Singh) had gone to meet him. Arvind has spoken to him for three hours at a stretch," Sisodia said. Workers know which party, individuals and powers are getting benefited from Vishwas' television interview, Sisodia said as he urged him to come to PAC and raise these issues. Earlier in the day, several AAP MLAs, including Delhi minister Kapil Mishra met Vishwas, seeking to pacify him. However, it appeared to have yielded no results. With inputs from agencies LEBANON East Linn Christian Academy has grown 44 percent in the past five years and school officials say they're running out of classrooms. The private Christian school, which serves preschool through 12th grade, is planning a series of additions and upgrades, starting with a modular addition and a new cafeteria building. ELCA has requested a conditional use permit for the expansion. The public has until 8 p.m. May 8 to submit any comments to the Linn County Planning and Building Department. Janelle Detweiler, the school's superintendent, said the school has bid on a four-classroom modular unit it hopes to install on part of a 72-by-92-foot concrete pad just north of its administrative offices. The rest of the pad would support a multipurpose building that would be used for a cafeteria, music classes and performance space. ELCA is ready to pay for the modular and its installation now, or to buy a different modular if the bid falls through, she said. The rest of the building on the pad is to be paid for and built in the next five years. The idea is to place another two-classroom modular on the east side of campus near the entry, Detweiler said. The addition is just the first step of a large-scale overhaul to accommodate a sudden surge of interest in the private school in the past five years. In 2012, East Linn had 252 students. Right now, it has 380, and Detweiler wouldn't be at all surprised to see the total top 400 by next year. Several of the families are new to the area, drawn by jobs with Lowe's, Entek and Lebanon's medical college, she said. Some are traveling from outside the district, at least one from Eugene. The improving economy likely is helping, Detweiler said, but ELCA also has made tuition assistance a priority in recent years. It's also forming stronger partnerships with area churches. Most of the growth is at the elementary level. That's unusual for East Linn, which usually sees its largest enrollment at eighth grade, followed by sixth. Board members determined the school could make some adjustments at the elementary level to accommodate, but that it needed room for the students to go as they grew. The plan is to turn the library, cafeteria and music room in the current elementary building into three classrooms. Work on that likely will start as soon as school ends this summer. At the same time, crews will remake the large building on the southeast side of the entry to campus that currently holds a kitchen, band and choir rooms and a woodshop that isn't being used this year. The kitchen will stay where it is, but the rest will become an elementary multipurpose building for lunch, P.E. and recess. The shuffle expands elementary access but doesn't add room for the secondary classes. That's where the four- and two-classroom modulars come in, Detweiler said. Fifth grade will probably expand this fall into one of the four classrooms, and the rest will fill up as those students move through the grades. The changes leave the school without dedicated music classrooms, a wood shop or elementary library space, but Detweiler said school officials hope that's a temporary situation. They're looking into adding a pole barn that could house shop classes and possibly an agriculture class. Music rooms are to be part of the multipurpose area on the concrete pad. Library books can go onto wheeled carts for now, she said. In the meantime, ELCA continues to offer an average of four tours per week for new families interested in the school. In past years, Detweiler said, officials might enroll 40 students by summer, but they've taken in 42 so far this year and it's only May. "Right now, our most important priority is classroom space," she said. Last I saw Kumar Vishwas, he was trying to earn some applause at a kavi sammelan (gathering of poets). Before Vishwas rose to read out his signature poem, Koi Deewana Kehta Hai, a lesser-known poet called Vineet Chauhan had literally stolen the mushaira with his rabble-rousing and faux nationalist limericks in front of an audience that seemed to be interested more in Pak-bashing than poetry. And whatever little was left of the people's enthusiasm after Chauhan's veer rasa the kind great exponents of the art like Ramdhari Singh Dinkar would have found ersatz populism was then claimed by Rahat Indori with his mix of romantic and rebellious shayari delivered in his trademark style. So, when Vishwas the highest paid poet of the evening, as he kept reminding got up to read his lines, the audience was already weary, drained of its emotions. Vishwas tried his best, with a mishmash of nationalism, romanticism and political satire. But, by the time he was midway into his 'Koi Deewana', the faint applause was already getting drowned in the noise of the footsteps of the departing audience. Here is the point: Why is the AAP working up a frenzy for a politician who lost his deposit in the only election that he contested and a poet who has lost his ability to steal mushairas? What is it about Vishwas that has triggered a tsunami within the AAP? The backstory first. Two days ago, AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan slammed Vishwas as a "BJP agent" and accused him of trying to break the party. Since then Vishwas has been sulking in public, calling Khan just the mask of a deeper conspiracy, threatening to take an "important decision" soon. In response, the party has been showing the classical symptoms of a headless chicken running in all directions. Khan is still blowing hot, not refusing to withdraw his allegations. Deputy chief minister has been blowing hot and cold by turn, first trying to mollycoddle the poet-politician and then slamming him for trying to help the "other party" by speaking in public. And Kejriwal has been trying to pour hot water over the raging fire in his backyard, calling Vishwas his younger brother and then making midnight appeasement tours to the sulking poet's house. So, why is Vishwas, whose own vishwas (faith) in the party he claims to have founded keeps shaking intermittently, so important? The answer is simple: the party that was once founded on a public movement has now turned into an ode to personality cult. The AAP has turned into a competitive circus of ambition, jealousy, melodrama and hubris of its jokers, acrobats and ringmasters. The classical pattern of behavior in a party full of ambitious, jealous and vindictive personalities is defined by crab mentality. First, in a bid to outdo each other, they pull each other down, devour all competition and then, finally, when almost everyone has been decimated, out of sheer habit, they start eating their own tails. So, the AAP started with Shazia Ilmi, turned to Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Mayank Gandhi and half of its Punjab MPs, then graduated to Sucha Singh Chhotepur and Navjot Singh Sidhu by vacillating on terms of engagement and now it is turning to whatever is left of the core team. After destroying its foot soldiers, key commanders, King Kejriwal's knights have turned on their own Lancelots, Tristans and Kumars. While dog-eat-dog has always been the AAP credo, in a cruel twist of fate, the reasons behind the bloodshed have been different. At the peak of its popularity, AAP leaders were throwing each other because of their avarice, the reluctance to share fruits of success with colleagues. This round, ironically, is the result of the Reservoir Dogs syndrome, the reluctance to share failure and point the gun at others for the recent losses in Punjab and Delhi. Much of the blame for the mess in the AAP, as Mayank Gandhi pointed out in an open letter after the loss in Delhi municipal polls, goes to Kejriwal. As Gandhi pointed out: "You (Kejriwal) took the complete credit (of the Delhi win) and felt that the support of the nation was for Arvind Kejriwal, the person. You assumed that you were the pied piper whom people were following, but in fact it was the music of a new political culture that had people enchanted." Instead of investing in a new political culture, in his colleagues and volunteers, Kejriwal invested in personal power and ambition. For self- aggrandisement and in pursuit of a party with a supremo culture, like Bhallaldeva of Baahubali, he ensured the demise of everybody who could have been a potential threat, stifled every voice of dissent and turned the party into a coterie of sycophants instead of becoming the first among equals. Kejriwal now knows life has come full circle. Like Macbeth, he fears the deserved fruits of his karma. With his political star in free-fall, disappointment in the ranks and unrest among knights at the round table, Kejriwal knows that what he did unto others could soon be his own destiny. Vishwas is important not because he can win elections, lead a government, revive the party or steal a kavi sammelan. His importance lies in his ability to remind Kejriwal of how much blood his former friends had in them. And that the knife is now literally in the other hand. Siliguri (WB): West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP of "trying to browbeat" her party by "using the CBI and the ED" as it had dared to speak up against the saffron party. "They (BJP) are trying to scare everybody. They are threatening me with CBI and ED as we are speaking in favour of the people and against their policies," she told a meeting in South Dinajpur district. "They can arrest all our leaders including me, but that would not deter us from speaking against them," Banerjee said in a reference to the CBI filing charges against 12 TMC ministers and leaders in the Narada sting operation case. BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya told a meeting in Burdwan on Tuesday that Banerjee should remove the ministers against whom the CBI had lodged FIRs in the Narada case. In a reference to the recent visit of BJP president Amit Shah to the state, Banerjee said, "They are trying to teach us the culture and ethics of Bengal." Slamming the BJP on the Hindutva issue, she said, "They are not the sole flag-bearer of Hindutva. Who are they to teach us about religion? Asking the people of the state to remain cautious against "BJP's communalism", the TMC chief said, "Hinduism does not teach us to hate others. Instead, it teaches us to love and respect all. I am a Hindu. I love and respect all religions. We will not tolerate a communal flare-up in the name of religion." She announced that her government would construct 1,000 Hindu cremation grounds in the state in the next five years. Talking about her government's work in the last six years, Banerjee said, "Development can only take place through planning and not through riots." The chief minister laid the foundation stones for a number of projects, including a waiting room for pregnant women, model schools, a power sub-station, anganwadi centres, government buildings, godowns, waste management and water supply projects. The BJP's pre-election rhetoric on Kashmir and Pakistan now sounds more and more like Asrani's bombast in Sholay. Before coming to power, it claimed to be different from the Congress, like Asrani calling himself a strict Angrezon ke zamane ka jailer who would not allow any kind of nonsense under his baton. "Humare aane se pehle yahan jo kuch hota aaya hai, woh ab nahin chalega. No, no, no, no, no." The BJP and its leaders roared soon after coming to power in dialogue-baazi that now seems to be inspired by Salim-Javed. Since the environment was filmi, heavy with melodramatic one-liners aimed at frontbenchers, almost everybody had a go. Smriti Irani, in a memorable display of rhetoric promised to send bangles to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh after Pakistanis beheaded an Indian soldier. Sushma Swaraj vowed to bring back ten heads to avenge every loss of Indian life. And the incumbent prime minister himself did not let any opportunity to underline his own decisiveness and mock his predecessor's lack of courage. With Kashmir slipping into greater turmoil every passing day, Pakistan becoming more belligerent, China threatening to meddle into India's domestic affairs to safeguard its investment in CPEC, and visiting Turkish president recommending international mediation, the BJP government appears speechless, prompting the Congress to mock the BJP's history of talking big and doing nothing. In its moment of reckoning under the headlights, the BJP has the same expression Asrani had when he cried out in anguish: Hamari jail main surang! Yes, Mr Modi , a lot has happened under your watch. And perhaps you are not even aware how enemies of the Indian state have crept deep into our territories, making the self-proclaimed jailer of British era's pre-election rhetoric look like comical interlude. Kashmir is a real mess. The spectre of violence in bypolls to the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, the dismal turnout on polling day and the sight of girls skipping school to pelt stones were big pointers to the deteriorating condition on the ground. But, what's ever more worrying is that the Indian state has had to cancel elections to the Anantnag constituency because of fear of violence and a near total boycott. The Election Commission's decision to cancel the bypolls tells many things. One, the Indian state is not in a position to hold elections in its own backyard. Two, the chief minister of the state is helpless in her own bastion, in a constituency where her own brother is a candidate. And three, the BJP, just like Asrani, can just watch as things spiral out of control under its own alliance government. Two other developments are disconcerting. For the first time in decades, Chinese official media has openly written about its government's desire to play an active role in the Kashmir dispute. It says China will have no option but to intervene because of its huge investments in an economic corridor that run through parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. China has always meddled in Kashmir through its proxies. But, its open declaration of the intent to become an interlocutor a mild word in the dispute is a watershed event. Now, that China has announced it publicly, it will back up its words with real action on the ground. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's extraordinary decision to tilt towards Pakistan and raise the Kashmir issue on the eve of his visit India is another worrying sign of the growing interest of Pakistan's allies in Kashmir. Though Erdogan himself can do very little to push India's hand on Kashmir, it shows how the BJP-led government has failed to isolate Pakistan in spite of its rhetoric. The evolving situation indicates India should be very vigilant on Kashmir. The dark triad of local anger and protests, Pakistan's defiance and the support from its allies point to tough times ahead for India and the failure of the BJP government to keep the situation under control. On Pakistan, in fact, it is impossible to concede that India's policy has been a mix of naivete, rhetoric and adventurism. Like a quack trying every possible remedy, the Narendra Modi government has experimented with everything at its disposal to deal with Pakistan. From inviting Nawaz Sharif for his own swearing-in to making a surprise pit-stop at Lahore, from cancelling, rescheduling then again cancelling bi-partite talks to carrying out surgical strikes, the Modi government has tried every trick in the trade. But, nothing has brought Pakistan to its knees. In fact, as the beheading of two Indian soldiers by its BATs shows, Pakistan is in fact mocking at Indian helplessness even after exhausting every possible option. As the Congress has argued, Pakistan has become more intractable and belligerent over the past few years. It has been violating ceasefire with impunity, organising more attacks on the Indian soil and fanning more trouble in the Valley. If only the BJP had kept the rhetoric low on Kashmir and Pakistan, we would have still been laughing at Asrani of Sholay, instead of rewinding tapes of speeches of the BJP's top guns for tragi-comic relief. New Delhi: As part of her party's efforts to evolve consensus among opposition parties on a common candidate for upcoming Presidential election, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday spoke to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Gandhi, who has taken the initiative to try and evolve a consensus on a common candidate, is likely to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati. Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi also reached out to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in connection with the presidential polls. National Conference's Working President Omar Abdullah also met Sonia Gandhi at her residence on Wednesday, said party sources. "In our opinion, national interest should be the foremost criteria with a person adequately suited to defend our constitutionalism and our democratic traditions of dissent and disagreement as the candidate who would be best suited to be the president and vice-president," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. "Congress president and vice-president both have had discussions with a series of leaders. Our doors and minds are open for we feel that one person cannot decide everything, one man decides all dictum will not do and one ideology cannot be thrust upon this country. It is required to have a consensus on the post as important as the posts of president and vice-president," he added. He also said that consensus on the candidates will happen only after there are political discussions and there is a general agreement on this. "We need an unbiased and courageous President who can uphold the dignity of his office. It should be done for national interest," he added. Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar met Sonia Gandhi to discuss a joint opposition presidential candidate. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United President Nitish Kumar and senior party leader Sharad Yadav, Communist Party of India leader D Raja and Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury have also met Gandhi on the presidential issue. Editor's Note: In a three-part series, Firstpost analyses how the President of India is elected, how various parties are stacked up in terms of seats or votes and whether a united Opposition can defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. In Part I of the series we read about the election process of the President and how the constitution gives equal weight to the Union of India as well as the states. In Part II we will take a look at how many votes does each party block have to determine who has the upper hand. The electoral college comprises of members from the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and the Legislative Assemblies. Let's take a look at how the different political parties are stacked up across the three categories I. Members of Lok Sabha Lok Sabha has 543 members. Out of this two seats are currently vacant Anantnag and Gurdaspur. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a majority in Lok Sabha with 336 members. The Congress-led UPA has 49 members while the anti-BJP parties have 85 members. There are 71 members who belong to the neutral category. These parties are AIADMK, Biju Janata Dal, Telangana Rashtriya Samiti and Independents. They belong to neither NDA nor the UPA and have not taken a hard position against NDA in the house. Here, it's important to note that: NDA = BJP + SHS + TDP + LJSP + SAD + RLSP + AD + AINRC + JKPDP + NPF + NPP + PMK + SDF + SWP UPA = Congress + IUML + RSP + KC(M) Anti-BJP = AITC + CPM + YSRCP + NCP + SP + BSP + AAP + RJD + AIUDF + INLD + JDS + JDU + JMM + AIMIM + CPI + JKNC Neutral = AIADMK + BJD + TRS + Independents Therefore, in terms of electoral votes, with per value of vote of an MP at 708, this is likely to be the scenario. Camps Value of votes Total votes of Lok Sabha (in percentage) NDA 237,888 62.10 UPA 34,692 9.10 Anti-BJP 60,180 15.70 Neutral 50,268 13.10 Total 383,028 100.00 Source: Politicalbaba.com As you can see in the table above, the NDA camp leads the pack with 2.38 lakh votes accounting for 62% of total Lok Sabha votes of all electors. Its nearly 2.5 times of UPA and anti-BJP votes combined together. II. Members of Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha currently has 243 members out of which there are 12 nominated members who are not allowed to vote in the presidential election. Out of the 231 electors, NDA has 70, UPA 65, Anti-BJP 67 and Neutral 29 members. NDA is in minority in the Upper House. Even if we assume all Neutral electors to vote for NDA candidate, it will still be lagging behind UPA + Anti-BJP electors by 32 seats in the Rajya Sabha. There are 10 MPs who will retire this year in July or August. Their term is likely to end just after the Presidential elections and will not have any impact on the process. In terms of electoral votes, with per value of vote of an MP at 708, this is likely to be the scenario. Camps Value of votes Total votes of Lok Sabha (in percentage) NDA 49,560 62.10 UPA 46,020 9.10 Anti-BJP 47,436 15.70 Neutral 20,532 13.10 Total 163,548 100.00 Source: Politicalbaba.com While NDA is the single largest group with 49k votes or 30 percent, anti-BJP forces are in majority in Rajya Sabha. This is negated by the fact that total value of votes of Lok Sabha is 2.35 times Rajya Sabha. On a combined basis, NDA leads the pack amongst electors of Parliament (both Upper as well as Lower House) with 53 percent of total votes. Camps Value of votes Total votes of Lok Sabha (in percentage) NDA 287,448 52.6 UPA 80,712 14.8 Anti-BJP 107,616 19.7 Neutral 70,800 13.0 Total 546,576 100.00 Source: Politicalbaba.com III. Members of Legislative Assemblies As discussed in Part I, the value of votes of an MLA is not fixed, unlike the value of the vote of an MP. All 31 states including union territories (Delhi and Puducherry) which have state assemblies put together have 4,120 MLAs (four seats are currently vacant). The recent state Assembly wins particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur have given a significant boost to the BJP/NDA tally. The NDA today has the highest number of MLAs in the country at 1,804 (44 percent). The UPA together with Anti-BJP parties has a slightly higher representation at 1,874 MLAs (45.5 percent). The neutral parties have 438 members. The formula for the value of a vote is based on the population of the state as discussed in Part I. The value of the vote of an MLA is maximum in UP at 208, followed by Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand at 176, Maharashtra at 175 and Bihar at 173. The BJP is in power in three of these states. The weighted average of the value of a vote of MLA is c.134. AIADMK which is in power in Tamil Nadu is currently maintaining a neutral stance, occupied in sorting out leadership issue. In terms of electoral votes, this is likely to be the scenario: Camps Value of votes Total votes of Lok Sabha (in percentage) NDA 239,923 43.7 UPA 93,137 17.0 Anti-BJP 152,776 27.8 Neutral 63,107 11.5 Total 548,943 100 Source: www.politicalbaba.com The NDA leads the pack here as well with 2.4 lakh votes accounting for 44 percent of total MLA votes as per electoral college. The UPA plus Anti-BJP parties have slightly higher votes at 2.45 lakhs. This is in line with the representation in state assemblies. Blocks Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha State Assemblies Grand Total Percentage of Grand Total NDA 237,888 49,560 239,923 527,371 48.10% UPA 34,692 46,020 93,137 173,849 15.90% Anti-BJP 60,180 47,436 152,776 260,392 23.80% Neutral 50,268 20,532 63,107 133,907 12.20% Total 383,028 163,548 548,943 1,095,519 1,095,519 Consolidated Position of Electoral College NDA is ahead at the moment in Electoral College votes. It enjoys c.5.27 lakh votes. UPA is way behind at 1.74 lakh votes. Even if one combines, Ant-BJP votes with UPA, they still lag behind NDA by 93k votes. Neutral Block which consists of TRS, BJD, AIADMK and Independents will play a crucial role. To sum up, NDA is clearly ahead in the race thanks mainly to its performance in the state Assembly elections post its emphatic win in 2014. The UPA and anti-BJP forces are lagging behind by a good 8.5 percent. The neutral category electors (three regional parties and independents) hold the keys to which group gets its candidate elected. In Part 3 of the special series on Presidential Election 2017, Firstpost will analyse the politics of the elections in the backdrop of opposition unity based on survival theme in the next and concluding series. (This piece is based on the assumption that MPs and MLAs will vote for candidates backed by their parties and there is no cross voting. The analysis is only of first preference votes.) Turmoil within the Delhi Congress unit continued even a week after the MCD Election results were announced. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, in-charge of Congress affairs in Delhi, who had submitted his resignation after the party's poll debacle, on Wednesday announced that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi wants him to continue as DPCC, reported Times Now. Maken further said that Rahul reportedly said that the results of the MCD Election were encouraging and he wanted Maken to lead it to a logical conclusion. The Congress was a distant third in the Delhi civic polls, after the BJP and the AAP. Maken had said that he was taking the responsibility of the party's defeat. He had also said that he would not hold any party post for the next one year and will remain just an ordinary Congress member. "I will remain just a normal member for the next one year. My commitment to the party is ideological and will continue to remain so," said Maken. Commenting on the Congress performance in a few of the wards where the party was leading Maken had said: "During Delhi Assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls, we were zero. This time we fought on the basis of issues; we are satisfied that we have made a reasonable comeback." "However, our expectations were a little high," added Maken. Later, it was reported that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi refused to accept the resignation of Ajay Maken and PC Chacko who was also in-charge of the Delhi Congress unit. With inputs from IANS Mumbai: In a dig at its ally, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said BJP should work on strengthening the nation and not just their party while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "tear Pakistan into pieces." "The BJP should concentrate on strengthening the country and the state rather than only strengthening the party. We are ready for mid-term polls. In UP there is 'Yogi' Sarkar (government), but here (in Maharashtra) there is a 'NirupaYogi' (useless) Sarkar," he said while addressing a gathering of party workers on Wednesday evening. Shiv Sena is an ally of the Centre as well as the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government. "Enter Pakistan and tear them into pieces. The Shiv Sena will stand behind Prime Minister Modi," Thackeray said. In an unsoldierly act by the Pakistan Army, two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan border action team (BAT) by sneaking 250 metres into Indian territory in the Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir on 1 May. Meanwhile, commenting on the agrarian crisis prevalent in Maharashtra, Thackeray said the situation has become such that if somebody speaks in favour of farmers, they are touted to be anti-government. He said while the BJP's win in the recently held Uttar Pradesh polls was commendable, one could not ignore the outcome of the Goa Assembly polls. "The Congress did not portray any face in the Goa polls. Yet, they received four more seats than the BJP. This cannot be ignored," he said. Soon after news spread that a tribal family in Naxalbari who had hosted BJP president Amit Shah during his West Bengal visit, have joined the Trinamool Congress, the BJP on Wednesday accused the TMC of playing revenge politics and misusing the police for political gains. Addressing a conference on Wednesday, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal forced the tribal couple Raju and Gita Mahali to join TMC, and that the BJP is hurt by the blatant misuse of police by the Mamata Banerjee government to serve its political gains. The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, who also heads the Ministry of Law and Justice alleged that TMC had kidnapped the tribal couple and forced them to join the party. "While the BJP unit tried to register a case, it was not registered. Today, they (the couple) came out in the morning and announced themselves as supporters of TMC while police were guarding their house," Prasad said. "This is a textbook case of revenge politics. A simple tribal family is not left out in this," he said. "We are hurt by the incident, but we are least concerned with the party (TMC). Whatever struggle has to be done, our party workers will do it. Can Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stop the march of democratic feeling by the use of force?" he asked. Prasad claimed that the TMC is scared of BJP's consecutive wins in elections, and the success of Amit Shah's yatra in West Bengal. "BJP is winning one election after another, but instead of taking rest, Shah is travelling across India. And that has scared the TMC," he claimed. He also accused the TMC govt, of using the police to silence its political rivals. "At one end there is open appeasement of one segment of society, and on the other hand, political rivals are being stopped with the illegal use of police," Prasad said. The Union minister also informed that a delegation of BJP West Bengal will meet the governor of West Bengal at 5.30 pm on Wednesday and share their concerns on the same. "Whatever that is to be said, we will say it to the governor," he said. LONDON/WASHINGTON The story headlined "London terrorism suspect was on Gaza flotilla ship in 2010 - sources" published on April 28 is withdrawn and a substitute story will be published soon. The story has been withdrawn because Reuters sources were unable to confirm their initial information that Khalid Omar Ali was aboard the Mavi Marmara in May 2010. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Dhaka: Bangladesh will be hosting the next Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers' meeting in the second half of 2018, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed. The senior officials meeting preparatory to the 44th Session of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of OIC took this decision on Tuesday at Jeddah, bdnews24 reported. The Foreign Ministry also said that a draft resolution was "unanimously" accepted welcoming the bid of Bangladesh for hosting the 45th session of the CFM of the 57-member organisation. Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque led Bangladesh at the senior officials meeting. Among a number of resolutions, one on the topic of Rohingya minority was also addressed. Through this resolution the member states expressed their serious concern' over the situation of Rohingya Muslim population in the Northern Rakhine State of Myanmar. OIC has asked for an early implementation of recommendations given by the Advisory Commission on Northern Rakhine State led by Kofi Annan, and also restoration of Citizenship Act of Myanmar to provide opportunity to Muslim minorities there and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to the Northern Rakhine State. The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary also called on the OIC Secretary-General Yousef A Al-Othaimeen on the sidelines of the meeting. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Washington: President Donald Trump is personally committed to resolving the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict and will never compromise on the safety and security of the Jewish state, US Vice President Mike Pence has said. He said Trump's "tireless leadership" has helped in making progress towards attaining the peace in the region. "The President has personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Even now, we're making valuable progress toward the noble goal of peace," Pence said at a White House event to mark the Israeli Independence Day. "Thanks to the President's tireless leadership, momentum is building and goodwill is growing. While there will undoubtedly have to be compromises, you can rest assured President Donald Trump will never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish State of Israel - not now, not ever," he said yesterday. Pence said Trump had made it clear that America stands alongside Israel as friends and as allies and together they will confront those who threaten their people. "Since the moment of their nation's birth, there's hardly been a day when the people of Israel have not lived without war or the fear of war, or the grim reality of terror," he said. Pence said under Trump, America's support for Israel's security was at a record level. "In President Trump, America has a leader who will call our enemies by their name. I want to promise you, as the fight even goes on now in precincts around Mosul and Iraq, even in northern Syria and Afghanistan, this President is determined to keep his promise to the American people," he said. Trump will meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House today. Asserting that the ISIS is on the run, Pence said the US will hunt down and destroy the dreaded terror group so that they no longer threaten American friends and allies. Under Trump, America will stand strong in the face of the leading state sponsor of terrorism, he said, adding that the current administration has put Iran on notice. "America will no longer tolerate Iran's efforts to destabilise the region and jeopardise Israel's security. Under President Donald Trump, the United States of America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. This is our solemn promise to you, to Israel, and to the world, Pence said. Kabul: A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday killed eight people and wounded at least 28, officials said, in an attack on a convoy of armored personnel carriers used by the Nato (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) led Resolute Support mission. The blast hit the Nato coalition convoy during the morning rush hour in one of the busiest areas of Kabul. Public health officials in the capital said eight civilians were killed and at least 25 wounded, with a number of civilian vehicles that were near the convoy destroyed or badly damaged. A Resolute Support Spokesman, US Navy Captain Bill Salvin, said three US service members were wounded in the attack. The armored personnel carriers, which are designed to withstand large blasts, were able to return to a coalition base under their own power, he said. The attack follows a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week. Witnesses said traces of blood and clothing could be seen on the ground at the blast site. Kabul television stations earlier reported that at least three people had been killed. The heavily armored MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said. Brussels: The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier will unveil recommendations for forthcoming talks with Britain, despite increasing rancour over how the split will ultimately unfold. Barnier's comments come four days after leaders of 27 EU nations met without British prime minister Theresa May and unanimously agreed on a tough overall strategy. They also follow leaks about a disastrous dinner and exchanges involving May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, which has left the former battling to defend her Brexit strategy. The row marks a dismal start to the process, although formal negotiations will not begin until after Britain's election on 8 June, in which May is expecting to return to office with a stronger mandate. The high stakes for the British premier were underlined on Tuesday when, quizzed on the campaign trail about the dinner clash, she said Juncker would soon find out she can be a "bloody difficult woman". The EU 27 will then on 22 May give Barnier, 66, a formal mandate to conduct talks over the next two years with Britain. Barnier has said he needs to wrap up talks by October 2018 to get any Brexit deal through the European Parliament in time for Britain's scheduled departure from the EU on 29 March 2019. Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016 in a closely fought referendum. And if the first contacts in Britain's divorce from the union it entered four decades ago are anything to go by, the negotiations will be difficult. Barnier's recommendations, in an early draft seen by AFP, contain a demand for a lifetime guarantee of rights for EU citizens who have lived in Britain for five years. Under the EU single market, Europeans have the right to live, work and claim benefits in any country in the bloc. They also echo the EU 27's insistence that talks on a future EU-UK trade deal cannot begin until Britain resolves the issues of "people, money and Ireland". The EU says London must guarantee the rights of three million citizens living in Britain who are currently able to live, work and claim benefits there. Washington: US President Donald Trump has said FBI Director James Comey was the "best thing" that ever happened to his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton ahead of the last year's general elections. Trump's remarks came hours after Clinton said in an interview that Comey, Wikileaks and Russian hackers were responsible for her defeat. He said the Democrats had used the "phony" Russian hacking story as a justification for their loss in the 8 November presidential elections. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!" Trump, 70, said in a late night tweet. "The phony... ...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election, he said in another tweet. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 "Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" he tweeted. ...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 Clinton, 69, has blamed the FBI for her loss at the hands of Trump, claiming the decision to revive the probe into her email accounts stopped her momentum towards a historic win. She has said that her campaign was winning until Comey wrote a letter to the Congressional leadership that they have reopened the investigations into the email scandal. Two days before the elections, the FBI again sent a letter to the Congressional leadership that it did not find anything new in the investigation that was primarily screening of some 650,000 emails that it found in a laptop of one of her aide Huma Abedin, which she shared with her estranged husband Anthony Weiner. Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook has claimed that Comey's letter in the last 11 days of the election both helped depress the democrat's turnout and drove away some of its critical support among college-educated white voters particularly in the suburbs. Trump has repeatedly claimed that Democrats have focused on Russian hacking and alleged cooperation between Moscow and Trump associates to mask their bitter defeat. He was elected after one of the most bitter and divisive campaigns in the history of US elections. Washington: An FBI translator who was hired to spy on a German member of the Islamic State group instead apparently grew attracted to him and snuck off to Syria to get married. According to court documents seen Tuesday, Daniela Greene, who had a "top secret" security clearance, told her colleagues at the Detroit office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that she was heading to Germany to see her parents for a few weeks in June 2014. Instead she flew to Turkey and snuck across the border to meet up and marry an Islamic State fighter. He was not identified in the documents, but according to CNN, he was Denis Cuspert, a notorious former German rapper who went by the name of Deso Dogg. Cuspert was officially designated a terrorist in early 2015 by the US State Department, which described him as an Islamic State recruiter focusing on German speakers, and noted that he had appeared in numerous Islamic State videos, including on in which he was holding the severed head of an Islamic State opponent. It was not clear how Cuspert, also known as Abu Talha al-Almani, wooed her. Court testimony suggested they may have communicated privately via a Skype account he used that Greene did not report to her FBI colleagues. Quick marriage, then regret Greene, who was born in Czechoslovakia and married a US soldier, began work at the FBI in 2011, with no problems until her mysterious disappearance in June 2014. Immediately after her arrival in Syria she married Cuspert, on 27 June, 2014, according to court documents recently unsealed. But within days Greene, now 38, began to seek a way out, "I really made a mess of things this time," she told a friend in a July 2014 email from Islamic State territory. "I don't know how long I will last here, but it doesn't matter, it's all a little too late," she said in a subsequent email. In another, she said she recognized she could be imprisoned for years if she returned. Court documents did not explain how she escaped from Islamic State territory, but by early August, less than two months after travelling to Syria, she returned to the United States and was arrested. She immediately confessed and began cooperating with US prosecutors. Her cooperation "was significant, long-running and substantial," said an investigator, supporting a lenient sentence. Ultimately she pleaded guilty to one charge of "making false statements involving international terrorism," based on what she originally told the FBI about her travel plans. She received a relatively light 24 month prison sentence, and was released last year. Washington: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has blamed FBI, Wikileaks and Russian hackers for her defeat in the 8 November presidential elections. Clinton, 69, was speaking to Christiane Amanpour of CNN during an interview at Women for Women International Forum regarding the current political issues in New York. "If the election had been on 27 October, I'd be your president. And it wasn't, it was on 28 October, and there was just a lot of funny business going on around that," Clinton told CNN in an interview at Women for Women International Forum regarding current political issues. "It wasn't a perfect campaign. There is no such thing. But I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comey's letter on 28 October, and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off," she said. "The evidence for that intervening event is, compelling, persuasive." "Ask yourself this, within an hour or two of the 'Hollywood Access' tape being made public, the Russian theft of John Podesta's emails hit WikiLeaks. What a coincidence. So I mean you just can't make this stuff up," Clinton said. Responding to a question on North Korea, Clinton called for a regional effort. "There has to be a regional effort to basically incentivise the North Korean regime to understand that it will pay a much bigger price regionally, primarily from China, if it pursues this reckless policy of nuclear weapons development and very dangerously for us, the missiles that can deliver those nuclear packages to places like Hawaii and eventually, the West Coast of the US," she said. Noting that she takes the North Korean threat very seriously, Clinton said she does not believe that the US alone is able to really put the pressure on this North Korea regime that needs to be placed. "Now, the North Koreans are always interested, not just Kim Jong-un, but his father before him, were always interested in trying to get Americans to come to negotiate, to elevate their status and their position, she said. "We should be very careful about giving that away. You should not offer that in the absence of broader strategic framework to try to get China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, to put the kind of pressure on the regime that will finally bring them to the negotiating table with some kind of realistic prospect for change," Clinton said. During the interview, Clinton described Syria as another one of those wicked problems which everybody is desperately trying to figure out how to stop the civil war, how to prevent Iran from increasing its influence, how to prevent Russia from having a real foothold in the Middle East, which is something that they are desperately seeking. "So now Turkey and what it's going to do is a big question mark, as well. So there's lots that this strike had really nothing to do with that are critical issues that still have to be addressed," she said. Washington: An unfazed FBI chief James Comey on Wednesday strongly defended his controversial decision to alert Congress just days before the US general election about the probe into Hillary Clinton's emails, saying concealing the probe developments would have been "catastrophic". "It was a hard choice, I still believe in retrospect the right choice," the FBI Director told senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency. "I can't consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected," he said, a day after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticised him for his role in the outcome of last year's presidential election. Comey said he stands behind his letter to Congress that shook up the final days of last year's presidential election and he would do it again. Still, he said his decision to tell Congress that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had found new emails that could be relevant to Clinton's private email server was not an easy one. "This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election... I would make the same decision," Comey, 56, said. Asked why he publicly announced an investigation into Clinton's emails days before the election, Comey said, "Concealing in my view would be catastrophic." "It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldn't change the decision." "This has been one of the world's most painful experiences. I would make the same decision. I would not conceal that on 28 October (days before the 8 November election)." Comey said he notified lawmakers about the Clinton-related findings because he "testified under oath repeatedly" that the investigation was over. Comey said he thought he treated the investigations the same because he did not reveal either probe when they initially began. Comey has become an almost equally divisive figure for Republicans and Democrats for his impact on the elections. His revelation that the FBI was examining additional emails from Clinton that were discovered on disgraced former Republican Anthony Weiner's computer, has led Democrats, including Clinton herself, to say it cost them the White House. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on 28 October and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said on Tuesday in an interview to CNN. Following those remarks, Trump criticised Comey the night before the hearing. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phoney... Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump said in a pair of tweets yesterday. At the panel's hearing, Comey got grilled about the investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election and into Clinton's use of a private email server at the State Department. Some Republicans defended Comey's actions and pressed him about what evidence underpins accusations of the Trump campaign contacts with Russia. While the campaign was still ongoing, Comey did not reveal the existence of the Russia probe, but he informed Congress that the FBI discovered thousands of message from the Clinton email domain on the computer of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Democrats repeatedly questioned about his decision-making process, which Comey defended. Less than 24 hours after the global media spray of Infosys decision to hire 10,000 US workers starting with 2,000 in the state of Indiana, the White House called the sudden move a "political victory while Infosys is pitching this potentially outsize investment in Americas midwest as part of its zero distance client servicing model. Either way, by the time Infosys is half way into the 10,000 jobs for locals mission, America will be readying for a new President ( US primaries begin Feb 2020) and the next Vice President may not be from Indiana. "It's all politics, all politics...look at the location of the first hub - Indiana", is how Bloomberg assesses the Infy move. Infosys explained to Firstpost, in a written response, how the 10,000 number will be divvied up. News reports after Vishal Sikka spoke in Indiana have said two things in parallel - that Infosys plans to hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years and that the first location is expected to create 2,000 jobs by 2021. Infosys confirmed these numbers which means at least 8000 other jobs will sprout in locations other than Indiana in the US but two years from now is not 2021, it is 2019 at best or 2020 at a stretch. Although Infosys is not revealing details of the sunk cost, the chatter among local real estate community is that the company will likely lease a 60,000 - 80,000 square feet headquarters in either Carmel or Indianapolis at a shade short of $9 million. In mid-April, the White House called out Indias top tech companies, including Infosys, in an exhaustive briefing by Administation officials on how outsourcing giants corner the lions share of H1B visas. This was the evening before Donald Trump signed the Buy American Hire American executive order. Links: Buy American Hire American executive order Background briefing by The White House on H1B visas Soon after the Vishal Sikka set piece in Indiana early Tuesday, Infosys responded in detail to specific questions from Firstpost on the 10,000 US hires decision. The Q and A and how it fits into the recent debate on high skilled visas and immigration is below. Firstpost: 10000 hires over how many years? Is it correct that 500 of those people will be hired "by 2018? Infosys: Over the next two years, we are committed to hiring 10,000 American workers in the U.S. The first technology and innovation hub will be at Indiana and we plan to add 2,000 employees there by 2021. FP: What is the minimum salary for the least experienced person in Indiana in the specific job profile/s that you are looking for? Compensation for Infosys employees in the United States is competitive and aligned with industry standards. Compensation is based on competence, skill set, role and geographic location. FP backgrounder: If dining with Ivanka and Jared Kushner is not on the horizon, Indiana is at least politically relevant - VP Mike Pence grew up there and has deep roots to the state, he was Governor there before his White House assignment. Second and equally important is that Indiana is in the US midwest, where cost of living, land, rents, salaries are all lower than either the east or west coast of America or even Chicago for that matter. Try this CNN cost of living calculator to see how far your money goes in Indiana. Link: What's keeping H1B workers up at night? FP: Is Infosys planning to lease from existing office space real estate supply in Indiana? How many square feet? What location? Infosys: We are finalizing these details and will provide you an update when confirmed. FP backgrounder: What the real estate market is talking about - Its a toss up between Carmel or Indianapolis for a 60,000 to 80,000 sq ft HQ where annual salaries will average around $ 80,000. Infosys plans to spend $8.7 million to lease and equip the space, which could be in an existing office park or a new building. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered the company a $31 million incentive package. FP: Will this be active recruitment of US workers prior to filing for H1B workers? Infosys: Our staffing mix depends on our project needs. We offer a wide range of service capabilities from business consulting, core technology expertise to business process outsourcing and our engagement model varies keeping in mind the nature of the client project. Our staffing mix is suited to meet those project requirements. As part of our continued focus to driving innovation for our clients we are committed to leveraging the best U.S. talent together with the best global talent. We will be investing in training the people that we hire in the U.S. to ensure that they have the requisite skills that we need to meet our clients needs. Our H-1B visa applications are directly related to our business requirements, which are impacted both by new technologies such as automation, as well as changing engagement models with clients. FP backgrounder: What does White House go-to man for H1B issues Ron Hira say? H1B whistleblower Theo Negri on the lottery FP: How did Infosys arrive at the 10,000 number? Infosys: Our recruiting strategy is in line with our business requirements, which are impacted both by new technologies such as automation, as well as changing engagement models with clients. It is our endeavor to help clients leverage the best U.S. talent together with the best global talent, to drive economic growth and ensure that the U.S. continues to be at the forefront of innovation. FP: What kind of designations will be on offer? What is the business case for 10,000 people? Infosys: These will evolve over a period of time. We will open up four new technology and innovation hubs across the country focused on cutting edge digital technologies, including Cloud, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. We will institute training programs in the country, across key competencies such as user experience, cloud, big data and digital offerings, as well as core technology and computer science skills. Our hiring includes hiring fresh graduates from Americas colleges and universities as well as experienced professionals. Wonk speak: "Consider this thought - 10000 hires is like an indirect tax to the American economy,"says Arun Mohan Sukumar, head of cybersecurity and internet governance at Observer Research Foundation, a think tank. "Announcing 10,000 hires to get around the H1b visa problem is not going to create new technologies. What is the current role of an Infosys or a TCS in the IT ecosystem? You can have companies that do cutting edge AI work like Google or even Uber or be a company that does AI-plus as in AI driven research but a company like Infosys or a TCS is not going to tranform its ethos or vision by hiring 10,000 locals in America. The 10,000 will add to your workforce but Infosys or TCS will remain the same. I don't see how companies that have traditionally provided back-end enterprise driven solutions to America can turn their game around by hiring American. They are not going to come out with IOT driven applications because thats not bread and butter for them," says Sukumar. Islamabad: Iran's Foreign Minister arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for talks after a terrorist attack near the Pakistan-Iran border in which 10 Iranian border guards were killed. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on arrival in Islamabad. Putting a balm to soothe the ruffled Iranian sentiments over the border incident, Nisar Ali Khan, according to Radio Pakistan, assured the Iranian Minister that Pakistan would "not let anything stand in the way of good relations with Iran". Ten border guards of Mirjaveh county in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province were killed in an ambush by terrorists along the Pakistani border's zero-point last week. After the attack, the Iranian police said the guards were killed by long-range guns and "the Pakistani government bears the ultimate responsibility of the attack". Iran-based militant group Jaish-al-Adl, (the Army of Justice), had claimed responsibility for the attack. Zarif had earlier said that Tehran would "spare no effort in following up the case through diplomatic channels and punishing terrorist thugs". During Wednesday's meeting, the two ministers agreed to cooperate with each other for effective border management and to curb drug trafficking and illegal cross border movement through intelligence-sharing. Kabul: Pakistan spy chief has quietly visited Afghanistan as part of efforts by the two neighbours to reset their ties, a media report said on Wednesday. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar flew into Kabul on Tuesday, Tolo news service reported. The visit comes at a time when relations between Islamabad and Kabul are at their lowest. The news of the ISI chief's likely visit to Kabul was first given by Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who led a parliamentary delegation to Afghanistan over the weekend. There was no official confirmation from either side about the spy chief's visit or his engagements in Kabul. Tolo news said the ISI chief was in Kabul to improve bilateral military and intelligence cooperation. Feb. 24, 1914 April 29, 2017 Doris A. Westberg died peacefully April 29 in Albany. She was 103. She was born in Goldfield, Nevada on February, 24, 1914. Her family later relocated to Paradise, California, where she attended school. It was in Paradise that she met and married Jack Westberg, to whom she was married for 70 years. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2005; a son, Earl; and brother Earl Houghtaling. Survivors include two sons; Dale (Paulette) and Larry (Kathy) and daughter-in-law Sue (Jake) Lamp. Doris enjoyed her 10 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. Doris and her husband raised their family in Eureka, California. The family was active in the First Covenant Church of Eureka for many years and Doris enjoyed being part of the Tabitha womens circle. For 17 years she worked as the school secretary at the Marshall School and was honored by the PTA for her many contributions of service to the organization. During retirement, she and her husband made several trips to Massachusetts to assist Earl with home remodeling. A traveling highlight was their trip to the Holy Land and Sweden, her husbands homeland. Retirement years were the most fun of any time in their lives she said. She enjoyed baking, especially apple pies. There were always freshly baked treats on hand. In 1998, Doris and Jack moved to Albany to be near family. Doris last five years were spent at Quail Run, an assisted living facility in Albany. She was well cared for and enjoyed her friends. A Memorial Service for Doris will be at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 12 in the Quiet Room at Quail Run at 2525 SE 47th Avenue in Albany, with a reception following the service. Interment will be in Paradise Cemetery, Paradise, California. Memorials will be received for First Covenant Church and may be sent to Fisher Funeral Home, 306 Washington Street SW, Albany, OR 97321. Online memorials for the family may be posted at www.fisherfuneralhome.com. Beirut: Islamic State militants staged a surprise attack early on Wednesday at a crossing frequently used by Iraqi and Syrian civilians seeking safety in northeastern Syria, killing at least 37 people, mostly civilians, Kurdish officials and activists said. The militants struck before dawn after sneaking into the village of Rajm Sleibi, located along a front line that separates the Kurdish-controlled Hassakeh province from Islamic State-held areas further south. Some militants reportedly blew themselves up at a Kurdish checkpoint while others attacked sleeping civilians in a nearby temporary camp sheltering hundreds of displaced people who fled Islamic State-controlled territory. The International Rescue Committee said thousands of people from the Iraqi city of Mosul have traveled west to the Sleibi crossing since October, often via smugglers. In a statement, it said several children were among the dead and wounded. "It was three in the morning when Daesh came and started to shoot at people," said Abdulah Khalef Hamid, an Iraqi refugee from Mosul, who said his mother-in-law was killed in Tuesday's attack. "I was wounded and they thought I was dead so they left me. We were around 200 families, they left at sunrise," he added. Daesh is the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Redur Khalil, a spokesman for the main Kurdish fighting force in Syria, said the attack started with an early morning assault by IS militants on a checkpoint in Sleibi belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed and Kurdish-dominated force that fights Islamic State. The militants then "committed a massacre" against civilians as they sought to enter SDF-controlled territory, Khalil said. He told The Associated Press the attack came a few hours after Islamic State suicide bombers dressed in civilian clothes sneaked into the town of Shaddadeh and attacked SDF forces, triggering clashes that were ongoing. Survivors from the attack on the camp said the militants arrived in four cars before shooting several people and kidnapping others. "They were shouting 'You are infidels and you are going toward the infidels,'" said Fatima, a displaced Syrian woman who asked that her last name not be used, fearing retribution. "They shot at the checkpoint and at the civilians there, and they dragged the youngsters and put them in the cars and drove them away," she said. Issam Amin, a media activist in Hassakeh, said the victims arriving at the city's hospitals had stabbing and gunshot wounds. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the Syrian conflict through activists on the ground, said Tuesday's attack included suicide bombers and heavy clashes with the SDF. The Observatory put the death toll at 38, including 23 civilians, many of them Iraqi. Hawar, a news agency for the semi-autonomous Kurdish areas in Syria, put the death toll at 37. The Islamic State group is under attack by an array of forces in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, the SDF is now fighting to recapture the town of Tabqa, an important militant stronghold located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the Islamic State group's de facto capital, Raqqa. Kurdish officials said Kurdish-led opposition fighters have pushed the extremists almost completely out of Tabqa and were cleaning up the town. They said Islamic State continues to hold the nearby dam on the Euphrates River. In Iraq, the extremist group is fighting for survival against Iraqi forces and their allies in the last neighborhoods it still holds in the western part of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. Islamic State claimed responsibility for today's attacks through its Aamaq media arm, saying its fighters attacked four Kurdish positions in the southern countryside of Hassakeh province. Rajm Sleibi lies about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the town of al-Hol, which houses a large refugee camp for civilians displaced from Syria and Iraq. A Kurdish activist said it is the entry point to Hassakeh for Syrians civilians fleeing the eastern cities of Deir el-Zour and Raqqa, and those fleeing from Mosul and elsewhere in Iraq. The civilians spend about two weeks in Rajm Sleibi while they get security clearance from Kurdish authorities, and are then taken to al-Hol. The activist spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety. The camp is within the zone of influence of the SDF but not directly protected by its forces. Kabul: A powerful blast targeting an armoured Nato convoy in Kabul killed at least eight people and wounded 28 today, including three coalition members, officials said in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The explosion, which came during morning rush hour on a busy road near the US embassy and Nato headquarters, killed "mostly" civilians, an interior ministry spokesman told AFP without giving a breakdown. Nato said three coalition service members had received "non-life threatening wounds" in the attack. "They are in stable condition, and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities," a spokesman for US Forces in Afghanistan said, without confirming their nationalities. IS claimed responsibility for the blast via its Amaq propaganda agency, saying the eight dead were all American soldiers. The militants are known to exaggerate their claims. The attack comes three weeks after the US dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on the jihadist group's hideous in eastern Afghanistan. Nato commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson said the strike, which triggered global shockwaves, showed there was "no space" for IS in the war-torn country. Monday's attack comes as the US seeks to craft a new strategy in Afghanistan and Nato mulls boosting troop levels as they face a "stalemate" against the resurgent Taliban. The blast, which IS said was a suicide car bomb and Nato said was an improvised explosive device (IED), damaged two of the heavily armoured vehicles in the convoy and left a small crater in the road, witnesses and an AFP photographer said. MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles, which are designed to withstand large explosions, are routinely used by international forces moving around Kabul. At least three civilian cars were also damaged, with one ablaze, while windows were shattered up to several hundred metres away. Firefighters and ambulances rushed stunned survivors to hospital. Nicholson has said the US decision to drop the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast on IS hideouts in Nangarhar province last month was a "very clear message" to the group,"If they come to Afghanistan they will be destroyed". Some observers have condemned the move against a militant group that is not considered as big a threat to Afghanistan as the Taliban. Others suggested it would boost the Taliban, who have been in a turf war with IS in Nangarhar. The weapon, dubbed the "Mother of All Bombs", killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defence ministry, but fighting in the area has continued. Last week, two US troops were killed in an operation against IS near where the bomb was dropped. The Pentagon has said it is investigating if they were killed by friendly fire. Pentagon chief Jim Mattis warned of "another tough year" for both foreign troops and local forces in Afghanistan when he visited Kabul last month. He would not be drawn on calls by Nicholson for a "few thousand" more troops to break the "stalemate" against the Taliban insurgents. But Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg told a German newspaper Sunday that the 28-nation alliance was considering boosting its troop strength once more given the "challenging" security situation. The US has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from Nato allies. Most are taking part in Nato's train, assist and advise mission, though some are also carrying out counter-terror missions targeting IS and Al- Qaeda. First emerging in 2015, ISIS-K overran large parts of Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, near the Pakistan border, but their part in the Afghan conflict had been largely overshadowed by the operations against the Taliban. Captain Bill Salvin, spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan, said the local IS presence peaked at between 2,500 to 3,000 but that defections and recent battlefield losses had reduced their number to a maximum of 800. "We have a very good chance of destroying them in 2017," Salvin told AFP recently. Afghan forces have been straining to beat back the Taliban insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014. With more than one third of Afghanistan outside of government control, civilians also continue to bear a heavy brunt, with thousands killed and wounded each year and children paying an increasingly disproportionate price, according to UN figures. Jaish-e-Mohammad which, along with Lashkar-e-Taiba, is one of the two lead Pakistani military-backed jihadist organisations waging war against Indian security forces in Kashmir has begun organising a series of conferences across towns in Pakistan where the key objective is to impart the lessons of Quranic verses on jihad to audiences. These conferences are called 'Daurat-e-Tafseer Ayaat-e-Jihad' or Tours for the Explanation of the Verses on Jihad. These tours are undertaken by radical Islamic clerics associated with JeM. "The first phase of the tours for the explanation of the verses on jihad (has) begun in 18 towns under the auspices of the Al-Rahmat Trust, and hundreds of people (have) participated," according to a report in the latest issue of Haftroza Al-Qalam. Al-Rahmat Trust is a non-governmental organisation run by JeM, a terrorist organisation headed by Maulana Masood Azhar, who was freed by India in exchange for the passengers of the Indian plane hijacked to Qandahar in 1999. Haftroza Al-Qalam is an Urdu-language weekly newspaper published by JeM. As per the report in the 28 April-5 May 5 issue of Haftroza Al-Qalam, "In addition to men, women are also taking part (in the events to explain the Quranic verses on jihad) in Gujranwala, Daska and Lehri, Balochistan." The report states: "At the tours to explain the verses on jihad, the translation and explanation of the hundreds of those verses of the Quran are taught which are connected to jihad and which were revealed in the context of the jihadi events (ie Islamic wars fought during the era of Prophet Muhammad)." "These tours were initiated by the Emir-ul-Mujahideen (the leader of the mujahideen), Maulana Masood Azhar May Allah Protect Him, in the year 2003. And every year, these tours are organised in different towns across the country where his students and Ulama (Islamic scholars) teach...," the front-page report says, adding that the first phase of these tours began from 22 April this year. As per the details, 84 men and 70 women took part in the event at Gujranwala; 65 men and 20 attended the event at Daska, 30 men and 25 women were present at Lehri (Balochistan); 215 individuals participated at the event in Timergara (Lower Dir district); 75 people were present at Mardan and 45 at Mansehra; 33 people participated in the event at Abbottabad. These figures might look small, but they are large given that these events are organised by a known terrorist group. Similarly, 20 people attended the event in Khyber Agency; 16 people at Lakki Marwat and 58 at Nawabshah; 56 participants were at the event at Larkana and 38 at Swabi. In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, 17 people attended the event at Bhimber, 18 individuals at Muzaffarabad and 25 at Kotli. Along with Lehri, events were also organised in many other towns of Balochistan. Thirty people attended the event at Dalbadin and 55 at Khuzdar. These events were organised across Pakistan. The radical clerics who are teaching the meanings of the Quranic verses on jihad to the audiences in these towns include Maulana Ateequr Rahman, Maulana Abdul Basit, Qari Muhammad Sadiq, Maulana Imdadullah, Mufti Mudassir Iqbal, Maulana Muhammad Ishtiaq, Maulana Muhammad Abdullah, Maulana Kalimullah, Mufti Laal Muhammad, Maulana Umar Rahman, Maulana Ziaur Rahman, Mufti Ubaidur Rahman, Maulana Muhammad Rafeeq, Mufti Abdur Rahman, Maulana Ataullah Kashif, Maulana Muhammad Sarfraz and Maulana Yusuf. The town of Bahawalpur is the JeM headquarters. The terror group's major activities take place at the Jama Masjid Usman-o-Ali in Bahawalpur. As per another report in Haftroza Al-Qalam, a 15-day course was also begun at the mosque where teachings of Islam, Islamic history and jihad are being taught to 23 people. This course was designed by Maulana Masood Azhar and is arranged every month, the report notes. According to another front-page report in the weekly which is available freely across Pakistan, an 'Azm-e-Jihad (Willingness for Jihad) Conference' was also organised at Mankpian in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At the conference, "the air of Mankpian was filled with the slogans of Al-Jihad Al-Jihad." As per the report, Maulana Talha Rasheed, addressing the conference, said: "If the Ummah has to be rid of problems and difficulties, then one will have to wage Jihad fee Sabilillah (jihad in the path of Allah)." We know for sure that JeM is a terror organisation created by Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Adnan Rasheed, a former Pakistan Air Force (PAF) technician who is now a commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), testified in an interview in 2013 that an institution called Idarat-ul-Pakistan was established within the PAF to coordinate jihadi activities across the three branches of the Pakistani military: Navy, army and air force. His interview was published in a jihadi magazine called Azan. Rasheed noted that he was sent for training at a camp in Afghanistan, managed by Masood's JeM. At the training camp, Rasheed realised that JeM was "working under the ISI". He told his boss in the Idarat-ul-Pakistan: "There is no difference between us and JeM. We are soldiers in uniform and they are soldiers without uniform." As India confronts the Pakistani military-backed jihadism in Kashmir, Indians must realise that there is no short-cut solution to the jihad in Kashmir or elsewhere in India. This is because India is sandwiched between Pakistan in the West and Bangladesh which remains a fragile State in the East. In Pakistan, groups like LeT and JeM will acquire a lasting presence in the Pakistani State apparatus. In Bangladesh, the re-emergence of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of Khaleda Zia and associated right-wing groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami will embolden jihadi groups. These forces will continue to have some influence in India. At present, the Indian government is clueless how to meet this threat. The author, a former BBC journalist, is a contributing editor at Firstpost and executive director of the Open Source Institute, New Delhi. He tweets @tufailelif In 2017, with the internet and its simple plagiarism tools available to everyone, one would think that speech writers would be a tad more careful about plagiarising content. Even college students delete Wikipedia references from their poorly written essays. But in American and French politics, we wonder who's being hired to write speeches? Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate in the running for the French presidency, and Melania Trump, now First Lady of the United States, have both indulged in a little bit of copy-pasting. On Monday, French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen copied comments made two weeks earlier by Francois Fillon, a former frontrunner who was eliminated in the first round of the election, AFP has found. On 15 April, Fillon made a speech in Puy-en-Velay, in which he made specific mention of the geography of France's borders, paid tribute to the French language and spoke of a third "French way" for the 21st century. At her rally in Villepinte on Monday, Le Pen repeated almost verbatim these passages from Fillon's speech. Fillon had also quoted from French prime minister during World War I, Georges Clemenceau, and from writer Andre Malraux. Le Pen used the same quotes on Sunday, ahead of the second run-off. The New York Times explained the extent of plagiarism by Le Pen: On maritime borders Fillon: This near perfect hexagon, a wonder of balance, three maritime coastlines: the English Channel and the North Sea, open on the Anglo-Saxon world and on the northern vastness; the Atlantic coastline, which for centuries has given us the open seas, and which hands us its adventures; the Mediterranean coastline, home to some of historys oldest and richest human civilisations. Le Pen: ...the English Channel and the North Sea, which links us to the Anglo-Saxon world and the northern vastness; the Atlantic coastline, which gives us the open seas and speaks to us of adventure; the Mediterranean coastline, home to some of historys oldest and richest human civilisations. France's culture Fillon: (France) is a history, is a geography, but it is also a set of values and principles passed down from generation to generation, like passwords. Le Pen: France is also a set of values and principles passed down from generation to generation, like passwords. However, Le Pen, did say that it was a "media trick" that plagiarised passages of one of her speeches were deliberately used to gather media attention ahead of voting this weekend. "If we hadn't have done it, you wouldn't have spoken about it," Le Pen told her interviewer ahead of a head-to-head debate with Macron on Wednesday night. "We know you so well, we know how it works." While Le Pen at least tried to spin the plagiarism allegations to her advantage, Melania Trump's team first put out a statement that skirted around the time she herself was accused of plagiarism. Ahead of the 2016 US presidential election, Melania Trump caused a scandal with a plagiarised speech, that was strikingly similar to the one given by Michelle Obama (former First Lady of the United States) in 2008 for then US President Barack Obama. Melania's speech copied two paragraphs from Michelle's, aspects which pertained to Michelle's life personally. On life values Michelle: "And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and to pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children and all children in this nation to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them. Melania: "They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them." "In writing her beautiful speech, Melania's team of writers took notes on her life's inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking. Melania's immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it such a success," said Jason Miller, the senior communications advisor. However, Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign manager, defended Melania and said the words used were not "unique words". Another spokesperson for the Donald Trump campaign said that "This concept that Michelle Obama invented the English language is absurd." Finally, Trump said in an ABC interview that "we all make mistakes". Perhaps, Le Pen should look at the Melania plagiarism scandal and realise that it's better to admit to a mistake than deny it over and over again. Denial only makes Twitter users angry and denial only makes liars out of everyone. And speechwriters, if you're reading this don't you get paid a lot of money to do this? You have one job, don't plagiarise! With inputs from AFP By Samia Errazzouki and Patrick Markey | RABAT/ALGIERS RABAT/ALGIERS A Moroccan phosphate ship has been held in a South African port by a complaint from Western Sahara Polisario movement that it transported cargo unlawfully from the disputed territory, a lawyer and Polisario said on Wednesday. The seizure of the vessel, carrying 50,000 tonnes of phosphate to New Zealand, may be a test for the Polisario's use of a European court decision last year that ruled Western Sahara should not be considered part of the Moroccan kingdom in EU and Moroccan deals.Western Sahara has been disputed since 1975 when Morocco claimed it and the Polisario movement fought a guerrilla war for the Sahrawi people's independence there. A ceasefire in 1991 split the region in two between what Morocco calls its southern Sahara and an area controlled by Polisario.The two sides have been since locked in diplomatic and legal tussles though tensions flared last year when U.N. peacekeepers had to step in between Moroccan forces and Polisario brigades in the buffer zone near the Mauritania border.The Marshall Island-flagged NM Cherry Blossom, carrying phosphate from Laayoune in the Moroccan part of the disputed territory for state-run OCP, has been held in Port Elizabeth by a civil maritime court order, OCP said."The order issued in South Africa regarding the cargo of the NM Cherry Blossom is a standard temporary measure made on the basis of only one party's allegations," OCP legal counsel Othmane Bennani Smires told Reuters by telephone. "We are fully confident of a favourable resolution once the actual facts of this case are presented to the South African court."He said OCP's Phosboucraa subsidiary and its activities are in full compliance "with the United Nations framework and relevant international legal norms and standards".The sparsely populated stretch of desert bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Western Sahara has rich offshore fishing as well as phosphate and possibly oil reserves. OCP, or Office Cherifien de Phosphate (OCP) is the world's leading phosphate exporter. Southern African maritime authorities were not immediately available to comment or confirm details but OCP confirmed the other party in the case was Polisario.Polisario chief negotiator Mohamed Khadad said they had filed the case based on the Western Sahara's status defined by the U.N. as a non-self governing territory, to protect its natural resources, and also based on the EU court decision."There is no possibility to exploit the natural resources of the Western Sahara without the consent of the people of the Western Sahara," Khadad told Reuters. "We are convinced, we have been following it from the port of the Laayoune," he said. "It is a matter of law. We will abide by the last decision of the court."In January, Morocco rejoined the African Union regional body, where Polisario's self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is also a member. South Africa along with Algeria have been key supporters of the SADR.The NM Cherry Blossom case comes as the U.N. Security Council has backed attempts to restart talks between Morocco and Polisario for a mutually acceptable political solution to the question of the region's self-determination.Talks have failed for years to bring an end to the dispute. Morocco wants the region to have autonomy within Moroccan sovereignty while Polisario calls for a referendum on self-determination, including on the question of independence. (Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Tom Heneghan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Bryn Stole | BATON ROUGE, La. BATON ROUGE, La. U.S. Justice Department officials were expected to announce on Wednesday that they will not bring federal charges against two white officers in the fatal shooting of a black man in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last summer, according to news media reports.The shooting of Alton Sterling, 37, was one of a series of high-profile killings of black men by white officers in recent years that sparked nationwide protests and gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.The Justice Department has not confirmed the decision not to prosecute the officers for civil rights violations.Members of Sterling's family were meeting at midday with Justice Department officials to discuss the case and planned to hold a news conference afterward. The Justice Department was expected to make a formal announcement at a 1 p.m. CDT (1800 GMT) news conference.Wednesday's events came a day after a white former South Carolina officer pleaded guilty in the 2015 shooting of an unarmed black man and a Texas officer was fired for shooting an unarmed 15-year-old boy on Saturday. The rapid developments were likely to intensify scrutiny of how Republican President Donald Trump holds police accountable for racially charged killings.U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has said the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama unfairly targeted police in civil rights investigations, has already ordered a review of federal agreements with police departments, a move that alarmed civil liberties advocates. Trump has criticized a "war on police" and signaled a broad shift in focus from civil rights to law and order. Sterling was killed after being confronted by Baton Rouge officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake on July 5, 2016, outside a convenience store where he sold CDs. The next day, a Minnesota police officer fatally shot a black motorist, Philando Castile, whose girlfriend broadcast the aftermath live on social media. Video of both incidents quickly went viral, fueling a fierce debate over police treatment of minorities.A day after the Castile shooting, five Dallas police officers were gunned down by a sniper at a peaceful protest in apparent retaliation. Ten days later, a man shot six police officers in Baton Rouge, killing three. Sessions is still responsible for several ongoing criminal investigations into other high-profile police killings, including the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York and the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland that same year, both of which ignited widespread protests.The legal standard for prosecuting police officers for federal civil rights violations is relatively high. (Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. LONDON British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday accused European politicians and officials of seeking to affect the outcome of the June 8 national election by issuing threats over Brexit.Speaking in front of her Downing Street office after visiting Queen Elizabeth to mark the dissolution of parliament, the formal start of the election campaign, May said there were some in Brussels who did not want to see Brexit talks succeed.Over the weekend a German newspaper gave a damning account of talks last week between May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, reporting that he had told May during a dinner at Downing Street that Brexit could not be a success. "In the last few days we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britain's negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press, the European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened, threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials," she said. "All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election."May, whose Conservative Party have a double-digit lead in the polls, said reaching the best Brexit deal would be the overriding task for whoever wins the June 8 election and called on voters to give her their backing to "fight for Britain". She said that while Britain wanted to reach a deal with the EU, that view was not shared by everyone in Brussels."The events of the last few days have shown that, whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europe's other leaders - there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed. Who do not want Britain to prosper." (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and William James, editing by Estelle Shirbon and Guy Faulconbridge) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Alexandra Ulmer and Deisy Buitrago | CARACAS CARACAS Venezuelan opposition supporters gathered on Wednesday to march down Caracas' main thoroughfare to protest leftist President Nicolas Maduro's creation of a powerful assembly, which it views as a ruse to dodge free elections so he can remain in office.Building on over a month of large and sustained protests, opposition leaders have vowed more street action after Maduro's announcement on Monday that he was creating a "constituent assembly" empowered to rewrite the constitution. The government says protest-related violence and the opposition's unwillingness to hold talks with officials left Maduro with no choice but shake up Venezuela's governing apparatus.The opposition wants to bring forward the 2018 presidential vote amid a devastating economic crisis. It says Maduro's announcement is a cynical ploy to confuse citizens into thinking he has made concessions when in fact he is seeking to tweak the system to avoid elections the Socialist Party would likely lose."This constituent assembly seeks to impose a Cuban electoral model," said opposition lawmaker Jorge Millan. "We Venezuelans are not going to allow fraud," he added.Wednesday's march was planned for the Francisco Fajardo highway, the city's main thoroughfare. Running through Caracas' main valley, it links the eastern, central and western parts of the city. Maduro's move has drawn condemnation from the United States and some Latin American countries, including regional powerhouse Brazil that labeled it a "coup." An influential group of U.S. senators will file sweeping legislation later on Wednesday to address the crisis in Venezuela, including sanctioning individuals responsible for undermining democracy or involved in corruption, Reuters reported.But Maduro has received backing from regional leftist allies including Cuba. Bolivia's President Evo Morales said Venezuela had the right to "decide its future... without external intervention." Maduro was to meet later on Wednesday with election officials, where more details of the process were expected. Maduro has already said the 500 members of the constituent assembly would be elected by social groups including workers, indigenous people, and farmers, as well as on a municipal level. GOVERNMENT BLAMES "TERRORISTS" At least 33 people have been killed, more than 400 people injured and over 1,000 arrested since the anti-Maduro unrest began in early April. There were four additional deaths on Tuesday, officials said. Two people died when a vehicle tried to avoid a protester barricade in the state of Carabobo, Venezuela's Civil Protection agency tweeted late on Tuesday. Angel Moreira, 28, who was on a motorbike on a highway leading out of Caracas, also died after a vehicle ran him over while trying to avoid a demonstration, the state prosecutor's office said on Wednesday. In addition, the office said Yonathan Quintero, 21, had been killed while a group was "damaging" a business after a protest in the Carabobo state capital of Valencia. The opposition says heavy-handed security forces and armed government supporters are trying to scare protesters from taking to the streets in violent Venezuela, awash with guns and home to one of the world's highest murder rates. Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader elected to replace the late Hugo Chavez in 2013, retorts thuggish protesters are fanning violence and vandalism. Typically at protests, thousands rally peacefully but are then blocked from marching, often with teargas, to government buildings. At that point, masked youths appear throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at lines of police and National Guard soldiers.Energy Minister Luis Motta said late on Tuesday "a right-wing terrorist plan to paralyze the country" had cut a submarine cable that provided electricity to the palm tree-studded Caribbean island of Margarita, plunging it into darkness. The president of state oil company PDVSA, Eulogio Del Pino, said "terrorists" had captured a company tanker truck in the western state of Lara, tweeting pictures of it in flames.The opposition scoffs that an inept government blames Maduro critics as a smokescreen for rampant crime and lack of maintenance that have Venezuela's infrastructure creaking. (Additional reporting by Andreina Aponte and Eyanir Chinea; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and W Simon) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Clement Uwiringiyimana | KIGALI KIGALI An independent woman candidate announced on Wednesday she would challenge President Paul Kagame, joining two other candidates hoping to defeat him in August elections after 17 years in office.Diane Rwigara, a 35-year-old accountant, said she would work to eradicate poverty, injustice and promote freedom if elected. She does not belong to any political party.Kagame is widely admired for restoring stability to the East African nation after its 1994 genocide, presiding over rapid economic growth and a relatively corruption-free government.But rights activists say that came at the expense of civil liberties. Some of Kagame's political opponents have been killed after they fled abroad, in cases that remain unsolved. Rwigara said she understood how victims of rights abuses felt. Her father died in a car accident in 2015 that her family maintains was politically motivated."Other Rwandans face similar problems, not just my family alone and therefore I have to end their misery," she told a press conference in Kigali. "Everybody who is Rwandese knows people who have disappeared or who have been killed and the perpetrators of those crimes have never been taken to justice," she said. "I know how it feels to be a victim so that will help me not victimize others." If elected, her government would tolerate dissenting views "Having dissenting views shouldn't be a crime," she said. The government was not immediately available for a comment but has in the past denied accusations of stifling the media and political rights.There are two other declared candidates, one from Rwanda's tiny opposition party and another independent. A Catholic priest living abroad who wanted to return and run for president has twice been barred from boarding a flight to Kigali. The electoral commission said no candidate had yet been officially registered."We ask people to take these people as people wishing to become presidential candidates, but they are not yet presidential candidates," the executive secretary of the national electoral commission Charles Munyaneza told Reuters."Wishing is one thing and qualifying is another thing," he said. Constitutional changes, which technically allow Kagame to stay until 2034, were approved in a 2015 referendum by a 98 percent majority that the opposition and Western diplomats said was suspiciously high. (Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Editing by Tom Heneghan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Washington: A South Carolina policeman who was filmed shooting an unarmed black man in the back after a traffic stop pleaded guilty on Tuesday to unlawful killing while performing official duties, which could bring up to life in prison. The Justice Department said that former North Charleston, South Carolina, police officer Michael Slager, 35, agreed to the single federal charge five months after a jury failed to convict him of murder in the case. Slager's plea will resolve both the federal and state cases against him over the shooting two years ago, which came amid a spate of police shootings of unarmed black men that sparked widespread anger and protests. In December, a lone jury member in the state case prevented a murder conviction, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial and plan for a new trial. "The Department of Justice will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who violates the civil rights of our citizens by using excessive force," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "Such failures of duty not only harm the individual victims of these crimes; they harm our country, by eroding trust in law enforcement and undermining the good work of the vast majority of honorable and honest police officers." Slager, who is white, pulled Walter Scott over for a broken brake light in North Charleston on 4 April, 2015. The 51-year-old Scott got out of his car and tried to flee. Slager chased him and shot him with a Taser, knocking him down. When Scott got up and ran again, Slager shot him five times in the back, killing him. Slager had claimed that Scott tried to attack him with the Taser. A cellphone video of the incident made by a bystander showed that Slager was in no danger and had no apparent reason for shooting Scott as he ran. "The defendant used deadly force even though it was objectively unreasonable under the circumstances," the plea agreement said. Sentencing in the case is to come at a later date. The charge of depriving a person's civil rights carries a sentence of up to life in prison, and a potential fine of up to $250,000. "We hope that Michael's acceptance of responsibility will help the Scott family as they continue to grieve their loss," Slager's lawyer Andy Savage said in a statement. Meanwhile, in Dallas, Texas, an officer who shot 15-year-old black teenager Jordan Edwards in the head outside a party last weekend was fired, according to The New York Times. US media also reported the US Justice Department has decided not to charge Louisiana officers over the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge last year. The 37-year-old black man was killed by police while selling CDs outside a convenience store. Racial justice group Color of Change denounced the move, saying it meant the Justice Department believes that "black lives do not matter". "This dystopic vision should have been part of America's past, but thanks to the white supremacist administration of Donald Trump and his racist cronies like Jeff Sessions and Steve Bannon it's become our present," Color of Change executive director Rashad Robinson wrote in a statement. Amnesty International USA said the case reflects the "dire need for a nationwide review of laws governing when and how police should use deadly force". ASTANA The Syrian armed opposition said on Wednesday it had suspended its participation in peace talks being held in Kazakhstan and demanded an end to government bombing of areas under its control.A senior official from Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry, however, told reporters he expected Syrian opposition figures to return to the talks on Thursday. Another diplomat close to the talks also said the rebels were not walking out completely."The delegation has suspended its participation after presenting a memorandum for a total commitment to stopping (government) bombardments," Ahmad Ramadan, a spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC), said.In the memorandum, the rebels demanded "clear implementation procedures" for matters such as enforcing a ceasefire, withdrawal of government forces from areas taken by them since Dec. 30 last year, and release of detainees.They also again insisted on President Bashar Assad's departure and objected once again to Iran's role in the process, describing it as an "aggressor state". Iran, along with Russia, are Assad's main supporters against rebels trying to topple him.In a phone call on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to defuse tension arising from U.S. air strikes on Syrian government forces in April, expressing a wish for a ceasefire and safe zones for the civil war's refugees. ELUSIVE TRUCE With a ceasefire ever elusive in Syria, the White House said Washington would send a representative to truce talks in the Kazakh capital Astana on Wednesday and Thursday. The State Department said acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones would attend as an observer.Aidarbek Tumatov, head of the Asia and Africa department at the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, told reporters the rebels had met the U.S. and U.N. delegations on Wednesday. "Tomorrow, I hope, the (Syrian) opposition will also take part (in the talks)." U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura also voiced hope that the rebels would return to the negotiation table."I hope they will because what is important is also to look at the possibility of an outcome on de-escalation," his office quoted him as saying."Every time every time we have been having a meeting or a discussion about cessation of hostilities or de-escalation in this case, there have been some incidents produced by one side or the other. The secret is to try to make sure that those incidents stop but also do not kill the opportunity for good news related to that." The talks in Astana are sponsored by Russia, Iran and Turkey, which - like the United States - backs the rebel side.Also on Wednesday, Putin met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and they reaffirmed their commitment to working together to end Syria's war. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on the sidelines of the Sochi meeting that the sponsors of the Astana talks had already agreed three documents and were discussing a fourth."On this de-conflicting issue we are having discussions in Astana (which are) very positive and I'm hopeful we will reach an understanding on this as well," he said.Russia's lead negotiator in Astana, Alexander Lavrentyev, said he hoped the sides would sign a memorandum on safe zones on Thursday. He dismissed the rebels' ultimatum as a bid to put pressure on Moscow, Ankara and Tehran."The Syrian opposition must participate in the talks," he said. "We hope common sense prevails." (Reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva and John Davison; writing by Dmitry Solovyov and Olzhas Auyezov; editing by Andrew Osborn and Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Jeff Mason and Matt Spetalnick | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to work to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians as he hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House but offered no clues about how he could break the deadlock and revive long-stalled negotiations.In their first face-to-face meeting, Trump pressed Palestinian leaders to speak in a unified voice against incitement to violence against Israelis but he stopped short of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a longstanding bedrock of U.S. policy."We will get this done, Trump told Abbas during a joint appearance at the White House, saying he was prepared to act a mediator, facilitator or arbitrator between the two sides. Abbas quickly reasserted the goal of a Palestinian state as vital to any rejuvenated peace process, reiterating that it must have its capital in Jerusalem with borders based on pre-1967 lines. Israel rejects a full return to 1967 borders as a threat to its security.Trump faced deep skepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough with Abbas, not least because the new U.S. administration has yet to articulate a cohesive strategy for restarting the moribund peace process.Abbas White House talks follow a mid-February visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who moved quickly to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with the Republican president's predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump sparked international criticism at the time when he appeared to back away from support for a two-state solution, saying he would leave it up to the parties themselves to decide. The goal of an Palestinian state living peacefully beside Israel has been the position of successive U.S. administrations and the international community The meeting with Abbas, the Western-backed head of the Palestinian Authority, was another test of whether Trump, in office a little more than 100 days, is serious about pursuing what he has called the ultimate deal of Israeli-Palestinian peace that eluded his predecessors.Ive always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is between the Israelis and the Palestinian, Trump said on Wednesday. Lets see if we can prove them wrong.But he offered no new policy prescriptions.LOW EXPECTATIONS Abbas, speaking through a translator, told Trump that under your courageous stewardship and your wisdom, as well as your great negotiations ability, the Palestinians would be partners seeking a historic peace treaty.The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in 2014. Abbas said its about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our land - a reference to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. Reaffirming his commitment to a two-state solution, he called on Israel to recognize Palestinian statehood just as Palestinians recognize the state of Israel.Though expectations are low for significant progress, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit the right-wing Israeli leader in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, targeted for May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. U.S. and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit. Questions have been raised about Trumps choice of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who entered the White House with no government experience, to oversee Middle East peace efforts, along with Trumps longtime business lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, as on-the-ground envoy.The administration seeks to enlist Israel's Sunni Arab neighbors, who share Israeli concerns about Shi'ite Iran, to help rejuvenate Middle East peacemaking.Abbas, who governs in the West Bank while Hamas militants rule Gaza, was under pressure at home to avoid making major concessions to Trump, especially with an ongoing hunger strike by hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.Palestinian officials say it will be hard for Abbas to return to the negotiating table without a long-standing pre-condition of a freeze on Jewish settlement expansion on land Israel occupied in 1967 which Palestinians want for a state.Trumps pro-Israel rhetoric during the 2016 election campaign raised concern among Palestinians about whether their leaders will get a fair hearing.Trumps promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, strongly opposed by Palestinians, has been shifted to the back burner, and he has asked Netanyahu to put unspecified limits on settlement activity. (Additional reporting by David Alexander, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Howard Goller and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Andrew Cawthorne and Alexandra Ulmer | CARACAS CARACAS Youths at the head of a Venezuela opposition march on Wednesday lit fires and hurled stones at security forces who fired teargas to stop their latest demonstration against President Nicolas Maduro on the capital's main thoroughfare. In a familiar pattern from a month of protests against the socialist government, thousands of opposition supporters rallied peacefully for several hours before being blocked, sparking fights between masked youths and National Guard troops.At least 33 people have been killed and hundreds injured and arrested since the anti-Maduro unrest began in early April. The marchers wanted to reach the National Assembly legislature, where the opposition has a majority, to protest Maduro's creation of an alternative "popular" congress viewed by foes as a ruse to dodge free elections and cling to power.But they were blocked on the Francisco Fajardo highway, which runs through the middle of the city, by National Guard forces with teargas, armored vehicles and riot shields. "They are mobilized as if this was a war," said opposition leader Henrique Capriles, broadcasting from the scene via the Periscope app favored by protest leaders.On the opposition side, youths donned gas masks and bandanas, throwing Molotov cocktails and using slingshots to fire stones. They protected themselves with homemade shields, painted in bright colors and decorated with slogans like "Liberty!" and "Murderer Maduro!"Lawmaker Freddy Guevara said he was hurt by a tear gas canister. Opposition leaders have vowed to stay in the streets after Maduro's announcement on Monday that he was creating a "constituent assembly" empowered to rewrite the constitution. "It's a tool to avoid free elections. We've been marching 18 years but this is our last card. It's all or nothing," said pensioner Miren Bilbao, 66, with friends and family on the Francisco Fajardo highway. Maduro, 54, the former bus driver who narrowly won election to replace Hugo Chavez in 2013, says his foes are seeking a violent coup with the connivance of the United States and encouragement of international media.Officials say violence around the protests, and the opposition's unwillingness to hold talks, left Maduro with no choice but shake up Venezuela's governing apparatus."WE DESERVE PEACE" During a meeting with election officials on Wednesday, Maduro said a vote for the new assembly would take place in coming weeks. At least half of the members would be chosen by grassroots groups including workers, indigenous people and farmers, and the rest in a vote, Maduro has said, although details remain fuzzy."The new constituent process starting today will consolidate the Republic and bring to the nation the peace that we all deserve," he said, clutching a pocket-size blue constitution. "The Republic must defend itself from terrorism," he added, joining supporters in a rally downtown after presenting his plans to the national election board, which backed the move.The opposition is seeking to hold state gubernatorial elections delayed from 2016 and bring forward the 2018 presidential vote amid a devastating economic crisis. It says Maduro's use of a "constituent assembly" is a cynical ploy to confuse citizens into thinking he has made concessions when in fact he is seeking to tweak the system to avoid elections the Socialist Party would likely lose.Maduro's move has drawn condemnation from the United States and some Latin American countries, including regional powerhouse Brazil that labeled it a "coup."An influential group of U.S. senators filed sweeping legislation on Wednesday to address the crisis in Venezuela, including sanctioning individuals responsible for undermining democracy or involved in corruption. But backing has come from regional leftist allies including Cuba. Bolivia's President Evo Morales said Venezuela had the right to "decide its future... without external intervention." Swelling the toll from unrest around the country, officials announced four more fatalities on Tuesday. Two people died when a vehicle tried to avoid a protester barricade in the state of Carabobo, Venezuela's Civil Protection agency tweeted late on Tuesday. Angel Moreira, 28, who was on a motorbike on a highway leading out of Caracas, also died after a vehicle ran him over while trying to avoid a demonstration, the state prosecutor's office said on Wednesday. In addition, the office said Yonathan Quintero, 21, had been killed while a group was "damaging" a business after a protest in the Carabobo state capital of Valencia.Energy Minister Luis Motta said late on Tuesday "a right-wing terrorist plan to paralyze the country" had cut a submarine cable that provided electricity to the palm tree-studded Caribbean island of Margarita, plunging it into darkness. The president of state oil company PDVSA, Eulogio Del Pino, said "terrorists" had captured a company tanker truck in the western state of Lara, tweeting pictures of it in flames.The opposition scoffs that an inept government blames Maduro critics as a smokescreen for rampant crime and lack of maintenance that have Venezuela's infrastructure creaking. (Additional reporting by Andreina Aponte, Corina Pons, Brian Ellsworth, Deisy Buitrago and Eyanir Chinea in Caracas, Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Writing by Alexandra Ulmer and Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by W. simon, Diane Craft and Andrew Hay) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Copenhagen: A lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has resubmitted a request for a Stockholm court to drop a detention order relating to a possible sex crime in Sweden seven years ago. Per E Samuelsson says Assange wants to travel to Ecuador to seek political asylum because he fears otherwise he could be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges. Samuelsson said Wednesday the US has made clear it wants Assange. Last month, President Donald Trump said he would support any decision by the Justice Department to charge Assange. Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012. He fears if he sets foot outside the embassy he will be arrested on the Swedish warrant and could then end up being extradited to the US. Samuelsson said lifting the detention order wouldn't stop the Swedish case going forward. Assange denies any wrongdoing. Xiaomi just sent out invites for the inauguration of its first Mi Home store in India in Bengaluru, as it had promised last year. Xiaomis Mi Home store will be offering a range of products such as portable speakers, power banks, headphones, Mi Band, Mi Air Purifier and more, as mentioned in the invite, but it is not clear if it will sell smartphones at the launch. In October last year Xiaomi expanded its offline reach beyond China region by opening its first overseas Mi Home store in Singapore. It already has Mi Home stores in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. [HTML1] For the company, India is their second largest market for the mobiles outside China. Manu Jain, Group Vice President and Managing Director of Xiaomi India will open the store. We should know more details including the location, area and the products that will be sold in the store when it is opened. Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and current CEO of investment firm Revolution, appeared on the FOX Business Network Wednesday to discuss the influence of technology across all sectors and why supporting entrepreneurship is key to boosting U.S. job growth. Case acknowledged that tax reform is important to U.S. economic competitiveness, telling Maria Bartiromo, I think everybody agrees that we need to have a simpler tax code and something thats more kind of globally consistent. But Case sees job creation as a priority and pointed to support and funding for startups as key to driving job growth in America. What the bias should be I think is on job creation and most of the jobs are not created by small businesses or the big businesses theyre created by the young, high-growth startups. So, how do you create incentives around job creation and fund those startups? Though there are entrepreneurs across America, Case raised concerns that attention and funding are not being spread out enough, citing 80% of venture capital last year going to just three states: California, New York and Massachusetts. Case says this impacted the presidential election as many Americans across the middle of the country felt left behind because entrepreneurs havent been able to get the capital needed to grow and hire. When people say President Trump won in part because a lot of people and a lot of parts of the country feel left out, left behind by globalization, by digitization, its because they have been left behind. Case sees the need to look beyond those three states to support entrepreneurship across the country. Weve really funded entrepreneurs on the coasts and that has to change, we have to level the playing field so everybody, everywhere really does have a shot at the American Dream. Case then discussed the influence of technology on how businesses operate across all sectors, claiming it is so ubiquitous that it can no longer be thought of as just an individual entity or sector. The tech sector is really being integrated because almost every companys now a tech company. DigitalGlobe(NYSE: DGI) released first-quarter 2017 results Tuesday after the market closed, which were highlighted by broad-based, accelerated revenue growth and the first direct access capacity to international customers for its cutting-edge WorldView-4 satellite. Considering DigitalGlobe's impending merger with Canada-based MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates (TSX: MDA), however, we shouldn't expect shares of the satellite image purveyor to move much on the news. But let's zoom in to see what drove DigitalGlobe's business to start the year, how the merger is progressing, and what investors should expect in the months ahead. DigitalGlobe's WorldView-4 Satellite, IMAGE SOURCE: DIGITALGLOBE, INC. DigitalGlobe results: The raw numbers Metric Q1 2017 Q1 2016 Growth (YOY) Revenue $209.7 million $175.4 million 19.6% Net income (loss) available to common shareholders ($3.2 million) $7.3 million N/A Earnings (loss) per share ($0.05) $0.11 N/A Data source: DigitalGlobe. What happened with DigitalGlobe this quarter? DigitalGlobe's net losses were primarilya result of merger costs and lower capitalized interest and depreciation after placing WorldView-4 in service this past November. U.S. government revenue increased 25.4% year over year to $28 million, thanks primarily to contracts obtained through DigitalGlobe's $140 million acquisition of The Radiant Group last year. Diversified commercial revenue climbed 9.7% to $6.3 million, including an 8.7% increase in direct access program (DAP) revenue, thanks to demand for capacity on WorldView-4, and 10.7% growth from demand for the Global Basemap product suite. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) were $95.5 million, up slightly from the same year-ago period. Cash flow from operations declined 35% year over year to $38.7 million because of merger costs, higher WorldView-4 costs, and higher bonus compensation,given the company's stronger-than-expected 2016 performance. Free cash flow declined 14.8% to $17.8 million. DigitalGlobe began offering direct access capacity to select international defense and intelligence customers in February. DigitalGlobe's merger with MDA is still expected to close by the end of 2017. What management had to say DigitalGlobe CEO Jeffrey Tarr stated: Looking forward Finally, DigitalGlobe reiterated its outlook for 2017 revenue of $840 million to $865 million, adjusted EBITDA of $380 million to $395 million, and capital expenditures of roughly $100 million. In light of its impending merger with MDA, DigitalGlobe is not holding its usual quarterly earnings conference call. As a reminder, the terms of that acquisitiondictate that DigitalGlobe shareholders will receive $17.50 per share in cash and 0.3132 MDA common shares for each common DGI share they own. With MDA shares closing today at 66.80 Canadian dollars (or roughly $48.74 U.S. dollars, based on current exchange rates), that implies an acquisition price of $32.76 per share as of this writing -- a roughly 2% premium to DigitalGlobe's closing price on Tuesday. In the end, as long as the merger remains on track, we can expect the price of DigitalGlobe sharesto remain closely tied to MDA's own movements until the transaction is complete. 10 stocks we like better than DigitalGlobeWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and DigitalGlobe wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of May 1, 2017 Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends DigitalGlobe. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Boeing (NYSE: BA) entered 2017 with a very cautious outlook for aircraft orders, but so far, it's running well ahead of last year's pace. As usual, the 737 family is driving the bulk of Boeing's order activity. However, the 787 Dreamliner family is also off to a solid start. On Tuesday morning, the Dreamliner bagged another important win as Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet (TSX: WJA) announced a firm order for 10 787-9s, along with another 10 options. Firm orders have been in short supply Boeing's Dreamliner program secured the bulk of its firm orders between 2004 and 2008, well before the type's entry into service. The launch of the larger 787-10 variant in 2013 spurred a brief uptick in sales activity, with 182 net orders for the 787 family that year. However, Dreamliner orders have trailed deliveries since then. From 2014 to 2016, Boeing averaged fewer than 60 net firm orders per year for the 787 family. By contrast, it's currently building 12 787s per month. Boeing hasn't received many firm Dreamliner orders in recent years. Image source: Boeing. Boeing's backlog of 672 firm orders for the 787 serves as a buffer for now. But unless order activity accelerates, it will eventually need to cut production. For Boeing to increase production to 14 per month as planned, it would need even more orders to come in. Through the first four months of 2017, Boeing has received just 13 firm orders for the 787 family. However, that figure excludes Boeing's two biggest Dreamliner deals of the year, as they have not been finalized yet. Two solid Dreamliner commitments The first of these order commitments came from Singapore Airlines in February. The Asian carrier, which had previously ordered 30 Dreamliner 787-10s, plans to buy another 19 787-10s, in order to modernize and expand its fleet. Singapore Airlines also has options to purchase six more 787-10s. This week, WestJet gave the Dreamliner its second biggest order commitment of the year, agreeing to buy 10 787-9s, with options for another 10. Deliveries of the first 10 planes are scheduled to run from 2019 to 2021. WestJet wants to expand its relatively new long-haul operations. Image source: WestJet. WestJet plans to use the 787-9s to expand its nascent international service. The company noted that the Dreamliner's long range would allow it to expand into Asia, Latin America, and deeper into Europe. Additionally, the 787-9s are eventually likely to replace the four Boeing 767s that WestJet is currently using for flights to London and Hawaii. Those planes are nearly 25 years old, on average, and probably need to be retired a few years down the road. Including the Singapore Airlines and WestJet order commitments, Boeing has captured 42 Dreamliner orders this year. That's a solid start to the year, considering that orders tend to concentrate around the top air show of the year -- the Paris Air Show takes place next month -- and near year-end. Is WestJet biting off more than it can chew? WestJet's ambitions seem to be growing rapidly. Just five years ago, it was strictly a low-cost carrier in the mold of Southwest Airlines, operating a uniform fleet of Boeing 737s. Since then, it has built up an extensive regional operation using turboprops and added Boeing 767s to its fleet to support longer-range flights to Hawaii and London. Just two weeks ago, WestJet announced plans to launch an ultra-low-cost carrier under a new brand name, using Boeing 737s with a denser seating configuration. Now, it also plans to expand its international service dramatically by adding 10 787-9s to its fleet. And in the meantime, WestJet, like other airlines, has to cope with higher fuel prices, which have already started to put pressure on its profitability. Thus, WestJet's management will have its hands full over the next few years. This raises the risk of execution mistakes for the proposed ultra-low cost carrier, for WestJet's growing international operations, or even for the company's core domestic business. That said, if WestJet is successful in moving into the international market, Boeing is likely to get plenty of additional Dreamliner orders in the coming years. Air Canada operates nearly 100 widebody aircraft, so it's clear that WestJet's potential market opportunity for the 787 is a lot bigger than 10 planes. 10 stocks we like better than BoeingWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Boeing wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of May 1, 2017 Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Boeing. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The U.S. fired another Boeing (NYSE:BA)-made Minuteman III missile into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, the second test of the nations nuclear arsenal in the past week amid escalated tensions with North Korea. Its efforts like these that make nuclear deterrence effective, Col. Craig Ramsey, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a press release announcing the test mission. The nuclear-capable Minuteman III was built in the 1970s with a price tag of $7 million. In current dollars, the Minuteman III would cost more than $40 million. The Air Force has made several upgrades to the Minuteman III, including modern targeting systems, since the missiles initial production run. A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, conducted Wednesdays test launch shortly after 3 a.m. ET. Malmstrom Air Force Base is one of three bases in the U.S. that house Minuteman III ICBMs. The Air Force has approximately 450 of the long-range missiles in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Crew members are on alert 24 hours a day, year-round. The intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) traveled about 4,200 miles from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. In addition to the Minuteman III tests, the U.S. completed the installation of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile battery in South Korea earlier this week. Also, the U.S. Navy recently deployed a strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the region. Rafferty Capital Markets banking analyst Dick Bove is raising concerns that a pullback of US financials internationally is giving Chinese banks more power globally. Bove first pointed to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchins interview on Mondays Mornings with Maria in which Maria Bartiromo asked him about how the Treasury Department implements sanctions against foreign countries such as Russia, Iran and North Korea. The answer that he gave was the first level of sanctions are to remove the ability of these countries to operate with the United States financial system, Bove told the the FOX Business Networks Charles Payne. Bove says these sanctions are happening at a time when US banks are already reducing their international operations. Now, the problem with that is that, you know, Citigroup has now pulled out of 30 countries around the world on the ground. Its reduced its position in Germany, Japan. Bank of America, you know, has pulled back Merrill Lynch from operating overseas. JPMorgan has gotten rid of tens of thousands of customers literally around the world because of government regulations. Bove explains the impact, youre creating a vacuum into which the Chinese have already stepped. The result is an increasingly powerful Chinese financial system internationally. In other words, when the WTO agreement was signed with China, basically China had a couple of, maybe 10, 15 banks around the world that would accept its currency. There are well over 10,000 banks around the world that accept this currency now. As US banks shrink, Bove anticipates an expansion of Chinese banks. So, you know, were shrinking, theyre increasing. We want to shrink some more, theyre going to increase some more. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy The Latest on congressional action on the GOP health care bill and the $1.1 trillion government-wide spending bill (all times local): 12:10 a.m. Democrats say House Republicans up for re-election next year will face a public backlash if they vote to approve a GOP health care bill. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters late Wednesday that there are sufficient votes to pass the measure. That apparently means a vote will be held Thursday. But Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says "Trumpcare" will strip coverage from millions and voters will hold them accountable. Budget analysts have estimated that 24 million could be uninsured by 2026, including 14 million by next year. Pelosi says the latest bill is being pushed through without a revised estimate from congressional budget analysts. If it passes, it would be a major win for President Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan after GOP opposition forced them to abruptly pull the bill in March. ___ 8:25 p.m. The top House Democrat says House Republicans who vote for the GOP health care bill Thursday "are going to tattoo this moral monstrosity to their foreheads," and the American people will hold them accountable. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who helped shepherd the Affordable Care Act into law seven years ago, issued a statement Wednesday shortly after House GOP leaders announced plans to vote on their measure. Pelosi said that if Republicans pass "Trumpcare" millions will lose health coverage. Budget analysts have estimated that 24 million could be uninsured by 2026, including 14 million by next year. She said Republicans were pushing through a bill without a revised estimate from congressional budget analysts. Democrats say House Republicans up for re-election next year will face a backlash from voters over the bill. ___ 7:25 p.m. House Republicans will vote on a bill to repeal major portions of Democratic President Barack Obama's health care law. That's the word Wednesday night from Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who told reporters "yes" when asked if they have sufficient votes. Leaders have spent days scrambling to round up the votes for their legislation. If the bill passes, it would be a major win for President Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan after GOP opposition forced them to abruptly pull the bill in March. The latest iteration of the GOP bill would let states escape a current requirement that insurers charge healthy and seriously ill customers the same rates. That's a major problem for moderate Republicans, but the announcement of a vote signaled that leadership believes the measure will pass. ___ 4:20 p.m. The House has passed a $1.1 trillion bill to fund the government through the end of September, the first significant piece of bipartisan legislation of Donald Trump's presidency. The 309-118 vote sends the bill to the Senate in time to act before a midnight Friday deadline to avert a government shutdown. The White House says Trump will sign the measure, which gives him much of the money he sought for defense and border security but denies startup construction funding for Trump's oft-promise wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The measure is the product of weeks of Capitol Hill negotiations in which Democrats blocked Trump's most controversial proposals, including cuts to domestic programs backed by both parties and new steps to punish so-called sanctuary cities. _____ 1:25 p.m. The House is debating a $1.1 trillion government-wide spending bill that has both Democrats and Republicans claiming victory for now. Lawmakers are putting off until later this year fights over President Donald Trump's promised wall with Mexico and massive Pentagon buildup. House Speaker Paul Ryan is assuring conservatives that the bipartisan bill is a win for Trump and Republicans controlling Congress. He says it's "a really good down payment" on rebuilding the military and "the biggest increase in border security in a decade." Ryan told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that the most important win for Republicans was breaking loose from former Democratic President Barack Obama's edict that increases in defense spending be matched with equal hikes for nondefense programs. _____ 11:22 a.m. Two pivotal Republican lawmakers who had opposed GOP health care legislation are now prepared to support it after meeting with President Donald Trump. Congressmen Fred Upton of Michigan and Billy Long of Missouri made their announcement to reporters at the White House after meeting with Trump Wednesday. They said they will back the bill with inclusion of a new amendment Upton authored adding more money to protect people with pre-existing conditions. Upton and Long both had announced their opposition earlier this week over the pre-existing conditions issue. Their defections dealt a major blow as House GOP leaders hunt for votes to salvage their top legislative priority. Upton, a respected leader on health care issues, says he now believes the bill will be able to pass the House. _____ 10:52 a.m. House Speaker Paul Ryan sought to assure conservatives on Wednesday that a massive government-wide spending bill is a win for President Donald Trump and Capitol Hill Republicans, citing "a really good down payment" on rebuilding the military and "the biggest increase in border security in a decade." Ryan told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that the most important win for Republicans was breaking loose from former President Barack Obama's edict that increases in defense spending be matched with equal hikes for nondefense programs. The House is scheduled to vote on the bipartisan $1.1 trillion measure Wednesday afternoon. It is a product of weeks of Capitol Hill negotiations in which top Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi successfully blocked Trump's most controversial proposals. _____ 4:19 a.m. A government-wide spending bill that President Donald Trump seemed to criticize Tuesday morning but now calls "a clear win for the American people" is headed for a House vote. The House is scheduled to vote on the bipartisan $1.1 trillion measure Wednesday afternoon. It is a product of weeks of Capitol Hill negotiations in which top Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi successfully blocked Trump's most controversial proposals, including a down payment on oft-promised Trump's Mexico border wall, cuts to popular domestic programs, and new punishments for so-called sanctuary cities. The White House instead boasted of $15 billion in emergency funding to jumpstart Trump's promise to rebuild the military and an extra $1.5 billion for border security. Trump boasted that "this is what winning looks like." Big box stores operating in Wisconsin, along with the state chamber of commerce, are fighting a pair of bills circulated Wednesday that are designed to result in the retailers paying more in property tax. The bipartisan push to change how the value of stores like Menards, Lowe's and ShopKo is assessed for levying property taxes also has the backing of cities and towns throughout the state that are embroiled in costly court battles. Mayors joined Republican and Democratic lawmakers at a news conference to unveil the proposals, saying they're needed to reverse recent court rulings that have forced municipalities to cut large checks in tax refunds to retailers like Walgreens. The stores have been successfully arguing that their value should be based on the underlying real estate, so nearby empty big box stores can be taken into account. But municipalities call that a dark-store loophole that artificially lowers the value of the operating retail stores, shifting the property tax burden to smaller retailers and homeowners. The bills come in reaction to court rulings in Wisconsin and nearby Midwestern states starting in Michigan that have helped the retail giants lower the value placed on their stores for levying property taxes. Even as the mayors and lawmakers spoke, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce sent a memo to legislators urging them to oppose the bills as being bad for business. The state chamber and other opponents blame assessors with being overly aggressive and targeting retail stores and restaurants for large tax increases. "Thankfully, the courts have been on the side of property taxpayers and have overturned many of these unwarranted increases," the WMC memo to lawmakers said. "This legislation would fly in the face of current law, overruling what the courts have said." The bills set up the unusual dynamic of the state chamber, which typically supports Republicans, lobbying against them. "Clearly we're going to be fighting people who are normally our allies in the state," said Republican Rep. Rob Brooks, the lead sponsor of the Assembly bills. The Senate sponsors are Sens. Duey Stroebel and Roger Roth. All three are Republicans, but Democratic Rep. Gordon Hintz joined them at the news conference to support the measure on what he called an issue of statewide concern. Mayors and other local leaders from Appleton, Wauwatosa, West Bend, Pleasant Prairie and Madison were also on hand. The bills are a priority for the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. Roth said he was hoping the Legislature would take up the bills in the fall. Brooks said he had spoken with Gov. Scott Walker about it, but would not say what his position is. "The governor has been a huge proponent on holding the line on property taxes," Brooks said. ___ Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/scott-bauer . Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said on Wednesday he would move to begin a form of bankruptcy for the island or particular public agencies under Title III of last year's Puerto Rico rescue law known as PROMESA. Rossello said he is requesting that the island's financial oversight board initiate a Title III, a day after several major creditors sued his government over defaults on the island's $70 billion in bonds. A bankruptcy process for Puerto Rico would be the largest in the history of the $3.8 trillion U.S. municipal debt market. It would give Puerto Rico the legal ability to impose drastic discounts on creditor recoveries, but could also spook investors and prolong the island's lack of access to debt markets. Title III is an in-court debt restructuring process akin to U.S. bankruptcy protection, since Puerto Rico is barred from using Chapter 9 of the U.S. federal bankruptcy code reserved for insolvent public entities. The legal proceeding does not mean negotiations toward a consensual restructuring agreement must stop though, the governor said. "It is my wish that the Government's Title III processes accelerate the negotiation process by bringing the greatest possible consensus," the governor said in the statement, which was in Spanish. Rossello's fiscal plan for the island, approved by the oversight board in March, forecasts Puerto Rico having only $800 million a year to pay debt, less than a quarter of what it owes. The low figure alienated creditors, and negotiations toward a restructuring deal have foundered. In addition to its debt, Puerto Rico is facing a 45 percent poverty rate, a shrinking population and unemployment more than twice the U.S. average. (Writing by Nick Brown) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt on Wednesday said President Trump will soon make a decision on whether to pull out of the global Paris Climate Agreement signed in 2015. In an interview on the FOX Business Networks Varney & Co., the EPA administrator called the Paris Agreement a bad deal for this country. What Paris represents is an American second strategy. We already are at pre-1994 levels with respect to our CO2 footprint and when America went to Paris, Russia, China, India, all contributed zero to the climate action fund. And as far as India and China are concerned, they didnt have to take any steps to address CO2 until year 2030. Thats a bad business deal for this country, he said. Pruitt said the United States has been leading the world at reducing our CO2 footprint through innovation and technology without any government mandate. When you look at whats happened, you have technology and innovation, invested by the private sector, reducing our CO2 footprint. So, we need to tell our story. We dont need to be apologetic about our position and we need to exit Paris, he said. The EPA administrator weighed in on billionaire Sir Richard Branson calling out Trump on his coal plan. I cant think of anything more stupid than to talk about bringing coal back, Branson said during an interview with Washington Post Live. Pruitt called Bransons comments dead wrong and said the United States is blessed with its resources. Its a smart strategy for this country to invest in technology and innovation. Burn coal, burn natural gas, use renewables, make sure we advance nuclear, but it truly needs to be a part of the field diversity with the utilities across the country," he said. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said there could be a breakthrough this week with health care. aI think they are real close. Iam hearing this morning that Congressman Fred Upton from Michigan has an idea on how to sort of address some of the issues he sees in the bill,a Mulvaney said during an interview with the FOX Business Networkas Maria Bartiromo. Upton, who previously chaired the House Energy and Commerce Committee, dealt a major blow to the current GOP health care bill on Tuesday, saying he would vote against it over concerns about pre-existing conditions. aI donat share those concerns, but I respect Fredas position. Heas the former chairman of the committee that has oversight over health care on the Hill, so certainly he has the right to check in on the bill,a he said. So far, the GOP is short of the 216 votes needed to pass the latest bill, but Mulvaney remains confident that it could pass by the end of the week. aWe welcome his input and if heas got some ideas that would be acceptable to everybody else and how to fix that in his mind, that may be the lynch pin that we get to get the moderates to support the bill as well,a he said. He added: aThese are not supposed to be pre-cooked deals done in back rooms, they are supposed to be out in the open. Let the lawmakers make some law, let the president participate in the process and who knows, at the end, we might get a really, really good piece of legislation.a Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivered his second address to the entire State Department Wednesday morning, as White House efforts to streamline the agency have left employees resentful of his leadership and widespread bitterness festers among the departments 75,000 staffers. In addition to the Trump administrations plan to cut the State Departments budget by 28 percent in 2018, there are also calls for the elimination of 2,300 positions within the department through a combination of attrition and buyouts. Theyre very angry at him Theyre very upset with him in the building, Fred Fleitz, former State Department chief of staff to John Bolton, told FOX Business. They fear he has not defended them against the White Houses efforts to streamline and cut personnel. While the new secretary clarified the administrations America first mission Wednesday, defining it as strengthening our national security and promoting economic prosperity, he has already engendered skepticism among his staff. He travels with small delegationskeeping not just the media out of his affairs, but also some of his staffers, Fleitz said. Additionally, State employees believe Tillerson has allowed the agency to be excluded from some pertinent negotiations. Tillerson has yet to fill a host of senior positions within the agency, following a slew of high-level resignations at the end of January. Open slots include the important deputy secretary of state position, which the administration is actively trying to fill according to Fleitz. However, experts say Tillerson is keeping these and other positions open because there may be a massive restructuring on the horizon for the department. While the new secretary of state did not directly address restructuring Wednesday, he said the agency needs to upgrade its systems and processes, which were designed for the Cold War era. Theres enormous waste in the building. Tillerson ... was appalled when he saw the way things are run Theres a lot of duplication, theres a lot of offices that perform missions that go back to the Cold War, Fleitz said, echoing Tillersons criticisms. However, eliminating civil service jobs is no easy task, Fleitz added, as bureaucracies only tend to grow larger over time. The Trump administration has not shied away from attacking those bloated agencies, as trimming fat from government to advance efficiency has been at the core of the presidents agenda. Additionally, like Trump, Tillerson is a businessman, leading oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) for ten years after a lifelong career with the company. During that tenure, he gained a reputation for being a savvy negotiator when it came to dealing with difficult foreign leaders, including the Russians, as detailed by the Wall Street Journal. In concert with the Trump administrations strategies, Tillerson will also send out a survey Wednesday to all 75,000 State Department employees in order to gauge how efficiently systems are functioning. That is going to guide how we approach both our organizational structure, but more importantly our work process design, Tillerson said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Kim Kardashian attended last night's Met Gala sans husband Kanye West. The reality star, who recently told Ellen Degeneres that she doesn't care about materialistic things since she was robbed in Paris, chose a laid-back look for fashion's big night. The 36-year-old donned a white, off-the-shoulder Vivienne Westwood dress with simple white sandals for her Met Gala appearance. Kardashian also went without any jewelry and opted for a sleek bob and modest makeup. As for her fashion-forward husband? A source told E! News Kanye chose to skip the New York City event in favor of staying home with the couple's two children. In 1492, he sailed the ocean blue, but Christopher Columbus' ships went on other voyages. And on Tuesday's episode of "Cooper's Treasure," Darrell Miklos' hunt for shipwrecks took him on a trail that involved the man who discovered America. Miklos, who knew the late Gordon "Gordo" Cooper, one of NASA's seven original Gemini astronauts, said that Cooper had observed what he believed were shipwrecks from low Earth orbit. Cooper left Miklos maps and other information about possible sites and the adventurer was determined to use it to find long-lost treasure. On the Discovery Channel episode, Miklos decided to consult the professional shipwreck hunting company, The Fisher Group, about Cooper's charts. In 1985, Mel Fisher found the lost Spanish ship called the Atocha that had sunk in the 1600s off the Florida Keys. About $450 million worth of items, including gold and jewels, came out of the sea from the stunning discovery. But Miklos showed Mels son Kim Fisher how, 22 years prior to the Atocha find, astronaut Cooper had mapped that area as a possible shipwreck. He showed Fisher the chart where Cooper had noted anomalies, and Fisher found it fascinating and urged him to continue his work because there are 1,000 Spanish wrecks still unaccounted for. Later, Miklos decided he should be looking in the Turks and Caicos Islands, known as one of the main routes of the Spanish treasure highway. Miklos couldn't understand what the late Cooper was trying to tell him in one of his notes, then it made him realize that Columbus had sailed to the new world four times. Years ago, Miklos' dad Roger, also a treasure hunter, believed he'd found the location of Columbus' ship the Pinta but the dive ultimately fizzled. Roger advised his son to go to Spain to find the manifest of Columbus' ships. Miklos' wife, weary of his treasure hunting, warned him, "This is your last chance," as he set out for Seville, Spain. There, an archivist helped him figure out that the Pinzon brothers who had sailed with Columbus had indeed traveled through Turks and Caicos in 1501. Miklos took a copy of the manifest document to a woman who translated it from Castillian Spanish. According to the translator, the Pinzons went to Haiti and traveled north, when a storm hit and some ships sank, including the Santa Maria. The Pinta and the Nina traveled on. But the translator noted that these were considered "minor voyages" because Columbus didn't go along although they were his ships. Still, Miklos is thrilled to hear on this 1501 voyage, according to the Spanish manifest, the ship was carrying gold, silver, treasure, and precious stones such as emeralds. "I want to dance," Miklos raved, thinking Cooper's map could lead him to it. "Millions and millions of dollars." The translator agreed, "Follow that lead! You're on the right track." Miklos told the cameras that the expert had confirmed that "Columbus had other ships sent [to the new world] and the Pinzon brothers came back." And the adventurer was ready to follow the clues to their sunken ship as the episode ended. Paris Jackson is ready to make her move into movies. The 19-year-old has agreed to take on a big screen role a few months after making her television acting debut. Deadline and USA Today report that Michael Jackson's daughter will appear opposite David Oyelowo in an untitled dark comedy directed by Nash Edgerton and produced by Amazon Studios. A representative for Jackson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Jackson had a guest role on Fox's "Star" in an episode that aired in March. Also in March, Jackson announced a modeling deal with IMG. The 19-year-old was a high-profile presence on the red carpet earlier this week ahead of the Met Gala in New York. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Believe it or not, world famous actress Salma Hayek suffers from stage fright. The 50-year-old actress opened up to HOLA! USA for the magazines May issue, speaking out about her struggle. "I suffer from stage fright. No one would know it, but I get it really, really bad, she revealed. Hayek said the issue arises when she is in front of a crowd. If you take the camera away and put me in front of an audience, I just die, she said. Once I get onto the stage, you can't tell. But then I can't do anything else the rest of the day because I'm so exhausted. Her mother, Diana Jimenez Medina, graced the cover of the mag with her A-list daughter ahead of Mothers Day. Medina expressed her pride over her famous daughter and said she knew Hayek was destined for great things. "I always knew that Salmita would be something big in her life because of her personality, her way of always working for what she wants, but she surprises me. She continues to surprise me more and more, Medina told the mag. There was one thing that I wanted: that was for Salma to be free to grow up and do whatever she wanted." Hayek has a 9-year-old daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault. She said motherhood has impacted her greatly. "Feeling responsible helps you develop as a human beingYou learn a lot about yourself when you do something for someone else," Hayek said. The actress recently revealed to People magazine that Valentina has taken up a new odd business venture: making homemade slime. She has a lot of it in the house. She has developed like 40 different recipes for slime and she became very popular in school because its not easy to make. Now shes experimenting with different things and the kids all want to learn and she teaches them, and then they want to buy it from her, she started selling the slime! Get ready to pay a higher price for your next order of avocado toast or chips and guac. Avocado prices are rising steeply and quickly due to increasing demand amid a meager harvest. Thanks to a reduced yield, a drought in California, and a growers' strike in Mexico last year, the fruit known for its beneficial healthy fats-- and is believed to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease-- may not only be hard to come by, but will also come at an unusually high cost now and into the future, analysts say. Eighty-two percent of the avocados imported to the U.S. come from Mexico, with the number growing every year. In 2000, 24 billion pounds were shipped; today that figure is well over 1.7 billion pounds, according to the Hass Avocado Board in Mission Viejo, Calif. AVOCADO BANNED AT LONDON RESTAURANT California supplies the rest of the avocados to the U.S., and production will be down about 44 percent this year, according to the states avocado commission forecasts. The average cost for Hass avocados is currently $1.27 each, up from 98 cents last year, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. A 22-pound box of Hass avocados from the state of Michoacan, Mexicos largest producer, costs 530 pesos ($27.89), according to the government. The cost, which is subject to seasonal fluctuations, is more than double what it was a year ago-- and the highest in almost two decades. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS But its not just the avocado toast lovers in the U.S. that can't get enough of this Insta-worthy, healthy fruit. China has jumped onto the "butter fruit" train with exports from Mexico growing by about 250 percent every year, from 154 tons to more than 25,000 tons in 2016, according to the Independent. Its been reported that the Chinese conglomerate Shenzhen Kondarl is set to buy Australia's biggest avocado farm, Primary Growth, for up to 1 billion yuan ($192 million) to meet the country's skyrocketing demand. Women who rely on medication often face a tough choice during pregnancy. They want to keep their babies safe and reduce the risk of harm, but many take daily prescriptions to relieve pain, balance hormones, or control their emotions. Stopping these medicines abruptly would leave these mothers crippled from normal activities. For those women who are taking anti-depressants during pregnancy, they may now have an easier time making the decision. Risk Factors of Anti-Depressants Previously, many health professionals and researchers believed that anti-depressants could increase the risk of a baby developing autism. Particularly, one Canadian study of over 140,000 babies from Quebec received notable attention. In this study, researchers correlated a link between anti-depressants and autism, but experts admitted that the study could not link the anti-depressants as a cause. WHY WOMEN NEED DAIRY: THE RISKS OF A DAIRY-FREE DIET In a recent study published in April, researchers actually found the opposite to be true. During the research phase, professionals analyzed the effects of anti-depressants, using over 950,000 mothers and well over 1 million children. In addition, the researchers received their data for the medication from both the mothers and the pharmacy and compared the mothers use of these medications with multiple pregnancies. Analyzing the data from these various angles gave the researchers increased accuracy in their findings. In their analysis, anti-depressants themselves did not show a direct relationship to autism. However, the researchers did see a potential link with genetic factors, especially if both parents needed the anti-depressants. Their findings give ample proof that the drugs do not influence the risk for autism, but rather that those using anti-depressants may have the genetics for the disorder. Why Anti-Depressants during Pregnancy? Doctors prescribe anti-depressants when a person shows signs of prolonged depression combined with anxiety, guilt, suicidal thoughts, and many other debilitating mental and physical symptoms. Many women battle these emotions through medication, and stopping them during pregnancy could lead to some serious side effects. TREATING CHRONIC DISEASE WITH EXERCISE These women could turn to recreational drugs, smoking, and alcohol to alleviate their depression. After labor, they may also experience worsened cases of postpartum depression. In the most serious cases, they may even attempt suicide. Depending on the severity of the womans depression, using these medications has proven an important help, even with the alleged risks to the baby. Fortunately, research is now siding in these womens favor. Balancing the Risks While this new finding may give hope to pregnant women who are battling depression, women should still make the decision to keep taking medication carefully. Most doctors largely forbid medication during pregnancy, and they do not have ample proof for or against other risks, such as miscarriage and birth defects outside of autism. These women should discuss currently known risks of anti-depressants with their doctors and factor in the level of their clinical depression into the decision. If a pregnant woman chooses to stop medications, she should ask about alternative treatments. Ideally, a friend or partner should help her and let the doctor know if her depression takes a dangerous turn. AVOID TRANS FATS IN FOODS AT ALL COSTS In many cases, however, these women should consider continuing the prescriptions. While she may be putting the baby at an increased risk for pre-term delivery, the mother might harm herself through neglect or self-inflicted harm if she allows her depression to spiral out of control. During pregnancy, doctors and pregnant mothers alike just want to protect and deliver a healthy baby. If a woman was taking anti-depressants before pregnancy, she will need to make a careful decision about continuing them. Depending on the level of the mothers depression, she may be able to forgo the prescription and find an alternative treatment. However, if she has severe depression, the mother may need the anti-depressants. In the end, keeping both the mother and the baby as safe as possible takes priority. This article first appeared on AskDrManny.com. A veteran paratrooper who hadnt seen his Army pal in 16 years stepped forward last week to save his life after seeing a Facebook post about his failing health. On Friday, Robert Harmon donated one of his kidneys to Kai Johns in a three-hour surgery at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Fox 5 DC reported. Its not just him, Harmon, who has a wife and children of his own, told the news outlet. It would be any other close Army brothers and sisters that we have together. SURGEONS PERFORM FIRST-EVER PROCEDURE ON TRIPLETS WITH RARE SKULL CONDITION The wheels were set in motion after Harmon saw a post by Johns wife on a Facebook support page. It was a Facebook post. It said, A kidney for Kai, Harmon told Fox 5 DC. He then reached out and asked how he could go about getting tested to see if he was a match. Dr. Jennifer Verbesy, who led the transplant surgery, said she encourages others to be open about their health needs because it could lead to solutions and patient support. UTAH MAN INITIALLY DENIED LUNG TRANSPLANT OVER POT USE DIES AFTER COMPLICATIONS Just tell people whats going on in your life, she told Fox 5 DC. If you tell people about your illness, sometimes people are very private and dont share it. But if you share whats going on, youll be surprised who comes out of the woodwork to help you. The news outlet reported that both men are recovering from the procedure, with Johns struggling to put into words what it means for his Fort Bragg buddy to step up in the way he did. For someone to step up and just save your life, you cant come up with a word for it, Johns told Fox 5 DC. The Florida Keys are flying in 40,000 mosquitos a week, to take their own buzzing vacations, of sorts. Theres 1,000 male aedis agypti mosquitos in this tube, says Catherine Pruszynski, field officer for the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. Pruszynski is packing 20 of these tubes in her bag, all full of male mosquitos. Twice a week, she walks a 10-acre test site on Stock Island (right next door to Key West)part industrial, part residentialputting her mouth up to one end of the tube and then blowing the thousand mosquitos out into the air, to mix and mingle with the native mosquito population. AS ZIKA SEASON APPROACHES, STATES STEP UP EFFORTS TO COMBAT VIRUS The males dont bite humans, instead pursuing their one purpose: finding a female with which to mate. And this is where the mad science comes in. The male mosquitos in the tubes come from Kentuckys MosquitoMate laboratory, which has partnered with the University of Kentucky. In the lab, the males are fed a natural bacteria called wolbachia, which has the effect of sterilizing the males. Thats the key advantage with this trial. The mosquitos have been fed the bacteria, theyre released and they do the rest. They go find a female, mate and the egg dies. So, logically, the local mosquito population should dramatically shrink over time. Aedis Agypti females are the ones that have blood-lust for humans and are the mosquitos that bite you and can spread the devastating, and potentially deadly viruses of Zika, Dengue fever and Chikungunya. SHOULD YOU STILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT ZIKA? The 2016 Zika pandemic in the Western hemisphere infected more than 5,000 Americans, mostly travel related. Florida led the way with locally transmitted Zika cases, 217, prompting the governor to designate Miami Beach and the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami as active Zika zones. Its most dangerous for pregnant women who get bitten by a Zika-carrying mosquito, as the Centers for Disease Control has concluded for babies it can lead to microcephaly, a severe birth defect. The CDC still advises all pregnant women against traveling to Miami-Dade County. In Southern California, this species of mosquito has infected more than 3,000 people with Dengue fever in the past three years, an issue that has also popped up in the Florida Keys over the years. Thats why the Keys mosquito experts are eager to see how effective the tubes buzzing with thousands of lab-raised and bacteria-fed males will be in this 12-week experiment. People come to the Keys to fish, to boat, to be outside, said Florida Keys Mosquito Control Commissioner Jill Cranney-Gage. If we didnt have mosquito control, it would be miserable. People wouldnt live here. As for eradicating the Aedis Agypti mosquito population, Dr. Dobson says thats most likely impossible, as winds will always blow in mosquitos from elsewhere. Floridas Governor, Rick Scott, and the state surgeon general, Dr. Celeste Philip, have already begun ramping up preparations for this summer, when the wet and humid season gets underway. And no one wants another summer of Zika. There's a new commandment for Catholics: Thou Shall Not Eat Tagalongs. The Archdiocese of Kansas City recently announced they are severing ties with the Girl Scouts. And that means no more Girl Scout cookies, too. Say goodbye to Thin Mints and Do-Si-Do's. Click here to join the fastest-growing Conservative community on Facebook! The Archdiocese says Girl Scouts is no longer a compatible partner when it comes to issues like virtue and values. The Washington Post reports that Catholics fear the Girl Scouts programs and materials are reflective of many of the troubling trends in our secular culture, and that the organization is no longer a compatible partner in helping us form young women with the virtues and values of the Gospel. The Archdiocese said some of the material used in the past has been offensive, disturbing and age-inappropriate. "Margaret Sanger, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem are frequently held up in materials as role models for young Scouts," Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann wrote in a statement. "These as well as many other role models in the GSUSAs new manuals and web content not only do not reflect our Catholic worldview but stand in stark opposition to what we believe." Click here to join Todd's newsletter: a must-read for conservatives! So the Archdiocese is dumping the Girl Scouts (and their cookies) in favor of American Heritage Girls - a pro-life, Christian-based scouting program. American Heritage Girls has earned widespread acclaim for being a scouting organization that actually teaches girls about God and Country -- without shoving a radical feminist agenda on little girls. American Heritage Girls has more than 47 thousand members -- and is growing rapidly -even though they do not sell Thin Mints or Tagalongs. And as long as the Girl Scouts forces their liberal agenda on impressionable children, I have no doubt that more churches and more families are going to toss their cookies. Because President Trump is a man in a hurry, heres how he can save time today when he welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House. After the briefest of pleasantries, Trump can say, Mr. Abbas, your people should be preparing to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the creation of their own state. But Yasser Arafat foolishly refused to recognize Israels right to exist at Camp David in 2000, so there was no deal, and history marched on without a Palestinian state. That was a mistake you can rectify right here, right now, Trump continues. I ask you, President Abbas, are you ready to recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, renounce violence against it and negotiate peaceful, secure borders for two states? It is a yes-or-no question. If Abbas wont say yes, the answer is no and there is nothing more to discuss. Trump can spend his windfall of free time on issues more likely to bring results. It has been said that hope is a good breakfast but a poor supper, and it is very late in the day to hope that Abbas will be something he has never been. Now 82, in the 12th year of the four-year term he was elected to in 2005, Abbas has not been honest about his endgame. To continue reading Michael Goodwin's column in the New York Post, click here. President Trump is keeping his promises and showing everyone he's willing to fight for his agenda, but congressional Republicans are once again displaying their spinelessness. The GOP leadership is capitulating to the Democrats demands and walking away from a budget battle. Instead of taking a stand, the party that holds the House, Senate and White House is punting until the end of September, when this current government funding deal is set to expire. President Trump is ready for a fight, but he knew this wasnt the time. "The reason for the plan negotiated, by the way, between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate, which are not there, the president tweeted. We either elect more Republican senators in 2018 or we change the rules now to 51 percent. Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix this mess." There are some positives in this budget deal. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney highlighted them yesterday, starting with an increase of $21 billion in the defense budget, additional money for border security (though not the wall) and funding for charter schools. So the president got his priorities funded, more money for the military, more money for southern -- the southern border security and more money for school choice, Mulvaney said. Those are the same exact priorities that I talked about in March when we laid out the budget. Here's the problem: These are wins, but only modest ones. It's not enough and it falls short of what the president promised. Americans are smart enough to see this. The radical alt-left, destroy-Trump, propaganda media was giddy about awarding the victory to the Democrats. "Democrats confident they can block Trump's agenda after spending bill win," read a Washington Post headline. "Trump's big beautiful wall is not in the spending plan. Will it ever get built?" read one in the Los Angeles Times. What is fair to say is that House Republicans fell short in some key areas. The bill increases domestic spending instead of slashing it, like the president wants. Planned Parenthood will still be funded and money is earmarked for refugee resettlement. Federal funding for sanctuary cities continues for the next few months despite the president's promise to crack down on jurisdictions and municipalities that protect illegal immigrants. Agencies the president wants to eliminate, like the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for Humanities, the Appalachian Regional Commissions, will see funding increases. This is a win for the Washington establishment. It shows that if the Republicans in Congress won't take a stand now, when will they? "Elections have consequences," President Obama said in 2009. The same rules should now apply for Republicans in Congress. And for President Trump. Adapted from Sean Hannity's monologue on "Hannity," May 2, 2017 Senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway reacted to comments made Tuesday by Hillary Clinton that blamed FBI Director James Comey and Russian interference for aiding Republican rival Donald Trumps ascension to the presidency. Conway said in a Tweet to Clinton that "You Ignored WI, Called us deplorable/irredeemable, Had oodles of $$ & no message, Lost to a better candidate," signing it "From: Woman in the White House." You Ignored WI Called us deplorable/irredeemable Had oodles of $$ & no message Lost to a better candidate From: Woman in the White House https://t.co/bJQ0xbXwH3 Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) May 3, 2017 In her comments earlier Tuesday, Clinton specifically cited the letter from Comey late in the campaign saying agents were looking into possible new information related to Clintons secret, homebrewed computer server. She was ultimately never charged with a crime, and Comey cleared Clinton on the Sunday before the election. CLINTON BLAMES COMEY, WIKILEAKS FOR ELECTION LOSS TO TRUMP She also mentioned WikiLeaks, the antisecrecy website which some analysts believe to be connected to Russia and which posted the hacked emails of Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta. I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but were scared off, Clinton said at the Women for Women International Conference. She added: "If the election were on October 27, I'd be your president." Mark Penn, a former pollster for Bill and Hillary Clinton, told Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Tuesday that surveys about Donald Trump's early performance in office reveal a "polling bubble" that under-records support for the president. "When you look at the electorate, its pretty simple math," Penn, now chairman of the Harris Poll, told host Tucker Carlson. "94 to 96 percent of Trump voters say theyre sticking with him. That would be 94-95 percent of 46 percent. About 10 percent of the people who didnt vote for him approve of him ... and realistically we are right back where we were on Election Day." FOX NEWS POLL: PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS GETTING MIXED REVIEWS According to a Fox News Poll published last week, 97 percent of Trump voters said they were satisfied with their choice, while just three percent of Hillary Clinton voters wished they had voted differently. Penn also said that the wording of most survey questions about Trump revealed a "polling bubble." FOX NEWS POLL: 53 PERCENT FAVOR MILITARY ACTION TO STOP NORTH KOREA NUKE PROGRAM "You look at the questions that pollsters ask, theyre the kind of questions you make up in New York, Washington or Los Angeles," he said. "None of them typically cover all of the Trump message points. They typically cover all the opposition message points ... They dont see both sides, and America is split. There are two sides." Penn also noted that most polls don't "screen for either citizenship or likelihood to vote" and didn't ask questions about "whether or not sanctuary cities are popular, corruption in Washington [or] support for the police." The veteran pollster told Carlson that one poll should make a point of field-testing all of Trump's political messages, noting that "some will be successful." "There is a lot of puzzlement [about] why authorities in cities wouldnt take people they arrest and then inform immigration authorities," Penn said. "But on the other hand, a lot of people dont want to build a [border] wall. So, there are pluses and minuses in what Trump says, and we have to be realistic that both exist, quite strongly." Strong intelligence pointing to an "imminent threat" drove the decision in March to ban large electronics in carry-on baggage on flights into the U.S., according to a senior House Republican. "Specific and credible intelligence that there was an imminent threat to our aviation sector" was behind the decision, House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, told Fox News. "I think the administration took very responsible actions to safeguard the safety of Americans here in the homeland." The ban on electronics larger than iPhones applied to 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa. During congressional testimony on April 5, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly did not rule out expanding the restrictions. "It's real. I think it's getting realer, so to speak," Kelly told a Senate committee, referring to the intelligence and threat. "We may take measures in the not-too-distant future to expand the number of airports." It is widely reported that terrorist groups seek to plant explosives in lap top computers, or similar devices. According to congressional investigators, the data shows that six years after SEAL Team 6 killed Usama bin Laden in Pakistan, the threat remains high, with terrorist-inspired or directed attacks focused on civilians. McCaul's committee reported there have been 198 ISIS-linked plots against the West, including 21 this year alone. And the terror group has taken suicide attacks into the mainstream with 63 plots against the West since 2013 -- with 42 in 2016 and 2017. The data further shows the growing use of vehicles as weapons. An ISIS-inspired attack in Stockholm, Sweden, last month marked Europe's fourth attack in 12 months where the group used a truck or car against civilian targets to inflict mass casualties. In that attack, five were killed and even more injured when a beer truck was hijacked and rammed into a central downtown shopping mall. "I think most importantly, that the war on terror did not end with the death of Usama bin Laden," McCaul said. "In fact, there have been more terror plots against the West since his killing than at any time since 9/11." Counterterrorism analysts also report French and British authorities see a big jump in women getting involved with terrorism, moving beyond support roles to carrying out operations. On Monday, British police arrested three teenage girls, alleged members of a cell. The fourth member was shot dead. Fox News asked a Homeland Security spokesperson for comment, or to provide additional context, and there was no immediate response. President Trump is expected to sign an executive order on religious liberty this Thursday--- which is the National Day of Prayer, senior White House sources confirmed Tuesday to Fox News. An early draft of the order, leaked in February, would have established broad exemptions for people and groups to claim religious objections under strong language. The new draft of the executive order is being tightly held, Politico reported. A person identified as an "influential conservative" by Politico who saw the text said it hasn't been dialed back much since the leak. The language is very, very strong, the source told Politico. Progressive critics have argued the executive order would allow discrimination against the LGBT community at the federal level. Vice President Pence has been a proponent of the plan, and his office has been reportedly pushing for it for months. While governor of Indiana, Pence signed a similar state law on religious liberty that stirred up controversy across the country, but was seen as a legislative win and rallying cry for social conservatives. Fox News' Serafin Gomez and John Roberts contributed to this report. Before Barack Obama ever met his wife, Michelle, at her Chicago law firm, the future 44th president of the United States asked another woman to marry him in 1986while the two were visiting her parents' home, a new biography claims. Rising Star, which is written by David J. Garrow, was reviewed Tuesday in The Washington Post. The review said, "Garrow portrays Obama as a man who ruthlessly compartmentalized his existence; who believed early on that he was fated for greatness; and who made emotional sacrifices in the pursuit of a goal that must have seemed unlikely to everyone but him." According to the review, Sheila Miyoshii Jager, his love interest, refused his advances at the time because her mother said she was too young. She was 23 and Obama was 25. The two continued to see each other, but Jager told Garrow that shortly after the proposal, Obama became more ambitious. I remember very specifically that by 1987, about a year into our relationship, he already had his sights on becoming president, she said, according to the book. She told Garrow that Obamas resolution of his black identity was directly linked to his decision to pursue a political career, according to the review. Jager is of Dutch and Japanese ancestry. The review pointed out that Obama-- who was a community organizer at the time-- was eyeing a political run for mayor of Chicago or a U.S. Senator. The review pointed out another book that said at the time, it could be seen as a political liablity for a black politican in the area to have a wife that was not African-American. The review pointed out that Jager, now a professor at Oberlin College, was all but written out of Obamas famous book Dreams From My Father. Obama went off to Harvard Law School and met Michelle Robinson at the Chicago law firm where she was employed, wrote Garrow, who received the Pulizter Prize for his biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Barack and Sheila had continued to see each other irregularly throughout the 1990-91 academic year, notwithstanding the deepening of Baracks relationship with Michelle Robinson, Garrow wrote, according to the review. I always felt bad about it, Jager reportedly said. Click for more from The Washington Post The House on Wednesday approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill, with Democrats and Republicans both jockeying to claim at least partial victory as the measure goes to the Senate for final approval. The package, which would avert a government shutdown at the end of the week, passed with bipartisan support, 309-118. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi claimed victory for blocking several of President Trump's proposals -- including funding for a U.S.-Mexico wall and cuts to popular domestic programs like community development grants. SEE WHAT'S IN SPENDING BILL However, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., assured conservatives that the bill is a win for Trump and Republicans controlling Congress, citing "a really good down payment" on rebuilding the military and "the biggest increase in border security in a decade." Minutes before the vote on the five-month spending bill, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer made similar arguments. When you look at what the president came forward with a month ago, saying these are my priorities, I think he got what he asked for, Spicer said during the daily briefing. He also said the money gets the presidents priorities jumpstarted and argued that Trump can build on that success in the upcoming full-year budget. Spicer touted increased military spending and money to extend a Washington, D.C., school voucher program through 2019 being included in the bill. The White House has said Trump would sign the measure. Democrats are touting as victories parts of the bill that protect popular domestic programs such as education, medical research, and grants to state and local governments that Trump wanted to cut. "Every member of this House has a victory in the bill," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. The White House won $15 billion in emergency funding toward Trump's promise to rebuild the military and an extra $1.5 billion for border security, which led the president on Tuesday to boast, This is what winning looks like." The opinions of top party leaders were not shared by everyone in the rank and file, some of whom feel that GOP negotiators too easily gave up of conservative priorities such as cutting funds for Planned Parenthood and punishing "sanctuary" cities that fail to cooperate with immigration authorities. "From my point of view, we pretty well got our clock cleaned," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. One of Trumps biggest campaign promises was to build the wall and have Mexico pay, a plan Mexican officials have rejected. Republicans were surprised by tweets from Trump on Tuesday that suggested he was initially unhappy with the temporary spending measure and that he might provoke a government shutdown this fall in hopes of getting his way on the wall and other demands. The measure also includes money for foreign aid, grants to state and local governments and protects the Environmental Protection Agency from cuts sought by Tea Party-backed Republicans. The measure provides $2 billion in disaster aid money, $407 million to combat Western wildfires, additional grants for transit projects, and a $2 billion increase for medical research at the National Institutes of Health. The White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., won a $1.3 billion provision to preserve health benefits for more than 22,000 retired coal miners. Pelosi was the driving force behind an effort to give the cash-strapped government of Puerto Rico $295 million to ease its Medicaid burden. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Iran is using the billions in cash resources provided under the landmark nuclear deal to engage in an unprecedented military buildup meant to transform the Islamic Republic's fighting force into an "offensive" juggernaut, according to a largely unreported announcement by Iranian military leaders that has sparked concern among U.S. national security insiders and sources on Capitol Hill. Iranian officials announced late last month that Iran's defense budget had increased by 145 percent under President Hassan Rouhani and that the military is moving forward with a massive restructuring effort aimed at making it "a forward moving force," according to regional reports. Iranian leaders have stated since the Iran deal was enacted that they are using the massive amounts of cash released under the agreement to fund the purchase of new military equipment and other armaments. Iran also has pursued multi-million dollar arms deals with Russia since economic sanctions were nixed as part of the deal. Leading members of Congress and U.S. officials working on the Iran portfolio suspect that at least a portion of the Obama administration's $1.7 billion cash payment to Iran has been used to fund and support terrorists in the Middle East. Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon. The vast grove of museums stretching from the U.S. Capitol across the fringes of the National Mall is about to get a new addition, albeit a decidedly less secular one: The Museum of the Bible. Just three blocks south of the Capitol, the privately funded museum is set to open this November. Though it may seem out of place next to the well-known museums on American history, air and space and more, those behind the project describe it as a future attraction that will draw in a range of visitors through a blend of historical and religious artifacts and interactive exhibits. The goal is to show and to educate people about the many ways that the Bible has impacted America, not just our history but in terms of civil rights and social justice to fashion, Steve Bickley, vice president of marketing for the museum, told Fox News during an early tour of the museum-in-the-making. From presidential inaugural ceremonies to bedside tables in hotels across the country, the Bible has indeed been a fixture in American life. Bickley says the 430,000-square-foot facility aims to offer an immersive experience to people from all faiths, or no faith, and those who have never even picked up a Bible. The $500 million, eight-story museum is financed entirely by private funds. The force behind the design is the architectural firm, Smith Group, while Clark Construction has overseen the project since its groundbreaking in 2015. Both were involved in the construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the popular site near the Washington Monument. The museums five central exhibit floors will house 40,000 biblical and religious artifacts from around the world, including portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls, bibles once belonging to Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley, and the Lunar Bible the first bible to travel in space. The first exhibit to arrive at the museum is a 3,200-pound full-scale replica of the original Liberty Bell, gifted to the museum by Dr. Peter Lillback, founder of the Providence Forum. Because of its size, the replica had to be lowered into the building, which is still undergoing construction. But it is Steve Green, the museums founder and president of Hobby Lobby, and his father, David, who have contributed the bulk of the items. Over the last five years, the Green Collection has grown into the worlds largest private collection of biblical texts and artifacts. The Greens gained national recognition in 2012 when they mounted a legal challenge to the contraceptive mandate included in ObamaCare. In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby and the Green family in a landmark victory for religious freedom advocates. To critics who believe the museum will only present the Bible from a Christian perspective, Bickley poses a question. Why would the Israel Antiquities Authority be partners in a project which only promotes Christianity? he asked in reference to a multi-year agreement the museum signed with the Authority to fill gallery space with objects contained in Israels National Treasures. One of the more interesting offerings is a digital guide, with which visitors would be able to design their own tours on a tablet device -- and take a virtual tour of the locations in Washington, D.C., where biblical passages can be found. There is an emphasis on making the site more than just a building. In May 2011, the Museum of the Bible launched its first travelling exhibit. A collection of about 400 items has made stops in Colorado Springs and the greater Los Angeles area, as well as at The Vatican and in Cuba. Another arm of the museum is the Scholars Initiative, which pairs together younger scholars with more established analysts to work on artifacts in the Museum Collection. Currently, more than 60 universities around the world are participating in the Scholars Initiative, and others are in the process of joining. Theres an old joke from the Soviet Union that could help describe the current state of affairs on the GOPs health care bill. Soviet leaders Josef Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev are aboard a train in Siberia. The train breaks down. Passengers ask Stalin what to do. Stalin executes the crew, hires a relief crew and gets the train going again. The train stalls again. This time, its up to Khrushchev. Khrushchev fires the train crew but pardons them. Khrushchev then brings in yet another crew to restart the train. The train breaks down a third time. So everyone turns to Brezhnev. His solution? Pull down the window shades and pretend were moving. Are Republicans getting anywhere? Or are they pretending theyre moving? The problem is that the House Republican health care bill suffers from pre-existing conditions. It harbors too many maladies to pass through the marble risk corridors of Capitol Hill. The package doesnt lower costs enough, increase coverage, provide better care and save the federal government money. Otherwise, a minimum of 216 Republicans (the threshold necessary to pass legislation with 431 current House members) would vote yea and the plan would sail through. But this patient is now on life support. Weve heard bromides from House Republicans and White House officials for weeks that the GOP is on the verge of advancing a retrenched health care bill. Senior White House officials suggested to Fox News a vote would come Wednesday. Sources indicated the House was only five or six votes shy of muscling the plan to passage. Were making progress, said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. The president has been nothing but helpful on health care. I like the direction were heading, said House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La. But when might a vote come? That is a great question, opined a senior GOP leadership aide. The Republican leadership squad skated out of a morning press conference without saying when they could vote. Fox News buttonholed Scalise about where the whip count stood. Its better, said Scalise. But if they had the votes, theyd pull the trigger. And Republicans were bleeding votes. GOP congressional sources expressed concern about White House predictions of when the House may vote. They were exasperated with administration officials who leaked what is supposedly the vote tally. You dont announce a whip count. You just dont, said a source. The whip count is an extremely closely held figure. In many instances, just the whip along with a few key staffers and certain members actually know the true number. Several sources on Capitol Hill openly contested that the vote count was as close as administration figures let on. They just dont know, said one congressional source of the White House. Republican leadership sources point out that they need more than a margin of one vote to win. They need several. No one wants to portray a given lawmaker as the one who cast the deciding vote to repeal and replace ObamaCare. You always need a cushion of a few votes. In addition, the leadership needs a couple of in case emergency, break glass votes, too. Such members would stand by during the vote and not cast a ballot. If Republicans have the votes to pass the bill, the whip would release these members to vote their conscience. If theyre short, the whip would ask those members to vote yea to lug the plan across the finish line. Tracking undecided members could be an even more intriguing enterprise now than watching those who are noes. Lots of undecideds are moderate Republicans who represent battleground districts. A vote for the bill could make them vulnerable in the 2018 midterm elections, imperiling the Republican majority. Many of these Republicans dont want to weigh-in at all. If the leadership calls the vote, theyre on the record, one way or the other. They secretly hope the GOP never schedules a vote. That way, they dont have to declare their position. GOP leaders are relentless in their pursuit. Perhaps fear of a second, brutal defeat clouds their judgment as they optimistically predict that success is just a handful of votes away. Health care was supposed to be the easiest venture of the year. Congress faces daunting challenges ahead to reform the tax code and raise the debt ceiling. However, Ryan should find solace in one realm. The speaker may not have to fight to keep the government operating in September. The president tweeted about the merits of a shutdown Tuesday morning. Everything is barreling toward Thursday, a make-or-break day for the bill. House Republicans already scheduled a members-only conference Thursday morning. Could they vote even if theyre not sure of the outcome? Certainly. But as they say in the movies, You play a dangerous game, Mr. Bond. And then there is North Korea. Pray tell, what does a bill that increases sanctions again North Korea have to do with health care? Everything. The House debated the widely bipartisan measure Tuesday. But no vote is likely until Thursday. Why? A vote on this measure could serve one of several purposes. First, it gives Republicans a major vote on a big issue right before a recess if they never try on health care. Republicans could also use the North Korea bill as a bedcheck vote. Almost everyone one on both sides of the aisle wants to vote to get tough with North Korea. Attendance for that vote would be high. As such, the GOP gets a good snapshot of precisely how many members are present from both sides of the aisle. That helps leaders predict how many votes they need to pass the health care package. At the House Rules Committee Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Jim McGover, D-Mass., again pressed Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, if they would vote this week. I have no clue what we are going to do, replied Sessions. And neither does anyone else. Capitol Attitude is a weekly column written by members of the Fox News Capitol Hill team. Their articles take you inside the halls of Congress, and cover the spectrum of policy issues being introduced, debated and voted on there. President Trump is set to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass at the White House Wednesday to discuss resuming peace talks with Israel. In what will be their first face-to-face meeting, the president is expected to press the Palestinian leader to end payments to families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails, U.S. officials say, one of several actions that could lead to resumed peace talks with Israel Israel considers such payments a reward for terrorists, but stopping them seems untenable to Abbas, especially at a time of broad Palestinian support for a mass hunger strike of prisoners held by Israel. Other actions Trump will call for include a Palestinian end to anti-Israel rhetoric and incitement of violence, said officials familiar with planning for the meeting. President Trump will also use the meeting as an opportunity to recommit the United States to helping the Palestinians improve their economic conditions, U.S. officials say. Trump ignored the Palestinians early in his presidency, while appearing to side with Israel on key issues. Being shunned by the U.S. would undercut Abbas' remaining political legitimacy just as polls show two-thirds of Palestinians want him to resign. Peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since 2014 when former Secretary of State John Kerry failed to facilitate discussions between the two sides. "We hope this will be a new beginning," Abbas told Palestinians at a meeting in Washington on the eve of the talks. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Donald Trumps tax proposals spell a boon for the luxury property market, as the simplified rules would create sweeping tax cuts that benefit the wealthy while also retaining incentives for high-end homeowners. Trump, the Treasury Department and the National Economic Council recently unveiled a bare bones list of changes to the tax code that would do away with several major tax burdens, like the alternative minimum tax and the estate tax, which typically affect only the wealthiest Americans. The plan also scraps most itemized deductions except for the mortgage interest deduction, a write-off that has typically benefited high-end homeowners the greatest. The combination of tax breaks and the retention of the home loan deduction would leave plenty of extra cash and incentive for splurging on luxury properties, industry experts said. From what we know, I think its exciting for our market, said Eddie Shapiro, CEO of Nest Seekers International, a high-end residential brokerage. One of the things they like to spend money on in the luxury market is real estate. The boost in personal income and lower corporate tax rates would foster one of the most important drivers of the luxury market: confidence. Wealthy people buy and sell when they feel it is a good time to do so, Shapiro added. Our market is very much influenced by sentiment and confidence. Big tax breaks are coming High-income earners would find themselves with more money to spend on homes thanks to Trumps proposed tax breaks, said Nela Richardson, chief economist at Redfin, a national real estate brokerage. The proposals do away with two programs that generally affect only the wealthy: the alternative minimum tax, a system that keeps rich taxpayers from finding loopholes, and the estate tax, levied on the estate of a dead person with a networth of $5.49 million as of 2016, according to the IRS. The plan would also boost personal income by lowering the tax rate for the highest earners by about 5 percent and lowering the federal capital gains tax from 23.8 percent to 20 percent. And pass-through firmsbusinesses like the Trump Organization, where owners report corporate profits on their individual tax returnswould be able to claim the proposed corporate tax of 15 percent instead of getting hit by the individual tax rate of as much as 35 percent. The lower tax rate and the pass through of certain income at the corporate rate of 15 percent, that makes more money available to buy a home, Richardson said. So combined this could be a really good thing for the luxury market. And unlike the tight inventory found in the mainstream markets, the luxury segment has plenty of supply to support a boom in activity, Richardson added. The likelihood that the presidents proposals will become law as they were presented Wednesday, however, is somewhere between dead on arrival and significantly changed, Richardson said. The bare bones plan left out the details, charts and comments that usually accompany such a tax overhaul, which the Senate and House will have to debate, amend and pass into law. There are some nuggets in here that are going to be ripped apart and the put back together, she said. Incentive for wealthy home buyers Meanwhile, Trumps plan to keep to the mortgage interest deduction would further fuel activity at the high end. The deduction is meant to boost homeownership, but in effect has offered limited payoff for entry-level and middle-class homeowners while providing major tax breaks to owners of multi-million-dollar properties, said Svenja Gudell, chief economist at property site Zillow. The deduction allows homeowners to reduce their taxes by the amount of interest they paid on home loans of up to $1 million (plus a home equity line of credit up to $100,000). Taxpayers can do this for up to two non-rental homes, according the Internal Revenue Service website. In 2012, Zillow conducted a study that found changes to the mortgage interest deduction had no effect on most of the country and the greatest effect in affluent metropolitan areas, in luxury hubs like New York, Los Angeles and Miami, where home valuesand therefore mortgagesare steep. In other words, the bigger the mortgage, the bigger the tax break, and deduction incentivizes people to buy bigger houses. The high-end earners are doing quite well with this tax plan, Gudell said. Online news outlets in China will require a government license to publish news on the web and social media, the country's internet regulator has announced. The rules announced Tuesday will also block foreign or private companies from investing in online news services or directly disseminating news. NO CENSORSHIP IN CHINESE INTERNET, SAYS CHINA'S TOP CENSOR Chinese news outlets will have to undergo a security review before working with foreign companies, according to a statement from the Cyberspace Administration of China, the agency charged with enforcing the rules, which take effect June 1. The move follows a crackdown on dissent under Communist Party leader Xi Jinping that has led to tighter controls on what can be published online. FOR THE LATEST TECH FEATURES FOLLOW FOX NEWS TECH ON FACEBOOK The so-called Great Firewall of China prevents Chinas citizens from gaining full access to the Internet, with popular sites and social media such as Google and Twitter blocked. The U.S. government has even cited Chinas internet filters as a barrier to trade. China also announced censorship of live video streaming last year. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Plans for the Coradia iLint, a hydrogen-powered, zero-emission train in Germany could revolutionize rail travel. Alstom, the company behind the new trains, says the iLint is the worlds first low-floor passenger train that uses a hydrogen fuel cell to create its electricity. The trains which are described as 60 percent less noisy than diesel trains and can travel up to 500 miles per day successfully completed test runs back in March, and will begin carrying passengers in early 2018. The Coradia iLint uses the same equipment as a diesel train, except it runs on hydrogen. The hydrogen is combined with oxygen in large fuel cells on the trains roof to produce electricity, which in turn powers lithium ion batteries. Unused energy can be stored for later use and it only emits steam and water. The train also can carry up to 300 passengers. DRONE SWARMS DEPLOYED IN AERIAL TEST Alstom is hoping the iLint eventually will phase out all of Germanys diesel trains within the next 20 years. Germany is betting the new trains will cut back on its greenhouse gas emissions, which have been as high as 906 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. Other countries, including the U.K. and the Netherlands, reportedly have expressed interest in the new trains. But according to independent energy expert and former software engineer Roger Arnold, the Coradia iLint might not measure up to the hype as far as energy efficiency and saving the planet goes. FLYING CAR PROTOTYPE UNVEILED If one completely ignores the question of how the hydrogen is produced, there is no real downside, Arnold told Fox News. Its all known technology, and the cost of the hydrogen fuel cells and tanks are probably less than the cost of the diesel engines and generators theyre replacing. Clean and quiet, no diesel fumes for passengers to breathe whats not to like? Apparently quite a bit, Arnold said, depending on how the hydrogen is produced. It takes a great deal of energy to produce hydrogen, which does not occur on Earth naturally. FACEBOOK IS BUILDING A HELICOPTER TO HELP DELIVER INTERNET ACCESS IN EMERGENCIES According to Arnold, when hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water, it requires 2.5 times more electricity than it would if the train were powered from overhead wires or storage batteries. At the very least, this raises the cost per mile travelled. But if the electricity used for electrolysis of water is from the grid, and the grid is not powered by 100 percent carbon-free energy, then the indirect carbon emissions per mile traveled are also 2.5 times greater than they would be for batteries or overhead wires. With the actual mix of generation on the European grid, the indirect carbon emissions of these trains, running on electrolytic hydrogen, will be higher than the direct emissions for diesel trains, Arnold explained. The approach is good for passengers and people living near the tracks, but bad for the planet. FOR THE LATEST TECH FEATURES FOLLOW FOX NEWS TECH ON FACEBOOK So while the trains might look good at first glance, in the end they may be worse for the environment than diesel trains. But that could change some time in the future. Why do the Germans even concern themselves with electrolytic hydrogen, which I believe is the method they expect to use to make the hydrogen for the new trains? There are multiple issues, Arnold said. But I think the bottom line is that they are anticipating a day when their grid will be powered totally by renewables and will be 100 percent carbon-free. Then their electrolytic hydrogen will also be 100 percent carbon-free and renewable, but they have a long way to go to get there. NASA'S Cassini spacecraft made the first-ever dive between Saturn and its rings last week. What the probe found stunned scientists. Experts expected Cassini to encounter dust when it dived through the 1,200-mile gap between Saturn and its rings on April 26. To protect the spacecraft, Cassini used its dish-shaped high-gain antenna, which measures 13 feet across, as a protective shield. However, scientists were amazed by the lack of dust in the previously unexplored area. "The region between the rings and Saturn is 'the big empty,' apparently," said Cassini Project Manager Earl Maize of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in a statement. "Cassini will stay the course, while the scientists work on the mystery of why the dust level is much lower than expected." NASA'S CASSINI SPACECRAFT SENDS FIRST IMAGES FROM SATURN RINGS DIVE Cassini only encountered a few dust particles as it passed through the ring gap, according to NASA, none of which were larger than the particles in smoke. Data from sensors in the spacecrafts Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument was also converted to an audio format. Typically dust particles hitting the instruments sensors would sound like pops and cracks. Instead, scientists heard the usual whistles and squeaks of waves in the charged particle environment of space. "It was a bit disorienting -- we weren't hearing what we expected to hear," said William Kurth, RPWS team lead at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. "I've listened to our data from the first dive several times and I can probably count on my hands the number of dust particle impacts I hear." The spacecraft came within about 1,900 miles of Saturns cloud tops during its epic dive and within about 200 miles of the innermost visible edge of the rings, according to NASA. NASA FINDS HIGHEST PEAK ON SATURN'S LARGEST MOON TITAN Cassini will make a total of 22 dives between Saturn and its rings as part of the orbiter's so-called "Grand Finale." Its most recent dive was on May 2. The spacecraft has generated a trove of scientific data on Saturn and its moons during its mission. Last month, for example, NASA announced that Saturns moon Enceladus could support life thanks to the discovery of hydrogen. After almost two decades in space, the mission will end on Sept. 15 2017 when Cassini is scheduled to crash into Saturn. TRUMP MAKES SPACE CALL TO RECORD-BREAKING NASA ASTRONAUT PEGGY WHITSON The Cassini mission began on Oct. 15 1997 when the spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a Titan IVB/Centaur rocket. Cassini arrived at Saturn in 2004. NASA is partnering with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency on the Cassini-Huygens mission. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of Caltech, manages the mission for NASAs Science Mission Directorate. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers Like others before it, Hulu has gotten into the live-streaming TV business with its new service, Hulu Live TV. Starting at $39.99 a month, customers can get live content from ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and around 50 other channels. Included in the price is Hulu's current on-demand service, which offers viewers limited commercials. In the package is also a cloud DVR of up to 50 hours of storage, two simultaneous streams and the ability to watch on multiple devices, including Apple TV, iPhone and iPad, Google Chromecast and several others. Hulu said support for additional devices, including Roku, Samsung smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV, would be "coming soon." There are higher-priced offerings which include no commercials, the ability to have greater DVR capacity and more than two streams going at once. (Click here for a full list of channels on the package.) YOUTUBE TV LAUNCHES FOR $35 A MONTH, BUT WHAT ARE YOU GETTING FOR IT? The combination of a subscription service, akin to Netflix, as well as an over-the-top skinny bundle which includes channels like CNN, Fox News, TBS, HGTV and more separates itself from Netflix as well as other skinny bundles, such as DirecTV Now or Sling TV. By bringing together thousands of live, on-demand and library shows and movies -- and serving them up in a uniquely personalized way Hulu can now be a viewers primary source of television," said Hulu's CEO Mike Hopkins in a statement. "Its a natural extension of our business, and an exciting new chapter for Hulu. As part of the offering, Hulu, along with NBC (which owns a silent stake in the company, along with Disney, Time Warner and Fox) will be the exclusive streaming service for the popular drama "This Is Us," along with several other shows, including "Handmaid's Tale," and a new show from Hollywood heavyweight J.J. Abrams, "Castle Rock," based off a Stephen King novel. In addition to the 50+ channels, consumers can add Showtime for an additional $8.99 a month, but not HBO. The service is still in beta, but is available for consumers to sign up for a free trial starting today. FOX properties are owned by Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.(FOXA). Calling all history buffs. This summer, Americas top military museums will be celebrating veterans and inviting guests to immerse themselves in authentic wartime experiences with epic battle reenactments. Visitors can handle rare wartime artifacts, explore the nooks and crannies of historic citadels, and even taste food and beverages supplied to real infantries. Celebrate American history all season long with a visit to one of these military museums that bring soldier experiences to life. The National Infantry Museum - Columbus, Georgia Presiding over a lawn seeded with soil from real American battle sites, this $100 million museum lies on the outskirts of Fort Benning, Ga., the home of the American infantry. Dedicated to the infantry soldier, the museum houses one of the most sizeable collections of military artifacts in the world. Every infantry soldier is required to train at Fort Benning, and every solider must visit the museum to learn about the soldiers who fought before him or her. Summer is a great time of year for the museum, said Col. Greg Camp, President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Infantry Museum Foundation. "School is out, families can take vacations, and there's time to relax and fully explore the museum. On June 2, the National Infantry Museum will partner with the Columbus Museum for Operation Warfare: Dinner with the Allies, where guests learn about and sample the foods that sustained American allies during World War I. Freedom Fest, held on the Fourth of July at the museum, will host live bands, cannon firings, re-enactors, living historians, Fort Bennings Silver Wings Parachute Demonstration Team, an old-fashioned Pint-Sized Patriots Parade, childrens games, and festival food. The event is free to the public and open to all. This summer, the museum will also be launching its virtual reality combat simulators, which allow participants to experience what its like to be an infantry soldier. Where to stay: Originally built in the 1870s, the Rothschild-Pound House Inn is a charming bed and breakfast run by a husband-and-wife team, just ten minutes from the National Infantry Museum. The B&B serves up gourmet breakfasts, which can be delivered to guests suites upon request. The Rothschild-Pound House is set in the historic neighborhood in Columbus and is walking distance to both the Chattahoochee River and downtown Columbus. Where to eat: 11th and Bay Southern Table is posted along the Chattahoochee River and serves up hearty dishes with a southern twist. The restaurant is set in a rustic, former cotton warehouse with indoor and outdoor seating. Fort Ticonderoga - Ticonderoga, New York European armies fought for control of the Americas during the 18th century at this frontier post which lies strategically between Canada and the Hudson River Valley. Constructed between 1755 and 1757 during the French and Indian War, this striking star-shaped fort built by the French played a significant role in shaping the nations of the North American continent. Fort Ticonderoga is only open seasonally (May-October), so take advantage of the museums summer events. Resting on 2,000 acres of landscape on Lake Champlain, the historic site will host its Guns by Night series every Thursday night (from July 6 through August 24), demonstrating 18th century firepower. Participants learn how guns impacted and shaped the importance of this former citadel and witness a dramatic reenactment at the end of each tour. On Tuesday evenings from July 11 through August 29, visitors can explore different areas of the fort not open to the general public. A curator describes strengths and weaknesses of the fort and how military personnel prepared to combat the British (Note: an extended period of walking is required for this tour). Each Monday, Fort Ticonderoga offers summer sunset boat cruises aboard a replica 19th century touring vessel where guests experience a mountainside sunset on Lake Champlain. The Mount Defiance experience is included in a general admissions ticket, which features a guided tour up the mountain-- which afford stunning view across the lake-- every day at 4 p.m. Where to stay: The luxurious Sagamore Hotel is over 100 years old and just a 40-minute drive from Ft. Ticonderoga. Where to eat: La Bella Vita at the Sagamore offers panoramic views of Lake George and features centuries-old Italian recipes. Custer Battlefield Museum - Garryowen, Montana As the site of one of the most studied military actions in U.S. history, Custer Battlefield Museum is located where the Battle of the Little Big Horn began at Sitting Bulls camp. Honoring the anniversary of Little Big Horn, the museum will host the Custer Reenactment, rain or shine, on June 23, 24, and 25. The museums mission is to expand peoples awareness of the Western Migration Movement and the Battle of the Little Big Horn, where the Crazy Horse-led Sioux massacred General Custer and his cavalry. Where to stay: Constructed in 1904, the Northern Hotel in Billings is an upscale boutique hotel, just a one-hour drive from the museum. Where to eat: Visit Jakes Steak House for dinner in Billings and Stellas Kitchen and Bakery for breakfast. The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitors Center - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Adjacent to the battlefield of Gettysburg, this museum is one of the largest in the area, with twelve different galleries encompassing the five years of the American Civil War. Starting in 1860 and culminating with the Restoration, the museum offers different artifacts and videos describing various battles, highlighting the three days of battle at Gettysburg. The Living History series kicks off June 9 (running through mid-August on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays). Visitors can take a shuttle bus to one of the best preserved and significant Union field hospitals from the Battle of Gettysburg. The George Spangler Farm Civil War Field Hospital site treated 1,800 Union soldiers and 100 Confederate soldiers. This summer, there will be doctors and soldier reenactments, historian lectures, and a Womens Relief Association discussion about the importance of female contributions during the war, among other series at the farm. Where to stay: The Federal Pointe Inn is a boutique hotel located in the heart of the Gettysburg historic district. Where to eat: Fidler & Co. Craft Kitchen is located in Adams County and serves rustic, local cuisine from the surrounding farmland. The National World War I Museum and Memorial - Kansas City, Missouri Upon entering the National World War I Museum, visitors walk over a symbolic field of 9,000 red poppies. Just one flower represents 1,000 combatant deaths in the Great War. The museum is built underneath the first American monument dedicated to the war, the Liberty Memorial, funded by local citizens in less than two weeks in order to honor courage, patriotism, sacrifice, and honor. Over Memorial Day Weekend, the museum will provide free admission for active duty members of the military and veterans, and half-price entry to all guests. There will be themed activities over the long weekend, culminating in a public ceremony on Memorial Day featuring musical performances and speeches. The museum offers its Hands-On History program every Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. this summer, where visitors have the chance to handle wartime artifacts at the museum. From June 18 through June 24, the museum invites guests to picnic, play games on museums lawn and enjoy the outdoors at sunset during the museums Taps at the Tower series, linking the Taps bugle call with the symbolism of the Liberty Memorial Tower. Where to stay: The Raphael Hotel, a boutique property set in a Spanish Renaissance Revival building, overlooks the Country Club Plaza and is a ten-minute drive from the museum. Where to eat: Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar specializes in sustainable, fresh fish in this landlocked state. The National World War II Museum - New Orleans, Louisiana An expansive, three-pavilion institution in the heart of New Orleans Central Business District, the National World War II Museum offers visitors an experience of the European and Pacific theaters through a guided, immersive timeline with oral history stations and story points. Because of the museums scale, guests are encouraged to visit the museum as a two-day trip (the museum discounts the second-day passes). With the museums travel tours guided by historians and experts, the tours head to historic locations, such as Normandy, Pearl Harbor, and include airfare, hotels, tours, food and drink. An added bonus is that the museum receives special access to select locations where civilian access normally isnt granted. Where to stay: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Canal St., which is a five-minute streetcar ride from the museum. Where to eat: The American Sector Restaurant and Bar is the museums upscale farm-to-table restaurant open for lunch, dinner, and happy hour. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum - Fayetteville, North Carolina Located close to Fort Bragg, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum presents the chronological history of Americas Special Operations units. On the morning of May 20, the museums annual Field of Honor Opening Ceremony allows friends and families to honor a loved one with a flag on the parade field at the museum, which will be displayed through June 30. The museum will honor National Airborne Day on August 19, which celebrates the 77th year anniversary of the first jump by the Test Platoon, and the 17th anniversary of the museum. The museum also features a 24-seat simulator, which offers experiences like flying into Normandy with the 101st Screaming Eagles on D-Day and performing a HALO operation from 25,000 feet. Where to stay: Embassy Suites is just a five-minute drive from the museum. Where to eat: Morgans Chop House has a menu that includes local steaks, as well as more unique dishes, such as kangaroo and alligator. Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, Virginia Although not technically a museum, this list would not be complete without Arlington National Cemetery, the historical site and active cemetery with over 400,000 active duty service members, vets, and their family members buried there. A sprawling 624 acres serves as a scenic tribute to the nations fallen and is on The National Registrar of Historic Places. The cemetery holds about 3,000 ceremonies per year honoring U.S. service members from all branches of the military. The site also commemorates astronauts, nurses, chaplains, war correspondents, and is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, for soldiers whose remains could not be identified. Where to stay: The Four Seasons Washington, D.C. is one of the area's highest end properties and it's less than two miles from Arlington National Cemetery. Where to eat: Mele Bistro is about a mile from Arlington and features farm-to-table Italian cuisine in a cozy atmosphere with an outdoor patio. Disney Cruise Line has become the first major cruise company to sail through the new, wider locks of the historic Panama Canal. On Saturday, the Disney Wonder, which has the capacity for over 1,700 passengers, passed through the canal en route to San Diego during a 14-night voyage from Port Canaveral, Fla. "The original Panama Canal has been a cruise destination for many years, "Manuel Benitez, the canal's deputy administrator, said in a press release. "Todays historic transit marks the beginning of cruise lines being able to include the new locks as part of their itineraries, opening up additional transit options and allowing cruise passengers to witness first-hand this feat of modern engineering." The Panama Canal, one of the worlds busiest shipping canals, received two new sets of locks as part of a large-scale expansion project that was completed in 2016 after nine years of construction. The new sets of locks allow for bigger cargo shipsas well as large cruising vesselsto traverse through the historic waterway. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Previously, mega liners from cruise companies like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean had to travel around the tip of South America, tacking on an additional 8,000 miles and several days to any voyage. According to Cruise Critic, Princess Cruises is also planning to use the new lock system this year with its 3,080 passenger Caribbean Princess ship. Apparently, even kids arent safe from the wrath of airline agents. A 12-year-old boy waiting to board a Delta flight from La Guardia Airport to Florida with his family had the cell phone smacked out of his hands by an airline employee who didnt want him filming her excuses to weary passengers after a 17-hour delay, according to a suit filed in Rockland County. Matthew Boggan was headed to West Palm Beach with 10 family members on July 1, 2016 when their trip was beset by the nearly day-long delay. The Boggans say that they were forced to sleep on the floor outside the gate for Delta Flight 2370. DELTA PASSENGER KICKED OFF FLIGHT FOR USING RESTROOM After waiting in the terminal for 12 hours Boggan took his iPhone 6s out of his pocket and started recording the scene on Snapchat. The pre-teen wanted to film the passengers reaction when the uniformed Delta agent made the announcement in the terminal at 7:06 a.m. on July 2, his attorney Terrence James Cortelli said. But as he started recording, a Delta employee approached him and then smacked the phone out of his hand, the suit alleges. She just came over and hit me, the Suffern High School honor roll student told The Post Tuesday. My phone went flying, Boggan said. I was in shock. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The Delta agent also yelled that it was illegal for him the film the scene, the suit says. In response, passengers started yelling, This is child abuse, added Matthews father, Brian Boggan, a physical education teacher, added. The family eventually boarded the flight, but arrived in Florida so late that they missed most of the bar mitzvah they were scheduled to attend. The Boggans filed their suit last year but Matthew said the recent incident when a Kentucky doctor was bloodied while being dragged off an over-booked United flight in Chicago to make room for airline employees brought back terrible memories. This story originally appeared on NYPost.com. Just a day after a shark attack left a San Diego County woman fighting for her life, a drone pilot captured video of a juvenile great white shark swimming less than a quarter of a mile from where dozens of people were swimming in the surf. William Steele, a surfboard maker from Capistrano Beach, was surfing at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point Monday morning. He was thinking about sharks after the weekend shark attack at San Onofre State Beach, several miles to the south. While surfing, he noticed dozens of stingrays in the shallows. "I said, 'I'll bet you (sharks) are out here eating stingrays,'" Steele told FOX 5. Steele, who lives near the beach, rode his bicycle back to his house and brought his drone down to the beach. Sure enough, within five minutes of launching the drone, he located a shark swimming less than 100 yards offshore. He said it was clearly a juvenile great white. "They're around for sure. They've been around forever," he said. "They are out here hunting stingrays and seals. When they hit a person, it's an accident." Steele believes Sunday's attack on Leeanne Ericson, a mother of three from Vista, was just such a case of mistaken identity. Accident or not, the result was tragic, he said. More from FOX 5 San Diego. JetBlue is back with another flash sale, this time selling tickets for as little as $44 one-way. The Fly As You May Sale is valid for travel between May 9 and June 14 (unfortunately, Memorial Day weekend is blacked out you wont find fares this cheap for trips taken between May 24 and May 30). As always, the most inexpensive flight is from Long Beach, California to San Jose, California, which is selling with a $44 price tag. That includes all fees and taxes. For only $54, however, travelers can fly from Washington, D.C. to Charleston, S.C., and from New York City to Portland, Maine for just $10 more. Orlando-based fliers can visit Mexico City for only $89 one-way, the Bahamas for $149, and Costa Rica for $154. New Yorkers, meanwhile, will find amazing deals on trips to Bermuda ($94), Grenada ($134), and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico ($154). Travelers should note the return fare wont always be as cheap. Flights home from Aguadilla to New York City will cost $229, but you probably won't need a passport for this last-minute getaway. To take advantage of this two-day sale, reservations must be made by 11:59 p.m. on May 3. Chicago police were hunting for possible suspects Wednesday after two officers were shot and wounded on the city's South Side. DALLAS SHOOTER WAS UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION, OFFICIALS REVEAL One officer was shot in the arm and the other was hit in the back Tuesday night, a police source told Fox News. "We believe that the officers were definitely targeted," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told The Associated Press. The source said rival gangs were shooting at each other before turning their guns on the officers, but police said later Wednesday there was no initial gunfire before the officers were hit. BALCH SPRINGS POLICE SHOOTING: OFFICER WHO SHOT JORDAN EDWARDS FIRED Both officers are expected to recover. They were wearing civilian clothes at the time but had on vests with police badges on them, Guglielmi said. The officers were working in an unmarked van, police added. Investigators on Wednesday had questioned three persons of interest and had a female in custody who may have driven one of the vehicles suspected to belong to the offenders. That vehicle and one of the rifles used in the shooting were recovered. Police said guns, ammunition and rifle magazines turned up in the house where the female was staying. The shooting unfolded in the crime-ridden Back of the Yards neighborhood. Chris Villanueva, 36, said he was walking back to his car in a strip mall parking lot south of the shooting scene, when he heard about a dozen rapid-fire shots. "I thought it was fireworks maybe, but around here you hear gunshots a lot," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Next thing, cops are everywhere." Fox News' Matt Finn and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The suburban Dallas police officer who shot and killed a 15-year-old high school freshman over the weekend has been fired, authorities announced Tuesday. The Balch Springs Police Department confirmed that officer Roy Oliver was terminated for violating "several department policies" during the fatal Saturday night shooting of Jordan Edwards. Edwards was shot in a car while leaving a house party with four other teenagers. Police Chief Jonathan Haber said Oliver and his patrol partner had been called to the party to investigate an underage drinking complaint. Police originally said the teenagers' vehicle was reversing "in an aggressive manner" toward officers, but later said that video taken at the scene proved the vehicle was actually driving away. An officer shot his rifle through the front passenger side window and struck Edwards, said Lee Merritt, an attorney for Edwards' family. The Dallas County medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. The Dallas County district attorney's office and the Dallas County sheriff's office are investigating the case. No charges have been brought against Oliver, who had been with the department since July 2011. Thousands of Facebook and Twitter users have posted about the case in recent days with the hashtag "(hash)jordanedwards," some comparing his death to other police shootings of young black men, such as 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland who was fatally shot in November 2014 as he held a pellet gun. Edwards' family said in a statement that while they were pleased that Oliver had been fired, they also "anxiously await this officer's ... arrest for the crime of murder. The magnitude of his horrible actions cannot be overstated." Earlier Tuesday, the family asked the community to refrain from marching or protesting in his name. "We do not support nor do we condone any violence or threats made against the Balch Springs Police Department or any other law enforcement agencies," the family said. "What we desire only second to having our beloved Jordan back is JUSTICE FOR JORDAN." Friends have described Edwards as a good student and popular athlete. Edwards and the four teenagers with him decided to leave what was becoming an unruly party as they heard gunshots ring out and police were arriving, Merritt said, citing what witnesses had told lawyers. Two officers arrived at the scene, Haber said on Monday. One of them opened fire at the vehicle as it was moving, killing Edwards. The teenager's brothers "witnessed firsthand" what happened, Merritt said. Based on what the video captured, Haber said previously that he questioned whether what he saw was "consistent with the policies and core values" of his department. Haber wouldn't say what problems he saw, but Balch Springs' official use-of-force policy encourages officers facing an oncoming vehicle to "attempt to move out of its path, if possible, instead of discharging a firearm at it or any of its occupants." Click for more from Fox4News.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The U.S. has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile from California for the second time in seven days. The Air Force says an unarmed Minuteman 3 blasted off from a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base Wednesday morning and delivered a mock warhead to a target at Kwajalein (kwah-juh-leen) Atoll in the Pacific Ocean after a 4,000-mile flight. The test of the nuclear missile took 10 months to plan. Another Minuteman 3 was launched from the same base exactly a week earlier. The U.S. has about 450 of the missiles and they are routinely tested. But the latest tests come amid rising tensions with North Korea, which has tested its own nuclear missiles including some designed to reach the United States. The U.S. has sent warships to the region to deter that country from conducting such tests. Police searched undeveloped land in Pueblo, Colorado on Wednesday for clues in the 2013 disappearance of pregnant Kelsie Schelling. "Search efforts have resumed today utilizing a K-9 to assist in the search for clues in the search for Kelsie Schelling," the Pueblo Police Department tweeted. Schelling was carrying her ex-boyfriend Donthe Lucas' child when she disappeared, according to KKTV. Pueblo police have called Lucas a person of interest in the case. Officers did not find anything while searching the undeveloped land, authorities told the station. A Monday search also aparently failed to turn up any clues. Last month, police announced they had searched the backyard of Lucas's former home in Pueblo. Evidence was recovered that wasn't a body, authorities told KDVR. Schelling's mother has said her daughter vanished not long after texting Lucas an ultrasound photo, according to the station. Lucas had asked Schelling to drive from Denver to Pueblo, and she was last spotted at a Wal-Mart, KDVR reported. He allegedly used Schelling's card to take out $400 from an ATM and drove Schelling's vehicle to the store's parking lot, the report said. The owners of an animal sanctuary in Colorado that recently euthanized all of its animals claim they were forced to do so by the government. Owners of the Lions Gate Sanctuary said they had to humanely euthanize three lions, three tigers and five bears in April after the Elbert County Board of Commissioners denied their request to move to a new location. Dr. Joan Laub and her partner Peter Winney wanted to build a sanctuary on a 45-acre property near Elizabeth instead, according to The Coloradoan. The original property had endured multiple floods and according to co-owner Laub, they felt they had no other option to protect the animals if they wouldnt be allowed to move the sanctuary. COLORADO DOGS FOUND BEHEADED WERE HIT BY TRAIN, INVESTIGATORS SAY But the Keenesburg Wild Animal Sanctuary had publicly offered to care for the animals at their facility if Lions Gate was unable to do so, according to a statement released by three county commissioners. The commissioners also said that they were promised the sanctuary would continue its operations as normal, regardless of the countys ultimate ruling. Given these facts, the news that Lions Gate euthanized all 11 animals at the same time and so shortly after the decision to deny the move comes as a shock, they said. But the owners of Lions Gate have fought back and argued that they did not receive a fair hearing. Due process was not achieved at this hearing, they said in their own statement obtained by KCNC. The Elbert County Commissioners did not take our application or the plight of our animals seriously. They did not take the safety of Elbert County residents seriously. We told them it was no longer safe to keep the animals at that location and we needed to move. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Tony Alamo, a one-time street preacher whose apocalyptic ministry grew into a multimillion-dollar network of businesses and property before he was convicted in Arkansas of sexually abusing girls he considered his wives, has died in prison. He was 82. Once known for designing elaborately decorated jackets for celebrities including Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, Alamo died on Tuesday at federal prison hospital in Butner, North Carolina, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The disgraced preacher was convicted in 2009 on charges that accused him of taking girls across state lines for sex, including a 9-year-old girl. The judge who sentenced him to the maximum 175 years in prison told him: "One day you will face a higher and a greater judge than me. May he have mercy on your soul." Alamo started preaching along the California streets in the 1960s, advocating a mixture of virulent anti-Catholicism and apocalyptic rhetoric. He claimed God authorized polygamy, professed that gays were the tools of Satan, and believed girls were fit for marriage. "Consent is puberty," Alamo told The Associated Press in September 2008, during the same weekend that state and federal agents raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in the tiny southwest Arkansas town of Fouke in an investigation of child abuse and pornography. Witnesses in the ensuing trial said Alamo made the decisions: who got married, what children were taught in school, who got clothes, who was allowed to eat. They said he began taking multiple wives in the early 1990s, including a 15-year-old girl in 1994, followed by increasingly younger girls. Alamo was convicted after five women testified they were "married" to him in secret ceremonies at his compound when they were minors including one when she was only 8 years old and later taken to places outside Arkansas for sex. Former followers said Alamo grew increasingly unhinged after his wife, Susan, died from cancer in 1982. Her body was kept in a room at the ministry, and his followers kept a vigil, praying for months for a resurrection. Eventually her body was buried in a crypt on the ministry's 300-acre compound in northwest Arkansas. But in 1991, Alamo ordered his followers to pack up before federal marshals seized the property to satisfy a court judgment. Authorities found Susan Alamo's concrete crypt smashed open and her coffin gone. Alamo returned his wife's remains seven years later after being threatened with jail. Before it became widely reviled for its leader's actions and teachings, Tony Alamo Christian Ministries attracted hippies and youngsters alienated from their parents when it started in the streets of Los Angeles in the 1960s. Calling themselves "Jesus Freaks," Alamo's followers preached hellfire and a wrathful version of Pentecostalism, which is known for its spirited worship style and belief in modern-day revelation and miracles. In the 1970s and '80s, members of his ministry made elaborately designed denim jackets that were sold to celebrities including Presley, Jackson and several country music stars. The iconic red leather jacket Jackson wore on the cover of his "Bad" album was a Tony Alamo original, and it was later sold at auction to settle federal tax claims against Alamo. At its height, Alamo's ministry claimed thousands of members nationwide. It was perhaps most known for leaving fliers on car windshields that outlined everything from Alamo's feared "one-world government" and his belief in flying saucers to his hatred of the Vatican and homosexuals. In a 2008 interview with the AP, Alamo claimed to be unique among Christian preachers because he was born a Jew and had a "supernatural experience" through which he became a born-again Christian. From his compound in northwest Arkansas, Alamo presided over several businesses including gas stations, a hog farm, a grocery store and a restaurant that funded his ministry. Ultimately, the IRS claimed Alamo owed $7.9 million in taxes and federal agents raided his properties in 1991. He was convicted of tax evasion and served four years in prison despite claiming he had no tax liability because he received no salary. Alamo also was accused in 1991 of child abuse after an 11-year-old boy told police he was paddled 140 times by four men on orders from Alamo in 1988 at the church's compound in Saugus, California. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges, saying too much time had passed. The same year he was charged with threatening to kidnap a federal judge in Arkansas but was acquitted by a jury. It was after he left prison in the 1990s that he started the compound in Fouke with about 100 followers. Tony Alamo was born Bernie Lazar Hoffman on Sept. 20, 1934, to a Jewish family in Joplin, Missouri. He arrived in Los Angeles in the 1960s, claiming he was a music promoter with clients including the Beatles. He and his wife legally changed their names to Tony and Susan Alamo after they married in Las Vegas in 1966. The family of the gunman who shot seven people at a San Diego pool party over the weekend says they feel "unbearable pain" and cannot explain the actions of Peter Selis. Monique Clark, 35, was killed in the shooting Sunday. Police killed 49-year-old Selis at the pool. Officials say Selis was despondent over a breakup. "Our family feels the unbearable pain caused by Pete's senseless acts," the Selis family said in a statement sent to KFMB-TV (http://bit.ly/2pIw5kx ). "We cannot understand what would have caused Pete to do this. Words cannot express our profound grief and sorrow for all the victims and their families. On behalf of our family, we are so sorry that this happened. We ask that you please respect our privacy. We will miss our beloved Pete forever." ___ Information from: KFMB-TV, http://www.kfmb.com/ A federal appeals court on Tuesday reinstated a gay couple's claim that Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis caused them "emotional distress" when she refused to issue them a marriage license in 2015 following the U.S. Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage. The Tuesday ruling revives an issue that pulled the state into the center of a debate over same-sex marriage. The incident transformed Davis into a heroic figure among opponents of same-sex marriage, while many in the LGBT community saw her as a symbol of the bigotry they were fighting against. Last August, a district judge dismissed three other lawsuits by same-sex couples against Davis, saying the issue was "moot" because of a 2016 change to Kentucky law that removed county clerk's names from marriage licenses. However, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state changing marriage licenses in 2016 does not eliminate whatever harm Davis might have done to couples constitutional right to marry in 2015. The appeals court ruled that the couple is entitled to have their complaint against Davis heard because its not a challenge to Davis's policy as a clerk, but rather seeks damages for "a particularized harm allegedly suffered by a specific set of plaintiffs. WYOMING JUDGE CENSURED FOR REFUSING TO PRESIDE OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGES David Ermold and David Moore tried to get a marriage license in Rowan County, Kentucky, in June 2015 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage bans were unconstitutional. But Davis refused to issue them a license because she said it violated her religious beliefs. Ermold and Moore sued, along with other couples. Davis lost, and spent five days in jail for refusing to follow a court order. Ermold and Moore, who have been together for more than 18 years, want Davis to pay damages for the emotional distress caused by her refusal to issue them a license. They filmed their rejection and uploaded it to YouTube, which has been viewed more than 1.8 million times. Liberty Counsel, a Florida-based law firm specializing in religious-liberty issues, has represented Davis throughout the case. Mat Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel, said the case now heads back to the district court to be resolved. "It keeps the case alive," he said. "This is their attempt to go after Kim Davis." Michael J. Gartland, attorney for the couple, expressed confidence in the couple's chances. Were going to get damages, Im sure of that, Gartland told the Lexington Herald Leader on Tuesday. Theres been no discovery yet. I cant imagine its a huge amount of damages, but there are damages. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A four-year-old boy with autism who fell into a Kansas pond is alive thanks to a heroic police officer. The dramatic rescue was captured in body camera video released Tuesday. Officer Aaron Bulmer was driving around a community park in Topeka over the weekend looking for a suspect when he saw the little boy walking alongside a pond, The Kansas City Star reported. TERRIFYING RESCUE OF TEXAS TODDLER, BABY CAUGHT IN DRAMATIC VIDEO The little boy fell into the water and Bulmer jumped into action. Police said the boy was bobbing face down in the water. Police said he'd wandered away from a parent, who was looking for him at the time of the rescue. The boy was rushed to a hospital for evaluation and is expected to be fine, the newspaper added. DRAMATIC WASHINGTON PLANE CRASH CAUGHT ON CAMERA According to the National Autism Association, children with autism are drawn to water. Officer Bulmer was in the right place at the right time to save a young life, the Topeka Police Dept. said in a statement. A rivers levee breached northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas Wednesday morning, prompting flash flood warnings from authorities. Residents were urged to leave the area immediately. The incident occurred after a Black River levee broke in Pocahontas, a town located approximately 125 miles northeast of Little Rock. Parts of the town were evacuated earlier this week after the rivers levels hit an all-time high. At least 50 homes have been destroyed already in Randolph County, FOX 16 reported. Move to higher ground now. This is a dangerous flood situation, said the National Weather Service in Memphis. In Missouri, residents of West Alton, a small river town about 20 miles north of St. Louis, were urged to evacuate Wednesday after a small levee breached along the Missouri River. Missouri is recovering after heavy rains hit the state during the weekend, devastating some areas and swelling many rivers. At least five deaths have been blamed on flooding in the state. MISSOURI COULD SEE NEW FLOOD DANGERS AS STORM APPROACHES A 14.5-mile stretch of river traffic along the Mississippi River was closed by the U.S. Coast Guard due to high water levels and a fast current. Our collective priority is public safety, said Captain Martin Malloy, commander of the Coast Guards Upper Mississippi River sector, told Fox2now. Forecasters say about two to four inches of rain is expected to pour until Thursday in some inundated areas in Missouri, but its not expected to affect most rivers levels. The small Missouri town of Eureka is relying on a sandbag wall that volunteers built to hold back floodwaters from the crested Meramec River according to Fox2now. The river is posing a threat to at least 1,500 homes in the area if the levees and sandbags fail. In Illinois, Jackson and Franklin counties have declared disasters after floods devastated the area. Flood warnings are still in effect for much of the central and southern parts of the state. Read more from FOX 16. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A 15-year-old girl subject of an Amber Alert in Tennessee was found safely along with the 28-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting a gas station clerk. Both are suspected of homicide, police said. Nashville police said that missing teen Trinity Faith Quinn and suspected killer Daniel Clark were found just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. Clark and Quinn complied with orders to come away from the woodline and surrender. Clark was carrying this backpack. pic.twitter.com/LIrneBRHRw Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) May 3, 2017 CHICAGO POLICE SHOOTING: 2 OFFICERS 'TARGETED,' OFFICIALS SAY They were found about two miles from the Exxon gas station where Clark reportedly shot and killed 58-year-old clerk John Daniel Stevens during an attempted robbery on Tuesday. Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said that both individuals are under investigation for homicide, Fox 17 reported. It is this departments belief that (the girl) had the opportunity to flee. We do not see any indication she was held against her will," Aaron said Wednesday morning. Daniel Clark, 28, sought for fatal shooting of Exxon clerk during Tues. pm robbery at 6995 Charlotte Pike. See him? Call 615-742-7463. pic.twitter.com/PHuutfnbW1 Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) May 3, 2017 Investigators said surveillence video shows Quinn shopping for items while Clark stood at the counter. During the shooting, Quinn at no time seemed to be in fear for her life and she had the opportunity to flee but did not do so, Aaron said. According to police, Clark and Quinn left his car at a parking lot and fled on foot. CONTROVERSY ERUPTS AFTER COLORADO ANIMAL SANCTUARY KILLS ALL ITS ANIMALS An Amber Alert was issued Wednesday morning, saying the teen was in imminent danger of bodily harm or death. AMBER ALERT: We need your help to find this missing teen, believed to be in imminent danger! #TrinityQuinn MORE: https://t.co/BqVnEpEGew pic.twitter.com/cyyUagPPe2 TBI (@TBInvestigation) May 3, 2017 Police said a dump truck driver saw Quinn, who was last seen Monday morning at Rhea Central Elementary School, standing on the side of the road. He notified police. Clark and Quinn were found on an embankment behind trees near Old Hickory Boulevard. A backpack was also found at the scene which contained a handgun inside. On Twitter, Nashville police said both Quinn and Clark complied with orders from officers and surrendered. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Portland Police said that they were pelted with full Pepsi cans during violent May Day protests where 25 were arrested. Before violence broke out in Portland, one protester offered the police a can of Pepsi in a nod to the controversial Kendall Jenner advertisement in which she transformed from a starlet to an activist and used the soda to bring protesters and police together, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The ad drew outrage and Pepsi eventually pulled the plug on the spot before it made it to television after it was accused of appropriating Black Lives Matter protests to sell soda. Portland police said the protesters turned violent as businesses were being damage. Police said at least one medic was hit by a full Pepsi can, but was not injured in the incident. A @PDXFire medic was hit by a full @pepsi can thrown during #MayDayPDX protest march. Not injured. Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) May 1, 2017 Police eventually revoked permission for the demonstration and deemed it a riot and not a rally. The violence and vandalism in Portland and several other Pacific Northwest cities stood out amid largely peaceful marches elsewhere in the U.S. to honor immigrants and support workers' rights. More than 100 police officers clad in body armor and gas masks shut down a march they said had become a riot late Monday and arrested people on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to arson and assault. Earlier last month, a man attended a Portland council meeting and handed Mayor Ted Wheeler a can of Pepsi, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The man told Wheeler that he was surprised about how much anger had been directed toward Wheeler and said it was the language of resistance. Then, he handed him the drink. Oregon Public Broadcasting said the mayor appeared visibly embarrassed and shook his head and laughed uncomfortably. The man was led out of the meeting. President Trump on Tuesday fired back at Hillary Clinton in a series of tweets after the former Democratic presidential candidate blamed FBI Director James Comey and Russian interference for ruining her chances at becoming president. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds, Trump tweeted. The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? 'TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT' REP. GOWDY: I'M CONFIDENT IN COMEY COMING UP: FBI Director Comey testifies at a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee called, Oversight of the FBI." WATCH LIVE AT 10 AM ET on Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com NORTH KOREA USING NUKES AS BLACKMAIL? North Koreas nuclear weapons development could be used as blackmail to influence the U.S. to abandon its ally in South Korea in order to make it easier for Pyongyang to overtake its archrival, a White House official said Tuesday. Matt Pottinger, the Asia director on President Trumps National Security Council, said there might be some truth to the idea that North Korea wants a nuclear deterrent to protect its communist regime, but the countrys robust conventional military has worked as a deterrent for decades. COMING UP: Secretary of State Tillerson addresses Department of State employees at the State Department. WATCH LIVE AT 10:30 AM on Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com COPS SHOT IN SUSPECTED AMBUSH Chicago police on Wednesday questioned three persons of interest after two police officers were shot and injured in the city's South Side in what was a targeted attack. Two guns and a vehicle were recovered in the investigation. It appears the two were shot by a high-powered weapon, Anthony Guglielmi, Chicago Police chief spokesman, said on Twitter. Tonight was a frightening reminder of the dangers our dedicated officers face. Thank you @Chicago_Police for putting service above self. https://t.co/XTgQZtbQkP ChicagosMayor (@ChicagosMayor) May 3, 2017 'TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT' Mark Penn, a former pollster for Bill and Hillary Clinton, told Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Tuesday that surveys about Donald Trump's early performance in office reveal a "polling bubble" that under-records support for the president. "When you look at the electorate, its pretty simple math," Penn, now chairman of the Harris Poll, told host Tucker Carlson. "94 to 96 percent of Trump voters say theyre sticking with him. That would be 94-95 percent of 46 percent. About 10 percent of the people who didnt vote for him approve of him ... and realistically we are right back where we were on Election Day." 'TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT': WHY ARE THE POLLS STILL WRONG ON TRUMP? COMING UP ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL 8 AM ET: Secretary of Treasury Mnuchin delivers remarks at the Independent Community Bankers of America Capital Summit. Grand Hyatt Washington. Watch Fox Business for updates 11:50 AM ET: President Trump greets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. White House Drive. Watch live on Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com 1:30 PM ET: Former President Obama delivers remarks on the Obama Foundation. South Shores Cultural Center, Chicago, IL. Watch live on Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com 2 PM ET: White House Press Secretary Spicer holds press briefing. Watch live on Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com COMING UP ON FOX BUSINESS 8 AM ET: Mick Mulvaney, OMB director, will be on "Mornings With Maria" 9:45 AM ET: Scott Pruitt, EPA administrator, will be on "Varney & Company" Authorities in New York announced Wednesday that three members of the MS-13 gang have been charged with attempted murder in an attack over the weekend involving a machete. Nassau County police said the 19-year-old victim was hit with a machete and shot at Sunday in the Long Island community of Westbury. On Tuesday, police arrested Jose Hernandez, 26, Fidel Hernandez, 23, and Miguel Urias Arguenta, 18, in connection with the attack. Authorities said the Hernandez brothers, both from El Salvador and in the country illegally, are responsible for an additional assault in January when a 19-year-old man was slashed in the face with a machete. Arguenta, also born in El Salvador, was in the process of applying for a green card, according to police. MS-13 - THE GANG THAT SCARES OTHER GANGS All three have demonstrated that they are extremely dangerous people, Nassau County Police Chief Kevin Smith said at a news conference. We would encourage anyone else who has been victimized or is afraid of these people, maybe afraid to report it, to come forward and contact the police. In the most recent assault on Sunday, police said the three attacked a 19-year-old man because they didn't like the way he was laughing. "He's on the street, he may be laughing about something and these people confronted him," Smith told reporters. "I don't know about you people, I have been in situations where people have seen me make a face or smirk and thought that it was directed at them, and it wasn't the case, and I think it might have been the case in this instance." AG SESSIONS TO MS-13 GANG: 'WE ARE COMING AFTER YOU' The latest incident involving the violent gang happened roughly 20 miles from Brentwood and Central Islip, where MS-13 has been linked to 11 corpses found in the last six months. State officials announced a new task force last month to crack down on the violence plaguing Long Island communities. NEW YORK LAUNCHES TASK FORCE TO COMBAT MS-13 GANG ON LONG ISLAND AFTER RECENT MURDERS The bloodshed has gotten the attention of President Trump, who has called it the result of lax immigration policies, and drew in a visit on Friday from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who vowed to "demolish" MS-13. MS-13, also called Mara Salvatrucha, is believed to have been founded as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s by immigrants fleeing a civil war in El Salvador. It grew after some members were deported to El Salvador, helping turn that country into one of the most violent places in the world Federal prosecutors believe MS-13 has thousands of members across the country. The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 A grand jury has cleared the police officer who fatally shot the man responsible for a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University last year. At issue were actions taken by OSU officer Alan Horujko (huh-RUJ'-koh) in November when he shot and killed 18-year-old attacker Abdul Razak Ali Artan. Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien announced the grand jury results Wednesday. Horujko killed the Somali-born Artan after he drove into a crowd outside a classroom building on Nov. 28 and then attacked people with a knife. Thirteen people were injured in the attack. Authorities believe Artan's attack was partly inspired by an American-born cleric killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen. A clinical psychologist says a man accused of killing two 17-year-olds behind a supermarket in an Atlanta suburb is competent to stand trial if he remains on medication for mental illness. Jeffrey Hazelwood faces charges including murder in the Aug. 1 slayings of Carter Davis and Natalie Henderson behind a supermarket in Roswell. Psychologist Christian Hildreth is treating the 20-year-old Hazelwood at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville. Local media report that Hildreth said that when Hazelwood arrived at the hospital in February he was incoherent, reported hearing voices and had trouble forming sentences. Hildreth said that with new medications, Hazelwood has been able to have conversations and appears to understand how the court proceedings in his case would work. More than 100 students at the University of California, Santa Cruz took over an administration building on Tuesday, calling school officials to meet demands on changes at the campus. The group African/Black Student Alliance organized the protest where about 150 students blockaded Kerr Hall about 1 p.m., KGO-TV reported. They chained the front door closed and barred other openings with furniture. Good morning everyone! Things are great here at reclaimed Kerr Hall. #MeetABSADemands pic.twitter.com/PesmmkqDQ2 Kadijah Means (@SpecialKay00) May 3, 2017 The protesters are pushing the administration to guarantee four-year housing at Rosa Parks African American Themed House, located at Stevenson College. The building is a housing option for students interested in "historical, present-day, and future experiences of predominately Black/African American peoples," according to the university's website. BIBLE READING NOT ALLOWED BEFORE CLASS, PROFESSOR TELLS STUDENT The protesters also want the house painted red, green and black, and want the university to offer diversity competency training to incoming students, KGO-TV reported. The protesters told school officials they would remain at Kerr Hall until their requests are met. "We gave the chancellor a simple, very simple list of demands that will uplift and affirm the humanity of our black people, we will be here until our demands are met and we are not leaving until our demands are met," the group said in a statement to KGO-TV. Scott Hernandez-Jason, a UC Santa Cruz spokesman, said in a statement to Fox News that the protest is peaceful and the chancellor is working with student groups to address their concerns. "Our focus is on ensuring the safety of staff who work in the building and of the students who took over the building," Hernandez-Jason said in the statement. "Chancellor George Blumenthal has been working with several student groups, including the African/Black Student Alliance and the Black Experience Team, over the past year to explore ways to effectively address some of their concerns. Weve taken some steps forward, including hiring a recruitment specialist and a retention specialist, and continue to discuss how we can make sure that all students feel supported and have a sense of belonging." The African/Black Student Alliance is said to be one of the largest and oldest student organization at UC Santa Cruz, the university website stated. The African/Black Student Alliance did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for a statement. Several students were injured after a school bus tipped over in Bemidji, Minnesota Wednesday morning. The crash happened around 7:30 a.m. Bemidji Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Hess says the bus was rear-ended by another car near the intersection of Movil Lake Road and Irvine Avenue, causing the bus to tip over on its side in the ditch. Five students on the bus were transported to Sanford Health for evaluation. One student was airlifted from the scene. Hess said the other students aboard the bus suffered bumps and bruises. A parent hotline has been established at Sanford Health. The number to call is 218-333-6040. Click here for more from Fox 9. The 82-year-old man suffered a broken thigh during his arrest over a high-profile land dispute that has rocked the nation. A village elder has returned home to Hoanh Village in My Duc District after being injured in a land dispute that led locals to take 38 government officials and police officers hostage. Le Dinh Kinh, 82, a highly respected village elder, was greeted by cheers as an ambulance dropped him off. Village dignitary out of hospital following Vietnam hostage crisis Village elder out of hospital following Hanoi hostage crisis Sitting in his home, Kinh smiled and greeted well-wishers who came to visit him. He looks well but he has lost 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds)," said Le Dinh Cong, Kinh's son. "His leg still hurts and it will be about a month before he can walk again. Lots of villagers have come to celebrate his return, but we don't want to overcrowd him for the sake of his health." Kinh greets his visitors. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Chinh. Kinh said that while he was in hospital, city leaders and police had visited him to wish him a speedy recovery. Among them, Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung visited him about ten times. After learning that Kinh had broken his thigh, Chung drafted in three surgeons to operate on him. From his hospital bed, the 82-year-old man continued to hold discussions with authorities. He praised Chung for talking directly with the people, and promised to solve the crisis in a just manner. I look forward to hearing the city inspectors' decision on June 20," Kinh said. "It's Chung's responsibility to clarify the dispute as promised. That's the only way of restoring the people's confidence in Party's leadership. Kinh (right) discusses with other village elders, one day after returning from hospital. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Du. Kinh is recovering well after surgery, according to an official from Viet Duc Hospital. "It will take a while for him to walk normally again," the doctor said. "The hospital called on the best doctors to perform his surgery, using the most modern drugs and equipment." Kinh was one of the four people in Dong Tam Commune arrested on April 15 following public unrest over a land dispute in the area. During the arrest, he was injured and hospitalized with a broken thigh. A day later, Kinh's arrest was overturned. On April 17, Hanoi police released the arrested locals and villagers released 15 police officers after three officers had escaped. On April 20, Mayor Chung visited My Duc District to hold talks with villagers from Dong Tam Commune, but they refused to attend the meeting. The meeting was rescheduled for April 22, where Chung promised to get to the bottom of the dispute. He also said authorities would investigate Kinh's arrest and not press charges against the villagers. In return, the villagers released the remaining hostages, ending the crisis. Le Dinh Kinh is a highly respected elder, according to Le Dinh Ba, one of the four villagers arrested by the police. Kinh has been a member of the Vietnamese Communist Party for over 60 years, and has held several important positions in the commune. In 2013, Kinh joined the Consensus Group in Dong Tam Commune to demand that people's rights be respected, and his arrest was one of the reasons locals decided to take matters into their own hands. Police have taken one person into custody after a shooting at the Miami-Dade Library in Downtown Miami, Wednesday morning. Just before 11 a.m., Miami-Dade Police tweeted that one suspect had been taken into custody, and the scene at the Miami-Dade Library, located at 101 W. Flagler St., had been secured. Miami-Dade Police Director Juan J. Perez said the suspect entered the library and discharged his firearm. The male then was shot by an officer working an off-duty detail at the library. The subject was rushed to a nearby hospital in unknown condition. Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo said, Obviously, the police department responded right away. This was in Downtown Miami, so the police department was able to come here and capture the individual right away. City of Miami and Miami-Dade Police responded to the shooting and remain on the scene. Officials have announced there is no longer a threat to those in the area and that nobody else was injured during the shooting. Click for more from WSVN. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates is expected to testify to Congress next week that she expressed alarm to the White House about President Donald Trump's national security adviser's contacts with the Russian ambassador. That could contradict how the administration has characterized her counsel. Yates is expected to recount in detail her Jan. 26 conversation about Michael Flynn and to say that she saw discrepancies between the administration's public statements on his contacts with ambassador Sergey Kislyak and what really transpired. That's according to a person familiar with Yates's plans for her testimony. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting her testimony. Yates is expected to say that she told White House counsel Don McGahn that she was concerned Flynn's communications with Kislyak could compromise Flynn. KABUL, Afghanistan -- At least eight civilians were killed early Wednesday in a suicide attack against a military convoy, which was near the U.S. embassy and NATO compound in Kabul, Afghanistan. U.S. Navy Capt. William K. Salvin, spokesman for the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said a coalition convoy was targeted by an improvised explosive device at about 8 a.m. local time. Three U.S. Army soldiers sustained non-life threatening wounds, and at least 22 civilians suffered injuries. Gen. Jawid Kohistani, a former official at Afghanistan's National Directorate Security (NDS) who closely monitors attacks, told Fox News that intelligence was received three days ago cautioning of an imminent attack against NATO forces, with more possible through the "fighting season" around diplomatic areas and guest houses. An investigation of the attack, which is still in its early stages, indicates that the Haqqani network is behind the bombing. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attacker is said to have been targeting a convoy of NATO-helmed Resolute Support vehicles close to Massoud Square in the city center, igniting at a NDS checkpoint. At least eight have died and a further 25 wounded, officials said. A military source told Fox News the bomber pretended to be a construction worker, with tools and a uniform, and when the convoy arrived he pressed the button. More than an hour later, smoke could still be seen bellowing through the grey sky from the bomb site as scores of military aircraft hovered close by. The dead have not yet been identified. Kabul has been on high alert in the last few weeks with the beginning of what is sometimes called the "fighting season." Lt. Gen. Naveed Mukhtar, chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, had arrived just hours earlier on Tuesday, presumably in an effort to mitigate tensions between the two neighboring countries, but sending the security situation into a further disarray. Over the weekend, Fox News was informed that authorities foiled a car-bomb attack. The car was discovered with rounds ready to fire near where the Pakistani parliamentary delegation was meeting with Afghan officials in the unprecedented visit. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 The head of the Anglican Church prayed at the Jordan River as part of a Middle East tour in which he met with Iraqi Christian refugees. Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, led prayers Wednesday at the Bethany Beyond the Jordan archaeological site, believed to be the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus of Nazareth. He called for greater support for those in need, saying: "In this place where we hear birdsong and running water we are surrounded, within a few kilometers (miles), with violence." The Middle East is home to the oldest Christian communities in the world, but large numbers have fled in recent years to escape war and Islamic extremism. Welby was expected to visit Israel later in the day. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday accused European Union officials of trying to influence the outcome of United Kingdom's general election through veiled "threats." "The events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes and however reasonable the positions of Europe's other leaders, there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want Britain to prosper," May said after a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II. THE EU'S BREXIT NEGOTIATING PLAN, AT A GLANCE The prime minister spoke outside of 10 Downing Street, marking the dissolution of Parliament and officially kicking off the election campaign. May said the European Union's negotiating stance had hardened and some European officials had made "threats" against Britain. UK BREXIT CHIEF REJECTS 100 BILLION-EURO BREXIT BILL "All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on June 8," May said. She also accused the European press for "misrepresenting" Britain's negotiation position, Sky News reported. May insisted a working Brexit deal will be the key to Britain and EU's future success. "This Brexit negotiation is central to everything," May said, adding that whoever won the election would face the "overriding task to get the best possible deal for this United Kingdom." "If we don't get the negotiation right, your economic security and prosperity will be put at risk and the opportunities you seek for your families will simply not happen," the prime minister said. On Tuesday, May made a similar firm stance, vowing to be a "bloody difficult woman" in talks with the bloc, after EU officials accused the U.K. of failing to grasp the complexity of the task ahead. European Parliament Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt, a master of the pointed political tweet, posted: "Any Brexit deal requires a strong & stable understanding of the complex issues involved. The clock is ticking it's time to get real." Formal Brexit negotiations won't start until after the U.K. election next month. Click for more from Sky News. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A deadly blast rocked a rebel-held Syrian town near the Turkish border on Wednesday as Russian-led cease-fire talks between the Syrian government and rebel groups resumed in Kazakhstan. At least five people were killed in the explosion. The fourth round of talks was held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The opposition pulled out of the talks shortly after they kicked off, demanding officials to commit to an earlier cease-fire reached in December that included provisions for the release of detainees. President Donald Trump sent a senior State Department official to the talks for the first time. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled greater cooperation on Syria in a phone call on Tuesday, a change since the U.S. ordered airstrikes on a Syrian airbase in April. The White House, which described the call as "a very good one," said the two leaders discussed setting up safe zones in Syria, where a civil war has been raging for more than six years. TRUMP, PUTIN DISCUSS NORTH KOREA, SYRIA CEASE-FIRE, WH SAYS The topic of setting up the zones was the top issue in the cease-fire talks. The opposition circulated a proposal calling for the creation of "de-escalation" zones, to be monitored by observer countries. The zones, according to the document, would allow for the voluntary return of refugees. Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations envoy in Syria, called on the armed opposition's delegation to rejoin the talks on Thursday, urging them not to ruin the "possibility of de-escalation." Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said they supported the proposal of creating the safe zones during a joint news conference. The leaders met privately at the Russian presidential complex in the resort city of Sochi. Erdogan said he hopes "this zone of de-escalation will be accepted" during the cease-fire talks. The Interfax news agency quoted a Kazakh diplomat, Aidarbek Tumatov, as saying that a Russian proposal involves the creation of at least four zones in Syria. Russia has not officially released its proposal, but reports in Russian state media said the zones would be patrolled by forces from Russia, Iran and Turkey. IRAN ATTEMPTED MISSILE LAUNCH FROM SUBMARINE, US OFFICIALS SAY The Tass news agency reported that Stuart Jones, an assistant U.S. secretary of state, has already met separately with Russia's representative. Syrian TV said the Astana talks began with a meeting between delegations from Russia and Iran, another close ally of Assad. As the cease-fire talks began, a car bomb went off in the town of Azaz, close to the offices of the Syrian interim government that represents the opposition in rebel-held area, Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Azaz is on a key opposition supply route, and is a hub for fighters and opposition activists. It also hosts people displaced from fighting elsewhere in the country. The town has been the scene of several attacks, some claimed by the Islamic State group. A huge explosion in January killed at least 50 people in Azaz. A video of the aftermath of Wednesday's explosion posted online by the Azaz Media Center showed burnt-out cars and firefighters struggling to put out a blaze. Gunfire rang out as people gathered at the scene and ambulances arrived. The Turkish Dogan news agency said some of the wounded were taken to the state hospital in the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment. The Associated Press contributed to this report. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has paid his respects at the site of one of the worst massacres in German-occupied Italy during World War II. In 1944, 335 people were shot to death at the Ardeatine Caves on Rome's outskirts as a reprisal for an attack by a group of partisans that killed 33 Nazi soldiers on a street in the center of Rome a day before. Italian President Sergio Mattarella accompanied Steinmeier to the caves Wednesday. The two men stood silently before a memorial that reads: "Here were slaughtered victims of a horrendous sacrifice; from our sacrifice may there grow a better country and peace between peoples." The two men then also paused between rows of tombs. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Dozens of people have rallied outside the Turkish embassy in Berlin, calling for the release of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel and scores of other reporters imprisoned in Turkey. Demonstrators waved signs like "free media can't be silenced" and "freedom for imprisoned journalists" along with photos of Yucel and others at the rally Wednesday organized by Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders. Amnesty spokesman Markus Beeko says their message is that "nobody should be jailed for carrying out their important, legitimate work." In a World Press Freedom Day statement, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert reiterated the government's support for Yucel, who was detained earlier this year, and other journalists jailed by Turkey in the wake of a failed coup. Seibert says "press freedom is a cornerstone of democracy." next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 The German government says it is investigating the extent of far-right activity in its armed forces after an officer was arrested last week on suspicion of planning an attack. Prosecutors believe 28-year-old army lieutenant Franco A. had long-standing far-right views and may have been part of a small extremist cell. A defense ministry spokesman confirmed reports that the suspect, whose full name wasn't released due to German privacy rules, had written a university thesis in 2014 which included "extremist views," but only received a warning. The spokesman, Boris Nannt, told reporters Wednesday that the decision had been a "mistake." Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday visited the barracks in Illkirch, France, where A. had been stationed as part of a Franco-German brigade. A stated objective of the United Nations Security Council is North Koreas abandonment of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. "For the past 20 years, well-intentioned diplomatic efforts to halt these programs have failed" noted U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a speech before the Security Council. The threat is becoming increasingly real for Seoul, Tokyo, and ultimately the United States, he said. "With each successive detonation and missile test, North Korea pushes Northeast Asia and the world closer to instability and broader conflict." "For too long, the international community has been reactive in addressing North Korea. Those days must come to an end," said Secretary Tillerson. "We have said this before and it bears repeating: the policy of strategic patience is over. Additional patience will only mean acceptance of a nuclear North Korea." The time has come for all Security Council nations to put new pressure on North Korea to abandon its dangerous path, said Mr. Tillerson. "I urge this council to act before North Korea does." Secretary Tillerson proposed three new actions to begin immediately: "First, we call on UN member-states to fully implement the commitments they have made regarding North Korea. This includes all measures required in Resolutions 2321 and 2270." Second, the U.S. calls on countries to suspend or downgrade diplomatic relations with North Korea. Constraining its diplomatic activity will cut off a flow of needed resources. Third, the Security Council members must levy new sanctions on North Korean entities and individuals supporting its weapons and missile programs, and tighten those that are already in place. Furthermore, Secretary Tillerson called "on the international community to suspend the flow of North Korean guest workers and to impose bans on North Korean imports, especially coal." China has an influential role to play, said Mr. Tillerson, as it accounts for 90 percent of North Korean trade. The U.S. looks forward to further actions that build on what China has already done. Lastly, all options for responding to future provocation must remain on the table. "We much prefer a negotiated solution to this problem," said Mr. Tillerson, "but we are committed to defending ourselves and our allies against North Korean aggression." It's time to implement a new strategy to denuclearize North Korea. Police in Greece say gunmen killed a man outside a primary school near Athens as parents were still dropping off their children. Police say at least two armed men attacked the victim Wednesday outside the side entrance of the school in the Glyka Nera area, east of the capital. Police say the incident may be linked to rivalry between extortion gangs in the area but gave no further details. Authorities say a woman among the bystanders was injured and taken to a nearby state hospital. She was reported to be out of danger. The Education Ministry says the school was closed for the day following the incident. A Greek court has turned down a second Turkish extradition bid for three of eight Turkish servicemen who fled by helicopter to Greece after a failed military coup in Turkey last year. Greece's supreme court has already rejected an initial request, drawing anger from neighboring Turkey. It argued the men wouldn't get a fair trial in Turkey, and that their lives might be in danger there. After examining the new Turkish request Wednesday, the Athens court accepted a prosecutor's argument that the supreme court has already ruled on the case. It issued a similar decision last week in the case of three other servicemen and will meet Thursday to decide on the remaining two. All eight pilots and flight engineers have requested asylum in Greece. North Korea confirmed on Wednesday it is holding an accounting professor, bringing to three the number of Americans held in its prisons as international tensions escalate. It was widely known that Kim Sang Dok, who also goes by the name Tony Kim, was nabbed at Pyongyang International Airport on April 22, but state-controlled media now has confirmed the development. The Korean Central News Agency said he is suspected of "acts of hostility aimed at overthrowing the country." NORTH KOREA THREAT: WH OFFICIAL SAYS KIM COULD USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AS 'BLACKMAIL' The 58-year-old captive joins University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier and businessman Kim Dong Chul in the Hermit Kingdom's infamous gulags as the world continues to pressure North Korea over its rogue nuclear weapons program. In the past, North Korea has generally quickly released any American citizens it detained waiting at most for a U.S. official or statesman to come and to personally bail out detainees. But that appears to be changing. PENTAGON LAUNCHES ANOTHER LONG-RANGE MISSILE INTO PACIFIC Early in the dictatorship of Kim Jong Un, North Korea called on its people to rally behind him and protect him as "human shields." But with the U.S. leading a growing international coalition determined to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile testing as well as threats against neightbors and western countries, the Americans could be bargaining chips at best and human shields at worst, according to experts. "For far too long, North Korea has taken Americans hostage to use as bargaining chips," said former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton. "The Trump Administration is the right time to put a stop to this once and for all." Wednesday's KCNA dispatch said authorities were detaining Kim Sang Dok and are conducting a detailed investigation into his alleged crime. The detention comes amid rising tensions between North Korea and the U.S. related to the reclusive regimes nuclear weapons program. Kim was invited to Pyongyang University of Science and Technology to teach, KCNA reported, and the school's chancellor and the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang earlier gave the information about Kim's detention but didn't provide a reason for his arrest. Both the professor and his wife reportedly were trying to leave the country. His wife has since returned to the U.S., a university spokesman told Reuters, adding: "We certainly hope for a positive resolution as soon as possible." The U.S. State Department last month did not comment, "due to privacy considerations." Warmbier, 21, was detained on Jan. 2, 2016, at Pyongyang International Airport, while visiting the country as a tourist with Young Pioneer Tour. He was charged with stealing a political sign from a staff-only floor in the Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang and committing crimes against the state. He was given a one-hour trial last March at which the government presented fingerprints, CCTV footage and pictures of a political banner to make its case against the American student. I beg that you see how I am only human, Warmbier said at his trial. And how I have made the biggest mistake of my life. Despite his pleas, the college student was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. In a post-trial video released to the world, Warmbier, under obvious duress, praised his captors for his treatment and for handling of the case fair and square." Julia Mason, a State Department spokeswoman, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that the U.S. government continues to actively work to secure his earliest possible release. Mason added, however, that U.S. emissaries in North Korea have not been able to visit Warmbier for more than a year. A representative from the Swedish Embassy last visited Mr. Warmbier on March 2, 2016, Mason said. We are in regular, close coordination with representatives of the Embassy of Sweden. The plight of the Korean-American businessman is probably the most hazy case of all the Americans being held in North Korea. A former resident of Virginia, Kim Dong Chul was living in China with his wife and operating a business in a special economic zone of North Korea when he was detained in October 2015 while in the city of Rason. His detainment was not made public until North Korean officials introduced him to a visiting news crew and allowed him to be interviewed through an interpreter. It was later revealed that Kim had been detained on suspicion of engaging in spying and stealing state secrets. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor after a brief trial in Pyongyang. North Korea's Supreme Court found Kim guilty of espionage and subversion under Articles 60 and 64 of the North's criminal code. When he was paraded before the media in Pyongyang last March, Kim said he had collaborated with and spied for South Korean intelligence authorities in a plot to bring down the North's leadership and had tried to spread religion among North Koreans before his arrest. South Korea's National Intelligence Service, the country's main spy agency, has said Kim's case wasn't related to the organization in any way. Fox News' Andrew O'Reilly and The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The Latest on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (all times local): 11:20 a.m. The European Union's Brexit negotiator says Britain must settle the financial debts it owes the bloc before talks on its future relations with its European partners can begin. Michel Barnier said Wednesday that "we have to settle the account, not more not less." Unveiling details of his negotiating scope for the talks, Barnier insisted that the bill "is not a punishment." He said the EU's budget for the next few years had been decided together with Britain, which should pay their agreed contribution. He said: "We have decided these programs together ... Engagements were undertaken and they have to be honored. It's a question of responsibility." ___ 10:50 a.m. The European Union is making it legally impossible for Britain to tackle key issues like trade with its European partners until its debts have been settled. A draft of the mandate outlining how the union will negotiate Britain's departure limits the remit of EU Brexit point-man Michel Barnier to things like safeguards for EU citizens in Britain and London's financial obligations. The draft is being made public Wednesday. The EU lists another priority as keeping people and goods moving smoothly across the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and EU member Ireland. EU states would have to approve progress on those issues before Barnier can start negotiating the outline of the bloc's future relations with Britain after it leaves in 2019. On a warm evening in May 2007, 3-year-old Madeleine McCann was inside her family's vacation villa while her parents dined with friends some 60 yards away in the Portuguese resort town of Praia da Luz. At 9:05 p.m., Madeleine's father found her asleep in the bedroom she shared with her younger twin siblings. At 10 p.m., she was gone. The whereabouts of the blonde-haired British girl remain a mystery 10 years after her disappearance on May 3, 2007, from the Algarve region of Portugal's southern coast. The international search for Madeleine has led police to nearly every corner of the world and yielded thousands of leads -- with no success. Scotland Yard announced last week that the latest suspect in the case is an unnamed woman spotted near the McCanns' rental villa on the night Madeleine vanished. Sources told the Telegraph that investigators are ready to "move in" and interview the woman in a "hugely significant line of inquiry." The girl's parents, meanwhile, said they are hopeful Madeleine is still alive and called the last 10 years "stolen" time. "It's time we should have had with Madeleine. We should have been a family of five for all that time. And yeah, it just feels stolen," the girl's mother, Kate McCann, said in an interview with the British press released Sunday. "There is no evidence that Madeleine's dead," her father, Gerry McCann, said. "No parent is going to give up on their child unless they know for certain that the child's dead." The McCanns and British investigators claim Madeleine was snatched by a stranger from the ground-floor villa on the sixth day of the family's week-long holiday. Others, including law enforcement in Portugal, have questioned that theory -- with some speculating the child died accidentally and her parents staged an abduction. Authorities hunting for Madeleine have circulated hundreds of pictures of the blonde toddler over the years focusing in particular on a distinctive mark they hope could identify her: a dark smudge within the green iris of her right eye. To Mary Ellen O'Toole, a former FBI agent, the case is "solvable" a decade later. O'Toole, who is not involved in the investigation, said authorities must carry out two actions: re-examine old forensic evidence using new technology and re-interview key invidivuals at the resort on the night Madeleine disappeared. "I would have a group of forensic scientists look at the evidence to see if we could re-evalute it using current technology," said O'Toole, who is currently the director of forensic sciences at George Mason University. O'Toole said she would also re-interview all who were questioned at the resort, as well as interview individuals who might have been overlooked at the time. "I would want to be looking at everyone: employees of the resort, delivery people, guests, customers, vendors there providing music and other services," O'Toole told Fox News. "Its often not the straggly-haired, off-putting individual, but someone who looks regular, quite normal," she said. "You would not rule out anybody." The passage of time, O'Toole said, can sometimes be key in cracking open an unsolved missing persons case. "Ten years can do a lot to people and they may now feel they can come forward with information they werent comfortable coming forward with at the time," she said. O'Toole noted that stranger abductions are rare, but cited such cases in the U.S. -- including those in which the kidnap victims were later found alive -- like Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 when she was abducted from the bedroom of her parents Salt Lake City, Utah, home in 2002 and found alive nine months later. "Weve certainly seen cases here in the United States where children have been taken and returned, so we know theres a possibility," she said. "That is one of the possible outcomes and we can hope for that." Another theory that police say has not been ruled out is a "burglary gone wrong," but O'Toole and others say -- though not impossible -- it's highly unlikely. "Its much more likely that Madeleine was the target," said O'Toole. "People dont morph from a jewel thief into a child abductor." "If a stranger went into that room, that is really high-risk behavior for an offender," she said. The McCanns, meanwhile, said they plan to challenge a court ruling that cleared a former Portuguese detective of breaching libel laws after he published a book alleging they were involved in Madeleine's disappearance. Kate McCann, who still buys her daughter Christmas and birthday presents, said the family will never give up in its quest for answers. "I obviously have to think about what age she is and something that, whenever we find her, will still be appropriate," she said. "So there's a lot of thought goes into it ... But I couldn't not, you know. She's still our daughter, she'll always be our daughter." Cristina Corbin is a Fox News reporter based in New York. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaCorbin. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A U.S. Marine veteran and his Canadian girlfriend whose bodies were found this week in Belize died of strangulation, police said Tuesday. The bodies of Drew DeVoursney, 36, and Francesca Matus, 52, turned up in a sugar cane field in an "advanced state of decomposition" a week after they went missing, The Toronto Star reported. DeVoursney's body was on top of Matus' and both had duct tape wrapped around their wrists. The couple was last seen leaving Scotty's Bar and Grill in Corozal the night of April 25. Matus was scheduled to fly back to Toronto the next day. A friend reported them missing after he went to Matus' home to drive her to the airport and couldn't find her. Matus' car was also gone. Police found the vehicle Sunday in a sugar cane field, about 10 miles from the bar, the Star reported. Their bodies were found the next day. MEXICAN NAVY: 1 MARINE, 7 CRIME SUSPECTS KILLED IN SHOOTOUT The U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs told the newspaper that it was "aware of reports" that a citizen had died in Belize, but did not comment further. Global Affairs Canada offered its condolences and said officials are working with authorities in Belize to gather more information. DeVoursney's mom, Cher, said the U.S. Embassy in Belize informed her of her son's death. DeVoursney, who is from Atlanta, served several tours in Iraq and had been in Belize since December. POLICE: SUSPECT IN FATAL SHOOTING ON RUN WITH TEENAGE GIRL Hes a real adventure boy, thats what I call him, my adventure boy because hes done so many different things, Char DeVoursney told the newspaper. Drew DeVoursney was expected to fly back to Atlanta on Friday, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Matus, a mother to twin boys, lived in Belize from December to April. "She only said really good things about Belize. She loved it there," Matus' friend Robert Di Matto said. "She loved the bay, she loved lying in her hammock, she loved the spirit and the energy that it brought." Matus and DeVoursney had been dating for a few months before their deaths. Drew DeVoursney's brother, David, and friend, Brandon Barfield, flew to Belize to bring the marine veteran's remains home. Barfield, who initially set up a GoFundMe page to cover expenses for the search, wrote in a Tuesday update that the family want a private investigation into the couple's death. "We are, now, seeking to hire a private investigation firm to have a second look into his death because we want to truly exhaust all resources for Drew and his family," Barfield wrote. "They deserve justice and peace." Hyeonseo Lee is one of the best-known defectors from North Korea. And, at only 37, one of the most outspoken about the North Korean regime, now led by Kim Jong Un. The North Korean regime really can control people, she told Fox News, I think they are the best dictator in the whole planet. After fleeing North Korea in 1997 when she was still in her teens and then following difficult years in China, she finally made it to South Korea and the West. KIM'S HUMAN SHIELDS: NORTH KOREA CONFIRMS THIRD AMERICAN HELD AS TENSIONS RISE Her book, "The Girl with 7 Names," referring to the alias's she used during her escape, is a global best-seller. Her "Ted Talk" speech has been viewed online some 13 million times. She "talks" about "slavery" under the rigid regimes of Kim Jong Un's father and grandfather. We only receive thus much and we dont have enough, she explained, thats how we automatically became the slave of the regime. She witnessed executions, indoctrination, and a famine in the '90s, which left an estimated million dead and abandoned. Because of so many dead bodies, certain peoples job was to get rid of the bodies, with carts, she recounted. She was also taught about enemy No. 1, America, she said. NORTH KOREA THREAT: WH OFFICIAL SAYS KIM COULD USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AS 'BLACKMAIL' We dont have the word American, she said, Its only one word: American-Bastard. Fast forward to today and President Trump's tough talk about North Korea. Hyeonseo said when she first heard Trump speak, she cried. Not any president said those words until today, she said, even though weve been suffering for seven decades. The challenge, of course, is delivering on that rhetoric. She says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a dangerous foe, with his nukes and missiles and repression. The killing this year of his half-brother in Malaysia was a warning. She told Fox News if the regime wanted to act against her, they could do something. Still, she holds on to a dream that one day the regime will fall and she will be able to return home. I strongly believe it, she said with a determined smile. Pakistan says it has reached an agreement with Iran to strengthen security along the border, where gunmen killed 10 Iranian border guards last week. The porous border is frequented by drug smugglers as well as Islamic militants, both of whom have attacked border patrols in the past. Iranian media blamed last week's attack on "terrorists" without providing further details. Pakistan said the agreement was struck Wednesday during talks between visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. A Pakistani government statement said the two countries would bolster border security through "better coordination, greater intelligence sharing and frequent interactions" among political and security officials. They also agreed in principle to revive a hotline between the two border forces to coordinate their activities. An evangelical pastor and four of his congregants have been found guilty in the death of a 25-year-old woman who was thrown into a fire to drive "demons" from her body. In a decision handed down late Tuesday, a five-member jury found pastor Juan Gregorio Rocha Romero and the other four guilty of homicide in the death of Vilma Trujillo Garcia. She suffered burns over 80 percent of her body before dying in February. Judge Alfredo Silva Chamorro noted there were aggravating circumstances, because the woman was tied to a tree trunk and left in the fire for five hours. Sentencing has been set for May 9. Prosecutors are seeking sentences of up to 36 years in prison, although Nicaragua's maximum sentence is 30 years. Rocha Romero had denied wrongdoing, telling the newspaper La Prensa that the woman fell into the fire without anyone pushing her and a demon exited her body. The victim was a mother of two who lived in the impoverished mining township of Rosita, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) northeast of Managua. Rocha Romero reportedly belonged to the Assemblies of God, but the church issued a statement denying that the pastor was one of its leaders. In a record-setting move, Puerto Rico has filed for a form of bankruptcy protection that puts part of its monumental $70 billion debt in the hands of a federal judge. The historic announcement comes a day after several major creditors sued the U.S. territory seeking to recuperate the millions of dollars they invested in bonds issued by Puerto Rico s government, which has declared several defaults amid a 10-year recession. A federal district court judge will now be in charge of determining how Puerto Rico's debt will be restructured. "We have reached this decision because it protects the best interests of the people of Puerto Rico," said Gov. Ricardo Rossello in a statement on Wednesday. PUERTO RICO HIT WITH 1ST LAWSUIT FROM BONDHOLDERS Puerto Rico is barred from traditional bankruptcy because it is a U.S. territory. The case was filed under Title III of the PROMESA law, which allows an in-court debt restructuring process akin to U.S. bankruptcy protection. The process will give Puerto Rico the legal ability to impose drastic discounts on creditor recoveries, but could also spook investors and prolong the island's lack of access to debt markets. Unlike a regular bankruptcy on the U.S. mainland, a judge cannot unilaterally seize any of Puerto Rico's assets without prior authorization from the federal control board. It is the biggest restructuring ever by a local government, far larger than Detroits. "The governor needed to show that his primary allegiance lies with the citizens of Puerto Rico, and that was the justification for the filing," said David Tawil, whose fund, Maglan Capital, held Puerto Rico GO debt but has since sold it. "Im not sure whether bondholders are going to get any better treatment or recovery under this course of action." PUERTO RICANS PROTEST ON MAY DAY AS DEBT DEADLINE NEARS The legal proceeding does not mean negotiations toward a consensual restructuring agreement must stop, the governor said. "It is my hope that the Governments Title III proceedings will accelerate the negotiation process," the governor said in the statement. Rossello's fiscal plan for the island, approved by the oversight board in March, forecasts Puerto Rico having only $800 million a year to pay debt, less than a quarter of what it owes. The low figure alienated creditors, and negotiations toward a restructuring deal have foundered. In addition to its debt, Puerto Rico is facing a 45 percent poverty rate, a shrinking population and unemployment more than twice the U.S. average. Puerto Rico and its general obligation bondholders, whose $18 billion of debt is backed by the island's constitution, were negotiating until the last minute. Reuters and AP contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Serbia's leaders have hailed the arrival of an enormous Russian-painted mosaic at the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans as a sign of "eternal" friendship between the two Slavic nations. The first part of the 40-ton mosaic, personally approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrived in 66 pieces on Wednesday at the Saint Sava temple in Belgrade. One section, featuring the head of Jesus, was put on display for people attending a service. State TV reported the mosaic cost 4 million euros ($4.3 million) and is partly financed by Russian energy giant Gazprom. At a ceremony inside the sprawling church, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said the mosaic "will once again show our unity and togetherness with the Russian people and the Russian state." A police officer says bodyguards for Somalia's auditor general have shot dead a government minister near the presidential palace. Capt. Mohamed Hussein says bodyguards escorting Nur Farah opened fire on a car carrying Abbas Abdullahi, the public works and reconstruction minister, near a checkpoint close to the presidential palace Wednesday evening. It is not immediately clear what prompted the shooting. Somalia's new cabinet was sworn in in late March after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was elected in February. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 France's presidential candidates could hardly be more different: Pro-European progressive Emmanuel Macron is facing far-right, anti-immigration Marine Le Pen in their only direct debate Wednesday ahead of Sunday's runoff election. They differ on Europe, terrorism and in their personal styles. EUROPE Macron is passionately promoting common European ideals of peace, prosperity and freedom. With Britain leaving, he says the bloc needs to build a new leadership base anchored by France and Germany. He wants the bloc to be able to deploy 5,000 European guards to the external borders of the Schengen passport-free travel zone, and proposes a European fund to finance and develop shared military equipment. Le Pen wants to pull France out of the European Union. She advocates closing France's borders, adopting protectionist trade policies and dropping the shared euro currency to return to the French franc. She promised to restore France as a sovereign state in charge of its own borders and money supply, and to crack down on immigration. She considers Macron "an immigrationist" because he has backed German Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy of welcoming refugees from Syria. Le Pen asked a television program to remove the European flag from the stage during her speech. During Macron's rallies, by contrast, many supporters wave European flags alongside French flags. ___ FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM In a country traumatized by a series of attacks by Islamic extremists, Le Pen and Macron both pledged to boost police and military and intelligence services. Yet their views on international policies are starkly different. Macron pledges to keep up French operations against extremists in Iraq and Syria and Africa's Sahel region; Le Pen wants France to be militarily independent and to leave NATO's military command to avoid being "drawn into others' wars." Macron proposes to increase the French defense budget to at least 2 percent of GDP by 2025, up from 1.78 percent now in line with NATO targets and to keep the overall number of troops stable at 200,000. Le Pen promises to reach 3 percent of GDP by 2022, adding 50,000 more soldiers, a second aircraft carrier and more jets, ships and armored vehicles. Le Pen firmly backs the Syrian regime and distanced herself from U.S. President Donald Trump over recent U.S. airstrikes targeting President Bashar Assad's regime, and she is friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Macron wants international pressure on Assad and to maintain sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. ___ DIFFERENT STYLES Bold and gritty, Le Pen, 48, is an experienced party leader making her second bid for the French presidency. She has held elected office several times in northern France and has been a European lawmaker since 2004. On stage, she favors a classic style, often wearing somber suits or playing on the blue-white-red colors of the French flag. In her speeches she uses dramatic, cut-to-the-chase expressions and doesn't hesitate to harshly criticize her rivals. Macron, 39, has never held elected office. He is a literature lover who likes to quote French authors in his lengthy speeches. He asks his supporters not to boo other politicians. He's leading an American-style campaign in which he often appears publicly with his wife Brigitte, 24 years his senior. Le Pen's long-time companion, Louis Aliot, remains more discreet. Even their music choices contrast: Macron's supporters were dancing to modern techno music during his election party in a Parisian exhibition center. Le Pen's militants were celebrating with 1980s standards in her town of Henin-Beaumont in northern France. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Syrian activists say a large explosion in a northern town along the border with Turkey has killed at least four people and wounded many others. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the death toll in the town of Azaz is likely to climb after Wednesday's blast. Both the Observatory and the activist-run Revolutionary Forces of Syria media office say the explosion is believed to have been caused by a car bomb. Images posted online by the activist-run Azaz Media Center showed a burnt out car and a fire in the area. Recent diplomatic and military moves by the U.S. in the Horn of African indicate the Trump administration is preparing to ramp up its attacks against Islamist al-Shabab operatives in Somalia. The moves fall in line with the administrations recent statements that it wants to beef up its military efforts in certain regions to defeat ISIS and other extremist groups like al-Shabab, a militant group that has ties to Al Qaeda. AL-SHABAB CLAIMS TO KILL 17 SOLDIERS IN SOMALIA ATTACK Among the recent moves: Last week, aid groups in Somalia were asked to supply coordinates of refugee camps, hospitals and other service center, conceivably so they dont get attacked in error. Just over a week ago, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis visited government senior official and U.S. service members in Djibouti, where the U.S. has a base and where the air strikes would originate. Photos were released Monday of Marine Corps Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, the commander of U.S. forces in Africa (AFRICOM), meeting Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed ahead of expected escalation of U.S. airstrikes against al-Shabab, according to one Somali government source. After vowing that the US military will go after radical Islamic terrorism last month, President Donald Trump declared portions of Somalia an area of active hostilities. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David J. Furness, who was also part of the Monday meeting with President Mohamed and was recently appointed commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, said his top priority is to "neutralize" al-Shabab. "There is no question that al-Shabab has brought great turmoil and has committed extreme atrocities in East Africa, and particularly in Somalia," Furness said in a statement. "But we are committed to working with partner nations to help Somalia stand strong against this violent extremist organization and assist with the international and intergovernmental efforts to bring back security and stability to this very important region." Designating parts of Somalia an area of active hostilities basically means the rules of engagement against al-Shabab have changed. Under the Obama administration, U.S. special forces and drones could only be used under a more restrictive self-defense protocol. For a single mission to be carried out, it had to go through dizzying levels of approvals in Washington under the previous administration. TRUMP OKS RAMPED UP AIRSTRIKES AGAINST AL-SHABAB IN SOMALIA Now, the Pentagon has authorized what it calls additional precision fires. Sources say U.S. military commanders on the ground in the Horn of Africa can now give the go signal on their own missions. These no longer need to be classified as self-defense, but can be sudden strikes, targeting even militants who have not, at that time, carried out an aggressive act. The U.S. has special interest in stopping al-Shababs continuing bomb attacks on hotels in Somalias capital, Mogadishu, where American and other Western businessmen and diplomats congregate. The terrorist group has not mounted any attacks outside Somalia but some of its members are now supporting ISIS, so U.S. officials are concerned they could be planning attacks on U.S. soil. Why is al-Shabab such a threat? The terrorist group has some highly sophisticated operatives and operating systems. Its believed one of their successful missions led to laptops being banned on some flights from the Middle East and Africa into the U.S. Last year, al-Shabab infiltrated security staff at Mogadishus airport. Fox News obtained official airport security video in February 2016 showing a security manager who had been turned by al-Shabab, by-passing X-ray machines, and giving a passenger a laptop just before he boarded a flight. Shortly after takeoff, the laptop is said to have blown up, tearing a hole in the aircrafts fuselage. The man carrying the laptop was sucked out of the hole and fell to his death. Only days later, with the security manager in question under surveillance and about to be questioned, he was killed by a car bomb. Paul Tilsley is a freelance correspondent, covering Africa for Fox News. Follow his African stories on Twitter @paultilsley New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran is passing through the Fredericksburg area today on a 350-mile walk to Arlington Cemetery to raise awareness for PTSD and veteran suicide. Brandon Powell is participating in Walk for Wounded, a nonprofit based in Leesburg. Its goal is to challenge, motivate and empower physically and mentally wounded military veterans, according to its website, thewoundedwalk.com. It also advocates for the advancement of post-combat treatment for wounded veterans. Powell left from Camp Lejeune, N.C., on April 14, and has already walked through Caroline County. Wednesday afternoon, hes expected to walk from Spotsylvania County to its border with Fredericksburg, where hell be met by military veterans in the citys police force. Theyll escort him to Eagle Village, where hell get a free meal at Home Team Grill and free night at the Inn at the Old Silk Mill, said Sarah Kirkpatrick, police department spokeswoman. Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw will wish him farewell at 7:20 a.m. Thursday at Home Team Grill in Eagle Village before he heads to Quantico. Adam Shatarsky and Chris Senopole came up with the idea for what would become The Wounded Walk while discussing what theyd do after their enlistment with the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines. They decided to walk 2,700 miles from Camp Pendleton, Calif., to D.C. to raise awareness for wounded veterans. The walk, which Shatarsky finished, inspired others. He and Senopole went on to found The Wounded Walk as a nonprofit in 2013. Larry Charles Triola, 68, passed away Thursday, April 27, 2017, after a brief battle with multiple myeloma. Larry is survived by his wife of thirty-five years, Mary, and his three children, Shannon, Christopher, and Lauren. He was a loving husband and father, and he inspired his family to pursue their dreams and to improve the world. Born in Houston, Texas, Larry eventually settled in Fredericksburg, Virginia, when his career brought him to the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. Larry worked as an electrical engineer and held many positions with the Department of Defense during his forty-one years of service, including that of Director of Science and Technology at Dahlgren. A long-time member of the World Futures Society, Larry was a Futurist who continually urged his colleagues to think about the long term and to do what they could to leave a positive legacy. With his dedication to making the world a better place, it is not surprising that Larry was also very devoted to charitable giving, supporting many charities for decades. House candidate will work hard for community Wow. Ive seen a lot of candidates in my day. However, Laquan Austion for Virginia House of Delegates, District 2 (parts of North Stafford and Prince William counties), is different. Hes clearly not a typical politician. He is running to give back to the community that he has come to love. His story is one of someone that we need in Richmond. He escaped poverty by working hard and being one of the first in his family to go to college. Laquan is a candidate that we need to fight for our values in Richmond. He understands the daily frustration in our region of traffic. He also understands the need for quality education for our kids, along with the importance of fostering an environment that promotes job growth. Please take a second and look him up. He sure is someone to keep an eye on. Dena Espenscheid Quantico A Farmers Weekly petition urging farm minister George Eustice to repeal the August hedgecutting ban, signed by almost 2,000 people, has been delivered to Defras offices. The petition was launched in mid-February and it closed for signatures on 31 March. It was backed by the NFU, the Country, Land and Business Association (CLA), the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) and the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC). See also: Farmers and contractors back our hedgecutting petition FW editor Karl Schneider and deputy news editor Philip Case handed the petition in to Defras London headquarters on Tuesday (2 May). Defra extended the hedgecutting ban in 2015 to cover August to protect nesting birds, citing an EU Bird Directive. Farmers or landowners who defy the ban risk cross-compliance penalties to their single farm payment. The ban has proven deeply unpopular with farm contractors, however, because they are forced to sit out August, losing thousands of pounds in income when they would usually follow the combines around on dry soils and trim hedges. Endangered birds Conservationists including the RSPB and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) say some red-listed (endangered) bird species, including the yellowhammer, are still nesting well into August and trimming hedges at that time of year risks killing them. By contrast, the NFU says that its own evidence suggests the only persistent nester in August is the woodpigeon. The FW petition drew hundreds of responses from farmers and contractors with more than 40 years of experience cutting hedges who said they agreed with the NFUs stance. Contractors have been hit hardest by the ban as they rely on August to bring in a large amount of their annual income. If ground conditions worsen after 1 September, landowners can become reluctant to let contractors on their land for fear they will damage soils and margins. Petition rally On Friday, Northamptonshire farm contractor Bob Rutt held a rally at his farm to raise awareness of the ban. The event attracted farm contractors from as far as Essex and Warwick. Mr Rutt said: The FW petition has been fantastic. The response has shown so many other contractors think the ban is unjustified. Defra should put it back to 1 August on arable land. Full stop. They need to listen to the people who live, love and work in the countryside because they are the people who know whats going on. Farm minister George Eustice told Farmers Weekly he had been following our campaign and understood it was something farmers and contractors feel strongly about. I am open to proposals that would allow a risk-based approach, taking account of the prevalence of local populations of vulnerable bird species like the yellowhammer, which are likely to have a second brood later in the summer, said the minister. These will all be issues for policy development as we prepare to leave the EU. Story Highlights Venezuela, Yemen, Ukraine among countries with lowest-rated media freedom Public perceptions of media freedom align with expert ratings WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This World Press Freedom Day, media freedom may be more crucial to free societies than ever amid rising concern about how "fake news" and propaganda are hurting democratic processes. Overall, global perceptions of media freedom changed little in 2016 from one year earlier, though they remain less positive than they were in 2010. Across 131 countries surveyed for the Gallup World Poll, a median of 61% of residents said the media in their respective countries have a lot of freedom, while 28% disagreed. The state of media freedom, however, varies throughout the world -- and not everyone thinks their media are this free. Many of the 10 countries where residents were least likely to say their media have a lot of freedom are repressive states (such as Belarus and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) or conflict-ridden countries where media outlets often serve as mouthpieces for one faction or another (such as Yemen and South Sudan). In Venezuela, the government has further clamped down on media dissent amid crumbling support for the current regime, helping explain the sharp drop in perceived media freedom from 50% in 2013 to 29% in 2016. Results from Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine reflect the ongoing lack of journalistic independence in much of the former Soviet sphere. (Notably, the media freedom question was too sensitive to include in several countries surveyed in 2016, including China and Iran.) Do the media in this country have a lot of freedom, or not? Lowest "yes" percentages among 131 countries where the question was asked in 2016 "Yes" % Moldova 35 Belarus 32 Rep. of the Congo 30 Yemen 30 Venezuela 29 Ukraine 29 Gabon 29 South Sudan 28 Dem. Rep. of the Congo 26 Mauritania 22 Gallup World Poll European countries dominate the high end of the range, with more than 90% of residents in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland and Sweden saying their media have a lot of freedom. The U.S. is further down the list, at 82%, which is similar to the 81% recorded in 2015. Similar to the global trend, however, U.S. perceptions of media freedom have drifted downward since 2010 (89%). Thailand Sees Biggest Gain, Georgia Biggest Drop Since 2015 Worldwide, perceived media freedom rose most sharply in Thailand between 2015 (58%) and 2016 (76%). However, the longer-term trend reveals that the year-on-year rise represents a rebound from an unusually low reading in the 2015 survey -- the first measurement taken after the 2014 coup that returned the country to military rule. Between 2010 and 2014, the trend in Thailand ranged from 72% to 78%, in line with the 2016 results. Trends in perceived media freedom are often relatively volatile in sub-Saharan African countries, partly because many have large rural populations where residents have access to fewer media outlets on which to base their evaluations. Of the 10 countries in which responses changed the most between 2015 and 2016 (either positively or negatively), five are in sub-Saharan Africa. Notably, however, the biggest decline in perceived media freedom occurred in Georgia amid public indignation over the Georgian government's attempt to take over an opposition-oriented TV station. Do the media in this country have a lot of freedom, or not? Countries in which the percentage "yes" increased or declined the most between 2015 and 2016 2015 2016 Change % "yes" % "yes" Pct. pts. Thailand 58 76 +18 Morocco 41 55 +14 Zambia 48 62 +14 Zimbabwe 46 60 +14 Myanmar 62 74 +12 Nigeria 60 50 -10 Lithuania 53 42 -11 Ghana 77 65 -12 Mauritania 34 22 -12 Georgia 60 46 -14 Gallup World Poll Public Perceptions Mostly Align With Expert Ratings Two international nongovernmental organizations, Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders, released their own annual barometers of media freedom before World Press Freedom Day, with each finding that press freedom is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Gallup's 2016 country-level survey results correspond fairly closely with Freedom House's "Freedom of the Press" scores and Reporters Without Borders' "World Press Freedom Index" -- each of which is based on assessments from a range of experts, including media practitioners in each country. The relationships suggest that in most countries, residents have a relatively good sense of how free their country's media are. Public perceptions in Gallup's data diverge most from expert evaluations in several countries in Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union, where residents tend to be more optimistic about media freedom than expert ratings suggest they should be. However, there are a few countries in which residents were more negative about media freedom than their Freedom House or Reporters Without Borders ratings would predict. These include Lithuania and Mauritania, where views of media freedom have grown significantly more negative since 2015. Neither country does particularly poorly in the Freedom House or Reporters Without Borders ratings; in fact, Mauritania receives the Arab world's highest ratings in each index. In some cases, such discrepancies may reflect public reaction to specific setbacks in countries where the media environment is gradually shifting toward greater freedom. The percentage of Mauritanians who said the country's media have a lot of freedom dropped by 12 percentage points between 2015 and 2016. One possible factor in that decline is the National Assembly's enactment of a cybercrime law establishing heavy penalties for publishing politically sensitive online content, passed three months before the 2016 survey took place. Implications Gallup's 2016 results for perceived media freedom are -- as usual -- a mixed bag, with perceived progress in some countries offset by setbacks in others. The current data highlight, in particular, the ongoing struggle to establish higher standards for freedom of information in post-Soviet states. However, as current debate about "fake news" in the U.S. and Europe make clear, even well-established democracies are not immune to the use of popular media sources for propaganda. That debate also suggests that advocates of media freedom face a new challenge: keeping repressive states from co-opting concerns about fake news in democratic societies to justify maintaining control over their own media environments. These data are available in Gallup Analytics. You can bet the Kentucky Derby online from Illinois in the comfort of your home at any one of the internationally licensed racebooks, none of which will ever require a social security number. Illinois embraces horse racing and the betting that goes with it. The state is home to a handful of race tracks including Fairmount in the southern part of the state and Arlington closer to Chicago. Hawthorne is another top race track located near Chicago. Illinois is a big state and getting to these tracks is not easy for everyone. Most of the states horse racing aficionados will opt for online betting as opposed to venturing out to the tracks. You can bet nearly every one of them will be getting down on the Kentucky Derby. Club Hawthorne will be hosting a huge Kentucky Derby party that is expected to sell out quick. The good news is that there are nine different Club Hawthorne locations in and around the Chicago area. There are advantages to betting at either internationally licensed online racebooks or US-based racebooks that we review below. BetDSI Racebook vs. TwinSpires BETDSI.COM TWINSPIRES.COM 8 Percent Cash Back No Cash Back Up to $300 Free Cash Signup Bonus $100 Signup Bonus Does Not Require Social Security # Must Provide Social Security # Encourages Tax Declaration of Winnings Reports Tax Info to Government Offers Betting on Hundreds More Events Limited to Horse Betting Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks You can bet the Kentucky Derby online from Iowa or Wisconsin in the comfort of your home. BetUS offers a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $2500) Iowa does have Prairie Meadows Racecourse and you will be able to bet the Kentucky Derby from here. The track is conveniently located outside of Des Moines. Sorry Wisconsin, you do not have any horse tracks. That means plenty of folks from the state will be placing their bets online from home . There are advantages to betting at either internationally licensed online racebooks or US-based racebooks that we review below. BetDSI Racebook vs. TwinSpires BETUS TWINSPIRES.COM Welcome Bonus Up To $2500 No Cash Back Welcome Bonus Up To $2500 $100 Signup Bonus Does Not Require Social Security # Must Provide Social Security # Does Not Report Your Winnings Reports Tax Info to Government Offers Betting on Hundreds More Events Limited to Horse Betting Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks Betting on Over 50 Race Tracks Nintendo Exec Teases More Unannounced Titles For the Nintendo Switch With over 2.47 million units shipped in just two months, the Nintendo Switch has certainly established its success in the gaming market. On the other hand, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima believes that the new gaming system can still do better. It appears that the company executive has projected that more unannounced titles for the Switch will move more units in the near future, but did not reveal if these would be first-party or third-party software. Tatsumi Kimishima has noted that the great demand for the Nintendo Switch can be credited to some of the current games like "1-2 Switch", "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe", and especially "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild". According to Game Rant, other games like "Splatoon 2" and "ARMS" have also influenced consumers to purchase the Switch. Moreover, Kimishima's claims of "more unannounced titles" seems to have generated more buzz about the new console's future. Speculations have started to spread that Nintendo might have more upcoming titles to offer than they have shared with consumers. The company might reveal some more games that will join "Super Mario Odyssey" during the holiday season. Analysts have also noted that first-party titles, as well as third-party publisher support, has already established the Nintendo Switch's sales momentum. Furthermore, the unveiling of these "unannounced titles" should push sales even further, says Tatsumi Kimishima. no mention of whether he means 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) April 27, 2017 The Nintendo Switch is reportedly poised to become the company's fastest-selling platform, according to analysts. Nintendo most likely wants to continue its great performance that started with last year's launch of the NES Classic Edition. The Japanese gaming company is aiming to narrow down the profit gap with its competitors. Recent reports have confirmed that the Nintendo eShop earnings are overshadowed by Sony's PlayStation Network service. It appears they are relying on these unannounced titles to catch up. It seems that Nintendo is working on more than just the unannounced titles for the Nintendo Switch to boost its market performance. Rumors have circulated that the company will release the SNES Classic Edition during the holiday season, reports Gamenguide. Fans will just have to wait until the company makes its announcements during their press conference at E3 2017 this June. The Benton County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 on Tuesday to offer the countys top management job to Joseph Kerby. Kerby, 52, has held a similar position with La Plata County, Colorado, since 2012. He was one of two finalists for the position who came to Corvallis last week for in-person interviews with county officials and a reception where they were greeted and grilled by county employees and members of the public. Altogether, 47 people applied to succeed Dennis Aloia, who has announced plans to step down as the countys chief operating officer on June 30 after five years in the post. The salary range for the position is $107,592-$172,144 per year. We had a really strong pool of candidates, and Mr. Kerby clearly rose to the top, Benton County Counsel Vance Croney said after the commissioners voted to make a provisional offer to Kerby at their noon meeting on Tuesday. Board of Commissioners Chair Anne Schuster said the job offer is contingent on reference checks and salary negotiations, which she hoped would be completed in a week or so. He was also in contention for another job, and we didnt want to lose him, she said. The main things that distinguished Kerby from the other candidates were his experience and his professionalism, Schuster said. I really think hell just be able to step right into this county and not look back, she said. Hes just so well prepared and so knowledgeable. Located in the southwest part of Colorado, La Plata County covers 1,700 square miles and has a population of about 54,000. The county seat, Durango, is a community of 17,834. Before becoming the county manager there, Kerby held several other local government jobs in Colorado. He was the city manager in Delta from 2010 to 2012, deputy county manager in Douglas County from 2009 to 2010 and county manager in Montrose County from 2006 to 2009. At a public reception on Thursday at the county's Sunset Building, Kerby said he was attracted to the job in part for quality-of-life reasons. He said he and his wife both enjoy outdoor pursuits, and Oregon is high on his list of places to live. "Location, location, location," Kerby said. "I have always enjoyed visiting Oregon." Kerby has a bachelors degree in sociology from the University of Colorado and a masters in business from Webster University. He is married with five kids ranging from 21 to 27 years old. 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. Verdict in Niklas trial : Acquittal for suspect Walid S. Bonn Suspect Walid S. was acquitted in the fatal beating of 17-year-old Niklas P. He was sentenced in an unrelated crime, however. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken The verdict is no longer a surprise: The court acquitted main defendant Walid S. who had been accused in the fatal beating death of Niklas Pohler on May 7, 2016 in Bad Godesberg. Earlier, both the defense attorney and the public prosecutor had applied for an acquittal. They could not prove the involvement of 21-year-old Walid S. beyond doubt. Walid S. was found guilty on an unrelated charge of assault, however. A week before the attack on Niklas, he hit a young man on the head with a bottle during a fight. For that, he was sentenced to eight months in prison. But the court made clear that Walid S. was entitled to compensation for the time he had been kept in prison above and beyond the eight months. He had been arrested ten days after the crime and held while under investigation for nearly a year. Before the verdict was handed down, Niklass mother, Denise Pohler spoke through her attorney. My client is convinced that Walid is the culprit, said Thomas Duber Wednesday morning at the Bonn regional court. Denise Pohler, who was a joint plaintiff, had no doubt that Walid S. was responsible for the deadly blow that killed her son because a friend who was there that night had recognized him clearly. Despite this, the attorney did not call for conviction because doubts arose about the suspects guilt. Witness testimony was cast into doubt during the trial, with some saying they could not remember what happened or they had not seen actual crime. In his conclusion, Duber criticized the police investigation. The crime scene had been roped off too late, traces had been blurred, and there had apparently been no search in the direct vicinity just after the crime due to a personnel shortage. Duber also referred to Denise Pohler and the incredible pain and sorrow she had been through in the past year. For her, it was about finding out the truth and seeing justice served. Her son, Niklas was so badly beaten on the night of May 7 that he later died of his injuries. The acquittal does not mean that the investigation of the case has ended. Another possible suspect was brought again into focus: 22-year-old Tunisian Hakim D. One witness said that someone she knew had recognized him as an attacker of Niklas but did not tell the truth out of fear. The witness, however, denied this in court and said he did not recognize the attacker. Fireworks in the Bonn Rheinaue : What you need to know about Rhine in Flames Bonn Its that time of year again when Rhine in Flames will bring a huge fireworks display and lots of festivities to Bonn. Heres an overview of the program, viewing points, transportation recommendations and more. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Rhine in Flammen (Rhine in Flames) will take place this weekend from May 5 to 7. It is the 31st year of the traditional event and this year promises a colorful program with lots of variety and fun. The highlight of the event is a huge fireworks which begins at 11:35pm on Saturday night. This year, everything revolves around the hippie movement and the theme Flower Power. Around 800 Bengali lights and other fireworks will illuminate the night skies of Bonn and the surrounding area. On the Rhine River, there will be lots of activity with nearly 50 boats traveling from Linz to Bonn. Tickets for the boat cruising convoy are available at Bonnticket and other well-known ticket offices in Bonn. Where to view the fireworks Whether in the midst of the hustle and bustle on the water, at the Bonn Rheinaue park or from a slightly distant viewpoint, there are many places that promise a great view of the fireworks. 12 Bilder Viewpoints to watch the fireworks With 40 bands and DJs on stage from Friday to Sunday, there are more performances than ever before to entertain visitors with a great musical program. There are three stages - the main stage, the RheinImpuls stage and the RheinEvents stage. Everything takes place outdoors and is free of charge. The stage program ends at midnight on both Friday and Saturday. Program for Friday, May 5 1) Rock into May 1pm: markets open 5pm: Heldenviertel 6pm: Judas Rising 7pm: She's Got Balls (Ladies Tribute to AC/DC) 10pm: Volkerball (Tribute to Rammstein) 2) RheinImpuls stage at the Sudbrucke (South bridge): 4pm: The Saltshakers 5pm: Chin Up 6pm: Landgang 7pm: Flash Forward 8pm: Destination Anywhere 9:30pm: Le Fly 3)RheinEvents Stage TANZBERG 4pm: Elektrodrei 6pm: Oliver Huntemann 8pm: Hidden Empire 10pm: Special Guest Program for Saturday, May 6 1) Rhein in Flammen 1pm: markets open 4:15 Millennia 5pm: Boogie Wonder Stars 6pm: Schang 6:30 pm: Miljo 7pm: Kasalla 8:15pm: Querbeat Brass & Marching Band 9:15pm: Klungelkopp 10:15pm: Rauber 11:15pm: music-synchronous fireworks with this year's motto "Flower Power" 11:35pm: Boogie Wonder Stars 2) RheinImpuls stage at the Sudbrucke (South bridge) 3pm: Taubengang 4pm: Blazing Waterloo 5pm: Surburbian Rex 6:10pm: Roughix, 6:10pm; 7:25pm: Kompass 8:40 pm: Planetarium 10:10pm: Neufundland, 10:10pm 11:40pm: Zufallig Hier 3) RheinEvents Electronic Stage 3pm: DJ Contest 5pm: DJ Fab-Io 6pm: Mike Destiny 7:15pm: JustLuke 8:15pm: Bebo 9:45pm: Dekon 11:35pm: Closing Show Program on Sunday, May 7 Sunday is family day: Markets will open already at 11 am. Between 12 and 6pm, there will be a wide variety of games and fun activities for families and children. The main stage becomes a place where the smaller guests can join in. How to get there Organizers advise visitors to use public transportation, or travel on foot or by bicycle. There is not enough parking in the area of the Rheinaue so visitors are advised not to come by car. The SWB will offer extra bus service during the event: Information Send us your photos For visitors, Rhein in Flammen will offer an incredible fireworks spectacle. If you have taken some great photos that you want to share with us, we would be happy to hear from you. Send your photos to us at online@ga.de. Thank you! More information at: rhein-in-flammen.com. An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand. Article Protecting the worlds oceans an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs. 'Nigeria Will Be In Trouble If Anything Go Wrong With President Buhari' - Bishop Seun Adeoye xspraise at 3-05-2017 08:21 AM (5 years ago) (m) Leader of the Sufficient Grace and Truth Ministry in Osun State, Bishop Seun Adeoye has raised an alarm over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari. Leader of the Sufficient Grace and Truth Ministry in Osun State, Bishop Seun Adeoye has raised an alarm over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari. According to Adeoye, he urged that Nigerians come together to pray for his quick recovery to avoid falling into the hands of a wrong leader and risking more hardship in the country. The cleric raised the alarm during his recently held 1st Episcopal Honours and Gallantry Awards at his church in Osun State. He said, 'I see trouble should anything go wrong with President Buhari. So, we need to pray for his quick recovery from this ailment. Buhari must not die; Buhari must live and that should be our prayers. 'If Buhari is not the president, we will be faced with more lies and propaganda where we are going to be made to call black white, he added. The Bishop told his congregation that Nigeria will be jeopardized and citizens will be subjected to perpetual bondage as slaves if the power gets to the wrong leader. 'Rule of law will turn to be a rule of fear and democracy will be replaced by despotism, favoritism and godfatherism. We cannot allow Nigeria to be in the hand of any of the present leaders. None of them can be the captain of this ship; they will run it aground with their arrogance and selfish agenda. 'They will rob, strip us unclad and put us in perpetual bondage as slaves. So, I enjoin all of us to pray for the President Buhari to get well quickly, he said According to Adeoye, he urged that Nigerians come together to pray for his quick recovery to avoid falling into the hands of a wrong leader and risking more hardship in the country.The cleric raised the alarm during his recently held 1st Episcopal Honours and Gallantry Awards at his church in Osun State.He said,'I see trouble should anything go wrong with President Buhari. So, we need to pray for his quick recovery from this ailment. Buhari must not die; Buhari must live and that should be our prayers.'If Buhari is not the president, we will be faced with more lies and propaganda where we are going to be made to call black white, he added.The Bishop told his congregation that Nigeria will be jeopardized and citizens will be subjected to perpetual bondage as slaves if the power gets to the wrong leader.'Rule of law will turn to be a rule of fear and democracy will be replaced by despotism, favoritism and godfatherism. We cannot allow Nigeria to be in the hand of any of the present leaders. None of them can be the captain of this ship; they will run it aground with their arrogance and selfish agenda.'They will rob, strip us unclad and put us in perpetual bondage as slaves. So, I enjoin all of us to pray for the President Buhari to get well quickly, he said Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 3-05-2017 08:21 AM (5 years ago) | Hero Zaki68 at 3-05-2017 08:38 AM (5 years ago) (m) YES OOH OSINBAJO WILL BE WORSE THAN GOODLUCK MOST ESPECIALLY BEEN A PASTOR AND HIS ALLEGIANCE WITH ADEBOYE. GOD IS WITH BUHARI. Posted: at 3-05-2017 08:38 AM (5 years ago) | Upcoming YES OOH OSINBAJO WILL BE WORSE THAN GOODLUCK MOST ESPECIALLY BEEN A PASTOR AND HIS ALLEGIANCE WITH ADEBOYE. GOD IS WITH BUHARI. Reply schmit at 3-05-2017 08:52 AM (5 years ago) (f) Aibeg Admin pls do something a lady put her Nood pic as profile pic pls tell her here no b dating site pls let her remove d pic pls no offence Posted: at 3-05-2017 08:52 AM (5 years ago) | Hero AibegAdmin pls do something a lady put her Nood pic as profile pic pls tell her here no b dating site pls let her remove d pic pls no offence Reply Mykie010 at 3-05-2017 09:05 AM (5 years ago) (m) Quote from: Zaki68 on 3-05-2017 08:38 AM YES OOH OSINBAJO WILL BE WORSE THAN GOODLUCK MOST ESPECIALLY BEEN A PASTOR AND HIS ALLEGIANCE WITH ADEBOYE. GOD IS WITH BUHARI. you can never make sense this muslim man,what has ur imam buhari done for Nigeria apart from destrying the economy and putting his enemies in prison.pls let him make way for a more vibrant and educated person to take over,am talking abt a Christian...........president Posted: at 3-05-2017 09:05 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac you can never make sense this muslim man,what has ur imam buhari done for Nigeria apart from destrying the economy and putting his enemies in prison.pls let him make way for a more vibrant and educated person to take over,am talking abt a Christian...........president Reply dynasty4all at 3-05-2017 09:40 AM (5 years ago) (m) WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM YORUBA MAN? LET BUHARI SEND HIM SOME MONEY TO BUILT HIS CHURCH WHAT IS HE WAITING FOR? LET HIM PRAY BUHARI OUT N TRASH Posted: at 3-05-2017 09:40 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM YORUBA MAN?LET BUHARI SEND HIM SOME MONEY TO BUILT HIS CHURCHWHAT IS HE WAITING FOR?LET HIM PRAY BUHARI OUTTRASH Reply Afriqueenn at 3-05-2017 09:41 AM (5 years ago) (f) Another fake pastor seeking attention and money...and God woke you up and revealed to you he chose Buhari as Nigeria's president. Nigeria will not be in trouble in Jesus' Name, even if anything happens to anyone. You didn't ask Nigerians to pray about the economy, incessant suicides, ritualism, robbery, kidnapping and terrorism, it's the health of a stressed and stretched-thin old man in his 70s, you ask us to pray about? SMH. Instead of advising him to cede power and take care of his frail health (many people don't know Buhari is a sickler and has the sickle cell disease or SS). That's how you people drove Yaradua (RIP) to his death with your lies and sweet tongues. I pray for good health for all Nigerians, Buhari inclusive. But the world has never stood still at anyone's death, cos death is inevitable. That's why Buharis health should be paramount to him and his family, if they have an ounce of sense Posted: at 3-05-2017 09:41 AM (5 years ago) | Upcoming Another fake pastor seeking attention and money...and God woke you up and revealed to you he chose Buhari as Nigeria's president.Nigeria will not be in trouble in Jesus' Name, even if anything happens to anyone.You didn't ask Nigerians to pray about the economy, incessant suicides, ritualism, robbery, kidnapping and terrorism, it's the health of a stressed and stretched-thin old man in his 70s, you ask us to pray about?SMH. Instead of advising him to cede power and take care of his frail health (many people don't know Buhari is a sickler and has the sickle cell disease or SS).That's how you people drove Yaradua (RIP) to his death with your lies and sweet tongues.I pray for good health for all Nigerians, Buhari inclusive. But the world has never stood still at anyone's death, cos death is inevitable.That's why Buharis health should be paramount to him and his family, if they have an ounce of sense Reply benosky4 at 3-05-2017 10:08 AM (5 years ago) (m) If his death will bring us good, I pray it comes quicker than later. #MyVerdict. Posted: at 3-05-2017 10:08 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac If his death will bring us good, I pray it comes quicker than later. Reply BournIdentity at 3-05-2017 01:43 PM (5 years ago) (m) I hear u,,,,,.., BT if na clean death, nthg dey happen.. I just dey observe Posted: at 3-05-2017 01:43 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero I hear u,,,,,.., BT if na clean death, nthg dey happen.. I just dey observe Reply chukkychukky at 3-05-2017 01:46 PM (5 years ago) (m) tori Joramentity aka chukkychukky Posted: at 3-05-2017 01:46 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac tori Reply BournIdentity at 3-05-2017 01:50 PM (5 years ago) (m) @ aunty Afriqueenn,, please nack mi tori.., na u and ur family give am sickle cell ba..? Umunna gi nile bu ndi iberibe. Ekpenta gba gi dere!,,!! Posted: at 3-05-2017 01:50 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero @ aunty Afriqueenn,, please nack mi tori.., na u and ur family give am sickle cell ba..? Umunna gi nile bu ndi iberibe. Ekpenta gba gi dere!,,!! Reply morgan1 at 3-05-2017 02:25 PM (5 years ago) (m) Are u sure??? Posted: at 3-05-2017 02:25 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Are u sure??? Reply Vicky_joseph at 4-05-2017 01:48 PM (5 years ago) (f) This is serious Posted: at 4-05-2017 01:48 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac This is serious Reply Samsung eyes to garner 60% market share in premium tv segment News oi -Priyanka The company would also increase its share in the overall panel market to 35 percent, from 31 percent South Korean consumer electronics major, Samsung is aiming to garner 60 percent market share by the end of this year in premium TV segment. "We are aiming to take our share in the premium panel market to 60 per cent by the end of this year from the present 48 per cent. This would be helped by our new TV range as QLED series," VP - CE, Samsung India, Rajeev Bhutani was quoted by PTI as saying. He said, "The company would also increase its share in the overall panel market to 35 percent, from 31 per cent." He further said, in panels of 32 inches and below, the industry has stagnated in the past two years. "As far as Samsung is concerned, we would continue to operate in all screen sizes across all points. However, our endeavour would be to drive and showcase the consumer the latest innovative products, which in turn, is creating and driving the market in the 40 inch and above segment," he added. RCom offers 70 GB 4G data for 70 days Meanwhile, the company has launched its flagship permium line-up of QLED TVs in India. The 'TV of Light', a name given to Samsung QLED TV for its delivery of optimal brightness levels and stunning visual experience, is ushering in a new era for televisions and transforming the living room of tomorrow with its focus on the lifestyle TV concept. With this, India's number one TV brand will further consolidate its leadership in the market. HC Hong, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said, "Samsung's QLED TVs are ushering in a new era for televisions, with innovations that are ahead of their time. These televisions reflect our global ambition. Samsung has been the world's biggest television brand for the last 11 consecutive years. We are also India's top television brand for the last decade and the most trusted brand in the consumer electronics category." QLED TV's advanced HDR 2000 functionality allows users to see every hidden detail as it was meant to be seen, with no loss or distortion of colour. In addition, QLED TVs rich, deep black levels and bold contrast provide a consistent viewing experience regardless of a room's lighting. Best Mobiles in India Galaxy C sketch A sketch of upcoming Galaxy C series was tweeted revealing that it will be the first one to come with dual camera option. Also Read: Samsung regains its position beats Apple, Huawei: IDC It even clearly shows the slotted antenna design rather than the one which runs on the top and bottom of a phone. This makes the design look better and also our hands won't interfere anymore with the phone's signal. Midrange device with dual camera If we observe the patent carefully which was revealed by Samsung, we will get to know that the device with this sketch is of midrange budget. So, it is clear that the Samsung may launch a mid-range device with dual camera setup before the launch of Galaxy Note 8. Few sources even say that the new device in the Galaxy C line may hit the market soon. With hardware button The patent image shown above says that the device with this sketch will have a capacitive button along with hardware button on the front. But we already know that the Galaxy Note 8 won't be having them in their design. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime is now available at T-Mobile Launching in June However, now that this report has surfaced online it supposedly gives us the missing element. So we might finally see the Nokia 8 smartphone in June. We have to note that other reports have also suggested that the devices could hit the store shelves by the end of the third quarter. Nonetheless, today's report hints that Nokia 8 could be much earlier than expected. Expected Specs and Features That being said, while Nokia 8 has been a part of the numerous rumors and leaks, here are some of the expected features of the smartphone. Nokia 8 has been touted to come with a 5.7-inch Quad HD display along with the standard 16:9 aspect ratio. SEE ALSO: Nokia 3310 (2017) listed to go on pre-order in India on May 5 for Rs. 3,899 Further, the device is expected to come with 22-megapixel OIS + EIS main camera and a 12MP front sensor. Nokia 8 is reported to use Carl Zeiss lenses for its cameras and the phone might feature 64GB or 128GB of built-in storage, a microSD card slot, and 6GB RAM. Other key features Additionally, reports have said that Nokia 8 will run Android Nougat out-of-the-box, be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor. The smartphone is also expected to come with Google's Daydream VR platform support. The smartphone is expected to come with connectivity options like Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG and 4G. Sensors on the phone are rumored to include a Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope. SEE ALSO: Nokia 9 to be launched in Q3 with SD835, dual camera, IP68 and more All in all the Nokia 8 is expected to be a high-end mid-ranger product from the company. Pricing Talking about the price, Nokia 8 is rumored to come with the starting price of around 4,000 Yuan (approximately Rs. 37,220) and the reports have said that the price may go up to 4,500 Yuan (roughly 41,873). However, there is no official word from the company regarding this matter. But Nokia might just deliver a high-end smartphone that will compete with many popular brands that are in the market right now. RCom offers 70 GB 4G data for 70 days News oi -Priyanka The company is also planning to launch two new plans of FRC 54 and FRC61. Tariff war is going to be more intensified as Reliance Communication is offering 1GB data for 70 days at Rs 148 but there is a catch as this offer is only for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The new plan is providing 1 GB data per day for 70 days which means 70 GB data along with a talk time of Rs 50 and subscribers can also make the call at 25 paise per minute. The company is also planning to launch two new plans of FRC 54 and FRC61. Meanwhile, RCom has recently said that its shareholders have approved the demerger of tower business into Brookfield Infrastructure Group. Social networking sites are the top usages of mobile Internet: IAMAI RCom, in a BSE filing said, "The shareholders of Reliance Infratel Limited (RITL) - a subsidiary of Reliance Communication at their meeting held on April 29, 2017, have approved with 98 percent majority the scheme of arrangement for demerger of the tower division of the RITL into Towercom Infrastructure Private Limited (TIPL)." Shareholders of TIPL also in its meeting held on the same day have given clean nod to the proposed scheme. The company has already received approval from Competition Commission of India for the proposed Scheme of Arrangement. The company's telecom towers demerged into TIPL will be 100 percent owned and independently managed by Brookfield Infrastructure. Upon the Scheme becoming effective, RCOM will receive an upfront cash payment of Rs.11,000 crore ($ 1.7 billion), which will be solely used to reduce its debt. The already announced combination of RCOM's wireless business with Aircel and the monetization of the Tower business will together reduce RCOM's overall debt by Rs.31,000 crore ($ 4.8 billion), or nearly 70 percent of existing debt. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Swiss Spy Agency Defends Practices After German Arrest in Tax Case May 02, 2017 Switzerland's Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) on Tuesday defended its efforts to combat theft of business secrets after a Swiss man was arrested in Germany on suspicion of working for the spy agency. The 54-year-old man, identified only as Daniel M., was arrested on Friday. His lawyer told a Swiss newspaper he was suspected of trying to find out how German states have obtained CDs containing details of secret Swiss bank accounts set up by Germans to evade tax. The man was detained in Frankfurt, and officers from Germany's federal criminal police carried out searches at several addresses in the region. While Swiss authorities declined to comment directly on the case, they defended domestic efforts to uphold Swiss laws. "When someone in Switzerland uses illegal methods in Switzerland to steal state or business secrets, that is espionage, and we have the task to fight that," FIS director Markus Seiler told reporters at a briefing in Bern. "The FIS is active at home and abroad," he said. Asked if this included Germany, he said: "I say simply nothing." The case is potentially embarrassing for Switzerland, which has worked hard to increase the transparency of its financial system in order to prevent international tax-dodgers from abusing its bank secrecy rules. Tax CDs The man arrested in Germany is suspected of operating since the start of 2012, although no further details were given by German authorities. Swiss media reported at the weekend that he was a former policeman who now worked for the Federal Intelligence Service. Authorities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia have purchased 11 tax CDs since 2010, and paid a total of 17.9 million euros ($19.5 million) to informants. In return, the state has secured nearly 7 billion euros in revenue which would have otherwise have been lost, officials there said. "The NRW financial administration acquires tax CDs, because they otherwise could not detect tax evasion," said Norbert Walter-Borjans, from the finance department in North Rhine-Westphalia. "Anyone who now hunts the investigators protects the perpetrators," Walter-Borjans added. Speaking at Tuesday's news conference in Bern where the spy agency released its 2017 situation report, Swiss Defense Minister Guy Parmelin said the intelligence agency "must protect its methods and sources." "Switzerland, and not only the banks, but also small and medium-sized companies, research institutes, and international organizations which have their headquarters here are regularly suffering cyber attacks, spy attempts and efforts to recruit their staff," said Parmelin, who oversees FIS. The situation report outlined by Parmelin and Seiler said Switzerland was facing a "heightened" risk of militant attacks, with 90 individuals currently described as "risky" being monitored by the authorities. "With all the attacks we have seen, like in Sweden and France, we see from time to time there are links to Switzerland," Seiler said. "Switzerland is not an island," he added. "Without being too alarmist, we cannot rule out that our country, being part of the West which jihadists consider as hostile to Islam, may one day be the target of a terror attack." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani, Afghan Spymasters Hold Rare Talks By Ayaz Gul May 02, 2017 The Spy chiefs of Pakistan and Afghanistan have held official talks in Kabul on bilateral security and counterterrorism cooperation. Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI, Lt. General Naveed Mukhtar, traveled to the Afghan capital Tuesday in a bid to ease tensions between security establishments of the two countries, Pakistani and Afghan security sources confirmed to VOA. There were no immediate details available from the meeting General Mukhtar held with his Afghan counterpart, Masoom Stanekzai, who heads the National Directorate of Security, or NDS. The ISI chief's visit came as Afghanistan and Pakistan consistently accused each other's intelligence agencies of sheltering and supporting anti-state militants, who plot deadly terrorist attacks in both the countries. General Mukhtar is also scheduled to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The two intelligence agencies had signed an initial agreement of cooperation shortly after Ghani assumed office in 2014 to help address mutual concerns, but news of the deal was leaked to Afghan media prematurely, preventing the cooperation from taking root, according to Pakistani officials. The Taliban has announced its so-called "spring offensive" in Afghanistan. The Afghan government claims sanctuaries on Pakistani soil have enabled the insurgents to prolong the conflict in the country. Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah reiterated Monday the Islamist insurgency announced and planned its "spring offensive in a neighboring country", though he did not name Pakistan Pakistani authorities reject the charges and say they are making all possible efforts to strengthen security along a 2,600 kilometer border with Afghanistan to prevent terrorist infiltration in both directions. On Tuesday, the Pakistan military said it repelled an attack on two security outposts by militants from across the border in Afghanistan. It said three assailants were killed and several were wounded while others were forced to retreat. The militant assault took place in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal district of South Waziristan. A high-powered Pakistani parliamentary delegation also visited Afghanistan this week for talks with counterparts and the Afghan leadership. Ayaz Sadiq, speaker of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, led the 15-member delegation to Kabul, which returned to Islamabad on Monday. Sadiq described the meetings as highly successful and productive. On Tuesday, the speaker briefed Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif about the visit, officials said. "The prime minister stated that exchanges of parliamentary delegations between the two countries would further strengthen bilateral relations and will go a long way in realizing the shared objective of regional peace and stability," an official statement quoted Sharif as saying. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 2, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 15 strikes consisting of 38 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. 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 13 strikes consisting of 14 engagements against ISIS targets: -- Near Abu Kamal; five strikes destroyed three ISIS oil pumps, three ISIS wellheads and a fighting position. -- Near Dayr Az Zawr; three strikes destroyed 12 ISIS fuel tankers, an ISIS wellhead and an ISIS oil pump. -- Near Raqqa; a strike destroyed a fighting position and suppressed a mortar team. -- Near Tabqah; four strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units and destroyed two fighting positions. Strikes in Iraq In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted two strikes near Mosul yesterday, consisting of 24 engagements against ISIS targets. The strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two mortar systems, a front-end loader, an artillery system, a fighting position, a vehicle-bomb factory and a medium machine gun. Additionally, an April 30 strike for which information wasn't available in time for yesterday's report destroyed an ISIS weapons factory, officials said. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Socom Commander: Forces at Forefront of National Security Operations By Lisa Ferdinando DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, May 2, 2017 Thirty years after its founding, the U.S. Special Operations Command is more relevant than ever in addressing the evolving security threats facing the nation, Socom's commander said today in a congressional hearing. "We have been at the forefront of national security operations for the past three decades, to include continuous combat over the past 15-and-a-half years," Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. "This historic period has been the backdrop for some of our greatest successes, as well as the source of our greatest challenge, which is the sustained readiness of this magnificent force," he said. The hearing, titled Three Decades Later: A Review and Assessment of Our Special Operations Forces 30 Years After the Creation of U.S. Special Operations Command, included Theresa Whelan, the acting assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict. 'Stark Reminder' of a Command at War April was a particularly hard month for the command, as it lost three of its members in combat, Thomas said. Army Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar died April 8 from injuries suffered in a firefight in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, and Army Rangers Sgt. Joshua P. Rodgers and Sgt. Cameron H. Thomas died April 27 as a result of small-arms fire in Nangarhar. "This comes on the heels of 16 other combat fatalities since I assumed command a year ago, and is a stark reminder that we are a command at war and will remain so for the foreseeable future," Thomas said. First Priority: Win the Current Fight There are approximately 56,000 active duty, 7,400 reserve and guard, and 6,600 civilian personnel across the Special Operations Forces enterprise, Thomas explained. Approximately 8,000 Special Operations Forces are serving in more than 80 countries. They are working with international, interagency and Defense Department partners in support of the geographic combatant commanders' priorities, he said. Socom's first priority is to win the current fight, which includes defeating Islamic extremism, countering Russian aggression, preparing for contingencies in Korea and various security operations to defend the homeland, Thomas said. Other key efforts are continuing to transform the enterprise to remain relevant in the rapidly changing security operation, and taking care of the command's people and their families, he said. Long-Term Strategic Approach Both Thomas and Whelan thanked Congress for its support to the command, which is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Whelan, whose agency provides policy oversight for special operations and stability operations capabilities, said Special Operations Forces now face advanced transregional threats that demand greater levels of coordination and collaboration. A long-term strategic approach is needed to defeat terrorists and their networks and ideologies, she pointed out. Sustained funding and flexible legislative authorities have been instrumental to these efforts, she told lawmakers. "We will win the fight against [violent extremist organizations] and protect our citizens' vital interest, allies and partners," she added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Task Force Leaders' Visit Reinforces Independent Somali Defense Force By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 2, 2017 The commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa and his command senior enlisted leader joined U.S. Africa Command's commander and the U.S. ambassador to Somalia here April 29 for a series of meetings regarding East African security. Africom Commander Marine Corps Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser and Ambassador Stephen M. Schwartz were joined by Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David J. Furness and Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin J. Higginbotham, who had just assumed their leadership positions at CJTF-HOA the previous day. Furness and Higginbotham quickly began covering ground on critical security issues in East Africa. "There is no question that al-Shabab has brought great turmoil and has committed extreme atrocities in East Africa, and particularly in Somalia," Furness said. "But we are committed to working with partner nations to help Somalia stand strong against this violent extremist organization and assist with the international and intergovernmental efforts to bring back security and stability to this very important region." The visit to Mogadishu International Airport solidified a commitment to assist African regional partners strengthen their own security through the following measures: countering transnational threats, promoting regional stability through defense capabilities and protection of U.S. assets, officials said. The foundational forum took place with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known by his nickname, "Farmajo," and the Somali army's chief of defense. Productive Visit "This was a very productive visit," Furness said. "It was a chance to meet the country's leadership and reaffirm the strong ties we have with President Farmajo and the great people of Somalia." Afterward, the U.S. military leaders, Schwartz and his assembly met for briefings with regional intelligence collection agencies and the special representative of the chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira, to discussing current events. The meeting took place little more than a week after Africom's first chiefs of defense conference held in Stuttgart, Germany, which had a focus on countering violent extremist organizations. "The first and top priority of the Africom theater campaign plan is to neutralize Al-Shab and transition the African Union Mission to Somalia," Furness said. "AMISOM has done yeoman's work to stabilize Somalia over the last 10 years, and they can be proud of their efforts." New Security Architecture With AMISOM scheduled to withdraw forces over a 24-month period beginning in October 2018, Farmajo is slated to present a new national security architecture at the organization's summit in London later this month. Furness said he hopes the plan laying out Somalia's armed forces structure will integrate well with U.S. efforts to train, advise and assist Somali security forces. "With this close partnership, I think the government of Somalia will make a real difference in isolating Al-Shabab, eradicating hardliners and reconciling those who are open to becoming productive members of society," he said. Africom and CJTF-HOA assist African states in strengthening their defense capabilities and mitigating security threats more effectively, officials said. Primarily, they added, this is achieved through military-to-military engagements, programs, exercises and operations coordinated with the State Department African partner nations. CJTF-HOA is a tenant unit on Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, the only U.S. military base on the continent. The task force, operating since 2002, builds and reinforces partnerships that contribute to East Africa's security and stability. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Release No. NR-159-17 May 02, 2017 Readout of Secretary Mattis' Meeting with Czech Minister of Defense Martin Stropnicky Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout: Today Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with Czech Minister of Defense Martin Stropnicky at the Pentagon to discuss U.S.-Czech defense collaboration, focusing on the Defeat-ISIS campaign and Afghanistan. This was their first meeting. Secretary Mattis thanked Minister Stropnicky for his country's contributions to the Defeat-ISIS fight, highlighting the positive difference Czech air advisory and surgical teams are making in Iraq. They discussed other potential Czech contributions to the campaign. The two leaders discussed the importance of the NATO alliance and the two percent of GDP spending pledge for all members. Secretary Mattis welcomed the Czech Republic's efforts to increase defense spending and modernize its military. He recognized the active role the country plays in military exercises, NATO air policing, and supporting the movement of U.S. military convoys. Secretary Mattis also thanked Minister Stropnicky for his country's long-term commitment in Afghanistan. Both he and the minister pledged to consult further at the upcoming NATO defense ministerial. http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1170289/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Release No. NR-157-17 May 02, 2017 Readout of Senior Leaders' Meeting with Tunisian Minister of Defense Farhat Horchani Deputy Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson provided the following readout: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work hosted the Tunisian Minister of Defense, His Excellency Farhat Horchani for a meeting at the Pentagon today. The leaders discussed the importance of the U.S.-Tunisian defense partnership, Tunisia's security situation, and counterterrorism assistance. They noted the progress and importance of military training, intelligence sharing and defense cooperation. Horchani provided great insights and offered ways to address the regional security situation in Northern Africa. Mattis and Work commended Horchani on Tunisia's recent successes in countering terrorist activities in Tunisia and committed to continuing to grow a strong military relationship with the country. http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1170134/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Transcript Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Czech Republic Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky May 02, 2017 Remarks by Secretary Mattis and Minister Stropnicky at the Pentagon SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JIM MATTIS: Minister Stropnicky, welcome to the Pentagon. It's good to see you again. I first -- we first spoke in Brussels in February, and it's good to host you here in Washington. I would point out that for 18 years our nations have been NATO allies. In our first tranche of nations coming into NATO after the end of the Cold War, it's no surprise Czech Republic was in the first group coming in. I would just say, too, that you're special forces have -- all your forces, but especially your special forces, have served very valiantly alongside us, and we don't forget that here in this building in Washington, D.C. We remember that and of your forces to include your chemical decontamination forces that joined us right after 9/11. So thank you so much for that. We do face the new reality with the Russian provocation with the terrorist threat from the south, and NATO is beading together on this. And certainly we look forward to standing strong with our bedrock alliance all the way through on this, this fight. And I would just say too that your involvement with the Defeat ISIS campaign is heartening. It shows you stand with the civilized nations of the world. Your ground troops in the Baltic, and your policing. You're a full-fledged member of NATO, as are we, and now on that common ground we welcome you here, so again, welcome, and the floor is yours. DEFENSE MINISTER MARTIN STROPNICKY: Thank you very, very much, Mr. -- for your warm welcome, for your kind words, which I appreciate very much, and I'm glad that you have quite a detailed view on what we are actually doing in this country, this alliance. I would like to underline that for us, the membership in the alliance is absolutely crucial that something, which is out of any discussion, and it's one of the main pillars of democratic development after 1989, after the democratic changes, and that we of course want to remain on that track. We must. And we -- and I will tell you in more detail later on what we are preparing and how we are facing the fair burden sharing, which is extremely important, and I know that it's an issue for the new administration. No surprise absolutely logical and fair, so that's one of the main reasons I'm here. SEC. MATTIS: Well, thank you again, and before the press leaves I must note that you make the finest beer I have ever tasted. (Laughter.) So thank you very much. Thank you. http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1170282/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kenya - MD 530 Aircraft Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov Transmittal No: 17-07 WASHINGTON, May 2, 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kenya for MD 530 aircraft. The estimated cost is $253 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 1, 2017. The Government of Kenya has requested a possible sale of twelve (12) MD 530F weaponized aircraft to include twenty-four (24) Heavy Machine Gun Pod (HMP) 400 systems; wenty-four (24) M260 rocket launchers; four thousand and thirty-two (4,032) M151 rockets; one thousand five hundred and thirty-six (1,536) 2.75-inch M274 smoke signature warhead rockets; and four hundred thousand (400,000) rounds of .50 caliber ammunition. Also included are communications and navigation equipment, contractor logistics support, training, U.S. Government technical assistance, airframe and weapon system spare parts support, Contractor Field Service Representative (CFSR) support, and Special Assigned Airlift Mission (SAAM) flight delivery support. The total estimated cost is $253 million. This proposed sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a strong regional partner who is a regional security leader, undertaking critical operations against al-Shabaab, and a troop contributor to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The proposed sale of the MD 530F helicopters, weapons, ammunition, support items and technical support will advance Kenya's efforts to conduct scout and attack rotary wing aircraft operations in support of their AMISOM mission. The MD 530F will also replace Kenya's aging MD500 fleet, which is the current reconnaissance platform supporting Kenyan ground forces. This sale will significantly enhance the Kenyan Army's modernization efforts and increase interoperability with the U.S. Armed Forces and other partners in the region. Additionally, a strong national defense and dedicated military force will assist Kenya in its efforts to maintain stability in East Africa. Kenya will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The principal contractor will be MD Helicopters, Mesa, AZ. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of approximately twelve (12) additional contractor representatives in country for a period of 12 months. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded. All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov. -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The AN/TRC-170 continues to stay reliable for the Corps US Marine Corps News By Lance Cpl. Cody Lemons | May 2, 2017 Some equipment in the Marine Corps is so valued that it has been around for generations and still operating at top capacity. One such piece of gear is the AN/TRC-170. The Tropospheric Scatter Microwave Radio Terminal, or the AN/TRC-170, is a communication link that transports data from one position to another. Marines during the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-17 near Yuma, Ariz., are using this reliable piece of equipment to communicate back to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma from their field position. "The purpose of the AN/TRC-170 is to be a link between two major sites," said Sgt. George, an AN/TRC-170 operator assigned to Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28, Marine Air Control Group 28, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. "It is a point-to-point contact," said George. "It can reach up to 100 nautical miles and you can pass data, internet, phone, and email. All of that is coming through the AN/TRC-170." Although it looks like an intricate piece of equipment, it only takes about 45 minutes to set up with four Marines, and about half that time to take down, said George. The AN/TRC-170 may be the most reliable piece of communications gear in the Marine Corps. "It's a solid piece of gear" said George. "Ever since we've had these set up, it's been a solid signal. Once it is set up and is going, it takes a lot for it to break. It is extremely reliable." "It has been up since March 17th and we have had no down time," said Cpl. Austin Hardin, a TRC-170 operator assigned to MWCS-28, MACG-28, 2nd MAW. "We are at around 960 hours of non-stop communication. It's super reliable." Not only has this version of the AN/TRC-170 been reliable, but it has also been around since the 1980's, with earlier versions coming before that. "All the old gear that was used way back when is actually still in there," said George. "So if we had to, we could go back and use the old gear. We have the option to actually switch back and forth to fall back on, but we have yet to have to do that." To demonstrate how long these machines have been commissioned in the Marine Corps, Hardin says his friend met and ex-Marine at a Veterans Affairs who used to actually work with an earlier version of the AN/TRC-170 during his time in the Vietnam War. "Some people hate on the AN/TRC-170," said Hardin. "The VSAT guys have satellite time that costs thousands and thousands of dollars but we still have these in commission and they are super cheap compared to what they have. They have been around for so long and they are still kicking, they are strong. They are like the workhorse of communications." Though there is more advanced technology out there nowadays, the AN/TRC-170 still pulls in a crowd. "Everyone wants to see them when they come out here," said Hardin. "Nobody wants to see the VSAT or the radios; they want to come see the AN/TRC-170." There's an old saying of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That saying stands true for the AN/TRC-170. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Secretary General discusses May Meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 02 May. 2017 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel on Tuesday (2 May 2017) at Palais d'Egmont to prepare for the meeting of NATO leaders in Brussels on 25 May. The Secretary General thanked Belgium for hosting the Alliance's headquarters for 50 years and for its support to the May meeting. Secretary General Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Michel discussed preparations for the meeting, which will focus on NATO's role in the fight against terrorism, as well as the transatlantic bond and fair burden-sharing, in line with commitments made at the Wales and Warsaw Summits. They also discussed NATO-EU relations. The May meeting will mark the formal handover of the new NATO headquarters from host nation Belgium to NATO. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO and Partners firmly committed to continue supporting the financial sustainment of the Afghan Security Forces NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 02 May. 2017 NATO Allies and Partners, together with representatives of the donors' community, reaffirmed their long-term commitment to continue supporting the financial sustainment of the Afghan security forces, at the plenary meeting of the Afghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund Board, today (Tuesday, 2 May 2017). Participants discussed the Trust Fund's achievements in 2016 and 2017, the plans for 2018, the coordination with the donor community in Afghanistan, and the implementation of auditing arrangements. They also discussed the ongoing coordination in Afghanistan between the Afghan authorities and the various funding streams, including the Afghan National Army Trust Fund itself, the Law and Order Trust Fund for the Afghan Police (administered by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP), the budgetary contributions of the Afghan Government, the bilateral contributions provided, especially the bilateral Afghan Security Forces Fund of the United States, and possible additional adaptations of the ANA Trust Fund aimed at improving joint training and interoperability of the Afghan security forces in key areas, such as medical support, explosive ordnance disposal, and counter-IEDs, amongst others. The adapted Afghan National Army Trust Fund is NATO's response to the International Community's commitment in the framework of the 2012 Chicago Summit to continue to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in its efforts to sustain sufficient and capable National Defence and Security Forces. "Together with our Resolute Support Mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces and institutions and the NATO-Afghanistan Enduring Partnership, our Afghan National Army Trust Fund has been an important part of NATO's endeavour to continue supporting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in its efforts to achieve a stable and secure Afghanistan," Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General said. "Today's meeting reconfirmed our continued commitment and the donor nations' continued commitment to the safety and security of Afghanistan and its people," the NATO Secretary General added. The Afghan National Army Trust Fund board is composed of national representatives of donor nations and the Trust Fund manager (represented by the United States). NATO Secretary General and a donor nation representative co-chair the Board. Plenary meetings of the Board were held on 1 September 2014, 26 June 2015, and 11 May 2016. Mr.Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, Ministry of Finance of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan took part in today's meeting. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Poland takes lead of NATO's Baltic Air Policing, supported by Spain NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 02 May. 2017 Poland took the lead of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission on Tuesday (2 May 2017), succeeding the Royal Netherlands Air Force at Siauliai airbase in Lithuania. Spain will replace the German Air Force in supporting the mission from Estonia's Amari airbase. The Polish Air Force will carry out the mission with four F-16 fighter aircraft, while the Spanish Air Force is deploying five F-18 fighter jets. Poland has now led the mission six times, while Spain is also a regular contributor. Since 2004, seventeen Allies have participated in 44 rotations of NATO's Baltic Air Policing. The mission is a standing peacetime activity, helping ensure the integrity of the airspace over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The next scheduled rotation is foreseen for September. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Vella Gulf Enters US 6th Fleet Area of Operations Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170502-37 Release Date: 5/2/2017 12:43:00 PM By Ensign Shawn Allen, USS Vella Gulf Public Affairs ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) entered the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations April 29. The ship departed Naval Station Norfolk April 23 for a regularly scheduled deployment in support of crucial defense operations in the Navy's U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations. Vella Gulf Sailors trained long and hard to ensure mission readiness prior to the journey across the Atlantic. "Exiting an extended maintenance period, Vella Gulf's crew worked at an exemplary level to meet all training and certification requirements." said Capt. Mark Oberley, commanding officer USS Vella Gulf. "Vella Gulf's training cycle has produced steadfast professionals ready to fulfill the ship's mission." Vella Gulf is deploying as an independent forward-deployed unit in support of maritime security and ballistic missile defense operations in international waters across the globe. The ship was commissioned Sept. 18, 1993, and is named after the decisive victory against the Japanese at Vella Gulf during the Solomon Islands Campaign of WWII. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Oscar Austin visits Souda Bay Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170502-35 Release Date: 5/2/2017 12:33:00 PM By Lt. j.g. Spenser T. Smith USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) Public Affairs SOUDA BAY, Greece (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), along with embarked Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.1, arrived in Souda Bay, Greece, for a scheduled port visit May 2. Quote: "The Souda Bay visit will be a good experience. Greece is a country steeped in history, culture, and scenery. To be able to come here and get it first-hand will be something that I can talk about for years to come. Not to mention great authentic Greek food!" -Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Robert Matthews Quick Facts: Oscar Austin is on a routine deployment supporting U.S. national security interests in Europe, and increasing theatre security cooperation and forward naval presence in the U.S. 6th fleet area of operations. While in theater, Sailors aboard Oscar Austin will have the opportunity to work together with allied partners for regional stability and to strengthen our partner nation alliances. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mesa Verde Visits Souda Bay Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170502-32 Release Date: 5/2/2017 12:21:00 PM By Lt. j.g. Peter Schlosser, USS Mesa Verde Public Affairs SOUDA BAY, Greece (NNS) -- The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and embarked Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Souda Bay, Greece, for a scheduled port visit May 1. During the port visit, the Mesa Verde is scheduled to conduct a change of command and engage in a community relations project with Naval Support Activity Souda Bay. The Sailors and Marines aboard Mesa Verde will also have an opportunity to visit local sites and learn about the local culture through tours organized by the ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation program. Quote: "The officers and crew of USS Mesa Verde are privileged to be able to enjoy the Greek culture of Crete and appreciate the support of the Greek Navy during our visit. Rarely does the beauty of a country or place meet or exceed our imagining of it from books or history lessons, yet universally the crew has commented how the beauty of Crete has done exactly that. Mesa Verde is also fortunate to represent the U.S. 6th Fleet in building partnerships with our NATO partners and looks forward to continuing to deepen these relationships." Capt. Randy Peck USS Mesa Verde commanding officer Quick Facts: Mesa Verde is designed to transport Marine assault forces ashore by embarked landing craft, air cushion, landing craft utility, expeditionary fighting vehicles, or by embarked squadrons. The Mesa Verde is part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is comprised of Amphibious Squadron 8, the 24th MEU, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), Mesa Verde and the Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50). Also embarked on the Bataan ARG are Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26, Fleet Surgical Team 6, Tactical Air Control Squadron 21, Assault Craft Unit 4, and Beachmaster Unit 2. The 24th MEU consists of more than 2,200 Marines, including a Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), and Combat Logistics Battalion 24 and the MEU command element. While in theater, more than 4,000 Sailors and Marines of the ARG and MEU will train to share information, experience and work together for regional stability. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. This forward presence contributes to freedom of navigation and lawful use of the sea, as well as furthers operational training and enables an exchange of culture, skills, and tactical knowledge. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cheyenne visits Sasebo during Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170502-02 Release Date: 5/2/2017 9:34:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian G. Reynolds, Submarine Group 7 Public Affairs FLEET ACTIVITIES SASEBO, Japan (NNS) -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) arrived at Fleet Activities Sasebo, May 2, for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment. The visit strengthens the already positive alliance between the U.S. and Japan through the crew's interaction with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. It also demonstrates the U.S. Navy's commitment to regional stability and maritime security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. Cheyenne is a Los Angeles-class submarine with some of the most advanced submarine systems in the world. Its speed, stealth, mobility and sheer firepower make it one of the most powerful weapons in the U.S. national defense arsenal. This submarine is capable of executing anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, naval special warfare, irregular warfare, and mine warfare. Measuring more than 362 feet long and weighing more than 6,500 tons when submerged, Cheyenne is one of the stealthiest submarines in the world. Homeported in Pearl Harbor, Cheyenne is named for the city of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Commissioned on Sept. 13, 1996, Cheyenne was the last of the 62 Los Angeles-class submarines to be put into service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Navy Renews One Guam Commitment at Island Sustainability Conference Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170502-01 Release Date: 5/2/2017 8:31:00 AM From Frank Whitman, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas Public Affairs TUMON, Guam (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Marianas utility experts participated in the Eighth Annual Island Sustainability Conference hosted by the University of Guam on April 19 at the Hyatt Regency Guam. Military presenters focused on updating the group on accomplishments in achieving sustainable utilities for the entire island, and underscored the Navy's commitment to One Guam through improvements to Guam's water and power systems. NAVFAC Marianas Commanding Officer Capt. Stephanie Jones emphasized the importance of the cooperative One Guam approach they have established for addressing critical issues impacting the island's water and power systems. "We are striving to achieve reliable and resilient power and water systems for Guam," said Jones, who participated as a panel member alongside partners from the Guam Power Authority (GPA) and Guam Waterworks Authority (GWA), which focused on sustainable utilities. "This is best accomplished through our continued work with GPA and GWA to find creative solutions to resolve critical utility issues facing the island." The One Guam initiative is playing a vital role in GPA's progress toward its goal of providing 25 percent of its energy with renewable sources, according to John Benavente, GPA general manager. "We both recognize that we cannot be installing renewable energy projects without understanding that the grid is only one," he said. "That really puts us together to work on the One Guam solution, which we have been working diligently toward." Desiree Masterson, regional energy program manager for NAVFAC Marianas, gave a presentation on the Navy Regional Energy Master Plans during a conference breakout session. She noted that, over the past five years, military installations on Guam have successfully competed for the Navy's energy funds, resulting in over $90 million in energy projects. "We had a huge push in the past two years from the Secretary of the Navy to install renewable energy projects worldwide," she said. "We coordinated with GPA and this partnership has resulted in Guam now being a part of the Navy renewable program." With the number of energy projects on island the Secretary of the Navy looked at Guam specifically and said, 'I want to do this energy plan here first as a model for the rest of the Navy,' according to Masterson. "The plan being formulated is to establish a plan of action to meet energy goals through 2035. In addition to sustainability, the plans address resiliency, security, renewable energy projects and efficiency." The Navy's participation at the conference is vital. "The military is a big part of our island," said Austin Shelton III, assistant professor and associate director, UOG Center for Island Sustainability (CIS). "We're really happy and appreciative that Capt. Jones and others took the time to come to the conference and be part of the conversation that needs to happen around sustainability." The Navy has participated in the CIS conference since its inception in 2009. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group Arrives in Hawaii Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170502-44 Release Date: 5/2/2017 2:26:00 PM By USS Makin Island Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The Sailors and Marines of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)/11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 1 for the final port call of the ARG/MEU's deployment to the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations. During the ARG/MEU's seven-month deployment to U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility, the 4,000 Sailors and Marines conducted maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in support of regional security and stability, and the free flow of maritime commerce. Makin Island steamed more than 45,000 nautical miles while operating in the Pacific and Indian oceans, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Gulf. "All three ships in the ARG were exactly where our commanders needed them to be, when they needed them to be there," said Capt. Mike Crary, commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 5. "It's a testament to this team's readiness, and I couldn't have asked for a more motivated and professional group of Sailors and Marines." This is the ARG's last port visit before returning to their homeport of San Diego. The MEU will disembark during the ships' transit, to return to their home base in Camp Pendleton. "The crew has done our nation's bidding, and now it's time to focus on getting back home and reuniting with our families and loved ones," said Capt. Mark Melson, Makin Island's commanding officer. "This team should look back on this deployment with pride. They conducted relevant, real-world operations that directly supported our nation's security, and that's something these Sailors and Marines can hang their hats on." While in port, several Sailors will take advantage of a rare opportunity to re-enlist at the USS Arizona Memorial. "Reenlisting at the Arizona Memorial is an honor," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Andrea Hahn, from Aurora, Colorado. "To rededicate myself to the Navy at a place with so much historical significance to our nation is an opportunity I might never have again." When the port call concludes, Makin Island will depart with more than 200 "tigers," friends and family members of Sailors and Marines who will experience a small taste of their service member's day-to-day life underway, while riding the ship back to San Diego. Events planned for this year's Tiger Cruise include ship tours, gun shoots, and an air and sea power demonstration. The three-ship ARG, which consists of amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) and amphibious dock landing ship (LSD 45), falls under the control of the embarked staff of PHIBRON 5. Embarked units include Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 21, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5, Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 5, Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 11, and Beachmaster Unit (BMU) 1. The 11th MEU consists of the 11th MEU Command Element; the Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced); the Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines; and the Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 11. U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Envoy Urges Macedonian Leaders To Allow New Government To Form RFE/RL May 02, 2017 A high-level U.S. envoy met with Macedonian leaders on May 1 and urged them to allow a newly formed parliamentary majority made up of Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties to form a new government. Nearly five months after parliamentary elections, Macedonian nationalists opposed to the inclusion of ethnic Albanians are blocking efforts by the new government to take office, triggering a major political crisis in the tiny Balkan country. "We feel that it is very important for the leaders to find a way to allow the majority in parliament...to propose a government and a government program," U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Hoyt Yee said in Skopje after meeting with leaders on both sides in the impasse. "We understand there are concerns about the composition of the government program and, like in all European democracies, we believe that whatever is proposed by the majority should be considered seriously in parliament, debated in parliament, and voted in parliament," he said. President Gjorge Ivanov, an ally* of the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party, which has ruled Macedonia for years, has refused to give a mandate to Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev to form a government, saying his coalition with ethnic Albanian parties threatens the sovereignty of the state. After meeting with Yee, Ivanov issued a statement on May 1 calling on Zaev to provide reassurances that his coalition would work according to the constitution and uphold national unity. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Hoyt Brian Yee (left) met in Skopje with Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov (right). Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Hoyt Brian Yee (left) met in Skopje with Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov (right). Zaev had no immediate response. After meeting earlier in the day with Yee, the Socialist leader had vowed to begin putting together a new cabinet following his coalition's election last week of a new speaker of parliament. The naming of Macedonia's first ethnic Albanian parliament speaker, Talat Xhaferi, on April 27 had prompted about 100 protesters to storm the parliament building and beat up Zaev and his fellow coalition leaders, most of them ethnic Albanians. The protesters and VMRO leaders charged that the speaker's election was not legal because it allegedly did not follow parliamentary rules. But Zaev -- with U.S. backing -- dismissed their objections on May 1, saying "the new speaker was elected legally and legitimately." He vowed to quickly put in place a new cabinet. Meanwhile, Macedonia's Interior Ministry on April 30 made the first arrests of six people it said were involved in last week's violence in parliament, which had bloodied Zaev's face and injured over 100 people. The ministry said it had filed criminal charges against 15 people in all who are considered to be instigators of the violence, charging them with "participation in a mob and preventing officials from performing their duties." The ministry said the police who were charged with protecting parliament did not move quickly enough to stop the violence and appeared to be acting in the interests of the VMRO. The mob attack was led by masked individuals, some of whom were armed, and videos made at the scene showed they appeared to outnumber the parliament's security force. Macedonia's political crisis intensified after December elections failed to produce a resounding majority for any party. The VMRO won a narrow majority but was unable to put together a ruling coalition in the months following the election. That led to Zaev putting together a first-time majority coalition between the Social Democrats and two parties representing ethnic Albanians, who make up about one-third of Macedonia's 2.1 million population. The deal envisages a law allowing wider use of the Albanian language, an agreement that provoked a nationalist backlash and led to daily street protests by nationalists and VMRO sympathizers. Macedonia has been without a functioning government since 2015, when it sank into political turmoil over a wiretapping scandal that brought down the ruling VMRO party. The political stalemate has brought to a halt Skopje's efforts to move toward membership in the European Union and NATO. EU leaders have joined the United States in urging Macedonian leaders to end the political stalemate so the country can resume its path toward membership. * CORRECTION: This story has been amended from an earlier version to note that President Ivanov is an ally of the VMRO-DPMNE rather than a member of that party. With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/us-envoy-yee-urges-macedonian-leaders- allow-new-government-form-zaev-ivanov/28462885.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Macedonia's New Parliament Speaker Blocked From Taking Office RFE/RL's Balkan Service May 02, 2017 SKOPJE -- The stalemate over control of Macedonia's legislature continues after the newly declared parliament speaker, Talat Xhaferi, has been blocked from taking up the post by nationalist lawmakers who oppose his election. Xhaferi, a lawmaker from one of the three ethnic Albanian parties that has agreed to form a coalition with Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev, was elected on April 27 by the alliance as speaker of parliament. The move prompted supporters of the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE party to storm the parliament, where they physically assaulted Zaev and several ethnic Albanian lawmakers. And on May 2, when Xhaferi tried to enter the speaker's office, several VMRO-DPMNE lawmakers were occupying the room and refused to allow him to enter, declaring that his election to the post was not valid because the vote was conducted outside of standard parliamentary procedures. Xhaferi's predecessor, VMRO-DPMNE lawmaker Trajko Veljanovski, also did not appear on May 2 to hand over the keys to the office or the official seal to Xhaferi. Meanwhile, the general secretary of parliament -- who is also a member of the VMRO-DPMNE -- announced that Xhaferi's election as parliament speaker was not legally valid until it is published by Macedonia's official legal journal. It was not clear if or when that publication, which is also controlled by VMRO-DPMNE members, might publish the results of Xhaferi's election by the legislature. Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov -- an ally of the VMRO-DPMNE party has refused to give the Social Democrats and three ethnic Albanian parties a mandate to form a new government, even though they created a coalition with 69 of the parliament's 120 seats. Macedonia's parliament has been deadlocked since December, after the VMRO-DPMNE won the most votes in a general election but was unable to reach a coalition agreement with other parties. Ivanov and his political ally, former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, accuse Zaev's Social Democrats and the ethnic Albanian parties of intending to undermine Macedonia's national unity because of their plan to make Albanian the country's second official language. U.S. and European Union officials have recognized Xhaferi's election as parliament speaker and have urged Ivanov to allow Zaev's alliance to form a new government. Macedonia has been without a functioning government since 2015, when it sank into political turmoil over a wiretapping scandal that brought down the ruling VMRO-DPMNE. The political stalemate has brought to a halt Skopje's efforts to move toward membership in the European Union and NATO. With reporting by dpa Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/macedonia-parliament- speaker-blocked-from-office/28464365.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EUCOM head: US Needs More Armored Forces in Europe to Deter Russia Sputnik News 22:32 02.05.2017(updated 23:03 02.05.2017) US European Command head Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti claims that the United States needs more armored forces in Europe. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) US European Command head Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti said on Tuesday that the United States needs more armored forces in Europe to ensure Russia's deterrence. "Russia's posture is not a light force, it is a heavy force," Scaparrotti stated in a Senate hearing. "In order to have the posture that is both credible and of the right composition, we need more armored forces." The commander noted that at present he has one rotational brigade. The size of the force needs to increase over time, he continued. Scaparrotti added Washington needs to consider sending more "enablers" in Europe, including engineers and aviation brigades. In March, Scaparrotti said that the United States seeks to deter Russia, not engage in conflict with the country. The commander argued the United States needed to demonstrate strength to gain Russia's respect. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Delivers Second Fast Patrol Vessel to Mauritius Sputnik News 15:47 02.05.2017 India has delivered the second fast patrol vessel (FPV), christened MCGS Valiant, to the Mauritius Police Force's National Coast Guard. New Delhi (Sputnik) The fast patrol vessel was handed over by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) chairman (Rear Admiral) Shekhar Mital to K Jhugroo, Deputy Commissioner of Police, the Mauritius Police Force. "We have successfully delivered this ship four months ahead of the contractual schedule of August 2017, within 23 months of keel laying which is a record in itself, which is in lines with the track record of GSL in the recent times of timely deliveries. This shows the dedication and commitment of all the stakeholders involved," Mital said. The first FPV was delivered to the Mauritius Coast Guard last year in September. The 50-meter-long FPV is powered by triple diesel engine water jets which can reach a top speed of more than 35 knots. It has a range of more than 1500 nautical miles, and endurance is seven days. The vessel is designed for coastal patrolling, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, anti-drug surveillance, anti-poaching operations, and search and rescue operations. Armament fit comprises a 30-mm CRN-91 Gun mount with fire control capability, 12.7-mm Heavy Machine Guns & 7.62-mm light machine guns besides state-of-the-art Navigation and Communication equipment. India supplied 15.65-meter fast interceptor boats to Mauritius as well. All the vessels were funded by a credit line from India's Export-Import Bank. Mauritius has become a major defense export destination for India in recent past. In 2015, it commissioned the 1,300-metric ton India-built offshore patrol vessel Barracuda which was the first strategic sale to Mauritius amid the growing presence of China in the Indian Ocean Region. Mauritius followed up this order with the purchase of eleven 14.5m fast interceptor boats. India enjoys a monopoly over the Mauritius helicopter squadron. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistani, Indian Military Establish Hotline Contact After Border Escalation Sputnik News 13:40 02.05.2017 Pakistani and Indian local military commanders established hotline contact after a reported escalation in the border regions, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said Tuesday in a statement. NEW DELHI (Sputnik) On Monday, Indian media reported that the two countries' servicemen had been killed and two more injured in firing along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on the Indian-Pakistani border. Later that day, Spokesperson of Pakistani Foreign Ministry Nafees Zakaria refuted the allegations. A local commanders level hotline contact was established at Rawalakot- Poonch sector on LoC last night between Pakistan and Indian Army authorities. Indian counterpart was told that there has been no CFV [ceasefire violations] or crossing of line of control by Pakistani troops from Pakistan side nor mutilation of Indian soldiers bodies," the statement said. The statement added that the Pakistani side remained committed to peace in the LoC area and expected the same from India. Islamabad and New Delhi have been both laying claims to Jammu and Kashmir since India obtained independence from the United Kingdom and was partitioned into two states, namely India and Pakistan, in 1947. The tensions in the region have escalated in recent months after Indian security services have killed a leader of a local separatist group in 2016. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update: air strikes against Daesh 2 May 2017 The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria. Summary - Monday 24 April Typhoons supported Syrian Democratic Forces, destroying a Daesh-held building in eastern Syria, while Tornados struck a Daesh position in Mosul. - Thursday 27 April Tornados destroyed a Daesh position in western Mosul. - Friday 28 April Tornados struck a Daesh-held building in Mosul. - Sunday 30 April Typhoons attacked a group of Daesh fighters west of Raqqa, while Tornados destroyed two Daesh buildings in Mosul. Detail The RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul. While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground. Daesh's current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life. While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian causalities. Two Royal Air Force Typhoons provided close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday 24 April. A Paveway IV guided bomb was used to demolish a building in eastern Syria that was held by a group of Daesh fighters. On the same day in northern Iraq, Tornados provided similar support to the Iraqi forces, striking a Daesh position in western Mosul. Tornados were active again over Mosul on Thursday 27 April and Friday 28 April, striking further Daesh positions. Sunday 30 April saw Typhoons once more flying in support of the SDF west of Raqqa, where they struck a group of Daesh fighters along the bank of the Euphrates. The Tornados then flew over Mosul, demolishing two Daesh-held buildings which the Iraqi ground forces had encountered. UK contribution to the fight against Daesh Map of UK forces committed to Operation Shader Campaign against Daesh Map of Daesh losses and gains in Iraq and Syria since September 2014 Previous update Sunday 2 April: Tornados, supported by a Voyager air tanker, patrolled over western Mosul. When Iraqi forces came under Daesh mortar fire, the Tornados' aircrew were able to identify the mortar team firing their weapon out of the ground floor of a large building. This allowed the Tornados to achieve a clear line of fire for a Brimstone missile, which scored a direct hit on the mortar team while causing minimal damage to the rest of the building. Monday 3 April: Tornados and Typhoons conducted attacks in western Mosul, also against Daesh mortars. The Typhoons had to bomb through cloud, but the Iraqi ground forces, only metres away, reported that the terrorist position had been struck accurately. The Tornados, also hampered by cloud, targeted a mortar that was firing on an Iraqi unit from the top storey of a tall building. A Paveway IV was employed with a carefully selected fuse setting, and it successfully demolished just the uppermost storey, leaving the rest of the building intact. Wednesday 5 April: Royal Air Force Typhoons provided close air support to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as they consolidated their hold on the huge Tabqah Dam to the west of Raqqa. Daesh had tried, in their desperation, to counter-attack with suicide truck-bombs, so the Typhoons conducted an air strike to cut the approach road to the SDF positions and make any further truck-bomb attacks much more difficult. Given attempts by both Daesh and Russia to claim falsely that Coalition air attacks have been directed at the dam itself, it is important to emphasise that the Typhoons' target was two miles to the south-east and posed no threat whatsoever to the dam's structural integrity. A pair of Tornados meanwhile supported the Iraqi forces driving Daesh out of western Mosul, and used a Paveway IV guided bomb to engage a mortar position. The Tornados then flew down to Iraq's western desert, where other Iraqi troops were operating against Daesh to the south of Al Qaim. A Brimstone missile was used to destroy a motorcycle combination carrying three terrorists at speed over the desert and a second Brimstone eliminated a light machine-gun position. Thursday 6 April: A Tornado and a Typhoon flew as a pair, armed with a mix of Paveway IVs and Brimstone missiles. Over north-western Mosul, they engaged a Daesh motor team who were moving to a new position on a truck. A number of unidentified individuals were seen on foot nearby, so our aircrew waited patiently until they had moved away from the immediate proximity of the vehicle. A Brimstone missile, which has a smaller warhead than a Paveway, was then used to destroy the target. The RAF flight then patrolled an area some 25 miles west of Kirkuk, where they were able to track a truck carrying a terrorist team who had been planting booby traps, scoring a direct hit on the moving vehicle with another Brimstone missile. Friday 7 April: A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flew overwatch for Iraqi troops in west Mosul. Coalition surveillance aircraft identified two Daesh mortar teams: one firing from the doorway of a building, the other from a small courtyard. The Reaper's crew were able to conduct successful attacks with Hellfire missiles which accounted for both teams. Saturday 8 April: A Tornado and Typhoon pair used two Paveway IVs to strike a truck-bomb factory in Mosul. Sunday 9 April: Two Tornados patrolled the Iraqi border with Syria, where they bombed a stockpile of home-made explosives near Al Qaim. Wednesday 12 April, two Typhoons came to the assistance of Iraqi troops when they came under fire from a sniper team in Mosul. A single Paveway IV guided bomb successfully dealt with the threat. Thursday 13 April: Typhoons patrolled over Raqqa. North of the city, Syrian Democratic Forces reported being in very close combat with a group of seven, strongly defended, Daesh positions. Despite heavy cloud, the Typhoons were able to destroy one position on their first pass, then having confirmed the exact location of the other six targets, struck all of those simultaneously with Paveway IVs on a second pass. Friday 14 April: Tornados focused their efforts over Mosul, where Iraqi troops identified a car-bomb that had been positioned on a road leading out of the north of the city. A Brimstone missile destroyed the booby-trapped vehicle with a direct hit. Saturday 15 April: A further Tornado patrol supported Iraqi forces engaged in a firefight with Daesh positioned in a large building in western Mosul. Two Paveway IVs silenced the terrorist fire. Meanwhile, Typhoons continued their support for the SDF as they pushed east from Tabqah towards Raqqa, bombing a terrorist-held building. Sunday 16 April: Two flights of Tornados active over Mosul. Each flight conducted a successful attack with a Brimstone missile, accounting for a terrorist position on top of a building and an engineering vehicle used by Daesh to construct defensive positions. Monday 17 April: Tornados operated over western Iraq, where a heavy machine-gun had been spotted, concealed within a grove of trees at Rawah. A single Paveway IV destroyed the weapon. Typhoons continued their support to the SDF west of Raqqah, and conducted a successful Paveway attack on a group of terrorists positioned in a treeline to the south of Tabqah. Thursday 20 April: The RAF assisted Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). A pair of Typhoons struck a Daesh-held building to the north-west of Raqqa. The Typhoons then hit a Daesh mortar team hiding in a tunnel in the east of the country. Friday 21 April: RAF Tornados provided close air support over western Mosul. A pick-up truck used by Daesh was destroyed with a Brimstone missile. The Tornados then struck a group of Daesh fighters in a building which had been firing on Iraqi troops. Saturday 22 April: Tornado patrols over Mosul continued, when the aircraft used Brimstone missiles to destroy two vehicles used by Daesh. Two other Tornados struck a group of Daesh buildings to the south-east of Rawah, in western Iraq. Sunday 23 April: Typhoons assisted the SDF, destroying an armed truck near Tabqah, west of Raqqa. In western Mosul, a Daesh-held building was struck by a Paveway IV, released by a Tornado flight, after Iraqi troops came under fire from the building. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghanistan: UN assesses border management to cope with spike in returns from Pakistan 2 May 2017 With an unprecedented 600,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan last year, the United Nations migration agency has completed an assessment of border management capacity at Afghanistan's two main border crossings with Pakistan. "With returns in 2017 on track to meet or even surpass the levels of last year, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the current procedures at the border, and to look at how they can be improved," said Laurence Hart, Afghanistan Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a press release. In 2016, 600,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan through the Torkham border crossing in Nangarhar province and the Spin Boldak border crossing in Kandahar province. Over several visits to Torkham and Spin Boldak in April, the assessment team met with officials from the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, Border Police, customs officials, humanitarian actors and migrants. Based on interviews and observations at the borders, IOM will produce an assessment report addressing key areas of administrative and operational capacity including infrastructure and available equipment; human resources and competencies; the regulatory framework guiding relevant government agencies; procedures and workflow; capacity gaps and issues. "The report resulting from the assessment will include short-term recommendations for streamlining registration, document security and other border procedures, as well as technical assistance needs that could be addressed by IOM over the longer term," said IOM border management expert Erik Slavenas. As a first step toward improving efficiency at the border, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, with the support of IOM, rolled out the Afghan Returnee Information System (ARIS) in late 2016. ARIS, a digital registration process for both undocumented and refugee returnees, replaced a paper-based registration system. It allows for better data collection and data sharing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel Rejects New Hamas Policy Document By Robert Berger May 02, 2017 The Palestinian militant group Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip has unveiled a new policy document that claims to ease its stance on Israel. However, Israel and the more moderate Palestinian Authority that rules parts of the West Bank are skeptical, saying nothing has changed. Hamas claims its main concession is that it no longer explicitly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Instead of demanding a state in all of Palestine, which would include what is now Israel, the group is prepared for a "transitional" state within the pre-1967 borders, meaning the West Bank, Gaza and disputed East Jerusalem. The term "transitional," though, suggests that this Palestinian state would be a step toward a larger country that eventually would include what is now Israel. The document says Hamas still rejects Israel's right to exist and supports the "armed struggle" against it. "Hamas advocates the liberation of all of Palestine but is ready to support a state on the 1967 borders without recognizing Israel or ceding any rights," said Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who presented the new document in Doha. Israel described the manifesto as a ruse aimed at deceiving the West and moderate Arab states. "Hamas is attempting to fool the world, but it will not succeed," said David Keyes, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "They dig terror tunnels and have launched thousands upon thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians. This is the real Hamas." Image makeover Hamas admits it is trying to improve its image, especially in Europe, which is seen as more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause than the U.S., Israel's guardian ally politically and militarily. The five-page document reflects a "reasonable Hamas that is serious about dealing with the reality and the regional and international surroundings, while still representing the cause of its people," said Meshaal. "We hope this will mark a change in the stance of European states towards us." While Israel's reaction was expected, the tough tone of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank raised some eyebrows. The PA's ruling Fatah party said the document is too little, too late. "Hamas' new document is identical to that taken by Fatah in 1988," said Fatah spokesman Osama al-Qawasme. "Hamas must apologize to Fatah after 30 years of accusing us of treason for that policy." The rival Palestinian governments have been at loggerheads since a civil war in 2007, when Hamas expelled the Palestinian Authority from Gaza. Hamas also has poor relations with neighboring Egypt because Cairo believes armed militants in Gaza are assisting a deadly ISIS insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula. International isolation In a nod to Cairo, Hamas declared it would end its close relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt and the some Gulf states regard as a terrorist organization. And in a further effort to distance Hamas from radical Islam, Meshaal said Hamas' struggle is not against Judaism as a religion, but rather against the "aggression" of Zionism. Hamas is trying to end its international isolation at a time when the United States is preparing to step up efforts to revive the Middle East peace process. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is due to hold his first meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Trump is expected to travel to Jerusalem in three weeks after declaring he sees no reason why there should not be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. If there is a new push for the creation of a Palestinian state, Hamas wants to be part of it. But skeptics abound. Dr. Kobi Michael, a senior Israeli researcher at the INSS Institute for National Security Studies, notes that Hamas still rejects the three main demands of the international community. "They do not acknowledge or accept the Oslo [peace] Accords [of 1993], they do not accept the idea of stopping violence, and they do not accept the principle of recognizing Israel," Michael said. "It is more of a makeover than a real change, [so] this is a lot of noise about nothing." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rifts Deepen in South Africa's Ruling Alliance By Thuso Khumalo May 02, 2017 South African President Jacob Zuma was booed off the stage Monday as he tried to address a meeting of the country's largest labor union. Analysts see evidence of deepening rifts in the ruling African National Congress and Zuma's increasing isolation. When President Zuma arrived at the main event of the May Day celebrations in Bloemnfontein, Free State Province to deliver his speech to thousands of workers, a section cheered him. But a larger group sang and chanted anti-Zuma slogans. Zuma left the event without uttering a word. Organizers aborted the rally. In the past, such disruptions have come from the opposition and anti-Zuma groups, but this time it came from the members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, who are largely ANC supporters. Under pressure Political Analyst Somadoda Fikeni says pressure is mounting on the ANC to deal with Zuma, who has been battered by corruption scandals. "If ANC can not begin to imagine a post-Zuma ANC, then South Africa will begin to get used to a post-ANC South Africa, and that is the political cost of not reflecting on some of the weaknesses attracted by the president from one time to the other," said Fikeni. The presidency has not issued a statement about the incident Monday. But Free State province ANC chairman Ace Mahashule remains adamant Zuma is not going anywhere until his term expires in 2019. "The ANC says this is the man who must be leading the country and our masses will say so and they have said so," said Mahashule. "They have voted Zuma. There is no way you can say Zuma must go, because if you say so, who are you?" But Monday's incident points to tensions with the ANC's alliance partners, COSATU and the South African Communist Party. The two publicly called on Zuma to resign last month after a controversial Cabinet reorganization. Analysts say the alliance, which has assisted ANC to win all national elections since 1994, may be in danger. Non-confidence vote The opposition greeted Monday's events enthusiastically. Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi called it a boost for the upcoming no-confidence vote against Zuma in parliament. "We are very inspired and we will sustain their effort in making sure that Zuma is not legitimized. When we go back to parliament we will make sure that, that particular action and sentiment expressed, finds articulation in parliament," said Ndlozi. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is considering an opposition request for the no-confidence vote to be a secret ballot. The ANC holds a majority in parliament, but analysts say a secret ballot could see parliament members from SACP, COSATU and even the ANC join the opposition. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Airstrike injures Boko Haram leader in northeastern Nigeria Iran Press TV Wed May 3, 2017 1:20PM The leader of the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau, has been injured and one of his deputies has been killed when Nigerian Air Force jets bombed a remote area in northeastern Nigeria. Civilian and security sources said on Wednesday that the jets bombarded militants who had gathered in Balla village, some 40 kilometers from Damboa, on the edge of Sambisa Forest, last Friday. Babakura Kolo, a member of the civilian militia in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, confirmed that Shekau was injured and a number of commanders were killed in the air raid. "Among them is his deputy called Malam Abba. They suffered heavy casualties because the bombings targeted a large gathering of his followers attending Friday prayers," media outlets quoted Kolo as saying. One unnamed source with contacts within Boko Haram said the militant leader was being treated near the Nigerian border with Cameroon. "Shekau was wounded in the bombings and is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon around Kolofata." "His deputy, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba, was killed in the attack along with another key lieutenant, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha," the source added. There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian military, which has previously claimed to have killed Shekau on at least three occasions. In a statement on Tuesday, the Nigerian Air Force said it had bombed "a gathering of Boko Haram terrorists" last Friday "in a village 3.42 km northeast of Mangosum." "Battle damage assessment conducted after the strike showed that several leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist organization and their followers were killed during the attacks," the statement read. Ibrahim Bawa, a local fisherman in Konduga area, said Boko Haram terrorists went on a rampage following the airstrike. "They came by the river hurling insults at us, accusing us of providing information about their locations and movements to the military." Another local resident said the militants rounded up six fishermen and slit their throats. Others escaped by swimming across the river, he added. Boko Haram has recently pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri terror group operating mainly in the Middle East. More than 20,000 people have been killed and 2.6 million displaced as a result of eight years of militancy by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring countries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At Least Eight Killed In Bombing Of NATO Convoy In Kabul RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan May 03, 2017 A powerful blast targeting an armored NATO convoy in Kabul has killed at least eight people and wounded 28, including three coalition soldiers, officials say. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq media arm. The attack came on May 3 during morning rush hour on a busy road near the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters, according to an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman. "Unfortunately most of [the victims] are civilians," spokesman Najib Danish said. NATO said three coalition soldiers had received "non-life-threatening wounds." "[They] are in stable condition, and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities," a spokesman for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan said, without confirming their nationalities. Earlier, a Resolute Support spokesman, U.S. Navy Captain Bill Salvin, said three U.S. service members were wounded in the attack. Resolute Support is a NATO-led train, advise, and assist mission. The explosion, which NATO said was an improvised explosive device, damaged two of the heavily armored Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles carrying the foreign soldiers and left a small crater in the road. MRAPs, which are designed to withstand large explosions, are routinely used by international forces moving around Kabul. However, the IS statement said a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the U.S. Embassy. The local IS affiliate has gathered strength in recent years, and is now at war with both the U.S.-backed government and the much larger Taliban insurgency. The attack comes just days after a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week. The spring offensive normally marks the start of the "fighting season," though this winter Taliban militants kept battling government forces. Since the beginning of the year, at least five large attacks have taken place in Afghanistan's capital with hundreds of civilians killed and injured. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who visited Kabul last month as Washington seeks to craft a new strategy in Afghanistan, warned of "another tough year" in the war-torn country for both foreign troops and local forces. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told a German newspaper on April 20 that the 28-nation alliance was considering boosting its troop strength once more, given the "challenging" security situation. The United States has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from NATO allies. Most are taking part in NATO's train, assist, and advise mission, though some are also carrying out counterterrorism missions targeting the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. The Afghan conflict is the longest in U.S. history -- American-led NATO troops have been at war there since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime for refusing to hand over Osama bin Laden following the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. With reporting by dpa, AFP, Reuters, and AP Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-kabul-nato-convoy-attack/28465105.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish, Azerbaijani Joint Military Drills Draw Protest From Nagorno-Karabakh May 03, 2017 Turkey and Azerbaijan have launched joint military exercises lasting from May 1 to May 5 with about 1,000 troops participating, Baku's Defense Ministry says. The exercises involve testing military equipment and practicing coordination between the two armies, the ministry said. Azerbaijan's breakaway province of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has a majority Armenian population, sharply criticized the exercises. "If there are provocations, we will react," David Babajan, spokesman for the region's ethnic Armenian leadership, told dpa. Armenian separatists declared their independence from Azerbaijan in the 1990s and formed the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which includes some of Azerbaijan's seized borderlands. Despite a cease-fire dating from 1994, there are regularly clashes on the heavily fortified frontier, with some 120 people dying in a deadly clash a year ago. Relations between Turkey and Armenia have been strained for decades over the mass killing and deportation of some 1.5 million Armenians during World War I by the Ottoman Empire. The atrocities suffered by the Armenians have been classed as genocide by more than a dozen states, but Turkey denies that the mass killings amounted to genocide. Based on reporting by dpa and Interfax Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-azerbaijan -joint-military-drills-draw-protest- nagorno-karabakh-/28464916.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Macedonian Parliament's New Ethnic Albanian Speaker Enters Office RFE/RL's Balkan Service May 03, 2017 SKOPJE -- Thousands of nationalist demonstrators were continuing their protests in Skopje on May 3 against a proposed governing coalition of Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties, hours after Macedonia's first ethnic Albanian speaker of parliament took physical possession of the speaker's office. Talat Xhaferi, the newly elected speaker of parliament, entered the office during the early morning hours of May 3, where he met with the European Union's ambassador to Macedonia, Samuel Zbogar. In a statement later on May 3, Xhaferi's office said he is now conducting his duties normally as parliamentary speaker and that all of the parliament's administrative services are functioning. The move came a day after nationalist VMRO-DPMNE legislators occupied the office and blocked an attempt by Xhaferi to enter. VMRO-DPMNE lawmakers reacted to Xhaferi's May 3 statement by repeating their charges that his election to the speaker's post was "illegal" because it did not follow standard parliamentary procedures. The EU and the United States have both taken steps to recognize Xhaferi as the legitimately elected speaker. Meanwhile, nationalist protesters called for another mass demonstration on May 3. Those demonstrators, most of whom are VMRO-DPMNE supporters, say Macedonia's national unity is threatened by a coalition deal struck between the Social Democrats to govern alongside ethnic Albanian parties. The accord would sideline the VMRO-DPMNE party of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, which opposes a plan to make Albanian the second official language of Macedonia. Parliamentary Crime Scene On April 27, the day Xhaferi was elected as parliamentary speaker, angry supporters of the VMRO-DPMNE stormed inside parliament and assaulted Social Democratic leader Zoran Zaev along with several ethnic Albanian lawmakers, bloodying them and sending some to the hospital. With investigations into that violence continuing on May 3, authorities were treating Macedonia's parliament building as a crime scene. Although Zaev's Social Democrats and three ethnic Albanian parties control a majority of seats in parliament, President Gjorge Ivanov -- an ally of the VMRO-DPMNE -- has refused to take action on his constitutional authority to grant the alliance a formal mandate to form a new government. That has prevented Zaev's new coalition from formally presenting a new government for a vote of approval by parliament. Washington and Brussels both insist that, under Macedonia's constitution, a coalition that controls a majority of seats in parliament has the right to form a new government. The U.S. State Department sent a high-level envoy to Skopje during the weekend to urge leaders of the VMRO-DPMNE to peacefully cede power to the coalition led by Zaev. The VMRO-DPMNE and its allies say strong opposition to Zaev's proposed coalition, seen in nightly demonstrations by nationalists during the past two months, is evidence that the public does not want the VMRO-DPMNE to vacate power. They argue that Macedonia needs to call new elections. They claim that the current impasse was caused by inconclusive results in December's election rather than the refusal of Ivanov to present Zaev's majority coalition with the mandate it needs to conduct a parliamentary vote on a new government. With reporting by AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/macedonia-parliament- speaker-xhaferi-enters-office/28466113.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump, Abbas Meet as Peace Deal Seems Far Off By William Gallo May 03, 2017 Expectations could hardly be lower for a diplomatic breakthrough as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first meeting Wednesday at the White House. Trump said last week he sees "no reason" why there can't be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "None whatsoever," Trump said. And Abbas recently declared that a "historic" peace deal to end the decades-old conflict is possible under Trump's leadership. Abbas, who heads the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), has modest goals for the visit. According to Palestinian officials, one of his main objectives will be to simply listen to Trump's plan for reviving peace talks. But Abbas also hoped to use the meeting to improve his diminished stature both at home and abroad, analysts say. "What he's trying to do by coming is highlight his relevance and that he has a major role to play and that it'll be hard to get anything done without him," says Dennis Ross, who has worked on Mideast peace talks under three separate U.S. administrations. Weakened stature Abbas is increasingly unpopular at home. The 82-year-old is in the 12th year of what was meant to be a five-year presidential term. A recent poll suggests two-thirds of Palestinians want him to resign, unhappy with the results delivered by what they see as a corrupt PA. His Fatah political party also faces a serious challenge from Hamas, the rival Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip. "That doesn't make it easier for him to make big decisions," Ross says. Abbas is also at risk of being sidelined by Trump's efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Rather than pursue direct talks between the two sides, Trump has suggested recruiting Arab countries to help forge a broader peace agreement. The approach could be based in part on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which called for the establishment of a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territories in exchange for normalized relations between Israel and Arab countries. Strategy unclear Just how much influence Abbas would have in such regional talks is unclear. But if Trump is planning to have Arab leaders pressure Abbas to make concessions, that may not work, warns William Quandt, a former U.S. Mideast peace negotiator. "What's he going to do if people pressure him? He's going to say, 'We don't accept.' It's all he can do. That's his legitimacy, is to say no," Quandt says. The direction of the peace talks has only become more muddied as a result of Trump's contradictory statements on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. In February, Trump appeared to upend a long-standing U.S. policy when he announced during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he was open to alternatives to a two-state solution. Though U.S. diplomats later reassured Palestinian officials that the U.S. remains committed to the idea of a Palestinian state, many Palestinians continue to question whether Trump will be an impartial broker. 'No daylight' During the campaign, Trump promised there would be "no daylight' between his administration and Israel. Since taking office, Trump has also surrounded himself with advisers with deep ties to the Israeli settlement movement. Diana Buttu, a Ramallah-based political analyst and former spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization, says there is deep skepticism about the role of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, who has been given a key role in the talks. "Will Jared Kushner work? Of course not. He is somebody who has very strong ties with the very movement that has ousted Palestinians from their homeland," Buttu says, an apparent reference to donations by the Kushner family foundation to West Bank settlements. Buttu also takes offense at what she sees as Trump's businessman-like approach to the conflict. "Just slap it together and do a handshake and call it day, like it's some sort of business deal," she says. "Unless you actually get to those underlying issues, it's never going to be resolved." Israeli leaders are also waiting for further details from Trump, including whether he will go ahead with his promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would amount to tacit acceptance of Israeli sovereignty over the entire city. A U.S. official said Wednesday's meeting would also include the proposal that Abbas halt monthly payments to families of militants jailed or killed by Israel.The issue has been raised in lower-level talks, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week questioned any prospect for peace while, in his words, the Palestinians "finance murderers." Not everyone is pessimistic about Trump's push for peace. Alan Baker, a former Israeli ambassador who participated in the negotiating and drafting of the 1993 Oslo Accords, says the time may be right to push for regional peace. "There's certainly a common threat, when you think about it. There's certainly a common defense interest [among Arab nations and Israel] when it comes to the Iranian threat," he says. More details could come soon. White House officials have said Trump is said to be considering a trip to Israel, reportedly in late May. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Concerns Over N. Korea, China Influence Shadow ASEAN FM Meeting By Ron Corben May 03, 2017 A meeting of foreign ministers from the 10 member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week comes amid ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsular as well as concerns over China's growing influence in Southeast Asia. The meeting is officially geared towards planning regional summits in November, which U.S. President Trump is committed to attend. U.S. officials said the ASEAN foreign ministers had been calling for the meeting as part of regional efforts to engage with the new administration. Secretary of State Tillerson earlier said the ministers were expected to discuss trade, territorial claims in the South China Sea, trafficking, crime and other issues. The meeting in Washington follows U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's recent visit to the Asia Pacific, including Indonesia. During the visit, Pence said Washington was "taking steps to strengthen our partnership with ASEAN and deepen our friendship," aiming to strengthen economic ties and security cooperation in combating terrorism and the disputes over the South China Sea. Analysts told VOA ASEAN states have been urging talks with the U.S. since the administration took power in January. Media commentaries said the administration's "America First" rhetoric and the U.S. withdrawal from President Barack Obama administration's Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) had unnerved ASEAN leaders. The ASEAN region has built its economic prosperity on trade with the U.S., currently valued at $225 billion a year. But moves towards growing trade protectionism, raised by United Nations economists this week, has led to fears of a wider impact on the region's growth. The demise of the TPP has opened further opportunities for China, now the region's main trading partner, to expand its influence through Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The grouping, besides ASEAN states, includes Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS), said by rebuilding ties with Southeast Asia, the U.S. is acknowledging it has lost ground to China. "It's a clear indication that the Trump administration wants to revive these bilateral alliances and to work with partners like Singapore and others in the region in order to elevate its position in the region, in order to regain some ground vis-a-vis China," Thitinan told VOA. President Trump earlier this week called on the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsein Long, Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte, and Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha with a personal invitation to the White House. Analysts say the calls followed an ASEAN leader's summit statement that downplayed the issue of China taking a larger security presence in the South China Sea through the construction of infrastructure on disputed islands. Thitinan said the ASEAN final statement marked a diplomatic victory for China. "So China has basically got what it wanted and China now has the upper hand it has a number of cards it can play." "The U.S. is nowhere to be seen, so Tillerson and now Donald Trump the U.S. government is picking up its game a little bit and for ASEAN this is something that they have been looking for," he said. Analysts say the Washington meeting is also seen as offering a key opportunity to discuss ASEAN's concerns over the tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The Philippines' Duterte, at the end of the leaders' meeting, called on the U.S. to show restraint in its diplomatic standoff with North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missiles program. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, said the U.S. president's calls to Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore marked a return to U.S. regional security policy seen during the Cold War era. "What is quite clear is this, when you reach out to Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, all at the same time on the same day, you are basically calling the old stalwarts the key parts of the U.S. security presence in the Asia Pacific region," Robertson told VOA. James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, said other elements in the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting are hopes by the U.S. to boost regional backing in any security strategy to deal with North Korea. "It's all got to do with North Korea and China. At the present moment it's got more to do with North Korea. It's all about building a coalition. I suspect that they are in the process of confronting North Korea, regardless of what China is doing, so they [are trying] to put together some sort of coalition," Chin said. Analysts say ASEAN, which is divided in support between China and the U.S., is expected to be unified given the U.S. and China are cooperating to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Congress allocates no money for Trump's border wall Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 1:23AM The US Congress has ignored President Donald Trump's demand to fund his controversial campaign pledge of building a wall along the US-Mexico border in the first 100 days of the administration The leaders in the Republican-controlled Congress struck a more than one-trillion-dollar budget deal on Monday to avert a government shutdown until September, but fell short of allocating cash for Trump's proposed border wall. The agreement reached after weeks of tense negotiations, however, would allocate an additional 1.5 billion dollars for border security, which one congressional aide described as "the most robust border security increase in roughly a decade." The lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate are expected to approve the deal in the coming days and send it to the White House for the final signature. Democrats hailed the agreement and described the measure as a "good agreement" for the American people. "This agreement is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table," Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. "The bill ensures taxpayer dollars aren't used to fund an ineffective border wall, excludes poison pill riders, and increases investments in programs that the middle class relies on, like medical research, education and infrastructure," he added. The Democratic Senate minority leader had already signaled that budget for Trump's wall would not gain enough support, saying, "I don't think it can pass. ... There's a lot of negativity on the wall on both the Democratic and Republican sides," In a recent interview with the Associated Press, the businessman-turned-politician had refused to say whether he would sign the spending bill if it did not include funding for the proposed border wall. "The Democrats don't want money from budget going to border wall despite the fact that it will stop drugs and very bad MS 13 gang members," Trump noted on Twitter."Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall." During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump vowed that Mexico would pay for the wall designed to keep illegal immigrants from entering the United States. The Mexican government has strongly rejected the claim. As the first step to deliver on one of his most divisive campaign pledges, the new US president signed a directive to begin the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico just less than a week after assuming office in Washington. The wall could end up costing as much as $21.6 billion, far more than the administration's estimate of $12 billion, according to reports. Trump 'not there yet' on Obamacare repeal Meanwhile, the White House said on Monday that the Congress was not ready to pass a Republican-led health care legislation to repeal and replace the health care law approved under former President Barack Obama. "We're getting closer and closer every day, but we're not there yet," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said when asked if there are enough votes in the House to put a bill on the floor. Declining to set a timeline of when the House would vote on the bill, Spicer said the decision of when to move the bill to the floor would be made by House Speaker Paul Ryan. "I would never want to get in front of the Speaker," Spicer said. "We have a good whip count. Ultimately, the Speaker and House leadership determine when to call a vote." "We feel confident in the direction it's going, seeing more and more members come on board. We feel very good." Many members of Congress, including moderate Republicans, are worried that dismantling the existing healthcare law without a viable replacement would leave millions of Americans without health coverage. Experts agree that the bill fails to reach the objectives laid forth by Trump, which includes affordable coverage for everyone; lower deductibles and health care costs and better care. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China urges immediate halt to US missile system in South Korea Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 10:25AM Beijing has called for the immediate suspension of a controversial American anti-missile system deployed to South Korea hours after Washington announced the system, known as THAAD, is now operational. "China's position is clear-cut and firm. We oppose the deployment of the THAAD system in (South Korea) and urge relevant sides to immediately stop the deployment. We will firmly take necessary measures to uphold our interests," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday. In July last year, Washington and Seoul agreed to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in the wake of missile tests by North Korea, deemed to be threatening by the West. Pyongyang has been subjected to international pressure, including US sanctions and Security Council resolutions, to abandon its arms development and nuclear programs. Yet, it says the programs are meant to protect the country from US hostility. Beijing further expressed support for US President Donald Trump's remarks that he was open to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump said on Monday that he "would be honored" to meet with Kim in appropriate conditions, dialing down earlier threats of "a major, major conflict with North Korea". "China has always believed that dialog and consultation... is the only realistic and viable way to achieve denuclearization," Geng further said. "We also said many times that the US and DPRK... should make political decisions at an early date, take action and show good faith so that we can create a better atmosphere for resuming the peace talks and settling the issue,"he added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly spiked in recent weeks. The United States, concerned by North Korea's rapidly-developing missile and nuclear programs, has sent a strike force and submarine to the peninsula. Pyongyang has said it is ready for war. The two sides have been increasingly trading threats of military action against one another. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China should take military action against THAAD deployment: military expert People's Daily Online By Li Yan (People's Daily Online) 20:51, May 03, 2017 China should take military countermeasures against THAAD deployment, a Chinese military expert said after the defense ministries of South Korea and the U.S. confirmed on May 2 that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system is now operational in South Korea. The system reportedly has the initial capability to intercept North Korean missiles. The deployment of THAAD poses a substantial threat to China. The system enables South Korea and its allies to monitor military projects in northern, northeastern and eastern China, Yang Chengjun, a senior military strategist of missile studies, told the Global Times. Diplomatic channels have so far proven unable to stop the deployment of THAAD, Yang said, suggesting that China take military action to safeguard its national security. For instance, China could send more troops armed with advanced weapons to its northeast region, enhance air and naval forces and conduct regular anti-THAAD drills in the region. The country could also disclose more information about the deployment of its own advanced weapons, such as the DF-41 strategic missile, according to Yang. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korea's likely future president concerned about US missile system Iran Press TV Wed May 3, 2017 6:54AM South Korea's leading presidential candidate has criticized the United States for hastily installing a controversial missile system in his country and circumventing the nation's democratic process. Speaking in an interview with The Washington Post that was published on Tuesday, Moon Jae-in of the liberal Minjoo Party said he had certain reservations about the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in South Korea at this particular time. "I don't believe the US has the intention [to influence our election], but I do have some reservations," he said, expressing concern that Washington was acting to box him in as the likely future president on the issue. "It is not desirable for the [caretaker] South Korean government to deploy THAAD hastily at this politically sensitive time, with the presidential election approaching, and without going through the democratic process, an environmental assessment or a public hearing," Moon said. He then asked, "Would it happen this way in the United States? Could the administration make a unilateral decision without following democratic procedures, without ratification or agreement by Congress?" Moon is widely expected to win South Korea's presidential election, due next Tuesday. The country's former president, Park Geun-hye, was impeached and is on trial on bribery charges. If he wins the election, Moon will immediately take over the presidential office without the usual transition period since Park has been discharged from the post. The Washington Post said the US military "acted swiftly" to get THAAD up and running after candidate Moon pledged to review the former Park government's decision to deploy the system. The THAAD was set up in South Korea's Seongju, in North Gyeongsang Province, last week. It has been declared operational. The deployment, which came amid tensions with North Korea, faced opposition by people in South Korea, including the residents of Seongju. Privately, the US daily said, Moon's aides said that they were "furious" about the swift installation of the THAAD, adding that although it is designed to shoot down North Korean missiles, many South Koreans fear that it would make them more of a target. Moon said during the interview that he wanted Seoul to be "able to take the lead on matters on the Korean Peninsula." "I do not see it as desirable for South Korea to take the back seat and watch discussions between the US and China," he said, adding, however, that he would not approach or open talks with Pyongyang without "fully consulting" Washington. Moon further warned that the THAAD deployment could undermine South Koreans' trust in Washington and complicate the two countries' security alliance. "If South Korea can have more time to process this matter democratically, the US will gain a higher level of trust from South Koreans and, therefore, the alliance between the two nations will become even stronger," Moon said. The 64-year-old Moon is a former human rights lawyer who served as chief of staff of former president Roh Moo-hyun. He is closely associated with the "sunshine policy" of engagement with North Korea. Moon, according to the Post, wants to reopen an inter-Korean industrial park and has in TV debates talked about South Korea taking the initiative on North Korea. He also believes that Seoul, rather than Washington, should have the operational control of the military alliance if a war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula. In the Tuesday interview, he indicated he would even be willing to travel to Pyongyang in an effort to bring about the denuclearization of North Korea. "I could sit down with Kim Jong-un but I will not meet him for the sake of meeting him," he said, referring to the North Korean leader. "I will meet Kim Jong-un when preconditions of resolving the nuclear issue are assured." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK says current crisis on Korean Peninsula most dangerous in half century People's Daily Online (Xinhuanet.com) 09:36, May 02, 2017 PYONGYANG, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Monday the current crisis on the Korean Peninsula is the most dangerous in half a century since the 1950-1953 Korean War. Although the confrontation between the DPRK and the United States has long lasted, "the U.S. aggression hysteria has never reached such a height and the situation on the Korean Peninsula has never inched closer to the brink of war as in the period in recent (U.S.-South Korea) drills," the official Korean Central News Agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying. The United States and South Korea have been holding joint military exercises since early March. The Pentagon has deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea and sent USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier task group to the waters off Korean Peninsula recently. Moreover, the Trump administration says "all options are on the table" for solving the problem of the DPRK nuclear and missile programs, causing speculations here that the United States could stage military attacks against the DPRK at any time. The spokesman said the situation on the Korean Peninsula proves once again that the United States is the "chieftain aggressor" and "harasser of peace, who is escalating tension." He added that the DPRK was "right and far-sighted when it opted for bolstering its powerful nuclear deterrence for self-defense." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Negotiation the Pareto-optimal path to denuclearization of Korean Peninsula: Chinese official People's Daily Online (People's Daily Online) 17:03, May 02, 2017 A nuclear-free Korean Peninsula can only be achieved through peaceful negotiations, while any U.S. military action will threaten regional stability and give rise to mistrust among the countries involved, said a senior Chinese official. The remark was made by Fu Ying, Chairwoman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee, in her paper published by U.S. think tank the Brookings Institution on Apr. 30. Fu urged the U.S. to carefully calculate its moves, as any military option, whether big or small, carries the risk of causing huge civilian casualties and hard-to-control results. The comment is only the most recent in a series of Chinese officials' public statements regarding the denuclearization of the Peninsula. On Apr. 28, Wang Yi, Minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated China's stance on the issue during a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council, calling for all parties to fully implement DPRK-related Security Council resolutions. In response to doubts of China's incompetence or reluctance in addressing the crisis, Fu noted that China has been fulfilling its role as a mediator and a party to UN sanctions, adding that China cannot force either side to assume their respective responsibilities. "Deep mistrust between the U.S. and the DPRK made it very hard for any consensus or agreement made during years of negotiations to be effectively implementedwithout holding the key to the DPRK's security concerns, China has no leverage to convince this foreign nation to stop its nuclear program," said Fu. In terms of the possible outcomes, Fu believes there are three possibilities. The DPRK's regime can collapse, the vicious cycle of sanctions followed by nuclear and missile tests can continue till a tipping point is reached, or talks and serious negotiations can be restarted. "Only through dialogue can mutual security be achieved. In this way, we may help wrestle the Korean Peninsula out of its current vicious cycle and prevent Northeast Asia from turning into a dark forest," Fu concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK says U.S. conducts nuclear bomb dropping drill in South Korea People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:37, May 02, 2017 PYONGYANG, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Tuesday that the U.S. military Monday conducted in South Korea a nuclear bomb dropping drill on targets of DPRK in South Korea, calling it an "extremely reckless" move for nuclear war on the Korean peninsula. "On May 1, the U.S. imperialists committed one more military provocation of conducting a nuclear bomb dropping drill against the major objects of the DPRK in the sky over South Korea by bringing a formation of notorious nuclear strategic bomb B-1B in the wake of Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 17 joint military drills," said the Korean Central News Agency. The report said the bombers took off from the Guam and "stealthily came in the sky over the East Sea of Korea in order to acquire the procedure and way of the coordinated operation with the strategic striking means such as nuclear carrier and nuclear sub." "What merits a serious attention is that such a military game is underway when (U.S. President Donald) Trump and other U.S. warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike at the DPRK day after day," it said. Tension has remained very high over the past two months between the United States and the DPRK over the former's threat to stage military attack upon Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile programs. The United States and South Korea also held their largest ever joint military exercises in the past two months, while the USS Carl Vinson nuclear aircraft carrier task group has arrived in the waters off the peninsula for joint drills with the South Korean military. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US pushing Korean Peninsula to brink of nuclear war: Pyongyang Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 5:52AM North Korea says a pair of strategic US bombers, which recently flew over the Korean Peninsula in joint wargames with the South, practiced dropping a nuclear bomb amid rising tensions in the restive region. In a Tuesday report, the North's official KCNA news agency slammed the US for deploying two supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers during a drill with the South Korean air force a day earlier. It said the bombers conducted "a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects" in its territory at a time when US President Donald Trump and "other US warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike" on the North. "The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war," the report added. The US air force said in a statement that the bombers had flown from Guam to conduct training exercises with the South Korean and Japanese air forces. The South Korean Defense Ministry also said Monday's joint maneuvers were conducted to deter provocations by the North and to test readiness against another potential nuclear test. The deployment of the US bombers comes as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly spiked in recent weeks. The United States has already sent an aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, to waters off the Korean Peninsula for military exercises with South Korea and Japan. Washington has expressed concerns over Pyongyang's rapidly-developing missile and nuclear programs. The two sides have been increasingly trading threats of military action against one another. The flight of the two bombers came as Trump said he "would be honored" to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in appropriate conditions, without elaborating. Later, the White House said there are many conditions Pyongyang needs to meet for such a meeting. "Clearly conditions are not there right now," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, adding, "I don't see this happening anytime soon." Trump's remarks came a few days after he warned that "a major, major conflict with North Korea" was "absolutely" possible in the ongoing standoff over its nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang has been subjected to international pressure, including US sanctions and Security Council resolutions, to abandon its arms development and nuclear programs. Yet, it says the programs are meant to protect the country from US hostility. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Warns its Citizens in North Korea to Leave as Conflict with US Looms Sputnik News 22:00 02.05.2017(updated 22:46 02.05.2017) Fearing a possible US attack on North Korea, Beijing is urging its citizens there to return, as Pyongyang continues its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests. The US-funded Radio Free Asia reported on Tuesday that the Chinese Embassy in North Korea sent out the warning less than a week before the 85th anniversary of the Korean People's Army on April 25, an occasion some expected the North to use as an opportunity to conduct its sixth nuclear test. Pyongyang instead conducted a large live-fire drill. Four days after the anniversary, the North carried out a missile test, but the projectile exploded several minutes after launching, a "failure" South Korean officials later surmised was intentional. Amid holiday celebrations, the nuclear-powered USS Michigan submarine, armed with 150 Tomahawk missiles, joined a US Navy carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson near the Korean Peninsula, in a show of force from Washington. A Korean-Chinese citizen who left Pyongyang after receiving the warning in late April told Radio Free Asia, "The embassy has never given such a warning. I was worried and left the country in a hurry," according to the Korea Times. He added that, despite mounting tensions with South Korea and the US, Pyongyang's "peaceful" environment prevented a sense of urgency or panic amongst the Korean-Chinese population. With the recent deployment in South Korea of the controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), Washington's threats of military action against the North and the US's ongoing joint military exercises with South Korea, Pyongyang has accused the US of pushing the peninsula "to the brink of nuclear war" with its "aggression and hysteria." Through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the North has stated that it will "continue to bolster its military capabilities for self-defense and pre-emptive nuclear attack," with a spokesman saying in a statement Tuesday, "Now that the US is kicking up the overall racket for sanctions and pressure against DPRK, pursuant to its new DPRK policy called 'maximum pressure and engagement,' the DPRK will speed up at the maximum pace the measure for bolstering its nuclear deterrence," the Guardian reported. On Monday, KCNA also noted that the North was prepared to conduct its next nuclear test whenever leadership deemed it appropriate. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'All indications suggest DPR Korea making progress' on nuclear programme - UN atomic agency chief 2 May 2017 The head of the United Nations atomic agency today expressed serious concern about the nuclear program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying all indications suggest that the country is moving ahead with its nuclear efforts. Speaking the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noted that DPRK continues to launch missiles and threaten other countries. "This is extremely worrying," the Director General told the participants at the session, where he also provided a broader overview of important developments in key areas of the IAEA's work relevant to the implementation of the Treaty since 2015. In 2009, DPRK asked IAEA inspectors to leave the country, but the UN agency has continued to collect and evaluate information from satellite imagery, open-source and trade-related information. "Without direct access to relevant sites and locations, the Agency cannot confirm the operational status of North Korea's nuclear facilities. But all the indications suggest that North Korea is making progress with its nuclear programme," said Mr. Amano. DPRK has also withdrawn from the Treaty, known as NPT for short. A landmark international treaty that went into force in 1970, the NPT aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. It represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States. In today's speech, Mr. Amano urged DPRK to cooperate with the IAEA in implementing NPT safeguards, to fully comply with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and resolve any outstanding issues. He also noted that IAEA inspectors are ready to return to the country "at short notice" if political conditions allow it. The Preparatory Committee, which started today, will last through next Friday. It is the first of three planned sessions to be held prior to the 2020 review conference. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump-Kim Summit Would Likely Require Major Concessions By Brian Padden May 02, 2017 Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's expressed willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, it seems unlikely to happen anytime soon as neither side is prepared to offer any concessions to warrant such a high level summit. When Trump on Monday said he would be "honored" to meet the North's young leader, in an interview with Bloomberg News, he also added the caveat, "under the right circumstances I would meet with him." White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer later clarified that "clearly conditions are not there right now." Following Trump's conditional offer of dialogue with Kim, the U.S. flew two supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers near the inter-Korean border Tuesday during a training exercise with the South Korean air force. The North's official KCNA news agency responded to the joint drill by accusing the U.S. of "pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war." Tensions on the Korean peninsula remain high as the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to restrain Pyongyang from further nuclear tests by pressing China to increase sanctions and by emphasizing a willingness to use military force if needed. Summit conditions The U.S. and its allies have long held that talks with North Korea be contingent on Pyongyang first halting nuclear and ballistic missile tests and agreeing to discuss nuclear disarmament. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that a Trump-Kim summit should meet the same conditions. "With regards to (President Trump's comments), both South Korea and the U.S. consistently maintain the position that to open the door to talks, North Korea must move forward toward denuclearization, which is the right way," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck. North Korea for its part has called on the U.S. to halt all joint military exercises with South Korea and agree to a formal peace treaty to ultimately end the American presence on the Korean peninsula, in exchange for suspending further nuclear tests. For a Trump-Kim meeting to happen, some progress towards a North Korean nuclear freeze and a U.S. halt to joint drills would first likely need to be made, but that would take months of intense advance negotiations between two sides that have currently severed all lines of official communication. "The president was right when he said 'under the right conditions,' but I don't see those conditions coming to fruition in a short period of time," said Daniel Pinkston, a Northeast Asia analyst and lecturer in international relations with Troy University in Seoul. The Trump administration also has yet to put in place an experienced East Asia team in the State Department, Defense Department and has not yet named key ambassadors in the region that would be needed to mount such a major diplomatic initiative. China protocol There is also the question of Kim Jong Un's relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. His father Kim Jong Il often visited Beijing and maintained close relations with the Chinese leadership. But the young North Korean leader has yet to visit his closest ally and key economic supporter. "That relationship is in the deep freeze and it is somewhat dysfunctional right now," said Pinkston. Analysts say Xi will not meet with Kim until the North Korean leader agrees to nuclear disarmament talks, and Kim cannot meet with another world leader for fear of further alienating the Chinese leadership. South Korea deterrence The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Mike Pompeo, was also in South Korea for meetings with South Korean intelligence officials and U.S. Forces in Korea. The U.S. confirmed Tuesday that its THAAD advanced missile defense system has been put into operation, despite strong objections from China, some public protests in South Korea, and a sudden demand from President Trump that South Korea pay $1 billion for it, a demand that Seoul rejected. And an aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, has been sent to waters off the Korean peninsula to conduct drills with South Korea and Japan. Youmi Kim contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pyongyang Charges Detained American With Crimes Against the State Sputnik News 22:13 03.05.2017(updated 22:16 03.05.2017) North Korea announced that an American citizen arrested at Pyongyang International Airport on April 22 has been charged with "criminal acts of hostility" against the state. In a Wednesday announcement, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced the charges brought against a US citizen detained at North Korea's largest airport on April 22 while he was waiting to board a flight out of the country. The American, identified as Tony Kim but traveling on a passport using his Korean name, Kim Sang-duc, was "intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception," stated KCNA, cited by Yonhap. The US citizen, a professor in his mid 50s, formerly taught accounting at China's Yanbian University of Science and Technology, just north of the North Korea/China border. While in North Korea, Kim had been involved in an undisclosed form of relief activity, according to Stripes.com. The arrest coincides with a period of extremely high tensions in the region, amid Pyongyang's continued test-firing of ballistic missiles and underground detonations of nuclear weapons and Washington's military posturing. Washington and Pyongyang have traded increasingly strident military threats with each other recently, resulting in calls from US regional allies and China asking for both sides to calm down. The imprisonment of two other Americans 21-year-old University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier, who was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor after trying to steal a propaganda banner as souvenir, and Christian priest Kim Dong-chul, who is serving 10 years for espionage have contributed to the increasing strain in relations between Pyongyang and Washington. At least 10 US citizens have been arrested and sentenced in North Korea since 2009, according to Yonhap. Many believe that the Americans are held by Pyongyang primarily as diplomatic bargaining chips. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tillerson: US Ready to Slap More Sanctions on North Korea Sputnik News 19:04 03.05.2017(updated 19:06 03.05.2017) Washington is ready to slap another batch of sanctions on North Korea in the event of new missile and nuclear tests, Rex Tillerson said. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The United States is ready to put more sanctions on North Korea if Pyongyang continues to carry out missile launches and nuclear tests, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in his address to department employees on Wednesday. "We are preparing additional sanctions if it turns out North Korea's actions warrant additional sanctions," Tillerson said. "We are hopeful that the regime in North Korea will think about this and come to a conclusion that there is another way to the future." Tillerson added North Korea's security and economic prosperity can only be achieved through its commitments to denuclearize. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated as Pyongyang carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests in the recent months, which are considered to be in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. As a response to the potential use of nuclear weapons, the United States sent a strike group led by US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to the Korean Peninsula, where it began exercises with the South Korean navy. US media reported that US President Donald Trump might order a strike against North Korea in light of its military activities. The North Korean top officials said the country was ready for nuclear attacks in case of possible US military aggression. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tillerson Singles Out China in Trump's New Approach on North Korea By Nike Ching May 03, 2017 U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has singled out China in the Trump administration's new approach to pressure North Korea to stop its provocative nuclear weapons program and missile tests. Tillerson said there was an assumption that "China has limited influence on the regime in Pyongyang," or "they have a limited willingness to assert their influence" when President Donald Trump ordered a policy review on North Korea soon after taking office. "The difference, I think, in our approach this time is we're going to test this assumption, so I told the president we've got to test that," Tillerson said Wednesday, in his second address to State Department employees. "We're going to test it by leaning hard into them. And this is a good place to start our engagement with China," he added. Washington is to host the first round of the U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in June, during which North Korea's nuclear and missile proliferation is high on the agenda. The top U.S. diplomat said Washington is preparing additional sanctions if North Korea's actions warrant them. New test preparations On Wednesday, Airbus Defense & Space released satellite imagery of North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test facility. The new images indicate "an apparent resumption of activity" at the North Portal, the tunnel where North Korea appears to have been preparing for a nuclear test, according to 38 North, a Washington-based monitoring project. In Pyongyang, North Korea's state media published a rare and strong criticism against China, saying commentaries from Chinese state media calling for tougher sanctions on Pyongyang's nuclear program are undermining bilateral relations. Trump tweeted last week that North Korea disrespected the wishes of China when it launched an unsuccessful missile test on April 28. Senior officials described threats from North Korea, which is trying to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland 9,000 kilometers away, as the number one U.S. national security priority. B-1B flyovers Earlier this week, two U.S. B-1B bombers were deployed over the Korean peninsula during a joint exercise with South Korea's air force. North Korea criticized the U.S. bomber flights as a push to the brink of nuclear war. In Beijing, the Chinese government urged all parties to stay calm and stop irritating each other. A spokesperson from Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the situation "highly complex" and called for all sides to "work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India Test-Fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Land Attack Missile Sputnik News 20:52 02.05.2017 Amid heightened tension at its western border, the Indian Army has successfully test-fired an extended-range version of the BRAHMOS land-attack cruise missile in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. NEW DELHI (Sputnik) Meanwhile, Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley has urged its forces to be prepared at all times, as "preparedness is the best deterrent" and identified the expanding presence of extra-regional powers in Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as an area of concern. The term "extra-regional power" predominantly refers to China, as the Indian Navy has informed the government about the presence of Chinese submarines in Indian Ocean Rim in the recent past. "The land-to-land BRAHMOS Block III was launched from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher and hit the target with bull's eye precision. The supersonic cruise missile successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in a top attack configuration," an army official said. Last month the Indian Navy had fired an extended-range version of the BrahMos missile from its Talwar class frigate INS Teg. The Indian Air Force has plans to test air versions of the BrahMos missile from a Su-30 MKI next month. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indian Army Carries Out Two Successful BrahMos Missile Tests Over 48 Hours Sputnik News 17:28 03.05.2017 The Indian army successfully carried out two tests of the advanced BRAHMOS Block III land attack cruise missile system in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, according to official statement of the Indian Defense Ministry. NEW DELHI (Sputnik) The Indian army successfully carried out two tests of an upgraded version of the BrahMos missile over the past two days, the press service of the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. "South Western Command's Corps 'Strike One' successfully carried out the firing of the advanced BRAHMOS Block III land attack cruise missile system in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands on the 3rd of May 2017 for the second consecutive day. The successive launches reinforce the formidable weapon's precision strike capability," the statement reads. The Indian Defense Ministry added that this launch was the fifth successful test of the Block III version of BrahMos in a row, which is "an incredible feat not achieved by any other weapon system of its genre." BrahMos, a word combining Brahmaputra and Moscow, is a short-range supersonic missile, which has been used by the Indian Navy since 2005. The missile can carry a conventional warhead of up to 660 pounds. BrahMos missiles can also be launched from submarines, as well as aircraft and land-based launchers. BrahMos Aerospace, the developer of the missile, was formed by India's Defense Research and Development Organization and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia in 1998. It produces weapons systems using Russian and Indian technologies. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deadly Militant Attack Strains Fragile Pakistan-Iran Ties By Ayaz Gul May 03, 2017 Iran is pressing Pakistan to capture and punish Sunni militants who staged last week's deadly terrorist attack on Iranian border guards before allegedly fleeing to the neighboring country. A high-powered 12-member Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, visited Islamabad Wednesday and raised the issue with Pakistani leaders. An anti-Iran Sunni Muslim militant group called Jaish al Adl, or the Army of Justice, took credit for the April 26 ambush in the southeastern province of Sistan-Balouchestan, which borders southwestern largest Pakistani province of Baluchistan. Iranian officials said the attackers killed nine guards, wounded two others, abducted one, and then fled to the Pakistani side. Zarif's delegation opened the day-long visit by meeting with Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who also overseas border security matters. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Pakistani minister tried to play down the tensions stemming from the border incident. "As I mentioned to my brother His Excellency, the [Iranian] Foreign Minister, it's a case of two countries with one soul. There are too many common bonds," said Khan. "Yes, there are a few irritants. We have decided to work on a fast-track basis to remove the irritants and send a message to the world that Pakistan and Iran are two countries with one soul." Border issues A statement issued later said that the two governments also agreed "in principle to revive hotline" between their border security forces to resolve any issues at the border. They also decided that "Operational Committees" at political and military levels would be constituted with a special focus on border management, information and intelligence sharing for curbing illegal cross-border movement, human smuggling and drug trafficking, it added. The Iranian delegation latter met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, where the Pakistani leader conveyed his country's "serious condolences to the government and people of Iran" over last week's killings of Iranian forces, according to another statement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday wrote to Sharif, calling for the perpetrators of the attack to be brought to justice. The Iranian side has not released any details of the meetings, but Iran's state media, including IRNA, have quoted Foreign Minister Zarif as follows: "The Iranian top diplomat, for his part, highlighted the need for resolution of border issues, a strong and effective fight against terrorists, as well as the arrest and persecution of terrorist groups, especially the perpetrators of Mirjaveh [the border area] terrorist attack." Tenuous relationship Tehran has long alleged that anti-state militants use Pakistani soil for plotting terrorist attacks against Iran. The two countries share nearly 1,000-kilometer long border. The killings of Iranian forces is the latest in a series of events in recent months that have strained an already fragile relationship between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan's recent decision to become part of a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition of 41 predominantly Sunni Muslim nations also has upset Iran. Former Pakistani military chief, retired General Raheel Sharif, is already in Riyadh where he is preparing to take charge as the first commander-in-chief of the alliance. Defenses ministers of member nations also are due to hold an inaugural meeting later this month. Saudi officials insist the coalition is formed to fight regional terrorism, but Iranian officials see it as an anti-Iran grouping and an attempt to expand Saudi influence in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamic State Regroups in Parts of Iraq By Jamie Dettmer May 02, 2017 A car-bombing in east Mosul is confirming fears of some analysts that the offensive against the Islamic State is dealing the terror group military defeats but not necessarily political setbacks. More than 190 days since U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces launched their campaign to oust IS fighters from Mosul, the militants remain in parts of the western half of the city. And last month IS detonated a car bomb in the Zuhur district of east Mosul that left four dead and 14 wounded. Sections of Mosul still not cleared of IS fighters Zuhur was meant to have been cleared of Sunni militants back in January when Baghdad declared eastern Mosul "fully liberated," but the bombing demonstrated that active IS cells are still operating there, despite strenuous efforts by Iraqi security personnel to unearth them. "Out but not down," is how Kyle Orton, an analyst with the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank, describes the terror group's strategic position.Zuhur "is part of a pattern of attacks that suggests the Mosul operation itself was rushed and more importantly that IS is already recovering in liberated areas," he warned in a study for the think tank. He cautions, "IS's loss of territory should not be seen as the sole measure of how this war is going." U.S. and Iraqi officials estimate IS now controls just seven percent of the country, down from a high of 40 percent. Military, not political, defeats for IS forces IS hopes to emulate itsprecursor jihadist organizations, which were able to weather the military defeats inflicted on them by U.S. forces during the 2007-08 Surge. The group is exploiting its strategic depth in remote territory both in west and east Iraq in the Euphrates River Valley bordering Syria, the Jalam desert east of Samarra and in the Hamrin mountains to launch hit-and-run attacks like an April 23 ambush on a government military convey near the western Iraq town of Rutba that left 10 Iraqi soldiers dead. IS's official spokesman, Abu Mohammad al Adnani, before his death in a targeted drone strike, presaged IS's post-Mosul strategy in a 2016 audio-message to followers, in apparent reference to the 2007 Surge, he said: "Were we defeated when we lost the cities in Iraq and were in the desert without any city or land? It is the same, whether Allah blesses us with consolidation or we move into the bare, open desert, displaced and pursued." IS presence in Kirkuk IS has regrouped in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk. The militants still control half the province. "A lot of these terrorists have been able to escape from Mosul, escape from other places and regroup," Najmidin Karin, governor of Kirkuk province, observed recently. The jihadists presence in Kirkuk was not challenged early on in the anti-IS offensive, argues Orton and others. "Hawija sits in a prime location to cause mayhem behind the lines, and has done so," according to Orton. Although besieged by Kurdish peshmerga forces since last August, IS fighters appear to have little trouble slipping in and out to launch attacks from Hawija on nearby cities. "In simple military terms, Hawija should have been cleared before Mosul," says Orton. Recently, Iraqi commanders announced they're considering an assault on the town, which is overwhelmingly Sunni Arab, using Shi'ite militias. That would continue, argues Orton, "one of the worst aspects of the campaign against IS, namely the use of demographically inappropriate forces to cleanse local areas that has meant IS's military losses are not political losses." Mixed military results When it comes to Mosul, Baghdad has managed to prevent Shi'ite militias from entering the city, allowing the offensive inside to be conducted by regular Iraqi security forces. Even so, most Iraqi soldiers are Shi'ite, which doesn't help Baghdad with its hearts-and-minds campaign for the longterm loyalty of local Sunnis. Thanks to the terror group's brutal handling of civilians the Shi'ite influx into Mosul has not turned Sunnis en masse against the security forces. But rising civilian casualties in west Mosul from coalition airstrikes is starting to anger local Sunnis. In neighboring Syria, analyst Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute in Washington also worries about the unfolding anti-IS offensive and the assault on Raqqa repeating tactical missteps observed in Iraq, especially if mainly Kurdish forces are used for the assault on IS's de facto capital. "The United States does not need to rush our push to Raqqa. Doing so risks achieving the short-term objective the city's capture but securing groups like ISIS with an invaluable narrative victory," he said last week in congressional testimony. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel unveils US-made advanced F-35 warplanes at air show Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 5:52PM Israel has unveiled its F-35 stealth warplanes recently obtained from the United States, a further vivid sign of Washington's full military support of Tel Aviv in its crackdown on the Palestinian people and aggression against neighbors. Three of the five advanced F-35 multirole jets, purchased last year, appeared for the first time in the skies along the Mediterranean coast and across several cities, including Tel Aviv, during an air show held for the 69 anniversary of the regime's creation, known in Palestine as the Nakba Day (the Day of Catastrophe), on Tuesday. The occasion marks the anniversary of the forcible eviction of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland by Israelis in 1948. Israel plans to buy a total of 50 F-35 warplanes from their manufacturer, the US-based Lockheed Martin international aerospace company. The Israeli regime, which receives over $3 billion a year in US military aid, is currently in the process of obtaining the first batch of its purchase; 33 F-35 jets at an average price of about $110 million each. Israel's already-possessed five warplanes are said to become operational this year, and they are the first shipment of these state-of-the-art aircraft outside the United States. Lockheed Martin has described the F-35 jet as "virtually invisible," a capability that allows the aircraft to evade even the most sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems. Critics and human rights groups have already warned that the inclusion of advanced F-35 warplanes will free the regime's hand to further crack down on Palestinian people and worsen their plight. The newly-added military power also enables the Israeli regime to carry out undetected airstrikes and spying operations in neighboring countries, particularly war-torn Syria. Israeli's latest aerial aggression against Syria occurred on April 21, when the regime's warplanes fired at least two missiles at a military position in the vicinity of Khan Arnabah town in the countryside of Quneitra, the capital city of the southwestern province of Quneitra. In March, Israeli warplanes had also struck several targets in Syria. On April 2, Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri warned that recent Israeli actions had raised the alarm that the Israeli regime had a desire for a new conflict with Lebanon. His comments came after Israel unveiled the "David's Sling" missile system at Hatzor air force base in central occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli military also frequently bombs the besieged Gaza Strip, with civilians being the main target of such attacks. On March 16, the regime's warplanes carried out several airstrikes on multiple locations throughout the Palestinian enclave. Israel has also launched several wars on the Palestinian coastal sliver, the last of which began in early July 2014. The military aggression, which ended on August 26, 2014, killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians. Over 11,100 others were also wounded in the war. Gaza has been under an Israeli siege since June 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in the standard of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty in the coastal enclave. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Meets With Merkel, Will Hold Phone Call With Trump RFE/RL May 02, 2017 German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met in the Russian Black Sea port of Sochi for talks focusing on the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as on strained bilateral relations. Both leaders told a press conference after the May 2 talks that it was essential for all parties to fulfill their commitments under the Minsk process to regulate the conflict in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists. The meeting comes just hours before a scheduled phone conversation between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, the third such call since Trump took office in January and the first since the United States carried out a missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for what Western countries believe was a chemical-weapons attack against civilians by Syrian government forces. "Today we once again reiterated the necessity of the strict observation of the Minsk agreements by the parties to the conflict [in eastern Ukraine]," Putin told journalists. Merkel said Moscow and Berlin "are of differing opinions about the cause of the conflict." She said it was essential for Kyiv to regain complete control of its border, including the portion between the separatist-controlled areas and Russia. Putin and Merkel also discussed the six-year-old civil war in Syria. Putin repeated Russia's calls for an "impartial investigation" into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's Idlib Province last month that left about 80 people dead. Putin also said Russia was counting on the United States to help find "efficient solutions" to the conflict in Syria. Merkel said she spoke to Putin about domestic developments in Russia, including the arrests of demonstrators at recent anticorruption rallies and media reports about the persecution of homosexual men in the Russian North Caucasus region of Chechnya. "The possibility of the right to demonstrate is a part of civil society," Merkel said. She also urged Putin to "use his influence" to put an end to the abuse of homosexuals in Chechnya. Russia's Novaya Gazeta reported in April that at least 100 gay men had been abducted by security forces in Chechnya and at least three had been killed. Putin defended the actions of Russian police, saying they acted within the framework of the law and showed "far more restraint than their colleagues in other European countries." Putin also categorically rejected allegations that Moscow interfered in the U.S. presidential election in November or was playing any role in Germany's domestic politics. The Russia leader said it was "unthinkable" that Russia would interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries. He dismissed the reports of interference in the U.S. election as "rumors." Putin added that Moscow would not tolerate outside interference in its own domestic affairs. In January, the U.S. intelligence community issued an assessment charging that Putin "ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election." Security agencies in Germany, France, and other countries have also alleged Russian efforts to influence their electoral processes. For her part, Merkel said she was confident Germany could handle any disinformation campaigns and would take "decisive measures" in the event of interference. She also noted that "hybrid warfare plays a role in Russia's military doctrine." The two leaders also discussed preparations for a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hamburg on July 7-8. The G20 is now the chief format for Russia to meet the other world powers after its exclusion from the Group of Eight (G8), which is now the G7. In addition to his talks with Merkel, Putin is scheduled to talk by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump later on May 2. Merkel's one-day trip is her second visit to Russia since Moscow seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014. Russia and Germany have scaled back ties and Merkel has strongly backed EU sanctions on Moscow for seizing Crimea and for its involvement in the war that has killed more than 9,900 people in eastern Ukraine since 2014. A key mediator in the conflict, which pits Russia-backed separatists against Ukrainian government forces, Merkel is a major proponent of keeping the sanctions on Moscow in place until a stalled peace plan is fulfilled. Merkel has attended several meetings with Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and France's Francois Hollande aimed at implementing the Minsk II agreement, which she and Hollande brokered in February 2015. The most recent such meeting was held in October and the four leaders spoke by phone in April, agreeing to step up implementation of the peace deal. Trump's phone call with Putin is to be held at about 1630 GMT/UTC. White House officials said Trump and Putin were expected to discuss the war in Syria, where the United States supports rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. Trump has spoken by telephone twice with Putin since taking office in January, with officials indicating that they focused largely on ways to combat Islamic State (IS) and other extremists groups. But little of substance has emerged from those talks, and no date has been set for a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin, who are both planning to attend the G20 summit. Trump voiced admiration for Putin and support for closer ties with Russia during the presidential campaign in 2016, but relations between the two countries remain severely strained. The Trump administration has maintained sanctions on Russia over its armed interference in Ukraine, and senior administration officials have taken a tough stance toward the Kremlin. Trump's national security adviser, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, said on April 30 that Putin was "acting against the Russian people's interest" in Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan, where U.S. officials say Russia has provided arms to Taliban militants. McMaster said the United States needed to see a "change in behavior" by the Russian president before relations could improve. Russia's relations with Germany are also badly frayed, and no major breakthrough is expected on those ties or in the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. The meeting between Merkel and Putin "will serve to maintain contact, but little else," analyst Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank, said on Twitter on May 1. German-Russian relations are "broken" and "will stay that way for [a] long time yet," Trenin said. With reporting by dpa, AP, TASS, and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/trump-putin- speak-by-phone-may-2-amid-rare-merkel-visit- russia-sochi-/28462956.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Reduces Nuclear Arsenals Despite Unfavorable International Climate Sputnik News 21:29 02.05.2017 The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control said that Russia was taking concrete steps to reduce its nuclear arsenals. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia continues to take concrete steps to reduce its nuclear arsenals, the implementation of the 2010 START treaty is going as scheduled, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, Mikhail Ulyanov, said Tuesday. "Despite the fact that international climate could be more favorable, Russia continues to take specific measures to reduce its nuclear arsenals. The implementation of the 2010 START Treaty goes as planned," Ulyanov, who heads the Russian delegation at the 1st session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. "We intend to reach the agreed levels by February 5, 2018. This brings us to the point where all States with nuclear military capabilities must join the disarmament process," Ulyanov said addressing the committee. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia to Launch Indigenous Amphibious Assault Ship in Place of French Mistrals Sputnik News 16:46 02.05.2017 Russia's Project 11711 large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov is slated to be floated this summer, Defense Ministry spokesman, Capitan First Rank Igor Dygalo, announced. In an interview with Radio Sputnik, Igor Dygalo said that once the ship was afloat, addition would begin to furnish it will systems and equipment, including steering engines and diesel generators. The Pyotr Morgunov was laid down by the Yantar Shipyard on June 11, 2015 and is slated to be delivered to the Russian Navy before the end of this year. According to the head of the Navy's shipbuilding department, Rear Admiral Vladimir Tryapichnikov, the Pyotr Morgunov will be able to carry over a dozen tanks, or more than 30 armored vehicles, and a Marine battalion. The Project 11711 large amphibious assault ship has a displacement of about 5,000 tons and a cruising capacity of up to 30 days. It is 120 meters long, 16.5 meters wide, has a speed of 18 knots and endurance of 3,500 miles, which allows it to operate on the high seas. The ship is armed with a pair of 30mm AK630M guns and can carry two Ka-29 transport and combat helicopters. Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Armament Vice-Admiral Viktor Bursuk earlier said that two Project 11711 large amphibious assault ships will be built for the Russian Navy. Military expert, Captain Third Rank Dmitry Litovkin, believes that Project 11711 ships will be a big boost to the Navy. "We previously placed orders for two Mistral-Class amphibious assault ships in France, which were never delivered due to the Western sanctions imposed on Russia. That why we decided to build our amphibious assault ships, which we need to supply military hardware and personnel to Syria," Litovkin told Radio Sputnik. "Vessels like the Pyotr Morgunov will dramatically boost our Navy's ability to haul military cargoes to anywhere in the world," he added. Russian Aerospace Forces have been involved in the Syrian conflict since 2015, when Damascus requested Moscow's help in dealing with terrorist groups active in the war-torn Arab country. Russia has also sent a carrier battle group to the Mediterranean, and Syrian airspace is now protected by Russian S-300 air defense systems. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Mystery Weapon Claim Seen as Sign of Military Weakness By Ia Meurmishvili May 02, 2017 Does Russia have a "mystery weapon" capable of threatening the entire U.S. Navy? Russian media have claimed that the Russian military has developed technology capable of neutralizing an adversary's aircraft, ships and missiles within a 5,000-kilometer radius. The claim, first reported by Vesti News on April 14, said a Russian warplane had successfully tested the electronic jamming device on a U.S. warship, the destroyer Donald Cook in the Black Sea. The report, which used a mock-up simulation to demonstrate the exercise, also quoted anonymous Russian sources claiming the technology could wipe out the entire U.S. Navy. While the USS Donald Cook really was approached by a Russian jet in the Black Sea in 2014, U.S. officials say the details of the encounter were not accurately presented in the Vesti report and that most of the facts presented there are fabricated. American analysts suggest Russian officials may have made up the story to disguise the weakness of their own military. "Russia's claims about harming the Donald Cook are false," said Jorge Benitez, director of NATOSource and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security. "The Russian fighter jet was unarmed and there is no evidence that it damaged the U.S. ship in any way." During the incident, a Russian Su-24 buzzed the USS Donald Cook within 300 meters for some 90 minutes. A video shot from the ship shows that the Russian aircraft had neither external weapons hanging under the wings or fuselage, nor any external pods essential to house the electronics that Vesti claims it used against the Cook. The U.S. Navy also says there was no damage to the destroyer. In an email response to VOA's Polygraph.info website, the Navy wrote, that on April 12, 2014, a Russian SU-24 indeed "made numerous close-range and low altitude passes" over the USS Donald Cook in international waters in the Black Sea. The Navy described the Russian action as "unsafe and unprofessional" adding that "the [the Russian] aircraft did not respond to multiple queries from the Donald Cook. The event ended without incident after approximately 90 minutes, and the ship continued without impact on its original tasking." The media reports claimed that Russian specialists had an "unbelievable breakthrough" in electronic warfare. The complex "Khibiny," the report claimed, uses "powerful electronic waves to deactivate the ship's systems." It also said the new technology is capable of creating electronic jamming domes over their command and control facilities, bases and critical infrastructure making them invisible on radar screens. In describing the episode, the website Russian Agency of News said the "American servicemen did not know that the Russian plane was equipped with the latest complex of radio-electronic warfare 'Khibini.' As soon as the [Russian] pilot realized that he was detected, he turned on the equipment and the powerful radio-electronic waves disabled all systems of the ship," the report said. The April 15 report also claimed that the agency had discovered an account of the incident on the social media account of a Cook crew member who spoke of 'mysticism' on board. The crew member was quoted saying the Russian plane had completely disabled the ship's navigation and anti-missile AEGIS systems, turning "the pride of our fleet" to "our shame." Benitez believes that the Russian media produces false stories of this kind "to cover up the weaknesses of the Russian military." While the Russians failed to "intimidate the Donald Cook," the expert said the incident was connected to Russia's actions in Ukraine in 2014. "The original lies about this non-existent electromagnetic wonder weapon appeared in 2014 during Russia's attacks against Ukraine," Benitez said. "The Donald Cook was the first U.S warship into the Black Sea after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and Putin's media seems to have wanted a story of acting tough against the presence of the American military so close to the crisis area. Thus, they fabricated this story of disabling the electronic systems of a U.S. warship." Stephen Blank, an analyst at the American Foreign Policy Council, said the story about the Russian "wonder weapon" is "a standard Russian propaganda trick to disseminate false articles" meant to "impress audiences with Russian military-technological might and superiority over the U.S." Blank said the Russian media stories aim to "impress the ignorant abroad, also to enhance the Russian readers' sense of Russian power, frighten the U.S. and especially its allies and thus contribute to the inhibition of Western military responses to Russian action." The experts said they were intrigued by Russia's move to resurrect the story three years later, and by the effort that went into the skillfully presented simulation video showing how the new electromagnetic weapon supposedly disabled an American destroyer. Some believe Moscow may be once again trying to act tough to cover up its weaknesses in light of the recent U.S. military actions in Syria and Afghanistan, as well as the Korean Peninsula. Benitez said those actions "exposed the vulnerabilities of Russian air defense" and highlighted "Russia's lack of similar warships and air power that could be deployed to a crisis zone. Instead, the Russian media not only recycled the fiction that Putin has an electromagnetic weapon that can disable a U.S. warship, but exaggerated the lie by now claiming that this mythical weapon can wipe out the whole U.S. Navy." This story originated in VOA's Georgian Service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Denies Russia Meddled in US Election By VOA News May 02, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Putin denied Tuesday that Russia interfered in last year's U.S. presidential election, saying such allegations are "simply rumors" that are being leveraged for political reasons in the United States. Putin's denial came at a joint news conference in Sochi, Russia, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the two leaders met amid increasingly strained relations over the war in Syria, and Russia's annexation of the Crimea region in neighboring Ukraine. Putin's remarks are at odds with findings from U.S. intelligence agencies that have reported Russia was responsible for the hacking of Democratic Party email accounts, which were intended to benefit Republican Donald Trump and harm his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. In response to a reporter's question, Merkel said she was not fearful about the threat of Russian interference during this year's German elections and would respond to inaccurate information with facts. "I am not an anxious person. I will fight the election on the basis of my convictions," she said, adding that Germans would handle decisively any disinformation campaigns. Before the meeting at the Black Sea resort in Sochi, Putin said the talks were an opportunity to discuss Ukraine and Syria, although Merkel signaled no major breakthroughs were expected. The two leaders last met in Germany in October 2016 in an attempt to revive the stalled peace process in eastern Ukraine. Although a peace agreement mediated by Germany and France in 2015 has helped reduce the fighting, violence has continued. Disagreements persist Merkel and Putin strongly disagreed Tuesday on the cause of the Ukrainian conflict. But both confirmed their support for the peace agreement. On Syria, Germany has been firmly opposed to Russia's support for President Bashar al-Assad. Merkel has suggested that Russia was partly responsible for atrocities resulting from airstrikes carried out by Russian forces in civilian areas. Putin on Tuesday called for strengthening Syria's fragile truce. Russian-led peace negotiations involving Syrian rebels and government officials are set to begin Wednesday in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana. "Our task is to create conditions for unification, the cessation of hostilities, the cessation of mutual destruction and the creation of conditions for political cooperation of all opposing sides," Putin said at the news conference. Also during the meeting, Merkel asked Putin to help ensure the rights of gays in Chechnya, one day after Russian police arrested gay rights activists. During a May Day parade Monday in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, Russian police arrested about 20 protesters, including the leader of an organization that is helping gay men escape from Chechnya, where they are reportedly subject to torture and other types of abuse. Russia has stringent rules on political activity in public places, and Putin defended Russian police after meeting with Merkel, saying they have acted within the law when breaking up recent rallies. "Russia's law-enforcement bodies behave in a far more restrained manner than their colleagues in other European countries," Putin said at the news conference. Tuesday's trip to Russia was Merkel's first for a bilateral meeting there since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014, which precipitated the most intense confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Court Upholds Navalny's Latest Embezzlement Verdict RFE/RL May 03, 2017 A Russian court has upheld an embezzlement verdict against opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, a politically charged ruling that will strengthen the government's case for keeping him out of next year's presidential election if President Vladimir Putin doesn't want him to run. Navalny and co-defendant Pyotr Ofitserov were not present at the May 3 hearing at the regional court in the city of Kirov, about 800 kilometers northeast of Moscow. They were represented by their lawyers. Navalny and Ofitserov had filed an appeal after a lower court, in a retrial of a previous case, convicted them of large-scale embezzlement from a state timber company called Kirovles and handed them suspended sentences of five years and four years, respectively. They were also fined 500,000 rubles ($8,350) each. The retrial came after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in February 2016 that the outcome of the 2013 trial, when exactly the same verdicts and sentences were handed to Navalny and Ofitserov, violated the defendants' right to a fair trial. According to the ECHR ruling, the Russian court found the men "guilty of acts indistinguishable from regular commercial activity." After the ECHR's ruling, Russia's Supreme Court threw out the Kirov court's 2013 conviction of Navalny and Ofitserov on charges of large-scale theft involving timber sales. Both Navalny and Ofitserov have maintained their innocence. Navalny's lawyer, Vadim Kobzev, said on May 3 that he will challenge the latest court decision at the ECHR. Navalny, 40, was among the leaders of large antigovernment protests in 2011-2012 and has riled the Kremlin with detailed reports alleging deep-seated corruption among officials close to Putin. He challenged the Kremlin favorite in a Moscow mayoral election in 2013 and won nearly 30 percent of the vote, an outcome that analysts say unnerved Putin's government. Navalny contends that the Kirovles case and a separate financial-crimes prosecution that also ended in a guilty verdict were politically motivated, state-mandated punishment for his opposition activity. He says the Kremlin is using the courts to keep him from running for president in a March 2018 election in which Putin, who has held power as prime minister or president since 1999, is widely expected to seek and secure a new six-year term. Navalny announced his presidential bid in December and has campaigned actively, opening campaign offices in cities nationwide. He has twice been doused with a green antiseptic liquid by assailants, including an April 26 attack that has at least temporarily left the vision in his right eye severely impaired Russian authorities have suggested that Navalny would be barred from the presidential ballot if his conviction was upheld, citing legislation that says Russians convicted of grave crimes -- such as the offense Navalny was found guilty of in the Kirovles case -- cannot run for president. However, Navalny's backers say the rules are unclear, and Russian officials have not stated clearly whether he will be allowed on the ballot. Analysts say Putin, who is widely seen as the arbiter in such matters even if they are formally decided by courts or government offices, may not have decided whether it would be better to let him run or bar him from the ballot. The head of Navalny's election staff, Leonid Volkov, said that Navalny will continue his election campaign despite the conviction on retrial. "The ruling will have no impact at all," Volkov said. "Our campaign was planned amid uncertainty in the Kirovles case; it was launched amid that uncertainty, and it is continuing irrespective of the [court] decision," the Interfax news agency quoted Volkov as saying. He said Navalny "has both the moral and legal right to run" in the election. With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and RIA Novosti Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalny-court- upholds-embezzlement-verdict/28465569.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Flying High: Russia's T-50 Super Jet Preparing to Soar With Next-Gen Engine Sputnik News 14:41 03.05.2017 Flight tests of Russian newest PAK FA (T-50) fighter aircraft with a standard engine will start in the near future, General Designer of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Sergei Korotkov said Wednesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) So far the prototypes of the aircraft have been equipped with the so-called Izdeliye 117 an engine of the "first stage," which has already been put into production, while the engine of the "second stage" is being developed. "Testing of T-50 aircraft with the next-generation engine, which was initially created for this aircraft, will start in the near future," Korotkov said. Russian Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) is the fifth-generation stealth fighter. It is a single-seat, twin-engine multirole jet fighter designed for air superiority and attack roles. The first flight of the aircraft took place in 2010. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi Crown Prince Rules Out Opening Dialogue With Rival Iran RFE/RL May 03, 2017 In a rare televised interview, Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince has said there is no possibility that he would open a dialogue with rival Iran because of its Shi'ite ambitions "to control the Islamic world." "How can I come to an understanding with someone, or a regime, that has an anchoring belief built on an extremist ideology?" Muhammad bin Salman said in an interview aired on multiple Saudi TV channels on May 2. "What are the interests between us? How can I come to an understanding with this?" he asked. The 31-year-old prince was named an eventual heir to the throne in 2015 by his father, King Salman, and is also Saudi Arabia's defense minister, overseeing the war in Yemen against a rebel group aligned with Iran. In ruling out rapprochement with Iran, he asserted it was Tehran's goal "to control the Islamic world" and to spread its Shi'ite doctrine in preparation for the arrival of a revered imam named Mohammad al-Mahdi. Shi'ite Muslims believe Mahdi, the 12th and last Shi'ite imam who went into hiding 1,000 years ago, will return to establish global Islamic rule before the end of the world. Iranians believe that "the Imam Mahdi will come and they must prepare the fertile environment for [his] arrival...and they must control the Muslim world," the prince said. "We know that the aim of the Iranian regime is to reach the focal point of Muslims [Mecca], and we will not wait until the fight is inside Saudi Arabia. We will work so that the battle is on their side, inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia." Ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been strained since Iran's 1979 revolution, with each side competing to be the more powerful force in the Muslim world. The rivalry has played out in proxy wars across the Middle East. Besides backing opposing sides in the wars in Syria and Yemen, they support political rivals in Lebanon, Bahrain, and Iraq. Tensions escalated last year after Saudi Arabia's execution of a local Shi'ite cleric sparked the ransacking of the Saudi Embassy in Iran by protesters. The two countries severed diplomatic and trade ties. On Yemen, the prince defended the kingdom's decision to go to war there, which is costing Saudi Arabia tens of millions of dollars a day, according to some estimates. The conflict has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis verging on mass starvation in Yemen and killed thousands of civilians, most of whom were the victims of Saudi-led coalition air strikes. Experts say the two-year war has reached a stalemate. Saudi Arabia and its allies have not been able to dislodge the Iranian-allied rebels, known as Huthis, from the capital of Sanaa and other major cities. When asked about this, Prince Muhammad said the Huthis could be uprooted "in a matter of days." But, he said, Saudi Arabia had not sent ground troops to retake the capital and other major cities because it would lead to thousands of deaths among Saudi soldiers and Yemeni civilians. "Time is on our side. Patience is on our side," he said, and the better choice is to exhaust the other side by choking off their supplies. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-crown-prince-muhammad-bin-salman- rules-out-opening-dialogue-with-iran/28464920.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi Arabia Seeks to Develop Military Industry - Defense Minister Sputnik News 09:29 03.05.2017(updated 09:41 03.05.2017) Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud said that Saudi Arabia intends to develop military industry. DUBAI (Sputnik) Saudi Arabia intends to develop military industry, country's Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud said Wednesday. "We are working on endorsing production of military products. We focus on increasing production for the needs of the military industry," the minister told the MBC broadcaster. He stressed that no contract for the supply of weapons would be concluded if production of spare parts took place in any other country and not in Saudi Arabia. The minister pointed out that Saudi Arabia ranks third in the world in terms of military spending. In late April, following the VI Moscow Conference on International Security, Saudi Arabia expressed interest in purchasing a wide range of the most advanced Russian weapons. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran says will send more military advisors to Syria: IRGC commander Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 4:44PM A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the Islamic Republic will dispatch more military advisors to Syria to support the Syrian government and nation in their battle against terrorist groups. "We will send advisors [to Syria] in every aspect so the resistance front is not breached and we will offer every assistance possible," Commander of IRGC's Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour told Fars news agency. He added that Iranian military advisors are currently in Syria and the Islamic Republic would deploy more "as long as there is a need" for advisory support. He said Iran could not stand by and watch the enemies of Syria hatch plots to destroy a country that is at the forefront of resistance. The commander emphasized that Iran's military advisory aid is both technical and tactical, saying, "When you want to offer advisory help to the army of a country in a war, you must be present on the scene and we have advisors in Syria in various areas such as strategic, technical, specialized, tactical and technical [sectors]." He reiterated that Iran's advisory presence in Syria is solely aimed at helping the resistance front and the Syrian Army, stressing, "There is close coordination between the Syrian Army and the IRGC advisors." Pakpour pointed to the creation of the crisis in Syria and said, "Countries such as the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and have sought to destroy Syria as a country which stands on the frontline of the resistance front." He added that Syria is an important country bordering Israel and is being made to pay for refusing to yield to US demands, stressing that Damascus is in coordination and unison with Tehran. The IRGC commander further pointed to Iran's role in supporting the resistance front in Syria and said all countries in the world know that Iran is the main supporter of resistance against the Israeli regime. Pakpour's remarks came on the same day that Chief of Staff of the Syrian Armed Forces General Ali Abdullah Ayoub held talks with Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan in Tehran. Heading a high-ranking military delegation, Ayoub arrived in Tehran on Monday to hold talks with Iranian officials on ways to strengthen relations between the two countries' armed forces and improve coordination on the latest political and military situation in Syria. He held talks with Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri on Monday. Iran has been lending military advisory support to Iraq and Syria in the face of foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists. Israel provides medical and other types of support to the anti-Damascus Takfiri terrorists. The Tel Aviv regime also often conducts military strikes against targets in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria militant delegation in Kazakhstan for peace talks Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 4:2PM A delegation of Syria's anti-government militants has arrived in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, for talks. Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Mohammad Alloush, the leader of the so-called Jaish al-Islam group, arrived in Astana at the head of a delegation earlier in the day for attending peace negotiations. This is the fourth round of talks between the Syrian government and the foreign-backed opposition in Kazakhstan. Russia, Iran and Turkey sponsor the initiative. The militants, who snubbed the previous round in March, will hold talks with the Damascus delegation, led by Bashar al-Ja'afari, who is Syria's top negotiator and the country's envoy to the UN. Alloush is a notorious figure known for committing crimes against civilians and security forces in Syria, especially in areas around the capital, Damascus. He is an extremist Salafi who enjoys vast support from Saudi Arabia. The UN said on Monday that its special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, would also attend the Astana talks in a bid to facilitate the process for holding UN-brokered peace negotiations in Geneva this month. Talks in Astana, which began in January, have been viewed as complementary to the talks in Geneva, although both initiatives have failed to produce a settlement to the conflict. The United States will also send Stuart Jones, acting assistant Secretary of State for the Near East Affairs Bureau, to observe the talks. That would raise the level of US presence in the negotiations as Washington had only dispatched its ambassador to Astana to the previous rounds. Reports have said US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would hold a phone conversation on Tuesday to discuss Syria. Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the war until then. The UN stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it received from various sources. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daesh attack on Syrian refugee camp near Iraq kills 32: SOHR Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 12:57PM The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says nearly three dozen people have lost their lives when members of the Takfiri Daesh launched an attack against a camp for Iraqi refugees and displaced Syrians in the far northeastern corner of Syria on the border with neighboring Iraq. The group reported that at least five assailants blew themselves up outside and inside the camp in the Rajm al-Salibeh area of the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakah on Tuesday, claiming the lives of at least 32 people. The monitoring group's chief Rami Abdel Rahman said fierce skirmishes then broke out between Daesh militants and members of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed coalition of fighters who have seized swathes of territory from the Daesh terrorist group in northern Syria, leaving combatants from both sides dead. Abdel Rahman added that at least 30 people also sustained injuries during the heavy exchange of gunfire, noting that the death toll may rise because some of the wounded victims are in a critical condition. The London-based group went on to say that at least 21 of the dead were displaced Syrians or Iraqi refugees. Founded in October 2015, the SDF is comprised mostly of Syrian Kurds, numbering at least 25,000. It receives equipment, weapons and air support from the US. Washington has been sponsoring anti-Damascus groups operating in Syria by labeling them as moderate militants. Ten soldiers slain in Daesh assault in western Iraq Meanwhile, Daesh extremists have killed at least 10 soldiers in the western Iraqi province of Anbar after they carried out a surprise attack against government forces in the area. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Daesh Takfiris attacked a 1st Division base in the Saggar area, which lies east of Ar Rutba town and about 390 kilometers (240 miles) west of the capital Baghdad, using mortar rounds and rockets. The source added that several militants armed with rifles then tried to storm it, prompting clashes that lasted two hours until 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT). Iraqi army soldiers and pro-government fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi, have made sweeping gains against the Takfiri elements since launching the operation to retake Mosul. The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19. The United Nations says nearly half a million civilians have fled fighting since the offensive to retake Mosul started on October 17, 2016. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on April 17 that 493,000 people had been displaced from the city, located some 400 kilometers north of Baghdad. As many as 500,000 civilians are still trapped in the Daesh-controlled neighborhoods of western Mosul. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army Liberates 236 Settlements From Daesh Since January Russian MoD Sputnik News 18:57 02.05.2017 The number of settlements liberated by the Syrian government troops from the Daesh terror group, outlawed in Russia, since January has reached 236, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday in a daily bulletin. MOSCOW (Sputnik) According to the document, negotiations on joining the ceasefire regime were being held with various field commanders from the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama, and Quneitra. The number of the armed formations which have claimed to observe the ceasefire regime remained 143. "The number of inhabited areas which had been liberated by the Syrian troops from the ISIS [Daesh] armed formations has reached 236," the bulletin said. Within the last 24 hours, no ceasefire agreements have been signed with representatives of inhabited areas in the Syrian Arab Republic. "Total number of inhabited areas, the leaders of which had signed reconciliation agreements remained 1,477," the bulletin said. The civil war in Syria has been lasting for six years with the government troops fighting against numerous opposition factions and terrorist organizations, such as Daesh. The nationwide Syrian ceasefire regime was introduced on December 30, 2016, with Russia and Turkey being its guarantors. Terrorist organizations are not part of the ceasefire. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria Conflict Could Be Resolved Only Through Talks - Putin Sputnik News 17:00 02.05.2017(updated 17:33 02.05.2017) According to the Russian president, the Syrian crisis can be solved only through talks. BOCHAROV RUCHEI (Sochi) (Sputnik) The solution of the Syrian issue may only be found through talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday. "We also exchanged views on the state of affairs in Syria, spoke in favor of the activation of the negotiation process within the framework of the Astana and Geneva format. We are convinced that the solution of the Syrian issue can only be found by peaceful means and under the UN auspices," Putin said. According to Putin, Russia stands for a thorough investigation of the events in Syria's Khan Sheikhoun, the perpetrators must be found and punished. "The Russian side noted the need for a thorough and comprehensive investigation of the incident in Khan Sheikhoun on April 4. We strongly condemn any use of chemical weapons, those guilty of the death of peaceful Syrians must certainly be found and punished, but this can only be done as a result of a thorough and impartial investigation," Putin said. On April 4, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces blamed the Syrian government for the incident in Khan Sheikhoun, which allegedly involved the use of chemical weapons. Damascus denied any involvement in the incident and the Syrian army said it did not possess chemical weapons as they had been destroyed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The incident was used by the United States as pretext for a missile strike against a Syrian military airbase on April 7. The Syrian people has the greatest influence upon President Bashar Assad, and other countries' task is to create conditions for a ceasefire and for the Syrian society's unification, Russian President Vladimir Putin added. "The Syrian people has the greatest influence upon President Assad. It is obviously divided, and inside the Syrian society we see great problems. Our task is to create conditions for unification, for cessation of hostilities, for the termination of mutual destruction, create conditions for political interaction of all opposing forces," Putin told reporters. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fourth round of Syria peace talks opens in Kazakh capital Iran Press TV Wed May 3, 2017 8:31AM Astana is hosting a fourth round of talks in the Kazakh capital between the Syrian government and the opposition aimed at resolving the now six-year foreign-backed militancy in the Arab country. The International Meetings on Syrian Settlement, as the talks are officially known, kicked off on Wednesday and will continue into Thursday. The talks are moderated by Russia and Iran - as allies of the Syrian government - and Turkey, which sides with the opposition. The Iranian and Russian delegations have already started the discussions. On the sidelines of the event, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari, who is heading the Iranian delegation, sat down for talks with the United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, over the latest developments in Syria. Hours after the talks kicked off, sources with the opposition told AFP that they have suspended their participation in the process, citing "violent airstrikes" in Syria. "The suspension will continue until shelling stops across all Syria," the source added. On the eve of the forum, expert discussions took place between representatives of Iran, Russia and Turkey. At Damascus' request, Iran has been providing military advisory support to the Syrian military in its counterterrorism operations. Russia has been carrying out an aerial campaign in Syria, similarly in coordination with Damascus, since September 2015 to further boost the military's anti-terror performance. The three mediators helped bring about a nationwide ceasefire in Syria late last year. There have been three rounds of negotiations in Astana since January. The talks have been hailed as contributory to a United Nations-brokered process in Geneva. The Astana discussions have seen participants trying to shore up the ceasefire by agreeing on the establishment of a jointly-run mechanism to monitor the deal, which would report to the UN. Anuar Jaynakov, a spokesman for the Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry, said the participants include Mohammed Alloush, the chief negotiator of the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition group attending the Astana and the Geneva talks. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Monday that the envoy would be in Astana as an observer at the invitation of Kazakhstan's government "in view of the urgency and importance of reestablishing a deescalation of the situation in Syria and moving on confidence-building measures." Dujarric added that de Mistura would hold talks with the three guarantors and others ahead of the next round of Geneva talks, which diplomats say are expected later this month. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Commander Says Iranian Forces Will Stay In Syria As Long As Assad Needs Them May 03, 2017 Iran will continue providing military assistance to Syria despite the death of more than a thousand Iranian fighters in the conflict, a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards has said. "We will continue our advisory help as long as they need it," Mohammad Pakpour, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ground forces, told Iran's Fars news agency. "The advisory help isn't only in the field of planning but also on techniques and tactics," he said. "And because of this the forces have to be present on the battlefield." Iran has provided military support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces since at least 2012. A handful of Iranian commanders have been killed along with hundreds of Iranian fighters. Pakpour said the Revolutionary Guards' ground forces were in Syria to help the Quds Force, the branch responsible for operations outside of Iran's own borders. "There is very close coordination between the Syrian Army and the Revolutionary Guards advisers," Pakpour said. Iran also has helped to train and organize thousands of Shi'ite militia fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to fight in Syria. Lebanon's Hizballah militias also work closely with Iranian forces there. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/commander-pakpour-says- iranian-forces-will-stay-in-syria-as-long-as -assad-needs-them/28464914.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN envoy urges Syrian parties to 'press ahead' after Astana talks suspended 3 May 2017 A senior United Nations mediator today urged the continuation of talks on a Syrian ceasefire being held in the Kazak capital of Astana. The current round of what has become known as the 'Astana talks' between the Syrian conflict parties and led by Russia, Turkey and Iran, kicked off today, but, according to media reports, the Syrian opposition side walked out of the meeting, citing a new barrage of airstrikes in the area they hold. "The United Nations is very concerned at the reports of escalation in Syria, including, allegedly, reports of air strikes, particularly in this delicate moment in the Astana discussions where actually proposals to de-escalate the conflict are under very serious discussion," the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, told reporters, following the suspension of the meeting. "We are calling, therefore, for the immediate investigation and for immediate institution of measures to ensure that now no strikes are taking place and are halted," Mr. de Mistura said, urging all participants in Astana to "press ahead tomorrow with de-escalation discussions and confidence-building measures." Asked if he is confident that the opposition will come back tomorrow, he said that there have been "some incidents produced by one side or the other," but the important thing is "to make sure that those incidents stop but also do not kill the opportunity for good news related to that." Positive outcomes from the Astana talks which aim to bolster the ceasefire regime brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran in late December 2016 would help Mr. de Mistura with his role of facilitating the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, the latest round of which wrapped up in late March. The discussions are guided by UN Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), focusing on matters of governance, a schedule and process to draft a new constitution and the holding of elections as the basis for a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned process to end the conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Sends Envoy to Russia-sponsored Syrian Cease-fire Talks By VOA News May 03, 2017 Russia-sponsored Syrian cease-fire talks taking place Wednesday and Thursday in Astana, Kazakhstan will include a U.S. State Department envoy attending as an observer. The move was confirmed Tuesday in a White House statement that followed talks between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Tuesday's call, described by the White House as "a very good one," is believed to be the first direct contact between the two leaders since U.S. warships targeted a Syrian military airbase -- used by both Syrian forces and their Russian allies -- with dozens of cruise missiles on April 4. Trump directly linked the U.S. missile strike, which triggered an angry Kremlin response, to Syria's use of chemical weaponry in an attack that killed nearly 100 civilians days earlier. Tuesday's White House statement said the two leaders also discussed the development of safe zones "to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons." Under the previous administration of President Barack Obama, the U.S. was cool to the idea of setting up a safe zone, pointing to the complexity and manpower involved in protecting such an area. But proponents say a safe zone inside of Syria would lessen the burden on other countries in the region that currently host more than 5 million refugees. Deadly attacks As the Astana talks began, a large explosion in northern Syria killed at least five people and wounded others. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast in the rebel-held town of Azaz came from a car bomb. Azaz has long been an important area for rebels who oppose President Bashar al-Assad, serving as a key supply route as well as a hub for fighters and opposition activists. Several previous attacks in Azaz have been claimed by the Islamic State group, but there was no immediate claim for Wednesday's attack. On Tuesday, the Observatory reported a surprise attack by Islamic State militants on a United Nations-funded refugee camp near the Syria-Iraq border that killed at least 32 civilians and wounded at least 20 others. Kurdish and Syrian sources said many of the victims were holed up in the makeshift camp after fleeing fighting in areas of Syria and Iraq controlled by extremist forces. The Observatory also reported heavy fighting between Kurdish fighters and extremists in the aftermath of the attack, and later said the U.S.-backed Kurdish and Syrian Arab Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) had regained control of the area in al-Hasakah province. SDF force advances in Tabqa Separately Tuesday in the nearby Euphrates River city of Tabqa, monitors reported the deaths of more than 35 Islamic State fighters battling the SDF in a last-ditch attempt to prevent anti-jihadist forces from gaining full control of the city. SDF forces and their nominal Syrian Arab allies in northern Syria have been pushing eastward through the Euphrates River valley for months in a protracted offensive aimed at confronting Islamic State in its de facto capital, Raqqa. The anti-jihadist forces are expected to launch coordinated attacks on the IS stronghold city later this year. Aid convoy Separately Tuesday near Damascus, the International Committee of the Red Cross said an aid convoy of food and medical supplies reached the besieged town of Douma for the first time since October. An ICRC tweet late Tuesday said the convoy had entered the town northeast of Damascus under the cover of darkness, with 51 trucks carrying emergency supplies for 35,000 people. Rebel-held Douma has been under government siege for nearly four years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ankara to discuss possible military operations in Syria with Russia, US Iran Press TV Tue May 2, 2017 3:15PM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will discuss Ankara's "possible operations" in northern Syria with Russia and the United States, vowing not to allow Kurdish militants to achieve their goals in the region. The Turkish leader made the comments during a special ceremony at the headquarters of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the capital, Ankara, held on the occasion of his return to the membership of the ruling AKP after three years. Hundreds of party officials were in attendance. According to the old system, run before the recent constitutional referendum, the president of the country had to cut ties with his political party upon taking office and was banned from being affiliated with a political party during his tenure. Erdogan, consequently, left the AKP, which he co-founded in 2001, when he came to power in August 2014. The approved reforms by the plebiscite, however, allowed him to once again return to his party. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the current chair of the AKP, will leave the chairmanship of the party just before May 21, when the party will elect Erdogan as the new head. The Turkish leader said he would discuss Ankara's possible military operations against the northern Syrian cities of Manbij and Raqqah with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, when Erdogan will pay an official visit to Moscow. He added that he would also discuss the same issue with his American counterpart Donald Trump in a visit to Washington later this month. Raqqah, the capital of a province with the same name, has been the de facto capital of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria since 2014. On Monday, it was reported that the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had liberated some 80 percent of Tabqa, a city located some 55 kilometers from Raqqah. The US-backed SDF is largely composed of members of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), which in turn has the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as its military wing. The YPG, Washington's best ally on the ground in its military operations in Syria, is closely related to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by Ankara. The Turkish government claims that the YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, with which Turkey has been fighting a bloody war for the past several months. The SDF with the US support allegedly plans to capture Raqqah and liberate it from Daesh elements after finishing with Tabqa. Turkey's possible military operations in Raqqah, in this context, could be viewed as a preemptive offensive against the restive city to obtain the credit of curbing Daesh in the area. Erdogan, angry at Washington over its full support for the SDF forces, said during his Tuesday remarks that he "will not allow Kurdish militant groups to achieve their goals in northern Syria," expressing hope to start a new era in the Arab country. In August 2016, Turkey began a major military intervention in Syria, sending tanks and warplanes across the border, claiming that its military campaign was aimed at pushing Daesh from Turkey's border with Syria and stopping the advance of Kurdish forces. Damascus denounces the operation as a breach of its sovereignty. In late March, Ankara announced the end of its military operations in Syria but did not rule out the possibility of yet another military intervention in war-torn Syria. Last Tuesday, Erdogan announced that Ankara would continue its operations in Syria and Iraq. Strange case of Turkey's EU membership bid Elsewhere in his remarks, Erdogan warned the European Union that Ankara would walk away from its long-running membership bid if new accession chapters were not opened. "There is no option other than opening chapters that you have not opened until now. If you open, then great. If you don't open, then goodbye," said Erdogan, referring to EU leaders, adding, "Turkey is not their (the EU's) doorman." Turkey has been attempting to become part of the EU for decades. Formal EU accession negotiations, however, began in 2005. The process has been mired in problems, mainly democracy and human rights issues, and only 16 chapters of the 35-chapter accession procedure have been opened for Ankara so far. Relations began to deteriorate last year, when Turkey launched a massive crackdown on those alleged to have played a role in the 2016 coup attempt. The EU has already censured the large-scale imprisonment and dismissals of people following the failed putsch against Erdogan. Turkey, however, has defended the crackdown while accusing some EU states of supporting outlawed Turkish elements. In March, Erdogan said he would revive the capital punishment after he emerged victorious in the April 16 referendum. The remarks angered EU authorities, prompting European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to say that the death penalty was a "red line" for the union's membership bid. The fate of Turkey's EU membership bid is now deeply marred with conflicting views of both EU leaders and Ankara. It seems that a bumpy road is ahead of the post-plebiscite-emboldened Erdogan to convince EU leaders to grant Turkey its long-awaited EU membership. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan: Turkey Will Say 'Goodbye' to EU Unless New Talks Opened RFE/RL May 02, 2017 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the European Union to open talks on aspects of Turkey's bid to join the EU, warning that otherwise Ankara would have nothing to discuss with the bloc and would say "goodbye." Erdogan's comments came after EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on May 2 that Turkey under Erdogan has turned its back on joining the EU. Erdogan made the remarks during a ceremony in Ankara to celebrate his return to membership of the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP). "From now on there is no option other than opening the chapters you have not yet opened," Erdogan said. He said that if the EU did not open those chapters -- a reference to specific aspects of the accession process -- then "goodbye." Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on May 2 that Erdogan planned to meet with top EU officials on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels later in the month. Erdogan previously confirmed that he would attend the May 24-25 NATO summit. Erdogan has been at the helm of Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and, since 2014, as president. Erdogan's rejoining of the ruling AKP follows his narrow victory in last month's referendum boosting the powers of the president. Most of the constitutional changes approved in the April 16 referendum will take effect after the November 2019 election. But an amendment that reverses a requirement for the president to be nonpartisan and cut ties with his or her party came into effect immediately, allowing Erdogan to return to the AKP. The party is expected to reelect Erdogan as its chairman at an extraordinary congress on May 21. Tension between Erdogan and the EU was already high because of European concerns that he was trampling on rights and punishing opponents in a clampdown after a failed coup attempt against him in July 2016. Those strains increased during the campaign for the referendum, when Turkey clashed with several countries that hindered his efforts to rally support for the constitutional changes among Turks living abroad. Erdogan labeled the actions of some Western leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as "fascist" and accused them of behaving like "Nazis" after Turkish government officials were prevented from campaigning in favor of the referendum among the Turks living abroad. Turkey applied to become a member of European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union, in 1987 and opened membership negotiations with the EU in 2005. But progress has been slow, with 16 out of 35 negotiations chapters opened and only one chapter completed. Accession negotiations have effectively come to a halt after Erdogan's government instituted a state of emergency following the failed coup attempt. The state of emergency, which is still in force, has allowed the Turkish government to rule by decree. More than 47,000 people have been arrested and 100,000 have been purged from the police, army, and other institutions for alleged connections to terrorist organizations. In November, the European Parliament put negotiations with Turkey on hold over human-rights and rule-of-law concerns, though the move was not binding. In December, the EU said it would open no new areas in Turkey's membership talks in the "prevailing circumstances." In a debate at the European Parliament on May 2, the author of the parliament's annual report on Turkey called on the EU to suspend the accession process for Turkey if the constitutional changes backed in the referendum are implemented without changes. Kati Piri, a Dutch social democrat, said that with "such a constitution it is clear that Turkey cannot become a member of the European Union." During his speech on May 2, Erdogan also touched upon the situation in Syria, saying he would discuss possible operations in Syria's Manbij and Raqqa with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an official visit to Russia on May 3, and with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month. He also said Turkey would not allow Kurdish militant groups to achieve their goals in northern Syria. Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) a branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state for Kurdish autonomy. Relations between Ankara and Washington have recently been strained over U.S. support for the YPG in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group in Syria. With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels, Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-erdogan-eu-open- new-talks-or-goodbye/28463987.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan Warns 'Goodbye' to EU if Accession Chapters Not Opened Sputnik News 14:46 02.05.2017(updated 15:24 02.05.2017) Turkey will say "goodbye" to the European Union if Brussels does not open its new accession chapters for Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday. ANKARA (Sputnik) On Saturday, President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani said that Turkey's position on a number of internal issues, such as debates on capital punishment and the arrests of journalists, was unacceptable, but expressed hope that the situation would change, and affirming Brussels "would not shut the door for Turkey." "The EU should open the chapters. If they do not do it, then goodbye," Erdogan said in an address to lawmakers on behalf of Turkey's ruling party. Noting that Turkey "is not a slave that waits at the door," the newly restored member of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) stressed that "we can sit down and talk if the chapters are opened." "Otherwise, there is nothing to talk about," he said. In March 2016, Turkey and the European Union agreed on a deal under which Ankara pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in EU states through its territory in exchange for the accommodation of Syrian refugees on a one-for-one basis in Turkey and major concessions on membership and visas. In August 2016, Erdogan warned that Ankara would withdraw from the deal if the European Union failed to grant a visa waiver for Turkish citizens. In November 2016, the European Parliament voted to suspend talks on Turkey's bid for EU membership due to a crackdown on those suspected of having ties to the organizers of the July 2016 failed coup in Turkey. The bloc decided to freeze EU accession talks with Ankara as a result. EU officials have repeatedly expressed concern over the state of human rights in Turkey and its political situation after last year's failed coup attempt, when thousands of people, including journalists and activists, were arrested, and over suggestions made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reinstate the death penalty. The April 16 referendum in Turkey on constitutional reforms, which expanded the powers of the president, also triggered dismay from within the bloc. The association agreement between Turkey and the then-European Community was signed in 1963, to be followed by Turkey's submission of a membership application in 1987. Talks on Ankara's EU membership began in 2005 but have been repeatedly suspended due to various obstacles, including the failed coup attempt. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan, Putin to Meet Amid Faltering Rapprochement By Dorian Jones May 02, 2017 Turkey could be seeking to play Moscow off Washington, according to some analysts, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set for separate meetings this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. "Mr Erdogan thinks he is offering Turkey to the highest bidder," political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners told VOA, "so it's between Trump and Putin (that) whoever puts up the biggest bid will gain Turkey's favor." Putin will host Erdogan Wednesday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. That meeting comes at a critical time with rapprochement efforts stalling. "This is an opportunity for Erdogan and Putin to discuss several areas of disagreement. That's why it's important," observes analyst Sinan Ulgen a visiting scholar of the Carnegie Europe Institute in Brussels, "because it's going to set the tone for near future, of this relationship with Moscow." Syrian Conflict The conflict in Syria continues to dog relations between the two regional rivals, which back opposite sides in the civil war. The past few months saw the leaders meet a record four times as part of rapprochement efforts after Turkish jets downed a Russian bomber operating from a Syrian airbase. But those efforts stalled over Moscow backing the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG, which is widely viewed as the most effective force in fighting the Islamic State in Syria. "Erdogan will raise his unhappiness at Sochi over the YPG," predicts analyst Ulgen. Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist organization linked to the PKK, which is fighting the Turkish State for greater autonomy. Ankara was infuriated when Russian soldiers were deployed in the Syrian Kurdish canton of Afrin in a move widely seen as a deterrent to Ankara. Until the deployment, the Turkish army, which is massed across the border, had regularly bombarded the YPG in Afrin. Ankara has similar grievances with Washington, which has deployed its forces on the Turkish border in the Syrian Kurdish canton of Kobani, following last month's Turkish airstrikes against the YPG. Erdogan is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House in two weeks. Speaking to Turkish parliamentarians Tuesday, Erdogan declared he was looking for partners be it Washington or Moscow in capturing the YPG-held Syrian town of Manbij and Islamic State's self-declared capital of Raqqa, promising "a new era in Syria and Iraq." Ankara's recent courting of Moscow has caused concerns among its NATO partners over its future commitment. "A NATO without Turkey" would be "less strong," NATO secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned last month. But analysts point out that despite Erdogan's recent courtship of Moscow, he has little to show for such efforts. "Not only does the PYD (political wing of the YPG) have an office in Moscow, but so does the PKK," pointed out former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who served widely in the region. "The PKK is not even considered a terrorist organization by Moscow (unlike the United States and European Union), and now there is the deployment of Russian forces in Afrin. So while Ankara's PR front is quite active in promoting the positive progress in the relations, practically speaking there is no progress, and now we can speak of even a deterioration." Erdogan also appears to have few cards he can play to persuade Putin to abandon his support of the Syrian Kurds. "Russia knows Turkey very well. Turkey does not have a foreign policy. It has one night stands," claims Yesilada. "One day we are allies with Russia, then the next day Trump bombs the Syrian airbase, [and] we immediately rush to Trump's side. Russia understands Turkey is an opportunist. While Turkey changes its policy everyday, Russia is very careful about loosening the noose around Turkey's neck. We've normalized relations with Russia, but Russia hasn't." Moscow has eased just a few of the tough economic sanctions imposed on Turkey after the 2015 downing of its fighter jet. Erdogan is expected to raise the issue with Putin in Sochi. But the Turkish president likely will be relieved that Russian tourists are starting to return to Turkish resorts after last year's travel embargo. Surface-to-air missile system The sale of Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile system is predicted to be discussed. "A joint decision will be made on the forthcoming steps toward the acquisition of the system," predicted Turkish Defense Minster Fikri Isik. The purchase of the S-400 is widely seen as Ankara sending a message to its western allies that it can look both east and west in military matters. But Demtri Peskov, Putin's spokesman, struck a more cautious tone over the issue, saying only, "It's possible the deliveries of the S-400 will be discussed (in Sochi)." Putin likely will be only too happy about any discomfiture in NATO over talk of Ankara buying the S-400. Analysts question whether Moscow would ultimately sell such a sophisticated system to Turkey, however, given that the two countries remain rivals with a host of unresolved tensions that are unlikely to be fully resolved in Sochi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin, Erdogan Hail Return To 'Normal Partner' Relations RFE/RL May 03, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed that their countries have overcome a period of difficulties in bilateral relations and have returned to "normal partner interaction." "Some time ago, our bilateral relations were tested for their strength," Putin told a press conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi following his meeting with Erdogan. "Now we can confidently say that the restoration period in Russian-Turkish relations has been completed and we are returning to normal partner interaction." Before the meeting, Putin hailed the restoration of what he called "full-format" relations. Relations between Russia and Turkey, which support opposing sides in the Syrian war, have been strained since a Turkish fighter jet shot down a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border in late 2015. Erdogan told journalists that he and Putin agreed on May 3 to lift all remaining trade restrictions, except for a ban on imports of Turkish tomatoes to Russia. Erdogan said he thinks "temporary solutions" could be found to address that issue as well. It was not immediately clear when the sanctions would be lifted. Turkey recently imposed what amounts to an effective 130 percent import tax on Russian products, including wheat, in a bid to help its importers. Following the summit, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Russian wheat exports to Turkey could resume within days, while the restrictions on Turkish tomatoes would remain in effect "in some form" for at least three years. The leaders also discussed the possible purchase by Turkey, a NATO member, of Russia's advanced S-400 antimissile system. Erdogan invited Putin to attend a summit of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) in Istanbul on May 22. Putin responded that Russia would send an appropriate delegation. Putin also noted an increase of Russian tourism in Turkey, saying that one-third of Russians going abroad during May holidays in 2017 are travelling to Turkey. He offered Russian assistance to help Turkey combat terrorism that targets its tourist infrastructure. The Russian president also said it was necessary to "improve cooperation" between the two countries' security forces before a visa-free travel regime could be implanted. "We are ready for this decision," Putin said. Syria Peace Talks The two leaders also discussed the ongoing war in Syria. Russia, Turkey, and Iran have been brokering Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan and are serving as "guarantors" of Syria's shaky cease-fire. Russia and Iran are major military backers of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whereas Turkey supports some opposition groups that are trying to overthrow the government. The latest round of the peace talks began on May 3, but opposition representatives declared they were halting participation over continued government attacks in Syria. The opposition delegates at the Astana talks also said Russia's current proposals for creating "safe zones" in Syria were not acceptable, adding that they would seek clarification about details of the plan from Russian representatives in Astana. Putin and Erdogan both expressed support for creating "safe zones" or "zones of de-escalation" -- in Syria as a measure to relieve the humanitarian crisis in the country. Putin said that such zones should be no-fly zones as well. He added that, following his telephone conversation on May 2 with U.S. President Donald Trump, he thinks the United States also "backs these ideas." With reporting by dpa, AP, Interfax, Reuters, and TASS Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-turkey-putin- erdogan-meeting-sochi/28465509.html Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian President Putin Holds Joint Presser With Turkish Counterpart Erdogan Sputnik News 17:06 03.05.2017(updated 18:58 03.05.2017) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a joint press conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday, May 3. The two leaders previously discussed a series of issues over Russian-Turkish bilateral relations as well as the ongoing Syrian conflict. Russian President Putin started off by saying that the period of recovery in Russia-Turkish relations after the crisis is over, and both countries are determined to strengthen multifaceted bilateral cooperation. Mutual trade with Turkey has stopped falling, Putin said, and it is recovering now. The two leaders discussed the limitations and barriers impeding trade and investment, Putin said. The prospects of national currency use were on the table as well. Putin then announced that Russia will launch a mutual investment fund with Turkey of up to $1 billion. Russia will also invest $22 billion in the construction of Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Putin revealed. Touching upon the issue of the Syrian crisis, Putin said that the two countries will continue inter-agency consultations on counter-terrorism measures. "We have agreed to strengthen cooperation in this area [counterterrorism] through the special services and ministries of defense. In particular, to continue the practice of regularly conducting inter-agency consultations on counterterrorism," Putin said following the meeting with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan then took the floor, promising that the results of his talks with Putin 'will be visible' in a few days. "Undoubtedly, we will talk about Syria, we will hold meetings regarding the resolution of this issue, we will work in order to resolve this issue. Putin also expressed sincere desire to end this drama. He personally put a lot of effort and I believe he will put more in order to implement the cessation of hostilities," Erdogan said. Erdogan then said that Turkey will not allow the formation of units threatening its national security on the border with Syria: "The eradication of terrorist organizations is our common responsibility. We will not allow the formation on our southern borders of enemy units that will threaten our territorial integrity and the security of our country." Syria talks in Astana should consolidate ceasefire, but some participants are sabotaging this process, Erdogan said: "As guarantor states, we must approach this issue very sensitively. Thanks to the meetings in Astana, at our earliest opportunity, we must strengthen this ceasefire. But some others spend their energy to sabotage this process." He also stressed that both he and Putin insist that those guilty of the chemical incident in Syria's Khan Shaykhun must be punished. Erdogan said that Russia is doing everything to stop the suffering in Syria. "We are standing beside our Russian friends in the fight against terrorist organizations," Erdogan told reporters, adding that "terror does not recognize borders": "There is no distinction between acts of terrorism in Moscow, Istanbul, Brussels, Kabul or Paris. <> Terrorist organizations are common enemies of mankind, regardless of their name, ideology." Replying to a reporter's question about the formation of so-called safe zones in Syria, Erdogan said that he has discussed de-escalation zones in Syria with Putin. "Mr. President and I discussed this issue today, and this issue is one of the main topics for discussions during the Astana process I hope that the de-escalation zone will be taken as a decision, and will be put in motion for a further resolution of the issue," Erdogan said told the reporters. Erdogan also said he hopes that Idlib region will continue to be protected as a "no-clash zone." Creation of safe zones in Syria will strengthen ceasefire regime, Putin said, replying to that question. He also said that he had discussed this issue with the US President Trump: "Yesterday, we discussed this issue by phone with Mr. Trump. As far as I understand, the US administration supports these ideas." "Russia held preliminary consultations with both Damascus and Tehran. We all believe that mechanisms which would guarantee the halt of bloodshed need to be created. And that would create conditions for the beginning of political dialogue," Putin told the press conference. He then said that both Russia and Turkey assume that the participants of Astana talks will make the final decision to establish security zones in Syria. "Our positions with Turkish President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] completely coincide, we proceed from the fact that the participants in the conflict that gathered in Astana today will make a final decision. Because ultimately, it depends on them what the fate of their own country will be," the Russian leader said. "We, for our part, as guarantors of the ceasefire, Turkey, Iran, Russia, will do our best to improve these mechanisms and make them effective. We support this proposal." The establishment of safe zones in Syria would consolidate the cessation of hostilities, Putin said. "One of the ways to consolidate the ceasefire regime is the establishment of safe zones or de-escalation zones," Putin said. Putin also said that the creation of security zones will not stop the counterterrorism fight in Syria: "As far as terrorists are concerned, that despite the establishment of these zones, the fight against terrorism will continue with the organizations like the Nusra Front and Daesh [Islamic State, both groups banned in Russia] and such, with those included on the UN-approved list of terrorist organizations." Putin pointed out that the key condition for banning aviation operations in these zones would be a complete halt to all military activity there. "How to monitor compliance with the relevant regime in these zones is a matter of separate talks," Putin concluded. The political process in Syria should ultimately lead to the restoration of the country's territorial integrity, Putin said. "This political process should ultimately lead to the full restoration of the country's territorial integrity and a single leadership of the country irrespective of the political views harbored by any given political force today," Putin stressed. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We have more newsletters Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter Smoke was seen billowing across a Gloucestershire road after a vehicle caught fire. A campervan overheated on the A46 at Dunkirk, Nailsworth earlier this afternoon. Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene at 3.39pm after reports of the blaze involving the Toyota Townhouse vehicle. One appliance from Nailsworth attended, with firefighters using two hose reels and breathing apparatus on the scene. Police confirmed the van had overheated. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now All passengers were already out of the vehicle by the time the emergency services arrived. Elsewhere in the county, police have been called to the A40 after reports of a person walking along the dual carriageway. A Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesman confirmed that officers were attending a 'concern for welfare' incident near Elmbridge Court Roundabout. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter Just a day after celebrating her daughters second birthday, the Duchess of Cambridge visited Gloucestershire to much excitement from a group of schoolchildren. Princess Charlotte looked adorable in pictures turning two on Tuesday and Her Royal Highness put her parenting skills to good use at Farms for City Children in Arlingham. Flown in by helicopter to Frampton, she arrived at the countryside location around lunchtime to a warm welcome from 21 children who go to Vauxhall Primary School in London. By chance they were the group chosen to meet the royal, as it coincided with their seven day working holiday during which they learn all the skills of farmers at Wick Court. They enjoy fresh air, eat good food and share responsibility for tasks in teams, outside of their day-to-day urban setting. The Duchess of Cambridge read an article about the charity and we were approached for the visit, said Margi Jervoise, spokeswoman for Farms for City Children. Its very relaxed, really lovely. Kate is just very normal. She was telling the children at lunch they had wonderful table manners. This is fantastic for us as a charity. It helps to raise our profile as we have to raise 1.2 million a year. War Horse author Michael Morpurgo founded Farms for City Children at Nethercott Farm in Devon in 1976 and it is one of three sites, including the Gloucestershire acreage on the River Severn. The Princess Royal is patron of the charity and the Duchess of Cambridge followed her visit from 2009 by tending to the animals with the lucky children. In front of 40 journalists and photographers- low key compared to most of her engagements- she spent four hours enjoying their company. Greeting the Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, charity chairperson Liz Owens and chief executive Dr Tessa Stone, she had lunch before listening to Mr Morpurgo tell the group a story. Wearing an outfit which featured a pair of 475 Penelope Chilvers boots, she helped the children plant onions, weigh pigs and feed the chickens and lambs, before heading inside for refreshments ahead of her departure at around 4pm. It was a day the 8-11-year-olds, among 3,200 primary school children who visit the charitys farms every year, will never forget. It was a private visit for her to work with the children and enjoy being a mum, said volunteer Penny Brinnen. She strikes everyone as being very natural, doing normal things in front of the cameras. And the farm does not just celebrate royal visitors, because there is a key equine element to it as well. The Queens beloved Fell Pony Carltonlima Emma was sourced from one of its employees- one of five she has had from this corner of Gloucestershire. The monarch is often pictured riding the pony, keeping up her beloved hobby at the age of 91. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter Accidental death verdicts were recorded on a British couple who were among the 290 people killed by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake which devastated central Italy last summer. Will and Maria Henniker-Gotley, aged 55 and 51, were found in each other's arms under the rubble on 24 August last year, the Gloucester inquest was told. Their two children, Jack and Francesca, aged 12 and 14, have been left orphaned after surviving the quake. Another Brit, teenager Marcos Burnett, who had been staying with Mr and Mrs Henniker-Gotley with his family, also died as a result of the quake. His mother Anne-Louise suffered facial injuries including a broken nose, while his father Simon attended hospital with a broken leg. His sister also survived. Mr and Mrs Henniker-Gotley who were from Central London with connections to Gloucestershire, owned a property in Sommati, a village just outside Armatrice, where they spent a lot of their time, the inquest was told. The inquest heard that John Henniker-Gotley, brother of Will, had been staying locally when he got the phone call at 5am UK time telling him there had been an earthquake and his brother, Will and wife Maria, along with Marcos were missing. "We were met by police on the edge of the town and had to drive round the villages because the area was devastated. Arriving at the mortuary which was makeshift tents with around 300 bodies inside, I waited before being told I could go in to identify the bodies," he stated. "The property was completely destroyed. It was catastrophic and I am in no doubt of what happened to them. After seeing the photos it made me completely certain of their fate," Mr Henniker-Gotley commented. Senior Gloucestershire Coroner Katy Skerrett recorded a conclusion of accidental death on both Mr and Mrs Henniker-Gotley. "The medical cause of death was noted as haemothorax and that is consistent with the overwhelming evidence," said the coroner. "This earthquake is something that could not have been foreseen but it had tragic and horrendous consequences causing a significant amount of casualties including that of Mr and Mrs Henniker-Gotley." "They suffered overwhelming injuries as a result of an earthquake which would almost certainly caused instaneous death. "Therefore I record conclusions of accidental death." Family of Mr and Mrs Henniker-Gotley attended the inquest but did not wish to make any comment afterwards, saying they felt everything that needed to be said had been said. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter A woman was killed when a van driven by her boyfriend at inappropriate speeds for the foggy and icy conditions became one of 21 vehicles involved in a multiple pile-up, an inquest heard today. Insurance worker Deborah Blood and her partner had been on their way to shop at the exclusive Bicester Village when she was tragically killed in the multiple crash in extremely heavy fog and freezing temperatures. She was sat in the passenger seat of her partner's Peugeot Partner van when he hit a stationary lorry on The A40 dual carriageway. The 54-year-old was heading for the designer labels shops but was killed just after 8.30am on December 28 last year when her partner swerved into the Scania lorry which had stopped on the A40 because of other crashes a kilometre ahead. Mum, 54, from Gloucester killed in foggy A40 crash named A statement from her partner Shane Giles, joined at the hearing by Deborah's two children, Rhea and Sean Beirne, was read out by Coroner Darren Salter who explained the pair were picking up where they had left off the previous day. "The day before the accident I had driven my girlfriend from Cheltenham to Bicester to go shopping. The drive took about one and a half hours each way," he said. "We had planned to go back to Bicester to continue shopping because we hadn't been able to visit all the shops we wanted to see." Mr Salter explained how the pair had set off from their home at about 7.30am in conditions that were described as "dark" and "cold". 'When I joined the A40 there was a van driving quite slowly in the inside lane so I went to the outside lane to go past it and remained there," he added. "I recall I was driving slower than normal because of the fog - I was not in a rush." He then described the conditions as getting much worse, as the pair reached the Witney bypass in Oxfordshire. "The fog suddenly got a lot thicker," he continued. "It looked like a wall of fog suddenly appeared in front of me." He went on to describe two lorries, mentioned by other witnesses, which were parked up in a lay-by at the side of the carriageway, yards from the crash site. Despite his attempts at slowing the car safely and keeping the vehicle pointing straight Mr Giles told how his car smashed into the back of the lorry, completely destroying the front passenger side of the car. The mother-of-two, from The Plantation in Abbeymead, was taken from the car and paramedics tried to resuscitate her with CPR. She was declared dead at 8.59am. The coroner summarised a statement written by lorry driver Sauklius Gajauskas which described the moment the van careered into the back of his Scania lorry and trailer. Describing the actual impact Mr Salter told the inquest that the force of the crash moved truck forward about two metres. Police constable Ross Clarkson attended the scene minutes later but could only get his car to the back of the pile-up before getting to the Peugeot on foot, due to the carnage in front of him. He said: "I remember seeing people sat around crying. Many vehicles were facing in different directions across the carriageway. "I recall it as being eerily silent as I ran towards the front of the collision. I remember nearly falling over in the carriageway several times." Born in Woolwich, south London, Ms Blood had worked for the Land Registry for 26 years before she was made redundant and had spent the last seven years of her life at AXA Insurance. Collision investigator Kevin Spiller told Oxford Coroners' Court that dense fog, black ice and the speed that Mr Giles had been driving at were to blame for Deborah's death. "The overriding factor in this collision was the driving at an inappropriate speed in poor weather conditions," he said. Although gritters from Oxfordshire County Council had been out at the stretch of road the night before, following guidelines, highway maintenance residence co-ordinator for the council, Paul Wilson, explained that it was impossible to prevent all ice forming. "Sometimes despite us doing our best efforts to grit the roads, ice is still formed," he told the inquest. Coroner Mr Salter recorded that the cause of death was multiple injuries caused by a road traffic collision, something he blamed on travelling at an "inappropriate" speed for the conditions. He said: "In terms of the cause of the series of collisions and the collision in question I don't think I can go beyond what our crash investigator said: 'The overriding factor was the driving at an inappropriate speed in poor weather conditions. We have more newsletters Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter Illegal tobacco has been found hidden in various places at this Gloucester shop numerous times. And during their latest visit to the shop in Eastgate Street trading standards officers found a hidden compartment inside a fence. Officers inspected the shop and yard where they found a holdall near a fence which looked out of place. Opening it, they found 131 packets of cigarettes and 24 pouches of hand rolling tobacco. Closer inspection of the fence revealed that it contained a hidden compartment, hinged to swing open like a door, containing another 390 packets of cigarettes and 110 pouches of tobacco. Brands seized include Marlboro, Regal, Mayfair, Richmond and Minsk cigarettes and Golden Virginia and Amber leaf tobacco. It is expected that examination of the Mayfair, Richmond and Regal cigarettes will confirm they are counterfeit. The shop would have made approximately 3,000 from selling the seized items and in doing so would have avoided paying approximately 7,500 in duty. Andy Hermiston, head of trading standards, said: This demonstrates the degree of sophistication involved in the sale of illegal tobacco. The hiding place has taken time and effort to create, suggesting a highly profitable activity. Trading standards will continue to prosecute shop owners who sell illegal tobacco from their shops. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter The political battle lines in Stroud are becoming clear with all the major parties candidates now place for the General Election David Drew, who was Strouds MP between 1997 and 2010 will almost certainly be fighting for the seat again for Labour The constituency party in Stroud has picked Mr Drew as its candidate for the General Election to be held on June 8. "It's very unexpected for me to be standing again having said that I would retire in 2010. This is, however, a snap election and I am pleased to be contesting the seat for Labour, said Mr Drew. We had other candidates but the party has called upon me as an experienced candidate and I will be fighting to win back Stroud by campaigning over the next five weeks on both national and local issues". His appointment is subject to ratification by the national executive on Wednesday but it would be a surprise if that body did not simply rubber stamp Mr Drews candidacy. Mr Drew, now 65, was born in Gloucestershire and was elected in the Labour landslide on 1997 which saw Tony Blair swept into Downing Street. He lost the seat to Conservative Neil Carmichael in the 2010 general election. Neil Carmichael, Strouds Conservative MP for the last seven years is defending a majority of 4,866 after increasing his majority in the 2015 election. Mr Carmichael has issued an election statement of his campaign. We need a strong economy, a capable workforce, a caring society and a united people, he says. Max Wilkinson is the candidate for the Liberal Democrats, who works in communications, having previously been a regional newspaper journalist across the west. I campaigned for a remain vote in the 2016 referendum and believe that the UK must maintain close ties to Europe for its future economic prosperity. The Tory hard Brexit will be harmful to our country and the Labour party's failure to oppose it is shameful. Stroud Central county councillor Sarah Lunnon is the parliamentary candidate for the Green Party. This is basically a second referendum, Theresa May is seeking a mandate to throw us off the Brexit cliff, for a little island 1950s backward vision of Britain. We don't have to agree it, she said. This General Election provides an opportunity to create a country that is secure with decent health and social care, a country that protects its economy and its countryside. It is probably the most important General Election of our lives". UKIP which polled 8% of Strouds votes in the 2010 General Election, has adopted Stonehouse resident Glen Gogerly as its party's candidate. Stuart Love of UKIP Stroud said: "Glen is a local man, he knows and understands the issues which ordinary people face throughout the Stroud Valleys and the Vale. Glen is the only true Brexit candidate in Stroud. We have more newsletters Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Get our weekly round-up of the best things to do and see with What's On in Gloucestershire One of Gloucestershire's top chefs is to appear on hit BBC television programme, The Great British Menu. The intensely technical show welcomes in the nations top chefs to compete against each other for the chance to cook a four-course banquet for a high-profile figure. Nick DeverellSmith, head chef at The Churchill arms, will represent Gloucestershire as Southern cooks go head-to-head on an episode airing on Monday 12 June. He is well-known in the area for serving up a beautiful Sunday lunch, complete with all of the trimmings. Other popular dishes on the Cotswold menu include beetroot gnocci with goats cheese, and Cotswold lamb rump. The twelfth series of the hit food show was launched on BBC2 last night. Hes not the first famous chef to feature on TV from Gloucestershire. Wayne Sullivan, head chef at The Old Stocks Inn in Stow-on-the-Wold competed on Masterchef: The professionals in late November last year. He made it all the way through to the top 10, but was one of the chefs to be knocked out when the final six were revealed. Previous Masterchef finalist, Andrew Koj Kojima opened up his first Japanese restaurant in Cheltenham, in March of this year, and described it as casual pub food. The menu includes Japanese BBQ skewers, grilled meat and fish and Japanese cocktails. Catch Mr Smith on The Great British Menu on BBC TWO. The two famous chefs have both appeared on the infamous show Masterchef: The professionals. With Wayne making it all the way through to the finals, whereas Wayne Suvillian got knocked out in the final 6. TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 2, 2017) - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX:DML) (NYSE MKT:DNN) today filed its Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") for the period ended March 31, 2017. Both documents are available on the Company's website at www.denisonmines.com or on SEDAR (at www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). The highlights provided below are derived from these documents and should be read in conjunction with them. All amounts in this release are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated. David Cates, President and CEO of Denison commented, "Denison was very active in the first quarter of 2017 on multiple fronts. In the field at Wheeler River, we are continuing to see very encouraging results from the Gryphon D series of lenses - where we intersected over 22 metres of high-grade uranium mineralization in a single hole. This supports our view that the Gryphon D series lenses could provide a meaningful increase to the resources currently estimated at Gryphon and may ultimately also enhance what are already compelling project economics. Infill drilling at Gryphon, required for the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study, has also returned encouraging results and remains on track for completion during the summer exploration program. Beyond our successes in the field, the Company completed three very important transactions during the first quarter - bringing considerable financial stability to the Company, despite what continues to be a turbulent uranium market. With an agreement to increase our interest in our flagship Wheeler River project to up to approximately 66% by the end of 2018, we have provided shareholders with increased leverage to the project, while still retaining the support of our existing joint venture partners. In addition, we have fortified our balance sheet by raising over CAD$63.5M in capital during the quarter - with the large majority from a non-dilutive source." Q1 2017 PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS Extended high-grade mineralization within the Gryphon D series of lenses at Wheeler River Drill holes testing for additional mineralization within the D series lenses intersected significant radiometric equivalent grades ("eU 3 O 8 ") including 1.9% eU 3 O 8 over 18.7 metres and 3.1% eU 3 O 8 over 3.4 metres in drill hole WR633-D3, and 2.9% eU 3 O 8 over 1.7 metres and 7.5% eU 3 O 8 over 1.2 metres in drill hole WR-689. Drill holes WR-633D3 and WR-689 are located approximately 26 metres down-dip and 17 metres up-dip, respectively, of WR-641, a previous drill hole which intersected 5.3% U 3 O 8 over 11.0 metres. As the D series of mineralized lenses are not included in the current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit, these results continue to illustrate the potential for a meaningful increase in estimated resources at the Gryphon deposit. Continued infill drilling, to increase the confidence of current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit, returned confirmatory high-grade and thick intersections A total of 22 infill holes, of approximately 40 holes required to upgrade the current Gryphon resource to an indicated level of confidence, have been completed to date - with the balance expected to be completed as part of the Company's upcoming summer drill program. The radiometric equivalent grade results received from the winter 2017 drill program continued to confirm continuity and high-grades of the Gryphon A, B and C series of mineralized lenses that are included in the current resource estimate for the deposit. Highlight intersections from infill drilling, completed during Q1 2017, include 5.9% eU 3 O 8 over 6.2 metres and 3.9% eU 3 O 8 over 7.1 metres. Executed Agreement to Increase Ownership of Wheeler River Project Up to 66% In January 2017, the Company executed an agreement with the partners of the Wheeler River Joint Venture that is expected to result in an increase in Denison's ownership of the Wheeler River project to up to approximately 66% (currently 60%) by the end of 2018. Under this agreement, Denison will fund 50% of Cameco Corp.'s ordinary 30% share of joint venture expenses in 2017 and 2018. Closed non-dilutive financing for gross proceeds of CAD$43.5 million, providing financial flexibility to fund future project development activities In February 2017, Denison closed a financing arrangement for gross proceeds of CAD$43.5 million, which has monetized Denison's future share of the toll milling revenue earned by the McClean Lake mill from the processing of certain ore from the Cigar Lake mine (the "Toll Milling Transaction"). Through this transaction, Denison retains its 22.5% ownership of the McClean Lake Joint Venture ("MLJV") and the McClean Lake mill, but has de-risked its income from certain toll milling revenue, as the Company is not providing any warranty to the future rate of production at the Cigar Lake mine or the McClean Lake mill. The proceeds from the financing are expected to fund the Company's project development costs for Wheeler River to the completion of a bankable feasibility study and ultimately project financing for the Wheeler River project. Obtained financing for the Company's 2018 Canadian exploration activities In March 2017, Denison completed a private placement of 18,337,000 common shares for gross proceeds of $14,806,000 (CAD$20,000,290). The financing included (1) a "Common Share" offering of 5,790,000 common shares of Denison at a price of CAD$0.95 per share; (2) a "Tranche A Flow-Through" offering of 8,482,000 flow-through shares at a price of CAD$1.12 per share; and (3) a "Tranche B Flow-Through" offering of 4,065,000 flow-through shares at a price of CAD$1.23 per share. The proceeds from the flow-through tranches of the financing will be used to fund Canadian exploration activities through to the end of 2018. ABOUT DENISON Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its 60% owned Wheeler River project, which hosts the high grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, Denison's exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering approximately 360,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region, including 337,000 hectares in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the MLJV, which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest deposit, and a 63.01% interest in the J Zone deposit on the Waterbury Lake property. Both the Midwest and J Zone deposits are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill. Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services division ("DES") and is the manager of Uranium Participation Corp. ("UPC"), a publicly traded company, which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride. SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (in thousands) As at March 31, 2017 As at December 31, 2016 Financial Position of Continuing Operations: Cash and cash equivalents $ 43,548 $ 11,838 Working capital $ 38,128 $ 9,853 Property, plant and equipment $ 188,776 $ 187,982 Total assets $ 260,146 $ 217,423 Total long-term liabilities $ 64,035 $ 37,452 (in thousands, except for per share amounts) 2017 Q1 2016 Q1 Continuing Operations: Total revenues $ 2,601 $ 3,330 Net loss $ (646 ) $ (4,445 ) Basic and diluted loss per share $ - $ (0.01 ) RESULTS OF CONTINUING OPERATIONS Revenues On February 13, 2017, Denison closed the Toll Milling Transaction under which Denison received an upfront payment of $32,860,000 (CAD$43,500,000), in exchange for its right to receive future toll milling cash receipts from the MLJV under the current toll milling agreement with the Cigar Lake Joint Venture ("CLJV") from July 1, 2016 onwards. The upfront payment has been accounted for as deferred revenue. The Company's share of toll milling revenue for January 2017, prior to the closing of the Toll Milling Transaction, of $444,000 was recognized as toll milling revenue in Q1 2017. Following the closing of the arrangement, the Company recognized $354,000 in additional toll milling revenue from the draw-down of deferred revenue. Revenue from DES during Q1 2017 was $1,496,000, while revenue from the Company's management contract with UPC was $307,000. Operating expenses Operating expenses in the Canadian mining segment include depreciation, mining and other development costs. Operating expenses during Q1 2017 were $1,056,000, including $932,000 of depreciation from the McClean Lake mill, associated with the processing of U 3 O 8 for the CLJV. Operating expenses at DES during Q1 2017 totaled $1,378,000 and relate primarily to care and maintenance and environmental consulting services provided to clients and includes labour and other costs. Exploration and Evaluation The Company's focus remains on the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, with a significant portfolio of projects covering over 337,000 hectares in the region. Denison's share of exploration and evaluation expenditures was $4,210,000 during Q1 2017. Wheeler River Project Denison's share of exploration costs at Wheeler River amounted to $1,934,000 during Q1 2017. The winter 2017 drilling program was focused on two objectives: continued infill and delineation drilling on the Gryphon deposit, in order to upgrade the current inferred resources to an indicated level of confidence, and exploration drilling outside of the current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit, with the aim of discovering additional resources. The winter 2017 drilling program was completed in early April 2017, with a total of 14,732 metres drilled in 26 holes. Further details of the winter 2017 result are provided in Denison's press releases dated March 29, 2017 and April 20, 2017. Exploration Drilling Outside of the Gryphon Resource Nine holes totalling 6,330 metres were completed outside of the mineralized zones making up the current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit, including four holes targeting the horizon of the Gryphon D series lenses, and five holes down-dip of the A and B series lens mineralization included in the resource estimate. The four holes completed within the D series lenses were designed to test the continuity of mineralization between the previous exploration holes, which were completed on an approximate 50 x 50 metre spacing. The D series lenses are not included in the current resource estimate for the Gryphon deposit and occur footwall, and within 200 metres to the north and northwest, of the A, B and C series lenses. The four holes were centred around previous drill hole WR-641, which intersected 5.3% U 3 O 8 over 11.0 metres, including 12.6% U 3 O 8 over 4.5 metres (see Denison's press release dated May 26, 2016). Drill holes WR-633D3 and WR-689, located approximately 26 metres down-dip and 17 metres up-dip of WR-641 respectively, returned multiple intersections of high-grade mineralization within the D series lenses, including 1.9% eU 3 O 8 over 18.7 metres and 3.1% eU 3 O 8 over 3.4 metres in drill hole WR633-D3. Additionally, new mineralization within the A, B and C series planes has been discovered while testing the D series of lenses. This includes a B series lens intersection of 2.7% eU 3 O 8 over 1.9 metres in drill hole WR-689, located approximately 125 metres southwest along strike of WR-507D2, which included an intersection of 19.31% U 3 O 8 over 1.0 metre (see Denison's press release dated November 17, 2016). Evaluation Program / PFS Activities Denison's share of evaluation costs at Wheeler River amounted to $287,000 for Q1 2017, and mainly related to the various engineering data collection activities, including geotechnical and hydrogeological work, engineering investigations into alternate mining methods at Phoenix, and options for shaft and vent raise excavation at both Gryphon and Phoenix. The Company also advanced its environmental baseline programs, and continued with the community consultation and engagement process. Exploration Pipeline Properties During the 2017 winter season, eight other exploration programs on Denison properties (outside of Wheeler River) were carried out, with seven operated by Denison. These included four drilling programs (three operated by Denison) as well as geophysical surveying. While spending on these exploration pipeline projects has generally been reduced, exploration activities continue to deliver encouraging results - in many cases, warranting follow-up. Highlights include the following: At Waterbury Lake (Denison 63.01% interest and operator), nine drill holes totaling 4,803 metres were completed in Q1 2017 to test targets at the unconformity along the Hamilton Lake trend. The results confirmed strike continuity of a significant graphitic fault zone in the basement rocks, with associated structured and altered overlying sandstone. Drill hole WAT17-438, which optimally intersected the basement graphitic fault zone at the unconformity, intersected 0.09% eU 3 O 8 over 0.6 metres at the unconformity, with an associated alteration plume. The Hamilton Lake trend is interpreted to extend over 13 kilometres in strike, and remains a high priority for exploration in the future. At Murphy Lake (Denison 78.96% interest and operator), Denison completed a nine hole drill program, totaling 3,433 metres, with a primary focus on testing the Dalton Lake trend both to the east and west along strike where alteration remained open and untested targets were evident in the ground geophysical and geochemical datasets. Additional drilling was completed to evaluate other high priority targets associated with parallel trends in the area. The winter 2017 drilling program successfully extended the known alteration system over a continuous strike length of 1.8 kilometres, though no significant radioactivity or uranium mineralization was encountered. At Crawford Lake (Denison 100% interest), one 519 metre drill hole (CR-17-29) was completed during winter 2017 to utilize ice formation to test a target occurring below a lake. The single hole was completed on the CR-3 conductive trend targeting a 'structural bend' interpreted from ground geophysical data. Drill hole CR-17-29 intersected weakly elevated total gamma radioactivity (280 counts per second) at the unconformity and a graphitic unit with faults at 43 metres and 52 metres below the unconformity. General and administrative expenses Total general and administrative expenses were $2,331,000 during Q1 2017. These costs are mainly comprised of head office salaries and benefits, office costs in multiple regions, audit and regulatory costs, legal fees, investor relations expenses, project costs, and all other costs related to operating a public company with listings in Canada and the United States. It also includes $1,049,000 in non-recurring project costs associated with the Toll Milling Transaction. Other Income During Q1 2017, the Company recognized gains of $3,508,000 in other income. The gains in the current period were predominantly due to gains on investments carried at fair value, of $2,938,000, driven by favourable mark-to-market adjustments on the Company's investments in GoviEx Uranium Inc. and Skyharbour Resources Ltd. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES Cash and cash equivalents were $43,548,000 at March 31, 2017. The Company holds the large majority of its cash, cash equivalents, and investments in Canadian dollars, amounting to CAD$57.9 million. Denison has restricted cash of $7,384,000, largely due to the terms of the Company's revolving term credit facility with the Bank of Nova Scotia ("BNS"), which is restricted to non-financial letters of credit in support of reclamation obligations. The facility was extended and amended on January 31, 2017, and requires the Company maintain CAD$9,000,000 pledged restricted cash on deposit at BNS. OUTLOOK FOR 2017 During Q1 2017, the Company increased its corporate administration and other expenses included in the 2017 Outlook by $770,000, primarily because of the non-recurring project costs incurred in Q1 2017 related to the Toll Milling Transaction. The remainder of the 2017 outlook remains unchanged from the Company's previously disclosed 2017 budget. Follow Denison on Twitter: @DenisonMinesCo QUALIFIED PERSON, ASSAY PROCEDURES AND FURTHER DETAILS The disclosure of scientific or technical information regarding Denison's properties in this press release was prepared by, or reviewed and approved by, Dale Verran, MSc, Pr.Sci.Nat., the Company's Vice President, Exploration, a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. Grade results reported herein as "eU 3 O 8 " refer to radiometric equivalent U 3 O 8 derived from a calibrated total gamma down-hole probe. Radiometric equivalent U 3 O 8 results are preliminary in nature and all mineralized intervals have been sampled and submitted for chemical U 3 O 8 assay in accordance with Denison's technical procedures. All Gryphon drill holes reported herein were drilled at a high angle to mineralization to allow for better evaluation of true thicknesses which are expected to be approximately 75% of the intersection lengths. For further details regarding the description of the data verification, assay procedures and the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied by Denison, please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2017 available under Denison's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its Form 40-F available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Further details regarding the Gryphon deposit and the current mineral resource estimates are provided in the NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Wheeler River project titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated April 8, 2016 with an effective date of March 31, 2016. A copy of this report is available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: the likelihood of completing and benefits to be derived from corporate transactions; use of proceeds from financing activities; expectations regarding further studies on material properties, including the PFS; expectations regarding the toll milling of Cigar Lake ores; expectations regarding revenues and expenditure from operations at DES; expectations regarding Denison's ownership interests and continuity of agreements with its partners; expectations regarding the provision of management services to UPC; capital expenditure programs, estimated exploration and development expenditures and reclamation costs and Denison's share of same; and exploration, development and expansion plans and objectives and statements regarding anticipated budgets. Statements relating to "mineral reserves" or "mineral resources" are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the mineral reserves and mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2017 under the heading "Risk Factors". These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this press release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources: This press release may use the terms "measured", "indicated" and "inferred" mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. Vancouver, May 3, 2017 - Nexus Gold Corp. ("Nexus" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NXS, OTC: NXXGF, FSE: N6E) is pleased to provide an update on the Company's ongoing exploration activity in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Additional Zones and Targets Identified at Niangouela Company geologists are pleased to report that in addition to the main quartz vein-shear system tested to date, an additional five zones of veining and shearing have now been identified at the Niangouela gold concession. These additional structures were originally observed in artisanal workings and are currently being tested by trenching and drilling. Initial sampling of the dumps from two of the new zones have returned values of 2.25 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au"), and 1.88 and 1.86 g/t Au, respectively. The zones occur over approximately 2000 metres (2km) in an east-west direction and are spread over 500 metres in a north-south direction. These additional targets are located approximately 200 metres north and 1000 metres east of the main zone which has been the focus of the drilling to date. The company has been testing these zones over its phase two program and anticipates continued testing of these new zones in further phases. An area map designed to illustrate the identified zones now known at Niangouela is currently being created and will be made available on the company website when completed. Niangouela Gold Concession Update The Company anticipates concluding its phase two diamond drill program at the 178-square kilometre Niangouela exploration permit located approximately 85 kilometres north of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in early May. A 2000m phase two program has been underway since early April to test down the dip and strike extensions of gold mineralization identified by the company in its initial phase one program. The program is also testing additional targets identified through surface mapping and prospecting. Results from this program will be released once received, reviewed and verified. Highlights from the first nine phase-one drill holes at Niangouela, as reported in Company news releases March 7, 2017, and April 5, 2017, include 6.2m of 4.00 g/t Au (including 1m of 20.50 g/t Au); 4.85m of 26.69 g/t Au (including .62m of 11.70 g/t Au, and 1.03m of 132 g/t Au); and 4m of 2.95 g/t Au (including 1m of 5 g/t Au) and 1m of 5.92 g/t Au*. Phase one drill results to date can be found on the company website here: http://www.nexusgoldcorp.com/index.php/en/projects-3/niangouela-gold-concession * Note assay results represent intercept lengths and are not true widths Bouboulou Gold Concession The Company is pleased to announce plans to undertake a previously announced diamond drill program at its 38.8-sq km Bouboulou gold concession, in June. Bouboulou is located approximately 75 kilometres north-west of the capital Ouagadougou, on the Boromo-Goren greenstone belt, and is bisected by the Sabce shear zone. "With the onset of the rainy season the Company's technical team has recommended we move operations to the Bouboulou concession during this time," said President and CEO, Peter Berdusco. "The heavy rainfall is less problematic from an operational standpoint at Bouboulou and this gives us an opportunity to continue our drilling in Burkina Faso, and in particular, on one of the three major gold-mineralized trends we've identified on the property," continued Mr. Berdusco. Four zones of gold mineralization have been previously identified on the property, termed Koala, Rawema, Bouboulou 2 and Pelgtanga. In 2011 and 2012 Roxgold Inc. completed reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling (DD) pograms to test these four mineralized zones. Historical drilling highlights from each of the four zones can be found on the Company website here: http://www.nexusgoldcorp.com/index.php/en/projects-3/bouboulou-gold-concession The Company has subsequently identified three distinct 5000m (5km) long anomalous gold trends at the Bouboulou concession. Each of the three trends display strong coincidental geochemical and geophysical gold anomalies, and extend from the four drill-identified mineralized zones, namely Rawema, Pelgtanga, Bouboulou 2 and Koala. They are identified by numerous orpaillages and geochemical samples of greater than 1 g/t Au. All three of the Bouboulou trends identified are defined by similar coincidental anomalies. Each trend has substantial artisanal workings either directly on them, or along the trend. A map of the three trends can be seen here: http://www.nexusgoldcorp.com/images/NexusGold_Boub1.jpg About Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked nation, located in West Africa. It covers an area of roughly 274,000 square kilometres and has an estimated population of more than 16 million people. The country has a stable political setting with a pro-mining and foreign investment stance. Burkina Faso is the fastest growing gold producer in Africa, and was the 4th largest gold producer in Africa in 2012. Eight new mines have been commissioned there over the past six years. The country has excellent geological potential. The Greenstone Belts that host all of the major deposits in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire continue northward into Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has undergone less than 15 years of modern mineral exploration, remaining under-explored in comparison to neighbouring Ghana and Mali; both of which host world-class gold mines in the same belts of Birimian rocks. About the Company Nexus Gold Corp. is a Vancouver-based gold exploration and development company operating in some of the world's premier mining districts. The Company is currently concentrating its efforts on two gold projects located in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Bouboulou gold concession is a 38-sq km advanced exploration target where previous drilling has confirmed multiple zones of gold mineralization. The Niangouela gold concession is a 178-sq km project featuring high grade gold occurring in and around a primary quartz vein 1km in length and associated shear zone. For more information on these projects, please visit the Company website at www.nexusgoldcorp.com. Warren Robb P.Geo., Senior Geologist is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information contained in this release. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nexus Gold Corp. Peter Berdusco President and Chief Executive Officer 604-558-1920 www.nexusgoldcorp.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Copyright (c) 2017 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Two-time independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler continues to play a key role in charting the future of Maine's non-party movement.Next year will bring a key election for independents in the state: Mainers passed a first-in-the-nation system of ranked-choice voting in 2016 and while it's stuck in the state's high court over constitutional questions, it may give non-party candidates a lift in future elections.Under such a system, Cutler would likely have been elected over Gov. Paul LePage in 2010, when he narrowly lost to the Republican. But he then finished a distant third behind LePage and Democrat Mike Michaud in 2014 and went to work on a University of Maine system project to merge law, business and public policy schools.Alumni from Cutler's campaigns -- including Kyle Bailey, his 2014 finance director -- were behind the ranked-choice voting effort. In February, Bailey started Maine Independents, a new political action committee with a stated mission of supporting "political reform."Cutler said he'll be involved in recruiting legislative candidates under that banner. He called it "a refuge from the parties" that would create a community for unenrolled candidates that doesn't exist now."If we succeed in recruiting a lot of independent candidates to run in competitive districts," he said, "you're creating not just competitive races in those districts, you're creating a 'there' there."It's an unprecedented project in Maine politics and Cutler said he won't be the effort's sole or even a primary funder. He said he hoped the group could be well-funded, citing the ranked-choice voting campaign that raised more than $2 million as a potential model.Cutler is all in on independent Maine State Treasurer Terry Hayes' 2018 gubernatorial bid. He gave an early endorsement to Hayes, who worked on his 2014 campaign and kicked off her run to replace LePage last month, saying he has "no doubt" that she'll be a "great candidate.""She is a straight shooter. She doesn't hide the ball on anything," he said. "She has demonstrated an ability to work with people on both sides of the aisle."Like Cutler, Hayes is a former Democrat. She fell out with her party after she was passed over for the House speaker position at the beginning of her last legislative term in 2012. Since 2010, Cutler has largely battled with Democrats who have labeled him a "spoiler" in his gubernatorial races.Not much has changed: He blasted Democrats' allegiance to the Maine Education Association, which he said would hurt it in the next election, especially after the teachers union so fervently backed the voter-approved surtax on income over $200,000 to fund education.He said raising taxes in Maine is "not the place I'd want to be either as a candidate or as a governor or someone trying to turn the fortunes of this state around.""The Democratic Party in Maine is a wholly owned affiliate of the MEA, in my view," he said. "It may sound hyperbolic, but not much so."This item was originally published in Daily Brief, a newsletter distributed Monday through Friday to inform dialogue about Maine politics and government. To read more, click here. On Tuesday, in the afternoon, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted an Investiture Ceremony for residents of Queensland, recipients of Australian bravery decorations announced in August 2016. Following, at Government House, the Governor received Mr Paul Simshauser, Director-General of the Department of Energy and Water Supply, and Miss Luisas Simshauser. (TNS) -- Portland is taking legal aim at another sector of the so-called "gig economy."The Portland City Council is expected to weigh whether to give city regulators the authority to subpoena vacation-rental sites like Airbnb and HomeAway, compelling them to turn over information on hosts using the platforms to advertise rooms or homes for rent.The subpoenas would seek user information to expose unregistered listings that haven't been inspected or aren't paying hotel taxes, as required under city code.Since 2015, the city has directed lodging taxes from short-term rentals toward its affordable housing efforts.Commissioner Nick Fish said he expects the city council to consider the idea at the same time as it weighs hitting Uber with a subpoena in its investigation of the ride-hailing company's efforts to dodge city regulators in 2015."There are too many companies that are not policing the hosts and making sure that the units are safe," Fish said.The city's Bureau of Development Services said there were 3,000 properties offering short-term rentals in Portland late last year, but that only about 22 percent had obtained the required permits.Fish said the subpoenas could be considered "friendly" by those companies, in that they offer a legal excuse to disclose user data they otherwise agree not to in their privacy policies.But the big players in the vacation-rental industry aren't likely to take that position.The city has had a particularly antagonistic relationship with HomeAway, and the two have traded lawsuits over the city's rules.That company says it can neither collect lodging taxes for its users nor turn over a list of its members for the city to contact directly. It further argued that the city didn't have the authority to force a rental facilitator like HomeAway to collect the taxes.The legal wrangling prompted a measure on the May ballot, Measure 26-194, which would explicitly allow the city to collect lodging taxes from businesses that facilitate short-term rentals, rather than the owners of the rentals themselves.Regulators have also been frustrated by industry leader Airbnb, whose website obscures the exact location of rentals and makes it difficult to detect those operating without a license.That company, however, has collected lodging taxes and remitted them to the city on its users' behalf since 2014."This type of action is avoidable by working together on a comprehensive solution," Airbnb spokeswoman Laura Rillos said in an email. "We remain committed to working with the City of Portland to streamline the onerous registration process to increase permitting compliance and allow Portland families to continue sharing their homes to make ends meet."The prospect of the subpoenas came a day after Commissioner Dan Saltzman said the city council would consider a legislative subpoena to force Uber to turn over details of its "Greyball" program to dodge city regulators.That followed a monthlong investigation into the practice, which Uber admitted it used in Portland in 2014, when the company was operating in the city illegally.Bryce Bennet, Uber's Oregon general manager, said in a statement Friday afternoon that the company had been forthcoming with the city. He also took aim at Fish, who called early on for the city to use its subpoena power to force the company to turn over information."It is unfortunate this investigation and the report have become so politically charged, and that Commissioner Fish has used the process to make baseless claims about our conduct in Portland," Bennet said in the statement.The city's full report on its investigation into Uber was posted online Friday Speed of decision-making Government fear of making a mistake Bill Schrier is one of my favorite geeks, if not my favorite, and he wrote the following blog post recently, If it is always Day 1 at Amazon, it is Day 10 in Government. Bill touches on a number of topics that differentiate the private sector and government. Two that dominate in my thinking are:Both of these are tied together. If you want to know why I left Washington State Emergency Management in 1996, it was these two things. The then-boss was afraid of making a mistake and killed every new idea I presented with 20 questions. When answered, there were another 20. I got the message time to go!And, on that last note, remember that "generally" people don't leave organizations, they leave bosses. Venna Schumann Ballard, born August 13, 1943 to Hyrum F. and Marlena P. Schumann in Tremonton, Utah passed away in the presence of her family on May 1, 2017 following a cancer diagnoses. She was 73. Venna was born to a family of German immigrants. Hyrums parents immigrated to Utah shortly before his birth. Her father met her mother while serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Germany. He returned for her after his mission just prior to World War II and brought Marlena to Blue Creek, Utah where Venna and three of her siblings were born. Vennas parents then moved to a ranch in Clover Valley, Nevada in 1947 where they would welcome four more children. This is where Venna would spend the rest of her life. She and her siblings loved Clover Valley. Venna married Don Ballard, a neighboring rancher, on December 6, 1963. The two would make their home on the Ballard Ranch where she lived until a hospital stay shortly before her death. Together they were the parents to six children, Scott, Thad, Ann, Tim, Tom and Sam and multiple foster children including Roy Stoffels, who is still part of the family. Don passed away on July 24, 1982, leaving Venna, under very difficult circumstances, to care for the ranch and her children who were all under the age of 16. She also cared for other members of the Ballard family. Venna was blessed with a strong will and determination to raise her children the way that she and Don had planned. With the help of her oldest son Scott and his wife Jennifer, and through many blessings, she was able to stay on the ranch in Clover Valley. Venna always had a tender spot in her heart for this beautiful high desert mountain valley. Often times, even after short trips away, she would tear up at the first sight of the East Humboldt Mountains in the distance as she would near home. Most of all, what endeared the valley to her were the memories of family and the love of good neighbors and friends who continue to be a blessing to her and her family. Venna had a deep love for Nevada and for America and was fiercely protective of constitutional principles. She appreciated common sense. Venna had a wonderful sense of humor, some strong opinions, and a great appreciation for the simple beauties of the Earth. She found beauty everywhere, in flowers, wildlife, birds, and especially livestock. She found it necessary to make each meal an occasion. She would always set the table with the finest spread and the most wonderful food for which she was famous. She labored especially hard to ensure that holidays were a memorable and special event. She was careful to send out handmade cards and small thoughtful gifts at each holiday. Those who received these surprises waited with great anticipation. She was very perceptive in giving gifts that were of special importance to the recipient. She sent notes of encouragement, thanks, or acknowledgement of a particular event or milestone in their lives. Her life was spent in service beginning with her siblings and later to her children and to the residents of an assisted living center, Beehive House, in Wells, Nevada. Venna was proud of her work there and had some cherished memories. She was very faithful in her service as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She worked in many capacities but her most recent and probably favorite, was as Activity Days Leader. This group works to help eight through eleven-year-old girls learn life skills; build friendships and confidence in themselves. Venna had a special place in her heart for these young girls and loved them very much. She deeply cared for children and her Primary class held similar importance. One of Vennas special gifts was emulating the love of Jesus Christ. Her family, friends, and even doctors and nurses felt this love. Venna lost many loved ones including her parents, two youngest brothers, Reed (Kathy) and Rolf as well as her husband, Don, and many members of his family which caused much sadness and hardship. Surviving her are two older siblings, Celia (Jerry Marchant) of Oakley Idaho, Dallas (Beth) of Treasureton, Idaho; younger siblings Helen Schumann, Kathryn Schumann, Karen (Wally Wright) all of Salt Lake City, Utah; her children and grandchildren all lived within a short distance of her and will miss her dearly; Scott and Jennifer and Thad and Heidi of Clover Valley, Ann and Jared Mitton of Oakley, Idaho, Tim and Sandy, Tom and Patti, and Sam and Brooke of Elko. Venna had 19 grandchildren and two great grandchildren whom she cherished and found more happiness in than all else. Without doubt, she will be greatly missed by all who knew her which was evidenced so very well in the care, attention, well wishes and condolences that were extended to her throughout her life and recent illness. Funeral Services will be held on May 6, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Wells, Nevada, 1159 Lake Blvd., where a public visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. The family will also receive visitors at this location on May 5, 2017 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Graveside services will be held at the Clover Valley Cemetery located 14.5 miles south of Wells, following funeral services. A luncheon for the family will be provided following the graveside service. Arrangements have been entrusted to Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East in Salt Lake City, Utah. Online condolences may be offered at www.starksfuneral.com. The family has expressed wishes that those who are financially able and desirous will donate in Vennas name to Huntsman Cancer Hospital and Research Institute at 2050 Circle of Hope Drive in SLC, Utah 84112. We thank you for your love and friendship Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says the best thing about the sport's new era is that there is finally a fight at the front. Invited as a guest of the respective promoters, despite only now having a hands-off role, the 86-year-old was present in both Bahrain and Russia recently. He credits the success of the Sochi race to controversial Russian president Vladimir Putin. "I remember when I first came here and I was discouraged," the Izestia news agency quotes Ecclestone as saying. "I was not completely sure Russia would be able to build such a great track, but I relaxed after the guarantees given to me by Vladimir Putin. I know that your president only takes informed decisions," he added. "He will be remembered as a great president, who does a lot for his country and for world peace," Ecclestone said. He said he is sure Sochi will stay on the calendar beyond its 2025 contract, but confirmed reports that talks about a night race have now ended. "We had the idea but I don't know if it's worth it. The TV pictures from Sochi in the afternoon are wonderful and everything is organised at a very high level, so there's no need to change," said Ecclestone. Finally, Ecclestone spoke about the 2017 season, in which changes he presided over last year came into fruition in the form of the current, faster cars. And at the front, Mercedes finally has a challenger in Ferrari. "I think Sebastian (Vettel) and Lewis (Hamilton) will continue to fight for first place," said Ecclestone. "It will be a very interesting fight. "This year, Ferrari is really back in the fight for the top places, and that's very good news. Fans were very tired of Mercedes' domination of recent years, and increased competition helps the promoters to sell more tickets," he added. (GMM) ELKO The Burger King McLamore Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Burger King brand, announced four Elko County students are recipients of the 2017 Burger King Scholars awards. These students join more than 3,200 other recipients throughout North America that were awarded a collective $3.5 million in scholarships. These four $1,000 scholarships were sponsored by local Burger King franchisee, HB Boys, L.C., through their support of the Foundation and the BK Scholars program through in-restaurant fundraising initiatives. The new class of BK Scholars includes Kacie Bell and Jesus Rodriguez of Elko High School; Mikayla Rodriguez of Wells High School; and Carlos Quintero of West Wendover High School. We are so proud of the future these students are creating for themselves and our community, and were honored to play a small role in it, said franchisee Gary Moore. They go above and beyond everyones expectations in all areas including school work, community involvement and were happy to have them join the Burger King Scholars family. Daniel Ricciardo has played down reports linking him with a move to Ferrari. It is not the first time the Australian has been mentioned in connection with the fabled Italian team, but Red Bull consistently reports that it has the 27-year-old under contract for the next two years. And Osterreich newspaper quotes Ricciardo as saying: "Definitely I want to be in the fastest car if possible, but there's nothing in my head at the moment." However, he does admit that Red Bull is currently not in pacesetters Ferrari and Mercedes' league. "At the moment we are not in the fight for the world title," Ricciardo said. But the premier energy drink-owned team is preparing a major step forward with a 'B' car for the next race in Barcelona, said to be a full second per lap faster. "If we are strong in Barcelona, it could be the turning point," Ricciardo said. (GMM) ELKO -- The Northeastern Nevada Stewardship Group's 18th annual meeting featured a keynote speech about jackrabbits and wildfires, catered chili serenaded by Southwind, and a young girl with magical dancing shoes. Kent McAdoo began the address by saying the advantage of staying in one place for an entire career is the ability to observe small changes that occur over time. Specifically, he cited the return of white-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendia), which nobody is preserving, as an example of incidental conservation. Also called the northern varying hare, prairie hare, and mountain hare, townsendia is sometimes colloquially, and incorrectly, identified as the smaller snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) due to both exhibiting pelage change from brown to white in winter. McAdoo charted the unexpected return of these jackrabbits in fire regrowth areas, and also discussed their habitat congruency with bighorns, pronghorns, and sage grouse. He also discussed the sagebrush-perennial grass continuum versus monoculture spread of cheatgrass, and the white-tailed jackrabbit as a barometer of functional perennial grass components. In the question and answer period, McAdoo explained, Burns in upper elevations return favorably, with less cheatgrass monoculture, probably due to better precipitation in upper elevations. He said many perennials do well after burns. "If you can step from one crown to another after a fire, reseeding is unnecessary, he said. After a follow-up question about protocols for fires in higher elevations, and more attention paid in lower elevations, McAdoo said some suggest mosaics of controlled, proscribed burns. There's too much fire in the lower, and not enough in upper elevations, he added. When asked if he had any good recipes, McAdoo suggested making rabbit sausage with pork. Frying 'em up always works good. The annual meeting on April 21 also featured a raffle, chili catered by the Lamoille 4-H Club, and musicby Southwind in the G Three Bar Theater at the Western Folklore Center. Gary Reese honored Doug Clarke of the U.S. Forest Service with a framed art photo for his otherwise unrecognized achievements in collaborative conservation. Outgoing President Kaitlyn Sweet conducted the brief agenda, with items of business including the Treasury Report, proposing changes to the bylaws to consolidate organizational structure, and introducing the incoming officers. ELKOAre you ready to party like its 1917? With these words, Elko County Commissioner and native Elkoan Delmo Andreozzi kicked off Elkos centennial birthday party Monday evening in the downtown corridor. The celebration marked the day 100 years ago voters approved to incorporate the county seat and install a mayor and city council. It was filled with history, music, a barbecue and a groundbreaking for the Mark Chilton Centennial Tower. This is truly a great day to be an Elkoan, said Andreozzi, who emceed the ceremony and recalled Elkos past 49 years before becoming a city when Native American tribes lived in the area and the railroad set up the town in December 1868. During the festivities, Mayor Chris Johnson portrayed first mayor J.A. McBride and read McBrides proclamation in recognition of the citys incorporation. Johnson also read a certificate of recognition from Gov. Brian Sandoval on Elkos achievement. As governor of this great state of Nevada, I offer my congratulations on this historic milestone, Sandoval said. Elko has made valuable contributions to the history, economy and culture of the Silver State and Im proud to recognize this noteworthy occasion. Johnson also led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance before the National Anthem was played by the Elko High School Band of Indians led by band director Kaiti Gentry. Describing the towns unique appeal, Andreozzi introduced notable people and groups in Elkos history, including Mark Chilton, the Great Basin College founders, artists and the mining industry played by members of the Elko Centennial Committee and other community performers. So, whats so special about Elko anyway? Theres a feeling in the air, theres a vibe. Do you know what it is? Its authenticity. Its a place where people are real. What you see is what you get, said Andreozzi. We see opportunity where others overlook it. Were proud of who we are and we dont often pat ourselves on the back. We see opportunity and thrive. Look around you. There are examples everywhere. Our predecessors made something out of nothing, continued Andreozzi. During the ceremony, dancers from the Elko Basque Club and the Elko Mexican Folkloric Ballet performed and the EHS Choraliers led by Choral Director Karen Rogers, sang Home Means Nevada. While they sing, Andreozzi said in his introduction of the Choraliers, I ask you to reflect on this historic corridor right here and how its transformed from sagebrush to rails, creating a corridor of opportunity and commerce. May we always look to the future, capitalize on the present and cherish our past. A ceremonial ground-breaking for the Mark Chilton Centennial Tower, named for the engineer who was instrumental in the removal of the railroad tracks through downtown Elko in the 1970s and early 1980s in Project Lifesaver, formally concluded the evening. The Knights of Columbus sponsored a barbecue for attendants with a suggested donation of $5, proceeds of which will go toward the tower, said Centennial committee chairman Jim Conner. After the festivities, Johnson said he enjoyed acting as the first mayor and used the experience as an opportunity to research the early city government and reflect back on what they accomplished. Concluding his remarks, Andreozzi asked the crowd to look to someone next to you and say Happy Birthday, Elko! ELKO Veterans looking for legal help can attend a workshop created by Attorney General Adam Laxalt Friday at the National Guard Armory in Elko. Laxalt created the Office of Military Legal Assistance in 2015. It is the nations first attorney general-led, public-private partnership offering military communities access to free civil legal services. The Office of Military Legal Assistance is dedicated to giving back to our local military heroes by providing them with free legal services, and the response from our service members and veterans has been overwhelming, Laxalt said. It is my hope that this program will demonstrate a commitment to our military communities, and that eligible Nevadans will continue to take advantage of these services. Workshops to help veterans with wills and powers of attorney are hosted at least once a month throughout Nevada. It is a free service provided to Nevada veterans who need the documents drafted. The Elko workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1375 13th St. Laxalt will be in attendance Friday and looks forward to speaking with veterans, his office stated. A second workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the same location. The Attorney Generals Office of Military Legal Assistance, through its pro bono partnerships, is proud to have helped Nevadas Service members and veterans handle more than 1,200 pro bono matters since its launch in November 2015, the AG office stated. The program pairs Nevadas active duty, Guard and reserve service members with local attorneys to receive legal assistance for civil matters including: consumer fraud, military rights, immigration, landlord/tenant, predatory lending and creditor/debtor issues. In 2016, the Department of Defense named the OMLA a Best Practice Program, and recommended that the program be duplicated in states throughout the country. The Office of Military Legal Assistance has a website, nvagomla.nv.gov. Users can find information about how to get free legal assistance and how attorneys can volunteer for the program. Nevada is home to about 11,400 active-duty military members, 7,620 reserve and more than 228,000 veterans, the attorney generals office stated. ELKO Nevada Democratic Party Chairman William McCurdy II led a planning meeting with local party members Saturday at Duncan LittleCreek Gallery. McCurdy, who also serves as Assemblyman for District 6, discussed several topics of local and state significance, including Elkoans ease of attending state meetings, creating jobs through geothermal resources, and finding common ground with political opponents. What defines you is how you respond to obstacles in your life, McCurdy said, after describing dropping out of high school at 17 to raise a child, before finally graduating as Student Body President from the College of Southern Nevada at 24. McCurdy was elected party Chair March 4, after turmoil in last years presidential caucus. Local members brought up the difficulties of attending state meetings, whether rural members drive to the city, or city members drive to rural centers like Elko. Even videoconferencing has inherent drawbacks, like the ability to ask questions, as well as traveling to a location with enough digital bandwidth for effective communication. Everybody has a seat at this table, and we need to see that nobody feels left out, McCurdy said. This isnt an urban versus rural situation. Local reluctance of being known as a Democrat, including signs taken down from yards, workplace harassment and even firings were mentioned. McCurdy said that taking signs down was theft or vandalism, and should be reported to the police each time, even if nothing is done about it. In the workplace, McCurdy said, There is a way to file a complaint so they are made whole. Elko City Council member John Patrick Rice stressed the need to communicate. Dont try to force your opinions, find a common ground, he said. We all share basic values. Ask questions, like How do you think? about something, or How does it affect you? Trumps budget, it was mentioned, could affect train service for longer distance lines serving fewer people. Buses could likewise be affected, which would hinder tourists visiting and locals wishing to travel. The local airport is already reduced to two daily flights. One member mentioned the heart of this community are the farmers association and cattlemen, and even though our growing season is short we have the water. This area qualifies for agricultural loans for buying houses, but nobody knows about it, they said. McCurdy brought up the subject of development, jobs and renewable resources. Rice responded, We need a Tesla. We live in a high-tech corridor between Salt Lake and San Francisco. We have a college ready to train people in a variety of things. We have the resources for pretty amazing development, of feeding geothermal power into the grid. Any help we can get attracting Elon Musk, Rice said. His hyperloop needs underground miners. Our mines are going to be in good shape; thats where the gold is. But our community needs to come together in economic development and diversification. Always big talk. Name the problem, and Donald Trump says he can fix it. Quickly. Easily. Perfectly. Today it's peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "It's ... something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," the president said while meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Sad if that's what he thinks. The reactions from Israelis and Palestinians, as reported by the Jerusalem Post today, show just how tough it is. "The Prime Minister's Office had no immediate reaction to the Trump Abbas statements. But Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely immediately dismissed Trump's announcement of a new peace process. "'Abu Mazen arrived in Washington as he continues to transfer money to the families of terrorists. Its' clear to anyone who is intelligent that Abu Mazen isn't interested in peace,' Hotovely said. Those payments along with the incitement in the Palestinian textbooks prove that he is not interested in striking a deal with Israel, she added. "She also took issue with Abbas' call to end the occupation. 'The nation of Israel isn't an occupier in its land. We have been deeply rooted to our land for 3,000 years and we will continue to settle the land,' she said." And: "Hamas, the main rival to Abbass Fatah party, said it rejects the Palestinian Authority presidents statements soon after the press conference concluded. 'No one authorized Mahmoud Abbas to represent the Palestinian people and everything that he issued in terms of positions are not binding,' Hamas Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri posted on Twitter. "Abu Zuhri added that Abbass comment that all final status issues can be resolved is unacceptable." Here's the problem: There's not enough room in Israel/Palestine for anyone to budge an inch. And they won't. There are so many competing interests in such a small space that no one can turn around. Trump's big talk is all hot air. And there's enough of that in the Middle East already. The FBI needs the public's help to find a man who has robbed five banks in North Carolina, including one in Mocksville, authorities said. In each robbery, the suspect wore a ball cap, the Charlotte division of the FBI said in a news release Wednesday. The suspect is described as a black male with a dark complexion in his mid-50s, standing 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 7 inches with a thin build. The FBI said the suspect robbed a BB&T bank on April 13 at 2527 N.C. Highway 127 in Hickory; the State Employees Credit Union on April 18 at 1900 S. 5th St. in Mebane; the BB&T bank on April 24 on Yadkinville Road in Mocksville' First Citizens Bank on April 26 at 11 S. College Ave. in Newton and the State Employees Credit Union on April 28 at 3810 Ben Franklin Blvd. in Durham. Anyone with information to identify the suspect can call the FBI at (704) 672-6100 or the police departments in Hickory, Mebane, Mocksville, Newton or Durham. Updated at 9:17 a.m. GREENSBORO Police have identified a man who was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon near Greensboro Urban Ministry. According to a police news release, Darrell Lee Sisk Jr., 28, no permanent address, was shot in the upper part of the body around 12:35 p.m. following a dispute with the shooter. He died later at a local hospital. Initially, police responded to the front of the nonprofit agency at 305 W. Gate City Blvd. but learned the victim was at the back of the property near 1012 S. Eugene St. The shooter is still at large. This is the city's 12th homicide of the year. Updated at 3:53 p.m. GREENSBORO An argument near Greensboro Urban Ministry on Wednesday afternoon left one person dead and sent officers in two different directions looking for the crime scene. Initially, police responded to the front of the nonprofit agency at 305 W. Gate City Blvd. but learned the victim was at the back of the property near 1012 S. Eugene St. "Everybody here is safe," said Lane Brown, Greensboro Urban Ministry's director of development and communications. "All of our staff and guests. We're working with police to continue serving our guests the best we can." Greensboro Police Capt. Nathaniel Davis III said about 12:35 p.m. a man fired a shot at the victim, hitting him in the upper part of his body. The victim died at a nearby hospital. Police have not identified the victim in order to reach his family first. The death marks the city's 12th homicide this year. "We believe this is an isolated incident," Davis said. "There was a dispute between the suspect and the victim." Police searched the area with K-9 officers and talked with witnesses, including staff at Urban Ministry. Davis said it was too early to tell if the victim or shooter were clients of Greensboro Urban Ministry. "We don't know that yet," Davis said. "I don't want to attribute this to them. They are a tremendous asset to our community." Greensboro Urban Ministry helps members of the community living in poverty by providing food, emergency assistance and other support. Police said in a news release that the shooter fled on foot westbound on West Gate City Boulevard. Officers said he was wearing a gray-toned cap, a red and white shirt, blue jeans and white shoes. Police closed two lanes of traffic in the southbound lanes of South Eugene Street to allow officers to search for evidence near the sidewalk. People continued to drop off donations for the food pantry, handing bags to police standing near the crime scene tape. Pedestrians continued to walk up and down the sidewalk, looking at officers search the grass, sort through weeds gathered in a storm drain and dig through a nearby trashcan. Davis said he hoped someone traveling in the area witnessed something that might help police. Police ask anyone with information about the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Updated at 1:56 p.m. GREENSBORO A man was killed today in a shooting on the property of Greensboro Urban Ministry. According to police, the shooting happened at 12:30 p.m. at 1012 S. Eugene St. which is the backside of the Urban Ministry's property. Police said the shooting was not random, and that the shooter and the victim had a dispute. The man was transported to the hospital with a single gunshot to the upper torso, police said. Police are talking to multiple witnesses The shooter remains at large. More details to come. Updated at 1:30 p.m. GREENSBORO Police are investigating two crime scenes in connection to a shooting earlier Wednesday afternoon at Greensboro Urban Ministry at 305 W. Gate City Blvd. One scene is at the Urban Ministry and the other is off Eugene Street. One person was transferred to a hospital after being shot. WGHP-Channel 8 reported that police went to the location about 12:35 p.m. in reference to a man with a gunshot wound to the upper body. More details to come. GREENSBORO One person has been transported to the hospital after a shooting today at Greensboro Urban Ministry at 305 W. Gate City Blvd., according to Guilford 911 Metro. WGHP-Channel 8 reported that police went to the location about 12:35 p.m. in reference to a man with a gunshot wound to the upper body. Police are investigating. More details to come. The rush is on to give states more control of the vast expanses of public land within their borders. While no wholesale transfer of land ownership is anticipated, states like Nevada would benefit greatly from any transfer of control over the management of land within their borders. For example, a revision of the Endangered Species Act as proposed by our U.S. Sen. Dean Heller and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky would give governors some authority over listings, which now total more than 1,650 species of plants and animals. Also in the past week, President Donald Trump ordered the review of national monument designations, calling them a massive land grab. Management decisions affecting public lands are critical for the economy and lifestyles of residents in states like Nevada, where more than 80 percent of the land is federally controlled. Upon introducing the Endangered Species Management Self-Determination Act for the third time, Heller said the dramatic changes are needed because environmentalists increasingly use the act as a tool to block development of public and private lands at the expense of economic growth. Nevadans not Washington bureaucrats know how to best protect the sage grouse, Heller said. We not only agree, we believe his case has been proven by federal authorities themselves. When the time came to craft the Bureau of Land Managements regulations over Sagebrush Focal Areas, studies were conducted across seven regions of sagebrush habitat. Such a move would not have been necessary if the landscape were amenable to a one-size-fits-all approach. The revised ESA would require specific approval from Congress and the governors of states where the fish or wildlife live. When sage grouse were being proposed for listing a few years ago, Gov. Brian Sandoval told us he did not believe the species was warranted for inclusion. Nor did state our wildlife officials, who routinely sell hunting licenses to people who want to shoot and eat the birds. Trumps review of national monuments could also result in more state control. Echoing Hellers statement on the Endangered Species Act, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke complained that tens of millions of acres have been designated as national monuments in the past two decades, limiting their use for timber harvesting, mining, and oil and gas exploration. A monument designation in Utah has been mentioned as one of the most controversial but Nevada also had monuments designated by Obama three of them, totaling more than one million acres. These are in addition to the hundreds of so-called wilderness study areas that already set aside more than 12 million acres in western states. Nevada may never control more than 20 percent of its land mass, but our residents still deserve to be heard when it comes to managing those lands. We agree with Zinke that any local community affected should have a voice in public land decisions. We have also noticed that the Nevada Lands Council has shifted its goal away from transfer of public land ownership to states. Chairman Demar Dahl, who witnessed Trumps signing of the executive order on national monuments last week, said Zinke seemed receptive to discussing the idea of transferring management, rather than ownership, to the states. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what Zinke turns up in his review of monuments, and what steps the Interior Department will take regarding the sage grouse and endangered species. The developments during Trumps first 100 days in office are pointing in the right direction. We look forward to seeing what might be accomplished during his remaining 1,360 days. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DERBY The tears flowed freely outside Luis Barrios Chestnut Drive home late Wednesday afternoon. But they werent the expected sorrowful ones coming from his four American-born children and Guatemalan wife as they said goodbye before he was to have left on a 10-year exodus from the U.S. These were tears of happiness and relief after U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Barrios he had obtained a 30-day stay. Were not running any victory laps yet, Blumenthal told Hearst Connecticut Media on Wednesday. Its only 30 days, but I am going to explore every potential avenue there is to help him. Barrios and his wife, Dora, had tears flowing on their cheeks. Their teenage son, Lester, brushed tears away as media crews documented the unexpected reprieve. God bless you. God bless everyone, Barrios softly said after pausing several long seconds to regain his composure. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for helping my family. For days, it had appeared he would be gone leaving his wife and children to fend for themselves possibly losing their home and dropping out of school. That was because Barrios entered the country illegally 25 years ago. He had come to the U.S. at the urging of his father, who told him to flee Guatemala because of threats against the family. After Barrios arrived here without legal permission, his father and a brother were killed in Guatemala. The killings have not stopped. Aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews of Barrios wife have been shot and killed. She became an orphan at age 7 when her parents were shot to death. He faces imminent danger and death if he is returned to Guatemala, Blumenthal said. Theres a large lesson to be learned here one of compassion and immigration reform. This should never have come down to the last minute for a man who has spent 25 years in this country with no criminal record, but a solid working one. Aside from entering the country illegally, Barrios second offense was failing to appear at a 1998 hearing on his request for asylum. As a result, an immigration judge ordered his immediate deportation. Barrios said he had moved and never received the notice of the deportation order. He was off the Department of Homeland Securitys Immigration and Custom Enforcement services radar until 2011, when he was pulled for driving with a broken taillight, according to Erin ONeil-Baker, his lawyer. Since then, he has been granted year-to-year extensions that finally ran out in March. That was when he was told to leave the U.S. voluntarily or face being removed by authorities. Barrios chose voluntarily. He bought a one-way ticket for a Thursday morning flight to Guatemala City, where he has no family, job or home. Meanwhile, groups including the Working Families Party and Unidad Latina en Accion stepped forward. Petitions were circulated. Demonstrations were held. Blumenthal, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto got involved. I told Erin if she needs letters, documents, anything, just to call me, said Dugatto, who visited the Barrios home. This is such good news. I was prepared for the worst. But ONeil-Baker is a realist. In 30 days, we could be back on this front lawn. Theres no guarantee of anything, Barrios lawyer said. I have a motion to reopen his request for asylum pending before the Board of Immigration Appeals. They can decide to grant it, in which case it will go back to an immigration judge in Hartford, or they can deny it, which means deportation. Meanwhile, Barrios son, Lester who is studying mechatronics at Platt Technical High School in Milford, said he will sleep easier knowing his father is home. Its been hard. I try to focus on school, but I keep thinking about whats going to happen, he said. He and his sister, Jessica, a 19-year-old University of Bridgeport freshman, were prepared to find jobs to help their mother keep their home and their twin sisters, Sindy and Gabriela, in Bradley School. The Barrios family can sleep well tonight, knowing their dad will be home, right here in Derby, when they wake up tomorrow morning, Murphy said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. My office will keep working hard to make sure he can stay here at home in Connecticut. And what does Thursday hold for Barrios? Ill be at work, said Barrios, who cleans septic tanks for Pease Installation in Newtown. My boss needs me. Winding through the lush valleys of Pennsylvania the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers flow. At their confluence is the city of three rivers: Pittsburgh. Long-dubbed "Steel City," Pittsburghs industrial landscape has evolved since the heyday of the steel mills. These days, Pittsburghs 1,600 technology firms are helping redefine the town, generating $20.7 billion in annual payrolls. Now, Pittsburgh is gradually growing to be a notable player in the cannabis research space, as well. Pittsburgh and cannabis. On April 17, 2016, Pennsylvanias governor signed a medical marijuana program into law, making it the 24th state permitting medical cannabis distribution. Part of the law includes a publicly funded, state-run research program to study marijuanas effectiveness in treating 17 medical conditions. The Pittsburgh School of Medicine researched and announced that male subjects who consumed cannabis between the ages of 15 and 26 were not at a heightened risk for maladjustment in adulthood, dispelling a long-held myth. Another University of Pittsburgh study was first to assert that smoking marijuana has little or no adverse health effects. It was fitting, then, that the World Medical Cannabis Conference and Expo (WMCCE) was held in the city of Pittsburgh the 21st and 22nd of April. With fewer pot leaves but more MDs, the conference delivered a refreshing perspective of the cannabis plant. Recreational users sometimes forget that cannabis heals - which was WMCCEs uniform theme. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN, was the first to enlighten me about the health benefits of cannabis as I and millions of others watched his about-face on the plant, declaring, We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 years in the United States, and I apologize for my own role in that. What happened in Pittsburgh this April weekend was a wave of other doctors congregating to further peel away at the marijuana's stigma to see what lies beneath. They found miracles. Every triumph over disease is universally glorious but is even more powerfully affecting when those afflicted are children and their families are sitting right in front of you. On stage at WMCCE were three real-life, unique and compelling cases of miraculous results through cannabis CBD treatment. Lillyann Baker At seven weeks old, Lillyann Baker suffered a traumatic brain injury that progressed into severe epilepsy. Her days were filled with seizures. She'd have maybe an hour break, then go right back into another one," her mother Cassandra Stephan explained. Epilepsy is not one specific disease, but rather a group of symptoms that are manifestations of any number of conditions involving over stimulation of nerve cells of the brain. A cell signaling activity affects the nervous system and causes muscle spasms. Prescription drugs like Eslicarbazepine (Aptiom), Felbamate (Felbatol), Carbamazepine (Carbatrol or Tegretol) are typically used to treat these conditions but dont always work. That was certainly true for Lillyann. Seizure medicines had no effect on her, so after lots of research and consideration, her mom tried a high concentration hemp oil instead. It took six months and five different types of hemp oils, but Lillyann finally had the reaction the family wanted with the discovery of Real Scientific Hemp Oil (RHSO) CBD concentrates produced by HempMeds. The electric properties of hemp are responsible for seizure reduction, HempMeds CEO Dr. Stuart Titus told me in our interview. As of February 2017, Lillyann will be seizure-free for an entire year. What Lillyann takes, I would not change for the world, Stephan told the WMCCE audience. Doctors are the ones with the licenses, but mommy and daddy saved you. Related: Oxford University Researchers to Explore the Potential Benefits of Medical Marijuana Harper Howard Harper Howard was born with a rare genetic disorder called CDKL5 which causes uncontrollable seizures -- 40, or more, per day. Again, conventional medicine didn't work for Harper, who at one point was taking with a combination of 10 medicines. Penny Howard, Harper's mom, sought other solutions. Things changed for Harper in 2013 when Dr. Gupta broadcast his aforementioned cannabis series. There they were. Penny saw stories of children like her Harper successfully treated with cannabis CBD. She found RHSO and saw results after two weeks. The CBD treatment eliminated Harper's seizures and gave her and her family an entirely different quality of life. Harper died in January 2016, but her legacy lives on. Her family has donated her organs to medical research. Today Harper's cells are being used to test the effectiveness of treatments for autism and CDKL5. "Harper has taken on a new form," her mother told the attentive conference audience. "We're all just parents, searching for a better quality of life for our children. Cannabis is an option. Hemp is an option." Related: Can Marijuana Replace Lost Steel Jobs? Pennsylvania Town Has High Hopes. Grace Elizalde Sitting across from Raul Elizalde, I quickly learned I was in the company of a Mexican national hero. His daughter Grace was born with a rare condition called Lennox Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a rare and often debilitating form of childhood-onset epilepsy. LGS is characterized by a triad of signs including multiple seizure types and moderate to severe cognitive impairment. It is among the most difficult forms of epilepsy to treat. With Grace suffering nearly 400 seizures a day, Elizalde and his physician tried 19 medicines and even brain surgery to contain the seizures. Having that many seizures a day is not living a life, Raul told me. Once again, nothing worked to treat the condition until RHSO CBD. But in Mexico, cannabis CBD is illegal. So, accompanied by his physician, Elizalde sued the Mexican government for the rights to use the plant extract. Six months later, he'd won. The case became a watershed moment for cannabis advocates, spurring Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to reverse his long-standing position on cannabis legalization. The Mexican government went on to begin granting permits allowing other patients to import medicinal marijuana products, and also decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. The domino Elizalde knocked through another milestone on April 28th, 2017 as the lower house of the Mexican Parliament (by a margin on 374-7) passed a bill permitting growing marijuana for medicinal or scientific purposes. "It is immoral not to give something to a patient that can help them heal," Elizalde told me. Indeed, it's a disservice to the advancement of science, as well, and the World Medical Cannabis Conference and Expo did a fine job of reinforcing that point. Related: Researchers Amazed by Cases of Cannabis Helping Children Failed by Conventional Medicine Nation's First Cannabis Drive-Through Opens In Colorado as Cannabis Sales Boom Legalize or Demonize: Leaders in Canada, US Have Very Different Views on Marijuana Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved I recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of my college startup, Headbands of Hope, which gives a child with cancer a headband for every one sold. I was inspired to start my company after an internship with a wish-granting organization. I discovered kids losing their hair to chemotherapy often wanted to wear headbands instead of wigs or hats. To date, the business has done some incredible things. We've been featured on Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, The TODAY Show, Seventeen Magazine, Cosmopolitan and worn by countless celebrities. But, the milestone Im most proud of is donating over 100k headbands to childrens hospitals across America and six countries. Sometimes, when you have a business and you're constantly looking forward, its hard to realize how far youve come. That's why I wanted to look back at my junior year in college when I founded the company. Ive learned so much. I continue to learn every day (usually by making mistakes . . . but well get to that later), but here are five key things Ive learned in five years of entrepreneurship. 1. Use your resources I started my business with a small account of funds I saved up from my Disney World internship the year before. I never sought out investors or thought about the funding I didnt have; I looked at what was on the table for me right then and there. Beyond money, the biggest resource I had was being a college student. As a communications major, I knew very little about entrepreneurship (it took me forever even to learn how to spell it!). So, in between classes, I set up meetings and appointments with students and professors at the business school to share my idea and get their input. I started to tap every department I felt could help me: design school, textiles school, marketing department and the list goes on. Little by little, Headbands of Hope evolved into a strong startup because I used all the different areas of expertise my college had to offer. You can always come up with a list of things you wish you had, but that's not an efficient use of time. Instead, identify whats right in front of you and start there. Youd be surprised what you can accomplish when youre resourceful. Related: How to Start a Business With (Almost) No Money 2. Take care of your people I used to think great entrepreneurs and business owners were successful because they were all really smart and hard-working. That could still be true, but theres a key element even more important than hard work and brains: your team. My company would not be what it is today without the people around it, and I find the most important element of my job is making sure my team has everything they need to do the best job they can -- whether that's tech tools or just my support and trust. Steve Jobs most likely didnt come up with the iPod, but he built a team of people who believe in innovation and were trained to think outside the box. Ive learned being a leader isnt about being the smartest or having the best ideas, its about creating a team that cultivates innovative ideas and passionate work. Related: 22 Qualities That Make a Great Leader 3. Show up When I look back on the turning points in my business, I can usually pin point a time where I chose to just show up. It may sound silly or simple, but opportunities wont happen to you if youre not there for them. Its easy to stay at home and work from your computer, but thats not where life happens. I used to weigh opportunities by who else was going to be there, what could I get out of it, what the expense was etc. Now, I try to not look at things so transactionally and instead understand that it's always worth meeting new people. One time, I was asked to speak last minute at a conference in Raleigh. I was busy that day but decided to show up to give a quick talk and then get back to work. Turns out, the other speaker was Jeff Hoffman, the co-founder of Priceline.com. We hit it off. Now (two years later), he serves on my board of advisors. We talk regularly. Hes been an amazing mentor and a wonderful friend. Dont have an agenda or a list of people you want to meet, just come as yourself and be open to opportunity. You never know what will happen. 4. When you fall, make it a part of your dance When you slip up, just weave it into your story. Failures don't have to be a red light or a brick wall in front of you; consider them a pivot or an extra step. Ive found that people who have perfect track records usually become a prisoner of their own success. Theyre afraid to take risks for fear it might mar that perfection. Because of that, they usually stay right where they are or play it safe. Safe places aren't where growth happens. Once, when I was in a business competition at Under Armour, I made it to the final round and lost. But when I was there, I developed a great relationship with Under Armour and we ended up repurposing their extra materials to make donated headbands for John's Hopkins Childrens Hospital. It wasnt the outcome of the competition I was hoping for, but it still developed into an incredible experience. You might not always get what you want, but always look for value in the experience. Related: Inspiring Quotes to Help You Get Through Your Work Day 5. Remember why you started Starting a company can be really, really hard. There, I said it. Starting and building my business has been the most challenging thing Ive ever done, but it has also been the most rewarding. Ive learned that meaningful work doesnt mean its easy -- it means its going to be worth it. Whenever times get tough, I pull up a file on my computer of all the pictures and letters weve received from hospitals (thousands of them) and remember why I started this in the first place. At the end of the day, success is not what it looks like to others, its what it feels like to you. Related: The 5 Lessons I've Learned From 5 Years as an Entrepreneur Lessons Learned in Entertainment That Can Benefit Every CEO 4 Things Teaching Has Taught Me About Running a Business Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Its been two weeks, during which each step has brought with it a new emotion and a new fear. Spaniard Maria Jimena Rico, and her partner, Egyptian Shaza Ismail, gave a press conference in Spain on Tuesday, where they explained as best they could the ordeal that saw them travel to Dubai, Georgia and Turkey last month, and end up spending three days incommunicado in a detention center in Istanbul. The reason for their unplanned journey was to escape Shazas father, who allegedly would not accept the fact that his daughter is homosexual, nor that she was in a relationship with the Spaniard. Maria Jimena Rico and her partner, Shaza Ismail, pictured back in Spain. Carlos Diaz (EFE) The arrest of the couple in Turkey was apparently because there had been a report related to terrorism, although at the press conference, Jimena said that she was convinced that it was more to do with homophobia. Because we are women and lesbians, she told reporters in Torrox, the village in Malaga where her parents live. At no time did we hide what we are, she added. The treatment in Turkey was unexpected and inhumane, added Shaza. After their arrest in Turkey they were forced into signing documents without knowing what they were There are still details to be filled in before the entire episode becomes clear, and on legal advice, the pair cannot explain exactly what happened to them. Ismail is currently in Spain on a temporary visa, but the couple are trying to secure permanent residency for her. One of the arguments for their request is political asylum, based on an alleged risk to her life in Dubai due to her sexual orientation. The couple explained on Tuesday that they are considering taking legal action, although they are yet to confirm what this would consist of and against whom. According to Jimena, after their arrest in Turkey they were forced into signing documents without knowing what they were, while the Spanish embassy in the country had no idea that they had been arrested in Istanbul until her family filed a report with the Civil Guard and the case broke in the Spanish media. Both Jimena and her family only had words of praise for the role played by the Spanish government. The nightmare began last month. Jimena, 28, and Shaza, 21, have been together since the end of last year. On April 14, the pair flew from London, where they were both living, to Dubai, having allegedly been duped by the father of Shaza, who had told her that her mother was very ill. The Egyptian youngster had shortly beforehand told her family that she was gay. Once they arrived in the Emirate, they were greeted with alleged death threats, while Shaza had been reported to the authorities. I know that her father loves her, explained Jimena, but his mind is so closed that he cant understand [their relationship]. The girls managed to escape and got as far as Georgia. At the airport in the capital, Tbilisi, they planned to catch a return flight to London, but they were intercepted by Shazas father and other members of the family, who wanted to take her back to Dubai. An altercation took place in the airport, in which the police were involved. The authorities then took the two young women to the Turkish border. It appears they were being monitored, as they were arrested by the Turkish police as soon as they arrived in Samsun According to Jimena, who has joint Spanish and Argentine nationality, Shaza has two passports (from Egypt and Dubai). Her father is alleged to have ripped up the visa that she had giving her permission to live in London. She denied earlier reports that they had entered into Turkey without travel documents. The father of Shaza is alleged to have taken their passports from them, but later they got them back. They both applied for a visa online to enter Turkey, and claim that their situation there was legal. At this point in the story the gaps started to appear, gaps that the couple said they would prefer not to fill in. They traveled as far as Samsun in Turkey, where they were held for 12 hours, and once they were freed, they took a bus to Istanbul, where they were planning on getting in touch with the Spanish consulate in order to leave the country. But it appears they were being monitored, as they were arrested by the Turkish police as soon as they arrived there. This was on April 24, a Monday, and that was when Jimenas family lost contact with her and reported her disappearance to the Civil Guard. Among their plans now that they are in Spain, as well as looking for work, is to get married Their time in the Turkish detention center is the part where the two women gave fewest details. They were incommunicado for a total of three days, when they were transferred to another building to be deported. Jimena explained that she stole a phone from a rucksack (she was apparently handcuffed), and managed to get in touch with her sister, Maria del Valle. The youngster also explained how she had refused to leave for Spain without Shaza. They called me four times, she explained on Tuesday. And I told them that I wasnt leaving without her. At first I lost all hope, explained Shaza, who does not speak Spanish. But I knew that she was never going to leave without me. They were released on Friday, the day after they had been located by the Spanish authorities, and arrived in Barcelona at around midnight. We didnt believe it until we were in the airport, explained Jimena, about the end of the nightmare she went through with her girlfriend. They are now recovering in Torrox, where on Tuesday they were received by the local mayor, Oscar Medina. They are planning to stay in Spain, and their priority is to sort out Shazas legal situation. Among their plans, as well as looking for work, is to get married. Jimena said at Tuesdays press conference that she wanted her story to help homosexuals and to change things in Arabic countries. She added that she felt lucky, because her situation was not as bad as the rest of the people she met in the Turkish detention center. English version by Simon Hunter. GREENWICH Victoria Rosenblum, 19, of Hemlock Drive, is facing burglary and attempted larceny charges after being accused of stealing money from a church. Police were called to St. Marys Church on Greenwich Avenue Tuesday afternoon. According to the arrest report, Rosenblum had been seen on video Saturday entering the church in an effort to take money from a safe where the monetary contributions are kept. The arrest report said she entered the church without permission again on Tuesday, leading to arrest. Two Buck Chucks more Instagram-friendly cousin. Photo: Trader Joes Trader Joes has entered the canned-wine game, and as you might predict, Simpler Wines (as the line is called) is on the incredibly affordable side a mere four bucks for a 4-pack of 6.3-ounce cans. (A fraction of the price weve seen elsewhere, T.J.s is quick to point out.) The very photogenic cans are a pop-top approach to two different kinds of vino frizzante, a sparkling wine thats slightly less carbonated than Prosecco, and great for hot summer days. The rose is described as having elegant, mineral notes and red fruit flavors, while the white reportedly delivers juicy honeydew and fresh cut herbs. But honestly, even if both tasted like Jolly Ranchers dissolved in vinegar, they are fizzy, cost a dollar apiece, and come in cans. Theyll hold up just fine, especially since the steepest competition for shoppers heading to a barbecue or pool party is the not-at-all-portable bottle of Two Buck Chuck a few rows over. Cabify, a car service similar to Uber, has told authorities in Seville that its workers feel threatened after nine of its vehicles were set on fire in the southern city in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The company, which provides chauffeured cars through a smartphone app, had reinforced its service in the Andalusian capital because of the influx of visitors to the popular Feria de Abril , or April Fair. One of the burnt-out vehicles. EFE In a release, Cabify said that ever since it began operating in Seville in September, it has been the victim of attacks by sectors that feel threatened by the progress and innovation introduced by Cabify in the area of urban mobility. The company asked authorities to get involved and to work together to put an end to these regular acts of aggression. The torching of nine vehicles belonging to self-employed drivers or companies that work with Cabify is being investigated by the Civil Guard, said the statement. The National Police is currently investigating 27 taxi drivers for alleged threats against fellow cabbies Cabify and other on-demand car service companies have been repeatedly reporting incidents involving violence and harassment against their drivers. Meanwhile, the taxi sector is complaining about encroachment by individuals who do not submit to the same kind of regulations as licensed cab drivers. The National Police is currently investigating 27 taxi drivers for alleged threats against fellow cabbies and drivers of other companies, in connection with the taxi stop at San Pablo airport, where this group allegedly will not let other drivers operate. In March of this year, taxi drivers in Madrid and Barcelona went on strike to protest Uber, Cabify and other on-demand car services, which they view as unfair competition. The US-based company Uber began operating in Spain in late 2014, and has since agreed to cooperate with authorities on certain issues. Cabify was founded by a Spaniard in 2011 and is now active in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. English version by Susana Urra. Every month, Google releases its distribution numbers which show the percentage of each Android version that is actively being used during the month. This helps developers gauge which Android Version it should aim to develop an app for to ensure the widest compatibility. Currently, Lollipop remains at the top with a total of 32% share and just behind is Marshmallow at 31.2% which, actually, hasnt budged since last months numbers were generated. Otherwise, Nougats distribution numbers are steadily rising up: 7.1 percent from Aprils 4.9%. The wave of Samsung Galaxy S8 devices that are still being activated on a daily basis is thanks, in part, to the spike of the Nougat share. Otherwise, Gingerbread, Ice cream sandwich, and Jelly bean have all dropped a little in share, which is good and means folks are upgrading to newer devices. KitKat lost the most share, dropping 1.2 percentage points down to 18.8% from last months 20%. Source | Via These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Yesterday, Microsoft announced Windows 10 S as an alternative OS primarily for upcoming budget PCs that are aimed at the education market. One of the changes from the Pro or Home version of Windows 10 is that 10 S will only let you install applications from the Windows Store. This didn't sound all that bad at first but it is now slowly opening a fresh can of worms. For starters, you are limited to browsers that are available on the Store and for the time being, neither Chrome, Firefox, or Opera are there. But then it gets worse. Microsoft has decided that Edge will permanently be the default browser on Windows 10 S. This means that even if Google releases Chrome on the Store, Edge will still open by default every time you click on an HTML link. Secondly, Bing will permanently be your search engine on Edge, with no option to switch to Google or anything else. Now, to be fair, Edge is actually a pretty solid browser and it's likely most budget PC buyers won't mind it too much (especially since it also runs better on low-end hardware than Chrome). However, forcing Bing as the default search engine is a bit too much, especially for students who are the main target audience of these devices who would be depending heavily on Google's alternative. We will have to wait and see how this plays out for Microsoft and if the company changes its stance on the matter. Knowing Microsoft, it probably will. Source The European Councils approval on April 29 of the Brexit negotiation directives, conditioning any future relationship between Gibraltar and the EU to a prior agreement between the United Kingdom and Spain, gives Madrid an unprecedented veto over the British Overseas Territory. Pedestrians cross the runway at Gibraltar airport. JON NAZCA (REUTERS) Ahead of the Brexit talks, the Spanish government has laid out what it sees as non-negotiable terms, among them that it will not allow Gibraltar to use unfair competitive practices against Spanish businesses. Spain wants a soft Brexit, which would mean in practice little change to the current situation, although it understands that Londons decision to leave the single market and customs union and to impose limits on the movement of workers from the EU will require negotiation. Spain believes the best solution would be to stick as close as possible to the letter or spirit of the current legislation Where Spain does want to see change is regarding its relationship with Gibraltar. The Foreign Ministrys Negotiations on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, a document that has been sent to Congress, and to which EL PAIS has had access, makes it clear that Gibraltar is a matter of state, and that the special regime the Rock currently enjoys is a condition that Spain had to accept at the time [1986] to be able to join the then European Communities, given that the United Kingdom had become a member back in 1973. But over the last three decades, Gibraltars statute has led to a situation of unjustified privilege, the document reads. The text points out that Gibraltar enjoys the four EU freedoms (free movement of people, goods, services and capital), yet is not part of the customs union or subject to British law, meaning that it has developed its own regime which is extremely permissive in relation to tax, customs and business creation, which in practice has turned it into a tax haven. British expats in San Fullgencio, Alicante opposed Brexit. Pepe Olivares The document points out that the Rock is not part of the United Kingdom: it is a territory subject to decolonization whose foreign policy is dictated by London, and any future agreement between London and Brussels would require approval by Spain. The text also spells out its no-go areas: Spain cannot accept for the EU to negotiate with the United Kingdom a relationship that is not compatible with Spains position on territorial claims, and that doesnt respect Spanish interests, those of the people of the Campo de Gibraltar [the Spanish territory adjacent to the Rock] and that [doesnt] prevent a situation of unfair competition with Spanish territory. Rights of expats A more pressing matter will be how to negotiate the rights of Europeans resident in the United Kingdom and British nationals living throughout the EU. Official figures (estimates are much higher) put the number of Spaniards residing in the United Kingdom at 102,000 (50,000 pay National Insurance, equivalent to Spains Social Security), and there are 286,000 British nationals living in Spain, of whom 105,000 are pensioners. Spain believes the best solution would be to stick as close as possible to the letter or spirit of the current legislation, says the report, while recognizing that this clashes with Londons intention to limit the number of Europeans working in the United Kingdom through a quota system or by restricting access to healthcare. Spain wants the rights of nationals who have been resident in either country for more than five years to be respected Spain will argue during the Brexit negotiations for the recognition of all rights of resident nationals in virtue of EU law. These rights would apply to citizens and their families residing in another territory when the United Kingdom leaves the EU, which at the latest will be March 29, 2019. Spain wants the rights of nationals who have been resident in either country for more than five years to be respected, and is also calling for an agreement on the rights of temporary residents (those who have been residents for more than three months and who expect permanent residency.) The Spanish Foreign Ministry criticizes the UK authorities approach in accrediting residency, saying such procedures should be as agile and transparent as possible, through easily obtained documents and that could even be expedited by national authorities. Regarding access to healthcare, Spain argues for maintaining the current model of recognizing services [British nationals cost the Spanish healthcare system 250 million a year and receive 650 million in pensions] and underscores the need to preserve those same rights for the [more than 7,000] transnational workers in Gibraltar. English version by Nick Lyne. Haiti - Security : Towards a massive military strengthening of the Dominican border On the sidelines of the passport delivery ceremony to Haitians, on April 28, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20752-haiti-flash-distribution-of-passports-and-other-documents-in-dr.html through the Program of Identification and Documentation of Haitian Immigrants (PIDIH) at the Embassy of Haiti in Santo Domingo, Antonio Rodrigue, Minister of Foreign Affairs questioned by the local press on the migration of Haitians after the departure of the Minustah in October, said there will be no wave of Haitian migrants in DR following the departure of the Minustah. A declaration in line with what the Minister Rodrigue had said earlier while wanting to reassure the Dominican Chancellor Miguel Vargas on his fears of a wave of Haitian migrants https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20790-haiti-dr-towards-the-restructuring-of-the-bilateral-joint-commission.html assuring him that the National Police of Haiti (PNH) was able to ensure security in the country after the departure of the Minustah... Forgetting perhaps that the Dominican concern is founded, when we know that from Monday April 17 to 23 Dominican migration services have returned to Haiti, nearly 7,000 Haitians trying to enter illegally in Dominican territory... while the Minustah is there and the PNH does nothing... General Ruben Dario Paulino Sem, Dominican Minister of Defense, who does not believe in Haiti's political statements on their ability to prevent the illegal migration of Haitian citizens, announced yesterday that in a joint operation with the CESFRONT (Cuerpo Especializado de Seguridad Fronteriza) more than a thousand soldiers of the Dominican armed forces will be deployed as reinforcements along the border with Haiti, just before the departure of the Minustah from the neighboring country, to prevent the massive illegal entry of Haitians. He also indicated that he is preparing a call for tenders to equip the various border control points. SL/ HaitiLibre A fifth journalist has been killed in Mexico in the space of just two months. Filiberto Alvarez, a radio host in a small town in the southern state of Morelos, was gunned down on Saturday, but his death initially went unnoticed by national news organizations. A march against journalist murders in Acapulco on Monday. cuartoscuro Alvarezs violent death follows those of Miroslava Breach in Chihuahua, Cecilio Pineda in Guerrero, Ricardo Monlui in Veracruz, and Max Rodriguez in Baja California. A reporter named Armando Arrieta is also in hospital after being shot in March in Veracruz. Filiberto Alvarez, 65, hosted a music and poetry program at a local radio in the town of Tlaquiltenango. The daily El Sol de Cuernavaca reported that he was gunned down at around 11pm on Saturday night, as he headed home after ending the show. Preliminary investigations suggest the attack was not linked to his professional activity The attack took place outside a spa named El Rollo, where his partner worked as a manager. In a press release, the Morelos Attorneys Office said that preliminary investigations suggest the attack was not linked to his professional activity. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the attack and lamented the prevailing impunity and lack of results in the investigation of journalist killings. Last year, 11 reporters were killed in Mexico, according to the CPJ. A recent report titled Libertades en resistencia concludes that out of 426 beatings, threats and homicides, more than half (257) were committed by government employees or political parties, and 17 by organized crime. English version by Susana Urra. Haiti - Heritage : Jeu de baton a fighting art of the native army Monday in Lagrange (Artibonite Department), as part of the Day of Agriculture and Labor, the National Bureau of Ethnology (BNE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture organized a show of Jeu de baton (stick game). This tradition that has existed since the colonial period in St Domingue, was also a means of combat used by the native army during the war of independence. It is also a martial art inspired by the forms of African combat. A variety of stick styles such as : "Baw Blan", "Migel" and "Pati kola" were used during this activity. An intangible cultural heritage strongly practiced and preserved in the Artibonite. Jessy C. Menos, the Minister who traveled to encourage stick Practitioners and BNE dancers, said the show "is part of a promotion of the 'Jeu du baton' and a duty to remember." According to Erol Josue, the Director General of the BNE "This ritual was the means of combat of the native army" recalling that "Gran Toya", great aunt of the Emperor Jean Jacques Dessalines, was a great warrior and would have initiated the Emperor at this game from a young age. Other peoples like the Amazons of the former Dahomey also practice stick fighting. From this collaboration around the development of Ethno-Tourism in Haiti, an inventory of cultural practices and sites will be launched, which will begin in the Department of Artibonite in order to highlight the riches Haitian heritage. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20822-haiti-politics-launch-of-the-caravan-of-change.html HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politics : OMRH retreats... Josue Pierre-Louis, General Coordinator of the Office of Management and Human Resources, organized an institutional retreat for the executives of the OMRH, in the Village d'Ennery from 27 April to 1 May 2017. Also participated in this work: the Legal Unit of the Primature, Alphonse Nkunzimana, Advisor of the US Agency for International Governance Development (USAID - Haiti), Sylvie Conde Team Head and Program Coordinator SBC (State Building Contract - EU) and Marceau Jude Edouard Jr., Project Director "Konekte" (USAID). This activity was funded by USAID through its Konekte project. Objectives pursued : To jointly make a diagnosis of OMRH: the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ; To review the general framework of the reform of the State in which all OMRH actions are part : This is the 2012-2017 State Reform Framework Program, in order to draw lessons from its implementation ; Work on the texts to be produced for the implementation of the reforms undertaken ; Decide in a participatory and consensual manner the actions to be undertaken, the timetable and the bearers of the files. Results achieved : A steering chart of the OMRH Action Plan has been developed ; PSeveral draft legal texts were thoroughly reviewed and submitted for signature by the Prime Minister ; The State Reform Framework Program (PCRE) 2012-2017 has been reviewed and during the design of the new PCRE 2017-2025 an evaluation will be made of the current PCER during the months of May and June and recommendations were made for the future. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Floods in Bois Neuf 5 victims According to Nadia Lochard, Departmental Head of Civil Protection, the last floods killed one person in Bois Neuf, in the commune of Cite Soleil, and four others were injured. However, the person in charge was not able to confirm the information that two other people were killed in Martissant. JC Moise finds outrageous the Caravan costs... Jean-Charles Moise, expressed doubts about the seriousness of the "Caravan of Change" initiative, describing it as a veritable scandal the enormous cost of the operation. New DG at CONATEL Tuesday was installed Engineer Jean David Rodney as new Director General of the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL). He replaced Jean-Marie Altema. $4 million public beach Ministers Jude Alix Patrick Salomon (Economy) and Aviol Fleurant (Planning) are expected again in Parliament on Thursday, May 4,concerning the management of a $4 million fund for the construction of a public beach in Port-Salut. St. Jude's sand quarries, 3 ministers convened The Deputy Printemps Belizaire (Fanmi Lavalas) announced that he will convene the Ministers Fritz Caillot (Public Works), Pierre Simon Georges (Environment) and Carmel Andre Beliard (Agriculture) so that they provide information on the steps they have adopted in order to prevent the exploitation of sand quarries in the St-Jude area which threatens the population in times of rains. Corruption, support of the United Kingdom Tuesday the Primature, the Prime Minister, Jack Guy Lafontant, received the British Ambassador Sharon Campbell, as part of a courtesy visit. She pledged UK support for efforts to increase transparency and halt corruption in Haiti HL/ HaitiLibre Opposition protests in Venezuela against President Nicolas Maduros plans to rewrite the countrys Constitution continued throughout Tuesday and into the night. There were no reports of deaths, although several people were injured and property damaged. "We're hungry" reads a placard carried by a protester Monday in Caracas. ATLAS More information Nueva jornada represiva en Venezuela Venezuela has been rocked by a month of protest marches, mostly in the capital, Caracas, that have left at least 29 people dead since the government-controlled Supreme Court briefly stripped the opposition-controlled National Assembly of its powers at the end of March. On Monday, Maduro announced the creation of a new assembly that would further sideline Venezuelas opposition-controlled National Assembly. The Constitution would be rewritten by some 500 delegates, half of whom would be from the so-called National Communal Parliament, set up by the Maduro administration after it lost control of the National Assembly in late 2015. Tuesdays disturbances began in two suburbs in the east of the capital, La Urbina and El Llanito. Local mayor Carlos Ocariz reported that a number of armed civilians fired on residents and looted cars. Twelve people, among them a public employee, a municipal police officer and three members of the security forces, were injured. The mayor blamed armed groups for torching three apartments. The protests are valid, but we cannot slide into anarchy. We will follow MUDs line Carlos Ocariz, opposition politician The protest is valid, but we cannot slide into anarchy. We will follow MUDs line, said Ocariz at a press conference. During the recent protests, groups of armed pro-government civilians, known as colectivos, have been operating with impunity in recent weeks, intimidating and shooting protesters. In La Urbina, unidentified armed men smashed a hole in the wall of an office building and damaged vehicles. Residents had joined the protests called by the MUD opposition grouping to block main roads. In other areas of Caracas there were disturbances until late into the night. A human rights NGO called Foro Penal Venezolano reported that five people were arrested in La Boyera, to the south of Caracas, during anti-government demonstrations. A session of the National Assembly, where the feeling is that creating a parallel Constitutional Assembly will "annihilate" what is left of democracy in Venezuela. CRISTIAN HERNANDEZ (EFE) In Barquismeto, in the central western state of Lara, opponents of the government seized two fuel trucks in the center of the city. The provinces governor, Henry Falcon, tweeted that he was unable to negotiate with the protesters, who had demanded the release of 141 colleagues in return for handing over the vehicles. The State Attorney, the Ombudsman, and the Judiciary have the answers to the demonstrators requests, he said. The protests of the last three weeks against the government of President Nicolas Maduro have proved more violent than previous demonstrations. Between February and June 2014, there were 43 deaths, while over the last 24 days, 23 people have been killed. Maduro has rejected opposition demands for new general elections or a recall referendum. Maduro blamed the president of the National Assembly, Julio Borges, for the damage to property during Tuesdays protests. The opposition says it intends to stage new protests on Wednesday. English version by Nick Lyne. Mexico - Mexico - Maria Felix Nava, a 116-year-old Mexican woman, had been living off the 1,200 pesos (58) she received each month as a low-income welfare recipient. But that all changed when new regulations went into effect forcing her to open a bank account and get an associated bank card. The computer system would not accept anyone over the age of 110. As a result, Felix Nava was left nearly destitute. Maria Felix Nava shows off her new bank card. More information Un ultimo escollo a los 116 anos: un fallo informatico le deja sin pension It was the latest hurdle in a life filled with adversity. Maria Felix Nava was orphaned as a child, right before the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. Left to her own devices, for two years she roamed the area of Laguna Grande, in the central state of Zacatecas. She lived off what neighbors gave her. I used to eat nopales [a type of cactus often called prickly pear in English] and quelites [edible herbs]; beans and corn were a luxury to me, she explains over the phone. She was finally taken in by a family, but never went to school and to this day cannot read or write. She married at the age of 22 and had 10 children, six of whom have passed away; 20 grandchildren, 56 great-grandchildren and 23 great-great-grandchildren. But Maria Felix Nava never imagined that at age 116, fate still had a new curveball to throw at her. Despite her advanced age, she is completely independent Fernanda, friend of the family It happened in January, when she and her daughter Marina, who cares for her day and night, attempted to collect her monthly check. The pension, which is awarded to senior citizens 65 and over in a precarious financial situation, had until now always been delivered to a joint account for its 50,000 beneficiaries. But the rules changed and forced these people to have an individual bank account where they would receive the money, explains Miguel Castro, the secretary for social development and integration of the state of Jalisco, where the woman has been living for the past 50 years. When Maria Felix Nava requested a new account and an associated card, the computer system was unable to process the request because the upper age was set at 110. The woman ran into trouble with Citibanamex, a unit of Citigroup. AP They told me that this was the limit, explains Felix Nava in a resigned yet vigorous voice for someone her age. The bank, Citibanamex, blames the computer system in charge of issuing new cards. It was not calibrated to issue cards to people over 110 years old. It was the first time that such an elderly person had requested one, said Francisco Cabellero, head of social communication at Citibanamex, a unit of Citigroup. The system has been fixed and recalibrated, and there is currently no age limit. The earlier limit was in violation of the Mexican Constitution, which forbids all kinds of discrimination based on age or any other reason that undermines the rights of citizens. Nearly three months later, the case reached the ears of the state government of Jalisco thanks to media coverage. We found out through the local media, says Castro. We gave her a check and helped her with the process. But this is just one more example of bureaucracy, not just at banks but by authorities: there are 55 more people who have been unable to collect their aid following the regulatory changes. Maria Felix Nava lived off prickly pears for two years as a child, after she was orphaned. Nina Lopez At 116, Maria Felix Nava is the oldest woman in the state of Jalisco. And we also believe her to be one of the oldest in all of Mexico, although this has not been confirmed, says her daughter Marina. Until the check arrived covering the three missed payments, both women had to live off the subsidy that Marina receives, with help from their grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a non-profit group from Tlaquepaque, the town where they reside. They also made a few extra pesos from the makeshift candy stand that they operate outside their door every day. Despite her advanced age, she is completely independent, says Fernanda, a friend of the family. And despite the scare, Felix Nava looks happy: I feel fine. I just pray that everything will stay that way. English version by Susana Urra. Current Articles | Archives Friday, May 12, 2017 Trump administration chooses growth over Jones Act protectionism By Michael Hansen @ 12:01 AM :: 7657 Views :: Energy, Jones Act Trump administration chooses growth over Jones Act protectionism by Michael Hansen, Hawaii Shippers Council, May 11, 2017 In a dramatic move yesterday the U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) withdrew a controversial General Notice of January 18, 2017, which proposed revoking a series of ruling letters dating back to 1976 closing a Jones Act loophole. The rulings covered marine operations supporting the offshore oil and gas industry primarily on the U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The CBP Notice of January 18th was released two days before former President Barack H Obama left office, leaving incoming administration of President Donald J Trump with the responsibility of deciding whether or not to implement it. A similar notice was issued on July 17, 2009 by the Obama Administration, and was subsequently withdrawn in 2010. The CBP decision to withdraw the General Notice of January 18th was released on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, in their regular publication of Customs Bulletin and Decisions, Vol. 51, No. 19 (see pages 11 -12). The issuing officer, Glen E. Vereb, Director Border Security and Trade Compliance Division, wrote in the decision dated May 3, 2017, Based on the many substantive comments CBP received, both supporting and opposing the proposed action, and CBPs further research on the issue, we conclude that the Agencys notice of proposed modification and revocation of the various ruling letters relating to the Jones Act should be reconsidered. At issue was the use of the offshore industry of vessels not Jones Act eligible including foreign flag vessels to support operations on the OCS in the GoM, which is currently allowed by the series of Customs ruling letters. The offshore industry led by the American Petroleum Institute (API) with nine other trade associations actively supported the status quo and opposed the General Notice of January 18th, and they submitted on April 18th substantive comments in 49-page letter with two attached studies documenting their position. On May 10th, API issued a press release welcoming CBPs withdrawal of their General Notice of January 18th. In support of the CBP Notice of January 18th was the U.S. maritime industry (or, alternatively, the Jones Act industry) through three key Jones Act trade associations led by the Offshore Marine Service Association (OSMA) and supported by the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) and the American Maritime Partnership (AMP). The U.S. maritime industry wished to close what they see as an illegal loophole to the Jones Act and force the offshore industry to use their Jones Act vessels, which are U.S. built, U.S. flag, U.S. owned and U.S. manned. The U.S. maritime industry issued two press releases expressing their disappointment with the Trump administration for withdrawing the CBP General Notice of January 18th. The OSMA release indicated that, Obliging to foreign interests, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recommended a regulatory review process that will significantly delay the lawful and correct enforcement of the Jones Act. And, We call on President Trump to take immediate action and correct these damaging rulings that have continued to put foreign companies first and American companies and workers last. The SCA in their release stated, "We are disappointed the Administration chose to indefinitely kick this job-destroying regulatory can down the road. The Obama era CBP Notice of January 18th had some support in Congress. U.S. Senator John Neely Kennedy (R-LA) led a group of nine other senators (total 3 Republicans & 7 Democrats) in submitting a letter on April 4, 2017, and addressed to the Secretary John Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) supporting the CBP General Notice of January 18th. Those signing include Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Tammy Baldwin (D-IL). A similar letter was submitted by 33 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) issued a statement commenting on CBPs withdrawal of the General Notice, I urge the Administration to tread carefully in this process and to thoroughly consider its implications on our national security, and I am committed to doing everything I can to make sure that the Jones Act isnt undermined in this process. At the end of the day, the Trump Administration had to make a decision between economic growth and jobs that the offshore oil and gas industry represents or supporting a strict interpretation of the Jones Act to protect the offshore marine service industry that would have resulted in less development of offshore oil and gas. This conflict is inherent in President Trumps approach and in this case his administration chose economic growth. The question now will be whether or not the Trump Administration might take this same approach to other Jones Act issues in particular the U.S. domestic ship build requirement. Jones Act protections effectively deny important waterborne transportation options to other domestic industries resulting in lower aggregate employment and economic growth and welfare. Effective reform would go a long way to resolving these impediments. * * * * * President Trumps Jones Act dilemma by Michael Hansen, Hawaii Shippers Council, May 2, 2017 The Houston Chronicle reported in a news article, Trump faces dilemma as maritime fleets face off in Gulf, published on May 1, 2017, that President Donald J. Trump is facing a difficult decision regarding a pending U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) general notice of January 10, 2017, proposing to revoke previous rulings regarding application of the Jones Act to the offshore oil and gas industry. The instant CBP 2017 general notice is entitled, proposed modification and revocation of ruling letters relating to Customs application of the Jones Act to the transportation of certain merchandise and equipment between coastwise points. CBP issued a very similar general notice on July 17, 2009, which proposed to revoke essentially the same set of rulings approximately six months after President Barak H. Obama administration came into office in January 2009. However, the 2009 notice was never finalized. The 2017 notice was issued on January 10th ten days before Obamas second term ended. Clearly, both notices were issued by the Obama administration to respond to maritime industry and labor pressure. The 2017 notice left the final decision to Trump. The offshore oil and gas industry submitted their comments to CBP on April 18, 2017 in respect of the 2017 notice and among the many points they made was to note that: President Trump signed Executive Order 13783, 82 Fed. Reg. 16,093, on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth on March 28, 2017. Executive Order 13783 states that [i]t is in the national interest to . . . avoid regulatory burdens that unnecessarily encumber energy production, constrain economic growth, and prevent job creation. It further states that the policy of the United States includes suspension, revision, or rescission of regulatory actions that unduly burden the development of domestic energy resources. The discussion above and the attached economic analysis show that the action proposed in the 2017 notice would impose significant burdens on development of the countys offshore oil and natural gas resources, which directly conflicts with the policy of the United States as stated in this Executive Order. (See industry letter, page 46, second paragraph.) The offshore industrys reference to that Executive Order highlights the dilemma facing the Trump administration between protectionism and growth specifically in the context of the Jones Act and the 2017 CBP notice regarding the employment of foreign-flag vessels by the domestic offshore industry. The way in which Trump chooses to handle the CBP 2017 notice may foreshadow how his administration may more broadly approach other Jones Act reform issues especially the U.S. domestic ship build requirement. If the Trump CBP decides in favor of the domestic U.S. maritime industry and against the offshore industry revoking the previous rulings, it is unlikely there will be any opportunity for Jones Act reform during the Trump tenure. On the other hand, if the Trump CBP decides in favor of the offshore industry leaving the existing rulings in place, then perhaps the Trump administration might seriously consider Jones Act reform. Key excerpts: For years, international ships and crews have traveled in and out of the Gulf of Mexico to construct the offshore platforms and deep-sea pipelines that allow oil and gas thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean to get to market. But now a long-running fight between U.S. energy and maritime companies about what work international crews can do under U.S. law has come to a head, forcing a decision from the Trump administration. At issue is whether to require offshore oil and gas drillers to shift work handled by international construction crews to domestic ones, something oil lobbyists warn could decimate deep-sea drilling in the Gulf. For President Donald Trump, who has promised to both grow the domestic energy industry and preserve American jobs for American workers, finding a path forward is fraught with political pitfalls. Whatever decision he makes, he is bound to end up alienating one of his key constituencies. Under a century-old law known as the Jones Act, only U.S.-owned vessels are allowed to perform such work within American waters. But over the decades U.S. customs officials made a series of exemptions, allowing oil and gas companies to employ foreign vessels to perform specific tasks such as moving the fluid that drillers use to lubricate wells between sites or laying down massive subsea equipment that can weigh hundreds of tons forward is fraught with political pitfalls. Whatever decision he makes, he is bound to end up alienating one of his key constituencies. Then in 2009, former President Barack Obama ordered a review of those rules, setting off a panic in the offshore industry that gradually abated over the next eight years as no action was taken. Then, just days before leaving office, the Obama administration released a proposal that would repeal decades of U.S. Customs and Border Protection rulings that allowed the exemptions, forcing offshore oil companies to use U.S. ships and crews. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, but a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency, which postponed a decision by two months to allow more time for public comment, is scheduled to rule by May 18. In response, the U.S. oil and gas industry has undertaken a fierce lobbying campaign to block a repeal. The American Petroleum Institute recently released a study forecasting 30,000 job losses in this year alone, mostly in the Gulf region, and a 23 percent drop in U.S. oil and gas production by 2030. Among the arguments used by U.S. maritime companies is that oil and gas drillers prefer international crews, which might be drawn from the less prosperous countries like the Philippines or Eastern Europe, because they are cheaper. Leatt, chief executive of the international maritime group, described that assertion as "nice propaganda." * * * * * How will President Trump decide between the maritime and oil industries regarding the Jones Act? By Michael N Hansen, President, Hawaii Shippers Council, May 2, 2017 S&P Global Platts in their online publication The Barrel reported in a news article, Path to Jones Act change faces political balancing act: Fuel for Thought, published on April 24, 2017, that former President Barack H. Obama left the current president Donald J. Trump with a thorny problem to resolve regarding the Jones Act and the employment of foreign flag vessels by the domestic offshore industry. The issue is whether or not the U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) general notice issued on January 10, 2017, should be affirmed revoking a series of ruling letters dating back to 1976 that allow the use of foreign flag service vessels by the domestic offshore oil and gas industry primarily on the outer continental shelf (OCS). Trump must decide between the protectionism for the U.S. domestic maritime industry by revoking the previous rulings and economic growth that favors the domestic offshore oil and gas industry by leaving the rulings in place. At the end of their article, Platts suggests that Trump is likely to repeat what Obama did in respect of the previous and similar general notice issued six months after his inauguration in 2009, and simply not take any action in respect of the 2017 notice and leave the rulings in place. That would in effect be a win for the offshore oil and gas industry. Key excerpts: On January 18, less than two days before Donald Trumps inauguration, the US Customs and Border Protection released a 30-page general notice which could eliminate exemptions to the Jones Act and mark one of the most significant changes to domestic maritime law in decades. Since the mid-1970s, the federal government has granted so-called ruling letters which allow foreign-built vessels to transport certain equipment, such as repair pipe, between coastal points. The looming policy change could create a vessel supply crunch in the US Gulf, according to Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute. In a recent press call, Gerard said his trade association was not pushing for a repeal of the Jones Act, but said the exemptions were necessary since there were not enough US-flagged vessels needed to meet demand from US Gulf operations. In early April, an API-funded study was released claiming that the reversal of Jones Act exemptions could reduce oil and natural gas production in the US Gulf by about 500,000 b/d over the next 13 years while spending on offshore projects would decrease by about $5.4 billion over that time. Those claims are fiercely disputed by the maritime industry. The only relevant economic impact is the adverse impact that CBPs erroneous rulings have had for decades on US shipowners, mariners and shipyards, said Aaron Smith, president and CEO of the Offshore Marine Service Association. CBPs course correction ensures that more ships will be built in US shipyards employing US citizens. By pushing the order to its final hours, the Obama administration has thrust the Trump administration into a fight between the domestic maritime industry, Congress, offshore contractors and the API, arguably the worlds most influential oil and gas lobbying group. Lifting the exemptions would have lasting ramifications for the US offshore oil and gas industry at a time when the administration is pushing forward a broad agenda aimed at bolstering domestic oil and gas production. CBP, under the Trump administration, declined for months to comment on the proposed change, but in an emailed statement to S&P Global Platts on April 10, the agency indicated that it was moving forward with the proposal. Rather than simply scrap the Obama administrations proposal and start over, Katrina Skinner, a CBP spokeswoman, said the agency would accept comments on the proposed change through April 18 and then would likely issue a decision on it by mid-May. Lobbyists for the maritime industry point to early statements by Trump cabinet officials, including Treasury Secretary Elaine Chao, in support of strengthening the Jones Act. But it remains unclear if the administration is willing to push forward a change opposed by API and others in the oil and gas sector. As Obama administration officials chose to do in 2009, the Trump administration may also wish to leave the question for the next administration. RELATED: Proposed revocation of Jones Act rulings for the offshore industry 2017s Best & Worst States for Nurses From WalletHub, May 3, 2017 Like most segments of the economy, the nursing industry is in a state of significant transition under the weight of major socioeconomic dynamics from the aging U.S. population to the student-loan crisis to concerns about the future of key entitlement programs. But such concerns are not unique among recent graduates, regardless of industry. More specific to nursing professionals are the various day-to-day demands placed on them, such as mandatory overtime, overstaffing, unionization and allegations of systemic disrespect. Despite those challenges, however, aspiring nurses have much to look forward to upon certification. Nursing occupations are some of the most lucrative careers with the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. In fact, the industry is expected to grow at more than double the rate of the average occupation through 2024. With such bright projections, WalletHubs analysts took stock of the nursing industry to help registered nurses, particularly the newly minted of the bunch, lay down roots in areas that are conducive to both personal and professional success. They did so by comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 key metrics that collectively speak to the nursing-job opportunities in each market. Below, you can check out their findings, expert commentary on the state of the nursing industry as well as the methodology used to conduct this report. read Full Report Hawaii Overall Rank -- 50th Raw Score 36.18 Opportunity and Competition 50th Work Environment 39th Avg Annual Wage for Nurses (adj for cost of living) 51st Nursing Job Openings Per Capita -- 48th RELATED: Hawaii Ranks Among Worst States to be a Doctor CB: Hawaii Is Not One Of The Worst States For Nurses Anti-piracy NGO says West Africa, Somalia and South-East Asia remained problem areas in 2016 A report issued on May 2 by anti-piracy NGO Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) found an upsurge in pirate activity in some areas, and residual problems in areas where previous years had seen a reduction in piracy. The 2016 State of Maritime Piracy report includes analyses of the situation in the Western Indian Ocean, West Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Stock image The main areas with significant pirate activity were West Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Sulu and Celebes Seas between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Armed attacks on ships in West African waters nearly doubled in 2016, with pirates increasingly focused on kidnapping crews for ransom off Nigeria's coast. OBP recorded 95 attacks in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea in 2016, up from 54 the previous year. Cargo theft, once the main focus of piracy in the region, has given way to an increase in kidnappings, with 96 crew members taken hostage in 18 separate incidents, compared to 44 in 2015. OBP estimated the total economic cost of maritime crime in West Africa at nearly $794 million. "One of the reasons we are observing increased incidents of kidnap for ransom is that the model offers financial gain with less risk to the perpetrators than hijacking for cargo theft," said Maisie Pigeon, one of the authors of the OBP report. Key Horn/East Africa findings show that the total cost of counter-piracy operations in the Western Indian Ocean has evend out at around $1.5 billion. As coalition forces have ended or decreased their commitments, independent deployments from various countries such as China, India and Japan now account for the majority of days on station with relation to naval counter-piracy operations. In an attempt to lower costs, ship operators are increasingly shifting towards privately contracted armed security teams comprising three rather than four members (almost 70% in Q4 2016). The OBP says decreased vigilance and deterrence in this area is providing pirate networks with the opportunity to attack vulnerable vessels. There were 27 reported incidents in 2016, although no vessels were successfully hijacked. The Hostage Support Partnership (HSP) secured the release 26 Naham 3 crew members, who were held for over 4 years and released on 22 October 2016. Eight crew members taken from the Iranian dhow Siraj in 2015 have yet to be released. Piracy and armed robbery in the Western Indian Ocean region affected a total of 545 seafarers in 2016 at a total cost of $1.7 billion, up from $1.3 billion in 2015. Some $725 million of this was contracted maritime services and another $225 million the cost of international naval activities. In Asia, although there was a reduction in the number of seafarers subjected to attacks (2,283, down from 3,674 in 2015), the plethora of incidents in the Sulu and Celebes Seas has meant that many vessels are re-routing around these waters. In 2016, 67 seafarers were taken hostage in 21 incidents in the Sulu and Celebes Seas, with 6 killed. OBP says it believes that it is possible to end violence at sea and that identifying and explaining the significance of these crimes is an important step in achieving this mission. More information... Fatal Colorado home blast caused by uncapped pipe leading to gas well Ted Poszywak, chief of the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District, told reporters on May 2 that his investigators had uncovered the cause of the April 17 house explosion in Firestone, 30 miles (45 km) north of Denver, that killed two and seriously injured another. An uncapped pipeline leading to a gas well nearby had leaked odorless, unrefined natural gas into the soil that seeped into the house. Stock image The two dead were working on a water heater in the basement and at some point in their work the gas ignited, blowing the house to rubble and critically injuring the third. At the same time, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper ordered inspections and tests of all active and abandoned gas pipelines within 1,000 feet (300 metres) of occupied buildings. He said energy companies would be required to perform pressure tests on flow lines which carry gas from wells to storage tanks or other collection points to identify which ones were leaking. Public safety is paramount, he said. But Matt Lepore, director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, said at the press conference that state well inspections and regulations would not necessarily prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future and that authorities, oil and gas operators and no-doubt lawmakers and concerned citizens will engage in a continuing conversation about what happens next to reassure concerned residents. The Colorado Statesman quoted him as saying: The COGCC inspects about 40,000 wells a year, Lepore said, I think 49,000 last year but there is no comprehensive map of [well] flow lines. This flow line was cut relatively close to the home and the fact that it was cut that close and left uncapped matters more than the fact that the home was less than 200 feet from the well. Lepore said that the state does not test the integrity of lines where pressure measures less than 15 pounds per square inch. He said there are many well lines of all sorts across the state and across Weld County in particular where the home explosion occurred and he seemed unsure how the state and operators might go about making sure all abandoned well lines were not leaking in dangerous ways into foundation drains, for example, as fire inspectors just hours before had reported was the case at the home in Firestone. What happened was highly unusual It was horrible and horrifying, Lepore said. And we will seek to minimise the possibility of this happening again and I think [oil and gas] operators will be hyper-vigilant about this going forward. Anadarko Petroleum owns the 20-year-old well 170 feet (60 metres) from the remains of the house to which the leaking pipe was attached. It announced on April 26 it had shut down 3,000 similar vertical wells across the area to carry out leak tests, a move that was followed several days later by another oil company active in and around Firestone, Great Western Oil & Gas, which announced it would shut and test 61 wells. The Statesman quoted a statement by Congressman Jared Polis, a Democrat who lives in Boulder and represents many gas patch residents. He said: What occurred in Firestone, while devastating, was predictable because Colorado sadly does not have adequate protections against dangerous oil and gas developments in our neighborhoods, he wrote. The days where oil and gas profits are valued more than Coloradans safety, property, and quality of life need to end. I call upon the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to take immediate steps to protect the public and implement new standards to prevent disasters like this from happening in the future. We cannot continue to delay local control, stricter safety standards, and greater setbacks. Meanwhile, Republican politicians and lawyers are trying to remove restrictions on drilling, recently imposed in the Boulder area. Over a number years there has been considerable tension between gas patch residents and drillers over the proximity of oil and gas infrastructure to homes and schools. This is likely to be which have been heightened by the events in Firestone. More information... Contact Details and Archive... 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 Google Ad 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 (FINalternatives) Mick McGuires Marcato Capital Management and Barry Rosensteins JANA Partners, two of the best-known activist hedge funds, posted gains in April as they engage in high-profile campaigns against Buffalo Wild Wings and Whole Foods, respectively. To read this article: THE renovation and rebrand of a Henley restaurant has been opposed by town councillors. Plans have been drawn up to convert Strada in Bell Street into a branch of the Coppa Club by Strada Trading, which owns both brands. The company wants to change the frontage and side entrance and to install new signage. The frontage and fascia board would be painted sage green and the existing canopies would be replaced with striped ones. Six antique copper wall lamps and an illuminated clock fascia sign would be installed. The side entrance would have a single glazed door and glazed panels either side plus metal lettering with a copper lamp above and white exterior grade vinyl to create a ray of light effect. Henley Town Councils planning committee has recommended the application is refused. Members said they were concerned about white vinyl being stuck to the outside of the building, which is in the Henley conservation area. Mayor Julian Brookes said: I have no problem with it in principle as long as they conform to the traditional shop front design brief. Councillor Jane Smewing added: It looks as if they cannot do it in anything other than vinyl or they will have to have a different design. Committee chairman Simon Smith urged the company to use natural materials instead. The Henley Society, a conservation group, has also objected to the application, saying the vinyl finish and a large south-facing advertisement on the wall of the adjoining property should not be allowed. South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority, has told the company that it should follow Henleys traditional shop front design guide. Conservation officer Emily Karau said: The use of traditionally detailed downlighters is acceptable in moderation for a later operating business, however please ensure that these are a softer warm light. [Please] remove internal illumination from the clock face logo or form agreement about when this can be lit to prevent it being on all night and reduce intensity of illumination to a lower glow. She also says the proposed Dutch blinds should be pull-out canvas blinds as used at the Coppa branch in Oxford Circus. Ms Karau also questioned the vinyl and how it would be attached to the brickwork. A decision will be made by the district council by May 29. The restaurant would become the fifth branch of the Coppa Club, which was launched at the Great House in Sonning in 2014. Strada opened in 2008 and is one of 33 branches around the country. Artsakhpress: German diplomats published an article about Artsakh An article entitled "Nagorno Karabakh adopted a new constitution; Observers impressions has been published in German "ADK magazine. The article was co-authored by two former ambassadors of Germany to Armenia Reiner Morell (2012-2015) and Hans-Jochen Schmidt (2009-2012), who on February 20 carried out an observation mission at the Constitutional Referendum held in Artsakh. They shared their impressions and assessments in the article. The German observers noted that despite the difficult situation in which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh has been for a long time (the war imposed by Azerbaijan from the very beginning of building its statehood, then the 1994 international ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan, which was violated continuously, up to renewed military attack along the border by Azerbaijan on April 2) in 2006 democratic Constitution has been declared in Artsakh, and according to the constitution democratic institutions have been built. "This referendum, as well as the previous referendums and parliamentary and presidential elections strengthened the international legal efficiency of NKR de facto state," said the article's co-author Morel and, touching upon the conflict between Azerbaijan and Karabakh, said that the conflict in 21st century can only be solved at the negotiation table. In his turn Schmidt noted that it is gratifying that the Constitutional Referendum held in Artsakh on Feb. 20 in 2017 was held in accordance with internationally accepted standards."And this political event cannot be underestimated, considering the fact that the political image in the neighborhood of Artsakh more and more is being expressed with authoritarian, family dynasty despotic management processes," said Schmidt. The two diplomats also referred to the fact that the referendum was organized on a high level of democracy, no pressures on voters or violations in the electoral process were registered. They also noted that the opinions of the public and government representatives concerning the management and security issues were very similar. They noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved on compromise, which will greatly improve the socio-economic situation of the South Caucasus civil society. Gardai have not yet identified the man who is alleged to have raped the young woman, but are confident of doing so because of good CCTV coverage in the area Gardai are investigating an alleged rape in Dublin city centre at about 2am yesterday. Pearse Street gardai are probing an incident that took place near St Andrew's Lane, in the Dame Street area of the capital. Sources said the alleged victim, a woman aged in her early 20s, left a nightclub with a man but was attacked shortly after leaving the popular nightspot. It is understood that the woman then went home in a distressed state and gardai were notified later yesterday morning. The woman was then taken to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit of a Dublin hospital where she was examined before being released. Gardai have not yet identified the man who is alleged to have raped the young woman, but are confident of doing so because of good CCTV coverage in the area. Last night, officers were examining footage in an attempt to identify the man. In these type of cases, specialist gardai often use the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (Viclas), a computer programme developed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the early 1990s to compare different crimes for similarities. Sources say that Viclas is "especially useful" for investigating random sexual assault or rape cases as it uses behavioural analysis, traditional lines of inquiry and geographical profiling. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said last year that gardai recorded 2,442 sex offences - a rise of 13pc in the 12 months from June 2015 to June 2016. The latest CSO figures show that, in 2014, reported sexual offences were down 18pc on 2010 but up 3pc on 2013. Fewer than half of reported sexual offences (47pc) in 2014 resulted in criminal proceedings, which was the lowest rate since 2010 and represented the continuation of a downward trend. In 2010, there were 2,324 reported rapes, with 1,524 leading to criminal proceedings, while in 2014 there were 1,894 reported rapes, of which 878 led to criminal proceedings. Convicted The alleged rape early yesterday happened as the Herald revealed that more CCTV cameras are set to be introduced on Dublin's most popular party streets, months after a man was convicted of rape after CCTV footage was examined. A review by gardai of coverage in Dublin's south inner city at the end of last year found a need for "greater CCTV coverage". Among the streets to benefit from the additional cameras are Harcourt Street, Camden Street and Montague Street, which is next to the lane where a woman was left with severe injuries after she was attacked. There's good news for the cast and fans of TV3 series Red Rock as the show will return for a fourth season, the Herald can reveal. The final episodes of the garda drama's series three are being filmed and will air from September to December. "Red Rock is definitely on the schedule for TV3 in 2018, so fans can expect lots more drama for months to come," a source close to the series said. Praise The show will break for the summer months before returning in September, when the remaining episodes of season three will be screened. The cast will begin filming season four in the same month. Expand Close Valerie O'Connor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Valerie O'Connor Although a premiere date has yet to be decided, it is likely to be next January, immediately after the current season ends. Andrea Irvine, who plays Gda Sgt Angela Tyrell, was full of praise for her colleagues, who she said make the set a fun place to be every day. "We have great scripts and there's very good characters and storylines. On top of that, it's a fantastic team of people working on it," she said. "We film over a long period, so we're spending a lot of time together and there's a great sense of teamwork, which makes it a nice place to work." Viewers will see Andrea's character promoted to detective sergeant later this season after the departure of Nikki Grogan, played by Valerie O'Connor. "I've been promoted. It's a great move for her. She will definitely be more prominent," she said. "Angela becomes very active within the station and spearheads a lot of that. "It's been fantastic to get into the nitty gritty of the crimes." Red Rock started out on TV3 as a soap-style half-hour series, with two episodes broadcast each week. Then it moved to a one-hour weekly show last September and to the later time of 9pm so that it could explore grittier themes and feature more mature content. "Being an hour means you can go into some things a bit deeper," said executive producer John Yorke. "You can be a bit sexier - you can be more violent. It's starting to feel more like a drama than a soap. "It's still got those hooks that make you want to keep watching." Andrea, from Belfast, will be keeping busy when the show takes a summer break. She will soon be shooting a new movie called End Of Sentence. Several locations across Ireland will be featured in the film, as well as Los Angeles. Journey "It's being made mostly here and then it's going to Los Angeles for a week. I think I'm going over at the end of June," she said. "It kicks off in the second half of May, so the timing is perfect. "It's a road trip with a father and a son. "The mother has died and it's the road journey they take together after she dies." Originally from New York, Ms McDermott was living in Dublin and was engaged to fiance Colin O'Neill, from Portmarnock The tragic young woman who died in a house fire over the weekend was engaged to be married. Grace McDermott, aged in her 20s, lost her life in a blaze which ripped through the house she was staying at, in the early hours of Monday, in Annacotty, Limerick. Originally from New York, Ms McDermott was living in Dublin and was engaged to fiance Colin O'Neill, from Portmarnock. She was a lecturer in communications at Dublin City University and was a scholarship post-graduate student working for her PhD. More forensic tests are being carried out at the house where she lost her life to establish the cause of a fire, with a phone charger suspected to have caused the blaze. Gardai are not treating the fire as suspicious. Ms McDermott had travelled to Limerick with a female friend to participate in the Great Limerick Run, to raise funds for Barringtons Hospital in the city. She joined 12,000 runners taking part in the event. Tributes As she lined up, she posted a photo with a final message on her Twitter account. "Here we go," she wrote. A woman and three male university students managed to escape from the burning house and raise the alarm. Firefighters later removed Ms McDermott's body from a first-floor bedroom. Ms McDermott co-founded the popular academic website and blog Women Are Boring with friend Catherine Connolly, who told the Herald the project was Ms McDermott's passion. Her parents are understood to have travelled to Ireland from New York yesterday. Online tributes have been pouring in for the "inspirational" young American woman. A former DCU graduate, Aisling McDonald, wrote online how Ms McDermott had given her and her fellow students "inspirational lectures" when they were in DCU. Another user on Twitter said: "Grace and the (Women Are Boring) project was a big inspiration to me. "Such a positive role model for fellow PhD students. Absolutely devastated to hear this." A separate user wrote: "Grace gave some of the most interesting lectures I attended in DCU and she was an inspiration to us all." A source at the University of Limerick (UL), where Ms McDermott graduated with a masters in international tourism before embarking on her PhD in Dublin, described her passing as "unbelievably tragic". Ms McDermott was found by firefighters from the Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service after they responded to the fire at 3.20am on Monday. Three members of the UL Bohemians rugby squad and a woman, who had been in the house at the time, escaped without physical injury. Garda sources say her body has not yet been officially identified. Family members will now have to go through the agonising ordeal of being asked to provide a DNA sample as part of the identification process. The detached property at The Oaks, Riverbank, Annacotty, was badly damaged in the blaze. Two units of the city's fire service attended the fire, with firefighters bravely entering the burning house in a desperate attempt to rescue Ms McDermott. Pictures posted to Ms McDermott's Twitter account showed her about to enjoy a drink. "The long weekend begins," she wrote. The families of Ms McDermott and Mr O'Neill were both too upset to comment when contacted by the Herald, as were the members of UL Bohemians who escaped from the fire. On Monday, UL Bohemians spokesman Tony Quilty said the players who survived the fire are "devastated", while expressing his sympathies to Ms McDermott's family. "My concern now is just for our lads, it was a tragic house fire," said Mr Quilty. Shocking "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the lady that has tragically died." Locals in the area expressed their shock. One man, who was returning from work at the time of the fire, said he saw firefighters battling the blaze. "I asked if anyone was hurt and they said one woman was - it is very sad to hear," he said. "I hope the other people in the house are okay, it is really shocking that this has happened." Local Fine Gael councillor Marian Hurley visited the scene. She said the community had been rocked by the tragedy. "We've had a tragedy up the road after a lovely lady in the prime of her life had a stroke a few days ago and her funeral was yesterday and she lived around the corner," Cllr Hurley said. "We're a community in shock. "I want to sympathise with the woman's family and friends. A lovely young person taken in their prime - it's just too much to take," she added. "People wouldn't necessarily know their neighbours, especially [those] in their 20s. "They'd be typically going to work every day, coming back, going to the local park and so on. "As yet, we don't know the identity of this poor and unfortunate girl." A man has been charged with the murder of mother-of-four Samantha Walsh in a Waterford city apartment. Danny Whelan (28), of no fixed abode but who is originally from Thurles, Co Tipperary, appeared before Waterford District Court yesterday. The 31-year-old victim, from Lisduggan, in Waterford city, was found unresponsive in a bedroom of a flat in Ballybricken at 3pm last Friday. She was pronounced dead at the scene despite desperate efforts to revive her by emergency services, who had been alerted by an individual at the flat. Mr Whelan is charged with the murder of Ms Walsh at Thomas Street, Waterford, at a time unknown between April 27 and 28. Det Gda Pat Kelly told Judge Kevin Staunton that he arrested, cautioned and charged Mr Whelan at Waterford Garda Station. He told the court that Mr Whelan made no reply when the charge was formally put to him. As it is a murder charge, bail cannot be dealt with by the District Court and must be handled by the High Court. Insp Tony Lonergan applied for Mr Whelan to be remanded in custody. Judge Staunton remanded Mr Whelan in custody to appear again before Waterford District Court next Monday. Defence solicitor Colin Morrissey applied for free legal aid, stressing that his client is currently in receipt of social welfare. Psychiatric Mr Morrissey asked Judge Staunton to direct that Mr Whelan receive all medical and psychiatric treatment required while in custody. He pointed out that his client was only released from University Hospital Waterford on Saturday, having been admitted on Friday. Mr Morrissey also pointed out that his client maintains he replied "not guilty" when the charge was formally put to him, rather than making no reply. Det Gda Kelly was adamant that Mr Whelan made no reply and Judge Staunton said he was noting that in his record. Mr Whelan appeared in court wearing a black and grey Puma tracksuit. He did not speak during the brief hearing. The court hearing took place as Ms Walsh's Requiem Mass was held at St Paul's Church in Lisduggan. She was from Central Avenue in Lisduggan but had lived in both Mayo and Sligo in recent years. She had only recently moved into the flat at Thomas Street, which is 100 metres from Waterford Garda Station. Following the Requiem Mass, she was to be buried in Kilbarry Cemetery. Gardai treated Ms Walsh's death as suspicious for 24 hours before launching a murder investigation last Saturday, after receiving details of the post-mortem by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis. That examination indicated that the young mother had met a violent death. 'They truly believe in luck': Winning Powerball ticket worth $2.04 billion sold in LA area This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ Bhopal: In the wake of death of a student in a tragic incident in Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) the institute administration has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on 14 final year students and have asked them not to leave the campus until further orders. A final year student Abhay Anand, 24, a resident of Orai, Uttar Pradesh drowned in a pond in MANIT premises on March 4. Later, police found liquor bottles from the spot. During interrogation, students informed that the incident took place after a small party of final year students organised in the evening to celebrate their success. Anand accidentally slipped in the pond and drowned. He was rushed to a hospital but couldnt be saved. However, the family members of Anand alleged that Abhay was killed. Police are investigating the matter. In a meeting of proctoral board held on Monday, the committee decided to slap a fine of Rs 50,000 on 14 students who were with Anand for their act of indiscipline and boozing on the college campus. After taking a decision upon it, the minutes of the meeting have been forwarded to the MANIT director NS Chaudhary. According to the institute sources, the basic motive of imposing a heavy fine is to give money to the parents of the deceased as a token of compensation. We are thinking of giving collected fine to the family of the deceased. The administration will talk to parents of Abhay Anand and if they agree upon it, the money will be given to them, said a member of the committee, who didnt wish to be named. MANIT, public relation officer, Ajay Verma said, The final notice will be released by the director only after that he would comment over it. Despite repeated attempt, the director NS Chaudhary couldnt be contacted. The students, however, regret their act of partying. Yes, we agree that our carelessness during celebration led to this accident. We are restless and remorseful. The moment will continue to haunt us for our entire life. But the allegation that we killed Anand is truly baseless. We are ready to face any disciplinary action, said one of the students talking to the Hindustan Times. Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh state assembly passed Madhya Pradesh Goods and Services Tax bill unanimously on Wednesday to pave the way for implementation of GST across the country possibly from July. A special session of the assembly was convened for passage of the bill. Replying to the discussion on the bill finance minister Jayant Malaiya said the GST will give much freedom to the traders. It will be based on a self-assessment of a business by the trader concerned. There would be assessment of only 5% of the traders in comparison to the existing figure of 40%. Also, the traders would not have to file separate returns and challan for separate tax. Malaiya said there would now be no tax war among the states as GST meant one nation one tax. The most important aspect of the GST was the countrys federal system remained intact. There were 13 meetings of GST Council in which representatives of 31 states and union territories took part but all the decisions were taken unanimously. The minister said the commercial tax department launched a campaign in the state to create awareness among the traders on GST. Workshops were organised at about 300 places. So far about 2.5 lakh traders had migrated to GST. To tackle the problems cropping up in the coming time a GST help desk had been set up at the commercial tax department headquarters and also in every circle. He said the traders with more than Rs 20 lakh annual turnover would be enrolled under the GST whereas the amount of Rs 10 lakh under Value Added Tax (VAT) Act. The traders with Rs 50 lakh annual turnover would have the facility to pay the tax in one installment. All the registered traders would be entitled for input tax credit. Earlier, Congress MLA Mahendra Kalukheda said the format of the GST suggested that there would be return of Inspector Raj in the country. Chartered accountants will benefit from it. Officials would have more discretionary powers whereas the need of hour was to curtail their discretionary powers. Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh said the government needed to make clear several aspects of GST. When speaker Dr Sitasharan Sharma went ahead for a voice vote on the bill leader Opposition state assembly Ajay Singh asked the speaker to consider the bill passed unanimously. Actor Aditi Rao Hydari is someone who doesnt believe in holding back her opinion, and expresses it strongly. When the sets of filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati were vandalised, she referred to the incident as unfortunate, saying that such curbing of expression has to stop. Bhansalis film has been in controversy since the shoot began. In February last, the shoot was stalled by activists of a Rajput group, who tried to vandalise the sets at the Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur and later in March, the sets caught fire in Kolhapur. The activists accused him of distorting facts, while making the historical film.The film also stars actors Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles. I believe, art and cinema do not have a language or any religious or geographical boundaries. It shouldnt even have gender discrimination. I think filmmakers should be given the freedom to tell their stories. We are a democratic country. There are so many terrible things happening elsewhere. If theyre not stifled, why should this [the film] be, says Aditi Rao Hydari. Aditi says that experienced filmmakers should be entrusted with making great cinema. Im saying this for directors, who we should be proud of. We should be proud of someone like Bhansali. We cant stop them from telling their stories. They are creating history with their kind of cinema. How can we curb them or clip their wings? asks Aditi. Follow @htshowbiz for more New Delhi Akshay Kumar received the National Film Award for Best Actor today, from the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. The moment set aside over 26 years of trials and tribulations that he may have faced in Hindi cinema. Notwithstanding the huge box-office success that most of the 49-year-old actors 135 films have seen, the absence of recognition in the form of awards nagged somewhere. Not anymore, says a triumphant Akshay, moments after receiving Indian cinemas most coveted honour at Delhis Vigyan Bhawan on Wednesday evening. Actors Sonam Kapoor (Special Mention; for Neerja),Surabhi Lakshmi (Best Actress; for Minnaminungu) and Akshay Kumar (Best Actor; for Rustom) at the National Films Awards presentation ceremony on May 3, 2017, in New Delhi. Dressed in Indian attire a bandhgala by designer Manish Malhotra for the occasion, Akshay was accompanied by a very proud spouse, author Twinkle Khanna, and their 14-year-old son Aarav, who got as much attention as his award-winner dad. To finally take my last few steps towards the President of India to receive my National Award felt almost unreal, says Akshay. Ive never felt so light and so humbled at the same time. When one works day in and day out, as I do, something like this isnt just an honour, its a moment in time where everything makes sense. No matter how hard the journey may have been, to stand here now, in front of my family, is the cherry on this almighty cake we call life. An important day in my life with the most important people in the world to me, my family #NationalFilmAwards A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) on May 3, 2017 at 4:40am PDT The announcement of the award last month was followed by much brouhaha on social media over Akshays deservedness for it. Especially when his films Rustom and Airlift were preferred by the jury over the popular favourite, Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal, and the critically acclaimed Aligarh. Did the criticism mar his proud moment in any way? Never, he replies emphatically. Nothing can taint this moment. Our country and its people deserve their voice and their opinion. Just like I know I deserve this award. Ive never felt more proud of my efforts than I do today. No amount of cyber bashing will ever change this day for me. In fact, it has been quite entertaining listening to people get their knickers in such a twist about something over which I had no control. He is quick to add, But thats also the power of your true fans. They will always want their own Idol to be honoured the most. I will never disrespect the love people have for their favourite star. Whether they are with me or against me, Im happy with what Ive got and how Ive got here. Wife Twinkle Khanna and son Aarav watch proudly as Akshay receives his National Award. Apart from his films, Akshay has, of late, hit headlines for lending his voice to a range of social causes. We ask if theres a cause thats closer to his heart than the others. Every cause is extremely close to me; otherwise, I wouldnt be caring for it in the way I do, he replies. In my eyes, the whole idea of becoming famous and successful was that one day, with the power Ive created by doing my job well, Id be giving back in as many ways as possible. The philosopher in Akshay suddenly takes over with a glint in his eye. He says, Ive believed that God has given me so much knowing that Id do all I could, to do good for the people. If one has a voice, it should be heard. If one has good intentions, one should do whatever it takes to act upon them. If one has the power to change unfortunate circumstances, then one should fight to the very end to change them. I have all this and more. I feel its my destiny to give back to those whom my journey can inspire. Because I never forget my humble beginnings. Ill always remember I am a Bhatia before I became a Kumar! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Sushant Singh Rajput and international supermodel Kendall Jenner are the stars of Vogues May edition. The magazine, which is celebrating its 10-year-anniversary, brought Kendall and famous Peruvian photographer Mario Testino to collaborate for the special issue a few months ago and the pictures are finally out. Vogue India , May 2017 By @mariotestino With @kendalljenner A post shared by Sushant Singh Rajput (@sushantsinghrajput) on May 2, 2017 at 11:42pm PDT Sushant and Kendall shot in Jaipurs Hotel Samode Palace when she visited India in February. Kendall is seen leaning on Sushant as they look into the lens. Sushant is seen in a stylish white suit and Kendall is wearing a frilly off-shoulder blouse with chunky white pants. Kendall posed for several amazing pictures for the photographer. Check out a few: Kendall for Vogue India May 2017 issue #KendallJenner A post shared by KENDALL UPDATES (@updatesofkenny) on May 3, 2017 at 1:58am PDT A post shared by KENDALL UPDATES (@updatesofkenny) on May 3, 2017 at 1:58am PDT A post shared by Kardashians (@lovethekardashianfamily) on May 3, 2017 at 12:45am PDT Kendall for Vogue India May 2017 issue #KendallJenner A post shared by KENDALL UPDATES (@updatesofkenny) on May 3, 2017 at 1:58am PDT A post shared by KENDALL UPDATES (@updatesofkenny) on May 3, 2017 at 1:57am PDT A post shared by KENDALL UPDATES (@updatesofkenny) on May 3, 2017 at 1:57am PDT Sushant shot separately with Testino in a royal black velvet jacket. A post shared by VOGUE India (@vogueindia) on May 2, 2017 at 10:45pm PDT Testino also shot Katrina Kaif recently for his Towel Series and also for the same edition for the magazine. #_ #VogueIndia @Bollywood_IR #katrinakaif for #VogueIndia A post shared by (@bollywood.iran) on May 3, 2017 at 3:30am PDT Thank you @mariotestino for the wonderful experience of shooting for the legendary #TowelSeries ... You must come see us again soon . Here u go @anaitashroffadajania A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Apr 27, 2017 at 11:21pm PDT Sushants next release is Raabta with Kriti Sanon. He is currently busy with the films promotions. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Sushant Singh Rajput is usually quite vocal about his views, be it through social media or at public platforms. But the 31-year-old star of the upcoming release Raabta will not make his opinion public unless he knows each and every detail about the issue. I feel that one needs to be responsible about voicing their opinions in public. I will not talk about anything in public, until and unless I know each and every fact, and I know the relevance of it, he says. Sushant recently made headlines after he slammed a journalist at a promotional event for Raabta. The journalist repeatedly asked the actor to comment on the death sentence awarded to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav by a military court in Pakistan. This has become a major bilateral issue. Im not saying that I didnt know what was going on, says Sushant. I knew about it slightly, because it was coming in the newspapers and was on the news channels. But I wasnt so well informed on the topic, and it was a very sensitive issue. I had to know the facts before I said anything in public. I was asked about nepotism and the skin tone question (raised by actor Abhay Deol) as well. I answered that, because I knew about it, he says. The actor believes that public figures should be responsible when making statements, since they influence the masses. Its important to have an opinion and talk about it in public. But one should do it responsibly, more so when you are a public figure. Its important to understand that be it [on] social media or any other public platform, youre using this space to influence people. So you should be well informed before making any sort of a statement, he says. I know there are people who are interested in listening to what I have to say on [various] things. But they should be aware that what Ill say might influence people, and thats why I have to be responsible, adds Sushant. Meanwhile, the actor has quashed rumours about him dating actor Kriti Sanon and said that they are just good friends. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than a year after their alleged break-up, Bollywood actors Nargis Fakhri and Uday Chopra were spotted together in New York, sparking off rumours that the couple might be back together. Uday and Nargis have always denied being in a relationship. A DNA report quoted a source saying, A few days ago they even spent some time at luxury resort, The Mulia Resort and Villas in Bali. A Mid Day report showed pictures of Nargis and Uday being spotted at Mumbai airport together on Saturday. Interestingly, Nargis covered her face while Uday flashed smiles at the shutterbugs. In an earlier interview to Indian Express, Nargis had said, Am I really dating? Interesting you ask me. Uday Chopra is a person who will be a part of my life for the rest of my life. He is the most amazing human being who I have ever met in my entire life not just in India but around the world. If anyone is his friend that person is lucky to have him in his life. Rumours also claim that the duo might be planning to tie the knot soon. However, putting all the rumours to rest, Nargis took to Twitter to slam the gossip mongers. Wow u guys really love making stuff up. now who started this rumor. I think u r dying for me to marry someone, she tweeted. Wow u guys really love making stuff up. now who started this rumor . I think u r dying for me to marry someone https://t.co/9eQ7Ks7ZIu Nargis (@NargisFakhri) May 3, 2017 Last year, there were reports that Nargis wanted to announce her marriage with Uday, but Chopra broke up with her. Follow @htshowbiz for more The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has started probe into the incident of an IndiGo plane making an emergency landing at Bhubaneswar airport last month after one of the pilots fell ill. On April 27, an IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Hyderabad was diverted to Bhubaneswar airport, where it made an emergency landing, after the co-pilot felt unwell. Sources said there were around 150 passengers onboard when the flight made emergency landing and that AAIB is probing the incident. When contacted, an IndiGo spokesperson confirmed the incident happened on April 27. In flight co-pilot felt unwell and the captain decided to divert (the flight) to Bhubaneswar. Matter was reported to the regulator as per norms. Same is being investigated by the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) office and the AAIB, the spokesperson said. While it could not be independently confirmed, sources said there was a delay on the part of the airline in informing the regulatory authorities about the incident. AAIB investigates serious incidents and accidents involving Indian aircraft. As the United States adapts to the presidency of Donald Trump and faces rising tensions abroad, Berkshire Hathaway Inc shareholders will descend on Omaha, Nebraska this weekend seeking reassurance, from Warren Buffett. The weekend known as Woodstock for Capitalists is unique in corporate America, a celebration of the billionaires image and success at a conglomerate whose businesses range from Geico insurance to the BNSF railroad to Sees candies to Ginsu knives. Buffett, 86, and vice chairman Charlie Munger, 93, will answer five hours of questions at Saturdays annual meeting. Many say it reinforces their views about investing and Berkshire, even if it remains unclear how much new they learn. Watching someone like (Buffett) with strong command on details of the economy and Berkshires operations is very impressive, said Meyer Shields, a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst who rates Berkshire market perform. But youre not going to learn a lot about Berkshire Hathaway the company. Last years attendance fell to about 37,000 from more than 40,000 a year earlier. But there were also 1.1 million real-time sign-ons to Yahoo Finance, which webcast the meeting for the first time. It will do so again, in English and Mandarin. LARGE, LARGE ORGANIZATION Much of Berkshires relative outperformance came decades ago when it was much smaller, and even Buffett has called the companys huge size an anchor on investment performance. Buffett has said Berkshire owns 10 businesses big enough to make the Fortune 500 list of large U.S. companies on their own. But details can be thin. For example, aircraft parts maker Precision Castparts, acquired last year for $32.1 billion, merited about a page in Berkshires annual report. Precisions final annual report, in 2015, ran 87 pages. Its a large, large organization, said Jeffrey Stacey, founder of Stacey Muirhead Capital Management in Waterloo, Ontario, who is attending his 26th straight meeting. I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because the track record has been so good for so long. Buffett said in February that boosting disclosure could put many Berkshire businesses at a disadvantage, and that its the growth of the Berkshire forest that counts. He also knows the perils of conglomerates, saying in 2015 that dubious accounting, self-promotion and mediocre businesses make them richly deserve their terrible reputation. Buffett says Berkshire is different, in part because he took Mungers advice to buy wonderful businesses at fair prices. Shareholders enjoy that focus less than they once did. Berkshires share price has slightly lagged the Standard & Poors 500 including dividends during the eight-year bull market, but has outperformed since the global financial crisis mushroomed in September 2008. Shields, who is not attending Saturdays meeting, wants Buffett to reveal more, even if shareholders can safely assume his eventual successor as chief executive is top-flight. ISSUES APLENTY While Buffett and Munger do not know in advance the questions they will get from shareholders, journalists and analysts at Saturdays meeting, they can anticipate many. Buffett may need to review Berkshires support of Wells Fargo & Co, in which it holds a roughly 10% stake, despite a sales scandal over bogus customer accounts. He may also get questions about his support for 3G Capital, a Brazilian firm known for ruthless cost-cutting. Berkshire controls Kraft Heinz Co with 3G, and recently tried to help 3G buy Unilever NV for $143 billion. Trump is sure to come up. Buffett did not support his election but Berkshires book value could swell by $36 billion with his proposed corporate tax cuts, Barclays Capital said. Buffett may also get questions about his surprise bets on Apple Inc and the four biggest U.S. airlines. Having gone over a year since a big acquisition, Buffett may be asked how he can better deploy the $86.4 billion of cash, equivalents and Treasury bills that Berkshire recently held. Succession may also come up. Indeed, Buffett has already delegated work to lieutenants like Ajit Jain, Gregory Abel, Tracy Britt Cool and Todd Combs that he once would do himself. Apple, Facebook and Google logos have been removed from a giant statue of a mythical beast that will stand inside the sprawling cremation complex being built for Thailands late king after their inclusion caused an online outcry. Dozens of palace artisans are working around the clock to produce a dizzying array of sculptures for the funeral of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in October - a year after the deeply revered monarchs death plunged the nation into mourning. One of the leading artists included logos for the tech giants on a two-metre tall statue of the Garuda - a half-bird- half-human creature in Hindu and Buddhist mythology - as a way of paying tribute to Bhumibols embrace of technology. But their inclusion sparked a backlash when photos of the statue were published online, prompting their removal and an apology from the artist. I have to apologise, I did this job to show my pride for His Majesty like everyone else, artist Pitak Chalermlao said in a Facebook post showing the logos had been removed. He added that Bhumibol was a thinker who made the world a smaller place and that those tech companies became influential during his reign. The Apple and Google logos were nestled in the centre of each of the Garudas wings while a Facebook logo was etched onto the animals belt buckle. Netizens were largely against the inclusion. I think it was not suitable for a cremation site, one user wrote on the popular Thai forum Pantip. Another added: Apple, Google and Facebook would have smiled at such free advertising during a key event. Cremations for senior Thai royals are huge, arcane and costly affairs, but a monarchs funeral - the last one was in 1950 - is on an even more monumental scale. The 50-metre high funeral complex springing up outside Bangkoks Grand Palace will be adorned with hundreds of statues, from Hindu gods to animals and mythical beasts. The cremation will take place on October 26 as part of a five day send-off planned for the monarch. His rule spanned seven tumultuous decades that witnessed significant economic growth but saw democratic aspirations wilt under the weight of multiple palace-endorsed coups. The monarchy is also shielded by a draconian lese majeste law that has seen critics sentenced to decades behind bars. The law was used more frequently towards the end of Bhumibols reign, often for comments posted on social media. (AFP) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked taxmen to take necessary steps against those with benami properties and focus on broadening the tax net. In a review meeting with officials of the tax department on Tuesday, the Prime Minister, sources said, also underlined the need to reduce human interface and adopt measures that do not lead to harassment. On November 8, 2016, the government had demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes with a stated purpose of cracking down on black money. They came under severe criticism from the opposition parties that claimed that large chunk of black money was in the form of benami properties. It was a good meeting and presentations were made on the actions taken after demonetization to address the issue of black money..the meeting was to take stock of the situation and review the overall functioning of the department, said a senior government official, who did not wish to be identified. The government, which launched the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojanathe second and a more stringent income disclosure schemehas got tepid response with only about 24,000 declarations coming in this time against around 65,000 in the earlier scheme. There has also been some cause for concern due to this and this was also reviewed, the official said. Last month, the income tax department unveiled a one-page income tax return form unveiled by the government on Friday includes a separate section for cash deposits of Rs 2 lakh and more between November 9 and December 30. The income tax department, which already has exhaustive information on deposits made by the citizens between November 9 and December 30, 2016, would also check the amount of money deposited by their spouses and other members of the family. Besides, Modi also took stock of the preparedness for the implementation of the nationwide goods and services tax. The government intends to implement the goods and services tax (GST) from July 1. According to sources, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, along with Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia and other senior revenue officials, were present in the meeting with the Prime Minister. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON EU negotiators have hiked possible payment demands for Brexit over recent weeks, officials say, widening the divide between Brussels and London, which questions whether it owes anything at all before talks start next month. Hours before chief negotiator Michel Barnier was due to give more details on the EUs standpoint, a Financial Times headline saying the EU might seek an upfront payment in 2019 of up to 100 billion euros ($110 billion), drew an immediate rejection from UK Brexit Secretary David Davis that he would pay that sum. The European Commission has previously given a ballpark estimate of the bill of about 60 billion euros. The FT said the calculations it referred to would result in a net payment from Britain of roughly that level, after subsequent reimbursements. One senior EU official involved in preparing for the talks after a British election on June 8 said he did not recognise the 100-billion-euro figure, although a number of private calculations of the bill have gone as high or even higher. Last month, the Bruegel think-tank in Brussels put the up-front payment for Britain as high as 109 billion euros under one of many scenarios for the calculation. Later reimbursement would bring the net figure to 65 billion, Bruegels study showed. Over the past month, the 27 other member states have drafted negotiating guidelines for the executive Commission that leaders agreed on Saturday. In the course of drafting, governments insisted on clarifying that Britain be made to pay up front for, among other things, contingent liabilities for guarantees on loans made by, for example, the European Investment Bank. A document seen by Reuters outlining Barniers plans for negotiations, showed he has a plan to calculate up-front payment for contingent liabilities, to be repaid later: This calculation will also identify the amounts covering or guaranteeing loans which have to be reimbursed to the United Kingdom if uncalled, on the basis of the maturity of the loans. Barnier has repeatedly said that the final amount cannot be calculated until Britain is leaving, since the EU budget will change. However, EU leaders want agreement on the methodology for the calculation among several conditions for opening the talks on a future free trade deal that Britain is seeking. Leaders hope that agreement could be reached by December. The White House has welcomed announcement by Indian IT giant Infosys that it plans to hire 10,000 Americans locally and said we are glad companies like Infosys see opportunity in the American economy again. It adds to similar announcements from other companies all of whom are renewing investment in the Unites States in the wake of the Trump administration, said Ninio Fetalvo, a White House spokesman in a statement. Infosys announced Tuesday it will hire 10,000 workers locally in the United States over the next two years and open four technology centers, starting with one this August in Indiana, home state of the Vice-President Mike Pence. Wipro, another Indian IT giant, announced last week it expects to have 50% of its staff in the United States hired locally by the first quarter of 2018, and is already moving aggressively on that front, a source said on background. Asked if the White House was aware of the Wipro commitment and what more it would like see Indian tech companies do, the spokesman said he did not have anything more to add to the statement, which was first reported by The Washington Post. Indian IT firms are in the crosshairs of the Trump administration for their heavy dependence on H-1B temporary visas for high-skilled foreign workers and allegations that they game the system, leading to loss of jobs for local Americans. President Donald Trump signed an executive order recently Buy, American, Hire American seeking a review of the H-1B visa programme to end abuse and fraud and to ensure it was used to hire only the most talented and best paid. Referring to the order, Fetalvo said it set in motion the process of ending the abuse of the work visa program, ensuring that companies hire more Americans for well-playing jobs, rather than incentivizing companies to ship in workers from overseas that they pay below market rate. Were glad to see companies like Infosys see opportunity in the American economy again and as we continue to implement important policy changeslike the Presidents bold tax reform planwe are confident that jobs will continue to come back to the United States, he added. Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal managed to keep the party together on Wednesday by striking a compromise with dissident leader Kumar Vishwas. The political affairs committee (PAC) of AAP, in an urgent meeting, decided to make Vishwas the party in-charge for Rajasthan, which will face assembly elections in 2018. It also suspended MLA Amanatullah Khan, who had spoken publicly against Vishwas, and had called him a BJP-RSS agent who was trying to split the party. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia visited Amanatullahs residence to personally convey the partys decision to suspend him. The party has also formed a committee to recommend action over comments made by Amanatullah against Vishwas. Amanatullah Khan, who accused Kumar Vishwas of being a BJP agent, has been removed from the party, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters after the PAC meeting. The committee will have Ashutosh, Pankaj Gupta and Atishi Marlena as members, Sisodia said without giving details of the committees mandate. Sources, however, said that while the party seems to have doused rumours of Vishwas exit for now, it is yet to address several issues that followed its electoral debacle. There has also been no clarification on the party line on EVMs, which had sparked the current crisis. Vishwas thanked all volunteers and party members, who stood by him in the time of crisis. He also assured volunteers that the party will not shy away from course correction whenever required. Every time we need course correction, we will do it. Party needed to discuss some issues and that is happening, he said. He also said that the turbulence over last two days was not about him alone. I have already said I dont want to become CM, deputy CM or convener of any party, he said. The bargain comes a day after Delhi chief minister and AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal made desperate attempts to keep the party together. After saying that Vishwas was his younger brother but a little angry, Kejriwal dashed to his house late on Tuesday night after which Kejriwal, Vishwas and other leaders moved to the CMs residence in north Delhi for a meeting. All Vishwas said on Tuesday was that he would take a decision tonight. After the municipal poll results in Delhi on April 26, Vishwas had said in an interview to India Today TV that EVMs alone could not be held responsible for AAPs loss in the election. A day later on April 29, Okhla MLA Amanatullah described Vishwas as an RSS agent and accused him of conspiring to take control of the party, led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Aam Adami Party averted crisis on Wednesday, as a compromise was reached with one of its founder leaders, Kumar Vishwas, at the meeting of political affairs committee. The meeting that was held at the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, lasted almost three hours. Addressing the media later, deputy CM Manish Sisodia said that Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan had been suspended from the party for his remarks against Vishwas, who had been given charge of the partys Rajathsan wing. The partys dismal performance in MCD elections ushered a phase of crisis with discordant voices emerging from within. Vishwas had started slugfest party after he challenged the party line of blaming EVMs for defeat in MCD polls. Here are the Live updates: 5.40pm: After the crisis blew over on Wednesday afternoon, Kumar Vishwas also tweeted a couplet expressing resolve to fight darkness and thanking supporters. " " ! ! ! ! Dr Kumar Vishvas (@DrKumarVishwas) May 3, 2017 5.20pm: Sources said while the party has seemed to have doused rumours of Kumar Vishwas exit for now, it is yet to address several issues that followed its electoral debacle. There has also been no clarification on the party line on EVMs, which had sparked the current crisis. 5.05pm: In September last year, Khan had resigned from all posts in Delhi government, hours before a sexual harassment case was filed against him by a relative. 4.55pm: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who was placed under suspension for his remarks against Vishwas, was the centre of several controversies last year. In November, he was booked by CBI for irregularities in operations of Delhi Waqf Board when he was its chairman. 4.40pm: The party seems to have averted internal crisis after the meeting of its Political Affairs Committee, where dissident leader Kumar Vishwas was placated. Vishwas had indicated earlier that he might quit the party. 4.30pm: Senior leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh reach party office at Rouse Avenue. 4.18pm: After the PAC meeting, Vishwas had welcomed the party decision to act against Okhla MLA saying that the leadership made it clear that mud-slinging on the top leadership would not be tolerated. The morale of the party workers saw a boost. Their belief has increased that leadership does not tolerate any sort of indiscipline. The party has given a clear message that it would not compromise on corruption, nationalism and its workers, Vishwas told ANI. 4.08pm: Manish Sisodia leaves Amanatullah Khans residence after personally conveying the partys decision to suspend him. 3.58pm: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia reaches the house of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan after the partys committee decided to suspend him for his remarks against Kumar Vishwas. 3.48pm: After the compromise on Wednesday, Kumar Vishwas will now hold the post of Rajasthan unit chief. Vishwas, who is a founder member of AAP, has so far been a member of the partys political affairs committee and has been responsible for the overseas funding. 3.38pm: Delhi chief minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Sanjay Singh tweeted a picture of AAP leaders, including Kumar Vishwas, saying that the AAP family is united. The tweet came soon after a high-level committee meeting ended in compromise, averting crisis in the party. 3.28pm: The AAP announced a three-member committee of party leaders Pankaj Gupta, Atishi Marlena and Ashutosh to look into Khans allegations against Kumar Vishwas. 3.18pm: Amanatullah Khan, who was placed under suspension, stood by his statement against Kumar Vishwas saying that it was his personal opinion. He also added that he respects the partys decision in this regard. 3.08pm: Sisodia said Kumar Vishwas had been given the task of strengthening the AAP in Rajasthan and the party will fight election in the state under his leadership. The state will undergo assembly elections next year. The party had said last year, that it will field candidates in the Rajasthan polls. 2.56pm: Kumar Vishwas thanks supporters and reasserts stand against corruption.I am grateful to the people who stood by me. I also assure everyone that there will be no obstacle in our fight against corruption that started from Jantar Mantar and got us all together, he says. 2.46pm: I assure you that whenever there is a conflict, we will have a dialogue and discuss things. Secondly, as I said earlier, no one should be under the impression that I will ever be a CM or Deputy CM out of this party. But I agree that there were some discussions that were necessary and they are happening now, says Kumar Vishwas. 2.36pm: After the three-hour meeting on Wednesday, AAP crisis seemed to have been resolved as leaders reached a compromise with Kumar Vishwas. Party supporters who had gathered outside the residence of Arvind Kejriwal, raised slogans in support of Vishwas after he announced the decision to continue in the party. 2.26pm: Manish Sisodia says a three-member panel will be formed to look into the statement by Amanatullah Khan against Kumar Vishwas. The latter had taken exception to Khans statement that billed him an agent of RSS-BJP. 2.16pm: Kumar Vishwas made in-charge of the partys unit in Rajasthan. 2.07pm: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia says Amanatullah Khan, who accused Vishwas of being a BJP-RSS agent, has been suspended from the party. 2.03pm: Kumar Vishwas emerges with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to address the media. Sources say that a compromise has been reached. 1.57pm: Meeting of AAPs political affairs committee is over and it is sources say that a compromise has been reached with Kumar Vishwas, who reportedly had some conditions to remain within the party fold. Party leaders are expected to address media soon. 1.49pm: Sources say Kumar Vishwas wants the party to take action against MLA Amanatullah Khan who had called him agent of BJP and RSS and alleged that he was trying to stage a coup in the party. Khan had quit as member of PAC after over 30 MLAs signed a letter asking the leadership to expel him. @DrKumarVishwas, who has backing of some MLAs,wants AAP to take action against #AmanatullahKhan for calling him "BJP agent":sources@htdelhi Heena Kausar (@heenakausar19) May 3, 2017 1.39pm: The party has also came under criticism from Arvind Kejriwals former Jan Lokpal movement allies Anna Hazare, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan after MCD elections. The three blamed the party leadership for failing to live up to expectations and losing mandate within a short period of time 1.29pm: As the meeting of AAPs PAC members stretches over two hours, petitioners related to different issues have also gathered outside the venue seeking a meeting with the chief minister. 1.19pm: Nine members of the AAPs political affairs committee are attending the meeting. These include: Arvind Kejriwal,Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas, Gopal Rai, Ashutosh, Durgesh Pathak, Atishi Marlena and Sadhu Singh. 1.09pm: Top AAP leaders have been in a huddle at Arvind Kejriwals house for almost two hours now. The meeting of the partys political Affairs Committee was called after key leader Kumar Vishwas hinted at quitting the party a day ago. 12.59pm: The party was expected to restructure itself after its electoral losses. It was reported that Kejriwal could rejig his Cabinet to bring in Dalit face and spruce up the government. The first PAC meeting after the results, however, only ratified the decision to make Gopal Rai the convener of partys Delhi unit. 12.48pm: Anxious party volunteers have gathered outside the residence of Arvind Kejriwal where the partys highest decision making body is holding a meeting to resolve differences. 12.38pm: While the AAP has been reeling under electoral losses, the BJP is consolidating position in the Capital after its victory in MCD polls. On Tuesday, when AAP was trying to quell dissidents, Amit Shah said the BJP now aims to come to power in Delhi assembly. 12.28pm: A section of AAP MLAs also held a separate meeting with Kumar Vishwas early on Wednesday, but the details were not immediately available. The developments come a day after Vishwas threatened to quit the party in an emotional outburst. 12.20pm: Contrary to partys stand, Vishwas did not blame EVMs after the polls and held the leadership responsible. He blamed a coterie within AAP for its election reverses. 12.03pm: Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia had also visited Vishwas on Tuesday. He is angry but will come around. We are going to my place to have tea, Kejriwal said after the meeting which was also attended by Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh. 11.43am: Amid rumours that the party could be headed for a split, Kumar Vishwas broke down while talking to reporters earlier this week. Vishwas has, in the past too, taken stand against personality-driven politics. He had, last month, released a 14-minute video in which he hinted that all was not well within the party. 11.39am: With the high-level party meeting underway, sources said that Vishwas will not compromise on issues of volunteers, nationalism and corruption. They said he could be expected to take big decision at the meeting. 11.25am:The partys defeat in MCD elections, that followed its rout in Assembly polls two months ago, also triggered resignations by leaders, descending the party into turmoil. The partys Delhi convener Dilip Pandey, Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh and Punjab co-observer Durgesh Pathak, were among those who sent their resignations @DrKumarVishwas will not compromise on issue of volunteers, nationalism & corruption. To take big decision in #AAP PAC:sources@htdelhi Heena Kausar (@heenakausar19) May 3, 2017 11.15am: After defeat in Assembly elections the party had blamed the electronic voting machines. However, this stand did not get support of all party members, including Kapil Mishra. The issue opened fault lines as Vishwas also took a stand against the party line. 11.07am: Kumar Vishwas has reached chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence in Civil Lines to attend the meeting. This is the second meeting of the partys political affairs committee in this week over the rift within the party. 10.58am: The partys political affairs committee will meet at chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence to settle difference with poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas. 10.50am: The partys political affairs committee had also met on Tuesday after reports of rift and allegations against Vishwas by MLA Amanatullah Khan. Khan resigned as a member of the committee after over 30 AAP MLAs signed a letter urging the top leadership to expel him. 10.40am: Arvind Kejriwal had tried to douse reports of conflict between him and Vishwas on Monday. Kumar is my younger brother. Some people are showing that there is a rift between us, they are enemies of the party. They should refrain from this. No one can separate us, he had tweeted hours after AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan took to social media alleging that Vishwas was trying to take over the party and has been asking MLAs to make him the national convener. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of a Hindustan Times report about the alleged torture and abuse of teenage girls in a government shelter home in west Delhi. HT in its May 1 report Girls alleged abuse at Delhi shelter home had reported that teenage girls were molested, beaten and injected substances, which they alleged were causing irregular growth in their body. The NHRC issued notices to the Delhi governments chief secretary and police commissioner seeking a detailed report on the matter within four weeks. .The contents of the news report, if true, are disgusting and indicative of gross negligence on the part of the Department of Social Welfare of the Government of NCT of Delhi. Shelter houses are aimed to provide safe and secure environment to its inmates along with skill training so that they could earn a living after leaving it, the press statement read. Such a barbaric treatment to young and teenage girls in a shelter home is the worst example of violation of human rights. The Right to Life and Dignity of the victims have been grossly violated, it read. At least 10 girls have accused the government officials in the house of beating them. The teenagers alleged they were stripped and their body parts pressed inappropriately whenever they left the shelter. The Delhi Police have filed an FIR under sections of hurting by poisoning, criminal intimidation, hurting and criminal conspiracy along with sections of the Juvenile Justice Act. Police said they are probing the matter and have sent the medicines, allegedly injected into the teenage girls, for forensic examination. Police are also questioning the employees working in the shelter. The Delhi government has also ordered an inquiry into the conduct of the employees at the house. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has ordered the transfer of the officials, including the superintendent. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rising violence against doctors has prompted nearly 1,500 resident doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to learn taekwondo so that they are able to defend themselves on duty. In March, after three incidents of violence were reported in three days, more than 3,000 resident doctors, working in the emergency, out-patient departments and wards, went on strike for five days in Maharashtra. We had supported our counterparts in Mumbai by wearing helmets to work in March. This is because we are genuinely concerned about our safety. Keeping the same in mind, we had requested the AIIMS administration to organise self-defence classes for us. They granted us permission to conduct taekwondo classes in AIIMS gymkhana club, said Dr Vijay Gurjar, president of the resident doctors association. The doctors, in batches of 100, will train at the gymkhana club between 7-8 pm every day from May 15. The basic course will be for 6 months and the black belt course for 30 months. According to a report in the Lancet journal, while 75% doctors in tertiary care hospitals face physical or verbal violence at work at least once in lifetime, over 40% of them faced it in 2016. The problem is multifactoral. Overcrowding in public health facilities forcing doctors to spend less time with patients, corruption and over-charging for services (in which the referring doctor gets a cut) leading to the breakdown in the doctor-patient trust are some of the reasons recognised by the study. Doctors are forced to spend less time listening to the patients or their caregivers. The concept of shared decision making is almost absent. The average conversation between a doctor and a patient might last just a few seconds, said Dr Vijay Nath Mishra, neurology professor, Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Varanasi. VIOLENCE REGISTRY The IMA will launch a registry where doctors can report any incidence of violence along with evidence such as videos, photos, CCTV footage, and newspaper clippings. The doctors body will then conduct an investigation and do a root cause analysis. This will help us in understanding why violence is happening, predict when the violence might happen and look at measures to prevent such incidences, said Dr Dr KK Agarwal, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). WHAT PATIENTS WANT Confrontations happen because of the anger caused by non-fulfilment of desire. Hence, we need to understand what the patients really want, said Dr Aggarwal. A survey done by the IMA found that 90% of the patients wanted doctors acknowledge and address them, 92% wanted doctors to listen, 89% wanted the doctors to explain what the illness is and keep them informed throughout. Around 75% of the people also wanted their doctors to review ask them if they understood and, if not, help them understand. 40% of the respondents also wanted the doctors to thank them. The patients said that they always thank the doctors, but they wanted that the doctor thank them in return as they gave them an opportunity to treat their relative. We called the study ALERT Acknowledge, Listen, Explain, Review and Thank, said Dr Aggarwal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lawmakers of the Capitals ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will moult out of their aam aadmi image and put on a more recognisable neta look to beat a perception that voters fail to notice them because of their simplicity. The charm offensive is an offshoot of the partys debacle in the citys municipal elections this April. The MLAs feel the party lost because people didnt notice or recognise them in their constituencies because of their aam aadmi, or common man, image. I have roamed like a common man in these two years, minus the white khadi suit that politicians of the BJP or Congress usually wear, said Seemapuri legislator Rajendra Pal Gautam, explaining the need for an image makeover to gain public attention. He visited his constituency almost alone most of the time and with one or two supporters occasionally unlike rival politicians whose party managers make sure they are always surrounded by a large group of followers to magnify their public visibility. If you dont have that aura, people dont take you seriously. Most people dont recognise you, no matter how many times you move around the area, Gautam said. The AAP born out of the 2011-2012 anti-corruption movement preaches austerity, demands simplicity from its members, and discourages any spectacle such as long convoys typically associated with Indian netas or political leaders. Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was the first to give up the red beacon or lal batti, a coveted symbol of status, on his car in 2015 after winning 67 of the 70 assembly seats in the city. He is often seen in an untucked half-sleeve shirt, trousers and sandals, or a muffler around his neck in winter; and never travels with a large retinue. The image is said to be carefully cultivated to underscore the partys connect with the common people, its core vote base. But Kejriwal found out during his interactions with AAP legislators after the civic poll loss about the flipside of the impression. So, the unsaid rule for a sober image will now give way to a new avatar, replete with a change in demeanour, wardrobe and retinue for the AAP leaders. Party volunteers will always accompany a neta when he is meeting people. Its funny but true. Kejriwalji and the party have said that every MLA will now have at least four volunteers with him all the time. Wearing the AAPs trademark cap during public visits is mandatory, Chandni Chowk legislator Alka Lamba said. Another drawback emerged during the chief ministers meetings with his legislators: word on the AAP governments development work didnt reach the people adequately. Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti has an answer to this problem. I suggested creating a WhatsApp group of resident welfare associations to directly hear them out. This is being done by others, he said and reaffirmed the partys need to re-energise its public outreach programmes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the municipal corporations, traffic police and other civic agencies to visit each road in the national capital and count the total number of speed breakers. The courts direction came after the Delhi Traffic Police informed it that there were only 93 authorised speed breakers on roads built by the public works department in the capital. A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna also directed the agencies to identify potholes, manholes and other such breaks which exist on Delhi roads and file their reports. The court noted that the traffic police has identified 93 speed breakers on main roads but could not ascertain the exact position with regard to roads in interior areas like colonies. The bench directed that chief engineers of the three municipal corporations and the special commissioner of police shall work in coordination and identify the actual position of speed breakers. It issued similar directions to the New Delhi Municipal Council, the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi Cantonment, the Public Works Department and the DSIIDC (Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation). The court said the authorities shall earmark local officers concerned and policemen in the area and they should jointly visit each road and report the correct status. They should also give measurement of speed breakers as well as differentiate the authorised and unauthorised ones, it said. The court asked the agencies to file progress reports by August 16, the next date of hearing. Advocate Naushad Ahmed Khan, appearing for the traffic police, told the court that proper signages have been placed on the 93 speed breakers, which have been made as per norms of the Indian Road Congress (IRC) and the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), on the peripheral roads here. The court was hearing two PILs filed against unauthorised construction of speed breakers on city roads without complying with the guidelines of IRC and UTTIPEC. The court had in May and August last year directed the agencies maintaining roads in the national capital for removal of all speed breakers not approved by the traffic police and which do not conform to the prescribed norms. Thereafter, it had told the traffic police that all speed breakers, both authorised and unauthorised, on Delhi roads must be geotagged and their location marked by GPS. It had also asked the authorities to make public aware that if they need a speed breaker they have to approach the traffic police and not take law into their hands by making one themselves. The authorities were also asked to ensure that signages regarding speed breakers and u-turns are put to warn drivers in advance and aid in reducing accidents. Two Punjab drug traffickers were arrested in Uttam Nagar on Wednesday with four kilograms of heroin worth Rs 16 crore, police said. Special Cell sleuths who arrested Darbara Singh and his nephew Ajay alias Sandeep Singh, said the seized heroin had allegedly been smuggled into India from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (special cell), said Darbara had been given 32 years in jail in three cases of drug trafficking. However, he jumped parole in 2015. He was smuggling and supplying narcotics in Punjab, Delhi and other adjoining states, Yadav said. Darbara is an associate of Buta Singh, a notorious drug supplier from Punjab who is lodged in Nabha jail. His wife Sarabjeet Kaur is also an active drug peddler. She is in Ludhiana jail and has been convicted in two narcotics cases, said Yadav. Yadav said the police had learnt that Darbara was coming to Delhi in an Alto car to receive a consignment of heroin in Uttam Nagar. A police team was waiting for Darbara at VV DAV school when he, along with Ajay, reached there in Alto car. Darbara and Ajay had taken the consignment of drugs from a person living in Delhis Uttam Nagar area, said the DCP. Darbara told the police that the suppliers used to receive heroin directly from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The drug couriers used to hand over heroin to suppliers in Delhi which was distributed to dealers in various states. These suppliers transport heroin to other countries such as the UK, France, Canada and South Africa through courier companies and mules, DCP Yadav said. Darbara started as a narcotics supplier in the early 90s. He and seven of his aides were arrested with three tonnes of poppy straw. After he was bailed out, Darbara continued his illegal activities and was arrested twice in 1998 with 1,600 kilograms and 680 kilograms of poppy straw. He was convicted in all the three cases and awarded 32 years of imprisonment. Ajay worked as a transporter for Darbara. He used to get Rs 10,000 for each trip to Delhi, said police. Beijing has stepped up its arguments in favour of its Belt-Road Initiative in the run up to its global conference on the transcontinental infrastructure programme in mid-May. Chinese officials directly sought to address Indian concerns about the flagship project of the BRI, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), arguing it would not affect the territorial status of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after all, there is already an existing China-built Karakorum-Kunlun Road going through that region since the 1960s. Beijings view on Kashmir, they have claimed, has remained unchanged for decades. The BRI is portrayed as a giant Chinese contribution to global economic integration that would help boost growth and even help keep a check on extremism and terror. Beijings representatives have also noted that over 40 countries have signed up for the BRI and it has received endorsements even at United Nations forums. The subtext is that Indias continued resistance is futile and self-defeating. New Delhi is right to remain wary. Chinas actions on the ground indicate a far less benign ambition. The China-Pakistan corridor has increasingly become about providing funds to the Pakistan military and to Chinese State-owned firms to the point Pakistani industry has complained it is receiving no contracts. In Sri Lanka, China has not only built a number of economically unviable ports and roads, it has also left Colombo with $8 billion in Chinese debt at onerous rates of interest. Beijings use of economic blockades or boycotts against Mongolia recently and the Philippines and Japan earlier are warnings about what could follow from signing up for an infrastructure web centred on China. Other Chinese claims are questionable. Beijing has been tying its Kashmir policy ever closer to the position taken by Islamabad consider the stapled visa crisis of 2009, the ban on Indian generals of the Northern Command visiting China and the unabashed support at the UN for terrorist Masood Azhar. A recent oped article by a Chinese academic, though probably not an official view, merged the BRI with Chinas all weather friendship with Pakistan and argued that, logically, Beijing now had reason to intervene in the Kashmir dispute. All of this makes it extremely difficult for India to accept the underlying Chinese claim that the BRI is an economic project with no geopolitical connotations. Under the BRI, all roads would lead to Beijing. Inevitably, Chinese power will flow along the supply chains and logistical paths that it will create and control. The Madras High Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs one crore each on the TN government and the MCI for their failures in securing 50% of the PG medical seats from private colleges against the state quota. Justice N Kirubakaran said the exemplary cost has been imposed on the government and the Medical Council of India only to make the authorities follow the law especially in discharge of their public functions. Any negligence or default in following the law as provided in the medical seat sharing regulations would affect many meritorious students and their valuable right to education as guaranteed by the Constitution, he said. Giving detailed instructions, the judge directed the state government to appropriate 50% of the post-graduate medical seats in each specialty from the private colleges and deemed universities, barring the minority institutions, to the state quota. Admission for these seats should be made through the centralised common counselling by the state on the basis of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) merit list, the judge said in a 135-page order on two petitions. The judge also set aside the admissions made against the NRI quota by the states private medical institutions, barring the minority ones. Justice Kirubakaran further directed these institutions to surrender all their seats, including 15% of the NRI quota, for the centralised common counselling. The petitioners, including Dr M Kamaraj, had sought a direction to the authorities to appropriate 50% of seats in the PG degree and diploma courses from non-governmental colleges and formulation of a methodology for sharing of seats. Lambasting the MCI, the judge said right from year 2000 when the seat sharing regulation was framed, the body had not taken any effort to oversee its implementation. The reason is obvious, its only to help the private players. It is also an instance of malice, he said directing the MCI to pay the cost of Rs one crore to the Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, an institute for differently-abled people. He said mere framing of regulations by MCI was not enough and it had a duty to oversee that the such rules framed with the approval of the Central government was followed by all concerned. Pulling up the state government, the judge said the interest of the state, especially, that of the deserving and meritorious students had been affected due top non-appropriation of the 50% seats. There is a wanton failure on the part of the successive state governments in this regard, he said. The elected governments which should be responsible and are expected to act in the interest of the public have not done their duty properly, the judge said. He directed the state government to pay the cost of Rs one crore to the Archaeological Survey of India toward ongoing excavations at Keezhadi village in Sivaganga district, where findings had indicated existence of an ancient civilisation dating back to the 2nd century BC. The judge made it clear that minority institutions need not share 50% of their seats with the state government except voluntarily. He quashed the state government prospectus for common counselling to PG degrees/diploma courses in deemed universities for 2017-18 session as it does not appropriate 50% the state quota seats. He ordered that all details, including the availability of speciality seats and complete fee structure should be published on the website of admission authority. The judge directed the central and state governments and the MCI to notify all decisions and procedures related to admissions well in advance from the next year onwards in order to avoid confusion and litigation. The judge posted the matter to June 12 for reporting compliance towards payment of cost. The results of the Mizoram High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) or Class 10 exam did not throw up any surprises. The outcome, though, caught the topper unawares. The 2017 HSLC results, declared on Tuesday, registered an expected pass percentage of 72.17 a marginal increase from the 71.17% last year. Laldintluanga, a student of Mariana High School in eastern Mizorams Serchhip town, topped the exam with 474 out of 500 marks. A farmers son, he did what few before him had done break the monopoly of Aizawl schools on top. But the 16-year-old had no idea of having exceeded the expectations of his teachers and friends. He was pursuing his passion experimenting with his friends hair with an electric trimmer when neighbours broke the news. It took Laldintluanga some time for the news to sink in. I have never really given my career a thought, he said, appearing more focused on hair-styling. Laldintluanga scored letter (minimum 80 out of 100) marks in all the subjects English, mathematics, science, social science and Mizo. Akash Jyoti Sahoo of St Pauls HS School in state capital Aizawl was second with 473 marks and Janam Supriya, also from an Aizawl school, was third with 469 marks. Poor connectivity was one of the reasons why students beyond Aizawl could not access their results in time. There were log-in issues too. State education officials expressed satisfaction with the overall performance of 14,628 students who appeared for the Class 10 exam. This time, 73 schools in the state achieved 100% success but on the flip side, all the students of 26 schools failed, an officer of Mizoram Board of School Education said, seeking anonymity. This years Class 10 exam saw more girl candidates (7,683) than boys (6,945). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Over 84.15% students passed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Class 10 board examinations in Telangana, results of which were declared on Wednesday. The results will be available on the official website of the Telangana Board of Secondary Education, besides other private websites. Click here to check with your roll number. Only the grading and grade point average of the students, not marks, will be indicated. Telangana deputy chief minister Kadiam Srihari, who also holds the education portfolio, said 5,33,701 students, including 5,07,938 as regular candidates, appeared for the SSC examinations held from March 14 to 30 this year. Compared to last year, this is 1.4% less. The marginal fall in the pass percentage is due to strict invigilation, a fool-proof conduct of the examinations with the deployment of sitting and flying squads and maintenance of standards in the examination process, he said during a brief press conference. He said like last year, girls outperformed boys in the results. The pass percentage of the girls was 85.37 compared to boys whose pass percentage was 82.95. This year, too, government schools recorded excellent results, with OBC welfare residential schools recording a pass percentage of 94.6. The other residential schools, too, registered over 90% result. Srihari said while 2005 schools recorded 100% result, 28 schools including 20 private schools, recorded zero percent. The minister said Jagitial district stood at the top with 97.35% students clearing the exam, followed by Karimnagar at 94.73%, Jangaon at 93.56%, and Warangal at 93.48%. Wanaparthy was at the bottom where 64.84% students passed the exam, he added. The advanced supplementary examinations for the failed candidates will be held from June 8 to 19 between 9.30am and 12.15pm. The last date for applying for the supplementary exams is May 18. Andhra Pradesh education minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said the SSC examination results in the state would be declared at 12pm on May 6. About 7 lakh candidates appeared for the SSC examination, conducted by Andhra Pradeshs Board of Secondary Education from March 26 to April 16 this year. Last year, the results were declared on May 10. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Parents of children studying in Delhi Public School Ghaziabad (DPSG), Palam Vihar, and representatives of the school were called for a meeting with Bharat Bhushan Gogia, subdivisional magistrate (SDM) North, on Wednesday. The meeting was held on the directions of Haryana public works department (PWD) minister and Badshahpur MLA Rao Narbir Singh. He had asked officials to hear the grievances of parents who are opposing the fee hike effected by the school. Gogia ordered the school management to submit a written reply by Monday clarifying the fee hike as the school has still not submitted Form 6 and have raised the fee. NM Bhatia, the representative of the school management, said parents have not presented all facts in the correct manner. Citing an example, he claimed that the air-conditioning charges of Rs4,000 are for an entire year and not for every three months as alleged by parents. Bhatia also said the management has the permission to run the school only up to class 8. So for students of class 9 and class 12, who are leaving school, transfer certificates are given in the name of Chiranjeev Bharti. The SDM suggested that the school authorities form a parent-teacher association with duly elected members and that it would help in resolving such issues. He also directed the formation of a committee that would conduct an inspection of the school in the first week of July. Another meeting of the school management and parents has been called on Monday to resolve the matter of fee hike. The class 7 student of Delhi Public School Ghaziabad (DPSG), Sushant Lok 1, who was injured on April 27 when a water cooler fell on her while she was drinking water at the school, has been discharged from the hospital. Her family said they spent Rs62,000 on her treatment and the school management did not reimburse them despite it being their responsibility. The student, Ocean Rajshree, 11, had suffered head and abdominal injuries. She had received stitches on her head and cheeks soon after the incident and was sent home. However, according to her family, she later complained of abdominal pain, headache and low visibility and they admitted her to a private hospital in Palam Vihar on Saturday. The family members alleged that the school authorities did not check on her health in the hospital. The authorities, however, denied the allegations saying that they kept track of her health. The incident took place in the school and it was the school managements duty to provide medical aid and bear the hospital expenses. None of the staff members came to meet and or check on her progress in the hospital, said Shefali Parmar, the students elder sister. She added that Ocean will need to rest for another 15 days. The school management has refuted allegations of negligence and said the incident was an accident. We had immediately taken her to a private hospital in Sushant Lok (after the incident) and first aid was provided. She was fine when she was sent home. She was again admitted to hospital by her family on Saturday and our staff members met her and the family several times. If the family members have grudges against the school they should speak to us and we will sort it out. The health of the student is our prime concern, said Sudhir Chitnis, senior administrator, DPSG. Oceans friends told us that they had asked her not to tilt the water cooler, but she did not listen to them. Due to the force applied, the water cooler fell on her, Chitnis added. The students family had alleged that the incident was a result of negligence on part of the school as they did not get a CT scan done despite Oceans head injuries. Her sister also said that she had complained to the police, but they did not file a case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Gurgaon police continues to search for the missing dog Brownie, which is suspected to have been killed and eaten by a group of people in Sikanderpur village. One of the suspects has been detained for questioning. The house at which the alleged act took place is in the heart of Sikanderpur village, where a large number of migrants from various states stay on rent. The police has sought the help of locals, including security guards and RWA members, to find the missing dog. The prime suspect in the case, Phillip, was also detained by the DLF Phase 2 police for questioning on Wednesday. Phillip lives with his wife in Sikanderpur village near the community centre. HT found his room locked in the afternoon and neighbours said his wife had gone to a relatives place in the same village. One of the locals from Sikanderpur, who had caught the group of people allegedly cooking the dog meat and reported the matter to the dogs owner, was also called by the police for questioning. We had seen the posters pasted in the village. After we came to know that the dog had been stolen and cooked, we informed the owner, but it seems we are ourselves caught in this issue now, he said. Sikanderpur residents, meanwhile, accused the migrants living there of carrying out illegal activities in the village. The dogs, particularly the stray ones, are routinely stolen and eaten and there has been a considerable decline in their population in the last four to five years, said Khemchand, a resident. Police officials, meanwhile, said that they are questioning the suspect, apart from verifying the facts with the dog owner, the NGO People for Animals (PFA) that had lodged the complaint, and the man who shot the videos. The prime suspect in the case, Phillip, has been detained, but he has not been arrested as further investigation is required before taking any action, said Sudeep Singh, station house officer (SHO), DLF Phase 2. On Monday, the police had registered a case under IPCs Sections 379 (punishment for theft) and Section 11 of the Animal Cruelty Act, apart from sections of Food Safety Act. Amit Chaudhary, the president of the Gurgaon chapter of PFA, said that they had submitted all the evidence to the police proving that the dog that was eaten in the video was Brownie. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An Indian delegation led by environment secretary Ajay Narayan Jha is in Geneva to negotiate some of the most important environmental treaties dealing with trade in hazardous chemicals and waste. Environmentalists are paying close attention to Indias stand on Chrysotile asbestos, a substance that has been banned in many parts of the world for being carcinogenic but is not listed as a hazardous substance under the Rotterdam Convention that regulates trade in hazardous substances. Chrysotile asbestos should be listed as a hazardous substance under the Rotterdam Convention, said Gopal Krishna of Toxics Watch Alliance, an India-based non-governmental organisation, adding, all it does is places the onus on exporters of the material to another country to obtain prior informed consent (PIC). Indias stand on the listing of the substance has been far from consistent. In 2011, the Indian delegation came out in favour of including it in the list, receiving a standing ovation for taking the stand. At the next convention in 2013, India reversed its stand based on a study by the National Institute of Occupational Health, that has been widely discredited. This ambiguity has persisted with the governments statements not lining up with its actions. Last year, the environment minister for state Anil Madhav Dave said they were looking for alternatives to asbestos while maintaining that there were no studies from India linking Chrysotile asbestos to health impacts. Since the use of asbestos is affecting human health, its use should gradually be minimised and eventually end. As far as I know, its use is declining. But it must end, Dave said. The largest Chrysolite producing and exporting countries have blocked proposals to have it included in the hazardous substances list. In the last Rotterdam Conference of Parties in 2015 eight countries opposed such a move: Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Cuba, and Zimbabwe. Russia is the largest asbestos producer, while India is the biggest importer of the substance. The PIC mechanism allows countries to which a substance is being exported to have a say in whether they wish to allow future shipments of the hazardous substances. Currently, 47 chemicals are listed in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention, of which 33 are pesticides and 14 industrial chemicals, are subject to this requirement. Chrysotile asbestos is a variant of asbestos that industry representatives claim is not as hazardous to human health as other forms of Asbestos. It is predominantly used in asbestos cement building materials, which are used mostly in developing countries. Over 50 countries including European Union, Japan and Australia have banned the use of Asbestos altogether. It may be less harmful but it is far from benign, according to the World Health Organisation. Asbestos (actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite and tremolite) has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as being carcinogenic to humans, a 2014 WHO report said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Brad Pitt has opened up for the first time about his divorce from Angelina Jolie, admitting to heavy drinking and pot smoking and a lifetime of cutting himself off emotionally from others. The 53-year-old actor told GQ Style in an extensive interview released on Wednesday that he had quit drinking, was undergoing therapy, and that he and Jolie were committed to resolving matters amicably and privately. I just started therapy, the Moneyball star said in the interview for the summer issue of GQ Style. I love it. I love it. I went through two therapists to get to the right one. Jolies sudden announcement in September 2016 that she was filing for divorce sent shockwaves through the celebrity world. The couple known as Brangelina, who married in 2014 and have six children, embarked on a bitter child custody dispute and Pitt was investigated for possible child abuse after losing his temper in front of some of the children. The actor was cleared of the allegations and in January the pair agreed to use a private judge in their divorce case. Pitt said the split with Jolie, 41, had been a huge generator for change. This file photo taken on February 17, 2017 shows Hollywood star Angelina Jolie (2nd L) and her children including Maddox Jolie-Pitt (C) as they gather at the royal residence for a meeting with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni in Siem Reap. (AFP) I cant remember a day since I got out of college when I wasnt boozing or had a spliff, or something... Im really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know things I wasnt dealing with. I was boozing too much, he said. Pitt said he loved wine, adding truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good. He said he has quit drinking, replacing alcohol with cranberry juice and fizzy water. This file photo taken on November 5, 2015 shows Angelina Jolie Pitt (L) and estranged husband Brad Pitt arriving for the opening night gala premiere of Universal Pictures' By the Sea . (AFP) Regarding the divorce, Pitt said he and Jolie had decided to abandon the path of vitriolic hatred and work together to sort out their issues. Pitt said he was finding solace in working creatively with his hands. Im making everything. Im working with clay, plaster, rebar, wood. As for the movie business, I dont really think of myself much as an actor anymore. It takes up so little of my year and my focus. Film feels like a cheap pass for me, as a way to get at those hard feelings. It doesnt work anymore, especially being a dad. Pitts latest movie War Machine, a satirical look at the U.S. war in Afghanistan, is due for release on May 26. Follow @htshowbiz for more Child actor Sunny Pawar, best known for his performance in the Oscar-nominated film Lion, has been chosen for the Rising Star Award. The award will be presented to Sunny at the 7th Annual Asian Awards on Friday, the organisers announced today. Sunny, grew up in the Mumbai slums, shot to global fame with his role in the Australian drama where he worked alongside award-winning actors Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. He was cast as young Saroo Brierley in the true life drama. Sunnys performance was praised by Hollywood celebrities like Viola Davis, Andrew Garfield, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, and late night talk-show host, Jimmy Kimmel, who re-enacted a scene from The Lion King with the child star at the 89th Academy Awards. Jimmy Kimmel lifts Sunny Pawar. (REUTERS) Sunnys upcoming film Love Sonia is set to release in 2017 and features Demi Moore and Freida Pinto. The Asian Awards prides itself on honouring people who have achieved the highest levels in their craft. We have been waiting for someone to come along whose debut fits that description in order to justify creating the Rising Star Award. Finally, we have found that achievement in Sunny Pawar, said Paul Sagoo, Founder of The Asian Awards. Sagoo said what Sunny has achieved in such a short time is remarkable. It is a travesty that other award ceremonies overlooked his performance in the film Lion and we want to correct that. Founded in 2010, the Asian Awards acknowledge pan-Asian success across all walks of life. Previous award winners include Shah Rukh Khan, Bruce Lee, Zayn Malik, Jack Ma, Dr Amar Bose, David Tang, Freddie Mercury, Kunal Nayyar and Ahmed Kathrada. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actors Eddie Redmayne and Tom Sturridge were reportedly denied entry to Rihannas super exclusive soiree after a star-studded evening at the Met gala. The two along with Redmaynes wife Hannah Bagshawe, were photographed arriving to New York Citys 1Oak nighctlub, but were turned away by security personnel not once but twice, a source told E! Online. Rihanna attends the 'Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art. (AFP) The Danish Girl star and Hannah, who tied the knot in 2014 and share a 10-month-old daughter together, ascended the Metropolitan Museum of Arts iconic staircase in custom Prada ensembles. Hannah dazzled in a sequined purple gown and bold statement necklace, while Redmayne looked dapper in a royal blue suit. Sturridge, who co-starred with Redmayne in 2006 thriller Like Minds, opted for grey and black pinstriped look. Follow @htshowbiz for more Even after a month of the academic session, 14.5 lakh government school students of Classes 1 to 8 in Haryana are without textbooks. The students are reaching schools daily, but do not have much to do. They are made to study from old and torn borrowed books. The department says it is on purpose as teachers have been asked to use April as catch-up month and fill skill passbook of each student to assess their learning level. Additional chief secretary, school education, PK Das told HT that while books are ready and being dispatched to the schools, the teachers undertook the catch-up activities to adopt the methodology as per the childrens needs. The teachers, however, said the exercise was only to fill in the blanks, calling it a wastage of one month of the students. This has hit the attempt of the state government to impart qualitative education encourage more and more students to come to the government schools, said a teacher, requesting anonymity. Primary Teachers Sangh general secretary Deepak Goswami, a teacher at a Karnal school, said the authorities were repeatedly urged to supply textbooks, but to no avail. Another teacher, Sube Singh Sujan, said the teachers had arranged old books from the pass-outs, though the same were not enough. Several students HT talked to, including Rahul and Ashok of the government school in Rohtak, held that their studies had suffered due to non-availability of books. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked taxmen to take necessary steps against all those who are in possession of benami properties and focus on broadening the tax net. In a review meeting with officials of the tax department on Tuesday, the Prime Minister, sources said, also underlined the need to reduce human interface and adopt measures that do not lead to harassment. The NDA government decided to scrap currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on November 8 to weed out unaccounted cash, which led to a huge shortage of cash. The government also came under severe criticism from the opposition parties that claimed that a large chunk of black money was in the form of benami properties. It was a good meeting and presentations were made on the actions taken after demonetisation to address the issue of black money..the meeting was to take stock of the situation and review the overall functioning of the department, said a senior government official, who did not wish to be identified. The government, which launched the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana the second and a more stringent income disclosure scheme has got tepid response with only about 24,000 declarations coming in this time against around 65,000 in the earlier scheme. There has also been some cause for concern due to this and this was also reviewed, the official said. Last month, the income tax department unveiled a one-page income tax return form which includes a separate section for cash deposits of Rs 2 lakh and more between November 9 and December 30. The income tax department, which already has exhaustive information on deposits made by citizens between November 9 and December 30, 2016, would also check the amount of money deposited by their spouses and other members of the family. Modi also took stock of the preparedness for the implementation of the nationwide goods and services tax. Militants stormed a bank at Pulwama district in south Kashmir on Tuesday and decamped with around Rupees three to four lakh in cash, the third such attack in as many days. The four armed militants entered the Wahibugh branch of the Elaquai Dehati Bank at around 1.50 PM and fled after looting the money at gunpoint, a police official said. He said the bank employees informed the police and a case has been registered. A police party rushed to the scene and a hunt was launched to arrest the culprits and recover the stolen money, the official said. On Monday, unidentified gunmen barged into the Yaripora branch of the same bank and took away Rs 65,000. On May 1, militants attacked a cash van of Jammu and Kashmir bank and shot dead five policemen and two bank security guards in Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir. The policemen and security guards were returning to the district headquarters after delivering cash at a bank branch. The ultras had also looted four service rifles from the deceased cops. Prem Sagar, the BSF soldier who was killed and his body mutilated by Pakistani forces at the line of control (LoC) on Monday, was cremated on Wednesday morning after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath gave assurances to his family in a late night phone call. After receiving the body on Tuesday, Sagars family refused to perform his last rites unless the chief minister paid a visit and promised jobs to his children. The CM promised to visit the family for the tehranvi rituals, held on the 13th day after a persons death according to Hindu tradition. He also assured a job to Sagars daughter. UP minister Surya Pratap Sahi, the local MLA at Deoria where the family is based, arranged the phone call in late night discussions. The call was made at 2.30am. The family members also wanted parts of Sagars body, presumed to have been taken away by Pakistani forces, be brought back before the cremation. They agreed to cremate the body around 2.30 am after the CM spoke to them on the phone and assured all possible help. The body was cremated in the morning with full state honours, sub-divisional magistrate RK Yadav told Hindustan Times. Sagars wife Gyanti Devi, son Indrajeet and daughters Monica and Saroj had surrounded the Tricolour-draped coffin and did not allow the administration to take it for cremation, which was initially scheduled for Tuesday night. District magistrate Sujeet Kumar, Border Security Force DIG (200 battalion) Rajeev Rajan Kumar and assistant superintendent of police Narendra Kumar tried to convince the family at first. Talks went on for more than four hours. Shahi also promised to build a memorial for Sagar and rename a crossing in his name. In addition to the Rs 20 lakh compensation announced to the family by the Union government, the district administration decided to gives Rs 6 lakh and the BSF promised Rs 10 lakh. On Tuesday, the family demanded that India give Pakistan a befitting reply for killing him and Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh, an army JCO. Pakistani troops had also mutilated the bodies of the two along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Anti-Pakistan slogans were heard around Deorias Tikampur a day after the incident. Prem Sagar is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. The elder daughter Saroj said: I want the PM to direct our soldiers to bring 50 heads of Pakistani personnel in lieu of the sacrifice made by my father. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday called for a zero-compromise policy by India against inimical forces across the border, even as he dismissed the Khalistani threats against him, saying he would not allow anyone to disturb the states peace. He said Indias response to the beheading of two soldiers in Poonch this week should be clear and unequivocal. If they (Pakistan) beheaded our jawans, we should follow the same. We should stop being a gentlemans army. If they (Pakistan) cut one of our heads, we should cut three of theirs, he told a TV channel in a free-wheeling interview, a state government press release claimed. On Khalistani threats, the Chief Minister said, If they (Pakistan) have the guts they should come and speak here instead of misleading people with unsubstantiated statements elsewhere. They can shout their heads off, who cares? he said, and added, We want a stable Punjab, we want development. Having been in the Army, he had seen wars and never worried about any risk or threat to his safety, he said. In response to a question, he said he had been unable to attend the cremation of one of the beheaded soldiers, Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh, in his village in Tarn Taran in Punjab, as he was unable to walk due to a foot injury. Read more: Punjab CM announces Rs 12-lakh aid to kin of soldier martyred in J&K The Chief Minister came out in categorical support of Major Leetul Gogoi over his controversial human shield action during the elections in Kashmir, saying the officer was being pelted with stones and what he did in the circumstances was absolutely correct. Instead of being patted on the back, he is being hounded for saving his men, he added. According to Captain Amarinder, the CRPF which lost 25 trooeprs in a Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh last month, was not trained properly and did not have sufficient experience to tackle such situations. He also took a swipe at Canadian defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan and several other Canadian parliamentarians, reiterating that they had Khalistani leanings and were sympathising with people who wanted to disturb the peace of Punjab, which could not be allowed at any cost. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Namami Gange the Narendra Modi governments ambitious programme to clean and rejuvenate the river Ganga is the latest central scheme to hit the roadblock in Mamata Banejees West Bengal. Union water resources minister Uma Bharati has said her patience is wearing thin with the West Bengal governments refusal to attend meetings to discuss riverfront development projects in the state under the Centres flagship programme. They (state government) have a very strange attitude. They dont come for any meetings. I am writing to the West Bengal CM to at least send somebody for the meetings. Three projects in the state riverfront development of Gangasagar, Belur and Dakshineswar are very important to me, Bharti said. Work has not started in any of these projects so far because of non-cooperation by the state government. The Trinamool government has put a spanner to other ministry initiatives too. The state government has not agreed to come on board for the Centres ambitious project to link the Manas-Sankaosh-Teesta-Ganga rivers to provide benefits of irrigation, drinking water and flood control to Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. Despite several letters by Bharati to the state CM soliciting her support, Banerjee has opposed the project saying it will adversely affect the states interest. Banerjees opposition was also the main reason behind the Centre failing to ink the Teesta water sharing agreement with Bangladesh during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas visit last month. Besides the ministrys programme, the Trinamool government has also pulled out of some crucial urban infrastructure projects of the Centre such as smart cities mission. The state government pulled out New Town Kolkata, one of the cities chosen to be made smart under the programme. Banerjee has openly criticised the Smart Cities project and said it will promote inequitable development. The state also pulled out of the Swachhata Survekshan, a survey that ranks cities on the basis of cleanliness, the results of which will be declared on May 4. West Bengal is one of the few states that has not yet framed rules under the landmark Real Estate (Regulation &Development) Act, 2016 that came into force across India on May 1. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 32-year-old battle-hardened Maoist commander was the mastermind of an ambush on paramilitary forces in Chhattisgarhs Sukma last week that killed 25 soldiers, the first information report of the incident has confirmed. The FIR names Madvi Hidma, who reportedly got guerilla warfare training in the Philippines, as the main planner of the attack with other Maoists - Situ, Arjun , Appu Pada, Petti Hurra and others. HT had reported on April 26 that Hidma carried out the strike. The complaint says about 200-250 Maoists surrounded the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans on April 24 and the encounter continued for about 90 minutes the worst attack on the security forces in seven years. A total of 72 (two parties of CRPF) security personnel including a Chhattisgarh police constable left the Burkapal camp at 6 am on April 24 to provide security for under-construction Dornapal-Jagargonda road. Hidma, also known as Hidmalu and Santosh, is also believed to have been behind another deadly attack on March 11 that killed 12 security personnel. The FIR of the incident. Considered one of the most dreaded Maoist leaders in Bastar, Hidma was born in Purvati village of south Sukma. He has built up a reputation as a ruthless rebel leader who runs a network of dedicated informers across the region. The FIR says that the two parties were moving along the Jagargonda road and later they took position about 1.5 km away from the Burkapal camp. At about 12.55 pm, about 250 Maoists including women attacked the security forces. The Maoists were dressed in black and equipped with automatic rifles, bow and arrows, knifes and grenades, the FIR said. They started firing on both the parties and the soldiers retaliated in self-defence. The FIR said because the Maoists cordoned off the area and injured some jawans. The CRPF in the FIR said the second party which tried to reach the encounter zone was prevented by heavy shelling by Maoists but they tried to move closer to the zone. The information of the encounter was given to the Burakpal camp and senior officers through a wireless phone immediately after the encounter started. The villagers, who were in civil clothes, looted the guns and ammunition from the spot and started running. Subsequently, Cobra battalion from Chintagufa reached the spot for help but by then, the Maoists had escaped, taking advantage of dense jungles. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three members of a family hailing from Dehradun, who were found dead in a gas-filled car at Paonta Sahib on Tuesday, are suspected to have committed suicide. The deceased identified as Raminder Kaur (65), Jasbir Singh Randhawa (35) and Inderjit Kaur (25) were residents of Vasant Vihar colony in Dehradun. Jasbir and Inderjit were Raminders son and daughter. Before leaving, they informed their relatives that they were going to offer prayer at Paonta Sahib gurdwara and will be back by Tuesday evening. Police sources said, In preliminary probe, it was found that the family used to come here many times. They have some relatives here in Paonta Sahib. The family was originally from Punjab and was financially well off till a few years back. They had a petrol pump and a cottage in Dehradun. But these days, they were apparently grappling with financial crisis, a police officer said, requesting anonymity. Police probe so far suggests that it was a case of suicide. To find more about the family and circumstances, a police party has gone to Dehradun. Sirmaur superintendent of police (SP) Soumya Sambasivan said bodies of the deceased were handed over to relatives after the postmortem. The report, however, is yet to come and the actual cause of death will be ascertained only after that, she added. Police have seized a gas cylinder on which Oxygen is imprinted. Investigators have sent it to the forensic lab. However, forensic experts and doctors are of the view that the trio seemingly died during their sleep by inhaling some gas. As per parking staff, the vehicle (UK 07U 3070) entered the area at around 4am and when asked to pay the car parking fee, Randhawa said he will pay it later. They said they wanted to sleep and will leave the parking after offering prayers at Paonta Sahib gurdwara. They said they would pay the parking fee before leaving, the parking staff told police. The staff checked the vehicle in the morning and found the three asleep in the car. When an attendant knocked at the door, there was no response. The parking staff then called the police. Police opened the car and found the three dead. It was also found that all sources of ventilation in the car were closed with a black polythene. A man in Bihar was allegedly kidnapped and made to marry his lover after he is said to have insisted for a car and Rs 2 lakh in cash as dowry. The pakadwa shaadi, a practice in parts of Bihar where men are abducted and made to marry, took place on Sunday at Tedhagaon in Samastipur district, 85 km from state capital Patna. Villagers said the mans parents had arranged his marriage with another woman, whose family had already paid them a dowry. On April 30, the couple arrived at the house of the womans maternal grandparents at Tedhagaon. During negotiation, he reiterated his demand for a car and Rs 2 lakh in cash. Enraged, the family members of the woman decided to teach him a lesson. They held him hostage and forced him to marry his girlfriend at a hurriedly organised ceremony later in the evening, villagers added. The couple had been seeing each other for two years. Villagers said the man had been threatening to end the relationship in the fortnight before the marriage if the womans family did not pay up. Since the wedding, the couple went away to an unknown location, prompting the grooms father to lodge a missing persons complaint. A police team visited Tedhagaon for inquiry after the mans father lodged a missing complaint. The newly-wed had left the village for an undisclosed location and their phones were switched off, said Khanpur police station SHO Shailendra Kumar Vidyakar. He said he did not know if the marriage was by coercion. The station house officer (SHO) said the man did not go to his home as he suspected he would run into trouble with his parents who are now under pressure to return the dowry they had taken from the family of another woman. The wedding was due on May 6, Vidyakar said. Pakadwa Shaadi BLURB Villagers said the mans parents had arranged his marriage with another woman, whose family had already paid them a dowry SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India told Pakistans envoy on Wednesday there is sufficient evidence, including a blood trail leading across the Line of Control, to prove Pakistani troops entered the Indian side, decapitated two soldiers and carried their heads back. The killing and mutilation of the two soldiers on Monday has sparked widespread anger, with family members and many political leaders demanding similar action against the neighbouring country. Foreign secretary S Jaishankar summoned Basit and conveyed to him Indias outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May 1 by Pakistani army personnel, an external affairs ministry statement said. India has also demanded action against the Pakistani army soldiers and commander responsible for the cross-LoC raid. Pakistan denied its troops crossed the de facto border between the two countries and demanded actionable evidence from New Delhi. But the MEA statement said, Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the line of control. Pakistani posts in Battal sector provided cover fire to the attackers, it said. On Monday, Pakistans notorious border action team (BAT) sneaked into India and ambushed a joint patrol of the Border Security Force and army, killing naib subedar Paramjit Singh, a 42-year-old junior commissioned officer with 22 Sikh Regiment, and 45-year-old head constable Prem Sagar of the BSFs 200 Battalion. Their bodies were found beheaded in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. Indian director general of military operations Lt Gen AK Bhatt on Tuesday told his Pakistan counterpart that the dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and deserved unequivocal condemnation and response. Pakistan rejected Indian allegations of ceasefire violation and mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers, a statement by the Pakistan army said. Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told Bhatt that the allegations were an attempt by India to divert attention from the unrest in the Kashmir Valley, the statement said. He accused Indian troops of continuously targeting innocent civilians on and warned that such action would invite appropriate response. The cross-LoC attack was well planned and carried out by BAT that had army regulars as well as terrorists, additional director general of BSFs Western Command Kamal Nayan Choubey has said. Pakistan armys elite special services group forms the core of BAT, which is specifically used for raids across the line of control. Terrorists, too, are known to join the soldiers during some missions. The rogue unit was responsible for Indian soldier Hemrajs beheading and the cold-blooded murder of five other soldiers in separate cross-border assaults in 2013. A gold-sharing dispute helped Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) authorities zero in on a head constable who was allegedly helping a smuggler sneak the precious metal into the country. The officer has been suspended. Sources said the accused allegedly used his position to help the smuggler whisk large amounts of gold out of the Chennai airport on several occasions. However, their business arrangement hit a southward trajectory after the head constable decided to keep all the gold for himself on the last few occasions. The smuggler blew the lid on the matter after the head constable stopped returning their gold. He unofficially complained to a senior officer, after which officials at the CISFs Delhi headquarters came to know about it, a CISF official said on the condition of anonymity. Following the disclosure, the CISF asked its airport staffers to frisk all the officials emerging from the airport. They were also forbidden from venturing into areas where their presence was not required a stricture that the head constable violated. Every CISF staff has assigned duties. Ideally, someone on entry gate duty should not go to the check-in area. As this particular officer was a company rider, his job was to make the roster. So, all the other staffers were wary of him, the official said. Although there was little clarity on the exact amount made by the head constable so far, an initial inquiry suggested that his bank account has been witnessing large transactions for a while now. The accused would get a commission of Rs 1 lakh for every kg of gold worth Rs 26 lakh, and he has been doing this for about six months, the official said. The head constable used to meet the smuggler near the aerobridge, and take the gold from him. As he was a CISF officer, nobody checked him. After coming out of the airport, he would hand over the gold to the smuggler. The commission would then be transferred to his account, the official said. Confirming the incident, CISF director general OP Singh said they will seek legal opinion before filing an FIR against the head constable. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Giving a jolt to Prime Minister Narendra Modis ambitious all-weather road project, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday summoned the state environment secretary on Thursday asking him to explain what they were doing on muck disposal. The green tribunals summon came on a day when Modi was in Kedarnath to attend the portal opening ceremony. Kedarnath is one of the Char Dham that witnessed wide destruction during the June 2013 floods. According to the report, the green tribunal raised objections on the complaint on muck collection and axing trees in the name of widening of the 268-km long road leading to Gangotri. The road has to be widened up to 12 metre under the National Highway Connectivity Improvement Programme for Char Dham. The programme includes construction of roads leading to the four Dham - Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Read: Rawat dubs Centres Rs 12K cr all-weather Chardham road unnecessary Modi had laid the foundation stone of the all-weather road project worth Rs11,700 crore in Dehradun on December 27 days before the assembly elections were announced. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made the project a major election issue. Under the plan, work like widening of narrow roads, protection of landslide hazard zones, construction of bypasses, bridges, tunnels and elevated corridors has to be undertaken on the Char Dham route. Uttarakhand chief secretary S Ramaswamy also holds the charge of principal secretary (environment). As per NGT orders, he has to appear in the personal capacity before the green tribunal on Thursday. Ramaswamy was not immideately available for comment. One of the officials told HT that it was obligatory to submit muck disposal proposal before starting work on road projects. Governments spokesperson and cabinet minister Madan Kaushik said the government will look into the NGTs objections. All weather road project is an ambitious work. We understand there will be objections owing to environment reasons but we will do our best to follow the guidelines Kaushik told HT. The Congress had never been in favour of the project owing to political reasons. Then chief minister Harish Rawat had vehemently said the project posed as if condition of the existing road network in the fabled religious circuit and elsewhere in the state was abysmally bad. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The state-wise break-up of Indians arrested for alleged links to Islamic State reveals a slow, yet nationwide appeal of the terror group. Of the 75 held as of March this year, Kerala accounted for 21, Telangana 16, Karnataka nine, Maharashtra eight, Madhya Pradesh six, Uttarakhand four, Uttar Pradesh three, Rajasthan two, Tamil Nadu four and Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal had one each. Apart from these, 10 suspected IS activists were held in multi-state raids on April 20. There are up to seven IS terror modules in India, though the group is yet to carry out any major attack in the country. At least 75 Indians are also believed to have gone to fight for IS in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, including some Indian-origin youngsters from other countries. Since 2014, some of them were arrested from airports while on their way to join jihad, while several are also reported to have died in battle abroad. Perhaps the most famous of these was the group of 21, including at least six women and three children, which disappeared from northern Kerala and reportedly went to Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. When the US dropped the mother of all bombs on April 13 on caves in Nangarhar, it was reported that at least 13 Indians were among the 96 terrorists killed. Two of the Kerala youngsters were killed in the same area, one in a drone strike, but its not yet clear if some Malayalis died in the MOAB attack. A third man, a Christian who converted to Islam, died a couple of days ago. While many plots by IS terrorists have been foiled, including one allegedly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the groups first known successful strike in India was a pipe bomb explosion in a Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train at Jabri railway station in Madhya Pradesh on March 7. The blast injured 10 passengers, with no fatalities. Arrests of nearly 10 suspects linked to that blast led security agencies to modules in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and to Saifullah, who fired back from his hideout in Lucknow before being shot dead. Unlike the common perception, data from the National Investigation Agency revealed many of the youngsters joining IS are from middle or upper classes. Many including the Kerala youngsters had studied or worked in Gulf states. They are mostly technically savvy, which explains their radicalisation online, through blogs, Twitter or groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Kik, VKontakte, Viber and Skype. According to an analysis of NIA data in January, 28 of the 52 arrested IS suspects were aged 18 to 25 and 20 of them were graduates. The extent of online radicalisation was revealed first with the arrest of Mehdi Masroor Biswas in December 2014 from Bengaluru. Biswas used his twitter account @shamiwitness to send out more than 124,000 tweets that defended the IS and exhorted youngsters to join the group. Intelligence agencies were able to bust such online communications after infiltrating encrypted chat apps such as Telegram through mission Operation Chakravyuh. Besides online radicalisation, some youngsters were brainwashed in person by people allegedly associated with radical preacher Zakir Naik and the Peace Foundation in Kerala and its schools. In the first successful conviction of a case related to IS, a special court on April 21 sentenced two men to seven years in jail after they pleaded guilty to criminally conspiring to raise funds and recruiting people for the group. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Uttar Pradesh police chief Sulkhan Singh in a letter asked the cops to improve their style of functioning and look for an image makeover, an official said on Wednesday. Ideal policing will remain a pipe dream if the functioning at police stations does not improve, Singh wrote to the force. He said, Time has come to make the people feel that the police force was working for them and that policing in its best form was available for them. Singh also directed officials to ensure justice without bias or prejudice was given to the aggrieved and that crimes were registered. Do not under any circumstances not register complaints for fear of its reflection on the crime graph, the DGP said in his letter. Sulkhan Singh was appointed Uttar Pradeshs top police man last month by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Bhojpur is often identified with bawdy songs and raunchy videos in Bhojpuri, the dialect that has emanated from the south central Bihar.district bearing this name. But now,the do-gooder actions of the police in Bhojpur are promising to give the district an image makeover of a positive kind. The Bhojpur police are now drawing approving nods as facilitator and planner of weddings of consenting adults, who may have run into community disapproval or opposition from either or both of the two families, for one reason or another. Over the past few days, the Bhojpur police have been instrumental in facilitating at least three weddings, by removing the hurdles in the way of cupid struck couples and helping make arrangements for them to take the wedding vows. In one such instance, the police came to the rescue of Mantosh Kumar, 22, of Jamuwaon village under Sandesh police station of Bhojpur and helped him find his lady love, Jyoti Kumari, 20, of Sakhuwan village under Udwantnagar police station. On April 29 night, Mantosh, who was surreptitiously visiting Sakhuwan to meet Jyoti, was caught by villagers, given a sound thrashing and handed over to the Udwantnagar police. But, on the following day, the girl came to the police station and confessed to her love for Mantosh. Thereafter, with the help of the local mukhia, we tried to persuade the two families to agree to their wedding, impressing upon them that Mantosh and Jyoti were consenting adults. But only the girls family attended the wedding ceremony, held at an Udwantnagar temple, said station house officer (SHO) Rajeev Kumar. Again, on Monday (May 1), the Charpokhri police detained a young couple found loitering near Semraon village of Bhojpur district, suspecting the boy and girl may be minors and may have run away from home.But their story turned out to be entirely different. Both the boy and the girl told the police they were already engaged. Their problem, as it turned out, was whereas their parents wanted the wedding to take place in November, the two were in a tearing hurry to tie the knot immediately! I am an adult, said Krishna Sah, 22, of Davath village in Rohtas district of western Bihar. I am an adult, too, declared his fiancee, Sulekha Kumari, 20, of Sikti village under Garhani police station of Bhojpur. The two were caught together, when Krishna had come to meet Sulekha. The couples main grouse was that about a year had passed since their engagement but their parents seemed to be in no mood to expedite the wedding. It all ended on a happy note when, after police counselling, the two were united in wedding at a Charpokhri temple with the family members of both, the boy and the girl, in attendance. In yet another instance, Arjun Singh Yadav, 24, of Koshiyar village under Chauri police station of Bhojpur, was, as in case of Mantosh, caught by villagers and handed over to the police when he paid what he hoped was a quiet visit to Madrihan village under Charpokhri police station to meet the love of his life, Rekha Kumari, 22, on Tuesday. But both, Arjun and Rekha, told us separately they were in love and wanted to marry each other. So, we made arrangement for the wedding ceremony to take place at a Charpokhri temple, said Charpokhri SHO Kunwar Prasad Gupta. Bhojpur superintendent of police Kshtranil Singh said the police had only done whatever was expected of them to maintain peace and harmony in the society. In all three cases, we had consenting adults keen to wed. We only did counselling and made some arrangements to ensure happy endings, he told HT. Indian investigators are preparing to answer questions about how the country will protect the human rights of Vijay Mallya during hearings on the beleaguered business tycoons extradition in a London court later this month. Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate are in United Kingdom to press for the 61-year-old flamboyant businessman to be sent back to India, where he owes banks Rs 9,000 crores. The extradition process involves a complex legal procedure in which India will need to convince that certain conditions on how it treats, and sentences, Mallya will be met. Among them is his human rights, that his counsels could argue would be in jeopardy in Indian prisons. Initial discussions between the Indian officials and British prosecutors will centre around establishing Mallyas alleged dual criminality that what he did is a crime in both countries. This is the most important part of the process, and likely to consume the most time. The CBI has indicted Mallya on charges of fraud and conspiracy, both criminal offences under British law. Sources in the agencies privy to the extradition case said that the key strategies that could be deployed by Mallyas counsel will include convincing the UK courts that his offence is not criminal but civil in nature. They also believe his counsel will likely plead with UK courts that the cases against him are due to political vendetta, since he was nominated to Parliament during the Congress-led regime. But the condition of Indian prisons will eventually come up. And in recent past, two of Indias extradition requests have been denied after defence lawyers argued they will violate their clients rights. Indias prisons are beset by several problems. A 2015 report by the National Crime Records Bureau said the total number of prisoners as on December 31 2015 stood at 419,623 higher than their capacity to hold 366,781. The jails are also short-staffed, with one official available to take care of eight inmates on an average, the report said. There have been at least two instances in the past few years where extradition was refused based on jail conditions in India. One was the Purlia Arms drop case where India had sought extradition of Kim Davy from Denmark, and the other one was in the Naval War Room leak case in which accused Ravi Shankarans extradition was requested from UK, a source said. Other conditions European courts usually consider before signing off on extradition requests include the capital punishment being out of the picture and the sentence length being between 1 and 7 years. Agency officials however seem to be hopeful of Mallyas extradition, given many high profile accused have either spent time in Indian prisons or are currently lodged in jails. Mallya was arrested on April 18, and given bail, in London where a court set May 17 for the hearing on the extradition appeal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The government-owned India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has decided to exit several loss-making hotels under its Ashoka umbrella. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the first phase of the disinvestment exercise, approving offloading of stakes in Hotel Lake View Ashok, Bhopal, Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati, and Hotel Bharatpur Ashok, Bharatpur. In the case of Bhopal and Guwahati, ITDC will divest 51% in the joint venture company formed for the operation of the two hotels. However, the hotel at Bharatpur, which was managed completely by the ITDC, will be returned to the state government, an official statement said. Announcing the decision, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the Assam government could consider developing the Guwahati property as a guest house as there are many private hotels in the state capital. As part of the disinvestment policy, the hotels will either be leased or sub-leased jointly with the state governments concerned or they will be returned to the states after fair valuation. The states would then have the option to upgrade and operate the hotels by involving the private sector or to utilise the properties as per their requirements, the statement said. The decision will be taken only in consultation with the state governments. We are absolutely open to the idea (of state governments picking stake) as long as we get our dues a few state governments have shown interest, a senior government official told Hindustan Times. Barring its Ashok and Samrat hotels in Delhi, ITDC will eventually divest stake in all hotels it runs. These were low-hanging fruits and government was planning to divest stake in them, the official added. ITDC at present has 16 hotels under its umbrella. A 66-year-old Indian man has been arrested in Nepal for allegedly smuggling 15 human skulls, police said on Wednesday. Bhagirath Singh of West Bengals Khoribari was paid Rs 1,000 by an unidentified person to smuggle the cranial bones across the border, they said. The human skulls might have been smuggled for performing tantric rituals, superintendent of police Sailesh Thapa said. Singh was caught by police during a security check near Kakarbhitta customs office in Jhapa district on Monday, about 450km east of Kathmandu. He will be booked under the Public Offence Act as Nepals law does not specify possession of human body parts as an offence. Kakarbhitta has become a transit point for smuggling of human bones in the recent years, according to the police. Nepalese and Indian citizens often smuggle human skulls to Nepal from Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram through Kakarbhitta border. The Congress party is witnessing a flurry of activity, including meetings of senior leaders from states that will go to polls in the recent future and organisational changes, to reinvigorate its cadre after the drubbing in the recent assembly elections. While Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is actively involved in bringing all the opposition parties on one platform for the upcoming presidential elections, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has initiated a dialogue with the rank and file in a bid to revive the organisation. In the past few weeks, Sonia, 70, has met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and CPIs D Raja to discuss the combined opposition strategy for the presidential polls. The leaders have called for the need to field a consensus candidate to defeat the NDAs nominee. On the other hand, Rahul is meeting 40-50 party leaders from different states in batches to discuss the internal elections and also the ways to resurrect the Congress and stem the electoral slide that started with its debacle in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress V-P is also forming a group of volunteers, who will be deployed in states going to polls in the run-up to the 2019 general elections to re-establish connect with the masses. One of the reasons for its repeated electoral failures has been identified as the disconnect with the voters across the country. Rahul, 46, also met party leaders from the northeast and asked them to reach out to the disgruntled leaders in their respective states to put an end to desertions. He stressed on the need to stop the BJP surge in the region and thwart any attempt by the saffron party to create dissensions in the Congress ranks. The Congress V-P asked party leaders to focus on poll-bound states. While Meghalaya, Tripura, and Nagaland will go to polls in February next year, assembly elections are due in Mizoram in November 2018. Polls will be held in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The party lost the assembly elections in Assam last year and failed to form the government in Manipur despite being the single largest party in the polls held in March this year. Congress president Sonia Gandhi , former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, RJD leader Jai Prakash Narayan and about 13 Opposition parties leaders after meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee on EVMs issues . (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times) The Congress leadership has also made some organisational changes in the past few days, appointing former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot as party general secretary in-charge of poll-bound Gujarat. Gehlot replaced former Union minister Gurudas Kamat, who had requested the Congress high command to relieve him of all organisational responsibilities following his serious differences with Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam and general secretary Mohan Prakash over their style of functioning. In another development, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh was divested of the charge of Goa and Karnataka. The sacking of Singh, a rare move in the grand old party, came in view of the Goa fiasco that saw the BJP return to power despite the Congress emerging as the largest party. It was widely seen as a clear message that the leadership will no longer shy away from acting tough in such cases. Similarly, he was removed from Karnataka on the request of a large number of state leaders and legislators who had complained against him. The growing rebellion was threatening to affect the partys chances of retaining power in the southern state that goes to polls in April-May next year. Though the BJP is trying hard to make a comeback in Karnataka, the bitter infighting could jeopardise the saffron partys efforts to cash in on the anti-incumbency against the ruling Congress. And this week, the leadership appointed 35 Pradesh Returning Officers (PROs) to conduct organisational polls that have to be completed by December 31 this year as per the Election Commission deadline. Rahul has maintained that organisational elections hold the key to internal democracy and insisted that PROs must adhere to the poll plan. As per the fresh poll schedule circulated by the partys central election authority to all the state units and office bearers, the elections for the post of the Congress president will take place between September 16 and October 15. Once the party chief is chosen, it will be followed by the elections to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the partys highest decision-making body, at the plenary session in November-December. According to the Congress constitution, 12 of the 25-member CWC have to be elected by All India Congress Committee (AICC) members, and the rest are appointed by the party president. The fresh poll schedule has been divided into 5 phases and the party has already declared that the ongoing membership drive will close on May 15. While the first stage comprising enrollment of new members will end on August 20, the second phase of polls to elect block presidents will conclude on September 4. The third segment ending on September 15 will witness the elections to district presidents followed by state chiefs in the fourth phase from September 16 to October 15. The plenary session will mark the completion of the fifth and final phase of the organisational elections by the year-end. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mahantesh Kavatagimath, a senior BJP leader from Karnataka and member of the legislative council, has triggered a controversy for allegedly posting pornographic images on a WhatsApp group. The social media group, called Belagavi Media Force, has media professionals and district administration officials. Mahaboob Makandar, the administrator of the group, removed Kavatagimath from the group as a result, sources said. However, despite the presence of senior police officers, including the superintendent of police of the district, no action was taken against the alleged act. Kavatagimath could not be reached for comments. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Ravindra Gadadi, additional superintendent of police, said no case had been registered. Nobody has come forward to lodge a complaint, so no case has been booked, Gadadi said. Gadadi admitted he was on the group but said he had not checked the message because he did not have internet access. When asked if the police could not take up a case suo motu, Gadadi said it was up to the groups administrator to complain. Only if child pornography is shared can we take suo motu action, he said. The group was formed a few years ago by the administration for media professionals to provide quick information and coordination for various reporters and officials.Sections 66 and 67 of the Information Technology Act have been applied against others in the past for similar incidents. Last year, state primary and higher education minister Tanveer Sait was caught going through seemingly pornographic photos on his phone at a state-sponsored celebration in Raichur, leading to the BJP demanding his resignation. The RSS, Christian organisations and a section of historians also condemned it. In 2012, two BJP ministers were caught watching a pornographic video when the House was in session. Camera crew of TV channels filmed cooperation minister Lakshmana V Savadi watching porn clips on his mobile phone and women and child development minister CC Patil peeping in during a discussion in the House. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Law commission chairman justice Balbir Singh Chauhan has invited Muslim women and other groups to discuss their concerns about triple talaq, the controversial Islamic practice of divorce that is facing a legal challenge. The debate should create an atmosphere where people themselves ask for a change, justice Chauahan said. On triple talaq, there should be a healthy debate without any clapperclaws and slogans in which women should table their concerns, to create such an atmosphere that people themselves should come forward asking for the change in the law, he said. The Muslim practice of a man ending marriage by uttering the word talaq (I divorce you) thrice has been described as biased by several women, who have petitioned the Supreme Court to scrap triple talaq along with nikah halal and polygamy. Several Muslim groups have opposed the change, saying courts and the government cant interfere in the communitys personal laws. Chauhan was particularly harsh on nikaha halala, describing it as the worst kind of assault on the dignity of women. Nikah halala allows a woman to go back to her husband after she marries someone else, consummates the marriage and gets a divorce. Much grievance can be held against the triple talaq but halala is the worst kind of violation of the dignity of every woman, he said. The commission had last year sought public views on a uniform civil code, a political hot potato, by putting out a 16-point questionnaire, saying the focus would be on family laws of all religions to address social injustices. Justice Chauhan was addressing a gathering on Tuesday at the launch of a book on women rights, Istri Dasha and Disha, by Abha Singh and Nasim Ansari Kochar. His remarks came three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Muslims to keep the triple talaq debate away from politics, saying he hoped efforts to reform the practice would come from the community. Justice Chauhan also said people should be educated before making or tweaking a law, as he cited changes in the Hindu marriage act failing to take note of gotra marriage. Marriages within a gotra, or an extended caste group, are frowned upon in north India, especially Haryana. When Hindu Marriage Act was introduced, none raised the point that sagotra marriages were prohibited amongst Hindus, and all same gotra girls were taken as sisters, he said. It was a custom for 2000 years. But suddenly Parliament changed the law, neither the people were consulted, nor were they told about it. A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court will from May 11 hear petitions challenging the validity of triple talaq. The Centre has already told the court that the practice was discriminatory, unconstitutional and against gender equality. India has separate sets of personal laws for each religion, governing marriage, divorce and succession. While Hindu law overhaul began in the 1950s, activists have long argued that Muslim personal law has remained mostly unchanged. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At least 15 police personnel were injured, three of them seriously, after a mine protected vehicle of the C-60 commandos on Wednesday came under a landmine attack allegedly by Maoists in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. Officials said the incident took place in the evening near Bhamragad in the district when a patrol party of the C-60 commandos was crossing the area. Maheshwar Reddy, the additional superintendent of police of Gadchiroli, said the injured were rushed to the nearest civil hospital while three injured jawans were airlifted to Nagpur for treatment. Reddy said the additional police forces were sent to the area and a massive combing operation was on to flush out the ultra-left activists. Earlier in the day, a CRPF jawan and two Maharashtra Police personnel were injured in an exchange of fire with the Maoists, the officer said, adding reiforcement was on the way. On April 24, twenty-five CRPF personnel were killed and six wounded in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district, the deadliest attack by the rebels targeting security forces this year. The use of mobile phones is an evil and any girl seen using them outside her home would be fined Rs 2100, the panchayat of Madora village in UPs Mathura district has ruled. The girls in our village are not much educated. We fear they might be led to a wrong path and so to prevent it, restrictions are being imposed on girls to not use mobile phones in public or while walking through the village lanes, said Gaffar Khan, 45, who heads the panchayat. The girls found using mobile phones in public would be asked to deposit a penalty of R 2,100, Khan told HT. The diktat penalizing girls for using mobile phones outside their homes was part of a slew of measures to fight different offences. The panchyat did not say why men should not be fined for using phones in public places. The panchayat held recently also imposed penalty on several other acts such as cow slaughter, gambling, cheating and alcohol consumption, Khan said. We are coming up with reformative steps to clean the image of Madora village which is o1therwise infamous for cheating people. So the local police or administration should not have any objection to the decisions of the panchayat, he said. However, superintendent of police (rural) Arun Kumar Singh said nobody would be allowed to restrict freedom of any individual. We will take action against any such complaint wherein a girl is restrained or is penalised for using a mobile phone and no panchayat would be allowed to dictate the rights of women, SP (rural) AK Singh told HT. Sources claimed Madora and nearby villages of Dosera and Daulatpur have been branded as villages of tatlubaaz (cheats). The practice involves duping people and sometimes even robbing them of cash and valuables. We are fed up with police raids and to discourage crime, it has been decided to stop the illegal practice of tatlu-baazi. Those involved would have to pay R 21,000 from now onwards, said Khan. The panchayat also acted tough on cow slaughter and offenders will have to pay Rs 2,50,000 while a reward of Rs 51,000 has been declared for those giving information about cow slaughter, said Khan who added that a similar penalty on offenders and reward for informers had been fixed for gambling and drinking. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday visited the homes of the five policemen and two bank guards who were killed in the militant attack on a bank van on Monday and offered her condolences. Speaking to the media, she said Kashmiris needed to introspect on what will be achieved by such violence. People who left their homes to earn their livelihood, people who were protecting the savings of people in banks were mercilessly killedThere can be no greater misfortune for us than this. We need to think what we are doing by committing such acts of loot and killings, Mehbooba said. The chief minister added, We are destroying whatever assets we have. We are not allowing children to go to school. We are vandalising (public property), looting banks and mercilessly killing policemen who are going out to earn livelihood and feed their children.What are we going to achieve by all this? She appealed to the youth to come forward and help stop such destruction. Jammu and Kashmir is yours. This land is yours. Work to make it better, to make it happy. Come and help us to stop this destruction, she appealed to the youth. Five policemen and two security guards of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Kulgam were killed in an attack by militants on Monday, triggering a debate in the Valley, with many lamenting how the Kashmir conflict continues to claim lives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates on Wednesday morning a research institute run by spiritual leader Ramdevs Patanjali Ayurveda in Uttarakhands Haridwar. The institute claims to have developed new varieties of wheat and chilli seeds that can more than double the yield an attempt to fight back criticism after a set of recent reverses that saw the firms products fail laboratory tests and taken off shelves in army stores. The company says the new wheat and chilli seeds can fetch yields of up to 28 and 47 quintals per acre, respectively more than double the usual amount. Patanjali has also marketed the seeds as swadeshi (home-grown). Patanjali agro scientists have developed advanced variety of high yielding wheat grain (named Patanjali Chamatkar) without using chemicals, Ramdev tweeted. Patanjali agro scientists have proved time and again that, high yielding and high quality produce can be obtained without chemicals, he added. But scientists say the promised yield is far from chamatkari and can be obtained from other brands of seed as well. In ideal condition, the best seed available at present can produce maximum 20 quintals in an acre. However a farmer can get upto 100 quintals per acre from best of the chili seeds already available to the farmers said Dr SK Singh, an agro scientist based in Dehradun. WH 1105, a variety of wheat seed developed by Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, several years ago also claims to yield 28 quintals per acre. A person privy to the developments in the firm said Ramdev intends to focus on two core areas Ayurveda and agro business. Ramdev is focusing on strengthening the research wing of the company in a bid to revamp its brand image, which has taken a beating in the last year. Many of its products have been getting adverse feedback from consumers and retailers, prompting the company to form two internal committees earlier this year to address the problem. The company also faced the ire of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for misbranding. Last month, Canteen Stores Department (CSD), the retailing entity selling consumer goods to the armed forces, suspended the sale of a batch of Patanjalis amla juice after it failed a test carried out at West Bengal Public Health Laboratory in Kolkata. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At a time when cases of cow vigilantism are being reported from across the country, a Muslim man has donated two bighas of land for the construction of a gaushala (cow shelter) here. Sarvath Ali (40) has donated two bighas of land towards the construction of a cow shed in Purkazi town in the district, president of the Balaji Dham temple committee, Harshyam Das Goel said. Welcoming his step, Goel said Ali has transfered the land to the name of Balaji Dham temple. A number of incidents of cow vigilantism has been reported in the country, including the killing of 55-year-old dairy farmer Pehlu Khan in Rajasthan who beaten to death after being accused of cow smuggling. The Chinese government on Wednesday said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) does not affect Beijings stance on the Kashmir issue and it was up to New Delhi and Islamabad to settle it through dialogue and negotiation. Beijing, however, was willing to make constructive efforts to improve relations between the two countries, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Chinas position on the issue of Kashmir is clear and consistent. It is an issue left over from history between India and Pakistan, and shall be properly addressed by India and Pakistan through consultation and negotiation, it said. The statement comes in the wake of a state media article that indicated that China was getting ready to mediate on the Kashmir issue to protect its increasing financial investment in the CPEC, a cluster of energy and infrastructure projects and road networks connecting Chinas Kashgar in northwest Xinjiang to Pakistans Gwadar port city. Given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt, One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan, the article in Global Times said. But the Chinese foreign ministry sought to sidestep the article in the tabloid affiliated to the Peoples Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China. The building of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor does not affect Chinas position on this issue, the statement said. We sincerely hope that India and Pakistan will properly handle differences by increasing communication and dialogue, and jointly uphold regional peace and stability. China is willing to make constructive efforts for the improvement of India-Pakistan relations, it said. It was a reiteration of what foreign minister Wang Yi had said at a press conference on the upcoming Belt and Road Initiative forum, to be h eld in Beijing later this month. It (CPEC) is for the purpose of serving economic cooperation and development. It has no direct link with political and boundary dispute. Certain sections of the CPEC have raised concern on the Indian side, Wang had said. As for the dispute of Kashmir, Chinas position remained unchanged. Also, CPEC has no relationship with the dispute in certain regions. I want to reaffirm to the Indian friend if India wants to take part in the One Belt, One Road, there are many channels and ways, Wang said. But the Global Times article, given it came out in a state-controlled newspaper, does possibly give an indication about a long-term strategy of the CPC. For instance, while China has the capability to resolve conflicts through mediation given its increased economic influence, the nation needs to be very prudent in dealing with other big powers, India included, in the region, it said. In fact, mediating between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue would perhaps be one of the toughest challenges facing China in dealing with regional affairs to safeguard its overseas interests. Pakistan on early Wednesday opened fire at Indian posts in Jammu and Kashmirs Mankote sector, targetting positions close to the area where two Indian soldiers were killed in a cross-LoC raid two days ago. The Pakistani side started firing at around 1.30am and the exchange continued for five hours, intelligence sources said of the latest ceasefire violation by the neighbouring country. There were unconfirmed reports of a soldier being injured, the source said. On Monday, Pakistans border action team sneaked into Indian territory and mutilated two soldiers in the Krishna Ghati area of Poonch district. The ambush, backed by mortar shelling and machine gun fire, on a 10-member joint patrol of the Border Security Force and army killed naib subedar Paramjit Singh, a 42-year-old junior commissioned officer with 22 Sikh Regiment, and 45-year-old head constable Prem Sagar of the BSFs 200 Battalion. Their bodies were found beheaded at the Krishna Ghati sector. Outraged over the cross-LoC raid, India on Tuesday told Pakistan that the dastardly and inhuman act merited an unequivocal response. Speaking to his Pakistani counterpart, director general of military operations Lt Gen AK Bhatt also expressed concern over BAT training camps coming up along the de facto border. Pakistan has denied its troops were involved in the attack. Inter Services Public Relations, publicity wing of the Pakistan army, asked India to refrain from steps that may lead to vitiating of environment and affect peace along LoC. On Tuesday night, militants snatched service rifles of five policemen guarding the court complex in Shopian district of Kashmir, police said on Wednesday. A group of militants sneaked into the court premises and overpowered the five policemen on duty, the official said. They took away SLR rifles of the policemen. No one was hurt in the incident. In recent weeks, Kashmir has seen a spike in militant violence largely targeted at security personnel and installations even as violent street protests continue. With agency inputs SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a special puja at the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand on Wednesday morning in his first visit to the revered shrine since winning the general elections three years ago. The doors of the shrine were thrown open at 8.50am amid chanting of lines from the Vedas. Chief minister TS Rawat and other BJP leaders and ministers were also present. A large number of pilgrims were kept waiting because of tight security until the PMs puja was over. Interacting with people in Kedarnath. pic.twitter.com/vDhCzDrwiC Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 3, 2017 Soon after, the PM exchanged greetings with the main priest. He was also presented with prasad, a wooden structure of the temple among others. The PM also met the pilgrims, several of whom clicked pictures of the PM. Modi had taken an aerial survey of Kedarnath after it was ravaged in the June 2013 flash floods that killed more than 5,000 people. The BJP government in the hill state is hoping to get a boost from the Centre after the PMs visit. The prime minister will also inaugurate a research centre at spiritual leader Ramdevs Patanjali firm in Haridwar. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On the World Press Freedom Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed unwavering support to the freedom of the media, saying it is essential in democracy. World Press Freedom Day is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards a free & vibrant press, which is vital in a democracy, he said in a tweet. In todays day & age, social media has emerged as an active medium of engagement & has added more vigour to press freedom, the prime minister said. World Press Freedom Day is observed to celebrate fundamental principles of press freedom. The Delhi Police on Wednesday raided the Indirapuram residence of a 40-year-old woman, who was arrested earlier for allegedly honey-trapping and blackmailing a BJP MP for Rs 5 crore. Some videos and other incriminating evidence were recovered from her house, said Mukesh Kumar Meena, Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi range. He added that the woman, hailing from Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, would mostly target high-profile people. Sources claimed that a police team had also been sent to Muzzafarnagar to check on her criminal antecedents and to ascertain whether her law degree was genuine or not. The woman had filed a rape case against another MP at Tilak Marg police station last year. In 2014, she had filed a complaint at Safdarjung Enclave police station against BJP leader from Uttarakhand Harak Singh Rawat, who was then a minister in the Congress-led government in the state, said Meena. In Rawats case, the woman had subsequently changed her statement, he added. The woman told the police that several men and women were involved in the racket, said another officer, adding that some of the gang members were identified while the police were trying to identify the others. The core gang consists of five to six members, he said. KC Patel, the BJP MP from Gujarats Valsad, had filed a police complaint last week, alleging that the woman had drugged him and shot obscene videos of him. The woman had approached a city court, claiming that the police refused to lodge her complaint, accusing Patel of rape. The woman came to Delhi around five years back. In her statement, she has said that she came to Delhi to prepare for the Rajasthan Public Service examination. As per the statement, she had even appeared in the preliminary exams of the UPSC, but couldnt clear them. In Patels case, the woman claimed that the MP had called her. However, Patel told the police that she had approached him for some help. According to the investigators, the woman had installed spy cameras and CCTV cameras in her house and the gang had bugged the room where Patel was taken. The woman always kept a spy camera in her bag, they said. The red spicy chilli is literally bringing tears to the eyes of farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states, while heating up its political atmosphere. Following reports of angry chilli farmers dumping their produce in all major market yards and in some places setting fire to the produce on roads in protest against sharp fall in prices, chilli has become a hot topic for the opposition parties in Andhra and Telangana to take on the ruling parties. On Monday, YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy launched a two-day Rythu Deeksha (fasting for farmers) at Guntur mirchi yard, the biggest in the country, in protest against the lackadaisical attitude of the TDP government in coming to the rescue of farmers. In Telangana, Congress leaders visited the market yard in Khammam and staged a dharna in protest against the arrest of several chilli farmers who vandalised the market committee office three days ago. The farmers were agitating over refusal of traders to purchase their produce which had been piling up for several days. Sacks of chilli piling up at a market in Andhra Pradesh. (HT Photo) Encouraged by their respective governments during the last Rabi season to opt for commercial crops instead of food ones, farmers in both the states had gone in for chilli crop extensively. They were also attracted by the handsome price they got last year Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per quintal for the grade-1 variety and Rs 7,000 for grade-2. In Guntur alone, the yield was around 1 lakh ton which is 40% more than that of last year. With huge supply, the demand fell down sharply resulting in fall in prices, Guntur mirchi yard president Mannava Subba Rao told HT. According to him, the prices have fallen to Rs 7,000 per quintal for Grade-1 and Rs 3,000 per quintal for Grade-II. For the past few weeks, mounds of chilli have been piling up at major mirchi market yards as farmers were hoping the prices would go up. But, the prices continued to fall, thanks to the nexus between the market committee officials, traders and brokers. This resulted in farmers attacking market yards and setting fire to their produce. said S Malla Reddy, All India Kisan Sabha leader. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed a medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to examine a 35-year-old HIV-positive destitute woman and rape survivor from Patna, for possible abortion. She had moved the Supreme Court for terminating her 26-week pregnancy because the foetus is at risk of contracting the disease. Taking note of the fact that the woman could not abort the child in the 17th week, which was well within the 20-week time-limit the law prescribes, because the authorities delayed in responding to her for termination, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra on Wednesday ordered immediate medical test for her. It directed the AIIMS to constitute a board to examine the woman before Saturday. The survivor, living in a shelter home in Patna - would be flown in on Thursday to Delhi for the test. Her travel and other expenses in Delhi would be borne by the Centre after two senior law officers P Narasimha and Tushar Mehta assured her of support. As we are inclined to think that a woman, who has already become a destitute being sexually assaulted and suffering from a serious medical ailment, not to go through further sufferings. The quintessential purpose of life, be it a man or a woman, is the dignity of life and all efforts are to be made to sustain it, the bench said, fixing May 8 to hear the matter again. The court also allowed member of NGO Koshish-TISS to accompany the woman to Delhi. This was after her lawyer Vrinda Grover informed the bench that the victim was under the organisations care at Shanti Kutir shelter home. Grover told HT that the case at hand is a glaring example of how the authorities can mess up a case of medical emergency. Divorced and left to fend for herself on the streets of Patna, the woman approached the top court after the Patna high court did not permit her to terminate her pregnancy. The woman was not even aware of her pregnancy and the disease until the government authorities picked her up from the streets and admitted her to the shelter home on January 27. As per the procedure she underwent a medical test and learnt that she was 17 weeks pregnant. She told the doctors to abort the foetus. However, the hospital insisted on calling her father who too gave his consent, Grover said. Since the hospital did not respond, the woman moved the HC. At that time her pregnancy was between 20 and 21 weeks. The court set-up a medical board that held the woman was suffering from minor mental retardation. Grover said the board made no categorical statement on whether the termination could happen and, yet, the HC presumed that termination would be hazardous to the petitioners life. The HC ordered the womans father and asked her to pay Rs 1000 every month to her. It even summoned her erstwhile husband who admitted to have left her 12 years ago and is now remarried. He too was asked to give the woman a monthly maintenance of Rs 1,500, Grover said, questioning the basis of the HC judgement. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress president Sonia Gandhi will hold discussions with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati within 10 days to discuss a strategy for fielding a common opposition candidate for the upcoming Presidential election, party sources said Wednesday. A senior party functionary said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also spoke to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav in this regard. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and CPIs D Raja have already met the Congress president and stressed on the need to have a common opposition candidate to defeat the NDA nominee in the presidential election. Read more: Sonia to meet Opposition leaders on Presidential polls On Monday, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury described the Presidential election as an acid test for Opposition unity and stressed on the need for non-NDA parties to ensure the victory of a candidate who can uphold the Indian Constitution in letter and spirit. Yechurys call found several takers, as leaders of several parties pitched for a common candidate at a conclave of Opposition parties convened on Monday to mark the 95th birth anniversary of late socialist leader Madhu Limaye. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India told Pakistans envoy on Wednesday there is sufficient evidence, including a blood trail leading across the Line of Control, to prove Pakistani troops entered the Indian side, beheaded two soldiers and went back. Foreign secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit at noon and informed him during a brief meeting of Indias outrage at the killing and barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of the two soldiersby Pakistan Army personnel, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. The killing and mutilation of the two soldiers on Monday sparked widespread anger, with their families and many political leaders demanding similar action against the neighbouring country. The message from Jaishankar to the Pakistani envoy was blunt - the Indian government considers the mutilation a strong act of provocation and in contravention to all norms of civilised conduct, and wants immediate action against the Pakistani soldiers and commanders responsible for the act. Basit denied the Pakistan Army was involved in any way but said he would convey the contents of Indias demarche to his government, Baglay told a news briefing. Baglay said Mondays attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector. Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on the Roza Nala line clearly show that the killers returned across the Line of Control, he said. India has sufficient evidence that this act was committed by personnel of the Pakistan Army who crossed the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector, he added. Sources said the trail of blood leading across the LoC was from the severed heads of the Indian soldiers. India, Baglay said, had been a victim of cross-border terrorism for four decades and its efforts and policy to counter this menace had received backing across the world. It is an unfortunate reality that cross-border terrorism continues to pose a grave threat to peace and stability in our region as well as threaten the security of neighbours of the country which is perpetuating it, he said. On Monday, a border action team (BAT) of the Pakistan Army sneaked across the LoC and ambushed a joint patrol of the Border Security Force and the army, killing naib subedar Paramjit Singh, a 42-year-old junior commissioned officer with the 22 Sikh Regiment, and 45-year-old head constable Prem Sagar of the BSFs 200 Battalion. Their beheaded bodies were found in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. Lt Gen AK Bhatt, the Indian director general of military operations, told his Pakistani counterpart on Tuesday that the dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and deserved unequivocal condemnation and response. But a statement from the Pakistan Army said: Pakistan rejected Indian allegations of ceasefire violation and mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers. Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told Bhatt the allegations were an attempt by India to divert attention from the unrest in the Kashmir Valley, the statement said. The Pakistan Armys elite Special Services Group forms the core of the BATs, which are used for raids across the LoC. Terrorists too are known to join the soldiers during some missions. These units were responsible for Indian soldier Hemrajs beheading and the cold-blooded murder of five other soldiers in separate cross-border assaults in 2013. The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a review petition of a 55-year-old man and sent him to gallows for raping and stoning to death a four-year-old girl in 2008. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said no case is made out and dismissed the review petition. The bench, which also comprised Justices RF Nariman and UU Lalit, said the aggravating circumstances and the barbaric manner in which the four-year-old was killed, clearly outweigh the mitigating circumstances. The convict is currently lodged in Nagpur jail. The court had on November 26, 2014 upheld the trial court as well as Bombay High Court judgements awarding death sentence to Maharashtra resident Vasanta Sampat Dupare in the 2008 rape-cum-murder case of Nagpur. The apex court had on July 14 last year agreed to examine the plea of Dupare, who had claimed he was not accorded a fair chance to put forth his arguments by the trial court which sentenced him to death. While upholding death penalty awarded to the convict, the top court had said that the rape of a minor girl child is nothing but a monstrous burial of her dignity in darkness. The court had referred to the sequence of events in the case and said that the convict, who was a neighbour, lured the girl, raped her and then battered her to death using two heavy stones. Suspected members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini allegedly lynched an elderly Muslim man in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr, the latest charge of vigilantism against the right-wing group founded by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Police said the suspects were enraged over a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl eloping last week and thrashed 55-year-old Gulam Mohammad on Tuesday when he was unable to divulge details of the absconding couple. The deputy inspector general of Meerut visited the spot and ordered local police to arrest the suspects immediately. The deceased mans son lodged an FIR mentioning six unidentified Vahini men. Three accused have been arrested and the hunt is on for the main accused, said Jagdish Sharma, superintendent of police (rural) of Bulandshahar. Police are probing if the three men belong to the Vahini. The group has denied any involvement and blamed policemen close to the previous Samajwadi Party administration for trying to malign the Vahini. If anyone was found involved, they would be expelled from the Vahini. Our leaders and activists are disciplined soldiers and they cannot be involved in this kind of violence,said Nagendra Tomar, divisional president of the group. Tomar blamed an Urdu TV journalist for provoking the complainant and said the local police didnt investigate properly. Last month, Vahini members were accused of barging into a Muslim mans house in Meerut and thrashing him after finding him allegedly in a compromising condition with a Hindu woman. Adityanath, who founded the right-wing organisation in 2002, has said he wouldnt tolerate any vigilantism or actions that broke the law. Local residents in Sohi village, near Pahasu in Bulandshahr district, said the Muslim man worked in Saudi Arabia and came to the village on April 11 for vacations. He fell in love with a Hindu woman and eloped on April 27, triggering tensions in the area, they added. Angry Hindu families in the area were allegedly mounting pressure on the four Muslim families to help trace the couple. On Tuesday, five or six Vahini members arrived in the village to question Muslim families and allegedly threatened them with dire consequences if the couple wasnt found soon, police said. When they were walking out of the village, they saw Gulam sitting and asked him about the whereabouts of the couple. When he refused to answer, the group allegedly began thrashing the elderly man, who was rushed to hospital but died on the way. His death sparked communal tensions in the area and his son lodged an FIR against Vahini members. Gulams son told HT over the phone that the Muslim families had tried their best to trace the couple but failed. Claiming to have busted an espionage racket, the Uttar Pradesh ATS on Wednesday arrested a suspected ISI agent, and picked up another for questioning, from Faizabad. On the basis of a tip-off by Aftab Ali during interrogation, the ATS arrested another ISI agent Altaf Bhai Qureshi from Mumbai. IG ATS Asim Arun said Qureshi was in hawala trade and provided money to Ali for sharing crucial information with his ISI handlers. The ATS has also seized 70 lakh from him. Resident of Faizabads Khwaspura locality, Ali was arrested on a tip-off provided by military intelligence and state intelligence agency, said Arun. Ali was spying for Pakistans secret service, Inter Service Intelligence (ISI), for past three years, claimed Arun. The ATS officials claimed he was allegedly lured into ISI network by some officials of Pakistan high commission after his visa to meet his relatives was rejected thrice by the embassy. The ISI operatives, who were keeping vigil over Alis quest to visit Pakistan took advantage of his desperateness to visit the neighbouring country, said an official. The ISI operatives approached him over telephone in 2014 and offered him an assignment of clicking pictures of Faizabad Cantonment area and sending it to them. In return, they facilitated Alis visa application and got it approved, he claimed. Ali visited Pakistan twice since, in 2014 and 2016. The ISI operatives also provided him some other facilities during his visit to Pakistan in 2014. They also paid him some money when he was returning to India after a few months stay. Ali was also in touch with an official in Pakistan embassy in New Delhi. The name of the official is being verified, said Aditya Mishra, additional director general (ADG), law and order. The ATS officials said one of Alis aides has also been detained for quizzing over the suspicion of his involvement in assisting him. Based on the information extracted from Ali, the arrests of some more people from Faizabad and Lucknow are likely to take place, said an official. Ali had reportedly confessed that some people approached him during his visit to Pakistan and trained him for spying. Since then, he had been in continuous touch with ISI operatives and performing their different assignments. He had reportedly shared movement details of army troops and their strength in Faizabad and Lucknow with ISI handlers. Ali confessed that he gradually got involved into spying actively as it helped him earn easy money. The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed former union minister Salman Khurshid to assist it as an amicus curiae in hearing of a batch of pleas challenging constitutional validity of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy among Muslims. A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and SK Kaul also permitted Khurshid, who is a senior advocate, to file his written submissions in the case. We will take it on record. Its not an issue, the bench said when the Congress leader said that the time for filing written submission in the matter has already expired and he intended to file certain pleadings in the case. A five-judge constitution bench would commence hearing from May 11 to decide a batch of petitions challenging triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy among Muslims. For the second successive day on Wednesday unidentified gunmen targeted banks in Kashmir this time looting Rs 6.33 lakhs from two banks in Pulwama district in a span of a few hours. Police said that in the first incident, three suspected militants barged into a branch of the Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Waibug early afternoon and took away approximately Rs 5 lakhs. The men did not harm anybody physically. The bank has no surveillance cameras. Hours later militants targeted a branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank at Nehama and looted of Rs 1.33 lakh, the police control room in Pulwama said. Police have launched a hunt for the bank robbers. Wednesdays bank robberies come a day after gunmen barged into a bank in Kulgam district on Tuesday and looted Rs 65,000 from another branch of the Ellaquai Dehati Bank. On Monday, five policemen and two security guards of a bank were killed after militants attacked a J&K Bank van. Bank officials said there was no money in the van because the cash was already dispensed. The Hizbul Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack but denied killing the bank guards. There have been many incidents of bank robberies in past where police have blamed militants. In December 2016, police had identified the armed men who robbed a bank in south Kashmir as militants from the banned outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The militants had struck a Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch in Ratnipora area in Pulwama on December 15, looting around Rs 10 lakh. There were two incidents of bank robberies earlier as well. The Uttar Pradesh ATS claimed to have smashed an espionage racket in the state by arresting a suspected ISI agent from Faizabad and picking up another for questioning. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. In a joint operation conducted by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, 120 km from here, this evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, the spokesman said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and being questioned. Arun said more arrests were likely. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information several army cantonment area and defence establishment in the state. He was in constant touch with Pakistan High Commission, state ATS said in a statement. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. The group, allegedly trained by Pakistans ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places - including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura - and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. The Jaipur airport has registered 24% rise in passenger traffic in 2016-17 as compared to the previous year. According to the latest passenger traffic data of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), 4.5 lakh passengers travelled by air from Jaipur in 2016-17, as compared to 3.63 lakh in 2015-16. The number of flights also went up to 3,744 from 2,923 in the previous year, thus registering an increase of 28%. With introduction of new flights during summer, Jaipur will soon be connected to Surat by air. Spice Jet is launching Jaipur-Surat flight from June 1. The flight will leave at 6.55 am and reach Surat at 8.45 am. During the return journey, the flight will leave from Surat at 8.10 pm and reach Jaipur at 9.50 pm. The Jaipur airport has opened two additional boarding gates on the first floor of Terminal 2. This is expected to reduce congestion during peak hours, said JS Balhara, the airport director. There is also a plan to have an extra exit gate on the ground floor of Terminal 2. At present, Jaipur airport operates 48 flights, including six international flights, daily. In order to deal with the rush of passengers, the Jaipur airport is planning to have separate terminals for arrivals and departures of domestic and international flights by 2019. The operations at Jaipur airport terminal building will soon be handed over to a private player. Seven firms have bid for running the terminal building and other operations at the airport, and the bids will be opened by May end. At a time when the state education department is mulling ways to ensure quality education and good results in government schools; the primary education directorate plans on introducing a reward and punishment policy in schools to encourage teachers to give their best. The education department has decided to adopt the new system based on their students performance in the upcoming class 5 board results. The department has issued fresh guidelines to make teachers accountable for a schools performance in the board exams. Teachers, department heads and class heads will be held accountable if 40% students, who have passed, get lower than grade C in the exam. The directorate has observed that efforts to develop an academic environment and administrative reforms have not been effective in bringing improvement in the quality of education in schools. We are shifting our focus to teachers as they are equally responsible for a schools poor results and we are considering other ways to deal with such results, director of elementary education PC Kishan said. Sources said that the department is coming up with a new policy for underperforming schools. Sources said that the directorate has come up with punishments like issuing notices to teachers under CCA - Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal ) Rules- 1958. However, the directorate also plans to reward school heads and teachers for good performance. They will be eligible for an award if 90% class 5 students get grade A in the board exams. They will be served a 17 CCA notice if 50% students scored grade D. The directorate has already issued a circular to all government schools informing them that subject teachers will get an award if 95% or more students get grade A in the respective subject. Subject teachers having 40% students scoring grade D will face disciplinary action. The heads, principals and teachers of schools, which score the highest in the board exam, will be awarded a citation from the department. However, the education department has issued directions to all district education officers (DEO) and institution heads, warning strict penal action against non-performers. From 2016, the education department has already started taking action against government school teachers with poor results in Class 8 board examinations. The result of Class 5 board examination, organised by the Registrar, departmental examination, Bikaner, is expected within this week. Manoj Kumar, an assistant director of Enforcement Directorate who was transferred back to customs following his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley scam, was sent to police custody for nine days by a Kolkata court in a case of extortion filed against him by a city-based chartered accountant. Following an order of the Supreme Court, Kumar surrendered to City Sessions court. He was sent to police custody till May 12. Read: Enforcement Directorate hunts 300 shell companies; Bhujbal, Jagan Reddy on radar After the court order, Kumar was taken to Shakespeare Sarani police station for interrogation. The advocate of Kolkata Police alleged in the court on Wednesday that Manoj Kumar amassed wealth and acquired property mostly in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. (HT Photo) The police complaint against the officer was filed by Kamal Somani. The accused officer first approached Calcutta high court first and then the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail applications, but was turned down on both counts. In the court on Wednesday lawyers of Kolkata Police alleged that Kumar has got high-value property mainly in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Earlier this year, ED, the investment arm of the Union finance ministry, removed him from the post of assistant director after a CCTV footage purportedly showed him with Subhra Kundu, wife of Rose Valley Group chief, Gautam Kundu at a hotel at New Delhi. Gautam Kundu is in CBI custody in Bhubaneswar. Kumar was in the team that was investigating the Rose Valley scam. Read: EC bribery case: Enforcement Directorate registers case against Dinakaran The police sourced this video footage from a file named Madam Rose Valley at a computer while the cops were investigating on a hawala trail against the group. However, Kumar said that the tape was doctored and it was just floated by the local police authorities to trap him. Soon after the tape came to limelight, ED not removed him. Read: Enforcement Directorate summons Himachal chief minister to appear on April 20 Soon after that the said chartered accountant filed a case of extortion against Kumar. Meanwhile, city police sources said that investigating officers have found evidence that support the extortion charges. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Calcutta high court judge CS Karnan on Wednesday expressed anguish that a section of the media was not portraying him as a victim of caste discrimination. Karnan has accused a number of top judges of corruption, triggering the first-ever contempt proceeding against a sitting high court judge. The top court also declared on Monday all orders passed by Karnan invalid, and said no court or tribunal shall take cognisance of his directions. The Supreme court also ordered on Monday a medical examination of Karnan, escalating an unprecedented confrontation within the judiciary. In an open letter titled, Calling attention all Media Agencies, WhatsApp, Facebook etc, Karnan on Wednesday evening said, I have been involved in certain altercations with some erring judges, with a sincere intention to bring about a change of heart and mind with such judges for the glory of our judiciary and the well-being of our country. Stating that he had informed the media about the notices he had sent to the judges because the free press have better contact with the general masses of the country, Karnan said he was pained to note that crucial parts of his communication had been omitted. For example, I have often mentioned in my communications that I am a victim of caste discrimination by some erring judges and such violations attract a jail sentence with fine on the perpetrators, wrote the Calcutta HC judge referring to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Atrocities Act. It is most unfortunate and perhaps a national disaster that such critical issues never figured in most of the national publications, wrote Karnan and requested the media to be fair and unbiased. Justice Karnans clash with the judiciary started when he accused several judges of the Madras HC - where he earlier served - and an SC judge of corruption, nepotism and casteism. His allegations triggered contempt proceedings, the summons for which he ignored before issuing counter orders against the Supreme Court. The escalation led to an unprecedented arrest warrant being issued against him on March 10. But he refused to receive it - when a team of Bengal police led by the DGP reached his home - and summoned the apex court judges instead. The HC judge has so far passed six suo motu orders against the CJI and other judges. In April, Karnan even directed the Air Control Authority, New Delhi not to permit CJI Khehar and the seven other judges to travel abroad. Karnan has always mentioned in his orders that he is a Dalit and his orders against the judges are based on laws protecting the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people. He has alleged that he is being targeted for his caste. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The crucial UK general elections on June 8 has a Kolkata connection. Rohit K Dasgupta, who was born and brought up in Kolkata and graduated from Jadavpur University only eight years ago, will be contesting the elections from East Hampshire seat on a Labour Party ticket. He will be the first Bengali to be in the electoral fray in the UK. Dasgupta, a lecturer at the Loughborough University, London, has been living in the UK for past eight years and became a member of the Labour Party seven years ago. He had graduated in comparative literature from JU in 2009. Read: UK parliament votes on snap election in Brexits shadow It is a great honour to be fighting a seat for Labour Party in this election and offer a credible alternative to the Tories, Dasgupta said, describing East Hampshire as a tough constituency. Dasgupta at Durga puja organised by Hampshire cultural committee. (Facebook) The Kolkata boy, however, is up against odds. The seat is a stronghold of the Conservative Party, which secured more than 50% votes in 2010 and 2015. Damian Hinds is representing the seat since 2010. Dasguptas campaign will focus on the issues of housing, education, health and fair living wage. Read: UK PM Mays Conservatives on course for sweeping British election victory I am campaigning on four main areas - building more social housing and caps on rent and rogue landlords, making education available to everyone and not burden students with debts after university, the national health service which is Labours biggest achievement providing free healthcare for all and a fair living wage, he told HT. Brexit, or Britains exit from the European Union, is one of the major issues in this election, apart from immigration, welfare schemes and workers rights. British parliamentarians with Indian origin is nothing novel and as many as 10 persons with Indian origin were elected to the parliament in 2015. None of them, however, had any connection with Kolkata, once considered as the second city of the former British empire after London. My politics is firmly rooted within left liberal socialism. I am opposed to all kinds of nationalism, a resurgence of which we see in UK, Europe and in India as well. I consider myself an internationalist, Dasgupta added echoing a voice that is often heard in the campuses if Kolkata. Read: Tony Blair wont endorse Jeremy Corbyn as next PM Born in Bhowanipur, Dasgupta studied at St. James School before enrolling at the JU. The university on the southern parts of the city is considered a hub for Leftwing activists and scholars, including ultra Left sympathisers. Dasgupta was also a member of Forum for Arts Students, a student body that was known for Left leanings. In his first year at JU, he was elected as a student representative for the students union. When in Kolkata I was also campaigning for issues such as child abuse, queer rights, and gender violence and was associated with human rights charities, Dasgupta told HT. His parents live at Mahajati Nagar at Birati in the northern outskirts of Kolkata. His father used to work for power utility CESC, and mother was a homemaker. Dasgupta received the formal letter informing him of his candidature on April 30. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BJP chief Amit Shah told ministers of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh that the party would follow a zero-tolerance policy on corruption and they would have to step down from their posts if they or their close relatives are accused of graft. Shah is believed to have told the ministers that the Bharatiya Janata party government in UP must emulate the Narendra Modi government at the Centre during a dinner meeting at Adityanaths residence on Tuesday. Remember the huge mandate we have got is not to better our condition. Its an opportunity to help change the lives of the poorest of the poor. We came to power promising people change from lawlessness. Lets honour the promise, a source quoted him as saying. The BJP stormed back to power in Uttar Pradesh after a gap of 15 years with a two-thirds majority in the February-March assembly elections. There is not a single charge of corruption on the Modi government that has completed 3 years in power. Naturally, the Yogi ministers are now being expected to follow the Modi model, a BJP source told the Hindustan Times. Shah is also believed to have told the ministers not to make any recommendations for people with tainted background and help people in the state feel the difference in governance. Earlier in March, Prime Minister Modi, as well as Shah, asked party legislators from UP against bullying officials in the state and to keep away from seeking transfer and postings of bureaucrats and police officials. Shahs advice followed soon after he had asked the cadre to work towards consolidating the gains BJP made in UP. Focus on booth management and improving our performance in booths where we havent done well. Be the voice of the common man. If you can do that we would become invincible in UP, the BJP chief said. Before the dinner meeting, Shah told BJPs state working committee that 105 schemes initiated by the Modi government could transform UP. Read more: Make BJP invincible in Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah tells party cadre SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday praised the party cadre for the huge election victory in UP and tasked them to help make BJP invincible in the state. Shahs assertion on the concluding day of BJPs UP working committee meet is being seen as a signal to the partys state unit to begin preparations for Mission 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek another five-year term to carry his development agenda forward. BJP and its ally had won 73 MP seats from UP in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and now UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said the party is aiming to win all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. Shah also tasked chief minister Yogi Adityanath with implementing the 105 schemes of the Modi government in UP and said that if this, along with promises in the partys UP manifesto, were met, UPs transformation would be assured. Just focus on this and it would be enough, said Shah while accusing the Samajwadi Party government of blocking the Modi government initiatives. The win shouldnt make you complacent. No holidays. For we have set out newer goals. Remember our mandate is not to rest on our laurels but to help change the lives of the common man, he told the cadre. The partys vistaar (expansion) campaign would be carried out by 16,000 vistaraks, who would be tasked with expanding the BJPs reach further in about 80,000 booths of the state. The cadres would spend 15 days each in these booths and, if they accepted five booths, giving three days to each booth, we would have further strengthened ourselves in 80,000 booths, including such booths where we havent done well earlier. The super effort you put in between 2014 and 2017 is good enough to make the organisation strong for 30 years but we need to do more. Dont rest unless we have strengthened the party in all the booths, he said while unveiling the vistaar programme. The programme had been drafted under the supervision of UP BJP general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal. To realise the objective, we would roll out a campaign mera ghar, bhajapa ka ghar(my house is the BJP house), under which the cadres would hold door-to-door contact to familiarise people about schemes and achievements of both Modi and Yogi governments, UP BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said. Read more| Attacks on police: UP BJP to use party cadres in positive works to change their mindset SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police officials on emergency duty can use a multi-colour light bar, not the blue beacon they have flaunting till now, atop their vehicles, the central governments final notification ending the VIP lal-neeli batti culture made it clear on Tuesday. The multi-colour light bar (red, blue and white) will be like the one used by police patrol vans. If the police officers like the DGP, IGs DIGs, SPs feel that theirs is an emergency duty and they are ready to put up a multi-colour light bar on their vehicles, they are free to do it. The choice is theirs, Abhay Damle, joint secretary in union ministry of transport, told HT when asked as to which type of police officials would be entitled to use the multi-colour light atop their vehicle. Our notification is very clear, he said. Sources, however, said not many police officers would like to move in a vehicle fitted with a multi-colour light bar. They will look like Dial 100 patrol vehicles used by thana- level functionaries and most of us will not like to move in such vehicles, said a police official. OTHER EMERGENCY AND DISATER MANAGEMENT DUTIES Apart from those of the police (for maintenance of and order), other duties that the Central government has declared as emergency disaster management duties are duties by defence or paramilitary forces, work relating to fire and pertaining to management of natural disasters including earthquake, flood, landslide, cyclone, tsunami and manmade disasters including chemical and biological disaster. In pursuance of powers conferred under sub-rule 4 of the rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, the Central government hereby specifies that the vehicles on office duty which are designated for the emergency and disaster management duties may be allowed to use multi-coloured red, blue and white light on its top, says the notification issued by the Union transport ministry on Tuesday. The multi-coloured light shall not be put to use when the vehicle is not on the designated duty, clarified the notification. EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO DISPLAY STICKERS As per the notification, every year, the transport department of the state or union territory administration, as the case may be, will issue a public notice bringing to the notice of the general public the list of authorities to whom the permission to use the vehicles for emergency duties has been granted and such vehicles will necessarily display on their windscreen the sticker issued by such transport department. Only one sticker will be issued to the designated officer or for one vehicle at one point of time. The sticker shall be on security printed watermark paper and it shall carry hologram as specified by the transport department of the state concerned, the notification says. The Modi government at the Centre has done away with the provisions for red beacons by omitting the concerning section in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and has kept with itself the power to designate a work as emergency/disaster management duty for the purpose of allowing one performing such duties the use of multi-colour light bar. The new rules have become effective from May 1, the international labour day. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The UP Special Task Forces (STF) probe into the multi-crore fuel scam in UP has raised a question mark over the working of petrol pump owners, authorities of oil companies, weights & measures department and others. The connivance of authorities, field officers and other agencies concerned cannot be ruled out when such malpractices are prevalant on such a large scale, admitted Amit Pathak, SSP of STF. Citing an example, a senior STF official said Satyam Filling Station in Vibhuti Khand was found dug up when the STF team carried out a raid there on Sunday night. The probe revealed that pump owner Pankaj Seth applied for maintenance and renewal on April 28, only few a hours after the STF began a crackdown on petrol pumps. He said the authorities concerned granted him permission on the same day itself. 17 petrol pumps raided so far Since Thursday night, the UP STF has raided 17 petrol pumps in Lucknow while oil companies have checked three. So far, the STF has arrested 26 people, including five petrol pump owners and nine pump managers in the state capital. Of total 17 fuel stations raided, 11 have been completely sealed while five are temporarily sealed. Three other petrol pumps were checked by oil company authorities. According to STF officials, probe has revealed that around 80% of petrol pumps across UP have been using devices to cheat consumers and were siphoning off an estimated Rs 200 crore per month. He said all five dispensing units of the pump were uprooted on Sunday morning on the basis of the same permission. Cheating chips were later recovered from the dislodged dispensing units and the district administration stopped work at this fuel station. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) authorities transferred its sales officer of Lucknow territory, Ravi Singh for alleged negligence and giving approval for removing the dispensing units. Similarly, the National Filling Station at KKC trisection in Charbagh was raided and it was found that one of the three dispensing units there had a seal of the weights and measures department, dated Saturday. The probe revealed that the dispensing unit was opened in the presence of Rajan Singh, an official of the weights and measures department, on Saturday, the official said. The official said Singh, however, stated that the dispensing unit was opened as its annual examination was due but he failed to explain why senior authorities concerned were not informed when he was aware that searches at the petrol pumps were going on. Our investigation suggests that the tampering of machines is not possible without the consent of officials of oil companies and weights & measures department, he emphasised. The official said raids have exposed the nexus as the cheating chips have been found inside sealed fuel dispensing units. As per norms, the seal of these units can be opened only in the presence of officials from the weights & measures department and oil companies representatives. The question arises how these chips were put inside the units without their consent, pointed out the official. Another thing that came to fore was meter scale tampering by petrol pump owners. The meter scale used to measure the quantity of fuel in the tank was found tampered. When checking these scales is a routine, then how did people concerned overlook it, he asked. He said the stock and sales records in all the erring petrol pumps were also found incomplete. Such flaws are enough to hint at the involvement of the department in the scam. The probe is still on, he added. OIL COMPANIES SAY Executive director of IOC, Avinash Varma while talking to media on Friday had admitted that they had initiated an internal inquiry and the sales officers will have to explain why the stock register had errors, why there were no proper entries of oil sold and why the stock in the petrol pumps tanks was more than the sale shown. The sales officers will have to explain why they gave a clean chit to the petrol pumps without thorough checking, said Avinash Varma. He said those found guilty would be terminated. Nine years after it was conceived, the realty law, which became operational all over the country from Monday, continues to be a still born baby in Uttar Pradesh. UP notified the rules meant to protect homebuyers from dodgy developers in October, 2015, but it is yet to set up a regulator and appoint staff required to make Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) functional. The ball to recruit a full-time regulator or chairman RERA was set rolling in October 2016 by the then Samajwadi Party regime. But the exercise was shelved mid-way. Reason: if sources are to be believed, the top-runner a senior IAS officer being backed by the then regime for the plum post had a police case pending against him, a condition that disqualified him from holding the office. We had put out a public notice on October 28 inviting applications from candidates for the posts of members (three) and chairman, RERA, said a senior housing department official. With emoluments and perks equivalent to that of a chief secretary, candidates from private sector applying for the post of chairman were required to possess at least 20 years experience in urban development, housing, real estate development, infrastructure and economics. In case of a government employee, the applicant should have served as additional secretary at the Centre or on equivalent post in the state government. We received 15 applications from senior IAS officers, both serving and retired for the post (chairman, RERA), said the official. The aspirants who applied included several serving principal secretaries and secretaries. The candidates were short-listed and the name of the senior most former IAS officer was finalized and recommended to the appointment panel headed by chief justice of the Allahabad High Court with principle secretary, housing and law as its members. But it was suggested by the panel that the aspirants for the posts of members (three) and chairman, RERA, should be asked to furnish an affidavit that they have no criminal or other cases pending or registered against them, said the official. Since the caveat disqualified the government-backed babu , who had a case pending against him, the whole appointment exercise was shelved, said the official. Principal secretary, housing, Sadakant did not respond to repeated phone calls and SMS from HT to get his version on the issue. Sources, however, confirmed that formalities were being worked out to start the recruitment process afresh soon. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The state government has planned a bigger crackdown on petrol pump owners involved in cheating consumers by installing electronic chips in fuel dispensing units. As part of this, checking drives would be conducted at all 6,600 petrol pumps across UP. UP Special Task Force (STF) officials on Tuesday demonstrated the entire mechanism to check the presence of cheating chips in fuel dispensing units during video conferencing held with all district police chiefs and district magistrates. MECHANISM TO CHECK TAMPERING The UP STF officials demonstrated the entire mechanism to check the presence of cheating chips in fuel dispensing units during video conferencing held with all district police chiefs and district magistrates. Officials concerned were also explained the entire process of sealing erring petrol pumps and further course of action to be initiated in the matter. He said the chief secretary directed authorities to seal only those dispensing units in which cheating chips or tampering was found and not the entire petrol pump, as complete closure may lead to shortage of fuel supply. The conference was held in the presence of chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar, director general of police Sulkhan Singh, principal secretary (home) Debashish Panda and joint secretary of union petroleum ministry Ashutosh Jindal. So far, the STF raids were confined only to Lucknow but a bigger crackdown is planned with the help of district authorities. District officials have been explained about the entire mechanism on how they can detect electronic chips and tampering in dispensing units, said a senior official. Officials concerned were also explained the entire process of sealing erring petrol pumps and further course of action to be initiated in the matter. He said the chief secretary directed authorities to seal only those dispensing units in which cheating chips or tampering was found and not the entire petrol pump, as complete closure may lead to shortage of fuel supply. The official said Amit Pathak, SSP of STF, who had led the crackdown in the state capital, explained all the facts that he came across during the 17 raids conducted by his teams so far. A detailed report over the entire action would also be sent to the union petroleum ministry. He said the chief secretary and the DGP also issued stern directives to district officials to check the malpractices at fuel stations. The official said several other petrol pumps were likely to be raided across Uttar Pradesh after this video conferencing. Read more| Fuel fraud: Pumps in Lucknow reopen after officials threaten takeover The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has decided to celebrate UP Diwas on January 24 as it was on this day in 1950 when the United Provinces was rechristened as Uttar Pradesh. Identity of any state or country is very important and so is the birth of any state. Thus to celebrate the day of formation of the state, Uttar Pradesh Diwas will be celebrated with fervour on January 24. The day will bring pride among the citizens of UP, said state cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh while briefing the media on Tuesday. During the Maharashtra Day celebrations hosted at the Raj Bhawan on Monday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that UP would also celebrate UP Diwas on the lines of the Maharashtra Day. People would know the history and culture of their state if the day was observed, the CM had said. Demands for celebrating the UP Diwas had been pending for long. During the previous regime, governor Ram Naik had proposed the idea to the then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Naik had said the UP Diwas was celebrated by north Indians in Maharashtra but not in Uttar Pradesh and thus the state should soon start celebrating the day. History UP was born on January 24, 1950. The then governor general of India passed the United Provinces (alteration of name) Order 1950 renaming the then United Provinces as Uttar Pradesh. It was published in the Uttar Pradesh Gazette (extraordinary) dated 24 January 1950. According to books on UP and documents at the archives, the state was under Bengal Presidency till 1834. But then the need to form a fourth presidency was feltthe three being Bengal, Bombay and Madras. The fourth presidency was known as the Agra Presidency that was headed by a governor. In January 1858, Lord Canning proceeded to Allahabad and formed the North Western Province excluding Delhi division. The seat of power was thus shifted from Agra to Allahabad. This was followed by the transfer of the high court from Agra to Allahabad in 1868. In 1856, Awadh was placed under the chief commissioner. The districts were later merged with the North Western Province and began to be known as North Western Provinces and Oudh in 1877. The entire province came to be known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in 1902. First election for the legislative council was held in 1920 and the council was constituted in Lucknow in 1921. Since the governor, ministers and secretaries to governor had to be in Lucknow, the then governor Sir Harcourt Butler changed his headquarters from Allahabad to Lucknow. By 1935, the entire office was shifted to Lucknow. Lucknow became the capital of the province, the name of which was further changed to United Provinces in April 1937. The name was again changed to Uttar Pradesh in January 1950 under the Constitution of India. Read more: Yogi cabinet approves new transfer policy, UP Day celebrations SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 21-year-old Bachelor of Engineering student from Tamil Nadu slipped and drowned at Bandra Bandstand while taking a selfie with her sister and mother. The incident took place around 3.30pm on Monday near Bandra Fort, the police said. Two hours later, her body was located near Bandra Worli sea link with the help of local fishermen and fire brigade officials. After giving her final exams, Meenakshi Priya Rajesh had come to the city on April 30 along with her older sister, father and mother, the police said. Her family was staying in a hotel at Saki Naka in Andheri. The family had hired a cab for the whole day, the police said. An officer from the Bandra police station, requesting anonymity, said, Meenakshi and her family visited several places and ended up at Bandra fort. Meenakshi said she wanted to take a selfie with her mother and sister at the edge of a rocky patch with the sea in the background. Read more: Teen hit by train while taking selfie on platform in Mumbai A sign board has been put up at the spot by the Mumbai police, asking tourists not to take selfies after last years incident in which two people had drowned, including a political leader, who jumped in to save one of the victims. Meenakshis father even warned her, but she ignored him, added an officer. A wave hit her and she lost her balance on the rocks and because it was high tide, she drifted away further into the sea, the police said. They could only hear her scream for help, calling her father, said an officer. The police were immediately informed about the incident by the locals, following which fire brigade officials and an emergency ambulance were called to the spot. We located the body at 6pm on Monday and after we got her to the ambulance, the doctor declared her dead after which she was then taken to Bhabha Hospital, said an officer. The Bandra police have registered an Accidental Death Report. Read more: Selfie gone wrong: Mumbai teen gets the shock of his life SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police arrested a 32-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly raping his neighbour a six-year-old girl in Sahar, Andheri (East). The man was produced before a sessions court and remanded in police custody till May 4. Police said the incident took place at a local chawl around 8 pm on Monday. The man was drunk. He took the girl to a secluded area nearby and raped her. She told her mother about the incident and they went to the Sahar police station the next day, said an officer. The girls statement was recorded and an FIR under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 8 (sexual assault with punishment not less than three years may go up to five years, and fine) and 12 (sexual harassment of a child with punishment of three years and fine) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was registered. Police have sent the girl and the accused for medical tests. They are trying to ascertain if the man sexually assaulted other minor girls in the neighbourhood or if he was booked in connection with any cases of sexual offences in Mumbai. Mumbais infrastructure seems to be rapidly evolving from stations being renamed to the first U girder being launched for the 16.5-km-long Metro 7 corridor. The BJP recently demanded that Marine Lines railway station be renamed Mumbadevi. Meanwhile, commuters were inconvenienced when work on the Metro 7 corridor, expected to be operational by 2019, led to the western express highway being shut for five hours. Two Mumbaiites found themselves in the news recently security guard Rakesh Shukla for fending off a jackal attack, and author Shobhaa De for her column on Egyptian Eman Ahmed. 1. Mumbai security guard attacked by jackal fights back, is bitten thrice before escaping A security guard who was attacked by a jackal in Ghatkopar (East) on Monday night fought back and was able to defend himself despite being bitten thrice. 2. Mumbai commuters face hassles after WEH shut for 5 hours, get Metro-7 girder as reward Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis put the Metro-7 corridor Andheri (East) to Dahisar (East) stretch on the right track on Tuesday by launching its first U girder. 3. Shobhaa De does it again: After fatshaming MP cop, comments on Eman, gets flak from docs After fatshaming Madhya Pradesh policeman Daulatram Jogawat, author and columnist Shobhaa De has now written on Egyptian woman Eman Ahmeds case in a column in a Mumbai tabloid. 4. Oshiwara to Ram Mandir; Grant Rd to August Kranti: Politicians local touch to Mumbai landmarks After the Maharashtra governments proposal to rename Elphinstone Road as Prabhadevi and naming of Oshiwara as Ram Mandir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants Marine Lines railway station to be renamed Mumbadevi. 5. Nigerians top list of foreigners held for drug smuggling in Navi Mumbai Nigerian nationals have topped the list of foreigners arrested for drug smuggling in Navi Mumbai over the past five years. According to the sources from the anti-narcotic cell of Navi Mumbai police, a total of 66 narcotic related cases were registered between 2012 and April, this year in the city. Nigerian nationals were involved in 14 of these cases, the police said. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis put the Metro-7 corridor Andheri (East) to Dahisar (East) stretch on the right track on Tuesday by launching its first U girder. CM Devendra Fadnavis checks the progress of the work. (Pratham Gokhale/HT) At the launch of the girder, Fadnavis reiterated that the government is working towards operationalising Metro corridor by 2019. CM Devendra also tweeted about the launch, saying, Witnessed placement of viaduct for Metro line 7 at Pathanwadi in Malad Mumbai with senior MMRDA officials. CM @Dev_Fadnavis witnessed placement of viaduct for Metro line 7 at Pathanwadi in Malad Mumbai with senior MMRDA officials. pic.twitter.com/QbaFslAKqs CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) May 2, 2017 While Mumbaiites may cheer at the development, they had to go through a harrowing time as the western express highway had to be shut for it. Traffic snarls were witnessed as the WEH was shut. (Pratham Gokhale/HT) We had made arrangements for motorists as one lane on the southbound stretch was be converted into a counter lane for motorists, said Sanjay Jadhav, deputy commissioner of police, traffic (western suburbs). Read more: Late-night drive in Mumbai? Western express highway will be shut from midnight till 5am The Metro-7 is 16.5-km long elevated corridor with 14 stations. It will provide interconnectivity among the existing Western Express Highway, Western Railway, Metro Line 1 (Ghatkopar to Versova), the ongoing Metro Line 2A (Dahisar to D N Nagar) and the proposed Metro Line 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli). A 150-tonne U girdera concrete structure on which metro tracks are laidwas launched between Pier 62 and Pier 63 on the 16.5km long corridor. It is a historic moment for us. With the girder launch, it shows that the pace of construction is fast, Fadnavis told reporters. (Pratham Gokhale/HT) Meanwhile, the Goregaon-Malad Link road is turned into a one-way route from Pandurang wadi junction to MTNL junction owing to construction of a flyover on the stretch. The flyover work is likely to take six-seven months, traffic officers said. Commuters travelling on the SV road cant take right /left turn to approach Oberoi / Film city junction. Commuters travelling on SV road can use Mrinaltai Gore flyover or Malad subway to approach the western express highway. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 18-foot female whale shark fitted with a satellite transmitter is heading towards the Somalian coast, more than 100 days after it set off from Sutrapada, off the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat. Since December 30, it has travelled 3,000 km. More about whale sharks Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world. In July last year, the conservation status of the whale shark was updated from vulnerable to endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. There are about 12,000 whale sharks in the world, of which one-third are found in India. In the past 10 years, we have released 650 whale sharks that were entangled in nets in Gujarat, said professor BC Choudhury, principal investigator and advisor for the project. The journey of this fish will be the first and longest migratory movement of whale sharks ever recorded from the Indian subcontinent, said researchers from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). The whale shark was the seventh to be satellite tagged in December 2016. The tags on the earlier six didnt work well and stopped transmitting signals for 40 to 60 days. Satellite tagging will help us find out where whale sharks come from and where they go. We wanted to find out if they come to Gujarat to mate with other sharks or to find food. Whale sharks gather off the Somalian coast. We want to see if this one breeds in those waters, said professor BC Choudhury, principal investigator and advisor for the project. Knowing how this endangered species moves will help us design a more robust conservation and management plan, in collaboration with other countries, said Sajan John, project head, marine projects, WTI. He added that the whale shark had travelled along the Arabian Sea before reaching Maldives and was now in international waters. On December 30 last year, a fisherman from the coastal village of Sutrapada told the WTI project team that a female whale shark was entangled in his fishing net, about 7km off the coast. The field team, range forest officer and customs superintendent rescued the whale shark, which was found to be healthy and active. A tissue sample was collected for genetic analysis, after which the satellite tag was attached and the whale shark was freed. The tag was programmed to transmit signals on alternate days. The whale shark has travelled 3,000 km since December 23 last year. (HT) The majority of female whale sharks found in Indian waters gather near Gujarat, where they were earlier hunted for their liver oil, used to waterproof boats. The by-products of the oil were exported. In 2001, the whale shark became the first fish in India to be protected, after it was listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. In 2004, the Whale Shark Campaign kicked off with the Gujarat forest department, International Fund for Animal Welfare Wildlife Trust of India (IFAWWTI) and Tata Chemicals Limited. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Fourteen years after the alleged custodial death of 2002 Ghatkopar blast accused Khwaja Yunus, the eyewitness in the case Dr Abdul Mateen deposed before the sessions court on Wednesday. He said the police beat him up like an animal in lock-up. It has taken five years for the trial to begin after the court framed charges in 2012. Mateen, who was picked up by the crime branch with Yunus in December 2002, finally deposed on Wednesday, but the hearing was again adjourned for a month on the defences request. Wednesdays hearing began with the defence raising an objection to Mateens deposition. The defence lawyer said the prosecution had not submitted a case diary (maintained by the investigating officer), which they were asked to, and asked that the court not let the trial begin until it is submitted. The court, however, overruled the objection and proceeded with the trial while asking the prosecution to submit the diary. Mateen was then asked to enter the witness box. Special prosecutor Dhiraj Mirajkar examined him. Mateen was the first witness who confirmed that Yunus was killed in police custody. Mateen said, I was arrested in Aurangabad on December 23, 2002 and produced in Esplanade Court on December 27, 2002. On January 2, 2003, I was produced in the special POTA court with three others and Yunus was one of them. When the prosecution asked Mateen about where he was taken and how he was treated, he said, I was kept in Ghatkopar DCB CID unit and beaten like an animal. Before the prosecution could ask Mateen anymore about the incident, the defence lawyer moved an application seeking an adjournment. The court allowed the plea but asked the defence to pay Rs2,000 as Mateens travel expenses. The case will be heard next on June 14. READ MORE Khwaja Yunus: four years of shame Khwaja Yunus custodial death: 4 cops move court to reframe charges SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Around 15 cops were injured when a mine protected vehicle of C-60 commandos, the Anti-Maoist squad, came under a landmine attack near Bhamragarh in Gadchiroli on Wednesday night. The incident occurred when the C-60 patrolling party was crossing the area. Maheshwar Reddy, the additional superintendent of police, Gadchiroli, said those who received minor injuries were rushed to the nearest civil hospital, but three, who were grievously hurt, were airlifted to Nagpur for treatment. Reddy said additional police forces were sent to the area and a massive combing operation is on to flush out the ultra-left activists. Earlier in the day, a CRPF jawan and two state police personnel were injured in a firing with the militants in south Gadchiroli. The police also seized huge arms and ammunition from the site. The Maoists had targeted a CRPF team near Sukma on April 24 in Chhattisgarh and killed 26 paramilitary jawans. Similarly, the ultra-left extremists killed 12 CRPF personnel in another attack in Sukma on March 11 this year. An unidentified 35-year-old man recently posed as a cable operator to gain entry to the Andheri home of a 71-year-old woman, who he then stole a laptop worth Rs1.49 lakh from, said police. Police said the woman lives on Dadabhai Cross Road in Tep village. She was alone at home at the time of the incident as her son was at work. She told police a man posing as a cable operator knocked on her door at 1.30 pm. Read: 66-year-old compounder treats patients in south Mumbai clinic He entered the house and checked the womans WiFi and internet connection. He also went into her sons bedroom for a while, said police. When the man left, the woman realised that her sons laptop was missing. She initially thought that he had taken it to work, but when he returned, the two realised that the man had stolen it. Read: Mumbai woman duped of 41 lakh by Facebook friend, two arrested They tried to confirm the identity of the accused with their internet service provider, who said he was not employed with their firm. On realising that they had been duped, the woman and her son went to the local police, who registered a case under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The police are in the process of examining CCTV camera footage for clues. A security guard who was attacked by a jackal in Ghatkopar (East) on Monday night fought back and was able to defend himself despite being bitten thrice. Rakesh Shukla, 42, who works at a security agency, was attacked by the jackal near a mangrove patch close to the Eastern Express Highway. Shukla said he was taken aback when the jackal attacked him without any provocation. I reported to work at 7.30 pm and the incident occurred half-an-hour later. I stepped outside the shed to answer a phone call. I kept walking in search of a good signal when the jackal pounced on me. I grabbed its neck and pinned it down, Shukla told HT. Shukla suffered injuries on his left arm. (HT) Shukla said he tried to keep the animal at bay so he would not get bitten. The jackal bit me thrice and then fled. The situation could have been much worse if it had attacked me from behind or bit my neck. I could have died, he said. He was treated at a government hospital. Shukla said he has been working in the area for the past three years but had never been in such a dangerous situation before. We have spotted jackals before, but they have never attacked us, said Shukla. He said there was need for proper security in the area. What if the animal attacks someone who is asleep? he asked. Police have informed the forest department after the attack. The forest officials inspected the area, but failed to find the animal, said Praful Phadke, senior police inspector, Pant Nagar police station. Read: Bears strike back: 20 attacks in a year, four deaths in Maharashtras Buldhana Nigerian nationals have topped the list of foreigners arrested for drug smuggling in Navi Mumbai over the past five years. According to the sources from the anti-narcotic cell of Navi Mumbai police, a total of 66 narcotic related cases were registered between 2012 and April, this year in the city. Nigerian nationals were involved in 14 of these cases, the police said. Since 2012, the police have arrested 14 foreign nationals for smuggling drugs to the city and 13 of them were from Nigeria, while one was from Ghana. Barely a week ago, the police arrested one Nigerian from Kopar Khairane who had come to sell mephedrone rock and powder. Around 25 gram of the drug in powder form and 85 gram in rock form collectively worth Rs 3.30 lakh was seized from his possession. As far as foreign nationals are concerned, several Bangladeshis were also arrested in the city in different crimes. But they were mainly into fake currency notes scam, cheating, theft and robbery. None of them were arrested for trading drugs. Tushar Doshi, deputy commissioner of police (special branch) said, When it comes to drug smuggling by foreign nationals, by and large all the criminals are from Africa in general and from Nigeria in particular. The number of foreign nationals including those from Africa has also increased in the city over the past two years. The police said that these Nigerians work in networks which also operate in other cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. Apart from their countrymen, several Indians are also working in those networks. Maya More, police inspector from the anti-narcotic cell said, These criminals collect their drugs from people in their networks and then smuggle those to different cities. The biggest problem faced while trying to get details about their business is the language issue. We cannot interrogate them properly after their arrests, as many of them cannot speak proper English or any Indian language. Officials from the city special branch told Hindustan Times that presently around 950 foreign nationals from nearly 70 counties are staying in Navi Mumbai and around 50 of them are Africans. Amit Shellar, police sub-inspector from the anti-narcotic cell said, Most of the Nigerians arrested for drug smuggling, had come to India on a business visa. Initially, they would export garments from Mumbai to their country. However, when their business would fail, they would trade drugs for easy money. According to the crime branch official, such networks are operating in the city through word-of-mouth publicity. They initially target students from the affluent families and help in forming a habit of taking the drug. Once they create a good number of customers, they keep selling it to them, an officer said on condition of anonymity. Apart from drug smuggling, several Nigerians were also arrested for online cheating, credit card and debit card frauds among others. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Maharashtra state board students who want to switch to another junior college in Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), do not have to pay fees for the coming academic session, 2017-18, till the class 12 online admission process begins. The school education department has asked colleges to not collect fees for the new academic session from students who want to move to another college. In a recent letter to the junior colleges affiliated to the state board, the deputy directorate of education, Mumbai region, states, Students aspiring to change colleges should not be mandated by their current institution to pay fees for the new session parents right now. They can pay the fees to the institution if they do not get admission anywhere else in the online admission process. Colleges must abide by this rule and ensure that the department doesnt receive any complaints against them, adds the letter. HSC admissions will be conducted online for the coming session, much like first-year junior college (FYJC) online process. The move is aimed at making Class 12 admissions transparent and curbing malpractices such as donations and non-merit-based admissions. Students aspiring to switch colleges in Class 12 will need to fill out an application form that will soon become available on the portal mumbai.11thadmission.net. Students will, however, need a valid reason to move to another college. The department states that students can make the switch only if they get a different stream, a college closer to home, or if they have recently moved or their parents have been transferred to another part of the city. Many students look to change colleges in the middle of Class 11 or in Class 12 if they want to secure admission at a college of their choice especially if they are unhappy with the college allotted to them in the FYJC online admissions. The new rule will make it tough for them. Mumbais junior colleges are waiting for the department to declare timetable for online admission process before implementing the changes. Many students have approached us regarding switching colleges. For now, we have asked them to submit applications, and we will admit them only after the online process begins, said Kavita Rege, principal, Sathaye College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Vile Parle. Rege added that the government needs to expedite the admission process. They had announced about the online admissions eight months ago, but we are yet to receive any further information about it. This has put our college admissions on hold, said Rege. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The citys courts, all of which are Silence Zones, are exposed to noise levels up to 93 decibels (dB) as loud as an industrial plant or the sound of a train travelling at 30km an hour. Citizens group Watchdog Foundation found that noise levels at the Bombay high court, Fort was 89.8dB, small causes court, near Metro Cinema (93.2 dB), city civil court, Fort (70.4 dB) and chief metropolitan magistrates court, near Azad Maidan (68.8 dB). The group filed a complaint with the state pollution board on Tuesday about the violation of Silence Zone regulations outside the courts . The World Health Organisation estimates that long-term exposure to noise levels from 85db to 90db can lead to hearing loss. The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 identify silence zones to have noise levels of 45dB and 40dB during the day and night respectively. Incessant honking by motor vehicles has led to the noise pollution problem and violations are taking place at the doorstep of the same court (Bombay high court) that has passed several orders to regulate noise, especially in Silence Zones, said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee, Watchdog Foundation. The pollution board needs to look into the issue and direct the police to levy stricter fines for commuters. Traffic junctions in India have no permissible limits set for honking or vehicular noise. The average noise level from horns in Mumbai is 110dB as high as the recurring noise of a jack hammer. Lawyers in the Bombay HC confirmed there was a noise problem. Honking is a habitual hazard and is a city-centric issue that is not being considered seriously, said Asim Sarode, president of the National Green Tribunal bar association, who regularly practices at the Bombay HC. It is a huge problem to the court because every word being spoken during a hearing is important for the proceedings and noise pollution outside the premises dilutes that sound. Officials from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) passed the buck on to the police. Any action to be taken on such issues lies with the enforcement authority, which is the police. Decibel metres have been provided to them. However, if they need any help from us we will support them, said a senior MPCB officer. Senior officers from the Mumbai police said while a crackdown on noise pollution was underway, honking continued to be a serious issue in Mumbai. We have filed 12 cases related to noise pollution over the past month from the south Mumbai region alone. However, there is an immediate need to reach out to commuters and sensitise them about the honking problem, said Manoj Kumar Sharma, deputy commissioner of police, zone 1. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The BJP-led government of Uttar Pradesh has decided to teach Marathi in universities there. UP chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, made the announcement at a function organised by UP governor Ram Naik on the occasion of Maharashtra state foundation day on May 1. Speaking at the function in Lucknow, Adityanath said the UP government will develop facilities for teaching Marathi in universities of the state. This will be followed by signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for cultural exchange, according to a release issued by Naiks office. The move has surprised many, considering that the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is infamous for trying to create an anti-migrant atmosphere in Mumbai and other areas. Ironically, the MNS welcomed the UP governments decision to teach Marathi in state universities. When asked, MNS spokesperson Nitin Sardesai said both the issues are different and that they are not against anyone. Teaching Marathi is one thing and opposing migrants is another. We oppose those who comes to Maharashtra and are not ready to learn the local language and our culture. Apart from this, we are not against anyone, Sardesai told HT. Naik is a former Member of Parliament (MP) from north Mumbai constituency. He was appointed as UP governor after Modi government was elected to power at the Centre in 2014. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bombay high court on Wednesday rapped the Maharashtra government for not punishing two senior police officials who allowed loudspeakers to be used inside Mahim police station which falls in a silence zone for the Mahim Dargah Urs. A division bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice AK Menon last month issued show-cause notices to the assistant commissioner of police, Mahim division, and the senior police inspector of Mahim police station, asking why they should not be held in contempt of court. It had also asked the state government to explain what action it proposed to take against the two errant police officers. Additional government pleader Geeta Shastri on Wednesday told the court that the police commissioner has issued letters of warning and displeasure to the two police officers. Does the state propose to do only this much? If the state is taking it so casually, then our contempt action against the two police officers would have to be more serious. If the government is going to take this so lightly then the police officers will keep repeating this every year. Take strict action against them, said the court. The police officers are giving permission to use loudspeakers inside the police station, which falls in a silence zone, said the bench, adding, This is a gross breach of our earlier orders where we have said no permission for loudspeakers can be given in silence zones. The court was hearing a petition filed by activist Sumaira Abdulali highlighting blatant violations of the Noise Pollution Rules, 2000. The bench has posted the petition for further hearing on June 9. Earlier, it had directed the state government to address the concerns of citizens who complain about noise pollution. It also directed the state government to develop a website for citizens to lodge complaints, anonymously. The police were also asked to initiate legal action against those who violate noise pollution rules. The Bombay High Court on Wednesday held the investigating officers deposition in the trial court on the disclosures made by Shyamvar Rai in the Sheena Bora murder case could not be admitted. Justice Sadhna Jadhav allowed an application filed by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, the accused in the case, and directed the trial court to resume hearing in the case. Peter and Indrani had approached HC after the CBI began to examine the police officer, who had first apprehended Indranis driver Shyamvar Rai. This investigating officer,Ganesh Dalvi, had arrested Rai for illegal possession of firearms. However, after he was remanded in custody, Rai ended up revealing details of Boras murder and led Dalvi to the dead body. Rai later turned approver for the police. Read more: Sheena Bora murder trial: Cops sit between Indrani, Peter to stop them from fighting During the trial in Boras murder case, even before Rai could be examined, the prosecution began to question the IO in the illegal arms case. Dalvi then began to talk of what Rai had revealed. The Mukerjeas, however, objected to it. The trial court dismissed their plea, after which they approached the HC to challenge the order that allowed the police officer to give details of Rais confessions. They claimed it was in violation of the law on admissibility of evidence, as Dalvi himself had recorded Rais statement while the latter was in his custody. Justice Jadhav agreed that in the circumstances, Dalvi could not be considered as an independent witness. Read more: Sheena Bora case: Indrani seeks permission to divorce Peter, change will SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dadar and Parel, among Mumbais oldest areas and home to buildings and relics steeped in history will soon have guided tours. To promote the conservation of heritage structures, some of which are centuries old, and to boost tourism in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon start organising heritage walks in the two areas. A few weeks, BMC workers stumbled upon a British-era milestone during road work in Parel. The discovery has prompted them to make a list of other such structures in the area and plan a heritage walk route for citizens and tourists. The walk could take you to the Haffkine Institute, one of the oldest biomedical research institutes in the country, named after the scientist who invented the plague vaccine. It may also include the recently discovered milestone near KEM Hospital, the Mathura Bhavan where Dadasaheb Phalke the father of Indian cinema shot his first film and Ranjit Studios and other old studios that produced Bollywood films between the 1920s and 1970s. There are several milestones and heritage structures in the area, whose value has been lost because no one is aware that they exist. With these heritage walks, our aim is to restore their importance and also boost the involvement of citizens, said VP Mote, assistant municipal commissioner, F/ south ward. The BMC also plans to involve NGOs, historians and experts to guide tourists and citizens on these heritage walks. After the Parel milestone is restored and barricaded, we will submit a plan (for the walks) to the municipal commissioner for his approval, said Mote. The plan also includes clearing the heritage walkway of all encroachments and beautifying footpaths SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After the Maharashtra governments proposal to rename Elphinstone Road as Prabhadevi and naming of Oshiwara as Ram Mandir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants Marine Lines railway station to be renamed Mumbadevi. We list the number of times when politicians managed to rename Mumbais landmarks or at least tried to get their way around : 1. Elphinstone Road to Prabhadevi: The state legislature, in its winter session in December last year, passed a resolution to change the name of Elphinstone Road railway station to Prabhadevi. The proposal has been sent to the railway ministry and the change will come into effect after its nod. 2. Oshiwara becomes Ram Mandir: In November last year, the BJP-led state government named the new railway station between Jogeshwari and Goregaon Ram Mandir. The demand was put forth by local BJP legislator and minister of state Vidya Thakur. The railways wanted the station to be named Oshiwara. 3. Maharaj at the airport: The Maharashtra cabinet decided to add the word Maharaj to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Maharaj means king in Marathi. The government while moving the proposal had said it was a way to pay respect to the Maratha worrior. The proposal has been sent to the Centre. 4. Dadar as Chaityabhoomi, August Kranti for Grant Road: Political parties, including the Shiv Sena, want Dadar railway station to be renamed Chaityabhoomi, Grant Road railway station as August Kranti and Charni Road station as Gamdevi. Read more: Grant Road to Gamdevi: Sena wants Marathi names for Mumbai train stations 5. Sahar becomes Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport: The Mumbai international airport, which was earlier known as Sahar international airport, was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in 1999. The Victoria Terminus, which was then popularly known as VT, was named as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in 1996. The Sena wanted CST to be named Nana Shankarseth Terminus. 6. Making a way into Mumbai-Pune expressway: When the expressway connecting Mumbai and Pune was built, there were demands to name it after Maratha litterateur PL Deshpande. However, the Congress-NCP government named it after the late YB Chavan, the first chief minister of Maharashtra. 7. No place for Prince of Wales: The Shiv Sena-ruled BMC renamed the Prince of Wales museum after Chhatrapati Shivaji. The move attracted criticism from some quarters. 8. Bandra-Worli sea link: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawars demand to name the sea link after former prime minister the late Rajiv Gandhi was criticised by opposition parties. The demand was made in the presence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and was readily accepted by chief minister Ashok Chavan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ghaziabad police on Wednesday arrested a 26-year-old man who allegedly raped a seven-year-old girl from Punjab who had come to Loni to attend a wedding. The girl had to undergo surgeries and is on ventilator support at a Delhi hospital. The accused, Anil Kashyap, is a distant uncle of the girls and had fled to Maharashtra by train soon after allegedly assaulting the girl on April 27. The girl was found the next day, nearly 10 hours later, in a pool of blood in a nearby jungle area in a semi-conscious state. She was later admitted to a hospital in Delhi and is undergoing treatment. The accused lured her on the pretext of giving her some sweets and took her nearly 400 metres away from the site of the wedding reception. There, he beat her up when she tried to shout and raped her. After the incident, he unknowingly left an angocha (towel) at the scene of the crime and fled to New Delhi railway station. From there, he boarded a train to Maharashtra and was hiding at a relatives house, said Srikant Prajapati, circle officer (Loni). While the three police teams were scouring Maharashtra, the accused fled to Ghaziabad, from where he was planning to go to Baghpat, his hometown. He was nabbed before he could make an escape. After he fled, police teams scanned nearly two dozen videos taken by those who had come to attend the wedding. They found that one person was wearing the angocha that was found at the scene of the crime. Our teams started locating nearly 200 guests and the man was missing from his house in Baghpat, which raised our suspicion, Prajapati said. He confessed to committing the crime. We also recovered his bloodstained clothes that he wore on the day of the incident. We have also collected several pieces of evidence from the scene of the crime, which will be sent for DNA testing, he said. However, the police are yet to subject the accused to an identification parade due to the girls condition. They said that the identification parade will be done once she recovers. District magistrate Ministi S has recommended senior police officials to levy the provisions of the National Security Act against the accused. The accused, allegedly, had also severely beaten up the girl when she tried to resist his attempts. On Sunday, Swati Maliwal, the chief of Delhi Commission for Women, had visited the girl at the hospital, after which she wrote to the UP chief minister to provide her financial help and also to take strict action against the accused. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An association of private schools in Ghaziabad has decided to shut nearly 128 schools on Thursday as a mark of protest against the district administrations decision to set up a committee to inquire into allegations of the unjustified fee hike. The committee comprises the additional district magistrate (finance), district inspector of schools and the basic education officer. The president of the Independent Schools Federation of India (ISFI) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the district officials and said that 128 private schools will observe a token strike on Thursday against the district administrations order to set up the committee. The committee is to look into the schools accounts and investigate other complaints forwarded by parents and associations. The district magistrate is not empowered to form a committee that can study our accounts. We already submit our balance sheets to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and checks are also conducted by the income-tax (I-T) department. The committee is not empowered to demand a breakup of the annual charges, said Subhash Jain, president of ISFI. Jain quoted a July 2014 order of the Allahabad high court (Lucknow bench) in this regard. He said that schools have been paying higher salaries to teachers to meet the requirements of the seventh pay commission. The order for the formation of district committee was rolled out by the former district magistrate, Nidhi Kesarwani, who received a number of complaints by parents related to arbitrary fee hike and also about schools not adhering to CBSE norms by allegedly forcing a sale of uniforms, books by private publishers and other materials. There have already been two meetings in this regard, in which representatives of 15 and 13 private schools took part, respectively. During the meeting, the school managements had their given consent, in the presence of parents associations and district officials, of handing over their accounts to the committee for scrutiny and also enforcing CBSE norms. The work of the committee is only to inquire and submit the findings to the district magistrate (DM). The DM will later send the observations to the state officials, who are expected to come up with a policy based on the suggestions. The committee is formed to ensure that guidelines and norms by the CBSE and state government are followed along with the compliance of orders passed by different courts, said Rajesh Yadav, additional district magistrate (finance). At the district level, we have no power to take any policy decision. The recommendations and the observations by the committee will be sent to the state officials. As many as 28 schools have already given their consent during the meeting, he said. The committee will submit its report to the district magistrate on May 11. However, Jain alleged that complaints to the district administration were made by several local politicians, responsible for forming the associations and complaining against the private schools. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON To provide better facilities to high risk groups, the state AIDS control society launched the 21st Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre in the Transport Area, Sector 26. Here, free confidential testing for HIV and syphilis will be provided. The centre was inaugurated by health secretary, Anurag Agarwal. It has been established under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, wherein an NGO, Transport Corporation of India Foundation (TCIF) has also contributed. The HIV prevalence in Chandigarh has been brought down to 0.11%, far below the national figure of 0.27%. The testing centre is strategically located in an area where the bridge population comprising of truckers and migrants can easily access the testing services. There are about 250 long distance trucks that halt at this point. These truck drivers and attendants travelling more than 800 km away from home are vulnerable to HIV and STIs, states an official statement. In Chandigarh, it has been seen that a higher HIV positive cases are present in this section of the society. One targeted intervention project for truckers and another for migrants is being implemented by Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society (CSACS) through the TCIF in the hot spot areas of Sector 26, Manimajra, Daria and around. It is expected that with the establishment of this centre, testing of the high risk groups leading to early detection of the disease and early initiation of treatment, would eventually lead to stoppage of HIV transmission. Dr Manish Chandra, project head from TCIF, in response to the request by the Health Secretary announced that the Laboratory would soon also provide free basic tests to the community. Project director, Chandigarh SACS, Dr Vanita Gupta informed that in Chandigarh, easy access to testing services and extensive awareness generation activities have resulted in larger number of voluntary testing. Testing has increased from 62,621 people tested in 2012 to 1,12,281 people tested in 2016-17, she said. She said that early treatment will not only provide a good quality and longevity of life to the infected person, but also break the transmission of HIV. A week after the UT education secretary was summoned on alleged corporal punishment case at Vivek High School, Sector 38, the national commission for protection of child rights (NCPCR) has issued directions asking the school to allow the child continue his education. As per the orders of the National commission for protection of child rights, New Delhi, you are asked to allow the son of Sanjiv Garg to attend the Vivek High School, Sector 38 and continue his education. Before any allegation about behaviour/conduct of a child is made, the school must support it with report from counsellor, reads the letter issued by the NCPCR. It was on April 25, when the education secretary, KK Jindal, was summoned by the NCPCR, taking note of the pending complaint. Meanwhile on April 28, Sanjiv Garg had written to the school authorities stating they have not yet conveyed if his son will be allowed in the school. He had further mentioned that on April 7, when his wife had gone to collect their sons report card, she was not allowed to enter the premises and the report card was sent to the main gate. HS Mamik, chairman of the school, said he has not received any such letter from NCPCR and the complainants son was allowed much earlier to attend the school. It was the father, who was not willing to send his child to the school stating safety issues. The child took the exams, he was promoted as well, what else is needed, said Mamik. We had met the education secretary and told him that we are fine with the child attending the school but he should pay the school fee at least, which has been pending since January. The child is a defaulter. To this, KK Jindal said, I have received a letter from the parents that they wish to continue the education of their child in the same school and I have informed the same to the school. I am told that he has not paid the fee since four, five months. WHAT WAS THE CASE? On December 30, Sanjiv Garg had blamed the authorities of Vivek High School for brutally beating and torturing his 12-year-old son His son was a student of Class 7 had alleged that the school authorities have been silent over the issue of his son being bullied by other students in the school .The school authorities had stated that the child was given disciplinary warning after found offering cigarettes to his classmates on school premises School had restricted his entry from then but had allowed him to take exams The issue was later taken up by the Chandigarh commission for protection of child rights (CCPCR), which had asked the school to allow the child, continue with the education Court had ordered to register FIR District court, Chandigarh, had ordered to register FIR against the management of the said school on March 28, under Section 75, 82 of Juvenile Justice Act, IPC 323, 506, 352, 120 B and under sections 16 & 17(1) of Right to Children to Free Compulsory Education Act, 2009. What was the case? On December 30, Sanjiv Garg had blamed the authorities of Vivek High School for brutally beating and torturing his 12-year-old son. Sanjiv Garg whose son was a student of Class 7 had alleged that the school authorities have been silent over the issue of his son being bullied by other students in the school. The school authorities had stated that the child was given disciplinary warning after found offering cigarettes to his classmates in the school premises. School had restricted his entry from then but had allowed him to take the exams. The issue was later taken up by the Chandigarh commission for protection of child rights, which had asked the school to allow the child, continue with the education. Strap Flogging case NCPCR says before any allegation about behaviour or conduct of a child is made, the school must support it with counsellors report SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police have busted a gang of two-wheeler thieves, specialising in stealing Activas with the arrest of three people on Tuesday. With their arrest, the police claim to have solved 50 cases of two-wheeler thefts over the past 18 months. Twelve two-wheelers have already been recovered, with questioning on to get them to reveal the whereabouts of the other stolen vehicles. The accused that the crime branch nabbed have been identified as Rakesh Kumar, 43; of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh Deshraj, 28, of Panchkula and Ravi Narayan, a scrap dealer. Rakesh, who came to the city around 20 years ago, is a mechanic, and came into contact with Deshraj, a driver around 18 months ago. They first met at a scooter repair shop that Rakesh had opened in Dhakoli. The two decided to steal vehicles to make a living. They zeroed in on scrap dealer, Ravi Narayan, who runs a shop called Haryana Motors in Burail. He use to buy the spare parts that the dup dismantled of the stolen two-wheelers, especially the Activa brand. POLICE ACTED AFTER A THEFT IN SECTOR-34 Rakesh and Deshraj were arrested on secret information from Darua while Ravi was arrested on their information. The case for which they were arrested was lodged on a complaint from Kareen Sharma, who had approached the police on April 9. Her Activa had been stolen from outside the Sector-34 Apni Mandi. Two mobile phones in the boot had also gone missing. IN POLICE CUSTODY TILL MAY 4 The three are presently in police custody till May 4. The Activa brand got the thieves the maximum returns. They used to dismantle the stolen vehicle and sell its parts in the spare market. From the recovered vehicles, the majority is of the Activa brand, said Pawan Kumar, DSP (crime). TARGETED 2-WHEELERS AT APNI MANDIS, ISOLATED SPOTS The accused used to target and steal two wheelers parked in Apni Mandi, the Rehri Market. They also used to jump on any opportunity if they saw a vehicle parked at isolated spots in different sectors. The accused used to target two wheelers with special focus on slightly old models of 2006 and 2005. The gang usually used a master key to unlock the vehicles and drive them away. Strap/Blurb Mechanic, driver among accused Activa the favourite pick of the three-member that also included a scrap dealer; suspected to be involved in 50 thefts over 18 months Caption The three accused in Chandigarh Crime Branch custody on Tuesday. HT PHOTO SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A day after a domestic help allegedly fled with valuables from doctor couple house, she was arrested from Delhi. Gulshan Khatoon, hailing from Jharkhand, was accused of stealing $500 (around Rs 32,000), 10 gold bangles, five gold rings, six gold chains from doctor couples house in Manimajra was hired from a Delhi-based company four days back. She is yet to be brought back to the city. Khatoons involvement in crime is not an isolated case. On April 29, former municipal councillor, MPS Chawla, had reported theft of his purse having Rs 70,000, his wifes purse having a diamond ring worth Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1.25 lakh, from his house in Sector 15, Chandigarh. Chawla had suspected it to be work of his two maids working in his house, who were hired only recently. On March 29, earlier this year three family members, including an elderly couple, were left unconscious after consuming food spiked by the domestic help --- Ram Bahadur, who was hired just three days earlier. The accused fled away after stealing valuables from the house in Sector 21. The victims are the in-laws of DS Mangat, former deputy commissioner of SAS Nagar. In February, 2016, a domestic help was arrested for theft at a doctors house in Sector 37 and stole a gold kada, a gold bangle, a gold chain with a diamond locket and four pairs of earrings, which were kept in the cupboard. Despite there have been instances involving domestic help in crimes, Chandigarh police have failed to take action against firms through which the help was hired though police have been booking residents who failed to get the verification of the servants done. Sources in the police said that very few persons get the details of the domestic help employed by them. More than reluctance of the residents, getting police of other states to respond to the requests of background check is a bigger challenge. Police face problems especially from states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. While hiring through an agency the residents take it for granted that the background check of the domestic helps would have been made but it is not always true, said a police official. Eish Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP) said, Such incidents can be checked if residents contact the police for the verification of domestic helps immediately after employing them. He added even in case the servant is hired through an agency the residents on their level should inform the police for background check. Box Order not followed In February 2016, Chandigarh had issued a notification asking the residents and landlords to not employ any domestic help till their antecedents are verified by the police. The order was issued by UT district magistrate, Ajit Balaji Joshi. The district magistrate noted that domestic helps often have a large part to play in the crime and that they are sometimes themselves the perpetrators or active conspirators. Call it irony or anything else. When the students of private schools are fast covering their syllabus, government school students, who mostly belong to poor families, of Classes 1 to 8 have no books to study from. They are unlikely to get their complete set of textbooks before July. The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has already conveyed this to all government schools in writing. While the children are struggling in the absence of books or are being told by teachers to get printouts of books made available online, officials cite nationwide crisis in availability of paper to cover up their failure to ensure supply books on time. However, sources blame the lethargic attitude of officials of the education department for the delay. Ideally, they should make preparation for printing of books one year in advance, but the board starts the process in January or March, said a senior official. The department has to provide 2.20 crore books to the students studying in Classes 1 to 5 free of cost for which 9,000 metric tonnes of paper is required. Last week, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission took suo motu action on the issue, summoning officials of the education department. When the matter reached me last week, I immediately rang up a few officials. They told me that students can access the books online. The reply was shocking, as rural and poor students hardly have any access to internet, said commission chairman Rajesh Bagha. The department has sent old books to some schools in different districts, but they are not enough. In Jalandhar district, against a requirement of 7,95,272 books for Classes 1 to 8, only 2,06,490 books have been made available so far. The requirement for Classes 6 to 8 for computer science subject is 52,727 whereas the district schools have received 7,193 books. When contacted, PSBSE chairman Balbir Singh Dhol denied any shortage of books in schools. There are a few titles which have to be provided by the NCERT and have been delayed. Otherwise, all books have been sent. There may have been some procedural delay, he claimed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab on Wednesday after nearly six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The accused jumped a police check post at Behrampur village in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday night and later abandoned their SUV in the dense forest area of Makhanpur village falling in Pathankot, on seeing police following them. The Makhanpur village where the vehicle was found abandoned is barely five kilometers from India-Pakistan International border and is the same route from where militants, who had stormed the Pathankot airbase, sneaked in after abducting three persons, including one SP rank officer. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP rural) Kuldip Singh told HT that at about 8.30pm on Tuesday, police officials of Behrampur signalled a Scorpio SUV coming from Makora Pattan side to stop, but the driver fled the spot, after which police sounded an alert. He said at the next station in Marara village, police once again tried to stop the car but the occupants again managed to flee from the side of Dhussi bundh using pantoon bridge. Later, they abandoned their vehicle in the forests of Makhanpur village. We have recovered the original number plate of the SUV, which bears a number JK19-2787, while the occupants had changed the number plate to PB06-6508 to dodge the police, it seems, he added. We have learnt from our J&K counterparts that the vehicle was snatched by some Gujjar community members from Vijaypur, Jammu, who had hired it from one Mushtaq of Ramban area. The search operation is on and we hope to nab them all soon, the DSP said. When asked about any militants angle in the case, he claimed that prima facia, it seems that the persons are actually from Gujjar community as they had asked the way from one Gujjar child near Behrampur on the way to Narot Jaimal Singh in the local dialect. The ongoing tension between India and Pakistan has already put the security agencies on high alert in these two border districts where militants had struck, killing several security persons in the past. Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan shifted the focus from SS Rajamoulis magnum opus Baahubali 2 when he unveiled posters (same poster in different languages) of his long-delayed project Vishwaroopam 2 on Tuesday evening. In no time, the posters took the internet by storm and the stars fans rejoiced as they finally got something to celebrate after a long hiatus. Having been lying in the cans for nearly two years, the film has been revived after Haasans Raaj Kamal International took over the release rights from original producer Aascar Ravichandran. My producer was multitasking with many films but I have now taken over the responsibility of taking my product to the audience. All the actors are returning, even those who died in the first part. The surprise new addition is Waheeda Rehman ji. He confirmed that the sequel will take on terrorism. Not only the film but all of us will, again and again, take on terrorism, he asserted. While the first part was set in the US, the sequel has been shot in India as well as several international locations, Haasan was quoted an interview by Mumbai Mirror. The films posters were released in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. Written and directed by Haasan himself, the film also stars Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Rahul Bose and Shekhar Kapur in pivotal roles. The film will explore the mother-son sentiment between Haasan and Waheeda Rahman, who has played a pivotal role. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop A Japanese railway company has launched a new luxury sleeper train with sky views, bathtubs and dark wood interiors, joining the race for well-heeled tourists. The top suite on the 10-car Train Suite Shiki-shima sells for $10,000, or Rs 6 lakh-plus, per person for a four-day trip from Tokyo to Hokkaido, East Japan Railway Co said. A Rs 6,41,425 for a one-way ticket is unfathomable for most people in India, who take trains for a few hundred rupees. It set forth on its maiden voyage on May 1, and is booked out until March 2018. With this new craze, lets take a look at five of other expensive and luxurious trains. 1. The Palace on Wheels: With tickets at a mindboggling Rs 3,60,647 each, this train that takes you on a week-long tour through places such as Jaipur and Agra, is one of the most expensive trains in the world, operating right here in India. The Palace on Wheels (Courtesy/thepalaceonwheels.com) 2. Maharaja Express: Another train that operates in the Indian subcontinent with a route that operates mainly in Rajasthan. With ticket prices at Rs 2,26,491, this train was awarded as a World Leading Luxury Train in 2012. The Mayur Mahal restaurant on the Maharaja Express. (Courtesy/the-maharajas.com) 3. The Royal Scotsman: The next train on the list operates in Scotland, with the start and end at Edinburgh. The train carries only 36 passengers at a time and it costs Rs 1,48,273 to enjoy the services. A cabin on The Royal Scotsman. (Courtesy/belmond.com/royal-scotsman-train) 4. Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express: Starting its operation in 2007, a ride on this train will provide you with the opportunity to see the largest freshwater in the world freshwater lake, Lake Baikal. With a price of Rs 1,43,322, it is the most expensive train in Russia. The train starts at Moscow and finishes at Vladivostok. The Golden eagle Trans-Siberian Express (Courtesy/goldeneagleluxurytrains.com) 5. Pride of Africa: Nine days, 2,000 miles, 72 passengers and exquisite wildlife. The offerings of this South African luxury train are quite enticing. With a price of Rs 1,38,839 it offers wild life lovers, who are willing to shell out the cash, a once in a lifetime experience. A room on the Pride of Africa. (Courtesy/luxurytrainclub.com) Its commonly thought trains are the cheapest way to travel. Well we guess its time to rethink that one. Mandira Bedi might be missing from action on the tube nowadays, but clearly the actor is in no rush to take up something that she doesnt connect with. Having been part of iconic daily soaps such as Shaanti and Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Thi, Mandira, who has witnessed a complete transition in the world of TV, cannot relate to the content shown in the current shows. #throwback to another time in my life. Another look.. Another person altogether A post shared by Mandira Bedi (@mandirabedi) on Apr 26, 2017 at 11:31pm PDT I dont know what kind of content is being made now! Its ironic that after being a part of one of Indias first daily soaps, Im saying this. Production houses have become like a factory, churning out shows. Basically, what you see today is shot three or two days ago. Makers rely on the ratings only. If they go well, they continue with the track, and if they dont, they shift to another track. Its very volatile. Mandira, who has also been part of reality show Fear Factor, besides hosting quite a few of them, says that in earlier, show-makers were secure about the kind of content they made. So they would make episodes beforehand, she explains. The entire show used to be made and then aired. Shanti was 20 years ago and we still had a bank of two months. What we shot today would come on air after two months. And, in between if we wanted to revamp the set, we had time to do it, she says. Back then, we could take three weeks off without having much of a hassle with the shooting dates. Today, thats not possible. If you are playing the protagonist in a daily soap, you are required for 25 days. Mandira also points out that actors nowadays have hectic schedules and they cant plan a holiday. Back then, we could take three weeks off without having much of a hassle with the shooting dates. Today, thats not possible. If you are playing the protagonist in a daily soap, you are required for 25 days. You dont have a life and you are working non-stop. So if you want to take a break, Im not sure how you manage that. Mandira also recalls the time when appreciation from viewers really mattered for actors and they used to get flooded with fan letters. Unfortunately, people dont write anymore. There was no Internet back then and we used to have a room with full of sacks with fan mails and postcards. Follow @htshowbiz for more Shilpa Shinde, who was part of the executive committee of Cine And TV Artistes Association (CINTAA), was removed from the body during the annual general meeting on Monday. The actor, who had recently filed sexual harassment charges against Sanjay Kohli, producer of the show Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain that she quit last year, says that the association is siding with the producers. CINTAA has proved that they are with producers. I became a committee member after contesting elections and they removed me. They know that if I am part of CINTAA, I will stand for artists and producers ki band baj jayegi. Producers have admitted that humein CINTAA ke committee members ko khilana padhta hai. says Shilpa. In February last year, Shilpa had left her show Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain citing issues with the non-exclusivity clause in her contract and said that she was mentally tortured. Producer Benaifer Kohli, Sanjay Kohlis wife, had sued Shilpa for Rs 12.5 crore for the losses they had incurred because of her absence. In March this year, Shilpa pressed sexual harassment charges. Last year, in a letter to Shilpa, CINTAA, IFTPC (Indian Film and Television Producers Council) and FWICE (Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees) banned her from working in the industry till she pays her dues to the producers of her show. The actor had filed a criminal suit against them at that time. There was a letter which was passed through IFTPC, FWICE and CINTAA that I am a non-cooperative artist and I have to pay the producer for the losses they have incurred because I left the show. The letter said that no one should give me work. This was an order they gave. I have filed a criminal case against them for which the process is on and they are in trouble. I havent done it against a federation but against the people who have signed the letter, says Shilpa, who filed the case against Sushant Singh (general secretary and spokesperson - CINTAA) and Harry Baweja (chairman - IFTPC) . Shilpa adds that the federation has often requested her to take the case back. I dont want any money from them and this is a punishment. I got a letter from IFTPC that they are no longer with CINTAA and they will take back the letter accusing me of non-cooperation. But I will not take my case back, she says. Producers have admitted that humein CINTAA ke committee members ko khilana padhta hai. Talking about Sushant, Shilpa says, Aap serial (Savdhaan India) mein bolte hai darr kar nahi, datt kar. Maine bola toh mujhe nikaal diya. Mujhe lagta hai ki aap personal level pe inti badhi amount le chuke ho producers se, so you need to side with them. When we got in touch with Sushant, he dismissed her claims. I challenge anyone to prove that. If anyone is making those statements, proper legal and criminal action will be taken. If she has given that statement, I will see legally what I need to do regarding that, says Sushant. Talking about Shilpa not being part of CINTAA anymore, Sushant says, It is an association which she doesnt believe in, whose rules and regulations she doesnt follow and respect. Ideally, she should have left the association long time ago. In our annual general body meeting, we told the members her case, what she has been saying against CINTAA and reasons why she should not be there. The general body voted against her with a thumping majority. Follow @htshowbiz for more A coal mine explosion that struck northern Iran killed at least 35 people, semi-official news agencies reported Thursday, as rescuers worked a second day to reach those trapped inside after the blast. The Fars, Mehr and Tasnim news agencies all carried similar reports Thursday morning. State media did not immediately report on the rise in the death toll in the disaster Wednesday at the Golestan province mine. In a live broadcast by state television, Sadegh Ali Moghadam, the provincial director general of disaster management, said 22 dead bodies had been recovered. The province will observe three days of mourning after the explosion, Iranian state television reported. Meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani issued an order demanding his government use all available resources to rescue those still trapped, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Provincial spokesman Ali Yazerloo said the blast happened at 12:45 p.m. local time (0945 GMT) Wednesday. Several officials blamed the explosion on accumulated gas and said it was affecting rescue efforts. At least 25 people were hospitalized over inhaling the gas during rescue efforts after the blast. After the blast, ambulances, helicopters and other rescue vehicles raced to the scene as authorities worked to determine the scale of the emergency. There was confusion about how many miners had been trapped inside, with numbers ranging from dozens to up to 80. Semi-official Iranian news agencies posted images online from the scene, showing ambulances and emergency workers gathered at the mouth of the mine. Some showed dazed workers, covered in coal dust, being helped by bystanders or laying on the ground as rescuers rushed past with oxygen bottles. More than 500 workers are employed at the Zemestanyurt mine, which lies 14 kilometers (9 miles) from Azadshahr, according to IRNA. Golestan sits along Irans northern border with Turkmenistan and along the shore of the Caspian Sea. Oil-producing Iran is also rich in a variety of minerals. Iran annually consumes some 2.5 tons of coal but only extracts about 1 million tons from its mines per year. The rest is imported, often consumed in the countrys steel mills. This is not the first disaster to strike Irans mining industry. In 2013, 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, 20 workers were killed in several incidents. Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas often are blamed for the fatalities. Since Irans nuclear deal with world powers, the country has begun an effort to renovate some of its coal mines. Delegations have visited Tehran from foreign countries including the Czech Republic, hopeful for contracts Chinas domestically developed AG600, the worlds largest amphibious aircraft, took its maiden ground test on Saturday in the southern city of Zhuhai, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The AG600 was designed to extinguish forest fires and carry out rescue missions at sea, Xinhua said, adding that it could also be used to monitor and protect the ocean. Large amphibious aircraft AG600 makes 1st glide test. As world's largest, it will embark on maiden land flight soon pic.twitter.com/HhIOTiSndQ China Xinhua News (@XHNews) May 2, 2017 The seaplanes first ground test comes amid Chinas increasing assertiveness to its territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea where it is building airfields and deploying military equipment, rattling nerves in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States. China is in the midst of a massive military modernisation programme, ranging from testing anti-satellite missiles to building stealth fighters and the countrys first indigenous aircraft carrier, to add to an existing one bought from Ukraine. Xinhua reported in March that the AG600 was due to make its maiden flight in late May. President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to work to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians as he hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House but offered no clues about how he could break the deadlock and revive long-stalled negotiations. In their first face-to-face meeting, Trump pressed Palestinian leaders to speak in a unified voice against incitement to violence against Israelis but he stopped short of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a longstanding bedrock of U.S. policy. We will get this done, Trump told Abbas during a joint appearance at the White House, saying he was prepared to act a mediator, facilitator or arbitrator between the two sides. Abbas quickly reasserted the goal of a Palestinian state as vital to any rejuvenated peace process, reiterating that it must have its capital in Jerusalem with borders based on pre-1967 lines. Israel rejects a full return to 1967 borders as a threat to its security. Trump faced deep skepticism at home and abroad over his chances for a breakthrough with Abbas, not least because the new U.S. administration has yet to articulate a cohesive strategy for restarting the moribund peace process. Abbas White House talks follow a mid-February visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who moved quickly to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with the Republican presidents predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump sparked international criticism at the time when he appeared to back away from support for a two-state solution, saying he would leave it up to the parties themselves to decide. The goal of an Palestinian state living peacefully beside Israel has been the position of successive U.S. administrations and the international community The meeting with Abbas, the Western-backed head of the Palestinian Authority, was another test of whether Trump, in office a little more than 100 days, is serious about pursuing what he has called the ultimate deal of Israeli-Palestinian peace that eluded his predecessors. Ive always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is between the Israelis and the Palestinian, Trump said on Wednesday. Lets see if we can prove them wrong. But he offered no new policy prescriptions. LOW EXPECTATIONS Abbas, speaking through a translator, told Trump that under your courageous stewardship and your wisdom, as well as your great negotiations ability, the Palestinians would be partners seeking a historic peace treaty. The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in 2014. Abbas said its about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our land - a reference to Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. Reaffirming his commitment to a two-state solution, he called on Israel to recognize Palestinian statehood just as Palestinians recognize the state of Israel. Though expectations are low for significant progress, plans are being firmed up for Trump to visit the right-wing Israeli leader in Jerusalem and possibly Abbas in the West Bank, targeted for May 22-23, according to people familiar with the matter. U.S. and Israeli officials have declined to confirm the visit. Questions have been raised about Trumps choice of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who entered the White House with no government experience, to oversee Middle East peace efforts, along with Trumps longtime business lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, as on-the-ground envoy. The administration seeks to enlist Israels Sunni Arab neighbors, who share Israeli concerns about Shiite Iran, to help rejuvenate Middle East peacemaking. Abbas, who governs in the West Bank while Hamas militants rule Gaza, was under pressure at home to avoid making major concessions to Trump, especially with an ongoing hunger strike by hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Palestinian officials say it will be hard for Abbas to return to the negotiating table without a long-standing pre-condition of a freeze on Jewish settlement expansion on land Israel occupied in 1967 which Palestinians want for a state. Trumps pro-Israel rhetoric during the 2016 election campaign raised concern among Palestinians about whether their leaders will get a fair hearing. Trumps promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, strongly opposed by Palestinians, has been shifted to the back burner, and he has asked Netanyahu to put unspecified limits on settlement activity. The EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned on Wednesday that negotiations will not be quick or painless, as Brussels and London traded blows over the size of Britains exit bill. Unveiling his negotiating mandate for two years of talks, Frances Barnier denied the bloc was punishing Britain but insisted it must settle its accounts. London in return hotly rejected a reported 100 billion bill from the other 27 European Union states and warned it could simply walk away from negotiations if bullied. Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives, or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case, Barnier told a news conference in Brussels. He refused to give an overall figure for what Britain must pay, but said this was not tantamount to demanding a blank cheque to end its four decades of membership. There is no punishment, there is no Brexit bill. The financial settlement is only about settling the accounts, the former European Commissioner and French government minister said. He warned that the clock is ticking for a settlement, saying there had been 10 months of uncertainty since Britain narrowly voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June. Barniers proposed negotiating mandate closely follows the political guidelines unanimously agreed at a summit on Saturday by the leaders of the other 27 EU nations without Britain. It demands that before talks on a future trade deal can start, Britain must first settle divorce terms on money, the rights of EU citizens living in Britain, and the border in Northern Ireland. British Prime Minister Theresa May wants the talks to run in parallel. Brexit minister David Davis said his country could simply walk away from the negotiations, following a report in the Financial Times that the estimated bill for Britains departure had soared from 60 billion to 100 billion. May, who has called a snap election for next month, has warned that she would rather Britain exit the EU without any agreement on future ties than accept a bad deal. But she was put on the defensive this week after leaks about a disastrous dinner in London with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Barnier. Juncker took a lighter tone on Wednesday, describing May as a tough lady. But he warned Davis, who is likely to be the man opposite Barnier during the talks, against further threats. Six months after her stunning defeat in the run for the White House, Hillary Clinton has returned to public life. This time, she said on Tuesday, as a citizen activist and part of the resistance, a loose coalition of those opposing President Donald Trump. She kicked off her new career with pointed criticism of Trumps Syria bombingwhich she supported but thought was not backed with a strategyoffer to talk to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and a swipe at his tweeting. The former secretary of state was uncharacteristically blunt and unscripted, specially in her assessment of her defeat, which she was reliving for a book a painful process as you might guess she was writing about the campaign. If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president, Clinton said in an interview-style public event in New York with CNNs Christian Amanpour. On October 28, FBI director James Comey sent congress a note, which promptly became public, that the agency was taking another look at the case about Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state, which he had announced closed earlier. I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off, she said, but not for the first time. This time, however, she went further and suggested collusion between Trumps campaign and the release of hacked communications of her campaign chair John Podesta and the Democratic partys computer network by the Russians. Just as outrage was building on the release of Hollywood Access tapes about Trump boasting about sexually assaulting women, came the WikiLeaks announcement some coincidence, noted Clinton of 50,000 hacked emails belonging to Podesta. If you chart my opponent and his campaign's statements, they quite coordinated with the goals that leader who shall remain nameless had, Clinton said, referring to Russian president Vladimir Putin. US intelligence has alleged that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to ensure Clintons defeat and help Trump win the presidency which is currently the subject of multiple investigations by the FBI and Congress. While Clinton reprised these well-reported charges, she seemed hesitant to acknowledge her own mistakes in her defeat, despite saying, I take absolute personal responsibility. I was the candidate. I was the person who was on the ballot. But, as was widely noted and commented upon, she did not give details of her own role in her defeat not her decision to ignore rural America, not campaigning in Wisconsin and Michigan states that tipped the scale in Trumps direction. Asked if misogyny played a role in her defeat as well, Clinton answered in the affirmative: Yes, I do think it played a role (it) is very much a part of the landscape politically and socially and economically. Her coming book may tell more, possibly beyond the story of a spirit-crushing campaign riven by infighting and the candidates own missteps as told in a new book Shattered: Inside Hillary Clintons doomed campaign. A suicide car bomber struck a US military convoy in Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least eight Afghan civilians and wounding three US service members in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, confirmed the toll and said another 25 Afghan civilians were wounded in the morning rush-hour attack near the U.S. Embassy, which destroyed several civilian vehicles US Navy Captain Bill Salvin, a military spokesman, confirmed that three soldiers were wounded in the attack. The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq media arm. An affiliate of the extremist group has gathered strength in recent years, and is now at war with both the US-backed government and the much larger Taliban insurgency. Afghan forces have struggled to combat both groups since the US and NATO officially concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counterterrorism role. The US has more than 8,000 troops in the country. The Taliban and IS both aspire to overthrow the Afghan government and impose a harsh version of Islamic law, but they are fiercely divided over leadership and tactics. French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen face off in a final televised debate on Wednesday which is expected to be bitter, personal and potentially decisive ahead of voting this weekend. The stakes are high ahead of the contest between the pro-European Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, and far-right leader Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party. Their starkly different views on Europe, immigration, the economy and French identity will be explored for the first time face-to-face, after a week marked by bruising clashes between them. Polls show Macron holding a hefty but narrowing lead of 59% versus 41%, but previous debates during the rollercoaster French campaign have quickly shifted public opinion. Where do they stand? (AFP) Our goal is to avoid being dragged into mud-slinging, an aide to Macron told AFP on condition of anonymity ahead of the two hours and 20 minutes of exchanges between the candidates. Whatever the outcome, the event marks a new step into the mainstream for Le Pen, whose party was once considered by Frances political establishment to be an extremist fringe of racists that should be boycotted. When her father Jean-Marie made it into the final round of the presidential election in 2002, his conservative opponent Jacques Chirac refused to debate him out of fear of normalising hate and intolerance. Fifteen years later, Le Pen scored 21.3% in the first round of the French election on April 23 after successfully softening the FNs image -- but without fully removing doubts about the partys core beliefs. She has consistently sought to paint her rival as the continuation of the unpopular Socialist President Francois Hollande and an advocate of unbridled globalisation, the financial sector and immigration. If he finds himself in difficulty, he can always ask Francois Hollande to come and hold his hand. I wont complain, Le Pen tweeted archly on Tuesday, in a message signed by her personally. With Le Pen trailing in the polls, the face-off will be her biggest chance in front of a television audience to impress millions of viewers or induce an error by her opponent that could tilt the election in her favour. Euro in spotlight Macron, who was economy minister under Hollande, is expected to be wary of making mistakes but has signalled his intention to take on Le Pen and challenge what he calls her dangerous ideas to tackle the countrys deep economic and social problems. I want to go head-to-head, to get to the bottom of the issues, to show that these are false solutions, the independent centrist told BFM television Tuesday. Recent doubts about Le Pens stance on withdrawing France from the euro common currency could also give him an opportunity to target what is seen as a risky and unpopular policy by many voters. Macron would do well to put maximum emphasis on the EU issue in the debate, especially the currency, veteran political analyst Philippe Braud told AFP. Its the issue that causes the most concern, especially for businesses. Its not for love of Europe. Smokescreen Le Pen said on Sunday that a new franc would be introduced for daily use while the euro would be retained for large companies who trade internationally. The franc to buy your baguette and the euro for multinationals... its not so much backtracking but a smokescreen in the last days of the campaign, wrote journalist Jacques-Olivier Martin in the daily Le Figaro on Wednesday. In the face of the attacks on Macrons background as a highly educated civil servant and banker, he is expected to emphasise his personal story as a self-made man born to two doctors in provincial Amiens. I wasnt born in a chateau, he said this week, alluding to the Le Pen family mansion on the outskirts of Paris where Marine and her sisters were brought up. Sparks flew when they faced each other in the presidential debates before the first round of voting, when Le Pen memorably accused Macron of waffling for seven minutes and saying nothing. Macron said she was transforming Frances millions of Muslims into enemies of the republic. Braud, the political analyst, said Wednesdays debate will probably be a draw. The duel could change some minds if one or the other is outclassed, but I doubt it. Both will be sharp and effective, and the debate will serve mainly to reassure those who are already convinced. North Korea on Wednesday confirmed the detention of another American citizen for alleged acts of hostility aimed at overthrowing the country. Kim Sang Dok, an accounting instructor at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was intercepted at Pyongyang International Airport on April 22, according to the Korean Central News Agency. It said he was being detained while authorities conduct a detailed investigation into his alleged crime. The schools chancellor Park Chan-mo and the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang earlier gave the information about Kims detention but couldnt provide the reason for his arrest. The schools report used a different spelling of Kims name, Kim Sang-duk. Kims English name is Tony Kim. He is now the third American being detained in North Korea. The other US detainees are Otto Warmbier, serving a 15-year prison term with hard labour for alleged anti-state acts, and Kim Dong Chul, serving a 10-year term with hard labour for alleged espionage. Analysts say North Korea often attempts to use foreign detainees to wrest outside concessions, which in the past have sometimes involved high-profile American missions sent to secure the release of detainees. Animosity between Pyongyang and Washington has spiked in recent weeks amid a game of brinkmanship between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. Park said Kim, who is 58, was detained as he was trying to leave the country from Pyongyangs international airport. A university spokesman said he was trying to leave with his wife on a flight to China. Park said he was informed that the detention had nothing to do with Kims work at the university but did not know further details. The US State Department said last month that it was aware of the report about a US citizen being detained, but declined further comment due to privacy considerations. Kim previously taught Korean at the Yanbian University of Science and Technology in Yanji, China, not far from the North Korea border, according to the schools Communist Party Committee secretary. The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately funded university in North Korea. It held its first classes in 2010. It is unique in the North for its large number of foreign staff. As political parties select candidates for the June 8 mid-term election, indications are that the next cohort of Indian-origin MPs will include some new faces and a higher number of MPs than the record 10 in the outgoing House of Commons. The 10 Indian-origin MPs included five each from Labour and Conservative parties. In 2015, the Conservative party had fielded 17 candidates, while Labour had put up 14. In all, there were a record 59 candidates from the community with influence in several constituencies. The 10 Indian-origin MPs were: Keith Vaz, Valerie Vaz, Seema Malhotra, Virendra Sharma, Lisa Nandy (Labour) and Priti Patel, Shailesh Vara, Alok Sharma, Rishi Sunak and Suella Fernandes (Conservative). Patel and Sharma were ministers in the Theresa May government. As senior Labour MP Virendra Sharma launched his campaign in Ealing Southall on Wednesday, new faces such as Labours Rohit Dasgupta (East Hampshire) and Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston) were confirmed as candidates. Gill and Labours Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) will seek to be one of the first Sikhs to be elected to the House of Commons. The 10 sitting MPs will contest again, while several individuals joined parties amid trends that the Indian community was moving away from Labour to the Conservatives in recent elections. The new entrants (not candidates) include Ankit Love (son of Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh) who joined the Liberal Democrats, and former BBC journalist Pankaj Dubey, who joined Labour. Labour MP Virendra Sharma launches his election campaign from Southall. (Prasun Sonwalkar) Love, who contested the London mayoral election in 2016, told Hindustan Times that he has joined the Liberal Democrats to help the party stop what he calls disastrous Brexit. Welcoming Love to the party, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: Ankit is one of many young people who are seeing their opportunities robbed from them by this governments drive for a hard Brexit. The only party who is able to represent the 75% majority of young people who voted to remain in the EU is the Liberal Democrats. No major India-related issues have emerged since the 2015 election, but candidates are expected to be questioned again on the sensitive issue of legislation to outlaw caste-based discrimination and their mixed engagement with Indian issues in Parliament. There is some concern that for all the advantage that their Indian origins and links bring, few have stood up for New Delhi in parliament, particularly on issues such as Jammu and Kashmir. During the January 19 debate on Jammu and Kashmir, only Virendra Sharma and Bob Blackman (Conservative) spoke in Indias favour. There is a long history of Indian-origin MPs in British parliament. The first Indian or Asian-origin member of parliament was Dadabhai Naoroji, who was elected from Finsbury Central in 1892, followed by Mancherjee Bhownagree (1895) and Shapurji Shaklatvala (1922). After a long gap, Keith Vaz was elected in 1987. Since then, several such MPs have entered the House of Commons. In 2015, there were two brother-sister duos among the 59 candidates in the fray: Keith Vaz and Valerie Vaz (both Labour), and Arun Photay and Suria Photay (both Conservative). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The search for the perfect Instagram post leads people to take more and more innovative photos. New Zealand Playboy model Jaylene Cook, known for posting racy photos on her account, must have had that in mind when she posed nude in front of Mount Taranaki, a volcano in her country. However, her stunt has not gone down well with locals. The problem? A Maori tribe considers Mount Taranaki as the burial ground of their ancestors and the volcano itself is seen as an ancestor. Thus, they feel Cook acted quite inappropriately at their sacred ground. Its like someone went into St Peters Basilica in the Vatican and took a nude photo, the BBC quoted Dennis Ngawhare, a member of a local Maori, as saying. People might say its just rocks and earth so how can you disrespect it? he said. The tribe considers even climbing to the top of the peak as inappropriate. We simply ask people to please be respectful. This latest case is just another really annoying example where someone obviously didnt know how to behave here, Ngawhare said. Meanwhile, Cook has defended herself by saying she thought taking the picture was not offensive. At the time of filing this report, she had not taken down her post. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday killed eight people and wounded at least 28, officials said, in an attack on a convoy of armoured personnel carriers used by the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. The blast hit the NATO coalition convoy during the morning rush hour in one of the busiest areas of Kabul. Public health officials in the capital said eight civilians were killed and at least 25 wounded, with a number of civilian vehicles that were near the convoy destroyed or badly damaged. Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed the blast targeted a convoy of foreign forces passing the area. We are checking the details, he told AFP. A Resolute Support Spokesman, US Navy Captain Bill Salvin, said three US service members were wounded in the attack. The armoured personnel carriers, which are designed to withstand large blasts, were able to return to a coalition base under their own power, he said. The attack follows a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week. Witnesses said traces of blood and clothing could be seen on the ground at the blast site. Kabul television stations earlier reported that at least three people had been killed. The heavily armoured MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said. The closing night film for the 25th anniversary of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival has an unusual setting India. The documentary Mandala Beats, directed by Montreal-based Rebekah Reiko, features celebrated Israeli musician Yossi Fine as he discovers his roots in India and undertakes his first journey to the country. Fine is renowned as a bassist, having worked with David Bowie and Lou Reed, and Indian artistes like Anoushka Shankar. While he is of mixed Lithuanian and Jamaican descent, he found out a couple of years ago that his great-grandmother was originally from India when he was given DVDs of interviews with his parents. Sitting there and watching, all of the sudden I realise, my great-grandmother, my mothers grandmother, from her fathers side, came from India. I was floored because I never knew about this, nobody talked about it, Fine said in an interview. Somewhat serendipitously, a few months later, he received an invitation to perform at a festival in Jodhpur. Wow, I have to go to India. I always wanted to but all of a sudden it was way, way stronger, he said of his reaction. Just as fateful was his encounter with Reiko, as they were taking the same flight from Tel Aviv to Mumbai in the autumn of 2015. Reiko was focused on making a film about Israeli musicians and their Indian influence. I thought making a movie about music in those two places, with distinct styles mixing together, would be so cool, she said. And after talking to Fine, she settled upon the central character for the film: He told me his whole story (during the flight) and that was part of the reason why I wanted to focus on him. The film accompanies Fine as he hones in on Indian rhythms prior to his performance in Jodhpur and for an impromptu concert of sorts on the banks of Ganga in Rishikesh. Director Rebekah Reiko while filming the documentary Mandala Beats. (Courtesy Rebekah Reiko) That makes for a movie that is visually strong and one that comes with its own soundtrack, created along the way. Reiko said the two locations were both very contrasting and added, I definitely focused on such extremely beautiful places in the country, for sure. Fine said finding himself in India seemed very natural. As he recalled, When I came to India it was incredible. It was like a missing part of something I was looking for. Musically, he found that bass wasnt integral to Indian music, folk and classical. As he had previously worked on music in the Sahara, particularly in Mali, he incorporated that into his sessions with Rajasthani players: My approach was to borrow a little bit from African music and apply it to Indian music. Fine looks forward to more visits to India in the future, as he said, India is a special place with special energy. I will be back for sure. The film is a joint Canadian/Israeli/Indian production, and Reiko said while a few scenes were set in Israel, the majority of the film was filmed in India. It will be screened on May 14, the last day of the festival which begins this Thursday. Reiko, meanwhile, said her initial objective had been realised as her film has such a prominent place at a major film festival in Canada: I learnt so much from my travels through India. I felt like including that in a film so I could share that with others. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to work together to end the violence in Syria and combat rising terrorism in West Asia. This was the first phone conversation between the two leaders since the US bombed a Syrian airfield in response to a chemical attack, purportedly carried out by the Bashar al-Assad government. The White House described the conversation the third between the two leaders as a very good one, while the Kremlin in Moscow called it businesslike and constructive. The two leader agreed, the White House said, the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence. They discussed the creation of safe, or de-escalation zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and other reasons. The US also announced it would sending a representatives to cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Kremlin said the emphasis of the conversation was on future coordination of Russian and US actions to fight international terrorism in the context of the Syrian crisis. And they agreed to bolster the dialogue between the heads of the two nations foreign policy agencies in an effort to find ways to stabilize the ceasefire and make it durable and manageable. The two leaders went beyond Syria and discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout West Asia, the White House said. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson later said the conversation, which lasted 30 minutes, was a very constructive call that the two presidents had. It was a very, very fulsome call, a lot of detailed exchanges. So well see where we go from here. An unidentified US official told The Wall Street Journal there was no breakthrough in the conversation and that the Trump administration was not sure if Moscow Assads most powerful backer was serious about resolving the crisis. The phone conversation, which came in the aftermath of Trump describing relations between the two countries being at an all-time low, was seen as an attempt to resume cooperation, which Trump has repeatedly said he was keen to. They went on to also discuss the very dangerous situation in North Korea. Moscow said Putin called for restraint and an easing of tensions, and it was agreed to organise joint work aimed at achieving diplomatic solutions and a comprehensive settlement of the problem. Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just said in an interview that Iran is preparing to seek control over the Muslim world. Because of this latest report, it looks like Saudi is not ruling out any possible accord and reconciliation with the Islamic Republic. In the said interview, the Prince shared that Iran is actually looking forward to the arrival of Mahdi which is believed to be prophesied, Shiite savior. With this, the Prince concluded that Iran actually wants to control the Muslim world. However, according to Bloomberg, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zariff claimed that what the prince said in the interview was not the real case. He then shared also that Saudi Arabia just wants to create tensions most especially the crisis in the Middle East. It can be recalled that Iran criticized Saudi Arabia before regarding the latter's offensive military in Yemen. The Foreign Minster then added and made it clear that they are not looking forward to creating conflict with Saudi. Reports have escalated before that Iran and Saudi Arabia were in conflicts regarding the tension and crisis in the Middle East. The two countries were in complete opposition about the crisis in Iraq and Syria. Moreover, Saudi Arabia was in conflict with Yemen before regarding the former's desire to bring back the rule of an internationally-recognized government which was somewhat similar to that of Iran. With the arising conflict with Saudi Arabia, TIME reported that Iran is not actually considering the presence of a mediator though this will also be helpful. This is because Iran does not consider that the main issue here is about mediating them and the kingdom. What is needed at the moment, according to the Foreign Minister is for Saudi Arabia to change its ways and approach in dealing conflicts. Aside from this report, it was claimed that there is a possibility that Iran and Saudi Arabia will likely reconcile on the end and try to resolve the conflict and crisis in Yemen. If these two countries will only learn the way to deal with each other properly, then there will be no need for further mediation. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It's hard to imagine a time before shopping carts, but it really wasn't that long ago. Sylvan Goldman, who owned a number of grocery stores in post-Depression America was the mastermind behind the shopping cart. His was a business problem to solve. The stores were suffering, and he needed shoppers to buy more groceries. In order to do this, however, they needed a tool that would be functional (to keep their arms from tiring) and, ideally, would encourage the purchase of a few more products without the carts becoming too big for the store space. As we all know, the shopping cart, which began rather small, has evolved over time to fit the way that consumers use the grocery store. Now, shoppers fill basketsboth at the grocery store and onlineto the brim. Goldman would likely be shocked at how the cart has evolved, but the point is that he saw a problem and created a solution that would allow shoppers to get more of what they want, and, in turn, he increased his business. When I think about how simple it is to fill up an Amazon cart with a million things, big and small, I am confounded at how we have limited ourselves to just a few options for booking a hotel room. You select a category, a pre-determined assembly of key room features, offered at a price. Distinct views, corner rooms, the high floor, and so many more features that have true value to many guests are relegated to either find their way into such a category - or they can only be given away for free. Adding extra services such as breakfast, or the occasional massage, some even try selling teddy bears, towels, and bathrobes; that is about as creative as we get when it comes to the use of shopping carts. Yet, we want to inspire them - get them excited and delighted. These are not inspiring choices. And, let's be honest. There are no guarantees their preferences will be delivered. All too frequently, travelers are disappointed when they arrive onsite to find out there are no more king-size beds available, or that their preference of being on a high floor could not be accommodated. This way of booking hotel rooms goes against everything that travelers want. They want control, and we are wrongly assuming that giving them the ability to do everything on a mobile device will fulfill that desire. It will help, no doubt. However, what will set one property apart from the next is the ability to drop features into a shopping cart; choosing a hotel room based on a whole different spectrum of options than they've ever been offered before. Like Goldman, we can look at our current situation and identify a problem. The market is competitive; supply continues to increase, and occupancy is beginning to shrink. How can we give travelers more of what they want in order to drive up occupancy and rates? Creating the desire to stay at your property is a starting point, and it begins with giving them something besides "double, non-smoking" as a choice when booking. Instead, we can directly offer them to book the room features they care about. Instead of having to choose among dozens of categories to find one that best fits their needs, and then hoping the 'Away from elevator' and King bed' requests will be honored, what if travelers are simply offered the choices that correspond to their desires? Guests could choose their view in as much or as little detail as you want. They could drop a balcony into their cart, if available. They could choose their floor: high, low, mid. The features functionality can go as far as you want. Add a bottle of wine or a choice of bathroom amenities to make it even more compelling. Each of these opportunities to make a personal selection also has the potential to move the guest to buying decisions, without ever having to leave the dream phase. Many of these features are also quantifiable, while in today's flows, they aren't capitalized on. Many guests gladly pay extra for the guaranteed bed type, floor, or view. And once committed to "the dream" of their stay, they are less likely to change their mind. Intelligent technology allows hotels to offer these opportunities. It encourages guests to book with you, because you've given them more of what they want, and it increases loyalty when guests can select the exact amenities and conveniences they care about, and that are geared to the purpose of their stay. Making this experience, and consistently delivering on it that is what creates loyalty. This last point can't be overstated. We are in an era of declining loyalty. According to a 2016 JD Power survey, every succeeding generation is less likely to be a member of a rewards program, and it's safe to say that every succeeding generation desires more control, too (JD Power). Being more competitive in selling hotel rooms is about more than distribution channels and Google rank. Guests know how to search for the kind of place they want, and most will go to great effort to find it. According to Google, a typical traveler has over 700 digital touch points while planning a trip. This includes 52 Google searches, and eight different accommodation brands considered before booking (Think with Google). When it comes down to deciding between hotel A and hotel B, travelers care about a lot more than just price point. They care more about relevant choices and designing their own experience than they do about saving $20. The opportunity to capture travelers is right there in the empty shopping cart space that hotels have not begun to use. Yet. About hospitalityPulse hospitalityPulse was designed by hotel technology and operations veterans tackling one of the most difficult problems hotels are facing: room assignment and its direct effect on guest satisfaction. Our patent-pending optimization algorithms, combined with an intuitive user interface enable hoteliers to assign the optimal room for every guest, every time, with consistent efficiency. Using the multi-dimensional FIRE engine, hoteliers can rely on providing the booker with the trueAvailabilityTM of room and feature combinations on the dates selected. roomPulse dynamically optimizes each room assignment in real-time, all the time. Visit us at www.hospitalitypulse.com. Pierre Boettner hospitalityPulse, Inc. It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore). Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net. Go back to home Netflix and Marvel have building their own miniature version of The Avengers ever since Daredevil first released in 2015. Now three more shows and a short teaser later, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist are linking up to fight evil in New York City. Check out the first trailer below. We get all sorts of superhero meeting goodness in the two minute trailer, from Matt Murdock meeting Jessica Jones as her lawyer to Iron Fist trying to punch Luke Cage. Theres plenty of pithy shit-talking between the heroes as well. The narrator promises a war for New York, and the person to bring that war is Sigourney Weavers arch villain Alexandria. If you watch closely youll also see a well-known Marvel villain enter the fray Elektra. Well have to wait for the premiere on August 18 to find out what else Alexandrias got up her sleeve, but based on the first trailer were sufficiently hyped. Veteran musician Eamonn Dowd on his new album Dig Into Nowhere, working with Nikki Sudden, and how rock n' roll saved him from a life of drudgery in rural Ireland. This article can only be read with a Premium Account Please Log In or Subscribe to continue reading 200 teenage entrepreneurs, some as young as 13, are heading to Croke Park from every county today ( 3 May) to show off more than 70 real-life businesses and inventions at the 15th Annual Student Enterprise National Final on May 3rd, run by the Local Enterprise Offices. This article can only be read with a Premium Account Please Log In or Subscribe to continue reading Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Grigorishin has said that Ukrainian consumers should switch to electric heating. "Electricity is more progressive, as only two elements of infrastructure are required power lines and water supply. We save on investment into heat and gas distribution pipelines," he said in an interview with the Energoreforma (Energy Reform) resource of Interfax-Ukraine. He recalled that Germany adopted a 20 year strategy to fully switch to electric heating. "First you need to install one element less for your house: electricity and water is enough. Secondly, the advantage of electricity is that it is easier to regulate. This results in saving of large money, at least 30%. Thirdly, the loss in power lines is smaller than in heat pipelines. [The loss] in power lines in developed countries is 5-6%, and in Ukraine 20%. Heat pipelines in Ukraine [lose] up to 50%, and even if it is done perfectly, it would be 30%," the businessman said. Grigorishin said that investment in regional electricity supply companies to update substations is required for this project. According to his calculations, around $7 billion should be invested in power lines during 10 years to switch substations to the three-stage model and solve the problem of low voltage power lines. "Many people have started yelling that Grigorishin wants to earn on transformers However, this concerns the important things for the national interests of Ukraine: modernization of power lines using this way has the effect of saving UAH 5-6 billion cubic meters of gas or energy independence for which the government is fighting," he said. The businessman said that he is ready to increase capitalization of the country, increase added value for society and earn his money. 'Brighten Up My Life' got its first airing on Today FM this morning. It might be hard to believe that it's been 30 years since The Stunning formed in Galway in 1987, but that is indeed the case. Now, twenty-four years since the release of 'Tightrope Walker', the lads areabout to jump into the 21st Century with 'Brighten Up My Life'. No rush ladsin your own time. 'Brighten Up My Life' is what would happen if you put Marc Bolan of T-Rex into a room with The Black Keys and then the White Stripes joined the party. Maybe Primal Scream stopped by for a drink too. Its going back to what the boys have always been good at inventing big guitar riffs (see Brewing up a Storm and Romeos on Fire for more on that note). The band is also putting the finishing touches to a re-recorded, re-imagined version of their multi-platinum second album Once Around the World. It hit the number one spot in 1992 and included the hit singles Everything that Rises; Heads are Gonna Roll; Mr. Ginger and Shes on my Mind. Haven't felt that the original album hadn't been done justice, it's being re-released as Twice Around the World and will include the new single Brighten up my Life as a bonus track. 'Brighten Up My Life' is out now. The Stunning also have a handful of forthcoming shows lined-up for us. See below: May 26th St. Lukes Church, Cork (Steve & Joe acoustic) June 3rd Boston Irish Festival. USA Advertisement June 16th Doolin Folk Festival July 27th Leopardstown Racecourse, Dublin Aug 26th Mungret Music Festival, Co. Limerick This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Somewhere off Japan, a 40-foot buoy is bobbing and weaving in the ocean, dancing with the waves to generate its own electricity. As it slowly gyrates, a floating platform heaves up and down, rotating an internal power generator that can feed up to 150 kilowatt-hours of electric power into a large battery, which can charge an autonomous underwater vehicle much like a Tesla charging station refuels a car. Its owner, New Jersey-based Ocean Power Technologies, parked an identical giant yellow buoy just outside the NRG Center in Houston this week, hoping to strike up business with oil companies at the Offshore Technology Conference. Before it found its way to Houston, the U.S. Navy had deployed the buoy half a dozen times off New Jersey, in tests designed to extend the range of its coastal surveillance. The buoy powered high-frequency radar and sonar technology that probes the ocean for hidden vessels, on the ocean's surface and below it. "Unmanned underwater vehicles can be armed with bad stuff and could be sent 50 miles away from the U.S. coast with no way to detect them," said Mike Mekhiche, executive vice president at Ocean Power Technologies. "You could deploy this thing 200 miles offshore, put all kinds of sensors on it, and have a cost-effective surveillance means to detect vehicles we can't detect today." The U.S. Navy funded the first iteration of the buoy in 2009. The idea was that the radar and sonar sensors would collect data off New Jersey and send it to onshore stations. In theory, it could spot things like narco-submarines, narcotics-filled vessels that typically travel from South America. Now, the renewable energy company is trying to commercialize the technology. The buoy could, for example, power subsea oil and gas equipment for three years without requiring any maintenance, or recharge AUVs - essentially, underwater drones - that monitor deep-sea drilling operations, Mekhiche said. "Having data to make decisions is a huge advantage when you're dealing with offshore threats or expensive infrastructure," he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz on Tuesday took personal responsibility for an incident last month in which a passenger was battered and dragged from a flight, telling a congressional hearing, "We had a horrible failure three weeks ago." Munoz again apologized personally to David Dao, the passenger who boarded a United plane in Chicago and then refused to give up his seat when the airline needed it to accommodate crew members. Police were summoned, and Dao, 69, was dragged bloodied from the flight. Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., warned airlines to "seize the day" because if carriers do not reform their passenger policies, Congress will impose rules, and "you're not going to like it." Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., the panel's ranking Democrat, said passenger rights have gotten short shrift as the industry has consolidated into four major carriers that handle 80 percent of flights. DeFazio said 40,000 ticketed passengers were bumped from their flights last year. Tuesday's hearing showcased stark differences between how airline executives and their customers view the state of the industry. While executives bragged that they are losing fewer bags, have improved their on-time performance and are offering consumers a better flight experience with more choices and cheaper fares, members spoke of calls from angry constituents who said they had been bumped, delayed and treated with indifference when they tried to complain. Members griped about smaller seats and the lack of choices when it came to booking their own flights home. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., joked: "You know you're having a bad day when the group that lectures you on customer service is Congress." And Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said, "I was going to ask, why do you hate the American people?" The executives did have their allies, who blamed government overregulation for creating some of the problems and Dao for not listening to aviation security officers who ordered him to leave the flight. The timing is ripe for oil companies to invest in new deep-water exploration and production because it's a buy-low opportunity when prime onshore shale acreage is selling at a premium, Murphy Oil CEO Roger Jenkins said. After a roughly two-year oil bust, onshore U.S. shale is booming again, while the offshore sector continues to languish. Energy executives Tuesday at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston agreed the offshore sector will need to rebound to meet growing global petroleum demand, but opinions differ on when. Arkansas-based Murphy Oil, which has a sizable Houston presence, historically focused on offshore production before taking an extended break from major offshore exploration to grow in Texas shale. But Jenkins contends it's time to pivot back to investing offshore. "Now's the time to explore again," Jenkins said. "We're at a very low point in the cycle - it's been going on for 30 months - and now is the time for deep water to come back." Global petroleum demand is nearly 98 million barrels a day, and that's expected to increase by 15 million daily barrels by 2040, he said. U.S. oil prices sank below $48 a barrel Tuesday, but that's still more than $20 a barrel higher than the early 2016 lows of the oil bust. Still, the days of $100-a-barrel oil - last seen in 2014 - grow increasingly distant. Murphy Oil recently won a bid for acreage offshore of Mexico, and the company is expanding off Malaysia and Vietnam. Murphy Oil has operated in the Gulf of Mexico for more than 60 years and isn't planning to give up now, Jenkins said. But it was onshore shale production that grew more nimble and efficient during the bust, and taking that attitude offshore will help with innovation, Jenkins contended. "It's an attitude thing more than a tool," he said. David Payne, Chevron's vice president of drilling and completions, agreed that changes are needed to make offshore exploration and production more competitive, and that's starting to occur as the industry uses more standardized parts and technologies, consolidates contractors and makes the most of existing pipelines and other existing infrastructure. The sector may have to settle for $50-per-barrel oil for a while. The goal now, he said, is "really about putting the value chain back together and getting more discipline." David Chenier, ConocoPhillips' chief procurement officer, however, argued that U.S. onshore oil and gas will continue to thrive for the foreseeable future while the offshore sector must find more ways to become economically competitive. He added that the industry doesn't necessarily need higher prices to rebound. After all, he said, many people forget the energy sector performed pretty well in the 1990s when it focused on efficiency after the 1980s bust. "The hard part is getting through the transition," he said. "If prices stay in this $50 frame, that's not necessarily a bad thing." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate There's no manual for making an 8-foot-long scale model of an oil tanker. Exploration companies don't send instructions for how to re-create their ever-more-sophisticated inventions in miniature. That's up to John Richard. With dexterity that belies his thick, muscular hands, Richard constructs a wire circuit that will illuminate tiny LED lights on a diorama of an offshore rig. It's a mix of art and engineering, and Richard is surrounded by the tools of both: paint sprayers and power tools, 3-D printers and laser cutters, and a room full of people working on computer models. "It's a good feeling to know that you can reproduce anything," Richard said. Every year, the stars of the show at the mammoth Offshore Technology Conference are the models: intricate reproductions of ships, plants, rigs, compressors, engines and drill bits, all nested in dazzling displays, vying for the attention of passers-by. Companies use models to illustrate how their technologies work without bringing in the product, which can weigh thousands of pound and cost a lot to transport and help make sales. "Models offer an excellent opportunity to showcase unique capabilities in an engaging way for visitors," said Lisa Albiston, vice president of marketing communications at the energy services frim TechnipFMC. "They offer individuals an educational experience and the opportunity to learn more about the complexities of the oil and gas industry." Dozens of those models are painstakingly constructed in a featureless warehouse off Interstate 45 in Houston, by artisans like Richard, who, with over 30 years in the business, has learned the process from start to finish. Richard is the lead model technician at USM, which has built models for OTC since the show started in 1969. Last week, the warehouse floor was filled with boxes that headed to the show on Saturday, marked with the names of industry giants: NOV, Hess, Halliburton. USM has built about 30 models, and handles the rest for companies that have brought them in from out of town, delicately trucking them to and staging them in booths at NRG Park. An evolving craft Model-making has been around for centuries, but the craft has changed almost as much as the buildings and new technologies that it mimics. When a Hungarian immigrant engineer named Steve Johnson started United Scale Models back in 1956, they were mostly made of wood and wire, requiring years of training to machine and glue together. In the beginning, Johnson taught model makers in the kitchen of his one-bedroom apartment, and construction took place in the living room. Later they leased a facility in Bellaire and built a custom facility in 1998. Johnson's sons, Paul and Chris Johnson, took over the family business in 2012. These days, model-making is still a highly skilled trade, practiced by a small number of craftsmen and women - just over 6,000 in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau. Before the advent of 3-D digital imaging that allows engineers to virtually prototype their new products, most complicated construction projects required a miniature version before they could be built. Rather than prototyping, the primary purpose is now marketing, whether to show off the new product at trade shows or demonstrate the concept to potential financiers. And as the uses of models have changed, so have the skills required to construct them. By way of demonstration, Richard held a part of a full-scale model drill bit. It's quite a bit lighter than the real version, made out of plastic rather than steel - but otherwise a 100 percent accurate replica spit out of a 3-D printer. Decades ago, Richard would have carved it out of wood, after calculating the dimensions by hand. "I'd have to break the drawings down and then scale it," he said. "You didn't push a button and the answer was there." In 1999, USM started using 3-D printers, which add layers and layers of plastic on top of each other to create an infinite array of shapes. Now the company has boxlike laser cutters, which can precisely cut a vast array of materials. Replacing brushes A room-sized spraying operation has largely replaced brushes to coat parts with sleek layers of paint. All of that technology has sped up the process, allowing USM to produce upwards of 300 models per year in less time with fewer people. As much as USM has kept up with evolving technology, model-making has been threatened by it as well. Around a decade ago, USM President Paul Johnson said, interactive videos that show 360-degree views of a product started showing up everywhere. Companies began to think they could skip the physical models, which are tricky to transport, often breaking en route. But there's something about a model that still draws people in more than just a digital display. "In the last five years, people have gotten desensitized to that," Johnson said. "So at trade shows, you'll have a giant flat- screen with beautiful animation, and people just walk right by. People don't even look at it." Catering to the oil and gas industry can be a lucrative business. USM's models range in price from a few hundred dollars for a small component part, all the way up to the $3.5 million, 2,100-square-foot miniature of what would become the world's largest petrochemical refinery plant, in the Virgin Islands, requiring a detailed understanding of how the facility worked in order to render each component accurately. But it can also be a cruel business, as it was last year, when the oil bust torpedoed demand for new products; last year only a handful of model orders came in for OTC. That's why, over the years, USM has diversified into full-scale training simulators for the aerospace industry. Replicas of the fuselages of the Air Force's F-22 Raptor, for example, are used to teach mechanics how to repair the planes. USM also made several of the mockups at NASA's Building 9, where astronauts learn how to use the International Space Station and other craft. Few know whole process The company had around 120 people on staff when the F-22 program was at its height in the 2000s, but it's now down to 25 core employees. As the number of universities with degree programs in model-making has dwindled, USM hires design-savvy people wherever it can find them - often out of the military, Johnson said - and then trains them up over years of practice. Most of them pass under the tutelage of John Richard, who is among the few experienced model makers to know every part of the process. Born in a small bayou town in Louisiana, he attended the Art Institute of Houston in the 1980s, paying for classes by selling portraits he'd painted. He then did architectural modeling in Philadelphia, building miniatures of the Philadelphia Orchestra Hall and Baltimore Aquarium, before joining USM to move closer to family. Richard loves the variability of the job. Despite all the new technology, he clings to the creativity and craftsmanship. And he still thinks painting is the most important part. "Unpainted, it ain't worth anything. But painted? Look at it," Richard said, pointing to the glossy sheen on a drill bit model. "Painting sells. You're not going to buy a car if it doesn't have a good paint job." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The offshore oil and gas industry is desperately fighting to cut costs, pull deep-water projects off the shelf and get drilling again. They are reusing old designs, streamlining production and connecting new wells to old platforms via pipeline instead of building multi-billion-dollar rigs. And now they're adding another, more touchy-feely trick: They're trying to work better together. "We need a sense of urgency," Roy Krzywosinski, Chevron Corp.'s vice president of engineering, told attendees at the Offshore Technology Conference at NRG Park in Houston on Tuesday. But offshore collaboration won't work, he continued, "if it takes the lion's share of time figuring out how to collaborate." Offshore drillers are in a race to compete with the onshore U.S. shale revolution, which has stripped away costs and expanded production even as oil prices climbed out of last year's $26-a-barrel cellar. Deep-water projects, meanwhile, have languished. After oil prices began to tumble in 2014, companies moth-balled projects worth 1.6 million barrels of oil per day, according to the New York management consulting company McKinsey & Co. And projects worth 1.4 million barrels are still on hold, waiting for executives to act. But there are signs of life this year, said McKinsey associate partner Kassia Yanosek. Companies have succeeded in driving down break-even costs in new oil fields from $70 a barrel in 2014 to under $50 now. And at least six major projects worth about 1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day have gotten their final approval over the last 18 months. "We would say deep water is not dead," Yanosek said. "In fact, it better be alive if we're going to meet the supply needs of the future." But to get there, companies are doing more than cutting costs. They're finding partners. The private Houston-based offshore exploration company Talos Energy buys pipelines and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, and then explores for oil around those same platforms. The practice means Talos doesn't have to build new platforms or pipelines, speeding up exploration and saving money, said Talos president and CEO Tim Duncan. To fund its work, the company raised $600 million in private equity since it opened in 2012, from firms like New York-based Apollo Global Management, among others. Talos has now grown from four employees to 250, and it expects to spend $1.8 billion over its first five years. Companies like oil major Royal Dutch Shell have cut well costs by 50 percent and drilling time by 35 percent, said Edwin Verdonk, vice president of deep water development. But they've also worked with suppliers to further trim. The company sliced helicopter and support costs in the Gulf of Mexico by $600 million over two years by more carefully scheduling trips, among other things, Verdonk said. "We have to become more competitive," Verdonk told conference attendees. Other companies are trying to streamline and standardize something much more squishy: collaboration with their competitors. Operators have collaborated on research and development projects for years, said Krzywosinski, the Chevron vice president, sharing costs for big offshore projects and working together on expensive new technologies. But companies have often struggled to work together, bogging down on administrative nuts-and-bolts, and that's meant some projects have taken years too long. Now the collaborators have re-started an old agency to cut through the red tape and focus on projects. The group, called the DEEPSTAR Offshore Operators Committee, will be focused on "core R&D," Krzywosinski said. Deep-water drilling must begin to compete with shale drillers. And that will take collaboration, Krzywosinski said. "Costs must come down," he said. "Ultimate recovery must come up." "In the shale gas, look what they're doing with their well programs. They're drilling so many wells," he said. And if operators can, via new technologies and new processes, cut 15 minutes out of the drilling time for each well, that "makes a real difference," Krzywosinski said. "You bring a manufacturing mindset into that space." The new DEEPSTAR committee, he said, will focus on R&D collaboration, cooperation with suppliers and standardization. Susan Cunningham, a retired executive vice president at Houston's Noble Energy, said the offshore industry is in a new era of innovation. "We do our best as an industry, as hard as it is to say, when prices are low," Cunningham said. "That's when we innovate. We've done it time and again. We're doing it again." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The founding pitmasters of BrisketU teach a class where a dog actually might eat the homework. The brainchild of local ad agency cohorts Mike Albrecht, 56, and Jon Kane, 35, the three-hour class offers tips and tricks from a barbecue pro. "A lot of people assume after they've cooked a brisket for six hours, it must be done," said Scott Valdiviez, 45, a class instructor and 25-year veteran of barbecue competitions and backyard barbecues. "We show them why it takes at least 10 to 12 hours to cook a brisket right." The classes take place on weekend mornings at local breweries. "There are a lot of times when breweries are very busy, but 10 o'clock on a Saturday or Sunday morning isn't one of them," Kane said. "So it's 'found' income for a brewery, and we bring hungry, thirsty males to their doors." Albrecht and Kane cooked up the idea for BrisketU summer before last. They wondered why no one had tried to capitalize on the craze for barbecue competitions. From the beginning, they said, their goal was to make barbecuing fun again. "So many people take the barbecue culture too seriously," Kane said. "We wanted this to be the antithesis of that. BrisketU is about backyard cooking, no pressure. This is how someone would cook a brisket if they had 15 people coming over to their house for the Fourth of July." More Information On the Web: brisketu.com See More Collapse The classes, which cost $69 per session, take place at six local breweries around Houston. BrisketU is offered at the Spindletap, 11 Below, Town in City, Back Pew, No Label and Southern Star breweries. Among the topics students are schooled in: selecting firewood, choosing a rub, trimming a brisket and controlling the temperature during cooking. Valdiviez uses a raw brisket at the start of class, and he finishes up with carving lessons on a brisket cooked the night before. Classes are capped at 30 students. Kane began to approach local breweries about hosting the classes early last year and Town in City was the first to say yes. "We're a craft brewery, and they teach people the craft side of brisket making," Town in City co-owner Justin Engle said. "Plus, it just makes sense that brisket and beer go together." Last year, 1,600 people participated in BrisketU in Houston. Now another pit-master offers BrisketUclasses in Austin and Bryan-College Station. The program grossed some $87,000 last year, Albrecht said. In addition to weekend classes, BrisketU now teaches at private parties and corporate events. Some of the companies that have hired BrisketU include Spirit Airlines, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and NASA. "Which is pretty funny," Albrecht said, "because we were literally teaching the finer points of cooking a brisket to rocket scientists." Next up for BrisketU is to franchise the concept. The founders recently approached local brothers and business partners Judd and Gordon Miller about developing BrisketU into a national franchise. Judd Miller helped companies like Amazing Lash Studio and Money Mailer grow in the past. "We're almost ready to start selling franchises and take this nationwide," he said. "We thought it'd be successful, but we never expected people would be calling us and begging to be added to one of our classes," Albrecht said. The Norwegian publishers of Upstream, a weekly oil and gas journal, wanted to stand out at the Offshore Technology Conference, amid the hundreds of booths that compete for attention of convention-goers. So the company used some of its newsprint to design fabric that it fashioned into outfits for employees working the booth. "We realized we wanted something more to be visible," said Rita Hausken Barkhodaee, sales director for the publishing company based in Stavanger, Norway. The company designed the first roll of fabric in 1999 and has updated it yearly to reflect the latest oil and gas news. The outfits are custom tailored in Singapore. The outfits cause OTC convention-goers to stop and look. And when the employees roam around the exposition floor, they never stop promoting. "You can always carry the brand with you," Barkhodaee said. - L.M. Sixel Historical precedent? The two-year oil bust resembles the theorized asteroid 66 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs but ultimately paved the way for the evolution of human life, said Jose Gutierrez, Transocean director of technology and innovation. Gutierrez spoke Tuesday at the Offshore Technology Conference about the need to innovate, collaborate and find greater cost efficiencies now that most energy companies can no longer afford to simply throw money at problems. Transocean is one of the world's largest offshore drillers. "The oil debacle - it's actually the best opportunity for innovation," he said, noting that companies are now forced to collaborate. "This is like the meteor that landed in the Gulf of Mexico." The theory is the asteroid hit in the Gulf of Mexico near the Yucatan Peninsula and wiped out most of the dinosaurs and much other life. But enough mammals survived and the evolutionary cycle eventually led to humans, who today get around on fuels for which dinos provided the raw materials. - Jordan Blum 3-D to the rescue The old cast-iron pipes are corroding at BP's oil and gas gathering center on Alaska's North Slope. The company knew it had to replace them, at an enormous cost. Then it plugged the project into a 3-D model. And the software revealed that the British oil major doesn't need to remove all the old piping, only some of it. Engineers can simply lay the new, stainless-steel pipe over the rest. The digital subscription that allows BP to see its North Slope gathering center in augmented reality costs the company a few hundred thousand dollars a year. The adjustment to the pipe layout should, BP executives at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston said, save the company tens of millions of dollars. Digital technology is changing the way companies drill for oil, examine reservoirs and rebuild refineries. And companies like BP say that, because the technology has largely been pioneered for other applications - Microsoft builds 3-D software for gaming, not oil and gas - they can access it for thousands, not millions, of dollars. "Price points are drastically lower," said Dave Truch, technology director of digital innovation at BP. "We could not have done this two decades ago." -David Hunn Next time, take the sushi In the visual cacophony of OTC's expo floor, companies do whatever they can to grab attention - and few things are more eye-catching than people staring, transfixed, into clunky virtual reality headsets. It seemed to work for the Dutch offshore services provider Boskalis, at least, which lured passers-by in with the promise of a free out-of-body experience. (Its sushi counter, in contrast, was by invitation only.) The actual experience, while effective in demonstrating the size and scope of towering rigs and ships, was less than transformative. It may have had to do with low-volume headphones that didn't fit well over the goggles. One user, George Osgood of Kiewit Offshore Services, was underwhelmed. "I think a lot of it has to do with the content," Osgood says, mentioning that he's seen some of it before in regular videos. Still, some parts of Boskalis' VR demo offered a twist. "When you're on the vessel looking up at the crane, that's when it becomes neat." -Lydia DePillis Louisiana company Hornbeck Offshore Services has spent $615 million since 2009 building ships to help with deepwater drilling construction. But the company says that the oil bust and a federal policy that allowed foreign workers into U.S. waters has kept some of those ships from work. Now, Hornbeck, other maritime companies and their workers are waiting for the Trump administration to review enforcement of the so-called Jones Act, a century-old maritime law that would cut out foreign competitors. And at a forum Tuesday, with the offshore industry gathered in Houston, the U.S. shipping companies pressed their case. "Foreign competition could come in with much lower crew wages," said Todd Hornbeck, the CEO of Hornbeck Offshore Services. "We just could not compete in that type of situation. It's been crippling to our industry." As tens of thousands of executives and workers flock to the Offshore Technology Conference, the fate of the Jones Act and how it will be interpreted has become a major concern for the oil and gas industry. The Jones Act basically requires U.S. ships and crews to move cargoes and equipment in U.S. waters, but over the years, the government has granted exemptions that have allowed foreign ships and crews to do work for offshore drillers. At issue now is whether the Trump administration will continue those exemptions or interpret the law more strictly. The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's trade group, recently released a study forecasting 30,000 job losses this year, mostly in the Gulf, and a 23 percent drop in U.S. oil and gas production by 2030 if foreign ships are prohibited from operating in offshore U.S. waters. "We can't afford those kinds of setbacks," said Marty Durbin, the executive vice president of the API. The Trump administration is expected make a decision on May 18. Oil companies say they need foreign workers and that repealing exceptions to the act would shut down offshore operations. Hornbeck conceded that in 2009, when the Obama administration first began to consider ending the exceptions, there weren't enough American vessels to respond to the industry's needs. But companies responded by building vessels, and on Tuesday Hornbeck said he has three crewed vessels ready and waiting for work. Overall, the company has seven vessels that are qualified to work under the Jones Act, according to a list from the Offshore Marine Service Association, an industry trade group. Companies like Hornbeck Offshore Services say the law was intended to make room for American companies in the Gulf. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The University of Houston needs to get over its inferiority complex and act like the tier one institution that it is. Tier one institutions do not fear competition. They join intellectual hubs that spin off new ideas, create businesses and generate jobs. Tier one universities don't ask alumni, donors and politicians to chase off other academic institutions that would strengthen the larger community. That's why it is so disappointing that UH refused to work with the University of Texas to open a new campus that would benefit Houston's students and businesses. And it's also why UH leaders should join the consortium behind UT's proposed data research center for Houston. It's UT's move because of the way the school made such a mess out of acquiring the land and pitching the idea. And without UH System Chancellor Renu Khator and other Houston leaders stepping up, local politics will dash an idea that would better prepare Houston for the future. Much blame resides with retired Adm. William McRaven, the UT System chancellor, whose Navy SEAL training perhaps predisposes him to acting covertly and asking for forgiveness later rather than for permission first. That's a recipe for success on the battlefield, but a formula for failure in politics. By persuading UT regents in November 2015 to buy 300 acres of land near the Texas Medical Center, without consulting local chieftains, he marched straight into the unmarked minefield that characterizes Houston politics, inflaming petty jealousies along the way. He thought keeping the deal under wraps would avoid any possible price-gouging. The lack of consultation insulted Gov. Greg Abbott and Houston-area lawmakers with oversight over UT. McRaven hadn't kissed their rings, and as a result, both Republicans and Democrats turned on him. UH administration and faculty were caught off guard and reacted as if an enemy armada had just pulled into port. They'd spent years trying to overcome a reputation for being a second-rate school, and just as they were succeeding, the state's largest public university system announced it was setting up shop next door. UH immediately feared competition for students, or more importantly, donors. Perhaps that's why when UT invited UH, Texas Southern University and Rice University to join a task force to decide what to do with the land, Khator refused. Instead, based on reporting by the Chronicle, Khator's supporters on the UH board of regents began asking lawmakers and the governor to rein in McRaven and shut down the project. Before the task force could release its recommendation, Abbott called McRaven to the governor's mansion and by several accounts, read him the riot act. Shortly afterward, McRaven wrote a letter to the regents asking them to abandon the "Houston Project." The task force, meanwhile, had come up with a brilliant idea that could transform the city's economy the same way the Texas Medical Center did by creating public-private partnerships. According to the task force plan obtained by the Chronicle, UT would bring its expertise in supercomputing to develop a research center dedicated to maximizing the benefits from gathering data. Other academic institutions could participate. Data analysis is perhaps the most important new industry in the world, involving almost every electronic device ranging from energy efficiency to autonomous cars to drilling the most productive oil wells. Not to mention research to cure cancer. Engineers are attaching sensors to nearly everything, and computers are collecting trillions of readings down to the nanosecond. The amount of data collected is expected to grow 4,300 percent by 2020, according to a report by consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, which studied the viability of a data research center in Houston. "The future will belong to those able to harness the power of data science and apply it to improve the human condition in ways both known and yet to be revealed," concluded the task force report, which can be found on HoustonChronicle.com. "The speed of change in data science signals the ongoing need for higher-end data science research in virtually all disciplines and the exchange of new learning across industries and disciplines." Proof that an academic research center can transform local economies is abundant, whether it is the Texas Medical Center, the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp. at UT Austin or computer engineering at Stanford, near Silicon Valley. Houston has a special advantage because private energy and medical companies already conduct data research in Houston. An academic collaboration between UT, UH, Rice and TSU could amplify that work, spin off new companies and create hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs. UT, by the way, never intended to open an undergraduate campus or to compete with UH. For the good of its namesake city, UH needs to call off the attack dogs and reanimate the UT-led consortium. This is an excellent opportunity to diversify Houston's economy, while building on our strengths. The World Banks Board of Executive Directors today approved a $150 million loan for the Access to Long Term Finance Project that will support Ukraines export-oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs). "Access to longer term finance for small and medium enterprises will help the country grow its exports and contribute to reviving economic growth in Ukraine," World Bank Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine Satu Kahkonen said. She said that the structure of Ukrainian exports is passing through landmark changes in geographic focusing on the EU, Asia and Africa. However, these markets require large capital investment and creation of sophisticated products, while there is a lack of long term financing of SMEs According to the report, Joint Stock Company Ukreximbank is expected to implement this project by providing sub-loans to participating banks which, in turn, will pass on the financing to various SMEs in Ukraine. The SMEs will be selected on the basis of their financial health and capacity to develop a sound business export model. The implementation of the project will start in H2 2017. The World Bank is one of Ukraines major international partners, with projects supporting basic public services that directly benefit ordinary people in areas such as water supply, sanitation, heating, energy, roads, social protection, and health, as well as private sector development. Its current project portfolio is around $2.6 billion, consisting of eight investment projects. Since Ukraine joined the World Bank in 1992 the Banks commitments to the country have totaled over US$12 billion in about 70 projects and programs. FIRESTONE, Colo. - A home explosion in Colorado that killed two people was caused by odorless, unrefined natural gas leaking from a small pipeline that was considered abandoned but was still connected to a nearby well, fire officials said Tuesday. The line had been cut open some distance from the well, allowing gas to leak into the soil and make its way into the basement, said Ted Poszywak, chief of the Frederick-Firestone fire department. A third person was badly burned in the April 17 explosion in Firestone, 30 miles north of Denver. Investigators do not know why the line remained connected to the well, or how or when it was cut and began to leak. The line was 1 inch in diameter and reached within about 6 feet of the house, Poszywak said. It was buried about 7 feet underground. The house was within 200 feet of the well, but the fire chief stressed it was the pipeline and not the well that leaked. The well has been shut down, and officials say they don't believe any neighboring homes are in danger. The Woodlands-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp. owns the well, but it has had previous owners since it was drilled in 1993. Nearby homes, including the one that exploded, were built after the well was drilled. Anadarko said Tuesday the company wants to ensure that "no stone is left unturned" before investigators reach final conclusions. Poszywak said investigators are trying to determine who is responsible for the line that leaked. State inspections Gov. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday ordered inspections and tests of all active and abandoned gas pipelines within 1,000 feet of occupied buildings. The pipelines are called flow lines and carry gas from wells to storage tanks or other collection points. The state will also investigate whether anyone broke laws or regulations in connection with the abandoned line, Hickenlooper said. Mark Martinez and Joseph William Irwin III were killed. Erin Martinez, who was married to Mark Martinez, was badly burned. Irwin was her brother. Neighbors told the Longmont Times-Call the two men were working on a water heater in the home's basement at the time of the explosion. Poszywak said the two men were not responsible for the explosion. Odorless gas Natural gas is odorless when it comes out of the ground, and energy companies add a smell during refining so leaks will be noticeable. Since the gas leaking into the Firestone home had not been refined, it had no odor, and no one in the house would have detected it, Poszywak said. The findings are sure to renew a debate in Colorado over safe distances between homes and oil and gas facilities, and whether local governments should be allowed to impose tougher regulations than the state. Fast-growing Colorado cities sometimes overlap with highly profitable oil and gas fields. State records show the well near the home that exploded was shut down all of last year and resumed production in January. The well was last inspected in 2014 and received a "satisfactory" rating. A Houston deacon is behind bars for sexually assaulting a 2-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy. Police believe there are still more victims who have not come forward. The deacon, 55-year-old Barry Durrell, has been held in the Harris County Jail since March 11, according to court documents. Charges of super aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 6 and continuous sexual abuse of a child were filed March 10. Durrell is a deacon at the West Houston Seventh Day Adventist Church at 2390 West Sam Houston Parkway North, according to a news release from the Houston Police Department. Both of the reported incidents happened at the church. CHILLING CALL: Desperate woman calls 911 in fear before death Police believe the first of the incidents happened in May of 2016 when Durrell took the 2-year-old boy into a closet at the church and sexually assaulted him. The child's mom found the boy and the deacon alone in the closet, according to the release. Durrell is suspected of assaulting the 7-year-old boy in a restroom at the church multiple times, when the boy was at the building attending classes. The 7-year-old boy told authorities he was sexually assaulted in other locations including 2900 West Sam Houston Parkway South and 300 Memorial City Way, according to the release. NEW STORY: Sheriff says there's no evidence suspects fired first after fast food robbery The 7-year-old victim told family members in February about the assaults. Durrell does not appear to have any other criminal history in Harris County. Investigators believe there are other victims and are asking anyone with information or who may have had contact with Durrell to contact the HPD Special Victims Division at 713-830-3254 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. If given the chance to move anywhere in the world, a striking number of Houstonians 67.1 percent said they would stay in Space City. Its an impressive figure, given that more often than not, people who move to Houston do so reluctantly, said Stephen Klineberg, founding director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and author of the Kinder Houston Area Survey. But soon after people get here, he said, they find reasons to stay. They often say at the beginning, Yuck, the job is there. Well go for a couple of years, Klineberg said, describing a common experience of people who move to Houston for work. And then they discover theres lots of reasons to like the place. Its the first time the Kinder Institute has asked this particular question in its annual survey, so its impossible to know how Houston is trending. But its no surprise that Houston a relatively affordable big city with an expanding transit system, a restaurant scene thats drawn national acclaim and a renewed focus on improved quality of life through parks, is drawing positive marks. REACTION: "Houston: Should I stay or should I go?" The Houston-Galveston Area Council expects steady growth for the eight-county Houston metropolitan area in the coming years. The regional population is forecast to hit 10 million by 2040, up from 5.8 million in 2010. But at the same time, despite Houstonians assertion that they dont want to move, recent census data may show otherwise. Between July 2015 and July 2016, Harris County added 56,587 people. It ended its eight-year run as the county with the biggest population gains, coming in second to Maricopa County in Arizona. The shift is largely due to folks moving out of Harris County. Approximately 16,000 more people moved away from Harris County to another county than moved into it during that time period. Because of both natural increases in population and international migration, Harris County only slipped by one spot and still ranks second in net population growth. Interestingly, lifelong Houstonians and transplants reported almost the exact same ratings. About 66 percent of lifelong Houstonians said theyd choose to stay in the area, compared to 68 percent of people whove moved here. Among those least likely to want to stay here: the very rich and the very poor. Only 50 percent of those earning less than $12,500 per year said theyd want to stay in the area, and only 57 percent of those earning more than $100,000 said they would stay. For all other income groups, the rate of those preferring to stay put ranges from 67 percent to 76 percent. The 2016 survey asked area residents to rate the region as a place to live. Overall, more than 80 percent of residents gave the Houston area a positive rating, saying its a good or excellent place to live. About 79 percent of Houston transplants gave the city a positive rating, while lifelong Houstonians gave more favorable evaluations, with 88 percent rating the Houston area good or excellent. In no case did any racial/ethnic group or any income bracket give less than 72 percent positive ratings of Houston as a place to live. Along the same lines, Texas satisfaction rate is comparable. Only 24 percent of residents say they would move out of the state, according to Gallup. Of course, this includes residents in cities like Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, but it speaks to the affordability of living and the access Texans have to jobs. Other Texas cities reported similar findings in terms of residents satisfaction with their cities. About 84 percent of Dallas residents felt that its metropolitan area was an excellent or good place to live. In San Antonio, 86 percent of residents rated the metropolis as an excellent or good place to live, according to a 2014 community survey. Austin residents were a little less satisfied with their city; 80 percent of respondents said they were very satisfied or satisfied with Austin as a place to live in a 2016 community survey. Glissette Santana (@GlissetteSantan) is a web and social media editor for the Kinder Institute. She wrote this piece for the institute's blog, The Urban Edge. Bookmark Gray Matters. People often say at the beginning, "Yuck, the job is there. We'll go for a couple of years." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A bill that would require specialists who treat children with autism to be licensed in Texas passed the full Senate in Austin this week after some push-back from the psychology community. SB 589, sponsored by Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, would require licenses for applied behavior analysts, who are mostly known for their treatment of autism. An amended version of the bill passed 25-6 on Monday and is now being reviewed in the Texas House. Supporters say the legislation is needed to regulate the profession. If enacted, Texas would join 26 other states in requiring applied behavior analysts to be licensed. "We are overjoyed with all of the support we had from the senators," said Dorothea Lerman, director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the University of Houston Clear Lake and president of the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis. "They seem to understand the importance of this bill. Given adequate time in the House, we believe they will pass it." The amended bill would charge the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation with regulating the licenses. The original version assigned that task to the Texas Medical Board. Representatives of organizations such as the Texas Psychology Association have expressed opposition to the bill. Psychologists have said the licenses should be regulated by the Texas Board of Examiners of Psychologists because behavior analysis has origins in psychology. Applied behavior analysis is the most well-known and research-backed treatment for children in the autism spectrum. It breaks down weaknesses into small goals and rewards children for each goal completed. Treatment can require up to 40 hours per week of one-on-one time and can cost tens of thousands of dollars. One in every 68 children in the U.S. are autistic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1,300 behavior analysts in Texas are certified through the the national Behavior Analysts Certification Board, which requires at least a master's degree from a credible behavior analysis program at a university, along with field work and other requirements. But without a requirement for licensure, anyone can practice behavior analysis with little to no experience. Supporters say the law could also lead insurance providers that do not cover the practice to change their policies. The bill includes exemptions for other licensed professionals such as psychologists, who have their own licensure requirements. In the last legislative session, the House passed a behavior analysis licensure bill before it stalled in the Senate. This session, stakeholders pushed the bill through the Senate first because it already has support in the House. The session ends May 29. The small crisis takes place countless times at the lunch hour in schools across Greater Houston: Students have no lunch money, for all sorts of reasons. The solution du jour in many area school districts is cheese on bread, which officials describe as a necessary balance between child nutrition and fiscal responsibility. While not exactly Dickensian, these "alternative meals" are the best the school officials say they are able to do. Friendswood ISD is one of four area districts that serve regular meals instead of meager alternative ones. Friendswood ISD's total debt for unpaid meals is $3,565. If Friendswood ISD students don't have lunch for the day, the district provides them with the same lunch being served to other students. "It's more cost-effective for us that way," district spokeswoman Dayna Owen said. "This way, our staff isn't having to make two separate lunches to account for students who, for whatever reason, don't have lunch that day. They're just served the same thing as everyone else; we already have the lunches ready." The lunch tab accumulates and the student's family is asked to pay the final tab at the end of the year. More Information CITY ELECTION RESULTS Mayor: nulla facidunt nim exerilisim ver sim volenisit ip eugue ver Council: summolor ipiscil landiamet ipis aliquating etuero core See More Collapse Owen said that the district feels that it's important, not only for students to have a good meal, but also that they not feel ostracized if they don't have money for lunch that day. "We don't want them to feel embarrassed," Owen said. "Giving them the same lunch as everyone else can help with that." Neighboring Pearland ISD, which has an unpaid school lunch debt of $2,623, continues to serve a hot meal until a lunch account is $5 overdrawn. At that point, cafeteria workers are instructed to set aside the regular lunch tray, and students are given a sack lunch with a cheese sandwich, a vegetable and a carton of milk. Alvin ISD, with a lunch debt of $8,178, serves an alternate meal of sandwishes with soy butter or peanut butter and jelly or cheese along with milk. Pearland ISD spokeswoman Kim Hocott says campus staff are sometimes able to bend the rules. "There are exceptions made every day in Pearland ISD. Every situation is handled on an individual basis," Hocott said in an email. "In those cases where the student is a victim of the parent's negligence, the hearts of our people go out to that child and help. Unfortunately, it is usually more reliable to count on our school personnel than on such parents." Hocott wrote that campus staff sometimes step in to help students. "Our principals, teachers and food services staff are incredibly receptive and generous toward students - and unfortunately more conscientious and prompt than some negligent parents," she wrote. "If the school knows there is a problem at home, they help. Every day, every week in this district, there are teachers, staff and principals who give of their own personal resources to take care of kids. Again, this includes food, clothing, school supplies and many other needs. Most of them do so without announcing it with trumpets." Jennifer Basich, director of child nutrition services in Alvin ISD, said, "Our district uses an online meal payment system that parents can access 24/7. It sends low balance reminders and lets parents know what their student is eating. In addition, it allows parents to pay for meals instantly. "From my perspective, school districts are doing everything they can to help students. This issue is a USDA issue," she said. "If we as a nation do not like collecting money from parents, we should make his program universally free. Unfortunately, collecting money and dealing with the downside of it has become the burden of school districts nationwide." The issue is sparking debate from Austin to Washington over the obligation increasingly low-income public schools face to feed kids who either haven't applied for free or reduced-price meals or don't have lunch money. One local critic known as the lunch angel has founded a local nonprofit to address school debts. At least five others have launched fundraisers. State legislators in Austin continue to propose fixes, including House Bill 2159, a proposal introduced by Rep. Helen Giddings (D-DeSoto), that would allow at least a two-week grace period for parents to repay the schools. Other states have taken stronger measures. New Mexico recently outlawed shaming students whose parents have fallen behind making payments. Schools will be required to work with parents to repay debts or apply for help. How to handle those at other campuses who still struggle to pay, yet do not sign up or qualify for help, remains up for debate. Nutrition directors endeavored to find a palatable solution. With free lunch for all unlikely, each developed a slightly different answer. "You can argue it either way," said Fred Walker, child nutrition director for Clear Creek ISD. "There's not a right or wrong answer to the whole situation, other than the kid is the one who suffers for it." Schools consider alternative meals a last resort. Children complain about them, prompting parents to confront the issue. Nearly half of 2,426 students who owed money this year in Alief ISD, for example, qualified for free lunch. But no one wants to take away a hot meal. And directors worry over sandwich stigma. To reduce shame, the child nutrition director for Stafford schools serves cheese sandwiches monthly for everyone. Unpaid meal policies differ beginning with the limit on how much can be charged to an empty account. That might be $1, as in Clear Creek ISD, or $20, as in Humble ISD. Meals across grade levels cost an average of $2.27. Schools also have various methods for contacting families. Often, they issue alerts when accounts get low and send home letters when they empty. "We all work on it," echoed Basich. "It's the lunch lady. It's the cashier. It's the principal. It's the secretary. It's the parents." The free meal provided when charges run out is often cheese on bread - usually cold, except at Deer Park ISD, where it's grilled. It is common in part because of peanut allergies. Some offer sides. All provide juice or milk. Of 32 area districts surveyed, only four served a regular meal instead of an alternative one to students who continue to be unable to pay. In addition to Friendswood and Houston, they are Spring Branch and Cypress-Fairbanks, which cover costs with accounts funded by donations. "There's some things you just can't skimp on," said Kenny Thompson, aka the lunch angel. "You can't skimp on a child's health." Kristi Nix contributed to this story Why are Harris County officials wasting millions in taxpayer money on high-dollar lawyers to defend a bail system that has now been declared unconstitutional by a federal judge? The county's handling of a class action lawsuit, which is intended to stop criminal court at law judges from jailing people simply because they're poor, continues to intrigue and outrage. But an exchange late Tuesday with two top county offices left me more baffled than ever. The injustice of the bail system has been clear for a long time. Most members of the county commissioner's court and several county officials agree that it can unfairly penalize poor people who can't make bail payments. We've gotten to the point where 75 percent of the people in the Harris County Jail haven't been convicted; they are people legally presumed innocent, sitting around waiting for adjudication, on taxpayers' dime. Many, accused of low-level offenses, pose no danger to the community a fact that county officials seem to have acknowledged as they begin implementing limited reforms. Yet, in court the county has defended the system and has assembled more than a dozen lawyers, some from expensive outside firms, to fight the lawsuit. Just last month, county commissioners voted 4-1 to hire high-profile DC litigator Charles Cooper, at $550 an hour, to represent 15 of the 16 judges in a potential appeal. Now that Chief U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal it should be noted, a Republican appointee -- levelled her devastating assessment of Harris County's rigid bail system a few days ago, ordering county officials to cease practices that violate misdemeanor defendants' rights to due process and equal protection, you'd think the elected officials who hold the purse strings would admit the futility of fighting the lawsuit and stop funding this exercise in fiscal irresponsibility. So, why doesn't the county just settle the lawsuit, and put the money it is spending on lawyers to better use? I got a surprising answer when I raised that question with the office of Ed Emmett, the county's chief executive. "We have consistently been told by the county attorney's office that the other side does not want to settle," Emmett said. The county attorney is Vince Ryan, whose office represents county officials in legal matters. The "other side" is the plaintiffs: two civil rights groups --Texas Fair Defense Project and Civil Rights Corps - and local law firm Susman Godfrey. Emmett's spokesman, Joe Stinebaker, said that while commissioners decide whether to keep funding the county's defense, they can only decide "based on honest and full advice of the county attorney's office." OK. But why would the civil rights groups and a law firm working pro bono to improve the system refuse to settle? Could that be true? "That's totally false," said Neal Manne of Susman Godfrey. "Anyone who claims it's impossible to settle or we were not willing to settle either has mistaken information or is intentionally not telling the truth." In 37 years, Manne said, he's never had a case he refused to settle. In this one, he said, he's met numerous times with county attorneys for mediation, at times discussing specific, written proposals. Since Rosenthal's scathing ruling, which found a clear likelihood the plaintiffs would ultimately prevail, Manne said no one at the county had approached him about a settlement. "Not a single person representing the county has even talked to me," he said. "They know where I work and they know my phone number." Another attorney for the plaintiffs echoed Manne's comments. "We've always from day one been willing and open to settle this case," said Alec Karakatsanis, who added that he has filed and settled many similar lawsuits. "And if the county is willing to abide by Judge Rosenthal's ruling and to stop the practice of keeping people in jail cells just because they can't make a monetary payment, then this case can settle." Thoroughly confused, I reached out to the county attorney's office. First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard promptly responded. I asked him if his office had really been recommending to Emmett and other commissioners not to settle because the other side wasn't interested. "I guess I can't comment on that because you're getting into settlement talks and we're not allowed to talk about that," he said. He did offer an observation: "It takes two parties to settle a case. We can make offers, we can make suggestions but unless they're accepted, there can't be a settlement." Well, yes. But failure to agree to specific terms of a settlement is very different from refusing to settle at all. I told Soard about Karakatsanis' offer to settle if the county would just abide by Rosenthal's ruling. At this point, it could save the county millions in legal fees. "If they make an honest promise and put it in writing we'll certainly look at it," Soard said. He noted that although his office can recommend a settlement, it can't mandate one; all the county officials named as defendants would have to agree. I asked if his office had made a decision on whether to appeal Rosenthal's ruling. Not yet, he said. I guess the high-profile D.C. attorney, Cooper, who stands to make $550 an hour on the appeal, will help make that decision. Folks, I don't know if somebody's lying or if it's just really poor communication. And I don't know if politics is at play: Ryan is a Democrat representing a mostly Republican group of commissioners and judges. But it's clear there's a failure in leadership somewhere. "As long as the county is picking up the tab for the judges," said Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, the lone vote against expensive appellate counsel, "I just don't think they're willing to settle if somebody else is paying for it." Sure, Ryan is legally required to provide an adequate defense to the judges, and the commission Emmett leads is required to pay for it. But we've surpassed adequate. Taxpayers are being charged millions for a mounting team of lawyers arguing on the side of injustice. Judges are routinely violating defendants' rights in an entrenched system of poverty jailing. This can't continue. Ryan and other county officials need to work together to settle this case. Stop wasting our tax dollars. Put them toward a cause that is worthy: a fair system of justice This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Amina Mabizari couldn't control her tears after she read the text message from her father. The 18-year-old's ability to articulate herself earned the Alief ISD senior one of 100 spots in the prestigious United States Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C., yet in that moment in March, she was unable to compose herself. Her father had opened a letter from Yale University, advising that Amina was likely assured a spot in the incoming freshman class. And the acceptance letters kept coming. When she checked online in April, she saw a college acceptance letter from Princeton. Then came one from Columbia. Others arrived from Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania. In all, Amina was accepted to seven of the Ivy League's eight institutions, with only Harvard putting her on a wait list. Each university only accepts 5 to 15 percent of applicants a year, making acceptance into just one unlikely for even high-achieving students. The Elsik High School senior is still shocked. She ultimately decided Monday to attend Yale. "The reason I applied to so many schools is that I didn't think I would get accepted to any of them," Amina said. "It's funny to say now after being accepted, but it's kind of unheard-of in Alief to be accepted to such top-tier schools." Alief ISD is a diverse district of 47,000 students in southwest Houston and other parts of Harris County. An Arlington, Texas, student was accepted into six and a Houston student was accepted into four last year. It's been a long journey for Amina since a kindergarten teacher gave her mother some bad news: Her child was the lowest-performing student in the class, struggling to read and identify letters. Amina's mother did not speak much English at the time but quickly picked it up after spending countless hours reading with Amina and helping her sound out letters and sounds. By the end of that school year, the kindergarten teacher said Amina had become her highest-achieving student. The next year, she took a test and was classified as "gifted and talented." But it wasn't just Amina's smarts that likely impressed admissions officers in America's most storied colleges. She was state president of the Texas Association of Student Councils, overseeing 1,300 schools across the state. She sits on Alief ISD Superintendent H.D. Chambers' advisory council and recently stepped down as president of Elsik High School's National Honor Society. Amina only started on her college applications during winter break, spending the first week and a half perfecting her personal essay. She wrote about her parents' hands - how her father's had worked to scratch out a living for his family in Algeria after his father was killed in that country's Revolutionary War, and how Amina's father ultimately clutched a scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. She aspires to get into politics, a departure from her three older siblings, all of whom are on track to become doctors. Amina dreams of perhaps attending law school and becoming a senator. But whatever she ends up doing, Amina said, she'll always be grateful for the resources and help she's gotten in Alief ISD. She said other students should never underestimate their ability to achieve. "Never give into this idea that you are in any way less than someone from a different area," Amina said. "You are just as capable as anyone else." A new settlement offer is on the table in the high-stakes federal lawsuit over Harris County's bail system, following a judge's ruling that poor people are wrongfully held in jail because they can't post cash bail. The offer came less than 24 hours after County Judge Ed Emmett told the Chronicle that he had been informed multiple times by the county attorney's office that the lawsuit couldn't be settled because attorneys for the inmates were unwilling to reach a deal. Emmett's comments brought an immediate offer: Agree to the terms outlined by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal and the lawsuit can be resolved. "If they're willing to settle today, we're happy to settle, and they could stop spending taxpayer money defending a hopeless cause," said attorney Neal Manne, a managing partner at Susman Godfrey, which is donating its services. The county has already spent more than $2 million to defend against the lawsuit, and commissioners court voted recently to hire a $550-an-hour lawyer from Washington, D.C. to help decide whether to appeal the judge's ruling. STRUCK DOWN: Judge rules against Houston's bail system Two civil rights groups - the Texas Fair Defense Project and Civil Rights Corp - joined with Susman Godfrey to sue Harris County last year on behalf of Maranda Odonnell, a single mother who was held for two days on a charge of driving without a license because she couldn't afford the $2,500 bail. Two similar lawsuits were merged into the case in August. Last week, the judge ordered the county to begin releasing indigent misdemeanor suspects on personal bonds without posting cash bail if they do not have other charges or warrants. WHAT'S NEXT: Harris County officials weighing options in bail reform lawsuit Emmett told Chronicle columnist Lisa Falkenberg Tuesday that commissioners have been told by the county attorney's office "that the other side doesn't want to settle." Manne, however, said the new settlement offer is just the latest attempt to reach an agreement. He said he submitted a settlement offer at the county's request on June 1 that led to two days of mediation in August. After that, the two sides exchanged multiple drafts of proposals to no avail. PUSH AND SHOVE: Commissioners exchange harsh words over bail bond lawsuit First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard said he is not opposed to further talks. "They've made offers; we've made offers," he said. "Certainly the county is willing to settle on terms that are reasonable. There's no question about that." He declined to comment on progress since Manne's offer late Tuesday. "In order to settle the case, the clients have to come to an agreement that's reasonable," he said. "It is not possible for the Harris County Attorney to settle the case over the objections of the client representatives." Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack, a former police officer and the longest-serving member of county government, said he is concerned about suspects who may fall through the cracks and commit other crimes. "There's more to it than people just going in and out of jail," he said. Radack and Commissioner Jack Mormon indicated they are awaiting direction from County Attorney Vince Ryan before making a decision about whether to appeal the judge's ruling. But for Commissioner Rodney Ellis, settling the case is the right way to go. "You want to settle the case? Close the checkbook," Ellis said. "The county is going to end up spending more on this then will be spent to redo the Astrodome." County Court at Law Judge Darrell Jordan, who is newly elected and the only one among 16 fellow judges being sued who does not oppose the lawsuit, said the county should abandon the legal fight. "I strongly urge all parties involved to embrace Judge Rosenthal's order and reach an agreement to settle this case post haste," he said. Rosenthal issued a temporary injunction after a lengthy hearing in March, finding that the county's bail policy violated the due process and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The judge granted the case "class action" status, meaning the ruling will affect bail proceedings for anyone arrested in the county on misdemeanors if they don't have other legal problems. County officials have been meeting to work out the logistics of implementing the order so that inmates can be released in a safe and orderly fashion if the county decides not to appeal, officials said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In the five decades after a gunman sprayed bullets from atop the University of Texas at Austin's landmark tower, killing more than a dozen people and wounding 32 more, the state's flagship university hadn't seen an on-campus murder. But UT mourned on Tuesday the stabbing death of freshman Harrison Brown, the second killing in two years on the Austin campus. Thirteen months ago, then-freshman Haruka Weiser was murdered, allegedly by a homeless teenager. "There is fear, and that fear is justified," UT President Greg Fenves said. "In 50 years, there had never been a violent murder, a murder on our campus, and to have two in one year is simply unexplainable. We have lots of emotions, including fear and distrust, and we recognize there is tremendous pain among the student body." A day of violence Monday left students rattled, taking to social media to grieve as local officials enhanced patrolling efforts. Campus is quiet as students feel confused and upset, said Reeti Banthia, a senior studying computer science. "This was harm done by a Longhorn to a Longhorn," Banthia said. Students, she said, walked in pairs on Tuesday. "People don't want to be alone right now." UT student Kendrex White, 21, is accused of fatally stabbing Brown and then injuring three other UT students with his knife. He was charged Tuesday with murder. One student injured in the stabbing has been identified through a GoFundMe page created on Tuesday. Stuart Bayliss is a graduate of Cinco Ranch High School, according to the page. It further states that his family resides in Katy and that his mother is a Katy ISD elementary school teacher. Later that afternoon, another stabbing injured one person in Austin's West Campus neighborhood. Police said Tuesday that they did not believe the stabbings were related. A man's body was later discovered Monday in a West Campus apartment, but officials say they do not believe the death is suspicious. 'Not a conspiracy' Austin Police and University of Texas Police Department officers are patrolling campus with "significant presence," UTPD Chief James Carter said. The department urged students to walk in pairs and stay in well-lit areas. Department of Public Safety troopers in vehicles, on motorcycles, on bikes and on horses will patrol the West Campus neighborhood all day, every day "until told otherwise," said DPS Commander Joe Ortiz. UT's counseling office extended open hours to be able to see more students Tuesday and Wednesday, and faculty and administrators will accommodate grieving students, Fenves said. Classes were canceled Monday afternoon but resumed Tuesday. A memorial fund has raised about $80,000 in Brown's honor, and students will gather Wednesday at a vigil. White struggled with mental health issues and was recently involuntarily committed in another city, Carter said. Carter said he did not believe White targeted individuals based on group affiliation, responding to social media rumors that White sought to hurt fraternity and sorority members. Vandals in April tagged UT fraternities with "rapist," "racist" and "kill frat boys." None of the people White allegedly stabbed on Monday wore Greek letter clothing, Carter said. "This was not a conspiracy - this was not a person that had a vendetta against any particular group," Carter said. Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said police should have alerted campus more quickly to the second stabbing. Social media posts in the early afternoon described someone threatening people with a knife, which university police initially said were not credible. Later in the evening, Austin Police confirmed that there was a stabbing on West Campus and attributed the delay to officers' focus on the initial investigation. Urged to stay alert UT and police officials pieced together a timeline of the violence through dozens of interviews. In the first stabbing, White was observed leaving the Student Activities Center in the early afternoon, "appearing normal," Carter said. He then kicked a female student as he walked past her near the Gregory Gymnasium. Shortly after, police said, he stabbed Brown before walking south and then stabbed another student in the back of the head at a picnic table plaza. He walked further south and allegedly stabbed two more students near a campus food truck. White then allegedly entered Jester West dorm brandishing the knife. There, police took him into custody. UTPD's fast response, Carter said, likely saved students' lives. A woman who answered the phone at a number listed for White hung up when reached by a reporter two times Monday. The stabbing in West Campus occurred when a man saw another man pointing a knife at a woman. The observer "charged" the man, and the two struggled, Manley said. The observer saw that the suspect had stabbed his lower leg. Manley told students to stay alert around campus. "Be aware of who's around you. We all walk around with our cell phones, our iPhones, our tablets," he said. "We have earbuds in - we listen to music, and sometimes we lose sense of our surroundings." Nicole Cobler and Will Axford contributed to this report. The transition bank created on the basis of Diamantbank declared insolvent earlier will have enough attractive assets, and the bank has a potential investor, Diamantbank Board Chairman Oleh Khodachuk has said. "In four days after the introduction of interim administration the bank's employees carried out titanic work resulted in submitting an application of a qualified investor on the first working day of next week. This will be done using the creation of a transition bank that will be sold to the investor with the transfer of assets and liabilities of the insolvent bank to the investor and the liquidation of the insolvent bank," he wrote on his Facebook page on April 28. Khodachuk said that the Individuals Deposit Guarantee Fund on Friday announced the start of an open tender among preliminarily qualified investors. He said that the bank's managers plan to compensate all deposits to the public and a part of deposits of companies in the transition bank. Earlier he said that the total funds on the correspondent account at the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), accounts in banks for security deposit for payment systems and cash in the bank's cash desks at the moment of the introduction of interim administration amounted to UAH 600 million. Khodachuk said that the deposits were assessed using a stress scenario that envisages selling property used as collateral at the liquidation prices and the bank's property at a low price, as well as the appraisal of the credit portfolio with 70% discount. As reported, the NBU on April 24 recognized Diamantbank (Kyiv) insolvent. Following the National Bank's decision, the Individuals' Deposit Guarantee Fund decided to withdraw the bank from the market by introducing temporary administration for one month - until May 23, 2017. Diamantbank was registered by the NBU in November 1993. According to the bank, as of January 1, 2017 its largest shareholders were Ihor Kerez (44.4918% indirectly), Davyd Zhvaniya (23.81%), Andriy Schukin and Viacheslav Tsyhanenko (12.28% each indirectly). The bank ranked 24th among 93 operating banks as of January 1, 2017, in terms of total assets worth UAH 7.414 billion, according to the NBU. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN - With less than a month before the Texas Legislature adjourns, tensions are rising in both chambers as bills are bottled up in committees awaiting action or waiting to be assigned to one. And with deadlines for passing bills fast approaching, proposals on many key issues are sitting idle, including the controversial "bathroom bill," a ban on texting while driving, and "Jenny's Law," designed to keep crime victims from being jailed. The Legislature's top task - passing the state budget - also remains unresolved, as the House and Senate remain at odds over how to pay for competing spending plans. In a solidly red state where both chambers are overwhelmingly Republican, the paralysis might seem surprising. But the same problem is playing out in Washington, where Republican President Donald Trump has GOP control of the U.S. House and Senate but has been unable to pass major legislation so far. In Austin, Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday blamed the lack of progress on ideological divisions between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus, as well as Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to maintain a low-key presence. "The backlog (of bills) is worse this year than I've ever seen it because of the split between the House and Senate - really a civil war," said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat who has been in the Legislature since 1991. "If the two chambers weren't so far apart on ideological issues, you wouldn't see the problem we're now facing. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up in a special session over the budget." More Information Stuck in limbo BATHROOM BILL: The House and Senate remain far apart on a bill to limit access to restrooms based on birth certificates.TEXTING BAN: A state-wide ban on texting while driving has passed the House but not the Senate. JENNY'S LAW: A bill prompted by a Houston rape victim being jailed by officials passed the Senate but not the House. See More Collapse Patrick-Straus divide Republicans likewise have expressed concerns about the divide between leaders in their party, most apparent in the split between Patrick and Straus on everything from the "bathroom bill" to the state budget. The strain has been particularly evident in disagreements over raising the revenue needed to fund state government. At one point, Straus went so far as to call out Senate budget writers for allegedly "cooking the books" with an "Enron-esque" accounting gimmick. Even lawmakers who are less pessimistic acknowledged that having hundreds of bills awaiting action in both legislative chambers has started the nail-biting. That urgency was underscored by Abbott signing his first bill into law on Tuesday, House Bill 89, that prohibits state contracts and investments with companies that boycott Israel. Aside from the budget, which House and Senate negotiators profess to be moving to resolve significant differences on a spending blueprint that'll probably end up around $218 billion, the two chambers remain far apart on the Senate "bathroom bill" that would limit access to restrooms and locker rooms based on the sex listed on a person's birth certificate. While it's passage is a priority for hard-line grass-roots GOP conservative Patrick, it's off any list for the more moderate House Speaker and his lieutenants. The tough Senate-passed version has floundered in the House, which has a much softer version that remains stuck in a committee. A statewide ban on texting while driving, which passed the House weeks ago, has not yet come up for a vote in the Senate. No 'Jenny's Law' vote At the same time, "Jenny's Law" which was prompted by a Houston rape victim being jailed to ensure she would show up in court, passed the Senate but has not yet come to a vote in the House. That legislation, supported by prosecutors statewide, resulted from a tragic case detailed in the Chronicle's "Serial Indifference" series that exposed loopholes in current state law. A bill that would require mentally ill sex offenders to be transferred to state hospitals rather than kept in a state treatment program is languishing in the House, not yet assigned to a committee for an initial hearing even though the Senate approved it a month ago. Though state mental health officials have been reluctant to accept those offenders - three in all, all from Houston and all adjudged by a court to be mentally incompetent with no chance of regaining their sanity - but state officials warn that keeping them in a treatment program they cannot understand and can never complete leaves Texas vulnerable to having its program found unconstitutional like other states that faced the same issue and did nothing. On abortion issues, Senate-passed bills seeking to expand the state's anti-abortion stance have not advanced in the House where support is less ardent. A Senate-passed bill that would allow the state to opt out of covering abortions was referred to House State Affairs Committee on Monday, less than three weeks before it must get a hearing and be voted out, and another Senate measure to prohibit so-called "dismemberment" abortions, has not yet to a committee in the House, where support appears tepid compared to the Senate. Education bills stalled On the Senate-passed "school choice" bill that would allow parents to use state funds to enroll their students in private and parochial schools, the bill in the House is stalled in a committee and funding for the initiative was expressly banned from the House budget. Significant school-finance reform, a hot issue in the House, has gained little traction in the Senate. Much the same is true, so far, for constitutional carry of handguns and a ban on sanctuary cities, which House and Senate leaders disagree on. "There are a lot of bills backed up, yes, but what you're seeing is the dog days of May in the Legislature," said Houston Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a key Patrick lieutenant who chairs the Senate Republican Caucus. "Whatever bills are coming down the hill to us from the House will be heard, as time allows, but it's true that the deadlines to pass bills are approaching. "This is what happens every session at this time." Bobby Cervantes and Andrea Zelinski contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on Tuesday backed away from his office's assertion that suspected armed robbers last week fired at police first before the officers fatally shot a 16-year-old and wounded two other teens. "It's my understanding that the individuals involved did not fire weapons," Gonzalez said of the April 24 confrontation at a Jack in the Box restaurant in northwest Harris County, the first potentially high-profile shooting under his watch since Gonzalez was sworn in New Year's Day. The apparent turnaround by the sheriff's office comes one day after a suburban Dallas police chief acknowledged that an officer who fatally shot a 15-year-old in a moving vehicle on Saturday fired as the car was driving away - not as it reversed toward officers, as the department had previously said. The two Texas incidents come amid a national focus on violent police encounters, particularly with African-American men. The Dallas teen and the Houston teens are black. Gonzalez cautioned that his office's investigation has a long way to go and that he could not conclusively say the robbery suspects did not shoot at police. However, that marked a sharp change from the official account the sheriff's office released the morning after the incident. "As the suspects were attempting to flee, they ordered them to drop their weapons and surrender," the sheriff's office wrote on April 25. "The suspects fired their handguns at the officers, who returned fire striking all three suspects." Tuesday's announcement came after Gonzalez met briefly with the suspects' families and a community activist. The 16-year-old who was killed has been identified as Kendell Wilson. 'They never shot' Elvin May, father of the 15-year-old suspect who was critically injured, said after the meeting that he questioned whether the police could have avoided the violence. "If the police ran in there and automatically just started firing at the teens, then they weren't given a chance to surrender," May said. "I'm not condoning the behavior of these guys, but I think each party should be held responsible for their actions. I think it could have been handled more professionally - not like the wild, wild West." May said his son, who has not been identified because he is a juvenile, underwent another surgery Tuesday that lasted at least seven hours. Two others - 17-year-old Xavier Cox and 18-year-old Javalon Robinson - have been charged and remain in the Harris County Jail. The activist who accompanied the relatives blasted the original police account. "It's wrong," said Quanell X. "It's a lie. They never shot." He said he would seek a U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation, which Gonzalez said was premature. The activist also said video footage showed the three teens, part of a four-member crew suspected in as many as 10 other armed robberies and a carjacking, put down their weapons when police approached. A fourth suspect, Robinson, waited in a parking lot inside a getaway car. Quanell said restaurant employees told him the teens appeared to throw down their handguns, one of which was a nonfunctional replica, a point the sheriff confirmed. No specific details Quanell also said the sheriff told him forensic tests did not detect any gunshot-related residue on the teens' hands or clothes, or any evidence that the real handgun - a revolver - had been fired. The sheriff did not address that claim when he spoke with reporters, saying he did not go into details with the relatives because the investigation has just begun. He said he met with them as a courtesy. "We understand their perspective," Gonzalez said. "We spoke in generalities." The April 24 incident came after an interagency robbery task force identified the teens' vehicle and started to follow it, leading them to the Jack in the Box on Texas 6. The wounded suspect's father questioned why police did not pull over the teens' vehicle then. "If they were suspects, why not pull the vehicle over?" May asked. "Then you would protect the restaurant employees." However, a sheriff's lieutenant said there could be several reasons to wait, though he cautioned that he spoke generally and was not familiar with last week's incident. "Numbers play a huge role in that," said Lt. Eric Batton, vice president of the Harris County Deputies' Organization. "If it's just one officer, for officer safety, you're going to wait for a second officer or more." Plus, he said, officers need legal justification for an arrest. "You can suspect it's them, but you can't know it's them until they actually commit the offense," Batton said. "You've got reasonable belief, but you don't have the grounds to arrest them." Imminent threat The lieutenant said that officers in dangerous situations only need a reasonable concern about an imminent threat. Legally, they are not limited to shooting only when shot at. "When someone has a weapon, it's statistically proven that action is faster than reaction," Batton said. "Waiting for somebody to shoot you isn't exactly in your best interest." In last week's shooting, the first officers on the scene were joined by Houston police officers, Harris County sheriff's deputies and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers. They surrounded the building and called on a megaphone for the armed suspects to come out, witness video showed. Houston police and state troopers opened fire near the restaurant entrance. The sheriff confirmed Tuesday that deputies were not among those who fired. In general, Gonzalez added, the sheriff's office is "not afraid of transparency." The Associated Press contributed to this report. A tornado watch is in effect for Chambers, Trinity, Polk and San Jacinto counties until 5 p.m. Wednesday, said Scott Overpeck, spokesman for the National Weather Service. Showers will continue in the Houston area through Wednesday morning. More severe weather will hit the city around 6 p.m., as a cold front heading through North Texas during the morning moves south into Houston. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MOSCOW - Anzor was lying on a dirty floor as a man in army boots jumped on his back. His agony worsened when his captors started torturing him with electric shocks. "It's a feeling like they are breaking every bone of every joint in your body at the same time," he said. Anzor is a gay man from Chechnya, the predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia where dozens of men suspected of being gay were reportedly detained and tortured, and at least three of them were allegedly killed. After his ordeal, Anzor fled Chechnya and is now in hiding in Moscow, fearing not only for his own life but for the safety of his relatives. He spoke with the Associated Press on the condition of using only his first name. 'Unprecedented' abuse Antipathy to homosexuality in Russia is widespread. Gay rights activists' requests to hold rallies are routinely rejected by officials and any rallies that do take place are often attacked by anti-gay thugs. But "this anti-gay purge, sanctioned by top local authorities, is unprecedented," said Tanya Lokshina, the Russia program coordinator for Human Rights Watch. Another gay man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the AP that he was also arrested in Chechnya and held with dozens of others. "We were tortured every day. Beside beatings, we were beaten several times a day with polypropylene tubes. We were tortured with electricity," he said. "For 20-30 seconds they spin the handle, you feel the electricity, then you fall down, they stop it, and then immediately you come back to consciousness and you are ready again for a new discharge," he said. "And it goes on five, six, seven times." The abuse was first reported in April by the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which said that about 100 men suspected of being gay were rounded up and tortured, and that at least three were killed. Western governments and rights groups have urged Russian authorities to investigate. Chechen officials vehemently deny not only the reported torture of gays, but sometimes their very existence. "There are no homosexuals in Chechnya. You cannot detain and persecute those who do not exist," Alvi Karimov, a spokesman for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, told the Interfax news agency. Anzor, who talked to the AP at a safe house provided by LGBT activists, fears for the lives of his family members who will become pariahs in the patriarchal Chechen society if his identity is revealed. "Sometimes families turn away from such people, some families get rid of such people," he said of gays. No explanations Anzor, in his 40s, said the ordeal began when police stopped the car in which he was riding with friends in the town of Argun. They were taken to a police station after officers found a sedative pill on one friend. Small details that Anzor didn't want to make public led the police to believe that he and one of his friends were gay, he said. They were brutally beaten in front of the police station chief and taken to a shed. Anzor spent 10 days there. He said the shed had dozens of men who were beaten and abused by camouflaged men. In the first few days, the beatings were so frequent that he stopped feeling any pain, Anzor said. Inmates were made to attach the clamps of electric wires to their toes and fingers - and the captors would then turn on the power. Then the torture stopped. Several days later Anzor was taken outside and told that he was free to go - without any explanation. LGBT activists have been meeting with foreign diplomats, pleading that granting a visa to gay survivors of torture could be a matter of saving their lives. Tatyana Vinnichenko, head of the Russian LGBT Network, said with dismay that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow has been "unwilling to engage in a dialogue on visas for the torture victims." In Washington, the U.S. State Department told the AP that it was "unable to discuss individual cases" since visa records are confidential but added that it "categorically condemns the persecution of individuals based on their sexual orientation." After he was released, Anzor stayed in Chechnya to tend to his ailing mother, but eventually felt compelled to leave. "I think Putin knows about it, he knows it even better than me - he is the president of Russia after all," he said. "I don't know why he allows all of this to happen." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Backward step in Austin Regarding "Fear and loathing" (Page A29, April 30), one cannot help but ask oneself: Why can't these GOP lawmakers see the chaos and the family tragedies this Senate Bill 4 will cause? Do the GOP lawmakers not have a heart? Apparently not, as they weren't listening to their minority colleagues opening up their hearts for the good of their communities. Unfortunately, it will not be the GOP's families where the tragedies will occur due to this bill. Blanca E. Blanco, Houston Woes of teen pregnancies Texas has the highest rate of repeat teen births nationally, and the fifth highest rate of teen births overall. Teen childbearing costs the state $1.1 billion annually-an astounding and completely preventable price tag. Teen childbearing costs the state through lost wages and an increased reliance on social services-86 percent of babies born to adolescents are paid for by Texas Medicaid. Fortunately, some legislators are working to address this challenge. Because 18- and 19-year-olds account for the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Texas, many of these pregnancies happen at a critical time, when finishing high school or beginning college. To encourage college completion, HB 3195 calls for a requirement that each public institution of higher education develop and implement a strategic plan for the prevention of sexual assault and unplanned pregnancy. SB 2109 is the companion bill. Also, under current law teen parents have authority to seek medical treatment for their child, but because they are minors themselves, most cannot access effective contraception without the consent of their parents. HB 1373 has been introduced to allow minor parents to obtain contraception. Reducing the rate of teen pregnancy is a non-partisan issue and a smart public policy goal. Gwen Daverth, CEO and president, Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Bail system and rhetoric Regarding "County works on cash bail fix" (Page A3, Tuesday), I am encouraged by the response to the federal court ruling on cash bail in Harris County. I realize that the judicial system is large, complicated and moves at a glacial pace. Government agencies in Texas seem to count on this when passing laws and setting policy. The ruling was inevitable and now that it is in place, it is time to stop whining, roll up our sleeves and get to work. I am, however, disturbed by Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack's reaction, "Just because somebody has been charged with a Class B or A misdemeanor doesn't mean that's a person that's a real nice person, that's real trustworthy and hasn't been involved in an active assault." This statement expresses two misconceptions. The first is that the ability to post bail makes a criminal less likely to be violent. Radack gives no evidence to support this implication, which cynically plays right into the middle-class misconception that the poor are to be feared. Secondly, it implies that the ends justify the means. This is exactly the line of reasoning that led the Harris County District Attorney's office jailing a mentally ill rape victim. It's time to put rhetoric aside and get to the business at hand. It is past time to stop jailing people for being poor. Susan Miller Jackson, Houston North Korea and China Regarding "N. Korea tests missile amid renewed pressure" (Page A8, Saturday), another new president, another crisis with North Korea. What we see happening with North Korea is a test of President Trump by North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un. North Korea is a small isolated country with a huge military. The only way North Korea was able to do this is because it has a very powerful friend. China uses North Korea to keep the U.S. in a vise. While America ties itself in knots over North Korea, China under its president, Xi Jinping, is quietly spreading its economic aid and influence around the world. While America gets bogged down in wars and military confrontations, China continues to expand its economy and influence. China does not want to be the world's policeman. Eventually what happened to the Soviet Union will happen to America. Military spending and endless wars will bankrupt us. Gonzalo Martinez, La Porte Technology and smart policy are the reasons Texas is the No. 1 oil and natural gas producing state in world's No. 1 oil and natural gas producing country. Texans are experts at responsibly producing oil and natural and safely transporting those resources - through more pipeline miles than any other state - to refineries and manufacturers who make the products we use every day. And now the Texas Legislature has an opportunity to help Texans maximize all that is possible because of the shale revolution. Lawmakers should support policy that will help manufacturers get their natural gas-made products to our ports, where massive international markets await. Here's how modernized transportation policy intersects with abundant oil and natural gas and the unmatched manufacturing capabilities in Texas: First, natural gas is the raw material used to make 96 percent of the products we use each day like cellphones, laptops, shampoo, eyeglasses and heart valves. And that natural gas is in Texas, in spades. Texas is home to more than one-fourth of the nation's proven natural gas reserves. One-third of the 100 largest natural gas-producing fields in the United States are located, in whole or in part, in Texas. Because of abundant, readily available natural gas, petrochemical manufacturing in Texas is booming. Texas is now a global leader in petrochemical manufacturing exports, with the U.S. Trade Office documenting 1.1 million Texas jobs supported by exports in 2014. A fifth of Texas' $289 billion in exported goods in 2014 were linked to Texas oil and gas production. Texas chemical manufacturers are far and away the biggest user of natural gas, which they use to manufacture chemical products - namely polyethylene beads - that are the primary component of plastic products. Texas manufacturers export these essential building blocks all over the world, helping to cement Texas as the No. 1 exporting state of manufactured goods for 14 years running. However, Texas manufacturers face challenges getting their products to Texas ports for export. The gross weight limit on Texas highways under current state law is 80,000 pounds, with special permits allowing only limited increases - a restriction that forces trucks to transport partially empty containers to Texas ocean-going ports on the Gulf of Mexico. These restrictions dramatically increase international shipping costs for Texans in an industry where containers transported in ocean traffic are typically charged a fixed rate regardless of weight. Unnecessarily high costs slow job growth. Texas must modernize our road weight limits while maintaining and enhancing safety on our roads. Every other container port in the nation, including Louisiana, has modified state law to create International Trade Transportation Corridors that allow modern trucks to safely carry fully loaded containers to deep water port facilities. But Texas is behind on this front. Fortunately, a solution for Texas is at hand. Passage of HB 3854, legislation introduced by Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, chair of the House Transportation Committee, would allow truckers in Texas to purchase special permits that would allow exporters to safely transport fully loaded containers along specially designated International Trade Transportation Corridors to Texas ocean-going ports on the Gulf of Mexico. This bill addresses this serious competitiveness gap, while requiring improvements to the permitted trucks, which will improve transportation safety, reduce impact on our roads and provide new permit revenue to support infrastructure investment in Texas. The Texas House needs to prioritize HB 3854 - a bill that has already passed the Texas State Senate and cleared the House Transportation Committee - to complete the job of positioning Texas highways competitively in international trade. Reasons to pass HB 3854 are urgent and compelling: We have the natural gas. We have the manufacturing capabilities. As a result, Texas is the epicenter of the multi-billion-dollar expansion of petrochemical manufacturing in the United States. What we need now is a modern transportation policy to safely and efficiently get these products to international markets to keep our accolades firmly intact. Staples is president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association and former Texas Agriculture Commissioner. As former missionaries, Mike and Kim Brannan are accustomed to helping others. But after historic floodwaters tore through their business, they were the recipients of aid. About 60 citizens came to the Brannans rescue Monday morning to clean up the significant damage at Ozark Resale Company. Brushy Creek ripped through the store Saturday, destroying two sides of the building, ruining inventory and scattering material throughout the area. It was a devastating blow. But the outpouring of support, Kim said, renewed their strength. We really feel like we expanded our family, she told those gathered to assist. We greatly appreciate all you have done. We love you back and hope we can love you as well as youve loved us today. Those helping many the Brannons church family at Faith Fellowship separated destroyed products from those that were not damaged, swept out water inside the building and gathered items that had washed into the yard. It took the volunteers less than three hours to finish. Im overwhelmed by the amount of people who have shown up, Mike Brannon said. Theyve made small work of it. The building beside the former bowling alley at U.S. 63 and Highway B has flooded before. But nothing this significant. Mike Brannan said as rain fell and the river rose, he stayed the night Friday inside the building. By 7 a.m. Saturday, he said the water was filling the parking lot and approaching the building. He said he and his son-in-law began sandbagging the front door and moving products to higher shelves. But the water quickly rose. The men put on lifejackets that were for sale inside the store and called for assistance. It raised about three feet in 30 minutes, Brannan said. Once we realized it had gotten that high, we called a buddy, and he threw a rope out to get us across because we couldnt get out of the building without it. The water crested around 9:30 a.m., Brannan said, and he re-entered the building to access damage. He said there had only been a few inches of water that made it inside. Brannan said things were in good shape when he left at 2 p.m. for Springfield. He had an appointment there to pick up items for Rascalz, a youth center he is building in downtown Houston. Around 3:50 p.m., Brannon received a phone call from his son-in-law. The water rose again and was inside the building. Stuff started floating down the river, Brannan said. We lost the propane tank and stuff out of the back of the building. Weve lost 60 percent thats not here anymore or damaged beyond repair. Brannan said the sandbags at the front door held. But the building was compromised by a large hole on the north side that allowed the water to sweep through the store and burst another hole on the south end. Brannan believes something crashed into the metal building and created the hole. We have stuff inside (the building) thats not mine, Brannan said. Something hit the building. Volunteers moved the undamaged products to the front room of the building so they could be auctioned. Brannan said he would use the proceeds to reopen the business. And he is still committed to opening Rascalz, which is funded by profits from Ozark Resale Company. Ill open up again, he said. I dont know how, where or when. But Ive had a lot of people say, Hey, were sorry. Are you going to open again? The volunteers who helped he and his family clean up made the first step an easier one. We hope you understand how much we feel loved, Kim Brannan said. U.S. govt officially approves plan for $37.5 mln allocated to Ukraine for combating HIV/AIDS The U.S. government has formally approved an operational plan that outlines the allocation of $37.5 million allocated to Ukraine under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the press service of the Center for Public Health (PHC) of the Ukrainian Health Ministry said. "This decision was made during an official meeting in Johannesburg (South Africa) on April 24-26, 2017," a PHC statement says. Earlier, the PHC reported that within the framework of the PEPFAR program the U.S. government would allocate $37.5 million to Ukraine for 2017-2018 to fight HIV/AIDS. Deputy Health Minister Oksana Syvak said that most of the funds would be allocated for improving the quality of services for members of risk groups. A Texas County man has set up a flood relief fund at a local bank and is orchestrating a raffle to generate even more funding. Bado resident Joseph Neal said the Texas County Flood Relief Fund now has an account at Landmark Bank, and that raffle tickets are available for $5 apiece at Crowleys HomeWorks and VIP Realty in Houston. Neal runs a business that dismantles old barns and sells the wood to other firms that use it to create new items. He said the raffle features four prizes made by Antique Barnwood Reclaimers, of St. Louis Park, Minn., including a door (and accompanying bracketing), a coffee table, an end table and a set of five shelves. Neal and his crew will install the door and shelving for the winners of each of those items. The raffle drawing will take place May 20. Donations to the fund can be made at any Landmark Bank location (the last four digits of the account are 7455). Neal said local government officials would delegate expenditure of collected funding. For more information, call Neal at 417-217-8418. Police say a flower shop owner stole plants and other items from graves at a New Jersey cemetery for months. Capt. Christopher DePuyt says police installed surveillance cameras at the First Reformed Church Cemetery in Pequannock Township after two plants disappeared from the mausoleum and replacement plants were stolen two days later. He says the cameras caught a woman in a minivan taking the plants and Riverdale officers recognized her as a former police dispatcher and current flower shop owner. Authorities charged 59-year-old Lynda Wingate, of Riverdale, with the disorderly persons offense of theft of moveable property. DePuyt says Wingate claimed she was cleaning up old flowers from graves of people she knew, but he says that isnt the case. A message seeking comment was left at her flower shop. ASSOCIATED PRESS An online exclusive is an article or story that does not run in the print edition of the Houston Herald. Typically 2-3 are posted online every Wednesday morning. Its another feature designed for users who purchase full web access from the Herald. Click here to subscribe for print, digital or both. Historic flooding in Texas County closed highways, caused widespread damage and led to multiple water rescues over the weekend. Fortunately, no lives were lost. Officials estimate $4 million in damages after about 16 inches of rainfall was dumped in the region in a three-day span. As waters began to recede, 40 county roads remained closed Monday. It seems like we have more closed roads than open roads, Texas County Sheriff James Sigman said. Heavy rain began falling Friday and by Saturday morning, floodwaters were rising at unprecedented levels. Highway 17 at Dogs Bluff was among the areas that had never closed before that were shut down. Faith Fellowship, a church just past the area, canceled its Sunday services due to the uncertain forecast and fear of rising waters. The Houston School District dismissed Monday classes due to flooded roads on bus routes a first in recent history. Ive been teaching at Houston for 25 years, elementary teacher Sheryl Hock wrote on Facebook. Many years ago we dismissed early so students could get home before the roads were impassable. However, I do not recall missing a whole day because of flooding. Texas County activated its emergency management operations center at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Texas County Administrative Center on Grand Avenue as the magnitude of the disaster became known. Township representatives gathered in Houston to discuss plans to begin the difficult task of repairing some bridges and numerous roads in the county. Kristie Miller carries an item out of Millers Garage, owned by her husband, Rustin, as water surrounds the business Saturday afternoon on Walnut Street in Houston. Sigman, who said his department participated in several water rescues, slept on a cot in his office over the weekend. When you know youre only going to get a couple of hours of sleep, theres no need in going home, he said. Traffic increased on U.S. 63 through Houston around noon Sunday as vehicles from Interstate 44 were detoured here. Portions of I-44 are expected to be closed for days. The magnitude of the high water merited a Houston, Mo. mention Monday on NBCs Today Show. Even by noon Sunday, when the Big Piney River had begun receding, its level was still at 36 feet. As far as I can remember, thats 10 feet higher than its ever been, said Sgt. Jeff Kinder, spokesperson for Troop G of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Nobody could have believed that was going to happen. FLOODING BEGAN SATURDAY MORNING Heavy rain began falling Friday overnight on already saturated ground. In the city of Houston, Brushy Creek was out of its banks and a Walnut Street/Highway F bridge was closed. The roadway was reopened Tuesday. At 11:30 a.m., the south end of Highway 17 from the Dogs Bluff Bridge was reported one foot over the roadway. Discussing the situation Saturday afternoon on Walnut Street, are, from left, Houston firefighter Jon Cook, City of Houston emergency management director Jeremy St. John and Sharp Shooters Gun & Pawn owner Gary Parish. Cass Township had 18 roads closed on Saturday. Near the Big Piney River west of Licking a large stretch of Highway 32 near the Sand Shoals Bridge was washed away, red clay exposed under the road and pavement gone. In Houston, there were nine power outages Friday night and Saturday during the strongest portions of the storm. Sigman said the swollen Big Piney River caused heavy damage to the Slabtown Bridge on Highway AF in north-central Texas County. That bridge will need close inspection before they reopen it, because they have to if water goes over the top and it was definitely over the top, he said. It took a pretty good jolt; something hit it so hard that the top guard rail has a big horseshoe in it. Many other county bridges, Sigman said, will require attention before being usable again. A lot of them didnt just have debris on them, but actual trees over them, he said. That will need to be cut up, pushed off and cleaned up, but then theres still running water. You cut a stump off and block the flow and youve created another problem. PROPERTY DAMAGED IN HOUSTON Owners of businesses at U.S. 63 and Walnut Street in Houston scurried Friday in the middle of the night to save as much inventory as possible, stacking livestock feed and home improvement items in an attempt to prevent them from being overcome by the immensely swollen waters of Brushy Creek. I lost just about everything, said Mike Brannan, owner of Ozark Resale Company. I hope I can recover from this. I stacked up as much feed as I could and I moved my aluminum trailer at about 3:30 to make sure it didnt float away, said Beasley Feed owner Randy Beasley. After another heavy downpour around 3 p.m. Saturday, a frequent trouble spot resurfaced at Brushy Creek. A propane tank and dumpster were seen floating down the stream near Oak Hill Drive and Highway F (Walnut Street). Sharp Shooters, a pawnshop, and nearby Millers Garage had water in the structures. Owner Rustin Miller and his wife, Kristie, quickly pulled items from the building as water rose to thigh level. Two parked vehicles outside the business had to be pulled to dry land. BOILING SPRINGS RESORT HIT HARD At Boiling Springs Resort on Highway BB west of Licking, co-owners Joaquin Torrans and Jennifer Bernard said the resort was all but entirely eliminated. The iconic general store collapsed in on itself, only one of nine cabin rental units was left standing although it was damaged beyond repair and the triplex rental unit across from the store remained standing but was damaged beyond repair. The doublewide mobile home where Torrans, Bernard and their two children called home was completely washed away. The family had endured a catastrophic flood shortly after buying the resort in late 2015, and had steadily rebuilt the business since. I couldnt look this time, Bernard said. Its kind of like watching somebody die. The couple said they have plans to reopen again, even perhaps offering tent camping and RV hookups by Memorial Day. Its t-minus 27 and counting, Bernard said Tuesday. LIGHTNING STRIKE KILLS 32 COWS A veterinarian confirmed 32 certified organic cows died from a lightning strike after Texas County dairy farmer Jared Blackwelder found them dead on his property Saturday afternoon. I went down over the hill and seen them laying there, an emotional Blackwelder told USA Today. They were just piled on top of each other. They were huddled up, trying to get out of rain. Cow carcasses lie scattered after a deadly lightning strike early last Saturday morning near Cabool. Its not like they are pets. But the ones Im milking, Ive raised every one of them, he said. Dairy cattle are a little different because you mess with them twice a day. It knocks you hard. Blackwelder said he has insurance, but hes not sure if it will cover his total loss. His cows are certified organic and about twice the price of conventional cattle, he said. He estimated each cow was worth $2,000-$2,500 for a total loss of more than $60,000. Blackwelder still has about 120 cows remaining on his farm just outside of Cabool. RECOVERY WILL TAKE TIME Emergency management director Keith Follin and the three Texas County commissioners met Monday morning with 11 of the countys 17 townships. The hardest hit was Cass Township, with $1 million in damage. Follin said he has been in touch with emergency agencies for assistance with flood relief. But with more damage in West Plains and other areas, he believes assistance might take some time. Emergency response personnel block the roadway as flood waters flow over Highway 17 last Saturday afternoon near Industrial Drive in Houston. Sigman is hopeful that government funding will eventually allow for Army Corps of Engineers crews to bring in heavy equipment to fix the roads. The townships really have their hands full, and I dont think any of them have the loaders and things theyre going to need, he said. Graders arent going to fix everything this time. Its going to be a process. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday released guidance on recent flooding. The DNR Disaster Resources webpage dnr.mo.gov/disaster.htm provides fact sheets to aid in both preparing for and recovering from recent floods, and reporting any potential hazardous substance containers or propane tanks that have been affected by the flooding. Individuals using private wells that may have been flooded may contact their local health public agencies for a free water test and boil order procedures. The Texas County Health Departments number is 417-967-4131. The southwest Missouri DNR office number is Southwest Regional Office 417-891-4300. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. The United States remains committed to a further financial support for Ukraine, Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk has said. "The Ukrainian delegation I headed took part in the annual spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in the United States [held on April 18-23]... In Washington important meetings were also held with the new administration of the president of the United States, including with the key representative of the economic block of the administration - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross... I was assured that the financial support of Ukraine will continue because our country is of strategic importance in the region," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. Danyliuk said at a meeting with Ross he discussed the issue of attracting investments to Ukraine. "In the past a well-known financier from Wall Street understands well Ukraine's investment opportunities and the ways of realizing the potential of our country. The new administration is interested in developing bilateral economic relations and expanding the presence of American business in Ukraine. Now we are working on a specific list of potential joint projects, as well as the elimination of obstacles to attracting investment to the country," the minister said. creating new jobs by bringing in or expanding new businesses and investments finding replacement jobs for workers who have lost their jobs or are out of work jobs for future workers training students and training workers to grow in their jobs Lee said bringing in new companies and upgrading the ones already in Singapore has been the city-states winning formula over the past 50 years. [I]f we do not have the new companies, if we do not have a business friendly environment where people want to come, there will be no new jobs. He cited the case of Google, which opened a campus in Mapletree Business City, with about 1,000 people working there. Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have also received government help. Grandluxe, for example, started out as a book-binding shop in 1942. The companys business model was threatened by the rise of the digital medium. Lee said the SME managed to adapt to this trend by turning bookbinding into a premium craft. They started a new company that sells customised leather-bound notebooks. The government also aims to help workers who lose their jobs find new ones. Because the businesses have to restructure to survive, and technology is disrupting everything. So redundancies will continue even as our economy grows, said the prime minister. The government has expanded several schemes under its Adapt and Grow initiative. We have got the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP), we have go the Career Support Programme for PMETs, and we have got enhanced work trial support for the rank-and-file. So many programmes, so many names, it is a whole alphabet soup, said Lee. The Republic needs to take worker upgrading very seriously. He cited the global rise of job automation. In China, for example, there are smart factories not lots and lots of workers slaving over machines, but one worker in a big factory, with 20 machines. He is not operating it. He is supervising it, troubleshooting it, and monitoring it. It is big data, industry 4.0. IT, organisation, management, skills and discipline. Lee said some smart factory workers in China live in dorms built for them. At night, they take e-learning modules. The Chinese are now at that phase of development, and their workers are hungry. We may not be at that stage of development but unless we are as hungry as them and as determined as them to upgrade ourselves, and willing to put in as great an effort, I think our cheese will be stolen. Singapore maintains the SkillsFuture initiative. It helps Singaporeans develop skills relevant to the future, and build a future based on the mastery of skills, according to the Ministry of Manpower. The IMF [International Monetary Fund] has been monitoring these programmes all over the world and their report is that SkillsFuture is one of the most comprehensive such programmes they have seen, said the prime minister. Lee said the countrys productivity growth is improving. The country logged a 1% productivity growth in 2016, much better than the previous three years when the figure was close to zero. [W]ith productivity, the economy can continue to grow, even though our workforce is not expanding, even though we do not have more workers. We can produce more, we can be more prosperous, and our workers can earn more, he said. The challenge is to keep this up to continue innovating and raising productivity not just one year at a time but for many more years to come. Its been a long time since most of us worked 9 to 5, said Jason Walker, managing director of Hays the recruitment firm which commissioned the study. Many New Zealanders are working longer hours, which extend past standard business hours into our evenings and weekends. While the situation may be widespread, it seems many are starting to grow weary in fact, 66 per cent of New Zealand workers said employers should have a policy which encourages staff to limit the amount of time spent working after hours and on weekends. The same survey found that just 10 per cent of organisations currently have such a policy in place. Growing discontent is by no means unique to New Zealand last year, French workers won the legal right to disconnect from emails and phone calls outside of business hours. The policy came into force on 1st January 2017, and limits the encroachment of work during non-working hours by legally giving employees the right to turn off digital devices and technology as long as they work for a company with more than 50 staff. Coleman was joined by representatives from the Ministry of Health, ACC, DHBs and unions along with care worker Kristine Bartlett to sign the agreement in Parliament. Implementation of the settlement is complex as theres approximately 1,000 providers and 4,000 contracts that will need to be amended, said Coleman. To ensure workers receive their new wages from 1 July, unions are holding ratification meetings around the country and the Ministry of Health is holding regional meetings to help funders and providers better understand their obligations, he continued. Canadians particularly young women are pessimistic about women's future in the country, a new study shows. Nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they think women in Gen Z the generation after millennials will be just as likely or more likely to experience sexual assault than the generations that came before them, a study from the Canadian Womens Foundation found. Ninety-three percent of women aged 18 to 34 said they expect rates of sexual assault to remain stagnant or worsen. Advertisement Theres supposed to be hope, Paulette Senior, president and CEO of the Canadian Women's Foundation told HuffPost Canada in an interview. And were also supposed to be getting better each generation. If theyre feeling that way, that really is a significant concern. A majority of all respondents said they expect other forms of misogyny online harassment, partner assault and sexual harassment will also stay the same or worsen for young women. Theres supposed to be hope. "Its not surprising that our young women are feeling the way that they do," Senior said. She listed off reasons why young women are so pessimistic: the acquittal of Jian Ghomeshi on multiple sexual assault charges, reports detailing how often police dismiss allegations of sexual violence, and the recent U.S. presidential election. Advertisement Its no wonder young women feel demoralized after watching the first female Democratic candidate lose to "someone who doesnt seem to really have that level of expected respect for women," Senior said. Pessimism may come from growing awareness But Canadians' poor outlook may come in part from a growing awareness of how bad sexism really is, Senior said and thats actually a good thing. Awareness that comes from media investigations and hashtags like #BeenRapedNeverReported can lead to positive change over time, she said. "Were seeing judges that are being called out immediately on inappropriate comments That part of it is good news. But when we actually see what hasnt been seen, then it can be somewhat pessimistic. Because of all the stuff thats been uncovered that was hidden." Follow HuffPost Canada Living on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! Also on HuffPost Spar Ukraine Corp. LLC, part of VolWest Group investment group (Lutsk), has opened the first grocery store of the SPAR international brand with an area of 250 square meters in Ukraine in Rivne. According to a company press release, 90% of the products in the new store are of Ukrainian origin, as well as Private Label products of international and Ukrainian companies. In addition, the company plans in the near future to open another store in the new SPAR Express format in Ternopil. As reported, on January 24, 2017 Spar Ukraine Corp. signed a cooperation agreement with Spar International, which provides for the development of the Spar network in the Ukrainian market by opening its own and franchised stores. The company intends by the end of 2017 to open 15 Spar stores in Ukraine and within three years - 50 retail outlets. Spar in Ukraine will be developed in four retail formats: Spar Express (convenience stores of up to 200 sq m), Spar (supermarkets of 200-800 sq m), EuroSpar (supermarkets of 800-3,000 sq m), and InterSpar (hypermarkets of more than 3,000 sq m). Spar Ukraine Corp. LLC was established in 2017. Christy Clark had nothing on her schedule for an average total of 15 weeks every year during her second term as Liberal B.C. premier, an analysis by the rival B.C. NDP claims. Clarks agenda was empty about 76 weekdays per year, the party said. And when she did attend meetings and make appearances, her days were 6.7 hours long on average. Advertisement The B.C. NDP obtained the premiers schedules through a Freedom of Information request. They were released ahead of the May 9 provincial election next week. In three and a half years, Clark only put in 265 full working days of 8 hours or more, said a B.C. NDP press releases. In that time, a typical British Columbian working full time would have put in more than 800. It went on: Is this really your full calendar? If its not complete, why arent your other commitments recorded in your government calendar? Advertisement The premiers office declined to comment, stating that all media requests had to go through the B.C. Liberal party during campaign time. The B.C. Liberals did not immediately respond to HuffPost Canadas request for comment. Clark draws an annual salary of $195,000 as premier. For years, she also received an annual stipend between $30,000 and $50,000 from the B.C. Liberal Party, the Globe and Mail revealed last year. In response, Clark announced in January that she is no longer receiving the stipend. "It's always been a standard part of the process in B.C., but it's become a real distraction," she said at the time. The average British Columbian earns about $47,914 a year, according to Workopolis. Follow HuffPost B.C. on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Also on HuffPost OTTAWA Calgary Conservative leadership hopeful Deepak Obhrai laughed and laughed when he heard Kevin OLeary tell his supporters they should put him down as number two on their preferential ballot. Im still in a daze and in a shock, he told HuffPost Canada Wednesday. Im still trying to understand what happened yesterday, he said, still laughing. Advertisement Obhrai said his campaign has been focused on taking the Conservative party forward by reaching out to new Canadians and millennials and OLeary seems to recognize that. In a video posted Tuesday,OLeary who is campaigning for Quebec MP Maxime Bernier after suspending his own campaign describes how he is filling out his own preferential ballot for the contest. Just for the fun of it, Im going to make a second choice, because I want to support the democratic process, OLeary said. And Ill tell you who that is going to be, youre not going to believe it. But here it happens, Im putting Deepak in as number two. Why? I love the guy, I really do. What a trooper. Advertisement Is he going to win? No. But does he deserve my second vote? Yes. I just want to appreciate the work that he has done for such a long time for the Conservative party and he is fun to work with. I just love him. Obhrais eldest daughter, Priti, who is helping manage his campaign, was the first to tell him he had to watch OLearys video. At the part where he says, My second choice is Deepak Obhrai, there was a moment of stunned silence, Obhrai recounted. It took a while to think. I couldnt stop laughing. OLeary goes on to say that he has met all the Tory leadership candidates great men and women who will be important for the partys future but Obhrai has a special place in his heart: I just love him. Advertisement Obhrai has been one of the celebrity businessmans fiercest critics, saying last year that the party didnt need a so-called white knight. He complained OLeary talked nonsense and said the TV personality didnt have the foggiest idea what the Conservative party stood for. Obhrai also suggested OLeary would be better fit to run as NDP leader and, earlier this year, challenged him to a one-on-one debate, which OLeary declined. The Calgary MP said he made those comments when OLeary was being very derogatory towards party members and members of Parliament. But after watching how OLeary ran his campaign, Obhrai admits he attracted an audience, connected with Canadians, and helped build a stronger party. Queens University associate professor Jonathan Rose told HuffPost Canada that OLearys endorsement of Obhrai could be either strategic or intentional. Advertisement There is two ways of doing it: one is to say, Dont vote. The other is to say, Vote for someone who is not going to affect the outcome, said Rose. That would be also kind of an insult to Deepak. Its telling him his votes dont matter. If it is intentional, then we go by what he said [that OLeary likes Obhrai as a person]. Obhrai dismissed the suggestion that OLeary is only urging his 35,000 supporters to mark the veteran MP second on the ballot to lessen the chance of another candidate displacing Bernier, his preferred choice. No, I dont think so. I think, at the end of the day, the message that I am giving out is resonating right across the country, he responded. It seems that he recognized that, that was the strength, that is where the party needed to go. Wooing non-traditional supporters Both, he and OLeary, are trying to build a more inclusive and diverse party, and both went after non-traditional supporters, he added. Ill be very blunt with you, people have left us and are still not willing to come back, he said, referring to Canadians who feel excluded by messages perceived to be anti-immigrant. Advertisement Obhrai and Bernier have few policy overlaps: Obhrai wants to spend more public money training nurses, while Bernier wants to eliminate the federal governments role in health care. But the Calgary MP suggests what will matter is having a majority of caucus supporting the new leader. This is what happened with [former Canadian Alliance leader] Stockwell Day. Caucus was not with him and he had to resign. Bernier has little caucus support, for now. Competitors Erin OToole and Andrew Scheer have the most support from their colleagues. Also on HuffPost Conservative Leadership Candidates See Gallery A Liberal MP who flew CF-18 fighter jets is taking exception to a Conservative leadership hopefuls Top Gun-inspired promotion of himself. Stephen Fuhr, who was elected to the B.C. riding of Kelowna-Lake Country in 2015 after completing a 20-year career with the Royal Canadian Air Force, tweeted a screengrab of an image Erin OToole posted online Sunday. Advertisement Mind explaining your role as a fighter pilot or even a pilot for that matter? Fuhr asked OToole, noting the Tory MP enjoys slagging Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. @ErinOTooleMP U enjoy slagging the MND?!? Mind explaining your role as a fighter pilot or even a pilot for that matter?#cdnpolipic.twitter.com/cNdiwznM5y Stephen Fuhr CD MP (@FuhrMP) April 29, 2017 Sajjan, a former lieutenant-colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces, is facing calls to resign for falsely claiming he was the architect of a major 2006 operation in Afghanistan. OToole launched the #SajjanBattles hashtag on Twitter last week, where he facetiously congratulated the minister for planning the D-Day landing. OToole served in the military for 12 years and reached the rank of captain in the RCAF. After being posted to Shearwater, N.S. in 1997, OToole served as an air navigator on Sea King helicopters and participated in search and rescue missions and anti-submarine surveillance. A video on his website recounts how he helped rescue an injured fisherman. Advertisement When asked about his tweet Tuesday, Fuhr noted how interim Tory Leader Rona Ambrose slammed Sajjan in question period hours earlier for vastly exaggerating his role in the operation. Given Ambroses comments in the House today Ill leave it to you to decide if OToole is exaggerating his role in the military have a look at his Twitter account, Fuhr said in an email to HuffPost Canada. His tweets speak for themselves, as does mine. Minister Sajjan, your planning of Operation Overlord & the D-Day landings was inspiring. #SajjanBattles Erin O'Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) April 28, 2017 Melanie Paradis, a spokesperson for OTooles campaign, told HuffPost in an email that OToole was having some fun and has never claimed to be a fighter pilot. Paradis accused Fuhr of a sad attempt to deflect attention from the serious questions now being asked of Sajjan and retaliating for OToole calling on the minister to step down. Advertisement All they can do is point to a cheeky meme inspired by Top Gun as a criticism of Mr. O'Toole instead of focusing on matters of pertinence to our nation like meeting our NATO commitments or ensuring our men and women have the equipment they need. OTooles service has been a key theme in his campaign, which invites its supporters to join the mission. Former MP Pierre Lemieux is the only other Tory leadership hopeful with military experience. And OToole seems to really enjoy the iconic 1986 movie about macho, ultra-competitive flyboys. He shared a Top Gun GIF Monday celebrating the endorsement of new Calgary Heritage MP Bob Benzen. Thrilled to have the endorsement of @BobBenzen the newly elected MP for Calgary Heritage - the 31st MP to #JoinTheMission#cpcldr#cdnpolipic.twitter.com/dGeJNzJJ0n Erin O'Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) May 1, 2017 Last week, he marked the final 30-day push in the campaign with a graphic boasting about 30 MPs backing him. Advertisement I feel the need for speed in the next 30 days, he tweeted. 30 MPs on the Mission & 30 Days to the Big Win! I feel the need for speed in the next 30 days!#cpcldr#cdnpolipic.twitter.com/KBZWwFPKVO Erin O'Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) April 27, 2017 One of those MPs, John Brassard, rose in question period Monday to highlight #SajjanBattles, and how the minister was being mocked relentlessly for his personal involvement in everything from the War of 1812 right up to the destruction of the Death Star. Sajjan responded that he had acknowledged his mistake and will be learning from it. I in no way intended to diminish the great work of our Canadian Armed Forces members who served during that time, he said. According to the Library of Parliament website, 17 MPs in the current Parliament have served in the military, including Fuhr, Sajjan, and OToole. Twelve of the MPs with military experience are Liberals, three are Conservatives, one is a member of the Bloc Quebecois and one is a New Democrat. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated Erin O'Toole was the only Tory leadership candidate with military experience. Pierre Lemieux also served in the Canadian Armed Forces. Advertisement Also on HuffPost If you get a link inviting you to open a Google Doc even one that apparently came from someone you know be careful before clicking it open. According to multiple reports online, Gmail users are being targeted by a phishing scam that began spreading rapidly around mid-day Wednesday. Advertisement Phishing (or malware) Google Doc links that appear to come from people you may know are going around. DELETE THE EMAIL. DON'T CLICK. pic.twitter.com/fSZcS7ljhu Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) May 3, 2017 The scam begins with an email notification telling you that someone from your email contacts has shared a document with you in Google Docs. According to The Verge, clicking on the link will take you to a Google page where you are asked to sign in to Google Docs. But in this case, "Google Docs" is the name of the malware. Clicking on the link gives the malware access to your address book, which, according to Buzzfeed, is likely how it has been spreading. Advertisement Can you pick out the malicious login page? pic.twitter.com/RCcJ3g0N50 Brandon Frohs (@0b10011) May 3, 2017 The phishing scam is particularly dangerous because, unlike many other similar scams, it doesnt take users to a fake web page, but rather to a real Google Docs page. However, the software appears to have a tell: In many instances, the address line in the email shows the first recipient as hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com. Its unclear at this time if all the phishing emails contain this address. If youve clicked on the malware link, simply changing your Google accounts password may not be enough. Go to my account in your account, and navigate to manage apps. There, remove permissions for Google Docs, or any other app that was given permission about the time you clicked on the link. A Toronto Catholic school teacher who students said talked about her sex life and said "kiss my black ass" has been found guilty of professional misconduct. Leanora Brown made several inappropriate and sexually explicit comments to her students between January 1 and March 5, 2015, according to a notice of hearing. Advertisement Two former students who appeared before an Ontario College of Teachers tribunal on Tuesday said that the religion teacher often made them uncomfortable with her statements, according to the National Post. I felt like she wasnt qualified to be a teacher, one said. Ontario teacher is guilty of misconduct for going on tirades about her sex life, putting her legs behind her head https://t.co/rYfcHLkZm4pic.twitter.com/NNoCtSxv1I Victor Ferreira (@VicF77) May 3, 2017 Thats not something youre supposed to say to a student in a religion class. A webpage for Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School in midtown Toronto lists a Leanora Brown as a religion teacher. According to the notice of hearing, she swore at her students, called them losers, "white trash" and "fucking bitch" in class. Advertisement Students also heard sexual comments about Brown's mother, including that she had 20 kids and was horny and beautiful. She also told them about women who were sluts, and said "if a slutty girl or horny girl wants to have sex with you, you should fuck her well and leave her in a wheelchair for two days." One day she showed them her flexibility by putting her legs over her head and doing somersaults instead of teaching. "I felt like she wasnt qualified to be a teacher." The Ontario College of Teachers told HuffPost Canada that Brown must complete a course on professional boundaries with students and appear before a disciplinary panel to receive a reprimand if she wants to teach again. The Post reports that Brown took a leave of absence from teaching after the 2015 allegations and is now retired. Advertisement A Marshall McLuhan teacher named Leonora Brown has a very good rating on Rate My Teachers. Brown was interviewed in 2014 after a former friend was sentenced for stealing her identity to get a nearly $300,000 mortgage. Canadians are mourning the loss of another grocery store staple Skippy peanut butter. Hormel Foods, which owns the Skippy brand, discontinued the sale of the spread in Canada last fall, according to a statement on Hormels website that has also disappeared. "We understand that this is difficult news for our loyal fans. However, market conditions at this time do not make it viable for us to continue to offer this product in Canada," Skippys Facebook account wrote to annoyed Canadian Rob Quinn in December. Advertisement "This is devastating," wrote Corey Etherington, another commenter on the post. The person behind the account suggested Quinn order the product on Amazon, which someone else pointed out is cost-prohibitive. One jar of Skippy Natural Super Chunk she discovered was going for $180.60. A search of the online shopping site shows that the cheapest 340-gram jar of classic smooth Skippy goes for $10, which is decidedly pricier than it used to be at your neighbourhood store. Hormel told CBC News that competition and pricing made it hard to keep selling the spread in Canada. Advertisement Dalhousie University professor Sylvain Charlebois, who specializes in food distribution and policy, told the broadcaster that in huge, population-sparse Canada, distribution costs may have also been a factor. But while Hormel stopped selling Skippy months ago, Canadians are still learning the news, likely because its slowly disappearing off of store shelves. Barb Lesyk wrote in February that she would have stockpiled it had she known it would be gone for good. "I can't even believe it, I've been eating it for like 30 years or more," she wrote. Those indifferent to Skippy may wonder what the big deal is there are plenty of other peanut butter brands for sale. But one fan said he finds the other brands too dry, while another told CBC News that Kraft just isn't as creamy. Advertisement A trip to the U.S. may not satisfy, either versions south of the border also have slightly more sugar than the Canadian ones. This isnt the first product to disappear from Canadian grocery stores recently. Dad's chocolate chip cookies were discontinued late in 2016. Owner Mondelez Canada told CTVNews.ca that they just didn't sell well, calling them the "poorest performer" in their cookie arsenal. But some people are still upset. Conservative MP Chris Warkentin probably should have seen this one coming. Warkentin rose in question period Wednesday to ask about the federal ethics commissioners investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus use of a private helicopter during his visit to the Aga Khans private Bahamas island. Advertisement The Tory MP noted in his preamble that he knows Trudeaus staff tell him that he should only say that hes happy to meet with the ethics commissioner and answer any questions she might have. But Canadians, Warkentin said, deserve answers. So, he pressed on. I have a simple question. How many times has the prime minister been questioned by investigators? The question is simple. How many times? he asked. Trudeau, who answered all opposition questions in the House, opted to stick to the script. As Ive said many times, Im happy to work with the ethics and conflict of interest commissioner to answer any questions that she might have, Trudeau said. A popular refrain The prime minister has used that line, or a slight variation of it, at least 10 times in the House since February. Advertisement Its also the way Liberals responded to an order paper question from Warkentin asking how many times Trudeau has sat down with Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson since November 2015. Warkentin tweeted a photo of the response including that familiar line on Tuesday. Warkentin later told The Canadian Press that the answer to his order paper question was completely ridiculous and lacked any form of transparency. Were not asking in-depth details about the investigation, Warkentin said. Were simply asking (whether) or not the prime minister has met with the ethics commissioner. Dawsons office told The Canadian Press it could not provide any details about meetings she may have had with Trudeau or any public officer holders as they are confidential. Advertisement It was revealed last week that the ethics watchdog cleared Trudeau for his controversial participation in two private, so-called cash-for-access fundraisers last year. With files from The Canadian Press Also on HuffPost I arrived in Punta del Este knowing only its reputation as a ritzy beach town where South America's elite converge from January to March -- the summer months for most of the continent -- and its proximity to a year-old winery that has been much talked about in the food and wine world. After a five-day stay, I'm convinced Punta del Este and its neighbouring towns along the coast of Maldonado, one of the least populated of Uruguay's 19 states, are among the most exceptional places in the world to visit and perhaps also to live. Far safer than most other locations in South America, the Maldonado coast is comprised of approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) of immaculate beach the colour of a good tan. During the peak tourist season, Punta del Este's population swells from 10,000 permanent residents to more than 750,000 as sun and surf seekers arrive to chase relaxation and thrills. Advertisement Some spread out west to Punta Ballena, home to Uruguay's leading attraction, Casapueblo, a mammoth, Grecian-style complex built by artist Carlos Paez Vilaro. Others head east to the less busy beach towns of La Barra and Jose Ignacio, where celebrities such as Shakira have homes. The Maldonado coast is like The Hamptons, where wealthy property owners maintain an exclusive ambience to the region but surfers, working-class locals and artists provide a counterbalance, making the area a getaway for many (if you've budgeted for it). Now, foodies and oeneophiles have reason to come, too. In 2016, Bodega Garzon opened on a humongous swath of land about an hour's drive from Punta del Este. Named after the nearest village, Pueblo Garzon, the winery is an $85-million facility with artisanal aspirations. Advertisement Uruguay, a country of 3.4 million people, produces more wine than Canada. But before Bodega Garzon, no commercial vineyard was situated in Maldonado. Even owner Alejandro Bulgheroni, the Argentine billionaire who has purchased leading wineries around the world, was unsure whether the land he procured could grow quality grapes. Then he asked Alberto Antonini, one of the world's most esteemed wine makers, to give an opinion. Antonini visited Uruguay in 2006, reported back to Bulgheroni that, yes, his Maldonado estate could not only grow grapes but possessed the potential to produce stellar vinifera not unlike that found in the wine-maker's homeland, Italy. Antonini was commissioned to oversee the vineyards. Rather than flattening the land that has hills and slopes, he created 220 hectares of vineyards. Each parcel of land is situated where the grapes planted on it is best suited for the micro-climates on the estate. Albarino and Tannat, two unconventional grapes that flourish in Uruguay, are abundant on the Garzon property. The winery, located 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, also makes 10 other varieties, including a very good Cabernet Franc. At harvest, grapes are hand-picked and hand-cleaned before entering a high-tech process that includes laboratory testing at intervals in the aging process. Magnificent waves & outrageous winds off the Atlantic Ocean. A thrill to storm watch in #PuntaDelEste, #Uruguay. A post shared by AdrianBrijbassi (@adrianbrijbassi) on Apr 26, 2017 at 5:29pm PDT The wines are winning awards and appearing on shelves and in restaurants around the world. To get the full Bodega Garzon experience, however, you must come to the winery. That's because Bulgheroni's other achievement was teaming with Francis Mallmann to launch a food program focused on the celebrity chef's famed use of fire. Mallmann, an Argentinian with a planet-wide following, lives part time in Pueblo Garzon, where he and Bulgheroni co-own a charming restaurant in a town of 100 people. Given free rein of the menu at the winery, Mallmann has delivered ingenious cooking, including steak made from Uruguayan cattle (the same breed as Argentina possesses) and smoked everything, including smoked ice cream that is bewilderingly blissful. The ice cream is placed in a cooled oven used for smoking fish and meat. After 10 minutes, it captures the smokiness while retaining its cold state. The taste is an explosion of sweetness and earthiness unlike anything you've tried. Advertisement For such distinctiveness, the winery and its restaurant are attracting more visitors. So, too, is the rest of Maldonado. Jose Ignacio has a busy, well-regarded beach-side restaurant, La Huella, overlooking a gorgeous sandy stretch. Casapueblo has earned more attention since Paez Vilaro, a contemporary of Pablo Picasso, died in February. And Punta del Este continues to gain notoriety, having been nicknamed the St. Tropez of South America. I came in late April, though, and the place was thin with tourists. The beaches were nearly empty and the streets vacant. It was hard to believe a place so beautiful, warm and inviting was so void of activity. In this way, it reminded me of The Hamptons, too, which can be desolate in fall and winter. As more people find out for themselves that the Maldonado coast is rich with art, artisans and activities -- and not just wealthy people -- I imagine more curious travellers will arrive, and not just during summer. Some will even dream of staying year round. By Arjan de Haan When the world's richest eight people hold as much wealth as the bottom 50 per cent of the global population, we have a problem. That disparity, highlighted in a recent Oxfam report, brings into sharp focus an issue of growing inequality that is increasingly being recognized as among the world's greatest political and economic challenges. There is less consensus on the solution. One approach -- based on the concept of "inclusive growth" -- is gaining traction as a potential guiding principle for a more socially-inclusive approach to economic growth. Advertisement The World Economic Forum (WEF) brought great focus to this debate through its Inclusive Growth and Development Report, which was the subject of a recent event in Ottawa at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The report's lead author, Richard Samans, argues that an inclusive growth approach is directly in line with the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. This approach not only provides a framework for all countries independent of GDP, it also moves beyond poverty reduction approaches, and provides a framework that is much broader than a traditional redistribution agenda. Why is redistribution not enough? Many countries seek to reduce inequality by redistributing the gains of economic growth. This has produced successes. For instance, Peru's former Minister of Development and Social Inclusion Carolina Trivelli told the Ottawa audience how poverty had more than halved in Peru over the last decade, and extreme poverty has been reduced even more quickly. However, redistribution alone is not enough for two main reasons. First, there is a fear that redistributive schemes may be fiscally unsustainable, and that grants may reduce recipients' incentives. While discussions on this are largely politically-driven, research has shown that such schemes do not need to be very expensive, and that they can be organized in ways that reduce negative incentives and help promote productive investment by beneficiaries. Advertisement Second, how growth is created is as important as redistributing the gains. There are equally important practices within the private sector that promote equality and inclusion. Data in the Inclusive Growth report shows that in East Asian countries inequality is kept low with relatively limited fiscal transfers. Among the welfare states of Western Europe some countries have much more equal market incomes than others. Is there practical experience with inclusive growth? Canada's approach has attracted attention from the international community. The Canadian government uses a broad set of policy levers, including direct benefits for low- and middle-income families, and reduced income taxes for middle-class Canadians. Canada has also increased investment in public infrastructure, targeted new ways of attracting foreign capital, and promoted Canada as a hub for top global talent. To promote inclusion and growth simultaneously, it enhances access to global markets for small and medium enterprises as part of a progressive trade approach. Gender equality is promoted through Gender-Based Analysis, aiming to make gender equality central to all actions, not just social policy schemes. Presentations during the Ottawa event highlighted how Sweden emphasizes active government policy, an active welfare state, and organized labour market as ingredients for inclusive growth. Social dialogue is a critical element, which Sweden is now also supporting internationally. Other participants highlighted the potential of place-based policies, for example in Canada and Peru, to ensure the wide range of private and public stakeholders are included in economic development and that community priorities are incorporated into public policy. How do we know what works? Global examples demonstrate there is no single solution. We are left with two fundamental questions: Is it possible to measure success in promoting inclusive growth? And will that convince policymakers and citizens alike that inclusive growth is worth the investment? Advertisement The Inclusive Growth and Development report and the event at IDRC suggest both questions can be answered affirmatively. The Inclusive Development Index (IDI) provides a nuanced assessment of countries' level and performance of development. The index goes beyond GDP per capita to include measures of gender equality. The index shows, for example, that Canada is doing well in many areas, but there are also areas for improvement. In fact, no country is a top performer in every area. All countries can do more to foster a more inclusive growth process. Arjan de Haan is Program Leader at Canada's International Development Research Centre. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CCIC or its members. S.J. Krasemann via Getty Images Admission to Canada's national parks is free in 2017, and it's time to start taking advantage. Parks Canada is offering free 2017 Discover Passes to commemorate the Great White North's 150th anniversary, and that means you gain admission-free access to all of the country's historic sites, marine conservation areas and national parks. It's no secret that Canadians and travellers from around the world flock to heavy hitters like Banff, Jasper and Pacific Rim National Park every summer despite the cost of admission. But many lesser known parks offer once-in-a-lifetime adventures and awe-inspiring scenery that's just as impressive as the ones you see in travel magazines. These four Canadian national parks are ones that often fall under the radar but are guaranteed to be the backdrop for your unforgettable 2017 summer getaway. Advertisement Thousand Islands National Park Thousand Islands National Park feels more like a luxury retreat than your typical national park. This is one of few places in the country where travellers can hop aboard a boat, canoe or kayak and hop from island to island, finding the perfect place to pitch a tent in a secluded cay or a rarely trekked hiking trail. In just a few short hours, adventurers can travel from Toronto or Montreal to historic wilderness that begs visitors to put down their phones and spot rare wildlife, hike to scenic overlooks and paddle among more than 20 granite islands. Yoho National Park Photo credit: Peter Pham While many travellers explore the Canadian Rockies from world-renowned Banff National Park, others are enjoying the smaller crowds and rugged natural beauty of Yoho National Park in southeastern British Columbia. In fact, "Yoho" was named for the Cree expression meaning wonder and awe, which fits this photogenic park perfect. Visitors can rent a canoe and cruise the crystal-clear Emerald Lake, explore some of the oldest fossil beds in the world (Burgess Shale Fossil Beds) or embark on a hair-raising river rafting excursion. The opportunities for adventure and relaxation in this park are endless. Kluane National Park Adventuring to the Yukon is a bucket-list item for many travellers, and the summer of 2017 is an ideal time to fulfill this lifelong dream. There's arguably no better place in the country to submerge yourself in nature and completely forego the stresses of daily life. The Kluane National Park and Reserve includes 22,000 square kilometres, including everything from scenic hiking trails, indescribably blue lakes, rare wildlife, abundant fishing spots, non-polar icefields and some of the most impressive places to spot the Northern Lights on a clear summer evening. Advertisement Terra Nova National Park Photo credit: Dave Bezaire Many travellers assume Canada's most impressive national parks are located in the western provinces, but Terra Nova National Park continues to wow adventurers as the most easterly park in the country. The park can be explored by land or sea, offering opportunities to spot whales and icebergs by boat or conquer steep summits via a number of scenic hiking trails. The park's rugged coastline is best explored by canoe or kayak, and there's no better places to picnic than tucked into a sandy, sheltered cove. Travellers seeking the salty air of the Atlantic coastline coupled with forested trails and starry nights will find it all in Terra Nova National Park. Parks Canada will only be offering the gift of free national park admission until the end of 2017, so there's no better time than now to plan your summer visits. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has said that all of the defendant's rights guaranteed by Ukrainian legislation will be observed in the court proceedings to hear a high treason case against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The proceedings would not be the proceedings of revenge. "The court proceedings that have never been held before in Ukraine will start on May 4. Prosecutor General's Office on behalf of the state of Ukraine will accuse the former president of high treason. These proceedings are not only about citizen Yanukovych. These proceedings are about their Kremlin patrons who used the document signed by Yanukovych as a fig leaf to occupy Ukrainian Crimea, to ensanguine Ukrainian Donbas and to try to bring our country down to marrowbones," Lutsenko said in a video message posted on the website of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) on Monday, May 1. Lutsenko said that these proceedings will be "in marked contrast to political rigged trials of the Yanukovych times." "I am sure that all of the defendant's rights guaranteed by Ukrainian legislation would be observed during the proceedings. I believe that the future court judgment is an important one not only from the point of view of real justice, but also as a warning to all those who would dare to take the path of high treason in the future," Lutsenko said. He said that Ukrainian prosecutors will represent not only the state of Ukraine, but they would "speak on behalf of thousands of killed people, dozens of thousands of wounded people, millions of internally displaced persons from Ukrainian Crimea and Donbas." It was reported earlier that the Kyiv Obolonsky District Court summoned Yanukovych to a hearing on May 4, 2017 as a person accused in a high treason case. The organizers of YoniFest, a festival in Quebec claiming to explore birth and the future of midwifery care, present themselves as a progressive and visionary collective promising "to venture to the core of today's birth issues." Truth be told, they are very much disconnected from emergent issues, especially issues of concern to birthing communities: reproductive justice, race and class. They have more in common with the mainstream white feminist movement of the 1960s than they do with grassroots birth workers in 2017. YoniFest has created a magical space for white, able-bodied women and their "conventional" families who can pay $400 to listen to traditional birth attendants under a tent while camping in the woods and bathing in the river. No doubt, if this year's YoniFest is a reflection of the 2014 event, expect less than a dozen people of colour out of the 400 participants -- and the sea of white faces wouldn't even notice the lack of diversity and the presence of exclusion. Advertisement YoniFest hinders hundreds of birth workers from participating and presenting at this event, mainly due to systemic barriers. Many are barred by financial considerations (birth workers are often underpaid and overworked). The venue, while gorgeous, is also completely inaccessible to those with mobility challenges, further barring contributions from otherwise qualified individuals. When I attended YoniFest in 2014, I witnessed people freely appropriating words and customs outside their cultural, spiritual and religious meanings. The organizers used (and continue to use) words like "yoni" -- which the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as "a stylized representation of the female genitalia that in Hinduism is a sign of generative power and that symbolizes the goddess Shakti" -- with no consideration for the physical and spiritual experiences of real-life Hindu families in Quebec navigating through the public and private birthing system. Other stumbling blocks in Yonifest's programming include its approach to indigenous issues. How can organizers present as their theme "Birth: Questioning, Sharing and Celebrating" without questioning the fundamental role that colonialism has had on the communities whose land we stand on? What is the birthing community doing about missing and murdered indigenous women (and girls in particular), about the harms committed to the families and communities? Why aren't the organizers trying to educate participants, using indigenous feminist analysis, on the systemic problems that have considerable impact on pregnancy and childbirth? Quebec birth workers have yet to think within the framework of reproductive justice. As noted above, the Recommendations from the Symposium on Planning for Change - Towards a National Inquiry and an Effective National Action Plam call for a "systemic examination of the causes and consequences of gendered, sexualized and racialized violence" and, in my opinion, the influence of that violence on sexual and reproductive health. Quebec birth workers have yet to think within the framework of reproductive justice, which centres on the intersection of race, human rights, class and sexuality. Advertisement Perhaps if they did, the organizers of YoniFest would include LGBTQ concerns such as the rights to receive care, conceive, birth and parent outside of heterosexual normative family structures. The history of reproductive justice as a concept comes from a group of African American women who coined the term in order to address the void left by mainstream reproductive rights organizers. YoniFest's refusal to engage with this history and this important term echoes the context that these women were speaking to in 1994, a context that wasn't acceptable then and isn't acceptable now. YoniFest organizers also fail to bring attention to or provide an Afro-feminist perspective to the "Midwives Save Lives" project, whereby Canadian midwives go to different countries in Africa to provide care. Nor do they question what Canadian midwives are doing to support, advocate and care for black families locally, especially within the wake of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. YoniFest also neglects to discuss the absence of anti-racism and anti-oppression modules/themes in the education and training of Canadian midwives. For the last 10 years, I have been developing a black feminist approach to counselling pregnant and breastfeeding black "wombn" (anyone who chooses to use their womb irrespective of their gender representation) in Quebec. Specifically, I have designed and delivered professional trainings/workshops/presentations to midwives, doulas and lactation consultants on the theme of barriers to conceiving, birthing and breast (chest) feeding in empowered, dignified and spiritually connected ways. When I learned about YoniFest in 2014, the first gathering for birth workers in Quebec, I was excited. But as I looked at the program online I started to have a very familiar sinking feeling in my stomach: I didn't see myself or any of the issues that affect the communities I serve and represent in the program. Advertisement My message, blunt as it may sound: dear white women, you do not speak for me. At that moment, I had two choices: I could complain to my network about another example of white Quebecers continuing to silence and render invisible the work of indigenous women and women of colour. Or I could be part of the solution. I chose to speak up and I proposed a workshop titled Unlearning Our (Unconscious) Bias and Dismantling Barriers for Canadian Wombn of African Descent. I explained that in its current design, the Western patriarchal model of midwifery care may in fact be harmful to Canadians of African descent because it can perpetuate trauma. Although I received excellent feedback from the active participants, the organizers of YoniFest wouldn't know because they never took an interest in workshops that explicitly addressed racial barriers and applied an intersectional critical race analysis. Understandingly, my initial reaction when I looked at the upcoming program for YoniFest (slated for Aug. 4-6, 2017) was that of anger and irritation. History was repeating itself. This then is my message, blunt as it may sound: dear white women, you do not speak for me. You are not the standard for representing all wombn, especially in Quebec. You need to stop appropriating. If you truly are committed to progressing the natural birth movement, you will focus on understanding and addressing your individual and collective place of privilege and embedded assumption of white supremacy. That would be considered venturing "to the core of today's birth issues." Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: Many years ago the Advocate's Society booked its annual conference in Jamaica. LGBTQ members brought to their attention the fact that Jamaica is not a safe jurisdiction (in law or in practice) for queer people and that the choice of location could, in effect, exclude many of those members. Hearing this, the Advocate's Society responded promptly and rebooked in a jurisdiction where homosexuality was not criminalized and where discrimination on the basis of a protected ground was not permitted or anticipated. I think the Advocate's Society made the right call for its membership, so whether it was legally required to do as it did was never a consideration. From the perspective of an employment lawyer, I have to consider what the legal obligations of an employer in similar circumstances might be. If a company hosts its corporate retreat in a jurisdiction where the law is hostile to its LGBTQ employees, are they in so doing discriminating against their LGBTQ employees? What if they open an office there and require periodic attendance? What if their training center is located in a jurisdiction where discrimination against an employee is not only legal, but likely (I'm looking at you, Mississippi)? Advertisement I have long been of the view that employers in Ontario should tread carefully when sending their employees to jurisdictions which may have laws that are hostile to them or where they are likely to be exposed -- as a result of their membership in an identifiable group protected by the Human Rights Code -- to discrimination or danger. I think the answer would likely come down to accommodation analysis and whether visiting a particular jurisdiction is a bona fide occupational requirement. Until very recently this has been a largely academic exercise. Although there are many countries worldwide where people and groups protected in Ontario -- LGBTQ people in particular -- do not enjoy the same rights, there are few jurisdictions where most Canadian companies regularly send their employees which would likely expose them to lawful discrimination or danger. This is more and more likely to become a live issue for Canadian employers. With the passing of each executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump and the looming "religious freedom" legislation which could enshrine and protect a "right" to discriminate if the desire to do so is religiously motivated, the U.S. is, in my view, increasingly becoming a jurisdiction to which Canadian employers have to be careful about sending their employees. Certainly I would argue that an LGBTQ employee should not, in many circumstances, be required to travel to a jurisdiction where discrimination and denial of services on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity is entirely lawful and perhaps predictable. It may be reasonable at the moment for some dual passport holders or Canadian permanent residents whose citizenship belongs to one of the countries targeted by the current administration to refuse to travel to the U.S. for work at all. Might we get to a point where it would be reasonable for a Muslim Canadian to claim that his or her employer hosting a corporate retreat in Vegas is discriminatory or creating a hostile or unsafe work environment? I hope not, but it doesn't seem beyond the realm of possibility any more. Advertisement With each passing day and with each enshrinement of discrimination at the state or federal level, this is more and more likely to become a live issue for Canadian employers. Even a few months ago I didn't see a day coming when a Canadian executive being sent to the U.S. on business might constitute a human rights problem in Ontario, but here we are, and employers should turn their minds to how to handle it well before it comes up. With Trump set to sign an executive order granting freedom to discriminate, the time is now. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: In October of 1966, the Black Panther Party announced their official platform. One of their key demands was to put an end to police brutality and the killing of black people by police. Sound familiar? Half a century later, the Black Lives Matter movement is echoing this call, ensuring our collective eyes remain focused on the pervasiveness of anti-black racism among police in the U.S. And for good reason! Jordan Edwards, a high-school freshman in Texas, is the latest victim of police shootings, and communities have once more erupted in protest, demanding both justice for Jordan and solutions to this systemic problem. Advertisement Proposals targeted directly at changing the structure and culture of policing include better sensitivity training, police education, demilitarization, mandatory bodycams, policies to restrict the use of force and new systems of accountability with punishments that exceed the proverbial slap on the wrist that is desk duty. Such educational and institutional interventions are crucial to addressing police racism, but in and of themselves, are limited: they assume that racism exists only at the level of ideas and ideologies, which can be eliminated with targeted policies or rational arguments. To tackle this issue, we must also address a manifestation of racism that has remained largely absent from public debate: the embodiment of racism -- racist feelings. Racist feelings are an extension of implicit racial biases, the (generally negative) set of unconscious stereotypes, attitudes and judgments we hold of others that powerfully influence our behaviour. However, where implicit racial biases exist at the psychological level, racist feelings are woven into the fabric of our bodies through sensation and affect. They are the clenched jaw, the racing heartbeat and the rapid breathing experienced during encounters with racialized others. They are the discomfort, fear, anxiety, suspicion and disgust, and the simultaneous felt sense of power, superiority and/or entitlement that emerge in the presence of black bodies. This deep-seated prejudice lies outside the boundaries of rational logic, which helps to explain its tenacity despite the many social justice movements and educational campaigns that have sought to eliminate it. Advertisement Most people experience these feelings to some degree, but for police, vested with the state-sanctioned right to use lethal force, racist feelings are particularly dangerous. In altercations with African Americans, this reactive, visceral form of racism can override conscious thought and cause some police to feel a heightened sense of threat, even when, objectively speaking, no such threat exists. And in situations where there is little time (willingness?) to gather information before taking action, police rely on these gut responses to guide their behaviour. The result is the senseless loss of life that the black community experiences time and time again. So, where do racist feelings come from? Although we commonly think of our emotions and physiological responses as natural, social science research suggests that our visceral responses are shaped by the social and political climate of the society in which we live. Racist feelings are no exception. Throughout U.S. history, white Americans have bestowed upon themselves the "natural authority" to control black bodies. Based on colonialist ideals and the decrees of backward science, African Americans were deemed uncivilized, less intelligent, hypersexual and dangerous. This positioned the black population as inferior and criminal, and justified legalized forms of oppression, such as slavery and the segregationist laws of the Jim Crow era. Is it any wonder that police seem to interpret any gesturing on the part of black men as threatening, and feel entitled to shoot? These historic institutions imbued black bodies with negative meanings that provoke and condition certain embodied reactions: chiefly, a sense of danger and threat when in the presence of black others that is experienced as, for example, tense muscles, an increase in body temperature and/or a sense of dis-ease in the gut. The constructed meanings of blackness, and the resulting embodied responses to them, have remained remarkably consistent over time. Today, they are thoroughly embedded in American culture. Media relentlessly reinforce those same negative characteristics in news broadcasts, television and film. Moreover, although we no longer have laws that are explicitly designed to oppress or segregate, every part of the U.S. justice system disproportionately targets and punishes African Americans, creating the impression that black people form a criminal class that must be controlled. Is it any wonder that police seem to interpret any gesturing on the part of black men as threatening, and feel entitled to shoot? I do not intend to excuse police brutality. Nor do I wish to imply that police are passive victims of their culture. My goal of is to uncover a layer of this issue that requires a different type of intervention than has been proposed thus far. Advertisement In addition to promoting anti-racist discourse and institutional reform, we must seek ways of developing anti-racist ways of feeling. The harmful sense of threat, discomfort or hatred felt during interactions with racialized others is deeply ingrained and may persist long after the myths and false beliefs of implicit racial bias have been dispelled. Sensitivity training can help change one's perspective. What we need is a program that changes one's perceptions. We truly cannot afford is to witness the passing of another 50 years with the demand to end police brutality still unmet. I propose adding ongoing mandatory police counseling to the list of demands and interventions that Black Lives Matter and other social justice groups have so well articulated. Counseling that uses a holistic approach -- addressing mind, body and culture -- has shown promising results with men's groups as a technique for abuse intervention. With mandatory police counseling, we could effectively transform the structures of oppression that lie beyond conscious awareness but play a powerful role in motivating aggressive behaviour. Yes -- this kind of intervention is resource intensive: it is both expensive and time-consuming. However, it would be a more than worthwhile investment, for what we truly cannot afford is to witness the passing of another 50 years with the demand to end police brutality still unmet. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: To commemorate 150 years since Confederation (also known as #Canada150), the CBC is airing a miniseries, Canada: The Story of Us, which chronicles an anglo-centric version of Canadian history. The series has come under fire for whitewashing Canada's past and putting French-Canadians in a negative light when it's not omitting one of Canada's founding peoples altogether. CBC subsequently apologized to those who "felt misrepresented" by the miniseries. The CBC is also hosting a series of panel discussions to highlight some stories which are missing from the curriculum in general. Although it is too late to re-film the series, it's never too late to shed light on the lesser known parts of Canada's history, pre- and post-Confederation. Advertisement 1. Why does Quebecers' support for overseas interventions and war differ so much from "English Canada?" After the British took over the land that is now called Canada from the original French colonizers (1700s), the de facto language of the military flipped from French to English. This sidelined a lot of French-Canadians. In 1914, the Francophone-majority 22nd Battalion was formed. It is known as the "Royal Van Doos," a bastardization of the French word for twenty-two. During the First World War, the Canadian government needed more troops so they forced citizens to join the military (This is called circumscription or "the draft.") The measure was despised by the vast majority of the Quebecers. Advertisement Another slight: Canada didn't have its own flag. Canadian troops fought under the British flag -- something that irked many Francophones. Bilingualism among the Canadian Forces wasn't addressed until the 1950s. 2. Why are there so few visible minorities at commemorative ceremonies such as the anniversary of Vimy Ridge or on Remembrance Day? For most of Canada's history, African-Canadians and Asian-Canadian were barred from joining the Canadian military. Like most of Canada's history, the overtly racist policies were rarely written down. However, in 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy stipulated its recruits be "of pure European descent and of the white race." The Royal Canadian Air Force recruited "British subjects and of pure European descent." There are exceptions. Here are a few: American Revolutionary War (1780s): Approximately 3,000 enslaved Africans were recruited to fight on the British side in exchange for "freedom and land" in Nova Scotia. The names of the volunteers were collected in the "Book of Negroes," which is the title of a prize-winning novel about this tale. War of 1812: Approximately 1,000 black militia men took part in defending Canadian territory from American imperialism. The African Rifles of Victoria, B.C. (1850s): Fifty black immigrants formed the "Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps" to defend (what is now) British Columbia from U.S. invasion. The recruitment of black people as soldiers -- which was unheard of in Canada -- might have something to do with B.C. Governor James Douglas' African heritage. It seems Sir James Douglas didn't harbour the same anti-black sentiment as his peers. No. 2 Construction Battalion: 600 black men were recruited from across the country and even the U.S. to create a battalion responsible for doing construction jobs. They were barred from combat positions and, as these letters suggest, were "treated unfairly." Royal Canadian Air Force (Second World War): Only 32 black Canadians who served with the RCAF during the Second World War. The RCAF did not allow any visible minorities to join up until March 31, 1942. One of 32 black Canadians who somehow got past the barrier was Canada's first black member of Parliament, Lincoln Alexander (1922-2012). A son of Caribbean immigrants, "Linc" also served as the lieutenant-governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991. 3. Internment camps mitigating wartime treason by placing citizens in temporary prisons. In 1941, Japan attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This marked the point where the U.S. formally joined the Second World War. There was fear, credible or not, that Japanese immigrants and their children might have dual allegiances. Therefore, both the U.S. and Canada rounded up citizens of Japanese heritage and forced them into "internment camps" for the duration of the war. The Canadian Press I wasn't always as political as I am today. I have always voted and made an effort to know the candidates and platforms out there before casting my vote, but beyond that politics was never a large part of my life. All that changed the year my son was to start Kindergarten. On what would have been his very first day of school instead of being in his classroom we stood outside the fence of his school getting to know his teachers while we walked the line with them. Advertisement The teachers strike in 2014 was an eye opening experience for me and I immediately started researching how the system got to this point. However the more I researched the worse it looked; Parents fundraising for playgrounds, classroom supplies and text books. Unsafe and undermaintained schools. The stripping of teachers' contracts resulting in higher class sizes and an overwhelming loss of support positions within our schools. This was just the surface of a very ugly and long festering battle against public education in B.C., all orchestrated by our very own government. It wasn't long before I was writing blogs, organizing rallies and advocating in any way I could. However after 3 years nothing has changed because the ones holding all the power is our current Liberal government. Until we change our government this war on our children's education will continue. It took 15 years of BCTF fighting them in court-a fight which the B.C. Liberals took all the way to the Supreme court of Canada and lost- before they were FORCED to reinstate those previously cut supports that have now affected an entire generation of children in B.C. I want to ensure that my son doesn't spend his entire education in an underfunded and under-supported system. During these 3 years there have been 2 groups of people that have been there fighting and advocating with me every step of the way: The NDP and the BCTF. These 2 groups have fought long and hard to give a voice to the struggles in our public schools and have advocated for our children in more ways then one. My MLA's Doug Routley and Leonard Krog have been very supportive of public education and have offered their help numerous times over the years. Doug Routley stood with parents against a school closure in a rural community and helped inspire one of those parents to run for a trustee position-which she did and ended up with more votes then any other candidate. Rob Fleming- the NDP education critic- has reached out to me numerous times offering help. He has travelled the province to visit schools that are struggling with school closures and safety issues. He has attended and spoken at so many education rallies/events and brought these issues up at the Legislature so many times I have lost count. John Horgan himself credits teachers with getting him where he is today after struggling through a rough period as a teenager. He has visited schools and helped bring attention to numerous issues including the insane overcrowding in Surrey that has resulted in over 7000 children learning in portables. the NDP's education platform reflects the concerns myself and other parents have been raising for years including: creating an ongoing capital fund for playgrounds and contributing $30 million to basic supplies- both of which are currently dependent on parent fundraising. Advertisement A commitment to building new schools in areas that need it to address the out of control portable situations. Improving numerous aspects of First Nations based education including working towards offering full courses in Aboriginal language. Accelerating the very important seismic upgrades that have recently been pushed back another 10 years by the B.C. Liberals. But by far the most important aspect in their platform is "Acknowledging that a per pupil funding model doesn't work for our diverse education system in BC and undertaking a comprehensive review." For those of you who don't know, the per pupil funding model was implemented in 2002 around the same time the Liberals tore up teachers' contracts. Unlike the old "program and fund" model the per pupil funding allows the government to dodge responsibility for increased costs while those costs then fall onto school boards who are forced to make cuts to programs and services for our children. While hydro, MSP, salaries and other operational costs continue to rise the government avoids having to provide increased funding for those costs. I cannot imagine what our schools will look like with another 4 years of downloaded costs and funding cuts. So this election I am voting NDP because I am tired of fundraising tens of thousands of dollars every year for basic supplies. I am tired of special needs students spending years on wait lists for support they need to fully participate in their education. I am tired of our school board having to decided which service or support they will cut every year. I am tired of attending consultations for school closures that pit communities against each other in fights over which school deserves to stay open. I want to ensure that my son doesn't spend his entire education in an underfunded and under-supported system. I want him -- and every child in B.C. -- to have a full funded public education system that helps them reach their full potential. I also want every child to have an education that is not dependent on how much their parents can fundraise or the income level of their community. So I am voting NDP this election because they are the only party that can beat the B.C. Liberals and restore and invest in the children of this province by providing them with an fully funded and equal education. iPatou via Getty Images With Isis losing more and more territory each day, inching towards its territorial death, we mustn't fall into the delusion that this could spell the end for radical Islamist terrorism or even the end of Isis; the same analytical error that was made when Bin Laden was killed. On the other hand, as Isis nears its territorial collapse, we must become even more vigilant against its next metamorphosis that is already beginning to take shape. In my analysis, the phenomenon of Islamist terrorism can be categorised into three major phases. The first phase began with Al-Qaeda and the rise of Bin Laden. This was the phase of jihad that was primarily carried out in retaliation for the heavy Western involvement in the Middle East, namely in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is perhaps best described in Bin Laden's own words: Advertisement "Terrorism can be commendable, and it can be reprehensible. The terrorism we practice is of the commendable kind for it is directed at the tyrants and the aggressors and the enemies of Allah." Though Al-Qaeda's origins can be traced back to 1979 and the Soviet War in Afghanistan, the group was only seen as a problem once they turned against their former Western allies. That was when this first phase emerged and began calling for war to be waged against the "far enemy," i.e. the United States and the United Kingdom. This marked the end of reactive conflict in Afghanistan and Bosnia that evolved with the influence of Salafism and Islamism, and the beginning of offensive jihad. Bin Laden himself said: "Our work targets world infidels. Our enemy is the crusader alliance led by America, Britain, and Israel. It is a crusader-Jewish alliance." Advertisement This first phase of jihad employed the strategy of highly-organised and extremely well-planned out attacks that were orchestrated by a central command centre. These high-tech high-impact attacks (i.e. 9/11 in the USA, 7/7 in the UK) were sophisticated, complex, and above all, symbolic: these jihadists aimed to target the infrastructure of their enemies. The second phase of Islamist terrorism has manifested in the form of Islamic State. These next generation extremists have taken the Al-Qaeda manifesto of fighting against "tyrants and aggressors" to its logical extreme, targeting any and all individuals or nations that they saw as "infidels." Al-Baghdadi's approach is clear to see: "Islam was never a religion of peace, Islam is the religion of fighting. No one should believe that the war that we are waging is the war of the Islamic state, it is the war of all Muslims, but the Islamic State is spearheading it. It is the war of Muslims against infidels." Thus, these jihadists will aim to create their ideal of a utopian infidel-free state through whatever means necessary. Though travelling to Syria would be the ultimate goal, this second phase entails that the perpetrator does not physically have to be within the Islamic State to be able to make efforts (i.e. wage jihad) in order to carry out Isis' bidding. Strategically, this period, which we are currently experiencing, is marked by the emergence of "self-starters", a product of leaderless Islamist terrorism. Very different from the organised terror attacks that we saw in the Bin laden era. These are more of a case of Isis inspired than Isis instructed. MTFA (Marauding Terrorism Firearms Attack) and bombings, requires higher levels of sophistication and coordination, which means a higher level of traceability by our security services. With this low tech - high impact acts of terrorism, they have a 'light footprint', thus very hard to prevent and very difficult to detect creating a major challenge to security services This is the kind of extremist ideology that sees the British extremist, Khalid Masood ramming a car into pedestrians outside the UK Parliament, or an Omar Mateen shooting and killing 49 people inside a club in Orlando, or a married couple attempting to bomb an office Christmas party in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people. These individuals have not necessarily directly communicated with Isis and may not be officially affiliated with the group, yet they are very much inspired by their words: Advertisement "The smallest action you do in their heartland is better and more enduring to us than what you would if you were with us. If one of you hoped to reach the Islamic State, we wish we were in your place to punish the Crusaders day and night." Islamist extremism is now entering, or one could even say has already stepped into, its third, and perhaps most dangerous phase. This new emergence of the 'meta-jihad' is one that is purely based on a hyper ideology struggle. Any way of life that is not equal to their world view is seen as hostile and more importantly an offence against God. What makes this mutation radically different from its predecessors is that it is not based necessarily on physical threat to Muslims by non-believers or to the perceived Caliphate. The threat is simply to hold a world view contrary to the extremist's world view which by definition makes them an enemy that must be dis-empowered and eradicated. All states that are ruled by "man-made law" are "kufr" and are illegitimate entities that must be fought, which in turn makes it increasingly more difficult to contain. Add to this the growing accessibility of extremist material on the internet you have a volatile cocktail of radical preaching that can be rapidly circulated and remain undetected. To those who adhere to this ideology, anyone who does not come under their definition of righteous Muslim, or any way of life that is perceived as challenging the Isis ideal, is a valid target. Perhaps this explains the recent attacks in countries such as Sweden that have no involvement in the affairs of the Middle East and aren't even part of NATO or any other such alliance. On the contrary, Sweden, a country of 9.5 million people has taken in as many as 190,000 refugees, 2% of its entire population, and more refugees per capita than any other country in Europe. It could be argued that the reason for this attack was to underline Sweden's policy Syrian refugees. But as times goes on, the lines between strategic targets and ideological targets will become more blurred. Worryingly, in the future we are likely to see more terrorist attacks in countries that traditionally have not been targets. With the growing ease of access to increasingly gruesome arms, such as drones and chemical weapons (that are already in play in Syria), it won't be long before more sophisticated artillery reaches the hands of Isis. It is not inconceivable to see high-tech - high-impact attacks come in the form of drone attacks combined with chemical weapons at the hands of Islamist terrorists. This will worryingly be the most effective method for terrorists as it results in no causalities on their side. Each griever must ask the question, 'Who am I, now that you're gone?' And the answer to that question often revises one's self-narrative. Grief is a story you tell yourself. It's a story of the death of someone you loved. It's a story of the life of someone you loved. It's a story of your life with them and it's a story of your life without them. Ron Marasco and Brian Shuff, About Grief A little while ago I went to see La La Land at the cinema. It was a bit of a milestone for me as the first film that I managed to sit through since you died, in fact I really loved it. Essentially I'm a sucker for whimsy and romance, the classic dreamer, head in the clouds and all that jazz. I want always to believe in destiny and true love even though my own life hasn't done much to encourage those beliefs. La La Land is a perfect dreamers' film. It reminded me of our magical love affair, of course, and also a bit of my first true love. He was an aspiring actor from California and I was an aspiring writer from Yorkshire. We had a fairytale meeting in Eastern Europe (dancing in the snow in Prague as opposed to the sunset in LA), a wonderful courtship (including drama and deportation) and we had a beautiful wedding after eighteen months. A few years later, we divorced. It was a harsh lesson to learn at twenty-six, that happy ever afters are often just the stuff of Hollywood and not of real life. Advertisement For that reason, I quite liked the ending of La La Land, even though I still sat crying on the back row with my friend when it finished, not because the hero and heroine didn't end up together but because it reminded me of the unsatisfactory nature of my own love stories. 'What is it all supposed to mean?' I asked her. Like the couple in La La Land, you and I seemed destined to be together. I felt you were my soulmate and that it was written in the stars that we should collide. Our paths had criss-crossed so often throughout our lives that it was only a matter of time, or timing, before we would get the message and fall in love. And when we finally made it, I thought I'd made it too, to the end of some kind of convoluted romantic journey, to my own (slightly later than expected, slightly unconventional) happy ever after. And then suddenly you died and the narrative was shredded and I was bewildered again wondering what to make of it all. 'The end just happened in the middle,' I wrote. The path into the future had disappeared overnight and I didn't see how I could go on. Essentially, I lost the plot. As a graduate of English literature and a writer (predominantly of fiction), narrative is important to me and something that has preoccupied me a lot in my grief. I'm painfully aware that the narrative of my own life (put simply) is a complete mess and not something any publisher would be interested in; there's no clear narrative arc at all, certainly not from a romantic point of view. It might make a good collection of, mostly tragic, short stories but it's a hopeless romance novel. Every time someone looks like the hero of the piece and I invest in them, they vanish and your particular vanishing act was truly spectacular. In a pitching workshop that I once attended, I was told that I needed to be able to encapsulate the plot of my novel in a one-line summary. At the beginning of my grief journey, this is how the story looked: 'Two lovers, destined to be together, miss their chance repeatedly, spend their lives apart having a pretty miserable time, finally unite and then, just when things are going great, he dies and her life is ruined'. Maybe it makes a good weepy but it's certainly not an easy story to write a sequel to and, left here without you, that is, essentially, what I have to do. Advertisement My bereavement counsellor says that the work of bereavement is to find a new narrative and perhaps, in this respect, I'm lucky that I know a lot about making up stories. Perhaps that's why I have written so many thousands of words since you died, trying to find a way to write the story in such a way that it makes your narrative bearable (though it would take a genius to achieve that) and also leaves the way open for me to continue to write a better future for myself. When you died, my overwhelming feeling was that I just wanted to die with you, but gradually, over the course of the last twelve months I've been forced to consider the possibility that your ending can't be the ending of my own story. If I'm going to go on to live a rich and fulfilling life (and how can I contemplate anything else when I have the privilege to still be here when you are not?) I can't afford to have my narrative be the one in which the love of my life appears and disappears in the space of a year during middle age. It's just too ridiculous. So, I must try to find a new way to frame things and, though I have raged against the people who talk of gifts and silver linings, I find myself looking for them anyway. Because who wants to read a narrative without hope? And who can live a life in which there are no gifts? So, I try to rework the narrative and I'm left with something like this: 'Just as they are both about to give up on hope and true love, two star-crossed lovers, battered by ill-fortune and plagued by self-doubt, find each other and repair each other's broken hearts, restoring their faith in love. Though he tragically dies, he dies happy in the knowledge that he is truly loved and accepted for who he is. And, though she is heartbroken at being left behind, she is left with the same knowledge: she has known what it is to love deeply and to be loved deeply in return. He has left her with the gift of knowing she is worthy of true love.' It still needs work, but it's an improvement, at least, on the first version. Sometimes, I reflect that, overall, my own story is perhaps not a romance at all. When I got divorced, my mum, bless her, suggested that perhaps I was just 'one of those people who isn't meant to be in a relationship.' Cheers for that, Mum. I don't like to think she was right but there are allegedly seven possible plots and not all of them are boy meets girl. Probably my narrative is more a voyage of self-discovery, of becoming. Mostly, in my life, the men along the way feel like they have been obstacles and distractions from my main work, of being my true self and being the writer that I was always meant to be. I remember once saying to a, now well-known, author that I felt I couldn't be a writer and have love. 'With the right person, you can,' she said wisely. You were the right person and I learned that I could. I learned that someone could love both the writer and the person that I am. In truth, the person and the writer are one and the same thing. I don't know what the next chapter of my story will be as I've yet to write it. Maybe I will go on to find my fulfilment in my writing and you will remain the one true love of my life but, I don't think that's my story. I don't think my mum was right. I've learned a lot over the last few decades of living tragic short stories. I'd like the chance to apply my learning to a bigger and more sustainable project. Maybe I'm greedy but I'd like to have my writing and still have love. I can understand the widows who feel that the love they shared with their spouses is enough to sustain them but I only had a few months. It's not enough for me. I don't know what the point would be of finally understanding what love is, if I'm never to have it again. It may be crazy but the romantic in me didn't die with you. If anything, it has been reborn. In the van, I sing along to the soundtrack to La La Land, turning the volume up every time Emma Stone's audition number comes back round. 'Here's to the ones who dream,' she sings. 'Bring on the rebels, the ripples from pebbles, the painters and poets and plays.' She doesn't mention blacksmiths but I see you and our story in every word. It was a magical story completely devoid of pragmatism, a real romance. A story of madness and colour, a triumph of heart over head. Together we captured that feeling, 'a sky with no ceiling, a sunset inside a frame.' And whatever happens next, 'I'll always remember the flame' of our love. Like you, it lives on, in me. Here's to the ones who dream. Foolish as they may seem. Here's to the hearts that break. Here's to the mess we make. And here's to you, Blacksmith Paul, the ultimate dreamer. At the bonfire that we held after your funeral, I scrawled a message on a paper lantern. I still remember the words that I wrote: 'What an adventure we had! I wouldn't have missed it for the world,' It's true. I wouldn't. And even though, during this last twelve months, my journey has been a nightmarish trip to the underworld, I am still so grateful for the love we shared. I know that if I had my time again, I wouldn't change a thing, apart from the ending (and perhaps I'd bring forward the beginning). The storyteller in me is able to write new endings and she will. She can conjure worlds in which we will have our time again, in some other lifetime or some parallel universe. Maybe there we will get to have a happy ever after. But in this universe, I will go on and, when the time is right and the person is right (and he will have to be right, now), I know I will risk my heart once more. Because I'm a foolish dreamer like the aunt who jumped barefoot into the Seine. Advertisement Getty Last summer, the Institute of Employment Rights launched its A Manifesto for Labour Law. The policy recommendations contained therein have attracted support from many Labour politicians and almost all major unions. The premise of A Manifesto for Labour Law is to shift the focus of labour law from statutory minimum rights to collective bargaining, allowing workers to organise and negotiate for higher wages and conditions within not only their companies but across entire sectors. Such sectoral collective bargaining could lead to wage and condition floors being set across industries, which can be built on at company level. This should lead to higher pay and better conditions, adding to workers' job security and income. What this amounts to is using the law as an enabler rather than being wholly reliant upon it to deliver protection whilst recognising that without strong unions, individual employment rights are too difficult to enforce at a workplace level. Moreover, it also recognises that too strong a focus on individual employment rights wrongly suggests the only role of the state is to enforce minimum standards with everything else left to determination by the market. Advertisement However, A Manifesto for Labour Law also recommends that the definition of the legal term 'worker' is reviewed so that all workers are covered no matter the attempts to impose the bogus status of 'self-employed' upon them and that the repercussions for those employers who break the rules are both punitive and deterrent in nature. Part of this would involve rebuilding the regime of regulation and enforcement through having labour inspectors within workplaces to make sure the law is followed, labour courts specifically focused on employment cases, and sanctioning unscrupulous employers including through criminal proceedings. The extent and coverage of union recognition and collective bargaining have fallen in Britain over the last thirty years as employers and the state have attacked them. The consequence has been workers in Britain work longer hours for less pay than in most other competitor economies in western Europe. Detailed proposals The following are the key detailed proposals to be found in the Manifesto: Establishing a Ministry of Labour, a Labour Court and a National Economic Forum The Ministry of Labour should establish Sectoral Employment Commissions with responsibilities including to promote and negotiate Sectoral Collective Agreements, set minimum terms and conditions of employment, mechanisms for the resolution of collective and individual disputes, and health and safety standards for the sector as a whole; Advertisement Regulatory legislation should underpin collective bargaining on a range of matters such as pay, working time (including zero hours contracts), discrimination, equality, and health and safety at work. Existing statutory standards should be universal in scope and effective in application; Gaining implementation The IER has previously produced wide-ranging proposals for the radical reform of labour law. The contents of the Manifesto have many of the same components of these, showing, on the one hand, the IER has stood steadfast in its perspective of the need for radical change, and on the other, the lack of progressive change as well as the continued backward march of progress. Of its activities, the Trade Union Freedom Bill in the late 2000s (in both its incarnations) was the only proposal to make it directly to the floor of Parliament via John McDonnell's Private Members' Bill. This indicates the easiest part of gaining support for new proposals is to garner validation from existing progressive unions and politicians. But while this is necessary, it is not sufficient for seeing the implementation of the Manifesto in terms of i) making it on the statute book; and ii) being subsequently enforced by the state. The scale of the task is such that the union movement needs to be considerably stronger than it currently is in order to gain such an objective, and that is said without taking into account the present situation found with regard to the Labour Party (its poor poll ratings, attacks on Corbyn's leadership and so on in the run up to the 8 June general election). To put it bluntly, the union movement needs to be as strong as it was in the late 1960s/early 1970s when it was capable of defeating two sets of government proposals on industrial relations laws (In Place of Strife, Industrial Relations Act 1971). Argument and evidence - as that represented by the Manifesto - are important in helping to play a part in the process of building such leverage and power but evidence on its own will not compel legislative change. At best, evidence and argument can help raise consciousness and confidence of workers when they are in engaged in mass, collective struggle. Situation in Scotland At one level, and as already alluded to, the prospect for implementing the Manifesto in Scotland is no more auspicious than it is south of the border - certainly in the short- to medium-term. As is widely known, employment law is a reserved matter (for Westminster and not Holyrood) and, somewhat more contentiously for some, the SNP in office as the Scottish Government since 2007 has not shown itself to be a radical or reforming administration. For example, its major initiative in regard of employment relations, the Fair Work Framework, has no statutory or regulatory underpinning so that no matter its good intentions it has no powers to be enforced. This has meant that on major Scottish Government or publicly funding building projects like the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, the new Forth Road Bridge and the new Dumfries hospital of new Dumfries and Galloway NHS , for example, unions have been denied access to workers to recruit and represent them and worker representatives have been subject to blacklisting (which goes against the spirit and letter of the Fair Work Framework). Public procurement, in these examples, give the Scottish Government more than enough leeway to insist upon minimum conditions of employment without acting out with any devolved powers it has on employment law matters. This is, however, entirely in keeping with the SNP's non-interventionist, voluntarist approach to matters of employment relations. So currently, neither the legal framework nor the (mainstream) political will exists to implement the Manifesto. It also shows how unwilling the SNP Scottish Government has been to act when contrasted with the much greater activity and actions of the Welsh Assembly Government on similar matters. alessandro0770 via Getty Images When a WW2 Resistant tells a newspaper that in French politics, Le Pen represents the negation of all that the Resistance fought for and calls on everyone to vote Emmanuel Macron next Sunday. Advertisement Daniel Cordier at a memorial ceremony in Rennes, France. 25 May 2012. (Wikipedia / Pgautl35) Daniel Cordier is 96 years old. He is one of the last eleven Compagnons de la Liberation still alive today. He was also the former secretary of a one of the most famous heroes of the French Resistance during WW2, Jean Moulin, who died after being tortured by the Gestapo, the Nazi police. In France, Jean Moulin is seen as a model of civic virtuousness, moral rectitude and patriotism, and as the symbol of the Resistance. A painted portrait of Jean Moulin in Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d'Or, France (Flickr / Thierry Ehrmann) In an interview he gave to French Sunday newspaper Journal du Dimanche last Sunday, he explains that he had never before spoken about politics in public. However, because of the alliance between Nicolas Dupont-Aignan and Marine Le Pen for the second round of the Presidential Election, the man who says he "always voted on the left, even the Communist once, against De Gaulle!", felt compelled to speak. Advertisement "In French politics, Le Pen represents the negation of all that we have fought for." "When I imagine Marine Le Pen representing France, when I realise the risk she might be elected, I find it horrendous. Le Pen, I say no!" He explains. "In French politics, Le Pen represents the negation of all that we have fought for." Daniel Cordier finds the return of far-right ideologies such as the ones preached by the infamous French anti-Semite and nationalist Charles Maurras in the 20th century "frightening." A man Politico reported last month that Steve Bannon, the White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration, has "expressed admiration for" and "parroted several ideas from". A hero to the European Far-Right. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan and Nigel Farage in Strasbourg, France. 6 December 2013. (Wikipedia / Alesssioo) Of Nicolas Dupont-Aignan claiming he is a Gaullist, the Resistant says that "in their mouth, these are only words, hollow words that mean nothing. They speak without knowing what Gaullism was in the 1940s. When I hear them claim this heritage I feel it is a deceit." Advertisement Nicolas Dupont-Aignan's party 'Debout la France' (France Arise) is actually a member of the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe at the European Parliament, together with Nigel Farage's party, Ukip. Since Mr Farage made his views very clear last month on the French Presidential Election and on who he was supporting, it should not have come to anyone as a surprise to see his French protege jump when he would ask him to. It is clear that Dupont-Aignan's candidacy always was about splitting the vote of the Centre-Right candidate, Francois Fillon, so that he would not reach the second round of the election. Macron "without hesitation and without reservation." Daniel Cordier didn't need any more convincing to call on everyone in the country to vote for Emmanuel Macron on 7 May, "without hesitation and without reservation." He explains that to the newspaper that he voted for Francois Hollande in 2012, but found the result "disappointing." And even though "his reactions were good, he speaks well, he is a nice and intelligent man, there is a great void, a lack of presence." Emmanuel Macron visiting a Whirlpool Factory in Amiens, France. 26 April 2017. (France 24) In his opinion, the Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has a lot of presence. "When he went to visit the Whirlpool factory in a hostile atmosphere, he put up a good fight. He was better than I would have imagined." Mr Macron had been forced to brave a picket line to talk to some furious factory employees, after Marine Le Pen had beaten him at meeting them first, whilst he was meeting their trade union reps. Advertisement The European Union, "it is the antidote to war, of course." To finish, Daniel Cordier was asked about his views on Europe. As one of the last Compagnons de la Liberation still alive, he answered that there is no other solution than the European Union. "It is the antidote to war, of course," he said, before describing Britain's Brexit as "something shocking, unthinkable." "I think about it every day," he added. "We fought together, we won together. We made peace and then Europe together. Their departure, I find it terrible. To imagine that France could leave Europe is just as shocking." --- Reading Suggestions (in French): - Alias Caracalla, a biography of Daniel Cordier, 2013, Folio. - Jean Moulin - La Republique des catacombes (Vol. 1), a biography of Jean Moulin by Daniel Cordier, 2014, Folio. - Jean Moulin - La Republique des catacombes (Vol. 2), a biography of Jean Moulin by Daniel Cordier, 2014, Folio. - De l'Histoire a l'histoire, a conversation with Daniel Cordier, 2013, Gallimard. Michael Fallon's recent claim that Britain under Theresa May's leadership would be willing to launch a preemptive nuclear strike confirms what many suspected - namely that the British people are being ruled by a clutch of certifiable fanatics who will get us all destroyed unless they can be reined in, and soon. The Defence Secretary's stupendously stupid statement came in the same week that the BBC's Andrew Marr asked Labour's Jeremy Corbyn in an interview if there were any circumstances in which he would launch nuclear weapons? Both taken together suggest that the moral sickness that has long pervaded the country's privately educated elite, when it comes to unleashing wars against poor countries abroad and attacking poor people at home, has progressed into the realms of actual insanity. Have we seriously now entered an age when nuclear weapons are considered anything other than an abomination that no civilized country or non-sociopathic human being would ever contemplate using for more than a second? Advertisement If the likes of Michael Fallon and Andrew Marr are to be believed, yes we have. The willingness to trigger armageddon is, in the run-up to the general election on 8 June, being used as evidence of the Tories' fitness to rule. In this regard, Mr Fallon wants us to believe that the British public are convinced that North Korea and Russia to be more of a threat to its security than than the Tories are. It really does bespeak ineffable arrogance, recklessness, and irrationality to wave the prospect of launching nuclear weapons as part of an electoral strategy. Within this strategy, the inference that Jeremy Corbyn is weak because he refuses to countenance a first-strike policy vis-a-vis Britain's Trident nuclear arsenal, is more confirmation of the upside down world that these people inhabit. It would be well worthwhile if Michael Fallon would spare a few minutes to watch the legendary monologue Charlie Chaplin delivered in his classic 1940 movie, The Great Dictator. This passage is particularly relevant: Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.... Predictably, the Defence Secretary's fatuous boast of being willing to launch a preemptive nuclear strike did not go down well in Russia. Franz Klintsevich, a retired colonel and current deputy head of the Russian Duma, wrote in response that if Britain launched a preemptive nuclear strike against Russia "it will literally be erased from the face of the earth." Advertisement No one in their right mind could argue that Britain's complete annihilation in the event of a nuclear exchange with Russia would not be guaranteed. Russia currently has 7000 nuclear warheads, while Britain has 215. Russia also has some of the most advanced delivery systems of any currently in operation, while Britain can't even get its missiles to fire in the right direction, given what we know of the failed Trident submarine missile test that took place off the coast of the United States last year. By now we are all aware of the malign role that Madrassas (religious schools) have played in places such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and across the Middle East in radicalising young people with the inculcation of extremist ideology and fanaticism. In Britain we have our very own version of Madrassas. We call them public schools - institutions such as Harrow, Eton and Fettes where maniacs such as Michael Fallon, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Tony Blair are hatched, inculcated with a fanatical belief in British exceptionalism and imperialism. Minister for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vadym Chernysh has said Ukraine will not stop supplying water to the uncontrolled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions for humanitarian reasons. "From the humanitarian point of view, Ukraine cannot do it and won't do it. Generally speaking, all this time Ukraine has been supporting the functioning of this [water supply] system, which provides for our citizens on both sides of the [demarcation] line," he said on Channel 5 on Thursday, answering the question about the possibility of halting the water supply to uncontrolled territories. Chernysh noted that previously about 90% of the water of the water supplying enterprise went to the uncontrolled territory. Now this share has decreased to 70%. At the same time, the minister stressed that the company, which orders supplies to uncontrolled territories from the Water of Donbas municipal enterprise, works in the Ukrainian legal field. As reported, on April 26 at a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of the situation in Donbas in Minsk, the parties expressed their readiness to pay off their arrears and resume water supplies to the uncontrolled territories of Donbas. Kutsuks via Getty Images When political commentators write about the 'strange death' of Labour in Scotland, they tend to pinpoint the same traits again and again. Ex-Labour supporters are frequently depicted as angry divorcees who have been bewitched by divisive nationalism. As Owen Jones has repeatedly put it, "they feel the bitterness of ex-lovers and the zealotry of the convert." This analysis isn't entirely incorrect - I personally know many people from Labour families who hold nothing but vitriol for the party they once voted for no matter what. But it doesn't account for those of us who are still desperate to vote for Labour but just can't bring ourselves to for one key reason: their hardline stance against independence. Advertisement It's not simply the case that all Yes converts believe the issue of independence trumps everything else. Many of us remain sceptical about the SNP: the Scottish Government's stringent centrist agenda and incessant cuts to vital local services has diminished much of the good will afforded to them in recent elections. In fact, recent surveys by YouGov, the Daily Record and Panelbase show that while support for independence has remained relatively firm since 2014, support for the SNP has markedly dropped. Theresa May's decision to call an early election will have jolted many people into considering their immediate priorities. Although Jeremy Corbyn is undeniably flawed as a leader, he has committed to policies that many of us on the Scottish left have been calling for for years: higher taxes on the wealthiest in our society, a 10-an-hour minimum wage and capping wages at firms with government contracts. The SNP outflanked Labour by employing an anti-austerity narrative in 2015, but the message this time around seems to be revolved around keeping Scotland in the European Union at all costs. It might suit their agenda to repeatedly highlight how Scotland voted compared to the rest of the UK, but it's not necessarily top of working people's every day concerns. You therefore might assume Scottish Labour would tailor their campaigns for both local and national elections towards addressing these real issues. Given the bulk of their unionist base appears to be deserting them for the Tories, a strong Labour message that cuts through the constitutional divide would have been welcome. Instead, their campaign leaflets and broadcasts have been unequivocal: vote Scottish Labour to say no to another independence referendum. It'd be disappointing if it weren't so depressingly predictable. Advertisement The usual suspects have been out in force parroting the same line. Former Chancellor Alistair Darling says a vote for Labour is a vote against another 'divisive referendum'. Former Better Together strategist Blair McDougall, who is running as a candidate in East Renfrewshire, is yet to attack the Conservatives once and treating the election as a referendum re-run. If Labour's plan genuinely is to win back Yes voters then they're not doing a good job. These 'New' Labour stalwarts stress it's Jeremy Corbyn and not them who's out of touch with the Scottish public. Yet, despite his poor personal approval ratings, Corbyn at least recognises young voters will always be a crucial demographic that can help Labour keep in touch if sufficiently mobilised. In Scotland this same demographic overwhelmingly support independence, with most polls placing upwards of 60-70% of 18-25s in the Yes camp. In my last blog, I referenced a London School of Economics study that found there had been no rise in nationalism during the last general election period. Even more significantly, though, another academic study found young Yes voters often 'explicitly distance themselves from nationalist sentiment'. Maybe - just maybe - attacking 'divisive nationalism' isn't the way to appeal to them. Meanwhile, the latest Daily Record poll shows an astonishing 48% of over 65s in Scotland intend to vote Conservative in the general election. It doesn't take a forensic scientist to recognise Labour are spending too much time chasing one side of this generational divide and not enough on the other. Let's be clear: there are committed nationalists on both sides who will vote for either of the SNP or the Conservatives because they either support or oppose a second referendum. But the question of independence will not be Scotland's defining electoral issue forever. Advertisement Of course it'd be naive to expect Labour to announce a wholesale policy shift towards independence when their elected representatives are almost unanimously against it. Nevertheless, the party need to recognise the political realities. If Scotland remains in the UK, it undergoes Hard Brexit with the rest of the UK. No ifs, no buts. Tony C French via Getty Images I'm a photographer specialising in culture and travel. In the last few years I've photographed people like Rod Stewart and Dame Shirley Bassey and have travelled for work, to places like Japan, New York and Paris. My working life can be a lot of fun and I'm lucky to do a job I enjoy. I first heard about the RNLI's Tower Lifeboat Station a few years ago when a friend of mine told me he was volunteering there. I've always loved boats, and the water, and sailed a lot when I was younger. Based on the banks of the Thames near Waterloo Bridge, Tower is the busiest RNLI lifeboat station in the whole of the UK. I did two trial shifts to make sure I could deal with the demands -from day one I was on rescue jobs. Advertisement When the alert comes in, there are so many things rushing through your mind - we have to launch the lifeboat in 90 seconds so there is a lot to take in. I always just try to think about how I can be the best I can in that situation. On my very first day we rescued a woman who had jumped into the river. Although I had been thoroughly briefed, you can never fully prepare yourself for what might happen. As we approached the scene, I could see it was serious, with crowds of people gathering around. When we reached her, I went into auto-pilot. She was the same age as me - and it hit home that these were life or death situations for real people that I would be involved in. Sadly, not all callouts end in a life saved, and inevitably we see many sad and tragic things. A few months ago, I was working on a day shift and we were launched after a report of a person in the water. Unfortunately, the man had been in the water for days, and it was our job to help recover the body and hand him over to the police for formal identification. It was my first experience of death while volunteering, but I'd been well prepped by my colleagues on the crew so I knew what to expect. It's sad that we have to recover bodies, but I try and see it as being part of a process that helps the families and friends of the deceased. Volunteering at the RNLI is such a positive and inspiring part of my life and I see it as a perspective checker. We're all guilty of going about our daily lives in a little bubble, but volunteering at Tower Lifeboat Station has helped me realise not to take anything for granted. Advertisement I love working outdoors on the river, I enjoy all the training and learning, and I get to work alongside all kinds of great people. Volunteers come from all walks of life - at Tower we are a real mix from police officers and musicians to students and pilots. There's always a good amount of tea-drinking and joke sharing between shouts - and there is a strong bond between all of us. People say it's selfless to volunteer for the RNLI but I don't agree, because selfishly, I get so much out of it. I'm so proud to be part of such a fantastic charity - but there are other ways to show support. Mayday is the charity's national annual fundraising campaign encouraging the public to raise funds for vital RNLI crew kit for the charity's lifeboat volunteers. From sponsored bike rides and welly walks, to running a bake sale, there are all sorts of ways to raise money for the RNLI this Mayday. I'd encourage everyone to visit RNLI.org/Mayday to see how they can do their bit to fund our kit. Since I was able to vote in 2009, I've always voted for what I believed in. In the EU elections of 2009 I voted for the Lib Dems. In the 2010 general election in Ian Duncan Smith's constituency I voted Lib Dem. In the 2012 mayoral elections, I voted for an independent candidate and then Green on the London-wide assembly ballot. The only time I've voted tactically is in the 2014 local elections where there wasn't a green candidate. I voted Labour as I had three Tory councillors in my ward. Advertisement In the 2015 general election, I voted for the Green Party in the Conservative/ Labour marginal seat of Ilford North. Labour actually won this seat from the Conservatives. I voted Green at that time as Labour were not offering a clear enough alternative under Ed Miliband. In 2016 I actually stood for the Green Party in Havering and Redbridge in the London Assembly which was a Conservative/Labour marginal seat that the Conservatives just won. I felt I had to as I am an active Green Party member and even though Labour were making the right noises, I felt the Greens were offering really positive and different policies from everyone else in London and it was a platform I was proud to stand on. So anyone that knows me will know how principled I am in my beliefs. However given that we have a snap general election coming up on the 8th June and a really good opportunity to stop a hard Brexit, where we could become the tax haven of Europe, with barely any workers' rights or environmental protections, I feel I have to re-evaluate what I should do. In 2015, Labour won my constituency of Ilford North by 589 votes. The Green Party got 1023 votes and 2.1% of the vote. UKIP are also standing aside and they got 4,355 votes in the 2015 election. Considering UKIP and the Tories are in very similar positions when it comes to Brexit, a lot UKIP voters will most likely go to the Conservative candidate. Even though I don't agree with Wes Streeting on a few positions, I can't deny he has been a good local MP. We have shared platforms on some local issues together on things such as working to stop an A&E closure and protecting Greenbelt spaces. He has also been a responsive MP that has most of the time got back to me on issues when I've contacted his office. Contrast that to the Conservative MP before him, Lee Scott, who barely did this and only speaks to people at election time. He is going to be standing again and judging by his leaflets, he clearly hopes to be a yes man to Theresa May, should she lead the next government. The choice could not be clearer in that regard. I'm pleased to say we in the Waltham Forest and Redbridge Green Party have come to an agreement with Wes. In exchange for us standing aside, he is going to campaign on changing the voting system to Proportional Representation despite the fact that it isn't official Labour Party policy. To borrow a phrase from the Leave EU campaign, we can really "take back control" of our country by changing our voting system and giving voters a genuine voice and making sure their views are actually heard. The more pro-electoral reform MPs we get elected, the more likely we'll get the change we desperately need and people can vote for what they believe in without having to worry about letting in a party they despise. Advertisement Just to reiterate, I am still a Green Party member and will use my time in the lead up to the general election to campaign for the Green Party in the seats we have a much better chance in. As a smaller party with limited resources, I'd rather us save the 500 deposit that we'd most likely lose in Ilford North and spend that more resourcefully elsewhere. Despite a few crossovers with the Corbyn-led Labour Party on issues such as austerity, education and housing, we Greens still have a distinct offering to the electorate. Rather than chase unlimited economic growth on a planet of finite resources, we believe in sustainably investing in our economy to help protect our planet for future generations. Also unlike the Lib Dems, we won't give up our position on changing the voting system to a proportional one as they did in 2010 when they formed a coalition with the Tories. So if you live in the neighbouring constituencies to Ilford North, you will have an opportunity to still vote Green. If, like me, you live in Ilford North and haven't voted for Labour in a general election before and want to see the Tories ousted, I urge you this one time to vote for Wes Streeting. There will not be a Green Party candidate and the Lib Dems have no chance of winning this seat. They got only 107 more votes than the Green Party in 2015. If you live elsewhere in the country, I urge you to vote for the progressive candidate most likely to beat the Conservative Party, whoever that may be. The Green Party don't have a monopoly on progressive ideas but by taking the lead on a strategy of trying to oust the Tories, we certainly can have a significant effect on the outcome of this election. A multi-ethnic group of college students are studying together in class. FatCamera via Getty Images With Article 50 now triggered, and a snap election now taking place in June, students are now worried about the future of their education. As much of our system is rooted in Europe, it's understandable. Here's what the Brexit process could mean for students in the near future. Changes for students coming from abroad Any EU national students that are currently studying in the UK will see no changes in their education and funding. The Guardian has reported the Student Loans Company saying that there will be no change in their funding while they're still studying. Advertisement However, we are likely to see a decline in the amount of EU students applying for UK universities. This is because they will likely be treated as international students after Brexit, and so the fees will get higher. Experts are predicting, though, that the demand for places by home students will fill this gap. As for Erasmus and other exchange programs, they are stating that for now, there will be no change in how they operate. If fewer EU students opt to come to the UK though, that could change. Possible changes in funding One concern that has been on everyone's mind is research funding for universities. in 2014-15 alone, UK universities received more than half a billion pounds from EU investment. This funding is in doubt after the Brexit vote. There have been reports of funders pulling out of programs as there's little information on the future of Brexit. Several academic have raised concerns that certain study programs will not be able to continue without this funding. Post graduate study is particularly at risk, they say. If you're a student looking at taking on a postgraduate degree, this could affect you. Advertisement This could have an effect on staffing numbers too. With class sizes already rising, students are already turning to custom writings services for help when they need it. With funding receding, this could get worse. Job prospects Of course, students are worried about what their prospects are going to be like once they graduate. At the moment, this is still very much up in the air. The situation with employment hinges on whether a recession happens after we leave the EU. If one does happen, it can be expected for available jobs to decrease, making it harder for graduates to find employment. There are several sectors that could be affected, including: Law: With withdrawal from the EU comes the need to redraft laws. This will take skilled lawyers, but experts in the industry are predicting an overall decrease in hiring. With withdrawal from the EU comes the need to redraft laws. This will take skilled lawyers, but experts in the industry are predicting an overall decrease in hiring. Media and internet : These are likely to be hit by the economic impact of Brexit. Writer Nicolle Finch from Paper Fellows says, 'We expect there to be a slowdown in the jobs on offer in the media and online writing sectors. If a recession happens, there'll be less funding and less jobs available. We hope that this will only be a momentary dip, though.' : These are likely to be hit by the economic impact of Brexit. Writer Nicolle Finch from Paper Fellows says, 'We expect there to be a slowdown in the jobs on offer in the media and online writing sectors. If a recession happens, there'll be less funding and less jobs available. We hope that this will only be a momentary dip, though.' Energy: Oil and gas industries are largely free from the EU, but they will be impacted by long term economic implications of Brexit. Oil and gas industries are largely free from the EU, but they will be impacted by long term economic implications of Brexit. Accountancy and finance: Students should expect an initial drop in available jobs in this sector. However, London is likely to remain a global hub for finance. Studying abroad for UK students Many students from the UK are asking questions about whether they can still go abroad to study. One concern is that they'll need to obtain visas to go into the EU, where of course they didn't need to before. This will be very much dependent on individual countries, although it's expected that many will campaign to allow British students to still come without visas. Advertisement Other students are wondering if they should go abroad now, before anything changes. As it stands, it could take two years for Brexit to be fully implemented. That means students still have time to go abroad if they wish. The NUS has advised students to keep an eye on the UKCISA website, in order to be informed of any changes as they happen. However, it's not all bad news. There's evidence that several sectors will be safe after Brexit. This is includes tourism, as the falling pound makes the UK an attractive tourist destination. Teaching and healthcare are two industries that will still need a steady stream of graduates too, so if you're a student studying in those fields you'll be ok finding a job after graduation. All in all, there are many concerns arising from Brexit for higher education. Students are most concerned that their opportunities are going to decline. As Article 50 has only just been triggered, only time will tell how students will be affected. The snap election will change things too. The outcome of the vote will have a serious impact on Brexit negotiations. Imagine being a 24-year-old man, naked and floating in a pod, inducing complete sensory deprivation and being immersed in what I can only describe as adult sized womb. Sound terrifying? Well, today I did just that, but alas, it was not scary in the slightest and instead it ending up being both relaxing and transformative. To my surprise, I learnt that floatation therapy has been around for around 60 years. It is yet however, to become mainstream. I for one, knew nothing about it. A few weeks back, I was browsing the web looking for something interesting and new that a friend and I could try out. This is when I came across 'Float Works' in Vauxhall, London. Intrigued, I booked us one 'float'. Advertisement I arrived at 9 am and was overcome by a sense of tranquillity. The receptionist positively oozed zen, making my friend and I feel at ease; this was particularly reassuring when trying something so new and unusual. He showed each of us to our private room where a large white pod filled with salt water greeted me. He explained its features and left us to shower and hop in. Normally I would be nervous, but the staff were so friendly and positive that any residual nerves evaporated. I took off my clothes and lay down in the water. I felt the tension in my body melt away. Turning the pod's lights off, I was lost in complete darkness, left to focus on my own thoughts for a full hour. After the fifteen minutes of quiet music (to 'ease you in') I lost any sense of time. I began to fade in and out of active thought, managing in the main to clear my mind. The water, being perfect room temperature, meant that I wasn't able to tell which parts of me were in the water and which were out. I focused on my breath and could hear only my heartbeat; I had completely succumbed to the pod. Advertisement The hour was up in what felt like minutes. Before entering, I was convinced that this whole process might drag on, but instead I was shocked at how quickly the time flew! After the float, I felt happier, lighter and rejuvenated. I made my way up to the 'relaxation room' and poured myself a complementary herbal tea, and pondered the immense and positive impact of the float. I am a massage addict, but let me tell you, this float session was more wellness inducing than any massage I have ever received. It was special absolutely worth the 50 price tag. I'm giving this 5/5 on the happiness scale. In prison, one of the greatest challenges is psychological. Even though conditions can be pretty terrible, as long as you have basic nutrition, clean water and shelter you can physically survive. But it is the sense of hopelessness and isolation that can be mentally crippling, and even fatal. So when we learned, several months after our arrest, that a global campaign had been launched to free us, it made all the difference in the world. Advertisement In 2013 we had been arrested in Egypt while working as journalists for Al Jazeera and charged with a string of politically-motivated offences relating to our work. In those cold, dirty cells, with no idea what the future held, there was not much to be positive about, which is why it meant so much when the first snippets filtered through that the #FreeAJStaff campaign was getting world-wide traction. Besides reminding us that we had not been forgotten, it made us realise we were part of a cause far bigger than ourselves. It helped give those long days meaning and lifted us when we were at our lowest. And, more importantly, ultimately the campaign also helped end our incarceration. People around the world had come together in extraordinary numbers to call for our freedom because they recognised the injustice of what we were going through. They saw how we were victims of a campaign to silence the press, and they took a stand to support us. And it worked. Now we urgently need to harness that energy once again. A tragedy is slowly unfolding in Turkey. Independent journalism is being systematically stamped out. Prison doors are slamming, media outlets are being boarded up, and a disturbing silence is falling over what was once a vibrant and diverse media landscape. Advertisement Since the failed coup attempt in July 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched a crackdown on freedom of expression so severe that independent journalism is in its death throes. At least 156 media outlets have been shut down and an estimated 2,500 journalists and other media workers have lost their jobs. Yonca Sk, whose husband, investigative journalist Ahmet, has been remanded in custody since December, says "Ahmet's imprisonment is a message to others: Speak out if you dare." Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan All of these measures against independent journalism are painful to watch. But what hit closest to home are the stories of the more than 120 media workers arrested in the wake of the coup attempt and held in pre-trial detention. In the initial shock following our own arrests in Egypt, we thought there had been a terrible mistake that would quickly be corrected. We could never have imagined that we would go on to spend hundreds of days in prison awaiting trial, in terrible conditions. The Egyptian prisons where we languished were overflowing with many people who opposed or challenged the government. We understand all too well what it is like to be in Turkey's prisons right now, and how our colleagues must be feeling. When we weren't crammed into cells with so many other men that we couldn't sit down, we were in solitary confinement where we often feared losing our minds. The loneliness and boredom are hard to describe. Advertisement Although the situation facing journalists jailed in Turkey may not be identical to ours, we understand their despair and frustration. What makes the situation in Turkey especially sinister is the fact that the Turkish government continues to deny that journalists are being jailed for their work. The stories and identities of these individuals are being erased. This is why it is so vital for those of us on the outside to take a stand on their behalf. #FreeAJStaff started as a small Twitter campaign, but within weeks it had grown into a global movement. It brought out the best in social media: the urgency, the rolling momentum, the championing of a cause which might otherwise have been crushed. In the end, it achieved more than three billion impressions. Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Al Jazeera journalist Baher Mohamed (left) in Egypt, 2014 In the darkest moments of our incarceration - when we felt locked in a hopeless battle with the machinery of injustice, when we had forgotten what a sunset looked like - it sometimes felt like we had stopped existing. It would have been easy to fade away. What kept us going was the knowledge that we were on people's minds. The full realisation of what that campaign meant to us in our time of need is why we are backing the #FreeTurkeyMedia campaign. We want all those journalists languishing behind bars in Turkey to know that we are with them. We want them to know that the days they spend there, however dreary, however frightening, are not in vain. Advertisement They are on the frontlines of freedom of expression - the public's right to know and the importance of a free press in a functioning society, not just in Turkey but around the world. Sometimes it is hard to appreciate something until it is taken away from you. But remember: a society where people do not have the right to report freely is a society at risk. Without independent journalism, there would be no free public debate; no holding of the powerful to account, no oversight or investigation into human rights abuses. Detaining journalists has a chilling effect on everyone, making them afraid to speak out. So while #FreeTurkeyMedia is about getting journalists out of prison, it is also about creating a better future for human rights in Turkey and sending a clear message to those around the world who seek to silence free speech. For more than 400 days behind bars in Egypt, we were fortified by the knowledge that people around the world were campaigning for our release. If it was right to speak out for us and demand #FreeAJStaff, it is right to speak up for all journalists jailed simply for doing their jobs. That is why we have joined the call to #FreeTurkeyMedia. Peter Greste is a freelance journalist Flying over Managua (Nicaragua's capital city), I'm not sure what I expected but it certainly wasn't a sea of neon reminiscent of Las Vegas or Dubai. This was to be the first of many surprises on a recent visit to this unassuming neighbour of Costa Rica, in my mind more known for its revolution and as the birthplace of Bianca Jagger. Arriving into Managua at night was like entering straight into one of the classic Dr Seus books with the 17 metre tall spirally "Trees of Life" completely dominating the city's landscape, like left over Christmas decorations. However, I'm partial to a piece of kitsch and absolutely love anything colourful. Advertisement There were apricot coloured churches. With vividly painted murals, no darkly Gothic religious paintings here. One I spotted had a somewhat different take on Noah's ark with giant giraffes and angry polar bears. Even Jesus seems happy with a new set of dentures ! Advertisement On my whistle stop visit, two cities stood out, Granada and Leon. Both are walk everywhere cities with drop dead beautiful examples of colonial architecture and fascinating histories. Leon's most popular attraction is its 18th century cathedral, the largest in Central America whilst Granada, founded by the Spanish in 1523, also has a number or ornate churches and Spanish-style buildings. I can also vouch for the rooftop bar scene, whilst chocoholics will enjoy the chocolate museum and can even make their own creation in a bean to bar workshop. Granada is located on the shores of Lake Nicaragua where the focal point is Ometepe, an island dominated by two volcanoes. With 24 volcanoes and countless lakes, rivers and lagoons, Nicaragua is known as the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes". Only in Nicaragua can you navigate through rivers and lakes from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Deciding to leave the latter to the Levinson Woods of this world I opted for a more gentle walk around the crater of Mombacho Volcano where surprisingly an elusive sloth was spotted. Perhaps not quite so unusual, as sloths sleep for around 10 hours a day, he really wasn't going to be going anywhere. Having been sighted in the morning, the news was regaled to our guide who promptly found the slow moving mammal within minutes into our walk. Sloths always seem to be smiling (something to do with the way their mouths are shaped) and our new found friend couldn't help but also raise a grin amongst our group. Central America's largest, safest but least densely populated country overflows with natural beauty with the largest tropical rain forest north of the Amazon and the biggest biosphere reserve in Central America (Bosawas Reserve). Advertisement However, give me a waterfall any day and I couldn't be happier, especially one that allows for a refreshing dip. Santa Emilia's Waterfalll or Cascada Blanca (white waterfall) is 70 km from Matagalpa in the north of the country. Throughout my travels, I've come across different forms of local transport, the sort you nip around cities in and quite often take your life in your own hands. They are all more or less the same thing but with distinctive names, tuk tuks, bemos, becaks, pedicabs, auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaw but never have I come across one named after a Cinderella style soap opera. Nicaragua's local transport are commonly known as Caponeras, named after a beautiful woman in a popular soap who rode around in a bicycle-powered vehicle. Don't quote me on this as the story might have got lost in translation, but the motorbikes with a seat for two in front and even space for the family pet and a bar preventing you from tipping out should the driver have to break suddenly, are everywhere and a convenient way to get around. My visit was short but as Nicaragua seems to be grabbing the "go here now" mantle of Cuba, I wanted to get an initial taste of this unique country, even this year's hit movie La La Land has a group of yuppies dining out, name dropping Nicaragua as the place to go and the coffee is pretty good too. Advertisement All photos taken by Petra Shepherd FOR MORE INFORMATION Barcroft Media via Getty Images Accusing the EU of trying to affect our election result isn't a very stable thing for a British Prime Minister to do. Nor is ramping up the rhetoric to make false enemies of foreign nations just because it's election time. And it certainly isn't strong. As Rafael Behr noted today, Theresa May's attack on the EU from the steps of Downing Street is paranoid if she believes it and cynically short termist if she doesn't. The idea that the EU could try or succeed to influence our election result is a joke. No one here would fall for it, and frankly anything the EU tried would be counter productive anyway. If anything, the behaviour of EU officials in the last week or so is a political gift to the Prime Minister in the middle of an election campaign. And Theresa May has seized on it to pursue the short term interests of the Tory party rather than the long term interests of the country Both sides should get a grip and calm down. There is too much at stake for anyone to play games. Advertisement Instead of calmly and confidently dealing with the EU's opening gambit from a position of strength, the Prime Minister is whipping up hostility on all sides with no real plan behind it. She's all hot air without any serious substance to deliver. The result is that she is weakening the country's position for when the real negotiations start. And she is increasing the chance of getting no sustainable deal at all - putting jobs and livelihoods at risk. Too often that is what happens with this Prime Minister. Her desperate rush to visit Donald Trump wasn't strong it was weak. Her threat to withdraw security and terrorism cooperation from Europe if she doesn't get the deal she wants wasn't stable it was foolish - for our national security as well as their's. Too often there is a gap between Theresa May's rhetoric and the reality. She claimed Parliament was blocking Brexit when in fact three quarters of MPs voted for Article 50. She's spent years making grand promises on immigration without ever any plan to deliver them - making public anxiety worse as a result. She spent months attacking the European Arrest Warrant only to opt out of it then opt straight back in. She claims she is protecting school budgets when in fact they are being cut. She says she's helping low income working families, when the IFS confirms they are losing over 2,000 a year each in the next few years. Theresa May has used her election campaign slogan to death already. Why? Because words are all she has. No vision for the country she wants Britain to be. Headline grabbing but no serious plan for Brexit negotiations. No proud record to defend on standing up for working people. Advertisement Like her predecessor, she is thinking about the short term headlines, and the short term interests of the Tory party, at the expense of the long term future of Britain. There are five suspects in criminal proceeding into inflicting damage to State Enterprise Eastern (Skhidny) Mining and Processing Combine (VostGOK), which was allegedly organized by former lawmaker Mykola Martynenko, Prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) Roman Symkiv has said. "Now, there are already five suspects in the case, who have been notified about the suspicion in line with the Criminal Procedure Code, and where Mr. Martynenko is given the role of an organizer, that is the person who organized and supervised the actions of others in committing this criminal offense," Symkiv told journalists in Kyiv on Wednesday. Answering journalists' questions, the prosecutor said the indictment in Martynenko's case is not ready to be sent to the court yet, since the criminal proceedings are especially complex and it is necessary to complete a large number of investigative actions. "In addition, we are waiting for how the defense team will build its tactics, what evidence they will provide to refute the facts put forward in the indictment," Symkiv said. For his part, Martynenko said before the court sitting to review a preventive measure against him that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau's leadership should be replaced. "They (the NABU leadership) have discredited the very idea of fighting corruption. Moreover, they believe that I threaten national security. Everything they take up, has to halt, gets damaged, does not undergo privatization. And they do not care about this. They are absolutely irresponsible people who are only interested in their own political careers. But Ukrainian citizens won't vote for them, I am sure of it. Therefore, in my opinion, it is necessary to change the NABU leadership," he told journalists on Wednesday. According to N. Martynenko, the anti-corruption agencies should be headed by professionals. Kyiv Court of Appeals has postponed the consideration of the appeal against the preventive measure for Martynenko for May 12, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported. As reported, on May 3, the Court of Appeal of Kyiv was to consider an appeal of the prosecution against a ruling by Solomyansky District Court of Kyiv not to put Martynenko and first deputy chairman of Naftogaz Ukrainy, Serhiy Pereloma, into custody as a pre-trial restriction. Kansas governor's race remains too close to call Results in the Kansas governor's race remained too close to call as Gov. Laura Kelly clung to a 21,000 vote lead over Attorney General Derek Schmidt. On May 2, militants shelled the Ukrainian army positions in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone, as a result of which one Ukrainian soldier was killed and seven were wounded, the press center of the ATO headquarters reported. Attacks with the use of small arms, heavy machineguns, grenade launchers, mortars, infantry fighting vehicle weapons, anti-aircraft missile systems, and sniper rifles were observed in the Mariupol, Donetsk and Luhansk sectors. For instance, "in the Donetsk sector, 120mm and 82mm mortars, various types of grenade launchers, heavy machineguns and small arms fired on positions near Avdiyivka," the staff said. A Ukrainian soldier was killed "in the shelling of positions of a mechanized infantry brigade operating near Avdiyivka in the Donetsk sector," it said. "Whenever a direct threat to the lives and health of servicemen occurred, commanders ordered to return fire," the staff said. Godfather Of Jambands Col. Bruce Hampton Dies After Collapsing On Stage During Birthday Concert "Colonel" Bruce Hampton, guitarist, founding member of Hampton Grease and a respected veteran of the jam band scene, died after collapsing on stage during his 70th birthday concert. I had the pleasure of working with Bruce over the years, and he was every bit a smart, talented and special as the accolades pouring in suggest. _______________________________ Jamband icon Col. Bruce Hampton was performing an encore at a concert celebrating his 70th birthday when he collapsed at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. His death was later confirmed in a statement from his family that was shared by the members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. In a post to his social media, former bandmate Jeff Mosier wrote that Hampton "could have never imagined a more joyful departure." Hampton, born Gustav Berglund III, launched his career in the late 1960s, founding the Hampton Grease Band, and opening for acts such as the Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers. Hampton Grease's debut 1971 album "Music To Eat" was reputed to be one of the worst selling records in its label Columbia's history, however, the band's live shows and improvisational style would help to pave the way for bands such as Phish and Widespread Panic. In addition to his work with Hampton Grease, Hampton was also the founder of a number of other configurations and groups, including The Late Bronze Age, The Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Fiji Mariners, The Codetalkers, The Quark Alliance, Pharaoh Gummitt, and Madrid Express. As well, Hampton played a key role in helping to start the jam-band infused touring H.O.R.D.E. festivals in the 1990s. Hampton continued to perform regularly, including leading a weekly residency at the Vista Room in Atlanta, NPR said. "A Col. Bruce show brings a lot of joy and excitement," Vista Room co-owner Mike Rizzi told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "especially in the world we live in right now. You forget about things when you walk through the door." via Celebrity Access Share on: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that as of Wednesday, there have been no complaints about the court ruling to confiscate the funds of former President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage. "By the way, I want to inform you that as of today there have been no complaints against this ruling. And the so-called owners, who laid their claim to this money, did not appear," he said at a meeting with Finance Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk and Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeriya Gontareva. The president said the operation to transfer the confiscated $1.1 billion to the accounts of the State Treasury has been completed. According to him, in addition to these $1.1 billion, some $200 million dollars in securities will be transferred to the Finance Ministry in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation. This amount will be used to reduce the internal debt of the state. "This does not just increase the possibilities of the state budget and the Ukrainian state to restore justice and invest these funds in the Ukrainian army, strengthen the defense capacity of our state and restore social justice through using these funds to protect the most vulnerable segments of the population. These funds will be transferred to the gold reserves of the state," Poroshenko said. According to the president, with these funds, Ukraine's forex reserves will hit $18.4 billion mark. The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Korea held the e-Government Cooperation Forum with Kazakhstan, an e-Government leader in the Middle East, on April 25 (Korean time) in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. During the forum, public officials and experts from the two countries held a heated discussion on various issues on e-Government including government data center and future strategies for digital government. At Kazakh President Nazarbayevs state visit to Seoul in November last year, the Ministry of the Interior of Korea and the Ministry of Information and Communications of Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on e-Government. Under the MOU, Kazakhstan invited Korea to the Astana Expo 2017 in June and suggested to carry out specific cooperation activities such as attending the government data center workshop and dispatching experts on e-Government. The visit of the Korean delegation this time was arranged upon request of Kazakhstan. Through a continuous cooperation on e-Government with Uzbekistan in Central Asia, the Ministry of the Interior has exported its e-Government strategies, amounting to 133.54 million US dollars. Following Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan is set to become a hub in the region to spread Korean e-Government model. The Korea-Kazakhstan Cooperation Forum on e-Government was joined by around 100 government officials including H.E. Dauren Abayev, Minister of Information and Communications of Kazakhstan. During the session, the Korean delegation gave presentations to share Koreas best practices on e-Government including future visions of e-Government, achievements and future plan of government innovation, the status of National Computing and Information Service and national cyber security system, AI-based next generation security system, national archives management, Smart City, e-Resident Card and a digital divide. The Kazak delegation introduced its e-Government development plan, called Digital Kazakhstan, and policies to nurture venture business for the implementation of e-Government. Kazakhstan showed great interest in future strategies of Korea, which built a world-class e-Government in a short period of time. Following the morning session which mainly focused on thematic presentations, participants had in-depth discussion in the afternoon. In particular, the Kazak side requested to hold a bilateral meeting on national archives management and cyber security, so working-level consultations continued on even after the forum ended. Korea has exported 8.71 million dollars worth of e-Government products and services to Kazakhstan, which accounts for 9 percent of the total exports to CIS countries. Strengthened bilateral cooperation will likely to have a positive effect on e-Government exports. Vice Minister Kim Seong-lyul stated, The cooperation forum with Kazakhstan, which has a huge potential to advance its e-Government, will serve as a momentum to spread Koreas e-Government across the Central Asia. I hope both Korea and Kazakhstan closely work together to achieve win-win growth in the new era of Industry 4.0, he added. Source: http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/69010/uzbekistan-and-kazakhstan-set-become-hub-spread-korean-e-government-model Pittsfield Man Arrested For Groping Woman PITTSFIELD, Mass. A city man was arrested for inappropriately grabbing a woman on Robbins Avenue, according to police. But it isn't clear whether he is responsible for other assaults reported in recent weeks. Edward Jennings, 30, of Pittsfield was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly grabbing a woman as he walked past her. Police say at about 1:45 p.m., officers were called to the Christian Center for the reported assault and later found Jennings walking on Linden Street. "The victim positively identified this individual as being the one responsible for assaulting her. The suspect, Edward Jennings of Pittsfield, was arrested and charged with one count of indecent assault and battery," wrote Capt. Jeffrey Bradford in a release issued Wednesday afternoon. Police say at this point, it isn't known whether Jennings is responsible for four other reports of groping or accosting women. In recent weeks, olice have received multiple reports of women being groped while out walking or running. The Police Department reminds residents to "remain vigilant and to contact them if they observe any suspicious persons or activity." The pretrial detention centre of Rostov-on-Don (Russian Federation) has confirmed Ukrainian political prisoner Artur Panov is alive, Rada's Human Rights Commissioner Valeria Lutkovska has said. "There is evidence provided by the pretrial detention centre that Panov is alive, but I would like to talk to the consul tomorrow, who also has information at his disposal and also keeps control of the issue. We have been asking the Foreign Ministry for a year to pay more attention to this guy, taking into account that he is sick. He has a number of diagnoses," Lutkovska said on Channel 5 on Tuesday night. The ombudsman said that she could not get through the Russian ombudsman, but she would continue trying to get into touch with him. According to investigators, a Ukrainian citizen, who was an active supporter of the ideas of nationalism, decided to commit a terrorist act in Rostov-on-Don with the help of an improvised explosive device. He intended to do this in a place of mass gathering of people. In order to fulfill the plan, the accused began to correspond with a citizen of Rostov in social networks. The Ukrainian told him that a terrorist attack was planned on the territory of Rostov-on-Don, and promised him a monetary reward and travel outside Russia in case of success. A citizen of Ukraine made and stored explosive devices at home. From November to December 2015, he was searching for potential objects with a massive stay of people, and also carried out reconnaissance of the antiterrorist security systems available to them. At the end of November 2015, Panov and a local resident met in Rostov-on-Don, where the Rostov resident learned the details of the planned attack, the power of the explosive device and the components from which it would be manufactured, as well as the alleged site of the terrorist act. In early December 2015, the Ukrainian citizen was detained by law enforcement officers. The Rostov resident was detained in April 2016. A citizen of Ukraine is accused of preparing for a terrorist act and an attempt to involve a person in its commission, the illegal manufacture of explosives and the public justification of terrorism, a resident of Rostov-on-Don - in the promotion of terrorist activities. Firefighters battling a fire in the Greater Hinggan Mountains (Photo taken by Global Times) HOHHOT, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of firefighters are battling a fire in China's largest forest in the Greater Hinggan Mountains. The fire broke out at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Bilahe Beidahe forest in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said regional fire authorities. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had engulfed about 500 hectares of forest. More than 1,300 firefighters and four helicopters have been sent to extinguish the blaze. Strong winds and mountainous terrain are making their work difficult. The cause of the fire is unknown. The temperature in Inner Mongolia this spring is higher than previous years, posing a higher fire risk for the region's forests. A fire broke out Sunday in another forest in the area. It has been put out and cleanup is underway. This Isnt Our Last Love Letter Dear Don Don, Way back in 92 I walked into the room and knew Never felt this way before I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes And the feeling grew As I took a seat I knew A love that would have my heart Forever I knew Way back in 92 They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true We were the exception to that rule Our love had no where to hide A spark set fire As if this is how the universe started I never doubted our love or what we could do Together we grew Forming a bond everlasting That became our glue My euphoria was YOU Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared For how fortunate we were : to have and to hold through sickness and in health Til death do us part Until we are together again This isnt our last love letter I love you with all my heart and soul Yours forever, Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow) Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus. A True American Hero I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus. I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years. I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years. But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us. In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about. Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle. I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life. I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life. No one will ever do what he did. I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO David Jurist IMUS IN THE MORNING FIRST DAY BACK! Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Johnny Depp has spent years not memorising his lines and instead employs a sound engineer to feed them to him, his former managers have said. The Management Group (TMG) also said the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor frequently spent more than two million dollars (1.5m) a month and should be tested for compulsive spending disorder. TMG was hitting back at the Hollywood star, 53, after he launched a lawsuit against the firm claiming gross mismanagement cost him tens of millions of dollars. In documents filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, the firm said Depp spent an unaffordable sum to fund his ultra-extravagant lifestyle. Lawyer Michael Kump, on behalf of TMG, said Depp's expenditure included $75 million (58m) to buy 14 homes, including a chateau in the South of France, a chain of Bahaman islands and multiple Hollywood houses. Depp also spent $30,000 (23,000) a month on expensive wines and paid three million (2.3m) to have the ashes of author Hunter S Thompson blasted over Aspen from a specially-crafted cannon, TMG claimed. The firm added: He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to employ a full-time sound engineer, who Depp has used for years to feed him lines during film production. Depp insisted that this sound engineer be kept on a yearly retainer so that he no longer had to memorise his lines. In January, Depp filed 11 complaints including fraud and professional negligence against TMG and its owners, Joel and Robert Mandel. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up The action came as Depp's multi-million dollar divorce from Amber Heard was finalised after she accused him of domestic abuse. Depp is seeking damages of more than $25 million (19m) from the firm he sacked in March 2016 after 17 years together. But in the latest documents filed in the battle, lawyers for TMG said Depp refused to listen when managers did everything possible to halt his profligate spending. In retrospect, it appears that Depp may suffer from a compulsive spending disorder, which will be proven in this action through a mental examination of Depp, TMG added. Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment Show all 9 1 /9 Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The dining room Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The kitchen Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The Art Deco exterior Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The bedroom Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The living area Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The dining table Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The kitchen Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The outside terrace area Partners Trust Johnny Depp's quirky 9.8 million Los Angeles apartment The pool Partners Trust Mr Kump asked the court to find Depp responsible for his spending and said TMG is seeking damages of at least $560,000 (433,000). The case will return to court on 17 May. Copyright Press Association Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Salford is changing. Last year, local Manchester press splashed about the new Salford bar where champagne is poured from chandeliers and cocktails are served with a burning 20 note. But the ongoing gentrification ceases on the May Day bank holiday. Sounds from the Other City festival takes over the Regents Trading Estate against a backdrop of half-built high rises. Behind the Islington Mill, the arts centre at the heart of the festival, Reform Radio host an outdoor disco for festival-goers in sequins and animal prints, their decks flanked by green and pink new age creatures made out of cardboard. Around concrete dancefloor, independent food retailers Diamond Dogs and Dim Sum Su serve up hot dishes all day while Huddersfields Magic Rock brewery is selling three cans for 10. Salfords independent soul is in safe hands at Sounds. The festival is in its 13th year of turning venues including a church, an NHS walk-in centre, pubs and the Mill into a wonderland of art and music curated by local talent. The 2017 edition is designed by IMPATV and called Sound of the New Dawn: all along Chapel Street, strange and fantastic totem poles have been erected outside venues to guide ticket holders to their next gig. We start at the Now Wave stage for HMLTD, the glam-infused post punk outfit hailed by the NME as the UKs most thrilling new band. The six boys are dressed to impress: from frontman Harry Spychalskis blue mullet and striped sailor combination to the drummers white ruff. The keyboardist looks like he borrowed his dads suit for a job interview. Even without the visuals, the noise is magnetic, veering between industrial guitar noise, horror-show keyboard refrains and electronic interludes, speeding up and slowing down at will. Snapped Ankles compete for the prize for weirdest set in the warehouse opposite, which has been adorned with photos of tigers, including Tony the Tiger, Tiger Woods and Bet Lynch from Coronation Street in a tiger-striped outfit. The London-based band are dressed up like Stig of the Dump, with cavemen wigs and bare chests, beating drumsticks onto branches tied to microphones. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Theres gentler stuff at the Old Pint Pot pub, curated by Heavenly Records, with teenage sweethearts the Orielles and their C86-inspired indie. Hey Manchesters Chris Horkan has his usual spot at the St Philips Church, where New Zealands Amelia Murray, who plays dream pop under the name Fazerdaze, enchants rows of punters in the pews. A performance by avant garde composers Ex-Easter Island Head adds some weight to proceedings at the Salford Cathedral. They make surprisingly silvery melodies by hitting guitars with mallets, while the talented Laura Cannell serenades us from the aisles by playing two recorders at once. The evening ends raucously with sweary husband and wife duo The Lovely Eggs at St Philips Church. We dont stick around long enough to find out what the church attendants think of their song "Fuck It", instead decamping back to the Old Pint Pot for Bristol noisemakers Spectres and JG Wilkes, better known as one half of eclectic Glaswegian DJs Optimo. If this is the new dawn, stick up your totem pole and usher it in. Heres hoping Salfords new high rises dont stop Sounds from the Other City from being so much fun. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Fyre Festival founders Ja Rule and Billy McFarland have reportedly been "barred" from holding another festival in the Bahamas next year. According to Complex, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism will not allow Fyre Festival to return in 2018, and plans to enforce a "stricter vetting system" for future music festivals. McFarland, a tech entrepreneur, had previously revealed that he plans on hosting another edition of Fyre Festival next year. Speaking to Rolling Stone, he said: "We were a little naive in thinking for the first time we could do this ourselves. Next year, we will definitely start earlier. The reality is, we weren't experienced enough to keep up." Fyre Festival's first ever event was launched last weekend, and was billed as a "cultural moment created from an alchemic blend of music, art and food", promoted by a wealth of "social influencers" including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin. Tickets started at $1,500 and went up to $12,000 for VIP packages, with promises of yacht parties, luxury accommodation and gourmet food. However the event quickly descended into chaos after guests arrived to find that the luxury getaway they had promised was lacking in basic essentials such as secure accommodation, and adequate supplies of food, drink and electricity. Headliners Blink-182 pulled out at the last minute, saying they were "not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give fans". Speaking to TMZ after the event, Blink-182 guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba said that he felt "horrible for the people who got stuck" and guilty to hear that attendees had to fend for themselves by "drinking warm vodka and eating bologna sandwiches in a mud pit". Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up An official from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism previously apologised to festival-goers on behalf of the nation, stating that tourism is its "number one industry" and its aim is "to deliver world class experiences and events". "Hundreds of visitors to [the island of] Exuma were met with total chaos," the statement continued. "Clearly [the organisers of Fyre Festival] did not have the capacity to execute an event of this scale." In an attempt at damage control, Fyre Fest's lawyers have claimed that attendee complaints about "communications on the island [being] non-existent" and accommodation arriving in the shape of "disaster relief tents" were untrue and could "incite violence, rioting or civil unrest". The attorneys stated that Fyre Festival would "hold you accountable and responsibly" if the attendees in question did not remove their tweets and someone was "hurt as a result". Fyre Festival is currently offering guests of this year's festival either a refund for the tickets they purchased, or the opportunity to exchange their 2017 tickets for additional passes for next year's festival. Meanwhile, lawyer Mark Geragos has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Ja Rule, Billy McFarland and the Fyre Media brand alleging breach of contract, fraud, breach of covenant of good faith, and negligent misrepresentation. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Grandaddy bassist Kevin Garcia has died aged 41, after suffering a "massive stroke" this week. One of the California rock band's founding members, Garcia passed away from the effects of the stroke surrounded by his friends and family. In a post on the band's official Facebook page, Grandaddy said they were "absolutely shattered" by his death. "We were all able to say goodbye to him and he was surrounded by his closest friends and family here in Modesto," they said. "He was an actual angel. He navigated life with a grace, a generosity and a kindness that was utterly unique. And contagious. He is loved so deeply by so many. "Kevin was a proud father of two children, Jayden and Gavin. He is survived by his grandmother Joan, his parents Randy and Barbara (who let us practice at their house until 2001... and who are the best), his brothers Craig and Jeff and his wife Sondra. "We'll have more to say in the days ahead. Right now the four of us are grieving together." Read the full statement from the band below: Garcia formed Grandaddy with frontman Jason Lytle and drummer Aaron Burtch in 1992. After recruiting guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboard player Tim Dryden, they would release their debut album Under the Western Freeway in 1997. Their fifth album, Last Place, was released in March and saw the band tour the UK and the US. A GoFundMe Page is raising money to help Garcia's family with medical costs. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jaime Winstone reveals that several years ago she had a rather unconventional audition for the lead role of Dame Barbara Windsor in Babs, Tony Jordans engaging new biopic for BBC1 about the much-loved actress with the worlds most distinctive laugh. Winstone recollects that, I met Barbara when I was 15 years old. I was sitting behind her at an event and I did an impression of her laugh - she turned round and said You should play me. Its funny how it works out! Sixteen years later, Windsors advice has become reality. 31-year-old Winstone has been cast as the actress as a young woman Samantha Spiro, who previously played Windsor in the 1998 stage play, Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, and in the 2000 television film, Cor Blimey!, takes the role of the actress in her later years. The script by Jordan, for many years the lead writer on EastEnders, zooms in on Windsor as she is readying herself to perform at an end-of-the-pier theatre on a freezing evening in 1993. It is just before she became a TV fixture as Peggy Mitchell, the indomitable landlady of the Queen Vic, and her career is at a low ebb. Winstone (right) with Dame Barbara Windsor (left) who makes a cameo appearance in the BBC's 'Babs' about her life (Sophie Mutevelian/BBC/PA Wire) In contemplative mood, the actress looks back on all the events and characters that have had a formative influence on her life. She guides us through the last 50 years, reflecting on her lonely childhood and evacuation during the Second World War, her troubled relationship with her father, her failed marriages, her work with the ground-breaking theatre director Joan Littlewood and finding fame as the blonde bombshell of the Carry On films. It is a lively, eye-catching tapestry, woven together with a skein of sadness. Winstone, whose father is the celebrated actor Ray, says that, perhaps because of her previous connection with Windsor, she felt unusually passionate about securing this role. She went into the audition thinking, This is my part. I go for some parts, like any actor, and have a terrible audition and cringe for a week! "And there are other parts where you go, Oh yes. This is my role, this is where Im supposed to be, without any arrogance at all, without any shame. I walked into that room to audition feeling nervous, because I knew that I wanted to take this on. Once she had landed the role, Winstone felt elated. I was so excited to step into Barbaras national-treasure shoes. While preparing for the part in Babs, the actress met her alter ego many times. She laughs that Windsor gave her one crucial piece of advice: Keep it camp! The actress and her famous father, Ray Winstone (Getty Images) Winstone delivers a memorable performance as Windsor, channelling the widely adored Cockney Sparrow with uncanny accuracy. But that is not to say that the actress wasnt nervous about doing the part justice. There was a huge amount of pressure this is Dame Barbara Windsor! Shes a national treasure. But I did my research, I watched every Carry On film I could and I was true to the script. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up As soon as I sat down with Barbara, I got to analyse her, to see how she moved - and I instantly related to this wonderful woman. She is so generous and easy to talk to and connect with. So, for me, the pressure just faded away as I talked to this amazing woman. These roles dont come along that often. It was an honour. Even so, Winstone admits that she still experienced some trepidation when 79-year-old Windsor showed up on set. The actress recollects that, She came in one time to watch filming she often did and I was a bit terrified. I could look over in the middle of a scene and see her looking at me, and the nerves were overwhelming. But then shed make me feel instantly better by saying, Darling, youre more me than me. She also said, At the end of the day, this is your role. Which is amazing really, given this is her life story. Its so generous of Barbara to open herself up to this. Winstone as Sandra in a scene from the film 'Made in Dagenham' One potential problem that Winstone had to guard against was imbuing her portrayal of Windsor in her 20s with our current perception of the actress as an icon of popular culture. Winstone, who has also starred in Kidulthood and Made in Dagenham, muses that, I had to keep a certain amount of distance from who she is as a person now I didnt want to bring that to the Barbara that I was playing. Jordan, who has also created Life on Mars, Hustle, Dickensian and Moving Wallpaper, weighs in that for him it was vital to depict aspects of Windsors character that we are unfamiliar with. I was trying to avoid showing the Barbara we all know. I wanted to show another side. I also didnt want to show the Barbara that everybody knows in a boring chronological order fashion. What I wanted to do was give viewers the real Barbara; not the one we see on screen. I wanted to get behind the wiggle and the giggle and find out the person who is really there. Jordan was understandably worried when he first showed the screenplay to Windsor. Ive delivered a lot of scripts in my life Ive written about 300 or more and Ive never been so terrified as I was the moment I gave Barbara the script of Babs! Fortunately, he says, she loved the script. Windsor, who makes a cameo appearance in Babs, has long been known as a chirpy Cockney, an image only heightened by her role as Peggy. However, the film does not shy away from some of the darker moments during her life. It does not flinch from addressing her difficult relationships with either her father or her first two husbands. Winstone played Becky in the film 'Kidulthood' It may well be that Windsors plucky resilience in the face of such adversity is one of the many reasons why the public have warmed to her so much. The director Dominic Leclerc stresses that it was important Babs was not a straight hagiography. When tackling the tough things that had happened in her past, Barbara didnt want to be coy or to shy away from it, and I didnt want to make it sentimental or gooey. Our access point for this drama is 1993. The 55-year-old Barbara is working at the end of the pier, down on her luck and not in the best place. Shes not at the strongest point in her career and shes reflecting on her life. "The emotional journey she will go on in 90 minutes will change her completely. She takes control of a childhood emotional trauma and a complex relationship with her father that has haunted her life. She moves into her own future, on her own terms, controlling her own destiny. Its a strong, positive message that you can change your life. Finally, did Winstone ever have to reassure Windsor as she watched her life play out in front of her? The answer is an emphatic no. Winstone laughs that, The moment you try and reassure Barbara, you realise that shes a seriously strong woman. I dont think Ive ever glimpsed any insecurities. She was so brave with this project and let us all do what we love doing. It was such a blessing. Shes major! 'Babs' goes out at 8pm on Sunday on BBC1. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Brad Pitt has said he and his estranged wife Angelina Jolie are currently undergoing visitation arrangements for their six children in his first interview since the high-profile split last year. Last year, Pitt and Jolie announced their divorce after a decade-long relationship and two year marriage sparking a media frenzy over the demise of 'Brangelina'. Pitt remained notably absent from red carpet events since the split and has now addressed it for the first time in GQ magazine where he features across three covers all shot in national parks across the United States. In the interview, he says him and his estranged wife are currently working out the visitation rights for their six children: Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10 and twins Knox and Vivienne who are eight. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2014 Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the World Premiere of Disney's "Maleficent" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures November 2015 Actress/director Angelina Jolie Pitt and husband actor Brad Pitt arrive at the AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi opening night gala premiere of Universal Pictures' "By The Sea" at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures June 2014 Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and her partner actor Brad Pitt, look at displayed pictures of victims of violence during the third day of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in London. Pitt added his A-list support to his partner Angelina Jolie's efforts to eradicate rape in war zones when he joined her in a flashbulb-popping appearance at a global conference in London AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures March 2014 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Cente in Hollywood Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures February 2014 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the EE British Academy Film Awards 2014 at The Royal Opera House in London Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures November 2013 Angelina Jolie, Maddox Jolie-Pitt and actor Brad Pitt arrive at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures February 2012 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Cinema for Peace Gala ceremony at the Konzerthaus Am Gendarmenmarkt during day five of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival Getty Images for Cinema for Peac Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2012 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive on the red carpet for the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures November 2011 Accompanied by their children, Brad Pitt and Angellina Jolie appear before photographers upon their arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2011 Brad Pitt and Angelina Joiie attend the Premiere of DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda 2" at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2011 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend "The Tree Of Life" premiere during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures November 2010 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (with camera) on the 'Romeo and Juliette' film set in Budapest, Hungary Rex Features Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures July 2010 Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt arrive at the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Salt" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures December 2009 Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie and their son Maddox arrive at the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' and Spyglass Entertainment's "Invictus" at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Theater in Beverly Hills Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2009 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the Inglourious Basterds Premiere held at the Palais Des Festivals during the 62nd International Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2009 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive at Narita International Airport with their children (L to R) Maddox, Vivienne, Zahara and Knox in Narita, Chiba, Japan Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2009 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie pose on the red carpet for the German premiere of the film 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' in Berlin AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures December 2008 Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt arrive at the premiere of Paramount's "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" held at Mann's Village Theatre on Decemeber 8, 2008 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2008 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pose as they arrive to attend the screening of US actor and director Clint Eastwood's film 'The Exchange' at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2008 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pose as they arrive for the screening of US directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne's film 'Kung Fu Panda' at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2008 Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt attend the cocktail party during the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures September 2007 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford premiere on the Day 5 of the 64th Annual Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2007 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie depart the premiere for the film 'Ocean's Thirteen' at the Palais des Festivals during the 60th International Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2007 Angelina Jolie poses as she arrives with actor and producer Brad Pitt at the Festival Palace in Cannes AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures May 2007 Angelina Jolie and her husband Brad Pitt, have a drink in a Prague restaurant "U Sevce Matouse" ("At Matous' Shoemaker") prior to the shooting of Jolie's new film "Wanted". The couple and their children Maddox, Pax Thien, Zahara and Shiloh Nouvel, arrived in Prague aboard a private plane. They are to spend five weeks in Prague AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2007 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2007 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive at Newmarket Films premiere of "God Grew Tired of Us" at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures December 2006 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the World Premiere of "The Good Shepherd" presented by Universal Pictures at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures November 2006 Brad Pitt and his partner Angelina Jolie ride on a motorcycle on a busy street in downtown Ho Chi Minh city. Jolie and Pitt are expected to adopt a three-year-old Vietnamese AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures November 2006 Angelina Jolie holds daughter Zahara as husband Brad Pitt carries son Maddox during a stroll on the seafront promenade at the historic Gateway of India AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures June 2006 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt give a press conference at a Swakopmund hotel. Hollywood's hottest couple became the proud parents of daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt on 27 May in Namibia AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2006 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt leave Hotel Belvedere in Davos . UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie was in Davos for the World Economic Forum AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures January 2006 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt leaving the session opened by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan "A new Mindset for the UN" at the the World Economic Forum in Davos AFP/Getty Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures November 2005 Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, accompanied by Jolie's children, arrive at Narita Airport in suburban Tokyo) AFP/Getty Images Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt relationship in pictures June 2005 (L-R) Regency Enterprises' David Matalon, actor Brad Pitt, Producer Arnon Milchan, actress Angelina Jolie and News Corp. President/Chief operating officer Peter Chernin arrive at the premiere of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood Getty Images I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called, he says. And you know, after all that, weve been able to work together to sort this out. Were both doing our best. In November, the FBI said Pitt would face no charges over an alleged altercation with his son Maddox on a private plane days before Jolie filed for divorce. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services also reportedly probed the actor but closed the investigation with no finding of wrongdoing. Pitt told GQ he did not want to drag their divorce and custodial agreements through the courts and that fortunately Jolie agrees. Its just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart, he said. The 53-year-old said his divorce hit him smack in the face that he has to be more for his children and made him confront his emotions. I grew up with a Father-knows-best/war mentality - the father is all-powerful, super strong instead of really knowing the man and his own self-doubt and struggles. And its hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more for them. I have to show them. And I havent been great at it. Recommended Angelina Jolie speaks out about Brad Pitt divorce for first time Pitt also reveals he has started attending therapy which he loves. He told the magazine that in spite of the events of the past six months he would have ended up in a place seeking therapy regardless. For me, this period has really been about looking at my weaknesses and failures and owning my side of the street, he says. Pitt denied he was experiencing a mid-life crisis saying he defines that as a fear of growing old and fear of dying, something he is not experiencing. The Allied actor also says he gave up drinking alcohol around six months ago after finding he was boozing too much and it was becoming a problem. After deciding he didnt want to live that way any more, he now replaces wine with cranberry juice and fizzy water. I enjoy wine very, very much but I just ran it to the ground, he said. I had to step away for a minute. And truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good. Elsewhere in the interview, Pitt says he has been listening to a lot of Frank Ocean recentl: I find this young man so special, he says. Talk about getting to the raw truth. Hes painfully honest. Hes very, very special. I cant find a bad one. Pitt said that in the immediate aftermath of news breaking of his impending divorce he stayed on his friends floor as he was too sad to be in his own home. In addition to listening to Frank Ocean, he has also taken up sculpting. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (C) poses for a photo with Chinese navy sailors on missile destroyer Changchun in Davao City, the Philippines, May 1, 2017. A Chinese naval fleet has begun a three-day friendly visit after arriving Sunday at Davao City in the southeastern region of The Philippines. (Xinhua/Yu Wei) MANILA, May 2 -- A flotilla of three Chinese naval ships wrapped up its goodwill visit to the Philippines on Tuesday, leaving in its wake blooming friendship and aspirations to enhance relations between the two countries. The three Chinese warships, guided-missile destroyer Changchun, guided-missile frigate Jinzhou and replenishment ship Chaohu, docked on Sunday in the southern Philippine city of Davao, hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte, for a three-day visit. The visit, the first by Chinese military ships to the Philippines in seven years, aims to expand communication, promote cooperation and improve the friendship between China and the Philippines. Relations between China and the Philippines have experienced ups and downs in the past several years. But territorial disputes in the South China Seawere brought under control after President Duterte came to power last June. Duterte has once said he prefers negotiation to confrontation over the South China Sea issue. "There is no sense in going to war. There is no sense fighting over a body of water," Duterte told Xinhua in an exclusive interview last year. "It is better to talk than war. We want to talk about friendship, we want to talk about cooperation, and most of all, we want to talk about business. War would lead us to nowhere," he added. In its newly unveiled development strategies dubbed Dutertenomics, the Philippine government would spend 8.4 trillion pesos (167 billion U.S. dollars) for infrastructure in the next six years. China's Belt and Road Initiative, which focuses on infrastructure building, dovetails with Philippines' development strategy. In a press conference at the end of the ASEANsummit held in Manila, Duterte lauded China's Belt and Road Initiative as being "good for the Southeast Asia region," saying it would help China's neighbors like the Philippines. Trade and investment might be Duterte's first thoughts when normal bilateral relations between China and the Philippines resumed after years of disputes over the South China Sea. Duterte said he was very "impressive" with the visiting Chinese ships. "It is really part of confidence building and goodwill to show that we are friends," Duterte told reporters after he visited Changchun. Duterte said that he is open to holding joint military drills with China. "I agree (to the idea). They can have joint exercise here in Mindanao, maybe in the Sulu Sea," Duterte said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A malicious and smart scam is spreading like wildfire across the internet, infecting computers and compromising people's safety. The Google phishing scam relies on an email that looks to be from the company, coming through Gmail and relating to Docs. But in fact it is the work of an unknown scammer who is using the attack to take control of people's emails accounts and maybe their most personal data. It all relies on clicking on a link from an email that seems to have been sent by a friend. Anyone who has clicked on a Google Doc link recently could be a victim of the attack. If you haven't yet clicked the link First, it's worth making sure you haven't. If there's any chance that you might have done which is to say, if you've opened any Google Docs links recently then you should assume that you might be affected and follow the relatively simple steps below. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty But if you definitely haven't, then the main thing to do is to remain vigilant. First, don't click on any Google Docs links that you're not absolutely certain are legitimate confirm through some other means with the person sending them that they intended to. If you don't ever click on such a link, then you can't fall victim to one. And make sure that everyone else you know is vigilant about such scams, too. Also remember that if they are, they probably won't be opening any Google Docs invites you send them if you need to share something, either let them know an invite is coming or preferably send it through some other means for now. If you think you might have clicked the link Firstly, don't panic. The potential effects of the scam are huge but it's also relatively easy to undo much of the damage. Recommended Gmail users hit by massive email scam sweeping web If there's any chance that you think you might have been hacked, then follow the steps below. There's no danger done by doing so even if you haven't in fact become part of the attack. Now head to Google's My Account page, and head to the app permissions options. You'll be looking to remove the very bad but legitimate looking "Google Doc" from having any permissions if it's there, and has a relatively recent authorised date, then you know that something's up. Once it's kicked out of your account, the control the scam has over your account will be stemmed it will no longer be able to read your email or send out the invites. But its aftereffects may continue. And so you should do what you can to prevent those, too. First, inform anyone that is in control of your network. In most workplaces and universities hit by the attack which is targeting corporate email accounts using Google software as well as Gmail ones there will be someone in IT or the network team who can help and ensure that the institution's computers are kept safe. Second, get in touch with anyone you think you might have secretly sent the link to and share this article with them, to ensure that they too can stay safe. Don't spam your contacts, of course but make sure that they are safe. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The new Nokia 3310s UK price and release date have been revealed by a retailer. The legendary handset was relaunched by Nokia at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, though the company was cagey when it came to key release details. It would only say that the phone was due out during the second quarter of the year, retailing at an average global price of 49. Nokia 3310 Show all 13 1 /13 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Originally revealed 17 years ago, Nokia has resurrected the classic mobile phone Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Nokia 3310 Dorset-based technology retailer Clove has listed the new 3310 for pre-order, and says its due to reach customers in mid-June. Thats in keeping with Nokias announcement, and just ahead of Glastonbury Festival, which kicks off on 21 June. Nokia is marketing it as a second phone for festival-goers and holidaymakers, and will want to use summer events to boost sales. However, Cloves pricing is higher than expected. When the new 3310 was first revealed, many assumed it would cost around 40. Clove, meanwhile, is offering it for 59.99. While still cheap, its significantly more than many of us anticipated. It will be available on the Vodafone and EE mobile networks in the UK, with O2 and Three having no plans to stock the device. The relaunched 3310 looks similar but more modern than the original, and now comes with a camera, a colour screen and even better battery life. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Many consumers will be disappointed to discover that Windows 10 S wont play nice with two of Googles key products. The new operating system, which is intended as a streamlined and more secure version of Windows 10, was unveiled this week. It only runs apps that can be downloaded from the Windows Store, which unfortunately doesnt have the most generous selection at the moment. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty It offers some big-name apps, such as Facebook, Instagram and Netflix, but Google Chrome is a huge miss. Theres a chance that the most popular browser in the world will come to the store ahead of Windows 10 S official release, but nothings guaranteed and hasn't dropped any hints either way. Since Windows 10 S has just been recently announced, we are working with our partners on app compatibility and to provide more detailed information, wrote Microsoft on its Windows 10 S FAQ page. Please check with your app publisher or back on this page in June for the latest information. Microsofts own Edge browser will unsurprisingly be the default option for Windows 10 S, though users will be able to download an alternative browser, as long as its available in the Windows Store. However, Edge will remain the default browser option. You are able to download another browser that might be available from the Windows Store, but Microsoft Edge will remain the default if, for example, you open an .htm file, explains another entry on the FAQ page. Whats more, users wont be able to change the default search provider in Edge from Bing to Google. This could prove especially annoying, with Googles search engine widely recognised as a superior product to Microsofts. Windows 10 S is Microsofts answer to Googles Chrome OS, which is great as long as its paired with good-quality hardware. It's being targeted primarily at students and teachers, but should also appeal to regular computer users, as machines running the operating system should be cheaper than fully-fledged Windows 10 devices. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A chance encounter in January awoke something of a mission in Jasper Thompson. I was out shopping when I spotted a young lad shivering in a doorway, says the 58-year-old restaurant owner and ex-Army major. I went and bought him some tea and something to eat, as it was so cold. After that, I started noticing just how many homeless people I saw everywhere. Its funny, you dont quite notice until youre looking. I had a bit of spare time on my hands and I just thought to myself, Im going to do something to help. Jasper posted a Facebook status asking if any friends had spare clothes to donate, then headed into Bristol city centre with his wife, Tania, to hand out the supplies along with soup, hot water for washing, and essentials such as clean socks and underwear. That first weekend, we helped about five or ten people. The next it was 15 or 20, then as word got around we ended up servicing around 70 people every other Sunday. That initial Facebook status quickly mushroomed into a community-wide response to what many view as a homelessness crisis in the city. Jasper set up a dedicated page where people can offer donations or share information about individuals in need, and local businesses offer skills or services. Now, just a few months on, hes converting used shipping containers into temporary accommodation and setting up as a social enterprise to help local rough sleepers get back on their feet. Across the UK, homelessness has doubled since 2010, and Bristol has the second highest number of rough sleepers in the country. In January, mayor Marvin Rees unveiled an ambitious strategy to tackle the problem, but plans for 100 emergency beds failed when the council found it didnt have the funds. Meanwhile local people, disturbed by the visible increase in individuals on the streets, took to social media to find a solution. Alongside Jaspers project, youll find Facebook pages such as Keep Bristol Warm and Bristol Street Share. Its a phenomenon that can be witnessed around the country too, with cities including Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds all boasting similar volunteer-run social media projects. The final touches are put on the first shipping container, which is decked out with a bed, wardrobe, toilet and shower (Jessica Bateman) When we visit Jasper the finishing touches are being put on the first container, which is painted a cheery yellow and decked out comfortably inside with a bed, wardrobe, toilet and shower. Local residents wander in regularly to drop off supplies such as paint or tools, or have a chat about how they can help. Its just wonderful, one man remarks. Something needs to be done about the problem weve got here. After wed been doing the donation runs for a while, we decided to do something more long-term, says Jasper, a towering character whose army training has given him a no-nonsense attitude and a propensity for getting things done. I saw a YouTube video of a company in Wales that had converted containers into temporary housing and I thought, We could do that. Another Facebook post unearthed a friend-of-a-friend who used to run a shipping company and had a spare 20ft container to donate. The plan is to eventually have ten live-in containers, with local charities recommending residents to Jaspers team of volunteers. Its hosted on a plot of private land, and a planning application is currently underway to get sewage, water and electricity access developed. The project has captured the imaginations of many in the area, with local businesses donating products that can be auctioned to raise funds, and around 35 people so far signing up to volunteer at the containers. One of these is Julie Dempster, who has taken on the role of administration manager. A domestic violence support worker for many years, she gave up full time work after being diagnosed with cancer. I was following [the project] online, and got in contact about helping out, she explains. Its perfect for me, as I can work flexible hours, and Ive got a lot of experience helping people with emotional needs. Im really passionate about addressing the homelessness issue weve got in Bristol. Jasper stresses that getting the homeless community involved in the work is key to his approach, and he has already enlisted them to help paint and convert the container. If people come and stay here, they have to earn their keep and show theyre helping themselves they need to attend their drug programmes, if theyre in one, and help with the cooking, cleaning and upkeep, so they can hopefully learn new skills. Hes also planning on using the network of businesses that has come together through the project to find employment opportunities for the people he houses. Jasper wants to expand his model to other parts of the south west and, eventually, the rest of the UK (Jessica Bateman) Diving headfirst into such an issue hasnt been plain sailing, though. A lot of these people have got such broad issues, he admits. You cant take on too much of what theyve been through. Youve got to think, Im here to support people, not to get emotionally involved. People forget that the homeless are just normal people like you or I, so you get good or bad ones just like with anything. There was also initial alarm from homelessness charities already working in the area, who are trying to ensure the new wave of DIY initiatives arent inadvertently causing extra problems. We always try and encourage people to find out whats going on in their local area before setting something up themselves, says Richard Drake of Bristol-based night shelter The Julian Trust. So if youre thinking of handing out food, maybe try and see what soup runs or kitchens are happening already. He also warns against doing anything that might end up keeping people on the street for even longer. Weve had people giving out sleeping bags and tents, which may be meeting peoples immediate needs but isnt doing anything to help get them re-housed in the long term, he explains. Instead, he advises have-a-go volunteers to consider helping with laundry, or perhaps taking people for a haircut and shave. Jaspers long-term plan is to expand the model to other parts of the south west and, eventually, the rest of the UK. Having an army of community volunteers obviously cant replace the need for an anti-homeless strategy from central government, and the team working on the container are keen to stress that they want to see politicians doing more to tackle the problem. But hopefully the rise of projects like this can send a sign that its an issue the public cares about. Weve got a real community spirit going on here, Jasper concludes. The momentum thats been gathering since January is tremendous. People are sick of seeing rough sleepers everywhere, and they just want to help. For more information, go to helpbristolshomeless.co.uk Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} As the cost of living rises, wages remain stagnant and university grants are axed, students are turning to sex work to make it to the end of their studies. A recent survey by the National Union of Students found that 67 per cent students who work in the sex industry - which can include stripping to webcamming and prostitution - did so to pay for living expenses including food and bills or rent. Students have been known to make up to 150 a day for performing on webcam sites, and 65 for selling their used underwear. Stacey, 21, from London is among them. She started selling her used underpants online around six months ago because she needed to earn extra money while she studied. In that time, she has garnered a list of around five regular clients on the underwear website Sofia Gray, but also regularly fields one-off customers. She sells around five pairs a week, at between 20 to 50 a pop, depending on the customers request. The most she has ever received is 65. Her range of buyers is broad - from 18-year-old men to thirty-something single women, she says. Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The Vesper designed by Ti Chang Sex toys designed by women - in pictures US sex toy designer Ti Chang Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The Vesper is produced in silver, rose gold and gold. Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The PopDildo which can be used for semination Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Sex toys designed by women - in pictures The Fin clitoral simulator designed by Alex Fine and Janet Lieberman Sex toys designed by women - in pictures Sex toys designed by women - in pictures You get very specific requests, she tells The Independent. Clients ask me to work out in them, masturbate in them, and even urinate. The most common request is definitely for underwear to be masturbated in. A lot of the time they want photographic evidence as well. Luckily this is something I do with all customers. Stacey could make even bigger bucks. In one case dealt with by Sofia Gray, a woman sold a pair of used underpants for $5,000. That seller wore them for three weeks straight. But she prefers not to go to such extreme lengths to make money. Since she started selling her underwear, Stacey has never been asked to wear a garment for more than a week. She fears that if she wore a pair any longer it might start to impact her physical health. Stacey adds that she is happy to reject any clients that make her feel uneasy. "I'm not at all comfortable with the excrement requests, which I get a lot of. I've had to turn down several people because of that, she says. Setting up these boundaries enables her to enjoy her work, she adds. I kind of like the idea that my underwear is so sought after, it makes me feel empowered," she says. Dr Alyssa Dweck, a gynaecologist and assistant clinical professor at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, warned Cosmopolitan that repeatedly wearing the same underwear can increase the risk of yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. For some people, the risk might be worth the cash in. But as she is anonymous and the process is dealt with entirely online, isn't she tempted to pretend she has worn a pair for longer than she has? There are some customers that are very experienced and can spot a fake immediately, just from buying so many," she explains. "I've never been tempted to fake it. The effort I would put into making a good fake would be the same in me wearing them myself. I am just wearing underwear after all. Due to the intimacy of the job, Stacey says she is gradually getting to know some of her customers. However, she is keen to keep these relationships professional. I wouldn't say we're friends, but we'll speak every now and then. We talk briefly about how our lives are going, but nothing too personal. Recommended How laws are putting strippers in greater danger While she doesnt feel ashamed about selling her underwear online, she adds that the stigma surrounding sex work means she has kept her online business a secret. No one knows that I sell used underwear. And it's not because I'm ashamed, it's the fear that you'll tell one person, who'll tell another, who'll tell another. If this is something that gets out, it could really affect my career in the future. But as long as she keeps earning money and can remain anonymous, she sees no reason not to continue after she graduates. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} All the ghastly things you hear about Travis Kalanick are true, if Adam Lashinsky is to be believed. The Fortune magazine journalist paints a portrait of the Uber boss as callous, ruthless and tone-deaf to what he doesnt want to hear. Kalanick throws tantrums, plays hardball, picks fights and challenges governments around the world when Uber doesnt get its way. Thats not to say Lashinsky doesnt like the guy he does. So much so hes spent the past few years getting under Kalanicks skin to write Wild Ride: Inside Ubers Quest for World Domination. Its a riveting story of how the tiny, taxi-hailing startup began life in San Francisco and has morphed into one of the worlds most disruptive of disrupter-tech companies, worth a cool $69bn in the span of a mere seven years. But over a crackling phone line from his home in San Francisco Lashinsky says it is a tale that nearly didnt get written. When Kalanick found out I was doing the book he threatened me, said he would get someone else to write an authorised biography. With persistence and patience I managed to get him to agree to cooperate. Which is how Lashinsky says he came to respect Kalanick, warts and all: after spending time with the 40-year-old on trips to China and three-hour hikes around the Bay. He is intelligent, charming, caring and curious, even whimsical at times, says Lashinsky. Kalanick, he adds, would prefer to give the fees earned on any future stock market flotation to charity rather than bankers. Having read about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, he has suggested to Lashinsky that they go live in Mumbai for six months and report on life in the slums. But such endearing traits are also his greatest liabilities, says Lashinsky, who knows a thing or two about Silicon Valleys brainy giants, having written the 2012s bestseller, Inside Apple. Kalanicks determination and apparent ruthlessness he puts down to the mans extraordinary self-confidence. This gives him intellectual permission to challenge everything. But youve got to hand it to the guy Uber is like nothing that came before it, having changed consumer behaviour around the world. Ubers chief executive may be its most driven driver but the original idea was not his. That cachet belongs to its chairman, Garrett Camp. The Canadian was already a multi-millionaire from StumbleUpon, the web-discovery platform he co-founded in 2001, when he came up with the concept of using a phone app to hail taxis. (His inspiration? The $800 he once had to pay for a taxi-ride home.) The two met through friends and were jamming together over how to move the project forward in Paris in 2008. One day there was a snowstorm that was so bad they couldnt find a taxi. Kalanick came up with the killer USP: giving the app to drivers and allowing them be free agents. Until then, Camp had envisioned owning cars and employing drivers for his tap a button, hail a ride idea but he jumped on Kalanicks suggestion. A few months later Camp persuaded him to join Uber along with a big chunk of equity and hes been in the hot seat ever since. It wasnt Kalanicks first venture. A brilliant computer-engineering student at the University of California, he had already made a small fortune from selling Red Swoosh, a peer-to-peer file-sharing company. Kalanick was part of this San Franciscan group of geeks who hunt in a pack, go to the same clubs and gyms. Theres almost a religious cult of entrepreneurialism about them, and they all look up to the big guys Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They want the fame and the wealth. Kalanick took his chance with Uber. And how. Uber has turned travel upside down around the world. Every month around 40 million people travel with the taxi-hailing phenomenon in 579 cities in 70 countries. Having moved into delivering food, the company is also looking at helicopter rides, self-driving and, of course, flying cars. But its also dogged by scandal, the latest being that Kalanick was given a dressing down by Apple boss, Tim Cook, after discovering that Uber had bypassed its rules by tagging iPhones that had deleted its app. Not surprisingly, questions over Kalanicks hardball tactics are not going down well at the companys San Francisco HQ, along with worries that money is being burned up in so many different ventures. Several top executives have quit over the past two months. One female engineer went public with scathing sexual harassment and discrimination allegations after she left the firm. Uber has also been accused of using a secret tool known as Greyball to thwart attempts by law enforcement to catch out its drivers in territories where they are not permitted to operate. The company also faces allegations that it stole technology for its driverless cars from Google. Whole world in its hands: the cover from Adam Lashinskys tome on Uber (Penguin Random House UK) On a more political note, Kalanick quit President Trumps business advisory group after Uber riders deleted the app en masse in protest over Trumps refugee ban even though Uber had already criticised the ban. Then came the recently leaked film of Kalanick ranting at one of his drivers who had complained about conditions, not a good look. Add to this the widespread belief that once Uber gains entry to new markets and destroys local taxi services, that it will jack up prices and become just another monopoly supplier, and you have the perfect storm. Yet investors are still pumping in the cash despite Uber losing $3bn last year on revenues of $6bn. Since launch, more than $12bn in capital has been raised from around 80 investors ranging from Hollywood stars like Leonardo di Caprio and musicians like Jay Z to Wall Street giants, Goldman Sachs and BlackRock. They keep coming too the latest being German media mogul Alex Springer. Will they stick by him if the scandals keep coming? Lashinsky reckons Kalanick knows he must smarten up his bad-boy image, as witness his decision to bring Arianna Huffington on board and to hire a chief operating officer in the mould of Sheryl Sandberg at Facebook. Hes also been reining in businesses that are not working, China being the best example of withdrawing last year Uber China was sold to its rival Didi Chuzing in which Uber retains a stake. But longer term, expect more fireworks. Kalanick and Camp have majority voting rights and neither of them are in any hurry to float just yet. Hes made a career out of flying as close to the flame as possible, says Lashinsky. It has still not dawned on him how much bigger the flame is now than it used to be, and I cant tell if he ever will. Thats for the sequel perhaps. Even I can't keep up with the daily news and relentless negative commentary. Wild Ride: Inside Uber's Quest for World Domination by Adam Lashinsky is published by Portfolio Penguin and will be on sale from 25 May. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} JPMorgan will move hundreds of London jobs to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg in preparation for Brexit, the firms head of investment banking said on Tuesday. We are going to use the three banks we already have in Europe as the anchors for our operations, Daniel Pinto said in an interview with Bloomberg. A spokesperson for JPMorgan confirmed the plans to The Independent. Mr Pinto said JPMorgan cannot afford to wait for confirmation on how the industry will be regulated after the UK leaves the EU. We will have to move hundreds of people in the short term to be ready for day one, when negotiations finish, and then we will look at the longer-term numbers, he said. We have to plan for a scenario where there is no UK-EU passporting deal, and we have to move a substantial portion of our business to continue serving our European clients. Well have to wait to see what kind of deal can be achieved and see what we need to do from there. Financial services firms are worried that they will lose the passport which allows them to operate all over the continent whilst being regulated by authorities in one member state. The arrangement is central to their operations. JPMorgan has, up until now, been unclear as to its plans. Last year Jamie Dimon, who is the banks chairman, president and chief executive officer, told employees that up to 4,000 British jobs could be moved. But last month he backtracked on that message, telling shareholders that the banks plans do not entail moving many people in the next two years. In recent weeks, EU officials have appeared to adopt a more hard line approach to the imminent Brexit negotiations. Last week, member states warned Britain that the City must continue to be overseen by European regulators after Brexit and that financial services could be excluded from any trade deal. The sector is seen as crucial to the UK economy and contributed around 71bn to the Exchequer last year, according to professional services firm, PwC. Most banks have made clear that they will be forced to move some staff and are making contingency plans for a number of potential Brexit outcomes. Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty In January, HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver said trading operations that generate about 20 per cent of revenue for the lenders investment bank in London may move to Paris. Goldman Sachs Europe chief executive, Richard Gnodde, confirmed in March that the bank will relocate hundreds of staff out of London before any Brexit deal is struck and said it had already begun implementing those plans. Axel Weber, chairman of UBS, said in January that about 1,000 of the banks 5,000 jobs in London could be at risk. Barclays chief executive Jes Staley has struck a different tone to other bank bosses. He said at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year that it would be very difficult to dislodge a financial centre like London. If needed, Barclays may reassign its Frankfurt branch to its Irish subsidiary, he said. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} People in Britain risk losing their fundamental right to health after Brexit, a barrister and public health professor have warned. Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, they wrote in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). This means after Brexit, industry could have greater influence over laws regarding pesticide residues in food, health and safety at work, management and disposal of hazardous substances, regulation of medicinal products, and air and water quality. Tamara Hervey, a law professor at the University of Sheffield unrelated to the editorial, told The Independent: Brexit if it is the kind of cutting 'red tape' Brexit that PM Theresa May has suggested could indeed give powerful companies more leverage against consumers, patients and citizens. The Governments white paper on the Great Repeal Bill says the charter, which sets out the rights and freedoms of EU citizens, will not be converted into UK law. The document was published the day after Theresa May started the Brexit process by triggering Article 50 and contains proposals as to how the country will function after the UK has left the European Union. It states: The removal of the charter from UK law will not affect the substantive rights that individuals already benefit from in the UK but Peter Roderick and Allyson Pollock said judges who have used the EU rights to decide on public health cases may no longer be able to do so after Brexit. Theresa May describes reports of disastrous Brexit meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker as 'Brussels gossip' The value of this charter was shown last year, in both EU and UK courts, when the tobacco industry unsuccessfully challenged the new rules on plain packaging of cigarettes, wrote the researchers from the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University. The right to health, as set out in article 35 of the charter, was used in cases at the EU Court of Justice and the High Court in London to counteract tobacco industry arguments that the new plain packaging legislation was in violation of its rights. It was also used against the Scotch Whisky Association in a legal battle over minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland. The Government has said the charter will automatically not apply when Britain leaves the EU and that the rights are also covered by international agreements not affected by Brexit, such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). But Mr Roderick, a lawyer and principal research associate at Newcastle University, and Professor Pollock, the institutes director, said currently exisiting public health laws introduced after Brexit would have to be interpreted without the charters protections. They added that the ECHR protects many civil and political rights through the Human Rights Act, but does not include the economic and social rights such as the fundamental right to health. The real protections for public health and inequalities that the charter represents will be set aside if the present government is re-elected in June and its plan to ditch the charter goes ahead, they warned. All those concerned about public health and social solidarity need to ask their parliamentary candidates to oppose the Governments plan and to amend the Great Repeal Bill after the election in order to keep the charters protections. How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Show all 8 1 /8 How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Weetabix Chief executive of Weetabix Giles Turrell has warned that the price of one of the nations favourite breakfast are likely to go up this year by low-single digits in percentage terms. Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Nescafe The cost of a 100g jar of Nescafe Original at Sainsburys has gone up 40p from 2.75 to 3.15 a 14 per cent risesince the Brexit vote. PA How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Freddo When contacted by The Independent this month, a Mondelez spokesperson declined to discuss specific brands but confirmed that there would be "selective" price increases across its range despite the American multi-national confectionery giant reporting profits of $548m (450m) in its last three-month financial period. Mondelez, which bought Cadbury in 2010, said rising commodity costs combined with the slump in the value of the pound had made its products more expensive to make. Cadbury How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Mr Kipling cakes Premier Foods, the maker of Mr Kipling and Bisto gravy, said that it was considering price rises on a case-by-case basis Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Walkers Crisps Walkers, owned by US giant PepsiCo, said "the weakened value of the pound" is affecting the import cost of some of its materials. A Walkers spokesman told the Press Association that a 32g standard bag was set to increase from 50p to 55p, and the larger grab bag from 75p to 80p. Getty How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Marmite Tesco removed Marmite and other Unilever household brand from its website last October, after the manufacturer tried to raise its prices by about 10 per cent owing to sterlings slump. Tesco and Unilever resolved their argument, but the price of Marmite has increased in UK supermarkets with the grocer reporting a 250g jar of Marmite will now cost Morrisons customers 2.64 - an increase of 12.5 per cent. Rex How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Toblerone Toblerone came under fire in November after it increased the space between the distinctive triangles of its bars. Mondelez International, the company which makes the product, said the change was made due to price rises in recent months. Pixabay How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Maltesers Maltesers, billed as the lighter way to enjoy chocolate, have also shrunk in size. Mars, which owns the brand, has reduced its pouch weight by 15 per cent. Mars said rising costs mean it had to make the unenviable decision between increasing its prices or reducing the weight of its Malteser packs. iStockphoto Professor Hervey said the potential loss of the charter was just one of the many negative impacts of Brexit on health. Other more immediate and pressing impacts are highlighted by the House of Commons Health Committee including the danger of having no health expertise at the negotiating table; and the distress and uncertainty for thousands of people who rely on EU law to access health care, and people from the rest of the EU who provide health care within our NHS, she said. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Warnings over non-existent side effects of statins are causing thousands of deaths from heart attacks and strokes as patients needlessly avoid the drugs, researchers have warned. A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves. The study, which involved around 10,000 patients at risk of heart and artery disease, highlighted a psychosomatic response where the expectation of a bad outcome led to reports of physical symptoms. When they did not know which drugs they were given, patients taking sugar pills were no more likely than those taking statins to report negative side-effects but when the patients given statins were told what they were taking, reports of muscle pain rose by 41 per cent. Lead author Peter Sever said this was an example of the so-called nocebo effect, the opposite of the well-known placebo effect. This is not a case of people making up symptoms, or that the symptoms are all in their heads. Patients can experience very real pain as a result of the nocebo effect and the expectation that drugs will cause harm, he said. What our study shows is that its precisely the expectation of harm that is likely causing the increase in muscle pain and weakness, rather than the drugs themselves causing them. Professor Sever, from Imperial College London, said tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people are dying because they are choosing not to take statins for fear of side-effects that do not exist. Statins, prescribed to help reduce the risk of potentially deadly cardiovascular disease, are the most-prescribed drug in the UK, taken by around six million people every day. Up to a fifth of patients taking the medicine report symptoms including muscle pain, poor sleep, memory loss and erectile dysfunction. Professor Sever accused UK drug regulators of giving rise to nocebo symptoms by listing warnings for a number of common side effects on statin information leaflets despite having no provable connection with the drugs. New wearable device could transform treatment for stroke patients Reports of side effects had led to a fall in the number of patients taking statins, and a reluctance among some doctors to prescribe them, with serious consequences, he said. These warnings should not be on the label... I would love to see these side effects removed. The study was conducted in two phases, the first of which included 10,180 patients aged 40 to 79 from the UK, the Irish Republic and Scandinavia. Patients, all of whom were suffering from high blood pressure or were considered to be at risk of cardiovascular disease, were randomly assigned to treatment with the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin or a placebo, and monitored for three years. The trial was blinded so that neither the patients nor the doctors treating them knew who was receiving the active drug. In the second, non-blinded phase, 9,899 of the original participants were offered atorvastatin and followed for a further two years. Two-thirds of this group chose to continue treatment with the drug. During the first part of the study, rates of muscle-related symptoms were similar whether or not patients received the statin or placebo. But subsequently when patients knew they were taking statins, reports of muscle-related side effects were 41 per cent more common among those being treated. The blinded phase of the trial also found no significant difference in rates of erectile dysfunction or cognitive impairment between patients in the active treatment and placebo groups, while sleep disturbance turned out to be less, not more, common among blinded patients taking statins. Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty The news comes after warnings that millions of people in Britain are being given the wrong dose of statins, putting them at a higher risk of heart attack. Professor Sever was highly critical of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for jumping the gun by insisting on the side effect warnings in 2009. The agency had acted on observational reports not based on robust science, he maintained. Many of us would say that the MHRA... did not make a profound value judgment based on the evidence, the professor said. We would hope that the MHRA will withdraw that request that these side effects should be listed. He stressed that the muscle-related symptoms investigated in the study had no connection with genuine but uncommon side effects known to be caused by taking statins. These included myopathy, which results in muscle weakness, and the very rare but serious muscle-wasting condition rhabdomyolysis. The study was funded by drug company Pfizer, which makes statins, but the authors pointed out that all data collection, analysis and interpretation of the results was carried out independently. An MHRA spokesperson said: The benefits of statins are well established and are considered to outweigh the risk of side-effects in the majority of patients. The efficacy and safety of statins have been studied in a number of large trials which show they can lower the level of cholesterol in the blood and reduce cardiovascular disease and can save lives. Trials have also shown that medically significant side effects are rare. The known side effects of statins are provided in the product information for healthcare professionals and Patient Leaflet which is provided with the medicine.... Our priority is to ensure that the benefits of medication outweigh the risks. Any new significant information on the efficacy or safety of statins will be carefully reviewed and action will be taken if required, including updates to product labelling. Sleep disturbance turned out to be less, not more, common among 'blinded' patients taking statins (iStock) Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, pointed out that muscle aches, memory loss, sleep disturbance and erectile dysfunction occurred in the general population for a whole variety of reasons. He added: The study provides further evidence and confidence that statins are a safe drug for people at risk of heart disease. The benefits far outweigh any perceived risk. Amitava Banerjee, a senior clinical lecturer at University College London, said the study was an "important, robust, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, which minimises bias and confounding", but pointed out some of the limitations of the research. First, this study only considers one statin (atorvastatin). Two other commonly used statins in the UK are simvastatin and rosuvastatin and further study is required in these statins," he said. "Second, this is a primary prevention trial, i.e. in people who are at risk (e.g. smokers, diabetics, high blood pressure) but have not had a heart attack. "The dose of atorvastatin is low (10mg) and therefore we cannot generalise the results to use of statins in people who have had heart attack or stroke (secondary prevention) where higher doses (typically 80mg of atorvastatin). "Third, this is research based in the UK and Scandinavia and the results are not necessarily applicable to other populations, especially other ethnic groups." Additional reporting from Press Association For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Veteran actor Moray Watson has died after a short illness, his family have confirmed. The 88-year-old was well known for playing the part of the Brigadier in ITV drama The Darling Buds Of May alongside David Jason and Catherine Zeta-Jones. A renowned stage actor, he won fans for his role as Trevor alongside lead Cary Grant in 1960 film The Grass Is Greener, and went on to play the part of Richard Lowe in 1960s' soap Compact, as well as appearing in two episode of Doctor Who in the 1980s. The old Etonian, who completed national service in the Army, died in Hillingdon Hospital in London. Author and presenter Gyles Brandreth led the tributes to his long-time friend, describing Watson as "a gentleman" armed with a stash of witty anecdotes. "What was extraordinary about him was his versatility," he said. "From a soap like Compact, to making a movie alongside Cary Grant, Doctor Who and the Darling Buds he really was a safe pair of hands, and a calming influence to have on stage and on set. "But he was also tremendously funny. People loved him because, as a person, he was very witty, very droll. He had a fantastic sense of humour, and he would bring out these wonderfully amusing anecdotes including an excellent impression he used to do of Cary Grant. "He was also extremely kind to people, and he was in every sense a gentleman. He had an extremely successful career on the stage too, and he had three one-man shows which he took around the country at various times. You could rely on Moray." UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA 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 Watson is survived by his son Robin, daughter Emma, and four grandchildren. His wife, American-born actress Pam Marmont, died in 1999. Watson's son Robin said his father had been active throughout his life and had recently been living at the Denville Hall retirement home for former actors, actresses and other theatrical professions. "He was a very comforting man to be around," he said. "He was terribly funny and had great comic timing. He would play the fool, as well. "I remember him being very generous. If ever he went away anywhere, to New York or South Africa or India or somewhere with work, he would always bring us back something that seemed terribly fun or exotic. "He used to have an old fashioned Mini and I remember being about seven years old and being sat between his legs helping him drive it around Battersea Park, which is near where we lived at the time. It was rather naughty, of course, and you'd never get away with that sort of thing these days, but that was what he was like great fun. We were also very proud of him. It was always so exciting to see him on the television." He added: "I know we have been really touched by all the kind words we've had since he died, and actually since he released his memoirs Looking Back and Dropping Names last year. It is so lovely for us to hear that people care about him, and have enjoyed his work, after all this time. It's been overwhelming." A private funeral service is to follow, with a public memorial service to be confirmed at a later date. Sino-European cooperation (file photo) 1989BUDAPEST, May 2 (Xinhua) -- China's development will have important effects on Europe's future, and the Sino-European cooperation is expected to help promote the competitiveness of Europe, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said. "According to our point of view, worldwide politics as well as world economy have come to a turning point, and in that turning point and after," China will play "a great role," Szijjarto told Xinhua in a recent interview. The Hungarian top diplomat said, "The development of China is going to have an effect on Europe's future development itself, and we view the cooperation of China and Europe of an utmost importance." Szijjarto said that he expected the Belt and Road Initiative to materialize itself in the form of concrete investment projects, the sooner, the better, as China's investments, and the export of European goods toward China have an essential role for the continent's future. According to the minister, the current deficiencies in infrastructure make European goods less competitive on the Chinese market, compared with goods coming from some other regions. "We expect that Chinese investments will appear in larger number in the future in the European area and when Chinese companies think about enlarging their European presence, we wish that they would think primarily of Hungary," he pointed out. Szijjarto also underlined that the relations between China and Hungary have never been so good as presently, from political, economic and cultural aspects. The official identified the automotive industry as one of the fields in which China and Hungary could beef up cooperation. "As for the automobile industry, we have just inaugurated the first European factory of BYD in Hungary, and Hungary is the flagship of the European auto industry," he stressed, pointing out that with 9 percent, Hungary has the lowest corporate tax rate in the EU. Szijjarto also considered the food industry as a flagship sector of the Hungarian exports to China. "Because of the very strict Hungarian food sanitary regulations -- our constitution guarantees GMO free products in the agriculture and the food industry -- Hungarian food products can become interesting for the new, more demanding Chinese customers," he said. About the project between Hungary and China, Szijjarto said that the Budapest-Belgrade railway's "every single element conforms with the relevant EU regulations." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Madeleine McCanns parents fell out with British as well as Portugese police investigating their daughters disappearance, a leaked report has alleged. Kate and Gerry McCann ended up getting information from their own private investigators but refusing to share all of it with British detectives, according to the Home Office document obtained by Sky News. The report, ordered by the then Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson in late 2009, is believed to have said: It is clear that the McCanns and the private investigators working on their behalf have gathered a large amount of information during the course of their enquiries. This information does not appear to have been shared fully with the Leicestershire Constabulary or the Portuguese authorities. "It is imperative that they are encouraged and persuaded to share this information." The report, written by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, adds: "Clearly, the McCanns have had a turbulent relationship with both Portuguese and UK law enforcement. They now openly acknowledge that there is a distinct lack of trust between all parties." After Madeleine disappeared in Praia da Luz ten years ago, on May 3 2007, relations with Portugese Police soon became strained. Goncalo Amaral, the lead investigator in the case, was sacked in October 2007 after accusing British detectives of only chasing leads the McCanns wanted following. In July 2008 he sparked a legal battle with the McCanns that continues to this day, by writing a book claiming the couple faked the abduction of their daughter after she died because of an accident in the holiday apartment. The Madeleine McCann case Show all 25 1 /25 The Madeleine McCann case The Madeleine McCann case Madeleine McCann One of the last photos of Madeleine before her disappearance EPA The Madeleine McCann case Madeleine McCann Madeleine McCann was three when she was abducted during a family holiday in 2007 The Madeleine McCann case Top worn by a man that detectives investigate with connection to disappearance of Madeleine McCann A computer generated image of the distinctive burgundy long sleeve top worn by a man that detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are looking for The Madeleine McCann case Apartment in Portugal from where Madeleine went missing An aerial view of the Ocean Club apartments and pool where Madeleine McCann went missing Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images The Madeleine McCann case Kate McCann Kate McCann speaks to the press outside the court house in Lisbon on 12 September 2013 following the first audience of the McCann couple's libel proceedings against former inspector Goncalo Amaral for a book written about the case of their missing daughter The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann Kate McCann and Gerry McCann before the start of the 'Miles for Missing People' charity run in Regent's Park in London, 2011 The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann Kate and Gerry McCann make an appeal at a press conference in the holiday resort of Praia da Luz, Portugal 7 May 2007 The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann The McCann's give an interview with a Spanish television channel at their home in Rothley The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann Madeleine McCann was abducted in Portugal in May 2007 AP The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann Preliminary forensic analysis on samples recovered from the McCanns' hire car raised the possibility of a match with Madeleine's DNA profile, according to the leaked report Getty Images The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann Pope Benedict XVI blesses a photo of four-year-old abducted British girl Madeleine McCann, while meeting her parents Gerry and Kate McCann, after his weekly general audience at the Vatican, 2007 Reuters The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann Gerald McCann and Kate McCann speak to the press on 4 May 2007 at the Ocean club appartement hotel in Praia de Luz in Lagos after Madeline vanished while her parents were out to dinner The Madeleine McCann case Portuguese police search for Madeleine Dozens of Portuguese police aided by dogs search for missing three-year old British girl Madelaine McCann in front of the Ocean club appartment hotel in Praia de Luz in Lagos The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann Gerald McCann and Kate McCann walk holding their two other children outside the Ocean club apartment hotel in Praia de Luz in May 2007 The Madeleine McCann case Madeleine McCann Madeleine McCann pictured at the age of three, left, and as she might have looked aged nine PA/Teri Blythe The Madeleine McCann case Kate and Gerry McCann The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have described as "pure speculation" reports in the Portuguese press suggesting that a chief suspect in the disappearance of their daughter was killed in a tractor accident four years ago. PA The Madeleine McCann case Tribute for missing Madeleine in Rothley, Leicesteshire Three year old Cally prepares to add a yellow ribbon to a floral tribute for missing Madeleine McCann in Rothley in Leicesteshire, 2007 The Madeleine McCann case Support for the missing Madeleine Everton captain Lee Carsley (L) leads his team onto the field, followed Mikel Arteta (C) and Manuel Fernandes (R) wearing Tshirts bearing a message of support for the missing British toddler Madeleine McCann, prior to the English Premiership match between Chelsea and Everton, at Stamford Bridge in London, 2007 The Madeleine McCann case Madeleine McCann A poster appealing for information about Madeleine McCann at a Spanish railway station PA The Madeleine McCann case BBC's Crimewatch reconstruction of Madeleine McCann's disappearance Former porn star Mark Sloan (L) was cast in the BBC's Crimewatch reconstruction of Madeleine McCann's disappearance BBC The Madeleine McCann case Clarence Mitchell holds two artist's impression of the new suspect McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell holds two artist's impression of the new suspect on 20 January 2008 in London. The description has come from British woman Gail Cooper, who was staying with her family close to the McCann's apartment in Portugal The Madeleine McCann case Image of a woman sought in the case Clarence Mitchell, the press spokesman for the McCann family, releases a photofit image of a woman sought in the search for missing Madeleine McCann Getty Images The Madeleine McCann case Suspect in disappearance of Madeleine McCann Police released two e-fits of suspect in disappearance of Madeleine McCann Getty Images The Madeleine McCann case Raymond Hewlett Convicted paedophile Raymond Hewlett, who is being sought in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann PA The Madeleine McCann case A picture of a suspect An artist's impression of a suspicious man seen by a witness apparently watching the McCann family's apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, the day before Madeleine McCann went missing Channel 4 Sky News account of the leaked report revealed how even before the book was published, the McCanns had felt the way some Portguese police officials treated them had been inhumane. It is clear, the report states, That from the beginning the McCanns felt there was a lack of clarity and communication on the part of the Portuguese police. "Despite the involvement of British consular staff, they were, by their own accounts, left for long periods without any updates or communication with the investigators. "They state they were taken to the police station on more than one occasion and then left for hours waiting to speak to someone who never materialised. "They describe this situation as inhumane, with no real consideration for their emotional and physical wellbeing." But, the report adds, relations with the UK authorities were also becoming strained. Part of the problem, the report suggested, was that too many UK law enforcement agencies had rushed to help and caused chaos, while frequent criticism of the Portuguese investigation led to accusations that Britain was acting like "a colonial power". The report recommended the creation of a UK national centre for missing children to better coordinate the response when British children go missing abroad. Mr Johnson backed this recommendation, but it wasnt implemented after Labour lost the 2010 General Election and the ConservativeLiberal Democrat coalition took power. Mr Johnson told Sky News: Nothing's happened in the ensuing 10 years that suggests that if it [a child disappearing abroad] happened again it would be an any better, more coordinated response." The report, though, was one of the factors in the 2011 launch of Operation Grange, Scotland Yards review of the case. The review, which is still ongoing, has so far spent 11m, with detectives having examined over 40,000 documents, leading to the generation of thousands of enquiries. On 25 April, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the man in charge of Operation Grange, said his team continued to receive information on a daily basis and were still pursuing a significant line of enquiry. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Failure by mental health services to provide adequate care and support to an anorexic teenager and her family contributed to the 15-year-old's decision to take her own life, a jury has heard. An inquest into the death of Pippa Pip McManus, who died after being struck by a train just five days after she was discharged from the Priory, heard evidence that inadequate steps had been taken to plan for and ensure she got the care and support she needed upon release. Pip, who had suffered from anorexia since the age of 12 and was detained under the Mental Health Act at the Priory Hospital Altrincham in 2014, was granted home leave ahead of completion of the formal discharge process. Five days into her leave, she walked to a nearby station and died when hit by a train. One of the letters read out at the inquest into her death reportedly said: I do want to grow up and have a life, at the moment I dont have one. I cant fight anorexia anymore. I have tried so very hard, but it has won me. The jury heard that the high risk of her discharge was never communicated to Pips parents, who felt they had no option but to go along with it, despite the fact that they had repeatedly expressed concerns as to how they would manage, with Pip having a history of acting impulsively in response to boundaries. From the start of the teenagers discharge, no social support worker had met Pip or her parents, and Trafford Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) failed to put any clear care plan in place, the jury heard. There was also little evidence of attempts by the Priory family therapist to engage with the family in the period before or after discharge. Pips parents said they believed failings in her care from beginning to end resulted in their daughter's death, and warned that too many children are dying as a result of anorexia and failure to adequately address it. Marie and Jim McManus said: Our beautiful daughter, Pip took her own life on 9 December 2015. The tear in the thread of our family will never be mended. We believe the failings in our daughters care from beginning to end resulted in her death. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate attributed to any psychiatric illness (with as many as 40 deaths due to suicide). Too many of our children are dying from this terrible illness. Effective treatment is needed more quickly and if this had been available to our beautiful daughter maybe she would still be alive today. Maybe we would not have needed this inquest. Mr and Ms McManus have since set up a fundraising page in their daughter's memory to help others suffering from eating disorders. Responding to the conclusion, Deborah Coles, director of Inquest, which provides advice and support around contentious deaths, said Pips familys concerns were dismissed throughout, and warned more people would die unless action was taken. Pips death has exposed a mental health system which pushed through the discharge of a highly vulnerable child without any of the support or care in place to make sure she would be safe, said Ms Coles. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA 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 Her terrified family knew there was huge risk. Their concerns were dismissed and minimised throughout. The Government has a moral and legal duty to ensure the safety of our children. "Ministers must meet now with affected families to inform the urgent and necessary reform of the current system, to prevent further tragic deaths. Komal Hussain, of Minton Morrill solicitors, said: This is an extremely tragic case involving a young and charismatic girl who fell victim to anorexia nervosa which brought with it a vicious cycle of difficulties that Pip and her family tried so hard to overcome on a daily basis. This case amplifies the ongoing need for improvements and changes that need to be made to inpatient and community mental health services nationally to protect the lives of vulnerable young people and their families, who rely upon the support of the system to safeguard them. For support on issues mentioned in this article, the Samaritans UK can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 18002738255. Suicide hotlines in other countries can be found here. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Maryam, a young queer Londoner, doesnt identify with traditional gender norms. Some days she wears a hijab, other days she wraps a scarf up like a turban. Between drinks in Soho with her girlfriend and queer friends, she is heavily involved with her local mosque and her family are hoping to settle her into an arranged marriage. And she occasionally does sex work. Her identity as a queer, Muslim sex worker - as you can probably imagine - is not always met with understanding. Yet here she is, existing and navigating a white, heteronormative world that claims she cant exist. When we first meet up to start recording the podcast together, we jump right into talking about her journey in identifying as both a gender fluid, queer woman and Muslim. There are times I can be dressed as a man, there are times I can be androgynous, and right now Im just sloppy, she laughs. Ive always been drawn to women, but when I was in high school I completely repressed it. The realisation that jolted her awake was learning that, while the world may be heteronormative, there are other people out there who dont fit that mould and there are a million possible ways to identify. While Maryam navigates her queer identity, her family are lining up potential suitors for a Muslim husband. I stumbled upon a form which is basically a profile to organise an arranged marriage. I was reading it and it just said my name, age, my brothers occupations, my parents occupations, and my academic status. In my head, I was like thats so funny because if somebody asked me who I was, student would not be the first thing that comes to mind. But that was all they could write about me. Recommended Straight white people need to stop telling me they love my queerness The next time Maryam and I meet, were having a cup of tea in her family home and upstairs in her bedroom, she shows me how she earns money doing sex work online. On her laptop, she opens up a site that she uses regularly to message clients. Today, one man is thanking her for a worn skirt she posted to him. She replies, asking what hed like next. Another message comes in from a different client - this time more demanding but his request isnt unusual, she tells me. A man has asked her to wear a pair of tights to the mosque and post them - dirty - to him for a fee. Many clients, she finds, are fascinated by her faith and Pakistani British heritage. They might think they have the power because theyre playing out this colonial fantasy in which theres this brown woman living in poverty who needs a saviour. No, no - I know exactly what theyre playing at, she says. The stereotype of sex workers as white, heterosexual women is clearly not only unrealistic, but also unhelpful. Dr Nicola Smith, author of Queer Sex Work and lecturer at the University of Birmingham explains: Why would it not be true that there would be many LGBTQ sex workers? We know that in the rest of social life, the presumption of heterosexuality is very problematic. Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Show all 16 1 /16 Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures Queer Tours of London: A Mince Through Time launch party - In pictures What the stereotypes are most successful in doing is depicting the industry as a place of simple dichotomies, so that the complexities and diversities can be neatly erased. When I meet Maryam for our last podcast interview, its almost been a year since we first sat down to record. Its incredible how much has changed in the past few months, including coming out to her family, and I cant help but be moved by her strength and bravery. To follow Maryams journey, subscribe on iTunes, audioBoom or RSS. You can also follow on Twitter @queerpodcasts. Queer Muslim Sex Worker, the podcast documentary, is out May 3, 2017 and is free to download. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} British relations with the EU have hit a new low after Theresa May launched a venomous attack on European politicians accusing them of meddling in the UKs general election and trying to wreck Brexit. The Prime Minister spoke outside Downing Street to charge top EU figures with making threats, deliberately attempting to swing the 8 June vote and trying to torpedo negotiations. The ferocity of the speech stunned Westminster and sent shockwaves all the way to Brussels where senior figures remained tight-lipped in the wake of the attack, while domestic rivals accused Ms May of irresponsible electioneering and mimicking Donald Trump in winding up scraps with foreign leaders. Recommended Theresa May is already blaming Brussels for the failure of Brexit Hours earlier the European Commission cemented a tough negotiating stance after new estimates emerged of the potential size of the UKs divorce bill putting it as high as 100bn (84bn). Ms Mays unusual intervention also comes amid fallout over leaked details of a meeting between her and Jean Claude Juncker, which led a German newspaper to report how the European Commission President thinks Ms May is deluding herself on Brexit. The PM had just arrived back from Buckingham Palace to mark the dissolution of Parliament, when she emerged from No 10 to say: In the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britains negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on 8 June. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images Ms May claimed that in contrast to the actions of European politicians, she had made clear in correspondence with Brussels that Britain means no harm and wants the EU project to be a success. She went on: But the events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europes other leaders there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want Britain to prosper. So now more than ever we need to be led by a Prime Minister and a Government that is strong and stable. Labour leader Mr Corbyn said Ms May was playing party games with Brexit in the hope of winning an advantage for the Tories in the election. He went on: By winding up the public confrontation with Brussels, the Prime Minister wants to wrap the Conservative Party in the Union Jack and distract attention from her Governments economic failure and run-down of our public services. But Brexit is too important to be used as a political game in this election. Lib Dem EU spokesperson Nick Clegg said: Theresa Mays desperate, bizarre statement could have come word for word from Nigel Farage. David Davis says disastrous row between May and EU will help Conservatives win election The coalition of hard Brexit between the Conservatives and Ukip is now complete, and it will be hard-pressed families up and down the country who will suffer most. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon criticised Ms Mays speech, saying it had created a poison atmosphere [sic] and was deeply irresponsible. While Labours Chuka Umunna, a leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign pushing for a softer Brexit, accused Ms May of straightforward, crude electioneering. He added: This is straight out of the Donald Trump playbook not what we expect from a British Prime Minister. How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Show all 8 1 /8 How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Weetabix Chief executive of Weetabix Giles Turrell has warned that the price of one of the nations favourite breakfast are likely to go up this year by low-single digits in percentage terms. Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Nescafe The cost of a 100g jar of Nescafe Original at Sainsburys has gone up 40p from 2.75 to 3.15 a 14 per cent risesince the Brexit vote. PA How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Freddo When contacted by The Independent this month, a Mondelez spokesperson declined to discuss specific brands but confirmed that there would be "selective" price increases across its range despite the American multi-national confectionery giant reporting profits of $548m (450m) in its last three-month financial period. Mondelez, which bought Cadbury in 2010, said rising commodity costs combined with the slump in the value of the pound had made its products more expensive to make. Cadbury How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Mr Kipling cakes Premier Foods, the maker of Mr Kipling and Bisto gravy, said that it was considering price rises on a case-by-case basis Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Walkers Crisps Walkers, owned by US giant PepsiCo, said "the weakened value of the pound" is affecting the import cost of some of its materials. A Walkers spokesman told the Press Association that a 32g standard bag was set to increase from 50p to 55p, and the larger grab bag from 75p to 80p. Getty How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Marmite Tesco removed Marmite and other Unilever household brand from its website last October, after the manufacturer tried to raise its prices by about 10 per cent owing to sterlings slump. Tesco and Unilever resolved their argument, but the price of Marmite has increased in UK supermarkets with the grocer reporting a 250g jar of Marmite will now cost Morrisons customers 2.64 - an increase of 12.5 per cent. Rex How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Toblerone Toblerone came under fire in November after it increased the space between the distinctive triangles of its bars. Mondelez International, the company which makes the product, said the change was made due to price rises in recent months. Pixabay How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Maltesers Maltesers, billed as the lighter way to enjoy chocolate, have also shrunk in size. Mars, which owns the brand, has reduced its pouch weight by 15 per cent. Mars said rising costs mean it had to make the unenviable decision between increasing its prices or reducing the weight of its Malteser packs. iStockphoto During the US election Mr Trump repeatedly picked fights with foreign leaders, including politicians in Mexico and Europe, while promising to put America first. In her speech Ms May appeared to cite leaks to the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper which had revealed details of Mr Junckers views of last Wednesdays Downing Street meeting, with the resulting stories giving Ms Mays rivals ammunition in the on-going election. The paper claimed Mr Juncker dismissed her plan to reach a deal on citizens rights by June as failing to appreciate the complexity of the matter he reportedly took out copies of the EUs Canada trade deal and Croatias EU entry deal to demonstrate how difficult a deal would be. Afterwards, he is said to have called German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to tell her that Ms May lives in another galaxy and is deluding herself over Brexit. Michel Barnier speaks in Brussels (Getty) (Getty Images) German Europe minister Michael Roth tweeted how the British Government should say goodbye to the fairy tale that things will get better for Britain after Brexit, while the European Parliaments Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt mocked Ms Mays election campaign slogan, suggesting she lacked a strong and stable understanding of the complex issues around EU withdrawal. There was a brief flash of the Prime Ministers frustration over the leaks when she warned Mr Juncker on Tuesday how he would soon discover she is a bloody difficult woman, but her speech on the doorstep of No 10 bore her threat out as she ratcheted-up tensions with withdrawal talks yet to even begin. This morning reports emerged that new estimates of the UKs potential divorce bill put it at 100bn following an analysis of the latest French and German demands. In Brussels, shortly before Ms Mays Downing Street speech, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier underlined that there is no punishment, there is no Brexit bill, but said the UK would have to commit to settle liabilities to stand any chance of a trade deal, along with agreeing a deal on citizens rights and external borders. As he confirmed his negotiating directives, Mr Barnier said: The UK must put a great deal of energy and effort into these three issues over the next weeks and months. That will increase the chances of reaching a deal. Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly this is not the case. He also signalled that Ms May could be forced to break her key Brexit election pledge to end the European Court of Justices influence, if she wants to secure the all import EU trade deal. Mr Barnier said he wanted an entente cordial with the UK, but confirmed no trade talks can even begin until London accepts the Court would hold sway in Britain for years after Brexit, in particular to protect the rights of EU citizens still living here. In colourful comments he said that during the constructive meeting at Downing Street, which he had also attended, he had discussed with Ms May their mutual love of mountain walking. He went on: If you like walking in the mountains you have to learn a number of rules. You have to learn to put one foot in front of the other, because sometimes you are on a steep and rocky path. You also have to look what accidents might befall you falling rocks. You have to be very careful to keep your breath, you have to have stamina, because it could be a lengthy path and you have to keep looking at the summit. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The announcement of the forthcoming general election triggered the inevitable and seemingly relentless media focus on all things pertaining to the June 8 ballot. While that may be entirely predictable, the number of potentially awkward stories that have largely been hidden from the public beneath the blanket of election coverage may seem rather convenient for Theresa May's government. These include a charity accusing the Home Office of telling continuous lies about the UK's true capacity to take in refugee children, and revelations that families are being charged 50p a minute to call their sick relatives in hospital. As the PM repeats her mantra of strong and stable leadership up and down the nation, here are five things she might hope to avoid discussing on the campaign trail. Allegations highlighted by Channel 4 News and the Daily Mirror relate to busloads of Tory activists sent to key seats, whose expenses were reported as part of national campaign spend rather than falling within the lower constituency limits. Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner claimed Ms May called the election to distract from the investigation. The Prime Minister, however, told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: The Conservative Party did make an administrative error on its national spending, as did other parties. We have paid our fine, I would expect other parties to do so. Cutting red tape after Brexit could mean powerful companies gain more leverage [against] consumers, patients and citizens," a law professor claimed after a warning was sounded in the British Medical Journal. The claim is based on the fact that the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights will cease to apply when the UK leaves the bloc. Relatives of hospital patients are being charged rip off fees of 50p a minute or more to call their loved ones with the elderly most likely to be impacted by the charges, it has been warned. Hospedia, the private firm that runs bedside TV and phone services in NHS hospitals, said in 2014 it planned to phase out the use of costly 070 numbers following complaints from users and Ofcom recommendations. But the charges, which vary between hospitals, are still in place. Callers are also forced to listen to a lengthy recorded message of about 70 seconds before they are connected. The UK has capacity to take in at least 1,300 more child refugees, 10 times more than the 130 the Home Office has specified, Britains largest fostering and adoption charity has said. Tact Care, which provides foster care for between 30 and 70 refugee children each year as well as hundreds of domestic children, told The Independent the Home Office was adopting a dog whistle policy in the transfer of child refugees from Europe, saying it did not consult local authorities properly to establish how many children could be brought to the UK under the Dubs Amendment. Following an announcement by the immigration minister in which he said 130 places offered by local councils for unaccompanied minors as part of the Dubs scheme were not originally accounted for due to an administrative error, the charity accused the Home Office of telling continuous lies about the true capacity. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images Knobbly carrots and parsnips do not taste or cook any differently from other vegetables and should be saved from supermarket reject bins, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee warned. It said the Government and supermarkets must do more to avoid waste, which costs the average person some 200 a year. MPs said the incoming government should continue with a review on food date labelling, looking particularly at whether there is a need for best before dates, which can mislead and confuse people. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Labour has promised to stop A&E and other hospital department closures at once if they are elected, saying the Conservative proposals have caused widespread concern and confusion. Plans to reform NHS services, drawn up in 44 areas of England, are designed to save money and improve efficiency but have proved unpopular in some regions as they involve ward closures and cuts in bed numbers. Jonathan Ashworth said he will halt the controversial Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) programme and launch a full review into the changes if Labour wins on 8 June. The shadow health secretary said it was a disgrace that decisions on the future of hospitals are being made behind closed doors with no genuine involvement of local people, as the public deserves better. We have listened to the hundreds of patients and campaigners up and down the country that have been pleading with the Government to hear their concerns about their local services, he said. Threats of hospitals being closed, A&E services moved miles up the road, and children's wards being shut, have caused widespread concern and confusion. A recent analysis of the proposals found that one in six A&E departments face being closed or downgraded in the next four years. Philip Hammond claims the Tories are 'the party of the NHS' during Budget 2017 In Marchs Budget, Philip Hammond announced a 325m funding boost for STPs, saying: We are the party of the NHS. But the British Medical Association (BMA) warned this funding fell short of what was needed to deliver the programme, while health campaigners called the plans sneaky due to a lack of clarity over structures and accountability. Local people should be at the heart of decisions about how care is provided, said Mr Ashworth. My first job as secretary of state will be to review every single STP proposal looking at what's in the interest of quality of patient care. Labour said it will create a new body called NHS Excellence to lead the review into the major changes to local health services proposed by the plans, which are being devised in an attempt to plug a 22bn hole in NHS budgets by 2021. Recommended Conservatives must be clear about their vision for the NHS But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt dismissed Mr Ashworths promise as just another nonsensical Jeremy Corbyn idea. He said: These local plans are developed by local doctors and communities, backed by the top doctors and nurses of the NHS, and will improve patient care. Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: The purpose of the STP process was a good thing to bring fragmented parts of the system together. But it is based on the fantasy that there is enough money to deliver this vision, when STPs will be hundreds of millions of pounds short. The real question is: which party is prepared to take the tough action to increase investment? Only the Lib Dems will make the case for increasing tax to guarantee the future of the NHS. Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves Show all 6 1 /6 Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves The elderly We acknowledge that there are pressures on the health service, there are always extra pressures on the NHS in the winter, but we have the added pressures of the ageing population and the growing complex needs of the population, Theresa May has said. Waits of over 12 hours in A&E among elderly people have more than doubled in two years, according to figures from NHS Digital. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves Patients going to A&E instead of seeing their GPs Jeremy Hunt has called for a honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments, saying that around a third of A&E patients were in hospital unnecessarily. Mr Hunt told Radio 4s Today programme the NHS now had more doctors, nurses and funding than ever, but explained what he called very serious problems at some hospitals by suggesting pressures were increasing in part because people are going to A&Es when they should not. He urged patients to visit their GP for non-emergency illnesses, outlined plans to release time for family doctors to support urgent care work, and said the NHS will soon be able to deliver seven-day access to a GP from 8am to 8pm. But doctors struggling amid a GP recruitment crisis said Mr Hunts plans were unrealistic and demanded the Government commit to investing in all areas of the overstretched health service. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves Simon Stevens, head of NHS England Reports that key members of Ms Mays team used internal meetings to accuse Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, of being unenthusiastic and unresponsive have been rejected by Downing Street. Mr Stevens had allegedly rejected claims made by Ms May that the NHS had been given more funding than required. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves Previous health policy, not funding In an interview with Sky Newss Sophy Ridge, Ms May acknowledged the NHS faced pressures but said it was a problem that had been ducked by government over the years. She refuted the claim that hospitals were tackling a humanitarian crisis and said health funding was at record levels. We asked the NHS a while back to set out what it needed over the next five years in terms of its plan for the future and the funding that it would need, said the Prime Minister. They did that, we gave them that funding, in fact we gave them more funding than they required Funding is now at record levels for the NHS, more money has been going in. But doctors accused Ms May of being in denial about how the lack of additional funding provided for health and social care were behind a spiralling crisis in NHS hospitals. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves Target to treat all A&E patients within four hours Mr Hunt was accused of watering down the flagship target to treat all A&E patients within four hours. The Health Secretary told MPs the promise introduced by Tony Blairs government in 2000 should only be for those who actually need it. Amid jeers in the Commons, Mr Hunt said only four other countries pledged to treat all patients within a similar timeframe and all had less stringent rules. But Ms May has now said the Government will stand by the four-hour target for A&E, which says 95 per cent of patients must be dealt with within that time frame. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis except themselves No one Mr Hunt was accused of hiding from the public eye following news of the Red Crosss comments and didnt make an official statement for two days. He was also filmed refusing to answer questions from journalists who pursued him down the street yesterday to ask whether he planned to scrap the four-hour A&E waiting time target. Sky News reporter Beth Rigby pressed the Health Secretary on his position on the matter, saying the public will want to know, Mr Hunt. Sorry Beth, Ive answered questions about this already, replied Mr Hunt. But you didnt answer questions on this. You said it was over-interpreted in the House of Commons and you didnt want to water it down. Is that what youre saying? said Ms Rigby. Its very difficult, because how are we going to explain to the public what your intention is, when you change your position and then wont answer the question, Mr Hunt. But the Health Secretary maintained his silence until he reached his car and got in. Getty Mr Ashworth was also questioned on ITVs Good Morning Britain programme over whether a Labour government would use nuclear weapons in retaliation or in a pre-emptive strike a question Diane Abbott refused to answer yesterday. The responsible thing in this situation is to not speculate about hypotheticals, he said. I am giving you the reassurance that we are prepared to use our nuclear weapons, of course we are. We will never compromise on the safety of this country, we will do what is necessary. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn both face being empty chaired after ITV said it would go ahead with a live television general election debate. The broadcaster announced it will run a live event on 18 May with the leaders of seven parties invited to take part. But The Independent understands ITV will broadcast the debate despite both Ms May and Mr Corbyn having indicated that they will not participate. Conservative leader Ms May was first to say she would avoid any TV debates, with the Labour leader later following suit arguing they would be pointless without the Prime Minister. ITVs director of news and current affairs Michael Jermey said: ITV will be offering our viewers a wide range of programmes on this snap election. Listening to voters and helping them put their questions direct to the politicians will be at the heart of what well do. We have a strong record on organising debate programmes and giving viewers the chance to put their questions straight to the politicians. The ITV Leaders Debate moderated by Julie Etchingham and the debates in the nations will give viewers an opportunity to get answers. The leaders of the seven parties that were invited to the 2015 ITV Leaders Debate the Conservatives, Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrats, UKIP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens have all been invited to the 2017 event. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images The event will air at 8pm. Leaders will have the opportunity to make short statements at the beginning and conclusion of the debate. They will also answer questions asked directly by members of a studio audience, before the floor is opened up to a period of free flowing debate. Recommended A poll by BMG Research for The Independent revealed more than half of people, some 54 per cent, want the live contests to go ahead. But Ms May has said she will not take part, though Tory sources have confirmed her aides are in talks with the BBC with the possibility of a different kind of live event in which she does not go head-to-head with other leaders. Asked recently whether Mr Corbyn would attend a broadcast which did not involve Ms May, his spokesman recently said: I dont think having a debate among opposition parties in any way meets the objective of giving the British people a chance of seeing what the real choices are in this election campaign. A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: We expect our hard Brexit opponents Labour, UKIP and the Prime Minister, Theresa May, to all take part and make their opposing case. Otherwise, we expect ITV to empty chair them. Tim [Farron] believes, in politics, you must have the courage of your convictions. Lets see if May and Corbyn feel the same. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tim Farron was confronted on the campaign trail by a Theresa May supporter, who accused him of believing Leave voters are racist. Mr Farron strongly denied the charge, insisting: Loads of my mates voted Leave, I dont think they are racist, prompting 65-year-old Malcolm Baker to reply: Yes you do. The finger-pointing pensioner added: I voted Leave and Im proud to have voted Leave and I knew what I was voting for. Mr Farron, visiting Oxfordshire, then asked him: Have you got grandchildren? Are you proud that they will inherit a poorer, less powerful, less secure country? But Mr Baker stood his ground, saying: Im proud that they will be coming out of Britain, err, out of Europe and that we will have our own destiny and not have people telling us are going to pay 100bn to get out. Laying bare the dangers of politicians coming face-to-face with angry voters, he added: If thats your policies, I hope you only get six seats! Mr Baker then told journalists: I have always voted Labour, but I will be voting for Theresa May, prompting a shout from a bystander of You f***ing idiot. It was reported today that the EU will expect Britain to pay a higher-than-expected divorce bill of 100bn, although Michel Barnier, the European Commissions Brexit negotiator, declined to confirm the figure. A Lib Dem spokesman said it was Labour that should be alarmed by the encounter and sought to make a virtue of Mr Farron's refusal to hide from voters. Tim today was out meeting voters today, unlike Theresa May, like he did yesterday and the day before," he said. "That exchange should have worried Labour, as a life-long Brexiteer voter is leaving them. This election is a chance to change the direction of our country. On one side its Theresa May and on the other is the Liberal Democrats. If you want to change the direction, you need to vote Liberal Democrat. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Corbyn: wont bomb Johnny Foreigner but hell bomb the crap out of you. That was the key message to be taken away from the Conservatives new poster launch, which David Davis and Philip Hammond arrived in a room deep inside the Westminster bubble to stand in front of and say a few words. "Higher debt. Higher taxes." Thats Jeremy Corbyns bombshell, by the way. From the party that brought you no-we-wont-rule-out-putting-up-national-insurance-and-income-tax now comes "Jeremy Corbyns [tax] bombshell for your family." "Higher debt," from the party thats borrowed 500bn since 2010. "Higher taxes" well, see above. What can you do? Since the 2015 campaign delivered the Conservatives a highly unexpected majority government is more than reason enough to just run it again verbatim not least as it gives Lynton Crosby an easy life. The fact that not one iota of it has been shown to be true is a problem for another day, some time in 2022. Right down to the choice of font, this new poster could hardly be more like its 2015 counterpart, that occasionally reappears for no greater reason than to be laughed at. A recovering economy. Dont let Labour wreck it, they said back then, as a Labour wrecking ball swings into a brick wall. Its worth a second look even now, particularly as the EU swings in with a 100bn bill The Chancellor has spoken many times in the past about the spectre of job automation and the robot economy, and who can blame him, as he sat on his sofa at home somewhere watching on TV as a party aide pressed play on an iPad and the fully automated cyborg that has already taken his own job read out the words strong and stable leadership on loop for a very long three minutes. Hammond 2.0 was unmoved by the sarcastic cheers that greeted his every utterance of the term. The developers are still a little way off when it comes to thoughts and feelings, but it wont be long. Conveniently, robotically synthesising the full emotional range of the Chancellor of the Exchequer is the very first challenge they are attempting to crack, before moving on to the snake from the old Nokia 3310. "We are still spending 50bn a year on debt interest," the Chancellor warned, "more than on defence and policing combined." That it is his government that has racked up that debt more than any Labour government in history combined, and there he was standing in front of a poster saying it is his party and his alone that can be trusted to buy a load of bombs is what, in simpler times, would count for hypocrisy, but those days are gone. As he spoke Im prepared to confess my mind wandered. What would it take for them to lose the election? What would the likes of Philip Hammond, David Davis, Theresa May and the rest actually have to do? Actually start dropping actual bombs on hard-working families? Well theres a big poster out there now saying Jeremy Corbyns going to do exactly that so people will just blame him. Who do you want leading these negotiations, David Davis asked at one point. Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn? Above that simple fact, nothing anyone else says over the next five weeks will matter in the slightest, as they well know. We got us into this mess. Only we can get us out. Sticks in the craw, doesn't it. But it works. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} What elections are taking place this week? The local elections on Thursday will take place in 88 councils - England will see 2,370 seats contested in 27 county councils, six unitary authorities, one metropolitan authority and two mayoralties. All of the councils in Scotland and Wales will be up for election. Some of the results will be declared in the early hours of 5 May but the vast majority will be announced in the day. A by-election in Manchester Gorton, triggered by the death of Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, was also due to take place but has now been delayed until the day of the general election. Will it be a wipe out for Labour? What will the results tell us about the general election? While the results on Friday will not be a direct read-across for the Westminster elections in five weeks time, they will provide a crucial indicator as to whether Ms Mays Conservatives are gaining traction in the three regions where the local elections are taking place. One analysis by Robert Hayward, a Tory peer and pollster, suggests that Labour could lose around 125 council seats across the UK as he predicted the worst local election results for an opposition party since 1985 excluding the years when there was also a general election. Speaking to The Independent, John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, who is considered one of the countrys top polling experts, said he was expecting Labour to lose seats in Scotland, Wales and parts of England. Theyre losing ground everywhere, he said. Recommended These local elections could be a nightmare scenario for Jeremy Corbyn He said the results will provide answers to how far the Conservatives have advanced. Is it on the kind of scale you might expect from the opinion polls or not? he said. How far do they advance in Scotland? Is the SNP slipping, if so, by how much? They will give us further information, further to that of opinion polls, as to where the parties stand at the beginning of the campaign. They wont necessarily tell you where well end up at the end of the campaign. They will provide us with an indication as to whether or not Theresa May has made a good bet or not. They should be making really big gains if theyre doing as well as the opinion polls suggest, he added. There should be a very substantial movement in their direction. What about the Liberal Democrats? The election will be crucial for the Liberal Democrats under Tim Farron and test whether the party is rebuilding support at a local level two years after their catastrophic defeat at the general election in 2015. Support for the embattled Ukip is also likely to be extensively analysed, with many commentators and experts forecasting the party to lose significant ground. One really big uncertainty is the Liberal Democrats, Professor Curtice said. Theyve had this incredibly varied performance in local government by-elections, sometimes doing very well and other times doing nothing at all, and how this will pan out in broader local elections is unclear. I think thats the biggest uncertainty just how well they are going to do. Of course, even if they do well in local elections they wont tell you theyll do particularly well in the general election because they, historically, have always done better in local elections than general elections. General Election 2017: What you need to know Professor Tony Travers, from the London School of Economics' department of government, said if Labour lose the local elections, there is almost no chance of them winning the national vote a month later. It's virtually unknown for an opposition party to win a general election when it hasn't been getting quite high percentage votes in the local elections immediately before, professor Travers said. Which results should I look out for? On the night, watch out for the county councils of Derbyshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire to test the waters for Labour support, Professor Travers said, suggesting it would be disappointing news for Mr Corbyn if the party loses its majority control of Derbyshire or failed to remain the largest party in the other two counties. But with expected victories for Labour in the elections of metro mayors in Manchester and Liverpool, Mr Corbyn could mitigate the scale of defeat by pointing to these seats. Andy Burnham, the former Shadow Cabinet minister, and Steve Rotherham, an ally of the Labour leader, are widely expected to win the mayoral races in the regions respectively. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images Who will come out on top? According to professor Curtices analysis, released last month, recent local election results suggest that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are on course to make gains in Thursdays elections. Labour and Ukip, however, are likely to take a hit. Taken overall, Labour looks certain to be the first opposition party to lose grounds at local elections for three years in succession, the authors add. In Wales, Labour is defending a high-water mark in its support. Much of rural Wales remains dominated by Independent and local party candidates, but last years Welsh Assembly results suggest all parties (including Ukip who had just two councillors elected in 2012) could make gains at Labours overall expense. Indeed, its entirely possible that Labour will lose more seats in Wales than in England and see their majority cut very sharply even in some of their heartland valleys councils. South Korean presidential candidate Yoo Seong-min of the Bareun Party prepares for a televised debate for the upcoming May 9 presidential election in Seoul on May 2, 2017. (Xinhua) Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Former Conservative leadership candidate Michael Gove has said Theresa May showed "very good judgement" by sacking him from the Cabinet. The prominent Leave campaigner and former Justice Secretary was unceremoniously dismissed after Ms May entered No 10 in July last year. But Mr Gove praised the decision in an interview with Channel 4 News and he said he thought she needed a post-Brexit clearout. "I think that after the European referendum Theresa needed to have a clearout and she needed to appoint her own people," he said. "I think that in those 11 months we have seen the Conservative Party governing the country in a way which not only reinforces that strength and stability at the heart of power, but also shows calmness and competence. I think that means Theresa has got the right team around her." Mr Gove, who recently returned to The Times as a columnist famously stood for the leadership after the resignation of David Cameron scuppering the chances of fellow Leave campaigner Boris Johnson. Shortly after launching his campaign he announced he had no charisma and was forced to fend off accusations that he was merely standing to hurt Mr Johnson, having previously said he definitely did not want to be leader. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images Leaked emails sent by his wife, Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine revealed she had told her husband that he must get specific promises from Mr Johnson to win his support for leader. They also confidently assured him that the newspaper's editor, Paul Dacre, would support him not matter what. The Mail endorsed Ms May a few days later. He was knocked out of the running during the second round of voting after coming third ahead of Liam Fox and Stephen Crabb. The decision paved the way for Ms May to get into No 10 without even needing to hold a poll of Tory party members after her main rival, Andrea Leadsom, dropped out following a backlash over comments she made about motherhood. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has claimed she does not recall the account of her disastrous dinner with the European Commission president in Downing Street last week, where he reportedly suggested she was delusional about Brexit. Sources in Brussels told the German media that Jean-Claude Juncker had left the meeting saying: I leave Downing Street 10 times more sceptical than I was before. Despite No 10 claiming the meeting had been constructive, Mr Juncker reportedly concluded Ms May did not seem to understand the complexity of Brexit. He reportedly told German Chancellor Angela Merkel Ms May lived in another galaxy where she thought Brexit will be beneficial for the UK. But in an interview with the BBC on the campaign trail, Ms May reiterated her claim that the reports were just Brussels gossip. She quickly tried to steer the interview back to the election campaign, saying: Weve seen from all this that at times these negotiations will be tough. Getting the right deal requires the right leadership and there is only going to be one of two people sitting around that table. There are going to be 27 EU countries on one side of the table and who is going to be there standing for the UK? Its either going to be me or Jeremy Corbyn. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images The Conservatives have pitched themselves as strong and stable government as opposed to the coalition of chaos under Labour during the election campaign. But several foreign politicians have poured cold water on Ms Mays frequent claims that the UK will make a success of Brexit. Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier warned Ms May that the Brexit talks will be a steep and rocky path fraught with hazards like falling rocks and will not be painless. Commenting on his and Ms Mays shared passion for mountain walking, he said: If you like walking in the mountains you have to learn a number of rules. You have to learn to put one foot in front of the other, because sometimes you are on a steep and rocky path. You also have to look what accidents might befall you falling rocks. You have to be very careful to keep your breath, you have to have stamina, because it could be a lengthy path and you have to keep looking at the summit. Mr Barnier said he hoped for an entente cordiale between the UK and the EU 27 but attacked those who claimed there would be no consequences for leaving the union. He said: Some have created the illusion that Brexit will have no material impact on our lives and that it will be painless. This is not the case. You are unwinding 43 years or so of a relationship. Thats why you cant do everything in 15 or 16 months. Thats why things have to be done in a given order. At some stage you build an idea of a future relationship. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The furious row over the disastrous dinner between Theresa May and the EU over Brexit will help the Tories win the election, David Davis has claimed. The Brexit Secretary said voters would not be terribly impressed by Brussels leaking brutal details of last weeks talks and accusing the Prime Minister of living in a parallel reality. Ms May has already exploited the row by warning Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission's president, that he will soon discover her reputation as a bloody difficult woman. Criticising the leak, Mr Davis told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I dont suppose the British public at large has been terribly impressed by the operations of the last week. They will have seen very very clearly that they need a good tough negotiator. That is what Theresa May is and will be, if we win the election. The comment came as the Brexit Secretary poured scorn on a suggestion that the EU would prevent Ms May from leading the intensive Brexit negotiations. Mr Davis also rejected claims that the so-called divorce bill which the EU is demanding Britain agrees to pay, before trade talks can begin could be as high as 100bn euros (84.5bn). And he admitted the 3m EU citizens in the UK are suffering anxiety, despite the Government rejecting widespread calls to guarantee their rights upfront. At Number 10 last week, Mr Juncker is said to have made clear to Ms May that, unless she accepted the EUs red lines, there was no point in even beginning the withdrawal talks. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images His last words to the Prime Minister as he left were: I'm leaving Downing Street ten times more sceptical than I was before, according to the leak. Today, the Times reported that senior figures in Brussels have made clear Ms May will not be allowed to negotiate exit terms with her fellow EU leaders, as she has insisted. The only person conducting the talks will be the European Commission's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, with Mr Davis himself expected to fill the British seat. The EU wants a full week of talks to be conducted each month, a timetable far too intensive for the Prime Minister to commit herself to, it believes. But Mr Davis told Good Morning Britain: The idea that somehow one side of the negotiation can dictate how the other side runs a negotiation is laughable. "She will be leading negotiations, I will be supporting her. This is an exercise in trying to shape public opinion and trying to pressurise us - it won't work. The Brexit Secretary also denied both the inflated size of the divorce bill and that the EU would be able to lay down that the European Court of Justice would enforce it. This morning, you see demands for 100bn euros. Its gone from 50 to 60 to 100, he protested. I dont think thats where we will end up, I know thats not where we all end up. Mr Davis insisted the status of ex-pats could be resolved quickly,, admitting: They are suffering anxiety while there is uncertainty. It is the intention that they will have a generous settlement, pretty much exactly what they enjoy now and that our British citizens abroad will do the same. However, the EU side fears Britain has no grasp of the complexity of the issue surrounding EU citizens, particularly their future healthcare rights. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has accused the EU of trying to influence the result of Britain's general election by maliciously leaking the content of discussions to the media. In an aggressive and unusual speech outside Downing Street the Prime Minister tore into some EU leaders and officials, and said Britain would not allow the "bureaucrats of Brussels run over us". "Britains negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press, the European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened," she said. "Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on 8 June." Ms May continued: "The events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes and however reasonable the positions of Europe's other leaders, there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want Britain to prosper." The Prime Minister took no questions after her speech to clarify her comments. The claim comes after an account of of a meeting between Ms May and Jean Claude Juncker in the German press that cast the Prime Minister's understanding of the Brexit process in an unfavourable light. Ms May used the speech to contrast her approach to Brexit negotiations with that of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose leadership she said would see voters paying a "high price". Mr Corbyn himself accused the Prime Minister of "playing party games with Brexit in the hope of winning advantage for the Tories". By winding up the public confrontation with Brussels, the Prime Minister wants to wrap the Conservative party in the Union Jack and distract attention from her governments economic failure and rundown of our public services," he said. But Brexit is too important to be used as a political game in this election. These are vital negotiations for every person in Britain and for the future of our country. But Theresa May is putting party interest ahead of the national interest. The Prime Minister is right that there are those in Brussels who dont want a deal. But that is also true of leading figures in the Tory party, who want to use Brexit to turn Britain into a low wage tax haven." Jeremy Corbyn accused the PM of playing political games over Brexit to gain a partisan advantage (Reuters) The Prime Minister's attack, which appears to be mostly directed at Mr Juncker, is in sharp contrast to the conciliatory tone taken by the European Commission president today. He today praised the "tough" Ms May and spoke of his "deep respect" for the PM. Ms May has claimed she does not recall the account of her disastrous dinner with the European Commission president in Downing Street last week, where he had reportedly suggested she was delusional about Brexit. The PM's statement drew ire from other British politicians. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused Ms May of seeking to "poison the atmosphere for partisan reasons" and described the attack as "deeply irresponsible". UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images "Having called an election for reasons of party not national interest, [the] PM now seems intent on fighting [the] campaign in the same way." Ms May made the address outside Downing Street after visiting the Queen at Buckingham Palace to mark the dissolution of Parliament for the general election. She also used the statement outside Number 10 to tell voters that Brexit would be the "overriding task" of the next government. Polls currently give the PM around a 20 point lead over Labour, which would give Ms May an increased majority in the House of Commons compared to the narrow one she currently enjoys. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} As Article 50 makes clear, from the moment it is triggered there are only two years to correctly pre-apportion blame for the failure of Brexit and so we must commend our Prime Minister for getting on with the job with such terrifying gusto. There she stood, on the steps of Downing Street, accusing Brussels politicians of seeking to affect the outcome of the general election and, despite the shock, despite all the manufactured outrage, she was absolutely right to do so. You can never be too careful, with a twenty-one point lead against the least credible opposition leader there has ever been, so if Jeremy Corbyn does do it, historians will soon agree she was absolutely right to start pointing the finger at Brussels now. "Britains negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press," she thundered. Somewhere on an unwatched mantelpiece, a cup and saucer shattered. "The European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on 8 June." Thats right. Course they have. And while were at it, it was Brussels that called for the referendum in the first place. It was Brussels that triggered Article 50. It was Brussels that called the general election and so, of course it follows that if Theresa May loses it, it will be Brussels meddling that did it. Of course, "no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal," we know that, even if Theresa May did say so again. But hang on (and with full apologies for the length of the quotation but every next line is just that little bit more sensational than the last), whats this? "Making Brexit a success is central to our national interest. And it is central to your own security and prosperity. "Because while there is enormous opportunity for Britain as we leave the European Union, if we do not get this right, the consequences will be serious. "And they will be felt by ordinary, working people across the country. This Brexit negotiation is central to everything. "If we dont get the negotiation right, your economic security and prosperity will be put at risk and the opportunities you seek for your families will simply not happen. "If we do not stand up and get this negotiation right we risk the secure and well-paid jobs we want for our children and our childrens children too. "If we dont get the negotiation right, if we let the bureaucrats of Brussels run over us, we will lose the chance to build a fairer society with real opportunity for all." Thats right people. Its Brussels playing fast and loose with your childrens future. They did all this. Not me guv. Not my party. Theres the plane door. Put that parachute down and jump. It'll all be the ground's fault. We've hardly got going yet. What happens when Brussels won't stand for it? It'll be the Remainers next. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The FBI has launched an investigation after bananas hanging from black rope that looked like nooses were discovered on a university campus in the nation's capital. The bananas were discovered at six locations at American University on the day that Taylor Dumpson, a black woman, began her term as student body president. Messages were written on the bananas saying AKA FREE and HARAMBE BAIT, referring to Ms Dumpsons predominantly black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, and the Cincinnati Zoo gorilla that was killed by the zoo when a child fell into the primates compound. The student newspaper, The Eagle, reported that Quinn Dunlea and Dan Perry, seniors at American University spotted bananas hanging from nooses and immediately informed the police. The university's interim vice president of campus life, Fanta Aw, said in a statement: These racist, hateful messages have no place in our community. Ms Dumpson issued her first letter to the student body and said she "wanted to talk about accountability, transparency, accessibility, and inclusivity. Now more than ever, we need to make sure that members of our community feel welcomed and above all, safe on this campus. The schools administration also held a town hall meeting with students to address the problem. However, Sydney Jones, head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter on campus, told the New York Times that theres a lack of genuine passion about racial issues that happen on campus". The incident sparked protests as well. Trying to just celebrate one accomplishment, and not being able to do that, was disheartening," she said. University and city police are working in conjunction with the FBI to find the person or people responsible for what university officials have labelled a hate crime. A video of a potential suspect was released to the community to help with identification as well as a $1,000 (776) reward. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The head of President Donald Trumps re-election campaign accused CNN of censorship on Tuesday afternoon after the broadcast network refused to run the groups latest advertisement. CNN said it would run the 30-second television spot, a celebration of Trumps first 100 days in office, only if the campaign removed a section that featured the words fake news superimposed over several TV journalists, including Wolf Blitzer of CNN, and others from MSNBC, PBS, ABC and CBS. CNN defended the decision in a statement on Twitter. The mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false, the network said. Per our policy, it will be accepted only if that graphic is deleted. In response, Michael Glassner, the executive director of Trumps campaign committee, called the decision censorship pure and simple. By rejecting our ad, CNN has proven that it supports censorship is biased and fears an opposing point of view, Glassner said in a statement. President Trumps loyal supporters know the truth: The mainstream media mislead, misguide, deceive, and distract. In the advertisement, a narrator claims that America has rarely seen such success, before listing several purported achievements from Trumps first 100 days in office. You wouldnt know it from watching the news, he says, before the words fake news are briefly displayed. Kyle Pope, the editor and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review, said news organisations often set standards both in the advertisements they choose to air or publish and in what they cover. Its totally within their rights to set ground rules with how they deal with this administration, he said of CNN. Pope also noted that the fake news allegation rings hollow given Trumps frequent interviews with the very organisations he derides as fake. Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad Its telling here that this is in a political ad by the political campaign because its increasingly clear that this fake news mantra is a political manoeuvre more than anything, he said. Copyright The New York Times Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Celebrated American novelist Ernest Hemingway was a Soviet spy for Joseph Stalin, a new book has claimed. Written by former CIA officer Nicholas Reynolds, Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy: Ernest Hemingways Secret Adventures, 1935-1961 suggests the war correspondent and novelist led a secret double life. Mr Reynolds, who said he was able to access a classified KGB file smuggled out of Moscow, claims the Pulitzer prize-winning author was recruited in 1940 by the predecessor to the KGB known as NKVD. . The document reportedly revealed that Hemingway was given the codename Argo after he was recruited by Jacob Golos, a top NKVD official in New York. Argo did not give us any political information, though he repeatedly expressed his willingness and desire to help us, the Soviet file reportedly reads. Mr Reynolds, a military historian, said he felt physically ill when he stumbled across the detail linking Hemingway to Stalin. 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 idea of Ernest Hemingway having done anything with the Soviets, especially having been recruited by the Soviets, was really difficult for me to absorb, he told US broadcaster CBS. What I found was the record of Hemingway having agreed to a recruitment by the NKVD, which is the predecessor to the KGB. Thats like a pivotal moment in the spy business. Its like a sale to a realtor. Reynolds also detailed Hemingways special relationship with American security agencies, including the FBI, State Department, Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) - the CIAs predecessor. [His dalliance with the NKVD] influenced many of the decisions he made during his last 15 years: where he lived, what he wrote, and how he acted, Mr Reynolds told MailOnline. This chain of events even played a role in his suicide in 1961. Much of the drama played out in his mind, where he magnified it out of proportion. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The CEO of Girls Who Code has demanded Ivanka Trump retract her story from her newly released book unless she stops being complicit in her fathers policies. Ms Trump, President Donald Trumps second child, released a book titled Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success on Tuesday. The book centres on career advice, seeking personal fulfilment, and juggling work and motherhood. Reshma Saujani, the founder of the non-profit organisation which seek to support and increase the amount of women in computer science, urged the first daughter to remove her story. One passage of Ms Trumps book is dedicated to Ms Saujani and Girls Who Code, a group which offers free summer courses and after-school programs to teach computing skills to girls. It predicts it will reach 40,000 girls in all 50 US states by the end of the year. "She personally witnessed the gender gap in computing classes and set out to do something about it," the passage reads. Ms Saujani is by no means the first person to accuse Ms Trump, who has recently taken up a role as an unpaid White House advisor, of being complicit in the actions of the Trump administration and failing to adequately stand up to her father. It has been a charge frequently levied against her and she has also come under heavy criticism for simultaneously presenting herself as a positive role model for women and female empowerment while not holding President Trump to account for his policies and rhetoric. In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home Show all 13 1 /13 In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The front of the house Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The lobby Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The house exterior Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The patio Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bedroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living area Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The Living Room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The kitchen Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bathroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The hall Zillow Hollywood actor, Scarlett Johansson, vented her frustrations about Ms Trump in a Saturday Night Live faux perfume advert sketch titled complicit in March. A voiceover introduced the first daughter, saying: "shes beautiful, shes powerful, shes complicit. When Ms Trump was probed about accusations of complicity and suggestions she has been involved in morally questionable activities in an interview with CBS last month, she appeared not to know the meaning of the word complicit. I don't know what it means to be complicit, she told CBS. But you know, I hope time will prove that I have done a good job and much more importantly that my fathers administration is the success that I know it will be. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Howard Stern has argued nobody was more keen for Hillary Clinton to win than Donald Trump himself. The radio personality, who is Americas most notorious shock jock, said President Trump was being serious when he recently admitted to missing his old life. In an interview with Reuters ahead of the 100-day mark of his presidency last week, Mr Trump said: I loved my previous life. I had so many things going. This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier. Stern, a long-time associate of President Trump, said Mr Trump was being very honest when he confessed he missed his former life. Stern explained he had seen exactly what his life as a billionaire property developer and former reality TV star had looked like. Ive seen it up close, Stern said on his Sirius XM radio show. [Mr Trumps] got that kind of life that politicians want. Seventy-year-old guy who has made so much money - hes made billions of dollars - that he has his own helicopter, he has his own aeroplane. He has a hot wife. Hes got fame from a No. 1 television show. He can walk around Mar-a-Lago, which is like any palace - better than the f*****g White House. Over the years Mr Trump was a frequent guest on the Howard Stern Show, appearing on the programme more than two dozen times from the late 90s until the 2000s. And while Stern insists he is not a Trump insider, he has referred to him as a friend. Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad Stern recounts being at Mr Trumps 126-room Mar-a-Lago resort when he first announced he was going to win however it is unclear if he is referring to winning the Republican nomination or the November election. I was at f*****g Mar-a-Lago laughing about it," Stern said. "I said, What are you, out of your f*****g mind? Ah, well see what happens, Mr Trump replied, according to Stern. Stern argued Mr Trump did not realise how difficult being President would be before he arrived inside the White House, suggesting the President was now dreaming of returning to his old life. What happened to Donald Trump was - and I know about this because I was in therapy for 50 f*****g years, and thousands of hours, and cost a fortune - like Trump, I cant say no to stuff. I was a workaholic. I didnt really think about the impact on my personal life. All I would think about is the big announcement, Stern said explaining how he accepted film and TV contracts. [Mr Trump] said, Hey, I can be president of the United States possibly. And then when he went out on the campaign trail, and he started to win, it was like, 'Oh my God, Im going to be president, and all these crowds love me, and its going to be fun.' No f*****g idea the shitty life he was going to have." Hes sitting in the f*****g White House dreaming about getting to Mar-a-Lago, where he was," Stern continued. Believe me, nobody wanted Hillary to win more than Donald Trump. He didnt need this. Hes got the kind of life you dream of. Mr Trumps appearances on Sterns show frequently came back to bite him throughout his presidential campaign. Topics of women he had sex with and wanted to have sex with frequently came up on the show, with Mr Trump rating womens appearances. A person who is very flat-chested is very hard to be a 10, Mr Trump once told Stern. His lewd and derogatory comments about Lindsay Lohan, including speculating about what sex with her would be like, on the show also resurfaced during the election campaign. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In Ivanka Trump's new book, Women Who Work, released Tuesday, the president's daughter includes a quote from Jane Goodall, the renowned chimp researcher and crusader for conservation. What you do makes a difference, the quote reads, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. It was one of several quotes in Trump's book attributed to people who have criticised President Donald Trump or voiced support for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The reference to Goodall, 83, was also particularly timely, considering the book dropped less than a week after scores marched in Washington to push for action on climate change, a movement Goodall has ardently supported. So, as the conservationist has done before, Goodall took the opportunity to make a statement. And give the president's daughter a bit of advice. I understand that Ms. Trump has used one of my quotes in her forthcoming book, Goodall said in a statement provided to The Washington Post. I was not aware of this, and have not spoken with her, but I sincerely hope she will take the full import of my words to heart. Goodall said legislation passed by previous governments to protect wildlife - such as the Endangered Species Act, efforts to create national monuments and other clean air and water legislation - have all been jeopardised by this administration. She is in a position to do much good or terrible harm, Goodall said of Ivanka Trump. I hope that Ms. Trump will stand with us to value and cherish our natural world and protect this planet for future generations. In a statement to CNNMoney on Tuesday, representatives for Ivanka Trump said Women Who Work is not a political book, and its manuscript was submitted months before the election. Ivanka has always believed that no one person or party has a monopoly on good ideas, the statement said. When she was writing this book, she included quotes from many different thought leaders who've inspired Ivanka and helped inform her viewpoints over the years. This is not the first time Goodall, a native of England, has spoken out critically about the Trump administration since the election. Shortly after Trump won the presidency, Goodall wrote a lengthy post on her website called Post Election 2016: What's Next? Will Donald Trump, the President of the United States, be a different person from Donald Trump, the presidential candidate? Goodall wrote. We can only hope for the best, hope for a change of heart as he contemplates his tremendous power for helping to save our planet for the future - his youngest child is only 10 years old - and his equally tremendous power to inflict untold damage. In late March, after the president signed a sweeping executive order dismantling key rules curbing US carbon emissions, Goodall told reporters she found the order immensely depressing. Ivanka Trump (Getty) There's no way we can say climate change isn't happening: it's happened, Goodall said ahead of a speech at American University in Washington. There is definitely a feeling of gloom and doom among all the people I know, she added in her first trip to the US since the election. If we allow this feeling of doom and gloom to continue then it will be very, very bad, but my job is to give people hope, and I think one of the main hopes is the fact that people have woken up: people who were apathetic before or didn't seem to care. Goodall participated in the 2014 Peoples Climate March in NYC, and frequently voiced her support of Saturday's march on social media. An artist included Goodall as one of several massive cardboard cutout signs of notable figures for the People's Climate March in Washington on Saturday. More than half a century ago, at the age of 26, Goodall immersed herself among wild chimpanzees is what is now Tanzania. Her observations that chimps had emotions and personalities, and could make and use tools, would revolutionise the way we think about animals and redefine what it means to be human. Goodall now travels 300 days a year to share stories and lessons with audiences around the world. She frequently speaks about threats facing chimpanzees and environmental crises, urging people to take action to conserve wildlife. Shortly before Trump won the Republican nomination for president, she told the Atlantic that in many ways, the performances of Donald Trump remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals. In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home Show all 13 1 /13 In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The front of the house Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The lobby Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The house exterior Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The patio Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bedroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living area Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The Living Room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The kitchen Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bathroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The hall Zillow In order to impress rivals, males seeking to rise in the dominance hierarchy perform spectacular displays: stamping, slapping the ground, dragging branches, throwing rocks, Goodall said. The more vigorous and imaginative the display, the faster the individual is likely to rise in the hierarchy, and the longer he is likely to maintain that position. Copyright The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A website funded by the US government has been accused of using taxpayers' money to promote Ivanka Trumps new book. Voice of America (VOA), the countrys official external broadcasting operation, posted an article to its website and Twitter feed with the caption: In New Book, Ivanka Trump Gets Serious About Women at Work. The piece, written by the Associated Press, claims the first daughter's new book offers earnest advice for women on advancing in the workplace, balancing family and professional life and seeking personal fulfilment. Despite proceeds from the novel, titled: "Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success", reportedly going to charity, many have been quick to highlight how the piece serves as a form of promotion of Ms Trump's commercial interests. Ms Trump announced she would be cancelling her book tour and not making any media appearances out of an abundance of caution and to avoid the appearance of using my official role to promote the book. However, many argue VOA's publishing of the article has generated Government-endorsed publicity. This is not the first time Ms Trump has courted controversy over her business interests. In February, Mr Trumps former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway weighed in on the Nordstrom department stores decision to stop selling Ivanka-Trump branded products. 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 "Go buy Ivanka's stuff, is what I would say," she told interviewers on the Fox & Friends TV programme. "It's a wonderful line." She claimed Ms Trump was being targeted by people who disliked her father, saying: Theyre using her to get to him. Mr Trump also attacked the decision by the retailer, rushing to the defence of his daughter on Twitter. White House press secretary Sean Spicer called the department stores decision to stop selling some of her merchandise a direct attack on the President. Ms Trumps behind the scenes role at the White House was made official in March when it was announced she would serve as an unpaid special assistant to her father. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has condemned Donald Trump for saying he would be honoured to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. President Trump stoked controversy on Monday when he said he would meet with the supreme leader if it is under the right circumstances. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it," the President said in an interview with Bloomberg News. In a separate interview shortly beforehand he referred to Mr Kim as a smart cookie for being able to hold on to power in his country. Albright, the first woman to become the US Secretary of State, said "honoured" was an inappropriate word to use to refer to a meeting with Mr Kim. "A president doesn't go to a country without any preparation, and 'honoured' would definitely be the wrong way to discuss somebody who is keeping his people in poverty and starving and control," Albright said on CNN. The Democrat argued the billionaire property developer was overly keen to develop personal relationships with world leaders without acknowledging the concrete political consequences they could have. "I think that part of the issue is that President Trump seems to believe that he can have just one-on-one relationships. And maybe that's possible in business, but that is not something that is possible as president of the United States," she said. "This is not a matter of charming, by saying you're 'honoured' and he's a 'smart cookie.' " In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video Albright is one of the most high-profile American diplomats to have visited North Korea on official business and met with the former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang in 2000. Nevertheless, no American President has yet to meet with the leader of North Korea during their tenure and the notion remains deeply controversial. Tensions between the US and North Korea have drastically escalated in recent weeks as American and other intelligence agencies have suggested the country was preparing for a possible nuclear test. The Trump administration has said all options, including a military strike, are on the table. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer responded to Mr Trumps bold claims about potentially meeting Mr Kim during a daily briefing, saying the conditions for a meeting between the pair were not there yet. Mr Trump first offered to meet the North Korean leader during the election campaign last June in an attempt to emphasise the differences between him and his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton. What the hell is wrong with speaking? And you know what? Its called opening a dialogue. Its opening a dialogue, he said at the time. If he came here, Id accept him, but I wouldnt give him a state dinner like we do for China and all these other people that rip us off when we give them these big state dinners. He suggested he would serve Mr Kim and other visiting leaders a hamburger on a conference table. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} For most of the 52 years he was in a relationship with Robert Huskey, Jack Zawadski doesnt remember much in the way of anti-gay discrimination. Not while they were trying to grow apples on a farm in Wisconsin. Not during the decades they spent as special education teachers. Not even when they moved to Mississippi 20 years ago to retire someplace warmer and more lush, or after they married in 2015, when the Supreme Court declared that gay couples have as much of a right as heterosexuals to marry. But in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Pearl River County, Miss., Zawadski said that prejudice finally reared its head when he was most vulnerable: last May, when Huskey died at age 86 after a long illness. In a 14-page complaint, Zawadski, 82, said the funeral home that had been prearranged to pick up and cremate Huskeys body refused at the last minute, telling the nursing home that they dont deal with their kind. In a response filed with the court in March, the owners of the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune, Miss., deny the events as described by Zawadski and his nephew, who made the arrangements and is co-plaintiff. Silas W. McCharen, an attorney for the owners of the funeral home, Ted and Henrietta Brewer, said in an email that the firm has never discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. Henrietta Brewer denies she made reference to not serving their kind, he said, and the firm never refused to pick up the remains. But he declined to elaborate further. Zawadski is being represented by Lambda Legal, an LGBT rights law firm and advocacy organisation based in New York. Because neither Mississippi law nor federal law explicitly forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, the suit is relying on other state laws that hopefully will provide a remedy for the terrible actions that happened here, said Beth Littrell, the attorney handling the case. The essence of the claim is that they both breached a contract and denied services at the last minute to a grieving family based on the fact that the man who had passed away was gay and was married to a man, said Littrell, whose organisation is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from a jury. For Zawadski, the suit is a rare activist moment. He said he and his husband lived unassuming lives and were rarely open with their friends and neighbours about their sexual orientation. We lived our lives quietly, he said in an interview. We didnt hit the bars or anything like that. The pair met in 1965 in California. After moving around and traveling to indulge their interest in Civil War history, they decided to settle down in the small town of Picayune, not far from the Louisiana border. Zawadski grew camellias, and Huskey served for a time as president of the homeowners association. And thats how we lived, Zawadski said. We just enjoyed each other. They never mentioned their sexual orientation, and nobody asked, he said - not even after the two were married by a judge in nearby Hancock County on the 17 of August, 2015. Then, Huskeys health took a turn, and he underwent bypass surgery, the complaint said. Jack cared for Bob through his surgery, recovery and as his condition deteriorated, it said. By August, 2015, Jack was helping Bob with all the daily functions of life, including eating, walking and personal hygiene. Huskey moved into a nursing home, and last April it became clear that he would soon die. The couples nephew, John Gaspari, made the arrangements ahead of time with Picayune Funeral Home, the only funeral home in the county with an on-site crematory, according to the complaint. Zawadski had hoped to hold the funeral there so the couples local friends could pay their respects. On May 11, 2016, Gaspari contacted the funeral home to let them know Huskey had died. But after filing the paperwork, including a document naming Zawadski as next of kin, Gaspari got a call from the nursing home. The Nursing Home relayed to John that once received the paperwork indicating that Bobs spouse was male, PFH refused service because it did not deal with their kind, the lawsuit stated. LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty Gaspari and Zawadski were left scrambling to find another funeral home that could cremate Huskey on-site, according to the complaint. They found one in Hattiesburg, about 90 minutes away. But because the nursing home did not have a morgue, it refused to hold Huskeys remains until the Hattiesburg facility could retrieve it. So Gaspari and Zawadski had to enlist a second, closer funeral home to pick up his body until then. The turmoil and exigency created by Defendants in causing Plaintiffs to find alternative arrangements, as described above, permanently marred the memory of Bobs otherwise peaceful passing, the complaint said. Zawadski said his motives for bringing the suit are not financial but rather to ensure that no one else goes through what he experienced. In a video produced by Lambda Legal, Zawadski said through tears that the funeral home had shown disrespect toward his husband. This, I hope, brings him some honour, he said. Copyright The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two people have been reported dead at North Lake College in Texas, after police reported an active gunman on campus. James Mclellan of the Irving Police Department told reporters that officers had found the body of a suspect and one possible victim deceased in a building on campus. Irving police confirmed via Twitter that the suspect had committed suicide. No one else on campus was injured, Mr Mclellan told The Independent. Police have not identified the suspect or victim. Recommended At least one dead in mass stabbing at UT Austin The Irving Police Department issued a tweet earlier in the day saying there was an active shooter on campus, and advised residents to steer clear of the area. Police and SWAT team officers responded to the scene. A message on the school's Facebook page instructed students to proceed to the nearest room and barricade themselves inside. "Wait in place for further instructions from police," the school instructed students. "If you are not on campus, STAY AWAY for your own safety." The police had received an initial, unconfirmed description of the suspect as a white male with brown hair, wearing a white tank top. Local news station NBC DWF reported police conducted a systematic search for the shooter through all buildings on campus. Mr Clellan told The Independent that officers located the suspect's and victim's bodies within about 30 minutes of receiving the first 911 call. Officers continued their sweep after finding the two bodies. The school administration ordered the campus closed for the remainder of the day. Nearby University of Texas at Austin was rocked by violence just days before, when a stabber killed one and possibly injured three. North Lake College is a two-year public community college in Irving, Texas. It is part of the Dallas County Community College District and had an enrolment of 11,365 as of 2011. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The US National Security Agency (NSA) collected records of more than 151 million American phone calls last year, despite only receiving permission from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) to collect records from 42 people. The NSA revealed the breadth of its US data collection in its annual statistical transparency report. While statistics showed a reduction in activity from previous years, the numbers still sparked concern with privacy activists. Previous policies allowed the NSA to collect so-called call detail records of US citizens in bulk. These detail records can include the originating or terminating telephone numbers and the time or duration of the call. Studies show the NSA may have been collecting billions of phone records per day in past years. Recommended NSA director denies GCHQ was asked to spy on Trump Tower When former NSA employee Edward Snowden revealed the extent of NSAs data collection in 2013, the shocking disclosure spurred several reforms. The NSA is now prohibited from collecting call detail records in bulk, and must request court orders from the FISC to collect detail records. Data collection is restricted exclusively to those suspected of being linked to terrorism. Last year, the NSA received orders to collect records from 42 terrorism suspects in 2016 as well as a handful from the year before but still collected records of more than 151 million calls. 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 NSA explained that this number includes multiple calls made to or from the same phone numbers. A single phone call logged by two telecom companies is also counted as two records. The NSA also increases the number of calls it can record by using second-hop collection, according to Electronic Frontier Foundation staff attorney Andrew Crocker. This collection method allows the agency to collect information on the phone numbers with which their targets have been in contact. Imagine each [target] is in contact with 100 numbers and each of those numbers is in contact with 100 more numbers. That would allow the NSA to collect records belonging to 10,000 numbers, Mr Crocker told The Independent. Depending on how many calls each of these numbers make, you can see how the number of total records could get very large, very quickly, he added. Privacy advocates also point to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as allowing the NSA to collect intelligence on Americans without express permission. The acts allows the agency to collect messages of foreigners abroad without a specific court order even if they are communicating with Americans. There's no probable cause or criminal activity necessary [in these cases], Michelle Richardson of the Centre for Democracy & Technology told The Independent. These people fall general classification that their communications may include foreign intelligence. The NSA distributed almost 4,000 reports last year containing information about Americans gathered using this warrantless surveillance programme. The government also reported making fewer surveillance requests for pen register/trap-and-trace orders and fewer requests using national security letters than in years prior. They did not explain this reduction in the report. The Director of National Intelligence began releasing statistics on its surveillance measures in 2014. Congress added to the statistics required to be released in the 2015 USA Freedom Act, This is the first report issued using USA Freedom Act standards. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A conservative state lawmaker has successfully tacked an anti-abortion message onto an otherwise innocuous resolution in the Alaska House aimed at raising awareness about sexual assault and child abuse. The amendment from Republican Rep. David Eastman of Wasilla refers to abortion as the ultimate form of child abuse. He said it would be wrong to discuss child abuse without mentioning abortion. The amendment was approved by a divided House Rules Committee. The vote on Monday followed an about-face by Anchorage Republican Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, the committee chairwoman who last week refused to hear amendments. LeDoux, who is part of a House majority coalition composed largely of Democrats, voted for Eastman's proposal. I'm not interested in talking about that, thank you, LeDoux told a reporter Tuesday. Critics said the resolution is not the appropriate place to launch a fight over abortion. Alaska struggles with high rates of sexual assault. Katie Rogers, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, said Tuesday that the Eastman amendment seeks to shame women who choose abortion, and its addition to the resolution is an insult to sexual assault survivors. Anchorage Democratic Rep. Les Gara said he is not interested in playing abortion politics when the measure is supposed to honour women and protect children. He's made this an abortion fight now, Gara said of Eastman. The fate of the resolution is unclear. Typically, measures only go the floor if they have enough votes to pass. Eastman said it is possible the resolution will go to the House floor and an effort will be made to strip his language. Abortion is a very serious issue, and it needs to be talked about, Eastman said in an interview. He takes issue with the coverage of abortion through Medicaid, a government health insurance programme for lower-income people. We have folks who try to get pregnant in this state so that they can get a free trip to the city, and we have folks who want to carry their baby past the point of being able to have an abortion in this state so that they can have a free trip to Seattle, he said. The Alaska Supreme Court has held that the state must fund medically necessary abortions if it funds medically necessary services for others with financial needs. A superior court judge in 2015 ruled that an Alaska law further defining what constitutes a medically necessary abortion for purposes of Medicaid funding was unconstitutional. An appeal by the state in that case is pending. Eastman, who was elected last fall, has taken other provocative positions. His was the lone no vote in the House on bills honouring Hmong and Lao veterans of the Vietnam War and the contribution of 4,000 black US soldiers who endured harsh conditions while building the Alaska Highway during World War II. Eastman has said that one group should not be singled out because of race or heritage. Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Show all 23 1 /23 Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions An abortion rights activist holds placards outside of the US Supreme Court before the Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. The US Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas law placing a raft of restrictions on abortion clinics, handing a major victory to the "pro-choice" camp in the country's most important ruling on the divisive issue in a generation. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Pro-life activists pray on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller looks on as Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights speaks to the media outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions An abortion rights activist holds placards outside of the US Supreme Court before the Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. The US Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas law placing a raft of restrictions on abortion clinics, handing a major victory to the "pro-choice" camp in the country's most important ruling on the divisive issue in a generation. Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller wipes a tear as she walks down the steps of the United States Supreme Court with Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Abortion rights activists Morgan Hopkins of Boston, left, and Alison Turkos of New York City, celebrate on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Abortion rights activists Morgan Hopkins of Boston, left, and Alison Turkos of New York City, celebrate on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images) Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activist Morgan Hopkins of Boston, celebrates on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists embrace after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of a ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists embrace after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Pro-choice activist, Alissa Manzoeillo, of Washington, D.C. waits for rulings in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. A ruling is expected in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, a Texas case the places restrictions on abortion clinics, as well as rulings in the former Virginia Governor's corruption case and a gun rights case. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP/Getty Images The dustup over the resolution comes late in an extended legislative session where the major issue facing lawmakers is how to address Alaska's multibillion-dollar budget deficit. Legislative leaders have said their focus is on a fiscal solution, though the House also has continued to work on unrelated bills. Copyright Associated Press Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A pair of twins have given birth on the same day, both to baby boys, in a mathematically freakish occurrence in the US. Fraternal twins Danielle Grant and Kim Abraham gave birth within four hours of each other on Friday, eight days after their shared due dates. The 32-year-olds, who were born one minute apart themselves, both gave birth to healthy baby boys one hospital room apart in the small town of Brick, New Jersey. Ms Grant gave birth to Roman at 11.42am while Ms Abraham delivered Aaron just a few hours later at 3.21pm. People were equally amazed about twins having the same due date as they were that I actually birthed a 9-pound, 12-ounce baby Ms Abraham told the Asbury Park Press. She said: "Every single person has been like, 'no way!'. "Even the nurses coming in for their shifts were like, 'Weve got to meet the twins.'" Ms Grant said it was a total coincidence that they both got pregnant at the same time, saying: We both wanted babies, but we didnt think we would get pregnant the same time. This was not planned. 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 They said the only thing they orchestrated was inducing labour after they passed eight days. Ms Abraham said: Its the best thing in the world. Were real close and our husbands are real close. The boys will be like brothers. Ms Grant said they now plan to dress the cousins in the same outfits. Recommended Triplet babies make medical history after all braving rare surgery We were dressed alike but in different colours growing up, so were going to torture them like that, too, she said. A local mathematics professor, Olga Malpica Proctor, calculated the odds of twin sisters giving birth on the same day as about one in 12,500 similar to the odds that someone will be struck by lighting. The odds that both babies are the same gender is approximately one in 25,000. Aaron is Ms Abrahams first child but Ms Grant also has a two-year-old daughter. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The forcible removal of a passenger from a United Airlines flight was a mistake of epic proportions, the airlines chief executive Oscar Munoz has admitted to US politicians. This is a turning point for United and our 87,000 professionals, he told a hearing of the transportation committee of the House of Representatives in Washington DC. It is my mission to ensure we make the changes needed to provide our customers with the highest level of service and the deepest sense of respect. He added: It was a mistake of epic proportions, clearly, in hindsight. The passenger, David Dao, was treated in a way that no customer or individual should be treated, he said, adding that it was a terrible experience that should never be repeated. Mr Dao was waiting to fly from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky, on 9 April when the airline decided it needed four seats on his flight for Republic Airline crew members needed to work on a United Express flight in Louisville the next morning. When Mr Dao and his wife were selected for bumping, he refused to leave and was then dragged off the flight, suffering injuries that his attorney has said included lost teeth, a broken nose and a concussion. Video of the incident sparked withering criticism and mockery of United online and in the media. Man brutally dragged off United Airlines flight: "Please kill me" Mr Munoz initially blamed Mr Dao, but later said he was horrified by the event and called it a failure on Uniteds part. United reached a settlement with Dao and issued new policies designed to prevent customer-service failures. The airline and lawyers for Dao have declined to disclose financial terms of the settlement. Mr Daos attorney has praised the airline and Munoz for accepting responsibility and not blaming others, including the city of Chicago, whose airport security officers yanked Dao from his seat and dragged him off the United Express plane. United has vowed to reduce but not eliminate overbooking. The airline will raise to $10,000 (7,760) the limit on payments to customers who give up seats on oversold flights, Munoz said. The airline also said it would improve employee training. 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 incident ignited a debate about poor service and a lack of customer-friendly policies on US airlines. Uniteds president, Scott Kirby, joined MR Munoz at the hearing, along with top executives of American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. The House transportation committee chair, Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican, said United and other carriers should use the notoriety of Daos removal to improve customer service. If changes are not made, he said, Congress was likely to step in. Seize this opportunity, Mr Shuster told Mr Munoz and the other executives. Otherwise, were going to act and youre not going to like it. Shuster predicted a one-size-fits-all solution that may serve some airlines, but not all. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The US has test-fired a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile from a site in California, the second such launch in a week, amid rising tensions with North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 missile has a range of around 8,000 miles, putting it within striking distance of Pyongyang. It blasted off just after midnight from Vandenberg Air Force Base, 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and delivered a single projectile to a target approximately 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, US Air Force Global Strike Command said. The test, which took 10 months to plan, was the latest designed to check the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the U.S. nuclear force. The US has about 450 such missiles. It was the second such launch in seven days from the Central California coastal base. Last week's had been pushed back from the autumn. Colonel Chris Moss, Vandenbergs 30th Space Wing commander, said of the first test launch that it was an important demonstration of our nation's nuclear deterrent capabilities. "These Minuteman launches are essential to verify the status of our national nuclear force and to demonstrate our national nuclear capabilities, he said. The tests come amid rising tensions between North Korea and the US. An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test on Wednesday, 26 April 2017 (AP) Washington has expressed concern about Pyongyangs nuclear ambitions, and recent missile tests by the North suggest it is making progress toward developing a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the US. In response, the US has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test. Donald Trump said on Monday he might be willing to meet with the country's dictator, Kim Jong-un. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it," the President said. Meanwhile, China has called on all parties in the standoff to stay calm and "stop irritating each other". "We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. Rising tensions are also pushing Japan to consider dropping its pacifist charter. 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 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday he hoped the first-ever change to the country's 70-year-old pacifist constitution would be enacted by 2020, and that it would enshrine the status of the military. Under the constitution's Article Nine, Japan forever renounced its right to wage war and banned maintenance of a military, though successive governments have interpreted it to allow a military exclusively for self-defence. Japanese troops have taken part in international peace-keeping operations, as well as a non-combat reconstruction mission in Iraq from 2004 to 2006. Additional reporting agencies A pedestrian walks past the Leadenhall Building in the City of London financial district, the United Kingdom. BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES A Chinese realty firm said it has paid 1.135 billion pounds ($1.462 billion) to buy the tallest skyscraper in City of Londonthe biggest Chinese investment in the United Kingdom's real estate market. Analysts said that the move showed developers were diversifying their investments by location and business models, with more stepping out of the domestic market and getting yields from rental income instead of sales revenue. Hong Kong-listed CC Land Holdings Ltd, controlled by property magnate Cheung Chung-kiu, one of the biggest real estate players in Chongqing, said in an announcement on Monday that one of its subsidiaries bought 122 Leadenhall Street, known widely as the Cheesegrater for its distinctive wedge shape. The deal includes debt of some 12.7 million pounds and on March 31, the building was valued at about 1.15 billion pounds, the announcement said. The 225-meter-high building was owned jointly by British Land and Canada's Oxford Properties. The combined space of the 46-floor Cheesegrater is about 56,600 square meters. The skyscraper's projected annual rental income, fully let, will be about 402 million pounds. This is not the only CC Land acquisition in overseas markets in recent years. In 2016 the group acquired One Kingdom Street, a 12-floor, 50-meter-high building in London for 290 million pounds. It also bought a 34.55 percent share of an office building in Australia for HK$122 million ($15.68 million). CC Land said in its annual 2016 results the company has been adjusting its business strategies to expand globally by investing in key cities around the world. Analysts said Chinese mainland enterprises are increasingly diversifying their investments globally with a particular appetite for trophy properties in prime markets, eyeing stable and steady, long-term yields from rental income. According to research by property services provider JLL, in the past three years investments in land, office buildings and hotels accounted for 90 percent of the Chinese mainland's total outbound realty investment. JLL said London was one of the top investment targets in the period, attracting about 16 percent of overall Chinese mainland outbound property investment, running second only to New York, which took 18 percent of the total spend. "Acquiring quality property in a bid to generate a long-term income stream has become a mainstream model for Chinese outbound property investment," a CITIC Securities Co research note said. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has reportedly frozen $10 million (7.7m) of grants destined to counter violent extremism in the US. More than 30 organisations were pegged by former President Barack Obamas office to receive funding, although the White House has since put the grants on hold pending review. Among those approved were local governments, city police departments, universities and non-profit organisations fighting all forms of violent extremism in the US. Former white supremacist Chuck Leek, who has since become a volunteer with Life After Hate - one of the organisations that was due to receive government funding - said the white supremacy movement was becoming more active. The white supremacist movement is far more active in the last six months than I have seen it in 10 or 12 years," he told CBS. He believes that if these organisations can help change even one persons mind it might be worth it, if that one person had been Dylann Roof or the Oklahoma City bomber. Nebraska Emergency Management Agency assistant director Bryan Tuma was also due to receive a grant to train mental health workers to recognise the signs of violent behaviour. "We are told right now that those programmes are being reviewed," he said. "Our goal is to focus in on what are the barriers preventing people from reporting this kind of behaviour. Recommended The southern American restaurant using its menu to tackle racism The Trump administration was reportedly pushing to erase neo-Nazis and white supremacists from the US governments counter-extremism programme in February by moving it to focus exclusively on Islamist terrorism. American officials briefed on the proposed changes told Reuters the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiative could be renamed Countering Radical Islamic Extremism. The reclassification would remove its work combatting far-right attacks and mass shootings, such as the massacre of black churchgoers in Charleston, which are rarely classified as terrorism by American authorities. The Independent has contacted the Trump administration for comment. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has attacked the director of the FBI before he gives testimony on a probe into links between the Presidents campaign team and Russia. James Comey is to outline results of a months-long investigation into potential coordination with the Kremlin publicly before members of Congress, although any information is expected to be heavily restricted. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied the Kremlin played a role in his shock election victory and took to Twitter to launch a new attack late on Tuesday. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! he wrote. The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? The President appeared to be referring to a probe into Ms Clintons use of her familys private email server for official communications, which prompted an investigation into alleged violations of federal laws and State Department protocol. Comey confirms FBI is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election Mr Comey recommended no charges be filed in July, effectively closing the case, but then announced an investigation into newly discovered emails on 28 October. Mr Trump seized on the probe, calling his rival crooked Hillary and leading chants of lock her up at rallies as he lagged in polls, and it has been partly credited with his election victory despite closing two days before the vote. Speaking at the Women for Women International's annual lunch in New York on Tuesday, Ms Clinton said she took responsibility for her election loss but believes the FBI investigation played a key part. If the election had been on 27 October, I would be your President, the former Secretary of State said, adding that she was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter and Russian WikiLeaks [Democratic email leaks] raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off. Ms Clinton also said misogyny played a role in this election, conceding she made mistakes but concluding: The reason I believe we lost were the intervening events in the last 10 days." The FBI and Congressional committees are now investigating alleged Russian interference in the vote after a US intelligence report concluded that Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign to damage Ms Clintons chances and undermine faith in the democratic process. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump, said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures President Barack Obama embraces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on stage at the party's convention in Philadelphia US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump's wife Melania delivered a speech at the GOP convention in Cleveland that was later found to have been cribbed in part from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention address AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton talks to reporters aboard her new campaign plane on Labour Day, 5 September, her first 'press conference' since 2015 (Getty Images) US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Mexican leader Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City in August, hours before reiterating his harsh immigration plans at a campaign rally in Arizona Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Hillary Clinton, saying his progressive vision for a transformed America would be best served by the defeat of Donald Trump Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Khizr and Gazala Khan appeared at the DNC to slam Trump for his stance on Muslim immigration, citing the case of their son Humayun Khan, who was killed in combat while serving as a Captain in the US Army in Iraq US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is doing better in polls than any third party candidate since Ross Perot, 20 years ago Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Green Party candidate Jill Stein (centre) marches with supporters in Colorado AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine at a rally in Kaine's home state in July, days before Ms Clinton tapped him to be her running mate Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Trump on the campaign trail with his vice presidential pick, Indiana governor Mike Pence AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage appears at a Trump rally in Mississippi in August, where he told the crowd that he 'wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me'. Analysts say details are unlikely to be released as counterintelligence investigations rarely end with criminal charges and court proceedings, although House and Senate committees have been holding public hearings and could publicise their findings. Last week, congressional officials said Michael Flynn, Mr Trump's first national security adviser, appeared to violate federal law when he failed to seek permission or inform the US government about accepting tens of thousands of dollars from Russian organisations after a trip there in 2015. Mr Comey will be testifying publicly before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is due to speak behind closed doors to a House committee on Thursday, after claiming he wants to be transparent when it comes to discussing foreign meddling in American politics. Sally Yates, the former Acting Attorney General who was dismissed for refusing to back Mr Trump's attempted "Muslim ban", is due to testify before the Senate panel next week. She will say she warned the White House over Mr Flynn's discussions with the Russian ambassador three weeks before he was fired, CNN reported. The allegations are among several issues driving worsening relations between Russia and the West, as well as the wars in Syria and Ukraine. Mr Putin dismissed accusations of aiding Mr Trumps campaign as unproven rumours used for internal politics during a tense press conference with Angela Merkel on Tuesday. We never interfere in other countries politics and we want no one to meddle in ours, the Russian President said. Unfortunately, we have seen the opposite happening for years. We have seen attempts to influence political processes in Russia through the so-called NGOs and directly. Realising the futility of such efforts, it has never occurred to us to interfere." Additional reporting by AP Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hillary Clinton has said that she would now be president if the election was held before a letter from FBI Director James Comey about her emails was published with less than two weeks to the vote. Ms Clinton was speaking at the Women for Women International forum in New York when she was doing what she called an excruciating analysis of the 2016 presidential election against Donald Trump. If the election were on October 27, I'd be your president, Ms Clinton said, referring to the 28 October letter Mr Comey sent to Congressional leaders saying the FBI would continue investigating whether Ms Clinton sent additional classified emails from a private email server while she was Secretary of State. She said she was on the way to winning [the 2016 election] until the combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28 and Russian Wikileaks raised doubts. She said the letter combined with fake news being pushed by Russian interference in the election raised doubts in the mind of people who were inclined to vote for me but scared off and the evidence for that intervening event is, I think, compelling. Ms Clinton was not shy in blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for meddling to hurt her based on an old grudge. Ms Clinton said that in her former position as Secretary of State speaking out against undemocratic practises kind of goes with the territory, at least it did prior to this administration. I wasnt telling...Russians something they didnt know. So, they go out into streets in Moscow and St. Petersburg to demonstrate and Putin blames me, Ms Clinton explained. Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Rodham Clinton as a Wellesley College senior Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham in at Wellesley College Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Rodham Working with the House Committee on Nixon's Impeachment Case Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures US Presidential candidate Bill Clinton with wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea at the Democratic National Convention Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill and Hillary Clinton at the Inaugural Ball Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill and Hillary Clinton with Barbara Bush Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, President William Jefferson Clinton their daughter Chelsea, at the first state dinner of the Clintons administration Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Clinton meets with 12 chidren in response to their letter to the President concerning their health problems Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Nelson Mandela jokes with First Lady Hillary Clinton Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Senator Hillary Rodham comforts Maren Sarkarat the conclusion of the Family Memorial Service held at Ground Zero of the WTC Getty It kind of went downhill from there, she said half-jokingly. Ms Clinton noted that if you chart my opponent and his campaign statements, they quite coordinated with [Mr Putins] goals. You cant make this stuff up, she said explaining that the timing of certain events was more than just a coincidence. Television programme Access Hollywood released audio recordings of Mr Trump speaking disparagingly about women. Following the recording being made public, Wikileaks released hacked emails of the Democratic National Committee. Despite the outside interference, Ms Clinton said she takes absolute responsibility for her loss. It wasnt a perfect campaign, she said, adding that she was well aware of the problems and the mistakes she personally made. Ms Clinton, now part of the resistance, actually won three million more votes than Mr Trump, but lost the electoral college. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A woman is facing disorderly conduct charges for laughing during the confirmation hearing for Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Desiree Fairooz laughed after Senator Richard Shelby, a fellow Alabama Republican, introduced Mr Sessions saying his history of treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well documented. Ms Fairooz was charged alongside two men who donned white Ku Klux Klan outfits in protest with disorderly conduct and demonstrating within a Capitol building. All three demonstrators refused plea bargains in favour of jury trials. I felt it was my responsibility as a citizen to dissent at the confirmation hearing of Senator Jeff Sessions, a man who professes anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT policies, who has voted against several civil rights measures and who jokes about the white supremacist terrorist group the Ku Klux Klan, Ms Fairooz said in a statement released by the pro-women advocacy group Code Pink, which is supporting her. Jeff Sessions says under oath that he has not had any contact with Russia A reporter who shot a video that is being used by the prosecution in Ms Fairoozs case says that the laugh was not loud enough to be disruptive. Prosecutors say that the laugh was an attempt to impede, disrupt, and disturb orderly conduct of the confirmation hearing. Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad Mr Sessions was a controversial pick to become the nations leading law enforcement official and his confirmation path was wrought with contentious moments. The former senator from Alabama was repeatedly accused of expressing racist views in the past a history of racist accusations that includes a 1980s ad aired by Mr Shelby himself that accused him of calling the KKK good ole boys. During his confirmation, Mr Sessions saw rare opposition from a fellow sitting senator, New Jerseys Corey Booker, who testified boldly against him during his hearings saying that his civil rights record disqualified him from the attorney general post. Mr Booker was joined by civil rights legend Representative John Lewis in voicing concerns about Mr Sessions during those hearings. Later in the confirmation process, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren refocused national attention on Mr Sessions alleged racism when she was silenced by Republican leadership as she read, on the Senate floor, a 1986 letter Coretta Scott King wrote while Mr Sessions was up for a federal judgeship accusing him of using public office to intimidate black voters. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump and the Republicans latest effort to repeal and replace Obamacare was already looking like it was heading for the trash can. But a powerful, primetime story delivered by comedian Jimmy Kimmel about the struggle of his newborn son, who was delivered ten days ago with a heart defect, may have finished it off. When I saw Jimmy Kimmels very emotional appearance and narrative, and his plea that we should make sure people with pre-existing conditions are not excluded, I said this could the crushing blow to the effort that is going on to overturn this, said David Axelrod, former chief strategist to Barack Obama. If I were a wavering member of the House and saw that, I might think I am not walking the plank on that. Republicans are currently scrambling for votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, before an 11-day recess that starts on Thursday. After announcements from two key Republicans who said they could not support the bill Billy Long and Fred Upton the Washington Post said its analysis found 21 House Republicans were either opposed to, or leaning against the bill, and 22 more were either undecided or unclear ion their positions. It said that if no Democrats supported the bill, the Republicans could not afford to lose more than 22 votes if it was to pass in the House. Failure to pass the bill would be another major embarrassment to Mr Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan. Jimmy Kimmel destroys Donald Trumps apparent Kim Jong-Un confusion Speaking during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday night, the comedian talked for 13 minutes about his newborn son. I have a story to tell. You know I try not to get emotional but it was a scary story, he said. He added: If your parents didnt have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied for having a pre-existing condition. If your baby is going to die and doesnt have to, it shouldnt matter how much money you make. I think thats something whether youre a Republican or Democrat or something else we all agree on that. Axios reported that Kimmels speech was seen by millions of people. It said that on Facebook, the clip received over 14 million views and 230,000 reactions in less than 24 hours. It said his posts did not usually receive more than 1 million views. On Instagram, the video post received 122,968 views and 20,022 likes, while on Twitter, the video received over 26,000 retweets and 79,000 likes. The website said his tweets did not normally earn more than a couple of hundred retweets. 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 Making sure the message was even more widely distributed, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton tweeted their support, along with various celebrities. Kimmel's wife subsequently posted on Twitter a photograph of the baby boy after he had undergone heart surgery. Ethan Rome, co-director at the advocacy group Health Care for America Now, said he believed that Mr Kimmels speech was the sort of thing that could encourage members of the public to pick up the phone and call their congressman. The clip was everywhere, on digital and TV. I have no doubt that it put people into action, he told The Independent. He gave voice to an issue that the vast majority of Americans are concerned with. That is one of the thing that is so bad about the bill. Mr Rome said: I would expect that people made calls as a result. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} FBI Director James Comey says that Russia is the "greatest threat of any nation on Earth, given their intent and capability." Mr Comey made the comments during a Senate hearing in which he discussed the ongoing investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 US election. The top FBI official told senators that Russians have been meddling in American politics and that they have continued to do so recently. "One of the biggest lessons learned is that Russia will do this again. Because of 2016 election, they know it worked," Mr Comey said of the threat that Russia might try to influence future elections. Mr Comey first acknowledge that the FBI had opened an investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election in March when he testified before the House Intelligence Committee. The intelligence agency is working to determine whether any associates of President Donald Trump were involved in the Russian efforts to sway the election, he said then. Democrats gleaned some satisfaction from the revelation but were critical that Mr Comey had not revealed that investigation sooner. The Trump administration has been plagued by suspicions that associates of the campaign and the allegations have already led to some significant scandal for the president. Less than a month after Mr Trump was sworn into office, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign from his position serving the White House after it was discovered he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about the substance of a phone call he had had with Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyev during the transition period following the election. Mr Flynn had failed to tell Mr Pence that he had discussed Russian sanctions that were established by former President Barack Obama after US intelligence agencies determined that Russia had interfered in the US election campaign. The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Before the Senate hearing Mr Trump sent out a series of tweets criticising the investigation into potential collusion between his campaign and Russia. In those tweets, Mr Trump charged that Mr Comey was the best thing to happen to his 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton because the FBI director had found that her use of a private email address while serving as secretary of State was not breaking the law. "Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Mr Trump tweeted. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The FBIs director has said he will not say another peep on the ongoing investigation into alleged links between Donald Trump and Russia until the probe is complete. Giving testimony on Capitol Hill before the Senate Judiciary Committee, James Comey claimed he treated the investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server in the same way he approached the investigation into Mr Trump. Ms Clinton this week once again blamed Mr Comeys 11th hour intervention in the 2016 election, when he revealed the probe into her emails had been reopened, as one of the key factors for her defeat. But Mr Comey said it would been catastrophic to have have concealed that development from Congress, something he had vowed to do. At the same time, he felt mildly nauseous to think his actions had impacted at the elections I cant consider for a second whose political futures will be affected and in what way, Mr Comey said. We have to ask ourselves what is the right thing to do and then do it. FBI Director Comey admitted he hates the New England patriots under oath The Associated Press noted that at times, Mr Comey spoke with a raised voice. He said he had faced two difficult decisions when his agents told him they found emails potentially connected to Ms Clinton case on a laptop belonging to disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, who was married to close Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Mr Comey said he knew it was unorthodox to alert Congress to that discovery 11 days before Americans picked a new president. But he said he decided it would have been wrong to keep silent, especially when he had testified under oath that the investigation had been concluded. I sat there that morning and could not see a door labeled, No action here, he said For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The European Union (EU) has clashed with the visiting leader of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, by publicly supporting an international mission to look into alleged human rights abuses by the country's security forces against Rohingya Muslims. The EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini, speaking at a news conference with Suu Kyi, said an agreed resolution of the UN Human Rights Council would help clear up uncertainty about allegations of killings, torture and rape against Rohingyas. On the basis of that resolution, the top United Nations human rights body will send an international fact-finding mission to Burma despite Suu Kyi's reservations. The fact-finding mission is focusing on establishing the truth about the past, Mogherini said, noting a rare area of disagreement between the 28-nation EU and Burma. We believe that this can contribute to establishing the facts. The UN Human Rights Council adopted the resolution, which was brought by the European Union and supported by countries including the United States, without a vote in March. China and India distanced themselves from the UN resolution. Asked about the move, Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, said: We are disassociating ourselves from the resolution because we don't think the resolution is in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground. Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Burma's civilian government and also its foreign minister, said she would only accept recommendations from a separate advisory commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. Any other input would divide communities, she added, without giving further details. The violent persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma and their efforts to flee the Southeast Asian country, often falling victim to predatory human-trafficking networks, has become an international concern, documented by Reuters in Pulitzer Prize-winning reports. A UN report issued last month, based on interviews with 220 Rohingya among 75,000 who have fled to Bangladesh since October, said that Burma's security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that very likely amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing. Rohingya mothers face persecution Show all 10 1 /10 Rohingya mothers face persecution Rohingya mothers face persecution Ramida Begum holds her 10-day-old daughter in their shelter in Kutupalang, an unregistered refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. 'The military caught my husband and burnt our house down a week before I left Myanmar. Since then I don't know whether my husband is dead or alive' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Minara Begum sits inside the shelter, cradling her one-month-old son Ayub. Minara fled to Bangladesh from Nasha Phuru village in Myanmar with her husband and mother-in-law. 'My child doesn't get enough breast milk as I don't eat enough nutritious food. I have to buy milk powder from local market though it's not very good for my son' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Amina, pictured with her 16-day-old daughter Sumaiyin, is in a refugee camp Balukhali that neighbours Ramida and Minara's. 'One and a half months ago the military came to our village and kept firing their guns. I ran away with my neighbours to save our lives. You see us alive here only because the God was so kind. They caught my uncle and my younger brother and we don't know whether they are dead or alive' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Fatema sits beside her one-day-old daughter Aasma in Kutupalang. Fatema fled to Bangladesh from Jambuinna village in Myanmar two months ago after her house was burnt down by the military. She crossed Naf River by boat during the night. 'Our situation is better than many other refugees as my husband Mohammad Alom works here as a day labourer. Many of the new refugees have no work here, so they have to rely on relief' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Jamalida cradles her two-month-old daughter Shahida. Jamalida came to Bangladesh with her husband from Nasha Phuru village in Myanmar Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Rehana Begum lays her one-day-old daughter in front of her inside their tarpaulin shelter. Rehana fled her village of Jambuinna in Myanmar three months ago. 'We were in our home and suddenly the military came to our village and started shooting. When we heard the sound of gun shots we immediately went to our relatives. We walked for four hours without any food and water to reach the border at 1 a.m. We paid 25,000 Myanmar kyat (14) to a broker to cross.' Intercepted by Bangladesh border guards, Rehana's family narrowly escaped being sent home. 'They wanted to send us back, but then we heard gunshots from the Myanmar side and the guards released us, saying, "Stay in Bangladesh and save your lives"' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Noor Begum sits next to her one-day-old daughter Sumaiya as she stares into the camera. Noor came to the camp one-and-a-half months ago from Nagpura village with her husband Jahangir Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Rajuma Begum observes her one-month-old son Raihan. 'I fled to Bangladesh because of fear, because I needed to save my children. I was pregnant and suffering from fever while crossing the border. I also have an 11-month-old boy, so it was very difficult to reach the border from our village Wabek in Myanmar. I had to rest frequently. After six hours of horrible walking we finally reached the border at 2am and crossed after paying a broker' Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution Eighteen-year-old Asmot Ara rests her newly born daughter on her lap. Asmot said she came to the camp one month ago with neighbours from Nagpura village. In Myanmar her father-in-law was killed and their home burnt down by the Myanmar military Reuters Rohingya mothers face persecution As Marijaan holds her 25-day-old daughter Noor Habi, her son peers over her shoulder. Marijaan fled to Bangladesh from Khyeri Prang village in Myanmar one month ago after her house was burnt down by the Myanmar military. 'I reached the border at night and crossed by the boat. I paid the boatman to cross the Naf River' Reuters Activists have welcomed what they called a landmark decision by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council, and have called on the Burma government to cooperate. Suu Kyi assumed power in 2016 following a landslide election win after Burma's former military leaders initiated a political transition. The country had been an international pariah for decades under the military junta. Copyright Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} China has reportedly told its citizens living in North Korea to return home, over fears that tensions between Pyongyang and Washington DC could escalate. The Korea Times reports that the Chinese embassy in North Korea began advising Korean-Chinese residents to return to China last month, over fears the countrys military provocations could lead to retaliation from the US. According to Radio Free Asia, a US-based radio station that broadcasts to Asian countries, the embassy began sending the message to citizens ahead of the 85th anniversary of the Korean Peoples Army last month. Trump's security adviser says North Korea will be solved 'one way or another' The radio station quoted a Korean-Chinese man living in Pyongyang who had been contacted by the embassy. The man, who was not named, said he had been visiting China every few months. He claimed to have been told to stay in China for a while and decided to leave North Korea a month earlier than planned as a result, arriving in China in late April. The embassy has never given such a warning. I was worried and left the country in a hurry, he told Radio Free Asia, the Korea Times reported. In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video He claimed the majority of Korean-Chinese citizens in Pyongyang had ignored the warning. The website of the Chinese embassy in North Korea did not appear to carry the warning at the time of publishing. The embassy has been contacted for comment. The US has made a renewed show of strength against Kim Jong-uns nation this week by sending a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters, while American, Japanese and South Korean air forces flew in training drills together. Just days ago North Korea threatened to sink a US nuclear submarine that had been deployed to South Korean waters. North Korean propaganda site Urminzokkiri posted the following threat: The moment the USS Michigan tries to budge even a little, it will be doomed to face the miserable fate of becoming an underwater ghost without being able to come to the surface. North Korea this week claimed the US was pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war, prompting China to tell both nations to stop irritating each other. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} China has called on all parties in the Korean standoff to stay calm and stop irritating each other a day after North Korea said the United States was pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war. The United States has urged China, reclusive North Korea's lone major ally, to do more to rein in its neighbour's nuclear and missile programmes that have prompted an assertive response from the Trump administration, warning that the era of strategic patience is over. The United States has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korean waters and a pair of strategic US bombers flew training drills with the South Korean and Japanese air forces in another show of strength this week. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, asked about the bomber flights, the drills and North Korea's response, stressed that the situation was highly complex and sensitive. The urgent task is to lower temperatures and resume talks, he told reporters. Recommended North Korea says US bomber flights pushing world to brink of war We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other, work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides, and seek a return to the correct path of dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible. The flight of the two bombers came as US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows when he said he would be honoured to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the right circumstances, and as his CIA director landed in South Korea for talks. North Korea said the bombers conducted a nuclear bomb dropping drill against major objects in its territory at a time when Trump and other US warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike on the North. The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war, the North's official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks, driven by concern that the North might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. The US military's THAAD anti-missile defence system has reached initial operational capacity in South Korea, US. officials told Reuters, although they cautioned that it would not be fully operational for some months. China has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the system, whose powerful radar it fears could reach inside Chinese territory, just as Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for his efforts to rein in North Korea. It was widely feared North Korea could conduct a nuclear test on or around 15 April to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the North's founding leader, Kim Il Sung, or on 25 April, the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army. The North has conducted such tests or missile launches to mark significant events in the past. Instead, North Korea held a big military parade featuring a display of missiles on 15 April and then a large, live-fire artillery drill 10 days later. Trump drew criticism in Washington on Monday when he said he would be honoured to meet North Korea's young leader. If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it, Trump told Bloomberg News. Trump did not say what conditions would be needed for such a meeting to occur or when it could happen. Clearly conditions are not there right now, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. Trump warned in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that a major, major conflict with North Korea was possible, while China said last week the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate or slip out of control. North Korea test-launched a missile on Saturday that appeared to have failed within minutes, its fourth successive failed launch since March. It has conducted two nuclear tests and a series of missile-related activities at an unprecedented pace since the beginning of last year. The North is technically still at war with the South after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty, and it regularly threatens to destroy the United States, Japan and South Korea. North Korea said on Wednesday an American man it had detained in late April, the third US citizen being held by the isolated country, was intercepted because he was attempting to commit hostile acts. In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video North Korea, which has been criticised for its human rights record, has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday meanwhile spoke by telephone about Syria and about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea, the White House said. Copyright Reuters BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Two centers for foreigner exit and entry services opened Tuesday in Beijing to assist foreign talent in service industries. The centers in Chaoyang and Shunyi districts will accept applications for permanent stays, long-term visas and port visas for foreign elites in the service sector, foreigner members of startups, Chinese with foreign nationality and young foreign students. Shen Jinsheng, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce, said the commission would issue recommendation letters for those working in the two districts who passed in a grading before applying for permanent stay. The new service centers will shorten the period to apply for a permanent stay from 180 to 90 working days. Many foreigners live in Chaoyang where most embassies and many international agencies and chambers of commerce are located. Shunyi, home to Beijing Capital International Airport, has over 100 international companies and a foreign population of around 8,000. Li Kai On, a Chinese with British nationality, said he had applied for a permanent stay as he, a teacher at an international school, had seen opportunities in Beijing's education sector. "I hope with the new measures, I can become a real Chinese in a short time." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Japan's legendary ninjas are famous for their stealth and were said to possess a supernatural gift for invisibility. But now martial arts experts are concerned they might be disappearing in real life, as practitioners of the ancient "ninjutsu" say there is a major talent shortage. As tourism to Japan has grown, there has been an increasing demand to see the iconic warriors perform ninja shows to crowds - but martial arts squads are struggling to find candidates who are up to scratch. Takatsugu Aoki, the manager of a martial arts squad in the city of Nayoga in the south of the country, told the Asahi newspaper: With the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan on the increase, the value of ninja as tourism content has increased. There are more employment choices, while ninja shows across the country have become popular. I feel there is a ninja shortage. Those who do put themselves forwards, he said, lack the basic skills needed. This usually means being trained in unarmed combat, acrobatics, concealment and first aid while also being able to use throwing stars and fight with swords. 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 Invisibility and walking on water, despite the folklore, are not part of the job description. Although they have developed a reputation as fearsome warriors over the centuries, ninjas were primarily concerned with espionage during their heyday in feudal Japan. Ninjas prided themselves first and foremost on their skills in spying and their endurance violence was supposedly seen as a last resort. But they were traditionally skilled in using weapons such as shuriken, known as throwing stars in the West, and the fukiya blowpipe which was usually filled with a poisoned dart. They first emerged as mercenaries in the 15th century during an era of civil war known as the Warring States period and were recruited to act as spies, raiders, assassins or even terrorists. Disdained by general society, which was based on a strict hierarchy with the elite samurai class at the top, they soon formed into guilds with their own sets of rules and ranks. These guilds had different types of ninjas, or shinobi, assigned to specific tasks and they often controlled their own individual territories. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} North Korea's failed missile was reportedly heading towards Russia before it was detonated mid-flight. US officials said a medium-range ballistic missile was fired from a region north of the capital of Pyongyang and disintegrated minutes after launch. The missile was likely to be a medium-range KN-17 ballistic missile, they added, which broke up and fell into the Sea of Japan and did not leave North Korean territory. North Korea shows new missiles in huge parade amid nuclear fears The Seoul Economic Daily reports the missile travelled 48 kilometres before officials detonated it over fears it was fired at Russia by accident. The paper claims: If the ballistic missile that flew to the northeastern region had not failed, it would have been a harbour point or a Russian territory. It is for this reason that North Korea intentionally destroyed the missile. It quotes a source saying the launch target was "different from the previous direction" and adding "in the past, we fired 89-90 degrees to the east, and the projective fell off the East Sea. But the angle of this shot was 49 degrees." In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video The chair of Russia's Defence and Security Committee, Viktor Ozerov, said its air defences in its eastern territories had been put on high alert. The air defence of the Russian Federation in the Far East has been put on high alert," he said. "We control the airspace in the zone of responsibility of the Russian air forces." Earlier this week, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to work together to make diplomatic progress on the threat posed by North Korea. The White House said the two shared a call and spoke about the best way to resolve the "very dangerous" situation with the North. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} North Korea said an American man it detained in late April was being held for committing "hostile acts". The state run KCNA news agency said the American, named as Kim Sang-duk, was arrested at the Pyongyang airport for committing "hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country". Law enforcement authorities were conducting an investigation into the crime, KCNA added. Mr Kim appeared to be the same man KCNA said Pyongyang had detained on 22 April. Donald Trump warns major, major conflict with North Korea is absolutely possible Also known as Tony Kim, the 58-year-old was teaching accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the university's chancellor told The Associated Press. At least two other Americans are known to have been detained in the secretive state. The detention comes at a time of unusually heightened tensions between the US and North Korea. Both countries have recently been trading threats of war and having another American in jail will likely up the ante even further. In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video Last year, Otto Warmbier, then a 21-year-old University of Virginia student from suburban Cincinnati, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour in prison after he confessed to trying to steal a propaganda banner. Kim Dong Chul, who was born in South Korea but is also believed to have US citizenship, is serving a sentence of 10 years for espionage. Another foreigner, a Canadian pastor, is also being detained in North Korea. Hyeon Soo Lim, a South Korean-born Canadian citizen in his 60s, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2015 on charges of trying to use religion to destroy the North Korean system and helping US and South Korean authorities lure and abduct North Korean citizens. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Self-defence training is being given to nearly 1,500 doctors at a hospital in New Delhi so they can protect themselves from attacks by patients relatives. A spate of attacks against medical staff have led to strikes and protests across India by doctors demanding better security measures in public hospitals. In Mumbai, a trainee doctor was reportedly beaten by the relatives of a 60-year-old patient who had died from a chronic kidney disease. Three people were arrested in connection to the attack the third reported in just one week in the area. Now taekwondo classes will be held in a gym at the capital's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), reported the Hindustan Times. We are genuinely concerned about our safety, said Vijay Gurjar, president of the resident doctors association, which requested the martial arts training from the university hospital. Dr Gurjar told the newspaper AIIMS staff had shown solidarity with more than 2,000 doctors in Mumbai, who went on strike for five days over the issue in March, by wearing motorcycle helmets to work. Starting in mid-May, two black belt fighters will train the doctors in groups of 100 every evening for six months. An advanced course is also being held over two and a half 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 At a hospital in Chennai on Indias east coast, more than 1,000 doctors took to the streets to protest failings in hospital security after an alleged assault on a doctor by the relatives of a 24-year-old patient. The doctor asked the patients family not to enter the ward as a group, according to the New Indian Express, which is said to have sparked an argument leading to her assault and that of a surgeon who came to help her. Recommended Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to protect them from cold Doctors have asked the government to improve their safety in public hospitals by increasing the number of security guards and restricting the number of visitors allowed in wards. The Indian government spends 1.15 per cent of its GDP on healthcare one of the lowest levels in the world. The Indian Medical Association has said it will launch a registry for doctors to report violent incidents and submit pictures or CCTV footage for investigation. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} US President Donald Trump was aware of the criticism Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte had received over his controversial war on drugs, but praised him for doing a great job when they spoke, Duterte's spokesman said on Tuesday. Trump's invitation to the Philippine leader to visit him at the White House unleashed a storm of criticism in Washington due to the scale of the bloodshed of Duterte's anti-drugs campaign, which has killed thousands of people over the past 10 months. The White House defended the invitation made during a phone call on Saturday, acknowledging that though human rights were an important issue, Washington needed allies in Asia to address the global threat of North Korea's development of nuclear weapons. Duterte's spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said Trump was very much aware of the criticism of Duterte, but had praised him for doing a great job considering the weight and the enormity of the conditions in the Philippines. It was not clear if Abella was quoting Trump as praising the anti-drugs campaign specifically, or Duterte's performance as president in general. I'm sure he's aware of all these considerations, Abella added, referring to Trump. However, from his point of view, it seems like the president of the Philippines is doing a sensible job. Duterte has received widespread condemnation in the West for failure to curtail the killings and address activists' allegations of systematic, state-sponsored murders by police of drug users and dealers, which the authorities reject. Duterte has also received praise, however, for his handling of one of the world's fastest-growing economies, and a policy agenda geared towards supporting farmers and small businesses, developing infrastructure and fighting poverty in a country where a fifth of the people live on less than $1 a day. But critics said Trump had gone a step too far with an invitation that was tantamount to an endorsement of Duterte's bloody approach to law and order. Duterte is also known for his foul language in lambasting the United States on a near-daily basis for what he calls a history of hypocrisy. He last week called the New York Times assholes for its coverage of his anti-drugs campaign. Ben Cardin, a ranking member of the foreign relations committee of the US Senate, said he was deeply disturbed by the invitation, and said he would this week introduce bipartisan legislation to send a warning to Duterte, which would include a ban on arms sales to the Philippine police. This is a man who has boasted publicly about killing his own citizens, Cardin said in a statement. The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Show all 9 1 /9 The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On killing drug addicts These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, dont go into that, even if youre a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Message to China I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, Kill me AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Christmas message to law-breakers If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On sex life I was separated from my wife. Im not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On the drugs trade None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, kill him'" AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting the Pope We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Joke about rape I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first AFP/Getty The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA Ignoring human rights will not advance US interests in the Philippines or any place else. Just the opposite. Abella also reiterated that Duterte had acknowledged Trump's invitation, but had not accepted it. Although Trump gave no timeframe for the invitation, Duterte on Monday told reporters he could not commit because he might be tied up with other overseas trips. Copyright Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Chechen police are reportedly urging parents to kill their gay children, according to survivor testimony from one man held in a gay torture camp in the region. Authorities have been telling parents of gay men to sort it out or the state will intervene, the victim, who has not been identified, claimed. The latest account of systematic LGBT persecution comes just a month after Chechen authorities allegedly rounded up more than 100 men who were suspected to be gay. Many were tortured and at least four are alleged to have been killed, according to a Russian newspaper and human rights campaigners. Weve always been persecuted, but never like this, the victim told France24. Now they arrest everyone. They kill people, they do whatever they want. He continued: They tell the parents to kill their child. They say Either you do it, or we will. They call it: Cleaning your honour with blood. They tortured a man for two weeks then they summoned his parents and brothers who all came. Police said to them: Your son is a homosexual sort it out or well do it ourselves. Russian authorities detained LGBT activists attempting to raise awareness about the persecution of gay men in the conservative and predominantly Muslim region on Tuesday. The demonstration was held during a May Day march in St Petersburg, with a group of around 10 protesters arrested near the Anichkov Bridge in the centre of Russias second city. A spokesman for Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, said reports that more than 100 men were detained in April was absolute lies and disinformation and claimed gay people did not exist in the region. You cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist in the republic, he told Interfax news agency. If there were such people in Chechnya, the law-enforcement organs wouldnt need to have anything to do with them because their relatives would send them somewhere from which there is no returning. Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman has backed the Chechen governments denials that men suspected of being gay are being detained, tortured and killed. But that did not stop Germany's Angela Merkel raising the matter while speaking alongside Mr Putin at a joint press conference in Sochi. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tens of thousands of refugee children in Europe are at risk of psychosocial distress that will affect them for years to come due to living in a protracted state of limbo, Unicef has warned. Youngsters who have fled from Syria and other war zones are being set back for years to come due to the emotional distress and anxiety caused by the uncertainty surrounding the family reunification process, which can see them waiting in temporary camps for months or even years. Nearly 75,000 refugees and migrants, including an estimated 24,600 children, are currently stranded in Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary and the western Balkans. Despite having a legitimate right to join families in destination countries in western Europe, most do not know whether or when they will be permitted to move forward. The situation is particularly acute for single mothers and children stuck in Greece or the Balkans waiting for reunification with family members in other EU countries, Unicef warned, with adult males often being the first family members to make the trip to Europe, and the rest of the family following later. Following the border closures and implementation of the EU-Turkey statement last year, women and children are increasingly being held up in transit countries from where they must apply for family reunification with their loved ones a process that typically takes between 10 months and two years. Unicef warned that the process could be painstakingly slow. In 2016, nearly 5,000 family reunification requests including 700 from unaccompanied and separated children were made from Greece, with only 1,107 successful applicants having reached their destination country by the end of the year. The number of refugees and migrants stranded in Greece, Hungary and the western Balkans has meanwhile continued to grow increasing by around 60 per cent over the past year, from 47,000 in March 2016 to nearly 80,000 at the end of April. Children play among Iso-boxes, containers converted into refugee shelters, at Kara Tepe refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece (Unicef) We are seeing single mothers and children who have not seen their husbands and fathers for months or even years, said Afshan Khan, Unicef Regional Director and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe The family reunification process is slow and its outcome uncertain, and it is this uncertainty which can cause significant emotional distress and anxiety for children and families, setting them back for years to come. Sofia Tzelepi, a lawyer working with Unicef partner Solidarity Now, added: Many single mothers are feeling stuck and seem to have lost motivation. Their emotional state affects their children. One mother, Rosa Hamy, 28, and her children, two-year-old Arin and Mohammad, six, fled from Syria in 2014 and have been living in a makeshift camp in Thessaloniki, Greece, since March last year. Rosa Hamy, 28, and her children, two year-old Arin and Mohammad, six, from Al Raqqa, Syria, in their unit at the Sinatex Kavalri refugee camp near Thessaloniki, Greece (Unicef) At the 10-month mark, Ms Hamy said she was granted her first interview with relocation services, which in eight months from now, might allow her family to reunite with their father in Germany. She told Unicef her children had stopped eating properly and were constantly stressed. We are stuck here. The most difficult thing is for the children. They dont eat their food, and theyre are tired and stressed all the time, she said. They cry and say, Where is our father? Why doesnt he come here? This is daddys fault. I tell them daddy is going to come and take us, but my kids say: You always say that and he never comes. We dont have anymore patience, we cannot take it anymore. Sometimes I get nervous with the kids, and I think Im going to hit them, but I say to myself Its not their fault, and then I calm myself down by crying. Another refugee stranded in Greece, Azhar Khalil, 18, was a child when she fled Syria two and half years ago, and is now living in a shelter with her family at Skaramangas, the largest camp in Greece, housing over 3,000 people in the port area of northern Athens. Azhar Khalil, 18, from Syria, looks out of her familys shelter at Skaramangas Refugee Camp in northern Athens, Greece The family intended to travel to Germany where they have close relatives and feel that there are more options available to refugees, but when they arrived in Europe in March 2016 the EU-Turkey deal had stopped the flow of refugees in Greece, where they have been in limbo ever since. Welcome to my life. We left Syria exactly 29 months, 19 days, and four hours ago, Ms Khalil told Unicef. Sometimes I feel trapped, but in my books, my study, I can feel freedom. Ive lost so much time. There is so much I want to do, but I cant do it here. I wake up in here every morning, and I see six people in our tiny room, and I think: I need to make this situation better. I have to fight, and every day I fight to improve. The number of children stranded in Europe who could be eligible to join family in the UK is unknown, and NGOs are urging the UK Government to ensure appropriate resources are available to identify eligible children in Europe and support them through the family reunion process. Recommended Refugee children being raped and forced into prostitution in Greece Last month, a study by Harvard University warned of a growing epidemic of sexual exploitation and abuse in Greece, while in March Save the Children warned desperate refugees trapped in Greece were self-harming and attempting suicide as a result of disastrous EU policies, with more refugees dying than ever before while attempting to reach Europe following the controversial deal struck with Turkey. Keeping families together is the best way to ensure that children are protected, which is why the family reunification process for refugee and migrant children is so important, Ms Khan added. With the number of those stranded continuing to rise, it is incumbent on member states to alleviate procedural bottlenecks so that families can get back together as quickly as possible. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Disillusioned far-left voters have warned they will not be supporting centrist Emmanuel Macron against Marine Le Pen in the final round of Frances presidential election. A total of 19.5 per cent of the electorate backed Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round vote 10 days ago, but the far-left candidate has given no instructions to his supporters over how to vote in the decisive round on Sunday. Centrist and liberal Mr Macron is portrayed by his critics as the candidate of the same-old failed political system, while far-right Marine Le Pen is not an option traditional left-wing voters want to consider. Recommended There is no real choice between Le Pen and Macron According to a consultation on the voting intentions of Mr Melenchons movement La France Insoumise, 36 per cent said they would spoil their ballot, 35 per cent said they would vote for Mr Macron and 29 per cent they would not vote at all. It suggests there might not be the flocking towards Mr Macron from the left wing in France that many observers expected. One of the many shocks of this extraordinary election was felt in the town of Melun, to the south of Paris, where a community that has voted in conservative mayors at every local election since 1971 swung overwhelmingly in favour of Mr Melenchons anti-establishment candidacy. Daniel, who helped organise the successful local campaign for Mr Melenchon, told The Independent: We worked hard on our campaign in the area and by speaking to people, we managed to convince some who were ready to vote for Ms Le Pen to support Mr Melenchon instead. But when Sunday comes, Daniel said he intends to spoil his ballot and that he hopes the result will be tight enough to send a warning to mainstream politicians. He said: We want to show French people are fed up to see all the same politics. People want to see something new. A Macron presidency will no doubt see many current ministers back in government. A diverse and multicultural suburb, Melun has recently seen the development of a range of programmes to welcome and support refugees and migrants. The town has a longstanding history of attracting immigrant populations but many, like Portuguese Alfonso Fernandez, 68, a Melun resident for 52 years, still do not have French citizenship and are unable to vote in the election. In the towns main library, people from Tibet, Eritrea, Syria and Iraq are learning French using the librarys many foreign language resources and other services. An important culture hub in the heart of the town, only a few hundred metres from a prison, the library has become a vital centre of support for any newcomers. French Presidential Election Show all 20 1 /20 French Presidential Election French Presidential Election Voters line up to cast their ballots REUTERS French Presidential Election REUTERS French Presidential Election REUTERS French Presidential Election Police patrol polling stations in France REUTERS French Presidential Election REUTERS French Presidential Election REUTERS French Presidential Election REUTERS French Presidential Election REUTERS French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Trogneux REUTERS French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron casts his ballot REUTERS French Presidential Election SAA/ French Presidential Election REUTERS French Presidential Election Front National leader Marine Le Pen casts her ballot REUTERS French Presidential Election Early ballots are read as results continue to come in Reuters French Presidential Election Macron supporters react as results come in early in the evening AP French Presidential Election Supporters of Front National leader Marine Le Pen cheer as early results come in Reuters French Presidential Election Alamy French Presidential Election Front National leader Marine Le Pen takes to the stage to address her supporters as fans cheer Reuters French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron greets supporters on Sunday night AP French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Trogneux celebrate the incoming results EPA But if on the surface the city shows welcoming sentiments to refugees, its left-wing voters will leave others to decide the fate of Frances immigration policy on Sunday. Elizabeth, from the Republic of the Congo, said she was forced to flee her country because of fighting in her home town. She came to Melun in 2000 but is not able to vote. She told The Independent that following the elections first round, she was harassed in the street by a supporter of Ms Le Pen. On Saturday, I was verbally attacked in Melun. We are going to vote for Ms Le Pen and you are going to go back to where you came from, someone told me. There is already tension. We dont know what we will be become of us. I came to France to study and came back here because it is the only place where I feel safe. All the candidates promise paradise but when they are elected, nothing happens, she said. With a population shy of 41,000, according to the latest Insee census, only just over 19,000 people were registered to vote in the election. Among those registered, one in three people abstained. But the percentage of abstention and spoilt ballots could rise significantly on Sunday with many who voted for Mr Melenchon saying there will not support either Mr Macron or Ms Le Pen. French Election: Macron and Le Pen to fight for presidency Timothe, from Ivory Coast, arrived in France at the age of 21. He too voted for Mr Melenchon in the first round but will spoil his ballot in the second. If he was compelled to choose, he said he would vote Front National. He said: I love this country and I have lived most of my life here but everything is getting worse. Ms Le Pen, at least, has a coherent programme. It is true that uncontrolled borders are leading to terror attacks. If we are welcoming people, we should be able to look after them and provide them with shelter not let them on the streets of Paris. France is a mixed society and even if she is elected, Ms Le Pen cant chuck out of the country all those who are not 100 per cent French. Eric Lafaille, from the group Attac, an alliance of several left-wing movements to fight against tax evasion, said many people from the group would have voted for Mr Melenchon but now the general consensus was anything but Le Pen. I think a lot of those who voted for Mr Melechon were young people who had never voted before, and they are unlikely to transfer their votes to either camp, he said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A cell of suspected right-wing extremists operating within the German army are being investigated as the probe into an alleged terror plot widens. Prosecutors are investigating a group of up to five people surrounding a soldier accused of posing as a Syrian refugee to carry out a false flag attack. The suspect, named only as Franco A, was arrested after police traced a loaded gun he stashed at Vienna International Airport but investigations at his barracks have revealed signs of a wider network. Recommended German soldier posing as a refugee arrested for planning attack An assault rifle case carved with a swastika was found in his room, where the letters HH [Heil Hitler] were inscribed on the wall and a Nazi-era pamphlet depicting a Wehrmacht soldier was discovered. Germanys RND media group published photos of the evidence, which forms part of a report drawn up by the ministry of defence. Gerd Hoofe, the defence secretary, said there were also indications of possible ammunition loss or theft at Franco As barracks in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France. He did not raise any alarm over extremism in the army, despite writing a masters thesis on political change and subversion strategy at a French university in 2014 that was found to contain far-right thinking. German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen is to visit Illkirch barracks in France during investigation to an alleged far-right terror cell in the German army (EPA) Franco A appeared at his barracks on time and completed all courses, even while dashing back to Bavaria to collect welfare payments as part of his double life as a refugee. The lieutenant registered in Giessen, Hesse, on 30 December 2015 as Germany was overwhelmed by the arrival of almost a million asylum seekers - then submitted an asylum application at Zirndorf in Bavaria in January last year. He created a fake persona under the name David Benjamin, telling immigration officials he was a Damascus fruit seller from a Christian family with French roots, German media reported. Recommended Germany investigating how soldier registered as refugee in terror plot No doubts appear to have been raised over the credibility of the 28-year-olds background, despite him speaking mainly French with a smattering of Arabic from a language course. The ruse was only discovered when Franco A was arrested in Austria after returning to retrieve an unregistered 7.65mm pistol from a toilet at Vienna International Airport in February. A fingerprint check revealed his fake identity as a Syrian refugee, but when David Benjamin failed to answer a court summons in Austria, a wider investigation was triggered. He had a list of five potential targets for the attack, the Tagesspiegel newspaper reported, including former President Joachim Gauck, justice minister Heiko Maas, a prominent left-wing politician and the Berlin Center for Political Beauty. If the plan had succeeded, his fingerprints would have registered on the refugee records system and led investigators to his false identity as a Syrian asylum seeker, turning fresh scrutiny on migrants in Germany. These findings, as well as other evidence, point towards a xenophobic motive for the soldiers suspected plan to commit an attack using a weapon deposited at Vienna airport, prosecutors said. Refugees settle in Germany Show all 12 1 /12 Refugees settle in Germany Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, plays with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, in the one room they and Mohamed's wife Laloosh call home at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany A refugee child Amnat Musayeva points to a star with her photo and name that decorates the door to her classroom as teacher Martina Fischer looks on at the local kindergarten Amnat and her siblings attend on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The children live with their family at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian asylum-applicant Mohamed Ali Hussein (R), 19, and fellow applicant Autur, from Latvia, load benches onto a truckbed while performing community service, for which they receive a small allowance, in Wilhelmsaue village on October 9, 2015 near Letschin, Germany. Mohamed and Autur live at an asylum-applicants' shelter in nearby Vossberg village. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Ali Hussein ((L), 19, and his cousin Sinjar Hussein, 34, sweep leaves at a cemetery in Gieshof village, for which they receive a small allowance, near Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, looks among donated clothing in the basement of the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to Mohamed, his wife Laloosh and their daughter Ranim as residents' laundry dries behind in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asya Sugaipova (L), Mohza Mukayeva and Khadra Zhukova prepare food in the communal kitchen at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Efrah Abdullahi Ahmed looks down from the communal kitchen window at her daughter Sumaya, 10, who had just returned from school, at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asylum-applicants, including Syrians Mohamed Ali Hussein (C-R, in black jacket) and Fadi Almasalmeh (C), return from grocery shopping with other refugees to the asylum-applicants' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat (2nd from L), a refugee from Syria, smokes a cigarette after shopping for groceries with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, and fellow-Syrian refugees Mohamed Ali Hussein (C) and Fadi Almasalmeh (L) at a local supermarket on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. All of them live at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian refugees Leila, 9, carries her sister Avin, 1, in the backyard at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to them and their family in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Somali refugees and husband and wife Said Ahmed Gure (R) and Ayaan Gure pose with their infant son Muzammili, who was born in Germany, in the room they share at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity, and are waiting for authorities to process their application for asylum 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel pauses for a selfie with a refugee after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for refugees in Berlin Getty Images A 24-year-old student suspected of being an accomplice in the plot, Mathias F, has also being arrested, with explosives found at his home. Germanys federal prosecutors office has taken over the terror investigation, which has sparked probes in the office for migration, interior ministry and military. Ursula von der Leyen, the defence minister, cancelled a scheduled visit to the US on Tuesday and summoned military commanders to discuss the plot and other recent scandals including sexual abuse and hazing at another military base. After attacking weak leadership she ordered the most senior 100 generals and admirals to attend a meeting in Berlin on Thursday. We have to ask systematically how someone with such clear right-wing extremist views, who writes a master's paper with clearly nationalistic ideas ... could continue to pursue a career in the Bundeswehr, Ms von der Leyen told reporters. She plans to travel to Illkirch for an update on the investigation as some politicians pushed back against her criticism of the military. Henning Otte, a fellow member of Angela Merkels conservative CDU/CSU lawmaker and head of the parliamentary defence committee, told Reuters the military had no fundamental problem with radicalism or abuses. But Germany's military intelligence agency has recorded 275 suspected case of right-wing extremists in the military's ranks, including some dating back to 2011 and 53 cases first identified this year. The government said it was leaving no stone unturned in the probe, which comes as Germany gears up for federal elections in September. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A photo of a Girl Scout calmly confronting a far-right protester during a rally in the Czech Republic has been shared thousands of times as a powerful symbol of peaceful defiance in the face of hate. The image, of teenager Lucie talking to a demonstrator during a May Day rally, was shared by the World Organisation of the Scout Movement. The picture became a viral hit with many applauding the youngsters courage and composure. Recommended Woman whose smile in face of EDL became famous tells how it happened In a Facebook post the group said: People from all walks of life, and #Scouts among them, came to the streets during an extreme right march yesterday, to express their support for values of diversity, peace and understanding. Creating a better world! The march is understood to have been organised by the DSSS Workers Party a far-right party in the Czech Republic. Anicka Camska, a member of the Czech scouting group, who was at the rally, said: There was some kind of far-right march, so a bunch of people wen there as well to protest in a peaceful way they were dancing and painting. Later more people came to protest against neo-Nazis with drums and so on. The message was we are tired of your hate and pessimism. The powerful image echoes the photo of a young woman smiling at a member of the English Defence League at a rally in Birmingham. Photographer Vladimir Cicmanec, who captured the image during Mondays protests, said the neo-Nazi was clearly angry with her, but she stood her ground. President Trump protests Show all 20 1 /20 President Trump protests President Trump protests Patrons hold a sign as people march by while protesting the election of Republican Donald Trump as the president of the United States in downtown Los Angeles, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators rally following the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators march following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump's election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency AFP/Getty Images President Trump protests Demonstrators protest outside the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Getty President Trump protests A police officer aims a launcher after demonstrators threw projectiles toward a line of officers during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests An officer examines a vandalized police vehicle as demonstrators riot in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators take over the Hollywood 101 Freeway just north of Los Angeles City Hall in protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests A woman holds up a sign reading 'Trump you are an Idiot' as demonstrators gather during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump outside the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California EPA President Trump protests A masked demonstrator gestures toward a police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, near the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada Reuters President Trump protests Musician Lagy Gaga stages a protest against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York City Getty President Trump protests A woman yells as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A man dressed in red-white-and-blue sits on the curb during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A protester sets off fireworks during a protest against President-elect Donald Trumpin Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests University of California, Davis students protest on campus in Davis, California, U.S. following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests An Oakland police officer checks out damage after a window was broken by protesters at a car dealership in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests A protester faces a police line in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests President-elect Donald Trumpis victory set off multiple protests AP President Trump protests A fire burns during protests in Oakland, Calif AP "I was thinking about the Saffiyah Khan photo when I started shooting, the situation looked similar, and the bubbles were just a sweet coincidence, he told IBTimes. I thought 'this will be a nice photo', but in the sense 'when my friends see it on Facebook, they'll probably like it'. "I initially shared it with limited privacy not thinking much about it. And then people wanted me to make it public and it exploded." Birds fly across wind turbines (file photo) SAN FRANCISCO, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Oregon State University (OSU) will work to make eagles less likely to collide with wind-turbine blades, according to a news release from OSU on Tuesday. Wind power uses towers up to 300 feet, or about 91 meters, tall, typically equipped with three blades with wingspans double that of a Boeing 747 passenger plane. At their tips, the blades are moving close to 320 kilometers per hour. The U.S. Department of Energy Wind Technology Office has awarded Roberto Albertani of the OSU College of Engineering a grant of 625,000 U,S, dollars over a 27-month period to develop technology for detecting and deterring approaching birds, particularly bald eagles and golden eagles, and for determining if a blade strike has occurred. There are estimated 143,000 bald eagles and 40,000 golden eagles in the United States. "We're the only team in the world doing this kind of work," Albertani, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, was quoted as saying by the news release. He said if successful, the system will be a major breakthrough in a safer-for-wildlife expansion of wind energy worldwide. "There's no research available, but hopefully those will deter the eagles from coming closer to the turbines. We want the deterrent to be simple and affordable." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Italian police have dismantled a neo-Nazi group which targeted refugees and charities which were helping them in a series of arson attacks. Six people, all in their early 20s, were arrested in the northern city of La Spezia on suspicion of carrying out nighttime raids targeting migrants over the last two years . Investigators with the Carabinieri the country's national police force discovered instructions for creating explosives, knives and other bladed weapons in a caravan belonging to the group when during the raid earlier this week. They also found a large stash of neo-Nazi propaganda, including two swastika flags, The Local website reported. The group, who have not been named, are suspected to have been behind two arson attacks on containers owned by Catholic charity Caritas which were used to collect second-hand clothes to be given to the refugees. They are also believed to have been involved with other acts of vandalism including damage to plaques commemorating Italian partisans and the daubing of swastikas on the walls of a local political partys office. Police say the extremists used a WhatsApp messaging group to attract new recruits to their organisation and boasted about acts of violence against migrants which have so far gone unreported. They are now all facing investigation for arson, criminal damage and racial violence. 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 Italy is one of several European countries which has seen an upswing in violent attacks on refugees fleeing conflict across the Mediterranean. Accommodation for asylum seekers has been burnt down on numerous occasions in many of their destination countries such as Germany and Sweden. In October last year, 200 residents of the Italian town of Gorino constructed a barricade to prevent the arrival of 12 women and eight children who were being taken to a publicly-owned hostel. The refugees had been given a police escort so there was no violence but the mayor of the region was forced to say they would be given homes elsewhere. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A prominent opponent of Vladimir Putin has had his hopes of running as a candidate in the 2018 presidential election thrown further into doubt after a court upheld his conviction for fraud. The Kirov Regional Court rejected an appeal against a five-year suspended prison sentence for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who hopes to run for the presidency next year. Mr Navalny was found guilty of embezzlement at a trial in February charges which would bar him from challenging Mr Putin, were he to stand again, in the 2018 election. He has vowed to appeal the ruling at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Recommended Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny jailed for protest The charges relate to the alleged embezzlement of 16 million roubles (215,000) from the state-run timber company KirovLes. Mr Navalny received a five-year suspended sentence and a 500,000 rouble fine (6,700). A second defendant, Petr Ofitserov, was fined the same amount and handed a four-year suspended sentence. Februarys trial came after the ECHR ruled an earlier trial to be unfair. Navalnys campaign manager, Leonid Volkov, insisted at the time that the campaign would go on even though the guilty verdict formally bars him from running. In a post on Facebook, Mr Volkov said that the Kremlin would ultimately decide whether Mr Navalny will be confirmed as a presidential candidate. This is the political decision we need to win by campaigning, he said. The 40-year-old former lawyer revealed on Tuesday that he had lost 80 per cent of the sight in his right eye after an attacker threw green liquid in his face last week. Yulia, wife of Mr Navalny, treats him after the incident (AP) He was unable to get treatment outside of Russia because of a travel ban. His supporters have identified the attacker as a member of a radical ultra-nationalist group. Mr Navalny has said the attack was linked to the Kremlin, which has denied any involvement. Footage of the incident, the second time Mr Navalny had suffered such an assault in as many months, was shown on a pro-government TV channel. "For now the loss of sight is not irreversible," he said. "I'm being actively treated and there's hope I will be healed." Authorities have so far not opened an investigation into the attack. Mr Navalny was jailed in March after he organised massive anti-government protests across Russia. Thousands of anti-corruption protesters took to the streets of Moscow and other cities demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Police officers detaining Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny during an unauthorised anti-corruption rally in central Moscow (AFP) Mr Navalny was sentenced to 15 days in prison after a court ruled the political activist had disobeyed instructions from a police officer during the demonstration. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested some of those taking part in the demonstrations had been paid. Protesters had been "promised financial rewards in the event of their detention by law enforcement agencies", he said. Recommended Court fraud verdict stops opposition leader from challenging Putin Mr Navalny announced last December that he intended to run for the Russian presidency in 2018. He is arguably Russias best known and most popular opposition leader, running on a campaign to clean up Russias political system, tackling corruption in politics and the courts, as well as huge disparities in wealth. However, opinion polls suggest he would stand little chance of beating Mr Putin, who continues to enjoy favourable ratings. Mr Navalny, who denies the charges, has vowed to take part in the race regardless. It was not immediately clear if this was legally possible. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Souvenir T-shirts sold at a Marine Le Pen were made in Bangladesh, despite the far-right candidate consistently championing made in France as a key pillar of her economic programme. The far right presidential candidate has repeatedly said she would defend French interests against globalisation and the relocation of factories abroad. But the memorabilia sold in her name does not appear to be an example of the economic patriotism she has so vigorously advocated. Labels on most the polo shirts, which were on sale at Ms Le Pens meeting in the northern Parisian suburb of Villepinte earlier this week had all been cut out, preventing buyers from finding out where the clothes were made. But reporters from BFM TV found the shirt displayed on a mannequin had an untouched label stating the piece of clothing had been made in Bangladesh - a country well known for its textile manufacture and cheap labour. Asked whether the shirts were not a contradiction to Ms Le Pens campaign pledges, the stall holder selling the memorabilia said the embroidery work had been done in France. This is not at all contradictory to Ms Le Pens programme because we are asking for products to be made in France and the embroidery work on the T-shirts was made in France," he told the TV station. Marine Le Pen has repeatedly championed French products (Independent) The T-Shirt's label said it had been made in Bangladesh (The Independent) So the finished work was made in France. The problem for the supplier was a problem of workforce, which was not competitive enough to make in France. This is why we are fighting for French production lines. Asked whether he could explain why the labels had been cut from every single T-shirts, the vendor said he could not answer the question. Ms Le Pen stepped down as leader of the far right Front National party last week, claiming it would allow her to represent better the interests of "all French people". 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 Despite party's patriotic stance, last year T-shirts made for the party were found to have been produced in Morocco, according to the HuffPost Maghreb. In 2012, France Soir reported that the official Front National online shop was selling shirts made in Bangladesh. The Independent has approached the Front National for comment, but none had arrived at the time of publication For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} US President Donald Trump is hosting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for White House talks which US officials hope could restart the Middle East peace process - but other observers are not so hopeful. While the two leaders have exchanged letters and phone calls Wednesday will be their first face-to-face meeting. The Trump White House is expected to ask the Palestinian Authority (PA) president to take steps towards rekindling the long-stalled peace talks with Israel, including ending Palestinian anti-Israeli rhetoric, the incitement of violence, and support for Palestinians in Israeli jails, according to officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Mr Abbas, meanwhile, is looking for US commitment to improving dire Palestinian economic conditions, as well as promises on reining in Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, and letting go Mr Trumps campaign promise to move the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which both parties consider their capital. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the Palestinian failure to recognise Israel as a Jewish state is the biggest obstacle to peace, settlement building, which has increased year-on-year under his right-wing coalition government, is viewed internationally as one of the major stumbling blocks to a lasting peace deal. Since Mr Trump - widely viewed to be more sympathetic to Israeli interests than his predecessor Barack Obama - entered office in January, the number of planning permits approved for building on Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has skyrocketed. The Israeli government announced more than 11,000 new settler homes in the West Bank, as well as the retroactive legalisation of 4,000 outpost Jewish homes built on private Palestinian land. Barack Obama uses final interview as President to slam Israeli policy on settlements A further 15,000 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem were announced by Israels housing minister in April. The bold moves are believed to have been encouraged by Mr Trump's election victory. The total settler population in the West Bank is thought to be 550,000 strong, or 13 per cent of Israels population - but the huge number of new units announced in just the first 100 days of the Trump presidency could see that figure soar. While the international community views all Israeli construction over the 1967 Green Line as illegal, Mr Trump has blown hot and cold over the subject. During his campaign, the president had said the Israeli government should keep going with the construction of new settlements, but walked back some of that language after entering office, calling new construction not good for peace. Israel: From independence to intifada Show all 7 1 /7 Israel: From independence to intifada Israel: From independence to intifada 26973.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26974.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26975.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26976.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26977.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26985.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Israel: From independence to intifada 26986.bin Robert Capa/Magnum He told Mr Netanyahu during a news conference in Washington DC in February that while Israel is the US cherished ally he would like to see his counterpart hold back a little bit on settlement building. Mr Trump is expected to reiterate that settlement construction does not advance peace prospects in his meeting with Mr Abbas, but observers remain unconvinced any concrete steps will be taken. I have, and most Palestinians have, zero expectations of [the talks], Diana Buttu, a Ramallah-based political analyst and former advisor to Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) chair and PA President Mahmoud Abbas, told The Independent. When I look at what [Mr Trump] says and does nothing makes me believe he will really try to end the occupation or be able to challenge Israel. Just look at settlement growth since he became president. Abbas will get nothing out of this meeting. Vice President Mike Pence told reporters on Tuesday, the eve of Mr Abbas visit, that the US was still seriously considering moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, as per Mr Trumps campaign promise. The suggestion had prompted Mr Abbas to write to the US president warning that such a move could incite violence that could open the gates of hell. Mr Trump appears to sincerely want to secure peace in the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, putting his son-in-law Jared Kushner in charge of brokering a peace deal. I want to see peace with Israel and the Palestinians, he reiterated in an interview with Reuters last week. There is no reason there's not peace between Israel and the Palestinians - none whatsoever." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The United Arab Emirates is planning to tow icebergs from Antarctica to its coast to solve its issues with drinking water. The National Advisor Bureau Limited company plans to provide a new source of freshwater for the region by towing the iceberg from Antarctica to the coast of the eastern emirate of Fujairah. The Masdar city-based company then plans to mine the iceberg for drinking water. An average iceberg contains more than 20 billion gallons of water, or enough for one million people over five years, Abdullah Mohammad Sulaiman Al Shehi, the company's managing director, told Gulf News. He said the iceberg could create micro-climates in the region and bring rain to the arid landscape. Icebergs typically take a long time to melt, as around 80 per cent of their overall mass usually remains underwater, while the exposed white ice above reflects sunlight and thus heat, reducing the amount of water that evaporates. Mr Al Shehi said his company's simulations predict it will take up to one year to tow an iceberg to the UAE and said the project will start in early 2018. He also said the sight of icebergs floating along the coast could become another tourist attraction. 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 Once the iceberg is offshore, Mr Al Shehi said the company's water processing operation will begin. Blocks will be chipped off the iceberg above the waterline and then crushed into water, before being stored in large tanks and filtered through a water processing plant. "This is the purest water in the world," he said. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Some inflight meals are good, most are edible and a few standout ones are terrible. And then theres this: a single banana served as the gluten-free meal on board the nine-and-a-half hour flight from Tokyo to Sydney. Martin Pavelka, 32, from London was served the banana on the ANA (All Nippon Airways) flight on 20 April. As all the other passengers enjoyed a full English breakfast with bread and yoghurt, Pavelka says that he a coeliac was given the banana. To add insult to injury, the somewhat bruised banana was served with a knife and fork, salt and pepper, and a sticker announcing it was gluten free. Pavelka, who was on the second leg of his London-Sydney trip, told the Evening Standard: This was a nine-hour flight. Although definitely gluten-free, the banana did not keep me full for very long. As anyone whos ordered a special airline meal whether thats vegetarian, gluten-free or halal or kosher will know, what turns up on your plate can vary enormously depending on the airline and the airport where the meal was prepared. Sometimes it can be far better than the other mass-produced meals. At others, it can be far worse. Pavelka said of his gluten-free meals: Sometimes they are bland, sometimes they are actually much better than the ordinary meal service On this flight, I was left literally speechless. Passengers had been given a first meal shortly after take-off. The banana was part of the second meal service, although Pavelka says he initially thought it was a joke. The flight attendant apologised, he says: I think the stewardess realised something wasnt right too. The fault must be somewhere in management. Pavelka has complained to ANA but has not yet had a response. But John Walton, who writes about airline passenger experience for aviation news outlet Runway Girl Network, told The Independent: If ANA was serving full meals for other passengers, it doesnt seem right to serve only a banana to people who requested the gluten free option. Since ANA offers a wide variety of carefully designed special meals and since passengers are mobile, social and vocal these days, it would surprise me if this were the norm. Of course, these days two meals on a nine-hour flight seems very generous in economy, with most airlines serving just the weaponised-croissant-in-a-bag sort of option. "Airlines generally do a reasonable job catering for people who ask for special meals, which can be for a variety of reasons: medical, religious, ethical, or otherwise. "I talk to airline caterers often, and theyll usually provide something like a gluten-free breakfast bar and most people who are coeliac will slip a few into their carry-on bag for a long flight, in case of a catering mixup. "ANA does a very good job of quite literally showing passengers what they can expect, and puts out a monthly menu with pictures, which it links to at the time of booking if you click on the clearly marked Meal. ANA says it provides a little packet of Japanese-style finger sandwiches, not a cooked breakfast, on the Haneda-Sydney flight. If thats so, I think fruit is a reasonable alternative, though perhaps it would be more visually appealing to offer more than a single banana: a small fruit plate, say." A spokesperson for ANA told The Independent: "ANA takes great pride in providing an exemplary customer experience for all passengers, and for this one passenger we did not meet his expectations. We have apologised to him personally and as a result of his experience we are reviewing our policy on gluten free options and how they are served. During an international flight on the Tokyo-Sydney route, there are two food services. The first service is a full meal an hour after departure and the second is a snack service two hours before arrival. To accommodate the various food and dietary needs of our passengers, there are several food options including gluten free that are selected when a passenger purchases their ticket. On this specific instance, the passenger ordered a gluten free meal and then a gluten free snack. The banana he ordered was the gluten free snack option. We make every effort to meet our passengers' needs and in this situation felt we accommodated our guests additional food requests inflight by providing an additional regular meal as well as an entree from the regular menu for his snack. To imply that ANA only serves a banana for a flight of this length is incorrect. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A New Zealand glamour models naked snap at the top of Mount Taranaki has not gone down well with some of the locals. Recommended The hideous new travel trend on social media is flashing your bum Jaylene Cook, 25, shared a photo of herself on Instagram wearing nothing but gloves, trainers and a hat while at the summit, after hiking up the 2,308m mountain with her boyfriend Josh Shaw, 27. Mount Taranaki, an active volcano located on the west coast of new Zealands North Island, is considered sacred in Maori culture. And while Cooks nude picture garnered almost 10,000 likes on Instagram, the locals were less than impressed with the stunt. According to Maori mythology, Taranaki once resided in the middle of the North Island with all the other New Zealand volcanoes. The beautiful Pihanga was coveted by all the mountains, and a great battle broke out between them. Tongariro emerged the victor and inflicted great wounds on the side of Taranaki, causing him to flee westwards, forming the deep gorges of the Whanganui River as he went. He paused for a while, creating the depression that formed the Te Ngaere swamp, before heading north. His progress was blocked by the Pouakai ranges and, as the sun came up, Taranaki became petrified in his current location. When Taranaki is covered by rainclouds, he is said to be crying for his lost love, and during spectacular sunsets he is said to be displaying himself to her. This legend means that many members of the local Maori community have never climbed Taranaki out of respect. I'd imagine you will be getting a few comments from people saying what's wrong with that? Who cares? Maori academic Dennis Ngawhare told Stuff.co.nz of Cooks graphic photo. But I also know cousins and relatives who will be quite upset about it. They would consider it as being disrespectful towards the mountain. He added: I accept people climb up to the summit, but what we do ask is that people be respectful. Cook defended her actions, arguing that her naked photo was "natural". She told Stuff.co.nz: "[The photo's] not crude or explicit in any way. We made ourselves knowledgeable on the history of the mountain. We were quite respectful. Being nude is not something that is offensive in anyway. It's natural and pure and it's about freedom and empowerment." She told Daily Mail Australia: "It was an impulse to strip off and feel the cold air and embrace it a bit." Recommended 8 celebrities guilty of offending the locals on holiday Cook posted the picture on Instagram with the accompanying caption: This climb has forever changed me. I proved just how far I could push myself and I am truly proud of my accomplishment. This mountain was steep, rugged, ever changing and just pure brutal! Safe to say, I will never do it again. The Playboy playmate is the latest to jump on the belfie bandwagon a trend where people flash their bottoms at tourist spots and take pictures. The practice has been made famous by Cheeky Exploits, an Instagram account that displays derriere shots, which boasts over 180,000 followers. Cook is also not the first to offend with her actions abroad. Many celebrities have come under fire for not respecting local customs and culture, from Katie Prices topless frolicking on a Maldives beach to Jennifer Lawrences use of sacred Hawaiian rocks to scratch her bottom while filming The Hunger Games. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Like a pair of Norfolk cousins, nepotism and politics have always had a close relationship. Ever since Caligula tried to make his horse a consul of Rome, politicians the world over have, for some reason, emulated the approach, appointing wives, favoured nephews, bastard children or friends to positions of power and great wealth, with varying degrees of success. In 1534 Pope Paul III made his 14-year-old grandson a cardinal. John F Kennedy made his brother Bobby Attorney General, saying it would be good experience for him before he became a practicing lawyer. Perhaps most scandalously, Bill Clinton once put his inexperienced wife in charge of a landmark healthcare bill that went disastrously wrong. What became of her, Im not sure. That it is so common, though, does not mean that it doesnt cause resentment. There can be little doubt that the incestuous element of modern politics has contributed to the political elite losing touch, whilst fostering desire from below for change. Keeping what is meant to be a democratic process in the family is at odds with how the system is meant to work, undermining any notion that it is fair. Nothing embodies the charge of populism, or degagisme as Peter Wilby called it in the New Statesman, than the contempt felt by the many towards the nepotism of the few. UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images This makes it all the more deflating that Donald Trump, Drainer of Swamps, Destroyer of Worlds, has proven to be just as keen to engage in it as any other politician. This week, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel pulled no punches when criticising the role President Trumps daughter Ivanka has carved out for herself in the administration, suggesting such a practice would be unimaginable in his government. It is no secret in Washington that the real power behind the throne lies with Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, as Steve Bannon discovered to his cost in the aftermath of Trumps victory. Its easy to look to Trump and mock, decry, and scorn. Hes an obvious target. One hears significantly less about the rise of Justin Trudeau, say, because, by and large, his politics are palatable. Grace Mugabe, wife of Robert, will almost certainly become leader in Zimbabwe when her husband dies. Yet we ignore this cycle of corruption because, honestly, we arent interested in upsetting the applecart. The United Kingdom is, if anything, a far worse example of nepotism and political patronage sowing seeds of discontent than the US. Brexit was a mammoth cry against corruption, both at home and in the EU. The coming election shows no sign of addressing that. Ivanka Trump: I don't like the word 'accomplice' The refrain that politicians in this country are almost indistinguishable from each other is one of the oldest. History is littered with the names of political dynasties, from Pitt to Churchill. The phrase Bobs your uncle comes from Prime Minister Robert Cecils appointment of his nephew Arthur Balfour as Secretary for Ireland in 1887. More recently, Hillary Benn followed his father into the House of Commons, though Tony based his political career on fighting entitlement. Stephen Kinnock is still and MP, whilst Jack Straw and Lord Prescotts boys have both tried to emulate their fathers. There was even talk of Jeremy Corbyns son being given a safe seat. That this elevation of the Red Princes, as they are known, happens in the Labour Party is but another nail in the coffin of their credibility. The party system in Britain also helps cement ties. Where there are not enough family members, it ensures, by and large, that the right sort rise to the top. It makes this election troubling: it is wrong to suggest that the people will decide the makeup of parliament, as party machines have already selected candidates to stand in constituencies they are certain to win. Theresa Mays majority will be more of a pre-ordained closed shop than any parliamentary majority in decades; ironic, as the reason given for calling the election was to secure a mandate for Brexit, a revolt against elitism. Whatever our political persuasion, we should all be left aghast by the brazenness of Donald Trumps appointments. Ivanka Trumps confirmation as a special advisor beggars belief, but in Britain, familial and party political patronage has allowed the system to rot for far longer. Its in everyones interests to see it stopped. Anybody serving or selling food has to list information on 14 allergens Food businesses are giving customers an unacceptably low level of information about potentially deadly allergens, health chiefs have warned. A survey of 50 cafes, hotels, pubs, restaurants and takeaways found just under a third did not give customers any written advice about risks from 14 substances such as nuts, shellfish and eggs. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) called on businesses to take their legal responsibilities seriously, particularly where a consumer's health and life is at stake. Dr Pamela Byrne, the agency's chief executive, said the results were very worrying and indicated either a lack of awareness or willingness among food firms to prioritise safety two years after rules were introduced. "Allergic reactions to food make people ill and in particular situations can be fatal," she said. "Whether consumers are eating out, getting takeaways or having food delivered to their home or workplace, food businesses have a legal obligation to provide accurate food allergen information in writing. "The level of non-compliance we have identified through this audit is a cause for major concern. Food businesses must take action immediately to protect public health and to comply with the law." The sample survey found only a quarter of the food businesses that had written advice on allergens actually provided accurate information. In 26 of the firms that were audited, a foodstuff had been left out or the allergen content of the food had been incorrectly recorded. The FSAI said almost nine out of 10 of the firms had to make some changes to guidance for customers and only six businesses were fully compliant. It also said businesses reported not knowing that information must be provided or being confused or unaware about what information they should provide. The agency said the findings were so serious that it was launching an eight week national awareness blitz to warn companies of their legal requirements as th ree in every 100 people in Ireland have a food allergy. Anyone serving or selling food has to list information on 14 allergens including c ereals containing gluten; c rustaceans, e ggs, f ish, p eanuts, s oybeans, m ilk, n uts including eight specific types, c elery, m ustard, s esame seeds, s ulphur dioxide and sulphites above certain concentrations, l upin and m olluscs. They are also obliged to include information on products derived from any of the listed foods. Dr Byrne warned food businesses that environmental health officers across the country will be contacting them with advice on their legal obligations. "The Health Service Executive will take enforcement action, when it is deemed appropriate or necessary," the FSAI chief added. 'Chinese Brands Day' to be marked on May 10 each year China's State Council has approved a "Chinese Brands Day," to be held on May 10 each year starting this year, according to a statement made public Tuesday. The cabinet's decision was in response to the request for instructions filed by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner. Detailed work for the day will be done by the NDRC and other government departments, the statement said. The plan to create the day appeared in a guideline on making full use of brands' role in upgrading supply and demand structure issued last year by the State Council. Chinese Brands Day will publicize brands owned independently by Chinese companies, tell the stories of the brands and raise brand recognition, the guideline said. JP Morgan is planning to move up to 1,000 London jobs to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg in a bid to secure its EU business after Brexit. The US banking giant will relocate between 500 and 1,000 front and back office staff, with custody business roles destined for Dublin, treasury services set to settle in Luxembourg, and investment banking positions bound for Frankfurt, according to people familiar with the matter. It is understood that the majority of those jobs will settle in three cities, but others will be spread across additional JP Morgan sites across the EU. The US bank also has offices in cities including Paris, Milan, Madrid and Stockholm. The chief executive of JP Morgan's corporate and investment bank Daniel Pinto said earlier on Wednesday that a "substantial portion of the business" in London will have to be moved to the bloc. "We are going to use the three banks we already have in Europe as the anchors for our operations," he told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Euromoney conference in Saudi Arabia. "We will have to move hundreds of people in the short-term to be ready for day one, when negotiations finish, and then we will look at the longer-term numbers." It is understood that the relocation drive will take place ahead of spring 2019, when the two-year window for Brexit negotiations draws to a close, and the UK is expected to lose passporting rights for financial services. Mr Pinto said: "We have to plan for a scenario where there is no UK-EU passporting deal, and we have to move a substantial portion of our business to continue serving our European clients." Meanwhile, Standard Chartered confirmed it has contacted German regulators about plans to set up a Frankfurt subsidiary that will similarly safeguard its European business. However, the bank said there would be "minimal" impact on UK staff. A spokeswoman for Standard Chartered said: "We can confirm that we have decided to progress with an application to set up a European subsidiary in Frankfurt, as we already have a presence in Frankfurt through a branch and our Euro-clearing operations. "This does not mean any change to our UK domicile or a change in our commitment to London. "We also expect to focus on hiring a small number of staff locally, therefore any impact to UK staff will be minimal." It follows comments from one of Deutsche Bank's top executives last week, who said nearly half of its own UK-based jobs - equal to about 4,000 front and back office staff - were at risk of being relocated. A growing list of financial services firms have confirmed relocation plans, with HSBC moving 1,000 staff to France, AIG set to shift a string of executives to Luxembourg and Lloyd's of London opting for a subsidiary in Brussels. JP Morgan's chief executive Jamie Dimon previously indicated around 4,000 of the bank's 16,000 UK employee base could move as a result of Brexit. THE EUROPEAN Commission's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has promised to focus on Ireland in the initial phase of talks - and will visit here next week. He was speaking as he set out the Commission's detailed negotiating guidelines for the first phase of withdrawal talks, expected to begin in earnest after the June 8 general election. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Barnier said the opening phase of negotiations would focus on the financial settlement, the status of expatriate citizens and the future border between the UK and EU in Ireland. "I will pay great attention to the situation in Ireland... I will be going to Ireland next week," he said. What he described as the "unique circumstances and challenges" of Ireland in the wake of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement will, he said, "require flexible and imaginative solutions". But Mr Barnier also warned that it is an "illusion" to think that the process of Britain leaving the European Union will be quick or painless. Expand Close British Prime Minister Theresa May Picture: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp British Prime Minister Theresa May Picture: PA His comments came as news reports suggested that the Commission may present the UK with a 100 billion euro "divorce bill", sharply increased from the previous estimates of 60bn. But Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis rejected suggestions that the UK will foot a bill on that scale, saying Brussels will only receive what it is legally owed. Mr Davis also dismissed as "laughable" reports that Prime Minister Theresa May would be barred from negotiating with her counterparts. In a press conference in Brussels, Mr Barnier said that the first phase of negotiations would focus on the financial settlement, the status of expatriate citizens and the future border between the UK and EU in Ireland. He insisted that the the so-called divorce bill was not a punishment of the UK for leaving, but simply a "settling of accounts". "The UK must put a great deal of energy and effort into these three issues over the next weeks and months and that will increase the chances of making a deal," said Mr Barnier. "Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case. "We need sound solutions, we need legal precision and this will take time." At a press conference in London, Mr Davis said the British public wanted the best possible outcome from the talks, adding: "We do that in the negotiating room, not by negotiating with a megaphone." He acknowledged there would be "tough times" during the process "when you come under pressure, and this is one of those times". Mr Davis said he did not recognise the numbers being "bandied around" for the Brexit fee. And he insisted that Theresa May would play a full part in the negotiations. "We are not entering the negotiations as a supplicant," he said, and the Prime Minister would remain a full member of the European Council until the date of Brexit. "We will decide the structure of our negotiating team, not the EU," he added. Mr Barnier added that the financial withdrawal agreement was not a punishment or an exit bill, but a settling of accounts. He said the UK would have to "close the account" in a "single financial settlement" which "will cover all the financial relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. All the commitments entered into as a member of the union". Mr Barnier said: "Now, this is not a punishment, nor is it an exit tax of some kind. The union and the United Kingdom have mutual commitments. They have committed to financing projects and programmes together. We decided these programmes together. We benefit from them together, and we finance them together. "Basically, we have to close the account, and it is no more and no less. No punishment. There is no Brexit bill." Mr Barnier said he believed the Commission's calculation of Britain's liabilities should be "incontestable" and that there could be "explosive" consequences if it was not met. The figure will include not only UK commitments to fund the EU's 2014-20 budget, but also EU programmes of support for countries like Turkey and the Ukraine, he said. "This all has to be totted up," he said. "We have entered into rigorous and objective work which should be incontestable and which will have to take account of the commitments. "I can't understand why here and there I hear mentions of punishment (regarding) the exit bill, the Brexit bill. That is not the case. Commitments have been made and these commitments have to be honoured, these responsibilities have to be honoured." He insisted: "We are not trying to create problems. We wish to resolve problems, and the way to resolve a problem is to be objective and rigorous in our approach, not over-dramatic. "We have to be rigorous in our approach to clearing these accounts, because otherwise the situation might be explosive, if we have to stop programmes. Can you imagine the political problems which might arise?" Mr Barnier said the agreement with the UK will have to have effective implementation and dispute settlement mechanisms, and, wherever European Union law is involved, it will depend on the rulings of European Court of Justice. The ECJ would "quite clearly" have the competence to adjudicate on the rights of EU citizens "well after the date of the withdrawal of the UK", he said. More to follow US banking giant JPMorgan has confirmed it will move hundreds of staff from London to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg as a result of Brexit. "We are going to use the three banks we already have in Europe as the anchors for our operations," Daniel Pinto said in an interview Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. "We will have to move hundreds of people in the short term to be ready for day one, when negotiations finish, and then we will look at the longer-term numbers," Pinto said, Pinto is the CEO of the banks corporate and investment banking arm. The bank is one of dozens of major finance houses preparing plans for a future when it may be harder for London regulated firms to sell services into the EU. Before the Brexit referendum last June JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said that as many as 4,000 UK staff could be relocated in the event of Brexit. In January, he said that number could be higher -- or lower -- depending on how the governments negotiations played out. "We have to plan for a scenario where there is no UK-EU passporting deal, and we have to move a substantial portion of our business to continue serving our European clients," Pinto said. "Well have to wait to see what kind of deal can be achieved and see what we need to do from there." Other banks have yet to decide where in the EU they will pitch their future businesses. UK based Standard Chartered Plc and Barclays are thought to be considering the Irish capital for their EU base, while US giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are weighing Germanys financial hub. British supermarket chain the Co-op has claimed to have become the first UK retailer to commit to selling only British fresh meat. It says meat imports into the UK have doubled over the last 20 years and has called on more supermarkets and food service providers to back home-grown goods Since 1996, the quantity of meat coming to the UK from the European Union and other countries has soared from 3.5bn to 7.3bn. More than 5.9bn worth of meat is now shipped from European Union member states while Asia and Oceania countries account for 804m worth of imports followed by Latin America at 408m. Asian and Oceanic imports have seen their exports to the UK almost treble from 359m in 1996. The biggest imports from that region come from Thailand (500m) and New Zealand (344m). The co-op singled out Ireland as the biggest beneficiary of EU meat trade with the UK, with 1.65bn of meat arriving in the UK from across the Irish Sea. Almost a tenth of all meat imports into the UK come from Denmark, which exports 651m worth of meat into Britain each year while New Zealand lamb accounts for 344m worth of UK imports. Jo Whitfield, Retail Chief Executive, Co-op, said British consumers will be shocked to see how meat imports have grown while at the same time retailers hang out the bunting and claim to back British farmers. Only the Co-op offers 100% British fresh meat all year round and not just in the meat cabinet but also in our sandwiches, our pies and our ready meals. We can do this because were owned by members not shareholders and can invest long-term in what matters to communities, not what provides the fastest shareholder return. I call on other retailers and food providers to do more to help our farmers, particularly as they head towards uncertain times. A judge has said a serious case involving bovine tagging and identification and animal movement and animal welfare had acquired legs all of its own, because of the number of times it has been on the court lists over the past year and a half without being finalised. A father and son are before Killarney District Court on the matter which involved movement of animals principally on a farm in Co. Cork. Only some of the animals had ever been located, the court has been told. The father, John C Casey, aged 57, otherwise known as Christy Casey of Crosstown, Killarney Co Kerry, pleaded guilty in January to 14 sample charges mainly at Ryefield, Whitechurch, Co. Cork and within the State. However the son is under psychiatric care, the court has been told. Fifty summonses had been issued by the prosecutor the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The breaches were of European Communities bovine regulations, 2009, on animal passports, notification of birth of a calf birth within seven days of being tagged, information on sale or disposal of bovines, failing to provide an animal passport in relation to movement of an animal. Mr Casey Snr had also failed to disclose the location of animals as required under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013. The dates of the offences were mainly on August 14, 2014 and September 15, 2014. Failing to register births of a number of animals were said to have occurred between November 2013 and 2014. . Rarely had Department of Agriculture Inspectors come across breaches on such a scale, the court heard in January. Mr Casey Snr's suckler herd was registered in Co Cork and he also had leased land, the court has been told. Louis Reardon veterinary inspector with the Department of Agriculture said that although the Department would regularly come across incidents relating to small numbers of breaches of regulations animal movement and registration- but not on the scale of Mr Casey . Mr Reardon said he had failed to produce animal passports; and asked where the cattle were, he would not say. Only some of the cattle had ever been located and we dont know what happened these animals, Mr Reardon said in response to a query by regarding 69 animals. Giving false dates of birth had implications regarding BSE and disease testing as the ages of the animals were important in these tests. The mans son John Casey Junior also of Crosstown, Killarney had also been issued with summonses in connection with alleged breaches but has not entered a plea. He was in court yesterday, and his solicitor Padraig OConnell reminded the court that John Casey Jnr was under the care of a consultant psychiatrist and it had been adjourned to May 2nd because of that. The issue was the plea. The (psychiatric) examination has not yet taken place. The consultant was also to attend court. The (psychiatric) examination has not yet taken place. Mr OConnell said. However Judge James OConnor said the case had been adjourned eleven times at this stage. This thing has legs all of its own.. Its a serious mater. He must get himself examined; Get the report and bring the doctor ( the psychiatrist) in as well!" the judge told Mr OConnell. Judge OConnor agreed to adjourned the matter to June to allow time for the busy psychiatrist to conduct the examination. A shipment of Irish in-calf Hereford heifers has left for Russia. Last week the first consignment in 2017 of pedigree in-calf Hereford heifers destined for Russia departed Ireland recently. A specially selected group of in-calf heifers of diverse pedigree from herds across the country including eight 18-20 month old bulls were brought together by Hubert Maxwell, livestock exporters and have been in quarantine for the past month. Following all health requirements being fully completed the signal to move was received. The transport for the Hereford consignment to their new home is provided by a Lithuanian company with extensive experience of cattle transport across Europe. The journey will take one week including rest breaks on the route through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Belarus to the final destination just 180km west of Moscow. The Russian Hereford breeders who have purchased the cattle came to Ireland in January last to visit a number of farms and see the quality of animal available and were extremely satisfied with the standard, according to the Irish Hereford Breed Society. Svetlana Koss who hails from Moscow has co-ordinated the project on this occasion said she was extremely pleased with both the quality of the cattle and with how the current project has worked out. A further consignment this time of over 100 in-calf Hereford heifers arrived almost immediately at the quarantine facility replacing those heading for Rosslare. Irish Hereford Society chairman Willie Branagan said he is confident of further similar orders including maiden heifers later this spring. The Hereford cattle exported will allow the expansion and rebuilding of the beef cattle population in Russia which has huge possibilities for development into the future, he said. Missouri farmer Jared and Blackwelder lost 32 cattle in a freak lightening storm this week in Missouri. Blackwelder who farms in Texas County. Missouri, were hit by a recent storm that left 32 of his cattle dead. Stan Coday, Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau President told CBS News that Jared discovered the dead cattle when he went out to bring them in. "It's a common occurrence. It does happen. The thing that made this the worst was just the sheer number of cows that were affected." The organic cows were grouped together under trees to shelter from the storm. A local vet confirmed that the cows had died after being struck by lightening. Chinese peacekeepers erect boundary markers along the Blue Line in Lebanon on March 28. (Photo by Hua Xun) BEIRUT, May 2 (ChinaMil) -- "Chinese soldiers are amazing, and their professionalism and professional level are very admirable," officials from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spoke highly of the 15th Chinese peacekeeping multifunctional engineer detachment to Lebanon. Recently, the detachment successfully completed boundary markers set-up mission at two points along the Blue Line that separates Lebanon with Israel. The Blue Line is sensitive and is filled with minefields and featured with poor environmental conditions. The boundary marker is known as the "Bucket of Peace". It consists of a concrete base with a diameter of two meters and a height of two meters and a blue bucket marked with "UN" and latitude and longitude coordinates. It is of great significance to maintain peace and stability in southern Lebanon. In 2000, the UN unofficially marked a 121-km "Israeli withdrawal line" between Lebanon and Israel, that is, the Blue Line. In 2007, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL reached an agreement and decided to erect boundary markers along the Blue Line. Since the start of the project, Chinese peacekeepers have set up a total of 134 boundary markers, ranking the first among all the UNIFIL troops. Chinese peacekeepers also created the "Chinese quality", "Chinese speed" and "Chinese standards" and are well recognized by the UN, The UNIFIL headquarters, the Lebanese Government and the local people. Not long ago, the UNIFIL commander Michael Beary invited Chinese peacekeepers to go to the UNIFIL headquarters to build a 1: 1 boundary marker model to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Blue Line boundary marker set-up mission. The location of the set-up mission is in a three-sided mountain canyon filled with minefields. The only mountain road is steep, narrow and filled with sharp turns. In the early investigation period, the vehicle going downhill often got slippery while going uphill was very difficult as the engine shut off very easily. "In September last year, the patrol fleet of the Spanish battalion hit the mine in the southern border during a patrol mission and one car was wasted. But fortunately, there is no casualties," said Captain Zhang Xiangwu. Zhang is the political instructor of the logistics company of the Chinese peacekeeping troops that takes the boundary marker set-up mission. He said that the minefields, complex terrain and poor road conditions have made access to the mission area very difficult and a little carelessness may lead to tragedy. In the end, the Chinese peacekeepers chose to transport the building materials to a hillside two kilometers away, and then carry the markers to the mission area. Due to the daily trips of carrying more than 30 kilograms of cement, sand and rocks, the Chinese peacekeepers have layers of calluses on their shoulders and palms. They proudly called it "Medal of Peacekeeping". The boundary issue between Lebanon and Israel is very sensitive. The margin of error of the boundary marker cannot be longer than 0.4 cm. In the end, the Chinese peacekeepers passed the inspection of the mission with "zero error". "China is here for peace. All Chinese peacekeepers will keep in mind their mission, live up to the trust, and take practical action for the peace in southern Lebanon!" said Colonel Pu Yi, commanding officer of 15th Chinese peacekeeping force to Lebanon. It is reported that the 15th Chinese peacekeeping multifunctional engineer detachment to Lebanon has done a great job since their deployment in the mission area in southern Lebanon last May. It is the only detachment that receives the top award Certificate of Appreciation presented by the UNIFIL. Chinese peacekeepers set up cement base for the boundary marker along the Blue Line in Lebanon on March 20. (Photo by Hua Xun) Conditions of extreme fire risk are prevalent around the country at the moment, with the Department of Agriculture warning that the weather is 'ideal' for wild fires. It comes as fire crews in Dublin battled blazes as the weather hots up and a Condition Red Extreme warning is in place. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference It says that a high pressure system associated with extreme fire risk potential is currently located North-East of Scotland and is likely to induce moderate to fresh low-humidity airflows over Ireland in coming days. These easterly airflows are forecast to coincide with relatively high temperatures and periods of sunshine, while a fine fuel moisture code levels are currently above 85 and may rise beyond this level further. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference It says that this type of pattern has previously been associated with extreme fire events under Irish conditions. It also warns that there is a strong potential for rapid fire spread in fine fuel types where ignitions take place in typical upland fuels and that these conditions are likely to last until Saturday. According to the Department, the issue of Condition Red Extreme fire risk warnings is a comparatively rare event and implies that recipients should take immediate action to protect resources and property. Immedis, a specialist division of the Terry Clune owned Taxback Group, has today announced the acquisition of US international payroll company Expaticore. The $10m (9.1m) acquisition is a first for Immedis and signals a step in the organisations growth plans. We see real potential for the services we offer in the US market and are delighted to welcome our colleagues at Expaticore on board. There are clear synergies between the two businesses including our existing technology and tax expertise and their expertise on international payroll, Ruairi Kelleher, executive director of Immedis said. The company also announced today that it intends to create 150 jobs over the next three years. Speaking to Independent.ie a spokesperson for the company said that it is hoped that the majority of the 150 jobs will be created in Ireland. Read more: Terry Clune's Taxback inks partnership with Airbnb The acquisition should strengthen Immedis capabilities both in the US and globally. Immedis current client list includes amongst others Airbus, ESB International and Lifes2Good. Meanwhile Clune also owns 55pc of fast-growing money-transfer business Transfermate. The media startup sold by Irish journalist Mark Little in 2013 has emerged as the front line in Rupert Murdoch's battle with search engine giant Google. News Corp - which was founded by Murdoch, pictured - is introducing a new service for advertisers that aims to ensure online ads don't appear next to fake news or offensive videos. It's a growing concern for companies and led to a high-profile stand-off between ad agencies and YouTube last month. Storyful's new service will focus on "video brand safety", executives said. "This will be one way to give advertisers peace of mind," Storyful chief executive Rahul Chopra said in an interview. Dublin-based Storyful already verifies social media output as a service for publishers and brands. The new push will see it track websites known as purveyors of fake news or extremist content and share that list with advertisers, who can use it to keep their ads clear of controversial associations. The service is being pitched as a full blockade against content that's anathema to marketers, and comes as the two biggest forces in online ads - Google and Facebook - face pressure for failing to offer such tools. Google, in particular, has taken heat for its video offering. Major advertisers, including in Ireland, stopped spending on YouTube last month over concern their ads could appear next to offensive videos. Google introduced controls to mitigate the problem, yet rivals are trying to exploit the issue. Ad-buyer GroupM and marketing firm Weber Shandwick will be the first two companies to use the Storyful database, News Corp said. The company will work with Moat, an analytics company recently acquired by Oracle Corp, and the City University of New York School of Journalism to maintain the list of controversial website domains. The database will be free, though Storyful eventually wants to provide a service to help advertisers decide where to place ads. Chopra said Storyful, which News Corp bought in 2013, is working not just on compiling a list of controversial websites, but on identifying how such content spreads online to stop it earlier. He wants to "choke the money supply to people spreading content like this". (Bloomberg) A GERMAN software company has asked the High Court for a European-wide injunction preventing internet giant Google from infringing what it claims is its trademark. The injunction has been sought by TeamDrive Systems GMBH, which makes secure, cloud-based, file-sharing software for businesses and personal use, against Google Ireland Ltd and Google Commerce Ltd. It claims Google's use of a software product called 'Team Drives' infringes the Germany firm's European Registered trademark, which it obtained in 2006. The company wants an injunction to be put in place preventing the alleged copyright breach until the full hearing of the dispute. The claims are denied and Google opposed an injunction being put in place until the case is heard. It also claims that any injunction will damage it. Opening the application before Mr Justice Tony O'Connor yesterday, Denis McDonald SC, for the German company, said his client is a moderate-sized firm which offers a range of products all under the TeamDrive name. Its software has won awards and its clients include the German Bar Council. Counsel said that last year Google decided to re-brand some of its products including its Google Drive product. Mr McDonald said the use by Google of the term 'Team Drives' or 'Team Drive' for identical services offered by his client was a grave concern to the company. Counsel said the use was "effectively identical" to his client's trademark. Google said that the term would not be used in a trademark sense, but merely to describe a function of its Google Drive Product. The hearing continues. U.S. President Donald Trump (file photo) WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is seriously considering moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday. "The president of the United States, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," said Pence here at an Israel Independence Day event. He also noted that Trump was "personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict." However, it remains unclear how such a controversial move sure to anger the Arab world would contribute to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While it is not the first time a member of the Trump administration has mentioned the possibility of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, the latest revelation came on the eve of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to the White House on Wednesday. So far, the Palestinian side has made no comments on the remarks. Despite the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 by the U.S. Congress, which required the relocation of U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, former U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, consistently renewed a presidential waiver to delay the relocation on national security interests. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and not a single foreign country bases their embassies in the city. Alitalia flights will continue as normal, despite it entering special administration after staff rejected a rescue plan Italy's Industry Minister Carlo Calenda is set to appoint three commissioners to run Alitalia after the airline asked to be placed under special administration, a source close to the matter said yesterday. The commissioners will include Luigi Gubitosi, Alitalia's chairman elect, and Enrico Laghi, who served as one of the special commissioners managing the restructuring of Italian steel plant Ilva, the person added. Alitalia requested to be put under special administration after workers rejected management's latest revamp plan - kicking off a process that will lead to the carrier being overhauled, sold off or wound up altogether. The board made its decision after meeting shareholders on Tuesday, citing Alitalia's serious economic state, the unwillingness of investors including Etihad to refinance the company and the impossibility of finding a quick alternative. A cabinet meeting on the issue has been called for later on Tuesday, two sources said. The airline said its flight schedule would remain unchanged. James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, which bought into Alitalia in 2014, said the Italian airline required "fundamental and far-reaching restructuring to survive and grow in future". "Without the support of all stakeholders for that restructuring, we are not prepared to continue to invest," he said in a statement. The company is currently losing about 1m a day. (Reuters) Power demand in India is set to surge as Asia's third-largest economy grows and more people move into the cities. India estimates peak electricity demand will more than quadruple in the next two decades to 690 gigawatts (GW), which would require rapid growth in generation and transmission capacity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is targeting $100bn (91bn) in investment in the next five years. That potential, helped by cheaper solar material costs and government efforts to curb pollution, is drawing global investors. They include Canada's top pension fund managers - Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), and Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan (OTPP). Investors' focus is primarily on solar power generation, funding large-scale solar parks. CDPQ, which has $119bn(109bn) in net assets, says it plans to invest in India's solar sector with Azure Power, a New York-listed firm. "We plan to do more with them. Our approach is really to pick the right partner and then build a platform that can be sustained over several years," said Anita George, CDPQ's South Asia head, adding she wouldn't rule out investing in other solar ventures. Other international investors have already entered India's renewable energy sector, such as Dutch fund manager APG, Canada's Brookfield Asset Management, the private equity arms of Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, and European utilities EDF, Engie and Enel. "We expect to be able to announce another investment in the Indian renewable energy sector in the coming months," said Hans-Martin Aerts, APG's Asia Pacific infrastructure head. Alok Verma, an executive director at Kotak Investment Banking, which has advised firms on renewable deals, said he expects at least 5 GW of solar power to be added from next year, most of it supported by overseas funds. Solar-power generation capacity in India has more than tripled in less than three years to over 12 GW, helped by lower module prices and borrowing costs, and a government drive - but that is still only around 4pc of total power capacity of about 315 GW. China - the world's biggest solar producer - more than doubled its capacity last year, to 77.42 GW. Suyi Kim, Asia Pacific head at CPPIB, Canada's largest pension manager, said solar appears more appealing in India than wind power. "In India, my impression is that solar seems to be more attractive. But it's case by case," she said. While deal sizes have been relatively small, some companies such as Japan's SoftBank, along with partners, have pledged to invest $20bn in Indian solar power generation projects. "Getting returns on investments ... and getting paid by distribution companies are the major risks," said Sumant Sinha, CEO at ReNew Power, a renewable energy firm backed by Goldman. Intermittency - power is only produced under bright sunlight - is another issue. "Based on current market conditions and policies, I see a path to 65-70 GW (solar capacity) by 2022, but not more," said Mercom CEO Raj Prabhu. That's still some way short of the government pledge for 100 GW by 2022. "To reach 100 GW by 2022, distribution company finances need to improve drastically, power demand has to increase quickly, and transmission infrastructure needs to keep up," Prabhu said. (Reuters) You might assume that festival goers who were left stranded on an island by the organisers of the cancelled Fyre Festival would want to get their refunds and run. You'd be wrong. According to a member of the festival's management team, most of them have expressed interest in returning for next year's event rather than get their refund. Festival co-founder Billy McFarland last week insisted that he, and fellow co-founder Ja Rule, intend to go ahead with the event next year. Forms for refunds have been sent to every guest, but they have all been offered VIP passes for next year in lieu of cash. Speaking to Rolling Stone, the management team member said, "Once the refund application process is complete, we will start sharing news on plans for Fyre Festival 2018. "Currently 81% of guests who have filled out the refund application have said they would like to attend Fyre Festival 2018. We are so thankful for their support and excitement as we strive to make this right." That's a mighty high figure considering the chaos guests were met with on arrival on Grand Exuma in the Bahamas. The "private villas" were disaster relief tents used by the United Nations and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), most performers had cancelled, and the US Embassy in the Bahamas had to intervene to get some American guests back home. Billed as a luxury event, and promoted by celebs including Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, the reality was anything but. One guest is suing the organisers for $100m while, according to The Hollywood Reporter, three more are also now suing for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud. Video of the Day Harry Crosbie took no salary for nearly three years from his last remaining business, the Vicar Street music venue in Dublin, but did draw some 1.7m from it to pay for his living and trading expenses, the Commercial Court heard. During that period, 2013-16, he paid around 30,000 in income tax, the court also heard. Mr Crosbie said he had been advised, after most of his businesses were taken over by Nama, not to draw a salary or profits until a dispute with Ulster Bank over the amount of rent on Vicar Street was sorted out. He was being cross-examined by Paul Sreenan SC, for Nama, in its efforts to execute 77m judgment it obtained against him in 2014. Mr Crosbie had supplied statements of affairs in advance of his appearance, which showed he had made loans, gifts and transfers of cash to his wife Rita, to her Grand Canal dock "Cafe H" business and to his daughter. Those transfers were done on the basis of financial advice to make the best use of cash within the family businesses. He accepted he had paid the mortgage on his daughter's 700,000 home in Booterstown from Vicar Street takings and that he had paid the local property tax for that house, as well as for a house owned by his wife in Wexford. While that tax should not have been paid, he expected he would get back the money back from his daughter, as this was a loan. He said his son Simon's home in Booterstown had originally been put in his (Harry's) name to save on stamp duty, but he now realised that had been an error of judgment, as it had also been used as security for his indebtedness. Mr Crosbie said, however, that as part of an agreement, Nama had agreed to release any claim over both his son's home and over his (Harry's) home in Hanover Quay, Dublin. He had transferred his 50pc interest in the family home to his wife and did not know the value of it, nor had he asked to know "because I was in Nama". He said efforts were being made to sell three apartments he part-owned in France, but he believed the price tag would have to drop if they were to sell. He had transferred his share in another property on the Cote D'Azur to his wife, he said. Asked about why Vicar Street, which was also excluded from the Nama claim, was valued at 6m in 2012 and minus-4.2m four years later, Mr Crosbie said this was partly due to issues over rent arrears to Ulster Bank, which the court heard had originally bought the property and rented it to Mr Crosbie at between 700,000 and 850,000 per annum. Mr Crosbie said after the economic crash, the venue was not making enough money to pay that level of rent sought. Aiken Promotions rents the premises from Mr Crosbie at 400,000 while Mr Crosbie runs the bars and provides maintenance. Mr Crosbie said there was no written contract with promoter Peter Aiken, and they had operated on the basis of a handshake. The minus-4.2m valuation was also due to problems in relation to title relating to the overall property, which had been extended by renting adjoining buildings, he said. The valuation was also on the basis of a similar approach used when Mr Crosbie's share in the other major venue he founded, the Point Depot, now the O2, was sold by Nama to meet his debts. The Point was sold for some 35m, or about six times its profitability, he said. Using that equation, and taking into account the 4.1m rent arrears, that was how the Vicar Street valuation was arrived at. Mr Crosbie said he believed that the entire Point Village development - which includes a shopping centre, hotel and cinema - was worth tens of millions and would be more than enough to pay off his debt. However, he said he was unable to find out what was going on with it because of Nama's "secrecy". The mother of a man charged with supporting international terrorism in Waterford has said that the events of recent days were "very shocking". Hassan Bal (25) is charged with acting to support a foreign terrorist organisation, and was remanded in ongoing custody by Waterford District Court after his bail application was rejected. The court heard that the Garda investigation into the alleged funding of an overseas terrorist organisation involved the FBI, Interpol and London's Metropolitan Police. Mr Bal appeared before Judge Kevin Staunton on two charges of attempting to provide and providing funds for a foreign terrorist organisation. The charges were brought contrary to the Criminal Justice - Terrorist Offences Act, 2005. Judge Staunton was told that Mr Bal was arrested at an address off O'Connell Street in Waterford shortly before 10am last Thursday. He was brought to Waterford Garda Station, where he was later charged. Det Inspector Anthony Pettit and Det Sergeant Donal Donohue said Mr Bal made no reply when the two charges were formally put to him. Mr Bal was remanded in custody after his first court appearance last Friday, but solicitor Ken Cunningham yesterday made a bail application on his client's behalf. Inspector Tony Lonergan confirmed the State was opposing the application under Section 2 of the Bail Act, 1997. Det Sgt Donohue said the State was objecting to bail given the serious charges involved, the nature of the alleged evidence, the fact the charges carry a maximum sentence on conviction of up to 20 years, that gardai believed Mr Bal was a flight risk, and the fact he no longer has a permanent address in Ireland. Mr Cunningham told the court that Mr Bal's mother, Dr Caroline Ward-Fahy, a psychologist, was willing to provide independent surety for him. He said his client was entitled to the presumption of innocence and would comply with all bail terms required. Dr Ward-Fahy assured the court that all bail conditions required by the Garda would be complied with by her son. "It is very shocking," she said about the events of recent days. "He will do that [obey all bail conditions] as a duty to God, because his mother is a very important part of his faith. "Since my son was born, if I tell him to do anything, he will do it. I am aware that he is innocent. "My son is obedient to me because of his faith - children who are really good Muslims [obey parental guidance]." Dr Ward-Fahy, who specialises in the treatment of children with autism, insisted that she would take full responsibility for her son if he was granted bail and confirmed that he would live with her at her Waterford home. Mr Bal is an Irish citizen but was born in the UK. He has been resident in Ireland for 14 years and has lived in Waterford for 10 years. He holds an Irish passport and his UK-born wife is currently pregnant. Mr Bal is training to be an electrician in Waterford, but currently has no major source of income. Judge Staunton said he accepted Dr Ward-Fahy was "very genuine" in her submissions to the court, but he had to take note of the evidence offered by Det Sgt Donohue. He refused bail and remanded Mr Bal in ongoing custody to appear again before the district court on May 9. The two charges relate to dates of October 2 and October 23, 2015. Mr Bal has already been granted free legal aid. The charges followed a Garda operation which was assisted by Interpol, the FBI and London's Metropolitan Police. The Garda operation was focused on the collection and distribution of funds which, they feared, could have been intended for radical Islamic groups operating overseas. BUENOS AIRES, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Argentine Minister of Trade Miguel Braun Tuesday highlighted the importance of working together with China, saying his government will continue to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. He made the remarks at a trade and investment forum in Buenos Aires between a delegation of over 20 Chinese businessmen and their Argentinean counterparts seeking to deepen bilateral exchanges as both countries celebrate the 45th year of diplomatic ties. Braun said his government believes there is a phenomenal opportunity to do business in Argentina for the next 20 years, calling the forum an opportunity to show Argentina's natural potential to satisfy strategic demands, such as food security. "Our government has a commitment to working with you to ease investments and trade," added the minister. Braun told the Chinese entrepreneurs that his country was putting together the most ambitious infrastructure plan in Argentina's history, including investments worth a total of 260 billion U.S. dollars. Yang Wanming, China's ambassador to Argentina, said he was convinced that "this closeness will lead to long-term entrepreneurial strategies. This year coincides with the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Over this period, cooperation has been the basis of the relationship." The diplomat called on both sides to "intensify exchanges between companies and localities to make them more fluid. We see in a positive light the opportunities for development in Argentina." Rodolfo Villalba, vice-president of the Argentine Agency for International Investment and Trade, added that "Argentina enjoys a special status as a comprehensive strategic partner of China." China, for Argentina, is "not just an opportunity in terms of markets, but to receive direct and financial investment, to develop the projects which are beginning to develop in the country," said Villalba, "Argentina also represents a highly attractive opportunity for China, in the areas of energy, mining and natural resources." "Argentina must look at China with renewed interest to seek new opportunities. The business environment has become highly agreeable over the last year. We can confirm that the bilateral business relationship is solid and will grow more in the years to come. China is a friendly country which can offer us multiple opportunities," Villalba added. It could be you: Dolores McNamara from Limerick toasts her 115m win in the EuroMillions draw in 2005. Photo: David Conachy Euromillions jackpot winner Dolores McNamara yesterday received 8,401 in a court settlement arising from her claim for damages after a road collision. The settlement at Killaloe District Court, sitting at Brian Boru on the Hill licensed premises in Ballina, will add only fractionally to Ms McNamara's current estimated fortune of 105m. The 8,401 is also less than half the 17,500 the mother-of-six (56) can earn in monthly interest payments from her vast wealth. However, it is understood that the principle involved and a wish to have her position vindicated, rather than the money, was the issue for Ms McNamara. She took the court action against William Butler, of Ballyhea, Charleville, Cork, over the road collision, in which her Mercedes sustained "extensive material damage" on October 27, 2015. Ms McNamara remains Ireland's biggest-ever EuroMillions jackpot winner with her 115m prize in 2005. Evidence in the case was due to be heard before Judge Aeneas McCarthy yesterday, but when the case was called, Ms McNamara's solicitor David Scott said that talks were ongoing outside court and asked for more time. Shortly after, Sandra Barnwell, counsel for Mr Butler, returned to court and told the judge that "a compromise has been reached" and the hearing would not be going ahead. The settlement spared Ms McNamara the requirement to give a sworn eyewitness account of what happened on the date of the collision. Private Mr Scott said that an order in the amount of 8,401 could be made in favour of Ms McNamara, plus costs -which included the costs of an engineer's report. No admission of liability was made in the case. The fiercely private Ms McNamara sat at the back of the courtroom while the judge heard other cases on the list. She exited the licensed premises through a side entrance at the end of her own case without being photographed. Ms McNamara lives at Lough Derg Hall, Ogonnelloe, and it was near her home that the mid-morning collision took place on October 27, 2015, at Ballyloughnane, Ogonnelloe. It is understood that no report of anyone sustaining physical injuries was reported at the time to gardai. It is believed that Mr Butler's white commercial Ford vehicle came around a bend and Ms McNamara had pulled in her Mercedes alongside a ditch and was stationary in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid a collision. It is not known the level of damages that Ms McNamara was seeking as a result of her civil action. However, the maximum that can be claimed in the district court is 15,000. The Sunday Independent Rich List recently put a value of 105m on Ms McNamara's wealth. Six months after her win, she spent 2m on Lough Derg Hall at Ogonnelloe, which overlooks Lough Derg. The HSE and fire safety officers had serious concerns over the property (Stock Image) A FOUR-bed house and adjoining buildings which are allegedly used as a hostel for up to 40 people must be vacated immediately by High Court order. A receiver over the property at Lucknow, on the Dublin Road near Kildare Town, obtained the order after the court heard the HSE, Kildare Co Council and the local fire safety officer have serious concerns over the manner the property is being occupied. Michael McAteer, who was appointed receiver over the property, sought injunctions against a Victor Golis, and all persons unknown, who are residing there. Mr McAteer was appointed in 2013 by Bank of Ireland over the property and over several other assets of its owner, businessman John Quinn. Mr McAteer, of Grant Thornton, claims the property has been occupied in a dangerous manner and has put at risk the lives of those staying there. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan granted the injunctions "in the interest of public health and safety". He was satisfied to make orders restraining the defendants from remaining on the property, and granted the receiver possession of the site. The defendants were also restrained from interfering with, impeding or obstructing Mr McAteer or his agents in course of his function as receiver over the property. The residents must also remove their property and personal belongings from the site and that they cannot attend at or nearby the Lucknow property, the judge ordered. The injunctions are to remain in place pending the full hearing of the matter. The receiver's proceedings are also against Mr Quinn, Woodside House, Dunstown Brannockstown, Co Kildare. The judge adjourned the case against him for three weeks after Mr Quinn gave an undertaking not to attend at or interfere with the property. Mr Quinn said he is currently working in the UK and said he did not have any dealings with the property for some time. However the receiver rejects this and alleges that has been seen around the property. Mr McAteer says that since his appointment, he had not got co-operation from the residents at Lucknow or any rent. It is believed Mr Golis had resided at the property, and had been collecting rent from the others. However the receiver is not certain who exactly is currently residing there. Counsel for the receiver said that it had been estimated that 40 people had at one point been living at the property. The main house had been subdivided into six bedsits and several temporary structures had been built. The electricity has been cut off and was now being powered by a generator. An unauthorised dump, where end of life cars have been left, has also been found on the property, the court heard. The septic tank at the site was overflowing. Loans of about 5,000 a year, which graduates would repay after their income hit certain levels, are among the options being considered as a means of boosting funding for third level. Stock Image Higher taxes are the alternative to a student loan system, the Oireachtas education committee was told yesterday. Dr Aedin Doris, of Maynooth University, who has written a paper on student loans, said if there was an acceptance that higher education needed more money, there was "no way to do it cheaply". She was replying to comments made by committee chair and Fianna Fail TD Fiona O'Loughlin, who told a hearing that no matter how it was done, there was a need to invest more in higher education. "We have listened to leaders from the universities and institutes of technology and they are absolutely in crisis," said Ms O'Loughlin. The committee, which is conducting a series of hearings into higher education funding, yesterday listened to two opposing sides in the student loan debate. Loans of about 5,000 a year, which graduates would repay after their income hit a certain levels, are among the options being considered as a means of boosting funding for third level. Dr Doris said she would not favour a student loan scheme if she thought it would interfere with access to college, but there was no evidence that it would. Independent senator Lynn Ruane expressed concern that well-off families would pay fees up front, while poor students would be left with debts. Dr Darragh Flannery of the University of Limerick said evidence elsewhere was that the loans were better value than paying up front. Dr Charles Larkin of Trinity College Dublin, who has co-authored a paper critical of income-contingent loans, said there was a danger that loan scheme would deter people from less well-off backgrounds, who tended to be risk averse. He said people were more risk averse since the financial crisis. Meanwhile, applications to the CAO for college entry in the autumn are about the same as last year, at 80.345. Newly-released figures take account of 4,259 late applications made before May 1, and compare with 80,323 at this time last year, while up from about 76,000 in May 2012. The next phase in the CAO process is what is known as the Change of Mind period, which opens on Friday, when applicants have an opportunity to vary their course choices. Although overall demand for a college place in 2017 is flat, when compared with 2016, swings in demand for different disciplines will impact on points required for certain courses. This year has seen a bounce in interest for courses in business, construction and traditional professions such as law and architecture, while education and engineering/technology have seen a dip, although some applicants may change their mind before July 1. Mattia Nardon, from Cobh Community College, and Rithik Makker, from Colaiste Muire, Cobh, celebrate winning the overall prize in the Trend Micro Whats Your Story video competition. Photo: Cathal Noonan Students are increasingly concerned about the need for balance in their digital lives. Entries to the annual video competition to promote online safety, What's Your Story, overwhelmingly demonstrated that Irish teenagers are very aware of nomophobia and social media addiction. Mattia Nardon, Cobh Community College, and Rithik Makker, Colaiste Muire, Cobh, won the overall prize in the Trend Micro competition for their video entitled 'Power Off'. "This year we asked students 'what would you change about your digital life?' and more than two-thirds of the entries related to obsessive social media behaviour and how smartphones consume such a huge part of their lives," said Nicola Buckley, What's Your Story programme manager. Communities that choose not to allow flood defences to be erected will have to "understand the consequences", Office of Public Works (OPW) Minister Sean Canney has warned. While in some cases only an engineering solution would provide the appropriate level of protection, Mr Canney said people could not be "forced into a solution" and extensive public consultation would be required to determine the best approach. His comments come after the Irish Independent this week revealed that the State will have to spend almost 850m building defences across at-risk communities, to avoid damages of up to 3.2bn in the event of a worst-case scenario. Works to protect almost 26,000 properties in major towns and cities across almost all counties are required, with almost 200km of flood defence walls proposed, some up to three metres high. Read more: Dozens of towns will never get protection from floods because sums do not add up However, people living in some at-risk areas including Cork city insist that the proposed measures will destroy its historic setting and character, and have called for them to be redesigned. "There have been public consultation days through the whole process, and amendments are being built into each plan based on what local people are saying," Mr Canney said. "The public have a right to make submissions. "We have issues where people don't want big, high defence walls. You will have a conflict between what to the eye might not look right, but to protect properties you might have to put in. If people don't want something, they will have to understand the consequences. "At the end of the day, if only an engineering solution will provide protection and people don't want it, what can you do? You can't force people into a situation. We have a huge consultation process, and will take views on board, but at the end of the day a decision has to be made." Some 430m has been allocated for flood defences between 2016 and 2021 under the capital spending plan. Since 1995, around 430m has been spent, which has resulted in 12,000 properties across the State being protected. Details of the schemes required to address flooding in urban at-risk areas will be sent to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for sign-off in the coming weeks, after which priority projects will be identified. Flood Defence Works Interactive Map This tool sets out the cost of installing flood defences, the damages which might arise and number of properties under threat, in the most at-risk areas across the State. It is based on data from the draft Flood Risk Management Plans, produced by the Office of Public Works (OPW), following extensive surveys of 90 coastal communities, and more than 6,500kms of river channel. The country is divided into 29 Units of Management (UoMs), which are areas covered by a single river basin or covered by a group of smaller rivers. Given its size, works required along the Shannon are set out in three UoM. Clicking on the icons show the works required in each area. The urban area is highlighted at the top, and the UoM beneath. The cost of proposed works is set out in m. The damage uncapped figure relates to the total cost of damages to properties and infrastructure which would arise if nothing was done. The damage figure is based on the value of the properties at risk. This figure is used to determine if a scheme should go ahead if the cost of the damage is less than the cost of providing defences, the scheme may not go ahead. This is the cost-benefit ratio. If its less than one, the scheme doesnt make financial sense. The final figure is the number of properties protected. Some icons contain less information. For example, Tullig in Kerry is part of the Castleisland flood defence scheme so no information is contained. The OPW has also identified other areas as being at low risk, or says the existing flood defence regime should be maintained. In other cases it notes the need for a forecasting system, or says if a scheme is underway. Further information is at http://maps.opw.ie/floodplans/ But in some cases, the costs of completing defence works will be more than the damages expected to arise in the event of a flood. This means they may not go ahead. "You just can't walk away from the problems," Mr Canney said. "If the engineered way is beyond the costs, you might have to look at lesser schemes under the minor works programme, where schemes of up to 500,000 can be progressed by local authorities. You might also do individual property protection, and we're doing a pilot scheme in Mayo and Tipperary and expect a scheme ready for Government approval in the next couple of months, or use the voluntary relocation scheme." Some 2m has been set aside for a voluntary relocation scheme for people whose homes were flooded between December 2015 and January 2016, and who face being hit again. The average payout is likely to be some 200,000, and grants will be paid only in cases where flood protection is not available. Read more: Shannon Airport at risk of being 'swept away' as State could face 3.2bn flood clean-up bill Most, if not all, of these properties are in rural locations, and addressing flood risk outside the major urban centres will form the next part of the OPW's flood risk assessments. The minister also said that building in at-risk areas including flood plains could not be tolerated, adding that "people's memories fade" of the devastation which can arise. "People have suffered long and hard over the years. Just because we've had a very kind winter and spring, doesn't mean the problem has gone away. The seriousness isn't far from everybody's mind. We have to get on with it." Mark Dearey, owner of the Spirit Store on the quays in Dundalk. Photo: Tom Conachy John Mee knows all about flooding. An employee at Quayside Kitchens on George's Quay in Dundalk, he said the business stood no chance against a combination of the overflowing tide and heavy rainfall which struck in January 2014. "The tide very rarely overflows on to the quays, but when it does, it creates an awful nuisance," he said. "When we got word of what was happening, it was too late to do anything. "It wasn't the water from the river that did the damage. "It came up through the sewers and floor gullies - that's how the real damage happened. It ran through the whole showroom and office on the Thursday, then it came back again on the Friday and following Monday. It left an awful mess." There have been eight major flooding events in Dundalk and Blackrock in Co Louth since 2000, and the OPW says defences costing 40m are needed, to avoid damages of 135m. Read more: 'We were millimetres from disaster... we were very lucky' Some 1,461 properties need protection. Existing defences need to be assessed. New walls will be needed, roads raised and the Blackrock River lowered. Green Party councillor Mark Dearey, whose music venue The Spirit Store in Dundalk has been hit several times, said he was concerned about plans to develop homes on wetlands, which will displace floodwaters. He said: "The sea defences are not designed for tidal increases due to global warming, but nevertheless, I welcome the proposals in many respects, which will certainly save money in the long run. I'm concerned that these new houses will displace rainwater." 'It sends out the message that gardai now need to be babysat while on duty' (Stock photo) Garda management is now using satellite technology to keep tabs on rank-and-file officers dispatched to carry out checkpoints, the Irish Independent can reveal. Officers up to the rank of superintendent have been ordered to use data from Garda patrol cars and even walkie-talkie sets to determine whether roadside operations have actually taken place. Garda bosses have also ordered a series of random, routine inspections on site to ensure the verification of all checkpoint data. The move is a direct response to the recent scandal involving fake breath tests and checkpoints, which has severely undermined public confidence in the force. Last week, the Irish Independent revealed that Garda management launched an investigation into "irregularities" involving checkpoints in the Cork region. Read more: 'If there's nothing to hide then what's the problem?' - Independent.ie readers react to garda demand for filming ban Gardai are suspected of having set up false checkpoints while on the clock. The probe focuses on whether they logged the details of checkpoints in the Garda Pulse system that were never actually manned. Sources stressed the issue was being taken particularly seriously by Garda headquarters, given the series of discrepancies surrounding Garda figures that had emerged in recent weeks. A Garda spokesperson said no disciplinary action had been served "to date". Fears over the accuracy of such data soared after it emerged last month that up to one million breath tests were not conducted as claimed by Garda checkpoint data records. Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan is under major pressure to assure the Government that the necessary measures are being taken over the issue of phantom figures. Now, senior officers are conducting random and routine inspections of checkpoints nationwide - and have been told to use the data from the GPS system in patrol cars as well as the signal from officers' Tetra handsets as part of their inspections. This is in tandem with the careful examination of all submitted checkpoint data. "It is one step in addressing the whole issue," a source said. "But it is considered an important step in ensuring that checkpoints are manned as directed in the locations specified and that there is absolutely no question over the records submitted." But other sources last night expressed concern that such a move by Garda management will further undermine its relationship with rank-and-file gardai. "It sends out the message that gardai now need to be babysat while on duty," said one. Read more: Two gardai under investigation after allegedly setting up fake checkpoints while on the clock The Irish Independent revealed last month a review was launched into the force's statistics on homicides, which include murder and manslaughter. The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) examined whether more than 40 homicide cases were wrongly classified. It's understood a very small number of discrepancies were found in the classification of figures. It has also been confirmed that other figures, such as domestic violence, have thrown up suspected irregularities. Ms O'Sullivan still has the confidence of the Government, despite surviving a series of no-confidence motions levelled by the Opposition. But she faces a series of difficult challenges ahead, including her appearance at the Disclosures Tribunal, which is examining the alleged smear campaign against Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Finian McGrath TD, left, and Health Minister Simon Harris at the opening of the registration period to provide children with disabilities with medical cards in Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Health Minister Simon Harris responded to the controversy over plans for the new National Maternity Hospital like "a rabbit caught in headlights", Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has claimed. Mr Martin made the remark in the Dail as his quizzed Taoiseach Enda Kenny over the furore that has erupted due to plans to move the 300m hospital to the St Vincent's hospital campus, which is owned by a religious order, the Sisters of Charity. He said: "[Mr Harris] rushed out saying he was going to write to the HSE to seek clarification on the deal. When in doubt, the ministers write to the HSE now - as if he knew nothing about it. "A rabbit caught in headlights, because the furore that developed as a result of the revelations seemed to catch him by surprise." Mr Martin also questioned why the nuns would want to own a maternity hospital. He asked for confirmation that the new hospital would have clinical independence and the Sisters of Charity would not have a majority on the board. He also asked if Mr Kenny would ensure that the State would own the hospital. Read more: Has Simon Harris, the young gun in a hurry, been finally found out? Mr Kenny insisted the hospital would have "complete clinical independence". But he said Mr Harris had asked for a month "to allow space" to discuss the question of ownership. The Taoiseach said there was agreement on co-locating the maternity hospital with a major hospital and the "need for new facilities for expectant mothers and their babies". He said the current facilities at Holles Street were inadequate, and claimed this was partly because Mr Martin allowed the situation "to drift" while he was health minister. Mr Martin asked why the Sisters of Charity wanted to own the new hospital, asking if there was a complicated financial set-up at the St Vincent's campus that prevented them from giving the property to the State. On Saturday, the Irish Independent reported that Kieran Mulvey - the mediator brought in to strike a deal in relation to moving the hospital - said the land was tied up in financial and legal agreements. Parents who don't vaccinate their children should have their child benefits halved, according to a leading Irish doctor. Dr Ruairi Hanley said that the initiative should be put in place to encourage parents to give their children access to life-saving vaccines. Less than half of adolescent girls received the HPV vaccine series last September, which Dr Hanley says has the potential to save lives in the future. "Barring exceptional circumstances, any parent who fails to complete the childhood immunisation schedule loses 50 per cent of their childrens allowance payment until the child reaches the age of 18. Overnight, this problem would be solved," Dr Hanley wrote in the Irish Medical Times. Last month, the president of the Irish Medical Organisation said that "fake news" was playing a role in declining vaccine uptake in Ireland. She expressed her concern at declining take up rates for vaccines in Ireland. Dr Ann Hogan expressed deep concern at the impact of social media campaigns and fake news about 'non-existent' risks from vaccinations. Uptake rates for the HPV vaccine amongst young girls are declining to a worrying extent on the back of fake news stories about non-existent risks from vaccinations. "As a result, we are putting the future health of young women at risk of cervical cancer and other ailments. Read More The uptake of the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella has recovered in recent years and now stands at around 91.3pc nationally. The vaccine was at the centre of an unfounded scare in the late 1990s when it was wrongly linked to autism. Figures show, however, that uptake is as high as around 97.6pc in the south east. However, there remains pockets of deprived areas where the rate of vaccination is lower. In recent years a number of catch-up campaigns have had to be rolled out to administer it to teenagers who missed out on the protection as infants. Measles remains a highly infectious viral illness that can cause serious complications. Anyone can get measles if un-vaccinated or they haven't had it before, although it's most common in young children. The infection clears in around seven to 10 days. The leader of a union for 40,000 nurses has warned that their support for any new public sector pay agreement will hinge on a special wage deal for his members. General secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Liam Doran said the Government must address the problem of recruiting and retaining nurses with higher wages. Although nurses struck a deal with the HSE worth an estimated 10m after calling off a work-to-rule earlier this year in a dispute over understaffing, they will demand further pay rises at talks on a new public sector pay deal this month. The 10m deal included a pilot pre-retirement scheme, restoration of allowances for new entrants and a 3,000 'sweetener' for nurses who return home from abroad. Mr Doran warned his union's response to any deal that may be brokered at talks will be "heavily influenced" by how understaffing is addressed. "The recent deal offers 3,000 when someone comes back as a sweetener," he said. "I don't think there's any other grade getting that kind of carrot." However, he described it as a band-aid solution to a solve a serious wound. He said the ball is in the Government's court and the solution had to involve a pay improvement for nurses and midwives at the new talks. Delegates at the union's annual conference will demand a 12pc pay rise on top of any increases given to public servants at the talks in an emergency motion tomorrow. Pay and staffing will be the dominant themes at this year's conference in Wexford, which begins today. Another motion, tabled by the Dublin South West branch, asks the union to withdraw from the Lansdowne Road Agreement immediately. It said it should then begin industrial action up to a strike. A motion tabled by the Laois branch demands the union seeks the immediate restoration of 1.4bn cuts imposed under emergency legislation. This will be Mr Doran's last conference as general secretary after 20 years at the helm of the union as he plans to retire at the end of the year. U.S. President Trump said last week that he wants South Korea, a key American ally in Asia, to foot the bill for the $1 billion THAAD missile defense system whose deployment angered China because it undermines the countrys strategic security interests and is unhelpful for ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. I informed South Korea it would be appropriate if they paid, Trump said in an interview with Reuters on April 27. Its a billion-dollar system, he added. South Koreans were caught off-guard by his comments. Is South Korea a colony that has to cough up cash whenever the U.S. wants it to? Park Hee-ju, an anti-THAAD activist, told the Hankyoreh newspaper. But Trump has long said that the U.S. shouldnt be the one who foots the bill for protecting South Korea. Trumps recent comment about THAAD isnt the first time he has seemed to openly question the relationship with South Korea. How much is South Korea paying the U.S. for protection against North Korea? Trump asked in a March 2013 tweet. NOTHING! he added. In one tweet, Trump called South Korea our economic competitor; and in another, he tried to make a point by asking how much very wealthy South Korea is paying the U.S. for protection against North Korea. In April 2013, Trump shared a video on YouTube titled, From the Desk of Donald Trump: South Korea, in which he slammed South Korea for free riding on the backs of American taxpayers. I keep asking. How long will we go on defending South Korea from North Korea without payment, Trump said in the video. They think were stupid, he added. Following the video, Trump continued his verbal attack on South Korea. The U.S. must stop being stupid, he wrote in one tweet. On Weibo, Chinese netizens are amused by the public spat between two so-called allies over who should foot the bill. Netizen dusijia0925 called the situation an example of South Korea dropping a rock on its own foot. Netizen fandudamengzhu wished Trump the best of luck on his next move, but warned China to never put its security in the hands of others. Some netizens joked that payment was due on delivery and that returns are not accepted, referring to reports that parts of the system have been moved into site and is operational with initial intercept capability. Netizen ibilin suggested tacking on another bill, saying South Korea should pay China $1 billion for the development of an anti-THAAD system. One netizen wrote, Dont anger China, adding that doing so would only bring about even more economic loss, referring to reports that the number of Chinese tourists to the country has dropped amid tensions. China is an important economic partner of South Korea. But one netizen called the move a trap, suggesting it was Trumps attempt to shakedown South Korea. Increase tension on the Korean Peninsula and then demand protection money, netizen mingmingyue_31850 wrote on Weibo. Joan Freeman, founder of Pieta House, with Miriam O'Callaghan at the Darkness into Light launch last year Photo: Arthur Carron Photo: Arthur Carron Parents and caregivers with experience of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are being invited to share their stories in the Seanad. Senator Joan Freeman, founder of suicide and self-harm charity Pieta House, is urging parents and caregivers of children and adolescents with experience of CAMHS to come forward as their stories will help shape new legislation in the area. Sen Freeman is spearheading a public consultation process that will directly impact on new legislation governing children's mental health care. She has been appointed Rappointeur to the lead the Seanad's Public Consultation Committee - and is now calling on those with experience to share their stories. "The primary focus of this Public Consultation process is to provide a forum where Child and Adolescent Mental Health service users (including children and their parents), key civil society activists, and service providers who have engaged, or are presently engaging, with mental health services in Ireland can bring their views to the Oireachtas. "Specifically, we are seeking their experience of current practice and views on how we can modernise and improve childrens mental health services in Ireland. Our public consultation takes place as the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016 moves through the legislative process, a piece of legislation designed to end the practice of admitting children to adult psychiatric units. Evidence, including that of the Mental Health Commission, indicates that there is much room for improvement in how we look after those that need it the most, and so we are calling on those who have direct experience of the current childrens mental health system to assist us in putting forward recommendations for change and be actively involved in creating public policy. Seanad Leas-Chathaoirleach and Committee Chairman Senator Paul Coghlan said: Today we are launching a call for public submissions on the area of childrens mental health in Ireland. This process facilitates direct engagement and consultation between members of the public and Seanad Eireann and allows citizens and interest groups to interact directly with Parliament and become active participants in the democratic process. The closing date for stories is 4pm on Friday May 12. Visit facebook.com/senatorjoanfreeman for details of how to submit, share and support. Irish dads have vented their fury after a commentator on the Stephen Nolan show said men had "no talent" for raising children and it was a woman's domain. During a debate on the rights or wrongs of smacking on the Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster with the head of the NSPCC Neil Anderson, writer and broadcaster Lynette Burrows said: "What is so funny, you think a chap like you has any experience of being at home all the day with children - it is something women do. "On the whole it is women's responsibility and they do it. It's like a woman telling a man how he is running an army all wrong. It's not your province. "I am a sexist and think anyone who is not a sexist is mad. Women know much more about young children than men because they do it. They have the child all the time. "Men don't have a talent for it." She said there was a "tiny percentage" of stay-at-home dads and most were furthering their own career while their wives were out at work. Many stay at home dads called into the programme to say they felt they had the talent to raise their kids. "I'm sure men can do it as well as woman," Lynette continued. "But I am not talking about exceptions, we are talking about the general rule. It's not a fashionable thing to say, but these fashions pass in five minutes. "Men do look after their children, they enjoy it and do it well. It's just not common." Read More She continued: "I didn't say women make better parents. Can men breastfeed children as well as a woman can? "I live in the real world. Men don't do it as well as women because they don't choose to do it. Of course there are jobs that are inter-changeable but women always have the children attached to them." Numerous men called in to vent their anger at the comments. Sean from Belfast said that the bond he had built with his children was "phenomenal" after he chose to become a stay-at-home dad. "Her comments are ridiculous... but I have to go," he said, "There are nappies to be changed but I'll probably need to find a woman to help me." Asked if she felt two gay men could raise a child as well without the influence of a woman, Lynette said: "There is no chance. "Children are created by men and women and they need the influence of a man and woman throughout their lives. I don't think two men or two women can give a child what they need." She added: "We do denigrate fathers by this business that any fool can do the job a mother can do. The truth is we denigrate parenthood and the contribution, vital and absolutely irreplaceable of the slightly different male input and female input - that's the way God designed it and if it is unfashionable to say that, tough luck." Peter from the Men and Boys' Initiative - which helps and advises fathers on getting access to their children - contacted the programme to voice his outrage. "The comments are disgraceful," he said. "Children do far better when they have two parents. Education is improved, involvement in crime for young boys is much less when their father was involved." This image, taken from Coast Guard video, shows the moment surfer Matthew Bryce was dramatically taken from the sea after his ordeal. Photo: PA The father of a Scottish man plucked to safety from the Irish Sea after 32 hours lost at sea on a surfboard has said getting the news of his rescue was "better than a lottery win". And Northern Irelands top surfer Al Mennie described the rescue of 22 year-old Glasgow man Matthew Bryce as miraculous. After 32 hours alone and adrift at sea, Matthews father John Bryce had doubted he would see his son alive again. The ecstatic dad expressed his gratitude to his sons rescuers. "The past 48 hours have been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions for our family and we are so grateful that Matthew has been found safe and well," said John. "To get that call from the police to say that he was alive was unbelievable. It was better than a lottery win you just cant describe it. Expand Close Rescued surfer Matthew Bryce. Photo: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rescued surfer Matthew Bryce. Photo: PA "Matthew means the world to us; he is such a strong character both mentally and physically, and we are looking forward to being reunited with him. Weve managed to speak to him briefly on the phone and he is obviously exhausted after his ordeal, but he is in good spirits and happy to be alive. "Our family cannot thank the Coastguard, RNLI volunteers and police officers involved in finding Matthew enough. "I would also like to thank our friends and family as well as the hundreds of people who offered their support on social media. "We have been overwhelmed by your support and good wishes and we will be forever grateful to every single one of you." Mr Bryce went surfing at Machrihanish beach off the Argyll coast on Sunday morning, entering the water at 11.30am. After he was reported missing, Belfast Coastguard co-ordinated a sea and shoreline search. The massive operation involved RNLI lifeboats from Campbeltown, Islay and Red Bay, the Prestwick Coastguard rescue helicopter and Coastguard rescue teams from Campbeltown, Southend, Gigha, Tarbert and Port Ellen. With hopes fading and night approaching, Matthew was finally spotted clinging to his surfboard 13 miles from land by a Coastguard helicopter at 7.30pm on Monday. Dramatic footage of the rescue taken from the Coastguard helicopter shows Matthew being winched to safety as the surfboard he clung to drifts away on the tide below. The surfer was conscious but hypothermic when found, and is now recovering from his ordeal at the Ulster Hospital. His thick neoprene wetsuit is thought to have been a key factor in allowing him to survive for so long in the cold water. Mr Bryce said yesterday he was exhausted as he paid tribute to his rescuers from a hospital bed. "I am so grateful that I am now receiving treatment in hospital," he said "I cannot thank those enough who rescued and cared for me, they are all heroes." Read More Portrush professional surfer Mennie, who has crossed the world in search of monster waves to conquer, knows first-hand the challenges Matthew faced. In 2012, Al paddled across the Irish Sea on a similar route to raise money for Chest, Heart and Stroke NI. He stressed that the journey proved treacherous, even with training. "Matthew is very lucky to have survived; I have never heard of anyone around here who has survived being in the water for that long," said Mennie. The tides between here and Scotland are notorious all over the world for how dangerous they are. "I dont know Matthew, but Im sure he was petrified. There have been very strong south-easterly winds for the last few days, and he will have been going back and forward on the tide. When I crossed that stretch, it was in very similar conditions, with no surf and very little winds, and it was still very, very difficult, even with training. "As soon as I heard where he had gone from, I had a fair idea of the path of the tide. Im not surprised they found him Im surprised he survived." Al believes that surviving in such situations is something which cannot be taught, but must be learned through experience. "Matthew knew to stay on his surfboard, which kept him out of the water, and if he was in a compact ball that would have helped him to retain body heat," he explained. "I also heard he was wearing a good, thick wetsuit, which was an advantage. Staying calm and hoping someone will come is another key element. Mental strength is as key to survival as the physical aspect." Since Matthews rescue, Al has published safety tips on his website in the hope of preventing future tragedies. "Its very important that you know which way the wind is blowing and have an emergency plan," he said. "At this time of year, places like Portrush get very busy, and a lot of people come who dont know much about the area. They put their safety in the hands of lifeguards and coastguards, but everyone should take responsibility for their own safety. "A lot of people who are rescued are panicking in 10 minutes. Matthew sustained himself for more than 30 hours. Thankfully, this guy was rescued and survived and this warning is not a fatality." Expand Close Surfer Al Mennie has described the rescue of Matthew Bryce as miraculous / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Surfer Al Mennie has described the rescue of Matthew Bryce as miraculous Alex Smith, Belfast Coastguards maritime operations controller, agreed that Matthew had been "very lucky" and that it was "unusual" to recover someone alive from the sea after that amount of time. "I would suggest that when people go out surfing they do so in pairs, so that someone can raise the alarm or get help," he said. "When Matthew is recovered we would love to hear from him, and if he wants to come in, the kettles on." Ireland is among a minority of European countries where a prayer is still read at the start of the day, although similar procedures are in place in the US, Canada and Australia. Photo: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg The Dail prayer is to be saved, despite accusations of sectarianism and threats of boycotts. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail will vote to keep the prayer alongside a new 30-second period for silent reflection. TDs debated the purpose of the prayer last night with massively divergent views emerging between the two main parties and left-wing groupings. Currently, members of the Dail rise to their feet for the Ceann Comhairle's entrance and most remain on their feet for the prayer, which is read in Irish and English. Under changes to be approved tomorrow, it will now be compulsory to remain standing. In a bid to appease non-religious members, a "moment's silence" will also now be held. Ireland is among a minority of European countries where a prayer is still read at the start of the day, although similar procedures are in place in the US, Canada and Australia. Fine Gael junior minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy acknowledged the "profile of the country has changed over the years". She said opinions were likely to differ within parties but the new arrangement would "reflect beliefs, or none". Mary Butler of Fianna Fail said retaining the prayer alongside a period of reflection would be a way of "encompassing a modern Ireland while respecting the traditions of the past". Her colleague Anne Rabbitte said: "I think it is a part of our tradition. Like all good things, we don't need to abolish all parts of our tradition." However, Sinn Fein's Aengus O Snodaigh described the situation as "a fudge". "It may be a tradition in this House and it has been in British parliaments since Queen Elizabeth I," he said. "All this state did was carry on that tradition and in doing so insulted every other single religion and every other religion that was represented in this House since. "You are specifically asked to stand and to honour and to seek the help of a lord that many people don't believe in." Mr O Snodaigh described the prayer as "quite sectarian". Solidarity-PBP TD Ruth Coppinger described the proposal as "baffling" and took particular offence at rules specifying that TDs must stand for the prayer. "Now there's going to be a requirement, a compulsion, an obligation for all TDs to stand. It takes away any voluntary nature of it. And potentially disciplinary action if they don't comply," the Dublin West TD said. "At a time when the rest of society out there is demanding a separation of Church and State, the Dail decides to embed an archaic practice." She also questioned the onus on the Ceann Comhairle to read the prayer. "Can we ever then have a Ceann Comhairle who is not a Christian?" she asked. Brid Smith said if the new rules were passed, she would refuse to stand for the prayer. "This is the year 2017. The country has moved on. Could this house please move with the people, move with the times and realise that we need to separate Church and State?" she said. A number of Independent TDs, including Mattie McGrath and the Healy Raes, will vote in favour of retaining the prayer. FORMER minister Alex White appears set for a return to politics as a Labour Party councillor on Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Mr White, who was Minister for Communications from July 2014 until last years general election, wants to be co-opted onto the council to replace Cllr Carron McKinney. Cllr McKinney is stepping down due to work commitments, creating a vacancy that will be in the gift of the Labour Party. Im interested in the position. Ive stayed involved in the party since the election and worked on a lot of policy stuff internally, Mr White told Independent.ie. The senior counsel lost his seat as a TD for Dublin South last February in what was a disastrous election for the Labour Party. However he has remained active on the ground since and party bosses are fully aware of his desire to stay involved, stay active. The decision of who to co-opt in the place of Cllr McKinney will fall to the members of Labours Stillorgan ward which she represents. Mr White acknowledged that other candidates could put their names forward. Asked whether his potential re-entry to local politics is a signal that he will bid to regain his seat at the next general election, Mr White said: Ill take one step at a time. Well see. Prior to serving as Communications Minister, Mr What was Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Primary Care. He previously worked as a councillor on South Dublin County Council from June 2004 and was Deputy Mayor in 2006/2007 before becoming a senator in 2007 and eventually a TD in 2011. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is under construction. (Photo by Yuan Jirong from Peoples Daily) The Maldives, an archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean, will soon realize its dream to have a bridge with the assistance from a Chinese company. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, named by Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, will span from eastern edge of Male island to the western corner of the island of Hulhule, where the international airport is located. Lack of bridges has been a bottleneck in the development of the South Asian island country. Local residents, over the past years, had to travel among the islands by ferry. Against such backdrop, the bridge under construction is high on the priority list of the island country and its president. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Yameen said that the day China agreed to construct the bridge was one of the happiest days in his life. The bridge, a dream for generations of Maldivians, is also a cornerstone for the nations future, the president added. It was Yameen who proposed to name the cooperation project as China-Maldives Friendship Bridge when Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to his country in September 2014. A Maldivian woman carrying a baby visits the construction site of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. (Photo by Yuan Jirong from Peoples Daily) Local public even hailed the bridge as a millennium project of the country. Though the country comprises a territory spanning nearly thousand islands, most of its citizens live on the islands of Male, Hulhule and Hulhumale. In the past, there was a road connecting Hulhule and Hulhumale islands, but ferries served as the only mode of transportation between Male and Hulhule islands. The roads on Male, an island covering less than 1.8 square kilometers, are so narrow that it is hard to drive a truck. The bridge, upon completion, will link the three islands together so that the country can embrace a jump in growth. It will also boost the economy of the atoll chain and improve the living conditions of people residing on the Male island. Mohamed Muizzu, Maldivian Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, told the Peoples Daily that the bridge will open the door of development for the Maldives, a country different from others in topographical condition. The construction commenced on December 30, 2015, and is expected to be completed on August 20, 2018, said Lin Shukui, head of the technical team of the project, adding that 50 percent of the work has been finished so far. The project was contracted by Second Harbor Engineering Company affiliated to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). Though a heaven for tourists, the Maldives is a hell for construction workers, Liu Ling, a representative sent by the Ministry of Commerce to the project described the harsh challenges when building the bridge. The strong sea wind, unstable ocean currents, torrential water flow, coral reef, as well as a high degree of radiation, humidity and salinity all posed roadblocks for the construction. The waves rising without any breeze on the sea can reach three meters, while the water is as deep as 27 to 46 meters. The Chinese constructors finally overcame the obstacles by exploring new ways and optimizing the designs. Working in temperatures as high as 32, the constructors with safe accommodation were often soaked with sweat and had to drink as much as five liters of water each day. While in the rainy seasons, they would be threatened by the dengue fever and H1N1 Influenza virus. The environment protection was given priority in the construction. The welder, for instance, would take a bucket to collect the rubbish generated by the welding operation. All the industrial waste and household garbage were disposed, and the sea was kept so clean that small sharks can be seen in the water. Harboring a desire for the bridge, many locals frequented nearby areas to check the progress, Lin said, adding that the local government also set up an observation desk equipped with telescope near the technical team, so that local residents can get the latest updates in a timely manner. Both Maldivian officials and the public spoke highly of the project, using simple Chinese like Good and Thank you to express their gratitude to China. My father is proud of my job, said Amira Latheef, the human resources head of the project. I choose to learn Chinese because China is much stronger and the Chinese language is more popular, said Amira, who once studied Chinese in China. The engagement of the Maldives in the Belt and Road initiative has brought us a great deal of new opportunities, added Amira. Sinn Fein hopes "nobody else" in the party is involved in any criminal activity following the conviction of ex-councillor Jonathan Dowdall for threatening to kill a man. The party has sought to distance itself from the former Dublin city councillor who described himself as a friend of Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald. The Special Criminal Court, which Sinn Fein wants to abolish, was told last week that he "waterboarded" and "tortured" Alexander Hurley. He also threatened to feed Mr Hurley to dogs and burn his head at the stake. Shortly after the hearing, Ms McDonald issued a statement saying she was "deeply shocked" at the nature of the attack. Ms McDonald's colleague Eoin O Broin has now said he hopes the sentence is "commensurate with the seriousness of the crime that he has been convicted of". Asked whether he was confident nobody else in Sinn Fein could be engaged in criminal activities, Mr O Broin replied: "I would hope there is nobody else in the party involved in any type of criminal activity in that way. "If I thought I knew of anybody else involved I'd report it first to the guards and then to the party structures. So no, I don't believe that's the case. " Mr O Broin acknowledged his party was welcoming a conviction in a court it wants abolished. "My understanding is that he was convicted through a confession so it makes no difference what court he was convicted in," the Dublin West TD told the Irish Independent. He was speaking at the launch of a Sinn Fein policy document on domestic violence accommodation. Ms McDonald was scheduled to attend the event but was replaced by TD Louise O'Reilly. A son of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane has been announced as a Sinn Fein election candidate. John Finucane will try to unseat outgoing Democratic Unionist deputy leader Nigel Dodds in what is set to be one of the most high-profile of Northern Ireland's 18 constituency battles. Mr Finucane, also a lawyer, has been at the forefront of his family's long legal battle to secure answers about the notorious 1989 murder. "I'm very proud to have been nominated to go forward for selection as the North Belfast Sinn Fein candidate for upcoming Westminster election," he tweeted. Pat Finucane, 38, who represented a number of high-profile republicans, was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries in front of his wife and three children at their north Belfast home in February 1989. The killing, one of the most controversial of The Troubles, is shrouded in controversy amid allegations the security forces colluded with the gunmen from the outlawed Ulster Defence Association (UDA). The family has so far failed in legal bids to make the Government see through a commitment made during peace process negotiations at Weston Park in 2001 to hold a public inquiry. Judges have upheld the Government's right to balance public interest factors, such as costs, when, years later, it opted to commission a review of case papers by QC Sir Desmond de Silva rather than instigate an inquiry. In publishing his findings in 2012, Sir Desmond detailed shocking levels of state involvement in the case. That included spreading malicious propaganda suggesting Mr Finucane was sympathetic to the IRA; one or possibly more police officers proposing him as a target to loyalists; and the mishandling of state agents inside the UDA who were involved in the murder. While he found no evidence of an overarching conspiracy by the authorities to target the solicitor, Sir Desmond said the actions of a number of state employees had "furthered and facilitated'' the shooting. He also said there had been efforts to thwart the subsequent criminal investigation. While he was prime minister, David Cameron apologised to the Finucane family in the House of Commons. Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly, the party's previous Westminster candidate, nominated Mr Finucane. "I am confident that in John Finucane we can return a nationalist MP for the first time in the history of North Belfast and between now and June 8th we will be pulling out all the stops to make this possible," he said. Ms McDermott, aged in her late 20s, was living in Dublin and was engaged to be married to fiance Colin ONeill from Portmarnock, Co Dublin The young woman who died in a house fire in Limerick was engaged to be married. Grace McDermott lost her life in the tragic blaze which ripped through the house she was staying at in Annacotty, Limerick, in the early hours of Monday morning. Ms McDermott, in her late 20s, was living in Dublin and was engaged to be married to fiance Colin O'Neill, from Portmarnock, Co Dublin. She was a lecturer at Dublin City University and was a scholarship postgraduate student, studying for a PhD in communications. Ms McDermott travelled to Limerick with a female friend to participate in the Barrington's Hospital Great Limerick Run on Sunday. As she lined up, she posted a photo with a final message on her Twitter account. "Here we go," she wrote. A woman and three male university students managed to escape from the burning house and raise the alarm. Firefighters later removed Ms McDermott's remains from a first-floor bedroom. More tests are being carried out at the house and gardai are not treating the fire as suspicious. Her parents are understood to have travelled to Ireland from New York yesterday. Ms McDermott co-founded the popular academic website and blog 'Women Are Boring' which highlights thought-provoking research done by women, in every field from arts, politics, science and technology. Ms McDermott co-founded the popular website with Catherine Connolly. A tribute to was posted on the website yesterday morning. "So devastated to share the news that our co-founder @grace_mcdermott died tragically yesterday. Women Are Boring is now on hiatus for a while. "I will continue the project (Grace would be so mad if I stopped!) but will need a little time. Thanks to all for your support." We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Speaking to Independent.ie Ms Connolly said the project was Grace's passion and it will be continuing into the future. Members of UL Bohemians who escaped from the fire were too upset to talk to the media. UL Bohemians spokesman Tony Quilty said the players who survived the fire were "devastated", while expressing his sympathies to the family of Ms McDermott. "My concern now is just for our lads, it was a tragic house fire," said Mr Quilty. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the lady that has tragically died." Making the most of it Spokesmum Laura Erskine for mummypages.ie has some great ideas to cut down on the costs of family fun on days out. "Make a list of places you would like to visit using some of the activity guides on parenting websites. Early bookings for family shows mean that you can avail of matinee performances, while cinemas offer discounted tickets in the morning. Many places offer a special online rate - Tayto Park, for example, gives a discount of 2 per ticket. "Pick up tourist flyers from the hotel foyers which often give a discount on entrance, (eg. two-for-one entry to Sea Life aquarium in Bray, Co Wicklow or reduced admission to the Wax Museum in Dublin and National Stud in Co Kildare). "Daily deal websites such as Groupon and GrabOne allow you to set preferences for offers based on family interests. Just be sure to read the small print as these deals often offer such good value on prepaid vouchers that they must be used within a short time frame." The early weeks of pregnancy can feel like a drag, but it's not long until time starts passing at a much faster rate and the finish line is suddenly visible in the distance. As D-Day and labour draws closer, it's natural to feel a little apprehensive, particularly if it's your first baby or if you've previously had a difficult birth experience. There are, however, a few things that you can do to prepare for labour and birth - things that can help to relieve some of the trepidation that you may be feeling and help to ensure you're in the best possible place when baby decides it's time to meet its adoring public. Attend Antenatal Classes. These classes are often run in the maternity hospital, but they can also be accessed privately and locally. During the classes, you will learn all about the stages of labour, how breathing techniques can help you to manage the pain, the pain-relief options that are available, and what to expect if your baby needs to go to the SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit). You'll also learn what to expect in those first minutes and hours after baby's birth and how different your experience may be depending on whether you have a vaginal or Caesarean-section delivery The classes are a fantastic resource and a comfortable environment in which to ask any of those awkward or embarrassing questions that you may have. Classes that take place in the hospital sometimes also include a tour of the labour ward, which can be a demystifying experience as you'll find there's not a single weapon of torture in sight. Furthermore, antenatal classes are not just for first-timers. Refresher classes are available for those who have had a large gap between pregnancies or possibly had a C-section the first time around. As they say, "knowledge is power". Massage your perineum This didn't sound too appealing the first time that I heard of it, or even manageable to be honest, taking into account the size of my bump. It's claimed that massaging your perineum with a lubricant such as almond oil or Vitamin E oil, in the weeks beforehand, can help the area to stretch during childbirth and reduce tearing. It seemed to help me the second time around and anything that might work is definitely worth a try. Estimated due date is just that - estimated Approximately 5pc of babies actually arrive on their due date, and yet we place huge emphasis on it. If the day comes and goes without as much as a peep from baby, it can lead to you feeling very frustrated and completely fed up. Patience is a virtue that you may need to call upon here. Some babies just need that little bit longer to be ready, and most hospitals won't consider an induction until you are over 41 weeks pregnant The flip side of this is that other babies arrive without warning and before that aimed-for date, surprising mum and possibly leaving her totally unprepared in the process. For that reason, pack your hospital bag well in advance, and always make sure there's petrol or diesel in the car. If you have other children, make sure the person who has agreed to take care of them keeps their mobile phone switched on, and if you have your hospital chart or notes at home, make sure they're easily to hand at all times. Allow for the unexpected While we might create an ideal birth scenario in our heads, the reality is that birth can be unpredictable. In the weeks leading up to the big day, try not to over focus on a 'picture perfect' birth that you're aiming for, and allow yourself to consider the possibility that things may turn out differently. Sometimes intervention is required and while everyone accepts that mother and baby's safety is of paramount importance, it can still be upsetting if you end up needing a C-section for example, when your heart was set on a natural birth. The same can be the case if you planned a drug-free birth, but decided during labour that you needed some pain relief. Keeping an open mind is important. Speaking with trusted friends and family members about their own birth experiences can help you to feel more prepared for every eventuality. Distract from the scheduled Scheduled inductions and elective C-sections are usually planned for medical reasons and not, contrary to some suggestions, because mum is "too posh to push" or wants to give birth at a convenient time. Medical necessity aside, an elective C-section is usually a much calmer affair than its emergency equivalent, while a scheduled induction can mean that a potentially panicked middle of the night hospital run, is ruled out. In spite of appearing very civilised, organised and calm, it's not unusual to feel very nervous in the days beforehand. With the surprise element of when things will happen supposedly removed, there is great awareness about what's coming. Distraction is the best tool here. Go for a cuppa with your friends, do some last-minute shopping, get your hair done, anything that removes your focus from your flagged D-Day. And, if the night before you really can't sleep, don't torture yourself trying, watch a boxset and chill. But be warned - even babies scheduled for delivery can upset the applecart. My sixth child decided to begin his entrance into the world in the middle of an end-of-year dinner with some fellow senior infant mums. Along with providing plenty of material for the after-dinner chit-chat, his planned elective section for three weeks later became an emergency one instead! Get moving Those last few weeks can be exhausting, as the weight of a burgeoning bump and late pregnancy niggles kick in. There can be a real temptation to take up residence on the couch and only move when you absolutely have to. However, maintaining some degree of fitness in pregnancy is linked to an easier delivery and a quicker recovery. Getting out and about for a walk can help you to feel better, both mentally and physically, and as you get closer to your due date, may even encourage a comfy lodger to vacate his/her womb cocoon-like premises. In addition to this, your fitness levels can contribute to how quickly you get back on your feet after delivery. Beware of Scaremongering As advantageous as it can be to hear birth stories and coping methods from friends and family, there are always those happy to share horror stories and traumatic tales. If you find yourself in the company of someone only too keen to tell you their terrifying and dramatic childbirth anecdotes, explain that you're nervous and you'd rather not hear them. There is no point in listening to something that will only stress you further. And chances are, the story is wildly exaggerated anyway. Treat yourself Doing something nice for yourself, or taking a little break with your partner before baby's arrival is a great way to relax and get into the right frame of mind ahead of the birth. Everyone knows that the early weeks and months with a baby are pretty full on, so doing something relaxing, before your bump is too big to truly enjoy it, can help you to recharge your batteries and enjoy the special time that's left. Inform your birth partner of your wishes Chat with your birth partner ahead of your baby's birth about the ways in which you would like him/her to support you during labour. Remember to cover every eventuality. Birth partners can feel at a bit of a loss during the whole process so speaking with them in advance gives them a clear indication of what you would like and offers you the comfort of knowing that there is someone else to vocalise your wishes while you're coping with the contractions. You might decide that you'd like your partner to reveal the gender, if you don't already know, or cut the umbilical cord if that option is available to you. Talking all these things through in advance makes them more likely to actually happen. Trust your instincts Prepare as much as you can and educate yourself as much as you can, and then accept that much of it will depend on how the actual birth goes on the day. Trust your instincts and if you have any worries in the build-up, contact your doctor or midwife immediately. Above all, remember that it's not true that a baby's movements reduce as you get closer to labour or your due date. Normal fetal movements vary from baby to baby. If you notice any change in the frequency or pattern of what is normal for your baby, don't delay in seeking medical attention. Apart from all that, relax and enjoy what's left of your pregnancy. The rollercoaster of parenthood awaits! Hospital Bag Checklist For you Old nightdress or oversized T-shirt for labour 3 pairs of PJs (button front are easier for breastfeeding), or more if you know you're having a C-section Slippers Light dressing gown (hospitals are very, very warm) Several pairs of oversized dark knickers (the disposable ones tear too easily) Nursing/maternity bras 2 packs maternity pads (have more at home, at the ready) Breast pads Toiletries 3 dark-coloured towels Flip-flops for the shower Going home clothes (you'll most likely still need maternity clothes) For baby 6 babygros 6 baby vests 2 baby cardigans Baby hat Baby scratch mittens 2 baby towels Bibs Newborn nappies Cotton wool Petroleum jelly 2 baby blankets Moses basket-sized sheets *Remember all baby items should be pre-washed **Don't also forget to bring things like your phone charger, hairdryer, books/magazines, camera and above all, your hospital notes if you keep them at home. The plane was ordered to land as a safety precaution A Dublin-bound Aer Lingus flight had to turn around this afternoon after the airplane struck a flock of pigeons. The incident happened straight after take-off at 12.33pm today. The pigeons flew into flight EI451's engines shortly after it took off from Naples International Airport. It was scheduled to land in Dublin at 3pm this afternoon. All 148 passengers will now travel on an alternative flight later this evening. A spokesperson for Aer Lingus told Independent.ie: "The aircraft encountered a bird-strike during take-off. As a precautionary measure the flight returned to Naples and landed safely at 13:14 (local time). "The aircraft is now receiving maintenance attention at Naples. Guests will be brought to Dublin on an alternative flight later this evening." Premium John Downing Opinion New British prime minister Rishi Sunaks succession proves an important milestone in British political inclusivity There is an old saying in British politics that goes: The right looks for converts while the left seeks out traitors. It comes to mind when one reflects upon the election of Rishi Sunak as the UKs first non-white prime minister in a party traditionally seen as most opposed to mass immigration and the dilution of national identity via multiculturalism. (File photo) BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Despite robust passenger growth, most listed Chinese airlines failed to see increased profits in the first quarter due to rising oil prices. All publicly traded Chinese carriers have released their first-quarter reports, and most reported waning profitability as higher fuel costs hit profit margins, Xinhua-run China Securities Journal reported Wednesday. China Southern Airlines, the country's biggest carrier by passenger volume, saw net profits slump 42.44 percent year on year to 1.55 billion yuan (about 225 million U.S. dollars) in the first quarter, despite a 10.58-percent growth in business revenue to 30.97 billion yuan. Rising fuel prices pushed up China Southern Airlines' operational costs by 21 percent year on year. Pressure from higher fuel costs are reflected in other carrier reports. Air China, the country's national flag carrier, saw net profit plunge 39.8 percent year on year to 1.47 billion yuan. Hainan Airlines saw net profit drop 42 percent to 835 million yuan. Smaller carriers saw their profits declining by a small magnitude, with Juneyao Airlines and Spring Airlines registering net profit declines of 7.5 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively. China's air passenger trips rose 13.8 percent year on year in March 2017, picking up pace from the 9.8 percent increase in February, and 11.8 percent for 2016, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. China ranks second in the world in terms of air passenger and cargo, trailing the United States. Enditem May said threats had been made against Britain by European officials. Theresa May used her statement on Downing Street to accuse European politicians of seeking to influence the result of the UKs General Election in June There were nine mentions of the word Brexit, and all of the reaction to the speech has focused on the Prime Ministers accusations, but you can hear what else May had to say including on the economy, extremism and Scottish independence in the full video of the speech below. Mays speech came after meeting the Queen to mark the dissolution of Parliament, and she warned of how difficult it might be for the elections victor to get the best possible Brexit deal for UK. In the last few days we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be, she said. Britains negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the General Election that will take place on June 8. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Prime Minister was deploying distraction techniques. Theresa May is playing party games with Brexit in the hope of winning advantage for the Tories in the General Election. By winding up the public confrontation with Brussels, the Prime Minister wants to wrap the Conservative Party in the Union Jack and distract attention from her Governments economic failure and run-down of our public services. But Brexit is too important to be used as a political game in this election. He added: The Prime Minister says that no deal would lead to a different economic model for Britain. In plain terms, that means wiping out employment rights and consumer protections and giving still more tax breaks to the rich and big corporations. Thats the threat and the risk that comes from this Tory Government. Only Labour can be trusted to negotiate a Brexit deal that puts jobs and living standards first. Labour will negotiate a Brexit for the many, not the few. Not a word thats ever been used in the same sentence as the District line. When the New York Times sent transit reporter Emma Fitzsimmons to London to report on the Underground, it seems she had a different experience from your average commuter. The first unexpected thing is probably the articles headline: New York City transit reporter in wonderland: Riding the London Tube. Umm whats that now? Was the Tube just described as a wonderland? As anyone whos ever been on the Central line during rush hour (or the Piccadilly line at any time at all) knows, things are pretty far from peachy. Crowds, delays and weird smells are par for the course. Well, according to Fitzsimmons, the Tube is indeed a magical place in comparison to the New York subway. She says subway riders complain of overcrowding, constant delays, filthy stations and poor communication when problems arise. However, apparently commuters on the Victoria line used adjectives like amazing and efficient to describe service. Its very brave of Fitzsimmons to actually approach people on the Tube, let alone get positive words out of them. While Fitzsimmons does accept that Tube passengers have some complaints about the service (including strikes and steep prices), she presents it as the near-perfect equivalent to the unreliable subway. In fact, she says there is a sense that Transport for London, the agency that runs the Tube, understands the problems and is working hard to fix them. However, not all Londoners are quite ready to agree with her glowing review of the Tube. Some chose slightly different words to describe the service. However, not everyone is so quick to slam the Tube some people actually agree with Fitzsimmons. Well, mostly. But remember, this is London were talking about, so obviously people will be complaining about something. Shes having her very own Bacon Sandwich moment. When Prime Minister Theresa May made a trip to Cornwall as part of the election campaign, her visit very quickly became all about one thing: chips. She was snapped multiple times with a cone of fluffy chips in hand and the awkwardness emanating from the photos was too much for the internet to handle. Here are some of the best tweets that sum up how people felt when they gazed upon these already infamous images: Confused Disappointed Impressed Persuasive Sympathetic Deja vu A prominent image from the 2015 General Election campaign was then Labour leader Ed Miliband looking awkward while eating a bacon sandwich, while the Tories got good mileage out of a picture of Eds brother David holding a banana. Kate was at the Farms For City Children in Gloucestershire, with kids from southwest London. A baby lamb called Stinky had a very special visitor giving him a bottle of milk on Wednesday the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate met Stinky during a visit to the Farms For City Children in Arlingham, Gloucestershire a charity set up by childrens author Michael Morpurgo to teach city kids about farming. The Duchess helped the kids from Vauxhall in London plant onions, tend to a chicken coop and pot vegetable plants as well as trying her hand at pig weighing. The organisation, which has three working farms, welcomes around 3,200 children and 400 teachers a year. The Duchess came for a private lunch with the children and staff, before joining a story-time session led by Morpurgo, who founded the charity with his wife Clare in 1976. Speaking afterwards, farm manager John Goodman said: Its been good fun. The Duchess is really hands on and really good fun and brilliant with the children she has a rapport with them. Hint: It involves Russia and FBI director James Comey. A few months have passed since the US elected its new president, but for Hillary Clinton its evident that the 2016 race to the White House is still weighing deeply on her mind. Speaking to CNNs Christiane Amanpour at the Women for Women Internationals annual lunch in New York, she said she has been going through the painful process of reliving the 2016 contest while writing a book. Clinton also revealed what she believes to be some of the reasons behind her loss to Donald Trump. Herself Clinton doesnt cite just one reason for her loss, as there were many contributing factors including herself. It wasnt a perfect campaign, she said. There is no such thing. Russia She highlighted claims over Russias role over the hacking of her campaigns internal emails and subsequent release on WikiLeaks. US intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russia coordinated with Trump associates to influence the election, something Russia has denied. He (Russian President Vladimir Putin) certainly interfered in our election, Clinton said. And its clear he interfered to hurt me and help my opponent. FBI director James Comey Clinton said that James Comeys letter on October 28 in combination with the WikiLeaks incident raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off. In fact, she went as far as to say: If the election were on October 27, I would be your president. However, these claims havent best pleased Trump, who has hit back on Twitter. Misogyny When asked by Amanpour whether she was a victim of misogyny, Clinton said that she thought sexism did play a role. She said that misogyny is very much a part of the landscape politically, socially and economically. Later Tuesday evening, while accepting an award from Planned Parenthood, Clinton told a crowd of more than 1,000 that there is still much to do to advance the rights and opportunities of women and girls. She wanted to go out with a bang. In a school yearbook filled with smiling faces and names, one student made sure she stood out from the rest with a truly memorable message. Savanna Tomlinson, a 17-year-old student at Treasure Coast High School in Port St Lucie, Florida, chose to submit an unconventional quote to sit alongside her graduation photo, writing: Anything is possible when you sound Caucasian on the phone. Savanna explained: I just wanted to leave a lasting impression on my class with something that was comical but still included a bit of truth about American life. Savanna said the quote was mainly inspired by a post shed spotted on Instagram a few months earlier of a guy whod apparently been given a free plane ticket and attributed it to being able to sound white on the phone. This is that post: She added that it was also inspired by some experience of her own: I realised that it actually does work when I was trying to find an after school job lol. The response to the quote from her friends was mainly shock that shed actually done it, but her mum wasnt so impressed. She asked me why I would choose that and told me she would talk to me about it later, she said. My mom didnt bring it up when she got home but she told me to tell my dad when Im ready to let him see the quote. The reaction to the photo has been massive, with many agreeing with the sentiment. Someone also commented on the contrast between the smiling image and the cutting quote. Messages of good luck for the future have also come flooding in. When I tweeted it I had an idea in my head what if this goes viral but I must say I never expected this much attention, she said. Having the two so close together is a rare political circumstance. This year political geeks are preparing themselves for a highly unusual event local and general elections being contested just weeks apart. But will the local elections be an indicator for how people will vote in June? And what should you be looking out for on the night? The party in power nationally can often suffer during local elections as voters take the opportunity to express any grievances they may have with the government by voting for the opposition. But this time the Conservatives are expecting to take the most votes in both the local elections and the General Election. There are a few reasons why theyre likely to do just that. First, the rule of thumb that more people vote for the opposition in local elections generally holds true when the poll occurs in between general election cycles, said Anthony Wells, research director at polling company YouGov. He told the Press Association: It matters who is in power and who is out of power, but thats the sort of thing that is going to be upset by being very close to a General Election. He added that the two times in modern politics that both local and general elections have happened in the same year (1983 and 1987), the same party won both. Second, polls show Theresa May is more popular than Jeremy Corbyn, and third, the guiding issue in this election is Brexit something the Conservatives and the majority of the population agree with. This is bad news for Labour Professor Tony Travers, from the London School of Economics department of government, told the Press Association that if Labour lose the local elections theres almost no chance of them winning the national vote a month later. Its virtually unknown for an opposition party to win a general election when it hasnt been getting quite high percentage votes in the local elections immediately before, Travers said. On the night, watch out for the counties of Derbyshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire to test the waters for Labour support. Travers said it would be bad news for Corbyns party if it lost majority control of Derbyshire, or failed to remain the largest party in the other two counties. However, that does not mean the local elections will be an exact replica of the General Election in terms of the percentage of votes accorded to each party. Wells said that he expects the Conservatives to win the most votes in the local elections, but by a much smaller percentage than the General Election. Polling data from April in Wales shows the Conservatives winning by two percentage points in the local elections, and then by a whopping 10 points in the General Election a month later. This mirrors what happened in 1983, when the Conservatives took just a three-point lead in the local elections nationally, and then Margaret Thatcher won a landslide majority the next month. There are a few reasons for the disparity, Wells explained. There are people who actually do vote on local issues, who do vote on how well their councils are doing and whether they like their local councillor or not, so that will make a difference, he said. Also, one of the main drivers of Labour losing support is Jeremy Corbyn, and the Conservatives are obviously campaigning very hard on Theresa May personally. The fact that the votes this week arent going to put Corbyn or May in power, they will just put someone local in the town hall, will be another source of difference. If the Tory lead in the local elections is only five or six points I think youll get a lot of people saying look its much closer than we think, maybe the polls showing big leads are wrong, Labour can win, he added. But they will be barking up the wrong tree. It will just be that local elections are different to general elections. Expect the Liberal Democrats to put a spanner in the works too historically they get their biggest successes at local elections, and rumours of a Lib Dem fightback among remain voters should help them gain more council seats. However, an increase in the Lib Dem vote share in the local elections alone wont indicate more MPs in June, said Wells it matters where that support comes from. Is that support really concentrated in places that voted remain, places that have got history of having a Lib Dem MP? If thats the case they will probably win lots of MPs. Or do they just do quite well everywhere, in which case they will find that increasing support quite hard to translate into MPs. Its worth looking at what councillors are elected in constituencies that swing between Labour and the Lib Dems, for example Cardiff Central the parliamentary seat was held by Labour from 1992 to 2001, the Lib Dems in 2005 and 2010, then swung back to Labour in 2015. Will the students living there have forgiven the centrists for breaking their promise over tuition fees, or will they back Jeremy Corbyn? Local election results could be an indicator. It will also be worth keeping an eye on the Conservative-Lib Dem fight in the West Country, said Travers. He advised looking at the counties to the west of London Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, all the way down to Devon and Cornwall which has traditionally been a hotbed of Lib Dem support. You can look there at the Conservative-Lib Dem fight to see how well the Lib Dems are fighting back and whether they are beginning to make progress as a bigger opposition party again, he said. (File photo) TOKYO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has said that the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) attracting members from Asia and beyond is a positive for infrastructure development in Asia. Kuroda, former Asian Development Bank chief, said in a speech recently that in terms of infrastructure development in Asia, there was room for more than just the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. "It's simply not possible for the ADB and the World Bank to fill the gap completely in infrastructure development in Asia," The BOJ chief said during a question and answer session after a speech he made in Yokohama on Tuesday. He also noted that healthy competition among various players is a positive for infrastructure development and economic growth. Kuroda was speaking at a gathering of think tanks organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Institute ahead of the 50th annual meeting of the ADB later this week. The ADB currently comprises 67 member states and regions and has for a long time assisted developing countries with advancement projects by way of loans. The AIIB's members, however, while not including Japan or the United States, have already stood at 70, with the bank poised to make significant inroads into regional infrastructural development projects. During his speech, the BOJ chief called on policy makers to ensure that households and businesses have access to financial services, stating that this is key to poverty reduction in Asia. He also said that removing existing barriers that are currently preventing financial inclusiveness is of paramount importance to reducing poverty. Kuroda added that information and communication technology will continue to play a large part in the development of Asia by way of helping financial inclusion mechanisms to expand. The former ADB chief said that economic growth in Asia specifically over the last 50 years has been key to driving down poverty. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, gives a sermon in Amman, Jordan, during a tour of the Middle East (AP/Sam McNeil) The Archbishop of Canterbury has prayed at the River Jordan as part of a Middle East tour in which he met Iraqi Christian refugees. The Most Revd Justin Welby led prayers at the Bethany Beyond The Jordan archaeological site, believed to be the place where John the Baptist baptised Jesus of Nazareth. He called for greater support for those in need, saying: "In this place where we hear birdsong and running water we are surrounded, within a few kilometers (miles), with violence." The Middle East is home to the oldest Christian communities in the world, but large numbers have fled in recent years to escape war and Islamic extremism. The Archbishop was expected to visit Israel later in the day. AP The UK Brexit Secretary has rejected suggestions that the UK will foot a 100 billion Brexit bill, saying Brussels will only receive what it is legally owed. David Davis said the European Commission could not set a "divorce deal" figure and dismissed as "laughable" reports that UK Prime Minister Theresa May would be barred from negotiating with her counterparts. It had been believed Brussels was seeking up to 60 billion euro for Brexit, but added demands by the EU could send the figure soaring, according to the Financial Times. The UK could receive calls to contribute to post-Brexit farming payments and may be blocked from obtaining a share of EU assets, the FT said. But Mr Davis said the UK had not been presented with a consistent sum for its impending departure from the bloc. "It was 50 billion at one point, 60 billion, 100 billion, we have not seen a number," he told Good Morning Britain. "We have said we will meet our international obligations, but there will be our international obligations including assets and liabilities and there will be the ones that are correct in law, not just the ones the Commission want. Pressed on reports that the eventual divorce figure could reach up to 100 billion euro, he said: "We will not be paying 100 billion." He added: "We will do it (negotiate) in the meeting, we will do it properly, we will take our responsibility seriously. "What we've got to do is to discuss in detail what the rights and obligations are." He also claimed the EU could not bar the UK Prime Minister from joining Brexit discussions at future EU heads of government meetings while the UK remained a member state. According to reports, Brussels was plotting to limit Mrs May's Brexit discussions to direct meetings with the European Commission's lead Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier. Such a move would run contrary to Mrs May's claim that she would be negotiating directly on the terms of Brexit with fellow European leaders. Mr Davis told the programme: "The decisions in this exercise at the end of the day are taken in Council - that's a gathering of all the leaders of the European Union - and, frankly, until the day we leave, we are full members of the Union, we have every right to attend every Council and we will exercise our right. "Just as we are obeying the laws of the Union, exactly to the letter, we are also going to expect our rights. "The idea that somehow one side of the negotiation can dictate how the other side runs a negotiation is laughable. "This is an exercise in trying to shape public opinion and trying to pressurise us - it won't work." After reports that a meeting between Mrs May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Downing Street last week had seen tense moments, the PM appeared to toughen her stance. Mrs May boasted on Tuesday about being a "bloody difficult woman", with the Brexit Secretary agreeing on Wednesday that she was "tough-minded and decisive", after she dismissed the leaked account of the dinner with Mr Juncker as "Brussels gossip". The UK Prime Minister told the BBC: "During the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. "And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker." Tory MP Sir Bill Cash told the Daily Telegraph he believed Germany and the EU were trying to influence the General Election, saying: "What they are doing is trying to exploit a new kind of Project Fear and that is not going to work on the British people." Brexit looks likely to again be a major political talking point in the election campaign as Mr Barnier gives a press conference on Wednesday. Ten years ago, three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal sparking one of the largest missing persons hunts in history. The case sparked an unprecedented level of media interest but a decade later there have still been no definitive breakthroughs and her fate remains unknown. Expand Close Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday home in Portugal's Algarve region in May 2007, days before her fourth birthday / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday home in Portugal's Algarve region in May 2007, days before her fourth birthday Although rumours, conspiracies and speculation still run rife, there are a handful of more likely theories behind her disappearance. Burglary gone wrong When Scotland Yard launched its review of the investigation in 2011, officers identified a string of break-ins at apartments across the Algarve, including in Praia da Luz. They found that there had been a four fold increase in the number of burglaries in that area in the months running up to Madeleine's disappearance. The patio doors of the McCanns' apartment had been left unlocked on the night of May 3, meaning opportunistic thieves could have had easy access. The burglaries were thought to have been the work of a gang of roving thieves and police began exploring the theory that Madeleine may have been snatched after waking up and disturbing intruders. Expand Close Her parents Kate and Gerry make an appeal for help Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Her parents Kate and Gerry make an appeal for help Photo: John Stillwell/PA Wire Detectives identified a list of mobile phones that had been in the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance in an effort to trace possible suspects. Bogus charity collectors In 2013 Scotland Yard announced that investigators were looking into the activities of a group of bogus charity collectors who had been spotted knocking on doors in Praia da Luz around the time Madeleine went missing. Witnesses were able to provide two e-fit images of men who were seen visiting apartments in the resort on the pretence of collecting money for orphans. It was thought the criminals had been posing as charity collectors, but were also using the ruse to scope out apartments to burgle. Police issued a series of photo-fit images of suspects they said may have been hanging around the Algarve during that period and the pictures featured on a BBC Crimewatch appeal. Stolen to order for childless couple With no evidence to suggest Madeleine is dead, it has long been suggested that she may have been stolen to order by criminals acting on behalf of a wealthy childless couple. Witnesses claimed to have seen suspicious characters around the resort in the days before her disappearance, who could have been acting as spotters, searching for a child that fitted the requirements. There were a number of sightings of suspicious blonde haired men who were seen hanging around the Ocean Club resort in the days leading up to Madeleine's disappearance. Witnesses also claimed to have seen two blonde men on the balcony of a nearby apartment, just two doors from where the McCanns were staying. They were said to have been speaking Dutch or German, leading to appeals being broadcast in both of those countries. The head of the investigation at the time DCI Andy Redwood, said: Madeleine McCanns disappearance does, on one reading of the evidence, have the hallmarks of a pre-planned abduction. That would undoubtedly have involved reconnaissance and so we are really keen to understand who these people are. Abducted by a paedophile gang Police have also been forced to explore the possibility that Madeleine was abducted by a sex attacker who had been operating throughout the Algarve for several years. Police identified nine sexual assaults and three "near misses" on British girls aged between six to 12 in the three years before Madeleine went missing. In one case from 2005, a ten-year-old girl was assaulted in an apartment Praia da Luz, close to the spot from where Madeleine vanished. An Irish family who had been on holiday in the resort in May 2007, reported seeing a man carrying a child around Madeleine's age towards the beach at around 10pm on the night she disappeared. Martin Smith from Drogheda, Co Louth, gave the description to Portuguese police at the time but little was done with the information. In 2008 he met with private detectives working for the McCann family and produced an e-fit image of the man he had seen. But the image was not placed in the public domain at the time because it was thought Madeleine had been abducted almost an hour earlier. In 2013 police admitted that the original timeline was probably wrong and the image featured in a Crimewatch appeal. Wandered off Another theory that has emerged is that Madeleine was not abducted from the apartment, but was actually snatched or came to harm after wandering off. The three-year-old was asleep in the ground floor holiday flat, with her one-year-old twin brother and sister Sean and Amelie. Her parents Kate and Gerry were having dinner with a group of friends at the complex's Tapas restaurant around 50 yards away. While the front door remained locked, the patio doors were left open so the parents could slip in an out easily to check on the children's welfare. It has since been suggested that Madeleine may have woken during the evening and got up to go and look for her parents. Had she negotiated her way out of the apartment - which was the last one on the block - she could have wandered into the main road and been hit by a driver who then panicked. Alternatively she could have then been snatched by an abductor. But for the theory to be plausible, Madeleine would have had to close the heavy sliding patio doors behind her, something which seems unlikely. Taken to North Africa by people traffickers There have been almost 9,000 supposed sightings of Madeleine McCann around the world since her disappearance 10-years ago. One theory that emerged was that the three-year-old was targeted by people smugglers who whisked her away to nearby Spain and then across the Strait of Gibraltar into North Africa. Gangs known to be operating in the region could have concealed her easily and then moved on to avoid detection. Investigators working on the case have explored numerous leads in Morocco, including several sightings which initially looked very promising. In 2007 just months after Madeleine disappeared, a tourist took a photograph of a group of women in Tangiers wearing traditional North African dress and carrying a blonde girl who bore a striking similarity to the missing youngster. However, the group was subsequently tracked down and the girl was identified as the five year old daughter of a local farmer. Morocco and neighbouring North African countries have remained key areas in the ongoing investigation. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Marine Le Pen has admitted that a section of a key French presidential campaign speech she made on Monday was lifted from one made by the defeated Conservative rival Francois Fillon just two weeks earlier. Shortly after the speech at a rally in Villepinte, a video was shared on Twitter highlighting the similarities with the one made by Mr Fillon, the former election frontrunner, who was eliminated in the first round of the vote. On April 15, Mr Fillon, of the centre-Right Republican party, made a speech in which he made specific mention of the geography of France's borders, paid tribute to the French language and spoke of a third "French way" for the 21st Century between globalisation and Islamic fundamentalism. Facing accusations of plagiarism, Ms Le Pen acknowledged that she had copied a part of Mr Fillon's speech. "I take full responsibility. It's not bad because this speech was seen hundreds of times," she told TF1 news. "We share with Francois Fillon in part the same vision of France. It was a way of recalling this." Ms Le Pen, who has temporarily stepped down as head of France's Front National party in a bid to widen her appeal, repeated almost verbatim four passages from Mr Fillon's speech. Mr Fillon had also quoted from First World War prime minister Georges Clemenceau and writer Andre Malraux - in her speech, Le Pen used the same quotes. Her aides brushed off the claims of plagiarism as a deliberate wink at Mr Fillon's concept of national identity. Florian Philippot, deputy chairman of Front National, said it was "a nod to a short passage in a speech about France" on the part of "a candidate that shows she is not sectarian". Ms Le Pen's opponents derided the similarities between the two speeches, as did the French press. The far-Right candidate mentioned France's "three maritime borders" with the Channel, North Sea and the Atlantic, a phrase already used by Mr Fillon. The claims underline that Ms Le Pen is targeting Mr Fillon voters whose support she needs to beat centrist rival Emmanuel Macron, who is leading her in the polls by around 60pc to her 40pc. But Damien Abad, Mr Fillon's former spokesman, said: "Francois Fillon's voters are not fooled, they're not going to be bought just because someone copies their candidate's speech." Ms Le Pen received a boost yesterday when the majority of supporters of the hard-Left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon said they would abstain or spoil their ballot papers in the second round on Sunday. Both he and his team have, however, insisted not a single vote should go to Ms Le Pen. Polls say overall abstention in France could be as high as 30pc. The two finalists will face off today in what promises to be a no-holds-barred television debate when the far-Right contender will likely repeat claims that Mr Macron, a former banker, is the candidate of globalisation and "finance". Ms Le Pen says she is considering reintroducing capital controls if there was a run on French banks in the event of her winning the election. She also says she would take the country out of the euro and that French people would have a national currency within two years. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] FBI director James Comey has insisted he was consistent in disclosing information about an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails before Election Day while keeping quiet about a probe into possible contacts between Russia and Donald Trump's campaign. Mr Comey, in his most impassioned public defence of how he handled the case, also said it made him feel "mildly nauseous" to think his actions in October might have influenced the race won by Republican Mr Trump over Democrat Mrs Clinton. But he told the Senate Judiciary Committee the FBI cannot take into account how its actions might benefit or harm politicians. "I can't consider for a second whose political futures will be affected and in what way," Mr Comey told the senators. "We have to ask ourselves what is the right thing to do and then do it." Persistent questions from senators, and Mr Comey's testimony, made clear that the FBI director's decisions of last summer and autumn involving both the Trump and Clinton campaigns continue to rock national politics and produce lingering second-guessing about whether the investigations were handled evenly. On Tuesday, Mrs Clinton partly attributed her loss to Mr Comey's disclosure to Congress less than two weeks before Election Day that the email investigation would be revisited. But Mr Trump tweeted a bit later that Mr Comey actually "was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!" Speaking at times with a raised voice, Mr Comey said he faced two difficult decisions when agents told him in October that they had found emails potentially connected to the Clinton case on a laptop belonging to former Representative Anthony Weiner, who separated last year from top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Mr Weiner's laptop was seized as part of a sexting investigation involving a teenage girl. Mr Comey said he knew it was unorthodox to alert Congress to that discovery 11 days before Americans picked a new president. But he said he decided it would have been "catastrophic" to keep silent, especially when he had testified under oath that the investigation had been concluded and had promised to advise politicians if the probe needed to be reopened. "I sat there that morning and could not see a door labelled, 'No action here'," Mr Comey said. The FBI obtained a warrant to search the laptop and sifted through thousands of emails, Mr Comey said, including ones with classified information that had been forwarded to the laptop by Ms Abedin to be printed out. Though officials found many new emails, there was nothing to change the FBI's decision from July not to recommend charges, Mr Comey said. He also said he had not intended to harm the Clinton campaign with his unusual public announcement in July that Mrs Clinton and her aides had been "extremely careless" in their handling of classified information though there was not evidence to support criminal charges. He said he had been concerned for months about how to report the investigation's findings to the public, and because of Justice Department actions including an impromptu plane meeting between Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch he had concluded he needed to make the announcement himself. "My goal was to say what is true. What did we do, what did we find, what do we think? And I tried to be as complete and fair" as possible, Mr Comey said. He said he himself had been interviewed by the Justice Department's inspector general's office as part of the watchdog's investigation into the Clinton email case. He said he welcomed that review and continues to believe he did things the right way. Under questioning from Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, Mr Comey said he did not treat disclosures about investigations into Mrs Clinton's emails any differently than potential connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. The FBI began a counter-intelligence investigation last July into whether Russia had co-ordinated with Trump campaign associates to influence the American election, but he did not disclose that until a hearing in March, after Mr Trump had been elected and taken office. That prompted Democrats to complain of a double-standard in the way the investigations were treated. But Mr Comey said that other than confirming the Clinton investigation existed, he did not discuss it until after it concluded last year. And he said the FBI does not expect to have anything to say about the Russia investigation until that one was over. He declined on Wednesday to discuss that investigation or to say which Americans the FBI was looking at. AP At least five people were killed when a large explosion shook a rebel-held Syrian town along the border with Turkey on Wednesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a car bomb went off in the town of Azaz close to the offices of the Syrian interim government, which represents the opposition in rebel-held areas. The Observatory and the activist-run Azaz Media Centre confirmed the death toll, which was expected to rise. The blast came as the Syrian government and the opposition resumed ceasefire talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, that are sponsored by Russia, a close ally of President Bashar Assad. The United States is sending a senior State Department official to the talks, and President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, signalled greater co-operation on Syria in a phone call on Tuesday. The White House said the two men discussed setting up safe zones in the country, where a civil war has been raging for more than six years. Syrian TV said the Astana talks began with a meeting between delegations from Russia and Iran, another close ally of Assad. Azaz is on a key opposition supply route, and is a hub for fighters and opposition activists. It also hosts people displaced from fighting elsewhere in the country. The town has been the scene of several attacks, some claimed by the Islamic State group. A huge explosion in January killed at least 50 people in Azaz. A video of the aftermath of Wednesday's explosion posted online by the Azaz Media Centre showed burnt-out cars and firefighters struggling to put out a blaze. Gunfire rang out as people gathered at the scene and ambulances arrived. The Turkish Dogan news agency said some of the wounded were taken to the state hospital in the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment. AP The 309-118 vote sends the bill to the Senate in time to act before a midnight Friday deadline to avert a government shutdown. The US House of Representatives has passed a 1.1 trillion US dollar bill to fund the government through to the end of September, the first significant piece of bipartisan legislation of Donald Trump's presidency. The 309-118 vote sends the bill to the Senate in time to act before a midnight Friday deadline to avert a government shutdown. The White House said Mr Trump will sign the measure, which gives him much of the money he sought for defence and border security but denies startup construction funding for his often-promised wall along the US-Mexico border. The measure is the product of weeks of Capitol Hill negotiations in which Democrats blocked Mr Trump's most controversial proposals, including cuts to domestic programmes backed by both parties and new steps to punish so-called sanctuary cities. House Speaker Paul Ryan praised the measure as bipartisan, and said the biggest gain for conservatives came as Democrats dropped long-standing demands to match Pentagon increases with equal hikes for non-defence programmes. "No longer will the needs of our military be held hostage by the demands for more domestic spending," Mr Ryan said. "In my mind, that is what's most important here." Democrats also backed the measure, which protects popular domestic programmes such as education, medical research and grants to state and local governments from cuts sought by Mr Trump. "It's imperative to note what this bill does not contain," said Representative Nita Lowey of New York, lead negotiator for Democrats. "Not one cent for President Trump's border wall and no poison pill riders that would have prevented so-called sanctuary cities from receiving federal grants, defunded Planned Parenthood, undermined the Affordable Care Act." The White House won 15 billion dollars (11.65 billion) in emergency funding to jump start Mr Trump's promise to rebuild the military and an extra 1.5 billion dollars (1.1 billion) for border security - each short of Mr Trump's demands - leading the president on Tuesday to boast "this is what winning looks like". The long-overdue bill buys just five months of funding while Mr Trump and his allies battle with congressional Democrats over spending cuts and funding for the wall, which Mr Trump repeatedly promised during the campaign would be financed by Mexico. Mexican officials have rejected that notion. Republicans were surprised by tweets from Mr Trump on Tuesday that suggested he was initially unhappy with the measure and might provoke a government shutdown this autumn in hopes of getting his way on the wall and other demands. AP French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have faced off in a high stakes, high pressure and immediately heated head-to-head debate on live primetime TV. Both candidates came out swinging in what is their best remaining chance to sell their polar-opposite visions and plans for France to the cohort of undecided electors who could sway Sunday's vote. Ms Le Pen painted the former banker and economy minister as a servant of big business and finance, and declared herself "the candidate of the people, of the France that we love". Mr Macron painted the far-right nationalist as an empty shell, shaky on details and seeking to profit politically from the anger of French voters - a dominant theme of the campaign. "You lie all the time," he said. "You propose nothing." She dismissed his economic proposals with sweeping critiques and bristled at his suggestions that she did not understand how finance and business works. "You're trying to play with me like a professor with a pupil," she said. Sitting opposite each other at a round table, neither pulled their punches. With both talking over each other, the debate quickly became a shouting match at times, with no common ground between the pro-European Union centrist candidate and the anti-EU Ms Le Pen. Ms Le Pen accused her centrist rival of being "complacent" about Islamic fundamentalists. She said: "We must eradicate the Islamist ideology." She has pledged to shut down a powerful fundamentalist federation linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, known as the Union of Islamic Organisations in France (UOIF), and said it supports Mr Macron. Ms Le Pen has also proposed a series of measures to stamp out the possibility of another new terrorist attack in France, including expelling all foreigners with a record and revoking the French citizenship of dual-nationals under suspicion. She suggested Mr Macron was "waiting for an attack" rather than taking proactive measures. Mr Macron said Ms Le Pen would lead France to civil war and give Islamic extremists what they want by infringing on the rights of Muslim residents. He said she would deliver "what the terrorists expect - it's civil war, it's division, it's heinous speech". Mr Macron insisted he would be "inflexible" and "fight against Islamic terrorism on every front" without exacerbating the problem. The road built on a 1,500-meter-high cliff by villagers in Chongqing (photo provided by People's Daily) Residents of the village of Shuangping in Chongqing municipality built a road on a 1,500-meter-high cliff, connecting their village with the outside world. Before the construction of the road, villagers had to spend four hours climbing an 800-meter ladder hung on the cliff's face if they wanted to enter or depart from Shuangping. The extremely dangerous journey caused many accidental deaths and property losses. A lack of traffic also impeded the village's economic and trade development. Many of the villagers were barely able to support themselves. In order to shake off the shackles of poverty, the villagers independently began raising money in 1997 to build a road on the cliff. After a year of hard work, a preliminary road was finally completed. Later, it was further developed using government funds and social capital in 2011. The road has lifted hundreds of people out of extreme poverty since its installation. In addition, the road has become a tourist site in its own right thanks to its beautiful views. The road built on a 1,500-meter-high cliff by villagers in Chongqing (photo provided by People's Daily) Former rapper Denis Cuspert, who became an Isil fighter An FBI agent with top secret security clearance turned rogue and travelled to Syria to marry an Isil fighter she had been assigned to investigate, it has emerged. Daniela Greene, who worked as a translator for the agency, had used social media to spy on German jihadist Denis Cuspert, a former rapper who had gone by the moniker Deso Dogg. Cuspert was a prolific online recruiter for the group, and gained a reputation as one of its most brutal foreign fighters. He featured in Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) videos threatening then US president Barack Obama and holding a severed head. But in an extraordinary twist that mirrors the plot of the hit TV series 'Homeland', which sees CIA operative Carrie (Claire Danes) fall in love with soldier-turned-jihadist Brody (Damian Lewis), the two became close and Cuspert convinced Ms Greene to join him in Syria. She left in late June 2014 without telling her employers of her plan, according to Federal Court documents seen by CNN. Ms Greene (38) contacted Cuspert on Skype and they arranged a plan for her to travel to Istanbul, where the two would meet and marry before crossing the border into Syria. Expand Close Actors Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody in the US TV series Homeland. Photo: Nadav Kander/SHOWTIME / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actors Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody in the US TV series Homeland. Photo: Nadav Kander/SHOWTIME Just two weeks after arriving, the agent sent emails from inside Syria to an unidentified person in the US showing she was having second thoughts. "I was weak and didn't know how to handle anything anymore," she wrote on July 8. "I really made a mess of things this time." In another, she said: "I am gone and I can't come back. I wouldn't even know how to make it through, if I tried to come back. "I am in a very harsh environment and I don't know how long I will last here, but it doesn't matter, it's all a little too late..." Ms Greene, born in Czechoslovakia and raised in Germany and later the US, spent a few months in Syria before realising her mistake and returning to America, whereupon she was arrested on terrorism charges. She received a two-year sentence and was released last summer. The incident, which was only brought to light after a judge unsealed some of the court documents, will be a major embarrassment for US security services. "It's a stunning embarrassment for the FBI, no doubt about it," said John Kirby, a former State Department official. He said he suspects Ms Greene's entry into Syria required the approval of top Isil leaders. Most outsiders trying to get into an Isil region in Syria risk "getting their heads cut off," said Mr Kirby. "So for her to be able to get in as an American, as a woman, as an FBI employee, and to be able to take up residence with a known Isil leader, that all had to be co-ordinated." The FBI had no reason at the time to suspect Ms Greene, who was hired for her fluent German and had been extensively vetted, would defect. At the time of her departure, she had an American husband who she told she was going to visit her parents in Munich, Germany. Instead, she went to Istanbul where she contacted Cuspert. Ms Greene, who now works as a hostess in a hotel lounge, said in a brief interview that she was fearful of discussing the details of her case. "If I talk to you my family will be in danger," Ms Greene said. Shawn Moore, Ms Greene's lawyer, described her as "smart, articulate and obviously naive". President Barack Obama (R) gives Michelle Obama a kiss as they wait for President-elect Donald Trump and wife Melania at the White House before the inauguration on January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images) A new biography into the life of the former US president Barack Obama, reveals that Mr Obama asked another woman to marry him long before he met his wife Michelle. In the biography titled 'Rising Star' by David J. Garrow, an insight is given into Mr Obama's determination to be successful and his early relationships. According to the Washington Post, the book reveals for the first time the story of a woman Mr Obama lived with and loved in Chicago, in the years before he met Michelle. The book claims that Mr Obama met Sheila Miyoshi Jager, now a professor at Oberlin College, and asked her to marry him when they were in their early 20s. Expand Close U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, wearing Sophie Theallet, in 2011 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, wearing Sophie Theallet, in 2011 Ms Jager was of Dutch and Japanese ancestry and, like Obamas distant mother, also studied anthropology. In the winter of 86, when we visited my parents, he asked me to marry him, Ms Jager told David J. Garrow in his book. Her parents were opposed, not because of racial differences, but because her mother thought that Ms Jager, two years Mr Obamas junior, was too young. Ms Jager said that Mr Obama suddenly became more ambitious and soon had his sights set on becoming president. Expand Close U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak onstage at TNT Christmas in Washington in December 2014 (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak onstage at TNT Christmas in Washington in December 2014 (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage) The book examines how race and politics suddenly overwhelmed Ms Jager and Mr Obamas relationship. The marriage discussions dragged on and on, but now they were clouded by Obamas torment over this central issue of his life . . . race and identity, Ms Jager recalls. The resolution of his black identity was directly linked to his decision to pursue a political career, she said. The pair went their separate ways and Mr Obama soon met Michelle Robinson at the Chicago law firm where she worked and got married. According to the Washington Post, the book also looks at Mr Obama's political ambitions and his road to becoming the 44th US President. North Korea said on Wednesday an American man it had detained in late April, the third U.S. citizen being held by the isolated country, was intercepted because he was attempting to commit "hostile acts". The state-run KCNA news agency said the American, identified last month as Kim Sang Dok, was arrested on April 22 at the Pyongyang airport for committing "hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country". The latest information about Kim's detention comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula run high, driven by concerns that the North might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of U.S. pressure and United Nations sanctions. The United States is negotiating with China, North Korea's sole major ally, about a stronger U.N. Security Council response, although Washington has also reiterated that all options for dealing with the North remain on the table. North Korea, which has been criticised for its human rights record, has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations. KCNA said on Wednesday Kim had taught an accounting course in Pyongyang. "Invited to Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) to teach accounting as a professor, he was intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception," KCNA news agency said, using North Korea's official name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Law enforcement officials were investigating Kim's alleged crime, it said. Kim, who also goes by his English name Tony Kim and is in his 50s, was detained at Pyongyang International Airport as he attempted to leave the country, the university's chancellor had said previously. PUST said in an email to Reuters that it did not believe Kim's detention was related to his work at the university. A PUST spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said Kim's wife, who was with him when he was arrested, had since returned to the United States. "Mrs Kim left the DPRK and is now back in the USA with family and friends," the spokesman said. "We certainly hope for a positive resolution as soon as possible." The other two Americans already held in North Korea are Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, and Kim Dong Chul, a 62-year-old Korean-American missionary. Warmbier was detained in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years hard labour for attempting to steal a propaganda banner. Two months later, Kim Dong Chul was sentenced to 10 years hard labour for subversion. Neither has appeared in public since their sentencing. Donald Trump has attacked Hillary Clinton on Twitter after she blamed misogyny, Russian interference and questionable decisions by the FBI for her 2016 presidential election defeat. The former US Democratic presidential nominee reflected on her crushing loss to Mr Trump at the Women for Women International's annual luncheon in New York. "It wasn't a perfect campaign, there is no such thing, but I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter," she said. Mr Comey, the FBI director, submitted a letter to the US Congress, in late October - just over a week before the US election - announcing he had reopened an investigation into Mrs Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. She said this, along with a decision by Wikileaks to periodically release dumps of stolen copies of her campaign's internal emails had "scared off" voters at a crucial part in the campaign. Mrs Clinton said she was "on the way to winning" until this combination of events in the final days. "If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president," she told CNN's Christiane Amanpour, who was interviewing her on stage at the New York event. She conceded she made mistakes but said: "The reason I believe we lost were the intervening events in the last 10 days". She also placed much of the blame on "unprecedented inference, including from a foreign power whose leader is not a member of my fan club". Mrs Clinton was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It is real, it is very much a part of the landscape, political and socially and economically." The former US First Lady pointed out that despite these obstacles, she won the popular vote, even if not the Electoral College. Mrs Clinton said she believed misogyny was a factor that prevented her becoming the first female US president. She appealed to the Trump administration "not end our efforts making women's rights and opportunities" central to US policy. The US President later responded on social media. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 ...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017 "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!" he said. "The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Students and faculty exit a building with their hands up after a fatal shooting at North Lake College in Irving, Texas (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP) Two people have been shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide at a suburban Dallas community college, police said. The shootings happened at North Lake College in Dallas, Texas. Active shooter at Northlake College - avoid the area. Irving Police Dept. (@IrvingPD) May 3, 2017 There appears to be no continuing threat but police will continue to search to make the campus safe. Irving Police Dept. (@IrvingPD) May 3, 2017 North Lake College-Intruder Lock-down. Go to nearest room and lock-down. If not at campus STAY AWAY for your own safety (DCCCD Alerts) North Lake College (@northlakenow) May 3, 2017 Police said "there appears to be no continuing threat," but responding officers will continue searching the area. Earlier, police told ABC News there "may be other injuries" but could not confirm a number. The college notified its students and faculty of a lockdown on Twitter, urging students not on campus to "stay way for your own safety". A maths tutor at the college said she saw a man shoot a woman three times in the hallway of a campus building. Nasrin Nanbakhsh said the woman was sitting in a chair when the gunman approached her and fired. Ms Nanbakhsh said she ran into a room, locked the doors, turned off the lights and waited for help to arrive. She said she also emailed her supervisors to let them know what was happening. Mr McLellan said the gunman took his own life after killing the woman. The school was closed for the rest of the day. It is the second incident to happen at a Texas school in the past week. Kendrex White (21) went on a stabbing rampage at the University of Texas, killing one person and seriously wounding three others. The stabbings occurred at the university's Austin campus on Monday. Additional reporting by the Press Association Everett Matthews holds up a sign outside the store where Alton Sterling was killed in Baton Rouge (AP) Two white police officers will not be charged over the death of a black man whose shooting which was captured on mobile phone video fuelled protests in Louisiana's capital and throughout the US. Federal authorities opened a civil rights investigation immediately after the July 5 2016 police shooting in Baton Rouge that killed Alton Sterling, 37, outside a convenience store where he was selling home-made CDs. The US Justice Department's decision was disclosed by a person familiar with the matter. State authorities can, however, conduct their own investigation and pursue criminal charges. Mr Sterling's death sparked widespread protests last summer during which police arrested nearly 200 people, leading to lawsuits accusing police of using excessive force and violating civil rights. Two phone videos of Mr Sterling's deadly struggle with the two officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, quickly spread on social media after the shooting. A police report said Mr Sterling was initially jolted with a stun gun after he did not obey the officers' commands to put his hands on the bonnet of a car. The report also said the officers saw the butt of a gun in one of Mr Sterling's trouser pockets and saw him try to reach for it before he was shot. Dozens of people gathered o utside the convenience store on Tuesday after hearing the news and held a vigil. One of Mr Sterling's aunts led the crowd in chants of "No justice, no peace!" "It's been almost a year and we're still suffering like it happened yesterday," said Veda Sterling. "We need closure. We need a conviction. We need justice." Local activist Arthur Reed said he broke the news to another of Mr Sterling's aunts, Sandra, in a phone call. He said she broke down and was "heartbroken", not only because of the decision but because the Justice Department did not notify the family first. "We just think it wasn't done properly," he said. No public announcement has been made by the department and many officials in Baton Rouge said they had not been notified. "The Governor's Office has not been notified of a timeline or decision regarding the Alton Sterling investigation," said Richard Carbo, a spokesman for governor John Bel Edwards . "We have been in constant contact with the US Attorney's Office and were assured that both our office and the Sterling family would be given advance notice." Mr Salamoni's lawyer, John McLindon, said he could not comment until he read an official report from the Justice Department. Justin Bamberg, a lawyer for some of Mr Sterling's relatives, has said the family wanted an indictment. Mr Bamberg also represents relatives of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man who was running from a traffic stop in Charleston, South Carolina, when a white police officer shot him dead in 2015. The former officer, Michael Slager, 35, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges on Tuesday, five months after a jury emerged deadlocked on state murder charges against him. Tuesday's move in the Sterling case was the highest-profile decision not to bring charges against police officers in a deadly shooting since Jeff Sessions became US attorney general. But the federal investigation into possible civil rights violations by the officers was seen as problematic. Authorities in such cases must meet a difficult standard of proof, a challenge that has complicated prosecutions in past police shootings. Mr Sessions has said the Justice Department is committed to holding individual officers accountable when they break the law, but also believes too much federal scrutiny of police forces can diminish officers' effectiveness and hurt morale. The videos show Mr Sterling scuffling with the officers after they responded to a complaint that Mr Sterling had threatened the caller with a gun outside the convenience store. The two officers had Mr Sterling pinned on his back when gunfire erupted, moments after someone yelled: "He's got a gun!" Baton Rouge's police chief has said Mr Sterling was armed and the store's owner has said he was not holding a gun during the shooting, but he saw officers remove one from his pocket afterwards. As a convicted offender, Sterling could not legally carry a gun. Court records show he pleaded guilty in 2011 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegally carrying a weapon and was arrested in May 2009 after an officer confronted him outside another store where he was selling CDs. Police said they had dashcam and bodycam video and store surveillance footage of the shooting but none has been released and a coroner's report on Mr Sterling's post-mortem examination has been sealed. Both officers were placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure. Each had two previous "use of force" complaints against them and records indicate they were cleared in all cases. AP The world-renowned German brand Bosch has sold a starter and engine-manufacturing subsidiary to Chinese investors for over 500 million euros. Once the purchase is finalized, the investors - Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group Co. (ZMJ) and Hong Kong-based China Renaissance Capital Investment - will possess no less than 86.16 percent of the Robert Bosch Starter Motors Generators Holding GmbH (SG)s holdings, said ZMJ in a statement on May 2. The purchase price is 545 million euros. The two Chinese companies are the nations leading coal-mining equipment manufacturers. Specifically, ZMJ possesses 22.6 percent of the hydraulic support market in China, based on its annual output in 2011. The purchase is expected to supplement ZMJs product research and development. The company also hopes to improve its international name recognition, China News Service (CNS) reported. After the purchase, ZMJ will take over management of SGs 7,000 employees and 16 branch offices in 14 countries. However, SGs headquarters in Stuttgart will remain intact. The purchase will only be final after receiving approval from national supervision authorities and full support from Boschs employees, according to CNS. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates is expected to give evidence to Congress on May 8 (AP) Former acting attorney general Sally Yates is expected to tell the US Congress she expressed alarm to the White House about Donald Trump's national security adviser's contacts with the Russian ambassador. Sally Yates' evidence on May 8 could contradict the administration's version of events. Ms Yates is expected to recount in detail her January 26 conversation about Michael Flynn and to say that she saw discrepancies between the administration's public statements on his contacts with ambassador Sergey Kislyak and what really transpired, according to a person familiar with that discussion and Ms Yates's plans to give evidence. According to the source, she will say that she told White House counsel Don McGahn that she was concerned Mr Flynn's communications with Mr Kislyak could leave Mr Flynn in a compromised position as a result of the contradictions between the public depictions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew to be true. White House officials have said publicly that Ms Yates merely wanted to give them a "heads-up" about Mr Flynn's Russian contacts, but Ms Yates is likely to say she approached the White House with alarm, according to the source. "So just to be clear, the acting attorney general informed the White House counsel that they wanted to give a 'heads up' to us on some comments that may have seemed in conflict with what he had sent the vice president out in particular," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a February 14 press briefing. Mr Flynn resigned in February after published reports detailed Ms Yates' conversation with Mr McGahn. White House officials initially maintained that Mr Flynn had not discussed Russian sanctions with Mr Kislyak during the transition period, but after news reports said the opposite, they then admitted that he had misled them about the nature of that call. "The issue, pure and simple, came down to a matter of trust," Mr Spicer said. Mr Flynn was in frequent contact with Mr Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition, a US official has said. Ms Yates' scheduled appearance before a Senate judiciary sub-committee, alongside former national intelligence director James Clapper, will provide her first public account of the conversation with the White House. It will also be her first evidence before Congress since Ms Yates, an Obama administration holdover, was fired in January for refusing to defend President Trump's travel ban. She was previously due to appear in March before a House of Representatives committee investigating Russian interference in the presidential election, but that hearing was cancelled. AP In Prime Minister Modis war against black money the Indian government is attempting to tighten up a real estate strategy for tax evasion: Benami properties. Benami means anonymous or without name in Hindi. A Benami property refers to property bought in the name of a secondary person so as to conceal the identity of the real buyer. Individuals generally purchase Benami properties in the name of relatives to conceal the extent of their wealth from the government. Real estate developers, on the other hand, buy Benami properties to sidestep stringent land ceilings using proxy companies to make the actual purchase. The new Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 ups the maximum punishment for owning Benami properties from the former three years of jail time to the current five years of jail time and a fine. The new Act further allows authorities to permanently confiscate Benami properties without compensation to the former owner. The federal government of India has reported that 140 cases have already been filed where Benami assets are worth more than US$31 million (Rs 200 crore). How has the Benami law changed? The biggest change between the new Benami Act and its 1988 predecessor is that the Indian government now has a mechanism to actually enforce Benami laws. Confusing definitions and provisions and convoluted procedures rendered the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act, 1988 useless in the operational sense. The 2016 Benami Act creates four entities who have the authority and directive to investigate and deal with Benami properties: initiating officer; approving authority; administrator; and adjudicating authority. Initiating officers investigate and serve notice to suspected Benamidars (individuals potentially holding Benami properties). The Act defines a Benami property as: A transaction carried out under a fictitious name; Where the person in whose name the property is registered denies any knowledge of ownership or; Where the person paying for a transaction or property-related arrangement is either not traceable or found to be fictitious. This definition can, however, expand to include relatives or associates who have properties under their name, which they did not pay for. This definitional looseness could negatively effect genuine property owners. Furthermore, the Benami Act, 2016 does not limit Benami properties to immovable property. Implications of the Benami Act, 2016 The culminated effect of the amended Benami Act, alongside demonetisation, the GST overhaul, and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 will redefine the future of the Indian real estate sector. While the new Benami Act is meant to promote transparency in the real estate sector, the act may also target foreign investors and non-resident Indians (NRIs) buying under relatives or associates names. Sahil Aggarwal, Dezan Shira and Associates International Business Advisory Manager, explains that there is a thin line of difference as to whether a transaction will be deemed to be a Benami transaction or not. Aggarwal gives the example of an NRI purchasing equity shares in his mothers names but out of his own funds, which would constitute a Benami transaction. But, if said NRI is a joint holder of the shares, then the Act would not consider it a Benami transaction. Aggarwal encourages NRIs investing in India to be careful and seek professional assistance before executing deals since penalties are draconian and include fines, prosecution, and confiscation of property. Maintain caution when purchasing property in India The Benami Act, 2016 has the power to strengthen anti-tax avoidance measures in India as well as to professionalize Indias real estate sector notorious for its lack of transparency. Yet, the Act also has significant potential for punishing genuine property buyers unaware of the regulatory changes. NRIs and property owners in rural areas are particularly at risk because of a relative lack of clear titles. New property buyers should consult legal professionals before purchasing joint property or property under the name of relatives. Durban, South Africa, May 3 (IBNS): The World Economic Forum, in partnership with the Government of South Africa, will this week announce the launch of a new platform project called South Africa Internet for All, which aims to bring millions of South Africans, including those in rural areas, onto the internet for the first time through new models of public-private collaboration. Currently, according to the International Telecommunications Union, 52% of South Africans use the internet. The project, which is aligned to the Governments National Development and South Africa Connect plans, will address the barriers that prevent universal internet access: infrastructure connectivity, affordability, skills and awareness, and relevant content; and also explore how Internet for All can better support the development of e-government services and SMEs. Siyabonga Cwele, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services of South Africa, said, The partnership with the World Economic Forum and local partners will help us accelerate our efforts to connect South Africans to the benefits of the internet. We are very pleased to welcome the World Economic Forum to South Africa to partner with the government on Internet for All. We value inclusive, multistakeholder efforts that will help bring many more South Africans onto the internet. Internet for All is a global project of the World Economic Forum that accelerates internet access and adoption through a multistakeholder platform. Partner organizations such as Cisco, Digital Opportunity Trust, Ericsson, Huawei, Microsoft, MTN and Telkom work on this platform together with government, civil society, academia and international organizations to develop and scale new internet access models, attract and coordinate investments, and align programming. Jabu A. Mabuza, Chairman of Telkom Group, said that the project creates fertile ground for sustainable, accelerated, inclusive economic growth in Africa. We are pleased to partner with the World Economic Forum on the Internet for All initiative, where we can demonstrate our commitment to the promotion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa as a catalyst for inclusive growth. Country-level Internet for All platforms are already operating in Argentina, Rwanda and Uganda, where they have so far succeeded in developing major projects such as Rwandas Digital Ambassadors Program, a skills development activity that will train 5,000 trainers who will work in rural Rwanda to teach digital skills to 5 million people. Janet Longmore, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Opportunity Trust, an organization involved in the programme, said that the Digital Ambassadors Program brings together government, the private sector and civil society to help citizens access a growing number of e-services in Rwanda, and to develop and support young women and men as digital champions and job creators. The programme is a collaborative response to community need, and offers a potential model for adoption by South Africa to close the digital divide. A new report outlines a methodology for determining the level of investment required to achieve internet for all, An Investment Framework for Digital Adoption. The report will be previewed at the meeting. It will highlight the impact that policy choices can have on the feasibility of connectivity investments, and provide tools that companies and government can use to apply the methodology themselves. The findings from the report will be applied to the Internet for All country-level programmes to help policy-makers better understand the various options and levers that can be used to accelerate internet access and adoption. Alex Wong, Head of Global Challenge Partnership and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, said, We congratulate the Government of South Africa and our Internet for All partner organizations for their leadership in launching the South Africa Internet for All project, as well as the progress in our other Internet for All country programmes. The new report, An Investment Framework for Digital Adoption, provides additional tools and examples of how internet for all can be achieved through public-private collaboration. Kabul, May 3 (IBNS) : At least eleven Taliban insurgents including the shadow district chief of the group were killed in airstrikes in northeastern Takhar province of Afghanistan, Khaama news agency reported. The 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan National Army in a statement said the airstrikes were carried out in the vicinity of Khwajah Bahauddin district of Takhar. The statement further added that eleven Taliban insurgents including the shadow district chief of the group identified as Mawlavi Ansarullah were killed in the airstrikes.At least six insurgents were also wounded in the airstrikes conducted by the security forces, the 209th Shaheen Corps added. The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far. Takhar is among the relatively calm provinces in northeastern Afghanistan which rarely witnessed insurgency since the fall of the Taliban regime. However, the insurgent groups have increased their activities in this province during the recent years and often carry out insurgency activities, including coordinated attacks. The province borders some of the restive provinces in the north from where the insurgents are frequently commuting for the insurgency activities. Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors. KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary. No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account." www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. The 120 live lizards (photo taken by sznews.com) Recently, employees at the Huanggang Port in Shenzhen's Futian district found 120 live lizards in a young womans handbag as she was trying to enter the Chinese mainland from Hong Kong. The lizards have been delivered to the inspection and quarantine department, Sznews.com reported on May 2. The woman said that she agreed to carry the lizards to collect the freight charge of 200 RMB ($29), and that the reptiles were intended to be sold in the mainland as pets. Employees at the port noted that the reptiles, which carry various pathogenic microorganisms, could endanger peoples health and negatively impact the environment. Smuggling or selling them is punishable by law, as some varieties are endangered. The customs bureau also reminded travelers not to bring live animals into the country, with the exception of companion dogs or cats that have passed the quarantine inspection. Interestingly, the CM was expected to pass the order before the release of the magnum opus, but he had left for Dubai on Thursday without signing it; now after watching the movie for Rs. 1000 amid all the flak, he has finally now passed the order. Even before the release of Baahubali 2, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the movie. The ticket prices were soaring higher than ever, the advance bookings were shattering all the records, and fans were caught up in frenzy. At some places, the tickets were being sold at a four-digit price, but in Karnataka, this could have been stopped, if the CM had passed the order on time. After watching Baahubali: The Conclusions Telugu version along with his son and his grandson on Monday, Karnatakas CM Siddaramaiah issued an order, on Tuesday, capping the ticket prices at Rs. 200 in multiplexes and single screens. TOI The rule is, reportedly, applicable to movies of all languages but exempts gold class screens as well as gold class seats in multiplexes, and also, Imax and 4DX movie halls because these theatres have the high-end technology and have made a sizeable amount of investment into it. wp.com Another interesting thing is that that he had announced about the rule in the budget speech on March 15 after the Kannada movie leaders pushed him to do so. But it only came into effect on Tuesday after most of the people had already shelled out a huge amount from their pockets to the watch the film. Of course, people who had spent anywhere between Rs.500 to Rs.1000 for the tickets were highly disappointed that the rule wasnt implemented earlier, and so, he is receiving a lot of flak now. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput and international supermodel Kendall Jenner are breaking the internet today, thanks to their sizzling photoshoot together. Sushant and Kendall shot for Vogues May edition and on the magazines tenth anniversary, famous Peruvian photographer Mario Testino was brought in to capture them on his lens. VogueGirl A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on Feb 22, 2017 at 9:58am PST Sushant and Kendall shot in Jaipurs Hotel Samode Palace when she was in India in February. The pictures that are doing rounds the on the internet has Sushant in a stylish white suit and Kendall is seen wearing frilly off-shoulder blouse and pants. (Also read: Kim Kardashian's Sister Kendall Jenner Is In India & Keeping Her Company Is Sushant Singh Rajput!) In case you are wondering whats special about these pictures that have made the Internet go batshit crazy, have a look! Vogue India , May 2017 By @mariotestino With @kendalljenner A post shared by Sushant Singh Rajput (@sushantsinghrajput) on May 2, 2017 at 11:42pm PDT Here are some more pictures from the shoot! @kendalljenner for Vogue India May 2017 Issue | #kendalljenner A post shared by Kardashians (@lovethekardashianfamily) on May 3, 2017 at 12:45am PDT PTI After seeking the presence of Prime Minister Naredra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the aggrieved family of Border Security Force (BSF) soldier, Prem Sagar, who was killed and mutilated by Pakistani security forces performed his last rites on Wednesday. Earlier, the martyr's family had refused to cremate his body, insisting that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visit them. They agreed to hold the last rites after the Chief Minister spoke to them late last night. Read more here. Here are 5 more stories for you: 1.With Attacks On Medical Staff On The Rise, Doctors At AIIMS Will Get Self-Defence Training BCCl/representational image Faced with increasing violence by patients and their relatives, resident doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have decided to take steps to protect themselves. Starting May 15, the doctors will take self-defence classes from black belt champions in martial arts, including taekwondo. Dr Vijay Kumar, president of AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association, said that the administration had permitted them to hold daily training classes at the hospital. "Two black belt champions will impart self-defense skills to interested candidates daily from 6-7pm and 7-8 pm at AIIMS," Dr Kumar said. Read more here 2. Blood Trail Shows Killers Crossed LoC After Mutilating The Bodies, India Tells Pakistan ANI India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to register its protest over the beheading of two soldiers at the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday. Basit was summoned to the Foreign Ministry by Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who conveyed New Delhi's displeasure at the developments along the LoC. "Foreign secretary conveyed India's outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of the two Indian soldiers on May 1, 2017 by Pakistan Army personnel," a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs said. Read more here 3. Yogi Adityanath's Men Allegedly Beat A Muslim Man To Death In Bulandshahr, Because His Relative Eloped With A Hindu Girl ANI A 45-year-old man identified as Ghulam Mohammad, was beaten to death allegedly by members of Hindu Yuva Vahini for helping a couple elope. The incident happened in Sohi village of Bulandshahr on Tuesday. According to Mohammad's family, the men attacked his home, dragged him out and beat him to death because they believed that he had helped his relative Yousaf who eloped with a Hindu girl. Read more here 4. Two Days After #LalBattiBan, Karnataka Minister U T Khadar Refuse To Remove Red Beacon From His Car BCCL/File While most of the VIP's have fallen in line by removing the red beacons from their cars, one minister in Karnataka seems like he just can't let it go. Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader is still going around with the red beacon on his car. His logic? The car was given to him by the state and he has no right to alter it! "I do not have power to alter my car. It is left to the cabinet to decide. Read more here 5. Suspected ISI Agent Nabbed In Faizabad By UP Anti-Terror Squad ani Suspected ISI agent has been nabbed from Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh, agencies reported on Wednesday. The man has been identified as Aftab Ali. Read more here Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates seems to be awestruck with India. In his personal blog called Gates Notes, he lauded PM Modi for the 'ingenious ways of tackling that problem' of sanitation through his Clean India, or Swacch Bharat initiative. Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi put a spotlight on a subject that most of us would rather not even think about: https://t.co/oUX40Igi6G pic.twitter.com/mJnCwhbo4U Bill Gates (@BillGates) 25 April 2017 Heaping praises on what he calls a 'bold move', Gates wrote, "What I love most about Clean India is that it identified a big problem, got everyone working on it, and is using measurement to show where things need to be done differently." A video made by Gates shows improving sanitation in the country. With a picture of him riding in an auto around India Gate. the Microsofts co-founder tweeted saying, I try to visit India at least once a year. Im inspired by something new every time. Bill Gates pays a visit to India every year and is stumped by the progress the country has made so far. I try to visit India at least once a year. Im inspired by something new every time: https://t.co/lKUrPiffeI pic.twitter.com/Lp8Do3mh0a Bill Gates (@BillGates) 1 May 2017 In his blog Gates said that "the people of India are demanding change" and they are willing to work towards positive outcomes. "It is a great example for other countries and an inspiration for all of us who believe everyone deserves a chance at a healthy, productive life."" he wrote India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to register its protest over the beheading of two soldiers at the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday. ANI Basit was summoned to the Foreign Ministry by Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who conveyed New Delhi's displeasure at the developments along the LoC. "Foreign secretary conveyed India's outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of the two Indian soldiers on May 1, 2017 by Pakistan Army personnel," a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs said. ANI In the meeting India also rejected Pakistan's claim that the soldier were not beheaded. ""It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector... Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control," Jaishankar told Basit. India has demanded that Pakistan should take immediate action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for this heinous act. AFP He was summoned by the Foreign Ministry a day after Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt spoke to his Pakistani counterpart over the beheading of two Indian soldiers. "The DGMO of the Indian Army conveyed that such a dastardly and inhuman act+ is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response," the Indian Army said in a statement. After seeking the presence of Prime Minister Naredra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the aggrieved family of Border Security Force (BSF) soldier, Prem Sagar, who was killed and mutilated by Pakistani security forces performed his last rites on Wednesday. PTI Earlier, the martyr's family had refused to cremate his body, insisting that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visit them. They agreed to hold the last rites after the Chief Minister spoke to them late last night. He has also reportedly assured to visit the family soon. PTI The sarpanch of the village, Rajinder Singh, told ANI that the people were "angry". "The government should take revenge, otherwise soldiers will keep getting martyred," he said. Sagar's daughter Saroj had demanded that they, "Want 50 heads in return for his life". PTI In Taran Taran Punjab, at the home of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh, the family performed his last rites on Wednesday. The martyr's family had said that they won't accept the body with the head missing. The Modi government has been trying to make Aadhaar mandatory for everything from Income Tax return, buying a SIM card, bank transaction, train ticket, air travel, mid-day meal government subsidies etc. AFP While the government claims that the move will increase security and ensure that the benefits are reaching to real people and not syphoned off. But security experts have been pointing out the possibility of security breach in the system resulting in the sensitive biometric data reaching in the hands of those, who could misuse them. AFP A study by Bengaluru-based think tank, Centre for Internet and Society has once again cemented these concerns. According to its report titled, "Information Security Practices of Aadhaar (or lack thereof): A documentation of the public availability of Aadhaar Numbers with sensitive personal financial information," Aadhaar data of as many as 13.5 crore card holders have already leaked online. BCCL The study revealed that the mass data leak happened due to security flaws in four government websites: National Social Assistance Programme National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) Daily Online Payment Reports under NREGA (Govt. of Andhra Pradesh) Chandranna Bima Scheme run by Government of Andhra Pradesh BCCL Based on the numbers available on the websites looked at, estimated number of Aadhaar numbers leaked through these four portals could be around 130-135 million and the number of bank account numbers leaked at around 100 million from the specific portals we looked at, the report said. BCCL The report was published even as the government continue to defend Aadhaar in the Supreme Court saying that the move to link Aadhaar with PAN cards was meant to put a stop on the number of individuals in possession of multiple PAN cards by putting a robust identification system in place. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said that this will help in curbing money laundering, the flow of black money and controlling the funding of terror. India plans to order about a quarter less Iranian crude oil than it bought last year, people familiar with the matter said, as state refiners cut term purchase deals over a row between New Delhi and Tehran on the development of a natural gas field. reuters/representational image The drop in volumes follows India's threat to order state refiners - Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, and Indian Oil Corp - to reduce purchases from Iran if an Indian consortium is not awarded the rights to develop Iran's huge Farzad B natural gas field. The volume cuts would put India's imports of Iranian crude for this fiscal year at 370,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to the sources with knowledge of the planned deals. India is Iran's top oil client after China, and last year imported about 510,000 bpd of crude from the country, according to shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon. The reduced 2017-2018 imports include 199,000 bpd by state refiners, a decline of about a third from last year, the sources said. Private refiners Essar and HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) have renewed last year's term contracts to buy 120,000 bpd and 20,000 bpd, respectively, they said. reuters/representational image Most of the state refiners did not respond to queries on the matter, while Essar Oil, MRPL and HMEL declined to comment. India's oil ministry also said it had no immediate comment. Analysts said apart from the gas-field row, India is also taking advantage of a narrow price spread between European oil benchmark Brent and Middle East price-setter Dubai crude, which makes it attractive to bring more oil from Europe into Asia. "Brent-related crudes are cheaper and sweeter than medium to heavy grades from the Middle East," said Ehsan ul Haq of KBC Energy Economics. reuters/representational image Also, Russia's Rosneft may start bringing more non-Iranian crude, likely from Venezuela, to India after buying Essar Oil's Vadinar refinery. Not all of India's refiners plan to scale back orders from Iran, though. Private refiner Reliance Industries signed its first Iranian deal in seven years to buy 30,000 bpd of heavy Forozan crude oil, one of the sources said. India's overall crude demand is around 4.6 million bpd, third highest in the world behind the United States and China. It was one of the few countries that continued to deal with Iran despite international sanctions that were in place until 2016. Gunmen attacked two banks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Wednesday and fled with over Rs 4 lakhs in cash. ANI The first bank to be targeted was the Wahibugh branch of the Elaquai Dehati Bank. Armed men stormed the bank in the afternoon and fled after looting the money at gunpoint. ANI Police estimate that the robbers have taken at least Rs 3-4 lakhs with them from the bank. The second robbery took place at the Nehama branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Pulwama around 3.20 PM, the official said. ANI A police team has rushed to the spot and the exact amount of cash looted by the armed militants is being ascertained. This is the third instance this week alone, where militants have robbed banks. On Tuesday unidentified gunmen barged into Yaripora branch of the the Elaquai Dehati Bank and took away Rs 65,000. ANI Last week a terrorist was captured alive while trying to loot the Mehandi Kadal branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. In a confessional video, the terrorist arrested in Anantnag, said his handler threatened to kill him if he and his associate didn't snatch security personnel's rifles. China's e-commerce giant Alibaba has inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Argentina's government to assist with the export of Argentinean wines and fresh food to China. During a meeting between Argentinean President Mauricio Macri and Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma, Ma announced that his Chinese e-commerce platform would become the official sales platform of Argentinean wines. "With Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, Argentine SMEs will now be marketed on one of the biggest electronic sales platforms," wrote Macri on his official Twitter account. Ma, meanwhile, told China Radio International that: "B20 solves problems for big enterprises ... B200 can help facilitate cross-border trade for small and medium-sized companies via financial technology and big data." The deal authorizes Alibaba's Tmall to act as the official sales platform of Argentinean products in China. Argentina is the largest wine producer in South America and the fifth largest in the world. Currently, the seven most popular Argentinean brands on Tmall are wines, followed by fresh foods such as shrimp and crabs. Argentinean shrimp were especially popular on Tmall over the past Spring Festival. Estimates by Vinexpo show that China is on track to become the second largest wine consumer in the world by 2020, with its retail revenue reaching $2.1 billion. The Danish prime minister on May 2 sent an official invitation to Chinese gourmands who wish to devour Denmark's invasive oysters, adding that Chinese enthusiasm for tackling the unwelcome shellfish may boost business cooperation between the two nations. Ive noticed that many netizens on Chinese social media are interested in visiting the northern and western parts of Denmark. This will not only [allow Chinese visitors] to enjoy our beautiful beaches and historical sites, but will also help us to consume the delicious oysters. Welcome everyone! said Lars Lkke Rasmussen, prime minister of Denmark, during his visit to Chengdu, Sichuan province. The prime ministers warm invitation was the official response to recent discussion about Denmark's oyster invasion on Chinese social media. The official Sina Weibo page of the Danish embassy in Beijing has been inundated with comments since it shared a report about the oyster plague that choked the countrys shoreline on April 24. Many Chinese people put forward a simple yet powerful solution: bring Chinese tourists to scarf down the stubborn invaders. Taking these enthusiastic suggestions in stride, the Danish embassy has launched a series of promotions to attract Chinese tourists, including free airfare and accommodation for Chinese travelers. According to Rasmussen, the close attention Chinese netizens have paid to the oyster issue has brought business opportunities to both nations. During his four-day visit to China, the prime minister will discuss bilateral cooperation in 58 sectors, including the food industry. (File photo) Recently, the edible salt produced by Shenying Salt Industry in Pingdingshan, Henan province was reported by customers to carry an unpleasant smell. Now, related departments have suspended sales of the salt. A customer in Xi'an, Shaanxi province who bought the salt a week ago said that the smell was very unpleasant, and it stank even after being rubbed. After the salt was inspected by quality control officers, it was found to be of inferior quality, failing to meet national standards. The Shaanxi Administration of Salt Business (SASB) therefore decided to halt sales of the salt. The SASB also summoned the company's local distributors for a talk. Currently, the salt produced by the company has not been sold in Xi'an on a large scale. Authorities have instructed distributors to remove all their products from shelves, and the products cannot be sold again until a clear identification has been made. According to a Shenying Salt Industry employee, the smell of the salt comes from butyric acid, which was not removed from the rock salt during production. However, a salt industry insider claimed that the stink is actually sulfuretted hydrogen, which can cause suffocation, damage to the central nervous system and even asphyxiation when encountered in high concentrations. Authorities plan to carry out further investigations into the content of the salt. The Lagos State Government has opened a digital library which is aimed at providing unlimited access to educational and instructional materials for students, teachers, researchers and all seekers of knowledge. Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State, while speaking at the library launch ceremony, said that the digital library, tagged Educate Lagos, is one of the initiatives of the government geared towards achieving its goal of becoming the next financial and technology hub in Africa. Describing the project as the first of its kind in the state and the largest learning platform in Africa, Ambode, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said, through this platform we are providing access to learning materials for everyone particularly for students and researchers. The digital library provides all sorts of educational content including 2,000 study aids on core subjects from primary to secondary school curriculum, over 1,600 tutorials, instructional videos, selected e-books for primary to SS3 approved texts, brief history of Lagos State, online forum, podcasts, exam-mate, among others. It also includes quality research papers from Lagos State tertiary institutions covering a wide variety of topics digitised for the platform: vocational training videos; entrepreneurship content; creatively presented history, lessons and online courses on coding. I therefore use this opportunity to encourage our students, teachers, researchers and everyone that is interested in knowledge acquisition to make use of this platform which can be accessed from any part of the world, the governor enjoined. The fire incidence at the palace of the Oba of Lagos on Tuesday, 2nd May has nothing to do with the Lagos monarchs relationship with the Ooni of Ife, an official has said. The spokesperson of the Oonis palace, Moses Olafare, says the Ife monarch, Enitan Ogunwusi, is unhappy with the fire incident. We are not happy over the fact that the palace of Lagos king got burnt, we can only sympathise with the palace on the development, he said. The fire incident at the Lagos monarchs palace, occured about one week after a video showed the Lagos monarch, Rilwan Akiolu, snub the Ooni. There have been rumours on social media that Tuesdays fire was caused by the snub, reports denied by Mr. Olafare. People are entitle to their own views, he said. But what people say doesnt mean that is the position of the palace. What happened is mere coincidence and should not be traced to the incident in Lagos, we send our sympathies, he added. Crdt: PremiumTimes The PDP caucus of the senate today addressed a press conference where they alleged that there are plans by the presidency to arrest deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremdu and some former PDP governors. At a briefing with Senate Correspondents, Spokesman of the Caucus, Senator Enyinanya Abaribe read a statement saying intelligence gathered by them suggest that there are plans by the presidency to use security agents to plant arms and ammunitions and other inriminating materials in the homes of Ike Ekweremadu and some former PDP governors. The senators condemned the alleged plans, saying Nigeria is not prepared to head back to the days of late maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha. The PDP Senators in the same vein, condemned the arrest of former governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa state and Babangida Aliyu of Niger State for corruption charges. The senators claim the allegations are false and were cooked up by the government. They promised a political showdown if the intercepted intelligence document is implemented by security agencies controlled by the presidency officials. Photo credit: Sumner Shagari Sambo Back in December, Kiran and Jyoti Matharoo were arrested for allegedly trying to blackmail billionaire Femi Otedola and cyberbully more than 200 other people throughout Africa with a website, Naijagistlive. The reports claimed that the women were in possession of photos and videos showing Otedola cheating on his wife. The sisters were eventually charged with extortion, cyberbullying and threatening to kidnap. Shortly after, a video surfaced on YouTube showing the girls, make-up free and plainly clothed, apologizing to Otedola and his family. In the video apology, the sisters admitted to creating Naijagistlive. . But, recently, while speaking to CTV News Toronto, the sisters denied having anything to do with the website nor the gossip-laden story posted there about Otedola. They said they agreed to make the video in order to have their passports returned. . But even after apologizing, their passports were never returned and the Canadian embassy had to issue a temporary one, with which they fled Nigeria. The sisters insist they were scapegoats in the Nigerian authorities alleged attempt to cover-up a national embarrassment involving a person with power and money. Now, despite maintaining a low profile since returning to Canada on Jan. 1, the women have decided to speak out and tell their side of the story. They said: We just decided to speak because everyone thinks were missing or dead or worse, Jyoti said. The way the media reported it, they called us sex workers, prostitutesIve never done anything like that. Ive never blackmailed anyone, never extorted anyone. I think the stain on our reputation will never be cleared, Jyoti said. The case against the sisters returns to court May 22 but authorities issued an arrest warrant of arrest in their names because theyve missed several court appearances. The sister have, however, insisted that they have no intention of returning to Nigeria. Inflation strikes spur Greek clashes, disruptions in Belgium AP - 5 minutes ago Thousands of protesters have marched through the streets of Athens and the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki as workers walked off the job for a 24-hour general strike against price hikes $SPX : 3,828.11 (+0.56%) $DOWI : 33,160.83 (+1.02%) $IUXX : 11,059.50 (+0.75%) Election Day Propels Markets Market Tea Leaves - 49 minutes ago Yesterday the markets traded Higher despite the concerns over the election. What will we see today? Taiwan's Tsai thanks British minister for support AP - Wed Nov 9, 1:41AM CST President Tsai Ing-wen has thanked British Trade Minister Greg Hands for Londons support for Taiwan after he became the latest foreign official to defy Chinese pressure and visit the self-ruled island... $SPX : 3,828.11 (+0.56%) $DOWI : 33,160.83 (+1.02%) $IUXX : 11,059.50 (+0.75%) U.S. President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un (file photo) BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. bombers conducted drills with South Korean fighters amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula though President Donald Trump expressed willingness to meet the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un. The DPRK on Tuesday called the drill an "extremely reckless move for nuclear war" on the peninsula, and China urged related parties to take their responsibilities and find a breakthrough to resume peace talks at an early date. MILITARY GAME Two B-1 Lancer supersonic bombers conducted joint exercises with several F-15K fighter jets of South Korea on Monday, before staging a separate drill with fighter jets from the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday. The U.S. bombers reportedly departed from the U.S. Anderson air base in Guam and arrived at South Korea's east waters at about noon on Monday. Then, the bombers flew to the west waters of South Korea to drop target-practice bombs at the training ground. The DPRK called it a nuclear bomb dropping drill on targets of the DPRK, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. The report said the drill was "one more military provocation" and "What merits serious attention is that such a military game is underway when Trump and other U.S. warmongers are crying out for making a preemptive nuclear strike at the DPRK day after day." Tension has remained very high over the past two months between the United States and the DPRK over the former's threat to mount military attacks on Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile programs. The United States and South Korea also held their largest ever joint military exercises in the past two months, while the USS Carl Vinson nuclear aircraft carrier task group arrived in the waters off the peninsula for joint drills with the South Korean military. "MEET WITH HIM" On Monday, Trump told Bloomberg that he would meet Kim "under the right circumstances." "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it," Trump said. "If it's under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that." However, the White House then said such a meeting is unlikely in the near future. "We are so early into this process that I don't see this happening any time soon," said White House spokesman Sean Spicer at the daily briefing Tuesday, adding that conditions for such a meeting have not been met yet. Commenting on Trump's openness to meet Kim, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Tuesday that the United States and the DPRK, as parties directly concerned in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, should make political decisions and take actions as soon as possible to ease tensions on the peninsula, restart peace talks, and realize denuclearization. Geng said China always believes that peaceful negotiation and consultation remain the only practical and feasible approach to realizing denuclearization, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Trump agreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to work jointly to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the Kremlin said. Inside Self-Storage (ISS) has released a new installment to its Sounds of Storage podcast series titled, Michael Mele Discusses the Trump Administration Effect on Self-Storage Real Estate. The seven-minute interview with the senior managing director of investments for Marcus & Millichap addresses industry real estate trends and how the sector is performing. Mele also offers insight on potential interest-rate increases and how legislative variations could impact owners and investors. This audio and others in the series can be accessed by visiting the ISS podcasts page. Mele joined Marcus & Millichap in 1999 as an agent specializing in the self-storage sector. He rose to senior associate in May 2002, vice president of investments in January 2008, senior vice president of investments in 2014, and senior managing director of investments in February. Hes also senior director of the companys National Self Storage Group. Mele has closed more than 300 self-storage transactions totaling more than $1.5 billion in sales volume. Hes been awarded the Marcus & Millichap National Achievements Award, Chairmans Club Award and the Chairmans Circle of Excellence Award. Mele has been a regular contributor to the ISS family of products, including the magazine, expo, website and store. His 2017 ISS World Expo presentation on self-storage real estate cycles and property values can be found at insideselfstoragestore.com. For more than 25 years, ISS has provided informational resources for the self-storage industry. Its educational offerings include ISS magazine, the annual ISS World Expo, an extensive website, the ISS Store, and Self-Storage Talk, the industrys largest online community. (Xinhua) 18:39, May 03, 2017 BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte held a telephone conversation Wednesday, discussing bilateral ties and regional cooperation in East Asia. They also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. A man is in severe condition after being shot last night at a self-storage facility in Virginia Beach, Va. Police were called to Premiere Storage at 2420 Virginia Beach Blvd. just after 9:30 p.m. to investigate the incident. The man was taken to a local hospital, according to the source. Authorities havent released much information about the shooting, including why the man was on the property. Police initially said the shooting happened at a nearby storage business, but later clarified the facility name. Police are asking anyone with information to call the crime line at 888.LOCK.U.UP. The Virginia Beach, Va., City Council appears to favor a new development proposed by Birdneck Self Storage owner Ryan Powell in the Seatack neighborhood, but the project isnt without controversy. Powell wants to build seven single-story storage buildings on Bells Road near his existing facility, but residents in the historical African-American community believe the project is too close to homes and will hurt property values. Though the planning commission didnt recommend the project, the council has already approved a zoning change from residential to light industrial, according to the source. Though Seatack is one of the nations oldest black communities, its proximity to the Oceana Naval Air Station has slowly eroded its size. Much of the neighborhood is in a designated crash zone for military planes. In 2005, a federal commission indicated Oceana might be forced to close if Virginia Beach officials didnt prevent residential development near the base and clear the area of 3,400 homes, the source reported. Since the city complied with the federal request, it has rezoned many residential lots to commercial and industrial uses, according to zoning administrator Kevin Kemp. As a result, many businesses have taken over land no longer considered inhabitable for homeowners. The property on which Powell wants to build previously contained three vacant homes, which were cleared last month, according to the source. The area has become a hotbed for self-storage development due to demand from the military base and residents living in oceanfront condominiums who need more storage. There are currently more than 20 self-storage facilities in the vicinity of Oceana, including four on a two-mile stretch of Birdneck Road. The Birdneck Self Storage site would be the first on the east side of the road nearest to houses, the source reported. Though Powell will be required to plant trees to create a buffer between the self-storage facility and residences, several homeowners believe the business will encroach the houses and further damage the community. I wanted a relaxing, quiet space. I feel like that is going to be gone now, said Thomi Gill, whose property shares a border with the proposed storage site. It is an uneasy feeling. Even though they are going to plant trees, a storage facility is not something you want to be a neighbor to. To me, it is like no unencumbered time without people coming and going into the storage units, resident Scott Sonier told the source. By having the industrial around, all of the homes on our street get devalued. Eventually, people are going to move out. Ten years ago, the block along Bells Road contained seven houses, but just three remain today, Ron Agnor, the citys assistant real estate assessor told the source. Powell has owned Birdneck Self Storage on the corner of S. Birdneck and Bells Roads for more than 30 years. Though his existing facility offers customers 24-hour access, the new facility would limit operation from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. The report didnt specify when the council is expected to make a final decision on the project. The governors in Arkansas and Montana have signed new self-storage legislation into law. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed two bills in March, with one addressing the disposal of sensitive documents left by delinquent tenants and another regarding the sales of abandoned vehicles. Last week, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock enacted updates to the states Self-Storage Facilities Act that allow e-mail communication with tenants and public notification of lien sales in a commercially reasonable manner other than a newspaper. The measures were supported by the national Self Storage Association (SSA). In Arkansas, House Bill 1585 enables self-storage operators to destroy sensitive documents left behind by delinquent tenants that contain personal data related to bank accounts, credit cards, medical information, passports and Social Security. Operators can enter a storage unit explicitly to inspect for sensitive documents as long as the unit has been in default for longer than 45 days, according to the measure. Meanwhile, House Bill 2158, allows operators to sell abandoned vehicles in accordance with established state statutes. In Montana, House Bill 402 is a comprehensive revision to the states self-storage lien law. It establishes that operators may enforce a lien if tenants are in default for more than 60 days and advertise the auction outside of the local newspaper. It also allows operators to set late fees of $20 or 20 percent of the monthly rent due, whichever is greater, and remove abandoned vehicles when tenants exceed 60 days of delinquency. Operators may also communicate with tenants via e-mail. Fifteen states are still in play with storage legislation, but with many legislatures concluding their regular sessions in the next month or so, more results from the 2017 effort should be in soon, SSA officials said in a May 1 e-mail newsletter to its members. A zoning hearing for a new self-storage facility in Stratford, Conn., was continued on April 25 to allow the town engineer to address several questions in relation to possible flooding and a sewer line. Property developer MARL Properties LLC purchased the two-parcel, 3.2-acre site at 771-815 Barnum Ave. Cutoff, which is in a light-industrial zone near Main Street. It borders commercial, retail and residential zones. The site also includes wetlands and abuts the Longbrook waterway. It contains two vacant buildings and had been previously used for industrial and other purposes, according to the source. The plans call for a three-story facility comprising 99,648 square feet of storage space in 900 units. It would include 20 parking spaces as well as loading bays and a basement that can be accessed from the back. The sites current five driveways would be reduced to two, forcing a combined main entrance and exit. The building would be 40 feet tall in the front and 51 feet high in the back due to a slope on the property. A tower with glass windows would dominate the front of the structure, according to architect Andrew E. Graves of BL Cos. Its in scale with the surrounding uses, he said. During the meeting, town engineer John Casey raised questions about flooding, the use of fill in a flood plain and an existing sewer line. Although Jeff Bord, the engineer representing MARL, addressed some of Caseys concerns, the zoning commission asked the town engineer to review the revised plans, the source reported. The project has received inland wetlands approval. A 50-foot natural buffer would be built near the brook and wetlands, and new trees would be planted along Barnum Avenue Cutoff. MARL also plans to undertake a heroic cleanup and restoration of the wetlands because the area has been used as a dumping ground, said John W. Knuff, the attorney representing the firm. The sewer line would be relocated. A storm-water management system would treat water run-off before its released into the brook, Bord said. Additional concerns from board members included the impact on abutting properties, driveway access and the facilitys outdoor lighting. Dr. Louis Pieper, who owns the adjacent Barnum Animal Hospital, also expressed his concerns about the project. Although not entirely opposed to it, adding a driveway adjacent to one of his own could create problems, he said. Pieper also noted the area flooded in 2008, leaving abandoned vehicles and trash on the site. Zoning chairman Stephanie Philips also questioned why the project doesnt currently contain a retail element. Knuff noted retail wasnt permitted in the areas zoning. MARL is based in Norwalk, Conn. ExtraPlatz, a Switzerland-based self-storage startup company that opened a fully automated facility last year in Wolfhausen near Zurich, intends to bring its integrated smart-lock and software technology to North America. The operator is using its first facility as a proof of concept to demonstrate how customers can book a unit online and then download a mobile app that provides instant access to the facility and reserved storage space, according to a press release. The smartphone app is available for iPhone and Android devices. Once a unit is booked, tenants gain entrance with a personal code communicated via Bluetooth, the release stated. Logistics companies can book storage space at any time and cancel it when its not needed anymore; and this [is] with just one click, company officials said. This helps their bottom line, and becomes worth a premium to them. ExtraPlatz is looking to partner with companies that can help bring its technology to U.S. self-storage operators, according to the release. Self-storage is not going to disappear. Instead, it is becoming an even more essential part of the global logistics infrastructure, officials said. ExtraPlatz is building the software and partnerships that not only increase comfort for traditional clients but ultimately aim at increasing value and profits. The Wolfhausen self-storage facility comprises 860 net rentable square feet in 23 units. The company intends to open additional locations in the Zurich market this year, the release stated. Founded in 2014, ExtraPlatz is owned by Fruchtlange 7 AG, a full-service agency specializing in administrative, management and technical services for the real estate sector. Brantford, Ont. March 29, 2017 Nathan Ackland Racing and driver Shone Evans are busy making the final adjustments to their 602 GMC Crate Sprint Car in preparation for the 2017 race season. The team is entering its second full season of competition at Ohsweken Speedway in Ohsweken, Ont. In his rookie campaign behind the wheel of a sprint car, Evans finished a solid eighth in the Crate Sprint Car point standings at Ohsweken. He also ended the year as runner-up for Rookie of the Year honours behind division champion and fellow newcomer Jesse McDonald. The highlight of the 2016 season was a feature win at Humberstone Speedway on Sunday, June 26th. The team is excited for the upcoming season and has been fine tuning the car in hopes of gaining a competitive edge. The car count in the division has nearly doubled this season and we are excited to be a part of it said car owner Nathan Ackland. The competition will be stiff, but we are ready. Nathan Ackland Racing will once again be affiliated with and have technical assistance from Hills Racing. We would like to say a special thanks to Miles, Pam and Alex Hill for the continued team partnership and all of their support said Ackland. We couldnt have started this team last year without their guidance. The No. 87x Crate Sprint Car will once again be sponsored by Ackland Insurance, Townline Variety, Bearpaw Convenience, Carstar, Tates Automotive, Tuff Powder Coating, Country RV Repair, Creative Edge Graphics, and Davis Fuels. The team is also very excited to announce Stys Tree Service, Andersons GM, Legends Taphouse & Grill, Total Rentals, and Bobcat of Brantford as new supporters for the upcoming season. We are very happy to have so many great sponsors said Ackland. Wed love nothing more then to get them to victory lane this year. Keizer Wheels, Chalkstix, DHR Suspension, King Racing Products, Saldana Racing Products, Maxim Racing, and Fast Track Performance will also join the team in 2017 with product support. The first night of competition for Evans and Nathan Ackland Racing is Friday, May 19th at Ohsweken Speedway when the 3/8 mile clay oval hosts its 22nd season opener. For more information visit the official speedway website at www.ohswekenspeedway.ca. FIND NATHAN ACKLAND RACING ON THE WEB: Website: www.nathanacklandracing.com Facebook: facebook.com/NAR87x Twitter: @AcklandRacing Nathan Ackland Racing will be supported in 2017 by Ackland Insurance, Townline Variety, Bearpaw Convenience, Carstar, Tates Automotive, Tuff Powder Coating, Country RV Repair, Creative Edge Graphics, Davis Fuels, Stys Tree Service, Andersons GM, Legends Taphouse & Grill, Total Rentals, Bobcat of Brantford, Keizer Wheels, Chalkstix, DHR Suspension, King Racing Products, Saldana Racing Products, Maxim Racing, and Fast Track Performance. This content is from: Portfolio The painful slump in the markets may not yet be over but return expectations are better than theyve been in a decade. Insurance companies have been slammed by Logan Mayor Luke Smith for the amount of time it has taken them to assess flood-damaged homes in the area.According to the official, the severe flooding brought on by ex-Cyclone Debbie in March this year inundated 185 Logan homes, with more than 400 also impacted by flood waters in some way.Smith said it had taken insurance companies way to loo long to help the flood-impacted Logan homeowners who are suffering not only from the heartache of losing their home but more so from not knowing how to pay for it, The Courier-Mail reported.There are 38 homes across the city right now that are uninhabitable because of the floods that have gone through the city of Logan, he said.The Mayor said it had gone beyond reason that insurance companies were playing games with flood-impacted families; and said the council has received complaints from residents about insurance companies. Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) communications GM, told Courier-Mail that it had already declared the disaster an insurance catastrophe to escalate the industrys response.Fuller said insurers have been spending over $2 million a day on emergency repairs, temporary accommodation, hire cars and other emergency assistance for policyholders.Insurers rapidly deployed assessors into areas affected by the cyclone and its aftermath to assist their policyholders once it was safe to do so, Fuller said.As of April 21, the industry had received 50,056 claims stretching from north Queensland to northern NSW, with estimated insured losses of $756 million.Insurers are working to finalise all claims as quickly as possible, and are using a triage system to get assistance to those requiring the most urgent help first. Major insurer QBE is moving its European operations from London to the continent due to the UKs departure from the European Union. The Sydney-based global insurer will set up a new outpost in another EU country to maintain its passporting rights or access to the single market. Want the latest insurance industry news first? Sign up for our completely free newsletter service now We are well-advanced with our plans and negotiations for the establishment of a new location for our EU-business, and expect to have a solution in place for 2018 renewals, QBE chairman Marty Becker told shareholders during the companys annual general meeting on Wednesday. Becker said Brexit will impact QBE Insurance Europe Limited, QBE Re and the insurers Lloyds business. We need to prepare our business for this reality, and we are doing so on the assumption the existing access arrangements enjoyed by UK-domiciled insurers to the other 27 European Union countries will not be preserved, Becker explained. However, QBEs post-Brexit plan would not significantly affect its workforce in the UK, according to CEO John Neal It does not involve the meaningful movement of staff, Neal was quoted as saying in a report by The Australian. Policyholders wont see any difference in the way we deal with them. Yesterday Insurance Business broke the news that Liberty Mutual had completed its acquisition of Ironshore and now the firm has revealed its plans for the brand going forward.In a release issued earlier today, Liberty Mutual announced that it would be combining its existing Liberty International Underwriters business with Ironshores US speciality lines business with the merged firm to operate under the Ironshore brand.According to David H Long, the chairman and CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance, the new firm will create the sixth largest writer of excess and surplus lines in the US based on 2016 direct written premium.The combination of our two operations will create a top tier US specialty insurer with a broad and deep set of solutions for clients and brokers, he said. For Libertys worldwide operations, Ironshore becomes an ideal complement to our $5 billion global specialty business by providing additional scale, expertise, innovation and market relationships.Current Ironshore CEO Kevin H. Kelley will continue to lead all Ironshore operations and report directly to Long. The combined US specialty organization, meanwhile, will be led by Shaun Kelly, Ironshore president and CEO Ironshore US, who will report directly to Mr. Kelley.Elsewhere, Ironshores existing international businesses, which include a Lloyds syndicate operation (Pembroke) and Bermuda platform, will operate with its current management team, business strategy and Ironshore brand. DHAKA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has signed three deals with Chinese and Thai firms on the country's first-ever metro rail project. Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), a Bangladeshi state-owned enterprise founded to implement the metro rail lines across the Dhaka city, signed the separate contract packages (CPs) including CP-2, CP-3 and CP-4 worth over 58.26 billion taka (about 719 million U.S. dollars) with the firms, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a Thailand-based construction firm, and Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited. Under the deals, the firms will build metro rail tracks, stations and depot of the long cherished 20.1-km Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 that will link north Dhaka with the south through 16 stations. According to the project, the package CP-2 is for the civil and building works of the Depot, CP-3 and CP-4 is for the construction of metro rail tracks and elevated stations. Officials of DMTCL, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a Thailand-based construction firm, and Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited signed the agreements on behalf of their respective sides at a ceremony on Wednesday in capital Dhaka. Sinohydro signed the deal worth 15.96 billion taka for CP-2 while Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited signed deal for all the three packages. A total of 9,480 Florida Blue customers were affected. 8,177 are Affordable Care Act-compliant individual plan policyholders 453 are Pre-Affordable Care Act-compliant/transitional individual plan policyholders 850 are Medicare policyholders Unauthorized withdrawals have been made from the bank accounts of more than 9,000 Florida Blue insurance customers, according to a Florida Times-Union report.State regulators are investigating the incidents, in which customers saw multiple withdrawals from their accounts for what should have been a one-time payment. Florida Blue acknowledged the mistake on Monday and apologized, but the company wasnt sure at the time how widespread the issue was, the Times-Union reported.According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, the withdrawals were supposed to be for customers May health insurance premiums.We are very sorry for the problems this caused our members, Florida Blue spokeswoman Toni Woods told the Times-Union. It is important to note that by 2 p.m. Monday, members began receiving refunds into their bank accounts. This matter is being dealt with at the highest levels of Florida Blues management. We are making things right for our members and ensuring this does not happen again.Regulators are still investigating how the multiple withdrawals happened, according to the Times-Union but the Office of Insurance Regulation said it seemed to be a vendor error.Florida Blue advised this was a processing error by the companys third-party vendor, the regulator said in a statement. The statement did not include the name of the vendor, but did provide a breakdown of the people affected by the error:As of 2 p.m. Monday, Florida Blues primary bank had reversed the transaction to refund the affected customers, the Times-Union reported. While the insurer has received confirmation from several banks that the refunds were received, other banks may take more time to complete the transactions.Woods told the Times-Union that the insurer would not cancel any policies for payment issues until the error is resolved, and that any resulting damage to customers credit ratings will be amended with the help of the company. Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller has joined the ranks of private flood insurance supporters as she urged her states Congressional delegation to fight for more options for homeowners.US Congress is set to deliberate on the provisions of the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program prior to its September 30 expiration.Miller said in a PRNewswire report that she supports Governor Tom Wolfs consumer protection and education initiative. Indeed she had initiated the development of an online resource where homeowners can get information on the flood insurance options that are available to them - a one-stop web portal that lists more than 40 agents who provide flood coverage through the surplus lines market, 15 state licensed insurers, as well as the NFIP program.(Miller) said her departments research has found numerous instances where homeowners were able to get comparable coverage through the private market at substantial savings over that available through the NFIP, the report stated. In the first year of the websites availability, the number of private flood policies in Pennsylvania more than doubled, to over 3,300.Among her recommendations for the NFIP reauthorization are: allowing policyholders to change programs midterm if it will be replaced by a compliant private market counterpart; and allowing lenders to recognize private coverage in their transactions with the policyholder.Miller also suggested that the NFIP facilitate the sharing of relevant historical flood data to allow private insurers to better price their premiums, identify high risk areas, and better respond to changing market conditions.Providing this historical information will help private insurers better understand the risks they face from properties in a given area, so they can appropriately price their products, and through this increased competition, provide additional and less expensive options to homeowners, Miller explained in the report. In a fast-paced world, the insurance industry is having to adapt to the many hurdles it faces, but brokers are facing two major challenges, according to Brokerslink CEO Jose Manuel.First is the process of transforming both in reality and through outside perception to a consultative role and not just a transactional one, Manuel told Insurance Business during an interview at the Risk Management Societys annual conference in Philadelphia, USA.I define a broker as a talent company, he said. Our main asset is talent, is people, is knowledge, is information. Of course, the transactional process is quite important, because we need to place risks in a very efficient way with the best carriers and so on, but its much more than that. Its an everyday job with the client, so that transformation process is a great challenge for us.It can be difficult for brokers to demonstrate that they are more than transactional, but in the current complex risk landscape, we have a great job to do with our clients and insurers in terms of information, knowledge and consulting, Manuel explained.The second key challenge, which is likely to come as little surprise, is dealing with technology and digital.Brokers have long been facing the threat of disintermediation, but we are here and stronger than before, so we have a very important job to do, commented Manuel.I think that technology is a great opportunity that if you dont leverage, can be a threat, of course, like always, and technology can also be a great challenge and opportunity in different areas.The increased capacity to gather large volumes of data provides an opportunity to produce fabulous information, but new challenges are springing up from insurtech players, as well as insurers going direct.But rather than see the newer start-ups merely as competition, brokers need to embrace the innovation they can bring.I think brokers need really to be close to that world, to be close to the start-ups and insurtechs, Manuel said. Through partnerships and integration, established firms can reinvent the wheel and not miss the train, he added. Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) President Richard Smith joined Vermont Governor Phil Scott as he signed new legislation passed in the 2017 session. This new legislation serves to strengthen Vermonts captive legislation in a variety of areas, including adding agency captives to the portfolio of captive types allowed in Vermont. The law takes effect upon passage. In what has become an annual tradition, these improvements to our captive legislation illustrate Vermonts ongoing commitment to the captive insurance industry, which has been an economic boon for the state, said Gov. Scott in a statement published in a VCIA press release. This bill will further advance Vermonts reputation as the Gold Standard for domiciles and will provide greater flexibility and clarity going forward for our companies. The new captive insurance legislation added agency captives to the types of captives that can be formed in Vermont. An agency captive is a reinsurance company controlled by an insurance agency or brokerage. Through a reinsurance agreement with a traditional insurer, the agency captive receives a share of the premiums written and is obligated to pay its share of claims. Agency captives create a long-term relationship between the agency and the insured, where interests are aligned in terms of risk appetite, selection, pricing, loss control and claims management. As we have for many years, we worked with the VCIA to develop a bill that helps the industry grow while maintaining prudent regulatory standards, said David Provost, deputy commissioner of Vermonts Captive Division, in the release. The legislative process is part of making sure that our captive law meets the needs of business within a regulatory framework that recognizes the special purposes for which captives are formed. Besides the agency captive provision, changes to Vermonts captive law allows broader accounting systems, expands dormant captives and clarifies risk retention governance standards among other things. Governor Scott has supported the captive industry in Vermont since his days as a State Senator and Lt. Governor, Smith said in the release. Were delighted to have his continued support and that of the Legislature in keeping pace with the changing needs of the industry. I have already been contacted by a number of entities interested in Vermonts new agency captive provision. VCIA, the largest trade association for captive insurance in the world, lobbied for the legislation. Established in 1985, the Association has grown to provide lobbying support on both the state and federal levels for its more than 400 member companies. In addition, it hosts and supports professional education opportunities for the industry at large. Source: VCIA Topics Legislation Vermont Jeff Cunningham has joined American Risk Management Resources Network LLC (ARMR) in Madison, Wis., as director of underwriting for its managing general agency through Berkley Specialty. Cunningham leads the MGA, which primarily handles GL/CPL/professional combined policies for restoration contractors and environmental contractors, as well as standalone contractors pollution liability policies for both environmental and non-environmental contractors. Cunningham comes from an environmental brokerage background working with brokers Willis, Marsh and Hub International in New York City, and most recently in Ft. Lauderdale at SLB Insurance Group. Source: American Risk Management Resources Network Topics Pollution Contractors Wisconsin Risk Management A construction company that was remodeling a historic downtown Sioux Falls, S.D., building when it collapsed and killed a worker willfully ignored precautions, federal workplace safety officials allege. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on April 30 issued two new citations against Hultgren Construction. The company was renovating the former Copper Lounge building Dec. 2 when it collapsed, killing a construction worker and trapping an apartment resident under the rubble for hours. The citations allege the company told employees to remove two load-bearing walls but did not provide instruction on how to install a temporary support system. The investigation found the company also failed to conduct an engineering survey before beginning the demolition work. OSHA is proposing penalties of $101,400 for the new citations. That follows more than two dozen other citations and a $100,000 penalty issued against Hultgren Construction related to the construction site. A temporary labor company, Command Center, was also fined $114,000 last week and intends to contest its citations. Hultgren Construction president Aaron Hultgren told the Argus Leader in an email that his company has received the citations but declined comment. Each step we take is with the utmost gravity and respect for everyone concerned, Hultgren wrote. We at Hultgren Construction remain committed to working through the process with OSHA and all other concerned parties. An attorney representing the family of Ethan McMahon, the 24-year-old worker killed in the collapse, said OSHAs findings confirm the familys belief that the collapse was avoidable. The OSHA citations issued today confirm that this tragedy was entirely preventable and should have never happened, attorney Vince Roche wrote. The citation report was also being reviewed by an attorney for the family of Emily Fodness, the 22-year-old woman who was trapped in the rubble until firefighters rescued her. Hultgren Construction has 15 days to contest the citations. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Workers' Compensation Construction Allstate saw its first quarter profit take a big jump this year to $666 million, up from the $217 million reported for the first quarter of 2016. Total revenue of $9.4 billion in the first quarter of 2017 increased by 6.3 percent compared to the prior year quarter. Property-liability insurance premiums increased 3.1 percent. Operating income was $608 million in the first quarter of 2017, compared to $322 million in the first quarter of 2016. The company reported progress in improving its auto line pricing and results. Property-liability net income of $652 million was $430 million higher than the first quarter of 2016. Underwriting income of $507 million was $382 million above the prior year quarter, driven by a lower loss ratio, which the company said was due to increased average premiums, improved loss trends, favorable prior year reserve releases and lower catastrophe losses. The combined ratio of 84.8 for the first quarter of 2017 was 2.4 points lower than the first quarter of 2016, reflecting improvement in the auto underlying loss ratio across all three of Allstates brands. This was partially offset by an increased Allstate brand auto expense ratio, driven by investments in growth, and a higher Allstate brand homeowners combined ratio compared to a very favorable first quarter of 2016. Allstate brand auto net written premium grew 2.9 percent in the first quarter of 2017, reflecting a 6.1 percent increase in average premium compared to the prior year quarter. The insurer said it is investing in expanding its distribution capacity and marketing. The recorded combined ratio of 90.6 in the first quarter of 2017 was 8.4 points better than the prior year quarter. Allstate brand homeowners net written premium increased slightly in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016, as increased average premium and lower reinsurance costs were offset by a 1.4 percent decline in policies in force. The company said its homeowner policy growth has been adversely impacted by actions taken to improve auto margins. The recorded homeowner combined ratio of 93.7 in the first quarter of 2017 increased 0.3 points compared to the prior year quarter due to a higher expense ratio. At online seller Esurance, net written premium growth of 1.1 percent compared to the prior year quarter reflects increased auto average premium. Policy growth was flat as growth in homeowners offset the decline in auto policies. The recorded combined ratio of 102.4 was 3.8 points better in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter 2016, as a lower expense ratio was only partially offset by a higher loss ratio. The auto loss ratio of 74.4 in the first quarter was 1.0 point higher than the prior year quarter. The homeowners loss ratio in the first quarter was 92.9, while the combined ratio of 150.0 includes start-up costs. At the independent agency division, Encompass, net written premium declined by 10.3 percent and policies in force were 14.5 percent lower in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the prior year quarter. The recorded combined ratio of 111.7 in the first quarter of 2017 was above the first quarter of 2016 due to higher catastrophe losses, while the underlying combined ratio of 86.6 improved compared to the same period a year ago. The insurer continues to seek rate hikes in states with inadequate returns. However, Encompass announced it will be withdrawing from Massachusetts starting in late June. SquareTrade net written premium was $81 million and policies in force were 30 million in the first quarter of 2017. The recorded combined ratio was 159.3 and included $23 million of amortization of purchased intangible assets related to the acquisition and is also impacted by investments in growth. The loss ratio in the first quarter was 61.0. Topics Auto Profit Loss Homeowners Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Harlingen, Texas-based Texas Insurance Managers Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. With roots tracing back to 1903, Texas Insurance Managers offers commercial and personal property/casualty, life/health, retirement and employee benefit services to clients primarily in South Texas. Richard May, Josh Klostermann, Ryan Newman and their associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Bret VanderVoort, head of Gallaghers South Central retail property/casualty brokerage operations. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, has operations in 33 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Texas A.J. Gallagher Motorists Insurance Group, based in Columbus, Ohio, has launched a new commercial lines company Motorists Insurance in Michigan and Tennessee. The company features state-of-the-art technology to make the process from quoting to issuance and policy servicing simple and streamlined via Guidewire InsuranceSuite, which Motorists Insurance Group purchased in 2014. The suite includes underwriting, claims management, billing, rating and policy administration. Motorists also purchased Guidewire portals to improve its agency and policyholder interactions. Motorists Insurance includes the MiChoice Business Program, which offers tiers to choose the right coverage to fit the size and unique liability needs of a company. Policyholders wont pay for coverage they dont want or need, and agents will have more power to customize a policy to satisfy their customers needs and budget. The commercial product offering complements the workers compensation offerings of BrickStreet, with which Motorists Insurance Group recently announced an affiliation. Plans are in place to continuously expand Motorists Insurance products to the groups full operating footprint. Topics Carriers Commercial Lines Business Insurance New Markets Tennessee Nancy G. Atkins has been appointed Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Insurance (KYDOI), in the wake of Brian Maynards decision to vacate the post. Maynard stepped down as commissioner of KYDOI effective April 30, to return to the private sector. He was appointed by then newly-elected Gov. Matt Bevin in January of 2016. Atkins is a 33-year veteran of the insurance industry, working as both a licensed agent and employee benefit manager. She previously served as the deputy commissioner for KYDOI, an appointment she held since February. Prior to joining DOI, she served as the director of sales and marketing for Bluegrass Family Health Inc., where she managed a large team of agents and account representatives while working closely with DOI to ensure regulatory compliance. Atkins also worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky and Advantage Care, Inc., focusing largely on employee benefit plan management for small and large corporations throughout the state. She is a licensed nurse and former hospital administration professional and understands the complexities that exist for healthcare providers in todays insurance marketplace. I am honored to lead the department during this critical time for Kentuckys insurance market, said Atkins. Obamacare has left us with a broken system, but there is a desire for change. We look forward to harnessing that desire for the benefit of all Kentuckians. Atkins will work closely with Patrick OConnor, the newly named deputy commissioner of Policy for KYDOI. OConnor will continue to serve as an executive legal advisor for KYDOI and assist the department with high-priority legal, policy, and legislative initiatives, including cutting red tape in the state insurance code as part of Governor Matt Bevins Red Tape Reduction Initiative. As an attorney with the Insurance Regulation Service Team at Frost Brown Todd LLC, Patrick assisted national and international insurance companies with regulatory compliance needs. In this position, he also assisted in drafting model law recommendations to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and provided guidance to other organizations regarding state and federal insurance regulatory changes. The Kentucky Department of Insurance regulates the Commonwealths insurance market, licenses agents and other insurance professionals, monitors the financial condition of companies, educates consumers to make wise choices, and ensures Kentuckians are treated fairly in the marketplace. Topics Legislation Market Kentucky Nighttime lights in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei NASA scientists recently released a series of nighttime photos of Earth that highlight Chinas economic performance in different areas of the country. Central Chinese business districts such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Zhuhai are distinctly visible in the pictures. The photos recorded nighttime lights as an indicator of Chinas economic status. Based on the photos, three U.S. economists concluded that the Chinese economy is performing better than official data indicates. The national data may be understating the growth rate of services and other new forms of business, which could explain the disparity, according to the economists. Nighttime lights in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta Chinas service sector is experiencing explosive growth, thanks to policies that streamline administration. The country also encourages mass entrepreneurship and innovation, which attract people to work in the service sector. According to China's 2017 work report, the value created by the service sector rose to 51.6 percent of the GDP in 2016. Burns & Wilcox Brokerage has named Susanne M. Waite vice president and senior broker in its San Francisco, Calif. office. Waite has more than 30 years of experience in insurance, with 14 years in wholesale. Waite previously was a vice president and broker at Partners Specialty Group and Swett & Crawford. Before that she was with Aon Serivces Group. Her experience in casualty includes general liability, excess and environmental Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Burns & Wilcox is an independent wholesale insurance brokerage owned by the H.W. Kaufman Financial Group. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions California The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has concluded that a 2015 explosion at a Torrance, Calif., refinery then owned by Exxon Mobil Corp. could have been prevented, the agency concluded in a report issued on Wednesday. This explosion and near miss should not have happened, said CSB Chair Vanessa Allen Sutherland in a statement. The CSBs report concludes the unit was operating without proper procedures. The federal watchdog found that weaknesses in the Torrance refinerys safety program led to the blast. The blast blew a large piece of debris 80 feet (24.38 m) to nearby alkylation unit settler tanks containing toxic hydrofluoric acid, which the board called a near-miss event. Four workers suffered minor injuries and part of the refinery underwent a lengthy shutdown, contributing to a spike in the states gasoline prices. The Torrance refinery supplies 20 percent of the gasoline in Southern California and 10 percent statewide. The explosion occurred when volatile hydrocarbons flowed backward through an idled gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) to a pollution control device called an electrostatic precipitator (ESP), the CSB found. The generation of sparks by the ESP ignited the hydrocarbons setting off the explosion. The board, which has no regulatory authority and does not assess fines, found that the FCCU was operating without pre-established limits for a shutdown. The agency also said Exxon relied on safeguards that it could not be sure were working and that a critical safeguard failed. Exxon said in a statement: We are confident we understand the cause of the blast and have worked cooperatively with the Chemical Safety Board and staff to fully understand their findings and recommendations. Regarding the hydrofluoric acid, Exxon said, There was no evidence the Feb. 18 incident posed any risk to the modified hydrofluoric acid alkylation unit or risk of harm to the community. Residents near the refinery want local and state officials to ban the use of hydrofluoric acid in making octane-boosting gasoline additives. Hydrofluoric acid is a highly toxic chemical that can kill or seriously injure at a concentration of 30 parts per million. As a gas it forms a ground-hugging cloud. The board said it has asked a federal court to enforce subpoenas requiring Exxon to provide information about safeguards to prevent or mitigate a release of hydrofluoric acid. Exxon said it strongly disagrees with any statement questioning its responsiveness or cooperation with the investigation. We offered to make additional documents available if the CSB could provide a sufficient basis for the documents and agreed to respect commercial confidentiality, which they have not done, a spokesman said Wednesday. PBF Energy Inc, which acquired the refinery last year, has already implemented a number of measures that address the CSBs recommendations, PBF spokesman Michael Karlovich said in a statement. We plan to complete two studies later this year that will address the remaining recommendations. The CSB determines root causes of chemical plant accidents and provides recommendations to companies, industry organizations and regulatory agencies. (Reporting by Seba and Hampton in Houston; editing by Gary McWilliams and Matthew Lewis) Topics California Chemicals What Is Green Technology Investing? Green tech is a group of technologies that seek to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of human activity on the natural environment. This can include anything from exploring new clean and renewable sources of energy to pioneering new and clean materials and finding ways to recycle waste and used materials. There are many ways to invest in green technology, from installing wind turbines and solar arrays to supporting electric vehicle research. Both private and government actors can contribute to green technology. Governments invest in green technology by giving subsidies or tax credits to green technology companies, while private individuals can support them by financing green technology enterprises. Key Takeaways Green technology seeks to reduce or eliminate the harmful environmental effects of human activity on the natural environment. Green technology encompasses a wide range of innovations, from renewable energy to sustainable agriculture, materials, and chemistry. Both governments and private actors are investing in green technology in different ways. Worldwide, green technology investments reached $755 billion in 2021, a sharp rise from the previous year. Electric vehicles and energy solutions were the largest sectors in green technology investment. Understanding Green Technology Investing Since there is no universal definition of what makes a technology "green," estimates of green technology investments vary widely. Renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, and hydropower are widely considered "green," even though each of them has different environmental consequences. It's less clear if nuclear power or more efficient combustion engines can be considered "green tech," even if they do reduce carbon emissions. By any definition, investment in green tech or "climate tech" is increasing every year. Total investment in low-carbon technologies reached $755 billion in 2021, according to research by BloombergNEF. That's a 25% rise over the previous year, but still only about a third of what's needed to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050. Here are some of the other ways businesses and countries are investing in green technology. To get the latest analysis and advice on green investing, check out The Green Investor podcast powered by Investopedia. Green Technology Industries In 2021, renewable energy took up the largest share of new investments, with a total of $368 billion worldwide. This category, including wind, solar, and other renewable power sources, saw investment grow by 6.5% over the previous year. Investment in green transportation also surged, reaching $273 billion, or 77% more than had been invested the year prior. This was largely thanks to increased electric vehicle sales, along with the associated infrastructure for charging and maintenance. Note that electric vehicles represent only under 10% of all circulating cars. This gives a signal about the potential opportunity in this market and the energy needed to power it. These industries were the largest investment recipients in 2021. There were also significant gains in investment for sustainable materials, carbon capture, and energy storage, although these figures were dwarfed by the investment in energy and transportation. Countries Investing in Green Tech Following the COP26 conference in Glasgow, many industrial nations set goals to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. In order to meet that goal, investment in green technology is rising worldwide, both by governments and private investors. The Asia-Pacific region saw the largest amount of green tech investment in 2021, as well as the highest growth. Over $368 billion were invested in Asia-Pacific green tech industries, a 38% increase from 2020. China was by far the largest source of investment, accounting for over two-thirds of the region's total. Other regions saw comparatively lower rates of investment growth. Investment in the Middle East/North Africa region grew 16%, and in the Americas, it reached 21%. Corporate investments in climate-tech companies also increased, reaching $165 billion in 2021. Two-thirds of this figure came from public markets, such as IPOs, SPACs, or other offerings. Venture capitalists and private equity investors contributed only $53 billion, but they tended to focus on more nascent sectors. $111 Billion The amount of money raised by climate tech companies through public markets in 2021. Types of Green Technology Investments Investors who are considering taking the plunge into green technology would do well to take the time to understand a bit of background behind this sector, including the goals that serve as the foundation for this rapidly growing field. Those goals include: Source Reduction: This is the goal of reducing pollution and waste by changing production and consumption patterns. This is the goal of reducing pollution and waste by changing production and consumption patterns. Sustainability: This is an effort to meet societal needs with methods that can continue to be used into the future indefinitely without depleting or damaging natural resources. This is an effort to meet societal needs with methods that can continue to be used into the future indefinitely without depleting or damaging natural resources. Innovation: The focus is on developing alternatives to types of technology that are harmful to the environment. The focus is on developing alternatives to types of technology that are harmful to the environment. Cradle-to-cradle design: This involves the creation of products that can be reused or reclaimed, thus ending the cradle-to-grave cycle of manufactured products. This involves the creation of products that can be reused or reclaimed, thus ending the cradle-to-grave cycle of manufactured products. Viability: The aim is to create an economic activity center that focuses on products and technologies that are beneficial to the environment, thus increasing the speed at which such technology and product concepts can be implemented. Investors will find there are numerous subsectors in green technology that currently provide excellent opportunities for investments. They include: Energy: With energy often being considered the most pressing issue in the green technology sector, the green energy sector focuses on the development of alternative fuels. With energy often being considered the most pressing issue in the green technology sector, the green energy sector focuses on the development of alternative fuels. Green Nanotechnology: This includes the manipulation of various materials at the nanometer level, which could transform how products are manufactured. This includes the manipulation of various materials at the nanometer level, which could transform how products are manufactured. Green Chemistry: This encompasses the invention, development, and application of chemical processes and products that are designed to eliminate or reduce the generation and use of hazardous substances. Special Considerations Green tech investors should focus on finding not only the most lucrative opportunities but also those that align with their own personal and environmental interests. New IPOs can also top prospects as many smaller, successful private companies grow and list on exchanges. There are also risks associated with investing in any new technology as well as unknown and emerging companies. Diversification is vital to any successful investment strategy. Investing in different green sectors can help you to diversify your portfolio while protecting your funds. Managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds can also be good investments leaving the active stock picking to professionals. Keep in mind that it can be easy to fall into a trap known as greenwashing, where a company or service claims to be green but actually is not. Take the time to do your research and understand the basis of the technology that is being developed before you decide whether to financially back a particular company. The best way to determine whether the environmental practices and technology behind a company are solid, or are simply greenwashing, is to ask questions. What Are the Benefits of Green Technology? Green technology can be used to reduce pollution and waste products of traditional industrial processes. In addition to reducing the negative effects on the natural environment, these technologies can also use resources more efficiently. For example, sustainable agriculture initiatives can prevent the soil damage associated with crop monoculture, and sustainable building materials are less likely to be depleted. How Can Green Technology Improve the Economy? Innovation in green technologies can improve human health and increase lifespans, resulting in a net increase in economic productivity. For example, recent research has found fossil fuel pollution to be responsible for about one in every five deaths worldwide, due to the hazards associated with their extraction and air pollution. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy would reduce the burdens on the workforce and health sectors, not to mention the benefits of reducing global climate change. How Much Does the US Invest in Green Technology? According to research by BloombergNEF, the United States ranked second in the world for green technology investments, with $114 billion invested in 2021. This sum includes both public and private sector investments. The Bottom Line Investors searching for environmentally responsible, financially sound investments will find abundant opportunities. The challenge of investing in green technology is often twofold; the objective is to increase personal wealth and to make the world a better place through socially responsible investing. Admittedly, this can be a somewhat daunting task, but taking the time to research can help find opportunities to protect your portfolio as well as the environment. Remember to consider the investment level that best aligns with your level of financial commitment, risk tolerance, and goals, while also supporting environmental goals and sustainable practices through the latest technological advances. (Xinhua) 20:47, May 03, 2017 PARIS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- French company Veolia, a world leading company in water, waste and energy management, on Wednesday announced it has signed three deals worth 864 million euros (943 million U.S. dollars) with China. Under the accords, Veolia will "provide a suite of solutions ... to improve (Chinese) clients' energy performance and to help them comply with the regulations for the new Chinese regulations of environmental standards," it said in a press release. Via its subsidiary Veolia China, the company won 341-million-euro project to bolster production of electricity and steam from biomass for chemicals and construction clients. The 25-year-old scheme will include construction, operation and maintenance of a biomass plant in north China's Hebei province in a bid to increase the use of renewable energy in the region's energy mix. The second deal worth 335 million euros is expected to improve energy performance management at the site of Shandong Hongda Chemical, one of China's leading industrial groups in east China's Shandong province, mainly by reducing costs. Under the third accord, Veolia plans to build a chilled water plant for a data center in China's main information technology hub in Beijing to help clients comply with the very stringent standards for energy efficiency in the region. "These new contracts reflect China's growing need for renewable energy and the management of the energy performance to reduce their environmental footprint and meet the requirements of the new regulations," said Regis Calmels, Veolia Senior Executive Vice President Asia. (1 euro = 1.091 U.S. dollars) The South China Sea has become a flashpoint for conflict between China and some of its ASEAN neighbors, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam. Chinas recent construction of facilities on man-made islands as well as the deployment of weapons including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems have raised tensions and risked the militarization of competing claims by other states. The diplomatic impasse between China and the ASEAN claimant states, as well as within ASEAN has, furthermore made the situation less predictable. Despite the limited nature of the claims, the South China Sea dispute has much broader implications for maritime security, peace, stability, and security in the region. The US claims considerable national interests to be at stake in the South China Sea, particularly with regards to freedom of navigation as well as respect for international law, despite it not being a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The US is also asserting its role as protector of its ASEAN partners and allies. The issue of freedom of navigation remains contentious between the US and China over the right of vessels to operate unchallenged in the 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claimed by China. This was evident during a regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur in August 2015 when US Secretary of State John Kerry asserted that the US will not accept any restrictions on freedom of navigation or overflight in the disputed South China Sea. The issues are complex because these maritime disputes are related to competition for natural resources, sovereignty, nationalism, historical legacies, and geopolitics. Issues of sovereignty prove difficult to solve because each party is highly unlikely to give up any of its claims in the face of a possible domestic backlash. These disputes present a serious threat to regional stability as the parties, China in particular, are increasingly bellicose. As a result of the longstanding dispute, the South China Sea has been described as troubled waters or a flash point. As Peter Jennings from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute put it, the South China Sea is definitely a flashpoint because it is the area where we might find US aircraft and warships actually clashing with Chinese aircraft and warships and the possibility of an unintended shoot down of an aircraft or sinking of a ship I think is quite high. It has been argued that, since 2012, the South China Sea has re-emerged as the most significant and challenging foreign policy dilemma for Cambodia. As a non-claimant state, the South China Sea is not of direct concern for Cambodia. However, it holds great relevance to Cambodia as a member of ASEAN. While ASEAN has been always a cornerstone of Cambodias foreign policy, the country has been accused of siding with China at the expense of ASEAN, and hence damaging the unity of ASEAN. This accusation is primarily based on the fact that China has become Cambodias largest foreign investor and economic benefactor, and is also the biggest military assistance provider to Cambodia. Thus, some analysts and commentators have portrayed Cambodia as a Chinese client state. Some Cambodian political analysts have concluded that, among the strategic challenges facing Cambodia, balancing between ASEAN and China on the contentious issue of the South China Sea is and will continue to be the most significant strategic challenge for Cambodias foreign policy in the 21st century. Chinas Influence over Cambodia: A Divided ASEAN? The level of Chinese influence was evident when Cambodia held the ASEAN Chairmanship for the second time in 2012. Cambodia is seen as strongly supporting Chinas core interests on the South China Sea disputes. This resulted in ASEANs failure to produce a Joint Communique following its 45th Annual Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh in July 2012. It was the first time in the history of ASEAN there was no communique as Cambodia had arguably refused to play the customary role of seeking agreement among the ten ASEAN members. A number of ASEAN members pointed the finger at Cambodia for rejecting a proposal by the Philippines and Vietnam that mentioned their territorial disputes with China in the unified statement. As a result, Cambodia was criticized by its closest ally Vietnam, other ASEAN members, and the international community for lacking an independent foreign policy. The failure would disgrace Prime Minister Hun Sens commitment to play a neutral leadership role in setting regional related issues, and his pledge that Cambodia would fulfil its leadership role responsibly and would work to neutrally moderate and mediate all regional and international issues. Cambodia, however, insists the failure to issue the communique was caused not by intransigence or any lack of effort on its part to find common ground among all the parties concerned. The Cambodian government claimed that Cambodia has, again and again, become a victim of the South China Sea issue because of unjust accusations. PM Hun Sen asserted that the failure of the bloc to issue a joint communique known as the Phnom Penh Fiasco, was not due to Cambodia but instead due to the claimant states, referring to pressure from the Philippines and Vietnam to incorporate their strong wording in the joint communique. He also blamed some ASEAN claimant states for trying to drag Cambodia into the dispute, stating that they have a dispute, but they get Cambodia to be responsible. Similarly, the kingdom faced another round of significant challenges at the 49th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos in September 2016 when Cambodia was once again portrayed as a thorn inside the regional bloc, and there was more tension over issuing a joint communique on the South China Sea disputes. While other ASEAN members are leaning toward China, only Cambodia has been put in the spotlight. Cambodia again was accused of refusing to include any mention of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling in the document. Although the joint communique could be issued with unity, Cambodia was seen as responsible for preventing ASEAN from issuing a common position to confront China. Therefore, some analysts argued that Cambodias siding with China at the expense of ASEAN leading the South China Sea dispute diminished ASEAN unity. Some critics criticized Cambodia for damaging ASEAN unity by arguing that Cambodia is not even a claimant, so its wielding of a veto in the consensus-based bloc on behalf of a non-member patron country can be seen as fundamentally undermining ASEANs founding principle of strict non-interference in its member-countries affairs. The issues of South China Sea and ASEAN unity have become a point of diplomatic friction between Cambodia and some other ASEAN states, in particular the claimant states of Vietnam and the Philippines. Cambodias foreign policy of leaning toward China at the expense of ASEANs unity have led to some observers and commentators sensationally painting Cambodia in a negative manner, with headlines such as Cambodia is killing the ASEAN dream, Cambodia is unbelievable, Cambodia is ASEANs maverick, Cambodia is weakest link of ASEAN unity, etc. One ASEAN diplomat bluntly described Cambodias rejection of any mention of China in the section on the South China Sea this way: Cambodia is unbelievable. It is blocking any phrase about the [Hague] arbitration and about [Chinas] militarization of the South China Sea. The effect of these developments on ASEAN credibility cannot be understated. Similarly, another diplomat, from Indonesia, made this clear that Our house is in a mess. We dont want ASEAN to be like Europe. We want to save ASEAN and be unified again. Despite there being no existing provision in the ASEAN Charter concerning the dismissal or withdrawal of a member state, some observers even have gone further and suggested dismissing Cambodia from the regional grouping so that ASEAN can move forward on the South China Sea. For example, written in a comment on his Facebook page, Singaporean ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan proposed Cambodias expulsion from ASEAN. This has led to strong reactions from some observers and commentators and the Cambodian side. In countering the controversial comment, a Cambodian scholar fiercely argued that: Expelling Cambodia is a ridiculous idea. The ASEAN Charter does not mention any criteria on admitting new members and expelling members. It was not the intention of the drafters of the Charter to turn ASEAN to be a supranational body and to allow some members to impose their will on others. If Cambodia is out, ASEANs days will be definitely numbered as Laos and Myanmar will be on increasingly hot ASEAN seats. They will eventually have to exit too when they find that toothless ASEAN cannot meet their security and economic needs. So will Laos and Myanmar or even Vietnam join a front to expel Cambodia knowing that they would be next targets? Consensus has been the backbone of ASEAN unity. Given Southeast Asian diversity, politically, economically and culturally, any suggestion on the abandonment of consensus is both disastrous and unpractical. If it happens, it would disintegrate ASEAN in the near future. However, its unpractical in the first place. Countries like Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and even Singapore and Brunei, will definitely back down on the initiative because they harbor a legitimate concern that other ASEAN members would use ASEAN to their advantage or in a worst-case scenario to interfere into their domestic affairs. Some critics argue that as Cambodia is under Chinas enormous political and economic influence, it has no choice but to side with China over the South China Sea disputes. As for the governments response, Cambodias foreign minister reaffirmed the Cambodian position that Cambodia maintained its rightful stance that it would side with any party and that Cambodia has contributed considerably to prevent the situation in the South China Sea from falling into deteriorated at atmosphere via the facilitation of all relevance parties. He also accused the Philippines of having agreed to not include a phrase in the joint statement. Before the meeting in Laos, PM Hun Sen expressed his objection regarding the verdict by the PCA by stating that Cambodia will not make any joint declaration to support the decision of the court. The Cambodian governments argument was that the Philippine government had unilaterally brought the South China Sea case to the PCA which is seen as having serious implications on internal ASEAN and ASEAN-China relation. PM Hun Sen argued that it is the Philippines who sues China. Let the Philippines deal with it, why call for ASEAN support. The kingdom has urged major powers, referring to the US, to refrain from pouring oil into the flame and try to keep detente in relations on the South China Sea.1 Cambodia claims instead that the country has played a mediating role between China and ASEAN, leaving both sides happy. As quoted by the media, a Cambodian government official stated: They should understand and be thankful to Cambodia that, because of Cambodias role and position, (they are) making China happy with ASEAN by offering new and fresh pledges with four positive points, including a particular commitment to conclude the Code of Conduct framework by middle of next year. The official affirmed that Cambodias position on the South China Sea issue is merely to secure the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea that was signed in Cambodia in 2002, and that Cambodia never wants to see such historical commitment be destroyed or scrapped. The official and political position of the Cambodian government on the South China Sea is aimed at (1) continuing implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of parties in the South China Sea (DOC); (2) urging ASEAN and China to make utmost effort to finalize the code of conduct (COC); (3) encourage the claimant states and China to resolve their issue peacefully, not between ASEAN and China. Clearly, Cambodia has consistently maintained this stance since its first ASEAN chairmanship in 2002. However, this stance has been interpreted as favoring Chinas side which some critics claim would give China substantially more advantage and leverage over its much smaller neighbors at the negotiation table. Some critics argue that as Cambodia is under Chinas enormous political and economic influence, it has no choice but to side with China over the South China Sea disputes. This became apparent when China announced a further USD 600 million aid package to Cambodia almost immediately after the PCA verdict. Moreover, a week after the meeting in Laos, China continued its powerful economic diplomacy by expressing a commitment to financing a Cambodian request for a 12-story office building for the Countrys National Assembly. Cambodias Interest in ASEAN Since becoming a full member of ASEAN on April 30, 1999, Cambodia attached great importance to integrating the country into the regional and international grouping. There are four main strategic reasons that motivated Cambodia to seek to join ASEAN. First, it was driven by the expectation that joining ASEAN which upholds the principle of non-interference would help Cambodia which is wedged between two major countries, Vietnam in the east and Thailand in the west, to address its external security challenges and to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. As a small country sandwiched between these two dominating neighbors, territorial and national sovereignty have been enduring concerns which Cambodia regards as its first national security priority. According to Vannarith Chheang, ASEAN helps Cambodia protect its sovereignty and independence against its two big neighbors [Vietnam and Thailand], which are historically perceived as a core traditional threat to the country. The second interest for Cambodia to be in the ASEAN family is related to the consensus-based principle of ASEAN. This approach can be understood that whether a country is rich or poor, big or small, every member has an equal voice. This principle is seen as aligning with Cambodias contemporary Constitution which was promulgated as a result of the Paris Peace Agreement (PPA) of 1991. The PPA brought new hope to the Cambodian people following almost forty years of suffering. A democratically elected government was established following UN-supported elections in 1993. The Cambodian constitution was also promulgated which clearly articulated Cambodias aspiration to become an independent, neutral, and liberal democratic state. According to the Constitution, Cambodia shall be an independent, sovereign, peaceful, permanently neutral and non-aligned country. This principle is a seen as a backbone of Cambodian foreign policy. Some critics suggest that to be able to achieve this principle to best serve its national development interests, Cambodia needs to improve regional cooperation and strong institutions. The third rationale for joining ASEAN is driven by the interest of the countrys economic development. Cambodia expected that it would benefit from ASEANs socio-economic development and connectivity. ASEANs principles also align with Cambodias Rectangular Strategy which spells out the importance and necessity of integrating Cambodia into the international community. Through the adoption of the Rectangular Strategy, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has moved toward democratization and international cooperation. The aim of this strategy is to build Cambodian society by strengthening peace, stability and social order, promoting sustainable and equitable development, entrenching democracy and respect for human rights and dignity, and integrating Cambodia into the regional and international communities. To achieve its goal, the RGC has embarked upon reform in many fields of government, including legal and judicial reforms, military reforms, and administrative reforms. PM Hun Sen has reiterated the vital importance of reform by stating that reform is a matter of life and death for Cambodia.2 The legacy of more than three decades of civil war, especially during the Pol Pot era, has created significant challenges for Cambodias development. This challenge has demonstrated that it would not be possible for Cambodia to develop without international support. Therefore, the final strategic interest of Cambodia to seek ASEAN membership is that through ASEAN as a platform, Cambodia would be able to reach out to other partners regionally and globally. For example, through the ASEAN platform, Cambodia has cultivated its strategic relations with strategic and important ASEAN dialogue partners including but not limited to Japan, Australia, South Korea, and the two giants China and the US. Since becoming a full member of ASEAN, Cambodia has accelerated the speed of trade liberalization and the free flow of goods and services both within the country and between Cambodia and other key partners in the region and the rest of the world. As Cambodian scholar Vannarith Chheang puts it, ASEAN provides a strategic and diplomatic space for Cambodia to effectively engage with other countries and regions, develop the economy through regional cooperation and strengthen Cambodian cultural identity. He maintains that The future of ASEAN and that of Cambodia is intertwined. Cambodia will not be able to realize its vision to become a high-income country without a strong and relevant ASEAN. PM Hun Sens keynote address at the 36 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting under the theme Towards an ASEAN Economic Community Integrated and Outward-Looking, in Phnom Penh in 2003 clearly stressed the importance of the countrys commitment to the principle of democracy: Cambodia is very proud of being able to specifically and appropriately contribute to regional efforts toward firm security and peace since the first days of its membership. Cambodias strict adherence to the principles of democracy, respect for and protection of human rights, ensuring peace and genuine national reconciliation, the elimination of the Khmer Rouge political and military structure have been significant and meaningful gifts for ASEAN solidarity. Outlining the governments political agenda over the next four year in July 2004, PM Hun Sen stated that the participation of Cambodia in the ASEAN Free Trade Area is a strategic and historical step in the rehabilitation and development of Cambodia. The Prime Minister added that the RGC will continue to push for the integration of Cambodia into the region and the world, especially focusing on bridging the development gap among the member-countries of the ASEAN. Cambodias Interest in China PM Hun Sen stated during the official visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in 2006 that China is a most trusted friend to Cambodia. He convinced his ASEAN counterparts to view Chinas rapid economic growth as an opportunity rather than a threat. Likewise, China asserted that it sees Cambodia as a faithful brother and friend and that China will still continue supporting Cambodia for social and economic development and poverty reduction. During the mourning of the death of late King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, Premier Wen stated that the loss of King-Father Sihanouk was not just a great loss for the Cambodian people but also a great lost to the Chinese people because the King had always forged fruitful relations between the two countries. Cambodia has supported Chinas one-China principle since the Norodom Sihanouk era and has continued this support until today. This was evident in 1997, when Cambodia closed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office even though Taiwans business had significantly contributed to Cambodias economic development. Earlier this year, seemingly to demonstrate Cambodias strictest adherence to the one-China policy, PM Hun Sen announced the banning of the Taiwanese flag from being raised in Cambodia at any gathering or event, arguing that Taiwan was considered an independently-governed Chinese province. However, the Phnom Penh government still welcomes investment from Taiwanese businessmen. As quoted by the Cambodia Daily, PM Hun Sen stated: We should not do anything that affects the respect of Chinas sovereignty and independence through shaking hands and stepping on feet. I cannot do it We need to respect the sovereignty of China, which places the same value on respecting Cambodias sovereignty too. During his visit in 2011, the Vice-Chairman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) asserted that Cambodia fully supports one-China policy and our support will be never changed. China has provided a considerable amount of military assistance to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces professional and capability development. Clearly, as with other ASEAN nations, Chinese aid and investment have provided important benefits for Cambodias economic development. Chinese development aid in infrastructure has played an important role in Cambodias national rehabilitation. Chinas involvement in Cambodia has contributed to the development of the garment and textile sectors which have more than 3,000 companies, and which are the backbone of Cambodian exports, accounting for 80 percent of all exports and employing about half a million workers, and which have contributed 2 percent of Cambodias GDP since 1995. About one-fourth of the population relies on the garment and textile industries for their economic prosperity. Currently China is the biggest foreign investor in Cambodia and is also the leading aid donor. Since 1992, China has provided Cambodia considerable development aid. As of February 2017, China disbursed Cambodia around USD 4.2 billion of aid in both grants and soft loans to fund physical infrastructure, agriculture, education, and social development. Bilateral trade between the two countries has increased dramatically from year to year: while bilateral trade in 2014 was about USD 3.75 billion, in 2016 trade increased to around USD 4.8 billion, with exports from Cambodia accounting for USD 830 million and imports from China USD 3.9 billion. According to the Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade between the two countries is expected to reach at USD 5.01 billion this year. China has also become the largest investor in Cambodia with more than USD 10 billion in cumulative investments. The main fields of Chinas investment in Cambodia include agriculture, infrastructure, garments, and mining. Moreover, under Chinese President Xi Jinpings economic development initiative called the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which he put forward in 2013, Cambodia would be expected to gain enormous economic benefits in infrastructure development ports, roads and railways that connect Cambodia to the region. To date, China has assisted Cambodia with the construction of 7 bridges (some of them named Cambodia-China friendship bridges), and 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) of roads, including the ASEAN highway and trans-ASEAN rail line. These have significantly improved access to markets, especially for farmers. Both the Cambodian and Chinese governments recognize the importance of Chinese aid for infrastructure development, with the Chinese government claiming that its aid to Cambodia is an effort to boost progress in a nation that ranks among the worlds least developed, where gross domestic product per capita stands at about 830 USD one of Asias lowest and some 30% of its 15 million people live below the poverty line. According to Chinese officials, Chinese aid to Cambodia has not only benefited Cambodias economic development, but has also helped Cambodia close its disparity gap with ASEAN, and contributed to the successful ASEAN economic integration process. Cambodia has welcomed Chinese support in infrastructure development in hydropower, as the interests of the US, World Bank, and other donors have focused more on democracy and human rights. Chinas investment in hydropower plants also helped the Cambodian government achieve its economic development goals, by providing cheap and reliable electricity for industrial zones and rural areas. For example, the Chinese backed Kamchay Dam at Elephant Mountain which has been in operation since early 2016 has generated 1.68 billion kilowatt-hours. This power has been transmitted to Kompot and Takeo provinces as well as Phnom Penh. Currently only 20 percent of Cambodian households have access to electricity, as the price is high. However, the government expects to increase household access to 70 percent by 2030 with the development of Chinese hydropower dams. For now, Cambodia purchases electricity from Vietnam and Thailand, and the government expects to be able to sell electricity back to these countries as a result of these projects.3 In addition to development aid, Chinas defense cooperation with Cambodia has also tightened markedly since the 1990s. The current strategic competition for influence between the two superpowers and the ongoing tensions between China and the ASEAN claimant states over the South China Sea have pushed Cambodia ever closer to the Chinese sphere of influence. Currently, China has emerged as Cambodias most significant military partner. The countrys recent decision to postpone military exercises with the US and Australia has been understood as Cambodia playing China against the US. It is clear the US has become unable to compete with China for influence in Cambodia. China has provided a considerable amount of military assistance to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) professional and capability development. In recent years, China has significantly increased its military cooperation with the RCAF by providing loans and military equipment, including trucks, helicopters, and aircraft; constructed military training and medical facilities; and donated uniforms to the RCAF. In 2003, Cambodia and China signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on defense cooperation, focusing the upgrade of a military airfield in Kompong Chnang province, and the construction of barracks and officers quarters.4 In May 2012, the Chinese and Cambodian defense ministers signed a defense cooperation agreement valued at 17 million USD for training Cambodian military personnel in China. China also provided military equipment, materials, military instructors, and Chinese language teachers.5 China has since provided Cambodia with USD 60 million in soft loans to buy nine patrol boats and financed Cambodias upgraded naval base in Ream. China also lent Cambodia USD 195 million to purchase Chinese-made Zhishengji-9 twin-engine light utility helicopters, and provided training for 25 pilots and mechanics.6 Beijing has also actively engaged in military exercises with the kingdoms military, for example a naval exercise in late February 2016, and an army exercise codenamed Dragon Gold in mid-December 2016. These military exercises were seen as signaling the closest ties between the two militaries since the Khmer Rouge was in power. Clearly, as the RCAF is now committed to a long-term process of reform and force structure review, the strong defense ties between Beijing and Phnom Penh have considerably contributed to the strengthening of the Cambodian national defense sector. The Way Forward It seems that the Cambodian government has a strategic dilemma in weighing the trade-off between ASEAN, a cornerstone of Cambodian foreign policy, and China, Cambodias most important development partner. Cambodia needs ASEAN because the countrys best long-term interests lie in regional initiatives like ASEAN; Mekong regional development; and working to harmonize foreign relations as far as possible with countries in the region and the world. ASEAN is the best platform for Cambodias outreach to the world to reap political, security, and development benefits as it aligns with the Cambodian policy agenda for development. It has been argued that ASEAN provides a roadmap for advancing and protecting Cambodias international interests and defines how the country engage with the world in the years ahead. But Cambodia also needs China because the giant has been the strongest supporter for developing Cambodian infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and public buildings, with less complicated conditions responding to Cambodias development needs. While this is a tough choice for Cambodia, it does not mean that Cambodia will have to make a strategic binary choice between ASEAN and China. The integration of Cambodia in sub-regional, regional, and global cooperation has significantly enhanced the prestige of the Kingdom of Cambodia in the international arena and created an enabling environment for the mobilization of external development assistance to Cambodia. Cambodias capacity to address its main challenge of achieving its poverty reduction target upper-middle income country status by 2030 and high income status by 2050 would be unlikely to become a reality without foreign assistance from diverse aid providers and integration into the international community. The South China Sea issue between China and ASEANs claimant states is unlikely to end anytime soon. Therefore, it would be a great opportunity for Cambodias long-term national interests if the country could be able to balance between the two. A collaborative approach between China and ASEAN would deliver the best outcome for Cambodia. Although Cambodia has close relations with China, as part of ASEAN it is important for the country to move towards increased major power engagement in the region and strengthening of relations with other countries in order to secure its own future. For regional cooperation, as for China and ASEAN, the latter has made great efforts to manage the dispute multilaterally through dialogue and consultation with China. However, ASEAN has not yet been successful in playing a mediating role because of a lack of consensus among its member states on how to address sovereignty disputes. It is undeniable that not only Cambodia but each ASEAN state has its own views and national interests, and these have prevailed. The problem is the practical reality that all disputants have: a considerable economic dependency on China which is ASEANs largest trading partner and consequently, economic considerations can be understood to influence the thinking of each member to varying degrees. The majority of states are also anxious of the possible impact that taking a strong stance against China could have on their bilateral diplomatic relations. All ASEAN states have backed the Chinese establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As a result, it is unlikely that ASEAN itself could form a consensus on confronting Chinas strategic interest in the region. Consequently, this issue will have significant impacts on ASEANs aspirations for an integrated ASEAN Economic Community. Therefore, it would not wise to completely put the blame on Cambodia. Clearly, the South China Sea is not an issue between China and ASEAN; the dispute is only between the ASEAN claimant states and China. Instead of pointing the figure at Cambodia, as argued by Sukmawani Bela Pertiwi, it would be better for ASEAN to focus on bringing all members closer through its integration initiative so that in the future each ASEAN member would prefer to side with fellow ASEAN states rather than outside powers for pragmatic reasons. He reminds ASEAN member states that ASEAN should not fall into Chinas game, arguing that this [issue] could be exploited by China to prolong the dispute and prevent any solution. As he explains: Given the weakness of Chinas claim, China gets an advantage from the status quo and lack of resolution of the dispute. As Cambodian scholar Vannarith Chheang rightly points out, If the regional and external countries keep pressuring the non-claimant states like Cambodia to build a united front against China, ASEAN will be disintegrated.7 Therefore, Cambodia and other members need to find new ways to pursue a more inclusive approach and stand united on the South China Sea dispute with China in a peaceful and mutually beneficial manner, or it will face increasing criticism from the international community. Options that remains open for ASEAN include ongoing consultations with China through the actualization of a binding code of conduct. However, this option will be complicated since China considers the dispute in the South China Sea to not be a matter between China and ASEAN but a bilateral issue between China and each concerned country. However, it seems there are no better choices for ASEAN but to pursue political negotiations with China which can be seen as aligning with the ASEAN principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes. Notes 1. Cheunboran Chanborey. (2016, September 5). The South China Sea and ASEAN unity: A Cambodian uerspective. Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies. 2. The Royal Government of Cambodia, Office of the Council of Ministers. (2008, September 26). Address by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia on Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity and Efficiency Phase II First Cabinet Meeting of the Fourth Legislature of the National Assembly at the Office of the Council of Ministers, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Retrieved from http://www.cdc crdb.gov.kh/cdc/aid_management/Rectangular%20Strategy%20-%20Phase%20II.pdf 3. Kheang Un. (2013). Cambodia in 2012: Beyond the crossroads? Asian Survey, 53(1). 4. Carlyle A. Thayer. (2013, February 19). The tug of war over Cambodia. USNI New. Retrieved from http://news.usni.org/2013/02/19/the-tug-of-war-over-cambodia 5. John D. Ciorciari. (2013, June 14). China and Cambodia: Patron and client? International Policy Center, Working Paper no. 121. 6. Ibid. 7. Hun Sen: Enough on South China Sea. (2016, June 29). Khmer Times. Retrieved from http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26635/hun-sen--enough-on-south--china-sea/ TV3's new crime documentary series 'Assasins: Ireland's contract killers' starts tonight at 9pm. The six-part series will follow investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre as well as Professor David Wilson as they take us inside the minds of Ireland's contract killers. The first episode focuses on Irish criminal Paddy 'The Whack' Doyle, who fled to the Costa del Sol. Doyle fled Ireland following the establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau. He was possibly one of the most violent and feared criminals operating in Dublin in the early 2000s, having amassed 43 convictions for offences including drug-dealing, assault and traffic offences. China should take military countermeasures against THAAD deployment, a Chinese military expert said after the defense ministries of South Korea and the U.S. confirmed on May 2 that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system is now operational in South Korea. The system reportedly has the initial capability to intercept North Korean missiles. The deployment of THAAD poses a substantial threat to China. The system enables South Korea and its allies to monitor military projects in northern, northeastern and eastern China, Yang Chengjun, a senior military strategist of missile studies, told the Global Times. Diplomatic channels have so far proven unable to stop the deployment of THAAD, Yang said, suggesting that China take military action to safeguard its national security. For instance, China could send more troops armed with advanced weapons to its northeast region, enhance air and naval forces and conduct regular anti-THAAD drills in the region. The country could also disclose more information about the deployment of its own advanced weapons, such as the DF-41 strategic missile, according to Yang. David Davis has rejected suggestions that the UK will foot a 100bn (84.5 billion) Brexit bill, saying Brussels will only receive what it is legally owed. The Brexit Secretary said the European Commission could not set a "divorce deal" figure and dismissed as "laughable" reports that Prime Minister Theresa May would be barred from negotiating with her counterparts. It had been believed Brussels was seeking up to 60bn (50.7 billion) for Brexit, but added demands by the EU could send the figure soaring, according to the Financial Times. The UK could receive calls to contribute to post-Brexit farming payments and may be blocked from obtaining a share of EU assets, the FT said. But Mr Davis said the UK had not been presented with a consistent sum for its impending departure from the bloc. "It was 50 billion at one point, 60 billion, 100 billion, we have not seen a number," he told Good Morning Britain. "We have said we will meet our international obligations, but there will be our international obligations including assets and liabilities and there will be the ones that are correct in law, not just the ones the Commission want. Pressed on reports that the eventual divorce figure could reach up to 100 billion euro, he said: "We will not be paying 100 billion." He added: "We will do it (negotiate) in the meeting, we will do it properly, we will take our responsibility seriously. "What we've got to do is to discuss in detail what the rights and obligations are." He also claimed the EU could not bar the Prime Minister from joining Brexit discussions at future EU heads of government meetings while the UK remained a member state. According to reports, Brussels was plotting to limit Mrs May's Brexit discussions to direct meetings with the European Commission's lead Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier. Such a move would run contrary to Mrs May's claim that she would be negotiating directly on the terms of Brexit with fellow European leaders. Mr Davis told the programme: "The decisions in this exercise at the end of the day are taken in Council - that's a gathering of all the leaders of the European Union - and, frankly, until the day we leave, we are full members of the Union, we have every right to attend every Council and we will exercise our right. "Just as we are obeying the laws of the Union, exactly to the letter, we are also going to expect our rights. "The idea that somehow one side of the negotiation can dictate how the other side runs a negotiation is laughable. "This is an exercise in trying to shape public opinion and trying to pressurise us - it won't work." After reports that a meeting between Mrs May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Downing Street last week had seen tense moments, the PM appeared to toughen her stance. Mrs May boasted on Tuesday about being a "bloody difficult woman", with the Brexit Secretary agreeing on Wednesday that she was "tough-minded and decisive", after she dismissed the leaked account of the dinner with Mr Juncker as "Brussels gossip". The Prime Minister told the BBC: "During the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. "And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker." Tory MP Sir Bill Cash told the Daily Telegraph he believed Germany and the EU were trying to influence the General Election, saying: "What they are doing is trying to exploit a new kind of Project Fear and that is not going to work on the British people." Brexit looks likely to again be a major political talking point in the election campaign as Mr Barnier gives a press conference on Wednesday. Mr Davis insisted the UK would get a deal and dismissed reports about negotiating problems as a "mixture of gossip and spin", saying that the majority of EU leaders were supportive of Britain. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, he said: "In the walkaway circumstance, there is nothing to be paid. "Nobody is looking for that outcome, that's the important point to be made. I don't want people listening to this programme to leave thinking this is what we want to do - we don't. "We want a deal, we think we can get a deal and we will get a deal that is beneficial to everybody." He refused to be drawn on weekend reports that EU leaders thought Mrs May was "from another galaxy" and insisted she was the right person to lead on Brexit. Mr Davis said: "This negotiation will last up to two years and this the first part where we will have this slight rough-and-tumble approach. "That actually is a very good demonstration of why, what do you call her - 'the bloody difficult woman?' ... our Prime Minister, Theresa May, is exactly the right person to do this. "She's decisive, she's tough, they know her, they respect her, and that's the choice the British public has got before them today. Her leading negotiations or Jeremy Corbyn." Responding to Mr Davis's comment that the UK would not pay a 100 billion euro divorce bill, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "This is the latest unpaid bill by the Brexiteers. "I guess they have thrown it on the pile with the 350 million per week for the NHS. "During the referendum no divorce bill was ever mentioned. "Then it was 50 billion and now it's leaped to 100 billion. "If that is Theresa May's negotiating skills, doubling our bill after one meeting, we should all be deeply worried. "This bill adds greater strength to the Liberal Democrat argument that we need a referendum on the deal." There was something perverse about a case in which the claim for 260,000, which resulted in a 35,000 award, could cost over 2m and put the infringing company out of business, said Mr Justice Michael Twomey. He was speaking when making the 35,000 award against Limerick-based Nualtra Ltd in favour of Dutch firm NutriMedical BV and London-based Aymes International. He found Nualtra had infringed NutriMedicals trademark in relation to the nutritional supplement drink Nutriplete. The drink is only sold to medical professionals and not directly to the consumer. Nualtra marketed its drink under the name Nutraplen with very similar visual and aural marks and with a limited conceptual similarity, the judge found. Nualtra renamed and rebranded the product after the legal proceedings began. The chief executive of Nualtra told the court it had never occurred to him to give an undertaking to NutriMedical not to use Nutriplen which could have obviated the need for litigation, said the judge. Nualtra said the cost to it of just defending the proceedings amounted to 1.3m. If it has to pay Nutrimedicals costs, this will be over 2m, said the judge. Nutrimedical gave no evidence of any actual loss as a result of the actions of Nualtra, he said. It did provide evidence of the cost of a hypothetical fee of 260,000 which Nualtra would have to have had to pay in order to get a licence for its product, he said. Shareholders voted unanimously to file for insolvency administration, the airline said. Under Italian law, the government will appoint supervisors to turn around the company or order its liquidation. The state will provide a bridge loan of about 500m to help the carrier maintain operations in the coming months, according to sources. Alitalia, which was mainly backed by Etihad Airways, last week said it had exhausted all options to stay solvent after workers rejected a 2bn refinancing plan involving 1,600 job losses. The cuts to its workforce of 12,500 employees may be even deeper under administration, as a rescue appears unlikely. Etihad, which owns 49% of the carrier, said it wont extend additional funding. It is clear this business requires fundamental and far-reaching restructuring to survive and grow, Etihad chief executive CEO said. Alitalia, which missed out on a round of consolidation that shored up other European flag carriers, has seen its standing further eroded since a previous bankruptcy in 2008. Etihads stake purchase, part of a 1.76bn rescue of Alitalia in 2014, was a major chance as the Persian Gulf carrier sought to transform the struggling company into a five-star operator. The plans never panned out as Ryanair and EasyJet further ate into its position in Italy, and terror attacks in Europe hurt tourism. Bloomberg BPs shares rose about 2% but were still down by 11% this year. The oil and gas company joined oil major rivals including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Total in posting stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings, mostly thanks to higher oil and gas prices. Oil prices rose by 50% in the past year to around $54 a barrel in the first quarter. BP expects prices to average between $50 and $55 a barrel in 2017, heading to the higher end of the range if the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and major producing countries extend production cuts into the second half of the year, chief financial officer Brian Gilvary said. The results could assuage some concerns among investors, who were jolted when BP in February raised the oil price at which it could balance its books this year to $60 a barrel after a string of investments that pushed up borrowing. Three years since oil prices slumped from above $100 a barrel and after BP slashed costs with lay-offs and project delays, investors want to see cash generation to cover spending and dividend payouts, while reducing ballooning debt. The results are positive, Cenkos Securities analysts wrote, but added that gearing is creeping up towards the max of the 20% to 30% target range, although divestments, including the recent $1.7bn Secco sale in China, should help. Net debt rose 9% in the quarter to $38.6bn (35.4bn), lifting BPs gearing of net debt to shareholders equity from 26% to 28%, closer to its ceiling of 30%. The debt was always going to rise in the first half of the year and the 28% gearing, frankly, that doesnt cause any problems at all, Mr Gilvary said. To keep oil prices buoyant, oil companies want Opec, Russia, and other producers to extend their pact to reduce production for another six months from June 30. If they dont get rolled into the second half of the year we will continue to see more [price] volatility, Mr Gilvary said. BP is set to start up seven projects this year, including in Oman and Azerbaijan, the largest number in a single year in BPs history. Reuters During that period, 2013-16, he paid around 30,000 in income tax, the court heard. Mr Crosbie said he had been advised, after most of his businesses were taken over by Nama, not to draw a salary or profits until a dispute with Ulster Bank over the amount of rent on Vicar Street was sorted out. He was being cross-examined by Paul Sreenan, for Nama, in its efforts to execute a 77m judgment it obtained against him in 2014. Mr Crosbie had supplied statements of affairs in advance of his appearance which showed he had made various loans, gifts, and transfers of cash to his wife Rita, to her Grand Canal dock Cafe H business, and to his daughter Alison. Those transfers were done on the basis of financial advice to make the best use of cash within the family businesses. He accepted he had paid the mortgage on his daughters 700,000 home in Booterstown from Vicar Street takings and that he had paid the local property tax for that house, as well as for a house owned by his wife in Wexford. While that tax should not have been paid, he expected he would get back the money back from his daughter as it was a loan. He said his son Simons home, also in Booterstown, had originally been put in his name to save on stamp duty but he now realised that had been an error of judgment as it had also been used as security for his indebtedness. Mr Crosbie said, however, that as part of an agreement, Nama had agreed to release any claim over both his sons home and over his home in Hanover Quay. He had transferred his 50% interest in the family home to his wife and did not know the value it, nor had he asked to know because I was in Nama. He said efforts were being made to sell three apartments he part owned in Villefranche-sur-Mer, in France, but he believed the 850,000 price tag would have to drop to about 500,000 if they were to sell. He had transferred his share in another property on the Cote DAzur to his wife. Asked why Vicar Street, also excluded from the Nama claim, was valued at 6m in 2012 and minus 4.2m four years later, Mr Crosbie said this was partly due to issues over rent arrears to Ulster Bank, which the court heard had originally bought the property and rented it out to Mr Crosbie at between 700,000 and 850,000 per annum. Mr Crosbie said both he and Ulster Bank benefited under a double rent allowance scheme from this arrangement but after the economic crash, the venue was not making enough money to pay that level of rent sought. Aiken Promotions, which puts on shows at the venue, rents the premises from Mr Crosbie at 400,000 while Mr Crosbie runs the bars and provides maintenance. Mr Crosbie said there was no written contract with promoter Peter Aiken and they had always operated on the basis of a handshake. The minus 4.2m valuation was due to problems in relation to title relating to the overall property which had been extended by renting adjoining buildings. The valuation was also on the basis of a similar valuation approach used when Mr Crosbies share in the other major venue he founded, the Point Depot, now the 3Arena, was sold by Nama to meet his debts. The Point was sold for some 35m, about six times its profitability, he said. Mr Crosbie believed the Point Village development is worth tens of millions and would be more than enough to pay off his debt. However, he was unable to find out what was going on with it because of Namas secrecy. Chief executive Pat Dawson said popular city breaks in the likes of Paris and Berlin had suffered in the aftermath of terrorist atrocities. However, London is holding firm at the top of the tree when it comes to Irish weekend favourites despite recent terror attacks, while Rome and Barcelona make up the top three, an ITAA survey found. Mr Dawson said favourites such as Turkey and Tunisia still have not recovered from an Irish tourist perspective because of terrorist attacks, but Morocco was making a comeback because of relative stability. Spain and Portugal are reaping the benefits of customers feeling safe in their surroundings, easily topping the pile with Irish families, according to the latest ITAA quarterly survey. It showed provincial France has not suffered as much as Paris, making it into the top five destinations for holidays. However, Paris has slipped down the list, along with Berlin. Mr Dawson said Paris and Euro Disney had slipped down the list because of terror but London remained on top for short breaks, although a sense of uneasiness about visiting popular tourist areas such as Westminster was increasing. The poor exchange rate from euro to dollar coupled with a belligerent political atmosphere under Donald Trump has hurt the US holiday trade from an Irish perspective, Dawson said. You can see it with airlines offering summer deals on seats to the USA all the time now, he said. America is very expensive at the moment because of the exchange rate and it has suffered because of the political climate, which is seen as a bit unwelcoming at the moment. While no European airlines had received bad press like that which hounded United Airlines in recent weeks, customers were becoming more and more weary of extra charges imposed, said Mr Dawson. Ironically, that customer fatigue has had a positive effect on our business, he said. Travel agents in Ireland are doing well because customers are coming back to the idea of paying for a service and everything being taken care of. Service is the main reason for our revival. People are simply sick of exorbitant baggage charges and other fees. Airlines are giving with one hand and taking with the other. Customers like the certainty they get with travel agents and the lack of worrying about extra charges imposed. Meanwhile, Failte Ireland said it was actively assisting tourism businesses that traditionally relied on visitors from Britain. Visitors from Britain were down by 6% in the first quarter of 2017 and chief executive Paul Kelly admitted the trend was a concern. A Failte Ireland spokesperson added: Thanks to Brexit and sterling, it is a lot more expensive for British visitors. We will be actively helping businesses who have over-relied on British visitors to diversify into new markets. The numbers from the USA and Canada have huge potential to grow so well be aiming to help pivot to those new markets. CSO figures showed while visitors from Britain were down 6%, North American visitors grew by 23%. Mainland European visitor numbers declined by 1%. Profitability, costs of production, value of output and some partial productivity indicators such as milk yield, stocking density, cereal yield, and labour productivity were examined in the Teagasc research. Data used in the Department of Agriculture-funded study was from the Farm Accountancy Data Network published by the European Commission. The settlement at Killaloe District Court in Ballina will add only fractionally to Ms McNamaras estimated fortune of 121m. Ms McNamara took the court action against William Butler over a road collision where her Mercedes sustained extensive material damage on October 27, 2015. Evidence in the road crash case was due to be heard before Judge Aeneas McCarthy yesterday but when the case was called, solicitor for Ms McNamara, David Scott said talks were ongoing outside court and asked for more time. Shortly afterwards, Sandra Barnwell BL, counsel for Mr Butler of Ballyhea, Charleville, Co Cork, returned to court and told Judge McCarthy a compromise has been reached and the hearing in the case would not be going ahead. Mr Scott said an order in the amount of 8,401 could be made in favour of Ms McNamara plus costs including the cost of an engineers report. No admission of liability was made in the case. Ms McNamara lives at Lough Derg Hall, Ogonnelloe, Co Clare, and it was near her home on October 27, 2015, that the mid-morning collision at Ballyloughnane, Ogonnelloe, took place between Ms McNamaras Mercedes and Mr Butlers white commercial Ford ehicle. It is understood no report of any party sustaining physical injuries was reported at the time to gardai. It is not known the level of damages that Ms McNamara was seeking as a result of her civil action. However, the maximum amount of damages that can be claimed in the district court is 15,000. The Sunday Times Rich List put a value of 121m on Ms McNamaras wealth ranking her as the 117th richest person in the country. But Lizzie Helmer had no idea until a week before coming here in January that, on May 4, 1917, her ancestor Commander Joseph Taussig was in charge of the US Atlantic fleet that set up base in Cobh. The occasion marked the physical entry of the US into the First World War, just weeks after it declared war on Germany. The centenary of the fleets arrival will be marked in Cobh tomorrow, when the 20-year-old unveils a commemorative plaque in front of a dignitaries at the former British Admiralty House, which is now a convent. Lizzie has been studying English literature, fulfilling part of her journalism degree at Chico State University, California, and will return home later this month. But it was only the week before she left for Cork that her uncle told herself and dad John of her great-grandfathers ties here. I was set on coming to study in Ireland for a long time, but I wasnt aware at all. It was truly coincidental, its kind of amazing how it worked out, she said. Lizzies dad and her mother Jane Coady-Helmer who hopes to trace her Mayo and other Irish ancestry visited Cobh recently and were amazed at how many photographs and other records of Joseph Taussigs time were on display. My dad was really moved, particularly by film footage of his grandfather while he was in Cork. It almost brought him to tears, because he looked so like his own mother, she said. During their visit last month, she and her family met UCC president Prof Patrick OShea, whose granduncle Richard Scriven was one of the crew killed when the Cork merchant steamboat SS Lismore was torpedoed off Le Havre in France. That was just three weeks before the US navy arrived in Cork, and their first task was to deploy anti-submarine patrols to end the German destruction of shipping off Irelands south and west coasts of Ireland. More than 10,000 US servicemen were deployed in Cork by the end of the war, at an extensive network of facilities which included sites in Queenstown (Cobh), Passage West, Haulbowline, Ringaskiddy, Aghada, Bere Island, Berehaven, and Whiddy Island. A series of events marking their presence is happening over the coming months, and tomorrow night will also see a History Ireland magazine hedge school on the role of Ireland and Cork in the US naval involvement in the First World War. The free event at Cobh Library will feature local historian Michael Martin and UCC historian John Borgonovo, also a native of California. An exhibition opening tomorrow at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh will showcase Midleton-based archaeologist and historian Damian Shiels research on Cork and other Irish women who married US sailors. UCC will host a conference on the US Navy in Ireland in 1917 and 1918 on July 6 to 8. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend: The OSCE is expected to monitor the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on May 4, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said May 3. The monitoring will be held under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative in Azerbaijans Aghdam district, the ministry said. On the Azerbaijani side and on the Azerbaijani territories occupied and controlled by Armenian armed forces, the monitoring will be held by Andrzej Kasprzyk, OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative, as well as Gennady Petrica and Martin Schuster, field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative. 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. Figures released today by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) show that 658 patients admitted for care during the month of April were forced to remain on trolleys at CUH a 130% increase on the figure a decade ago. In March, the overcrowding crisis kept 716 people on trolleys in the emergency department. The problem is also acute at the Mercy University Hospital, with 228 people on trolleys during April. INMO general secretary, Liam Doran, said: CUH is now the most overcrowded hospital in the country. The figures in the Mercy are poor too, which confirms that Cork City is massively short of acute beds and needs immediate capital investment. Trolley problems at University Hospital Limerick also continue. The April figure reached 649, down 50 on the previous month, but still the second highest in the country. South Tipperary General Hospital also remains a flashpoint, with 493 people on trolleys in April. The Dublin hospitals are largely showing improvement, although figures for the Mater are high at 437. However, the cities outside of Dublin are problematic. The ongoing overcrowding in hospitals nationwide will be discussed at the INMOs 98th conference in Wexford which gets under way today. Among the motions is a call for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to begin an inquiry into the circumstances in which care is delivered in EDs in Ireland, similar to inquiries of this nature carried out in other jurisdictions. A separate motion calls on hospital managers to provide access to a social worker, physiotherapist and occupational therapist in all 26 EDs nationwide, so as to enhance patient care, facilitate earlier discharge, and aid access to appropriate services. Mr Doran said the latest statistics confirm that our health services continue to be too small to adequately, and safely, meet the demands being placed upon it. The latest figures are released ahead of a meeting of the ED taskforce scheduled to take place next Monday. The issue of pay will also feature heavily at this years INMO conference. Mr Doran said the organisation is seeking a 12% increase for members in addition to restoration of all pay cuts imposed in recent years. This was essential to recruit and retain staff in a competitive international labour market, he said. A 12% increase would bring nurses pay levels on a par with other health professionals grades, he said. Once and for all this Government has got to recognise the labour market reality and as part of forthcoming pay talks, nurses must have parity with all other health professionals, said Mr Doran. He said a recent INMO survey showed that 80% of nurses due to graduate this year had been contacted by British employers. Just 30% have been contacted by the HSE. The conference is taking place ahead of negotiations between the Government and public service unions which are due to commence shortly on a new public service pay agreement. The executive council will be tabling an emergency motion, for debate on Thursday morning, focusing on the INMOs priorities going into the talks. A Garda patrol car observed a taxi driving from Glentworth St onto Henry St in the early hours of July 4 with Darren OLoughlin hanging on to the roof of the cab. OLoughlin, aged 21, with an address in Moyross and who works on trawlers out of Kinsale, damaged the taxi roof plate after he knocked it to the ground. The health watchdogs 2016 overview of social care and healthcare services raised issues in disability, elder care, childrens services, and healthcare institutions. The overview highlights poor governance, inadequate safeguarding, a lack of clear policy direction and/or timely implementation of policy, and poor accountability, particularly in terms of how those funding services assured the best use of public money. In disability institutions, Hiqa said that, while many people received a quality service, a significant number had a quality of life well below that which would be expected for citizens in 21st century Ireland. These people have been living over a long period of time in institutionalised services that do not promote person-centredness and where abuses of their rights have happened. In some instances, Hiqa has assessed the care being provided as unsafe. It found instances where people were placed in appropriate services which placed the safety of either themselves or other people they lived with at risk. In some centres, residents have told inspectors that they are afraid; this has been borne out in inspectors observations, Hiqa said. It found cases where centres did not have effective governance and management arrangements in place to protect vulnerable people. As a result, unacceptable care practices were neither identified nor considered inappropriate, said Hiqa. These practices manifested in a punishment custom which included the withholding of privileges and preferred foods. During 2016, there were 11 cases in which the office of the Chief Inspector issued notices of a proposal to cancel registrations of designated centres for people with disabilities. Those would have shut the centres if taken to their conclusion. The registrations of three centres run by the Irish Society for Autism were cancelled and the HSE took over the operation of the centres. In relation to older people, Hiqa found nursing homes where staff did not know how to interact properly with residents. This meant that residents were rushed at mealtime; staff used language which was not age-appropriate and one staff member was heard to mimic a resident, it said. In childrens services, Hiqa found that a number of children in residential care and a significant number in foster care did not have an up-to-date care plan. In three of the four statutory foster care services inspected, Hiqa found updated garda vetting of carers and formal reviews of their ability to care for the children did not take place. A significant risk was found in one service in relation to safeguarding practices. Within this service not all child protection concerns were identified as such and were not always managed in line with Children First. Hiqa said significant risks were identified in two foster care services, four residential centres and onel care unit. These risks related to ineffective safeguarding practices to promote childrens safety, it said. The publication, on Hiqas website, listed all the centres that were found to be fully compliant at inspection. Laura Maybury, head of clinical services at Cork Counselling Services (CCS), said: The myth is that if we talk about suicide, it will put it in peoples heads. She said there had been a couple of schools over the years who were initially interested in our Suicide Prevention Programme, but then withdrew. There is a real fear that if we talk about suicide, people will start to think about it. But there is no evidence that talking about it increases the risk. Actually the opposite is the case. Talking about it encourages people to ask for help. Despite the value of discussing suicide and raising awareness about prevention, Ms Maybury said they continually struggle with underfunding of their school programme. We have a large waiting list for this programme and a public impatience expressed at community level to extend the initiative to all schools. Unless we receive additional funding, these adolescents will not receive this specialist service. The programme has run in schools around Cork City and in Bandon, Ballyvourney, Midleton, Glanmire and Ballincollig, but Ms Maybury said numbers attending in 2016 showed a slight decrease on the previous year, due to lack of funds. Its a pity we have to fight so hard for funds in this area. Our work aims to intervene quickly and effectively so that issues can be dealt with and an escalation of difficulties avoided. The programme, aimed at transition year students, is delivered to, on average, 10 schools a year, but in the absence of guaranteed funding, CCS is obliged to create a waiting list. The funding shortfall is also impacting on their ability to provide long-term counselling, Ms Maybury said. Funding might cover six to eight sessions which is really only enough for short-term crisis intervention what brought the person to the point of suicide. But that person will be back again down the line because the there was no opportunity to work through the trigger factors, noted Ms Maybury who said this creates a revolving door system. While CCS receives small annual grants from the HSE and Tusla and earns fees raised through its Training Institute, Ms Maybury said they rely largely on independent grant sources. Despite the constant struggle for funding, CCS, on Fr Mathew St, Cork, is now in its 35th year. Statistics for 2016 show it is delivering counselling and psychotherapy to 408 clients, both adult and children, including 239 new clients last year, regardless of ability to pay. It delivered 2,938 hours of one-to-one counselling in 2016. Not everybody is convinced about the effectiveness of counselling, so we need to clearly prove it, said Hugh Morley, head of business at CCS. The service treats those struggling with depression, bereavement, relationship issues, sexual and emotional abuse, domestic violence, rape, suicidal thoughts, loneliness, and anxiety. CCS will host a research conference this weekend to assist counsellors gather evidence to prove the value of their work. Called Friend Not Foe Developing the Researcher Role in Psychotherapeutic Practice it takes place in Marymount conference centre on May 5 and 6. Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a 10-month jail sentence but suspended it on condition that the accused leaves the country in the next seven days. Judge Kelleher said that it was an extremely serious matter but he took all of the surrounding circumstances into account. Geremy Justus, aged 38, of no fixed address, went to the AIB on St Patricks Street, Cork, on March 27 and handed a note to the employee. The note read: This is a robbery. I have a bomb in my bag. Give me the money or I will kill us all. The member of staff was very frightened at the time and she did not wish to come to court to give evidence. Justus pleaded guilty to the offence of attempted bank robbery last week and he was remanded in custody until yesterday for sentencing. Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said that half an hour after the ill-fated crime, Justus gave himself up at the Bridewell Garda Station and confessed to what he had done. Mr Buttimer said that, with no disrespect to his client, it was clearly a harebrained attempt at a robbery. He ended up in Cork, he ran out of money, not least because of his alcohol addiction. And he came up with this most unusual idea. It could never have been successful. The solicitor added that apart from passing over the note there was no physical confrontation and the accused left empty-handed. Within half an hour he went to the Garda station and said I am the guy you want for the bank, said Mr Buttimer. The solicitor said that the defendant had been psychiatrically assessed during his remand in Cork Prison. He suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of violence he witnessed as a child and also suffers from alcoholism. His brother will arrange to get a flight to get the accused home as soon as he is released from prison, said Mr Buttimer. Hassan Bal, aged 25, formerly of an address at OConnell St in Waterford, was refused bail when he made his second appearance before Waterford District Court yesterday. He is charged with providing funding for a foreign terrorist group on October 2, 2015, and attempting to collect funding for a foreign terrorist group on October 23, 2015. Gardai objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the alleged offences; the potential sentence if convicted, which could be up to 20 years; and the risk of flight out of the country by Mr Bal if granted bail. Detective Sergeant Donal Donohoe told the court he believed the accused was likely to commit similar offences if granted bail. He also believed the accused was a flight risk as the address he was living in was no longer available to him. He no longer has a permanent address in this country, said Det Sgt Donohoe. His wife was from the UK and didnt have any ties to this country, apart from to Mr Bal himself, he said. As part of this investigation we made inquiries through Interpol and other police forces, primarily the London Metropolitan Police and the FBI. Cross-examining, Ken Cunningham said Mr Bals mother was willing to stand bail for him and allow him to live in her home. I honestly believe, said the detective, that she is not aware of the full facts of the case. Mr Bal is originally from the UK but moved to Ireland 14 years ago with his family and lived in Waterford for several years. He worked as a trainee electrician, is married, and lived in rented accommodation in the city centre before his arrest last week. The accuseds mother, Dr Caroline Ward-Fahy, said it was very shocking to be in this situation. Inspector Tony Lonergan asked her how she proposed to ensure, if her son was granted bail, that he would comply with his bail conditions. Since my son was born, when I tell him to do something, he will do it, she said. He will do that as his duty to God because his mother is a very important part of his faith. Asked what assurance she could give of her son complying with any bail conditions, Dr Ward-Fahy said: The strongest assurance you can ever have is that my son is obedient to me, because of his faith. Mr Cunningham said his client is resident in Ireland since 2003, is an Irish citizen, his mother and his siblings are in Ireland, and his wife is also in Ireland and expecting their first baby. Judge Staunton refused bail and remanded Hassan Bal in custody, to appear again in the district court on May 9. Photo credit: Broadcaster Eamon Dunphy (second left) with defendants in the Jobstown trial (from left) Frank Donaghy, Paul Murphy TD and Scott Masterson outside Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where they are charged with the false imprisonment of Joan Burton at a protest in Jobstown in 2014. Mr Dunphy was in court after proceedings. Picture: Collins Courts Seven men are charged with the false imprisonment of Joan Burton. At the time of the incident, Ms Burton was Tanaiste in a government that was grappling with water charges. The defendants are charged with detaining her for up to three hours as part of a protest in the Tallaght suburb of Jobstown. Yesterday was her third day in the witness box. At the outset of the day, she had already waded past six senior counsel (including the prosecution) and had two more to go before reaching shore. The cross examinations parsed the details of the incident on November 15, 2014 but also ran the rule over politics, and in particular how Ms Burton and her party had been regarded at a time of living austerely. The going was extremely soft. At various junctures, Ms Burton launched into a spirited defence of her partys performance in government. The lawyers tried to rein her in, but they had only themselves to blame. They asked her political questions and she gave political answers, which typically tend to lack brevity. In fact, some of the lawyers looked shocked that they had encountered in their own bailiwick a species that was capable of talking them under the table. Yesterday, the trial touched on the concept of protests. There has already been evidence that the protest in Jobstown was rowdy, the air thick with insults and loud chants. Joan Burton: Lawyers made connections between the Vietnam War protests aimed at Lyndon B Johnson in an effort to make a point that all politicians get insults hurled at them. Counsel Ciaran OLoughlin delved into the history of protest, going all the way back to Nam. In a trial where video evidence will play a considerable role, some of us expected to be treated to a few clips of Apocalypse Now, just to instruct the jury on how war can be hell. But instead, the SC was more concerned with LBJ, the president of the USA when Nam was upending the American dream. Mr OLoughlin asked Ms Burton whether from those turbulent days she remembered the chant: Hey hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today. Or the other chant, no more napalm to be dropped on Vietnam. Ms Burton pointed out that at the time she had been preoccupied with more earthy matters, such as looking after an ill relative and working part-time in Dunnes Stores. But the lawyer suggested the chant must have been offensive. Dont you think that President Johnson would have been personally hurt at these chants, he asked. (During Ms Burtons evidence last week it emerged that one chant at the protest was stick your water meters up your arse.) The lawyers reference to LBJ was to make the point politicians get all manner of insults hurled at them and it should be water off a ducks back. At one stage prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane got to his feet to object to this straying into history and the Asian conflict, where, to be fair, water charges were not a bone of contention in the paddy fields of the Mekong Delta. Vietnam and all its segways were a picnic though compared to later in the day when the trial went walkabouts to delve into the economic collapse, austerity measures and even the level of interest that was given to bondholders. This came from the questioning by Michael OHiggins, a highly regarded lawyer who has a reputation for thorough cross-examination. He went into some detail on the politics behind the protest, which sounded more like heated fare from the floor of the Dail than evidence at a criminal trial. If you had a private pension plan you had to give up 3% under levies, Mr OHiggins told her. That was an employment measure that allowed VAT to be reduced in the tourist industry, the witness replied. There was also mention of the Greek debt crisis, but when he got into the detail of the interest paid to bondholders, judge Melanie Greely felt compelled to intervene and bring matters back in the direction of Jobstown. Mr OHiggins also introduced video footage taken from a Garda helicopter at the protest, and for a brief second, we were back in Vietnam where the sound of rotating blades provided the backbeat to the war. By the days end, contrary to expectations, Ms Burton had not yet arrived on shore. Her cross-examination continues on Thursday. The trial, which began last week, is expected to last another five. Each of the seven defendants is represented by his own senior and junior counsel and solicitor. Court 13 gets hot quite quickly with the large crowds attending the trial. Despite what they tell you, Nam was never as bad as this. In Ghana, a group of enterprising women and young people is building bicycles out of an unlikely material: bamboo. Ten farmers grow the bamboo, and 25 builders craft it into environmentally friendly bikes that can be used on Ghanas bumpy roads or exported overseas. Bernice Dapaah, the founder and CEO of Ghana Bamboo Bikes, plans to build two new factories soon, adding 50 more workers in communities with high unemployment. Ghana Bamboo Bikes is just one example of the major role women can play in driving the transition toward sustainable economic growth and development. But such examples increasingly need to go together if we are to ensure a prosperous future on a healthy planet. The world needs more women climate leaders, whether around the tables where policy is made or at the helm of businesses, steering them toward sustainability. When more women work, economies grow. According to the World Economic Forum, greater gender equality, which implies greater use of human capital, correlates positively with per capita GDP, competitiveness, and human development. Squandering that capital has the opposite effect: the UN Development Programme reports that gender inequality costs Sub-Saharan Africa, to name one example, $95bn (abnour 87bn, or 6% of GDP) per year, on average. Yet women around the world still face a massive gender gap in employment and wages. The proportion of women participating in the global labour force has hovered around 50% since 1990, compared to more than 75% for men. And, in most countries, the women who work earn, on average, only 60c-75c for every 1 that men earn. To support economic growth and development, we need to tap the potential of all workers, giving women opportunities not just to earn, but also to lead. Keep supporting Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative and watch out for more amazing stuff coming soon. Ghana Bamboo Bikes (@GhanaBambooBike) April 26, 2017 Women need to be empowered, and their role in the economy transformed. What better moment to achieve this than now, when the world is pursuing another economic transformation, toward a green economy? In fact, transforming womens role in the economy could be even more urgent in the context of climate change. Traditional divisions of responsibility mean that men and women are often affected differently by climate change, particularly in developing countries. Because men are more likely to perform wage labour or farm cash crops, a climate-driven event like drought may cost them their wages and force them to move to cities to find employment. Women, who are often responsible for growing local subsistence crops and taking care of their families, do not have that option. Instead, women must find alternative means of securing food locally and of generating income to support their families, such as selling small assets or even withdrawing their children from school to help. The challenges women face are exacerbated in regions where women already spend hours each day fetching drinking water, and changing rainfall patterns could force women to travel even farther for it. Against this background, it is crucial to empower women to seize the opportunity presented by the transition to a sustainable economy. Changes in four key areas could prove particularly valuable. First, women need greater access to the financial system. In Sub-Saharan Africa, men are 30% more likely than women to have a bank account. To close this gap, we need to design loans and savings vehicles with more flexible requirements that work for women. This includes, for example, the expansion of microcredit an approach that has already enabled women in many countries to become entrepreneurs. Achieving this requires convincing still-skeptical creditors that women are dependable and, indeed, valuable clients, including by citing data on microcredit, which prove that women repay loans as reliably as men, if not more so. Once women gain access to the financial system, they can create and invest in small businesses, while feeling more secure about dipping into savings when confronted with emergencies. Second, women need equal rights to land. Ownership of land whether co-ownership, for a married woman, or sole ownership, for a single female head of household not only improves economic security and productivity, but also boosts access to traditional finance. With a formal claim to the land they are farming, women are also more likely to invest in the fertility of the soil, contributing to more productive and sustainable land-use patterns. Third, women need policies that support their active participation in the emerging green economy, including better education, skills training, and protections against workplace discrimination. Because the clean-energy industry is so new, it could help draw women into non-traditional higher-paid jobs like engineering. Finally, women need to be empowered politically. If half the population doesnt have a say in political decisions, the legitimacy of policymaking suffers. Women can play an important role as governments implement incentives and regulations that support the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy. Even without such support, women are already seizing the opportunity presented by this transition. Solar Sister is a social business that has created jobs for 2,500 women selling affordable solar lighting in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. Lumos, another solar solution, empowers women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. But women still dont comprise a large enough share of the workers in the clean-tech industry, and those who do work in that industry are generally low on the job ladder. Changing that enabling all citizens to meet their economic potential will require active efforts to promote womens social and political inclusion. Closing the gender gap is the right thing to do for women and the planet. It is also smart economics. Lets not miss this opportunity. Isabella Lovin is deputy prime minister of Sweden. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister of Nigeria and managing director of the World Bank, is currently board chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and a member of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Samir Ali Trend: Armenia will get an even stronger blow, if it doesnt draw conclusions from the April battles, Head of Azerbaijans State Border Service Colonel General Elchin Guliyev told reporters in Baku May 3. Guliyev noted that Azerbaijan has enough power to liberate its lands from the Armenian occupation. Azerbaijans Armed Forces are always ready to liberate their lands from the occupation. However, Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the conflict. If Armenia deviates from this process, we will liberate our lands through military means, he said. If Armenia doesnt draw conclusions from the April battles, it will get an even stronger blow. 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. On the night of Apr. 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from Armenian armed forces. As a result of artillery shelling of Azerbaijans settlements, located near the line of contact, six civilians were killed, including two children aged under 16, and 26 people were seriously injured. During the four days of fighting, Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated the heights near the Talish village, as well as the Seysulan settlement, which could pose a threat to the safety of the Goranboy district and Naftalan city. Azerbaijan took over control of the Lele Tepe strategic height, located near the Fuzuli district, which allows controlling a large territory. Also, as a result of the April battles, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces took under control the roads in the Aghdere-Madaghiz direction. Thirty tanks, up to 15 artillery mounts and fortifications belonging to Armenia were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 of the enemys servicemen were wounded during the battles. The military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) upon mutual agreement of the sides. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 Trend: Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein Alois has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Republic of Azerbaijan, I have the honor to offer to you, the Republic and the people of Azerbaijan my sincere congratulations on the development of our mutual relations in the last quarter of a century, the prince told Ilham Aliyev in the letter. The exchanges between our two countries have continuously grown in many important areas, the hereditary prince of Liechtenstein noted, adding that this development was highlighted in 2016 by the visit of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to Vaduz city in Liechtenstein. Bilateral relations firmly anchored in the fundamental principles of international law are very important for a small state like Liechtenstein, the prince said in the letter. We also attach high importance to the equal treatment of all states and a reliable legal framework of international organizations. In light of the many global challenges we face today these principles as well as efforts for de-escalation and conflict resolution are crucial to the success of our common endeavors, the prince told Ilham Aliyev in the letter. I am looking forward to future opportunities to further deepen our cooperation and wish you and your friendly country every success for the future. Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017 (5:51 pm) - Score 589 Last weeks entirely unsurprising decision by the Government to drop a proposed 30Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband, in favour of the originally proposed 10Mbps, has not gone down well with either the opposition Labour Party or SNP. Both have branded it a missed opportunity. Since last year the Digital Economy Bill 2016-17, which was approved last week and will now become an Act, has been proposing a new legally-binding USO that from 2020 would give everybody the right to request a minimum broadband speed of 10Mbps+ from the chosen suppliers. This is a big step up from the current USO, which only supports a basic copper telephone line and functional Internet access (slow dialup could meet this). Generally speaking USOs are only intended to cater for an absolute minimum level of service (most EU states either have no USO for broadband or something much slower than 10Mbps). However, in February 2017 the House of Lords threw a political spanner into the works by voting to approve a radically different USO that would set the minimum speed at 30Mbps+ and hold an aspiration to deliver 2Gbps for all via FTTP before 2020 (here). Considering that the Governments non-binding virtual commitment for fixed line broadband currently only envisages achieving around 97% coverage of superfast broadband (this usually reflects speeds of 24Mbps+ or 30Mbps+) by 2020 then the chances of a 30Mbps USO, which Ofcom estimated could have cost up to 2bn to deliver (here), being passed was always quite remote. However it was an attractive attempt to do something more radical and we commend the effort. By comparison the 2Gbps for all via FTTP target was clearly bonkers, although it might have had more weight had the Lords chosen to give it a much.. much more distant time-scale instead of the completely absurd before 2020 expectation. Maybe add a decade or two to that and a few tens of billions of pounds in investment, albeit from where.. we dont know. In any case theres a General Election coming on 8th June 2017 and so last weeks predictable decision by the Government to drop the 30Mbps USO amendment (here) and return to their original 10Mbps figure has of course come under fire because.. politics. Fergus Ewing (MSP), Scotlands Connectivity Secretary for the SNP, said: Unfortunately the UK Government has chosen the short-term option and set the USO at just 10Mbps, that is a missed opportunity and it does demonstrate how the reserved nature of telecoms can often undermine our policy ambitions here in Scotland. Its not the taxpayers job to fund the provision of mobile or internet services in cities where frankly commercial operators already do that and make a good return. Where our money in Scotland and the UK comes in and is required is to get the other parts where commercial operators wouldnt otherwise reach, the rural parts and the island parts, and sadly thats where weve really been badly let down by the UK Government. The Scottish Government (SNP) has already announced an aspiration to make 30Mbps+ broadband available to 100% of premises by 2021 via an outside-in approach (prioritising public investment for the hardest to reach rural areas first), which is an improvement on the existing 410m Digital Scotland project that aims to make high speed fibre broadband available to 95% of the country by the end of March 2018. As yet were still awaiting details on how the Scottish Government will achieve their new universal coverage aspiration, not least in regards to their technology choices (inferior Satellite perhaps?) and funding. Nevertheless Scotland deserves credit for setting a clear ambition for universal coverage of superfast broadband, which is something that the central UK Government has been unable to match. Naturally the SNP arent the only party with knives out and the UK Labour Party has now joined in the fun. Louise Haigh, Shadow Digital Economy Minister, said: Of course we would have liked the government to back 30Mbps for all and I do not accept that millions of consumers and businesses should simply be left behind. This was an opportunity to prepare the UK for the ubiquitous future demanded by the digital revolution and although the Governments amendment is a first step, it is a baby step and nothing more. The Labour party has previously made plenty of noise about wanting to foster a national roll-out of ultrafast FTTP connectivity, which would be supported by a huge injection of public funds. However achieving this, without at the same time distorting market competition (Ofcom is trying very hard to encourage competition at infrastructure level), could be quite tricky. We hope to see more details when their manifesto is published. In the meantime the UK Government (Conservative) has pledged to keep the broadband USO under review and raise it from 10Mbps once 75% of households have upgraded to a superfast broadband service, which could take a very.. very long time. A further public consultation on the detail is expected after next months election. As always when it comes to politics, take the things politicians say with a big pinch of salt until theyre fully costed and put down in a detailed policy paper. Even then some extra salt can still come in handy. Hosted infrastructure is quickly becoming the preferred means of application and data support, a sign that the enterprise no longer has any illusions about its ability to confront the challenges of a digital economy with its own data center. According to 451 Research, the growth of enterprise spending on hosted and cloud services will more than double the growth of total IT budgets in 2017, increasing 25.8 percent compared to 12 percent. This trend presented itself across nearly every vertical market and company size, although it was most pronounced in large businesses of between 1,000 and 10,000 employees, which expect hosted/cloud spending growth to top 33 percent. The studys author, Liam Eagle, noted that the data suggests organizations are looking to the hosted model both for new development projects and the migration of existing workloads. Given the advantages that hosting brings over traditional data centers, its easy to see why many organizations would embrace it for expanding workloads, says Salesforces Sujain Thomas. Particularly when it comes to supporting e-commerce sites and databases, the hosted model provides better security, ease of management, lower costs (both capex and opex), greater scale and usually better performance. Small businesses in particular should employ hosted solutions because it allows them to compete with larger rivals without having to risk a substantial up-front investment in infrastructure. Given this emerging growth market, it is easy to understand why someone would want to buy the cloud and hosting service businesses from existing providers, but why would anyone want to sell? Thats what happened recently when Verizon handed over its service unit to IBM for an undisclosed sum. IBM, of course, has been trying to shed its reputation as a data center hardware and platform vendor for years, and is still struggling to come up with a successful service-based revenue model. But Verizon has made no secret of its desire to provide software-defined cloud services to the enterprise. Verizon exec George Fischer, however, notes that the company is pursuing a number of strategic initiatives with IBM involving network and cloud services, which sounds similar to the companys recent move of selling its data center business to Equinex and then striking a deal to resell those same colocation and interconnect resources to business users. (Disclosure: I provide occasional content services to IBM.) And increasingly, it appears that hosted service providers are becoming the preferred market for leading virtual and cloud platform vendors. Nutanix recently saw its Enterprise Cloud Platform form the backbone of a new suite of managed hosting, virtual desktop and cloud services from Leeds, UK, provider Firstnet Solution. The company will provide end-to-end cloud solutions using the Nutanix Prism management system for compute and storage resources. Clients who use Nutanix on-premises, meanwhile, will be able to leverage built-in replication, backup and disaster recovery through direct connection to Firstnets hosted infrastructure. For the most part, the rising popularity of the hosted model is a reflection of the fact that business leaders now realize that it is possible to do more with less using both virtualized and cloud infrastructure. And with Big Data and the IoT putting increasing pressure on the enterprise to transform its business models, the race is on to scale resources to extreme levels without blowing the budget. Hosting allows someone else to deal with the messy process of building and maintaining infrastructure, leaving the enterprise free to concentrate on optimizing its service portfolio. Arthur Cole writes about infrastructure for IT Business Edge. Cole has been covering the high-tech media and computing industries for more than 20 years, having served as editor of TV Technology, Video Technology News, Internet News and Multimedia Weekly. His contributions have appeared in Communications Today and Enterprise Networking Planet and as web content for numerous high-tech clients like TwinStrata and Carpathia. Follow Art on Twitter @acole602. The Galaxy S8 smartphone is already a powerful device in its own right, running by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 chip. But the mobile phone is capable of more than being a powerful handheld device. With Samsung DeX, a docking station specifically made for the latest flagship, your phone can turn into a PC. And it is the closest any company has gotten so far. Several companies in the past have attempted to give consumers an all-in-one device but all have failed so far. Even Microsoft Continuum only scratched the surface. But Samsung DeX, specifically made for Galaxy S8, turns the smartphone into a desktop workstation promptly. All a person has to do is plug the smartphone into the dock and hook it up to a monitor. And voila, you get an instant PC! The Samsung DeX looks a bit like Microsoft Continuum. As The Verge describes it, the device has a dock with monitor, power, Ethernet and USB connections. But it is in the software that the docking station shines in the most. The Korean technology stalwart took a few Android apps and adapted them for the workstation by increasing their productivity. At the same time, it also makes the smartphone-turned-PC experience into a good one. In comparison, Microsoft Continuum is only able to run a limited number of applications. On top of that, it has not impressed reviewers much at all. It also is not within distance of appealing to business or enterprises. The Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus coupled with Samsung DeX has the capability to turn business users' heads, according to CIO. It has been able to let users do much of their work using the docking station, which cannot be said about its competition. However, the overall price of turning your smartphone into a PC might be a turn off for most people. The Samsung DeX fetches $150 by itself. Including the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse and Galaxy S8, this mobile workstation can cost almost a thousand bucks. In that regard, a person is still better off using a standard laptop. OnePlus, a Chinese smartphone company that surprised the world with its aggressive Never Settle devices for the past years is at it again. After thousands of rumors and leaks about the launched of the most-awaited OnePlue 5 device this year, the companys CEO posted a teaser image with a big surprise caption on the firm's Weibo account. Therefore, the production of the smartphone is confirmed. OnePlus 5 Teaser Unveiled According to BetaNews, OnePlus is one of the smartphone makers that let official information leak in months before a new mobile device is released. Therefore, it shouldn't have to be a surprise to see that the company or even the CEO is posting a teaser regarding the upcoming flagship on its Weibo account. Below is the image posted by CEO and co-founder Pete Lau: As of now, it is too early to expect any juicy details from the company. Even the smartphone on the posted teaser image may not exactly mean that the flagship killer, which is said to be the OnePlus 5, is coming anytime soon. However, what is certain at this stage is that OnePlus is in the process of producing a smartphone that will make all the fans see "big surprise." OnePus 5 Confirmed Production If the teaser image is the OnePlus 5 smartphone, therefore it could be launched before the end of this year of early next year. There is still no official information regarding its specifications and features. The only thing that is confirmed as of now is its dual camera at the back of the smartphone device. Both OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T shipped with the latest available processor from Qualcomm at the time of their release, so it is quite likely that the OnePlus will do the same strategy with its OnePlus 5. Therefore, it might be shipped with a Snapdragon 835 chip. According to BGR, the upcoming flagship is expected to feature high-end specs wrapped in a very budget-friendly premium design just like its predecessors. Since Never Settle is the motto of OnePlus since the launched of its first handset, many fans are really anticipating for a complete competitive OnePlus 5. The April sales for automobiles this year has just been released. Unfortunately, it sees a decline in sales affecting General Motors and other well-known automaker companies. Along with that, General Motors has officially left Venezuela. General Motors Sales Decline In April 2017 The figures are out for the month of April and things are not looking that good for automakers. General Motors, along with Ford, Nissan, and Toyota have all reported that have suffered a decline in their sales. These are strong indications that the demand for cars is gradually slowing down. General Motors suffered a 5.8 percent decline in their sale last April, which is smaller compared to the other companies. Despite the huge profits from making the Cruze compact car a hit and selling SUVs, it was not enough to offset the difference. Analysts say that even with the decline in the demand for cars, the sales are still healthy. Countless automaker companies have offered various deals because of the tight competition in the automobile market. General Motors Ceased Operations In Venezuela General Motors has announced that they are finally leaving Venezuela. The announcement took place after the Venezuelan government allegedly seized the automakers assembly plant in April, explaining that it was under embargo because of a lawsuit that was filed in 2000. The company has stopped operations in the said plant even though not one single car was fully produced in it for more than a year already. The plant had over 2,500 employees and they will be compensated with severance pays after the government action is resolved. Analysts said that closing down the plant in Venezuela was a good move because it was not producing any revenue. With the recent decline in automobile sales, General Motors would be able to reassess their situation. The operations in Venezuela reportedly cost GM about $100 million. T-Mobile has unveiled its plan to launch 5G services while aiming to produce a nationwide network based connection on the next-generation technology by the year 2020. The competition to build 5G networks has seen carriers in other Asian countries such as China and South Korea. On the other hand, USA starts the trials of wireless technology that has yet to be formally defined by the international standards bodies. According to The Verge, T-Mobile announced today its timeline for launching a true nationwide LTE starting to roll out in 2019, with a complete launch by 2020. T-Mobile notes that this move of the company is in contrast to other competitors. Rivals are focusing on short-range and high-frequency millimeter wave technologies for 5G networks while T-Mobile's plan is to concentrate on longer-range and lower-frequency 600 MHz spectrum. With that said, the German holding company hasnt necessarily ruled out the use of millimeter wave bands for their upcoming 5G efforts. For the record, T-Mobiles fresh 600 MHz swath operating with 5G technologies still likely wont be as quick as the 5G up in the higher bandwidth millimeter wave range. While T-Mobile hasnt explained what their 5G plan will look like, for now, it seems like the giant company is at least determined to offer a true 5G network before the end of 2020. Rivals On 5G Network Rivals Verizon and AT&T have experimented with 5G too, as reported by CNET. Using the higher-frequency spectrum, which claimed to give speeds that are higher than a fiber-optic line, both competitors produced an initial 5G network summary but limited in geography. "This positions T-Mobile to deliver a 5G network that offers both breadth and depth nationwide," Technology Officer Neville Ray said in a blog post. However, the companies don't have enough access to huge amounts of this higher-frequency spectrum. And because of that, the trials and deployments will be limited. On a positive note, at least we know that the two bigger carriers are focusing more on providing a true 5G network service for a replacement of traditional landline-based broadband. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Polish President Andrzej Duda. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my most sincere congratulations to you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Poland Constitution Day, Ilham Aliyev told Duda in the letter. The current level of Azerbaijan-Poland relations is satisfactory, reads the letter. There are great opportunities for expanding the relations between our countries, which are strategic partners, in various areas. I believe that we will further strengthen our friendly ties and deepen our mutual cooperation in the best interests of our peoples, the Azerbaijani president noted. On this remarkable day, I wish you all the best, and the friendly people of Poland peace and prosperity. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: The 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue kicks off in Baku, the Sofia News Agency (novinite.com) reports. The 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue will be held on 5-6 May in Baku under the auspices of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in cooperation with UNESCO, UN Alliance of Civilizations, UN World Tourism Organization, Council of Europe, ISESCO, North-South Center of the Council of Europe, says the report. The 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue will focus on the topics such as the role of faith, religions, migration, human security, sport, education, art, sustainable development, violent extremism, business in building trust and cooperation among cultures and civilizations. The Forum will provide a platform for discussing the way forward to build societies based on genuine respect for everyones rights including freedom of belief, equal opportunities, and good governance as well as an inclusive framework of tolerance and respect for diversity. By bringing together heads of governments, ministers, heads of international organizations, senior policy makers, cultural professionals, goodwill ambassadors, experts, journalists, practitioners, prominent intellectuals and activists, the Forum will become an international platform to enable and encourage people, countries and organizations around the globe to take concrete actions to support diversity, dialogue and mutual understanding among nations by raising awareness on the importance of intercultural dialogue worldwide, says the report. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and other religious and beliefs managed to spread over the country in different periods of time, interacted with one another and established the specific religious and cultural life in the country. Through this experience, Azerbaijan has built a culture of acceptance, tolerance, trust and confidence where people of difference of faith, be they Muslims, Jews and Christians enjoy peaceful coexistence and live with mutual respect for each other; and they have done so for centuries, says the article. Azerbaijan sees diversity as one of the countrys great strengths and values, and has worked to ensure that this diversity continues to blossom. The Government has built and rebuilt synagogues, mosques, and churches; created new cultural centers for different faiths; and financially supported all three religions without discrimination, says the article. Azerbaijans historical, cultural and economic distinctiveness has developed the mentality of Azerbaijan people and the entirely population of the country has been forming during the centuries in the spirit of tolerance and respect to different cultures and nationalities. Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev initiated the Baku Process for the promotion of intercultural dialogue in 2008. The Baku Process comprises an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups with different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and heritage living on different continents, on the basis of mutual understanding and respect, says the article. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 Trend: 5th Student Scientific and Technical Conference dedicated to 94th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev started its work at Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS). The Conference gathered management, professors and teachers of BHOS, and representatives from BP, Statoil, Total, Emerson Process Management, ABB, Avandsis Group, Halliburton, Confidence Capital and other transnational companies. Prior to the Conference opening, the participants laid flowers at the bust of the national leader Heydar Aliyev in the BHOS foyer. Opening a plenary session with an introductory speech, Rector of the Higher School Elmar Gasimov said that the 5th Student Scientific and Technical Conference was dedicated to the 94th anniversary of the National leader Heydar Aliyev to show respect for, and pay honor to, the great political leader. He emphasized that, as a result of successful state educational policy, more young people are involved now in research and scientific activities. Speaking about important role of science and education in society, Elmar Gasimov told about activities carried out at BHOS for contribution to the development of this sphere and achievements attained in this direction. Then the rector told about opening a new campus of the Baku Higher Oil School on May 1, 2017 and informed that President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony. He also reminded that BHOS was established within SOCAR upon a Decree by the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev on November 29, 2011. The main objective of the Higher School, said Elmar Gasimov, is to prepare highly qualified and highly educated professionals with excellent English language proficiency and advanced technical skills. Head of SOCAR Science and Technologies department Nazim Veliyev emphasized that Azerbaijani state provides constant support and pays close attention to young generation development. In his words, this policy laid a solid foundation for raising youths interest in education and science. Head of SOCARs Education, Training and Certification department Fuad Suleymanov said that BHOS prepares specialists according to international standards for various sectors of economics who will work at transnational companies in the future. He emphasized that the conference aims to raise students academic knowledge and to ensure their successful research work in the future. Speaking at the conference, representatives of companies expressed their gratitude to BHOS management for organizing the conference and highly praised their cooperation with the Higher School aimed at training of highly qualified national specialists. The following four reports were selected for presentation at the first plenary session: Implementation of Adaptive Filters for Increasing the Quality of Control, Reducing Miscibility Pressure for CO2 Flooding, All-weather Solar Panels and Solar Trees: Applications and Usages. In total, 53 reports would be presented by 55 students at the following sections: Petroleum Engineering eight reports, Chemical Engineering 18 reports, Physics and Mathematics 14 reports, and Process Automation Engineering nine reports. At the conference closing session, authors of the best works will be awarded with certificates and prizes from BHOS, while others will receive recognition gifts from BP, Statoil, Total, Emerson Process Management, ABB, Avandsis Group, Halliburton Confidence Capital. The conference main objectives are to reveal the most gifted and talented students and improve their skills in project implementation in the future. The work of 5th Student Scientific and Technical Conference shall conclude on May 4, 2017. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 Trend: The international bicycle race Tour dAzerbaidjan-2017, dedicated to the 94th birth anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev kicked off on May 3. The first stage of the race started from the National Flag Square in Baku and finishes in Sumgayit city racing 150-km distance. Twenty-two teams from 18 countries are participating in the race. On May 4, the races second stage will start from the Velopark near the Caspian seashore and will head out to high Caucasus Mountains racing 187-km distance from Baku to Ismayilli district. The third stage will cover distance from Gabala district to Oghuz district racing 177 kilometers towards Sheki district then racing all the way around finishing in Gabala. The fourth stage will start in Gabala. After racing 164 kilometers the riders will reach up to the finish line near Pirgulu town. With total of 158-km distance the fifth stage will be held in Baku, including central avenues and streets of the Azerbaijani capital. The Aghsu mountain pass has also been included in the fourth stage of the Tour dAzerbaidjan-2017. The new alliances and bad weather have made it increasingly difficult for ships calling at Shanghai to stick to their schedules. Average delays for container ships calling at Shanghais Yangshan deepwater port have increased by more than 40 percent since the beginning of April, and forwarders are advising their customers that the congestion could last until mid-May. The average delay per vessel from April 16 to April 18 has grown by 42 percent to 53 hours compared with week before, and by 41 percent compared with the first week of April, CargoSmart analysis shows. Dense fog has exacerbated the delays. Forwaders are having to manage the Shanghai delays, and Joerg Hoppe, DB Schenker director and head of ocean freight for North and Central China, said he was expecting the situation to continue until mid-May. Three factors had combined to cause the congestion, Hoppe said. A large number of containers from Hanjin Shipping, which collapsed last year, remained in the port taking up space. A second reason was the service and terminal changes that accompanied the alliance re-shuffle after the Ocean Alliance, THE Alliance, and the 2M plus Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) launched in April 1, and the third reason Hoppe gave was capacity mismanagement among the major terminal operators within Yangshan, where one operator has idle capacity and the another is buried in boxes and ships. The Shanghai International Port Group has been trying to address the capacity issues and has been shifting some port calls from Yangshan to its other terminals in the city. However, as the busiest container port in the world, the sheer volume of boxes moving through the terminals are difficult to manage even when everything is going right. A customer advisory by logistics operator Logwin said the congestion was affecting mainly the Asia-Europe, trans-Pacific, and Asia-Australia trade lanes. The third-party logistics provider said the delays in arrivals and departures were worsening since the period prior to the Easter holidays. Logwin told customers that the delays were the result of overbooking by most carriers, so the overflow of laden containers had to stay gated-in at the terminal until the next departure, which reduced the turnover and efficiency of terminal operations and led to a shortage of empties at the inland depots. There were other contributing factors to the congestion, Logwin advisory said. Weather conditions in Shanghai and at previous calling ports in North China forced carriers to delay and change their berthing plans. The Shanghai International Port Group upgrading its systems in early April has also played a role, as has port call adjustment since early April by the new allianices. The alliances' deploying with bigger vessels has lead to growing handling time per vessel at the terminal. Logwin said in order to keep the vessel sailing schedules, some carriers had made a last-minute decision to omit Shanghai in order to catch up with the next port call. But for those containers gated in already, they were required to remain in the terminal for the next vessel, making the congestion situation even worse. Shanghai port authorities are trying to mitigate the delays but with general rate increases to be announced on May 1, many shippers are trying to get their containers loaded before the price goes up, so there is unlikely to be any improvement until well into next month. There has been a growing imbalance in container volumes that could be the result of shipper panic over the regrouping shipping alliances, which caused them to make bookings earlier to secure the space. Even though there were usually quite a lot vessels waiting outside Shanghai Port, in the past few days CargoSmart had found that the numbers were rising sharply to the more than 100 recorded earlier this week. A container line executive at a large Asian carrier told JOC.com that congestion at Yangshan appeared to indicate that the port was struggling with the increased volumes and bigger vessels that have been assigned to the terminal. This affects primarily Asia-Europe and trans-Pacific sailings, with knock-on effects in all other ports as the big vessels have less flexibility to switch berths and terminals in the subsequent ports, he said. The supply chain head for a major European shipper said the congestion had also spread to the port of Qingdao not far north of Shanghai. But so far it all still works and we are lucky, he said. The Ocean Alliance, THE Alliance, and the 2M plus HMM launched on April 1, completely redrawing the existing vessel sharing agreement structures. These VSA were in addition to various independent carriers including newcomer SM Line that also began its new trans-Pacific service last week. Compared against the peak season deployment of summer 2016, total vessel capacity planned for this summer will be 2 percent higher, according to industry analyst Alphaliner. At the same time, the number of deployed ships is set to fall as carriers continue upgrading services to larger vessel sizes. An analysis of the vessel deployment by size range shows significant increases in ships ranging from 14,000 to 20,000 teus, as well as 5,500 to 10,000 teus. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@ihsmarkit.com and follow him on Twitter: @greg_knowler. By continuing to browse or by clicking "Accept," you agree to our site's privacy policy. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: The International Rating Agency Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) of Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) and House Construction Savings Bank of Kazakhstan (HCSBK) at 'BBB-', the rating agency said in a message. The Outlooks are Stable. Fitch has also affirmed KazAgroFinance's (KAF) Long-Term IDRs at 'BB+' and revised the Outlooks to Negative from Stable. The affirmation of the Long-Term IDRs and Support Rating Floors (SRFs) reflects Fitch's view of a high propensity of the Kazakhstani authorities to support the institutions, in case of need, due to: 100 percent ultimate (although indirect) state ownership; important policy roles in the development of non-extracting economic sectors (DBK), the house savings and mortgage system (HSCBK) and provision of state-subsidised financial leasing to the agricultural sector (KAF) in Kazakhstan; a track record of state funding and equity injections to support their expansion (HSCBK and KAF) or solvency (DBK); the moderate cost of any support that might be required, given DBK's wholesale debt of 4 percent of Kazakhstan's 2016 GDP or 6 percent of sovereign reserves at end-2016, and the other two institutions' wholesale debt being negligible relative to sovereign financial resources; guarantees on about 44 percent of DBK's third-party liabilities from Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna (BBB/Stable); KAF qualifying as a material subsidiary for its owner, KazAgro National management holding JSC (BBB-/Stable), and the latter's $1.6 billion outstanding Eurobond issue with maturities coming due in 2019 containing a cross-default clause in case of subsidiary default; potential adverse reputational, economic or social (in case of HSCBK and KAF) consequences of not supporting them. The one-notch differential between DBK and HCSBK's 'BBB-' Long-Term IDRs and the sovereign's 'BBB' ratings primarily reflects moderate risks stemming from indirect state ownership through JSC National Management Holding Baiterek (BBB/Stable), as Baiterek's own financial resources are limited, giving rise to moderate risk of delays with receipt and pass-through of sovereign support; the somewhat loose government supervision of both banks, as no government officials sit on the banks' boards of directors, and DBK is exempt from regulatory oversight by the National Bank of Kazakhstan; and the moderate risk that the sovereign could cease providing full support to all quasi-sovereign entities before defaulting on its own obligations in a severe stress scenario. Fitch believes the authorities' plans to partially privatize HCSBK will not significantly affect the state's support propensity, given its intention to retain a controlling stake in the bank and maintain its policy role. KAF is rated two notches below the sovereign mainly due to Fitch's view of its somewhat lower importance for the country's economy and financial system compared with DBK and HSCBK. The revision of the Outlooks on KAF's 'BB+' Long-Term IDRs to Negative from Stable reflects the authorities' plans to privatize a controlling stake in the company, potentially by end-2018, and hence the potentially reduced propensity of the state to provide support to the company in the future. Of the institutions, DBK is most likely to require support due to its significant foreign debt ($4.5 billion or 72 percent of liabilities at end-2016) as well as local non-government wholesale obligations ($0.7 billion or 11 percent), moderate capital buffer (15 percent Fitch Core Capital (FCC)/risk-weighted assets (RWAs) ratio at end-2016) and significant foreign-currency loans (64 percent of gross loans at end-2016) predominantly to high-risk development projects. The probability of KAF requiring state support in the future is also significant considering its operations in the vulnerable agricultural sector. In Fitch's view, HCSBK is less likely to need support in the medium term in light of its solid loan quality (0.4 percent non-performing loan ratio at end-2016) and strong capital buffer (41 percent FCC ratio at end-2016). Fitch noted that the Long-Term IDRs of all three institutions, and senior unsecured debt ratings of DBK and KAF, would likely be affected by a change in the sovereign ratings. The ratings of DBK or HCSBK could be upgraded and equalized with the sovereign if the banks become directly owned by the government and state officials become more directly involved in the oversight of the institutions; or the government replaces or guarantees most of the banks' funding. A marked weakening of policy roles or association with the sovereign could result in negative rating action. However, neither scenario is currently expected by Fitch. DBK's ratings could also come under downward pressure if leverage increases markedly and asset quality deteriorates sharply without adequate capital support from the authorities. KAF's Long-Term IDRs could be downgraded if the authorities' plan to privatize the company results in a material weakening of KAF's connection with the Kazakh government and the prospect of the company losing its policy role. The ratings could stabilize at the current level if privatization plans for KAF are abolished. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Azad Hasanli Trend: Azerbaijans largest banks will participate in the Private Sector Forum of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group, a source in the Azerbaijani financial market told Trend May 3. In addition, participation of Azerbaijani companies officials is expected in the forum, according to the source. The forum will be held May 16 in Saudi Arabias Jeddah during the annual meeting of the IDB Group. The event will bring together more than 2,000 people, mostly from Arab countries. The event participants will mull the opportunities and challenges associated with doing business in the countries where IDB is present. The forum will also be an opportunity for investors and businessmen of different countries to establish new business contacts and explore opportunities for joint investments, the source said. WASHINGTON -- The New York Times reports that President Trump's aides were "stunned" that he invited Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte to the White House. I'm stunned that anybody would be stunned. In style, if not in scope, the two men are brothers from another mother. Both have employed foul language in public, boasted publicly about their sexual performance and made vulgar references to assaulting women. Both have threatened the free press, challenged the legitimacy of the judiciary, attacked opponents as corrupt -- and insulted the pope. Certainly, Trump has attempted nothing so horrifying as has Duterte, who has boasted of personally killing people and whose government has killed thousands of alleged drug dealers. Trump boasted that "I could ... shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters," but he hasn't tested the hypothesis. Duterte is only the latest autocrat to earn Trump's admiration, following his earlier praise for the skills of Vladimir Putin, Saddam Hussein, Bashar al-Assad, Moammar Gaddafi and "smart cookie" Kim Jong Un. But the similarities between Trump's language and Duterte's are striking. Is it a case of imitation? Or are they both using the same authoritarian handbook? The man Trump would have as his guest at the White House has attacked Philippine judges as drug addicts, telling the chief justice not to "order me around" unless she would "rather that I declare martial law." Trump tried to disqualify a federal judge from hearing a case against him because he's "Mexican" and attacked the "so-called judge" who blocked his travel ban, proposing people blame the court system for future terrorist attacks. A top aide said Trump's authority on national security "will not be questioned." Duterte, when he was mayor of Davao City, joked about the prison rape of an Australian missionary, saying "she was so beautiful. The mayor should have been first. What a waste." He at first said that was just "how men talk." Trump, in footage that emerged during the campaign, boasted about assaulting women, saying he could "grab 'em by the p -- ." Trump's campaign at first said this was "locker-room banter." Duterte has proclaimed: "I'm not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up." Trump, in a presidential debate, spoke of the size of his genitalia: "He referred to my hands -- if they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you, there's no problem. I guarantee you." Duterte, when Pope Francis tied up traffic in the Philippines, said he wanted to tell him, "Pope, son of a whore, go home." Trump called it "disgraceful" of the pope to question Trump's Christianity. He said Francis was "very political" and "a pawn" of Mexico. The man with whom Trump would break bread in the People's House also called President Barack Obama a "son of a whore." Trump has questioned Obama's American birth and called him a "threat to our country" and "founder of ISIS." Trump's new friend, who has spoken favorably of Adolf Hitler, said, "If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself." Duterte said he wouldn't "stop because of the human rights," daring opponents to assassinate him. Trump once suggested that "Second Amendment people" -- gun owners -- could stop judicial nominees. He has been accused in court of inciting violence at his rallies. He proposed paying legal fees of those who "knock the crap out of" protesters. Duterte said "f -- you" to leaders of the European Union. Trump spoke of bombing the "s -- " out of ISIS and said China was "ripping the s -- out of the sea." Duterte told drug pushers to "forget the laws on human rights," saying, "I'd kill you. I'd dump all of you into Manila Bay and fatten all the fish." Trump once said that he would restore waterboarding and "much worse" for terrorists, and that the military would obey him. Duterte has attacked newspaper owners and told journalists "you are not exempted from assassination." Trump routinely blasts the "fake news" media and talks of restricting press freedoms (though happily not of assassination). Duterte accused a senator leading an inquiry into his administration's killings of being corrupted by the drug industry. Trump has lashed out at those investigating his administration's ties to Moscow. A report in March from the State Department -- Trump's State Department -- said Duterte's attacks on those "who have criticized his policies had a chilling effect on free speech and expression." Now Trump, after a "very friendly" talk with Duterte, wants to honor him with a White House visit. That's not just chilling -- it's cold. Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. The Washington Post NEW YORK A year after falling head-over-heels for a musical about Alexander Hamilton, the Broadway community threw its arms wide open at the 2017 Tony Award nominations, handing out nods to 25 shows in a season notable for its breathtaking range. Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an improbable pop-opera musical inspired by a Leo Tolstoy novel, got 12 nominations. A revival of the 53-year-old Hello, Dolly! about a brassy matchmaker earned 10. Dear Evan Hansen, a heartfelt show that begins with a misfit teens suicide got nine. Musicals about a pair of cosmetic legends, another set on 9/11 and another based on an old Bill Murray movie were all honored. Its a fantastic season. Its a deep, great season with people really putting themselves out there writers and directors and producers and actors. Its a fantastic year to be a part of, said Laura Linney, who is starring in Lillian Hellmans The Little Foxes and earned her fourth nomination. Its a robust expression of humanity. On the new play side, nominations were given to works about working class angst (Sweat), Middle East peace negotiations (Oslo), a behind-the-scenes look at a controversial 1923 Yiddish play (Indecent), and a bold sequel to a Henrik Ibsen play (A Dolls House, Part 2). There were also revivals of plays by giants Tennessee Williams (The Glass Menagerie) and Arthur Miller (The Price) and a much-cheered Broadway debut by a 65-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner (Paula Vogel). Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 will compete for the best new musical Tony with Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen and Groundhog Day. The best play revivals are August Wilsons Jitney, Lillian Hellmans The Little Foxes, Present Laughter and Six Degrees of Separation. Ben Platt, a star of the Pitch Perfect films who recently made Time magazines most influential people in the world list, got a nod as the star of Dear Evan Hansen, which centers on a profoundly lonely 17-year-old who fabricates a prior friendship with a classmate who committed suicide. This year, there are 24 competitive Tony categories. Winners will be determined by some 850 industry insiders. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 3 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The first cargo of 98 RON (AI 98) ultra premium gasoline, produced at the Seydi oil refinery in Turkmenistan, was sent to Afghanistan, said an article on Nebit-Gaz, the online newspaper of the Turkmen Oil and Gas Complex. Production of the 98 RON gasoline became possible through the commissioning of LCh-35-11/1000 catalytic reforming unit at the refinery. The units commissioning was implemented by the WTL (FZE) group of companies from the UAE and the Westport Trading Europe Limited from the US. It is planned to annually produce 412,000 tons of components of the 98 RON gasoline with help of the new unit. The produced 98 RON components will be used for production of 95 RON (AI 95), 92 RON (AI 92) and 80 RON (AI 80) gasoline brands, which comply with Euro 5 standards. Using this type of motor fuel will make it possible to reduce emissions of exhaust gases and combustion products into the atmosphere. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Oil production in Russia has dropped by 300,790 barrels per day as of May 1, 2017, compared to the output recorded in October 2016, a source in Russian Energy Ministry told RIA Novosti. On average, the countrys oil production has dropped by 258,600 in April, added the source. Earlier, Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia will cut its average daily volume of oil production by 50,000-100,000 barrels from January, 200,000 barrels as of March and will reach the targeted level of 300,000 barrels per day in April-May. Later he said that Russia has decreased its crude output by 298,000 barrels per day as of Apr. 27 and assured that the country will reach the targeted level by Apr. 30. Russia has agreed to cut its oil output by 300,000 barrels per day under the OPEC deal signed in Vienna. 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 the output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from Jan. 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months. 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 barrels per day. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Any increase in US shale oil and gas production will add to the domestic supply in the US, leading to fewer imports, Sijbren de Jong, analyst at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies and expert in energy security told Trend May 3. He was commenting on the recent decision made by the US President Donald Trump on re-opening for oil exploration the areas that president Barack Obama closed. This will then lead to an increase in global oil production, thus having a dampening effect on the price, the expert added. In an executive order, Trump reversed the Obama administration's decision to prohibit oil and gas drilling in the Arctic waters off Alaska. The White House says 90 billion barrels of oil and 327 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are buried off the US coastline. We are seeing a kind of seesaw movement whereby the OPEC deal leads to a decrease in oil production (although not every country is on board and some are actually increasing production), leading to a higher oil price. The result is that higher cost oil is more attractive to produce, thus incentivizing the production in places such as the US, said Sijbren de Jong. He pointed out that Donald Trump's policies contribute also to stimulating greater production, which in the end may lower the price again, thus undermining the effects of the OPEC deal. 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. 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 barrels per day. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce the output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from Jan. 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 3 By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend The political consultations were held in Ashgabat between the foreign ministries of Turkmenistan and Palestine, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message May 3. "While stressing the similarity of positions on ensuring peace, security and sustainable development in the region and the world as a whole, the Turkmen and Palestinian sides expressed their commitment to the further development of regional and international cooperation," the message said. According to the message, during the consultations, the sides discussed the issues of cooperation in the political, trade, economic and cultural spheres. The Turkmen and Palestinian sides also discussed the prospects for cooperation in the trade and economic spheres and the relations in agriculture and healthcare, the message said. The Days of Culture of Palestine and a joint business forum are planned to be held in Ashgabat on the eve of the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Palestine. European Commission Brexit Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier [official profile] on Wednesday published the European Unions proposed directives [text, PDF] for the UKs departure from the EU, saying [statement; press release] the highest priorities were citizens rights, financial settlement and border regulation. EU Treaty Article 50 [official backgrounder] governs the departure of a member state from the union, and Barnier emphasized the importance of both sides agreeing to the amount the UK will pay to leave the EU before negotiations advance further. UK Brexit Secretary David Davis [official website] has expressed skepticism [BBC report] over the amount the EU may seek. The proposed directives will be considered by the EU General Affairs Council [official website] on May 22. There has been controversy surrounding Britains choice to leave the EU since June when a majority of UK citizens voted [JURIST report] to leave the EU due to a growing discontent with EU policies. In March European Union President Donald Tusk [official website] laid out earlier plans [JURIST report] for the EUs negotiations with the UK. Also in March the UK Parliament released the Great Repeal Bill [JURIST report], outlining the process to solve issues that could arise out as Britain leaves the EU. The Brexit bill received royal assent [JURIST report] from the Queen earlier in March allowing May to use Article 50 to exit the EU. Implications of Brexit extend well beyond immigration, however. Scottish lawmakers, under the guidance of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, on Tuesday voted [JURIST report] 69-59 in favor of holding an independence referendum. The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico [official website] on Wednesday filed for bankruptcy protection [press release] for the territory following the expiration of provisions that had shielded it from litigation. The filing comes under Article 3 of PROMESA [text, PDF], a special law passed last year to allow Puerto Rico to manage its significant debt. The territory has created a fiscal plan [text] to address its debt and begun negotiations with many of its debt holders, but the board said the filing was necessary as a number of other creditors started filing lawsuits [Reuters report] against it earlier in the week: Under PROMESA, the Government of Puerto Rico, with the Oversight Boards support, has pursued voluntary negotiations and mediation in an effort to arrive at consensual agreements with its creditors. But the expiration Monday night of the stay against litigation provided by PROMESA makes the government vulnerable to lawsuits by its creditors. The voluntary filing under Title III would preclude those lawsuits while allowing the possibility of consensual negotiations to continue. The debt crisis of Puerto Rico has been extensive and a severe worry to many around the world. In January, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled [JURIST report] that a case brought by bondholders of Puerto Ricos Employee Retirement System could proceed. Also in January a UN independent expert warned that increasing austerity measures to the American territory could threaten residents human rights [JURIST report]. In June the US Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] 5-2 that Section 903(1) of the Bankruptcy Code preempts Puerto Ricos Recovery Act. Last April the Puerto Rico legislature passed a bill [JURIST report] that allowed the island territory to enter into a state of fiscal emergency and begin the process toward a debt moratorium. NEWSLETTER Sign up Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. Just Drinks Daily News The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday. Just Drinks Weekly News A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday. Just Drinks Magazine The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Irans oil export to Japan has increased by 13.2 percent in March 2017 and reached 6.96 million barrels. The figure indicates a rise by 8 percent compared to the preceding month, Japans ministry of economy, trade and industry said. The figure includes 2.43 million barrels of condensates exported from Irans South Pars gas field. Iran was Japans fourth oil supplier after Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, with a share of 7 percent in March 2017. Saudi Arabia exported 41.6 million barrels of oil to Japan in March (41.9 percent share of the countrys total crude oil imports). Irans oil exports to Japan reached 83.94 million barrels in the fiscal year of 2016, which is a 38-percent increase, compared to the preceding year. Iran supplied 7 percent of Japans oil demand in 2016. Irans oil exports increased by 1 mb/d last year to 2.42 mb/d and the figure would increase to 2.5 mb/d in 2017 and 2.59 mb/d in 2018, IMF previously said in a report. Irans says its oil output capacity stands at about 4 mb/d, while the actual production volume is 3.8 mb/d. Iran also produces 560,000 b/d of gas condensate. Japans NH Foods is to buy Uruguayan major meat processing company Breeders & Packers Uruguay (BPU) to increase its meat supply capacity in emerging markets and to tap the major mature beef consumption markets in North America and Europe. Free Report Whats the forecast for the food and grocery industry? Market drivers and inhibitors Five-year forecasts and the impact of COVID-19 The performance of the online channel versus offline Major trends in the market including rapid delivery, ambient retailing, supply chain disruption, and inflation Assess developments within this sector to help your business thrive in 2022 and beyond. The food and grocery sector thrived during the pandemic, largely due to the shutdown of the food service industry and the sectors subsequent necessity, panic-induced bulk purchasing, and spending more time at home. The market has grown as a result of inflation. Consumer unwillingness to go out and socialize, and the reopening of several hospitality facilities, helped maintain the demand for groceries, particularly online, in 2021. As consumer behavior changes, we consume more food and drink at home, and inflation increases basket sizes. GlobalData predicts that the sector will continue to hold a higher share than had been predicted prior to the pandemic. This is true despite the fact that the food and grocery sector's share of overall retail will decline from its peak in 2020. This report will discuss market forecasts and key themes in the global food & grocery industry in 2022 and beyond. It covers:Assess developments within this sector to help your business thrive in 2022 and beyond. by GlobalData Enter your details here to receive your free Report. 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Visit our privacy policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address. Thank you.Please check your email to download the Report. The US$135m acquisition from the UK-based Hoxton Holdings was announced on Friday (28 April). BPU is expected to be established as a consolidated subsidiary of NH Foods by March 2018, the end of Japans 2017 fiscal year. The deal is part of NH Foods policy to expand its overseas business. In a statement, NH Foods said it sees potential in using its experience in developing a major meat production operation in Australia to expand in South America, thereby raising its company value. NH Foods added: BPU has the highest track record in meat processing of any independent company in Uruguay, processing products using state-of-the-art facilities for export to China, Europe, the United States. The countrys high level of traceability and transparency in its animal husbandry also helped persuade NH to make the acquisition, it said. BPU supplies products including beef flank, rump, shank and loin cuts, as well as knuckle, brisket and neck meat. Related Companies Mondelez International is launching a line of dips under its Philadelphia cream cheese brand in the UK. The company said the Philadelphia Flip & Dip range brings a fun and fresh twist to dipping whereby the product is flipped upside-down to release Philadelphia topped with one of three sauces: Sweet Chilli, Mexican Salsa or Caramelised Onion. In addition, the brand is launching Philadelphia Simply Dip packs of Philadelphia in Olives and Herbs variants. Mondelez marketing manager Elena Mallo said: We know that snacking plays a fundamental role in consumers lives, with savoury snacking categories driving the growth within this occasion. Mallo said research by Kantar showed chilled dips is one of the fastest growing snacking categories but said it still has headroom for growth due to relatively low customer penetration 51% when compared to other snacking categories. Flip & Dip and Simply Dip are both available in packs of six at an RRP of GBP1.49 (US$1.92) per pack. Asked which retailers would be listing the products, a spokesperson said they were available for retailers to order this week. Philadelphia is one of a clutch of grocery brands owned by US-based snacks giant Mondelez, home to Cadbury chocolate and Oreo biscuits. Last year, reports claimed Mondelez was mulling the sale of its European grocery business, including Philadelphia. However, no transaction occurred. In January, when Mondelez sold a clutch of its Australian and New Zealand grocery brands, including the spread business Vegemite, the deal excluded Philadelphia, which the company described at the time as one of its power brands, a range of products that also includes Cadbury and Oreo. Boca Raton, FL, USA, 05/02/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/ Earlier this month a tragedy took place in Boca Raton. A tow truck driver, while trying to secure a crashed tractor trailer, fell 30 feet to his death from an Interstate 95 overpass. The tractor trailer overturned at an exit ramp notorious for truck accidents. Boca truck accident lawyer Joe Osborne says often these types of accidents are caused by negligent truck drivers. There have been at least six major wrecks in the past five years near the Peninsula Corp. A Drive overpass that leads to Congress Avenue in Boca Raton, reports the Sun Sentinel. According to the article, Drivers just arent slowing down when they leave the interstate, (Florida Department of Transportation) FDOT Public Information Director Barbara Kelleher said.Theyre not adhering to the signs and pavement markings or slowing down to make the turns safely. The truck left southbound I-95 when it failed to turn right, struck a concrete center median, veered left and overturned on its right side, resting on the bridge wall. Richard Randolph, 69, from West Boca, who worked for Emerald Towing in Pompano Beach, went to the scene where he stepped over the bridge wall, onto a concrete maintenance platform on the outside of the overpass before falling off the edge of the overpass. Its believed he was trying to secure the trailer. Randolph planned to retire in November when he turned 70 and move with his wife Judy to northern Florida. The two have ten children and 23 grandchildren. The truck driver, Adrian Figueredo of Miami, was evaluated at the scene but not taken to the hospital. He was cited for fatigue, driving beyond the eleven hour limit in a fourteen hour period mandated for commercial truck drivers as well as failing to negotiate a right turn. In August of last year a tractor trailer broke through the concrete barrier on the overpass and its cab hung above motorists traveling on I-95. The driver stated he thought he was entering an express lane, not an off-ramp, and was traveling about 65 mph at the time of the accident, reports WPTV. Last March a tractor trailer crash occurred on Congress Avenue, closing the entrance ramps to I-95 in both directions for several hours, according to WPTV. Police reported the semi truck rear-ended a sedan as it was exiting southbound I-95 sending the sedan across a median. The truck hit the wall near the I-95 entrance ramp, preventing it from falling over the edge. The truck driver was cited for careless driving along with logbook and commercial drivers license violations. FDOT plans to paint lane pavement with exit lane only messages and turn arrows by this summer. Signs will also be posted warning drivers to slow down as they are approaching a stoplight and the turn onto Peninsula Corp. Drive. Though signs can help prevent accidents they wont do any good if truck drivers are too tired to notice them or obey them. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury caused by an accident involving a tractor trailer, contact Boca truck accident lawyer Joe Osborne at (561) 800-4011 or fill out this online contact form. You can discuss your case, how the law may apply and your best legal options to protect your rights and obtain compensation for your injuries. For additional information on this topic please read: Fewer Regs, More Unsafe Trucks? Asks Boca Truck Accident Lawyer Joe Osborne Press Contact: Personal injury lawyer Joseph Osborne 561-800-4011 source: http://www.oa-lawfirm.com/overpass-scene-several-accidents-says-boca-truck-accident-lawyer-joe-osborne/ Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print Tehran, Iran, May 3 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: Iran and Iraq have signed a banking cooperation agreement focusing on brokerage relations between the central banks of the two countries. The agreement was signed between officials from Iraqs Central Bank and Trade Bank on one side and the Central Bank of Iran on the other, IRNA news agency reported May 3. The two sides agreed to join in two weeks as a working committee to discuss further measures. The agreement envisages opening a joint account in the euro, facilitating opening of branches, facilitating payments and transfers for tourists, as well as holding staff training courses. Dallas, 05/03/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/ Founded in 2009, Uber works by allowing regular people with reliable vehicles to connect with individuals who need a taxi service. The Uber app lets users leave reviews for drivers and even pay with their credit card, so no money ever changes hands. Uber has become so popular, its now being adapted to the world of trucking, which brings us to its spin off company, Uber Freight that purchased another business called Otto, according to a Popular Science report. The alarming aspect about Otto is it operates a fleet of autonomous trucks. This new Uber company allows carriers to receive and transport packages. It also lets shippers connect with carriers directly to send their items all without extensive contracts, broker fees, and red tape frequently involved in traditional shipping arrangements with trucking companies. Where are Self-Driving Trucks Going? In 2016, an autonomous Otto truck made a 125-mile journey across Colorado to deliver a load of beer. Amazon is apparently working to launch its own version of the Uber Freight business. Currently, Uber Freight is in a testing stage with plans to fully launch in 2017. Although Amazon hasnt said when it will debut its truck driving service, the media has speculated that it will likely launch around the same time as Uber Freight. Also in 2016, a convoy of semi-autonomous trucks trekked 1,200 miles across Europe, hauling freight in a test drive to determine how the semis handled their route. Trucking experts say fully automated semis are still a long way off; however, driverless trucks are definitely not science fiction. There have been several accidents involving autonomous vehicles. Over the past year, a test driver in an autonomous vehicle was killed when the vehicles computer system couldnt distinguish the side of a semi-truck trailer from the sky, said Amy Witherite, co-founder and principal of personal injury law firm, Eberstein Witherite. These kinds of accidents demonstrate why the idea of driverless semis is concerning. A semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. With a computer in charge, there is a potential for serious accidents if the computer makes an error a human driver would recognize and correct. On the other hand, proponents of autonomous semi-trucks point out that human error is responsible for the majority of trucking accidents. Distractions and fatigue are two of the top causes of truck accidents. By removing the need for sleep, and the temptation to glance at an email or text, driverless trucking advocates say the industry could reduce the number of serious and fatal semi-truck accidents. If you have been injured in a semi-truck accident, you should discuss your case with an experienced Georgia truck accident lawyer right away. Media Contact: Lucy Tiseo Eberstein & Witherite, LLP Phone: 800-878-2597 Email: [email protected] Atlanta.1800TRuckWreck.com Connect with Eberstein Witherite on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter source: http://www.1800truckwreck.com/atlanta-truck-accident-lawyer-discusses-is-uber-coming-to-a-semi-near-you-html.html Social Media Tags:Atlanta truck accident lawyer, Georgia truck accident lawyer, Self-Driving Trucks, Uber Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Iran's reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami has expressed support for Hassan Rouhani in upcoming presidential election scheduled for May 19. Continuation of Rouhanis presidency for second term is in favor of Iran and the Iranian nation, Khatami said in a meeting with reformist politicians, his official website reported. If President Rouhani loses the upcoming presidential election to his conservative rivals, there is risk of international sanctions against Iran and isolation coming back, Khatami said. On the other hand, Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, an Iranian hardliner group, announced its support for conservative cleric, Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi in the election, Tasnim news agency reported. Earlier in May 2, Jame-e Modarresin, an influential Iranian clerical body threw its support behind Raisi as well. The clerical association is a group of seminary teachers from the holy city of Qom and has a number of high-profile hard-line clerics among its members. Raeisi, the custodian of Razavi holy shrine who served for years on Irans judiciary, is considered the main rival to president Rouhani in the upcoming election. Besides Rouhani and Raeisi, Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, Mayor of Tehran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, former culture minister Seyed Mostafa Agha Mirsalim and reformist politician Mostafa Hashemi-Taba were the only qualified among more than a thousand candidates. Tehran, Iran, May 3 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: Rivals of President Hassan Rouhani in the May 19 presidential election have mass-purchased channels on the social app Telegram to campaign against him. They have bought popular channels, said ICT Minister Mahmoud Vaezi, Shargh newspaper reported May 3. He underlined that the rivals are the same ones who used to call for blocking social apps in the country, but are now using them to their benefit. Conservatives in Iran urge the banning of social media, saying they encourage dissidence and immorality. During the 2009 presidential election day the countrys internet and telecommunication services were shut down. But social apps in Iran have been used for political campaigns. Ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who blocked Twitter this year launched a twitter account as he was preparing to register as presidential candidate. He was later barred from participating in the election, nonetheless. Tehran, Iran, May 3 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has traveled to Pakistan, where he sat down for talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. During the meeting the two discussed border issues, including the fight against bandits and terrorist groups, IRIB news agency reported May 3. The major topic of discussion was a recent terror attack at the joint border, in which nine Iranian soldiers were killed. The border guards were killed in an ambush by the terrorist Jaish al-Adl group in southeastern Iran along the countrys border with Pakistan April 27. Back in 2014, Jaish al-Adl abducted five Iranian border guards, including four soldiers who were serving their mandatory military service. Zarif also met with Pakistans National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq as well as Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan where they also discussed border security concerns and terrorist groups. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: At least five workers were killed and 40 injured following a huge blast at a coal mine in northern Iranian province of Golestan, YJC reported. An explosion took place at the Azadshahr mine this morning and several workers have been injured, Sadeq-Ali Moqaddam, a provincial official at Golestan governor-generals office, told Mehr. The official added that rescue operations are underway, but there is no further information on the details of the incident. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 Trend: Russia and Turkey will strengthen cooperation between their defense ministries and security services, including the counter-terrorism cooperation, TASS quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying May 3. He was addressing a press conference following the talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. Putin said during the talks much attention was paid to the fight against international terrorism. He also noted that it is essential to ensure the security of Russian tourists at Turkish resorts, and Russian agencies are ready to help Turkish security services in this. Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Turkey will not allow the formation of groups threatening its national security on the border with Syria, Turkish media outlets quoted the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying May 3. Erdogan made the remarks at a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi. The Turkish president stated that the talks on Syria in Astana must strengthen the truce, but some sabotage the process. As guarantor countries, we must very delicately approach this issue. We need to strengthen this truce [in Syria] at the earliest opportunity through the Astana meetings. But some others waste their energy to sabotage this process, Erdogan said. ARAPAHOE An Arapahoe man accused of withholding information about an alleged plot to kidnap Furnas County Sheriff Kurt Kapperman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony charge in U.S. District Court in Lincoln. Anthony Todd Weverka, 54, pleaded not guilty to misprision, which is concealment of knowledge about a felony, Weverkas attorney, Stuart Dornan of Omaha, said Upon reviewing the indictment, Dornan said, the federal judge conditionally released Weverka from custody. Dornan said he is prepared for a rigorous defense of Weverka, whose jury trial is scheduled for June 26. Weverka is accused of not disclosing full information about a Canadian womans alleged plot to kidnap the sheriff and a judge in Tipton County, Tenn., and to break an inmate out of the Furnas County Jail in Beaver City. Between mid-January and mid-March, Weverka allegedly learned of the plot to kidnap the sheriff and didnt immediately disclose the plan. He also allegedly made false statements to Kapperman. Weverka told Kapperman that his life might be in danger, but Weverka spoke repeatedly with the woman in Canada and supplied her with the sheriffs home address, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Jan Sharps office. Details from the indictment and the news release include: While Weverka was serving as president of the Arapahoe Airport Board, he met Michael Wayne Parsons, 55, of Arlington, Tenn., who flew a plane to the airport on Jan. 10 and asked to spend the night at the airport. He allegedly fled from Tennessee that day, the same day he allegedly failed to appear for trial on two counts of felony possession of a weapon in the Tipton County Circuit Court. On Jan. 12, Parsons was apprehended by Nebraska law enforcement officers and the FBI at the Arapahoe Airport. Parsons was then transported to the Furnas County Jail. Between Parsons arrest and March 16, a British Columbia, Canada, woman, referred to only as S.H. in the indictment, requested the release of Parsons and his exoneration on his alleged criminal offenses. S.H. presented herself as the Chief Justice of the Universal Supreme Court of the Tsilhoqotin Nation, a self-appointed body purporting to represent the country of Chilcotin, though representatives of Universal Supreme Court are not Tsilhoqotin Nation tribal members. Parsons also represents himself as the ambassador and associate chief justice of the Universal Supreme Court. When S.H.s court orders were ignored, she allegedly offered to pay a bounty hunter in New Orleans to break Parsons out of jail, arrest the Furnas County sheriff and the presiding judge in Tipton County, Tenn., and transport all of them to Canada where the sheriff and judge would face purported criminal charges, the news release says. S.H. also requested that the bounty hunter take possession of the airplane Parsons had flown to the Arapahoe Airport on Jan. 10. On March 16, Weverka allegedly met with a person whom he believed to be the bounty hunter, the indictment states, and allegedly showed the individual the airplane alleged to have been flown by Parsons. Weverka was taken into custody by FBI agents Monday in Arapahoe. The felony misprision charge carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both, according to the news release from Sharps office. Sharp said he has not worked on a case like this before. Not anything close to this for that matter. Kapperman did not respond to a request from the Hub for more information. According to the press release, Parsons also is charged in U.S. Court for the District of Nebraska with being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to Parsons federal indictment. That felony conviction was on an aggravated assault charge on Nov. 23, 2009, in the Tipton County Circuit Court, the indictment says. When Parsons was apprehended by law enforcement in Nebraska on Jan. 12, the indictment says, he allegedly had a Rock River 5.56 LAR-15 assault rifle, 87 rounds of .223-caliber light armor piercing ammunition and 550 rounds of .300-caliber Blackout ammunition. The charge against Parsons carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both. He now is in custody in Tennessee awaiting trial on other charges. British Prime Minister Theresa May promised EU officials on Tuesday that she would be "a bloody difficult woman" in divorce talks, after being criticized for underestimating the complexity of Brexit talks and having "illusions" over a deal, Reuters reported. Campaigning in the early election she has called for next month, May warned voters that the 27 other EU countries were determined to win a divorce deal that "works for them", saying Britain must unite behind her to strengthen her hand. "These negotiations will not be easy," she told supporters in the eastern part of the city of Bristol, where voters elected a Labour lawmaker in the last election in 2015. "There are 27 European member states united in their determination to get the deal that works for them. We must show the same unity of purpose here at home to ensure that we get a deal that works in our national interests, too." After meeting May at her Downing Street residence last Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was reported to have said he was "10 times more skeptical than I was before" about the possibility of sealing a deal. May has dismissed the report as "Brussels gossip" and, in an interview with the BBC, suggested she would not be a pushover. "During the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a 'bloody difficult woman'. And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker," she said. The prime minister is confident she can make a success of Brexit, her spokesman told reporters, and was approaching the talks "in a constructive manner and with huge amounts of goodwill". Addressing questions about May's capacity to conduct the time-consuming negotiations, he added: "The prime minister is leading the Brexit talks. She will be assisted by the secretary of state for exiting the European Union and senior officials." The prime minister, appointed shortly after Britain voted to leave the EU last year, has stuck to her policy of revealing little about her negotiating hand before the talks start - most likely after the election. She has been accused by opposition lawmakers of taking a high-handed approach towards the rest of the EU in the run-up to the talks, potentially poisoning the atmosphere as battle lines are drawn. May's political legacy rides on the success or failure of the talks. But the EU cannot afford to cut Britain too generous a deal for fear that Brexit could encourage other members to leave. With her party still commanding a large lead in the polls despite some gains by the main opposition Labour Party, May again warned voters that any vote for other parties would lead to a "coalition of chaos" that could hurt the EU talks. "They stand ready to prop up (Labour leader) Jeremy Corbyn's coalition of chaos, to see the Brexit process stall and to reopen the old battles of the past," she said, attacking the opposition Liberal Democrats that could benefit in the election after promising a second referendum on any Brexit deal. "That is why this election is so important. We need to secure the leadership the country needs. Leadership, stability, doing the right thing for Britain." KEARNEY A Kearney man must complete classes in responsible thinking and self-control for assaulting an officer and obstructing government operations in a September dispute near his property in west Kearney. James Bamford, 54, must also complete a class in crime-victim empathy, complete outpatient counseling and a continued after-care program, continue mental health care, and take medication as recommended as part of his five years of probation. He must serve 60 days in jail. Judge Bill Wright gave him credit for one day already served. Bamford was sentenced earlier this week in Buffalo County District Court for the misdemeanor charges. On the morning of Sept. 7, a state Department of Roads employee was placing concrete right-of-way markers along U.S. Highway 30 at 62nd Avenue on property that borders property owned by Bamford. He lives in the area. A Nebraska State Patrol trooper at the scene saw Bamford park close enough to the temporary wooden right-of-way marker, records say, that state workers couldnt use their auger to dig the hole for the permanent concrete marker. The trooper saw Bamford drive a blue car onto another temporary right-of-way marker and break the marker in the process. The trooper, along with a Buffalo County sheriffs deputy, contacted Bamford and his son, Hunter Bamford, 22, of Kearney and asked them if they would remove the vehicles so state workers could place the markers. The pair refused to cooperate, records say, and James Bamford said he and his son werent afraid to die over the matter. Records say the men were asked repeatedly to move the vehicles, but they refused, and James Bamford told officers he wasnt afraid to go to jail. The trooper told the men he didnt want to have to take anyone to jail, but said he would have the vehicles towed if Bamford and his son didnt move them. James Bamford allegedly said he would destroy the tow trucks if they showed up. James Bamford then drove a tractor with a hay bailer onto the right of way to prevent state workers from placing the markers, records say. Officers tried to place James Bamford into custody. As they did, he resisted by taking a swing at a second trooper and kicking him in the leg, records say. The Bamfords both were arrested. Hunter Bamford was initially charged in Buffalo County Court with obstructing government operations, a misdemeanor, in the incident. However, that charge was later dismissed. @HubChic KEARNEY As a radiologic technologist, Ellie Miller sees the effect of blood donation firsthand because patient care is her favorite part of her job, according to a press release from the American Red Cross Fort Kearney Chapter. To honor Millers patients and others in need of blood transfusions, she plans to skip a party and presents on her birthday, May 13, and instead throw an American Red Cross blood drive. Miller has invited everyone to donate. A blood drive is a way for me to give back in honor of all the trauma and cancer patients Ive worked with throughout the years, Miller said. I am so grateful for what I already have; I dont need anything else to be happy. Miller encourages family and friends to donate blood during her birthday drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13 at the Red Cross Fort Kearney Chapter at 520 W. 48th Ave. To make an appointment or download the American Red Cross blood donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-RED CROSS. Prescription drug takeback records 565 pounds KEARNEY Kearney-area residents returned 565 pounds of unwanted, unused or expired medications Saturday during a prescription takeback organized by the Buffalo County Sheriffs Office at CHI Health Good Samaritan. Buffalo County Community Partners said CHI Health and Kearney/Holdrege Elks Lodge 984 helped in the effort. Prescription drug overdose is the top cause of accidental deaths in the United States, surpassing car accidents, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. BCCP said in a press release that two-thirds of Buffalo County teens who use drugs get them from their friends and family without them knowing. BCCP said pharmacies where medications can be disposed of safely are Hy-Vee, Valley, Haeberles, Walgreens, Medicap and ABC Drug, all of Kearney, and Svanda Pharmacy in Ravenna. Attempt to extend tax levy authority for NRDs fails LINCOLN (AP) A bill that would allow Nebraskas natural resources districts to continue levying a temporary 3-cent property tax for every $100 of valuation has stalled in the Legislature. The proposal failed to overcome a filibuster on Tuesday. Lawmakers voted 31-9 to force an end to legislative debate, two votes shy of the minimum needed. The bill by Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson was backed by a leading advocate for the states natural resources districts. The levy only could have been used for implement groundwater management activities. Opponents say it conflicts with the Legislatures efforts to lower property taxes. The inmate accused of fatally shooting a sheriffs deputy on Monday first attacked him with a shank, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. Wesley Correa-Carmenaty used a sharp object to attack Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Deputy Mark Burbridge, said the source, who spoke on the condition of not being identified. Monday morning, Correa-Carmenaty, 24, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for manslaughter at a hearing at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse in Council Bluffs. After the hearing, Burbridge and fellow deputy Pat Morgan took Correa-Carmenaty and a female inmate back to the county jail in an inmate-transport van. Correa-Carmenaty, who is 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, was being transferred from the van back into jail when he attacked Burbridge with the shank, the source said. The inmate then grabbed one of the deputies guns and shot both Burbridge and Morgan, officials said. Authorities have not said which deputys gun was used in the shootings. Burbridge, 43, died of his wounds at Creighton University Medical Center about an hour after the attack, which occurred about 10:55 a.m. Morgan, 59, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for treatment. He was listed in fair condition Monday, and Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said his condition was stable Tuesday. Officials said he is likely to be released from the hospital soon and is expected to make a full recovery. Correa-Carmenaty will appear for the first time in Douglas County Court this morning, but eventually will be taken to Iowa to face murder and other charges there. Tuesday, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber declined to offer details of what may have occurred immediately before the shooting. Weve got multiple camera angles, and I feel comfortable with the video weve got, Wilber said. I think we have a pretty good idea of what happened. Wilber said the video from the inmate entrance to the jail will not be released until Correa-Carmenatys trial. He said he is not aware of any footage that may have been taken from the countys inmate-transport van. Darrell Simmons, a special agent in charge with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said he couldnt comment on the assault due to the integrity of the investigation. After the shooting, authorities have said, Correa-Carmenaty got into the county van and rammed it through a closed garage door at the jail. Correa-Carmenaty drove into a nearby neighborhood, where officials said he tried to force other drivers to give him their vehicles. He threatened them with a deputys gun and shot one driver, 30-year-old Jerry Brittain, in the neck, officials said. Brittain was listed in fair condition Tuesday at the Nebraska Medical Center. Correa-Carmenaty eventually ditched the van and kidnapped a woman, 31-year-old Amy Kanger in Council Bluffs, and took her car, officials said. According to an Omaha police report on the carjacking, Correa-Carmenaty made Kanger get in her car because it had a manual transmission and he didnt know how to use a stick shift. She told police that he told her to drive around, and they ended up at a liquor store at 30th Street and Laurel Avenue in Omaha, where she got out and ran inside. Correa-Carmenaty then took off with her car, though its not clear how he was able to drive it. The police officer who arrived at the liquor store to take Kangers report described her as visibly scared. Police quickly located Correa-Carmenaty, and a high-speed chase ensued before he crashed the car into a wall at Cuming Street and an Interstate 480 entrance ramp. He was taken into custody without incident there. Authorities have said his hands were free but his ankles were still shackled. Police found a gun in the car. Warrants were filed Tuesday in Pottawattamie County charging Correa-Carmenaty with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, escape from custody, second-degree kidnapping, three counts of first-degree robbery, intimidation with a dangerous weapon and felon in possession of a firearm. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into the shooting, while Council Bluffs police are investigating the carjackings. Bluffs police said they want to talk to people who were near North 16th Street and Nash Boulevard just before 11 a.m. Monday. Anyone with information on any of the attempted carjackings may call 712-328-STOP. Correa-Carmenaty is being held at the Douglas County Jail in Omaha. He has been booked on suspicion of kidnapping, use of a firearm to commit a felony, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and operating a vehicle to avoid arrest. He used a Spanish translator in earlier court proceedings. Wilber confirmed that Correa-Carmenaty was born in Puerto Rico and is a U.S. citizen. Federal charges also could be filed, because a woman was kidnapped and transported across state lines, Wilber said. Wilber and Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine both have said that Correa-Carmenaty will be prosecuted in Iowa. If convicted on the pending charges in Iowa, the sentence would be life in prison, Wilber said. If Correa-Carmenaty does not waive extradition, then the Nebraska and Iowa governors would sign documents ordering him back to Iowa, which can take up to 60 days, Kleine said. Kleine said his office then would dismiss the charges in Douglas County so that Correa-Carmenaty could face the charges in Pottawattamie County, but with the option of refiling the charges within three years. World-Herald staff writer Emerson Clarridge contributed to this report. Working as a young police officer in the small town where you grew up can be difficult. It can be hard to arrest someone you have known your whole life. Yet early in his career in law enforcement, Mark Burbridge was able to make his roots in the Missouri Valley, Iowa, area work to his advantage. He served there as an entry-level police officer years ago, in the same community near where his parents ran a trucking firm, said Assistant Chief Lee Lange of the Missouri Valley Police Department. Burbridge, 43, a Pottawattamie County sheriff's deputy, was fatally wounded Monday when a prisoner he and another deputy were transporting got hold of a gun and opened fire, officials said. Burbridge, who died about an hour later at an Omaha hospital, leaves behind a wife, Jessica, and children. Like others who knew Burbridge, the assistant chief in Missouri Valley said the slain deputy had a knack with people. He was really good with the public a real people person, Lange said. Plus, he grew up here. He knew everybody. Burbridge was hired in Missouri Valley in 2000. He worked there for a year or two before going to the Denison Police Department, then to Pottawattamie County, Lange said. He said Burbridge was happy to come to work, always in a good mood, and always did his job well. A friend from Denison recalled the impact Burbridge had on her familys life. Denison was where Angel DeCora and her then-husband Juan Gonzalez met Burbridge. They moved to the small Iowa town because Gonzalez had been hired as a police officer. He was one of the first Hispanic officers to work in Denison, and both DeCora and Gonzalez, who were from Sioux City, werent sure what to expect. We were young and we were just starting out, she said. Mark was one of the first guys to say, Hey, welcome. Do you like to fish? The couple already had two children. When DeCora was about to give birth to a third, the Burbridge family volunteered to watch their kids while she was in the hospital. He said, Dont even worry about it. Well take care of them, DeCora said. (It was) amazing ... They just became our family. A shell-shocked Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker described Burbridge as always "happy, jovial ... a good deputy. Said Danker: Its all been kind of a blur. Its something that we never hope happens in this line of work, but the reality is there that it does. DeCora, who now lives in Hubbard, Nebraska, recalled hearing about Burbridge taking the job with Pottawattamie County and moving to Council Bluffs. Wherever he went, he tried to make it a brighter place, DeCora said. She worried about Burbridge moving to a community so near Omaha. He told us everything was going to be OK. Its just hard to think that hes gone now. YORK Two more cases have been bound over to District Court regarding an earlier discovery of an alleged methamphetamine manufacturing operation. Echo Sweeney, 30, and Simon Sweeney, 36, have been formally charged with numerous felonies and their cases have been bound over to District Court where arraignment proceedings are pending. Already arraigned in the case was Travis Ziegler, 34. A co-defendant is Allen Wilcox, 20. The alleged methamphetamine manufacturing place was located on East Ninth Street in York. On March 30, the York Police Department obtained a search warrant for the residence in question and was assisted by the York County Sheriffs Department and the Nebraska State Patrol. The intent of the warrant, according to investigators, was to search for drugs, narcotics and evidence of reported meth making. During the search, according to court documents, they allegedly found a cold pack opened and ammonium nitrate removed. They also found in the garage: a can of camping fuel with another white gas, empty lithium battery packages, bottles of muriatic acid and a five-gallon bucket of ammonia which was believed to be a byproduct of manufacturing methamphetamine. They also allege that in a bedroom they found a used syringe, a metal spoon with methamphetamine on it, a coffee filter with methamphetamine on it and additional unused syringes. In the kitchen, they allegedly found a coffee grinder they believed to be used to grind pseudoephedrine. Article continued below advertisement In other rooms, they allegedly found jars used in the shake and bake method, pipes and syringes. And in an outside garbage tote, they allegedly found a variety of items believed to be used to make methamphetamine. Echo Sweeney has been charged with manufacturing an exceptional hazardous drug, possession of ephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance. Simon Sweeney has been charged with the same three counts. Also filed against Simon Sweeney is an allegation of him being a habitual criminal if this is proven, it could result in a separate prison sentence as an enhancement. Preliminary hearings were held in both Sweeney cases. Gov. Pete Ricketts has chosen to veto LB75, a piece of legislation that would give more than 7,800 Nebraskans equal footing in our countrys democracy. Ricketts reasoning for this has absolutely no factual standing. The governor claims that reinstating voting rights for individuals who have completed all the terms of a felony conviction is against the Nebraska constitution; however, it is not. In 2005, legislation was passed requiring an additional two-year waiting period before voting rights are restored. The current legislation, LB75, simply permits these Nebraskans to engage in the process after completing all the terms of their sentence, without the additional two-year waiting period. Why does our governor believe it is acceptable to withhold the citizenship rights of any free American? Dont we want to give these individuals opportunities to be full, productive citizens? I encourage our state legislators to put their differences aside and come together to override the governors veto. Voter disenfranchisement and second-class citizenship need to become footnotes in our nations history books. Brad Stephan, Kearney Listening to retired ABC journalist Sam Donaldson talk about his 52 years in Washington, D.C., reminded me of life in Nebraska. You have to learn how to work the Washington system like you learn to ride a bull, Donaldson said. I recalled the July 4 rodeos in Sumner, and I understood. Just like novice bull-riders, new presidents stumble, but they quickly figure it out, Donaldson said. Most presidents realize that this is Washington. If they think they can have it all their way, its gridlock. Ah. This speech was like a rodeo, too, as if Donaldson was up there swinging a lariat over Trump, hoping to lasso the truth. Donaldson looked far younger than 83 as he relaxed at the podium at the La Posta de Mesilla, a restaurant in historic Mesilla, N.M., last week. Above his bushy eyebrows, his black hair was sprinkled with gray. He spoke without a note for 45 minutes. For him, this was as much fun as a bull ride. Whether you like Donald Trump or despise him, he said, Americans who are unhappy with their elected government have the power to change it. Public opinion drives this country, he said. Donaldson grew up in southern New Mexico on a farm his grandfather purchased in 1910, two years before statehood. After college and military service, he worked six years for a Washington, D.C., TV station. He joined ABC in 1967. Donaldson had a front-row seat to the splashiest stories of the last half-century: Vietnam War, Watergate scandal, civil rights, Medicare, Bill Clintons tryst with Monica Lewinsky, Iraq War and more. For the first few years in Washington, I was enraptured, he said. Elected representatives cared about government. They wanted to move the country forward. They believed in compromise. Government worked. Every president enters the White House ill-prepared but learns quickly that he must work with Congress to move the country forward. For example, both parties knew they had to pass the Civil Rights Act because it was clear that American life hung in the balance. Medicare was a must-do, too. In 1996, Clinton and the Republicans agreed on a budget that resulted in a government surplus for four years. Now the President thinks he can get everything he wants, Donaldson said. Donaldson leaned on the podium and recalled his 14-minute televised tussle with Trump in 1997 when Trump was teetering on bankruptcy. He called me ignorant and rude, and said I was out to get him, Donaldson chuckled. In that same interview, Trump said he was reading Hitlers Mein Kampf. Within 16 months, Trump lost nearly everything. Hed have been out of business and faded into oblivion except a friend bailed him out. Then Donaldson turned serious. Every president lies, he said, citing Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, Carter and the Lyndon Johnson administrations erroneous body counts from Vietnam. But Trump says things that are simply not true. Ive never seen anything like this. The debate goes on: Should we call Trump a liar? Trump calls the media the enemy of the people because he knows that facts could be his undoing, Donaldson said. He urged journalists to use facts to refute rumors and stories on fake news sites and Twitter. If we hear things that are not true, its our job to correct them. By bringing forth the facts, you expose him. He is afraid of you. Dont be afraid of him. He added, Ronald Reagan said to trust everyone, but cut the cards. It appears that the Nebraska Legislature has begun the dangerous slide down the slippery slope of becoming like Kansas, thanks to the efforts of Gov. Deep Pockets and his Gang of 29 cheered on by Americans for Prosperity. Gov. Pete Ricketts has been touting LB461 as the 2017 Nebraska Taxpayer Reform Act. Tax reform is a key component to Grow Nebraska, Ricketts said even before debate began on the floor of the Legislature. Some ag producers and the state Chamber of Commerce and a handful of business groups have also spoken in support of the bill and its promise to deliver tax relief to Nebraskans. While Ricketts was handing accolades to Revenue Committee Chairman Jim Smith of Papillion and Ag Chair Lydia Brasch of Bancroft and freshman lawmaker Steve Erdman of Bayard all three members of the Gang of 29 another group was waving the caution flags trying to stop the runaway train. You remember the Gang of 29, those lawmakers who got together last December before the session started and decided who was going to chair the committees and how they were otherwise going to run the table. Opponents have said it is irresponsible to be talking about a bill that will cut taxes for the wealthiest and raise taxes on some middle-income families at a time when the state faces a large budget shortfall that will result in cuts to services on which Nebraskans rely. Spokespersons for nonprofits, the teachers union, public employees union and at least one farm organization have joined to form an opposition group called Rebuild Nebraska. More than 20 organizations in the group said they want to rebuild Nebraskas families, communities, businesses, schools, infrastructure, and workforce though a stable, sustainable, and progressive tax system. Some state senators, who obviously fear that their opposition will be met with Ricketts-financed opposition to their re-election bids, have been silent on the issue. That tactic was used in the most recent election and has been eroding the non-partisan basis of the one house Legislature. LB461 is a complicated bill that would change the way agricultural land is valued to an income-based approach and change income tax rates and personal exemption amounts and use economic growth projection rates to trigger income tax cuts. Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said since actual revenues often fall short of projections, a tax cut in a down year could put the state in a budget bind. She said the bill just isnt responsible fiscal management. Her Lincoln colleague, Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, said the plan as presented would grant sizable tax breaks to wealthy Nebraskans while leaving only a crumb for low-income people. Rural senators have remained split on the issue. Some have spoken highly of the plans to revamp ag land values while others say the proposal does too much for income tax cuts and not enough for property taxes. Rebuild Nebraska member Anne Hindery, CEO of the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands, said the tax system should protect middle-class and low-income families while making sure we have a stable revenue source for our state. She said the proposed tax plan would place a greater burden on families who are already struggling, potentially creating a greater demand for direct services from nonprofits. Nebraska State Education Association spokeswoman Karen Kilgarin said the state is already 49th in the nation in the proportion of state aid for K-12 education. The proposed massive tax cut would make it nearly impossible for the state to provide adequate and necessary funding for K-12 as well as higher education, she said, adding that school districts would likely see drastic cuts in state aid. Ricketts said tax reform is a key component to Grow Nebraska with lower taxes for families and to grow the economy. He maintained that the 2017 Nebraska Taxpayer Reform Act will do that. Count me among the skeptical. Tax reform is decades overdue. But tax reform in a time of revenue shortfall is biting the hand that feeds you. Remember, the state gets its money from taxes. Cut the taxes and you get less money. Simple, right? J.L. Schmidt, a registered Independent, is the Nebraska Press Associations statehouse correspondent. Armed groups in Central African Republic have killed at least 45 civilians in apparent reprisal strikes over the past three months, Reuters reported citing report of Human Rights Watch (HRW). The violence pitted armed groups against one another in the central province of Ouaka, which is at the border of the mainly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south of the country. "As factions vie for power in the Central African Republic, civilians on all sides are exposed to their deadly attacks," said Lewis Mudge, Africa researcher at the U.S-based human rights watchdog. Central African Republic has seen violence since 2013, when a mainly Muslim rebel coalition called the Seleka ousted President Francois Bozize and went on looting and killing raids, prompting Christians to form self-defence militias. The Seleka and other groups have since splintered, prompting further violence even as the country held a democratic election won by President Faustin-Archange Touadera who was sworn in in March 2016. One witness to the recent attacks, identified only as Clement, said advancing fighters from the Fulani Union for Peace in Central Africa (UP) shot four of his children dead including a seven-month-old baby during an attack in March. Killings by the rival Popular Front for the Renaissance of Central African Republic (FPC) were also reported. HRW based its tally on interviews with residents in the town of Bambari in April. It said the overall figure was likely higher since dozens of people are still missing. The United Nations which has a 13,000 safe-keeping mission in the former French colony has sought to disperse fighters with air strikes in Ouaka as they advanced on the town of Bambari. The United States has imposed sanctions on militia leaders. Still, the violence persists. Medical charity MSF said last month it is the worst seen in a years-long conflict and reported mutilations and summary executions. Trudy Thompson, chairwoman of the Chignecto Central Regional School Board stands on the highway in Maitland, N.S. on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Rural classrooms across Atlantic Canada have been gutted by a demographic squeeze of low birth rates, youth outmigration and an aging population, leaving schools with an oversupply of space and shortage of kids. Thompson observes that as the seniors population grows there are less children to attend school, leading to closures across the region. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3 Trend: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the results of negotiations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be seen in a few days, RIA Novosti reports. Today, we held consultations on economic, trade, and other issues. On March 10, we held the sixth meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council in Moscow. During our meeting today, we again reviewed our decisions and economic steps, said Erdogan at a press conference following the meeting with Putin in Sochi. He noted that the two sides demonstrate strong will for strengthening of relations between Russia and Turkey. Our economic teams often meet in Moscow and Ankara. They are making great efforts to remove obstacles hindering the development of trade and economic relations. I believe that in the coming days we will see the results of this work, said Erdogan, adding that projects of the Turkish Stream and Akkuyu nuclear power plant are being implemented in line with schedule. He also said that Turkey and Russia are jointly fighting against terrorism. At the end of the meeting with Putin, Erdogan invited his Russian counterpart to the Summit of Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), to be held in Istanbul in May. Recruitment by the PKK terror organization in the past four months has decreased by 90 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry on Wednesday. In a statement on its Twitter account, the ministry shared the number of the terrorists who joined the PKK, or surrendered to security forces during the first four months of 2017, Anadolu reported. "415 people joined the PKK in the first four months of last year, but this number fell by 90 percent in the same period of 2017, going down to 41," the ministry said. A total of 229 terrorists surrendered to Turkish security forces over the same period, the ministry added. The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children. According to the military, almost 10,000 terrorists have been neutralized in air and land operations since July 23, 2015. More than 7,000 of these terrorists were killed while the rest were wounded, captured or surrendered. The importance of voting cannot be understated On Tuesday, Nov. 8, voters will head to the polls to choose who will serve as governor, lieutenant governor, state comptroller, attorney general, state Assembly... Spindle Items ..CRASH DETECTION The much-touted crash detection feature of the new iPhone 14 automatically dials 911 if it calculates that the vehicle has been in... Out of the Past 25 Years AgoNov. 5, 1997 The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Board of Education began the planning stages of hiring a new superintendent Monday. Dr. Donald Ogilvie... Community engagement through ThoughtExchange The Sweet Home Central School District is in the early stages of building and implementing a new strategic plan designed to ensure relevancy in our... Nepal Quake 2015 (Photo : Getty Images) On Sunday, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) began the reconstruction of a public school damaged by Nepal quake in 2015. Advertisement Chinese representatives, local officials, students and their parents attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Mahendra Adarsha Vidyashram public school. The event was held in Lalitpur District. The reconstruction of the school is funded by former CFPA executive vice president He Daofeng and his wife Angela. The facility is will be giving nearly 1,000 students a safe place to study. This school is for common people and families. It can provide the opportunity of quality education and vocational training to needy. I always want to help the people who need it the most, He told Xinhua. The Mahendra Adarsha Vidyashram was founded in 1958. It is a renowned public secondary school in the valley. One of the two buildings destroyed by the earthquake in 2015 is being rebuilt through Chinese aid, while the other will be reconstructed under the school management committee. The reconstruction project for the new two-storey facility is scheduled to be finished in one years time. Students also received bags and stationery materials from the Chinese delegates. The school officials expressed gratitude to the Chinese NGO for supporting the education sector of the quake-stricken country, adding that such help will boost people-to-people ties. We are very happy to get this support. We were in dire need of school building and the support came from people of our neighboring country, so we are very thankful to them, said Pampha Bhusal, chairman of the school committee. Furthermore, the CFPA also turned over a computer lab by the South South Education Foundation. The lab will facilitate increasing the students access to information and advanced education. Following the devastating earthquake in 2015, the CFPA has been concentrating on Nepals education and health sectors. The foundation is spending 2.7 million yuan ($390,000) for the rebuilding of two school facilities located in Kathmandu Valley. The CFPA has performed more than 15 projects in different sectors including disaster relief, food, water and sanitation, disinfection treatment, health care and materials distribution, helping the communities devastated by the Nepal quake. Nepal Banking Industry (Photo : Getty Images) According to a senior official of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Nepal is welcoming the presence of branches of Chinese banks in the country irrespective of their size in China, as long as they meet the criteria set by the central bank. Advertisement High-ranking officials of the central bank had a recent discussion on whether or not the country will allow smaller Chinese financial institutions to open branches. On Sunday, the officials have announced their decision as reported by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. We reached a conclusion that the presence of Chinese banks has been necessary in the country and we should welcome branches of Chinese banks irrespective of their size in China, the deputy governor of the NRB Chintamani Siwakoti said. According to Siwakoti, the Nepalese central bank is still to accept any official proposal from any Chinese bank notwithstanding the tighter regulations from the Chinese side. Foreign banks and financial institutions can come into the banking sector of Nepal in two ways: through a partnership with Nepalese investors under a joint venture deal or through opening their own exclusive branches. The Nepalese law permits foreign banks and financial institutions to have a maximum of 80 percent of stake in joint venture banks. The law also permits joint venture banks to offer all types of banking services in the country. However, foreign banks that opt to open their exclusive branches in the country are obliged to allocate a minimum capital of $20 million. These banks also have a limited scope of banking services to offer as the law prohibits them from retail banking. Once the Chinese banks' branches are opened in Nepal, the transactions of goods in Chinese yuan will rise and it will also save cost of carrying U.S. dollar to China for Nepalese traders, Nepal Trans-Himalaya Border Commerce Association President Bishnu Bahadur Khatri. The association is engaged in trade with China. Nepal becomes a potential market to Chinese banks as the NRB welcomes their presence in the country. 23 Shares Share As New Jersey Governor Chris Christie takes the lead in crafting the Trump administrations response to the opioid crisis, he and his colleagues need to understand that we cant fix the problem until we kick our long-term addiction to the war on drugs and accept overdoses for what they are: a health issue. Although the majority of Americans who consume illicit drugs do so without addiction, opioid overdose has become a deadly reality. Every day, 120 to 140 people in the U.S. die from drug overdoses, more than from gunshot wounds or car accidents. About 90 of these are due to opioids. A growing number of Americans believe that drug misuse is a health problem. Yet we continue to rely on law enforcement and the criminal justice system to deal with it, despite resounding evidence that punishment does not stop people from misusing drugs. Hefty penalties for the possession or sale of drugs have been on the books for decades. They have done little to reduce the use of illicit substances, but have instead led to out-of-control incarceration, deprived communities, and wasted public resources. Expecting the criminal justice system to solve a health crisis does more harm than good. For example, many jurisdictions are still reluctant to distribute naloxone a lifesaving antidote to opioid overdose to drug users and their families and friends. Instead, they limit its distribution to police officers and first responders. Police who carry naloxone can save lives, even though basic emergency medical technicians along with family members and friends of people who use drugs are more likely to be present and able to respond immediately to an overdose. Treating law enforcement as the primary responder to overdoses encourages punitive responses, like charging overdose survivors and bystanders with drug possession and other offenses. One town in Ohio has even started penalizing survivors with a misdemeanor charge of inciting panic punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine after saving them with naloxone. These penalties discourage people from calling for help when someone around them is overdosing and will likely cause more deaths than they prevent. The widespread adoption of drug courts praised by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as a way to strengthen public health and build stronger, safer communities is a similarly flawed solution. While some people have found help through drug courts, many of them rely on judges, not doctors, to make decisions about treatment. Drug courts often require total abstinence as a one-size-fits-all solution, sometimes ordering people off of medications like methadone or buprenorphine that are helping them reduce their reliance on heroin. Drug courts can also push people into the treatment system who arent dependent on drugs. People for whom drug-court-ordered treatments dont work are then punished and pushed back into the criminal justice system, often with harsher prison sentences than they would have received in the first place. Theres a better way. Its called harm reduction. This approach focuses on reducing the negative effects of drug use rather than on punishing people who use drugs in an often-futile attempt to make them stop. Harm reduction options like supervised injection facilities or drug consumption rooms have successfully prevented fatal overdoses and connected people to treatment in cities such as Vancouver, Sydney, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Zurich; there are 74 official drug consumption facilities in Europe alone. Expecting the criminal justice system to solve a health crisis does more harm than good. Through its Open Arms program, Sao Paulo successfully provides housing, job training, drug treatment, and social services to people who use drugs without demanding abstinence. Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark all permit doctors to legally prescribe medical heroin to longtime users who have failed other treatments. These are just a few examples of countless projects around the world that provide holistic harm reduction services. Law enforcement can play an important role in harm reduction. In fact, police can respond more effectively when they put health first. In Seattle, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program lets police officers divert users and low-level dealers to harm reduction services instead of sending them to court and jail. That approach is catching on in cities across the country, including Santa Fe, N.M.; Albany, N.Y.; Baltimore; and Atlanta. University of Washington researchers found that LEAD in Seattle decreased recidivism by nearly 60 percent, and saved millions of dollars. LEAD participants were also significantly more likely to obtain housing, employment, and legitimate income. In Vancouver, Canada, police have urged drug users to use the citys supervised injection facility, Insite, to prevent overdoses. In countries as diverse as Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, and Moldova, police have developed operational guidelines to respect the human rights of people who use drugs and advance public health goals like HIV prevention. If we are serious about preventing overdoses and reducing the harm associated with substance misuse in the U.S., similar programs should be created here. We need solutions that meet people where they are, treat them as human beings, and provide evidence-based services to help them make necessary changes to lead healthier and safer lives. That means providing tools and services directly to drug users and their families and friends, and supporting frontline responses by health and social service providers. We need harm reduction options based on evidence, public health, and a respect for human rights. Above all, we need to kick our harmful and ineffective addiction to punishment so police, health providers, and people who use drugs can work together to save and transform lives. Marc Krupanski is a program officer, Public Health Program of the Open Society Foundations. This article originally appeared in STAT News. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 83 Shares Share Congress has returned to DC in the wake of the defeat of Paul Ryans American Health Care Act. And while shouting repeal and replace might win elections, this debacle proves that the American people will not tolerate their families, friends, and neighbors losing healthcare coverage just so rich people can get tax cuts. Yet, Congress will certainly revisit health reform again. With the Republican caucus fractured, Paul Ryan should seek out the help of moderate Democrats to fix parts of the Affordable Care Act that would still achieve conservative policy goals. Moderate Republicans and Democrats might find agreement in four key policy areas. 1. Reducing the burden of taxes and mandates. Republicans remain intent on repealing the ACAs taxes and mandates. First and foremost, the individual mandate is untouchable. Its existence has a strong policy purpose, and Democrats will never give it up. But the employer mandate is up for negotiation. Research demonstrates that the employer mandate if repealed, would not result in significant coverage losses. On the contrary, more people might gain jobs, outweighing those who would have lost coverage. The math makes sense. The employer mandate should go. Some other taxes that could easily be scrapped and have even received bipartisan support in the past include taxes on medical devices, the pharmaceutical industry, and health insurers. The costs of these taxes are merely passed onto consumers. Getting rid of them would provide relief to the people who actually face their costs, patients in our health care system. 2. Bridging the Medicaid gap. Nearly 3 million Americans make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to purchase subsidized coverage from HealthCare.Gov. Since many politicians deride Medicaid in states like Texas, Florida, and Georgia, there is a better way to provide healthcare coverage to the poor. Congress should bypass recalcitrant state legislatures and governors and fund direct support for the poor to buy health insurance through the ACAs Marketplaces. An idea that has been floating around would allow people caught in this so-called Medicaid Gap to do exactly that skip traditional state Medicaid plans in exchange for private coverage through HealthCare.Gov. Congress should change the law to allow Americans in states not expanding Medicaid to enter the ACA Marketplaces instead. For Republicans, it would remove government from the day-to-day delivery of health care; for Democrats, it would ensure that coverage could be expanded regardless of the politics in 19 states yet to expand Medicaid. 3. Fixing the family glitch. Some workers get an offer of insurance that is affordable for individual coverage alone, but family coverage is too costly. Unfortunately, the ACA locks these families out of using federal subsidies to buy insurance. This is termed the family glitch. By altering the calculus determining affordability of family coverage, significant relief can be obtained for nearly 6 million people. Although fixing the family glitch would not dramatically increase total numbers of people covered, allowing employees with unaffordable offers of family health insurance the ability to access Marketplace subsidies would be equivalent of providing over $1,000 of tax relief to millions of working American families. 4. Cutting costs with catastrophic coverage. Lastly, the cost of coverage must decrease. One way to improve on the cost is to open up the ACAs catastrophic coverage option to all Americans, not just those who are under 30. The Trump Administration could immediately make this a reality for Americans simply by issuing hardship exemptions. Congress should then pass legislation increasing the maximum annual contribution limits for health savings accounts up to the level of the out-of-pocket maximum limit of $7,150 for catastrophic plans. This is crucial because current HSA contribution limits are less than half of this amount. By offering lower cost options, Congress could expand coverage and stabilize the ACAs marketplaces. Now is the time that Republicans admit that the ACA isnt a disaster. Their failure to improve upon it, however, would be. Cedric Dark is founder and executive editor, Policy Prescriptions. Image credit: Shutterstock.com A teen found guilty of causing an accident which took the life of one person is facing eight years in prison. Webb County Attorney Marco Montemayor spoke with the press on the rise in cases involving teens being used by criminal organizations for either human or drug trafficking. Montemayor says he wants this case to send a message to teens engaging in this type of criminal activity: "And that they're being used, they're being used and exploited to commit these serious crimes of trafficking humans or trafficking drugs, and they need to understand that there are serious consequences for their actions. And that's the message that we want to send, and we hope that this case sends that message. Unfortunately, in this case, it resulted in the death of an individual and serious injuries to many others. That's what we want to avoid." Montemayor says he hopes this sentencing will give the teen the opportunity to be rehabilitated and have an opportunity to continue his life and one day succeed. Congressman Henry Cuellar has announced he has been successful in including language in the Omnibus Appropriations Act. This will allow the hiring of at least ten additional immigration judges, along with many other border security measures. The House of Representatives will be voting on the legislation this week, which would find the government for the rest of the 2017 fiscal year. In a statement, Cuellar says: "Increasing the number of judges to process immigration cases is a common sense solution that should appeal to everyone, no matter how you feel about immigration policy." Cuellar adds processing these cases quickly is a good thing for the United States and the individual. Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar says a Warrants Roundup has yielded 17 arrests in conjunction with Operation Gotcha. This operation began last January, and was set up to apprehend fugitives in Webb County who have been evading authorities. The criminal offenses ranged from felony theft, burglary, aggravated assault and possession of a controlled substance - along with other charges. To date, 83 warrants have been executed by the Sheriff's Department. Operation Gotcha was led by the Warrants Division and assisted by the department's SWAT Team. Sheriff Cuellar says he is ready to bring justice to the victims of these crimes. IIFA Awards 2016 - Awards (Photo : Getty Images/IIFA Pool) A Bollywood movie starring Salman Khan would soon premiere in China. Bollywood producers have apparently learned the trick from Hollywood studios to get a Chinese actor in the cast for the movie to have higher chances of box-office success in the worlds second-largest movie market. Attracting Chinese Audience Advertisement Daly News & Analysis reported that to appear in Tubelight is Chinese actress Zhu Zhu. But the Bollywood studio is not relying on Zhu Zhu being the only draw to Chinese moviegoers. Salman Khan Films would promote the war drama movie with the lead actor touring key Chinese cities. China is a huge market. The number of theatres in the country are staggering. Plus, Tubelight does have a Chinese connection, including its leading lady. We are looking at the various possibilities of how to give the film a big release in China, Kabir Khan, director of the movie, said. Days before the release of the movie in India, the producer released two new posters. One poster showed actors Salman Khan and Sohal Khan in a brotherly moment. The two are on top of a bus traveling between Manali and Ladakh. The poster and location are hints about the movies plot, according to India Times. The fllm's backdrop is the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The other poster, released on Monday, showed Matin Rey Tangu, a child actor. Competition with Pakistani Movies However, Hindustan Times reported that Tubelight might not be shown in Pakistan on Eid. It is because some local moviemakers initiated a move to delay the films release. Together with the Film Distributors Association and the Film Producers Association, the movie producers seek better business for Pakistani movies to be shown during the Eid holidays, Hindustan Times reported. If Tubelight would be shown during that period, it would compete with two big local movies, Yalghaar and Shor Sharaba. The Bollywood film would hit the business of the two local movies and it would not help the industry, Mustafa Qureshi, a Pakistani actor, said. By Jonathan Stempel May 3 (Reuters) - As the United States adapts to the presidency of Donald Trump and faces rising tensions abroad, Berkshire Hathaway Inc shareholders will descend on Omaha, Nebraska this weekend seeking reassurance, from Warren Buffett. The weekend known as "Woodstock for Capitalists" is unique in corporate America, a celebration of the billionaire's image and success at a conglomerate whose businesses range from Geico insurance to the BNSF railroad to See's candies to Ginsu knives. Buffett, 86, and vice chairman Charlie Munger, 93, will answer five hours of questions at Saturday's annual meeting. Many say it reinforces their views about investing and Berkshire, even if it remains unclear how much new they learn. "Watching someone like (Buffett) with strong command on details of the economy and Berkshire's operations is very impressive," said Meyer Shields, a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst who rates Berkshire "market perform." "But you're not going to learn a lot about Berkshire Hathaway the company." Last year's attendance fell to about 37,000 from more than 40,000 a year earlier. But there were also 1.1 million real-time sign-ons to Yahoo Finance, which webcast the meeting for the first time. It will do so again, in English and Mandarin. LARGE, LARGE ORGANIZATION Much of Berkshire's relative outperformance came decades ago when it was much smaller, and even Buffett has called the company's huge size an "anchor on investment performance." Buffett has said Berkshire owns 10 businesses big enough to make the Fortune 500 list of large U.S. companies on their own. But details can be thin. For example, aircraft parts maker Precision Castparts, acquired last year for $32.1 billion, merited about a page in Berkshire's annual report. Precision's final annual report, in 2015, ran 87 pages. "It's a large, large organization," said Jeffrey Stacey, founder of Stacey Muirhead Capital Management in Waterloo, Ontario, who is attending his 26th straight meeting. "I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because the track record has been so good for so long." Buffett said in February that boosting disclosure could put many Berkshire businesses at a disadvantage, and that "it's the growth of the Berkshire forest that counts." He also knows the perils of conglomerates, saying in 2015 that dubious accounting, self-promotion and mediocre businesses make them "richly deserve" their "terrible" reputation. Buffett says Berkshire is different, in part because he took Munger's advice to buy wonderful businesses at fair prices. Shareholders enjoy that focus less than they once did. Berkshire's share price has slightly lagged the Standard & Poor's 500 including dividends during the eight-year bull market, but has outperformed since the global financial crisis mushroomed in September 2008. Shields, who is not attending Saturday's meeting, wants Buffett to reveal more, even if shareholders can "safely assume" his eventual successor as chief executive is top-flight. ISSUES APLENTY While Buffett and Munger do not know in advance the questions they will get from shareholders, journalists and analysts at Saturday's meeting, they can anticipate many. Buffett may need to review Berkshire's support of Wells Fargo & Co , in which it holds a roughly 10 percent stake, despite a sales scandal over bogus customer accounts. He may also get questions about his support for 3G Capital, a Brazilian firm known for ruthless cost-cutting. Berkshire controls Kraft Heinz Co with 3G, and recently tried to help 3G buy Unilever NV for $143 billion. Trump is sure to come up. Buffett did not support his election but Berkshire's book value could swell by $36 billion with his proposed corporate tax cuts, Barclays Capital said. Buffett may also get questions about his surprise bets on Apple Inc and the four biggest U.S. airlines. Having gone over a year since a big acquisition, Buffett may be asked how he can better deploy the $86.4 billion of cash, equivalents and Treasury bills that Berkshire recently held. Succession may also come up. Indeed, Buffett has already delegated work to lieutenants like Ajit Jain, Gregory Abel, Tracy Britt Cool and Todd Combs that he once would do himself. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jennifer Ablan and Lisa Shumaker) By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST, May 3 (Reuters) - The Czech crown regained ground on Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka announced that he would resign along with his government, while other currencies in the region were also steady or slightly firmer. With investors cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, which could give clues regarding rate hikes, stock markets mostly dropped. Budapest led losses, easing 0.7 percent by 0914 GMT. Sunday's second round of the French presidential election added to global risks. After easing a little on Tuesday after Sobotka said his government would resign by mid-May following a row with finance minister Andrej Babis over Babis's past business dealings, the Czech crown firmed 0.15 percent on Wednesday to 26.868 per euro. "EURCZK attempted to go slightly weaker at first (yesterday) but quickly reverted ... back to previous levels, and we do not expect any more major reaction as the story is hardly likely to change the economic path of the country," Komercni Banka trader Dalimil Vyskovsky said. Hungary's forint was flat. Polish markets are closed on Wednesday. Sobotka has said he will seek a meeting with President Milos Zeman to agree timing for the resignation and further steps. He said the coalition could be recreated without Babis, or that an election due in October could be moved forward. Despite the political wobbles, the crown is seen gaining more than 4 percent against the euro in the coming year, lifted by strong economic growth and likely monetary tightening, a Reuters poll published on Wednesday showed. After the Czech central bank's removal a month ago of the cap which had kept the currency weaker than 27 against the euro since 2013, the crown could outperform regional peers, the poll suggested. Czech bonds have meanwhile been supported by their inclusion in JP Morgan's emerging markets index, which means index-tracking investors will need to buy them for their portfolios. Central Europe's economies outperformed western European economies last year and growth is seen strong this year as well, helped by a solid inflow of European Union development funds and loose monetary policies by local central banks. CEE SNAPS AT 1115 MARKETS HOT CET CURRENCIES Lates Previ Daily Chang t ous e bid close chang in e 2017 Czech crown 26.86 26.90 +0.1 0.52% 80 90 5% Hungary 312.2 312.1 -0.01 -1.08 forint 000 800 % % Polish 4.202 4.205 +0.0 4.79% zloty 5 0 6% Romanian 4.550 4.549 -0.01 -0.33 leu 0 4 % % Croatian 7.447 7.455 +0.1 1.44% kuna 5 5 1% Serbian 123.0 123.1 +0.0 0.24% dinar 500 200 6% Note: daily calculate previ close 1800 change d from ous at CET STOCK S Lates Previ Daily Chang t ous e close chang in e 2017 Prague 997.2 1001. -0.48 +8.2 2 98 % 0% Budapest 32680 32902 -0.68 +2.1 .00 .62 % 2% Bucharest 8239. 8220. +0.2 +16. 02 10 3% 29% Ljubljana 778.3 782.3 -0.50 +8.4 8 2 % 7% Zagreb 1894. 1902. -0.43 -5.04 38 57 % % Belgrade <.BELEX15 720.8 720.6 +0.0 +0.4 > 5 4 3% 9% Sofia 666.1 660.5 +0.8 +13. 3 3 5% 59% BONDS Yield Yield Sprea Daily d (bid) chang vs chang e Bund e in Czech sprea Republic d 2-year 1 9 bps s 5-year 4 bps 10-year bps s FORWARD RATE AGREEMENT 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M inter bank Czech Rep < 0.33 0.39 0.5 0 PRIBOR=> Hungary < 0.25 0.33 0.45 0.16 BUBOR=> Note: FRA are for quotes ask prices ************************************************** ************ (Additional reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Catherine Evans) News.com.au reports on what would happen if the Kim regime in North Korea ended: The first consequence would be that the Kims and all those connected with the ruling Workers Party of Korea would have to flee compatriots angry at years of human rights violations and public executions. How terrible. So what will Kim Jong-uns people do without their supreme leader? With a lack of money, food and shelter if the regime collapses, they too may seek refuge in China, Russia and South Korea, but those countries will not necessarily be open to an influx of North Korean refugees. Well for a start theyll be free. They are basically slaves at the moment. The most likely conclusion would be the reunification of Korea, according to Dr Petrov, but this may mean deep economic and social problems. The South Korean economy is reaching crisis, he said. It needs to urgently access cheap resource and labour. South Korea might use the opportunity to exploit North Koreans who have less education or experience in enterprise. Oh God. The author says North Koreans might be exploited in a unified Korea. Ignoring they are slaves with no rights at the moment. I can only imagine a similar article in the late 80s about how awful reunification of Germany would have been for the East Germans. Is there a single German alive who wants to live in old East Germany as it was under communist rule? I doubt it. Likewise once the Kim regime dies, there will not be a single North Korean wanting to live in what is a slave regime. It will take at least a decade before the level of prosperity will be equalised between North and South. During that 10 years, the reunification going to be very expensive, $3 trillion or more. Theres going to be definite social tension between South Koreans and North Koreans. As there is between former East and West Germans to some degree. But that doesnt mean their lives wont still be infinitely better off than under the Kim regime. And the cost of reunification will be worth every cent for the families who have been divided. Overall a pretty appalling article that only looks at the negatives of reunification and none of the massive positives. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Chinese President Xi Jinping agree to forge ahead with the CPEC. (Photo : Getty Images) The Chinese government is now trying to end the dispute over Kashmir because China wants to proceed with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Chinese state media said that there is a total of $50 million worth of investments that is going to be produced by the initiative. The mediation between India and Pakistan was compared to the efforts done to resolve the conflict between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Advertisement An article from the Global Times wrote, "China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, but that doesn't mean Beijing can turn a deaf ear to the demands of Chinese enterprises in protecting their overseas investments." The article said that China is finding it difficult to deal with other superpowers in Asia. The treatment in India is different because China's economic influence in the sub-continent is less than other smaller Asian countries. The state publication wrote, "For instance, while China has the capability to resolve conflicts through mediation given its increased economic influence, the nation needs to be very prudent in dealing with other big powers, India included, in the region." It also said that mediating between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue would perhaps be one of the toughest challenges facing China in dealing with regional affairs to safeguard its overseas interests. However, Zhang Yunling from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences believes that China should just stop the CPEC if China fails to achieve peace in the region. He said, "Any transnational projects involve concerns of different countries. We need to coordinate that to strike a balance to be acceptable to all parties. If we can't reach that balance, maybe we can stop it for some time." The expert believes that stopping the CPEC is an alternative, especially if a resolution to a conflict is too hard to achieve. Thai protesters slam China's plan to blast the Mekong River. (Photo : Twitter) Thai protesters are asserting that China should not pursue its plans to dynamite the Mekong River. The Thai environmentalists claim that blasting the Pi Long rapids will only benefit China. China wants to blast the half-submerged rocks because they block the passage of bigger cargo ships. Advertisement The environmentalists claim that China's move will not be beneficial to Thailand and Laos. "This will be the death of the Mekong. You'll never be able to revive it," said Niwat Roykaew, chairman of the Rak Chiang Khong Conservation Group. The conservationists argue that blasting the rocks will destroy fish sanctuaries, disrupt bird migration and flood the riverside farmland. The wave of protests poses a challenge to the One Belt, One Road Initiative, which intends to make a trade link between Asia and Europe. China had already blasted portions of the river that are near Laos a few years ago as part of the Silk Road initiative. A subsidiary of the China Communications Construction Corporation, Second Harbour Consultants, is conducting a survey of the Mekong to determine if China should proceed with the blasting. The company also held public consultations "to communicate, build confidence and clear doubts." The Mekong River is a major source of livelihood for 60 million rural poor people. The delta is a major source of fish as well as irrigation for riverside rice plantations. Many dams have been constructed by China along the river and these structures have affected the water flow and caused drought. Protesters said that China is not to be trusted. Meanwhile, the Chinese survey company fears that their ground personnel will be attacked by the locals due to the dispute. One of the Chinese engineers, who wanted to remain anonymous, said, "We are afraid for our team's safety." He added, "We want to do this project well and benefit Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China, these four countries. This is not just for China." Yili - China's Top Dairy Company (Photo : Getty Images) Chinas top dairy Yili is dropping its plan to purchase a controlling stake of Shengmu. The decision came after the two failed to obtain the regulatory approval. Advertisement Upon the resumption of trade on Friday, the Shanghai-listed shares of Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. went down by 3.7 percent following the announcement. Hong Kong-listed shares of China Shengmu Organic Milk Ltd. had an even sharper decline of 16.4 percent when trade resumed. The companies said that they made the decision to drop Yilis plan to purchase 37 percent shares of Shengmu after the April 21 deadline they have set for closing the deal went by without the Chinese anti-monopoly regulators approval. Without the regulatory approval, the pair will not be granted another crucial approval from the countrys foreign exchange regulator to pay for Hong Kong dollar-traded Shengmus shares. In view of the above-mentioned status of the conditions,... the parties mutually agreed on April 25, 2017, that no agreements would be entered into for such extension of the earlier deadline, according to the official statement of Shengmu to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Friday. In October, Chinas top dairy Yili, together with its rival Mengniu, first revealed its plan to purchase Shengnu stake for HK $2.25 ($0.29) per Shengmu share, in an HK $5.29 billion deal. Yili also said at the time that it planned to increase up to 9 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) in a private placement which includes the 4.6 billion yuan for the payment for the Shengmu stake. Subsequent to the cancellation of the agreement, Yili said it will also cancel the plan on the private placement. According to Euromonitor, Chinas dairy market is dominated by Yili with around 22 percent market share, followed by China Mengniu Dairy Co. with about 17 percent share. Shengmus share is a lot smaller at around 0.7 percent share. The local brands are exerting effort to repair their images at home after the melamine scandal that came out almost a decade ago. Many Chinese infant formula brands were found to contain the industrial chemical. The incident gave foreign brands a boost, granting them control over a big share of the infant formula market. After failing to get the regulatory approval and dropping the deal with Shengmu, China's top dairy Yili will have to make other plans to further dominate the market. A television report about North Korea's missile launch is broadcast at the Seoul Railway Station on April 1, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo : Getty Images) One of China's top diplomats has urged for further talks between North Korea and the United States to prevent the Korean Peninsula from turning into a nuclear "dark forest." "Only through dialogue can mutual security be achieved . . . [and] may help wrestle the Korean Peninsula out of its current vicious cycle and prevent North-east Asia from turning into a Dark Forest," Fu Ying, the former Chinese ambassador to Australia, wrote in an essay published by the U.S. Brookings Insititute on Sunday. Advertisement "The Dark Forest" is a science fiction novel by Chinese writer Liu Cixin wherein former world leader, famous for repelling a U.S. invasion, builds an atomic bomb to destroy the earth. The 20,000-word essay described the Obama administration's "main goal" of imposing financial sanctions against North Korea as potentially unrealistic, as Kim Jong-un's rise to power has brought stability to the reclusive nation. She also wrote that North Korea won't give up its nuclear ambitions to avoid sanctions because the regime began testing nuclear missiles after the sanctions were put in place. Yu's comments come as Beijing attempts to pressure the White House to agree to its proposal for the use to halt its joint military drills with South Korea in exchange for Pyongyang to freeze its nuclear weapons program. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would be "honored" to meet Kim Jong-un "under the right circumstances." A White House spokesperson later clarified that the U.S. would first need to see changes in North Korea's behavior before a visit can push through. Asked to respond to Trump's comment about possibly meeting Kim, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry said China encouraged peace talks. "The U.S. and the DPRK [North Korea] as the direct parties in the nuclear issue should take credible efforts at an early date . . . for the resumption of peace talks," he said. Fu, who heads the foreign affairs committee of National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, has argued China has "no leverage" over North Korea without addressing its security concerns. Citing her previous work as head of the Chinese delegation during talks between the U.S. and North Korea in 2003, she highlighted the difficulty of getting the two sides together as the U.S. was clearly keeping "attack" as an option while North Korea intended to continue developing nuclear weapons as a backup plan. Despite this, Fu said the resulting six-party talks were fruitful as it stabilized the situation on the Korean Peninsula and led to several agreements. "The disruption of the talks was due to a failure to implement those agreements and the nuclear issue has escalated in the absence of talks," she wrote, adding that restarting dialogue would be much harder due to the increased level of distrust between the U.S. and North Korea. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that two U.S. B-1B strategic bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula during the weekend. The U.S. and its allies have also called for China to do more in imposing financial sanctions against its neighbor. Iowa Governor to Oversee US Issues with China, Pledges to Hit Country on Human Rights and Trade Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is the new U.S. ambassador to China. (Photo : Getty Images) The governor of Iowa was selected to be the U.S.'s ambassador to China. Governor Terry Branstad pledged to discuss issues on trade and human rights during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Branstad pledged that he will be more aggressive in dealing with China and urge the Asian superpower to convince North Korea to diffuse their nuclear weapons. Advertisement The governor also said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is an old friend and the two met in 1985 when Xi was still a local official. Xi led a delegation of Chinese officials to study the agricultural production in Iowa. "As an old friend, I'd tell him where he's falling short," Branstad said. He was asked by the senate committee about his plans on developing relations with China. The governor said that he was willing to meet with dissidents and will welcome them in the U.S. Branstad intends to visit every province in China as he did when he visited every county in Iowa. On the issue of North Korea, he said, "They are the ones who have the potential to influence the regime in North Korea more than anyone else." He added, "It is probably the most pressing issue we have right now." The politician also said that the weapons being developed by North Korea are a "threat to all humankind." According to Harry Krejsa, an Asia-Pacific Security specialist at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, the selection of Branstad for the position is appropriate because the governor is "well-versed in international economics." He said, "The governor from Iowa has his work cut out for him." "If he manages to help steer American policy away from a deadly confrontation with Pyongyang while maintaining a productive relationship with Beijing, Trump will have a powerful argument for why he does not need traditional Washington talent," Kresja added. Gov't, businesses urged to work together to fix market policies By Kim Jae-kyoung SINGAPORE South Korea used to be touted as one of the four Asian tiger economies together with Singapore, but the two countries have been walking on divergent paths since 2000. Singapore is seeking to become Asia's digital hub by housing innovation centers of multinational firms. Also, it is using robotics to innovate in key industries, such as tourism and artificial intelligence. In contrast, South Korea has fallen into a structural low growth trap struggling to find a new growth engine. Despite its technology sophistication it is lagging behind in the global race of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. What has made such a difference? Paul Evans, emeritus professor at INSEAD, one of the world's leading business schools, said education was the key, adding that Korea has failed to reform its education system in a way to support its economy and new work environments created by technology innovation. This means that South Korea is not as competitive as other countries in the quality of talent it can "grow, attract and retain" and lacks the ability to turn technological advances into job creation. "Korea may lead in technological sophistication, but that technology in the shape of algorithms, digitization, and robots are changing the work scene," he said. "All routine work is rapidly being taken over by machines not just in factories, but in the professions and government and business," he added. "Korea is the most regimented system country in the world producing factory and routine workers." According to the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) announced by INSEAD, South Korea ranked 29th among 118 countries evaluated, while Singapore was the world's second-most talent-competitive country, the only Asian country on the top 10 list. The GTCI was produced in partnership with The Adecco Group and the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore. The theme of this year's GTCI is "Talent and Technology: Shaping the Future of Work." Korea is the lowest-ranking high-income country in Asia. Despite being the top country with world-class R&D investments, the country ranked 70th in the pillar of "attract," which evaluates the competitiveness in luring valuable resources from abroad. Korea was also performing poorly at 48th and the 35th in the pillars of "retain" and "vocational and technical skill," which track the quality of life and quality of skills people have, respectively. Korea's zigzag policy In order to improve Korea's talent competitiveness, Korea should come up with long-term reform plans, and implement them in a consistent manner. "The Korean government knows the problems well but it zigzags in policies by trying to get quick fixes," Evans said, calling for a new South Korean president not to tinker with the system, as previous governments have done. In particular, Evans, the academic director and co-editor of the GTCI, said that the government needs to make society and systems more open to the broader population. "Korea also remains too closed internally and externally those who are well-off open up possibilities for their children, but those from poor and rural backgrounds are shut out," he said. "Social mobility is low, and Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of business opportunities for women who constitute half of the population," he added. "The new president must also have these challenges in mind, otherwise insecure people will be on the streets in protest." Experts said that in order to remain competitive in the rapidly-changing world, it is important for governments and business players to work together to build educational systems and labor market policies that are fit for purpose. "The fast advance of automation and artificial intelligence are the sources of the most disruptive changes of our time in the way we live and work," Alain Dehaze, Adecco Group Chief Executive Officer, said. "The transition will be rocky, so governments and businesses must act. Education system reforms are urgently needed to provide the right technical and people skills, and the ability to adapt to change," he added. One of the key messages from the 2017 GTCI report is that educational and employment policies must adapt to the transformational changes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution." "Educational systems need to produce talent with technical skills and the ability to collaborate with others from different disciplines. They need to foster a sense of personal vocation and flexibility or learning agility," it said. "Employment policies need to combine labor market flexibility with social protection and above all active labor market policies that facilitate mobility, retraining, entrepreneurship, and adjustment to market needs." Lessons from Singapore, Denmark Citing Peter Drucker's remark "the greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence it is to act with yesterday's logic," the GTCI report called for countries to develop a new model of education. "Much of our institutional structure, from educational and social security systems to employment laws, was designed for the industrial age. Organization, business, and work models have changed, and policies must adapt accordingly," it said. "Education is one of the slowest institutions to change in society. That mismatch in clock speed between education and technology is something we need to work very hard on," it added. "How to adapt to both social protection and active labour market policies to the new world of employment where many are free agents is another challenge for most nations." The report stressed that only countries willing to embrace these changes will be leading the trend and will survive as a winner in the coming decades. It suggested that Korea can take a lesson from Singapore's well-developed regulatory and market landscape for global talent to thrive and its ability to anticipate the movements of the economy. Referring to the recent report by Singapore's Committee on the Future Economy, Wong Su-yen, CEO of the Human Capital Leadership Institute, said that building strong digital capabilities is one of the key strategies that will propel Singapore's growth for the next two decades. "Digital technologies will help small and exposed economies like Singapore punch above their weight by creating the means for their businesses and talent to reach out to the global market," she said. "Countries must continue to up-skill their workforce so that they can adapt to the digitisation wave and the sweeping structural changes that are poised to shakeup traditional work arrangements." Regarding a labour market policy, Evans said that Korea should take a hint from Denmark's Flexicurity policy. Flexicurity is the term coined by the Prime Minister of Denmark Poul Nyrup Rasmussen in the 1990s. He pointed out that one of the key elements of the Danish Flexicurity approach is the universal right of access to welfare services social benefits are not tied to a particular employer. "This makes workers much more mobile. Escaping from the historic legacy of tying people to organizations, workers are free to search for new jobs if they become dissatisfied with current employers," the report said. "Thus, in Denmark most workers take the initiative to leave a job, and few become unemployed as a result of being fired. Mobility is encouraged. The proportion of job-hoppers to total employed is high primarily because people are looking for opportunities to cultivate new skills." Top-performing countries According to the GTCI report, high ranking countries share key traits, including educational systems that meet the needs of the economy, employment policies that favor flexibility, mobility and entrepreneurship, and high connectedness of stakeholders in business and government. "This year's GTCI report shows that countries in the Asia-Pacific region demonstrate strong talent readiness for technology," said Ilian Mihov, dean of INSEAD. "It also highlights the important role of education. Educational systems have to revamp to help learners foster learning agility and adjust on the fly of changing conditions." What Korea needs to pay attention to is the group of best performers in the GTCI 2017 Switzerland (1), Singapore (2), Luxembourg (7), Iceland (15) and Austria (18). The report said that many of them are landlocked, or quasi-island economies with a scarcity of raw materials but they overcame such challenges by developing socio-economic policies in which talent growth are central priorities. Larger economies in the top 20 include countries with a strong immigration tradition and a longstanding reputation in higher education the UK (3), the U.S. (4), Australia (6) and Canada (13) Four Nordic countries Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway were in the top 10. "Education in these countries doesn't standardize children. It is based on individual-based learning and difference is respected. This is absolutely the opposite of Korea," said Evans, academic director and co-editor of the GTCI. "The value there is to get rid of standardized tests." Korean Children circa 1900-1910 / Courtesy of Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff Western accounts of 19th-century Joseon often depict the lives of Korean children as bleak existences -- a constant struggle to survive. Infant mortality was extremely high and children were frequently not named until after they survived their bout with smallpox. This dreariness even extended into their play. According to Horace N. Allen (an American who lived in Korea from 1884 until 1904), Korean children "play games corresponding to the toilsome tasks of their elders. The girls play at sewing and keeping house and at the dreary washing that may soon become their lifelong toil. In imitation of their fathers the boys bear miniature play burdens suspended on poles balanced on their shoulders (and) pitch pennies and gamble as do their elders." In 1895, Yun Chi-ho, a Korean official, echoed this dreary sentiment when he wrote "one of the most emphatic signs of the low condition of life in Corea is the conspicuous absence of toys." However, things were changing. "Lately Japanese and Chinese toys, poor and few as they are on account of the Corean poverty, are seen in the stores. Also cakes, biscuits etc. So a Corean child today is better off in these matters than his seniors 10 years ago." About the same time, Christopher Thomas Gardner, a British diplomat in Seoul, also noticed change. Although Buddhists were not allowed to enter the city, Buddha's birthday was kept as a children's festival. "Early in May the streets are full of toys for the little ones and on the day itself the town is given up to children wearing bright new clothes and enjoying themselves. The sight in the big main street, with its throngs of happy children in their bright clothes, each child with its hands full of toys, accompanied by their fathers and grandfathers in snowy clean white raiment, showing in keen contrast with the somber grey tint of the nearest houses, and the dark-green of the fantastically shaped mountains in the distance, seems a glimpse of fairyland, and would have delighted the heart of Hans Andersen." One of the most popular games for boys (and men) was kite fighting. The object was to cut the string of the opponent's kite and great expense and effort was made -- including gluing ground glass to kite strings -- to ensure victory. Normally kite flying was restricted to the New Year holiday but by 1895, according to Yun, children could be "seen with kites every day in every moon." This increased freedom to fly kites whenever and wherever children wanted soon caused problems. Apparently, in 1897, a popular place for children to fly their kites was near the army barracks but these kites were prone to get tangled in the telephone wires that ran between the barracks and the War Department. The police were instructed to prevent the children from playing there any longer. The children moved to the city's streets and main intersections (especially Jongno) and subsequently obstructed traffic, not only with their kite-flying but also with games of "jegichagi" (Korean shuttlecock or hacky sack). In the following year 1898, the public was informed that these activities would no longer be tolerated in the thoroughfares of Seoul. Not all combat games took place in the air. A Japanese correspondent in 1883 wrote: "We frequently saw parties of boys playing a game of mimic warfare, the opponents calling themselves Koreans and Japanese. It is said that this sometimes leads to real fighting in which some of the lads have been killed. In fact we have seen a number of them whose clothes were bloodstained. The Japanese side always comes off the worst." Nearly two decades later, Horace N. Allen observed: "Lately the little urchins have taken to imitating the soldiers drilled in foreign style and give the commands quite creditably, even to sounding the bugle calls on little toy horns." Allen summed up Korean children as being "like the young of other lands, except that perhaps they are more generally well behaved." A high compliment from a man who cherished his own two sons and likely spoiled them. Robert Neff is a historian and columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at robertneff103@gmail.com. By Ko Dong-hwan A family visits a pediatric hospital in Yongsan-gu district, Seoul, for influenza treatment. / Korea Times file A blog promoting unchecked home remedies over prescribed drugs in treating children's illnesses has been criticized for putting youngsters in jeopardy. The "Raising Baby Without Drugs" blog, known by the Korean acronym "Anaki," claims to be operated by a Korean medical doctor. It was established in 2013 and has some 60,000 members, many of them mothers without medical qualifications. The members believe that seeking medical help and using prescribed drugs makes children weaker because their immune systems become more dependent on medication. They instead champion natural healing to strengthen children's immune systems against viruses and, if necessary, home remedies such as "edible charcoal powder" or soy sauce. Some blog supporters believe that parents are too quick in seeking medical treatment for their children. One said online: "Does drugging children help them or does it help you parents worry less about them?" But there has been a backlash to the blog, with members criticized for ideas that are not verified by medical experts and for unchecked methods that could jeopardize health. Opponents denounced blog members for not having children vaccinated and holding "chicken pox parties" to "strengthen their immune systems." They also blasted the members for cleaning children suffering allergies with a mixture of water and salt or soy sauce and treating those with bowel problems with medicinal charcoal. "My son once had a fever reaching 39 degrees Celsius and my wife did not take him to a hospital but only fed him porridge and plum for three days," a man said on a blog, cursing his anti-drug wife. He is one of many netizens criticizing the blog that is now attracting nationwide attention. "The recipe did not heal him, so we took him to a doctor," the man said. "He was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. He could have had brain damage." The Association of Korean Medicine on Tuesday asked the Korea Communications Standards Commission and Korea's largest portal site Naver to shut down the blog and petitioned authorities to check on any unlicensed medical practice in it. "Some of the contents of the blog lack medical evidence and, even if it does, it could threaten children's health unless checked by medical experts," the group said. Chinese soldiers practice making arrests during a drill at the Chinese border town of Dandong opposite the North Korean town of Sinuiju Oct. 20, 2006. / Korea Times file By Lee Han-soo Chinese soldiers stationed along the North Korean border are learning Korean in case North Koreans cross the border to flee any U.S. attacks, according to a Japanese news outlet Tuesday. The Yomiuri Shimbun said the soldiers are memorizing phrases such as "Stop" or "Don't move or I'll shoot" in Korean, citing sources familiar with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). "The PLA is teaching Korean to soldiers near the North Korean border in case North Korean refugees start flocking into China if a military conflict arises between the U.S. and North Korea," the newspaper said. "Korean lessons are known to be happening throughout the Chinese-North Korea border given by ethnic Koreans living in China as instructors." The PLA has been on its second-highest alert level since April, which is implemented when a direct military threat is imminent, the report said. Posts on May 2 saying China sent its last warning to North Korea over nuclear tests have gone viral. / Screen capture from Weibo By Eom Da-sol China has sent a final warning to North Korea over its military provocations, according to unconfirmed rumors spreading widely on Chinese social media Tuesday. Chinese news outlets have previously said Beijing could turn its back on Pyongyang if the latter conducted a sixth nuclear test. But the rumor that China has given North Korea a final warning has drawn particular interest from Weibo users. The rumor cited the May issue of Hong Kong monthly news outlet Dong Xiang. It said a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs junior minister invited Park Myung-ho, an official of North Korea, for a meeting. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting and asked his junior to read aloud the warning to the North over the nuclear test. The memorandum mentioned that China will condemn strongly, pull back on all economic cooperation and even blockade North Korea if it conducted the test. The lake on top of Mt. Baekdu is called Cheonji, meaning "heavenly lake." / Korea Times file By Ko Dong-hwan If North Korea conducts its sixth nuclear test, the consequences may not only be war with the U.S. but also an inestimable natural disaster a volcanic eruption at Mt. Baekdu on the China-North Korea border according to experts. If the North tested something that sends a powerful energy wave through the earth, the blast could "set off an eruption" at the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula, Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corporation, told CNN. He said it could be "an absolutely huge eruption, killing thousands if not tens of thousands of Chinese and North Koreans" and "Chinese for years have been worried that (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un will cause a volcano to erupt." The test site in Punggye-ri is about 130 kilometers from Mt. Baekdu and around 1.6 million people live within 100 kilometers of the mountain. The mountain in the hermit state has largely been off limits to researchers across the world interested in its volcanic activity. But seismic activity from 2002 to 2005 prompted efforts to study the mountain, whose last eruption was in 1903. Dr. Amy Donovan, of King's College London, who lectures on geography and environmental hazards, said the size, condition and depth of the mountain's magma chambers remain unknown, making modeling difficult. She said if the sixth test had similar energy to the previous test last September believed to be 10 kilotons it is unlikely to cause an eruption. "It would have to be more like 50 to 100 kilotons to potentially do serious damage," Dr. Donovan said. By Jun Ji-hye The United States has been publicly mentioning its goal to set up a Washington-led global missile defense system (MD) in South Korea and other allies in the Asia-Pacific region despite Seoul's repeated denial of it joining such a program. The U.S. attempt to bring the MD plan to the fore is escalating controversy timed with U.S. President Donald Trump's recent call for Seoul to pay for the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here, which he estimated at about $1 billion. If South Korea decided to join the U.S. MD, the nation would need to purchase, operate and manage more of Washington's advanced weapons such as antiaircraft missiles, which will require Seoul to spend further astronomical amounts of money. Critics say Seoul has already spent a great deal of money it has used 36 trillion won ($31 billion) to buy U.S. weapons since 2006, according to the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality. Those who have been talking about the MD plan have been mostly military leaders including Pacific Command (PACOM) Commander Adm. Harry Harris, but high-ranking officials of the Trump administration are also expected to follow their lead soon to set up the global missile defense program in the Asia-Pacific region. "PACOM will continue working with Japan, the Republic of Korea and Australia to improve our level of staff coordination and information sharing and the goal of creating a fully-integrated Ballistic Missile Defense architecture that must also address the increasing cruise missile threat," said Adm. Harris during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week. Since the government announced its decision last July to host the THAAD unit in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, suspicions have been raised that Seoul has virtually joined Washington's MD system THAAD is an integral part of MD, designed to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles at the end-stage of their flights. Whenever such suspicions emerged, the Ministry of National Defense has repeatedly said THAAD is a weapons system to defend the Korean Peninsula against North Korean threats and that it will not share any information with other U.S. MD elements. The ministry added Seoul has the goal to establish its own Korea air and missile defense (KAMD) system and has been working on it. But not many critics seemed to believe such an explanation. Justice Party lawmaker Kim Jong-dae, a former defense analyst, cited reports, made in May 2015 by the U.S. Government Accounting Office, which stated that Washington is working on increasing integration between THAAD and other ballistic missile defense systems. The U.S. Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2017 President's Budget Submission, published in February 2016, also said THAAD's new capabilities include regional peer-to-peer engagement coordination with Aegis and Patriot systems, with upgrades to maintain interfaces with other MD elements. More notably, former U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, who is the commander of NATO troops in Europe now, told a Senate hearing in July 2013, when he was a nominee for the USFK commander, that the installment of THAAD and its AN/TPY-2 X-Band radar on the peninsula was part of a plan to set up the U.S. MD along with the deployment and upgrades of the Patriot systems. "Data regarding ballistic missile threats, obtained by THAAD radar, will eventually be provided to the U.S. mainland," Rep. Kim said, noting that deploying the THAAD unit will result in Seoul's participation in the U.S.-led MD. During a meeting of military officials from China and Russia, which took place last week in Moscow, the two countries also criticized the THAAD deployment, saying the system is a strategic weapon for the U.S. and is an attempt to get its Asian ally to join the MD system to contain their influence in the region. Defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun once again stuck to the existing position, Tuesday, saying, "South Korea and the deployment of THAAD are unrelated to the nation's participation in MD." Observers say the growing possibility of the ROK Navy introducing ship-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors will also intensify speculation of Seoul's participation in MD, adding that if the U.S. administration raised pressure on Seoul in earnest, it would be hard to reject the demand forever. Rep. Hwang Young-cheul of the Bareun Party speaks at a news conference in the National Assembly, Wednesday, announcing the withdrawal of his earlier decision to quit the party along with 12 other lawmakers seeking to rejoin the Liberty Korea Party. Hwang said he will stay with the Bareun Party and keep supporting its candidate, Yoo Seong-min. / Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo "Shy conservatives" account for almost all of the swing voters and their ballots will virtually decide the results of the May 9 presidential election, analysts said Wednesday. However, they seem divided over which candidate they will support among two conservatives - Hong Joon-pyo and Yoo Seong-min - and centrist Ahn Cheol-soo. The swing voters are estimated to be up to one quarter of the total eligible voters, which is 42.5 million. Most of them are believed to be moderate conservatives in their 50s or older. Some experts speculate that Ahn of the People's Party may receive overwhelming support from "shy conservatives" who have refrained from revealing their political affiliations after the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Others claimed those voters mainly may go for Hong of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) due to concerns the conservatives may "completely lose ground in the political arena" if they lose in the election. The experts cited Hong's popularity over Yoo of the Bareun Party and his higher likelihood of defeating presidential frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Hong has been narrowing the gap fast with runner-up in the latest polls, Ahn. He even scored equal support with Ahn at 18.6 percent in a survey taken by Realmeter from Monday to Tuesday. Trailing Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party, Yoo is at the bottom in the five-way race. "I would define the shy conservatives as the conservatives who joined the candlelit rally against former President Park," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. He claimed they have been ashamed of disclosing their political affiliations and have refrained from participating in presidential polls. "The surveys so far did not accurately reflect the moderate conservatives' views, and their decision could still change the course of the election," Shin said. In Shin's view, Ahn has a better chance than Hong to attract moderate conservatives and bounce back in popularity, which has been waning since mid-April. Ahn's decline has been attributed partly to his failure to woo center-right voters in the TV presidential debates. "There are still many moderate conservatives who are undecided, and they are in the grey area because they think both Moon and Hong are too extreme and are hesitant in making up their minds," Shin said. "It is too risky to assume Moon has already secured a victory." Concerning the mass defection of lawmakers from the Bareun Party, Shin said it will not affect the presidential race. The Bareun Party, formed by politicians exiting the LKP's precursor the Saenuri Party, initially had 33 legislators, and 12 of them bolted from the party, Tuesday, amid Yoo's low popularity. Shin, however, did not rule out the possibility Yoo will bounce back, citing that the average daily number of donations received by Yoo's camp rose from 50 to 500, Tuesday. Hwang Tae-soon, a political commentator, said the mass defections of the Bareun Party lawmakers will trigger the "shy conservatives" to unite for Hong. "I'd say Ahn's popularity rating will fall to single digits as it was a few months ago, because he failed to impress the center-right voters," Hwang said. He claimed the center-right voters supported Ahn because he appeared able to defeat Moon for a time. "With Moon's camp hinting at rooting out conservatives, the undecided voters may go for Hong over Ahn at any time," Hwang said. Presidential candidates put their hands together in prayer during a ceremony to mark the Buddha's Birthday at Jogye Temple in Jongno-gu, downtown Seoul, Wednesday. From left in the front row are Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party, Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party, Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party and Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul By Kim Rahn Presidential candidates present hundreds of pledges to woo voters, ranging from workers and parents to the disabled and even pet owners. But they are not paying attention to foreign residents in Korea, although 1.7 million live here, making up 3.4 percent of the entire population. The reason is foreigners cannot vote. The election camp for Moon Jae-in, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, said it does not have a separate pledge for foreigners here. "People have many and diverse needs, so we can't satisfy them all," an official at the camp said. "We issued a 340-page book of campaign pledges, but there is no policy for foreign residents in it." But the camp has some pledges for multiracial families, probably in an effort to appeal to many foreign spouses who obtained Korean nationality and thus can vote. However, many of the promises _ mentoring programs for children of multiracial families, special schools for such children, and boosting public awareness of cultural diversity _ are just expansions of existing policies. Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor liberal People's Party does not have any specific policy plans for foreigners, either. "The only thing about foreign residents we are discussing is migrant workers' working conditions," an official said. "It is an issue involving the Employment Permit System (EPS), so we can't resolve it easily (without revising the system). It is also about human rights issues, and we plan to keep paying attention to these through discussions with related agencies." The conservative Liberty Korea Party candidate Hong Joon-pyo also has only rough plans about foreign workers and multiracial families, including protecting migrant workers' human rights, improving their working conditions, and providing more support for foreign spouses' settling here and their children's school life. Sim Sang-jung of the minor progressive Justice Party, who has focused on labor issues for decades, is the only candidate who has included the migrant worker issue in her top 10 pledges. She promised to abolish the EPS, guarantee foreign wives' stay here when they separate from their Korean husbands, offer health insurance for workers staying illegally, and ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Foreigners said it would have been better if the candidates had policies for them, but added that's what politics is. "In politics, they (candidates) care more about voters than non-voters, that's the reality," said Casey Lartigue Jr., the co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center. "They do need to spend their energy on people who can actually vote for them. Of course they will be careful about people who can start campaigns against them." Jacco Zwetsloot, director of Business Innovation for HMP Law, also said he can understand why the candidates don't have policies for foreign residents. "Politicians' first priority must always be to benefit their voters, and non-citizens cannot vote for presidents. Also, Korea still has a relatively small population of long-term foreign residents, with a relatively short history, when compared to other countries," he said. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Tuesday with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni mutual ties and means to boost cooperation among Nile Basin countries ahead of an upcoming presidential summit scheduled in June, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Shoukry delivered a letter from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to Museveni on ways to boost bilateral cooperation in all fields, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said late on Tuesday. Abu Zeid said Shoukry and Musevini's discussion mainly focused on "making adequate preparations for the summit" of the heads of state of the Nile Basin countries, called for by Museveni. Uganda is the current chair of the Nile Council of Ministers of Water Affairs of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). Egypt froze its NBI membership in 2010 over disagreements about the Cooperative Framework Agreement, more commonly known as the Entebbe agreement. Last July, Egyptian Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati attended the 24th annual meeting of the NBIs Nile Council of Ministers (Nile-Com) in Uganda after years of absence, a move seen as a partial return of the North African nation to active participation in the group. The NBI comprises 10 permanent members: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Eritrea has observer status. Abu Zeid said Shoukry stressed during the talks the importance of guaranteeing "mutual interest and no harm" to all Nile Basin countries during the summit. A meeting of foreign and water ministers of the Nile Basin countries is set to be held in the run-up to the summit, the spokesman added. In March, Egypt's Water Resources Minister Mohamed Abdel took part in talks held by NBI's council of ministers in Uganda's Entebbe which addressed Cairo's concerns on the Nile Basin Initiative and the Entebbe agreement. Earlier that month, the first round of meetings was held in Sudan's capital Khartoum. Officials have said the upcoming summit will look at the results of earlier meetings as well as points of contention on the Entebbe agreement. The agreement, which was developed over more than a decade, had been signed by six Nile Basin countries by 2011: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Egypt and Sudan have declined to sign the treaty -- which sets out the principles and obligations of member states regarding the use of the basin's water resources -- citing concerns about its reallocation of water quotas and other provisions. Historic water-sharing pacts between Egypt and Sudan continue to govern the distribution of Nile waters between the two countries. Search Keywords: Short link: A new president urged to reform education system By Kim Jae-kyoung Paul Evans SINGAPORE South Korea is locked in a "technology paradox." It is one of the most wired and technologically sophisticated countries in the world, while it ranks at the bottom when it comes to educating and training people fit for a 21st century ruled by new technologies. This means that people in South Korea are not properly educated and trained to adapt to the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is already disrupting the way we live, work and do business. Paul Evans, emeritus professor at INSEAD, one of the world's leading business schools, said that the new South Korean president should place top priority on fixing this paradox by pushing for "deep educational reform" to put the country back on a growth track. The new president will be elected on May 9. "Korea is world class in 21st century technology systems. The paradox is you've got a 20th century education system just good at producing routine workers," Evans said in an interview at INSEAD's Asia Campus in Singapore. "The educational system of South Korea is holding back a country that is one of the most technologically sophisticated in the world," he added. "Deep educational reform has to be a top priority for Korea's new president." According to the 2017 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) announced by INSEAD, Korea ranked 29th in the world, the lowest among Asia's high-income group countries, behind Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Malaysia. The GTCI is an annual report that evaluates 118 nations on their competitiveness based on the quality of talent they can develop, attract and retain. This is in stark contrast to the fact that the country ranked first in household internet use and third in the government online services index. Evans, the academic director and co-editor of the GTCI, said that the key culprit behind Korea's poor talent competitiveness is its regimented education system. "Korea's highly regimented educational system where students fight to pass standardized test to enter the so-called SKY universities is a superb 20th century factory for producing people with routine skills. It was successful in the disappearing factory age," he said. SKY is the acronym for Korea's top three universities Seoul National, Korea and Yonsei. However, Evans, who serves as the Shell Chair of Human Resources and Organization Development at INSEAD, said that the current system is the opposite of what Korea needs to nurture 21st century talent. "What is needed in the future are children who are curious, who learn early about their individual strengths, who are good at working in creative teams, who can challenge their teachers and bosses, and who have employable skills," he said. "None of these vital 21st century qualities are nurtured by the Korean educational system." This system is not capable of supporting Asia's fourth-largest economy that is falling into a structural low growth trap, he added. Korea ranked 57th in the "relevance of the educational system to the economy," which should be taken as "a red light," according to Evans. The nation also ranked poorly at 46th in the "ease of finding skilled employees." In this regard, the first thing a new president must do is to warn the Korean people that there will be no future for Korea without education reform. "Deep reform will not happen easily. So the new president must ring an alarm bell the world is changing, and we need different skills,'" he said. Evans stressed that Korea should take a cue from Singapore and Denmark. "Singapore, No. 2 in the world in talent competitiveness, rang that alarm bell back in year 2000, starting deep reform of its educational system. It is now a model for the world," he said. "Denmark is one of the most IT-ready countries in Europe, and its government began warning people about disruption a year ago, with educational reform in mind." A rights activist for sexual minorities holding a rainbow flag approaches presidential frontrunner Moon Jae-in at the National Assembly in Seoul, April 26, to protest Moon's anti-gay comment during his election campaign event . /AP-Yonhap Yoo says Moon Jae-in's comments demoralizes sexual minorities By Kim Se-jeong Yoo Kyeol Yoo Kyeol, 37, came out as a lesbian in 2003. Last week, she was among 13 detained after protesting the leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for his statements against sexual minorities. In an interview with The Korea Times, Yoo said the implication of Moon's comment is far greater than he thought. "Our identity was denied so publicly by the leading candidate. Moon didn't realize how much impact his comment can have. This can pressure people to even take their own lives. I've lost many people around me. Many who took their lives experienced a moment of denial and it was too much to bear." During a nationally televised presidential debate on April 25, Moon, a former human rights lawyer, said, "I don't like homosexuality." He was responding to one of his conservative opponents Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) who wanted Moon to confirm his opinion. "I can't believe Moon was ever a human rights lawyer," she said. "He could have just refused to answer. That way, we wouldn't be so upset." Following the debate, Yoo also saw hate speech against homosexuals inundating the internet. "People now have no reason to be reserved because Moon said it already." The activist said the surprise protest was inevitable. "We had to show our displeasure." Yoo and her fellow activists went to the National Assembly on April 26 where Moon was supposed to speak and one stood facing Moon holding a rainbow flag. "What appeared to be his bodyguard tried to drag her away, and we jumped in to help her," she said. When the confrontation was over, Yoo and her colleagues moved aside to grab their belongings and depart, and that's when police surrounded them. "Suddenly the police came, saying we violated the law," she said. According to the Assembly and Demonstration Act, any assembly is banned within 100 meters of the National Assembly perimeter. Yoo was among 13 taken to a van and driven to three different police stations. Yoo, along with five others, was brought to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station. She and two others were put into a room. They refused to talk and answer questions from the police. "Because we did nothing wrong," Yoo said. But she was able to use her cellphone. At one point, Rep. Park Ju-min from Moon's DPK came to meet them. "He flattered and tried to persuade us to believe Moon didn't intend to hurt us," she said. "It was disgusting." Altogether she spent eight hours there. Yoo could have stayed overnight but that meant the police would confiscate her phone. "Originally, we wanted to stay longer," she said. "But we decided to collaborate with the police investigation and be released because we thought it would be better to fight on the outside." The incident changed her stance on the upcoming election. "I didn't plan to vote for Moon. I didn't expect much from him anyway," she said. "But what he said can mean a retreat for campaigns for sexual minorities. I am not a big fan of Sim Sang-jung, but I will vote for her because she's been a strong supporter." Sim from the Justice Party is the only one among the leading five candidates to publicly support an anti-discrimination law, which is strongly opposed by Christian groups. Moon only said he would seek social consensus on the issue during his presidency. So did Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party. Yoo Seong-min of the minor conservative Bareun Party and Hong opposed the law as well. The Korean military recently filed criminal charges against 32 soldiers for their sexual identity another social flashpoint Yoo says threatens sexual minorities here. "We simply have to continue to fight until we're recognized," she said. By Choe Chong-dae I recently took an incredible journey to Chiang Khong, a city in Chiang Rai Province in the far north of Thailand, where I had the opportunity to enjoy diverse aspects of Lao, Thai and Burmese culture. Known as the Golden Triangle, this scenic landscape is hilly and divided by the Ruak River that flows into the Mekong River. Both rivers form a natural boundary between the three countries-Laos lies to the east of the Mekong, Myanmar to the north of the Ruak, and Thailand to the west of the Mekong. What a romantic and exotic experience floating down the Mekong River from Chiang Khong to Huay Xai, the Lao capital of Bokeo Province, in a small and slow boat. While in Huay Xai, I was fascinated by its bucolic scenery, fabulous temples, vibrant markets and tranquil riverside towns, as well as the unique flavor of Lao beer. What impressed me the most in Laos was "the Plain of Jars," an archeological site dating back to the Iron Age (500 BC to 500 AD). One of the most enigmatic sights on Earth, the thousands of megalithic stone jars are scattered across approximately one hundred sites deep in the mountains of Phonsavan city, Xiang Khouang Province in northeastern Laos. Laos developed its culture and customs as the inland crossroads of trade and migration in Southeast Asia over millennia. It has about 50 ethnicities divided into 149 sub-groups and 80 different languages. The traditional Lao culture is considered one of the Indic cultures along with Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. This immense diversity is what makes Laos so culturally rich. Laos is also a biodiversity hotspot with many exotic animals since about 80% of the country is covered with forests. A celebration commemorating the Lao New Year or Water Festival was held at the Ministry of National Defense Convention Center on April 7, 2017. It was hosted by Khamsouay Keodalavong, ambassador of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to Korea, in collaboration with Lee Gun-sick, president of CMSK Co. Ltd. Many Lao students in Korea were there to share traditional Laotian cuisine and culture with distinguished guests. The Lao New Year falls on April 13-15 on the lunar calendar of this Buddhist year of 2560, which is 543 years ahead of the Christian Common Era year of 2017. During these festive holidays, Lao family members reunite and celebrate the joyous occasion together at home and other convenient places. Irrespective of social standing, lineage, gender, age and education, everyone plays happily with water. The Water Festival is the New Year's celebration that takes place in East and Southeast Asian countries such as China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. People splash and/or pour water on one another as part of the cleansing ritual to welcome the New Year, an expression of the desire for good luck and prosperity. Water is for washing Buddha images, monks, friends, passers-by and homes. Young people first pour water on their elders as a sign of respect then on monks for blessings of long life, good health and prosperity. Last of all, they throw water on each other for fun. The majority of people prefer flowers in the water to have a naturally pleasant fragrance, and some add cologne or perfume. As a member country of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Laos has now become a significant player in the region due to its growing economy and being an attractive tourist destination. Through international cooperation and strategic planning, Laos has cultivated friendly relations with many nations, including Korea. The social, economic and cultural exchanges between Laos and Korea will continue to strengthen the ties between Laotians and Koreans. Here's to a happy and prosperous new year. Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is President of Dae-kwang International Co., and Director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at choecd@naver.com By John Burton Are relations between Washington and Seoul heading for a train wreck when they should be cooperating more closely than ever in dealing with the threat of the North Korean nuclear and missile program? Things could be heading that way if Moon Jae-in is elected as the next Korean president next week while U.S. President Donald Trump has floated the idea of Seoul paying for the THAAD anti-missile system and threatening to end the KORUS trade agreement. Until Trump made his intemperate remarks, much of Washington's concern was focused on the election of Moon, who is generally perceived as favoring reconciliation with Pyongyang and opposing the Trump administration's tough attitude on North Korea. Moon is seen in the U.S. capital as ready to ease sanctions against North Korea by pursuing Sunshine Policy 2.0, including encouraging dialogue and economic cooperation with Pyongyang like his predecessors Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun did between 1998 and 2008. This could lead to the same sort of disharmony that occurred between Roh and U.S. President George W. Bush in the mid-2000s as it is believed that Moon would like to pursue a more independent line from Washington. Attention among U.S. policymakers has focused, for example, on Moon's reported comments earlier this year that he would consider going to Pyongyang before going to Washington if that would help resolve the nuclear issue. Moon is generally viewed in Washington as a leftist ideologue like his former boss Roh, with whom he served as chief of staff. But these perceptions overlook the possibility that Moon may be more of a pragmatist in the mold of Kim Dae-jung. Moon has signaled his recognition that he has limited room to maneuver in dealing with North Korea. There are several factors that will constrain Moon. The first is that the Trump administration's aggressive approach toward Pyongyang will undermine any attempt by Moon in pursuing an engagement strategy, such as reopening the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Moon needs to win the trust of President Trump if he is to have any influence on future U.S. action, including trying to prevent a unilateral military strike. As a result, Moon recently stepped back from his firm opposition to THAAD. He also seems to be aligned with the U.S. policy of forcing China to apply increased trade sanctions against North Korea. "To China, we must make it clear that if they fail to rein in the North, sanctions against the North will be stepped up and the deployment of THAAD will be inevitable," Moon recently told Time Magazine. "If the North continues with its nuclear program, it's natural that South Korea and the U.S. will impose stronger sanctions against North Korea," he added. The second factor that Moon must be deal with is domestic politics. Moon is a polarizing figure mistrusted by conservatives. But if he wants to govern effectively and pass legislation on such issues as corporate reforms he must take into account the views of the conservatives and the centrist People's Party on North Korea. Moon's Minjoo party, after all, only has a plurality of National Assembly seats and can't push through new laws on its own. Another limiting factor on Moon is that with the current unfavorable public mood toward the U.S., China and Japan will weaken Seoul's diplomatic leverage if Moon should be tempted to pursue an independent course since he would lack foreign allies in such an attempt. The biggest challenge for Moon may be to persuade his supporters to accept a North Korea policy that parallels that of the U.S. when anti-Americanism is rising because of the prevalent view that Trump is an unpredictable and destabilizing factor. Trump's remarks that Seoul should have to pay for THAAD (although that has since been walked back by the U.S. State Department) and that the U.S. will renegotiate or abrogate KORUS will not help matters and will likely have three results. One is that it will assure the election of Moon as Korea's next president since it will galvanize his support base. Second, it will increase opposition to THAAD. Third, Moon's job as president has just become more difficult. The most charitable explanation for Trump's remarks is that the U.S. president may be pursuing a high-risk strategy to box Moon in and force him to accept Washington's lead on North Korea. By raising the KORUS issue, for example, Trump may be reminding Moon that he has to play ball if he wants to preserve KORUS. This would be typical Trump behavior as a dealmaker: set out an extreme negotiating position and withdraw the KORUS and THAAD threats if Moon agrees to Trump's terms. The more depressing interpretation is that Trump is emotionally reverting to his campaign rhetoric of attacking Seoul as defense freeloader and an unfair trade partner and that he has no idea that he is undermining relations with a close U.S. ally. Maybe Washington should be worrying more about Trump than Moon. John Burton, a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is now a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. He can be reached at johnburtonft@yahoo.com. By Oh Young-jin Let's calm ourselves down. It's exasperating to hear U.S. President Trump demand South Korea pay $1 billion for a missile interceptor owned and operated by the U.S. After all, the two allies cut a deal by which Korea provided land for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, while the U.S. paid for the rest hardware and maintenance. It's tempting to shout back at Trump and tell him that we don't want it so he can take it back. But here are some sobering questions. Can we defend ourselves without U.S. forces? The South excels the North in the size of economy many times and is more than double it in terms of population. So the answer to this question is yes, we can. But if so, what extra cost would we have to pay for their absence? Billions of dollars would be needed to make up for the U.S. Forces Korea with its 28,000 American troops stationed here. They serve as a tripwire to bring in bigger and more powerful reinforcements the so-called extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella) included from the U.S. in the event of a war. The tab for this is uncountable because it has worked as the bedrock for Korea's sense of security for decades. Would you be willing to pay that extra cost? The bulk of the budget for welfare, infrastructure and other key state affairs would have to be diverted to cover our own defense spending. This means bigger tax bills for fewer services. Then, the security void that would be created by the U.S. withdrawal would have foreign investors rethink their plans involving Korea. THAAD can turn this chain of hypotheses into reality. The much feared April crisis has passed. What played a key role in preventing the North from conducting a sixth test critical to perfecting its nuclear program or in obviously scaring Pyongyang from being more audacious in launching inter-continental ballistic missiles? It tried twice previously but failed both times. Shown above is the head office of Hanmi Science and its subsidiary Hanmi Phyarmaceutical in Seoul. Hanmi Science Chairman Lim Sung-ki bequethed more than 600,000 company shares to each of his seven grandchildren, worth 37.4 billion won in total. / Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung Users of Samsung Electronics' Bixby seem generally satisfied with the voice assistant, as it offers high recognition accuracy. The artificial intelligence (AI) service became available on the company's flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone here this week. Concerns were that Bixby may still require some time to accumulate enough datasets before offering a decent-level service, as the AI-converged big data technology is still in its infancy. But the bulk of S8 customers are praising the AI assistant for its highly-accurate voice recognition rate for a variety of practical purposes. "Bixby has broken my stereotypes on voice assistant services, as it clearly understands my voice and makes few typos compared with its counterparts from other companies," a Galaxy S8 user in his late 20s in Seoul said Wednesday. "The service still needs some improvements in such areas as its response speed, but this will get better via software updates. Given that the service made its debut this week, expectation is that this will be the next big thing in Samsung's Android ecosystem." Users at online smartphone communities including Ppomppu are also leaving rave reviews about the Samsung AI voice assistant. Another S8 user at the online site said: "Bixby is very useful when sending messages to my friends and searching for information on search portals." Users do not have to struggle to type on smartphone keyboards, and instead they can simply call Bixby and leave voice commands, the user said. This is not the first time that Samsung has developed its own AI voice assistant. The company equipped its flagship Galaxy smartphone series with its S Voice service since 2012. But it failed to draw attention, as it came with no eye-catching differences from its rivals including Apple's Siri. But with the AI and voice assistant market emerging as next cash cows for tech companies, Samsung acquired Viv Labs in November last year. The U.S.-based company was established by a group of developers for the Siri voice assistant of Apple iPhones. At that time, Samsung Electronics Vice President Rhee In-jong said Bixby would become the mainstream software of the company's consumer electronics and mobile businesses. He said the company would establish an open AI ecosystem where the internet of things (IoT) devices could be interconnected via voice control. Samsung has yet to combine core technologies from Viv Labs into Bixby, with the company planning to start the full-pledged Bixby service in the latter half of this year. The outfit has yet to draw specific timeline over the plan. SAP Korea CEO Hyung Won-joon shares his insight on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and data-related technologies in an interview at the company's headquarters in Seoul, April 5. / Courtesy of SAP Korea Data sovereignty needed ahead of Fourth Industrial Revolution By Lee Min-hyung The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be shaped under the framework of "omni-personalization" a concept that all emerging technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) will be tailor-made for each user according to SAP Korea CEO Hyung Won-joon. "The key for omni-channel personalization is improving productivity, while maintaining or reducing the current price ranges," he said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. He stressed the need for global corporate bodies and economies to make efforts in drawing a long-term blueprint, rather than focusing on one or two trendy or emerging technologies such as AI, IoT or cloud computing. "The Third Industrial Revolution has been the computerized management and mass-production to meet various customer needs with a similar level of productivity and quality," said the head of the local subsidiary of the German software giant. "In comparison, the upcoming revolution is about meeting demands for each person. I would say the era will be a combination of omni-commerce and personalization." He said the new tech paradigm shift will be a war of who better grabs a "cyber-physical system," which refers to a mechanism to produce real-world products in cyberspace. "We are already using devices such as 3D cads before manufacturing end products," he said. "But their coverage will widen further, allowing firms to cyber-manufacture production lines, components and even supply chains before turning them into real-world products." The cyber physical system has to do with another term, digital twins, which refer to an online simulation, allowing users to design every physical or even non-physical concept before printing them out on 3D printers, he said. Data sovereignty As the aforementioned data-driven element technologies are the building blocks of the forthcoming omni-personalization era, however, concerns are rising that the tech revolution will come at the expense of individual privacy. As cyberspace grows in importance and influence, a mounting number of people are suffering from private data leaks, which incurs hundreds of billions of won in damages each year. On a corporate level, the damage scale skyrockets and this is why globally leading tech giants such as SAP are turning their eyes on developing their own dedicated security platforms. Echoing the concerns, the SAP executive stressed the need to come up with a measure to protect human beings from falling victim to state-of-the-art technologies. "At the new industrial era, the concept of data sovereignty will gain popularity," he said. "For instance, there needs an integrated security platform which can manage users' information in such areas as banking and finance. For instance, it can then notify users via smartphones once the platform detects any attempts to access user information." The key is whether the platform can detect any online problems in real time and this is a matter of technology, according to him. "The online data sovereignty is about technologies to detect and judge whether unknown third-party invaders access personal datasets." He said a security platform and data sovereignty are essential to stop machines or AI systems from threatening millions of jobs. "There stands a chance for machines to replace most of our current jobs, even if this is a long way off," he said. "Technological developments can someday help users decide certain sets of information not to be revealed." "Robots are just imitating humans at today's stage by processing datasets rapidly. At the center of the ongoing AI debate is whether machines are equipped with cognitive systems very similar to those of human beings. This will be a thing of a far-away future." SAP headquarters in Walldorf, Germany / Courtesy of SAP Korea Aside from the technological development, he called on the need for a joint education program between the government and industry circles ahead of Industry 4.0, a five-year-old German strategy to bring about innovations to the manufacturing sector. "In Germany, the government is joining hands with labor unions of companies, educating them with emerging technologies to convince them they will not fall victim to the robot-driven job losses," he said. For instance, the German government teaches them skills to control and manage AI systems in a more proficient manner, according to him. Germany is renowned for systemized job-training culture, with Korea seeking to follow suit. "Many individual workers hold a title of Meister (master craftsman) in Germany. Once the country educates them with up-to-date technologies, this can lead to creating more jobs despite the ongoing job-reduction concerns." By Lee Min-hyung Presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) has outrun Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party as a more frequently searched figure, according to Google Trends. Hong has been at the center of public attention here, with his search index rising rapidly last month to reach 61 as of April 30. Bu contrast, Hong's major rival Ahn significantly declined in popularity to 48 in the same period, the Google search data showed, with the numbers scaled on a range of zero to 100. The figure is in contrast with data from Apr. 3 when Hong's search index came in at only 14, with Ahn reaching 35. Hong's rapid rise came just before the nation's presidential election on May 9. Even if Hong is emerging as another influential candidate, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea still holds a dominant lead in the search index and most other public opinion polls. At the end of last month, Moon's Google Trends index was 79. "After former President Park Geun-hye was ousted over a series of corruption scandals, the former ruling LKP was in a state of chaos due to lack of a control tower," said an ex-lawmaker who asked not to be named. "That is why Ahn rapidly became a popular alternative over his fresh image as a former software entrepreneur and doctor-turned-politician. But he failed to leave a strong impression due to a lack of eye-catching pledges and aggressive speaking skills, compared with Hong. This is why Hong's index has risen in recent weeks." Hong is often compared with U.S. President Donald Trump, making aggressive remarks and pushing for hard-line stances on North Korea and other security issues. "For example, Hong has publicly called on the need to reinstate the death penalty for felony offenders, with Moon opposing the move," he said. "This is not a matter of whose claims are more logical or not. People are more likely to remember those who make aggressive and provocative remarks or behavior." Google Trends shows users' search-related data by time, location and popularity. The service is often used when collecting statistical datasets in such areas as presidential races. In particular, it has attracted the worldwide spotlight after predicting Donald Trump would be the U.S. president last year, beating earlier predictions, which many human experts made, that former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was highly likely to set foot into the White House. The latest Google Trends data is also in line with a recent Gallup Korea survey conducted early this week. According to the data, Moon garnered 38 percent, maintaining the top spot in the ongoing presidential race. Ahn came in second with 20 percent, down from 24 percent a week ago, while Hong reached 16 percent, up from 12 percent, demonstrating his upward momentum. Investigations in the case revealed that the convict kidnapped the girl, before taking her to an abandoned building in Maghaha village and raping her. He choked her with a cloth and repeatedly hit her in the head. The convict's death verdict was upheld by the Court of Cassation in February 2016. The Minya governorate prisons department also executed Wednesday five people convicted of murder in Qena and Gharbeya governorates under tight security measures. On Tuesday, an Egyptian criminal court referred to the Grand Mufti a death sentence issued against a man convicted of raping a 20-month-old child in the Nile Delta governorate of Daqahliya last month in a case known publicly known as "the diaper girl's case." The court is expected to confirm the sentence on 2 June after the Grand Mufti gives his opinion, which is not legally binding, on the validity of the death sentence according to Islamic law. The most famous case of the rape and murder of a child happened in the coastal governorate of Port-Said in 2013, when two minors kidnapped, raped and killed 5-year-old girl Zeina Arafa, provoking rage and public outcry across the country. The convicts in this case were sentenced by a criminal court to 20 years in prison. The court apologised to the public for not imposing capital punishment, as Egyptian law forbids issuing the death penalty to people younger than 18 years old. Search Keywords: Short link: Bigbang's leader G-Dragon is about to have his world tour in 2017. Recently, he teased fans with the official trailer of the upcoming world tour on his Instagram. G-Dragon just posted on his instagram on May 2 about his upcoming world tour. He plans to have a concert in 19 cities worldwide. In the trailer, there is an intense music with G-Dragon jumping around painting, AllKpop reported. The tour title will be "G-DRAGON 2017 WORLD TOUR ACT III, M.O.T.T.E." Previously G-Dragon has announced about his upcoming world tour. He will start the concert in Seoul on Jun. 10. Then he will travel to different countries including North America, Australia, and Asia, Billboard reported. Bigbang just released their latest songs "FXXK IT" and "Last Dance," SBS reported. They proved to be the famous group by getting many views on youtube, AllKpop reported. Due to the leave of T.O.P for military service, they ended the promotion pretty quick but they really had fun on stage. Recently, G-Dragon talked about his enlistment. He stated that he wanted to be on top for a long time. Thus, he waited for the call from the nation for his army duty. About Bigbang, he wanted the group to stay five for a long time, AllKpop reported. G-Dragon is a good leader indeed. Leading other four members, he is successful to make the group known worldwide. His talent in producing music is no doubt. He has got much money for the royalty of his songs. Even with his wealth, he stays humble. G-Dragon's upcoming world tour has been waited by fans. They want to see his solo concert singing his hits songs. Right now, G-Dragon is in the middle of preparing for his tour. Even though he is busy, he still had time for IU and gave his support for his collaboration in "Palette." This charismatic leader of Bigbang will rock the world in near time. Read Next: TWICE Sold Out 5,000 Seats Of Their First Concert In Singapore Recent reports have confirmed that Girls' Generation's Taeyeon is busy preparing for her upcoming solo concert this June. Her management company has also confirmed the reports, which is why there is no doubt that the much-anticipated concert is pushing through. According to Yonhap News, the title of the upcoming concert of Taeyeon is "TAEYEON solo concert: PERSONA". With this, one can clearly see how Taeyeon is doing the best of what she can to have her own image and to show to the world that she can make it on her own, without having to rely on her girl group, Girls' Generation. Reports have also confirmed that the concert will be held for three days and will start on May 12 and end on May 14. It will be held at the Olympic Hall of the Seoul Olympic Park. The last concert that Taeyeon has been through was held during last year's July and August. Reports also state that Taeyeon will also be having her Asian concert tour, wherein she will go to Taipei, Hong Kong, and Bangkok. According to All K-pop, the management company of Taeyeon said that the reason behind the concert being name as "Persona", is because together with Taeyeon, they wanted to show to the world that she has a wide spectrum of music. This will show the versatility and distinct feel to the voice of Taeyeon. Just recently, Taeyeon's first full-length album entitled, "My Voice - The 1st Album Deluxe Edition" had its own extended edition, and it was unveiled to the public. With this, there is a very high probability that Taeyeon will be singing her latest and new songs in her upcoming concert and concert tour. Let's wish Taeyeon the best of luck in her upcoming concerts. She surely has the guts to do all of it with grace and all out power. Lee Dong Gun and Jo Yoon Hee married news have made everyone shocked. The couple has only been dating for two months, and on May 2 Lee Dong Gun sent a letter to public to announce that he and his co-star in "Laurel Tree Tailors" have been officially married and are expecting their first child. People in online communities have responded to the shocking news in various ways, Allkpop reported. Most of them are obviously surprised by the sudden news, considering the couple was only dating for a short period. A fan even said that Lee Dong Gun is moving faster than the fastest internet speed. The actor previously dated T-ARA member, Jiyeon for a year and a half. Several months later, Lee Dong Gun announced to the public that he's dating his co-star Jo Yoon Hee. Meanwhile, Jo Yoon Hee has opened up about her marriage with Lee Dong Gun on KBS CoolFM's Live Broadcast. As per Soompi, Jo Yoon Hee greeted her fans by saying she's missed them and apologized for the sudden news. She bets everyone still can't believe that she and Lee Dong Gun are officially husband and wife now. Jo Yoon Hee said that she has read articles about the recent news as well as fans' reactions to that. As for fans who think they're moving too fast, Jo Yoon Hee said the timing to tell the news publicly was perfect, and she just wants to share her happiness with people she cares about, including fans. Jo Yoon Hee concluded her statement by promising everyone that she and Lee Dong Gun will start living positively and happily, especially now that they're expecting. Prior to the marriage announcement, Lee Dong Gun and Jo Yoon Hee were spotted on their vacation in Hawaii. The couple went to Hawaii not only for vacation, but Jo Yoon Hee was also doing a photoshoot at the beach in Hawaii. The Song Song couple Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo from KBS's "Descendants of the Sun" have not yet confirmed dating rumors even months after the end to their hit drama. However, fresh reports indicate that the couple could be headed for a breakup. Jealousy is being tagged as a culprit to the relationship's demise. According to a report by Korea Portal, rumors are swirling that Song Joong Ki was disappointed about his loss to "Goblin" star Gong Yoo as best actor in the recently concluded Drama Fever awards. The "Descendants of the Sun" actor was reportedly jealous that he did not get the award opposite Song Hye Kyo, who won for best actress for DOTS. It can be recalled that Gong Yoo took the award for Best Actor, Song Hye Kyo took the award for Best Actress while "Goblin" stars Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na were able to bag the best supporting actor and actor and actress awards respectively. Unfortunately, rumors suggest that Song Joong Ki was not too happy with this development triggering the breakup. While there has been no real confirmation of whether Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo really started dating after filming "Descendants of the Sun", rumors never stopped linking them together. The good relationship that developed from the set seemed to be the fans' cue that something more is going on in real life. They also remained supportive of each other after the drama ended, surprising each other at fan meetings. Most recently, an interview with W Korea where Song Joong Ki was quoted as saying that he would like to build his own family and become a good father someday has triggered a wedding frenzy among Song Song couple shippers. Fans were quick to point out a recent post showing Song Hye Kyo with kids as a sign that the actress is already ready to start a family of her own, Kpopstarz reported. Lee Dong Gun has announced that he and his girlfriend Jo Yoon Hee have gotten married and are expecting a child soon. The news came as a shock to many of the actor's fans since it was only recently that the "The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop" opened up about their relationship to the public. According to a report by Soompi, Lee Dong Gun made the announcement addressed to both his and Jo Yoon Hee's fans. The actor said that he and Joon Hee have gotten married and have registered their marriage legally. Lee Dong Gun further surprised his fans with the announcement that they are in a family way and are expecting the birth of their child in a few months' time. He added that he and his wife Jee Yoon Hee will have another ceremony after he concludes filming for "Seven Day Queen", his current drama. The veteran actor said that he made the announcement personally because he wanted their fans to know about the good news. Lee Dong Gun also promised to work harder at becoming a better actor, and a good husband to Jo Yoon Hee in order to repay all of the blessings they have received from their supporters. For her part, Jo Yoon Hee expressed in an interview that her marriage and pregnancy with Lee Dong Gun all came at the best time. She said that while the news may have come as a shock to their supporters, she and her new husband believe that everything just fell into place so easily, All Kpop reported. "It wasn't like we were trying to fit the pieces together by force," Jo Yoon Hee said about Lee Dong Gun and the baby."The timing was just right. We vow to live a radiant and positive life." It can be recalled that Lee Dong Gun and Jo Yoon Hee only recently confirmed that they were dating and asked for the fans' warm blessings when they announced their relationship. The pair fell in love on the set of KBS' "The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop" and have since continued their romance off screen. Related Egyptian court confirms death sentence against controversial Salafist preacher Ghoneim A Cairo criminal court has exonerated a man who had been previously sentenced to death on charges of involvement in deadly clashes in Giza's Omraniya district following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. In July 2016, Mohamed Ali Allam was sentenced to death in absentia along with five co-defendants for the murder of a child and the attempted murder of other citizens during violent clashes in the district in November 2013. Three other co-defendants were sentenced to life in prison in the same case. Allam received a retrial after he was arrested. All of the other defendants in the case are still at large. According to Egyptian law, those sentenced in absentia automatically receive retrials when they are arrested or turn themselves in. Since Morsi's ouster, hundreds of his supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood group have been handed death sentences and life in prison over murder and violence-related charges. Many of those who received death sentences have appealed their sentences and the Court of Cassation has ordered new trials. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Wednesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan the importance of intensifying Arab and international efforts to achieve political resolutions to the regions various civil conflicts, Egyptian presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef said in a statement. El-Sisi, who arrived in the UAE on Wednesday for a two-day visit, discussed with Bin Zayed, who is also the deputy chief of the UAE armed forces, the latest updates in the Yemeni, Syrian and Libyan civil conflicts. El-Sisi and Bin-Zayed agreed on the importance of preserving the unity and stability of these countries. The Egyptian president's arrival to the UAE corresponded with a statement by the Gulf country that talks between two rival Libyan factions led to "significant breakthroughs" in the attempt to end Libyas civil conflict. The Libya talks, which took place in the UAE on Tuesday, were attended by rival Libyan leaders Prime Minister Fayez Serraj and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by both Egypt and UAE. Egypt has been hosting rounds of negotiations between rival Libyan factions in Cairo since late 2016. El-Sisi, who also met with several other top UAE leaders, stressed Egypt's appreciation of its ties with the UAE and the support of the Gulf country to Cairo. The president stressed the importance of continued work to develop relations on all levels, adding that the current period holds major challenges for all Arab countries and calling for unified Arab efforts to boost national security. El-Sisi also presented during the meeting several development projects underway in Egypt, including the establishment of new cities and other projects related to infrastructure, energy and transportation. The UAE crown prince stressed that his country supports Egypts aspirations to achieve stability and development, adding that stability in Egypt means stability for the whole region. Bin Zayed said that El-Sisis visit to the UAE reflects the continued good relations between the two countries. The UAE, a key ally of Egypt, has supported Cairo economically and politically since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Search Keywords: Short link: Israel has eased restrictions on Gaza fishermen, allowing them to travel up to nine nautical miles off the coast of the blockaded territory instead of the previous six, Palestinian officials said Wednesday. The new policy was to take effect at 1200 GMT on Wednesday, said Mohammed al-Maqadma of the Palestinian office that coordinates with Israeli authorities. It will however only apply to the southern half of the Gaza Strip, he said. Nizar Ayash, head of the Gazan fishermen's union, confirmed the change and said he hoped it would help alleviate difficult conditions for them. Israeli authorities had not immediately responded to a request for comment. The size of the fishing zone has varied over the years, having been set at 20 nautical miles by the Oslo accords of the 1990s before being reduced by Israeli authorities. Israel previously extended the fishing zone to up to nine miles for several months in 2016. It was unclear how long the new enlargement would be in place. Israel launched three wars since 2008 against the stripe which has been under an Israeli blockade for 10 years. UN officials have called for the blockade to be lifted, citing deteriorating humanitarian conditions, but Israel says it is needed to keep Hamas, which runs the strip, from importing weapons or materials used to make them. Search Keywords: Short link: President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday pushed for "de-escalation zones" in Syria, saying both Russia and Turkey wanted to bolster the fail truce in the war-ravaged country. "We both proceed on the basis that -- and this is our common position -- the creation of safe zones should lead to further pacification and cessation of hostilities," Putin told a news conference alongside Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Putin said the proposed safe zones in Syria should become no-fly areas if fighting on the ground stops entirely. "Ultimately this process should lead to the complete restoration of the country's territorial integrity," Putin said, speaking in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The plan to create "de-escalation zones" was set to be discussed at fresh Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana on Wednesday but rebels suspended their participation in protest at air strikes on civilians. Putin said he had discussed the plan and other ways to boost the ceasefire in Syria with US President Donald Trump in a phone call on Tuesday. "As far as I can tell, the American administration supports these ideas," Putin said. Erdogan said that the plan to create such a zone in Syria's Idlib province had been raised during talks with Putin. "I hope that the de-escalation (there) will continue to be maintained," Erdogan said. The Kremlin strongman did not elaborate on how the safe zones would be controlled, saying this was "an issue for separate talks." An Arabic-language version of the proposal drafted by Russia obtained by AFP calls for the creation of such zones in rebel-held territory in the northwestern province of Idlib, in parts of Homs province in the centre, in the south, and in the opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. The aim is to "put an immediate end to the violence" and "provide the conditions for the safe, voluntary return of refugees" as well as the immediate delivery of relief supplies and medical aid, the document said. Search Keywords: Short link: President Donald Trump confidently predicted that a lasting Middle East peace agreement was within grasp Wednesday, as he hosted Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House. "We will get it done," Trump said, flaunting his deal-making prowess during a first meeting with the veteran Palestinian leader that marked the start of an ambitious -- some say quixotic -- presidential effort. Brushing aside the complexities of a decades-old conflict that has beguiled successive US leaders, Trump told Abbas that together with the Israelis they could bag "the toughest deal to make." "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado. Eighty-two-year-old Abbas -- a veteran of innumerable US, European, UN and Arab peace initiatives -- echoed Trump's upbeat tone. "Our strategic option, our strategic choice is to bring about peace," he said, praising Trump's "courageous stewardship" and "great negotiating ability." "We believe that we can ... be true partners to you to bring about a historic peace under your stewardship." But there was also a hint of the thicket that awaits the neophyte US president. "Mr. President, it's about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our lands," Abbas said, listing demands that the current Israeli government has baulked at. Among them, the right of return for Palestinians to lands currently held by Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and based on 1967 borders. The two men's upbeat tone contrasted sharply with that of veteran Middle East watchers. According to former White House official Dennis Ross, the gap between Israelis and Palestinians "has probably never been greater." "As someone who's worked on this for the last 30 years, I don't think we've ever been at a lower point," he said ahead of the meeting. Trump's long-shot effort to bring Middle East peace got off to a rocky start when he renounced support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of American policy held for decades. But receiving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House early in his term, Trump also showed he was willing to press Israel on the West Bank settlement building, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. On Wednesday, Trump offered no prescriptions for what a deal should look like, only saying that he would play the role of "a mediator, or an arbitrator, or a facilitator." "Any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States, or by any other nation," Trump said. During his four months in office, Trump has struggled to translate his skill in achieving business deals into effective governance. Efforts to overhaul health care, the tax system and government spending have faltered, despite Trump's Republican party controlling not only the White House but both houses of Congress. Abbas also makes an unlikely dealmaker. He made the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want him to resign. His term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. Palestinians are watching closely, including the leader of the radical Hamas movement Khaled Meshaal, who called on Trump to break with past approaches to Middle East peace. "This is a historic opportunity to pressure Israel... to find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people," he told CNN. Hamas on Tuesday released a policy document that for the first time indicates a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the borders that emerged after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, although it stops short of recognizing Israel. But Abbas will be encouraged that Trump did not publicly demand that the Palestinians cut funding to prisoners and their families. That could prose major domestic political headaches for Abbas, as he battles unpopularity and challenges from rival factions. "Mr President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace," Abbas said. Search Keywords: Short link: A Tunisian court Wednesday sentenced two people to death and 16 others to jail terms for acts of "terrorism" in 2014 during which a security guard was killed. Judiciary spokesman Sofiene Sliti told AFP that nine of those sentenced were tried in absentia. The two death sentences were handed down for the murder of the guard in Kebili, southern Tunisia. The 16 others were condemned to prison terms of between four and 36 years for "belonging to a terrorist group" and over a deadly clash with security forces near Tunis. Tunisia has observed a moratorium on carrying out executions since 1991. Since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia has experienced an increase in Islamist militant attacks that have cost the lives of dozens of members of the security forces and 59 foreign tourists. Search Keywords: Short link: Two months before construction was set to begin, the Childrens Pool Walk Beautification Project is facing yet another setback, causing some La Jolla Parks & Beaches (LJP&B) advisory group members to question whether the project (which could cost anywhere from $250,000 to $690,000) will ever come to fruition. Project plans would aesthetically improve the sidewalk and viewing area above Childrens Pool (originally built in 1931 with the construction of the seawall) and open up pedestrian flow and access. Construction was slated for June, but LJP&B president Ann Dynes said three new developments have come up, which need to be addressed, and she and other LJP&B members met with City engineers on April 10 to get the details. Chiefly, City engineers have determined that 1) the short wall that surrounds Childrens Pool may qualify as historic, which would affect any improvements done to it; 2) there are safety issues, which may result in the wall being raised or some form of screen being put in place; and 3) engineers discovered a storm drain that needs to be repaired before work can proceed. Addressing each of these points, San Diego Public Information Officer Alec Phillipp told La Jolla Light, via e-mail, The retaining wall system was determined to be eligible for designation in the National Register. As a result, any improvements to the retaining wall as part of the project should be consistent with the U.S. Secretary of Interiors Standards for preserving historical resources. City staff is currently reviewing the project and assisting Public Works staff to ensure consistency with the standards. Further, he said, Any improvements to existing structures would trigger modifications to meet current (safety) code requirements. Regarding the drain pipes, he said, An investigation of the condition of the line must be made from the outlet side of the pipe, but must wait until after June 1 when the harbor seal pupping season ends. This will be part of determining any corrective measures necessary for pipe repair. All said, Phillipp reports the City is evaluating alternatives that scale down the scope of work. To present these alternatives, City engineers have agreed to attend LJP&Bs July 24 meeting. LJP&B member Phyllis Minick, who has been heading the project for six years, said she considers the Citys continued interest a good sign. Whether the sidewalk is changed, whether the wall is changed or repaired, the main idea was to open up the sidewalk for better pedestrian flow. That area is grossly overused, she said. The City has agreed to look at that and report back. If they do nothing else but replace the spikey Natal Plum plant, and just put down decomposed granite, it would open up a considerable walkway. That would satisfy the access issue. The planners want to give us what wed like to have, but the obstructions are there and theres nothing we can do about it. Wed be wise to overlook them as much as possible and move forward in July to make the area better. However, LJP&B member Ken Hunrichs said he has a different impression of the situation. My takeaway is that the City didnt want to complete this project so they found a way, using this historical, safety and code regulation processes to kill this project. A blessing in disguise? In the meantime, Dynes said the board would investigate whether it would want to pursue getting the wall designated historic. To shed some light on the pros and cons of such action, La Jolla Historical Society preservation committee chair Diane Kane spoke at the meeting. You are actually lucky that the wall (could be) historic because it gives you some slack. What tends to happen when you have works of engineering like this which are both historic and serve a safety purpose the safety aspect tends to override the historic aspect, she explained. And engineers get very enthusiastic about bringing the thing up to code so they will raise the bar up to the required level, which can be completely inappropriate for a historic resource. It can also be unnecessary. According to Dynes, safety enhancements the City is considering include, a guardrail at a height of 42 inches from the ground at different locations along that wall. A drawing of what was proposed showed a metal mesh screen that would be installed along the top of the wall, she said in an e-mail about the situation. Kane, who worked for Cal Trans for 20 years as its architectural historian, said if the Childrens Pool Wall is deemed historic, it would not necessarily need to meet current safety standards. She advised the board to find out how many, and types of, accidents have happened at the site to determine if there is a problem that would need to be addressed. If the (only) issue is that this was built a long time ago and it doesnt come up to current standards, that doesnt mean its inherently unsafe, its just not at current standards. The State Building Code allows you to keep historic material in its condition as long as it is not unsafe. If it is unsafe, you have to consider in what way its unsafe and whats the minimum amount of treatment necessary to correct whatever safety issues are identified, she said. Dynes noted that if the board were to proceed with getting the wall designated historic, we might be able to restore the wall without having to put the safety precautions on it, and that would put this whole project back on track. She added that she would like to meet with representatives from the La Jolla Historical Society to better understand board options and next steps. La Jolla Parks & Beaches next meets 4 p.m. Monday, May 22 at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. lajollaparksandbeaches.org The Airport Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC) meeting April 26 at the Portuguese Hall in Point Loma was evidence that the aircraft noise issue in La Jolla remains ... and is growing. A total of 85 households from different areas within La Jolla logged airplane noise complaints this year through March 31 La Jolla, 44; La Jolla Mesa, 21; La Jolla Shores, 12; Bird Rock, 8. The number of households from La Jolla (85), is greater than the sum of all the other communities in San Diego put together (67), said Bird Rock resident Matthew Price. Most people (at this meeting) are from La Jolla, and overwhelmingly, the people affected by the noise are from La Jolla. He put forth a request for a local rep to be added to the ANAC board. A new demographic of complaints composed of younger people with small children showed up at the meeting. Bird Rock resident Krishna Ratnam told attendees the first word from his 2-year-old was airplane. We would go to the Bird Rock Coffee Roasters and watch these silver objects over the ocean. Now, when we see the planes from the coffee shop, I can read Southwest and United Airlines on them, Ratnam said. Committee members discussed an agenda item about the ANAC subcommittees request to send a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeking a high-level representative at their meetings, alleging the currently designated person doesnt have the level of answers or access they desire to make progress. Without substantive FAA representation, our communitys recourse to noise pollution will be severely degraded, the letter reads. La Jolla recently gained a representative on the ANAC subcommittee, Chris McCann, who voiced his support for the letter. But at the ANAC meeting, board members began showing uneasiness toward its message. Congress member Scott Peters board representative Brian Elliott, was the first one to break the ice. I think our relationship with the FAA has been good so far. I read through the letter and wanted to throw some alternatives to submitting it to the FAA, to maintain the relationship we have with them, he said. But subcommittee representative Deborah Watkins replied, (At our last meeting) we did not get answers at all, thats why there was frustration. We need to have someone who can answer our questions on a regular basis. The motion to approve the letter was rescinded, and the discussion was tabled for the following meeting (June 28) with the plan that Airport Authority staff member Sjohnna Knack would contact the FAA and ask them informally for a higher-up representative to attend ANAC subcommittee meetings. During public comment, La Jollans expressed their dismay with the boards lack of action. Im extremely disappointed with this committee, La Jolla resident Kasia Navarro stated. Shame on you all. Now, I have to go home to explain to my kids why they have to close their windows tonight, she said, adding that the noise starts at 6:30 a.m. and continues every couple of minutes. Its like a blender, its incredibly unsettling even with our windows closed. La Jolla rep McCann proposed, (FAAs Southern California air traffic manager) Barry Davis needs to be there, or someone like him needs to be there. If the FAA doesnt show up with someone who can be a part of the solution, theyre part of the problem. Bye Bye Webtrack The Airport Authority has substituted Flight Tracker (accessed at flighttracker.casper.aero/san) for its web-based flight tracking system Webtrack. Its a similar platform from a different vendor. As of April 27, the San Diego Webtrack website was switched off and all web-based complaints must be received through Flight Tracker. Knack explained the vendor was selected through a public tender years ago, and airport staff has been working with the company to enhance the service and make it more useful for San Diegans. With Flight Tracker, the delay is 15 minutes (as opposed to 30 minutes with Webtrack), so we get a bit closer in time, she said. Other advantages include a more complete set of data for each airplane. For many, the downside is the change comes along with ANACs removal of e-mail complaints. McCann asked, Im curious as to how many (complaints) were received by e-mail? Since youre going to cease e-mail on May 27, many of those complaints are going to disappear, I think we will see a (false) decrease in complaints at the next meeting. Knack replied that the new system will come with an adaptation process for users. But that way, when we get that info, we can do some investigation, when now, all were doing is inputting data. What this new process allows us to do is go into the system and instantaneously provide statistics, and we can analyze data any way we can, so we can move into case management. Instructions on how to use the new system can be found at bit.ly/SDFlightTracker Flight noise after dark Airport Authority staff showed a study of the five events that logged the most complaints thus far in 2017. All five of them flew near or over La Jolla, but the three top hitters (with seven, six and five complaints respectively) were nighttime noise abatement procedures or curfew violations making a right turn over La Jolla after 10 p.m. Whats happening after 10 p.m. its particularly egregious, Bird Rock resident Price said, between 10 and 11:30 p.m. the noise is nonstop because flights heading east, are going north, and keep flying north as far as La Jolla Shores. And thats only a minority of the problem. FAA responds La Jolla Light contacted FAA public affairs manager Ian Gregor about the continuance of airplane noise in the 92037 ZIP code. Here are his answers: Q: La Jollans were told by FAA staff that the March 2 changes in the San Diego Airport flight paths were going to lessen noise levels. However, complaints are on the rise. How do you explain that? A: I do not believe anyone from the FAA made any such statement. Q: La Jollans were told by FAA that the changes werent going to be implemented until March 2, yet everybody agrees that they started hearing the noise in November, and have felt no changes since March 2. What happened? A: We did not implement any new flight routes in November. We implemented the new routes in March. We send representatives to the ANAC meetings to try and understand noise concerns, and try to identify possible causes of those concerns. On Tuesday, May 2, the La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex pool reopened to residents after being closed off during the investigation of a mass shooting that occurred there Sunday, April 30. Apartment complex personnel tried to clean up the blood stains, but marks on the concrete pavement were evidence of the tragedy suffered by pool party-goers two days before. One of the seven gunshot victims, who died from her injuries, was identified as 35-year-old Monique Clark, a mother of three children. Two other injured people were in critical condition (at press time) at Scripps Hospital, but are expected to make a full recovery. A vigil to remember Clark and bring the community together will take place 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 at the 9045 Judicial Drive complex in University City, and prayer services were announced in two area churches, 6 p.m. at Good Samaritan Church, 4321 Eastgate Mall and 7 p.m. First Baptist Church of San Diego 5055 Governor Drive. Fliers posted at different entrances by the apartment complex management team offered community support through counselors available to residents, confidentially and at no cost. Licensed trauma specialists were on site beginning 6 p.m. May 1. The fliers also read: The San Diego Police Department has secured our site, and you may stay or return to your home at any time. There are 1,500 rental units at La Jolla Crossroads. Two gofundme campaigns have been established; one to cover hospital expenses of shooting victims and a second to cover Clarks funeral expenses. The petition, written by her mother, Michelle Fuget, reads, She is forever my daughter. She is forever her daughters mother. She is forever in our hearts. Thank you in advance for any and all help in our familys time of need and for respecting this time of grief. Demetrius Griffin identified himself as the author of the petition to raise funds for the 10 surgeries and related procedures performed by medical personnel on the victims. He was a witness to the tragedy, which he described in these details: A white male entered the pool area, around 45 years of age, and sat down near the exit. The birthday boy went forth to invite him into our party. The conversation did not last long about 30 seconds before the gunman pulled a handgun out of his waistband. As he raised his gun, he shot the birthday boy two times in the chest. Additionally, he began to shoot at the crowd. He shot one young lady in her left breast and her left arm, another young lady was shot in her leg three times, and a younger male was shot in his left leg. This exhausted his ammunition from that clip, little did we know, there was more ammunition in his backpack. He reloaded his weapon, and began to fire more gunshots. San Diego Police Department learned that the shooter, 49-year-old Peter Selis, who was shot dead by police officers, was despondent over a recent breakup. He took a cell phone, called his ex-girlfriend and told her had shot two people and police had arrived on the scene. He continued talking to her, he wanted his girlfriend to listen in. The victims just happened to be present, said Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman at a press conference the next day, where she added there were zero indicators that the victims were targeted for their race. That statement was contended by community members and crime victims, who allege that the shooter was white and the victims were black or Latino. A young woman present at the scene, a member of the Marine Corps, told TV cameras she had felt hate from the shooter, who according to her testimony told a white person to leave or die here. Police have revised their statement, adding that one of the shooting victims, initially identified as African American, was white. The remaining victims are three African-American females, two African-American males and a Hispanic male. A third African-American male sustained a broken bone while fleeing the area, and a Hispanic female security guard was shot at by Selis, but not struck. Alliance San Diego, an institution striving to change marginalizing policies by empowering communities, said in a statement that Police Chief Zimmerman had ruled out racial motivations too soon. Chief Zimmerman made these statements less than 24 hours after the incident and while the investigation remains pending, the statement reads. Area resident Max Pete told La Jolla Light he was affected by the tragedy, but Im not going to stop going to my apartment complex pool. Im just struck that this (type of crime) can happen anywhere. To make a financial contribution: The gofundme for medical expenses is gofundme.com/3q2z86o The gofundme to help cover Monique Clarks funeral expenses is gofundme.com/3q2xigo Related Opposition presses for fresh marches in Venezuela Clashes broke out at the latest anti-government protests in Venezuela on Wednesday as security forces fired tear gas to drive back a crowd of thousands of demonstrators marching in Caracas. Police with riot trucks advanced along a major avenue in the capital, firing tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to push back a crowd of protesters, some of whom threw stones and petrol bombs, AFP reporters at the scene saw. Search Keywords: Short link: WALWORTH Even though I live in Wisconsin, I would hardly call myself a cheese expert. Yes, Ive had my fair share of Wisconsin-famous cheese curds, but you wouldnt exactly call me a cheese guru. My go-to cheeses come one way Italian. Mozzarella dipped in olive oil, provolone on a sandwich, asiago on a bagel. My Italian comfort zone could be a reflection of my genetics, or a testimony to how picky I can be. Which is why, when I attended Terry and Denise Woods Highfield Farm Creamery cheese tasting event, I was expecting to really like one or two cheeses at the most. Boy, was I wrong. More than just a mouthful But before the cheese comes from the fridge to the dinner table, one must be thoughtful about the presentation. Prior to learning the importance of proper cheese arrangement, I would take bricks of as many cheeses as I could find, slice them up and haphazardly lay them on a platter with some crackers strewn to the side. I think Terry and Denises jaws wouldve hit the ground if they saw my Thanksgiving cheese plate from last year. The Woods couple stressed that when you host an event, less is more. Having one or two cheeses on a plate with some perfectly paired sides better showcases the flavor of the cheese and doesnt overwhelm a palate. It is also important to note that the order in which you try cheese actually matters. You should go from the mildest flavor and slowly work your way up to the strongest cheese. If the strongest cheeses are tried first, you will not be able to taste the milder cheeses. And that rule stays the same for the side dishes. When I think cheese, I automatically add wine. Little did I know, there are far better ways to accompany your cheese, like paring it with walnuts, chocolate and even a mushroom pate, all of which I tried and surprisingly loved. But out of all the pairings, my personal favorite happened to not be Italian. Instead, a slice of Brie which was imported from France paired with pecan cranberry crisps won my heart, and more importantly, my stomach. The perfect combination of salty and sweet was tried at the beginning of the tasting, leaving me hungry for more. Stir-crazy for European cheeses Speaking of my Italian roots, my taste buds still seemed to gravitate toward my European favorites. A homemade ricotta with honey and walnuts was the first dish I tried, and was arguably the sweetest. A light, creamy cheese left hints of sweet honey on my tongue and a desire to whip up a batch myself at home. (Good thing Terry and Denise gave us cheese-tasters the recipe!) Then came my all-time favorite mozzarella. Drenched in olive oil and mixed with salt and pepper, I knew this was something I would enjoy. Interestingly enough, mozzarella actually is fairly bland before itsmarinated in something, which is why it usually is accompanied by more flavorful foods. Adding a touch of balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes was suggested for a light, summery treat. And I cant even begin to describe how incredible the Parmigianino Reggiano was. Imported from Italy, this cheese comes from raw cow milk. Once topped off with a fresh batch of mushroom pate, I swear my Italian taste buds were practically singing. But, not every cheese we tried was Italian. And, boy, was I skeptical of a few. A Wensleydale cheese from Yorkshire, England mixed with cranberries looked a little too adventurous for me. However, I figured I needed to expand my horizons and gave it a shot. It became my favorite sweet cheese of the night. Almost dessert-like, this cheese makes for an excellent Christmas dish. And once Denise suggested pairing it with white chocolate, I was sold. We also tried a Highfield Farm Creamery specialty cheese the stir-crazy. Made from pasteurized, grass-fed whole cow milk, it did not disappoint. A labor of love, the Woods specialty cheese is constantly stirred to ensure it cools properly and knits together. While pressed, it is done lightly, resulting in small holes and a delicious, one-of-a-kind flavor. It is best described as a mild Colby-style cheese, and was creamy, airy and one of the best cheeses of the night. Brie prepared While I could never operate a creamery, I learned and tasted so many delicious cheeses I never thought Id like. Not only that, but I learned that cheese can be paired with a wide-variety of side dishes. So bring on the ricotta and stir-crazy, because Im confident that my cheese game will be stepped up at my next dinner party. Northwestern Military and Naval Academy located on Geneva Lake in 1915, will be the focus of a new exhibit at the Geneva Lake Museum, 255 Mill St. The academy was a high school founded by Harlan Page Davidson in Highland Park. Janet Ewing, museum director, said the exhibit is expected to open in June. Ewings father was a graduate of the academy. According to Regional News archives, the school took boys, grades 7 to 12, and put them through a military-based system of instruction to ready them for college and beyond. After financial troubles almost closed the school, Northwestern merged with St. Johns Military Academy, Delafield, in 1995 and formed St. Johns Northwestern Military Academy. The old academy building has since been razed to make room for a high-end subdivision on Geneva Lake. Some scenes in the motion picture Damien: Omen II were filmed at the Geneva Lake campus. Among its more notable students were actor Spencer Tracy who attended in 1919 and 1920 and Curtis Roosevelt, eldest grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who graduated from Northwestern in 1948 and who later represented the United States in the United Nations. Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of... An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at... Honoring Cesar Chavez Op Ed by Ruben Martinez, Ph.D. Cesar Chavez died near his hometown of Yuma, AZ on April 22, 1993 at the age of 66. Chavez was in San Luis, AZ to assist UFW attorneys defend the union against a lawsuit brought by Bruce Church Inc. (BCI), a giant California-based lettuce and vegetable producer. Eastern Michigan University's 12th annual Cesar Chavez celebration YPSILANTI: Eastern Michigan University is the most diverse university in Michigan, which it holds as a defining and singular strength. As part of that, EMU is proud to host various events throughout the year that celebrate all races, cultures and ethnicities. Por: Isabel Flores, corresponsal La Prensa DETROIT, MI: La Comision Nacional de Libros de Textos Gratuitos (Conaliteg) cuenta en su portal de internet con el acervo digital de todos los libros de texto gratuitos para el ciclo escolar 2019 - 2020. El catalogo puede consultarse en la direccion: http:/libros.conaliteg.gob.mx De esta manera, los ninos podran mantenerse entretenidos con informacion en su propio idioma y estar al dia con sus materias, mientras se encuentran en casa por la contingencia. Census 2020: Todos Debemos ser Contados The Iraq war may not sound like musical comedy, but an Off-Broadway revival is spinning intelligence failures and tragedy into a farce that offers potent messages for Donald Trump's America. "Baghdaddy" officially opens on Monday, telling the true story of an Iraqi defector, code named Curveball, whose claims about weapons of mass destruction became justification for the US-led invasion in 2003. "If you put 'Hamilton' and 'The Office' in a blender you would have this show," says producer Charlie Fink of the Broadway smash hit about American founding father Alexander and the US television sitcom. The plot opens in the present day with disgraced CIA spies gathering at a support group -- think Spooks Anonymous -- as they seek understanding and redemption for mistakes that haunt them years later. The action then switches back in time to Frankfurt airport, where the informant offers to trade apparent secrets about Saddam Hussein's presumed bio-weapons program for political asylum. German intelligence consults the CIA, where analysts driven by ambition, office crushes and intransigent bosses see Curveball as a ticket out of everyday routine and a fast-track to promotion. But the growing farce quickly gives way to the 9/11 attacks, swapping comedy for tragedy and the onset of a war still being fought today, 14 years after an invasion found no weapons of mass destruction. It's a fast-paced script woven into a tight score that blends traditional musical theater and camp dancing with hip-hop tracks that carry a stark warning that history should not repeat itself. Fink says it is more relevant than ever in today's climate of "fake news" and "alternative facts" as some fear that Trump could drag the country into another conflict, if not in Syria then over North Korea. "It has an immediacy that it didn't have in 2015 and a sense that we're doing this all again," says Fink, referring to a short run two years ago. "It feels like a time when rules are being rewritten and authority is listening to its instincts, rather than listening to facts and analysis. And that's scary," says Fink. The first preview on April 6 coincided with the day that the president ordered a cruise missile attack on a Syrian airbase, the first direct US action against the Syrian regime. Low budget and in the works for 10 years, there are just eight actors playing six main roles. "Baghdaddy" returns at the height of the Broadway season, competing with more than a dozen other new shows. It also spreads responsibility for the 2003 invasion far and wide, not just at the door of then president George W. Bush or the US government but the country as a whole and its Western allies in general. "We all messed up," says Marshall Pailet, director, co-writer and composer. Far from seeing comedy as inappropriate, he says it's a great vehicle to get New York theater-goers thinking. "Because we open up their minds and their hearts with comedy, we're able to slip in substance, story, character and a lesson." A.D. Penedo, who wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book, admits it was daunting to turn the subject into a musical that both entertains and sends people away with a clear message. "We want them to be entertained and moved," he said. "But we want them to take away... that even though you feel like you don't matter, you really do, and there's ramifications for your actions." The show is scheduled to run until June 18 at St Luke's Theatre, a basement venue just steps from Times Square. But never does the show laugh at war itself. More than 4,500 US troops have died in Iraq since 2003. Some estimates for the number of civilians to have perished range from 173,916 to nearly half a million. "We all own it," says Fink. "A wound in the world that is not going to be healed with tears or laughter." For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: PRESS RELEASE Greece Reaches Another Bad Deal with Its Lenders May 2, 2017 (EIRNS)Greece and its creditors reached yet another disastrous deal today that allows the release of bailout funds that go directly to the banks, especially the European Central Bank. Greeces Finance Minister, the hapless Euclid Tsakalotos, told reporters: "There was white smoke. The negotiations for a technical deal were concluded on all issues ... the way has now been paved for debt-relief talks." Of course, there is no official statement on debt-relief talks anytime soon. The release of 7.5 billion is to pay debt maturing in July, most of which will be going to the European Central Bank. The agreement calls for cutting pensions in 2019 and cutting the tax-free threshold in 2020 to produce savings worth 2% of Gross Domestic Product. Only after the agreement successfully extracts more blood will Greece be allowed to activate a set of measures that theoretically offset the impact of the additional austerity, which includes mainly lowering taxes. In a draft document seen by Reuters, the International Monetary Fund says Greece can reach a primary surplus of 2.2% in 2018 and aim at the absurd level of 3.5% annually in 2019-2021. It is not surprising that a recent poll shows continuing disenchantment with the European Union, according to a recent survey of European attitudes by the Eurobarometer. While 34% of those polled said belonging to the EU is a good thing, 32% said the opposite; 33% said EU membership is neither good nor bad. This compares to the EU average, in which 57% say belonging to the EU is a good thing, as opposed to 14% who express the opposite opinion. PRESS RELEASE Hamas Reveals Dramatic Change in Stance Toward Israel May 2, 2017 (EIRNS)The Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas has removed from its charter the pledge to destroy Israel, and now accepts a Palestinian state along with Israel, based on the 1967 borders. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal made the official announcement on Monday at a press conference in Qatar. The charter also now accepts the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the "national framework" for Palestinians. "The document is available to anyone who wants to know about Hamas and its policies," Mashaal said. "The document reflects the consensus and reconciles Islamic and international principles." Hamas described the long-awaited document as a set of "general principles and policies" rather than a replacement for its founding charter, which critics have often cited as evidence the group would not be committed to any peace deal with Israel. Ahmad Yusuf, a senior Hamas leader, said the new document signalled "an important shift in the way Hamas is thinking" that will give it more flexibility internationally. "There is a lot considered new when compared to the charter of 1988 in the way we talk about Jews. The problem is not with the Jewish people or their religion; the problem is with the Israeli project and occupation," he told Anadolu Agency. "This is a very important declaration from Hamas." He said that it also underlines, that opposition to Israel does not need to be through armed means, and that the document is more suited to Hamass current position, as the ruling faction in the blockaded Gaza Strip. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister David Keyes dismissed the document, accusing Hamas of unsuccessfully "attempting to fool the world" while continuing to use violence against Israel. This change comes in the context of the new U.S. Presidency of Donald Trump, whose special envoy, Jason Greenblatt, has already toured the region in an effort to get the Israeli-Palestinian talks started again. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to meet President Donald Trump in the near future. One thing required for talks is to establish Palestinian unity between the Palestine Liberation Organization-controlled West Bank and Hamas-controlled Gaza. In this context, it is noted that Mashaal is to step down as Hamas leader later this month. Among those contending for leadership are Moussa Abu Marzouk, who is now based in Egypt, and Ismail Haniyeh, a former top Hamas official in Gaza. Already there are fears in Israel that Trump might not be the usual American presidential pushover when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. A recent commentary in Ynetnews by Israeli journalist Alex Fishman, bearing the revealing title, "Israeli Officials Are Missing Obama Earlier than Expected," makes this point. Fishman writes that former President Barack Obama was the best U.S. president for Israel. While he may have expressed his dislike for Israeli expansion of its settlements in the West Bank, Obama never pressured Israel and, in fact, increased military aid to an unprecedented level. Fishman writes that Israelis have real concern that this might change with Trump, whose security team sees the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as standing in the way of overall Middle East settlement. PRESS RELEASE Senators Letter to Saudi Ambassador: Stop Yemen Bombing May 1, 2017 (EIRNS)A bi-partisan group of nine Senators sent a letter to Saudi Ambassador in Washington Khalid bin Salman Abdulaziz, last Thursday, calling on the Saudi kingdom to cease bombing the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, the single port capable of receiving foreign aid for the war-battered population. Today, there are signs that the pressure may be succeeding. Led by Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young, the group also includes Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The letter outlines five points to "alleviate the suffering" of the Yemeni people, leading with lending "full support to Secretary Mattis call for a political settlement in Yemen." In addition, they call upon the Saudis to "refrain from bombing" the port; expedite the inspection process for food cargos; facilitate the delivery of cargo cranes; and to "redouble efforts to ensure airstrikes do not hit key economic facilities and civilian infrastructure." Last week, the UN hosted a "Pledge Conference" which raised over $1 billion in food aidunfortunately, only half of the $2.1 billion they were seeking. On Friday, following the second direct visit of Defense Secretary James Mattis to the kingdom, it was reported by Al-Monitor that the Saudis had apparently "shifted" their approach to Yemen, and were now looking for a "political solution" to the fighting. The paper quotes former (Obama-era) ambassador Gerald Feierstein, that this move could have significance far beyond the Gulf region: "Most importantly, if you can get some kind of political agreement on Hodeidah, it might in turn be a confidence-building measure that allows you to accomplish other things, that allows you to move on to getting back to political negotiations," Feierstein said. "So it could be a real game changer if you can get this done." It should be recalled that, in April, Gen. Mattisin what amounted to a complete reversal of what he had said only a month earlierhad called for a political solution in Yemen, saying that, "our goal is to push this conflict into UN-brokered negotiations to make sure it is ended as soon as possible." PRESS RELEASE Trump, Putin Discuss Syria, North Korea, Possible Meeting May 2, 2017 (EIRNS)U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a "business-like" telephone conversation, today, during which they discussed how to promote diplomatic progress in both Syria and North Korea. "Vladimir Putin has called for restraint and decreasing of the level of tensions" on the Korean peninsula, the Kremlin statement said as reported by RT. "It has been agreed to work jointly on a diplomatic solution that will settle the crisis." On Syria, the two presidents have decided to "activate the dialogue between the heads of the foreign ministries of both countries [Tillerson and Lavrov] who will seek variants to secure the ceasefire regime, stabilize it and control it," the statement says. "The goal is to create the background that would help launch a real peace process in Syria. This means that Russias foreign minister and the U.S. secretary of state would inform their leaders about progress in this regard." The White House statement reported that the two leaders agreed that "all parties must do all they can to end the violence" in Syria and that Trump and Putin also discussed working together against Islamic militants throughout the Middle East. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," it said. Trump and Putin also spoke in favor of organizing a face-to-face meeting around the time of the G20 summit in Hamburg in July, according to the Kremlin statement. This call, the first since Trump was induced to attack a Syrian airfield based on false intelligence from the British, should make it possible for Trump to return to his original intention to work closely with Russia in the war on terrorism. If Georgia Democrats get their way, the next governor of the state might be a prolific author of romance novels. Stacey Abrams, the minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, filed paperwork Tuesday for a gubernatorial run, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Abrams says she is exploring a run and has not yet committed to the race. Advertisement Abrams is a Yale-educated attorney and businesswoman who has also written eight romance books under the pen name Selena Montgomery. Her latest, a novel called Deception, was published in 2009 by Avon, a HarperCollins imprint. Abrams biography on the HarperCollins website describes her as a lawyer by day and a writer during every waking hour. She is also an obsessive consumer of political biographies, every genre of fiction, good television, and film and movies (which are different), the biography reads. She is still mourning the passing of Buffy and the end of the Star Trek: The Next Generation franchise. Abrams wrote her first book, Rules of Engagement, as a third-year law student at Yale University, she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2013. She originally envisioned the book as a spy thriller, but was worried that publishers would be reluctant to publish an espionage-themed novel by a female writer. I found if I made my spy fall in love, I could publish it as romance, Abrams said. They got to kill all the same people they were going to kill, but they fell in love at the end of the story. If elected, Abrams wouldnt be the first romance novelist to win statewide office. Susan Combs, the former state agriculture commissioner and comptroller of Texas, published a steamy erotic novel called A Perfect Match in 1990, two years before being elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Combs, a Republican, never published another novel. Her book did cause a brief controversy in 2006 during her run for comptroller, when her Democratic opponent, Fred Head, attacked her over the novel. Combs beat Head in a landslide. Fiction writers have had mixed results when it comes to political runs. Novelist Norman Mailer made headlines when he sought the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City in 1969, running on a platform that urged the city to secede from the state of New York. Mailer lost the election, garnering just 5% of the vote. Jim Webb, a decorated Vietnam veteran who wrote the acclaimed 1978 novel Fields of Fire, had better luck in his first run for office. Webb, who had previously served as secretary of the Navy, defeated George Allen to become a U.S. senator from Virginia in 2006. He retired after one term, and briefly sought the Democratic nomination for president, dropping out of the race in 2015 after disappointing fundraising and poll results. Its not known yet whether Abrams will have the field to herself if she decides to seek the Democratic nomination for Georgia governor. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and state representative Stacey Evans could also decide to mount bids. Jason Carter, a former Georgia state senator and a grandson of former President Carter, has also expressed interest in running. A few years ago, Washington state awarded the Boeing Co. the largest corporate tax break any state had given any corporation a massive $8.7-billion handout aimed at encouraging the aerospace industry generally, and Boeing specifically, to maintain and grow its workforce within the state. Unwisely, state legislators and Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee didnt make that a hard and fast requirement of the handout. So theyve had to stand by powerlessly as the company has cut 12,655 jobs, or more than 15% of its Washington workforce, since that heady signing ceremony in November 2013. Layoff notices have gone out to 429 more employees in just the last few weeks. Now the state is poised to strike back. Two bills in the state legislature would claw back part of the tax break or eliminate it completely if the company continues to pare jobs. Advertisement When youve got a company so dominant it can have its way with the tax code, you have to build in safeguards. Greg LeRoy, Good Jobs First This is a poster child for the incentives we give away, Democratic State Rep. Noel Frame, one of the bills sponsors, told me this week. Laying off workers despite billions in tax breaks, she said, has been so blatant in its disrespect for the will and intent of why we give tax incentives, the outrage is bipartisan. The outrage comes partially from Boeings habit of forcing its workers to shoulder the pain of managements inability to compete more effectively with Airbus, its European chief rival in the airliner business. Last December, the company blamed that competition for a sharp slowdown in orders for its 777X airliner, a mainstay of Washington state production lines, which it said would mean a hit to the workforce. But the very same day, the company announced a 30% increase in its quarterly dividend and a new $14-billion share repurchase program. Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg crowed that those initiatives signified Boeings determination to meet our commitment to provide competitive returns to our shareholders. Dont expect Boeing to take the threat of cuts in its tax subsidies lying down. Changing Washingtons aerospace tax incentives would prevent Boeing from being able to respond to future market challenges, Bill McSherry, a company spokesman, told the Legislature this week. He cited significant competitive pressure on every order and said that job reductions have occurred only when absolutely necessary. Boeing has kept its word to Washington, McSherry said, but that may be true only because its commitment was so vague. Many of Washingtons lost jobs, according to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, have gone to South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri or Alabama, states where the company faces more tolerant employment regulations or has agreed to more explicit employment mandates, or both. According to Good Jobs First, which tracks corporate subsidies, Missouri has offered Boeing $229 million in subsidies if the company maintains a workforce of 14,500 and creates 2,000 new jobs; if employment falls below 11,000, Boeing must repay the subsidy. South Carolina capped some of its $450 million in incentives to attract a 787 Dreamliner plant at $12,500 per new job and mandated other investment. Theres little mystery to why Boeing was able to extract a lavish no-strings-attached handout from Washington. The company is the states biggest corporate employer and the source of thousands of high-paying professional jobs. But its demands also have turned Washington into the national leader in Boeing handouts, with $12.3 billion in incentives bestowed on the company over the years by the reckoning of Good Jobs First. (South Carolina comes in second.) Washingtons multibillion-dollar endowment to Boeing dates back to 2003, when the state awarded the company more than $3.2 billion in incentives through 2024. But the big handout came in 2013, when Inslee and the legislature extended the incentives through 2040, at an estimated value of $8.7 billion. But that only heightened the need for Washington to be smarter. When youve got a company so dominant it can have its way with the tax code, says Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, you have to build in safeguards. Even beyond the scale of the subsidy, Washington was especially indulgent toward Boeing. We gave aerospace and Boeing the largest tax break in U.S. history, says Bill Dugovich, a spokesman for the engineering union, and were the only state that didnt tie the break directly to jobs. The measures under consideration at the Olympia statehouse aim to rectify that failure. A Democratic version sponsored by Frame would set a baseline for Boeings Washington employment at 70,000 jobs. If the workforce falls below that point, the company would lose half its tax break; if it falls below 67,500, it would lose the entire subsidy. A companion Republican bill would require average employment of 75,000 jobs through 2024. Fall below that, and the tax incentive will expire in 2024. Frame says she expects the final version to resemble a melding of both measures. The bills reflect rising awareness that Washington, like some other states, has been lining corporate pockets with crucial revenues and getting nothing in return. As a state we are dealing with a financial crisis related to funding for public schools, Frame says. Were in violation of the state constitution and in contempt of a court order. The incentives mean our taxpayer dollars are going to Boeings bottom line, not to create jobs. 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. MORE FROM MICHAEL HILTZIK Wall Streets grousing about American Airlines worker raises shows whats wrong with Wall Street CalPERS credibility takes another hit as a board controversy blows up in its face No, ebooks arent dying but their quest to dominate the reading world has hit a speed bump A day after airline executives went before lawmakers to defend their customer service, American Airlines confirmed Wednesday it will shrink the distance between economy seats in some new planes but dont accuse the carrier of cutting legroom. The distance between the back of one seat and the back of the next known as the pitch in industry jargon will be 30 inches for most of the economy seats on the 737-Max jet the carrier will start flying this year, American Airlines representatives said. For three rows in the economy section, the distance will be 29 inches. For comparison, the distance on similar-sized Boeing 737-800 jets American currently operates is 31 inches. Advertisement With seat backs closer together, does that mean your legs will have less room to stretch out? Doing the math on legroom American Airlines spokesman Joshua Freed said the carrier doesnt measure legroom, which it considers a subjective experience that varies with the length of each passengers legs. Instead, he said, the carrier is able to shrink the distance between seat backs the pitch measurement standard the industry prefers because they are thinner on the 737-Max. That should minimize the effect on passenger limbs, Freed said. It still provides a good experience for people, he said. Americans current Boeing 737-800 jets carry 160 seats. Freed said the airline doesnt know how many seats will fit in the 737-Max. It still provides a good experience for people. Joshua Freed, American Airlines spokesman Southwest Airlines will begin operating the 737-Max on Oct. 1, and it will have a 32-inch pitch on all seats. A seat comparison last year on ThePointsGuy.com, a website that tracks airline loyalty programs and other perks, called a 29-inch pitch miserable, while a 34-inch pitch is super comfy. JetBlues A320 planes offer a 34-inch pitch on all seats, the site noted. Americans seat-distance plans were first reported by CNN. The Fort Worth-based carrier plans to take possession of 100 737-Max jets over the next five years, starting with four jets this year. Seat size is not just about comfort; it is about the safety and health of the flying public. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) The news comes shortly after U.S. lawmakers told executives from some airlines, including American, that the government would intervene if the airlines did not improve customer service on their own. During Tuesdays four-hour hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, lawmakers sharply questioned airline executives on issues including overbooking policies and competition within the airline industry, as well as simplifying the complex language of contracts of carriage. At one point in the hearing, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) berated American Airlines for relying on a regional carrier that uses what he described as buses with propellers. Why do you use Air Wisconsin and put passengers in those teeny, tiny, awful seats with the probably the worst pitch, worse than Spirit, and the worst width? Why do you use those? he asked, referring to Spirit Airlines, which offers some seats with a pitch of 28 inches. Kerry Philipovitch, Americans senior vice president for customer experience, apologized, saying: Were working to improve and standardize the experience our customers have, regardless of who operates the flight, when they buy an American ticket. After learning Wednesday of Americans plan to shrink the seat pitch on some jets, Cohen said that it seems like the entire message of yesterdays hearing was lost on the airline industry. He added that Congress should consider a proposal by passenger rights advocates to adopt a minimum standard seat size for all U.S. carriers. Seat size is not just about comfort; it is about the safety and health of the flying public, Cohen said. The Washington, D.C., hearing followed several highly publicized problems on airlines, including the April incident in which a passenger, Dr. David Dao, was violently removed from a United Airlines flight after he refused to give up his seat so an airline employee could have it. Last week, United reached a settlement with Dao. Last month, American Airlines removed a flight attendant from duty after he got into a verbal confrontation with a passenger after he took a stroller away from a different passenger. During her opening remarks in Tuesdays hearing, Philipovitch told the committee that recent incidents have been interpreted by some as evidence that customer service is broken in the airline industry. There is no question we can do better, but we are making progress. To read the article in Spanish, clic here samantha.masunaga@latimes.com hugo.martin@latimes.com Twitter: @smasunaga, @hugomartin ALSO Why airlines sell too many seats and why it might make sense Wheres my gate? Wheres my flight? Heres how to handle the major airline swap at LAX Column: Wall Streets grousing about American Airlines worker raises shows whats wrong with Wall Street This is the third annual conference on the boy-king to be held by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities Under the auspices of Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will hold on Saturday the third annual conference on King Tutankhamun. The opening ceremony will be held at the Ahmed Pasha Kamal Hall at the Ministry of Antiquities headquarters in Cairo's Zamalek neighbourhood. Tarek Tawfik, supervisor-general of the GEM, said that the conference would last for three days and will see a discussion on several archaeological topics, including Tutankhamuns furniture and human remains and the ideal methods of preserving them. These topics will be the focus of a number of scientific lectures and speeches by international and Egyptian scholars, curators and archaeologists attending the conference, as well as top officials from the Ministry of Antiquities. Tawfik told Ahram Online that the first day of the conference will involve an evening guided tour of the halls of kings Akhenaten and Tutankhamun at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. The English-language tour will be guided by French scholar Marc Gabolde and director of the Hanover Museum in Germany Chirstian Loeben. Tawfik will deliver a 20-minute speech on the new objects from Tutankhamuns tomb, with a reception to follow. Search Keywords: Short link: The Trump administration has tapped a banking lawyer to be the interim head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, as part of the administrations efforts to overhaul bank regulation. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says Keith Noreika, a partner at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, will become acting comptroller Friday. He succeeds Thomas Curry, who served as comptroller after being nominated by President Obama. Currys five-year term ended last month, but he had been serving until a replacement was named. Advertisement The administration said that Noreika will serve as first deputy comptroller and as the acting head of the agency until a permanent replacement for Curry is chosen. The comptrollers office is the chief overseer for federally chartered banks. President Trump has vowed to undo much of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that tightened controls on banks in response to the financial crisis, saying it has hurt economic growth. He said earlier this week he would even consider bringing back in its place some modern version of Glass-Steagall, a 1933 law repealed in 1999 that separated commercial and investment banking. That would mean breaking up the big Wall Street banks, but the administration has yet to put forth a detailed financial-reform proposal. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, led the $185-million regulatory settlement last year with Wells Fargo & Co. over its fake-accounts scandal. The bank has said employees created as many 2.1 million checking, savings and credit card accounts without customers authorization. However, in an internal report released last month, the agency acknowledged serious shortcomings in its oversight of the San Francisco institution. The report found that OCC regulators knew about the banks sales practices as far back as 2010 but missed numerous opportunities to address the wrongdoing prior to the settlement. The practices were first disclosed publicly in a 2013 Times investigation that found onerous sales goals pushed employees to create the accounts. UPDATES: 10:30 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the OCCs $185-million settlement with Wells Fargo & Co. This article was originally published at 9:50 a.m. Exxon Mobil Corp. relied on outdated procedures and used equipment that was older than its safe operating life, which led to a 2015 explosion at the Torrance refinery, endangering 150,000 nearby residents, a federal agency said Wednesday. Workers at the oil refinery ran the facility blind leading up to the Feb. 18 explosion that largely shuttered the plant for more than a year, said Vanessa Allen Sutherland, chairwoman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Gasoline prices soared following the explosion and stayed higher than normal for months. Citing a 73-page report her agency released Wednesday, Sutherland said the explosion posed a threat to the community because highly toxic hydrofluoric acid was on site. The chemical, used at only two refineries in the state and about 50 nationwide, can immediately penetrate the skin and destroy tissue. Advertisement The 2015 explosion had the potential to be catastrophic, Sutherland said during a news conference Wednesday. At the Torrance refinery, workers did not have proper protocols to ensure safety when deviating from normal operating procedures, she said. Not only do procedures need to be on the books, but workers must be trained in them and management must put into practice what is on paper. The board recommended in its report that Exxon Mobil and other refiners ensure they update and review safety procedures; provide the guidelines in writing to appropriate plant personnel; and identify and evaluate all critical safety equipment. Sutherland said her agency has sought more information about safety guidelines related to the refinerys hydrofluoric acid but has not received the requested documents from Exxon Mobil. The agency is working with the U.S. Department of Justice for enforcement of the subpoenas it has issued to Exxon Mobil. In response to the agencys report, Exxon Mobil said there is no evidence that the Feb. 18, 2015, explosion posed any risk to the unit that contains hydrofluoric acid or harm to the community. The company said it meets or exceeds accepted industry practices and has stringent safety measures in place. Exxon Mobil also noted that it was cooperating with the Chemical Safety Board throughout the investigation conducted by that agency and others. Responses to investigators included 150 witness interviews 65 with the Chemical Safety Board and 137,000 pages of documents. Exxon Mobil deeply regrets the Feb. 18, 2015, incident at the Torrance refinery, spokesman Todd Spitler said in a statement. We are thankful that no one was seriously hurt. We are confident that we understand the cause of the Feb. 18 incident and have worked cooperatively with the Chemical Safety Board and staff to fully understand their findings and recommendations to improve the safety of our operations, he said. The findings are horrifying, said Sally Hayati, president of the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance who attended Wednesdays news conference. The refinery is not managed well. Its dangerous. The 2015 explosion had the potential to be catastrophic. Vanessa Allen Sutherland, chairwoman, U.S. Chemical Safety Board The conclusions and recommendations of the Chemical Safety Board, an agency set for possible elimination by the Trump administration, came as part of a release of its investigation report on the explosion. Hayati said she is troubled that the existence of the Chemical Safety Board is being threatened because the agency provides the kind of reviews of major industries that residents need. The public needs this agency, Hayati said. Its one of the few in which safety is truly number one. They have the force of science, reason and logic behind them. The Torrance refinery has been the focus of local, state and federal scrutiny since the 2015 explosion that destroyed a pollution-control unit. The lengthy outage at the plant caused gasoline prices in Southern California to jump as high as $1.50 above the national average. During the outage, the plant, then owned by Exxon Mobil, operated at less than 20% of capacity. The Torrance refinery supplies 10% of the states refined gasoline capacity and 20% in Southern California. In addition to gasoline, the refinery produces jet fuel, diesel fuel and other petroleum products. It covers 750 acres and employs approximately 650 employees and 550 contractors. After repairing the refinery, Exxon Mobil sold the plant to New Jersey-based PBF Energy in July 2016. New owner, new problems Residents and critics of Exxon Mobils operations had hoped that PBF would run a safer refinery. But since PBF took over, the plant has endured one mishap after another, including temporary shutdowns, flaring and a fire. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also identified safety concerns at the refinery in a report issued in March. EPA inspectors cited the refinery for safety systems and equipment that were non-operational on a recurring basis, incorrect identification of a flammable storage unit and failure to document who was responsible for the risk-management program. During Wednesdays news conference, the Chemical Safety Board specifically noted that since the 2015 explosion, the Torrance refinery has experienced multiple incidents under both Exxon Mobil and PBF, including: A Sept. 6, 2015, hydrofluoric acid leak; A Nov. 15, 2016, fire that occurred while work was being conducted on a portion of the refinery; A Feb. 1, 2017, fire that occurred in the Torrance refinery tank farm; A Feb. 18, 2017, pump-related fire that occurred in the crude unit. The CSBs final report concludes that the refinery must adopt a robust safety management system in order to prevent future incidents, said Mark Wingard, a Chemical Safety Board investigator. Events at this facility keep occurring adoption of the CSBs safety recommendations will minimize the chances of future incidents. PBF Energy said it already has begun taking action to address the Chemical Safety Boards concerns and recommendations. I think that the CSB report is really powerful in terms of what it said about Exxon Mobil, said Jeff Dill, president of PBF Energys western region. I really think weve moved the place forward. The company said it plans to complete two studies later this year that will help address all concerns. In addition, as part of our commitment to operating safely, reliably, and in an environmentally responsible manner, we are investing more than $100 million in a maintenance turnaround at Torrance to improve the refinerys operational reliability, said Michael Karlovich, a PBF Energy spokesman. ivan.penn@latimes.com For more energy news, follow Ivan Penn on Twitter: @ivanlpenn ALSO Trump administration refuses to let Exxon Mobil drill for oil in Russia Exxon Mobil is ordered to hand over climate change research The role a melting glacier played in Exxons biggest disaster UPDATES: 1:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Sally Hayati, president of the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance. This article was originally published at 12:20 p.m. In a surprise shake-up Tuesday, Molina Healthcare Inc. a major player in Obamacare health insurance markets ousted its two top executives, both sons of the firms founder. The company cited poor financial results. The growing, Long Beach-based health insurer has nearly 5 million customers in 12 states and Puerto Rico, most of them insured through Medicaid, the government program for the poor. In California, Molina currently insures 765,000 people and operates its own clinics around the state. The company also has Medicare programs, and more than 1 million customers who purchased a plan on one of the marketplace exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Advertisement The companys shares soared as much as 20% on Tuesday after it said that J. Mario Molina, the companys chief executive and an outspoken critic of Republican efforts to repeal the ACA, and his brother John C. Molina, the chief financial officer, had been fired. Analysts have long viewed Molina as a potential acquisition target of a larger insurer. Removing the brothers could make such a deal easier, analysts say. The two brothers will be replaced by Joseph White, currently the companys chief accounting officer. White will serve as chief financial officer and interim chief executive while the board seeks a replacement for the top post. The board also named Dale Wolf, a director, as the companys new chairman. In light of the companys disappointing financial performance, the board has determined to change leadership in order to drive profitability through operational improvements, Wolf said in a statement early Tuesday. The board is committed to achieving operational excellence and improving the companys financial performance on behalf of our shareholders, more than 20,000 employees and our over 4 million members, he said. The brothers will remain on Molinas board, the company said. On a conference call Tuesday afternoon, analysts asked Wolf why the board had removed the executives so abruptly. One analyst asked if the company had found signs of fraud or illegal activity. Wolf told them that was not the case. The information we shared in the press release is all there is to say, he said. He added that there was a sense we werent keeping up with our competitors. On Tuesday, the company reported its first-quarter results, showing that its total number of insured members jumped by more than 500,000 people to 4,766,000. In the first three months of the year, the company earned $77 million in net income from $4.6 billion in revenue, for a net profit margin of 1.6%. Its a great franchise, Wolf told the analysts. We just need to improve the results. According to financial filings, J. Mario Molina owns 2.86% of the company, while John Molina owns 2.33% of the shares. The co-trustee of two Molina family trusts is listed as owning an additional 17.4% of the company. J. Mario Molina succeeded his father, C. David Molina, as CEO in 1996. In recent months, he had been outspoken about what he believed was wrong with the Republicans plans to replace the ACA. On April 27, he wrote a letter to Congress saying that the company would be forced to pull out of the ACAs exchanges if the government did not continue providing subsidies that lower a persons out-of-pocket costs based on their income. He wrote that Molina currently covers about 9% of all Americans enrolled in the Obamacare exchanges. If the subsidies were not funded, he wrote, we will have no choice but to send a notice of default informing the government that we are dropping our contracts for their failure to pay premiums and seek to withdraw from the marketplace immediately. The company has tried to control costs by limiting its networks of doctors and hospitals, as well as sending members to its own clinics. Many of its customers are lower income and suffer from chronic health conditions. The company offers to transport its members on free shuttles that not only get them to their doctors appointments, but stop at grocery stores, churches, laundromats and check-cashing stores. The company was founded in 1980 by C. David Molina, an emergency room doctor in Long Beach. In 1994, Molina and his firm won a state contract to provide care for mothers and children in Californias Medicaid program, which is called Medi-Cal. That no-bid contract, considered then to be worth $400 million, became controversial after Molinas application listed state Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) on its board of directors. Watson helped oversee Medi-Cal as chairwoman of the Senate Health Committee. Molina and Watson denied that she had done anything to influence the awarding the contract. The companys stock closed at $59.75 on Tuesday, up $8.95, or 17.6%. melody.petersen@latimes.com Follow @melodypetersen on Twitter A phishing email and a website masquerading as a legitimate Google service targeted thousands of people Wednesday, hoping they would supply personal information and spread the scam to others. The scheme appears to take advantage of technology that the search engine giant makes available to any website allowing people to log in to them with their Google username and password. The websites can get access to information people store with Google, including their contacts. In Wednesdays scam, a sham website was labeled Google Docs, confusing people who believed they were on the real document-writing and -sharing platform. Instead, the fake Google Docs uses the newly gained list of contacts to send spam. Advertisement To read this article in Spanish, click here We are investigating a phishing email that appears as Google Docs. We encourage you to not click through, & report as phishing within Gmail. Gmail (@gmail) May 3, 2017 Recipients may think a contact is sharing a Google-stored document. But clicking the link opens up the fake Google Docs website, further spreading the ploy. One way to know whether you have received a fraudulent Google Docs link: the to field in the phishing e-mail shows the address hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com. Its unclear whether the scam is harvesting any information from duped consumers or why Google approved a business bearing its name to use the technology. Google responded only with a statement that said: We have taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs, and have disabled offending accounts. Weve removed the fake pages, pushed updates through Safe Browsing, and our abuse team is working to prevent this kind of spoofing from happening again. People caught in the scheme can remove the scammers access to their Google accounts in their account settings. To read the article in Spanish, click here paresh.dave@latimes.com / PGP Twitter: @peard33 ALSO Wells Fargo fired a worker for refusing to scam customers, lawsuit says Hes saying the meanest things: Burbank family whose dog went missing could be the target of a scammer Column: Whatever you do, dont say yes when this chatbot asks, Can you hear me? UPDATES: 2:35 p.m.: This article was updated to include a statement from Google. This article was originally published at 1:50 p.m. Milo Yiannopoulos is launching a media empire for the next generation of the alt-right starring one Milo Yiannopoulos, who still has no love for feminism or political correctness. The notorious provocateur was publicly taken down a few pegs earlier this year: He was uninvited from CPAC, had his book deal canceled and resigned from Breitbart News in disgrace. Prior to that, a Yiannopoulos speech at UC Berkeley was canceled after people rioted in protest. Last summer, he was kicked off Twitter. Now, however, the professional troll is back with Milo Inc., a new business venture featuring himself as the main attraction, and hes trying to reach young people on the Internet. Advertisement The thing about me is that I have access to a talent pipeline that no one else even knows about, he bragged to Vanity Fair. All the funniest, smartest, most interesting young YouTubers and all the rest of them who hate feminism, who hate political correctness. This generation thats coming up, its about 13, 14, 15, now have very different politics than most other generations. They love us. They love me, he said, and Im going to be actively hunting around for the next Milo. Milo Inc. will get off the ground with $12 million in funding from investors he declined to name. His goal, according to his self-published press release: Making the lives of journalists, professors, politicians, feminists, Black Lives Matter activists, and other professional victims a living hell. Milo Inc.'s first stop? Berkeley, where hell organize Free Speech Week and give out the Mario Savio Award for Free Speech, named after a civil-rights activist who was a founder of the Free Speech Movement in the college town in the 60s. (Son Daniel Savio is not amused.) This isnt some vanity nameplate on a personal blog, the press release reads. This is a fully tooled-up talent factory and management company dedicated to the destruction of political correctness and the progressive left. The plans are to hire 30 people to work out of an office in Miami, and the goal is to ultimately expand to new talent, presumably drawn from the aforementioned YouTube pipeline. A launch party will be livestreamed Friday. Itll celebrate Cinco de Milo. Follow me on Twitter @jessica_roy. A Star Is Born: Morgan Freeman turns 80 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) I like to play characters who are the absolute opposite of me. I think the farther you get from yourself, the more fun you have because the real you is hidden away. Those are the kind of parts where you can become totally empty and let the character fill you up. Thats what I look for -- a role that gives me a chance to be someone completely different. Morgan Freeman, 1993 FROM THE ARCHIVES: No Sweat: Morgan Freeman Slides Into the Directors Chair Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Chloe Grace Moretz addresses body-shaming controversy over Snow White movie By Josh Rottenberg (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Actress Chloe Grace Moretz has long been known as a strong voice when it comes to issues of feminism, whether its over-sexualization of female characters or equal pay for women. Now shes speaking out against the marketing campaign behind one of her own projects. Moretz went on social media Wednesday to address criticism that marketing for the animated film Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs an updated tweak on the Snow White story, with Moretz as the voice of the classic fairy-tale character engages in body-shaming. I have now fully reviewed the [marketing] for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasnt approved by me or my team, the actress wrote. According to the website of the South Korean animation studio behind the film, its story centers on a Princess who doesnt fit into the celebrity world of Princesses or their dress size. When she puts on a pair of magical red shoes, she instantly becomes skinnier. The films synopsis promises an empowering message in which Snow White learns not only to accept herself, but to celebrate who she is, inside and out. But the films trailer and other marketing materials have been blasted as fat-shaming. Plus-size model Tess Holliday took to Twitter to criticize a billboard for the film that appeared at the Cannes Film Festival, where Red Shoes was seeking distribution, that suggested that the less svelte Snow White was no longer beautiful. How did this get approved by an entire marketing team? Why is it okay to tell young kids being fat = ugly? @ChloeGMoretz pic.twitter.com/PVhgwluGTM Tess Holliday (@Tess_Holliday) May 30, 2017 Hearing the complaints about the films tone-deaf marketing, Moretz agreed and told her more than 3 million followers so in a pair of tweets. I have now fully reviewed the mkting for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn't approved by me or my team Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Pls know I have let the producers of the film know. I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety https://t.co/IOIXYZTc3g Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Even as she apologized, she promised that the marketing doesnt represent the complete picture and the films ultimate message is a far more positive one than initial impressions may suggest. The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offense that was beyond my creative control https://t.co/HZP2ydPCAX Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Singing tween ventriloquist from Americas Got Talent is the cure for what ails you By Christie DZurilla Had enough outrage? Heres the cure for what ails you, courtesy of Americas Got Talent. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly and witness one Darci Lynne Farmer, a 12-year-old singing ventriloquist from Oklahoma City, who on Tuesday night got the Golden Buzzer from AGT judge Mel B for a performance that exuded unadulterated joy. Armed with bunny-puppet pal Petunia on lead vocals, Darci Lynne delivered a surprising version of Summertime for her audition. She ended up earning a ticket straight to the competitions live shows. You made my heart melt, said Mel B, who Darci Lynne later dubbed the best Spice Girl. I believe that that rabbit is a real separate person, judge Howie Mandel said. I love you. I believe youre gonna go far. You just changed your life tonight, young lady. https://t.co/VZmgRXv4PZ Darci Lynne (@ItsDarciLynne) May 31, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print John Legend makes case to take canceled drama Underground elsewhere By Nardine Saad (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) John Legend is making a case for the recently canceled TV drama Underground to be picked up by other content providers. The Oscar-winning musician, who is an executive producer and played abolitionist Frederick Douglass on the Underground Railroad-centered show, rallied fans to give it a second life when cable broadcaster WGN America announced Tuesday it would be canceling the series after two seasons. The network has been scaling down its investment in original programming as part of a deal that its parent company, Tribune Media, made with conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. Sinclairs purchase of Tribune gives it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America. The shift was not lost on Legend, who fired off a series of tweets to promote the content brought forth by Underground and its creators, Misha Green and Joe Pokaski. WGN America has been bought and is going a different direction strategically. We will find a new home for Underground! he tweeted, adding, Content wins. Were not reliant on a particular network to make great content. Were so proud of our show and the audience that supported! Legend, who has made no secret about his liberal politics, cautioned fans to be wary of Sinclair and claimed that theyre trying to make local stations mini Fox Newses that lean even further to the right. He completed his plea by asking followers to feel free to drop some hints to the network/streaming services you want to pick up #Underground. Show them who will be watching! View Instagram post Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season, Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom. Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces Underground, is said to be trying to find it a new home. See The Times roster of new, returning and canceled series here. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Liam Gallagher plays new music at Manchester benefit show By August Brown In the wake of the terrorist attack outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, scores of artists joined forces to raise money for the victims. Among them was Liam Gallagher, the former singer and frontman for the citys most beloved rock band, Oasis. Gallagher played a benefit show for the bombing victims on Tuesday at the O2 Ritz Manchester. At the show, his first as a solo artist, he played several new songs, including the single Wall of Glass, which you can watch above. It was a preview of his forthcoming solo LP, As You Were. (Previously, Gallagher fronted the post-Oasis rock band Beady Eye.) For Oasis fans, he played several classic tracks, including Be Here Now with Oasis guitarist Paul Bonehead Arthurs and an a cappella take on Live Forever. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CNN fires Kathy Griffin from New Years Eve show over controversial Trump picture By Christie DZurilla (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) Kathy Griffin is out of a job at CNN. The cable network on Wednesday terminated its agreement with the comic, who for years has co-hosted its New Years Eve program with Anderson Cooper, after a photo of Griffin holding a bloody, severed head in the likeness of President Trump went viral on social media. The image, taken by photographer Tyler Shields, elicited strong criticism from liberals and conservatives alike. Griffin apologized for the gory image in a 30-second video posted online Tuesday night. I beg for your forgiveness, Griffin said in the video. I went too far. Trump denounced the image Wednesday, calling it Sick! and saying Griffin should be ashamed. CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve program. CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 31, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Lebanon officially bans Wonder Woman from theaters By Josh Rottenberg If you live in Lebanon, Wonder Woman wont be coming to a theater near you anytime soon. On Wednesday, the country officially banned the superhero film just hours before it was set to arrive in theaters. The ban followed an effort by a group called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel, which urged the Lebanese governments Ministry of Economy and Trade to block the film because its star, Gal Gadot, is Israeli. News of the ban, which had been the subject of speculation since Monday, was announced on social media by Lebanons Grand Cinemas and Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel. Lebanon has had a contentious relationship with the state of Israel for decades and has an official law on the books that encourages boycotts of products from its neighbor to the south. Israeli citizens and anyone whose passport shows theyve traveled to Israel are prohibited from entering Lebanon. Earlier films featuring Gadot, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Furious 7, have successfully screened in theaters in Lebanon, however. Batman v Superman, which introduced Gadots Wonder Woman, was the third biggest hit at the box office in Lebanon last year. And, as has been pointed out, Wonder Woman was, in fact, made by three companies based in America and two based in China, so calling it an Israeli product is debatable. But, on its Facebook page, the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel complained that Gadot had served two years in the Israeli Defense Forces (national military service is mandatory for Israeli citizens over 18) and boasted about the army training her for Hollywood. Wonder Woman lands in American theaters on Friday and, fueled by overwhelmingly positive reviews, is expected to perform strongly. Read our recent profile of director Patty Jenkins, in which she explains why the world needs Wonder Woman, right here. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement If President Trumps got the whole world in his hands, Trevor Noah says were in trouble By Robert Lloyd Having caught fire too late Tuesday for late-night TV, and with several hosts extending their Memorial Day weekend, the #covfefe hashtag would have to wait at least until Wednesday for its monologue moment. There were, however, some late-night-related tweets reacting to Twitter addict @realdonaldtrumps since-deleted mistyping of what is assumed to be the word covering or coverage. What makes me saddest, wrote Jimmy Kimmel, is that I know Ill never write anything funnier than #covfefe. The account for CBS Late Late Show poked some fun at Trumps gaffe, too. who do you want to see on the next covfefe karaoke The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) May 31, 2017 Meanwhile, Trevor Noah and Comedy Centrals The Daily Show were back after a week off, above, catching up with President Trumps whole first trip abroad. International Hand Stuff was the name of the segment, which framed the excursion in terms of the presidents mitts. There were references to Trump touching the glowing white orb and Jerusalems Western Wall (they build one wall 2,000 years ago, Noah said in his Trump voice, zero Mexicans in their whole country); the question of whether First Lady Melania Trump swatted away her husbands hand on the tarmac in Tel Aviv (leave it to Fox News not to recognize what rejection from a woman looks like); and Trumps power handshake from new French President Emmanuel Macron (the first time that President Trump was on the receiving end of an unwelcome hand grab). The last manual metaphor was given to the German chancellor, who, after her visit with the American president, said, We Europeans must take our fate into our own hands. Yeah, said Noah, clearly Angela Merkel got one look at Trump and was like, All right, our fate is in our own hands, because his clearly ruin everything they touch. Jimmy Kimmel also looked at Trumps trip abroad, which he described, with probable irony, as spreading joy and optimism all over the world. Titled Drunk Donald Trump: Sicily, the segment replayed a portion of Trumps speech at half-speed. The effect is uncanny. Later, sitting outside on some steps -- urine-stained steps, apparently -- Kimmel asked a series of kids, who really do say the darnedest things, about the state of the union. If we measure a late-night host solely by an ability to engage with children in a way thats friendly, direct, deadpan and mostly honest, Kimmel is in a league with David Letterman, nearly. How did he think Donald Trump was doing, Kimmel asked one boy. Not really well, the child replied. My sister told me that Donald Trump is against another state. Which state? Is it Nebraska? Yeah, Nebraska. A lot of people are happy that he is bombing Nebraska, said Kimmel. (I did say mostly honest.) Do you think it was a good idea? No, replied the boy, cause they have, like, better bombs. I think theyre going to be OK, though, I really do, the host said. Once football season starts, theyre usually pretty solid. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Kathy Griffin apologized for that bloody severed-head stunt. But few are forgiving her By Nardine Saad (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) First Lady Melania Trump is the latest detractor of Kathy Griffins bloody depiction of the presidents decapitation. As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing, FLOTUS said in a statement to NBC News. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it. Griffins photographs and video by photographer Tyler Shields showed the comic straight-faced, holding up a blood-splattered severed head that appeared to be Trumps. The president denounced Griffins stunt, saying that she should be ashamed of herself and that the piece greatly disturbed his 11-year-old son, Barron. Griffins apology wasnt accepted by some on Twitter either, which spewed a variety of reactions, including several right-wing jabs that Griffin had been radicalized by Islamic State, the terror group that frequently beheads its victims. Several also sympathized with the presidents family, citing TMZs story about Barron believing that something horrible had happened to his father when he saw the images on the news. CNN subsequently fired Griffin from her co-hosting duties for its New Years Eve broadcast, and she has also been dropped as a spokesperson for Squatty Potty. Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was delighted by the bathroom footstool makers response but criticized CNN for not immediately doing the same. So Squatty Potty pulls the plug on Kathy Griffin, but CNN still evaluating and weighing their options, the presidents eldest son tweeted. Insane whats going on there!!! He then added, Apologies for my last tweet. I didnt mean to group Squatty Potty with CNN. Obviously one of them has moral/ethical standards. Griffins CNN compatriot, Anderson Cooper, who co-hosts the giggle-filled New Years Eve show for the cable news channel, did not come to his pals defense. For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate, Cooper tweeted. CNN host Jake Tapper also said on the air that he thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate. For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate. Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) May 31, 2017 For those asking, I said on air that I thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate. Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 30, 2017 Meanwhile, others believed that Griffins apology was a step in the right direction. Kathy Griffin did the right thing by apologizing. That sort of behavior, that sort of message, isn't acceptable in any setting. George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 31, 2017 I think she did the right thing asking for forgiveness and acknowledging that this was a horrible mistake, so I think she can, Minnesota Democrat and former Saturday Night Live writer Sen. Al Franken told CNN on Wednesday. Kathys a friend and shes a terrific comedian, but this had no business being in our public discourse..., Franken said. And I talked to her. She has apologized a real, fulsome apology. Shes actually begged for forgiveness, and I believe in forgiveness. Still, there was more snark to be had. Kathy Griffin's stupid photo was gross & offensive. She should lose her leadership role in the DNC and no longer be a candidate for office. Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 31, 2017 Update, 10:55 a.m.: Story added news that CNN has fired Griffin from its New Years Eve broadcast. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Melania Trump questions Kathy Griffins mental health after inflammatory photo shoot By James Reed President Trump and Melania Trump (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it. Melania Trump, responding to Kathy Griffins controversial stunt involving a severed head in the likeness of President Trump Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A Star Is Born: Clint Eastwood turns 87 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) If you want to be in for the long haul, you just have to trust your judgment about the material. ... If you go whoring for the money, the audiences will figure you out. They know when youre being a jerk, when youre just trying to get them in a room and show them a movie you dont even care about. Clint Eastwood, 1993 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Clint, closing in on El Dorado Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print This Is Us not moving to Thursdays, after all By Yvonne Villarreal Consider it a flash-forward flashback: Poised to help NBC reclaim its Must See TV glory on Thursday nights, This Is Us is now staying put in its Tuesday time slot before the switch even happened. The breakout drama from last season will keep hold of the 9 p.m. hour on Tuesdays where it performed mightily in its debut season, the network announced Tuesday. Itll retain its lead-in, The Voice. The move means some rejiggering for Thursdays. The revival of Will & Grace, which was slated to open the night, will now kick off the 9 p.m. hour. It will be surrounded by comedies Superstore, The Good Place and Great News to create a two-hour comedy block. Chicago Fire will take up the 10 p.m. hour instead of Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. That drama will keep its This Is Us lead-in by moving to Tuesdays. Heres NBCs revised schedule: Tuesdays 8 p.m. The Voice 9 p.m. This Is Us 10 p.m. Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders Thursdays 8 p.m. Superstore 8:30 p.m. The Good Place 9 p.m. Will & Grace 9:30 p.m. Great News 10 p.m. Chicago Fire Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Erin Moran died of cancer, autopsy report confirms By Christie DZurilla Erin Moran is shown in 1992. (Wally Fong / Associated Press ) The coroner reportedly says Happy Days actress Erin Moran died of complications from cancer and cancer alone. Thats in line with what her husband said in an open letter written shortly after her death on April 22 at age 56. Tests showed no illegal narcotics were involved in her death, according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ on Tuesday from the coroners office in Harrison County, Ind. Moran struggled with substance abuse earlier in her life, and media assumptions about her cause of death were amplified by a comment from Scott Baio during an early morning radio interview April 24. When Baio learned his former costar had been battling cancer, he fell all over himself trying to set the record straight. I was asked ONLY about Erins troubled past due to drug & alcohol abuse. I was still upset and said I felt that living that kind of a lifestyle will catch up with you and nothing good would come of it, he said on Facebook. THIS WAS BEFORE THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS ANNOUNCED STATING STAGE 4 CANCER. One of the former child stars brothers, Tony Moran, told the Sun on May 30: My first thoughts were she must have had a heart attack caused by years of substance abuse. She has always battled demons and in recent years things have gone from bad to worse. In reality, as described by her husband, Moran had discovered last December that she had squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, by April she could no longer speak, eat or drink. She had a feeding tube. Baio posted the open letter from Steve Fleischmann, Morans husband of nearly 24 years, on his own Facebook page April 25. It got so bad so fast, Fleischmann said. The coroner told me it was really really bad. It had spread to her spleen, she had alot of fluid in her lungs and part of her brain was infected, Fleischmann wrote. The coroner said even if she was in the hospital being pumped full of antibiotics she still would not of made it. He said it was the best that she was with me and went in her sleep. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print WGN America cancels Underground, but will it really be the end? By Yvonne Villarreal A chat with Aisha Hinds and Jurnee Smollett-Bell, the badass women from Underground. WGN America has canceled slavery-era-set drama Underground. The fate of the series, which centered around the Underground Railroad, seemed doomed given how the network has been scaling back its investment in original programming. Until now, the drama, from creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, had stood as the lone original scripted series on the network following the recent cancellation of Outsiders. The shift away from original programming comes after Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the conservative-leaning Baltimore-based company, announced it had agreed to buy Tribune Media in a deal that would give it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America. As WGN America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape, Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season. Kern added: It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom. Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces Underground, is said to be trying to find it a new home. When Underground stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aisha Hinds stopped by the Los Angeles Times video studio last week, both seemed hopeful that Undergrounds story wasnt over. We havent heard anything yet on the status of Season 3, said Hinds, who joined Season 2 portraying Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman. But I do know there is quite a bit more of this story to tell. And I know that we have engaged viewers waiting to see the story. If WGN is not our home, well find a home. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Lebanon might ban new Wonder Woman because of stars Israeli heritage By Libby Hill A new foe has arisen to oppose Wonder Woman at the box office: Lebanon. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Lebanon is seeking to ban Warner Bros.'s new Wonder Woman movie because lead actress Gal Gadot is an Israeli. On Monday, Lebanons National News Agency reported that the Ministry of Economy and Trade was adopting measures necessary to ban the film from screening. Relations between Israel and Lebanon have been strained since Israels independence in 1948, with Lebanon still abiding by the Arab League boycott of Israel adopted in 1945. Lebanon does not recognize the State of Israel and does not accept Israeli passports or passports indicating a person has entered Israel. But is Wonder Woman an Israeli product? The film is produced by five production companies DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films, Tencent Pictures and Wanda Pictures three companies based in the United States and two in China. Gadot, however, is proud of her heritage. She served two years in the Israel Defense Force as required by the countrys conscription requirements and has posted in the past in support of IDF during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. The ban of the film would have to move quickly, as screenings are scheduled to begin in Beirut on Wednesday. But such action would require approval from a six-member committee from the Ministry of Economy, a process that had yet to begin, according to the Associated Press. Wonder Woman debuts in U.S. theaters Friday. 4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with information from Lebanons National News Agency. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Olivia Newton-John has a new cancer diagnosis; her June shows are postponed By Christie DZurilla (Esteban Felix / Associated Press) Olivia-Newton John has reluctantly postponed her June concert dates after learning that the back pain shes been waylaid by recently is caused by breast cancer that has metastasized to her sacrum. I decided on my direction of therapies after consultation with my doctors and natural therapists and the medical team at my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia, the 68-year-old singer said Tuesday in a statement on social media. Those therapies include a short course of photon radiation therapy in addition to natural wellness therapies, the statement said. Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, at which time she underwent chemotherapy after a modified radical mastectomy with reconstruction. Her treatment also included acupuncture, which she said helped her with nausea, as well as yoga, meditation and massage. Three weeks ago, Newton-John postponed her May shows, with her team citing a bad issue with Olivias sciatica. Now, her June shows in the U.S. and Canada have been put off. Ticket-holders are being directed to venues for refunds, and any rescheduled dates will be posted on Newton-Johns official website. Olivia ... is confident she will be back later in the year, better than ever, to celebrate her shows, the Tuesday statement said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement After Cannes delay, Victoria & Abdul trailer debuts By Amy Kaufman One week after Focus Features scrapped plans to unveil the trailer for Victoria & Abdul during the Cannes Film Festival, a preview of the upcoming British drama has debuted online. Set in 1887, the film stars Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and follows the monarch as she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Muslim Indian (Ali Fazal) who has traveled to the U.K. to deliver a ceremonial coin to her majesty. Focus, which is owned by Universal Pictures, was set to debut the trailer last Wednesday but postponed the release after the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, on May 22. A source told The Times the decision was made in part because a big piece of marketing right after the attack could seem insensitive. Directed by Stephen Frears, Victoria & Abdul is set for release at the start of awards season in September. The trailer centers on the real-life relationship that blossomed between the two, with Abdul going from servant to teacher while informing the queen about everything from the Koran to the joys of Indian mangoes. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ready for Alanis Morissettes Jagged Little Pill as a musical? Its happening By August Brown (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Alanis Morissettes angsty, groundbreaking 1995 album, Jagged Little Pill, always seemed like it had enough melodrama to make it into a theatrical production. Now its coming to a stage in Massachusetts. The new production of Jagged Little Pill, helmed by Juno writer Diablo Cody and director Diane Paulus, will debut at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge next May. The musical will feature songs from the LP famed for its unsparing look at relationships along with other music from Morissettes catalog and Pill producer Glen Ballard. This team that has come together for this Jagged Little Pill musical is my musical theater dream come true, Morissette said in a statement. The chemistry between all of us is crackling and I feel honored to be diving into these songs again, surrounded by all of this searing talent. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Reunited Brady Bunch kids fondly remember Florence Henderson on Today By Nardine Saad It was a very Brady reunion on Tuesday. The Brady Bunch kids Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) came together on NBCs Today show to reflect on the iconic family sitcom and pay tribute to its late matriarch, Florence Henderson, nearly 50 years after the show debuted in 1969. The syndicated series about a blended family of six children and their housekeeper has permeated the pop culture zeitgeist with its unmistakable style and earworm theme song. With numerous parodies and attempted reboots in its wake, the comedy has endured because of its wholesome values, the cast members said. What you have on The Brady Bunch is something youre not going to see these days, which is a family where the parents and the kids respect each other today the formula is get the parents out of the show for the kids shows, said Olsen, a.ka. the youngest one in curls. You know how you dont grow old for yourself until you see yourself in a photo? Somehow you just dont see it, Knight explained. Its as though the show keeps us young in everyones mind, but were really this old. Added Williams: Everyone always refers to us as kids. No matter how we mature, were still the kids. After acknowledging that they would always be best known for The Brady Bunch, the actors said, they realized early on that they would never be able to walk away from the series at different stages of their careers. For Williams it was when a teenage girl asked him to sign an autograph for her mother and for Lookinland it was when he realized that his fans now had grandchildren. Knight said the show was always going to be in the room before me and it was always going to be in the room after me. Olsen, who claimed that she had written some off-color lyrics attached to the theme song, added that you spend a little while trying to run away from it, but you cant. Its like having a hunchback. You cant disguise it, so you might as well dress it up. As for their TV mom, Henderson, who died in 2016, the kids remembered her fondly. Everyone she met felt better about themselves and about the world around them after having spent a moment with Florence, Knight said. She was a mentor, a friend. We learned from her, added Williams. We learned how to interact with the public. She was so gracious with her fans, and we all learned how to do that graciously. Mostly she loved to make people laugh. You probably know that if youve been in her space. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Prince William talks about taboo of mental illness and death of Diana in new interview By Libby Hill As the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales approaches, her son Prince William has opened up to British GQ about the loss. I would like to have had her advice, William told the magazine. I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she wont, that they will never know her. The prince was just 15 when his mother was killed in a high-speed car crash on Aug. 31, 1997, and he and younger brother Harry were left to deal with their grief under great public scrutiny. While Prince William has of late found the words to speak publicly about his mother, the journey to that place has not always been easy. It has taken me almost 20 years to get to that stage, William said. I still find it difficult now because at the time it was so raw. And also it is not like most peoples grief, because everyone else knows about it, everyone knows the story, everyone knows her. View Instagram post It may have taken years, but William and Harry have found a way to honor their mother in a fashion that she would likely greatly appreciate: charitable work. Known as the Peoples Princess, Diana was a tireless advocate for those in need and worked to destigmatize AIDS in the 1980s, to fight the use of landmines and to better the lives of the underprivileged. In the last year, William and his brother, alongside Williams wife, Kate, have expanded their involvement in Heads Together, a mental health campaign led by the Royal Foundation, which aims to start a productive conversation about the reality of mental illness. Smashing the taboo is our biggest aim. We cannot go anywhere much until that is done. People cant access services till they feel less ashamed, so we must tackle the taboo, the stigma, William said. The Heads Together campaign has sparked several headlines for the royal family in recent months. In April, Prince Harry admitted that the death of his mother left him very close to a complete breakdown for which he finally sought professional help three years ago. 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 during the Mad World podcast with Bryony Gordon. The GQ interview is not the only conversation that Prince William has had recently about mental health, either. He participated in a highly publicized FaceTime chat with Lady Gaga on the matter. In the interview, Prince William acknowledged that his public persona might suggest otherwise, but privately, he is impassioned about the issue. I cannot understand how families, even behind closed doors, still find it so hard to talk about it. I am shocked we are so worried about saying anything about the true feelings we have, the prince said. Prince Williams full interview with British GQ is available in its July issue, on newsstands June 1. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ariana Grandes mom has a message for Manchester bombing victims By Christie DZurilla Joan Grande, left, and Ariana Grande in September 2015. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images) Days after daughter Ariana Grande issued a statement about last weeks post-concert bombing in Manchester, England, mom Joan Grande posted her own thoughts about the incident that left 22 dead and scores more injured. I join my daughter in extending my help & services to all those affected by the diabolical act of terror which occurred in Manchester! she wrote on Twitter as a Memorial Day message that also thanked U.S. servicemen and women. My heart goes out to all the victims: those who lost their lives, those injured, those recovering & all survivors of that night, along with the families and friends whose grief knows no bounds. The elder Grande was still in her front-row seat at the show, about to go see her daughter backstage, when the suicide bomb went off, TMZ reported. Mama Grande took about 10 kids who were seated around her to safety backstage, the website said. Ariana Grande similarly offered her assistance to those in need on Friday in a statement declaring her intention to return to the incredibly brave city of Manchester for a benefit concert. We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldnt recoil, the Bang Bang singer said. We will not quit or operate in fear. We wont let this divide us. We wont let hate win. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/oUDmB7VD6x Joan Grande (@joangrande) May 29, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A Star Is Born: Annette Bening turns 59 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) "[W]hen they teach you to act, they teach you about objectives. You have a need -- a kind of emotional imbalance -- its not neurotic, but you want something. I try to consciously beef up that motivation in order to intensify what Im doing. You get an image in your head of what you want and then you find a way of expressing that. Annette Bening, 1991 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Regarding Annette Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Swedens The Square wins Palme dOr and Sofia Coppola wins best director at Cannes By Los Angeles Times Swedish director Ruben Ostlund reacts on stage after he was awarded with the Palme dOr for the film The Square during the closing ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty Images) Ruben Ostlunds The Square, a ferocious drama of conscience, according to Times critic Justin Chang, about how a single lapse in judgment can cause a mans entire life to unravel, won the Cannes top prize, the Palme dOr on Sunday. The Grand Prix award went to Robin Campillos 120 Beats per Minute. Sofia Coppola won best director for her film The Beguiled, which stars Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. Kidman also won the festivals 70th anniversary prize. Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Lynne Ramsays You Were Never Really Here and Diane Kruger won best actress award for Faith Akins In the Fade. More coverage to come. Meanwhile... Here is what Justin Chang wrote about Ostlunds The Square, and Steven Zeitchiks interview with the director, who talked about the element of surprise in his movies: I really like scenes that when they end where you dont know 100% where to put them. It starts funny or it starts sad and then it becomes something else. When you get that shift, you know youve succeeded. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A Star Is Born: Kylie Minogue turns 49 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Axel Koester / For The Times) I have this following mainly young girls. This album had to appeal to those fans. If the singing was too R&B, they wouldnt like it, I guess. These producers think pop music is candy music. Theyre saying: Here, kids, have a piece of candy. Kylie Minogue, 1988 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Fame, fortune, but no respect Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gregg Allman, pioneer of Southern rock, dies at 69 By Nardine Saad Gregg Allman performs with the Allman Brothers Band in 1979. (George Rose / Los Angeles Times) Gregg Allman, the gravel-voiced singer who helped lift the Allman Brothers Band to prominence with a hard-churning brand of soulful rock that became part of the soundtrack of the 1960s and 70s and set the coordinates for a musical genre known as Southern rock, died Saturday at the age of 69. According to a statement posted on his official website, Allman, who had canceled concerts and entire tours in recent years as he battled a variety of health issues, passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Ga. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The art of the yacht deal, from Steven Spielberg to Steve Bannon By Steven Zeitchik Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound up on a yacht with a future member of the Trump administration. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The time Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette was booed By Justin Chang Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette played in competition and was booed by certain members of the media audience. Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Cop That same year, when the film debuted in theaters, Times critic Kenneth Turan looked back on the boos at Cannes and concluded the reaction wasnt just about the filmmaking. Here is the essay he wrote on Oct. 13, 2006: -------------------- WHO OWNS HISTORY? And, more to the point, who owns Marie Antoinette? Though theyre not usually phrased that way, those questions have swirled around Sofia Coppolas quietly exuberant new film about the doomed young French queen (only 18 when she ascended the throne, 37 when she was executed) since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to some scattered and widely misunderstood boos. For the displeasure came not, as might be expected, from the French critics -- whod already seen the film and whose generally positive notices were already on record in Le Film Francais, the French trade paper -- but from political types who had an ax to grind about the films portrait of the woman in question. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor split after 17 years of marriage By Christie DZurilla (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have split up after 18 years together, 17 of them as husband and wife. With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate, they said Friday in a joint statement. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time. The Zoolander director and the Brady Bunch Movie actress met in L.A. in 1999, while he was developing a pilot in which she was going to star. They started dating that April and by November were engaged. They got married in May 2000. Stiller, 51, who proposed to Taylor while he was doing Meet the Parents, told Parade in 2013 that art imitated life when he was about to pop the question. I asked her father for permission before I did it, he said. It was like Meet the Parents in real life, because Christines father is an intimidating guy who owns a security company; were good friends now, but at the time I was in the basement rec room saying, I really would like to marry your daughter... Why the basement? " He was trying to find a place to sort of secretly ask my dad if it was OK to ask my hand in marriage, Taylor told New York magazine in 2008. The Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story costars have two kids together, daughter Emma, 15, and son Quinlan, 11. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The home away from home for luminaries By Kenneth Turan Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and Steven Zeitchik are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Turan, with Chang behind the camera, brings us to the historic Hot Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and Steven Zeitchik are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Turan, with Chang behind the camera, brings us to the historic Hotel Splendid, which over the last 146 years has been a home away from home for luminaries ranging from the French composer Jacques Offenbach to the late critic Roger Ebert. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. music fixture Rodney Bingenheimer will leave KROQ next month By Mikael Wood Rodney Bingenheimer, the veteran radio DJ and rock-scene insider familiar to several generations of Los Angeles music fans, is ending his long-running show on L.A.'s KROQ-FM (106.7) after more than 40 years. Rodney on the ROQ will air for the final time on June 4 at midnight, Bingenheimer, 69, wrote on Facebook Thursday. It has been an amazing run, and I will be thanking all of you when I say goodbye to KROQ next week, he said in the post. I am planning on some special callers and special music as I say a proper goodbye. In a statement to The Times, KROQ program director Kevin Weatherly called Bingenheimer one of the most influential voices on the radio and said he and his staff will forever be grateful for the indelible mark that Rodney on the ROQ has left on this station, our listeners and the alt-rock music scene. Bingenheimer launched his show on the influential modern-rock station in 1976, four years after he opened Rodneys English Disco, a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard popular among the decades glam acts. On the radio, Bingenheimer quickly became known for championing new artists including the Sex Pistols and Blondie; he continued playing music by up-and-coming talent over the years, throwing his considerable enthusiasm behind the likes of Oasis and Coldplay. In his Facebook post, Bingenheimer the subject of a 2003 documentary called Mayor of the Sunset Strip didnt say why he was leaving KROQ. But he noted that hes not retiring from music. As this chapter closes, he wrote, I will be opening another chapter of my rock life soon. Heres his full statement on Facebook: Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ariana Grande to hold benefit concert in incredibly brave city of Manchester By Christie DZurilla (Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images) Ariana Grande on Friday announced her intention to return to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with fans and play a benefit concert to assist victims of the suicide bomb attack launched after her show in the British city earlier this week. I have been thinking of my fans, and of you all, non stop over the past week. The way you have handled all of this has been more inspiring and made me more proud than youll ever know, the 23-year-old singer said in a statement on social media. The compassion, kindness, love, strength and oneness that youve shown one another this past week is the exact opposite of the heinous intentions it must take to pull off something as evil as what happened Monday. YOU are the opposite. Grande gave no details about when she would return other than to say theyd be coming as soon as things were confirmed. The statement was her first since a brief tweet after the bombing saying she was broken and so so sorry. That day, Grande and her mother left Britain for Florida. She acknowledged her own reaction to the incident in saying she was sorry for the pain and fear you must be feeling and the trauma that you, too, must be feeling. She also talked about not wanting to go the rest of the year without being out there for her fans; at this point, her tour has been suspended only until June 5. There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling or to make this better, she said to the victims of the attack and their loved ones. However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I can possibly give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way. Those who were most tragically affected, Grande said, will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life. View Instagram post Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Equality, not feminism, is the watchword at Wonder Woman premiere By Sonaiya Kelley Victoria Ikerd from San Diego, left, and Sylvia Vale from Culver City strike their best Wonder Woman pose. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The stars of Warner Bros. Wonder Woman took to the red carpet outside Hollywoods Pantages Theatre Thursday night to celebrate the films premiere with a unified message. It just wasnt the message some people might expect. I think the world needs all types of superheroes, director Patty Jenkins said when asked why we need Wonder Woman. What a beautiful message right now because were in a dark place, and thats the only way were going to get to the other side, if everyone becomes a hero. (Warner Bros. canceled the films London premiere after Mondays attack in Manchester.) Despite the obvious girl power on display, many of the films stars and creators shied away from identifying it as a feminist film, hoping not to isolate the male fans in attendance. SEE PHOTOS FROM THE WONDER WOMAN PREMIERE I think that the film just takes a great character and tells a great story about how that character came to be, Charles Roven, the films producer, told the Los Angeles Times. Obviously the character wouldnt be who she is if she wasnt a woman, but shes a very specific woman, Roven added. Theres no other superhero character in the DC Universe who embraced their legacy and knew what they wanted to be and became [it]. And thats completely inspirational to everyone, not just women. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bella Thorne and Scott Disick together in Cannes? Legit nothing By Christie DZurilla (Joshua Blanchard / Getty Images, left; Lars Niki / Getty Images) In whats been called a battle of strategic hookups between exes Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, Bella Thorne has put up a white flag and flown away. Disick, 34, and Thorne, 19, were seen Monday at LAX on their way to the Cannes Film Festival, where surprise! Kardashian, 38, was already hanging out and getting handsy with Younes Bendjima, a 24-year-old boxer-turned-model. According to E! News, the latter twosome is for real but keeping it light. The Kardashian ex and the actress from The DUFF? Perhaps not so much. Thorne and Disick raised eyebrows Wednesday with a high-profile cuddle-fest by a pool in Cannes. Alas, by Thursday, word has it via TMZ, Thorne wasnt comfortable with her party-boy travel partner when he got his drink on: After tweeting Thursday that Yo this #cannes fancy life isnt for me, she told one person that she had been doing Legit nothing trolololo with Scott and another, Hahahah Im not talking to scott or anyone else. Scott is partially using Bella and a few other girls as a crutch to make Kourtney upset and feel jealous, a Keeping Up With the Kardashians"-related source told People on Thursday, sounding like a description of an upcoming episode of the show. They are both playing this game with each other and at the moment neither one of them are backing down. Around 3 a.m. Friday, Cannes time, Disick was paying attention to another lady, putting this pic of his and Kardashians 4-year-old daughter, Penelope, up on Facebook: Um, hashtag #supersad? Bye Cannes you were boring Thorne said Friday on Snapchat, posting video from the seat of what appeared to be a private plane. Kardashian, Bendjima and half-sis Kendall Jenner left Cannes on Friday as well. Yo this #cannes fancy life isn't for me BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) May 25, 2017 @bellathorne bells, what were you doing with Scott? chrystal (@justintheslayer) May 25, 2017 Legit nothing trolololo https://t.co/t9eW4B17oI BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) May 26, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Netflix cancels London premieres of Orange Is the New Black and GLOW By Libby Hill The fatal terrorist incident at an Ariana Grande concert Monday in Manchester, England, continues to resonate throughout the entertainment industry. Netflix canceled its plans for a London premiere for Season 5 of Orange Is the New Black and the pilot for GLOW, the latest series from Orange creator Jenji Kohan. Following the terrible events in Manchester on Monday night, we have decided to cancel our special screening of Orange Is the New Black and GLOW on Tuesday [May 30], a Netflix spokesperson told The Times on Friday. Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragedy. According to those knowledgeable about the decision, the streaming services choice to forgo its screenings comes from internal discussions only, not from any pressure from local authorities. This is just the latest cancellation in the wake of Mondays tragedy, which took the lives of 22 individuals, including victims as young as 8 years old. On Wednesday, Warner Bros. scuttled plans for a London Wonder Woman premiere, originally scheduled for May 31. Similarly, Universal Pictures announced Thursday that it had canceled its London premiere for The Mummy originally slated for June 1. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Oasis Liam Gallagher schedules Manchester benefit show By Mikael Wood (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times) Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher will play a hometown concert next week in Manchester, England, to benefit the families of Mondays bombing at the Manchester Arena. Its outrageous, the singer told the Manchester Evening News regarding the terrorist attack that killed 22 people following a concert by Ariana Grande. There are kids and people dying all over the world. And for what? He went on to say, I want to try and help pick people up. People like me, doing what we do, its our duty to give people a good time. The show, scheduled for Tuesday night at the O2 Ritz, will serve as Gallaghers first solo gig and comes ahead of the release of his debut solo single, Wall of Glass, from an album expected in October. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Body-slamming? Late-night hosts remind us that Donald Trump once did that on TV By Yvonne Villarreal Lest America forget the nations history of political candidates with body-slamming tendencies, the late-night circuit offered a refresher course Thursday night. Playing catchup to Wednesdays news that Greg Gianforte, the billionaire Republican candidate in Montanas special congressional election, had allegedly body-slammed a Guardian reporter after the journalist asked him about the Republican healthcare bill, TV hosts weighed in on the matter. Think about that, Late Night host Seth Meyers said. The GOP healthcare plan is so bad, Republicans would rather body-slam reporters than answer a question about it. His response to the question, Meyers continued, was to give the reporter a preexisting condition. Late Show host Stephen Colbert expressed faux skepticism about Gianfortes ability to move past the incident and win the election. That happened the night before the election, Colbert said. I just dont know how anyone could vote for a candidate who body-slams people. Cue a clip of Donald Trump performing such a move in 2007 when he appeared on WrestleMania 23" and tackled WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to the ground before shaving his head. I forgot, Colbert said after playing the clip. Nothing matters. During his A Closer Look segment, Meyers also played the Trump clip. That was a thing, a real thing that happened. and we still said Yeah, he should be president. For the record: Gianforte won Montanas special election Thursday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A Star Is Born: Stevie Nicks turns 69 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) I think if people like to dress like a gypsy and they get a little inspiration from me to do it, then its great. Its definitely something everyone should try at least once in their lives. Dress like a gypsy! Stevie Nicks, 1997 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Airy Godmother Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, see how fans packed L.A. theaters in 1977 By Los Angeles Times Staff When the original Star Wars opened on May 25, 1977, only about 40 theaters across the country initially screened the movie. In Los Angeles, fans packed showings in ways theater managers and moviegoers had never seen. For the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, we revisit this story examining the earliest stages of the Star Wars phenomenon. The Times originally published this story on June 4, 1977. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print George Lucas predicted Star Wars Disney future in 1977 interview with The Times By L.A. Times staff Happy 40th anniversary, Star Wars! Before the first-ever Star Wars premiered on screens across America on May 25, 1977, Los Angeles Times writer Paul Rosenfield sat down with the creator of a galaxy far, far away. Then 33, George Lucas was just a few days shy from the release of his space opera, prophetically claiming that Star Wars was the movie he thinks Disney would have made when Walt Disney was alive. Who knew decades later that the droids and the mouse would reside in the same castle? This story was originally published on June 5, 1977, and titled, Lucas: Film-Maker With the Force. (Also from our archives, read The Times original Star Wars review here.) I think of this as a movie Disney would have made when Walt Disney was alive ... I call it space opera. Thats a genre thats been around a long time, in the books of Burroughs and Heinlein, but never really done on film. George Lucas in 1977 Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Guns N Roses is playing Los Angeles again By Mikael Wood Guns N Roses will play two hometown concerts this fall, the reunited Los Angeles hard-rock band announced Thursday, one Nov. 24 at Staples Center and another Nov. 25 at the Forum. The dates are part of a new extension of GNRs Not in This Lifetime Tour, which launched in April 2016 with a show at the Troubadour that marked the first time in decades that frontman Axl Rose had performed in public with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. The tour went on to hit Coachella and Dodger Stadium. Opening acts for the L.A. shows werent announced, but GNR revealed that country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson will warm up crowds at stadium shows in August in Denver; Little Rock, Ark.; and Miami. Other acts with opening slots on the tour include ZZ Top, Deftones and Royal Blood. Tickets for the newly scheduled concerts go on sale June 3. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Claire Foy shoots down Lisbeth Salander rumors: I dont know about any of this By Glenn Whipp Claire Foy (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times) Claire Foys sister called her last week, none too pleased that her sibling hadnt told her that shed be playing Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spiders Web, the long-delayed follow-up to the 2011 David Fincher film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. My sisters like, Oh, what are you doing? and I was like, Im not doing anything! I dont t know about any of this! Foy told The Times Wednesday in an interview before an Emmy season promotional event for the actress Netflix series, The Crown. Its really weird, Foy added. Ive never experienced that before where theres a rumor about a possible job like this. Its very surreal. News broke last week that Foy was either in talks, eyeing or had been all but cast to play Lisbeth in the reboot of the Stieg Larsson book series. So is Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth on The Crown, even in the running? No. Im not even in the same arena, Foy said. I cant even contemplate doing anything at all, to be honest, at this present time. The 33-year-old British actress just finished shooting Season 2 of The Crown last week. The ambitious series requires a nine-month commitment, meaning that Foy hasnt had much down time the last two years. She also has a 2-year-old daughter with her husband, actor Stephen Campbell Moore. So you can understand why, when asked about her immediate future, she emphatically states: Good God, no. I have got no plans to do anything. Those sentiments would seem to preclude her from The Girl in the Spiders Web, which is scheduled to begin filming in September to make an Oct. 15, 2018, release date. Then again, when asked what kind of role shed like to do after playing the reserved Elizabeth, a woman nicknamed Shirley Temple, Foy replied: I think I need to play somebody who expresses themselves and is able to communicate on a more open level, something really different. Like the avenging anti-heroine Lisbeth? Well ... Foy answered, with a hint of a smile. Well just have to wait and see. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sony taps Gina Prince-Bythewood to direct Spider-Man spinoff Silver & Black By Libby Hill (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) Sony continues to get its superhero ducks in a row, with Deadline reporting Thursday that the studio had tapped Gina Prince-Bythewood to direct Silver & Black, a film centered around comic book characters Silver Sable and Black Cat. Prince-Bythewood also will rewrite the script for the film, originally written by Christopher Yost, screenwriter of Thor: The Dark World. Silver Sable and Black Cat are characters that originated in correlation to Spider-Man and have served as both allies and antagonists to the web-slinging superhero over the years. Silver & Black is the latest Spidey-related endeavor for Sony, with Spider-Man: Homecoming, starring Tom Holland, premiering July 7, and Venom, starring Tom Hardy as the sometimes villain, sometimes anti-hero, hitting theaters Oct. 5, 2018. The film will not be Prince-Bythewoods first dalliance with superheroes. She directed the pilot for Freeforms upcoming series Marvels Cloak & Dagger, about two teenagers learning to deal with both superpowers and love. Prince-Bythewood is an experienced director of critically acclaimed films including Love & Basketball and Beyond the Lights, and she is well-versed in the world of television, where Foxs Shots Fired, the show she created and produced with husband Reggie Rock Bythewood, just concluded its first season. The director becomes the latest woman tapped to helm a superhero film, with Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman debuting in theaters June 2. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Happy puking: Baywatch is the summer blockbuster critics love to hate By Christie DZurilla Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Priyanka Chopra star in Baywatch. Whats more fun than seeing the new Baywatch movie? Having movie reviewers see it for you! Los Angeles Times critic Jen Yamato was in the Enjoy It for What It Is camp, describing the film thusly: "[I]t not only owns its dumbness but hurtles itself all the way back around through a flurry of genitalia jokes and F-bombs to splash unapologetically in an R-rated surf of winking postmodernism, led by the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, Hollywoods most unsinkable movie star. But although not everyone hates it 64% of audiences dug it, according to Rotten Tomatoes a lot of reviewers put the bouncing-beach-bodies flick firmly in its place, damning it, and then damning it with faint praise. That said, here are a few snacks, both bad and (relatively) good, from the Baywatch snark buffet. Over at the Chicago Tribune, they took the Yeah, and ...? approach to the review. The Bad: The movies comic instincts... are consistently coarse and frequently scrotal. The Good: The bodies on screen are pretty, which I seem to remember was a selling point of the 1989-2001 TV series. As we said, yeah, and ...? The Roger Ebert website perhaps cut closest to the bone, pulling few punches. The Bad: "[T]his is another one of those raunchy comedies thats barely a movie, that looks like it was edited by dumping a bunch of footage into whatever movie-cutting software theyre using and hitting randomize. The Good: "[T]he movie has a pervading air of crass amiability about it its almost like a two-hour end-credits gag reel. (Nevertheless, it contains an end credits gag reel.) Now could you tell us what you really think?: Rolling Stone painted a vivid picture of the Baywatch experience. The Bad: Think of yourself sitting down for a big two-hour wallow in instant stupid with a vat of popcorn, slathered in fake butter and possibly a mound of melted M&Ms on top. It feels great chugging it down, then your stomach hurts, your head aches and you puke the whole thing up so you can forget about it in the morning. Thats Baywatch in a nutshell. Happy puking. The Good: Of the recent spate of moldy TV material morphing into movies, with 21 Jump Street on top and CHIPs bringing up the rear, Baywatch barely escapes the basement. One reason it does: The Rock. Helpful! Turns out if you liked 21 Jump Street and CHiPs, this flick is for you! The New York Times loosened up its necktie for this one. The Bad: The digital effects fire and water, mostly are lackluster, and the whole thing has a crummy, overcast, second-rate-theme-park look to it. The Good: Like its source material, Baywatch is sleazy and wholesome, silly and earnest, dumb as a box of sand and slyly self-aware. Its soft-serve ice cream. Crinkle-cut fries. A hot car and a skin rash. Tacky and phony and nasty and also kind of fun. Tacky? Phony? Nasty? We didnt know it was a date movie. The Washington Post, of course, just couldnt leave politics out of it. The Bad: Its no shock that the women in Baywatch dont have much to do beyond look good. ... Maybe dodging bad lines was a relief for the actresses. Its not like the screenplay, by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, gives performers a lot to work with. The Good: If, indeed, Dwayne the Rock Johnson ditches Hollywood to become our next commander in chief, Baywatch may be singled out as the low point of his pre-political career. Well, at least Johnson has that out of the way. The Tampa Bay Times went deadpan. The Bad: Imagining Johnson and genetically gifted co-stars in swimsuits is all it took to pitch Baywatch. Director Seth Gordon and six writers didnt come up with much beyond that. The Good: What Baywatch has in its favor is Dwayne Johnson fireman-carrying a dead weight comedy to safety. We think thats a compliment. Maybe. Variety noted the films nods to current market and societal trends. The Bad: Baywatch ... is a stupidly entertaining trash folly, the kind that could only be made today: an obscenity-and-insult-laced, aggressively competent adaptation of a 25-year-old TV show that manages to repackage every aspect of the series except, perhaps, the reason it was popular in the first place. The Good: They wear their butt-hugging red bathing suits with dignity and pride, which makes this a highly sexually responsible Baywatch. The reviewer at the New York Post appeared to be familiar with the TV series global success. The Bad: Even the action scenes need CPR, often undermined by effects so chintzy, you wonder if the money intended for them was instead eaten up by the productions seven-figure waxing budget. The Good: On the bright side, itll probably do killer business in Germany. Wait, were they just dissing the Hoff? Finally, one need go no further than the AV Club to understand Rotten Tomatoes 19% positive critics rating. The Bad: "[N]obody not even the filmmakers cares about Baywatch all that much. Yet the jokes on them: In spoofing something so forgettable, theyve made something even less memorable. The Good: Nobody cares about Baywatch. Nuff said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Seth Meyers says Trumps cruel budget cuts would harm the presidents supporters most By Chris Barton After a number of weeks filled with late-breaking developments on the Trump administrations apparent ties to Russia, Wednesday night was a chance for late-night hosts to sort of catch their breath and essentially choose their own adventure. Jimmy Kimmel focused on the seemingly less-than-happy photos of the pope with President Trump that circulated on Wednesday, while Stephen Colbert took a brief swipe at the $2-trillion double-counting error in Trumps budget. Seth Meyers, however, took advantage of his shows A Closer Look segment to make time for all of the above. After addressing the photo of the stone-faced pope with Trump, Meyers recapped the latest developments in the investigations into whether, among other things, the president engaged in obstruction of justice by firing FBI Director James Comey. But then Meyers took on the administrations proposed federal budget, which could cause harm to many. While noting the budget amounts to a wish list that Congress will battle over, Meyers said the proposals harshness was not to be discounted. What someone wishes for tells you a lot about that person, Meyers said before recounting the many cuts the budget proposes to Social Security and Medicaid. The show then rolled a number of clips in which Trump the candidate promised not to do just that. This budget lays bare just how much of a fraud Trumps campaign was, Meyers added, noting how hard many of these cuts to the social safety net would hit Trump supporters. He then squared off the pointed words of Trump the candidate versus his actions as president to underscore his point. Maybe its better those two never meet, Meyers said. I think they would hate each other. Watch the clip above. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Universal Pictures cancels London premiere of The Mummy in wake of Manchester bombing By Libby Hill Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis and Sofia Boutella star in The Mummy. The specter of Mondays terrorist attack in Manchester, England, continues to loom large. Universal Pictures announced Thursday morning the cancellation of next weeks London premiere of The Mummy, the second such development this week. All of us at Universal have been devastated by the terror attack in Manchester and continue to stand with the community and country as it recovers, the statement from the studio read. Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy we have decided not to move forward with the London premiere for The Mummy scheduled to take place next week. The film, starring Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe, serves as the launch of Universal Pictures Dark Universe, an extended universe that will see the reboot of several classic monsters from the Universal vault, including the Invisible Man and Frankensteins Monster. Cancellation of the June 1 London premiere for The Mummy comes just a day after Warner Bros. nixed its May 31 Wonder Woman London premiere. Ariana Grande, whose concert was targeted in the Manchester attack that killed 22 people, similarly suspended her tour through June 5 on Wednesday. A statement from the artists representatives said the suspension comes until we can further assess the situation and pay our proper respects to those lost. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Al Gore on the French Riviera: Why he was reluctant to make An Inconvenient Sequel By Kenneth Turan Former Vice President Al Gore arrives on the red carpet for the screening of The Killing of a Sacred Deer at the Cannes Film Festival. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty Images) It has not been a very good year for those concerned with climate change. The U.S. is considering leaving the landmark Paris climate pact, a hostile appointee leads the Environmental Protection Agency, and right-wing websites chortle, Trumps Latest Move Will Make Al Gore Fry. But is Al Gore himself despondent or depressed about it all? Not in the slightest. Ive been inoculated in the year 2000, he says, combining a burst of genial good humor with a reference to his presidential election loss to George W. Bush. I now have a resistance to being disheartened, the antibodies are still thriving in my bloodstream. As we all learn, one of the hidden secrets of the human condition is we learn the most from our most painful experiences. Former Vice President Al Gore at the Carlton hotel for the Cannes Film Festival, which is screening his documentary An Inconvenient Sequel. (Stephanie Cornfield / For The Times) To spend time with Al Gore is to meet a man enough at ease with himself to dress as if for a Senate hearing in white shirt, suit and tie even though hes in the south of France; a warm, engaged, surprisingly funny individual whose innate courtesy has him personally hang a reporters sports coat on a nearby hotel room hanger. Yes, he does tend to stay on message when he talks (how could he not) and he likes to draw graphs in the air with his hands (Im going to get a little geeky for a moment, he apologizes with a smile, Im sorry, its a failing). But he combines this with good-humored self-awareness and a fiercely committed intelligence. If you think Im earnest now, you should have seen me earlier, he says. You cant change who you are. At times Ive tried, but Im old enough to stop worrying. Gore is in Cannes to promote the worldwide release of an impassioned and involving new documentary, An Inconvenient Sequel. Due in U.S. theaters on July 28, it brings us up to speed on where the battle against climate change stands more than a decade after the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Im here for a lot of to-ing and fro-ing is how Gore puts it. I think Ive done 75 seven-minute interviews Japan, Russia, Brazil, everywhere. The day before yesterday I was live on [the French cable channel] Canal Plus when the interpreter talking in my earpiece was evacuated from his building because of a bomb scare. The questioner was going a mile a minute in French, but because of those 75 seven-minute interviews, I picked up enough key words to fight my way through it. Gore has been concerned with climate change since he took a class with pioneering global warming theorist Roger Revelle as a college student in the 1960s. Not only did Gore never imagine when I was a young man that this would become an all-consuming body of work for me, he also never anticipated that the work would involve the movies. More than that, he was frankly dubious about both of his films. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Ellen DeGeneres says shes in for a Netflix stand-up comedy special By Christie DZurilla Ellen DeGeneres is working on a new comedy special for the first time in a very long time and this time shes working with Netflix. Looks like its been 15 years since you did a stand-up special. ... How about one for Netflix? the streaming service asked her Wednesday on Twitter. Minutes later, DeGeneres replied, Let me think about it. Ok Im in. Heres how in she is: Im writing it now, I cant wait, DeGeneres said in a statement confirming the upcoming gig. Ill keep you posted when and where Im gonna shoot my Netflix special. Im excited to do it; Im excited for you to see it. Previously, HBO was home for DeGeneres comedy specials: her One Night Stand in 1992, Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning in 2000 and Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now. The second and third shows notched two Emmy nominations each. In March, the former sitcom star announced shed be returning to prime time with Ellens Game of Games, which shes hosting for six episodes on NBC. No air dates have been set. Its going to be like a combination of American Ninja Warrior, RuPauls Drag Race and a water park, DeGeneres said in a statement. OK, its nothing like that, but you should still watch. Looks like it's been 15 years since you did a stand-up special, @TheEllenShow. How about one for Netflix? Netflix US (@netflix) May 24, 2017 Let me think about it. Ok I'm in. https://t.co/kUAdHyXAjS Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 24, 2017 UPDATES 2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with confirmation from Netflix and a statement from DeGeneres. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Chris Cornells body has been cremated, report says; funeral set for Friday By Christie DZurilla Chris Cornell in 1991. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) The body of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who died last week in Detroit, was reportedly cremated Tuesday in Hollywood, and a funeral is planned for later this week. Widow Vicky Cornell, brother Peter Boyle and friends Linda Ramone and singer J.D. King were at Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the cremation, sources familiar with the service told TMZ. Cornells body was flown to Los Angeles from Detroit on Sunday, family attorney Kirk Pasich told Rolling Stone on Monday, and a private funeral will be held Friday. Pasich told Variety on Sunday that public memorials will be held when its decided. The short time between the end of Soundgardens May 17 show and 52-year-old Cornells death was chronicled in a police report obtained by the Detroit News. He and the band walked offstage around 11:15 p.m. May 17. Fifteen minutes later Cornell was in his hotel room, the report said, where bodyguard Martin Kirsten (who used to work for and date Heidi Klum) helped him fix his computer and gave him two Ativan. At 11:35 p.m. Cornell was talking to his wife, Vicky, who said Friday through her attorney that she had been concerned because her husband was slurring his words and told her he might have taken a few too many anxiety pills. She called Kirsten at 12:15 a.m. Thursday and asked him to check on the singer, the report said; the bodyguard kicked in the hotel room door, then the locked bathroom door, and found Cornell. At his final show, Cornell seemed high and was out of character from note 1, lead sound engineer Ted Keedick told TMZ in an interview published Wednesday. He said the Soundgarden frontman did not appear depressed. However, Keedick said: Id never heard his voice that way before. He was having serious control problems. One concert-goer told the Detroit News last week that as far as she could tell, Cornells final show was honestly great. Nothing seemed off. Tuesday at Detroits Fox Theatre, the site of that last performance, Norah Jones played a tribute to Cornell: an acoustic version of Black Hole Sun. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ariana Grande suspends tour through June 5 By Christie DZurilla Ariana Grandes tour has been suspended through June 5, her management team said Wednesday. That includes the cancellation of concerts planned for Thursday and Friday at Londons O2 Arena. Twenty-two people died and at least 59 were injured in a suicide attack Monday night outside Manchester Arena, where Grande had just concluded a stop on her Dangerous Woman Tour. We ask at this time that we all continue to support the city of Manchester and all those families affected by this cowardice and senseless act of violence, the singers reps said in a statement. Our way of life has once again been threatened but we will overcome this together. The dates that have been put on hold until we can further assess the situation and pay our proper respects to those lost, the statement said, are: London, May 25-26 Antwerp, Belgium, May 28 Lodz, Poland, May 31-June 1 Frankfurt, Germany, June 3 Zurich, Switzerland, June 5 The next tour stop after that is a June 7 concert in Paris. Speculation that the tour would be put on hold has been rife since the day after the bomb went off actually, immediately afterward and before the number of casualties was known, many on social media were already worried that shows would be axed but the situation had been in limbo until now. An exhausted"-looking Grande returned home Tuesday to Florida, where she and her mother were met at the airport by Mac Miller, who hugged and kissed his girlfriend in an emotional reunion. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Warner Bros. cancels London Wonder Woman premiere following Manchester attack By Josh Rottenberg In the wake of Mondays deadly terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, Warner Bros. has announced it is canceling a planned premiere in London next week for its superhero film Wonder Woman. Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent tragedy in the UK, the studio said in a statement. In light of the current situation, we will not be proceeding with our plans for the premiere and junket activities in London. Starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins, the highly anticipated film which is set in Europe during World War I will hold its U.S. premiere on Thursday in Los Angeles. It arrives in theaters June 2. The studio faced a similar situation last year when its European premiere of Batman v. Superman was scheduled to be held in London just hours after terrorist attacks struck Brussels, killing 32 people and injuring many others. In that case, the studio said in a statement that it had decided to go ahead with the event rather than yield to terror. But as Britain mourns the 22 people killed in the Manchester bombing, with scores more wounded, and with the countrys security threat level raised to its highest, signaling the possibility of another imminent attack, Warner Bros. clearly determined that the circumstances called for a different course of action. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer shows off Spideys tricked-out, Iron Man-style super-suit By Josh Rottenberg Spider-Man has a few new tricks up his spandex sleeve, with the latest trailer for Sonys upcoming franchise reboot Spider-Man: Homecoming offering a deeper look at Spideys newfangled, tech-enhanced super-suit. Courtesy of billionaire inventor/playboy Tony Stark, the suit is embedded with Iron Man-style technology. A Jarvis-like computer assistant informs Peter Parker (Tom Holland) of the 576 possible web shooter combinations he has at his command. A parachute can also be deployed out of the back of the suit when needed, and the chest piece can detach and turn into a drone. For those who prefer their Spidey old-school, though, the trailer also promises a return to Parkers teenage roots though with a decidedly cockier spin than the shy, alienated high school nerd weve often seen depicted in the comics and onscreen. Hollands Parker is clearly feeling his superhero oats, boasting to Stark of taking down a petty bike thief and raring for bigger challenges, Spanish quiz or no Spanish quiz. (Cue Michael Keatons villainous Vulture.) Informed by his best friend Ned that Stark has installed a training-wheels protocol on his super-suit to disable some of its abilities, Parker gripes, Im sick of Mr. Stark treating me like a kid. But you are a kid, Ned reminds him. Yeah, Parker says, a kid who can stop a bus with his bare hands! Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters July 7. Watch the trailer below. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Performers move U.K. concerts after Manchester bombing, but for some, the show goes on By Christie DZurilla Floral tributes in Manchesters St. Anns Square on May 24, 2017. (Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images) Manchester Arena has postponed concerts by Take That, an English pop group from the city that was to play there Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But its working to see that a KISS show proceeds next week. Unfortunately, due to the tragic events that unfolded on Monday night, it is not possible for the concerts to take place, the arena said in a statement. These have now been postponed and more information will follow. In another statement, the arena cited the ongoing police investigation. Take That had previously postponed a show at another location, saying Tuesday on its website, Out of respect to all of the people and their families that were affected by the horrific incident last night at the Manchester Arena, we have decided to postpone our show tonight in Liverpool. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. KISS is scheduled to play Manchester Arena on Tuesday, and the venue said it is working on that show with promoters and police. pic.twitter.com/HkR9ilSTSt Manchester Arena (@ManchesterArena) May 23, 2017 As far as the Ariana Grande concerts set for Londons O2 arena on Thursday and Friday, as of Wednesday morning no decision had been made. Were still in contact with the tour promoters regarding a final decision, the O2 team said on Twitter Wednesday morning. As yet the tour is not officially postponed or canceled, despite media reports. Katy Perry, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Imagine Dragons, Shawn Mendes and the Chainsmokers will all go ahead with performances this Saturday and Sunday in Hull, England, at BBC Radio 1s Big Weekend, according to TMZ. Hull is about two hours from Manchester. Blondie postponed a Tuesday-night show at the Round Chapel in London, saying in a series of tweets the day of the show that the move was out of respect for the victims of the terrible attack at the Manchester Arena, and noting that plans to reschedule the show were in the works. The Afghan Whigs have moved their Friday show to the O2 Ritz Manchester from Manchester Cathedral, which, as of Wednesday morning, was still cordoned off by police. The Ritz said Tuesday that it would stay silent on social media for two days in sympathy with those who lost their lives or were injured, physically or mentally, but that it would have news Thursday about any rescheduled shows. Other acts that had been scheduled to perform in the Manchester area but not in the arena in coming days, including Colour of Noise, Damien Dempsey, Shriekback and the Cranberries, canceled their shows for reasons unrelated to the suicide attack. Most announced those plans well before Monday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A Star Is Born: Bob Dylan turns 76 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) When people think of me, they are not necessarily going to buy the latest record anyway. They may buy a record from years ago. Besides, I dont think interviews sell records. Bob Dylan, 1985 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Bob Dylan -- Still A-Changin Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Late-night TV hosts, U2 plead for love after Manchester bombing By Robert Lloyd After the news, late-night talk shows are televisions most topical forum. We turn there for the satirical distance and perspective that might allow us to process the day and get to sleep for laughs when laughter is appropriate, but also for a thoughtful response when events go beyond ordinary human folly to the terrible and unthinkable. Mondays suicide bombing after an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, was on the minds of some late-night hosts Tuesday night. Theres really nothing you can say that can approach the shock and the grief of the victims and their families, said Stephen Colbert on Late Show, asking his audience to go online to hear what his CBS colleague James Corden, who follows him on The Late Late Show, had to say the night before. All we can add here, said Colbert, is that following acts of senseless violence like this, its all the more important not to be controlled by fear, but instead to be reminded by the action of people of Manchester who rushed to the aid of their friends and strangers alike. It is just more proof that evil cannot succeed as long as good people are willing to love each other. On NBCs Late Night, host Seth Meyers had similar thoughts. At its best, being at a concert is an incredible collective experience, he said. Its a chance through a shared love of music to connect with, to sing with and to dance with people you dont know.... And so this comes down to the way we treat strangers, and while some cowards chose to treat strangers with hate, from everything I read, Manchester was filled with people last night who provided aid and comfort to help victims who were total strangers to them. He ended with a plea for all of us to not need a tragedy to remind us of the importance of treating those we do not know with love instead of hate. The Irish band U2, in Los Angeles to perform concerts of their own, were among Jimmy Kimmels guests on ABCs Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel brought up Manchester. I imagine that is something you guys have been thinking about, he said. They hate music, they hate women, they even hate little girls they hate everything that we love, lead singer Bono replied. The worst of humanity was on view in Manchester last night but so was the best, as people took perfect strangers into their houses and queued up for blood banks. Manchester has an undefeatable spirit, I can assure you. Kimmel wondered how growing up in Northern Ireland in an era of political and sectarian violence had affected their music. It was so commonplace for a number of years, answered the Edge, the bands guitarist, that it just became a constant background to life. And occasionally something particularly awful would happen and it would really affect you but that was almost the worst of it. You got to the place where [it was] just ongoing every week, every month. Punk rock helped, added Bono. It made us suspicious of partisanship, it made us up suspicious of sectarian ideas. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Elisabeth Moss and BBC America join forces for Typhoid Mary limited series By Libby Hill (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) The Handmaids Tale star Elisabeth Moss is wasting no time in lining up new projects. BBC America announced Tuesday its partnership with Moss and Annapurna Television in developing Fever, a limited series focused on the tale of Typhoid Mary. The series will adapt the novel of the same name, written by Mary Beth Keane and set in early 20th century New York, where Mary Mallon is unknowingly transmitting typhus to those around her. She was an immigrant in turn-of-the-century New York, a time of huge change and progress in America, Moss said of the character in a statement released by the network. She was incredibly unique, stubborn, ambitious and in fierce denial of any wrongdoing until her death where she lived out her days imprisoned on an island just off of the Bronx in N.Y. She is incredibly complicated, something I seem to enjoy playing, said Moss. Moss will star in the series and serve as executive producer alongside director Phil Morrison (Enlightened, Junebug) and writer Robin Veith (The Expanse, True Blood). Annapurnas Sue Naegle and Megan Ellison will also serve as executive producers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Universal Music Group CEO on Manchester attack: A level of evil beyond comprehension By Christie DZurilla Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group, in November 2016. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images) Lucian Grainge of Universal Music Group sent a company-wide memo Tuesday, calling it a day of remembrance of victims of the suicide attack in Manchester, England, and acknowledging that emotions were raw. "[W]e grieve for all of those lost there, offering our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, said the chief executive of UMG, parent company of Ariana Grandes recording label Republic, in a note obtained by Variety. Twenty-two people, one only 8 years old, were killed Monday night and at least 59 were hurt when a bomb exploded as Grandes concert at the Manchester Arena was ending. This hits home for us as a music company, Grainge said, because so many of us, myself included, spend so much time out seeing our artists perform, let alone attending concerts as fans. Thats why weve chosen music as our career or rather music has chosen us. No UMG employees, including Grande and her crew, were injured in the blast, he confirmed, and help from human resources and security was offered to those with questions or concerns. That said, Grainge continued, the fact that such an unspeakable act can be committed at a place where innocent people including so many young people come together peacefully to enjoy music reflects a level of evil beyond comprehension. READ MORE: Suspected Manchester suicide bomber identified as U.K. son of Libyan immigrants>> Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Ariana Grande returns home to Florida after Manchester attack By Christie DZurilla People attending a vigil for Mondays suicide-attack victims brought flowers to St. Ann Square in Manchester, England, on Tuesday. (Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images) Ariana Grande reportedly returned home to Florida on Tuesday after the bombing outside her Manchester, England, concert that left 22 dead and at least 59 injured. As they exited a private plane, Grande, her mom and her dog were met on the tarmac in Boca Raton, E! News said, by family members and rapper Mac Miller, whom the 23-year-old has been dating since last summer. Miller gave Grande a long hug and a kiss, a source told E! It was a very emotional reunion and they stood talking for a minute before getting into the car, t After the 2008 recession, funding for a full renovation of Los Angeles State Historic Park seemed far off. Though the park had been waiting for a thorough face-lift since the state bought the 32-acre former rail yard at the crux of Chinatown and Echo Park in 2001, a refurbishment amid a sluggish economy wasnt necessarily an easy sell. But in 2009, an Echo Park punk rock festival needed a bigger venue. After a profanity-trimming name change, FYF Fest had found a home just off the Gold Line, and the park had a reliable new income stream. Hard Summer and others came next, and Los Angeles State Historic Park became known as one of the best places to throw a music festival in Southern California. Advertisement We didnt have the funding then, but we wanted to build public support and awareness for the site after the economy collapsed, said Sean Woods, the superintendent of California State Parks in the Los Angeles sector. We wanted to demonstrate that we could be self-sufficient, and though we didnt have much experience in the music business, we could demonstrate that [renovations] wouldnt have an impact on the general fund. The fact that [the site] wasnt built out meant that we had a lot of flexibility. The popularity of those music festivals helped build a constituency for the full revamp of the park, which finally reopened to the public last week. Now that its undergone a widely praised renovation, how does music fit into its future? In the three years since its closure, both FYF and Hard Summer have outgrown the parks now 25,000-person capacity (down from 35,000 before the remodel). Woods said that a diverse range of music festivals will still have a place in the new park. They just might be smaller initially in the 10,000 capacity range and more closely balanced with the needs of daily park-goers. Those changes will likely include fewer shows (were only looking to do four or five all season, Woods said), earlier curfews, keeping segments of the park open during concerts, and doing more non-music events such as film screenings, educational events and food festivals. The purpose of the park is to be a public park first. Were very mindful of noise levels and want to avoid closing to the public as often as possible, Woods said. But he also knows that its a magnificent location [for music festivals], and we understand the value of that. Early signs suggest promoters are eager to get back into Los Angeles State Historic Park. The first few festivals coming to the park fit right in line with the FYF-going crowd. Coming May 20 is the new Skyline Festival, a KCRW-aligned gig with electronic acts Miike Snow, Duke Dumont and Lido, among others. Later in the fall, FYF will dip its toes back into programming there, presenting a 15th anniversary show from Interpol playing its album Turn on the Bright Lights. Representatives for Hard wouldnt comment on any potential plans to return to Los Angeles State Historic Park (last year, Hard Summer drew 147,000 fans over two days to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana). But FYF fans who still hold a soft spot for the clatter of the Gold Line and skyscrapers in the sunset should be encouraged that theyre among the first promoters to get on board with smaller shows. Dave Peterson, a co-producer of FYF Fest, said, FYF became a festival upon moving to the park. The Los Angeles skyline as seen from the park was certainly a huge part of the visual identity of the festival during those years. There is a huge feeling of nostalgia and coming home that is undeniable. We know how special the park is for anyone who came to FYF in the past and are thrilled to bring shows to the new Los Angeles State Historic Park. Woods said that the parks department is actively looking for more diversity in its musical programming (a Latin music festival is a top priority, he said). Renovations like a new amphitheater space, permanent restrooms, a forthcoming restaurant and a dramatic elevated walking path will make for an even more functional and striking venue for music. Nearby Grand Park proved to be a popular place for free cultural events, and Woods stressed that the new parks civic role comes first, and any revenue-generating concerts will have to allow for that priority. When Los Angeles State Historic eventually links up to two other proposed park developments along the Los Angeles River, at the Bowtie and Rio de Los Angeles plots, it could herald a whole new approach to how culture interacts with public land in Los Angeles. Festivals might have to learn to share a bit more of the space, however. [The park] is surrounded by some of the oldest neighborhoods in L.A., and there has to be respect for what came before, Woods said. You have to reach out to urban communities and diverse people to build support for parks. For breaking music news, follow @augustbrown on Twitter. ALSO: Men may rule the fictional dystopian world of Gilead, the suffocating and misogynist setting of Hulus The Handmaids Tale, but women were instrumental to the team that breathed life into that world. Three women in particular proved foundational in translating Margaret Atwoods prose for the screen, creating a world of subjugation meant to torture their own kind. Reed Morano, director of the first three episodes, was responsible for setting the visual tone and establishing the style for the episodes to follow. Advertisement Production designer Julie Berghoff labored over the brick and mortar (and wallpaper and accoutrements) that brought Gilead to life. Costume designer Ane Crabtree crafted striking, yet utilitarian fashion that created instantaneously recognizable social divisions. These womens contributions were heartening to those fans who were concerned when Bruce Miller was announced as the creator, writer and executive producer. To put it bluntly, some were distressed by the fact that Miller is a man. Or rather, a boy. Thats how Miller refers to himself in a phone interview when discussing the challenges of depicting Gilead. One of the big aspects of Handmaids was that Offred (Elisabeth Moss) was victimized by a society that was institutionally misogynist. Bruce Miller One of the big aspects of Handmaids was that Offred (Elisabeth Moss) was victimized by a society that was institutionally misogynist, Miller said, pausing. There are aspects of that you just cant understand being a boy. In the series, which some critics have deemed disconcertingly timely, the United States has crumbled and a new regime called Gilead has risen, forcing a caste system on citizens, focused solely on raising flagging birthrates. Families are ripped apart and fertile women are forced into sexual slavery and stripped of basic human rights. Miller was acutely aware of his own potential limitations when it came to processing the full implications of Atwoods novel, but in hiring collaborators to execute his vision for the series, he wasnt just looking for women to fill out the ranks. In every case, we hired the best person for the job and part of that job was to represent a female and a male sensibility accurately and compassionately, Miller said. Enter Morano, Berghoff and Crabtree. Together, with Miller steering the ship, and assists from director of photography Colin Watkinson, as well as Atwood who served as a consultant and Moss, the women created a world equal parts recognizable and disquieting. What does the Handmaids world look like? What are the rules? Berghoff recalled asking in early brainstorming discussions with Crabtree and Morano. We couldnt believe that we, as women, were developing these rules for Gilead. It was ironic, but also really emotional, said Berghoff. For her creative process, Crabtree forced herself into the mind set of a man tasked with remaking the world in the way he saw fit, a challenge that afforded her logic and authority during daylight hours but took an emotional toll at night. I tried to be a military strategist, Crabtree said. I tried to plan the world from the top, looking down. What would it look like if I wanted to obliterate everything that ever was? It felt karmically wrong, she admitted, to design clothes intended to rob women of their autonomy. Early on, talks centered on Moranos vision for the show, from what type of house would serve as the main location to the precise color palette for everyone, including the handmaids and the wives. Reed had a very big and precise vision of what she wanted it to look like, especially with the color palette, Berghoff said. The color conversations were not contentious but definitely expansive. For Morano, she needed to know that the colors would work on digital as opposed to film. For Berghoff, her fabric and paint choices couldnt move forward without landing on the characters signature colors. For Crabtree, the colors just had to be right. The answer ended up coming from a photo of red flowers against a blue background, the red -- vibrant like lifeblood and the blue bold and verging on peacock were two shades that would not back down when they come in contact, much like the women who wear them. The look of Gilead needed to convey tension; to convey segregation and strictness of the new world, said Morano by phone, during a break in filming her upcoming feature I Think Were Alone Now. That segregation inspired Morano to opt for a very symmetrical composition in establishing shots, including the striking overhead shot featuring dozens of crimson-clad handmaids gathered on a green field, while choosing to use a verite or handheld camera when shooting close-ups. But perhaps Moranos most crucial creative choice was in how she chose to film Moss. Offred is often heard in internal monologue voice-overs, requiring Morano to devise a way to get the audience inside her head. With Lizzie [Moss], we had to get closer, Morano explained. We had a special 28 mm lens dedicated to her, a wide lens that we used for her close-ups in order to make that visual more unnerving. The idea, Morano said, was to get close enough so the audience felt as though they were hearing Offreds thoughts and seeing the world through her eyes. Unnerving was the watchword when speaking with many of the creative forces behind the scenes of Handmaids Tale. Whatever makes the audience feel weird and uncomfortable, thats what were always looking to do. Reed Morano Whatever makes the audience feel weird and uncomfortable, thats what were always looking to do, said Morano. Crabtree echoed the sentiment, saying Thats what good storytelling does. It takes you out of your comfort zone. It doesnt have to be horrible or horrific. It just takes you out of what you know. A key location is Commander Fred Waterfords (Joseph Fiennes) house, where Offred Of Fred serves as a handmaid to him and his wife, Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski). Early in the Handmaids pilot, Offred stands in the doorway to the kitchen, waiting like a child to be acknowledged. But its not just Moss performance that reads that way, its the set itself. The door frame is unnaturally tall, art director Ryan Halpenny explained, in order to throw off the viewers eye and create a sense of creeping discomfort. On the surface, everything appears normal, Halpenny said, but your mind knows better. Beyond even that, there is the coding that exists in the background of nearly every frame of the series. The Waterfords house is filled with beautiful artwork, nearly all of which are replications of pieces from the Boston Museum of Fine Art. With the fall of the U.S. came an unspoken pillaging of art, an unspoken nod to the fall of Europe during World War II. The systematic erasure of creature comforts extends to the costumes as well, Crabtree revealed. There are no buttons in the show. Theres no zippers in the show. Its all been stripped away, Crabtree said. And that goes for men, as well as women. I wanted to take control of the populace by taking away the elements people remembered. There are no epaulets for the commanders, because its the absence that you remember, explained Crabtree. For the women and the men behind The Handmaids Tale, that is the message they hope to impart. While the subjugation of women is the central story, it is by no means the whole story. This world, Morano said, screws up everyone and no matter how it may appear, the message I wanted to convey was that its not good for anyone, including men. The Handmaids Tale Where: Hulu When: Anytime Rating: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17 with advisories for coarse language, sex and violence) See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour libby.hill@latimes.com @midwestspitfire ALSO Hulu renews The Handmaids Tale for a second season Dystopian apparel: The making of The Handmaids blood-red robes Margaret Atwood answers the question: Is The Handmaids Tale a feminist book? Op-Ed: Living The Handmaids Tale courtesy of the secular liberal elites of L.A. Helen Johannesen oversees the wine programs for the gamut of Los Angeles restaurants owned, partly owned and managed by chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, a lineup that includes Animal, Son of a Gun, Trois Mec, Petit Trois, Jon and Vinnys, Trois Familia and Kismet. If there is a nerve center for these wine programs, it would be Helens, the Lilliputian wine shop established in 2015 and named for wine director Johannesen, occupying a corner of Jon and Vinnys, across from Animal on Fairfax Avenue. For the record: An earlier version of this article said wine bottles at Helens are stored in pinewood cubbyholes. The wood is white oak. Shop is an odd word for it; from the restaurant dining room it looks like some sort of wine terrarium, enclosed by picture windows through which you can glimpse a cramped, closet-sized space populated by bottles in white oak cubbyholes from floor to ceiling, where youd hope to find something good to drink before you succumb to a bout of claustrophobia. Advertisement And yet this is where Johannesen and her posse of on-site wine and beverage directors including Heather Newman, Molly Kelly, Kate Madzounian, Vanessa Proctor and Bethany Kocak meet, train and strategize about the wine programs; discuss service standards; divvy up allocations; manage the inventories; and, of course, taste together. Shook and Dotolo burst onto the L.A. dining scene with Animal in 2008, and as theyve expanded the scope and style of their restaurant domains, Johannesen has kept abreast of their efforts with focused, mildly subversive wine lists, as quirky and provocative as their menus; Johannesens selections mirror the groups ethos so deftly that the Jon and Vinny double moniker, by rights, should be a triad: Jon and Vinny and Helen and Co. Helen Johannesen, third from left, in her wine shop, Helens Wines, which sits in the middle of Jon and Vinnys restaurant. Johannesens employees are Molly Kelly, left, Bethany Kocak and at far right, Heather Newman. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) These are remarkably different restaurants after all, with different gastronomic thrusts and different kitchen collaborators in some instances. Theyre linked by Shook and Dotolos brash and uncanny juxtapositions of flavor and textures, famed at times for its extravagance. Generally, in her wine selections Johannesen comes in beneath all that excess, undercutting the chefs more lavish inclinations with high-acid whites and reds, as well as a crucial smattering of reds that are both high-acid and high-tannin. Johannesen is 34 and from New York, and her interest in wine stems from a meaningful stint in restaurants in Madison, Wis., where she went to university. From there she moved to L.A. and assisted David Lusby at Craft, but moved on to work with Shook and Dotolo at Animal, developing the wine programs for each successive new venture including Trois Mec and Petit Trois, the collaboration with Ludo Lefebvre. Conceptually, Johannesen has a keen sense of how to distinguish each program. She refers to Animals list, for example, as the boss, a classic old-school selection constrained by a two-page format, which keeps it lean and ever-changing. Son of a Gun is more New World, and adds some congenial colloquial descriptors, such as the Jura Chardonnay from Gahier thats referred to as creamy delish or the St. Aubin Burgundy from Prudhon, which Johannesen proclaims as an unexpected baller. Some of the wines available at Helens Wines, which sits in the middle of Jon and Vinnys restaurant in a very small space. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) All of the lists are a bit sneakily seditious. At present, for example, youll find no California Cabernet on Animals list to pair with your poutine and veal tongue, but Paolo Beas Pagliaro, a fiercely gripping Sagrantino di Montefalco from Umbria, probably does a better job at ridding the palate of unwanted unctuousness. (There is a Cab at the seafood-centric Son of a Gun go figure which youre encouraged to taste, or rather to take a toke on this Cabernet peace pipe.) Trois Mecs all-French list is deep in Burgundy, but deeper still in wines from the Rhone, Provence and the Languedoc. (Wine sales at both Trois Mec and Petit Trois are overwhelmingly by the glass, for their pairing menus, with some of those wines preserved by Coravin.) Ironically, Jon and Vinnys, the pizza-and-pasta joint and arguably the least adventurous restaurant in the group, has the most elaborate wine selection, precisely because of its boarder (Johannesen is in fact a partner for both the restaurant and the wine shop). Helens the shop doubles as a wildly overachieving wine list, the place you can order a Raveneau Grand Cru Chablis, or a 2001 Pomerol, or a vintage Gaja Barbaresco to wash down your pizza Margherita. Why not? And maybe, if you havent gorged on too much pasta, you can squeeze yourself into the terrarium after your meal and rub elbows, literally, unavoidably, with the eponymous Johannesen. 412 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 334-3369, helenswines.com. Helens inventory is online; they also deliver, for a fee. Helen Johannesen, third from left, in her wine shop, Helens Wines, which sits in the middle of Jon and Vinnys restaurant. Johannesens employees include Molly Kelly, left, Bethany Kocak and at far right, Heather Newman. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) Animal and others, by the numbers: Wine Director: Helen Johannesen Floor Sommelier(s): Animal: Bethany Kocak Jon and Vinnys: Heather Newman Kismet: Eric Murdoch and Kae Whalen Petit Trois, Trois Mec: Molly Kelly Son of a Gun: Kate Madzouian and Vanessa Proctor Median bottle price: $75 - $100 Least expensive: $50 (Trois Mec) Most Expensive: $2,385 (Trois Mec) Helen Johannesens current obsessions, and her new course pairings for spring: Current obsession: Ive gotten deep into the Languedoc-Roussillon. There is so much energy and interest in this area; its sort of going through this revolution as more and more growers seek out their own plots of land and move away from cooperatives; there is a heightened awareness of the awesome terroir in such a killer landscape. A pairing story: I went by Trois Mec to taste a new avocado dish. It has a tart cream, dressed in sesame, toasted crunchy grains, garlic, and apple. Molly really wanted a red wine pairing. We discussed how it needs to be a specific style of red wine, impeccably light but not iron-ey, juicy but not full or sweet. We were thinking Gamay but maybe something other than Beaujolais. So we settled on an Oregon Gamay, from Evening Land, Seven Springs Vineyard. food@latimes.com More than 50 years after they were designed, Joseph Eichlers simple post-and-beam tract homes long celebrated by fans of modern architecture remain remarkably contemporary. Although the progressive builders tracts in Orange County and Northern California have been open for formal tours, his final tract in Thousand Oaks has not. On May 13, the Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter changes that by hosting a self-driving tour of four Eichler homes in Ventura County. 1 / 5 An Eichler home in the Balboa Highlands tract in Granada Hills. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 5 The view from the backyard of a restored Eichler house in Granada Hills. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 5 An atrium welcomes guests at this restored Eichler in Granada Hills. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 5 An Eichler home in Thousand Oaks. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 5 The living room of an Eichler home in Orange as seen in 2005. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) Advertisement Built between 1964 and 1966, the 100 or so homes were conceptualized by Eichler to include many signature style elements, and then designed by architects A. Quincy Jones and Claude Oakland. The homes were then built by Eichler. The homes feature classic Midcentury Modern details such as airy atriums, open floor plans, floor to ceiling glass, radiant heating and mahogany panels. Almost all the homes in the tract have been preserved or restored to reflect their original design aesthetic. The tour is preceded by a talk by Paul Adamson, the author of Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream at 1 p.m. What: Eichler Home Tour When: Lecture begins at 1 p.m. May 13. The home tours run from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Where: Grant R. Brimhall Library, 1401 East Janss Road, Thousand Oaks Tickets: $25 for members. $30 for non-members in advance, or $40 day of tour Info: (800) 972-4722; www.sahscc.org A glimpse at the decor of Lloyd Wrights Dorland house in Altadena by designers Miao Miao and Scott Franklin lisa.boone@latimes.com Twitter: @lisaboone19 For an easy way to follow the L.A. scene, bookmark L.A. at Home and join us on our Facebook page for home design, Twitter and Pinterest. ALSO: A new crop of Eichlers rises in Palm Springs, the mecca of modernism An Eichler restoration in Granada Hills, with budget top of mind Restoring a neglected tract home to Midcentury glory in Palm Springs More Southern California home tours Teachers at a network of Sacramento charter schools founded by former Mayor Kevin Johnson are trying to unionize, citing growing discontent over the schools management and high staff turnover. The four schools, which are operated by St. Hope Public Schools, are a desirable target for a union for political and strategic reasons. Although Johnson no longer oversees them, his wife, Michelle Rhee, is the chairwoman of the organizations governing board. As the former schools chancellor in Washington, D.C., Rhee was one of the most public faces of a campaign to change how public schools are run and a favorite target of teachers unions. On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Teachers Assn. announced that more than half of the teachers, psychologists and school counselors at St. Hope Public Schools had signed a petition asking to be represented by the union, an arm of the California Teachers Assn. Advertisement If their effort is successful, it could pose a challenge to the charter organizations leadership. Charter schools, which are publicly funded but operate without many of the restrictions placed on traditional public schools, typically are nonunion. It would also mean that a majority of the 15 charter schools operating within the Sacramento City Unified School District would be unionized, said John Borsos, executive director of the Sacramento City Teachers Assn. Borsos said St. Hope teachers had periodically expressed interested in unionizing over the years, but a majority tilted in favor only in the last several months. He declined to say how many signatures the union had gathered. We expect well inspire others to follow their lead, he said, suggesting that staff at other charter schools might make similar attempts. The more success weve had in being able to make improvements in other schools, the more likely educators who are similarly situated are going to see the benefits. Kingsley Melton, a teacher at Sacramento High School, which is part of the St. Hope network, said some teachers had decided to unionize after attempts to resolve disputes with the organizations leadership failed. He said frequent turnover of teachers and administrators and a general lack of transparency had fueled the push. Our desks are old, we have to fight for resources for kids and when we asked where the moneys going, we never get a full answer, he said. St. Hope officials did not respond to requests for comment. Chief of Schools Shannon Wheatley emailed staff this week to express his disappointment in what he called a small group of employees who want to form a union. Wheatley told them he had worked for a traditional public school that prioritized the needs of adults before those of children. I came to St. Hope so that I didnt have to deal with union politics and adult issues dominating the day, he wrote. anna.phillips@latimes.com Twitter: @annamphillips California is trying out a new science test, one thats supposed to reflect the more hands-on and interactive approach of the Next Generation Science Standards. But under federal law, the state must continue to administer the old science test until the new one is up and running. State Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson asked the Obama administration to let California out of this double-testing requirement, arguing that it wastes students time and the states money. The administration said no, more than once. Thats because the new tests scores wont be counted at first and the federal government wouldnt accept years without valid science test scores. Advertisement Now the state is making the request again, to the new administration. Late last week, Torlakson and State Board of Education President Mike Kirst sent U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos a letter asking to be released from the testing requirements. Allowing California schools to avoid the administration of double science testing will provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with the new computer-based assessment in science with no undue concerns about immediate academic consequence, they wrote. The state also maintains that cutting the old tests will help reduce students stress levels. Those old science tests are based on standards that were adopted in 1998. California signed on to the new science standard initiative in 2013. The new goals for each grade strive to make the learning of science more coherent and evidence-based. Under the new framework, students are supposed to spend more time teaching each other and less time passively listening to lectures. To read the article in Spanish, click here Joy.Resmovits@LATimes.com @Joy_Resmovits Californias ban on displaying the Confederate flag doesnt apply to individuals even if they are on government property, state officials said this week in settling a free speech lawsuit. Fresno artist Timothy Desmond sued after his painting depicting the flag was barred from the 2015 Big Fresno Fair. His painting shows Confederate soldiers fighting in the 1864 Battle of Atlanta, led by a soldier carrying the battle flag. Californias 2014 law says the state cannot display or sell the Battle Flag of the Confederacy or any similar image unless it appears in a way that serves an educational or historical purpose. Fair officials used that law to ban Desmonds painting a year later, but they let him display the painting during the 2016 fair. The settlement signed by the state attorney generals office on Monday says that the ban applies only to the state government and not to private individuals. Individuals are still free to carry, display or sell the flag on private or government property. Advertisement The First Amendment is clear: The state may not ban the expression of certain points of view simply because some find them distasteful, Center for Individual Rights President Terry Pell said in a statement Tuesday. Freedom of speech has costs, whether in the form of hurt feelings of those who are forced to listen or the cost of police necessary to protect against the riots that sometimes result. The nonprofit, based in Washington, D.C., represented Desmond in the lawsuit. Spokesmen for California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra did not return repeated telephone and emailed messages for comment. Desmond himself wasnt commenting on the lawsuit or the settlement, a spokeswoman for the center said. The centers website describes him as a retired high school science teacher who regularly enters his paintings in local art fairs. It says his relatives fought for the South during the Civil War, so he became interested in their lives and the battles in which they might have fought. He found that his great-grandfathers brother may have fought in the Battle of Atlanta. A suspected drunken driver was charged Tuesday with manslaughter in the crash that killed a Georgia firefighter who was on vacation in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office alleged that Benjamin Seider, an L.A. resident, was driving under the influence of alcohol on the night of April 10 when he ran a red light and smashed into a Volkswagen at Washington Boulevard and Ocean Avenue in Venice. Three firefighters visiting from Marietta, Ga., were in the Volkswagen, and the force of the crash caused Ron Herens, 23, to be thrown out of the vehicle. Advertisement Herens, who was a passenger in the Volkswagen, was pronounced dead at the scene. The two other firefighters, Dillon Guest and Doug Blanchard, suffered serious injuries, prosecutors said. Seider, 23, was formally charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and driving with a 0.08% blood alcohol content causing injury, all felony counts. If convicted on all charges, he faces more than 12 years in state prison. Appearing in the Airport Courthouse, Seider pleaded not guilty. He remains free after posting $100,000 bail on April 11, according to jail records. Herens was among a group of firefighters who had visited a Los Angeles Fire Department station on the day of the crash, according to accident records from L.A. County Fire Department. His body was flown back to Georgia, and a celebration of life ceremony was held last month. His work ethic came right through talking to him, Marietta fire Chief Jackie Gibbs said at the ceremony, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. matt.hamilton@latimes.com Twitter: @MattHjourno A judge has delivered a humiliating new legal defeat to Los Angeles elected officials, striking down the citys approval of a Hollywood Target shopping center for the second time in three years. Targets partially built, three-story structure has sat empty since 2014, when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard L. Fruin Jr. concluded that the City Councils approval of the project violated planning rules. Council members responded two years later by approving new zoning for the site, but that vote drew a new legal challenge. Last week, Fruin ruled that the councils do-over on the project also violated the law. City officials, he said, failed to properly examine the environmental effects of its new zoning mechanism on the larger neighborhood. Advertisement The decision means that Target, which first filed an application to build the project in 2008, will continue to be prohibited from finishing construction. A lawyer for the La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Assn., which sued to stop the project, said Target should respond to the ruling by demolishing the structure and building a store that is no taller than 35 feet considerably shorter than the current project and in accordance with planning and zoning rules. We think that would be the proper outcome, said Robert P. Silverstein, the neighborhood groups attorney. Compliance with the law has always been the focus of this litigation. Kristy Welker, a Target spokeswoman, said company officials are disappointed with the decision and evaluating next steps. Rob Wilcox, spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer, declined to say whether the city will appeal Fruins decision. We are reviewing the ruling and will be advising our client accordingly, he said in an email. Citizens Coalition Los Angeles, a second plaintiff, had also challenged the Target project. The Target decision follows a string of legal setbacks for City Hall on real estate development. Last week, a different judge ruled that the council failed to comply with the states environmental law when it approved a Frank Gehry-designed mixed-use complex at Sunset and Crescent Heights boulevards. Over the last five years, judges have also struck down the citys approval of Sunset and Gordon, a 299-unit apartment building, and the Millennium skyscraper project both in Hollywood. In addition, a judge ordered the council to repeal its 2012 Hollywood Community Plan update, which sought to allow taller and more dense development along Hollywoods transit corridors. Planning officials are hoping for a new council vote on that plan later this year. Councilman Mitch OFarrell, who represents part of Hollywood said through a spokesman that he is disappointed and wants to see the project completed. A spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti said the mayor does not discuss ongoing legal matters. The legal dispute over Target has centered, in part, on the rules governing the height of buildings near several Hollywood subway stations. The zoning for the Target site originally limited shopping centers to 35 feet, unless they incorporate housing. The council voted in 2012 to allow Target to build a 74-foot-tall structure, saying the company would face an unnecessary hardship if it had to comply with the height rules. Targets lawyer said at one point that the company pursued a taller project at the request of Garcetti, who was then a councilman representing Hollywood, and community members. Garcetti pushed for the additional height to ensure that the project would have more amenities on the first floor. Fruin said in his 2014 ruling that Target could have complied with the citys height rules had it built an underground parking garage at a cost of at least $5 million. The judge ordered the city to invalidate the projects building permits, halting construction. After that ruling, the council amended its zoning for the site, allowing Target to build up to 75 feet without constructing any housing. Silverstein, the La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Assn.s lawyer, said the city needed to conduct an environmental review of the change, arguing that other property owners in the area could seek the same zoning. Fruin agreed, saying the city did not examine the foreseeable environmental effects of having other developers in the neighborhood applying to build 75-foot-tall shopping centers. New retail uses predictably will have traffic, noise, air pollution and [greenhouse gas] emission impacts, he wrote. The latest ruling dismayed Leron Gubler, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, who said the ruling would hurt low-income families in the neighborhood. More than 250 permanent jobs have been in limbo, he said. The community needs those jobs and the shopping opportunities. Silverstein said the project already would have been finished had Target followed the citys rules. david.zahniser@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidZahniser ALSO When developers strike deals with homeowner groups: Hush money, or a way to defend L.A. neighborhoods? Los Angeles State Historic Park bridges past and present at grand opening celebration Grab the surf leash! Beachgoers frantically try to save woman attacked by shark at popular surf spot UPDATES: 7:55 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from a spokesperson for Councilman Mitch OFarrell. This article was originally published at 6:30 p.m. The calls on the hotline reflected life at its messiest: A single mom who left her boyfriend and was living in a motel. An out-of-stater who came for a job that fizzled. A low-income family with medical bills and a three-day eviction notice. The callers had one thing in common. They were not homeless yet. When they reached the referral line at L.A. Family Housing in North Hollywood, the pained response once would have been, If you wake up in your car tomorrow, call back, said Kris Freed, vice president of programs at the non-profit agency. Advertisement Thats because traditional services for homeless people shelters, housing assistance and case management have one fundamental requirement: that the recipient is verifiably homeless. Now, a new and largely unproven approach is emerging as a major element of Los Angeles Countys homeless initiative. Those drafting plans for the Measure H sales tax funds approved by voters in March have proposed spending more than $40 million over the next three years to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. Those deemed eligible for prevention funds could receive cash assistance to pay for rent, security deposits or moving expenses. They could also receive other forms of help, such as legal aid. The prevention strategy was tested in a pilot program last year and continues on a limited basis with a county grant from the Department of Public Social Services. Based on those tests, county officials estimate a prevention program would spend about $12,000 on each family served and $7,857 on each individual, including staff costs. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority initially asked for more than $100 million in prevention funds over the first three years from Measure H. That request was pared last week by 60% as county officials recalibrated their initial requests for Measure H money. Since prevention is a relatively new endeavor for us both here in the county and across the nation we feel its smart to start smaller, learn what works and build on our successes as we move forward, said Phil Ansell, director of the countys Homeless Initiative. Despite the cuts, Ansell didnt back off the countys long-stated goal of keeping 30,000 people from becoming homeless. Prevention services are included in several other strategies, and funds can be added in the future as the program proves itself, he said. It was really hard for me. My kid, he sat at a homeless shelter one time for Christmas. It was humbling. Nycole Castellanos, whose family found permanent housing with an assist from a program designed to prevent people from becoming homeless At any level, they represent a pioneering strategy to seal the pipeline into homelessness as other programs focus on helping others out of it. Officials acknowledge that they still have a lot to learn about a strategy that is too new to have proven results. Peter Lynn, executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, conceded that the agency has almost no experience with prevention; its not a tool we have utilized well or thoroughly. The questions surrounding prevention are many: Who should be eligible? How long should they be helped? What about those who repeatedly fall into crisis? The toughest problem is figuring out who needs help, Ansell said. Most people who lose permanent housing through eviction or some other reason never become homeless, he said. Two hypothetical candidates for prevention aid might seem equally at risk, but then one becomes homeless and one doesnt, Ansell said. The $2-million pilot program has provided some data on its cost and effectiveness. Through March, the program assisted 413 people, said Joshua Hall, Family System Integration Manager at the homeless authority. In all, they received about $840,000 in rental assistance and $500,000 in other forms of assistance including deposits, fees, hotel vouchers and case management. Success is hard to measure. Hall said 185 still receive assistance. Of the 228 who have exited the program, nearly 80% obtained permanent housing. The remainder either went into crisis housing programs or resolved their own problems, he said. The long odyssey of Nycole Castellanos and her family illustrates how prevention works and also what makes it challenging. Castellanos, her husband and two children ended up in a winter shelter in Santa Clarita after he lost his job. The winter shelter referred them to L.A. Family Housing, which used funds designated for homeless people to get them stabilized. They stayed in a motel for a month and then found an apartment. They helped us with the first month and several months after, Castellanos said. Then a dispute with their landlord caused them to leave. They ended up in a motel again, paying their own rent but unable to afford the upfront fees for a new apartment. Because they had a home this time, even though it was a motel, they werent eligible for what is called rapid re-housing assistance, which is meant for homeless people. Prevention funds paid their first months rent, security deposit and a portion of the next two months for the apartment in North Hollywood where they now live. It was really hard for me, Castellanos said of the whole experience. My kid, he sat at a homeless shelter one time for Christmas. It was humbling. The familys multiple moves reflect the housing instability considered the key indicator of families who can be helped by prevention, said Alynn Gausvik, intake and assessment manager at the North Hollywood homeless services agency. Its people who are on the edge, Gausvik said. Theyre facing instability. They arent sure where to turn. Gausvik, who recently earned a masters degree in social work, said growing research suggests that prevention pays off when the right families are targeted. Its usually cheaper to help someone stay in an apartment than to get them a new apartment, she said. Better than leave, bump around with crisis housing, get an eviction on their record. County homeless officials consider prevention crucial to their plans because the thousands of people continually falling into homelessness tend to nullify any success in finding homes for those already homeless. Based on surveys taken as part of the 2016 count, the homeless authority estimates that more than 150,000 episodes of homelessness occur each year, including those who become homeless more than once during the year. The initial prevention strategy included in the countys Measure H spending plan projected assistance to about 700 families each year and to 2,200 individuals in the first year, growing to 5,500 by the third. The balance between the role of prevention versus the role of getting families and adults who are currently homeless out of homelessness is one of the core issues of this group. Ansell told the Measure H citizen planning panel at a recent meeting. Members of the group had a lot of questions. Im sitting here with some anxiety, said Reba Stevens, a formerly homeless woman sitting on the panel as one of its lived experience representatives. I feel its important that we are provided with data that actually shows the outcomes. What has worked? What hasnt worked? doug.smith@latimes.com @LATDoug ALSO Judge strikes down citys approval of a Hollywood Target again Police panel calls for more LAPD reforms to address racial bias, discipline and community policing Police panel calls for more LAPD reforms to address racial bias, discipline and community policing A federal jury awarded $620,000 Tuesday to a Long Beach man who says he was beaten, choked and shocked with a stun gun by city police officers during a 2011 traffic stop. Ray Webb, 62, said officers illegally searched his vehicle, ordered him out of the car and proceeded to beat him with flashlights and batons before shocking him with a Taser several times, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. Webb, who has a heart condition, has suffered a heart attack and experienced severe vision problems since the October 2011 incident, according to the lawsuit. According to the suit, Webb said officers stopped him because one of his taillights was out, a claim he denies. At some point, the officers determined a female passenger in Webbs vehicle was on probation, and they ordered both Webb and the passenger out of the car. The officers claimed Webb or the woman consented to the search, which Webb also denies, according to the suit. Advertisement At some point, Webb began to walk away from the car and criticized the officers conduct after they removed a box from his car that contained cocaine. Webb says the drugs were not his. The officers approached Webb, but two of them collided and fell to the ground, according to the suit. I knew they was upset, Webb, a retired truck driver who has lived in Long Beach for nearly four decades, said in a phone interview on Wednesday. I seen them coming at me and that told me just to drop. Webb said he crumpled to the ground and raised his arms to protect himself. The officers then struck him at least 20 times with batons and heavy-duty flashlights, the complaint said. Webb lost consciousness at least twice during the clash, as officers took turns placing him in chokeholds, according to the suit. Webb said that he was kept in a chokehold the entire time and that one officer approached him and began swinging a baton, without a word. Although at least four officers were present, they made no attempt to communicate with each other, deescalate the situation or even handcuff Plaintiff throughout the assault, according to the lawsuit. At no time during the encounter was a specific command or an opportunity to comply with any order, lawful or otherwise, ever given to Plaintiff, who was vastly outnumbered, unarmed, made no threats, and struck no one. Webb said Wednesday that he had no idea how long the beating lasted but that he was hospitalized for two days afterward. Something like that, a minute seems like thirty minutes or so, he said. The search of the vehicle was later deemed to be improper by a Superior Court judge, according to court records. Webb was charged with cocaine possession and resisting arrest in October 2011, but all charges were dropped less than two months later, records show. The Long Beach police officers involved in the incident were identified as Alejandro Cazares, Julie Lacey Ackerman, Harrison Moore and Tomas Diaz. Sgt. Brad Johnson, a Long Beach police spokesman, said Cazares, Ackerman and Moore remain on duty and assigned to the patrol bureau. Diaz resigned in April 2016 and is no longer employed by the city, according to Johnson, who would not say why. Johnson declined to comment on Webbs description of events or the verdict. He also declined to say what, if any, discipline the officers faced, citing state law that bars such information from being made public. Long Beach Deputy City Atty. Howard Russell said his office will consider appealing the judgment. We respect the jurys time and their effort. We just dont agree with the conclusion that they reached, he said. This verdict sends a loud and clear message that police brutality and excessive force is not acceptable. No amount of money will ever change what happened to Mr. Webb, Webbs attorney, Elliott Tiomkin, said in a statement. The officers claimed that Mr. Webb did not respect them and that he deserved to be beaten into submission. Obviously, the jury did not buy this argument. The verdict is the latest in a series of lawsuits against Long Beach police that have resulted in hefty payouts from the city. Last year, Long Beach paid $6.5 million to settle three separate wrongful-death suits filed by the families of unarmed men shot and killed by police officers in recent years. In July, the city agreed to pay $3 million to the family of Tyler Woods, who was unarmed and running from police when he was shot 19 times by officers in 2013. The family of Jason Conoscenti, whose shooting was captured on video and stoked heavy criticism of the department, settled with the city for $2 million in August 2016. Conoscenti, who was being sought by Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies after an allegation that he stole something from a Target store in Compton, fled into Long Beach, where he was shot while running down a staircase. The city also settled with the family of Hector Morejon, an unarmed teenager who was fatally shot in the back by a city police officer in 2015, for $1.5 million last year. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office declined to bring charges against the officers involved in each of those shootings, though prosecutors sharply criticized Officer Jeffrey Meyer in Morejons death, calling his actions deeply troubling and blaming him for turning what should have been a routine encounter into a fatal shooting. Webb said he still has nightmares about the incident with police, suffering one such bad dream as recently as two weeks ago. The sight of police officers sometimes makes him nervous and paranoid now, which it never had before. I have nothing, and I mean nothing, against the police. I have friends that are police and retired policemen, and I respect the police wholeheartedly, he said. Saying that, I was more than delighted of the ruling. It took five years, and I lived every year for that ruling. james.queally@latimes.com Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California. ALSO Former NBA All-Star Brandon Roy wounded in Compton shooting, police say $10,000 reward offered in search for missing San Gabriel Valley 5-year-old Here are the weapons seized in the raid of a high-ranking police officers home UPDATES: 5:35 p.m.: This story has been updated with comments from the Long Beach city attorneys office. 1:35 p.m.: This story has been updated with comments from Webb. This story was first published at 11:55 a.m. An unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile was launched Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base to test the weapons reliability and ensure an effective nuclear deterrent, according to the U.S. Air Force. The Minuteman III missile test launch occurred at 12:02 a.m. from the base northwest of Santa Barbara, according to Air Force Global Strike Command. The missile, equipped with a single-test reentry vehicle, traveled 4,200 miles to a test range near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent, the strike command said in a statement. Advertisement The launch was conducted by the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, the 576th Flight Test Squadron and Vandenbergs 30th Space Wing team, the Air Force said. The 341st Missile Wing is one of three missile bases overseeing the countrys intercontinental ballistic missile forces. Its efforts like these that make nuclear deterrence effective, Col. Craig Ramsey, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, said in a statement. Vandenberg Air Force Base and the 576th Flight Test Squadron have been preparing for the operational test launch for the last 10 months, Col. Chris Moss, Vandenbergs 30th Space Wing commander, said in a statement. Members of the 576th Flight Test Squadron and Vandenberg Air Force Base monitor the launch of an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Before its launch, the Minuteman III missile was pulled randomly from a silo at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and transported to Vandenberg, where it was reassembled, according to the Air Force. Air Force Global Strike Command said data collected from test launches are used for continuing force development evaluation. Test launches demonstrate the capability of the Minuteman missile system as well as ensure the United States ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of U.S. national security and the security of U.S. allies and partners, the strike command said. The Minuteman III missile has been in service for 60 years, but it has been upgraded with improved targeting and enhanced accuracy systems, the Air Force said. The test is the second missile launched from the base in a week. Another test was conducted by the Air Force Global Strike Commands team April 26. Air Force officials said that launch was an operational test to show the countrys nuclear deterrent capability. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in San Barbara, has criticized the timing and the Air Forces motives for both launches. The organization has said the launches come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. On Friday, North Koreas military launched a ballistic missile hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on the U.N. Security Council to impose new economic sanctions against the country. The weapon apparently crashed nearby or in waters just offshore. North Korea has stepped up its missile testing in recent weeks, having launched at least seven short- and mid-range projectiles this year. Wednesdays test is the third ICBM launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base this year. The other test missile was launched in February. That missile, equipped with a nonexplosive payload, also traveled to a test range in Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. veronica.rocha@latimes.com Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA ALSO Controversial U.S. anti-missile system begins operating in South Korea Air Force launches test missile off Central California coast to show nuclear deterrent capability Can the U.S. defend against a North Korean missile strike? A $10,000 reward has been offered for any information leading to the whereabouts of a 5-year-old boy whose mysterious disappearance triggered searches in at least three different counties. Aramazd Andressian Jr. was reported missing April 22 after his father was found unconscious and alone outside his car in South Pasadenas Arroyo Park. Authorities scoured the park and surrounding area for the boy but did not find him. In the following week, investigators searched for clues in Orange County, where they believed the boy had gone to Disneyland with his father, Aramazd Andressian Sr. Detectives also explored Cachuma Lake Recreation Area in Santa Barbara County. Authorities suspected the boys father visited the lake on April 21. Investigators and scent-detecting dogs then searched Andressians home in South Pasadena on Friday. Advertisement Again, detectives were unable to find any evidence leading them to the boy. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said homicide detectives and the boys family are now asking for the publics assistance in obtaining any information to help them find Aramazd. The investigation into Aramazds whereabouts began April 22 when Andressian was supposed to drop off his son with the childs mother in San Marino. But Andressian never showed, South Pasadena Police Chief Art Miller said. Police later discovered that Andressian had been hospitalized earlier that morning when he was found in Arroyo Park. Miller said theres no evidence suggesting the boys father was attacked, and investigators dont know why he was unconscious. Authorities arrested Andressian, 35, in connection with his sons disappearance, but he was released from jail April 25. His attorney said the case was dismissed because of insufficient evidence. Andressian later released a statement to KABC-TV. I was told that a good Samaritan found me unconscious on the ground near my car, with young Aramazd nowhere in sight, he said. I can only speculate that I must have been attacked in the park, given my unresponsive state and subsequent physical condition. My family and I are heartbroken and grief-stricken that Aramazd Jr. is missing and may be in harms way. The mother told investigators she had handed her son off to his father about 8 a.m. April 15 in Baldwin Park, authorities said. She last saw her son April 20 during a Skype video conversation, the Sheriffs Department said. The couple are in the process of getting a divorce but share custody of their child, Miller said. Aramazd is 3 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs about 55 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, as well as a small mole on his right shoulder, authorities said. veronica.rocha@latimes.com Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA San Francisco police officers shot and killed a man who they say was stabbing another man Wednesday in the heart of the citys downtown. The shooting occurred just after 11:20 a.m. in the 900 block of Market Street, new Police Chief William Bill Scott told reporters at the scene. Two officers were patrolling the area when they saw a man stabbing another person, he said. Advertisement The officers intervened, Scott said. During the course of the intervening, at least one officer discharged a firearm. The man died from a gunshot wound, and the stabbing victim was taken to a hospital for treatment. Neither has been identified. This information is preliminary, and this is an active and ongoing investigation, the chief said. As we get more facts, we will understand in totality what happened. veronica.rocha@latimes.com Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA Survivors of a shooting at a crowded poolside birthday party returned to the University City apartment complex Tuesday with a unified message race played a role. They spoke of their grief, and their desire to connect with counselors to help them untangle their trauma. But their primary goal was to publicly state that they felt the shooting was racially motivated. As additional factors come in, we realize there are multiple components to this problem, but we feel heartbreak in the fact that [police are] trying to dismiss a part of the motive, said Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Chapman, who attended the party. Advertisement About a dozen people participated in the gathering, which was held on a grassy outcropping at the La Jolla Crossroads Apartments. The pool area was a distant backdrop. Although none had been injured when 49-year-old Peter Selis started shooting Sunday night, all were there. Most of the 30 or so people who attended the party were black or Latino. Selis was white, and all but one of the victims were people of color. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said a day after the shooting that there was zero information indicating the crime was racially motivated. She also said Selis, who was fatally shot by police, was despondent over a recent breakup. He called and spoke to his ex-girlfriend during the incident so she could hear his rampage. Records show Selis also faced serious financial troubles, filing bankruptcy in 2009 and again in 2015. He owed substantial amounts of money to medical groups, credit card companies and creditors, according to court documents. A number of black community leaders questioned how police could have come to their conclusions so quickly. How, in less than 24 hours, did Shelley Zimmerman come to the result that there was no hate involved in this? said Shane Harris, president of the San Diego Chapter of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization. San Diego Police Capt. Brian Ahearn said Tuesday that the investigation continues and is expected to take weeks. Police again asked for anyone who may have information about the shooting to come forward. At Tuesdays gathering at the Judicial Drive complex, several speakers recounted details that led them to believe race was a factor in the shooting. While the birthday party was about 20 feet away from Selis, two white women who were closer were seemingly dismissed as targets. Selis also did not fire at a white security guard who, from the other side of a fence, ordered him to drop his gun after the shooting began. Winkley writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. ALSO 1 dead, 7 wounded in shooting at San Diego apartment complex; gunman killed by police Leave or you can stay here and die: Witnesses describe horror of pool party mass shooting in San Diego Former student pleads no contest in mass shooting at Oakland college Members of Congress called on the World Health Organization Wednesday to do everything in its power to stop the manufacturer of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin from setting off a worldwide opioid epidemic with its rapid expansion into developing countries and other foreign markets. In a letter to the WHOs director-general, a dozen U.S. representatives from areas devastated by opioid addiction urged the international medical community to be wary of Connecticut opioid maker Purdue Pharma and its international arm, known as Mundipharma. The greed and recklessness of one company and its partners helped spark a public health crisis in the United States that will take generations to fully repair, they wrote of the opioid epidemic, which has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 1999. Please learn from our experience and do not allow Mundipharma to carry on Purdues deadly legacy on a global stage. Advertisement The letter noted a Times report last year about the foreign marketing push by Purdues owners, the Sackler family. As OxyContins sales have plunged 40% in the U.S. in recent years, the familys Mundipharma companies have begun shifting their painkiller business into Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and other places. The marketing there includes many of the same controversial sales tactics as in the U.S., including minimizing the painkillers risk of addiction, the newspaper found. In a statement through a spokesman, Purdue said that the various Sackler-owned companies around the world operate under different leadership structures and within distinct regulatory environments. Here in the U.S., Purdue is committed to working collaboratively with public officials to address the opioid crisis, the company said, adding, we are an industry leader in the development of abuse-deterrent technology and advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs. Representatives for Mundipharma did not have immediate comment Wednesday. Purdue has said it is working to end the U.S. opioid epidemic through abuse-deterrent pills and other strategies. Mundipharma has defended its foreign marketing practices, saying that it learned from the American experience and is committed to developing prescription medicines for healthcare professionals to treat patients in pain safely and responsibly. Representatives for WHO Director-General Margaret Chan did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The U.N. agencys primary focus when it comes to opioid painkillers has been expanding access to the drugs in countries where supplies of them are so limited that hospitals dont have morphine and the terminally ill routinely die in agony. Only a small number of countries, such as the U.S. and Canada, have embraced broadly prescribing painkillers and seen problems with widespread abuse. In their letter, lawmakers noted OxyContins role in igniting Americas opioid epidemic. Purdue launched the drug in 1996 with an aggressive marketing campaign that deceived doctors about its risk of addiction. The company and three executives pleaded guilty in 2007 to federal charges of misbranding drugs and were ordered to pay $635 million. Investigations in The Times last year revealed that a problem with OxyContins duration put some patients at increased risk of addiction and described how the company collected evidence pointing to criminal trafficking of its drug, but failed in many cases to alert law enforcement or shut off the supply of pills destined for drug dealers and addicts. More than 7 million Americans have abused OxyContin since its debut, according to federal estimates, and research indicates that addiction to the drug has been a key driver in the nations skyrocketing rates of heroin abuse. The international community has a rare opportunity to see the future, the lawmakers wrote. Do not allow Purdue to walk away from the tragedy they have inflicted on countless American families simply to find new markets and new victims elsewhere. The letter was a bipartisan effort reflecting the disparate communities affected by the opioid epidemic. It was spearheaded by Rep. Katherine Clark, a liberal Massachusetts Democrat whose district includes well-off Boston suburbs, and Rep. Hal Rogers, a conservative Kentucky Republican whose Appalachian district is one of the poorest in the country. Opioid death rates in both states are surging, with Massachusetts recording nearly 2,000 deaths last year and Kentucky more than 1,200 the prior year. The cause of it lies right at the door of Purdue and its misleading marketing, said Clark, adding that when lawmakers learned of OxyContins global ambitions, we just couldnt stand by and not try to intervene. Rogers said in an email that he was moved to act in part because of parallels between his district with its poverty and limited access to healthcare and developing countries with a similar lack of resources. I think we have a moral duty to warn our neighbors about the greedy and heartless marketing practices of Purdue and Mundipharma, he wrote. Brandeis University researcher Andrew Kolodny, a longtime critic of the pharmaceutical industrys role in the opioid epidemic, spoke at the WHOs Geneva headquarters in 2014. He said some officials present had long worked to increase supplies of morphine in countries with little or no access to the drugs and seemed dubious that their broad use had caused so much damage in North America. My presentation was greeted with skepticism, Kolodny recalled. In discussions since then, he said, WHO officials have showed more interest in the problem. An agency magazine, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, published an article recently about the crisis. Things are changing slowly and I think the letter will be very helpful, Kolodny said. harriet.ryan@latimes.com @latimesharriet UPDATES: 11:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details and comment from Purdue Pharma. This article was originally published at 10:15 a.m. The Department of Justice said Wednesday that it will not bring federal charges against white police officers involved in the high-profile shooting of a black man last year in Baton Rouge, La., that had ignited protests around the country over the deaths of African Americans at the hands of police officers. All of the prosecutors and agents involved in this case have come to the conclusion that insufficient evidence exists to charge either officer with a federal crime, said Acting U.S. Atty. Corey Amundson, ending a 10-month federal investigation into the death of 37-year-old Alton Sterling. While no federal civil rights charges will be filed, Amundson said a state investigation will follow, leaving open the possibility of charges in Louisiana against the officers. Advertisement The inquiry sought to determine if officers had violated Sterlings civil rights and whether the shooting was justified. Its the first investigation into a high-profile police shooting to be completed in the Trump administration under Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Sterling was shot to death July 5 after police responded to a 911 call reporting a man making a threat with a gun in front of a market. Witness and police accounts differed on whether Sterling threatened officers and if he reached for a gun. A focal point of the investigation hinged on whether Sterling had threatened the officers with a gun or if the officers perceived a threat that led them to fire six bullets into his body. The Department of Justice and the FBI launched the inquiry two days after his death. Amundson said officers recovered a .38-caliber revolver loaded with six bullets from Sterlings right pocket after a 90-second altercation. He cited videos released at the time of the shooting in which officers shout that Sterling has a gun before shooting him. Justice Department officials said they reviewed cellphone, surveillance, body camera and dash cam videos. Police said at the time that the officers body cameras had fallen off before the shooting. Amundson said it was unclear from the investigation if Sterling had reached for the gun. But he said that was not enough to bring charges against the officers. We cannot establish that Mr. Sterling was not reaching for a gun, or more accurately, that officers did not believe he was reaching for a gun, he said. To prove a federal criminal civil rights violation, you have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers acted unreasonably and willfully. That is, they acted with a specific intent to do something that the law forbids, Amundson said. Being reckless, escalating a situation that may have been de-escalated those things are not a basis under the law for a federal civil rights prosecution, he said. Given the totality of the circumstances that the officers had been fighting with Sterling and had attempted less-than-lethal methods of control; that they knew Sterling had a weapon; that Sterling had reportedly brandished a gun at another person; and that Sterling was much larger and stronger than either officer, the department cannot prove either that the shots were unconstitutional or that they were willful, the department added in a statement. Amundson said investigators determined that the officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, were not unreasonable. Still, he said, experts criticized aspects of the officers technique. He also confirmed earlier reports that Salamoni, who had been on the force for three years, shot Sterling. The officers were put on leave after the shooting. Louisiana Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry said his office would investigate the shooting, but did not provide details. At this time, and due to the nature of their investigation, my office has not been privy to any investigative materials created and collected by the USDOJ. Therefore, I cannot and will not comment on their findings beyond that they were made after an exhaustive investigation and a thorough review of the evidence, Landry said in a statement. Chris Stewart, a lawyer who represents the Sterling family, said the actions of the officers that night were absolutely heinous and that the state had a phenomenal case against the men. Officials from the Department of Justices Civil Rights Division and the New Orleans field office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined in Wednesdays announcement, which had been the subject of rumors that had left Baton Rouge on edge for more than a week. Local politicians and Sterlings family members had complained that the Justice Department had not given them advance warning of its decision. Im still emotionally messed up because things I heard in this meeting today horrible, said Sterlings aunt, Sandra Sterling, who said she rejected the departments findings that were presented to the family on Wednesday. She cried as she described learning from federal officials that Salamoni pointed a gun at Sterlings head and said he would kill you. The Justice Departments report summary said the officer pointed the gun at Sterlings head when he did not comply with commands to put his hands on the hood of a car after police showed up. It said Sterling then put his hands on the hood and moved them, prompting Lake to shoot him twice with a stun gun before Salamoni tackled Sterling to the ground. But the report did not include the kill you quote from Salamoni, which Sterling family lawyers said is documented in unreleased video and audio. What we saw on the news was nothing compared to what you all are going to see. Its so much worse to come, Sandra Sterling said. Sandra Sterling describes what fed officials told her Salamoni did before shooting Alton: "He put a gun to his head & said I'll kill you." pic.twitter.com/lhh2VKqBpA Bryn Stole (@brynstole) May 3, 2017 The decision to not bring federal charges was reported on Tuesday by several news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times. Small groups of protesters had gathered to demonstrate against the decision that night. Baton Rogue police reported three arrests, and the city was bracing for more demonstrations after Amundsons press conference. Speaking at a press conference after the announcement, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called for city residents to avoid violence. While many may not agree with their decision today, it is incumbent upon us to make sure peace remains, Edwards said. We still have too many people in our community who are afraid of the police, and too many police officers afraid of members of our community. Protests in Baton Rouge over the shooting led to 200 arrests last year. In addition to demonstrating against Sterlings death, the protests were a response to broader tensions in Baton Rouge between police and African Americans, who said they had been long mistreated by officers. Sterling was shot in front of the Triple S Food Mart, where he was known to hawk music CDs. In videos, the officers first shout at Sterling to get on the ground, then tackle him. While hes pinned down, a voice is heard yelling: Hes got a gun! Gun! before gunshots are heard. The shooting was among a string of fatal incidents involving police last July. The day after Sterling was shot, the police shooting in Minnesota of Philando Castile set off protests after his girlfriend went on Facebook for a live broadcast showing Castile bleeding in the drivers seat of his car. Castile, who was 32 and black, was pulled over by an officer outside St. Paul and shot after informing the officer he had a weapon, which he was licensed to carry, in the vehicle. The officer, Jeronimo Yanez, who is Latino, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and dangerous discharge of a firearm. His trial is expected to begin later this year. The day after Castiles shooting, five officers in Dallas were shot by an Army-trained sniper during a protest over police shootings. The 25-year-old shooter, Micah Johnson, was black. Police said he left a trail of evidence that he wanted to kill white officers in retaliation for police shootings of black men. Officers responding to the shooting killed Johnson. Ten days later, three officers were shot dead in Baton Rouge by 29-year-old Gavin Long. The former Marine, who was black, had a history of online ramblings in which he described violence as the solution to the oppression of black Americans. Long was also killed by responding police officers. jaweed.kaleem@latimes.com Jaweed Kaleem is The Times national race and justice correspondent. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. More national headlines To hear Adrian Fontes tell it, the hopes of thousands of would-be voters are trapped in dust-covered boxes at the Maricopa County Recorders Office. The boxes are filled with forms reflecting failed attempts to register to vote. Fontes, the new Maricopa County recorder, says those failures are the result of a strict interpretation of registration rules, and he intends to do something about it. For the record: An earlier version of this story said Maricopa County would not require proof of citizenship when people register to vote. Actually, if voter registration forms come in without proof of citizenship, the county will consult with Arizonas Motor Vehicle Division to see if such proof is available. Since 2004, Arizonans attempting to register to vote without showing proof of citizenship are put in a kind of voter purgatory, denied the right to vote as their county sends them reminders to confirm their citizenship. Advertisement But Fontes, a Democrat who in November defeated Helen Purcell, a Republican incumbent of nearly three decades, believes there are valid voters in those boxes, especially when the voter rolls are run against information held by the state Transportation Department Motor Vehicle Division, which has been requiring proof of citizenship for drivers licenses for more than a decade. If Fontes finds proof of citizenship at the Motor Vehicle Division, he said, he will register those voters. Where voters are treated differently with the government on one hand assisting voters and on the other hand preventing them from voting, that violates substantive due process, and there is no rational basis for it, Fontes said. Arizona is no stranger to claims of voter suppression. Hours-long lines plagued some of the most minority-heavy population centers in Phoenix during last years presidential primary after the state shuttered dozens of voting locations to cut costs. Theres nothing more political than voting, and thats before you get to the ballot box, said Joseph Garcia, Director of the Morrison Institute Latino Public Policy Center at Arizona State University. Critics say Fontes is leaping a gap in Arizona election law, a step his counterparts in other Arizona county recorders offices have not taken, and one that seems to contradict a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from 2013 addressing Arizona election law. Arizona voters passed Proposition 200 in 2004, a measure that required would-be voters to show proof of citizenship an Arizona drivers license issued after 1996, a passport, birth certificate, naturalization number or tribal card. Proposition 200 inspired others like it around the country, and was challenged by advocates for civil liberties and immigration rights, as well as the state Democratic Party. This law was written with the hatred and malice of the SB 1070 days, Fontes said, referring to Arizonas strict immigration law. Arizona lost in the Supreme Court in a 7-2 decision. But the high courts ruling applied to federal voter-registration forms, which are only used about 5% of the time, according to Arizona filings in the case. The great majority of forms used by prospective voters, about 95%, are state registration forms, which still require proof of citizenship. Nevertheless, Fontes said Maricopa, the states largest county, will continue using state forms, and if the forms come in without proof of citizenship, the county will consult with the Motor Vehicle Division to see whether such proof is available. He disagrees that he is doing anything other than his duty to register voters, and says he is eager for a court challenge. What fool would be so brash as to challenge putting legal U.S. voters on the voting rolls? he said. After an initial review of the dusty boxes, Fontes said his staff found that 44,000 applicants later successfully registered on their own once they provided proof of citizenship. Thats 44,000 people who were probably denied the right to vote at least once, Fontes said. Fontes said he and his staff have given a preliminary look at 83,000 failed registration forms and plan to review them further. In Kansas, a similar scenario over voter registration has played out with very different politics. Conservative Secretary of State Kris Kobach has argued in court that all voters who register without showing proof of citizenship must be placed on a suspense list, similar to the dusty boxes in Arizona. I have proof positive that U.S. voters were denied the right to vote, Fontes said. His critics, he added, are all saying its illegal; Im saying theyre reading the law wrong. Follow Nigel Duara on Twitter: @nigelduara nigel.duara@latimes.com ALSO House approves $1-trillion bipartisan spending bill Governor says Puerto Rico is headed to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Department of Justice wont file charges against Baton Rouge police officers in Alton Sterlings death Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Wednesday that federal courts would help protect the U.S. territory from its more than $70-billion debt crisis, after multiple creditors filed lawsuits trying to recuperate millions of dollars invested in government bonds. Rossello said negotiations with bondholders had failed, forcing the government to seek relief through a bankruptcy-like move available under Title III of a federal law called Promesa. Some of the islands debts will go before a federal bankruptcy court, making it the largest U.S. government entity to seek such protection from creditors. Advertisement Given the deficit that we have inherited, it is my responsibility to guarantee the best interests of the Puerto Rican people, Rossello said at a news conference. We are here to address the problems of Puerto Rico, not to look at the past, and I am convinced that our island will be able to resume the path of economic development with the correct steps of the government and the commitment of each one of its residents, he said. Unlike states, Puerto Rico is not allowed to restructure its debt under Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Promesa, signed into law last June, includes an oversight board aimed at helping the island manage its public finances. It provides temporary protection from litigation, but that expired this week. The new conditions call for a federal district judge to be in charge of the restructuring. The in-court debt restructuring process helps avoid a potentially messy legal battle with creditors. Some debts are expected to be resolved through ongoing negotiations. Puerto Ricos decision to seek protection from creditors did not surprise analysts, who said it was a necessary step toward solving the islands crippling financial woes. There are multiple reasons for Puerto Ricos troubles, analysts, officials and residents say, including decades of poor fiscal management and the failure to build the tourism industry to its full potential. The phasing out in 2006 of Internal Revenue Service tax incentives offered to U.S. companies operating on the island also hurt because firms moved elsewhere, resulting in job losses. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens at birth, have left the island of about 3.4 million people in favor of the mainland. Puerto Rico has been living on borrowed time, said Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. It was the right decision to seek Title III and the right decision to grant it. The decision to seek federal protection means that any lawsuits that have been filed will be stopped and a restructuring plan will be made. This helps the public in that theres this ever-growing problem that they feel isnt being dealt with, said Milton Vescovacci, a partner at the law firm GrayRobinson in Miami. This will give some certainty to the community and businesses so that things can get back to normal. In the midst of Puerto Ricos financial calamity, Rossello, a scientist and the son of a former governor of the island, has been advocating for Puerto Rico to gain statehood as a way to help it dig out from debt. Congress made Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens in 1917, and commonwealth status, which provides some autonomy, began in 1952. The island was ceded to the U.S. by Spain at the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898. A nonbinding referendum on whether Puerto Ricos voters favor statehood, independence/free association or the current status is planned for June 11. Whatever the official status, many observers said the bottom line was that conditions on the island needed to improve. People are leaving, and you hear about power outages and power companies not being able to assist, Vescovacci said. Thats stuff you hear about in Third World countries, not in a cosmopolitan location. melissa.etehad@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad UPDATES: 4:15 p.m.: The story was updated with additional comments and background. The story was originally published at 11:15 a.m. An abandoned natural gas line that had been cut but not capped caused an explosion last month that destroyed a home, killed two people and critically injured another in Colorado, investigators said Tuesday. It was an unusual and tragic set of circumstances, said Ted Poszywak, chief of the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District, which led the investigation. The one-inch pipeline, extending from a nearby gas well owned by Anadarko Petroleum Co., was buried 7 feet underground and 6 feet from the foundation of the house owned by Mark and Erin Martinez in Firestone, 25 miles north of Denver. Advertisement Poszywak said he didnt have all the facts about how the line was cut or even who owned it. Though Anadarko owns the well, drilled in 1993, it is unclear whether it is also responsible for the abandoned line. The pipe leaked unrefined natural gas that was undetectable because odorants often added to gas to signal leaks were not used. Propane and methane leached through the soil, entering the home through a French drain and sump pump before accumulating enough to become explosive, investigators said. Sometime around 4:45 p.m. on April 17, Mark Martinez and his brother-in-law Joey Irwin, both 42, were working on a water heater in the basement when a huge explosion leveled the home, killing both men and badly burning Erin Martinez. The ignition source is still unknown. In response, Anadarko shut down 3,000 vertical gas wells across northern Colorado out of what the company called an abundance of caution. The origin of the explosion was non-odorized gas from a gas line, Poszywak said. The fugitive gas came from a severed, uncapped line. The pipeline, not the wellhead, caused the buildup of gas. Poszywak said neither Martinez nor Irwin, both experienced handymen, were responsible for the blast. When investigators found the leaking gas line, the valve was switched to the on position, he said. A second line had been cut but properly capped. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, responded to the findings by ordering oil and gas operators to inspect and pressure-test flow lines from all working and abandoned natural gas wells within 1,000 feet of occupied buildings. He said all lines not being used must be marked and capped. Abandoned lines were ordered to be cut below the surface and sealed. Poszywak said that so far tests have not shown any additional gas in Firestones Oak Meadows subdivision, where the explosion occurred. The gas well is 178 feet from the Martinez home. Anadarko left it dormant through 2016 before restarting the well Jan. 28, investigators said. Al Walker, Anadarko chairman, president and chief executive, said in a statement that the company would continue to cooperate in the ongoing investigation to ensure we fully understand the basis for the fire districts conclusions and that no stone is left unturned prior to any final determinations. Anadarko is the largest oil and gas producer in Colorado. Mark McDonald, of Boston-based NatGas, a consultant who is an expert in natural gas explosions, called it reckless to abandon a line without capping it. There are regulations requiring abandoned lines to be secure, he said. Transmission lines are not odorized because they are not usually up against someones home. But when you have gas lines within 30 or 40 feet of a home you have to odorize the gas. Thats the only way to protect yourself. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) called the accident avoidable. What occurred in Firestone, while devastating, was predictable, because Colorado sadly does not have adequate protections against dangerous oil and gas developments in our neighborhoods, he said. The days where oil and gas profits are valued more than Coloradans safety, property, and quality of life needs to end. Heather Sawlidi, 31, treasurer of the Oak Meadows Homeowners Assn., said Anadarko had requested a meeting with her groups board Tuesday. We are looking for an open dialogue, she said. She worried that the accident has permanently devalued homes in the neighborhood. Kelly is a special correspondent. Flooded areas of the Midwest are bracing for another round of heavy rain Wednesday, the last thing they need with rivers in several places at or near record levels. Heavy rain last weekend resulted in a sudden rise in rivers in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. After a couple of days of calm weather, forecasters expect 2 inches of rain or more in parts of the same hard-hit areas through Thursday. Missouri has seen the worst of it so far. Five people have died in flooding in Missouri, and several towns have sustained damage. Along the Meramec River in suburban St. Louis, thousands of sandbags are protecting about 50 homes and several businesses in Eureka, and a levee is bulging at the seams in nearby Valley Park, where many residents have evacuated. Advertisement St. Louis County officials say 200 homes along the Meramec have been damaged in the flooding and another 1,500 are potentially in harms way. In Arkansas, parts of Pocahontas were evacuated as the flooded Black River rose to record levels and breached a levee near the town, about 125 miles northeast of Little Rock. Forecasters issued a flash flood emergency and warned residents to move to higher ground. This is a historical crest. The levees werent designed for overtopping. When they go, were going to have a wall of water pouring out. David Jansen, Randolph County judge This is a historical crest. The levees werent designed for overtopping, Randolph County Judge David Jansen told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette before the levee failed. When they go, were going to have a wall of water pouring out. In Illinois, much of the central and southern parts of the state are under flood warnings. Two southern counties, Jackson and Franklin, declared disasters due to flood damage. Hundreds of roads are closed across the three states, including a 57-mile stretch of Interstate 44 from central to southern Missouri, and a 23-mile stretch in suburban St. Louis. A portion of Interstate 55 in St. Louis County was scheduled to close before daybreak Wednesday due to flooding on the Meramec. The nations biggest rivers are flooding, too. Significant flooding is forecast by the end of the week on the Mississippi River south of St. Louis at towns such as Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Cairo, Ill. Several points on the Missouri River in eastern Missouri are expected to rise 10 feet above flood stage or higher by the end of the week. His name was Jordan Edwards. He was just 15, a good student and popular athlete at Mesquite High School in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs. His death Saturday night was senseless, sudden and cruel. It came as he was leaving a party and was struck in the head by a bullet fired from a rifle into the side window of a car in which he rode beside his older brother. The assailant was a police officer, whose reason for pulling the trigger whose reason for raising a rifle in the first place, or even for carrying such a powerful weapon at all while responding to nothing more serious than complaints about drunken partygoers is (pending further investigation) anyones guess. The Balch Springs Police Departments first story was that Jordans brother was backing the car toward the officer in an aggressive manner when the officer fired the rifle, but video of the incident showed that particular tale to be false. More information may come from other officers at the scene, but questioning was postponed while they were given time, according to a police spokesman, to decompress. Fatal police shootings of unarmed African American men and boys, like Jordan Edwards have fueled righteous anger across the nation and have led many to claim that police departments are stocked with racial bigots bent on state-sanctioned murder. It is far more likely that officers who needlessly kill are very much like a majority of us affected by unconscious and unwanted biases built into our history and culture, and lacking in the extraordinary skill, training and presence of mind that should be (but often are not) mandatory for professionals who wear badges, carry guns and are called upon to protect public safety by making split-second decisions under stressful circumstances. Advertisement Too many police stop, search and arrest and kill blacks and Latinos in far greater numbers than whites in response to similar behavior. In the end, though, the underlying reasons for unwarranted police killings are almost beside the point when the deadly results are the same. Too many police departments in small cities like Balch Springs, Texas, or Ferguson, Mo., and even large ones like Baltimore, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, fail in hiring, training, supervising and psychologically evaluating their officers. Too many departments are stuck in outdated tactics, despite a wealth of data and information about best practices. Too many police stop, search and arrest and kill blacks and Latinos in far greater numbers than whites in response to similar behavior. Whats more, department rules are relatively lenient toward officers who use their weapons, and criminal prosecution of unnecessary shootings is uncommon, leading to a culture in which police officers may feel confident they wont be held accountable for their missteps. In his second term, President Obama took some meek and tentative steps to bring policing practices up to date. The Department of Justice entered into consent decrees with agencies whose practices routinely violated the civil rights of those they policed. Many officers and their unions bristled at what they saw as outside interference. Many department and city leaders welcomed the assistance. But federal help and pressure have now evaporated under the administration of President Trump and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, whose statements and directives reveal a stunningly shallow view of policing as a war between cops and criminals, and who see desperate attempts to curb police failures like the one that ended the life of Jordan Edwards as aid and comfort to the enemy. We are left to rely on the too-often unreliable rectitude of police departments like the one in Balch Springs, which over the weekend said in effect that the victim had it coming to him. And on tools such as video, which on Monday compelled the department to retract its story and led the chief to acknowledge that shooting an unarmed teenager in the head with a rifle as his car was moving away from officers failed to meet the departments core values. We are left to wonder why officers who witnessed the killing are accorded time to decompress before questioning, and to imagine how differently police might treat civilian triggermen and eyewitnesses. Police have cautioned against over-reliance on video, even as many agencies have moved rapidly to equip officers with body cameras. They have resisted clear guidelines for when such images should be released to the public. (The Balch Springs video has not yet been released.) They have relied for the most part on their own counsel when deciding what weapons to carry and when to use them. Without national leadership, and with courts that accord officers wide latitude, pressure to reform policing comes in the form of public anger. It is a dangerous, unfocused, unmanageable, unpredictable force as those of us who were in Los Angeles 25 years ago well remember. Surely we can do better, but we struggle to figure out just how. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Imagine the outcry if the city of Paris closed the roads leading to the Eiffel Tower or if San Francisco blocked pedestrians from walking the crooked Lombard Street. Likewise, public-access advocates are rightfully upset that, to resolve a lawsuit, the city of Los Angeles has permanently closed the gate at the top of Beachwood Drive that provides the easiest way to get to the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park. Now another lawsuit, filed this week, seeks to force the city to reopen the trailhead. The Department of Recreation and Parks locked the Beachwood gate on April 18 after a judge ruled that the city had effectively overcrowded an easement into the Sunset Ranch Hollywood Stables, which is located on private land inside Griffith Park. The city had channeled some 15,000 hikers a month onto the easement, making it difficult for deliveries and employees to reach the stables. City security guards posted at the Beachwood gate had also turned away stable customers. The judge said that was unacceptable and that the city should create a new trailhead as close to the Beachwood gate as practicable. The citys response, however, was to permanently close the gate, forcing hikers and selfie-seeking tourists to find new ways to approach the sign. Advertisement Needless to say, theyre not happy; alternative routes are farther away. Public-access advocates also warn that the Beachwood closure sets a worrisome precedent in which aggrieved businesses and neighbors can sue or pressure the city to close trailheads and make it harder for Angelenos and others to access Griffith Park. Permanently closing a trailhead should be the last resort. On Monday, several groups sued the city in an attempt to reverse the Beachwood closure. They include the nonprofit Friends of Griffith Park; the heirs of Colonel Griffith J. Griffith (who donated the land for the original park); and the Los Feliz Oaks Homeowners Assn., whose members will see more hikers and traffic now that the Beachwood gate is closed. The lawsuit argues that the citys decision to permanently close the gate denies reasonable access to public land and is, in effect, a gift of public land to the private Sunset Ranch stable. The groups concerns are legitimate: There is a tremendous demand for access to the Hollywood sign and to Griffith Park trails, both of which sit on public property. But businesses and residents near the Hollywood sign also have legitimate gripes. The Hollywood sign attracts throngs of tourists and hikers to narrow hillside streets. The city has enacted parking restrictions and beefed up traffic enforcement, but the problems persist. However, permanently closing a trailhead should be the last resort and even then, when one entry closes, another should be opened in a convenient location. City leaders and the city attorney should be fighting for more public access, not less. The battles over access to the park will continue until the city develops a comprehensive plan for trails, bike paths, parking and shuttles that ensures visitors have ample ways to get safely to the sign and the park. Councilman David Ryu, whose district includes Griffith Park and many of the surrounding neighborhoods, announced plans for a $100,000 public-access study. The goal, Ryus aides said, is to finally come up with a long-term solution that gives tourists a good view of the sign, gives hikers good access to trails and gives residents some relief from the visitor traffic. Any plan must make public access the top priority, otherwise it will not work. The Hollywood Sign is a renowned city landmark, and Griffith Park is L.A.s Central Park. They must be open and accessible to all. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook When his criminal trial begins next week, attorneys for Andres Andy Avalos, a Florida man charged with murdering his wife, a neighbor and a local pastor, will mount an insanity defense on behalf of their client because, as they announced last summer, a PET scan revealed that Avalos has a severely abnormal brain. In March, shortly after an Israeli American teenager was arrested on suspicion that he made bomb threats against Jewish institutions in the U.S. and abroad, his lawyer declared that the teenager had a brain tumor that might have affected his behavior. Both cases are part of a growing movement in which attorneys use brain damage in service of a legal defense. To support such claims in court, lawyers are turning to neuroscience. The defense brings in hired guns to testify that brain scans can identify areas of dysfunction linked to antisocial behavior, poor decision-making and lack of impulse control. The prosecution calls their own expert witnesses to argue that what a scientist might observe in brain scans shows nothing about that persons state of mind or past actions. The truth is that even the most sophisticated brain scans cannot show direct correlations between brain dysfunction and specific criminal behavior, nor can they prove whether someone is legally insane. What neuroscience can show is that a persons decision to commit a crime or to do anything in life for that matter is triggered by a series of chemical and electrical interactions in the brain. It can also show approximately where those interactions are occurring. Advertisement Even the most sophisticated brain scans cannot show direct correlations between brain dysfunction and specific criminal behavior. Consider the case of Charles Whitman, who killed 14 people from a perch atop the Texas Tower at the University of Austin in 1966. (He killed his wife and mother the night before.) In a note he left before going on his killing rampage, Whitman wrote of having severe headaches and suggested that an autopsy might reveal a physical anomaly. He had a brain tumor, it turned out, the size of a pecan. It was nestled between the thalamus, which relays sensory and motor information and regulates sleep, and the amygdala, which is associated with emotional regulation and behavior. Many of Whitmans family members and friends wanted to believe the tumor was responsible for triggering his actions. Yet a doctor reported that he didnt think the tumor was related to Whitmans psychiatric complaints or headaches, and certainly not to his homicidal rampage. Texas Gov. John Connally called a state commission to review Whitmans case. In its final report, the commission allowed that the tumor conceivably could have contributed to his inability to control his emotions and actions, but said that it could not establish that the tumor actually caused the killings. The tumor, then, didnt change Whitmans standing. As long as a person understands the difference between right and wrong and can appreciate the nature and consequences of his or her actions, he or she cannot be found legally insane. Whitmans crimes took care, planning and forethought. It would have been impossible to prove that the tumor qualified him as legally insane. Its not yet clear if the lawyer representing the Israeli American suspect will submit evidence of his brain tumor in court, but it is clear that the teens actions required forethought and premeditation. He used Tor, a type of software that allows users to hide their computers identifying IP address. He also disguised his voice, an indication that he knew what he was doing and that there would be consequences if he was caught. Though decades of research tell us that brain damage can alter peoples behavior and impair their ability to make sound judgments and rational decisions, in the legal realm, thats not enough for a successful criminal defense. There is, however, one limited area in which neuroscience can be applied appropriately and responsibly in the courtroom: sentencing. Our judicial system has long recognized that people who suffer from psychiatric or mental illnesses should not be treated in the same way as their mentally healthy counterparts. Medical diagnoses of psychiatric conditions or cognitive impairment are considered mitigating circumstances that raise the possibility of alternatives to harsher punishments. Neuroscientific evidence can be used to support such diagnoses. Although the legal system should recognize the value of neuroscience, it must also understand its limitations and guard against its abuse. When neuroscience is applied responsibly, it can mean treatment instead of incarceration, life instead of the death penalty. Kevin Davis is a Chicago-based journalist and author of The Brain Defense: Murder in Manhattan and the Dawn of Neuroscience in Americas Courtrooms. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook Mahmoud Abbas Palestinian Authority continues to pay monthly salaries to convicted terrorists and imprison Palestinian peace activists for meeting with Israelis. This is not a recipe for peace 1,000 White House receptions and international peace summits will not bring us any closer to peace, if the process continues to empower the corrupt and impotent Palestinian Authority. The new Trump administration would be advised to concentrate on behind-the-scenes grass-roots diplomacy that strengthens those who truly want peace and not ineffective career diplomats. As an Israeli who resides in Judea or what this newspaper calls the West Bank I interact with Palestinians daily. Contrary to popular belief, we drive on the same roads, shop at the same stores, work for the same companies and generally live in peace. Some 450,000 Israelis live alongside more than 1 million Palestinians, and neither population is going anywhere. Any peace plan based on the ethnic cleansing of almost half a million Israelis from our ancestral homeland is a fiction that is doomed to fail. A new approach to peace must be built from the bottom up by investing in the people affected the most, those living side by side in Judea and Samaria. It should therefore be a priority of U.S. diplomacy to create safe spaces for dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians. Advertisement For example, the Israeli city of Efrat, where I serve as mayor, was founded more than three decades ago, and we have fostered good-neighborly relationships with the surrounding Palestinian towns since day one. Our residents number a mere 10,000; however, we employ 1,000 Palestinian workers daily. Efrat is zoned for a population of 70,000, but its development has been restricted because of the false notion that our growth would be an impediment to peace. Imagine if Efrat were built to its potential: It would open up thousands of additional jobs for local Palestinians, creating real hope and change and breaking down barriers between our two peoples. The Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas is an old problem that needs a new solution. For decades, our leadership has met in secret with local Palestinian leaders because the Palestinian Authority forbids such interaction. There is much to discuss and much that can be achieved from the ground up far away from Washington, Oslo or Brussels. We have collaborated on employment issues, and we have reached and implemented agreements on shared water-treatment facilities, road improvements and other infrastructure. In recent months, our regular under-the-radar meetings became public events when our Palestinian friends decided open negotiations with their Israeli neighbors offered them a better standard of living than sticking with the Palestinian Authority. However, following a meeting at my home in October, four of my Palestinian guests were arrested, interrogated and held without trial by the authority, essentially for the crime of drinking coffee with Israelis. If the new Trump administration is serious about peace, it should be made clear to the Palestinian Authority that any efforts official and unofficial that intimidate, threaten or harm Palestinians who choose to engage in friendly relations with their Israeli neighbors are unacceptable and will harm their relationship with the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Israel can be a catalyst and natural home for these types of meetings, which could be the harbingers of true peace. My recent audience with Trump special envoy Jason Greenblatt in Jerusalem signified the administrations breaking with decades of failed U.S policy, which ignored Israelis residing in Judea and Samaria and banned American diplomats from entering our communities. Instead of ignoring us, the U.S. should empower those of us willing to sit together with Palestinians to improve lives on both sides. The American public voted for Donald Trump with the hope that he would provide new solutions to old problems. The Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas is an old problem that needs a new solution. Whether the Israelis and Palestinians ultimately choose to live in a single state or multiple states, the U.S. government should make fostering good-neighborly relations between both parties a priority of its foreign policy. It may not make immediate headlines, but it will lay the groundwork for true and lasting peace. Oded Revivi is the chief foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, which represents the Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook When Gov. Jerry Brown pronounced an end to the drought emergency last month but not to the possibility of another drought it would have been just like him to quote another eminent Californian, the naturalist John Muir, who said that we all travel the Milky Way together, trees and men. Not enough trees, though, which is why making urban forests come true truly matters. Thats where Igor Lacan can help out. Hes an expert tree advisor with the University of Californias cooperative extension, a kind of Johnny Appleseed of urban forestry, planting the seeds of knowledge about what trees can do for us. And its high time for us to ask what we can do for our trees. Click here for the full archive of "Patt Morrison Asks" podcasts What is your reaction when people say, Yay, the drought is over? My reaction is to say, yay, the drought is over. We now need to get back to maintaining our urban trees, which I think weve neglected a bit during the drought. Were witnessing the end of the old paradigm where were just trying to remove the water from our urban surfaces, and we are slowly beginning to transition into the new paradigm where we try to use that storm water as a resource. Trees are regarded as a luxury by some who say, Well, trees, after all, dont grow in the desert. No. 1, trees are not a luxury. Urban trees are an absolute necessity. Trees improve lives in cities, from improvement in health to reduction in crime to increases in property values. All of these things are dependent on living healthy urban trees. Now, Ive lived in Southern California for a few years myself, and Los Angeles is not actually a desert. There is a small but important difference between not a desert and a desert. Not only that, Los Angeles is an artificial ecosystem at this point, so we really should think very hard about what we want an artificial ecosystem to look like. When you talk about the benefits of trees, you cite many things, first of all trees as a benefit to public health. There was a famous study that showed that patients who were coming from surgery and had a view of trees required less painkiller than those who had a view of just a brick wall. And this act influenced hospital design to a certain degree. But, unfortunately, it hasnt trickled into the broader field of architectural design quite yet. Humans have a preference for a view or nature in general. Having trees as part of your landscape, as something you look out on when you lift your gaze from the computer, makes a pretty substantial difference. I also wonder whether it has to do with the fact that our forebears of many hundreds of thousands of years past lived in trees as a safety measure, and trees give you a sense of security. There are theories in landscape architecture, and one of them is this thing called the prospect refuge theory, that says we prefer these landscapes that have some open space and some trees. It perhaps reminds of us of our very, very, very distant ancestors. Its not surprising when you look at a lot of classically designed landscape: Its not just a dense forest but also not plain open spaces its a mix of trees, open space and paths leading somewhere. Theres another study about how having trees around a house influences babies birth weights. Babies are less likely to be underweight if the mother lived in a place surrounded by trees. Thats very important when you talk about support funding for urban forestry, because if we think of urban forestry as part of our health infrastructure even as a very small part of our health infrastructure it suddenly becomes very cost-effective to have healthy, living urban trees. What kind of numbers are we talking about with low-birth weight babies and women who live surrounded by trees? The actual number in the problematical birth weight was very small, but when you think about how difficult it is not only for a single family but also an entire society to care for those babies, suddenly that very small effect becomes very important. If you want to be cold-blooded about it, you can say, Plant trees to save healthcare costs. To be honest with you, I do want to be cold-blooded and say that, because we know our ability to influence some of these public health outcomes is quite limited, and trees are one of those things that provide so many different benefits that having this public health benefit on top of all the other things makes the case for trees that much more compelling. There were also findings about trees increasing housing value, resale value and cutting crime. When you have trees and these were specifically street trees or frontyard trees the price of houses goes up. And the benefit of a tree leaks out to the neighboring houses. In other words, if you have a tree in front of your house and Im your neighbor, my house also appreciates in value because of your street tree. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pledged to plant 1 million trees. When we talk about public trees, I think of tree abuse trees that are planted and neglected, trees that are put in the wrong places. We really need to do a better job of planting the trees properly, and then, once they are planted, caring for them. One thing thats come out of the large-scale tree plantings that were popular in the last decade is exactly that realization: that its not so much how many trees are given away at an event, but its more how many trees actually survive to grow to reasonable size, provide benefits and then not cause too many problems. To the credit of our policymakers, they recognize this. One thing weve learned is that trees do best in places and situations and during times when theres good cooperation between residents, community benefit organizations and municipal governments. We are not only trying to plant trees that do well today, but were also trying to anticipate climate change and what kinds of conditions we might be facing 10 or 20 years from now. This is a challenge for urban trees in general: They are a very, very long-term investment. So we are looking at the legacy of urban forestry programs from 50 to 100 years ago. Thats why our cities look like they do. Did the city of Los Angeles pick the wrong trees to plant 40, 50, 60, 100 years ago? You know, thats a bit of a trick question. And I hesitate to say because its very easy to look at a single tree somewhere and say, Wow what they were thinking? Certainly we can do better, let s put it that way. And I think over time were gradually learning to do better. Everyones familiar with the parkway strips of land between the street and the sidewalk. Youve been working on bio-swales, to turn those strips into places that can hold water and even nourish trees. When you look at a typical residential street, especially in low-density neighborhoods, you have the roadway, then you have the curb and after that you have that green strip, that park strip, where trees are usually planted, and then the sidewalk and then the frontyard. Were looking for opportunities to manage storm water without sending it into the storm drain. A place where we can do that are these green strips which can be excavated, the soil replaced with the special biotreatment soil mix, and then replanted with vegetation thats suitable. I think were going to be seeing more and more of our green strips replaced with bio-swales. I dont know if you have been in California long enough to remember when Ronald Reagan talked about trees as creating pollution. I do know that quote. Its quite famous among plant biologists and foresters. The quote is technically correct but its highly misleading; in our urban environment, pollution from trees amounts to a vanishingly small fraction of the overall air pollution. Yes, there are some trees that emit more and there are some trees that emit less. But when you look at your urban air quality, biogenic emissions are not something we need to lose sleep over. There is no such thing as a bad tree, but some trees are better than others. You speak about a tree-benefit calculator that cities can use, that individuals can use, to find out which tree is best. The U.S. Forest Service has developed a whole set of tree benefit calculators. This is all online; there are calculators you can use if youre an individual homeowner thinking of replacing your landscape, and the calculator will help you place your tree. There are also calculators that will help you calculate benefits for an entire neighborhood or an entire city. These are all based on geographic information systems, and you can typically see your house on a satellite image, or see your neighborhood. You just click on the trees that you have or the trees that youd like to have, and the computer does its magic. It tells you the benefits and it breaks it down for you, from energy to storm water reduction to carbon sequestration. In the next few years, I think we will have even more comprehensive tree-benefit calculators that will help us really make the best decisions. What cities do this right? The cities in California that have managed to preserve their legacy canopies. For example, Sacramento is famous for having a large canopy of old trees, and, through an integrated approach from their local community benefit organizations and their municipal government, theyve managed to preserve a lot of that canopy. A number of cities have started large-scale tree-planting programs that have morphed into large-scale tree care programs. I would actually point out Los Angeles as one of the cities that is successfully pivoting from a focus on tree-planting to a focus on tree care. In 1769, in August, when the Portola expedition came through Los Angeles, it noted the water in the streams, and the foliage. Has the landscape changed that much? Have we altered it so much? Unfortunately, we have. We have covered the ground that would have absorbed the rainfall. Weve covered it with surfaces like asphalt pavement that dont let the water infiltrate. So right there, you lose that entire ecosystem that surrounds streams. and thats where you would have found a lot of trees originally in California. We also have made our environment much warmer, and this is the infamous urban heat island effect. So we have changed the environment quite drastically. The question now is, how do we make the necessary changes to allow those large old trees to survive? Urban legend aside, it was actress Katharine Hepburn who raised the I-am-a-tree point to Barbara Walters, who responded, What kind of tree are you, if you think youre a tree? I wont ask you that, but I will ask you what kind of tree you like. I have no preference whatsoever. I walked down Market Street in San Francisco this morning, and I think its probably one of the toughest environments for trees anywhere in the world. And there are these very ordinary-looking London plane trees that are newly planted, and theyre absolutely beautiful, the contrast between a very urban scene and these very nice-looking trees. If you saw them in a forest, maybe you would say theyre quite ordinary, but when theyre in a place like downtown San Francisco, the financial district of San Francisco, they look really extraordinary. So my favorite tree is any tree that is making it in a tough urban environment. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook MORE PATT MORRISON ASKS Margaret Atwood on why 'The Handmaid's Tale' is more relevant now than ever Rachel Dolezal on racial fluidity and her changing identity Your guide to talking like a Californian. Tips for the 'hella tricky' dialect FBI Director James B. Comey on Wednesday had to respond to a one-two punch in connection with his role in the 2016 presidential election. He gave as good as he got. On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton said at a Women for Women International event in New York that if the election had been on Oct. 27, I would be your president. Oct. 28 was the day Comey sent a letter to Congress, which quickly became public, saying that the FBI had learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation into Clintons now-famous private email server. True, on Nov. 6, two days before the election, Comey essentially said, Never mind, saying that an examination of emails found on a laptop owned by former Rep. Anthony Weiner hadnt changed the FBIs earlier conclusion that there was no reason to charge Clinton. But Clinton obviously thinks the damage had been done. Advertisement On Wednesday, Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sounded the same theme. They also pressed Comey on why he went public with the FBIs investigation of Clintons private email server but wasnt similarly vocal about the investigation into possible Russian interference with the election on behalf of Donald Trump. In reference to the Oct. 28 letter, Comey said that when the Anthony Weiner thing landed on me, he had a choice between speaking up or engaging in catastrophic concealment. To understand why, you have to go back to last summer, when, after declining to recommend charges against Clinton, he committed himself to keeping Congress informed about developments. And, as Comey made clear Wednesday, he originally took the lead in resolving and explaining the Clinton investigation because the official who should have played that role Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch had been compromised, especially by a meeting in June with former President Clinton. A number of things had gone on which I cant talk about yet, that made me worry that the department leadership could not credibly complete the investigation and decline prosecution without grievous damage to the American peoples confidence in the justice system, Comey told the committee. And then the capper was and Im not picking on the attorney general, Loretta Lynch, who I like very much but her meeting with President Clinton on that airplane was the capper for me, and I then said, you know what, the department cannot, by itself, credibly end this. Democrats such as Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank dont buy Comeys explanation for the divergent ways he approached commenting on the Russia and Clinton email investigations. But I think Comey was in a devilishly difficult position in the Clinton case, one forced upon him by the poor judgment of his superiors in the Justice Department. It wasnt just Lynchs injudicious meeting with Bill Clinton. The attorney general failed to formally recuse herself from making the final decision about whether to prosecute Hillary Clinton, saying simply that she would accept the determinations and findings of the FBI and career prosecutors who investigated the email server case. (Another wrinkle in this story is a report in the New York Times last month that the FBI obtained a document written by a Democratic operative, and hacked by the Russians, that expressed confidence that Ms. Lynch would keep the Clinton investigation from going too far. The story suggested that the existence of that document also affected Comeys decision about taking the lead role in speaking publicly about the email investigation.) Having gone public when he was exonerating Clinton, Comey felt obliged later to let Congress know that there might be new evidence in the case. Thus the choice he described to the Judiciary Committee between updating Congress or engaging in concealment. Its easy to criticize Comey, not only for the Oct. 28 letter but for his criticism of Clinton for her extremely careless handling of classified information though once he decided to elaborate on the decision not to recommend charges its hard to see how he could have failed to characterize her handling of classified information in some way. Finally, its easy to understand why Democrats see a double standard in the relative lack of publicity about the FBIs investigation of Russian meddling in the election. (Whether the voters would have punished Trump if the latter inquiry were public knowledge is doubtful, however. Clinton didnt get very far in trying to portray Trump as Vladimir Putins puppet.) Comey has made mistakes, and I can understand that some find him annoyingly self-righteous. But he was more sinned against including by his nominal superior than sinning. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: As a Republican, I love Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles). Every time she spews her invective, its another boatload of votes for our side in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and other swing states. (How Maxine Waters became Auntie Maxine in the age of Trump, April 30) Californians may think it is cool and honest for her to make incredibly stupid and defamatory comments about President Trump whenever she can find a camera. Californians may cheer when Waters calls Republicans like former House leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor demons. But the good folks in the Midwest see an unhinged and unlikeable standard bearer of the left. So I encourage Waters to keep talking. She will make it easier for Republicans to maintain control of Congress. Advertisement Joseph Schillmoeller, Gardena .. To the editor: How refreshing it is to read about someone whos willing to confront the disaster that Trump represents. Waters exemplifies what a true patriot is. Her consistent and unwavering response to the demagoguery of our president is both welcome and sorely needed during these turbulent times. Michael B. Natelson, Newport Beach Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Sen. Kamala Harris says she hasnt considered running for president By Phil Willon U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Despite swirling speculation, Californias U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris said shes not giving any consideration to running for president in 2020. Harris was appearing at the annual Code Conference hosted by the tech news site Recode in Rancho Palos Verdes on Wednesday night when site co-founder Kara Swisher asked if she had eyes on the White House. Im not giving that any consideration. Ive got to stay focused, said Harris, a Democrat who was elected to the Senate in November after serving as Californias attorney general. After she won the seat vacated by former Sen. Barbara Boxer, Harris quickly gained a reputation as a potential presidential candidate in 2020. Harris took questions from Swisher alongside Laurene Powell Jobs, a philanthropist and the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Though she brushed off the presidential rumors, Harris urged Democrats to try harder to make convincing arguments on issues such as climate change instead of just criticizing those who disagree with them. She told the audience at the posh Terranea Resort where the conference is being held that it would be a mistake to dismiss the concerns of Americans who supported Trump in the November election. She said the issues that concern them good jobs and the future of their families are the concerns of all working-class Americans. There is a healthy number of people in our country who are feeling displaced, rightly, Harris said. I think we have to deal with that. Still, Harris dished out plenty of jabs at the Trump administration. She criticized Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions for resuscitating the war on drugs and told him to leave Grandmas medical marijuana alone. Harris also criticized the Trump administrations more hard-line immigration policies, and said she was concerned about allegations of collusion between Trumps campaign and the Russian government. These are serious times. These are not issues we can just sit around with a glass of Chardonnay debating and philosophizing about, Harris said. The decisions that are being made right now are impacting real human beings. Watch the entire interview: Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump wouldnt release his tax returns, so lawmakers move to make it mandatory for Californias primary By John Myers (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Legislation to require presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns in order to gain a spot on Californias presidential primary ballot won passage in the state Senate on Wednesday, but only after a tense debate that largely centered on President Trump. Senate Bill 149 was approved on a strict party-line vote, 27-13. The bill now moves to the state Assembly, and was one of the last bills debated during a marathon session at the state Capitol to consider bills before a Friday deadline for action. The bill would require presidential candidates to file copies of their income tax returns with state elections officials for the five most recent taxable years. Failure to do so would mean their name wouldnt appear on Californias presidential primary ballot. The legislation was introduced in December, in the wake of Trumps refusal to disclose his tax returns during the 2016 campaign. The president has continued to reject calls for the information. Hes shaping international policy which could enrich himself, and the American public has no way to know, state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) said of Trump during Wednesday nights floor debate. This legislation will help make transparency great again. Republicans denounced the bill as another in a long line of efforts by Democrats in the Legislature to lash out at the election of Trump and the defeat of Hillary Clinton. I get it that some people hate Trump, state Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) said. Weve got to move ahead. Weve got to get over it. Tensions flared after Anderson tried to amend the bill on the floor first, to require statewide and legislative candidates to also release their tax returns, and then to require a birth certificate from candidates who want access to the states primary ballot. Both were rejected by Democrats. A legislative analysis of SB 149 said some legal scholars believe the plan, which would be the first of its kind in the nation, would pass muster with the U.S. Constitution. Nonetheless, the analysis concluded that it would probably be challenged in court if signed into law. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Senate moves forward with bill that would overhaul Los Angeles County MTA By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) proposed to revamp the Los Angeles County MTA. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The state Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would expand and reshape the agency that oversees mass transit in Los Angeles County. Opponents of the measure include Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the city and county of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. The bill by Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) was sent to the Assembly for consideration after squeaking by with a 22-11 vote in the Senate. The measure would expand the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board from 12 to 15 members. It would also reduce the number of county supervisors on the board from five to two, remove the appointment of two public members and increase Los Angeles City Council member appointments by the mayor from two to five. This will allow for proportional and fair representation, Mendoza told his colleagues, adding that the board currently is made up of haves and have-nots fighting to get their share. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) opposed the measure because he said he saw it as Sacramento meddling in local policymaking. But Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Palmdale) supported SB 268. Too much power is concentrated in too few people, he said of the current board. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Single-payer healthcare is popular with Californians unless it raises their taxes By John Myers (Rich Pedoncelli / Associated Press) Almost two of every three Californians in a new statewide poll said they like the idea of a single-payer, government healthcare system, but far fewer support the idea if it includes a tax increase. The poll released Wednesday night by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 65% of adults surveyed support the creation of a single-payer state healthcare program to cover all of the states residents, and 56% of likely voters approved of the idea. Opinion was sharply divided between Democrats (75% support) and Republicans (66% oppose) who were surveyed. The single-payer proposal under consideration in the state Capitol, Senate Bill 562, assumes at least $50 billion in new taxes to fund the healthcare system. Asked about taxes, support drops to 42% of the adults surveyed and 43% of likely voters. While a majority of Democrats in the PPIC poll continued to support the idea if it means more taxes, support drops substantially among unaffiliated independent voters. The state Senate is expected to consider the single-payer bill before the end of the week. A legislative analysis put the estimated total cost of a new healthcare system that covers all Californians at $400 billion, while an analysis released on Wednesday by supporters provided a $331-billion estimate. The pending legislation by state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) does not identify what taxes would be raised but makes the enactment of the plan contingent on a full funding proposal. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Knowingly exposing others to HIV should no longer be a felony, state Senate says By Patrick McGreevy The Senate voted to no longer make it a felony for HIV-positive people to donate blood or semen without telling the blood bank they are infected. ( (Toby Talbot / Associated Press)) The state Senate on Wednesday voted to no longer make it a felony for someone infected with HIV to knowingly expose others to the disease by having unprotected sex without telling his or her partner about the infection. The crime would be downgraded to a misdemeanor, and the bill would also apply to people who donate blood or semen without telling the blood or semen bank that they have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, or have tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the precursor to AIDS. The measure, which next goes to the Assembly for consideration, was introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who said it is unfair to make HIV/AIDS the only communicable disease given such harsh treatment by prosecutors. These laws are irrational and discriminatory, Wiener told the Senate, adding that the current felony status is creating an incentive not to be tested, because if you dont know your status you cant be guilty of a felony. The measure was widely opposed by Republican lawmakers including Sen. Joel Anderson of San Diego. If you intentionally transmit something that is fundamentally life-threatening to the victim, you should be charged and go to jail, he said. Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Murrieta) said, My friends, its not a gay issue. Its a public health issue. We shouldnt allow someone to play Russian roulette with other peoples lives. Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a physician, voted for the bill and argued that it undermines public health to imprison those with HIV under the current law. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Hillary Clinton: I was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win By Seema Mehta Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that she has no plans to run for office again, but she plans to remain involved in civic life, particularly helping the Democrats efforts to regain control of the House in 2018. Im not going anywhere, Clinton said at the annual Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes. I have a big stake in what happens in this country. I am very unbowed and unbroken about what happened because I dont want it to happen to anybody else. I dont want it to happen to the values and the institutions I care about in America. And I think were at a really pivotal point, she said. And therefore Im going to keep writing and keep talking and keep supporting people who are on the front lines of the resistance. The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said she woke up on election day expecting to win. Clinton told the gathering that she was responsible for every decision the campaign made, though she did not believe they caused her surprise loss. She attributed that to several things, including alleged Russian interference in the election and weaponizing stolen information and fake news. She also pointed a finger at the Democrats for falling behind the GOP in using technology and data to target voters, the media for covering her e-mail controversy like it was Pearl Harbor, misogyny and the high expectations many had for her candidacy. I was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win, she said, adding that she always expected the race to be close. Trump responded on Twitter, saying that Clinton still refused to accept that she lost because she was a terrible candidate. Crooked Hillary Clinton now blames everybody but herself, refuses to say she was a terrible candidate. Hits Facebook & even Dems & DNC. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2017 Clinton, who has increasingly jabbed President Trump, including at last weeks commencement address at Wellesley College, blasted his reported plan to pull out of the Paris climate accord as really stupid because of the economic implications. She described his personality as impulsive and reactive. And she joked about his peculiar overnight tweet about constant negative press covfefe, saying she thought it was a hidden message to the Russians to laughter from the audience. Going forward, Clinton said that she believes that it was realistic for Democrats to retake the House in 2018, notably by focusing on Republican congressional districts she won including seven in California. She sounded less optimistic about the Senate. Updated at 6:06 p.m.: This post was updated to add President Trumps response to Clintons remarks. This post was first published at 5:41 p.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California lawmakers take aim again at establishing statewide rules for drones By Jazmine Ulloa A state senator from Santa Barbara is taking another shot at establishing statewide regulations for the use of drones after the budding industry thwarted her efforts to pass similar legislation last year. Senate Bill 347, introduced by Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, would limit disruptive drone use near private property and prohibit the weaponization and reckless operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles. It also would require pilots to obtain insurance and to license, register and mark the aircrafts per federal regulations. The bill moved out of the Senate on Wednesday with a 26-13 vote. It heads to the Assembly for consideration. Speaking on the Senate floor, Jackson urged support for what she called comprehensive drone legislation, saying California needs common-sense rules that provide certainty for everyone and keep the public safe. Washington is not going to be acting on this issue very soon, she said, citing a federal appeals court decision that this month found the Federal Aviation Administration doesnt have the authority to regulate the use of drones by hobbyists. Debate has raged in recent years over just where federal authority begins and ends. And Jacksons attempts at drone legislation last year were blocked amid opposition from lobbyists who argued against creating a patchwork of laws that varied by state. Under Jacksons new proposal, violations would be punishable by a fine of up to $250 or a misdemeanor, and the California Department of Transportation would be tasked with developing liability insurance requirements. It has the support of the California State Assn. of Counties, the League of California Cities and the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Assn, but it once again faces tough industry opposition. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print School districts would be prohibited from shaming students whose parents havent paid for school lunches By Patrick McGreevy Students eat lunch at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Los Angeles. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times) Students whose parents have not kept their school lunch bills current would no longer go through shaming that includes marking their hand so they cannot be served, under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The measure by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) would require school districts to ensure that any student whose parent has unpaid school meal fees is not treated differently, or delayed or denied a nutritiously adequate meal. Hertzberg introduced the legislation after hearing of school districts taking lunch trays from students whose accounts were not current and throwing the food in the trash, embarrassing the students in front of their friends. No more shaming, Herzberg told his colleagues. Dont visit the failures of the parents on their kids. The measure passed on a 39-0 vote and was sent to the Assembly for consideration. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Emilio Huerta, undaunted by 2016 loss, is back to challenge Rep. David Valadao By Sarah D. Wire (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times) Bakersfield lawyer Emilio Huerta came more than 13 percentage points short of winning Californias 21st Congressional District seat in 2016, but he plans to try again in 2018. Huerta, 59, blames his loss to Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) on inexperience and a rash of negative ads at the end of the campaign. We learned a lot in the last campaign. As a first-time candidate there was certainly a lot to learn and I think we did a good job, Huerta said Wednesday. The son of labor icon Dolores Huerta, he has worked for the United Farm Workers union which his mother co-founded throughout the Central Valley district. Huerta said Valadaos vote for the Republican healthcare plan shows hes ignoring Valley residents needs because it would end the expansion of the MediCal program, which many of the districts residents use for healthcare. Its going to be a pretty significant issue, he said. He is the first Democrat to announce a bid for the seat. Democrats are heartened by the fact that, while Valadao won the seat with 56.74% of the vote, the district has continued to trend Democratic in voter registration and chose Hillary Clinton for president with 54.72% of the vote. That tells me that there were die-hard Democrats, committed Democrats that vote, Democrats that were not convinced that my campaign should be supported and I think a lot of that has to do with me being a first-time candidate, Huerta said. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has made the seat a target for 2018. The majority-Latino district includes parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown and Democrats say Trump is going backwards if he pulls out of Paris climate pact By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown warned Wednesday that a decision by President Trump to withdraw the United States from a 2015 global climate change agreement could be tragic, and vowed to keep Californias ambitious efforts in place and on track. Here we are, in 2017, going backwards, Brown said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. It cannot stand, its not right and California will do everything it can to not only stay the course, but to build more support in other states, in other provinces, in other countries. The governor also criticized efforts to the president to dismantle climate change initiatives launched by former President Barack Obama. Trump is going against science. Hes going against reality, the governor said. We cant stand by and give aid and comfort to that. News that the president had either made the decision to pull the country out of the Paris Accord on climate change or was on the verge of doing so drew swift condemnation from California leaders. Brown and other top lawmakers attended the talks in late 2015 that resulted in the international agreement, and insisted on Wednesday that it would not hurt the states own efforts to sharply curtail greenhouse gas emissions. As with so many other matters, from human rights to healthcare, the Trump administration has continued to surrender our nations longstanding role as a global leader, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said. Others pointed out that a decision to remove the United States from the agreement would leave it in rare company among other nations. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that such a decision by Trump would be more than just dumb + destructive. Brown, who leaves Friday for a weeklong visit to China to encourage more climate-change cooperation, predicted any decision to step away would suggest the countrys priorities arent clear. It sends a very muddled message, the governor said during an interview in his state Capitol office. Is the message [that] we like dirty cars and gas guzzlers? And were going to have a coal future? That cant happen. And Brown again suggested that Californias experience on the issue offers a road map for others. If we want to retain and enhance manufacturing, we have to do what California is doing, in clean energy and clean technology, he said. Thats the future of jobs, the future of sustainability. And we better get on board. And California will be right there with the best of them. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print This Orange County congressmans immigration town hall turned chaotic and led to three arrests By Sarah D. Wire The majority of calls into Rep. Lou Correas Orange County congressional office are about immigration worries and what the Trump administrations enforcement policies mean for Correas many Latino constituents. Theres a lot of fear in my district, he said. So the freshman Democrat has held seven town halls, all focused on immigration and explaining immigrants rights. Theyve been peaceful, with representatives from groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and the Mexican Consulate invited to help Correa answer questions. But as the crowd of about 100 people gathered at Santa Anas Delhi Center on Tuesday evening, Correa knew this time would be different. We had some people there, probably a dozen of them, that immediately had signs that were not complimentary to yours truly, he said. Two women arguing about immigration issues had already gotten into an altercation outside the town hall. They were cited for assault and battery, and barred by police from going inside. Correa told the crowd inside he would give a short presentation about immigration policy coming out of Washington and then have a question-and-answer session. About a dozen people were having none of it. Some of the most tense moments came when Correa started talking about green card holders who served in the U.S. military and have since been deported. Maam, Im trying to be courteous here, he said as a woman kept speaking over him. As soon as I started speaking, it became very clear they were not going to let me speak, Correa said Wednesday. They just got louder and louder. Video of the town hall posted on social media shows people in the crowd yelling Americans first and Illegals have no rights. Correa repeatedly asks them to let him speak. Are you guys going to cooperate, or am I going to have to ask you to leave? he said. About 15 minutes in, as some in the crowd continued to shout and their attention turned to berating a group of counter-protesters, Correa declared the meeting over. A handful of people circled around Correa as he tried to leave, yelling Shame, shame and You guys all want welfare. One womans voice can be heard repeatedly yelling Coward! Police emptied the room amid chants of USA. The crowd streamed into the parking lot, where confrontations quickly started between supporters of President Trump and others who appeared to be focused on Native American rights. Videos posted on social media show men shouting at one another, their faces so close their noses are practically touching. Police officers kept trying to separate the groups. (Warning: The video below includes language that some readers might find offensive.) Santa Ana Police Department spokesman Anthony Bertagna said a man struck a Trump supporter on the head with a pole bearing an anti-fascism flag. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Bertagna said. The man was brought to police headquarters, and a group of about 10 people followed along to protest, he said. Shortly after, the town hall peacefully resumed in a different room with a much smaller crowd, Correa said. Several California members of Congress have held similar immigration-specific town halls or workshops in the last few months as questions swirl about changes to federal immigration policies and enforcement. The purpose of the town halls is to let people know how to follow the law, let them know their legal rights and responsibilities, Correa said. Protesters have characterized it as teaching people who are in the country illegally how to avoid deportation and get federal benefits. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California plan for 100% renewable energy by 2045 clears key hurdle By Liam Dillon California will receive all of its power from renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, by 2045 under legislation that passed the state Senate on Wednesday. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) touted his bill, Senate Bill 100, as the most ambitious program in the world. Clean energy is the future, De Leon said. SB 100 ensures that California leads into the future. The measure would also speed up the states goal of reaching 50% renewable energy, changing the deadline from 2030 to 2026. SB 100 passed over objections from Republican senators. Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Temecula) criticized the measure as government getting ahead of technological capacity. What if we cant make that mandate that were putting into law today? Stone said. What its going to do is drive up electricity bills for our businesses. De Leons bill now moves to the Assembly. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A new proposal on Californias cap-and-trade program emerges as vote is delayed By Chris Megerian Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced), left. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A coalition of business-friendly Democrats is detailing their own ideas for cap and trade, a centerpiece of Californias fight against global warming, the latest bid in a crowded field of efforts to extend the program. Cap and trade requires polluting companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions, and lawmakers have been considering a push from Gov. Jerry Brown to extend the program beyond 2020. The new plan would force the program to sunset in 2025, earlier than previous proposals from other lawmakers. It would also direct revenue from the program toward improving air quality and helping agricultural and trucking companies lower their emissions by replacing aging equipment. The plan is also aimed at keeping costs down for industries regulated by cap and trade, allowing them to support green projects known as offsets instead of reducing their own emissions. California must continue to lead the world by implementing a strong climate policy that ensures both a healthy environment for future Californians and growth in all sectors of our economy, Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced) said in a statement. The pro-business Democrats plan is the fourth such effort announced by various factions within the states ruling Democratic Party this year with two others emerging from the Assembly and one from the Senate. The plans offer varying degrees of changes to the existing program, either to prioritize pollution reductions in disadvantaged communities or eliminate offsets. Republican lawmakers also have said they want to be part of the cap-and-trade debate. Brown has pushed for a two-thirds supermajority vote of the Legislature to extend the program by the state budget deadline next month. But Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said at a Wednesday news conference that that wasnt going to happen. Cap-and-trade is a very complex issue, De Leon said. Its very arcane. We want to make sure we get it right. De Leon said he hoped for a deal by the end of the year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Senate fails to back bill to delay the Aliso Canyon reopening, but lawmaker will try again Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California state Senate advances bill to ban smoking and use of e-cigarettes in government housing By Patrick McGreevy Californians would no longer be able to use tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, in public housing and within 25 of those buildings under a measure approved Tuesday by the state Assembly. Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) said the measure builds on a smoking ban approved last year for federal public housing projects by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition to applying the smoking ban to state housing, expansion to include e-cigarettes makes sure the law cover new technology in tobacco use. The bill takes effect by July 30, 2018. Wood said tobacco-related diseases cost taxpayers significant funds each year. This bill will save money but will more importantly save lives, Wood told his colleagues before the vote. The measure is opposed by the Western Center on Law and Poverty, which worries it will lead to more evictions. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californians would not be able to buy more than one rifle a month under bill approved by state senators By Patrick McGreevy Terry McGuire, owner of Get Loaded in Grand Terrace, shows a customer a Cobalt Kinetics BAMF rifle about a week after the 2015 shooting rampage in nearby San Bernardino. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) Californians would be prohibited from buying more than one firearm in any 30-day period under a measure approved Tuesday by the Senate to reduce straw purchasing and circumvention of gun laws. California already bars people from buying more than one handgun a month. The bill by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) expands the limit to also cover long guns, including rifles and shotguns. The measure, which next goes to the Assembly for consideration, seeks to address concerns that some people buy large quantities of guns and then sell them on the underground market to criminals and others not eligible to own guns. There is no need or reason why a person would need to purchase more than one gun a month, Portantino said during the floor debate. Republicans, including Jeff Stone of Murrieta, opposed the legislation. This is yet another example of the government trying to infringe on the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, Stone said. Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Chico) said he has seen no proof that past gun-control measures approved by the state have made the state safer. Its more of the same that will not decrease violent crime, Nielsen said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California state senators want to stop the public from smoking at California beaches and parks By Patrick McGreevy Californians would be barred from smoking or using electronic cigarettes in state parks and at beaches under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Concord) said his bill would address the health problems caused by smoking but also the harm done to the environment by discarded cigarette butts and the fire danger posed by the practice. Cigarette butts contain more than 150 toxic chemicals and although small in size, have a huge negative impact on the environment and the animals that live in them, Glazer told his colleagues. A legislative analysis said the bill does not address the concerns raised by Gov. Jerry Brown when he vetoed a similar bill last year. The veto message read, in part, The complete prohibition in all parks and beaches is too broad. A more measured and less punitive approach might be warranted. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement School day wouldnt begin before 8:30 a.m. in California under bill that clears the state Senate By John Myers (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) California teenagers wouldnt be required to start their school day before 8:30 am under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate. The legislation by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) would not fully take effect until 2020, and sparked a lively floor debate over the science on the sleep patterns of middle and high school students, and whether they simply need to go to bed earlier. I expect this would only dispose them to stay up later, said state Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber). Another Republican lawmaker, Sen. Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), said students need to learn what its like in the workforce. Job preparation is what schooling is all about, Fuller said. Unless youre a musician or someone who works nights, you probably did not start in the later morning. Opponents also said the later start time could affect collective bargaining agreements with teachers and other school employees. Supporters, however, pointed to a recommendation for later start times from the American Academy of Pediatrics. A University of Minnesota study linked school start times to sleep deprivation and the rate of car crashes among teenage drivers. The morning sleep time is the most valuable for student health, said Portantino. Their test scores go up, their attendance goes up, their graduation rates go up. The bill would allow rural school districts to obtain a waiver if they couldnt make the change. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) ended the debate with a simple request of the senators on behalf of teenage students. "Lets just let them sleep in a little bit, he said with a smile. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print More transparency proposed for prescription drug price increases under bill passed by California Senate By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), shown speaking in March, won Senate approval Tuesday on a bill that would require more transparency on drug prices. (Melanie Mason / Los Angeles Times) Alarmed by skyrocketing prices for some prescription drugs, the California Senate on Tuesday approved a measure aimed at increasing pressure to hold down costs to consumers by requiring more public reporting of price hikes. The lawmakers approved a bill that would require drug manufacturers to notify health plans and state purchasers such as the prison department of increases in the wholesale cost of drugs in writing at least 90 days before the new costs were to take effect. The measure also requires that health plans and insurers notify state regulators of pricing information for the most costly drugs. Were not saying that they cant raise the price. Were just saying notify us, Hernandez said during the floor debate. And if [the price] goes up a significant amount, we should be able to question why. The measure passed by a 26-10 vote with some Republicans, including Sen. Ted Gaines of El Dorado Hills, opposed. Gaines said the pharmaceutical industrys pricing of drugs helps it pay for development of new medications. It funds their research, Gaines said during the debate. The measure next goes to the Assembly, where a similar bill last year failed to win passage. Hernandez said more opponents are talking to him this year about possible compromises, although the bill is opposed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Hernandez said the bill is needed, adding that current regulations allow pharmaceutical companies to reap obscene profits at the expense of the entire healthcare system. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Senate advances bill to make pot use in cars an infraction By Patrick McGreevy San Bruno police officers stop cars at a DUI checkpoint. State officials are proposing to make it an infraction to use marijuana in motor vehicles. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Just months after state voters legalized the recreational use of marijuana, the state Senate on Tuesday voted to prohibit its use in automobiles because of concerns over drugged driving. A bill by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) makes it an infraction for drivers and passengers to use marijuana in motor vehicles. Stiffer penalties already exist for motorists found to be driving while impaired by drugs. California voters legalized recreational use of marijuana in November although the state does not plan to begin issuing licenses for its legal sale until January. In Washington state, which previously legalized pot, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the number of drivers who had recently used marijuana before fatal accidents doubled from 2013 to 2014, Hill told his colleagues. Washington serves as an eye-opening case study for what other states may experience with road safety after legalizing the drug, Hill told his colleagues before the unanimous vote to approve the measure and send it to the Assembly for consideration. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California lawmakers want to give parents at smaller companies 12 weeks of protected family leave By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California lawmakers are once again seeking to expand the states paid family leave program to smaller businesses after Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar measure last year. SB 63, authored by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), on Tuesday moved out of the state Senate with a 25-13 vote. It now heads to the Assembly for consideration. The legislation, a priority bill for the California Legislative Womens Caucus, would allow parents at companies with 20 to 49 employees to take 12 weeks of leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child without fear of losing their jobs. Under the current state law, only workers at businesses with 50 or more workers can take advantage of program. On the Senate floor Tuesday, the debate on the issue echoed that of last year. Republican lawmakers argued the bill would kill jobs and hurt small businesses already struggling in California. Those in favor argued progressive family leave policies attracted a strong and healthy workforce. Jackson said her bill would impact only 6.3% of California companies, while helping 16% of its workforce, a population of 2.7 million residents across the state. With so many women in the workforce than ever before, and with so many struggling, two-income families, this is a critical moment in time, she said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Kimberly Ellis files formal challenge over result of state Democratic Party chairperson election By Seema Mehta (Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The candidate who narrowly lost the race to be the next leader of the California Democratic Party on Tuesday filed a formal challenge of the election result. Kimberly Ellis campaign, which was already in the process of reviewing the ballots cast during the state partys convention two weekends ago, said they were filing the challenge to meet a requirement in the party bylaws that such an action must be taken within seven days of the contested act. Our review process is ongoing. Its critical that all formal processes outlined by the CDPs bylaws are followed at this time so that there can be no concern about raising issues in the manner prescribed by our party, said Hilary Crosby, immediate past controller for the state party and an Ellis supporter. Ellis campaign said challenges were also being filed in races for a vice chair, secretary and multiple regional directors. Chris Masami Myers, state party executive director, acknowledged receiving the challenges and said in a statement that they would be reviewed in accordance with the standard practices described in the bylaws. The partys compliance review commission, made up of six members who were appointed during former Chairman John Burtons tenure, will review the evidence and take oral or written testimony before issuing a ruling in mid- to late June. The state party chair race was the most heated and contentious. Longtime party leader Eric Bauman entered the race with advantages, but Ellis made the contest competitive. In the election, held this month at the state party convention in Sacramento, Bauman beat Ellis by just over 60 votes. But amid allegations levied by her supporters of ballot-box stuffing and ripped-up ballots, she refused to concede the race. Her campaign has been reviewing individual ballots for a week. Bauman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Updated at 4:57 p.m.: This post was updated to add additional information about how the review will be conducted. Updated at 3:35 p.m.: This post was updated to add a comment from a state party official. This post was originally published at 2:37 p.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Darrell Issa gets on his office roof to take a picture of protesters. A mild hubbub ensues By Sarah D. Wire Yes, this is really @DarrellIssa on the roof of his district office building. Too afraid to come speak with assembled constituents below. pic.twitter.com/wCYRjO8Ev8 Mike Levin (@MikeLevinCA) May 30, 2017 It began when one of Rep. Darrell Issas 2018 opponents, Mike Levin, posted an image on Twitter, saying the Vista congressman was hiding on his office roof from hundreds of protesters on the street below. The photo of Issa standing on the roof ricocheted around Twitter, with many comparing it to a scene from the popular television show The Office, and left-leaning media outlets quickly publishing headlines like Darrell Issa Appears to Flee to Building Roof to Avoid Protesters. Like most things, what happened at Issas office appears to have been a bit more nuanced. Issa soon tweeted that he had spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today, then popped upstairs to take a quick pic!. Multiple images, including one from Levins account and from Issas account, show the congressman on the street with protesters. Spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today, then popped upstairs to take a quick pic! pic.twitter.com/K2CFdenOIj Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) May 30, 2017 I just received an unprompted call from @DarrellIssa who said he tried, unsuccessfully to speak with protesters outside his district office. Joshua Stewart (@jptstewart) May 30, 2017 .@DarrellIssa said the protesters wouldnt' speak with him, so he went up to the roof and took pictures. Joshua Stewart (@jptstewart) May 30, 2017 The protests occur weekly outside Issas Vista district office, and the congressman has come out to speak with the group at least twice since President Trumps inauguration. Issa narrowly won reelection in 2016 over a novice opponent, and Democrats are targeting his seat in 2018. Issas staff said he tried to speak with all the protesters using their sound system, but was rebuffed. Rally organizer Ellen Montanari said she decided not to hand over the protesters microphone so Issa could take questions from the crowd because he refused to shake her hand before the protest began. He refused to do that, and he said, Step away, you are a protester. And I said I am a constituent, Montanari said. She said he also made disparaging remarks about the protesters and the signs they carry. Issas spokesman, Calvin Moore, said Montanari cant simultaneously organize people to stand outside our office with Where is Darrell? signs and feign outrage how he wont answer her questions and then deny him the ability to answer his constituents questions, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State Senate Democrats pass bills designed to protect against Trumps possible changes Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Adam Schiff says alleged Russian meddling in election was an effort to destroy American democracy By Seema Mehta U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, left, discusses Russias threat to liberal democracies around the world at discussion discussion hosted by Erwin Chemerinsky at UCI. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Tuesday that the alleged Russian meddling in last years presidential election was about far more than favoring one candidate over another. He said it was an effort to undermine the foundation of American democracy in order to prop up an authoritarian regime in Moscow. Now if you look at this as just a one-off intervention, you might be inclined to dismiss the greater significance of it, or if you listen to the president, you might be inclined to dismiss this as simply efforts to relitigate a lost election, Schiff told several hundred people at UC Irvine. But the significance is really far greater. Quite separate and apart from the desire of the Russians to help Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton was a more fundamental objective, and that was really to tear down at our democracy. Schiff is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating allegations of Russian intervention in the presidential election, including the leaking of hacked Democratic emails and contacts between Trump associates and Russians. Trump has declared the investigation the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history on Twitter. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), the former chairman of the committee, recently told hundreds of Republicans at a fundraiser that the investigation is about nothing more than Democrats trying to justify Clintons loss. Nunes stepped down from his position after allegations arose that he mishandled classified information. Schiff said Russian President Vladimir Putin would have reasons for wanting to see Clinton fail and Trump succeed he believed that the CIA and Clinton were secretly behind mass demonstrations in Russia in 2011, and because Trumps positions on issues such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were more favorable to Russia than Clintons. But Schiff argued the larger point was sowing discord in the U.S., so Putin could argue that American democracy is no better than his government. Talk of rigged elections and surveillance, questioning the independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press as Trump has done boost Putins message, Schiff said. And the efforts are not limited to the United States, he added, pointing to allegations that the Russians made an effort to interfere in Frances recent election. The reality is there is new ideological struggle. Its not communism versus capitalism anymore. It is authoritarian versus democracy, he said. This is the broader challenge we are facing. Schiff also warned that there is no way to prevent Russian cyber-spying and that future attempts to interfere with American elections will only be more sophisticated, so voters must be educated. One of the most important conclusions the intelligence agencies have reached is the Russians will do this again, he said. The only real defense is to inoculate ourselves, to educate ourselves about what the Russians have done, why they are doing [it and] what they may do in the future and somehow we have to develop a consensus regardless of which party it helps and which party it hurts that we will reject it. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Rep. Devin Nunes: Democrats are using Russia investigation to justify Clintons loss By Sarah D. Wire (Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA) House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told hundreds of local Republicans at a recent private fundraiser that congressional investigations into Russias interference in the 2016 election are about Democrats trying to justify Hillary Clintons loss. The Democrats dont want an investigation on Russia. They want an independent commission. Why do they want an independent commission? Because they want to continue the narrative that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are best friends, and thats the reason that he won, because Hillary Clinton would have never lost on her own; it had to be someone elses fault, Nunes told Republicans the day after he stepped away from leading the House investigation. His remarks were recorded on video and provided to The Times. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias embattled tax board would lose power over staff and funding under lawmakers plan By John Myers Following months of accusations about mistakes and improper use of power by its elected members, the state Board of Equalization could lose substantial power and gain an independent overseer under legislation introduced in the state Assembly. The bill by Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) would shift much of the power over staff and spending authority away from the independent tax board and create a new inspector general to watch over its actions. What were trying to do is make sure that the reform is transparent, Ridley-Thomas said. Thats what I think the moment demands. The plan, introduced as an amended bill just before the Memorial Day holiday, comes in the wake of audits alleging the tax agency made multimillion dollar miscalculations on revenue allocations and that some of its elected members improperly used staff members who were supposed to be focused on tax collection. Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown called the situation a mess and in April asked for an investigation by the state Department of Justice. Four members of the Board of Equalization are directly elected by voters. The fifth, state Controller Betty Yee, serves in an ex officio capacity. The Assembly bill would transfer significant staff decisions to the agencys executive director and would require the Board of Equalizations members to have their operations funded in detailed line items included in the state budget. It would also create an inspector general office and would require the boards members to disclose all ex parte communications with those seeking action by the agency. I think that these issues can be addressed if we keep them in the sunlight, said Ridley-Thomas. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New advertising campaign targets lawmakers over votes for climate change policies By Chris Megerian A coalition of California businesses launched a new advertising campaign on Saturday to pressure lawmakers against enacting tighter policies on climate change and air pollution. The campaign includes online videos and television advertising that warn of higher costs for business and residents. It arrives as Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers are debating whether to extend the cap-and-trade program, which requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gases, and how restrictive the system should be. The first lawmaker being targeted is Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), accusing him of allowing unelected state employees to raise hidden taxes on gasoline and electricity because he voted last year for a tougher target to reduce emissions by 2030. Other lawmakers could face similar advertisements. Were locked, loaded and ready to go statewide, said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, which is funding the campaign through an advocacy group called Californians for Affordable and Reliable Energy. The roundtable represents the states largest corporations, including oil refineries and manufacturers who have been critical of climate policies. A dollar figure was not disclosed for the advertising campaign, which will represent a balancing act for the roundtable. It supports the cap-and-trade program as an alternative to more restrictive regulations, but it opposes some of the current proposals to extend it. One measure would tie the program to air quality, targeting a wider range of pollutants than just greenhouse gases, and another would make it function more like a tax and charge higher prices for emission permits. Were at a tipping point here, Lapsley said. We need to get this information out into the public in order to try and create balanced policies. Although polls show broad support for fighting global warming in California, concerns about higher costs for constituents could be influential with some lawmakers who recently passed legislation to raise gas taxes to fund road repairs. Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is facing a recall campaign over his vote. Nonpartisan legislative analysts have said cap and trade could boost the price of gasoline by 24 cents to 73 cents by 2030. Environmentalists have said its inaccurate to tie any single policy to fluctuations in gas prices. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Politics Podcast: The debate among Democrats didnt end at their convention By John Myers The official gathering of California Democrats lasted only three days, but the lingering debate and simmering tensions could keep going well into next years elections. On this weeks California Politics Podcast episode, we look back at the line in the sand drawn at last weeks California Democratic Party convention by some of the partys most passionate progressive activists -- including the blunt speech delivered by an influential labor union leader last weekend. We also discuss big new developments this week on the topic that energized those Democratic activists: a single-payer healthcare system for California. On Monday, a fiscal analysis put a large price tag on legislation to enact that sweeping healthcare change. Im joined this week by Times staff writer Melanie Mason. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California lawmakers quietly refuse to stop unlimited cash flowing from political parties to their campaigns By John Myers (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) An ambitious effort to close a widely used loophole that allows large donations from political parties to be funneled into California races was rejected on Friday. The bill by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) would have made political party money donated to statewide and legislative candidates subject to the same contribution limits as individuals. Under the language of a voter-approved initiative, Proposition 34, money from political parties is exempt from those existing limits. Its a money-laundering scheme that has completely duped voters, Levine said last fall when he first promised to introduce the bill. The proposal was quietly killed, without a formal vote, by the Assembly Appropriations Committee during its biannual session to act on bills placed on the so-called suspense file due to their estimated costs. Committee staff estimated that Levines AB 1234 would have six-figure costs both for enforcement and for placing the issue before voters in 2018. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Veteran Democratic operative criticizes Kimberly Ellis for refusing to concede party chair race By Seema Mehta Supporters of Kimberly Ellis make signs, refusing to accept her loss to Eric Bauman for the California Democratic chair post. (Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Veteran Democratic operative Bob Mulholland slammed infighting among California Democrats, and urged Kimberly Ellis, who came up short in a nasty party chair election, to work to unify the party. I and others did not understand some of your supporters attacks on those of us who have spent decades or years building the Democrats in California as the most successful political Party in the country, he wrote in an open letter to Ellis on Thursday. He sent the email in the aftermath of the partys rancorous convention last weekend that featured a bitter leadership battle between Ellis, a favorite of newer members including the backers of Bernie Sanders failed presidential bid, and longtime party leader Eric Bauman. After Bauman was declared the winner by a razor-thin margin of just over 60 votes, Ellis refused to concede and demanded an audit of the vote as some of her backers floated rumors of ballot-box stuffing and discarded ballots. Ellis demurred when asked about Mulhollands scathing letter. While our review continues, we are refraining from making any statement that might cause further division, Ellis said. If we hope to truly unify this party, it will require patience by all. Officials with the Ellis campaign have been reviewing ballots this week. A spokesman said they had looked at about two-thirds by the end of Friday and hope to be done by the middle of next week. Joe Macaluso, Ellis strategist, declined to discuss the results and said her team needed to review additional documentation beyond the ballots. Were trying to stay true to our process and not release anything, but were in it, he said. Its an extensive process. Mulholland argued in his public letter that the convention should have showcased the partys message, not intraparty spats. Our annual Conventions should take care of internal business (Platforms, election of Officers, Resolutions, etc.), but more importantly a communication to voters, especially moderate Democrats and Independents about their concerns and issues, Mulholland wrote. If such busy people had a minute to read some news about our Convention, they saw Democrats yelling and arguing about ballots being stuffed, sounding like a Trump event. This Convention failed them. Mulholland listed the partys successes in the state, including Democrats lopsided voter registration edge, its nearly three-decade record of supporting Democratic presidential candidates, its election of female senators since 1992 and its hold of every statewide office, supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature and nearly three-quarters of the congressional delegation. Over the last 29 years, thats a [1.000] batting record, he wrote. Mulholland called on Ellis to hold a news conference with Bauman once she is satisfied with her audit of the vote. Then, he wrote, lets move on. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California lawmakers block proposals meant to make it easier to track and report hate crimes By Jazmine Ulloa Graffiti mars the steeple on the Greater Holy Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Compton in January. Cases of vandalism make up close to one-third of reported hate crimes, according to a new report. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers Friday stalled measures meant to help report and track hate crimes across the state, proposals filed amid a wave of incidents reported after the 2016 presidential election. The state Assembly Appropriations Committee shelved bills that would have created new hate-crime reporting requirements for police and a hotline under the attorney generals office for victims wishing to report an attack. Of those bills, a proposal filed by Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) initially sought to develop a state government database with the names of felons convicted of hate crimes related to race, religion and sexual orientation. That proposal was amended to instead require every law enforcement agency to forward a summary of a reported hate crime, upon conclusion of an investigation, to the human relations commission within its jurisdiction. But a committee analysis found it could cost the state more than $150,000 to help agencies redact personal information from their records. The committee also shut down bills that would have required police to update policies to address hate crimes and include a checkbox on the front pages of reports that would prominently provide an option to indicate whether a crime was bias-related. Local law enforcement officials have reported a recent rise in reported hate crime incidents. Existing state laws require local and state law enforcement officials to compile hate crime information. California jurisdictions reported a 10.4% statewide increase in those incidents last year. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Here were the top six moments from last nights L.A. congressional race debate By Christine Mai-Duc Robert Lee Ahn, left, and Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez sparred in a debate Thursday night ahead of the runoff for the 34th Congressional District seat. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) Attorney Robert Lee Ahn and Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez sparred Thursday night at the first and only debate in the runoff race for the 34th Congressional District seat. The candidates, both Democrats, offered little in the way of policy differences. Both agreed President Trump has racist tendencies, that keeping the Affordable Care Act is a top priority, and that they would fight to protect immigrants rights. Ahn came out swinging, repeatedly calling Gomez an insider whos sponsored by special interests, while Gomez pointed to his work supporting progressive policies in the Legislature and endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. Here are the top six exchanges: The numbers problem: Gomez again criticized Ahn for a response he gave in an L.A. Times questionnaire that suggested he would negotiate with Republicans to protect parts of Obamacare. Gomez said Democrats need to take a hard line and that Ahn was too soft on support for Medicaid. In case you havent noticed, we have a numbers problem in Congress, Ahn shot back. Until were able to take back the House, were going to have to talk to the other side. Gomez again criticized Ahn for a response he gave in an L.A. Times questionnaire that suggested he would negotiate with Republicans to protect parts of Obamacare. Gomez said Democrats need to take a hard line and that Ahn was too soft on support for Medicaid. In case you havent noticed, we have a numbers problem in Congress, Ahn shot back. Until were able to take back the House, were going to have to talk to the other side. Gomez fact-checks Ahns name-check: Ahn made the case that voters should send an attorney to Congress to help in the legal battles against the Trump presidency. I will join fellow attorneys and Congress members Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff in the fight, Ahn said to the crowd. Gomez, who spent much of the evening bringing up his legislative experience and vast array of endorsements, responded: I hate to mention it, but, you know, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu have endorsed me. Ahn made the case that voters should send an attorney to Congress to help in the legal battles against the Trump presidency. I will join fellow attorneys and Congress members Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff in the fight, Ahn said to the crowd. Gomez, who spent much of the evening bringing up his legislative experience and vast array of endorsements, responded: I hate to mention it, but, you know, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu have endorsed me. Getting more personal: In discussions about immigration and healthcare, Gomez and Ahn delved a little deeper into their backgrounds. Gomez talked about his young nephew who feared that his mother, a permanent resident, might be deported after Trump was elected. Ahn told the story of how his parents came to the United States with $700 each and cobbled together enough money to open a hamburger stand, eventually building their piece of the American Dream. In discussions about immigration and healthcare, Gomez and Ahn delved a little deeper into their backgrounds. Gomez talked about his young nephew who feared that his mother, a permanent resident, might be deported after Trump was elected. Ahn told the story of how his parents came to the United States with $700 each and cobbled together enough money to open a hamburger stand, eventually building their piece of the American Dream. Ahn on the attack: Ahn repeatedly criticized Gomez for taking money from corporate interests. Special interests, big pharma, big bankers. ... Its all payback time [for Gomez donors] on Day One, Ahn said. On Day One, I owe the people of the 34th District and thats it. Ahn pitched himself as an outsider who understands the district and whose small-business experience will help him relate to the problems facing everyday residents. Ahn repeatedly criticized Gomez for taking money from corporate interests. Special interests, big pharma, big bankers. ... Its all payback time [for Gomez donors] on Day One, Ahn said. On Day One, I owe the people of the 34th District and thats it. Ahn pitched himself as an outsider who understands the district and whose small-business experience will help him relate to the problems facing everyday residents. A litmus test: Gomez fought back against the idea that hes a corporate Democrat, primarily by pointing to several endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. If I was so establishment, I dont think Our Revolution ... would actually endorse me, Gomez said of the Bernie Sanders-affiliated group. If you want a litmus test, thats a litmus test if youre a progressive ... if youre actually able to take on the status quo. Gomez fought back against the idea that hes a corporate Democrat, primarily by pointing to several endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. If I was so establishment, I dont think Our Revolution ... would actually endorse me, Gomez said of the Bernie Sanders-affiliated group. If you want a litmus test, thats a litmus test if youre a progressive ... if youre actually able to take on the status quo. Gomez gets skewered on gas tax: As part of his argument that he has fought for the little guy, Ahn expressed outrage that Californias gas taxes will increase July 1, saying theres nothing progressive about the gas tax hike Gomez voted for. We already paid 38 cents per gallon. Where is that money going? Ahn said, echoing a line many legislative Republicans have used. Sacramento politicians, this is what they do, they take our money and they spend it and theres no accountability. Gomez responded by saying public safety was at stake and that fixing roads was the responsible thing to do. If you missed it, you can watch the entire thing here. The election is set for June 6. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rob Reiner, Hollywood bigwigs and Netflix co-founder team up to give Villaraigosas campaign a major cash boost By Seema Mehta (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Hollywood heavyweights are set to host a major fundraiser for Antonio Villaraigosas gubernatorial campaign on June 15, ensuring an infusion of large contributions shortly before a key fundraising deadline. Donors are being asked to contribute up to $29,200 to attend a summer reception at the home of media executive Peter Chernin and his wife Megan, the site of a celebrity-studded fundraiser for President Obama in 2013. Co-hosts include Paramount Pictures chief Jim Gianopulos, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, video game honcho Robert Kotick, comedian George Lopez, Sony chief Michael Lynton, NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, producer Rob Reiner, super-agent Rick Rosen, producer Orly Adelson, former U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos, former White House decorator Michael Smith and attorney Michael Tuchin. Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, entered the governors race in November. Through the end of 2016, he raised $2.7 million, a respectable haul in a short time period when Democratic donors were reeling from the presidential election and distracted by the holidays. But his fundraising lags behind that of his top rivals, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang. So political observers will be scrutinizing his next financial disclosure report, which will cover the first six months of 2017. The fundraiser occurs 15 days before the fundraising period closes on June 30. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A delay on cap-and-trade vote would be a victory for Donald Trump, Gov. Jerry Browns office says By Chris Megerian (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Despite hesitance and resistance from state lawmakers, Gov. Jerry Brown is refusing to budge from his goal of reaching a deal next month to extend Californias cap-and-trade program. The latest tug-of-war on the issue came this week in an email exchange circulated among Capitol staff members and advocates working on climate change policies. Kip Lipper, an environmental advisor for Senate leadership, wrote in a Thursday email that there were no plans to take up a cap and trade reauthorization bill anytime soon. Echoing concerns that have percolated among lawmakers, Lipper said senators were gas tax weary about the possibility of another difficult vote after deciding to raise gas taxes to pay for road repairs earlier this year. The cap-and-trade program, which is a cornerstone of Californias fight against global warming, requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions and could boost the price of gasoline. With votes hard to come by, Lipper wrote, the issue should not be rushed. Camille Wagner, Browns legislative secretary, responded on Friday saying there was no reason to delay. Weve all been meeting for months on this issue, she wrote. We know the areas of agreement and disagreement now is the time to work through those. She added that NOTHING is more important than getting a deal as soon as possible. This is not a time for retreat or a time to give aid and comfort to Donald Trump by undermining a pillar of Californias bold program to arrest climate change, Wagner wrote. If Californias Cap and Trade falls because we fail to act, climate denial wins. Brown had already faced resistance to his push to reach a deal on cap and trade in June, when the state budget is due. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) previously said we dont have to extend it this year. The disagreement over the timeline for reaching a deal is only one of the disputes surrounding cap and trade. Assembly leaders have raised the possibility of pushing legislation with only a majority vote, an idea the governors office rejected. Brown wants a two-thirds vote to insulate cap and trade from legal challenges. There are also varied ideas about how the program should function in the future. Assembly legislation would modify cap and trade so it also targets local pollution, rather than just greenhouse gases. Senate legislation would make the program function more like a carbon tax. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The effort to make tampons tax free in California has been delayed until 2018 By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Legislation to eliminate California sales taxes on the purchase of tampons was delayed Friday by the Assemblys fiscal committee until 2018, a blow to advocates who say the tax is an unfair burden on low-income women and families. The delay imposed on AB 9 is the second setback this month for efforts to eliminate taxes on products for women and children. A separate bill that included a tax-free provision for diapers was killed in a legislative committee on May 8. The bill that was held back on Friday, written by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), would have excluded tampons, sanitary napkins and other menstrual products from sales taxes. A legislative committee analysis estimated the proposal would reduce state general fund revenues by $10.5 million a year. Dozens of other bills with a cost to state government were killed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, while AB 9 was instead reclassified as a two-year bill, meaning it is eligible to be heard again in the second year of the legislative session. Gov. Jerry Brown last year rejected a similar measure that sought to make tampons tax-free, writing in his veto message that tax breaks are the same as new spending they both cost the general fund money. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Outside money spills into L.A. congressional race as election day nears By Christine Mai-Duc Spending by outside groups hoping to influence Los Angeles congressional race is picking up, with less than two weeks to go before the runoff for the 34th Congressional District. Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and attorney Robert Lee Ahn, both Democrats, are competing to fill the former seat of Xavier Becerra in the June 6 election. Becerra stepped down months ago to become the states attorney general. Spending separate from the candidates campaigns is reaching into the six-figure range, with most of the outside money going to support Gomez, the heavy favorite of establishment Democrats. One group funded primarily by an Ahn donor, Citizens for a Better Government, has spent $40,264 on data, printing and postage for mailers, and $8,000 on treasury services to support Ahns bid. The Latino Victory Fund, which has endorsed Gomez, recently spent $29,640 on direct mail and $30,000 on phone banking and voter canvassing for the candidate. Billboard company Outfront Media LLC has spent $1,973 on billboards for him. Also backing Gomez is a group called Middle Class Values PAC. The group spent $19,653 on mailers supporting Gomez despite not having reported receiving any major contributions so far this year. The groups biggest donors last year were a handful of Nevada casino owners and developers, but most of that money appears to have been spent on Democrats running for Congress in Pennsylvania and Nevada. Outside spending in the 34th Congressional District race has been dwarfed by candidate spending. As of March 31, Gomez had spent $446,455 and Ahn had dropped about $767,315 on his run. New campaign finance figures from both candidates are due at midnight Friday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Browns budget team drops its hotly debated plans to redefine the states spending limit By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) With questions mounting about the legal justification for omitting some $22 billion in expenses from Californias long-standing spending cap, Gov. Jerry Browns administration dropped the plan Thursday while promising to work on the issue again later this year. Browns advisors told the Assembly Budget Committee that this could include some changes in state law to clarify the rules surrounding whats known as the Gann limit, a cap on state spending growth imposed by voters in 1979. The cap has rarely come into play in state budgeting in recent years, as it was loosened by a subsequent ballot measure in 1990. The governors administration said it continues to worry about how the law interacts with other mandates related to school funding. School financing has changed significantly since the limit was first established in 1979, said H.D. Palmer, Browns budget spokesman. Because of that, we continue to believe we need statutory clarifications related to these school funding changes. Legislative analysts warned lawmakers in April that the governor may have been overestimating how much room for spending was left under the cap, a dispute that continued for weeks while lawmakers began drafting plans for formal budget negotiations next month. Earlier this week, state senators again raised concerns about the complex estimates used to determine how much spending the Gann law would allow in the budget year that begins July 1. And they provided an analysis by the Legislatures lawyers that suggested Browns proposal could be unconstitutional. The spending limit is enforced over two fiscal years, which means Brown and lawmakers have time to reconcile different estimates. But absent changes similar to those advocated by the governor, a portion of future tax revenues would have to be split between schools and rebates to taxpayers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Senate, Assembly advance their own plans on how to spend tobacco tax revenue By Melanie Mason (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Perhaps the biggest budget skirmish that remains unsolved this year is how California should spend revenue from the tobacco tax voters approved last fall. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to put that money to expand overall spending on Medi-Cal, which provides subsidized healthcare for the poor. But the some of initiatives backers, namely doctor and dental groups, have cried foul, arguing that money is meant to go to increasing payments for providers. Now, the Senate and Assembly are weighing in. In plans approved in their respective budget committees this week, both houses stray from Browns proposal to put the money toward general Medi-Cal costs and lay out their own ideas on how to divvy up the revenue. But while both houses reject Browns approach, there are key differences between their proposals. Most significantly, the Assembly would allocate all $1.1 billion in projected tax revenue in the next budget year. The Senate, meanwhile, would spend just under $350 million next year, gradually ramping up spending to $1.1 billion by fiscal year 2020-21. Both houses also would increase provider payments, but in different ways. The Assembly would put around $857 million toward once-yearly incentive payments to physicians and dentists that would be tied to their Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal caseloads. The Senate proposed putting $150 million next year to physician rate increases that would be targeted for those working in high-need areas and specialties. That number would increase in successive years, topping out at $700 million by 2020. The Senate also would put $130 million toward higher rates for dentists. The California Medical Assn., which has been pushing for higher reimbursement rates, praised both houses for including the higher rates, but group spokeswoman Joanne Adams noted that the current Legislature cannot tie the hands of a future governor or Legislature, indicating a preference toward the Assembly approach. Each house would allocate $50 million for reimbursement rates for family planning providers, a priority of Planned Parenthood. And both houses put money toward expanding Medi-Cal to cover young adults up to age 26 who are in the country illegally. The proposal builds on Californias policy of making children without legal status younger than 19 eligible for Medi-Cal, which went into effect last year. Anthony Wright, of the advocacy group Health Access, noted that by expanding coverage for those up to age 26, it would align with Obamacares policy of letting children stay on their parents health insurance until that age. This is a concrete and tangible way to show we are actually taking steps forward in expanding coverage, Wright said. The Brown administration estimates that around 130,000 people would be eligible for Medi-Cal under such a proposal, and such an expansion would cost the state just under $230 million. The Senate proposal would put around $63 million toward that expansion in the upcoming budget year and around $85 million in subsequent years. The Assembly would put $54 million toward the plan. The Brown administration did not take a position on the Medi-Cal expansion proposal, but H.D. Palmer, spokesman for Browns Department of Finance, noted that the Senate was using higher revenue projections than Browns plan, which allows legislators to propose more funding. Palmer said the administration was sticking with its original proposal to use tobacco tax dollars for general Medi-Cal spending. The budgets proposal for Prop. 56 will provide increased funding for healthcare programs and services in a way thats consistent with the measure that voters approved last fall, Palmer said. ------------ FOR THE RECORD May 25, 2017, 4:58 p.m.: A previous version of this article reported that both houses were using higher revenue projections than Gov. Browns budget proposal. The Senate is using higher projections; the Assembly is using the same estimates as the Brown administration. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California chief justice says she stands by her decision to speak out against Trumps immigration actions By Jazmine Ulloa California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye on Thursday said she stands by her position that courthouses should be areas where immigration arrests should not occur. Cantil-Sakauye, a former prosecutor who rose through the judicial ranks as an appointee of Republican governors, drew national attention in March after she blasted the federal governments expanded immigration actions, among which she said included stalking immigrants at courthouses. Speaking at a Sacramento Press Club luncheon on Thursday, she said the Supreme Court chambers fielded an outpouring of calls and letters after her comments. Some were profane and angry, from residents living outside the state. Others came from supporters. At Sac Press Club luncheon, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye said she fielded lots of anger, support after courthouse enforcement remarks. pic.twitter.com/6OBrZOfI45 Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) May 25, 2017 Many said that as a judge, she should not wade into politics. U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly admonished her in a letter, spurring California state leaders to respond in defense of state policies. On Thursday, Cantil-Sakauye stood by her decision to denounce the actions, saying, If I couldnt speak out as chief justice, I dont know who could. Courthouses in California have numerous programs to encourage people to come forward and ask questions, seek services and mediate issues, Cantil-Sakauye said. If we have a segment [of the population] that is afraid to come, then we are looking at no access to justice, [and] potentially public safety issues, which is antithetical to what the justice system exists for, she said. To me, it is a safe zone, and I ask that courthouses be placed on par with school districts and hospitals and churches. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Darrell Issa says the federal employee insurance program should be expanded to all Americans By Sarah D. Wire Though it wasnt included in the House Republicans healthcare bill, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) still believes Americans should have access to the same insurance plans federal employees pick from, and hes hoping the Senate will embrace the idea. In a letter Thursday, Issa asked the Senate Health Care Working Group to consider opening the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to more, or all, Americans. Its a national insurance idea thats persisted since the program began in 1960, and a proposal Issa has pitched before. The program allows more than 8 million current and retired federal employees across the country to shop among hundreds of health insurance plans and then apply their employer contribution to whatever plan they choose. Private insurance companies have pulled out of several state insurance marketplaces, where people whose employers dont offer insurance can purchase insurance using a federal subsidy. That leaves people with fewer health insurance choices, a common complaint cited by Republicans as a reason to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Its choice. If the government can maximize choice to you and then subsidize where appropriate based on need, then weve met the two bases for government involvement, Issa said. Issa voted for the American Health Care Act, the GOP bill to roll back much of Obamacare that passed May 4 without Democratic support, but he stresses that he did so just to keep momentum. One of the reasons I voted for this in the House was to keep the process alive so we could do reform, Issa said. Leveraging business models that work is the goal that somebody like me wants to do. Find out what works and invest in it, find out what doesnt work and fix it or abandon it. On Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office said the bill as passed by the House would cause 23 million fewer people to have health insurance by 2026. The budget office, which Congress relies on to analyze the complex legislation, projected that many additional consumers would see skimpier health coverage and higher deductibles. The Senate has essentially said it will write its own version of the bill. Issas letter to his Senate colleagues also urges members to protect people with preexisting conditions, safeguard coverage for people with mental illnesses and protect people near retirement age from a spike in their premiums. Theres still more to be done. This bill is going to be about compromise, and a down payment on change, Issa said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate President Kevin de Leon is busy raising campaign funds but for what office? By Phil Willon Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leon. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) stirred up speculation about a possible run for governor or U.S. Senate when he released a slickly produced video just before the California Democratic Partys convention last weekend, but he has remained coy about his future political plans. That doesnt mean he isnt padding his campaign war chest, though. De Leon has two fundraisers lined up in Los Angeles in June, presumably for his 2018 campaign for California lieutenant governor. The question is whether De Leon actually will run for lieutenant governor. In the past, he has said he hasnt made a decision. He has also given his supporters the go-ahead to endorse state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), a longtime political ally, in the race. De Leons campaign account for lieutenant governor had $1.7 million in the bank at the end of last year. He raised close to a half-million this year, according to state political financial disclosure reports. The first fundraiser in June is being hosted by veteran Hollywood executive Peter Guber and his wife, Tara, in Bel Air on June 8, with suggested contributions ranging from $500 to $2,500. The second is in late June at the Palm in Los Angeles. The fundraiser is hosted by Craig Darian, CEO of the Occidental Entertainment Group, and his wife, Kimberly, as well as Albert Sweet, the founder of the company. The suggested donations are the same as for the earlier fundraiser. De Leon made history in 2014 when he was selected by his colleagues as the first Latino to lead the California Senate. The tenure has been marked by significant action on climate change, immigration and gun control. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Volkswagens clean car plan falls short in low-income neighborhoods, California regulators say By Chris Megerian (Markus Schreiber / Associated Press) State regulators have asked Volkswagen to revise its plan to invest in zero emission technology in California, a victory for critics who said the automaker wasnt doing enough in disadvantaged communities. The investment plan, which will total $800 million over 10 years, is part of Volkswagens obligation under a multi-billion settlement for evading pollution rules. California, which is struggling to get enough zero emission vehicles on the road to meet its goals, is eager to move forward, wrote Air Resources Board Executive Officer Richard Corey in a Wednesday letter to Electrify America, a Volkswagen subsidiary. However, Corey wrote, we need more information on how the company will meet its target of spending 35% of its investment in disadvantaged communities, a target set by state regulators in hopes of broadening the adoption of electric vehicles. Corey also asked Electrify America to consider supporting hydrogen fueling stations, rather than just electric chargers. Once the company submits an updated version of its plan, state regulators will consider whether to approve it. Electrify America said it is reviewing the letter. Dean Florez, a member of the Air Resources Board, said the original investment plan had significant holes and included no real investment in disadvantaged communities. He praised the decision to request revisions and said the board should hold VWs feet to the fire. This story has been updated with additional comments. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Lawmakers scrap effort to make it easier to pass local transportation taxes By John Myers An effort to boost the chances of local ballot measures raising taxes for transportation needs was quietly killed Thursday in the state Capitol. The proposal, which would have ultimately required changing the California Constitution through a statewide vote, was in response to the high hurdle set decades ago for local taxes earmarked for specific projects. Those kinds of taxes in cities and counties require two-thirds of the vote. The constitutional amendment by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would have lowered the vote threshold to 55% of ballots cast for any transportation proposal. Wiener argued the long list of local transportation projects lacking funds wont completely be erased by the $52-billion transportation plan signed into law last month. And he pointed specifically to examples like a transportation tax plan in the Bay Area last year that garnered 62% of the vote still slightly shy of the two-thirds mandate. While the effort can be brought back before lawmakers adjourn the current session in the summer of 2018, Thursdays action represented a major setback for transportation groups and labor unions that supported it. The measure was opposed by business and anti-tax advocates. Wiener said he intends to re-introduce the measure in the coming weeks. We must improve and expand transportation throughout our state, which has suffered from decades of underfunding, he said in a written statement. Update 1:29 p.m. This story was modified with additional information regarding constitutional amendments and the legislative process. Update 4:10 p.m. This story was updated with comment from Sen. Wiener. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sex offenders will not be banned without exception from school grounds after state bill is shelved By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Connie M. Leyva, right. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The state Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday shelved a bill that would have banned all registered sex offenders from school campuses without exception. Senate Bill 26 by Sen. Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) would have made it a misdemeanor for a registered sex offender to enter any school building or grounds without lawful business. State laws keep registered sex offenders from living near schools. But those who have not been convicted of having sex with a minor under age 16 can visit or volunteer with groups or organizations that work with children if they give proper notice, and are granted permission. They cannot work directly with children. The committee advanced another bill by Leyva that would extend benefits under the Safe at Home initiative to former victims of forced prostitution or labor. Senate Bill 597, introduced with Secretary of State Alex Padilla, passed with a unanimous 7-0 vote. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Measure to help California students refinance private loans is shelved By Melanie Mason State Treasurer John Chiang, a candidate for governor, is behind a new effort to help people with student debt refinance their loans. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A measure to help Californians saddled with student debt refinance their student loans was shelved in a key fiscal committee on Thursday. The measure by state Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica) was touted as a way for the state to coax private lenders to offer more favorable interest. The proposal would have carried a $25-million price tag. We will continue to push for sensible solutions to the student loan crisis that provide real relief to the millions of Californians saddled with too much debt, Allen said in a statement. State Treasurer John Chiang, a 2018 gubernatorial candidate, had championed the bill, SB 674, as a way to try to get [Californians] out of debt as quickly as possible. College graduation is supposed to be synonymous with opportunity and prosperity and not a detour into a modern-day debtors prison, Chiang said in a statement. Although I am disappointed SB 674 will not be moving forward, I will continue to use my position as the states banker to invest in Californias young people and its future with innovative solutions that will make it more financially feasible to obtain a higher education, he added. 3:58 p.m.: This article was updated to add comments from Sen. Benjamin Allen and Treasurer John Chiang. This article was originally published at 11:17 a.m. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Where bills go to die: Lawmakers begin clearing the suspense file with hundreds of measures in limbo By John Myers (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) From a sales tax exemption on tampons to healthcare rules and marijuana regulation, a massive stack of proposed laws faces a major deadline Friday morning at the state Capitol. To survive, they must clear whats known as the suspense file -- the place where bills that would cost taxpayers money are held in legislative limbo. By law, bills with a fiscal impact must be sent to the floor of the Assembly and Senate by the close of business on Friday. That means its decision time for more than 800 pieces of legislation. The Senates fiscal committee will decide the fate of bills on Thursday; the Assembly will do so on Friday. Bills are generally sent to the suspense file if their projected cost to the state is $150,000 or more. The procedural move was widely used during Californias deficit years as a way for lawmakers to weigh the pros and cons of proposals in light of limited resources. But government watchdog groups have long pointed out that the clearing of the suspense file ends up hiding some of the legislative sausage-making from public view. Thats because bills that dont clear Fridays hurdle are essentially killed without a recorded vote. And neither chamber offers any explanation for why those bills were killed. Decisions on the fate of the suspense file are made in private, hours or days before the public hearing. In the Assembly, the appropriations committee chairperson will simply tell the public that a decision has been made to hold the bill. In the Senate committee, killed legislation wont even be mentioned during Thursdays hearing. That means that no one will know for sure whether a bill is really killed because of its price tag or its politics. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Formal apology sought after U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters was cut off during state convention speech By Jazmine Ulloa (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) In my 20 years as a Democratic Party leader, I have never experienced such the type of behavior as I did at the Sacramento Convention hall on Saturday evening. Darren Parker, longtime chairman of the African American Caucus The California Democratic Party African American Caucus is asking the state party for a formal apology to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and its members for what it called disrespect by a private subcontractor at its weekend state convention. Waters, a Los Angeles Democrat known for her comments on President Trump, had been speaking at a caucus meeting during the event Saturday night when the sound to her microphone was cut off. SEE THE VIDEO OF WATERS SPEECH> Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California sees a rebound in cap-and-trade auction, bolstering key climate change program By Chris Megerian (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) State regulators announced strong results from Californias cap-and-trade program on Wednesday, spurring analysts and supporters to say the system remains solid despite questions about its political future. The program requires oil refineries, food processors, power plants and other facilities to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly all of the permits offered by the state in its latest auction were purchased, generating an estimated $500 million in revenue. Thats a shift from other recent auctions, where most of the permits went unsold, reducing revenue that state leaders have counted on for Vowing to achieve where successive U.S. governments have failed, President Trump hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House on Wednesday and expressed broad if unsubstantiated confidence that he might be able to broker the toughest deal peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Ive always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is the deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians; lets prove them wrong, Trump said, Abbas at his side. I will do whatever is necessary to facilitate the agreement to mediate, to arbitrate, anything ... Later, as the two leaders sat down to a working lunch in the White House Cabinet Room, Trump added that a resolution to what is generally considered one of the most intractable conflicts in the world was something that I think is, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years. Advertisement Abbas responded with optimism and praise for Trumps dealmaking ability, even though his list of Palestinian requirements for peace was unchanged from the one that has been aired during decades of earlier failed negotiations. Those include a viable, independent Palestinian state next to Israel, with its capital in East Jerusalem the so-called two-state solution, which Trump has not endorsed. Mr. President, you have the determination and the desire to bring [a deal] to fruition, Abbas said, speaking classical Arabic through an interpreter. We hope, God willing, we are coming to a new opportunity, a new horizon to bring it about. Despite the opening flourishes of praise and goodwill, the meeting between Trump and Abbas was expected to become more uncomfortable behind closed doors, as the administration laid out a series of demands. Trump has been described by aides as being singularly fixated on delivering a Middle East peace deal, entrusting the portfolio to his son-in-law Jared Kushner despite Kushners financial connections to the building of settlements on land claimed by Palestinians. The White House went out of its way to build up Abbas during the visit, giving in to requests for a lunch with Trump beyond their meeting, as well as that the Palestinian flag be placed behind Trump while the two leaders made statements about the visit, a person close to the White House said. The White House felt that giving Abbas those symbolic concessions would help set the conditions for a better relationship and create an opening to demand that Abbas shut down terror incitement, stop payments by the Palestinian Authority to the families of those killed or imprisoned in terrorist attacks against Israelis, refrain from lobbying the United Nations for additional resolutions against Israel, and get on board toward a peace deal. But when it comes to what an eventual solution should look like, Trump has told close advisors that hes not picky about the details, or even the broad outlines. Trump has expressed a willingness to jettison the long-standing U.S. stance that any resolution should be based on a two-state solution, hoping that would spur the two sides to look for more creative solutions. But other members of his administration, including Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, have said the United States remains committed to a two-state solution. He has also threatened to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which would effectively recognize the disputed city as Israels capital and infuriate the Palestinians. Although Trump seems to have backed off publicly planning such a relocation, his vice president, Mike Pence, reiterated this week that it was still under consideration although thats the position that most U.S. administrations have taken for years, without ever carrying through. President Trump stands without apology for Israel, and he always will, Pence told a group of Israeli diplomats and others gathered Tuesday on the White House grounds to mark Israeli Independence Day. Trump previously hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Fundamental issues as well as small details have sunk previous attempts to solve one of the most challenging foreign policy riddles any U.S. president faces, and many experts remain skeptical about whether Trump has the knowledge or patience to make good on the bold vows he made Wednesday. Never in decades of involvement [in the Middle East peace process] have I heard a U.S. president more confident with less prospect, Aaron David Miller, a longtime Mideast negotiator for Democratic and Republican administrations, said via Twitter. J Street, a liberal, pro-Israel lobbying organization in Washington that is often critical of Trump policy, said in a statement that it welcomed the presidents determination but added that he would have to unequivocally commit to a two-state solution without further delay if he is serious about pursuing peace. Daniel Shapiro, the last Obama administration ambassador to Israel, said he was glad to see the White House effort but hoped Trumps aides learned from past mistakes and failures. Not sure if [Netanyahu] or Abbas is more nervous, Shapiro said on Twitter. Both could find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being asked 2 do hard things, saying no 2 [Trump] & shifting blame. Asked what was different this time around, given the repeated failures of past administrations to reach a Middle East accord, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said it was Trump: I think the man is different. This presidents style is one to develop a personal bond with individuals, Spicer added in a briefing with reporters. And I think you saw that today with President Abbas, him talking so kindly about the president. Personal contact and backroom diplomacy will pay dividends for the country, he said. Trump also hopes to enlist some Sunni Muslim Arab allies in crafting a deal. Several, especially among the Persian Gulf states, have quietly signaled a willingness to cooperate with the administration and, by extension, with Israel in exchange for tougher actions against their common enemy, Shiite Muslim Iran. Twitter: @ByBrianBennett brian.bennett@latimes.com ALSO Why Trump is reaching out and even praising dictators: Its strategy Congress is on track with sweeping spending deal, but not much else Passing 100-day mark, Trump offers mixed signals on healthcare, taxes and North Korea UPDATES: 2:10 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional background and comments from President Trump, President Mahmoud Abbas and White House spokesman Sean Spicer. 10:20 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Trump and Abbas. 9:05 a.m.: This article was updated with Abbas arrival at the White House. This article was originally published at 3 a.m. FBI Director James B. Comey said Wednesday he has suffered anguish but does not regret his decision to inform Congress in late October that the bureau would reopen its inquiry into whether Hillary Clinton had mishandled classified emails, a disclosure that roiled the presidential race in its final days. In his most detailed public comments on the explosive episode, the FBI director told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his decision to disclose the preliminary investigation into newly discovered Clinton emails 11 days before the election was one of the worlds most painful experiences, but that he would do it again. It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election, but honestly, it wouldnt change the decision, Comey said. Advertisement Ive gotten all kinds of rocks thrown at me, and this has been really hard, but I think Ive done the right thing at every turn, he added. Comey testified a day after the unsuccessful Democratic presidential nominee said that she believed Comeys unusual letter to Congress on Oct. 28 had essentially tilted the close race to her rival, Donald Trump. If the election had been on Oct. 27, I would be your president, Clinton said in a CNN interview at a womens conference in New York. She blamed her loss on Comeys disclosure, Russian hacking of Democratic Party emails and her own flaws as a candidate. In response, President Trump said on Twitter that Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election, Trump tweeted. Comey repeatedly rebuffed questions Wednesday about the ongoing FBI counterintelligence investigation into whether any of Trumps current or former aides cooperated with Russian intelligence agencies during the presidential race. Comey only disclosed that investigation to a House hearing in March and said it had begun last July, during the heat of the campaign. After the election, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had deliberately sought to interfere in the race to aid Trump and to undermine Clinton. On Wednesday, Comey said he did not think he was inconsistent last fall when he disclosed that the FBI had obtained new evidence that might lead it to reopen its investigation of Clintons use of a private email server when she was secretary of State but did not disclose a separate FBI investigation into whether members of Trumps inner circle colluded with a foreign intelligence service. He said he only announced the Clinton email inquiry, which the FBI had code named Midyear Exam, when it was formally closed in July. He said he felt obliged to inform Congress in October when new Clinton emails were found in an unrelated investigation. Comey sent a follow-up letter two days before the election to say the additional emails did not change his earlier conclusion that charges against Clinton were not warranted. Comeys many critics say his news conference in July when he called Clintons handling of classified material extremely careless but said that she would not be charged and then his disclosures to Congress at the end of a bitter national election campaign were improper since the FBI is not supposed to discuss cases unless charges are filed. In January, the Justice Departments inspector general said he would investigate whether Comey violated department guidelines in his handling of the case. Comey said Wednesday that he welcomes the internal inquiry. If I did something wrong, I want to hear that, he said. He specifically declined to say whether the White House is cooperating with the Russia investigation, or whether the FBI has sought to examine Trumps tax returns for evidence of ties to Russia. Trump has refused to release his tax returns to the public. The FBI chief said Russia is still interested in trying to affect U.S. politics, and he believes it a certainty that Moscow will try to influence the elections in 2018 and 2020. In a detailed, at times emotional explanation of his actions, Comey laid out the sequence of events that he said led to his July 5 news conference, his Oct. 28 letter to Congress and a follow-up letter three days before the election. Comey said he decided the Justice Department was too compromised in July to publicly explain why Clinton would not be charged without grievous damage to the American peoples confidence in the justice system. A big reason, he said, was because Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch had met privately with former President Clinton in June in what both later described as a social visit because they were both at the same airport. Under heavy criticism for meeting the former president while his wife was under an FBI investigation, Lynch recused herself from a direct role in the case. That gave Comey the authority to hold the politically sensitive news conference on his own, he said. He said he sent the Oct. 28 letter after FBI agents found emails from Hillary Clinton on a laptop computer used by former Rep. Anthony Weiner, the husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, and thought they might include what he called golden missing emails from Clintons first months at the State Department. The FBI had seized Weiners laptop in an investigation of sexual texts he had exchanged with a teenage girl. Agents found evidence that Abedin had passed classified emails to Weiner, who would print out emails for her to read, Comey said. But no charges were filed because the FBI could not prove any sort of criminal intent, he said. Comey said he and his top staff debated whether to go public, mindful of long-standing Justice Department policies that seek to avoid actions that could sway elections. Breaking that policy would be really bad, Comey said. But he said the only other choice, concealment, would have been catastrophic. Weve got to walk into the world of really bad, he said he concluded. Weve got to tell Congress we are restarting this. He said he made the decision even though a deputy said that might help elect Trump. Comey said he couldnt consider that when making the call. Down that path lies the death of the FBI as an independent institution in America, he said. joseph.tanfani@latimes.com Twitter: @jtanfani Richard Figueroa still shudders at the memory of the calls he fielded as enrollment director of Californias special health plan for sick patients whod been rejected by insurers. Desperate callers pleaded to get off the waiting list as cancer or other illnesses worsened. Enrollees struggled to understand why the plan would not cover all the treatment they needed. Most heart-wrenching were the quiet, polite calls from those whod received a letter that a sick relative could finally get on the plan. They would say, Thank you, but you can give our slot to someone else, because my brother or my wife or my daughter has died, Figueroa recalled. Advertisement Californias high-risk pool like similar overstretched state plans around the country became obsolete when the Affordable Care Act established a new federal system to guarantee coverage to Americans even if theyre sick. Now President Trump and congressional Republicans are trying to shift responsibility for overseeing health protections back to states. This approach, including re-creating state high-risk pools, is a cornerstone of the GOP healthcare bill that Republicans are laboring to get through the House this week. GOP House leaders announced late Wednesday that they plan to hold a vote Thursday. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy predicted they have enough votes for passage, despite earlier struggles to win over moderates and conservatives. But Californias experience underscores the limitations of what states can do on their own. The nations most-populous state tried repeatedly over the years to plug the many holes in its healthcare system. Yet even with a huge economy, extensive medical system and committed advocates, including in powerful industries, California came up short, again and again. We did all these things as stop-gaps, said Figueroa, who now works at the California Endowment, one of the states largest foundations. None of it was enough. When President Obama signed the federal health law in 2010, nearly 20% of Californians about 6 million people lacked health coverage. Today, by contrast, the states uninsured rate is below 9%, as California has used the federal funding and insurance rules enacted through the Affordable Care Act to extend health protections to hundreds of thousands of previously uncovered Californians. Once we had that framework and the federal funding, we were off to the races, said Anthony Wright, the longtime head of Health Access California, one of the states leading consumer advocates. But without it, it was very, very hard. We have the experience to show that if health reform was easy at the state level, California would have done it. We couldnt. The states healthcare struggles are hardly unique. In the decades before Obamacare, some states including Arizona, Washington, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota and New York tried to expand health protections for their residents by bolstering safety net health programs or rewriting insurance rules to ensure sick customers could get coverage. But most states including many with the highest uninsured rates, such as Texas, Florida and Georgia never undertook serious efforts to guarantee coverage. And although there were some modest successes, mostly in expanding Medicaid coverage, nearly every state effort to guarantee coverage failed until Obamacare made such protections possible nationwide. In fact, in the last two decades, only Massachusetts successfully crafted a healthcare overhaul that provided all of its residents with insurance protections. That 2006 initiative which was heavily subsidized by the last Bush administration became the model for Obamacare. We have the experience to show that if health reform was easy at the state level, California would have done it. We couldnt. Anthony Wright, head of Health Access California California elected officials labored for years to build their own system of health protections. The state long had among the highest uninsured rates, despite being a hub of healthcare innovation whose leading medical centers have been international destinations. Medi-Cal, the states Medicaid safety net, was perpetually overburdened as it struggled to care for millions of poor Californians. And insurance companies worked aggressively to exclude sick, costly customers, in many cases rescinding policies after customers got ill by alleging they misrepresented their medical histories. The market was a disaster, said Tom Epstein, a former senior executive at Blue Shield of California, one of the states leading insurers. Among other things, California tried to require large employers to provide health coverage to their workers, though that effort was defeated in a statewide referendum just months after it was enacted. The state adopted insurance rules to give consumers more power to challenge decisions by health plans, though state leaders were never able to make insurers cover all sick patients. In 1991, the state set up the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program, commonly called Mr. Mip, a high-risk insurance pool to offer a lifeline to patients whod been turned down for coverage on the commercial insurance market. By the late 90s, the plan, which was funded in part by premiums and in part by a voter-approved tobacco tax, was serving 22,000 people. But as premiums soared because insuring sick patients was so expensive, the program became increasingly difficult to sustain. Enrollment was capped, as were benefits. The plan would only cover $75,000 of enrollees medical costs per year. By 2010, when Obamacare was signed, the cost for a 50-year-old consumer in the Sacramento area who wanted a PPO plan had soared to $878 a month. It was a nice little program for a few thousand people, said Lucien Wulsin, former head of the Insure the Uninsured Project, a state advocacy group. But we never got close to reaching the hundreds of thousands of Californians who needed help. Finally in 2007, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, launched a sweeping campaign to push through a major healthcare overhaul to extend coverage to millions of uninsured Californians. The landmark effort, in which Schwarzenegger partnered with Democrats in the state Assembly, picked up critical support from hospitals, patient groups and even some insurers and leading businesses. But the effort ultimately collapsed amid opposition from advocacy groups on the left and right, and questions about how the state could pay for extending health coverage. Engaging in comprehensive reform is not for the faint of heart, said Kim Belshe, who served as health secretary under Schwarzenegger. You are talking about nearly 20% of the states economy. You are talking about issues that affect people in the most personal way. And you are dealing with the pocketbooks of a diverse array of healthcare providers, each of which have their own interests. Belshe and others credit that effort for helping setting the stage for the states aggressive implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which Schwarzenegger and other state leaders enthusiastically embraced. California has undertaken a massive expansion of its Medicaid program and runs an insurance marketplace Covered California that is widely seen as a national model. The state has recorded among the largest drops in its uninsured population, and though costs remain a challenge, most California consumers can still shop among many health plans that are required by the state to offer lower out-of-pocket costs for some medical care than the federal standard. Doctors, hospitals, insurers, patient advocates and elected officials now worry that progress in California will be reversed if the federal law is rolled back and the state is once again left on its own. Said Figueroa: Its so odd to think that we would even consider going back to the bad old days. noam.levey@latimes.com Twitter: @noamlevey ALSO As latest Obamacare repeal effort fades, Republicans wonder what happened Obamacare 101: Would sick Americans still be able to get insurance under the House Republican bill? GOP shuts out doctors, experts, Democrats pretty much everybody as they work on Obamacare repeal UPDATES: 5:20 p.m.: Updated with information on Republican plans to vote Thursday on their healthcare measure. This article was orginally published at 11:40 a.m. The latest version of the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act is teetering on the verge of failure as the conversation among Republicans on Capitol Hill has shifted to soul-searching and recriminations over what went wrong in their long campaign to end Obamacare. Though House leaders say they have not given up on the effort, no vote is planned and some senior GOP lawmakers signaled their dissent. A failure to vote before the House goes on recess at the end of the week would mark the third time Republicans tried to muster support from their ranks to advance the healthcare overhaul, only to have to make an embarrassing retreat at the last minute. Advertisement House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and other leaders, including Vice President Mike Pence, engaged in a flurry of closed-door meetings Tuesday at the Capitol. Some estimates put the vote count within single digits of the 216 needed for passage, but others numbered Republican defections at more than 30, well over the 22 the party can afford to lose. Rank-and-file lawmakers say they are being bombarded by calls to their offices and protests at home. Of particular concern is that this latest version of the bill contains a provision, added to attract votes from conservatives, that would effectively end Obamacares guarantee of insurance coverage for those with preexisting conditions. States could allow insurers to charge sick people more and offer them coverage through so-called high-risk pools, which many states operated before Obamacare. But experts and consumer advocates panned this arrangement as unaffordable. Theyre scared, said Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), whose district voted for President Trump. [They] feel like theyre about to lose it and theyre going to die. And if we cannot explain to people that is not going to happen, then its going to be very difficult to ever bring a bill to the floor. Many lawmakers expressed frustration at having to figure out on their own how the recent changes to the bill would affect consumers. They complain that Trump should be playing a bigger role, explaining the legislation to wary voters, while others bemoan that Congress never dug into the thorny policy details to devise a workable healthcare alternative. Among the notable recent defections was Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), former chairman of a key committee that approved the bill earlier this year. He told the Michigan radio station WHTC-AM on Tuesday that he was now opposed, uncomfortable with latest revisions, according to the Detroit News. Leaders have indicated they will no longer be making adjustments to the bill, the American Health Care Act, because tweaks made to win support from the conservative House Freedom Caucus have only served to chase away centrists Republicans. GOP Reps. Ken Calvert of Corona and Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa are among those who supported the original version of the bill but have backed away from the amended version. Another, Rep. Doug LaMalfa of Richvale, remained undecided. Thats part of my own internal struggle if we do something and its still harmful to a lot of folks, La Malfa said. The growing prospect that Trump and Ryan wont get the votes to advance the healthcare bill doesnt necessarily kill the long Obamacare repeal effort. But G. William Hoagland, a former Senate Republican budget official who is now senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said failing to get a vote by Friday would make it very difficult for House Republicans to carry on their repeal campaign much longer. At a certain point, the politics become hard to sustain and it comes time to call it like it is and move on, he said. There has been very little enthusiasm among Senate Republicans for the House bill. That means less incentive for House Republicans to risk political backlash for a bill that faces such an uncertain future in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky did little to calm those fears Tuesday when he suggested passage in the Senate would be a real big challenge. The longer the hunt for votes drags on, the more it exposes lawmakers to the risks of doing nothing or approving a bill that, so far, polls show has little public support. Theyve got a trifecta going, said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) during an interview Tuesday with the Los Angeles Times. They lose if they bring it up and it passes the House and the Senate and then the public sees what that is thats a loser. They lose if they bring it up in the House and they cant pass it in the Senate because theyve now walked the plank for nothing. And then theyre now in another losing situation because it doesnt appear that theyre going to have the votes. It is doggie doo on their shoe, Pelosi said. They cannot get away from it. Trump and House Republican leaders labored in recent days to push the bill forward, making the case that it would not threaten critical health protections in the Affordable Care Act. Over the weekend, Trump and other administration officials tried to argue that Americans with preexisting medical conditions would still be protected. Health care plan is on its way, Trump wrote in one tweet. Will have much lower premiums & deductibles while at the same time taking care of pre-existing conditions! But the legislations sweeping cuts to healthcare assistance for millions of low- and moderate-income Americans some 24 million more people would likely be without insurance with the bill energized a nationwide resistance movement against it. At the same time, not a single major group representing doctors, hospitals and patients supported the House legislation. Ryan echoed Trumps promise, insisting that proposed changes to the House bill by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) would force states that scrap Obamacare protections to offer other options, such as special high-risk health plans for patients with preexisting conditions. But the MacArthur amendment was greeted with derision by leading physician and patient groups including the American Diabetes Assn., the March of Dimes and the advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society which warned in increasingly stark language that it would be disastrous for sick Americans. Still, MacArthur was among those who warned that the window for action was closing. Its this week or its very difficult, said the former insurance executive. How many times are we going to go through this? lisa.mascaro@latimes.com Twitter: @LisaMascaro noam.levey@latimes.com sarah.wire@latimes.com ALSO Q&A: Filibuster, cloture and what the nuclear option means for Gorsuch nomination and the Senates future What we learned about Neil Gorsuch during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing Gorsuch set to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, but will the fight over Trumps pick break the Senate? More coverage of Congress More coverage of politics and the White House A pioneering, California-led effort to create retirement security for low-income workers has been thrown into jeopardy after the U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to block states from starting programs to automatically enroll millions of people in IRA-type savings plans. The measure, aimed at stopping the fledgling state retirement programs, now goes to President Trump, who has vowed to sign it. For the record: A previous version of this article said that employers can opt out of the program if they choose. Employees can opt out. That leaves lawmakers in California, Illinois and other states who only months ago were celebrating the success of their long-planned initiative scrambling to regroup. The Senate voted 50 to 49 to stop the state plans. Advertisement The retirement programs that were about to launch in seven states and are under consideration in many more were targeted by Wall Street firms and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The vote reflected the renewed influence of the business lobby in Washington since the 2016 election, with lawmakers defying the 38-million member AARP, a vocal supporter of the auto-IRA program. The seniors group had warned senators that its members would hold them accountable for their votes. Nobody had a problem with this except for the big Wall Street companies who invented in their mind that they would be losing business to these state innovations, said Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.), whose state was moving to implement an auto-IRA program. This is a terrible, terrible thing we are doing, he said of the Senates vote to undermine the state programs. The California Secure Choice program and similar retirement laws generally require employers with no retirement plans to automatically invest a small percentage of each workers pay in a state-sponsored retirement account. Employees can opt out of the program if they choose. The money is managed by private investment firms that partner with the states. The accounts are intended to help build financial security for some 55 million workers nationwide whose employers do not offer a retirement plan. The push to implement the programs was delayed for years by complicated federal Labor Department rules governing such investment pools. In its final months, the Obama administration gave states the green light to pursue their vision. But Congress has now voted to revoke that authority, leaving the programs in limbo. Opponents of the state programs say they became too risky for consumers after the federal rules were changed. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) denounced the regulation permitting the retirement plans as something that President Obama personally ordered Labor Secretary Tom Perez to draft as a gift to certain blue states. Democrats on the Senate floor charged such arguments were a smoke screen to obscure an effort to protect the profits of big investment houses concerned their business could be eroded if companies moved their employees into state-sponsored plans. The congressional vote brought to a head an early confrontation between California and the Trump-era Congress. The retirement law is a signature achievement of California Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who worked on it for years. The House passed the measure to block the programs in March at the urging of De Leons fellow Californian and longtime political rival, Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, the House majority leader. De Leon has vowed to push ahead with the states effort, saying California can redesign its program to avoid federal approval. But such a redesign would make it more vulnerable to legal challenge, and probably delay implementation. California and other states were moved to address the large share of the workforce not enrolled in any retirement plan after efforts to create a federal automatic IRA program stalled years ago. Reports by some bipartisan think tanks and policy analysts suggest the programs could ultimately save states billions of dollars by creating a measure of financial security for elderly Americans who otherwise end up on the rolls of Medicaid, food stamps and other safety-net programs. evan.halper@latimes.com Follow me: @evanhalper ALSO House approves $1-trillion bipartisan spending bill as GOP prepares for Thursday vote on Obamacare repeal California shows why the Republican plan to rely on states to replace Obamacare may not work Fed holds key interest rate steady, downplays recent weak economic data After working feverishly to find more members to support their bill to roll back the Affordable Care Act, House Republican leaders have scheduled a vote for Thursday. And House Majority Leader and Bakersfield Rep. Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday night that Republicans have the votes to pass the controversial legislation. News outlets that have polled the entire GOP caucus say they've found 16 to 22 Republicans who will vote against it. Thats focused attention on roughly two dozen undecided members eight of them Californians who have been reluctant to support the bill or at least state their position on it. Democrats have lined up pretty firmly against the bill, meaning the GOP can only lose up to 22 members. A vote scheduled on an earlier version of the bill in March was canceled at the last minute. Changes in the new version made to placate more conservative Republicans, such as allowing states to scrap protections for people with preexisting conditions, have driven away moderate GOP members. If Republicans dont end up voting Thursday, itll probably get even more difficult to pass an overhaul bill, because congressional rules mean theyll have extra hurdles to overcome. Here is where the Republican members stand now: UNDECIDED The eight members who are still undecided include four who represent districts that Hillary Clinton won in November, and are being targeted by Democrats in 2018. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) (Gary Kazanjian / For the Los Angeles Times) (Gary Kazanjian/For The Times) Rep. David Valadao (Hanford), who hails from one of those districts, was undecided on the first bill, and said the changes havent helped his original concerns. Hes hearing a lot of worries from people back home. Its the Medicaid. Medicaid is the issue, Valadao said Tuesday. The bill would gradually end federal funding for millions of people who qualified for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Valadao represents one of the California districts whose residents benefited the most from the expansion. Rep. Steve Knight (Palmdale) said hes worried people with preexisting conditions will have a hard time finding coverage under the new bill. Were still talking about preexisting conditions; were still talking about several of the issues that have us concerned with the healthcare bill, Knight said, adding that hes hearing from constituents who support the bill as well as those who oppose it. We're trying to listen to everyone, but in the end, were also trying to see whats going to be the better plan. Reps. Ken Calvert (Corona) and Dana Rohrabacher (Costa Mesa) both supported the earlier version of the bill, but havent signed on to the changes. Reps. Ed Royce (Fullerton), Paul Cook (Yucca Valley) and Doug LaMalfa (Richvale), who were undecided on the previous version, are also still weighing this one. It seems like a moving target, so Im still considering what all the latest pieces are here, LaMalfa said. I'm just being deliberate about it. Im not going to put my name out on it yes or no because why not wait until all the informations in at the final moment? Some, like Rep. Darrell Issa, were less forthcoming. The Vista Republicans staff told the Los Angeles Times that hes still undecided. NO Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Just one Republican in the delegation, Rep. Jeff Denham (Turlock), has said he plans to oppose the bill. He hasnt given a reason. Denham is in one of the districts that backed Clinton in 2016, and had said he was undecided on the original version of the bill. YES Five Republican members of the California delegation support the bill. Among those trying to sway other GOP members is House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Bakersfield), who told colleagues in a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning that it is time to vote on the bill, several news outlets reported. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Other supporters are Reps. Tom McClintock (Elk Grove), Mimi Walters (Irvine), Duncan Hunter (Alpine) and Devin Nunes (Tulare). They all approved of the original bill. Walters, whose staff said she would have supported the original bill, is the only one in a district being targeted by Democrats to come out in favor of this version of the bill. HERES WHERE THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS STAND Representative Stance Rep. Ken Calvert (Corona) Undecided Rep. Paul Cook (Yucca Valley) Undecided Rep. Jeff Denham (Turlock) No Rep. Duncan Hunter (Alpine) Yes Rep. Darrell Issa (Vista) Undecided Rep. Steve Knight (Palmdale) Undecided Rep. Doug LaMalfa (Richvale) Undecided Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Bakersfield) Yes Rep. Tom McClintock (Elk Grove) Yes Rep. Devin Nunes (Tulare) Yes Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Costa Mesa) Undecided Rep. Ed Royce (Fullerton) Undecided Rep. David Valadao (Hanford) Undecided Rep. Mimi Walters (Irvine) Yes ALSO 'Death spiral!': Trump is stoking fear that the Obamacare markets will collapse if Congress doesn't act A side-by-side comparison of Obamacare and the GOP plan Trump will sign order inviting more politics at church, but no 'religious liberty' clause involving LGBTQ debate UPDATES: May 3, 5:35 p.m.: This article was updated with news that a vote has been scheduled. This article was originally published May 2 at 10:45 p.m. Boy Scouts: Top leaders didnt call Trump to praise speech as the president said By Associated Press The Boy Scouts denied Wednesday that the head of the youth organization called President Donald Trump to praise his recent politically aggressive speech to its national jamboree. Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published Wednesday, I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful. Politico published the transcript of the interview. We are unaware of any such call, the Boy Scouts responded in a statement. It specified that neither of the organizations two top leaders President Randall Stephenson and Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh had placed such a call. The White House had no immediate response to the Boy Scouts denial. Surbaugh apologized last week to members of the scouting community who were offended by the political rhetoric in Trumps July 24 speech in West Virginia. Other U.S. presidents have delivered nonpolitical speeches at past jamborees. To the dismay of many parents and former scouts, Trump promoted his political agenda and derided his rivals, inducing some of the scouts in attendance to boo at the mention of former President Obama. I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree, Surbaugh said. That was never our intent. Surbaugh noted that every sitting president since 1937 has been invited to visit the jamboree. Stephenson told the Associated Press two days after the speech that Boy Scout leaders anticipated Trump would spark controversy with politically tinged remarks, yet felt obliged to invite him out of respect for his office. Hoping to minimize friction, the Boy Scouts issued guidelines to adult staff members for how the audience should react to the speech. Any type of political chanting was specifically discouraged. Stephenson, who did not attend Trumps speech, said the guidance wasnt followed impeccably. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Mayor of London again calls on Trump to cancel state visit By Christina Boyle (AFP/Getty Images) The mayor of London has reiterated his calls for President Trumps state visit to Britain to be canceled in the wake of the citys terrorist incident, saying his policies go against everything we stand for. The war of words between the two leaders intensified further Monday evening after Trump criticized Mayor Sadiq Khans response to the London Bridge terrorist attack in two tweets, and the mayor said Trump should not be welcomed in the capital. Since Saturday Ive been working with the police, with the emergency services, with the government and others to deal with the horrific attack on Saturday, Khan said Monday evening. I just havent got the time to deal with tweets from Donald Trump. But when pressed on whether he thinks a state visit for later this year should go ahead as planned, Khan was unequivocal. My position remains the same. I dont think we should be rolling out the carpet to the president of the United States in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for, Khan told Channel 4 news. When you have a special relationship, it is no different to when you have a close mate: You stand with them in times of adversity, but you call them out when theyre wrong. And there are many things about which Donald Trump is wrong. Trump initially criticized Khan hours after the London attack posting on Twitter: At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed! Khans office soon pointed out that the president had, in fact, misquoted Khan, who actually said that Londoners should not be alarmed by the increased armed police presence on the streets. Trump took to Twitter again on Monday to slam the London mayor once more. Pathetic excuse by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who had to think fast on his no reason to be alarmed statement. MSM [Mainstream media] is working hard to sell it! the president wrote. This is not the first time Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital city, has called for Trumps state visit to be banned. He previously branded Trumps policies on immigration and proposed travel ban on people entering the U.S. from predominantly Muslim countries cruel. An online government petition calling for the invitation to be withdrawn also gathered more than 1.8 million votes. The visit was first announced during Prime Minister Theresa Mays trip to Washington, where she became the first foreign leader to meet the newly-inaugurated president. State visits are personal invites from the British monarch and involve a significant amount of pomp and ceremony, and usually a state banquet. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print He helped bring down President Nixon. He thinks President Trump is even worse. By Mark Z. Barabak (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) John Dean is a connoisseur of coverups, a savant of scandal, so he can more than imagine what its like inside the Trump White House right now. Its a nightmare, he said, presiding in a high-backed leather wing chair off the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Not just for those in the headlines political strategist Steve Bannon, jack-of-many-duties Jared Kushner but for their unsung assistants and secretaries as well. They dont know what their jeopardy is. They dont know what theyre looking at. They dont know if theyre a part of a conspiracy that might unfold. They dont know whether to hire lawyers or not, how theyre going to pay for them if they do, Dean said in a crisp law-counsel cadence. Its an unpleasant place. Dean was a central figure in Watergate, the 1970s political scandal against which all others are measured, serving at the tender age of 32 as President Nixons White House attorney. In that capacity Dean worked to thwart investigators after the clumsy break-in at Democratic Party headquarters, then flipped and helped sink Nixon by revealing the presidents involvement in the coverup. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Two decades ago, Washington state Republicans repealed and replaced a healthcare overhaul there. It didnt end well By Noam N. Levey Republicans in the state of Washington didnt wait long in the spring of 1995 to fulfill their pledge to roll back a sweeping law expanding health coverage in the state. Coming off historic electoral gains, the GOP legislators scrapped much of the law while pledging to make health insurance affordable and to free state residents from onerous government mandates. It didnt work out that way: The repeal left the states insurance market in shambles, sent premiums skyrocketing and drove health insurers from the state. It took nearly five years to repair the damage. Two decades later, the ill-fated experiment, largely relegated to academic journals, offers a caution to lawmakers at the national level as Republicans in the U.S. Senate race to write a bill to repeal and replace the federal Affordable Care Act. Its much easier to break something, said Pam MacEwan, who led a Washington state commission charged with implementing the law in the mid-1990s and now oversees the state insurance market there. Its more difficult to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. And thats when people get hurt. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office echoed that warning last week, when it concluded that the healthcare bill passed by the House last month would destabilize insurance markets in a sixth of the country and nearly double the number of people without health insurance over the next decade. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Companies accelerate hiring, adding a robust 253,000 net new jobs, ADP says By Jim Puzzanghera A now hiring sign is seen in Baton Rouge, La., on May 5. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Companies accelerated their hiring last month, adding a robust 253,000 net new jobs in a sign the labor market remains healthy and the economy is strengthening after a weak winter. The private-sector job creation figures reported Thursday by payroll firm Automatic Data Processing far exceeded analyst expectations and was well above the downwardly revised 174,000 net new positions added in April. Job growth is rip-roaring, declared Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics, which assists ADP in preparing its report. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print All jokes aside, Trumps covfefe tweet sparks questions too By Brian Bennett President Trump sparked a global kerfuffle over covfefe with his bizarrely truncated tweet just minutes into Wednesday, spawning countless jokes across Twitter but also more serious questions for which the White House gave no answers. Press Secretary Sean Spicer, during an unusually short 11-minute briefing in which he insisted he not be on camera, declined to give any explanation for Trumps tweet posted just after midnight. Nor would he translate what the president was trying to say in the garbled message that broke off midsentence. But Spicer told reporters that the public should not be concerned that the president sent what the questioner called somewhat of an incoherent tweet. The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant, Spicer said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Biden launches new PAC, keeping the 2020 door open By David Lauter (Steven Senne / Associated Press) Former Vice President Joe Biden is launching a new political action committee, a platform that will allow him to provide help to favored candidates and, inevitably, boost speculation about a possible run for the Democratic nomination in 2020. The organization, which Biden is calling American Possibilities, will be staffed by a former top political aide to the vice president, Greg Schultz, who is also a veteran of President Obamas reelection campaign. The PAC will allow Biden to raise money that he can use to travel the country, contribute to candidates in governors races this year and congressional and state races in 2018 and generally do the sorts of things that aspiring politicians do to keep their names in the headlines. All that cant help but nurture questions about whether Biden, 74, will try yet again to attain the office he first started running for in 1987. In public appearances, which have taken him to electorally important states, and interviews since the 2016 election, Biden has been sharply critical of the Trump administration, but has also pointed to flaws in his own party. In one interview, he pointed to a bit of elitism thats crept in to the partys approach to working-class voters. At the same time, he has given carefully ambiguous answers when asked about his plans. At a conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, he responded to the question about a presidential run by saying: Could I? Yes. Would I? Probably not. In the announcement for the new group, Biden said that the negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics drives me crazy. Its not who we are. Its time for big dreams and American possibilities, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S., regions foreign ministers debate Venezuela By Tracy Wilkinson (AFP / Getty Images) The United States and foreign ministers from across the hemisphere met in Washington on Wednesday to attempt to force Venezuelas leftist government and its angry opposition into talks. Hunger and violence have pushed Venezuela to the brink of humanitarian disaster, diplomats say. But Wednesdays meeting of the Organization of American States faced unlikely prospects for success: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not trust the organization and has said his nation will withdraw its membership. Some OAS nations, including several U.S. allies in the Caribbean, have criticized the regional bodys efforts as intervention promoted by Washington. But U.S. officials are hoping the sheer weight of the crisis will unite the region to put pressure on Venezuela. Theres more and more concern about what were seeing, and so more and more countries have gotten over their reluctance to question or go against the wishes of the Venezuelan government, a senior State Department official said in a briefing for reporters. Its really hard to stand by and do nothing in the face of the kinds of institutional steps weve seen in Venezuela, and the increasing humanitarian suffering, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with frequent administration practice. Although the OAS periodically brings its members foreign ministers together, this is the first time a meeting has been convened to deal with a single topic, U.S. officials said. At the conclusion of Wednesdays session, diplomats said they had discussed two resolutions. One, promoted by Caribbean nations, called on Venezuela to reconsider withdrawing from the OAS. A second more pointed resolution authored by the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Panama and Peru urged the Maduro administration not to go ahead with a constituent assembly that would rewrite the Venezuelan constitution. Many fear it would dissolve the few democratic institutions that remain and favor the ruling Socialist Party. Separately, the Venezuela opposition, emboldened by a string of increasingly massive street demonstrations, sharply criticized Wall Street for extending what it called a lifeline to the Maduro government. At issue is the purchase by Goldman Sachs of Venezuelan government bonds for a reported $865 million, a major discount for paper originally worth $2.8 billion. Goldman Sachs confirmed the purchase of the bonds, issued in 2014 by the state oil company PDVSA, after it was reported in the Wall Street Journal. We are invested in PDVSA bonds because, like many in the asset management industry, we believe the situation in the country must improve over time, Goldman said in a statement. The firm added that it made the purchase through a secondary dealer to avoid direct interaction with the Venezuelan government. That distinction meant nothing to the Venezuelan opposition, which accused Goldman of making a buck off the suffering of the Venezuelan people. The Trump administration previously has targeted the Maduro government, slapping economic sanctions on its vice president and pro-Maduro Supreme Court justices. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former FBI director spoke with new special counsel and is cleared to testify before Senate panel By Joseph Tanfani The special counsel investigating possible links between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign has cleared former FBI Director James Comey to testify before a congressional committee about his contacts with President Trump, according to an associate close to Comey. Comey met with Robert S. Mueller III, whom the Justice Department appointed on May 17 to investigate any Russian ties to the Trump campaign, and Mueller said he had no problems with Comeys testifying, the associate said. Trump abruptly fired Comey as head of the FBI on May 9. The president later said in an interview on NBC News that he was concerned about the FBI investigation into what he called the Russia thing. Comey reportedly wrote internal memos after his meetings with Trump. In one, he wrote that the president had requested he ease up on the FBI probe of Michael Flynn, who served as Trumps national security advisor until he was ousted in February for lying about his contacts with Russian officials. The Senate Intelligence Committee announced on May 19 that Comey had agreed to testify after the Memorial Day holiday. The hearing has not been scheduled. The FBI separately declined a request from the House Oversight Committee to turn over Comeys memos. The bureau said it would need to consult with Mueller before making any decisions. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the committee chairman, said in response that he would not push the matter. The focus of the committees investigation is the independence of the FBI and the events leading to Comeys firing, he wrote. In a separate development, a senior Justice Department lawyer with experience in complex financial fraud investigations has agreed to join Muellers investigation. Andrew Weissman has led the fraud section at Justice, where he oversaw probes into corporate wrongdoing at Volkswagen and Takata. Weissman also is a veteran of the FBI. Weissman is the highest-ranking Justice Department official to join the special counsel office being set up a few blocks from the main Justice building in downtown Washington. Mueller also hired two colleagues from the WilmerHale law firm, where he worked, and brought on a former Justice Department spokesman, Peter Carr, to handle media inquiries. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Analysis: In President Trumps wake, divisions mark both Democratic and Republican parties By Cathleen Decker Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez address a crowd at the California party convention in May. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Six months after President Trump breached long-standing political boundaries to win the White House, the nations major political parties still muddle in his wake. On the sun-swept lawn of the Hotel del Coronado two weeks ago, national Republican leaders sipped cocktails and listened to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the partys brightest lights in the most populous state, praise a brand of moderate Republicanism that looks nothing like the versions coming out of Washington either the populism of the president or the more orthodox conservatism of congressional leaders. A week later, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez talked in a Sacramento interview of the remarkably constructive debate underway in his party, characterizing its divisions as largely in the past. Within hours, he and other party leaders were booed as they welcomed delegates to a state convention that would be filled with persistent internal warfare on healthcare and other issues. No political party is immune to disagreement; indeed the path to power often relies on combustible ideological diversity. But Democrats and Republicans alike seem particularly adrift and quarrelsome these days. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump preparing to pull U.S. from Paris climate accord, amid last-minute lobbying By Evan Halper President Trump hasnt made a final decision on whether the U.S. will quit the Paris Accord on climate change, but White House officials indicated Wednesday that he was headed in that direction, setting off a worldwide reaction. A flurry of leaks, counter-leaks and public statements thrust back into the spotlight a decision that has been agonized and untidy even by the standards of a White House known for internal drama. Wednesday morning, when officials told some news organizations that Trump had settled on pulling out of the climate agreement, seemingly everyone in the world jumped in to try to influence or spin his decision, from the Chinese government to the coal industry to the state of California. That offered a foretaste of the reaction Trump likely will receive if he does follow through on his vow to pull the United States out of the 195-nation pact, which President Obama hailed in 2015 as one of his major achievements. Other nations have swiftly moved to take over the leadership role on climate that the United States would be abandoning. Some states have followed suit, promising they would break with Washington to work with other countries in their efforts to contain global warming. During Trumps recent overseas trip, U.S. allies warned him that Americas broader diplomatic influence would be undercut if the administration gave up its seat at the climate negotiating table. All the public lobbying on Wednesday moved Trump to weigh in himself. He knocked down reports that he had decided to withdraw with a tweet announcing that he was still making up his mind. The mixed messages coming out of the White House left open the possibility that the original news reports reflected the views of officials who were aiming to steer the final outcome by presenting withdrawal as a done deal. Trumps schedule for the day includes meetings with advisors hoping to talk him into staying in the agreement, at least to some extent. If Trump does withdraw the U.S. fully from the Paris pact, scientists warn it will be a tremendous setback to the worldwide effort to contain temperatures from rising an average of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The consequences for the United States would extend beyond global warming. It will be a very big deal all over the world, said Todd Stern, the lead U.S. climate negotiator during the Obama administration. There will be consequential blowback with respect to our diplomatic position across the board. UPDATES 9:27 a.m.: This post was updated throughout with staff reporting and additional details. 6:23 a.m.: This post was updated with Trumps tweet. 6:04 a.m.: This post was updated throughout with additional details. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement U.S. Supreme Court makes it harder to sue police for barging into homes By David Savage The U.S. Supreme Court made it harder to sue police for barging into a home and provoking a shooting, setting aside a $4-million verdict against two Los Angeles County deputies on Tuesday. The money was awarded to a homeless couple who were startled and then shot when the two sheriffs deputies entered the shack where they were sleeping. The unanimous ruling rejected the so-called provocation rule that some lower courts have used. Under that rule, police can be sued for violating a victims constitutional rights against unreasonable searches if they provoked a confrontation that resulted in violence. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump lashes out at Germany over NATO spending and trade after Merkel questions the U.S. commitment to its allies By Brian Bennett (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump took aim at German trade practices and defense spending Tuesday following pointed criticism from Chancellor Angela Merkel that Germany may not be able to rely on its allies. We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change, Trump wrote in a tweet. Last week, White House spokespeople had denied that Trump criticized German trade practices after the German newspaper Der Spiegel quoted him as having done so. Trump unsettled Merkel and other allies during the recent NATO summit when, during his remarks, he did not mention the central commitment members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization make to defend each other. We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2017 Trumps policy toward climate change is another point of contention with many European countries. Trump promised during the election to tear up the landmark Paris climate accord. Merkel said the conversation with the U.S. on climate change last week during the G-7 meetings in Sicily, which followed the NATO summit, was extremely difficult. During a campaign speech in Munich on Sunday, Merkel said Germany must rethink how much it can rely on its allies. The era in which we could rely completely on others is gone, at least partially, Merkel said. I have experienced that over the last several days. In a 2014 meeting, NATO defense ministers agreed that each state would move toward a goal of raising military spending to 2% of its annual economic output by the year 2024. German defense spending is below that goal. The U.S. trade deficit with Germany shrank to $65 billion in 2016 from $75 billion the year before. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Consumers spend at fastest pace in four months in a sign of spring economic rebound By Jim Puzzanghera (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Americans ratcheted up their spending in April at the fastest pace in four months, in a sign the economy has rebounded this spring after a lackluster winter. The new data also could help push Federal Reserve officials to hike a key interest rate again when they meet in two weeks. Personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4% in April, up from 0.3% the previous month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Americans had more money to spend, with personal incomes also rising 0.4% twice the pace of growth in March. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House communications director Michael Dubke resigns By Associated Press White House Communications Director Mike Dubke listens as a reporter asks a question during a press conference in the East Room of the White House on April 20. (Shawn Thew / EPA) White House communications director Michael Dubke has resigned. Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, told The Associated Press that Dubke handed in his resignation before President Donald Trump left for his international trip earlier this month. In an interview on Fox News on Tuesday, Conway said Dubke made very clear that he would see through the presidents international trip, and come to work every day and work hard even through that trip because there was much to do here back at the White House. Dubke issued a statement Tuesday morning: It has been my great honor to serve President Trump and this administration. It has also been my distinct pleasure to work side-by-side, day-by-day with the staff of the communications and press departments. A Republican consultant, Dubke joined the White House team in February after campaign aide Jason Miller Trumps original choice for communications director withdrew from consideration. Dubke founded Crossroads Media, a GOP firm that specializes in political advertising. -- 6:03 a.m.: Updated with Dubkes statement Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Should Jared Kushner keep his security clearance? Adam Schiff isnt sure By Laura King The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), says hes not sure that President Trumps son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, should retain his security clearance. The California Democrat, who has been a sharp critic of Trump, also said in an interview aired Sunday that national security advisor H.R. McMaster, a highly respected military officer, had been tarnished by his association with the White House. Schiffs comments, on ABCs This Week, came amid growing questions about Kushners contacts with Russian officials before Trump took office. Trump has denounced the latest round of news reports, saying that some of them could be based on fabricated sources. Top Trump aides, including John F. Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security, pushed back Sunday against the suggestion that there was anything untoward about establishing back channel communications with the Russians during the presidential transition. Schiff said he regretted that McMaster had done so as well, saying he believed the White House used the solid reputations of people like him to back up dubious actions. Sadly, I think this is an administration that takes in people with good credibility and chews them out and spits out their credibility at the same time, said Schiff, who acknowledged that what McMaster said about back channel communications was true in the abstract. I think anyone within the Trump orbit is at risk of being used, he said. Kelly, in separate talk-show appearances on Sunday, said there was nothing untoward about an incoming administration establishing communications with a foreign power in order to lay the groundwork for better relations. Schiff declined to discuss the substance of the allegations regarding Kushners contact with Russian officials during the transition and whether Kushner had been forthcoming about them, but said enough questions had been raised that his access to top-secret intelligence should be scrutinized. I think we need to get to the bottom of these allegations, Schiff said. But I do think there ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful, whether he was candid. If not, then theres no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance. Schiff was also critical of continuing involvement in aspects of the Russia probe by fellow Californian Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who stepped aside from the probe earlier this year after the House Ethics Committee began investigating whether he had improperly revealed classified information. Nunes remains involved in decision-making about the issuance of subpoenas, Schiff said, adding: I dont think that he should, given that he has stepped aside or recused himself. The committee is investigating Russian entanglements by figures in Trumps circle, including fired national security advisor Michael Flynn, who has been the target of multiple subpoenas. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump still wide open on climate change, Pentagon chief says By Laura King With President Trump set to make a decision this week about whether the U.S. should remain part of the landmark Paris climate accord, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Trump remains wide open on the issue. During a visit to Europe that ended Saturday, Trump dismayed European allies by refusing to commit to remaining in the 2015 accord during talks with European Union officials in Brussels and at the Group of Seven gathering in Sicily. The president said in a tweet that he will make a decision this week. Mattis, who was present at some of the Brussels talks, said that Trump is still making up his mind, and that he has been inquisitive about other leaders opinions. The president was open he was curious about why others were in the position they were in, his counterparts in other nations, the Defense secretary said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS Face the Nation. And Im quite certain the president is wide open on this issue as he takes in the pros and cons of that accord. During his European trip, Trump met privately at the Vatican with Pope Francis, who presented him with a copy of his papal encyclical on environment and climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Trump in Brussels, also said he had pressed the issue with the U.S. president, though the White House did not mention that appeal in a summary of their meeting. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Homeland Security secretary defends Jared Kushner, blasts Manchester intelligence leaks By Laura King There is nothing inherently wrong with an incoming presidential administration establishing back channel communications with a foreign power such as Russia, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly said Sunday. Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Kelly was asked about reports by the Washington Post and other outlets that President Trumps son-in-law and close advisor, Jared Kushner, sought to set up secret lines of communication with Russian officials prior to Trump being sworn in. The retired general did not confirm the reports, but said the principle of establishing secretive contacts during a presidential transition doesnt bother me and is a legitimate means of building relationships. I think that any channel of communication, back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing, he said. Kelly did not address a central element of the reports that Kushner discussed the possibility of using Russian communications channels from a Russia diplomatic outpost to shield from U.S. intelligence surveillance whatever discussions Trump transition officials wanted to have with Moscow. The FBI, a special counsel and multiple congressional committees are probing Russian interference in the presidential campaign and whether the Trump camp colluded in it. The U.S. intelligence community says Russian cyberattacks were meant to boost Trump and harm his opponent, Hillary Clinton. In a separate interview on NBCs Meet the Press, Kelly defended the integrity of Kushner, whose involvement in communications with Russia has brought the investigation closer to Trump personally than has previous scrutiny of others in his campaign circle or the White House. Calling Kushner a great guy, a decent guy, the Homeland Security secretary said the presidents son-in-laws No. 1 interest, really, is the nation. Also in the NBC interview, Kelly excoriated intelligence leaks in the wake of last weeks deadly bombing in Manchester, England. British officials including Prime Minister Theresa May were angered by disclosures about details of the investigation, including the release of the dead attackers name and detailed photos from the bomb scene that were published by the New York Times. Several outlets cited unnamed U.S. officials as the source of the information including the bombers identity. The Times did not say how it obtained the photos. Britain routinely shares intelligence with close allies like the United States with the expectation that it will be kept confidential. Kelly said that failing to keep such secrets could seriously damage intelligence-sharing arrangements with other nations. I believe when you leak the kind of information that seems to be routinely leaked - high, high level of classification I think its darn close to treason, Kelly said. It is not clear what level of classification, if any, the information about the British investigation would have had. Trump himself, who recently caused controversy when he passed sensitive intelligence on Islamic State to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed the location of U.S. nuclear submarines with the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has denounced the Manchester leaks and vowed to track down the source or sources. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print In tweets, Trump says stories based on White House leaks are fabricated By Laura King President Trump is back and tweeting. In a Sunday morning series of posts on Twitter, the president repeated his denunciations of the fake media, celebrated the Republican victory in a Montana special election and declared his overseas trip a success. Trump returned to the White House late Saturday after a swing through the Middle East and Europe, the first foreign trip of his presidency. During it, he tweeted only sparingly. While Trump was away, controversy continued to swirl around his White House, with media reports focusing on son-in-law Jared Kushners role in Trump campaign contacts with Russian officials. The GOP healthcare plan and Trumps budget also came under withering scrutiny during the presidents absence. In Sundays tweets, Trump said cascading leaks from within his administration were in fact fabricated lies by news organizations based on sources that did not exist. One tweet was corrected to fix the spelling of exist. It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017 Trump also complained that the special congressional election in Montana, called to fill the seat vacated when Ryan Zinke became his Interior secretary, was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won. The V was poorly covered, he said, referring to the Republican victory. The victory by Republican candidate Greg Gianforte received extensive coverage. It was widely expected, given Montanas significant Republican edge, but made more suspenseful on the eve of the election when Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault for an incident in which he struck a reporter who had asked him a question. The president received mixed reviews for his inaugural overseas venture. He was praised by some for his outreach to Sunni Arab allies in the Persian Gulf, but continued his administrations practice of making no public criticism of serious human rights violations. In Europe, he rattled allies by declining to explicitly endorse the NATO alliances bedrock common defense pledge or pledge to adhere to the Paris climate accord. Whatever the commentary surrounding the trip, Trump counted it a success. Hard work but big results, he wrote. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trumps international trip underscored what America First looks like on the world stage By Michael Memoli Donald Trump made no secret during the presidential campaign of his disdain for Americas trading partners, his skepticism of longtime alliances and his eagerness to refocus U.S. foreign policy on the single-minded pursuit of American security. That was the largely the president the world got as Trump made his way through the Middle East and Western Europe over the last nine days, Trumps first foreign trip may have produced memorable, and at time cringe-inducing, images of the new president, whether grasping a glowing orb in Saudi Arabia or shoving the prime minister of Montenegro at a NATO meeting in Brussels. But perhaps most profoundly, the trip underscored what America First, as Trump has branded his governing philosophy, looks like on the world stage. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump says hell decide on Paris climate deal next week By Associated Press Seven wealthy democracies ended their summit Saturday in Italy without unanimous agreement on climate change, as the Trump administration plans to take more time to say whether the U.S. is going to remain in the Paris accord on limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The other six nations in the Group of Seven agreed to stick with their commitment to implement the 2015 Paris deal that aims to slow down global warming. The final G-7 statement, issued after two days of talks in the seaside town of Taormina, said the U.S. is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics. Trump tweeted he would decide his stance on the Paris agreement next week. The announcement on the final day of the U.S. presidents first international trip comes after he declined to commit to staying in the sweeping climate deal, resisting intense international pressure from his peers at the summit. I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017 Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who chaired the meeting, said the other six wont change our position on climate change one millimeter. The U.S. hasnt decided yet. I hope they decide in the right way. Gentiloni said climate was not a minor point and that he hoped the United States would decide soon and well because the Paris accords need the contribution of the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron also chimed in on the climate issue, praising Trumps capacity to listen. Macron said he told Trump it is indispensable for the reputation of the United States and the interest of the Americans themselves that the United States remain committed to the Paris climate agreement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more downbeat, calling the G-7 climate talks very unsatisfactory. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Everyones a winner! Or what to take away from that special congressional race in Montana By Mark Z. Barabak Republicans were celebrating Friday, and relieved, and it was easy to see why: The party hung on to Montanas sole congressional seat even though its candidate faced a freshly lodged criminal charge for physically assaulting a reporter on election eve. Though they fell short in yet another special election Greg Gianforte won handily, 50% to 44% Democrats also found reason to be pleased: Their candidate, flawed as he was, continued a pattern of polling better than might be expected over-performing, to use the political parlance, and that could hold future promise. Its possible, as elections analyst Nathan Gonzales put it, to lose and still have momentum. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print In commencement address, Hillary Clinton remembers fallout from Nixon, makes subtle jab at President Trump By Kurtis Lee Hillary Clinton delivers the commencement address at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., on Friday. (Josh Reynolds / Associated Press) Hillary Clinton delivered a subtle dig at President Trump on Friday, offering some parallels between his presidency and that of former President Nixon. While delivering a commencement address at her alma mater, Wellesley College, a private womens liberal arts school in Massachusetts, Clinton, without naming Trump, recalled how many young people in the 1970s reacted to Nixons reelection and later battles with the Justice Department. We were furious about the past presidential election of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with his impeachment for obstruction of justice, she said, pausing to note she was referring to Nixon. Actually, Nixon was not impeached, though many in Congress, including members of his own party, called for it. Clinton said Nixons resignation came after he fired the person heading the investigation into him at the Department of Justice. In 1973, Nixon ordered Justice Department officials to fire a special prosecutor who was looking into taped conversations recorded in the Oval Office as part of the Watergate investigation. A year later, in August 1974, Nixon resigned. Some political observers mostly Democrats -- have compared Trumps recent firing of FBI Director James B. Comey, who was overseeing an investigation of possible collusion between Russians and Trumps campaign, to Nixons actions. Last week, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) called for Trump to be impeached. Clinton, who has made few public appearances since Trump defeated her in last years presidential election, also assailed the Republicans new budget proposal. She called the budget, which proposes cuts to education and Medicaid, an attack of unimaginable cruelty on the most vulnerable among us the youngest, the oldest, the poorest and hard-working people who need a little help to gain or hang on to a decent, middle-class life. In a statement, the Republican National Committee said Clinton was lashing out after her election loss. Clinton graduated from Wellesley in 1969 and last delivered a commencement address at the school in 1992. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement At G-7 Summit, a day of clarification for the White House By Michael A. Memoli (Sean Gallup / Getty Images) As President Trump met with leaders of the worlds leading economies here Friday within miles of an active volcano, the White House was working to ease a pair of diplomatic eruptions. Trump was due to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in this coastal Sicilian resort town, amid tensions between their countries, longtime allies, following leaks to U.S. media outlets involving Britains investigation of the Manchester terrorist bombing. Separately, a top White House adviser partially confirmed reports that Trump had said Germany is very bad during Thursdays NATO meetings in Brussels, but clarified that the president was referring only to German trade policies. Trump said, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel, See the millions of cars they are selling to the U.S.? Terrible. We will stop this. Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, acknowledged that Trump made the remark but added that the president doesnt have a problem with Germany. He said his dad is from Germany. He said I dont have a problem with Germany, I have a problem with German trade, Cohn said. Press access to the G-7 meetings has been extremely limited, though the surrounding setting has produced abundant compelling visuals. Editorial press access extremely limited for G7 meetings. But man, pretty pictures & good times for Taormina Chamber of Commerce (via AP) pic.twitter.com/WT2EdKrwJ5 Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) May 26, 2017 Trump tweeted that he expected to spend the day focused on economic growth, terrorism and security. The summit, and Trumps eight-day inaugural foreign trip, ends Saturday. Other allies here were likely to press Trump on another issue: climate change, specifically whether Trump will carry out his campaign promise to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris climate deal. Trump was hoping to better understand the European position, Cohn said. White House officials have said the president will make a decision once he is back in the United States. He knows that in the U.S. theres very strong opinions on both sides but he also knows that Paris has important meaning to many of the European leaders. And he wants to clearly hear what the European leaders have to say, Cohn said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As Trump wavers over Paris climate accord, European leaders give him an earful By Evan Halper Mining operation near Grevenbroich, Germany. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) With President Trump balking on his vow to shred the Obama-negotiated Paris agreement on climate change, the last place the pacts staunch opponents wanted to see the president is where he will be this weekend meeting other world leaders unanimous in their warnings that withdrawal from the accord would seriously damage Americas economy and world stature. Trump has repeatedly delayed fulfilling his campaign pledge to move against the agreement. The longer the White House deliberates over Paris, the more Trump seems to be searching for a face-saving excuse to walk back his previous position. The White House indecision over the climate accord which has the support of every nation except Syria and Nicaragua reflects a deeply divided worldview in a Trump inner circle now packed with establishment Republicans. The issue also presents yet another policy reckoning for Trump. On the campaign trail, he vowed to strike blows against the existing world order. But on the Paris agreement, as on other matters, he is finding that political backup for such pledges can fade quickly when the moves lack robust support from major U.S. companies or majority voting blocs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Overcoming assault charge, Republican Greg Gianforte wins Montana congressional seat By Mark Z. Barabak Republican Greg Gianforte overcame a last-minute assault charge to win Montanas special congressional election Thursday, keeping its lone House seat in GOP hands and dealing Democrats a setback in their bid to gain a red-state toehold ahead of the 2018 midterm election. Gianforte, 56, a wealthy businessman who ran unsuccessfully for governor in November, had long been the front-runner against Democrat Rob Quist, a professional bluegrass musician making his first run for public office. With more than 90% of the votes counted, Gianforte was holding a healthy lead with just over 50% support. Appearing at an exuberant victory rally in Bozeman, the congressman-elect hushed the crowd and apologized to the reporter with whom he tangled on election eve, reversing his campaigns initial assertion that the journalist was to blame. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement FBI investigating Kushner meetings, report says; House leader seeks more Comey documents By Associated Press (Andrew Harrer / Getty Images) The chairman of the House Oversight Committee asked the FBI on Thursday to turn over more documents about former FBI Director James B. Comeys interactions with the White House and Justice Department, including materials dating back nearly four years to the Obama administration. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the FBI is investigating meetings that President Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had in December with Russian officials. The FBI and the Oversight Committee as well as several other congressional panels are looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible connections between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump fired Comey on May 9 amid questions about the FBIs investigation, which is now being led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a former FBI director. Kushner, a key White House advisor, had meetings late last year with Russias ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, and Russian banker Sergey Gorkov. The Post story cited anonymous people familiar with the investigation, who said the FBI investigation does not mean that Kushner is suspected of a crime. Kushners attorney, Jamie Gorelick, released a statement saying: Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry. Earlier Thursday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe that he wants records of Comeys contacts with the White House and Justice Department dating to September 2013, when Comey was sworn in as FBI director under President Obama. In a letter to McCabe, Chaffetz said he is seeking to review Comeys memos and other written materials so he can better understand Comeys communications with the White House and attorney generals office. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Banks want higher debit-card swipe fees, but an effort to allow them has crumbled By Jim Puzzanghera Banks had hoped Congress would let them charge merchants higher fees to process debit card purchases, but an effort to allow that has crumbled a victory for retailers and, possibly, shoppers who might have had to shoulder those costs. In the latest chapter of a long-running fight, a repeal of federal limits on so-called swipe fees no longer will be part of a House financial regulation bill, said the legislations author, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas). Hensarling, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he decided to strip the provision from the bill because many lawmakers are balking at removing the limits. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Appeals court rules against Trump travel ban By David Lauter A federal appeals court has ruled against President Trumps travel ban, upholding a nationwide injunction barring the administration from enforcing the executive order. The ruling is the latest legal setback for Trump on the travel issue and, like several previous court rulings, the outcome rested heavily on his own words. Trumps order restricting travel from six majority-Muslim countries speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination, Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in his ruling. Read the 4th Circuits decision to uphold the block on Trumps travel ban The 10-3 ruling included numerous citations to campaign statements in which Trump called for a ban on Muslims immigrating to the United States. The plaintiffs who have challenged the travel order have argued that it is a disguised version of the Muslim ban that he called for during the campaign. Trumps statements provide direct, specific evidence of what motivated both EO-1 and EO-2, the court said, referring to ther first and second versions of the travel order: President Trumps desire to exclude Muslims from the United States. The 4th Circuit, based in Richmond, Va., is one of two appeals courts that have recently heard arguments on the travel ban. A similar case is pending before the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Obama, in Berlin with Merkel, says world cant hide behind a wall By Erik Kirschbaum Hours before German Chancellor Angela Merkel flew to Brussels to meet with President Trump and other NATO heads of state, she rekindled an old acquaintance with Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama. About 70,000 people packed an avenue by Berlins landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday to hear the two leaders speak, with cheers and chants of Barack, Barack! breaking out when the former president took the stage. Without mentioning Trump by name, Obama spoke of the need for universal healthcare and a nuanced approach to immigration in response to security threats. This is a new world we live in we cant isolate ourselves, the former president declared, with Merkel looking on. We cant hide behind a wall. Obama spoke of this weeks deadly bombing at a pop concert in Manchester, England, saying leaders had to find ways to balance security fears and fundamental rights. One of the biggest challenges is how do you protect your country and your citizens from the kinds of things that we just saw in Manchester, he said. And how do you do it in a way that is consistent with your values and your ideals? Making his first European speech since his presidential term ended, Obama told the crowd he had spent the last four months trying to catch up with my sleep and devoting more time to his family. Im very proud of the work I did as president, he said to more cheers, adding that he considered healthcare reform a signature achievement. Republicans are now in the midst of trying to dismantle his Affordable Care Act. My hope was to get 100% of people healthcare, he said. We didnt quite achieve that, but we were able to get 20 million people healthcare who didnt have it before. Obamas speech was not timed to coincide with Trumps first visit to Europe as president, aides said. The invitation was extended before Trumps trip to Brussels the fourth leg on multi-stop tour was scheduled. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Macron says he pressed Trump on climate accord By Catherine Stupp French President Emmanuel Macron, who met President Trump for the first time on Thursday, said he urged the U.S. leader to respect the Paris climate accord. The White House, however, did not mention the issue in its readout on Trumps working lunch in Brussels with the newly elected French president. Macron told reporters as he headed into the meeting that climate change would be one of the issues he raised, along with concerns about terrorism and the economy. Afterward, at a news conference, the French president said that in his talk with Trump, he reiterated the importance of the landmark climate accord. No hasty decision on this subject should be taken by the U.S., Macron said. Our collective responsibility is to make sure this commitment remains a global commitment. Referring to the agreement, he added: Its one of a kind. In its readout, the White House said Trump urged Macron to meet NATO commitments on French defense spending and help ensure that the alliance is focused on counter-terrorism. It also said the two leaders talked about the importance of defeating Islamic State and other vital issues. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump lawyers ask Supreme Court to reject 2nd Amendment claim by men who lost gun rights over nonviolent crimes By David Savage President Trump speaks at an NRA event in Atlanta in April. ( Scott Olson / Getty Images) Trump administration lawyers are urging the Supreme Court to reject a 2nd Amendment claim that would restore the right to own a gun for two Pennsylvania men who were convicted more than 20 years ago of nonviolent crimes. The case of Sessions vs. Binderup puts the new administration in a potentially awkward spot, considering President Trumps repeated assurances during the campaign that he would protect gun ownership rights under the 2nd Amendment. But the Justice Department under Trump has embraced the same position in this case that was adopted under President Obama: to defend strict enforcement of a long-standing federal law that bars convicted criminals from ever owning a gun, even when their crimes did not involve violence. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former Sen. Joe Lieberman withdraws from FBI director search By Associated Press (AFP/Getty Images) Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has withdrawn his name from consideration for the role of FBI director. Lieberman interviewed last week with President Trump, who publicly identified him as a leading candidate. But in a letter sent to the White House, Lieberman says hes pulling out. He says he wants to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, given Trumps hiring of one of Liebermans law partners to represent him in the investigation of ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. The White House declined to comment. Several other people interviewed for the job have also withdrawn from consideration. Trump fired former FBI Director James B. Comey earlier this month. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print At NATO celebration, Trump tells allies to spend more on defense By Michael A. Memoli (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump used his first NATO meeting to rebuke member nations who fail to meet the trans-Atlantic alliances defense spending target, saying American taxpayers unfairly are left to pick up the slack. Speaking at dedication ceremonies for NATOs new headquarters, Trump noted that the defense budgets of 23 of the 28 members dont meet a target equal to 2% of each respective nations economic output, while the United States has spent more on defense in eight years than the other 27 combined. Many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years, he said. We have to make up for the many years lost. By his scolding, Trump was directly delivering to NATO allies the criticism that was a staple of his nationalist campaign for president. But his lecture came at an event intended to be celebratory, showcasing unity and resolve for the nearly 70-year-old alliance: the dedication of its shining, glass-enclosed new headquarters in Belgiums capital. The ceremony also was meant to call attention to the fact that the only time NATO has invoked its collective defense agreement was on behalf of the United States, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. Trump stood beside a section of wrenched steel from the downed World Trade Center Towers, a relic NATO calls the Article V artifact, to signify that post-9/11 invocation of the NATO charters article holding that an attack on any one member would be considered an attack on all. Speaking to reporters before the president arrived, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that the alliance had a long way to go to meet its goals. But its much better than it was just two years ago, he said. The reality is that when we decrease defense spending when tensions are going down, as we did after the end of the Cold War, we have to be able to increase defense spending when tensions are going up. And now we see that tensions are going up. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Watch: Trump lectures NATO leaders on defense spending By L.A. Times staff As NATO leaders looked on, President Trump told NATO members that they must finally contribute their fair share of defense payments. President Trump lectured members of the NATO alliance on Thursday, urging them to pay their fair share on defense. As NATO leaders looked on during a ceremony at the alliances new headquarters, Trump said that member nations must finally contribute their fair share and meet their obligations. The president has been urging NATO leaders to live up to a 2011 decision to increase spending on defense to 2% of GDP by 2024. Trump said 23 of the 28 member nations are not paying what they should and that the situation is not fair to the people of the United States. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print President Trump promises to review Manchester investigation leaks after anger from Britain By Noah Bierman Trying to head off a diplomatic rift with Britain, President Trump on Thursday issued a statement promising a complete review of possible intelligence leaks related to this weeks deadly terrorist attack at a Manchester concert. Some British officials have suggested that U.S. officials are leaking sensitive information to American media outlets about the investigation into the attack. The New York Times posted forensic photographs collected from the scene of the Manchester concert bombing, which upset British officials. Whether the photographs were provided by U.S. officials or came from some other source is not publicly known. Trump avoided questions earlier Thursday about the possible leaks. His statement came just before he was set to address NATO at its new headquarters in a speech considered pivotal to his first trip abroad as president. British Prime Minister Theresa May was expected to confront Trump over the issue when they meet later in the day. May told reporters as she entered the NATO gathering that she would make clear to Trump that intelligence shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure. We have a special relationship with the USA. Its our deepest defense and security partnership that we have, she said. Of course that partnership is built on trust, and part of that trust is knowing that intelligence can be shared confidently, and I will be making clear to President Trump today that intelligence shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure. In his statement, Trump said that the alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling. These leaks have been going on for a long time, and my Administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security. The statement continued with a promise to request the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Trump also reiterated said there is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the two countries. Separate leaks within his own administration and related to investigations of his campaign ties to Russia have also been a source of anger to Trump. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Montanas congressional election: that assault charge, the Trump factor, and why is it on a weird day (Thursday)? By Mark Z. Barabak Its election day in Montana after a wild 24 hours, with voters deciding who will fill the House seat vacated when Republican Ryan Zinke left to head the Interior Department under President Trump. The contest Thursday has drawn nationwide attention and an extraordinary amount of money and that was before the GOP front-runner was accused of attacking a national political reporter. The events have turned the contest into one of the strangest in memory. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump ignores questions about intelligence sharing ahead of NATO meeting By Michael A. Memoli (Peter Dejoing / Associated Press) President Trump refused to answer questions Thursday about concerns among key allies on intelligence sharing with the United States, just as he prepares to join many of them here to inaugurate the new NATO headquarters. During a brief photo opportunity at his first meeting with Emmanuel Macron, Frances newly elected president, Trump for a second time remained silent as a reporter asked about a potential breakdown in the U.S.-United Kingdom intelligence-sharing relationship. British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to press Trump on the issue when they meet later Thursday, after the New York Times posted forensic photographs collected from the scene of the Manchester concert bombing. The acting U.S. ambassador to Britain told the BBC that the leaks were deeply distressing. Speaking to reporters at the site of a NATO leaders meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also deflected questions about whether the incident has led him to reevaluate his nations intelligence-sharing arrangements. We will continue to work with all our allies to keep Canadians and all citizens around the world safe, he said. Ahead of a working lunch with Macron, Trump said terrorism was at the top of the agenda, while also offering his congratulations to the 39-year-old for his tremendous victory. All over the world, theyre talking about it, he said. In addition to terrorism and the economy, Macron said he planned to discuss climate change and energy. His nation hosted the climate summit that produced the agreement under which countries pledged to reduce their carbon emissions, of which the Trump administration is considering dropping out. Trump also ignored a question about whether former national security advisor Michael Flynn should cooperate with the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has no news conference scheduled with reporters for the entirety of his eight-day foreign trip, which ends Saturday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump visits European Union headquarters; EU leaders cite some differences By Catherine Stupp Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said Thursday that differences remain between the Trump administration and the European Union on Russia, energy and trade. I am not 100 percent sure that we can say today that we have a common opinion about Russia, Tusk, a former Polish prime minister who is sometimes called the other Donald, said after a meeting with President Trump at EU headquarters. Tusk added that while some issues remain open, like climate and trade, the leaders agreed first and foremost on the need to combat terrorism. EU officials were skeptical in advance of Trumps visit. Their concerns were driven in part by the U.S. leaders positive stance on Britains vote last year to leave the bloc. Trump at the time called it a great idea. However, he has since spoken of the importance of European unity. European officials are also concerned that the Trump administration might withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming, and turn away from trade arrangements with the EU. Trumps visit to Brussels marked the fourth leg of his first overseas trip. Before heading into the talks with Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, he spoke enthusiastically about his earlier stops in Saudi Arabia and at the Vatican. His ceremonial welcome last week in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Trump told the European officials, was beyond anything anyones seen. The Saudis staged elaborate festivities including a traditional sword dance. And the president called his private encounter with Pope Francis on Wednesday very impressive. The president and the pontiff met privately for half an hour, and Francis presented Trump with gifts including a copy of a papal encyclical on climate change. The pope was terrific, Trump said. After the visit to the EUs sprawling new headquarters, Trump headed to a luncheon with the newly elected French president, Emmanuel Macron. The two men were meeting for the first time. During the French presidential campaign, Trump had praised Macrons far-right opponent Marine Le Pen for her tough positions on immigration and borders, but he had stopped short of endorsing her. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Manchester attack makes terrorism the focus of Trumps NATO meeting By Michael A. Memoli (Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images) The deadly suicide bombing in Britain and threats of more attacks thrust counter-terrorism to the top of President Trumps agenda for talks with NATO leaders here on Thursday, buttressing his bid to enlist the alliance he had called obsolete to join the fight against Islamic State. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, anticipating the alliance meetings, told reporters flying with the president to Brussels from Rome, where Trump met Pope Francis earlier Wednesday, that Mondays attack in Britain is going to strengthen the resolve in this fight against terrorism. Tillerson stopped short of predicting that NATO would agree to formally join the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, but said it would be a really important step if the alliance did so. The attack, which killed 22 people at a pop concert and was said to be the work of a 22-year-old British man whose family is from Libya, also figured in Trumps brief meeting with the pope at the Vatican. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Analysis says 23 million more people would be uninsured by 2026 under GOP healthcare bill By Noam N. Levey (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) An analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finds that the Republican healthcare bill that passed the House earlier this month would nearly double the number of Americans without health insurance over the next decade. The report likely will complicate Republican efforts to get the controversial bill through the Senate. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement By throwing Americas lot in with Sunni Arabs, does Trump miss opportunities with Iran? By Tracy Wilkinson On his first official trip to the Middle East, President Trump has resoundingly thrown Americas lot in with Sunni Arab states and cast Shiite Iran as a global pariah, even as Iranians reelected a president who has offered to work with the West. During his two days in Riyadh, Trumps full-throated support for the autocratic monarchies in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, as well as his fierce denunciation of Iran, allowed him to claim an historic new coalition of interests. In the next two days, in Jerusalem, he doubled down and argued that Israel and the Arabs should join forces against Iran and along the way, resolve Israels conflict with Palestinians in a grand bargain that has eluded diplomats for decades. But as he departed for Rome on Tuesday, Trump had little to show beyond lofty rhetoric, symbolic visits and a shower of flattery from kings, potentates and a prime minister. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fed officials appear ready for another interest rate hike and are considering how to reduce assets By Jim Puzzanghera Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press) Most Federal Reserve monetary policymakers indicated they were ready for another small interest rate hike -- perhaps as soon as next month -- if economic data strengthened as expected following a weak winter, according to an account released Wednesday of their most recent meeting. Fed officials also considered a plan to start reducing the $4.5 trillion in Treasury and mortgage securities and other assets the central bank has purchased since 2008 in an attempt to stimulate the economy. The plan, which they said likely would begin later this year, would involve slowly allowing some of the maturing securities to be cashed in instead of reinvesting the money in new securities, the meeting minutes showed. The goal would be to avoid roiling financial markets and causing interest rates to jump. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print So whats with the president and Melania Trump holding, or not holding, hands? By Tom Kington First Lady Melania Trump does not say much in public, but her actions seemed to speak louder than words or at least sent tongues wagging when she appeared to rebuff the presidents proffered hand as the couple descended from their plane in Rome late Tuesday. As President Trump looked to take her hand on the steps of Air Force One, Melania Trump quickly moved it out of reach, raising it to her head to adjust her hair. That made for two such episodes in two days. She had appeared to brush Trumps hand away at the airport in Tel Aviv during the previous stop in the presidents foreign tour. Video of that scene, often accompanied by snarky commentary, quickly went viral. Compare that to Melania Trumps positively hands-on visit on Wednesday to a Rome childrens hospital, Bambino Gesu, following the couples visit with Pope Francis. After praying to a statue of the Madonna at the entrance to the hospital, the Catholic first lady smiled cheerfully and chatted to children, posing for selfies and providing a very happy, maternal presence, according to one onlooker. Great visiting you! Stay strong and positive! Much love, Melania Trump, she wrote in the visitors book. Staff at the hospital said Melania Trump had been buoyed by her meeting with Pope Francis, and further proof came when photos emerged of the Trumps quick visit to the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday. As the president and first lady stood together to admire Michelangelos 16th century fresco, the Last Judgment, they held hands. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print House Intelligence Committee will subpoena Michael Flynn, Schiff says By Sarah D. Wire The House Intelligence Committee is preparing to issue subpoenas to President Trumps former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, according to the committees ranking Democrat, following the lead of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said the House subpoenas will be designed to maximize our chance of getting the information we need for the committees investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign. I think we need to use whatever compulsory [processes] necessary to get the information that he possesses, Schiff said. Earlier this week, Flynns lawyers said he would refuse separate Senate subpoenas for any records about his former business dealings with Russia, citing his constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination. The Senate committee then issued separate subpoenas to two of Flynns businesses, which the panel said were not entitled to 5th Amendment protections. A federal grand jury in Virginia also has issued subpoenas regarding Flynns business dealings with Turkey and Russia, and the newly appointed special counsel investigating the Russia matter, Robert Mueller III, is expected to focus on Flynns role as well. Given the criminal investigations, Schiff said the House panel is highly unlikely to grant Flynns earlier request, through his lawyers, for immunity in exchange for his testimony. He said the panel would need more information about what Flynn would say and whether the testimony would be truthful. It also would need to ensure that granting immunity wouldnt affect the special counsels ongoing investigation, he said. Thats not somthinge I think we would entertain until far later, if at all, said Schiff, a former prosecutor. Certainly count me as very skeptical that we would get to that point. Trump forced Flynn to resign as national security advisor in February after news accounts revealed Flynn had misled White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials. Schiff spoke to reporters at a breakfast Wednesday hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Watch live: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testifies on Trumps budget Follow live coverage from Times education reporter Joy Resmovits: Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Israel acknowledges pinpoint change needed after Trump intelligence disclosure By Joshua Mitnick After a week of silence, Israel publicly acknowledged for the first time, though in oblique terms, that it was the source of sensitive intelligence that President Trump shared with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week in a White House meeting. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israels army radio on Wednesday that Israeli officials had carried out an internal pinpoint correction after discussing and reviewing the episode. Lieberman did not elaborate, and declined to confirm or deny whether Trumps remarks had endangered an agent of Israel. But he said his government considered the matter resolved. Everything that needed to be clarified with the friends in the U.S. was done, he said. All of the conclusions we had to draw it was all done. The Israeli defense ministers comments came the day after Trump wrapped up a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. When word of Trumps disclosure to Lavrov emerged in U.S. news reports last week, the defense minister and other Israeli leaders confined themselves to expressing public confidence in the two countries intelligence cooperation. Israel did not comment more directly, presumably to avoid embarrassing the U.S. president just before his visit. But Trump himself mentioned the controversy anyway, in an awkward on-camera moment during the trip. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu biting his lip alongside, Trump volunteered to reporters being hustled out of a news appearance: Just so you know, I never mentioned the word or name Israel. Never mentioned it during the conversation. News reports, however, had not said the president mentioned Israel in connection with the intelligence, only that the specificity of his remarks to Lavrov would in all likelihood have allowed the Russians to determine the source. The White House at first denied Trumps disclosure to Lavrov had occurred as reported, but then the president himself tweeted about it, saying he had the right to share information as he deemed fit. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump calls meeting with Pope Francis an honor By Michael A. Memoli "A very great honor," Trump says to the pope when they began their meeting in the pope's private study pic.twitter.com/NGsbsahAyT Carol Lee (@carolelee) May 24, 2017 President Trump held a half-hour private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday, declaring it a great honor despite their past public dissension. The unconventional Republican and the first Jesuit pontiff made for an unlikely pair in the Vaticans Apostolic Palace, where Catholic leaders have presided or centuries and American presidents have come or decades. Francis was silent as the two sat across one another at the popes wooden desk to begin the audience at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time. Exactly a half-hour later, the ringing of a bell signified the end of the private encounter. For the White House, the Vatican stop caps a tour through key sites of the worlds three major religions, following stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel, designed to promote tolerance and a united approach to terrorism. When you put it all together, youre really showing that this problem of radical extremism is one of the great problems of our time, a senior Trump aide told reporters Tuesday en route from Israel to Rome, briefing anonymously as is common White House practice. By putting everybody together you can really build a coalition and show that its not a Muslim problem, its not a Jewish problem, its not a Catholic problem, its not a Christian problem, it really is a world problem. In an exchange of gifts after their private meeting, Francis offered the president a medal by a Roman artist of an olive, a symbol of peace. We can use peace, Trump responded. Where Trumps and Francis interests may align on peace and combating terrorism, they disagree sharply on issues like immigration and poverty. Like Trump, the Argentine pope has shown a predilection for unscripted comments that have shaken the staid Vatican bureaucracy, as when he criticized candidate Trumps proposed stricter immigration policies including a border wall as not Christian. Trump fired back, calling the popes remarks disgraceful. Any animosity was not apparent Wednesday, as a meeting between Francis and a larger U.S. delegation ended. Thank you. I wont forget what you said, Trump said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Proposed budget would deeply cut State Department and its programs By Tracy Wilkinson (AFP / Getty Images) The State Department leadership voiced support for President Trumps proposed budget, which would impose deep cuts on spending for diplomacy and foreign aid, but critics vowed to fight to restore the funds in Congress. In a statement, the department said the presidents $37.6-billion request for it and for the U.S. Agency for International Development would support a leaner, more efficient government in line with Trumps America first mantra. If approved by Congress, that would represent a reduction of roughly 30% from the current fiscal year. Nongovernmental agencies that receive State Department support to carry out humanitarian and other work around the globe expressed deep alarm. The State Department statement said its new priorities would include efforts to counter terrorism, support Israel, promote border security and battle transnational crime and the spread of infectious diseases. The statement makes no mention of women-empowerment programs or efforts to fight climate change, issues that rose to prominence under the Obama administration. The proposed budget would allow the United States to remain engaged in the United Nations, but officials would seek a more fair distribution of the funding burden, the statement said. And it would eliminate direct funding for quasi- and non-governmental organizations that serve niche missions. The American Jewish World Service, which fights poverty all over the world through 450 local organizations, said much of its work would be jeopardized. At a time when poverty, human rights abuses, famines and conflicts are wreaking havoc globally, said the groups president, Robert Bank, the United States must not abdicate its long bipartisan tradition of providing development assistance and diplomatic support to the most vulnerable people around the world. Mercy Corps, a U.S.-based development and advocacy organization that works in 40 countries, said gutting development programs was short-sighted and absolutely shameful and could put millions of lives at risk. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, called the budget cruel and mean-spirited and said it would force the United States to abandon our global role as a champion for freedom, democracy and the rule of law. If President Trump thinks the United States can shrink into a defensive crouch without long-term repercussions, hes sorely mistaken, Engel said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Sessions first proposed budget: A crackdown on immigration and violent crime By Joseph Tanfani Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) In the first budget proposal under President Trump and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department is seeking hundreds of millions in new funding to pay for an immigration crackdown on the border and a surge in resources to fight violent crime. Like the Department of Homeland Security budget, which includes billions for expanded immigration detention, more border agents and technology to catch those crossing the border illegally, the Justice Department budget is a reflection of the new get-tough policies promised by Sessions. The budget asks for another 300 federal prosecutors 230 to focus on violent criminals and gangs, and another 70 to concentrate on filing criminal charges on those crossing the border illegally. The shift in the spending priorities are in line with other policy changes ordered by Sessions, including a renewed focus on seeking stiff mandatory minimum sentences for drugs and other crimes. The $27.7-billion budget seeks 450 new attorneys and support workers for the immigration courts, which are now clogged with a backlog of 560,000 cases. There would also be another $50 million for increased immigration detention, plus 40 new U.S. marshal jobs to help take care of the expected increase in immigrants heading to federal court. With Trumps immigration initiatives tied up in federal court, the budget seeks another 15 lawyers to handle that litigation, plus 12 more to help handle property acquisition needed for Trumps promised Southwestern border wall. Violent-crime enforcement would get another $198 million, with the largest amount, $70 million, going toward setting up more anti-violence and gang task forces. Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod J. Rosenstein said more resources are needed because of what he called an alarming increase in the rates of murder and other violent crimes. The department is also asking for another $40 million for more drug enforcement to combat the opioid epidemic, which he said is spreading havoc throughout the United States. Sessions new policies should lead to an increase in prison population, so the budget contains funding to fully open a new supermax prison in Thomson, Ill., with room for 1,500 to 2,000 inmates. The department also wants to put more resources behind the FBIs efforts to counter cyber attacks and to figure out ways around encryption technology, along with another 50 agents to counter foreign intelligence and threats from homegrown terrorists. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Economists say Trumps budget proposal doesnt add up By Don Lee President Trumps inaugural budget proposal claims to eliminate the nations deficit in 10 years, thanks largely to faster economic growth that it projects will come from the presidents sweeping tax cuts. Never mind the overly optimistic projections on economic growth. Or that Trumps tax overhaul has not happened yet. Even allowing for both, economists say Trumps budget still does not add up. The administration is counting on generating $2.1 trillion in additional revenue over 10 years from better economic growth. But Trumps budget proposal leaves out the cost, or the revenue lost, from the massive tax cuts. In other words, the economic gains that the administration has said it would use to pay for tax reform is apparently also being counted on to pay for deficit reduction. Some people call that double-counting. You cant use the same money twice, said Marc Goldwein, a senior vice president for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group that advocates keeping government budgets under control. Lawrence Summers, former Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and top economic advisor to President Obama, called it an elementary but egregious accounting error. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the right-leaning American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said the proposal did not necessarily mean there was an outright omission or a double-counting. Its possible that the administration is looking for such strong economic growth to drive significantly extra revenue from payroll taxes, he said, or it could be that Trump officials were using different base lines from which they were drawing their results. But on the face of it, he said, the budget and tax-plan numbers dont seem to match. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has estimated that Trumps plan to cut corporate and individual taxes would cost the federal government about $5.5 trillion over 10 years, adding more than $6 trillion to the national debt. Details of Trumps tax overhaul, however, are still being developed, and its possible that the administration is assuming a revenue-neutral tax plan although experts say big tax cuts never pay for themselves. On Tuesday, Mick Mulvaney, Trumps budget chief, did not provide a direct answer or explanation to questions about double-counting. Instead, he told reporters that you have to make assumptions about a budget. He went on to say that one of the assumptions that was not made was to take into account the uncollected taxes every year, which he said amounted to $486 billion last year. And we dont assume an additional penny of that being closed as part of our tax reform, said Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Of the 3% annual economic growth assumption, Mulvaney responded that the Obama administration in its first couple of years had based its budget on growth of 4.5%. In fact, Obamas first budget proposal as president, in May 2009, assumed economic growth of between 4% and 4.6% for the budget years 2011 to 2013. Since the Great Recession ended in mid-2009, the U.S. economy has been growing on average about 2% a year, and the Congressional Budget Office, the Federal Reserve and most private economists see the economy advancing at about 2% annually over the next 10 years. Alice Rivlin, a former Fed vice chair and director of the Office of Management and Budget under Clinton, said its true that the Obama administrations growth assumptions proved too optimistic. But she noted that those projections were not unreasonable for that time and period in the economic cycle. Then, there was greater potential for growth with unemployment high and many more people than today available for work. Today, the economy is nearing its eighth year of expansion, and the jobless rate is 4.4%, at or near full employment. With the aging of baby boomers, labor force growth slowing, and lackluster productivity gains, economists see the current moderate growth persisting for the foreseeable future. This has been a very long period of growth and were at the high end already, Rivlin said. If we are so lucky to have continuous, steady growth, its not likely to be at 3% or 4% or 5%. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Who wins and who loses in Trumps budget The White House Office of Management and Budget sent Congress the presidents inaugural budget today, projecting spending and revenues over the next 10 years. The fiscal package, which include a partial skinny budget from March, reflects President Trumps priorities for the nation, but lawmakers are sure to reject many of the deep cuts in domestic and foreign affairs programs. The departments of State, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Education and Housing, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, are the biggest losers. The winners are the Pentagon and Homeland Security programs. Even with the increases in defense spending and large tax cuts, the administration projects that economic growth spurred by tax cuts will erase annual deficits by 2027. Take a look at some of the numbers released today. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement What that Montana special congressional race will and wont tell us about Trump and his political problems By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Rob Quist is a quintessential cowboy who doesnt seem to relish campaigning in Montanas special congressional election. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) On Thursday, the political world will eagerly look to Montana and a closely fought congressional race for the latest test of Democratic strength and Republican resilience in the turbulent age of Trump. The major candidates and outside groups have sunk more than $8 million into the contest, a huge sum in a state where $250,000 pays for a robust week of television advertising. But for all that money and all the outside interest, the election will turn less on national trends than circumstances close to home: on the personalities and histories of the main contestants, their different campaign styles and, perhaps most of all, on who is regarded as the more authentic Montanan. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Terrorist attack in England has conservative media focused on safety of allies By Kurtis Lee (Dave Thompson/Getty images ) Its a sight witnessed all too often: an explosion, screams, people sprinting to safety. Late Monday night, this was the scene at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, after a man with possible ties to Islamic State militants set off a suicide bomb, killing 22 people and, once again, setting in motion a global discourse on how to fight terrorism. President Trump, while visiting Bethlehem, said the attack was committed by evil losers in life. Throughout the campaign and early in his presidency, Trump has said defeating the Islamic State is a top priority. (He reiterated that point in a speech Sunday in Saudi Arabia, urging Muslim leaders to plot their own course in combating terrorism.) In recent months, with attacks in Berlin, Paris and London, conservative media have questioned the safety of Europe and warned that the United States could face similar attacks. With the latest attack, some on the right are again homing in on the safety of our allies. Here are some of todays headlines: 2017 has seen a terror attack attempted in Europe every nine days (Breitbart) The attack in Manchester blankets the home page of the right-wing website. Europe has indeed been the location of high-profile attacks this year. In Paris last month, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on the Champs-Elysees in which a man fired an automatic weapon, killing a police officer. And in March, a man plowed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, near the British Parliament in London, and then fatally stabbed a police officer. In all, four people were killed and dozens injured in what police called a terrorist attack. The Breitbart piece is an analysis of different terrorist attacks attempted and carried out in Europe since January. Attacks and attempted attacks have taken place in Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Germany, on average every nine days, the piece says. Pences message of civility and open debate lost on those who most needed to hear it (Weekly Standard) The debate over free speech on colleges campuses continues. In recent months, conservative speakers have canceled speeches on college campuses in the face of anticipated protests. And others, who have opted to speak, have faced vocal backlash. On Sunday, as Vice President Mike Pence began to address students at the University of Notre Dame commencement, several dozen stood and walked out of the ceremony. In his speech, Pence talked about civility and open debate, and this piece argues that the m Businesses surrounding a Starbucks in downtown Burbank were evacuated late Tuesday evening after police received word of a suspicious item on a patio table outside the coffee shop. A call came in shortly before 10 p.m. regarding an item left at the Starbucks located at 300 N. San Fernando Blvd. According to Burbank Police Sgt. Celia Hawver, the item had been unattended for an extended period of time and had some type of copper wiring on its outside, which prompted an employee at the shop to inform police. [The person said] it was just suspicious, and it had been sitting out there with no one around, Hawver said. A cordon was set up around the coffee shop, and deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments bomb squad were called in to assist with the item, according to Hawver. Residents took to social media to voice their displeasure about the incident and the subsequent response by authorities. Love walking home when all the streets .. helicopters and bomb squad has all streets blocked #burbank pic.twitter.com/wM15eGvKDU Lauren Jacobs (@laurenjacobsnet) May 3, 2017 That awkward moment when there's a bomb scare at #burbank and they evacuated everyone except the restaurant you are currently working in... Zack Goodrich (@Zack_The_Nerd) May 3, 2017 At around 11:45 p.m., the item was deemed safe, and the area surrounding the Starbucks was reopened. Hawver said no one was injured during the incident. It is unknown who left the item or whats inside it. The incident remains under investigation. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc A section of sea walls on Balboa Island will receive some quick repairs in preparation for severe El Nino storms expected this winter. The Newport Beach City Council voted 6 to 0 to approve a contract with Metro Builders & Engineers Group Tuesday night for the contractor to build up sand embankments located along the bottom of sea walls along the east and west end of the Grand Canal. Councilman Marshall Duffy Duffield was absent. The work is expected to last about 16 days and cost roughly $246,500, according to city documents. The contractor will transport the sand used for the project from the base of the Santa Ana River to the Grand Canal, which divides the main island from Little Balboa Island. The reinforcement effort stemmed from city staffers recent inspection of the structural design of the walls, which showed that the sand has sloughed from its 4-foot-wide shelf since it was reprofiled in 1999, leaving the lower section of the sea walls exposed and vulnerable through the length of the canal, officials said. We asked staff to bring in sand to reinforce it in advance of the winter season as a preventative measure in case there are any problems due to El Nino, said Mayor Ed Selich, who represents Balboa Island. Sea wall repairs are not a new topic for Balboa Island residents. The City Council first set a goal in early 2010 to look into preparedness for rising sea levels. A study completed in 2011 indicated the walls had as little as 10 years of useful life left. The Grand Canal is home to some of the areas most deteriorated sea walls, the oldest of which were built about 90 years ago and have wide cracks and other structural issues. After years of discussion about how best to handle the aging infrastructure, the council indicated during a study session in July that it is in favor of repairing, but not replacing, the 2 miles of sea walls surrounding the island in the coming years, beginning first with the walls that are the most damaged. The structures play an important role as the islands first line of defense against rising tides during El Nino storms. Balboa Island, known during rain events as the citys bathtub because of its lack of drainage, has flooded from previous El Nino storms. During the 1982-83 El Nino season, people floated in canoes and inflatable rafts past parked cars on the islands streets after a severe downpour. Nearly every winter during especially high tides, city workers pump sea water back into the ocean after it has lapped over the walls. With forecasters predicting this winters El Nino to be one of the most severe on record, some Balboa Island residents are already thinking about how to protect their homes from water damage. This El Nino is a little bit scary, said Ken Yonkers, president of the Little Balboa Island Property Owners Assn. Thats why Im glad its coming up and being discussed by the city. The council will discuss how homeowners can prepare for El Nino during a study session on Oct. 13. Are you confused about digital media? Does it seem like a sinister plot to control our children one moment and a wondrous development the next? Rest assured, you are not alone. Theres good reason for being perplexed about the effects of computerization and mobile technology on our youth. In large measure, its because were being fed so much bewildering and often contradictory information on the topic that its difficult to get a handle on exactly whats happening. Consider the following case in point: In the space of just a few days recently, the influential American Academy of Pediatrics issued some research findings and policy guidelines that, while meant to clarify issues surrounding digital media, also might have had the concurrent effect of jumbling our understanding further. One study, the academy announced, found that the more time children spend using digital devices, the less likely they are to finish their homework. Another research project focused on the dangers of parents over-sharing information about their kids on social media. Yet roughly around the same time as it presented such ominous information, the academy also announced that it had backed away from its longstanding recommendation to shield children under 2 years old completely from televisions, computers tablets or mobile devices. In its policy statement, the organization modified its guidelines, indicating that specific educational programming can be safely introduced to children at 18 months but that parents should watch or use the media with their children to guide them and help them learn. A 2014 Harvard Family Research Project painted another murky picture. On the one hand, it extolled the virtues of digital media, saying effective uses by children can be engaging and empowering, and that even very young children can benefit. On the other hand, it warned that excessive screen time can be harmful to kids, regardless of content and that parents are more apt to consider the upside, educational benefits instead of the downsides of technology. Whats a well-meaning parent to do when the line between what is and isnt appropriate or healthy is often as clear as mud? I put the question to Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center in Newport Beach. The truth is, there are no hard and fast rules, she said. Technology is part of the fabric of everyday life for kids in a way that we parents will probably never understand. That said, Rutledge did have some suggestions for parents, which Ill attempt to summarize. First, she counsels parents to change their perspective and stop thinking about online worlds as separate from what they consider to be the real world. If their goal is to teach their children to be good citizens, then they should make it clear that they expect the same types of attitudes and behaviors while their kids are online as they do in all other settings. She also advises parents to let common sense be their guide. Change is hard, she acknowledged, and its always difficult to strike a balance between allowing kids to grow and protecting them from harm. Let your decisions be guided by your fundamental goals, values and morals, not fear of the unknown, she said. Rutledge also emphasized the importance of parents starting early and maintaining an open, two-way dialogue with their children about technology. Let kids explain how things work and why they like them, while parents can calmly and in a nonthreatening manner describe their concerns. Slowly let out the leash as kids display greater maturity, she recommends. And perhaps most difficult but equally important is that if parents want their children to follow an agreed-upon set of behaviors regarding digital media, then they too must adhere to those guidelines. That means paying attention to their kids first, not their phones. And what about very young children? As in all aspects of life, its all about balance, Rutledge said. Some organizations recommend whats called either a Family Media Plan or Family Media Use Plan, and even have online instructions to guide users through various steps to develop individualized plans for each household. While such tools can be helpful, Dr. Rutledge thinks that trying to adopt and follow a rigid plan for regulating the amount of screen time allowed might be a bit too complicated and time-consuming than necessary. Instead of adhering to a specific number for screen time, she said, its better to focus on ensuring that children are getting an adequate amount of active play, interaction with parents and others, and quality sleep, as well as sufficient time for schoolwork and family meals. Also, for young kids, the content on their devices is more important than the actual amount of time spent using them. Rutledge also emphasized that there is no one correct way to raise children, and we should all avoid the temptation to judge other parents for their choices. If you are conscientious, concerned and trying hard to have your kids best interests at heart, you are making the right decisions, she said. My kids used screens quite a bit. We also read a lot, sewed together and did crafts. One grew up to be a software engineer, the other a teacher. The bottom line, when it comes to technology or any other parenting challenge, she said, is this: You know your child. Trust your judgment. PATRICE APODACA is a former Newport-Mesa public school parent and former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She lives in Newport Beach. In an era when journalism is challenged on many levels, The Orange County Press Club exists to support, promote, and defend quality journalism in Southern California, reads its mission statement. We believe that a free press is crucial to a free society. OC Press Club board member and Voice of OC Publisher Norberto Santana Jr. tells me its important to ensure a vibrant OC Press Club, especially in this era of fake news and questions about our trade. Santana says theres value in journalists coming together by recognizing our craft, helping younger journalists get started and advocating for transparency and First Amendment issues. The press club, founded in the 1950s, has about 175 members, according to Board President Roger Bloom. Bloom, who worked for the Orange County Register and Daily Pilot, served as club president from 1992-93 and says, Im kind of like the Jerry Brown of the press club; every 20 years I come around. The annual Press Club Awards Dinner takes place May 15 at the Balboa Bay Club. Local journalists will be honored for achievements in about 50 categories, including print, advocacy, blogs, broadcast and photography. Even my Stasha the Wonder Dog, who writes a monthly column Stasha Speaks for Stu News Newport, entered the Best Lifestyle/Family Blog category. Bloom welcomes the entry, quipping, Were a big tent club. If youre interested in journalism, were not going to count the number of your legs. Entrees were submitted in March and then parceled out to be judged by press clubs in Cleveland, Idaho and San Francisco. The OC Press Club judges these clubs awards as well. Winners dont know if theyve won prior to the dinner, but lets face it, this isnt the Oscars and protocols here are a bit different. We let people know it might be worth their while to show up, but we dont tell them if they won or not, Bloom says. The most coveted award is the Sky Dunlap Lifetime Achievement Award. Its the highest honor bestowed by the club and is named for John William Sky Dunlap, 1912-1968, who owned and published The Globe, an independent O.C. newspaper, with his wife, Velma Bishop . Past recipients include Frank Mickadeit, formerly of the OC Register; Gustavo Arellano, editor of OC Weekly; and Steve Churm, former chief executive of Churm Media. This years winner is my mentor, the man who gave me my first writing job: Tom Johnson, former publisher of the Daily Pilot. Johnson is now publisher of Stu News Newport, a twice-weekly online news source launched in September. He also serves as president of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce and is the on-air radio personality on KOCI with Stu News Newport, a Sunday program to which I contribute. Hes received many awards for his involvement in the community, including Newport Beach Citizen of the Year, 2011; Costa Mesa Man of the Year, 1998; and Newport Beach Commodore of the Year, 1999. Johnson also was publisher of the Daily Pilot from 1991-2008. He certainly is well-deserving of this award and respected by his peers. The Daily Pilot continues to benefit from the foundation Tom Johnson put down so many years ago when we were on Bay Street, says John Canalis, who oversees the Pilot as executive editor of Times Community News. He lifted what was then a struggling paper and turned it into one that is not only financially viable but also journalistically sound and deeply connected to the communities it serves. The work he did here was lasting. Santana adds, Tom represents the best of our field and local community. With deep roots in Orange County over the course of so many years, hes worked energetically both as a publisher and writer, across numerous platforms (print, online, radio, mainstream, and nonprofit) to get people news about their community, I admire his dedication to his craft and community as well as his accessibility and adaptability over his career. Johnson has a long legacy as a newsman in O.C. Im very pleased and excited that the club will be honoring Tom Johnson for his decades of service to journalism and the Newport-Costa Mesa community, says Bloom, who worked with Johnson at the Newport Beach Independent. Tom is a great man who embodies the spirit of professionalism and service, and countless peoples lives are better because of his efforts. The public is welcome to attend the dinner. Tickets are $65 for nonmembers and can be purchased at https://www. orangecountypressclub.com BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com. Fashions from Bloomingdales will be on the runway May 13 when six provisional debutantes present Springin in the Rain at the La Canada Thursday Club, 4440 Woodleigh Lane. The event gets underway at 11 a.m. Lauren Gilmour, Megan Gmelich, Grace Marchosky, Elena Melehani, Reagan Meyers and Sydney Lew, who are in the midst of their 16-month Les Fleurettes program, will be the featured models. The Thursday Club has sponsored the debutante program since the 1950s. It is open to all mothers and their daughters who live in La Canada Flintridge and neighboring communities. The girls begin the program when they are in their junior year of high school and complete it as seniors. For more Les Fleurettes program details, email Kim Ortiz at thebartines@aol.com, or attend the fashion show to learn all about it. carol.cormaci@latimes.com Twitter: @CarolCormaci The Norwegian Sky sailed into Havana on Tuesday morning, the first of the cruise lines ships to visit Cuba. Norwegian scheduled 30 cruises to the island nation this year and recently announced 33 new sailings between Miami and Cuba in 2018. To mark the occasion, Norwegian president and chief executive Frank del Rio, who was born in Cuba, cut the ribbon at a ceremony Tuesday at the port Tuesday. He described the event as very emotional, according to media reports. Del Rio left the country 55 years ago and returned for the first time last year. The Sky will sail four-night cruises between Miami and Cuba, some overnighting in Havana and stopping in the lines private island Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Those who dont spend the extra night in Havana will stop in Key West, Fla. Prices start at $549 per person, excluding port fees and taxes. The ship holds 2,004 passengers. Info: Norwegian Cruise Line, (866) 234-7350. Other brands that have made their first visit to Cuba: Oceania Cruises in March and Regent Seven Seas Mariner in April (both owned by Norwegians parent company). Royal Caribbeans Empress of the Seas made that cruise lines first trip to Havana on April 23. ALSO On a European river cruise along the Danube, watch beauty glide by from your bed or go explore the sights A cruise that costs $59? Yes, and you'll need to bring your passport Lifeguards coming to swimming pools aboard Norwegian cruise ships On some cruise lines, there are no wallflowers, thanks to gentlemen hosts. How do you get to be one of those guys? travel@latimes.com @latimestravel North Korea is building artificial islands in the Yellow Sea and topping them with what appear to be military installations, satellite images reveal. The development suggests that North Korea has taken a cue from China, which has been stoking regional tensions by building and militarizing several artificial islands in the South China Sea in recent years. The images show that North Korea has been working for at least five years on the islands near Sohae, about 70 miles northwest of Pyongyang, the capital. Sohae is known as a testing site for intercontinental ballistic missile technology. As late as 2012, three of the islands, which are scattered around a small peninsula jutting into the Yellow Sea, were rocky, tree-studded specks; two were patches of sand. In Google Earth images from December 2016, all appear to contain features consistent with military installations, such as wide roads and paved, rectangular lots. All are in North Koreas waters, close to the countrys shoreline. Advertisement Their purpose remains unclear. North Korea could use the islands for ballistic missile launches, anti-aircraft weapons, anti-ship weapons or even for agriculture, with no military purpose in mind. We cant make definitive statements as to what these islands are being used for, said Ryan Barenklau, chief executive of Strategic Sentinel, a Washington-based intelligence firm that has analyzed the images and wrote about them in the Diplomat, an online magazine. Military use is likely, he continued. Roads on the islands feature wide turns, indicating that they could be used for transporter erector launchers: massive, missile-bearing trucks. Light patches on the rectangular lots could be heat-resistant cement, a sign that they may have been designed as launch pads. And they have observation areas, for someone like [the countrys leader] Kim Jong Un to observe a missile launch, he continued. Every time we see VIP buildings, that tells us theres most likely a military application, because Kim Jong Un likes to view the operations of whatever theyre building. Every time we see VIP buildings, that tells us theres most likely a military application, because Kim Jong Un likes to view the operations. ... Ryan Barenklau, chief executive of Strategic Sentinel At first we were really concerned about what the initial purpose of those islands are whether theyre for military or agriculture purposes but when we saw the observation decks, we thought, those are military. Tensions on the Korean peninsula are at their highest point in years. North Korea possesses nuclear weapons, and has tested several ballistic missiles in recent months; analysts say it could soon be able to launch a nuclear strike on the U.S. President Trump has responded by diverting a naval strike group toward the Korean peninsula. North Korean media have warned that the country is being driven to a point close to nuclear war. (Rhetoric on both sides has cooled slightly; on Monday, Trump said that he would be honored to meet with Kim under the right circumstances.) North Koreas man-made islands are nowhere near as numerous, nor as elaborate, as Chinas. Beijing has built and militarized several islands in the South China Sea to shore up its territorial claims over most of the resource-rich, 1.35-million-square-mile body of water, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. (Chinese authorities say the projects are for civilian, not military use, despite ample evidence to the contrary.) Some of North Koreas new islands appear to be a part of the Taegyedo Tideland Reclamation Project, which its government began decades ago and finished in 2012. North Korean state media said that the area, once part of the Yellow Sea, now contains a fish farm, a duck farm, and an oyster farm. The project is equal to an area of a county, wrote the official Korean Central News Agency. Yet the North Koreans build just about everything for dual purpose, said Steve Sin, a researcher on unconventional weapons and technology at the University of Maryland. So, building something that is of military use on an agricultural project is certainly within its usual pattern. North Korea has been known to test-launch missiles from airports that it ostensibly built for civilian use. Sin said that if the islands are used for missile launches, theyre probably not intended for long-range ballistic missiles. North Korea still has to stack and fuel those at the launch site itself, he said. Its more likely that they are intended for shorter-range missiles such as KN-02 and Scuds, which are more portable, he said. He added the islands themselves arent particularly surprising. All countries with coastlines have been reclaiming coastal land for various purposes for hundreds if not thousands of years, and North Korea is no exception, he said. Yet, if theyre actually for missile launches, they could demonstrate North Koreas unwavering commitment to the continued development of its missile and space technology and by extension, its nuclear program. So, that would be the relevance of these developments, he continued. If, and only if, the original assessment is correct. ALSO Heres whats driving North Koreas nuclear program and it might be more than self-defense We went to North Korea. You asked hundreds of questions. Heres what we found North Korea puts its long-range missiles on parade in massive military show jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com For more news from Asia, follow @JRKaiman on Twitter The two candidates in Frances presidential runoff Sunday have both campaigned on a promise of change, but have starkly different visions for the country. Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker who took the top spot in the first round of voting last month, is a pro-European centrist with a message of openness and inclusivity toward immigrants and minorities. His far-right challenger, the National Fronts Marine Le Pen, proposes to fortify France against outsiders, ban Islamic veils and other so-called displays of communitarianism in public places, and hold a Brexit -style referendum on leaving the European Union . Here is what they have to say on key issues in the election. Some of the links are in French. Islamism in France Macron The trap in which you are falling, Mme. Le Pen, with your provocations, is to divide society, that is to say that the more than 4 million Frenchmen and Frenchwomen whose religion is Islam and who are, for the vast majority, absolutely not into communitarianism, to make them out to be enemies of the republic. Well not me! Dont divide the French over this. Lets be pragmatic and responsible. Presidential debate, March 20, 2017 Le Pen The truth is there has been a rise of Islamist fundamentalism in our country for some years. If we dont say it, then we are refusing to face reality. So not only must we promote secularism, but we must fight against communitarianism. You dont want to see the seriousness of what is happening. The fact remains that a few years ago there were no burkinis on the beaches. Presidential debate, March 20, 2017 How to fight terrorism Macron The battle to destroy our enemies must be waged outside our borders. In Iraq, in Syria, thats where are found the inspirers or the sponsors of those who kill here, in Europe and in France.... On the domestic level, my commitment is clear: 10,000 jobs for policemen and gendarmes will be created over the next five-year term. I want more responsive and effective intelligence. To this end, I will set up directly within the presidency of the republic a coordinating body I called it a task force capable of acting 24 hours a day against [Islamic State]. Strong action will be taken to combat Islamist radicalization, including on the Internet. Statement on April 21, 2017 Le Pen Since we are at war with Islamist fundamentalism, we will apply to the enemies of France all the legal devices of a state of war. Foreigners with S [security] files will be taken back to the border. Binationals with S files will be deprived of their French nationality and, with ambiguity as to their real nationality lifted, will be sent back to their countries. The French who are on file will be prosecuted for contact with the enemy. The places of Islamist preaching will be closed, and those who sow hatred condemned and expelled. Speech in Lyons on Feb. 5, 2017 Immigration Macron Immigration is an economic, cultural and social opportunity. In all theories of growth, it is one of the positive determinants. When we know how to integrate them, to train them, women and men renew our society, give it fresh impetus, impulses of inventiveness and innovation. Interview with Reforme weekly, March 2, 2017 Le Pen For many French people, massive immigration is an oppression. Immigration is only seen as an opportunity by these big bosses who profit from imported labor to reduce salaries and leave the French people to bear the social costs. Speech in Paris on April 17, 2017 What it means to be a patriot Macron I want to be your president, the president of all the people of France, the president of patriots, to face the threat of nationalists. The challenge is to resolve to make a complete break with the system that has been incapable of responding to the problems of our country for more than 30 years. The challenge is to open a new page in our political life and to act so that everyone is able to find their place in France and in Europe. First round victory speech on April 23, 2017 Le Pen The primaries have shown that debates on secularism or immigration, as well as on globalization or widespread deregulation, constitute a fundamental and transversal cleavage. This cleavage no longer opposes the right and the left, but patriots and globalists. In this presidential election, we represent the patriots' camp. What drives us is not the love of money or special interests, but concern for the homeland. Speech in Lyons on Feb. 5, 2017 Globalization Macron I do not have a project of happy, naive globalization. I just say: We are in the world. France itself, its values, what makes us great, what makes us France is the Francophonie, it is our diplomacy, it is the place we have in the world. We are anything but shrinking. Interview with France 2 on April 25, 2017 Le Pen The great issue of this election is the savage globalization that endangers our civilization. The French have a very simple choice: Either we continue on the path of total deregulation, without borders and without protection, with consequences: [business] relocation, unfair international competition, mass immigration, free movement of terrorists. Or you choose France, the borders that protect our jobs, our purchasing power, our security, our national identity. First round victory speech on April 23, 2017 The European Union Macron Europe protects. What you are proposing, Mme. Le Pen, is in effect to reduce the purchasing power of the French people. What you are proposing is economic warfare, and we are neither Switzerland nor South Korea, Mme. Le Pen. The reality of our economic life is that it will mean the destruction of jobs. What you are proposing is nationalism. We have to know where we are coming from, and where this separation [from Europe] will bring us. Nationalism is war. Presidential debate April 4, 2017 Le Pen I will go negotiate in Brussels to regain control of the essential instruments of sovereignty, without which it is not possible to change things: frontiers, money, economic policy, the supremacy of French law. I will then submit this big question of our membership of the European Union to a referendum. It is up to the people and them alone to decide on a subject of this importance. The austerity policy imposed on us by the European Union is destroying France. Speech at Pageas on April 13, 2017 alexandra.zavis@latimes.com Twitter: @alexzavis ALSO European Union leaders minus Britain gather ahead of 'Brexit' negotiations to plot their moves French candidates call a brief truce as France honors officer killed by Champs-Elysees gunman A small town in Italy was losing population. Now Syrian refugees are key to its survival Hours after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was attacked last week outside his Moscow office with a green-colored antiseptic, he sat down in his studio to record a video on his YouTube channel, Navalny Live. The Kremlin critics face, neck and hands were stained bright green. His left eye was encircled in red and bloodshot. The right eye was swollen shut. Today you have probably noticed that Im not looking as I normally do, Navalny said. Upbeat and defiant, he described what happened. Advertisement On April 27, Navalny was leaving his Anti-Corruption Foundation office when an assailant splashed a commonly used antiseptic called zelyonka in his face. It wasnt the first time Navalny had been doused in zelyonka. A month before Thursdays attack, Navalny, who says he will run against Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, was sprayed in the face with the green liquid while on a campaign stop in the Siberian city of Barnaul. That time, the man whose Anti-Corruption Foundation has drawn the Kremlins ire for its investigations into high-level Russian government figures, including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, spun the green dye to his advantage. He painted his whole face green and urged his supporters to come out to march against what he claims is Kremlin-orchestrated corruption. His supporters followed his lead, posting photos of themselves painted green on social media. It became a symbol of the Russian opposition movement protesting corruption. Navalny next rallied support for anti-corruption mass protests that saw tens of thousands of demonstrators turn out in 82 cities across Russia on March 26. Thousands were arrested during the protests, including Navalny. The protests were the largest in Russia since 2012, when there were mass demonstrations after parliamentary elections. But in the aftermath of the April 27 attack, Navalny is taking a more serious tone. This time, chemical burns cost him 80% of his sight in his right eye, he said on his Facebook page. His doctors, he said, believe that the severity of his injury indicates that some other, more toxic substance must have been mixed in with the green antiseptic. So far this is not irreversible, he wrote on Facebook. His treatments will continue and there is hope his sight will return, he said. In a photo taken on April 27, 2017, Yulia, wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, treats him after unknown attackers doused him with green antiseptic outside a conference venue in Moscow. (Evgeny Feldman / Associated Press) Navalny blamed the attack on Kremlin associates and said he would file a complaint against the Moscow police for not properly investigating his attack. Meanwhile, Navalny supporters said they had used a video of the attack shown on a state-owned TV report and social media to identify two of the suspected assailants. One has close ties to a Russian parliament member and the other is a member of a radical, pro-Kremlin group called the South-East Russia Block, the activists said. Despite their sleuthing, human rights activists said its unlikely Navalnys attack will be solved. More serious attacks in the past have gone unsolved. They do it because they know they are living in a state of impunity, a state Putin has created, said Vladimir Kara-Murza, an opposition politician and vice chairman of Open Russia, a pro-democracy group. Kara-Murza was a close associate of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. He said he has survived two poisoning attempts, the last one in February, when he suffered from acute organ failure. Zelyonka is nothing when they know that they can kill a man in front of the Kremlin or poison another, he said, speaking during a visit to New York. Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, was shot and killed outside the Kremlin wall in 2015. Five men associated with the president of Chechnya are standing trial in that case, but attorneys for Nemtsovs family have expressed doubt that they are the real organizers of the killing. Navalny was not the only anti-corruption investigator to suffer from a douse of zelyonka last week. Attacks against journalists, opposition leaders and civil society activists have increased since the last parliamentary elections in September 2016, said Viktor Davidoff, the editor of the Chronicle of Current Events, which tracks human rights violations. The day before Navalnys attack, Ilya Varlamov, a popular Russian blogger and independent journalist who focuses on corruption within Russias regional governments, was attacked in the southern city of Stavropol by a group of men, who threw zelyonka, eggs and flour at the blogger. The next day, in Yoshkar-Ola, about 400 miles east of Moscow, investigative journalist Galina Sidorava was attacked with a jar of zelyonka thrown at her back. Later that day, the window was smashed in the training room where Sidorava was conducting seminars for local journalists. After the March 26 protest, the attacks grew more violent, Davidoff said, adding that he has recently received death threats. Many of us are looking for somewhere safe to go. If it continues, for sure I will leave. Ayres is a special correspondent. sabra.ayres@latimes.com Twitter: @sabraayres ALSO G-7 ministers aim to press Russia to stop backing Assad Clinton blames the FBI, Russia, WikiLeaks and also herself for 2016 loss Russian hacker went from poverty to making millions in stolen credit cards. Now hes facing 27 years in prison Sgt. Monesa Kashefi was once afraid of gunfire. Now the 25-year-old has taken part in more than 1,000 combat operations in six years. Kashefi is one of several dozen women serving in an elite Afghan police force, the Crisis Response Unit, that increasingly finds itself at the center of the countrys long war with Taliban militants. But Kashefi doesnt just battle the Taliban. She is also up against Afghan traditions, which relegate women to domestic roles and near-invisibility in the body-length garment known as the burqa. The U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan has long tried to increase the recruitment of women in Afghan security forces, but they have never made up more than 1% of forces. In 2016 alone, the United States budgeted $93.5 million to bolster the ranks of female soldiers and police in Afghanistan, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a watchdog agency. Advertisement But the office said in a report last year that female recruits leave the security forces because of opposition from male relatives, problems with male colleagues, low pay, family obligations, lack of promotion or meaningful assignment opportunities, and a lack of training and security. The Crisis Response Unit is often the first to respond to major attacks, as it did last month when Taliban militants raided a northern base and killed more than 100 soldiers. The unit has come under pressure as Afghanistans conventional soldiers and police face increasing casualties from the Taliban and allied insurgents. Officials would not disclose the total number of commandos in the Crisis Response Unit, but they are believed to number about 5,000, spread across all 34 Afghan provinces. The unit has filled only 83 of the 254 positions set aside for women. Kashefi eschews the burqa while on duty, instead wearing fatigues and a black head scarf under her helmet, while carrying 33 pounds of equipment including an antiballistic vest, AK-47 assault weapon, radio and canteen. She marches through mud, water and forests the same as men do, she said during a recent interview in Kabul, on a break between missions. While she misses her family deployments keep her away from her three children for months at a time she said she loves her job. Id love to spend my entire life in my unit, she said. Commanders say Kashefi and other women fill a crucial role by conducting body searches of women during raids on suspected insurgent houses. Under the strict Islamic laws observed in Afghanistan, male officers cannot search women. Kashefi described a recent operation in Logar, the rugged eastern province where she is based along with about 450 commandos. At a house where two Taliban militants were believed to be hiding, a woman came to the door and it fell to Kashefi to speak with her. When Kashefi asked to search her, the woman fell to the ground and feigned a stomachache, she said. Kashefi searched her anyway and found a pistol and two hand grenades on her body. She and the two men were quickly arrested, Kashefi said. The woman started crying and said that Taliban fighters were forcing her to host and cook for them. It is not common for Afghan women to spend weeks at a time away from home or work alongside men, although Kashefi said she enjoys the respect of the men in her unit, calling them brothers. A senior Crisis Response Unit commander, Maj. Gen. Sayed Mohammad Roshandil, praised Kashefis courage. He said she once helped carry a male officer who was wounded in a combat operation an unusual thing for an Afghan woman to do, but a sign of her dedication. The women in our units are really brave, Roshandil said. But officials acknowledged that women in the security forces are not frequently promoted, and not all enjoy such support. One female Afghan Interior Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue, said women in the Afghan special forces often struggled to maintain their Islamic modesty and also faced sexual harassment from senior officers. Some senior officials invite their female colleagues for night parties, the official said. If the ladies say no, they never get promoted. Unfortunately, some women surrender to their seniors demands. Kashefi is the sole breadwinner in her family. Her monthly salary of about $640, along with a small bonus for each combat operation, supports her mother, brothers and three young children, who live with family members in Kabul. (She wont publicly discuss her marital status.) She never thought of taking any other job, having joined the special forces after leaving school in ninth grade. I chose to join the military because I want to fight, she said. I fight for peace. ALSO Afghan woman risks all to bring color to war-torn Kabul with her street art and feminist murals In Afghanistan, women face entrenched harassment U.N. says Afghanistans court system fails women Faizy is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Shashank Bengali contributed to this report from Mumbai, India. Photographer Wu Dis studio, tucked away in a dusty corner of northeast Beijing, isnt easy to find, but the mannequin out front wearing a military-style gas mask and a Roots sweatshirt is a sign youre in the right place. Inside, Wu showed off some of his work, like the stylized shot of mannequins in brand-name clothes posed near a swirling cesspool of discharge from garment factories. Recently, he photographed a child wearing 445 paper face masks stretching out like an elephants trunk. The government has promised the air quality will meet standards in 2030. So that means well have about 1,500 days of air below the standard between now and then. If you need one mask every three days, thats 445, he said, explaining his calculation using the number of good days and bad days in those 16 years. Advertisement The backbeat to life in China these days is a drone of statistics about the degraded environment: State media have reported that nearly 60% of Chinas groundwater is polluted and 19.4% of farmland is contaminated. Of 2,028 days between April 2008 and March 2014, Beijing had just 25 days of air quality considered good by U.S. standards, figures from the U.S. Embassy here showed. The reports aim to inform and even shock citizens and officials into action, yet the effect can be the opposite paralyzing. Increasingly, though, artists are finding their muse in the ecological mire. With photos, paintings, conceptual pieces and performances, theyre piercing through the din of data, seizing the attention and imagination of both the authorities and the public. Beijing artist Liang Kegang grabbed headlines recently when he auctioned off some fresh air from France; the small glass jam jar with a hinged top, rubber seal and simple sticker Aix en Provence, FRANCE sold for about $860. On a gloomy, bad-air day this winter, 20 artist friends wearing face masks convened at the capitals Temple of Heaven and lay down on the ground. Later, they posed for a tourist-like group shot, each clutching a typical postcard of the historic site that showed the cake-like tiers of the structure stretching out against a blue sky. On another smoggy day, Wu composed a photo of a young girl with an oxygen tube running from her nose to a green, heart-shaped balloon. It made the pages of Chinese Newsweek and other publications. Recently, Wu has been tramping through nearby Hebei province, home to seven of Chinas 10 most polluted cities. The factories and power plants that produce much of Beijings haze are there; Wu has posed people camping in a bleak field in front of one complex, and doctors dancing in another. Its easier, in a way, to shoot documentary photos, but using an artistic way seems to make more of a difference, said Wu, who has taken journalistic pictures for Greenpeace. The artistic way has more impact and lasts longer. :: From afar, Yao Lus works look like poetic scenes of mountains, rivers and waterfalls, with craggy trees and little pavilions. Examine them closely, though, and youll see heaps of detritus and rubble. Like Wu, Yao has found inspiration in Chinas blighted landscapes, though his computer-centric approach is less risky and his style less confrontational. Using software, Yao has taken his photos of Beijing garbage mounds and digitally layered them with elements from traditional Chinese landscape brush-and-ink paintings. Yao said inspiration struck before the 2008 Summer Olympics, when seemingly every quarter of Beijing was under construction. There were just mountains of garbage, many covered with green cloths, he said. These reminded me of paintings from the Song Dynasty. Yaos New Landscapes series evolved slowly; over the last seven years he has created about 35 pieces, exhibiting in Europe, New York, South Korea, Singapore and elsewhere. (You can view his works on a free iPad app as well.) Though the reception has been strong, particularly overseas, the project has been a bit draining emotionally. In 2013, he decided to halt work on the pieces. I was not very excited when I did this series. Of course, I was excited about the composition and the elements, but I felt heavy, he recalled. In a way, it shows how we are sort of helpless Chinese painting is a product of the spiritual high ground of Chinese intellectuals. Now, such high ground consists of piles of garbage. When painter Ai Song embarked on his 16-piece series Health Check, it was winter 2011, Beijing was blanketed in snow, and the air pollution was off the charts. Ai noticed that the snow looked very dirty, so he gathered up a bunch and put it in a cold room. In the ensuing days, he sculpted the snow into shapes of human organs, including lungs. He placed the mounds on absorbent paper and let it melt, creating gray patterns. Air cant be seen, but you can feel it inside your body. Imagine all these particles and dirt entering your body every day, he said. Youre not in a good mood. Ais use of smoggy snow calls to mind the work of downtown L.A. artist Kim Abeles, who moved to Southern California in the late 1970s and was shocked by the haze. When I first moved here, Id mention it to people all the time and they would try to convince me it was just fog, she recalled. So she began making art about the topic; her series The Smog Collectors includes pieces such as a silk tablecloth that was stenciled by leaving it outside. Her Presidential Commemorative Smog Plates feature portraits of U.S. leaders and their quotes on the environment and business, made with smog residue. Art paves the way to open up dialogue where people dont want to talk about it, Abeles said. Eventually, the state of California began funding some of her pieces to raise public awareness about air pollution, automobile emissions testing and ride-share programs. :: Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde is hoping Chinese officials will take a similar shine to his pollution-themed work. He has devised an ambitious project to hoover contaminants out of Beijings dirty skies using a giant vacuum cleaner-type device. The pollution particles, he says, can be compressed into something resembling gemstones, and sales of the jewelry hes thinking 1 million rings priced around $30 can fund the purification technology. In March, Roosegaarde was invited to a soiree at Amsterdams Royal Palace, where the Dutch king was hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping. He had about eight minutes with the Chinese leader, so he decided to cut right to the chase. I told him: We are inspired by your smog, said Roosegaarde, who also chatted with Xis wife, Peng Liyuan. Xi looked at me a bit weird. And the official people became a bit nervous, because you know China, they dont like to be too confronted with it. But at the same time, it is there. You cannot ignore it, said Roosegaarde, who splits his time between Europe and Shanghai. Then he saw the smog rings and he was like, Oh, you daring Dutch! They really liked it. In a few weeks, hell be in Beijing meeting with city representatives about funding and the possibility of installing his vacuum cleaner in a public park. The concept is akin to a huge ionic air purifier. If you create a large electrostatic field, pollutants in the air become positively charged and are attracted toward a collector plate. These kind of projects are not the solution for smog. Its clean industry, electric cars, he said. But the park and rings are experiences, he added, that move people away from all the numbers and the fact sheets. One problem, though, is that Roosegaardes vacuum will yield only enough particles to create 15 or 16 smog rings a day. He wants to manufacture and sell rings even before the vacuum is installed in Beijing to increase public interest in the project and raise funds. So, hes planning to assign interns to visit schools, hospitals and other facilities that have air purifiers to gather up the particles to be processed into jewelry. Thats going to be a new job: smog collector, Roosegaarde said. Innovation does not just come from scientists and science but indeed from artists and the creative side of people. When you look at the history of art, artists like Michelangelo and Da Vinci always had a relationship with art and technology, Roosegaarde said. Its great to have radical ideas combined with high-tech then you get a new world, you get the possibility to update reality. Nicole Liu in The Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report. A suicide car bomber struck a U.S. military convoy in the Afghan capital on Wednesday, killing at least eight Afghan civilians and wounding three U.S. service members in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, confirmed the toll and said an additional 25 Afghan civilians were wounded in the morning rush-hour attack near the U.S. Embassy, which destroyed several civilian vehicles U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Salvin, a military spokesman, confirmed that three U.S. service members were wounded in the attack. Advertisement Islamic State claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq media arm. An affiliate of the extremist group has gathered strength in recent years, and is now at war with the U.S.-backed government and the much larger Taliban insurgency. Afghan forces have struggled to combat both groups since the U.S. and NATO officially concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counter-terrorism role. The U.S. has more than 8,000 troops in the country. The Taliban and Islamic State both aspire to overthrow the Afghan government and impose a harsh version of Islamic law, but they are fiercely divided over leadership and tactics. MORE WORLD NEWS As president calls for new constitution, Venezuela veers once again toward political chaos At least 46 killed in Islamic State attack in Syria, including civilians fleeing the fight Why Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is upbeat about meeting Trump British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday accused European Union officials of trying to influence the British elections, ratcheting up tensions with Brussels over her countrys departure from the bloc. Just hours after the EU unveiled its plan for Brexit talks, which delays discussion on issues such as trade that are dear to Britain, May said: The European Commissions negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on 8 June, she told reporters outside 10 Downing Street, in a speech aimed at rallying support for her Conservative Party ahead of next months polls. Advertisement Mays statement follows leaked comments in the British and European media suggesting the EU thinks Britain is not facing reality about the conditions of its bloc exit and the complexity of the negotiations ahead. The events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europes other leaders there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, she said. The head of the EUs executive commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, expressed regret that details of his private dinner with May last week had made the news. A German news report said that Juncker left the meeting saying he was 10 times more skeptical than I was before that negotiations will succeed. May dismissed the report as Brussels gossip. May also vowed Tuesday to be a bloody difficult woman in Brexit talks. Juncker said: I have noted that she is a tough lady. Earlier, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, insisted that Britains accounts must be settled before any talks on its future trade relationship with the EU can take place, and he warned that time is running out to seal a deal by 2019. Unveiling the commissions negotiating mandate for Britains departure, Barnier said he was not hostile to Britain and the bloc did not want to punish it for leaving but we have to settle the account, not more, not less. The amount London owes the EU has become one of the most contentious subjects in the Brexit process, with some reports estimating it could climb to as much as 100 billion euros ($109 billion) a figure that Britain has flatly rejected paying. We cannot ask to the 27 remaining members to pay the bill for the departure of a country. Guy Verhofstadt, European Parliaments Brexit point man Brexit Secretary David Davis told ITV that Britain will meet our international obligations, but added: We will not be paying 100 billion. Davis also dismissed reports the EU could bar May from Brexit discussions at future heads of state and government meetings. This is the first time a member has left the EU, so negotiations are taking the Europeans into uncharted waters. The process is unprecedented and complicated, and combined with fresh delays caused by the snap elections in Britain, is raising tensions between London and the 27 nations that will remain in the EU. Barnier did not specify how much Britain should pay, but his negotiating mandate said it should cover budget payments, the cost of ending Britains membership of any EU institution including banks and the bill for relocating any EU agencies on its territory. London also must pay in euros rather than pounds, meaning that it should bear the currency exchange costs. The European Parliaments Brexit point man, Guy Verhofstadt, also declined to go into numbers. He said the parties first must agree on the accounting principles from which the bill will be determined. We cannot ask to the 27 remaining members to pay the bill for the departure of a country, he said. As in any divorce, he added, you cant just say, My partner will take all the burden. Money aside, the top priority of the talks is how to handle the rights of some 3 million citizens from the 27 nations living in Britain and up to 2 million Britons residing on the continent. All face massive uncertainty on such issues as health benefits, pensions, taxes, employment and education. Another key aim is to keep people and goods moving smoothly across the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and EU member Ireland. Under the negotiating mandate, EU states would have to approve progress on these and other immediate exit issues before Barnier can start negotiating the outline of the blocs future relations with Britain after it leaves. Some British politicians, including May, have said walking away would be better than a bad deal, and Barnier conceded that the EU has planned for such a contingency. We are prepared for all options, he said, but the option I am working on is getting an agreement. ALSO EU Brexit chief warns time is short for negotiations Macron vs. Le Pen: The French presidential candidates in their own words European Union leaders minus Britain gather ahead of Brexit negotiations to plot their moves European Union leaders may welcome a united Ireland after Britains departure via Brexit UPDATES: 10:30 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details, including the disputed amount London owes the EU and other Brexit negotiation points. This article was originally published at 9:10 a.m. An American company that was paid nearly $700 million to secure an Iraqi base for F-16 fighter jets turned a blind eye to alcohol smuggling, theft, security violations and allegations of sex trafficking then terminated investigators who uncovered wrongdoing, an Associated Press investigation has found. Documents and interviews with two former internal investigators and half a dozen former or current Sallyport Global staff describe schemes at Iraqs Balad Air Base that were major contract violations at best and, if proved, illegal. The fired investigators, Robert Cole and Kristie King, said they uncovered evidence that Sallyport employees were involved in human trafficking for prostitution. Staff on base routinely flew smuggled alcohol onto the base in such high volumes that a plane once seesawed on the tarmac under the weight. Rogue militia stole enormous generators using flatbed trucks and a 60-foot crane, driving right past Sallyport security guards. Advertisement The trouble stretches to headquarters in Reston, Va., say the investigators and other ex-employees interviewed by AP. They say what they uncovered was not revealed to the U.S. government, which was footing the $686-million contracting bill, until early this year after an auditor started asking questions. The investigators were fired abruptly on March 12 just two months ago and immediately flown out of Iraq. They say they had been looking into timesheet fraud allegations and were set to interview company managers, whom they considered suspects. I feel like they got us out so quickly because they feel like we knew too much, King said in an interview. When we finally got the idea that they were hiding all of the stuff from the U.S. government, it was mind-blowing. In a statement to the AP, Sallyport said it follows all contracting rules at the base, home to a squadron of F-16s that are indispensable to the operations of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group. Sallyport has a strong record of providing security and life support services in challenging war zones like Iraq and plays a major but unheralded role in the war against [Islamic State], chief operating officer Matt Stuckart wrote. The company takes any suggestion of wrongdoing at Balad very seriously. In one allegation, informants told the investigators that flight line staff, who directed airplanes on the runways and handled cargo, were showing up drunk. At one point, they passed around a bowl of gummy bears soaked in vodka. Alcohol on base was restricted, but the booze was everywhere, smuggled in by plane, several former employees told the AP. According to investigative documents and witnesses, empty suitcases were loaded onto Baghdad-bound round-trip flights. The bags returned packed with alcohol-filled plastic water bottles that skirted security a significant risk in a war zone. Stuckart said Sallyport stood by its security procedures and got high marks from the U.S. Air Force. But Steve Anderson, who worked on flight logistics, said he was told by managers to sign off on manifests he knew had been falsified to hide alcohol and guns. The planes were so heavy that one tipped over nose-first while parked, like a seesaw, he recalled. When he raised concerns, it was suggested that he find a new job, said Anderson, whose position was soon eliminated. Balad is controlled by the Iraqi government. Americans have been there off and on since 2003. The base was evacuated in June 2014, when Islamic State began overrunning Iraqi territory. When the Americans returned, Sallyports job was to keep Balad safe for the F-16s and their Iraqi pilots. The contract required investigations into potential crimes and contract violations. That was the job of Cole and King. On July 13, 2015, four F-16s landed at the base, the first of a planned 36 from the U.S. Trouble came within 24 hours, when a long skid mark appeared on the tarmac, stopping about 45 yards from a jet in the no-go area. A truck driver had lost control of his vehicle, but never reported it. Three months later, Cole reported the theft of an armored Toyota SUV assigned to VIPs. His chief suspect was a Sallyport bodyguard. The Toyota was recovered within days; Cole was called off the case. A former senior manager defended that order, telling the AP that negotiations with the militias were sensitive and needed Iraqi cooperation. He said the chief suspect was banned from the base, but Cole later saw the man walking around freely. Security breaches continued. On Nov. 15, 2016, just before 2 a.m., militia drove three flatbeds onto the base, one equipped with a crane. After lifting three enormous generators onto the trucks, the militia drove away unchallenged. Coles reports noted lax protection for the F-16s. Despite requirements to report major security breaches, the U.S. government was not informed until early this year of the truck skidding near a jet or the armored-SUV theft, according to Cole and two other former Sallyport employees. Both spoke only on condition of anonymity because they did not want to jeopardize current jobs. As Cole and King sought to get to the bottom of the alcohol smuggling, they stumbled across a prostitution ring in Baghdad whose customers included Sallyport employees, informants said. They learned that four Ethiopians who had previously worked as prostitutes at the hotel had moved to Balad and were doing the same while moonlighting as Sallyport housekeepers. Before either investigation was completed, a Sallyport executive in Virginia shut them down, they say. Stuckart said the prostitution allegations were not substantiated. It is absurd to suggest that the company would shut down an inquiry into a matter of such gravity, he said. By then, Cole and King had begun their investigation into complaints that Sallyport managers were falsifying timesheets and people were getting paid without working. The investigators say company lawyers ordered them to keep two sets of books, which they interpreted as an attempt to deceive auditors. One for the government to see and one for the government not to see, King said. MORE WORLD NEWS Mexico captures Sinaloa drug cartel leader Damaso Lopez, a former associate of El Chapo Guzman In Afghanistan, an elite female police officer battles cultural taboos as well as the Taliban On Middle East peace, Trump wants to get to yes and figure out the details later The demonstrators who have flooded Venezuelas streets in recent weeks to protest the government of embattled President Nicolas Maduro have faced formidable pushback: tear gas, riot shields, armored vehicles. At least 36 people have been killed and hundreds more injured since the protests began in early April. The latest clashes came on Thursday, when opposition marchers lighted fires and hurled stones at security forces along Caracas main thoroughfare, only to be doused with tear gas. One thing that has characterized the protests in the crisis-ridden country where consumer goods can be hard to acquire has been the make-do nature of the gear donned by demonstrators before they take to the streets. We asked one frequent protester, 21-year-old university student Alberto Castillo, to share what hes learned about gearing up to protest on the front lines. Colors of a nation Protests are awash in the colors of the Venezuelan flag, which symbolize another struggle, the fight for independence from Spain. At the nations founding, yellow stood for gold and blue for the ocean separating Venezuela from bloody Spain, represented by red. Venezuelan opposition activists march to the Catholic Churchs episcopal seat in a quiet show of condemnation of the government of President NIcolas Maduro, in Caracas, on April 22, 2017, Venezuelans gathered Saturday for silent marches against President Nicolas Maduro, a test of his governments tolerance for peaceful protests after three weeks of violent unrest that has left 20 people dead. / AFP PHOTO / RONALDO SCHEMIDTRONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP/Getty Images) A Venezuelan opposition activist demonstrates against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, on April 24, 2017. Protesters rallied on Monday vowing to block Venezuelas main roads to raise pressure on Maduro after three weeks of deadly unrest that have left 21 people dead. Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to break up one of the first rallies in eastern Caracas early Monday while other groups were gathering elsewhere, the opposition said. / AFP PHOTO / Federico PARRAFEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (FEDERICO PARRA / AFP/Getty Images) TOPSHOT - A Venezuelan opposition activist participates in a sit-in to block the Francisco Fajardo motorway in Caracas, on April 24, 2017. Protesters plan Monday to block Venezuelas main roads including the capitals biggest motorway, triggering fears of further violence after three weeks of unrest left 21 people dead. / AFP PHOTO / RONALDO SCHEMIDTRONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP/Getty Images) TOPSHOT - Protesters with flags and signs chant during a rally against the Venezuelan government at a rally in front of the Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida, on April 19, 2017. The United States is concerned about the situation in Venezuela, where deadly clashes broke out April 19 in mass protests against President Nicolas Maduro, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. / AFP PHOTO / RHONA WISERHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (RHONA WISE / AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Fighting back, with one glove At protests, they seem to be everywhere, young men with just right-handed gloves, usually heavy workmens gloves. They wear them to hurl tear gas canisters back at police. The first time I grabbed one, I didnt know any better and it burned me, Castillo said. Since then I have used a glove, a thick one that resists the heat. A shield, any shield Protesters routinely show up at protests carrying improvised shields of wood, metal, particle board, whatever. Castillo recalled a friend who was injured in one protest. The police shot a tear gas bomb directly at one friend and it tore off one of the fingernails of his right hand. Later, one bounced off the street and hit him in the groin, he said. Since early April, sometimes violent clashes with police and troops have left 36 dead and more than 400 injured; more than 1,200 have been arrested. (JUAN BARRETO / AFP/Getty Images) A student movement The protesters range in age Castillos mother joins him on marches but many demonstrations are driven by students. Castillo, a thin, boyish architecture student at Central University of Venezuela, recently prepared to attend a memorial for a student cut down in the protests. There is a special event for a kid who they killed yesterday with a tear gas canister. Were going to pray for the fallen and then go on to the march, he said. (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP/Getty Images) (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP/Getty Images) (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP/Getty Images) Fending off tear gas Gas masks, real and improvised, are a must. Before, I didnt use one, just my shirt, Castillo said. Later, I tried diapers soaked in vinegar. Now I use a mask I make with a canned ham tin filled with cotton, charcoal and held together by elastic. Its not the best, but it helps. Castillo also brings Maalox. Protesters rub the antacid on their faces in hopes it will neutralize the tear gas. (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP/Getty Images) Helmets and hope Like many protesters, Castillo wears a motorcycle helmet. Others strap on bicycle helmets not as strong but protection of a sort. Protesters denounce what they say are Maduros undemocratic schemes to enhance his power. Still, despite the dismal economy, rising crime and mass shortages of medicines and food, Castillo envisions a better Venezuela. He has no plans to leave the country, though his father wishes he would. His hope? That there is liberty, that I can walk on the street and not see people eating garbage. That I can leave [home] feeling secure I wont be killed, because thats the chance you take these days. (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP/Getty Images) Mogollon is a special correspondent. Chris Kraul in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report. UPDATES: May 4, 11:55 a.m.: This article was updated to report the death toll had risen to 36. 3:20 p.m.: This article was updated with news of Wednesdays protests. This article was originally published at 3 a.m. May 3. An Allentown man is accused of conspiring to steal more than $6.8 million in federal tax dollars, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced. Juan Carlos Ortiz, 38, was charged in an indictment unsealed Wednesday. The scheme involved allegedly stealing identification information from residents of Puerto Rico, a United States commonwealth whose residents pay most federal taxes. The conspirators then filed fraudulent tax returns in the names of those people and cashed the resulting refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, authorities said. Federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment following Ortiz's arrest Wednesday. In federal custody, he made an initial appearance in federal court in Allentown. Bail information was not immediately available Wednesday afternoon. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims and one count of conspiracy to steal public money. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment, three years' probation, a $500,000 fine and a $200 special assessment. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark B. Dubnoff, according to Wednesday's announcement. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A small of group of people preaching what police called "hateful speech" drew a strong rebuke from students Wednesday at Northampton Community College. Three people holding signs joined a suited man speaking into a megaphone just before noon outside College Center in the heart of the Bethlehem Township campus. Video posted on Facebook by student Haylie Coombs shows the speaker opening with an assault on homosexuality. He is immediately surrounded by campus police as students form a half-circle and launch a loud chant of "Kick him out!" Another student, Christine Semanek, snapped a photo of the group just as they were about to get started. She called campus security and was told they were already responding. "i've never seen anything like that before" on campus, Semanek, of Forks Township, told lehighvalleylive.com. "That was completely out of the ordinary." Sporting signs such as one saying, "Stop sinning obey Jesus or hellfire" with christianinterviews.com across the bottom, the protesters were relocated on campus, surrounded by orange-and-white striped sawhorses and allowed to continue. The activity is protected as free speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution, said township police Chief Daniel Pancoast. He responded with five officers and said the campus sent another six or so officers out, as well. The rally continued as 3:30 p.m. approached, Pancoast said. "What happened initially was that as they spoke, a group of about 200 students filled in around them in a horseshoe pattern and began debating their speech and it got loud and it got a little aggressive, and eventually all the students realized that they were feeding into the hateful talk and stopped talking to them," the police chief said. Outside College Center, Coombs' video shows a female student run up to a man wearing a Sikh head covering and hug him, then kiss a fellow female student amid loud cheering. Another man cups his hands around his mouth and sings/shouts to the crowd, "All we are saying is give peace a chance," over the exhortations of the speaker, the video shows. Campus security could be seen asking the students to back away from the anti-accpetance rally. "I pay to go to this school," one student is heard saying on video. "This (expletive) doesn't." Caution: Video contains explicit content Welcome to Community college guys Posted by Haylie Madisen Coombs on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 After the rally was relocated, students got a speaker of their own and began playing music, and they gathered in the college's gym for an impromptu party, Pancoast said. "I'm very impressed with the student body, with their composure and their maturity in addressing the hateful speech situation," he said. Facebook Live video also posted by Coombs, a Bangor Area High School graduate, showed the speaker -- he told police his name is Pastor Jared -- railing against sinning, pornography, flirting, vanity and abortion. He was also making racist jokes -- including about his own wife's Mexican heritage. He warned women against wearing revealing clothing, because "they might rape you," and called lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender groups examples of "terrorist" organizations. At one point, he got into an argument with a veteran wearing a U.S. Navy cap standing alongside the school's Spartan mascot, who was waiving the rainbow flag of gay rights. Semanek, who called campus security about the rally, said she was hoping the group would be removed because of the hate speech. "A community college is supposed to be a safe space for the community," she said. College President Mark Erickson, in a statement Wednesday afternoon, reacted to the rally and response as follows: "NCC is an amazing place and we saw just how amazing earlier today. This afternoon our campus was disrupted by a group of individuals promoting a message of hate and intolerance. In response, our students, faculty and staff set up speakers and countered with a positive, high-energy dance party drowning out the offensive message of our visitors. "Quite literally, our students responded to hate with love. I applaud them for their measured and effective reaction. As president, they made me, our faculty and staff immensely proud! While it is great to live in a world where free speech is protected, it is sometimes painful and frustrating when protection of that free speech subjects us all to vile and hateful rhetoric." Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Bethlehem wants to know which local innovators you think deserve recognition on signs throughout the city. The city has begun installing 30-some new visitors' signs, which have been in the works for three years, throughout the historic district and South Side. The signs denote nearby attractions, parking and tell visitors how long it takes to walk to the area sites. Bethlehem hopes it encourages people to park their cars and explore city on foot. "There's a smattering of them in both downtowns and then we will fill in from there," said Darlene Heller, city planning director. Signs in the Moravian Historic District feature an icon of the familiar dome of Central Moravian Church. Across the river, signs in the South Side Arts District include an icon of the Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces. The backs of the signs are all blank, but that's not because someone screwed up. City officials want to celebrate Bethlehem's "three centuries of innovation" by featuring innovators who called Bethlehem home and who substantially contributed to the city. That's where Bethlehem needs your help. The city is hosting a public meeting Friday night to discuss the wayfinding signs project, allowing residents to rank the innovators and submit their own nominees. The meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, 321 E. Third St. in the city. Attendees should use the Columbia Street entrance of the school and go to room 15/30 on the lower level. The city has drafted a list of 24 people from across Bethlehem's 275-year history, highlighting folks in the sciences, arts, industry, education and culture. Panels will be installed to the back of many of the signs telling the stories of these innovators. "We want to have a mix of people that represent different fields," Heller said. The city is hoping to push the understanding of Bethlehem's diverse history beyond what its usually synonymous with, the Moravians, who founded the city, and Bethlehem Steel Corp. Officials are keeping the full list under wraps until Friday's meeting, but Heller did divulge a few of the names. There are the expected innovators, like Benigna Von Zinzendorf, founder of the girl's school that became Moravian College, and Steel President Charles M. Schwab. But there's also Rozi Gosztonyi, who was the first female bank president in Pennsylvania. The Social Still distillery now serves cocktails and food in Gosztonyi's bank. Due to funding issues, Bethlehem is installing the signs in phases. This first $75,000 phase was paid for with Northampton County gaming grants, Heller said. The city now has money for the second phase and officials continue to look for grants and sponsorships, she said. No city tax dollars are going towards the signs. All of the signs are estimated to cost about $275,000 plus installation. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: Slate Belt teen robbed mini-mart with Wilson suspect, cops say Two Slate Belt residents charged with a robbery early Wednesday morning at the CVS in Wilson Borough eventually admitted to police that they stuck up four other places in recent days, a borough detective said in court. Ezekial Lee Dingle, 21, of 400 block of Raspberry Lane in Bangor, and Alan Howard Oren Jr., 17, of the first block of Bunny Trail Road in Washington Township, were uncooperative at first, Detective Jason Hillis told District Judge Richard Yetter III during an arraignment early Wednesday afternoon. "We didn't get the truth at first, "Hillis said, adding that he was "very confident" that police in other jurisdictions would soon file charges. "... They admitted to doing four other robberies in addition to this one." Hillis asked the judge if he wanted a list of those municipalities, but Yetter declined. Holdups were reported at 3:09 a.m. Sunday at the Turkey Hill at 602 Chestnut St. in Emmaus and at 4:24 a.m. that same day at the Turkey Hill at 6020 Sterners Way in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Armed robberies were also reported at 10:55 p.m. Sunday at the Penn Jersey Food Mart at 989 Pennsylvania Ave. in Plainfield Township, at 11:06 p.m. Sunday at the 7-Eleven at 14 East Lawn Road in Upper Nazareth Township and at 4:26 a.m. Monday at the Turkey Hill at 1060 Main St. in Northampton. There could have been others that weren't reported publicly. It wasn't immediately clear which of the listed robberies were included in Dingle's alleged written confession or Oren's alleged verbal confession. Oren's mother Lisa was present while he was questioned, police said. Oren, who is a home-schooled 11th grader with a full-time job in the landscaping trade, is being charged as an adult because a weapon was used in the crime, authorities said. Dingle and Oren are charged with robbery, conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property. Dingle faces the additional charge of committing a crime with a firearm. At one point during the arraignment, Oren said, "I didn't go into any of the stores." Yetter shut him down at that point, warning the teen he could incriminate himself by talking about details. The judge later did spell out Oren's situation: "Theoretically the question in your case when you have a trial is how much did you know," Yetter said. "You are a minor but I'm going to treat you as an adult. I'm going to give it to you straight. Your bail is going to be the same as his bail." After learning the two likely would face other charges, the judge said that made them flight risks. "This is as serious as charges as they come," Yetter said. "... I would like to deny you bail." But Yetter said that wouldn't be reasonable. He said he wanted to "set a bail that's high due to the nature of the offense" -- especially since a gun was involved -- despite the pair not being charged in other jurisdictions or having previous criminal records. Both were asked if they had anything to say before bail was set. Oren told the judge he just wanted to go home to his family -- he lives with his mother, her boyfriend, two sisters and two nephews. Dingle, who said he works full-time in car repair, earlier told the told the judge he lives with his grandparents. In answering the judge's bail question, he said he needs to take care of his grandmother. The judge cut him off, saying, "I saw that coming from you." Then Yetter set bail at $175,000 each, adding, "this is the kind of case that should be high bail. ... I don't expect you gentlemen to make this bail" but if they do, Yetter set several conditions. Borough police say Oren drove Dingle about 1 a.m. Wednesday to the drug store at 15th and Northampton streets. Dingle, dressed in a striped gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, sneakers and covering his face with a red bandana, displayed a black and gray semi-automatic gun, police said. He told the clerk, "I'm sorry this is going to be the worst night of your life. I'm here to stick you up. Open the register," police said. The clerk couldn't open the register so she got a manager, who opened two and gave Dingle all the money inside, police said. Dingle got away with $755.54 in cash and a pack of strawberry Orbit gum, police said. The robbery was recorded on video and police quickly put out a description of the robbers, court papers say. Easton police just after 1:30 a.m. stopped a brown Buick Encore at St. John and Cooper streets on the city's South Side, borough police said. A gray striped sweatshirt was in the back seat and a CVS bag containing cash was behind the driver's seat, police said. Dingle, in the passenger seat, allegedly told an officer he had a gun in his pants. A black-framed SCCY 9mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered, police said. Dingle allegedly had a red bandana around his neck and was wearing blue jeans. A pack of strawberry Orbit gum was found near the passenger-side front door handle, police said. Slate Belt Regional police Chief David Mettin, reached just before court began, said his department has no charges against Dingle or Oren, but it is "working with Wilson and other PDs" in the robbery investigation. The Plainfield Township robbery happened in his jurisdiction. Borough police Chief Steven Parkansky said Easton police, Palmer Township police and Pennsylvania State Police out of the Belfast barracks assisted in the CVS investigation. "It is because of everyone working together that we solved this crime and we appreciate their assistance," he said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: 2 charged in Wilson robbery admit to 4 more, police say A Bangor man and a juvenile are accused of robbing a Wilson Borough pharmacy early Wednesday morning and fleeing with money before being caught in South Side Easton, Wilson Borough's top cop said. Ezekial Dingle, 21, entered the CVS at 15th and Northampton streets and displayed a gun in the robbery; Alan Oren, 17, was the getaway driver and will be charged as an adult in connection with the holdup, police Chief Steven Parkansky said. They were arraigned Wednesday afternoon before a district judge on charges of robbery, theft, criminal conspiracy and receiving stolen property, the police chief said, adding the adult will also face weapons offenses. After the robbery, police spotted a car matching the description of the getaway car at St. John and Cooper streets in South Side Easton, Parkansky said. Officers pulled over the car and spotted in plain view a CVS bag with money in it and a red bandanna that was believed to have been used in the robbery, he said. Parkansky said Easton police, Palmer Township police and Pennsylvania State Police out of the Belfast barracks assisted in the investigation. "It is because of everyone working together that we solved this crime and we appreciate their assistance," he said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The man and a woman saw a Forks Township man stab a Carbon County man to death this week in Lehighton, Pennsylvania State Police report. Yessy Rivera (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) The incident began Sunday when Brian Paul Lindner, 44, of Lehighton, and Michael W. Jerden joined Yessy Rivera, 29, and Audra Marie Maynard, 47, of Forks Township, in a quest for drugs in Allentown, police said in court papers. Rivera spoke to state police after his arrest on Tuesday on homicide and related offenses, and admitted to assaulting Lindner in Allentown, taking his 2012 blue Dodge Avenger and leaving him in the city, court papers say. The three went back to Jerden's home at 929 Coal St. in Lehighton and Lindner eventually arrived, yelling at Rivera and Jerden for leaving him in Allentown, police said. Rivera did not admit to killing Lindner -- but did say he knew he was dead, police said. Jerden, however, told troopers that that "Yessy ... put a knife to the throat of the victim and cut him, causing the victim to fall to the floor and die in the basement of Jerden's home," police said. The killing happened between 12:45 p.m. Sunday and 3 a.m. Monday, police said. Maynard confirmed this version of events, police said. Jerden said he was scared and didn't call police until 6:40 a.m. Tuesday to report his brother Brian found Lindner was dead, police said. Carbon County Coroner Robert Miller declared Lindner dead at 7:25 a.m. and said the manner of death was homicide. Rivera and Maynard took off in Lindner's Dodge, leaving Rivera's vehicle -- which was registered to Maynard -- at the home in Lehighton, police said. Maynard -- who was arrested recently in a drug sweep that caught up 19 people and netted methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana, as well as four firearms -- and Rivera, who has a list of Northampton County arrests, drove to Virginia in Lindner's vehicle, but ran out of money, police said. So they returned to Maynard's home in the 4300 block of North Delaware Drive, she told police, where police found them and the Dodge. Rivera was arraigned late Tuesday night before District Judge Erc Schrantz on charges of homicide, two counts of aggravated assault and robbery of a motor vehicle and sent to Carbon County. Bail was denied. His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 2:15 p.m. May 10 in Schrantz's Jim Thorpe court. Police and court records did not give an exact address of his residence in Forks. Maynard, who was initially jailed on March 24 in lieu of $100,000 bail in the drug sweep, was released April 11 when the bail was converted to unsecured, court papers say. This post was updated to show Michael Jerden and Brian Lindner were not related, that Jerden told police it was his brother Brian Jerden who found Lindner dead. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: 2 people saw Forks man kill 44-year-old, police say An Easton-area man was arrested Tuesday in the city and charged with killing a man whose body was found early that morning in Carbon County, Pennsylvania State Police report. Yessy Rivera Yessy Rivera, 29, no street address given in Forks Township, is accused of cutting the throat of Brian Paul Lindner, 44, during an argument in the basement of a home at 929 Coal St. in Lehighton, police said. Rivera fled but was later arrested, police said. Lindner's body was found Tuesday morning, police said. Rivera was arraigned at 11 p.m. Tuesday before District Judge Eric Schrantz on charges of homicide, aggravated assault ( two counts) and robbery of a motor vehicle. He is being held without bail in Carbon County's jail. Court records show Rivera also has an address in the Carbon County borough of Weatherly. Previously he has had addresses in Lehighton and Lower Saucon Township, court papers say. A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 2:15 p.m. May 10 in Schrantz's Jim Thorpe court. Rivera was charged April 1 with drunken driving involving a controlled substance in Pen Argyl, according to court records. A preliminary hearing in that case is scheduled 9:30 a.m. May 17 in District Judge Douglas Schlegel's Wind Gap court. In July 2014, Rivera pleaded guilty to a Colonial Regional charge of possession with intent to deliver drugs and was sentenced to 12 to 24 months in prison. Rivera in that case was arrested March 23, 2014, with another man at a Bath gas station after 40 packets of heroin worth $400 heroin was sold to a confidential informant, police said at the time. An addition 176 packets of heroin were found in a car in which Rivera was a passenger, police said. Rivera was paroled effective March 21, 2015, court records show. In 2012, Rivera was charged with aggravated assault and several other offenses after an altercation with a woman, police said at the time. Rivera began arguing at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 19 with Shari Richelieu outside a Chinese restaurant at the Black River Plaza on Route 378 in Lower Saucon Township, according to court records. He allegedly forced her into her father's truck, assaulted her and took off. Police say Rivera ordered Richelieu to drive to a home in Bethlehem where he intended to kill a man. Rivera allegedly fired a gun outside of the truck in Bethlehem and threatened to kill Richelieu. She managed to escape from the vehicle on Fourth Street in Bethlehem, court papers say. Rivera was taken into custody in Easton at a work site days after the incident, according to Lower Saucon Township police. He pleaded guilty in January 2013 to simple assault and possessing an instrument of crime and was sentenced to 60 days to 12 months behind bars, court papers say. The other charges were withdrawn. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. CAMDEN -- They came in all makes, models and calibers, prosecutors say -- handguns, shotguns and assault rifles. Many were purchased in Georgia and Pennsylvania before being sold on the streets of South Jersey. Darnel Johns, 49, admitted Tuesday in Camden federal court to illegally selling at least 22 of the weapons in the fall and winter of 2014, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. Johns, of Albrightsville in Pennyslvania's Carbon County, was snared in what prosecutors described as a "wide-ranging" series of gun-trafficking arrests made by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives. Court documents state the agency employed an informant to buy numerous guns from Johns and another man. Johns pleaded guilty to both conspiring to deal firearms without a license and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The weapons he sold included a sawed-off shotgun, multiple assault rifles and an "assault-stye pistol" with a high-capacity magazine, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors say some of the guns were stolen and had obliterated serial numbers, while others were obtained through so-called "straw purchases" made by third parties from licensed gun dealers, according to court documents. Johns faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and up to five years on the conspiracy charge, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 on each count, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Johns' sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 4. Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Off-year elections are all about local government. The May 16 Pennsylvania primary and June 6 New Jersey primary will be the first step in filling positions closest to the voter -- school boards, municipal councils and mayors, county leaders. The exceptions? New Jersey will be nominating candidates for state Assembly and Senate -- and there are contested primary races for seats in the 24th District, which covers most of Warren County. Pennsylvania has contested primaries at all levels of the state appeals courts. Four seats will be filled this year on the Superior Court, two in Commonwealth Court and one in the Supreme Court. Most of the action, however, is at the local level, and in primaries voter motivation usually depends on having a real choice among intra-party candidates. In Allentown, with a federal corruption probe in the background, voters will choose among seven Democratic candidates (including incumbent Ed Pawlowski) and three Republicans. In Bethlehem, Democratic Mayor Bob Donchez has no challengers. Phillipsburg is looking at contested town council races on both sides of the primary ballot. Two Republican candidates are running for Warren County freeholder. Easton has contested races for two council seats on the Democratic side. Lehigh County has a contested executive race on the Republican ballot. In Northampton County, GOP incumbent John Brown and Democrat Lamont McClure are uncontested. For all the consequences of local elections -- this is where those who wield local taxing authority and control schools are chosen -- primaries are often ho-hum affairs with dismal turnouts. Are you planning to vote in the upcoming primary election? Have a say in our informal poll, and feel to explain why or why not in the comments section. A visitor of Hackettstown Regional Medical Center appeared intoxicated and caused a stir while seeing a patient, police said. Charged is Stephanie Stout, 30, of Hackettstown. Stout at 10:54 p.m. Tuesday was heard cursing loudly around other patients at the hospital, 651 Willow Grove St., according to police. Police Sgt. Darren Tynan said Stout "appeared intoxicated" and an officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her. Police ordered Stout to to leave the hospital and she allegedly refused. Stout was then arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Police seized from Stout's possession two containers of Vodka. Stout was released pending a court appearance. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Time Line 2007 Madeleine McCann went missing from her bed at 10pm on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined with friends nearby. The Mercury reported the following day: "A spokeswoman for the resort told the Leicester Mercury the couple were having dinner in a restaurant next door to their room and were checking on Madeleine and their two other children every half an hour. "When they checked on the children shortly before 10pm, they found Madeleine was missing. The other children were still fast asleep." The next day Gerry and Kate made their first plea for the safe return of their daughter. Gerry said: "We cannot describe the anguish and despair we are feeling as parents of our beautiful daughter Madeleine. "We request that anyone with any information relating to Madeleine's disappearance, no matter how trivial, contact the Portuguese police and help us get her back safely." 'We miss Madeleine every second' says mum Kate McCann in letter to people of Praia da Luz Back in Leicestershire prayers were held at Rothley's churches, yellow ribbons were tied around trees in the centre of the village and well-wishers left teddy bears and other gifts. Over the following weeks police followed many tip-offs from members of the public and even clairvoyants, searching and digging in various areas. A month after Madeleine's disappearance, with the couple still in Portugal leading the hunt for the youngster, a backlash campaign began back in the UK. Mercury readers helped raised tens of thousands of pounds towards the 2 million raised worldwide to fund the search campaign. On September 6, four months after Maddie's disappearance, Kate was named as a person of interest by the Portuguese police and spent 11 hours being interviewed but they were allowed to return to Rothley, where the world's media followed them, setting up camp outside their home in The Crescent, Rothley. 2008 The new year saw the McCanns step up their own private investigation into Maddie's disappearance, dispatching their detectives to Spain to investigate paedophile gangs on the Costa Blanca, 400 miles from Praia da Luz. Negative stories about the McCanns featured in the British press but in March 2008, Kate and Gerry accepted about 500,000 in libel damages from papers. The Daily Express and the Daily Star even printed front page apologies to the family headlined: "Kate and Gerry McCann: Sorry." Later in 2008, seven of the McCanns' friends received damages payments from the British press. The one-year anniversary of Maddie's disappearance saw candlelight vigils taking part in Portugal and the UK. At Christmas, the McCanns released a TV appeal featuring Maddie, including the first footage the public had seen of the youngster speaking. Accompanied by the Snow Patrol song Chasing Cars, the short film also included a montage of photographs of Maddie and ended with the words: "This will be our second Christmas without our daughter. Please help us make sure we don't have a third." 2009 The year began with Gerry travelling back to Portugal and in March 10,000 more leaflets were delivered around Praia da Luz and the neighbouring towns, while new digital images of what Maddie would look like aged six were created by experts in America and released on the second anniversary of her disappearance. May 2009 also saw the beginning of a court battle that is still going on today between the McCanns and the former police detective who first led the investigation into their daughter's disappearance. Kate and Gerry began suing Goncalo Amaral for comments he made in a book he wrote. The battle continues, with Portugal's supreme court ruling in February 2017 Mr Amaral had the right to made the claims. Meanwhile, the police in Leicestershire turned to the internet to launch a new appeal which used two new computerised images of what an older Maddie might look like. The pictures formed part of a one-minute film circulated using blogs, e-mail and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. 2010 On January 27, 2010, an emotional ceremony was held to mark 1,000 days since Maddie's disappearance. About 300 family and friends gathered at the Rothley Court Hotel, in Westfield Lane, to say prayers and light candles for the missing youngster. The campaign continued throughout the year with Kate and Gerry meeting Home Secretary Alan Johnson as the couple called for more co-operation. After the General Election they returned to London to meet his Conservative replacement, Theresa May. Gerry told a press conference in April: "We want the authorities to work together. It is an international case, and always has been. I think people are reluctant to undertake a review because there's been difficult, sensitive issues. "But Madeleine's rights should be put first. She's missing, she's innocent and whoever's taken her is still out there, and that has to be of paramount importance." The anniversary saw villagers gather for prayers at an open-air service held in Cross Green, in the centre of Rothley. 2011 More potential sightings continued to trickle in during 2011 as they had for the past four years. The first "clue" of 2011 suggested Maddie had been kidnapped and was living in America. In 2011 the anniversary of Maddie's disappearance was marked quietly by the family, who gave no interviews. But later in May, Kate's book about her experiences, released to raise money for the ongoing hunt for Maddie, was released. Meanwhile, the McCanns' calls for more to be done to find their daughter led to an online petition for a new review reaching 50,000 signatures. In May a review of all the evidence was announced and it was led by the Metropolitan Police. It saw officers flying to Portugal to speak to their counterparts over there. 2012 In March 2012, the Portuguese authorities launched their own review of all the evidence so far in the case. Gerry said at the time: "It has taken pressure off us knowing the police are reviewing everything. It's a huge step for us." The year saw yet another computer-generated image of an older Maddie being released by the team of 30 detectives working the Scotland Yard review. 2013 For the six-year anniversary, Kate and Gerry attended a service in Rothley and appeared on ITV's Daybreak. Speaking about their support for one another, Kate said: "Obviously, it's a huge, traumatic event, something like this. "We were strong before it happened, which was a blessing, and we've always communicated well." May 2013 also saw the couple mark Maddie's 10th birthday with a low-key gathering for family and friends. Gifts were laid in Madeleine's bedroom, which has remained untouched since she vanished and is full of unopened Christmas stockings and birthday gifts. An episode of Crimewatch aired in October included a 25-minute reconstruction of the events surrounding Maddie's disappearance and police also created six new e-fits of men they wanted to talk to. The programme resulted in nearly 1,000 calls to the investigators. Further appeals were broadcast elsewhere across Europe, leading to thousands more calls. 2014 The year began with more visits to Portugal by British detectives. In a blog post around the seventh anniversary, Kate said she was often "paralysed with disbelief, unease, frustration or sadness" but managed to focus on the positives coming from the investigation. But the activity in Portugal also led to more online attacks against the McCanns. In response, the couple said: "We would like to ask people to refrain from spreading rumours and speculation based on inaccurate press reporting. "We are kept updated on the ongoing work in Portugal and are encouraged by the progress." 2015 John O'Connor, a former head of the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, questioned why so much was being spent on the investigation and called for it to wound up. By then, UK taxpayers had spent about 10 million on the inquiry. Later in the year it was announced the Metropolitan Police team would be cut from 29 to four. In 2015 there were also more problems with online abuse, forcing the McCann's campaign to close its Twitter account. 2016 In April 2016 an announcement was made that the Scotland Yard inquiry would come to an end "in the coming months". However the inquiry was extended by Scotland Yard due a tip-off that a gang of European traffickers might have snatched Madeleine from the family's holiday apartment after taking pictures of her. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe today to get the latest headlines straight to your inbox with our free email updates The look on her face says it all: adventurous 83-year-old June Stone enjoyed the trip of a lifetime when she took to the sea on the back of a jet ski. The great-great-grandmother is not one to pass up an opportunity, so when she was asked to get on one of the high powered water vehicles on holiday in Australia, she jumped aboard without a second thought. June clung tight to the driver as he whizzed through the waves, "pulling donuts" to make the ride even more thrilling for the octogenarian. And given half a chance, June, from Knighton, Leicester, would do it all over again. "I took it all in my stride," said June, who took the trip while on a dream holiday with her family to Australia. "I saw everyone else enjoying themselves, so I thought why not give it a try? "I'm game for most things. "And it was nice holding onto the driver." June was in Australia with several members of her family, attending a wedding of a close family friend - as well as a raucous hen party before the big day. They were at Lake Tinaroo, in Cairns, when she donned a life jacket for the sea-borne experience - and strapped a GoPro camera to her forehead to film the ride. June also enjoyed a trip on the airborne Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, and got to cuddle a koala bear. The mum-of-six has 14 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren, whom she said keep her on her toes. June said: "There's never a dull moment. They're taking me to see Russell Watson in Birmingham tonight. I love him." Granddaughter Natali Pepper, who was also on the holiday, said: "We flew over there for a wedding and to say goodbye to my younger sister who is going to be spending the next year in Australia. "When we talked about it with my nan before going, she made some excuses to say she would be holding us back - but far from it. "We always talked about going on the jet ski as part of the trip as a bit of a joke too, but we could see she had a twinkle in her eye. "She absolutely loved it and we were in stitches when the driver started pulling donuts. "She enjoyed every second. "She was telling the driver to put his foot down at one point, which had us all laughing. We have a big family and we're all really close. We love having our nan around. We're all very proud of her. She has taken amazing care of her family over the years." CoCo Hair Salon has become the first salon in Laois to register for the Get Blown Away! for Childline campaign. On the week of 22nd - 28th May, the ISPCCs Get Blown Away for Childline fundraising event will return for a second year. Fashion Designer and blogger Pippa OConnor and TV Host Mairead Ronan are championing the call for professional salons nationwide to take part. The campaign is proudly supported by Dyson Supersonic. Last years campaign saw over 650 salons take part, raising over 70,000 and this year, the target will be 100,000. Participating salons will donate the cost of one blow dry by each hairdresser who is taking part to Get Blown Away for Childline. Clare from CoCo Hair Salon in Stradbally said: We are delighted to take part in the Get Blown Away! Campaign to raise money for Childline, and all the hairdressers in the salon are looking forward to taking part. We look forward to seeing our regulars and some new customers on the week of 22nd - 28th May and we urge all our colleagues in salons across Laois to register to take part also! Its easy to register online at getblownaway.ie and Childline is a great cause! Contact us on 057 8641896 to make an appointment! Grainia Long Chief Executive of the ISPCC said: We are so delighted that the Get Blown Away campaign is returning this year and we encourage everyone to get their local salon involved! The funds which will be raised from the campaign will ensure we can continue to provide vital services for children in Ireland. Your donations will be a part of every text and call we answer. Childline is Ireland's only 24-hour listening service for children and young people. It is free, confidential and non-judgmental, providing support to and empowering children across Ireland. Last year, Childline had conversations with over 400,000 children and young people who contacted the service for help and advice with wide-ranging serious issues, including abuse, violence, exploitation, addiction and suicide. That is an astounding 1,095 contacts by children a day, on issues that no child should encounter. To take part in the campaign, log on here to receive your registration pack. A dispute over the ownership of a number of buses landed a Dublin man in court charged with criminal damage in Rosenallis. Alan Clarke (54), 2 Coolkill, Sandyford, Dublin 18, was charged with criminal damage, at Maclone, Rosenallis, on March 24, 2016. Garda Adrian Corcoran gave evidence that buses were being kept in Horans yard and a lock and chain were broken off the gate, which the accused admitted doing. Garda Corcoran said there was a civil dispute ongoing over the ownership of the buses. The accused himself told the court that two buses belonging to him had been on the premises, and there was still a bus in the yard worth 5,000. He claimed that a lot of money had been paid over to get work done on the buses, which had not been returned as the other party kept looking for more money. The accused said that the lock on the property belonged to a third party. The accused told the court he was willing to pay for the lock. Directing that the accused pay over 20 compensation to cover the cost of the lock, Judge Staines struck out the matter and told the accused that if he wanted his buses back he should make a civil claim. A secret IRA communique allegedly smuggled out of Portlaoise Prison could have been among a bundle of 'Christmas cards' a man who is standing trial for membership of the terrorist group has claimed. The note was claimed to describe a debriefing of three men involved in an intercepted IRA operation was to be delivered to the dissident group's leadership in Northern Ireland, the Special Criminal Court heard yesterday, May 2. Previously, the court has heard that a detective was searching Brian Kenna (54) outside Portlaoise prison when the "communique" fell from the accused man's pocket. Mr Kenna, with an address at Crumlin Park, Crumlin, Dublin has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation within the State, namely Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA on November 21st, 2015. It is the prosecution's case that gardai caught Mr Kenna smuggling an "IRA communique" out of Portlaoise prison. Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Maguire, of the Special Detective Unit (SDU), told prosecuting counsel Ronan Kennedy BL yesterday Tuesday, May 2 that he examined photographs of the "communique". He said that the message, a "secret IRA communication", was written on three pieces of cigarette paper adhered together. He told the court that it had been taken from Portlaoise prison and was to be given to the IRA leadership in Northern Ireland. Det Chief Supt Maguire said that he believed the document was a debriefing, related to an "intercepted IRA operation", on three men who at that time were charged with offences at the Special Criminal Court. Two of the men, Conor Hughes and Darren Fox, later pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a sawn-off shotgun and two shotgun cartridges at Kyletaun, Rathkeale, County Limerick on October 31st, 2015. A third man, James Smithers, was found guilty of membership of the IRA on the same date. The chief supt said that debriefing was conducted by the "commanding officer of the IRA in Portlaoise prison". He added that the communique also referred to three other men by their initials, and that he believes these men are leading members of the IRA in Northern Ireland. The court also heard evidence of interviews conducted by gardai with Mr Kenna. Detective Garda Paul Duffy, SDU, told Mr Kennedy that the accused man was questioned under Section 2 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1998. The section allows a court to draw inferences from a suspected person's failure or refusal to answer questions regarding alleged IRA membership. When detectives asked Mr Kenna if he had travelled to Portlaoise prison to further IRA activities, he replied: "Absolutely not,". He said he had travelled there in his role as member of the Irish Prisoners' Welfare Association (IRPWA). He told the guards that the purpose of visit was the raise concerns about the welfare of republican prisoners. Mr Kenna said that he was not aware of any secret communication and a detective had told him it had fallen from his pocket he was unaware of it. The accused man said: "I was handed a number of Christmas cards and envelopes. If the note was, unknown to me, among the cards, that was something I had no control over." The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Flann Brennan. Mountrath Community College has been honoured in a national schools competition for promoting positive mental health, taking home 500 at a special awards ceremony. At the inaugural Mission Possible Awards Ceremony held recently in St Patricks University Hospital, schools from all over Ireland were recognised for their effort and contribution to tackling the stigma surrounding mental health both in the classroom and in the wider community. Mountrath Community School was one of just three secondary schools in the State to have received a cash prize, as well as a certificate of achievement. The Mission Possible competition was open to all schools. The array of information presented and the initiatives being undertaken by schools are extremely impressive, ranging from the use of drama and music to mindfulness. Most inspiring was the way many schools have developed a holistic approach to promoting positive mental health to pupils, teachers and parents. Also featuring in the competition from Laois was The Holy Family Senior School, Portlaoise, and Mountmellick Community School. Tamara Nolan, communications manager at St Patrick's, said: We were taken aback by the amount of entries we received from all over the country. Unfortunately we could only pick three winners in each category but it is evident from the applications we received that all these schools were winners in terms of starting the conversation around mental health. Handwriting analysis of an "IRA communique" allegedly smuggled by a Dublin man out of Portlaoise prison was inconclusive, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Brian Kenna (54), with an address at Crumlin Park, Crumlin, Dublin has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation within the State, namely Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA on November 21st, 2015. Detective Garda John Sweetman, of the Garda Techniacl Bureau, told prosecuting counsel Ronan Kennedy BL on Wednesday that he examined a number of documents - including an "IRA communique" and some Christmas cards - for shared authorship. Previously, the court has heard that a detective was searching Mr Kenna outside Portlaoise prison when the "communique" fell from the accused man's pocket. The alleged "secret IRA communication" was written on three pieces of cigarette paper adhered together. Mr Kenna was also carrying Christmas cards at the time, the court has heard. Detective Garda Sweetman told the court that he compared the handwriting on the Christmas cards with that on the cigarette papers. It was probably not a good representation of the author's normal style of handwriting, he said. The detective said that he could not give a reliable opinion as to common authorship. The trial resumes on Friday morning in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Flann Brennan. The Vikings were not always welcome visitors to Laois and other parts, perhaps that is why round towers such as the one in Timahoe was built, but recent Scandanvian visitors were not here to rape and pillage like their invading ancestors. Journalists from Denmark and Sweden have been exploring Irelands Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way, as guests of Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland and they stopped off in Laois on their travels. Their hosts believe that as a result of their visit, more than 1.7 million Scandinavians will be reading all about Laois and Ireland over the coming months. The journalists, representing a number of major Nordic media outlets, including Magasinet Rejser and Scandinavian Traveller magazine, have been checking out some of the many things to see and do in Irelands Ancient East and along the Wild Atlantic Way. One of the highlights of their time here was a visit to the Rock of Dunamaise. Aileen Hickey is Tourism Irelands Manager for the Nordic Region. Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite this group of influential journalists to visit Ireland helping us to spread the good news about the destination through the media in Scandinavia. "The journalists have been really impressed by our spectacular scenery, the range of things to see and do, as well as by the friendliness of the people they met. I am confident that their visit will result in lots of positive publicity for Co Laois and Irelands Ancient East in a range of online and print publications," she said. Tourism Ireland said fact-finding visits like this are an important element of our overall promotional programme, providing an excellent opportunity to showcase the many things to see and do in Ireland to potential Scandinavian holidaymakers. Mairead McGuinness MEP for Kildare and first Vice-President of the European Parliament undertook an official visit to St Laurences National School in Crookstown on Friday, April 28 last. The school is participating in the Blue Star programme which aims to foster, through classroom projects and activities, better knowledge and understanding amongst primary pupils about the European Union. It was a wonderful visit in the great new learning environment at the schools new premises. The pupils at St Laurences showed a sense of understanding and curiosity about the workings of the EU and the role MEPs play on behalf of citizens, she said. They asked very interesting questions, including many about Brexit and the implications for Ireland and the EU.They talked about the history of the EU, about peace and how the EU was founded to make sure that peace is sustained by countries working together in the European Parliament. "The children also spoke about mental health and gave me very good advice about how to look after myself, she added. It was amazing to listen to their wise advice. Id like to thank them for such a warm welcome. Their enthusiasm was infectious and great credit is due to them for the way in with theyve approached this whole project, also school Principal, Nuala Costello and teacher Gemma OHanlon. Intel has been planning permission for its expansion, which will now enable the multi-national company to bid for an estimated 4billion new chip manufacturing plant. County Kildare Chamber today welcomed the decision by Kildare County Council to grant permission to ensure that the Leixlip Plant has the capacity to manufacture the latest Semiconductor Technology. Intel Ireland is now in a position to bid for a $4bn (3.6bn) investment from head office. Allan Shine, CEO of the Chamber said This planning permission now ensures that Intel Ireland can bid for the tender which if successful will create 3,000 construction jobs and in excess of 850 full time jobs once developed. "This is great news for Kildare and further demonstrates that Kildare is the location of choice for existing and potential business enterprises. I am confident that Intel Ireland will be successful in this bid as Kildare is primed for further development Local TD and Fianna Fail Science and Technology spokesperson James Lawless welcomed the decision by Kildare County Council. Deputy Lawless said From my meetings with Intel I understand this application has been in the process for some time but this is the final stage of securing that permission. Essentially the entire manufacturing process has to be rewired for the next generation of chip technology which involves wholesale changes to every aspect of the facility. This is ground breaking, globally leading technology being developed right here in Leixlip". "This permission now enables Intel Ireland to bid for the tender which if successful will create 3,000 construction jobs and in excess of 850 full time jobs once developed" conculded Deputy Lawless. Ends The widow of the late Willie Crowley who died after he was hit by a car in Newbridge in December 2015 has told the sentencing hearing of the man who was driving the car that her sense of loss was overwhelming. She described him as my husband, my best friend, my confidante. And she admitted: I do not look forward to my future. Damian Klasinski has pleaded guilty to a charge of Dangerous Driving causing the death of Cllr Crowley. Sitting at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally heard a harrowing victim impact statement from the independent councillors widow Claire Doyle. READ MORE: Plaque in memory of late Cllr Willie Crowley Ms Doyle has suffered from panic, fear, insomnia, loss of concentration, loss of confidence and the loss of identity, which continues to this day. She said that the support of her family and friends could not replace the loss of someone taken so suddenly and so brutally. And she said the effect of his death left her despairing of human nature and the capacity for some people to be so devoid of social responsibility. In her statement she said that on the night of his death, she was looking forward to the Christmas holidays with family and friends, but that all that changed suddenly when she received the call with the news. Nothing could have prepared me for what awaited me there - my husband Willies battered, bruised and broken body, his shattered skull and some hours later the devastating news that there was nothing that could be done because of the severity of the brain injuries. At the time of his death, Mr Crowley had a shopping list of items he needed to get for a Christmas dinner he was preparing to cook for those in need on Christmas day, and had left the pub early in order to make preparations. The huge loss to the community has exacerbated my loss of the love of my life, Ms Doyle said. Mr Klasinski, with an address listed as the Oaks, Newbridge, has pleaded guilty to the charge. Srgt James OSullivan outlined to Court number 13 at the Central Criminal Court this morning that at 8.30pm on the evening of December 15, 2015, Willie Crowley left a pub and went to cross Eyre Street. As he was crossing he was hit by the car being driven by Mr Klasinski who had four passengers in the car, friends he had picked up just before then. He continued driving after the impact. In the days after the incident the passengers came forward to Gardai and gave statements. Those statements, and a statement given by the defendant, made it clear that Mr Klasinski had been driving too fast on the night in question. It was generally agreed that he was going at least, if not more than 50kph. Judge Greally said it was obviously too fast for the conditions on the night. The defendant was arrested on December 17, after he was found hiding in the wardrobe of a friends house, and has been in custody since then. Senior Counsel Matt Kelly told the court that his client was blinded by an oncoming van and had pulled over to one side to let it pass. He did not see Cllr Crowley who was crossing the road from right to left behind that van, until it was too late and swerved to avoid him. The impact damaged the front lamp on the left hand side of the car. Forensic tests revealed that the car was otherwise in good condition. One of the witness statements indicated that as he was leaving the scene, Mr Klasinski asked his passengers what am I supposed to do?. Counsel for the defendant said that he failed to stop because of blind panic. Mr Crowley succumbed to his injuries three days after the impact. Mr Klasinski has 13 previous convictions, all for road traffic matters, including driving under the influence of an intoxicant - although there was no evidence that he had been drinking on the night of the accident. He is 29 years of age and had only arrived in Ireland in 2014. He was married in Poland and had two children but he is now separated and his children have been left with his parents. His father has dementia and has suffered a stroke in the past and his mother has depression. Counsel for the defendant said that Mr Klasinski had worked constantly since he arrived in Ireland and references were handed in from various employers to that effect. Judge Greally was told that Mr Klasinski is deeply, deeply remorseful for his actions. He thinks about it every day and wonders if he can ever forgive himself, counsel told the court. Judge Greally adjourned sentencing to until Friday week, May 12. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Interestingly, yesterdays post triggered quite a lot of comments. Not necessarily related to the press releases, but there you go. Feel free to comment about anything covered here, or not, as you wish. Here are some of the press releases not covered elsewhere on our pages that were issued yesterday Tories relaxed about NHS crisis shows why we need the Lib Dems to be the Official Opposition The government is relaxed about the crisis in general practice because it thinks Labour cant win the general election, Dr Phil Hammond, a former GP and health commentator has said. Commenting on the news, Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb said: The Tories have acted with outrageous complacency by repeatedly failing to take action to tackle the crisis in our NHS and care services. Time and again, I have called on Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt to give the NHS and social care the extra funding they desperately need to keep pace with growing demand, but this has fallen on deaf ears. This election is a chance to show the Conservatives that they cannot continue to put the future of our most essential public services in jeopardy. A vote for the Liberal Democrats will be a vote to give our health and care services the resources they desperately need. Ed Davey: Disgrace Govt had to be dragged through courts on air pollution The Government has announced it wont challenge the High Court judgement and will publish a draft plan to tackle air pollution next week, after having attempted to delay the plans until after the election. Ed Davey, former Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Secretary and the partys candidate for Kingston and Surbiton, commented: It is a disgrace this Conservative government had to be dragged through the courts before agreeing to publish a plan to tackle air pollution. How much taxpayers money has been wasted because of the failure of ministers to do the right thing? There is an urgent threat to peoples health from air pollution, yet time and again this government has dithered and delayed instead of taking action. The Liberal Democrats will fight to ensure action is taken to tackle the air pollution crisis that is claiming thousands of lives in UK each year. Rail Needs Urgent Modernisation Randerson Responding to the Campaign for Better Transports report calling for a reform of rail franchising and improvements in ticketing, Lib Dem Transport Spokesperson Baroness Randerson said: CRIMINAL figure Owen Treacy jnr is set to spend his 21st birthday behind bars despite having booked a venue and sent out invitations to guests. Treacy, who turns 21 tomorrow, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment after he withdrew an appeal against his conviction, late last year, for driving without insurance on three separate occasions. Treacy, who is originally from St Munchins Street, St Marys Park, pleaded guilty to the offences at Limerick District Court last December. After indicating that his client was withdrawing his circuit court appeal, Aaron Desmond BL asked that a stay be placed on the commencement of the prison sentences. He is asking for an opportunity to attend his own 21st birthday party, he said adding that Treacy was throwing himself before the court. The invitations have gone out, the venue is booked it is of huge importance to him and his family, he added. Solicitor Michelle Madden, prosecuting, said there was a strenuous State objection to Mr Treacys application given the repeated nature of his offending. Judge Tom ODonnell was told that in addition to the three offences under appeal, the defendant has nine other convictions for driving while uninsured at locations in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. In addition to being jailed last December, he was disqualified from driving for a decade. Treacy, who has a large number of convictions for driving and public order offences, also has a conviction for affray relating to an incident in April 2015 during which several members of rival criminal gangs clashed outside the Intreo offices at Dominick Street. During that case gardai said Treacy whose father was stabbed 17 times and left for dead at Drombanna in 2003 was the main instigator and at one point took off his top and began making aggressive gestures towards some of the other young men who were present. During the appeal proceedings, Mr Desmond told the court his client fully accepts the seriousness of his behaviour and confirmed he was willing to serve time. Refusing the application to put a stay on the prison sentences, Judge ODonnell said he was of the view the appeal was without merit full stop. He said the behaviour of the defendant was outrageous and that he was not going to allow the court to be used as some sort of facility to acknowledge special events. The judge added that he also a responsibility to the people of Limerick and to other motorists who are insured. After striking out the appeal he ordered that the custodial sentences imposed in the district court should begin immediately. LIMERICK emergency services came to the rescue this week when an alert was sent out that an adult swan was experiencing difficulty in the River Shannon. Limerick Fire and Rescue deployed its Swiftwater river technicians to the scene at around 6pm on Tuesday, and noticed that the swans leg was trapped in the rocks by the Curragower Falls, during low tide. And no better person than Limericks riverman, Pat Lysaght to be called to the scene to come to the distressed birds aid. Limerick Fire and Rescue Service were in puntastic form, when they posted about the incident on social media this Wednesday evening. In the Facebook post, they wrote: Our Swiftwater Rescue Technicians were called into action to rescue a Swan yesterday...Within minutes of the call, our crews swooped in, quick as Air Force Swan, to assist this guy in difficulty in the Curragower Falls. Owl by himself, one of his legs had become trapped under rocks in the Falls - he didn't have to wing it though...we managed to free him & he was taken into the care of Pat Lysaght - a great man on the river! Thankfully Pat reported no injuries to the swan & he was released a short time later. Pat, from Corbally, said that he was able to free the swan via a slipway after it was removed from the rocks. Be on the lookout for the unusual in your cover collections May 3, 2017, 9 AM This Oct. 25, 1939, cover mailed to New Jersey from Melbourne, Australia, bears a pale blue censor marking under the postmark. The cover is franked with a blue Australia King George VI stamp. An airmail cover mailed from Sydney, Australia, to Miami, Fla., looks fairly ordinary from the front. The large circular postmark is dated Sept. 8, 1950. This 1966 cover from Great Britain to a secretive Chicago mail-order company was opened and examined by the customs office in London. The back of the 1950 Sydney-to-Miami cover displays an oversized label advertising the Australian National Philatelic Exhibition & Centenary of Australian Postage Stamps in Melbourne. The Customs and Currency Examination label and London Postal Customs handstamp resealed the opened 1966 cover addressed to Suite 515, Fifth Floor in Chicago. The Fiji Bomber Fund label on this World War II-era cover from Suva celebrates the fundraising effort that bought three bombers for England. Adding interest to the 1939 censored cover from Melbourne, Australia, is the label affixed on the back from the International Peace Campaign, a short-lived British organization. The labels message is Peace Depends on You! Stamp Collecting Basics By Janet Klug Many philatelists collect stamps exclusively. Others are only interested in covers, which are envelopes, postal stationery, or similar items that have been postmarked or traveled through the mail. And there are those of us who collect both. I recently spent some time going through a big box of covers that had been stashed away for quite some time. It was as much fun as pawing through dealers covers at a stamp show, which is precisely where the covers came from. This time, I looked a little harder at each of these potential hidden treasures, and stumbled across some that had an extra something about them. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter One cover was mailed to the United States using an Australia 3-penny King George VI stamp. The postmark was dated Oct. 25, 1939, and indicated the cover was sent from Melbourne, Australia. Sort of hiding behind the postmark is a very pale blue handstamp that reads PASSED BY/CENSOR/V.43. If you ask most Americans when World War II began, the answer would probably be Dec. 7, 1941, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. If you ask Asians when World War II began, you are liable to hear July 29, 1937, when Japanese forces occupied Peking (now Beijing), China. Or, if you are talking to Europeans, the date they might say is Sept. 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Well, here is a letter sent from Melbourne on Oct. 25, 1939, just 52 days after Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand declared war on Germany on Sept. 3, 1939. That is why the mail was censored. But the surprise is on the reverse of the cover: a label calling for peace Peace Depends on You! originating from the International Peace Campaign, an organization founded early in 1936 by Dame Adelaide Livingstone in Great Britain. The group had difficulties once the war broke out and ceased in 1941. Another cover I found in my stash was sent from Suva, Fiji, to Philadelphia. The extra this time is a Fiji Bomber Fund label. This effort raised enough money to buy three bombers for Great Britains Royal Air Force, an amazing accomplishment from a small island. The Fiji stamps affixed are from 1938 and 1940 issues, but unfortunately the postmarks on them are unclear and the mailing date is unknown. (Online auction listings for covers with Fiji Bomber Fund labels and legible postmarks seem to be mostly from 1941.) Another cover I unearthed is kind of strange. It has an airmail etiquette (sticker) in the upper left corner, but there is another label covering the left half of the etiquette and folded over onto the back of the cover. The cover was sent July 1, 1966, from the Balham neighborhood, S.W. 12, of London, England. There is a round London Postal Customs handstamp in red on the bottom-left corner of the front and again on the back flap of the cover. The Customs and Currency Examination sticker indicates the envelope was opened for inspection. That is an interesting label, but what turned out to be even more interesting was the printed address of Suite 515, Fifth Floor, 180 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. A chat about this address took place among participants on www.stampboards.com late in 2014, revealing that covers exist from all over the world to this address, which was a mail-order company founded by L.W. de Laurence, an author, publisher, and supplier of information and items on magical and occult subjects. De Laurence died in 1936 but his company continued, and the product line at the time the letter was sent, in 1966, included voodoo items, shrunken heads, supernatural and occult products, talismans, and all sorts of sorcery. Its interesting but rather spooky. In a cheerier vein, another cover I found is an attractive Australian airmail piece postmarked in Sydney Sept. 8, 1950. A large and lovely engraved label on the reverse shows some of Melbournes downtown area and also advertises the Australian National Philatelic Exhibition, held in Melbourne Town Hall, Oct. 4-14, 1950. The label has a view of Collins Street, where many stamp shops were located and, indeed, some still are. The object of this particular column is to encourage collectors to spend some time looking carefully for interesting things that otherwise can be missed on covers. Both stamps and covers contain history you can hold in your hands. Dont overlook it. Andrew Jackson, age 78, in the first photo portrait of a U.S. president, taken in 1845 by photographer Mathew Brady at Jackson's plantation, the Hermitage. President Donald Trump delivered pronouncements yesterday (May 1) about President Andrew Jackson and the Civil War that left many people scratching their heads over the current president's interpretation of American history. In an audio interview clip shared on Twitter by the political news radio channel SiriusXM Politics, Trump told Washington Examiner reporter Salena Zito that Jackson was "really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War," adding that Jackson said, "There's no reason for this." Trump did not mention a time frame or context for the former president's supposed displeasure concerning what he "saw." However, Jackson died on June 8, 1845, and the American Civil War began in 1861. [6 Civil War Myths, Busted] Later that day, Trump reiterated his claims about Jackson in a tweet, insisting that even though Jackson died 16 years before the Civil War began, the former president nonetheless "saw it coming and was angry." Trump added that if Jackson had been leading the country at the time, he "would never have let it happen!" See more Jackson, like Trump, was considered a Washington outsider. The 19th-century president favored a "plain and simple" approach to politics that resonated with voters and won him two terms in the White House. As President, "he sought to act as the direct representative of the common man," according to a biography published online by the White House website. A portrait of the late Jackson is prominently displayed in Trump's Oval Office. And Trump has previously acknowledged that he greatly admires Jackson, calling him "an amazing figure in American history." Meanwhile, Trump's supporters have enthusiastically compared the current president to the populist Jackson, The New York Times reported in January. But even a president's admiration must be tempered with reality, and there is little evidence to suggest that Jackson anticipated the Civil War, let alone that he would have been able to stop it, American historian Eric Foner, a professor of history at Columbia University in New York City, told Live Science in an email. "Jackson would certainly have opposed secession. He was a very strong nationalist," Foner explained. Jackson adamantly favored a powerful federal government. In 1833, when South Carolina sought to reject a tariff already passed by Congress, Jackson sent armed forces into Charleston; privately, he threatened to hang the opposition leader, according to the White House website's biography of Jackson. So, it seems unlikely that Jackson would have accepted the secession of slave states from the United States. And as far as the Civil War is concerned, it appears equally unlikely that Jackson, as Trump claimed, would "never have let it happen," Foner added. "There is no reason to think that were he alive or president in 1860 to 1861 he would have been any more successful than others in preventing [the] Civil War," Foner told Live Science. Original article on Live Science. The "cuddle hormone" oxytocin gets all the attention, but a new study finds that other chemicals in the brain may play even bigger roles in people's interactions with others. In the study, researchers looked at people's genes for six different "social neuropeptides" chemicals in the brain that are involved with social interactions and found that two have particularly large effects on relationships. "There are a number of chemicals in the brain that play an important role in predisposing us to behave in particular ways," said senior study author Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford in England. [11 Interesting Effects of Oxytocin] Dopamine, for example, is sometimes called the "happy" chemical, Dunbar said. And endorphins "make [people] relaxed and [lead to them] feeling warm towards others." Indeed, the new study showed that these two chemicals endorphins and dopamine "play an especially important role in facilitating friendships and social networks," he said. The study, which was published May 1 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is one of the first studies to look at how a group of neuropeptides interact. "Up until now, most of the studies in this area have focused on just one neuropeptide, oxytocin," Dunbar told Live Science. But although the new study found that oxytocin does play "some limited role," notably in romantic relationships, "in fact, it plays a much less important role than endorphins and dopamine" in people's social lives more broadly, Dunbar said. In the study, the researchers tested the DNA of more than 750 British adults and looked for tiny variations in nine genes that are associated with the six social neuropeptides: oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins, vasopressin, serotonin and testosterone. The people in the study also filled out questionnaires about their social lives. The researchers looked for links between the participants' versions of those nine genes and their behaviors in three areas: the individuals' predisposition to being friendly and helpful, the quality of their one-on-one relationships (including romantic relationships), and how well they were connected with their extended social networks, according to the study. Dunbar noted that it is particularly important to study the third area, the extended social network. "The number of friends we have has massive effects on our health, happiness and well-being," he said. [7 Ways Friendships Are Great for Your Heatlh] The researchers found that dopamine played a big role in this third area, Dunbar said. The researchers also found that endorphins played a strong role in a person's social predisposition, and that oxytocin was involved only in romantic relationships, he said. But even its role in romantic relationships can be by overpowered by endorphins in some respects, he added. Although endorphins were strongly linked to predisposition to being friendly and helpful, and dopamine was linked to how well a person was connected to his or her social network, these neuropeptides "influence all three [areas] and are thus broadly more important to how our social life works," Dunbar said. In addition, "endorphins and dopamine work in tandem with each other," he said. The three other neuropeptides (vasopressin, serotonin and testosterone) weren't found to play large roles in social interactions, the study said. Originally published on Live Science. Greece reached a deal with its European lenders Tuesday for more reforms in exchange for a badly needed bailout installment so Athens could avoid possible bankruptcy. After months of often tough talks, Greek officials agreed to more pension cuts and tax increases. The European Commission and European Central Bank will bring the deal to their finance ministers at their May 22 meeting. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' leftist government says it is confident parliament will approve the new round of cuts. Ireland's state police recently concluded their investigation of comedian Stephen Fry, who stood accused of criminal blasphemy. In an interview that aired on Irish public television, Fry had described God as "capricious, mean-minded, stupid," and "an utter maniac." And Irelands Defamation Act of 2009 clearly prohibits the "publication or utterance of blasphemous matter." Yet on May 8 the police closed the case, explaining theyd been "unable to find a substantial number of outraged people." The mild resolution to this incident stands in stark contrast to recent news out of Pakistan which has seen a spike in blasphemy-related violence and Indonesia, where the outgoing governor of Jakarta was just sentenced to two years in prison for speaking irreverently against Islam. The Irish case is also a timely reminder, though, that anti-blasphemy laws are hardly unique to the Muslim world. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly one-fifth of European countries and a third of countries in the Americas, notably Canada, have laws against blasphemy. In my research for a new literary study of blasphemy, I found that these laws may differ in many respects from their more well-known counterparts in Muslim nations, but they also share some common features with them. In particular, they're all united in regarding blasphemy as a form of "injury" even as they disagree about what, exactly, blasphemy injures. The hurt of blasphemy In dropping their investigation of Stephen Fry, for example, the Irish police noted that the original complainant does not consider himself personally offended. Therefore they've determined he is "not an injured party." In the Muslim world, such injured parties are often a lot easier to find. Cultural anthropologist Saba Mahmood says that many devout Muslims perceive blasphemy as an almost physical injury: an intolerable offense that hurts both God himself and the whole community of the faithful. For Mahmood that perception was brought powerfully home in 2005, when a Danish newspaper published cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. Interviewing a number of Muslims at the time, Mahmood was "struck," she writes, "by the sense of personal loss" they conveyed. People she interviewed were very clear on this point: "The idea that we should just get over this hurt makes me so mad." "I would have felt less wounded if the object of ridicule were my own parents." The intensity of this "hurt," "wounding" and "ridicule" helps to explain how blasphemy can remain a capital offense in a theocratic state like Pakistan. The punishment is tailored to the enormity of the perceived crime. That may sound like a foreign concept to secular ears. The reality, though, is that most Western blasphemy laws are rooted in a similar logic of religious offense. As historians like Leonard Levy and David Nash have documented, these laws dating, mostly, from the 1200s to the early 1800s were designed to protect Christian beliefs and practices from the sort of "hurt" and "ridicule" that animates Islamic blasphemy laws today. But as the West became increasingly secular, religious injury gradually lost much of its power to provoke. By the mid-20th century, most Western blasphemy laws had become virtually dead letters. That's certainly true of the U.S., where such laws remain "on the books" in six states but havent been invoked since at least the early 1970s. Theyre now widely held to be nullified by the First Amendment. Yet looking beyond the American context, one will find that blasphemy laws are hardly obsolete throughout the West. Instead, theyre acquiring new uses for the 21st century. Religious offense in a secular world Consider the case of a Danish man who was charged with blasphemy, in February, for burning a Quran and for posting a video of the act online. In the past, Denmark's blasphemy law had only ever been enforced to punish anti-Christian expression. (It was last used in 1946.) Today it serves to highlight an ongoing trend: In an increasingly pluralist, multicultural West, blasphemy laws find fresh purpose in policing intolerance between religious communities. Instead of preventing injury to God, these laws now seek to prevent injury to the social fabric of avowedly secular states. That's true not only of the Wests centuries-old blasphemy laws but also of more recent ones. Ireland, for instance, passed a law in 2009 that prohibits the "publication or utterance of blasphemous matter." More specifically, it targets any person who "utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion." With its emphasis on the "outrage" blasphemy may cause among "any religion," this measure seems to be aimed less at protecting the sacred than at preventing intolerance among diverse religious groups. The law itself has caused outrage of a different sort, however. Advocacy organizations, such as Atheist Ireland, have expressed fierce opposition to the law and to the example it sets internationally. In late 2009, for instance, Pakistan borrowed the exact language of the Irish law in its own proposed statement on blasphemy to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Thus, Atheist Ireland warns on its website that "Islamic States can now point to a modern pluralist Western State passing a new blasphemy law in the 21st century." Blasphemy in modernity That warning resonates with the common Western view of blasphemy as an antiquated concept, a medieval throwback with no relevance to "modern," "developed" societies. As Columbia University professor Gauri Viswanathan puts it, blasphemy is often used "to separate cultures of modernity from those of premodernity." Starting from the assumption that blasphemy can exist only in a backward society, critics point to blasphemy as evidence of the backwardness of entire religious cultures. I would argue, however, that this eurocentric view is growing increasingly difficult to sustain. If anything, blasphemy seems to be enjoying a resurgence in many corners of the supposedly secular West. The real question now is not whether blasphemy counts as a crime. Instead its about who, or what God or the state, religion or pluralism is the injured party. Steve Pinkerton, Lecturer in English, Case Western Reserve University Editor's Note: This story was first published on May 3 and updated on May 10 to include information about the investigation of comedian Stephen Fry, who was accused of criminal blasphemy. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Varanus douarrha was first described for science in 1823, but the original specimen went down in an 1824 shipwreck. A monitor lizard lost to science in an 1800s shipwreck has been rediscovered on an island in Papua New Guinea. The medium-size monitor, Varanus douarrha, was first identified by French naturalist Rene Lesson in 1823. The scientific name was inspired by the pronunciation of the lizard's name in Siar, the language of the people who share the lizard's home of New Ireland island. [Album: Bizarre Frogs, Lizards and Salamanders] The specimen of the lizard collected by Lesson went down in a shipwreck off the Cape of Good Hope in 1824, however, so the monitor lizard was never systematically studied. Scientists knew monitor lizards roamed New Ireland, but figured they were the common mangrove monitor species (Varanus indicus) found all over New Guinea. (There are about 90 species of monitor lizard worldwide.) Not so, new research finds. Valter Weijola, a zoologist at the University of Turku in Finland, did fieldwork on the island in an effort to survey the monitor lizards there. He and his colleagues found that the monitor lizards there are both morphologically and genetically different from Varanus indicus. In fact, V. douarrha has been present on the Bismarck Islands, of which New Ireland is a part, for longer that V. indicus, the researchers reported April 26 in the Australian Journal of Zoology. The new monitor lizard is the only large animal endemic to the remote island of New Ireland. (Image credit: Valter Weijola) V. douarrha is black with yellow speckles that are concentrated more densely on its underbelly. It grows to about 4.3 feet (1.3 meters) in length. For comparison, the largest monitor lizard the Komodo dragon can grow to 10 feet (3 m) long. V. douarrha is the only large native animal known to live on New Ireland, though fossils have been found of large flightless birds and rodents. Last year, Weijola and his colleagues discovered another new monitor lizard, V. semotus, on Mussau Island, which is in the northern part of Papua New Guinea. The discoveries show that there are more endemic species, or native animals found nowhere else, on the islands than previously realized, Weijola said in a statement. Original article on Live Science. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Tuesday, their first such conversation since Russia condemned a U.S. military attack against Syria last month in response to a nerve gas attack launched on civilians by Syrian forces. The two leaders discussed the civil war in Syria, as well as the situation with North Korea, according to the White House, which described the conversation as "a very good one." Kremlin officials, quoted by Russian media, termed the call "businesslike and constructive." The two leaders agreed to have their top diplomats, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, step up discussions on a ceasefire for the six-year-long conflict in Syria, according to the Kremlin. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," according to the readout off the call issued by the White House. Ceasefire Putin is pushing for a cease-fire in the Middle East country. Talks on that topic are to begin Wednesday in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The United States will send a representative to the Russian-organized meeting, which also will include Iran and Turkey. A previous set of negotiations, jointly led by Russia and the United States during the Obama administration, failed to achieve a breakthrough. During their call Tuesday, Trump and Putin also discussed "safe or de-escalation zones to achieve a lasting peace for humanitarian and other reasons" in Syria. The call was the third between the two leaders since Trump won the presidential election in November. The two spoke last month after a terror attack in St. Petersburg, Russia, and a week after Trump's inauguration in January. "The call seems to have been positive," professor Henry Hale of George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs told VOA. "I'm glad Trump and Putin appear to have agreed on how to disagree on Syria, first and foremost minimizing the chances of an unfortunate direct military conflict between the U.S. and Russia, which could have terrible consequences." Hale, who is co-director of the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security (PONARS) in Eurasia, noted, "It is important simply to maintain channels of communication between Washington and Moscow. In that light, the announced American participation in the Astana talks will also be a positive." Of the books that journalists and historians have written on the life of Barack Obama, three stand out so far. In "Barack Obama: The Story," David Maraniss shows us who Obama is. In "Reading Obama," James T. Kloppenberg explains how Obama thinks. In "The Bridge," David Remnick tells us what Obama means. Now, in a probing new biography, "Rising Star," David J. Garrow attempts to do all that, but also something more: He tells us how Obama lived, and explores the calculations he made in the decades leading up to his winning the presidency. Garrow portrays Obama as a man who ruthlessly compartmentalized his existence; who believed early on that he was fated for greatness; and who made emotional sacrifices in the pursuit of a goal that must have seemed unlikely to everyone but him. Every step - whether his foray into community organizing, Harvard Law School, even the choice of whom to love - was not just about living a life but about fulfilling a destiny. It is in the personal realm that Garrow's account is particularly revealing. He shares for the first time the story of a woman Obama lived with and loved in Chicago, in the years before he met Michelle, and whom he asked to marry him. Sheila Miyoshi Jager, now a professor at Oberlin College, is a recurring presence in "Rising Star," and her pained, drawn-out relationship with Obama informs both his will to rise in politics and the trade-offs he deems necessary to do so. Garrow, who received a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Martin Luther King Jr., concludes this massive new work with a damning verdict on Obama's determination: "While the crucible of self-creation had produced an ironclad will, the vessel was hollow at its core." By now the broad contours of the Obama story are well known, not least because Obama has repeated them so often. With Kansas and Kenya in his veins, he carries Indonesia in his memory, Hawaii in his smile, Harvard in his brain and, most of all, Chicago in his soul. "It wasn't until I moved to Chicago and became a community organizer that I think I really grew into myself in terms of my identity," he said in an interview about "Dreams From My Father," his 1995 memoir. "I connected in a very direct way with the African-American community in Chicago" and was able to "walk away with a sense of self-understanding and empowerment." Note how it was as much about Obama himself as any success he had in his organizing work. Inspired by Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor, Obama began to discuss his political ambitions with a few colleagues and friends during his early time in the city. He wanted to be mayor of Chicago. Or a U.S. senator. Or governor of Illinois. Or perhaps he would enter the ministry. Or, as he confided to very few, such as Jager, he would become president of the United States. Lofty stuff for a 20-something community organizer who struggled to write fiction on the side. Jager, who in "Dreams From My Father" was virtually written out, compressed into a single character along with two prior Obama girlfriends, may have evoked something of Obama's distant mother, Stanley Ann Dunham. Like Dunham, Jager studied anthropology, and while Dunham focused on Indonesia, Jager developed a deep expertise in the Korean Peninsula. Jager was of Dutch and Japanese ancestry, fitting the multicultural world Obama was only starting to leave behind. They were a natural fit. Jager soon came to realize, she told Garrow, that Obama had "a deep-seated need to be loved and admired." She describes their life together as an isolating experience, "an island unto ourselves" in which Obama would "compartmentalize his work and home life." She did not meet Jeremiah Wright, the pastor with a growing influence on Obama, and they rarely saw his professional colleagues socially. The friends they saw were often graduate students at the University of Chicago, where Sheila was pursuing her doctorate. They traveled together to meet her family as well as his. Soon they began speaking of marriage. "In the winter of '86, when we visited my parents, he asked me to marry him," she told Garrow. Her parents were opposed, less for any racial reasons (Barack came across to them like "a white, middle-class kid," a close family friend said) than for concern about Obama's professional prospects, and because her mother thought Sheila, two years Obama's junior, was too young. "Not yet," Sheila told Barack. But they stayed together. In early 1987, when Obama was 25, she sensed a change. "He became ... so very ambitious" very suddenly," she told Garrow. "I remember very clearly when this transformation happened, and I remember very specifically that by 1987, about a year into our relationship, he already had his sights on becoming president." The sense of destiny is not unusual among those who become president. (See Clinton, Bill.) But it created complications. Obama believed that he had a "calling," Garrow writes, and in his case it was "coupled with a heightened awareness that to pursue it he had to fully identify as African-American." Maraniss' 2012 biography deftly describes Obama's conscious evolution from a multicultural, internationalist self-perception toward a distinctly African-American one, and Garrow puts this transition into an explicitly political context. For black politicians in Chicago, he writes, a non-African-American spouse could be a liability. He cites the example of Richard H. Newhouse Jr., a legendary African-American state senator in Illinois, who was married to a white woman and endured whispers that he "talks black but sleeps white." And Carol Moseley Braun, who during the 1990s served Illinois as the first female African-American U.S. senator and whose ex-husband was white, admitted that "an interracial marriage really restricts your political options." Discussions of race and politics suddenly overwhelmed Sheila and Barack's relationship. "The marriage discussions dragged on and on," but now they were clouded by Obama's "torment over this central issue of his life ... race and identity," Sheila recalls. The "resolution of his black identity was directly linked to his decision to pursue a political career," she said. In Garrow's telling, Obama made emotional judgments on political grounds. A close mutual friend of the couple recalls Obama explaining that "the lines are very clearly drawn. ... If I am going out with a white woman, I have no standing here." And friends remember an awkward gathering at a summer house, where Obama and Jager engaged in a loud, messy fight on the subject for an entire afternoon. ("That's wrong! That's wrong! That's not a reason," they heard Sheila yell from their guest room, their arguments punctuated by bouts of makeup sex.) Obama cared for her, Garrow writes, "yet he felt trapped between the woman he loved and the destiny he knew was his." Just days before he would depart for Harvard Law School - and when the relationship was already coming apart - Obama asked her to come with him and get married, "mostly, I think, out of a sense of desperation over our eventual parting and not in any real faith in our future," Sheila explained to Garrow. At the time, she was heading to Seoul for dissertation research, and she resented his assumption she would automatically postpone her career for his. More arguments ensued, and each went their way, although not for good. --- At Harvard, the Obama the world has come to know took clearer form. In his late 20s now and slightly older than most classmates, he had a compulsion to orate in class and summarize other people's arguments for them. "In law school the only thing I would have voted for Obama to do would have been to shut up," one student told Garrow. Classmates created a Obamanometer, ranking "how pretentious someone's remarks are in class." Such complaints aside, he was generally admired, including by his professors, one of whom wrote a final exam question around comments Obama had made in class. And his elevation to the presidency of the Harvard Law Review, the first time for an African-American, signaled the respect the school's elite students had for him - even if some liberal classmates later regretted their choice, finding Obama too conciliatory toward conservatives in their midst. Garrow re-creates the drama around the election, with Law Review colleagues debating the candidates' legal acumen and leadership skills, as well as the possible history-making aspect of the selection. It is an unexpectedly riveting part of the book. The black editors on the staff began "crying and running and hugging" when the final choice was made - and with the national news coverage that followed, Obama's star was on the rise. Law school also provided Obama one of his most important intellectual interlocutors: classmate and economist Rob Fisher. They took multiple classes together and co-wrote a never-published book on public policy, titled "Transformative Politics" or "Promises of Democracy: Hopeful Critiques of American Ideology." The manuscript explored the political failures of the left and right and expounded on markets, race and democratic dialogue, showing glimmers of the political philosophy and rhetoric that Obama would come to embrace. A few years later, Fisher helped Obama rethink "Dreams From My Father" (originally titled "Journeys in Black and White"), making it less a policy book and more a personal one. Obama had met Michelle Robinson at the Chicago law firm where she worked - and where he was a summer associate - after his first year of law school, and the couple quickly became serious. However, Jager, who soon arrived at Harvard on a teaching fellowship, was not entirely out of his life. "Barack and Sheila had continued to see each other irregularly throughout the 1990-91 academic year, notwithstanding the deepening of Barack's relationship with Michelle Robinson," Garrow writes. ("I always felt bad about it," Sheila told the author more than two decades later. Once Barack and Michelle were married, his personal ties to Sheila were reduced to the occasional letter (such as after the 9/11 attacks) and phone call (when he reached out to ask whether a biographer had contacted her). If Garrow is indeed correct in concluding that Obama's romantic choices were influenced by his political ambitions, it is no small irony that Michelle Obama became one of those most skeptical about Obama's political prospects, and most dubious about his will to rise. She constantly discourages his efforts toward elective office and resents the time he spends away from her and their two young daughters. Obama vented to a friend how often Michelle would talk about money. "Why don't you go out and get a good job? You're a lawyer - you can make all the money we need," she would tell him, as the couple struggled with student loans and the demands of family and political life. (Garrow sides with Michelle, highlighting how, on the day after Sasha was born, Barack went downtown for a meeting.) As he considered a U.S. Senate bid, Obama's team commissioned a poll that covered, among other questions, his name. "Barry," as he was known from childhood into his early college years, polled better than "Barack," but Obama never considered resurrecting the old name. He had made his choice, of identity and image, long ago. Sheila recalls that one of the few times Obama became genuinely angry with her was in Hawaii, when she heard relatives calling him Barry, and she did so as well, just for fun. He became "irrationally furious," she said. "He told me that under no circumstances was I ever to use that name with him." There was no going back. --- "Rising Star" is exhaustive, but only occasionally exhausting. Garrow zooms his lens out far, for instance when he recounts the evisceration of Chicago's steel industry in the early 1980s, providing useful context for Obama's subsequent work. And he goes deliciously small-bore, too, delving into the culture of the Illinois statehouse, where poker was intense and infidelity was rampant. "There's a lot of people who f--ed in Springfield," a female lobbyist tells Garrow. "What else is there to do?" Obama, however, did not. "Michelle would kick my butt," he told a colleague there. At times Garrow delivers information simply because he has it; I did not need a detailed readout of all of Obama's course evaluations from his years teaching at the University of Chicago's law school. (Turns out his students liked him.) The book's title seems chosen with a sense of irony. Garrow shows how media organizations invariably described Obama as a "rising star," in almost self-fulfilling fashion. Yet, after nine years of research and reporting, Garrow does not appear too impressed by his subject, even if he recognizes Obama's historical importance. The author is harsh but persuasive in his reading of "Dreams From My Father," for instance, calling it not a memoir but a work of "historical fiction," one in which the "most important composite character was the narrator himself." (Reviewers were impressed by it, but few who knew Obama well seemed to recognize the man in its pages.) He points out that Obama's cocaine use extended into his post-college years, longer than Obama had previously acknowledged. And he suggests Obama deployed religion for political purposes; while campaigning for the U.S. Senate, Garrow notes, Obama began toting around a Bible and exhibited "a greater religious faith than close acquaintances had ever previously sensed." Throughout the book, Obama displays an almost petulant dissatisfaction with each step he took to reach the Oval Office. Community organizing is not ambitious enough, he decides, so he goes to law school. But then he moves into politics because "I saw the law as being inadequate to the task "of achieving social change," Obama explains. In Springfield, he is again disillusioned by "the realization that politics is a business ... an activity that's designed to advance one's career, accumulate resources and help one's friends," as "opposed to a mission."And upon reaching the U.S. Senate, he tells National Journal that he is "surprised by the lack of deliberation in the world's greatest deliberative body." Nothing measures up. "Rising Star" concludes with Obama announcing his presidential campaign, and Garrow speeds through the Obama presidency in a clunky and tacky epilogue, in which he recaps the growing media disenchantment with Obama and goes out of his way to cite unfavorable reviews of earlier Obama biographies. (Come on, David. Other books can be good.) In his acknowledgments, Garrow says that Obama granted him eight hours of off-the-record conversations and even read the bulk of the manuscript. "His understandable remaining disagreements - some strong indeed - with multiple characterizations and interpretations contained herein do not lessen my deep thankfulness for his appreciation of the scholarly seriousness with which I have pursued this project," Garrow writes. That is Obama now: a scholarly project, a figure of history. After the eight years of his presidency, it is odd to consider him in the past tense. Yes, he remains a public figure, as the mini-controversy over his speaking fees shows, and he is not going away, and certainly not with a post-presidential memoir still coming. But now he is fighting for history and legacy, and one of those battles is against another figure whose ascent is even more bizarre, yet perhaps no less personally preordained. Obama had considered Donald Trump long before either man won the presidency, and brushed off his existence as a misguided national fantasy. Americans have a "continuing normative commitment to the ideals of individual freedom and mobility," Obama wrote in the old Harvard book manuscript, now more than 25 years old. "The depth of this commitment may be summarily dismissed as the unfounded optimism of the average American - I may not be Donald Trump now, but just you wait; if I don't make it, my children will." --- Lozada is associate editor and nonfiction book critic of The Washington Post. If the powerful 20th-century city planner Robert Moses had gotten his way, Manhattan would now be crisscrossed by major highways. SoHo would have been wiped off the map so cars could zip more efficiently through the city. Moses usually got exactly what he wanted. But not in 1964. The reason was journalist Jane Jacobs. "Citizen Jane: Battle for the City" vividly recounts how one woman with something to lose - her Greenwich Village neighborhood - wound up slaying Goliath. But the movie is also, in a larger sense, about urban planning in general, a fascinating topic that could easily seem dry in the wrong hands. Director Matt Tyrnauer mixes lively archival footage, including a memorable news interview with an angry Italian grandmother, with testimony from passionate experts to demonstrate the importance of city design. Jacobs was no expert when it came to such matters but, as a journalist, she was endlessly curious. She was also keenly attuned to what was going on around her. While Moses and his contemporaries took a bird's-eye view of cities, Jacobs was on the street, learning what made New York tick. One of her greatest realizations was that the more people there were on the street, the safer it was. And yet the men in power wanted to replace run-down rowhouses and tenements - where stoop culture was alive and well - with massive housing projects. That would have meant fewer children playing on sidewalks, which in turn meant fewer parents keeping an eye on things. Jacobs waged war on the prevailing wisdom of the day with her provocative 1961 book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities." Her main point was simple: A city is about people, not buildings. With a blunt bob haircut and oversize glasses, she didn't look like the typical highbrow intellectual, and her opponents tried to dismiss her. One book critic called her "a housewife from Hudson Street." She may not have been a city planner, but neither was she a homemaker. Quickly, she proved she could be an activist as well. If Jacobs is the movie's hero, Moses is unquestionably the villain. Tyrnauer uses various sound bites from old interviews, including one in which Moses glibly admits that to get his work done, "you have to move a lot of people out of the way." The movie is scored like a thriller, seemingly building to some terrifying conclusion. And, in a way, it does: We see dozens of housing projects rise up around the country, only to be torn down years later, when they were recognized as failures. The stakes are still high, according to the documentary. The current scale and speed of urbanization is unprecedented, one interview subject explains. That means cities are going to have to change to accommodate everyone. Jacobs died in 2006, so it's up to the rest of us to pay attention to who's making big decisions, and why. --- Three stars. Unrated. Contains nothing objectionable. 93 minutes. Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. Advance fri may 5 Did anyone really expect this? Wasn't Stephen Colbert eviscerating President Donald Trump or Samantha Bee destroying him -- with jokes, of course -- supposed to make some kind of difference in 2017? Of all the late-night comedians - including ones who consistently make Trump the target of brutally biting jokes - it's Jimmy Kimmel who thus far has had the most influence in a serious political conversation in the Trump era. And he didn't do it with an impersonation or a particularly epic takedown or a meta-prank, but with an emotional, 13-minute monologue about his newborn son's heart condition. Kimmel's comments about his son Billy were punctuated by tears, praise of Billy's nurses and doctors, and a plea that leaders in Washington make health care accessible to all -- just as lawmakers on Capitol Hill debate how those with pre-existing conditions would fare under a GOP health-care proposal. "No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their child's life," Kimmel said through tears. "It just shouldn't happen. Not here." Video of Kimmel's monologue went viral, prompting a flurry of political op-eds, cable-news roundtable discussions, fact checks and praise from former President Barack Obama. "Well said, Jimmy," Obama tweeted. "That's exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy." Kimmel's name surfaced on newspaper front pages in stories about the congressional wrangling over passing a health-care measure. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney even addressed Kimmel while trying to defend the GOP health-care plan: "Everyone, I think, agrees with Jimmy Kimmel that we have enough money in this country to provide care for those type of folks," Mulvaney said Wednesday on "Fox & Friends," a program Trump is known to watch regularly. He added: "If we give more control to the states they can figure out a way to best provide for children like Mr. Kimmel's baby." Whenever a liberal celebrity entertainer gives a politically charged speech -- remember Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes? -- there's inevitable pushback from the conservatives who dismiss the messenger as a Hollywood elitist giving lectures. Kimmel has drawn the same kind of ire, but his story has broken beyond the realm of pop culture trying to wade into politics. He clearly struck a nerve, and he didn't do it with an abrasive takedown. He didn't overtly attack Republicans or Trump. His plea "emotionally digs at the central debate over the GOP's Obamacare replacement right now," one that even Republican lawmakers haven't agreed upon, The Washington Post's Aaron Blake wrote. It's remarkable given that political barbs have become a hot ratings commodity in the crowded late-night comedy landscape. Colbert, considered a harsher critic of Trump than Jimmy Fallon, has beaten his NBC rival in ratings for 13 consecutive weeks. NBC's "Saturday Night Live" is enjoying some of its best ratings in decades, and has doubled-down on topical political humor with plans for prime-time summer "Weekend Update" shows. Comedy Central rolled out a satirical Trump talk show last week, and has plans for a new news-comedy program in the fall. Kimmel definitely isn't a Trump sympathizer; he has plenty of anti-Trump material. But the ABC host also isn't the comedic face of the #Resistance, staking out the same ground of hosts such as TBS' Bee, who hosted an alternative White House correspondents' dinner that took sharp aim at Trump and his supporters. In fact, the biggest political controversy to come from Kimmel's show this year was his interview with right-leaning actor Tim Allen, who compared being a conservative in Hollywood to living in 1930s Germany. The sight of the former "The Man Show" host crying on-air Monday may be jarring for a general public who still thinks of him as the host who tricks people with YouTube hoaxes and tells parents to lie to their kids about eating all their Halloween candy. He's so known for mischievous pranks that when he hosted the Oscars, a bunch of people thought the big best-picture mix-up was just a classic Kimmel prank. Fans of Kimmel know otherwise: The host is a sucker for sentimentality and not afraid of getting serious and shedding tears in front of a live studio audience. He's cried talking about his late uncle Frank Potenza, paying tribute to David Letterman and describing what happened to Cecil the lion. Now Kimmel's late-night brand is no longer just heartless pranks and pretend-hatred of Matt Damon. It's also earnestness. An unappetizing meal of class anxiety, politics, mental illness and delinquent children, writer-director Oren Moverman's "The Dinner" has plenty of dramatic potential. Unfortunately, the dish is all but inedible. Adapted from Dutch author Herman Koch's 2009 bestseller, the movie is organized by course, with such chapters as "Aperitif" indicated in on-screen titles, in formal script. This mannered structure, like pairing a fine wine with subpar food, only draws attention to the steaming, unsavory mess of a screenplay. (Moverman previously co-wrote both "I'm Not There" and "Love & Mercy," and he directed "The Messenger and "Time Out of Mind.") The plot begins with mere social anxiety. Paul Lohman (Steve Coogan, barely pulling off an American accent) is, despite pleas from his wife (Laura Linney), reluctant to go to an elaborate dinner with his brother Stan (Richard Gere), a congressman running for governor, and his wife (Rebecca Hall). Paul doesn't hide his contempt for his dining companions: "These leeches! These maggots!" he complains. His attitude seems to align with the filmmaker's own misanthropy - for characters that are poorly developed and often act without any clear motivation, other than inherent boorishness. Although the opening credits seem to promise a satire of haute cuisine, what unfolds, or unravels, thereafter is a story of mental illness and two strained families who are trying to decide what to do about their respective teenage sons, who have committed a terrible crime that could derail their future, not to mention Stan's gubernatorial campaign. It's not a bad premise - for melodrama. And the film's moral dilemma seems like a variation on themes that were addressed to better effect in the recent Romanian drama "Graduation." To wit: In an increasingly corrupt adult world, how can we teach our children to be good people? Yet "The Dinner" diminishes this profound conundrum with a sensationalism that suggests such outrage-ready headlines as "They paid hundreds to eat 'pumpernickel soil' while their children committed MURDER!" That's not drama. That's six-course clickbait, fodder for the next think-piece about elitism and our broken society. But the film's worst misstep may be the flashback to Paul's former life as a teacher. It's an extended Gettysburg montage - complete with audio re-enactment - inspired by Paul's trip to the Civil War battleground with his estranged brother. (It's worth noting that the sibling dynamic in "The Boss Baby" was more convincing.) In case you miss the point, Paul quotes Abraham Lincoln: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Moverman has admitted, in an interview included in the film's press material, that the food depicted in "The Dinner" is ridiculous, in the way it strains for hipness. At the same time, he seems unaware that his own film also tries too hard. This "Dinner" is spoiled before the appetizer even arrives. Check, please! --- One star. Rated R. Contains strong language, violence and projectile self-righteousness. 120 minutes Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. Advance fri may 5 The State Council recently issued a circular to boost medical partnership and further reform the current medical system. The move will help optimize structure of medical resources, improve services of local medical institutions, and boost the whole medical service system, according to the circular. During a visit to Sunjiatuan Hospital in Weihai city of Shandong province on April 20, Premier Li Keqiang stressed the significance of medical partnership, saying free flow of high-quality resources will benefit patients. The community hospital featuring traditional Chinese medicine has formed a medical alliance with Weihai City Chinese Medicine Hospital. We should make efforts to break through the barriers and make high-quality medical resources flow, to seek better treatment for patients by means of medical alliances, he said. The major target of the partnership is to send superior medical resources to lower level medical institutions. All top-level public hospitals of provinces carrying out such medical reform will take part in the initiative and at least one effective medical partnership will be formed in each city, according to the circular. In addition to medical partnership among urban and community hospitals, such alliance will also be formed among medical institutions within county-level administrative regions. The partnership will bring conveniences to patients as previously diagnosis reports and drugs cannot be shared and medical insurances stipulations were different among hospitals in some regions. The unshared medical resources make a Matthew Effect, in which big hospitals become monopoly, absorbing more and more resources from grassroots clinics. However, they are, at the same time, cannot provide quality services to every patient. So medical partnerships are about to push them delegate some resources to grassroots, thus cutting their burdens to allow them focus on critical cases and academic research. Performance assessment is emphasized for the partnerships. Whether the medical resources and technologies are shared will be directly connected with medical staffs wage and promotion. Time table is clear. The reform will be implemented nationwide in 2020. Many things will be tried in pilot projects in the coming years, including public hospital reform and payment mode reform of medical insurance. Medical partnership also has connection with elder care industry. The reform will make more old people be treated just in their home and communities. In Weihai, Premier Li said China has already has 200 million elders, so we must connect elder care and healthcare industry. Several departments are involved in the reform, including the national health and family planning commission, traditional Chinese medicine administration, technology, finance and social insurance bureau. A collaboration mechanism among those departments is necessary. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Three alleged Zetas drug cartel members received hefty prison sentences following their convictions of conspiracy to kidnap immigrants. Laredoans Angel Alexis Diaz, 20, Jose Israel Diaz, 42, and Julio Osorio, 42, held a group of immigrants who entered the country illegally against their will while assaulting and extorting them until one decided to fight back, according to records filed in federal court. A grand jury rendered a multi-count indictment last summer against the trio; charging them with conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to hostage take, hostage taking, conspiracy to conceal, harbor or shield undocumented immigrants and eight counts of conceal, harbor or shield undocumented immigrants. In September, the men pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to kidnap charge after reaching a plea agreement with the government. The remaining charges were dismissed Tuesday as part of the agreement. READ MORE: Auto-theft ring tied to Zetas drug cartel On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Angel Diaz to serve 21 years and 10 months in prison while Jose Diaz received a 30-year sentence. Their co-defendant, Osorio, was sentenced to serve 24 years and four months in prison. The sentences will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. All three men were arrested in July after Laredo police responded to a stabbing report in central Laredo. On July 5, officers met with a man who had cuts to his hand and fingers in the 4700 block of Mims Avenue. Then, several other people waved officers down in the 4500 block of Mims. Officers noticed another man with a laceration. One injured person was identified as Osorio. Border Patrol agents responded to a call for assistance from LPD regarding a suspected human smuggling case. RELATED: Mexico transfers Zetas cartel leader to border prison in Mexico Eight Mexican nationals who had entered the country illegally alleged they were held against their will, assaulted and extorted for additional smuggling fees, states the criminal complaint filed July 7. Material witnesses told authorities that Angel Diaz, Jose Diaz and Osorio told them they were not allowed to leave. The men stripped all immigrants of their clothing and tied their arms behind their backs with tape, beat them with a blunt knife and threatened them with a gun, records allege. Then, Angel and Jose Diaz went to a store while Osorio was left behind to watch over the immigrants. Thats when an immigrant fought with Osorio over a knife. The immigrant sustained cuts but was able to take the knife away from Osorio, the complaint states. All immigrants then escaped. They allege the suspects were demanding additional smuggling fees, between $2,000 and $4,000. One immigrant told authorities that the trio told them they were Zetas and threatened to kill him, according to court documents. LMT staff writer Cesar G. Rodriguez contributed to this report. Taryn Walters may be reached at 956-728-2528 or twalters@lmtonline.com. Lawmakers heard testimony on a long-shot resolution that would expand access to the multibillion dollar fund that finances the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. The University of Houston System and the Texas Tech University System would benefit from the Permanent University Fund II as envisioned by Rep. Carol Alvarado, a Houston Democrat and a UH graduate. Representatives did not vote on the resolution. A portion of money in the existing Permanent University Fund a state-owned investment fund that collects royalties from oil and gas leases would finance the second fund. The University of Houston System has long attempted to gain access to the fund, which right now distributes money only to the UT System and the Texas A&M System. UH has said that being able to dip into that money would level the playing field between Texass universities and would help UH join the Association of American Universities, an elite group whose membership includes Texas A&M University and UT-Austin. SURVEY SAYS: Poll shows politics on campus becoming polarized Texas A&M and UT leaders said Wednesday that widening the fund would be disastrous, connecting the success of the two flagship institutions with the states economic success. Youre going to destroy two great AAU universities and bring them down to make everybody equal, Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said, referring to the association. Do not jeopardize the excellence of UT Austin and Texas A&M, UT Board Chairman Paul Foster said. Lawmakers on Wednesday morning acknowledged the disparities in funding but were wary of harming Texas A&M University and UT-Austin. BIG GIFT: St. Thomas receives multi-million dollar donation from estate Alvarado from the outset said she did not expect a vote on the resolution and sought to start a discussion solely. Still, she criticized higher education leaders for allowing politics to overtly influence decisions that would better the state as a whole. Were all in this together. We are a better state when our higher ed institutions are all funded sufficiently, she said. Alvarado urged lawmakers to continue the discussion on the Permanent University Fund's beneficiaries in next year's interim between legislative sessions. Boys & Girls Country has welcomed a new executive director. Vince Duran began his position as executive director on May 1. Duran has more than 15 years of experience in residential programs and nine years as a minister and chaplain to his new role with the organization. "I am thrilled to serve as the next executive director of Boys and Girls Country. This organization has a long history of providing quality care for children and excellence in leadership. The bar has been set high, and I am looking forward to the challenge," Duran said. "Our children deserve no less than the very best we can give them. I am grateful to the churches, donors, and supporters for helping us provide a safe and secure home for children." Lou Palma is the former executive director of Boys & Girls Country, a nonprofit organization that has provided a home to more than 1,400 children since 1971. Palma led the organization for more than eight years. "We are all blessed to be a part of something bigger, and way more important, than ourselves. Boys and Girls Country is a special, Christian family place where little miracles happen every day. Given that, it's such a bittersweet moment for me," Palma said. "I seem intent now on soaking in the memory of every face, every sound, every view and every breeze that floats through our campus. Our dedicated board of directors hired Mr. Vince Duran, and we have formed a solid partnership devoted to the mission of Boys and Girls Country." Duran's education includes a master of social work from New Mexico Highlands University and a bachelor of science in biblical studies at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, where he is currently pursuing a master of divinity. "I have spent my entire career working with children, and I am passionate about the high calling of this ministry," Duran said. Before taking leadership at the Boys & Girls Country, Duran was the executive director of Hope-Boles Children's Home in Quinlan. The organization assists disadvantaged children and single-mother families. His resume also includes serving as director of the Family Resource Center at Cal Farley's Boys Ranch in Amarillo, serving as a Clinical Chaplain for the New Mexico Department of Corrections, and as a Counseling Supervisor for the U.S. Department of Labor Albuquerque Job Corps. The beginning of Duran's career also marked a time where he was a Youth Minister at Christian Life Center in Amarillo where he provided spiritual leadership as pastor for children between ages 12 to 18. The Boys & Girls Country works to fulfil their mission to change the lives of children from families in crisis by loving and nurturing them in a Christian home environment, raising them to become self-sustaining and contributing adults. The organization has a vision that every child has a place to grow up and a sense of being home. The organization is licensed by the Texas as a residential home. The campus consists of a network of cottage families and as well as an extended Christian neighborhood which supports the children. In January, the organization broke ground on its second new cottage. The new project, funded by the Hamill Foundation, will be built through a collaboration with Houston HomeAid, which is the nonprofit arm of the Greater Houston Builders Association, and Lennar Homes/Village Builders. The homes will cost approximately $800,000 to build. HomeAid Houston, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Greater Houston Builders Association, identifies long term, stable homeless care providers who need additional capacity and pairs them with GHBA builders, remodelers, vendors and suppliers who donate their time, materials and labor to help build hope and homes for the homeless. The building organizations is proud to collaborate with the Boys & Girl's Country on the new project that will benefit the lives of children and other community members. The Boys and Girls Country implements programs to its youth through its' resources such as the College and Career program. Through the program, the organization has the ability to support high school graduates until they are independent adults. According to the club's website, there are 12 young adults in the College and Career program with an opportunity for a college degree, technical certificate, or option to enter the military or begin their first job while living in a supportive Christian environment. With the assistance of grants and scholarships, students have the opportunity to lead their lives debt-free. Community members have various opportunities to become involved with the club. Volunteer opportunities with the organization include tutoring in the education lab or in a cottage after school, teaching a class such as piano or voice, mentoring a child, organizing donations, administrative support, operations support, or serving on a special event committee. Palma is proud to have served an organization such as Boys & Girls Country and continues to feel inspired by the work of the organization. He is confident in handing over the reins to Duran as incoming executive director. "Vince and I visited the first Executive Director, Brother Jack Brewer, who served our children and families for the first 25 years" Palma said. "Brother Jack shared his early successes and challenges and we shared our appreciation for all those who went before us. What a blessed way to end my career." Boys & Girls Country 18806 Roberts Road Hockley, TX 77447 (Boys & Girls Country is close to the Cypress, Waller, and Tomball areas). Phone: 281-351 - 4976 Email: info@boysandgirlscountry.org CourtesyA Dan Worrall Dr. Dan Worrall, a member of the Harris County Historical Commission, will give a talk entitled "Upper Buffalo Bayou and West Houston in the Pioneer Era, 1824-1875," at a meeting of the Texas German Society at the Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road near Westview. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 11. The talk will explore the early beginnings of the area straddling Buffalo Bayou, from the western edge of downtown Houston to the eastern edge of Katy. The Holdsworth Center, a new leadership institute based in Austin, has announced Lamar Consolidated Independent School District is one of the first seven public school districts that will participate in the center's inaugural cohort beginning in June. Founded by H-E-B Chairman/CEO Charles Butt, the Holdsworth Center has the goal of supporting and developing public school leaders in order to improve the quality of education offered to every child in every classroom in Texas. The other six districts are: Arlington ISD Arlington; Grand Prairie ISD Grand Prairie; Klein ISD Klein; Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD Pharr; Round Rock ISD Round Rock; and Southwest ISD San Antonio. These districts were selected from a total of 19 finalists from around the state. The other 12 districts named as finalists include Alief ISD, Austin ISD, Brownsville ISD, Cedar Hill ISD, El Paso ISD, Frenship ISD, Harlingen Consolidated ISD, Killeen ISD, Lubbock ISD, San Antonio ISD, Spring Branch ISD and Victoria ISD. "We are excited to begin our first program with a strong group of districts who have dynamic leaders at the helm," said Kate Rogers, executive vice president of The Holdsworth Center. "Though all seven are doing great work, they've identified areas where they can improve and are open to creative solutions. Our staff is eager to help. In the end, the work we will do together benefits students by ensuring that every school has a great leader." The selection process included both a written application and a site visit from Holdsworth Center staff and advisers. The evaluators were looking for districts that demonstrated an existing commitment to human capital and talent development and alignment of vision among the superintendent, key leadership team members and the board of trustees, said Rogers. "We are so honored to be selected for this inaugural cohort," said Lamar CISD Superintendent Thomas Randle. "We believe this premier leadership institute will offer new strategies to manage the challenges that come with fast growth, while also enhancing the great things already taking place in Lamar CISD." The intensive 5-year program will kick off in June at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort outside of Austin, followed by a trip to Singapore in July to learn about the country's methods for cultivating great leadership in its educational system. The seven superintendents and leadership team members will participate in a two-year program and the first cohort of school leaders will launch in the summer of 2018, with subsequent cohorts launching annually. Through a unique set of experiences including international travel, exposure to the best leadership experts in the country, facilitated lectures with renowned faculty and group discussion, participants at The Holdsworth Center will explore their personal leadership in a setting that promotes reflection, thought and dialogue. Classes and team projects will focus on critical topics such as change management, effective teaming and best practices in talent management. Rogers, a previous Ford's Salute to Education Award winner, previously served as the vice president of corporate communication and health at H-E-B where she oversaw all internal media and corporate communications as well as employee engagement programs for the company. She is leading the development of a series of career-themed high schools known as the Centers for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) to support students in reaching their maximum potential while also helping to fill local workforce needs. Lindsay Whorton, a former Rhodes Scholar and Fulbright Fellow, will serve as The Holdsworth Center's managing director of district services. Prior to joining the Holdsworth team, Whorton worked in retail and education for Boston Consulting Group, where she served as the Legislative Director for Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston. Marina Lin, a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, will serve as managing director of programs. Previously, Lin served as director of strategy & impact at The Future Leaders Trust, a non-profit leadership development organization that trained principals and CEOs to lead disadvantaged schools across the United Kingdom. "The Holdsworth Center has been busy building an outstanding team of scholars and thought leaders who are passionate about education and ready to help Texas public school districts become a model for the whole nation," said Ruth Simmons, former president of Brown University and board chair. A staunch advocate for public education, Butt founded The Holdsworth Center to create sustainable improvement in Texas schools. The Center is named after his mother, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt, an educator, philanthropist and lifelong leader for social justice. The Holdsworth Center will operate as a non-profit organization and Butt has pledged to invest more than $100 million in its creation. The center is governed by a 17-member board chaired by Simmons, who served as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001 and as president of Brown University from 2001 to 2012. Visit www.holdsworthcenter.org for more information. Sociologist Dana Fisher moved to Washington for the protests. She'd been studying environmental activism for more than a decade at Columbia University, and when she was offered a job as director of the Program for Society and the Environment at the University of Maryland six years ago, it seemed like an ideal opportunity to get close to the action. But little action came. In Fisher's first five years in the Washington area, she didn't see a single large-scale progressive protest - meaning 50,000 people or more - on the Mall. She wound up traveling back to New York City for the 2014 Peoples Climate March. "It was just funny to me that I got here, and it was just not happening," Fisher said Monday. "Now look at how the world has changed." Since President Trump's inauguration, major demonstrations on the Mall have become almost a weekly occurrence. Few of Fisher's past students had ever participated in a protest, but these days "everybody has to get out of class to go downtown because they're chaining themselves to something or they're marching," she said. Fisher has deployed so many teams of researchers to survey march participants she's running out of energy - and funding. She looked ahead at the calendar for May, which is momentarily mostly protest-free, and said with relief, "I will be excited to take a few weeks off." "There's an exhaustion about studying protests when it's happening so frequently. . . . But I can't miss out on collecting data." Fisher's research is focused on why people wind up at a protest. How did they find out about it? What issue motivated them to join? Are they involved in other civic groups, or is this their first time being part of something so big and public? "I always have been interested in why and how people participate in democracy," she said. "What gets people off their butts and into the street?" Here's what Fisher has learned from the many events that have rallied big crowds this year. - In some ways, the marchers are more or less who you'd expect. The crowds have been overwhelmingly people who voted for Hillary Clinton (82 percent to 90 percent). More than 90 percent of participants surveyed at the Women's March in January said their political views ranged from "slightly" to "very" left. The vast majority of Women's March participants were women. At the March for Science and Peoples Climate March last month, women made up 57 percent and 54 percent of demonstrators respectively. The Women's and Peoples Climate marches were somewhat more diverse than most liberal protests Fisher has studied. The crowd at the Jan. 21 event was 77 percent white, 4 percent Hispanic/Latino, 6.5 percent black, 0.2 percent Native American, 4 percent Asian and 8 percent multiracial or other. The numbers were similar at the Peoples Climate March, although last Saturday's event included significantly more Native American participants and fewer black and multiracial demonstrators. The March for Science had more white and Asian participants. - The marchers are really well educated. More than three-quarters of participants at each march had at least a bachelor's degree (for the overall U.S. population, it's just one out of three, according to the Census). Interestingly, the Women's March, not the March for Science, was the most highly educated - a stunning 53 percent of survey respondents had a graduate or professional degree at the January event. - Protesters are mobilizing in new ways - many of them for the first time. The Women's March, the March for Science and the Peoples Climate March all brought out large numbers of first-time demonstrators. About a third of the people at the first two events had never been to a protest before, and a quarter of those at Saturday's march said it was their first protest. And the people joining the movements aren't being recruited in traditional ways. Usually, people will attend a protest because a friend or family member recommends it, or because they are part of an organization that is participating. But in recent months, Facebook was cited more often than any other source when Fisher asked people how they heard about a march. Many of those surveyed were not members of any of the hundreds of partner groups that helped orchestrate the events. "Across the board, the marches are bringing out not just new people but people who are not members of those coalitions," Fisher said. "People who are really new to participating in anything. This is a really interesting time where democracy has gotten a shot in the arm, and I suppose we have President Trump to thank for that." - These marches wouldn't be happening without Trump. Organizers of the March for Science insisted repeatedly that the demonstration wasn't just about opposing the White House. But participants told a different story. More than half said that Trump and what he stands for were a main motivation for marching; the only other motivation cited by more than 50 percent of protesters was the environment. At the climate march, 55 percent of participants said the same. A whopping 98 percent of the people who attended the science march said the outcome of the 2016 election was important to their decision to participate. At the climate march, that number was 97 percent. - But people's reasons for marching are becoming more diverse. Fisher noted that protesters' motivations at recent marches were unlike anything she'd seen before. Whenever she surveys demonstrators, she allows them to check off their reasons for protesting from a list of causes: "Women's rights," "Environment," "Racial justice," "Equality," "Peace," "Labor," "Religion." Typically, protesters will tend to pick the same, single motivation: the environment at a climate march, LGBTQ rights at a pride parade. But at recent marches, "I asked about the issues that mobilized them, and they were just like, 'All of them. Across the board, I'm here because of all of them,' " Fisher said. At the Women's March, 60 percent of participants said they were protesting for women's rights. But 36 percent also cited the environment, and 35 percent cited racial justice. At the science and climate marches, 90 percent of participants were motivated by concern about the environment. But still, a third were marching for women's rights, a third for LGBTQ issues, a third for racial justice, a third for reproductive rights. Fisher met a grandmother at the climate march who said she was protesting for a healthy planet, as well as for a more tolerant society. Her grandchild is transgender, she told Fisher, and she wanted to make sure the child has equal rights as well as clean air. "Since the inauguration . . . the resistance has become the umbrella for a suite of issues that used to have their own individual movements," Fisher said. "They are not just coming out for the one issue that is their big issue. They have a much more intersectional sense of an identity as an activist." - The protesters aren't tired yet. Despite concern about eventual "protest fatigue" (and Fisher's own fatigue from covering so many protests), "the resistance" seems to be building momentum rather than losing it, she said. Close to half of attendees at the March for Science had been to the Women's March in January. At the Peoples Climate March, 70 percent of participants were return protesters from the Women's March, and 34 percent had also been to the March for Science, even though it was held only the weekend before. "What I think this is showing is that there are people who are getting involved and staying involved and coming out even if it's every weekend," Fisher said. "There's only so many weekends in a row you want to march, but we have not hit that exhaustion yet." Does this signal a shift in how Americans participate in democracy? "The only answer I can give you is, I hope so," Fisher replied. Most people used to be content to vote every four years and then disengage from politics, she said, "but many Americans no longer feel like their concerns are being heard just by voting." Fisher will keep surveying protesters to figure out whether the momentum can be sustained. "Are they really civically engaged, are they going to do something before the midterm election, or are they going to go back to watch TV?" she said. But she said she's optimistic: "The data we have collected so far suggest they are not going back to watching TV." U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, is joining an effort to have billions of dollars the U.S. is seeking to seize from a man once considered to be one of the world's richest and most powerful druglords go towards helping to pay for President Trump's proposed border wall. Brady is co-sponsoring the so-called El Chapo Act, or H.R. 2186, a bill that would take the estimated $14 billion the federal government says Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman, commonly known as "El Chapo," amassed while running an international drug cartel and have it go towards construction of the wall and other border measures. "For decades, drug lords like El Chapo have spread addiction and violence, destroying countless lives in the process," Brady said in a statement. "The EL CHAPO Act is a creative and direct solution that will help secure the border while providing a fiscally responsible way of fulfilling one of President Trump's key promises to the American people. I am proud to be working with Senator Cruz and Representative Brooks on this important legislation, and I look forward to helping it pass the House." Sen. Ted Cruz R-Texas, has also introduced his version of a bill that would also have the money and assets seized from Guzman pay for the wall. "Fourteen billion dollars will go a long way toward building a wall that will keep Americans safe and hinder the illegal flow of drugs, weapons, and individuals across our southern border," Cruz said of his proposed bill. "Ensuring the safety and security of Texans is one of my top priorities. We must also be mindful of the impact on the federal budget. By leveraging any criminally forfeited assets of El Chapo and his ilk, we can offset the wall's cost and make meaningful progress toward achieving President Trump's stated border security objectives." Meanwhile, a number of lawmakers -- especially Democrats -- are skeptical about the prospects of building a wall along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico, saying it would be impractical and excessively expensive. Some other lawmakers -- including fellow Republicans-- are also dismissing Trump's promises that Mexico will end up paying for the wall. In other matters, Brady, a regular and harsh critic of how the IRS operates and of its top officials, is still seeking to have the Department of Justice to take a "fresh look" at evidence they say former IRS official Lois Lerner broke the law by targeting Americans for their political beliefs. Lerner was at the center of a political firestorm that broke in 2013 when an inspector general's audit found that IRS agents had improperly singled out Tea Party and other conservative groups for extra scrutiny during the 2010 and 2012 elections. Brady is also seeking to have the head of the agency, John Koskinen, fired. Brady has told President Trump that the federal tax code and other problems at the IRS can't be fixed until Koskinen is removed from the agency. Koskinen was not the head of the IRS when the scandal involving Lerner erupted, but Brady is calling his handling of the matter since he took over at the agency as "shockingly inept." The Beaumont Police Department is asking for help identifying a suspect wanted in connection with a recent theft. The department said the person pictured above may have been involved in an April 30, 2017 theft at a local pharmacy. The chief executive of United Airlines and some of his industry peers were taken to the people's woodshed Tuesday and given a sound hiding by members of Congress over their lousy treatment of customers. In a 4-hour hearing that was called after a passenger was dragged bloodied off a United flight last month, members of the House Transportation Committee spoke from experience as frequent flyers about their own horror stories. They griped about squeezing their eminences into those tight seats. Or paying fees for checking bags and changing flights. Or lost baggage. Or the limited choice given that the major carriers have locked up most of the business. "Every time you want to do something you have to pay extra," Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., said. "If you want a window or an aisle, you have to pay extra. ... Pretty soon you're going to charge to use the restrooms." The members of Congress sounded just like millions of frustrated air travelers who feel helpless to do anything about these problems - except they're not powerless. They just act that way. Congress could call a vote and adopt an airline passenger bill of rights in the time it takes to drag a person off an airplane, if they wanted to. They had a chance last year to pass a bill on minimum seat standards but didn't - and that's an issue that not only has implications for people's comfort but perhaps their safety, too. Consumer advocates have argued that the cramped seating on long flights can cause health problems for people and could have catastrophic consequences if the cabin has to be evacuated for an emergency. And yet the way things look, Congress is more likely to cede more power to the industry by privatizing the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control. "Essentially, you represent four regional monopolies," D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D, lectured these captains of the air. "So basically, you're able to do whatever you want to do." Yet all around her were members whose votes could put a stop to that. Several representatives - after reminding everyone how reluctant they were to burden industry with undue regulations, or re-regulate an industry that's been deregulated for about 40 years - merely threatened to act. "This issue is not going away. We're not going away," Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., the committee's chairman, warned. "If we don't see meaningful results that improve customer service, the next time this committee meets to address the issue, I can assure you won't like the outcome." Keep in mind that Airlines for America, the industry's lobbying organization, spent more than $6.4 million on lobbying in 2016, according to OpenSecrets.org. It gave $12,000 to Shuster, the website says. But William McGee, an aviation expert who testified Tuesday before the panel on behalf of the Consumers Union, said he thinks Congress might bestir itself to take action this time, thanks to the United controversy. McGee said he was struck by the outrage on both sides of the aisle Tuesday. But if this doesn't move Capitol Hill to do something, than there's no telling what will. "The fact is - our long experience is that unfortunately that when left to their own devices they do not fix these problems on their own," McGee said in an interview after the hearing. "We would not even be having this discussion today if not for the cellphone camera." Not even all the airlines bothered to show up, and only United sent its chief executive officer. That was Oscar Munoz, who will be known for some time as the airline boss who responded to a PR crisis by making it worse in the early going by blaming the victim. To a suit, the executives often took turns reciting the industry's mantra: Air travel has never been safer. Customers have never been happier with their services. All those fees, all those overbooked planes and bumped passengers, all that ugly dragging and frogmarching, is about keeping airfares low. But McGee, whose Consumer Reports reaches millions of subscribers, said they hear differently from passengers. He said Congress should move to force airlines to do the following: --Simplify and enforce contracts of carriage Airlines' "contracts of carriage" - which spell out the duties, rights and liabilities that passengers and carriers assume with the purchase of a ticket - have become too opaque, too long, and too unfair in the way they are written and enforced, McGee said. Some run to tens of thousands of words. --Make booking more transparent Airlines make it too difficult to shop for comparisons on fares, not all fees and charges are disclosed, and their pricing defies logic, McGee said. He spoke during the hearing about his own experience going to a website to book a flight whose price jumped from about $400 to nearly $650 in just seven hours. "There's so much sticker shock," McGee said. --Regulate minimum seat standards The most obvious reason Congress should act is that the airlines will continue to shrink seats and squeeze people into modern-day steerage no matter how uncomfortable it is for consumers, McGee said. But he said it's also a health issue. Sitting in a tight spot for hours could cause the formation of dangerous blood clots in some people, known as deep vein thrombosis, he said. Even more worrisome, as seats have become smaller than ever and airlines cram in more people per plane, several safety advocates have expressed concern over whether the cabin can be safely and quickly evacuated in an emergency. --Fees The Consumers Union has not taken a position on whether airlines should charge fees, McGee said. But they should be entirely upfront on all fees and surcharges that a passenger could incur. --Overbooking Even at Tuesday's hearing, and in the aftermath of the United incident, the airlines have been making promises that they will no longer involuntarily remove passengers from overbooked flights after the passengers have boarded, unless it involves an issue of safety or security. McGee said the industry must go further: "There should be no involuntarily denied boarding," McGee said. If the airlines need a seat, they should offer passengers whatever compensation it takes for them to give it up voluntarily. He said his organization has long opposed the idea that some passengers should be tapped for removal over others based on a host of factors the airlines take into account without disclosing them to anyone. In the end, it's all about treating everyone with decency, and up until now, the airlines have been tone deaf on that, McGee said. "There's a dirty little secret in the airline industry, and not all passengers are created equal," McGee said. But the people who vote for members of Congress are. Venezuela's government is broadcasting an alternate reality to its citizens' mobile phones. Television is mostly silent about deadly protests as President Nicolas Maduro pushes for a new constitution. Instead, people are turning to visual forms of social media barely available to Venezuelans three years ago-Instagram and Snapchat stories, live videos on Facebook and Twitter, and WhatsApp chat rooms-to transmit and consume information. The opposition and government compete to shape the national narrative there. Maduro's administration sends a stream of anodyne images as protesters send out up-to-the-minute updates of arrests and violence. For example, dueling May 1 marches in Caracas drew thousands of supporters on both sides to marches. While the opposition posted images of national guard troops firing tear-gas canisters at protesters, pro-government accounts showed of smiling supporters dressed in red at a peaceful rally. While mobile-phone use has remained mostly flat over the past three years, internet usage has risen, with the penetration rate among Venezuelans climbing from about 44 percent at the start of 2014 to almost 62 percent in 2016, according to the latest data from telecommunications regulator Conatel. "There has been an increase in the number of people using smart phones, because they know there is no information on the regular television and radio channels in conventional media," said Andres Canizalez, a communications professor at the Andres Bello University in Caracas. "Opposition politicians used to complain that traditional media didn't give them any space, but they understand the change that's occurring with the young people now and have turned toward social media to get their message out." Still, about 30 percent of the population does not have access to either an Internet connection or smart phone and relies on the government and over-the-air television stations for information, he said. That's why the government was so quick to shut down or censor television stations that broadcast coverage it didn't like, Canizalez said. While Maduro ordered an investigation into Spain's Telefonica SA's local Movistar unit last month, claiming it helped opponents deliver text messages promoting protests, Venezuela's government is for now competing on social networks instead of shutting them down. "To counteract this situation of hyperconnectivity, the government has created its own digital militias, because it knows people are looking for information in other places," Canizalez said. "But many people only have access to simply text messaging, and that's why you've seen the government starting to try and control that." PARIS - Emmanuel Macron, the front-runner in Sunday's French presidential election, shares something with President Trump: a 24-year age gap with his wife. The difference is that Macron's wife is the older one. That cliche-busting fact - a candidate young enough to be his wife's son, rather than old enough to be her father - is a little social "revenge" that delights many French women, including Martine Bergossi. "Why can't we marry younger men? I date them all the time," said Bergossi, the stylish owner of Alternatives, a secondhand-couture shop in Paris, who prefers to leave her exact age to the imagination. "It's normal to see men with younger women," she said. "So it's rather great to see the opposite." France is famous for its laissez-faire attitude toward sex and love, yet the May-December romance between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron has added a little ooh-la-la to a presidential campaign that is otherwise a deadly serious matter. Macron, a pro-European Union centrist, is facing off against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, a blunt populist who rails darkly against immigration and threatens to yank France out of the European Union and NATO. Macron, a former investment banker, is 39, and his wife just turned 64. Macron was only 15 when he met Brigitte Trogneux, a married teacher at his high school in northern France who had three children. Macron's parents sent him to Paris to put distance between the teacher who ran the drama club and their precocious son, but their bond lasted, she divorced, and 10 years ago they were married. Most of the French women interviewed said a politician's private life is not a reason to vote either for or against him or her. In the United States, too, Trump's two divorces, considerable age gap with his third wife, and even a recorded conversation in which he lewdly discussed groping women did not prevent his victory. But just days before the French vote, nearly all women interviewed did say they were more interested in Macron, who was a virtual unknown until recently, because his marriage breaks the mold. French politics has long been dominated by men with younger lovers. Francois Hollande, the current president, separated from his partner, Valerie Trierweiler, after a very public affair with an actress 18 years his junior. Former president Francois Mitterrand took a mistress half his age when he was in his 40s, a younger woman who famously stood near his wife at his funeral in 1996. "Did men ask anybody when they started marrying younger women?" asked Karin Lewin, an artist with a studio in Montmartre. "Who sets the rules?" She likes that Macron is shaking up the men's political club. So do others. "Every single day, I see an older man with a woman his kids' age coming into the hotel," said Chloe Tournadre, 26, who works at a luxury hotel in Paris. Lilach Eliyahu, a fashion designer, said the fact that Macron has a wife who "has wrinkles and cellulite makes me think of him as a feminist. He is the opposite of Donald Trump." Brigitte Macron is a grandmother and her husband has boyish looks. Melania Trump, who used to model here in Paris, is young enough to be the U.S. president's daughter. The couples have nearly the same age gap: the Trumps were born 23 years and 10 months apart and the Macrons 24 years and eight months. Le Pen, if elected, would make history as France's first female president, but men turned out in greater numbers for her than women did in the first round of elections, according to polls. In interviews, many women said that although they would like to see a female president, they were deeply concerned about Le Pen's anti-immigrant, antiglobalist views and her party's conservative views on women's reproductive rights. Le Pen, 48, has been married twice. Her partner, a politician who has kept a much lower profile than Brigitte Macron, is 47. Cecile Alduy, a French professor at Stanford University who is in Paris this semester following the election, said that political spouses in France do not have the same public role as they do in the United States. "It was so unusual and commented on" when Brigitte Macron joined her husband on stage after he won the first-round vote, Alduy said. Many women find it interesting that Macron is putting his wife in the spotlight, posing for photos with her, even appearing on the cover of a magazine with her in a bathing suit at the beach. Carla Bruni, the wife of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, was also high profile. But she was a special case, a former model and singer who had dated Mick Jagger and other stars. The Macrons have also been the subject of jokes and political critics have seized on the age difference to paint Brigitte as a controlling force over "a schoolboy" candidate. Many declare on social media that he is gay - which Macron has publicly denied. A widely circulated mock photo on the Internet purports to show the couple's "first date": a woman walking hand in hand at the beach with a toddler. But Alduy said Macron may get a boost from women at the polls on Sunday, not because of his wife's age, but because he talks about women's issues, including gender equality in wages. "There is a visible difference between them, that's for sure," said Martine Dumestre, a physical therapist who, at 65, is one year older than Macron's wife. She said a lot of voters don't like either candidate but she at least appreciated that Brigitte Macron commented that this election is her husband's only shot at the presidency, even though he is only 39 - because she will soon look too old. Emmanuel Macron, the front-runner in Sunday's French presidential election, shares something with President Donald Trump: a 24-year age gap with his wife. The difference is that Macron's wife is the older one. That cliche-busting fact - a candidate young enough to be his wife's son, rather than old enough to be her father - is a little social "revenge" that delights many French women, including Martine Bergossi. "Why can't we marry younger men? I date them all the time," said Bergossi, the stylish owner of Alternatives, a secondhand-couture shop in Paris, who prefers to leave her exact age to the imagination. "It's normal to see men with younger women," she said. "So it's rather great to see the opposite." France is famous for its laissez-faire attitude toward sex and love, yet the May-December romance between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron has added a little ooh-la-la to a presidential campaign that is otherwise a deadly serious matter. Macron, a pro-European Union centrist, is facing off against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, a blunt populist who rails darkly against immigration and threatens to yank France out of the European Union and NATO. Macron, a former investment banker, is 39 and his wife, Brigitte, just turned 64. Macron was only 15 when he met Brigitte Trogneux, a married teacher at his high school in northern France who had three children. Macron's parents sent him to Paris to put distance between the teacher who ran the drama club and their precocious son, but their bond lasted, she divorced, and 10 years ago they were married. Le Pen, if elected, would make history as France's first female president, but men turned out in greater numbers for her than women did in the first round of elections, according to polls. In interviews, many women said that although they would like to see a female president, they were deeply concerned about Le Pen's anti-immigrant, antiglobalist views and her party's conservative views on women's reproductive rights. Most of the women interviewed said a politician's private life is not a reason to vote either for or against him or her. At the same time, nearly all of them said they were more interested in Macron because his marriage breaks the mold. French politics has long been dominated by men with younger lovers. Francois Hollande, the current president, separated from his partner, Valerie Trierweiler, after a very public affair with an actress 18 years his junior. Former president Francois Mitterrand took a mistress when he was in his 40s, a decidedly younger woman who famously stood near his wife at his funeral in 1996. "Did men ask anybody when they started marrying younger women?" asked Karin Lewin, an artist with a studio in Montmartre. "Who sets the rules?" She likes that Macron is shaking up the men's political club. So do others. "Every single day, I see an older man with a woman his kids' age coming into the hotel," said Chloe Tournadre, 26, who works at a luxury hotel in Paris. Lilach Eliyahu, a fashion designer, said the fact that Macron has a wife who "has wrinkles and cellulite makes me think of him as a feminist. He is the opposite of Donald Trump." Brigitte Macron is a grandmother and her husband has boyish looks. Melania Trump, who used to model here in Paris, is young enough to be the U.S. president's daughter. The couples have nearly the same age gap: the Trumps were born 23 years and 10 months apart and the Macrons 24 years and eight months. Cecile Alduy, a French professor at Stanford University who is in Paris this semester following the election, said that political spouses in France do not command the public attention they do in the United States. "It was so unusual and commented on" when Brigitte Macron joined her husband on stage after he won the first-round vote, she said. Many women find it interesting that Macron is putting his wife in the spotlight, posing for photos with her, even appearing on the cover of a magazine with her in a bathing suit at the beach. The Macrons have also been the subject of jokes and political critics have seized on the age difference to paint Brigitte as a controlling force over "a schoolboy" candidate. Many declare on social media that he is gay - which Macron has publicly denied. A widely circulated mock photo on the Internet purports to show the couple's "first date": a woman walking hand in hand at the beach with a toddler. But Alduy said Macron may get a boost from women at the polls on Sunday, not because of his wife's age, but because he talks about women's issues, including gender equality in wages. "There is a visible difference between them, that's for sure," said Martine Dumestre, a physical therapist who, at 65, is one year older than Macron's wife. She said a lot of voters don't like either candidate but she at least appreciated that Brigitte Macron commented that this election is her husband's only shot at the presidency, even though he is only 39 - because she will soon look too old. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON - He'd killed 38 people, Mark Levin told co-workers at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security, and ran a squad of covert operatives called "The Watchers" who prevented terrorist attacks. He avoided uttering the three letters of his supposed employer, a renowned intelligence agency. His presence was required "up river," he'd tell colleagues. He needed to see "agency people." Those who worked with Levin at Daniel Morgan - a fledgling school that offers graduate programs to aspiring spies and diplomats in downtown Washington, D.C. - did not investigate his credentials. He had convinced former CIA operatives and national security veterans that he was one of them. Now a $150 million lawsuit accuses Levin, 72, a former special adviser to the school's president, of inventing a clandestine career to manipulate three young men who worked at Daniel Morgan into sexually abusive encounters. Levin convinced the men that naked, physical inspections would determine their futures at school and their careers in the intelligence world, the alleged victims said. "All of it sounded credible, and I believed it because he was the boss of the school," said a 24-year-old Daniel Morgan employee who lives in Falls Church, Virginia, and is one of the three men suing Levin and the school in D.C. Superior Court. The men have been granted anonymity by a judge, and The Washington Post generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse. Levin, who was not paid by Daniel Morgan, did not return phone calls seeking comment. He has not been charged with a crime related to the accusations. But the lawsuit has raised questions about his past and how carefully he was vetted by officials at Daniel Morgan and, before that, at another Washington graduate school, the Institute of World Politics. Levin was already working at Daniel Morgan when Joseph DeTrani arrived as president in January 2016. After the allegations surfaced eight months later, the school launched an internal investigation, reported the accusations to police and fired Levin. DeTrani, a former CIA officer who carried the rank of ambassador while serving as a special envoy for six-party talks with North Korea, said he thinks Levin is an impostor. "I checked him out with a number of agencies in Washington and in the intelligence community, and no one had anything on him," said DeTrani, who left Daniel Morgan last week for reasons unrelated to the allegations. He called Levin "a sick, sick man. He conned these young men into believing something he was not." And he may have deceived the intelligence veterans he mingled with and worked alongside. "I know people think it's weird and could say, 'How would he be able to con a bunch of spies?' But it's a large community, and you might figure he has a role in something you're not aware of," said Linda Millis, a former CIA official who until March served as Daniel Morgan's executive director. "Other spies, when we socialize with each other, we don't ask each other about our backgrounds." Levin represented himself as an old hand of the national security establishment, former colleagues said. Military records show that he served in the Army Reserve from 1966 to 1971 during the Vietnam War, and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1972 and earned a law degree from Florida State University in 1975, school officials said. In the early 1990s, Levin ran a restaurant consulting company, according to Florida business records. Then he moved to Washington, where he became a kind of unpaid, unofficial adviser at the Institute of World Politics, a national security graduate school, former employees said. In the late 1990s, Levin began attending the institute's public lectures. Then he started handing over checks to pay for the tuitions of certain students, though the source of the money was a mystery, said one former senior school official who feared retribution if identified by name. In 2009, he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of "concealing merchandise" in Fairfax County and later pleaded guilty, agreeing to perform community service at a library in Alexandria, according to court records. It is not clear whether anyone at the institute knew about the incident. "Mark Levin was an occasional visitor to the Institute of World Politics for about a decade, ending in 2013," the school said in a statement. "He did not serve in any advisory capacity." Levin networked with former spies by attending lunches and other events sponsored by the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society. Elizabeth Bancroft, the director emeritus of the AFIO, said Levin brought students from the institute to association lunches, from about 2009 to 2012, at a Tysons Corner hotel. The association asked him to join as a paying member - which would have required him to submit forms detailing his career - but Bancroft said Levin always demurred. In 2013, Levin tapped a crew of current and former institute staffers to work at a VIP reception at an OSS Society dinner honoring retired Navy Adm. William McRaven, who helped plan the attack that killed Osama bin Laden. "We were just checking people in, and Mark spun it as, 'You're going to provide security for the heads of the CIA and other leading heads of the intelligence community,' " said a former institute employee who served as one of Levin's "security officials" that night and later went on to work at Daniel Morgan. He requested anonymity for fear of retribution. "I remember Mark walking through the VIP room, with the presence of authority, shaking hands and saying hi to some people." But Levin's relationship with the OSS Society came to an abrupt end. "After we discovered that Levin snuck unregistered people into our dinner with fake badges," Charles Pinck, the president of the group, said in a statement, "we banned him from attending our events." The CIA said that it generally does not comment on whether someone previously worked for the agency. In a statement after the lawsuit was filed, the agency condemned anyone who poses as a CIA officer to commit "abhorrent acts against young people or otherwise engages in illegal activity." Langley has dealt with espionage wannabes before. Wayne Simmons, a former guest analyst for Fox News, was sentenced to prison last year for falsely claiming he had spent decades as a CIA operative. TV game-show impresario Chuck Barris, the creator of "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game" and host of "The Gong Show," claimed to be a CIA assassin in his autobiography - an assertion the agency flatly denied. But those impostors were not surrounded by former spies, as Levin was. Linda Strating, Daniel Morgan's former director of strategic alliances, recruitment and student services, said the allegations about Levin surprised her. "Mark is incapable of harming a fly," she said. "He's a very thoughtful soul." But she, too, said she knew little about Levin's career. All he told her, she said, was that he had been a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War and was injured while "getting wounded pilots out of dangerous places." The Arlington man first met Levin in 2012 at an orientation for new graduate students at the Institute of World Politics, a program housed inside a red-brick mansion less than a mile from the White House. Levin, a bald man with a slight hobble, told the 21-year-old that he had already "done some collection" on him and was keeping a "dossier." Levin said that he had worked for 47 years in intelligence and counterterrorism and that he was recruiting students for his clandestine, unnamed organization, the Arlington man said. Levin told him to stay in touch and gave him his cellphone number and his email address, which contained the word "selenium." "Mark claimed . . . that if you were hired as an agent, you would be assigned an email based on an element from the periodic table," said the Arlington man, now a Daniel Morgan administrator suing the graduate school and Levin. "There was an air of legitimacy around it. He walked around IWP like he was in charge." At the institute, Levin had no official job or salary. But he functioned as a counselor to the school's founder and president, John Lenczowski, and claimed he represented a donor willing to give at least $1 million to the institution once it got accredited, former officials said. But after the institute earned its accreditation, neither the money nor the donor's identity materialized. Lenczowski, who served on President Ronald Reagan's National Security Council, declined to comment. By late 2012, the alleged victim said, Levin told him that if he wanted to remain a candidate for Levin's covert group, he needed to avoid marriage, children, sexually transmitted diseases and relationships with Muslim women. Levin warned him, he said, that his "guys" would constantly watch him and that if he didn't follow instructions, he would be blacklisted from government jobs. The Arlington man - whose mother is a former prosecutor in southern Virginia - said he believed Levin. He saw him pal around with other former spies at various AFIO and OSS social events. According to the lawsuit, Levin created the impression he had personal relationships with former CIA directors John Brennan and David H. Petraeus. Brennan and Petraeus, through spokesmen, said they do not recall ever meeting Levin. Then, Levin began inviting his protege back to his Arlington apartment building to practice drawing a weapon - shirtless. Soon, the man said, Levin began fondling him and giving him prostate exams, telling him the inspections were key to his recruitment. Levin also bathed him in the shower under the pretext of helping him with his hygiene, according to the alleged victims' lawsuit, which was filed by lawyers Tamara Miller, a former Justice Department deputy chief, and Peter Masciola, a retired brigadier general. Although Levin told him that he was free to refuse, the Arlington man said he did not want to imperil his candidacy for the clandestine organization or risk losing out on government jobs. About the same time, Levin had persuaded a second young student at the Institute of World Politics to get in the shower, under similar pretenses, the lawsuit says. In 2013, institute officials received student complaints about Levin, according to Owen T. Smith, chairman of the institute's board of trustees. "The guy was strange and had an uneasy presence on campus," Smith said. "There were certainly questions about who he was and why he was there." Smith said the board looked into Levin's background but could not confirm he had ever worked in the intelligence community. As a result, Smith said, Levin was banned from the school. He retained the trust of one institute board member: Abby S. Moffat, the chief executive of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, which focuses on bolstering U.S. national security. In 2013, Moffat resigned as an institute board member and established a new intelligence graduate school, bringing Levin with her. "Abby was on the board at the time of our investigation" into Levin, Smith said. "I don't know how she could not have known about it." Moffat denied that was true. "I can state unequivocally that at no time during those days was I aware of any investigation by IWP into Mr. Levin's intelligence background," she said in a statement, "and I had absolutely no information that he was engaged in the conduct that he is now alleged to have committed." Her foundation gives Daniel Morgan $7 million a year and is the school's primary revenue source. In the beginning, the new school was called National Security Enterprise, and Levin, the lawsuit says, was fond of telling people who suggested it to him: James R. Clapper Jr., then President Barack Obama's director of national intelligence. Clapper, through a spokesman, said he does not know Levin. By early 2014, Levin had hired two of his alleged victims from the Institute of World Politics as employees at National Security Enterprise. In June 2014, National Security Enterprise was renamed in honor of Daniel Morgan, a renowned general during the American Revolution. The school hired its first president, Marion "Spike" Bowman, a former deputy national counterintelligence executive. He now serves on Daniel Morgan's board of trustees and said in a brief interview that he "didn't know anything about [Levin's] history." The school's original staffers said they viewed Levin skeptically but figured Moffat had vetted him. Levin controlled how Moffat's foundation money would be spent, according to Dick Coffman, a retired CIA officer and the school's No. 2 official from summer 2015 to March 2016. Levin approved the hiring of faculty members, courses, even the pens for college fairs, Coffman said. Levin organized Daniel Morgan's relocation to the seventh and 10th floors of an office building at 1620 L St. in Northwest Washington. "Abby was the sole source of funding. But he ran the school. He had complete - and I mean 'complete' in the full meaning of the word - control over the budget and funding," said Coffman, who believes the reason his contract was not renewed was that he questioned Levin's authority. Levin pushed to make tuition free, Coffman said, and hired interns at about $20 an hour when similar organizations paid far less. He said Levin promoted several interns to high-paying administrative jobs that should have gone to more seasoned candidates. Two of the lawsuit's plaintiffs, for instance, were earning salaries of $55,000 and $85,000. Levin constantly spoke of his "black operations" in Nigeria, Poland and Israel, Coffman said. "He told people he was out every night hunting Arab and Iranian terrorists on the streets of Washington," he said. Millis, who followed Coffman as the school's executive director, grew worried by Levin's boasts. "When I got there, he told me: 'I'm a trained assassin. I've killed 38 people.' But then he would say, 'Really, I've just put them in a coma,' " Millis recalled. "I'm not the only person he'd say this to. People would say, 'Oh, Mark and his 38 people.' " When the Falls Church man applied for his internship in July 2016, Levin told him "The Watchers" or "my guys" had been surveilling him. "Then, Mark told me: 'I've killed 38 people. We have people killed all the time. And we cover our tracks,' " he said. "I was intimidated." Well before the allegations of sexual abuse surfaced in August, DeTrani, Daniel Morgan's president, had already started investigating Levin's past. It was then that DeTrani learned that a graduate school devoted to national security had not done background checks on its employees. Among those who hadn't been scrutinized: Mark Levin. TOKYO - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also president of the Liberal Democratic Party, expressed his intention to prioritize free education - from schooling for infants to higher education, such as universities - in envisioned constitutional amendments, in a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun. It seems Abe aims to boost debates about constitutional amendments by deepening cooperation with Nippon Ishin no Kai, which also sets free education as a pillar in its draft of the constitutional amendments. Abe praised free compulsory education of elementary and junior high schools under the current Constitution, saying, "It has worked as a driving force for the nation's development after the end of World War II." He added: "Higher education must be made truly open to all members of the public. All people must have equal opportunities to receive higher education." The prime minister also expressed a view that the LDP will play proactive roles in the debates, saying, "I want to have the party quickly consider the issue so the drafts for the constitutional amendments can be quickly submitted." The LDP's draft on the constitutional amendments, which the party compiled in 2012, does not call for making education free. It seems the focal point will be the extent to which the LDP can find common ground with the plans of Nippon Ishin no Kai. In the interview, Abe said, "Many LDP members were invigorated by Nippon Ishin no Kai's proposal," expressing flattery of the smaller party. Former Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, who now serves as Nippon Ishin no Kai's legal and policy adviser, has taken the initiative in the free education debate. Abe aims to strengthen momentum for the constitutional amendments by collaborating with Hashimoto. Goshi Hosono, former deputy president of the Democratic Party, has announced his private plan of constitutional amendments that includes free education up to high school. The DP executive, meanwhile, holds the stance that free education should be handled by conventional legislation, rather than amending the Constitution. It seems Abe's remarks aim to drive a wedge into the opposition party. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 JAMIE GERMANO Show More Show Less 2 of 5 JAMIE GERMANO Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 JAMIE GERMANO Show More Show Less 5 of 5 ROCHESTER Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency to free up resources to help communities hit by flooding along the Lake Ontario's southern shore in western New York. The Democratic governor says Tuesday a state response team has been created. It consists of the National Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Environmental Conservation, State Police and Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Police in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs announced Tuesday night that they fired officer Roy Oliver for a violation of department policy after he shot and killed Jordan Edwards, a 15-year-old boy riding in the passenger seat of a car that was driving away from a house party. Edwards' death is one of dozens of shootings in recent years of men and women who were inside moving vehicles at the time they were shot, even after decades of urging from policing experts and reformers nationwide that departments ban officers from opening fire on moving vehicles. Since January 2015, police nationwide have killed at least 193 people who were inside vehicles at the time they were shot, according to a Washington Post database that tracks fatal police shootings. In 86 of the cases, officers say the person was in possession of a weapon, most often a firearm. But in 76 of the cases, the person killed was "armed" only with the vehicle itself, according to police. In at least 17 cases, police acknowledge that the person killed was in the act of fleeing, was a passenger in a vehicle, or was in a vehicle that was not in motion and did not pose a threat to officers. (There are 14 cases where it remains undetermined if the person was armed or if police claim the person was using the vehicle as a weapon). "And there are probably a lot of cases where officers are shooting vehicles where someone wasn't hit or killed," said Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and a former Justice Department official. He noted that available data "is only capturing a fraction of the cases of officers shooting at moving vehicles." Edwards, who is the youngest person police have shot and killed in 2017, died Saturday night after police responded to a call about intoxicated teens at a house party. Police say that as officers dispersed the party they heard gunshots outside. Then, when officers went outside to investigate, they saw a car backing out of a parking spot. As officers approached the vehicle, police say it began to drive away. Oliver opened fire. Balch Springs officers operate under an eight-page use-of-force policy. A copy of the 2016 version, obtained by the Post, specifically instructs officers to move out of the way of an oncoming vehicle when possible, rather than opening fire. Police officials say some updates were made to the use-of-force policy in 2017, but they declined to say if the changes involved the section about shooting at vehicles. "Foremost to any consideration of the application of lethal force is the preservation of human life," the 2016 policy states. "Because of the low probability of penetrating a vehicle with a handgun, officers threatened by an oncoming vehicle should attempt to move out of its path, if possible, instead of discharging a firearm at it or any of its occupants. However, if an officer reasonably believes that a person is immediately threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means of a vehicle, an officer may use deadly force against the driver of the vehicle." After reviewing body camera video of the shooting, which has not been released publicly, Balch Springs police officials fired Oliver. "It has been determined that Roy Oliver, who was the second officer on the scene, violated several departmental policies," department spokesman Pedro Gonzalez said at a news conference Tuesday night. The national shift toward policies that prevent officers from shooting at moving vehicles began in 1972 in New York, after the New York Police Department realized how many of its police shootings - including ones in which bystanders were killed - resulted from officers firing at moving vehicles. The policy change came not long after the police shooting of 11-year-old Ricky Bodden, which prompted two nights of rioting. "When they examined these cases, they realized that the officers both put themselves in a dangerous position by standing in front of the car and that when they got out of the way, they wound up shooting either into the side window or the back window, meaning the danger had passed," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Washington-based Police Executive Research Forum. "They decided to prohibit the use of deadly force involving a motor vehicle. Within two years, the number of deadly-force shootings had literally dropped in half." In the decades since, dozens of other departments have adopted similar policies that ban officers from firing at moving vehicles or limit the circumstances under which they may. Such policies are explicitly endorsed by reform-minded groups such as PERF, and have been pushed by Justice Department officials investigating departments in cities including San Francisco, Cleveland and Philadelphia. Smith and others note that when officers shoot at a moving vehicle the likelihood of them hitting their target is relatively low. And, even if officers hit and incapacitate the driver of a vehicle, it likely places the officers and bystanders in additional danger. "If you actually hit your target, you now have a car speeding down the road without anyone directing it," Smith said. "The car, essentially, becomes an unguided missile." Among major departments to adopt policies against shooting at moving vehicles in recent years have been Denver, where in 2015 an officer shot and killed 17-year-old Jessie Hernandez, and Orlando, where a review last year concluded that 30 percent of the department's fatal shootings in the previous decade had involved officers shooting at moving vehicles. "Part of my job is to look at what other agencies are doing around the country and what other groups and organizations have found. One of the things that I saw was that there were some agencies adjusting their policies regarding shooting at moving vehicles," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said. "We did have a lot of shootings where they were at moving vehicles and, not to say the officers were at fault, but we know doing that, discharging a firearm at moving vehicles, is dangerous." Mina said his department hasn't had any fatal shootings involving a moving vehicle since his new policy directive took effect in June 2016. "We have had an instance where an officer was struck by vehicle and also discharged his firearm right at the same time," Mina said. "That's one of the things we tell them: 'You need to think about getting out of the way of that moving vehicle because it could save your life.'" But, in a nation of at least 16,000 law enforcement agencies, uniformly instituting a best practice or reform nationwide is nearly impossible. Some police departments and their unions have resisted adopting such policies, arguing that a prohibition at shooting into vehicles carries risks. "Like so many other things, it depends on the circumstances," said James Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police. "There have been several incidents of terrorists using vehicles as weapons. If a police officer is in the way of a vehicle that's approaching at a rapid speed and there is no way to retreat, or if a car is headed toward innocent civilians, then I would say they should shoot at the car." Police reformers argue that use-of-force policies should be more restrictive, placing the burden of proof on officers to explain why they urgently needed to use lethal force against a person in a vehicle. "You have to have a policy that's crystal clear: you're prohibited from shooting at a moving vehicle," said Ronald Davis, who ran the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services during the Obama administration and spent eight years as chief of the East Palo Alto Police Department in California. "If there is any exception to that, the burden of proof needs to be on the officer." In cases such as a terrorist attempting to mow down innocent people with a vehicle, Davis said, departments should conclude that the policy violation was reasonable. Davis said it is important to enforce the policies by disciplining officers who act in violation of them, even if the shooting itself is deemed to not merit criminal charges. "We seldom hold officers accountable for tactical and judgment decisions, and then the community does not get the accountability it is looking for," Davis said. "We cannot simply use the legal standard as the standard for lethal force in this country." --- The Washington Post's Julie Tate and Jennifer Jenkins contributed to this report. --- Video: Questions remain as to what happened during a police shooting in Balch Springs that left 15-year-old Jordan Edwards dead on April 29. The officer, identified as Roy Oliver, was terminated on May 2. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) URL http://wapo.st/2p5LesY Embed code When it comes to women's rights, no country's perfect. One recent study found that it will take 170 more years before women and men are equally well educated, well paid and well cared for. Even so, electing Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women seems like a bit of a slap in the face for women's rights. The commission describes itself as the "principal global intergovernmental body" "exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women." In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive their own cars. They also must obtain the permission of a male guardian before they can travel outside the country, work or marry. These rules can have dire, violent consequences. For example, according to a Human Rights Watch report, Mariam al-Oteibi, 29, tried to flee her abusive family members. Oteibi was captured by authorities and jailed. Another woman was turned in by her family members and jailed for disobedience after she tried to file an abuse claim against her brother. As the report's authors write, "Saudi Arabia has made marginal improvements on women's rights in recent years, primarily in employment and access to higher education, but such changes have been hindered or even nullified because authorities have allowed the male guardianship system to remain largely intact, enabling men to maintain control over female relative's lives." Despite this, in mid-April, Saudi Arabia was approved as a member of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women for a four-year term, starting in 2018. Twelve other nations were also selected. Membership is determined by the 54 nations in the U.N. Economic and Social Council. Generally, a vote is not called and countries are approved unanimously. In this case, though, something remarkable happened. The United States asked for a vote on the membership application, a diplomatic way of critiquing the country's record, experts suggested. Though balloting is secret, reporters found that the country received 47 votes - fewer than any other country but more than enough to make it on. No country voted no (something that is apparently impossible under protocol), though seven did abstain. But that was not enough to soothe enraged human rights activists. Lawyer Hillel Neuer, who runs UN Watch, described it as "absurd - and morally reprehensible," comparable to "making an arsonist into the town fire chief." Others are pushing their respective home countries to disclose how they voted. So far though, they aren't getting far. Some countries, such as Britain and Sweden, have refused to deny that they voted for Saudi Arabia's inclusion. In Sweden, home of "feminist foreign policy," Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom would not say whether the country supported the Saudi bid. Her press secretary did tell reporters that it is normal practice to accept nominations made by different regions. In Belgium, the foreign ministry said that it had been surprised by the vote and that the diplomat who supported the bid made a "hasty decision" without proper consideration. Leaked documents, though, suggest that the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was informed about the vote at least nine hours before it took place. According to the Independent: --- The cabinet sent instructions to the delegation in New York instructing them on how to vote and requesting they inform the various candidates, including Saudi Arabia, of their support, according to the documents. --- "If we could do it again and if we would have the chance to discuss it at government level, I of course would have argued that we not approve this," Prime Minister Charles Michel has since said. The United Nations defended the decision, saying in a statement that it works with all member states to advance gender equality and female empowerment. "Saudi Arabia's interest in occupying one of the Commission's seats allocated to the Asia-Pacific region is an indication that the country wants to play an active role in the work of this important body," it said. For most of the 52 years he was in a relationship with Robert Huskey, Jack Zawadski doesn't remember much in the way of anti-gay discrimination. Not while they were trying to grow apples on a farm in Wisconsin. Not during the decades they spent as special education teachers. Not even when they moved to Mississippi 20 years ago to retire someplace warmer and more lush, or after they married in 2015, when the Supreme Court declared that gay couples have as much of a right as heterosexuals to marry. But in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Pearl River County, Mississippi, Zawadski said that prejudice finally reared its head when he was most vulnerable: last May, when Huskey died at age 86 after a long illness. In a 14-page complaint, Zawadski, 82, said the funeral home that had been prearranged to pick up and cremate Huskey's body refused at the last minute, telling the nursing home that they don't "deal with their kind." In a response filed with the court in March, the owners of the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune, Miss., deny the events as described by Zawadski and his nephew, who made the arrangements and is co-plaintiff. Silas McCharen, an attorney for the owners of the funeral home, Ted and Henrietta Brewer, said in an email that the firm has never discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. Henrietta Brewer denies she made reference to not serving "their kind," he said, and the firm never refused to pick up the remains. But he declined to elaborate further. Zawadski is being represented by Lambda Legal, an LGBT rights law firm and advocacy organization based in New York. Because neither Mississippi law nor federal law explicitly forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, the suit is relying on "other state laws that hopefully will provide a remedy for the terrible actions that happened here," said Beth Littrell, the attorney handling the case. "The essence of the claim is that they both breached a contract and denied services at the last minute to a grieving family based on the fact that the man who had passed away was gay and was married to a man," said Littrell, whose organization is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from a jury. For Zawadski, the suit is a rare activist moment. He said he and his husband lived unassuming lives and were rarely open with their friends and neighbors about their sexual orientation. "We lived our lives quietly," he said in an interview. "We didn't hit the bars or anything like that." The pair met in 1965 in California. After moving around and traveling to indulge their interest in Civil War history, they decided to settle down in the small town of Picayune, not far from the Louisiana border. Zawadski grew camellias, and Huskey served for a time as president of the homeowner's association. "And that's how we lived," Zawadski said. "We just enjoyed each other." They never mentioned their sexual orientation, and nobody asked, he said - not even after the two were married by a judge in nearby Hancock County on Aug. 17, 2015. Then, Huskey's health took a turn, and he underwent bypass surgery, the complaint said. "Jack cared for Bob through his surgery, recovery and as his condition deteriorated," it said. "By August, 2015, Jack was helping Bob with all the daily functions of life, including eating, walking and personal hygiene." Huskey moved into a nursing home, and last April it became clear that he would soon die. The couple's nephew, John Gaspari, made the arrangements ahead of time with Picayune Funeral Home, the only funeral home in the county with an on-site crematory, according to the complaint. Zawadski had hoped to hold the funeral there so the couple's local friends could pay their respects. On May 11, 2016, Gaspari contacted the funeral home to let them know Huskey had died. But after filing the paperwork, including a document naming Zawadski as next of kin, Gaspari got a call from the nursing home. "The Nursing Home relayed to John that once received the paperwork indicating that Bob's spouse was male, PFH refused service because it did not 'deal with their kind,' " the lawsuit stated. Gaspari and Zawadski were left scrambling to find another funeral home that could cremate Huskey on-site, according to the complaint. They found one in Hattiesburg, about 90 minutes away. But because the nursing home did not have a morgue, it refused to hold Huskey's remains until the Hattiesburg facility could retrieve it. So Gaspari and Zawadski had to enlist a second, closer funeral home to pick up his body until then. "The turmoil and exigency created by Defendants in causing Plaintiffs to find alternative arrangements, as described above, permanently marred the memory of Bob's otherwise peaceful passing," the complaint said. Zawadski said his motives for bringing the suit are not financial but rather to ensure that no one else goes through what he experienced. In a video produced by Lambda Legal, Zawadski said through tears that the funeral home had shown disrespect toward his husband. "This, I hope, brings him some honor," he said. Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte spoke on the phone, a flurry of stories portrayed the leaders of the United States and the Philippines are pretty much two peas in a presidential pod. In some ways, interest in their "bromance" makes sense. With China having an ever-greater reach in international affairs and the role of the U.S. in Asia Pacific appearing very much in flux, U.S.-Philippine ties are critical. And then there's the fact that the U.S. and Philippine presidents seem to speak for this historical moment, a time when liberal democratic values are in retreat and steamrolling populism is ascendant. They share a flexible attitude toward fact, a disdain for the press, and a penchant for making wildly misogynistic remarks. They have also both praised dictators and authoritarians, past and present. It's not that it's wrong to focus on their similarities. They matter. But they also shed light on what is happening in both countries. The problem is that grabby Trump-Duterte headlines are often used to make a point about U.S. politics in a way that diminishes Duterte's domestic role, specifically his loud and persistent calls for the "slaughter" of suspected drug users - and the real life killing that follows those calls. Duterte campaigned for the presidency on a promise to "kill all" the countries drug dealers and users. Since taking power last summer, thousands of people have indeed been killed, shot in late-night police raids with high death rates and few witness, or murdered by masked assassins, often after being named by police. An Amnesty International report called the campaign "war on the poor" that may constitute "possible crimes against humanity." (Asked about the findings, a Duterte ally, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, argued, for the second time, that drug users are not part of "humanity.") A Filipino lawyer last week filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court, accusing Duterte and 11 of his allies of mass murder and crimes against humanity. The complaint references the killings of more than 9,400 people stretching back to the late 1980s, when Duterte was a regional boss nicknamed "the death squad mayor." "The situation in the Philippines reveals a terrifying, gruesome and disastrous continuing commission of extrajudicial executions or mass murder," the complaint reads. A recent story in the Daily Beast chronicling Duterte's rise to power said the Philippine president "made a name for himself as the Trump of the East as he vented his anger and played on people's fears and promised to make right with might" - a strange claim considering Duterte became a mayor in the late 1980s, running Davao City for nearly two decades without any input or influence from Trump. Indeed, both Trump and Duterte may "play on people's fears" but only one of them cut his teeth as the "death squad mayor of Davao," patrolling the city, armed, on a motorbike, threatening to personally kill criminals and then, years later, talking frankly about it. ("Am I the death squad? True," he said last year.) "Comparing Duterte to Trump is tempting as a source of clickbait headlines, but it is inaccurate, and risks becoming another act of cultural colonialism, especially given the history of the United States in the Philippines," academic Tom Smith wrote last year in the Guardian. "Cultural imperialism by the U.S. in the Philippines has often meant local Filipino concerns have been viewed, acted on and disastrously managed through an American lens," Smith added. The violent deaths of thousands of Filipinos is an outrage in its own right, an outrage different in kind and degree from anything Trump has done. So please think twice before casually comparing the men. Trump and Duterte are similar, sure, but they are not, by any count, the same. WASHINGTON - Donald Trump has a portrait of Andrew Jackson hanging by his desk in the Oval Office. On Monday, in an interview with Salena Zito, the 45th president lauded the seventh president, calling Jackson "a swashbuckler" who could have prevented the Civil War. The Cherokees had a different name for Jackson. They called him "Indian killer." The Creek called him "Sharp Knife." On May 28, 1830, Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which Native Americans say was a form of legalized ethnic cleansing. The act forced more than 60,000 Native Americans from their lands in the Southwest United States, clearing the way for white pioneers. Native Americans were forced to walk hundreds of miles to resettle west of the Mississippi River. Historians believe more than 15,000 died on the difficult journey. After Jackson left the White House in 1837, Cherokees were pushed off their land during the winter of 1838 and 1839. More than 4,000 Cherokees died from hunger, exposure and disease on their march west, which became known as the "Trail of Tears." Jackson, who was 61 when he became president in 1829, was considered a military hero who had defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. By then, "Old Hickory," as Jackson was nicknamed, had already used troops against warring factions of the Creek Nation and imposed harsh terms during peace negotiations, according to the National Park Service, which operates a historic "Trail of Tears" route. "His treaty punished both the Red Sticks and the Creek who had fought by his side with a cession of 23 million acres -- nearly half of the Creek land," according to the park service account. "His terms and unwillingness to negotiate earned him the Creek nickname of 'Sharp Knife.' " Born in South Carolina in 1767, Jackson's father Andrew, an immigrant from northern Ireland, died days before he was born. When he was 14, Jackson fought against the British in the Revolutionary War. According to historians, Jackson was taken prison by the British, and a soldier cut him with a sword when Jackson refused to polish his boots. Jackson was tall, with a narrow head and piercing eyes -- a slave owner with cruel streak. He had killed a man in a duel in Kentucky, in 1806, after the man made rude comments about Jackson's wife, Rachel. In 1813, Jackson, then a U.S. Army major general, led a massacre against Creek Indians in the Mississippi Territory. Jackson saw them as impediments to his desire for western settlement. His assessment of the Cherokee? "Established in the midst of a superior race," Jackson said, "they must disappear." A year after becoming the country's first populist president, he laid out his Indian removal strategy in his Second Annual Message to Congress. Gold had been discovered in northern Georgia, which was the territory of the Cherokee. The Indian Removal Act cleared the way for white gold prospectors to seize the land. The U.S. Supreme Court had issued a ruling, attempting to prevent Georgia from removing the Cherokees. But Jackson, whose visage appears on the $20 bill, ignored the decision. On Dec. 7, 1830, Jackson predicted in his written address to Congress that removal would relieve Mississippi and Alabama "of Indian occupancy and enable those States to advance rapidly in population, wealth, and power." Jackson said he believed that pushing Native Americans from their homelands would "enable them to pursue happiness in their own way, and under their own rude institutions." The Native Americans, under the "protection of the Government," would be compelled "through the influence of good counsels, to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized and Christian community," Jackson said. "These consequences, some of them so certain, and the rest so probable, make the complete execution of the plan sanctioned by Congress at their last session an object of much solicitude." Tribes including the Creek, Seminole, Choctaw and Chickasaw were marched hundreds of miles to what the government called "Indian Territory" in Oklahoma. In 1836, Cherokee Chief John Ross, who led his people west, wrote in a letter that they had been stripped of their freedom. "Our property may be plundered before our eyes; violence may be committed on our persons; even our lives may be taken away, and there is none to regard our complaints," Ross wrote. He added the Cherokee had been stripped of their humanity. "Our hearts are sickened, our utterance is paralized, when we reflect on the condition in which we are placed, by the audacious practices of unprincipled men, who have managed their stratagems with so much dexterity as to impose on the Government of the United States, in the face of our earnest, solemn, and reiterated protestations." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Rehabilitating veterans whose post-deployment life includes scuffs with the law got a little easier Tuesday in Montgomery County. Hidden among the maze of hallways in the Montgomery County Jail lies a special section the Sheriff's Office unveiled specifically for veterans. The pod more reminiscent of summer camp than Shawshank Redemption is an open room, with rows of bunk beds jutting off on each side, and a common area in the middle. The pod has its own medical quarters, restrooms, showers and even a supply room where the inmates can starch their uniforms just like when they were in the service. The first veteran inmates at the Montgomery County Jail moved into the pod Tuesday, marking the beginning of the jail's commitment to those who served the country. The pod will house 19 of the jail's 36 veteran inmates at first, although up to 48 inmates can be placed in the program at once, officials said. The pod includes wrap-around services, and is centered around helping the veteran inmates assimilate back into civilian life. "There's a humanity that has to pervade all of this," 359th state District Court Judge Kathleen Hamilton said. Hamilton runs the county's Veterans Treatment Court, wherein certain veterans with pending criminal charges are given resources and treatment for any mental health issues throughout their case. Just as the criteria for veterans to enter the special treatment court are stringent, so are those for veterans to be allowed into the jail's special pod. Veterans must have a high favorability in the jail and must have a low security risk. The two programs do not work side-by-side, but Hamilton and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office officials said it's important the veterans stick together. "Veterans tend to be a very collegial group," Hamilton said. "They care very much about each other." Special to the program is a flag pole at the center of the pod's recreation area, which officials said helps veterans reminisce about their time in the service while bringing a sense of order that came along with that service as well. "We have many justice-involved veterans in this county," Jail Sgt. Kimberly Anderson said. "A lot of these veterans do not know what's available for them on the outside. We wanted to create a way for all these veterans to be able to access all the different organizations in a central area." Anderson said the goal of the program is to draw down the recidivism rate among veterans in Montgomery County. "We don't want them coming back," Anderson said. "We want them to succeed out in civilian life again. This will help them readjust to civilian life." The pod was made possible with the help of a handful of area nonprofits and veterans resources throughout the county, some of which will be offering classes for the veterans while they're incarcerated. "We know the community backs veterans," Anderson said. "We want to help these guys get back into civilian life in a good and positive way." CARACAS, Venezuela - In 1999, the year Hugo Chavez took office, Venezuelan voters overwhelmingly backed his push to rewrite the constitution. Chavez was so pleased with the new version that he ordered millions of pocket-size editions to be handed out across the country. He liked to whip out a copy in the middle of his speeches and political sermons, like a preacher with a Bible. Its cover was blue, but it became the Little Red Book of Chavez's socialist "revolution." Which is one reason Venezuelans were surprised - and aghast - when President Nicolas Maduro, who succeeded Chavez after his death in 2013, said Monday that he wants to rewrite it. Maduro's plans are a little different from those of Chavez. Venezuela is buckling from a deep economic and political crisis, but instead of getting voter approval to overhaul the constitution, Maduro gave the order Monday by decree. The constituent assembly's delegates are likely to be drawn heavily from community and social groups loyal to his government. The purpose of the new document will be to promote what Maduro and his supporters call "the communal state ." Its basic goal is to channel the government's oil wealth into a system of locally elected "communal councils" that would assume some of the powers currently held by mayors, governors and the National Assembly. Critics say the commune system is simply a way for the socialist government to give away money to its supporters and replace traditional democratic institutions with more pliant ones. Analysts say the move to write a new constitution may fulfill a more immediate need of Maduro, by further delaying state-level elections, which his United Socialist Party is almost certain to lose, and possibly deferring presidential elections due to be held in 2018. "This is a pretty lame attempt to avoid presidential and regional elections," said Eugenio Martinez, a Venezuelan legal analyst and political scientist at Andres Bello Catholic University. "They want to convene a process that would create the only election they could win." In the plan Maduro outlined, at least half the delegates for the constituent assembly would be chosen from groups that support government, Martinez said. "Meaning this attempt won't allow for universal, equal, direct and secret elections." Such an assembly would further sideline the opposition-led legislature, the only branch of government Maduro doesn't control. It also could push Venezuela further toward pariah status in the Western Hemisphere, where the region's largest countries have increasingly accused Maduro of descending into authoritarianism. Venezuela's opposition won majority control of the legislature in 2015, and Maduro has since maneuvered to muzzle his rivals, while the country suffers from growing crime and hunger. Opposition leaders say Maduro's plans are a ploy to further consolidate dictatorial rule, even at the expense of trampling the constitution so venerated by Chavez. They called on supporters to block roadways Tuesday morning and continue protests and marches that have swelled in the past month. At least 29 Venezuelans were killed in April in the tumult, according to human rights groups. Maduro's plans for a new constitution will depend on the continued support of Venezuela's armed forces, analysts say. It is not clear how the proposal will be received by other members of the "chavista" movement - Chavez loyalists - who have becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the Maduro government's more radical turn. "This will be a real test of the chavista movement and its dedication to democracy and the figure of Chavez," said David Smilde, a Venezuela expert at the Washington Office on Latin America. Opposition leaders are demanding new elections, the release of political prisoners and respect for the legislature. Maduro's bid to change the constitution could further energize their supporters and keep them mobilized in the streets. At the same time, if the constituent assembly goes forward, the opposition could be confronted with a difficult choice, Smilde said. It paid a steep price in 2005 when it boycotted elections in protest of the Chavez government, losing what little institutional power it had. Maduro may be betting that he can set a similar trap and get his rivals to abstain. "I honestly have a hard time imagining this getting to the point that it would be tempting for the opposition to participate, but it could," Smilde said. A key difference is that Chavez in 2005 remained a popular figure, with the majority of voters behind him. Maduro's approval ratings have fallen below 20 percent in recent polls. In an exclusive interview given to Manorama News, Arif Mohammed Khan said the State government must convince him why the chancellor is being changed. Dozens of people raised concerns at a public hearing Tuesday night about a proposed Alamo Plaza master plan, with some asking a panel of officials to start the process over, and others saying the area would best be left alone. The meeting began with a pledge from the design team to save as many trees in the plaza as possible, in response to comments at prior meetings. Although the plan seeks to focus a representation of the Alamos historic main gate area as the key point of entry from the south, the team has indicated it also intends to have other entry points. courtesy / A man convicted of murder by a jury last month of murder has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. Rosalio Anthony Barraza, 22, had faced up to life in prison in the death of Isaac Arocha, 25, who he fatally shot when an argument between the two escalated. Visiting Judge Raymond Angelini sentenced Barraza on Tuesday in the 290th District Court. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Thanks to a couple Central Texas 7th graders, a disabled pug has a newfound freedom. Polly the pug suffers from degenerative disc disease, limiting the use of her hind legs, said Alisha Homann, 6th grade science teacher at Barton Middle Schools in Hays Consolidated Independent School District. Homann volunteers with Pug Rescue Austin, where she found Polly and suggested students in a 7th grade class give the dog a hand in helping her to walk. RELATED: Report: These San Antonio high schools are among the best in the nation for 2017 Ella Davis and Chris Janysek, Barton Middle School 7th graders, are the masterminds behind the effort and have been working since January to give Polly a new way to get around. "The experience was very memorable and unforgettable for the students," Homann said. "The compassion and community service from the students has positively changed Polly's life forever." On April 25, after months of trial and error, Polly visited the students for a final fitting. Polly was able to walk without wobbling or falling to the ground, making the project a success. Photos show Polly rocking her new wheels in the classroom with Davis and Janysek. With her new transportation in tow, Polly will head back to her foster home Homann's mother is currently taking care of the 7-year-old dog. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 Just as our military protects our country from danger, raising the tobacco sales age in Texas to 21 will protect our young citizens from the dangerous effects of tobacco. While some believe cigarettes should not be denied to those old enough to enlist, I could not disagree more. Allow me a retired member of the military who almost died from a cigarette addiction to tell you why proposed legislation to bar tobacco sales to those younger than 21 should include those young troops who put their lives on the line for our country. As far back as I can remember, I was a smoker. I clearly recall smoking early in elementary school. I was a pack-a-day smoker before I left junior high. I was 18 years old when I entered the Air Force. Smoke em if you got em was the call we wanted to hear. That call allowed us to break ranks and take a smoke break. Over the years I continued smoking heavily. When the 1980s arrived, everyone knew cigarettes were bad. The military stopped putting them in mobility rations, and the days when you could smoke em if you got em were gone. Still, I was young and could not imagine cigarette smoking would hurt me. In 1987, my lungs were tested. Wearing gas masks, running decontamination exercises I could barely breathe. But I could not imagine cigarette smoking would hurt me. I kept smoking. The Air Force required periodic physical exams. I turned 35 in April 1989 and easily passed the physical. Five months later, I was dead. I worked for the flight surgeon. Someone close had seen me collapse. If I hadnt worked in a medical facility, I would have stayed dead. I was revived. Soon after, the Air Force sent me to Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. After open-heart surgery and numerous tests, the Air Force concluded that I would probably die without a heart transplant. In July 1990, the Air Force gave me a medical discharge. I had 17 years service when I was discharged, plus a wife and two children. I had no job, and we were scrambling to stay afloat and get back on our feet. We were panicked. All the while, I was still smoking. For my life, I could not give it up. I was in and out of hospitals for the next 15 years. My heart failure worsened. By summer 2005, I was completely unable to work. Oh, and did I tell you? I was still smoking. Going through the process to obtain Social Security Disability, the doctor asked if I was on a heart transplant list. After two years of testing, the transplant doctor gave me the pager. That was the prize. We could finally take a step back and relax. But the doctor called that evening and said he wanted the pager back. They found nicotine in my blood because I was still smoking, even that morning. I was denied the transplant. My family was devastated. That was 2007. Shortly after, I found myself in hospice, waiting to die. My wife took me out of hospice after three weeks. Yes I still smoked and I was still quite sick. A year passed and I was still alive. I thought, if I am not going to die, I better give myself a chance to live. I quit smoking for good. But I was still very sick. Finally, on July 9, 2012, I received a heart transplant. Ive been living a smoke-free life for many years. But in the fall 2016, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. They caught it early, and part of my lung was recently removed. Years after I quit smoking, cigarettes still affect my health. Serving in the military is hard enough without being addicted to a deadly product. Raising the tobacco age to 21 will help save lives. Why would we pass a law that protects our youth and deny the military the benefit of the law? Lets protect our young troops and give them a chance at a healthy life. Universal City resident Brian M. Hayden is a retired Air Force master sergeant, a heart attack survivor, a heart transplant survivor, a lung cancer survivor and a writer. For more of Brians story, visit his website, brianhayden.net. During the election, candidate Donald Trump expressed that he planned to tax wealthy universities that did not use a sizable portion of their endowment to support low-income students. In October, he proposed that borrowers repay no more than 12.5 percent of their annual income over the span of 15 years, forgiving all additional debt. The new administrations budget proposal has no such plan for higher education. On March 29, billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, tweeted at the president to ask when the Trump administration will address the rising costs of college and student debt. President Trump repeatedly says how proud he is of his Wharton degree. If higher education is the key to success, then growing college expenses are an unavoidable issue the Trump administration must address. In Texas, only 27.6 percent of residents have an accredited degree from a four-year university. By this standard, the state ranks 29th out of 50 states, according to recent census data. At St. Edwards University in Austin, tuition for a full-time undergraduate student in fall 2009 totaled $24,040. In fall 2016, this figure sat at $55,800. Next year, it will cost a projected $58,700. For low-income students, a college degree becomes less attainable every year. The Trump administrations budget proposal would end the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program, a critical funding aid to low-income students. It would reduce funding for the federal work-study program, which employs hundreds of thousands of students unable to afford the full expenses of college. As it stands now, the average $28,950 cumulative student loan will end up costing more than $39,900 to repay, according to a study by the Federal Reserve. The Trump administration plans to fully eliminate aid programs such as AmeriCorps. Many low-income students rely on these programs, including Pell Grants, to pay for higher education. With expenses rising, fewer are attending college. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found for the fifth straight year the number of students enrolling in colleges and universities has decreased. Among 25- to 34-year-olds in the U.S., according to a report by the Russell Sage Foundation, only 43 percent have a four-year degree versus 47 percent in the United Kingdom and 57 percent in Canada. In the U.K., students who take out loans do not have to pay the money back until they reach an income level of 21,000 pounds per year, or just below $30,000. In Canada, the most recent budget proposal will allow many low-income graduates to defer student loan payments until their annual income exceeds about $25,000 a year. This year, the Canadian government may alleviate overall college expenses on parents of students denoted as low-income. In the U.S., Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced a proposal April 3 to support low-income students. The College for All bill would allow students from families that make up to $125,000 a year to attend four-year universities tuition-free. Community college would be tuition-free for everyone. The $600 billion proposal would require the federal government to pay 67 percent of tuition subsidies and state governments to pay the remaining. When the federal budget and Congress prioritize making higher education affordable, more students will be able to attend college. If low-income students, as Cuban once was, are able to land in four-year colleges, the American dream can be real for many more. Robert Weiner is a former spokesman for the Clinton and Bush White House, and the House Government Operations Committee. Ryan Powers is an education policy analyst at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change. Experts will be on hand 1-5 p.m. May 6-7 at Coventry Homes' Gruene Haven model home, 108 Gruene Haven in New Braunfels, to answer questions and guide attendees through the intricate process of building a custom home on their own land. "The decision to design and build your own home can be a daunting one," said Jim Eller, division president for Coventry Homes in San Antonio. "Our goal with these Build on Your Lot workshops is to provide people with the information they need to make well-informed decisions when they are ready to start." Attendees will be able to meet one-on-one with experts, including a licensed Realtor, a mortgage specialist, an architectural designer and an experienced Coventry Homes representative to discuss all aspects of the site selection and construction process, Eller said. "We have assembled a panel of very knowledgeable specialists," he said. "They will be able to answer whatever questions you have, from how to get started and how to finance a construction loan to how to develop a custom floor plan. In fact, our architectural designer can help you create a personalized floor plan to take home." With more than 25 years of experience and a 98 percent customer recommendation rate, Coventry Homes is uniquely qualified to guide attendees through the homebuilding process. The company's Build on Your Lot program allows buyers to work with one construction superintendent from site evaluation to move-in. "There are so many advantages to building with us," Eller said. "We are a nationally recognized builder, so we have some serious buying power, and we can pass those savings on to our customers. Additionally, we offer a free site evaluation, which allows you to lock in pricing before construction begins, and we offer more plans to work from and more flexibility because we have more experience." Energy efficiency is another advantage. Every Coventry Home in the San Antonio area is certified through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes program. Homes certified through this program use less water and energy, use fewer natural resources, create less waste and are healthier for the occupants. "Coventry Homes was the first major builder in San Antonio to construct its homes to the LEED for Homes standards," Eller said. "We are also the first volume builder certified green under the Green Built Texas specifications. What this means is that we have outside inspection companies come in and inspect your home, so you are assured that your home has been built to the highest possible eco-friendly standards." The builder backs its homes with a two-year written heating and cooling cost guarantee, provides a two-year warranty on materials and workmanship and a 10-year structural warranty. "Our homes are a smart choice for consumers, whether they buy in one of the communities we build in or choose to build on property they own," Eller said. "Not only do we offer high-quality construction, we really work with you to make sure you get the home of your dreams." The builder's designs are flexible, so homebuyers can make changes limited only by building codes, deed restrictions, budget and imagination. Adding options such as wine or media rooms and outdoor kitchens are not the only ways the builder can help buyers. Design professionals can help customers choose the perfect kitchen island, decide how much cabinet space they need and add all of the small architectural and design details that will make the home uniquely theirs. "Whatever you need, whatever your lifestyle demands, we will work with you," Eller said. "We have built a lot of homes over the past 25 years and have worked with a lot of homeowners. If there is a way to do it, we will find it." The Build on Your Lot workshop is open to the public and is a "come and go as you please" type of event. There is no need to stay for the entire length of the workshop. For more information about Coventry Homes or this event, call (210) 885-3110 or visit BuildOnYourLot.CoventryHomes.com. Editors Note: This content is made possible by Coventry Homes. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com. 4 Detenido por atacar a un hombre en un cajero de Gijon con patadas y una correa para perros Local News, Crime, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: May 03 2017 Defendant Allegedly Failed To Pay $691,040 In Prevailing Wages And Benefits To Ten Workers Performing Construction On Bronx Public Schools. New York, NY - May 3, 2017 - Today, Attorney General Eric T. Schneideman and New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced the arrest of contractor Vickram Mangru on charges that he underpaid wages and benefits to workers on a publicly-funded New York City construction project. The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into widespread allegations of prevailing wage theft at New York City public works projects. Contracted to perform work on several New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) public schools in the Bronx between December 2012 and April 2014, Mangru while doing business as Vick Construction out of Valley Stream, New York was charged with allegedly cheating six workers out of $301,683 in wages. Vick Construction and Mangru had previously been debarred and banned for a five-year period from performing public work projects by the New York City Comptrollers Office for failing to pay proper prevailing wages to workers. On December 31, 2013, Mangru entered into a settlement agreement, admitting he underpaid workers by $34,347 in prevailing wages and supplements. Undeterred, Mangru allegedly continued to operate in several public schools and continued to pay well below proper prevailing wage rates, forming AVM Construction in January 2014. AVM Construction was purportedly owned by Mangrus son Ravi Mangru and his wife Gayatri Mangru, who both claimed to be the companys president. However, according to workers, Mangru ran the day to day operations of AVM Construction, including directly supervising the work and paying employees. Between April 2014 and February 2015, Mangru is alleged to have continued working on multiple NYCDOE school projects in the Bronx. An investigation determined that Mangru, now operating under the umbrella of AVM Construction, allegedly failed to pay proper prevailing wages to ten workers on those school projects by an additional $389,357 during the ten-month period. In total, Mangru allegedly failed to pay $691,040 in prevailing wages and benefits to ten workers, from December 2012 to February 2015. Prevailing wage laws exist to protect workers and ensure that they are fairly compensated. As we allege, the defendant repeatedly broke the law, stealing nearly $700,000 in wages from ten of his employees, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Those who attempt to cheat hard-working New Yorkers out of their wages and benefits should take note: you must pay workers proper prevailing wages on taxpayer-funded projects or face the consequences. We dont take the step of barring City contractors lightly, but when we do debar them, we expect them to comply. In this case, that didnt happen and thats why we referred this case to Attorney General Schneiderman. Mr. Mangru now finds himself facing criminal charges, said NYC Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. With the climate were in, its more important than ever that we protect vulnerable citizens from being cheated out of their hard-earned wages. The message today is clear: If you target vulnerable New Yorkers, were going to take action. "We have a strict process in place to carefully vet contractors working on DOE projects," said NYC Schools Deputy Chancellor Elizabeth Rose. "We commend Attorney General Schneiderman for protecting the rights of hard-working New Yorkers and for holding this vendor accountable. Mangru is also accused of falsifying business records, including misleading and inaccurate payroll records listing the hours worked and wages paid to his workers, to the New York City Department of Educations Division of School Facilities in an attempt to cover up the underpayments he made while doing business as Vick Construction. Mangru is charged with Failure to Pay the Prevailing Rate of Wage or Supplements and with five counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First degreeall felonies. If convicted of the top count against him, Mangru faces five to 15 years in prison, debarment for an additional five years, and restitution payment for his workers. This case was investigated by NYC Office of the Comptroller Investigators Francisco Gonzalez, Dwayne Gibson, and Ilona Stadnicka, with assistance from NYC Department of Education Division of School Facilities Investigator David Coles, under the supervision of Deputy Director Kimberly De Vine. The investigation was also assisted by Attorney General Investigator Frank Tirri, under the supervision of Senior Investigator Sylvia Rivera and Deputy Chief Investigator John McManus. The Attorney Generals Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Investigator Dominic Zarrella. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Matthew Ross and Jennifer Michael, led by Labor Bureau Criminal Section Chief Richard Balletta under the supervision of Labor Bureau Chief ReNika Moore and Acting Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton of the Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau. The Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice is Alvin Bragg. The case is also being prosecuted with the assistance of the NYC Comptroller Offices Bureau of Labor Law Supervising Attorney Michael Turilli and Counsel Caroline Friedman. The Comptroller Offices Bureau of Labor Law is headed by Constantine Kokkoris. Nassau Police Announce Three Arrests for Attempted Murder in Westbury Local News, Crime By Long Island News & PR Published: May 03 2017 Fidel Hernandez, Jose Hernandez, and Miguel Urias Arguenta are charged with attacking a victim with a machete and firearm. (L to R): Fidel Hernandez, Jose Hernandez, and Miguel Urias Arguenta were arrested for Attempted Murder in Westbury. Westbury, NY - May 3, 2017 - Major Case Bureau reports the details of three (3) arrests for Attempted Murder on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 12:15 a.m. in Major Case Bureau reports the details of three (3) arrests for Attempted Murder on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 12:15 a.m. in Westbury According to Gang Investigation Squad detectives, patrol officers responded to a 911 call for an assault. Upon arrival, the male victim, 19, informed police a dispute occurred with Fidel Hernandez, 23, of New Cassel. Fidel Hernandez displayed and swung a machete striking the victim on the stomach causing an abrasion. While the victim was defending himself, Jose Hernandez, 26, of New Cassel, armed with a handgun, fired multiple shots at the victim. Miguel Urias Arguenta, 18, Westbury, who was also at the scene, fled on foot with the Hernandez brothers. A subsequent investigation was conducted and all three (3) subjects were arrested on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Jose Hernandez and Fidel Hernandez are also responsible for an additional assault that occurred Sunday, January 15, 2017 in Westbury. Defendant Jose Hernandez is charged with two (2) counts of Murder 2nd degree (attempt), Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd degree and Possession of a Dangerous Weapon 4th degree. Defendant Fidel Hernandez is charged with two (2) counts of Murder 2nd degree (attempt) and Possession of a Dangerous Weapon 4th degree. Defendant Miguel Urias Arguenta is charged with Murder 2nd degree (attempt). All subjects will be arraigned on May 3, 2017 at First District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead Al Malahem Media, the main propaganda arm for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), published a dialogue with Qasim al Raymi on Apr. 30. Raymi was named AQAPs overall emir after a drone strike killed his predecessor, Nasir al Wuhayshi, in June 2015. For nearly two years since that time, Raymi has been forced to navigate an increasingly complex battlefield in Yemen. And Al Malahems newly released interview* is intended to explained Raymis thinking on everything from AQAPs conflict with the Houthis, to the Arab-led coalition that is fighting the Houthis, to al Qaedas approach to implementing sharia law. Raymi says his organization follows the example set by the Taliban. He also cites a text written by al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri to explain why AQAP cooperates with other Islamist and tribal groups inside Yemen. Raymi is openly loyal to Zawahiri, so it is not surprising that he would follow the al Qaeda emirs guidance. Criticizes American counterterrorism raid The interview begins with a critique of the American counterterrorism operation launched on Jan. 29 in the Yakla area of Yemens Al Bayda province. Women and children were killed during the raid and Raymi doesnt miss the opportunity to portray the US as an aggressor against all Muslims. From their crimes, we confirm that they are enemies of Muslims, Raymi says. He argues that this crime is just one of many supposedly committed by the Americans in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Syria. Raymi also attempts to tie the raid in Yemen to Americas pro-Israel policy, citing the unlimited and constant support in finance and weapons the US provides to the Israeli nation. Raymi also argues that the Yakla operation demonstrates Americas weakness, because the US is still hunting the mujahideen more than 15 years after the 9/11 hijackings. A decade and a half [after] the outbreak of the contemporary Crusader war and they have not achieved a thing, he claims. Their ploy has now drifted into killing women and children. President Trumps policies are a clear sign of Americas accumulated failure, Raymi says, after consecutive administrations have failed and continue to fail in confronting the Mujahideen. A small number of loyal mujahideen from the tribes of (Radaa) and a group of Muhajireen managed to kill and injure a large number of the American soldiers, while bringing down two helicopters and sending the Americans away in shame and disgrace, Raymi says. In reality, the AQAP chief exaggerates Americas losses, as US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that one Navy Seal was killed and three other service members injured not a large number, as Raymi claims. Still, there is little doubt that the mission did not go well, as multiple civilians were killed. The Trump administration has argued that the operation was worth the cost, because valuable intelligence on AQAPs network was recovered. Raymi disputes this, saying these are just mere attempts to cover their failure. Al Malahems interviewer asks Raymi about other American raids in Yemen. The AQAP leader says that based on their experiences and communication with our brothers in the fronts of Afghanistan and Somalia, al Qaeda has concluded that a raid is a failure if known beforehand. A raid is all about a sudden attack and does not rely on confrontation, Raymi argues. So if a raid is known, all immediately retreat. He claims that other missions have failed because tribesmen and the jihadists had foreknowledge of the Americans approach. Raymi then advises his brothers on how to deal with night raids by providing some basic observations, but explains there are some issues that we cannot express here. He says the jihadists should: have no less than two guards stationed during the night shift, prepare for such a scenario beforehand and have a plan to encounter them, remain in their posts during combat, plant bombs and mines in a circular pattern around the place they are guarding, and let the enemy advance until he reaches the place of ambush and sphere of combat. Al Malahems man trumpets a fatwa issued by approximately 150 Yemeni scholars some years ago saying it is necessary to fight the Americans if they were to come down to Yemen. Raymi elaborates, saying: There is no Muslim who sees America violating sanctity, killing children and women and yet hesitates in fighting them. If an American comes at your doorstep, that is by all means a test [of] your faith and loyalty. Therefore, this is a golden chance to avenge your fellow Muslims by this American soldier who practices crime against the Muslim nation in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria and among other Islamic countries. Raymi claims the Houthis are allied with America Even though the Houthis have fired on American ships off the coast of Yemen, Raymi argues they are in cahoots with the US. The issue isvivid and clear, he says, as the Houthis conduct continuous meetings with the Americans. Raymi reminds his audience that former Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh, who is closely allied with the Houthis, first partnered with the Americans years go. So the issue is not at all strange, Raymi contends. However, while al Qaeda likes to portray the US and Iranian-backed Shiite forces as partners in Yemen, this is not really the case. The Trump administration has even considering using greater force against the Houthi rebels in ordered to limit Iranian influence in the region. Al Malahems interviewer says that the US has accused some scholars, tribal leaders and other important personalities in Yemen of supporting al Qaeda. This may be a reference to the US governments terrorist designations, which have targeted AQAPs ideological and financial support network inside the country. A majority of those listed have nothing to do with Al Qaeda, Raymi alleges. But he confuses his own argument by explaining that America uses these lists to weaken the power of Sunnis inside Yemen. Specifically, he links these lists (presumably the counterterrorism designations) to AQAPs expanding base of support, which contradicts his claim that the designated individuals have nothing to do with his organization. The Americans know people are joining the caravan of jihad and that the participation of Ansar al Sharias mujahideenin the fronts against the Houthis [during] the last two years has made it appealing to join the jihadists cause. (Ansar al Sharia is AQAPs front group in Yemen.) The Americans are trying to scare away people from joining the mujahideen, Raymi claims, but he argues that this effort will fail. The Mujahideen are from Ansar al Sharia, which is an inseparable part of the Muslim nation and none can separate them. The UAE campaign is supposedly part of an American project In 2016, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia launched a ground campaign in Yemen. AQAPs forces melted away from the areas under the groups control, including the port city of Mukallah, as the Arab coalition approached. The two sides have skirmished since then, but the Arab forces have been mainly focused on the Houthis. Raymi portrays this Emirati and Saudi-led force as an American proxy, and even accuses the UAE of cooperating with the US in the controversial counterterrorism operation on Jan. 29. They cooperate and contribute with the Americans constantly, Raymi claims. The UAE wants to entirely implement the American project in Yemen, such that key ports come under their control and the southern part of the country is transformed into an American protectorate. Raymi points out that Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited the UAE during his first trip to the Middle East as the Pentagons new chief. This shows the UAE is striving to be the ultimate soldier in the region for its master America, Raymi alleges. AQAPs top man claims that the UAE views Yemen as easy booty, and is trying to secure the ports and crude oil as part of its economic plan. The Arab-led coalitions entrance into the Yemeni war in 2016 confused the battlefield even further. And Raymi tries to explain his groups approach to fighting multiple adversaries, some of whom are also fighting one another. No one denies that the Houthis and former President Saleh are aggressors that need to be eliminated and killed, Raymi says. But AQAP fought alongside the tribes and the sons of Yemen against the Houthis well before Arab forces stepped foot on Yemeni soil. But in other parts of Yemen, Raymi elaborates, AQAP has been forced to fight the Emirati coalition, as they struck AQAP with heavy operations and allegedly practiced their crimes in Yemen. Raymi claims that thousands of prisoners have been jailed without any evidence in Lahj province and hundreds more in Hadramout province. AQAPs policy has been to oppose these crimes and counter the Emirati offensive when necessary. AQAP would prefer to focus on the Houthis Perhaps the most interesting section of Raymis interview is his discussion of AQAPs priorities inside Yemen. Asked if Ansar al Sharia should concentrate its efforts on fighting the Houthis instead of indulging in other battles, Raymi replies: Yes we are going to great lengths and all [of] our efforts are towards that. While AQAP wants to focus on the Houthis, Raymi says his men have to make sure they do not expose themselves to other threats. It is our duty to unify our efforts in fighting the Houthis by all means, Raymi explains. The AQAP chieftain then provides an anecdote that offers real insight into AQAPs strategic thinking. A delegation of scholars came to us in the year of 2013 and told us that we are a force among the forces of the Sunni community, Raymi says. They insisted that we devote our entire efforts to the danger of Houthis and to not engage in battle with the Yemeni system, meaning Hadis government. Raymi elaborates: We welcomed the idea and agreed to the truce and put forward unto them two conditions. The first term of the proposed truce would halt any external intrusion on Yemen, guaranteeing the independence of the country from American intervention and American planes in the atmosphere of Yemen. (This would have meant that the Yemeni government could not assist the US in hunting down senior AQAP figures. Drone strikes would have been unilateral moves had this truce taken hold.) The second condition of the proposed ceasefire would have led to the formation of a panel of scholars who would study the constitution and the policies that govern the country, so as to guarantee the application of Islamic sharia. Both the scholars and AQAPs first emir, Nasir al Wuhayshi, signed the truce with the stipulation that these two terms be met. In Raymis telling, President Hadi turned down the scholars and refused to meet with them even after he (Hadi) pleaded with them to form a truce with the Mujahideen. Raymi claims that the ceasefire was scuttled because the Americans learned about it. After that, America launched an attack and heavily bombarded [Yemen] to announce to all that [Hadi] is none but an agent to them. Contemporaneous reports from both independent sources and AQAP indicate that the al Qaeda arm did in fact negotiate a possible truce with President Hadis government in 2013. The president wants members of Qaeda to surrender their arms, announce their repentance and renounce their extremist ideas, an unnamed official was quoted by several news outlets as saying. Even though AQAP failed to reach an accord with Hadi, the negotiations demonstrate that al Qaeda is willing to be tactically flexible, especially in complex, multi-sided wars such as the one raging inside Yemen. The Taliban is AQAPs model The Islamic State frequently accuses its rivals in al Qaeda of not truly implementing sharia law in the areas under its control. AQAP is clearly sensitive to this criticism from their fellow jihadist ideologues, because Al Malahem asks Raymi if his group engages administration and control during times of conquest and liberation. Raymi claims that AQAP does not promise the people they will rule others, nor does it seek leadership for itself. Our main goal is to be governed by the Islamic Sharia, whether AQAP is the ultimate authority or others earn that role for themselves. Surely this is not upon us but in the power of Allah, Raymi says. If He wills for the honor to accompany us, His absolute bounty will bestow upon us. And if He wills else, we are bestowed with the honor of loyalty and truth in striving to rule the sharia in this earth. Al Qaeda has employed similar rhetoric with respect to other jihadist battlefields, such as Syria. Ayman al Zawahiri has gone so far as to say that if a true Islamic government rises in Syria, then he will be its first soldier. Al Qaeda has also taken a slower, more patient approach to state-building than Abu Bakr al Baghdadis enterprise. Al Qaeda is attempting to build broader and deeper support for its jihadist cause inside Yemen and elsewhere. AQAP and other al Qaeda branches have developed this concept, arguing that only through proper consultation with recognized authorities can new Islamic governments be formed. Of course, the catch is that these same figures must agree with much of al Qaedas ideology, or otherwise they wouldnt be consulted. Raymi elaborates on AQAPs thinkint. During conquest, it is [incumbent] upon the mujahideen to not seize and occupy matters concerning people without consulting them, he says. The term affairs (amruhum) is not restricted to the mujahideen alone but to all concerned, Raymi says, drawing on jurisprudence and Islamic texts. The reign and rule is mostly based upon the strong and faithful and AQAP gives priority to the influential people. First and foremost are the people of authority from among the scholars, commanders and [people] with a field of specialization. This bottom-up approach to waging jihad is more populist than the Islamic States top-down authoritarianism. But it creates a difficult balancing act for AQAP. Al Qaedas doctrine requires patience, yet the jihadists are fighting to enforce their harsh sharia laws in the here and now. And AQAP has struggled at times to implement its radical governance. Raymi alludes to these difficulties, saying: Perhaps some time later we will [explain] to our brothers some of our experiences in the province of Hadramout. AQAP has controlled Hadramout province at times and the experience has been both positive and the negative for AQAP, Raymi says. We wronged in some matters and believe to have accomplished in some, the AQAP leader claims. Perhaps the experience will find one who will able to counsel and improve our ways. In the meantime, Raymi says AQAP will continue to work with acceptable scholars, who are necessary to guide the jihad and prevent infighting, as well as various other problems. Raymi says the unique example AQAP pursues is that of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Talibans steadiness and righteous path is due to the existence of scholars in the mujahideen ranks, Raymi claims. This is what keeps their jihad steady and keeps it away from any deviation and aberration. This is what contributed and aided [it] in gaining the Afghan nation and the Muslim nation in jihad. AQAP works with other Islamist groups and the tribes Al Malahems interviewer asked Raymi about the other existing Islamic groups, as well as established tribes, and how AQAP deals with them. My noble brother, these people are the Muslim nation, Raymi says. We treat and deal with them according to Islam andsharia. And any Muslim whatsoever is our brother. We face today a Crusader war that does not [distinguish] on its way. Raymi continues: Defensive jihad does not stipulate any condition. We are ready to aid and protect any Muslim and fight together with all Muslims as one. Raymi then mentions that Ayman al Zawahiri has published a document which visualizes this particular matter. Al Malahems transcripts says the title of the document is Wathiqa Nusratu al-Islam. Under this doctrine, al Qaeda positions itself as a supporter of all Muslims and Islam. It is concept that has been employed elsewhere, such as in West Africa, where the newly formed al Qaeda group is named Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (or the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims). Raymi explains what this means in practice: And by the grace of Allah, we fight [alongside] all Muslims in Yemen, together with different Islamic groups. We fought with the Salafs without exception. We fought with the Muslim Brotherhood and also our brothers from the sons of tribes. We fought together with the public in Aden and elsewhere. We participate with the Muslims in every battle. The AQAP chief says Muslims differ from one another in the matters of sharia, and certain juristic choices but these contradictions are viewed under the lens of sharia. But he contends that [f]airness and equality among every Muslim requires them to give aid and advice to each other. Muslims are required to help each other achieve victory, while aiding one another. And when the enemy confronts, all Muslims unite to repel the oppressor and fight him, Raymi argues. This means that Salafi scholars fought [alongside] the people who differ [from] them in the matters of names and attributes of Allah, because jihad is with all, whether they are pious or immoral. And with that unifying doctrine, Qasim al Raymi and al Qaeda hope that they can build enough support for their cause that they can outlast their multiple enemies in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. *Al Malahem released a transcript of Raymis remarks in both Arabic and rough English. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. A key al Qaeda commander was among seven jihadists reportedly killed in the Apr. 29 drone strike in Pakistans tribal agency of North Waziristan, according to press accounts from the region. The strike took place in an area that the Pakistan military claimed was cleared of jihadists more than two years ago. Abdul Raheem, an Iraqi citizen from Mosul, was an important figure for Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Daily Times quoted an unnamed Pakistani official as saying. It is likely that this Pakistani official was referring to Raheems position in Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. Other press reports described Rahmeem as a key and senior al Qaeda commander. Seven jihadists, including two militant commanders known as Abdul Rehman and Akhtar Mohammad, were initially reported killed in the attack. Al Qaeda has not commented on reports of Raheems death, nor has it issued a martyrdom statement. The US military has not confirmed that it carried out the drone strike in North Waziristan or reported that it killed Raheem. However, such confirmations can take time, or not come at all. Some of al Qaedas top leaders have been targeted by the US in drone strikes in Datta Khel over the years. In 2010, the US killed Mustafa Abu Yazid, the groups former general manager. Others perished in Datta Khel in late 2009, such as Abdullah Said al Libi, the emir of the Lashkar-al-Zil (al Qaedas military arm), and Zuhaib al Zahibi, a top Lashkar-al-Zil general. [See FDDs Long War Journal report: Al Qaeda Shadow Army commander thought killed in Dec. 17 strike.] Most recently, on Jan. 4, 2015, the US bombed Qari Imran, a member of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinents leadership council, in Datta Khel. The Datta Khel area of North Waziristan is a hotbed of jihadist activity. The area is controlled by the Hafiz Bahadar Group, which is not targeted by Pakistans military. Al Qaeda, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, and the Haqqani Network (a Taliban subgroup) are all known to shelter in the area. The Pakistani military claimed in Sept. 2014 that it cleared Datta Khel of jihadist groups during Operation Zarb-e-Azb, which began months earlier, on June 15, 2014. But the operation targeted only the so-called bad Taliban, such as the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. These are the Taliban factions and groups that wage war against the Pakistani state. The Haqqani Network and the Hafiz Gul Bahadar Group were not targeted in the operation, despite Pakistani military claims to the contrary. The US has carried out 10 drone strikes in Datta Khel since the Pakistani military claimed that it was cleared. Sixty jihadists have been reportedly killed in the 10 strikes, according to data compiled by FDDs Long War Journal. Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. The Islamic States Amaq News Agency has claimed responsibility for a bombing that targeted a NATO convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan earlier today. A jihadist detonated his vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a security checkpoint in the Afghan capital, close to where the US Embassy is located. Amaq released a photo of the bomber (seen above), as well as a statement concerning the operation. Amaq reported that eight people were killed in the blast. According to Reuters, initial casualty reports indicate that all eight of the deceased were civilians and more than two dozen others were wounded. US officials say that no American servicemen were killed in the bombing. A coalition MRAP convoy was targeted by an improvised explosive device in Kabul this morning about 8:00 am, US Navy Captain William K. Salvin, the spokesman for US Forces Afghanistan, said in a statement. Three coalition service members were wounded, according to Salvin, but all of them sustained non-life threatening wounds, are in stable condition, and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for other attacks in Kabul since the beginning of the year. On Feb. 7, a suicide bomber struck near Afghanistans supreme court, killing at least 21 people and wounding dozens more. Amaq News, which is one of the so-called caliphates main propaganda arms, identified the jihadist responsible as a Tajik fighter. Then, on Mar. 8, a suicide assault team massacred patients and employees at the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital in Kabul. The hospital is Afghanistans largest medical facility for members of the armed forces. Dozens were killed or wounded. Amaq released a picture of the jihadists who carried out the attack, as well as a statement of responsibility. The terrorists reportedly dressed like doctors or other hospital employees in order to sow confusion. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Islamic State suicide team assaults military hospital in Kabul.] Another Islamic State suicide bomber struck in Kabul on Apr. 12, killing several people and wounding others. Amaq News also claimed that operation on behalf of the self-declared caliphate, saying the jihadist attacked a checkpoint near the presidential building. The Islamic States Wilayah Khorasan (or Khorasan province) has also repeatedly targeted Afghan Shiites in Kabul. According to a Mar. 30 report published by the United Nations, there was an increase in attacks carried out by the Khorasan province in 2016, as the jihadists struck civilian government administrations, tribal elders and places of worship. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) found that Baghdadis loyalists were responsible for 899 civilian casualties (209 dead and 690 injured) in 2016, as compared to 82 civilian casualties (39 dead and 43 injured) in 2015. UNAMA attributed this rise in civilian casualties to Wilayah Khorasans deliberate sectarian attacks against the minority Shia Muslim community and noted that the group had claimed responsibility for three separate attacks on 23 July, 11 October and 21 November 2016 that targeted members of the [Shia] community living in Kabul. The US and its allies have stepped up their operations against Wilayah Khorasan since the beginning of the year. Three American servicemen were killed in April during raids launched against the groups stronghold in the eastern Nangarhar province. The US dropped the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or Mother of All Bombs (MOAB), on a tunnel complex maintained by Baghdadis followers and also targeted the organizations emir last month. While the Islamic States men have been attempting to hold off the US-led forces in Nangarhar, they have also been fighting their jihadist rivals in the Taliban. For additional background information on the Islamic States Wilayah Khorasan, see FDDs Long War Journal report: 2 American service members killed fighting Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP) claimed 120 of its fighters assaulted a Pakistani military base in the Shawal area of North Waziristan to retaliate for the April 29 US drone strike in Datta Khel that reportedly killed an al Qaeda leader. Shawal is one of several areas in North Waziristan that the Pakistani military claimed to clear free of jihadists during an operation in 2014. However, the fact that the TTP can organize 120 fighters and assault a base there indicates the area is all but cleared. The TTP released a statement yesterday on its Telegram account by Mohammad Khurasani, the groups Central Spokesman, that claimed at least 10 Pakistani soldiers were killed during the fighting. The full statement is reproduced below. The attack has not been reported in the Pakistani media and it cannot be confirmed independently, however the Pakistani military controls press access to the region. According to the TTP, its Falcon unit attacked a camp and several outposts in the Shawal area, a known haven for multiple jihadist groups operating in the region, including al Qaeda. The TTP said the assault was in retaliation for the drone attack which targeted Akhtar Muhammad Khaleels (May Allah safeguard him) companions. Pakistani intelligence officials said the strike targeted a compound owned by Akhtar Mohammad and he was believed to be killed in the strike. The TTP statement indicates he is alive. Pakistani officials also claimed an Iraqi al Qaeda leader known as Abdul Raheem was killed in the drone strike, however his death has not been confirmed by al Qaeda or the TTP, which has noted the death of al Qaeda leaders in the past. TTP statement on assault on Pakistani base in Shawal: We claim the responsibility of assaulting Pakistani Army camp in retaliation for the drone attack in North Waziristan. Falcon character Mujahideen of TTP attacked Pakistani Army camp and many posts in Shawal area of North Waziristan on 1st May at 7 pm. Light and heavy weapons were used freely in this attack, and it continued for one hour. One hundred and twenty Mujahideen participated in this attack and they continued firing at camp for one hour, in which more than 10 apostates were sent to hell and several were wounded and those who survived this attack fled away leaving their posts. Our 6 companions were also injured in this attack. The camp took fire due to this attack and continued burning for hour. It should be in mind that this attack was in retaliation for the drone attack which targeted Akhtar Muhammad Khaleels (May Allah safeguard him) companions. Our attacks will continue until the elimination of deluding system of democracy and up to the implementation of Islamic System in Pakistan. InshaALLAH (If ALLAH wills) Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), an ethnic Uighur jihadist group closely allied to al Qaeda, has allegedly operated in Syria since 2012. Two years later, the TIP began advertising its role in suicide bombings in support of al Qaedas, or other rebel operations. These suicide operations detail the size and scope of its role in Syria, as well as shed light on the groups larger role within al Qaedas international network. The shift in advertising these bombings largely corresponds with an increased social media presence the group, which also began in 2014, but the group has highlighted its suicide operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan for years. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the TIP is heavily integrated within both al Qaeda and Taliban forces. The majority of the TIPs suicide operations in Syria have taken place in Idlib Province, while others have been conducted in Aleppo and Hama. According to data compiled by FDDs Long War Journal, the TIP has touted at least 13 suicide operations inside Syria since May 2014. These operations have been in support of offensives or other battles led by al Qaeda and its allies in Syria. It has conducted these operations in each province it operates in except for the northwestern Latakia Province. Additionally, the TIP is known to operate several training camps in Syria. One camp, which trains children, appears to be located in a captured Syrian villa somewhere in Idlib. Other camps have been shown to include children, as well. Another other camp is more traditional, albeit rudimentary compared to other camps. The Turkistan Islamic Party also operates in China as well as Central and South Asia and is believed to have scores of fighters and its leadership located throughout Pakistans tribal areas and Afghanistan. The TIP is largely made up of ethnic Uighurs and fights with the aim of creating an Islamic state in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. Its leaders and fighters have been killed by Coalition forces in Afghanistan and by US drone strikes in Pakistan. Several of TIPs senior leaders have also been appointed to top positions in al Qaedas network in Pakistan. For example, Abdul Haq al Turkistani, the current leader of the TIP, was appointed to al Qaedas top Shura council in 2005. Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, a former TIP emir, was also appointed by al Qaeda to lead its forces in Pakistans tribal provinces in 2010. [See LWJ report, Turkistan Islamic Party leader thought killed in US drone strike.] The jihadist group further confirms its place within al Qaedas international network by its suicide bombings inside Syria. The following is a summary of each known suicide bomber advertised by the TIP in Syria. Others may exist, but have not been shown in propaganda releases by the group. Idlib: One of, if not the first suicide bomber the TIP advertised was a fighter named Dadullah Turkistani. Dadullah was first shown in Jabhat al Nusrah (now the bulk of Hayat Tahrir al Sham) propaganda in May 2014. He detonated in a coordinated assault in Idlib Province alongside an American, Abu Hurayra al Amriki. (See FDD Long War Journal report, American took part in suicide bombings, Al Nusrah Front sharia official says.) Dadullah can be seen on the far left from this Nusrah propaganda photo: Shortly thereafter, the TIP advertised another suicide bomber that had been used in a joint operation with Nusrah in Idlib. The exact date and location is unknown, but the fighter was identified as Abdulvaris Turkistani. The most prominent example of the TIPs integration is with the capture of the town of Jisr al Shughur in Idlib in 2015. The jihadist group took on a significant role in the battle and acted as shock troops for the operation. Dozens of its fighters were killed, including its military leader. During the fighting, the TIP used at least five suicide bombers to capture the city. Social media accounts linked to the group said more were used at the time, however, the group has only shown five so far. Two of the bombers detonated themselves near the national hospital in Jisr al Shughur, while the other three are reported to have detonated elsewhere in the city. Suicide bombers used in Jisr al Shughur: Hama: In Hama, at least three TIP suicide bombers have been used in support of al Qaeda-led operations in the northern part of the province. In January 2016, the jihadist group detailed a SVBIED (suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) used on regime forces somewhere in the Al Ghab Plain of northern Hama. A few months later, another bomber was highlighted on the groups social media accounts. This bomber, identified as Ibn Hussein al Turkistani, detonated himself in support of an operation on al Khakoura also in the Al Ghab Plain. North of the city of Hama, another TIP bomber was recently advertised by the group on social media. The bomber was used as part of a renewed offensive on northern Hama led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS). The fighter appeared in propaganda photos released by both the TIP and HTS, further highlighting the TIPs integration. The bomber as shown in the HTS release: Aleppo: Last October before the fall of the city, al Qaeda and its allies launched a large scale offensive intended to break the siege of Aleppo. Several suicide bombers were used in the offensive, including three from the TIP. All three were directed at regime forces near the 1070 apartment project, which saw heavy fighting during the offensive. Two of the bombers were Turkish, while the third was an ethnic Uighur. So far, the two Turkish fighters are the only non-Uighur suicide bombers the group has shown. Other nationalities, particularly native Syrians and French, also operate within the ranks of the TIP. Caleb Weiss is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Lifestyle / Alcohol May 03, 2017 | By AFP Relaxnews Vinexpo, one of the largest global exhibitions for wine and spirit professionals from across the globe, is set to dazzle once again. This year, the event will be taking place from June 18 to 21. Mega-watt chefs Ferran Adria and Jose Andres have been tapped to make guest appearances at one of the worlds leading wine trade fairs this summer, Frances Vinexpo, where Spain will be honoured as the guest country. Details for Vinexpo Bordeaux, one of the most important wine events on the calendar year, have been revealed for the 48,000 visitors who are expected to attend the 19th edition of the trade fair. This summer, the event will bring a dozen of the most high-powered, Michelin-starred chefs from Spain including Adria and Andres as part of its spotlight on Spanish wines. The chefs will appear at A Taste of Spain, organised in partnership with Wine Spectator magazine. Along with free tastings of 116 Spanish wines, visitors will also learn about the third largest wine exporter in the world. For the first time this year, Vinexpo will showcase 200 organic and biodynamic wineries in a single space called World of Organic Wines or WOW. Other highlights include panel discussions that will be themed after the wine market after Brexit, and how climate change is affecting the wine industry. For more information, do visit Vinexpo Bordeaux. On Tuesday Apple announced its latest corporate earnings, a relatively flat quarter that still brought in $11 billion in profits. As always, if you look beyond the raw numbers on its reports and listen to its hour-long phone call with select Wall Street analysts, you can get some interesting perspective on where the company is going. Rumors suppress demand If theres anything Apple likes less than discussing its future product plans, its probably other people discussing its future product plans. Aside from a tossed-off joke on stage at a product launch, Apple rarely discusses rumors of what its working on. Which is why I was struck by Tim Cooks response to a question by UBSs Steve Milunovich about a recent survey from 451 Research that suggested a drop-off in intent from prospective iPhone buyers. In general what we are seeing we believe to be a pause in purchases on iPhone, Cook said, which we believe are due to the earlier and much more frequent reports about future iPhones. In other words: Reporting about Apples future iPhone plans is becoming more frequent and happening earlier in the process, and its having a material impact on Apples current iPhone business. Now, there are some caveats here: First, the promise of a redesigned iPhone may have more resonance in an era where the product hasnt had a major redesign in two and a half years. Second, buying hesitation might be bad today, but its not bad tomorrow if that new iPhone ships and Apple sells a ton of them. Still, its interesting to see Cook directly address what Apple feels is the impact of future product reports on Apples current sales. Analysts are worried about Qualcomm A couple of analysts on the phone call asked about Apples dispute with Qualcomm over billions of dollars in patent fees. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi went so far as to raise the specter of potential court injunctions that could prevent Apple from selling the iPhone in certain parts of the world. Cook dismissed that sort of talk: I dont believe anyone is going to decide to enjoin the iPhone based on that, he said. I think that theres plenty of case law around that subject, but we shall see. Cook is not a lawyer, but he employees some pretty good ones, who presumably gave him that advice. More broadly, though, Cook portrayed Apples stand against Qualcomm as being against an unfair licensing regime that gives Qualcomm a share of the entire price of an iPhone. Qualcomms trying to charge Apple a percentage of the total iPhone value, Cook said. And they do some really great work around standards essential patents, but its one small part of what an iPhone is. It has nothing to do with the display or the Touch ID or a gazillion other innovations that Apple has done. And so we dont think thats right. Congratulations to whomever had gazillion in the Unlikely Words Tim Cook Might Use on an Analyst Call contest. Chinas rough in spots, but not overall Famously bullish on China, Cook has had to resort to citing specific figures about Apples business there to explain the dramatic drop-off in Apples performance in the past year. On Tuesday he provided a lot more detail about China to point out the bright spots: Great sales of the iPhone 7 Plus, and major growth in the Mac, services, and retail traffic. The reasons Cook cited as depressing the companys Greater China results? Foreign-currency devaluations and particularly weak sales in Hong Kong, as well as slumping sales on all older iPhone models. What I now believe is that well improve a bit more during this current quarter, Cook said. Not back to growth, but improve, make more progress. And you know we continue to believe that there is an enormous opportunity there. Services growth via subscriptions Apple has been trumpeting its growing Services budget line for a few years now, and with good reason: Its been the most consistent source of growth at Apple for a little while. Apple provided a bit more detail on that growth by updating a number that its executives mentioned on the previous quarters analyst call: the number of active subscriptions to Apple services. Three months ago, that number was 150 million, but its now at 165 million. Sequential growth of 15 million subscriptions is nothing to sneeze at. Yes, thats not a representation of total usersIm both an Apple Music subscribe and an iCloud storage subscriber myself, and each of those subscriptions is counted separately in that figurebut its still a huge number, and growing fast. Whats more, the number of Apple accounts that are currently paying for something has grown more in the last 90 days than ever before. Its all part of a larger story Apples telling about its customers, too: their value increases over time. As people come into the ecosystem and start paying on the ecosystem, we see a spending profile that is very similar around the world, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said. People start at a certain level and then they tend to spend more over time. Once a user buys in, they keep upping the ante. And thats great for Apples services business. Yeah, making wearables is a tough business Sometimes when Apple executives acknowledge that a particular product category is difficult, theyre offering an explanation about why Apple has struggled. But sometimes they use that acknowledgement to throw shade. That was the case when it came to discussing the wearables market, especially smartwatches. The watch area is really hard, Cook said. Itin essence, from an engineering point of viewis similar to a phone in terms of the intricacies and so forth. And so Im not very surprised that some people are falling out of it, but were very committed to it and believe that its already a big business and believe over time it will be even larger. Cook failed to characterize Apple Watch overallwhich suggests that he lacked a specific superlative, unlike last quarters sales, which he characterized as the largest yet. But he did say that Watch sales more than doubled in six of our top ten markets, which is phenomenal growth particularly in a non-holiday quarter. And so we couldnt be more satisfied with it. Roll it up with AirPods and Beats and, Cook says, youve got a business that in the past 12 months has grown to be the size of a Fortune 500 company. All the talk about the Watch came in response to a question that was trying, in that clever way that the financial analysts do, to elicit a statement out of Cook about the future of Apples product plans. And while that question was doomed to fail, as all such questions are, it still allowed Cook to offer a promise for the future of Apples wearables business. Where does it go? I wouldnt want to comment on that, Cook said, and audibly stifled a laugh. But we do have a really great [product] pipeline here. Tim Cook wants more out of India Apples famously been a laggard when it comes to India. But recently it has been pushing harder there, with Cook saying Apple has a ton of energy going into the country on a number of fronts, including a new developer center in Bangalore. Cook also saved some of his most choice superlatives for his description of the rapid growth happening in India: Theyre moving at a speed that I have not seen, in any other country in the world. And it is truly impressive. But as for Apples growth in India? Cooks not satisfied. Our growth rates are goodreally good, by most peoples expectations, he said, and then gave a momentary pause. Maybe not mine, as much. Thats the sound of a CEO who thinks his company can do a better job in one of the worlds fastest-growing markets. Now we all have to watch and see what happens next. Sources say Klaus Grabinski, president of the UPCs Court of Appeal, is known for his engaged approach and for always doing his homework Thiruvananthapuram: Though an agreement was reached to end the disruptive strike by KSRTC mechanical employees, a division of employees refused to resume the work. After the meeting with Transport Minister Thomas Chandy, the unions announced withdrawal of the strike. But the employees decided to continue the stir until their demands are approved. As per the pact reached by management and unions, government will scrap the double duty system and shift time. It was also decided to not force employees to work more than 48 hours in a week. Toone triumphs at 2022 Northwest Football Awards Article Ellas efforts last season were recognised at the ceremony, while there were wins elsewhere for the club on the evening. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Picard.jpg Dennis Picard, former director of Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield. (The Republican file photo) WEST SPRINGFIELD -- It may come as a surprise to some that one of Western Massachusetts' most respected and knowledgeable historians began his career in a laboratory at the Diamond International Paper Company in the Thorndike section of Northampton. But that was the case for Dennis Picard, longtime director of Storrowton Village Museum, who retired on April 20 and will be feted this week in an invitation-only event on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition . "I had applied for a summer job at Old Sturbridge Village several years before working at Diamond International. One evening I got a call from my parents who had just heard from Old Sturbridge Village. All these years later, they wanted to know if I was still interested in the job," Picard said. "So, I went for the interview because I've always had a curiosity about history. After speaking with them, I realized that this was something I wanted to do and not regret later in life taking the opportunity. I wasn't married at the time or tied down, and it was something I could afford to do. So, I went back to my boss at Diamond International and asked for a six-month leave. I still owe them a call telling them I'm not coming back," he laughed about spending his next 13 years at the living history museum. Picard's interest in history dates back to his younger days - he is a product of the 1950s - when his parents would take him to museums and as he explained "made many stops at historical sites, especially during the country's bicentennial celebration." "In college I was split between science and history. I had taken enough history classes with good grades to be admitted into the National History Honor Society in my second year. However, science was a major interest, too, because there was always the question of what you would do in your life with a degree in history. It wasn't seen as a profession outside of the classroom back then," said Picard, who graduated from Westfield State College in 1975 and later did some post-graduate studies. When he began his career in 1978 as a professional historian at Sturbridge Village, Picard spent the next 12 years filling various positions including lead interpreter, where he researched and designed many public programs that are still offered by that institution today. He was also on the craft and interpretive staff at Hancock Shaker Village in the early 1980s. "It was a very nurturing time while I was at Sturbridge Village. There were a lot of people doing research on expanding programs, and I got in on the ground floor helping to create these new events and training staff. It was wonderful to be paid for doing research, which is part of the reason for being an historian.....your intellectual curiosity," Picard said. When he wasn't doing research, Picard was out on the grounds helping to staff the grist mill, carding mill, shoe shop, and more, even working as the lead interpreter for religion in the Richardson Parsonage. "I was also interpreting in the Fitch House, which was a women-run household. Part of the story was that this woman and her daughters would take in borders to help pay taxes, and I was one of those borders....a shoemaker," Picard said. And, it was pretty much the same story at Hancock Shaker Village, he noted. "I was 'hired man' Dennis, who was not representative of the Shakers, but a hired man because there weren't enough males to do the farm work. So, they would bring in people from the outside to do the farming, and as such I got to tell stories that Shakers would not tell others about themselves," Picard said. When Gail Hano left Storrowton Village, a new opportunity was presented to Picard to lead the Eastern States Exposition's Storrowton Village Museum as its new director beginning in July 1990. "Dennis has been a marvelous steward of Eastern States Exposition, "The Village," our history and heritage, and the people who so passionately volunteer and work for us. His impact on the Village's educational programming and Eastern States Exposition has been profound," said ESE president and CEO, Eugene J. Cassidy in a news release announcing his retirement. While at Storrowton, Picard was responsible for administering the educational programs and special events, as well as the daily management of the historic village. He also oversaw all capital improvements and repairs to the 18th and 19th century buildings that make up the museum. He implemented a number of popular programs at Storrowton Village Museum, including Tales of Haunted New England, Maple Harvest Day, Ice Harvesting on the Lagoon, Storrowton and the Civil War, Runaway from His Master (a journey on the Underground Railroad), Little House Family Day and Today's Math in Yesterday's Market, which was presented at a national conference in San Francisco. His training of volunteers included basket making, fireplace cooking, spinning, weaving, blacksmithing and cooking demonstrations, to mention just a few. "I think besides getting the physical plant into shape along with all the wallpapering and painting so things looked the way they should, I'm most proud of nurturing and increasing our volunteer staff....creating an environment where they love to work and want to stay, and getting them to a level that makes them feel comfortable in interpreting for the public," Picard said. Picard belongs to a number of history-related organizations. He is one of the editors of the "Schoolhouse Journal," one of the directors of the Pioneer Valley History Network, former chairman of the Chicopee Historic Commission and former member of the Westfield Historic Commission. Among many other commissions and associations, he belongs to the New England Museums Association, where he served as a presenter at several of their annual and joint meetings. Picard is also the recipient of various grants that allowed him to serve as project coordinator for research and implementation of programs and events at different sites. He has held the position of assistant director and director at several sites including Fort Number Four in Charlestown, NH, and the Sheffield Historical Society in the Massachusetts Berkshires. With his background in public history and museum experience, Picard has authored many articles on the lifestyles and folkways of New England and has served as a consultant for many historical societies and museums. He also gives talks and presentations throughout New England on a variety of historic topics and has appeared on national and local television as a historian. "I've even worked on movie scripts and editing books, both to assure their historical accuracy," Picard said. In 2008, Picard served as the American contact for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) production of "Absolute Zero: The Conquest of Cold," a documentary on harnessing the cold and the race to reach the lowest temperature possible. He selected the filming site, provided the authentic tools, attire, oxen, made all local arrangements and monitored the weather for the production. It was filmed in March 2006 at Sunrise Park's picturesque pond in Suffield, Conn. He appeared in the segment on Frederic "Ice King" Tudor who founded an empire harvesting ice. "I love ice harvesting and travel throughout New England offering demonstrations for museums and environmental education centers, where I also talk about the history of this centuries-old art," Picard said. Of course, you have to look the part to be a true historian. "One of my professors in college told me that if you want to have credibility in history, then you must smoke a pipe and grow a beard. I was 18 years old at the time and already smoking a pipe. After that I grew a beard as he suggested, but cut if off in the summer," said Picard, whose 18th and 19th century garb today often includes a straw hat and that trademark white beard of his. "I actually grew the beard back only about 12 years ago, when a doctor advised me that growing a beard would help me with a skin condition that I had acquired," he added. The popular historian said he wouldn't have left Storrowton "if I wasn't confident that the people there could carry on with the programs we've established over the years." "Now the next person in my role should be able to take that base we've created from programming to training materials, and use their own creativity to build upon what we've already established," Picard said. But, there is no question that he will be missed. "We are going to miss Dennis terribly. He is just an unbelievable fountain of knowledge, a source of information not just on the era we represent, but the history behind our special buildings in the museum. I can't imagine anyone else with that wealth of information," said Madelyn Miller, who teaches in the Village's Little Red Schoolhouse. Geraldine Barbeau, who taught for 30 years in Marshfield before retiring to Agawam, said she soon realized that there was a "wonderful living history museum a few miles from home." "I signed up to volunteer at Storrowton and that is where I met Dennis. I have nothing but high praise for him. The way he trains his volunteers is a pure delight. He has high standards, but makes it very enjoyable to work for him," said Barbeau, who also teaches in the Village's Little Red Schoolhouse and who worked alongside Picard for 10 years as co-coordinator of the summer camp program. Picard said he plans to remain active in the living history museum field throughout New England, and didn't waste a minute after retiring. "I'm going to keep doing things that I really enjoy doing. Now someone else can worry about the scheduling, paperwork, and the upkeep of the many historic buildings at Storrowton. I'm going to have plenty of time to do more research on aspects of history that I'm curious about," Picard said. "On my first day of retirement, I did a program for the Simsbury Historical Society in Connecticut on surgery and the 18th century doctor. Two days later I was at the Montgomery Historical Society Annual Meeting where I talked about the history of maple sugaring," he added. Picard lives in Westfield with his wife Joanne in a home that dates back to 1830. Who would expect anything less? Sometimes you can be a hero just by assisting another hero. If that's the sort of opportunity you're looking for, you can find it on May 9 at Spoleto in Northampton, where a benefit wine dinner will be held to aid Young Heroes, a nonprofit organization that works to ensure that the orphans and vulnerable children of Swaziland grow successfully into self-sufficient adulthood. The dinner will start at 6 p.m. and feature an array of wines from the private cellar of Michael Ferry of the Martignetti Companies. Young Heroes was founded by Steve Kallaugher of the Leeds section of Northampton. In 2004, Kallaugher left an executive position with The Wall Street Journal to join Peace Corps in order to fight HIV/AIDS in Swaziland, the nation with the world's highest rate of infection. Kallaugher began his work at the community level, helping community members to establish an orphan care point and a youth group focused on vocational and life skills. Working with Red Cross, he got new homes built for five impoverished grandmothers caring for their orphaned descendants. This was along with a long list of other duties that tried to improve the lot of orphans there. Swaziland's National Emergency Response Council on AIDS then asked Kallaugher to create a way to expand methods for aiding the country's burgeoning orphan population. This led to Kallaugher founding Young Heroes. In 2007, he returned to the U.S. and assumed the presidency of Young Heroes Foundation, the program's American affliate. The program has since burgeoned into a multifaceted organization providing food security, educational support, healthcare, HIV prevention programs and gender and economic empowerment. The dinner will help further the organization's efforts. It will be a five-course meal, with offerings such as local salad greens, Northeast oysters, sliced duck breast, prime ribeye, asparagus and pot de creme, all paired with appropriate wines. Some of the more intriguing wine offerings include a 2014 Caymus Quilt Nappa Cabernet, a Warres 20-year-old Tawny Port, and a 2006 Dom Perignon, among others. "I find it ironic that we will be having such an incredible meal and wonderful night to raise money for a place where most people struggle to just meet basic human needs. Everyone will have a great night and feel great about where they're money will be going," Ferry said. The cost of the dinner is $100 per person. np 0503 scholars 1.jpg The six students at White Street School in Springfield who were recently chosen for the Young Scholars Fund program show off their certificates of acceptance. From left, they are: Amy Le, fourth grade; Juan Puya Perez, fourth grade; Kevin Sanchez, fourth grade; Olivia Hall, third grade; Logan James, fourth grade; and Brayden Pizzaro, third grade. (Cory White photo) White Street Elementary School recently became the second school in Springfield to benefit from the Young Scholars Fund Inc. The fund's four founders are all retired educators in Northampton. David Cohen and Peter Pufall are retired professors from Smith College, while David's wife, Doris Cohen, is a retired teacher and psychologist, and Peter's wife, Ann Pufall, is a retired teaching assistant from Smith. From left, Siobhan Conz, associate principal of White Street School in Springfield; David and Doris Cohen, founders of the Young Scholars Fund program; and Kristen Hughes, principal of White Street School, attend the celebration following the awards ceremony. Their purpose in starting the fund was to identify inner-city-school third- and fourth-graders who show potential for college, and then to assist them in achieving that goal. The program is now in its seventh year and, so far, 37 students have been helped. As part of the program, students and their families receive $3,000 in scholarship money that is invested for them. They also get the support of a mentor; academic and personal support and encouragement; and an exposure to cultural and community service activities. Once scholars are enrolled in college, the scholarship money is turned over to them. The program began at the Martin Luther King Charter School where it has flourished. "We haven't lost anyone yet," Doris Cohen said. In fact, the first two scholars to reach their senior year in high school have been accepted at colleges. Fourth-grader Juan Puya Perez, recently accepted into the Young Scholars Fund program at White Street School in Springfield, with his proud family at the ceremony. From left, they are his grandparents, Nancy and Virgillo Garcia, and his mother, Denise Perez. This year, the founders decided to expand into the public schools and chose White Street School because of its academic excellence and its designation as a Level 1 school, the highest designation in Massachusetts. They presented the school with a list of criteria, and the school's faculty and staff chose the students. At a recent assembly for third- and fourth-graders at White Street, Principal Kristen Hughes and Associate Principal Siobhan Conz surprised six students with award certificates marking their acceptance into the program. These newest Young Scholars are third-graders Brayden Pizzaro and Olivia Hall, and fourth-graders Logan James, Kevin Sanchez, Juan Puya Perez and Amy Le. Parents and grandparents were on hand to see their children honored. Olivia Hall, a third-grader at White Street School in Springfield, ponders her acceptance into the Young Scholars Fund program. She described her initial reaction as "shocked." "We are very excited," said Jamie Libby and Greg Hall, parents of Olivia Hall. "College is so expensive; anything helps. She's very good at math and wants to be an architect." Elsa Arias and Edwin Sanchez, parents of Kevin Sanchez, said they were very impressed that their son had been chosen. "We are proud for our son and for ourselves," Arias said. "Before it was just us encouraging him; now we have someone else helping." The Cohens' catalyst for the Young Scholars Fund was a visit to a friend in Florida, who started a small, successful program for inner city third-graders. At about that same time, the Cohens came into some money they were never expecting to have and decided to fashion their own similar program. They approached their neighbors and good friends, the Pufalls, who got on board, and the program was launched. Beside making their own investment, they have continued to raise money. The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation has been a big supporter. According to David Cohen, the design for the program is based on studies showing that whether a child stays in school is fairly clearly determined by third or fourth grade. Kevin Sanchez, holding his certificate of acceptance into the Young Scholars Fund program at White Street School in Springfield, looks over the celebratory cake. Behind him is Brayden Pizzaro, another new Young Scholar. He explained that the qualities for success are both personal and communal. It's important that children show academic ability, a sense of responsibility and self-worth, and the belief in the possibility of success. But family and community expectations are also important, as is peer influence. And providing horizon-expanding experiences, academic or personal help when needed, and a place for parents and families to share vital information are also key to success. "Those are often the factors that are inherent in more affluent communities," David Cohen said. "We wanted to level the playing field." To that end, each young scholar is assigned a supporter/mentor who collects pertinent academic and contact information annually, but also arranges activities with the student and any necessary help he or she might need. The students also participate in a Scholars Club that gets the them together outside of school for activities and enrichment field trips. And the program creates an information-sharing group for parents. Nancy and Virgillo Garcia, and their daughter, Denise Perez, were at the ceremony supporting Juan Puya Perez, their grandson and son, respectively. "We are very proud grandparents today," Nancy Garcia said. Derrick James, the father of Logan James, was also there to support his son. "It's great," he said of the honor. "I love it; I'm very happy today." "We've learned from the (Young Scholars) parent community as much as we've taught," David Cohen said. Doris Cohen echoed that sentiment. "Hanging around with these kids and their families has been inspirational - and fun!" she said. To learn more about the program, to donate, or to sign up to be a supporter/mentor, visit youngscholarsfund.org. william cash.jpg New details have emerged of a homicide suspect that evaded authorities for more than two weeks before being arrested in a Weymouth hotel Wednesday. Authorities had set out on an aggressive manhunt for 44-year-old William Cash following the deadly shooting of two men on the streets of Lynn in April. That search came to a close at the Arbor Inn Motor Lodge, where authorities learned Cash had been hiding out. At 3 a.m., the Massachusetts State Police's tactical entry team barged into the room and arrested Cash without incident. The state police's Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section had conducted an extensive investigation over two weeks that led them to the hotel on Bridge Street. Cash was placed on the Massachusetts State Police Most Wanted list on Tuesday for close to 12 hours before being apprehended in Weymouth. He was placed on the list about two weeks after becoming a suspect in the death of a legally blind 46-year-old man named Leonard Clement. According to a statement from state police, Cash was allegedly accosting a woman on the street when two male associates intervened to help. Cash briefly left the area, but returned shortly after and allegedly shot both men. Clement died in the shooting, and the other man, 41-year-old Prince Berlin, was seriously injured, police said. State police embarked on an aggressive manhunt for Cash on April 20, distributing photos of the suspect to media and reaching out to the public for tips. Despite this, Cash managed to evade authorities for more than two weeks. Police had advised the public not to attempt to apprehend Cash, who was considered armed and dangerous. Cash has a long criminal history, police say, including convictions for drug trafficking, armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. snapchat-1360003_960_720.jpg A teenager was arrested on Monday after sending a threatening photo on Snapchat with the caption, "Anyone down for a school shooting?" Reports say Wareham police were notified by an administrator at Wareham High School. Police charged the young man with making a terrorist threat, according to a report by Wicked Local. Police said the student was cooperative as they arrested at the school before bringing him to the town's police department and Wareham District Court for an arraignment. The student reportedly denied having any plans to shoot the school. The alleged threat is under investigation by police. State-police-drugs.jpg Three people were arrested in Sturbridge on Tuesday night after Massachusetts State Troopers found large quantities of narcotics in their vehicle. (Massachusetts State Police ) STURBRIDGE - Two New York men and a woman from Maine are facing narcotics charges after being arrested by Massachusetts State Troopers in Sturbridge on Tuesday. Aboubacar A. Congo, 28, and Thierry K. Liliou, 38, both of the Bronx, and Desiree L. Pelletier, 33, of Livermore Falls, Maine, were taken into custody after a minor traffic violation led police to allegedly discover drugs in their vehicle. The trio had been traveling in a GMC Envoy, headed east on Route 84 when they were pulled over by a Trooper after Congo--who was driving the vehicle--failed to signal a lane change, according to police. However, the motor vehicle violation led to an investigation that showed heroin, cocaine, and Suboxone had been stored in the car, police said. Congo is now being charged with trafficking in heroin and cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and a number of motor vehicle violations. Pelletier is being charged with possession with intent to distribute a class B drug, as well as two separate charges of possession of a class B drug, and possession of a class E drug. Liliou is being charged with being in possession of marijuana in an open container in a motor vehicle, intimidation of a witness, as well as conspiracy to violate drug laws, and, also, failing to wear a seat belt. All three were arraigned in Dudley District Court on Wednesday morning. LONGMEADOW - Good teamwork helped police catch two people accused of shoplifting from the CVS store on Bliss Road on Tuesday morning. Jamie Fekeris, 30, and Michelle Brown, 32, both of Chicopee, are charged with shoplifting, and Longmeadow police said each had two outstanding warrants. At around 10 a.m., police responded to a report of shoplifters at CVS, but the suspects left before officers arrived. A description of the suspects and their vehicle was broadcast over the police radio frequency. Meanwhile, off-duty officers were working road details on Converse Street. They saw the vehicle park at a nearby business, radioed in the location and kept an eye on it until responding officers arrived. Police said these suspects may be involved in other shoplifting incidents in Western Massachusetts. andrew-cunninghamcrop.jpg Andrew Cunningham (CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE / FACEBOOK) HARTFORD -- State police arrested a Hartford man at Union Station Tuesday morning after he allegedly made arrangements with undercover troopers, posing as a 13-year-old from Tennessee, to meet there. The suspect initiated contact with the actual 13-year-old online on March 28 and attempted to have the victim travel to Hartford by bus to engage in sexual contact, according to a post on the Connecticut State Police Facebook page. State police, after receiving the complaint of online enticement, forwarded the information to Hartford Parole and Community Services and the state police computer crimes unit. The suspect, Andrew Cunningham, 32, is currently on parole and is a registered sex offender in Connecticut, according to state police. Between April 11 and May 2, undercover troopers and Cunningham continued to communicate arrangements for the presumed 13-year-old victim to travel to Hartford for sexual contact in exchange of cash, according to the post. Detectives from the computer crimes unit, along with Hartford parole officers, arrested Cunningham without incident at Union Station at about 11:15 a.m. Cunningham was taken to Troop H-Hartford, where he was charged with: attempted sex assault 2nd degree, enticement of minor, risk of injury/impairing morals of minor, felony patronizing prostitute, and computer crime 3rd. Cunningham travelled from Connecticut to Illinois in 2014 and had sexual contact with a female minor victim, resulting in a 2015 conviction for aggravated sexual abuse, police said. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he was heartened by Red Sox fans standing to applaud the Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones after he stated a fan yelled racial slurs at him in Fenway Park. "It was great seeing the standing ovation," Walsh told reporters on Wednesday. I mean, it shows who we are in our city." Walsh said he listened to Jones's Tuesday interview with reporters. Jones described the racial slur at the Monday night game but added that John Henry, president of the Red Sox, and other members of the organization moved quickly to speak with him and apologize for the fan's comments. "Certainly there seems to be a problem not just in Boston but a bigger problem that we have with race and racism in our country," Walsh told reporters. "And we have to work on that as a country." President Obama started working on the country's race issues towards the end of his presidency, Walsh said. "I think we have to do more work on it," the mayor said. "I think we have work to do here in Boston. But I'm proud of the fans of Boston, how they reacted last night. It just shows the class. Somebody said to me earlier today that, you know, if this same incident happened 25 years ago, that would not have been the reaction last night." Walsh also said he hoped for coverage of ways the city is tackling racism within its borders while acknowledging its history. "The way to move beyond that, too, is to deal with the history of our city," Walsh said. "But I mean there's a lot of great stories as well on the other side, and I would hope that people would cover those stories as well, on the positive stuff that's happening in our city around race and racism." SPRINGFIELD -- Bail was set at $25,000 cash Monday for a Florida man who denied a series of armed robberies and child kidnapping charges in Hampden Superior Court. Anthony Magri, 42, of Palm Bay, Florida, is charged with four counts of kidnapping of a child and one count of kidnapping after police on March 13 found him hiding in a Dunmoreland Street home where he was allegedly holding a family hostage. He also is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon. In both charges the weapon is a knife and the victim is the woman in the Dunmoreland house who is also a victim of one of the kidnapping counts. Magri also is charged with armed robbery (gun) of the Walgreens at 707 State St. on March 11. He is charged with armed robbery (knife) on March 12 at the Aldi supermarket at 1284 Boston Road. A third armed robbery charge (gun) is for a March 12 robbery at the Circle K convenience store at 1112 Bay St. During the alleged robbery at Aldi, a 71-year-old man confronted Magri and tackled him. After being threatened with a knife, the man released Magri, according to court records. Magri is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60 in connection with that man. The defendant also is charged with a March 12 armed assault (gun) with intent to rob, listing a male victim. For the armed robbery counts, Magri is charged as a habitual offender, subjecting him to harsher sentences if convicted. The two prior convictions listed are a January 2009 breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony and a 2000 assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Both happened in Pittsfield. "I don't know what got into me; I lost control," Anthony C. Proto of Patchogue, N.Y., told a Massachusetts State Police trooper after he allegedly used a hammer to bash in the side panel of a Route 91 driver who had cut him off. The incident occurred on Jan. 23, and Proto appeared in Northampton District Court on Tuesday to face charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and maliciously damaging a motor vehicle. On that date at around 4:30 p.m., a state police trooper happened upon two drivers -- later identified as Proto, 59, and Mark Pruzynski -- in a heated argument at exit 19 on Interstate 91 in Northampton. Proto, according to a report on the incident, was "threatening" Pruzynski "with a hammer in his hand" "waiving it toward him and threatening to strike him." "Mr. Proto then used the hammer, maliciously striking the passenger side rear quarter panel, causing significant damage to the vehicle," a 2008 Chevrolet, the report states. Two more state troopers were called to the scene. Proto was asked to put down the hammer and complied. Troopers then interviewed Proto, who said he and the other driver began jousting at the exit 17 on ramp in Holyoke, and finally pulled off the highway to have it out at exit 19 in Northampton. "Mr. Proto informed me he has been having a series of unfortunate events in his life and he just lost control when Mr. Pruzynski cut him off." A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for June 8. first .jpg The 16th annual National Day of Prayer will be observed Thursday at Old First Church in Springfield's Court Square. (THE REPUBLICAN FILE) ( ) SPRINGFIELD -- Area clergy and residents will gather Thursday at 7 p.m. for the 16th annual National Day of Prayer at Old First Church, 50 Elm St., in Court Square. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Pastor Juan Feliciano and clergy from the city and region are slated to take part in the annual observance, which is conducted on the first Thursday of May. "Let's face it, a little more prayer and positive action never hurts any one of us -- only helps to bring us more together," Sarno said. If it rains, the event will take place inside the church. Kadens.JPG Peter Kadens, chief executive officer of GTI Massachusett NP Corp., which wants to operate a medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility at 28 Appleton St., smiles before the Holyoke City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. (MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN) HOLYOKE -- The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to grant approval for a medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility at 28 Appleton St. The Council granted a special permit to GTI Massachusetts NP Corp. to run the city's first medical marijuana facility on the second floor of an old mill building in an industrial zone at Appleton and Canal streets. GTI Massachusetts officials have said the company will put $8 million into planning and building the medical marijuana facility, which could be operating by November. Councilors and business leaders praised the plan for the 25 to 30 jobs the facility would provide in its first year and 100 jobs over three years. Entry level wages would be $14 an hour with room for advancement. The company also is negotiating a host-city agreement with Mayor Alex B. Morse that will entail yearly payments of $50,000 to $100,000 a year into the city general fund and $15,000 in grants to community groups. Here are the conditions attached to the special permit the City Council would grant to GTI Massachusetts, as listed on the Council's Tuesday agenda: 1. Initial operations of the RMD will be limited to a single employee shift with the usual hours of operation being from 7:00am to 12:00am 2. No exterior signage will be posted or displayed at the RMD except as may be required by Massachusetts DPH and by Zoning Ordinance Section 7.10.5(2)(e) which required a sign be posted at each entrance to the RMD which reads as follows: "Registration Card Issued by the MA Department of Public Health Required" in text two inches (2'') in height 3. GTI will improve a portion of the City owned parking lot on Canal Street directly across from the RMD to coincide with the number of employees working at the facility. The scope and timing of improvement work to be completed by GTI will be in accordance with and upon the mutual agreement of Holyoke Dept. of Public Works 4. This Special Permit for is for medical marijuana only not recreational marijuana. This Special Permit is for an RMD that acquires, cultivates, possesses, processes (including development of related products such as food, tinctures, aerosols, oils, or ointments), transfers, transports, sells, distributes marijuana and products containing marijuana at 28 Appleton St.. are all pursuant to applicable State laws and regulations. Any requested change to this scope of permitted uses at the RMD will require a new Special Permit from the Holyoke City Council. 5. Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for the RMD, a detailed ventilation plan will be approved by the Building Inspector and meet the standards identified in the Building Code and Zoning Ordinance 6. GTI will comply with 105 CMR 725.105(O) which will cover the removal of all marijuana and products containing marijuana from the RMD in the event that GTI files for protection under the bankruptcy laws, or GTI otherwise ceases operations at the RMD without removal of all such materials. 7. GTI will obtain any and all permits or approvals necessary for the secured enclosure located in the loading area of the RMD as required by the Holyoke Chief of Police. Additionally in the even that there are changes to the approved security plan any changes, or alterations to the security plan be reviewed and approved by the Holyoke Chief of Police 8. If the applicant enters into a waste water agreement with the Holyoke Dept. of Public Works for the purpose of metering its waste water discharge or therewise, a copy will be provided to the City Council pastor drugs.png Boston police say a local pastor is facing charges after drugs were discovered at his residence and church. (Boston police ) A Boston pastor is facing charges after police say they recovered fentanyl, crack cocaine and pills at his residence and at the church he owns. Willie Wilkerson of Dorchester was arrested on Tuesday after police found drugs and property reportedly stolen during a recent breaking and entering inside his Baker Avenue residence, police said. Officers also searched the Mission Church and Victoria's Kitchen Food Trailer, located in the area of 266 Quincy St., where Wilkerson is the pastor and owner. Police said they found 34 grams of crack cocaine, 11 grams of fentanyl, 50 Percocet pills, 87 Suboxone strips, 32 Clonopin pills and about $10,400. Officers also discovered items belonging to an excavating company that were worth around $20,000 and recently reported stolen. Wilkerson, 58, is charged with trafficking Class B drugs; possession with intent to distribute Class B drugs; and possession with intent to distribute Class C drugs. Police could bring further charges as the investigation continues. 52 deport.jpeg Protesters block the front door to the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building in Hartford on Tuesday in protest of a deportation order against Luis Barrios. Barrios, a Guatemalan man living in Connecticut since 1992 has been ordered to leave the country by Thursday. (AP photo / Dave Collins (AP photo) Luis Barrios prior to Tuesday's hearing in Hartford. (AP photo / Dave Collins) Reports out of Connecticut are that 19 people on Tuesday were arrested for blocking the entrance to a federal building where a deportation hearing was scheduled for an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who has been living and working in Connecticut since 1992. The Hartford Courant reports an estimated 100 people gathered in front of the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building on Main Street at about noon. Several people blocked the front entrance to the building. They are urging Immigration officials reverse their deportation order for Luis Barrios and grant him asylum to remain in the country. Police gave repeated warnings to clear the entrance, but when no one moved after about an hour officers began making arrests. Luis Barrios prior to Tuesday's hearing in Hartford. (AP photo / Dave Collins) The demonstration was intended as a show of support for Luis Barrios, a Guatemalan native who has been living in Derby, Connecticut for 25 years. Barrios, 51, has been ordered to leave the county by Thursday. He works for a septic system cleaning and maintenance company. He and his wife have four U.S.- born children ages 19, 16, and twin 11-year-old daughters. Immigration officials had allowed him to stay in the U.S. since his illegal status was flagged in a 2011 traffic stop over a broken tail light, but they changed course after President Donald Trump took office and made immigration enforcement a priority. Barrios has said he came to the United States from Guatemala in 1992 because he was in fear for his life. According to the CT Post, Barrios' case has attracted the support of members of the Connecticut delegation. Democratic U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy wrote in a letter to Immigration and Custom Enforcement officials Monday that said in part "Based on Mr. Barrios's strong ties to the community, including four U.S. citizen children, his lack of an arrest record, and the credible threat of violence against him if he is forced to return to Guatemala, we believe prosecutorial discretion is warranted." Rep.U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, also a Connecticut Democrat, wrote a similar letter to immigration and Justice Department officials last week, saying returning Barrios to Guatemala would be "immoral and unconscionable." The Associated Press reports Barrios left Guatemala in 1992 amid threats to his family and illegally entered the U.S. His father was killed shortly afterward, and his brother was slain in 2004. His wife's relatives also have been killed and kidnapped in Guatemala. PITTSFIELD - Two Springfield residents on Wednesday were sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to bringing amounts of cocaine and heroin into the Berkshires two years ago, according to the office of Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless. Sasha B. Santiago, 27, and Deveron R. Wicks, 29, were arrested March 2, 2015, in North Adams after a traffic stop led to the discovery of drugs in their car. Police reports at the time revealed that officers found 20 grams of crack cocaine, 98 grams of powder cocaine and 16 grams of unpackaged heroin, as well as 1,000 bags of heroin packaged for sale. A search of their Springfield apartment turned up two stolen handguns, scales, crack cocaine, bagged cocaine and bagged heroin, police said. Santiago pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to single counts of possession of heroin and heroin, each with intent to distribute, and two counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws. She also pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws between January and March 2015. Judge Edward McDonough Jr. sentenced her to serve 21/2 years in the Hampden County House of Correction in Ludlow. After her sentence, she is to serve three years of probation. Wicks pleaded guilty in April to single counts of trafficking cocaine and trafficking heroin, and four counts of conspiracy. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of heroin and cocaine, each with intent to distribute, and two counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Those charges were the result of a warrant search of his home in Springfield following the North Adams arrest. McDonough sentenced Wicks on Wednesday to 7 to 12 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction in Walpole. Their arrests were the result of an investigation by police in Pittsfield, North Adams and Dalton, the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force, state police assigned to the Berkshire district attorney, and agents with the FBI and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. AMHERST -- A University of Massachusetts Amherst student from Springfield has died, the university recently announced. Dillinger Perez, 19, a sophomore history major at the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, was found dead at an off-campus residence in North Amherst on Friday night. Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the Northwestern District Attorney's Office, confirmed to The Republican that the Massachusetts State Police unit assigned to the DA's Office was investigating the death. Carey said that "foul play is not suspected" in the case of Perez's death. A email sent to the UMass campus from the school's senior associate dean of students, David C. Vaillancourt, confirmed the news of Perez's death. "We extend our sincere condolences to Dillinger's family and friends," Vaillancourt said in the email, noting that support services were being provided for anyone who may have been affected by the death. Before attending UMass Amherst, Perez also attended both Cathedral High School in Springfield and Wilbraham and Monson Academy in Wilbraham. "It is with immeasurable sadness that our WMA family mourns the loss of Dillinger Perez '15 who passed away in Amherst on Friday," announced the Wilbraham and Monson Academy in a statement over social media on Tuesday. "We are keeping Dillinger's family in our thoughts and prayers and hope they find comfort in his memory and celebration of his life." Graduating University of Massachusetts senior Kalsang Nangpa is a first-generation college student, and when she walks across the stage at commencement later this month her parents will be cheering her on. They are Tibetan refugees, who fled to refugee camps in Southern India before moving to the United States to give their children a better life and education. Missing, however, will be the Tibetan flag - the result of a UMass policy that has led Nangpa to organize a campaign of protest on social media. Nangpa, a public health major and an activist in Tibet's long struggle for independence from the People's Republic of China, had asked the university to carry the Tibetan flag in the processional that sees students carry their countries' colors during Commencement. But she was denied, due to a university policy that only allows the flags of countries recognized by the United States to participate. Tibet has been ruled by the Chinese Communist government since 1951, and governments across the world consider China's claim legitimate - including the government of the U.S. "Tibet is not recognized by the US State Department at this time," Associate Vice Chancellor Nancy Buffone wrote in Nangpa in an April 29 email. "We are proud to have students from all over the world at UMass and so I understand and appreciate your disappointment. We must, however, abide by this policy." Nangpa was disappointed and outraged by the decision, and took to Facebook to urge friends and supporters to lobby UMass on her behalf. Her post has been shared more than 300 times. "I was shocked, because UMass is supposed to be very inclusive. We value equality, we value people coming in from different walks of life. I thought we stood for social justice," she said in an interview. ""I didn't think they would give me such a hard time." It is not the first time UMass has denied non-recognized flags from being carried in Commencement. Other students have requested to carry Tibetan and Taiwanese flags and have been informed that it would be a violation of UMass policy. In a statement, UMass Executive Director of Strategic Communications Ed Blaguszewski said that the university "respects and celebrates" the identities and cultures of its students, but has to set a consistent policy for which flags are allowed in the Commencement procession. These are the countries from which official student immigration documents are issued," Blaguszewski said. "While we understand and appreciate the disappointment of students who wish to carry flags representing their ethnic, cultural and national identities that are not on this list, we feel that the standard we apply to determine inclusion in our procession of flags is reasonable and equitable. Nangpa's parents fled Tibet to India, and the family moved to the United States in 2002, she said. She grew up in Medford and attended Medford High School before attending UMass. As her senior year drew to a close, Nangpa contacted the university's External Relations office to ask about carrying the Tibetan flag. It was an issue close to her heart, both due to her family ties and her involvement in Students for a Free Tibet, a Tibetan independence organization that is headquartered in New York and has a UMass affiliate. "I called for three or four weeks straight," Nangpa said. On April 14, she received an email from the university, saying that due to "various political sensitivities" UMass had to limit acceptance to the flags of countries recognized by the Department of State. Nangpa followed up with an email to Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, and received a reply from Buffone, who confirmed that the Tibetan flag would not be permitted. Nangpa is part of the first generation of her family to attend college; her parents only received an elementary school education, and are excited to see her graduate, she said. But the dispute with UMass is casting a shadow over the event, she said. "I was really disappointed and I know my family is also disappointed," Nangpa said. SPRINGFIELD -- Robert S. Decoteau III, the Russell man accused of causing bomb emergencies at three locations Monday, has been hospitalized after he injured himself while inside his cell at the Hampden County Courthouse. According to a statement issued by a Massachusetts Trial Court spokeswoman, court officers who were by the prisoner cells in the courthouse lockup heard a loud noise, and when they went to investigate, they found Decoteau lying face down on the floor of his cell. The statement says the court officers performed first aid and called for assistance. An ambulance was dispatched to the courthouse, and Decoteau was taken to Baystate Medical Center for emergency attention. Court officers accompanied him to the hospital for security, according to the statement. The nature of his injuries was not disclosed. It was also not disclosed exactly how Decoteau was injured. Springfield police and the Trial Court security office were notified of the incident, and each are investigating what led to the injury occurring. It is not clear when Decoteau was injured, whether it was before or after his court arraignment Tuesday afternoon on charges of four counts of possessing explosives and two counts of making bomb threats. Decoteau was not in the court room for the arraignment. If the injury occurred before the arraignment, there was no mention of it during the court hearing. Judge Paul Smyth, acting on the recommendation of a court psychologist, ruled Decoteau was not competent to stand trial and ordered a 20-day mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital. He was scheduled to appear back in court on May 19. Decoteau was described by officials at the time of his arrest as a distraught veteran. Court psychologist Amber Robinson Green told the court that Decoteau was showing signs of mental illness. Decoteau, 30, was arrested Monday afternoon after causing a public safety emergency in two communities. State police were called to his home in Russell after learning he had rigged his house up with explosives. As this was going on, West Springfield police were dispatched to the Veterans Center on Ashley Avenue when Decoteau made threats about leaving bombs in his wife's car there. Police spotted him and began pursuing his car down Route 5 until he finally stopped and surrendered on Route 5 near Bobskill Drive. During the chase, police witnessed him holding pipe bombs out the window. Four pipe bombs were found in his truck, which caused a mile-long section of Route 5 to be closed in both directions while a bomb disposal team was called in to remove them. Another pipe bomb attached to containers of flammable liquid was found in his home, and another demolition team had to safely remove it. No bombs were found in the car at the Veterans Center. The statement issued by the Massachusetts Trial Court: On May 2, court officers in lockup in the Springfield Hall of Justice heard a loud noise from the area of Robert Decoteau's single person cell. Six court officers immediately responded and found the defendant lying face down, injured on the floor of his cell. The court officers immediately attended to the defendant, called for an ambulance, and notified the Springfield Police Department. The defendant was transported to Baystate Medical for emergency medical attention. For security purposes, court officers accompanied the defendant to the hospital. The Springfield Police Department and Trial Court Security Department are looking into the facts and circumstances that led to the defendant's injuries. Screen Shot 2017-05-03 at 6.15.55 AM.png Massachusetts State Police shared this image of Cash shortly after placing him on the Most Wanted list. (Massachusetts State Police) Just hours after becoming one of the Massachusetts State Police's "Most Wanted" men, William Cash was arrested overnight in Weymouth, the department is reported Wednesday. Cash, who also goes by the alias William S. Banks, is a suspect in an Easter Sunday double shooting in Lynn that left one man dead, police said. According to a statement from state police, Cash was allegedly accosting a woman on the street when two male associates intervened to help. Cash briefly left the area, but returned shortly after and allegedly shot both men. One of the victims, a legally blind 46-year-old man named Leonard Clement, died. The other, 41-year-old Prince Berlin, was seriously wounded. Police say Cash fled the scene after the shooting. State police embarked on an aggressive manhunt for Cash on April 20, distributing photos of the suspect to media and reaching out to the public for tips. Despite this, Cash managed to evade authorities for more than two weeks. Police had advised the public not to attempt to apprehend Cash, who was considered armed and dangerous. Cash has a long criminal history, police say, including convictions for drug trafficking, armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Troopers located and apprehended Cash in Weymouth overnight. No more details regarding his arrest have been released, but state police said more information is coming later in the day. The Worcester City Council has approved another tax-relief plan in the South Worcester Industrial Park, bringing more development to the once-vacant industrial wasteland. The Armory Business Center LLC. will be exempted from an average of 70 percent on the increased valuation of the property over the next 20 years. The company plans to invest nearly $1.6 million into the plot of land with a current assessed value of $75,000. Under city ownership, the property currently generates no tax revenue. The intention of the tax-increment financing plan, or TIF, is to encourage new construction or renovation on under-developed properties. Worcester is in the midst of a renaissance of development, dining and culture in the city, but industry and manufacturing are areas that have continued to be slow to catch up. According to the Telegram & Gazette, Armory Business Center will save nearly $1 million in property taxes for the next 20 years, while the city will receive about $490,000 in revenue. When the TIF is completed, the city expects to receive nearly $100,000 annually from the property in taxes. Steve Rothschild has been in talks to construct a large plot of land at 49 Canterbury St. for a high-tech manufacturing plant, across from the Table Talk Pies factory now under construction. Rothschild intends to build a structure between 20,000 and 24,000 square feet, he told the City Council Tuesday night. He expects to hire about 34 people for the new facility. The space is open to small, start-up technology firms, international firms looking to dip their toe into new markets, or larger firms looking to spread to central Massachusetts, Rothschild said. Rothschild also spoke to manufacturers from different industries to help design the building for several different uses. The tenant spaces should be able to accommodate different types of manufacturers, like breweries, energy companies and clean room firms so they can move in without needing to renovate the space, Rothschild said. Rothschild said one letter of intent they signed included an agreement to bring 17 jobs to the facility. "The idea is jobs, jobs, jobs," Rothschild told the City Council. The key, however, is that the facility is looking to bring new money to the city by attracting firms that do business outside of Worcester. "We're making sure that every tenant is not looking to do business in the South Worcester area, Main South or really, in fact, Worcester," Rothschild said. "We're looking for businesses with sales and marketing in the northeast Massachusetts area so that they're accretive to the city rather than taking wages from other business." Rothschild expects to have the facility constructed over the next six months. With a handful of industrial facilities going up at the South Worcester Industrial Park, the industrial wasteland 22 years in the making can expect to be completely built out in a few years. As City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said back in October, "SWIP is done." Kalsang Nangpa wants to proudly carry the flag of her native Tibet at University of Massachusetts commencement, but the institution won't let her. It's easy to sympathize with the graduating student, who says the decision runs counter to UMass' inclusionary reputation. In this case, the policy means recognizing China as the rightful governing body over Tibet, as it has been since 1951. Criticism of China's humanitarian policy is widespread, but the United States and other world nations recognize its sovereignty over Tibet as legitimate. For individual U.S. universities to begin judging State Department policies on a case-by-case basis would almost certainly lead to controversial inconsistencies, damaged relations with foreign governments with which the United States must deal, and could quite possibly jeopardize visa and travel freedoms for students who want to study in this country. Kalsang Nangpa's pride in Tibet is commendable, but she is asking UMass to take on a responsibility that is not the university's to undertake. In this instance, the rule is unfortunate because the student's family is a profile in courage. They are refugees who fled to camps in Southern India before moving to the United States, giving the children a chance for a better life and education. That dream will be realized at commencement, but previous requests to carry the flag of Tibet (or of another controversial China-related case, Taiwan) have been denied. UMass is following an existing policy that is not applied arbitrarily and was not created with Tibet in mind, and must be enforced consistently to be fair. Making an exception opens the door for other exemption requests. That could turn graduation into a political battlefield, and not the celebration of education it should be. If the policy is waived for Tibet, should it be waived for Taiwan? For Palestinian supporters? For any group that feels its rightful nationality is being denied? If UMass begins examining these circumstances case-by-case, the university will inevitably be accused of favoring certain ideologies or political causes over others. Nangpa has every right to be disappointed. Because this is America, she has every right to express her disagreement and disappointment, as she is doing to much support. Before criticizing UMass too harshly, though, she should consider the opportunity of a quality college education afforded by the school, which has been translated into a degree by her hard work. UMass finds itself in the awkward position of enforcing a rule that tacitly endorses a repressive Chinese regime, but people should understand that being inclusive does not require that every request be answered with "yes.'' Whether to recognize the independent identity of Tibet is for the U.S. State Department to decide. The UMass decision here is difficult but correct, for its mission on Commencement Day is to reward academic achievement, not take sides in global issues beyond its jurisdiction and its reach. OxyContin FILE - This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo, shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. The Vermont Health Department is working to ensure that health care providers across the state are ready for new rules that take effect on July 1, 2017, which regulate how opioid-based painkillers are prescribed to patients who need them, while minimizing the risk of abuse. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File) (Toby Talbot) Contending that aggressive marketing of prescription drugs helped spark the current opioid epidemic in America, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, called on international health leaders Wednesday to prevent similar situations from occurring in other countries. Clark, in a letter with Republican Congressman Hal Rogers, of Kentucky, urged World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan to learn from the United States and "rein in" drug companies that have taken their "reckless" opioid marketing practices abroad. Specifically, the lawmakers cautioned WHO about what they called "the deceptive and dangerous practices" of Mundipharma International, which is an arm of Purdue Pharmaceuticals -- the privately held company that developed and marketed the powerful painkiller OxyContin. Purdue, however, pushed back against the lawmakers' claims, contending that it's "part of a global network of independent associated companies operating in different countries, under different leadership structures, selling diverse product portfolios and functioning within distinct regulatory environments." Clark and Rogers pointed to documents, which surfaced in court proceedings, suggesting that Purdue was aware of the high risk of addiction Oxycontin carried since early in the drug's development. They credited the drug company and its partner Abbott Laboratories, in part, for beginning the opioid crisis by aggressively marketing OxyContin as a treatment for day-to-day pain, rather than severe long-term pain associated with end-stage cancer. Such marketing, the lawmakers said, led to federal drug misbranding charges and a $635 million judgement against the company in 2007. Despite the judgement, emergency room visits related to prescription drugs reached 1.2 million cases by 2009, with opioids -- particularly OxyContin -- among the most prominent causes for visits and fatalities, Clark and Rogers contended. That number, they argued, has continued to rise, with 33,000 people dying from opioid overdoses in the U.S. in 2015 alone. With the U.S. taking steps to cut down on prescriptions for OxyContin and other painkillers, some drug companies have taken their marketing internationally, the lawmakers said. "Opioids kill 91 Americans every day, and parents across the country are hoping today isn't the day they get the call that their child has overdosed," Clark said in a statement. "Our country is gripped by an epidemic whose roots can be traced to Purdue's insatiable bottom line. We're urging the international community not to allow one company's greed and recklessness to create a global health crisis." Mundipharma, for example, "uses many of the same tactics that caused the opioid epidemic to flourish in the U.S., though now in countries with far fewer resources to devote to the fallout," the lawmakers argued. Clark and Rogers urged the WHO "to learn from (the United States') experience and rein in this reckless and dangerous behavior while there is still time." "The greed and recklessness of one company and its partners helped spark a public health crisis in the United States that will take generations to fully repair," they wrote in the letter. "We urge the World Health Organization to do everything in its power to avoid allowing the same people to begin a worldwide opioid epidemic. Please learn from our experience and do not allow Mundipharma to carry on Purdue's deadly legacy on a global stage." Purdue Pharma, in response to the lawmakers' letter, further stressed that in the U.S., the company "is committed to working collaboratively with public officials to address the opioid crisis." "OxyContin accounts for less than 2 percent of the opioid analgesic prescription market nationally, but we are an industry leader in the development of abuse-deterrent technology and advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs," the company said in a statement. U.S Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester; Bill Keating, D-Bourne; and Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston, also signed their names to the letter. Joe Biden, Seth Moulton 2014 Vice President Joe Biden, left, applauds as Democrat Seth Moulton, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, waves to the audience as he approaches the microphone during a campaign event Oct. 29, in Lynn, Mass. Moulton, an Iraq War veteran, beat Republican Richard Tisei in Tuesday's midterm elections. (Steven Senne / Associated Press file) Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton repeatedly said Wednesday he's not a candidate for president during an appearance on WGBH's chat show "Boston Public Radio." Asked whether he is considering running against President Donald Trump, Moulton said, "I'm not running for president. And there are a lot of different ways to ask the question. I'm not running for president." He added: "I'll tell you what I am doing. I'm continuing to call out Trump. The president we have is a danger to our country and I've been one of his most outspoken critics from the very beginning, because even though I'm someone who really believes in bipartisanship, I think Donald Trump is uniquely dangerous to our nation." Moulton, a Democrat who represents northeastern Massachusetts, said he would also push for reforms of the Democratic Party, because Democrats "have to come to terms with the fact that we really lost in the last election." Moulton was first elected in 2014, after surprising the state's political establishment by defeating incumbent John Tierney in the Democratic primary. He served four tours in Iraq, and in two of those tours as a special assistant to General David Petraeus. On Wednesday, "Boston Public Radio" co-host Jim Braude pressed Moulton on running for president. "I'm just being honest," Moulton said. "I mean, I'm not running for president. And there are a lot of things I'm focused on, I'm focused on the work that we have to do in the district and I don't want people to lose sight of that." The New York Times, in an article earlier this week on potential 2020 candidates, reported that Moulton "has not ruled out running in private conversations." "I know people are out there are saying it, but I'm not running," Moulton told WGBH. "I'm grateful for the encouragement, flattered and all that, but I've got a job to do right here in Massachusetts." Generic road repairs Road repairs. (File photo) Update, 7:30 p.m.: Gov. Charlie Baker announced that he plans to sign the bill into law on Thursday afternoon. BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Legislature has sent a $200 million local road repair bill to Gov. Charlie Baker for his signature. The bill is an annual one that cities and towns count on to fund municipal road repair projects. "You've heard from city and town officials," said Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield, who helped negotiate a final version of the bill, speaking on the Senate floor. "It's been a rough winter, they're ready to begin construction season. The money will be very helpful." Sen. Thomas McGee, D-Lynn, who chairs the Joint Committee on Transportation, said the state money will reimburse municipalities for roadway and sidewalk repairs -- things like resurfacing, preliminary engineering, traffic control and street lighting. The bill includes another $30 million for mobility assistance programs, to help make public transportation more accessible for the elderly or people with disabilities. It also includes $60 million to replace information technology at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The House already passed the bill, so it will now go to Baker's desk. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, which advocates for cities and towns, had asked for a multi-year bill with $300 million a year. Lawmakers ultimately approved a bill that was similar to what Baker originally proposed -- a one-year, $200 million bond authorization. There is some urgency to the bill since cities and towns must plan their summer construction projects. Michael Chavis, the Red Sox's 2014 first-round draft pick (26th overall), stroked another extra-base hit for High-A Salem on Tuesday. He went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in Salem's 10-2 loss to Wilmington. Chavis, a 21-year-old third baseman, is batting .321 with a .438 on-base percentage, .679 slugging percentage, 1.117 OPS, five homers, four doubles, 15 RBIs, 15 runs, nine walks and 11 strikeouts in 15 games (53 at-bats). Tate Matheny, the son of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, went 1-for-3 with a double and run. The 23-year-old outfielder, who the Red Sox drafted in the fourth round in 2015, is batting .344 with a .429 on-base percentage, .525 slugging percentage, .953 OPS, two homers, three doubles, one triple, six RBIs, 19 runs, nine walks and 18 strikeouts. Power-hitting first base prospect Josh Ockimey went 1-for-3 with a walk. He's slashing .347/.452/.569/1.021 with three homers, five doubles, one triple, 22 RBIs, 14 runs, 16 walks and 23 strikeouts in 22 games (72 at-bats). Catcher Austin Rei, a third-round draft pick in 2015, went 1-for-3. He has a .311/ .417/.525/.941 line with one homer, 10 doubles, nine RBIs, 11 runs, six walks and nine strikeouts in 17 games (61 at-bats). Rafael Devers goes 5-for-5 Rafael Devers, the top prospect in the Red Sox organization, went 5-for-5 with two homers, four RBIs and four runs in Double-A Portland's 12-11 win over Hartford. Nick Longhi, a 21-year-old outfield prospect born in Springfield, went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Longhi is batting .203 with two homers, three doubles and eight RBIs in 19 games (74 at-bats). Danny Mars, a 2014 sixth-rounder, went 2-for-6 with a double, two RBIs and one run. The 23-year-old outfielder is slashing .315/.356/.500/.856 with one homer, three doubles, two triples and six RBIs in 15 games (54 at-bats. Williams Jerez, a left-handed reliever who was on the Red Sox 40-man roster some of last year, went 3 1/3 innings and allowed one unearned run, three hits and no walks while striking out three. He has allowed just one earned run in 11 2/3 innings. Brian Johnson dominates Brian Johnson hurled 8 innings and allowed just one run, two hits and two walks while striking out six for Triple-A Pawtucket. The 26-year-old lefty, who earned his first big league win for Boston against Toronto last month, has a 2.28 ERA in four starts. He earned the victory in Pawtucket's 3-1 win over Syracuse. Outfield prospect Aneury Tavarez, who turned 25 on April 14, received a promotion from Portland to Pawtucket. He went 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. The Dominican Republic native slashed .377/.473/.475/.948 with one homer, three doubles and six RBIs in 18 games (61 at-bats) at Portland. Steve Selsky, who Boston recently optioned to Pawtucket, went 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Rusney Castillo went 1-for-4 with a double. He's slashing .270/.299/.378/.677 with two doubles, two homers, six RBIs, 11 runs, three walks and 14 strikeouts in 19 games (74 at-bats). Jagger Rusconi makes Greenville debut Jagger Rusconi, a 20-year-old second baseman who the Red Sox selected in the fifth round in 2015, made his Low-A Greenville debut Tuesday. He went 1-for-4 with a triple. Greenville stroked only two hits. Jerry Downs, a 23-year-old 15th-rounder in 2015, had the other hit. He went 1-for-3 with a run. BOSTON - Steven Wright is headed to New York to get a second opinion on a left knee sprain. The club placed him on the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday. Wright has been dealing with intermitent knee soreness since spring training when he was fitted for a brace. Wright felt a spike in discomfort after his last start this past weekend against the Cubs and went for an MRI which reviewed a more severe strain than he thought he'd been dealing with. No starter has been announced for Thursday night, which would have been Wright's next start. Farrell was unsure if Wright's knee had anything to do with the knuckleballer's lack of success on the mound. He had an 8.25 ERA in five starts. "The focus is always on trying to deaden the spin on his knuckleball," Farrell said. "Whether or not, subconsciously he was holding back, that's a question that proabably Steven's got to answer. You know, we saw velocity similar to year's past and now we've commented routinely on the fact that the violence to the pitch wasn't as consistent." Follow MassLive.com Red Sox beat reporter @jcmccaffrey on Twitter. She can be reached by email at jmccaffr@masslive.com. This does not mean, however, that Montana would never again capture Twains attention or the caustic thrust of his pen. In 1907, Twain attended a dinner in New York City to honor the Copper King and new Senator from Montana, William A. Clark whom Twain considered anything but honorable. Afterwards he wrote a scathing essay titled Senator Clark of Montana that contained the following commentary on the Treasure States U.S. Senator: "He is said to have bought legislatures and judges as other men buy food and raiment. By his example he has so excused and so sweetened corruption that in Montana it no longer has has an offensive smell. His history is known to everybody; he is as rotten a human being as can be found anywhere under the flag; he is a shame to the American nation, and no one has helped to send him to the Senate who did not know that his proper place was the penitentiary, with a ball and chain on his legs. To my mind he is the most disgusting creature that the republic has produced since Tweeds time." http://www.butteamerica.com/twain.htm While state legislators walked away from the recent session praising themselves for balancing the budget and holding the line on bonding, the consequences of their votes will soon trickle down to local governments, which could face millions of dollars in lost funding. By Martin Kidston/Missoula Current Full Story: http://www.missoulacurrent.com/general/2017/05/missoula-legislative-taxpayers/ *** The Bitter End Sine Die http://www.matr.net/article-76758.html "Best State for Business" is a description trotted out so frequently by Utah leaders that it may have reached cliche status, but chances are audiences will keep hearing it, because its true. Another truth is, if youre a woman with a full-time job, Utah is most assuredly not the best state in which to work for a business. By Art Raymond Full Story: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865679109/Utah-tech-companies-take-talent-first-road-to-diversity.html The Winifred Grocery, which first opened in 1914, may not still be in business if it werent for California resident Brad Bergum making a philanthropic investment in his boyhood hometown. In the process he not only preserved a key local venture, but also helped ensure at least one small Montana town still has a tenuous tie to its early homesteading history. BRETT FRENCH [email protected] Full Story: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/more-than-years-old-historic-winifred-grocery-store-keeps-town/article_245a7a18-476c-563a-940b-a076337898a2.html *** Winifred, Montana Profile of Progress http://www.matr.net/article-35813.html My Town: family of 14 proud to call Winifred, Montana home by filling the school and starting a business. http://www.matr.net/article-34077.html Wealthy son of tiny Winifred, Montana, Norman Asbjornson puts his money where heart is http://www.matr.net/article-26961.html Morgan County Veterans Day Parade slated Nov. 11 Audio Article The Morgan County Veterans Day Parade will be held on Friday, Nov. 11. The parade will form at the Commons, in McConnelsville, at 9:30 a.m. and set out at 10 a.m. The American Legion Post 24 will render honors at the monuments at the Commons, Riecker Building, the Square, at... A concert with two purposes Audio Article Wednesday, Nov. 30, a concert with dual purposes is being held at the Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, Ohio. Its a thank-you to healthcare workers, who can attend for free, and its a benefit for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. In September 2021, Rick Shriver contracted COVID-19. He collapsed... BOE reminder of early voting hours and polling location change Audio Article Remaining early voting hours at the Morgan County Board of Elections are as follows: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov, 2 through Friday, Nov. 4; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5; from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6; and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.... Lions Club announces annual Wreaths Across America Audio Article On Saturday, Dec. 17, the Chesterhill Lions Club will be joining with National Wreaths Across America in the laying of wreaths at each of the seven cemeteries located in Marion Township. The mission is to honor the local veterans who have served our nation so their families can rest assured... Governor DeWine awards $6.7 million for domestic violence survivor programs Audio Article Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced that he is awarding $6.7 million to support the work of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN) to offer mobile and health advocacy services and temporary residential services for domestic violence survivors across the state. The announcement comes during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.... CDC committee vote wont change Ohio school vaccine requirement Audio Article Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA has released the following statement: The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine to be added to the formulary or schedule of vaccines for children does not mandate this vaccine for school children. Ohio law determines... A novel gene therapy using CRISPR genome editing technology effectively targets cancer-causing "fusion genes" and improves survival in mouse models of aggressive liver and prostate cancers, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers report in a study published online in Nature Biotechnology. "This is the first time that gene editing has been used to specifically target cancer fusion genes. It is really exciting because it lays the groundwork for what could become a totally new approach to treating cancer," explained lead study author Jian-Hua Luo, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology at Pitt's School of Medicine and director of its High Throughput Genome Center. Fusion genes, which often are associated with cancer, form when two previously separate genes become joined together and produce an abnormal protein that can cause or promote cancer. Luo and his team had previously identified a panel of fusion genes responsible for recurrent and aggressive prostate cancer. In a study published earlier this year in the journal Gastroenterology, the team reported that one of these fusion genes, known as MAN2A1-FER, also is found in several other types of cancer, including that of the liver, lungs and ovaries, and is responsible for rapid tumor growth and invasiveness. In the current study, the researchers employed the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology to target unique DNA sequences formed because of the gene fusion. The team used viruses to deliver the gene editing tools that cut out the mutated DNA of the fusion gene and replaced it with a gene that leads to death of the cancer cells. Because the fusion gene is present only in cancer cells, not healthy ones, the gene therapy is highly specific. Such an approach could come with significantly fewer side effects when translated to the clinic, which is a major concern with other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. To conduct the study, the researchers used mouse models that had received transplants of human prostate and liver cancer cells. Editing the cancer fusion gene resulted in up to 30 percent reduction in tumor size. None of the mice exhibited metastasis and all survived during the eight-week observation period. In contrast, in control mice treated with viruses designed to cut out another fusion gene not present in their tumors, the tumors increased nearly 40-fold in size, metastasis was observed in most animals, and all died before the end of the study. The new findings suggest a completely new way to combat cancer. "Other types of cancer treatments target the foot soldiers of the army. Our approach is to target the command center, so there is no chance for the enemy's soldiers to regroup in the battlefield for a comeback," said Luo. Another advantage over traditional cancer treatment is that the new approach is very adaptive. A common problem that renders standard chemotherapies ineffective is that the cancer cells evolve to generate new mutations. Using genome editing, the new mutations could be targeted to continue fighting the disease, Luo noted. In the future, the researchers plan to test whether this strategy could completely eradicate the disease rather than induce the partial remission observed in the current study. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant RO1 CA098249, Department of Defense grant W81XWH-16-1-0364 and a grant from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Advertisement The first group had 243 patients who received Everolimus and a reduced dose of Tacrolimus The second group served as a control group that had 243 patients who received the usual dose of Tacrolimus The third group had 231 patients who were prescribed only Everolimus to suppress their immune systems Patients who undergo liver transplant experience weight gain, which can consequently lead to serious complications such as cardiovascular events, and post-transplant metabolic syndromes such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia.Patients who undergo a transplant must take anti-rejection drugs so that their immune systems do not attack and destroy the transplanted organ. Tacrolimus is an anti-rejection drug routinely prescribed post transplant. Studies have shown that Tacrolimus can affect the kidneys and cause weight gain, which heightens the risk of serious complications.The research team conducted a comparison study among two anti-rejection drugs. In the study published in the, a new drug called Everolimus was compared to Tacrolimus in reducing complications after liver transplant.Previously conducted studies have shown that Everolimus prevented weight gain in fruit flies and other animals. So an experimental study was conducted on human subjects to check whether the effects were the same.Initially, the research was undertaken to see if Everolimus is gentler on the kidneys than Tacrolimus. The study involved a total of 719 patients between 25 and 35 days after liver transplant. The participants were divided into three groups.The research team also found that the reduced weight gain was seen both one and two years after transplant. Everolimus has been approved as an immunosuppressive agent by the Food and Drug Administration for use in liver transplantation."Everolimus did have less impact on kidney function, and the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug based on that finding for use in liver transplant patients," said Dr Michael M. Charlton, researcher and clinician at the Intermountain Medical Center Center Transplant Program, and the study's lead author.Cardiovascular disease, cancers and kidney damage are driven by weight gain, according to Dr. Charlton.One of the reasons that people need liver transplant today is the weight-related liver failure. "Since nearly everyone who receives a liver transplant gains weight after the surgery, this could be an easy way to avoid or limit the need for a transplant," said Dr, Charlton.Source: Medindia Patients who were in the working age group - 18 to 60 years were included Patients should have had a first hospitalization due to heart failure that occurred during 1997 till 2012 11,880 (55%) patients out of the 21,455 who received hospitalization due to heart failure were working 31%: of the unemployed heart failure patients died of the unemployed heart failure patients died 16%: of the employed heart failure patients died of the employed heart failure patients died 42%: of unemployed patients were re-hospitalised of unemployed patients were re-hospitalised 40%: of employed patients were re-hospitalised There was a 50% increased risk of death among unemployed heart failure patients among unemployed heart failure patients There was a 12% increased risk of rehospitalisation among unemployed heart failure patients among unemployed heart failure patients There was a greater likelihood of death among unemployed patients than diabetes or stroke Effect of Unemployment and Risk of Death- Mechanism Advertisement Assessing Workforce Exclusion As a benchmark to assess the need for improved interventional strategies for heart failure patients who lose their job. To raise awareness about the need for better assessment of employability of heart failure patients. To explore other avenues of staying employed like working from home or part time assessments To identify better rehabilitative procedures which could include psychological counselling for patients who lose their job Heart Failure Statistics in India The prevalence of heart failure in India range from 1.3 to 4.6 million The annual incidence of heart failure is 491,600-1.8 million. As a part of the study, the employment status of patients was correlated with all-cause death as well as for recurrent hospitalization.The average follow up of the study was 1005 days and the findings were:When the data was adjusted for age, education level, sex and for co-morbidities,Dr. Roerth said that the loss of a job was associated with a risk of death that could be compared to the risk of diseases like diabetes or stroke. This highlights the profound effect of employment on heart failure patients.The mechanism of action is complex. This could be due to the measure of performance interpreted by the patient. However, the scientists involved in the study state that the physical inability of the patients, which could be indicative of the physical status and prognosis of the condition, could be another factor for loss of jobs.The effects of unemployment are not restricted to physical status alone but could also lead to effects on mental health; this can lead to degeneration of health, which can be used as a prognostic marker for heart failure patients.Unemployment should be treated as a prognostic marker, and this study could be usedThe prevalence of heart failure is rising in India due to increase in population, transitions in health and epidemiology.The increasing cardiovascular risk factors and diseases like rheumatic arthritis and limited infrastructure are known confounding factors. However, the current study that details the effect of unemployment could have a greater significance in India, where greater onus is laid on being employed. The employment status should be collected during various stages of treatment of heart failure patients, to identify the need for interventional strategies that could lower the risk of death.Source: Medindia Four years ago, combat photographer specialist Hilda Clayton lost her life during a life-fire exercise training operation in Afghanistan but she did not stop clicking till her last moments. A mortar tube explosion in the Laghman province is what killed her, along with four Afghan soldiers. The US Army's Military Review Journal recently published the pictures from that moment, with her family's permission, of course. Clayton was attached to the 4th Armoured Brigade Combat Team and was part of a training mission. US Army Her team oversaw certifying Afghan forces to able to carry out mortar operations. The 22-year olds job was just to document the exercise, but everything went terribly wrong when the mortar tube was accidentally triggered. US Army The Military Review Journal article accompanying the photographs reads: "Not only did Clayton help document activities aimed at shaping and strengthening the partnership, but she also shared in the risk by participating in the effort. US Army "Combat Camera soldiers are trained to take still and video imagery in any environment. Their primary mission is to accompany combat soldiers wherever deployed to document the history of combat operations. Clayton's death symbolizes how female soldiers are increasingly exposed to hazardous situations in training and in combat on par with their male counterparts." After the incident, Combat Camera has named a photographic competition after Ms Clayton, to honour her. Hilda Clayton took photos of the blast that took her life. Damn. RIP.#hero https://t.co/2xGy4NSG8m Brian Faughnan (@BrianFaughnan) May 2, 2017 Blessings to the family, friends and fellow officers of Army Spc. Hilda Clayton. Thank You for your service. pic.twitter.com/EA4G1fzImq You Are Done (@StickAForkInYou) May 3, 2017 According to the Augusta Chronicle, during her funeral in 2013, Colonel Bill Benson said: "Though not assigned directly to Long Knife, Spc. Clayton embodied the Cavalry spirit. She was always willing to take on any mission and she pursued every opportunity to tell our story with her images. "Our deepest condolences are with her husband, her parents, and her family and friends at home. Though nothing can fill the void that has been left, I hope that there is some consolation in knowing that Spc. Clayton was a valuable member of the Long Knife team and that she made a positive difference every day that she was with us." Ms Clayton's husband, Chase, wrote an emotional post online saying: "Rest in peace my beautiful wife. She passed doing what she loved for her country. I love and miss you baby. See you in another life. Rest in paradise my love." How do you define the role of a Doctor? Had anyone asked this question a few days back, I would have made him sit next to me and explained the values of the medical field and importance of doctors. But today if any kid asks me, I would say Oh, he is a part-time life-saver and full-time Taekwondo expert. The situation for doctors has boiled down to a point where they are compelled to save their own lives first, while focusing on that of the patients. Why? Because of the rising attacks on doctors by the relatives of patients, which have left many bruised and wounded. So to protect themselves, as many as 1500 resident doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will now be learning taekwondo, as a self-defence measure. All you aspiring doctors can now go and enroll in a martial art academy now. BCCL Prevention is better than cure, Dr. Vijay Kumar, president of AIIMS Resident Doctors association told The Times of India. He further said, Two black belt champions will impart self-defence skills to interested candidates daily from 6-7 pm and 7-8 pm at AIIMS. So starting from May 15, you will have to take appointments according to their taekwondo classes. Reportedly, the doctors at Lok Nayak Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College have already undergone similar training where they were taught self-defence and safe evacuation by Delhi Police personnel. Thinkstock/Getty Images Earlier, we have seen AIIMS doctors going on strike in solidarity with their counterparts in Maharashtra, by wearing helmets at work. AIIMS had also written to CISF for security, although that plan never saw the light of the day. According to a survey conducted at MAMC (Maulana Azad Medical College), nearly one in every two doctors are subjected to violence at public hospitals. As per the survey, verbal abuse was the most common form of violence, followed by threats and physical assault. Dr Vinod, general secretary of MAMC's Resident Doctors' Association, said It is humiliating and frustrating either to be beaten up or abused for no fault. If there is overcrowding or no ICU bed is available, how is the doctor to blame? In times where everyone thinks that taking the law into their own hands is their birthright, one can only trust their own strength and these techniques. Source: The Times Of India Imagine you wake up in the morning and see your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in flames, you freak out and call the Samsung Service Center and they tell you We are happy to hear this. Almost every other day, we get calls from our Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Delhis Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, urging us to do something or the other, yet none of them have any idea ofour existence. You know where we are heading, automated replies and calls. While we all receive automated calls, texts, emails or even tweets on a daily basis, at times things can go too far, leaving the organization embarrassed and us in splits. A similar incident happened with this chap and IndiGo airlines. Roshan Agarwal was flying to Kolkata by IndiGo airlines but his baggage was sent to Hyderabad. @IndiGo6E Thank you for sending my baggage to Hyd and flying me to Calcutta at the same time. Brilliant service. #DieIndigo Roshan Agarwal (@roshansxc) 30 April 2017 He took to Twitter to share his ordeal, in hopes hed get a favourable answer from the domestic carrier. Within minutes, he got the response, but it left the guy dumbfound. In what looks like an automated mail, the carrier replied saying We are glad to hear this. WTF! This makes us wonder whether our queries even reach the desired destination or not. If its a technical glitch, you can still save your a** IndiGo but if it was a human behind the screen, you need to fire your social media manager immediately. After realizing their mistake, the company deleted their post but hey, once the damage is done, you cant expect Twitter to not react to it. You might be on-time always, but they own the time. @roshansxc @IndiGo6E @roshansxc may be they set up twitter wd computer automatd replies whch dsnt dpnd on wat we appreciate.. they saw "brilliant servce" ??done! Vinay Kothakonda (@vinaykumar9909) 3 May 2017 @roshansxc @IndiGo6E I think they have tied up with united, the sarcastic arrogance is showing ;) Sudin Kamat (@KamatSudin) 3 May 2017 @roshansxc @IndiGo6E Atleast you didn't get beat up and drag and drop service in plane Thank your stars that atleast they know where your luggage is kunal vaidya (@kunal_vaidya) 3 May 2017 @roshansxc @IndiGo6E hahahahaha hahahahaha hahahahaha hahahahaha hahahahaha must b a Pseudo-intellectual running the handle... Bloody morons ashish agarwal (@ashishyagarwal) 3 May 2017 @roshansxc @kitAnurag @IndiGo6E Oh @IndiGo6E, why? Why have you done this? Hope your SM team read full message rather than in hurry to reply using ready replies. #Fail Suresh Bhura (@SureshBhura) 3 May 2017 @roshansxc @IndiGo6E May be they are not shocked... Assuming dat it was their regular service..??? (@NitinKSadasivam) 2 May 2017 @roshansxc @IndiGo6E Hire me @IndiGo6E i can better manage your PR/Communications team. This is not funny guys.Humans make mistakes.Understand the reality of it. Chetan Sureka (@ichetansureka) 3 May 2017 The News in Brief Georgia, Iran Mull Railway Connection Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili paid a two-day official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on April 22-23, where he held talks with President Hassan Rouhani, Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri and Majlis Chairman Ali Larijani. The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes developing ties with Georgia in all fields, President Rouhani said at his meeting with PM Kvirikashvili. Iran and Georgia have great potential and capabilities for developing ties in the fields of economics, science and culture, he added. At the meeting of President Rouhani and PM Kvirikashvili, special emphasis was drawn on the Persian Gulf-Black Sea transport and transit corridor. The Iranian President said on this matter: today, transit is very important in the region and with regard to connecting Irans rail system to Astara (town in northern Iran) and Azerbaijan and good rail and road connection in Georgia, deepening Tehran-Tbilisi ties in this field can make great developments in the region. The Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor featured at Kvirikashvilis meeting with Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri as well. The most important issue is the issue of North-South corridor and connection of the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea through Iran-Armenia-Georgia or Iran-Azerbaijan-Georgia, Jahangiri was quoted as saying by Tehran Times. According to the Vice President, Iran has already expressed it readiness to connect the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea through the North-South Corridor, which would connect Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran on its path. PM Kvirikashvilis administration said in its press release of the meeting, that the Iranian side expressed readiness to cooperate with Georgia in the energy sector, including electric power exchange and providing Georgia with Iranian natural gas. Several memoranda of understanding and agreements were signed by Georgian and Iranian ministries and between private sector representatives, respectively. As part of his visit to Tehran, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili also met with Majlis (Iranian Parliament) Chairman Ali Larijani. Led by Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the Georgian delegation included Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze, Economy Minister Giorgi Gakharia, Environment Minister Gigla Agulashvili, Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Tariel Khechikashvili and the Prime Ministers Foreign Advisor Tedo Japaridze. Kvirikashvilis trip to Iran came three days after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarifs visit to Georgia. (civil.ge) UNM against Central Election Commission Zaza Bibilashvili, one of the leaders of the United National Movement party, says that the election code will be changed in order for the National Movement to be fined if it expresses support for Mikheil Saakashvili. According to Bibilashvili, the initiative of the Central Election Commission to declare the participation of a person, who has no right to participate in the pre-election campaign, as a violation is specifically directed against one person who is considered by Bidzina Ivanishvili as the main threat to his Georgian Dream party. According to him, "in parallel with the violence on the constitution", the government has taken another step to further restrict democratic processes and usurp power in the country. "These changes prove that Ivanishvili thinks that the protection of his family-clan regime is possible only through illegalities and injustice. He understands that his government cannot last long in the conditions of a fair and democratic electoral environment. We guarantee that, together with the Georgian people, we will remove him from Georgia, as he is the biggest enemy of the country," Bibilashvili said. (IPN) Inter RAO affiliates start investment dispute with Georgia Gardabani Holdings B.V. and Silk Road Holdings B.V., Dutch affiliates of the Russian power-holding Inter RAO, have notified Georgia of an investment dispute on compensation due to the depreciation of the Georgian currency, the lari, Prime Business News Agency reports. The companies sent letters to the Georgian President and ministers of foreign affairs, justice, and energy on April 14, saying that the country has violated its liabilities under an international agreement signed with the Netherlands on the stimulation of investment and mutual protection of interests. Silk Road bought 75.11% in Georgian power grid company Telasi in 1998, and Gardabani bought 100% in hydropower plants Krami-1 and Khrami-2 in 2011. The purchase contracts say that Telasi and Khrami-1s tariffs were to increase if the lari depreciates against the U.S. dollar and Khrami-2s will rise if the lari depreciates against the Japanese yen. These obligations were also confirmed by a memorandum on cooperation signed by the government of Georgia in 2013, the Vedomosti Business Daily reported. But in 2014, the Georgian regulator created a methodology for the calculation of tariffs that did not encompass these obligations. In 20132016, the lari lost 31% against the U.S. dollar and 13% against the Japanese yen, but the regulator rejected requests of Telasi, Khrami-1 and Krami-2 to raise the tariffs, Vedomosti reported. An Inter RAO representative told the business daily that the company wants agreements to be adhered to strictly, and the compensation may amount to tens of millions of U.S. dollars. The company is in constant dialogue with authorities of Georgia and it does not plan to sell these assets, the person said. Gardabani and Silk Road did not name the amount of the compensation they want to receive, saying only that they want to solve the dispute through negotiations, but reserve the right to file a suit to an international arbitration court if the negotiations fall through. (ipn) CASEVILLE The annual Cheeseburger in Caseville Festival is months away, but plans to make it another memorable year are already in the works. On Sunday, the Caseville Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Teaseburger in Caseville fundraiser. This years event will take place at the Wooded Island in Caseville. The Music Doctors will be performing from noon to 3 p.m. followed by a not so silent auction at 3 p.m. HURON COUNTY Huron County voters said no to more wind development Tuesday. The unofficial results of various wind-related referendums in Huron County are as follows: Approval of the Filion wind overlay district for DTE Energy: failed, 36.6 percent to 63.4 percent (1,110 yes to 1,923 no) Approval of the Sherman/Sigel wind overlay district for NextEra Energy Resources LLC: failed, 36.67 percent to 63.33 (1,120 yes to 1,934 no) Approval of Lincoln Township forming its own planning commission: passed, 58.39 percent to 41.61 percent (174 yes to 124 no) Approval of Sand Beach Township ordinance restrictions: passed, 83.77 percent to 16.23 percent (413 yes to 80 no) Defeat of the Filion layover: Denise Rice, of Lincoln Township, is the secretary of Huron County Wind Resistance, a ballot question committee. All I can say is, the people have spoken. We didnt persuade them any more than asking them and pleading with them to go to the polls with our big advertising dollars. But, they showed up, and they said, no. Victory for the people is what were saying. The DTE development would have included 70 turbines on 16,900 acres in Lincoln Township, 4,100 acres in Sigel Township, 2,500 acres in Bloomfield Township and 2,000 acres in Dwight Township. Obviously, were disappointed, said Matt Wagner, renewable energy development manager for DTE. We feel that our project was a great opportunity. Were most disappointed for our landowners. It doesnt mean were not committed to Huron County, he added, noting that there are multiple wind parks here. Wagner said he does not know if DTE will pursue more development in Huron County. We really have to step back and evaluate things, Wagner said. There are probably some possibilities, but we have to look at a lot of things before we would make another decision like that. Defeat of the Sherman/Sigel layover: There will be no development by NextEra Energy Resources for its Huron Wind, LLC project. NextEra proposed turbines in Sherman, Sigel, Sand Beach and Delaware townships. Of the 60 planned turbines, 40 were to be located in Sherman Township. Delaware Township is self-zoned and located in Sanilac County. Bryan Garner, manager of communications for NextEra, said the county is missing an economic opportunity. Unfortunately, tonight, the citizens of Huron County experienced an economic setback, Garner said. He thanked those who voted in favor of the wind park. In the days and week ahead, we will review these results as we consider next steps for future development opportunities, he said. Approval of the Lincoln Township Planning Commission: The fate of Lincoln Townships zoning will be up to Lincoln Township. Believing that Huron County had done its part for wind development, the Lincoln Township Board of Trustees attempted to establish its own planning commission last summer, in what many saw as a move to stop wind development. Lincoln Township Supervisor Melvin Drake said he hopes the township can unite. Well have to look at it and move on from here, I guess, he said. It was kind of a highly contested issue. Hopefully we can all come together now. Approval of Sand Beach Township ordinance restrictions: Sand Beach approved changes in its ordinance that limit sound, which opponents say would not allow wind turbine development. We felt that we had a pulse on the people and they responded, said Wade Mazure, Sand Beach Township supervisor. They decided that we were correct. Huron still leads state in wind development Huron County leads the state with 443 turbines standing. Another 29 are scheduled for construction this year. Only county-zoned municipalities were allowed to vote for the Filion and Sherman/Sigel layovers. The 16 county-zoned townships are: Bingham, Bloomfield, Brookfield, Dwight, Fairhaven, Gore, Grant, Hume, Lincoln, McKinley, Rubicon, Sebewaing, Sheridan, Sherman, Sigel and Winsor townships. Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go. Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune... A friend of 1st Lt. Weston Lee, who himself will report to the Army this weekend, has joined with others to set up a scholarship fund in honor of the 25-year-old platoon leader from Bluffton, Georgia, who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq last Saturday. Lee "lived Army values through and through" and set the example for him, said 21-year-old Colin Marney, a fraternity brother of Lee's at the University of North Georgia. Marney graduated last week and this weekend will report to Fort Benning, Georgia, to pursue his own dream of becoming an armor officer. Lee was "fully dedicated to the Army, fully dedicated to anything he did, just an all-around great guy," Marney said. He also was "one of the best shooters I ever met -- always at the range -- and the most physically fit." Marney and other fraternity brothers at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity in the Georgia Delta Chapter at UNG have set a goal of raising $100,000 through the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform "in hopes of rewarding young men who live Weston's legacy of dedication and service." More than $40,000 had been raised in the first day, said a spokesperson for GoFundMe. Any money in addition to the $100,000 would be used to help Lee's family with expenses. Lee joined the Army in March 2015 and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was on patrol as part of an advise-and-assist mission near Mosul in northwestern Iraq when the IED fatally wounded him. Lee was "an extraordinary young man and officer. He was exactly the type of leader that our paratroopers deserve," said Col. Pat Work, commander of 2nd BCT, in a statement. "Our sincere condolences and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time." Officials said that Lee's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge, and the Army Service Ribbon. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal. Lee, who deployed to Iraq in December, was one of more than 1,800 soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team serving in Iraq to assist local forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. On Monday, Freddie Odom, the mayor of Bluffton, signed a resolution renaming the city's park as "Weston C. Lee Veterans Memorial Park." Lee's death was the second American military fatality since the start of the Mosul operation against the Islamic State more than six months ago. In October, just days after the operation to retake Mosul was launched, Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan, 34, of Anaheim, California, who was assigned to a SEAL unit, died of wounds sustained in a roadside bomb attack north of Mosul. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. F-4E fighter jet crash in August caused by engine nozzle defect: Air Force The crash of a South Korean F-4E fighter jet in August was caused by an engine nozzle problem, the Air Force said Wednesday. It announced the outcome of its probe into the cause... Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India arrives at the Hangzhou Exhibition Center to participate to G20 Summit, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, September 4, 2016. REUTERS/Etienne Oliveau/Pool - RTX2O240 Hitting back at the Congress over the beheading of two soldiers by Pakistani troops, the BJP today said the previous UPA government had tied the hands of the armed forces behind their backs while the saffron party has given India its strongest prime minister in Narendra Modi. The BJP said the government will respond appropriately to the mutilation of the soldiers by the Pakistan Army while attacking the Congress after it blamed the Modi government for not having a national security policy. "A party (Congress) that had not given a free hand to its prime minister and reduced him to a rubber stamp is giving gratuitous advice to a party (BJP) which has given the country its strongest prime minister. "The Congress government had tied hands of armed forces behind their backs while the Modi government has given Pakistan the jitters by mounting surgical strikes against it and isolating it regionally and internationally," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao told reporters. Earlier, Congress spokesperson Kapil Sibal had attacked the BJP, saying it was "shameful" that the ruling party was organising 'Vijay Parv' to celebrate its victory in the Delhi municipal polls at a time when Pakistan killed two of "our soldiers in our territory". He also took a jibe at the government, saying it should "take off bangles and do something". Sibal was referring to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's offer to send bangles to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when Indian soldiers were beheaded by Pakistan during the UPA rule. He also claimed there had been an increase in civilian and security personnel casualties during the 35 months of the BJP-led NDA rule so far as compared to the corresponding period during the Congress-led UPA government. Amit Gupta of ICICIdirect told CNBC-TV18, "Among the Call options, we are buying Hindalco Industries and Bank of Baroda. We are buying almost the at-the-money (ATM) Call options because the reason being is that if you look at the metal pack, Tata Steel has given up by almost 10 percent, but Hindalco has remained there only near Rs 200 levels. There was QIP in the stock and then it is stuck up in the range of Rs 180-200. If you observe now, 200 Put has the highest Put base in Hindalco. So, that means now the downsides are very limited in the stock and it is possible that it can move towards Rs 220-230 levels. Almost 42 percent of short closer has been seen in the last couple of series in the stock when it was in this range of Rs 180-200." "So, I think the platform is ready now for it to start moving up and that is why the Call options which have remained subdued because when it was in the range, people were shorting the Calls. I think the IVs are lower, so, one can start buying 200 Call option of Hindalco." "Another one is Bank of Baroda because after couple of years, from 2015, it was facing very stiff resistance near Rs 180 levels. Now, it has come above that and we have seen that almost 35 percent of short closer in the stock. This is the first time what is happening in Bank of Baroda near this resistance once it has surpassed this. So, the Call positions are moving higher. I think the out-of-the-money (OTM) Call buying is definitely happening in this and we are buying 190 Call option now," he said. "Looking at this particular pattern it is possible that in this particular series only it can move beyond Rs 200 levels. So, my sense is that Bank of Baroda from the PSU banking space can perform and it is moving towards the life highs. The life highs was Rs 230 and after Indian Bank , this is the only PSU bank which is now very close to the life highs. So, that gives a lot of boost to the strength which is coming into the stock price." Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "NBCC is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 198 and target of Rs 212. Prestige Estates is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 249 and target of Rs 264." Gujarat State Fertiliser is also a buy with a stop loss of Rs 128 and target of Rs 140," he said. Bajaj Auto saw steady domestic sales in the month of April with a spike coming in on the export side. In an interview with CNBC-TV18, S Ravikumar, President-Business Development at Bajaj Auto spoke about the April sales numbers and the outlook going forward. Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview. Anuj: The export number is the one that stands out, but domestic number is a bit soft. If you could tell us, from here on what could be the likely trajectory? A: The domestic is a big fallout also because of BS-III, BS-IV confusion and the preponement that has happened though we did not carry any extra stocks in the pipeline. Huge discounting that happened has sort of preponed a lot of purchases for April. In fact we expect from the month of May itself things to become much better for us; we expect good growth for us in domestic motorcycles from the month of May because that is the signal that we are picking up from the market and from our dealers and from the field. This will play out and so April was expected to be like this. Same way coming to domestic commercial vehicles, there the hit has been hard because of this issue and here, it may take maybe a month more to payout as far as domestic three wheelers are concerned. So, that is the domestic story. Sonia: You said expect things to improve in the month of May, from this run rate of 1.77 lakh that you have clocked in this month, what could the run rate improve to in May and June and what are you looking at as far as Dominar sales are concerned? A: Sticking to domestic now, we are expecting that in the month of May we should be doing 200k plus as far as domestic is concerned and about June we can talk during our next interaction when we talk about May numbers. So, we will take it month-on-month. We are seeing that the big impact of huge discount sale and all that, that will completely play out in the month of April and things should become absolutely normal May onwards as far as domestic is concerned. However, speaking of Dominar, we have done 2,000 units in domestic and in the 350-500cc segment of the market, we have done very well. We are already number one there. Sonia: 2,000 units you have done in Dominar this month, that compares to about 3,500 units last month, so, there has been a fall in Dominar sales? A: It had been 3,000 units. From 3,000 units domestic, we are talking about 2,000 in this month. We are now concentrating mainly on the metros and the main cities and then after establishing it there, we will take it forward to other markets. KTM took almost a couple of years to come to this level of 2,000 per month levels and Dominar as a 400cc, it is having a very good traction. That is why in the 350-500cc bracket, it is already a leader and we think that it will have traction, it will take some more time to seep into the smaller cities and the volumes to build up but we will be concentrating mainly on the big cities now. However, that said, Dominar exports have already started this month. We have already exported in the month of April over 1,000 units. We will have good traction from many export markets Latin America, and other places. So, I think the total volumes for Dominar will keep going up from here. Anuj: Any number on that, especially on the export front for Dominar, any number that you are targeting? A: Let me talk about because you started by talking about exports in total, as you see, this month exports have been quite good for us. After a long time we have gone to this 1,52,000 units. South Asia, Nepal, and Bangladesh have done very well, Sri Lanka is still struggling, Africa has stabilised, in fact this month of April, not much exports into Nigeria but still we could make this number and Nigeria is again getting better with very good retails of almost of about 16,000 units in two wheelers in the month of April. Apart from some up-down movement in Mexico depending upon what President Trump talks, the Latin America markets have been stable, Philippines has been doing very well, Malaysia, we are ready to go and everything is done and ready there. So, exports, still we will take it month-by-month because not all problems are behind us, not all countries are stable, and not all currencies are stable already. However, for the first time I would like to say that this year looks quite good, I am cautiously optimistic but after many months I am using that term exports now. Sonia: Just a larger, more qualitative trend of what is happening in the domestic market, now that this BS-IV confusion is out of the way, the transition has taken place, what do you see as the trend over the next few months given that the monsoon outlook is positive? A: The monsoon outlook is certainly positive. The growth numbers are quite positive, GST should be a positive. So, there are many positives there and unfortunately this BS-III, BS-IV stuff has destabilised. We certainly hope that this year will be much better, maybe we should go back to the first half type of industry levels. The second half was a washout but quickly maybe from May onwards itself we should see overall things doing well. Sonia: Overall things doing well means 3.5 lakh is a given for the overall sales for the next few months? A: I should say certainly for the month of May we are looking at 3.5 lakh plus, that is domestic export, two wheeler, and three wheeler all put together. We hope it sustains also in June. June is a bit of a monsoon month and some markets may be disturbed but I think we should be there. The Cabinet today gave approval to disinvestment of three ITDC hotels at Bhopal, Bharatpur and Guwahati. Announcing the cabinet decision, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) would offload its 50 percent equity in Ashok Bhopal and Brahmaputra Ashok Guwahati in favour of the state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Assam, respectively. In case of Ashok Bharatpur, ITDC, which is managing the hotel, will hand over the management control to the Rajasthan government. The states, he added, will have the option to upgrade and operate the hotels by involving private companies or to utilise the properties as per their requirements. The decision has been made keeping in view the dictum that running and managing hotels on professional lines is not the work of the government or its entities, an official spokesperson said in a Tweet. Jaitley also said that the Assam government may develop Ashok Brahmputra hotel at Guwahati as a guest house as there are many private hotels in the state capital. ITDC is exiting hotels in tandem with the government's disinvestment policy. Shares of ITDC closed at Rs 690.10 apiece on BSE, up 2.4 percent. Jet Airways live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Private carrier Jet Airways today announced that it would commence direct flights on the Chennai-Paris and Bengaluru-Amsterdam sectors on October 29 as part of expanding services globally. The airline currently connects 45 destinations with more than 500 flights every day in the domestic route. Globally it operates 150 flights connecting 20 cities across 16 countries. "Given the presence of corporates like Michelin, Renault and BNP Paribas in Paris and also in Chennai, we are launching direct flights from Chennai to Paris starting from October 29", Jet Airways, Vice-President (Sales), Praveen Iyer told reporters here. "Chennai also has these companies like Michelin, Renault, BNP Paribas and it is also the cultural capital", he said on the reasons to launch direct flights from here to Paris. On the Bengaluru-Amsterdam launch, he said the IT capital was the third busiest airport in India and there has been a "steady increase" in the number of people visiting Europe from South India. "The market size in the Chennai-Europe/US route is about 1,000 on the one way route. So two way it is 2,000 people on a daily basis. From Bengaluru to Europe or United States the number of passengers visiting on a daily basis is 3,000", he said. The introductory air fare would be Rs 33,999 per ticket in economy class in both sectors, while for premiere (first class) tickets, the cost is Rs 1.29 lakh on both routes, he said. The launch of the direct flights would not only boost corporate and leisure travel, but also contribute to significant growth in trade and commerce, he added. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today said the emerging orientation in the US and Europe for protectionism on trade is "worrisome" but not realistic enough to break the global economy. A day before finance ministers and central bank governors meet for the ADB's 50th annual meeting, the multilateral agency's Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada said it was "difficult" to say if protectionism was "good or bad" and he did not want to make any judgement. "I think ADB's position is, more open trade and more open investment climate will be beneficial for all the countries and economies. In that respect, I think we should support more open trade regime," he told a media briefing here. Citing the example of China which is shifting itself from export driven economic model to more internal demand driven model, he said that in his opinion there was a trend in Asia that "domestic consumption and investment play a much more important role than external demand". This trend, however, does not deny the importance of trade, Sawada said. Asked why there have been no strong statement from ADB about protectionist measures, he said, "We don't think it is a realistic scenario to consider that the global economy, because of the policy changes in the US and Europe, will return back to the broken economy." ADB, he said, emphasises on more open trade and more free movement of capital to all countries and it should play an important role to push open trade and investment regime. "This emerging orientation of the US and Europe is little bit worrisome situation but what I am saying is, it is unrealistic that global economy will move towards a broken economy that was happening during intra-war period and I don't see that scenario as happening," Sawada added. Last month, a communique from the IMF's steering committee in Washington dropped pledge to resist protectionism on trade. Omitting its October statement to "resist all forms of protectionism", IMF merely stated that officials are "working to strengthen the contribution of trade to our economies". In March, the finance ministers of G20 nations in their communique dropped the pledge to resist protectionism to suit the demand of the United States. There are fears that increasing protectionism in the US like tightening of visa regime and insistence on using American products may adversely impact global trade and investments. The ADB chief economist, however, said: "People seem to be worried about this protectionist sentiment, but I think this is unlikely (that) the global economy will become like a broken economy before World War-II. I don't think that is happening. That will never happen... that is an unrealistic scenario". Last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is scheduled to attend the ADB meeting here later in the week, had sounded a note of caution on protectionism, saying the world should debate whether it would make the global economy more efficient or sluggish. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel too had in his comments on the world economy stated that data pointed to a broad-based upswing in global growth, though risks remain, such as protectionism and geopolitics. There is an international push-back against trade talk emanating from the US, Patel had stated last month, defending the benefits of an open trading system. ntt_docomo_telecom_56035964 live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Tata Sons will seek the approval of the Competition Commission of India and tax authorities to remit USD 1.18 billion to estranged partner NTT DoCoMo to settle its long-standing dispute. "As per the...order of the Delhi High Court, Tata Sons will take necessary permissions from the Competition Commission of India and tax authorities to remit the amount in lieu of shares to be transferred to Tata Sons as per the consent terms," Tata Power said in a regulatory filing. Last week, the Delhi High Court rejected the Reserve Bank of India's objections in the Tata-DoCoMo case, clearing the decks for the Tatas to pay over USD 1.1 billion to the Japanese telecom major. Tata Group had been locked in a legal battle with DoCoMo over the alleged breach of contractual obligations pertaining to the Indian joint venture - Tata Teleservices (TTSL). "In terms of the...agreement dated March 25, 2009, Tata Power is to acquire 118,222,767 (11.82 crore) equity shares of TTSL. As on the date of the arbitration award that is June 22, 2016, USD 117,128,573 (117.1 million) was payable by Tata Power for the same," Tata Power said today in the BSE filing. The final amount that is payable would be determined on the date of the payment to DoCoMo and would, therefore, "vary" over the amount indicated, it clarified. Tata Power has remitted Rs 790 crore to Tata Sons on August 09, 2016 and this "will be appropriately adjusted" against the amount governed by the stipulated terms and conditions. It may be recalled that the two sides had gone for arbitration as the Indian company was not able to find a buyer for the Japanese telecom major's 26.5 per cent stake in their joint venture, when it exited from it. As per the shareholding agreement, on DoCoMo's exit from the venture within five years, Tata was to find a buyer who would purchase the Japanese company's stake at minimum 50 per cent of the acquisition price, which came to around Rs 58.45 per share. The other option was Tata purchasing the shares at the fair market value, which was Rs 23.44. However, this was not acceptable to DoCoMo and it had opted for arbitration. The London Court of International Arbitration or LCIA in June 2016 awarded damages of about USD 1.1 billion in favour of DoCoMo for Tata's inability to find a buyer as per the shareholding agreement. Thereafter, DoCoMo moved the Delhi High Court for enforcement of the award after Tata cited refusal of permission by the RBI to make the payment. The Delhi High Court ruling, last week, facilitates the payout by Tatas to DoCoMo. In a late evening regulatory filing, Tata Communications said that amount deposited by Tata Sons in the court by way of fixed deposit receipts, together with interest accrued, will be retained by the registrar of court till the clearance from CCI and Withholding Tax Certificate is obtained. Post this, the funds will be returned to Tata Sons for onward payment to DoCoMo, the filing said. Tata Communications said it was to acquire 158.3 million equity shares of Tata Telservices at a value of about Rs 1,058 crore as a result of the award. "On August 2, 2016, Tata Communications paid to Tata Sons about Rs 1,058 crore as recoverable advance in anticipation of satisfaction of the award and receipt of the TTSL shares," it said, adding that the final amount payable by the company to Tata Sons could vary. Infosys CEO Vishal Sikkas statement to hire over 10,000 American workers over the next two years including 2,000 people in state of Indiana in fields such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data, could be just a rhetoric aimed at calming the Trump administrations hostilities towards IT outsourcing companies, feels a former top Infosys executive. It would be very difficult for an Indian company to hire over 2,000 American IT specialists in deep technologies such as AI and machine learning in a place like Indiana. The key talent in technology space in the US likes to work in the Silicon Valley, and the statement could be aimed at pandering the current political climate of the country, former Infosys HR Head TV Mohandas Pai, told Moneycontrol. Its imperative to note that US vice president Mike Pence is a member of the US House of Representatives from Indiana. Pai further added that hiring 10,000 people in the US within two years would also be a challenge for Infosys due to a shortage of talent in the technology field. Infosys is estimated to have about 15,000 people in the US on a work visa. Its plans to announce an additional 10,000 US workers could mean that a large number of H-1B holders would be returning back to India, to be replaced by US counterparts. Hours after Infosys announcement to hire US citizens, a White House spokesperson praised the companys move. "We're glad to see companies like Infosys see opportunity in the American economy again," Ninio Fetalvo, a White House official, said in a statement to The Washington Post. Ironically, just last month, a White House official had targeted Indian IT companies. "Top recipients of the H-1B visa are companies like Tata, Infosys, and Cognizant they will apply for a very large number of visas, more than they get. By putting extra tickets in the lottery raffle, if you will, and then theyll get the lions share of visas," a senior US administration official had said. Pai also said that the big technology companies in the US such as Google, Facebook and Apple have been built with global talent. There are over 165,000 Indian students currently in the US universities. By not allowing them to work for US companies in areas such as technology where there is a lack of talent, the US would be hurting its economy, he said. However, it will be an indirect benefit for India, Pai added. When highly skilled talent especially in the STEM field with global exposure returns to countries such as India and China, they would start new companies and spawn innovation. It would help GDP grow tremendously in home economics, he said. harsimran.julka@nw18.com A Samajwadi Party corporator of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has demanded a 400 per cent hike in remuneration for the civic body members, terming the present payment of Rs 10,000 a month as "very meagre". Rais Shaikh wrote to civic chief Ajoy Mehta on April 12, demanding that the current remuneration of Rs 10,000 per month for the corporators be increased to Rs 50,000 so that they can discharge their duties properly. Terming his demand as "realistic and practical", Shaikh told PTI, "I would like to clarify that I have not demanded the hike in salary. I have sought hike of the remuneration which was last revised in 2002." "The current remuneration is inadequate to discharge our duty as a public representatives," said the corporator, who represents Mankhurd-Shivajinagar ward. "When we work in public life, we have to make lots of expenses on fuel, stationary, offices, staff etc. Seeing these expenses, the current remuneration of Rs 10,000 fits nowhere and I hope that the civic administration would give a serious thought to my demand," he added. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses an election campaign rally in Allahabad, India, February 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jitendra Prakash - RTSZHO9 On the World Press Freedom Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed unwavering support to the freedom of the media, saying it is essential in democracy. "World Press Freedom Day is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards a free & vibrant press, which is vital in a democracy," he said in a tweet. "In today's day & age, social media has emerged as an active medium of engagement & has added more vigour to press freedom," the prime minister said. World Press Freedom Day is observed to celebrate fundamental principles of press freedom. While the government is busy waging war on black money, international watchdog Global Financial Integrity has estimated that black money worth as much as USD 21 billion was taken out of India illegally in 2014, according to a news report by India Today. In its latest report, GFI also threw some light upon illegal inflow of funds, with India being identified as the parking spot for around USD 101 billion, 11 percent more than in the corresponding period a year ago. Titled Illicit Financial Flows to and from Developing Countries: 2005-2014, the report said that between USD 620 billion and USD 970 billion was drained out across all emerging market countries, primarily through the trade fraud route. In all, illegal inflows and outflows were estimated to constitute 14-24 percent of total developing country trade between 2005 and 2014. The highly detailed report is being considered far more precise than its predecessors as GFI published it after analysing information on international trade and balance of payments. It went as far as to include data from other sources wherever International Monetary Fund data proved to be insufficient, and Swiss data on gold exports, which together led to a revision of Indias inflow and outflow figures. Due to India's large imports of gold from Switzerland, rectifying this data issue significantly closed observed bilateral trade gaps between the two countries, one of the reports co-authors, economist Joseph Spanjers, was quoted as saying by Times of India. Despite the report presenting a range of estimates for inflows and outflows for India, economists have termed both the lower and higher ends of the range as conservative, taking into account that it was difficult to trace all illegal transactions. However, the higher end of the range is closer to previous years' estimates, while the lower end only takes into account trade gaps with developed economies, Spanjers said. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah while presenting this years Budget for the state had proposed to impose a cap on movie ticket prices and limit it to Rs 200. The decision, effective yesterday, came at a time when people are spending exorbitant amounts to watch the magnum opus Baahubali 2: The conclusion. When rest of the country is shelling out more than Rs 500 to watch Baahubali sequel, cinephiles in Karnataka will only have to spend Rs 200 in all theatres, including multiplexes. However, the state government has exempted the gold class from the cap. But, only 10 percent of the total number of seats in the theatre can fall in that class. Gold class seats will not be more than 30 or 40 in any movie theatre, said information department principal secretary M Lakshminarayana to Times of India. Single screen theatres do not have gold class categories. Hence, these theatres will reserve 10 percent of the seats to sell at a premium cost. Theatres like IMAX and 4D are also immune from this cap as these cinema halls offer high end technology that account for a lot of money and the owners have a sizeable investment in these theatres. Karnataka is not the first state to implement a ceiling on ticket prices in theatres. A decade has passed since movie goers in Chennai have been paying Rs 120 to watch a movie. Is price capping good for movie enthusiasts and bad for theatres? If the Chennai model is taken as an example then theatre owners and film distributors are not happy with the low ticket prices. They have been appealing to the government to hike prices in order to save the dying theatres. With a price of Rs 120, Chennai is one of the cheapest places to watch a movie but that doesnt spill good news for the movie industry. To recover the cost of a movie is a task with such low prices, say theatre owners. Also, watching a movie is an experience for film lovers and they expect theatres to be well maintained which includes proper air conditioning, well maintained seats and the cost of all this takes a toll on the revenues of the theatres. Exhibitors are urging the government to give them a free hand to fix the price of the tickets for a period of time like in the initial two weeks of a movie release. Narendra_Modi_Ramdev During his visit to Uttarakhand on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the importance of preventive healthcare and called for embracing cleanliness. Modi further talked about the negligence that traditional forms of medicine like Ayurveda were facing. The leader was inaugurating a research centre of the Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved. "While pre-independence period witnessed attempts to destroy India's indigenous and traditional arts and forms of healthcare like Ayurveda, a large part of post-independence period was spent in neglecting them." Modi lamented that the indifference led to foreign countries acquiring patents. "If we resolve to be clean, if we resolve not to litter or spread dirt and filth, we can save more lives than a doctor does. Cleanliness is the way ahead to make India disease free." "Our ancestors spent their lives making innovations and turning these innovations useful for humanity." "We must never forget that innovative spirit and continue making efforts to develop our traditional techniques and methods," Modi added. The Prime Minister hailed Ramdev for revolutionizing yoga in the country and creating global awareness about it. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Banking Regulation Act, preparing ground to take tough action against chronic bank loan defaulters. The ordinance, which will likely receive Presidential assent on Wednesday night, could allow the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to deal with bad loans on a case-to-case basis as opposed to following a set of broad guidelines and rules for all non-performing assets (NPAs). "Some important decisions have been taken on the banking sector by the Cabinet," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. "The details of the decisions for the banking sector will be announced after the President's nod." Indias banks have been beset with non-performing assets (NPAs), loans that have turned bad. Total NPAs at the end of December 31, 2016 is estimated to have crossed Rs 7 lakh crore. The RBI and the government had earlier asked banks to impose a strict ban on any new loans to wilful defaulters. Such borrowers are also now barred from being appointed as directors on boards of companies. The new law may also likely empower banks to force lingering corporate loan defaulters to forego ownership and voting rights in their companies, allowing lenders to induct new management leadership mandated to turnaround these entities within a specified time frame. The fresh set of rules may also allow banks to separate the outstanding unpaid debt into sustainable and unsustainable parts to better restructure loans. Banking industry sources said that the government has collated details on bad loans worth nearly Rs 50,000 crore that need immediate action against promoters and directors of chronic defaulters. The new law will also likely legally ring-fence bankers from scrutiny from investigating agencies, which many bankers say often restrict lenders to get after chronic defaulters. The top wilful defaulters' list prepared by the government and banks includes a string of diamond traders, two now-grounded full service airlines, a media house with operations across the country, a multi-state agricultural cooperative, mining companies, realty developers, garment brands, and several individual proprietors. These "wilful defaulters" have not repaid bank loans despite having the capacity to do so. Some of these have been found to have diverted funds to projects other than those for which the loan was availed, while some others have been found to have sold of assets that were pledged to get loans without knowledge of the banks. Wilful defaults are the worst kind of bad loans that empower banks to get after the promoters and directors by even naming and shaming them through public notices and advertisements for not paying up on loans, which banks believe that they have the ability to honour. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had set banks a March 2017 deadline to clean up their balance sheets. Mounting bad loans and high default rates by large companies have drawn criticism from experts and regulators. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More India plans to order about a quarter less Iranian crude oil than it bought last year, people familiar with the matter said, as state refiners cut term purchase deals over a row between New Delhi and Tehran on development of a natural gas field. The drop in volumes follows India's threat to order state refiners - Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, and Indian Oil Corp - to reduce purchases from Iran if an Indian consortium is not awarded the rights to develop Iran's huge Farzad B natural gas field. The volume cuts would put India's imports of Iranian crude for this fiscal year at 370,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to the sources with knowledge of the planned deals. India is Iran's top oil client after China, and last year imported about 510,000 bpd of crude from the country, according to shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon. The reduced 2017/2018 imports include 199,000 bpd by state refiners, a decline of about a third from last year, the sources said. Private refiners Essar and HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) have renewed last year's term contracts to buy 120,000 bpd and 20,000 bpd, respectively, they said. Most of the state refiners did not respond to queries on the matter, while Essar Oil, MRPL and HMEL declined comment. India's oil ministry also said it had no immediate comment. Analysts said apart from the gas-field row, India is also taking advantage of a narrow price spread between European oil benchmark Brent and Middle East price-setter Dubai crude, which makes it attractive to bring more oil from Europe into Asia. "Brent-related crudes are cheaper and sweeter than medium to heavy grades from Middle East," said Ehsan ul Haq of KBC Energy Economics. Also, Russia's Rosneft may start bringing more non-Iranian crude, likely from Venezuela, to India after buying Essar Oil's Vadinar refinery. Not all of India's refiners plan to scale back orders from Iran, though. Private refiner Reliance Industries signed its first Iranian deal in seven years to buy 30,000 bpd of heavy Forozan crude oil, one of the sources said. India's overall crude demand is around 4.6 million bpd, third highest in the world behind the United States and China. It was one of the few countries that continued to deal with Iran despite international sanctions that were in place until 2016. In order to tackle the menace of bad loans the government might soon create a bad bank. Sources tell CNBC-Awaaz that the prime minister's office (PMO) agrees with Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor's idea of creating a bad bank to deal with non-performing assets (NPAs) ailing India's public sector banks (PSBs). The government can create a strong asset restructuring company together with private investors in which the Centre will have 51 percent or more stake. Answer: Mr. Opportunity from Honda live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Scooter market leader Honda has gone ahead of motorcycle specialist Bajaj Auto to claim the second spot in domestic sales of motorcycles. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) clocked sales of 183,266 units in April as against 161,930 units sold by Bajaj Auto during the same month. Hero Motocorp, the Delhi-headquarter two-wheeler giant, remains the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in India. Bajaj Auto, the makers of Pulsar and Avenger, witnessed a drop of 19 percent in sales last month from 200,433 units sold in the same month last year. HMSI recorded a growth of 22 percent last month over 150,711 units sold in the same month last year. In the previous financial year, HMSIs most popular model, Activa, became the largest-selling two-wheeler brand in India as it went past Heros decade-long bestseller Splendor. YS Guleria, Senior Vice-President of Sales & Marketing at Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, said, After the mega sale of BS III vehicles, the one company that gained the maximum was Honda. We did not carry any burden of BS III stock into the new year. This led to very low stock with dealers." In the past few years we have seen that motorcycles move faster during the marriage season especially in the north of India. Bikes are given as gifts. That is why the stock of Shine and Livo stock were too low when we entered April. Shine contributed 50 percent to total bikes sales last month. We have a back order of 30,000 motorcycles most of which is for the Unicorn 150," added Guleria. Honda is confident of maintaining its lead over Bajaj in the coming months too as it scales up production. Everybody is aware there is a capacity constraint till July. From August onwards we are confident of retaining the lead, added Guleria. HMSI has set a target of selling 6 million units in domestic and exports markets, including 5.7 million units in the domestic market alone. For this, the company is pumping in Rs 1600 crore this year towards setting up a new production line as well as launching four new products this year. Honda is adding 600,000 units to the annual capacity at its third plant in Karnataka, taking the plants total capacity to 2.4 million and the countrywide total capacity to 6.4 million. The Karnataka plant will thus have four production lines, which will take the total number of production lines to 12. The new line will be operational in July. India is already the largest market for Honda, globally contributing 30 percent of its worldwide sales. The company is aiming to further enhance its presence in India for which it is adding 500 touch-points this year, taking the total to 5800. But as many as 75 percent of the new additions will be made in rural areas, taking the market leader Hero head-on as rural markets contribute half of Hero's sales. Even as the market looks settled in its bull phase, with minor spells of consolidation, Macquarie Research is upbeat about the Streets performance. The research firm sees any correction in the markets to be an opportunity to buy into dips. Going forward, positives such as GST, ease of doing business, among others, will boost the indices. We are in a situation where flows are strong from domestic investors. Structurally, it is a very important development that these investors are coming in (through SIPs). Indias savings class needs to increase exposure to equities," Sandeep Bhatia, Head of Equity-India, Macquarie Securities Group, told CNBC-TV18 in an interview. In fact, this event must be celebrated as no other market in the world is driven by domestic flows, Bhatia added. Domestic money is a train that has just started and one must better board this train, he told the channel. Speaking on the surge in real estate stocks, Bhatia said this was a result of the market looking to latch on to a new theme. The sector has been witnessing positive developments on the legislation front; RERA has come into effect and there is hope for cleaner and effective model as well, he said. Having said that, he recommends sticking to high quality names if one wants to play this sector. Bhatia likes Prestige Estates due to this high quality nature as well. Going forward, he expects some sectors to be replaced from their leadership positions. For instance, he sees banks giving up their pole position to other sectors. Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview. Anuj: This year has been about a lot of housing stocks, real estate has made a huge come back, housing finance is at all-time high, do you think it is a bit of an exuberance here or are there good reasons for these stocks to be where they are right now? A: I think it is a combination of multiple factors. In the last twenty to twenty-five years of looking at the market I see that every time the market wants to latch on to a new theme. So at some point in time it was infrastructure, before that it was IT and now this seems to be that everyone wants capital goods and infrastructure to come back but it is clearly not the right time. That is what the market feels. Therefore a proxy of it is housing. Clearly, the trigger also is the passage of legislation. From May onwards Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) is coming into play. So clearly there is definitely a hope for a much cleaner regulation and much more effective business model for all these housing companies. Currently, the exuberance is confined to some high quality names but it can go to the wider sector very easily and I am sure it will go to. Our own view is that stick to the high quality names if you want to play the real estate sector and dont join the wider move. However, clearly the market will give you good returns through the next three-five years. In the near-term it sometimes gets ahead of itself but structurally we are probably in the best place we have been for a very long time. Even after 2014, the continuous series of electoral wins and mandates which the current government has got gives us hope that policy environment will be very conducive and stable. Latha: Let me pick the markets itself, what is your sense about the Nifty, at 9,300, is it looking expensive or year-end gains can be much better. What are you looking at? A: The Nifty is definitely not cheap and it will not be cheap too. Unfortunately, I think we are in a situation where flows will be strong and should remain strong for the future both from domestic institutions which is a big new development, structurally this is a very positive development that money is moving structurally into systematic investment plans (SIPs) and into equity funds and this will continue. Indias saving class needs to increase its exposure to equities. It is coming at a time when Nifty is at an all-time high, so be it. But that will continue. My sense is Nifty is fairly priced not into very expensive range but can easily get there another 10 percent or so. But I would not see a let up in flows, I would not see any major correction and in fact I would recommend buying into any dips. Sonia: I was going through your list of top midcap picks and within that you have something like Prestige Estates that you have been bullish on, I heard you mentioned the real estate space briefly but these are stocks that have already given you 50-60 percent returns this year. Do you see more? A: As I said focus on high quality names, Prestige is clearly one of the better players and best players in its regional market. So we definitely like that. Real estate can definitely see good returns when it rerates from here and it has gone through this process of rerating. More of it can happen. I would think that the real estate unfortunately is a very small sector in the market, cannot be a big part of any portfolio structurally or it cannot be a big part of the market rerating. For the markets to move up, real estate is just one theme but the larger sectors primarily banks, infrastructure, refineries, capital goods, these are the sectors that need to come through and I am sure that this will come through in the next two-three years. Anuj: You talk to a lot of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and a lot of domestic investors as well. What is the feedback because we have seen consistently now, DIIs investing so much money into our markets but FIIs, there was a period of one week or 10 days where we saw return of FII money but that has gone back now and once again we are dependent on DII flows, what is leading to that? A: I think we should celebrate the fact that DIIs are becoming bigger and bigger. I do not see any market in the world which is not driven by domestic flows and domestic money. I think it is the very healthy development, it is structurally the best development which the demonetisation has partly helped trigger, of course it was in play for some time and there was a lot of work which was done by the institutions in terms of correctly positioning and selling the mutual fund product but this is something which will continue structurally and it has a very long way to run. This domestic money is a train which has just started and you better board this train because it can run for the next three-four decades as long as the earnings, saving, consumption lifecycle of the generation who is starting work now in their 20s, that is something which will move this train for a very long time. Anuj: What is that telling you about the kind of risk appetite that we have globally? So that question was based more on that but on the index, do you think we can still have a positive year from hereon as well even after the kind of gains that we have seen? A: We can definitely have a positive year. I think the implementation of goods and services tax (GST) when it comes through in the middle of this year would be one big trigger in terms of giving impetus to growth. There was a hope that taxes will fall, maybe that hope will not come through but just a fact that the ease of doing business will work and India will become finally one common market. The states of India, which were separate markets and unfortunately for some categories, they will still remain very separated markets but for vast portion of goods and services, it will be one common market and that itself will be a trigger to this market. Remember one thing I think risk appetite for overseas investors even if it comes off, it is a near-term phenomenon, I would think that foreign investors will definitely step into this market as earnings trajectory picks up after the GST implementation. As far as the markets are concerned, I would think another 10 percent from hereon on the indices is easily possible but we should remember that the sectors that have driven this market, large sector such as banks will have to see leadership to other sectors. When that happens, whether it happens this year, whether this happens in later part of next financial year, we will have to wait and see. A broker looks at a terminal while trading at a stock brokerage firm in Mumbai November 6, 2008. Indian shares fell 3.8 percent on Thursday to their lowest close in a week, caught in a broad global sell-off on fears of a deep U.S. recession, while higher-than-expected inflation data added to the pain late on. REUTERS/Arko Datta (INDIA) - RTXABJW live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Benchmark equity indices have witnessed a bull run so far this year, posting gains of 12-14 percent in the four months that passed by. Though it saw some spurts of consolidation, the Street has largely been able to pull itself back in the green zone. On the stock-specific front, there were many scrips that gave substantial returns to investors as well. Brokerage firm Equirus has a model portfolio that has given a return of 20.2 percent since its launch in August 2016. At the end of March 2017, it outperformed BSE500 by 380bps and 513 bps over Nifty, driven by strong performance by stocks like Pokarna, Federal Bank, GSPL, Minda Industries and Britannia. The strong liquidity flow is likely to keep the markets buoyant and we are seeing incremental buying on all the dips. We continue to like selective stocks, which we believe is better way than broader market play, the brokerage house said in its report. Here are ten stocks that are present in the portfolio with a long call and a high upside potential. 1. JSW Energy | Target: Rs 106 | Upside: 58 percent The brokerage firm says that the 650-MW contract is expected to provide short term relief to Vijaynagar plant by enabling 80 percent PLF in 4QFY17E/1QFY18E. Moreover, Barmer and Hydro plants should provide balance to overall portfolio with 91 percent of its 2.5 GW capacity contracted on regulated return + incentives. 2. Sadbhav Infrastructure | Target: Rs 141 | Upside: 41 percent The research firm expects the stock to rerate due to improving traffic scenario across Indian roads. This will lead to higher toll revenues from operational projects, improvement in profitability due to refinancing of its operational projects & further revenue ramp up expected from its Hybrid Annuity projects portfolio, it said in the report. 3. Avanti Feeds | Target: Rs 1,070 | Upside: 24 percent With operationalizing of new shrimp processing facility in early FY18, the shrimp feed manufacturer is all set to ride the next phase of growth. We estimate revenue/EPS CAGR (FY17E-19E) of 27 percent and 28 percent with RoE of 35 percent/34 percent in FY18/19 respectively, it said in a report. 4. Federal Bank | Target: Rs 130 | Upside: 21 percent Equirus expects increased contribution from non-home market and healthy generation from Fedfina (its financial services entity) to lead to 20 percent loan book CAGR between FY17E and FY19E. This will be complemented by healthy margins (3.3 percent) on the back of retail deposits growth and expect 21.5 percent NII CAGR between FY17E-FY19E, it added. 5. Infosys | Target: Rs 1,113 | Upside: 21 percent The medium term view for the stock remains optimistic led by Infosys ability to participate in newer technology deals, healthy deal signings (12M backlog up 36% yoy) and margin expansion, it said in its report. In fact, the current correction presents attractive entry points, it added. 6. ICICI Bank | Target: Rs 324 | Upside: 16 percent The brokerage firm sees eventual loss being contained at Rs 26,000 crore. Rating profile of the bank is improving as 70 percent of incremental lending during FY14-FY16, and strong retail franchise will continue to drive healthy pre-provisioning profits, it said in the report. 7. Power Mech Projects | Target: Rs 633 | Upside: 14 percent It sees robust order book driving execution visibility in FY18 and Fy19 estimates. Sluggishness in the domestic ETC market is likely to be offset by higher share of O&M, AMC and international market, the brokerage said in the report. 8. Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation | Target: Rs 137 | Upside: 10 percent Discounted prices of imported coal -major reason behind volume drop of GMDC over last two years. Now with higher imported coal prices, we expect large customers (who had mainly shifted to imported coal) to come back to GMDC. 9. Pokarna | Target: Rs 1,615 | Upside: 9 percent The company is among few listed granite firms with fully integrated operations from captive quarries to own marketing. In quartz, there is huge opportunity to capitalise in USA market. Tie up with IKEA is expected further boost sales, the report added. 10. CCL Products India | Target: Rs 366 | Upside: 8 percent Higher contribution from value added products will result in better EBITDA margins. 'Continental' brand commands better margins and is receiving good response from customers. Also, Brazil's conundrum likely to create bigger opportunities for CCL, the brokerage said in its report. The Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) is looking to tighten norms for statutory auditors of listed companies with a view to making them more accountable. Sources tell Moneycontrol that the regulator has started initial discussions with stakeholders to put in place a set of rules which will define parameters based on which statutory auditors will have to be hired by listed companies. The regulator feels if the statutory auditors play their roles efficiently then promoters wont [siphon off company] funds easily. We should frame tougher norms for empanelling auditors and make them more accountable towards the regulator, a source privy to development told Moneycontrol. A statutory auditors role is critical to a companys image as they vet a companys financial records and give a fair view of the state of the companys affairs. However, statutory auditors have been found wanting in this area as a number of high-profile instances, most notably of Satyams, have shown in the past. For investors, whose reliable source of information is often a companys financial records, it is a costly bet if an audit report misses out on malpractices. Along with Satyam, which in many ways set the ball rolling on a statutory auditors many blind spots, audit reports of United Spirits and Kingfisher Airlines were also found to have glaring loopholes. In order to avoid another Satyam-like error, SEBI is working to make statutory auditors more vigilant. "From the global perspective, there are umpteen examples where regulators have taken defaulting auditors to task. Recently, a similar stance was taken by SEBI in response to defaults on part of statutory auditors. In the case of United Spirits, SEBI is examining the role of auditors in non-detection of diversion of funds. Such action by SEBI in response to misconduct or malpractices on part of the auditors is also independent and additional to the action that may be taken by ICAI (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India), says Vaneesa Aggarwal, Partner, Suvan Law Advisors. In an interaction with Moneycontrol ICAI President Nilesh S Vikamsey said that the new Companies Act, 2013 in which many sections were effective from Financial year 2014-15, has made stringent norms for companies as also increased the reporting requirements for the auditors. "Also, in 2013 Companies Act the penal consequences against the companies and auditors in cases of any shortcomings are quite stringent apart from the CA Act which has its own Discliplinary Mechanism," he said. He mentioned that ICAI is willing to extend support to SEBI and jointly work them the regulator. In recent times, following complaints, SEBI has turned its gaze on audit reports of Raymond, Treehouse, S Kumars Nationwide, Gujarat NRE coke, REI Agro and Elder Pharma. In some cases, company promoters were known to have appointed statutory auditors who, for a fee, guaranteed them a favourable review. However, it is believed that SEBI proposal, if it comes to fruition, will put paid to all such collusions. And, more importantly, forensic audits of company reports will gain the trust of investors. If the regulator makes tougher norms, then financial audits will re-gain the confidence of investors, a market expert told Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity. JN Gupta, Founder of SES Proxy Firm, also said that any such step taken by lawmakers like SEBI will be welcome and must be enforced religiously. Ministry of Corporate Affairs also wanted to super-regulate the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. However, due to immense pressure from chartered accountant lobby this step failed to get traction. The market is quick in spotting hidden gems and according to analysts, this gets reflected in stocks which are trading significantly above their book value. Book value is an accounting measure which is calculated as total assets minus intangible assets such as patents, goodwill and liabilities. If any stock is trading above its respective book value could be considered risk, but analysts say that market is attributing higher valuation to the future growth rate of the company. When stocks are trading premium to their book value means that market is ascribing significant value to its future growth. When market ascribes a higher value to future growth it encapsulates higher risks as this growth can potentially not get delivered due to a plethora of reasons, Saravana Kumar, CIO, LIC MF told moneycontrol. Though high price to book theoretically indicates higher risks, but in reality, with a cyclical upturn in macroeconomics, these companies may deliver on the growth expectations and such higher multiples may be justified in the longer term, he said. Top 30 stocks which continue to trade with massive premium to its book value include names like L&T Technology, HUL, Symphony, Hatsun Agro, Eicher Motors, Bombay Burmah, Blue Dart, Quess Corp, Avenue Supermart, 8K Miles, Colgate etc. among others. Even if we look back at the performance of most of the companies falling in the list of top companies compiled by moneycontrol shows massive outperformance with respect to benchmark indices. Bombay Burmah has more than doubled investors wealth in the last one year, while Symphony rose over 20 percent in the same period, and Hatsun Agro rallied nearly 90 percent. However, specific investment call on buying more/holding/booking profit needs to be taken in the context of overall SWOT analysis and competitive advantages of any company in question, suggest experts. Investors should, however, be aware of changes in the risk profile of their investments all the time. In which case book value should be ignored? Book value may not be ignored in general, but certain sectors differ in the capital requirements such as banking which are more linked to book value for its future prospects, while FMCG has lower connect with book value due to its capital-light approach, say experts. In the case of a company with leveraged balance sheet, typically the price/book would appear to be inordinately high, in spite of which depending on the attractiveness of the other valuation parameters it can still be a good buy, Alok Ranjan, Head of Research, Way2Wealth Brokers Pvt told moneycontrol. In the case of real estate companies also assessment on book value basis could be misleading as most of the assets would be reflecting acquisition price of those assets and may not reflect the current market value of the assets, he said. Other parameters to consider Investors should not take a buy or a sell decision based on premium or discount to book value. It is a handy tool but should be considered along with other valuation parameters such as P/E, EV/EBITDA, Market cap/Sales etc. among others. As higher price to book indicates higher reliance on future growth, investors need to work on their assumptions of future growth. Future growth is mainly a function of growth of the industry, shift in market share dynamics in the sector given competitive intensity and adjacent opportunities which can be captured by a specific company, said Kumar of L&T MF. Investors be warned this high price to book value stocks usually also tend to test softer issues of investors like patience, confidence and holding power. These softer issues though may not be reflected easily in numbers, go a long way to achieving real returns, he said. Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar speaks during a news conference a day after his retirement, in Mumbai November 17, 2013. Tendulkar will become the first sportsperson to receive a Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, the country's government announced hours after the batting great's 200th and final test ended on Saturday. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui (INDIA - Tags: SPORT SOCIETY CRICKET) - RTX15H4P Indian Internet of Things startup IoT has finally launched the 5.5-inch Sachin Tendulkar Android phone the srt.phone. The Smartron srt.phone is runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor with 4GB of RAM and will offer 32GB and 64GB variants. While the former costs Rs 12,999, the latter is priced at Rs 13,999. The srt.phone runs the Android Nougat 7.0 OS. Other specifications of the smartphone includes a 13-megapixel rear camera with PDAF along with a 5MP front camera. The smartphone offers a 5.5-inch FHD with 2.5D Glass and is backed by a 3,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0 support and USB Type-C charging. For cricket and celebrity enthusiasts the smartphone will come with back covers featuring the batting legends autograph. The specs of this device sure look promising and at par with sub-Rs 15K devices that are selling in India from companies like Motorola, Honor and Xiaomi. May 03, 2017 / 08:20 AM IST 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, Pankaj Jain, Vijay Chopra and Ruchit Jain battle it out for top honours. Below their top stock picks and analysis: Pankaj Jain of SW Capital Buy DCB Bank with a stoploss at Rs 196 and target of Rs 205 Buy DLF with a stoploss at Rs 187 and target of Rs 197 Buy Syndicate Bank with a stoploss at Rs 82 and target of Rs 86 Buy Dewan Housing Finance with a stoploss at Rs 443 and target of Rs 465 Vijay Chopra of enochventures.com Buy IFCI with a stoploss at Rs 30.25 and target of Rs 34.50 Buy SpiceJet with a stoploss at Rs 108 and target of Rs 116 Buy Canara Bank with a stoploss at Rs 360 and target of Rs 375 Buy Punjab National Bank (PNB) with a stoploss at Rs 165 and target of Rs 175 Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking Buy Mahindra & Mahindra with a stoploss at Rs 1280 and target of Rs 1430 Buy Interglobe Aviation with a stoploss at Rs 1098 and target of Rs 1172 Buy Tata Global Beverage with a stoploss at Rs 153 and target of Rs 170 Godrej Buywith a stoploss at Rs 533 and target of Rs 580 Copper cooking pots still in use today, some dating back to King George IV, sit on racks in the kitchens at Buckingham Palace in London March 25, 2011. Staff at Buckingham Palace have lifted the lid on preparations for Prince William's wedding next month, giving an insight into what guests can expect and the amount of work they have put in to make the event a success. REUTERS/Nick Ansell/POOL (BRITAIN - Tags: ROYALS ENTERTAINMENT POLITICS FOOD) - RTR2KJGP Achiievers Equities' commodity report on Copper Copper trading range for the day is 371.9-380.9. Copper dropped as pressure seen on caution over slowing demand in top consumer China. A mineral-rich region of Papua New Guinea has lifted a 40-year-old ban on new mining and exploration, opening the way for copper operations. Anglo American plans to restart production shortly at its El Soldado copper mine in Chile as regulators have approved a new permit plan for the deposit. BUY COPPER JUN 2017 @ 375.00 SL 372.50 TGT 378.50-380.00.MCX. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More business SeQuent's Vizag plant gets EIR from USFDA SeQuent Scientific has received an establishment inspection report (EIR) from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for their animal active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing plant at Visakhapatnam. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Manish Gupta, CEO of the company spoke about the latest happenings in his company and sector. US President Donald Trump US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a "very good" talk about ending Syria war and best ways to resolve the dangerous situation in North Korea, the White House has said after both leaders held a telephonic conversation. During their conversation, the two leaders also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East and spoke about how best to resolve the "very dangerous" situation in North Korea, the White House said yesterday. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said. The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons, it said. The US will be sending a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, it added. "They also discussed at length working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East. Finally, they spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea," the White House said. Putin even invited Trump to talk more and to meet face-to-face when both leaders are in Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 summit of major economic powers in July. It was at least the third conversation between the two leaders since Trump's inauguration. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Chennai-based TVS Motor issued a circular to its dealers in the last week of April detailing its plans of converting old Bharat Stage III (BS III) vehicles to BS IV. Despite the best effort some of the dealers had reported some BS III vehicles left over with them. Based on the [old] BS III stock details shared by you, we will be taking back all the BS III vehicles which are produced on or after April 2016, noted the circular. TVS Motor, Hero Motocorp and Bajaj Auto are among the few two-wheeler companies saddled with BS III inventory after the March 31, 2017 deadline to phase out BS III vehicles. The company will be crediting the invoiced amount to the dealers' account after the old stock is returned. "Once the vehicles are converted to BS IV the same vehicles that are taken back will be supplied to your dealership," added the circular. While TVS Motor has promised to absorb the conversion cost a nominal processing amount of Rs 2,000 per vehicle will be charged to the dealer. The company said that it will export most of the BS III products bought back from dealers, TVS Motor told Moneycontrol in an email. The unsold BS III stocks are very minimal. However, we are working together with our dealers in getting back the products. Majority of these products will be exported, said a TVS Motor spokesperson. As per data filed by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers before the Supreme Court on March 20, there were about 6.71 lakh unsold BS III two-wheelers in the market. The auto industry sold about 6 lakh units, mainly two-wheelers, on the last two days of March, nearly half of the 1.4 million monthly units it sells on average in the country. This was after dealers were asked by companies to offer mouth-watering discounts to liquidate BS III stock, ranging from Rs 10,000 for a standard motorbike to a couple of lakhs for a sportsbike. Despite the rush, some models of unspecified lot remained unsold by March 31. Two-wheeler makers, who were producing BS III type products even beyond the middle of March, were forced to slam the brakes on output just before the Supreme Court verdict came out. Delhi-based Hero Motocorp, which had the largest stock of BS III vehicles, clocked a decline of 3.5 percent in sales to its dealers at 591,306 units in March as against 612,739 units sold in the same month last year. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More While the Donald Trump administration has accused Indian IT companies of taking the lions share of H-1B visas, recent data shows that American companies use the majority of these visas for foreign professionals. Of the top 30 companies -- which accounted for 35,120 visas from the total of 65,000 approved application in 2015 almost 19 were based in US, nine in India and two in France, as per data available with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the National Foundation for American Policy. The 19 US-based companies claimed nearly 18,904 visas, as per a report in the Financial Express . In 2015, Indian companies had grabbed only 15,136 visas. According to the media report, visas taken by the Indian companies were even lower in 2016. In last 2-3 months, US has been targeting Indian IT companies Infosys and TCS in particular for grabbing a large chunk of H-1B visas and unfairly taking jobs from the local people. Indian companies are already looking at alternatives to tide over the H-1B debate. Infosys, on Tuesday, said it will hire 10,000 US workers in the next two years. However, the company's Chief Operation Officer UB Pravin Rao said that there is shortage of experienced talent in the US. In an interview to Hindu Business Line, Rao said that the company will need to train people on newer technologies. On the issue of low salaries to employees on H-1B, Rao said: We dont differentiate between the Americans and the Indians. Our salaries are competitive and meet regulatory and compliance requirements. It entirely depends on the geographies and the skill sets. This is not about cost savings but having a much more global mix in your talent pool. US government has said that H-1B holders are paid much less than their counterparts. However, a Nasscom survey says that average salary of H-1B holders was at USD 82,000 in 2015, 35 percent higher than prescribed minimum wages of USD 60,000. The IT industry body also said that TCS and Infosys accounted for only 7,504 -- 8.8 percent -- of visas in 2014-15. The visa debate comes at a time when the gap between demand and supply of computer science engineers, especially in new technologies like cloud and mobile computing is widening, says the media report. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Trump administration today welcomed the decision by IT giant Infosys to hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years, saying it was a result of the US government's "pro-growth economic agenda." Infosys yesterday announced it will hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years and open four new centres in the US as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of H1-B visa curbs. The first of the four innovation centres for new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will open in August in Indiana, the home state of US Vice-President Mike Pence. In a statement to The Washington Post, the White House termed the announcement by the Bangalore-based tech firm a political victory for the Trump administration, which has on several occasions accused outsourcing firms of "unfairly" taking jobs away from the US. It said the decision was further evidence that companies are renewing investment in the US as a result of the Trump administration's "pro-growth economic agenda." "We're glad to see companies like Infosys see opportunity in the American economy again," said Ninio Fetalvo, a White House spokesman, in a statement to The Post. The US had accused Infosys and its larger rival, Tata Consultancy Services, of unfairly cornering the lion's share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system. Every year, the US grants 65,000 H-1B visas while another 20,000 are set aside for those with advanced degrees. At a White House briefing last month, an official of the Trump administration said a small number of giant outsourcing firms flood the system with applications which naturally ups their chances of success in the lottery draw. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations. Reforming the H-1B visa system was one of the major election promises of US President Donald Trump. He last month signed an executive order that seeks to make changes to a H-1B visa programme that brings in highly skilled foreign workers. The White House says the executive order will make it harder for tech firms to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour, and will strengthen rules barring foreign contractors from bidding on government projects. The Central government on Wednesday admitted in the Supreme Court that Aadhaar card holders data were indeed leaked, but maintained that there was no leakage by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Arguing for the government, advocate Arghya Sengupta told a bench led by Justice AK Sikri that the leakage was by various other government departments and state agencies. Sengupta said the leakage might have occurred on account of balancing transparency and data protection concerns. As Justice Sikri pointed out that there were reports in the newspapers even on Wednesday about leakage of Aadhaar data, Sengupta said there could be some errors here and there and some IDs were perhaps issued in the names of Hanuman and dogs but UID remains the most sophisticated and authentic biometric system. Sengupta was defending the governments new law that makes Aadhaar mandatory for having PAN cards and also for filing Income Tax returns. He said the legislature was competent to enact Section 139AA, which was inserted in the Income Tax Act under the Finance Act, 2017. Read the full report from News18 here The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday suspended its Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan who had accused senior party leader Kumar Vishwas of being an "RSS-BJP agent". The suspension is seen as a compromise after Vishwas had threatened to quit the party. The AAP has also set up a disciplinary committee to look into the statements made by Khan against Vishwas. In the party's Political Affairs Committee meeting which lasted for three hours at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, a decision was made to give greater responsibility to Vishwas. "He (Vishwas) will be Rajasthan's party in-charge as the state goes to polls next year," Deputy Chief Manish Sisodia told reporters. The move comes after Vishwas, in a meeting with Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders last night, demanded stern action against Khan who had accused him of being an "RSS-BJP" agent and plotting a coup in the party, sources said. The Okhla MLA had on Monday resigned from the PAC. Vishwas had accused Khan of being a "mask" and acting at the behest of a "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal. After the emotional outburst, Vishwas had threatened to quit the party. Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had visited the Ghaziabad residence of Vishwas late in the night to pacify him. The three, along with party leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, then went to the chief minister's residence. The meeting continued until late in the night. Rank 10 Company: Bosch | Industry: Engineering, Manufacturing | Country: Germany (Image: Reuters) Germany's Bosch, the world's largest auto parts supplier, said today it had sold its subsidiary making starter motors and generators to a Chinese buyer. It did not disclose the price, but industry sources estimated it at more than 500 million euros (USD 550 million). The buyers are Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group Co. (ZMJ) and Hong Kong-based China Renaissance Capital Investment, the German company said in a statement. Their purchase of Robert Bosch Starter Motors Generators Holding GmbH (SG) is still subject to approval by antitrust and other authorities. The buyers said they would keep the company's almost 7,000 staff at 16 locations in 14 countries. "ZMJ will support SG in further expanding its competitive product portfolio," said the Chinese company's CEO Chengyao Jiao in a statement. "Improved regional presence, especially in Asia, will allow SG's business to be expanded sustainably and profitably." ZMJ is a major Chinese automotive supplier, making starters and generators as well as engine components for commercial vehicles and passenger cars. Stuttgart-based Bosch, an unlisted family company, also makes industrial products, household appliances and power tools. With 390,000 employees worldwide, it booked 73.1 billion euros in turnover last year, according to provisional data. It will present its results for 2016 at its annual press conference Thursday. "I wasn't for the sale of it in the beginning, we voted against it, and raised our voices and made the calls. It's like anything else, I'm tired of everything going up: heating oil, fuel, food, and now the sewer," said voter Lowell Delp. Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity Friends In Pink is still on the radar and growing every year Letter to editor: Voting is necessary to protect democracy 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, May 03, 2017 Syria Summary - A New Russian Proposal And A Battle For The South Russia is extremely active in search of a diplomatic way forward in the Syria conflict. Last month talks were held in Russia with the Syrian foreign minister and the Iranian foreign minister. New plans were discussed and agreed upon. A few days ago Russia's foreign minister had talks with the U.S. Secretary of State. This week a visit of Merkel to Putin followed. On the same day Putin had a phone-call with Trump. A new round of the Astana piece talks under Russian sponsorship with the Syrian opposition and a Syrian government delegation is ongoing. (Unlike before the U.S. dispatched a high State Department official to this round.) Today Putin met with the Turkish president Erdogan. Russia is offering a proposal for "de-escalation zones": According to the documents obtained by Sputnik, Russia proposed to set up four security zones in the Idlib province, to the north of the city of Homs, in Eastern Ghouta and in the south of the country. The rough draft offers: - de-escalation zones aimed to "put an immediate end to the violence" and "to provide conditions for safe, voluntary return of refugees" - security zones or buffers created around the de-escalation zones with checkpoints and monitoring centers manned by Syrian government troops and "rebels" - military units from unspecified "observer countries" could be deployed to these security zones - Turkey, Iran and Russia are named as as guarantors and will create a joint working group immediately after the de-escalation is agreed upon between the Syrian parties. The crux with the proposal is of course al-Qaeda which rules in Idleb and is also an important power in the other areas. Russia offers the de-escalation zones as a way to further negotiations and settlement only under the condition that al-Qaeda is eliminated from the zones. In the press conference with Erdogan Putin emphasized this position: "About terrorists, in spite of creation of these zones the war on terror will be ongoing - against such organizations as so-called Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and those ones that are put on the list of terrorist organizations approved by the United Nations," Putin said. But by now the "rebels" are to a large part associated with Jabhat al-Nusra aka al-Qaeda. The al-Qaeda terrorist hardcore is the backbone of their army. The U.S. sees al-Qaeda, at least temporarily, as a valuable proxy. They will surely not agree to give up on that. The draft proposal is another attempt to get Turkey and the U.S. to finally admit that there is an al-Qaeda problem, that a UN designated terrorist organization is at the core of these areas, and that no peace can be achieved unless al-Qaeda and the associated elements are eliminated. I doubt very much that Turkey and the various sponsors of al-Qaeda in Syria will agree to that plan. The Russian government surely knows this but it sees an advantage in dragging the problem into the open whenever possible. Map via ISW - bigger Meanwhile military operations continues throughout Syria. Turkey shelled Syrian-Kurdish areas in the north-east and in the north-west. It is pressing the U.S. to shun the Kurds as partner in the fight with ISIS and offers Turkish troops as replacement. But the U.S. does not agree with that plan. It sent a platoon of Ranger Regiment 75 up to the Kurdish held Syrian-Turkish border in the east to stop the Turkish shelling. Likewise Russia sent a platoon to the border in the western area around Afrin. That was a clear (coordinated?) message to Erdogan from the two big powers involved in the conflict. Russia deployed airborne warning and control aircraft to Syria. These can detect enemy fighter approaches over 600 kilometer range and direct friendly aircraft against such targets. In the east the Kurdish troops under the control of U.S. "advisors" have retrieved the city of Tabqa from the Islamic State. The Tabqa Euphrates dam right north of to city is still held by ISIS but will be the next target on the way to Raqqa. So far no further U.S. troops have arrived. There are rumors of a U.S. group concentrating in east Jordan ready to move up through the Syrian desert towards Raqqa. This would split Syria in half and establish an embattled eastern U.S. proxy enclave. I assume that this move has been held back for political reason but could proceed in any moment. ISIS is also under pressure in the area around Palmyra where the Syrian army is recovering oil-fields and pushing ISIS further east. ISIS responded to its defeat near Raqqa by dispatching five suicide bombers to Rajm al-Salibi, near Shaddadi, in Hassakeh province next to the Syrian-Iraqi border. This is deep in the Kurdish held areas. The bombers exploded next to Kurdish security forces barracks at a displaced persons camp. Some 30 people were killed. Another suicide bomb went off in "rebel" held areas near the western border with Turkey. The local "rebel" office for civilian services in Azaz was blown up and at least five people were killed. Near Damascus renewed infighting is ongoing within the "rebel"-held east-Ghouta enclave (map). The "Islamic Army" under Mohammad Alloush is trying to create a monopoly of force in the area presumably to then negotiate some agreement with the Syrian government. Jaish al-Islam attacked the significant al-Qaeda contingent in the area. Over 120 fighters on the various "rebel" sides have been killed so far. The area is surrounded by the Syrian army which enjoys watching the fight. The U.S., Jordan and Israel have a plan to install a southern "no fly zone" which means to occupy the south-western part of Syria. To achieve that they need to capture the city of Daraa which is the main administrative center for the area. bigger Daraa city is at the southern point of the government held area. It is under attack from US. controlled "rebel" forces but the Syrian army has held its area. The situation is dangerous for Damascus city. Israel could now march from the west through "rebel" held areas right to the doors of Damascus without any problem. To eliminate that danger Hizbullah has launched a large operation from the north along the Syrian-Israeli border towards the Quneitra area. At the same time forces move from around Damascus to evict "rebels" from the area. This could easily become a major battle involving "rebels", Israeli and Jordanian forces on one side against Hizbullah and the Syrian army on the other. Russia would clearly prefer to find a political solution instead of continuing or escalating the war. This even if it means to give up control over some parts of Syria. For the moment the U.S. seems ready to listen and may even agree to some deal. But there are still way to many spoilers on the ground (and their sponsors) who will do their best to disrupt any ceasefire or de-escalation attempts. Pat Lang has long been urging for a big Syrian army attack on Idleb governate and city to eliminate al-Qaeda from the area. But the Syrian and Russian governments know that such a fight, with the too small forces they have, would bog down as long as the "rebels" and al-Qaeda get resupplied through the Turkish border. Their aim in the ongoing negotiations is to move the U.S. and Turkey into some agreement that would stop such supplies to those terrorists. Only when that happens can Idleb and all of Syria be freed. Posted by b on May 3, 2017 at 17:39 UTC | Permalink Comments 'Captain America' star Chris Evans has been named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, and admits his mother will enjoy being able to "brag" about his new title. 10 hours ago A lawsuit filed by a Caldwell County woman claiming she was sexually harassed and subjected to a hostile work environment at the state prison in Alexander County has gone to trial in federal court in Statesville. The case was filed against the North Carolina Department of Public Safety by Amber A. Triplett after she claimed she was sexually harassed on numerous occasions by the inmates she worked around as a correctional health assistant, according to court documents. Supervisors allegedly responded to her complaints with negative comments, and showed no consideration for her safety, her lawsuit said. Attorneys for both parties on Monday filed exhibit lists for what they plan to present during the trial. The lawsuit claims the Alexander Correctional Institute was in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by not taking action and enforcing the procedures and policies designed to protect female employees. Triplett is seeking damages in excess of $10,000, court documents said. Triplett was hired by the prison in 2007 and worked in a unit that housed inmates segregated for administrative and disciplinary actions, the lawsuit said. Triplett helped physicians treat inmates considered to be intensive and on maximum control. The harassment by the inmates began about a year after Triplett started, the lawsuit said. After her complaints went ignored, Triplett filed a complaint with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in February 2014, according to court documents. About a year later, the EEOC issued a right-to-sue notice based on the violation. Triplett was subjected to inmates inappropriately touching themselves in front of her, making sexual comments toward her, issuing threats and undressing in front of her, the lawsuit said. Triplett reported the majority of offenses, including an incident in which an inmate grabbed her breasts. According to the lawsuit, one supervisor told Triplett, Well, you know thats the way these guys do back in segregation and its not going to change. Other supervisors suggested Triplett bring in a switchblade to cut their penises off, while another claimed nothing could be done. A filing for Assistant Attorney General Tamika L. Henderson, who is representing the NC DPS, said that she plans to introduce Tripletts resignation letter, a request for accommodation and the correctional facilitys restraint procedures. Letters and notes from people tied to the situation will also be introduced, among other things. The exhibit list for Tripletts attorney, Geraldine Sumter, included witness statements, the filed EEOC charge, the correctional facilitys responses to Tripletts complaints and the harassment and professional conduct policy. Look, I'm the guy who once called her a "viperous harridan," OK? That was 11 years ago in this space. I described her as such after she savaged four widows whose husbands died in the Sept. 11 attacks, denouncing them as "witches" and "broads" who were "enjoying their husbands' deaths." So I don't need to be convinced Ann Coulter is a bad person. But for as much as readers with whom I have been sparring on Twitter the last few days might wish otherwise, her character is not the issue here. "Here" meaning last week's standoff between the abrasive conservative pundit and the University of California, Berkeley. As you may know, Coulter was invited to speak on the famously liberal campus, but UCB first restricted the time of day she could do so, then tried to convince her to switch to a day when classes are suspended as students study for finals. When Coulter refused, the school canceled the event. Berkeley, you should know, has been the site of recent political street fighting. A February riot, orchestrated by about 100 black-clad punks, caused $100,000 in damage and succeeded in preventing an appearance by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannoupolos. UCB said there was a credible threat of a repeat performance if Coulter spoke. She had vowed to show up anyhow and appear, if need be, in Sproul Plaza, an open public concourse that was, not incidentally, the 1964 birthplace of the free-speech movement. Wednesday, under pressure from UCB, the two conservative groups that were sponsoring her visit rescinded the invitation, and Coulter said she would not come. Many of my more liberal Twitter followers, loathe to support Coulter on ... well ... anything, have resisted -- sometimes with desperately creative logic -- the notion that this is an issue of free speech. Here are some of their arguments and my answers: Them: The First Amendment applies only to government censorship. Me: You're right. And UCB is a public institution, supported by taxpayer money, which makes this a government issue. Them: She's milking this for publicity. Me: Maybe. So what? Them: She doesn't care about free speech. She's getting paid. Me: I get paid when I speak, too. Again, so what? Them: UCB never actually said she couldn't speak. Me: The courts have held that you may not "unduly burden" the right of free speech, i.e., impose special requirements upon a controversial speaker. That's why the city of Miami lost in federal court in 2003 after it billed a promoter for the cost of extra security required to bring a band loathed by some in the Cuban exile community to the Miami Arena. Here's the bottom line: I don't care whether it's Castro's favorite band playing in downtown Miami or a viperous harridan speaking at Berkeley. It wouldn't matter if it were Louis Farrakhan at Ole Miss or Bernie Sanders at the High School of Economics and Finance just off Wall Street. The right to free expression is either secured for all or it's guaranteed to none. So here is what should offend you even more than Coulter, particularly if you live in a place like Berkeley, with its 121,000 people and 170 police officers. A bunch of thugs just established that you can bully a public institution in a relatively small town into disinviting a controversial speaker. Which of our other freedoms will they come after next? Coulter called Wednesday "a sad day for free speech." This next sentence will cause physical pain for some of you to read, but you need to just the same: Ann Coulter was right. Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com. Jonathan Miller: Welcome to the Morningstar Manager Check-Up, where this week we start with the Sanlam Global Financial fund. Kokkie Kooymans been the manager since launch in 2004, and weve got a high opinion of his analytical expertise. Theres also a reasonable level of analyst resource for a sector-specific offering, so we believe theres a solid setup. Kooymans process involves buying undervalued stocks given their growth prospects, including turnaround stories. This takes him into emerging markets and small caps. So the result is a portfolio thats removed from the benchmark, meaning volatility over shorter-term time periods. For those comfortable with those risks in a dedicated financials fund, we believe this is a strong offering and the fund keeps its Morningstar Analyst Rating of Bronze. Next is the $1.8 billion Baring Hong Kong China fund, run by Laura Luo since 2013. Were positive on Luo as a fund manager, but weve seen process changes in recent years, brought in at the house level. The latest ones being down to a new global head of equities whos implemented further criteria into the research side. Theres also been turnover in the analyst team directly supporting Luo. Even though she continues to target quality growth companies trading at a reasonable price, we need to gain comfort in the investment process thats been frequently modified, so the funds Analyst Rating remains at Neutral. Finally, Kames Ethical Cautious Managed. Its been run by Audrey Ryan and Iain Buckle since launch in 2007, and they respectively run an ethical equity and ethical corporate bond fund. The strict screening removes about 35% of the FTSE 100, theres then a similar exclusion rate on the corporate bond universe. Whats more all gilts are excluded. The top-down part of the process is driven by the house view, then at the bottom-up level Ryan and Buckles ideas are implemented with risk and lack of overlap in mind. Given the ethical nature, performance can be impacted when areas such as mining, and bank stocks do well, as they did last year. But over the long term we see this as an attractive ethical offering and the fund retains is Analyst Rating of Bronze. Emerging-markets ESG filters help investors to align their asset allocation with their values, but they also create large unintended country bets. The UBS MSCI Emerging Markets SRI ETF (UC79) and the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets SRI ETF (SUSM) provide exposure to emerging-markets firms that have a limited negative impact on the environment; promote diversity and have good relationships with key stakeholders, including employees; and strong corporate governance systems. They also exclude companies in certain lines of business such as tobacco, alcohol, and gambling. This means that Emerging Markets SRI ETFs are underweight in their exposure to China and Russia, but overweight in South Africa, South Korea and Taiwan, relative to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The largest deviation is in China, which comprises more than a quarter of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, but only represents 3%-4% of the total weight in each SRI portfolio. Why Does China Fail to Make the Cut? In a paper titled Bridging the Gaps: Effectively Addressing ESG Risks in Emerging Markets, the Sustainalytics research team examines the ESG environmental, social and governance landscape across different emerging-markets countries and explains why China trails behind its peers across environmental, social and governance factors. Its not surprising that Chinas economic expansion and rapid population growth has heavily contributed to environmental pollution. In fact, company-level research indicates that Chinese firms receive the lowest environmental scores of all emerging-markets firms. Meanwhile on the social front, China lacks adequate labour standards and policies. As a result, on the job employee accidents occur more frequently in China relative to other BRICs. For example, Foxconn Technology, the worlds largest contract electronics manufacturer, whose clients include Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Dell, suffered reputational damage after several deaths and attempted suicides were reported at its Chinese facilities. These incidents had a material impact on the companys stock price. When it comes to corporate governance, Chinese companies poor financial and operational disclosures make it difficult for foreign investors to assess security risk. Opaque business environments also foster corruption and bribery. Additionally, most listed companies are government controlled entities. State owned enterprise are particularly vulnerable to conflicts of interest between the government and minority shareholders. For example, during the past 10 years, the Chinese government unexpectedly swapped CEOs between its three largest telecommunications companies, China Mobile, China Unicorn and China Telecom, to spread knowledge and see more parity in the industry. Highest ESG Scoring Emerging Markets India and South Africa are among the most overrepresented countries in emerging-markets SRI ETFs, with overweights of 6%-7% relative to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. In their article, IT Firms Give India an ESG Boost, authors Jon Hale and Archit Jain argue that Indias large IT sector is responsible for raising the countrys overall ESG profile. Because large Indian IT companies like Tata Consultancy Services derive most of their revenue from Europe and the United States, they must adhere to western ESG practices. While Indias rapid population growth has taxed the environment, the government has implemented several policies to reduce carbon emissions, promote energy efficiency and prevent climate change. That said, Indian companies have a history of child labour, employee discrimination and corruption. Under the King III code, South Africa requires its companies to report on their ESG practices. This greater level of transparency makes South Africa stand out among other emerging and also many developed markets. Controversies mainly concern the mining sector, which has contributed to environmental pollution, as well as human rights infringements. Interestingly, Taiwan is overweight in the MSCI Emerging Markets SRI Index by approximately 11% relative to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, while the MSCI Emerging Markets SRI 5% Issuer Capped Index is in line with the parent benchmark. This is because Taiwan Semiconductors MFG accounts for nearly 16% of the MSCI Emerging Markets SRI Index. In comparison, the stock represents only 3.50% of the MSCI EM Index. Aside from China, emerging-markets SRI ETFs are underweight in their exposure to Russia by approximately 1%-2% relative to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, for very similar reasons as they are underweight in China. Russian companies have failed to establish solid environmental, social, and governance systems. They are also among the least transparent in the emerging markets. Russias contributions toward environmental pollution began during its Soviet-era expansion. The countrys infrastructure is also archaic and has led to several employee health and safety incidents. Meanwhile, state-owned enterprises continue to cultivate antitrust practices and corruption. Trade-Off Between China and ESG Ultimately, with the current ETF offering, socially conscious investors looking to invest in emerging-markets equities need to make a trade-off between their exposure to environmental, social, and governance risks and their exposure to China. Heavily underweighting the worlds second largest economy represents a risk that investors with global portfolios need to consider seriously. Socially responsible investors wanting a larger China allocation may look to several index funds tracking the MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Index, or a customised version of it. But these come with less stringent ESG requirements. Hopefully, with time, as Chinese companies continue to operate on a global scale, their ESG practices will converge with those in developed markets. Consequently, investors will be able to access socially responsible emerging-markets equities with a representative China allocation. For now, a compromise between one or the other must be made. WINNIPEG: ICE Canadian canola futures dipped on Friday for the sixth time in seven sessions, pressured by technical selling and strength in the Canadian dollar. March canola lost $1.10 to $473.70 per tonne. Most-active May canola shed $1.50 to $481.40 per tonne. March-May canola spread traded 5,750 times. Chicago March soyabeans eased on uncertainty about US export demand.Reuters Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Generally cloudy. High 69F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with light rain developing after midnight. Low 63F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible. Rising prices are causing many homeowners to relocate to cheaper locales, according to a new report from Redfin. According to the report one in five of nearly one million Redfin users were looking for new homes in the first quarter.California, and especially the Bay Area, topped as the most expensive metro with the largest net outflow of people, with 15,087 leaving, according to Redfin.Nearby Sacramento was the preferred destination for migrating Bay Area residents, with 22.4% of those wanting to leave looked for homes in the states capital.Migration to the South was another trend Redfin recorded, with Florida and Texas the top destinations for people looking to leave their present home.Austin was a top choice for Bay Area residents aside from Sacramento, as one in six looking to move considered the Texas metro.Austin is the gold standard of healthy migration, driven by its booming jobs market and a vibrant housing market, said Redfin Chief Economist Nela Richardson. In order for cities to attract and keep a talented workforce, win corporate investment and generate tax revenues, they have to prioritize the basics for their residents ensuring an adequate supply of homes that are affordable to live in.Relocating within the home metro was still an option for searchers, with four out of five keen on moving close to their present home.Chicago had the most loyal residents, as 92.5% searched within the area, followed by Boston with 91.6% and Seattle with 91%.Click here for the complete report. Midland Police Department Chief Price Robinson said this week that he believes passage of Senate Bill 4 -- a measure that calls for local police departments to take a greater role in enforcing federal immigration laws -- will create a distrust in law enforcement. Robinson told the Reporter-Telegram he is a member of the Legislative Committee for the Texas Police Chiefs Association. Last week, police chiefs from major Texas cities signed a letter expressing united opposition to the so-called sanctuary cities bill, according to the San Antonio Express-News. If SB 4 becomes law, according to Express-News report, local governments in Texas could no longer prohibit their law enforcement officers from asking people in custody about their immigration status. The measure would effectively reverse some cities current policies, which forbid police officers from asking such questions. In a statement last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott described an urgent need to ban sanctuary cities across Texas, noting such policies put the lives of our citizens at risk. Robinson said there is already a process at the Midland County jail where each person brought in is asked about where they are born. He said if they are not born in the U.S., then U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is contacted to talk to the prisoner and make a decision about further detaining the person. The Texas Legislature, according to the Associated Press, passed the sanctuary city legislation Wednesday. Abbott has pledged to sign the bill into law, which could now come quickly. The passage of SB 4 would have a tremendous effect on our daily duties because it would mandate local law enforcement to inquire about the immigration status of everyone that they come in contact with, Robinson said in a statement. Local law enforcement should not be mandated to enforce federal immigration laws. We continue our own efforts to connect with people from all backgrounds who are here in Midland through events like National Night Out and Coffee with a Cop so we can work together to make our community safer. Robinson also said crimes against immigrants could go unreported as a result of SB 4, leaving those criminals to run free in our community. Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter said that the statewide sheriffs association isnt taking a stand on the issue. The following is the entire statement Robinson provided to the Reporter-Telegram on the subject of Senate Bill 4. The passage of SB 4 would have a tremendous effect on our daily duties because it would mandate local law enforcement to inquire about the immigration status of everyone that they come in contact with. There is already a process at the Midland County Jail where each person brought in is asked where they are born. If they are not born in the U.S., then ICE is contacted to come talk to the prisoner and make a decision about further detaining the person. I am on the Legislative Committee for the Texas Police Chiefs Association and I do believe this law could create distrust in law enforcement who may be asked to inquire about immigration status based on an individuals appearance. Furthermore, crimes against immigrants could go unreported as a result of SB 4, leaving those criminals to run free in our community. Local law enforcement should not be mandated to enforce federal immigration laws. We continue our own efforts to connect with people from all backgrounds who are here in Midland through events like National Night Out and Coffee with a Cop so we can work together to make our community safer. AUSTIN The man suspected of stabbing four people at the University of Texas, one fatally, suffered from mental health troubles and had been involuntarily committed for treatment in another city, authorities said Tuesday. University Police Chief David Carter said Kendrex J. White was "obviously" suffering from some kind of mental difficulties, but he did not elaborate. White, 21, who was enrolled at the Austin campus, was armed with a large hunting knife. He was described by former classmates as intelligent and easygoing and was active in a student group for black professionals. Witnesses described a sudden and seemingly random assault on strangers the middle of the campus of one of the nation's largest universities. Rachel Prichett said she was standing in line at a food truck outside a gym when she saw a man with a knife resembling a machete approach the person standing behind her. "The guy was standing next to me," Prichett said. "He grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved the knife in it. I just started running as fast as I could." Carter described the weapon as a "Bowie-style" hunting knife. He said the stabbings occurred within a one-block area as the attacker "calmly walked around the plaza." White was an active member of the Black Health Professionals Organization student organization on campus, said Melody Adindu, the group's new president. She said he was passionate about his work and was "very interactive and easygoing." Some of White's former classmates at Killeen High School, near the gates of the Fort Hood Army post in Central Texas, had similar recollections. "He was a really smart guy in high school. He was always nice, had plenty of friends and was in the international baccalaureate program. I'm definitely surprised he would do this," Kay'Lynn Wilkerson told the Killeen Daily Herald. Ex-classmate Angela Bonilla called White "the sweetest guy, laughing and having a good time with people." At the university, student Ray Arredondo said he was walking to his car when a mass of students near the gym started running. "They were just screaming, 'Run! Get out of here!'" Arredondo said. Arredondo later saw what looked like CPR being performed on someone outside the front door of the gym. Another student was sitting on a bench being treated for cuts to the head or neck, he said. One person died at the scene. The others were taken to the hospital. An administrator with the Graham school district, northwest of Fort Worth, identified the person who was killed as Harrison Brown, who graduated from the high school there before enrolling at the university. The district said in a statement that Brown "was an inspiration to everyone around him." The attacker did not resist when officers confronted him at gunpoint, Carter said. Lindsey Clark said she saw the suspect get tackled by police as he was running toward the entrance of Jester Hall, a complex of dormitories and classrooms. She described him as wearing a bandanna and gray sweatshirt and said he appeared quiet and subdued as police held him on the ground. "You could see and hear people running and screaming: 'There he is!'" before he was tackled by officers, Clark said. The University of Texas is blocks from downtown Austin and the Texas Capitol and is one of the nation's largest universities. Adindu and other students complained on social media that it took too long for the campus officials to send a text alert of the attack. Texts to students showed a nearly 30-minute lag between the arrest and warning, even though city and county emergency offices were tweeting about the incident when they first responded. Carter said White was confronted and arrested within two minutes of the first call to police and the situation was immediately under control. The campus siren was not used because there was no need for a lockdown to keep people in place, he said. "There was no ongoing threat. We had him in custody as soon as we arrived," Carter said. The attack occurred in the central campus, just a short walk from the administration building and the landmark clock tower that was the scene of a mass shooting in 1966. ___ Associated Press Writer Paul J. Weber contributed to this report. The university partnered with the US Forest Service to provide education modules designed at Michigan Tech and shared through the Climate Change Resource Center. Scientists have long known that the Earths climate is changing, but finding interactive and up-to-date information about why its changing and what can be done to mitigate the changes can be difficult. A team from Michigan Tech developed a series of climate change education modules for the Climate Change Resource Center to help US Forest Service, other government officials and the general public learn about the science of climate change, the effects climate change has on ecosystem management and responses to climate change. The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Sciencea partnership between the Forest Service and Michigan Techco-chairs the Climate Change Resource Center, where the modules are available. Watch Climate Change Science and Modeling video Watch Climate Change Science and Modeling Expand Basics The first of the three comprehensive learning modules begin with the basics of climate change science. It gives a short overview of the climate system, greenhouse gases, climate models, current climate change impacts and future projections. Simple animations enable learners to understand concepts without distractions. "The Climate Change Resource Center is what we consider the US Forest Services go-to website for climate change information for land managers. We want to make the science behind climate change and natural resources usable and useful to the people on the ground managing the resources but not necessarily doing the science." Kailey Marcinkowski, climate change education specialist Impacts The second module provides a review of current and projected climate change effects on water resources, wildlife, vegetation and natural disturbances, which are specifically geared towards forest and grassland ecosystems. Marcinkowski created the modules using Adobe Captivate, a program designed to facilitate e-learning, to address the Forest Services National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change. An element of that roadmap is a climate-change educated workforce. After going through the Forest Services curriculum, Marcinkowski spent about a year crafting the modules before releasing them in stages beginning in 2014. She is now in the process of updating them with the most current climate change science, as well as updating the Climate Change Resource Center website. Adaptation The third module explains a series of climate change adaptation options, the concepts of resistance, resilience and transitionand how to incorporate these concepts into natural resource planning. The module also provides definitions and descriptions of mitigation and restoration. The modules are designed to be interactive and to allow learners to work at their own pace through the content. Additionally, the modules contain hyperlinks for further reading and examples of how resource managers are currently adapting their management practices to climate change. Marcinkowski said its important to note that the modules are strictly about science. These modules are not political. Theyre not taking a stance, Marcinkowski said. Theyre telling you the science and the facts that have been peer reviewed. Were not pushing an agenda at all. Interactive modules developed at Michigan Technological University help federal employees in the US Forest Service and the Navy understand climate change science and how to apply mitigation strategies to land management. In the Navy In the past few years since the modules were rolled out, other branches of the government have discovered that the usefulness of the modules goes beyond merely meeting the needs of the Forest Service. The Department of Defense also started using the modules as well. Kristen Schmitt, a climate change outreach specialist at the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, began teaching courses for military personnel to supplement the modules themselves. She has conducted three to four courses annually, which are usually limited to 25 participants, including officers, non-officers and some civilian staff on bases. The climate change modules help the course participants meet natural resource compliance requirements on the military bases to meet federal regulations. A lot of times I worry that the material we are presenting is too basic, Schmitt said. A lot of the basic climate change science information is still very necessary, even among folks who are very knowledgeable about other scientific issues and very knowledgeable in their fields. Schmitt noted that information from the module has already proven itself useful. She gave the example of how base staff are addressing flooding at Norfolk Naval Base as sea levels rise. And while the modules reception has been mostly positive, there has been some push-back. Climate change is still so polarized, Schmitt said. It seems to help explain it as risk management. No matter what you feel about the science, your job in this case is to make sure the buildings on the base dont flood. Sea level rise could be one to four feet higher by the end of the century, and it needs to be incorporated into planning. But the modules are just a piece of what the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science does within the context of a broader program the institute has for climate change outreach and helping people with adaptation. "This gives us the resources to work across boundaries when youre talking about climate change and land management. The modules have been helpful for reaching a broad audience. Theyre done in a way a lot of people can understand." Kristen Schmitt, climate change outreach specialist Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science develops synthesis products, fosters communication, and pursues science in climate change, bioenergy, and carbon science. Learn more about specific projects on their website. Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigans flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure. Organizations with employees who derive value from AI are 5.9 times more likely to see financial benefits from it We are collating signatures to petition ... The Florida Legislature is going into extra innings, because the budget is not ready to be voted on. Senate, House struggling on details of $83 billion budget Sen. President Negron says budget will not be ready for Friday vote Legislative session goes into overtime CAPITOL CONNECTION: Latest News | Contact your Florida legislators Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, announced it was "improbable" the legislature would finish the budget by the end of the session Friday. That means the session will be extended, but it's not known when or for how long yet. Republican leaders have been hashing out the finer details on a new $83 billion budget that is supposed to combine priorities for both the Florida House and Senate. Florida law requires that the budget be completely finished 72 hours before a vote is taken. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Lutz, was hopeful Tuesday afternoon that a deal would be reached by the end of the day, but Negron said Tuesday afternoon that it wasn't possible. The annual legislative session in Florida lasts 60 days. Florida legislators are constitutionally obligated to pass a budget in every session. The Florida House on Tuesday passed legislation to implement the medical marijuana amendment approved by voters last November. Florida House passed medical marijuana bill Bill now allows edibles and vaping, more dispensaries Still has differences from Florida Senate bill CAPITOL CONNECTION: Latest News | Contact your Florida legislators Despite making significant concessions, however, the chamber's Republican leaders held firm on their refusal to allow patients to smoke the drug. The demand led some pro-medical marijuana representatives to vote against the bill. During an at-times impassioned debate, they called on Republicans to fully embrace the Senate's plan for implementing Amendment 2. "The last time I checked, Florida was the Sunshine State, not a nanny state," said Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando). "Who are we to tell legitimate patients that they can't smoke their cannabis? That's not our business, members." In a bid to bring the two chambers closer together on one of the legislative session's most pressing issues, House leaders agreed to drop a number of restrictions that had made their original implementation bill much more conservative than the Senate's. A 90-day waiting period for patients to obtain medical marijuana prescriptions from new doctors was scrapped, as well as a ban on marijuana in edible and vaped form. The House bill would also allow for 10 new medical marijuana nursery licenses to be issued after July 1, a dramatic jump from the previous framework. But allowing marijuana to be smoked was a bridge too far for many of the House's most conservative members, who argued that dosages of the drug couldn't be reliably delivered through a joint. Other Republicans questioned whether marijuana even has medicinal benefits. "Some of us may believe that medical marijuana exists, but in point of fact, you will find no convincing scientific evidence that proves that point," said Rep. Julio Gonzalez (R-Venice), a physician. With the Senate set to approve its medical marijuana bill as soon as Wednesday, negotiations over with the House over a compromise measure are expected to take place in the waning hours of the legislative session. Senate leaders have cautioned that a more conservative implementation scheme could trigger lawsuits from medical marijuana advocates. "The more restrictive we are, the more likely we would have litigation on this," said Sen. Dana Young (R-Tampa). And critics of the House bill warned that banning smoked marijuana would almost certainly lead to a prolonged court fight. "Would we rather this person get prescription opioids to handle the pain - maybe they're chasing those pills down with booze, who knows - or would we prefer that they smoke a bowl and go to sleep, and actually wake up the next morning?" Guillermo Smith asked during Tuesday's debate. Veteran fresco restorer Li Yunhe, 85, still works on the spot, and he has passed down his skills to his grandson Li Xiaoyang, 28, who, after college in Australia, is back in China to contribute to the cause. Photos by Li Bo and Wang Xionglong/For China Daily A third-generation restorer of the Dunhuang frescoes relishes the ancient art and the traditional methods to preserve it, Wang Kaihao reports in Quyang county, Hebei province. Li Xiaoyang is 28 years old, but he says he's been submerged in fresco restoration for more than 20 years, thanks to his family. It is not a joke. "I followed my grandfather and stayed with restorers at work sites for months," Li recalls. "That was how I spent my summer vacations when I was a child." Li was born in Dunhuang, Gansu province. The oasis city in the Gobi desert is known as a major stop on the ancient Silk Road and commanded a strategic position on that Eurasian trade route. Dunhuang's legacy includes the breathtaking Buddhist relics of the Mogao Caves, which date to the 4th century. The art of its frescoes reached its zenith during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the relics were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987, one of the earliest listed sites in China. Li's grandfather, Li Yunhe, moved to Dunhuang from his hometown in eastern Shandong province at the age of 24, working in Dunhuang Academy as a fresco restorer. He devoted his next six decades not only to the remarkable cultural treasures in the Mogao Caves but to many other exquisite ancient art pieces around the country. "What creates the spirit of craftsmanship? I think the answer is time," Li Xiaoyang says in admiration of his grandfather. "After repairing No 161 grotto in the Mogao Caves in 1962, my grandfather has gone back to check whether the restoration was solid every year since." "He is 85 years old, but it's a piece of cake for him to climb up 20-meter-high scaffolds. He says he likes staying with us young people, and that makes him feel young." A major retail store is on its way out of Orlando Fashion Square, leaving many curious about the future of the mall. Orlando Fashion Square in foreclosure Bank likely to put it on the market later this month Sears store being demolished for redevelopment When I saw Sears demolished, Im like whats going on? said Natasha Hill, who stopped by Orlando Fashion Square Tuesday to ring shop with her husband. What once was a two-floor department store is no more. Crews are now working around the clock to knock down the nearly 200,000-square-foot Sears store. Plans by Sears' owner, Seritage Growth Properties, went before the Municipal Planning Board in November, then gained city approval in December 2016. The plans include replacement of the ailing retail giant with flooring and hardware stores, and eventually -- in Phase II -- apartments along Maguire Boulevard. They also plan to re-purpose an adjacent 20,000 square foot Sears Auto Center into additional retail or a restaurant. But, many shoppers remain skeptical, after watching years of plans -- like a hotel -- seemingly gone awry at Fashion Square. I went to high school here, and this was the spot to go to," Hill said. They had a whole bunch of stores that were my favorite when I was younger, that are gone. This mall has really changed. Theyve added a couple of stores, but its going down a little bit," said Fontella Hosein, who shopped at Macy's. The redevelopment comes on the heels of the decades-old malls foreclosure. Were assessing and assisting the bank in mall operations, until the bank puts it on the marketplace," said mall general manager Brian Olivi. Olivi also works for Urban Retail Properties, the company retained by lender Bancorp to manage the mall after it went into foreclosure. Olivi said that the bank will likely put Fashion Square on the marketplace later this month. The mall has been like a pinnacle place for everybody here. And for it to just disappear, you just know the area as Orlando Fashion Square," said Hill, who hopes that the mall will not be sold. I hope they can bring it back to where people want to come here and shop everyday," said Hosein, who has shopped at Fashion Square for the last 15 years. This is my mall to go shopping between lunch hour and after work. Trash is everywhere at Osceola Heritage Park Inn along U.S. 192 in Kissimmee. Kissimmee condo hotel residents without water for 2 weeks Condo association budget problems likely to blame, real estate lawyer says PREVIOUSLY: Kissimmee condo hotel fight leaves residents without water The area is very nasty, Sylvia Rosario, a tenant at the inn, said Tuesday. She takes care of her elderly mother and three children. About 75 families are living without running water at the complex a problem thats been going on for two weeks. Having to live without water is just one more thing Rosario has to worry about. They [the children] want to take baths, but they cant even do that, she said. Rosario works full time at Burger King earning minimum wage and said she can barely make ends meet. I paid a lot of money to the lady to get the room and stuff like that, and basically, she took my money, because not even a week of being here, the water got shut off, she said. The water level in the swimming pool at Osceola Heritage Park Inn in Kissimmee is going down because tenants are scooping water out of to use in their residences. (News 13) Rent there ranges between $500 to $800 a month, which includes water, electricity and cable. But how can rent-paying tenants be left without running water for any length of time? Stacy McCland, a Central Florida real estate attorney with Bogin, Munns & Munns, said Heritage Park Inn is not your typical complex. Its an older hotel that's been converted into condominiums. With that type of setup, you have a condo association, the owners and tenants. McCland said one of two things is happening: Either the association is mismanaging its budget, or the association doesn't have enough money because the unit owners arent paying their dues. I would recommend the HOA, the owners and the tenants coming together, going to Toho Water Authority and saying, 'We need to get the water turned on,' McCland said. 'We want to make sure the electricity doesnt get turned off. What can we do to remedy this situation?' The water level at the pool has gone down drastically from two weeks ago. That's because complex residents have been scooping out water and using it for basic necessities. Rosario hopes someone will step in and help make the situation a bit better. We might be in the streets if nobody helps us, said added. Unit owners said its the condo associations responsibility to foot the water bill. The attorney of the condo association said they can't pay the bill until they receive payment from unit owners. Volusia County's NAACP chapter marched Wednesday against plans to bring Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to speak at Bethune Cookman University's commencement. Students who joined the march say they have a plan to protest during the commencement as well. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaking at Bethune-Cookman University commencement Students say graduating class will make statement of some kind at commencement B-CU: DeVos shares Bethune legacy of education opportunity DeVos was criticized after saying historically black colleges were pioneers of school choice. Critics say HBCUs grew out of necessity because black students were barred from attending regular universities and colleges. About 60 people took part in the march that started outside New Mt. Zion church on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard. Several of the marchers Wednesday evening said the cloud of controversy takes away from the students' achievements. "I think the timing is wrong. When students graduate, especially from college, its a time of joy and its about them," said Cynthia Slater, Volusia County-Daytona Beach NAACP President. March participant Becker Lebrun would prefer to see a speaker who would uplift and inspire students. "I have several issues, but the biggest issue is because it's a commencement speech. If she wanted to come to have a dialogue with students, I think that would be a good forum, but the commencement speech, they don't have a choice," she said. Tyler and Taylor Durrant graduate from the college on May 10, when DeVos is scheduled to speak. On Wednesday, they spent their afternoon making signs to protest the university's decision. "I want the university to understand that nothing is free and now we are going to be under the thumb of someone that says. 'I did you a favor, don't forget that,'" said Taylor Durrant. "We are not walking out of our graduation, this is our day, not her day," said Tyler Durrant. "The graduating class will definitely let people know this is going to be something to remember." The Durrants said some students from the graduating class are planning something for the big day. "We won't disclose on what the graduating class has come to, but it will be something we are all in support of. We know our alumni and the city will support us as well. I hope everyone is at graduation," said Tyler Durrant. University officials released a statement on the school's website. The statement talks about DeVos' ability to relate to the school's founder, saying DeVos has worked to expand educational opportunities for students. "Bethune-Cookman University is a school built on the legacy and the transformation of students," B-CU President Dr. Edison O. Jackson wrote. "Dr. Bethune's love for students started with five little girls and grew to over 250 students during her time as university president. The legacy of Dr. Bethune is that she was not constrained by political ideology, but worked across all parties to support B-CU. The president of the university also released a statement to students via email about the decision. The U.S. Dept. of Education Press Secretary Liz Hill issued this statement: Secretary DeVos is honored by the invitation from Bethune-Cookman University to deliver the 2017 commencement address. She believes that open dialogue and a willingness to work together are key to solving our nations most pressing issues, and she looks forward to continued dialogue with the HBCU community and the Bethune-Cookman students, faculty, and staff." A Marion County Sheriff's Office helicopter pilot is OK after his helicopter malfunctioned and crashed into a lake while fighting a brush fire on Tuesday evening. Sgt. John Rawls in stable condition after helicopter crash Helicopter experience a malfunction At about 6:30 p.m., Sgt. John Rawls was the only one in the Sheriff's Office's Air One helicopter when it was dumping water on a Fort McCoy fire with a bucket attached to the aircraft. While he was trying to get more water, the helicopter had a malfunction and went down in a lake, Marion Sheriff Billy Woods said. Rawls, who has been with the Sheriff's Office since 1998 and is an Army helicopter pilot veteran, was able to swim to shore and call for help. The Florida Forest Service and Marion County Fire Rescue assisted deputies by using heavy equipment to make a path to reach Rawls, according to Woods. Our pilot is OK and, though he does have some injuries, he should be fine. The Marion County Fire Rescue and the Florida Forest Service did an outstanding job in helping us get to our pilot out there in order to get him to the hospital, and I want to thank each of them for the services that they provided to us," Woods stated in a news release. The fire that Rawls was fighting was near Highway 315 and 212th Street Road in Fort McCoy. Primary school students comb through paper books or listen to audiobooks at a Beijing event to promote reading. Provided To China Daily A slew of activities were held in Beijing to celebrate World Book Day in April. Some focused on helping children form a reading habit. As a 2016 report by industry monitor Openbook suggests, children's books account for 23.5 percent of sales, the largest segment of China's $10 billion publishing market. To help parents select the suitable reading materials, a book list for children compiled by experts was recently released at the Chinese Museum of Women and Children. The list called Kingdom of Little Bookworms is divided into two parts - one for children aged 3 to 6, and the other for those above 6. "We still don't have an official system of reading levels in China," says Bai Bing, a veteran children's book writer, who started writing in 1977. "And that's what we wanted to incorporate when compiling this list." More than half of the 35 books recommended for children under age 6 are picture books in simple language, while the other 42 books for older children deal with wider topics and require better comprehension ability. During the book list's release, experts also emphasized parents' role in cultivating children's reading habit. "At home, if parents watch TV and are on gadgets all the time, it's hard to imagine that their children will have a good reading habit," says Wang Zhigeng, director of the children's book section at the National Library of China. "Action speaks louder than words. If parents themselves like reading and buying books, the children will imitate - and reading will become a family's culture." Wang points out that reading aloud for the children is important. He says: "To read out loud the story with your emotions, a clear voice and body language - to convey your feelings to your children ... It will help the development of children's abilities of empathy and comprehension." The book list is part of a children reading promotion program sponsored by China Children and Teenagers' Foundation and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Zhu Xisheng, general-secretary of the foundation, says that it will donate 100,000 books recommended to 1,000 libraries in the country. Johnson Huang, general manager of KFC China, says that his company has given out 20 million books with their kid's meals since 2015, and plans to give 100 million books in the next five years. The first China-themed library opens recently at Mexico's Anahuac University, hailed by rector Cipriano Sanchez Garcia and Cui Yuying, deputy director of China's State Council Information Office. [Photo/Xinhua] MEXICO CITY - The first China-themed library in Mexico was inaugurated in late April to promote a cultural exchange. Books on Chinese history, art, culture, traditional medicine and music as well as digital and video archives, can be found at the new Chinese Library at Mexico City's Anahuac University. Officials from China and the prestigious private university were on hand to inaugurate the 14th library of its kind worldwide, as part of celebrations marking 45 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The Chinese Library serves as "a window that will allow Mexico to better know our country, and it will also be a new platform for deepening educational, academic and cultural exchanges", says Cui Yuying, the deputy director of China's State Council Information Office. Cui says she hopes China and Mexico "can work together and continuously invest in the construction, administration and use of the Chinese Library, with the goal of turning it into a true cultural bridge that connects the two countries and a window that fosters bilateral friendship". The library boasts 6,000 books and 80,000 digital archives with information on China's politics, economy, culture, science and technology, education and history. The 120-square-meter facility is equipped with large-screen monitors for viewing some 100 hours of video and virtual reality featuring China's different regions, ethnic groups and lifestyles. Chinese language students will find special software, in both Spanish and English, to learn Mandarin. ALBANY Joined by governors of 11 other states, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is urging the Trump administration not to take the U.S. out of an international climate treaty to combat man-made climate change. Cuomo signed the letter in support of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement along with the governors of California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington. The agreement was accepted by 195 nations, and called for nations to cut emissions of greenhouse gas, which are primarily created by the burning of fossil fuels, so that global temperature increases are limited to no more than 2 degrees Celsius. "New York's aggressive efforts to combat climate change are essential to protecting and preserving our state and nation's precious natural resources for future generations," Cuomo said. "New York cannot combat climate change alone and today I've joined my fellow Governors in urging continued U.S. participation in the Paris Climate Agreement the United States must lead the charge in uniting the most powerful nations across the globe in the fight against climate change." Here is the text of the letter to President Donald J. Trump Dear Mr. President, We write as Governors of 12 states that are home to 107 million Americans and comprise approximately 38 percent of the nation's GDP, to urge you to keep the United States in the Paris Climate Agreement. Given the progress our states have made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we are convinced that the United States' goal of 26-28 percent below 2005 levels is readily achievable. Maintaining the U.S. commitment is essential to protect our residents, and indeed, all Americans from the potentially catastrophic impacts of a changing climate. We see our climate changing today through rising sea levels, increasing flooding, drought, and decreasing snow cover. These changes are causing forest fires and water shortages, adding to air pollution levels, and accelerating the spread of disease-carrying pests and causing illness and death from extreme weather patterns, amongst other impacts. Our states stand to bear the brunt of these climate change impacts and the economic costs running in the tens of billions of dollars or more. We stand ready as state leaders to continue to support the achievement of the existing U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreementand if possible to go further, faster. The policies we are implementing that support the U.S.'s achievement of its Paris commitment not only cut carbon pollutionthey also create jobs, boost competitiveness, and bring clean energy and a cleaner environment to our citizens. These benefits can and should accrue to all Americans. Collective action to limit emissions world-wide is critical; without collaboration, climate change will cost the world's nations several trillion dollars in damages. Under the Paris Agreement, all the world's major economies are taking action on climate change for the first time, including China and India, which have put forward their own commitments to cut their carbon pollution domestically. If the U.S. does not maintain global climate leadership through national policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to clean energy, China and India will. This would be a huge lost opportunity, putting us at a competitive disadvantage and potentially locking us into technologies and economic pathways that are increasingly obsolete while China and India reap the benefits of low-carbon leadership. In each of our states, the path forward is clear. Our citizens demand the low-cost, clean-air benefits that a clean energy transition can provide. Our leading U.S. companies recognize the need to address business risks and opportunities through the Paris Agreement, and are wisely investing in low-carbon fuels and technologies to stay on the cutting edge of the global economy. Our track recordreducing carbon pollution while growing jobs and our economiesprovides proof that we need not sacrifice opportunity for action. Indeed, we can secure that opportunity only by continuing to lead. Plans to outfit the Caltrain system with fast, environmentally friendly electric trains came to a grinding halt three months ago when Trump administration officials withdrew funding for the rail upgrade, saying they wanted time to rethink priorities. This week, hope of obtaining cash for the busy commuter system was renewed. A $100 million allocation for electrification of the line between San Francisco and San Jose was included in Congress tentative budget deal. While the money infusion is still far from certain the budget agreement has yet to be approved, and Trumps newly minted Federal Transit Administration has final say over transportation dollars Caltrain officials believe the appropriation is a good sign. Were hoping that this is a signal that the administration will be prepared to move forward with the grant and we can start construction, said Seamus Murphy, a Caltrain spokesman. Problems for the rail agency began when congressional Republicans petitioned the new president to drop a $647 million federal grant for electrification. The lawmakers were not so much concerned about Caltrains 15-year-old modernization effort as they were determined to block Californias high-speed-rail project. The Caltrain rail corridor, once electrified, will be able to host the states planned 220-mph trains between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Many oppose the venture because of its high cost. While Caltrain officials have sought to distance themselves from high-speed rail, the Federal Transit Administration told the commuter line in February that it was putting the agencys grant on hold in order to review projects that had received commitments from the Obama administration. Federal transit officials have not yet said whether they intend to reinstate the electrification funds, and agency officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The $1-trillion-plus federal budget agreement announced Monday, which includes several projects the Trump administration had threatened to cut, is expected to be voted on within the week. Even if the $100 million allocation for Caltrain is approved, the money cannot be used until the Federal Transit Administration commits to the entire $647 million grant. The money represents the outstanding balance of the nearly $2 billion project. Two contractors that are lined up to begin replacing Caltrains old diesel engines with electric trains remain on hold. Caltrain officials say electrification is needed to run more trains up and down the Peninsula with greater efficiency and lower fuel costs. Ridership on the line has doubled since 2005. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander Citing a pattern of bad-faith harassment, retaliation and fraud against rent-controlled tenants, a San Francisco Superior Court Judge has ordered a landlord to pay the city nearly $2.4 million in penalties for violations of state housing law. In a tentative ruling, Judge Angela Bradstreet said landlord Anne Kihagi and her associates had purposefully destroyed their tenants quiet enjoyment and any sense of sanctuary through their long, continued and unrelenting campaign of harassment, reductions in services, and unlawful and fraudulent evictions. Their reprehensible conduct had a terrible effect on the lives of multiple San Francisco citizens, Bradstreet stated. The judges tentative decision also voids pending evictions, including at 1135-1139 Guerrero St., where Kihagi is in the process of evicting several elderly tenants. The ruling bars the landlord from having contact with past, present or future tenants. Instead, she must hire an independent property manager, who must be approved by the city. Kihagi must also reimburse the city for all legal and investigation fees related to the case, which will top $2 million. Ive gone after a lot of lawless landlords in my time, but Anne Kihagi has a special place reserved for her in San Franciscos abusive landlord hall of fame, said City Attorney Dennis Herrera, whose office sued Kihagi in June 2015. You cant come to this city and lie, cheat and steal your way to massive wealth on the backs of residents. Were not going to allow it. Kihagi, a native of Kenya and a former investment banker, started buying properties in June 2013 in Noe Valley, the Castro, the Mission and North Beach. She had previously invested in multifamily properties in West Hollywood, where she was also sued by the city for violating rent-control regulations. In April, a judge in West Hollywood ordered her jailed for five days for violating state housing law, a decision Kihagi is appealing. Defense lawyer Karen Uchiyama did not return phone messages Tuesday. In court she said the case against her client was manufactured by a tenant-activist group that influenced the city to (make) a scapegoat of Anne Kihagi. Kihagis business model consisted of buying buildings with longtime, rent-controlled tenants paying below-market rents and then using a wide range of methods, both legal and illegal, to get rid of them, according to the citys lawsuit. Typically she offers to buy out tenants, and if that doesnt work, the citys lawsuit alleged, she threatens an owner move-in or a relative move-in eviction, both of which are allowed under state rent-control laws. If that doesnt work, she has resorted to threats and harassment, the citys suit contended. In total, Kihagi and family members invested $24 million in San Francisco real estate, assembling a residential portfolio with 50 units. An expert witness for the city stated that by evicting rent-controlled tenants and replacing them with tenants paying much higher rents, Kihagi was able to add $8.8 million in value to the properties. The Department of Building Inspection documented widespread violations at Kihagis properties, and the court found another 1,251 violations of the states unfair competition law. Its been a long journey, said Dale Duncan, who moved his family out of a Mission District apartment building that Kihagi owned after months of fighting eviction. I really appreciate how much work the city attorney put into this, and I hope that it sends a powerful message. We live in a society of laws, and its nice to see it functioning. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen Popular retailer Kohl's will hire 100 people for its customer service operations center on the far West Side in the next few months, the company announced in a news release Wednesday. The full-time positions entail providing customer service support for risk management operations, according to the release. For May, the Express-News invited teachers of creative writing programs in local high schools to select work from their students and celebrate exciting creative energy of young writers throughout the community. Swift Moving River Lost memories of old, overgrown now at last. By the river, an old house now empty sits there. Banks smooth from time, the water rushes past. Last ripples fade from the last stone cast, Skipped by children, tossed through the air, Lost memories of old, overgrown now at last. What once was here the world forgets so fast, To be lost to time, abandoned, seems unfair. Banks smooth from time, the water rushes past. A couple, both married, whose time has passed, Leaves little behind. After time, theyre Lost memories of old, overgrown now at last. Long ago they met, at once their love was vast. Late one gentle night, the water claimed the affair. Banks smooth from time, the water rushes past. Convinced were they, the love would everlast, Now just two gravestones, by the river wear, Lost memories of old, overgrown now at last. Banks smooth from time, the water rushes past. John Roche is a Senior at John Jay High School. He is a contributor to the 50th edition of Parnassus literary magazine for the John Jay Creative Writing Club. This poem was selected by teacher Blake Jones. Jim LaVilla-Havelin is the Express-News poetry editor. West, his fSifth collection of poems, will be published by Wings Press in 2017. Send poems to: Poetry, Express-News Book Editor, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171 (40-line limit). Snapshot: The renovated Southtown staple El Mirador offers a new take on the always-popular combination of margaritas and outdoor patio space designed to suit summer sippers. Who goes there? Neighborhood residents, family-friendly groups, couples looking to relax out of doors. Even a pooch joined the fun on the patio. No need to stress over where to take Mom May 14, as area restaurants and dining establishments are pulling out all the stops for Mothers Day. Here is a list of some of San Antonios best Mothers Day offerings, complete with websites and contact numbers to make reservations, which are highly recommended. Click through the gallery above to see the Mother's Day brunch, lunch and drink specials available at San Antonio restaurants. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bobby Hughes' family was worried about the food truck. They were used to sit-down wedding dinners with towering cakes. But Hughes and his Colombian bride, Angelica, were opting for a more relaxed approach when they asked the owners of a local food truck to cook up a South American-inspired menu for their Houston wedding. "My Texas relatives are meat-and-potatoes people," Hughes says. "So there was some concern about the food. I was asked if people should bring their own sandwiches." No sandwiches required. Hughes says his family and other guests ended up being impressed with the custom menu created by Consumed a self-billed "Mobile Food Dispensary." Normally purveyors of upscale burgers and fries, the owners worked with the couple to offer Argentine empanadas, goat cheese and pesto-slathered sliders, veggie tacos and arepa, a traditional South American flat cornbread topped with pulled chicken and jicama slaw. Hughes' brother-in-law, Julian Alvarez, had suggested using the food truck after learning that the couple's wedding venue didn't have a kitchen. Alvarez knew the owners of Consumed from their usual spot outside the Down the Street bar, and he offered to pay for the food as a wedding gift. The couple loved the idea, and appreciated not having to agonize over seating arrangements. Hughes recommends a food truck to anyone who wants something relaxed and different, but he says couples should manage their expectations. "It's a food truck," he says. "They're not going to serve everyone at the same time, but in the meantime your guests can have drinks and talk. It really takes the edge off." Mei Li, owner of a Boston truck called Mei Mei , agrees that trucks add to a casual, fun atmosphere. "It's fun for guests to walk up and order," she says. "It's a new experience for a lot of people, and adds a level of excitement and options that a traditional caterer can't provide." Mei Mei, run by three siblings and offering a locally-sourced, Chinese-American menu, has been so successful that it also now has a sit-down location and a shipping container-based lunch counter. Having done many weddings, Li suggests that couples consider the style of their wedding, the number of guests and the limitations of the venue when selecting a truck for their special day. Also, learn what a food truck can or can't do. "Food trucks don't usually offer table linens, waitstaff or cleanup after the meal. You may need to negotiate that or hire an outside vendor for those services," Li says. Chat directly with the chefs, she says, to make sure the menu items make sense for the crowd size. "Nobody wants to wait a long time to eat at a wedding," Li says. "Be willing to be flexible and creative the operator will know best what will work." Li recommends using a truck for either the cocktail hour or the main meal, and limiting menu items to three or four options. Another option is to have chefs serve appetizers directly from the truck and then bring family-style portions to each table, or provide a buffet. For those who prefer a traditional sit-down dinner but still want the fun of a truck, consider a dessert van. "Everything is already made, so it's like a dessert buffet that I'm constantly refilling," says Lora Kleinwachter, owner and head chef of The Bumblebee truck in Denver. The Bumblebee, a curvy, 1962 P-30 van that's even cuter than its name, was rescued and refurbished into its current, Instagram-worthy state and has been traveling to weddings and events ever since. "People love to take pictures with the Bumblebee, and kids freak out when they see her," Kleinwachter says. Activists opposed to the deportation of a Derby man from Guatemala blocked the doors to a federal immigration court in Hartford at 450 Main St. Tuesday, according to statements and video from organizers. Nineteen individuals were arrested at the protest for disorderly conduct and criminal trepassing in the first degree, according to a press release on Twitter by Deputy Chief Brian Foley of the Hartford Police Department. Those arrested were from various areas throughout Connecticut. Six of the 19 people arrested were from out of state. PORT AUSTIN The Port Austin History Center meeting will start at 7 p.m. Thursday with a society meeting. Refreshments are at 7:45, and a program will be presented at 8. Guest Speaker is Sandra Campbell, author of FDR-Saving A Generation: The Three Cs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Two women one a 49-year-old hairdresser living with her unemployed boyfriend and another man in a one-bedroom trailer; the other a 33-year-old waitress helping her hapless father put his life back together both killed by the men they supported. Domestic violence experts say that abusive behavior can run the spectrum of relationships and situations as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. There is violence toward women in all strata, said Marielynn Herrera, coordinator of Stamford-based Domestic Violence Crisis Center. It all goes back to power and control and its hard to break away. When an abuser doesnt have the ability to have power, they lose control. The case of Melissa Wilkinson, who was killed early Monday morning by her 55-year-old father in an apparent murder-suicide, could be described as somewhat unusual in that the alleged abuser held no financial power in the relationship. But financial power can take on multiple forms, Herrera said. The victim can be manipulated to spend money to provide for their purposes and they may manipulate the breadwinner for financial reasons, she said. Police say Mark Wilkinson had been sleeping on his daughters couch for the past two years before he shot and killed her and then turned the gun on himself hours later following a stand-off with police. Wilkinson, who had a history of arrests for drunken driving and weapons charges, had recently lost his home and business. His daughter had been allowing him to stay at her apartment, but on Sunday had told him it was time to move out. Just five days earlier, on April 26, 59-year-old Paul Bjerke was charged in the fatal assault of his girlfriend. In what may be seen as a non-traditional living situation, Lisa Zemlok was found dead in the sole bedroom of a Westport Avenue mobile home that she shared with Bjerke and her ex-boyfriend. Police have called the assault domestic in nature while court records describe a patter of abuse that culminated in Zemlocks death. According to court records, the womans ex-boyfriend arrived home around 1:30 a.m. to find Bjerke drunk on the couch watching TV. The ex-boyfriend found the woman dead in a locked bedroom and called police. He later told police that Bjerke is often abusive and that he starts trouble when hes drinking, court records show. Karen Jarmoc, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said both cases represent the varying dynamics of domestic violence. We primarily work with victims of domestic violence, but there is a different dynamic between father and daughter, Jarmoc said. What I can say is that when there is conflict within a family, emotions can run high. When that occurs those stressors can cause bad outcomes. Jarmoc said that having access to a gun increases the likelihood of such an outcome. Studies show that having access to firearms increases the chance of homicides by five times in domestic situations, Jarmoc said. Those figures are from the Connecticut Coalition Against Gun Violence, which stated that firearm use accounted for the murder of 100 women in Connecticut from 2002 to 2011. According to FBI crime reporting statistics, in 2014, nearly 29 percent of homicide victims were killed by someone they knew other than family members, (such as a neighbor, friend, or boyfriend), 14.3 percent were slain by family members, and 11.5 percent were killed by strangers. Of the murders for which the circumstances surrounding the crimes were known, 40.4 percent of victims were murdered during arguments (including romantic triangles), according to the FBI. Jarmoc stressed the importance of bystander intervention in averting tragedy. People who are in a bad situation dont always view things as bad as they are, she said. In any type of living circumstance when someone you live with is emotionally disturbed, we recommend getting help before it becomes fatal. People who are around the situation neighbors or family should report the situation, Jarmoc said. The DVCC is the only domestic violence agency serving the cities and towns of Stamford, Norwalk, Westport, New Canaan, Darien, Wilton and Weston. To report an incidence of domestic violence, contact the DVCC hotline at 1-888-777-2900. Spanish-speaking counselors are available. RICHMOND, Va. -- A central Virginia sheriff called on Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D, this week to pardon convicted double murderer Jens Soering after reviewing the case and concluding that jurors reached the wrong verdict in the German national's 1990 trial. "Based on my training and experience, almost every piece of evidence raised by the prosecution is subject to inaccuracies, unreliabilities, and scientific contradictions," Albemarle County Sheriff J.E. "Chip" Harding wrote this week in a 19-page letter to McAuliffe. A German diplomat's son, Soering is serving two life sentences for the 1985 slayings of an American girlfriend's parents in central Virginia. At the time of the murders, he and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Haysom, had been honors students at the University of Virginia. Soering initially confessed to the crime but later said he was only trying to protect Haysom from Virginia's electric chair under the mistaken belief that he had diplomatic immunity because of his father's position. He was convicted in a sensational 1990 trial that drew international press and gavel-to-gavel coverage on local cable television. Haysom pleaded guilty to being an accessory before the fact, contending that she helped plan the murders but did not physically take part. She is serving a 90-year sentence at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women near Charlottesville, Virginia. Soering's supporters have raised questions about the case for decades, noting that Soering got some details of the crime scene wrong and dismissing a bloody sock print that prosecutors said tied him to the case as "junk science." Over the years, as Soering gained attention for writing a string of books behind bars, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pressed for his release. At the urging of the German embassy and Richmond's Catholic bishop, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., agreed when he was governor in 2010 to transfer Soering to a German prison. But his Republican successor, Robert McDonnell, stopped the transfer because Soering could have been released after two years. The push to release Soering picked up steam in the past year, with the release of a German documentary, "The Promise," that suggested Haysom committed the murders, perhaps with help from a drug dealer or two. A new blood analysis performed last summer indicated that a male other than Soering was the source of the type-O blood found at the home of Derek and Nancy Haysom. "All I knew of the case was the little bit I had seen in the news over the past few years," said Harding, who reviewed the case at the request of Soering's attorney. Harding said he spent more than 200 hours reading trial transcripts, lab reports, legal brief, the full state forensics file and multiple books written about the case. He saw the uncut version of "The Promise" and interviewed Soering in prison. Ultimately he was convinced, by a number of factors, that the case did not add up. Not everyone has been convinced, however. Maj. Ricky Gardner, of the Bedford Sheriff's Department, another original investigator, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. But as new questions arose last year, he said his faith in the verdict was firm. "In recent years," he said in an email last year, "some people have based their feelings of Soering's innocents on what-ifs and vague hypothesis and not on the facts/evidence presented at his trial." In March, the Virginia Parole Board rejected Soering's request for parole. But he has a pending pardon request before McAuliffe. McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Harding's letter. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent who was being assaulted shot an alleged suspect Tuesday evening on the West Side. Dante Sorianello, a DEA assistant special agent in charge, said the suspect, an unidentified man, was shot at about 7:30 p.m. at an apartment in the 8600 block of Waters Edge Drive. An (agent) was assaulted and he had to defend himself, Sorianello said, noting he could not divulge too much because it was an ongoing investigation. Sorianello said DEA officers were conducting a narcotics investigation when the agent was assaulted by the suspect. The man accused in the assault drove to the center of the complex where area residents said they heard five shots. The subject drove to the intersection of the complex where he was apprehended, Sorianello said. The suspect, who was taken to an area hospital, is in good condition, Sorianello said. He added that the suspect and one other person will be booked into the federal holding area at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. Agents said they seized cocaine from the apartments but did not specify how much. San Antonio Police Department detectives are investigating the shooting between the agent and the suspect. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Soon, kids around the nation will experience the generosity of a San Antonio man whose mission is ensuring summertime smiles for everyone, regardless of financial status. What has become Todd Arredondo's life work began last summer when he spotted a viral Facebook post mocking a West Side family for using a truck bed as a pool to keep cool. Instead of contributing to the thread of jokes, Arredondo worked to locate the family in the photo so he could give them a pool. One donation then turned into "Pools for Kids," which Arredondo is now planning on extending past San Antonio. Arredondo told mySA.com he never expected his single act of kindness would create a nationwide effort. RELATED: Facebook mockery of West Side family motivates San Antonio man to donate pools to dozens of kids "My mind was just set on buying one pool and that was it," he reflected. "Everything changed as soon as I delivered that one pool and as soon as I saw that kid's smile." The work of the one-man team eventually attracted national attention from People Magazine and Inside Edition. And as word of Arredondo's work spread, donations to a GoFundMe set up for Pools for Kids started accumulating. Funds combined from the online campaign and Arredondo's own wallet bought 122 San Antonio families above-ground pools, sent 20 families to Splashtown and provided sprinklers and water slides for about 50 families who set up pools at their homes. Arredondo said he has about 300 pools to distribute to kids in San Antonio, around Texas and surrounding states, where summers are expected to bring sweltering temperatures. He'll spend the next two weeks mapping out his San Antonio plans then take a few months away from his small business and lease a van for his pool-delivering road trip out of Texas. Arredondo has located 100 Texas families and is using references from people in states like California and Arizona to find others. He hopes to establish a presence in each city to create hubs for future pool distribution. "There's no limit, we want to help as many people as possible," he said. RELATED: 'If you can't get a job, make one': Teen selling candy apples on South Side has the right idea Arredondo will use some Pools for Kids donations to pay for gas, but he will pay for all other traveling expenses. He'll also spend his vacation time on the project. "I used to take the summer off to go somewhere nice with margaritas, but this enjoyment is much greater than traveling," Arredondo said. "Last year turned my whole life around. I've learned not to value possessions or materialistic things, but life and real happiness and that's in giving." Arrredondo also finds joy in seeing the families he's helped pay it forward. He said one family has offered their time to help him deliver pools this year. "It's incredible that these kids are learning," he said. "It's teaching these kids that they're not being given a handout, but that giving is the best gift in the world that you're able to help someone no matter what your situation is. Just having the willingness to give is what it's all about." Knowing he has the power to help kids have a summer free of financial stress is what drives Arredondo. "I've always had a big heart, I've always loved helping people," he said. "I grew up super poor and I'm not close to being wealthy, but I've learned that it's not what you have or where you live, life is about what you give." Keep up with Arredondo's journey via the Pools for Kids Facebook page or GoFundMe. mmendoza@mysa.com Twitter: @MaddySkye This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN The Texas House tentatively approved a measure Tuesday that would reduce the fee of a license to carry by $100. The House approved the Senate version of the bill by Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, which would lower the cost of a license to carry from $140 to $40, in a 111-30 vote. The bill would also cut the cost of renewal licenses from $70 to $40. House lawmakers tacked on an amendment Tuesday that would waive any licensing fees for peace officers. The measure will now face a final vote in the House before it can head back to the Senate for approval. RELATED: The 40 zip codes in Texas where the most CHL holders live Rep. Phil King, a Weatherford Republican and author of the companion House bill, called licenses for handguns very good policy for the state. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made the bill one of his priorities for the session. But the measure wasnt passed without some push back from Democrats. Several Democrats including Reps. Harold Dutton, Gene Wu, Joe Moody and Nicole Collier pressed King about details of the legislation and questioned why it was necessary for the state. Im just a little concerned that weve taken money from these necessary programs and agencies and now were giving a break to people who want a concealed handgun license, Collier, D-Fort Worth, said on the House floor Tuesday. RELATED: Texas reality TV star shows off custom pistols The bill would become law in September if its approved by both chambers, and then signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Its expected to cost the state more than $21 million in the first biennium, according to the bills fiscal note. Gun advocates also have their eye on a bill that would allow Texans to carry a handgun without a permit. House Bill 1911 by James White, R-Hillister, made it out of committee in February and is now on the House calendar. The measure would allow a person 21 or older, not convicted of a felony, to carry a handgun without a permit. Licenses for both open and concealed carry and safety training currently required in the state would be optional under the bill. nicole.cobler@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A suspect grazed in the back by a bullet Tuesday evening after allegedly attacking a federal agent has been identified as Jonathan Salas. Salas, whose age was unavilable, had been released from the hospital as of Wednesday morning and appeared in federal court with an alleged accomplice, Andrew Willie Del Prado, on a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Court records said Salas dropped off Del Prado, 28, so he could deliver some cocaine to an apartment at a complex, identified by reporters Tuesday as in the 8600 block of Waters Edge Drive, though the location is blacked out in court documents. A federal affidavit said the pair was being watched by agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, who were conducting an investigation that remains open. Del Prado was carrying a black bag and when confronted by agents, he claimed to have nothing in it, the affidavit said. Agents asked for consent to search the bag, and after Del Prado granted it, agents found two bundles containing a total of 284 grams of cocaine. Salas was seen in a red Ford Expedition in the parking lot, and agents recognized (the vehicle) as belonging to Jonathan Salas while he was conducting previous drug transactioins, the affidavit said. Salas tried to flee, but he was eventually detained. The affidavit does not mention what led to the shooting, or the shooting itself. An (agent) was assaulted and he had to defend himself, Dante Sorianello, the DEA assisant special agent in charge in San Antonio, told reporters on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Sorianello said he was limited by federal rules on what details could be released, but said Salas allegedly tried to run the agent over. The shooting is under investigation by the San Antonio Police Department. The identity of the agent who shot Salas will not be released, but he is on voluntary adminstrative leave, Sorianello said. The DEA is conducting its own investigation into the incident, he said. After their initial court hearings Wednesday, Salas and Del Prado were ordered held without bond pending bail hearings Friday. It was the second time in a year that a DEA agent has shot a suspect. In July, Luther Otis Foster IV, 41, was shot after he brandished a gun and threatened to shoot agents at his alleged marijuana growing operation in Bandera that was raided by DEA and Texas Department of Public Safety officers. Foster, who spent a few days in the hospital, awaits trial in June on charges of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, and conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and possession of a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. gcontreras@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ilene Garza, 39, couldnt believe that a man and a woman were found dead on a quiet Wednesday afternoon in their North Side apartment just a few spaces away from her own. Its actually a very peaceful place, Garza said of the Indigo Apartments, 11501 Braesview. If there was any fighting the cops would show up quickly and it would be handled. San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus said the man, in his 30s, fatally shot his girlfriend, in her late 20s, before killing himself using a shotgun. The incident was estimated to have occurred sometime last week, McManus said. Management was alerted by residents Wednesday to a strange odor coming from the second floor residence, he said. Upon opening the door, McManus said the manager discovered the couples bodies inside, alerting police at about 3 p.m. Investigators said there were no witnesses and that the door was secure until management opened it. A sergeant at the scene said there were two women who pointed officers to the apartment when they arrived. Resident Peter Garza who lives in an apartment building adjacent to where the couple was found, said he hadnt seen or heard anyone arguing in the area recently. He said the tenants living in and around where police were investigating are friendly, and that some of them had recently moved in. Residents noted construction has been going on daily throughout the apartments for some time. On Wednesday, work crews could be seen installing new roofs on the opposite side of the complex from where the couple was found. Everybody knows everybody here, Ilene Garza said, still shocked at the news. Its so bizarre. jbeltran@express-news.net Twitter: @JBfromSA An Odessa man was arrested last weekend after a police officer noticed a crack rock stuck to the mans shirt during a traffic stop, according to the police department. Manuel Alday, 30, was charged on Saturday with possession of cocaine, a state jail felony. SAN ANTONIO At 10 intersections around town beginning this week, police will be enforcing new rules to prevent traffic congestion and possible fatalities, according to a news release. The pilot project, called Dont Block The Box, began in January, with signs reminding motorists to not block the box, which is when a vehicle is stopped in the intersection and prevents or blocks other people driving, walking, or biking from being able to cross the road, a news release said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate One of Wikileaks juicy data dumps has unearthed something interesting: An email from Apollo astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Dated July 29, 2014, Mitchell requested a conversation with President Barack Obama on extraterrestrial disclosure, or why the government is hiding the truth from all of us lemmings (cue X-Files theme). "Fifty years ago Battelle, Brookings and RAND studies on UFOs convinced the government to remove knowledge of the extraterrestrial presence from the citizens of our country. These organizations advised with their best information. However, today much, if not most, of the extraterrestrial reality they examined is known by our citizens. These organizations' resultant strategies and policies of 50 years ago no longer hold credibility or benefit," the email reads in part. READ MORE: UFO spotted over Waco fools no one, not even UFO hunters The Brookings Report, submitted to Congress on April 18, 1961, dealt with issues related to space exploration, but was known for its brief section dealing with the discovery of alien lifeforms and how leaders would react should it occur. Officially, the RAND Corporation was founded with the objective of looking into future weaponry, but conspiracy theorists suggest the actual objective was to study extraterrestrial salvage from the rumored 1942 Battle of Los Angeles. READ MORE: Snake spotted in NASA Mars photo feeds conspiracy In his argument for disclosure, Mitchell suggests a well-informed public would be better prepared for the next step of space travel and research. That includes the utilization of zero-point energies, galactic travel and research and a government that respects the wisdom and intellect of its citizenry. Podesta's secretary responded to Mitchell's inquiry, saying he would rather meet with him alone before involving Obama. Mitchell and Rebecca Hardcastle Wright, founder of the Institute of Exoconsciousness, were able to pin down a Skype meeting sometime during the week of Aug. 11. READ MORE: Former Blink-182 singer emailed Clinton's campaign about aliens According to Wright's website, the meeting never happened even in spite of Podesta's revealed fascination with the discovery of alien life. Mitchell later died in February 2016. Podesta's emails have been the source of much scrutiny after Wikileaks released them in October 2016. They show some of the inner workings of Hillary Clinton's campaign as well as collusion between her and then CNN contributor and current democratic chair Donna Brazile. Congressman Brady has come up with another dumb idea. He is sponsoring a bill to abscond the money from the El Chapo organization to pay for the wall. The problem is it took 20 years to find and extradite the drug lord. And finding people is a lot easier than finding money. I am 100 percent sure El Chapo did not put his money in U.S. banks. More than likely the money is in banks in peaceful and friendly nations that take great pride in their financial privacy laws. So the congressman would have to add a clause in his bill requiring the Treasury Department and White House to break off banking relationships to pressure these countries. Which will send the tenuous U.S. economy into a recession. With a lot of hard work, time and expense they may find a few million dollars. So if he wants to be honest with his description, he should call his bill the kill American jobs bill, or the waste of time bill depending on how far he want to take this. Tim Doherty Conroe Not happy with plans for Joe Corley Detention Center To the Editor: As a proud native Texan and resident of The Woodlands, with a commitment to fair play and appreciation of the natural rights guaranteed to us by our Constitution, I have extreme reservations regarding the future expansion of the Joe Corley Detention Center by the GEO Group. Leaving aside the apparent end run around the local authority of the Mayor of Conroe by federal and state representatives, I am greatly concerned that this expansion could only be made possible by the blank check granted by the County Commissioners to the GEO Group, which seems to have committed the people of Montgomery County to support whatever projects GEO sees fit, with little public oversight. Other concerned citizens have rightly expressed their concerns to this publication, and I will not repeat the findings of their due diligence in this letter. However, as challenged in a recent letter from another resident, I will take the time to respond to a few other claims. The assertion was made that no cases of abuse by GEO personnel were known to the writer during their time at the Corley facility. Unfortunately, the GEO Group has a long, long sordid history of human rights abuses at many of their facilities, and the Corley facility has not been an exception. In March 2014, detainees reported multiple inhumane conditions including horrific overcrowding and insufficient medical care, eventually staging a hunger strike when GEO failed to respond. Later that year, a detainee was sexually assaulted at least twice in the facility, only to become subject to ridicule by personnel. I fail to see how this heavy-handed treatment reflects Texas values, especially when many of the detainees have not actually been charged with a serious crime. (ICE's own data reports that out of 675 detainees picked up between January and April, 177 had no criminal convictions, and 163 were convicted of traffic offenses.) Also, the claim was made that the planned facility would likely be in a "very remote area" and "a threat to no one." Unfortunately news reports contradict that as well. As reported in the Courier on 18 May 2013 and the prison industry trade journal Correctional News in June 2013, the planned facility will be constructed as an expansion of the present Corley facility right next door to the County Jail, less than ten minutes from downtown. Whether or not this facility will be a threat to locals is an open question, which leads to the next point. By planning to manage over 2500 beds of detention space, GEO clearly intends for Montgomery County in general and the city of Conroe in particular to become a major hub for detention operations. Why should the people of Montgomery County go along with this attempt to turn the city into a prison town? Why should the people of Montgomery County accept the depressed property values and corresponding loss to the tax base that will surely result? And finally, when this mania for deportation finally tapers off-whether due to litigation, redirection of enforcement priorities, or even an electoral reversal-why should the people of Montgomery County allow themselves to be left holding the bag for reimbursing GEO when these beds are not filled? As seen in their many other prison and detention center contracts all over the nation, GEO requires compensation when the facilities they administer are not filled to a certain contractually-mandated capacity. The taxpayers of Montgomery County should rightly resist this attempt to cover corporate shortfalls by reaching into their pockets. Finally, while it may seem that the expansion of this facility is inevitable and that the people of Montgomery County have no choice but to accept it, that may not be the case. In 2013, the people of McAllen saw through the company's overly optimistic promises of increased revenue and recently rejected GEO's attempt to open a 1000 bed immigration detention center there, using resident petitions and overwhelming public opposition. We can do the same. C Miller The Woodlands For those who claim that Donald Trump has been pasteurized and homogenized by the presidency, his sour, 100th-day speech in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was inconvenient. Trump used his high office to pursue divisive grudges (Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is a bad leader), to attack the media (comprised of incompetent, dishonest, people) and to savage congressional Democrats (they dont mind drugs coming in). Most of all, Trump used his bully pulpit quite literally, devoting about half his speech to the dehumanization of migrants and refugees as criminals, infiltrators and terrorists. Trump gained a kind of perverse energy from the rolling waves of hatred, culminating in the reading of racist song lyrics comparing his targets to vermin. It was a speech with all the logic, elevation and public purpose of a stink bomb. On a selection of policy issues (Chinese currency manipulation, NATO, NAFTA), Trump has been forced to accommodate reality. But those who find the president surprisingly conventional must somehow dismiss or discount this kind of speech, which George Wallace would have gladly given as president. They must somehow ignore the children in the audience, soaking up the fears and prejudices of their elders. They must somehow believe that presidential rhetoric capable of elevating a country has no power to debase it. It is not sophisticated or worldly wise to become inured to bigotry. The only thing more frightening than Trumps speech arguably the most hate-filled presidential communication in modern history is the apathetic response of those who should know better. For vigorous and insightful criticism of Trump, we should turn to someone who is not an American at all. He is a Czech intellectual, playwright and politician who also happens to be dead. I viewed Trumps speech immediately after reading Vaclav Havels essay Politics, Morality and Civility (in an edition recently issued by the Trinity Forum). Havel surveyed the post-communist politics of his time and found leaders willing to gain the favor of a confused electorate by offering a colorful range of attractive nonsense. Sound familiar? The great temptation, in Havels view, is for people to conclude that politics cant be better that it is chiefly the manipulation of power and public opinion, and that morality has no place in it. This demoralized view of politics would mean losing the idea that the world might actually be changed by the force of truth, the power of a truthful word, the strength of a free spirit, conscience and responsibility. Genuine politics, argues Havel, is simply a matter of serving those around us; serving the community, and serving those who will come after us. And this responsibility grows out of a moral and spiritual reality. Any kind of serious social renewal begins, in Havels view, with each of us. That is: in all circumstances try to be decent, just, tolerant and understanding, and at the same time try to resist corruption and deception. Read the whole essay a Czech giving voice to real Americanism. It is certainly not the spirit of Trumpism, which exemplifies the moral and spiritual poverty Havel decries: the cultivation of anger, resentment, antagonism and tribal hostilities; the bragging and the brooding; the egotism and self-pity. All is visible. None will be forgotten. The alternative is the democratic faith: that people, in the long run, will choose decency and progress over the pleasures of malice. The belief that they will choose the practice of kindness and courtesy. The conviction that God blesses the poor, the hungry, the weeping and the stranger. Faith in the power of the truthful word. It is the job of responsible politics to prepare the way for new leaders, who believe that all of us are equal in dignity and tied together in a single destiny. But this can only take place if we refuse to normalize the language of hatred. michaelgerson@washpost.com Design is a process, not an end product. As architects, we embrace the design process as both a challenge and a means for reward; as something that ultimately sets the tone of the buildings, plazas, landscapes and interiors that we create for the public. From planning to realization, the process of design is informed by several stakeholders. Programs are set, design guidelines are established, schedules and budgets are reviewed, constructability and vision are debated, input is weighed, and plans change several times over. The proposed Alamo Master Plan is no exception to the rigors of public input that a project of such significance should rightfully have to undergo. After all, this sacred and civic landmark is not only in the heart of our city, it is the heart of our city. But it is also important to remember that the recently released master plan is not exclusive from a process that has been in the works for over four years. The Vision and Guiding Principles that were developed by the Alamo Plaza Advisory Committee (now the Alamo Citizens Advisory Committee) in 2014 have been the framework by which the design team has been charged with upholding throughout the development of the master plan. The major principles include words such as preserve, interpret, balance, embrace, and enhance. The document describes both the experiential and physical experience, the balance of literal and interpretive aspects of the Alamo. Not that these tenets are to be mutually exclusive, but it is asking the design team to find an appropriate equilibrium, a place where the Alamo can engage visitors and residents in a deeply personal and true way. The problem with equilibrium is that it can never fully appeal to everyone. That has become increasingly evident in the recent reactions to the design teams master plan. There are parts of the design that are applauded, and others that are highly contested. It is in process, and therefore an easy target for reaction. While the San Antonio chapter of the American Institute of Architects has a history of not taking editorial positions on the work of its members, it is relied upon as a resource for issues that relate to our city and its development. We are a professional organization that aims to unite the community of architects to advance architecture as a professional craft and to shape a more livable and sustainable future. Are there aspects of the master plan that still need addressing? Of course. Are we hopeful that these discussions occur? Absolutely. But we respectfully remind that master plans, and this one is no exception, are ever-evolving documents. As for the challenges specific to the development of the Alamo Master Plan, here are a few we find notable: First, often tourists say we drove by the Alamo. Unbeknownst to them, they were actually driving on the Alamo. The mission and battlefield once included a vast amount of downtown San Antonio. To expect a literal demarcation of those bounds would be geographically and economically infeasible, while ignoring them completely would be inappropriate. Additionally, the Alamo is a case study in the complexity of interpreting landmarks. The grounds were not only the site of one of Americas most famous battles, they acted as a mission for nearly a century prior. And since, they have been the center of local and state cultural and civic celebration. This warrants a particular delicacy to the treatment of the site with its rich, diverse emotional history and future plans. In the coming days, we ask that while you remember the Alamo, you also remember the process by which design occurs. Adam Reed is president of the American Institute of Architects, San Antonio chapter. The views here are those of AIA San Antonio and are not intended to convey the opinions of individual members within the chapter. When the police chiefs of the states largest cities join in denouncing sanctuary cities legislation, credible defenders of the public good might be expected to take notice. It appears that Texas legislators dont belong in this category. Our hope is that Gov. Greg Abbott will, though the signs arent good. He has said he will sign such a bill. He shouldnt. Last week, the Texas House, along party lines, approved sanctuary legislation that will make Texas communities less safe, increase the potential for racial profiling, burden already taxed local law enforcement with immigration duties, and sow fear in an already fearful community of mostly hard-working people. But there are other equally pernicious effects. This bill and a companion measure in the Senate unjustly vilifies an entire group of people. A false stereotype of undocumented immigrants as criminals and social refuse is suddenly transformed into the dominant, official narrative. Disdain and fear of this community becomes normalized, embedded and memorialized in public policy until more enlightened policy and legal challenge scrub it clean. The police chiefs of Austin, Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio joined in the letter denouncing the legislation, along with the retired police chief who heads the Texas Police Chiefs Association. But law enforcement opposition was well known even before the letters release. This will lead to distrust of police, less cooperation from members of the community and will foster the belief that they cannot seek assistance from police for fear of being subjected to an immigration-status investigation, the chiefs wrote. Distrust and fear of contacting or assisting the police has already become evident among legal immigrants as well. The chiefs, as have we, question the constitutionality of local jurisdictions being compelled to enforce federal immigration law. They noted strained law enforcement budgets, critically low jail space, and a distraction from pursuing violent criminals, human traffickers and organized crime. And the chiefs are spot on as well in what this legislation represents: political pandering that will make our communities more dangerous. The House and Senate version will have to be reconciled, but they are equally bad, just in different ways. The House version will make it a crime for local law enforcement to not cooperate with immigration authorities. And, worse than the Senate version, allows police to question people about their immigration status during lawful detention. This could mean even such minor infractions as jaywalking or spitting on the sidewalk. This occurs though the bills supporters are hard pressed to name a Texas city that is truly a sanctuary. But, of course, legislators are more expert in law enforcement than the states big city police chiefs or so it appears they believe. No, the police chiefs have got it right. This is pandering, from the same pander playbook being used by the Trump administration. Demonize a vulnerable population whose members are less likely than the native born to commit serious crimes. Make the exception of violent crimes by this group the rule in the public imagination. Create from whole cloth a reason to fear folks whose biggest crime is wanting to work hard for little pay and creating a future for their children. Ignore their employers, without whom there would be no undocumented immigrants. And do it for purely political reasons elections are always just around the corner. This time, Gov. Abbott should not go along. A few weeks back, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly had some advice for critics of the administrations deportation-heavy immigration policies. Shut up. Fortunately, a federal judge reviewing the administrations threat to withhold federal funds from jurisdictions if they dont let their cops become de facto immigration agents did the opposite. He spoke up last week, blocking President Donald Trumps order aimed at so-called sanctuary cities. And U.S. District Judge William Orrick cited conservatives favorite constitutional amendment to do this. Thats the 10th Amendment, which reserves for the states those powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution. To be fair, there was a preface to Kellys shut-up command. Either change the laws or support the men and women who enforce the existing laws, he said. But shut up was clearly the operative command. All due respect to the former Marine general, this is an attitude and a strategy that deserves absolutely no salute and is certainly due no respect. Orricks order was one indication of that. But there are plenty others. Kellys comment ignores the reality that if Congress were to enact comprehensive and meaningful immigration reform, his boss, given his preference for walls, might not even sign the bill if it is as fair-minded and balanced as the last failed version a few years back. Kelly ignores the reality that the folks who want such reform in Congress are outnumbered or cowed by those who prefer a border-security-24/7-only approach. So, its unlikely such a bill would even reach his boss. And the comment ignores the fact that administrations have wide discretion on how to enforce these laws humanely, in recognition that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants here pose no threat but offer great economic benefit. Or it can act as this administration has, threatening to or actually rounding up undocumented immigrants regardless of whether they have criminal records. In this, the Trump administration is on a path to outshine our last deporter in chief in splitting apart families. And in also pressuring cities, counties and states to act as de facto immigration agents, the administration will surely make communities less safe, not more. Why would immigrant communities cooperate with law enforcement in reporting crimes? On Thursday, the Texas House approved a deeply flawed sanctuary cities bill that will punish sheriffs and police chiefs if their departments and jails do not cooperate with immigration officials and that will allow officers to question the immigration status of those detained. This will exacerbate the fears of the immigrant community in cooperating with law enforcement and will open the door to racial profiling. The presidents emphasis on deportation and sanctuary cities joined now by the Texas House and Senate have one thing in common. They are premised on a general demonization of immigrants as wanton criminals. This is accompanied by a seeming desire to conflate certain immigrants with terrorism, as both Kelly and Trump have. In fact, in blocking Trump on sanctuary cities, the judge cited the presidents and the administrations harsh rhetoric on the topic. The judges who blocked the presidents Muslim ban did the same. The facts are simple: The U.S.-Mexico border is likely already the most militarized between two nations at peace. And the administration needs little help from cities, counties and states to deport willy-nilly, as it is proving. Kelly brags about reduced border crossings. But this is a trend that predates Trump. Mexican migration, in particular, has been at net zero for a while now. Trump has flip-flopped or reneged on so much since the inauguration on China currency manipulation, on intervention in Syria and on health care (remember, everyone will be covered and have better coverage). But on immigration he has stood firm. Deportations. The Wall. One might hope that these flip-flops are what happens when rhetoric comes face to face with facts and harsh realities. We hope this learning curve eventually comes into play when it comes to Trumps and Kellys views on immigration. But, sorry, as long as The Wall and deportations are the centerpiece of the administrations stances, there will be no shutting up. Were pleased that Judge Orrick didnt on sanctuary cities and that other federal judges didnt on the so-called Muslim ban reminders that the nations system of checks and balances is, so far, working. We hope it continues to. And we see such legal challenges ahead as well for Texas sanctuary cities bill if the two houses can iron out minor differences and it is signed by the governor. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Teachers and volunteers were celebrated on Tuesday evening during Conroe Independent School District's 2017 Salute to Education Banquet. Two teachers, one elementary and one secondary, were awarded the title of 2017 Teacher of the Year. This Texas State Teachers Association - Conroe sponsored event also honored numerous other teachers, employees and volunteers in the district for their work on respective campuses. Employees from each campus were nominated by their colleagues for Teacher of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year and Friends of Educators. The Salute to Education Banquet has been a tradition in CISD for over 20 years. The Lone Star Convention and Expo Center was filled with 950 district employees who gathered to celebrate their colleagues' achievements. President of TSTA-Conroe Cheryl Dentler said the banquet is important because it is an event planned for teachers by teachers, as a chance to recognize those who are outstanding on their campuses. "Both honorees are very deserving," Dentler said. "I know both of them personally and they're really great teachers." Both Teacher of the Year winners submitted letters of recommendations from their superiors and wrote essays expressing what they've learned as an educator and the rewards of being a teacher. Fourth-grade teacher Travis James Gasper of Rice Elementary won Elementary Teacher of the Year and McCullough Junior High eighth-grade science teacher Michelle Beineman won Secondary Teacher of the year. Gasper and Beineman's essays were read before they were given their award. In Gasper's essay, he wrote of his young life that was "a series of tiny disasters outside of [his] control," but his teachers showed him compassion and inspired him to be an educator. "They were master teachers because they knew controlling me would only last for that year, while harnessing my creative energy and empowering me would last for the rest of my life," Gasper said. Beineman's essay was about her 14-year struggle to be an educator, and how she sometimes thought it wasn't meant to be. But finally, she obtained a job four years ago with CISD. Her essay involved tales of her interaction with her eighth-grade students and how her previous jobs assist her in teaching today. "My goal for students is to learn the value of perseverance," Beineman said. "The things these 14 years have given me the most that I can to pass along to my students is that if it is good, it is worth fighting for - and there is something to persistence." David Weekley Homes, the nations largest private homebuilder, recently opened a new model home, The Heartland, in the New Braunfels gated community of Hillside on Landa. The two-story Heartland features four bedrooms, three full baths and a three-car garage within nearly 2,900 square feet of living space. Homes in this community are priced from the $280s, with eight open-concept floor plans ranging in size from 1,900 to 3,200 square feet available. In addition, Hillside on Landa offers easy access to shopping and dining in downtown New Braunfels and the Gruene Historic District, as well as a variety of water-based activities on the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers, and at Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels. Students attend New Braunfels ISD schools. The community also is convenient to Austin and San Antonio via Interstate 35. All David Weekley Homes in San Antonio are energy-efficient Energy Saver Homes backed by the Environments for Living Platinum Level Programs heating and cooling energy usage guarantee. In fact, a new David Weekley Home in San Antonio is 42 percent more energy-efficient than a home built in 2006. The model home is located at 922 Hi Path Way in New Braunfels and is open daily for tours. For more information about David Weekley Homes in Hillside on Landa, call (877) 933-5339. About David Weekley Homes David Weekley Homes, founded in 1976, is headquartered in Houston and operates in 23 cities across the United States. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes Americas Best Builder, National Housing Quality Award and National Builder of the Year. Since inception, David Weekley Homes has closed more than 80,000 homes. For more information about David Weekley Homes, go to www.davidweekleyhomes.com. Editors Note: This content is made possible by David Weekley Homes. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com. LOCAL church leaders have called on Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya to apologise for misleading the nation into false belief the bond note was equal to the US dollar. This is after the church leaders under the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) had met the under fire central bank boss on Sunday to share their views on his Monetary Policy Statement he presented last month. They said many Zimbabweans have twice lost life-time savings in a space of a decade through hyperinflation. In their remarks, the church leaders said Mangudyas recent monetary policy statement did not put forward any measures to preserve the value of bank balance which are in local currency. When he went against public resistance to introduce bond notes in 2016, Mangudya insisted the surrogate currency was at par with the US dollar and was not going to lose value. Mangudya has since separated US dollar balances and those denominated in RTGS, an acknowledgement the two were not the same. Church leaders felt authorities were short-changing citizens. The banking public believed that they were holding to US$ accounts over the past 9 years and the true value is lost as the bank balances are now in RTGS dollars, ZCC said in a statement. It is the publics opinion that bond notes yielded unintended impacts such as parallel market conversion rates that eroded peoples bank balances. Thus, the church is concerned by the introduction of the RTGS Dollar as the preferred currency in the context of weak economic fundamentals. Public acknowledgement and apology for such failures are important to bring closure to these issues and restore institutional trust. The church leaders said they were aware that the new monetary measures were introduced at the time of deepening poverty and unemployment, hunger and malnutrition caused by a system characterised by policy inconsistencies. They said Mangudyas measures were generating anxiety in the economy due to high levels of institutional mistrust, non-implementation of pronounced measures. Political polarisation, lack of independence of the central bank, ineffective communication, lack of public awareness and lack of stakeholder consultation, ZCC said. We remind the Bank of the economic fundamentals highlighted in 2016 as critical for the return of the local currency. These are minimum foreign exchange reserves equivalent to one year of import cover, balanced and sustainable government budget, sustainable interest rates, high consumer and business confidence, sustainable level of inflation and healthy job market. The church leaders added, We are further concerned by the contravention of the Constitution and RBZ Act in relation to contraction of loans and government borrowing from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. The Church implores your office, government and all stakeholders to facilitate easy access to foreign currency resources to informal, cross-border and small-scale sectors. We are aware that resuscitating the formal economy is complex and will require longer time, thus the informal economy which currently exceed 60% with informal employment above 90% is the anchor of livelihoods in the short and medium term. The Church urged RBZ to pursue policies that will recover and transform the economy while rebalancing economic power in the interest of the majority. NewZimbabwe Breaking News via Email President Mnangagwa has extended Chief Justice Luke Malabas term of office by an additional five years after his medical report proved that he is still mentally and physically fit to continue in the esteemed judicial office. Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda has written to Chief Justice Malaba advising him that President Mnangagwa has accepted his election to continue in the office of Chief Justice beyond 70 years for an additional five years. Judicial Service Commission secretary Mr Walter Chikwana confirmed the latest development. Herald Breaking News via Email By Michael Hudson, a research professor of Economics at University of Missouri, Kansas City, and a research associate at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. His latest book is J is For Junk Economics At first glance this book seems too small-sized at 147 pages. But like a well-made atom-bomb, it is compactly designed for maximum reverberation to blow up its intended target. Explaining why todays debt residue has turned the United States, Britain and southern Europe into zombie economies, Steve Keen shows how ignoring debt the blind spot of neoliberal economics basically the old neoclassical just-pretend view of the world. Its glib mathiness is a gloss for its unscientific dont worry about debt message. Blame for todays U.S., British and southern European inability to achieve economic recovery thus rests on the economic mainstream and its refusal to recognize that debt matters. Mainstream models are unable to forecast or explain a depression. That is because depressions are essentially financial in character. The business cycle itself is a financial cycle that is, a cycle of the buildup and collapse of debt. Keens Minsky model traces this to what he has called endogenous money creation, that is, bank credit mainly to buyers of real estate, companies and other assets. He recently suggested a more catchy moniker: Bank Originated Money and Debt (BOMD). That seems easier to remember. The concept is more accessible than the dry academic terminology usually coined. It is simple enough to show that the mathematics of compound interest lead the volume of debt to exceed the rate of GDP growth, thereby diverting more and more income to the financial sector as debt service. Keen traces this view back to Irving Fishers famous 1933 article on debt deflation the residue from unpaid debt. Such payments to creditors leave less available to spend on goods and services. In explaining the mathematical dynamics underlying his Minsky model, Keen links financial dynamics to employment. If private debt grows faster than GDP, the debt/GDP ratio will rise. This stifles markets, and hence employment. Wages fall as a share of GDP. This is precisely what is happening. But mainstream models ignore the overgrowth of debt, as if the economy operates on a barter basis. Keen calls this the barter illusion, and reviews his wonderful exchange with Paul Krugman (who plays the role of an intellectual Bambi to Keens Godzilla), who insists that banks do not create credit but merely recycle savings as if they are savings banks, not commercial banks. It is the old logic that debt doesnt matter because we owe the debt to ourselves. The We are the 99%, the ourselves are the 1%. Krugman calls them patient savers vs impatient borrowers, blaming the malstructured economy on personal psychology of indebted victims having to work for a living and spend their working lives paying off the debt needed to obtain debt-leveraged homes of their own, debt-leveraged education and other basic living costs. By being so compact, this book is able to concentrate attention on the easy-to-understand mathematical principles that underlie the junk economics mainstream. Keen explains why, mathematically, the Great Moderation leading up to the 2008 crash was not an anomaly, but is inherent in a basic principle: Economies can prolong the debt-financed boom and delay a crash simply by providing more and more credit, Australia-style. The effect is to make the ensuing crash worse, more long-lasting and more difficult to extricate. For this, he blames mainly Margaret Thatcher and Alan Greenspan as, in effect, bank lobbyists. But behind them is the whole edifice of neoliberal economic brainwashing. Keen attacks this neoclassical methodology by pointing that the logical fallacy of trying to explain society by looking only at the individual. That approach and its related series of plausible but false propositions blinds economics graduates from seeing the obvious. Their discipline is the product of ideological desire not to blame banks or creditors, wrapped in a libertarian antagonism toward governments role as economic regulator, money creator, and financer of basic infrastructure. Keens exposition undercuts the most basic and fundamental assumptions of neoclassical (that is, anti-government, anti-socialist) economics by showing that instead of personifying economic classes as individuals (Krugmans prudent individuals with their inherited fortunes and insider dealings vs. spendthrift individuals too economically squeezed to afford to buy houses free of mortgage debt) it is easier to start with basic economic categories creditors, wage earners, employers, governments running deficits (to provide the economy with money) or surpluses (to suck out money and force reliance on commercial banks). His Figure 16 shows how stable UK private debt/GDP was for a century, until Margaret Thatcher deranged the economy. Debt soared, and mainstream economists applauded the boom. (He suggests calling this new wave of neoliberal policy deform, in contrast to reform. We certainly need a new vocabulary to counter the soporific euphemisms used by the fake economic news media.) Privatization of Council Housing and basic infrastructure forced the population deeply into debt to afford their basic needs. The financial City of London ended up the big winners, while industry or labor have suffered a debt squeeze. Keens model shows that a long debt buildup can give the appearance of prosperity, until the crash comes. But when it comes, voters blame the party in power, not the earlier promoters of nationwide debt peonage. Along with Thatcher, Keen places the blame the pied piper of Wall Street deregulation Alan Greenspan, whom he calls a maestro of delusion, not of insight. He also cites Larry Summers as an example of the learned ignorance beclouding economic discussion which of course is just why the Clintons and Obama were told by their Donor Class to anoint him. This book enables the non-mathematician to pierce the shell of mathiness in which todays economic mainstream wraps its lobbying effort for the big banks and their product, debt. The needed escape from the debt deflation they have caused is a debt writedown. The problem is that the public is brainwashed to imagine that it is the banks that need saving, not the indebted economy. Keen proposes a Modern Debt Jubilee that is essentially a swap of equity for debt. The intellectual pedigree for this policy to keep debt within the ability to pay was laid two centuries ago by Saint-Simon in France. His solution was for banks to take an equity position in their clients, so that payments to backers could rise or fall in keeping with the fortunes of the enterprise. Keen urges that this become the basis for future banking. As a transition from todays debt stagnation, he suggests that the central banks create a lump sum to put into everyones account. Debtors would be required to use their gift to pay down the debt. Non-debtors would keep the transfer payment so as not to let demagogic political opponents accuse this plan of rewarding the profligate. If this solution is not taken, debtors will continue to lumber on under debt and tax conditions where only about a third of their nominal wages are available to spend on the goods and services that labor produces. The circular flow between producers and consumers will shrink being siphoned off by debt service and government taxes to bail out bankers instead of their victims. This should be what todays politics is all about. It should be the politics of the future. But that requires an Economics of the Future that is, Reality Economics. Toward this end, Keens pamphlet should be basic reading for placing debt at the center of todays political debate and replacing mainstream barter economics with a more reality-based discipline. As short seller David Einhorn has said, No matter how bad you think it is, its worse. I thought I was at risk of being unduly dire in my early readings on Brexit, which was that the two sides have a large gap between their positions and have been talking past each other. Early on, I remarked that the dynamics were troublingly similar to the Greek-Troika negotiations, in which Greece badly overestimated its negotiating leverage, playing a game of chicken and assuming that the Europeans and the IMF would find it necessary to relent from some of their demands to avoid a Greek default. We stressed that the ECB held the whip by virtue of it already bending its rules beyond the breaking point in keeping the Greek banking system on life support. All the ECB had to do was withdraw it and it would bring the Greek economy to its knees. It did that in July 2015 and Greece capitulated in less than three weeks. Are the EU and UK already playing chicken? The EU and UK now appear to have gone past what was already a dangerous dynamic, of talking past each other, to clearly incompatible stances on multiple issues. Normally the large distance between the two sides could have been discounted as pandering to domestic audiences. However, the UK had already burned so many bridges with Europe even before the Brexit vote that it effectively has no trust and no good back channels for defusing confrontational and uninformed-looking statements. So what might normally be shrugged off braggadocio and posturing instead looked an awful lot like official positions. And not only is that increasingly the case, both sides are digging in when the gap between them was already so large as to appear unsurmountable. The level of posturing and rancor, which is coming almost entirely from on the UK side and is being met by Europeans defining red lines unusually early on, is looking uncomfortably like a rerun of the 2015 Greek bailout game of chicken. May has repeatedly taken aggressive anti-EU positions in public. There was a brief period where it seemed as if she recognized how weak the British bargaining position actually was, shortly after filing the formal Article 50 notice, when she softened some of her rhetoric while on an official trip to the Middle East. But having decided on snap elections to deliver a crushing blow to Labour, give her her own mandate, and push out the day of Tory reckoning for Brexit from 2020 to 2022, shes gone back to her old high bluster to content approach. By contrast, the Europeans were unusually fast, unified, and firm in their responses to the Brexit announcement, staking out positions from the day after the Brexit vote, such as No access to the single market without accepting the four freedoms which includes the free movement of people. Importantly, Merkel backed these statements, as well as other important ones, such as No cherry picking, No negotiations until Article 50 is triggered, and No negotiation of a trade deal until exit arrangements have been finalized. And some of these tough positions werent due to the Europeans seeking to be difficult; they came about as the result of treaty requirements. Over the last few months, not only has the European side not wavered, its internal cohesion has increased. As Greece did in 2015, the UK has achieved the seemingly impossible task of unifying the rest of the EU against it. May reveals dangerous lack of seriousness about Brexit. The yawning gap between the two sides has been exposed as even larger than most surmised by virtue of a EU-UK dinner at 10 Downing Street last week, headed Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker. Ive never thought Id come out supporting Juncker, who is regularly self-indulgent and clumsy. But he came off as the adult in the room compared to May, who after the dinner details were leaked to the German paper FAZ, then doubled down on her shambolic performance. Junckers side was obviously the source for the FAZ story. But Im not unsympathetic. The May/UK positions are so hopelessly detached from any reality that the EU needs to prepare for a disorderly Brexit and give its political and business leaders as much advance warning as possible so as to minimize the damage. That means going public and making clear that the problem is on the UK side, and not due to intransigence by the Europeans. Here are some of the jaw-dropping May beliefs exposed by the leak: Recall that the EU has put negotiating the status and protection of expats as the first issue to be resolved. May said she thought the issue could be settled at EU Council sesssion at the end of June. For a sanity check, read this Financial Times article Brexit and the rights of UK and EU expats (Google the headline) and be sure to skim the well-informed comments. Just consider this issue: many UK expats are living in Europe and havent registered locally. That means they are freeloading on the health care system (in that the UK is supposed to be compensating Spain, France, etc but isnt). And they havent registered because they are not working, as in retirees. That means their health care is likely to be costly. Now it would be perfectly reasonable for Spain to insist that any UK national that stays in Spain either have the UK foot his health bill or buy private insurance, which is particularly costly for older people. There are literally dozens of issues like that to be sorted out. May wants the talks to be confidential. Junkcer said thats impossible given the need for ratification and other member state and European Parliament procedures. Junkcer tried to explain to May how detailed trade deals were by showing her how bulky Croatia entry deal and Canadas recent trade deals are. May blew that off as if the UK could some get a thin-form agreement. Any UK agreement is certain to be more complex by virtue of needing to negotiate a terms for the financial services industry. Services deals are harder to negotiate and typically more complex that deals only involving only physical goods. May said the UK would not pay an exit bill. Juncker said fine, you wont get a trade deal. And that was not bluster. The EU has set forth the order for negotiating exit issues. After sorting out what happens to EU and UK citizens, next is squaring up accounts. And the EU has never budged from the position that the exit negotiations have to be pretty well finalized before they will talk about trade. And we also have this: 13) She cited her own JHA opt-out negotiations as home sec as a model: a mutually useful agreement meaning lots on paper, little in reality. Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) April 30, 2017 15) ie as home sec May opted out of EU measures (playing to UK audience) then opted back in, and wrongly thinks she can do same with Brexit Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) April 30, 2017 May puts foot in mouth and chews. May confirmed the EU view of the dinner, that May was disconcertingly poorly briefed, by her attempt to hit back at Juncker. As an aside, May did not deny any of the positions attributed to her in the FAZ account but gave a weak deflection by trying to depict them as Brussels gossip. I gasped out loud when I read this in the BBC: Theresa May says she will be a bloody difficult woman towards European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker during Brexit talks. What planet is she on? Juncker isnt negotiating this deal. Neither is she. Its Michel Barnier v. her David Davis. Even this blog, which has only been following the high points of this saga, took note of the appointment of Barnier. From a post last July: The yet-to-be started Brexit negotiations look to be getting off on a tit-for-tat footing. After the new Prime Minister took the provocative step of appointing Boris Johnson as Foreign Minister and David Davis as its chief negotiator, the European Commission has responded in kind by naming Michel Barnier as Chief Negotiator in charge of the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 of the TEU But the appointment of Barnier looks to be a particularly astute move. First, in contrast to the role of the EC in the Grexit talks, where it was a secondary player by virtue of not being a funding source, the Commission legitimately is one of the lead actors. Second, Barnier has extensive international experience, having been Frances minister for agriculture, then its foreign minister, and also a member of the European Parliament. He has also served two terms at the European Commission. In his second post, as head of the single market commissioner, he negotiated post-crisis reforms. The memories of the tough stance he took there has the City in fits. And what is scary isnt that May exposed no clue as to who is doing what to whom. It is that she thinks a Prime Minister could handle this task. This is an overtime time job from when the negotiations get started until they get done or fall apart, with at most a truncated version of the European August holiday and a year-end respite. May would have to abandon all her official duties to negotiate, and that isnt on. And shes so obviously so far behind the eight ball that catchup would be a huge task. May got an unusually fast smackdown. From The Times: Theresa May will be barred from negotiating the terms of Brexit with her fellow European Union leaders, senior figures in Brussels have warned. In a sign of an increasingly hardline approach, the prime minister will be prevented from joining discussions at future EU heads of state meetings, she has been told. The only person with whom she can sit down for talks is the European Commissions chief negotiator, Michel Barnier A commission spokesman confirmed that, under the EUs negotiating mandate, talks would be run entirely by Mr Barnier with no discussion at meetings of the 27 leaders and Britain. Asked if there would be any direct negotiation between Mrs May and the other member states on the divorce settlement, the spokesman said: No. The commission is the union negotiator and Michel Barnier is the person who will negotiate on behalf of the EU. We are very clear about that. May continues to labor under the delusion that this deal is so simple that it can be handled at the executive level. It cant be and it wont be. EU gives May another poke in the eye by upping Brexit exit bill estimate from 60 billion to 100 billion. It may just have been an accident of timing that this story broke on the heels of the Downing Street dinner fiasco, but it sure looks as if the EU has decided it needs to move to Mafia-style negotiating tactics to penetrate the UKs fog.1 From the Financial Times: The EU has raised its opening demand for Britains Brexit bill to an upfront gross payment of up to 100bn, according to Financial Times analysis of new stricter demands driven by France and Germany. Following direct requests from several member states, EU negotiators have revised their calculations to maximise the liabilities Britain is asked to cover, including post-Brexit farm payments and EU administration fees in 2019 and 2020. Although over coming decades Britains net bill would be lower than the 100bn upfront settlement, the more stringent approach to Britains outstanding obligations significantly increases the estimated 60bn charge mentioned by Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president. It also reflects the steadily hardening position of many EU member states, which have abandoned early reservations about the bills political risks to pile on demands that will help to plug a Brexit-related hole in the blocs common budget. Paris and Warsaw have pushed for the inclusion of post-Brexit annual farm payments, while Berlin is against granting Britain a share of EU assets. Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator, has said no figure will be set until the end of the Brexit process and payments could be staggered. But he wants Britain to agree a methodology before trade talks can begin, including a definition of EU liabilities the UK would be expected to share. He will unveil a draft negotiating mandate, including the Brexit bill assumptions, on Wednesday According to FT calculations, this brings the upfront gross settlement demand to 91bn-113bn, depending on how Britains share is calculated. Over a decade or more, this would be reduced in net terms to 55bn-75bn as Britain received its share of EU spending and repaid EU loans. Using similar assumptions, the Bruegel think-tank estimates that Britain would make an upfront payment of 82bn-109bn, which would net out to 42bn-65bn over the long term. Note also that Poland, which has regularly been depicted in the UK press as being a British ally in the talks, is a hardliner on this issue. And even if one views the German position of excluding the UK assets as a negotiating chip that it expects to bargain away, it wont reduce the bill to the UK as much as most Brexit boosters seem to believe. The FT reports they are only worth somewhere between 3 billion and 9 billion. During the Greek negotiations, many readers were upset because we focused on the negotiating positions and relative power of both sides, and were early (indeed, alone) in concluding that the there was no overlap in the bargaining position of the two camps and that Greece would not prevail in a raw power struggle. Many commentors were not prepared to hear that Greece could choose only between bad and worse, and mistook our description of what was likely to (and in fact did) happen as advocacy for the Troika. The fact that the Greeks had the better economic analysis and the moral high ground did not mean they would prevail. Greece in 2015 had a new leaders who had every reason to try to get the Eurocrats to see reason. Greece had been on the rack for years, and the policy of abusive austerity was a clear failure. Even with the IMF admitting that making depressed countries wear an economic hairshirt only made matters worse, giving Greece a real break would mean that the European countries would need to take debt writedowns, which would in turn mean theyd need to show the losses in their budgets. That was a political third rail. By contrast, the UK had an exceptionally favorable deal with the EU. Cameron tried to get further waivers and was rebuffed. The Brexit vote was never a serious policy measure; it was a stunt by Boris Johnson to advance himself in the Tories. But years of savaging the EU in the British press meant it was a convenient scapegoat for anti-ordinary worker policies, particularly for labor-crushing immigration policies, when in fact there are more non-EU than EU immigrants in the UK. That is not to say that the EU is entirely blameless for the distress outside the southeast, but Thatcherism is the much bigger culprit. It is hard to work up much sympathy for what passes for UK leadership, particularly as it is showing itself to be more and more incompetent and reckless with every passing day. Sadly, these failings will be inflicted on British citizens, particularly the ones who believed Brexit would better their lives. _____ 1 Mafia-style negotiations mean that when the party on the other side rejects an offer, the next round offer is made worse. The movie The Godfather gives a prototypical example: By Marina Bart (formerly aab) a writer and former public relations consultant, who thinks and writes about many things, including political economy, culture and communication eactions to Yves piece suggesting the best pathway to reduce American military imperialism might involve a more oblique approach werelively. In it, she hoisted a long comment of mine written a few days earlier arguing along similar lines. Some readers, rather focusing their analytic energy on the proposal itself, chose instead to attack me as being insufficiently peace-loving and virtuous. I might have taken that a tad personally. The linchpin of much of the opposition to this proposed strategy was that war is immoral, advocating for and implementing war is immoral, and therefore supporting any politician who advocates for or implements war is immoral. I agree. We are not proposing to support warmongers in any way. We are not proposing to support establishment politicians. We are proposing that at this stage of the process, the left emphasize universal direct material benefits, and not require that candidates overtly and aggressively campaign against the military industrial complex. The goal is to build a large enough coalition for the left to take power and, among other important objectives, shut down all these wars. As I mentioned in my response, Ive been participating in anti-war activity since my mother pushed me in a stroller for one of the earliest marches against the Vietnam War. I door knocked for Eugene McCarthy in elementary school; I was banned from Brownies for wearing a McCarthy button. I helped Obama get elected in part because I thought he would at least dial the warmongering back compared to Clinton or McCain. But that didnt happen did it? One of the notable aspects was that some objecting to the proposed approach misunderstood it. Given how much trolling occurs on the Internet generally, and particularly in political forums, its easy to assume that personal insults and distortions are deliberate trolling. But it is equally true that real, mutual communication is hard. Developing consensus is hard, especially if youre trying to create something new that materially and intimately effects those involved. So online trolling has systemic downstream currents, conditioning people to treat one another as nefarious opponents, rather than as potential allies with shared goals. The essential problem remains unsolved. The majority of United States citizens would benefit from a government focused on citizen needs over elite desires. They neither want nor benefit from our military adventurism. Neither do the people everywhere else on Earth. There is already a electoral majority for a number of important policies and legislative initiatives that would move the countrys governance in that direction. Those policies and initiatives remain unimplemented not because people dont want them, but because the United States is not functionally a democracy. The economic elite controls all the levers of government, as well as all the pathways into government. We have a deeply corrupted electoral system, which the ruling elite uses to engage in empty democracy theater as a means of social control. So, is there any way to get from here to a country with broadly shared prosperity, a healthy and happy citizenry, and a more peaceful mode of governmental operation both at home and abroad? One that does not require increased bloodshed or waiting until the entire system collapses (which would involve tremendous suffering, particularly for the billions already being exploited by the global ruling elite)? I think there is. Yves and Lambert agree with me. Were not the only ones. The idea is to build such a massive, energized coalition, organized around a nurturing, peaceful vision of what American government and community can and should be, that we can overwhelm the electoral, media and other entrenched obstacles that stand in the way of real change. Yves and I were both arguing that theres an opening now to do this. There are challenges. Nothing is guaranteed. But the times they are a-changing, and this offers the left a real opportunity it hasnt had in decades. A key goal would be a significantly reduced military. We are not advocating assisting current Democratic Party leadership in any way. In fact, the objective is to remove them from power, inside the party as well as in government. All we are saying is give universal direct material benefits a chance to build the coalition and teach Americans what a government that serves them can and should do. Theres more to the strategy. Coming up next will be a post laying out the whole plan theres more to it than vote + magic = Utopia! But first, since this is a grassroots strategy aimed at creating a more egalitarian society, I thought it might be useful to hear from other members of the commentariat. As some old dude once said, Its not me. Its us. My inspiration for this piece, which will also inform how I handle the next one, comes from reader jrs, whose response began, I read it several times trying to understand the full of the argument, but all of it is such a stretch from anything we have now that its hard to even imagine how it would play out. Yes. We are advocating a paradigm shift. (I didnt realize until I read the reactions just how big a one it apparently is.) As with other dramatically new ways of thinking, such as Modern Monetary Theory (or heliocentrism), it can be very challenging both to advocate for it and to absorb it. Our past, our culture and our terminology all fight against it. Its difficult to avoid reflexively retreating to familiar categories, language and positions even when you are consciously trying to avoid them. I want to find a way around that problem. Cujo359, after saying my argument was unpersuasive, continued, To start with, I dont come at this from a political operatives point of view, but from a citizens. I want my country to be a better place, and specifically, I want it to be a better place by giving all of us access to medical care and the opportunity to find a job or make a decent living (in short, a full employment policy of some sort). Any politician who doesnt support those policies wont get my vote or support, no matter what his position on other matters, because to me without those principles in mind any politician is going to take us in the wrong direction as a country. Right now, most major party politicians dont have either my vote or support. I fundamentally agree with all of this. The reason to address political strategy here is reach and persuade citizens to help build the coalition. Its for exactly these kinds of discussions. Solidarity on the left has been fractured into a thousand tiny pieces. An important goal of any winning strategy that could move the country left is to rebuild that solidarity. Given that Cujo and I are so closely aligned on desired outcomes, my challenge is persuade Cujo to work with me strategically. Id like to believe I can. I am going to try in my next piece, which will cover all the different elements of this approach, not just the policy prioritization issue. It will not require anyone to vote against their interests or for what they perceive to be immoral people or policies. Ever. PlutoniumKun framed it this way: I agree with Yves and Marina on this, but I do think that at a minimum a candidate, no matter how good they are on single payer should at least not be an overt bomb first and then ask questions imperialist. Yes. In fact, I think the minimum should be several notches further left. All were suggesting is that the people and platform we support should not be required to be overtly, aggressively anti-war right now, while the left is still to weak to do anything about it. As Kalen wrote, [Being vehemently anti-war] is more or less position of R.Luxemburg who was condemned for it and died abandoned by her fellow comrades and labeled a traitor by her compatriots. This is the price that many righteous leftists like Malcolm X had finally become had to pay sometimes even from hands of their comrades in the struggle. While Kalen mentioned this in a comment arguing against our proposed approach, this tragic history could be considered a point in its favor. I would like to find a way to keep our current and future Rosa Luxemburgs and Malcolm Xs (and Martin Luther Kings, for that matter) alive and working for social justice as well as achieving an end to our Imperial warmongering. The goal is to end profit-driven state violence, with as little additional death and suffering as possible. Thats why we propose trying a slightly different means to achieve the exact same goal as Rosa Luxemburg, Malcolm X, and presumably Kalen. As to why we are proposing an emphasis on universal benefits at this stage, dcblogger reported: I went to an anti war march the day after the strikes on Syria. Code Pink was there, the DC Statehood/Green party and a few other die hards there. Mebbe 100 demonstrators. The anti-war movement is far too week at this moment to be a driver of anything. giantsquid added, Along these lines, the list of economic benefits that could be successfully promoted by the left (i.e. become law) is long, popular, and potentially unifying. A governing coalition built upon this kind of program is possible, even in the relatively near future. Unfortunately, a similar coalition that sought to undo the MIC could not be built in the U.S. anytime soon. I do think that those supporting this kind of universal benefits program would generally be open to restraining military spending and adventurism. After all, Bernie Sanders voted against both Iraq wars. He was also one of only three senators who voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 and one of seven who voted against the 2017 bill. Like many, I am not happy about Bernie Sanders conciliatory statements towards our military and surveillance regime. But he is still the furthest left national political figure in the country. He refused to board the bus to the White House to be part of Trumps lets bomb North Korea dog and pony show. He was the only Senator who refused. The goal here is to make Sanders current operational position the right flank of U.S. foreign policy, not its shriveled, disempowered left flank. Cat Burglar pointed out another way focusing on universal benefits now gets us to an anti-war government sooner rather than later. I remember a friend who held back from joining a large demonstration in Paris that was being violently harassed by police; he told me, I didnt have national health care like the Parisians did. I know more than a few people working in businesses they find morally objectionable who would quit, except for the medical benefitsLooked at this way, from the bottom up, getting universal benefits is a way to allow people the free space in their lives to overcome the military-industrial-congressional complex. Just as an army travels on its stomach, a protest movement will struggle if its members are too sick, exhausted, or hungry to protest. Focusing on universal benefits now would both demonstrate why and how a different kind of government is worth fighting for, and give the people support they need to keep fighting. While the full game plan does not require every member of the coalition to ever cast a vote for a Democrat or even vote at all, it does hinge on purging corporatist Democrats from the party. Not just as elected officials, but within the party machinery at the state and local level. Among other advantages, that means we wont get McGoverned this time. Were not asking any leftist to help any corporatist ever, just as we are not asking anyone to support any warmongering candidate ever. As per Sluggeaux, Federal, State, and Local campaign laws favor the so-called two-party system and it is quite impossible for a third-party solution at the ballot box. At this moment the Democrat party is completely out of power in any branch of government and in most states, so there is indeed no reason for the Military-Industrial Complex to direct graft the way of the Democrat establishment. This creates an opportunity to push the agents of the Washington-Wall Street axis out of the party. The two major parties have been working for over a century to guarantee that no national third party can take power. This is intended to trap the left, stranding it in the wilderness with no path to power. Even if your preferred outcome is a new party, weakening the corporate hold over the Democratic Party is a necessary condition for success. Its their job to stop us. We have a unique opportunity to instead oust them. Universal material benefits are the key that unlocks the door of our cell. As a precursor to the next post explaining the overall strategy, heres Kurt Sperry: I like Marinas argument and mostly agree but its important to remember that there is no incentive for the DP to reform as long as they have have political influence to sell. They must first be weakened and starved of resourcesand political powerbefore reform efforts will find any traction. I think that means in the near term that we cannot give any aid to the party where that aid is administered by the party, and that we should vote Republican (or at the least withhold our votes) when there are no reformist Dems on the ballot to vote for. To reform the DP, it must mostly be torn down first, and that in practice necessarily means allowing Republicans to win any contests where there are no reformers to vote for. I have a daughter. When she was about the same age I was when my mother pushed me in that stroller, I pushed her in a stroller through the Los Angeles Zoo on September 11th, 2001. A friend had called and suggested we get the kids out of the house so they wouldnt be around much television, to give us time to figure out what to tell them. I dont want her to also have to push her daughter in a stroller over another American war or blowback from the last one. I want to be a citizen of a peaceful nation. Doing the same thing again and again yet expecting a different result is famously considered to beunuseful. Perhaps a paradigm shift can get us where so many of us have been trying to go for so very, very long. The Monastery CBS in Tipperary town turned into a Dragons Den recently as fifth class pupils collaborated on a range of amazing innovations during their two-day Bizworld workshop. An interactive hoodie-top charger, a rewindable radio to relisten to your favourite songs and a local Tipperary trivia game were among the ideas formulated by the budding entrepreneurs. The ideas were then pitched to local Dragon John Cooney, Tipperary town branch manager of Bank of Ireland, who are one of Bizworlds proud supporters. During the two-day Bizworld workshop, tutored by Hannah Flynn, the children split into groups, each developing their own mini enterprise. Bizworld is a not-for-profit organisation, chaired by Gavin Duffy, that promotes entrepreneurship skills for children at fifth class level. It delivers simple workshops where pupils learn about money management and enterprise in a supportive and creative atmosphere. Pupils are taken through the entire entrepreneurial cycle from company formation and applying for jobs in their companies, to market research with younger classes in the school, and then designing, producing and marketing their business idea. They learn about pitching for investment and get the opportunity to do so in real-life to a visiting Dragon who hears each companys pitch and decides how many BizBucks to invest in their company. Over 40,000 children have taken part in their free workshops around the country in the past two years, with more than 200 schools hosting programmes this year. Bizworld aims to address the lack of business education in primary schools and feed the students appetites for making commercial subject choices at second level, said Bizworld CEO Fiona McKeon. Every secondary school subject is touched on at some point in the primary cycle except business, and if you havent been exposed to it, you are less likely to choose it as a discipline. One of the first things we ask at the start of a Bizworld workshop is whether students would pick business in secondary school we usually get four to six hands at the start, and by the end of the two days it generally trebles. The Bizworld experience is 50% entrepreneurship and business education and 50% personal growth empowerment, which enables confidence collaboration and team building. We are reaching students at a stage when their enthusiasm is in abundance because in many cases, that spontaneity and creativity is sealed in a box for secondary school and never opened again. Through my own experience as an educator, I know this may be the only collaborative project that the students work on between now and the end of secondary school, so it is vital that they have a good experience. In the Bizworld workshops, every child communicates, negotiates and helps to develop a socially responsible business in a fully-inclusive manner. Everybody gets a directors role in the company that suits their personality and skills, from marketing to design, sales and finance. The experience consistently helps children to understand their strengths, ambitions and future potential. The Bizworld business plan has a simple structure and mirrors the real-life experience and challenges of setting up a business. Our idea is not to produce products, simply to inspire and give children the confidence to say what is in their heads. Some of the fantastic ideas we have seen over the past few months include a happy thoughts journal, a 50 cent tray for people who need a small amount of household essentials, gluten-free vending machines, a global warming awareness board game, a cycle safe indicator, a hair lice detection brush and a cattle break-out app. To register a school for Bizworld, see bizworldireland.org. Irish Cancer Society calls on all outdoor workers in Tipperary to be SunSmart this summer One in four skin cancer deaths are from the construction and farming sector Irish Cancer Society teams up with the Irish Farmers Association and the Construction Industry Federation to spread the SunSmart message this summer As it launches its annual SunSmart campaign, the Irish Cancer Society said that farmers and construction workers in the Tipperary area need to be extra vigilant during the summer months. It also pointed to UK research which emerged recently showing that working in the sun could lead to one death and around five melanoma cases a week. The report, published in the British Journal of Cancer said that construction workers diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer had the highest number of deaths (4 in 10), followed by agriculture workers (over 2 in 10). The Society has teamed up with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) to urge all outdoor workers to protect their skin and reduce their risk of skin cancer. Launching the campaign, Kevin OHagan, Cancer Prevention Manager with the Irish Cancer Society said, These figures from the CSO show that in 2014, we had around one death every week in Ireland that is related to sun exposure at work. Coupled with the research from the UK, it shows just how extensive, and unfortunately fatal, sun damage can be for outdoor workers. Its vital that we pay heed to this in Tipperary this summer. You dont have to be in a Mediterranean country for the sun to do damage to your skin and Irish people need to wise up to that. Every year in Ireland, over 10,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer, and figures show that 377 people were diagnosed in Tipperary. More men than women were diagnosed with 205 men getting skin cancer compared to 172 women. Whether its sunny or cloudy, everyone should protect their skin and this summer, we can asking people to follow our SunSmart Code for best protection. IFA President Joe Healy said, We are delighted to support this campaign once again this year as we see the importance of this advice for our members. Farmers are outdoors from sunrise to sunset, and very often have no protection on their skin so are very vulnerable to skin cancer. We want to encourage farmers to reduce their risk of sun damage by organising their day so that they are in the shade between 11am and 3pm and check their skin regularly for changes. Tom Parlon, Director General of the CIF said, The research from the UK is a very clear indication that we need to take skin protection on building sites very seriously. Our members work in all weathers and trades like bricklayers and labourers spend a huge amount of time in direct sunlight. This is our first year partnering with the Irish Cancer Societys campaign and we are determined to do all we can to spread the SunSmart message among our members. Its too serious not to. Both organisations have produced a leaflet for their respective members on how to be safe in the sun and how to reduce their risk of skin cancer. The leaflets will be distributed to farming and construction families and at trade events throughout the summer. For more information on skin cancer or how to be SunSmart, visit www.cancer.ie/Sunsmart To speak to a cancer nurse on any aspect of cancer contact the Cancer Nurseline on Freephone 1800 200 700, email cancernurseline@irishcancer.ie or drop into one of 13 Daffodil Centres in hospitals nationwide. For information on Daffodil Centre locations and opening times email daffodilcentreinfo@irishcancer.ie. (Natural News) After suffering an allergic reaction to the controversial human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Mia Blesky was left paralyzed from the neck down. Once a straight-A student and aspiring pop star who sang and danced, shes now being home-schooled and given singing lessons at her bedside. The doctors say that its all in her head but her mother, Gini Blesky, believes that the routine jab is to blame. The routine jab is part of the childhood immunization program developed by the National Health Service (NHS), which Mia Blesky opted for back in September of last year. Shortly after undergoing her first dosage of Gardasil, the 12-year old complained about her legs feeling heavy and of a burning sensation in her spine. She was immediately rushed to the A&E at the Royal Berkshire Hospital by her concerned family. In the span of a few days, Mia Blesky lost all sensation in her legs; within weeks, her core body and arms followed, leaving her unable to do anything else except blink, speak, and sing. When Mia was admitted to hospital, the doctors said it was a form of self-harm and she was doing it to herself. They discharged her after a few days. They gave her no treatment. We had to buy her a wheelchair. I had to carry her to the car. It has been absolutely awful, but the doctors say its psychological and down to bullying or sexuality issues, which is rubbish. The only thing they have offered to do is section her, Gini Blesky has told the DailyMail.co.uk. In a separate statement to the Mirror.co.uk, Gini Blesky has said: I dont want her rotting away in a hospital bed, I want answers and so far nobody is giving me any. I just want help for me and my family. I want answers and I want help for her above everything else. Here we have yet another horrifying example of how the vaccine industry permanently damages young people and then blames them for their own suffering, remarked Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, a frequent critic of the vaccine industry. Just like nearly all doctors who push vaccines, these doctors are clearly living in total denial of the extremely damaging effects vaccines often have on children and teens, said Adams, who also writes for Natural News. Apart from her fully-supported wheelchair, Mia Blesky is either carried around or bound to her bed. She also suffers from involuntary spasms and is unable to keep her food down. Of her condition, Mia Blesky has echoed the sentiments of her mother: Its hard. I just want to be a normal girl. Singing makes me feel a bit more normal but it doesnt feel the same as it did before, when I was walking or standing. I run out of breath all the time. I would love to sing on the West End or have a career in music. That is my dream. I just want to find someone who can help me. Mia Bleskys case is not a unique one. In 2014, Ruby Shallom underwent her third shot of Gardasil at her school. Within weeks, she began experiencing dizziness, stomach spasms, and fatigue. Two years after receiving her vaccination, she was unable to feel her legs. Shallom has since lost use of all but one limb. As part of their cervical cancer program, the NHS routinely offers Gardasil to 12- and 13-year old girls. The vaccine is intended to provide protection against two common types of HPV; however, reports have since poured in from women who claimed to have developed chronic fatigue syndrome because of the vaccine. In addition, the common side effects of Gardasil include fever, nausea, injection site redness, and pain in the arms, legs, or feet. According to the European Medicines Agency, approximately 11,867 reactions to Gardasil have been recorded as of February of this year. (Related: Gardasil vaccine: Spain joins growing list of countries to file criminal complaints against manufacturer) In response to the rising number of cases, the UK Association for Vaccine Injured Daughters was formed. The organization represents more than 400 families, and have demanded for more research into the vaccine. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Mirror.co.uk 1 Mirror.co.uk 2 (Natural News) An intriguing new study has presented evidence that the first-known Americans may have arrived earlier than originally believed. However, they werent members of Homo sapiens, the progenitor species of all modern humans. According to the research published in the journal Nature, the earliest inhabitants of the North American continent were Neanderthals that landed more than 100,000 years ago exceeding the accepted arrival date of 15,000 years ago. Researchers at the Cerutti Mastodon Site in San Diego County, Calif., claimed to have found proof of human-like behavior in a mastodon skeleton buried just below the surface. The skeleton was first unearthed in 1992 by construction workers who were preparing to build the state highway California State Route 54, connecting the interstate to El Cajon. A number of the bones and teeth were broken in such a way that hinted they were struck in a certain manner while the animal was either still alive or freshly-deceased. Some of the breaks were found in sturdy bones that werent usually damaged during burial and fossilization. In addition, the injuries were inconsistent with any damage that could have been caused by hungry carnivores or massive herbivores that could have trampled the mastodon. Researchers postulated that what had happened was that the bones and teeth were placed on two stones, being used as makeshift anvils, and then smashed with three stone hammers, reported the WashingtonPost.com. This explanation is supported by the presence of five large rounded stones near the location of the mastodon skeleton. Measuring eight inches to 12 inches and weighing up to 32 pounds, the researchers claimed that these stones could not have been deposited at the site by any natural means. Since there was only a gentle stream that once occupied where the mastodon skeleton lay, and no evidence of geological forces occurring anywhere near the site, the stones were most likely collected and carried there by hominins. By using Uranium series dating on the bone specimens, the researchers also found that three of them were 131,000 years old, adding or removing 9,000 years. In spite of their findings, the research team cannot say for certain if Neanderthals did enter North America thousands of years before Homo sapiens did. Although no remains of any other individual were found, Steve Holen, lead author and director of the Center for American Paleolithic Research, stated that they could have arrived by land or by sea. Bison traveled from Asia to North America roughly 135,000 years ago by crossing the Bering Land Bridge, so its probable that the Neanderthal could have done the same. Tom Demere, lead researcher and paleontologist at the San Diego Natural History Museum, echoed the statement. He added that its also possible that the visitors died out without leaving behind any descendants. (Related: Neanderthals gave humans the gene for disease) The research has garnered a wide range of reactions from experts who were not connected to the study. On the bone fractures, Vance T. Holliday, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, has said: They present evidence that the broken stones and bones could have been broken by humans. But they dont demonstrate that they could only be broken by humans. By contrast, Erella Hovers of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University in Tempe has called the evidence convincing. Of their discovery, Demere has said to UPI.com: We could be wrong. But people have to be open to the possibility that humans were here this long ago. Read up on more scientific discoveries and breakthroughs by visiting Scientific.news. Sources include: UPI.com ArsTechnica.com WashingtonPost.com Nature.com From established anti-inflammation agents and steroids to the latest biological drugs, people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are benefiting from a growing arsenal of treatments. But the complicated network of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors that trigger the disease is not well understood, and IBD is difficult to model in the lab. There is no cure, and for some people all therapies eventually fail. Scanning electron micrograph of a mesenchymal stem cell. Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/SPL There is still a significant minority of patients who have truly refractory, chronic active disease, and new biologics are not likely to help these patients, says James Lindsay, who is head of the adolescent and adult IBD service at The Royal London Hospital. These patients are in and out of hospital, they may be on intravenous nutrition, they're not working, they have morbidity from steroids and they have a truly atrocious quality of life. Part of Nature Outlook: Inflammatory bowel disease Enter cell-based therapies. Among the many treatments being investigated, the furthest advanced involve the transplantation of haematopoietic stem cells, which make the body's blood cells, and treatments based on mesenchymal stem cells adult stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types. In earlier stages of investigation are efforts to construct 3D tissues called organoids using intestinal stem cells, as well as work to modify the cells that regulate the immune system. The ultimate goal of these treatments is to provide a cure for IBD. After years of study in the lab, some have reached clinical trials, although results have so far been mixed. The road to approval may well be long, but cell-based therapies offer hope to people for whom conventional treatments have failed. Haematopoietic stem cells Found in bone marrow, haematopoietic stem cells make all of the body's blood cells, including the immune cells that overreact in IBD. For decades, people with blood cancers such as leukaemia and multiple myeloma have undergone a treatment that wipes out their haematopoietic stem cells with chemotherapy and replaces them with donated, cancer-free cells a tough and highly toxic programme, but one that is often effective in ridding people of these cancers. A stem cell destined to become a blood cell. Credit: SPL Similar transplants that reboot the immune system have been shown to work in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. In the 1990s, gastroenterologists began to notice that some people with Crohn's disease one of the major forms of IBD who were given transplants to treat blood cancers were also relieved of their IBD symptoms. Although these observations raised interest in cell transplants, many were concerned about the lack of evidence for a treatment that can be lethal. There was a worry that loads of people would go through a very risky procedure, whether it was of benefit or not, says Lindsay. That worry was the motivation behind the Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Crohn's Disease (ASTIC) trial, the first and so far only phase III trial designed to test the technique. Transplants in the ASTIC trial followed a similar procedure to that used for blood cancers, but instead of using cells from a donor, a patient's own stem cells were harvested and reinfused. ASTIC involved 11 centres across Europe, and enrolled 45 people with refractory Crohn's disease. In the first year, 23 volunteers were given transplants; the others received standard care (C. J. Hawkey et al. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 314, 25242534; 2015). Transplants were then offered to those in the control group as well. We had two questions, says Christopher Hawkey, ASTIC lead researcher and a gastroenterologist at the University of Nottingham, UK. How often is Crohn's 'cured' by stem-cell transplants, and more broadly, is it effective in these people who have run out of treatment options? The trial's main endpoint was a difficult one: sustained clinical remission after one year, which was defined as no evidence of active disease on endoscopic imaging, and patients able to stop standard medication. It was probably unwise of me to set it like that, says Hawkey. Such a high bar designed to reflect the risk associated with the treatment meant that only two people in the treatment group reached the endpoint, compared with one in the control group. As expected, the procedure resulted in many serious adverse events, including one death. Given that so few participants reached ASTIC's demanding endpoint, the researchers concluded that the trial had failed, leading some to write off these transplants for IBD. But Hawkey points out that some participants did benefit. Half the patients had no signs of active Crohn's disease at least a year after transplant, and just over a quarter had no signs of disease all, he says. Preliminary results from a four-year follow-up of the participants have confirmed the treatment's positive effects. It changed people's lives, says Lindsay, who was one of the investigators on the trial. I had a chap who was dependent on intravenous nutrition and couldn't work. He's now off IV nutrition, he's working; he's got incomplete remission, but his life has been revolutionized. By labelling ASTIC a failure, researchers are ignoring the potential of these transplants to help people who have exhausted the available treatments those who cannot undergo any more surgery or cope with the toxicity of any more drugs says Daniel Hommes, gastroenterologist and director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles. It definitely can be a lifesaver. The trial's very strange endpoint doesn't reflect the potency of this strategy. Hawkey, Lindsay and other investigators have proposed a follow-up transplant trial that uses much less toxic treatment regimes. We're not trying to kill every cancer cell in a patient, Lindsay says. They have also suggested adopting a more modest endpoint. If we had used the primary endpoint that the [US] Food and Drug Administration would require for a new biologic, the trial would have been very strongly positive, he says. Mesenchymal stem cells Fluorescence microscopy image of mesenchymal stem cells. Credit: Getty Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells that can become bone, cartilage, muscle and fat cells. They are found in bone marrow, as well as other tissues such as cord blood, dental pulp and fat. The cells have long been the subject of investigation, owing to their apparent potent ability to heal wounds without unduly alarming the immune system, says Hommes. The biggest trial success for MSCs in IBD has come in the form of local injections to help rare, but hard-to-treat, anal fistulas a hole that is usually the result of an infection. The MSC is a potential one-cell army to repair a fistula, to both downregulate inflammation and to regenerate the wound, says Hommes. And there's a lot of evidence saying that it is an effective therapy. In a phase III randomized clinical trial of fat-derived MSCs to treat anal fistulas in those with Crohn's disease, injections of the cells resulted in the closure of fistulas in around 16% more patients than controls (J. Panes et al. Lancet 388, 12811290; 2016). That's a signal to follow up on with these patients, who can be refractory to any treatment, says one of the investigators Gert Van Assche, head of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium. On the basis of the results, the biotechnology firm that sponsored the trial, TiGenix in Leuven, is applying to the European Medicines Agency for approval of the treatment, which it hopes to receive in the second half of 2017. Despite this success, significant unknowns remain. It's still largely a black box as to what was happening mechanistically inside the patient, says Van Assche. We can't take a biopsy, and we have to interpret results in mice with caution. Systemic MSC treatments for IBD, which help to hit inflammation caused by the disease wherever it appears, typically elicit even greater caution from experts. Although results in mice have been tantalizing, many of the clinical trials of intravenous MSCs for IBD, and a number of other conditions, were largely failures, says Van Assche. The trouble with MSCs if you administer them through a drip is that you basically count on them finding the areas of inflammation, but there's a long way for them to go, says Hommes. Most are lost before arriving at the site of inflammation. Despite the lack of clinical proof, the essentially unregulated nature of stem-cell procedures in the United States means that systemic MSC treatments for conditions such as IBD are already available to patients determined to find them. Regulatory immune cells A regulatory T cell (blue) and bacteria. Credit: M. Rohde/HZI, Braunschweig For adaptive immune systems, simplicity is not a virtue. Human systems are equipped with many types of T cell. Certain regulatory T cells (T reg cells) that can block other inflammation-producing T cells are crucial for protecting against IBD. The Crohn's And T reg Cells Study (CATS1), which was sponsored by biotechnology company TxCell in Sophia Antipolis, France, examined whether activating T reg cells is an effective treatment for refractory Crohn's disease (P. Desreumaux et al. Gastroenterology 143, 12071217; 2012). In 20 participants, T reg cells were isolated, primed to respond to ovalbumin a protein that is the main component of egg whites and reinfused. When the patients later ate a meringue cake packed with ovalbumin, their T reg cells were activated, which the researchers hoped would dampen the Crohn's inflammation. Six of the eight people who received a million cells showed an improvement in Crohn's symptoms at eight weeks, including two who were seemingly in remission. Encouraged by the results, the company is moving forward with a follow-up trial, which will enrol 56 patients. First results are expected in 2018. From a basic science point of view, immune regulatory cells are very promising, Van Assche says. But we have to see confirming data from the larger trial. In addition, TxCell is looking into whether T reg cells can be modified. The company is drawing on techniques used to engineer T cells to produce surface proteins (chimeric antigen receptors) that allow the cells to better target tumour cells in people with blood cancers. This research also benefits from recent advances in gene-editing capabilities. Re-engineering T reg cells could allow the specific inflammatory signals that drive IBD at an individual level to be targeted and dampened, Hommes says. But first researchers need to fully identify the specific signals involved in IBD inflammation. For example, although multiple biological drugs for IBD successfully target the protein tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-), TNF- itself has never been a distinct target for IBD, Hommes says. It has proved to be a potent strategy, but why is unclear. Obstacles such as these keep T reg -cell therapy a long way from clinical use at present. Theoretically, these treatments could be good, says Stephan Targan at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, but they're in their infancy. Organoids An organoid from intestinal-crypt stem cells. Credit: Adam Werts & David Hackam/Johns Hopkins Univ. Scientists have hunted for IBD treatments based on intestinal stem cells the adult cells that keep the intestine in good repair for the best part of a decade. Interest in these stem cells soared when, in 2009, Hans Clevers, a molecular geneticist at the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht, the Netherlands, used the cells to build 3D tissue models called organoids. Work is at a very early stage, but organoids can now also be generated by modifying other types of cell to become induced pluripotent stem cells, which are then coaxed into becoming fully differentiated adult cells. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have developed intestinal organoids using stem cells derived from the cells of people with IBD, says Targan, director of the institution's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. When these IBD stem cells are placed in a 3D cell-culture matrix, they orient themselves and differentiate into all the cell types of the intestinal lining. Researchers can infect these organoids with bacteria or fungi, and study how the intestinal cells interact with immune cells such as macrophages derived from the same IBD cell lines. In a year or two this technology will really make an impact, Targan says. His ultimate goal is to use these organoids therapeutically, including as material for transplantation, but that's a little bit down the line, he says. David Hackam, chief of paediatric surgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, is leading an effort to build an 'artificial intestine' with stem cells on a biodegradable scaffold. He hopes that this will eventually help to treat necrotizing enterocolitis, a rare disease among babies born prematurely in which the intestine becomes inflamed and starts to die, as well as IBD. One major hurdle was replicating the intestine's finger-like microvilli, which grab sugar, fat and protein molecules in the gut, Hackam says. To overcome this, he teamed up with John March, a biological and environmental engineer at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who, with his colleagues, has fabricated a scaffold with synthetic microvilli made out of collagen. Then the trick was to take this scaffold, says Hackam, fold it beautifully and grow intestinal stem cells on it. Human intestinal stem cells grew and covered the microvilli. The researchers implanted the biodegradable scaffolds in mice, where the grafts developed blood supplies (S. A. Shaffiey et al. Regen. Med. 11, 4561; 2016). The team has duplicated the feat in piglets, and is working to make the scaffold more biocompatible and more commercially viable, as well as to see whether the scaffolds can absorb nutrients. Frederick Novy and the Development of Bacteriology in Medicine Powel H. Kazanjian Rutgers University Press: 2017. | ISBN: 978-0-8135-8509-3 The 'hero narrative' of science that honours stars such as Isaac Newton and Marie Curie often obscures the multitudes who lay the foundations that centuries-old chain of curious minds. In this biography, physician and historian Powel Kazanjian pulls one from that multitude into the light: microbiology pioneer Frederick Novy. Frederick Novy, pictured in 1938, championed the early study of microorganisms. Credit: Bentley Historical Lib./Univ. Michigan Kazanjian's detailed and authoritative account reveals how Novy (18641957) did fundamental work that shaped the field's development, and introduced basic research into medical training. Novy grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Like many of his US contemporaries in the transitional, industrializing latter half of the nineteenth century, he explored science in school. As a youth, he conducted chemical reactions under the back steps of his home, with inevitably explosive results, and saved US$60 from a job in the Chicago Public Library to buy a microscope and investigate life invisible to the naked eye. At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he trained as a chemist before moving to medical school, but never practised as a physician, instead taking up a post under eminent epidemiologist Victor Vaughan. The two travelled to Europe to study with monarchs of the microbe Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur, learning the methods of bacteriology and germ theory. Back in Ann Arbor, Vaughan and Novy established the Michigan Hygienic Laboratory, the first US public-health laboratory to be associated with a university. This academic affiliation went hand in hand with a different approach. As well as providing services for public health, the lab's goal was to do original bacteriology research. Novy designed and built instruments that helped to establish that respiration is a basic metabolic activity in unicellular organisms, including the bacterium that causes TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. His tools enabled the culture and study of numerous new groups, including anaerobic bacteria, the double-membraned spirochaetes and parasitic trypanosomes. Novy also recognized that bacteriological methods could be used to investigate other microorganisms: protozoa and viruses. Arguing for a more inclusive definition of 'bacteriology', he became an early champion of the big tent that is modern microbiology. The lab brought basic research and experimentation into the US medical curriculum, and Novy sought to inoculate medical students with a spirit of scepticism, to encourage them to question their professors and to instil the power to think and do. Although the 150 years since Novy's birth have seen astonishing advances in technological capability for visualizing microbes and for understanding the mechanisms by which they interact with the environment it is remarkable how familiar much of his world is. In Novy's time, most microbiological research was translational, looking at which microbes caused disease and how they could be stopped, but he fought for fundamental research. That tension reverberates still. During a suspected outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco, California, in 1901, officials concerned about commercial interests initially rejected evidence from Novy, who had been brought in as an independent specialist. There are echoes of similar conflicts today, when evidence-based health recommendations, for instance on vaccination, are ignored. Testimonials from Novy's students describe him as draconian about reproducibility, railing against those who rushed to publish or cut short bibliographies to limit printing costs or through neglect of the literature. Many PhD students and postdocs will commiserate with one pupil, Paul de Kruif, who noted that Novy would rip my scientific reports to bits! In his precise, minute handwriting, he wrote 'bosh' and 'twaddle' and 'rot' on the margin. He growled that every one of my conclusions was unjustified, exaggerated, untenable. De Kruif went on to collaborate with author Sinclair Lewis on the 1925 novel Arrowsmith, which won a Pulitzer prize (that Lewis declined); a central character, the truth-seeking scientist Max Gottlieb, is based partly on Novy. A mysterious illness that sickened over 20 people in Liberia is linked to the funeral of a renowned religious leader in Greenville, Sinoe County. According to the report from the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), the outbreak in Liberia began on April 21, and most of the affected people attended the religious leader's funeral. Patients afflicted with the unexplained illness experience diarrhea, vomiting and mental confusion. The illness also has a case-fatality rate of 55 percent. As of April 29, 20 cases of the mysterious illness have been reported, inlucing children. Out of those, 12 succumbed to the disease. "We are still not aware of what killed them," said Sorbor George, communication director for Liberia's Ministry of Health, in a report from CNN. "We don't want to be specific as to the funeral being the reason for the death. We are still investigating and putting our acts together to know what happened." WHO Regional Office for Africa reported that most of the affected individuals attended in at least one aspect of the funeral, including burial, meal after the funeral and wake. People who attended the funeral came from six counties in Liberia. Officials noted that the likelihood of food, drink or water poisoning is high. Water samples taken from the Sinoe County has tested negative for chloroform, while food samples from the funeral of the religious leader were collected and preserved at the national reference laboratory for testing. Health officials have ruled out Yellow fever, Lassa fever and Ebola. Some of the patients tested positive for malaria and were treated accordingly. Lab tests to rule out shigellosis and cholera are still ongoing. The Liberia Ministry of Health (MOH) already asked for the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Liberia health officials shipped 11 specimens to CDC for testing. The MOH also plans to send specimens to a WHO-affiliated lab in South Africa and a Doctors Without Borders lab in France. As part of its Grand Finale mission, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will complete 22 dives between Saturn and its rings. The first dive gathered surprising data including the "big empty" space between the rings where dust was previously expected to be seen. Aside from that, Cassini allowed scientists and the public to listen to the sound in Saturn's "big empty" space as it dives between the narrow gap. The surprisingly dust-free region puzzled Cassini scientists and engineers. "The region between the rings and Saturn is 'the big empty,' apparently," Cassini Project Manager Earl Maize of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a press release. "Cassini will stay the course, while the scientists work on the mystery of why the dust level is much lower than expected." The instruments aboard Cassini are likely to survive the remaining dives in the region, which is considered a danger zone, because the "big empty" space is dust-free. Four dives will require the spacecraft to use its antenna as a shield as it passes through the innermost fringes of Saturn's rings. Aside from collecting images, Cassini's Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) captured the sound in Saturn while making two orbits around the planet. According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, even the tiniest particles that make contact with the spacecraft's antennas will vaporize and turn into electrically charged gas. The explosions create the electrical signal that the instrument can detect and convert into audio formats. Anyone can listen to the sounds of Saturn in this NASA recording. Here's what it sounds like when dust makes contact with Cassini: Meanwhile, as comparison, here's what the dustless "big empty" space in between Saturn and its rings sounds like: The "big empty" space in between Saturn and its rings came as a surprise finding for the engineers. The images captured by the Cassini spacecraft convey that the space about 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) between Saturn and its rings suggests that there won't be any large particles present that could harm the spacecraft. This means some dives won't require the use of Cassini's antenna to shield itself from debris as it was discovered that the big empty space is apparently dust-free. More data to support the findings will come in sooner as Cassini prepares for its second dive between Saturn and its rings. READ: Look: Cassini Sends Photo of 'Giant Hurricane' on Saturn During First Dive Before Its 'Grand Finale' The controversial Genome Project-write (GP-write) could be few years away. Jef Boeke, director of the Institute for Systems Genetics at the NYU School of Medicine, told CNBC that incorporating synthesized DNA into mammalian or even human cells could happen in four to five years. He also revealed that preliminary experiments are already underway, and they are currently working on reaching their goal of raising $100 million this year to support the project. Daily Mail reported that the project could lead to easily coming up with organs for transplant and developing immunity to viruses. However, it has been questioned due to the speculation that it may lead to creating "designer babies," a term people use to describe embryos that are genetically modified. Science Alert reported that last May, more than 100 experts in genetics and bioengineering convened at Harvard Medical School for a closed-door meeting about the genome project. The secret meeting was criticized by ethicists, citing that discussion concerning humanity should not be discoursed in private. The group later on published a paper in Science, explaining the direction of the project and released a white paper outlining GP-write's timeline and goals. In another step to make the project more open to the public, Boeke shared that an open discussion will be held this coming May 9 to 10 in New York. The agenda will include discussing the roadmap of the genome project, including ethical, social and legal engagement. "I think articulation of our plan not to start right off synthesizing a full human genome tomorrow was helpful. We have a four- to five-year period where there can be plenty of time for debate about the wisdom of that, whether resources should be put in that direction or in another," Boeke said. "Whenever it's human, everyone has an opinion and wants their voice to be heard. We want to hear what people have to say." The GP-write, which is focused on synthesizing human genomes, is reported to be the follow-up to the successful Human Genome Project (HGP), an international scientific research project which aimed to completely map and understand human genes. It took scientists 13 years and $3 billion to complete the human genome project. What if mankind is looking for alien intelligent life that is already extinct? Astronomy professor Jason Wright from Penn State argues that the reason why humans can't find extraterrestrial life is because they no longer exist. Wright published a paper that aims to address the issue of whether or not humans have searched hard enough for intelligent alien life. Currently, there is no evidence yet to prove that alien beings or extraterrestrials exist. His work, "Prior Indigenous Technological Species," was published in the Cornell University's library under the Earth and Planetary Astrophysics. According to Wright's study, technosignatures might lead to the discovery of alien life forms or traces of it and it should be applied in the search outside the planet Earth. "There is zero evidence for any prior indigenous technological civilizations," professor Wright said in an interview with Gizmodo. "My paper asks, have we completely foreclosed the possibility, or is there a chance that there could be some evidence we overlooked? [And] if we have overlooked something and we find it in the future, what are the chances it could have come from a prior indigenous technological species versus an interstellar one?" The professor questions the effort put into the search for traces left behind by intelligent alien beings who could all be extinct today. Surprisingly, the professor is not an ardent believer of intelligent alien life or extraterrestrials. Reports say that he is merely presenting a part of what could be a thorough search for alien life forms. He also added that traces of extinct alien life would be very difficult to find here on Earth due to tectonic movements, weather and other factors. However, other bodies outside the Earth capable of preserving data for millions of years might be holding traces of these being if they indeed lived. Some bodies have the condition and capabilities to protect its surface from solar radiations. Searching for signs or materials that are not naturally formed can lead to the discovery of traces of extinct alien life. Wright concluded that the search for technosignatures should be initiated in and out of the planet in order to have a bigger chance of finding extraterrestrial life. San Francisco police on Wednesday afternoon shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed a Subway sandwich maker on Market Street, police said. The investigation shut down a major part of mid-Market for more than five hours, re-routing traffic in the middle of the afternoon. According to SFPD Police Chief Bill Scott, two SFPD beat officers came across a man stabbing another man around 11:22 a.m. on the 900 block of Market. The officers intervened, and at least one officer shot the stabbing suspect, Scott said. The victim was transported to a hospital and is receiving treatment for non life-threatening injuries, police said. "Despite the initiation of life-saving efforts, the second suspect is now deceased," Scott said. Cellphone video of the aftermath of the stabbing shows SFPD officers surrounding a man who was sitting down on the sidewalk near a Subway restaurant. The man looked like he had suffered injuries to his face and was bleeding. NBC Bay Area has not been able to confirm whether he was the victim. Police Activity Shuts Down Part of Market Street in San Francisco San Francisco police confirmed that the man who was stabbed worked at Subway. Sources told NBC Bay Area that the suspect walked into the Subway restaurant and asked the employee to make him a sandwich, but refused to pay for it, at which point the employee told him: "No money, no sandwich." The suspect then pulled out his knife, and started attacking him, sources said. One man who was caught in the middle of the stabbing described the scene. Kevin Ramsey says it all happened so fast. "I see this guy behind the counter just stabbing the clerk, so he needed help, and I helped him," Ramsey said. "He was covered in blood head to toe. I grabbed his arm and held it, and we fought for (the knife) till the cops came in the door to do with they had to." Ramsey said the police arrived just moments after he did. "The cops came in and told us all to get down, and he wasn't complying, so I'm not gonna get down," Ramsey said. "So I pushed him away from me and got out of the way, and he came after the cop, and the cop did what he had to do and shot one time." The shooting is currently under investigation by the SFPD Homicide and Internal Affairs division, the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability, the San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office and the SF attorney's office. Scott did not disclose any more details about the case citing the ongoing investigation. "Everything is very preliminary, witnesses have to be interviewed, evidence has to be gathered," he said. "It's going to be a very long process and a very thorough process." But sources said a homeless-looking Caucasian man in his 30s refused to pay for the sandwich he'd ordered. When he didn't get it, he grabbed a knife and started stabbing the much older Asian employee. Multiple people who work in the area also reported a shooting in the area on Twitter. When asked by reporters if the shooting could have been avoided, Scott said police have "an obligation to protect the public." Wednesday's officer-involved shooting is the first police shooting under Scott, who was hired following a push for police reform in San Francisco. "Loss of life is tragic, doesn't matter how it happens, it's tragic," Scott said. "These things, we try to avoid them as much as we can, but we have an obligation to protect the public." Sources told NBC Bay Area that when police officers told the suspect to drop his knife, the suspect continued to stab the person, at which point the officer opened fire and shot the suspect. The San Francisco Police Department posted on Twitter around 11:36 a.m. asking people to avoid the area of 900 Market Street due to police activity and street closures. Muni trains and buses were also rerouted. The section was reopened around 5:40 p.m. NBC Bay Area's Jaxon Van Derbeken and Christie Smith contributed to this report. A large group of University of California, Santa Cruz students locked themselves inside a campus building and are threatening to stay there until their demands, centered mainly on a dire need for housing, are met. Nearly 200 people, many of whom are members of the Afrikan Black Student Alliance, took over Clark Kerr Hall for a sit-in that started Tuesday. The demonstration kicked off with a march, after which students made a beeline for the university's main administrative building and blocked its entrance with chairs and tables. "The Afrikan Black Caribbean identified students have spoken," the group said in a statement. "The issues on this campus far exceed anything easily fixed." The alliance is demanding a four-bedroom low-income housing cooperative for the benefit of "historically disadvantaged students," the statement said, adding that the Afrikan Black Student Alliance wants to manage the property. "Many [Afrikan Black Caribbean] identified students have been forced to take leaves of absences, withdrawals, or have not been able to attend UCSC at all due to limited, and unaffordable housing options," the statement said. Protesting UC Santa Cruz Students Take Over Campus Building To that end, protesters also want a four-year housing agreement to live in the Rosa Parks African American Themed House. "Guaranteeing this would provide a viable living option to all [African Black Caribbean] identified students regardless of housing status and college affiliation," the statement said in part. Further, the group is pushing for the exterior of the building to be painted red, green and black. "These Pan-Afrikan colors represent Black liberation, and represent our diaspora, and the goals of our people," the alliance continued in its statement. UC Santa Cruz must also offer diversity training to its student body, demonstrators said. Footage from the scene shows students sleeping and reading on the floor while others sat on chairs, using their laptops. The protesters have also stockpiled food to tide them over. Through social media, the group reached out to supporters, asking them to show up and volunteer. About 20 additional people arrived at the building Wednesday and were let in. A spokesperson for the group, who declined to be identified, said the alliance is growing in number and determination. "The enthusiasm level is wonderful," the spokesperson said. "We're all doing good. We're good." University Chancellor George Blumenthal plans to meet the group of students on Wednesday. In a statement issued Wednesday, the university said, "Weve taken some steps forward, including hiring a recruitment specialist and a retention specialist, and continue to discuss how we can make sure that all students feel supported and have a sense of belonging. The campus is sensitive to the needs being expressed by the students." Protesters said they've shortened their list of demands that was already rejected by the chancellor last month. FBI Director James Comey told Congress Wednesday that revealing the reopening of the Hillary Clinton email probe just before Election Day came down to a painful, complicated choice between "really bad" and "catastrophic" options. He said he'd felt "slightly nauseous" to think he might have tipped the election outcome but in hindsight would change nothing. "I would make the same decision," Comey declared during a lengthy hearing in which Democratic senators grilled him on the seeming inconsistency between the Clinton disclosure 11 days before the election and his silence about the bureau's investigation into possible contacts between Russia and Trump's campaign. Comey, offering an impassioned public defense of how he handled the election-year issues, insisted that the FBI's actions in both investigations were consistent. He told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI cannot take into account how it might benefit or harm politicians. "I can't consider for a second whose political futures will be affected and in what way," Comey told the senators. "We have to ask ourselves what is the right thing to do and then do that thing." Persistent questions from senators, and Comey's testimony, made clear that the FBI director's decisions of last summer and fall involving both the Trump and Clinton campaigns continue to roil national politics and produce lingering second-guessing about whether the investigations were handled evenly. On Tuesday, Clinton partly attributed her loss to Comey's disclosure to Congress less than two weeks before Election Day that the email investigation would be revisited. Trump disagreed, tweeting that Comey actually "was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!" Wednesday's hearing yielded Comey's most extensive explanation by far for the decision-making process, including his unusual July 2016 news conference in which he announced the FBI's decision not to recommend charges for Clinton and his notification to Congress months later. Speaking at times with a raised voice, Comey said he faced two difficult decisions when agents told him in October that they had found emails potentially connected to the Clinton case on a laptop belonging to former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., who separated last year from top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner's laptop was seized as part of a sexting investigation involving a teenage girl. Comey said he knew it would be unorthodox to alert Congress to that discovery 11 days before Americans picked a new president. But while that option was "really bad," he said he figured it'd be worse to hide the discovery from lawmakers, especially when he had testified under oath that the investigation had been concluded and had promised to advise lawmakers if it needed to be reopened. Plus, he said, his agents weren't optimistic that they could finish reviewing the thousands of emails on the laptop before the election, and could not rule out that they would find evidence of "bad intent." "Concealing in my view would be catastrophic, not just to the FBI, but well beyond," Comey said, in explaining his options. "And honestly, as between really bad and catastrophic, I said to my team we got to walk into the world of really bad. I've got to tell Congress that we're restarting this, not in some frivolous way, in a hugely significant way." The FBI obtained a warrant to search the laptop and sifted through thousands of emails, Comey said, including ones with classified information that had been forwarded to the laptop by Abedin to be printed out. Though officials found many new emails, officials again found insufficient evidence that anyone had intended to break the law, Comey said. He also said he had not intended to harm the Clinton campaign with his public announcement in July that Clinton and her aides had been "extremely careless" in their handling of classified information though there was not evidence to support criminal charges. He said he had been concerned for months about how to publicly report the investigation's findings, and because of Justice Department actions including an impromptu airplane meeting between Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch he had concluded he needed to make the announcement himself. "My goal was to say what is true. What did we do, what did we find, what do we think? And I tried to be as complete and fair" as possible, Comey said. He also denied that he had treated disclosures about investigations into Clinton's emails differently than potential connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. The FBI began that counterintelligence investigation in late July, but he did not disclose that until a hearing in March, after Trump had been elected and taken office. That prompted Democrats to complain of a double-standard in the way the investigations were treated. But Comey said that other than confirming the Clinton investigation existed, he did not discuss it until after it concluded last year. And he said the FBI does not expect to have anything to say about the Russia investigation until that one was over. He declined Wednesday to discuss that investigation or to say which Americans the FBI was looking at. He strongly criticized WikiLeaks, the secret-spilling website that published emails from Democratic accounts that intelligence officials say were hacked by Russia. He likened the site to "intelligence porn" and said it pushed out information to damage the United States. As Seen On The increasing number of opioid overdoses in Massachusetts has prompted doctors to call for state-run injection sites in an attempt to combat the use of drugs. Over the weekend, members of the Massachusetts Medical Society voted 193-21 in favor of Supervised Injection Facilities (SIF), which essentially allow drug users to shoot up while under the supervision of medical professionals. "You have to stay alive to get better," said Dr. Barbara Herbert, an addiction specialist. Over the last decade, Herbert has found that people often die before they can even seek help. Monitoring the use, in her opinion, is better than potentially losing a life. "The idea that someone would show up and inject in front of me is not an appealing idea," Herbert explained, "But the idea that they would go two blocks away and die is so much worse." According to a report from the society's House of Delegates, the facilities have worked in other countries where they are allowed to operate. For example, in Vancouver, Canada, they have led to a 35 percent reduction in overdoses and a 30 percent increase in users seeking treatment. However, in order to operate in Massachusetts, the legislature would need to act to make it legal. "I need to take a look at that one. I'm not familiar with it," said Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday. But the idea is not entirely new in the state. Last year, the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program established a "safe room" for addicts to come to while they are under the influence. SPOT, or the Supportive Place for Observation and Treatment, allows users to live out their high while under the supervision of medical professionals. "We are finding that it's an effective way to get people into treatment, but it also doesn't go far enough," said Dr. Jessie Gaeta, who helped create the space. While lawmakers on Beacon Hill might not be sold on the idea at the moment, there is already a proposal on the table to establish a framework for such a facility in the future. At least two men are facing charges after a 14-year-old girl who disappeared from her northwest Indiana home was found in Ohio on Tuesday, according to prosecutors. Eric Ho, 25, was charged with rape and Bryan Otero, 27, was charged with complicity to rape, Darren Miller, chief felony assistant prosecutor for Clermont County, said Wednesday. According to an affidavit filed Tuesday, authorities alleged Ho admitted to engaging in sexual conduct with the teen while Otero "observed the act." The two were among three people arrested in the case that same day. The 14-year-old girl was located in Cincinnati Tuesday and taken to a local hospital for "medical evaluation," the Lake County Sheriff's Office said in a release. Her family was notified and was en route to pick her up from the hospital, authorities added. The girl was discovered at a residence with two men, four days after she was reported missing, according to the sheriff's office. Those men were subsequently taken into custody by the FBI. Another man who allegedly drove the girl from her home in Indiana to Ohio was arrested in Kansas, police said. According to the FBI, the girl first met the man in Kansas via an app called KIK. Further information on the case wasn't immediately available but authorities thanked the public for the many tips they received in the investigation, which remains ongoing. The teen girl had disappeared from her home in rural Lake County in northwest Indiana on Thursday night. The Lake County Sheriffs Department said officers were called to the home just before 1 a.m. Friday in the 1100 block of E. Highway 330 for reports of a possible runaway juvenile. Her family said it was very out of character for the young honor student to disappear without a word. Some family members believed she may have been abducted by a man she met online. "In all her school years she's done very well," said her uncle Erick Kind. "This is a good student. Something totally unexpected. Not in her character at all." Authorities said they were following the potential lead that she may have been in communication with someone online and were checking her computer and belongings. "There's not an Amber Alert because we haven't identified an actual individual who she may have been communicating with," Lake County Sheriff John Buncich told NBC 5 via phone Monday night. "I just want her to come home," her mother Valeria King said Monday. "We miss you so much." Her family added she had a lot to look forward to, including starting high school and an upcoming trip to Orlando. Two Chicago police officers were shot Tuesday night on the citys South Side, officials confirmed, and three persons of interest were being questioned while an "extensive manhunt" for suspects continued through the night. CPD questioning 3 people of interest from officer shooting. 2 guns recovered thus far. We believe officers were shot by high powered weapon Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) May 3, 2017 The shootings occurred shortly after 9 p.m. in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood. Two plain-clothes officers were conducting a follow-up investigation to a "previous incident," Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday night. One to two vehicles pulled up next to the officers and "started firing indiscriminately" at them, Johnson said. In a tweet early Wednesday, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that officials believe the officers were shot with a "high powered weapon." The officers were able to return fire, Johnson said. He would not elaborate on what the follow-up investigation was in relation to. "We will get them," Johnson said, vowing to bring the shooters to justice. Two CPD officers shot during encounter. Transported to Stroger in serious condition. Superintendent responding to hospital. Updates to follo Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) May 3, 2017 The wounded officers were taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition where their conditions later stabilized, Guglielmi said. One officer was shot in the hip and arm, the other was shot in the back. "They are doing quite well, thank God," Johnson said. Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a tweet called the shootings a "frightening reminder of the dangers our dedicated officers face." Tonight was a frightening reminder of the dangers our dedicated officers face. Thank you @Chicago_Police for putting service above self. https://t.co/XTgQZtbQkP Archive: Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@MayorRahm) May 3, 2017 Emanuel was at Stroger and spoke with the officers and their families, Johnson said. A police helicopter was circling the area of the shootings about 9:44 p.m. and a police K-9 unit was brought in to search a car with a bullet hole in it. Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, police said. Two Chicago police officers were shot Tuesday night on the citys South Side, officials confirmed, and a manhunt for suspects was underway. Trina Orlando reports. Aldermen Patrick Thompson and Ray Lopez, of the 11th and 15th wards respectively, also spoke during the press conference and echoed a familiar rallying cry demanding tougher gun laws at the state and federal level. This act of senseless violence again shows that we need to do something, Thompson said. In Springfield, we need to pass sensible gun legislation to stop this insanity. Thompson said acts of violence like Tuesday nights shooting of the two 9th District tactical officers happen way too often. Im asking that we do something now in Springfield to curb this gun violence to help the police officers, to help them do their jobs, he said. Lopez, who is no stranger to the carnage left at the scene of a shooting, called the violence "unacceptable." The continuation of the gang and gun violence that weve seen is now hitting home in ways that is impacting all of us that it shouldnt be, Lopez said. Weve seen it impact our families, weve seen it impact our children, and now its impacting our police department. How much more is required? he asked. When will we as a city, as a society and a nation stand up and say enough. As Lopez spoke, in the distance, a siren's scream grew louder and then faded into the night. Fraternal Order of Police president, Kevin Graham, briefly addressed reporters saying he had spoken with the officers and their families. We will be keeping our prayers with them as we go through this ordeal, he said. Police continued to investigate Tuesday night. Is H.H. Holmes proving to be as elusive in death as he was in life? He was Chicagos infamous White City devil, a serial killer who stalked the city during the glories of the 1893 Worlds Fair. Authorities in Pennsylvania began efforts to exhume his body last week, in an effort to prove conclusively that Holmes is indeed the person buried in his grave. But observers have noted that they have not seen an actual coffin removed, and that digging was still continuing this week. That doesnt mean he hasnt been found. But then again, Holmes story was always one of switchbacks, contradictions, and more than one incredible plot twist. H.H. Holmes was a man who was described as the arch criminal of the century, before they even suspected him of a single murder, says author Adam Selzer. A lot of times people got in the way, knew too much, and they mysteriously disappeared. History disagrees on the body count for the man born Herman Webster Mudgett, who later took on the Holmes identity. While some ascribe as many as 200 murders to Holmes, and he confessed to over two dozen, the exact number may never be known. What is known is that his base of operations was a building at 63rd and Wallace, the so called murder castle, which popular lore says was festooned with trap doors, sealed rooms, and a veritable chamber of horrors in the basement where bodies were boiled in acid or even cremated. It wasnt a pleasant place in any case, Selzer says. There were a number of people who disappeared out of the building. Digging began at Philadelphias Holy Cross Cemetery last week. It was in Pennsylvania where the law finally caught up with the notorious killer and he was convicted of murder. But some newspaper accounts at the time suggested he had perpetrated one last scam, cheating the hangman and escaping to South America. This was quite a popular story at the time, says Philadelphia author Matt Lake. A cynical person might say this was just designed to sell more newspapers, and it did sell newspapers! But it also sold the courts in Pennsylvania on the idea of proving once and for all who is in Holmes grave. Two of the killers great-grandchildren successfully petitioned to have his remains exhumed, in hopes that DNA testing will prove once and for all if hes really the one buried in Philadelphias Holy Cross Cemetery. John and Richard Mudgett, along with Cynthia Mudgett Soriano confirmed in affidavits that they are direct descendants of the infamous killer. Hed requested a double deep coffin, and before he was placed in it he wanted a layer of wet cement put in there, Lake notes, quoting popular accounts including a story printed at the time of Holmes hanging in the New York Times. And then the coffin was going to be topped off with even more wet cement. If somebody went to check later, they couldnt verify that it was his body! That of course, did not envision the possibility of modern forensic science. A court order dated March 9th in Delaware County Pennsylvania gives Holmes descendants permission to exhume his body, with DNA analysis to be performed by the Anthropology Department of the University of Pennsylvania. Petitioners shall cause the remains to be re-interred in the same gravesite in which they had originally been buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, regardless of whether or not those remains are determined to be those of Herman Webster Mudgett, the order states. No commercial spectacle or carnival atmosphere shall be created either by this event or any other incident pertaining to the remains. On its face, the reports of Holmes escape seem the stuff of a 19th century dime novel. One 1898 account, from the Chicago Inter-Ocean asked point blank, Is H.H. Holmes Alive? H.H. Holmes was never hanged in Philadelphia, the story quotes a purported witness. On the contrary, as he always declared he would do, he cheated the gallows and is today alive and well growing coffee at San Parinarimbo, Paraguay, South America. The account proceeded to explain that Holmes managed to bribe officials at his prison into substituting a cadaver for his hanging, the reason he grew a full beard in the weeks leading to his execution, to further muddy the waters of future identification. Within two hours of the hanging an undertakers wagon containing a casket drove out of the prison yard, the article noted. That casket was supposed to contain the body of Holmes. Instead, it contained Holmes living. Such an account differs radically from other descriptions of the execution, including a detailed article in the May 8, 1896 Chicago Tribune. Justice followed him with tardy steps for many long years, the Tribune noted. Yet when the end came, it was frightfully scientific, methodical, and expeditious. Whoever is in the grave, the Delaware County court specifically ordered that the body be returned within 120 days. The petitioner shall have the site restored with perpetual grave site care, the order states. In the event it is determined that the remains are not those of Herman Webster Mudgett or are unidentifiable, the Petitioners shall be responsible for purchasing a cemetery marker in addition to requirements for interment. Selzer, author of the new H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil, has never believed all of the more fanciful stories about the murder castle, and says he believes the Holmes body count might have only been between 9 and a dozen individuals. He was a swindler first and foremost, he said. Right after he was first arrested he suddenly became really, really famous. People were calling him the arch criminal, the master criminal of the century! An apparent email "phishing" scam spread around the country Wednesday afternoon, enticing people to click on what looked like valid Google link that instead exposed their personal information--and some Illinois school districts are warning parents of the suspicious emails. Batavia Public Schools posted on Facebook that officials had blocked the email from its inboxes but said the attack was continuing nationwide. "If you or your child receives any emails that appear to be from a known or unknown contact containing a link to a Google Doc, please delete these e-mails and most importantly, DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHED GOOGLE DOC," the post warns. [[421215863, C]] The emails have also reportedly come from Chicago Public School district emails as well as Barrington School District 220 and LaGrange School District 202 among others. Both suburban school districts posted warnings on Facebook to parents. CPS offered guidance to employees if they clicked the tainted link and encouraged staff to change their passwords. "This scheme targeted google accounts worldwide, and we are investigating the potential impact to our system," Michael Passman, a spokesman for the school district, said in a statement. "We quickly blocked incoming messages related to this scheme and provided guidance to staff to avoid these messages." The email arrives with a subject line saying someone "has shared a document on Google Docs with you" and a link that says "Open in Docs." The link appears to be legitimate, and clicking on it leads people to a page where they are asked to give "Google Docs" access to their Google account. But it is not the real Google Docs, and clicking the "Allow" button gives the potentially malicious app permission to read and delete emails and to manage contacts. It is not clear who is taking the data once users authorize access or what they are doing with it. Newsrooms across the country reported being inundated with the emails, as did a variety of other organizations. The scam spread so quickly and so comprehensively that "Google Docs" was the top trending term on Twitter in the United States by 4:30 p.m. ET. Cybersecurity officials at the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness tweeted that people should avoid clicking the link. A number of New Jersey school districts also warned that they had been struck and that students should not click. A thread on the Google board on Reddit had hundreds of comments from people who had been exposed to the link and were trying to identify the source. Google did not immediately return a request for comment, but it did address the issue on Twitter. "We are investigating a phishing email that appears as Google Docs. We encourage you not to click through & report as phishing within Gmail," the official (and verified) Google Docs account said. New court documents paint a disturbing picture of what a 14-year-old girl went through after vanishing from her northwest Indiana home last Thursday. Investigators said the girl met 20-year-old Ian Smith, of Kansas, online, via an app called KIK. Around 11 p.m. Thursday, authorities said Smith picked the girl up from her home in rural, unincorporated Lake County. He then drove her to an apartment complex in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, according to the FBI, leaving her at a residence with two other men before returning to Kansas. The Lake County Sheriffs office said Smith was arrested in Derby, Kansas, on Tuesday and, during an interview with federal agents, identified the address where he left the girl. Smith was charged with child pornography in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the FBI, and remains in federal custody. Investigators arrived at the Ohio apartment on Tuesday and discovered that the girl was being held at the residence with two men, identified as 25-year-old Eric Ho and 27-year-old Bryan Otero. [[421181053, C]] We knew we had to get in there and we had to get her to safety, said Detective Ken Mullis, of the Union Township Police Department. Officers took the girl and arrested both Ho and Otero. "I turned around and see bulletproof vests, big guns and I'm like, Oh my god, what the hell is going on? one resident of the apartment complex told WLWT of the incident. "There was a guy that dressed like a girl and then a guy and they arrested both of them. Ho was charged with rape and Otero was charged with complicity to rape, Darren Miller, chief felony assistant prosecutor for Clermont County, Ohio, said Wednesday. [[421227064, C]] According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, authorities alleged Ho admitted to engaging in sexual conduct with the victim and inflicting physical pain while Otero "observed the act." The documents also alleged that Ho, with the assistance of Otero, engaged in sexual conduct with the girl by using force or the threat of force. The teen was taken to an area hospital for medical evaluation, the Lake County Sheriff's office said in a release, and returned to Indiana on Wednesday. Police had been searching for the girl since officers were called to her home just before 1 a.m. on Friday. Her family said it was very out of character for the young honor student to disappear without a word, with some relatives saying early in the investigation that they believed she had been abducted by a man she met online. "In all her school years she's done very well," her uncle said. "This is a good student. Something totally unexpected. Not in her character at all." Now that the teen has returned home, the healing can begin with officials and even her family warning parents to keep a close eye on their childrens online activity. "These social media applications could pose a huge problem to, especially, a younger juvenile, Detective Mullis said. What to Know On Wednesday morning, a driver lost control inside the Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica, hitting attendees and crashing through a wall. Three people are dead, and two others were critically injured. The auction takes place every Wednesday. Its website describes it as the largest vehicle auction in New England. WARNING: Some of the video contains graphic content. Three people are dead and two others have life-threatening injuries when a vehicle plowed into a crowd and crashed through a wall at an auto auction site in Billerica, Massachusetts, on Wednesday morning. "The information we have right now suggests that this was a tragic accident," Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. State police said there is no indication that it was an intentional or terrorist act. The victims are a man and two women, Ryan said. She said nine others suffered injuries, one of them life-threatening; however, a Lahey Hospital doctor said two people are in critical condition. Although the names of the deceased victims have not been released by authorities, the brother of Leezandra Aponte of Lowell said his sister was killed in the car auction crash. "From what we know at this point, some people have head injuries and there are a number of back, leg and torso injuries," she said. A spokesman for Lahey Hospital in Burlington said six patients from the car auction crash are there. Lowell General Hospital said eight people arrived to their facility for treatment after the crash. All but one have been treated and released. That person's condition is still unclear. A Lahey doctor said the ages of the injured range from the 30-60s. One person was undergoing surgery before 2 p.m. "We had three separate emergency physicians on staff," Dr. Casper Reske-Nielsen said. "Each of us took the more seriously injured patients, wore together to provide the level of trauma care they needed." Billerica police's top cop called Wednesday's accident "a very tragic incident." "I just want to extend our sympathies to the community, to the Lynnway employees and especially to the victims and the victims' families," Billerica Police Chief Daniel Rosa said. The accident occurred at 10:13 a.m. at the Lynnway Auto Auction on Charter Way. According to its website, Lynnway Auto Auction has been a dealer consignment auction since 1997. Ryan said an auction was going on at the time of accident, just like every Wednesday. She said vehicles, which are only driven by employees in order to prevent accidents, are moved through the building during the day so people can bid on them. She said a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee was inside the auction site and someone was moving it when they lost control and hit a wall. She said the driver was an older male, in his seventies, and that he was an employee at the auction site. Although the cars generally don't travel more than five miles per hour, witnesses tell us the Jeep may have been going as fast as 20 miles per hour before it fatally struck three people standing near the safe lane. "It's pretty bad," witness Andre Fedorov said. "There was a loud noise, everyone started running. Just a car was through the wall, there were people on the ground. "It was definitely an accident," he added. "It wasn't purposeful." Investigators said they don't know yet exactly what caused the driver to accelerate. The driver was not hospitalized. Officials said there were several hundred customers and a few hundred others in the building at the time of the incident. "Obviously, it could have been a lot worse with the number of people in there. It's a very busy place." Billerica fire Chief Thomas Conway said. Aerial footage from NBC Boston's Sky Ranger helicopter showed dozens of firefighters and first responders treating injured people outside the building. Video from inside the scene showed people milling around the building as the injured were being attended to. Family members of people who were at the auto auction also arrived at the scene Wednesday morning looking for news on their loved ones. Lynnway Auto Auction President Jim Lamb expressed his company's shock and sadness through a statement: "We are stunned at the loss of life and serious injuries that occurred to our patrons. We are heartbroken that this accident occurred at our premises with a vehicle driven by one of our drivers," Lamb said. Lamb said that the driver was very distraught and would not be driving cars at the auction until the investigation was complete. "We are terribly sorry for what has occurred at our facility today. We extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families at this terrible time," said Lamb. Ryan said the investigation is ongoing. "This is a very active scene," she said. "This will be a long investigation." A similar incident occurred two years ago at an auction house in Framingham, Massachusetts. Multiple people were injured on Oct. 9, 2015, when a 78-year-old man who was driving a vehicle at the auction accidentally accelerated, striking numerous people and vehicles. Most of the people injured in that incident were not seriously hurt. Cinco de Mayo is coming up, and Connecticut is making sure to celebrate it right. Here are some places hosting festivities and special discounts: East Hartford: Margaritas in East Hartford is celebrating the holiday with many special deals leading up to the big day. Tuesday, May 2 will bring $5 all-you-can-eat Tacos Americanos (chicken and beef), on Wednesday May 3, Margaritas will have $5 fajitas with the purchase of any full-sized fajita, and all appetizers are $5 on May 4. Cinco de Mayo at Margaritas will include an all-day party with $5 all-you-can-eat nachos and regular house margaritas before 4 p.m. If you mention Cinco Days of Goodwill, 20 percent of your bill will be donated toward the local Goodwill. Fairfield: Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill will host a party with an outdoor pig roast, giveaways starting at 11:30 a.m., and an outdoor taco cart at 5 p.m. Hartford: The Infinity Music Hall in Hartford will host a Sacred Fire Cinco de Mayo Fiesta on May 5 at 8 p.m. This event will pay tribute to the musician Santana, while offering tacos, tequilas, and the chance to dance. Wood n Tap will bring out their special seasonal menu for Cinco de Mayo. You can get guacamole, avocado toast, Santa Fe egg rolls, street tacos a la carte, tres leches cake, among other specialties. Mashantucket: Foxwoods Resort Casino is hosting its annual Cinco de Mayo Pub Crawl this Friday. For $10, there will be drink and food specials for participants and a prize drawing at the end of the night for the chance to win an overnight stay, $150 food and beverage voucher, concert tickets, and a $50 Foxwoods Casino Gift Card. The festivities begin at 6 p.m., with plenty of drink discounts at restaurants such as Guy Fieris Foxwoods Kitchen & Bar, Hard Rock Cafe, and Scorpion Bar. New Haven: The New Haven location of Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill will also host a pig roast party starting at 11:30 a.m., and a street party starting at 5 p.m., with a taco cart and mariachi band. South Norwalk: El Segundo will throw a Cinco de Mayo party on May 5, 6, and 7. The restaurant will offer traditional Mexican inspired food & drink specials, giveaways & much more. Stamford: The Stamford Bartaco will host a celebration with live music by DJ Nicke Pepe from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., and special food and drink deals. Bridgeport: Taco Loco Mexican Restaurant & Catering is celebrating Cinco de Mayo 2017 with live music, a party tent, a special dine-in menu, a street taco truck, drink specials, and giveaways. Wallingford: Plaza Azteca will present Cinco de Mayo the Festival, an all-day indoors and outdoors event. This fiesta starts at 12 p.m. and will include live music, drink and food specials, giveaways, a kids area, and much more. West Hartford: Besito will host a Cinco de Mayo complimentary tequila tasting featuring Patron from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the tasting, there will be amazing specials and a chance to win a $100, $200, and $500 gift card to Besito. Bartaco in all three Connecticut locations will host a special party for Cinco de Mayo on Friday, May 5. At the West Hartford location, Bartaco will have facepainting from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., a Rockbox Band from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and DJ Gabe Gandres from 9:30 p.m. until close. Westport: The Westport Bartaco will host a celebration with kids face painting from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Acoustic Mafia from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the Mike Cusato Band from 8:30 p.m. to close. Children across the country are anxiously trying to get their hands on a fidget spinner a small, plastic spinning toy thats marketed as a tool to help children with attention disorders, anxiety and autism. The toys have become popular with all children, leading some to question whether theyre a help or a distraction in the classroom. Of the parents NBC Connecticut spoke at the Church Street School in Hamden, those whove heard of them took no issue with children having the toys. In group settings, if they have something to play with a lot of times they study better, Erika Ennejjar, a Hamden parent, said. I dont mind them. Instead of him making noise on the table or banging his foot or maybe grabbing things, he has that just for himself, said Ariana Reis, who said her oldest son has ADHD and has had spinners for months. She finds they are a big help with his focus. While the toys might be fun to play with and look at, a special education expert said there might be better alternatives to help children with special needs. Generally, I dont support these, period. As a former teacher and principal, I think I truly understand the disruption for teachers, Judy Falaro, director of special education programs at Quinnipiac University, said. Falaro said she believes stress balls, a break in classroom time, or other time-tested methods might be more helpful for children who need special assistance without becoming a distraction for the entire classroom. They become a fad. Every kid in the classroom has them, she said. Theyre spinning them while teachers are trying to teach and whats happening is its a huge disruption. Jodie Petruzzelli, a Hamden mom whose son has PTSD and even made his own fidget spinner, thinks that as long as the children arent pulling the toys out in class every child could benefit from having one around. I think theyre a good distraction, I dont think theres anything bad about them she said. The Saint James School in Manchester sent a notice to parents informing them that children are not allowed to use them during school hours and school officials plan to confiscate all devices children are caught playing with during school. In Southington, some parents also received a notice that if fidget spinners become a distraction during school, students will be asked to leave the toys at home. Patty Neves thought she avoided serious damage when she hit a pothole on Eagle Road in March 2016. The impact blew out both tires on her cars passenger side. She had no idea at the time that the fallout from that single incident would create nearly a year of frustration. "It was kind of like, my god why'd this happen? You know, this shouldn't happen," Neves said. When Neves called for a tow truck, the mechanic advised her to call police so there would be a record of the incident if she filed a claim with the city. When she did, her claim was ultimately denied because the section of Eagle Road where she hit the pothole is private property. Neves accepted the decision and didnt think about it again until she decided to trade in her 2011 Hyundai Sonata a few months later. A car dealership employee told Neves her car was worth $3,000. He cited the Carfax report that listed an accident with disabling damage. It came as a shock to Neves, who was expecting a quote between $7,000 and $8,000 based on information from Kelley Blue Book. My car is fine. Nothing happened to my car. It was just the flat tires, Neves said. Neves tried to call Carfax to get the report changed, but said she had a hard time getting through. NBC Connecticut Responds got in touch with Carfax and asked them to review Neves case. Once the company received copies of the police report and an invoice from the repair shop, Neves Carfax report was amended to reflect that the body of her vehicle did not sustain any damage. And when Neves went back to the dealership to see about that trade-in, she received an estimate of $7,200. I was so happy, she said. Carfax told NBC Connecticut Responds it receives data from more than 100,000 sources. If you think there is an error on your Carfax report, you can fill out the Online Data Research Request on the companys website. The Balch Springs Police Department has fired the officer who shot and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards; the boy's family wants to see the officer next charged with murder. Balch Springs Police Officer Roy Oliver was terminated Tuesday for violating department policies in a shooting that killed Edwards as he rode in the front seat of a vehicle pulling away from a house party Saturday night. Police originally said the vehicle was reversing "in an aggressive manner" toward officers, but later said that body-camera video taken at the scene proved the vehicle was actually driving away. Balch Springs police provided an update on the investigation into the officer-involved shooting that killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Officer Roy Oliver was terminated Tuesday for violating department policies during the Saturday night shooting that killed the teen as he rode in a vehicle that was leaving a house party. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Edwards' family, said the officer shot him with a rifle through the front passenger side window. Merritt said Edwards' family is pleased with the swift manner in which Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber has acted, but know that it is just one step in a long process. The family is hoping Oliver is charged with murder, Merritt said, even though they know the Dallas County Sheriff's Office investigation could take months. The case will then be handed over to the Dallas County District Attorney's office. "The family is in it for the long haul," Merritt said. "They know we all know that a crime took place, and we all want to see just punishment for that crime." Days removed from the death, many residents said the loss still stings. "It hurts my heart because I have a grandson that's 13," Pat Owens-Burton said. "Hurts my heart real bad." The fatal shooting of a 15-year-old by a Balch Springs police officer has sent the community reeling and in search of answers. As community members struggle to understand what happened, local activists want answers as well. "The spotlight's on them and it shouldn't be just on the police officers," said the Rev. Ronald Wright. "It should be on the District Attorney's office. That's who the spotlight needs to be on." Wright wants to see the Dallas County District Attorney's Office move forward with prosecution of the officer. "We have to start holding these officers accountable when they make bad choices," Wright said. Some in the community are calling for a state or federal investigation. "We shouldn't have to have an out-of-town marshal come in," Wright said. "This is a cut and dry case." Attorneys for the family of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards speak out about the officer-involved shooting that killed the teenager in Balch Springs. Merritt's law office released a statement Tuesday on behalf of Edwards' family: "We are grateful the decision has been made to terminate the officer responsible for Jordans murder. Over the past 24 hours Chief Haber has made commendable strides toward justice. However, there remains a long road ahead. We anxiously await this officers identification and arrest for the crime of murder. The magnitude of his horrible actions cannot be overstated. We fully expect an equivalent response from those responsible for investigating and punishing the crime. We also know that although his actions were the most wicked and consequential, he was not the only officer responsible for dreadful behavior that evening. After Jordans two brothers, Vidal and Kevon, along with their two friends, were forced to experience this tragedy up close as occupants of the car, they were immediately treated as common criminals by other officers; manhandled, intimidated and arrested, while their brother lay dying in the front seat. The officers who extended this nightmare for those children ought to be properly reprimanded as well. Our family is working hard to deal with both the loss of our beloved Jordan and the lingering trauma it has caused our boys." A Dallas man who fatally shot his roommate before shooting and critically wounding a neighbor and a responding paramedic Monday was the subject of an open investigation by the FBI prior to the attack, officials say. Officials with the Dallas FBI, police and fire departments held a news conference Tuesday morning to share the latest information into the investigation into 36-year-old Derick Lamont Brown, the man police identified as Monday's shooter, and the condition of those injured. NBC 5 Investigates learned Monday that Brown has ties two black nationalist groups including the Dallas chapter of the New Black Panther Party and the Huey P. Newton Gun Club. Eric Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas FBI, said Tuesday the bureau had an active, open investigation into Brown prior to the shooting and that they were reviewing their case file. The FBI could release no other information about their open investigation. Dallas Assistant Police Chief Randy Blankenbaker, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas FBI Eric Jackson and Public Information Officer for Dallas Fire-Rescue Jason Evans reveal new details into the shootings that left two dead and three injured in South Dallas Monday. Dallas Assistant Police Chief Randy Blankenbaker then shared in greater detail the events as they unfolded Monday, saying Brown was acting erratically in his home that morning and that for an unknown reason he took his roommate, 67-year-old Arthur Riggings, into a back room and fatally shot him. Brown's girlfriend, who was also in the home at the time, then ran from the home and was not injured, police said. A neighbor, identified by police only as a 24-year-old Latin male, heard the gunshots and went outside to investigate. Police said Brown, who had gone outside, then shot his neighbor with a 7.62 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Paramedics responding to a suicide call at about 11:30 a.m. discovered the neighbor lying in the street and stopped to provide medical care. NBC 5 News The paramedics quickly came under fire; paramedic William An was hit at least once and immediately collapsed to the ground. A second paramedic was able to take cover and was not injured. Officers William Bruce Jr. and Thomas McPherson arrived at the scene at 11:36 a.m. to find the neighbor and An both collapsed in the road and critically wounded. At the same time, they came under fire and attempted to take cover, police said. Bruce suffered a minor calf injury, possibly from bullet fragments, police said. Moments later, officers Matthew Merta and his unnamed partner, a 1-year veteran, arrived at the location. Brown, who had retreated to his yard at this point, turned and pointed his rifle the officers. Merta's partner then fired his shotgun toward Brown. Neighbors and friends are speaking out after the shooting of a Dallas Paramedic, Monday May 1, 2017. Police believe Brown was struck by a single pellet from the shotgun blast and suffered only a minor, non life-threatening injury. He then retreated further and entered his house. Blankenbaker said additional officers then began to arrive at the scene, including Sgt. Robert Watson and officers Christian Jackson, Gary Green, Gabriel Pina and Mathew Kalash. "Officer Merta, Sgt. Watson and Officer Kalash placed the critically injured paramedic in the sergeants car and the sergeant transported him to Baylor Hospital. Officers Jackson, Green and Pina pulled the Latin male victim to safety so he could be transported to the hospital," Blankenbaker said in a statement. "Each of these events took place while the officers were still exposed to potential gunfire from the suspect. All of these officers actions are more than commendable and should be considered heroic." Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings gave an update on the shooting involving a Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedic, and said the medic will have a long road to recovery. With the wounded evacuated and the suspect believed to be barricaded inside his home, police shut down roads and blocked access to the area until the SWAT team arrived and used a robot to search Brown's home. Inside police found Brown and his roommate dead -- Brown from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said Tuesday that paramedic William An is an 11-year veteran of the department. He is married and has a 3-year-old son and a second child on the way. On Tuesday, Evans said An is stable, but remains in critical condition at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. "The information I have received up to this point is that he has been in and out of sleep and able to verbalize things to the medics. You know, he complained of having a lot of pain, which is completely understandable given the circumstances. He's undergone several procedures to help address the injuries from the shooting," Evans said. "At least at this juncture, as opposed to what it was yesterday, the outlook seems to be a lot more positive." The injured neighbor remains in critical condition at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Blankenbaker said Brown's criminal history includes arrests for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful carry of a handgun by a license holder and driving while intoxicated. Police said Brown was well-known by law enforcement because of his "excessive arrest history." NBC 5 has learned Riggings' only criminal history is for marijuana possession. Authorities said a former Texas science teacher has pleaded guilty to manufacturing methamphetamines in New Mexico. Prosecutors said a judge has ordered 56-year-old John Gose to undergo a 60-day diagnostic evaluation before sentencing. Gose pleaded guilty Monday to four meth-related charges in a Las Cruces courtroom. Las Cruces police arrested him last October after a traffic stop. Officers reported finding an ice chest in Gose's car that contained glassware, rubber tubing and chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamines. Police later searched his property and found ingredients to make at least one pound of meth. Authorities said Gose taught eighth-grade science at Camino Real Middle School from August 2013 through February 2016. He previously taught science for 8 years at Irvin High School in El Paso before resigning in December 2008. A new twist to an old scam is making its way across North Texas. People are selling cars online that they claim belong to members of the military being transferred on short order. But the military members don't exist, and usually the cars don't either. Most teenagers love a fast car, so when a 19-year-old Grand Prairie woman saw a fire engine red Dodge Charger for sale online, she says it "spoke" to her. It's $1,500 price tag "screamed" buy me! "She decided to contact the person to see how they should get the car," said the girl's uncle, Cranston Burke. Burke spoke to NBC 5 Responds about his niece's decision on her own to buy a car supposedly from a member of the military. "They said her name was Rebecca Wilson, a military person stationed in Alaska, of all places, and she had a car in a backyard that she couldn't get rid of," Burke said. The alleged service woman emailed that she was being transferred to another base and had to get rid of the car now. "They had to think quickly before it was gone or she went somewhere else," Burke said. And so she did, paying not with cash, but gift cards. But after the card number was passed along, there was no word and the phone number was disconnected. It's all a trick and more people are falling for it. They buy into the story about the member of the military that was transferred and in a bind. "$1,500 could have helped her with clothes, a doctor, all the needs you have with a newborn baby," Burke said. Burke knows that money is long gone. There's likely no Rebecca Wilson, no car and who knows where the gift card funds may be. His niece is embarrassed by what she did, learning a lesson the hard way. "If it's too good to be true, like mom used to say, it probably is," he said. Just remember cold hard cash is the currency of choice in America. You shouldn't buy a car with gift cards to Target, Amazon or anywhere else and don't wire money for any reason to someone you don't know. Meet in person, look at the car and test drive it. Buying cars online can work, but you just have to protect yourself. What to Know Two bodies found inside a building -- police believe the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide. No other injuries reported. Students reported hearing between three and five gunshots. All North Lake College campuses will remain closed for the rest of the week; people are urged to avoid the area during the investigation. A man took his own life Wednesday after shooting a woman multiple times in a hallway at North Lake Community College in Irving, sending the North Texas school into a lock down for more than an hour while police searched the campus for an active shooter. The active shooter alert, with confirmed shots fired, was reported on North Lake College's Irving campus at about 11:45 a.m. About an hour later, police confirmed the bodies of two people had been found in what investigators suspect is a murder-suicide. A man took his own life Wednesday after shooting a woman multiple times in a hallway at North Lake Community College in Irving, sending the school into a lock down for more than an hour while police searched the campus for an active shooter. Lockdown at Northlake college pic.twitter.com/X1ZNlz9vtK hmz (@ZaboltF) May 3, 2017 On Wednesday night, Irving police identified the woman as 20-year-old Janeera Nickol Gonzalez. The suspected gunman has also been identified as 21-year-old Adrian Victor Torres. Irving police have also confirmed that Gonzalez was found inside the Performance Hall Building at a common study area. Investigators said Torres was found inside a locker room shower stall in Building F. North Lake College confirmed Wednesday night that Gonzalez was a current student at the sollege. School leaders confirmed that Torres is a former student. Students can be seen running from buildings at Irving's North Lake College campus May 3, 2017, after reports of an active shooter were received. Two bodies were later found in a building -- police believe the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide. Irving police said they were no longer looking for a shooter at the college just before 1 p.m. and that there appeared to be no continuing threat to students or faculty. Irving police spokesman Ofc. James McLellan and Commissioner Lauretta Hill, of the Dallas County Community College District Police Department, give an update on the apparent murder-suicide at North Lake College in Irving, May 3, 2017. Lauretta Hill, Commissioner, Dallas County Community College District Police Department, gives an update into an apparent murder-suicide at North Lake College in Irving, May 3, 2017. "North Lake students and employees followed lockdown procedures, and we are relieved that no one else was injured. We also offer our thanks to officers from the Irving Police Department, who partnered with North Lake College Police, to protect students and staff on campus," North Lake president Dr. Christa Slejko said. Active shooter at Northlake College - avoid the area. Irving Police Dept. (@IrvingPD) May 3, 2017 Irving police said they continued a secondary search of the campus as the investigation unfolds. North Lake students exited the campus as each building was cleared. Dr. Christa Slejko, president of North Lake College, gives an update after an apparent murder-suicide on campus, May 3, 2017. Students at #NorthLakeCollege trying to figure out how to get home... their vehicles are still part of a large crime scene. @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/aoPT3lTIbo Kris Gutierrez (@KrisGutierrez) May 3, 2017 "This is an emotional time for the North Lake family. We're heartbroken that such a tragedy has occurred on campus. We will address any needs for counseling on campus as soon as we re-open," said Slejko. Slejko said there could have been between 4,000 and 5,000 people on campus at the time of the shooting. Active Shooter at North Lake College in Irving School officials said all North Lake College campuses will be closed until Monday. Irving police, which is leading the investigation, asked people to stay away from the campus while the investigation continues. School leaders said anyone who needs to retrieve personal belongings can visit the Central Campus Library and get a police escort from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday. Shots Fired Inside Building C North Lake College police confirmed shots were fired at North Lake's Irving campus, at 5001 North MacArthur Boulevard, at about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. Nasrin Nanbakhsh, a tutor at North Lake College, says she saw a man shoot a woman three times in building C211. Nasrin Nanbakhsh, a tutor at North Lake College in the math learning center, said she walked out of her room in Building C into the hallway and saw a man shoot a woman multiple times. "I saw a guy standing and there was a girl sitting on the chair. It happened too quickly. I saw him shooting her three times," she said. "We've been trained how to handle these types of situations. I immediately ran back to the room I'm working in, locked the doors and asked all the students to go back to the back room and to turn off the lights and be quiet." A student inside C building at the North Lake College Irving campus describes the moments from when announcements came over the loud speaker to evacuating the building. A math tutor who witnessed the shooting at North Lake College says she is trained for active shooter situations and describes who she put that training to use. Dani, a student at the school, told NBC 5 over the telephone that she had just arrived at the school and was walking down the stairs near the art gallery when she heard three loud pops. "It sounded just like gunshots," Dani said. "We heard the first one and thought somebody dropped something ... but then it just kept going and everybody just started running." Dani, a student at the school, told NBC 5 over the telephone that she had just arrived at the school and was walking down the stairs near the art gallery when she heard three loud pops. "The only thing that went through my mind was just to run," Dani said. Ro Olvera was barricaded in a classroom not far from the shooting and said her instructor said if anyone came through the door they would have to fight. "My instructor, the whole time, was like, 'If he comes in, hell have to get through me first. But if it comes to that, grab a chair, throw at him, do anything you can. Fight.' So I did feel safe with our instructor," Olvera recalled. Students at North Lake College in Irving were instructed to clear the area as police searched for an active shooter on campus Wednesday. Dennis Holmes, who is part of the faculty at the college and a freelance photographer with NBC 5, was on campus when the active shooter was reported. Holmes told NBC 5 by telephone he was locked down in a professor's office and was told by school officials to barricade the doors. Dennis Holmes, who is part of the faculty at the college and a freelance photographer with NBC 5, was on campus when the active shooter was reported. Holmes told NBC 5 he has been locked down in a professor's office and was told by school officials to barricade the doors. Despite the lockdown, a large number of students were seen frantically running from multiple buildings toward parking lots. Dallas Area Rapid Transit stopped Orange Line service at the North Lake College Station until about an hour after the incident ended. Two nearby Irving Independent School District schools, MacArthur High School and Singley Academy, were also placed on lockout during the incident. That restriction has since been lifted. Students at North Lake College run to safety as police search for an active shooter on campus. Texas Concealed Carry Law Gun owners with a valid LTC, licensed to carry, permit were permitted to carry weapons on the campuses of four-year colleges and universities in Texas effective Aug. 1, 2016. The law goes into effect for all community colleges on Aug. 1, 2017. The law does not allow open carry, where the weapon is visible, or allow for the carrying of rifles and shotguns on campus. Christa Slejko, North Lake College President, and Lauretta Hill, DCCCD Police Commissioner, discuss campus safety and security after Wednesday's murder-suicide. Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change. NBC 5's Meredith Yeomans, Don Peritz, Ashley Barry, Kris Gutierrez, Tim Ciesco and Eva Parks contributed to this report. While illegal crossings into the United States are down, thousands of Central Americans continue to flee their countries. It is a journey that takes many into Mexico. And it is in this country many migrants say they endure violence at the hands of criminals, corrupt police and human smugglers. At El Sombrero Azul in Laredo, owner Walter Hercules and his parents stay busy in a small, humble kitchen located outside of the main restaurant building. Hercules mother works the masa dough, forming corn cakes known as pupusas and placing them on a hot grill. This is a staple in our country of El Salvador, said Hercules. A taste of home feeds hungry souls. The no-frills restaurant on West Calton Road has become a gathering place for Central American migrants. Hercules has gotten to know many of his customers. From time to time, some have shared painful memories of their journey from their homeland to the United States with Hercules. It hurts a lot. But what do we do, said a customer who agreed to speak with NBC 5 if we did not reveal his name. Hes scared of being deported back to his native Honduras. But his story is all too common among undocumented Central American migrants. Its very dangerous for us there in Mexico, he said. He said the constant threat of violence and extreme poverty in Honduras drove him out. He says he fled his country, only to be met with more cruelty on his journey through Guatemala and Mexico. It is in Mexico he says corrupt police, soldiers and drug cartel members often demand bribes to be allowed through. When you cross the river into Mexico there are gangs who charge you a quota to go through, he said. Some migrants turn to La Bestia, The Beast, to make the trip across Mexico. The network of Mexican freight trains runs from the Guatemalan border to the U.S. Human rights workers say it is a dangerous ride, especially for young women. They rape the women, rape the girls who are 16, 15 years old, he said. The migrant says human smugglers kidnapped him, demanding thousands of dollars over what they had initially told him it would cost to help him cross into Texas illegally. Smugglers kidnapped me and I didnt have any family to pay, he said. He feels like to have been freed and ending up at a migrant shelter in Nuevo Laredo. A shelter, similar to the Holding Institute in Laredo. Mike Smith runs the faith-based non-profit that dates back to the 1800s. It currently provides services to anyone, no matter their legal status. On this day, the institute was loading up a vehicle with rice, beans and other food products to take to Cuban migrants stranded in Nuevo Laredo. When it comes to undocumented migrants, Smith says they often become victims. Theyre a very vulnerable population, said Smith. Not many people know this: human smuggling has a greater profit market for smugglers than drug smuggling does. The drug, he says is consumed, and has no further value. Migrants, on the other hand, often confront forced labor or the sex trade after having to borrow thousands of dollars, to help pay to be brought to the U.S. That person will be used and used and used, over and over again until they are literally squeezed and rung out like a towel, said Smith. When it comes to the presidents proposed border wall, Smith see it as more of a political statement. He fears human trafficking will only become more lucrative. [Migrants] just hear this talk of a wall, he said. Theyve never actually seen it. And so the smuggler will approach them and say, You know what, this wall has just been built, so Im going to have to charge you more. So what that means for that person is theyre going to have to borrow more You will pay one way or another. Since 2014, Mexico has toughed its southern border. Human rights organization, Washington Office on Latin America, released a report in the fall of 2016 that found Mexicos apprehensions of migrants went from 86,298 in 2013 to 198,141 in 2015, and there have already been 99,768 apprehensions in the first seven months of 2016. According to WOLA, despite the increase in apprehensions, Mexico has failed to strengthen its capacity to adequately screen migrants who might be eligible for protection, raising concerns about migrants rights and due process. While the flood of undocumented Central Americans has subsided in recent years, desperation remains. And for those whove walked the same walk as those migrants reportedly only seeking safety and a better life, Central Americans demand more humane treatment from Mexico. Mexico is in the wrong too, said the unnamed migrant. If it is asking the United States for opportunities for its people, Mexico has to give Central Americans opportunities too. Because we deserve it. The SUV prosecutors say Aaron Hernandez was in when he allegedly shot and killed two men in 2012 has been taken off of the auction block. The Boston Globe reports that bidding on the Toyota 4Runner had reached over $100,000 before the listing was taken down Tuesday night. The auction also included a framed jersey autographed by the ex-New England Patriots star. The seller, Buddy Clair, owner of Westford Auto Sales, told The Boston Globe that eBay pulled the listing and doesn't know why. Clair said has reached out to the e-commerce marketplace asking for an explanation. It was not immeditately clear if eBay responded to Clair. Hernandez was accused of killing two men after an encounter at a Boston nightclub in 2012. Prosecutors allege Hernandez was riding in the SUV's front passenger seat when he shot at the men's car, killing Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu. He was acquitted of the murder charges in April. Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell days after the acquittal. The SUV's owner is a Rhode Island car dealer, who leased it to Hernandez as part of a promotional agreement. Claire is managing the sale on behalf of the dealer, Jack Fox. An activist could go to jail for laughing during Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmation hearing, NBC News reported. Desiree Fairooz, 61, a member of activist group Code Pink, was arrested in January during the hearings opening statements. She's alleged to have laughed twice following a statement from Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby that Sessions record of "treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented," according to a government motion. Ariel Gold, campaign manager for Code Pink, described the noise as less than a cough. Fairooz was found guilty of disrupting Congress and parading/demonstrating, according to U.S. Attorney spokesman Bill Miller. Two other Code Pink activists, Tighe Barry and Lenny Bianchi, who dressed as members of the Ku Klux Klan as commentary on what the group believe is Sessions' racist past, were arrested and found guilty of parading/demonstrating and unlawful display. Two Chicago police officers were shot Tuesday night on the citys South Side, officials confirmed, and three persons of interest were being questioned while an "extensive manhunt" for suspects continued through the night. CPD questioning 3 people of interest from officer shooting. 2 guns recovered thus far. We believe officers were shot by high powered weapon Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) May 3, 2017 The shootings occurred shortly after 9 p.m. in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood. Two plain-clothes officers were conducting a follow-up investigation to a "previous incident," Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday night. One to two vehicles pulled up next to the officers and "started firing indiscriminately" at them, Johnson said. In a tweet early Wednesday, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that officials believe the officers were shot with a "high powered weapon." The officers were able to return fire, Johnson said. He would not elaborate on what the follow-up investigation was in relation to. "We will get them," Johnson said, vowing to bring the shooters to justice. The wounded officers were taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition where their conditions later stabilized, Guglielmi said. One officer was shot in the hip and arm, the other was shot in the back. "They are doing quite well, thank God," Johnson said. Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a tweet called the shootings a "frightening reminder of the dangers our dedicated officers face." Tonight was a frightening reminder of the dangers our dedicated officers face. Thank you @Chicago_Police for putting service above self. https://t.co/XTgQZtbQkP Archive: Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@MayorRahm) May 3, 2017 Emanuel was at Stroger and spoke with the officers and their families, Johnson said. A police helicopter was circling the area of the shootings about 9:44 p.m. and a police K-9 unit was brought in to search a car with a bullet hole in it. Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, police said. Two Chicago police officers were shot Tuesday night on the citys South Side, officials confirmed, and a manhunt for suspects was underway. Trina Orlando reports. Aldermen Patrick Thompson and Ray Lopez, of the 11th and 15th wards respectively, also spoke during the press conference and echoed a familiar rallying cry demanding tougher gun laws at the state and federal level. This act of senseless violence again shows that we need to do something, Thompson said. In Springfield, we need to pass sensible gun legislation to stop this insanity. Thompson said acts of violence like Tuesday nights shooting of the two 9th District tactical officers happen way too often. Im asking that we do something now in Springfield to curb this gun violence to help the police officers, to help them do their jobs, he said. Lopez, who is no stranger to the carnage left at the scene of a shooting, called the violence "unacceptable." The continuation of the gang and gun violence that weve seen is now hitting home in ways that is impacting all of us that it shouldnt be, Lopez said. Weve seen it impact our families, weve seen it impact our children, and now its impacting our police department. How much more is required? he asked. When will we as a city, as a society and a nation stand up and say enough. As Lopez spoke, in the distance, a siren's scream grew louder and then faded into the night. Fraternal Order of Police president, Kevin Graham, briefly addressed reporters saying he had spoken with the officers and their families. We will be keeping our prayers with them as we go through this ordeal, he said. Police continued to investigate Tuesday night. The two American investigators felt a sense of foreboding that Sunday as they headed to an emergency meeting with their boss on the Iraqi air base. But they didn't expect to be surrounded by armed guards, disarmed, detained against their will and fired without explanation. It was March 12 less than two months ago. Robert Cole and Kristie King were in Iraq working as investigators for Sallyport Global, a U.S. company that was paid nearly $700 million in federal contracts to secure Balad Air Base, home to a squadron of F-16 fighter jets as part of the U.S.-led coalition to annihilate the Islamic State. Cole and King had spent more than a year together in Iraq investigating all manner of misconduct at Balad and beyond. They'd uncovered evidence that Sallyport employees were involved in sex trafficking , they said. Staff on base routinely flew in smuggled alcohol in such high volumes that a plane once seesawed on the tarmac under the weight. Rogue militia stole enormous generators off the base using flatbed trucks and a 60-foot crane, driving past Sallyport security guards. Managers repeatedly shut down Cole and King's investigations and failed to report their findings to the U.S. government that was footing the bill, the investigators said. Right before they were fired, Cole and King had opened an investigation into allegations of timesheet fraud among Sallyport employees. In a call with Sallyport lawyers, they said, they were advised to keep two sets of books about potential crimes and contract violations. "One for the government to see and one for the government not to see," King told The Associated Press. In a statement to the AP, Sallyport said it follows all contracting rules at the base, home to the F-16s that are a key to the fight against the Islamic State. "Sallyport has a strong record of providing security and life support services in challenging war zones like Iraq and plays a major but unheralded role in the war against ISIS," Chief Operating Officer Matt Stuckart wrote. "The company takes any suggestion of wrongdoing at Balad very seriously." More than 150 documents obtained by AP, as well as interviews with more than a half-dozen former or current Sallyport employees, show how a contractor ran amok after being hired for lucrative and essential combat support operations. The investigators and other witnesses describe grave security breaches and illegal schemes that went unreported until the government asked about them. The point behind requiring contractors to employ their own investigators was to limit the waste and corruption that has marred federal security contracting going back to the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Pentagon's own auditors, who were frequently on the base 50 miles north of Baghdad, were not told of the serious problems until early this year, a potential violation of law. The Pentagon auditors' reports, obtained by the AP, detail dozens of more minor infractions. That gap illustrates the limits of U.S. oversight for billions of dollars in contracts run by companies that have cashed in on the fight to protect Americans from extremism. The Defense Department declined to comment. The morning of March 12, King had gone to church and was still carrying her Bible when she and Cole walked into the office foyer for the meeting with the boss. To their astonishment, they were immediately surrounded by armed security guards and forced to turn over the 9 mm pistols they both routinely carried on the job. The boss, David Saffold, informed them they were being fired but wouldn't say why. "We knew too much," King told AP in an interview at her home in Amarillo, Texas. "They want to cover it up and move on because it's a huge amount of money." ____ BODYGUARD OR TERRORIST? In 2004, Rob Cole was a retired California police officer and licensed private investigator when he decided to go to Iraq for a series of contracting jobs. Like many U.S. contractors working in hazardous regions, he went because the work paid a lot more than he could make back home. Americans have been at Balad on and off since 2003. Sallyport's parent company, Michael Baker International, announced in 2014 its subsidiaries had been awarded $838 million for work on the base. Cole's first job at Balad was cut short in June 2014, a month after he arrived, when the Islamic State group began sweeping across Iraq and Syria. The extremists ultimately made it to the gates of Balad, which was evacuated. When the Americans went back, they found a looted base largely under the control of Iranian-backed Shiite militias that were supporting the Iraqi government, according to former employees. A former senior manager told the AP that Sallyport reached an understanding with the militias that they would not enter the flight and residential areas. He declined to be named because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter and didn't want to be blacklisted from future jobs. Cole, now 62, returned to Balad in May 2015, as Sallyport was preparing for the arrival of American F-16s sold to the Iraqi government. Sallyport's mission, along with its parent company, was to keep the base operating smoothly, train the Iraqis, and most importantly maintain security on the base, where thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of contractors work. The federal contract required investigations into potential crimes and violations involving the company's work at Balad. That was Cole and King's assignment. "They wanted someone to be competent enough to process an investigation, if there was a crime, or if someone turned up dead," King said. "The way it was put to me: If someone turned up with a knife in their back, who are you going to call?" From the start, it was clear that much was awry on the base. Despite the urgency of fighting IS, the delivery of the F-16s had been delayed by months amid security concerns. It would be catastrophic if IS seized the base and its multimillion-dollar jets. On July 13, 2015, four F-16s flew in from Arizona, the first of 36 fighter jets that the U.S. planned to deliver. Brett McGurk, then the U.S. deputy envoy for the international coalition against IS, hailed the arrival in a tweet . "After years of preparation & training in the U.S., Iraqi pilots today landed the 1st squadron of Iraqi F16s in #Iraq," he wrote. The first security breach came in less than 24 hours: A long black skid mark on the tarmac was reported. It stopped about 45 yards from the nose of one of the fighter jets. A truck had plowed through a rope barrier in the "no-go" zone, where lethal force is authorized to protect the planes. For more than 10 minutes, no one even responded as the vehicle drove away, according to reports citing surveillance video. That turned out not to be a terrorist. But Cole says the out-of-control truck was a harbinger. He noted the lax protection for the F-16s in his report and forwarded it to the chief of security, Steve Asher. Under the requirements of the contract, Cole's report should have then made its way to the Pentagon. But he says Asher kept a lid on the incident. Three months later, in October 2015, Cole reported another security breach, the theft of a Toyota SUV that Sallyport had assigned to bodyguards to drive VIPs around the base. Cole eventually uncovered a plot by three Iraqi Sallyport staff working with a dangerous Iran-backed militia, known as Kataib Imam Ali. The Shiite militia was an ongoing headache, politically connected and operating outside the law, with sidelines in theft and gunrunning. It has ties to the leader of the umbrella militia Popular Mobilization Forces, which is on the U.S. list of designated terrorists. To Cole's astonishment, the prime suspect threatened to join the militia during his interrogation. He was a Sallyport bodyguard. In fact, the investigators later found a photo of him on his Facebook page, dressed in black militia garb and a patch indicating his allegiance to the group. He is "viewed by the Investigations Unit as a hard-core recruit to become a terrorist who poses a serious threat to all personnel on this base," Cole wrote in another report. The Toyota was recovered within a few days, but Cole was ordered off the case. In an interview with AP, the former senior manager defended the company's order, saying negotiations with the militias were highly sensitive and had to be handled with Iraqi cooperation. Still, the suspect was supposed to be banned from the base, and Cole later saw the man walking around freely. ___ GUMMY BEARS SOAKED IN VODKA The longer Cole was on the base, the more he suspected that management was turning a blind eye to criminal activity. On the books, Balad is a dry base, where alcohol is restricted. But in reality the booze was everywhere and everyone knew it. Finding out how it got there led to more troubling questions. A Sallyport employee who worked in the air terminal reported in late 2015 that co-workers were involved in a smuggling scheme. They were bringing in cases and cases of water bottles filled with liquor that they'd sneaked onto planes flying in from Baghdad. According to investigative documents and people who watched the smuggling in action, three empty suitcases would routinely be loaded onto a flight to Baghdad. Each time, the bags came back with plastic water bottles filled with liquor. When they were unloaded, the bags were not searched but taken directly outside to be picked up a serious security risk in a war zone. "You could be putting a bomb in there," said one former employee who witnessed the smuggling. "You've got people just going rogue." He spoke only on condition of anonymity because he didn't want to imperil his new job with a different overseas contractor. Steve Anderson, who worked on flight logistics, says he was pressured to sign off on faked flight manifests that omitted passenger names and falsified the weight of cargo to cover for the alcohol smuggling and other infractions a violation of international flight regulations. The planes were getting so weighed down he was worried about flight safety. "They were playing Russian roulette with the passengers' lives including mine," Anderson said. Once, he watched a plane that was being unloaded tip nose-forward on its wheels onto the tarmac because it was so overloaded. "I could hear the people inside the aircraft yelling. I never seen anything like that in my entire life," he recalled. "It was like a seesaw." Then out came the telltale bags that he watched get shepherded around security. When Anderson aired his concerns to management and refused to sign the falsified manifests, his boss said he didn't want to hear about any more problems. "He said, 'If you don't like the job that you're doing maybe you ought to find somewhere else to work.'" Anderson went on a medical leave and was told his position had been filled when he sought to return. Rumors of the alcohol smuggling reached Cole and King separately. Informants told them that flight line staff, who directed airplanes on the runways and handled cargo, were showing up drunk. In one instance they had passed around a bowlful of gummy bears soaked in vodka . The investigators got a tip that the bootleggers were working out of two hotels in Baghdad. Thinking they were undercover, King and an Iraqi investigator on the team went to one of the hotels, the al-Burhan, five minutes from Baghdad's airport. She said informants told them the smuggling was run by the hotel manager and a number of Sallyport employees. During their interviews, they discovered an even more alarming scheme. The hotel had been running a prostitution ring, and Sallyport employees were among the customers, informants said. Four Ethiopian women who had worked as prostitutes at the hotel were later hired in housekeeping by Sallyport, and were still sending money back to a pimp in the al Burhan. The evidence suggested, the investigators told the AP, that Sallyport managers had either knowingly or unwittingly abetted human trafficking involving vulnerable female immigrants in a war zone, a revelation the company would be required to report to the U.S. government under federal law. In the hotel's courtyard, a prime smuggling suspect, who was a Sallyport employee, angrily confronted King and said that a senior manager at the headquarters in Virginia, Roy Hernandez, had tipped him off about the investigation. On Feb. 15, 2016, Cole and King were ordered by Sallyport's Balad program manager, Kim Poole, to shut down the investigations into both the bootlegging and the prostitution on Hernandez's instructions, according to the investigators. The following day, Sallyport sent out an email to staff warning that they might be audited over trafficking and noting that they were required to report violations. But Stuckart says the prostitution allegations were not substantiated. "It is absurd to suggest that the company would shut down an inquiry into a matter of such gravity," he said. More than a year later, two of the Ethiopian women were still working on the base, Cole said, and the alcohol smuggling had started back up, according to a report obtained by AP dated May 28, 2016. ___ "IT WAS MIND-BLOWING" Late last year, it became clear that little had changed after the earlier security breaches. On Nov. 15, Cole got a report that three large generators had been stolen from the base for a total loss of $1 million. According to surveillance videos, just before 2 a.m., militia had driven two flatbed trucks and a crane onto the base, driving right past the security gate. Cole estimates the crane, when extended, was at least 60 feet tall. After successfully loading the three generators and partially covering them with burlap, the militia drove off the base unchallenged. The episode lasted three hours. Cole said they passed within about ten feet of the Sallyport security guard force. "Nobody reported anything. It was a disaster and it was covered up. That is absolutely covered up," he said. "What if the intent was not to steal but to commit a terrorist act?" According to Sallyport's Stuckart, the theft occurred when the Iraqi base commander "granted local militia members access to the base" and said the generators weren't located in his company's security zone. "Sallyport had no authority to keep these militia members from taking the generators." It was after that incident that a Defense Department auditor, who normally concerned himself with bin tagging, trash collection and the accounting minutiae of base life, began asking questions. Cole and King had kept all their reports in an investigative log. They had also flagged the important cases to management and they had assumed that the company informed the government. It became clear from the auditor's question that he knew nothing about it. "When we finally got the idea that they were hiding all of the stuff from the U.S. government, it was mind-blowing," said King. By then, clouds were looming for Cole and King. They had begun yet another investigation into timesheet fraud after getting a tip that Sallyport employees were systematically collecting salaries but not working. They say the company stalled the investigation, ordered every step to be approved by its lawyers and finally told Cole and King in a conference call to keep two sets of books. The implication for Cole was that they should omit from the government's copy anything that would "be controversial and would reveal any failure or embarrassing detail." The lawyers explained that that information was covered under attorney-client privilege. The two investigators, sitting together on the other end of the call, looked at each other in disbelief and shook their heads "We realized right away that that's fraud, probably a crime, and we weren't going to be a part of it," Cole said. Shortly after they notified Sallyport that they wanted to interview managers who were suspects, their boss, Saffold, asked them to come to his office. It was Sunday morning, and King left church early. At an interview in his family home in Georgia, Cole recalled the fine sand that stuck to his sweat as he walked across the base to the meeting. Saffold ordered armed guards to take their pistols and detain the two at their work stations. King burst into tears, and the guards apparently thought better of restraining her when she said she wanted to bring her Bible back to her quarters, the investigators say. Cole and King said their termination paperwork was signed by the human resources manager they were investigating as part of the timesheet fraud. In an interview in Texas, where King has returned to work as a reserve deputy in Armstrong County near Amarillo, she expressed regrets. "It hurts me that I had to leave and not correct issues that were occurring, and it hurts me that they want to cover them up," she said. "It's so painful to me, it makes me lose sleep at night. Something's wrong and did not get right." Three Los Angeles city firefighters have reached salary levels that rival the U.S. president, and it's not the first time some of them have appeared on lists of top government employee salary earners, according to data from a nonprofit watchdog group. Captains Charles Ferrari and James Vlach and firefighter Donn Thompson earned nearly $1.4 million combined in salaries last year, 72 percent of which came from overtime pay, according to Transparent California, a project of the Las Vegas-based Nevada Policy Research Institute. They earned more overtime than 600,000 workers surveyed statewide, according to the nonprofit that gathers salary data using public records act requests to public agencies. Thompson has been appearing on overtime lists for years. A Los Angeles Times article from 1996 lists him as a top overtime earner. In 2009, the Los Angeles Daily News identified him as a top overtime earner for the year 2008. "It's definitely a scam," said Robert Fellner, the research director for Transparent California, which provides comprehensive, searchable information on the compensation of public employees in California. Fellner says paying overtime diverts resources from other vital services. "The fact that this has been going on for so long makes perfectly clear that this is a system designed to enrich the members," he said. "Overtime is for unforeseen events. When you see the same guys collecting such large amounts of overtime over such a long period it reveals that the system is being gamed." Ferrari, Vlach and Thompson could not be reached. Tony Gamboa, the president of United Firefighters Los Angeles City, the union that represents the rank and file, did not return a call seeking comment. In a story published in the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2016 about firefighter overtime, Thompson defended his overtime, telling the newspaper, "The first thing [people] think of is firefighters sitting around at the station, but they're not just handing out free money over here. I'm working hard. I've never spent that much time at home. I basically lived at the fire station." Fire Department officials say the overtime figures have been rising due to staffing shortages because of retirements. The department hasn't been able to hire fast enough to fully staff the 106 stations across the city, said Battalion Chief Orin Saunders, who oversees employee relations. [2017 UPDATED 12/19] 2017 Southern California Images in the News In 2014, the department was short every day about 400 firefighters, a gap that needed to be filled through overtime. Today, that figure is about 280. That figure is expected to be 140 next year, said Peter Sanders, a department spokesman. The department is authorized for 3,300 sworn personnel and staffs stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The department has a complicated schedule that has built-in overtime. Firefighters are guaranteed at least 12 hours overtime in any given 27-day deployment period, unless they call in sick or take a holiday off, Saunders said. Firefighters can volunteer for overtime shifts on a rotation, with the firefighter who has the least amount of overtime up first for overtime. The average salary for rank and file firefighters is $117,505 with the average overtime amount $57,721 while the average overtime worked is 898 hours, or more than 37 days of overtime, Sanders said. Sanders said the agency had a five-year hiring freeze that ended in 2014 but retirements and attrition continued, creating additional vacancies that needed to be filled through overtime. "As we have been placing dozens of recruits in the field every year since 2014, we have been able to catch up on those vacancies, which reduces overtime opportunities," he said. Will County authorities have released photos of what they found inside the home where a 1-year-old girl was found dead after being reported missing by her family. Semaj Crosby was found dead around 12 a.m. Thursday inside her home in the 300 block of Louis Road, less than two days after she was reported missing from the house near unincorporated Joliet. [[420628593, C]] Investigators noted that the suburban Chicago home at the center of the massive search effort was in "very deplorable conditions." Newly released photos show a disheveled interior littered with bags, various scattered items and garbage. Authorities said it was unfit for human occupancy. Anywhere from five to 15 people typically lived there at a given time, officials said, adding that the attorney for the girls mother told them many of those residents were considered "squatters." "They come and go as they please, they may be there for a week, they might be there for a night," Deputy Chief Rick Ackerson with the Will County Sheriff's Office said during a news conference Thursday. [[420628103, C]] The Chicago Tribune reports that the family of Semaj made arrangements with Minor-Morris Funeral Home owner and Joliet City Council member Terry Morris. The visitation will be 9 a.m. Friday followed by a service at 11 a.m. at Prayer Tower Ministries in Joliet. The girl will be buried at Elmhurst Cemetery in Joliet. Morris said the cemetery is donating a gravesite to the family. Just before Semaj went missing, investigators with the Department of Child and Family Services say they saw the little girl safe at the home. A spokesperson said the agency had visited the home that day and were investigating her mother, Sheri Gordon, for an allegation of neglect. DCFS investigators checked on the home at about 3:20 p.m., officials said, and all three of Gordons children were there including Semaj. About three hours later, at about 6:30 p.m., the family reported her missing. The sheriffs office said it was Gordon's attorney who helped authorities get consent to search the home on Louis Road around 11 p.m. Wednesday, before investigators found the body of the girl an hour later. [[420628583, C]] Ms. Gordon is extremely distraught over the death of her only daughter, law firm Chuck Bretz and Associates, which is representing Gordon, posted on its Facebook page Thursday evening. "She will continue to support the investigation in this matter to the best of her abilities," the statement continued. "She prays for her daughter and appreciates the communitys support in this matter. We look forward to when we can put this tragic incident behind us and allow the healing to begin." An autopsy was completed Thursday, though it determined that the cause of death was "pending further studies." More alarming allegations were made Wednesday against a 20-year-old worker in a South Florida middle school after-care program who's accused of offering money, gifts and trips to Disney World to recruit teenage boys for sex. Roosevelt Miller made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday following his arrest last week. He pleaded not guilty during the arraignment proceeding. Authorities say Miller offered three teens money and gifts for sexual favors while he was working as a counselor at a Plantation Middle School after-care program. Miller told one student he was "sexy" and that he wanted to "spoil" him, an arrest affidavit said. He also told boys he wanted to give them gifts in exchange for touching their genitals, the affidavit said. At Wednesday's hearing, a detective testified that Miller gave two confessions, one in a police car during an investigative interview, and a full written confession that was initialed and signed at FBI headquarters. Miller allegedly admitted to the sexually-charged text messages and social media exchanges. He also admitted he was sexually attracted to the teens and he wanted to have sex with them, the detective said. Also in the confession, Miller said he physically wrestled with the boys for sexual gratification, and that he actually grabbed a boy's genitals at a bus stop. The confession said there are four other boys he propositioned who weren't named in the indictment. Some of Miller's family members attended the hearing but didn't want to comment. "We don't have anything to say, so don't say anything to us. Go back down that way and wait for somebody else to come out," one family member told NBC 6. Back at school, fellow students of one of the alleged victims said what their friend told them validates Miller's confession. "He said he offered him $300 to touch his private parts," friend Jabarian Anthony said. The judge ordered Miller held until his trial. Authorities say they have found an inmate on Thursday morning who left a community work detail in Homestead the day before. Officers confirmed to NBC 6 shortly after 7 a.m. that 40-year-old Marv A. Hubbard was found at a gas station near the intersection of US 1 and Southwest 200th Street in Cutler Bay. The escape was reported Wednesday afternoon in the area of Southwest 312th Street and Southwest 137th Avenue. Hubbard was on the work release program and had walked off the job without authorization, officials said. Police released surveillance photos taken at Farm Share in Homestead showing Hubbard jumping a gate and walking on foot. Officials said Hubbard was imprisoned in 2007 for burglary of a dwelling and was first assigned to the community work program last August. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is scheduled to be the commencement speaker at a historically black college, but an online petition opposing the decision now has more than 5,000 signatures. DeVos will address the graduates at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach next Wednesday. But a Change.org petition to remove her from the commencement says her presence is just a "photo op" for the Trump administration. "Having DeVos speak at the commencement ceremony is an insult to the BCU graduating class, students, alumni, family, friends, and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethunes legacy," the petition read. "We, the proud alumni of Bethune-Cookman University, do not want Betsy DeVos to have a seat at our table." Bethune-Cookman University did not immediately respond to NBC's request for comment. Back in February, DeVos an outspoken supporter of school choice released a statement saying historically black colleges and universities were the "real pioneers" of school choice. Her statement was met with public criticism since many HBCUs were established because racism stopped African-Americans from going to other schools. DeVos called HBCUs proof that more options lead to greater access. But critics said she does not have a firm grasp on history. What to Know Two bodies found inside a building -- police believe the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide. No other injuries reported. Students reported hearing between three and five gunshots. All North Lake College campuses will remain closed for the rest of the week; people are urged to avoid the area during the investigation. A man took his own life Wednesday after shooting a woman multiple times in a hallway at North Lake Community College in Irving, sending the North Texas school into a lock down for more than an hour while police searched the campus for an active shooter. The active shooter alert, with confirmed shots fired, was reported on North Lake College's Irving campus at about 11:45 a.m. About an hour later, police confirmed the bodies of two people had been found in what investigators suspect is a murder-suicide. A man took his own life Wednesday after shooting a woman multiple times in a hallway at North Lake Community College in Irving, sending the school into a lock down for more than an hour while police searched the campus for an active shooter. On Wednesday night, Irving police identified the woman as 20-year-old Janeera Nickol Gonzalez. The suspected gunman has also been identified as 21-year-old Adrian Victor Torres. Irving police have also confirmed that Gonzalez was found inside the Performance Hall Building at a common study area. Investigators said Torres was found inside a locker room shower stall in Building F. North Lake College confirmed Wednesday night that Gonzalez was a current student at the sollege. School leaders confirmed that Torres is a former student. Students can be seen running from buildings at Irving's North Lake College campus May 3, 2017, after reports of an active shooter were received. Two bodies were later found in a building -- police believe the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide. Irving police said they were no longer looking for a shooter at the college just before 1 p.m. and that there appeared to be no continuing threat to students or faculty. Irving police spokesman Ofc. James McLellan and Commissioner Lauretta Hill, of the Dallas County Community College District Police Department, give an update on the apparent murder-suicide at North Lake College in Irving, May 3, 2017. Lauretta Hill, Commissioner, Dallas County Community College District Police Department, gives an update into an apparent murder-suicide at North Lake College in Irving, May 3, 2017. "North Lake students and employees followed lockdown procedures, and we are relieved that no one else was injured. We also offer our thanks to officers from the Irving Police Department, who partnered with North Lake College Police, to protect students and staff on campus," North Lake president Dr. Christa Slejko said. Irving police said they continued a secondary search of the campus as the investigation unfolds. North Lake students exited the campus as each building was cleared. Dr. Christa Slejko, president of North Lake College, gives an update after an apparent murder-suicide on campus, May 3, 2017. "This is an emotional time for the North Lake family. We're heartbroken that such a tragedy has occurred on campus. We will address any needs for counseling on campus as soon as we re-open," said Slejko. Slejko said there could have been between 4,000 and 5,000 people on campus at the time of the shooting. Active Shooter at North Lake College in Irving School officials said all North Lake College campuses will be closed until Monday. Irving police, which is leading the investigation, asked people to stay away from the campus while the investigation continues. School leaders said anyone who needs to retrieve personal belongings can visit the Central Campus Library and get a police escort from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday. Shots Fired Inside Building C North Lake College police confirmed shots were fired at North Lake's Irving campus, at 5001 North MacArthur Boulevard, at about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. Nasrin Nanbakhsh, a tutor at North Lake College, says she saw a man shoot a woman three times in building C211. Nasrin Nanbakhsh, a tutor at North Lake College in the math learning center, said she walked out of her room in Building C into the hallway and saw a man shoot a woman multiple times. "I saw a guy standing and there was a girl sitting on the chair. It happened too quickly. I saw him shooting her three times," she said. "We've been trained how to handle these types of situations. I immediately ran back to the room I'm working in, locked the doors and asked all the students to go back to the back room and to turn off the lights and be quiet." A student inside C building at the North Lake College Irving campus describes the moments from when announcements came over the loud speaker to evacuating the building. A math tutor who witnessed the shooting at North Lake College says she is trained for active shooter situations and describes who she put that training to use. Dani, a student at the school, told NBC 5 over the telephone that she had just arrived at the school and was walking down the stairs near the art gallery when she heard three loud pops. "It sounded just like gunshots," Dani said. "We heard the first one and thought somebody dropped something ... but then it just kept going and everybody just started running." Dani, a student at the school, told NBC 5 over the telephone that she had just arrived at the school and was walking down the stairs near the art gallery when she heard three loud pops. "The only thing that went through my mind was just to run," Dani said. Ro Olvera was barricaded in a classroom not far from the shooting and said her instructor said if anyone came through the door they would have to fight. "My instructor, the whole time, was like, 'If he comes in, hell have to get through me first. But if it comes to that, grab a chair, throw at him, do anything you can. Fight.' So I did feel safe with our instructor," Olvera recalled. Students at North Lake College in Irving were instructed to clear the area as police searched for an active shooter on campus Wednesday. Dennis Holmes, who is part of the faculty at the college and a freelance photographer with NBC 5, was on campus when the active shooter was reported. Holmes told NBC 5 by telephone he was locked down in a professor's office and was told by school officials to barricade the doors. Dennis Holmes, who is part of the faculty at the college and a freelance photographer with NBC 5, was on campus when the active shooter was reported. Holmes told NBC 5 he has been locked down in a professor's office and was told by school officials to barricade the doors. Despite the lockdown, a large number of students were seen frantically running from multiple buildings toward parking lots. Dallas Area Rapid Transit stopped Orange Line service at the North Lake College Station until about an hour after the incident ended. Two nearby Irving Independent School District schools, MacArthur High School and Singley Academy, were also placed on lockout during the incident. That restriction has since been lifted. Students at North Lake College run to safety as police search for an active shooter on campus. Texas Concealed Carry Law Gun owners with a valid LTC, licensed to carry, permit were permitted to carry weapons on the campuses of four-year colleges and universities in Texas effective Aug. 1, 2016. The law goes into effect for all community colleges on Aug. 1, 2017. The law does not allow open carry, where the weapon is visible, or allow for the carrying of rifles and shotguns on campus. Christa Slejko, North Lake College President, and Lauretta Hill, DCCCD Police Commissioner, discuss campus safety and security after Wednesday's murder-suicide. Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change. NBC 5's Meredith Yeomans, Don Peritz, Ashley Barry, Kris Gutierrez, Tim Ciesco and Eva Parks contributed to this report. What to Know Joey Torres, mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, has already been indicted for allegedly ordering city workers to do private construction work The possibility a city contractor was also called in raises new questions about taxpayers funding private work An attorney for Torres denied the mayor ever told the contractor the beer project was a city job Criminal investigators are looking into whether Paterson Mayor Jose Joey Torres improperly used a city electrical contractor to do thousands of dollars of work on a private beer business tied to the mayors relatives, sources familiar with the investigation tell NBC 4 New York's I-Team. Documents obtained by the I-Team show J&J Electric proposed doing at least $15,000 in taxpayer-funded work at the East 15th Street business -- a business that was in the name of the mayors daughter and a nephew. Several individuals familiar with the project said the total electrical work done approached $40,000. The owners of J&J Electric declined to comment on who directly solicited the work, whether it was the mayor or city Department of Public Works employees or someone else. One of J&Js owner, Gerald Vella, said only that he did not want to cause more problems for the embattled Torres. The mayor has already been indicted for allegedly ordering DPW workers to do construction at the site at taxpayer expense. Records obtained by the I-Team show several workers billed overtime to the city on the days in question. The mayor and three DPW workers charged in that overtime fraud case have pleaded not guilty to various charges, including theft and misconduct. The possibility that a city contractor -- J&J Electric -- was also called in raises new questions about just how much taxpayers paid or were going to pay for the private job. Torres, through his attorney John Azzerello, denied he ever told J&J workers the beer project was a city job. He also denied that money from the citys contracts with J&J would cover the cost of J&Js electrical work. But developer Charles Florio said J&Js owner told him the company was called in by city officials for a "city job." He (Vella) actually thought he was doing a job for the city, Florio said. He didnt know it was a side job. Florio said Vella told him midway through the project that he had learned the work was for a private beer store. But Florio said the contractor kept doing the work. He (Vella) couldnt tell the mayor no You are going to do this or you are going to lose your contract, Florio said. J&J has had more than $300,000 in contracts with Paterson in recent years. The amount was first reported by the Paterson Press. Florio said he learned of the alleged corruption at the proposed beer store site after the mayor, his relatives and DPW workers improperly used his own companys information to "pull permits" instead of hiring a general contractor. They stole my information, Florio said, adding that J&J was then listed as a subcontractor. Sources familiar with the investigation said J&J has not billed the city - or the mayor and his relatives - for the electrical work as the state and federal criminal investigations into City Hall continue. Former federal prosecutor Robert Ray said even if taxpayers were not billed for the electrical work, crimes may have been committed. Government officials are only supposed to receive one thing - their paycheck -- not benefits and bennies in other forms, Ray said, referring to the construction and electrical work at the private site. A spokesman for New Jersey State Attorney General Christopher Porrino declined to comment, as did spokesmen for the U.S. Attorney and FBI. What to Know Hillary Clinton said she's taking responsibility for her election loss but believes misogyny and Russian interference influenced the outcome The nation's opioid crisis is forcing hospitals to begin rolling out non-addictive alternatives Comedian Jim Gaffigan says his wife and writing partner Jeannie Gaffigan is recovering after surgery to remove a serious brain tumor 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. Clinton Blames Misogyny, FBI, Russia, Herself for Election Loss Hillary Clinton said she's taking responsibility for her 2016 election loss but believes misogyny, Russian interference and questionable decisions by the FBI influenced the outcome. The former Democratic presidential nominee offered extensive comments about the election during the Women for Women International's annual luncheon in New York. She said she's been going through the "painful" process of reliving the 2016 contest while writing a book. She reminded the enthusiastic audience packed with women that she earned 3 million more votes than Republican Donald Trump, who won more Electoral College votes and won the election. She also highlighted Russia's role in hacking into her campaign's internal emails and subsequently coordinating their release on WikiLeaks. U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russia coordinated with Trump associates to influence the election, something Russia has denied. U.S. 'Needs a Good Shutdown' to Fix Senate 'Mess,' Trump Says President Trump declared the U.S. government "needs a good shutdown" this fall to fix a "mess" in the Senate, signaling on Twitter his displeasure with a bill to keep operations running. But Republican leaders and Trump himself also praised the stopgap measure as a major accomplishment and a sign of his masterful negotiating with Democrats. On the defensive, Trump and his allies issued a flurry of contradictory statements ahead of key votes in Congress on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to keep the government at full speed through September. After advocating for a future shutdown, the president hailed the budget agreement as a boost for the military, border security and other top priorities. Yet Trump's morning tweets hardly signaled a win and came after Democrats gleefully claimed victory in denying him much of his wish list despite being the minority party. They sounded a note of defeat, blaming Senate rules for a budget plan that merited closing most government operations. Improve Service or Congress Steps In, Lawmakers Tell Airlines The chief executive of United Airlines apologized on Capitol Hill for an incident in which a passenger was dragged off a flight, calling it "a mistake of epic proportions" as frustrated lawmakers warned airline executives to improve customer service or face congressional intervention. House Transportation Committee Chairman said carriers should use the notoriety of the violent event and a separate incident in which a mother with a stroller was bullied by a flight attendant to make long-needed improvements. If the airlines don't make changes, Congress is likely to step in, lawmakers said. No specifics were provided on what steps Congress would take to fix airline service. But several members of Congress have introduced legislation to ban the bumping of passengers if flights are overbooked. Lawmakers said problems with air travel are commonplace. EPA Asks What Rules to Cut, Gets Earful About Dirty Water The Trump administration got an earful from people who say federal rules limiting air and water pollution aren't tough enough, even as it was seeking suggestions about what environmental regulations it should gut. The Environmental Protection Agency held a three-hour "virtual listening session" to collect public comments by phone about which clean water regulations should be targeted for repeal, replacement or modification. The call was part of the agency's response to President Trump's order to get rid of regulations that are burdensome to business and industry. Both the phone-in session and the nearly 6,000 written comments submitted so far and published on a federal website were dominated by those staunchly opposed to the planned regulatory rollback. Many identified themselves as being affiliated with environmental groups. Others said they were taxpayers worried about maintaining safe sources of drinking water. Overcoming Opioids: When Pills Are a Hospital's Last Resort The nation's opioid crisis is forcing hospitals to begin rolling out non-addictive alternatives to treatments that have long been the mainstay for the severe pain of trauma and surgery, so they don't save patients' lives or limbs only to have them fall under the grip of addiction. An estimated 2 million people in the U.S. are addicted to prescription opioids, and an average of 91 Americans die every day from an overdose of those painkillers or their illicit cousin, heroin. This grim spiral often starts in the hospital. A Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February raised the troubling prospect that for every 48 patients newly prescribed an opioid in the emergency room, one will use the pills for at least six months over the next year. And the longer they're used, the higher the risk for becoming dependent. Doctors and hospitals around the country are searching for ways to relieve extreme pain while at the same time sharply limiting what was long considered their most effective tool. It's a critical part of the effort to overcome the worst addiction crisis in U.S. history. Jim Gaffigan's Wife Has Brain Tumor Surgery, Comedian Says Comedian Jim Gaffigan says his wife and writing partner Jeannie Gaffigan is recovering after surgery to remove a serious brain tumor. Jim Gaffigan said on his social media pages that two weeks ago an MRI revealed that Jeannie Gaffigan had a large, life-threatening tumor around her brain stem. He says after nine hours of urgent surgery the tumor was completely removed, and she's now recovering at home. Jeannie Gaffigan posted on her Instagram page "I'm coming back! Thanks for your prayers. I'm alive!" The 50-year-old Jim Gaffigan is among the most popular stand-up comics in the country, and Jeannie Gaffigan both co-writes his material and produces his TV specials. She was also producer and writer on "The Jim Gaffigan Show," his sitcom that ran for two seasons on the TV Land cable network. What to Know Jacqueline Dicks, 41, was shot in the head not far from her Brooklyn home Monday night; she had just wrapped up her MTA conductor shift The mother of six was still wearing her uniform when she was found dead on the street; her boyfriend is wanted on a murder charge Police had questioned and released the beau, but later obtained surveillance video they say implicated him in the crime The 44-year-old boyfriend of Jacqueline Dicks, the mother of six shot and killed on her own Brooklyn street late Monday as she headed home from a shift as an MTA conductor, is wanted on a murder charge, authorities say. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Wednesday police had questioned the boyfriend, Zire King, in connection with Dicks' death at the start of their investigation but released him. Cops later obtained video from the crime scene area that showed King talking to the 41-year-old Dicks on the street shortly before she was shot, then heading to his car after, Boyce said. Cops obtained a search warrant for King's car and found a handgun in the trunk, Boyce said. Authorities believe that is the weapon that killed Dicks. Dicks' bag and phone were also allegedly found in the vehicle. Boyce said King was living with Dicks at her East New York home, but the suspect has not returned home since he was questioned by police. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call police. Dicks' daughter, Tatiana Latisha Moore, posted a photo of King on Facebook Wedneday and wrote: "This is my little brother's father... this is also the man who took my mother's life. His name is Zire King or Joseph Harper, if you have any information, please let me know. Please, he needs to be caught." Dicks was shot in the head Monday night on Elton Street; she had just wrapped up a shift on the N line and investigators said King was driving her home after picking her up from the Astoria-Ditmas Boulevard station. King told police he dropped Dicks off near her home and was going to the store when he heard a single gunshot, police sources said late Tuesday. He told police he was blinded by headlights and couldn't see clearly but thought there may have been three people involved, the sources said. Several witnesses also supported the three-people story, but Boyce said Wednesday that theory just wasn't true. He said only one person was responsible. Dicks was pronounced dead at the scene. She was still wearing her MTA uniform. She had been a conductor with New York City Transit since June. Boyce said King was living with Dicks for at least three years. The couple has a 4-month-old child. Police did not elaborate on a possible motive for the shooting, and Boyce said the department's fugitive division is looking for King. Dicks' union, TWU Local 100, also sent out an email blast to 42,000 members in the city in Westchester urging the bus and subway workers to be on the lookout for her alleged killer should he use mass transit. Meanwhile, community members and coworkers rallied around Dicks' family Tuesday. "We lost one of our own to gun violence," MTA Interim Executive Director Ronnie Hakim said in a statement Tuesday. "Jacqueline Dicks was a 41-year-old mother of six and valued member of New York City Transit. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and will assist NYPD in any way possible." What to Know The NYPD has closed the case of pioneering NY judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam and handed evidence to the medical examiner The medical examiner will release her official cause of death at some point in the future The NYPD said there were no signs of foul play, suggesting she may have committed suicide The NYPD has closed its investigation into the death of a prominent New York State judge whose body was found floating in the Hudson River last month. The police department said it has completed its investigation into the death of Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam and that evidence has been given to the chief medical examiner, who will release her cause of death at some point. A previous autopsy was inconclusive. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Wednesday investigators had tracked down all leads and found no criminality. Boyce said a lot of hours were put into the investigation and that Abdus-Salaam was last seen in surveillance video from Riverside Park on Manhattans Upper West Side. The NYPD previously said there were no signs of foul play, suggesting she may have killed herself after wandering the streets of Harlem for four hours. Her family and admirers insist that doesn't add up. "Sheila was one of the most rational, measured and intellectual folks that I've ever known," said Keith Wright, a former state assemblyman, longtime friend and neighbor who exchanged pleasantries with her in the subway two days before the death. "I don't believe she killed herself." Police have relied on security video to try to retrace the last hours of Abdus-Salaam's life. She spent her workweeks in the city at an apartment on West 131st Street in Harlem. After staying home from work on April 11, she was seen on video leaving the home at around 8:30 p.m. and walking several blocks north, then eventually west on West 145th Street to an elevated park on the Hudson River, where a final video shows her alone there at about 12:30 a.m. on April 12, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press late last month on condition of anonymity. Her body was found in the water about 13 hours later without obvious signs of trauma. She was in the same clothes - sweatshirt, sweatpants and white sneakers - as seen in the videos. In a statement, Abdus-Salaam's family has disputed reports that she was battling depression and that, according to police, her death fell around the anniversaries of the suicides of both her mother and brother. Police later admitted that they were wrong about the mother's cause of death. More questions followed after the NYPD tweeted a photo of a flyer last month asking for information from anyone who may have come in recent contact with Abdus-Salaam and after a police official called the death "suspicious." But police have stressed that only meant they hadn't reached a conclusion about the death. The news coverage has "frequently included unsubstantiated comments concerning my wife's possible mental and emotional state of mind at the time of her death," said the Rev. Canon Gregory Jacobs, her third husband and an Episcopal pastor who shared a home with her in New Jersey. "Those of us who loved Sheila and knew her well do not believe that these unfounded conclusions have any basis in reality." A mother and 5-year-old boy from Honduras who had been detained at a Berks County immigration detention facility were put on a flight Wednesday back to their native country, according to Sen. Bob Casey and an immigration attorney. The two were among 14 "longterm" families held at the controversial Berks County Residential Center outside Reading. They had been detained at the Pennsylvania facility since Dec. 18, 2015, attorney Bridget Cambria said Wednesday afternoon. The 14 families were all part of a court case, Castro v. Department of Homeland Security. Over two dozen families without criminal records filed habeas corpus lawsuits in November 2015 claiming that their credible fear interviews for asylum were unfair. The Supreme Court denied a petition to hear the case on April 17, and attorneys feared their clients would be subject to deportation because of the decision. The Berks County facility is one of only three detention centers in the country for undocumented immigrant families. The other two are in Texas. The facility, which is run by the county and paid for with federal funds, was scheduled to lose its license to operate with the state of Pennsylvania. But last week, a judge overruled the states decision. Cambria said she and other attorneys were arguing on behalf of the woman and her son before a federal judge on the Eastern District of Pennsylvania when they were notified that Immigration and Customs Enforcement put the two on a plane for Honduras. "We applied for the child this week who had qualified for a special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) and brought it to ICE and the courts and we were in court today," Cambria said. "We literally were arguing to include this child while immigration was watching the plane take off." Casey, the Pennsylvania Democrat, first tweeted about the mom and son about noon in a series of tweets in which he accused the Department of Homeland Security of sending a mother and her young child on "a plane ride that can very likely lead to their death." [[421191603, C]] He said in another tweet that "the 5yr old's mother witnessed the murder of her cousin in Honduras and was being pursued by gangs." "They had a final order of removal but it doesnt change the danger they are facing or that they were held for over a year and a half," Cambria said. On Tuesday, Casey sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly urging "the immediate release" of four other undocumented mothers and their children who are also being detained at the Berks County facility. During his Twitter streak about the Honduran mother and child, Casey also called out the Trump administration for how this deportation frames the president's immigration priorities. .@realDonaldTrump If you're on twitter- Call @DHSgov Sec. Kelly and tell him this makes no sense. Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017 The senator then appeared on MSNBC, appearing at times enraged that a woman and young boy could be sent back to one of the most dangerous countries in the world. He said he'd talked with President Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus, by phone, but that messages he left for Kelly at Homeland Security and Thomas Homan, the acting director of ICE were not returned by the late afternoon. "Still waiting for those two to call back," Casey said. "I shouldnt have to make those calls. They shouldnt be doing this." He added, "Why dont they focus on people that present a threat to us? Instead, they are pretty much letting ICE do whatever they want." ICE, in a statement later in the evening, defended the deportation of the mother, who the agency identified. NBC10.com is only identifying the woman as Fany H. after an attorney for her said she fears for her safety in her native country. "It's unfortunate that politicians are repeating misleading information and in the process, demonizing the men and women whose job it is to enforce the laws Congress writes," assistant director Liz Johnson said in the statement. "(H.) was removed May 3, 2017 after her claims were denied at multiple levels and she had exhausted all legal remedies available to her. (H.) sought and was afforded judicial review of her claims challenging her removal order before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the nations highest courts, namely the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court, which unanimously denied (H.'s) Petition for Writ of Certiorari." Delaware and the greater law enforcement community paused Friday to mourn Cpl. Stephen Ballard, who was gunned down in a Wawa parking lot. The Delaware trooper killed in the line of duty is being remembered as a man who "loved helping people." The 8-plus year veteran of Troop 2, Glasgow will be laid to rest Friday following a public viewing and memorial service at the Chase Center on the Riverfront along Justison Street in Wilmington, said Delaware State Police. (Click here for more funeral details.) [[420558063, C]] Ballard was shot April 26 while investigating a suspicious vehicle at a convenience store in Bear. His killer, Burgon Sealy Jr., then barricaded himself in his family home near Middletown, firing shots at officers during a 20-hour standoff before he was shot and killed. Ballard's mother Robin said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press ahead of the funeral that her son "loved helping people," "loved representing the state of Delaware" and "loved representing the Delaware state troopers." [[421453473, C]] State police and DelDOT warned motorist to expect travel delays throughout Friday's ceremonies: "The northbound lanes of I-95 between the Christiana Mall (Exit 4A) and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (Exit 6) will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. and will be opened after the procession of emergency vehicles to travel to the Chase Center on the Riverfront; additionally a second closure of the northbound lanes between the Christiana Mall (Exit 4A) and the Martin Luther King Jr, Boulevard (Exit 6) will be closed beginning at 8 a.m. for the last procession of emergency vehicles to travel to the Chase Center on The Riverfront. "Northbound I-95 traffic will be significantly impacted and will be utilizing alternate routes of DE 896, US 40, DE 273, and US 13; motorists can expect delays on these routes with the increased diverted volume of traffic. "The funeral procession will then depart the Riverfront at approximately 12 p.m. and travel to the Gracelawn Cemetery located at 2220 North DuPont Highway, New Castle." The processional will follow this route: Justison Street -- Martin Luther King Boulevard -- South Market Street - North DuPont Highway - Lovelace Avenue (U-turn) to Gracelawn Memorial Cemetery. Some schools near the services closed Friday. NBC10s Tim Furlong live from the Delaware State Police barracks, where thousands of cars have come and gone to receive a sticker to commemorate slain State Trooper Stephen Ballardand show support to all law enforcement. DART also warned of possible impacts to bus service and commuters are urged to use SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line. Delaware State Police set up a memorial fund for Ballard at the Delaware State Police Federal Credit Union -- checks should be made out to DSTA-Stephen Ballard Memorial Fund, PO Box 168, Cheswold DE 19936. A state trooper who was fatally shot last week was honored Wednesday at an annual wreath-laying ceremony honoring Delaware State Police officers who have died in the line of duty. Cpl. Stephen Ballard's name was the last to be called on a roster of 24 troopers who have died since the force was formed in 1923. Ballard's widow, Louise, laid a single rose at a granite memorial, where 23 other roses had been placed in honor of each of the other troopers. She then hugged troopers who escorted her family to the memorial. Gov. John Carney, Attorney General Matt Denn, state police superintendent Col. Nathaniel McQueen and Safety and Homeland Security Robert Coupe were among those who spoke. "We're still trying to come to grips with the tragic events of last week," McQueen said. "As we celebrate our fallen here today, we're leaning on each other." The somber ceremony was held two days before the funeral for Ballard, who was shot while investigating a suspicious vehicle at a convenience store in Bear. Ballard's killer, Burgon Sealy Jr., then barricaded himself in his family home near Middletown, firing shots at officers during a 20-hour standoff before he was fatally shot. Lt. Thomas Brackin, president of the Delaware State Troopers Association, said he hopes officers can take something positive from Ballard's death by remembering to do all they can to keep each other safe. "By that I mean there's really no routine call," said Brackin. Brackin also noted the outpouring of community support in response to Ballard's death, but said there's a "false narrative" that portrays law enforcement officers as the bad guys and mitigates the actions of criminals. He called on the public to recognize "that the men and women who wear these uniforms are human beings who go out every day to do the most difficult job in the world." Many of the troopers honored Wednesday died in vehicle accidents, while a few were shot and some died of natural causes while still on active duty. One trooper died of AIDS-related complications after receiving a tainted blood transfusion during surgery for injuries he sustained while rescuing a suicidal man from a bridge. Wednesday's ceremony at state police headquarters was followed by a similar tribute on Legislative Mall for the broader law enforcement community in Delaware. A gunman apparently shot a sleeping man in the mouth in a Delaware County, Pennsylvania home Wednesday. Officers responded to the residence on Summit Street in Linwood just after 5 a.m. The victim told police investigators walked in and shot him in the face while he slept, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said The bullet entered and exited the victim's face and he was able to walk to a waiting ambulance, Whelan said. [[238427591, C]] Bloody footprints could be seen on the front steps. No word yet on a description of the shooter. Police spent the morning investigating circumstances around the shooting. "Everything is under review at this point and time," Whelan said. A mother and 5-year-old boy from Honduras who had been detained at a Berks County immigration detention facility were put on a flight Wednesday back to their native country, according to Sen. Bob Casey and an immigration attorney. The two were among 14 "longterm" families held at the controversial Berks County Residential Center outside Reading. They had been detained at the Pennsylvania facility since Dec. 18, 2015, attorney Bridget Cambria said Wednesday afternoon. The 14 families were all part of a court case, Castro v. Department of Homeland Security. Over two dozen families without criminal records filed habeas corpus lawsuits in November 2015 claiming that their credible fear interviews for asylum were unfair. The Supreme Court denied a petition to hear the case on April 17, and attorneys feared their clients would be subject to deportation because of the decision. The Berks County facility is one of only three detention centers in the country for undocumented immigrant families. The other two are in Texas. The facility, which is run by the county and paid for with federal funds, was scheduled to lose its license to operate with the state of Pennsylvania. But last week, a judge overruled the states decision. Cambria said she and other attorneys were arguing on behalf of the woman and her son before a federal judge on the Eastern District of Pennsylvania when they were notified that Immigration and Customs Enforcement put the two on a plane for Honduras. "We applied for the child this week who had qualified for a special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) and brought it to ICE and the courts and we were in court today," Cambria said. "We literally were arguing to include this child while immigration was watching the plane take off." Casey, the Pennsylvania Democrat, first tweeted about the mom and son about noon in a series of tweets in which he accused the Department of Homeland Security of sending a mother and her young child on "a plane ride that can very likely lead to their death." .@realDonaldTrump I am sending you a photo of the 5yr old child, who was deported with his mother, despite possibly being eligible for SIJS. pic.twitter.com/6LiG5PvaEr Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017 He said in another tweet that "the 5yr old's mother witnessed the murder of her cousin in Honduras and was being pursued by gangs." "They had a final order of removal but it doesnt change the danger they are facing or that they were held for over a year and a half," Cambria said. On Tuesday, Casey sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly urging "the immediate release" of four other undocumented mothers and their children who are also being detained at the Berks County facility. During his Twitter streak about the Honduran mother and child, Casey also called out the Trump administration for how this deportation frames the president's immigration priorities. .@realDonaldTrump If you're on twitter- Call @DHSgov Sec. Kelly and tell him this makes no sense. Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017 The senator then appeared on MSNBC, appearing at times enraged that a woman and young boy could be sent back to one of the most dangerous countries in the world. He said he'd talked with President Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus, by phone, but that messages he left for Kelly at Homeland Security and Thomas Homan, the acting director of ICE were not returned by the late afternoon. "Still waiting for those two to call back," Casey said. "I shouldnt have to make those calls. They shouldnt be doing this." He added, "Why dont they focus on people that present a threat to us? Instead, they are pretty much letting ICE do whatever they want." ICE, in a statement later in the evening, defended the deportation of the mother, who the agency identified. NBC10.com is only identifying the woman as Fany H. after an attorney for her said she fears for her safety in her native country. "It's unfortunate that politicians are repeating misleading information and in the process, demonizing the men and women whose job it is to enforce the laws Congress writes," assistant director Liz Johnson said in the statement. "(H.) was removed May 3, 2017 after her claims were denied at multiple levels and she had exhausted all legal remedies available to her. (H.) sought and was afforded judicial review of her claims challenging her removal order before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the nations highest courts, namely the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court, which unanimously denied (H.'s) Petition for Writ of Certiorari." Strong winds could be to blame for a headstone toppling onto a small child in a Delaware County cemetery Tuesday. Rescuers freed the child after a headstone fell on him around 4 p.m. at the Mount Lebanon Cemetery on Bartram Avenue in Darby Township, Pennsylvania. Paramedics rushed the 8-year-old boy to the hospital. The boy's mother told NBC!0 he suffered a broken femur and lacerated liver that required surgery Wednesday. Police investigated to see if wind could have factored in the incident. The boy's mother said he was crossing through the cemetery on his way home from school. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More Witnesses to Sunday's mass shooting rampage at a pool party in San Diego are pushing back against the idea that the shooting was not a hate crime. Police have said the white gunman who killed one person and wounded seven more at the party, where most people were black or Hispanic, was despondent over a recent break-up. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said investigators have found "zero evidence" so far that the attack was motivated by race. But people who were there feel differently. This was partially, to some in fact, a crime full of hate or a racially motivated crime," said Lauren Chapman, who attended the party in University City and witnessed the shooting. Chapman and her friends, all witnesses to the shooting at the La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex, gathered Tuesday to recount the horrifying afternoon and update the status of the victims. One victim Monique Clark, a mother of three was fatally injured in the shooting. Seven others were injured in the shooting, some critically. Another person was shot at but not hurt, police said. The gunman, 49-year-old Peter Selis, was fatally shot by police. The witnesses voiced their concern about a the possibility the crime was racially motivated, the friends said. "This man came downstairs with a goal I believe and he already made a decision on what he was going to do," said witness and friend of the victims, Mychael Gary. When Selis shot Clark, Chapman said, a white woman rushed to help her. Chapman said Selis pointed at the white people who ran to help Clark and told them not to administer aid. "We say that, being when we had our friend laying on the ground and we had another friend trying to tend to her, and he directed our Caucasian friend not to aid the black woman on the ground, it leads you to believe that there's something at play here greater than just a random act," she said. Mychael Gary recalled hearing Selis tell the woman not to step in. "'Do not touch her,'" Gary recalled hearing. Chapman said that Selis, who was white, did not target two white women immediately to his left, approximately 10 feet away, Chapman said. Instead, he starting firing shots at people 20 feet away. "I think that we have to acknowledge that there is implicit bias," Chapman said, referring to the role of race in the shooting. The group immediately felt they were targeted because of their race, and continue to feel that way, Chapman said. It was a gut feeling they all had, Chapman said, as a majority of the witnesses and victims are black or Hispanic. "At no point in time did it cross my mind that we werent targeted because of the group that we are," Chapman said. "At no point in time." Witness Mollique Johnson said the group was not okay with police dismissing the idea of a hate crime. But the problem, looking at the hate crime laws they require a statement or a quote or something that a victim heard for it to be identified as a hate crime," Chapman said. Zimmerman said Selis was despondent over a recent breakup with a girlfriend. Homicide investigators said they are continuing to investigate the deadly incident. However, investigators have found "zero evidence" the violence was racially motivated, the chief said Monday. Zimmerman said the suspect called his ex on the phone during the shooting, demanding that she listen in as he shot people. The group of friends also gave updates on their friends still in the hospital. One 24-year-old victim had just moved to San Diego two weeks ago. She was shot twice in her calves; she is now recovering after surgery. Clark's family has set up a GoFundMe. To donate, click here. A GoFundMe has been set up for injured victims of the mass shooting. To donate, click here. The local credit union where a shark attack victim works is raising money for their coworker as she continues to fight for her life at a San Diego hospital. Leeanne Ericson suffered serious injuries Saturday when she was swimming in the waters off San Onofre State Beach next to her boyfriend, who was surfing. The surfspot is north of the now-closed San Onofre power plant near Basilone Road and Camp Pendleton. Ericson was camping with her boyfriend when she decided to swim while he surfed. She was comfortable swimming in the ocean, her mother, Christine McKnerney-Leidle, said, since the family spent every summer surfing or swimming. The couple saw a seal in the water and her boyfriend turned to swim out to a wave. Just then, Ericson disappeared from the waters surface. The shark, reportedly approximately 10 feet long, took the entire back of Ericsons leg, missing her major arteries, but damaging her nerve and tearing out all the muscle from her knee to hip, her mother, McKnerney-Leidle said on Facebook. At first, surgeons feared Ericson would lose movement in her leg; doctors found the sciatic nerve in tact and will now begin the process of reconstruction. Doctors are still monitoring the foam and debris in Ericson's lungs. Authorities say that the shark dragged Ericson under the water during the attack, partially drowning her. Officials still cannot say for sure what type of shark it was. The surgeon told the family that if her boyfriend wasnt there, Ericson would have died. Ericson is fighting for her life at Scripps Memorial Hospital. Her family says she is in a medically induced coma as doctors work. Once Ericson clears some major hurdles, she is looking at months, if not years, of recovery ahead, her family said. Pacific Marine Credit Union has opened an account to collect donations for Ericson and her family. "We are asking for the generous support and well wishes from the Southern California community to help us provide support for our co-worker in her time of need," a statement from the credit union read. " All proceeds from the account will go directly to Ericson and her family. Donations can be made at any Pacific Marine Credit Union branch location, or by mail. Make checks payable to: Support Leeanne C/O Pacific Marine Credit Union 1278 Rocky Point Drive Oceanside, CA 92056 A GoFundMe page has also been set up for Ericson. Last year, there were an estimated 59 shark attacks across the U.S., according to data collected by scientists at the University of Florida. An active-duty U.S. Navy SEAL, accused of possessing child pornography, appeared in court for the first time in Virginia Wednesday. Petty Officer 1st Class Gregory Kyle Seerden, 31, of San Diego faces several felony counts related to possession of child porn. NBC 7 learned Wednesday night, this isn't the first time he's been under investigation for inappropriate contact with a minor. His ex-wife Alica Seerden said the child "had to do a forensic interview and in one of the interviews she told interviewers he had taken inappropriate photos of him and her together." The San Diego Police Department confirmed they did investigate a 2014 case involving Seerden. That case was turned over to NCIS whose only response was, "given the current allegations, we're not going to discuss anything concerning Mr. Seerden at this point." Seerden's ex-wife said the case was closed because of insufficient evidence. The alleged incident precedes the child pornography charges Seerden is now facing. On January 17, a woman told a gate sentry at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS) that she had just spent the night with Seerden and was sexually assaulted while intoxicated. Seerden is assigned to SEAL Team One based in Coronado, California. At the time, Seerden was on temporary duty in Virginia. As part of the investigation into the alleged sexual assault, NCIS investigators seized Seerdens iPhone 7. Seerden's commanding officer gave investigators permission to search the phone for text messages, photos, videos, phone logs, and contacts. When an NCIS Digital Forensic Examiner reviewed the contents of the phone in February, he reported seeing images of prepubescent children that were naked and engaged in sexual acts, specifically oral sex." On March 20, a judge approved the search of Seerdens iPhone 7 for evidence related to child pornography. Officials allege 78 images were found on the phone that include some depicting bondage of children, according to legal documents. Video that appeared to be created by the user of the phone, created Jan. 1-2, show a man masturbating next to a sleeping girl who appeared to be 5 or 6 years old, according to the legal document. The face of the male was not visible in the video, investigators said. Seerden requested a court-appointed attorney at the May 3 hearing. He was told he would be responsible for paying for the attorney beginning in July. His next hearing was scheduled for May 10. Some black Mississippi officials say they are boycotting a regional legislative meeting that their own state is hosting this summer, to protest the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag. The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus is asking the Southern Legislative Conference to push Mississippi to lose its status as the last state with a flag featuring the emblem a red field topped by a blue tilted cross dotted by 13 white stars. The caucus chairwoman, Democratic Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes of Gulfport, said Tuesday that the boycott is designed to put pressure on Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn, who has called for redesigning the flag but has not rounded up the votes to do it. Republican Gunn is chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference, with members from 15 states. The group holds its annual meeting July 29-Aug. 2 in Biloxi. Gunn said in a statement Tuesday that SLC "is a well-respected organization" and the meeting will "showcase the positives of Mississippi." "It brings a great amount of economic benefit to the state, attracting nearly 1,000 people," Gunn said. "This event is a good opportunity to stand with me, someone who has not wavered in my support of changing the flag, to promote all that is good about our great state." After black worshippers were killed in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015 by an avowed white supremacist who had posed for photos holding the Confederate battle flag, Gunn said his Christian faith led him to see the symbol as "a point of offense that needs to be removed" from the Mississippi flag. Critics say the Confederate symbol is a divisive reminder of slavery and segregation in a state with a 38 percent black population, but supporters say it represents history that should not be forgotten. Mississippi has used the same flag since 1894, and voters chose to keep it in a 2001 election. All eight public universities and several counties and cities, including Biloxi, have stopped flying the flag because of the Confederate emblem most of them since Charleston. Williams-Barnes told The Associated Press that the Black Caucus has not united around a new design proposal. "What we're really wanting is a flag that charts a different future for our state, that charts a different future for our children and that is about a vision that unites people in the state with each other as well as unites Mississippi with other states in the nation," she said. The executive director of the Council of State Governments' Southern Legislative Conference, based in Atlanta, was traveling and did not immediately return a message. During the legislative session that ended in March, several bills proposed redesigning the flag and some others proposed financial punishment for universities that have stopped flying it. All died because Gunn and other leaders said there was no consensus among lawmakers to either reject or protect the flag. Fifty-one of Mississippi's 174 state lawmakers are black, and 50 of them are in the Black Caucus. Williams-Barnes said a majority of caucus members voted to boycott the regional conference, and about 80 percent are planning to take part in the boycott. She said she will ask black legislators from other states to stay away, as well. The FBI's Civil Rights division is helping American University investigate who hung bananas in nooses in multiple locations on campus, a spokeswoman for the agency said Wednesday. Students are organizing for a second day to urge the administration to find who committed the hate crimes and address repeated acts of racism. Bananas marked with the letters "AKA," the abbreviation for the historically black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, were found in at least three locations of the university's campus starting Monday morning, as finals week began. The racist displays were found on the same day student government president Taylor Dumpson, an AKA member, started the new position. She is the first black woman in the role. In her first interview after the racist acts, she told News4 she wants to foster improved communication among students. A cowardly and despicable act is how the president of American University described the images that started circulating around campus on Monday. News4s Jackie Bensen reports. Campus police distributed two videos Tuesday evening of a suspect. The blurry video clips show someone walking on the empty campus. Campus police believe at least three bananas hung in nooses were placed on campus Monday between 3:45 a.m. and 4:10 a.m. Student Phil Capers said he was frustrated to face in 2017 the same kind of on-campus racism his father faced at the University of South Carolina decades earlier. "They used to hang, like, literally nooses from the trees, and the fact that this is happening now -- and he went to college in the '80s -- it's just crazy. It's just disheartening," he said. A workshop on anti-racism led by administrators and faculty members started on the Washington, D.C. school's campus at 10 a.m. The university will seek ideas from faculty members, students and campus groups on how anti-racism discussions can be incorporated into orientation week activities, orientation director Jennifer Johnson said in the session. [[421101393,C]] In a list of demands, black student groups demanded that the perpetrator is expelled if he or she is a student and that students be notified when that occurs. They also asked for the school to hire more staff members of color and provide more resources for students of color. On Tuesday, hundreds of students marched, asked the registrar's office for withdrawal forms and waved them in the air in protest. "If our existence isn't valued on this campus, then we don't need to be here," student Ma'at Sargeant said Tuesday. Student leaders were scheduled to meet with administrators Wednesday morning, but administrators canceled the meeting, Sargeant said. Campus police declined an interview, and university President Dr. Neil Kerwin did not respond to an interview request. In an email to students sent Tuesday morning, Kerwin called the creation of the displays a hate crime. "American University remains committed to principles of diversity, inclusion, common courtesy and human dignity, and acts of bigotry only strengthen our resolve. Anyone who does not feel similarly does not belong here," the email said. The bananas were found at a shuttle bus stop at Letts-Anderson Halls, in front of Mary Graydon Center and near the East Quad Building, school spokeswoman Camille Lepre said in an email to News4. The suspect was wearing dark clothes and may have worn a mask or a hat, campus police said. The suspect walked from the quad to the Southside shuttle stop. They may have entered a light-colored sedan near Rockwood Parkway. [[421070813,C]] Anyone who recognizes the person is asked to call campus police at 202-885-2527 or submit an anonymous tip online. A reward of as much as $1,000 is offered for tips. Pressure is increasing on school administrators to respond to repeated racist acts. This is at least the third time in the past eight months that bananas have been used to harass African-American women on campus. In September 2016, an African-American woman said a banana was thrown at her. Another African-American woman found a rotten banana and obscene drawings on her dorm room door that same month. School administrators told students that anyone who feels unsafe walking on campus should contact campus police. Dumpson, the new student government president, said she was disappointed to face a challenge like those "that were once our parents' and grandparents' to bear." She urged students and supporters to create "A [Different] U." "Now, is the time that we set a positive example for students, parents, alumni, and the nation -- and declare, unequivocally, that racism, bigotry, and hate will not be tolerated or accepted on the campus of American University," she said in a statement issued Wednesday. AKA's international president, Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, said sorority sisters are dismayed by the racist acts. "We are stunned. In 2017, to put a noose on a banana and the letters AKA -- we're clear about what that is," she said by phone. In a letter to sorority sisters, Wilson urged school officials to investigate, discipline perpetrators and protect African Americans on campus. "Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will not tolerate unwarranted attacks on our members or any member of our community -- physical, verbal or otherwise -- which interfere with their pursuit of higher education or their basic human rights," the letter said. Students plan to march at American University on Tuesday after bananas were found hung in nooses in multiple locations on campus. News4's Molette Green reports. The historically black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha issued a statement in support of AKA. "We stand in full support, with our brothers of the Nu Beta Chapter at American University, in declaring that this type of violence has no place in our country," president Everett B. Ward said in a statement. The university president condemned the messages of hate, saying in a message to students that the displays were a "crude and racially insensitive act of bigotry." But many students said they want school officials to do more. "I think we need more solidarity from the administration," sophomore Sammie Paul said Tuesday. Were you in the area of the LA Quad, MGC or McKinley on Monday around 4AM? You may have seen the hate crime suspect. DM or call 202-885-2999 American University Police (@AmericanUPolice) May 2, 2017 This story has been updated from a previous version. Howard County police are searching a wooded area near Clifton Perkins Hospital Center after someone spotted a man in the woods close to where a prisoner convicted of attempted murder escaped last week. David M. Watson has been on the loose since last week. He was convicted of shooting at a police officer's home and is suspected of shooting at two officers' homes. Someone called 911 about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday after spotting a man near the railroad tracks behind a building in the 8200 block of Dorsey Run Road, police said. The caller said the man was wearing a white hard hat and a safety vest. The man ran off when he was spotted. Police responded to the area and ruled out a number of workers as possible suspects. Police discovered a hard hat and safety vest had been stolen from a storage building about a mile away. They also found packing materials inside of a concrete drainage tunnel. Investigators believe Watson may have recently been in the tunnel and found shoe prints in the area. Watson, 28, was being transported to the hospital on Friday for a psychiatric evaluation. When a guard opened the van in the hospital parking lot, Watson pushed the guard down and ran into nearby woods, police said. Authorities searched for Watson in the area surrounding the hospital, but they were unable to find him. On Wednesday, police received an unconfirmed report of a man in the wooded area near the hospital. Police believe Watson managed to get out of his handcuffs and waist chain inside the van, Howard County Police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said Friday. Both were found outside the van, according to police. His leg shackles were not found, but his sweatpants were found in tact, Llewellyn said. He would have had to free at least one of his legs from the shackles to remove the sweatpants without ripping them. Police do not know whether Watson had planned the escape or had any help. He was last seen in the area of Dorsey Run Road and Patuxent Range Road in Jessup. Some of his clothing was found in the woods, and a K-9 was able to pick up the direction in which he fled. Police say Watson has ties to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and to Delaware. He was serving a sentence in Delaware for attempted murder for shooting a police officer's Laurel-area home. He is also charged with attempted murder on the Eastern Shore, where authorities say he shot at two officers' homes. Watson is white, 5 feet 8 inches and weighs 140 pounds. He has tattoos between his eyes and under his right eye, as well as several on his body. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to Watson's arrest. New Ward 8 D.C. Council member Trayon White like any new member is still feeling his way around the ins and outs of how the council operates. But White was in his element Monday on the issue of feared gentrification looming over historic Anacostia. Housing is definitely a crisis in D.C., more specifically Ward 8, he said during a forum on how low- and moderate-income residents can lessen the effects of gentrification. How can we alleviate some of the pressure, White asked, so that we can still live here and stay here and grow here? White spoke after he had shaken hands with the guest of honor at the event the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a two-time candidate for president in the 1980s. Say amen, somebody, Jackson said. And the crowd responded, Amen. Jackson, who was one of the citys first statehood senators in the early 1990s, was in town for a variety of events. On Monday, the 75-year-old bounded into the Black Box Theater of the Anacostia Arts Center on Good Hope Road SE. Weve gone all the way from marching for fair housing to rent strikes, all kinds of combinations of schemes, to fight encroachment and to fight gentrification, he said. Jackson offered residents help from his national Rainbow Coalition. Former Ward 8 Council member Sandy Allen said the District has done a lot to preserve affordable housing, but market forces are overwhelming city efforts. The issues on housing have not really changed in the District, she told NBC4. Were trying to be progressive, but there hasnt been a lot of change. Debate night. Your Notebook enjoyed our role in Northern Virginia moderating Saturday nights first meeting between the Democratic candidates for governor ahead of Virginias June 13 primary. Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former House member Tom Perriello politely but aggressively answered our questions at the forum sponsored by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. Your Notebook has interviewed both men during separate appearances on WAMUs Kojo Nnamdi Politics Hour and looks forward to doing so again before the primary. Virginia Democrats this year want to continue their streak of holding all three statewide offices since 2009. Northam served in the Virginia Senate before being elected lieutenant governor four years ago. He also holds a very progressive record that many believe is just right for rapidly changing Virginia. Northam was cruising to the nomination when Perriello jumped into the race in January. He is trying to run to Northams left, with endorsements from U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. But Perriellos progressive credentials have an asterisk. He was a one-term member of Congress from Charlottesville who came in on the 2008 Obama wave and was swept out two years later by the Tea Party sentiment in his southern Virginia district. Perriello lost despite earning an A rating from the National Rifle Association for opposing an assault weapon ban that he called an affront to the Founding Fathers. A second vote involved abortion. In 2009, Perriello voted for a health care amendment that would have prevented any insurance companies participating in the new Affordable Care Act exchanges from covering abortion. Quite simply, the amendment was intended to prevent federal subsidies from paying for abortions. Perriello now apologizes for the abortion vote. And he now calls the NRA a nut-job organization. While many of Perriellos supporters either dont know or dont care about those votes, voters will hear a lot more about them before the primary. Northam, a doctor, says abortion may be a difficult subject but it is the right of the mother to make any decisions. Northam has been endorsed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Attorney General Mark Herring and the states Democratic U.S. senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. The candidates will have their next debate in Roanoke this weekend. Perriello will be on the WAMU Kojo Nnamdi Politics Hour at noon Friday. Northam will appear in about two weeks. As we noted, the debate was held at Lanier Middle School, just off Interstate 66 beyond the Beltway. In short, for this city dweller it was a long ride. Going out I-66 at about 4 p.m., we were dismayed at the bumper-to-bumper backup heading in toward the District. Like the mess at Metro, we hear a lot about Northern Virginias jammed roads. Were happy we dont have to put up with all that wasted time, gas, energy, et cetera. It reminds me that many years ago I was invited out to the AOL headquarters to speak. I was almost an hour late because of backed-up traffic headed outbound. My first words when we finally arrived to speak? I hope you enjoy it because I am never coming out here again. Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a political reporter for News 4. The Brockton School District stands to lose $16 million through Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's proposed budget, which was recently approved by the school committee. "This is the worst," said Timothy Sullivan, a member of the Ward 7 School Committee. "It's real hard to make that up." The district is now trying to minimize the deficit by cutting teachers and student programs 189 teachers have been given pink slips notifying them their job is on the chopping block. "They have to have their notices by May 15," said Sullivan. "We did our layoff notices last night." Earlier this year, a vote to close the Goddard Alternative School passed, but Sullivan said the cutbacks continue leaving students with less opportunity. "Sports after school are being cut, after school programs are being cut. We haven't even got the transportation money from the city," said Sullivan. The budget proposed by Baker totals $161 million. Sullivan said last year, 75 percent of students in the district received free or reduced lunch, but said the state doesn't see them part of the program if they're not on some form of public assistance. "We're not going to give up," said Sullivan. "We're going to hound everybody we can to get every cent we can." Superintendent Kathleen Smith said the goal is to stabilize the district and build it back up. Her full statement is below: Although police have not released the names of those who were killed in a car auction crash in Massachusetts Wednesday, family members have started to speak out. The brother of Leezandra Aponte of Lowell said she was killed in Wednesday morning's tragic crash inside the Lynnway Auto Auction. Aponte, who was in her mid-30s, was the mother of three children. Her son recently joined the Army. Orlando Aponte said Leezandra Aponte was just two hours into her first day at her new temp job at the auction house when she was killed. "She just got back from vacation with the girls," he said. "She loved her kids a lot. She left them behind. Her son still doesn't know yet." He said he got the call that something had happened at the auction house, and then quickly began calling different hospitals in an effort to find her. "She was at my moms house yesterday," said Orlando Aponte. "Mom painted her nails. Mom cooked her dinner. They were just always together they lived about five minutes away from each other." Doctors at Lahey Hospital wouldn't tell him the news over the phone, he said, and he had to drive to the hospital to find out his sister had died. "She loved to decorate," Orlando Aponte said. "She loved her family. She was a family woman." Three people were killed and nine others were hospitalized in Wednesday's crash, which is still under investigation. A Boston pastor has been sentenced in two drug trafficking cases, prosecutors announced Thursday. Willie Wilkerson, a pastor and the owner of Mission Church in Dorchester, was arrested in 2017 on charges of trafficking and intent to distribute Class B and Class C drugs. While out on bail, he continued dealing drugs, being charged again in 2019, according to the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins. In May of 2017, a search warrant was issued for Wilkerson, his home, the church and a Victoria's Kitchen food trailer he owns. They found drugs hidden inside coffee makers and printers. A Boston pastor is facing charges after police say they recovered crack cocaine, prescription pills, and $20,000 worth of stolen items at his residence and at the church he owns. The DA's office said those searches found 30 grams of cocaine, 45 oxycodone pills, nine grams of fentanyl, 73 grams of Buprenorphine and about 32 Clonozapam tablets. On Dec. 31, 2019, another search was conducted. Rollins' office says 23 grams of crack, 45 methadone pills, 259 gabapentin tablets, 62 sildenafil pills and ammunition were discovered. Wilkerson, 62, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges from both cases, according to Rollins. He was sentenced to four to five years in prison and three years of probation. "These cases arose because community members used their voices and raised concerns about crime in the area of Pastor Wilkerson's church," Rollins said in a statement. "That this coward used his church to mask and hide his criminal behavior is awful. His actions inflicted harm on the community and the church congregation he was supposed to be serving." Cold medication may be harder to come by in Maine, due to the states rising methamphetamine problem. Rep. Janice Cooper (D-Yarmouth) is sponsoring a bill to require prescriptions for medications such as Sudafed and Claritin D. The active ingredient in those medications is pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient for making meth. My fear is that [meth] is going to be the opiate epidemic, said Rep. Cooper. She thinks restricting access to over-the-counter drugs like Sudafed will reduce the number of home-made meth labs in the state. In 2016, the Maine DEA responded to a record 126 meth-related incidents. The numbers have been steadily increasing since 2010. Meth labs are dangerous, and deadly if they explode. Just last week, a man in Old Town, Maine died from a meth lab explosion in his apartment. According to MDEA Director Roy McKinney, Maine has had more meth-related incidents than all other New England states combined. Meth is highly addictive, its cheap, and readily available, said Rep. Cooper, who testified in front of the Health and Human Services committee Wednesday. She brought in several house hold items, including a plastic bottle and a battery, to demonstrate how simple it is to manufacture meth with over-the-counter medications. I dont think this is a very wise use of time, said Shana DAndrea, a Sudafed user who testified against the bill. She said this law would require her to make time for a doctors appointment, and pay a co-pay to get quick relief from a cold. That $12 box of Sudafed is now going to cost me $200, she said. Other critics of the bill include the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, a group that represents drug manufacturers. This sort of blanket approach would penalize law abiding citizens for the actions of a very small few, said Carlos Gutierrez, VP of state government relations for CHPA. But Rep. Cooper said getting a doctors prescription is a small inconvenience that could play a big role in preventing a plague in Maine. A legislative committee is debating the bill, and could vote to pass it on to the full legislature. Authorities in Massachusetts say a man has been charged in connection to an ax attack. Lowell police say 49-year-old Thanom Thondoarom of Lowell was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person over the age of 60. Officers received a called just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday for a reported assault on First Street. When they arrived on the scene, they found a 62-year-old man with multiple wounds to his head and face. Police say the victim told them he was attacked inside his apartment by several men, including one armed with a metal pipe and another with an ax. He was taken to Lowell General Hospital. His current condition is unknown. After a preliminary investigation, Thondoarom was arrested; however, it's unclear what weapon he is accused of wielding against a 62-year-old man. He'll be arraigned in Lowell District Court on Wednesday. It's not known if he has an attorney. Police say they're still searching for additional suspects. The investigation is ongoing. Police in Massachusetts are on high alert after a crime ring has been targeting Boston area pharmacies taking high priced items such as Rogaine. NBC Boston Investigators have learned exclusively that CVS alerted law enforcement after five stores in the Boston suburbs were recently targeted. CVS sent security camera images to police of the alleged suspects. NBC Boston Investigators also learned that CVS stores in Sudbury, Natick, Westborough, Marlborough and Framingham have been hit. I really dont even think of high-end products being sold here but I guess something like Rogaine or maybe other drugs that can be sold on the secondary market would be intriguing for them, said CVS shopper Nancy Schwartz. In the Framingham incident, a police report stated that three people tripped the security alarm system when they left the store on Saturday and stole $583 worth of Rogaine from the shelves. In Westborough, Police Chief Al Gorden says about $2,000 worth of merchandise including pricey over-the-counter medication was stolen this weekend as well. I always worry about prices going up, said CVS shopper Jami Wyatt. I hope that wouldnt get passed on to us. Thats something CVS needs to solve. CVS believes the shoplifting crew came in from New York and they could be driving a white Lexus SUV. The University of Vermont Police are looking for help finding a stolen rhinoceros horn. Investigators said the horn was discovered missing last Thursday from Torrey Hall, a building on the Burlington campus that housed part of UVM's natural history collection. They believe the horn was stolen. The university told necn its museum acquired the horn in the early 1900s, many years before bans on trading rhino horns were put in place to reduce poaching of the majestic and struggling animals. UVM Police Services said a cash reward is available for tips that lead to the recovery of the historic horn and the arrest of whoever took it. Call UVM Police at 802-656-3473 or visit www.uvm.edu/police for information on giving a tip anonymously. Columbia University has announced that Jeannette Wing, who has led Microsoft Research since the start of 2013, will be circling back to the world of academia in July as director of Columbias Data Science Institute and professor of computer science. Jeannette Wing is a pioneering figure in the world of computer science research and education, and her addition to the Universitys academic leadership team reflects the continuing expansion of our work in this field, said Columbia President Lee Bollinger said in a statement. Our Data Science Institute is indispensable to virtually every scholarly initiative at the University dedicated to addressing a societal problem. The benefits to be derived from Jeannettes leadership and her presence here will be immense. The Data Science Institute began in 2012 and has grown from its base at Columbia Engineering to include more than 200 researchers across the university. Data science, from big data analysis to algorithmic innovations, has become a hot area of study at colleges and an attractive career option for those already in the workforce as demand for jobs in the field explodes. The move to Columbia marks a return to academia for Wing, an MIT grad who prior to joining Microsoft had been with Carnegie Mellon University, where she was head of the Department of Computer Science, and the National Science Foundation, where she served as assistant director of the Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate. Wing's areas of expertise include security/privacy, distributed systems and programming. MORE: 7 really cool network and IT research projects By Express News Service RAIPUR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notice to Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) for allegedly discharging untreated solid waste and fly ash on the cropland of a farmer in Chhattisgarhs Raigarh district about 220 km east of Raipur. The tribunal has also issued a direction to the Raigarh district administration and fixed the next hearing for July 5. Justice Dalip Singh, judicial member, Central Bench, NGT Bhopal, and Satyawan Singh Garbyal, expert member, observed that based on the inspection report submitted by the Patwari, dumping of ash was also been found following the complaint on the discharge of untreated solid waste, contrary to the conditions of the granted environmental clearance. This was adversely affecting the land and corps of the applicants, the Tribunal observed. The NGT also directed the district administration to depute officials to the area belonging to the applicants to inspect the site and submit a report. Instructions have also been given to officials to ascertain whether the the company was adhering to environmental conditions. The respondents have been directed to submit their reply along with the note of inspection done to the Tribunal by July 5. While JSPL officials did not comment on the notice, the plaintiffs Haldar Patel and Deepak Kumar said they had been fighting for the issue since 2012. The untreated solid waste and the industrial used water were disposed-off on my farmland our only source of livelihood. My son finally filed the case with the NGT, Dolnarayan, father of the plaintiffs, told Express. RAIPUR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notice to Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) for allegedly discharging untreated solid waste and fly ash on the cropland of a farmer in Chhattisgarhs Raigarh district about 220 km east of Raipur. The tribunal has also issued a direction to the Raigarh district administration and fixed the next hearing for July 5. Justice Dalip Singh, judicial member, Central Bench, NGT Bhopal, and Satyawan Singh Garbyal, expert member, observed that based on the inspection report submitted by the Patwari, dumping of ash was also been found following the complaint on the discharge of untreated solid waste, contrary to the conditions of the granted environmental clearance. This was adversely affecting the land and corps of the applicants, the Tribunal observed. The NGT also directed the district administration to depute officials to the area belonging to the applicants to inspect the site and submit a report. Instructions have also been given to officials to ascertain whether the the company was adhering to environmental conditions. The respondents have been directed to submit their reply along with the note of inspection done to the Tribunal by July 5. While JSPL officials did not comment on the notice, the plaintiffs Haldar Patel and Deepak Kumar said they had been fighting for the issue since 2012. The untreated solid waste and the industrial used water were disposed-off on my farmland our only source of livelihood. My son finally filed the case with the NGT, Dolnarayan, father of the plaintiffs, told Express. By Reuters NEW YORK: Warren Buffett, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, will this weekend welcome thousands of people from around the world to Omaha, Nebraska, for the conglomerate's annual shareholder gathering, the largest in corporate America. The three-day weekend, which Buffett calls "Woodstock for Capitalists," includes shopping discounts, a five-kilometer run, a cocktail reception that consumes a shopping mall, and Berkshire's annual meeting on May 6. The meeting will be webcast on Yahoo Finance, in English and Mandarin. BERKSHIRE INFORMATION -Net income: $24.07 billion (2016) -Operating income: $17.58 billion (2016) -Revenue: $223.60 billion (2016) -Cash, equivalents and Treasury bills: $86.4 billion as of Dec. 31, 2016 -Market value: nearly $410 billion as of May 2, 2017 -Stock price: $249,000 per Class A share as of May 2, 2017, roughly 6.5 percent below its $266,390 peak two months earlier. The more widely-held Class B shares are worth about 1/1,500th as much. -Compounded annual changes from 1965-2016: -Book value per share: 19.0 percent -Stock price: 20.8 percent -S&P 500 including dividends: 9.7 percent (pre-tax) -Float (insurance premiums collected before claims are paid, which helps fund investments): $91.6 billion as of year-end -Major stock investments: American Express, Apple, Coca-Cola, IBM, Kraft Heinz, Wells Fargo. Berkshire has also taken big stakes in the four largest U.S. airlines: American, Delta, Southwest and United Continental. It also has a roughly $11.5 billion paper gain from warrants in Bank of America. -Selected business units: Benjamin Moore, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, BNSF, Borsheim's Fine Jewelry, Brooks, Business Wire, Clayton Homes, Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, Geico, General Re, HomeServices of America, IMC International Metalworking, International Dairy Queen, Johns Manville, Lubrizol, Marmon, McLane, National Indemnity, Nebraska Furniture Mart, NetJets, Pampered Chef, Precision Castparts, See's Candies. -Last major acquisition: Precision Castparts, January 2016 -Selected acquisitions (larger amounts rounded to nearest billion): Geico, $2.3 billion (1996); Dairy Queen, $590 million (1998); General Re, $16 billion (1998); NetJets, $725 million (1998); Clayton Homes, $1.7 billion (2003); PacifiCorp, $5 billion (2006); Marmon, $4.5 billion (2008); Burlington Northern Santa Fe, $27 billion (2010); Lubrizol, $9 billion (2011); NV Energy, $6 billion (2013); H.J. Heinz, $12 billion (majority stake, 2013); Van Tuyl, $4.1 billion (2015); Precision Castparts, $32 billion (2016). (Sources: Barclays Capital, Berkshire) -A failed acquisition: Dexter Shoe, $434 million (1993) (Buffett says he used Berkshire stock now worth roughly $6.3 billion to buy a business whose value "promptly went to zero") -Employees at year end: 367,671 -Employees in main office: 25, including Buffett -Succession: Buffett, 86, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 93, have not publicly signaled any plans to retire. Buffett has said Berkshire's board has a succession plan it could implement in fewer than 24 hours. -Potential successors: Investors view Berkshire insurance executive Ajit Jain and Berkshire Hathaway Energy chief Gregory Abel as top candidates to become chief executive. BNSF Chairman Matthew Rose is also a potential candidate. Buffett's investing lieutenants Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, who together recently managed $21 billion, may take over as chief investment officer. Buffett's eldest son Howard is expected to become non-executive chairman, and work to preserve Berkshire's culture. Buffett protege Tracy Britt Cool, 32, chairs several Berkshire units and is chief executive of Pampered Chef. FACTS ABOUT WARREN BUFFETT Birth date: August 30, 1930 Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Columbia Business School Net worth: $74.3 billion on May 2, 2017, ranking fourth worldwide. Bill Gates, the Microsoft Corp co-founder and a Berkshire director since 2004, ranked first. (Source: Forbes) Berkshire ownership stake: 17.9 percent as of March 17, 2017 Berkshire voting power: 32.7 percent as of March 17, 2017 Annual salary at Berkshire: $100,000 Buffett's takeover of Berkshire: Buffett planned in 1965 to sell back his shares in Berkshire, then a struggling textile company, for $11.50 each. But he got angry when the term sheet showed a price of just $11.375 per share. Buffett instead bought all the shares he could, and took control on May 10, 1965. The textile business closed in 1985. Year when Buffett met Charlie Munger: 1959 Munger's influence: Though Buffett and Munger admire famed investor Benjamin Graham, Buffett has credited Munger with pushing him to focus on buying wonderful companies at fair prices, rather than fair companies at wonderful prices. Famous Buffett quotation: "Lose money for the firm, and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless." - Sept. 4, 1991 Congressional testimony about Salomon Inc, where Buffett became interim chairman to restore order after a Treasury auction bidding scandal. Current wife: Astrid Menks, married on August 30, 2006 First wife: Susan, who died in 2004 Children: Susan, Howard and Peter Philanthropy: Buffett has since 2006 donated more than $24.3 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities, after pledging 85 percent of his net worth to them. His Berkshire stock will go to philanthropy after he dies. Home: Has lived in the same house since 1958. The 96-year-old, 10-room, five-bedroom, 2-1/2-bath home on 0.72 acres was assessed at $730,800 in 2017. (Source: Douglas County, Nebraska) Food preferences: Steak, hamburger, Cherry Coke, See's fudge and peanut brittle. Percentage of caloric intake from Coke products: 25. NEW YORK: Warren Buffett, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, will this weekend welcome thousands of people from around the world to Omaha, Nebraska, for the conglomerate's annual shareholder gathering, the largest in corporate America. The three-day weekend, which Buffett calls "Woodstock for Capitalists," includes shopping discounts, a five-kilometer run, a cocktail reception that consumes a shopping mall, and Berkshire's annual meeting on May 6. The meeting will be webcast on Yahoo Finance, in English and Mandarin. BERKSHIRE INFORMATION -Net income: $24.07 billion (2016) -Operating income: $17.58 billion (2016) -Revenue: $223.60 billion (2016) -Cash, equivalents and Treasury bills: $86.4 billion as of Dec. 31, 2016 -Market value: nearly $410 billion as of May 2, 2017 -Stock price: $249,000 per Class A share as of May 2, 2017, roughly 6.5 percent below its $266,390 peak two months earlier. The more widely-held Class B shares are worth about 1/1,500th as much. -Compounded annual changes from 1965-2016: -Book value per share: 19.0 percent -Stock price: 20.8 percent -S&P 500 including dividends: 9.7 percent (pre-tax) -Float (insurance premiums collected before claims are paid, which helps fund investments): $91.6 billion as of year-end -Major stock investments: American Express, Apple, Coca-Cola, IBM, Kraft Heinz, Wells Fargo. Berkshire has also taken big stakes in the four largest U.S. airlines: American, Delta, Southwest and United Continental. It also has a roughly $11.5 billion paper gain from warrants in Bank of America. -Selected business units: Benjamin Moore, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, BNSF, Borsheim's Fine Jewelry, Brooks, Business Wire, Clayton Homes, Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, Geico, General Re, HomeServices of America, IMC International Metalworking, International Dairy Queen, Johns Manville, Lubrizol, Marmon, McLane, National Indemnity, Nebraska Furniture Mart, NetJets, Pampered Chef, Precision Castparts, See's Candies. -Last major acquisition: Precision Castparts, January 2016 -Selected acquisitions (larger amounts rounded to nearest billion): Geico, $2.3 billion (1996); Dairy Queen, $590 million (1998); General Re, $16 billion (1998); NetJets, $725 million (1998); Clayton Homes, $1.7 billion (2003); PacifiCorp, $5 billion (2006); Marmon, $4.5 billion (2008); Burlington Northern Santa Fe, $27 billion (2010); Lubrizol, $9 billion (2011); NV Energy, $6 billion (2013); H.J. Heinz, $12 billion (majority stake, 2013); Van Tuyl, $4.1 billion (2015); Precision Castparts, $32 billion (2016). (Sources: Barclays Capital, Berkshire) -A failed acquisition: Dexter Shoe, $434 million (1993) (Buffett says he used Berkshire stock now worth roughly $6.3 billion to buy a business whose value "promptly went to zero") -Employees at year end: 367,671 -Employees in main office: 25, including Buffett -Succession: Buffett, 86, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 93, have not publicly signaled any plans to retire. Buffett has said Berkshire's board has a succession plan it could implement in fewer than 24 hours. -Potential successors: Investors view Berkshire insurance executive Ajit Jain and Berkshire Hathaway Energy chief Gregory Abel as top candidates to become chief executive. BNSF Chairman Matthew Rose is also a potential candidate. Buffett's investing lieutenants Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, who together recently managed $21 billion, may take over as chief investment officer. Buffett's eldest son Howard is expected to become non-executive chairman, and work to preserve Berkshire's culture. Buffett protege Tracy Britt Cool, 32, chairs several Berkshire units and is chief executive of Pampered Chef. FACTS ABOUT WARREN BUFFETT Birth date: August 30, 1930 Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Columbia Business School Net worth: $74.3 billion on May 2, 2017, ranking fourth worldwide. Bill Gates, the Microsoft Corp co-founder and a Berkshire director since 2004, ranked first. (Source: Forbes) Berkshire ownership stake: 17.9 percent as of March 17, 2017 Berkshire voting power: 32.7 percent as of March 17, 2017 Annual salary at Berkshire: $100,000 Buffett's takeover of Berkshire: Buffett planned in 1965 to sell back his shares in Berkshire, then a struggling textile company, for $11.50 each. But he got angry when the term sheet showed a price of just $11.375 per share. Buffett instead bought all the shares he could, and took control on May 10, 1965. The textile business closed in 1985. Year when Buffett met Charlie Munger: 1959 Munger's influence: Though Buffett and Munger admire famed investor Benjamin Graham, Buffett has credited Munger with pushing him to focus on buying wonderful companies at fair prices, rather than fair companies at wonderful prices. Famous Buffett quotation: "Lose money for the firm, and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless." - Sept. 4, 1991 Congressional testimony about Salomon Inc, where Buffett became interim chairman to restore order after a Treasury auction bidding scandal. Current wife: Astrid Menks, married on August 30, 2006 First wife: Susan, who died in 2004 Children: Susan, Howard and Peter Philanthropy: Buffett has since 2006 donated more than $24.3 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities, after pledging 85 percent of his net worth to them. His Berkshire stock will go to philanthropy after he dies. Home: Has lived in the same house since 1958. The 96-year-old, 10-room, five-bedroom, 2-1/2-bath home on 0.72 acres was assessed at $730,800 in 2017. (Source: Douglas County, Nebraska) Food preferences: Steak, hamburger, Cherry Coke, See's fudge and peanut brittle. Percentage of caloric intake from Coke products: 25. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Land prices in the IT city have been shooting up and are almost equal to prices in Washington or New York, said Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu here on Tuesday. Terming the increase in land price as meaningless, Naidu said the Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) is expected to streamline the construction industry. Naidu was in Bengaluru to conduct review meetings with various departments regarding projects for the state. So far 14 states have issued RERA. Karnataka is yet to issue it. I have learnt that the Karnataka government is expected to notify RERA in 15 days, he said.The minister said RERA makes sure the builder constructs a building according to prospects given to a consumer, failing which they face action. The main aim is to make the consumer the king, he added. He urged the state government to implement new reforms, including speedy construction permits, credit ratings for towns, clarity in land titles and faster conversion of land. Considering revenue, population, reforms and repaying capacity as some of the parameters, every municipal area, town will be given a credit rating. This according to him will attract private investors. State gets D714cr sanction orders The state government on Tuesday received D714 crore worth of sanction orders from the Union urban development department for Smart City, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Swachh Bharat Mission and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). With this, the total is D4,953 crore for three years ending 2018. The projects will be taken up on a fund sharing basis with the Centre providing a total of D2,319 crore and the state and urban local bodies having to put in the rest. Under the Smart City Project, the Union government has identified six cities in the state. The state government was granted D428 crore to develop Shivamogga, Mangaluru, Tumakuru and Hubballi-Dharwad. The Centre has provided D200 crore each to Belagavi and Davangere. BENGALURU: Land prices in the IT city have been shooting up and are almost equal to prices in Washington or New York, said Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu here on Tuesday. Terming the increase in land price as meaningless, Naidu said the Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) is expected to streamline the construction industry. Naidu was in Bengaluru to conduct review meetings with various departments regarding projects for the state. So far 14 states have issued RERA. Karnataka is yet to issue it. I have learnt that the Karnataka government is expected to notify RERA in 15 days, he said.The minister said RERA makes sure the builder constructs a building according to prospects given to a consumer, failing which they face action. The main aim is to make the consumer the king, he added. He urged the state government to implement new reforms, including speedy construction permits, credit ratings for towns, clarity in land titles and faster conversion of land. Considering revenue, population, reforms and repaying capacity as some of the parameters, every municipal area, town will be given a credit rating. This according to him will attract private investors. State gets D714cr sanction orders The state government on Tuesday received D714 crore worth of sanction orders from the Union urban development department for Smart City, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Swachh Bharat Mission and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). With this, the total is D4,953 crore for three years ending 2018. The projects will be taken up on a fund sharing basis with the Centre providing a total of D2,319 crore and the state and urban local bodies having to put in the rest. Under the Smart City Project, the Union government has identified six cities in the state. The state government was granted D428 crore to develop Shivamogga, Mangaluru, Tumakuru and Hubballi-Dharwad. The Centre has provided D200 crore each to Belagavi and Davangere. Gayathri Mani By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Where Delhi University is working hard and preparing for the upcoming Academic session to conduct online entrance exam for post graduate and a few under graduate courses. But with the continuous protest by the Right affiliated student organization- Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarti Parishad(ABVP) against the online test has put the varsity into a difficult situation. Delhi University may not conduct online entrance for admissions to its various PG and professional UG courses for the upcoming academic session which is likely to commence in mid of this month. In a meeting of admission committee that was held on Wednesday, the ABVP members expressed their opinion against the varsitys decision alleging that conducting online test would be counterproductive for a large chunk of students who come from marginal background. Our concern from the university is to go ahead with the written form of examination. Because most of the students come from rural areas if the online test would be introduced than a large population of students will not a get chance to appear for the exam, said Saket Bahuguna , national media convener of ABVP. DU is planning to outsource the whole process of online entrance. Tenders for the same have already been floated. If the admission committee wants to conduct online test then it should implement this system on a pilot basis in which it should give both choices of online and offline mode of exam and that too in only Delhi centers(examination).It will give lakhs of students a chance to appear for the exams Bahuguna added. However, an admission committee member said that by seeing continuous protest from the right wing student organization, it is unlikely that DU conducts online test this year. However, he also said, the varsity has limited time at its disposal before the admission time starts. NEW DELHI: Where Delhi University is working hard and preparing for the upcoming Academic session to conduct online entrance exam for post graduate and a few under graduate courses. But with the continuous protest by the Right affiliated student organization- Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarti Parishad(ABVP) against the online test has put the varsity into a difficult situation. Delhi University may not conduct online entrance for admissions to its various PG and professional UG courses for the upcoming academic session which is likely to commence in mid of this month. In a meeting of admission committee that was held on Wednesday, the ABVP members expressed their opinion against the varsitys decision alleging that conducting online test would be counterproductive for a large chunk of students who come from marginal background. Our concern from the university is to go ahead with the written form of examination. Because most of the students come from rural areas if the online test would be introduced than a large population of students will not a get chance to appear for the exam, said Saket Bahuguna , national media convener of ABVP. DU is planning to outsource the whole process of online entrance. Tenders for the same have already been floated. If the admission committee wants to conduct online test then it should implement this system on a pilot basis in which it should give both choices of online and offline mode of exam and that too in only Delhi centers(examination).It will give lakhs of students a chance to appear for the exams Bahuguna added. However, an admission committee member said that by seeing continuous protest from the right wing student organization, it is unlikely that DU conducts online test this year. However, he also said, the varsity has limited time at its disposal before the admission time starts. Oishani Mojumder By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The 10th edition of the Asia Pacific Pharma Congress commencing from May 8 in Singapore will see one of Hyderabads own. PhD research scholar Kalakotla Shanker, from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University, will be presenting his research paper on the In-Vivo Therapeutic Potential of Herbal Mediated Silver Nanoparticles for Anti-Diabetic Activity on Wistar Rats Model. The Asia-Pacific Pharma Congress works towards the incorporation of new perspectives and views in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. It provides a platform for pharmacists and the best in their field, to meet, learn and share experiences. His trip to Singapore is being funded by the Swaeroes International Networks scholarship for meritorious students across the state of Telangana. Hailing from Warangal, Shankar completed his primary education from Government High school, Ursu, intermediate from CKM college, Warangal. He further went on to finish his Diploma in Pharmacy from Care college of Pharmacy Oglapur, Athmakur, Warangal, and Bachelor of Pharmacy from Kakatiya University. His passion in the field of pharma did not flicker and he pursued his M.Pharamcy from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad and finally completed his PhD from the same. Shankers diligence towards his work and research shines through his humble background of a farming family. He insists on the fact that studying pharmacy was a choice that he made to help the economically deprived sections of the society to battle the diabetes epidemic. His goal is to create a medicine that will be available to the common man at the lowest cost possible yielding maximum therapeutic results. He explains that this can be achieved by using herbal plants combined with silver nanoparticles to make herbal nanomedicine. He owes his gratitude to his Ph.D. guide and mentor, who has also co-authored this research paper with him, Dr.G Krishna Mohan. Dr. G Krishna Mohan, as Shanker claims, has always been the backbone of his research since 2010. His mentor sent him to Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, also popularly known as CSIR-IICT-Hyderabad. This was the turning point and Shanker has never looked back since. He has published almost 18 international, peer-reviewed publications in reputed pharmacy journals. He plans to do his post-doctorate in the same field in the near future. HYDERABAD: The 10th edition of the Asia Pacific Pharma Congress commencing from May 8 in Singapore will see one of Hyderabads own. PhD research scholar Kalakotla Shanker, from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University, will be presenting his research paper on the In-Vivo Therapeutic Potential of Herbal Mediated Silver Nanoparticles for Anti-Diabetic Activity on Wistar Rats Model. The Asia-Pacific Pharma Congress works towards the incorporation of new perspectives and views in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. It provides a platform for pharmacists and the best in their field, to meet, learn and share experiences. His trip to Singapore is being funded by the Swaeroes International Networks scholarship for meritorious students across the state of Telangana. Hailing from Warangal, Shankar completed his primary education from Government High school, Ursu, intermediate from CKM college, Warangal. He further went on to finish his Diploma in Pharmacy from Care college of Pharmacy Oglapur, Athmakur, Warangal, and Bachelor of Pharmacy from Kakatiya University. His passion in the field of pharma did not flicker and he pursued his M.Pharamcy from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad and finally completed his PhD from the same. Shankers diligence towards his work and research shines through his humble background of a farming family. He insists on the fact that studying pharmacy was a choice that he made to help the economically deprived sections of the society to battle the diabetes epidemic. His goal is to create a medicine that will be available to the common man at the lowest cost possible yielding maximum therapeutic results. He explains that this can be achieved by using herbal plants combined with silver nanoparticles to make herbal nanomedicine. He owes his gratitude to his Ph.D. guide and mentor, who has also co-authored this research paper with him, Dr.G Krishna Mohan. Dr. G Krishna Mohan, as Shanker claims, has always been the backbone of his research since 2010. His mentor sent him to Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, also popularly known as CSIR-IICT-Hyderabad. This was the turning point and Shanker has never looked back since. He has published almost 18 international, peer-reviewed publications in reputed pharmacy journals. He plans to do his post-doctorate in the same field in the near future. Arun M By Express News Service KOCHI: The closure of liquor vends in the city has given birth to an alarming trend. Scores of gullible youths are now being roped in by criminals to procure and supply contraband to customers, say city police. On April 29, the Shadow Police arrested four youths, including a minor, with ganja and Nitrozone tablets. Thomas Jose, 19, Payyappilli Vettil, Kozhikode, Suryakiran, 29, from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Ashar, 18, of Ashar Manzil, Alumkadavu, Kollam, were among the arrested. Cops seized around 1.25 kg of ganja and 10 Nitrozone tablets from their possession. As selling ganja brings handsome profits, several city youths are taking up the job opportunity. The mafia lures students to act as carriers and even suppliers to provide drugs to student customers. Eyeing the profit, several students have started procuring the contraband from TN and Andhra Pradesh thus eliminating the need for middlemen. On Tuesday, the Shadow Police arrested nine youths with ganja and Nitrazepam tablets. They were sent to various police stations. Keeleri-native Manu, 22, and Athani-natives Sivaprasad, 22, Shyam Peter, 22, and Prasad, 32, were handed over to the Thrikkakara police. Arun, 18, and Nahaz, 18 - both from Varapuzha - and Jithin, 18 from Edayakunnam were nabbed from Ponekkara with 350 gm of ganja and handed over to the Elamakkara police. Shemin, 20 and Vishnu, 20, both from Maniyar in Pathanamthitta were arrested with 10 Nitrazepam tablets and handed over to the Kadavanthra police. Three minors involved in ganja peddling were also nabbed with 250 gm of ganja in their possession. They were handed over to the Palarivattom police. They had been under the Shadow Polices scanner for some time. We have intensified our surveillance to nab the drug mafia in the city. Owing to the lesser availability of liquor, youths have switched to consuming contraband. LSD drugs like Nitrazepam tablets can provide a high for 12 hours without anybody identifying it, said Shadow Police SI Honey K Das. City Police Commissioner M P Dinesh appealed to the public to inform the Shadow Police of any drug supplying activities via 9497980430. Thomas Jose, 19, Payyappilli Veettil, Kozhikode, Suryakiran, 29, from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Ashar, 18, of Ashar Manzil, Alumkadavu, Kollam, were among the arrested. Cops seized around 1.25 kg of ganja and 10 Nitrozone tablets from their possession. Goa native held on charges of supplying party drugs in city The Excise sleuths probing the case pertaining to the seizure of drugs worth Rs 84 lakh here have arrested a Goa native on charges of supplying party drugs in the city. Deepak S Kalan Gudkar, 48, was arrested from Mapusa in Northern Goa, said an Excise officer. Acting on a tip-off, the Excise sleuths approached him posing as customers and took him into custody. The investigators had also taken Saneesh Sarvothaman, who was arrested by the Excise last month, along with them to Goa for identifying the racketeers and their area of operation. During interrogation, the accused confessed he had been buying synthetic drugs from a Nigerian, who was reportedly procuring the same from J&K. All the operations were being managed via WhatsApp using codes like score cheitho? (Did you score?) to sell drugs. The sleuths also recovered a hand-held machine used to crush ganja before filling it in cigarettes or other smoking apparatuses. 'How to videos that demonstrate ways to take the drugs were also circulated by the accused mainly to attract new customers, the cops found. 38 persons, all but two aged below 25 years, were arrested under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on charges of drug smuggling in operations held in the past two weeks. 8 minors were also among the arrested. The cops recovered more than 5 kg of ganja and 50 Nitrazepam tablets from their possession. One of the arrested was nabbed while coming to Kochi with the drug he procured from Tamil Nadu. He had barely turned 15. All the arrested were unemployed, said police officers. The inspection of the mobile phones of the arrested revealed girls were also their regular customers. KOCHI: The closure of liquor vends in the city has given birth to an alarming trend. Scores of gullible youths are now being roped in by criminals to procure and supply contraband to customers, say city police. On April 29, the Shadow Police arrested four youths, including a minor, with ganja and Nitrozone tablets. Thomas Jose, 19, Payyappilli Vettil, Kozhikode, Suryakiran, 29, from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Ashar, 18, of Ashar Manzil, Alumkadavu, Kollam, were among the arrested. Cops seized around 1.25 kg of ganja and 10 Nitrozone tablets from their possession. As selling ganja brings handsome profits, several city youths are taking up the job opportunity. The mafia lures students to act as carriers and even suppliers to provide drugs to student customers. Eyeing the profit, several students have started procuring the contraband from TN and Andhra Pradesh thus eliminating the need for middlemen. On Tuesday, the Shadow Police arrested nine youths with ganja and Nitrazepam tablets. They were sent to various police stations. Keeleri-native Manu, 22, and Athani-natives Sivaprasad, 22, Shyam Peter, 22, and Prasad, 32, were handed over to the Thrikkakara police. Arun, 18, and Nahaz, 18 - both from Varapuzha - and Jithin, 18 from Edayakunnam were nabbed from Ponekkara with 350 gm of ganja and handed over to the Elamakkara police. Shemin, 20 and Vishnu, 20, both from Maniyar in Pathanamthitta were arrested with 10 Nitrazepam tablets and handed over to the Kadavanthra police. Three minors involved in ganja peddling were also nabbed with 250 gm of ganja in their possession. They were handed over to the Palarivattom police. They had been under the Shadow Polices scanner for some time. We have intensified our surveillance to nab the drug mafia in the city. Owing to the lesser availability of liquor, youths have switched to consuming contraband. LSD drugs like Nitrazepam tablets can provide a high for 12 hours without anybody identifying it, said Shadow Police SI Honey K Das. City Police Commissioner M P Dinesh appealed to the public to inform the Shadow Police of any drug supplying activities via 9497980430. Thomas Jose, 19, Payyappilli Veettil, Kozhikode, Suryakiran, 29, from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Ashar, 18, of Ashar Manzil, Alumkadavu, Kollam, were among the arrested. Cops seized around 1.25 kg of ganja and 10 Nitrozone tablets from their possession. Goa native held on charges of supplying party drugs in city The Excise sleuths probing the case pertaining to the seizure of drugs worth Rs 84 lakh here have arrested a Goa native on charges of supplying party drugs in the city. Deepak S Kalan Gudkar, 48, was arrested from Mapusa in Northern Goa, said an Excise officer. Acting on a tip-off, the Excise sleuths approached him posing as customers and took him into custody. The investigators had also taken Saneesh Sarvothaman, who was arrested by the Excise last month, along with them to Goa for identifying the racketeers and their area of operation. During interrogation, the accused confessed he had been buying synthetic drugs from a Nigerian, who was reportedly procuring the same from J&K. All the operations were being managed via WhatsApp using codes like score cheitho? (Did you score?) to sell drugs. The sleuths also recovered a hand-held machine used to crush ganja before filling it in cigarettes or other smoking apparatuses. 'How to videos that demonstrate ways to take the drugs were also circulated by the accused mainly to attract new customers, the cops found. 38 persons, all but two aged below 25 years, were arrested under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on charges of drug smuggling in operations held in the past two weeks. 8 minors were also among the arrested. The cops recovered more than 5 kg of ganja and 50 Nitrazepam tablets from their possession. One of the arrested was nabbed while coming to Kochi with the drug he procured from Tamil Nadu. He had barely turned 15. All the arrested were unemployed, said police officers. The inspection of the mobile phones of the arrested revealed girls were also their regular customers. By Express News Service Actor Dhananjay, who started off in theatre before getting onto the silver screen, was nostalgic when he got to perform a solo play, Shraddha, at a theatre festival held in Virgina, Washington DC, on April 29. The actor spoke to City Express from Frankfurt airport, while he was on his way to Germany. After 7 years, Im back to performing on stage, I was reminded of my theatre days. When I come back to India, I plan on restarting my theatre activities, he says. Oon vacation in Germany right now, Dhananjay is excited and eager to meet his mentor, Christian Stucki, who trained him at a theatre workshop a decade ago. Whenever Christian visited India, I would make sure to meet him. This time, I am in Germany to meet him and my friends. Apparently, the Kannada Sangha in Munich, Amsterdam and Milan, who learnt of Dhananjays visit to Germany, have arranged a special screening of his recent film, Allama. The screening is not part of any film promotion. I am on vacation, and would want to spend time with my friends while I also meet and greet all the Kannadigas out here, he says. The actor will be back on May 9 and will be promoting his forthcoming film, Happy New Year, which is slated to release this week. Actor Dhananjay, who started off in theatre before getting onto the silver screen, was nostalgic when he got to perform a solo play, Shraddha, at a theatre festival held in Virgina, Washington DC, on April 29. The actor spoke to City Express from Frankfurt airport, while he was on his way to Germany. After 7 years, Im back to performing on stage, I was reminded of my theatre days. When I come back to India, I plan on restarting my theatre activities, he says. Oon vacation in Germany right now, Dhananjay is excited and eager to meet his mentor, Christian Stucki, who trained him at a theatre workshop a decade ago. Whenever Christian visited India, I would make sure to meet him. This time, I am in Germany to meet him and my friends. Apparently, the Kannada Sangha in Munich, Amsterdam and Milan, who learnt of Dhananjays visit to Germany, have arranged a special screening of his recent film, Allama. The screening is not part of any film promotion. I am on vacation, and would want to spend time with my friends while I also meet and greet all the Kannadigas out here, he says. The actor will be back on May 9 and will be promoting his forthcoming film, Happy New Year, which is slated to release this week. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: On day 5 of the Supreme Courts hearing on whether the Aadhaar card is mandatory or voluntary, privacy advocates quoted from the literature on the website of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Even today, the UIDAI website says that every citizen is entitled to voluntarily obtain Aadhaar. The authority, which is a creature of the Aadhaar Act, is saying it is voluntary," senior advocate Shyam Divan stressed. Divan is representing three petitioners who are challenging the governments decision to make the Aadhaar number mandatory for filing income tax returns from July. Divan presented his argument a day after attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi stuck unyieldingly to the governments stance that the Aadhaar number is indeed a mandatory requirement for access to many state services and that recent leaks of Aadhaar details were no big deal. The thrust of the privacy advocates presentation that the insistence on Aadhaar is an intrusion into the social and political liberties of citizens. If we fail here, there will be a tremendous compromise of civil liberties, Divan told the bench, comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan. Divan said no country calling itself democratic has implemented anything like the Aadhaar regime the BJP-led government is bent upon imposing on the nation. It would turn India into a surveillance state in which a person can be tracked and remain under electronic watch throughout his life. The senior advocate also sought to puncture Rohatgis argument to the judges on Tuesday that leakage of Aadhaar data was a remote possibility and such leaks that have happened were not of the biometrics but just the bare numbers. Divan said the entire process of enrolling for Aadhaar was full of holes and vulnerable to leakage. The enrollers of Aadhaar who are collecting data and biometrics from citizens were private parties and there was serious threat of misuse or leakage of data, he said. "There are cases where such information has been commercially sold. The law says the life and body are paramount and if the fingerprints of an individual are stolen, it might end his identity." What the UIDAI website says Aadhaar number is a 12-digit random number issued by the UIDAI to the residents of India after satisfying the verification process laid down by the Authority. Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident of India, may voluntarily enrol to obtain Aadhaar number. NEW DELHI: On day 5 of the Supreme Courts hearing on whether the Aadhaar card is mandatory or voluntary, privacy advocates quoted from the literature on the website of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Even today, the UIDAI website says that every citizen is entitled to voluntarily obtain Aadhaar. The authority, which is a creature of the Aadhaar Act, is saying it is voluntary," senior advocate Shyam Divan stressed. Divan is representing three petitioners who are challenging the governments decision to make the Aadhaar number mandatory for filing income tax returns from July. Divan presented his argument a day after attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi stuck unyieldingly to the governments stance that the Aadhaar number is indeed a mandatory requirement for access to many state services and that recent leaks of Aadhaar details were no big deal. The thrust of the privacy advocates presentation that the insistence on Aadhaar is an intrusion into the social and political liberties of citizens. If we fail here, there will be a tremendous compromise of civil liberties, Divan told the bench, comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan. Divan said no country calling itself democratic has implemented anything like the Aadhaar regime the BJP-led government is bent upon imposing on the nation. It would turn India into a surveillance state in which a person can be tracked and remain under electronic watch throughout his life. The senior advocate also sought to puncture Rohatgis argument to the judges on Tuesday that leakage of Aadhaar data was a remote possibility and such leaks that have happened were not of the biometrics but just the bare numbers. Divan said the entire process of enrolling for Aadhaar was full of holes and vulnerable to leakage. The enrollers of Aadhaar who are collecting data and biometrics from citizens were private parties and there was serious threat of misuse or leakage of data, he said. "There are cases where such information has been commercially sold. The law says the life and body are paramount and if the fingerprints of an individual are stolen, it might end his identity." What the UIDAI website says Aadhaar number is a 12-digit random number issued by the UIDAI to the residents of India after satisfying the verification process laid down by the Authority. Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident of India, may voluntarily enrol to obtain Aadhaar number. Aishik Chanda By Express News Service KOLKATA: In an event that has become the focal point of an ego war between Trinamool Congress and BJP, a tribal couple who hosted BJP president Amit Shah for lunch at their residence in Naxalbari in Darjeeling district a week ago, joined TMC in the presence of state tourism minister Goutam Deb on Wednesday. A red-faced BJP has alleged that the couple, Raju Mahali and Geeta Mahali, and their two children were kidnapped by Trinamool Congress workers on Tuesday and forced to join the ruling party. BJPs Naxalbari block workers gheraoed Naxalbari police station after the police reportedly refused to file an FIR. Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said that the Mahali couple was being harassed by three local TMC leaders since the time they had hosted Amit Shah on April 25. We will approach Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and also file a complaint with the SC/ST Commission. The central leadership has also taken note of the forceful induction into TMC. We will hold massive protests against this kind of politics, he said. TMC is now not only confined to buying legislators and councilors, but has touched new lows by taking pride in inducting people who hosted a top BJP leader. This is unprecedented in Bengals political history, said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. This incident shows how much the ruling party is scared of BJPs rise, he added. Rahul Sinha also claimed that TMC issued life threats to people who by Amit Shah met in Bhabanipur in central Kolkata, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees constituency. On the other hand, tourism minister Goutam Deb said that the Mahali couple would be inducted in the Adivasi development department. Politics is never forceful. I will speak to Raju and Geeta Mahali about the kind of work they want to do, he said. KOLKATA: In an event that has become the focal point of an ego war between Trinamool Congress and BJP, a tribal couple who hosted BJP president Amit Shah for lunch at their residence in Naxalbari in Darjeeling district a week ago, joined TMC in the presence of state tourism minister Goutam Deb on Wednesday. A red-faced BJP has alleged that the couple, Raju Mahali and Geeta Mahali, and their two children were kidnapped by Trinamool Congress workers on Tuesday and forced to join the ruling party. BJPs Naxalbari block workers gheraoed Naxalbari police station after the police reportedly refused to file an FIR. Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said that the Mahali couple was being harassed by three local TMC leaders since the time they had hosted Amit Shah on April 25. We will approach Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and also file a complaint with the SC/ST Commission. The central leadership has also taken note of the forceful induction into TMC. We will hold massive protests against this kind of politics, he said. TMC is now not only confined to buying legislators and councilors, but has touched new lows by taking pride in inducting people who hosted a top BJP leader. This is unprecedented in Bengals political history, said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha. This incident shows how much the ruling party is scared of BJPs rise, he added. Rahul Sinha also claimed that TMC issued life threats to people who by Amit Shah met in Bhabanipur in central Kolkata, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees constituency. On the other hand, tourism minister Goutam Deb said that the Mahali couple would be inducted in the Adivasi development department. Politics is never forceful. I will speak to Raju and Geeta Mahali about the kind of work they want to do, he said. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the 2G special courts order of discharging all accused including former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran in the Aircel Maxis case. ED in its plea pointed out that the trial court erred in considering the violation of PMLA and clear cut money laundering case is made out. The special court had in its February 2, order discharged all accused. The petition also stated that many statements of the accused before the investigating agency (ED) was not even considered by the trial court. The case is likely to be listed soon. Special CBI Judge OP Saini, while discharging them had said that no prima facie case warranting framing of charges against any of the accused was made out on the basis of the materials placed on record before it. On the charges of money-laundering case, the court had said, Since the accused were discharged in the case of scheduled offence registered by CBI, EDs matter has become groundless and nothing survived in it. The accused were also discharged in the case lodged by CBI. However, the special judge order had no effect on the two accused Malaysian nationals Ralph Marshall and T Ananda Krishnan in the CBIs case as it has already segregated the proceedings against them from that of Maran brothers and others. NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the 2G special courts order of discharging all accused including former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran in the Aircel Maxis case. ED in its plea pointed out that the trial court erred in considering the violation of PMLA and clear cut money laundering case is made out. The special court had in its February 2, order discharged all accused. The petition also stated that many statements of the accused before the investigating agency (ED) was not even considered by the trial court. The case is likely to be listed soon. Special CBI Judge OP Saini, while discharging them had said that no prima facie case warranting framing of charges against any of the accused was made out on the basis of the materials placed on record before it. On the charges of money-laundering case, the court had said, Since the accused were discharged in the case of scheduled offence registered by CBI, EDs matter has become groundless and nothing survived in it. The accused were also discharged in the case lodged by CBI. However, the special judge order had no effect on the two accused Malaysian nationals Ralph Marshall and T Ananda Krishnan in the CBIs case as it has already segregated the proceedings against them from that of Maran brothers and others. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Director and main controller of private firm Zoom Developers Pvt. Ltd. (ZDPL) Vijay Madanlal Choudhary for money laundering through shell companies after cheating 25 banks to the tune of Rs 2650 crore. Chaudhary was arrested under section 19 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The money laundering investigation was conducted in this case on the basis of FIR/ Chargesheets filed by the CBI, New Delhi wherein it is alleged that Choudhary controlled Zoom Developers has caused wrongfull loss to the 5 banks---. Punjab National Bank, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, United Bank of India and Union Bank to the tune of Rs. 966 crore. Further, this loss is not just limited to Rs 966 crore but the accused has cheated more than 25 Banks and it involves huge public money over Rs 2650 crore. The agency probe has revealed that Choudhary formed 485 companies in name of himself/family members/employees. Further, as per the investigation conducted by ED, it was also revealed that Choudhary also floated 15 companies in USA, three in UK, three in Switzerland, seven in Singapore, four in Germany, nine in UAE, two each in China and Zimbabwe. It appears that he has formed the above companies for the sole purpose of laundering the proceeds of crime. Based on the investigations conducted, ED has till date, attached assets worth Rs. 130 crore in this case including 1280 acres of land in California, USA. During the investigation, Sharad Kabra was arrested and prosecution complaint was filed against him, the ED said in a statement. Investigation further revealed that Choudhary formed two trusts/foundations---Beverin Stifung Foundation(BSF) and Windleaf Foundation(WF), incorporated in Liechtenstein of which he was the sole beneficiary. On formation of BSF & WF, five companies were formed by these Trusts/Foundations in UK and Switzerland with the names Astikor AG, Llondenium Trading Ltd. among others which were referred as Aggregators by the ZDPL and were projected to the Indian Bankers, as independent entities, that entered into contracts/sub-contracts for rendering of engineering services/procurement. Based on the contracts entered between ZDPL and the so called Aggregators, ZDPL approached various Indian Banks, for issue of Bank Guarantees/ Counter-Guarantees, to the foreign Bankers of the Aggregators, for the mobilization advances being received by them from the Aggregators against the contracts/sub-contract entered by ZDPL. On issue of the Bank Guarantees (BGs)/ Counter-Guarantees (CGs), to the foreign bankers of the Aggregators, mobilization amounts were released by the Aggregators to ZDPL. These mobilization advances received from the Aggregators, was utilized by ZDPL among their group companies, as investment in Share Capital/ for purchase of properties/ paid as advances/ as Working Capital. The ED probe also revealed that majority of the contracts executed by ZDPL are paper-contracts only with no physical physical work/services/supply ever made against them. NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Director and main controller of private firm Zoom Developers Pvt. Ltd. (ZDPL) Vijay Madanlal Choudhary for money laundering through shell companies after cheating 25 banks to the tune of Rs 2650 crore. Chaudhary was arrested under section 19 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The money laundering investigation was conducted in this case on the basis of FIR/ Chargesheets filed by the CBI, New Delhi wherein it is alleged that Choudhary controlled Zoom Developers has caused wrongfull loss to the 5 banks---. Punjab National Bank, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, United Bank of India and Union Bank to the tune of Rs. 966 crore. Further, this loss is not just limited to Rs 966 crore but the accused has cheated more than 25 Banks and it involves huge public money over Rs 2650 crore. The agency probe has revealed that Choudhary formed 485 companies in name of himself/family members/employees. Further, as per the investigation conducted by ED, it was also revealed that Choudhary also floated 15 companies in USA, three in UK, three in Switzerland, seven in Singapore, four in Germany, nine in UAE, two each in China and Zimbabwe. It appears that he has formed the above companies for the sole purpose of laundering the proceeds of crime. Based on the investigations conducted, ED has till date, attached assets worth Rs. 130 crore in this case including 1280 acres of land in California, USA. During the investigation, Sharad Kabra was arrested and prosecution complaint was filed against him, the ED said in a statement. Investigation further revealed that Choudhary formed two trusts/foundations---Beverin Stifung Foundation(BSF) and Windleaf Foundation(WF), incorporated in Liechtenstein of which he was the sole beneficiary. On formation of BSF & WF, five companies were formed by these Trusts/Foundations in UK and Switzerland with the names Astikor AG, Llondenium Trading Ltd. among others which were referred as Aggregators by the ZDPL and were projected to the Indian Bankers, as independent entities, that entered into contracts/sub-contracts for rendering of engineering services/procurement. Based on the contracts entered between ZDPL and the so called Aggregators, ZDPL approached various Indian Banks, for issue of Bank Guarantees/ Counter-Guarantees, to the foreign Bankers of the Aggregators, for the mobilization advances being received by them from the Aggregators against the contracts/sub-contract entered by ZDPL. On issue of the Bank Guarantees (BGs)/ Counter-Guarantees (CGs), to the foreign bankers of the Aggregators, mobilization amounts were released by the Aggregators to ZDPL. These mobilization advances received from the Aggregators, was utilized by ZDPL among their group companies, as investment in Share Capital/ for purchase of properties/ paid as advances/ as Working Capital. The ED probe also revealed that majority of the contracts executed by ZDPL are paper-contracts only with no physical physical work/services/supply ever made against them. Hemant Kumar Rout By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: In an incredible feat not achieved by any other weapon system of its genre, advanced BrahMos Block-III land attack cruise missile system successfully hit a land-based target with desired precision during a trial on Wednesday. This was the second consecutive test of the supersonic cruise missile by Indian army. The test was carried out by South Western Commands Corps Strike One in full operational land-to-land configurations from a mobile autonomous launcher at its full-range. The long-range tactical weapon was successfully tested in a similar configuration on Tuesday. A spokesperson of Army said two launches in a row in two days has reinforced the formidable weapons precision strike capability. The mission met all flight parameters in a copybook manner. Making high level and complex manoeuvers, the missile fired from a canister successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in both the trials demonstrating its accuracy of less than one metre, he said. This is the fifth consecutive time when the Block-III version of BrahMos land attack cruise missile has been successfully launched and hit the land-based target in top-attack mode. Indian Army, which became the first land force in the world to deploy the BrahMos in 2007, has raised several regiments of this world-class weapon system. Jointly developed by India and Russia, the multi-platform, multi-role BrahMos is capable of being launched from land, sea, submarine and air against land and sea-based targets. Its strike range has been enhanced from 290 km to 450 km making it a lethal weapon. The two-stage missile weighs 3.9 tonnes with the canister. It can carry warheads weighing around 300 kg. It is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world, which can surprise the enemy with its speed, power and precision. The missiles high cruise and terminal speed pose a significant challenge for the enemy, as it leaves less time for deployment of counter measures. Meanwhile, hypersonic BrahMos cruise missile which can fly at double the speed of current version is under development. Air version of the missile is also ready for maiden launch from Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft. BHUBANESWAR: In an incredible feat not achieved by any other weapon system of its genre, advanced BrahMos Block-III land attack cruise missile system successfully hit a land-based target with desired precision during a trial on Wednesday. This was the second consecutive test of the supersonic cruise missile by Indian army. The test was carried out by South Western Commands Corps Strike One in full operational land-to-land configurations from a mobile autonomous launcher at its full-range. The long-range tactical weapon was successfully tested in a similar configuration on Tuesday. A spokesperson of Army said two launches in a row in two days has reinforced the formidable weapons precision strike capability. The mission met all flight parameters in a copybook manner. Making high level and complex manoeuvers, the missile fired from a canister successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in both the trials demonstrating its accuracy of less than one metre, he said. This is the fifth consecutive time when the Block-III version of BrahMos land attack cruise missile has been successfully launched and hit the land-based target in top-attack mode. Indian Army, which became the first land force in the world to deploy the BrahMos in 2007, has raised several regiments of this world-class weapon system. Jointly developed by India and Russia, the multi-platform, multi-role BrahMos is capable of being launched from land, sea, submarine and air against land and sea-based targets. Its strike range has been enhanced from 290 km to 450 km making it a lethal weapon. The two-stage missile weighs 3.9 tonnes with the canister. It can carry warheads weighing around 300 kg. It is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world, which can surprise the enemy with its speed, power and precision. The missiles high cruise and terminal speed pose a significant challenge for the enemy, as it leaves less time for deployment of counter measures. Meanwhile, hypersonic BrahMos cruise missile which can fly at double the speed of current version is under development. Air version of the missile is also ready for maiden launch from Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft. By PTI NEW DELHI: Around 50 Pakistani students, visiting India at the invitation of an NGO, were sent back today after the government advised it against hosting them at a time which was not "appropriate" in the aftermath of beheading of two Indian soldiers. "An NGO had invited Pakistani school students here. They came to India on the same day when the barbaric and inhuman act of killing and mutilating our soldiers happened. "The ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges after we learnt that the children had crossed over to India on May 1," Gopal Baglay, a spokesperson of the MEA, said. Routes2Roots, a Delhi-based NGO, had invited 50 students from Pakistan as part of their Student 'Exchange for Change' Program. The students from Pakistan were scheduled to go on a day-long trip to Agra today and participate in an exchange of experiences with Indian students tomorrow at the Pakistan Embassy here. Expressing regret over the return of the delegation, Routes2Roots said that the trip had to be shortened and the students and teachers have been sent back to Lahore. "Around 50 students aged between 11-15 years old from Pakistan along with their teachers arrived in Delhi on May 1 and were supposed to meet their Indian pen friends and hosts of other programs which had to be cut short. "Keeping in view the security and sentiments of fellow Indians the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," Rakesh Gupta and Tina Vachani, founders of Routes2Roots, said in a statement. NEW DELHI: Around 50 Pakistani students, visiting India at the invitation of an NGO, were sent back today after the government advised it against hosting them at a time which was not "appropriate" in the aftermath of beheading of two Indian soldiers. "An NGO had invited Pakistani school students here. They came to India on the same day when the barbaric and inhuman act of killing and mutilating our soldiers happened. "The ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges after we learnt that the children had crossed over to India on May 1," Gopal Baglay, a spokesperson of the MEA, said. Routes2Roots, a Delhi-based NGO, had invited 50 students from Pakistan as part of their Student 'Exchange for Change' Program. The students from Pakistan were scheduled to go on a day-long trip to Agra today and participate in an exchange of experiences with Indian students tomorrow at the Pakistan Embassy here. Expressing regret over the return of the delegation, Routes2Roots said that the trip had to be shortened and the students and teachers have been sent back to Lahore. "Around 50 students aged between 11-15 years old from Pakistan along with their teachers arrived in Delhi on May 1 and were supposed to meet their Indian pen friends and hosts of other programs which had to be cut short. "Keeping in view the security and sentiments of fellow Indians the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," Rakesh Gupta and Tina Vachani, founders of Routes2Roots, said in a statement. Pradip R Sagar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Conveying serious concerns over the killing of two soldiers and mutilation of the bodies in Krishna Ghati sector on Monday, the Indian Army on Tuesday told Pakistan that its action merits unequivocal condemnation and response. With this stern message, Indian Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt General AK Bhatt informed his Pakistani counterpart that full fire support was provided by Pakistan Army during the attack on the Indian patrol. Incidentally, local commanders of both armies had talked to each other on Monday night. Pakistan DGMO Major General Shahir Shamshad, however, denied the charge and asked Bhatt to provide actionable evidence about the cross-border raid and warned of appropriate response if India continued to target Pakistan Army posts along the Line of Control (LOC). The two DGMOs talked to each other on the hotline in the afternoon following a request made by India. The two officials, generally, hold parleys on every Wednesday as part of confidence building measure. Top military leadership here in national capital is simultaneously apprehensive about the timing the brutal attack, as track-two diplomacy was initiated by Indian industrialist Sajjan Jindal to bring back both India and Pakistan on discussion table. Whenever civilian government makes any effort to initiate dialogue, the Pakistans powerful military intervenes to disrupt it. After reports of negotiations started to bring two neighbours on talking terms, Pakistan army planned the attack, said a senior official. Reviewing the situation on the ground, army chief Gen Bipin Rawat visited the frontier areas in North Kashmir and interacted with commanders and troops deployed along the Line of Control. Accompanied by the Northern Army and Srinagar based Chinar Corps Commanders, the Army Chief was briefed by Formation Commanders on the security situation on the border. Former defence minister and Congress leader AK Antony said that the incidents of infiltration and mutilation of soldiers bodies have increased after Modi took over in 2014. During my time in eight years, it happened only once but in last three years it has already happened thrice, Antony said. Antonys party colleague Kapil Sibal alleged the Centre had no concrete policy vis-a-vis Pakistan. NEW DELHI: Conveying serious concerns over the killing of two soldiers and mutilation of the bodies in Krishna Ghati sector on Monday, the Indian Army on Tuesday told Pakistan that its action merits unequivocal condemnation and response. With this stern message, Indian Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt General AK Bhatt informed his Pakistani counterpart that full fire support was provided by Pakistan Army during the attack on the Indian patrol. Incidentally, local commanders of both armies had talked to each other on Monday night. Pakistan DGMO Major General Shahir Shamshad, however, denied the charge and asked Bhatt to provide actionable evidence about the cross-border raid and warned of appropriate response if India continued to target Pakistan Army posts along the Line of Control (LOC). The two DGMOs talked to each other on the hotline in the afternoon following a request made by India. The two officials, generally, hold parleys on every Wednesday as part of confidence building measure. Top military leadership here in national capital is simultaneously apprehensive about the timing the brutal attack, as track-two diplomacy was initiated by Indian industrialist Sajjan Jindal to bring back both India and Pakistan on discussion table. Whenever civilian government makes any effort to initiate dialogue, the Pakistans powerful military intervenes to disrupt it. After reports of negotiations started to bring two neighbours on talking terms, Pakistan army planned the attack, said a senior official. Reviewing the situation on the ground, army chief Gen Bipin Rawat visited the frontier areas in North Kashmir and interacted with commanders and troops deployed along the Line of Control. Accompanied by the Northern Army and Srinagar based Chinar Corps Commanders, the Army Chief was briefed by Formation Commanders on the security situation on the border. Former defence minister and Congress leader AK Antony said that the incidents of infiltration and mutilation of soldiers bodies have increased after Modi took over in 2014. During my time in eight years, it happened only once but in last three years it has already happened thrice, Antony said. Antonys party colleague Kapil Sibal alleged the Centre had no concrete policy vis-a-vis Pakistan. By Express News Service KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday came in support of Bollywood actor Kajol saying that her unneeded clarification was a result of people poking their nose into others food habits. Speaking at a public meet at Muslim-majority North Dinajpur district on Wednesday, the chief minister said that a dangerous trend had gripped the country in which people are deciding what others should eat. It was during that statement that she brought Kajols controversy without naming her. A very famous woman actor who worked with Shah Rukh Khan in many Bollywood films recently got trolled for uploading a video where she said she was enjoying a beef preparation at a restaurant. Later, she clarified that it was buffalo meat which was legal and apologised. Her clarification was unneeded. This is a very grave situation. They are even deciding what others should eat, she said. After getting trolled for uploading the video of eating beef, Kajol not only removed it and clarified it was made of buffalo meat, but also tweeted that she did not want to hurt any religious sentiments. Mamata Banerjee was earlier accused by BJP that she regularly ate beef. A Jagannath temple priest had requested last month that the West Bengal chief minister not be allowed to enter the historic temple for supporting beef-eating. Banerjee later not only entered the temple and offered puja, but was accompanied by 300 other priests who apologised to her on behalf of the priest who sought prohibition on her entry. On BJPs allegation that she was a beef-eater, Mamata Banerjee has upheld that everyone has the right to eat anything he or she likes and no one has the right to question his or her right to food of choice. KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday came in support of Bollywood actor Kajol saying that her unneeded clarification was a result of people poking their nose into others food habits. Speaking at a public meet at Muslim-majority North Dinajpur district on Wednesday, the chief minister said that a dangerous trend had gripped the country in which people are deciding what others should eat. It was during that statement that she brought Kajols controversy without naming her. A very famous woman actor who worked with Shah Rukh Khan in many Bollywood films recently got trolled for uploading a video where she said she was enjoying a beef preparation at a restaurant. Later, she clarified that it was buffalo meat which was legal and apologised. Her clarification was unneeded. This is a very grave situation. They are even deciding what others should eat, she said. After getting trolled for uploading the video of eating beef, Kajol not only removed it and clarified it was made of buffalo meat, but also tweeted that she did not want to hurt any religious sentiments. Mamata Banerjee was earlier accused by BJP that she regularly ate beef. A Jagannath temple priest had requested last month that the West Bengal chief minister not be allowed to enter the historic temple for supporting beef-eating. Banerjee later not only entered the temple and offered puja, but was accompanied by 300 other priests who apologised to her on behalf of the priest who sought prohibition on her entry. On BJPs allegation that she was a beef-eater, Mamata Banerjee has upheld that everyone has the right to eat anything he or she likes and no one has the right to question his or her right to food of choice. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: As suspected militants looted over Rs 6 lakhs from two banks and snatched five rifles from policemen in south Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday asked youth to work for prosperity of the State and help the help the government in stopping destruction. I appeal youth that Jammu and Kashmir belongs to them and it is their land. The youth should work for progress and prosperity of the state and help government in stopping destruction, Mehbooba told reporters in South Kashmirs Kulgam district after visiting families of two bank guards and four policemen killed in militant attack recently. Five policemen and two bank guards were killed in militant attack on J&K Bank cash van in south Kashmir on Monday. Mehbooba, whose demand for talks with separatist leaders has been rejected by central government, said people and society should introspect where they are heading for. We are witnessing killings and bank dacoities, she said adding nothing will be achieved from the violence. Sharing the pain and grief of the families of slain bank guard and policeman, Mehbooba said these personnel were on duty to protect and disburse public money and their killing reflects the dangerous criminalisation turn the society is taking. She said the bank guards and policemen laid their lives for preserving public money and their sacrifices wont be allowed to go waste. The victim families would be duly looked after and every help and assistance would be provided to them by the government, she said. She appealed people, particularly civil society and youth, to rise against this dangerous trend of looting of public money by spilling innocent blood, thereby giving Kashmir a terribly bad name in the civilized world. Kashmir has been on edge after killing of eight civilians in security forces firing during by-polls to Srinagar parliamentary seat on April 9. The seat witnessed only 7.3 per cent polling. After poll violence and low voter turnout, the Election Commission has cancelled by-polls to Anantnag parliamentary seat, which was scheduled to be held on May 25. The tension in Kashmir has escalated after students protests on April 17. The students were protesting against April 15 security forces raid on a college in south Kashmirs Pulwama district during which over 50 students were injured. Since April 17, there have been regular students protests in the Valley. Even the female students participated in the protests and indulged in stone pelting on the cops. Due to these protests, authorities had to close educational institutions for some days in the Valley. SRINAGAR: As suspected militants looted over Rs 6 lakhs from two banks and snatched five rifles from policemen in south Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday asked youth to work for prosperity of the State and help the help the government in stopping destruction. I appeal youth that Jammu and Kashmir belongs to them and it is their land. The youth should work for progress and prosperity of the state and help government in stopping destruction, Mehbooba told reporters in South Kashmirs Kulgam district after visiting families of two bank guards and four policemen killed in militant attack recently. Five policemen and two bank guards were killed in militant attack on J&K Bank cash van in south Kashmir on Monday. Mehbooba, whose demand for talks with separatist leaders has been rejected by central government, said people and society should introspect where they are heading for. We are witnessing killings and bank dacoities, she said adding nothing will be achieved from the violence. Sharing the pain and grief of the families of slain bank guard and policeman, Mehbooba said these personnel were on duty to protect and disburse public money and their killing reflects the dangerous criminalisation turn the society is taking. She said the bank guards and policemen laid their lives for preserving public money and their sacrifices wont be allowed to go waste. The victim families would be duly looked after and every help and assistance would be provided to them by the government, she said. She appealed people, particularly civil society and youth, to rise against this dangerous trend of looting of public money by spilling innocent blood, thereby giving Kashmir a terribly bad name in the civilized world. Kashmir has been on edge after killing of eight civilians in security forces firing during by-polls to Srinagar parliamentary seat on April 9. The seat witnessed only 7.3 per cent polling. After poll violence and low voter turnout, the Election Commission has cancelled by-polls to Anantnag parliamentary seat, which was scheduled to be held on May 25. The tension in Kashmir has escalated after students protests on April 17. The students were protesting against April 15 security forces raid on a college in south Kashmirs Pulwama district during which over 50 students were injured. Since April 17, there have been regular students protests in the Valley. Even the female students participated in the protests and indulged in stone pelting on the cops. Due to these protests, authorities had to close educational institutions for some days in the Valley. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: In an indictment of Bihars Nitish Kumar-led government, Patna High Court on Wednesday revoked the ban on production of industrial spirit by distilleries in the state. A bench headed by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon found merit in the contention of the petitioners, a group of distilleries operating in the state, that the spirit they produce is widely used in different industries and that it is not confined to the manufacturing of alcoholic liquor. The state government has no right to ban the production of spirit as it is used in various other industries apart from making liquor, the high court said in its verdict on the petition filed by Global Spirit Limited and others challenging the state governments decision. In January, a few days before organising a state-wide human chain in support of total prohibition enforced in Bihar, the Nitish Kumar-led government had decided not to renew the licence of liquor manufacturing units in the state for 2017-18. The government had also issued a notification banning the production of spirit in the state. The governments decision was reportedly aimed at neutralising caustic criticism from the states main Opposition party BJP which had been dubbing the total prohibition as hypocritical due to the continuing production of alcoholic beverages in Bihar. Total prohibition has been in force in Bihar since April 2016. Consumption, distribution, sale, purchase and possession of alcoholic beverages is punishable under a law described by many as draconian. The HC verdict brought relief to the 13 distilleries operating in the state. Spirit manufacturers had made massive investments in the state in the months before total prohibition was imposed. Now, their investment is not going to be wasted, said Satyaveer Bharti, the lawyer who argued the case for the distilleries in the high court. The state government, however, may appeal against the HC verdict in the Supreme Court. We are yet to receive a copy of the high court verdict. We will study it and decide the next course of action, said Neeraj Kumar, spokesperson of the ruling JD (U). PATNA: In an indictment of Bihars Nitish Kumar-led government, Patna High Court on Wednesday revoked the ban on production of industrial spirit by distilleries in the state. A bench headed by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon found merit in the contention of the petitioners, a group of distilleries operating in the state, that the spirit they produce is widely used in different industries and that it is not confined to the manufacturing of alcoholic liquor. The state government has no right to ban the production of spirit as it is used in various other industries apart from making liquor, the high court said in its verdict on the petition filed by Global Spirit Limited and others challenging the state governments decision. In January, a few days before organising a state-wide human chain in support of total prohibition enforced in Bihar, the Nitish Kumar-led government had decided not to renew the licence of liquor manufacturing units in the state for 2017-18. The government had also issued a notification banning the production of spirit in the state. The governments decision was reportedly aimed at neutralising caustic criticism from the states main Opposition party BJP which had been dubbing the total prohibition as hypocritical due to the continuing production of alcoholic beverages in Bihar. Total prohibition has been in force in Bihar since April 2016. Consumption, distribution, sale, purchase and possession of alcoholic beverages is punishable under a law described by many as draconian. The HC verdict brought relief to the 13 distilleries operating in the state. Spirit manufacturers had made massive investments in the state in the months before total prohibition was imposed. Now, their investment is not going to be wasted, said Satyaveer Bharti, the lawyer who argued the case for the distilleries in the high court. The state government, however, may appeal against the HC verdict in the Supreme Court. We are yet to receive a copy of the high court verdict. We will study it and decide the next course of action, said Neeraj Kumar, spokesperson of the ruling JD (U). By IANS CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The police said that the search was still on. They are linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. An officer said there were at least six persons inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned. "It had a fake registration number plate. The car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu," the officer said. Security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district in July 2015. Both districts share an international border with Pakistan. Both districts are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The police said that the search was still on. They are linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. An officer said there were at least six persons inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned. "It had a fake registration number plate. The car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu," the officer said. Security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district in July 2015. Both districts share an international border with Pakistan. Both districts are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. By ANI NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday chaired a meeting for the third consecutive day, to discuss the overall internal security. Senior officers who were part of the meeting were National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Director Intelligence Bureau (DIB) Rajiv Jain, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Anil Dhasmana. The meetings come in the backdrop of recent violent attacks in the Valley, leading to the deaths of armed forces personnel and creating utter chaos in the state. Earlier yesterday, Rajnath expressed his displeasure over prolonged unrest to Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra and instructed him to work together with the state government in order to restore normalcy there. Chairing a meet with Vohra, Rajnath also discussed the grievous attack by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector, where the bodies of two Indian soldiers were mutilated. Rajnath stressed on the importance of taking stern action against the ones disturbing the environment. While assuring the Home Minister of bringing things back to normal, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor said he would keep updating the former about the developments taking place in the Valley. Earlier on Monday, Rajnath reviewed the present security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the recent Sukma attack with country's top security officials. On Monday, two defence personnel were killed, as Pakistan violated ceasefire by opening fire on Border Security Force (BSF) posts in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector. In a barbaric act, their bodies were later mutilated by the Pakistan Army. Kashmir Valley has been embroiled in utter chaos and violence after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's was killed by security forces in an encounter in south Kashmir's Kokernag on 8 July last year. NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday chaired a meeting for the third consecutive day, to discuss the overall internal security. Senior officers who were part of the meeting were National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Director Intelligence Bureau (DIB) Rajiv Jain, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Anil Dhasmana. The meetings come in the backdrop of recent violent attacks in the Valley, leading to the deaths of armed forces personnel and creating utter chaos in the state. Earlier yesterday, Rajnath expressed his displeasure over prolonged unrest to Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra and instructed him to work together with the state government in order to restore normalcy there. Chairing a meet with Vohra, Rajnath also discussed the grievous attack by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector, where the bodies of two Indian soldiers were mutilated. Rajnath stressed on the importance of taking stern action against the ones disturbing the environment. While assuring the Home Minister of bringing things back to normal, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor said he would keep updating the former about the developments taking place in the Valley. Earlier on Monday, Rajnath reviewed the present security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the recent Sukma attack with country's top security officials. On Monday, two defence personnel were killed, as Pakistan violated ceasefire by opening fire on Border Security Force (BSF) posts in Jammu and Kashmir's Krishna Ghati sector. In a barbaric act, their bodies were later mutilated by the Pakistan Army. Kashmir Valley has been embroiled in utter chaos and violence after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's was killed by security forces in an encounter in south Kashmir's Kokernag on 8 July last year. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Army said that Mondays surprise attack by Pakistan armys Border Action Team (BAT) on patrol troops at Krishna Ghati (KG) sector in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir was a pre-planned attack. The Army has vowed to avenge the attack by Pakistani troops at an appropriate time. The Pakistani troops fired indiscriminately on two forward posts manned by BSF and army at KG sector in Poonch district Monday morning. They also laid two ambushes, Western Command BSF ADG Kamal Nayan Choubey told reporters in Jammu, winter capital of the State. There were inputs that Pakistani troops had laid landmines in our territory. When the joint patrol of army and BSF went to assess the situation, the BAT team, which had already sneaked into some 200 meters inside our territory and had laid an ambush, attacked them with sharp edged weapons and small arms, sources in the Army said. The BSF DIG said that militant launch pads were active on other side of LoC and IB. Sources said that the vigil along the LoC and IB has been further intensified after the BAT attack and apprehensions that militants might attempt to infiltrate into J&K as snow in upper reaches has started to melt. The BAT attack took place a day after Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited his troops along the LoC in Hajipir sector of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK). It was the second incident of mutilation of bodies of security personnel by BAT members in six months. SRINAGAR: The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Army said that Mondays surprise attack by Pakistan armys Border Action Team (BAT) on patrol troops at Krishna Ghati (KG) sector in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir was a pre-planned attack. The Army has vowed to avenge the attack by Pakistani troops at an appropriate time. The Pakistani troops fired indiscriminately on two forward posts manned by BSF and army at KG sector in Poonch district Monday morning. They also laid two ambushes, Western Command BSF ADG Kamal Nayan Choubey told reporters in Jammu, winter capital of the State. There were inputs that Pakistani troops had laid landmines in our territory. When the joint patrol of army and BSF went to assess the situation, the BAT team, which had already sneaked into some 200 meters inside our territory and had laid an ambush, attacked them with sharp edged weapons and small arms, sources in the Army said. The BSF DIG said that militant launch pads were active on other side of LoC and IB. Sources said that the vigil along the LoC and IB has been further intensified after the BAT attack and apprehensions that militants might attempt to infiltrate into J&K as snow in upper reaches has started to melt. The BAT attack took place a day after Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited his troops along the LoC in Hajipir sector of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK). It was the second incident of mutilation of bodies of security personnel by BAT members in six months. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: Controversial MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav raised many eyebrows on Wednesday by appealing to Maoists to target corrupt politicians instead of attacking paramilitary personnel. If the Maoists feel the exploitation of ordinary citizens is rising, they should target the corrupt politicians behind such exploitation, said Yadav to journalists after paying a visit to the family of slain CRPF jawan Naresh Yadav in Darbhanga. Naresh Yadav was among the 25 CRPF personnel who were killed in a Maoist attack at Chhattisgarhs Sukma on April 24. I appeal to them (Maoists) that they should not attack and kill paramilitary personnel. They should instead hit the spot where the problem lies, added Yadav, who is an MP from Madhepura in Bihar. It is true that social inequality is on the rise and the needy are not getting justice, he added. The MP, who had won the 2015 Lok Sabha polls on an RJD ticket but was expelled in May 2015, gave Rs 50,000 to the widow of Naresh Yadav and said he would bear the entire wedding expenses of his daughter. After his release from Patnas Beur Central Jail on April 22, he has been visiting the families of the seven CRPF personnel from Bihar who were killed in the Sukma attack. Pappu Yadav spent three weeks in jail after being arrested following a violent protest by supporters of his party, Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), in Patna. The MPs appeal to the Maoists drew flak from politicians cutting across parties. Bihar education minister and state Congress president Ashok Chaudhary described Yadavs comments as highly irresponsible. Senior BJP leader Prem Kumar said: A responsible politician must weigh his words before speaking. Such statements are dangerous for democracy. He is a criminal-turned-politician, and nobody takes him seriously. His remarks reflect his lack of maturity, said JD (U) state spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar. Pappu Yadav, who is also the husband of Congress MP Ranjeeta Ranjan of Bihars Supaul Lok Sabha constituency, is known for controversial statements. In December 2016, he said at a public meeting that he had never sung the national anthem and would never do so because it was written in praise of a British king visiting colonised India. PATNA: Controversial MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav raised many eyebrows on Wednesday by appealing to Maoists to target corrupt politicians instead of attacking paramilitary personnel. If the Maoists feel the exploitation of ordinary citizens is rising, they should target the corrupt politicians behind such exploitation, said Yadav to journalists after paying a visit to the family of slain CRPF jawan Naresh Yadav in Darbhanga. Naresh Yadav was among the 25 CRPF personnel who were killed in a Maoist attack at Chhattisgarhs Sukma on April 24. I appeal to them (Maoists) that they should not attack and kill paramilitary personnel. They should instead hit the spot where the problem lies, added Yadav, who is an MP from Madhepura in Bihar. It is true that social inequality is on the rise and the needy are not getting justice, he added. The MP, who had won the 2015 Lok Sabha polls on an RJD ticket but was expelled in May 2015, gave Rs 50,000 to the widow of Naresh Yadav and said he would bear the entire wedding expenses of his daughter. After his release from Patnas Beur Central Jail on April 22, he has been visiting the families of the seven CRPF personnel from Bihar who were killed in the Sukma attack. Pappu Yadav spent three weeks in jail after being arrested following a violent protest by supporters of his party, Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), in Patna. The MPs appeal to the Maoists drew flak from politicians cutting across parties. Bihar education minister and state Congress president Ashok Chaudhary described Yadavs comments as highly irresponsible. Senior BJP leader Prem Kumar said: A responsible politician must weigh his words before speaking. Such statements are dangerous for democracy. He is a criminal-turned-politician, and nobody takes him seriously. His remarks reflect his lack of maturity, said JD (U) state spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar. Pappu Yadav, who is also the husband of Congress MP Ranjeeta Ranjan of Bihars Supaul Lok Sabha constituency, is known for controversial statements. In December 2016, he said at a public meeting that he had never sung the national anthem and would never do so because it was written in praise of a British king visiting colonised India. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: Two cleanliness staffers of Patna Municipal Corporation were suffocated to death while cleaning a clogged sewage line through a manhole on Wednesday. The lives of two others were saved by the daring efforts of a fireman. Dipu Chaudhary and Jitendra Paswan, both in their mid-thirties, lost their lives minutes after they went down a manhole near Income Tax Square in Patna. When they did not come out half an hour after going inside the 15-feet-deep manhole, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials and the local police started efforts to bring the out. Two other cleanliness staffers of PMC, who went into the manhole to save them, fell unconscious as they were affected by the poisonous gas in the sewer. The fire service was called in and Pawan Kumar, a fireman, went into the manhole and brought out the two unconscious men and the two others who had died. Kumar became unconscious immediately after coming out. He and the two other PMC cleanliness workers were rushed to New Gardiner Hospital, where their condition is said to be stable now. The firemans service has earned praise from many quarters. He went into the manhole even when he failed to carry an oxygen cylinder with him. His service will be recommended for an award, said PN Rai, the director general of Bihar Fire Services. PMC commissioner Abhishek Singh announced Rs 1 lakh ex gratia for each of the two dead workers. The cost of treatment of the two PMC workers would be borne by PMC, he said. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident. It will find out why the lives of the two cleanliness workers could not be saved, said Singh. PATNA: Two cleanliness staffers of Patna Municipal Corporation were suffocated to death while cleaning a clogged sewage line through a manhole on Wednesday. The lives of two others were saved by the daring efforts of a fireman. Dipu Chaudhary and Jitendra Paswan, both in their mid-thirties, lost their lives minutes after they went down a manhole near Income Tax Square in Patna. When they did not come out half an hour after going inside the 15-feet-deep manhole, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials and the local police started efforts to bring the out. Two other cleanliness staffers of PMC, who went into the manhole to save them, fell unconscious as they were affected by the poisonous gas in the sewer. The fire service was called in and Pawan Kumar, a fireman, went into the manhole and brought out the two unconscious men and the two others who had died. Kumar became unconscious immediately after coming out. He and the two other PMC cleanliness workers were rushed to New Gardiner Hospital, where their condition is said to be stable now. The firemans service has earned praise from many quarters. He went into the manhole even when he failed to carry an oxygen cylinder with him. His service will be recommended for an award, said PN Rai, the director general of Bihar Fire Services. PMC commissioner Abhishek Singh announced Rs 1 lakh ex gratia for each of the two dead workers. The cost of treatment of the two PMC workers would be borne by PMC, he said. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident. It will find out why the lives of the two cleanliness workers could not be saved, said Singh. By PTI LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh ATS today claimed to have smashed an espionage racket in the state by arresting a suspected ISI agent from Faizabad and picking up another for questioning. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. In a joint operation conducted by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, 120 km from here, this evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, the spokesman said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and being questioned. Arun said more arrests were likely. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information several army cantonment area and defence establishment in the state. "He was in constant touch with Pakistan High Commission," state ATS said in a statement. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. "The group, allegedly trained by Pakistan's ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra," UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places - including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura - and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh ATS today claimed to have smashed an espionage racket in the state by arresting a suspected ISI agent from Faizabad and picking up another for questioning. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. In a joint operation conducted by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, 120 km from here, this evening, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, the spokesman said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and being questioned. Arun said more arrests were likely. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information several army cantonment area and defence establishment in the state. "He was in constant touch with Pakistan High Commission," state ATS said in a statement. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. "The group, allegedly trained by Pakistan's ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra," UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places - including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura - and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad(ATS), in a joint operation with Military Intelligence, has unearthed an espionage ring by arresting a suspected ISI agent along with one of his accomplices in Faizabad, 128 km from state capital Lucknow, on Wednesday. According to police sources, suspected ISI agent Aftab Ali, a native of Faizabad had been in constant touch with his masters in Pakistan. Ali had reportedly visited the neighbouring country five months ago and was sent back to India with the responsibility of providing vital information on important military and civil installations in UP. Interrogation revealed Aftab had received training by ISI handlers in Pakistan. Initially the suspected ISI agent was denied visa but later some Pakistani agencies pitched in and got it cleared for Aftab Ali, said IG ATS, Asim Arun. He added Aftab was believed to have received training in Karachi and had returned to India with the mandate of supplying information about Indian installations. As per sources, Aftab was also in touch with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, handing them vital details of army installations in UP. Cops have recovered maps of Faizabad cantonment and other important defence establishments along with certain incriminating documents from his possession. The ATS also detained another person, suspected to be an accomplice of Aftab, for questioning. "The interrogation of both Aftab and his aide is on. We are trying to establish the chain of money and its source involved in the racket," said IG Arun. He added that a few more arrests were expected in the coming days on the basis of leads provided by Aftab. The suspected fugitive is believed to have a criminal background and a number of criminal cases are lodged against him in Faizabad. During the last few months, UP had been on a terror alert as the State ATS and intelligence agencies received inputs on possible terror strikes at various religious and other places including Taj Mahal, Ayodhya, Kashi, Vrindavan and Mathura. Last month, UP ATS, in a joint and well-coordinated operation with the police force of Maharashtra, Bihar and Punjab, had arrested a group of four self-radicalised youthone each from UP's Bijnor, Mumbai, Bihars Narkatiyaganj and Punjabs Jalandharwho were radicalising youths. LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad(ATS), in a joint operation with Military Intelligence, has unearthed an espionage ring by arresting a suspected ISI agent along with one of his accomplices in Faizabad, 128 km from state capital Lucknow, on Wednesday. According to police sources, suspected ISI agent Aftab Ali, a native of Faizabad had been in constant touch with his masters in Pakistan. Ali had reportedly visited the neighbouring country five months ago and was sent back to India with the responsibility of providing vital information on important military and civil installations in UP. Interrogation revealed Aftab had received training by ISI handlers in Pakistan. Initially the suspected ISI agent was denied visa but later some Pakistani agencies pitched in and got it cleared for Aftab Ali, said IG ATS, Asim Arun. He added Aftab was believed to have received training in Karachi and had returned to India with the mandate of supplying information about Indian installations. As per sources, Aftab was also in touch with the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, handing them vital details of army installations in UP. Cops have recovered maps of Faizabad cantonment and other important defence establishments along with certain incriminating documents from his possession. The ATS also detained another person, suspected to be an accomplice of Aftab, for questioning. "The interrogation of both Aftab and his aide is on. We are trying to establish the chain of money and its source involved in the racket," said IG Arun. He added that a few more arrests were expected in the coming days on the basis of leads provided by Aftab. The suspected fugitive is believed to have a criminal background and a number of criminal cases are lodged against him in Faizabad. During the last few months, UP had been on a terror alert as the State ATS and intelligence agencies received inputs on possible terror strikes at various religious and other places including Taj Mahal, Ayodhya, Kashi, Vrindavan and Mathura. Last month, UP ATS, in a joint and well-coordinated operation with the police force of Maharashtra, Bihar and Punjab, had arrested a group of four self-radicalised youthone each from UP's Bijnor, Mumbai, Bihars Narkatiyaganj and Punjabs Jalandharwho were radicalising youths. By IANS NEW DELHI: As many as 54 attacks on journalists were reported in 16 months, mainly by "lawmakers and law enforcers", a report compiled by media watchdog Hoot said ahead of the World Press Freedom Day. The report said the actual figure could be much higher as a minister told Parliament that "142 attacks on journalists took place between 2014-15". "The stories behind each of these attacks reveal a clear and persistent pattern. Investigative reporting is becoming increasingly dangerous. "Journalists who venture out into the field to investigate any story, be it sand mining, stone quarrying, illegal construction, police brutality, medical negligence, eviction drive, election campaigns, or civic administration corruption are under attack," it said. The attacks were committed by political parties and their leaders (8), police (9), and mobs resisting media coverage (9). Apart from attacks, the report took into account invocation of sedition law, suspension of Internet services in a region, self-censorship on part of media companies, censoring of films and other arts, among other instances which may frustrate free functioning of the media. The shutdown of the printing presses of two Kashmir newspapers after the killing of militant Burhan Wani, and the ban on Kashmir Reader for three months during the same period, were cited in the report as instances of media censorship. Other such instances included a one-day ban on NDTV news channel for its coverage of the Pathankot attack last January, which "... supposed to have revealed strategic information about the operation". The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, however, put the ban on hold after the channel approached the Supreme Court. The sedition law was also used unsparingly and "went viral", as the report said. "A large number of cases were filed -- 18 between January and June last year. By the end of the year, the figure was 40," it said. The media watchdog cited examples of killings of Right to Information (RTI) activists, and appointment of 'bureaucrats' as Chief Information Commissioners instead of "persons of eminence in public life", as the concerned Act says. "Currently, 91.6 per cent of Chief Information Commissioners in states are retired bureaucrats, as are 93 per cent of Central Information Commissioners," the report said. Jammu and Kashmir suffered the longest and bans on Internet services the most -- 13 times in 16 months, with Haryana coming second with Internet suspension nine times in as many months. NEW DELHI: As many as 54 attacks on journalists were reported in 16 months, mainly by "lawmakers and law enforcers", a report compiled by media watchdog Hoot said ahead of the World Press Freedom Day. The report said the actual figure could be much higher as a minister told Parliament that "142 attacks on journalists took place between 2014-15". "The stories behind each of these attacks reveal a clear and persistent pattern. Investigative reporting is becoming increasingly dangerous. "Journalists who venture out into the field to investigate any story, be it sand mining, stone quarrying, illegal construction, police brutality, medical negligence, eviction drive, election campaigns, or civic administration corruption are under attack," it said. The attacks were committed by political parties and their leaders (8), police (9), and mobs resisting media coverage (9). Apart from attacks, the report took into account invocation of sedition law, suspension of Internet services in a region, self-censorship on part of media companies, censoring of films and other arts, among other instances which may frustrate free functioning of the media. The shutdown of the printing presses of two Kashmir newspapers after the killing of militant Burhan Wani, and the ban on Kashmir Reader for three months during the same period, were cited in the report as instances of media censorship. Other such instances included a one-day ban on NDTV news channel for its coverage of the Pathankot attack last January, which "... supposed to have revealed strategic information about the operation". The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, however, put the ban on hold after the channel approached the Supreme Court. The sedition law was also used unsparingly and "went viral", as the report said. "A large number of cases were filed -- 18 between January and June last year. By the end of the year, the figure was 40," it said. The media watchdog cited examples of killings of Right to Information (RTI) activists, and appointment of 'bureaucrats' as Chief Information Commissioners instead of "persons of eminence in public life", as the concerned Act says. "Currently, 91.6 per cent of Chief Information Commissioners in states are retired bureaucrats, as are 93 per cent of Central Information Commissioners," the report said. Jammu and Kashmir suffered the longest and bans on Internet services the most -- 13 times in 16 months, with Haryana coming second with Internet suspension nine times in as many months. Ajay Kanth By Express News Service KOZHIKODE: Amid growing concerns over the safety of women and children, the latest Ministry of Home Affairs data reveal human trafficking rackets are more active than ever in Kerala. The number of women trafficked from the state registered a 12-fold increase, with the figure reading 176 for 2016. It was 14 in 2015 and five in 2014. The gravity of the situation came to light when the Kerala Police recently conducted an operation in Oman rescuing 14 out of 67 girls trafficked to the West Asian country by a sex racket. saai The number of children traded in 2016 increased to 83, up from 66 in 2015 and one in 2014. The police and civil society groups are doing their best in fighting human trafficking rackets operating in the state, Inspector General (Crimes) S Sreejith, who also heads the Anti-Human Trafficking Squad in Kerala, told Express. Whether it is rape, sexual assault or cheating, we have started invoking IPC Section 370 too in cases where we find a human trafficking angle. This has led to a rise in the number of cases under the human trafficking category, he said. Sreejith said many human trafficking incidents still go unreported as several victims refrain from lodging a complaint fearing ostracisation and decide to sacrifice their lives for the welfare of their dear ones back home. According to the police, many rackets were still pushing girls to the Gulf countries promising jobs. As per a submission made in the Parliament by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the government has signed Memorandums of Understanding with the United Arab Emirates on prevention of human trafficking. Earlier, the police in north Kerala had launched a special operation after a surge in woman missing cases. Thirty six women were reported missing from various parts of the northern districts last year. IPC Section 370: Whoever, for the purpose of exploitation, (a) recruits, (b) transports, (c) harbours, (d) transfers, or (e) receives, a person or persons, by - using threats, or using force, or any other form of coercion, or by abduction, or by practising fraud, or deception, or by abuse of power, or by inducement, including the giving or receiving of payments or benefits, in order to achieve the consent of any person having control over the person recruited, transported, harboured, transferred or received, commits the offence of trafficking. KOZHIKODE: Amid growing concerns over the safety of women and children, the latest Ministry of Home Affairs data reveal human trafficking rackets are more active than ever in Kerala. The number of women trafficked from the state registered a 12-fold increase, with the figure reading 176 for 2016. It was 14 in 2015 and five in 2014. The gravity of the situation came to light when the Kerala Police recently conducted an operation in Oman rescuing 14 out of 67 girls trafficked to the West Asian country by a sex racket. saaiThe number of children traded in 2016 increased to 83, up from 66 in 2015 and one in 2014. The police and civil society groups are doing their best in fighting human trafficking rackets operating in the state, Inspector General (Crimes) S Sreejith, who also heads the Anti-Human Trafficking Squad in Kerala, told Express. Whether it is rape, sexual assault or cheating, we have started invoking IPC Section 370 too in cases where we find a human trafficking angle. This has led to a rise in the number of cases under the human trafficking category, he said. Sreejith said many human trafficking incidents still go unreported as several victims refrain from lodging a complaint fearing ostracisation and decide to sacrifice their lives for the welfare of their dear ones back home. According to the police, many rackets were still pushing girls to the Gulf countries promising jobs. As per a submission made in the Parliament by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the government has signed Memorandums of Understanding with the United Arab Emirates on prevention of human trafficking. Earlier, the police in north Kerala had launched a special operation after a surge in woman missing cases. Thirty six women were reported missing from various parts of the northern districts last year. IPC Section 370: Whoever, for the purpose of exploitation, (a) recruits, (b) transports, (c) harbours, (d) transfers, or (e) receives, a person or persons, by - using threats, or using force, or any other form of coercion, or by abduction, or by practising fraud, or deception, or by abuse of power, or by inducement, including the giving or receiving of payments or benefits, in order to achieve the consent of any person having control over the person recruited, transported, harboured, transferred or received, commits the offence of trafficking. By Express News Service PATHANAMTHITTA : Refuting allegations of joining hands with the CPM to wrest power in Kottayam district panchayat, Kerala Congress (M) chairman K M Mani said the decision to seek the support of the CPM was taken at the local level without the knowledge of the party leadership. Talking to mediapersons at Tiruvalla on Wednesday, K M Mani said the party chairman and vice-chairman were not involved in the decision-making process. However, the decision will have the full backing of the party, Mani said. The DCC leadership had back-stabbed and humiliated the party. The Kerala Congress party had not held any political parleys so far, he said. But the party leadership was hurt by the negative attitude of its long-time partner in the UDF, Mani said. CPI downplays Kottayam tie-up TPuram: Amidst reports the CPI was wary over the CPMs new found bonhomie for K M Mani, party state secretary Kanam Rajendran chose to downplay the development. He claimed the development was not of serious nature necessitating a discussion at the state level. It is a local issue and our district secretary has already responded to it. As of now, there is no scope for a discussion at the state forum, he told Express. On whether this could be seen as the first step towards opening the doors of the LDF for the Kerala Congress, he said: Entry to the LDF cannot be decided by an individual or a party. It requires deliberations at different levels. There is not even a proposal in this regard, he said. However, sources said the studied silence of the leaders does not mean the party views it as a local issue. Informal discussions are on and the issue will be raised in the party forums and the LDF, a senior leader said. It was our El Classico: KC(M) Kottayam: Elated over its win in the election for the Kottayam district panchayat president post, the KC(M) in a statement said it was a strong message to those who considered it a weak party. It also said the party was following the decision taken at Charalkunnu last year, referring to the KC(M)s separation from the UDF. It is a slap on the face of those who ill-treated and humiliated the party. We implemented what the Congress did in Moonnilav. With their unity, KC(M) members in the district panchayat made us proud. It was our El Classico. Our decision to stand alone helped us in winning at Moonnilav and Mutholy, said the statement. At Moonnilav, a panchayat in Kottayam, Congress had withdrawn its support to the KC(M). In the byelection, the latter emerged victorious in a ward by defeating the Congress and the LDF. It also won a ward in Mutholy, another Kottayam panchayat, after parting ways with the Congress. Support to KC(M) a warning to CPI: Kummanam TPuram: BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said on Wednesday the CPM support to Kerala Congress(M) in the district panchayat election in Kottayam was a warning to the CPI. By supporting K M Mani, CPM was conveying if the CPI did not toe the line, its place would be out of the LDF fold. PATHANAMTHITTA : Refuting allegations of joining hands with the CPM to wrest power in Kottayam district panchayat, Kerala Congress (M) chairman K M Mani said the decision to seek the support of the CPM was taken at the local level without the knowledge of the party leadership. Talking to mediapersons at Tiruvalla on Wednesday, K M Mani said the party chairman and vice-chairman were not involved in the decision-making process. However, the decision will have the full backing of the party, Mani said. The DCC leadership had back-stabbed and humiliated the party. The Kerala Congress party had not held any political parleys so far, he said. But the party leadership was hurt by the negative attitude of its long-time partner in the UDF, Mani said. CPI downplays Kottayam tie-up TPuram: Amidst reports the CPI was wary over the CPMs new found bonhomie for K M Mani, party state secretary Kanam Rajendran chose to downplay the development. He claimed the development was not of serious nature necessitating a discussion at the state level. It is a local issue and our district secretary has already responded to it. As of now, there is no scope for a discussion at the state forum, he told Express. On whether this could be seen as the first step towards opening the doors of the LDF for the Kerala Congress, he said: Entry to the LDF cannot be decided by an individual or a party. It requires deliberations at different levels. There is not even a proposal in this regard, he said. However, sources said the studied silence of the leaders does not mean the party views it as a local issue. Informal discussions are on and the issue will be raised in the party forums and the LDF, a senior leader said. It was our El Classico: KC(M) Kottayam: Elated over its win in the election for the Kottayam district panchayat president post, the KC(M) in a statement said it was a strong message to those who considered it a weak party. It also said the party was following the decision taken at Charalkunnu last year, referring to the KC(M)s separation from the UDF. It is a slap on the face of those who ill-treated and humiliated the party. We implemented what the Congress did in Moonnilav. With their unity, KC(M) members in the district panchayat made us proud. It was our El Classico. Our decision to stand alone helped us in winning at Moonnilav and Mutholy, said the statement. At Moonnilav, a panchayat in Kottayam, Congress had withdrawn its support to the KC(M). In the byelection, the latter emerged victorious in a ward by defeating the Congress and the LDF. It also won a ward in Mutholy, another Kottayam panchayat, after parting ways with the Congress. Support to KC(M) a warning to CPI: Kummanam TPuram: BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said on Wednesday the CPM support to Kerala Congress(M) in the district panchayat election in Kottayam was a warning to the CPI. By supporting K M Mani, CPM was conveying if the CPI did not toe the line, its place would be out of the LDF fold. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday presented Avvaiyar award for 2017 to Padma Venkataraman, chairperson, Womens Indian Association (WIA) and daughter of former President R Venkataraman. The award which has been instituted to encourage women excel in social reforms, womens development, communal harmony, arts, science, culture, journalism and administration, carries `1 lakh, a gold medal and a citation. She was chosen for the award in appreciation of her services to rehabilitation of the leprosy-affected for over 30 years. Thanking the Chief Minister, Padma Venkatraman recalled the services of WIA to the leprosy-affected and its work with the State government covering all 10 government-run homes, colonies and the community-based people. She said the award would strengthen WIAs resolve to service society further. She lived for many years in Vienna, Austria, where she was, among other positions she held, a permanent representative of All India Womens Conference to the UN, member of several non-profit panels accredited to the UN, such as Committee on Narcotics and Committee on Disabled. She was also vice-president of a non-profit organisation, Committee on Women and president, United Nations Womens Guild. CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday presented Avvaiyar award for 2017 to Padma Venkataraman, chairperson, Womens Indian Association (WIA) and daughter of former President R Venkataraman.The award which has been instituted to encourage women excel in social reforms, womens development, communal harmony, arts, science, culture, journalism and administration, carries `1 lakh, a gold medal and a citation. She was chosen for the award in appreciation of her services to rehabilitation of the leprosy-affected for over 30 years. Thanking the Chief Minister, Padma Venkatraman recalled the services of WIA to the leprosy-affected and its work with the State government covering all 10 government-run homes, colonies and the community-based people. She said the award would strengthen WIAs resolve to service society further. She lived for many years in Vienna, Austria, where she was, among other positions she held, a permanent representative of All India Womens Conference to the UN, member of several non-profit panels accredited to the UN, such as Committee on Narcotics and Committee on Disabled. She was also vice-president of a non-profit organisation, Committee on Women and president, United Nations Womens Guild. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has reportedly not increased the procurement rate of milk from cooperative unions since November 2014. While Aavin procures from these unions at Rs 26-28 per litre, registered private dairies and individual dairy workers purchase at a much lesser rate. The demand to increase the procurement rate by Rs 5-10 per litre and daily intake has been there for quite sometime. However, the government hasnt heeded this. Consequently, milk producers have started selling their cows in the markets. A milch cow which yields 15-20 litres of milk a day is being sold to buyers from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for two-third of the original price (Rs 40,000), said K A Sengottuvel, president of milk producers welfare association. He added that there was so much potential for Aavin to expand its market. According to dairy development board data, out of 1.88 crore litres of milk produced across Tamil Nadu, Aavin procures only 25 lakh litres per day i.e., nearly 13 pc. Responding to this Aavin MD Kamaraj said, Efforts are being made to improve the infrastructure so that 37 lakh litres will be procured from milk procedures by the year end. He also said that Aavin has stepped up supply of milk-based products. Rajendran from milk producers association wanted the govt to resolve issues at the earliest failing which the price of fat and skimmed milk powder would increase, forcing TN to buy them from neighbouring states at a higher price. Sources in the animal husbandry department said by increasing the procurement price they would be in a position to increase the selling price. At present, Aavin is sold at a cheaper rate in the market (Rs 36 per litre) compared to private dairies (Rs 42-44). CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has reportedly not increased the procurement rate of milk from cooperative unions since November 2014. While Aavin procures from these unions at Rs 26-28 per litre, registered private dairies and individual dairy workers purchase at a much lesser rate. The demand to increase the procurement rate by Rs 5-10 per litre and daily intake has been there for quite sometime. However, the government hasnt heeded this. Consequently, milk producers have started selling their cows in the markets. A milch cow which yields 15-20 litres of milk a day is being sold to buyers from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for two-third of the original price (Rs 40,000), said K A Sengottuvel, president of milk producers welfare association. He added that there was so much potential for Aavin to expand its market. According to dairy development board data, out of 1.88 crore litres of milk produced across Tamil Nadu, Aavin procures only 25 lakh litres per day i.e., nearly 13 pc. Responding to this Aavin MD Kamaraj said, Efforts are being made to improve the infrastructure so that 37 lakh litres will be procured from milk procedures by the year end. He also said that Aavin has stepped up supply of milk-based products. Rajendran from milk producers association wanted the govt to resolve issues at the earliest failing which the price of fat and skimmed milk powder would increase, forcing TN to buy them from neighbouring states at a higher price. Sources in the animal husbandry department said by increasing the procurement price they would be in a position to increase the selling price. At present, Aavin is sold at a cheaper rate in the market (Rs 36 per litre) compared to private dairies (Rs 42-44). Ram M Sundaram By Express News Service CHENNAI: Drought, or the lack of rainfall for long periods of time, leads to water scarcity, and that's something even children learn in school. But here's a situation where it has even led to shortage in milk supply. According to government data, in Octpber 2016, Tamil Nadu's milk cooperative, Aavin, procured nearly 31 lakh litres of milk from the 17 registered co-operative unions across the state. The figure hovered around 29-30 lakh litres in February before dipping from mid-March. At present, daily procurement has come down to approximately 25 lakh litres a day. Of this, Chennai requires at least 11 lakh litres and other districts require 10 lakh litres. Scarcity of dry fodder and drinking water have become a bane that has led to a decline in the overall procurement of milk for Aavin. Sorghum cultivation was not taken up this year due to the drought and with paddy cultivation dwindling in the Cauvery delta, the demand for hay has exceeded availability, M G Rajendran, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association told Express. On an average, a milch cow requires five kg of dry fodder a day. The State governments attempt to provide fodder at subsidised rate (Rs 2 a kg) failed to meet the demand entirely. Only 10% of milk producers benefited from this, said Velusamy, a farmer from Coimbatore, whose number was 1,117 on the waiting list for the subsided fodder on Tuesday. If not dry fodder, government must come forward to produce concentrated cattle feed at half the market price, Rajendran added. Adding to this, water shortage has left the milk producers helpless. A milch cow producing 15-20 litres of milk per day requires 60-100 litres of water and with most wells dry, farmers were forced to spend Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 to buy water from private tankers. Cows are generally less-productive in the heat of the summer which sets back daily secretion of milk by 10 % to 15%,said a Tamil Nadu Veterinary University professor. Aavins managing director C Kamaraj said there was a slight hit in procurement and efforts had been made to offset it, following which there has been a positive trend this week. CHENNAI: Drought, or the lack of rainfall for long periods of time, leads to water scarcity, and that's something even children learn in school. But here's a situation where it has even led to shortage in milk supply. According to government data, in Octpber 2016, Tamil Nadu's milk cooperative, Aavin, procured nearly 31 lakh litres of milk from the 17 registered co-operative unions across the state. The figure hovered around 29-30 lakh litres in February before dipping from mid-March. At present, daily procurement has come down to approximately 25 lakh litres a day. Of this, Chennai requires at least 11 lakh litres and other districts require 10 lakh litres. Scarcity of dry fodder and drinking water have become a bane that has led to a decline in the overall procurement of milk for Aavin. Sorghum cultivation was not taken up this year due to the drought and with paddy cultivation dwindling in the Cauvery delta, the demand for hay has exceeded availability, M G Rajendran, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association told Express. On an average, a milch cow requires five kg of dry fodder a day. The State governments attempt to provide fodder at subsidised rate (Rs 2 a kg) failed to meet the demand entirely. Only 10% of milk producers benefited from this, said Velusamy, a farmer from Coimbatore, whose number was 1,117 on the waiting list for the subsided fodder on Tuesday. If not dry fodder, government must come forward to produce concentrated cattle feed at half the market price, Rajendran added. Adding to this, water shortage has left the milk producers helpless. A milch cow producing 15-20 litres of milk per day requires 60-100 litres of water and with most wells dry, farmers were forced to spend Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 to buy water from private tankers. Cows are generally less-productive in the heat of the summer which sets back daily secretion of milk by 10 % to 15%,said a Tamil Nadu Veterinary University professor. Aavins managing director C Kamaraj said there was a slight hit in procurement and efforts had been made to offset it, following which there has been a positive trend this week. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Taking a cue from promotion of Rajinikanth-starrer Kabali, the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) also launched an innovative promotional campaign here on Tuesday. It unveiled a Spice Jet Boeing 737-800 wrapped in stickers of popular tourist destinations of the state. The first flight took off for Varanasi from RGI airport here at 4:45 pm on Tuesday. The promotional campaign will be for two months with the aircraft making six to 10 trips a day covering all major cities. Experts from the US flew down to design the stickers which were fixed on the aircraft which costed the department `25 lakh. The idea is to boost Telanganas economy through tourism, B Venkatesham, tourism secretary, who mooted the idea said. Tourism minister Azmeera Chandulal unveiled the aircraft with the wrap, which has Qutb Shahi tombs and Golconda on one side and Chowmahalla and Falaknuma palaces on the other, along with a giant Telangana Tourism logo. TSTDC chairman Peravaram Ramulu, tourism secretary B Venkatesham, managing director, Christina Z Chongthu and commissioner Sunitha Bhagvath and others were present. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said Telangana state with a lot of potential for tourists for its unexplored picturesque destinations, the idea is to take it worldwide. We have taken a number of revolutionary steps and this is another example that we are treading on a new path. Telangana tourism will be flying high at 36,000 feet above sea level and we expect that it brings in potential tourists to the state, Ramulu said. HYDERABAD: Taking a cue from promotion of Rajinikanth-starrer Kabali, the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) also launched an innovative promotional campaign here on Tuesday. It unveiled a Spice Jet Boeing 737-800 wrapped in stickers of popular tourist destinations of the state. The first flight took off for Varanasi from RGI airport here at 4:45 pm on Tuesday. The promotional campaign will be for two months with the aircraft making six to 10 trips a day covering all major cities. Experts from the US flew down to design the stickers which were fixed on the aircraft which costed the department `25 lakh. The idea is to boost Telanganas economy through tourism, B Venkatesham, tourism secretary, who mooted the idea said. Tourism minister Azmeera Chandulal unveiled the aircraft with the wrap, which has Qutb Shahi tombs and Golconda on one side and Chowmahalla and Falaknuma palaces on the other, along with a giant Telangana Tourism logo. TSTDC chairman Peravaram Ramulu, tourism secretary B Venkatesham, managing director, Christina Z Chongthu and commissioner Sunitha Bhagvath and others were present. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said Telangana state with a lot of potential for tourists for its unexplored picturesque destinations, the idea is to take it worldwide. We have taken a number of revolutionary steps and this is another example that we are treading on a new path. Telangana tourism will be flying high at 36,000 feet above sea level and we expect that it brings in potential tourists to the state, Ramulu said. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: In a move to tackle the overload of government hospitals in the city with patients, cited as one of the reasons for the repeated medical fiascos, health minister C Laxma Reddy has announced that no patient from districts will be referred from government-run-area hospital or primary health centre (PHC)to district hospital or teaching hospital without mentioning in detail the ailment or health issue that patient is suffering from. Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, the minister said it was due to lack of patience or willingness to take up the responsibility of a patient that cases were being referred to district hospitals and teaching hospitals in Hyderabad. The decision was taken after doctors and officials pointed out that most of the high-risk cases, especially pregnancy cases, were directed to district hospitals and major hospitals in the city, which increases patient load. Recently, the issue was raised at a meeting held to discuss maternal mortalities in the state. We are establishing a system where in any case, not restricted to gynaecology, if referred, reason should be mentioned, said Laxma Reddy, adding that facilities such as medical infrastructure at all hospitals were being improved to meet the needs. The states health department has been facing heat after seven maternal mortalities were reported in span of six days between April 20 and 26. The health minister said that they were adopting all means to bring down the maternal mortality rate. As the two-hour period immediately after a ceasarean surgery is important and good care is required, we are improving post-operative care. Maternal ICU started functioning at Niloufer Hospital. An ICU at the Maternity Hospital in Petlaburj too will start functioning soon, Reddy said. To help pregnant women from a poor economic background and to encourage deliveries at government hospitals, the government will transfer ` 12,000 ( in three instalments) to the women. An additional amount of ` 1,000 will be given if the newborn is a girl. The amount will be transferred directly to the bank account of the woman concerned to eliminate middlemen. To ensure that newborns grow in a clean environment, KCR kits consisting of diapers, mosquito nets, baby soaps and other things will be distributed, he said. Stillborn baby kept in box at Niloufer Hospital A still born baby was allegedly kept in a cardboard box by staff of Niloufer Hospital before being handed over to family members. Anusha gave birth to a still born baby on Tuesday at the hospital. We brought Anusha to the hospital in the morning. After birth of stillborn baby, a nurse kept the baby in a cardboard box and handed over to us, alleged Sunitha, Anushas mother. Substandard drugs not used, insists Laxma Responding to a query on five post-delivery deaths at Niloufer Hospital three months ago, the health minister said he had not received any report suggesting that sub-standard medicines had been used in those cases. All patients who died were high-risk cases, he claimed. Improvement of facilities 60,000 new bedsheets in pink and white colours will be distributed to all government hospitals soon. The different colours to ensure regular change of the sheets. Bedsheets of one colour will be used on one day and those of the other colour on the following day. 26 gynaecology units will be added to important hospitals. One unit consists of an associate professor and two assistant professors. Six of these units will be at the Government Maternity Hospital, Sultan Bazaar HYDERABAD: In a move to tackle the overload of government hospitals in the city with patients, cited as one of the reasons for the repeated medical fiascos, health minister C Laxma Reddy has announced that no patient from districts will be referred from government-run-area hospital or primary health centre (PHC)to district hospital or teaching hospital without mentioning in detail the ailment or health issue that patient is suffering from. Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, the minister said it was due to lack of patience or willingness to take up the responsibility of a patient that cases were being referred to district hospitals and teaching hospitals in Hyderabad. The decision was taken after doctors and officials pointed out that most of the high-risk cases, especially pregnancy cases, were directed to district hospitals and major hospitals in the city, which increases patient load. Recently, the issue was raised at a meeting held to discuss maternal mortalities in the state. We are establishing a system where in any case, not restricted to gynaecology, if referred, reason should be mentioned, said Laxma Reddy, adding that facilities such as medical infrastructure at all hospitals were being improved to meet the needs. The states health department has been facing heat after seven maternal mortalities were reported in span of six days between April 20 and 26. The health minister said that they were adopting all means to bring down the maternal mortality rate. As the two-hour period immediately after a ceasarean surgery is important and good care is required, we are improving post-operative care. Maternal ICU started functioning at Niloufer Hospital. An ICU at the Maternity Hospital in Petlaburj too will start functioning soon, Reddy said. To help pregnant women from a poor economic background and to encourage deliveries at government hospitals, the government will transfer ` 12,000 ( in three instalments) to the women. An additional amount of ` 1,000 will be given if the newborn is a girl. The amount will be transferred directly to the bank account of the woman concerned to eliminate middlemen. To ensure that newborns grow in a clean environment, KCR kits consisting of diapers, mosquito nets, baby soaps and other things will be distributed, he said. Stillborn baby kept in box at Niloufer Hospital A still born baby was allegedly kept in a cardboard box by staff of Niloufer Hospital before being handed over to family members. Anusha gave birth to a still born baby on Tuesday at the hospital. We brought Anusha to the hospital in the morning. After birth of stillborn baby, a nurse kept the baby in a cardboard box and handed over to us, alleged Sunitha, Anushas mother. Substandard drugs not used, insists Laxma Responding to a query on five post-delivery deaths at Niloufer Hospital three months ago, the health minister said he had not received any report suggesting that sub-standard medicines had been used in those cases. All patients who died were high-risk cases, he claimed. Improvement of facilities 60,000 new bedsheets in pink and white colours will be distributed to all government hospitals soon. The different colours to ensure regular change of the sheets. Bedsheets of one colour will be used on one day and those of the other colour on the following day. 26 gynaecology units will be added to important hospitals. One unit consists of an associate professor and two assistant professors. Six of these units will be at the Government Maternity Hospital, Sultan Bazaar By Associated Press VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE: An unarmed missile capable of sending a nuclear bomb across the world was launched Wednesday from California amid rising tensions between the US and North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile blasted off from a silo at 12:02 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and delivered a single re-entry vehicle to a target approximately 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The test, which took 10 months to plan, was the latest designed to check the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the US nuclear force. The US has about 450 such missiles, each capable of traveling about 8,000 miles. It was the second such launch in seven days from the Central California coastal base. Last week's had been delayed from the fall. Both come at a time when the US has expressed concern about North Korea's nuclear capability. Fresh missile tests by the North and its progress toward developing a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States have made the isolated communist dictatorship one of America's top national security concerns. The US has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test However, President Donald Trump on Monday said he might be willing to meet with that country's dictator, Kim Jong Un. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it," Trump told Bloomberg News. VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE: An unarmed missile capable of sending a nuclear bomb across the world was launched Wednesday from California amid rising tensions between the US and North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile blasted off from a silo at 12:02 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and delivered a single re-entry vehicle to a target approximately 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The test, which took 10 months to plan, was the latest designed to check the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the US nuclear force. The US has about 450 such missiles, each capable of traveling about 8,000 miles. It was the second such launch in seven days from the Central California coastal base. Last week's had been delayed from the fall. Both come at a time when the US has expressed concern about North Korea's nuclear capability. Fresh missile tests by the North and its progress toward developing a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States have made the isolated communist dictatorship one of America's top national security concerns. The US has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test However, President Donald Trump on Monday said he might be willing to meet with that country's dictator, Kim Jong Un. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it," Trump told Bloomberg News. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran today agreed to manage their porous border effectively, revive hotline between their border security forces and boost cooperation to overcome "existing challenges" at the regional and the international levels. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan committed themselves to further the bilateral ties during a meeting, which came nearly a week after nine Iranian border guards were killed by militants in a cross-border attack on the frontier with Pakistan. Following the attack, Iran had summoned the Pakistani envoy to protest the attack. The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation, "encompassing all areas of mutual interest and concerns, including effective border management, curb drug-trafficking and check illegal cross-border movement through better coordination, greater intelligence sharing and frequent interactions at political, military, security and at the level of various ministries," said an official statement released after their meeting. They also agreed that their countries had "no other option" but to work hand-in-hand to overcome existing challenges at individual, regional as well as international levels vis-a-vis the issues confronting the Muslim Ummah (community)." Pakistan and Iran decided to set up "operational committees" for identification of areas of cooperation and addressing mutual concerns. "The two sides agreed in principle to revive hotline between the border security forces of the two countries in order to resolve any issues at border," the statement said. Zarif, accompanied by a 12-member delegation, is in Pakistan on a day-long visit to discuss various issues, including security and border management, after the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards on April 26. Khan, however, said the visit of the Iranian delegation would provide momentum to the bilateral ties. "Your visit will send a strong message to those who wanted to undermine Pak- Iran relations and always look for an opportunity to create mistrust between the two friendly countries." Zarif said Pakistan and Iran will have to work together for resolution of problems faced by the Muslim world. He said the two countries needed consensus on matters of international importance. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and Pakistan's National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua. Zarif is also expected to call on President Mamnoon Hussain during the visit. According to Pakistan's Geo TV, the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards will feature in his talks with other Pakistani leaders as well. Other matters, including regional situation, counter-terrorism measures along Pak-Iran border, gas pipeline project and SAARC summit may also be discussed. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran today agreed to manage their porous border effectively, revive hotline between their border security forces and boost cooperation to overcome "existing challenges" at the regional and the international levels. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan committed themselves to further the bilateral ties during a meeting, which came nearly a week after nine Iranian border guards were killed by militants in a cross-border attack on the frontier with Pakistan. Following the attack, Iran had summoned the Pakistani envoy to protest the attack. The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation, "encompassing all areas of mutual interest and concerns, including effective border management, curb drug-trafficking and check illegal cross-border movement through better coordination, greater intelligence sharing and frequent interactions at political, military, security and at the level of various ministries," said an official statement released after their meeting. They also agreed that their countries had "no other option" but to work hand-in-hand to overcome existing challenges at individual, regional as well as international levels vis-a-vis the issues confronting the Muslim Ummah (community)." Pakistan and Iran decided to set up "operational committees" for identification of areas of cooperation and addressing mutual concerns. "The two sides agreed in principle to revive hotline between the border security forces of the two countries in order to resolve any issues at border," the statement said. Zarif, accompanied by a 12-member delegation, is in Pakistan on a day-long visit to discuss various issues, including security and border management, after the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards on April 26. Khan, however, said the visit of the Iranian delegation would provide momentum to the bilateral ties. "Your visit will send a strong message to those who wanted to undermine Pak- Iran relations and always look for an opportunity to create mistrust between the two friendly countries." Zarif said Pakistan and Iran will have to work together for resolution of problems faced by the Muslim world. He said the two countries needed consensus on matters of international importance. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and Pakistan's National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua. Zarif is also expected to call on President Mamnoon Hussain during the visit. According to Pakistan's Geo TV, the terrorist attack on Iranian border guards will feature in his talks with other Pakistani leaders as well. Other matters, including regional situation, counter-terrorism measures along Pak-Iran border, gas pipeline project and SAARC summit may also be discussed. By AFP LONDON: Britain's Brexit minister David Davis warned Wednesday that it would not be bullied in upcoming negotiations with the EU, and rejected a report that its exit bill could reach 100 billion euros. "We are going into this negotiation not as a supplicant, but as a negotiator," Davis said, as EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier prepared to set out his plan for the talks. Davis dismissed a report in the Financial Times suggesting Britain must settle bills of up to 100 billion euros ($109 billion) before leaving. The figure is significantly higher than the 60-billion-euro figure previously mooted, and Davis told ITV television's Good Morning Britain programme: "We will not be paying 100 billion." In another interview with BBC radio, he stressed that "we will obey our international obligations" -- but warned Britain would not pay anything if the negotiations collapsed. "In the walk-away circumstance there is nothing to be paid," Davis said. Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that she would rather Britain exit the EU without any agreement on future ties than accept a "bad deal". A House of Lords report earlier this year suggested this could apply if Britain were forced to pay a significant sum with no trade deal in return. "This morning you see demands for 100 billion in the papers -- it's gone from 50 to 60 to 100 -- it rather actually proves her point," Davis said. "I don't think that's where we'll end up -- in fact I know that's not where we're going to end up. "The simple truth is that this is going to be a tough negotiation." The leaders of the other 27 EU nations on Saturday unanimously agreed a tough set of guidelines for the talks with Britain, covering issues of money, trade and the rights of EU citizens. "They talk about negotiating guidelines, they're sort of demands that have been lined up... this has to be by agreement," Davis said. He added: "We are full members of the European Union until we leave... and we're going to use our rights under the rules." The formal Brexit talks are not due to begin until after Britain's snap elections on June 8, but tensions are rising on both sides. May was put on the defensive this week by leaks about a disastrous dinner with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. In response, she boasted Tuesday that she would be a "bloody difficult woman" in the talks -- a description that had been used about her by a former colleague. Davis on Wednesday dismissed the reports as a "mixture of gossip and spin". LONDON: Britain's Brexit minister David Davis warned Wednesday that it would not be bullied in upcoming negotiations with the EU, and rejected a report that its exit bill could reach 100 billion euros. "We are going into this negotiation not as a supplicant, but as a negotiator," Davis said, as EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier prepared to set out his plan for the talks. Davis dismissed a report in the Financial Times suggesting Britain must settle bills of up to 100 billion euros ($109 billion) before leaving. The figure is significantly higher than the 60-billion-euro figure previously mooted, and Davis told ITV television's Good Morning Britain programme: "We will not be paying 100 billion." In another interview with BBC radio, he stressed that "we will obey our international obligations" -- but warned Britain would not pay anything if the negotiations collapsed. "In the walk-away circumstance there is nothing to be paid," Davis said. Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that she would rather Britain exit the EU without any agreement on future ties than accept a "bad deal". A House of Lords report earlier this year suggested this could apply if Britain were forced to pay a significant sum with no trade deal in return. "This morning you see demands for 100 billion in the papers -- it's gone from 50 to 60 to 100 -- it rather actually proves her point," Davis said. "I don't think that's where we'll end up -- in fact I know that's not where we're going to end up. "The simple truth is that this is going to be a tough negotiation." The leaders of the other 27 EU nations on Saturday unanimously agreed a tough set of guidelines for the talks with Britain, covering issues of money, trade and the rights of EU citizens. "They talk about negotiating guidelines, they're sort of demands that have been lined up... this has to be by agreement," Davis said. He added: "We are full members of the European Union until we leave... and we're going to use our rights under the rules." The formal Brexit talks are not due to begin until after Britain's snap elections on June 8, but tensions are rising on both sides. May was put on the defensive this week by leaks about a disastrous dinner with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. In response, she boasted Tuesday that she would be a "bloody difficult woman" in the talks -- a description that had been used about her by a former colleague. Davis on Wednesday dismissed the reports as a "mixture of gossip and spin". By PTI WASHINGTON: An unfazed FBI chief James Comey today strongly defended his controversial decision to alert Congress just days before the US general election about the probe into Hillary Clinton's emails, saying concealing the probe developments would have been "catastrophic". "It was a hard choice, I still believe in retrospect the right choice," the FBI Director told senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency. "I can't consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected," he said, a day after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticised him for his role in the outcome of last year's presidential election. Comey said he stands behind his letter to Congress that shook up the final days of last year's presidential election and he would do it again. Still, he said his decision to tell Congress that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had found new emails that could be relevant to Clinton's private email server was not an easy one. "This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election ... I would make the same decision," Comey, 56, said. Asked why he publicly announced an investigation into Clinton's emails days before the election, Comey said, "concealing in my view would be catastrophic." "It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly it wouldn't change the decision." "This has been one of the world's most painful experiences. I would make the same decision. I would not conceal that on October 28 (days before the November 8 election)." Comey said he notified lawmakers about the Clinton- related findings because he "testified under oath repeatedly" that the investigation was over. Comey said he thought he treated the investigations the same because he did not reveal either probe when they initially began. Comey has become an almost equally divisive figure for Republicans and Democrats for his impact on the elections. His revelation that the FBI was examining additional emails from Clinton that were discovered on disgraced former Republican Anthony Weiner's computer, has led Democrats, including Clinton herself, to say it cost them the White House. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said yesterday in an interview to CNN. Following those remarks, Trump criticised Comey the night before the hearing. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony......Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump said in a pair of tweets yesterday. At the panel's hearing, Comey got grilled about the investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election and into Clinton's use of a private email server at the State Department. Some Republicans defended Comey's actions and pressed him about what evidence underpins accusations of the Trump campaign contacts with Russia. While the campaign was still ongoing, Comey did not reveal the existence of the Russia probe, but he informed Congress that the FBI discovered thousands of message from the Clinton email domain on the computer of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Democrats repeatedly questioned about his decision-making process, which Comey defended. WASHINGTON: An unfazed FBI chief James Comey today strongly defended his controversial decision to alert Congress just days before the US general election about the probe into Hillary Clinton's emails, saying concealing the probe developments would have been "catastrophic". "It was a hard choice, I still believe in retrospect the right choice," the FBI Director told senators at a judiciary committee hearing on oversight of his agency. "I can't consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected," he said, a day after both the sitting US President and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee sharply criticised him for his role in the outcome of last year's presidential election. Comey said he stands behind his letter to Congress that shook up the final days of last year's presidential election and he would do it again. Still, he said his decision to tell Congress that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had found new emails that could be relevant to Clinton's private email server was not an easy one. "This was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election ... I would make the same decision," Comey, 56, said. Asked why he publicly announced an investigation into Clinton's emails days before the election, Comey said, "concealing in my view would be catastrophic." "It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly it wouldn't change the decision." "This has been one of the world's most painful experiences. I would make the same decision. I would not conceal that on October 28 (days before the November 8 election)." Comey said he notified lawmakers about the Clinton- related findings because he "testified under oath repeatedly" that the investigation was over. Comey said he thought he treated the investigations the same because he did not reveal either probe when they initially began. Comey has become an almost equally divisive figure for Republicans and Democrats for his impact on the elections. His revelation that the FBI was examining additional emails from Clinton that were discovered on disgraced former Republican Anthony Weiner's computer, has led Democrats, including Clinton herself, to say it cost them the White House. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said yesterday in an interview to CNN. Following those remarks, Trump criticised Comey the night before the hearing. "FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony......Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" Trump said in a pair of tweets yesterday. At the panel's hearing, Comey got grilled about the investigations into alleged Russian meddling in the election and into Clinton's use of a private email server at the State Department. Some Republicans defended Comey's actions and pressed him about what evidence underpins accusations of the Trump campaign contacts with Russia. While the campaign was still ongoing, Comey did not reveal the existence of the Russia probe, but he informed Congress that the FBI discovered thousands of message from the Clinton email domain on the computer of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Democrats repeatedly questioned about his decision-making process, which Comey defended. By PTI NEW YORK: US First Lady Melania Trump's personal twitter page sparked a social media stir after it liked a tweet that showed the viral image of her quickly dropping a smile at her husband's inauguration as soon as he turned away. Her personal and verified page -- not the account she inherited as the President's wife -- liked the tweet, "Seems the only #wall @realDonaldTrump's built is the one between him and @Flotus." Left-wing blogger Andy Ostroy penned the original tweet at 9:15 PM yesterday, alluding to President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico, the New York Daily News reported. The Twitter post included an animated image of Melania's beaming smile she flashed for the president, but quickly reduced to a scowl as he turned away during the January inauguration. Ostroy later said he did not believe Trump's account was real. By 10:45 PM, her account unliked the tweet in question. It was only the second tweet the first lady's currently- inactive personal account had liked. Its last tweet was on November 8 last year, the day of the US presidential election, and featured an image of a "Vote #TrumpPence16" badge. Its other "liked" tweet was its own first message, a simple "Hello Twitter!" in 2012. The Twitterati, however, had a field day over the post. "We have a glimpse of what her life must be like," one person said. "Melania liking this tweet just might be the best trolling of 2017 so far," said another netizen. It was not clear if Melania actually liked the tweet herself, or if the account was hacked. NEW YORK: US First Lady Melania Trump's personal twitter page sparked a social media stir after it liked a tweet that showed the viral image of her quickly dropping a smile at her husband's inauguration as soon as he turned away. Her personal and verified page -- not the account she inherited as the President's wife -- liked the tweet, "Seems the only #wall @realDonaldTrump's built is the one between him and @Flotus." Left-wing blogger Andy Ostroy penned the original tweet at 9:15 PM yesterday, alluding to President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico, the New York Daily News reported. The Twitter post included an animated image of Melania's beaming smile she flashed for the president, but quickly reduced to a scowl as he turned away during the January inauguration. Seems the only #Wall @realDonaldTrump's built is the one between him and @FLOTUS #Melania #trump pic.twitter.com/XiNd2jiLUF Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 3, 2017 Ostroy later said he did not believe Trump's account was real. By 10:45 PM, her account unliked the tweet in question. It was only the second tweet the first lady's currently- inactive personal account had liked. Its last tweet was on November 8 last year, the day of the US presidential election, and featured an image of a "Vote #TrumpPence16" badge. Its other "liked" tweet was its own first message, a simple "Hello Twitter!" in 2012. The Twitterati, however, had a field day over the post. "We have a glimpse of what her life must be like," one person said. "Melania liking this tweet just might be the best trolling of 2017 so far," said another netizen. It was not clear if Melania actually liked the tweet herself, or if the account was hacked. LAHORE: Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz triggered a war on twitter with German investigative reporter Bastian Obermayer, who investigated the Panama Papers, by terming the scandal 'crap'. In a series of tweets, Maryam lashed out at her father's rivals, and tweeted, "Panama is crap. Trashed in the rest of the world. Those relying on it to bring down Nawaz Sharif will bite the dust." "Panama papers were never about corruption. Even the stealers & hackers (read originators) didn't say it was. Losers in imminent danger." In response, Bastian Obermayer tweeted, "Sorry to tell you: Panama Papers ARE about corruption, We found an astonishing number of corruption cases in the documents- and all real." Her tweets came as the Pakistan's Supreme Court announced the formation of a special bench to closely monitor the working of the joint investigation team (JIT) in Panamagate. The Dawn has reported that the apex court has also appointed a coordinator to manage all communication between the special bench and the JIT. This move has further weakened Nawaz Sharif's position, thus effecting political establishment and strengthening the military establishment. Maryam then indirectly responded claiming the misery of journalists who hatched Panama Papers conspiracy was understandable. "Journalism isn't about bringing down a government. It's about telling the truth. Like it or not," Bastian responded on Twitter. LAHORE: Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz triggered a war on twitter with German investigative reporter Bastian Obermayer, who investigated the Panama Papers, by terming the scandal 'crap'. In a series of tweets, Maryam lashed out at her father's rivals, and tweeted, "Panama is crap. Trashed in the rest of the world. Those relying on it to bring down Nawaz Sharif will bite the dust." "Panama papers were never about corruption. Even the stealers & hackers (read originators) didn't say it was. Losers in imminent danger." In response, Bastian Obermayer tweeted, "Sorry to tell you: Panama Papers ARE about corruption, We found an astonishing number of corruption cases in the documents- and all real." Her tweets came as the Pakistan's Supreme Court announced the formation of a special bench to closely monitor the working of the joint investigation team (JIT) in Panamagate. The Dawn has reported that the apex court has also appointed a coordinator to manage all communication between the special bench and the JIT. This move has further weakened Nawaz Sharif's position, thus effecting political establishment and strengthening the military establishment. Maryam then indirectly responded claiming the misery of journalists who hatched Panama Papers conspiracy was understandable. "Journalism isn't about bringing down a government. It's about telling the truth. Like it or not," Bastian responded on Twitter. By AFP SEOUL: North Korea on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of a US professor for trying to "overturn" the regime, as tensions spike between the isolated nuclear-armed nation and Washington. Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, became the third American held in the North when he was detained at the capital's airport on April 22 as he tried to leave the country, after teaching for several weeks at an elite university. In the North's first confirmation of the professor's detention, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said he had been held for "committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK", using an abbreviation for the country's official name. It added that Kim was "under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes". The confirmation of Kim's detention comes as Pyongyang issues increasingly belligerent rhetoric in a tense stand off with the administration of new US President Donald Trump over its rogue weapons programme. Kim had been teaching accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), which said last month that the professor had been held. The school -- founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010 -- is known to have a number of American faculty members and pupils are generally children from the country's elite. In a statement in late April the university said the arrest was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST". It added that the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang -- which handles issues involving US citizens as Washington has no diplomatic ties with the North -- was "actively involved" in talks. Kim is a former professor at Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China, close to the Korean border. Its website lists his speciality as accounting. South Korea's Yonhap news agency has given Kim's age as 55 and said he had been involved in relief activities for children in rural parts of North Korea. It cited a source familiar with the matter who described Kim as a "religiously devoted man". Two other US citizens -- college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul -- are currently being held in the North after being sentenced to long prison terms. The pastor was sentenced last year to 10 years of hard labour for spying. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in 2016 for stealing a propaganda material and for "crimes against the state". North Korea has arrested and jailed several US citizens in the past decade, often releasing them only after high-profile visits by current or former US officials or former US presidents. Pyongyang, which has conducted a string of nuclear tests and missile launches, warned Monday that it was prepared to carry out another atomic test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership unless Washington scraps its hostile policies. Trump has suggested military action could be on the table in the past but on Monday seemed to soften his message, saying he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions. SEOUL: North Korea on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of a US professor for trying to "overturn" the regime, as tensions spike between the isolated nuclear-armed nation and Washington. Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, became the third American held in the North when he was detained at the capital's airport on April 22 as he tried to leave the country, after teaching for several weeks at an elite university. In the North's first confirmation of the professor's detention, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said he had been held for "committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK", using an abbreviation for the country's official name. It added that Kim was "under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes". The confirmation of Kim's detention comes as Pyongyang issues increasingly belligerent rhetoric in a tense stand off with the administration of new US President Donald Trump over its rogue weapons programme. Kim had been teaching accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), which said last month that the professor had been held. The school -- founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010 -- is known to have a number of American faculty members and pupils are generally children from the country's elite. In a statement in late April the university said the arrest was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST". It added that the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang -- which handles issues involving US citizens as Washington has no diplomatic ties with the North -- was "actively involved" in talks. Kim is a former professor at Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China, close to the Korean border. Its website lists his speciality as accounting. South Korea's Yonhap news agency has given Kim's age as 55 and said he had been involved in relief activities for children in rural parts of North Korea. It cited a source familiar with the matter who described Kim as a "religiously devoted man". Two other US citizens -- college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul -- are currently being held in the North after being sentenced to long prison terms. The pastor was sentenced last year to 10 years of hard labour for spying. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in 2016 for stealing a propaganda material and for "crimes against the state". North Korea has arrested and jailed several US citizens in the past decade, often releasing them only after high-profile visits by current or former US officials or former US presidents. Pyongyang, which has conducted a string of nuclear tests and missile launches, warned Monday that it was prepared to carry out another atomic test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership unless Washington scraps its hostile policies. Trump has suggested military action could be on the table in the past but on Monday seemed to soften his message, saying he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions. By ANI LONDON: Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected the United Nations Human Rights Councils (UNHRC) decision to investigate allegations of crimes and inhumane treatment by Myanmars security forces against minority Rohingya Muslims. Although the UN body decided to dispatch an investigation to the South Asian country in March, the Nobel laureate, told a press conference on Tuesday in presence of EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, We do not agree with it. We have disassociated ourselves from the resolution because we do not think that the resolution is in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground, when asked about the probe by the Guardian. Reports of atrocities inflicted upon the minority community have surfaced despite the governments denial. As reported by the Guardian, Rights group estimates that 75,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh. The retaliation by the security forces comes after militants killed nine policemen in October. Aung San Suu Kyi rejected suggestions that she or authorities were deliberately overlooking the sensitive situation. I am not sure quite what you mean by saying that we have not been concerned at all with regards to the allegations of atrocities that have taken place in the Rakhine, she said. We have been investigating them and have been taking action. LONDON: Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected the United Nations Human Rights Councils (UNHRC) decision to investigate allegations of crimes and inhumane treatment by Myanmars security forces against minority Rohingya Muslims. Although the UN body decided to dispatch an investigation to the South Asian country in March, the Nobel laureate, told a press conference on Tuesday in presence of EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, We do not agree with it. We have disassociated ourselves from the resolution because we do not think that the resolution is in keeping with what is actually happening on the ground, when asked about the probe by the Guardian. Reports of atrocities inflicted upon the minority community have surfaced despite the governments denial. As reported by the Guardian, Rights group estimates that 75,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh. The retaliation by the security forces comes after militants killed nine policemen in October. Aung San Suu Kyi rejected suggestions that she or authorities were deliberately overlooking the sensitive situation. I am not sure quite what you mean by saying that we have not been concerned at all with regards to the allegations of atrocities that have taken place in the Rakhine, she said. We have been investigating them and have been taking action. By PTI ISLAMABAD: The Sri Lankan army chief today met his Pakistani counterpart and thanked him for "incessant support" to the island nation's fight against terrorism. Chief of the Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen A.W.J.C De Silva called upon the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army said. "The visiting General thanked Pakistan Army for incessant support to Sri Lankan's fight against terrorism," the army said in a statement. Pakistan was a key supplier of weapons and aircraft for Sri Lanka's military in its decades-long civil war against the LTTE that ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. Lt Gen De Silva "expressed full confidence in Pakistans ability to completely overcome the menace in near future," the statement said. The army chief appreciated Pakistan Army's achievements and contributions towards national and regional security. "Both sides reaffirmed their determination to work together for enhancing regional security and continuing existing military-to-military cooperation," the statement said. General Bajwa also thanked his Lankan counterpart for his visit and acknowledgement of Pakistans active contribution in the fight against militancy. Earlier, the Sri Lankan army chief laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada (martyrs monument). ISLAMABAD: The Sri Lankan army chief today met his Pakistani counterpart and thanked him for "incessant support" to the island nation's fight against terrorism. Chief of the Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen A.W.J.C De Silva called upon the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army said. "The visiting General thanked Pakistan Army for incessant support to Sri Lankan's fight against terrorism," the army said in a statement. Pakistan was a key supplier of weapons and aircraft for Sri Lanka's military in its decades-long civil war against the LTTE that ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. Lt Gen De Silva "expressed full confidence in Pakistans ability to completely overcome the menace in near future," the statement said. The army chief appreciated Pakistan Army's achievements and contributions towards national and regional security. "Both sides reaffirmed their determination to work together for enhancing regional security and continuing existing military-to-military cooperation," the statement said. General Bajwa also thanked his Lankan counterpart for his visit and acknowledgement of Pakistans active contribution in the fight against militancy. Earlier, the Sri Lankan army chief laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada (martyrs monument). By AFP UNITED NATION: The United States is exploring options at the UN Security Council to ramp up pressure on North Korea after it test-fired a ballistic missile. "The cumulative actions of the DPRK since their last nuclear test compel us to look at a range of measures that would apply pressure," the spokesperson for the US mission to the United Nations said Tuesday. "We are exploring options for a response to this series of provocations with our Security Council colleagues." Diplomats said the United States was in discussion with China on the council response, including possibly sanctions, to Saturday's failed missile launch. The United States initially sought a statement of condemnation, but the discussions shifted to targeted sanctions and possibly a draft resolution with tougher measures, diplomats said. North Korea on Saturday carried out a failed missile launch, just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the council to impose new sanctions, warning that a failure to act could lead to "catastrophic consequences." The latest failed launch "only reinforced our resolve" to increase the economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea, said a Security Council diplomat. North Korea is seeking to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five atomic tests since 2006, two of them last year. A shift from China Washington has repeatedly called for stronger UN sanctions, but wants China, North Korea's main trading partner and ally, to toughen its approach. "The Chinese are very concerned and they are increasing the pressure," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Definitely, my assessment is that they have shifted." Over the past 11 years, the Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions on Pyongyang -- two adopted last year -- to significantly ramp up pressure and deny Kim Jong-Un's regime the hard currency revenue needed for his military programs. On Monday, North Korea said it will carry out a nuclear test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership, fueling fears in the region of an escalation. At the council meeting on Friday, Tillerson called on all countries to downgrade or sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and impose targeted sanctions on entities and individuals supporting its missile and nuclear program. The US chief diplomat pushed for a ban on North Korea foreign workers sent abroad to earn hard currency for Pyongyang, and cutting off all North Korean imports, especially coal. In November, the council adopted the toughest-ever sanctions on North Korea, imposing a cap on coal exports among other measures, but the measure took three months of negotiations between the United States and China. A council diplomat said the talks between the United States and China were unlikely to yield results in the coming days. UN experts have reported to the council that the series of sanctions have had little impact on Pyongyang, which has forged ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile program. US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would be "honored" to meet Kim Jong-Un in a move a UN diplomat described as a "carrot" dangled in front of Pyongyang if it changes course and halts its military programs. UNITED NATION: The United States is exploring options at the UN Security Council to ramp up pressure on North Korea after it test-fired a ballistic missile. "The cumulative actions of the DPRK since their last nuclear test compel us to look at a range of measures that would apply pressure," the spokesperson for the US mission to the United Nations said Tuesday. "We are exploring options for a response to this series of provocations with our Security Council colleagues." Diplomats said the United States was in discussion with China on the council response, including possibly sanctions, to Saturday's failed missile launch. The United States initially sought a statement of condemnation, but the discussions shifted to targeted sanctions and possibly a draft resolution with tougher measures, diplomats said. North Korea on Saturday carried out a failed missile launch, just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the council to impose new sanctions, warning that a failure to act could lead to "catastrophic consequences." The latest failed launch "only reinforced our resolve" to increase the economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea, said a Security Council diplomat. North Korea is seeking to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five atomic tests since 2006, two of them last year. A shift from China Washington has repeatedly called for stronger UN sanctions, but wants China, North Korea's main trading partner and ally, to toughen its approach. "The Chinese are very concerned and they are increasing the pressure," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Definitely, my assessment is that they have shifted." Over the past 11 years, the Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions on Pyongyang -- two adopted last year -- to significantly ramp up pressure and deny Kim Jong-Un's regime the hard currency revenue needed for his military programs. On Monday, North Korea said it will carry out a nuclear test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership, fueling fears in the region of an escalation. At the council meeting on Friday, Tillerson called on all countries to downgrade or sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and impose targeted sanctions on entities and individuals supporting its missile and nuclear program. The US chief diplomat pushed for a ban on North Korea foreign workers sent abroad to earn hard currency for Pyongyang, and cutting off all North Korean imports, especially coal. In November, the council adopted the toughest-ever sanctions on North Korea, imposing a cap on coal exports among other measures, but the measure took three months of negotiations between the United States and China. A council diplomat said the talks between the United States and China were unlikely to yield results in the coming days. UN experts have reported to the council that the series of sanctions have had little impact on Pyongyang, which has forged ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile program. US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would be "honored" to meet Kim Jong-Un in a move a UN diplomat described as a "carrot" dangled in front of Pyongyang if it changes course and halts its military programs. By AFP MOGADISHU: Somalia's minister of public works and reconstruction Abbas Abdullahi Siraji was killed in Mogadishu on Wednesday in what was apparently an accidental shooting, government and police sources said. In a statement, the government said it was "deeply saddened" by the death of Siraji, the youngest member of the Somali cabinet, who grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp before winning election in 2016 and being named a minister by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Siraji's vehicle was mistakenly shot at by government security guards outside the presidential palace, a senator, Ilyas Abdulahi, told AFP. Sources said the gunmen were security guards for another government official, many of whom are escorted around the capital by armed guards in pick-up trucks. "Armed men on board a pick-up truck in front opened fire on the minister's car as he followed, it seems it was a mistake but it is being investigated," said Ibrahim Mohamed, a police officer. Siraji, 31, grew up in Dadaab, Kenya, among the world's largest refugee camps and won a surprise victory over a former minister in elections last year. His story was widely seen as an inspiration for a country which has suffered conflict and anarchy for the last 25 years. Although Shabaab militants linked to Al-Qaeda carry out regular bombings and assassinations targeting government officials, there was no indication that the group was responsible for Siraji's death. MOGADISHU: Somalia's minister of public works and reconstruction Abbas Abdullahi Siraji was killed in Mogadishu on Wednesday in what was apparently an accidental shooting, government and police sources said. In a statement, the government said it was "deeply saddened" by the death of Siraji, the youngest member of the Somali cabinet, who grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp before winning election in 2016 and being named a minister by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. Siraji's vehicle was mistakenly shot at by government security guards outside the presidential palace, a senator, Ilyas Abdulahi, told AFP. Sources said the gunmen were security guards for another government official, many of whom are escorted around the capital by armed guards in pick-up trucks. "Armed men on board a pick-up truck in front opened fire on the minister's car as he followed, it seems it was a mistake but it is being investigated," said Ibrahim Mohamed, a police officer. Siraji, 31, grew up in Dadaab, Kenya, among the world's largest refugee camps and won a surprise victory over a former minister in elections last year. His story was widely seen as an inspiration for a country which has suffered conflict and anarchy for the last 25 years. Although Shabaab militants linked to Al-Qaeda carry out regular bombings and assassinations targeting government officials, there was no indication that the group was responsible for Siraji's death. By AFP WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump confidently predicted that a lasting Middle East peace agreement was within grasp Wednesday, as he hosted Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House. "We will get it done," Trump said, flaunting his deal-making prowess during a first meeting with the veteran Palestinian leader that marked the start of an ambitious -- some say quixotic -- presidential effort. Brushing aside the complexities of a decades-old conflict that has beguiled successive US leaders, Trump told Abbas that together with the Israelis they could bag "the toughest deal to make." "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado. Eighty-two-year-old Abbas -- a veteran of innumerable US, European, UN and Arab peace initiatives -- echoed Trump's upbeat tone. "Our strategic option, our strategic choice is to bring about peace," he said, praising Trump's "courageous stewardship" and "great negotiating ability." "We believe that we can ... be true partners to you to bring about a historic peace under your stewardship." But there was also a hint of the thicket that awaits the neophyte US president. "Mr. President, it's about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our lands," Abbas said, listing demands that the current Israeli government has baulked at. Among them, the right of return for Palestinians to lands currently held by Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and based on 1967 borders. 'Gap never greater' The two men's upbeat tone contrasted sharply with that of veteran Middle East watchers. According to former White House official Dennis Ross, the gap between Israelis and Palestinians "has probably never been greater." "As someone who's worked on this for the last 30 years, I don't think we've ever been at a lower point," he said ahead of the meeting. Trump's long-shot effort to bring Middle East peace got off to a rocky start when he renounced support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of American policy held for decades. But receiving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House early in his term, Trump also showed he was willing to press Israel on West Bank settlement building, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. On Wednesday, Trump offered no prescriptions for what a deal should look like, only saying that he would play the role of "a mediator, or an arbitrator, or a facilitator." "Any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States, or by any other nation," Trump said. During his four months in office, Trump has struggled to translate his skill in achieving business deals into effective governance. Efforts to overhaul health care, the tax system and government spending have faltered, despite Trump's Republican party controlling not only the White House but both houses of Congress. 'Historic opportunity' Abbas also makes an unlikely dealmaker. He made the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want him to resign. His term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. Palestinians are watching closely, including the leader of the radical Hamas movement Khaled Meshaal, who called on Trump to break with past approaches to Middle East peace. "This is a historic opportunity to pressure Israel... to find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people," he told CNN. Hamas on Tuesday released a policy document that for the first time indicates a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the borders that emerged after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, although it stops short of recognizing Israel. But Abbas will be encouraged that Trump did not publicly demand that the Palestinians cut funding to prisoners and their families. That could prose major domestic political headaches for Abbas, as he battles unpopularity and challenges from rival factions. "Mr President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace," Abbas said. WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump confidently predicted that a lasting Middle East peace agreement was within grasp Wednesday, as he hosted Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas at the White House. "We will get it done," Trump said, flaunting his deal-making prowess during a first meeting with the veteran Palestinian leader that marked the start of an ambitious -- some say quixotic -- presidential effort. Brushing aside the complexities of a decades-old conflict that has beguiled successive US leaders, Trump told Abbas that together with the Israelis they could bag "the toughest deal to make." "It is something that I think is frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said, exuding his trademark bravado. Eighty-two-year-old Abbas -- a veteran of innumerable US, European, UN and Arab peace initiatives -- echoed Trump's upbeat tone. "Our strategic option, our strategic choice is to bring about peace," he said, praising Trump's "courageous stewardship" and "great negotiating ability." "We believe that we can ... be true partners to you to bring about a historic peace under your stewardship." But there was also a hint of the thicket that awaits the neophyte US president. "Mr. President, it's about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and our lands," Abbas said, listing demands that the current Israeli government has baulked at. Among them, the right of return for Palestinians to lands currently held by Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and based on 1967 borders. 'Gap never greater' The two men's upbeat tone contrasted sharply with that of veteran Middle East watchers. According to former White House official Dennis Ross, the gap between Israelis and Palestinians "has probably never been greater." "As someone who's worked on this for the last 30 years, I don't think we've ever been at a lower point," he said ahead of the meeting. Trump's long-shot effort to bring Middle East peace got off to a rocky start when he renounced support for a Palestinian state and vowed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, breaking two tenets of American policy held for decades. But receiving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House early in his term, Trump also showed he was willing to press Israel on West Bank settlement building, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. On Wednesday, Trump offered no prescriptions for what a deal should look like, only saying that he would play the role of "a mediator, or an arbitrator, or a facilitator." "Any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States, or by any other nation," Trump said. During his four months in office, Trump has struggled to translate his skill in achieving business deals into effective governance. Efforts to overhaul health care, the tax system and government spending have faltered, despite Trump's Republican party controlling not only the White House but both houses of Congress. 'Historic opportunity' Abbas also makes an unlikely dealmaker. He made the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, with polls suggesting most Palestinians want him to resign. His term was meant to expire in 2009, but he has remained in office with no elections held. Palestinians are watching closely, including the leader of the radical Hamas movement Khaled Meshaal, who called on Trump to break with past approaches to Middle East peace. "This is a historic opportunity to pressure Israel... to find an equitable solution for the Palestinian people," he told CNN. Hamas on Tuesday released a policy document that for the first time indicates a willingness to accept the idea of a Palestinian state within the borders that emerged after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, although it stops short of recognizing Israel. But Abbas will be encouraged that Trump did not publicly demand that the Palestinians cut funding to prisoners and their families. That could prose major domestic political headaches for Abbas, as he battles unpopularity and challenges from rival factions. "Mr President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace," Abbas said. RI Election Day Coverage Recap: Election Results and more In the Nov. 8 election Rhode Islanders cast their vote for governor, Congressman, and ballot issues. Here's everything you need to know. We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. A team based at the University's Warwick Medical School will study brain tumor cells in the lab to understand more about the cell division process, and how it can cause cancer when it goes wrong. Cancer cells have genetic defects caused by problems in sharing chromosomes during cell division. This new research will investigate how these problems occur. Associate Professor, Dr. Stephen Royle, has been awarded 158,000 to fund the research. The funding is from the Cancer Research UK Pioneer Award, which backs the brightest ideas and blue sky thinking in cancer research. Dr. Royle said: "When cells divide they have to make sure that the chromosomes which contain the cell's DNA split equally so that two accurate cells are made. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today "We know it's important for cells to divide properly because in 90 per cent of solid cancers and 50 per cent of blood cancers, the cancer cells have unequal numbers of chromosomes. That means they haven't divided properly. "My team's work aims to better understand how this process going wrong can cause cancer. Ultimately our future goal would be to see if drugs can be developed and used to stop the cells dividing unequally and potentially stop cancer cells forming. Or, if they could be used to cause them to divide unequally in a more controlled manner, forcing the cancer cells to die." This new research will investigate how these problems occur using powerful microscopes at the Medical Schools' Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology. Dr Jess Sutcliffe, Research Funding Manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "Research like Dr. Royle's is vital to increasing our understanding of cancer cell biology, in particular how cells divide and how if they do so incorrectly, it can lead to cancer. By carrying out research like this, scientists can look for and identify potential new ways to treat cancer and help more people survive the disease." Applications for the Cancer Research UK Pioneer Awards are judged anonymously, and shortlisted researchers are given five minutes to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts. There's a pot of up to 200,000 available for those who succeed. Dr. Sutcliffe added: "The Pioneer Awards are as innovative as the research they fund. They allow us to find and fund researchers with big ideas that hold up in front of a panel of experts, and which have the potential to be game-changing for cancer research. Together with its partners, scientists, doctors and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured." Amantadine hydrochloride may be the most common medication you've never heard of. This compound has been around for decades as the basis for antiviral and other medications, from flu therapy to treatments for brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease and the fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis. And yet, this compound has long been a bit of an enigma because of missing information on its properties. Now, chemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and collaborators have published the very first data on this important chemical's thermodynamic properties, including data on how it responds to heat and changes from a solid into a gas. Such data are valuable to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries for getting the highest production yields and shelf life for the medication. "Our research results are not directly related to the medical application of this multifunctional drug, although I am really fascinated by the range of its pharmacological activity," NIST research chemist Ala Bazyleva said. "We studied its thermodynamic properties and decomposition," Bazyleva said. "It is surprising, given the long history of amantadine-based drugs, that there is almost no information like this in the literature for many of them. Chemical engineers often have to rely on estimates and predictions based on similar compounds. Collating this information and developing these types of recommendations is at the core of what our group at NIST does." Amantadine hydrochloride belongs to a diamondoid class, a family of compounds whose structure is based on a cage of carbon atoms similar to diamond. Amantadine has a single carbon cage with a nitrogen atom attached on one side. Nonmedical studies have focused on the solid form of amantadine hydrochloride because it was expected to form disordered, or plastic, crystals, as many diamondoids do. Turns out, amantadine hydrochloride does not. Bazyleva began studying amantadine hydrochloride years ago while in Belarus working on her doctoral dissertation, and continued the effort during her postdoctoral studies in Germany and Canada. But progress was slow, partly because adamantine hydrochloride changes from a solid directly into a gas (a process called sublimation) and simultaneously falls apart, or decomposes. She needed a model explaining this complex process, one that incorporates detailed, high-level calculations of quantum chemistry. She finally got access to this computational capability after she began working with the Thermodynamics Research Center (TRC) Group at NIST in Boulder several years ago. "NIST was fundamental in facilitating the modeling component," Bazyleva said. "In particular, the unique combination of facilities, software and expertise in quantum chemical computations allowed us to apply high-level calculations to get insight into the structure and stability of the drug in the gas phase." While the compound behaves like it is ionic (composed of positively and negatively charged pieces, though neutral overall) in the solid crystal form and when dissolved in a liquid, quantum chemistry calculations revealed that it decomposes into two neutral compounds in the gas phase. The data were generated by NIST's TRC, which for more than 70 years has been producing chemical data for scientific research and industrial process design. Using two simple blood tests, Western University researchers were able to drastically improve treatment for resistant hypertension across three sites in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. The study, published online today in the American Journal of Hypertension, demonstrates that for patients in Africa with hard-to-control hypertension, identifying the cause was the key to lowering blood pressure. By testing patients' levels of plasma renin, a protein secreted by the kidneys, in combination with levels of aldosterone, a hormone that causes salt and water retention, physicians were able to identify the physiological changes causing the hypertension. This led to personalized and more accurate therapy. "If a patient has salt and water retention, it causes high blood pressure and also feeds back and shuts down both renin and aldosterone," said Dr. David Spence, principal investigator on the study and a professor at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Patients with low levels of both renin and aldosterone are more likely to have salt and water retention due to mutations affecting the kidney tubules; they respond specifically to a medication called amiloride. Such mutations account for approximately 6 per cent of hypertension in North America, but were more common among the African patients studied. Of the 94 patients who completed the study, 42 were treated with the usual course of treatment, 52 were given the blood tests, and treatment was decided based on the results. In the group who were given usual treatment, 11.1 per cent had controlled blood pressure after one year, versus 50 per cent in the group that received the blood test. "The biggest difference is that there were more people being prescribed amiloride in the physiological treatment group," said Spence, who is also a scientist at Robarts Research Institute at Western. The authors say the motivation for this study came from the observation that patients from North Buxton, Ontario - a settlement established in 1849 for escaped slaves from the United States - were much more likely to have salt and water retention. Spence believes because of the hot, dry climate in African countries, mutations causing salt and water retention provided a survival advantage. Spence hopes that this study will help inform guidelines for treatment of resistant hypertension, not just in Africa but for those of African decent living in other parts of the world, and for all patients with resistant hypertension. Bloomberg Philanthropies has awarded the University of Illinois at Chicago $8 million to accelerate the development of effective tobacco tax systems in low- and middle-income countries. As a new core partner, UIC joins six other global health organizations in the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, a nearly $1 billion program to reduce the worldwide demand for tobacco through comprehensive, evidence-based policy reform and public awareness campaigns. The Bloomberg Initiative has made significant progress over the past 10 years in many areas, such as smoke-free air policies and graphic health warning labels. UIC was selected by the Bloomberg Initiative to advance global progress on tobacco taxation. UIC will use the funding to engage with policy-makers in countries with the highest and fastest-growing rates of tobacco use, including Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and others. "Studies from around the world show that a substantial increase in tobacco tax is not only the most effective method of reducing tobacco use, it is also a driver of significant, long-lasting health and economic benefits," said Frank Chaloupka, research professor of health policy and administration and principal investigator on the grant. Chaloupka's research has challenged the idea that many smokers are so dependent on nicotine they will continue to smoke no matter how much it costs. His work also provides evidence that tobacco control does not harm economies, a point directly in opposition to arguments put forth by the tobacco industry. Collaborating with local research organizations will be a primary focus in the first phase of the two-year grant, Chaloupka said. "We want to partner with organizations in these countries and assist them in producing the evidence-based research needed to counter arguments from the tobacco industry," said Chaloupka, who is also director of the Health Policy Center in UIC's Institute for Health Research and Policy. In the second phase of the grant, UIC will focus on raising awareness of evidence-based tobacco tax policies among high-level government officials and civil society organizations. Chaloupka and his team will provide an information and resource hub to share knowledge and advance tobacco taxation as the most effective tobacco-control tool. Arrayjet, the Midlothian-based microarray technology company has increased its staffing levels as it continues to expand and grow its international sales development pipeline, as many of the worlds leading university research and biomedical research institutes look to increase accuracy, speed and throughput of its drug discovery sampling using Arrayjets range of instrumentation. Arrayjet has recently started the process of designing and developing new product scheduled for launch in 2018 for its next generation of bio-printing technological solutions. Seven new jobs have been created across Arrayjets core science, engineering and commercial units with the new recruits expanding the staff levels to 25. Recently joining Arrayjet are David Crabb as Chief Engineer; Maya Kowalewska, Application Scientist; Catriona Ford, Senior Applications Scientist; Ranald Pringle, Commercial Manager, Europe & Middle East; Gavin Boothroyd, Commercial Manager, North America; Andrew Tomlins, Commercial Manager, Asia Pacific; and Stephanie Kennedy as Administrative Assistant. Additionally, existing staff have been given responsibility for new territories. Saloni Sonawala has split her role as Business Development Executive to assume responsibility of developing new business opportunities across the Indian subcontinent, whilst Russell Brown now has overall responsibility for Arrayjets Commercial Operations. There are three additional engineering roles being created later in 2017. Iain McWilliam, Chief Executive Officer, Arrayjet comments; A recent heavily oversubscribed round of funding via Archangel Investment Syndicate and a strong year on year 25% revenue growth is testament to our proven ability to develop and nurture new business. An appetite for new business and a belief in our business model underpinned 2016 as a year in which we continued a programme of successful expansion. Arrayjet is on a very sound footing as a profitable, expanding, Scottish-based and international player in the biomedical sector. The company expanded into new markets during 2016 and increased its presence in existing key markets. Arrayjet now has a presence in 27 countries, across five continents. Arrayjet is supported by investment from the Archangels, the prominent Scottish-based business angel syndicate. Mike Rutterford from the organisation comments; Arrayjet remains one of the shining beacons within the Scottish life sciences industry and the new appointments, healthy international order book and, most importantly, the vision to establish and grow new territories underlines just how vital this business is to the life sciences landscape in Scotland. About Arrayjet Arrayjet is a leading provider of innovative microarray solutions to researchers, drug development groups and diagnostic companies across 27 countries world-wide. Offering a flexible, customer focused approach with the provision of Arrayjet Advance microarray printing services in addition to a range of five scalable microarray printers, accessories & consumables. Arrayjet's microarray printing technology uses a unique, non-contact, inkjet printhead that offers unrivalled speed, reproducibility and precision to deliver high quality microarrays faster than any other technology. Research by a collaboration of scientists in Australia and the United States demonstrates that using nanodiamonds somewhat like tiny machines inside living patients has taken a quantum leap closer to reality. The findings were published last night in Nature Communications. Lead author, University of Sydney quantum physicist David Waddington said key to the new research was the demonstration of biocompatible nanodiamond contrast, overcoming a major challenge of competing techniques where nanodiamond must be prepared in freezing conditions before injection. Lead author David Waddington, who completes his PhD this year, works out of the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology (AINST) headquarters, the $150m Sydney Nanoscience Hub People are very interested in using nanoparticles for targeted delivery of vaccines and chemotherapy agents, said Mr Waddington, who is completing his PhD this year. Mr Waddington said the research was three years in the making and was initiated with a Fulbright Scholarship awarded early in his PhD at the University of Sydney, where he works in the team led by Professor David Reilly, in the new $150m Sydney Nanoscience Hub the headquarters of the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology (AINST), which launched last year. Supported by Professor Reilly, Mr Waddington used the Scholarship to establish an ongoing collaboration with Associate Professor Matthew Rosen's lab in the Martinos Center at Massachusetts General Hospital one of the world's most successful biomedical imaging centers and Professor Ronald Walsworth's group at Harvard University. Key to researchers being able to determine the differences between successful and unsuccessful treatments is the ability to monitor the nanoparticles in vivo, as opposed to in a test tube, which is challenging with current approaches, Mr Waddington said. In our manuscript, "Nanodiamond-enhanced MRI via in situ hyperpolarization", we detail a new technique we have developed and demonstrated for imaging nanoparticles. This technique is particularly promising as it will enable imaging of nanoparticles over the long timescales necessary for in vivo tracking. Artist impression of nanodiamonds attached to cancer-targeting molecules, drawn up at the time of the previous 2015 research. The nanodiamonds act as lighthouses in an MRI, lighting up cancers that bind to the chemicals on their surfaces. As a result of our new research, we can repeatedly perform hyperpolarisation in a biocompatible environment, enabling nanodiamond imaging over indefinitely long periods of time and opening up the study of a range of diseases such as those affecting the brain and liver. Initial research published in Nature Communications in late 2015 led by Professor Reilly laid the groundwork for nanodiamond imaging based on a technique known as hyperpolarisation. Mr Waddington said: Our close collaboration with the Rosen lab at the Martinos Center world leaders in ultra-low field MRI has been essential to the completion of this work, which began during the time I spent there on the Fulbright scholarship. Professor Reilly, who leads a team that includes Mr Waddington and is focused primarily on developing quantum machines, said the nanodiamond finding was a great example of the benefits of experimental physics in generating unintended discoveries. It's estimated that such ultra-low field MRI scanners could be produced at a fraction of the cost of conventional MRI scanners, which could lead to this imaging technique being widely accessible in the future, Professor Reilly said. Details about the new research: In this new publication, researchers have developed a technique that allows us to perform hyperpolarised imaging of nanodiamonds without cryogenic temperatures and microwaves. Essential to this is the use of ultra-low magnetic fields, which allow scientists to drive hyperpolarisation processes with biocompatible radiowaves at ambient temperatures using a technique known as the Overhauser effect. Further, this study has required the use of a highly unusual ultra-low field MRI scanner. These scanners operate at a few hundredths of the magnetic field strength of conventional MRI scanners. Pioneering technology showcased at AUA offers clinicians a safer, more controlled technique. A new pioneering catheter insertion kit that allows clinicians to perform a safer introduction of a suprapubic Foley catheter will be unveiled at the American Urology Association (AUA). Dubbed GPS for the bladder, the S-Cath System utilizes the Seldinger technique to facilitate a one tract entry offering clinicians a more controlled, accurate and precise placement into the bladder. The breakthrough technology decreases the risks associated with standard blind methods which have 29%* risk of complications and 4.4% risk of mortality**. It has also just been presented with a Queen's Award for Enterprise, under the innovation category, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for its technical and clinical excellence. Typically, suprapubic catheterization is performed in an operating theatre under general anesthetic with clinicians using a blind percutaneous trocar puncture to gain entry into the bladder. With S-Cath System, patients attend a 30-minute appointment slot in clinic, thus reducing treatment time from 2.3 days to 29 minutes. This offers hospitals huge savings in terms of money, time and resources. The system also uses a patented system that locates the bladder with the safety guide wire; improving placement and guarantees insertion of the trocar along the anesthetized track. This technique also offer a wide range of patient benefits such as minimal trauma and tissue damage as less pressure is needed to insert the dilator. It is also more comfortable and less stressful for the clinician to perform, as it provides them with a higher degree of control and accurate placement. The S-Cath System is supplied in a standardized kit with all the necessary equipment together in one place, helping to save the clinician valuable time. It can be used on both men and women and can be performed by junior clinicians and nurses; freeing up consultants' time and enhancing out-of-hours services. It has been used in the UK for six years and the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) have both published guidelines encouraging the adoption of S-Cath System into routine care. Emma Gray, Managing Director, said: "The US health care model is moving to value-based care which requires adoption of new technology. S-Cath System is a breakthrough solution that can improve patient care and reduce the risk of harm to patients and providers, whilst simultaneously raising the standard of patient care and safety". Clinicians who have used the kit in the US say it offers them greater confidence in inserting the trocar into the bladder as the track has already been secured by the guide wire. Many are already describing it as a GPS for the bladder. Based in the UK, Mediplus have been supplying the healthcare sector with innovative patient centric products for 30 years. The company, who specialize in Urology and Anesthesia products, will work with a growing number of specialist distributors to launch the S-Cath System across the US. To find out more visit Mediplus at the American Urology Association (booth 2038) at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use kills more people worldwide than any other preventable cause of death. Global health experts believe the best way to reduce tobacco use is by stopping people starting to use tobacco, and encouraging and helping existing users to stop. The introduction of standardized (or plain) packaging was recommended by the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) guidelines. This recommendation was based on evidence around tobacco promotion in general and studies which examined the impact of changes in packaging on knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. Standardized tobacco packaging places restrictions on the appearance of tobacco packs so that there is a uniform colour (and in some cases shape), with no logos or branding apart from health warnings and other government-mandated information; the brand name appears in a prescribed uniform font, colour, and size. A number of countries have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, standardized tobacco packaging. Australia was the first country in the world to implement standardized packaging of tobacco products. The laws, which took full effect there in December 2012, also required enlarged pictorial health warnings. A team of Cochrane researchers from the UK and Canada have summarized results from studies that examine the impact of standardized packaging on tobacco attitudes and behaviour. They have published their findings in the Cochrane Library. They found 51 studies that looked at standardized packaging. The studies differed in the way they were done and also what they measured. Only one country had implemented standardized packaging at the time of this review, so evidence that tobacco use prevalence may have decreased following standardized packaging comes from one large observational study. A reduction in smoking behaviour is supported by routinely collected data from the Australian government. There are data from a range of other studies to indicate that appeal is lower with standardized packaging and this may help to explain the observed decline in prevalence. Researchers did not find any evidence suggesting that standardized packaging may increase tobacco use. No studies directly measured whether standardized packs influence uptake, cessation or whether they prevent former smokers from taking up smoking again. The amount of evidence for standardized packaging has increased markedly since the publication of the WHO guidelines in 2008. However, given its recency, there are no data on long-term impact. The amount of evidence will continue to expand as more countries implement standardized packaging and as studies assessing the longer-term effects of the Australian policy become available. Cochrane lead author, and Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Professor Ann McNeill from Kings College London, said, Evaluating the impact of standardized packaging on smoking behaviour is difficult to do; but the evidence available to us, whilst limited at this time, indicates that standardized packaging may reduce smoking prevalence. These findings are supported by evidence from a variety of other studies that have shown that standardized packaging reduces the promotional appeal of tobacco packs, in line with the regulatory objectives set. It would appear that the impact of standardized packaging may be affected by the detail of the regulations such as whether they ban descriptors, such as smooth or gold, and control the shape of the tobacco pack. Co-author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, from the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, Oxford, UK, added: Our evidence suggests that standardized packaging can change attitudes and beliefs about smoking, and the evidence we have so far suggests that standardized packaging may reduce smoking prevalence and increase quit attempts. We didnt find any studies on whether changing tobacco packaging affects the number of young people starting to smoke, and we look forward to further research on this topic. Full citation: McNeill A, Gravely S, Hitchman SC, Bauld L, Hammond D, Hartmann-Boyce J. Tobacco packaging design for reducing tobacco use. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2017, Issue 4. Art. No: CD011244. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD011244 Consumers are being warned about the accuracy of heart rate apps after a study found huge variability between commercially available apps, even those using the same technology. The research is published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. "Heart rate apps come installed on many smartphones and once people see them it is human nature to use them and compare their results with others," said last author Dr. Christophe Wyss, a cardiologist at Heart Clinic Zurich, Switzerland. "The problem is that there is no law requiring validation of these apps and therefore no way for consumers to know if the results are accurate." This study tested the accuracy of four commercially available heart rate apps (randomly selected) using two phones, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. Some apps use contact photoplethysmography (touching fingertip to the phone's built-in camera), while other apps use non-contact photoplethysmography (camera is held in front of the face). Accuracy was assessed by comparing the results to the clinical gold standard measurements. These are the electrocardiogram (ECG), which measures the electrical activity of the heart using leads on the chest, and fingertip pulse oximetry which uses photoplethysmography. The study included 108 patients who had their heart rate measured by ECG, pulse oximetry, and each app using each phone. The researchers found substantial differences in accuracy between the four apps. In some apps there were differences of more than 20 beats per minute compared to ECG in over 20% of the measurements. The non-contact apps performed less well than the contact apps, particularly at higher heart rates and lower body temperatures. The non-contact apps had a tendency to overestimate higher heart rates. Dr. Wyss said: "While it's easy to use the non-contact apps - you just look at your smartphone camera and it gives your heart rate - the number it gives is not as accurate as when you have contact with your smartphone by putting your fingertip on the camera." But the performance of the two contact apps was also different. One app measured heart rate with comparable accuracy to pulse oximetry but the other app did not give the correct measurement. "The one contact app was excellent, performing almost like a medically approved pulse oximeter device, but the other app was not accurate even though they use the same technology," said Dr. Wyss. The researchers tried to find the reason for the difference in performance between the two contact apps. But they found that the variation could not be explained by camera technology (iPhone 4 versus iPhone 5), age, body temperature, or heart rate itself. "The difference in performance between the contact apps is probably down to the algorithm the app uses to calculate heart rate which is commercially confidential," said Dr. Wyss. "It means that just because the underlying technology works in one app doesn't mean it works in another one and we can't assume that all contact heart rate apps are accurate." Dr Wyss said: "Before you measure your heart rate have a specific question in mind, don't just measure it for fun. For example, 'is my heart rate too high when I feel something strange in my heart?' or 'is it too low when I feel dizzy?'." He concluded: "Consumers and interpreting physicians need to be aware that the differences between apps are huge and there are no criteria to assess them. We also don't know what happens to the heart rate data and whether it is stored somewhere, which could be an issue for data protection." Language has such a powerful effect, it can influence the way in which we experience time, according to a new study. Professor Panos Athanasopoulos, a linguist from Lancaster University and Professor Emanuel Bylund, a linguist from Stellenbosch University and Stockholm University, have discovered that people who speak two languages fluently think about time differently depending on the language context in which they are estimating the duration of events. The finding, reported in the 'Journal of Experimental Psychology: General', published by the American Psychological Association, reports the first evidence of cognitive flexibility in people who speak two languages. Bilinguals go back and forth between their languages rapidly and, often, unconsciously -- a phenomenon called code-switching. But different languages also embody different worldviews, different ways of organizing the world around us. And time is a case in point. For example, Swedish and English speakers prefer to mark the duration of events by referring to physical distances, e.g. a short break, a long wedding, etc. The passage of time is perceived as distance traveled. But Greek and Spanish speakers tend to mark time by referring to physical quantities, e.g.. a small break, a big wedding. The passage of time is perceived as growing volume. The study found that bilinguals seemed to flexibly utilize both ways of marking duration, depending on the language context. This alters how they experience the passage of time. In the study, Professor Bylund and Professor Athanasopoulos asked Spanish-Swedish bilinguals to estimate how much time had passed while watching either a line growing across a screen or a container being filled. At the same time, participants were prompted with either the word 'duracion' (the Spanish word for duration) or 'tid' (the Swedish word for duration). The results were clear-cut. When watching containers filling up and prompted by the Spanish prompt word, bilinguals based their time estimates of how full the containers were, perceiving time as volume. They were unaffected by the lines growing on screens. Conversely, when given the Swedish prompt word, bilinguals suddenly switched their behaviour, with their time estimates becoming influenced by the distance the lines had travelled, but not by how much the containers had filled. "By learning a new language, you suddenly become attuned to perceptual dimensions that you weren't aware of before," says Professor Athanasopoulos. "The fact that bilinguals go between these different ways of estimating time effortlessly and unconsciously fits in with a growing body of evidence demonstrating the ease with which language can creep into our most basic senses, including our emotions, our visual perception, and now it turns out, our sense of time. "But it also shows that bilinguals are more flexible thinkers, and there is evidence to suggest that mentally going back and forth between different languages on a daily basis confers advantages on the ability to learn and multi-task, and even long term benefits for mental well-being." The NObreath FeNO monitor is a handheld, battery powered, fully portable device that can determine the amount of nitric oxide (NO) exhaled in a persons breath, often referred to as fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). FeNO is used as a biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation, as a means to detect and manage various respiratory diseases, especially asthma, which according to Asthma UK, affects more than 5 million adults and children in the UK1. The recent challenge for Bedfont Scientific Ltd. has been to get healthcare professionals to implement FeNO testing in general practice. The goal is to cement the NObreath FeNO monitor as device that can meet all end users requirements, while providing an easy solution for physicians to monitor and diagnose many respiratory conditions. Image credit: Bedfont Scientific The client At the University Hospital Llandough, Wales, the Respiratory Unit used the NObreath FeNO breath monitor to complete 300 tests over a period of five months. In respiratory clinics, FeNO testing serves as an important tool helping consultants both in the diagnosis and differentiation of many respiratory disorders to manage and monitor the patients treatment regimen. Lois Penhaligan, who works as a specialist respiratory physiologist at the Lung Function Laboratory in Llandough, explains the reason for purchasing the FeNO monitor: The test was being requested by our respiratory consultants during routine clinics with adult patients. This can be used with patients who have respiratory symptoms, particularly with an unexplained cough and we are looking for the possible cause. The FeNO breath test is used for an assessment of airway inflammation, for the assessment of the effectiveness of a treatment, for example, a bronchodilator and for the management of a disease, for example asthma. Bedfonts response Bedfont responded by providing a monitor that combines intelligent design and high-quality technology with accessibility and ease of use. We were looking for a monitor that was lightweight, portable, had a quick analyser to do multiple tests during a very busy respiratory clinic. We chose this particular competitor due to the price of the product which was quoted for the monitor as a whole, in comparison to our previous monitor which had different expenses for different parts of the monitor which also had different expiry dates. We also liked that the monitor did not have an expiry date and the after sales cost was simply to buy more mouthpieces when we ran out. We liked that the monitor was given to us to loan for a period before purchasing. Lois Penhaligan, specialist respiratory physiologist at the University Hospital Llandough. Results In addition, the NObreath FeNO testing has considerably enhanced the clinical service at the Llandough respiratory clinic. Its a very quick and simple way of measuring airway inflammation. Its very easy for the patient to use and it is very rare that a patient cannot comply with the technique to produce an accurate result. Lois Penhaligan, specialist respiratory physiologist at the University Hospital Llandough. A respiratory physiologist demonstrating the NObreath FeNO monitor with a student. Image credit: Bedfont Scientific It is very quick at analysing the breath sample. It has an incentive for the patient to look at during the exhalation in the form of the ball bearing, which helps the patient to gauge the strength of their blow. It is very lightweight and portable meaning it can be moved into different testing rooms with ease. The only downside I feel is that sometimes the mouthpieces are very stiff to get on and will slide off before the patient has put their mouth around or during the test which causes a leak. The ease of pushing on the mouthpiece varies between mouthpieces. Dr Paul Thomas comments on the NObreath A tight seal needs to be achieved between the NObreath flow and the mouthpiece. It can be easier to join the mouthpiece and the flow together before being inserted into the front of the NObreath monitor. Conclusion The aim for the future is to use the NObreath and FeNO testing to assist respiratory health care professionals, in both primary and secondary care, toward support of their routine decisions in patient diagnosis and respiratory disorder treatment. At the University Hospital Llandough, future plans for the Respiratory Unit as cited by Paul Thomas are to: continue to use the NObreath as an important departmental equipment tool to helping the process to ascertain both the diagnosis and severity of individual patients condition as instructed clinically for our patients by our lead consultant physicians. Paul Thomas, the head of department and senior chief respiratory physiologist at the Lung Function Laboratory at University of Llandough Hospital, endorsed and agreed the case study work carried out by Lois Penhalighan. References Asthma UK, Asthma facts and statistics. (2017). https://www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/facts-and-statistics/ [accessed 3 January 2017]. About Bedfont Scientific Bedfont Scientific has specialised in the design and manufacture of exhaled breath and gas monitoring instruments since 1976. For medical gas monitoring, their Medi-Gas Check medical pipeline testing range verifies not only the quantity but also quality of gas administered to patients. Bedfont's breath analysers include carbon monoxide (CO) monitors such as the Smokerlyzer, used for smoking cessation, and the ToxCO, used by emergency services, to diagnose CO poisoning. The NObreath FeNO monitor provides accurate analysis of airway inflammation for the control of asthma, and the Gastrolyzer range aids in the detection of gastrointestinal disorders and food intolerances. Quick and non-invasive, breath analysis is the new blood test. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. Patna: Patna High Court on Wednesday revoked the ban on production of industrial spirit by distilleries in the state. State government has no right to ban production of spirit as it is used in various other industries apart from making liquor, the high court said in its verdict. The verdict comes a month after a high court bench, comprising of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon, Justice AK Tripathi and Justice Sudheer Singh reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of both distillers and the state government in April. Bihar government, in a notification issued on January 24, 2017, had banned production of spirit in the state. Global Spirit Limited and others challenged the governments decision in HC. Advocate Satyaveer Bharti, who argued for spirit manufacturers, said the HC verdict meant that investment to the tune of Rs 100 crore made in the state after December, 2015 had been safeguarded. The state government, in April, 2015, had announced a complete ban on alcohol in Bihar. Subsequently state government also came down heavily on bottling plants and banned production of spirit as well. The Patna HC, in 2016, had ordered the government to stop enforcing the ban, but the Supreme Court had stayed the order a month later. New Delhi: Kerala government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court, claiming senior IPS officer T P Senkumar cannot be reinstated as the State Police Chief. Filing an application to clarify the courts judgment of April 24, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the Kerala has contended that Senkumar was appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) before his removal in June 2016 and therefore he cannot be reinstated as Director General of Police & State Police Chief. In its application, the state government has argued that Senkumar was neither empanelled nor selected as the State Police Chief and he was holding the post as DGP and Head of Police Force when he was removed. It has asked the court to modify its judgment to the state that he could be appointed only as the DGP. At the same time, the state government has said, it was also filing a review petition separately against the order of his reinstatement. The state government has added there was another person appointed as the State Police Chief and therefore, the court required to clarify that its April 24 judgment would not affect this appointment. The Kerala governments move has come less than a week after Senkumar filed a contempt plea in the apex court, accusing Kerala government of breaching the court orders by not reinstating him. Senkumar, through his lawyers Dushyant Dave and Harris Beeran, told the court that there were deliberate attempts by the state government to dilly dally the matter so that he reaches the age of superannuation on June 30. The court has agreed to hear Senkumars plea on Friday. On April 24, a bench led by Justice Madan B Lokur had directed the state government to reinstate Senkumar, who, according to the court, was unfairly and arbitrarily dealt with. In a first such order on reinstatement of a top police officer, the court nullified the state governments order dated June 1, 2016 whereby Senkumar was shunted out as DGP and made chairman and managing director of Kerala Police Housing and Construction Corporation Ltd. Examining the Kerala Police Act 2011, which assures a minimum tenure of two years for DGPs, the court had held there was no justification in law to displace Senkumar before the end of his term. Senkumar was appointed in May 2015. It further stated that the court was disturbed by the fact that aspersions were cast on Senkumar only after the LDF government came to power in May 2016. The removal or displacement or transfer out of an officer from a sensitive tenure post requires serious consideration and good reasons that can be tested so that the officer is not dealt with as a pawn in a game. Unfortunately, the somewhat exacting standards are absent in the present case and the appellant (Senkumar) was displaced from the post of state police chief summarily and without reasonable cause, it held. Senkumar was removed following his indictment in the Puttingal Temple tragedy in Kollam in which more than 100 people lost their life. The government blamed him for allegedly protecting erring police officials. The second case related to alleged laxity in the initial probe into the murder of a Dalit girl. However, in his affidavit in the court, Senkumar said the CPM was acting maliciously against him since he had conducted honest probe into the murders of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan, Muslim League activist Ariyil Shukkoor and RSS leader Kathiroor Manoj. The involvement of CPM leaders in all these cases was alleged. The bench, in its judgment, had noted that there was nothing to hold Senkumar directly responsible for any lapses. Kolkata: The highlight of BJP President Amit Shahs recent visit to West Bengal was his lunch at a Mahali, the tribe which speaks Mahali language, house in Naxalbari. The images of Shah sitting on the floor of Raju Mahalis house at South Katiajote village and having rice, dal, potol bhaja (fried gourd dish), squash curry, salad and papad served on a banana leaf went viral. In a dramatic turn of events less than a week after Shahs visit, members of Mahali family, who greeted Shah with lunch, first went missing on Tuesday night and then resurfaced on Wednesday morning along with Trinamool Congress leader Gautam Deb. Speaking to reporters, Deb said, Mahalis have willingly joined TMC today. There was no pressure on them. They have decided to join TMC after being convinced with Mamata Banerjees immense developmental work in the state. They will soon be given responsibility to work for TMC, he added. Standing beside Deb, Raju Mahali, with tears in his eyes, said, I am happy to join TMC today. We will work to strengthen the party in Naxalbari. His wife Geeta was also seen crying. The BJP leaders have accused the TMC leaders of threatening the Mahali family and forcing it to join the party. On Tuesday night we got information that Raju, a painter, and his wife Geeta, farm labour, and others went missing from their house. We immediately rushed to the Naxalbari police station and alerted the officer, BJP leader Dilip Barui told News18. Barui said Mahalis were under pressure from the local Trinamool Congress unit ever since Amit Shah and state BJP President Dilip Ghosh had lunch at their house on April 25. When asked, Tapan Pal, officer in-charge of Naxalbari Police station said, On Tuesday night, BJP workers led by Dilip Barui came to us and complained that Mahalis were missing from their house in South Katiajote village. We are looking in to the matter. BJPs Siliguri district president Praveen Agarwal said Deb had abducted Mahalis. Mahalis were kidnapped by Gautam Debs men. Mahalis are under pressure to join the TMC. BJP workers are there in Naxalbari police station and we are demanding immediate action against those who are involved in the incident, said Agarwal. Foreign Secretary summons Pak HC, conveys India's outrage, demands action against Pak soldiers and commanders responsible pic.twitter.com/lKaRzIlhKb Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) May 3, 2017 Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday over the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers along Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.Following the meeting, the MEA in a statement said, The Foreign Secretary conveyed Indias outraged at the killing and the babaric act of mutilation of bodies of two Indian soldiers on May 1, 2017, by Pakistani army personnel.Government of India demands that Pakistan take immediate action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for the hideous act, the statement, issued after the meeting, added.The incident occurred in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district on Monday when the Pakistani Army attacked a patrol team on Monday.The Indian Army has vowed an appropriate response to the despicable act.Pakistan army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts along the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector. Simultaneously, a Border Action Team (BAT) action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated, a statement by the Indian Army said.The grave act of provocation fuelled the tension between the two countries even further with ties already strained over death penalty being given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of spying and Islamabads constant raking up of the Kashmir issue. Srinagar: Militants snatched 6 service rifles of policemen guarding the District Court Complex in Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir. Police said a group of ultras sneaked into the premises of court complex around 9 PM in Shopian town and overpowered the five policemen on duty, the official said. He said the militants snatched the SLR rifles of the policemen before leaving the place. No one was injured in the incident. All the five policemen were suspended for the alleged dereliction of duty as they offered no resistance when the militants looted their weapons, they said. Following the snatching incident, an alert was sounded in the district. The incident comes a day after militants gunned down seven persons, including five policemen, who were accompanying a district treasury van in adjoining Kulgam district. Police believe that same group of terrorists were involved in both the incidents. Srinagar: Suspected militants in Jammu and Kashmir are taking advantage of the prevailing unrest in the state by looting banks and arms on a daily basis now. Two banks were looted in two hours in Pulwama on Wednesday, taking the total number to four in the last two days. Nine rifles have been snatched, five of them when the police were disarmed on Tuesday night in a court complex in Shopian. "Militants looted two banks within 12 KM and fled with over Rs 6 lakh cash in Pulwama district," Pulwama police chief Rayees Mohammad Bhat told News 18. Five militants decamped from Ellaquai Dehati Bank with Rs 4.9 lakh at Wahibug, and Rs 1.3 lakh from Nihama branch of Jammu and Kashmir bank. "Five armed militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba looted the two banks. We have identified two local militants, Majid Mir and Shabir Dar, who are behind the armed robberies," added Bhat. The dacoities came several hours after a pistol-borne militant ran away with Rs 65000 cash from Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Yaripora village of Kulgam. Five policemen and two bank guards were brutally killed when a Jammu and Kashmir Bank cash van, they were accompanying, was targeted by militants. The militants ran away with four rifles but found no cash in the van as it had already been deposited at nearby branches. "Militants are short of money and arms. They require money to buy costly cell phones. They are now buying I-phones and high tech cells. This because they think costly phones are safe and also to show off," said Bhat. Since last six months, more than 11 attempts have been made to loot cash from banks. Four branches were looted in Pulwama, two in Shopian, two in Kulgam, one each in Budgam and Kishtwar. And Monday's attack on cash van. Sources say demonetization had hit the militants and their overground workers hard and they were suddenly facing a cash crunch. This started to impair their operations like managing arms and ammunition, mainly for the 150-odd new recruits. Though the Hizbul Mujahideen had recently told local media that they were flush with funds, police sources maintain lootings were being carried out by the modules of both Lashkar and Hizbul. "We have arrested seven people in two cases," Bhat said. Police say they killed a Laskar militant named Abu Ali, a Pakistan national, who was the prime accused of the bank robberies in Pulwama. Bank robberies apart, militants are now snatching arms to equip new recruits. Since the last six months, more than 35 rifles have been snatched. Only last night, militants disarmed five cops and decamped with four INSAS and one AK 47 riffles. On Wednesday, the cops were placed under suspension for not standing up to militants. Alarmed by the cash and arms loot, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti made a strong pitch to refrain from robbery and killings. "What we are achieving by this robbery and bloodbath. There cant be a bigger misfortune than this," she said, soon after consoling families of the fallen Kulgam cops. In an exclusive interview to's, Punjab Chief Ministerspeaks about the reported life threat given to him by the supporters of the Khalistan Movement in Canada. He also speaks about Harjit Singh Sajjan and mutilation of two army jawans by Pakistani forces.: I have never been bothered by threats to my life. Whether it is in the service or whether it is in the political career. I have completed nearly 25 years in the political career; I have been through the peak of the Khalistan movement in Punjab and it hasn't bothered me in the least bit and if these fellows shout their head off in Canada it doesn't bother me even the slightest bit, so they can keep shouting their heads off. We are very clear in our mind; we want a strong country, we want a stable country, we want a stable Punjab. I want Punjab to be stable so that I can get on with the business of development. I have got youngsters without jobs, and these fellows in Canada who don't have the slightest idea of what's going on in Punjab keep disturbing the peace in the state and I will certainly not let it have it happen.: I have only seen the news that the Canadian High Commission has taken it up with their foreign office. That's their job. But, it's nothing to do with me. And as far as I am concerned it doesn't bother me the least bit what the Khalistanis shout about; they can keep shouting, for all I care, because I have heard too much of this. They think their threats are going to deter me from the path I have always taken. Sadly, they are mistaken.: I am not going to Canada. I don't care what the government thinks. I don't know what the Canadian government wants. But, it is my job to raise issues which could affect my state and my country. These people who are from the Sikh community who are part of Trudeau's Cabinet most of them have Khalistani leanings. I have been saying that right through, that is why when Sajjan came here I refused to meet him, because I don't want to. There are people in Canada and other countries who want to disturb the peace of my state. And I want development to take place. And if the peace is disturbed nobody will come here; nobody will invest in my state. And, I don't want that to happen.: I don't think Trudeau knows much about the Khalistan Movement. But certainly these are his ministers. There are these 3-4 chaps; I have forgotten their names; other than Sajjan's, but I did name them some weeks ago and those are the people who are creating problems. You know when they say all these things and they go and make these files. They say they are going to do this and that and create some sort of a new country and all these sorts of nonsense. They are disturbing the peace of my state. There are some people here who fall for these sorts of things. And that is the sort of thing I don't want. Punjab has been through very difficult times. From the 70s onwards, Punjab has not had any investment. Why not? Because, people don't want to go to a disturbed state. Therefore, I want peace in my state. I want stability in my state. Do you get it? So that I can get Punjab moving. And these people don't care. And they just keep shouting their heads off. Because their law permits it. And why don't they have the courage of their conviction if they are so pro-Khalistan? Come and speak in my state. Come to India. Come to Punjab. They will get to know their worth.: When you leave this to the army to decide you can't tell the army when you should respond and how you should respond. Let the army chief decide along with the Army commander of the North where this is taking place and I am sure there will be a response. What are my views? My views are very clear. If they cut the head of one of our own then we need to get some heads from their side too. That is very clear. I am not a soft lion around this. I am a soldier. Unfortunately, we are a gentlemen's army. We have never done these sort of things. I have seen what they have done to our boys. Forget about now, I have just finished writing a book on Saragadi; after the Sargadi was taken in 1879, after taking it they had mutilated the dead bodies. They did the same thing to that young Lieutenant Kalia in Kargil of the 4 Jats. They got him, his fingers were broken, his legs were broken, his teeth was smashed in, his eyes were gouged out, and they eventually cut out his genitals and stuck them in his mouth and killed that youngster. So, they seem to be hell bent on doing these sort of things. And I think we should stop being a gentleman's army.: Do you know that I have been off the road for the last two months? I cannot walk. I have got a broken tendon in my foot, and I have just had an MRI in the morning to see how things are going. Let me tell you one thing, Naib Subedar was from my regiment from the 22nd battalion of the Sikh regiment. I am very much a Sikh officer; when I say, Sikh officer, I mean Sikh regiment. For me, it would have been my duty to go there both as a regimental officer and Chief Minister of the state. I could not go but I sent my ministers; I sent all my MLAs; all our DCs; all our district officers went there; everyone went there. And, when I get better I will also go and see the family. So don't try to always make an issue out of a non-issue.: I think you guys should look into my timeline sometimes when I quote something because this is the first reaction from me in which I said that what that Major did is absolutely the correct thing and had I been in the service today, I would have done the exact same thing. Your task is what? To look after your men and to carry out the talks that have been given to you. His task was to save the CRPF boys there and also to save election teams. And he carried it out in the best way. He was being pelted with stones, his boys could have been injured; the voting parties could have been injured, so he caught hold of the chap and took a decision which was the right decision that prevented the stone throwing and he got his men out without injuries. He got the teams without injuries. He completed his task. Instead, of giving him a pat on the back, you are trying to harm that youngster. I think he should suitably be awarded by the government of India, by the ministry of defence and the army for using his initiative and doing this.: Look I will tell you one thing. No it's not a government failure. You must understand one thing: if you want peace, the government's writ must run. If you think these people can take law into their own hands and start throwing stones and smashing people up and doing all sorts of things and then the government is going to come and talk to them, certainly not. I will be the first person to object to any negotiations unless the government first gets the upper hand. The security forces must get an upper hand then only you can talk about bringing people to the negotiating table. You may eventually have to end the negotiations but that is a latter stage, not today. Today, I think first thing is to ensure that law and order is maintained and I think the government of India and the government of Kashmir are working it out between them.: No. Let's be clear. You can't blame a Prime Minister for action in Chhattisgarh or for action in Kashmir because these are the things that would go on. I do not know what current government's policy on Kashmir is. But certainly I have given you my views on what Kashmir's should be. However, what happened in Chhattisgarh was a tragic incident. When the CRPF men stopped for lunch they should have put out sentries and then have had their lunch. Why was there no officer there? Why weren't procedures followed? Why didn't they engage the Naxals? Why weren't Naxal bodies seen? Why did that company disintegrate? And, why weren't they properly led into that area when you know you are in a hostile zone? Somebody should ask this question. What is the training being given to these boys? I know that in the army we go to jungle warfare schools before you are inducted or before you go the valley you are put through a six-month course before the battalions go into actual counter-insurgency operations. These are the things that happen. But, the CRPF boys, you don't train them. You don't give them enough firing experience.: Well, I think of course the Defense Minister is necessary. We have hostility all around us. You see China is swamping us from all sides. You see the Chinese navy come right into the Indian Ocean sitting in Gwadar Port. You see them in the South China Sea. The Karakoram Highway has been built to Gwadar, so they have a land route also coming in. Then they are going swinging around Pakistan, also the Chinese have got people sitting in every country which is surrounding India and they have long term plans. So I think certainly, we need a Defense Minister. We need to see that deficiencies are filled up. We need to see that we have more aircraft carriers. The defence minister has to see that our armour is built up. I am surprised why we don't have a permanent defence minister.: Well, that has always been there. If you look at our history of warfare, whenever there has been any war with China, war with Pakistan, the country has been together. When there is a threat to the nation every party supports the government's action. New Delhi: Pakistan army on Wednesday morning violated the ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second ceasefire violation by Pakistan in less than 48 hours. Sources said that the violation took place at 2:30 am and continued till 5:30 am. Indian Army has retaliated to the violation. No casualties have been reported yet. This incident took place at the same place where 2 days ago the bodies of two Indian soldiers were mutilated by the Pakistan Army which violated ceasefire and attacked a patrol team near the border. The Indian Army has vowed an "appropriate" response to the despicable act. Pakistan army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts along the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector. Simultaneously, a Border Action Team (BAT) action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated, a statement by the Indian Army said. "Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded," the army statement added. Pakistan, however, continued to be in denial and affirmed that it can never "disrespect a soldier even Indian". "Pakistan Army did not commit any ceasefire violation on Line of Control or a BAT action in Buttal sector (Indian Krishna Ghatti Sector)as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers' bodies are also false. Pakistan Army is a highly professional force and shall never disrespect a soldier even Indian," read a statement from Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). New Delhi: Hardening its stand against pharmaceutical giants Abbott, Medtronic and Boston Scientific, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has asked hospitals, doctors and patients at large to report on any shortage of coronary stents after these companies had tried to withdraw from India last month. In an office memorandum dated May 2, the authority requested people to report back shortage of Medtronics Resolute Onyx Zotarolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System, Abbotts Absorb GTI-Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) and Xience Alpine Medical Device, and Boston Scientifics SYNERGY monorail Everolimus-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System and Promus PREMIER Everolimus- Eluting Coronary Stent System. These multinational companies had applied to withdraw their apparently latest generation coronary stents from the Indian market with Abbott leading the pack on April 22. Soon after the government had imposed price cap on stents, the companies had called it commercially unviable to bring the latest technology to India. However, on April 26, the NPPA denied Abbott and Medtronic permission to withdraw their stents from the country, stating the application was not duly signed. The NPPA had also ordered the companies, under the Drug Prices Control Order 2013, to ensure a steady supply of the stents in question and submit weekly reports on their availability. Mondays memorandum is another reminder to the industry to stop its posturing, as senior officials in the NPPA see it. Speaking to News18 soon after Abbotts announcement, Anand Kadkol the spokesperson for the company said that while the move did not mean there would be any shortage of stents in India, they could not bring their latest technology here. Following the NPPA price ceiling decision, we have examined and reexamined whether there is a sustainable way to make available in India two of Abbotts latest stent technologies, the Alpine drug eluting stent and the Absorb dissolving stent, considering their higher manufacturing costs and other associated costs. We have determined it is not sustainable, and we have applied to the NPPA to withdraw these two stents, said Kadkol. However, soon enough reports emerged in the media that Abbotts Absorb, which the company sees as evolutionary technology, had raised safety concerns across the world, including in the US FDA, over adverse events. According to reports, there is no evidence that Absorb, which dissolves into the body over a period of time, has any benefits over the more commonly used metal stents. Sources monitoring the situation say these skeletons tumbling out of Absorbs closet will damage any popularity it might gain in India. On the other hand, the NPPA is clear that if Abbott wants to withdraw Absorb, then it has to go on record and address the safety concerns in application to the authority. They cannot, as sources said, kill two birds with one stone; exit the country without stating the real reason and damage the price cap measure by making the government look too controlling for industrial to function. Absorbs case is of the different nature. However, the authority isnt too worried about other stents either. Abbott, echoing the rest of the industry, said it was disappointed that the NPPA concluded there is no differentiation in coronary stent technology and that innovation would suffer. The NPPA, however, has put the burden of proof on them, to show that different models of stents require different pricing, which the governments expert committee of cardiologist constituted while determining how price cap found invalid. Abbotts Alpine, too, has been found to be no different from its previous models that have been in the market longer. Whether India truly loses out on latest innovations in technology remains to be seen. For now, the government is confident that the industry cannot hope to ignore the vast market it has in the country. New Delhi: Khalistan supporters based in Canada are heard shouting assassination threats against Punjab CM Amarinder Singh in a series of audio recordings accessed by CNN-News18. The protesters, in what appear to be open threats to Amarinder, are heard shouting, Captain, there was a CM from your party called Beant; you had to collect pieces of his body to perform the last rites. A former Punjab chief minister, Beant Singh, was killed in a car bombing in retaliation for his anti-insurgency operations in Punjab. I want to tell the captain one thing very clearly: do not provoke the Sikhs, said a protester, adding that Punjabs mothers hadnt stopped giving birth to Dilawar Singhs. Dilawar Singh had assassinated the former CM Beant Singh by blowing up his car. Captain Amarinder Singh, least bothered by these threats, told CNN-News18 that even if those fellows shout their heads off in Canada, it doesnt bother me even the slightest bit. We are very clear in our mind: we want a strong country, we want a stable country, we want a stable Punjab. I want Punjab to be stable so that I can get on with the business of development, he added. The sloganeering was not just against the Punjab CM, but also against KPS Gill, the former director general of Punjab Police who is credited with ending insurgency in the state. The audio file, purportedly from a protest march, spews hatred on the former DGP. You met with a person who hunted down Sikhs. You greeted him with flowers after you became the chief minister. KPS Gill is a mass murderer who dragged people out of their homes and killed them, a protester could be heard saying in the audio clip. Canadian defence minister Harjit Sajjan, who was recently in India, also found references in the audio. CM Amarinder had denied meeting with Sajjan, saying he was a Khalistani movement sympathiser. Amarinder had, however, ensured the security of the Canadian CM. You accused our Defense Minister of being a terrorist. You insulted the Sikhs. We challenge you from this land, well welcome you in such a way that you will never mess with us Sikhs again. You have provoked all Sikhs. We challenge you to come to Canada, threats blared out from the audio clip. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to seek explanations from police departments of various states on cow vigilantism. No State will take care of it. Why should we presume anything? said a bench led by Justice Dipak Misra when the lawyer for a PIL petitioner sought direction to make police departments also parties to the case. The court remarked that state governments are already parties to the matter and that they have been issued notices for submitting their replies. It shot down a plea by senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde, who was appearing for petitioner and social activist Tehseen Poonawalla, that police officers have to be held personally responsible for all illegal acts by gau rakshak dals. We dont want to pass any orders right now. Let the affidavits come, said the court as it gave six weeks to the central government and five states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, to respond. Karnataka government has submitted its response saying it doesnt support any illegal action in the name of cow vigilantism. The court will now hear the matter in July. The PIL is seeking a ban on cow vigilante groups in the six states. It also raises challenges to state laws on gau rakshak dals. New Delhi: Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death penalty awarded to Vasanta Sampat Dupare, accused of raping a 4-year-old girl and then subsequently killing her. The Supreme Court noted that the depraved and barbaric nature of the crime committed by the 55-year-old man called for the death sentence. In 2008, Dupare had lured the minor girl with chocolates and then, raped and killed her brutally by crushing her head with a heavy rock in Nagpur, Maharashtra. After killing the victim, Dupare had hidden her body. Testimonies of several witnesses, coupled with other scientific and circumstantial evidence, helped the SC upheld the death sentence. The rape of a minor girl child is nothing but a monstrous burial of her dignity in the darkness. It is a crime against the holy body of a girl child and the soul of the society and such a crime is aggravated by the manner in which it has been committed. The nature of the crime and the manner in which it has been committed speak about its uncommonness. The crime speaks of depravity, degradation and uncommonality. It is diabolical and barbaric, the court had held in 2014. Dupare was handed down the death penalty by the Bombay High Court in 2012 and was confirmed by the Supreme Court in 2014. Later, Dupare filed a review petition, citing his mental illness during the incarceration. The Supreme Court, however, observed that the nature of his crime was grave and deserved no reconsideration. New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said that that they have enough proof that the Pakistan Army was involved in the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, the MEA summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and lodged a protest about the incident. We have sufficient proof that Pakistan Army crossed the LoC at Krishna Ghati. We have asked the Pakistan government to take action on the Army commanders responsible for this heinous act, MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a press conference. Pakistans envoy should convey the Indian outrage. Of course, he has denied involvement in the beheadings, he added. The incident occurred in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district on Monday when the Pakistani Army attacked a patrol team on Monday. Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of the BSF and Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army were killed and their bodies were mutilated. Blood samples of Indian soldiers involved have been collected & we also have trail of blood leading up to the LoC. This shows people came from across the borders have returned to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. We have told the Pakistan High Commissioner that we have enough evidence. We are sure that this barbaric act was conducted by the Pakistan Army, Baglay said. The Indian Army has vowed an appropriate response to the despicable act. Pakistan army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts along the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector. Simultaneously, a Border Action Team (BAT) action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated, a statement by the Indian Army said. The grave act of provocation fuelled the tension between the two countries even further with ties already strained over death penalty being given to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of spying and Islamabads constant raking up of the Kashmir issue. New Delhi: Following the Army cautioning Islamabad that it would face consequences for the killing and mutilation of two soldier, Pakistan's military on Tuesday warned India that they would respond to any "misadventure". The warning was issued during a hotline contact between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India in an attempt to defuse tensions. "Any misadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing," a statement issued by the Army said, as reported by PTI. The statement also said that Pakistan remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC and expects the same from the other side. The Pakistan army also asked India to provide "actionable evidence" to substantiate its charge claim that a Pakistani special forces team sneaked across the LoC, beheaded two Indian security personnel and mutilated their bodies. The incident evoked a sharp reaction from India with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley saying such attacks do not even take place during war and that the whole country has full faith in the armed forces. "Bodies of soldiers being mutilated is an extreme form of barbaric act. Government of India strongly condemns this act. The whole country has full faith in our armed forces which will react appropriately to the act," Jaitley had said. India's Vice Chief of Army Staff Sarath Chand said that Pakistan will have to face the consequences of mutilating bodies of two Indian soldiers and the army will respond to the dastardly act at a time and place of its choice. (With PTI inputs) Sengupta was defending the governments new law that makes Aadhaar mandatory for having PAN cards and also for filing Income Tax returns. He said the legislature was competent to enact Section 139AA, which was inserted in the Income Tax Act under the Finance Act, 2017. This scheme makes whole-time surveillance from cradle to the grave possible. This is perhaps the worst project possible under our Constitution. Entire architecture of Aadhaar is worthless as far as information security is concerned. We are concerned with one-seventh of the total population of the world in the wake of a scheme where degree of invasion is extremely high and protection much low, said Divan. : The Central government on Wednesday admitted in the Supreme Court that Aadhaar card holders data were indeed leaked, but maintained that there was no leakage by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).Arguing for the government, advocate Arghya Sengupta told a bench led by Justice A K Sikri that the leakage was by various other government departments and state agencies. Sengupta said the leakage might have occurred on account of balancing transparency and data protection concerns.As Justice Sikri pointed out that there were reports in the newspapers even on Wednesday about leakage of Aadhaar data, Sengupta said there could be some errors here and there and some IDs were perhaps issued in the names of Hanuman and dogs but UID remains the most sophisticated and authentic biometric system.There is no absolute right to informational self-determination, said Sengupta as he added the issue was not about discriminating between people on the basis of their having Aadhaar, but the purpose for UID was to prevent de-duplication and to ensure targeted delivery of services to the identified sections.Stating that no enactment could solve a problem in entirety, the lawyer contended that only individuals and not companies were required to have Aadhaar since individuals were the first target. Tomorrow, we may replace PAN with Aadhaar if such a need arises, he added.Senior lawyer Shyam Divan, who represents the PIL petitioner in the matter, rebutted Senguptas argument, saying it was not enough for the Centre to say that UIDAI was not leaking data. In the eyes of citizen, all state authorities are State anyway, he asserted.Appearing for retired Major General S G Vombatkere and social activist Bezwada Wilson, Divan questioned how the Finance Act could make getting Aadhaar mandatory when the Aadhaar Act said obtaining UID was completely voluntary.He said nobody can tell him not to make a big deal of concerns about a persons rights. Civil rights movement was started by a woman who was made to sit at the back of a bus. Nobody asked her to make a big deal of this, added Divan.The arguments in the case remained inconclusive and would resume on Thursday. New Delhi: The body of a Border Security Force trooper killed in Jammu and Kashmir was finally cremated on Wednesday in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath personally intervened and pacified his angry family. Head constable Ram Sagar was killed and his body mutilated after his patrol was attacked by the Pakistani Army along the Line of Control in Poonch district of J&K on Monday, Earlier, Sagar's inconsolable and angry family had refused to cremate his mortal remains until Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited them. Officials told IANS that the Chief Minister spoke to the bereaved family late on Tuesday night and extended his sympathies to them. He also assured them a visit before the 'terhvi' (the thirteenth day post-death ritual observed by the Hindus). Angry villagers had blocked rail traffic for several hours in protest on Tuesday evening in Deoria. Adityanath is also learnt to have assured a "befitting memorial" honouring Sagar and a primary school in the village to commemorate him. Sagar along with Punjab's Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member patrol team near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district when they were suddenly attacked by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) on Monday. (With IANS inputs) Over the years, credibility of #NationalFilmAwards has increased thanks to the utmost sincerity, honesty and neutrality of the jury members. pic.twitter.com/MJLkVr7HSO M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) May 3, 2017 An important day in my life with the most important people in the world to me, my family #NationalFilmAwards pic.twitter.com/nM2RdhnunG Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 3, 2017 #Dangal actress and the winner of #NationalFilmAwards actress in a supporting role #ZairaWasim at the ceremony pic.twitter.com/sdYRWLIYIR MissKyra (@MissKyra12) May 3, 2017 It is indeed a big day for several big and popular names from our showbiz industry. For their perseverance and commitment gets acknowledged with the prestigious National Awards. President Pranab Mukherjee today presented the 64th National Awards to the winners in the capital today.The 64th National Film Awards jury which was chaired by veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan had declared the winners on April 7.While Akshay Kumar was chosen as Best Actor for Rustom, Surabhi C.M. was named Best Actress for Malayalam movie Minnaminungu - The Firefly. Akshay's performance in thriller Rustom -- a film loosely based on the commander K.M. Nanavati case was appreciated for "a perfect portrayal of a character caught in personal and social turmoil".Surabhi was honoured for displaying her genius in portraying both pain and elation of a mother in a appalling social condition in the Malayalam film.Veteran actor Manoj Joshi bagged the Best Supporting Actor awards for his performance in Marathi film Dashakriya. Kashmir-born actress Zaira Wasim - who has lauded for depicting a female sportsperson's battle with the society with maturity in Dangal was also awarded by the jury under the Best Supporting Actor category. Zaira had essayed the role of young Geeta Phogat in Nitesh Tiwari's directorial.Sonam won National Film Award Special Mention for her performance in Neerja.Neerja is a biographical thriller film, whose plot centers on the hijacking of a Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 1986. It tells the heroic tale of Neerja Bhanot, an air hostess, who lost her life while saving others. Freezing journey comes to end as @BeingSalmanKhan wraps 1st shooting schedule of @TigerZindaHai in Tyrol , Austria pic.twitter.com/V63vnDNrkE ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) March 30, 2017 That's how you call the wrap of a thrilling schedule of @TigerZindaHai with wolf pack leader "Dakota" pic.twitter.com/hHHSqgkbBb ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) March 31, 2017 Hard at work , prep time for Tiger Zinda Hai at yrf . Photography by Aditya Chopra #adityachopradoesexist A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on May 2, 2017 at 6:58am PDT Ever since the photos from the Tiger Zinda Hai started making rounds on the social media, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaifs fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the film.Tiger Zinda Hai will feature Salman who reunites with Katrina Kaif on screen, as the sequel of 2012 hit film Ek Tha Tiger, takes place in Austria.While the film's director, Ali Abbas Zafar had earlier shared a few photos from the Austria shoot, fans also clicked pictures with Salman posing with the film's crew.In this photo, Salman is seen with Austrian Service Producer Ursula Keplinger along with Reinhard Forcher and director Ali Abbas Zafar in Tyrol, Austria.The action sequences of the film have been directed by Tom Struthers, who has worked on Hollywood movies like The Dark Knight and Inception.Recently, Katrina also took to her Instagram account with a post that read, Hard at work , prep time for Tiger Zinda Hai at yrf . Photography by Aditya Chopra #adityachopradoesexist. But whats also interesting is that the photo works in contrast to the photo in which she looks happy as she enjoys a cards game with her Tiger Zinda Hai team.After Morocco and Vienna, the team of Tiger Zinda Hai will shoot in Abu Dhabi over a 65-day schedule from May 4 at multiple locations in the city. A set is being designed by some of those workers who helped to build the Star Wars set in 2013.The Yash Raj Films (YRF) project is a sequel to the blockbuster film "Ek Tha Tiger". Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, it features superstar Salman Khan and actress Katrina Kaif, who are both happy to be shooting there. Like there's no lock made without a key,no problem comes without solutions. Watch & do think,sharing with u'll some thoughts, #DirectDilSe pic.twitter.com/dUcPl4zeXB Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 3, 2017 Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who'll be conferred with the National Award for his performance in Rustom on Wednesday, took to Twitter and urged the youngsters to not give in to any pressure - be it personal or academic - as there is a solution to their problems."Like there's no lock made without a key, no problem comes without solutions. Watch & do think, sharing with u'll some thoughts, #DirectDilSe," Akshay wrote along with a 4-minute long video.He began by expressing his happiness over the National award win and then cited a childhood incident wherein his father asked him to introspect and identify his interests when he failed as a school student."I remember the day when my result was announced and I hadnt score too well. I won't lie - I actually failed in that class. On my way back home, I kept thinking that Id be thrashed. That day, my father asked me what I wanted to pursue in my life. I said mai khel kood karna chaahta hoon, khiladi ban na chaahta hoon. And he said fine, concentrate on that. We'll support you."He further stated that it was because of that motivation and support that he started playing, learned martial arts, entered modelling and eventually paved his way as an actor."Had he not explained and asked me to identify my strengths, I couldn't have ever imagined winning this National Award," he said.But he didn't cite this incident to merely motivate the youth to follow their passion but to make them understand that suicide is never an option and that every dark cloud has an indefinite silver lining if one tries and sees through it.He spoke about the recent suicide cases including that of a 19-year-old IITian who jumped off the Delhi campus building because he was unable to cope up with the pressure and the 24-year-old who first live streamed a suicide tutorial and then reportedly jumped off the 19th floor of a posh hotel in Mumbai."Tumhari jaan ek exam ki marksheet se sasti ho gayi hai? asks Akshay stating the worldwide statistics of suicide cases. He further said that it's better to serve the nation and join Indian Army rather than giving up one's life.He impelled youngsters to think about their parents - before taking such a drastic measure. "No matter what stress you have in life, just imagine the condition of your parents when they'll find out about your suicide. Shayad aap soch bhi nahi sakte unhe kaise feel hoga."He advised parents to not shy away from addressing their children's mental conditions and instead asked them to hold conversations about their day-to-day happenings.Akshay stressed on the fact that it's equally important to seek help for mental health as it is necessary for any other ailment. He signed off by saying that it's important to share problems and not let them pile up in one's mind and heart. New Delhi: The rift within the Aam Aadmi Party remains unresolved even as senior leaders tried to reach out to Kumar Vishwas. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia reached Vishwas residence late on Tuesday night and brought him along to the CMs residence for a meeting that went on for about an hour. Ministers Kapil Mishra and Imran Hussain were also present. A visibly upset Vishwas was later seen leaving the CMs residence. The AAP has called for a meeting of its Political Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Vishwas will attend the meeting. On Tuesday, Vishwas had said that he was disappointed with how the party dealt with Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khans statement on him being a BJP agent. He also said he would decide his next course of action by the end of the day. Had such an allegation been made against Arvind Kejriwal that person would have been kicked out of the party, Vishwas had told CNN-News18. Khan had alleged that Vishwas was conspiring to split the party and was planted by the RSS and the BJP. Its not just one MLA. I think someone else is behind it. After six continuous losses, our movement against corruption has been corrupted. Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia know that I dont want to be CM, deputy CM, or the party chief, he said. Sisodia had hit out at Vishwas, saying "We are hurt by Kumar Vishwas' statements. No one had asked him to apologise." Sisodia also said that Vishwas was making it a personal issue now, and he should have come to the Political Affairs Committee meeting to iron out the differences. The deputy CM also denounced Vishwas' assertion that the party was founded by the trio - Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Vishwas himself. "The party was not founded by the three of us but by thousands of workers," Sisodia added. AAP is a democratic party and all members have the right to bring up any issue they feel like. It is up to the party to decide if it wants to take action or not, party spokesperson Ashutosh told the press on Tuesday. Sources in the party said that Khans statements had done more good than bad for Vishwas, who had decided to skip the PAC meeting on Sunday. If Vishwas is given a larger role in the party, I will support it. We are a democratic party, said Alka Lamba, AAP MLA from Chandni Chowk. Soon after Khans allegations, there were a series of unofficial meetings at deputy chief minister Manish Sisodias residence on Sunday, attended by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders Ashutosh, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh and several MLAs. Later, Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Alka Lamba paid a visit to Vishwas at his Ghaziabad residence. Despite visits from the leaders, Vishwas had refused to attend the crucial PAC meeting till Khan was sacked. Khan, soon after entering the PAC meeting, resigned from the committee. Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged the media not to indulge in biased reporting, calling them pillars of democracy. Issuing a statement on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, she said, The press and the media are important pillars of a democracy. The pen is mightier than the sword. Even television channels and the digital media have all become powerful tools of communication all over India and the world. It has been observed that the media cannot play a completely impartial and effective role because of the political circumstances. In a democratic setup, this is not acceptable to the people. News must always be impartial and bold, so the reader/viewer/internet user always gets justice. We congratulate the press and the media. Let them hold their heads high and do their profession proud, posted Mamata, who is in South Dinajpur district for a party meeting and also to inaugurate a slew of projects. The statement comes in the wake of her recent public speeches, where she has alleged that certain media houses continued to distort her comments. She had threatened to take legal action against them if they continued to do so. Etawah: Triggering a controversy once again, senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday threatened to form a new secular front if Akhilesh Yadav failed to hand over the reins of the party to supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. "Akhilesh had promised to hand over the party to 'netaji' (Mulayam). He should now do so and we all will strengthen the SP. I had also given him three months' time. Otherwise, I will constitute a new secular front," PTIquoated shivpal Yadav as saying. Shivpal had recently said he would soon launch a campaign to unite "samajwadis" (socialists) to bring them on a single platform. The Samajwadi Party had witnessed a bitter feud between uncle Shivpal and nephew former chief minister Akhilesh in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. The Samajwadi party contested the polls under Akhilesh's leadership but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP. Post the election defeat, uncle Shivpal held Akhilesh and Rahul's alliance responsible for a humiliating drubbing. Even before the elections, Shivpal had expressed defiance against the SP-Congress alliance. After filing his nomination for the state polls in January, Shivpal had said he would form a new party after the election results are declared. But, subsequently he had said there was no such move. (with inputs from PTI) New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday met National Conference working president Omar Abdullah and is learnt to have discussed the possibility of putting up a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Gandhi has been at the forefront of evolving a consensus among opposition parties for a joint candidate "acceptable to all". The Congress chief has already met a number of leaders, including Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav, both of the JD(U), Sharad Pawar of the NCP and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. Gandhi is likely to meet other opposition leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati, besides M K Stalin of the DMK in the next few days, the sources said. She has also been holding discussions over telephone with SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on a united opposition taking on the BJP in the presidential elections, due in July, to replace Pranab Mukherjee. Sources said the opposition is trying to put up a united face and jointly fight the presidential poll even though the numbers have tilted in favour of the NDA after Uttar Pradesh Assembly election results. Parleys are also being held among leaders of other opposition parties. The presidential election has to be held before July 24 when Mukherjee's term ends. He had taken over the post in July 2012, defeating the NDA candidate late P A Sangma. Congress leaders have been saying that the party would take a "conscious, concerted and balanced call" on a joint opposition presidential candidate after consultation with all opposition leaders. There has been a sudden flurry of activity by the opposition to forge a strong alliance to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP after its recent winning streak in several states. The BJP currently has governments in 13 states and is a junior partner in the ruling alliances in Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. Some feel that the united face of the opposition for contesting the presidential elections may well turn out to be a precursor to an anti-NDA front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Mumbai: Stop 'Mann ki Baat' and start 'Gun ki Baat' instead to punish Pakistan over the the killing of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) and mutilation of their bodies, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday. Thackeray made the comments to gathering of party workers, addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'Mann ki Baat' is Modi's monthly radio address to the nation. "It's time...he (the PM) stops that ('Mann ki Baat') and starts 'Gun ki Baat' with Pakistan to teach it a lesson," he said, as quoted by PTI. Whatever needs to be done on the matter "has to be done now", he added. Two Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies mutilated by Pakistani troops on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The attack was carried out by the Border Action Team (BAT), which generally comprises Pakistani army personnel and terrorists, in Krishna Ghati Sector in Poonch district. The Sena is a constituent of the Modi government and also part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in Maharashtra. Thackeray also said his party knows Mumbai inside out and that's why it has been able to thwart attempts by the BJP to control the affairs of the financial capital. (With PTI inputs) Raju Mahalia and Geeta Mahali were forcibly abducted by TMC men. Our leaders in the state tried to lodge a complaint but the police refused to do so. There is complete lawlessness in the state, said Prasad, addressing a press conference in Delhi. Mahalis belong to the scheduled tribe. We will lodge a complaint with the SC-ST committee tomorrow, said Sinha. Just hours after Naxalbaris Mahali family, whom BJP president Amit Shah paid a visit to, pledged their allegiance to Trinamool Congress (TMC), Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, on Wednesday, slammed the ruling party in Bengal, saying that TMC was terrorizing BJP supporters.BJP state president Dilip Ghosh met governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and urged him to intervene in the matter.The highlight of BJP President Amit Shahs recent visit to West Bengal was his lunch at a Mahali, the tribe which speaks Mahali language, house in Naxalbari.However, in a dramatic turn of events less than a week after Shahs visit, members of the Mahali family, first went missing on Tuesday night and then resurfaced on Wednesday morning along with Trinamool Congress leader Gautam Deb.National general secretary Rahul Sinha said the party was going to meet the Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe committee on the issue.The ruling party, in response, issued a statement saying that the saffron party had crossed a line.The BJP, through its spokesperson, who is also the Union law minister, has issued a statement about the incident in Naxalbari in Bengal. He is crossing the line. Sitting in Delhi, with little knowledge of the reality of Bengal. His hollow words are economical on facts, and are expressions of a sore loser, because the people of Bengal have sent the BJP packing at the polls few months ago. The law minister must maintain the dignity of the office he holds and must speak on facts not faff, it read. Italy and Alphabet Inc's Google are close to reaching a deal to settle a tax dispute, the head of the Italian tax authority Rossella Orlandi told Italian newspaper La Repubblica."We are very close to a solution with Google," Orlandi said.Italy is looking at a proposal from Google to pay between 270 million and 280 million euros to settle a tax dispute, a source close to the matter said in January.Last year Italian tax police alleged that Google had evaded paying taxes worth 227 million euros ($248 million) between 2009 and 2013 in a move which was said could result in heavy punitive fines.In the interview with La Repubblica, Orlandi also said the government is reviewing the business of internet platforms for home rentals such as Airbnb Inc. Paris: Britain's royals are seeking 1.5 million euros in damages over the publication of topless photographs of Prince William's wife Kate, it emerged Tuesday on the opening day of the trial of six media representatives for invasion of privacy. French gossip magazine Closer and regional newspaper La Provence in September 2012 published long-lens photos of the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing topless in the south of France, triggering outrage in Britain. The prosecution in the invasion of privacy trial called for "very significant fines" over the grainy pictures, while a lawyer for Closer said the royal couple wanted 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in damages. The lawyer Paul-Albert Iweins insisted that the photos showed a "positive image of the couple" and criticised an "Anglo-Saxon reasoning of damages and interest". The pair were snapped on a break at a chateau owned by Viscount David Linley, the son of Princess Margaret, the late sister of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. One of the most intimate shots, which were offered to some publications but not published in Britain, shows the Duchess of Cambridge topless and having suncream rubbed into her buttocks by husband William. Laurence Pieau, Closer's editor in France, Ernesto Mauri, chief executive of the Mondadori group which owns the magazine, and Cyril Moreau and Dominique Jacovides, two Paris-based agency photographers suspected of taking the pictures, face charges of invasion of privacy and complicity at the trial in Nanterre outside Paris. 'Not shocking' - La Provence's publishing director at the time, Marc Auburtin, and photographer Valerie Suau are also standing trial. The case had been delayed for four months to give the lawyer for the agency photographers more time to prepare their defence. Prince William's Kensington Palace office declined to comment ahead of the trial when contacted by AFP. The case was being heard shortly after the royal couple visited Paris in March. Pieau defended her publication's actions at the time of the scandal, saying the pictures of Kate, now 35, were not in the "least shocking". Police said two photographers were confirmed to be near the chateau at the time of the royal couple's stay after combing through lists of hotel guests and telephone numbers. But both photographers have denied taking the photos, despite evidence that both received substantial payoff amounts after the images' publication. The magazine has steadfastly refused to divulge the identity of the photographer who took the topless pictures. A week before Closer published the shots, other images of the couple from a different angle were printed in La Provence. La Provence photographer Suau has been charged for taking photos of Kate in a swimsuit in the same place, but her paper has denied that their photographer took any topless images. The snaps triggered a furious reaction from the British royal family and a furore in Britain where several newspapers had rejected an offer to buy the pictures. The angry royal couple launched legal proceedings soon after they were published. Their lawyer argued that the photos were particularly distressing as it brought back painful memories of William's late mother Princess Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi. French authorities sided with the couple by banning any further reproduction of the pictures before launching a probe into how the snaps were obtained. But the topless photos still appeared in several other European publications in Italy's Chi, which, like Closer, is owned by Mondadori, in Ireland's Daily Star and sister magazines in Sweden and Denmark. Beijing: A 27-year-old prisoner serving life sentence has escaped from a Chinese jail after stealing a truck and breaking through the separation net at the prison in southwest Yunnan Province. Zhang Lincang, was sentenced to life imprisonment for transporting drugs, and started his sentence in January 2017 at the No.1 Prison in Yunnan. "Zhang left the site where inmates were working yesterday night, stole a truck, broke through the separation net at the prison and fled," the provincial prison administration said. He abandoned the truck on a road two kilometres from the prison. Authorities have launched search operation to nab him. Statements from both the White House and the Kremlin suggested the two leaders had a productive conversation that included North Korea and fighting Islamist militants throughout the Middle East. The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," a White House statement said. The Kremlin said Putin and Trump agreed to step up dialogue on finding ways to strengthen a ceasefire and give it stability. The dangerous situation on the Korean peninsula was discussed in detail. Vladimir Putin called for restraint and for the level of tension to be reduced," the Kremlin said. About a month after the US air strikes on Russia's ally Syria, American President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke upon the issue on Tuesday. The two leaders expressed a wish for ceasefire in Syria and designated safe zones for civil war refugees.The phone call is being touted as a foundation laying event for their first face-to-face meeting in July.A senior Trump administration official said Putin had requested the call and described it as an effort to present his ideas for Syria.Trump ordered 59 cruise missiles launched in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack that the United States blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.The attacked prompted protests from Assad ally Russia, which blamed Syrian rebels for the use of outlawed nerve gas and said Assad was not at fault.The White House said the two leaders agreed that "all parties must do all they can to end the violence" in Syria.Trump during his presidential campaign last year frequently said he wanted safe zones established for Syrian refugees, paid for by Gulf States, to alleviate any need for the refugees to move elsewhere, including to the United States.Candidate Trump had also expressed a desire for a US alliance with Russia to fight Islamist militants, a goal that has been elusive since he took office on Jan. 20.With a ceasefire ever elusive in Syria, the White House said Washington would send a representative to ceasefire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday and Thursday.The State Department said acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones will attend as an observer.The decision to send Jones to the talks, even as an observer, is an indication that the United States is taking the Astana talks more seriously. Previously, the US ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol had attended the talks as an observer."The aim is to create the conditions for the launch for a real resolution process in Syria. This means that the Russian foreign minister and US secretary of state will effectively inform the leaders about progress in this direction."The White House statement said Trump and Putin also "spoke about how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea."With North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs posing a major global challenge, the two leaders also discussed how to go about resolving a crisis that has raised tensions throughout the Asia-Pacific.Trump told Reuters in an interview last week that a "major, major conflict" was possible with North Korea, amping up pressure on Pyongyang to stand down and for China to rein in the north.The two leaders also discussed having their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg July 7-8, the Kremlin said.(With Reuters Inputs) Panos Panay, vice president of Microsoft Surface Computing, speaks about the new Microsoft Surface Laptop during a Microsoft launch event, May 2, 2017 in New York City. The Windows 10 S operating system is geared toward the education market and is Microsoft's answer to Google's Chrome OS. (Images: Getty Images) RUSTBURG School funding dominated the discussion at Tuesday nights Campbell County Board of Supervisors public hearing concerning the fiscal year 2018 budget. For more than two hours, 17 citizens both praised and derided supervisors over their $71 million proposed budget that does not raise taxes or include $2.2 million in funding requested by the school board to provide a 5 percent raise to the school systems 1,229 teachers. The school divisions $83 million fiscal 2018 budget sought $29.5 million from the county, up from $27.3 million in fiscal 2017. At the beginning of the public hearing, Sunburst District Supervisor Bob Good expressed concerns Campbell County Public Schools was not spending the money allocated by the county wisely. Good pointed to data from the Virginia Department of Education showing the division spent 115 percent more in education funding than required to meet the bare minimum requirements set forth by the state and federal government for fiscal year 2016. According to the DOE, each school division is required to spend local funds to support education. The amount is determined based on current enrollment levels, according to the document. DOE estimated the county was, at the bare minimum, required to spend about $12 million in fiscal 2016. The division spent about $26 million. Something doesnt seem right to me, he said. School funding is up, school population is down and yet our teacher pay lags behind others in the area. We run teacher pay $1,500 less than most of the surrounding counties. Why do we have that trend? Earlier in the night, Good said he is concerned about raising taxes on all of the citizens of Campbell for a small group of employees to get a pay raise. Sheila Haden, a parent of children enrolled in Campbell County schools, was one of several speakers to condemn the boards decision not to fund the raises. By not funding the schools, you are not representing me as your constituent, and youre telling me that my children are not your priority, she said. This community is your future. I realize that your responsibility is great, and you have to be responsible for these citizens, but if we dont have quality schools, our community will not grow as you all want. According to Virginia Department of Education data, local entry-level pay for teachers with a bachelors degree ranges from a low of $37,644 in Campbell County to a high of $44,920 in Nelson County Public Schools. Other local school divisions fall within that range. Other parents and educators echoed Haydens remarks, requesting a raise for the teachers and saying they would be willing to pay for it. Theres a delicate balance to making all of this work, said Meredith Baker, another parent. While I applaud Mr. Good for creating a pro jobs and pro business environment, but what school environment will he give the business owners he wants to attract to this area? I hope we can all agree that investing in youth and our teachers is of [the] highest priority. In addition to the concerns about teacher pay and school funding, two citizens spoke against the budgets plan to eliminate the full-time position of senior recreation manager in the countys Parks and Recreation Department, which is in charge of programming for senior adults in the county. Cutting the position will save $40,000. Nelly Finch, who is a regular user of the senior programming, spoke against the cut. We have good leadership, and we hope it stays that way, she said. As you consider your vote through the next years, think of how many years we have paid taxes in this county. Dont freeze us out in the later years. At the close of the meeting, Altavista District Supervisor Stan Goldsmith addressed the crowd and assured the audience the supervisors would work together to find a solution for the problems brought forth in the public hearing. The board of supervisors will vote on the budget at their next meeting May 16. 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 Joy and fear from UWI Sinfonia The 30-strong orchestra was directed by Sameer Alladin before a packed auditorium of enthusiastic concert-goers. The sinfonia also played Symphonic Dances (Opus 64) by Edvard Grieg (1843 to 1907) and Farandole (from LArlesiene Suite No 2) by Georges Bizet (1838 to 1875). The Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DFCA) head Jessel Murray told the audience that the sinfonia represents a summation of all the musical instruments of the department. The sinfonia is one of several performing groups at the DFCA including a steel orchestra, Indian classical, percussion, jazz and wind ensembles, even as he noted the DFCA was originally founded to support steelband. Murray said the sinfonia is comprised of past and present students, members of the community and people wishing to perform music at the highest level. He said conductor Sameer Alladin has both a first-class bachelors degree in psychology and masters degree in music theory. Alladin said any musical community needs three orchestras: youth, professional and community. The youth orchestra feeds the others, while the professional body gives guidance to the youth body, he explained. In the performance of Night on Bald Mountain, the tale of a gathering of witches was portrayed the sinfonias violins edgily depicting the chill of fear, all underlined by the gravitas of the kettledrums and the scary punctuation of the trombone, truly a wild and scary night. However, relief came by the sounding of heroic horns and the flightiness of flutes both signalling a new dawn that sends the witches scampering. TSTT buys Massy com It said that a significant part of TSTTs current strategic plan involves deployment of both wired and wireless high-speed broadband internet capabilities throughout the country, including investment in fibre optic solutions together with the associated technological infrastructure and systems. The statement noted that since 2006, Massy Communications (formerly Three Sixty Communications) had been building its telecom network and expanding its services. Dr Ronald Walcott, Chief Executive Officer of TSTT, said: Today marks a historical moment for the telecommunications industry in Trinidad and Tobago in general and for the management, staff and all stakeholders of TSTT in particular. As part of TSTTs current $3.8 billion five-year strategic plan, we clearly indicated we have one primary mandate and that is to transform TSTT from a legacy 20th century telecoms provider, to an agile broadband communications company. To achieve this goal, we always intended to employ a multiprong approach, using both organic and inorganic growth strategies. In a statement, Massy said that since making the bold decision to invest significantly in the expansion of the fibre network in 2015, it has deployed next generation fibre to the home (FTTH) infrastructure which now serves about 34,000 homes throughout the country and covers more than 900 route kilometres. It said that in 2016, using this network, Massy Communications launched its High Speed Internet and High Definition Internet television service to residential customers and small and medium- sized enterprises. According to the statement, By delivering the most technologically advanced broadband and HDTV solution to customers, citizens of Trinidad have access to fast, consistent and reliable internet speeds with the ability to video stream with a stable uncongested network as well as market leading upload speeds. According to Gervase Warner, President and Group Chief Executive of the Massy Group, Massy is proud of what our local employees have achieved in building the company to this point. Moving into the residential market, into a relatively new, highly competitive telecommunications space was a big leap for us and were extremely proud of what we achieved in a short space of time. We reached a point where it was important to grow this business and we believed that the best path for success was through a partnership with another telecommunications provider who could help realise the potential of what we created. Education officials scrap lunch break cut The stakeholders, involving the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA), Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools (APPSS), Association of Principals of Assisted Secondary Schools (APASS), and National Primary School Principals Association met yesterday with Minister of Education Anthony Garcia, Minister within the Ministry of Education Dr Francis Lovell, Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan and other senior education officials at the Ministry of Education in Port-of- Spain where the issue was discussed. Representatives of the various associations all expressed satisfaction with the tone of the meeting that brought them all together under the aegis of the ministry. The TTUTA and NPTA were against the suggestion. Both APPSS and APASS said that solutions to indiscipline in primary school will benefit the secondary system into which the primary school children go. Garcia told the media that reduction of the lunch break was not the only issue discussed. They took the opportunity to look at other ideas and possible solutions to the issue of supervision during the lunch break and how to reduce indiscipline. The ministry, he said, has already noted the decrease of incidence of violence in schools but there was need to eradicate the problem from its roots. For this to be successful, he said, all must engaged. At the level of the ministry, Garcia said, an enhanced system of supervision from the principals, deans, heads of departments and individual teachers is currently in place. We also want to ensure that our students are involved in extra curricular and co curricular activities, that is why it is stated that the lunch hour was of vital importance, he said. The ministry has also set up a number of workshops involving parents.Garcia said the intention is to ensure there is a parent teachers association or parents support group. In cases where students are continually deviant in their behaviour, Garcia said, they will be referred to learning enhancement centres (LEC). The LEC, he said, has been one of the success stories of the ministry as evidence shows that students on returning to their original schools after spending time at the LEC, modify their behaviour. Coming out of yesterdays meeting, Garcia said that based on a recommendation from TTUTA president Lynsley Doodhai, the parties have agreed to meet again to discuss the possible solutions that were put forward to deal with the issue of supervision and indiscipline among other issues. Khan: Too early to talk costs Speaking in the Senate, Khan stated, It is too early to say but there are clear protocols in incidents like this. However he added, The oil spill originated from TT, we cannot deny that fact. He explained that once clean up operations are concluded, joint negotiations will take place as to what cost we will stand and what cost they will stand. After reminding senators that on April 30, Venezuelan authorities said some of the oil reached the eastern coast of Venezuela in the vicinity of Guiria, Khan said the TT-Venezuela Bilateral oil spill plan was initiated by a diplomatic note from the Foreign and Caricom Affairs Ministry. He explained that both countries are responsible for clean up operations on their respective sides of the maritime border. Against this background, Khan said the Venezuelans are in full control of clean up operations in Guiria. He said TT and Petrotrin stand ready to assist if necessary. Khan said a team comprising officials from his ministry, Petrotrin, the Environmental Management Authority and Coast Guard will be visiting the affected areas in Guiria either today or tomorrow, to get first hand knowledge of the level of contamination existing there. Khan said Petrotrin and other agencies are continuing remedial action on TTs side of the border. The minister noted that asset integrity continues to be a major challenge for Petrotrin. He said Tank 70 was one of seven tanks at the Pointea- Pierre refinery that were supposed to be cleaned and inspected under a contract which Petrotrin entered into last year. He said the contract is for a three year period and currently two tanks (180 and 183) are being cleaned. Khan said the idea was for this exercise to lead to an annual cleaning and inspecting of tanks, with remedial works being done if necessary Ferry maintenance reviewed He said the Spirit will undergo comprehensive hull accommodation, safety and auxiliary machinery works in June. Sinanan said the Express will have comprehensive hull accommodation and auxiliary machinery works done on it when it is dry docked in September. On interim measures to avoid either vessel breaking down before they are dry docked, Sinanan said the Port Authority has instructed that nightly maintenance be done on both ferries and any inefficiencies corrected immediately. Later in the sitting, Sinanan said his ministry has not been asked by the Health Ministry to conduct any inspection on the Couva Childrens Hospital as a result of a recent earthquake which occurred off Tobago. He said it was improper for his ministry to take such an initiative on its own. Sinanan also said there were no reports of any damage in the Couva area as a result of that earthquake. NATUC head gives Imbert ultimatum At a press conference yesterday at Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union headquarters, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain Annnisette said the new health plan will not cost the government any additional money as the plan has $17 million surplus and will greatly benefit its members. This was negotiated without the government having to pay any money. The government as the employer has to pay part of the premium so this is no additional cost to the government. The increased benefits is not a burden on the treasury. The Ministry of Finance has refused to give the instructions to give the increased benefits, he said. He said Government too often gives the impression that trade unions do not care about the country. But when the unions set up mechanisms where our members benefit through quality healthcare we are ignored. We have a Minister of Finance that believes whatever he says goes. We are allowing a Government and a Prime Minister to allow that kind of behaviour to continue but he would get a rude awakening because we coming together for this fight and we will take him on, he said. Annisette warned that if the plan was not implemented the Government will, see a struggle. This issue, he promised, wont be a nine day wonder. This is about health and our rights as workers to demand that our benefits be implemented immediately...there can be no justifiable reason from the Ministry of Finance for their failure and their unwillingness to implement s just provision for and on behalf of the workers, he said. Check out opening times and more information about IKEA on website open4u.co.uk. Ikea Glasgow opening hours, phone, address and more details. Annisette also raised the issue of outstanding negotiations. He said NATUC has written Imbert as well as Prime Minister Dr Rowley requesting meetings with them to discuss the issue. He said while they received a response from the Office of the Prime Minister, Imbert has not acknowledged receipt of the letters. 250 NAMDEVCO workers fear job loss Public Service Association (PSA) President Watson Duke told Newsday workers sought answers about the audit announced by Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat, last week. Duke said workers questioned their Chief Executive Officer, the Human Resource manager and other executive members about the audit but received no answer. As such, they mounted a protest. He joined workers in their protest around lunch time on Monday, at the same time the NAMDEVCO board was meeting. Duke said the PSA was invited to the meeting, but when they entered the room, they (board members) simply pretended as if they did not invite us and went further to cancel the meeting. NAMDEVCO Chairman Dennis Ramdeen confirmed there was a monthly board meeting on Monday, but said there was a disruption at the meeting ,coincidentally, at the same time the board went on a break. He said the meeting continued as planned after the break. Asked whether the PSA disrupted the board meeting, Duke said there was no disruption. They simply entered the meeting to which they were invited. But what is important to us, said Duke, is that NAMDEVCO must understand it is a state owned company, that 1.5 million people own NAMDEVCO, and the profitability of NAMDEVCO is something that concerns us and what concerns us most is we have the founder of an advertising company heading a place like NAMDEVCO. What is Ramdeens experience in managing NAMDEVCO, Duke asked. Chairman Ramdeen is the founder and according to his biography on the companys website, the Chief Inspirer of advertising agency Pepper Advertising Ltd. Duke said the company was wrong to initiate an audit without involving the PSA which is the recognised majority union. He said the PSA will be writing a letter to NAMDEVCO asking that the provide information on who is conducting the audit and what it hopes to achieve. They cant act willy-nilly and just lick up people. If the company is failing they must show us where the company is failing. Spice mas growing Grenadas Minister of Culture and Cooperatives, Brenda Hood told Newsday that Spice Mas has seen a yearly increase of visitors to the annual festival by 30 to 25 percent. The delegation was composed of Hood and the Grenada Tourism Authoritys (GTA), marketing manager, Francine Stewart, Delran Andrews, Marketing Executive for the Caribbean and Roger Augustine, Destination Experience Officer, Spice mas Corporations CEO Kirk Seetahal, chairman Jocelyn Sylvester Gairy and board member Cedric Mitchell. During the three day visit, which ends today, a release said, (the delegation) engaged travel agents, media and travellers about exciting developments in Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean. Trinidad is Pure Grenadas largest source market in the Caribbean, therefore, the GTA is making a significant investment to promote the destination there. The delegation also hosted two travel agent expos, one held yesterday and the other to be held today at Cara Suites Hotel and Conference Centre, Claxton Bay, to, provide an opportunity for travel agents in the area to engage with the GTA and learn more about what the Spice Island of the Caribbean has to offer visitors from the twin-island nation. Hood, in speaking with Newsday, said the, We launched our Spice Mas in Grenada two weeks ago. Once you launch everything just goes on, week after week. She added that events leading up to August 15 start as early as July 26. Spice Mas was launched in TT on Monday at the Raddisson Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. Hood said the Grenadian Government and its tourist board wanted to invite people from TT to visit its Carnival which she described as being very unique. I know over the years we have had large numbers of Trinidadians and people from Tobago coming to the destination. Spice Mas is very unique. We have the traditional mas, the Shortknee, Wild Indian... sometimes we bring in the traditional mas from Carriacou and it is called the Shakespeare Mas... She said the Governments overall vision for the festival was for it to be unique. The vision is that we dont want it to be the same like that that which goes on on the other islands. Mayor looks at homeless problem The mayor announced earlier in January, during the City Corporations first statutory meeting, that there was a move to get the homeless off the streets as some persons viewed them as physical threat on citizens. We cant take the homeless off the streets just because we would like to. There is a process to be followed which involves the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Local Government... We have been having meetings with these institutions and stakeholders to determine how best to deal with it, he said. The mayor said he was looking at some of the options that were available to us. We would love to have a home for the homeless so they can find a place where we can look after them and maybe assess them properly. Fate of the Senate Is Being Decided: 4 Big Races Still Too Close to Call The US Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the death of a black man whose fatal shooting was captured on cellphone video, fueling protests in Louisiana's capital and beyond, the AP reports. Federal authorities opened a civil rights investigation immediately after the July 2016 police shooting that killed 37-year-old Alton Sterling outside a convenience store where he was selling homemade CDs. The department's decision not to charge the officers doesn't preclude state authorities from conducting their own investigation and pursuing their own criminal charges. Two cellphone videos of Sterling's deadly struggle with two white officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, quickly spread on social media after the July 5 shooting. A police report says Sterling was initially jolted with a stun gun after he didn't comply with the officers' commands to put his hands on the hood of a car. The report also says the officers saw the butt of a gun in one of Sterling's pants pockets and saw him try to reach for it before he was shot. In Baton Rouge last summer, police arrested nearly 200 protesters following Sterling's death, which occurred a day before another black man was killed by police in Minnesota. (Read more Alton Sterling stories.) It's not located on a dark desert highway, and guests are presumably allowed to leave, but the Eagles still feel that a real-life Hotel California is ripping off their biggest hit. The band filed a lawsuit against the Mexican hotel this week, accusing the owners of encouraging guests to believe that it's associated with the band, Reuters reports. According to the lawsuit, the hotel pumps "Hotel California" and other hits through its sound system, as well as sells merchandise describing itself as "legendary." The hotel in Baja California Sur actually opened under the name Hotel California in 1950, more than 25 years before the Eagles released the song of the same name, the Hollywood Reporter notes. Its name changed several times before new owners took over in 2001 and allegedly sought to boost business with what the lawsuit calls a "reputed, but false, connection to the Eagles." Though the hotel's website states the owners have no connection with the band "nor do they promote any association," it says its guests "are mesmerized by the 'coincidences'" between the song and hotel itself (yes, you can hear mission bells). The lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles, seeks damages and an injunction preventing the hotel from using the name. Reuters quotes a 2016 CBS News interview with Don Henley in which he explained the song wasn't really about Californiaor Mexico, apparentlybut rather "a journey ... it's about America." (This music suit involves Eminem and New Zealand's ruling party.) The police officer who fatally shot 15-year-old Jordan Edwards near Dallas on Saturday night has been fired and the boy's family says they hope he is charged with murder. Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber announced Tuesday evening that officer Roy Oliver had been fired for violating departmental policies, NBC reports. "From our policies, which I went by, there were violations," the chief said, per the Dallas Morning News. "I acted on them." He promised that the department would be "responsive, transparent, and accountable" in the wake of the death of the unarmed black teenager. Jordan was killed when the officer fired his rifle into the front passenger seat of a car full of teenagers leaving a party, according to a lawyer for the teen's family. Police initially said the vehicle had been "aggressively" driving toward officers, but later admitted that body-cam footage showed the vehicle driving away. The teen's relatives have called for action against other officers involved, saying they "manhandled, intimidated, and arrested" Jordan's two brothers and two of his friends as the teen "lay dying in the front seat." (The Edwards family has called for no protests and marches as it prepares for his funeral.) At 1,460 pages, David J. Garrow's new biography of Barack Obama is no quick read, including details down to the student evaluations he received while teaching at the University of Chicago. Rising Star paints Obama as a man making calculated choices in the course of a lifelong pursuit of the presidency. Among those, Garrow writes, is his decision to break off a relationship with Sheila Miyoshi Jager, a woman he loved in the late 1980s and to whom he proposed marriage, though her parents didn't approve. Garrow sees race as the central issue in their failed relationshipbut not Obama's race. Jager, of Japanese and Dutch descent, didn't seem to suit Obama's need to "fully identify as African American" in order to pursue his "calling," Garrow writes, noting a non-black spouse was seen as a liability in Chicago politics. But apart from the "bitter musings" of an ex, "Garrow has turned up little that's substantially new," Michiko Kakutani writes in a review at the New York Times, calling the book "a dreary slog of a read" that is "way more exhausting than exhaustive." It's "as if Garrow wanted to include every last scrap of information he'd unearthed" from interviews conducted with more than a thousand people, she adds. At the Washington Post, Carlos Lozada agrees, noting "at times Garrow delivers information simply because he has it." But Lozada notes Garrow also adds some "deliciously small-bore" detailspainting the Illinois statehouse as a place of adultery (not on Obama's part) and poker games, for instanceeven if the presidential part of his legacy is rushed in "a clunky and tacky epilogue." The book is out Tuesday. (Here's how Sasha and Malia spent their last night in the White House.) Jimmy Kimmel's emotional plea in support of ObamaCare won praise from its namesake Tuesday, with former President Obama thanking the late-night host for sharing the story of how his newborn son, Billy, had to undergo open-heart surgery last week. "Well said, Jimmy," Obama tweeted. "That's exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy." Republicans are split on their party's latest attempt to repeal and replace ObamaCare. With his monologue going viral and growing numbers of moderate Republicans rejecting the bill, Kimmel may have helped doom the measure to defeat. The issue dividing Republicans is the potential removal of protection for people with pre-existing conditions, an issue that made Rep. Fred Upton the latest GOP defector on Tuesday. The New York Times reports that Uptonwho said he couldn't support a bill that "torpedoes" such protectionis particularly influential because he chaired one of the House committees that drafted the original version of the bill. Unless some Democrats can be persuaded to support the revamped bill, the GOP can afford to lose no more than 22 Republican votes in the House and according to a Washington Post analysis, 21 GOP lawmakers are opposed or leaning against the bill, with another 22 undecided. (Read more Jimmy Kimmel stories.) Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince said Tuesday in a rare and wide-ranging interview that there is no space for dialogue with rival Iran due to its Shiite ambitions "to control the Islamic world." The interview, which aired on multiple Saudi TV channels, offered a glimpse into how Mohammed bin Salman views the kingdom's top rival. The 31-year-old prince, who was named in 2015 by his father, King Salman, as an eventual heir to the throne, is Saudi Arabia's defense minister, overseeing the war in Yemen against a rebel group aligned with Iran. Framing the tensions with Iran in sectarian terms, he said it is Iran's goal "to control the Islamic world" and to spread its Shiite doctrine, the AP reports. When asked if he sees a possibility for direct dialogue with Iran, the prince replied: "How can I come to an understanding with someone, or a regime, that has an anchoring belief built on an extremist ideology?" "We know we are a main target of Iran," he said. "We are not waiting until there becomes a battle in Saudi Arabia, so we will work so that it becomes a battle for them in Iran and not in Saudi Arabia." On Yemen, the prince defended the decision to enter a war that has reached a stalemate. He said the rebels could be uprooted "in a matter of days," but Saudi Arabia has not sent ground troops to retake major cities because it would lead to thousands of deaths. "Time is on our side. Patience is on our side," he said. (Read more Saudi Arabia stories.) A Canadian woman and her American boyfriend were murdered before their bodies were left in a sugarcane field, police in Belize have confirmed. An autopsy found that Francesca Matus, 52, and 36-year-old Drew DeVoursney were strangled, the CBC reports. The bodies were found Monday, almost a week after they were last seen. A police spokesman tells the Canadian Press that the bodies were "nowhere close to" Matus' vehicle, which was abandoned in another field. Police say the bodies were in an "advanced state of decomposition" and both Matus and DeVoursney had their wrists duct-taped. The couple were last seen leaving a bar around 15 miles away last Tuesday night. "We believe they had a lot of money in their possession and someone tried to rob them," a police official tells the National Post. Friends tells the Toronto Star that Matus, the mother of 22-year-old twin sons, spent every winter in Belize and had never run into problems before. They say she was "very organized" and definitely wouldn't flash her wealth. DeVoursney, who had been with Matus for a few months, was a former US Marine from Georgia. A friend who served with him in Iraq says a GoFundMe campaign started to fund the search will now be used to hire a private investigator. (Read more Belize stories.) Skippy peanut butter has been yanked out of the Canadian marketplace by parent company Hormel, whose spokesman laments the "incredibly difficult decision" to discontinue the brand there, leaving just a few, if any, jars on store shelves, per the CBC. Even though Skippy is still available in more than 60 other countries, including next-door in the States, Hormel says it wasn't doing well in Canada on the competition and pricing fronts. A Dalhousie University professor points out the brand could have also suffered from high distribution costs: It's expensive to spread Skippy across Canada's wide expanse to reach its relatively small population of 36 million. Adding labels in French (the country's other official language with English) also may have boosted costs. Whispers of the Skippy shrinkage started late last year, but with shelves basically empty, Skippy devotees are snapping up spare jars wherever they can find them, including drugstore shelves and online. A container on Amazon's Canadian site can go from $7 for a 12-ounce jar to nearly $40 for a 40-ounce jar of the "natural" version with honey (the CBC says a reduced-fat version has been seen with a price tag nearing $100). "I'm really mad at Skippy," Jim Hazzard of Alliston tells the CBC, noting he has to ration his remaining stockpile. So why can't those near the border simply head into the US to stock up as needed? Nutritional information reveals what some fans suspected: The US version has more sugar than the Canadian one. "It just changes the whole flavor," a disappointed Hazzard says. (Time for a comeback for forgotten Peter Pan?) North Korea on Wednesday confirmed that it detained another American last month, and the reason is the usual one it gives in such cases: It accuses Kim Sang-duk, who also goes by his American name of Tony Kim, of working to "subvert the country," reports Reuters. Kim, believed to be his 50s, was arrested at the airport on April 22 after a month-long stint teaching accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, per the New York Times. He teaches the same at a sister school in China. A PUST spokesman says Kim's wife, who was with Kim when he was arrested, was allowed to return to the US. (It's not clear where the Kims reside permanently, though a post at Heavy.com says he worked as an accountant in Los Angeles years ago.) "Invited to Pyongyang University of Science and Technology to teach accounting as a professor, he was intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception," says the state-run KCNA news agency, using the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim reportedly also worked at orphanages in the North. The two other Americans in custody are Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, and Kim Dong Chul, a 62-year-old missionary. Both are serving long prison sentences. (President Trump raised the idea of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un amid tense relations between the countries.) Laughter may be the best medicine, but it's a lawyer, not a doctor, that a Code Pink activist now needs for guffawing during Attorney General Jeff Sessions' Senate confirmation hearing. HuffPost reports that 61-year-old Desiree Fairooz is on trial this week after being arrested by US Capitol Police for the Jan. 10 incident. Fairooz, a longtime activist who once confronted Condoleezza Rice with "bloodied" hands, burst into laughter at the hearing when Sen. Richard Shelby proclaimed that Sessions' record of "treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented." Fairooz was sitting in the back of the room, and Shelby either didn't hear her laughter or took it in stride, as he continued his speech seemingly unfazed. But the government says Fairooz engaged in "disorderly and disruptive conduct" designed to interrupt the proceedings. "The federal government is literally prosecuting someone for laughing," snarks Vox. Katherine Coronado, the Capitol cop who arrested Fairooz, told the court Monday Fairooz had laughed "very loudly," causing people to turn around. A fellow Code Pink member tells HuffPost she thinks Fairooz's laughter was a spontaneous reaction to Shelby's words and not premeditated. Supporters think she had a point, given that Sessions lost a federal judgeship in 1986 over allegations that he made racist remarks and his past criticism of civil rights enforcement, notes a post at New York. Fairooz could face six months in prison and a fine of up to $500 if convicted. Also on trial are two other Code Pink members, who dressed in KKK outfits in mock support of Sessions. (Sessions recently made a "joke" about Hawaii.) It's a jarring image, and that's before learning that the Army photographer who captured it was killed moments later. The photo shows the first instant of a mortar tube explosion during a training exercise in Afghanistan in 2013, a blast that killed 22-year-old Army Spc. Hilda Clayton, reports Time. The explosion also killed the Afghan photographer she'd been training, along with three Afghan soldiers, reports the Army Times. The Army has published final images from both photographers in its journal Military Review. (The feature on Clayton is on the second last page, while an Army press release has the images here.) A staffer who served with Clayton brought the images to the journal's attention, and they were published with the consent of her family in Augusta, Ga., reports Stars and Stripes. "Not only did Clayton help document activities aimed at shaping and strengthening the (Afghan) partnership but she also shared in the risk by participating in the effort," says the story, adding that Claytons death "symbolizes how female soldiers are increasingly exposed to hazardous situations in training and in combat on par with their male counterparts." Clayton was the first "combat documentation and production specialist" killed in Afghanistan, the Army says. Her unit, known as Combat Camera, has created an annual contest in her honor. (Read more photographers stories.) Russia may soon have a president with a "stylish white eye." Not Vladimir Putin, but Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader who made the joke after a not-so-funny incident last week that may leave him partially blind. The New York Times reports Navalny was attacked Thursday in Moscow by a perpetrator who came up to him, threw green liquid in his face, then ran off. Navalny says his doctor told him he suffered a chemical burn and has lost 80% sight in his right eye, which may get better with treatment. The Los Angeles Times notes Navalny, who's planning on running for president next year, was leaving his office at the Anti-Corruption Foundation, a Russian NGO, when he was assaulted with the liquid, which he at first thought was the harmless antiseptic "zelyonka" (meaning "brilliant green," per the BBC), a fluid called the "Russian green dye weapon of choice" by the Inverse. Zelyonka is often used by Russian government supporters against critics, and it's usually harmless unless consumed by mouth. But Navalny said his doctor told him another "caustic chemical" had been mixed in, leading to his injuries. Even though local cops say they're looking into the incident, Navalny says they're dragging their feet. He's keeping a stiff upper lip, though. He appeared on his YouTube channel just hours after the attack, and he posted a series of images Sunday on his blog that showed movie characters who also sport odd ocular organs. He also offered a mock-up of himself as the main character from The Terminator. Meanwhile, per Reuters, a senior Russian election official told RIA that Navalny can't run for president until he gets an embezzlement conviction nixed on further appeala case Navalny says is sabotage. (The Kremlin has a history of using poison on enemies.) Imagine someone parading naked on the grave of your relative. That's what the Maori of New Zealand accuse a Playboy model of doing atop Mount Taranaki, a volcano that the Maori consider an ancestor. New Zealand native Jaylene Cook, 25who appeared in Playboy Mexico in Januaryclimbed the mountain on April 26, stripped off her clothes, then posed for a photo showing her looking out over the clouds, reports the BBC. Cook says she and her photographer boyfriend were aware of the significance of Taranaki and "wanted to embrace the mountain in the purest form we could," per Maori Television. She believes the photo, shared with her 300,000 Instagram followers, was empowering. The Maori not so much. "It's like someone went into St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and took a nude photo," says a rep for the local tribe, calling the whole incident "just very inappropriate." A local mayor agrees, noting it's the location of the photo that's offensive. As a government website explains, "the crater and summit is the sacred head of Taranaki ... Respect the mountain. Do not stand directly on the summit stone." But Cook tells Stuff.co.nz she and her boyfriend "were quite respectful" and specifically avoided that summit. "Being nude is not something that is offensive in any way," she adds. Offensive? Debatable. Chilly? Yes. Cook says the temperature atop the mountain was 12 degrees, but the sun was shining "so it was not too bad." (Jennifer Lawrence messed with a sacred rock.) A 43-year-old Chicago man trying to sell his old iPhone instead ended up dead at the hands of three teenage girls, police say. Trinidad Bueno-Sanchez, also identified as Javier Bueno, had arranged to sell an iPhone 6 using the Offer Up app and met a prospective buyer in a Chicago parking lot on April 24, authorities tell the Chicago Tribune. The teen buyer, in a vehicle with four others, asked to see the phone and Bueno-Sanchez obliged, according to police. The teen then handed him an envelope. But just as Bueno-Sanchez realized it contained only a few dollars, not the $450 he'd requested, the driver of the car raced away, police say, per ABC 7. Because Bueno-Sanchez had been leaning inside the vehicle at the time, he was dragged along for a bit until he fell, say authorities. Though he was able to speak to responding authorities, the 43-year-old father of seven had hit his head on pavement and died of his injuries on Thursday. "He was such a good person, he didn't deserve any of this," says his daughter. "There are thefts that occur, but something of this seriousness, it's actually unheard of," a Round Lake Beach police rep tells CBS Chicago. "Everything that could have went wrong did," he adds, per Fox 6. Courtney Sherman, 18, has since been charged with reckless homicide and robbery and is being held on $500,000 bond. Two juveniles, 16 or 17, face the same charges. Two other teenagers in the vehicle will not be charged, police say. Supporters have started a GoFundMe campaign for the victim's family. (Read more robbery stories.) A day after Hillary Clinton blamed him in part for her election loss, FBI chief James Comey acknowledged to Congress that she might have a point: "It makes me mildly nauseous to think we might have had some impact on the election." But Comey defended his decision to announce a new investigation into Clinton's email less than two weeks before Election Day, reports the New York Times. Keeping quiet would have been "catastrophic," he said. More coverage related to his testimony and his role in the election: Comey revealed details on how Anthony Weiner got tied up in the email investigation. It turns out that Weiner's wife, Clinton aide Huma Abedin, "appears to have had a regular practice of forwarding emails to him for him to print out for her so she could deliver them to the secretary of state. And some of those emails were classified. Comey said the FBI investigated them both but found no evidence they meant to break the law. CNN has a separate story on this aspect of the testimony. At FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver takes an exhaustive look at the election and concludes that Comey's letter probably cost Clinton the victory. It "had a fairly large and measurable impact," he writes. "It wasnt the only thing that mattered, and it might not have been the most important. But the media is still largely in denial about how much of an effect it had." Axios has some "quick hits" from the Comey testimony. For one thing, he expects the Russians to be back in 2018 and more so in 2020. The Boston Globe has five revelations from the testimony, including that Comey said he wanted to go public about Russian interference in the election, but the Obama White House prevented it. If you just can't get enough, the Washington Post has the full transcript here. David Axelrod thinks Clinton should stop talking about the election. Comey played a role "in a narrow sense," he said on CNN, per the Hill, but he "didn't tell her not to campaign in Wisconsin." He suggests the fault lies mainly with her: "It takes a lot of work to lose to Donald Trump." (Read more James Comey stories.) After a disturbing series of murder and suicide videos posted to Facebook or broadcast on Facebook Live, Mark Zuckerberg has apparently heard the wave of concern about video on Facebook. In a Wednesday morning post on the social media platform he created, Zuckerberg promised that the company is working on "do[ing] better for our community." Specifically, Facebook will work to make response time faster by making it easier for users to report posts and by adding 3,000 people to the community operations team that reviews posts that are reported. "We're also building better tools to keep our community safe," Zuckerberg says. "Were going to make it simpler to report problems to us, faster for our reviewers to determine which posts violate our standards, and easier for them to contact law enforcement if someone needs help. As these become available they should help make our community safer." At Slate, Will Oremus calls Facebook's move to deal with the video problem "belated" but "laudable." Kerry Flynn at Mashable notes that Zuckerberg seems to have "learned the hard way" that human eyes, not artificial intelligence, are needed to monitor some issues on Facebook. (Read more Facebook Live stories.) President Donald Trump expressed optimism for resumed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel at the start of his Oval Office meeting with Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday in Washington, his first direct meeting with the Palestinian leader, the AP reports. Trump, who said he'll "do whatever is necessary" to reach a Mideast peace agreement, added he'd "love to to be a mediator, an arbitrator, or a facilitator" between the two sides and thinks "there's a very, very good chance" of bringing Israel and the Palestinians together. In fact, he noted as a luncheon began, the solution may be just within reach. "It's something, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," he said, per NBC News. He added, however, that a deal "cannot be imposed by the United States or any other nation." Trump didn't provide any details about how the process might work, though he mentioned he's long heard that brokering peace between the two sides was "perhaps the toughest deal" to make. He took that as a challenge, telling Abbas, "Let's see if we can prove them wrong, OK?" Abbas, for his part, speaking through an interpreter, said that he's hopeful for bringing about a "just and comprehensive" peace with Israel "based on the vision of two states," using the borders of 1967 as a foundation. The Palestinian leader says it's time for Israel to end its occupation of its land. Israel has rejected those 1967 lines as a possible border, saying it would impose security risks. Abbas said he believed he and Trump can be "true partners" in their efforts. "We are coming into a new opportunity ... that would enable us to bring about peace" in the region, he noted. (Read more Israel-Palestinian conflict stories.) Two people died Wednesday in an apparent murder-suicide at a Texas community college, prompting an active-shooter alert that instructed students and employees to barricade themselves into rooms, the AP reports. It was the second deadly attack on a Texas campus this week. Irving police spokesperson James McLellan said it doesn't appear anyone else was hurt in the shooting at North Lake College in suburban Dallas. The college said classes were canceled for the rest of the day. Irving Police said on Twitter: "There appears to be no continuing threat but police will continue to search to make the campus safe." Math tutor Nasrin Nanbakhsh said she saw a man shoot a woman in a hallway. "I saw a guy standing and there was a girl sitting on a chair. I saw him shooting her three times," Nanbakhsh told reporters. Nanbakhsh said she ran back to a room, locked the doors, turned the lights off, and waited for help to arrive. She said she also emailed her supervisors to let them know what was happening. North Lake College had issued an alert to students late Wednesday morning telling them to barricade themselves in the nearest room and wait for further instructions from police. On Monday, one person was killed and three others injured in a stabbing attack at the University of Texas in Austin. (Read more campus shooting stories.) An unarmed missile capable of sending a nuclear bomb across the world was launched Wednesday from a California military base amid rising tensions between the US and North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile blasted off from a silo at 12:02am from Vandenberg Air Force Base and delivered a single re-entry vehicle to a target about 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The test took 10 months to plan. It was the latest aimed at checking the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the US nuclear force. The US has about 450 of the missiles. Each can travel about 8,000 miles. It was the second such launch in seven days, the AP reports. The launches came amid US expressions of concern about North Korea's nuclear capability. Per the Los Angeles Times, the Air Force said the purpose of Wednesday's test was to ensure the missile is reliable and can function as an "effective nuclear deterrent." New missile tests by North Korea and its progress toward developing a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the US have made it one of the top US national security concerns. The US has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test. But President Trump on Monday said he might be willing to meet with Kim Jong Un. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it," Trump told Bloomberg News. (Read more missile stories.) Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discuss Syrian crisis, Korean Peninsula over phone call Washington : US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis and "the very dangerous situation" on the Korean Peninsula. "The conversation was a very good one, and included the discussion of de-escalation to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons," said a White House statement on Tuesday, adding that they also discussed "at length working together" to fight terrorism across the Middle East. The US would send a representative to the cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 3-4, Xinhua news agency cited the statement. Meanwhile according to a statement from the Kremlin, both leaders also agreed to intensify the dialogue between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on the search for options that help consolidate the ceasefire regime in Syria. "The goal is to create prerequisites for launching a real settlement process in Syria," it added. It was the first phone call between Trump and Putin since Washington and Moscow wrangled over a US strike on the Syrian government last month. On April 6, Trump ordered a targeted missile strike at a Syrian military airfield in response to a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. After the US strike, Syrian state TV called the assault an "aggression" and both Russia and Syria had denied that the Syrian government launched the chemical weapons attack. The Russian government also condemned the US strike against the Syrian government as "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law". After the incident, Trump told reporters last month that the US is "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low". Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi: Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, is offering business class tickets in its domestic flight tickets at a flat 50% discount. The Tata-SIA joint venture airline on Wednesday announced 50% discount on all business class fares starting as low as Rs 4,611. The offer begins from Wednesday (May 3) and is available until May 6. It will be valid for travel between May 12, 2017 and February 20, 2018, according to the airline. The offer holds for some of the favourite holiday destinations like Goa, Port Blair, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Kochi, Guwahati, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, as well as metro cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru, among other destinations across Vistaras network. Also Read: China's first amphibious aircraft AG600 completes it's first glide test Under this plan, Delhi-Srinagar business class tickets for weekdays will be priced at Rs 6,250, Delhi-Leh at Rs 8,400 Delhi-Goa at Rs 10,250, Kolkata-Port Blair at Rs 10,250. Fares for weekend travels are lower. Seats under this offer are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, the airline added. Vistara serves 19 destinations with over 530 weekly flights and a fleet of 13 aircraft. New Delhi: The Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) is likely to announce the NBSE HSLC results 2017 (Nagaland NBSE HSLC Class 10 exams results) on May 3. However, some reports are suggesting that the NBSE HSLC results 2017 will be declared next week. So far, no official confirmation or notification on the date of result declaration has been released by the NBSE. Reports said that the provisional results of the HSLC examinations 2017 will be available on websites nbsenagaland.com, nagaland.gov.in, exametc.com, indiaresults.com, schools9.com, examresults.net. Around 22,446 students appeared in the examination that was held in 76 centres across the state amid wide protest by the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC), Kohima and the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC). Also Read: Mizoram MBSE HSLC class 10 Result 2017 announced at mbse.edu.in #Logon to the official website #Click on the Results tab on home page #You will be taken to a new page #Enter your roll number and date of birth (DOB) #Submit the information #Save your Nagaland HSLC result 2017 Because of massive protests, the district administration was forced to deploy Dobashis, traditional keepers of law and order situation, and police force at the exam centres for the smooth conduct of the exams. ALSO READ | CBSE results 2017: CBSE implements changes that may affect Class 10 and Class 12 results Last year, Nagaland NBSE HSLC Class 10 exams began from February 10 and continued till February 23, 2016. New Delhi: Telangana Board had announced TS SSC Results 2017 grade wise at Official Website at bse.telangana.gov.in, Manabadi.co.in, Schools9. Telangana Board conducted TS Class 10th Class Exams from March 14 to 30. Around 5, 38,226 students appeared for the TS SSC Class 10th exam that was held in 2,600 centres. Candidates who had written TS SSC Class 10 exams are eagerly waiting for the results can check their result at bse.telangana.gov.in, Manabadi.co.in, Schools9 . Candidates who had appeared for the exams can check Telangana SSC Results as soon as after declaration. According to an official statement, Telangana deputy chief minister Kadiyam Srihari will release the results at 4pm in Hyderabad. Also Read: WBBSE Class 10th results 2017 for Madhyamic Pariksha expected by May 10 Heres how candidates can check TS SSC 2017 Results #Enter the official websites which are bsetelangana.org and manabadi, Schools9 #Click on the link SSC Results 2017 Telangana. #Keep you roll number handy. #You can get the result after providing the roll number and date of birth. #Take a print out of the result for future use. Also, The Board of Secondary Education of Andhra Pradesh (BSEAP) will declare its Class 10th and and 12th standards board examinations results on May 6 at its official website. The Andhra Pradesh Board conducted the exams between March 26, 2016 and 4th April, 2016. Telangana SSC 10th Class Results Grade Wise Here is the information about Cumulative Grade Point Average or Grading System; See below New Delhi: Sonam Kapoor was much appreciated for her role in Neerja and it was a career defining role for her. The actress has said that being recognized by National Film Awards jury for her work in the movie is sweet and encouraging. The biopic on Neerja Bhanot was recognized as the best Hindi film while Sonam was given a special mention. The film is directed by Ram Madhvani. My mother (Sunita) told me that I had received a special mention and I found it sweet and encouraging. I was like is it a consolation award? She told me to speak to Anupam Kher uncle as he received it for Daddy. I spoke to Shabana (Azmi) aunty as well about it, Sonam told PTI. Sonam will be with her parents in Delhi on May 2 to receive the special honour. I am very excited about it. It is such a matter of pride that my parents will be there with me. I dont know how to describe it in words but it is definitely the most special feeling. There is a lot of pressure from now on as an actor, she says. The actress told that she did not performed the role for awards but is really happy that story on Neerjas life was appreciated. I dont think I did Neerja for rewards. The whole film signifies the idea of human compassion, kindness and strength especially in this day and age when there is so much competition around and it is about survival of the fittest. It is so important that a film like Neerja gets an honour like this. It is really great. Sonam, however, is not nervous as she already had a rehearsal of sorts in 2007 when she accepted the National Award on her fathers behalf. My father has won two national awardsfor Pukar and Gandhi My Father, which he produced. He was in South Africa and I was shooting for Aisha in Delhi. Nobody could get in touch with him so my uncle told them that I will receive the award on his behalf, she says. Sonam will next be seen in R Balkis Padman and Rajkumar Hiranis biopic on Sanjay Dutt. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: aVishwaroopam 2a first look poster has been released by actor Kamal Haasan on his twitter handle. aWith love my country and its people 7:04 PM - 2 May 2017,a he said, releasing the poster. Haasan is standing against the backdrop of Indiaas flag. A scene of India Gate can be seen from the far behind. The actor is wearing a dark blue suit and has worn sad looks. He has bandage on the left side of his face, on the left temple and left part of the chin. Kamal Haasan is standing with his hand placed on his chest as if taking oath. With love my country and it's people pic.twitter.com/3zdir7u1Gh a Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) May 2, 2017 Curiosity has arisen among fans on what the actor is going to showcase on nationalism. The release date of the movie has not yet been known but the actor has been mentioned on the poster that the film will release in 2017. The poster says atargeting release 2017.a The movie is written and directed by Kamal Haasan and it is being produced by the actoras production house Raajkamal Films International. The Tamil letters indicating Vishwaroopam has been written in the style of Urdu. aHappy to announce: Today 7pm Vishwaroop 2A Hindi first look poster & Vishwaroopam Tamizh Telugu 1st look posters release Exclusively for you,a he had tweeted earlier in the day. Happy to anounce: Today 7pm Vishwaroop 2 Hindi first look poster & Vishwaroopam Tamizh Telugu 1st look posters release Exclusively for you a Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) May 2, 2017 Vishwaroopamas earlier part had witnessed trouble during release in view of objections by some sections of people.A For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Indian Army on Tuesday successfully test-fired an advanced and upgraded version of the BrahMos supersonic land-attack cruise missile with an extended range of 450 km in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, re-validating the weapons strike capability on Wednesday. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tested the latest version of the cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur at sea in Balasore, off the Odisha coast. 'The extended range BrahMos hit the target with centimetric accuracy. It's a big leg up for us and it was a fantastic test flight. With this new version, all three forces, Army, Navy and IAF will have the capability to strike deep into the enemy's territory.' 'This is the first for the world a supersonic cruise missile with such a high range.'BrahMos is the first beneficiary of India's MTCR membership. We have fulfilled the government's dream. The BrahMos missile is one of the most precise and accurate in the world. 'During the launch at 1130 hrs, the land-attack version of the supersonic cruise missile system met its mission parameters in a copybook manner. It was a text book launch achieving 100 per cent results, executed with high precision from the Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) deployed in full configuration,'said BrahMos in a statement. According to BrahMos Aerospace, ''the formidable missile system once again proved its mettle to precisely hit enemy targets at much higher range than the current range of 290 km, with supersonic speed of 2.8 Mach'. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : The Bulandshahr police registered an FIR on Wednesday against six Hindu Yuva Vahini members in connection with murder of a man over his role in elopement of a Hindu girl. SP Bulandshahr Mann Singh Chauhan said they are conducting a probe in the matter after registering an FIR. On April 13, a few members of the Hindu outfit had allegedly assaulted a man, who was on his way to drop off his fiancee at her house , and misbehaved with the woman. Bulandshahr: FIR registered against 6 members of Hindu Yuva Vahini after allegedly killing a man over his role in elopement of a Hindu girl pic.twitter.com/0dEwz14GPt ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 3, 2017 The incident took place hours after some members of the youth brigade, founded by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, barged into the house of an inter-faith couple in the city and roughed them up. FIR has been registered, we will conduct an investigation into the matter: Mann Singh Chauhan, SP City pic.twitter.com/J0afIu700c ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 3, 2017 Medical police station in-charge Dharmendra Kumar had said the couple were on their way to the woman's home on a scooter when they were intercepted by six men, claiming to be cadres of Hindu Yuva Vahini. Also Read | Meerut: Hindu Yuva Vahini members assault man, misbehave with his fiance For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After an article in the Global Times regarding China's intervention in the Kashmir's issue, the country has now denied that it has any prior intentions to mediate between India and Pakistan. It also said that $50 billion- China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has not affected its stand on the issue which should be settled bilaterally. "China's position on the issue of Kashmir is clear and consistent. It is an issue left over from history between India and Pakistan, and shall be properly addressed by India and Pakistan through consultation and negotiation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI. Also Read: China lambastes Communist Party officials for funding Dalai Lama The article read that China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, but that doesn't mean Beijing can turn a deaf ear to the demands of Chinese enterprises in protecting their overseas investments. Given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt, One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan. China shall play a "constructive role" for the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan, the country may not actively participate in resolving the issue. "We sincerely hope that India and Pakistan will properly handle differences by increasing communication and dialogue, and jointly uphold regional peace and stability. China is willing to make constructive efforts for the improvement of India-Pakistan relations," Geng said. Also Read: Use of force in North Korea would lead to bigger disasters: China The article justified the Chinese intervention in the dispute on the grounds of protecting heavy investments being made by Beijing under its Silk Road initiative, 'One Belt and One Road'. (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday said that the party is going to place a candidate against Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the bypoll which going to be held soon. Parrikar has to get elected to the Assembly within six months of taking charge as the Chief Minister. His swearing-in ceremony took place on March 14. If Parrikar has to fight the bypoll, then somebody has to leave a seat for him. In order to make him fight the election, two legislators from the BJP, BJP legislators Siddharth Kuncolienkar (Panaji) and Nilesh Cabral (Curchorem) have volunteered to resign. ALSO READ: Cong removes Digvijaya Singh as in-charge of Goa, Karnataka; A Chella Kumar, KC Venugopal take charge respectively Parrikar had given his resignation as the Defence Minister after there was a situation of hung assembly in Goa. Goa Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Chandrakant Kavlekar told PTI, Whichever constituency Parrikar is going to contest, Congress will field its candidate against him. The party has decided that it will defeat Parrikar in the by-election. However, the BJP has not taken any decision yet that from where the Goa Chief Minister will contest. Congress has a strong organisational set up in both the constituencies offered by the two BJP legislators to Parrikar to contest from, Kavlekar said. Congress has able leaders who can take Parrikar head on, he further said. Congress had won 17 seats and BJP 13 in the 40-member Goa House. However, the BJP formed the government after the independents and regional parties supported them. The BJP is like to decide this week that from which constituency the Goa CM will contest the by-election. With inputs from PTI. ALSO READ: Goa: CM Manohar Parrikar plans to put a ban on entry of locals in Casinos For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Taking Indias statement seriously to avenge the mutilation of Indian soldiers, Pakistan on Wednesday warned India that any misadventures shall be responded of their own choosing of place and time. The remarks come after the DGMO talks held on hotline on Tuesday where the Indian Army DGMO Lt Gen A Bhatt had expressed grave concerned over the killing of two Indian soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. The Pakistani Army issued a statement that said,Any misadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing. The statement further said Pakistan remains fully committed to maintain peace and tranquility along the LoC and anticipate same from the other side. On Tuesday, the DGMO of the Indian Army had conveyed to Pakistan that such a dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. Also Read | PM Modi does 'Mann ki baat,' its time for him to do 'Gun ki baat': Thackeray on mutilation of soldiers The DGMO had conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart that full fire support was provided by the Pakistani Army post located close to where the incident took place. The army had said the DGMO also conveyed Indias concern about the presence of Border Action Team (BAT) training camps in close vicinity of the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Discussing the issue during the hotline contact between the two DGMOs, the Pakistan Army had asked India to produce actionable evidence on its claim that a Pakistani special forces team had sneaked across the LoC and beheaded the two Indian security personnel. Pakistan rejected Indias allegations of ceasefire violation and mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers, the army statement had said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : The Jammu and Kashmir police officials late night on Tuesday informed that militants snatched service rifles of five policemen who were guarding the court complex in Shopian district of Kashmir. The officials further added that a group of militants sneaked into the premises of court complex in Shopian town late night on Tuesday and overpowered the five policemen on duty. He said the militants snatched the SLR rifles of the policemen before leaving the place. It is said that no one was injured in the incident. J&K: Terrorists barged into a police post guarding the court complex of Shopian district and decamped with five service rifles, last night. ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Last year, in a similar incident, suspected militants had decamped with two rifles from cops guarding a minority picket in south Kashmirs Pulwama district, police had said. Militants had snatched two SLR rifles from policemen guarding the minority picket in Tumlahaal village in Lassipora area of Pulwama, a police official had informed. He had said police has taken cognisance of the incident and senior police officials have rushed to the spot. Also Read: Militants snatch rifle from guard at BJP worker's house in Srinagar For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Jet Airways announced on Wednesday that the airlines soon would introduce new routes which will have direct flights on the Chennai-Paris and Bengaluru-Amsterdam sectors as part of expanding the services globally. "Given the presence of corporates like Michelin, Renault and BNP Paribas in Paris and also in Chennai, we are launching direct flights from Chennai to Paris starting from October 29", Jet Airways, Vice-President (Sales), Praveen Iyer told reporters. The airlines currently connects 45 destinations in its domestic route, with more than 500 flights. Globally it operates 150 flights.When asked about the reason behind it's commencement, Praveen replies, "Chennai also has these companies like Michelin, Renault, BNP Paribas and it is also the cultural capital." The IT capital was the third busiest airport in India and as per the reports, the number of people visiting Europe from South India had seen a "steady increase". Also Read: Jet Airways passengers suspected hijack tweet creates panic at Jaipur airport The initial fare would be Rs33,999 per ticket for economy class in both the sectors, whereas for the premiere class, the cost is Rs 1.29 lakh on bith routs. This step shall boost corporate and leisure travel and shall also contribute to significant growth in trade and commerce. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lamented the lack of promotion of India's unrecalled traditional medicinal systems by successive governments on Wednesday. Modi after inaugurating a research institute at yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar said that little was done to promote the traditional systems of medicine and wellness disciplines such as yoga in the pre- and post-independence eras. "In the pre-independence era the gems of our traditional systems of medicine and healthcare were deliberately kept under wraps because we were a slave country. But even in the post-independence era, unfortunately, there was an effort on the part of successive governments to forget the distinctive specialities of our traditional systems rather than promoting them", Modi said. Read more: PM Modi at Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth: 'We have remained behind in the patent war due to our lackadaisical attitude' He said the new institute, designed to facilitate clinical trials and modern packaging of ayurvedic medicines, was a big step forward towards "holistic" healthcare and would pave the way for a wider acceptance of India's traditional therapeutic systems. "The main roadblock in the wider acceptance of ayurvedic medicines is the old-school, elaborate system of administering them. If ayurvedic medicines are packaged in a modern way, the world will accept them with alacrity", he said. With the hi-tech research institute equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory, "a significant step" had been taken in that direction, Modi added. He congratulated Ramdev for the research institute and for taking yoga "to every household across the world". Modi also unveiled "World Herbal Encyclopaedia", a work that looks at over 70000 herbal species found across the country, compiled over ten years by Ramdev's aide, Acharya Balkrishna. Ramdev, who conferred the title of "Rashtra Rishi" on Modi for his "relentless efforts to build a clean, strong andunited India", said in his address the country was bound to prosper under Modi's "illustrious leadership". Read more: PM Modi conveys concerns over visa issue to his Australian counterpart The honour had come as a surprise to him, the prime minister said. "My source of inspiration is the 125 crore people of thiscountry. I don't believe in myself as much as in the strengthof the blessings of 125 crore Indians", Modi said. The prime minister arrived at Patanjali from Kedarnath, where he prayed at an 8th-century shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Patanjali Research Institute on Wednesday where Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev showered praises on him and termed him 'Rashtra Rishi' PM Modi claimed himself to be a part of Patanjali family and thanked Ramdev for the 'Rashtra Rishi' honour. He also claimed that Ramdev had made Yoga a potent force and now the whole world celebrates International Yoga Day on June 21. Earlier, PM Modi visited the Kedarnath temple and offered prayers after the portals of the sacred Himalayan shrine opened after a six month-long winter break. Breaking the security protocol, PM Modi was seen meeting and greeting people present at the temple premises. Kedarnath is the most important of the four Himalayan shrines on the Chardham circuit. Accompanied by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Modi arrived in an army chopper at the helipad built close to the temple and headed straight for the shrine located at a height of over 11000 ft. As it happened at Patanjali Yogpeeth and Kedarnath #1:18 PM Packaging of Ayurvedic medicines is important for holistic healthcare: PM #1:17 PM Chhota sa kaam bas 'Mai gandagi nahin karunga': PM Narendra Modi at Patanjali Research Institute,Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar pic.twitter.com/NdCrT2TPKk a ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Yoga is necessary for the upliftment of the spirit: PM #1:16 PM A We have remained behind in the patent war due to our lackadaisical attitude #1:15 PM If we give respect to others, expectations from us increase too: PM #1:14 PM A new health policy has come out, which covers various aspects of good health and wellness: PM #1:13 PM Preventive healthcare needs to be stressed on. We all have to decide and pledge 'Mai gandagi nahin karunga': PM Modi in Haridwar #1:12 pm Koi bada sankalp lene ki zaroorat nahi, faansi pe latakne ki zarurat nahi, seema par jaake jawanon ki tarah marne mitne ki zaroorat nhi: PM pic.twitter.com/STXKQcjLSb a ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 Baba Ramdev has made the world realise the power of Yoga: PM #1:11 PM Let us try to integrate as many people as possible when we are marking the International Day of Yoga: PM #1:10 PM International Yoga Day is celebrated all over the world on June 21. #1:07 PM We must never forget the innovative spirit that our ancestors were blessed with: PM @narendramodi #1:06 PM Preventive healthcare needs to be stressed on. We all have to decide and pledge 'Mai gandagi nahin karunga': PM Modi in Haridwar pic.twitter.com/kso76jUTwH a ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 I can say it confidently, we will not ignore or forget the heritage that we have been historically proud of: PM Modi #1:04 PM Time has come to take pride on things which are the greatest: PM Modi #1:03A I drive the inspiration to live my life for the country from you: PM Modi #1:03 PM Swami Ramdev's herbs help you overcome all problems #1: 02 PM I will not do any work to malign the tradition of Rishis: PM Modi #1:00 PM I am member of Patanjali family who visited here today: PM Modi #12:58 I have complete faith in the blessings of the people of India. They are a source of energy: PM Modi #12:56 PM I am grateful to Patanjali family for the honor of being termed 'Rashtra Rishi': PM Modi #12:55 PM I was fortunate to offer prayers at Kedarnath temple: PM Modi #12:40 PM We have decided to mark this International Day of Yoga in Gujarat's Ahmedabad; will go all over the country to make Yoga popular: Baba Ramdev 12:30 PM We felt honoured to felicitate PM Modi with theA honorA of 'Rashtra Rishi': Ramdev 12:26 PM We have the aim to link 5 crore farmers with Patanjali: Ramdev 12:25 PM The country became witness three historicalA pridesA during Modi's reign: RamdevA 12:23 PM PM Modi helped Yoga get respect on the international respect: Ramdev 12:21 PM PM Modi is India's pride: Ramdev 12:20 PM: PM Modi inaugurates Yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali Research Institute in Haridwar 11:45 AM: PM Modi arrives in Haridwar, to inaugurateA Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth 10:15 AM: PM Modi breaks security protocol, meets and greets people at Kedarnath temple #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the crowd at Kedarnath templeA #UttarakhandA pic.twitter.com/UyOon4GrIq a ANI (@ANI_news)A May 3, 2017 9:45 AM: Portals of Kedarnath thrown open, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the temple Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, gifted a miniature replica of the temple.A pic.twitter.com/BJo32gbBA5 a ANI (@ANI_news)A May 3, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath temple in UttarakhandA pic.twitter.com/lIAA4qYXfy a ANI (@ANI_news)A May 3, 2017 Uttarakhand: Portals of Kedarnath thrown open, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the templeA pic.twitter.com/7bYZNbW7Uk a ANI (@ANI_news)A May 3, 2017 #9:32 AM PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath temple #9:21 AM: PM Narendra ModiA reachesA Kedarnath temple A #9:10 AM: Uttarakhand: Portals of the Kedarnath Temple to be thrown open for devotees today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer prayers shortlyA pic.twitter.com/Et8Yh6Ek0O a ANI (@ANI_news)A May 3, 2017 #9:00 AM: A Visuals of Kedarnath temple,A wjhereA PM Modi is scheduled to visit shortly Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive at Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand shortlyA pic.twitter.com/4791jHwX2n a ANI (@ANI_news)A May 3, 2017 #8:18 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Dehradun, will visit Kedarnath Temple shortlyA pic.twitter.com/CodWSunIKg a ANI (@ANI_news)A May 3, 2017 #7:30 AM: -Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also inaugurate Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar during his Uttarakhand visit -Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Uttarakhand today, will offer prayers at Kedarnath Temple Tomorrow I will be visiting Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand. I will begin my Uttarakhand visit by praying at the Kedarnath Temple. a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)A May 2, 2017 I will be inaugurating the Patanjali Research Institute at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar tomorrow, 12 noon onwards.A @yogrishiramdev a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)A May 2, 2017 (With inputs from agencies) A The temple doors were opened at 8.50 AM and the prime minister arrived just about half an hour later to offer prayers and perform a arudrabhisheka in the sanctum sanctorum of the centuries old shrine. After 20 minutes, Modi, who was wearing a brown overcoat, emerged out of the temple and waved to the crowds waiting outside for a glimpse of the Prime Minister. He was gifted a shawl, a rudraksha, a wooden replica of the temple and books on the Himalayas by the priests of the temple as he came out of the shrine. He did a aparikramaa of the Nandi statue outside the temple before making way through the crowds to convoy that was to take him back to the helipad. The Prime Minister also went to the spot where a huge rock named Bhimshila had rolled down from the mountains in the wake of the June 2013 deluge and got stuck at the back of the temple. Christened Bhimshila after the tragedy, also known as the Himalayan Tsunami, the truck sized rock is credited with protecting the shrine from major damage. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday conveyed a message to militants via social media that looting banks was not a holy war. The PDP government is under attack by the Opposition and others over the law and order situation in the Valley. South Kashmirs Pulwama district, which is a stronghold of the PDP since its inception is also a hot bed of militancy too and recently two banks were looted in the area. ALSO READ: Omar Abdullah meets Sonia Gandhi, expresses concern over Kashmir situation PDP in a series of tweets said, This money is from poor people who keep their hard earned savings in the bank. Looting banks and robbing poor people of their savings cannot be any holy war, PDP said. Opposition National Conference has a role in provoking the current instability in the state. They are stoking the fires for their own political game, the PDP further said. ALSO READ: Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Mendhar's Mankote area For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: An outraged India on Wednesday calling the mutilation of its soldiers a "strong act of provocation" summoned Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit and demanded immediate action against the soldiers responsible for the barbaric act. Basit was summoned by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to convey Indias outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May 1, 2017, by Pakistani army personnel, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Bagley said. Bagley also said that India has provided Islamabad sufficient evidence to act. He also said Pakistani posts in Battal sector helped perpetrators in entering Indian boundaries by giving them cover fire and the blood trail was clear evidence that body parts of the soldiers were taken to the other side. Also Read: India sends back 50 Pakistani students as tension grows over beheading of soldiers "Blood samples of Indian soldiers collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the LoC (Line of Control)," Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told Mr Basit. However, Pak high commissioner denied all the charges and said he will convey the message and concerns of Indian authorities to his govt. in Pakistan. Pakistan had Tuesday asked actionable evidence from India to back its claim on the issue. On May 1, Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar were slain by Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) which sneaked 250 metres into Indian territory in Poonch district of J&K. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday rubbished Pakistans claims that it was not involved in the mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on May 1. Jaitley further said that Pakistans claims have no credibility. Pakistan army was involved in the mutilation act, he added. The denial itself carries no credibility because the entire gamut of circumstances clearly indicates that this barbaric act of first killing two of our soldiers and then mutilating their bodies has been carried out with the active participation of the (Pakistani) army, he told reporters. On being asked about Indias possible response to this barbaric act, the Defence Minister said one should have faith in the Indian army. Pakistan helped the perpetrators escape who killed and mutilated the bodies of the two soldiers, Jaitley said. No one can carry out such an act without the protection, participation or the actual indulgence, he added. ALSO READ: Mutilation of soldiers | Blood trail on Roza Nala shows body parts of jawans taken across LoC: India The Defence Minister said, The fact that cover firing was provided to those who carried out this act..... they are helped to escape, in such a heavily guarded border where posts are within few meters of each other, this cannot happen without the protection or the participation or the actual indulgence of the army. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar on May 1 were killed and mutilated by the Pakistans Border Action Team (BAT). They sneaked 250 metres into the Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district. Such a dastardly and inhuman act was beyond any norms of civility and merited unequivocal condemnation and response, Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen AK Bhatt had conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart on Tuesday. With inputs from PTI. ALSO READ: Indian soldiers' mutilation: Pakistan warns India, says misadventures shall be responded appropriately For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : As batch of petitions challenging constitutional validity of aTriple Talaq', aNikah Halalaa and polygamy issues, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed former union minister Salman Khurshid to assist as an amicus curiae in all the cases. A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul also gave their consent to Khurshid, who is a senior lawyer, to file his written submissions in the case. "We will take it on record. It's not an issue," the bench said when the Congress leader said that the time for filing written submission in the matter has already expired and he intended to file certain pleadings in the case. A five-judge constitution bench would commence hearing from May 11 to decide a batch of petitions challenging 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh ATS in a joint operation with Maharashtra ATS on Wednesday claimed to have smashed an espionage racket in the state by arresting Altaf Qureshi. Altaf, who runs a money laundering racket had deposited money in the bank account of a suspected ISI agent Aftab Ali. Police have also seized 70 lac rupees from his possession. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. Police is interrogating Altaf seeking more information related to IS and its agents active in India. Terror encounter: Suspected IS operative linked to MP train blast killed by UP ATS in Lucknow For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: World's heaviest woman Eman Ahmed will be discharged from the Saifee Hospital, Mumbai on Thursday after a long held treatment for severe obesity. Eman was brought to hospital in February this year. She weighed around 498 kgs. Now her weight has reduced to 177 kgs. "Huzefa Shehabi, COO Saifee Hospital, has received an e-mail communication from VPS Burjeel Hospital (in Abu Dhabi, UAE) saying that Eman is 'stable, in good health and fit to fly'. She would be discharged from Saifee on Thursday at 10.30 am," said Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, bariatric surgeon who led the team of doctors treating Eman at the city hospital. "We are extremely happy and pleased with her progress and wish her all the best," adds Lakdawala. 36-year-old Eman would now fly to Abu Dhabi, in the hospital VPS Burjeel Hospital, U.A.E (a hospital initially introduced to eman's family by Dr Lakdawala) for her further treatment. The doctors had reported that she is all fit for the flight. Also Read: Eman Ahmed to be shifted in UAE hospital for further treatment, to travel in business class Earlier it was speculated that Eman did not receive proper treatment at the hospital. Eman's sister Shaimaa in an online video had recently alleged that the doctors made false claims about Eman's complete recovery and weight loss of 262 kgs. Denying the allegations, Dr Aparna Bhaskar, section chief of bariatric surgery at Saifee Hospital, said that Shaimaa may be criticising the doctors to extend Eman's stay at the hospital. Saifee authorities on April 27 had filed a complaint against Shaimaa at VP Road police station for obstructing the medical treatment of Eman. Shaimaa tried to put water in Eman's mouth, despite being told that she must be feb by tube only. Eman underwent the surgery in March in which doctors had reduced her stomach size by two-third. Her tests showed that she has a rare gene mutation that cannot be cured through surgery. Also Read: SHOKING! Eman Ahmed will never be able to walk despite loosing 240 kgs Although, the doctors had put a lot of effort in order to treat Eman's disorder. New Delhi: Scientists revealed the development of another branch in a huge crack on one of Antarctica's largest ice shelves which has been steadily widening. The main rift in the ice shelf Larsen C, which is likely to lead to one of the largest icebergs ever recorded, is currently 180 kilometres (km) long. Scientists fear that it's only a matter of time before a huge chunk might break away. If this happens, the ice shelf may become increasingly unstable and could even fall apart. The Larsen C ice shelf is located off of Antarctica's prominent peninsula and is called a shelf because it floats on the ocean. And the scientists have been monitoring it closely. Read more: Climate change: Greenland's ice is melting due to internal heat of Earth The results show that a large rift in the ice has been advancing in rapid bursts in recent years. Between the beginning of December and the middle of January alone, the crack lengthened by about 17 miles. And since 2011, it has grown by about 50 miles. Although the rift length has been static for several months, it has been steadily widening, at rates in excess of a metre per day, researchers said. "It is currently winter in Antarctica, therefore direct visual observations are rare and low resolution. Our observations of the rift are based on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry from ESA's Sentinel-1 satellites. Satellite radar interferometry allows a very precise monitoring of the rift development", they said. "When it calves, the Larsen C Ice Shelf will lose more than 10 per cent of its area to leave the ice front at its most retreated position ever recorded, this event will fundamentally change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula", said Adrian Luckman, professor at Swansea University. "We have previously shown that the new configuration will be less stable than it was prior to the rift, and that Larsen C may eventually follow the example of its neighbour Larsen B, which disintegrated in 2002 following a similar rift-induced calving event", researchers said. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: According to security sources, Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader has been injured in an air strike in northeast Nigeria. One of his deputies has also been killed in the incident. Friday prayers were going on when the two Air Force jets bombarded fighters in Balla village. A source with contacts within Boko Haram told AFP, Shekau was wounded in the bombings and is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon around Kolofata. ALSO READ: 22 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria His deputy, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba, was killed in the attack along with another key lieutenant, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha, he further added. A member of the civilian militia in Maiduguri, Babakura Kolo, gave a similar account, saying Shekau was injured and a number of commanders were killed. Among them is his deputy called Malam Abba. They suffered heavy casualties because the bombings targeted a large gathering of his followers attending Friday prayers. The Nigerian military have not commented on the incident yet. However, the authorities have earlier claimed to have killed Shekau on at least three occasions. With inputs from PTI. ALSO READ: US air strikes on Syria: 7 people including 4 children killed For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. To activate the text-to-speech service, please first agree to the privacy policy below. Taipei, May 3 (CNA) An exhibition featuring the challenges faced by homosexuals in Taiwan and the history of their fight for marriage equality will take place in Taipei later this month to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the organizers said Wednesday. Taipei, May 3 (CNA) The Taipei City government said Wednesday that the media's revealing the name of a promising young writer who killed herself last week after allegedly being raped by her cram school teacher during her teenage years does not violate the law as the case matters much to social justice. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Friday nights manhunt through Old Greenwich streets began after police determined the armed robbery suspect they were looking for was at the JHouse in Riverside, close to Chase bank branch that was robbed twice this week. As we were coordinating the officers to contain him in the location, he came back out to the vehicle so we had to try and contain him in the parking lot as rapidly as possible, Greenwich Police Capt. Kraig Gray said Saturday. However, he had gotten into his vehicle and immediately drove in a highly reckless and dangerous manner. The suspect escaped by mounting the curb in his Range Rover, eluding the officers and nearly striking one, Gray said. When he was fleeing in that vehicle he literally jumped the curb, bringing all four tires into the air, Gray said. He went airborne twice in a large SUV and officers engaged in pursuit. The police pursuit continued onto I-95 southbound before the suspect abandoned his vehicle on the highway between Exits 5 and 4. He ran across three northbound lanes of travel, clearly endangering himself and the officers behind him and other motorists, Gray said. Police from several jurisdictions conducted a door-to-door search in Old Greenwich. Officers with guns drawn canvassed the area, K-9 units were brought in and two police helicopters, one from the State Police and one from Westchester County, flew low over the region. The local search ended at approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday as evidence showed the suspect had stolen car in Port Chester, also a Range Rover, and fled the state. Gray said GPD believes the man was able to successfully get to Stamford and then made his way to Port Chester where he stole the car. The man is believed to be responsible for three armed robberies in Greenwich this week. He reportedly headed to the Harrisburg area of Pennsylvania, where the stolen a Range Rover was recovered, after dodging local authorities, but remains at large after the Pennsylvania State Police called off their search at 2 a.m. Saturday. Officials at the Pennsylvania State Police could not be reached for comment Saturday. Gray said on Saturday there is no indication of where the suspect might be but the investigation is ongoing. He did not close the door on the suspect returning to Greenwich. We have no idea what hes going to do next, Gray said. Were prepared for any eventuality if he does return. New photos of the man, taken from security footage at a business near the bank he allegedly robbed, were released by the GPD on Saturday, showing him with what appears to be a neck tattoo and cropped blonde hair. The police are urging anyone with information to call the departments anonymous tip line at 1-800-372-1176 or contact via email at tips@greenwichct.org. Police believe the suspect is responsible for armed robberies at the Chase Bank on East Putnam Avenue in Riverside which took place on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon. He also allegedly robbed the Cos Cob Citgo gas station on East Putnam Avenue on Monday night. The suspect displayed a handgun during Wednesdays bank robbery and a weapon was visible in his waistband during the gas station robbery, according to police. No injuries occurred during the robberies or during Fridays pursuit and search. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON A heavily contested school board election in Washington coupled with controversial school budget votes in Bridgewater and Roxbury, came to a head late Tuesday as voters re-elected three incumbents and a newcomer critical of the boards actions upset a board veteran. Voters also narrowly approved the school budget for next year. Winners in Washington were John Buonaiuto, Jenn Pote, Peter Tagley and Jim Hirschfield. Pote was the only one coming off a rookie term, and Buonaiuto was the only newcomer, replacing Valerie Andersen a 20-year board member. The election was a referendum on how the school board had handled shrinking enrollment. Eight people ran for the four spots, and the race pitted two slates of candidates with drastically different views against one another. One roster, including all incumbents but Tagley, pledged to support the districts controversial Ag-STEM project at Shepaug Valley School and support administrators who they said had worked diligently to right a district hit hard by population declines. Superintendent Pat Cosentino said she was very pleased with the re-election of the board members Tuesday night and thrilled about the budget passing. The other slate newcomers Edwin Matthews, John Buonaiuto and Randy Carreira, who called themselves the Time for Change group, condemned the Ag-STEM plan, saying it was certain to fail, and blamed administrators lead by Cosentino and the incumbents for mediocre academic performance coupled with ballooning costs. Tagley joined the three challengers on the slate, but was less harsh in condemnation of the other three at an April candidate forum. He came out on top Tuesday with 405 votes. In the tightly contested race, Buonaiuto unseated Andersen by three votes. Close behind were Tim Laughlin the lone newcomer to support the current board and Matthews with 345 and 341 votes. Meanwhile, voters across the three towns decided Tuesday to approve next years proposed $21.4 million school budget, which has drawn strong opposition. Roxbury and Washington voted to pass the budget, and Bridgewater voted it down. Overall, the budget passed with 53 percent of the vote. The Ag-STEM project originally was budgeted at $39 million, but was scaled back to $29 million when the state raised doubts about the number of students it would attract. State officials went further last fall, recommending the project be scrapped entirely. But state legislators rejected administrative advice, and a planned $23 million state contribution to the project remains part of the school construction bill now awaiting the General Assemblys approval. The district has already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the project. School board votes likely will still fall in Ag-STEMs favor, but now one of its most fervent critics is on the board. Budget passes The schools budget for 2017-18 calls for grade mergers in Bridgewaters elementary, the Burnham School, proved contentious thanks to dwindling enrollment. Only 40 students are expected to enroll next year, and a teaching position in the school was cut. The plan to consolidate the students into just two classes, one with grades K-2 and the other with grades 3 to 5, sparked fears in Bridgewater that Burnham will eventually be turned into a one-room schoolhouse or even closed. Bridgewater soundly defeated the budget Tuesday with 63 percent of the 312 voters rejecting the plan. Over the merger, Bridgewater last week threatened legal action against the school board at a town meeting, but has yet to take any. Armed with an 11-page legal opinion, First Selectman Curtis Read said he is confident the town could stop the district from forcing the consolidation, but warned litigating the issue could take a year and cost more than $100,000, so he is reluctant to pull the trigger. The grade mergers will happen unless school administrators and Bridgewater officials find another solution. Read has said he is open to working with school officials, but doubts theyre open to working with him. blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The suspect in three Greenwich robberies arrested early Wednesday in southern California was a beefcake model and a fitness fanatic. David Byers, 34, of Solana Beach, Ca., managed to evade pursuers in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Arizona after a series of robberies in Greenwich, but he was eventually led away in handcuffs in the San Diego area, according to police. The arrest came as a surprise to those who worked with Byers in the modeling field, where he enjoyed some success. I know hes an unusual guy, but bank robbery doesnt seem like his thing, said Michael Stokes, a California photographer who did a modeling shoot with Byers earlier this year. Hes always been so decent and respectful with me. While his modeling was gaining him some notoriety, Byers career as an alleged gunman brought him a different kind of attention that of numerous law-enforcement agencies around the country. FBI agents and members of the San Diego County Sheriffs Office apprehended him without incident, following a cross-country manhunt. Greenwich police are seeking to have Byers extradited to Greenwich, where he will face one count of first-degree robbery, a charge that includes robbery with a gun, two counts of third-degree robbery, two counts of larceny and a felony count of reckless endangerment. Byers reportedly has a girlfriend in the New York area and a daughter in southern California. He is accused of holding up the Chase bank in Riverside twice last week. He is also being charged with the robbery of the Citgo gas station in Cos Cob last Monday night. Greenwich Police said they, working with other law enforcement agencies, developed leads on the case that put Byers in the San Diego area. He escaped an extensive manhunt Friday evening stretching from Stamford to Port Chester, N.Y. a search that began after police tracked him to the JHouse hotel and bar in Riverside. He took off from the JHouse in a stolen Range Rover before ditching the car on Interstate-95, and running into a residential section of Old Greenwich near the highway. He was later pursued in Pennsylvania, but again thwarted law-enforcement trackers. In Yuma City, Ariz.., according to authorities there, he was wanted in connection with stealing a vehicle and felony flight. He was last seen there at 7 a.m. Monday, near a Holiday Inn. A series of photos taken of Byers for his modeling career show off a well-sculpted physique and numerous works of body art. When police gave out a description of the wanted man, they noted he had a neck tattoo. The robbery suspect has a prior arrest record. According to a judicial data base, he was arrested in March of this year in San Diego and charged with burglary, resisting arrest, grand theft and driving while intoxicated. He was also arrested in June of 2016 by San Diego police, on charges that were not immediately available. Greenwich Police Lt. David Nemecek said other agencies involved in the investigation included the Connecticut State Police, Stamford Police, Westchester County Police, the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police, Port Chester Police and the FBI. Nemecek said it is likely that other law enforcement agencies will be filing criminal charges against Byers. OTTAWA, May 3, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, as part of Mental Health Week, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) hosts the fifteenth annual Champions of Mental Health Awards Gala in Ottawa. Each year, CAMIMH selects a group of Champions through a national nomination from the public to identify and recognize Canadians who have made an outstanding contribution to mental health in Canada. "We are delighted that once again, Her Excellency Sharon Johnston will be joining us for the Champions of Mental Health Awards Gala," said CAMIMH Campaign Chair, Fred Phelps. "We were overjoyed to rename the youth award in her honour in 2015 to recognize her outstanding and continued contribution to mental health. We are also very proud to honour this year's Champions, and to recognize their achievements in making a difference in the mental health community and for those who live with mental illness." The Champions of Mental Health Awards are a key component of CAMIMH's annual awareness campaigns and are made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor Bell Let's Talk. "Congratulations to each of this year's Champions of Mental Health for their dedication to helping Canadians living with mental illness, and the incredible impact they have had on increasing awareness about mental health," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk. "Bell Let's Talk is proud of its continued support for CAMIMH and the Champions of Mental Health Awards, as they recognize these outstanding individuals and organizations for their leadership in helping to end the stigma around mental illness in Canada." CAMIMH is also pleased to welcome special guests the Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, and Bruno Guevremont, retired Royal Canadian Navy Diver, Team Canada Captain at the 2016 Invictus Games and Bell Let's Talk ambassador, who will be the evening's emcee. Here are our 2017 Champions of Mental Health: Community (Individual): Following the tragic loss of his son to suicide, Brian Hansell was moved to make a difference in his community and create the Paul Hansell Foundation in memory of his son. Wanting to create a way to encourage people to have more meaningful conversations, Brian used his experience as an entrepreneur to create ConvoPlate, a series of plates that are passed along to encourage dialogue about mental health. Since its launch, the ConvoPlate has led to hundreds of passes, thousands of conversations, and an estimated $300,000 raised. Community (Organization): Stone Hearth Bakery opened in Halifax in 1982 with a simple goal of providing meaningful training and employment opportunities for individuals 19 years of age and older who were living with mental illness and experiencing persistent barriers to employment. Each year, approximately 65 people participate in the bakery program where, under the guidance of certified bakers, they are provided an opportunity to work in a commercial bakery while gaining employment experience, work skills and self-confidence. Stone Hearth Bakery is committed to helping the community, reinvesting all proceeds back into learning and training opportunities. Media: Arms Bumanlag is CTV Windsor's Weather Anchor and also works as a radio talk show host on AM800 CKLW. On air, and on social media - where he has an extensive following, Arms openly shares his struggles with anxiety. He shatters the stigma around mental illness as an advocate for the mental health community, volunteering his time as an ambassador for the Sole Focus mental health campaign. Researcher or Clinician: Dr. Phil Tibbo has a long history of supporting the mental health community through his leadership, research and advocacy. Throughout his career, Dr. Tibbo has studied psychosis, particularly in youth and early intervention services. His work led to a large philanthropic donation, forming the Bebensee Schizophrenic Research Unit when he was in Alberta, and he was named the first Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders at Dalhousie University in 2008. Dr. Tibbo's community involvement also includes Board Member of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada and Chair of the SSC Foundation, and President of the Canadian Consortium for the Early Intervention in Psychosis. Parliamentarian: Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a proud supporter and member of the mental health community. For many years she has been an advocate for the mental health and addictions community, working with the Civic Action organization, and speaking at events from high schools and universities to CTV's Power Play and CBC's Power and Politics. She has been vocal about her own personal experience with mental illness and is passionate about bringing awareness and education on mental health issues to marginalized communities. Her work for the mental health community can also be noted in her passionate advocacy for the recently announced federal funding for mental healthcare. Workplace Mental Health: Through his work as a registered social worker and public servant, Todd Lyons hosts a podcast for and about public servants. While the podcast addresses a variety of issues, including gender violence, diversity and conflict resolution, there is a recurring theme of mental health and mental illness throughout his work. His work has been promoted by the Clerk of the Privy Council, and has launched the careers of some of his guests as mental health speakers. The Sharon Johnston Champion of Mental Health Award for Youth: Despite her selective mutism, Lauren Whiteway has become a vocal advocate for her condition, which is a severe form of anxiety that causes someone to be unable to speak in certain social situations. Through her blog and video series, she has reached tens of thousands of people around the world, with a distinct focus on her own community. She also created a Facebook group to increase awareness and connect parents with children who have selective mutism in Atlantic Canada. A recipient of the YMCA Peace Medallion and the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award, Lauren's work is taking off! This year, Lauren began speaking at local high schools and the youth psychiatric unit at the local hospital to share her journey with mental illness, not only to increase selective mutism awareness, but also to reach out to others who may be struggling with mental illness. The Champions of Mental Health Awards are made possible through the generous support of our sponsors: Bell Let's Talk, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Lundbeck Canada, Innovative Medicines Canada, and Impact Public Affairs. To learn more about CAMIMH's campaign and the winners, please visit: camimh.ca Established in 1998, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is an alliance of mental health organizations comprised of health care providers and organizations representing persons with mental illness and their families and caregivers. CAMIMH's mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support. SOURCE Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health For further information: To learn more about CAMIMH's campaigns, please visit camimh.ca or contact: Eily Gale, [email protected], Phone: (902) 599-2059 The Butler Did It par Read more [...] Stamp is second in a set of 10 that marks unforgettable moments of the last 50 years, as part of Canada 150 celebrations OTTAWA, May 3, 2017 /CNW/ - Only a peaceful nation achieves full independence with the stroke of a pen, thousands of citizens erupting in cheers and a band striking up a fanfare which is how Canada brought its Constitution home. That achievement is commemorated in a new stamp that Canada Post unveiled today on Parliament Hill, together with the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada. Full constitutional independence in a historic ceremony On a wet and windy April 17, 1982, on the steps of Parliament Hill, before a sea of onlookers under umbrellas and waving Canadian flags, Queen Elizabeth II signed the Proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982. Our Constitution was finally ours alone: Canada now had full autonomy to amend it without involving the British Parliament. As well, we would live under a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that guarantees the fundamental protections and liberties we all enjoy. Today, 35 years later, Canadians still rank the Charter as our most important national symbol, says Statistics Canada. For all these reasons, Canada Post the nation's storyteller because of its iconic national stamp program is proudly commemorating the Constitution and Charter with a special stamp. A range of rights worth cherishing Under the Charter, Canadians have the right to freedom of speech, religion, thought and expression, as well as freedom of the press, of mobility, of association and of assembly, among others. The Charter also enshrines citizens' rights to vote, to run for office, to a fair trial, to security and privacy, as well as important linguistic rights. The Charter also confers equality upon every individual in Canada regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or physical or mental disability. Governments must not discriminate on these grounds in laws or programs. A video featuring former prime minister Jean Chretien, who led the negotiations toward the patriation of the Constitution and the creation of the Charter; former Supreme Court justice Michel Bastarache; and Linda Cardinal, full professor and Research Chair on Francophonie and Public Policy, University of Ottawa; is on canadapost.ca/canada150. This stamp is the second to be issued in a set of 10 that marks Canada 150 by celebrating unforgettable moments in the last 50 years of the country. They are the first stamps in Canada Post's history to be issued in the shape of our iconic national symbol, the maple leaf. The first stamp, celebrating Expo 67, was unveiled in Montreal on April 27 by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who designed the famous Habitat 67 complex depicted on the stamp. The next stamp will be unveiled tomorrow, Thursday May 4, via an online video on canadapost.ca/canada150. About the stamp Each of the 10 maple-leaf shaped die-cut Permanent domestic-rate stamps measures 40 mm X 40 mm and is printed in 6 colours plus tagging. The self-adhesive stamps are available in a booklet of 10 (4 million stamps). A gummed pane of 10 stamps, with circle perforations 4.5 cm in diameter, is also available (80,000 panes). Official First Day Covers, one for each stamp design and each cancelled in OTTAWA ON, are available in a pack of 10 (10,000 packs). The stamp issue was designed by Roy White and Liz Wurzinger of Subplot Design Inc. in Vancouver, B.C., and printed by the Lowe-Martin Group. SOURCE Canada Post For further information: Media Relations, 613-734-8888, [email protected] Related Links http://www.canadapost.ca TORONTO, May 2, 2017 /CNW/ - Genworth MI Canada Inc. ("Genworth Canada", or the "Company") (TSX: MIC) announced today acceptance by the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") of the Company's Notice of Intention to Make a Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB"). Pursuant to the NCIB, Genworth Canada may, if considered advisable, purchase through the facilities of the TSX or through other permitted means (including through other published markets), from time to time over the next 12 months, up to an aggregate of 4,597,385 of its issued and outstanding common shares (the "Common Shares"), being 5% of the Common Shares as of April 27, 2017. Purchases may commence through the TSX on May 5, 2017 and will conclude on the earlier of the date on which purchases under the bid have been completed and May 4, 2018. Daily purchases under the NCIB will be limited to a maximum of 49,393 Common Shares, other than purchases made in compliance with the provisions of the block purchase exemption of the TSX rules and purchases from Genworth Financial, Inc., the Company's majority shareholder, and its affiliates (collectively, "Genworth Financial"). Genworth Financial will be permitted to sell its Common Shares to the Company in accordance with an exemption granted by the TSX pursuant to its rules, regulations and policies in connection with the NCIB in order to maintain its proportionate percentage ownership at approximately 57.2%. Genworth Financial has advised the Company that it intends to participate proportionately in the NCIB. The maximum number of Common Shares that may be purchased pursuant to the NCIB will also be reduced by the number of Common Shares purchased by the Company from Genworth Financial. The Board of Directors of Genworth Canada believes that any purchases pursuant to the NCIB, if considered advisable, will be in the best interests of the Company and will be a desirable use of corporate funds. All Common Shares purchased by Genworth Canada will be cancelled. The NCIB will be implemented by the Company's broker responsible for making purchases of Common Shares on behalf of Genworth Canada pursuant to an automatic purchase plan agreement to be entered into between such broker and Genworth Canada (the "APP Agreement"). Pursuant to the APP Agreement, the timing for the purchase of Common Shares, the number of Common Shares purchased and the price payable for the Common Shares will be determined by the Company's broker in its sole discretion, without consultation with the Company, having regard to the price limitations and other terms of the APP Agreement, as well as the prevailing market price of the Common Shares at the time of purchase. The APP Agreement is expected to be implemented following commencement of the NCIB. Purchases from Genworth Financial will be made pursuant to the TSX exemption on any trading day that the Company makes a purchase from other shareholders. Purchases from Genworth Financial will be made during the TSX's Special Trading Session pursuant to an automatic disposition plan agreement (the "ADP Agreement") expected to be entered into between the Company's broker and Genworth Financial. In the event that Genworth Financial does not sell Common Shares on any trading day in accordance with the terms of the ADP Agreement (other than as a result of a market disruption), the TSX exemption will cease to apply and the Company will not be permitted to make any further purchases from Genworth Financial under the terms of the NCIB. The Company has not made any purchases of its Common Shares under a normal course issuer bid approved by the TSX on April 28, 2016, and set to expire May 4, 2017. About Genworth MI Canada Inc. Genworth MI Canada Inc. (TSX: MIC) through its subsidiary, Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada (Genworth Canada), is the largest private residential mortgage insurer in Canada. The Company provides mortgage default insurance to Canadian residential mortgage lenders, making homeownership more accessible to first-time homebuyers. Genworth Canada differentiates itself through customer service excellence, innovative processing technology, and a robust risk management framework. For almost two decades, Genworth Canada has supported the housing market by providing thought leadership and a focus on the safety and soundness of the mortgage finance system. As at March 31, 2017, Genworth Canada, had $6.7 billion total assets and $3.8 billion shareholders' equity. Find out more at www.genworth.ca. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, including the Company's expectations regarding future developments in connection with the NCIB and the receipt of regulatory approvals, the Company's intention to repurchase common shares from the Company's shareholders, the Company's expectations regarding the participation of Genworth Financial in the NCIB and other statements contained in this release that are not historical facts. These statements may be identified by their use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "seek", "propose", "estimate", "expect", or similar expressions, as they relate to the Company are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Specific forward looking statements in this document include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's expectations regarding the NCIB, the APP Agreement, the ADP Agreement and Genworth Financial's participation in the NCIB. These statements are inherently subject to significant risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond the Company's control. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including as a result of changes in global, political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors, and the other risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form. Other than as required by applicable laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. SOURCE Genworth MI Canada For further information: Investors - Jonathan Pinto, 905-287-5482, [email protected]; Media - Susan Carter, 905-287-5520 or [email protected] Related Links http://www.genworth.com MONTREAL, May 3, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Aeroports de Montreal, which will hold its annual general meeting tomorrow, celebrates the addition of new direct destinations departing from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, namely Lima in Peru, announced by Air Canada this morning, bringing Montreal-Trudeau's direct destinations to some 140 annual or seasonal flights. "With the addition of Lima to its Montreal network, Air Canada is again showing its desire to develop MontrealTrudeau as a strategic hub," The accelerated growth of our air service confirms Montreal-Trudeau's position as an international hub, giving Montreal an ever-expanding reach, and one that is most opportune in the lead-up to the city's 375th anniversary," stated Philippe Rainville, President and CEO of Aeroports de Montreal, with pride. The flight to Lima, announced by Air Canada, will become the first non-stop flight between Montreal and South America as of next December, and will initially be offered at a frequency of twice per week. Several new destinations or routes are also offered this year, starting with Shanghai flights, launched last February. By adding Air Canada's daily flights to Shanghai to Air China's five flights to Beijing, we arrive at a total of 12 flights to China per week, or about 3,300 seats. Some new destinations, Montreal will be linked to Tel Aviv for the first time, and by two different airlines: Air Transat and Air Canada. Air Transat will also service the city of Porto for the first time this summer with direct flights. Additionally, Air Canada will operate new routes to Reykjavik, Algiers, Marseille, Dallas and Phoenix, while WestJet will fly to Halifax, Quebec City and Boston for the first time. We should also mention that Icelandair is resuming its flights to Reykjavik. AeroMexico, for its part, has doubled the number of departures to the Mexican capital to 14 weekly flights. About Aeroports de Montreal Aeroports de Montreal is the local airport authority of the Greater Montreal area responsible for the management, operation and development of Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and of the Mirabel aeronautics and industrial park. The corporation employs 625 people. SOURCE Aeroports de Montreal For further information: Public Affairs and Communications, Aeroports de Montreal, 514-394-7304 Related Links http://www.admtl.com Chief Financial Officer for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Latin America and Canada Region takes over leadership of one of Canada's leading pharmaceutical companies DORVAL, QC, May 3, 2017 /CNW/ - Montrealer Janice Murray, a long-time employee of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., has been named President, effective May 1, 2017. Along with its Dorval-based Pharmaceuticals and Oncology business, other Novartis operations in Canada are Alcon Canada, specializing in eye care products and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, and Sandoz Canada, providing generic drugs, biosimilars and over-the-counter treatments, based in Boucherville, Quebec. Janice moves to her new position after having been in the role of Chief Financial Officer for the Latin America and Canada Region of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, a position she held while based in Dorval. In this position, she oversaw the strategic planning, budgeting, financial performance, compliance and supply chain management of the region's six operating units with combined revenues of approximately $2 billion. Prior to this regional role, Janice was Vice President of the Ophthalmology Business Franchise for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada for four years, leading the team of sales and marketing associates responsible for the company's largest business franchise. She joined Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada as Chief Financial Officer in 2006. Janice holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting from the University of Ottawa, a Graduate Diploma in Accountancy from McGill University in Montreal, and a Chartered Accountant designation from the Ordre des comptables agrees du Quebec. She started her career in audit management with KPMG Chartered Accountants and then spent 13 years in various senior and executive positions at Canadian National Railway before joining Novartis. About Novartis in Canada Novartis has 1,800 associates across Canada providing innovative healthcare solutions to Canadians through its three divisions: Innovative Medicines (pharmaceutical and oncology), Alcon Canada (eye care) and Sandoz Canada (generic medicines, biosimilars and over-the-counter treatments). Novartis invested $49 million in research and development in Canada in 2016. For further information, please consult www.novartis.ca, www.alcon.ca, and www.sandoz.ca. About Novartis Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2016, the Group achieved net sales of USD 48.5 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com. SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. For further information: Novartis Media Relations: Katrina Lucking, Novartis Corporate Communications, +1 514 633 7873, E-mail: [email protected]; Spectrum Advisors, +1 514 234 4095, [email protected] TORONTO, May 3, 2017 /CNW/ - To mark World Press Freedom Day, Journalists for Human Rights (www.jhr.ca) is launching our Mobilizing Media Campaign. Journalists for Human Rights is committed to training journalists around the world on how to effectively and objectively report on human rights issues. This month, JHR has targeted to raise $10,000 to continue this life-saving work. We need your help. When journalists are empowered and free to cover human rights, governments are more accountable and people's lives improve. "In May we commit to report each week on how human rights stories produced by JHR trained journalists have had real positive impact for people," says Executive Director Rachel Pulfer. JHR puts this in action every day. Just three weeks ago a JHR-mentored journalist, Kidega Livingstone, got justice for victims of rape in South Sudan. Several women just outside of Juba, South Sudan were raped by soldiers from the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). Journalist Kidega Livingstone, trained by JHR, reported these crimes in the Juba Monitor and called for an investigation. The SPLA confirmed that the rapes occurred, launched an investigation into the situation and arrested several soldiers for the crime. This is free media in action. Freedom House Report As the 2017 Freedom House Report indicates, journalists are increasingly up against challenges worldwide. The report, which JHR contributed to, charts a worrying trend of global democratic decline. Several societies, have turned their backs on democratic decision-making in favour of putting public trust in authoritarian strongmen. Such regimes favour tight control over media and information. In such a global context, press freedom rights must be continually fought for. Yet Kidega Livingstone's work in South Sudan also shows how society benefits when a smart, determined journalist pushes the limits. When journalists are free to do their jobs, everyone benefits. So please join us and support the Mobilizing Media Campaign. - Our thanks to CNW Group for sponsoring this announcement - SOURCE Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) For further information: For more information on this campaign, please contact Janine deVries at 416 413 0240 x 210 or [email protected] Related Links www.jhr.ca Prof. Sergio Canavero, a neurosurgeon from Torino, Italy, is planning the worlds first transplantation of a human head (aka body transplant) within ten months. He gave an interview to OOOM magazine. Sergio is together with various teams in the US, China and South Korea, the author of more than 140 scientific publications continued to pursue the plan he called HEAVEN (Head Anastomosis Venture). In his GEMINI protocol, Canavero outlines every necessary step of the procedure in detail, laid out like in an instruction manual. * The worlds first human head transplant will be performed within the next ten months. * The procedure will be performed in China. * Experienced surgeon Xiaoping Ren of Harbin Medical University, a close friend of Canavero, will lead the surgical team performing the head transplant. He previously was part of the surgery team in the first hand transplantation in the US. * The first head transplant patient will not be Russian Valery Spiridonov but a Chinese citizen. *There are already potential candidates for the operation. * Meanwhile, Prof. Canavero is already planning his next coup: the worlds first brain transplant, slated to take place in three years at the latest. He has already started to assemble a team for the procedure. * For this purpose, the creation of the first life-extension institute is already in planning a facility in which such procedures could be conducted in the future. Two excellent scientists, two close friends: Prof. Sergio Canavero with his Chinese partner, Dr. Xiaoping Ren, who will lead the operation team on site during the worlds first head transplant procedure. Xiaoping Ren will announce the exact schedule for the head transplant procedure in a special press conference in China in the next two months. Many experiments have already been conducted and, according to Prof. Canavero, have yielded incredible results, which will change the course of medicine. Dr. Ren will publish his findings in leading medical journals in the near future. The worlds first head transplant reportedly poses far fewer surgical and medical obstacles than previously assumed. The duration of the procedure will allegedly be significantly shorter than 72 hours. * The most recent animal test was on a dog that became able to walk again even though 90 percent of its spinal cord had been severed. * they have transplanted the head of a rat onto the body of another rat The procedure would have many advantages, he says, including a lower possibility of rejection. Most promising, he adds, is that it would make it easier to reawaken cryogenically frozen brains. To prove it, Canavero is planning to transplant a frozen brain into a donor body. The Federal Government on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to build modular refineries in oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta.The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, made the commitment as part of efforts to woo businessmen at the offshore technology conference holding in Houston, United States.Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had on March 25 assured that the proposed modular refineries would be sited only in oil-producing areas as part of measures to address the developmental challenges in the area.Now that the Vice-President has visited the area, I will go round and make a workable plan to kick-start the modular refineries, we need to move away from state-ism to a pan-Nigerian development.We have to boost local refinery. The concept of producing crude and selling it off barrel per barrel is some policy we have to look at.I hate to sit over a ministry where we cant be self-sustaining. The Niger Delta has shown that it can cooperate and ensure peace if focus is on developing the region, he said.Kachikwu said President Muhammadu Buhari had set out tough choices, hence, focus would be to stabilise macro-economic environment, align monetary trade and fiscal policies.Part of the choices were to accelerate non-oil revenue generation, drastically reduce costs, privatise public enterprise and assets, achieve food security, improve transportation infrastructure and boost local refinery, he said.Kachikwu said a 10-point focus had been developed to attract massive investment and growth, with focus on equity collaboration with joint-venture partners, diversification of the downstream infrastructure among others.The Minister said the government would do more to grow production from 2.2 million barrels of crude per day to 3 million, refine crude, improve yield from oil through transparency and the need to continually cooperate with OPEC.He also said he was working assiduously to ensure that the cost of producing crude per barrel reduces from $28 to $18.Nigerians should take the lead, invest and return monies to the sector. We need to make the sector regain its relevance and most importantly we must begin to address the future by saving.There are oil wells in places like Saudi Arabia that are capped and kept for future generations.We must save, although that anomaly is being addressed as we speak, we must save, creativity must return, he said. Despite an agreement reached Tuesday on a reform package, Europe still needs to provide credible debt relief to Greece before the International Monetary Fund can provide more financing, an IMF official said.Greece and its creditors closed a troubled chapter in the negotiations with a preliminary deal on pension and tax cuts after many months of talks.Now, this will have to go hand in hand with a credible strategy for how to restore debt sustainability, said Poul Thomsen, head of the IMFs European Department.Those discussions on how to address the Greek debt burden are only now getting underway, he told reporters in a conference call. Once we have (a) program that consists of both legs strong policies and strong debt relief measures we can take it to the board of the IMF for approval.But that could be the thorniest part of the negotiations with Europe, which has been reluctant to provide more debt relief, particularly Germany, where additional concessions are unpopular and a general election is looming in September.Greece Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said he hoped to see a final deal in time for the May 22 meeting of eurozone finance ministers, which must approve the agreement.A compromise is required to unblock a tranche of loans Greece needs to repay seven billion euros ($7.6 billion) in maturing loans in July.Thomsen said the fund is willing to agree to a deal in which debt relief is only delivered at the end of the agreement, and is contingent on Greece meeting the targets.However, he would have to provide assurances to the IMF board that we have a common understanding with our European partners of what kind of measures will be needed to deliver that debt relief. Growth-friendly measures The official said the IMF welcomed the agreement between Greece, the European Commission and European Central Bank, which we think will allow fiscal policy to become much more growth friendly.The Greek government agreed to reductions in tax breaks and pension cuts, which Thomsen said will broaden the tax base and allow lower tax rates. Athens also agreed to reduce pension costs to permit more growth-friendly spending on measures like targeted social benefits.Greece and its European creditors agreed to a third, 86-billion-euro ($94-billion) bailout deal in July 2015, but the IMF had refused to participate without significant debt relief.The nations debt in 2016 stood at nearly 315 billion euros or 179 percent of annual economic output, up from 177.4 percent in 2015.The IMF also has resisted the European push for Greece to achieve a fiscal surplus of 3.5 percent of GDP, which Thomsen had warned would require that more austerity be imposed in the crisis-ridden country. That will be very unfortunate in the sense that if he does move out, it will affect our tourism in Nigeria. Pastor Joshua is an important person; he must bear with us, the outspoken Minister admitted to newsmen at the event which hosted top dignitaries within the tourism sector. This is his country. If he moves out and goes to South Africa (for example), the revenue will go to South Africa. According to a report in Nigerias Nation Newspaper, Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has entreated controversial Prophet T.B. Joshua to rescind his decision to leave Nigeria. Mohammed told journalists at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), held in the Renaissance Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.Mohammed said he would be reaching out to the cleric to voice his concerns, adding that the Nigerian government was ready to dialogue with Joshua to address the challenges faced by The SCOAN.It is better that Pastor Joshua sits down with the relevant authorities and resolves whatever problems he has, the Minister concluded. Mohammeds statements are the first public acknowledgement by the Nigerian government of Joshuas economic and social impact on the country in terms of religious tourism.The Synagogue founder said during a church service on March 30 that he had been invited by three prominent Israeli mayors to hold meetings with international pilgrims close to the Biblical site of the Sea of Galilee. "I saw a female corrections officer shooting at a guy. I was making a left turn and the bullet hit the passenger's' side door. I heard six shots in total." "She was flying down the block." and said the shooter appeared to be silent and calm during the chaos. "She wasn't saying anything. She had a determined look on her face," said Abreu. "They weren't too far apart, maybe 30 feet. He was running straight. I had my arm on the door when the bullet hit it. I felt the vibration in my arm." "She was on her back, face up. Her eyes were a little more than half open. "She wasn't saying nothing. She was breathing, though. I was trying to see where exactly she was shot, but the other Corrections officers were pushing me back." A 47 year old female New York corrections officer opened fire on her 44 year old ex-boyfriend outside a prison in Queens on Monday. According to an eyewitness account, the former couple were arguing outside the Queensboro Correctional Facility on Van Dam Street when she shot at him early Monday morning. She was reportedly in uniform while her ex was not.The hail of bullets sent her ex, who is also believed to be a corrections officer, running into the Long Island City complex for cover, according to the . Fortunately, none of the bullets hit him and he is not believed to have suffered any injuries.The woman reportedly left the scene after the first shooting, then retiurned to unleash multiple shots at her former partner's vehicle.The woman who has not yet been identified then pointed the gun at herself and shot herself in the chest.She was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, where she later died.An eyewitness, Rafael Macias, said:Another eyewitness, Darison Abreu said:Describing the moment he ran towards her immediately after the guard shot herself, Abreu said:Source: New York Daily News We invited Air Commodore Sinni, a finance officer at NAF to shed more light on the matter. He, however, requested that we interview Squadron Leader Emma Abu, the cashier, stating that Abu had recorded all cash withdrawals and movements of funds. By the time Abu arrived, we requested for his records. Analysing the records, we were able to identify consecutive payments made monthly, between January August, 2013 in favour of Ryte Builders Nigeria Limited and Habco Construction Limited, duly captioned as part of N558.2m meant for the COAS. It was this, as well as bank records, that we used to trace payments. It was further revealed that, of a sum total of between N1.2billion and N1.6billion released every month for the payment of NAF officers salaries and stipends, N558.2million was set aside for the COAS every month. Abu converted this sum to dollar equivalent and handed it over to Sinni for onward transferral to Badeh. From the balance, Abu was able to account for the projects executed which include the NAF Secondary School in Yola, Adamawa State; NAF conference hall in Jabi, Abuja and others in Kaduna and Makurdi, AirForce Barracks, Dalhatu stated. Series of e-mails between Kabiru Salawu, Mustapha Yerima, Alex Badeh Jnr, one Architecet Saka and another US-based architect regarding the development of Badehs shopping mall were also discovered, Dalhatu added. Former Chief of Air Staff, COAS, Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (rtd), who is facing trial along Iyalikam Nigeria Limited on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering, was in court Tuesday. At the resumed hearing of the case Tuesday, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Dalhatu, told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja how monies were being disbursed from the accounts of the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, on Badeh's order. Dalhatu, an operative of the EFCC, under cross-examination by Badehs counsel, Akin Olujimi, SAN, narrated to the court how investigations had revealed records of large volumes of cash disbursements from the NAF accounts, which was carefully recorded by a cashier in the NAFs Directorate of Finance and Accounts, Squadron Leader, Emmanuel Abu.According to him,He further revealed that when the investigation team interviewed Engr Mustapha Yerima, Managing Director of Ryte Builders Nigeria Limited, he (Yerima) initially denied having done any contract with NAF, but later changed his tune after being confronted with evidence to the contrary.Earlier in his evidence-in-chief, Dalhatu had narrated how events led to discoveries of various choice properties allegedly purchased, constructed and/or renovated for Badeh, including 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama; 14, Azdope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse 2 and 8a, Temple Street, Wuse 2, Abuja. The matter was subsequently adjourned to May 3, 2017 for further hearing. South West delegates to the 2014 National Conference organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan have demanded that the 2019 general elections should be conducted on the basis of a new and truly federal constitution. They maintained it was the yearning of the people from the zone.After a reunion yesterday in Abuja, the leaders said the implementation of the report was the irreducible minimum to move Nigeria forward and build a nation that works for the citizenry.In a statement signed by their chairman, deputy and secretary, Chief Olu Falae, Alani Akinrinade (rtd) and Dr. Kunle Olajide, the delegates urged the Federal Government to initiate the process for the National Assembly to pick up the report submitted to the immediate past legislative chambers for implementation. Also yesterday, a summit held in Abuja to push for the implementation of the report. The gathering enumerated the major issues militating against the smooth functioning of the federation, stating that only an action on the document could solve these problems.The participants noted specifically that the perennial problem of deadly clashes between farmers and herdsmen would have been resolved if this administration had implemented the report.Peopled by the likes of Professor Jerry Gana; John Dara; Tanko Yakassai and Yinka Odumaki; the summit declared that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration must abandon its opposition to the implementation of the document.The summit, which held at the Abuja residence of the owner of DAAR Communication, Raymond Dokpesi, held that no progressive government can and should dismiss the recommendations of such a serious and representative gathering of thinkers and leaders. An All Progressives Congress, APC, Chieftain in Edo State, Charles Idahosa, has described leaders of the party saying President Muhammadu Buhari will run for a second term in 2019 instead of praying for his health as sycophants.Speaking with newsmen yesterday in Benin City, the state capital, Idahosa, a founding member of the party in the state, also stressed that the lingering crisis between the National Assembly and the Presidency was as a result of the failed leadership in the APC.He said, It is a shame that they are saying this despite the Presidents state of health. I expected these leaders to advise the President to go and get medical attention while they find solution to the problems in the APC.We have a President who is sick, which of course is normal because anybody can be sick. But for them to say that he will run for 2019 when he is yet to complete two years in office, is unfortunate.I feel worried and I fear for the APC. I thought the party would take advantage of the confusion in the main opposition party, that is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but from all indications, the APC is having problems just the same way PDP is having problems.The way some top leaders and those powerful people at the national level are talking, it frightens me and I fear for Nigeria.I feel sorry for President Buhari because I can conclude, without any fear of contradiction, that he is surrounded by sycophants and people that are just ready to tell him what he wants to hear. Nobody is telling him the truth and the country is drifting.I fear that we are going back to 2010 over the issue of his health and what happened to YarAdua, a situation where top members of the party and some persons in government will be talking about a president running for a second term when we are all aware that the man needs to take care of his health. It has nothing to do Buhari, anybody can fall sick at any time.I am not happy at the way things are going at the national level and the feud between the National Assembly and the Presidency might lead us to where we started from. We might just erode the gains since 1999 if we are not careful. I am using this opportunity to call on those at the top to forget about their self-interest and save the party.If you look at this whole thing, the National Assembly, the Presidency, the confusion in the hierarchy of the party over to run or not to run, we shouldnt be talking about that, we should be talking about the welfare of the president because when the president is not well, Nigeria is not well. It is because the party is not in control of its members in the National Assembly. The APC Youth Progressive Frontier has slammed former interim chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Bisi Akande over his re... The APC Youth Progressive Frontier has slammed former interim chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Bisi Akande over his recent crude statement on the health of President Muhammadu Buhari. The group said people like Akande should be taken for psychiatric test because a sane human being would never joke with the health of a sitting president. Bisi Akande had in a statement on claimed that some people were feasting on President Buharis poor health. The APC chieftain admitted that Buharis illness was gradually taking a toll on the country, adding that history may repeat itself. (read here) Reacting however, the APC youth group in a statement jointly signed by its National President, Gbolaham Badmus and Secretary General, Shodeinde Lukman, made fun of the former party chairman for trying to play politics with the presidents health. The group called on Nigerians to rally round Buhari in prayers as he continues to work and fight against corruption, which has eaten deep into the nations economy. The statement said, As patriotic Nigerians that are thoroughly engrossed in the task of contributing our quota to the development of the nation, we are pained by the way and manner some key officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have chosen to make derogatory statement about the affairs of the nation especially the issues surrounding the well-being of our dear president, Muhammadu Buhari. In one of the latest instances, the founding National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande shamelessly told those who cared to listen to his infamous sermon that the health condition of the president have dovetailed into untold hardship on the citizenry and called for emergency measures to be taken in order to avert a national calamity. We view this as an irresponsible drift. With due respect, we wish to state categorically that such careless utterances by a person who is supposed to have known and appreciated the immense energy, vigour, dedication and a whole-hearted commitment President Buhari have injected into the task of rejuvenating our national life, is grossly disappointing. And has actually gone a long way to show how petty our grand parents have become. In order climes, this would have been a time for sober reflection and not a time for some people to take alibi in and unleash their hidden venom and deep rooted hatred against the president, the group noted. The APC youth noted that it was glaring that people like Akande is only trying to tear the party apart with his personal interest and ulterior motives. The statement added, Equally, our belief is that, from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The main purpose of such utterances in our estimation is that, a section of the party is now torn between the pursuit of personal, yet infamous agenda which has the ultimate evil aim of creating an anomalous cabal that is tilted towards a particular section of the country rather that helping in rebuilding a virile nation that all of us will be proud to be its citizens. This is a dangerous dimension which we all patriotic Nigerians must gallantly stand up to defend democracy against hawks that are lurking around with dubious intentions. Ordinarily, we would have assumed that Chief Akande was making an intervention with a genuine intention but thorough checks by our network across the length and breadth of the nation have unequivocally indicated that, his action was a well orchestrated plan that has been calculated with the major aim of causing disaffection among Nigerians that have reposed absolute confidence in the administration of President Buhari which has embarked on a mission with a vision to redeem the country from the shackles of corruption, insecurity and economic redundancy. We tend to wonder what has prompted Chief Akande to embark on this holy-than-thou voyage most especially from the standpoint that President Buhari himself is completely honest to Nigerians and in fact genuinely told the country upon his return from his medical vacation in the United Kingdom that he has never as sick as that particular point in time. The group added that it was glad that the president had since resumed office after taking out some days to rest and attend to his health, which it noted has improved. We are happy and have chosen to give glory to the almighty God that barely a day after Chief Akande made that unguarded statement, our President pulled out of his well deserved rest to resume work in his office at the Aso rock presidential villa thereby perforating the assertion as earlier clandestinely made by our party elder. Those who met with Mr. President on Tuesday, 2nd May, 2017, including the Attorney -General of the federation, Abubakar Malami as well as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mainkanti Baru pointed out in loud and clear terms that he was in high spirit and on top of his job. This no doubt will come as a rude shock to Chief Akande who has chosen to become an unholy tool in the hands of some few self seeking individuals who have used him to massage their ego. We are tempted therefore to mention that in sane places, elders like Chief Akande are the conscience of the society who use their accumulated wealth of experience, expertise, contacts and goodwill to impact positively on the lives of the generality of the people as well as add impetus to the giant strides of the administration in order to bring about national cohesion but not for destructive purposes in the shabby manner portrayed by Chief Akande who vainly tried to cast aspersions on our collective existence. We greatly regret to re-echo the belief that, if Chief Akande has any misgiving against any organ of the government he should find better ways to ventilate on such grievances rather than dragging the president and the presidency into a needless battle that will pitch the executive against the legislature and even the judiciary whom he also frontally targeted in his barbaric outing. In extreme cases, we are also recommending a psychiatric test for persons like Chief Akande and his barefaced litany of co-travellers. Nigeria belongs to all of us and not a particular section or elements who think by talking down on President Buhari, they will achieve cheap political goals not minding that such will not be of any consequence on the rest of us, the statement added. In a related development, the Arewa Consultative Forum also frowned at the unhealthy statement credited to Akande over President Buharis health. America television host, Jimmy Kimmel, welcomed a son with his wife less than two weeks ago. Sadly, what was supposed to be a moment of... America television host, Jimmy Kimmel, welcomed a son with his wife less than two weeks ago. Sadly, what was supposed to be a moment of joy soon turned to panic as a few minutes after delivery it was discovered that the baby had a rare heart condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot. In an emotional monologue on his show, Jimmy Kimmel told the story of his son's harrowing first few days after being diagnosed with rare and potentially dangerous cardiac defects. He was in tears as he talked about finding out his son was in a critical condition and had to have immediate surgery. The boy, who has been Christened William but is called Billy, had his pulmonary valve completely blocked at birth and there's also a hole in the left and right sides of his heart. An open heart surgery was done three days after Billy was born to fix two of the defects and it was successful, but that's not the end. He'll have another open heart surgery in three-to-six months to close the holes and another again when he is a teenager. Kimmel urged viewers to donate to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where his son was treated, to help other kids with serious health conditions. He also made a plea for politicians, both Republican and Democrat, to make sure all Americans have access to medical care, especially those with pre-existing health conditions, so that parents never have to decide that they cannot afford to save their child's life. See the video below... President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday again failed to attend the Federal Executive Council meeting. President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday again failed to attend the Federal Executive Council meeting.Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presided over the meeting which is being attended by majority of the ministers.Buhari's spokesmen, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu as well as the president's personal photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo, had arrived the council chamber, apparently in expectation of their boss' attendance.Osinbajo and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, arrived the council chambers of the Presidential Villa at 10:59am.More details later... Flamboyant Nigerian Pastor Chris Okotie is the latest prominent voice to wade into the controversy over Prophet T.B. Joshuas proposed r... Flamboyant Nigerian Pastor Chris Okotie is the latest prominent voice to wade into the controversy over Prophet T.B. Joshuas proposed relocation to Israel.Speaking on Facebook, Okotie, who has long been an outspoken critic of Joshua, described the cleric as an attention-seeking impostor.He is controlled by a malevolent misanthropic spirit, the pastor of Household of God International Ministries wrote on his official Facebook Profile under a news article he reposted detailing Joshuas alleged relocation.His hypocritical jeremiad should be ignored. He is just another frustrated shaman seeking public sympathy, Okotie wordily concluded.However, followers of Okotie were surprisingly quick to rise to Joshuas defence, commenting that the cleric had not been positioned to judge on such matters.Honestly, I do not think a brilliant man like Chris Okotie will castigate another who propagates God's throne, queried Tamaraudoubra Sultan Zimughan.On whose mandate is Okotie labelling T.B. Joshua a shaman? Go to both Churches and see whose is more of God? Look at T.B. Joshua's life and that of Chris Okotie and see who is more fruitful.APC chieftain Timi Frank and PDP stalwart Femi Fani Kayode are among those who have joined the growing call for Joshua to remain in Nigeria, citing the spiritual, economic and social impact of his church.Meanwhile, in a post on Joshuas official Facebook page, the controversial cleric revealed the secret behind his money. According to him, the reward accrued from ministry cannot be quantified in material terms.Speaking specifically about his foreign crusades, Joshua disclosed that he pays for the large majority of arrangements and does not touch the offerings collected during such events.My joy is to see people healed, delivered and blessed. That is my money. Each person that is delivered is more than $20,000 to me! That is the money God gives me - the joy to sleep in peace, Joshua stated.You need to know what it means if God uses you to heal and deliver people, the cleric continued. If you know what it means the joy in God using you to deliver people you will never ask the people you deliver to bring money If God uses you to remove the pain of one, you are more than a millionaire.According to the prophet cum philanthropist, If money is your gain, you are robbing yourself. That money is insufficient it cannot give you peace. As the controversy over the ownership of N310 million allegedly stolen from the Maitama home of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki gat... As the controversy over the ownership of N310 million allegedly stolen from the Maitama home of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki gathers storm, the Department of State Service, DSS, yesterday cleared him of any culpability.The DSS said the cash did not belong to Saraki or any member of the National Assembly and accused its dismissed staff, who is now standing trial for armed robbery, Abdulrasheed Maigari, of trying to fabricate a lie for a hidden motive.It will be recalled that Maigari, a former DSS operative, had said that he and others connived to steal the huge cash from the Senate Presidents home when they were working as security operatives in his house.But a top DSS source told newsmen last night that the facts emanating from its investigations did not support the claims by Maigari and should be ignored. The DSS said, The story making the rounds that the N310 million belonging to the Senate President was stolen in 2015 is a malicious falsehood.From our investigation, the money in question did not belong to the senate President or any member of the National Assembly for that matter. The investigation conducted by the DSS and the confessional statement made by Abdulrasheed Maigari, a suspect in the case, did not support this claim at all.Maigaris recent claim in the media is nothing but a made up story to achieve a hidden motive. The fact that Maigari, who is currently standing trial for an armed robbery case, could make up such a false claim is a further indication of how criminally minded he is. Apparently to prove his innocence in the matter, Saraki had earlier in the day distanced himself from the said money, claiming that the money was not stolen from his house but from a bureau de change.The Senate President in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sani Onogu, said he did not have military personnel among his security details, describing the story as an April fool stuff. Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has opined that the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nation, SCOAN, Prophet TB Joshua must not be allowed to relocate from Nigeria.Recall that the controversial Prophet had declared his intention to leave Nigeria and relocate his ministry to the nation of Israel.Speaking at his church service on Sunday, Joshua disclosed that he had just returned from the Holy Land after holding meetings with three prominent Israeli mayors of Jerusalem, Tiberias and the Jordan Valley.Joshua said Israel offered him both land and facilities in an area around the biblical site of the Sea of Galilee for the Nigerian Pastor to organise meetings for international pilgrims.Reacting to the report, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Chieftain said the Prophet should not be allowed to relocate from Nigeria because he is needed now more than ever in the country.In a series of tweets on his social media handle, Fani-Kayode wrote: We will not allow T.B. Joshua to leave Nigeria and relocate to Israel.He is one of Gods end-time generals. We need him now more than ever.It is almost over. The beast is dying.The flesh is rotting. The vultures are gathering. Yet even in death he revels in wickedness. FEAR GOD! The fire at the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on Tuesday afternoon affected a section of the palace where traditional regali... The fire at the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on Tuesday afternoon affected a section of the palace where traditional regalia were kept, an official has said.Ibrahim Farinloye, the spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, said the fire was quickly nipped in the bud by the various emergency agencies on ground.The cause of the fire could not be ascertained immediately, he stated.But it has been put off by the combined efforts of federal fire service and state fire service, he added.It was also gathered that what could have degenerated into an inferno at about 1:25 p.m. was swiftly controlled by officials of the fire services in the state. The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has ruled out the possibility of contesting the senatorial seat in the 2019 general elections.Clarifying that he will never seek any elective position again, he said his main preoccupation after leaving office would be to continue to agitate for a better Nigeria.Fayose, however, refused to comment on the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari, when asked by journalists, saying he would watch events as they unfold before making any comment on the issue.The governor spoke in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday during a meeting with civil servants on grade levels one to seven in the state civil service.Fayose, who saluted the workers for their courage and perseverance in the face of economic recession culminating in unstable payment of salaries, urged them to discountenance the rumour that he had received the second tranche of the Paris Club loan refund.He explained that what the state got so far was N8.8bn, which was shared between the state and local governments, with over 70 per cent of it expended on the payment of salaries instead of the 50 per cent agreed with the Federal Ministry of Finance.He advised the workers to register at the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration in the interest of Ekiti.I dont want to contest again, not even for senatorial race in 2019. One thing I have learnt was that, Ekiti people dont normally participate in some government policies where data are collated. And it used to affect us in getting extra grants or favour from the Federal Government and international agencies.The Federal Government is planning to renovate 1,000 health centres in Nigeria and Ekiti got only three. When I enquired, they said the data used to compile the figures didnt favour Ekiti. If they are to register for polio vaccine, our people wont make themselves available, because of nonchalant attitudeThat is why I wont care to declare more holidays for people to get registered. But I want to call on INEC to look into the faulty data capturing machines. We have had bad experiences since the commencement of the CVR programme last week and the commission must resolve all these anomalies in the interest of our people.I also want to note that all these problems wont reoccur during the 2018 polls, that is the main reason why INEC, as a commission, must improve on its efficiency, he said.Fayose encouraged workers to indicate interest in the Fadama Graduate Unemployed Youth Support Programme for the training of 300 people in Ekiti that would specialise in commercial farming.He added that his government was ready to give the necessary impetus to workers that showed interest in agriculture. Manchester United boss, Jose Mourinho has enforced a social media ban on his players in order to limit the extent of information going out of the first-team squad.Various United players have hit the headlines for posts made on their various social media accounts this season.And the Portuguese has grown increasingly frustrated with the tendency of his players to turn to social media, particularly when recovering from high-profile injuries.Defender Luke Shaw drew his managers anger when he posted a photograph of him training away from the club as he looked to make a comeback from a leg injury, and Chris Smalling recently posted a video of himself running under reduced weight in a hydrotherapy pool as he looks to return after a knee injured picked up when training with England in March.As a result of this, the former Real Madrid boss has taken the step to stop his players from sharing any snaps from training or recovery sessions and has also restricted their use of any social media service48 hours before their matches.It is believed that Smallings recent video brought about the ban.Its about the philosophy and mentality around them, he said of Jones and Smalling after they were ruled out of last weeks Manchester derby.Cautious. Cautious. Cautious. Just a cautious approach. Its a profile. Its the philosophy of work. Just that. A convicted fraudster, Ikechukwu Ogbu, was sentenced to 162 years in prison by a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Tuesday for defraudi... A convicted fraudster, Ikechukwu Ogbu, was sentenced to 162 years in prison by a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Tuesday for defrauding a former manager of the defunct BankPHB now Keystone Bank, Mr. Patrick Edetchukwu, of the sum of N12.3m.The convict, who is in his mid-50s and presently serving a jail term for two separate offences, duped Edetchukwu of the said sum on the pretence that he was being detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and needed some money to give the anti-graft officials before he could be released.The convict had claimed that he was detained by the EFCC for allegedly carrying what he called, $2.5m hard currency into Nigeria sometime ago.Ogbu was charged alongside Chuks Ibebugbu for conspiring to defraud Edetchukwu.The two were arraigned by the EFCC on June 10, 2011 on 10 counts bordering on obtaining money by false pretences and stealing.Justice Lateefa Okunnu, while delivering her judgment, expressed her disapproval of the prison officials that aided the crime by allowing Ogbu to open a bank account and wear regular clothes instead of prison uniform.By allowing the defendant wear mufti clothes, the Kirikiri Maximum Prison facilitated the commission of the crime, she said.Pronouncing the sentence, Justice Okunnu said, I have listened to the plea of counsel. I have noted that names of a lot of notable personalities were put on the line during the period when this crime was committed, and I have also noted that the defendant has remained unrepentant.I hereby sentence the defendant to 18 years each on counts two to 10.Earlier, before the sentence was passed, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Nnaemeka Omewa, had requested for a stiff sentence for Ogbu.In just two years of his serving his prison term, he committed this heinous crime; imagine what will occur when he is allowed to live freely in the society.I hereby urge Your Lordship to pass maximum sentence on the first defendant, Omewa said.However, counsel for the convict, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku, in his plea for mercy, asked for a light sentence, saying that Ogbu was now a changed man.I pray that the court should temper justice with mercy, the defendant has been in custody since 2009.His wife died in 2014, he has three children who are of tender age, his wings have been clipped and he is now a changed man, Ajanaku saidOkunnu, however, discharged and acquitted Ibebugbu due to insufficient evidence provided by the prosecution during the trial. Mrs Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari has said the health of his husband is not as bad as being speculated. Mrs Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari has said the health of his husband is not as bad as being speculated.She stated this on Tuesday in a tweet through her verified Twitter handle @aishambuhari.I wish to inform everyone that his health is not as bad as its being perceived,Meanwhile he continues to carry out his responsibilities, she stated.She thanked Nigerians for their concern, love and prayers over her husbands health status.During this period. As it may come to your notice, he is meeting with Minister of Justice and GMD of NNPC this evening.Long Live Nigerians, Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Buhari added Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-political association of the Igbo, rose from a meeting in Enugu on Tuesday with a declaration that Niger... Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-political association of the Igbo, rose from a meeting in Enugu on Tuesday with a declaration that Nigeria was not the Norths conquered territory.Ohanaeze, which condemned the northern leaders opposition to calls for the restructuring of Nigeria, insisted that all sections of the country are joint and equal partners.Addressing journalists after a National Executive Committee meeting at Ohanaeze Secretariat in Enugu, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, said northern leaders were acting as if Nigeria was their conquered territory.Ohanaeze was particularly miffed at the rejection of the recommendations of the 2014 constitutional conference by a group of northern leaders, led by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu.Some northern leaders, in their utterances, give the impression that our nation is their conquered territory. God forbid!We should all be joint and equal partners in a common bid to build a united, virile and strong country.Not too long ago, a group of northern leaders met in Abuja and through their spokesperson, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, made very strong views on the national discourse.They first of all distanced themselves from the conclusions of the 2014 constitutional conference, describing their treatment at the conference as intimidating and claiming to have been under-represented and therefore advised the present Federal Government and the National Assembly not to, in any way, take the conclusions of that conference seriously.They also condemned any suggestion to restructure the federation, insisting that our present structure must remain.The position of the northern leaders in the Abuja meeting when compared to some Federal Government policies give us reason for serious apprehension, Nwodo said.The Ohanaeze leader warned that if the North was disassociating itself from the outcome of the confab based on the claim that the region was under-represented, the Igbo would also excuse themselves from the 1979 and 1999 constitutions, which he said were prepared by mostly northern military officers.Insisting on restructuring, Nwodo observed, Our federation is out of sync with all known definitions of a federation. The need for restructuring is so obvious when Kano with 9.5 million people has 44 local governments and Lagos with 9.1 million has 20 local governments. Bayelsa has only eight local governments.Nwodo added that Ohanaeze was constituting a committee of Senior Advocates of Nigeria of the Ohanaeze states to take the Federal Government to court over the patently discriminating attitude towards the South-East and the South-South in presidential appointments.He hinted that the suit filed by Chief Olisa Agbakoba, (SAN), could be amended to include fresh issues raised by the Ohanaeze.Nwodo added that Ohanaeze would, in the same vein, challenge the bail conditions given to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.He added that the bail conditions were not expected to be met, noting that the government intends to re-arrest Kanu.If he (Kanu) cannot be in the company of more than 10 people, it means he cannot go to church, he cannot travel in a bus or plane carrying more than 10 people. He cannot walk the street lest his presence attracts more than 10 people. The bail condition is a celebrated example of judicial rascality, Nwodo stressed.Ohanaeze urged legislators from the South-East, South-South, North-Central and North-East to reject the proposed $5.185bn China EXIM Bank loan due to the exclusion of their zones in the projects the Federal Government intend to fund with the loan. A Nigerian televangelist appeared in a South African court on Wednesday facing 22 charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. A Nigerian televangelist appeared in a South African court on Wednesday facing 22 charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.Tim Omotoso, 58, was arrested on April 21 when he landed in the southern city of Port Elizabeth, initially facing two charges of sexual assault and two of trafficking.But by Wednesday, 18 more people had laid charges.He is facing numerous charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, National Prosecution Authority spokesman Tshepo Ndwalaza told AFP.He is facing about 22 charges, but this figure can increase again as more people are coming forward to testify against him, added Ndwalaza.Omotoso will return to court on Thursday to apply for bail.Dozens of his supporters, mostly women, staged a protest outside the court, demanding his release.Omotoso is accused of luring women and young girls from his churches across the country to his luxury home in the coastal resort town of Umhlanga Rocks near Durban where he allegedly assaulted them.He was arrested at Port Elizabeth airport after being on reportedly been on the run for several days.AFP Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has embarked on a unification tour of the Igbo people as he meets with top politicians and elite class.Recall that the IPOB leader was granted bail last week on the condition that he would not be in a gathering of more than ten persons.The IPOB leader caught posing with top Igbo leadersThere are rumours that he could be rearrested having allegedly defiled that particular condition on several occasions since leaving Kuje prison, Abuja.He has since his release from prison been meeting important political players in the Southeast.Just barely two days after he met with Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, Kanu, the founder of Radio Biafra, meets with South East Senate Caucus in Abuja.However, the details of Kanus meeting with the Igbo leaders he were yet to be made public.But, many people have speculated that it is not unconnected with Biafra.Some of the Igbo elite politicians like Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, former Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Andy Uba, Ex-Governor of Ebonyi state, Sam Egwu and many others posed with him for photos. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has insisted that their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, will not relent in his fight for the liberation of Biaf... The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has insisted that their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, will not relent in his fight for the liberation of Biafra from Nigeria. They also made it clear that the May 30 Biafra Day remembrance will go on as planned. This was contained in a statement signed by the groups spokesman, Emma Powerful, where he advised all Biafrans to ignore any tactics aimed at frustrating their agitation. The statement read in part: This annual event, which is now observed by Biafrans all over the world as a mark of perpetual respect to the bravery of the few men and women who stood for three years to resist the combined murderous might of Britain, Egypt, Soviet Union and OAU is an event that cannot and should not be toyed with. IPOB members at Federal High Court Abuja. If not for these men and women of the Biafran Army, the Biafran race, especially Igbo, would have been wiped out from the face of this earth. We owe these heroes a great debt of gratitude which can never be fully repaid. Therefore, we must honour them. Any person working against the remembrance of our heroes deserves nothing less than death. These evil men, who are in constant meetings with agents of the government of Nigeria to frustrate the remembrance and honour of our soldiers, including IPOB and MASSOB members that fell during protests and rallies deserve a fate worse than what befell saboteurs of the civil war. Their name and that of their children will be forever be associated with infamy. They should also be aware that posterity will never forgive their families and generations to come. As it was with Ifeajuna, so shall it be with them. Furthermore, we wish to remind these misguided elements that IPOB is the largest most powerful non-violent liberation movement anywhere in the world right now. When we set out to do something, not even death can stop us, so they better beware. It is unfortunate that the Government of Nigeria and their collaborators in Biafraland have not observed that the resolve of IPOB family members worldwide towards the restoration of ancient nation of Biafra is unshakable. IPOB is firmly under the supreme leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and he has made it clear after his release that he wont settle for anything other than the total liberation of Biafra from the British contraption called Nigeria. Anybody campaigning for restructuring of Nigeria in the name of Prophet Nnamdi Kanu clearly doesnt know him very well because he was born to restore Biafra not to restructure Nigeria. It was our leader that coined the phrase, Biafra or Death, and he meant every syllable of it. Every member of IPOB must reach out to the Community leaders, Market leaders, Church leaders, Transport Companies, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Women Associations, Artisans, Tricycle/ Okada Union, Luxurious Bus Association of Nigeria (LUBAN), Nigeria Association of Lorries (9Loaders/911), Park Management in all the States in Biafraland to remember and honour of our falling heroes and heroines on 30th May 2017. Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has raised the alarm over the alleged plan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to raid his home in Enugu State and plant incriminating items in it.He further alleged that the proposed raid was to ensure his arrest, detention and indictment, with the aim of frustrating his political ambitions.The Deputy Senate President alleged that mission to move against him was being sponsored by a cabal in the Presidency.Ekweremadu, who raised a point of order at the plenary on Wednesday, said he was informed of the alleged plan by a whistle-blower close to the EFCC.The Deputy Senate President read a two-page letter purportedly written by an insider, which was poorly written and titled Please Treat This With Utmost Secrecy by Protecting the Identity of the Source.It read, To the Deputy Senate President: I am a trained investigative journalist working under the EFCC covert intelligence spy police.Distinguished senator, there is a grand plan from the cabal in the Presidency, using EFCC as an anti-graft agency, to indict and remove you from office. This cabal in the Presidency has mandated the EFCC chairman to carry out this evil operation within two weeks.The plan and the trap goes like this: On the 6th of May 2017 Saturday night stroke Sunday morning the EFCC, alongside local and international media, both print and TV and radio, will raid an apartment under the guise of whistleblowing policy of the Federal Government with a search warrant already obtained in the magistrates court to search an apartment alleging to be one of your guest houses in Enugu State capital or any suitable available apartment in your senatorial district that will serve this evil purpose.EFCC (will be) claiming to have received a tip-off from a whistle-blower in your state alerting the agency of a large huge amount of money of different currencies in the said apartment belonging to you, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a proceed of which is likely to be (considered as) illegally obtained and acquired, which constitute abuse of office and corruption.The informant also listed the exhibits to be recovered from the planned operation.The letter further read, The things to be discovered in said apartment are a huge amount of money with different currencies such as British Pound Sterling, United States dollars, Indian rupee, South Africa rand and Malaysian Ringgit; documents alleging to be yours such as 2015 campaign memo and logistics, a list of names chairman local wards of party men and women that benefited from your empowerment program; and other cooked documents bearing your signature.A single photo portrait of yours that will be placed in the sitting room well; ammunitions such as AK 47, two pump action guns with unused bullets.You will be invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning and interrogation to shed more light of the said apartment, which will lead to your arrest and detention pending the outcome of the investigation.While you are still in detention, well-sponsored non-governmental organisations will be protesting round the nation Lagos, Enugu, Anambra, FCT Abuja. Sponsored youths in your senatorial district will come to Abuja, protesting at the National Assembly gate with petitions, submitting one to the Senate President and one to the Clerk of the National Assembly recalling you.While the protest is ongoing according to their evil plan, the EFCC, after detaining you for at least three weeks, you will be charged to court since Section 308 immunity clause does not apply to your office.The cabal in the Presidency, their target is this: to indicted you and to kill your political ambition so that you can no longer stand for any future elections; and to show to the international community and Nigerian people that you, Senator lke Ekweremadu, is a corrupt politician.I sympathise with you and God will continue to use people like us to destabilise their evil plan against you. I wish you all the best in your political journey.President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who presided over the plenary, said, Your point is well noted, after Ekweremarus presentation. A convicted prisoner who from Kirikiri Prisons, defrauded a bank Manager of N12.3 million, was on Tuesday sentenced to 162 years in prison... A convicted prisoner who from Kirikiri Prisons, defrauded a bank Manager of N12.3 million, was on Tuesday sentenced to 162 years in prison by an Ikeja High Court. . The convict, Ikechukwu Ogbu, was sentenced for defrauding one Mr Patrick Edetchukwu while serving a 10-year sentence for an undisclosed crime at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison. Ogbu was first arraigned on June 10, 2011. It was gathered that he defrauded Edechukwu between May and October 2009 while he was incarcerated at the Kirikiri Prison, under the pretence that he was detained at the Prison by the EFCC for allegedly bringing in foreign currency of $2.5million into the country. He told the complainant that he needed some money to clear himself from the anti-graft agency, promising Edetchukwu that the $2.5million in the custody of the EFCC will be deposited in his bank. . Edetchukwu, a branch manager of the defunct BankPHB now Keystone Bank, wanting to meet his account deposit target at the bank, believed his tale and sourced for funds to give Ogbu to sort himself out at the EFCC. . Okunnu in her judgment noted that prison officials aided the crime by allowing Ogbu open a bank account and wear regular clothes instead of prison uniform. She then sentenced the defendant to 18 years each on counts two to ten. . Earlier, before the sentence was passed, his lawyer, Mr Olanrewaju Ajanaku, asked for a light sentence, saying that Ogbu was now a changed man. I pray that the court should temper justice with mercy, the defendant has been in custody since 2009. . . The United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday announced that a company insider has earned a whistleblower award of mor... The United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday announced that a company insider has earned a whistleblower award of more than $500,000 for reporting information that prompted a SEC investigation into well-hidden misconduct that resulted in a SEC enforcement action.This company employee saw something wrong and did the right thing by reporting what turned out to be hard-to-detect violations of the securities laws, said Jane Norberg, Chief of the SECs Office of the Whistleblower.Company insiders are in a unique position to provide specific information that allows us to better protect investors and the marketplace. We encourage insiders with information to bring it to our attention.The whistleblower award is the second announced by the SEC in the past week. Approximately $154 million has now been awarded to 44 whistleblowers who voluntarily provided the SEC with original and useful information that led to a successful enforcement action.By law, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose information that might directly or indirectly reveal a whistleblowers identity. Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action.Whistleblower awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million. All payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators. Somalias minister of public works and reconstruction Abbas Abdullahi Siraji was killed in Mogadishu on Wednesday in an apparent acciden... Somalias minister of public works and reconstruction Abbas Abdullahi Siraji was killed in Mogadishu on Wednesday in an apparent accidental shooting, government and police sources said.In a statement, the government said it was deeply saddened by the death of Siraji, the youngest member of the Somali cabinet who grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp before winning election in 2016 and being named a minister by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.Sirajis vehicle was mistakenly shot at by government security guards outside the presidential palace, a senator told AFP. Every Single Terrorist Attack In US Was a False Flag Attack Most terrorists are false flag terrorists, or are created by our own security services. In the United States, every single terrorist incident we have had has been a false flag, or has been an informant pushed on by the FBI. In fact, we now have Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity. Terri Guillemets Cass County residents faced one of their most tragic moments when fire consumed Michael and Michelle Speers home in rural Nehawka Oct. 20, 2016. The entire family died in the fire including Michael, Michelle and their four daughters 11-year-old Elli Perez, 7-year-old Adilynn Speer, 5-year-old Emma Speer and 2-year-old Anniston Speer. This beautiful family, however, has not been forgotten. Donations following the tragedy are now being used to extend Conestoga Elementary Schools outdoor classroom, Cougar Hollow, with the addition of a pavilion to house for outdoor instruments, chalkboard and chairs with a memorial fountain to be added later. Michaels mother, Jo Lynne Lehan, knew she wanted to use the donations to create something for the community of people who mourned their loss and struggled to fight the fire that claimed their lives. In addition to a large donation to Cass County Mutual Aid fund to help all the fire departments who helped fight the fire, she channeled the donations to the elementary school for the pavilion and other items for the classroom to be named the Mike and Michelle Speer Family Performance Area. Its about giving back to the community, Lehan said. Its to help everyone heal and its in memory of the Speer family. In addition to the donations made to the Mike and Michelle Speer Foundation, Mike and Michelles employer, Union Pacific, provided matching funds for the construction of the performance area. On Tuesday, Michaels best friends Adam Kassenberger of Midwest Construction and Whit VanWinkle Lakeview Construction broke ground at the elementary school to start work on the pavilion. In addition Conestoga Parent-Teacher Organization is selling brick pavers to be used to create a path honoring Elli, Adilynn, Emma and Anniston at Cougar Hollow. This brick path will lead all visitors to the area designed to honor our friends love of nature, performance and play, as well as to provide a covered space for quiet and reflection, information about the bricks state. Conestoga Elementary School Principal Eric Dennis said the school already had the four instruments, a drum and three xylophones. They will be in the middle of the pavilion, which will shelter them from the wind and weather, he said. Wed like to thank Jo Lynne who thought of the idea and using the money for the memorial. The children are missed every day. They will always be remembered because of it. People will remember them for a long time, Dennis said. Their loss still affects our school. You can be walking down the hall and then it hits you, a memory. Having something in their honor will help bring closure. Anyone wishing to purchase a brick paver should contact Allison Welch at allisonwelch@windstream.net by May 15, 2017. A dedication ceremony for the pavilion has been scheduled for 1 p.m. May 17 at Cougar Hollow. It may not all be finished by May 17. Were doing it in phases. The first phase is the shelter. Later, well add a fountain. The trees should be planted. Were planting a tree for each family member, Dennis said. In June, Cass County firefighters will be honored at the Nehawka Bar and Grill in Nehawka. It will just be for the firefighters and their family, Lehan said. We want to help everyone heal and its in memory of the Speer family. For Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, the ultimate goal is to grow Nebraska as a whole. During a Tuesday afternoon legislative update held at Midland University, Ricketts explained that growth is ultimately dependent on enhancing the states workforce, providing a stable regulatory environment for business and closely monitoring the current tax situation. Tuesday, LB 461, the 2017 Nebraska Taxpayer Reform Act, was debated on the legislative floor as Ricketts spoke before the group at the legislative update held through the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce. If implemented in January 2018, Ricketts explained how LB 461 would greatly benefit farmers and ranchers. A USA Today study shows that Nebraska is fifth nationally in the height of its property taxes, and Iowa is currently the only state surrounding Nebraska that has a higher income tax. So even as commodity prices have come down and farm incomes gone down, property taxes have continued to go up, and that has continued to put a big pressure on our farmers and ranchers, Ricketts said. In fact, if you talk to a farmer or a rancher they will tell you that they pay two to three times in property taxes here in Nebraska as their colleagues are paying in Kansas, South Dakota or Iowa. If implemented in January 2018, information released from Ricketts office says that LB 461 would change the property value assessment methodology from a market-based system to an income-potential assessment for ag land a much fairer measure of assessment, released information says. This system is used in North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. In addition, LB 461 would cap the statewide aggregate ag land valuation growth at 3.5 percent annually. Without this cap in place, ag land valuations in Nebraska have increased by 252 percent, released information shows. If this cap had been in place 10 years ago, the increase would have only been 36 percent. Finally, Ricketts said that the legislative bill protects K-12 education. By investing more than $30 million in the state aid formula, the proposed bill would add equalization aid to approximately 40 additional school districts. If this bill had been in place this year, it would have reduced statewide ag land valuations by $12 billion, and if levies stayed the same, reduced ag land property taxes by 12 percent statewide, resulting in $147 million in property tax relief for farmers and ranchers, released information shows. This bill is probably the most comprehensive piece of tax legislation to come out of the revenue committee since the 1980s, Ricketts said. The next meeting of the Fremont Area Association of Retired School Personnel will be May 10 at St. James Episcopal Church, 301 E. Fifth St. A lunch will be served at noon for $7. Members are asked to bring peanut butter to donate to Low Income Ministry. The speaker will be Cathi Sampson, director of Keep Fremont Beautiful. All area retired school personnel are invited to attend by making a reservation at 402-727-5217 before Friday. Deb Cotton gives an acceptance speech as she accepts the Partner in Justice Award from Avodah New Orleans. Simone Levine, who serves on the organization's advisory board, looks on.(Photo provided by Avodah New Orleans) This file photo from May 2004 shows the newly renovated Louisiana Supreme Court building in the heart of the French Quarter on Royal Street. (Ted Jackson, The Times-Picayune) Experience in public office or the need for change. Voters in District 9 are being asked at Tuesdays election to judge what they value more when it comes to who will represent them on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. Welcome to non league daily news now - your number one spot for all things relating to the National League System. Our dedicated reporters have come straight from the sidelines to bring you news fresh from the dugout - but not before theyve stopped off at the burger van first! We know that non league football fans are full of heart, passion, and belief. You trust the manager, you believe in the team, and, for some strange reason, you trust those rickety stands, too! Here at Non League Daily, we hope we can become your trusted non league news resource - a platform thats just as passionate about non league daily news now as you. Come rain or shine, well be out reporting on the latest non league fixtures. Well also be scouring the news, refreshing social media, and sourcing information from team websites in the hopes of finding the latest breaking non league daily news for our readers. As youll soon see, weve got exclusive match reports on the Vanarama National League, weve got transfer speculation thatll affect the National League South, weve found great stories thatll spice up the National League North, and weve even got news on the latest giant killers of the FA Cup. We may not be able to agree on who is going up this year, but we can all agree that any news on the NLS worth knowing will be published here, at Non League Daily. Cameron Wagaman is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School. Being a student at T.J. helped improve her how she sees herself and how others see her, she said. Wagaman shared that, in her first year at T.J., she struggled with her identity and wasnt the best person she could be. With the support of my friends and mentors, I was able to find my way, she said. During her sophomore year, Wagaman found her passion and had the motivation to keep things on track. She became involved with both the journalism and drama programs. She realized her love for writing and her artistic abilities, as well as an interest in photography. This year, Wagaman has been a major part of the newspaper staff of The Signal as both the copy editor and paginator on the very first all-female staff at T.J. She is ready to start her senior year as her strongest year yet. She hopes to be the editor-in-chief of The Signal as well as be more involved with other activities at school. She is grateful to all of her teachers and mentors who shaped her into the person she is today. High school has been one giant roller coaster for me, she said. Although I may get a little motion sickness every now and then, I wouldnt trade any of the experiences for anything. WASHINGTON Terry Branstad can start packing his bags for China. Iowas Republican governor received bipartisan praise Tuesday at his confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. ambassador to that country. Ive got good Democratic friends in Iowa who give you high marks, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Branstad during the hearing. At least as high as theyre going to give to somebody on the other side. A vote on the Senate floor is likely in the coming weeks. The 70-year-old governor will then be responsible for helping manage one of the most important bilateral relationships on the planet. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is tasked with vetting his nomination. But, from the start, the committee members praised Branstads credentials and instead turned to wrestling with Chinas role in U.S. efforts to deter North Koreas nuclear program. Branstad noted that China has an interest in helping head off a conflict. But he also conceded that China is resolutely opposed to having a Democratic country on its doorstep. Millions of lives hang in the balance, Branstad said, and China is in the best position to influence North Koreas behavior toward a peaceful outcome. He pledged to work hard on the issue and indicated that he was open to different approaches, including sanctions against Chinese companies who do business with North Korea in violation of United Nations resolutions. I see this as probably the biggest challenge that Ive ever had in my entire life, and I want to do anything and everything that I can to try to find an acceptable solution for the benefit of the entire human race, Branstad said. Branstad called North Koreas push for a weapon of mass destruction a threat to all of humankind. He said recent events, which include missile tests by Pyongyang, should prompt China to take the threat more seriously. He also said he expects China to become more engaged because of concerns that North Korean refugees may flood China if the crisis on the Korean Peninsula escalates further. They are the ones who have the potential to influence the regime in North Korea more than anyone else, Branstad said of China. It is probably the most pressing issue we have right now. He said he envisioned his role as a go between to find a resolution. Aside from North Korea, the hearing also dealt with Chinas approach to human rights and unfair commercial practices. Several members, for example, brought up the need to end Chinas rampant theft of U.S. intellectual property. Its just like going and robbing a bank, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said of Chinas activities. In fact, much of the hearing felt like an airing of grievances as senators hit a laundry list of complaints against China for: Decimating U.S. steel jobs by subsidizing and dumping cheap steel onto the market. Failing to crack down on its own shady pharmaceutical plants that supply the opioid fentanyl causing an epidemic of overdoses in the United States. Suppressing its own citizens civil rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech. Maintaining unfair trade barriers to U.S. agricultural products such as beef and chicken. President Donald Trump has sought better relations with China as the threat from North Korea has escalated. Trump recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trumps Florida resort. But, for years prior, Trump said that China was eating our lunch, and he promised during the presidential campaign to label China a currency manipulator as one of his first acts. He even threatened to start a trade war, arguing that Chinas trade surplus was the major reason for Americas economic woes. But Trump has since abandoned that pledge, his thinking changed by the growing focus on the threat from North Korea and fears Pyongyang will succeed in developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Trump wants help from China, which is North Koreas primary trading partner. Branstad said China had manipulated its currency to lower the cost of its exported products and to raise the price of U.S. imports. I think that has changed in the last year or so, Branstad told the committee. But he said thats an issue that remains a concern and needs to be monitored closely. Trump also backed away from a threat to jettison Americas One China policy that sees Taiwan as part of China. Trump angered China by speaking to Taiwans president before his inauguration in a breach of diplomatic protocol. China still regards the island as part of its territory and would consider it unacceptable for the U.S. to recognize Taiwans leader as a head of state. Trump tapped Branstad for the ambassadorship in part because of the governors longstanding trade diplomacy with China that has boosted Iowa exports to that country. Theres also a personal relationship with Xi that goes back to 1985, when Branstad was a first-term governor welcoming Xi as the leader of an agriculture delegation from Chinas Hebei province, Iowas sister state. Xi reportedly still talks about the hospitality he received on that trip. During Tuesdays hearing, Branstad repeatedly said he hopes to lean on that personal connection, but he sought to assure senators he wont be a pushover. I know I have a lot to learn about foreign policy and a lot of these issues, Branstad said. Ive been trying to get up to speed as best I can, but Im not bashful about bringing these issues up, and just the fact that the leader of China calls us an old friend doesnt mean that Im going to be at all reluctant or bashful about bringing up issues where we think they have not been fair. Asked by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., if he considers China to be an enemy or an ally, Branstad paused and said it was a tough question. The relationship between the two economic powers fluctuates between those two extremes, Branstad said, and the U.S. should strive to be partners with Beijing instead of adversaries. But China also has an obligation to play by the rules, he said. Branstad said he wont hesitate to meet with Chinese dissidents and activists and would even welcome them to the U.S. embassy in Beijing. He also said he intends to travel to every province in China just as hes traveled to every county in Iowa. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the panel, noted in his opening comments that he looked forward to hearing that Branstad would stand with the Chinese people when it comes to labor rights. I must say your record as governor in Iowa has raised some concerns, Cardin said. In February, Branstad signed a collective bargaining law that bans public employee unions in most cases from negotiating over certain issues, such as health insurance. Cardin did not return to the topic, however, and as the hearing wrapped up, he applauded Branstads performance. Branstad is in the midst of his sixth nonconsecutive term as governor of Iowa. He served from 1983 to 1999 before entering the private sector. He was re-elected in 2010. With more than 22 years at the helm of the state government, Branstad is the countrys longest serving governor. Amid the somber talk of international diplomacy Tuesday, there were a few lighter moments. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., alluded to all the time he spent in Iowa as a presidential contender and his visits to the Iowa State Fair. He said those trips taught his kids that you can fry anything. Even butter, Branstad responded, laughing. Richard Lardner of The Associated Press contributed to this report. MISSOURI VALLEY On Tuesday morning, the phone kept ringing at the Caseys General Store in downtown Missouri Valley. The callers were seeking guidance on how to help the family members of one of their own Mark Burbridge, the Pottawattamie County sheriffs deputy killed in the line of duty on Monday. I was receiving phone calls all morning from people asking if we had anything going on, said store manager Cathy Jones. She also talked with the manager of the Caseys store in Crescent on what could be done to help Burbridges family. At around noon, she put out not one but two donation cans by her check-out area. People are looking for some way to help out, and we decided to offer an outlet, Jones said. We like to do what we can to support the town and its natives. Burbridges roots run deep in Missouri Valley. He graduated from Missouri Valley High School in 1991 and worked as an officer in the citys police department, his first law enforcement job. His death on Monday came as a shock to people in the town. I could not believe it when I heard it, said Tami Martinez, who graduated with Burbridge from Missouri Valley High School. Martinez, who works as a waitress at the downtown Loess Moose Bar and Grill, described her classmate as always upbeat and smiling. She said, I dont think he had a bad bone in his body. Martinez recalled they talked about old times at last years 25th high school reunion, along with staying in touch on Facebook. He will be dearly missed, she said. A fellow worker at the bar and grill also had fond memories of Burbridge. He was a very nice man, and its horrible what happened to him, said Ann Lynch, who knew Burbridge for many years. My heart stopped when I heard about it. Its unbelievable. Lee Lange, the citys assistant police chief, worked on the force with Burbridge back in the early 2000s. He was good with the public, Lange said. He was easygoing and could talk to anybody. Even though this can be a serious business, Mark could still joke around with them and have a good time. When she started talking about Burbridge, Rita Miller, the city clerk/administrator, suddenly had to keep her emotions in check. He always had a smile on his face, Miller recalled. And he made everybody else smile, she added. He was a great guy and I dont think anybody could say a bad thing about Mark. The Kum & Go store just down the road from Caseys is also involved in raising money by selling vinyl decals for windows with Burbridges name on them. Becca Clark, the store manager, was referred by a friend to a Herman, Nebraska, business that quickly began making the decals in Burbridges honor. That business will be busy for some time. In less than 12 hours, we raised about $1,300, Clark said around 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Weve sold out twice already. We cant keep up. Burbridges mother is a frequent customer, and she delivers newspapers daily, Clark said. We felt we needed to do something, Clark said. Her store plans to sell the decals, at $8 each, and give the proceeds to the Burbridge family on Memorial Day, she said. Its been a great shock to the community, Clark said of Burbridges death. On Monday of last week we debated LB595 at length. This bill allows teachers or administrators to use necessary and reasonable physical force or restraint to subdue a student who becomes physically violent toward himself or herself, another student, a teacher, or an administrator until such student no longer presents a danger. This legislation also allows teachers or administrators to use physical restraint to subdue a student if he or she exhibits destructive behavior toward school property until such student ceases the destructive behavior or the student is removed from the classroom. Furthermore, LB595 allows a teacher to remove a student from a class if the following criteria are met: the teacher documents that such student repeatedly interferes with other students ability to learn; the teacher determines such students behavior is so unruly, disruptive, or abusive that it seriously interferes with other students ability to learn; and the teacher determines that such student has committed other disruptive acts that merit discipline under the Student Discipline Act. When this bill had a public hearing on Feb. 7 Jay Sears, the Director of Instructional Advocacy for the Nebraska State Education Association, testified as a proponent and said that he has worked at the NSEA for 32 years and never have they received such overwhelming approval from teachers across Nebraska on a bill like they have on this one. He said that the NSEA received over 3,000 responses in less than three hours to their teacher survey on LB595 with the vast majority in support of the bill. He noted that the NSEA has never received 3,000 responses on any issue, let alone in three hours. That tells me that this legislation is necessary and our teachers are signaling, loud and clear, that they need to be able to control their classrooms. I am in favor of this bill, but unfortunately it did not have enough votes (33 is needed) to overcome a filibuster. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we began debating a series of bills that will set the state budget for the next two years. As I mentioned in a previous column, we entered the session facing a large budget shortfall, in large part due to a slowdown in the agricultural economy which led to a reduction in available state revenues to support ongoing commitments. As the Legislature began debate on the budget, the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Board lowered its estimate of revenues the state would collect in this budget cycle by another $55 million, making the task of balancing the budget even more difficult. I applaud both the Governor and the Appropriations Committee for presenting a budget plan that must make necessary reductions to bring state spending commitments back in line with anticipated revenues. So far the Legislature has been willing to hold the line on not imposing new fees or higher taxes. You can review the budget at this webpage: http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/reports/fiscal/2017proposed.pdf. LB409 passed its second round of debate on Thursday. This bill was prioritized by the Education Committee as its necessary adjustments to the TEEOSA formula help to balance the states budget. The bill reduces the increase that was originally scheduled for TEEOSA; the amount of TEEOSA is still increasing but at a lesser rate. LB409 increased the local effort rate assumed by the formula, which increases a school districts resources. This legislation also decreases the amount of Net Option Funding that school districts will receive. I am concerned about these cuts in the TEEOSA formula since they may place a bigger burden on property taxpayers as we work to balance the states budget. On Monday we were happy to welcome the third and fourth graders from St. Pauls Lutheran School located in Arlington, and on Wednesday we were happy to welcome the fourth graders from Lyons-Decatur Northeast Schools. LINCOLN Hopes for income tax and agricultural property tax changes died Tuesday in the Nebraska Legislature. Lawmakers fell short on a motion to end a filibuster on Legislative Bill 461. The motion required 33 votes to pass; it got 27 in favor, 9 against and 13 abstaining. State Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, the Revenue Committee chairman and the bills chief architect, expressed frustration. Obviously Im going to be as disappointed as many of our taxpayers are, he said. Its a bad day for Nebraska. Gov. Pete Ricketts denounced the senators who did not vote for the filibuster-ending cloture motion, accusing the 22 of voting against taxpayers. The bills failure represented a defeat for the governor, who had pushed hard for the bill. His efforts included telephone town halls, mailers sent by his campaign committee and appearances across the state. LB 461 incorporated Ricketts proposals for cutting the top individual income tax rate and changing how agricultural land is valued for property tax purposes. Other provisions would have cut the top corporate income tax rate and increased credits for most taxpayers, including a higher earned income tax credit, a refundable credit that helps low-income working people, particularly parents. Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha, who led the filibuster, said the measure tilted too heavily toward income tax cuts, while most Nebraskans want property tax relief. He also called it irresponsible to be cutting taxes at the same time that the state is dealing with a budget shortfall. Were not saying no to taxpayers, he said, were saying no to a bad bill. The cloture motion failed despite last-minute efforts to reach an agreement that would provide more property tax relief. As advanced from the Revenue Committee, the bill would have provided about $10 of income tax cuts for every $1 of property tax relief to agricultural land owners. Smith announced a compromise proposal that would have slowed the pace of income tax cuts and provided for a $45 million increase in the states Property Tax Credit Fund in years when state revenues were projected to grow 3.5 percent. He said the proposal was an attempt to bring together senators wanting the primary focus to be on property taxes with those who wanted income tax cuts. That battle between those two taxes has pitted business and free market interests against agriculture and education interests for years. The failure of the compromise to win over enough votes left Smith sounding pessimistic about the possibility of finding a middle ground. Its hard for me to see a path forward at this point, he said. The gap is too broad. Some rural senators expressed a willingness to keep working on the bill, despite reservations. Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg raised several concerns about LB 461, including its cost and the lack of demand for income tax cuts among his constituents. But he said he would vote to keep the bill alive and advance it to second-round debate. I believe we owe the state the opportunity to continue discussion on tax reform, Williams said. But Harr argued that debate about tax issues would continue even if LB 461 died. He warned against trying to make tax policy changes through hastily crafted amendments. This bill should have been better worked out when it came out of committee, he said. Sen. Tom Briese of Albion said the measure as advanced from committee would do virtually nothing for property tax relief and would make future property tax measures more difficult by limiting state tax revenues. Were either going to stand up for property tax relief or were going to work around the edges, he said. Others said the bill could leave Nebraska short of funds to provide necessary services, while directing the bulk of the tax cuts to the wealthiest Nebraskans. Matt Litt, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska, expressed disappointment at the bills outcome. He said the organization, which got involved with several legislative races last year, would not forget the vote on LB 461. We will continue to advocate for meaningful tax reform and will hold members accountable by educating their constituents on how they came down on this important legislation, he said. But Aubrey Mancuso, executive director of Voices for Children in Nebraska, hailed the vote. At a time when we are making cuts to child care, services for abused and neglected children, and higher education, this bill would have had a devastating impact on community and infrastructure needs for decades to come, she said. When fully implemented, LB 461 would have provided an estimated $400 million of individual and corporate income tax cuts, according to the State Department of Revenue. The pace of implementation was uncertain because the rate cuts would be phased in, with each step triggered by state tax revenue projections. About $34 million worth of additional state aid to schools would have been required to offset the ag land valuation changes, starting in 2020. State officials estimated that 40 school districts would qualify for the aid. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Great Lakes Basin Transportation filed its application to build and operate a 261-mile freight railroad Monday, a day company founder Frank Patton called "historic" in his years-long quest to build a rail bypass around Chicago. "Our application explains the need for this vital project to the (Surface Transportation Board) and the public," Patton said in announcing the application's filing. "The GLBR is the largest single freight railroad project proposed for the Chicago region in over a century." The 77-page document was filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board to meet a deadline the agency had set earlier this year. Details of the project, including GLBT's favored route from the LaPorte area around Chicago to southeast Wisconsin, are the same as in previous filings, Patton said. The railroad would have 244 miles of mainline track and 17 miles of branch lines, including one connecting with the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad at Kingsbury. It would have 26 connections with other railroads along the route, including two in Lake County and six in Porter and LaPorte counties. Construction would take three years to complete, with parts of the line in operation after two years, according to the company. The full project would cost an estimated $2.8 billion, according to the application, though addition of a contingency fund to cover unexpected expenses would increase that. An income statement projecting the railroad's financial performance in its first five years suggests profitability would come in its third year, when estimated revenue of nearly $698 million would yield a profit of about $158 million. So far, 24 stockholders have "contributed funds, services or both during the project's startup phase," GLBT stated in its application. A list of 10 primary shareholders is redacted in the publicly available application, and the company filed an order of protection with the STB requesting those names be kept private, "ensuring that proprietary and commercially sensitive information in the List of Stockholders and in other documents will be protected from unnecessary public disclosure and will be used only in connection with this proceeding and not for any other business or commercial use." The company said its financial backers will exclude "other rail carriers, with the objective of being entirely independent of its major railroad connections." Further, "Great Lakes Basin, nor any of its stockholders, is not affiliated in any way with any industry that may be served by the proposed rail line." 'More questions than answers' Planning for the Great Lakes Basin Railroad intensified in 2016 with public meetings along its route, attended locally by hundreds of Lake, Porter and LaPorte county residents and public officials. Many opposed it because of the impact the railroad would have on the rural communities through which it would pass. Others questioned its rationale and long-term viability. Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney said the plan still appears murky after submission of the application. "There are more questions than answers," Blaney said, "and we are yet to see a business plan or any concrete support from the big six railroads, or anyone he would need to make the road happen privately." Patton, ever optimistic, is confident of the project's future. "I felt on day one we were going to build it, and I still feel that way," he said. Rape charges have been filed against two men in federal custody in connection with the earlier disappearance of a 14-year-old Griffith-area girl, according to Clermont County Ohio sheriff's department records. The three men met her through an online chat app, an FBI official said. Eric Zyn Ho, 25, is charged with one count of rape and Bryan Matthew Otero, 27, is charged with complicity to rape, according to Clermont County, Ohio, jail records. Both were found at the suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, residence where the girl was located, police have said. Ian Smith Buti, 21, who allegedly met the girl in an online chat room, drove her to Ohio, and left her with Ho and Otero, is being held in Kansas facing federal charges related to child pornography, said Bob Ramsey, supervisory special agent at the FBI's Merrillville office. The girl disappeared Friday from her home in an unincorporated area near Griffith and was found Tuesday in Cincinnati, authorities said. She was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation, according to police. The girl has returned home and is now safe, Lake County police said in the Wednesday news release. Buti allegedly drove the girl from her home in Lake County to Cincinnati and then continued to Kansas, where he was located and arrested, police said. The address of where the men and girl were found was identified by Buti after he was interviewed by federal agents in Kansas, Lake County police said. Authorities alleged in a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday that Ho admitted to engaging in sexual conduct with the teen while Otero "observed the act," according to NBC 5. Editor's note: Prior to rape charges being filed, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported the missing teens name, provided by police, when the circumstances of this case were unknown. The Times has since removed the teens identity as it is our policy to not name victims of sexual assault. MICHIGAN CITY A group of nine baby ducks were rescued from a sewer drain and reunited with their mother Wednesday, according to police here. Police Officer Scott Combs was flagged down while on patrol and alerted to the ducklings that had been swept into the drain in the area of Arby's restaurant along U.S. 20, according to police. Combs spotted a nearby D&M Excavating crew, and they put their equipment to use along with a fish net to rescue two of the young ducks, police said. The others could not be coaxed out of the drain. Employees with the city's sanitation department made an unsuccessful attempt to lure the remaining birds out of the drain using bread, police said. They then filled the drain with water, which caused all the ducks to float out and into a garbage can. All the ducklings were reunited with their mother, who was waiting behind the nearby Arby's. NEW CHICAGO A Hobart man was arrested Tuesday night after fleeing from police, stopping to let two men exit the stolen vehicle he was driving, and wrecking the car on railroad tracks in Portage, police said. New Chicago police asked dispatchers to run the vehicle's license plates in preparation for a traffic stop and found out the vehicle had been reported stolen in Niles, Michigan, Police Chief James Richardson said. Police requested a backup squad, and the driver sped off when the two police cars attempted the traffic stop about 10:30 p.m. at Ridge Road and Indiana Street, Richardson said. The pursuit continued for 15 to 20 minutes, with the driver at one point stopping in Hobart to allow two men to exit the car, he said. New Chicago and Hobart police took those men into custody, and other officers continued chasing the driver. The driver eventually crashed on railroad tracks near Woodland Park on Willowcreek Road in Portage, Richardson said. The driver was taken into custody, he said. Formal charges were pending. One of the passengers taken into custody in Hobart was later released, and the other was arrested on a warrant out of Lake County, Richardson said. Hobart, Lake County and Portage police assisted, he said. The Griffith Police Department promises to get you into drug treatment. The department has joined several other local law enforcement agencies in offering to connect any addict who walks through its doors with treatment. Griffith police recently joined forces with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, or PAARI. That program started at a Massachusetts police department, where any drug addict who asked for help was immediately brought to a hospital and placed in rehab without fear of arrest. "Unfortunately, it seems we as a nation are a step behind in addressing heroin addiction and other addictions," said Griffith Police Chief Greg Mance. "By the time someone reaches the courts, their addiction has spiraled out of control and put a strain on the criminal justice system. We're trying to address addiction before it becomes a criminal issue." This is the latest effort to make drug treatment more easily accessible in Northwest Indiana, home to an opioid overdose crisis that is killing several Region residents a month. Since the initial program went into effect in 2015 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, that city has seen its overdose death rate drop from about one a month to just two in two years, while its addiction-related crime rate has fallen by 30 percent, said PAARI Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade. "It connects people to treatment before they get to the point where they're committing crimes to support their addictions," she said. Seven people died of drug overdoses in Griffith last year, according to the Lake County coroner's office. The Griffith Police Department responds to about one or two overdoses a week, Mance said. Officers David Borgetti and Richard Merschantz have been on many of those calls. About a year ago they started talking about how their department might help stem the opioid epidemic. "Just putting drug offenders into jail and releasing them isn't solving anything," Borgetti said. "We were looking for alternative ways." They found an article online about PAARI. They brought the idea to Mance, who was immediately on board. The Police Department says it will get any addict who calls or walks in asking for help, 24 hours a day, into treatment within six to 12 hours. In the meantime, a volunteer "angel" from the Big Book Legacy Group in Griffith, a 12-step recovery center, will come talk to and even transport the addict. "We will offer our experience, strength and hope for recovery," said Bill Marvel Jr., president of the Big Book Legacy Group. "We will have people who have all been exactly where that person has been from an emotional standpoint." Griffith police also will offer the program to anyone they respond to for an overdose. A couple of weeks ago, the department got an opioid overdose victim into a detox center in Plymouth within two hours. PAARI has a nationwide network of participating treatment programs that are open 24-7 and offer financial scholarships. Locally, Griffith police are partnering with Heartland Recovery Center in Lowell, Recovery Works in Merrillville and the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Gary. LaPorte city and county and Michigan City cops also are part of PAARI. Schererville police started a similar program this month in partnership with Heartland Recovery Center. That department has already referred three people to treatment. Area students to be honored at Purdue commencement WEST LAFAYETTE Purdue University will honor some of its highest academic-achieving graduating seniors May 13-15 during commencement ceremonies. Peter C. Boyd, of St. John, who majored in actuarial science in the College of Science, has been awarded the 2017 G.A. Ross Award. Boyd will also be getting degrees in mathematics, statistics and applied statistics. The award is presented annually to Purdue's outstanding graduating senior man. The France A. Cordova Award for Leadership in Action was awarded to Nicole R. Sebahar, of Schererville, who is a doctor of pharmacy candidate in the College of Pharmacy. This award honors graduating students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership during their Purdue careers. Awarded the Amelia Earhart Scholarship is Karen J. Kukla, of Crown Point, who majored in biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering. Student council donates to animal rescue group SCHERERVILLE Homan elementary student council met at the Schererville PetSmart and donated $300 to the Treasured Friends Animal Rescue of Highland. The student council sponsored a fundraiser raffle and the money raised was donated to Treasured Friends as a community outreach for the council. Each month the student council members find ways of giving back to local communities in some way. CHS Band sleeps on success CHESTERTON The Chesterton High School Band program took part in a mattress sale with Custom Fundraising Solutions (CFS). The fundraiser was structured so that the CHS Parent Band Booster organization would receive a portion of the profits, and students who directly participated in promotion of the sale would also be rewarded with individual cash profits. More than 80 mattresses were purchased at this one-day event. Earnings totaled $15,000 for the CHS Band Boosters and students. Causing an eruption CROWN POINT Volcanoes are erupting at St. Mary Catholic Community School's Jr. pre-K classroom. While studying letter V, students learned some simple facts about volcanoes and were excited to experiment with stinky vinegar, baking soda and red food coloring for effect. Screams and giggles erupted when their "volcano" exploded. The school offers junior pre-kindergarten (for 3-year-olds) and pre-kindergarten (for 4-year-olds). Its faculty teaches a rich curriculum supported by a good balance of faith, play, learning and supplemental experiences. To learn more about St. Marys School or schedule a tour, visit stmarycp.org/school. The school is currently accepting applications for new students for 2017-2018 school year. Bailly teacher selected for award CHESTERTON Fourth-grade teacher Cris Petro of Bailly Elementary was selected as the runner-up for the 2017 June Scobee Rodger Innovative Educator Award by the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. The award is named in honor of the Challenger Center founding chair June Scobee Rodger and recognizes outstanding educators who understand the importance of STEM education and demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for teaching STEM subjects. Petro will receive a $1,000 prize to further enhance her classroom lessons and support professional development opportunities. Brain training included MICHIGAN CITY Edgewood Elementary School students enjoyed a session with their very own personal trainer Kathy Workman, of Anytime Fitness, during recess. Edgewood received a "Healthy Kids" grant that provides all classrooms with access to GoNoodle Plus. The GoNoodle computer program provides standards-based "brain break" activities that teachers implement throughout each school day. As part of the grant, Edgewood held an "Every Kid Healthy Week" featuring zumba, relay races, and other workouts at recess, courtesy of Anytime Fitness and healthy trivia contests at lunchtime. Duneland Elementary spelling bee winners CHESTERTON Ten Duneland Elementary winners and their alternates gathered at Chesterton Middle School for a districtwide spelling bee. The overall Duneland spelling bee winner was Chloe-Joi Pablo of Liberty Elementary and runner-up was Kaden Hawksworth of Yost. The five individual elementary school winners will represent the Duneland Schools in the Porter County fourth-grade competition hosted at 6 p.m. May 10 at Ben Franklin M.S. in Valparaiso. GARY The municipal court here is weighed down by a huge caseload in addition to the the large financial burden it places on the city. The number of pending cases in the Gary court exceeds 200,000, according to state records and court officials. That number far exceeds the combined number of pending cases for the rest of the city and town courts in Lake County. For instance, the number of pending cases in Hammond City Court last year was 29,264 compared to 25,992 new filings. The number of new filings in Gary, however, were only 11,228 according to state records. Hammond, which is phasing out its city court, had more new filings than any other two courts combined, with nearly half of the cases filed being traffic infractions that often can be paid online at the county. Lake County Superior Court Judge John Pera said they are able to handle the cases being filed from Hammond with their current resources. Gary City Council President Ron Brewer, D-at large, said he would like to obtain more information about why the number of pending cases is so high. Still, he thinks the number of pending cases might rise even higher if the Lake Superior Court were to absorb the city court. Brewer opposes discontinuing the Gary City Court, because he believes it would be detrimental to citizens who would have to travel to Crown Point to have their cases handled. He does, however, want to look at ways the city court can raise additional revenue something he says needs to be looked at throughout city government. Although the new filings are lower than what they are in Hammond, Gary Judge Deidre R. Monroe, who noted the court has been around since 1910, said for many years the court was the busiest in the state. In 2004, there were 29,892 criminal case filings and 3,032 civil case filings in Gary. That number fell rapidly in the ongoing years with criminal case filings down to 13,300 in 2007, according to the state Financial Assessment and Action Plan prepared for the city in 2009. Monroe said in the last seven years, the court, clerk and prosecutor's office "have worked together to dispose of more cases than are filed in that particular year." She said in the last 10 years, the number of pending cases has dropped by 60,000. Of the 204,757 cases pending in 2016, 75,712 were misdemeanor cases, 82,787 were traffic infractions and 44,558 were ordinance violations. The ordinance violations are cases handled by the city rather than the county prosecutor's office. Prosecutor Bernard Carter said he has told his deputy prosecutors not to agree to any continuances, although the decisions are ultimately up to the judge. "We want those cases to proceed," he said. The deputy prosecutors work in both the city and county courts. Carter said in some traffic violation cases, people can show they have their license and are in compliance with the law and get their case dismissed. But a lot of people who show up don't have their license. At that time, the offender can plead guilty and pay a fine or may have their case continued while they attempt to get their license. One problem causing delays is a lack of the Courtview computerized case management system; files have to be pulled for separate cases, according to Carter. He said he has urged Gary's city clerk to get Courtview, but the clerk's office says it doesn't have the money for it. Monroe said the city clerk is moving to become one of the first to get on to the free Odyssey system that now is being used widely across the state, though not yet in Lake County. Poverty, lack of jobs contribute to backlog She noted with the city's high unemployment, many are unable to pay a fine let alone a fee of up to $1,000 or more for reinstatement of a license if they are found driving without insurance. So, the cases stay open while the court works with people to try to get their license reinstated. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, who at one time served as city judge, said a number of defendants ticketed in Gary are transients passing through the community who may not return to contest a ticket. When Monroe first started working in the city, she said about 70 percent of the people who came to court were working, and about 30 percent were unemployed. Now, that number is reversed. She attributed the recent rise in cases to the city's aggressive stance on code enforcement in the past few years. Monroe said one of the projects the court has initiated in partnership with the city clerk and prosecutor's office to reduce the backlog is amnesty court. During that court session, held twice a month, those who turn themselves in can get a warrant lifted. Similarly, under the traffic amnesty program, a defendant gets two tickets dismissed after paying one, to reduce pending cases and help citizens get their license reinstated, Monroe said. Carter said he thinks Monroe is "doing the best she can under the circumstances." SCHERERVILLE Heart disease, long considered a male health problem, now ranks as the No. 1 cause of death for women ages 25 and younger. To help raise awareness about heart disease, Team Toyota sponsored a daylong Go Red For Women event at the dealership on Tuesday in partnership with the American Heart Association. It's the third year Team Toyota has held the event. Ten vendors table lined the showroom, providing merchandise and information about health care as women of all ages waited for their vehicles to receive a free oil change. The free oil change was a new addition to Team Toyotas Go Red For Women event this year. This is our fifth year of American Heart Association leadership, said Jason Aker, general manager of Team Toyota. I employ 40 percent women, which is unusual for a car dealership. Awareness of the risk factors, heart attack and stroke warning signs and each familys heart disease history is the key to reducing, even eliminating cardiac deaths, Aker said. In March, Team Toyota sponsored a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, donating $150 per new car sold. We have made a $25,000 commitment to the American Heart Association in conjunction with honoring my women employees, Aker said. We want to make sure they are healthy. Many women brought heir children, mothers and friends to the event. Lacey Peach of Hobart browsed through the Lularoe clothing line offered by Heather Schoon of Highland while pushing 18-month-old Maverick in his stroller. One of my friends saw this on Facebook. I needed an oil change, Peach said about attending the event. We need our hearts to live. We try to eat healthy, but you never know when something will happen. Wrapped in a snuggly baby carrier, 1-1/2-month-old Nolan McLindon slept through his mothers visit to the event at Team Toyota. I came for the oil change and to check out the vendors, said Cortney McLindon of Crown Point as she looked through Schoons clothing line. I like to support local business people. Schoon and her family are longtime supporters of the American Heart Association, she said, adding, I saw an opportunity to be a vendor at a great event. Katie Conley, a physical therapist, and Katie Pena, intake coordinator, with Franciscan Senior Health & Wellness program in Dyer took guests blood pressure and explained the new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). A nationwide program, PACE helps seniors stay in their homes. We provide transportation to the day center. All medical needs are included in the program, Pena said. This program helps working families. It bridges the gap between 24-hour care, Conley said. MICHIGAN CITY An Indiana State Prison inmate burned to death nearly a month ago could have started the fire by doing unauthorized electrical work in his cell, a prison official said. In a release issued Wednesday, ISP superintendent Ron Neal reported the cause of the April 9 blaze was determined an accident. The origin of the fire claiming the life of Joshua Devine was along the western wall of the cell in, on, or around the television, said Neal. Neal also referred to reports from both the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office and LaPorte County coroner's office that stated "the decedent may have been altering electrical equipment in his cell." The ruling was based on physical evidence found at the scene along with witness accounts and after other potential sources had been ruled out as a possibility, prison officials said. "The reasonable probability of an electrical event occurring in the area of origin could not be eliminated as the cause of this fire," Neal stated in the release. Devine, 30, died of thermal burns, according to LaPorte County Coroner Bob Cutler. Cutler said burns covered 100 percent of his body and death was immediate, judging by a lack of smoke in his lungs. Devine had been at the prison since March 2016 and was serving a 16-year sentence for attempted robbery out of Marion County. Nearly four years after a 6-year-old boy was swallowed up by the sand in a freak accident on Mount Baldy, park officials are planning to reopen the nearby beach. "A lot of people have missed visiting the Mount Baldy beach," said Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore spokesman Bruce Rowe. A date has yet to be selected to reopen the beach, which is located immediately north of U.S. 12 at the Porter-LaPorte county line. When it does reopen, Greg Woessner of Sterling, Illinois, who is the father of the boy injured at the site on July 12, 2013, said he would consider paying another visit. "We've already been back," he said, referring to a trip to Washington Park beach a little farther east in Michigan City. His son Nathan has done well since the incident, he said. "Thankfully, there's no lasting effects," Greg Woessner said. "He's a very energetic 10-year-old." Nathan was 6 when he was swallowed up under an estimated 11 feet of sand on the dune for more than three hours before being rescued. That hole and others are created as rotting trees buried beneath the sand give way, creating air pockets, Rowe said. The phenomenon appears to be unique to Mount Baldy, at least locally, he said, though there are reports that it may have occurred elsewhere around the country. Once reopened, visitors still will be kept off Mount Baldy, which is the main sand dune, Rowe said. This is the case because the latest research shows more holes are likely to open on the dune. The dune itself also is being kept closed because it has undergone restoration work, Rowe said. Ranger-led tours along the western edge of Mount Baldy still are being offered a couple times a week on a request-only basis, he said. Those interested in requesting a tour can visit nps.gov/indu or call 219-395-1882. A new pathway needs to be developed from the 100-plus vehicle parking lot down to the Lake Michigan beach, Rowe said. Deterioration from high waves has left the former route unusable due to cliffs as high as 12 to 15 feet. A fence will be placed between the beach access area and Mount Baldy to discourage visitors from entering the prohibited area, Rowe said. Signs describing the threat will also be posted and staff will be on hand to prevent violations. Anyone caught in the restricted area faces the potential of a citation and fine, he said. Voters in the School Town of Munster and Lake Station schools passed referendum votes while the referendum question failed miserably in East Chicago. Voters in East Chicago turned down a request asking them to pay an additional 30 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to raise nearly $41 million over seven years. The school district struggled with a declining enrollment this school year as a result of lead problems in the West Calumet community, which caused school leaders to close an elementary school. East Chicago Superintendent Paige McNulty has reached out to local legislators and state officials in hopes of getting assistance for the school district. Shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, McNulty issued a statement by email saying, tomorrow begins a new day for students and the community. "We believe and have faith in the future of our schools and all care deeply about our kids and their futures," she said. "We will do what educators do best make sure that our kids are safe, are nurtured and that we continue to prepare them for the educational, employment and public service opportunities of the future. Tonight's loss means that we will have to do more with less while meeting those and other challenges." Lake County Election Board Director Michelle Fajman said about 14 percent of the eligible voters turned out in East Chicago, while Lake Station had a turnout of 18 percent and about 23 percent of the voters turned out in Munster. Lake County was one of five counties in the state holding a special referendum vote on school funding. Munster asked voters to approve a general fund referendum to support the operating budget, and a construction referendum to renovate buildings. Both questions passed by a large margin. When the votes were tallied, 67.94 percent or 2,903 residents said yes, while 32.06 percent or 1,370 people said no to the general fund referendum. The general fund or operating budget funds salaries and benefits and some programs. This referendum will replace the current 2013 operating referendum of 19 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, increasing the tax to 42 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. It will raise $6.9 million for each of the next seven years. Munster residents also voted yes for an additional $48 million construction referendum to repair and renovate all the school buildings. It will require property owners to pay an additional 43 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to fund those projects. On the second question, 67.81 percent or 2,892 people voted yes and 32.19 percent or 1,373 people voted no. The Lake Station Community Schools asked voters for a general fund referendum, which will raise about $5.6 million over a seven-year period. Vote totals show that 54.7 percent (482) voted yes and 45.29 percent (399) voted no. According to Indiana University's Center for Evaluation & Education Policy, which keeps statistics on the number of referendum votes in the state, voters have supported about 60 percent of school referendums across Indiana since the process started in 2008. The Jubilate Choir, from Immanuel Lutheran School, under the direction of William Ickstadt, performed during a Sunday worship service at First St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Chicago. The Jubilate Choir is an auditioned treble choir composed of students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. The choir rehearses twice a week during the school year and sings for services at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Annually, the Jubilate Choir participates in the ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) choir contest in which the choir has received numerous awards. The claim of politicians needing to "reach across party lines" for the greater good is uttered so often that it's become cliche. The phrase takes on far more meaning when a top government official actually puts the phrase to definitive practice. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has done that in spades during his first four months in office, and it showed Friday in the warm reception he received during a visit to Gary. In our state's history, the relationship between the embattled Steel City and the state's Republican power base has been anything but harmonious. Holcomb's style and responsiveness to our entire Region has completely torched the notion that top state government leaders don't care about Northwest Indiana. The people of Gary sure seem to get it. "The governor has done more for Northwest Indiana, from East Chicago to Gary, than any of his predecessors did," Greater First Church Bishop Tavis Grant said Friday during Holcomb's visit to downtown Gary. The governor's visit came on the heels of him signing legislation for an emergency manager to take over the dilapidated finances and administration of Gary schools. It's widely seen as a lifeline for a district that has seemed to redefine rock bottom on a regular basis. State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, who led efforts for the Gary schools measure, has applauded the governor's bipartisan approach. Holcomb also championed and signed legislation for South Shore Line commuter rail development, which in a greater sense is one of the largest potential economic development plans in state history. And don't discount all of the face time Holcomb has shown in the Region, which historically has carried a dejected chip on its shoulder where chief Hoosier executives and the Legislature are concerned. "He's only been governor four months, and he has probably been here more times than I would say a few of his predecessors put together," Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said. Roads and infrastructure are vital to Region gubernatorial visits. They're also essential to nearly ever aspect of our state and Region's economy and quality of life. Holcomb courageously supported the efforts spearheaded by Indiana House Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso to devise a long-term road funding plan. He did so even though the painful, but necessary, 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase was central to the plan. The governor signed that roads measure into law and also approved a state budget with important finances for double-tracking a portion of the South Shore tracks for faster commutes. Some Region folks stuck in outmoded thinking will no doubt continue espousing an "us versus them" mentality when it comes to Northwest Indiana's greater dealings with the rest of the state. Don't buy it. Look at Holcomb's record, and directly at his face during his plethora of Region visits, as proof positive that someone in a major seat of authority cares about the Region we call home. Today is World Press Freedom day. On this day, we take stock of the state of freedoms of press and expression at home and abroad. In Uganda, while the Constitution guarantees freedom of press and freedom of expression, and while government officials are quick to remind us of the many radio stations, TV stations and newspapers available whenever press freedom comes up, its also true that cases of blatant infringement on these freedoms have been rising. Journalists and media houses being attacked is now the order of the day. Only last month, The Observer newspaper offices were broken into for the second time in six months, but theres no indication that the authorities are interested in establishing who was responsible and why. During the same month, a journalist working for NTV was kidnapped and held hostage for several hours, reportedly because she had expressed her views on a controversial subject on social media. To date, her kidnappers have not been apprehended despite the police vowing to hunt them down. Its, therefore, not surprising that Uganda is now perceived globally to be less free than it was a little over a year ago. Currently ranked 112 out of 180 countries, Uganda has dropped 10 places on the annual World Press Freedom Index (WPI) compiled by Reporters Without Borders. According to the 2017 index report, Acts of intimidation and violence against journalists are an almost daily occurrence in Uganda. The 2016 presidential election saw serious media freedom violations, including threats to close down media outlets, internet cuts as well as verbal and physical attacks on reporters, especially those covering the opposition leader. Freedom of press and freedom of expression are intertwined and do not concern journalists exclusively. Switching off of the internet during last years general elections and the continued incarceration of Makerere University academic Stella Nyanzi for expressing her views on social media, all point to growing intolerance. We must never forget that freedoms of press and expression are not meant to accommodate the views that we agree with but, rather, those we disagree with. What was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives turned into a complete nightmare for a young couple in China, after it was revealed that the groom had hired 200 random people to act as his friends and relatives at the wedding. The groom, known only by his surname, Wang, and his fiancee, Xiaoli, were supposed to tie the knot on Sunday, April 30th, during a big wedding banquet at a hotel in Xian, Chinas Shaanxi Province. Everything was going according to plan up to the point when the family of the bride noticed that half of the tables reserved for the grooms guests laid empty. Wang kept telling them that they were on their way, but the bride and her parents really became suspicious of him after talking to the few guests that were seated at his tables and noticing that while they all said that they were Wangs friends, they couldnt really say how they knew him. Photo: video screengrab With the banquet well underway and Wangs parents nowhere to be found, the 27-year-old bride became convinced that he was lying, so she called the police. When they arrived and started asking the grooms guests questions, some of them cracked under pressure and admitted that they had never met him before. Some of them were students, other said they were taxi drivers, but they all had something in common they had been contacted by Wang on social media platform WeChat and offered 80 yuan ($12) to attend the wedding as his friends and relatives. Some of them even pulled out their smartphones and showed police the texts they had exchanged with Wang, as proof. Local TV station Shaanxi TV broadcast interviews with the fake wedding guests and the confused bride, who told reporters that she and Wang had been together for three years, but that she never suspected he was capable of such a stunt. Photo: video screengrab He was nice to me, always paying the bills and tending to my needs, the jilted bride said. But now that I think of it, we had no common friends and the parents I met were probably also hired. The wedding drama soon went viral on Chinese social media and was picked up by the BBC, who mentioned that Wang had been arrested following his charade, but didnt offer any explanation as to why that happened. Hiring 200 fake guests to attend your wedding is pretty weird, but I dont think it is a criminal offense anywhere in the world. Photo: video screengrab Luckily, Chinese news network CGTN cleared everything up earlier today, when they revealed that Wang was detained for fraud. He is accused of swindling over 1.1 million yuan ($160,000) from the family of the bride over the last couple of years. In 2015, Wang reportedly borrowed 400,000 yuan for capital turnover at work, and earlier this year he asked his future in-laws for another 700,000 yuan as dowry money to buy his bride-to-be a car. After the stunt he pulled at the wedding, the bride and her family were apparently convinced that he was only marrying her for money. Photo: VCG But thats not the only reason he was arrested. While running a background check, police found that Mr. Wang was only 2o-years-old, which makes him two years too young to legally get married in China. CGTN reports that after hearing about Wangs exploits on the news, his real parents showed up and offered to repay Xiaoli and her family the money their son had borrowed. I cant help but think that Wang would have probably got away with his plan, if only he had turned to professionals instead of random people on WeChat. In China, services that offer fake girlfriends, fake employees, and even fake bridesmaids are very popular, so surely he could have hired some better fake wedding guests. Gabrielle Jasinski Public relations professionals are tasked with pitching clients news to the media. Unfortunately, many journalists find our constant outreach annoying and unhelpful. I asked a few of my reporter friends what PR people can do to make their lives easier. Heres what they had to say. Do: get to the point Valerie Silverthorne, senior technology editor at TechTarget, loves when pitches are succinct. Pitches that are straight to the point, well-timed, complete and funny always grab my attention. Matt Lindner, associate editor at Internet Retailer, agreed. If I have to ask you after youve delivered your pitch, So why is this news, you havent done your job. I work with plenty of publicists on a daily basis who do a wonderful job of getting to the point and of providing the relevant information in an easily digestible format that has me wanting to learn about their clients. Dont: be overly aggressive Following up with journalists after pitching is good practice to make sure reporters have seen your pitch and have all of the necessary details for their story. But often publicists are too aggressive. One publicist I worked with wanted to lodge a complaint because he had pitched me twice, and I had expressed initial interest but never wound up doing a story on his client after I determined that his pitch was not newsworthy, said Lindner. This is not how things work. If you want an easy placement, buy an ad. If you want an earned placement, do a better job of making your client relevant. Do: provide access to your client Reporters are happiest when publicists provide access to the right executives. Once a reporter has agreed to schedule an interview, get them in touch with the right people. The best publicists are those who get to the point, provide background information, and let their clients speak, said Lindner. Too many times Ive been on interviews where there are at least two or more publicists who are also on the call. This is completely and totally unnecessary. Interviews should be conversational, not structured interactions littered with talking points and buzzwords that come from carefully prepared scripts. Silverthorne agreed. Get me in the door and to the right people. Perhaps give the interviewee a bit of background on what I cover. Dont: pitch off-beat stories This is PR 101, but before reaching out to your media contacts, make sure your story actually matches their beat. If it doesnt, its best to not reach out. Im less happy if PR people have no idea what I do or what I cover. If you dont know anything about my publication, you probably shouldnt be pitching me, said Silverthorne. Do: include interesting extras Finally, if you can provide extra details that make your story newsworthy, your reporter contacts will be grateful. PR people who can provide a crazy picture, a biographical detail or a missing report are the most helpful to me, concluded Silverthorne. * * * Gabrielle Jasinski is an Account Manager at Bospar. The Police Officer Who Killed Jordan Edwards Has Been Fired Dimas Sanfiorenzo Dimas Sanfiorenzo is the Managing Editor for Okayplayer. He specializes The Balch Springs, Texas police officer who fatally shot 15-year-old Jordan Edwards has been fired, police announced a couple of hours ago. The news was announced during a press conference where Police Chief Jonathan Haber also revealed the officer behind the shooting. His name is Roy Oliver and he was a six-year veteran of the force. Haber was brief with the details, only saying that Oliver violated department policies. Lee Merritt, the attorney representing the Edwards family, released this statement after the news came out: On behalf of Jordan Edwards family concerning the officers termination pic.twitter.com/UJeT6OM6xg S. Lee Merritt (@MeritLaw) May 2, 2017 Edwards family couldnt put it any clearer by saying there remains a long road ahead. Edwards, who was a freshman in High School, was leaving a party with friends when he was shot through the passenger side window of the vehicle by Oliver. The Dallas County Medical Examiners office has ruled Edwards death as a homicide, When the news first came out, police said the vehicle Edwards was in was aggressively backing up toward the officers. However, this was soon disproven when the police body cam video showed the vehicle driving away as Oliver fired his gun. H/T: CNN Agricultural News Damage From Snow and Cold Temps Likely in Western Kansas- But Simply Can't Gauged Now- The Day One Story from the Wheat Quality Council Tour "It's too early to tell," was the theme of day 1 of the 2017 Wheat Quality Council's Hard Winter Wheat Tour across Kansas. About 70 scouts left Manhattan early Tuesday morning, May 2, and made their way east to west across the state, ending up in Colby by evening. The average yield for the day between 18 cars and 222 stops was 43 bushels per acre. This was down from 47.1 bushels per acre over the same area last year. One of those scouts was Chris Kirby with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission- and she talked Monday evening with Dave Green, Executive Vice President of the Wheat Quality Council about the discussion in Colby as scouts shared their findings. You can hear their conversation by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below. Green told Kirby that many scouts on the tour seem to be disappointed that a determination of how much damage has been done because of the cold and the snow can not be made at this moment- but that the damage will take up to ten days before it really can be seen. Wheat looked good early in the day, with adequate moisture and little disease pressure or damage. But as the cars made their way into central Kansas, participants started seeing some of the effects of the April 22-23 and April 27 freezes that affected a big portion of the middle of the state. These freeze events have been overshadowed in the news by a blizzard that affected the western third of the state over the weekend of April 29 through May 1. However, the freezes may cause significant damage in many areas because the crop was in boot and early heading stages at the time. The extent of that damage doesn't fully show until a week to 10 days following the event. Scouts reported that more than half of the wheat they saw on day 1 was in the boot stage and 39% was headed. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of April 30, 44% of the wheat was headed statewide. Wheat tour scouts also noted some disease pressure in central parts of the state, including stripe rust, which is a devastating fungal disease. Day two of the tour will head south from Colby and go into southwestern Kansas- then move eastward with the second stop of the 2017 tour to be in Wichita on Wednesday evening. Chris Kirby of the Okla Wheat Commission Talks with Dave Green about the 2017 Wheat Crop Tour WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News Agricultural News Perdue Convinced Once Chinese Taste US Beef, They'll Want More - And There's a Lot of Them During his visit to Washington, DC this week for the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Washington Watch fly-in, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays has the opportunity to participate in a news conference with our new Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Hays had the chance to ask the Secretary a question during the news conference regarding China, US beef and what can be done now that China's President Xi has indicated to President Donald Trump, he is interested in reopening his country's markets to our beef exports. "Secretary Ross and I discussed that and we think we're making good progress in that area," Perdue responded. "We think there's some things they would like that we are very comfortable in agreeing to. Particularly if we can get US beef into China." While the Secretary believes we are off to a good start in getting the negotiations underway and start shipping product, he understands there is still going to be a lot of red tape to cut through first. "Sometimes dealing with the Chinese and Southeast Asians, these things can roll out. But, we are very determined, we're very purposeful in that," Perdue stated. "I'm convinced that if those Chinese start eating US beef, they're going to want more of it - and there's a lot of them." Listen to Perdue's full explanation of his position and the status of negotiations with China to open their markets to US beef with Farm Director Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz. The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today. Listen to Perdue's full explanation of his position and the status of negotiations with China, click below WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News Agricultural News First Guess for 2017 Oklahoma Winter Wheat Crop Pegged at 100 Million Bushels- Off Twenty Seven Percent Compared to 2016 The 37th Annual Oklahoma Wheat Crop Estimates were released Wednesday morning- and they suggest a smaller Oklahoma Wheat Crop in 2017, compared to a year ago. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays sat down with Mark Hodges of Plains Grains today at the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association's 2017 wheat harvest outlook meeting to talk about Oklahoma's initial crop yield estimate for this year. Listen to Hodges debrief Hays on today's meeting to establish a baseline for how many bushels of winter wheat might be harvested before 2017 is in the record books by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of this story. The members of the association were polled for their estimates on the potential yield of this year's harvest, based on reports from extension and private industry professionals on their observations from the field. The results of the poll predicts Oklahoma's wheat crop for 2017 at 2.97 million harvested acres with a yield of 33.7 bushels per acre and a potential toal crop of 100.14 million bushels. This compared to 3.5 million acres harvested in Oklahoma in 2016- a record 39 bushels per acre yield and the result of 136.5 million bushels combined last season. Hodges reports this estimate is a little less optimistic compared to the aggregate of the scout's reports, saying the industry professionals who were polled at the meeting felt that the total acres that will be harvested will end up being around three million acres or a little less. "There was a lot of talk about acres of abandonment, in whatever for that takes, but I think the theme was also - those better acres were the ones they saved," Hodges said. "I feel good about what the production is going to be, so the potential is there." While recent storms bringing with them heavy rain and snow have presented the industry with some challenges, Hodges points out that the silver lining here, is that the resulting moisture has significantly improved the overall soil profile. He suggests this provides farmers a good opportunity to plant summer crops such as grain sorghum that thrives on stored moisture content. Barring any more unforeseen difficulties though, Hodges remains confident in the discussion of today's meeting. "I'm comfortable with that number as well based on what I've seen," Hodges said. "Obviously, we do have a ways to harvest yet. We've got some issues out there, diseases and other things. But, hopefully we're going to come up with that number when it's all said and done." Hodges is taking the Oklahoma report and presenting it this evening in Wichita, Kansas to those that are participating in the Wheat Quality Council annual winter wheat tour. Listen to Hodges debrief Hays on today's meeting to establish an early estimate of this year's crop WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News Agricultural News OK FFA Chapters Donate More than 1 Million Protein Sticks to Help Feed Chronically Hungry Children Each year, Oklahoma FFA Chapters join the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma in fighting childhood hunger. This school year through the Hunger Challenge, chapters were asked to donate livestock and raise monetary donations to provide the equivalent of 1 million protein sticks for the Oklahoma Food Bank's Backpack Programs. At the Oklahoma FFA Association's 91st State FFA Convention yesterday, FFA Executive Secretary Kent Boggs announced that the Oklahoma FFA Chapters met - and exceeded - their goal. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays spoke with Katie Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, about the Oklahoma FFA Organization's initiative to help feed hungry children in the state. You can hear his interview with Fritzgerald, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of this story. "We want to thank the 226 FFA Chapters across the state that joined us in the fight against childhood hunger by providing 1,015,764 protein sticks for the Backpack Program," said Boggs. "It takes a tremendous amount of time, money and hard work to raise livestock. We are grateful for the sacrifices students are making to help the one in four children in Oklahoma who have inconsistent access to food." Donations for the Hunger Challenge were raised at the 2016 Tulsa State Fair and OYE Junior Livestock Expo in March. Through the Challenge, FFA students donated livestock and raised monetary donations through the Cents Makes Sense program. "It is inspiring to work with so many students who are committed to ensuring children have enough to eat over the weekend," said Fritzgerald. "Their compassion and generous support provide hope, in the form of much-needed food, to chronically hungry children across Oklahoma." The Beef for Backpacks and Pork for Packs programs create collaborative relationships with local farmers, manufacturers and processors to provide protein sticks for the Oklahoma Food Bank's Food for Kids Backpack program. This program provides chronically hungry elementary school children with a backpack full of kid-friendly, non-perishable and nutritious food every Friday to sustain them over weekends and school holidays. Last year, 29,000 elementary school children received food during the school year through this program. "Support from the Oklahoma FFA is vital to helping us 'meat' the increase in need," said Fitzgerald. "This year alone, the Regional Food Bank served 3,000 more children than last year through our Backpack Program." Beef for Backpacks and Pork for Packs accept cattle, hogs and monetary donations. These programs are made possible thanks to the Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma State University Food and Agricultural Products Center, the Oklahoma Pork Council, Ralph's Meat Company in Perkins and Chickasha Meats. Donations are still needed to fight childhood hunger. Livestock donations are tax deductible as a charitable donation to a 501(C) 3 corporation, pursuant to IRS guidelines. Livestock donation receipt amounts are based on the USDA daily market price. A Livestock Owner/Donor Certificate must be completed in order to receive a donation receipt. For more information on how to donate, contact Thad Doye by phone at 405-523-2307 or by email. The Oklahoma FFA also supports the Oklahoma Food Banks through volunteerism. In fact, during National FFA Week in February 200 FFA students packed more than 24,500 pounds of food at the Regional Food Bank. Established in 1980, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is the state's largest private hunger-relief organization. During fiscal year 2016, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma distributed 52 million pounds of food and product through a network of more than 1,300 charitable feeding programs and schools throughout 53 central and western Oklahoma counties. Together, we can solve hunger. To learn more about the Regional Food Bank, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit regionalfoodbank.org or call 405-972-1111. Source - The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Listen to Ron Hays and Katie Fritzgerald discuss FFA's invovlement in this year's Hunger Challenge WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News The Greater Copenhagen region is increasing its accommodation capacity thanks to new hotel openings and existing hotels expansions. By 2017 there are 46,673 rooms to pick and choose from and in the years to come a wide range of hostels, hotels and boutique hotels will expand the selection of accommodation options giving the city a total of 51,983 rooms. Copenhagen Airport A/S has teamed up with Scandinavian hotel operator Nordic Choice Hotels and recently opened Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport, which is Nordic Choice Hotels high-end brand. The 378-room hotel will incorporate a large conference center, which will help attract new conferences, congresses and international events to the city. The Nordic hotel chain Scandic will increase its extensive portfolio with two new 4-star hotels, Scandic Kdbyen and Scandic Falconer. Scandic Kdbyen will be located in the popular Meatpacking District with 370 rooms while Scandic Falconer will open in the fashionable neighborhood of Frederiksberg with 330 rooms and a conference center that can accommodate events for up to 3,000 people. The city center will see an exciting range of brand new 5-star hotels when Hotel Herman K, Hotel Sanders, Nobis Hotel Copenhagen and Hotel Post Nord start operating in the years to come. Wakeup Copenhagen will supplement the high-end options with another 2-star hotel offering 585 rooms next year. The Danish family owned Arp-Hansen Hotel Group will open their first hostel in the city center in the summer of 2017. The hostel will hold 1,000 beds and 280 rooms, all with shower and toilet. Due to the new hostels large size, the hostel meets the needs of conferences with large groups of people, who wish to stay central on a budget. The German A&O Hotels and Hostels Group is also coming to town when they open their first hostel in Copenhagen in the buzzing area of Nrrebro with 270 rooms this spring. Becton Dickinson will continue its long manufacturing history in Nebraska with investments totaling $160 million over the next four years. The company said Tuesday that it would spend $60 million to expand and change production at the smaller of its two Columbus plants from glass syringes to plastic components. Thats on top of $100 million to upgrade its facility in Holdrege, announced last September. The impact on Nebraska employment will be negligible the medical supplies manufacturer has about 2,600 employees at in Columbus, Holdrege and Broken Bow but the spending is important for the future, said Executive Vice President Steve Sichak. Weve had really good experiences over the years in Columbus, Sichak said, with strong support from the community and state and local government. We expect Columbus to play an important role in our network for many years to come. Becton Dickinson came to Columbus in 1949 when the federal government asked the company, which is based in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, to move its production inland because of the threat of Soviet Union bombers during the Cold War. An aluminum plant in Columbus had closed after World War II, and officials from the community negotiated with Becton Dickinson to relocate. The company plans to install plastic production equipment and add 69,000 square feet to the plant, to about 300,000 square feet. Sichak said the 700-worker plant probably will end up with fewer employees because it will become one of the most automated plastic molding plants in the world. But there will be no layoffs during the transition, he said, and the companys overall employment in the state is expected to hold steady. Becton Dickinson employs about 425 people in Holdrege, 575 in Broken Bow and about 900 at its other Columbus plan. The company buys about 700 billion plastic parts a year, mostly from third-party suppliers. Bringing production in-house will improve quality and reduce costs, Sichak said. Gov. Pete Ricketts said in a press release that Becton Dickinson is a great example of a company that understands the value of investing in its Nebraska workforce to support its global business. Construction would start late this year and plastic production would begin about a year later, gradually expanding through 2021. Production of glass syringes will continue during the transition and then shift to company plants elsewhere. Because plastic production requires specialized skills, Becton Dickinson plans to spend about $7 million retraining employees or helping them find new positions elsewhere in the company. Natural attrition at the other Columbus plant most likely will create some openings. We have been increasing (employment) across the state, Sichak said, and the company always seeks the right people. He said salaried people, including engineers and other professionals, are more likely to move to other facilities in Nebraska or other states if they dont take jobs in Columbus. The plastics plant will make components for Becton Dickinson products mostly in the U.S. and for export to Europe and Mexico. Germanys western city of Duisburg welcomes a new hotel; the new-build IntercityHotel Duisburg, the hotel is officially opened for business on 1 May. Extending over six floors, it is an upper mid-range hotel which houses a total of 176 rooms. The hotels gastronomic offerings comprise a restaurant and a bar. The events rooms at the IntercityHotel Duisburg are able to accommodate up to 200 conference guests. Interior design is by the Italian architect Matteo Thun, who has produced an interior which enables the brand to achieve a modern and stylish look as it celebrates the 30th year of its existence. Joachim Marusczyk, Managing Director of IntercityHotel GmbH, said, As well as being an interesting prospect for visitors to Duisburg, this IntercityHotel provides swift access to trade fairs in Essen and Dusseldorf and to Dusseldorf Airport itself thanks to its location right next to the citys railway station." The hotel will be operated by IntercityHotel GmbH under a lease agreement. Property development was by the Hamburg-based B&L Group. The architectural firms of Reichel + Stauth from Braunschweig and php prasch buken und partner from Hamburg were responsible for the design of the hotel. The general contractor is W. Markgraf GmbH & Co KG of Bayreuth. WASHINGTON Erasing the threat of a disruptive government shutdown, the White House and top lawmakers endorsed a $1.1 trillion spending bill Monday to carry the nation through September, an agreement underscoring that Democrats retain considerable clout in Donald Trumps presidency. Negotiators released the 1,665-page bill after Republicans dropped numerous demands. The bill is slated for a House vote Wednesday, with a Senate vote ahead of a Friday midnight deadline. We thought we had the upper hand because a government shutdown would be on their shoulders, and we made that clear, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. We knew that if we didnt push things too far we could get a good deal that could make us happy, and thats what happened. Winners Military. The bill has $593 billion for the military, including $15 billion of Trumps $30 billion emergency request from earlier. The Pentagon would receive a $26 billion increase over last year, a 4 percent increase. Military personnel would get a 2.1 percent pay increase. Planned Parenthood. The womens health organization will continue to receive federal funding despite repeated Republican efforts to deny the group money because it provides abortion services. Puerto Rico. The budget includes $295.9 million to alleviate an emergency budget shortfall in the commonwealth. Coal miners. The deal includes $1.3 billion to extend health insurance benefits for more than 22,000 retired mine workers and their widows. National Institutes of Health. The deal rejects Trumps proposal to slash spending at the NIH, instead giving the agency a $2 billion boost for cancer research and other programs supported by lawmakers from both parties. College students. The bill restores eligibility for year-round Pell Grants for college students. The measure would provide 1 million students with an average award of $1,650 a year to take classes year-round. The environment. Trump wants deep cuts in the Environmental Protection Agency, but the spending bill would maintain nearly 99 percent of the agencys budget. The EPA program that helps communities like Flint, Michigan clean up their drinking water is slated to remain fully funded at the previous years level. The arts. The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities would see small increases. Theres also no cut in money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Anti-opioid funding. The bill provides a $150 million increase for programs to address prevention and treatment of opioid and heroin abuse. The money is in addition to $500 million authorized last year to address the nations opioid addiction crisis. Amtrak. The nations passenger rail service, a quasi-government organization, gets a slight funding increase. Local law enforcement. The bill includes $68 million to reimburse law enforcement agencies in New York City and Florida that have borne substantial costs to protect Trump and his family. Trump frequently travels to his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, while his wife, Melania, and youngest son, Barron, require around-the-clock protection in Manhattan. Losers Border wall. Trump said at many campaign stops last year that Mexico would pay for a 2,000-mile border wall, but Mexico says no. The administration sought some $1.4 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars for the wall and related costs in the spending bill, but Trump later relented and said the issue could wait until after September. Trump, however, obtained $1.5 billion to spend for repairs to existing border fencing and new technology, such as drones and sensors, to help agents keep an eye on barrier-free parts of the border. Policy riders. GOP leaders backed away from language to take away grants from sanctuary cities that do not share information about peoples immigration status with federal authorities. Trumps request for additional immigration agents was denied and the IRS budget would be frozen at $11.6 billion instead of absorbing cuts sought by Republicans. Yucca Mountain. The bill includes no money to revive the dormant Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada. Trump has proposed $120 million to restart the licensing process for Yucca Mountain. Nevada lawmakers oppose the plan. AP, Tribune News Service LINCOLN State Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha said Tuesday that hes weighing a run against Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2018. Krist, a 60-year-old Republican, said that hes planning to talk to people across Nebraska about a possible challenge. He said he has received a positive reception during two months worth of informal discussions with business leaders in the Omaha area. He said he would make a decision by July but was leaning toward running. Im talking to people with money and to people with concerns about how the state is running, Krist said. Ive never backed down from a challenge, but I want to make a decision based on facts. He said he would offer a centrist alternative to Ricketts, a fellow Republican, and be able to work better with the Legislature. Krist, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, was appointed to represent his northwest Omaha legislative district in 2009 by then-Gov. Dave Heineman after the resignation of Sen. Mike Friend. Krist was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He is barred from running again due to term limits. He had served as chairman of the Legislatures Executive Board until being replaced this year as more conservative legislators were elected to lead the one-house Legislature. In recent months, Krist has criticized the Ricketts administration for being more concerned about studies than solutions for the troubled state prison system. Hes been an advocate for improved child welfare services and improvements in the states juvenile justice system. As a pilot, he also led efforts to buy a new state plane to replace aging aircraft. YORK, Neb. The young rancher had just finished telling a Nebraska regulatory board why it should reject a route for the Keystone XL pipeline Wednesday when he boosted his 8-year-old son up to the microphone. I dont want no pipeline, Dalton Kopecky said to applause from other opponents of the controversial oil project. Kerry Kopecky of ONeill then lifted his 5-year-old son, Dallas. No oil in our water, the boy said. The lighter moment broke up a heavy day of testimony before the Nebraska Public Service Commission at the Holthus Convention Center in York. The five-member elected commission must decide whether the proposed route of the pipeline serves the public interest. Fifth-generation farmer Robert Johnston of Clearwater said he would welcome the tax revenues the pipeline would generate for schools and government services in Antelope County. He explained that the pipeline route crosses a homestead site established by his great-great-grandfather. I will not allow anything to hurt this land, he said. I do not I repeat, do not think this pipeline will hurt my land. About 135 people spoke during the 10-hour meeting, but the overall turnout was lower than expected. Commission staff estimated that 270 people took seats in a hall set up with 500 chairs. The meeting generated testimony from farmers and ranchers, pipefitters and electricians, teachers and former state senators. Some especially the opponents delivered statements with passion and emotion. One preached a moral case for rejection, one shouted a theory that the pipeline is really intended to steal Nebraska water, while others struggled to utter a word through tears. Early in the day, a pipeline opponent and a labor union leader engaged in a yelling match that roiled the crowd. Authorities set up a security checkpoint at the entrance. State, county and city police maintained a presence in the convention center throughout the day, although they said people were civil and there were no incidents The meeting was similar to numerous public hearings across the state during the nine-year fight over the Keystone XL. As in the past, it was apparent Wednesday that the project has split landowners and environmentalists who oppose the project from laborers and tradesmen who support it. It helps my family, it puts food on the table, said Lucio Tellez of Omaha, a member of Laborers International Union of North America. Leave our water alone, leave our Sand Hills alone, leave our livelihoods alone, said Susan Straka-Heyden, a rancher from Stuart. President Donald Trump recently granted TransCanada Corp. a federal permit to build the pipeline, essentially reversing the 2015 rejection of the project by former President Barack Obama. But the project still needs to secure route approval in Nebraska. Earlier this year, the company asked the PSC to authorize a route approved by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and then-Gov. Dave Heineman in 2013. TransCanada has been trying since 2008 to build the 36-inch pipeline to ship 830,000 barrels per day of a thick crude oil some call it tar sands from western Canada. Comments collected Wednesday will become part of the record leading to a formal five-day hearing in August, which the PSC has reserved only for pre-approved intervenors. A final decision on the application is not expected sooner than late September. Commission Chairman Tim Schram said an additional public meeting will be scheduled, although a date and location have not been determined. Several pipeline opponents urged the commissioners not to allow a foreign company to profit by using eminent domain to take land rights from private property owners in Nebraska. The company has reached easement agreements with about 90 percent of the more than 500 landowners on the proposed route in Nebraska. We know what its like to have a foreign entity come in and take our land, said Larry Wright Jr., chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. The route crosses the tribal homelands of the Ponca and could destroy or disturb graves or unmarked cultural sites, he said. Some said that if Keystone XL must be built, the company should place it along an existing pipeline on right-of-way the company owns in eastern Nebraska. You have the opportunity to site this pipeline where it would do the least amount of damage, said Janece Mollhoff of Ashland. But many argued that the pipeline should be rejected outright. Terry Johnson of Ralston predicted that the civil disobedience that would result from approval of the project in Nebraska would make the mass protests that accompanied the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota look like a dress rehearsal. Do we want to be a tar sands interstate in Nebraska? I dont think so, he said. Others pointed out that a major spill in the Ogallala Aquifer, a huge store of underground water beneath the Sand Hills, could financially devastate the ranchers and farmers who rely on the water. They said the same about a spill in the Missouri or Platte Rivers, which provide drinking water to Omaha and Lincoln. Although they were steeply outnumbered by opponents, pipeline supporters said the project represents the safest way to transport oil. The volume of oil that could be moved each day by Keystone XL would fill 4,150 trucks or 1,185 railcars, said Michael Whatley of the Consumer Energy Alliance, a business group that supports the project. Mike Flood of Norfolk, a former speaker of the Legislature, said pipelines are 450 times safer than rail transportation of oil. Thats a number that tells a story Nebraskans need to hear, he said. Several union representatives said during their testimony that they care about clean water. They argued that they have the skill to safely build the project. Others addressed a common criticism of Keystone XL: Any construction jobs created by the project would be temporary. Skilled workers frequently move from project to project, they said. If youre going to work construction, youre going to work part time or youre not going to work at all, responded Jack Mantz of Omaha, a 78-year-old maintenance worker and union member. Skip DeBusk of Papillion said most farmers use fertilizers and pesticides that contaminate the same groundwater they say they care so much about. A software engineer who said he served in Iraq with the Air Force, DeBusk said he would rather see the United States get oil from Canada than the Middle East. I dont want to send my son or daughter off to fight another war for energy resources, he said. Londons international promotional agency has appointed Laura Citron as its new Chief Executive Officer. Her appointment has been approved by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Laura joins London & Partners from WPP where she served as Managing Director of the Government and Public Sector practice, leading hubs in London, Beirut, Nairobi, Brussels, Singapore and Sydney. Previously Laura, who is a Londoner fluent in French and Russian, has held roles at WPP in London and Moscow and also spent a number of years working as a public servant in London and Brussels. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, said: As London and the rest of the United Kingdom enters such a significant period in our history, it has never been more important that we continue to tell the world that London is Open, that our city is the business capital of the world, and that we welcome people from all over the globe. I believe that Laura is well placed to help me tell Londons story and cement our standing as the worlds only truly global city. Laura Citron added: There has never been a more crucial time to make sure London continues to be the greatest city in which to invest, study and visit. As a Londoner I cant think of a better job than promoting the city I love and I am looking forward to working with the Mayor of London and my new team at London & Partners. London & Partners plays an important role in promoting the city around the world for higher education, foreign direct investment, business and leisure tourism, and major sporting and cultural events. Omaha City Council candidates Vinny Palermo and Jim Rogers are both trying to convince voters in the final stretch that they would be better at improving city services in District 4. Palermo won the primary by a scant 45 votes. Third-place finisher Rebecca Patlan, who earned 23 percent of the April primary vote, has endorsed Palermo. Outgoing District 4 City Council member Garry Gernandt has endorsed Rogers. Rogers and Palermo, both Democrats in the officially nonpartisan race, are touting their histories as reasons they would make the better the council member. Rogers said he would bring a Gernandt-style constituent service approach to representing the districts residents. Rogers said he learned that while watching Gernandt and working in politics, including working in constituent services for former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford. Palermo said he would use his hands-on experience as a city worker and in customer service for the Metropolitan Utilities District to improve city services. Both find themselves hearing, and talking, a lot about street maintenance in a city election full of chuckholes. Palermo said poorly maintained streets are the biggest problem facing District 4. He said that if elected he would hire more city workers to fix chuckholes. We need more people in the Public Works Department, specifically in street maintenance, to keep up with the road conditions, Palermo said. We had a very, very mild winter. We should not have all these big chuckholes. He said he doesnt know yet how many more people should be hired. But I would say quite a few, Palermo said. He said he didnt know how much his proposal would cost, or where the money would come from for more streets spending. But when the taxpayers are saying fix our roads, Palermo said, maybe the council should shift money from other expenditures to street work. He said he hadnt identified cuts. Palermo said District 4 doesnt receive an equitable share of city services, not only streets, but also park mowing, snow removal and housing code enforcement. Palermo, a U.S. Navy veteran, owns auto glass repair and tree trimming businesses. About 20 years ago he worked for the City of Omaha Public Works Department for five years, patching potholes and plowing snow. He said that experience gives him an edge. Rogers noted that Mayor Jean Stothert has projected a $9.25 million city budget surplus for the current fiscal year. That should go to street maintenance, Rogers said. That would be a place to start. He said the city is so far behind on streets, the council may have to consider asking voters to approve an additional bond issue to raise money dedicated to street maintenance. Rogers said he didnt have a specific amount in mind for a prospective bond issue. If the city were to do such a bond issue, Rogers said, he would like to tie it to incremental reductions in the citys wheel tax. Asked whether such reductions wouldnt defeat the purpose of raising more money for streets, he said he would have to fine-tune the proposal. Rogers said he would actively seek input from constituents on their neighborhood issues and work to resolve them. He said he had started doing so during door-to-door campaigning. He cited a homeowners concern about a construction company storing mounds of dirt on vacant land in a residential neighborhood at 11th and Frederick Streets. Rogers recruited Gernandt to help intervene, and neighbors say the problem has abated. Rogers said if elected he will continue going door to door to listen. I wouldnt wait for them to call me, Rogers said. Really focusing on constituent services is really what I learned in Ashfords office, and what people are looking for in terms of representation on the City Council. Palermo already is on the Omaha school board. Voters in South Omahas Subdistrict 9 elected him to the OPS board in November. Palermo has said he didnt know when he ran for school board that Gernandt would not seek re-election to the District 4 seat he has held for 16 years. Palermo said the No. 1 difference between him and Rogers is Im raising a family in this community. The decisions I make are not only for the people of District 4, but theyre also for my kids, Palermo said. Im proud of this community we live in, but I also want my kids and other kids to be proud and want to stay here. Rogers is a former executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party. He has recruited people to run for office and has managed other Democrats campaigns. He said his broad range of knowledge and experience at the state, local and federal levels separate him from Palermo. ******* Vinny Palermo Age: 43 Political party: Democratic Occupation: business owner Home: Omaha Education: Omaha South High Family: three children Faith: Roman Catholic Jim Rogers Age: 43 Political party: Democratic Occupation: former outreach director for Rep. Brad Ashford Home: Omaha Education: bachelor of science in business administration from University of Nebraska at Omaha Family: single Faith: Roman Catholic 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. LINCOLN The Legislature passed a bill Wednesday giving Omaha and other Nebraska river towns a new tool for developing their riverfront areas. Legislative Bill 97, introduced by State Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue, allows cities to create riverfront development districts, which would be similar to business development districts. New entities, called riverfront development authorities, could coordinate and facilitate development efforts within a designated area extending up to a half-mile from the rivers edge. The authorities could issue bonds and fund projects with occupation taxes on businesses or special assessments on property in the riverfront district. The measure passed on a 43-0 vote. It now goes to Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has until Tuesday to decide whether to sign it into law. Whether Omaha would take advantage of the bill remains to be seen. Cassie Paben, Mayor Jean Stotherts deputy chief of staff for economic development, testified against the bill at a public hearing. She raised several technical concerns about the measure. City officials testified in a neutral capacity last year, when then-Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha introduced a similar bill. Mello now is running against Stothert. Crawford said 52 Nebraska communities could potentially use the mechanism. At the hearing, Norfolk officials expressed interest in using it to redevelop areas along the North Fork of the Elkhorn River, which runs through that city. Among other bills passed Wednesday: Sarpy County sewers: LB 253, introduced by Crawford, would ease the process of financing sewers in fast-growing Sarpy County. The bill, passed 46-0, was portrayed as essential to continue development in Sarpy County. It would help finance new sewers south of a ridgeline that dissects the county. Areas north of the ridgeline are already served by Omahas sewer system, but new sewers must be built south of the ridgeline to empty into the Platte River. Child sex abuse victims: LB 300, introduced by Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, removes a deadline for victims of childhood sexual assault to seek financial damages from their abusers. Current law requires filing of lawsuits before an alleged victim turns 33. LB 300, passed 46-0, removes that deadline. Occupational licenses: LB 346 eliminates $20 state licenses for people who wish to work selling motor vehicles, motorcycles or trailers. The bill was introduced by Sen. John Lowe of Kearney as part of Ricketts initiative to remove barriers to employment in certain trades. The bill passed 47-0. Bow-hunting felons: Felons would be allowed to have archery equipment under LB 478, introduced by Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte. The bill also would allow felons to have a hunting knife if they have a state license to hunt, fish or trap. The bill passed 46-0. Biosimilar drugs: Pharmacists would be able to substitute biosimilar medications to patients instead of more costly biologics under LB 481. Biosimilars are like generic medications except they are not exact copies. The bill, introduced by Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell, passed 47-0. Ajay Maken withdraws resignation, to continue as Delhi Congress chief India oi-Anusha Stating that Rahul Gandhi wanted him to continue as the chief of Congress' Delhi unit, Ajay Maken withdrew his resignation. Following the Delhi MCD election debacle, Maken had offered his resignation as the Delhi Congress Chief. On Wednesday, Maken withdrew his resignation after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi reportedly asked him to 'continue working as DPCC chief'. A host of Congress leaders had offered to resign following drubbing that the party received in the recently concluded Delhi civic election. Reports suggested that Rahul Gandhi was of the opinion that results of the Delhi MCD Election 2017 were encouraging and that he wanted Maken to lead the party to a logical conclusion. The Congress emerged a distant third with BJP registering a thumping victory and the AAP trailing. While resigning from the post of Delhi Congress President, Ajay Maken had said that he would not hold any party position for at least a year and would take the time to introspect. He, however, had added that the party's performance was way better than assembly and Lok sabha polls. Despite offering to resign, neither Sonia Gandhi nor Rahul accepted Makesn's resignation. The same has been withdrawn now. OneIndia news For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 14:27 [IST] Imran Khan discharged from hospital, to resume long march from same point where he was shot This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how Anti-Pakistan protests rock India: Nation wants justice for martyred jawans India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer As India mourned the death of two brave soldiers, who were martyred at the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani attackers, several anti-Pakistan protests were staged across the country on Tuesday. The two soldiers killed on Monday were Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Infantry and Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of the Border Security Force. While the Centre vowed to give a befitting reply to the dastardly act of the Pakistani forces, Indians in various corners of the country were seen coming out on the streets and shouting anti-Pakistani slogans. The protesters demanded justice for the martyred soldiers. Here we bring you a glimpse of the protest marches from every nook and corner of the country... Pakistan hai hai Bajrang Dal activists shout slogans and burn an effigy of Pakistan during a protest against the killing of two Indian soldiers and mutilation of their bodies by the Pakistan army in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday. Picture credit: PTI We want justice Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the killing of army soldiers by the Pakistan Army in Shimla on Tuesday. Picture credit: PTI Pakistan murbabad Bajrang Dal activists shout slogans and burn a Pakistani flag during a protest against Pakistan's attack on armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir in Guwahati Assam on Tuesday. Picture credit: PTI Declare Pakistan a terror state Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party activists shout slogans and hold placards during a protest against Pakistan's ceasefire violation at LoC near Poonch district in Jammu on Tuesday. Picture credit: PTI Nawaz Sharif, hai hai Hindu Yuva Vahini activists shout slogans and burn an effigy of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a protest against the killing of two Indian Soldiers and mutilation of their bodies at the Line of Control in Allahabad on Tuesday. Picture credit: PTI End the killings of our soldiers Shiv Sena activists burn Pakistan's flag and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's photos during a protest against killing of two Indian soldiers and mutilation of their bodies in Jammu on Tuesday. Picture credit: PTI OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 7:44 [IST] India testfires latest version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile off Odisha coast India, Philippines sign $375 million deal for sale of BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile Watch: BrahMos validated with pin-point destruction of target demonstrated India successfully fires Extended Range Version of Brahmos missile from Su-30 MKI India will have its first hypersonic missile in five to six years: BrahMos Aerospace CEO Army successfully test-fires Brahmos land-attack missile India oi-PTI The Indian Army test fired Brahmos Block- III missile from Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday. The land-to-land configuration of Brahmos missile was launched from a mobile autonomous launcher (MAL). Army test fired Brahmos Block- III missile from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/UBSzJSrppK ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 The test firing of the block-III version of the missile demonstrated the weapon's unmatched lethality of hitting the centre of a designated target with "bull's eye" precision, a senior army officer said here. He said the supersonic cruise missile successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in a "top attack configuration", meeting all flight parameters in a copybook manner. The test firing involved high level and complex manoeuvering by the missile, said the official. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 16:08 [IST] Ravindra Jadejas wife likely to be BJP candidate in Gujarat Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government! BJP slams Trinamool Congress govt for politics of appeasement in West Bengal India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday slammed Trinamool Congress government's politics of appeasement in West Bengal. In a press conference held in the BJP headquarter, Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad said Calcutta high court had to intervene to grant permission to the Ram Navami Udjapan Samity for a three-day mela at the crossing of Lake Town and Jessore Road in Calcutta. He also said 'Bengal is the victim of reckless violence and overpowering fear of the TMC.' He expressed concern over forcing people to join TMC. Bengal is the victim of reckless violence and overpowering fear of the TMC : Shri @rsprasad - LIVE at https://t.co/jtwD1yPhm4 pic.twitter.com/L8TvFNFKZr BJP (@BJP4India) May 3, 2017 TMC was petrified by the success of BJP Chief Amit Shah's successful campaign in West Bengal, he further added. During his campaign, Shah had lunch with Mahali-speaking tribe in Naxalbari. However, after a week the family, who greeted Shah with lunch went missing on Tuesday night and then resurfaced on Wednesday morning along with TMC leader Gautam Deb. The BJP leaders have accused the TMC leaders of threatening the Mahali family and forcing it to join the party. Amit Shah spent two days reaching out to voters in Bhabanipur and Naxalbari, the birthplace of Left-wing extremism in India. Bhabanipur is Mamata Banerjee's assembly constituency. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 17:31 [IST] India will have its first hypersonic missile in five to six years: BrahMos Aerospace CEO BrahMos set to send shivers down enemy's spine India oi-Vikas By Vikas With successful test firing of block-III version of BrahMos missile, the Indian Army has strengthened its position as the first army in the world to have a regiment of supersonic cruise missile with advanced capabilities. Developed by an Indo-Russian joint venture, the cruise missile met its mission parameters in a copybook manner as confirmed by tracking station. Dubbed as one of the most lethal weapons systems that currently exist in the world, BrahMos is capable of flights at supersonic speeds, making it hard for enemy radar to track. Experts opine that BrahMos Block 3 is superior to Chinese DF-21, which was designed to destroy ships and aircraft carriers. The land attack variant of supersonic cruise missile has further bolstered India's attack capabilities. At the speed of Mach-3, it is practically impossible for modern anti-missile and air defence systems to stop it. Land-attack version of BrahMos Developed by an Indo-Russian joint venture,the missile can be fired on three different targets or in a variety of other combinations near simultaneously. Why BrahMos is feared? Its high precision andpenetration capabilities caneffectively pierce the hull of a free-floating ship. Its Mach 3 velocity clubbed with an extremely high explosive warhead can tear apart aircraft carriers in one strike. Can be fired from land, sea and air Hundreds of BrahMos missiles have already been inducted into the Indian Army and almost all Indian front-line warships now boast of this supersonic cruise missile. BrahMos during full dress rehearsal for Republic Day Parade BrahMos' strike range was recently increased from 290 km to 450 km following the technology upgradation. During Tuesday's test,the missile was fired from a mobile autonomous launcher in full operational configuration. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, May 4, 2017, 0:38 [IST] "The GTDRI Stories" is a series telling the history, untold tales, and showing the sights from the run of Guitar Ted Death Ride... Cabinet ministers in Modi govt hold consultations on Lokpal Bill India oi-PTI Mumbai, May 3: Top ministers in the Modi government, including Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley discussed issues related to operationalisation of proposed anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal on Tuesday. The meeting, which was held at Singh's North Block office, was also attended by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, official sources said. "Some issues related to operationalisation of Lokpal were discussed during the meeting," a source said. The previous UPA government had introduced a bill in Parliament seeking setting up anti-graft body Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants. The Centre is facing difficulty in choosing the chief and members of Lokpal due to absence of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. As per the Act, a selection committee headed by the Prime Minister chooses chairperson and members of the Lokpal. The panel has as its members the Lok Sabha speaker, leader of the opposition in the lower chamber of Parliament, the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the top court nominated by him, and an eminent jurist who could be nominated by the president or any other member. At present, there is no leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. The largest opposition party Congress has only 45 members in the Lok Sabha and lacks the requisite 10 per cent of total 545 seats for its leader to be designated as LoP. The central government has been examining a report of a parliamentary committee suggesting certain changes in the Lokpal Act for over a year now. The department-related parliamentary standing committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice had on December 7, 2015 tabled its report in both houses of parliament. The panel had suggested nominating the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha, in case there is no recognised leader of opposition, as member of the selection panel. On April 27, the top court had said the Act was an eminently workable piece of legislation and it does not create any bar to the enforcement of the provisions. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 11:08 [IST] CBI arrests IT commissioner, five others: Rs 1.5 crore seized India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested six persons including the Mumbai Income Tax Commissioner, B B Rajendra on charges of corruption. During the raid and arrest conducted based on a tip-off, the CBI has seized nearly Rs 1.5 crore in cash. The CBI had been tracking the six persons for nearly a month now. Information was received that that the six persons had shown undue favours to several persons. CBI officials said that the allegation was that these persons including the IT commissioner had shown favours in exchange for money to big corporate houses. Further investigations are on. OneIndia News Chennai IT raids: Summons issued to Vijaya Bhaskar's wife India oi-Anusha The income tax department has summoned Tamil Nadu Health minister Vijaya Bhaskar's wife for questioning. Summons were issued to Ramya on Wednesday asking her to appear in person to answer questions pertaining to the seizure following raids at Vijaya Bhaskar's properties. In simultaneous raids carried out across Tamil Nadu, the income tax department officials had seized documents and cash from the properties belonging to Vijaya Bhaskar and his relatives. Ramya has been summoned to verify the seizure that took place in properties belonging to the relatives of the couple. Raids were conducted at Vijaya Bhaskar's residence and other properties in the first week of April where documents allegedly containing details of money distributed to voters of R K Nagar were found. Following the seizures, the election commission had countermanded the R K Nagar bypolls. Vijaya Bhaskar himself was on the verge of losing his ministerial berth but the political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu has allowed him to hang on to his post for now. Vijaya Bhaskar was also summoned along with actor-turned-politician Sarathkumar and his wife Raadhika Sarathkumar in connections with the raids. The star couple had confessed that they had evaded taxes. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 12:55 [IST] India's intellectuals are anti-India, says Australian sociologist who is all praise for PM Modi PM Modi unveils G20 logo: Significance of the lotus and its seven petals In pictures, grandeur of Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport which PM Modi will inaugurate Congress can never give stable govt to Himachal; it is guarantee of instability, corruption, scam: PM Modi Cleanliness way ahead to make India disease free: Narendra Modi India oi-IANS By Ians English Uttarakhand, May 3: Stressing the importance of preventive healthcare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged people not to litter so as to make India clean. "I am sure the day the 125 crore people take a pledge to make India clean, the day won't be far when the entire country will become clean," he said. The Prime Minister was speaking at the inauguration here of a state-of-art, multi-crore research facility run by Baba Ramdev's Patanjali group. "While pre-independence period witnessed attempts to destroy India's indigenous and traditional arts and forms of healthcare like Ayurveda, a large part of post-independence period was spent in neglecting them." Modi lamented that the indifference led to foreign countries acquiring patents. "The world now is not just content with curing diseases but there is more emphasis on wellness and preventive healthcare. The best way to ensure and promote preventive healthcare is cleanliness," he said. "If we resolve to be clean, if we resolve not to litter or spread dirt and filth, we can save more lives than a doctor does. Cleanliness is the way ahead to make India disease free. "Our ancestors spent their lives making innovations and turning these innovations useful for humanity. "We must never forget that innovative spirit and continue making efforts to develop our traditional techniques and methods," Modi added. The Prime Minister remarked that he felt blessed to have prayed at the Lord Kedarnath temple earlier in the day. He lauded the efforts of Ramdev in popularizing yoga and Ayurveda. "I am fortunate I have seen Baba Ramdev from close quarters. I can say that his real wealth is his commitment to people's health." While not much research was done in other fields, Modi said work done by the new generation in IT had indeed drawn global attention towards India. IANS For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 17:00 [IST] Congress reaches out to other parties to build consensus on presidential polls India oi-Vikas By Vikas The Congress party has begun reaching out to other parties to build consensus on the upcoming presidential polls candidate. Reports say that Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke to Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday while Rahul Gandhi spoke to Akhilesh Yadav over the matter. Rahul and Sonia are also likely to meet BSP supremo Mayawati and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss the matter. Several names have been making rounds for upcoming presidential polls in July. It was also being speculated that President Pranab Mukherjee was willing for a second term on the condition that PM Modi backs his candidature. The BJP has so far not suggested anything on its choice for the topmost post, but its ally Shiv Sena has been making different kinds of statements. Sena last month said that it would support RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's candidature for the presidential polls. Bhagwat, however, said that he was interested to become the next president. Veteran BJP leaders LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi's names were making rounds but the recent Supreme Court verdict to try them for conspiracy charges in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition case has diminished their chances. The BJP and its allies have a vote value of 5.32 lakh in the electoral college. This is short by 17,500 of the half way mark. If the BJP gets the support of the BJD and the AIADMK, then the vote value would go up to 6,28,195. The vote value of 5,49,442 is enough to elect the President in the electoral college. The electoral college comprises 4,896 legislators. This includes the 776 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members and 4,120 MLAs. The nominated members and the MLCs are not eligible to vote. The vote value of each LS and RS member is 708. The vote value of the MLA depends on the population of the state. The vote value of an MLA is equivalent to the population of the state divided by the number of elected legislators divided, yet again, by 1,000. In UP the vote value of an MLA is the highest. It is at 209. The lowest vote value is from Sikkim at 7. Currently the BJP and its allies have a vote value of 5,31,954. The BJP would need17,488 and it would depend on the BJD and AIADMK for the same. The vote value of 134 AIADMK MLAs is 23,584. The vote value of 50 AIADMK MPs is 35,400. The BJD MLAs have a vote value of 17,433 while its 28 MLAs have a vote value of 19,824. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 17:22 [IST] In Tripura, liquor shops and bars to remain closed during Durga Puja, Diwali CPI-M, BJP workers clash in Tripura, 14 injured India ians-IANS By Ians English Agartala, May 3: At least 14 people, including a student leader, were injured when members of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party clashed in two different areas of Tripura, police said on Wednesday. Prohibitory orders were imposed in Kamalpur of northern Tripura's Dhalai district as tension ran high at both places following the violent incidents on Tuesday night, police said. "Situation in Dukli on the outskirts of Agartala city and in Kamalpur is under control now and heavy security deployment, including Tripura State Rifles, has been made at both places to avoid any further untoward incident," a police official said. The injured people, including state Secretary of Student Federation of India (SFI) Nabarun Deb, were undergoing treatment. The SFI is student wing of the ruling CPI-M. According to police, of the 14 injured, eight are CPI-M members and the remaining from the BJP. "Several cases have been registered in connection with the clashes between the loyalists of the two political parties," he added. The SFI members organised demonstrations and rallies across the state to protest alleged attacks by the BJP workers. Leaders of both CPI-M and BJP blamed each other for the prolonged clashes. State CPI-M secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters: "BJP has been trying to create lawlessness in Tripura. Levelling false allegations, they attacked our people and injured them." "To get political mileage ahead of next year's assembly elections, the BJP members, led by their leaders, are fomenting anarchy in peaceful Tripura. Using anti-social elements, BJP has been fuelling political violence," said Dhar, who is also a member of the CPI-M Central Committee. BJP General Secretary Pratima Bhowmik, on the other hand, said that 16 of their members and workers sustained injuries after "CPI-M workers attacked us in both places". "The ruling CPI-M has become frightened to see the growth of BJP in the state. Without dealing with the BJP politically, the Left party launched violent attacks against the opposition party workers and leaders," Bhowmik told reporters. She claimed that the CPI-M was making false allegations against the BJP members. "The CPI-M cadres have badly damaged a big shop of a BJP supporter in Kamalpur." A state BJP delegation, led by party's Vice President Subal Bhowmik, visited Kamalpur and met the injured partymen. IANS Delhi frowns as China confirms it will meddle in Kashmir India oi-Vicky By Vicky New Delhi has reacted strongly to an article by the Chinese media where it confirms that it would meddle in the Kashmir problem. Delhi has said that it would not let China mediate on the issue. We have always maintained that Kashmir is a bi-lateral issue which can be resolved by Delhi and Islamabad, a top official in the government informed OneIndia. China does quote about how it had negotiated between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue. However that is different when compared to Kashmir. Moreover there has not been a solution to the Rohingya issue, the Indian official also said. On Tuesday, the China run Global Times said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or the CPEC will be Beijing's road to Kashmir. The Global Times reported that, " given the massive investment that China has made in countries along the One Belt One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts including the one in Kashmir between India and Pakistan." India had raised concerns over Beijing's investment in the CPEC. This is the for the first time that a media has put in paper, China's long term strategy to play the role of a mediator. India has always maintained that Kashmir is a bi-lateral issue which can be resolved only by Delhi and Islamabad. The state-run publication makes it clear that it has been a successful mediator. China heavily invested in OBOR and it is Beijing's interest to help resolve a crisis. China's recent mediation between Myanmar and Bangladesh over Rohingya issue shows the increased ability of Beijing in resolving conflicts beyond its borders to maintain regional stability, the report also stated. China's decision to "mediate" between Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis was a prelude to Kashmir, the article in the Global Times also said. The article however says that mediating will not be easy. It would be perhaps one of the toughest challenges for China, the article revealed. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 14:39 [IST] Delhi MCD election 2017: 51% of Delhi corporators are crorepatis, 10% face criminal charges India oi-Anusha 26 newly elected corporators of the Delhi municipal corporation have criminal cases against them. A report compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms on the recently concluded Delhi MCD elections 2017 shows that 14 elected corporators have serious criminal charges against them including attempts to murder and crimes against women. The report was compiled on the basis of self-sworn affidavits of 266 out of 270 candidates who won in the Delhi civic polls, ADR said that the affidavits of four candidates were not available. Out of the corporators who face criminal charges, 14 are from the BJP, 3 are from the Congress, 8 from the Aam Aadmi Party and 1 from the Samajwadi party. The percentage, however, is 8 for the BJP since the party saw 180 of its candidates winning. 6 candidates of the BJP face serious criminal cases. 3 from the Congress, 5 from the AAP also face serious criminal charges, as claimed in their affidavits. Delhi has some rich corporators Out of the 266 winners who were analysed 135 corporators are crorepatis, that is about 51 percent. Out of the 180 winners from the BJP, 101 are worth in crores while 15 out of the Congress' 30 are crorepatis. 15 AAP corporators are worth crores along with the lone candidate of INLD and three independent candidates. The average assets of each winner in the Delhi MCD elections 2017 is a staggering Rs 2.94 crores. The average assets per corporation from the BJP is Rs 3.30 crore and Rs 3.59 crore for the Congress. The average asset of AAP candidates who win the elections is Rs 1.36 crore while for the BSP candidates it is Rs 43.19 lakh. Five independent candidates have average assets of Rs 1.34 crores. 19 winners have assets worth more than Rs 10 crore while 36 corporators have assets worth less than Rs 20 lakh. BJP's Rajpal Singh who won from South Delhi has the highest net worth with assets pegged at more than Rs 50 crore. He, however, also has the highest liability with Rs 9 crore. 53 candidates have not declared income tax details. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 13:56 [IST] Eliminating Open Defecation in India: Tracking the Progress under Modi Government India oi-Oneindia By Pranav Gupta and Nitin Mehta A key pillar of the Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat programme is providing each household access to toilet and eliminating open defecation. In his first Independence Day address to the nation, he had shared his resolve of achieving a 'Clean India' by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi. When the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on 2nd October 2014, only around four out of ten rural households (41.9 percent) in the country had access to a toilet within their household. For achieving the objective of universal access to toilets by 2019, the government has had set the ambitious target of constructing close to 10 crore toilets in a span of five years. Why is this objective important? Apart from safeguarding individual dignity, there are numerous reasons why it is important for the government to ensure that each citizen has access to a toilet. First, open defecation could lead to major health problems. For instance, it is one of the most common reasons for the spread of diseases like Diarrhoea. Second, the prevalence of open defecation is an important factor behind high malnourishment in the country.Third, effects on educational outcomes as children, especially girl students, are reluctant to go to schools if proper toilet facilities aren't available. Fourth, tabsence of toilets also leads to security concerns for women. There have been numerous instances across the country when women were raped or teased when they had to go to public spaces, often at night, for toileting. The government is doing much better than UPA Currently, around six out of ten households (61.72 percent) have access to toilets. A 20 percentage point increase in three years is a huge achievement for the country. This has been possible due to a significant increase in the number of toilets constructed annually with government support. At the half way stage, progress on Swachh Bharat Mission is commendable as close to four crore toilets have been built since October 2014. Under the Modi government, there has been a substantial increase in the number of toilets constructed annually. For instance, in 2012-13 and 2013-14, less than 50 lakh toilets were built every year. This increased exponentially after the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched. In 2016-17, more than 2 crore household toilets were constructed across the country. The rate of toilet construction may have increased significantly since the launch of Swachh Bharat but it falls short of what the government needs to achieve if it wants to fulfil its objective of zero open defecation by 2019. Open Defecation Status: Need to address deeper issues Apart from individual household targeting, there is also a focus on making local communities open defecation free (ODF). The government is encouraging Gram Panchayats to ensure there is no open defecation within their area and declare themselves as ODF. This is important because gains like reduction in incidence of Diarrhoea generally occur when the entire local community eliminates open defecation. Currently, around 1,93,374 villages across the country have declared their status as ODF. But, it is disappointing to note that less than half of these 83,556 villages are verified ODF villages. The standard verification process is important as it certifies that the village has been ODF for at least six months after the declaration. We must understand that mere construction of toilets or declaration of villages as ODF is not enough. It is necessary that households/villages continue to use the facilities. Often, toilets become dysfunctional due to bad maintenance, inadequate sewage facilities or poor quality. This forces households to return to open defecation. Thus, mere construction of toilets alone should not be the government's goal. It is important for the government to ensure that toilets remain under use and the problem does not recur. Conclusion Undoubtedly, the Modi government has undertaken a huge task by promising to eliminate open defecation. The task is challenging because apart from meeting the massive infrastructure deficit, the government also needs to induce a behavioural change among the masses. Considering this, it would be safe to say that the Modi government has made reasonable progress under the Swachh Bharat mission. However, sustaining the efforts made by the government and maintaining the public participation would be important in the coming months. The success of this mission hinges on how well people and the government are able to synchronize their efforts. (Pranav Gupta is an independent researcher. Nitin Mehta is managing partner at Ranniti Consulting and Research.) Full time Defence Minister needed: Is Suresh Prabhu the man? India oi-Vicky By Vicky In the wake of the increased aggression by Pakistan, the question being asked is why does the Modi sarkar not have a full time defence minister. It is the most important portfolio today in the backdrop of the enemy turning rogue and killing Indian soldiers in the most brutal fashion. A cabinet reshuffle was on the cards post Parliament session. However at the moment there is no word on it and Arun Jaitley, the Finance Minister of India continues to hold the additional charge of defence. The post of Defence Minister fell vacant after Manohar Parrikar left Delhi to become the Chief Minister of Goa. Sources say that Jaitley is unlikely to be given the full charge of defence. He would continue as the Finance Minister of India. Team Modi is considering shifting Suresh Prabhu from Railways to Defence. He is currently one of the strongest contender to the post. He is said to have performed well as the Railways Minister and with a clean image, he is the most favoured for the all-important defence portfolio. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen on having someone senior and trustworthy as the defence minister. The ministry cannot be handled as an additional charge as it is a crucial portfolio, Modi also feels. If the name of Prabhu does not work out, then a new face from the states is likely to be brought in to take over the mantle. What to expect from the re-shuffle? If Prabhu is given defence, then the mantle of the railways may fall on Manoj Sinha who is currently the minister for state for railways. The BJP is thinking of making Sinha a Cabinet minister and give him the full charge of railways. Sources also say that possibility of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje may be brought to Delhi. The rumour mill is abuzz that she is likely to be made the external affairs minister. Sushma Swaraj who has health issues is unable to travel extensively and hence her replacement is being considered. If Vasundhara is moved to Delhi, then she is likely to be replaced by Om Mathur, the BJP's general secretary. The BJP is also contemplating moving J P Nadda to Himachal Pradesh if the BJP comes to power. Nadda who is the Union minister for health has been a contender for the post of Himachal Pradesh CM. Elections in the state are due in October. After the Parliament session, the BJP would also discuss the possible candidates for President of India. There are several names that are doing the rounds amid growing demands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat to take over the post. The BJP is also contemplating making the 76-year-old minister, Kalraj Mishra as a governor. He is currently the minister for micro, small and medium enterprise. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 10:21 [IST] Geekologie has shut down. Thank you to everybody. Now go be happy. People shiver even at the thought of naming their kids 'Gayatri': Yogi's dig at ex-SP minister Former district judge Rajendra Singh had no role to play in Gayatri Prajapati bail Gayatri Prajapati rape case: Family knocks the door of UP Governor India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Family of rape accused Gayatri Prajapati arrived at Raj Bhawan on Wednesday to meet Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik in connection with Prajapati's rape case. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday had refused to meet the family of jailed rape-accused Gayatri Prajapati at his residence in Lucknow during 'Janata Darshan' programme. Now, Prajapati's daughter and wife have knocked the doors of the Governor. Lucknow:Family of rape accused Gayatri Prajapati arrives at Raj Bhawan to meet UP Governor Ram Naik in connection with Prajapati's rape case pic.twitter.com/95yXLSrBSQ ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 3, 2017 Prajapati's wife said, "We wanted to meet the chief minister, but he did not meet us," outside the 5 Kalidas Marg residence of the chief minister, where he was meeting people during the 'Janata Darshan' programme to listen to public grievances. The former Samajwadi Party minister was granted bail by a special court in a rape and molestation case. But the Allahabad high Court stayed the bail granted by Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court judge OP Mishra. Later, Special Court judge OP Mishra was suspended by the Allahabad High Court bench for granting bail to Gayatri Prajapati. The HC stated that the circumstances under which the bail has been granted as highly objectionable. Further, the High Court has asked Justice Sudhir Agrawal to investigate the matter against OP Mishra. (With inputs from agencies) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 12:37 [IST] WATCH: Monkey steals specs, refuses to give in until it gets Frooti in exchange UP: 4-month-old baby dies after being thrown off three-storey building by monkey Goa: Government to launch awareness campaign to tackle monkey fever India oi-PTI Goa, May 3: With monkey fever claiming two lives in Goa so far this year, both state health and forest departments have come together to spread awareness about the disease. The two departments are jointly running the awareness campaign in Sattari taluka where the two deaths due to monkey fever, also known as Kyasanur Forest Disease, were reported last month. A meeting of forest and health departments was called in Sattari to deliberate on the issues and allay the fear in the minds of the people on KFD prevailing in the state, a senior health department official said. Monkey fever has been prevalent in rural areas of Goa for the last five years. "KFD is not transmitted person to person but by tick bite," the official said. He informed that in 2015, 36 people tested positive, while in 2016, 279 cases were positive. This year till April 25, 76 persons tested positive for the disease, Utkarsh Betkikar, an epidemiologist with Directorate of Health Services, told officials in the meeting. According to the officer, there is a need to create awareness about the preventive vaccination and the vaccination dose schedule should be followed. The KFD vaccination began in the state in 2016, wherein 8,597 people were given the first dose, of whom 3,133 took the second dose, while only 981 persons took the third vaccination. The officials also visited Hivare and Rive village forest areas on Tuesday where monkeys were detected with KFD. Conservator of Forest, Mahesh Kumar Shambhu said that "the role of forest department is extremely crucial in detection of KFD as monkey carcass in forests is the first indicator of suspected KFD virus infection in the area." "Disposal of carcass is done in a very scientific way and this is being done in all wildlife areas of Goa," he said, adding that forest department is keeping an eye on unnatural death of monkeys. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 14:10 [IST] Rajasthan: This woman BJP candidate demolished PM Modis Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in her campaign Rahul attacks PM Modi, says from 'Make in India' to now 'Rape in India' Gujarat diamond baron donates Rs 200 crore for Modis Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Gandhinagar, May 3: It is not every day that we see such generosity in India. A Gujarat-based diamond merchant on Wednesday donated Rs 200 cr for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet campaign-- Beti Bachao,Beti Padhao (Save girl child, educate girl child). "Gujarat: A person from Surat gives bond of Rs 200 cr to 10,000 girls of Patidar community, inspired by PM Modi's 'Beti Bachao,Beti Padhao'," tweeted ANI. The man behind this massive donation for girls' empowerment is Laljibhai Badshah, who is a Surat-based diamond baron. The campaign aims at ensuring girls are born, nurtured and educated without discrimination to become empowered citizens of this country. The Campaign interlinks national, state and district level interventions with community level action in 100 districts, bringing together different stakeholders for accelerated impact, stated ministry of women and child development on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. The overall goal of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme is to celebrate girl child and enable her education. "The objectives of the scheme are--prevent gender biased sex selective elimination, ensure survival and protection of the girl child and ensure education of the girl child," added ministry of women and child development. OneIndia News Naxalism is down, but it is still Indias greatest challenge: Rajnath Singh FIR against Shah mockery of democracy, says HM, accuses Mamata govt of misusing state machinery No documents will be asked or biometric taken for NPR: Home Ministry Wonder why home minister chose not to go to AIIMS but to private hospital: Shashi Tharoor Home Minister chairs high level meeting to review internal security India oi-Madhuri Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday chaired a high level meeting at North Block in New Delhi and met top security officials to review the internal security of the country. During the hour-long meeting, the Home Minister took stock of the prevailing situation in hinterland and border areas. The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Intelligence Bureau Chief Rajiv Jain, RAW Chief, Home Secretary. Earlier, on Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra met Union home minister Rajnath Singh and discussed the issues concerning the state with him. During the 40-minute meeting, Singh and Vohra reviewed the ground situation in the valley and the steps taken to control it. Issues like the situation along the border, where two soldiers were beheaded by the Pakistan Army, also figured in the meeting. OneIndia News 'Kejriwal ji, if my claims true, you'll resign and retire': Sukesh writes a new letter IRCTC update: 151 trains cancelled on Nov 09; here is the complete list India looks forward to closer ties with Israel: Pranab Mukherjee India oi-PTI New Delhi, May 3: India is looking forward to a closer cooperation with Israel in all areas of mutual interest, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday. President Mukherjee greeted the government and the people of Israel on the occasion of their National Day. "As India and Israel celebrate 25 years of our diplomatic relations, we look forward to closer cooperation between our governments and peoples in all areas of our shared interest," he said in a message to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. He said that "the visiting dignitary's historic visit to India in November last year opened new avenues for both the countries for joint efforts in diverse fields, including defence, water resources development, agriculture, dairy farming innovation and scientific research and development." "Please accept, Excellency, my best wishes for your personal well-being and success as also for the progress and prosperity of the people of Israel," President Mukherjee said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 11:35 [IST] Politician, Maulana, teacher and now martyr: How this IM facilitator stayed undetected in Nepal Three dead, several wounded in shooting at Denmark mall J&K: Gunmen loot Rs 5 lakh from bank in Pulwama India oi-Madhuri Some unidentified gunmen looted Rs 5 lakh from Illaquai Dehati bank in Wahibugh area of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The gunmen barged into the branch situated at Wahibug village in Pulwama district and looted around Rs five lakh. A police official confirmed the incident and said they were collecting the details regarding this incident. Soon after the incident, police and forces cordoned off the area and started search operation to nab the gunmen. In a second such incident, another bank was looted in Kashmir's Pulwama district in less than two hours, where the masked mam looted a bank with 1.5 lakh rupees. The incident comes a day after unidentified gunmen robbed Rs 65,000 from another branch of the same bank in Kulgam district. Reacting to the series of attacks on banks, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said, "Ask (militants) what do we achieve from looting of banks and killing of soldiers? I appeal to youth of J&K to help us ensure peace in the state" OneIndia News In pictures, grandeur of Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport which PM Modi will inaugurate Jet Airways set to launch Chennai-Paris, Bengaluru-Amsterdam flights India oi-IANS By Ians English Chennai, May 3: Tapping into the high number of fliers in and out of Chennai and Bengaluru from and to Europe and the US, Jet Airways is set to start direct non-stop flights to Paris from Chennai and to Amsterdam out of Bengaluru, said a senior official here on Wednesday. "Each way, around 1,000 passengers travel between Chennai and Europe or the US per day. Similarly, around 1,500 passengers travel each way between Bengaluru and Europe or the US," Praveen Iyer, Vice President Commercial-India Sales of Jet Airways, told media. According to Iyer, the new flights would commence from October 29. Iyer said that "the introductory all inclusive return fare is Rs 33,999 for economy class and Rs 129,999 for Premier class on first-come-first-served basis." The introductory fare would be available for a month, he added. Jet Airways has also introduced specially designed JetEscapes Holidays at an all-inclusive rate of Rs 71,310 per person. IANS J&K: Militants snatch rifles of cops before escaping India oi-Vicky By Vicky D-Several militants attacked a police post in Jammu and Kashmir and snatched weapons. The militants suspected to be part of the Hizbul Mujahideen barged into the court complex at Shopian in South Kashmir and snatched 5 rifles from the J&K police. Reports state that the police were clearly outnumbered by the terrorists. The terrorists were able to easily snatch the rifles and even escape from the spot. A manhunt has been launched for the terrorists. Such incidents are on the rise in Kashmir. The Hizbul Mujahideen has called upon all its operatives to specifically target the local police as they are siding with the Indian Army. Directions have also been given to snatch weapons from the police. The Hizbul Mujahideen feels that this would demoralise the force completely. Meanwhile 5 J&K policemen have been suspended in connection with the incident. OneIndia News Kashmiris lack Indianness: Is Article 370 the culprit? India oi-Vicky By Vicky The special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir in the form of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is turning out to be a bane. There are several calls being made for the repeal of the same in a bid to bring more Indianness among the people of the state, especially Kashmir. In the midst of these arguments, politicians from the Valley however continue to bat for Article 370 to remain. The feel it is a bridge between state and centre. Imposing of central will is avoided due to the article and this is good according to them. It preserves the identity and culture of the people. It offers a lot of liberty to the people, they also feel. While this is the argument for the article, the cons are plenty. Many argue that the feeling of Indianness is not present among a majority of the people because this article divides them from the rest of the country. Deprived the state of industrial development as article does not allow outside investment. It prevents outsiders from buying land once again hampering development. This has deprived the youth of employment and many have taken to fighting and rise in militancy. What is Article 370? In simple terms it is what accords a special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The article was created on a temporary basis when the ruler of J&K signed the instrument of accession. Article 370 came into existence after independence and the same went ahead despite opposition from Dr B R Ambedkar who felt it would cause a further division. According to this the union government would have control over external affairs, defence and communications. What the union government cannot do in J&K? It cannot declare a financial emergency. The government of India cannot legislate on matters provided in the union and concurrent list. The union government will have to consult with the state government in any matter affecting the state. The residents live under a separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians. It gives a great deal of autonomy to the state government. It makes it almost another union government barring few powers which have been mentioned above. Reason for implementation: After Independence it was felt that Kashmir needed more time to intergrate into India. It was decided that there was a need to exempt Kashmir from the basic provisions of the Indian constitution and hence 370 was introduced. This is only a temporary provision. The intent was to give the state time to become part of India. It was stated that 370 will be repealed the day there is sanity in the valley and the people of the state approved of the same. Under clause of 370 the President of India has the right to repeal it vide a public notification. The assembly of the state needs to give their consent. In a nut-shell: Defense, Foreign Affairs, Finance and Communications, the Indian Government needs the State Government's approval to apply all other laws. The central govt. has no power to impose financial emergency in the state. It can be imposed only on the grounds of internal disturbances and imminent danger from a foreign enemy. Indian nationals belonging to other states cannot buy land or property in the state of J&K. Woman who marries a person belonging to any other state loses her right to ownership. This is however a contentious clause. The flag controversy: The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir makes it mandatory to hoist the state flag alongside the Union flag of India at all times. In 2015, the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party members in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly refused to hoist the state flag in their offices. BJP Ministers did not hoist the State flag either, as they consider that it has no importance. The government then issued a circular making it mandatory for the state flag to be hoisted alongside the national flag. The circular stated that the state flag has the same sanctity and position as the national flag has under the Indian Constitution and other statutory provisions. The circular was however withdrawn a day later. Later that year, the J&K high court ordered the government of the state to hoist the state flag along with national flag on official buildings and vehicles of constitutional authorities. This was challenged by the BJP and the order was stayed. OneIndia News Keeping Rahul away is part of Congress strategy to win Karnataka polls India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Congress high command has decided that it would interfere less in Karnataka and let the local leaders do their job ahead of the assembly elections in 2018. During a meeting on Tuesday in which Congress vice president, Rahul Gandhi was present along with Karnataka in-charge, K C Venugopal, it was decided that Siddaramaiah would be the face of the party for the assembly elections. During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi told the team in charge of the state, the leaders would have a free hand in taking decisions. There would be no interference from the high command in Delhi. The team would even have a free hand in taking a call on alliances for the Karnataka assembly elections 2018. The Karnataka Congress leadership said that an alliance would help in splitting the BJP votes. They cited the example of the by-elections in Nanjangud and Gundlupet where the Janata Dal (S) had not fielded any candidate. Rahul Gandhi said that the team was free to take any decision. He also made it clear that the CM candidate would be Siddaramaiah and there were no two ways about it. OneIndia News 'If I have nominated even one person using authority, I'll resign': Kerala governor on VC row Kerala govt seeks review of SC verdict that ordered reinstatement of IPS officer Senkumar India oi-Anusha The Kerala government has sought a clarification in the Supreme Court following its verdict in which the reinstatement of IPS officer T P Senkumar was made. In the plea the Kerala government has said that Senkumar was the DGP in-charge. In such an event would he need to be replaced with the DGP of Kerala, Loknath Behra, the government sought to know in its plea. The petition has been filed a day after the CPI(M) had arrived at a consensus to reinstate Senkumar. Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had told the Kerala assembly that his government had already started the process of appointing Senkumar as the DGP. However in a surprise move a review of the SC order was sought. The Supreme Court on April 24 had ordered the reinstatement of Senkumar after the Kerala government had removed him from the post. The court held that the order of the government was arbitrary in nature. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 17:35 [IST] UP ATS picks up two more accused in Al-Qaeda radicalisation case How Yogi Adtiyanath convinced the family of constable Prem Sagar to cremate his body India oi-Deepika By Deepika New Delhi, May 3: Prem Sagar, mutilated BSF head constable was cremated on Wednesday at his village in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria. BSF soldiers family had refused to cremate the body until Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visits them. It is said that Yogi Adityanath called them and had a conversation late on Tuesday evening, to which the family members have agreed and performed the last rites. Uttar Pradesh: Last rites ceremony of BSF head constable Prem Sagar in Deoria, who lost his life in ceasefire violation by Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/1PIduri60i ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 3, 2017 While Prem Kumar's daughter insisted 50 heads for his fathers sacrifise, his wife Paramjit Kaur, said that its heartening to see the sight of headless body but she is proud of her husband. According to the sources, the villagers were angry and wanted the government to take revenge otherwise, Pakistan will continue to provoke and soldiers will keep getting martyred. Constable Sagar and Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member team that had gone to the spot on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to check on a snapped communication line. There is a mounting pressure on the government to take proper action agianst Pakistan, even the opposition parties have urged the government to punish Pakistan. However, in a befitting reply to this Union Minister Arun Jaitley has said, "Such acts are unheard of even during war. The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain, the army will respond appropriately." OneIndia News (with inputs from agencies) More than 12,000 farmer suicides per year, Govt tells SC India oi-Prabhpreet By Prabhpreet As concerns over the burden on the countries farmers continue to grow and they take to the streets to air their grievances, the union government has told the top court of the country that over 12,000 suicides by farmers have been reported every year since 2013. The latest visible protest to convey the tough conditions that exist in the farming sector came in the form of farmers from Tamil Nadu protesting in New Delhi. The forms of protest included extreme steps like drinking their own urine etc., following the refusal of those in power to come hear their concerns and demands. And the numbers presented by the government to the Supreme Court show that the conditions are not improving as the number of suicides have kept crossing the 12,000 mark. According to the government, a total of 12,602 persons involved in farming sector- 8,007 farmers-cultivators and 4,595 agricultural labourers- committed suicide during 2015, accounting for 9.4% of total 133,623 suicide victims in the country. Karnataka came in second with 1,569 suicides, while Maharashtra topped the list with 4,291. Telangana (1,400), Madhya Pradesh (1,290), Chhattisgarh (954), Andhra Pradesh (916) and Tamil Nadu (606) make up the list of seven states, which accounted for 87.5 per cent of total suicides in the farming sector throughout the country in 2015. Whereas in 2014, 12,360 of those in the farming sector, out of which 5,650 were farmers and 6,710 agricultural labourers, committed suicide. This accounted for 9.4 per cent of the total 131,666 suicides in the country. And in 2013, there were 11,772 suicides in the sector, which were 8.7 per cent of the 134,799 total suicides in the country, according to the government. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, heard the steps the government is taking to improve the conditions of those in the farming sector and the view by petitioner NGO, Citizen Resources and Action Initiative. At the end, the bench said that, "Today, we find it hard to intervene in the case. All the steps that need to be taken is squarely in the executive's domain, what should be the minimum support price for agricultural produce as well as crop insurance." While the government conveyed that the Niti Aayog had been requested by it to forth a strategy to look into the issue of farmer suicides. The bench said, "You (the Centre) are giving everything to Niti Aayog. How much can it handle?" Additional solicitor general P S Narasimha is reported to have said, "The government is addressing the low income of farmers. Agrarian distress is manifest from a large number of farmers living below the poverty line and unfortunate incidents of suicides can be addressed by enabling farmers to increase their income. With this understanding, the government is aiming to double farmers' income by the year 2022," The bench also gave the government four weeks to respond to the data submitted by the NGO's counsel who had argued that the PM Fasal Bima Yojana had not reached even a fifth of the country's small and marginal farmers, as thousands of crores of rupees was parked with the private insurance companies. He also requested the court to direct the Centre to subsidise agricultural work. OneIndia News India's intellectuals are anti-India, says Australian sociologist who is all praise for PM Modi PM Modi unveils G20 logo: Significance of the lotus and its seven petals In pictures, grandeur of Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport which PM Modi will inaugurate Congress can never give stable govt to Himachal; it is guarantee of instability, corruption, scam: PM Modi Morphed Modi pictures: WhatApp group admin from Bhatkal arrested India oi-Vicky By Vicky A man from Bhatkal in Karnataka was arrested for adding a person to a WhatsApp group who had posted a morphed photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After the group's administrator, Krishna Naik, an autorickshaw driver was arrested, he was also released on bail. Naik, the administrator of the group, "The Balse Boys," was arrested on April 30. However it was Ganesh Naik, another member of the group who had posted the photograph on April 14. A day after the photograph was posted another member of the group, Anand took objection to the same. The police then arrested Ganesh under the provisions of the Information Technology Act. He was later released on bail. After the incident, Krishna added Ganesh back on to the group. The police decided to make him a party to the case. The police said that he had added a known offender to the group and hence it constituted an offence. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 6:14 [IST] How Bollywood star Alia Bhatt is illuminating the dark lives of poor villagers in Karnataka Eknath Shinde visit his village for first time after becoming CM Muslim village in UP to fine cow killers, girls caught talking on phones India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Lucknow, May 3: At a time when politics of cow protection has reached its crescendo in India, a village in Uttar Pradesh--dominated by Muslims--has decided to penalise anyone caught slaughtering cows. Moreover, the village panchayat has also decided to impose fine on girls seen talking on mobile phones while walking on the streets. The Panchayat of Mathura's Madora village in UP on Wednesday decided to impose a fine of Rs 2 lakh against those caught indulging in cow smuggling or cow slaughtering. Anyone found selling liquor would be fined Rs 1.11 lakh in the village. The Panchayat members of Madora have decided to impose Rs 21,000 fine on girls seen talking on mobile phones while walking on the streets. Thus, we can easily say that the village has found a great solution to all its problems by imposing fines on 'offenders'. This is not the first time in India that girls have been banned from using mobile phones. Every now and then, reports suggest that villages across India impose ban on use of mobile phones for girls. However, such diktats are never imposed on boys. Similarly, liquor is not banned in UP. However, there is an imposition of total ban on sell and consumption of liquor in neighbouring Bihar. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 9:44 [IST] Mutilating of soldiers' bodies: Pak army provided cover fire to Lashkar India oi-Vicky By Vicky India has sufficient evidence that it was the Lashkar-e-Tayiba backed by the Pakistan army that carried out the horrific attack on the Indian soldiers in which the bodies of two were mutilated. Pakistan has been denying that it had anything to do with the incident. However when India summoned Pakistan's envoy Abdul Basit on Wednesday, he was told that there is sufficient proof to show that the attack was a coordinated one between the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the Pakistan army. Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh of the Indian Army and Constable Prem Sagar of the BSF were on patrol at Krishna Ghati when they were ambushed by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) of army men and terrorists that sneaked 250 metres into Indian territory. The mutilated bodies of the two soldiers were found on Monday morning. While describing it as a heinous act, Foreign Secretary of India, S Jaishankar told Basit that the blood samples of the soldiers that was collected showed that Pakistan was involved in the incident. The blood samples of the soldiers and the trail of the blood on the Roza Nala shows that the killers had returned across the Line of Control. Further investigations had revealed that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba cadres were provided cover fire by the Pakistan army. There are clear indications that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba was involved in the incident, top sources informed. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 15:19 [IST] No visitors for Sasikala: The once TN CM hopeful is confined to a shell India oi-Vicky By Vicky From Jayalalithaa's most trusted aide to a strong contender for the post of Tamil Nadu chief minister, Sasikala Natarajan today is a deserted soul. Lodged at the Parapana Agrahara jail after being held guilty in the disproportionate assets case, she hardly has any visitor. One person who religiously called on her was T T V Dinakaran, but he too is in jail in connection with the Election Commission bribery case. She has gone into a shell. At first she would meet with several people. There would be scores of people who would visit her from Tamil Nadu. Today with the pre-condition being that she be kept out of the party, if the AIADMK has to merge, the few followers of hers too have stopped visiting her at the Bengaluru central jail. No interaction: Sasikala hardly interacts with anyone. She is confined to her cell most of the time either reading a newspaper or watching a Tamil movie. Her walks through the corridors too have stopped completely. Sources say that there has a lot that has changed since she was lodged in jail. The number of people who visit her have gone down drastically. Her support base within her own party has dwindled considerably. With allegations of corruption being hurled at her family members, life has not been the same for her. She almost came close to being appointed the CM of Tamil Nadu, but the SC played spoilsport for her. Sasikala had recently complained that there are too many mosquitos in her cell. She has been now provided with a mosquito net. The facilities that she has in her room is a fan and a television. She however keeps a tab of the political developments in Tamil Nadu. The news regarding her have dried up. She however makes it a point to stay up to date about her the political situation in the state. Jail officials say that she hardly speaks and does not interact with others much. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 14:34 [IST] After a degree in medicine, AIIMS doctors will now learn taekwondo India oi-Vikas By Vikas In the wake of rising incidents of attack on doctors, the residential doctors of Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences will now undergo a self-defence training in taekwondo, said reports. We'll start training from 15 May, under professionals with black belt in taekwondo: Dr.Vijay Kumar, Pres Resident Doctors' Association AIIMS pic.twitter.com/zK00U2ZQsM ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2017 The junior doctors at AIIMS went on a strike earlier this year over the increasing number of assaults on the doctors. The doctors had then demanded increased security arrangements for them. In April, services in about 10 government hospitals in Delhi were hit as the doctors joined their counterparts in West Delhi's Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital, who are on a strike following alleged assaults on them. On March 23, the Bombay high court directed the government to provide security for the government-run hospitals' doctors to go to work without fear. Around 4,000 doctors held the strike for more than a week after a doctor was thrashed by the relatives of a patient in early March. Even in 2014, the AIIMS doctors had gone on a strike demanding adequate security following an attack by a patient's relatives on three senior resident doctors. The doctors had then gone on an indefinite strike after alleging that the kin of a patient admitted in Surgical Emergency brandished guns and beat up the three doctors who were on duty. Oneindia News After two year of COVID-19 delay, China plans to issue visas for stranded Indian students Now, IT dept going into 'new areas' to check tax evasion Kartavya Path: Not just Indians, it struck a chord with French too Over 20,000 Indians to return home from Saudi under 90-day amnesty period India oi-Madhuri The Saudi Arabia government on Monday had set up an exclusive centre in Riyadh for Indian nationals who want to exit the country under a 90 day amnesty period that the kingdom's government has offered them. According to Anil Nautiyal, counsellor at the Indian embassy said that around 20,321 Indian nationals had applied till Monday evening to return home under the amnesty scheme. He also said that Saudi officials are giving exit visas free of charge to applicants. While they are facilitating the exit process, the applicants have to pay the flight cost. Among them, 1500 are blue collar workers from Tamil Nadu and other workers who are availing the scheme are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. However, the numbers are fewer than during the 2103 amnesty period. Also, the Indian embassy appealed all the Indian nationals staying in Saudi to use the amnesty scheme and come back to India. In 2013, a similar campaign took place to legalize the status of undocumented workers in the Kingdom. Back then, a three-month amnesty was announced in April 2013 before late King Abdullah extended the grace period to November 2013. OneIndia News India's intellectuals are anti-India, says Australian sociologist who is all praise for PM Modi PM Modi unveils G20 logo: Significance of the lotus and its seven petals In pictures, grandeur of Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport which PM Modi will inaugurate Congress can never give stable govt to Himachal; it is guarantee of instability, corruption, scam: PM Modi PM pitches for freedom of press: With rising attacks, how free are Indian journos? India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, May 3: On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the need for a free and a vibrant press. "World Press Freedom Day is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards a free & vibrant press, which is vital in a democracy," PM Modi tweeted. "In today's day & age, social media has emerged as an active medium of engagement & has added more vigour to press freedom," he added. World Press Freedom Day is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards a free & vibrant press, which is vital in a democracy. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 3, 2017 In today's day & age, social media has emerged as an active medium of engagement & has added more vigour to press freedom. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 3, 2017 Every year, the World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3 to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom. However, all is not well with the Indian press, as the country is witnessing a large number of attacks on journalists, especially those who dare to highlight wrongdoings of powerful and mighty. As many as 54 attacks on journalists were reported in 16 months, mainly by "lawmakers and law enforcers", a report compiled by media watchdog Hoot said on Tuesday--a day ahead of the World Press Freedom Day. The report said the actual figure could be much higher as a minister told Parliament that "142 attacks on journalists took place between 2014-15". "The stories behind each of these attacks reveal a clear and persistent pattern. Investigative reporting is becoming increasingly dangerous. "Journalists who venture out into the field to investigate any story, be it sand mining, stone quarrying, illegal construction, police brutality, medical negligence, eviction drive, election campaigns, or civic administration corruption are under attack," it said. The attacks were committed by political parties and their leaders (8), police (9), and mobs resisting media coverage (9). Apart from attacks, the report took into account invocation of sedition law, suspension of Internet services in a region, self-censorship on part of media companies, censoring of films and other arts, among other instances which may frustrate free functioning of the media. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 8:52 [IST] Cabinet approves signing of MoU with Nepal on biodiversity conservation Cabinet okays amendment to railway land policy, 300 cargo terminals to be developed in 5 years Cabinet approves signing of guarantees for hosting U-17 FIFA Womens World Cup in India Relief for government servants as Centre approves modifications in pay commission India oi-Vikas By Vikas The Union Cabinet on Wednesday made several key decisions including the approval of modifications in the 7th Central Pay Commission. "Cabinet approves modifications in the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations on pay and pensionary benefits," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the media. The basic pay of the central government employees was hiked from January 1, 2016 as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, but for last 10 months, the central government employees have been waiting for the higher allowances. The report on hiked allowances under the 7th Pay Commission was submitted last week by Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa. Briefing the media about key decisions taken during the meeting, Jaitley said that the cabinet has approved Vijayawada Airport to be made an International Airport. He said the cabinet has also approved the National Steel Policy and disability pension for defence pensioners. The development assumes significance as the steel sector is reeling under weak demand and rising raw material prices. The steel industry in India faces challenging external conditions in the shape of slow economic growth and idle capacity globally. The Finance Minister said Central Government and ITDC will exit from Ashoka Hotels in Bharatpur,Guwahati and Bhopal. "Total equity will be of State Governments," Jaitley said. Oneindia News Sasikala Natarajan moves SC, seeks review of DA case verdict India oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi Convicted in a disproportionate assets case, Sasikala Natarajan has moved the Supreme Court seeking a review. Two and a half months after the Supreme Court convicted her, Sasikala has sought a review of the verdict. The Supreme Court had convicted Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran in a disproportionate assets case on February 14, 2017. Two days later, Sasikala was lodged in the Bengaluru central prison. In her petition Sasikala has asked for review of the verdict after the death of accused number one, J Jayalalithaa. The Supreme Court had abated the verdict against Jayalalithaa following her death. Taking a cue, Sasikala along with Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran, have filed petitions in the supreme court to reconsider the judgment. The apex court has upheld the special court's verdict and sentenced Sasikala Natarajan to four years in jail in the disproportionate assets case. The petition comes at a time when Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran is under judicial custody for allegedly attempting to bribe the Election Commission officials. He also faces charge of money laundering for which the enforcement directorate has registered a case. OneIndia News ISI chooses UK for week-long event to mark Geelani's death anniversary, but no one's surprised NIA raids at 50 locations expose the dirty nexus between ISI, Khalistanis and gangsters Suspected ISI agent arrested by ATS in UP India ians-IANS By Ians English Lucknow, May 3: A suspected agent of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was arrested on Wednesday in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh by the Anti-Terrorism Squad in coordination with Military Intelligence, police said. Electronic surveillance revealed that suspect Aaftaab Ali was passing on information about Indian Army's activities to his link in Pakistani Embassy in New Delhi, police added. "Based on electronic surveillance of his cell phone, we developed more information about his activities and arrested him on Wednesday," an official told IANS. Ali is being interrogated to know about others involved in the spy ring and to ascertain the identity of the Embassy staffer to whom he was supplying information. A probe has also been initiated into the money regularly deposited in Ali's bank account. Director General of Police Sulkhan Singh lauded the ATS efforts and announced a reward for the personnel associated with the case. IANS This Gandhi family loyalist alleges BJP camp is poaching Congressmen India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, May 3: In recent times, we have seen several senior Congress leaders--SM Krishna being the most-prominent one--joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. While the miffed leaders are joining the saffron party as the grand old party is left with nothing, the Congress alleged that the BJP was enticing Congressmen to its fold. In an interview to News18, veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath, known to be a Gandhi family loyalist, while clarifying that he was not joining the BJP (as rumours had earlier suggested) accused the BJP of poaching Congressmen. "Well, this was initiated by the BJP. They were trying to use my name to entice others. There was no such talk, there was no such thought. It is absurd to suggest that such a thing would even cross my mind... when I tried to get to the bottom of it, I came to know that the rumour was started from the BJP camp, which was trying to use my name to go to the people saying "Oh! Even Kamal Nath is going to join us, so why don't you?" It was just politics, plain politics of enticement of Congressmen from the Congress," Nath said. Nath also stressed on the fact that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was working hard for the party, in spite of repeated defeats of the Congress in elections. Nath added that Rahul should soon takeover as the party president to help the Congress regain its lost glory. "Of course, he should take over. I have said this many times. I said it two years ago that he should be in the position... he is de-facto leader of the party... now we should not let any confusion or any kind of misunderstanding remain. It is very clear that Rahul Gandhi is leading the party. And that he should take on the role as the president of the party." OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 8:18 [IST] To bring Mallya back, CBI team has to convince court, " it is not political" India oi-Vicky By Vicky A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate will convey that the Vijay Mallya case is not a politically motivated one. This is an important argument that needs to be put-forth since Mallya would raise that as a defence when arguments commence later this month. The CBI and the ED are not parties to the extradition arguments in the court. The team would however provide the required material to the Crown Prosecution Service. The point that the agencies would want the CPS to drive hard is that this is not a politically motivated case. It is a case of financial fraud and hence the extradition becomes absolutely necessary, the CPS would argue. Mallya on the other hand would argue on May 17 that he is a victim of political agenda. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service which will argue on behalf of the Indian authorities will not only have to justify the charges against him, but also demonstrate that the case is not politically motivated. Mallya's lawyers on the other hand would demonstrate that this entire episode is politically motivated. Mallya's legal team would also tell the court that the extradition is politically motivated and if the same is granted then it would amount to human rights violation. His legal team would also state that he would not get justice if he has to stand trial in India. They would say that they do not trust the judicial system in India because the case on hand itself is politically motivated and agenda driven. India on the other hand would have to put up a strong case. Apart from the legal arguments, India will also have to make use of all diplomatic channels to ensure that the case goes in their favour. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 9:10 [IST] In India terror down by 34%, civilian deaths by 90% since Art 370 scrapped: Shah Only those from political families can eye a CMs post in Congress: Amit Shah Tribal couple who hosted Amit Shah join Trinamool India oi-IANS By Ians English West Bengal, May 3: Days after hosting BJP President Amit Shah for lunch, a tribal couple Raju and Geeta Mahali joined West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Wednesday. Trinamool's Darjeeling district President and state Tourism Minister Gautam Deb said that they joined the party of their own will, but BJP state President Dilip Ghosh alleged that the couple was forced. Reading out a written note from the Mahali couple, Deb said: "On being convinced about the developmental work undertaken by the state government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, we have joined Trinamool Congress of our own choice and will." Refuting Deb's claim, Ghosh said: "The tribal couple was threatened. The local Trinamool leaders pressurised them to invite the ruling party's leaders at their house. "They were missing for the last few days. We had lodged a missing complaint. The couple did not join Trinamool willingly but were forced." During the first leg of his 'Vistar Yatra' to expand the Bharatiya Janata Party's base, Shah had lunch at the house of tribal daily wager Raju Mahali. He makes a living by painting apartments and buildings. Shah had sat on the floor at the spartan house in Dakkhin Katiajote village in West Bengal's Naxalbari block and was served vegetarian fare on a banana leaf by Mahali's wife. IANS 'Kejriwal ji, if my claims true, you'll resign and retire': Sukesh writes a new letter IRCTC update: 151 trains cancelled on Nov 09; here is the complete list Two granted bail in connection with ransacking of Manoj Tiwari's house India ians-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, May 3: Two brothers -- arrested on the charge of barging into BJP Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari's house along with their accomplices and attacking his employees -- were on Wednesday granted bail along with two other accused. Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh granted bail to brothers Jai Kumar and Jaswant Singh, as well as Jagdish Chander and Sunil Kumar, and asked them to furnish personal bonds of Rs 25,000 each and surety of like amount. The court also sent three accused -- Pardeep Kumar, Om Prakash and Parsu Ram -- in judicial custody till May 17. According to police, the attack followed an incident of road rage involving Tiwari's staff member. Tiwari had made public closed-circuit television footage showing two brothers first arguing and then beating up his cook Ashok Pathak and Personal Assistant Abhinav Mishra. "Brothers Jai Kumar and Jaswant Singh were travelling in a Wagon R car which bumped into a Scorpio car driven by one of Tiwari's drivers and another staff outside his house in North Avenue area late on Sunday night," a senior police officer said. Police said the two brothers were then joined by five friends and they barged into Tiwari's residence carrying rods and thrashed his staff. The entire act was captured on CCTV. IANS What 'Kadi Ninda?' People want Pakistan bombed out of recognition India oi-Vicky By Vicky The anger and tension on the streets is palpable. The dastardly act by the Pakistan Army and its terrorists in which the bodies of two brave Indian soldiers were mutilated has increased the anger on the streets. Kadi Ninda or condemned a word often used by the politicians is not just being rejected but mocked heavily as well. The people want nothing short of 50 Pakistan heads to avenge the brutal killing of the two soldiers. The kin of Prem Sagar Prasad demanded that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath be present for the funeral. The family also sought a fitting reply be given to Pakistan. On the social media and WhatsApp groups people drew a comparison between the reaction by the US against the ISIS and India's response to Pakistan. An image of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh with the words "Kadi Ninda" was also circulated on the social media. Begin with Kashmir first: Clearly the strategy in Kashmir is failing. The situation has only worsened and the violence on the streets had kept security forces busy with civilians rather than guarding the border with Pakistan. There are two ways out for the government in Kashmir. Either destroy the separatists or talk to them. Currently both are not being done. The centre too has to do more in instructing Mehbooba Mufti to get the situation under control. She is perceived to be close to separatist S A S Geelani and ought to have opened talks with him, security experts say. Instead there was a delayed response to the crisis and today, sources say Geelani is not available for talks. The Indian Army on the other hand has been kept busy with problems on the streets of Kashmir. This has affected border operations to a large extent. Infiltrations have gone up considerably and this is proving to be costly for India. Following the September surgical strikes, there was a major lull in operations by Pakistan. India should have seized that opportunity in getting the entire Kashmir situation under control. Instead, India let that slip and Pakistan planned and executed the second part of the unrest. Security analysts say that it is never good when there is internal trouble especially so close to the border. Such trouble automatically gives the enemy an advantage to carry out its operations. Experts say that Pakistan needs to be hit constantly. One surgical strike is not good enough. It needs to be a continued operation. If one looks at the immediate scenario post the surgical strikes, the launch pads across the Line of Control were cleared off by Pakistan. However in the recent terror strikes it was found that the terrorists were launched from the same pads. This is only an indication that India let the advantage it had slip by. The Indian government needs to take the anger on the streets into account and very seriously too. Statements such as 'kadi ninda' won't do. As the people would say, " bomb Pakistan out of recognition." While this may be tough considering international norms, repeated surgical strikes on terror launch pads would be a good way to begin. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 7:34 [IST] Imran Khan discharged from hospital, to resume long march from same point where he was shot This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how Will hit Pakistan hard at a time of our choosing says Indian Army India oi-Vicky By Vicky The response to Pakistan which mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers will be harsh. The reaction to this ghastly incident would be at a time and place of India's choosing. Pakistan will have to face the consequences of mutilating bodies of two Indian soldiers and the Army will respond to the dastardly act at a time and place of its choosing, Vice-Chief of Army Staff Sarath Chand said on Tuesday. "I do not want to say what we will do. Instead of speaking, we will focus on our action at a time and place of our choosing," he told reporters. "They have said it was not done by their forces. Then who did it? Their people came to our area and did it. They will have to take responsibility and face the consequences for it," Gen. Chand said. Earlier in the day, the Indian Army told the Pakistani military that mutilating bodies of the two soldiers was a "dastardly and inhuman act" which called for a response and unequivocal condemnation. India's Director General of Military Operations Lt.Gen. A.K. Bhatt spoke to his Pakistan counterpart and expressed "grave concern" about the killing and beheading of the soldiers. The Pakistan Army asked India to produce "actionable evidence" on its claim that a Pakistani special forces team sneaked across the LoC, beheaded two Indian security personnel and mutilated their bodies. "Any misadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing," the Pakistan DGMO warned. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 6:37 [IST] UP: SP leader's car hit by truck, dragged for more than 500 meters in Mainpuri | VIDEO Mulayam Singh Yadav passes away; Prez Murmu, PM Modi join leaders in mourning the death of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav: A quick look at his controversies that made headlines SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav to be cremated at native village on Tuesday Will SPs membership drive uplift Akhileshs fortune? India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Lucknow, May 3: The fortunes of the Samajwadi Party is experiencing a newest low after it faced a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the results of which were announced in March. Ahead of the urban civic polls in UP, the party has started its membership drive to bring more people under its fold. The SP has started a campaign--Join Samajwadi Party--recently. Those interested can give a missed call on 7859999999 or log into www.samajwadiparty.in, as per advertisements featured on several news websites. Recently, the Congress has decided to fight the urban civic polls in UP alone. "We have decided that the Congress will contest the forthcoming urban civic polls alone in Uttar Pradesh, without allying with any party, including the Samajwadi Party," said UP Congress chief Raj Babbar. The SP and the Congress joined hands to give a tough fight to the BJP during the UP Assembly polls. However, the alliance managed to win just 54 seats in 403-member UP Assembly. The BJP and its alliance partners won 325 seats, thus giving absolute majority to the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government. On Tuesday, SP president and former CM Akhilesh Yadav addressed his party workers in the SP office, Lucknow. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 12:48 [IST] From hijab to Kashmir, Zawahiri was Al-Qaeda's voice for everything anti-India For the dark rule in Afghanistan, blame is on the US 8 killed, 25 wounded in Kabul suicide attack International oi-Madhuri At least eight civilians were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul city on Wednesday that targeted a convoy of foreign troops, the Interior Ministry said. At least 25 persons injured in the attack at Abdul Haq square in Macroyan were rushed to Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, Tolo News quoted the ministry as saying. The suicide bomber targeted a three-vehicle NATO convoy of foreign forces patrolling near US embassy. According to eyewitnesses, security personnel belonging to the coalition forces were targeted in the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident comes days after the Taliban announced its spring offensive and vowed to carry out more attacks on government and security personnel and institutions. On April 12, at least five people were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul city. A security source said the attack took place in front of the presidential palace's administrative affairs office, which is close to the PD2 headquarters and the defense ministry. Eyewitnesses said two presidential palace guards are among those killed. President Ashraf Ghani said in the statement the enemies of Afghanistan are targeting people along highways, in cities, in mosques and schools because they are against development and stability. OneIndia News FBI translator falls in love and marries the IS fighter she spied on International oi-Madhuri A Federal Bureau of Investigation translator who was hired to spy on a German member of the Islamic State group travelled to Syria and married him. Before leaving for Syria, the FBI translator lied to the agency about where she was going and also warned her new husband that he was under investigation. According to court documents, FBI translator Daniela Greene married Denis Cuspert also known as Abu Talha al-Almani, a German rapper-turned-IS terrorist who went by the name of Deso Dogg. Cuspert was officially designated a terrorist in early 2015 by the US State Department, which described him as an IS recruiter focusing on German speakers. Daniela Greene was born in Czechoslovakia and raised in Germany and later in US, fell in love with Denis Cuspert and decided to marry him. She was in constant touch with Cuspert on Skype and they planned for her travel to Istanbul, where the duo decided to meet and marry on June 27, 2014 before crossing the border into Syria. Within weeks of marrying, the FBI translator realised that she had made a terrible mistake and fled back to US, where she was immediately arrested on August 8, 2014 and agreed to cooperate with authorities. However, the Court documents did not explain how she escaped from ISIS territory. Daniela Greene was pleaded guilty and received a relatively of 24 month prison sentence, and was released in 2016. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 9:55 [IST] Was mutiliation of soldiers' bodies a Pak army retaliation to Jindal-Sharif talks? International oi-Vicky By Vicky When India and Pakistan speak business, it is normally followed by a dastardly attack which derails peace. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Pakistan as part of a surprise visit, a week later the Pakistan Army and ISI carried out the Pathankot attack through its proxy, the Jaish-e-Mohammad. Now if one looks at the incident in which the bodies of two Indian soldiers were mutilated, it appears as though the incident took place less than a week since the meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister and Indian businessman Sajjan Jindal. The meeting which was unannounced took place at the hill resort town of Muree. The Pakistan media has been reporting extensively about a rift between the civilian government and the military for long. The military in Pakistan has never been happy about the soft line that Sharif usually tows towards India. Talk money with Sharif: The advise in India is that when it comes to Sharif, the best way to deal with him is speak business. A businessman himself, Sharif always welcomes any move to improve bi-lateral trades. However the military sees this as a soft approach. Just when Sharif takes baby steps to cozy up to India on the trade front, the military comes into the picture to derail the same. The Pathankot attack was a classic example of the same. Today the same could be said as the Pakistan army successfully another attempt at trade talks following the Sharif-Jindal meeting. Observers believe that the sudden escalation may have been a result of the meeting between Sharif and Jindal. After the Pathankot attack and the surgical strikes coupled with the Kashmir problem, the communication lines have remained shut between India and Pakistan. The meeting with Jindal was seen as an opening of that line and the Pakistan army was clearly unhappy about it. Such incidents are however not new. Sharif was in the cross-chairs of the army's ire even when the Lahore Declaration was signed. The Lahore Declaration which was signed during the visit by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was followed by the 1999 Kargil war. Jindal's visit had a meaning to it: The visit by Jindal had a larger meaning. Both sides realise the importance of talking with each other. It was in fact a back-channel contact to better ties between the two countries which has fallen to an all-time low. Both sides decided to show maturity and engage in talks. The only way to speak with Sharif was to talk business and Jindal was that mascot. Both sides had decided that unless they speak with each other the problem would be a never-ending one. However the Pakistan army at the end of it did what it always did. Be it the Pathankot attack, Kargil war or the mutilation of the soldiers' bodies, the Pakistan army has successfully managed to derail a small attempt made by the two civilian governments to speak sense and better the situation. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 10:55 [IST] 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. SeattlePI.com 26 Aug 2022 NEW YORK (AP) In 2016, responding to the fatal police shootings of two Black men just a day apart, Serena Williams joined a.. Rumble 11 Sep 2022 As President Donald J. Trump declassified all documents. While James Comey is bloviating about NO CHARGES FOR HILLARY CLINTON. He.. Estonia Ennui: The Affiliate Grand Slam Kicks Off Maximum Bang for 2017 Published May 3, 2017 by Lee R The enervation in Estonia was just the first of several affiliate conference gems in 2017. SiGMA is implementing a new plan in 2017 for maximising benefits for affiliates and the industries they support, with the first leg completed to rousing success. The Grand Slam Model The idea of limiting a conference to five affiliate managers became SiGMAs ideal method for opening the industry floodgates to affiliates. The result is the first Affiliate Grand Slam, the inaugural event for affiliates to apply for an all-inclusive VIP treat, complete with flights and a two-night stay at the five-star Hilton while being hosted on a whole range of excursions, lunches, dinners, and parties. The New Approach The SiGMA special twist was a cap of five operators allowed to host the Grand Slam, and no more than five non-operators sponsoring. The Tallinn Affair: Arrival The event kicked off last Thursday April 27th, hosting 250 international affiliates in Tallinn, with the SiGMA crew welcoming each affiliate personally at the brand new, five star Hilton Park upon arrival. Evening Session That same evening, each operator was already in private sessions with groups of 50 affiliates at a lavish hotel dinner provided by Betting Gods, Olybet, PlayOJO, Quasar and Videoslots. Nightlife Program The night escalated from there, as guests next headed down to the Hiltons Olympic Casino to enjoy welcome champagne, dark chocolate, cigars and a rollicking networking event: a free-roll poker tournament! Day 2s Fast Start The next morning saw breakfast brimming with activity and enthusiasm as mini-presentations from each operator were followed by a series of quality workshops. Unique Networking Ambience Next up was a fantastic respite for a few hours at the Hilton spa, followed by a walk down the charming cobblestone streets of Old Town to go back in time to a feast at Olde Hansa, where guest enjoyed a traditional cuisine local cuisine while networking amongst themselves happily. Closing VIP Party The closing night festivities at the Olympic Casino consisted of a closed door VIP affair for 250 affiliates. Grand Slam Overview This rousing success in Tallinn was just the first event of the Affiliate Grand Slam this year, so stay tuned for more details about the next one. publity's final figures show significant increase in profits for 2016 and positive outlook for 2017 www.publity.de - Net profit for the year rises from EUR 12.5 million to EUR 23.1 million in 2016; earnings per share at EUR 3.89- Equity ratio of 63 percent after 46 percent the previous year- Further increase in sales and profits expected for 2017- Guidance for assets under management (AuM) as at end of December 2017 raised to EUR 5.2 billion; AuM of EUR 7 billion expected by the end of 2018- Dividend target of EUR 2.80 per share confirmed for the 2016 financial yearLeipzig, 28 April 2017 - According to final audited figures, publity AG (Scale, ISIN DE0006972508) increased net profit to EUR 23.1 million in 2016, up from EUR 12.5 million the previous year. This enabled the company to generate earnings per share (EPS) of EUR 3.89 during the reporting period. In accordance with HGB (German Commercial Code) accounting rules, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose to EUR 35.5 million during the 2016 financial year, up from EUR 20.3 million a year earlier. Sales increased to EUR 41.5 million from EUR 23.0 million in 2015. The equity ratio rises to 63 percent, up from 46 percent at the end of December 2015. The dividend target of EUR 2.80 per share was also confirmed for the 2016 financial year.The sales and profit contribution from one of the notarised property sales have now been consolidated in 2017. This property was previously included in the preliminary 2016 figures published in January 2017. The final 2016 figures confirm the preliminary figures by taking this effect into consideration. As a result of further property sale notarisations already carried out in 2017, publity has already secured significant revenue and profit for the current financial year. Furthermore, the successful co-investment business with international investors is expected to contribute substantially to the ongoing positive business performance. In recent weeks, publity also secured further asset management mandates in addition to existing partnerships with institutional investors, including one in the low billion-euro range with a South American investor. This means that, in addition to profit contributions from property acquisitions, recurring income from the expected increase in assets under management (AuM) will also increase significantly once again. Additional property sales and income from the winding up of an NPL portfolio which has now grown to around EUR 3.2 billion are also expected to have a positive impact in 2017.Due to the dynamic performance of the business during the first few months of 2017 and extremely positive prospects, publity expects sales and profits to rise further during the current 2017 financial year. publity is also raising its guidance for assets under management (AuM). After the company succeeded in almost doubling AuM to EUR 3 billion during 2016, this figure is expected to rise to EUR 5.2 billion by the end of 2017, up from the previous guidance of EUR 5 billion. AuM is expected to increase to EUR 7 billion by the end of 2018.The audited annual financial statements for financial year 2016 will be made available for download until 5th May 2017 on the company's website atAbout publitypublity AG is an asset manager specialising in office properties in Germany. The company covers a broad value chain, from purchases through to the development and sale of the properties, and also has a track record of several hundred successful transactions. publity is characterised by its strong network in the real estate sector as well as banks' Work Out departments, and has excellent access to funding. The company executes its transactions quickly using a highly efficient process with tried and trusted partners. In some cases, publity acts as a co-investor in joint venture transactions to a limited extent. publity AG's shares (ISIN DE0006972508) are traded on Deutsche Borse's Scale segment.Press contact:Financial press and Investor Relations:edicto GmbHAxel Muhlhaus, Peggy KropmannsEschersheimer Landstrae 42, 60322 FrankfurtPhone: +49 69 905505-52Email: publity@edicto.de Middle East Africa Surgical Sutures Market Trends, Shares, Segmentation, Analysis, Competition, Applications & Challenges Forecast 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2694 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/mea-surgical-sutures-market-2694 Market Highlights:Surgical sutures are used for enclosing body incisions to prevent infections thus healing the wound quickly; these are referred as stiches in lay man terms. The market of Middle East and Africa surgical sutures has been growing at a moderate rate due to factors such as rising incidences of accidents which leads to greater use of sutures, growing popularity of cosmetic surgeries and development of advanced sutures such as film coated sutures. The markets constraints includes increasing preference for minimally invasive surgical procedures and the presence of alternative wound care products; these are key factors which are expected to restrain the growth of this market.The current market highlights include the dominance of absorbable sutures over the non-absorbable. The absorbable segment accounts for the largest market share and is also a fast growing segment as compared to non- absorbable. The demand of synthetic sutures is growing faster as compared to natural sutures. The development of absorbable sutures based on synthetic materials such as polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polydioxanone, polyester etc. Middle East and Africa Surgical Sutures Market is driving the growth of the artificial segment. Future growth will be led by product development such as film coated sutures. Another attractive product development strategy includes development of single filament sutures as these have lower rates of infection.Test the market data and market information presented through more than 60 market data tables and figures spread over 80 pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Middle East and Africa Surgical Sutures Market - Forecast to 2022.Major Key Players: Ethicon Inc B. Braun Melsungen AG Dolphin Sutures Synthecon DemeTECH Corporation Medtronic plc Internacional Farmaceutica Sutures India Pvt. LtdRequest a Sample Report @Middle East and Africa Surgical Sutures Market:The Middle East and Africa surgical sutures market has been evaluated as a growing market and it is expected that the market will grow at a moderate CAGR of 5 % in future. The growth will be primarily channeled by unmet medical needs, rising incomes of population along with growth for the need of surgeries in Africa. However, the growth of this market is hindered by some of the factors like presence of low quality surgical sutures due to poor regulatory framework in Africa.The key players of this market are Ethicon Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Dolphin Sutures, Synthecon, DemeTECH Corporation, and Medtronic plc. Internacional Farmaceutica, Sutures India Pvt. Ltd., and others.Regional Analysis:Depending on geographic region, surgical sutures market is further segmented into following countries such as UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. UAE being one of the largest market in ME&A is followed by Egypt country of the same region. However, the future market will be led by poorly developed parts of Africa due to large unmet needs and the growth of surgeries over there.Browse Full Report Details @Segmentation:Middle East and Africa surgical sutures market has been segmented on the basis of product type which comprises absorbable and non-absorbable types. On the basis of raw materials used; the market is segmented into natural and synthetic. On the basis of construction; market is segmented into monofilament and multi-filament.Intended Audience: Surgical sutures manufacturers Surgical sutures suppliers Market research and consulting service providers Contract manufacturing organizationsAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Global Nurse Call System Market is Expected to Reach USD 1.8 billion by 2022 - Market Research Hub Market Research HUB http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-nurse-call-system-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-nurse-call-system-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022-report.html www.linkedin.com/company/market-research-hub www.facebook.com/MarketResearchHub/ A latest research report titled as Global Nurse Call System Market is Expected to Reach USD 1.8 billion by 2022 - Market Research Hub has been recently added to the vast portfolio of Market Research Hub (MRH) online research offerings. This report is a professional and in-depth analysis on the present state and future prospect for the global market. It provides valuable information to the industry insiders, potential entrants or investors. It includes an exhaustive enquiry with the reliability of logic and the comprehensiveness of contents.Request Free Sample Report:The global nurse call system market is expected to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2022, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The decreasing reimbursement coverage, government penalties for hospital readmissions and the increasing support for digital healthcare are expected to drive the demand for nurse call system market.Additionally, technological advancements pertaining to introduce the next level of communication enabling the wide range of applications configuration to the hospitals, home care, and residential facilities are also expected to upsurge the demand for the nurse call system market. In April 2015, Mircom launched MiCare wireless nurse call system. The system was designed to enable its integration with the cloud technology. It had a unique mesh technology, which could be customized depending on the needs of the facilities.With the increasing life expectancy and changing healthcare requirements, the burden on national insurance bodies is constantly increasing. Owing to aforementioned factors, Medicare penalizes healthcare facilities which has hospital readmissions within 30days. The government is providing funds for research, which can help caregivers to streamline the entire process with the aid of technology. For instance, in April 2015, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) granted USD 160,000 pertaining to the appropriate and effective use of such technologies.Grand View Research has segmented the global nurse call system market on the basis of technology, end-use,and regions:Nurse Call System Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) Wired Communication Equipment Wireless Communication EquipmentNurse Call System End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) Hospitals and Clinics Outpatient Departments (OPDs) Assisted Living Facilities Ambulatory Care Services Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)Nurse Call System Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022) North Americao U.S.o Canada Europeo UKo Germanyo Franceo Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Indiao Japano Chinao Rest of Asia PacificBrowse Full Report With TOC:In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comFollow us on:Twitter: twitter.com/MktResearchHubLinkedIn:Facebook: Network Access Control Market Analysis- Size, Share, Growth, Industry Demand, Forecast, Application Analysis To 2017 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/request-sample/8616 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/send-an-enquiry/8616 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/check-discount/8616 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/report/global-network-access-control-industry-2016-market-research-report The Global Network Access Control Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Network Access Control industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions and classifications. The Network Access Control market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Download Free Sample Report @Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.The report focuses on global major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product specification, price, cost, revenue and contact information.With 135 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.Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert:Get Discount on this Report @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Basic Information of Network Access Control1.1.1 Definition of Network Access Control1.1.2 Classifications of Network Access Control1.1.3 Applications of Network Access Control1.1.4 Characteristics of Network Access Control1.2 Development Overview of Network Access Control1.3 Enter Barriers Analysis of Network Access Control2 Network Access Control International and China Market Analysis2.1 Network Access Control Industry International Market Analysis2.1.1 Network Access Control International Market Development History2.1.2 Network Access Control Competitive Landscape Analysis2.1.3 Network Access Control International Main Countries Development Status2.1.4 Network Access Control International Market Development Trend2.2 Network Access Control Industry China Market Analysis2.2.1 Network Access Control China Market Development History2.2.2 Network Access Control Competitive Landscape Analysis2.2.3 Network Access Control China Main Regions Development Status2.2.4 Network Access Control China Market Development Trend2.3 Network Access Control International and China Market Comparison Analysis3 Environment Analysis of Network Access Control3.1 International Economy Analysis3.2 China Economy Analysis3.3 Policy Analysis of Network Access Control3.4 News Analysis of Network Access Control.READ MORE:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results.CONTACT USsales@qyresearchgroups.com+1-888-236-2744 Medical Nonwoven Disposables Market is Expected to Reach US$ 10.0 Billion by 2020 New York, May 02: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Medical Nonwoven Disposables Market - Global Industry Analysis,Trends and Forecast, 2015 - 2023 How Big is the Global Medical Non-woven Disposable market? Global Medical non-woven disposable market will cross US$ 10.0 Billion by 2020. The revenue of this market is anticipated to increase at CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. North America is the leading market for medical non-woven disposable industry by revenue which accounted largest share worldwide. Asia Pacific will grow with highest growth rate owing to increase in demand for disposable medical equipment and products. Browse Full Report: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/medical-nonwoven-disposable-market Medical non-woven disposables provide better hygiene and protection to the patients as well as doctors from the infection.They eliminates the risk of cross contamination and deliver great bacterial filtration. The growing demand of medical non-woven disposables owing to its increasing use of disposables in hospitals is a major driving factor. Rising awareness of medical disposables is triggering the demand and hence boosting the market growth.Owing to better bacteria filtration and eliminated cross contamination is driving the market. Increasing rates of bacterial infection spread owing to airborne diseases is increasing the demand for disposables which is driving the market. The global medical non-woven disposable market by product is segmented as hygiene products and non-woven medical supplies. The market segments in terms of geographical regions include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World(ROW). This report provides: 1) An overview of the global market for Medical Non-woven Disposable and related technologies. 2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020. 3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Medical Non-woven Disposable market. 4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications. 5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry. REPORT SCOPE: The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions. The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report are as below: Covidien Domtar Corp. Kimverly-Clerk Corporation Molnlycke Health Care AB Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget First Quality Enterprises, Inc. Medline Industries Inc. UniCharm Corporation Ahlstrom Corporation Freudenberg Nonwovens Georgia-Pacific LLC MRK healthcare Pvt. Ltd Polymer Group, Inc. Asahi Kasei Corporation Cypress Medical Products Abena Group Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments. The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players. The Medical Non-woven Disposable Market has been segmented as below: By Product Hygiene products o Disposable Incontinence Pads & Ostomy Liners o Disposable Panty Shields o Disposable Underwear o Disposable Diapers o Ultra-Absorbent Disposable Diapers o Super-Absorbent Disposable Diapers o Gender-Specific Disposable Diapers o Biodegradable Disposable Diapers o Regular Disposable Diapers Nonwoven Medical Supplies o Disposable Surgical Masks o Disposable Surgical Drapes o Disposable Surgical Caps o Disposable Surgical Gowns o Disposable Sterile Nonwoven Swabs By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the World (RoW) Reasons to buy this Report: 1) Obtains the most up to date information available on all active and planned Medical Non-woven Disposable industry globally. 2) Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry. 3) Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of Medical Non-woven Disposable industry and unit capacity data. 4) Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution. About MarketResearchEngine.com Market Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies. Media Contact Company Name: Market Research Engine Contact Person: John Bay Email: john@marketresearchengine.com Phone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204 Country: United States Website: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/ Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States This release was published on openPR. Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release. Medical Waste Management Market is Expected to Cross US$ 21 Billion by 2022 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/medical-waste-management-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/ New York, May 02: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Medical Waste Management Market By Activity Type (Collection, Processing and Disposal); By Waste Generators (Large Quantity Generators and Small Quantity Generators) - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016 - 2022How Big is the Medical Waste Management Market?The Global Medical Waste Management Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 21 Billion by 2022; Growing at a CAGR of more than 4.5% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report:Medical waste management is the need of the day for the betterment of clean and healthy environment. The rise in global health care industry is also increasing the medical waste in huge quantities, thus global medical waste management is vital for any society.Medical waste is the waste generated from hospitals, clinics, dental hospitals, veterinary hospitals, blood banks, and medical research institutes, laboratories .The waste may be generated during various treatments and surgeries, it may be generated during test, production or any biological research. Medical waste does not confine to used syringes and other surgical instruments but all the processes, testing and production of various biological operations.The major driving factors of Global Medical Waste Management Market are as follows: Growing of government and non government hospitals Rapid urbanization is also one of the causes Factors such as growing number of aging population, increase of chronic disease Increase in awareness about medical waste in developing countries Government rules and regulation towards waste managementThe restraining factors of Global Medical Waste Management Market are as follows: Lack of awareness of medical waste and their impacts on humans and environment Inadequate funds to manage medical waste Insufficient knowledge to dispose medical wasteThe Global Medical Waste Management Market is segmented on the lines of its product, service, software, type and regional. Based on product segmentation it covers Collection, disposal, processing all these are based on activities. The waste generated from hospitals or related institutes are categorized into hazardous, infectious, radioactive and general. The Global Medical Waste Management Market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographic market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Global Medical Waste Management Market and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Global Medical Waste Management Market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets on Global Medical Waste Management Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Waste Management, Inc., Stericycle, Inc., Inc., Remondis Medison GmbH, Inc., BioMedical Waste Solutions, LLC, Daniels Sharpsmart, Inc., Suez Environnement S.A., Sharps Compliance, Clean Harbors and other Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Global Medical Waste Management Market has been segmented as below:By Services Analysis Collection Disposal ProcessingBy Treatment Analysis Chemical Incineration OthersBy Type Analysis Non Hazardous HazardousBy Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the WorldReasons to Buy this Report:1) Obtain the most up to date information available on all Global Medical Waste Management Market .2) Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry.3) Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of Global Medical Waste Management Market.4) Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States Europe Automotive Parts Remanufacturing Research Report Germany Anticipated to Create Incremental Opportunity MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2863 http://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/2863 http://www.mrrse.com/europe-automotive-parts-remanufacturing-market https://plus.google.com/u/0/109558601025749677847/posts https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) announces the addition of a new report titled Europe Market Study on Automotive Parts Remanufacturing: Germany Anticipated to Create Incremental Opportunity 1.8X Times that of the U.K. Between 2016 and 2024. A solution-oriented approach and process up-gradation are two important focus points for key players operating in the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market, as highlighted in a new report.Request For Sample Report@After an extensive study of the market, the analysts have noticed that it is necessary to strengthen partnership with sales and distribution partners for better output. Further, they have observed that to meet the requirement of new and advanced parts for reconditioning and testing, the up-gradation of the remanufacturing process is essential. While differentiating strategies, the expert team of analysts have found that long-term strategic partnerships with raw material suppliers may provide future growth opportunities for remanufacturers.Report DescriptionThis report consists of an overview of the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market in terms of value. In addition, it also includes analysis of key trends, drivers and restraints from the supply, demand and economy side, which are influencing the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints based on the weighted average model is included in this report to facilitate clients with pertinent decision-making insights. This report provides a detailed analysis of the automotive parts remanufacturing market across various countries in the Europe region. It provides a market outlook for 20162024 and sets the forecast within the context of the automotive parts remanufacturing market including service offerings in the market. This study discusses key trends within countries contributing to the development of the market, as well as analyses the degree to which drivers are influencing this market in each European country. Insights from this extensive market study are provided with an objective to enable market players to plan their differentiating strategies capable of evolving with the changing market landscape.A detailed analysis has been provided for every segment in terms of market size analysis for automotive parts remanufacturing across the different countries. This exclusive report provides a detailed analysis covering key trends, absolute dollar opportunity and BPS analysis. The report concludes with key industry recommendations from both the demand and supply perspectives to companies planning to foray into the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market.Make an Enquiry@Europe Automotive Parts Remanufacturing Market: SegmentationTo understand and assess opportunities in the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market, we have divided the report into three sections based on market segmentation as under:By ComponentsEngine and Related PartsTurbochargerEGR ValveCarburettorsTransmission and Related PartsClutchesBearingsElectricals and ElectronicsStartersAlternatorsOthersWheel and Brakes RelatedHub AssembliesMaster CylindersBrake CalipersBearingsA/C CompressorsSteeringFuel SystemsOthersBy Vehicle TypePassenger Car (PC)Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV)Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV)All-Terrain VehiclesOff-Highway VehiclesBy CountryGermanyUKFranceItalyRussiaRest of EuropeBrowse Full Report With TOC@Research MethodologyMarket volume is inferred through in-depth secondary research and validated from industry experts through primary interviews. Each interview is thoroughly analyzed and average market volume is deduced and reconfirmed prior to incorporating in the report. The price of remanufacturing components is deduced on the basis of component type, where the average price of each component type is inferred across all the five assessed countries. The market value of the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market is thus calculated from the data inferred from the average selling price and market volume.For the eight year forecast of the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market, various macroeconomic factors and changing trends have been observed, giving an idea about the future of the market. Other important factors considered to arrive at market forecast include the size of the current market, data from the demand side and the supply side and other dynamics shaping the scenario of the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market. In the compilation of the report, the forecast is conducted in terms of CAGR, while other important criteria such as year-on-year growth and absolute dollar opportunity have also been incorporated presenting the client with crystal clear insights and future opportunities likely to emerge in the Europe automotive parts remanufacturing market.About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comGoogle+:Linked in:Twitter: Glycine Global Market Asia Pacific and Europe Anticipated to Witness Significant Growth Between 2016 and 2024 MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2857 http://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/2857 https://plus.google.com/u/0/109558601025749677847/posts https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) announces the addition of a new report titled Global Market Study on Glycine: Asia Pacific and Europe Anticipated to Witness Significant Growth Between 2016 and 2024. The U.S is a large consumer of glycine, while the largest producer of glycine is China. Market Research highlights that the cost of glycine depends largely on the cost of chemicals and energy. In addition, analysts of this market research company have also observed that volatile raw material prices are affecting the prices of glycine.Request For Sample Report@While targeting different geographies in the drafting of a new report.Market Research analysts have come to a conclusion that the North America regions demand for glycine is very high, which creates opportunity for market players from different countries in the region. On the other hand, Asia Pacific holds a high market share and is expected to create high incremental opportunity in the global glycine market. Another observation is that by importing tech grade from countries where the cost of production is low and purifying it into food grade will help in significant reduction of cost. The analysts have also noticed further that importing glycine at low rates from China to the U.S. and routed through Canada can avoid anti-dumping duties.The principal objective of this report is to present insights into the many advancements that have already been made in the global glycine market. The report provides updates on drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends in the global glycine market. The report demarcates market dynamics that are predicted to influence the current market situation and the future status of the global glycine market over the forecast period.Inclusion of primary verbatim data is the uniqueness of this reportA highly placed official in one of the key glycine companies in Eastern Europe has stated that prices of cheap drugs from the list of vital medicines may significantly increase in Russia this year due to a recent decision by the Russian government to refrain from implementing further state regulation of prices for drugs from this segment. This means that the government will allow pharmaceutical companies to set their own prices for such vital and cheap drugs as aspirin, ibuprofen, glycine, and water for injection. Another official from a leading glycine company from the APAC region has explained that the Chinese glycine industry has always witnessed overcapacity in the past few years, but the capacity of glycine in China will keep increasing in the coming five years. Another official further stated that glycine and glyphosate manufacturers already have their own ambitions in the global glycine market.Make an Enquiry@Report DescriptionThe report commences with a market overview that highlights the market scenario and provides key insights into the global glycine market. The report further discusses market dynamics including market drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends and key regulations in the global glycine market. This is followed by a comprehensive analysis of value and supply chain analysis along with the highlighting of key participants and associated process components. In addition, location analysis, production vs. consumption analysis and the listing of key producers, consumers and traders has been provided across all regional levels. The report provides detailed market share analysis, Y-o-Y growth and market attractiveness analysis on the basis of various segments. In the final section of the report, a competitive landscape has been provided to present the business operations of some of the key players along with a dashboard containing market share and competitive analysis. Detailed profiles of some of the manufacturers have also been included within the scope of the report to estimate their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats along with long-term and short-term strategies, recent developments and offerings in the global glycine market.Market SegmentationBy GradesTech GradeFood GradePharmaceutical GradeFeed GradeBy ApplicationChemicalFeedFoodPharmaceuticalOthersBy RegionNorth AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East and AfricaResearch MethodologyA detailed analysis has been provided for every segment in terms of market size for the global glycine market. It is important to note that in an ever changing economy, the report not only conducts forecasts in terms of CAGR but also analyzes the market based on key parameters like Y-o-Y (year-on-year) growth to interpret the predictability of the market as well as to identify the right opportunities for market players operating in the global glycine market. Another key feature of this report is that it includes the analysis of all key market segments in terms of absolute dollar opportunity. Absolute dollar opportunity analysis is critical in evaluating the level of opportunity that a provider can look to achieve in the global market. Absolute dollar opportunity analysis of the global glycine market will help identify potential resources from a sales and delivery perspective in the global glycine market. The report also provides strategic recommendations and key success factors for new entrants in the global glycine market.About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comGoogle+:Linked in:Twitter: Cervical Dysplasia Market 2016 - 2024; Report Scope and Market Segmentation http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cervical-dysplasia-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2241 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Cervical Dysplasia Market: SnapshotCervical dysplasia is one of the fastest growing market in the field of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Cervical cancer is a precancerous stage and it can be completely cured by early detection. Rising consumer awareness in this regard has led to an increased demand for cervical screenings in the past few years. Government bodies in several developed countries conduct screening programs in order to improve the quality of life of population by reducing the mortality rate. Furthermore, recommendations from government organization for early detection of chronic diseases including cervical dysplasia is one of the major factors that is expected to drive the overall cervical dysplasia market over the forecast period.Transparency Market Research states that the global cervical dysplasia market was valued at US$349.0 mn in 2015 and will expand at a CAGR of 7.0 % during the period between 2016 and 2024, to reach US$ 640.2 mn by 2024.Read Full Report:Thanks to High Accuracy and Low Cost, HPV Tests to See Vast Rise in DemandBased on diagnosis, the market has been segmented into diagnostic tests and diagnostic devices. Furthermore, the diagnosis test segment is examined for Pap smear (Papanicolaou) test, HPV (human papillomavirus) test, and biopsy. Colposcope devices are considered as diagnostic devices for cervical dysplasia market in this report. Of these, the segment of diagnostic tests accounted for around 86.3% of the market in terms of revenue in 2015. Availability of reimbursement for cervical dysplasia screening tests in mature markets such as North America and Europe is one of the key factors expected to fuel the sales of cervical dysplasia diagnostic tests market in the next few years.Of the key cervical dysplasia diagnostic tests analyzed in the report, the segment of HPV tests is expected to grow at a higher CAGR over the forecast period owing to the rising aversion to Pap smear tests and advancements in HPV testing technologies. The significant false-negative rate and high costs of Pap smear tests have resulted in a vast decline in their demand, with the more accurate and cost-effective HPV testing emerging as one of the primary screening tool recommended by healthcare providers these days.Developed Economies to Continue Being Most LucrativeGeographically, North America was the dominant market for cervical dysplasia in 2015. The region accounted for a share of over 55.2% of the global cervical dysplasia market in the said year. Rising awareness about cervical dysplasia screening programs and technological advancements in screening devices and other supporting equipment are the key factors fueling the growth of the North America cervical dysplasia market. The diagnosis test segment in North America dominated, accounting for over 85% in the regional market in 2015. The increasing incidence rate of cervical cancer in women above the age of 50 years and favorable reimbursement policies supported by federal organizations such as Medicare are also expected to drive the market in North America in the next few years.Download exclusive Sample of this report:The cervical dysplasia market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness the most promising growth rate during the forecast period, chiefly owing to the improving healthcare infrastructure and encouraging government funding on cancer research in the region. The markets in emerging economies such as India and China are expected to exhibit significant expansion in the next few years. Several government-funded cervical dysplasia screening programs in these countries, initiated with the aim of reducing the mortality rate by improving the quality of life of the population will be a key driver of the market.Some of the key players operating in the global cervical dysplasia market are F. Hoffmann La-Roche Ltd., QIAGEN, Becton, Dickinson and company, OncoHealth Corporation, Quest Diagnostics, Inc., Hologic, Inc., and Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Ship Plate Market 2017 - POSCO, JFE Steel, NSSMC, Baosteel, Valin Xiangtan Steel, Chongqing Steel http://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/51410/request-sample https://goo.gl/QYXsvr www.fiormarkets.com www.9dimenreports.com The ship plate is a hot rolled steel sheet produced to manufacture hull structures as required by the code of conduct. In the 1870s carbon was added to molten iron to make steel. Iron and steel were soon being used in ship production. These irons and steels were known as ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) iron and steel. They constitute specific types of iron and steel utilized to build ships. How they are manufactured and used is regulated by the ABS standardized grading and specification system.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Ship Plate 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 For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversPOSCOJFE SteelNSSMCBaosteelValin Xiangtan SteelChongqing SteelAnsteelNanjing SteelDongkukSD SteelXinyu SteelHyundaiArcelorMittalShougang GroupMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth 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)Market Segment by Type, coversGeneral Strength Ship PlateHigh Strength Ship PlateMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoTankersBulk CarriersContainer ShipsChemical ShipsAccess Full Report With TOC @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Ship Plate market.Chapter 1, to describe Ship Plate Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Ship Plate, with sales, revenue, and price of Ship Plate, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Ship Plate, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Ship Plate market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Ship Plate sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog: Global Speaker Grill Fabrics Market 2017 - Simply Speakers, Mojotone, Acoustone, Foshan Hongyu, Dongxingli http://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/51411/request-sample https://goo.gl/rPtejl www.fiormarkets.com www.9dimenreports.com Speaker cloth or speaker fabric (its also referred to as grille cloth, acoustic cloth, or speaker mesh) is specifically designed to allow for easy sound transmission through the material. The thing isjust about all fabric will let some sound through (called sound transmissibility), but speaker fabric is specially made to equally allow all frequencies through from 20Hz to 20 kHz. It also is available in a variety of colors to match the aesthetics or look a loudspeaker manufacturer (or interior designer) is trying to achieve. Most of the fabric used in speaker cloth or grille cloth is made from synthetic materials or threads (100% polyester is not uncommon) in an open weave pattern where warp threads never come together. This leaves the cloth very open with vast spaces in the fabric. If you looked at speaker cloth closely under a magnifying glass or microscope youd see lots of square openings for sound to penetrate. Many of these materials are also flame retardant and even mildew proof so that moisture is allowed to pass through and any heat generated from the driver doesnt build up under the fabric. Most speaker cloth materials have excellent fade resistance, and most can be cleaned with a vacuum brush.Request For Sample Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Speaker Grill Fabrics 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.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversSimply SpeakersMojotoneAcoustoneWendell Fabrics CorporationFoshan HongyuDongxingliTaizhou Jinjue Mesh ScreenMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth 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)Market Segment by Type, coversNatural FibersMan-Made FibersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoAuditoriumsHome Audio SystemsSports ArenasOthersAccess Full Report With TOC @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Speaker Grill Fabrics market.Chapter 1, to describe Speaker Grill Fabrics Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Speaker Grill Fabrics, with sales, revenue, and price of Speaker Grill Fabrics, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Speaker Grill Fabrics, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Speaker Grill Fabrics market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Speaker Grill Fabrics sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog: Latest Research Report on Global Shipbuilding Market Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020) http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=760228 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=760228 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Shipbuilding Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global Shipbuilding Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020) provides an in-depth analysis of the global shipbuilding market with detailed analysis of market size and growth, market share and economic impact of the industry. The report also provides market size of each of the segments of the market on the basis of the types of ships.The report provides detailed regional analysis of Asian countries, leading the global market, which are South Korea, Japan and China. Regional analysis includes market size of the basis of new orders, order book, order completions and delivery trend along with the commercial vessel market.The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. The current status of the overall global shipbuilding market has been analyzed, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. The competition in the global shipbuilding market is stiff and dominated by the big players like DSME. Further, key players of the market Hyundai Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are also profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Regional CoverageSouth KoreaJapanChinaCompany CoverageDaewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering CompanyHyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Executive SummaryThe maritime business has long been known for being cyclical. In times of growth and high profits, ship owners have positive cash flows and they order new capacity. This capacity, however, takes time to be delivered. There are waiting times, because shipbuilding berths tend to be full in times of prosperity; any new construction will only be started two to three years after it has been ordered, and then the construction itself can take up to one year. During the industry's boom years, the world saw records for new vessel orders being set year after year. The companies in this industry build and repair barges, cargo ships, naval vessels, and passenger ships, as well as platforms used for oil and gas drilling and production.The global shipbuilding market can be analyzed on the basis of new orders, order book and delivery trend of ships. Currently, the market is experiencing tough times but is expected to regain its momentum with Asia leading the global market. South Korea, China, and Japan are the leading countries in the market accounting almost the entire global shipbuilding market. The shipbuilders in a given country typically specialize in certain types of vessels. South Korean companies, tend to focus on containerships and tankers. China produces large numbers of dry bulk containers and Japan builds large numbers of oil tankers.The growth drivers of the global shipbuilding market, especially for the global shipbuilding market are: rise in seaborne trade & shipping confidence level and upsurge in the demand for eco-friendly ships. Despite the market is governed by various growth drivers, there are certain challenges faced by the market such as: volatile oil prices, write-downs on existing backlogs, increasing competition in the commercial segment, delay in financial decisions, political & financial instability, financial crises and stringent environmental regulations.Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Global Inorganic Metal Finishing Market for Automotive, Electrical and Electronics, Industrial and Other Applications Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=243802 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=243802 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Inorganic Metal Finishing (Pretreatment/Surface Preparation, Inorganic Metal Finishing Process and Consumables and Spares) Market for Automotive, Electrical and Electronics, Industrial and Other Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Demand for inorganic metal finishing is primarily led by growth in automotive and steel industries across the globe. Asia Pacific dominates the global market for inorganic metal finishing technology. This report by Transparency Market Research analyzes, estimates and forecasts the demand for inorganic metal finishing on a global and regional level for a six-year period from 2014 to 2020. The study also provides information on restraints, drivers and opportunities along with their impact on the overall market during the forecast period. The report segments the market based on applications and regions and offers estimates and forecast for each segment.The study analyzes the product value chain, beginning with feedstock up to end-use. Additionally, it evaluates the market based on Porters five forces model, which analyzes the degree of competition by considering factors such as bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, and threat from substitute products and new entrants. The report includes a detailed competitive landscape of the inorganic metal finishing market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Prices of inorganic metal finishing vary across each region. Considering that different end-users use different types of products, pricing for each application varies according to regions while estimating and forecasting market revenue on the global basis. The regional average price has been considered while breaking down the market by end-application in each region. Market size of the global inorganic metal finishing market has been presented in terms of revenue. Market revenue is in US$ Bn. Both domestic and captive sales of inorganic metal finishing have been considered.Market numbers are provided based on product types and applications in the context of the global as well as regional market. Market size and forecast for each major application is also provided in the context of the global as well as regional market. Numbers provided in the report are derived based on demand for inorganic metal finishing in various end-user industries across different regions. The industrial application segment consists of heavy machinery, aerospace and steel applications. All the prices have been considered as FOB prices. Market revenue has been calculated based on sales and consumption trends. All US$ exchange rates are as of 2013. Prices have been kept constant throughout the forecast period for calculating the market size.The report provides a decisive view on the inorganic metal finishing market by segmenting the market based on product types and applications. Product segments analyzed in the report include pretreatment/surface preparation, inorganic metal finishing process and consumables and spares. The inorganic metal finishing processes have been further segmented into anodizing, cladding, conversion coatings, electroplating, electroless plating, galvanizing and others (including electropolishing). Based on applications, the inorganic metal finishing market is segmented into automotive, electrical and electronics, industrial and others (including, hardware and defense). These application segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends, and the market has been estimated from 2014 to 2020.The inorganic metal finishing market is segmented based on geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). In terms of revenue, the market for inorganic metal finishing for each application type for each of these regions has been forecast for the period from 2014 to 2020.Leading manufacturers profiled in the report include Abakan Inc., Metal Finishing Technologies LLC, Sequa Corporation, TIB Chemicals AG, Elementis plc, Rockwood Holdings Inc., Vanchem Performance Chemicals, Atotech Deutschland GmbH, Honeywell International Inc. and Industrial Metal Finishing. These companies are profiled in detail with features such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.Inorganic Metal Finishing Market - Product Segment Analysis- Pretreatment/Surface Preparation- Inorganic Metal Finishing Processes- Consumables and SparesInorganic Metal Finishing Market - Application Analysis- Automotive- Electrical and Electronics- Industrial- Others (Including hardware and defense)Inorganic Metal finishing Market - Regional Analysis- North America- Europe- Asia Pacific- Rest of the World (RoW)Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Tomato Ketchup 2017 Global Key Players Nestle, Kikkoman, Campbell Soup, ConAgra Foods, Kraft Heinz Market Analysis and Forecast to 2022 Tomato Ketchup Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1240539-global-tomato-ketchup-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1240539-global-tomato-ketchup-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1240539 https://www.linkedin.com/company/wise-guy-research-consultants-pvt-ltd-?trk=biz-companies-cym Tomato Ketchup Market 2017Report Details:Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Tomato Ketchup Market -Market Size, Sale, Supply, Consumption, Demand and Top Key Players Analysis and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Global Tomato Ketchup market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingNestleKikkomanCampbell SoupConAgra FoodsGeneral MillsGraceKennedyKraft HeinzKagomeLee Kum KeePremier FoodsTate & LyleRequest for Sample report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Tomato Ketchup in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBottled Tomato KetchupBag Tomato KetchupOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Tomato Ketchup for each application, includingHome UseSnack BarRestaurantOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.To get complete report visit@Key Points in Table of Content:Global Tomato Ketchup Market Research Report 20171 Tomato Ketchup Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Tomato Ketchup1.2 Tomato Ketchup Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Tomato Ketchup Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Tomato Ketchup Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Bottled Tomato Ketchup1.2.4 Bag Tomato Ketchup1.3 Global Tomato Ketchup Segment by Application1.3.1 Tomato Ketchup Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Home Use1.3.3 Snack Bar1.3.4 Restaurant1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Tomato Ketchup Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Tomato Ketchup Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Tomato Ketchup (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Tomato Ketchup Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)..7 Global Tomato Ketchup Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Nestle7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Nestle Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Kikkoman7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Kikkoman Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Campbell Soup7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Campbell Soup Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 ConAgra Foods7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 ConAgra Foods Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 General Mills7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 General Mills Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 GraceKennedy7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 GraceKennedy Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Kraft Heinz7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Kraft Heinz Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Kagome7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Kagome Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Lee Kum Kee7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Lee Kum Kee Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Premier Foods7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Tomato Ketchup Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Premier Foods Tomato Ketchup Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.11 Tate & LyleBuy this report @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTSales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Follow on LinkedIn @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Report on Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional Survey Global Key Vendors, Trend, Analysis, Segmentation, Growth and Forecast to 2016-2022 Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional Survey https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1238399-global-concrete-block-and-brick-market-professional-survey-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1238399-global-concrete-block-and-brick-market-professional-survey-report-2017 https://www.linkedin.com/company/wise-guy-research-consultants-pvt-ltd-?trk=biz-companies-cym https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1238399 www.wiseguyreports.com Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional SurveyThis report gives In-depth information :1) Production of Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional Survey across Global according to Market Segments2) Consumption of Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional Survey across Global according to Industry Use.3) Competition of Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional Survey across Global by top manufacturers.4) Revenue Analysis of Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional SurveyScope of the ReportsThis report studies Concrete Block and Brick in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringMidland Concrete Products, Inc.Adams an Oldcastle CompanyConcrete ProductsCEMEXDRM?Brampton BrickTaylor ConcreteTristar Brick & Block LTDMaterials Products InternationalHi-Way ConcreteIdeal Concrete Block Co.McNear Brick & BlockLEE MASONRY PRODUCTSTianjin Guofeng JiancaiQingchang JiancaiZhejiang JIanfeng GroupSupreme ConcreteColumbia Block & BrickFor Sample Report @By types, the market can be split intoClay BricksConcrete Bricks and BlocksCalcium Silicate BricksAutoclaved Aerated ConcreteOthersBy Application, the market can be split intoBuildingPathParterreOtherBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaComplete Report Details @Table of ContentsGlobal Concrete Block and Brick Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Concrete Block and Brick1.1 Definition and Specifications of Concrete Block and Brick1.1.1 Definition of Concrete Block and Brick1.1.2 Specifications of Concrete Block and Brick1.2 Classification of Concrete Block and Brick1.2.1 Clay Bricks1.2.2 Concrete Bricks and Blocks1.2.3 Calcium Silicate Bricks1.2.4 Autoclaved Aerated Concrete1.2.5 Others1.3 Applications of Concrete Block and Brick1.3.1 Building1.3.2 Path1.3.3 Parterre1.3.4 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Concrete Block and Brick2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Concrete Block and Brick2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Concrete Block and Brick2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Concrete Block and Brick3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Concrete Block and Brick3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Concrete Block and Brick Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Concrete Block and Brick Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Concrete Block and Brick Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Concrete Block and Brick Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Concrete Block and Brick Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Concrete Block and Brick Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Concrete Block and Brick Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Concrete Block and Brick Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Concrete Block and Brick Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Concrete Block and Brick Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Concrete Block and Brick Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)Visit to our official website on Linkedin@Buy This Report@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, research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every category and an even more comprehensive collection of research reports under these categories and sub-categoriesOffice No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028 Maharashtra, India Polyester Coating 2017 Global Key Players - 3M Company, BASF, PPG Industry, AGC Chemicals, Dow Chemical Company Market Analysis and Forecast to 2022 Polyester Coating https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1240307-global-polyester-coating-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1240307-global-polyester-coating-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1240307 www.wiseguyreports.com Polyester CoatingReport Details:This report studies the market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturerMajor Key Players3M CompanyBASFPPG IndustryAGC ChemicalsDow Chemical CompanyHuntsmanDuPontAkzoNobelMomentive ChemicalsICA GroupIVM Group (Milesi & ILVA)Jotun GroupClick here for sample report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Polyester Coating in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWater-based Polyester CoatingSolvent-based Polyester CoatingOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Polyester Coating for each application, includingBuilding and ConstructionAutomotive & Aviation & MarineIndustrial CoatingOthersSome Major Points from Table of content:Global Polyester Coating Market Research Report 20171 Polyester Coating Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Polyester Coating1.2 Polyester Coating Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Polyester Coating Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Polyester Coating Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Water-based Polyester Coating1.2.4 Solvent-based Polyester Coating1.3 Global Polyester Coating Segment by Application1.3.1 Polyester Coating Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Building and Construction1.3.3 Automotive & Aviation & Marine1.3.4 Industrial Coating1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Polyester Coating Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Polyester Coating Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Polyester Coating (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Polyester Coating Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Polyester Coating Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Browse more for details @7 Global Polyester Coating Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 3M Company7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 3M Company Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 BASF7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 BASF Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 PPG Industry7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 PPG Industry Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 AGC Chemicals7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 AGC Chemicals Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Dow Chemical Company7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Dow Chemical Company Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Huntsman7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Huntsman Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 DuPont7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 DuPont Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 AkzoNobel7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 AkzoNobel Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Momentive Chemicals7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Momentive Chemicals Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 ICA Group7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Polyester Coating Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 ICA Group Polyester Coating Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview..ContinuedBuy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About UsWise 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 understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042Mail :info@wiseguyreports.com Global Beverage Fillings Market Opportunities And Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecasts To 2022 Global Beverage Fillings Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1239973-global-beverage-fillings-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1239973-global-beverage-fillings-market-research-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1239973 www.wiseguyreports.com In this report, the global Beverage Fillings market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Global Beverage Fillings market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer;the top players includingBaldwin Richardson FoodsFruit CrownZentisSchulze and Burch BiscuitLyonsFruit Filling IncWawonaFrexport (Altex Group)FamesaSensient FlavorsAlimentos ProfusaAgranaDawn Food ProductsGet Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Beverage Fillings in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBig ContainersSmall ContainersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Beverage Fillings for each application, includingHome UsingCommercial UsingOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Leave a Query @Table of ContentsGlobal Beverage Fillings Market Research Report 20171 Beverage Fillings Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Beverage Fillings1.2 Beverage Fillings Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Beverage Fillings Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Beverage Fillings Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Big Containers1.2.4 Small Containers1.3 Global Beverage Fillings Segment by Application1.3.1 Beverage Fillings Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Home Using1.3.3 Commercial Using1.3.4 Other1.4 Global Beverage Fillings Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Beverage Fillings Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Beverage Fillings (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Beverage Fillings Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)7 Global Beverage Fillings Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Baldwin Richardson Foods7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Baldwin Richardson Foods Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Fruit Crown7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Fruit Crown Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Zentis7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Zentis Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Schulze and Burch Biscuit7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Schulze and Burch Biscuit Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Lyons7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Lyons Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Fruit Filling Inc7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Fruit Filling Inc Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Wawona7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Wawona Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Frexport (Altex Group)7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Frexport (Altex Group) Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Famesa7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Famesa Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Sensient Flavors7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Beverage Fillings Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Sensient Flavors Beverage Fillings Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.11 Alimentos Profusa7.12 Agrana7.13 Dawn Food Products9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9.1 Beverage Fillings Industrial Chain Analysis9.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing9.3 Raw Materials Sources of Beverage Fillings Major Manufacturers in 20159.4 Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders10.1 Marketing Channel10.1.1 Direct Marketing10.1.2 Indirect Marketing10.1.3 Marketing Channel Development Trend10.2 Market Positioning10.2.1 Pricing Strategy10.2.2 Brand Strategy10.2.3 Target Client10.3 Distributors/Traders ListBuy Now@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.Pune, India EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017 http://www.qyresearcheurope.com/goods-518746.html http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ In this report, the EMEA Automotive Sensors market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (Million Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Automotive Sensors for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Automotive Sensors market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Automotive Sensors sales volume (Million Units), price (USD/K Units), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingRobert BoschContinentalDelphi AutomotiveDensoAnalog Devices (Infineon Technologies)Sensata TechnologiesAllegro MicrosystemsElmos SemiconductorCTS CorporationAutolivFreescale SemiconductorGeneral ElectricMeasurement SpecialitiesSTMicroelectronicsOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (Million Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/K Units), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoTemperature SensorsPressure SensorsPosition SensorsSpeed SensorsOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (Million Units), market share and growth rate of Automotive Sensors for each application, includingPassenger VehicleLight Commerical VehicleHeavy Commerical VehicleElectric VehicleAsk a complete & professional report sample, please send message to tinaning@qyresearch.com or visit atTable of contents:1 Automotive Sensors Overview2 EMEA Automotive Sensors Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application3 Europe Automotive Sensors (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and Application4 Middle East Automotive Sensors (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and Application5 Africa Automotive Sensors (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and Application6 EMEA Automotive Sensors Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data7 Automotive Sensors Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders10 Market Effect Factors Analysis11 EMEA Automotive Sensors Market Forecast (2017-2022)12 Research Findings and Conclusion13 AppendixRelated Reports:Global Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017Europe Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017China Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017India Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017Korea Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017Japan Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017USA Automotive Sensors Market Report 2017Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchContact Person: Tina Ning | Professional Market Research Report PublisherEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com or qyresearcheurope@126.comTel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District Market Data Analysis: Global Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017 Global Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017 http://www.qyresearcheurope.com/goods-518637.html http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ In this report, the global Automobile Engine Valve market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (M Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Automobile Engine Valve for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Automobile Engine Valve market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Automobile Engine Valve sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingFederal-Mogul (TRW)EatonMahleFuji OozxWorldwide Auto-AccessoryRaneDengyun Auto-partsShengChiXin YueYangzhou GuanghuiNittanWode ValveAnFuJinQingLongAsianTyen MachineryBurgFerreaSSVTongchengSINUSOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (M Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoGasoline Engine ValvesDiesel Engine ValvesOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Automobile Engine Valve for each application, includingPassenger VehiclesCommercial VehiclesAsk a complete & professional report sample, please send message to tinaning@qyresearch.com or visit atTable of contents:1 Automobile Engine Valve Market Overview2 Global Automobile Engine Valve Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application3 United States Automobile Engine Valve (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 China Automobile Engine Valve (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 Europe Automobile Engine Valve (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Japan Automobile Engine Valve (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 Southeast Asia Automobile Engine Valve (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 India Automobile Engine Valve (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Global Automobile Engine Valve Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data10 Automobile Engine Valve Maufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Automobile Engine Valve Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 AppendixRelated Reports:Global Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017Europe Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017China Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017India Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017Korea Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017Japan Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017USA Automobile Engine Valve Sales Market Report 2017Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchContact Person: Tina Ning | Professional Market Research Report PublisherEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com or qyresearcheurope@126.comTel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market Expected Advancements & Global Industry Analysis 2027 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/buruli-ulcer-treatment-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22694 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ 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.Obtain Report Details:Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market: Drivers and RestraintsGrowing 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: SegmentationBy Treatment Antibiotics Rifampicin Streptomycin Amikacin Clarithromycin Moxifloxacin Others Surgery Skin Grafting (to remove necrotic tissue, cover skin defects, and correct deformities) Others (Interventions to minimize or prevent disabilities)By Distribution Channel Hospital Pharmacies Drug Stores Retail Pharmacies Clinics OthersFill the form for an exclusive sample of this Report:Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market: OverviewAround 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 OutlookGlobally 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.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Corneal Neovascularization Market Will Reflect Significant Growth Prospects during 2016-2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/corneal-neovascularization-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17270 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Corneal Neovascularization Market: OutlookCorneal neovascularization is a disorder of the eyes, which is mainly characterized by the incursion of novel blood vessels into the cornea of the individuals suffering from the disease. This disorder is majorly caused due to disruption of the balance between the factors that protects and maintain the corneal transparency. The two factors that need to be balanced include angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors. The incursion of new blood vessels, which are relatively immature, hence can cause lipid exudation as well. Other major symptoms include scarring in eyes, persistent inflammation, which leads to diminishing corneal transparency and visual perception. The corneal neovascularization disorders if left untreated it may lead to high growth of new blood vessels that may reach visual axis to permanently threat the vision of the affected individual. Presently, several patients suffering from various eye problems, many a times undergo corneal grafts; corneal neovascularization may lead to rejection of such grafts as well. Thus, timely and proper treatment (may include surgical intervention and therapeutic drugs) of corneal neovascularization is necessary for effective management of the disease to ensure proper eye vision.Obtain Report Details:Global Corneal Neovascularization Market: Drivers and RestraintsMajor driving factors for the growth of corneal neovascularization market include increasing incidences of ophthalmic disorders, rising number of corneal grafts, aging population, increasing obesity rate, increasing number of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and increasing demand for advanced treatment options. Ophthalmic disorders are one of the leading disorders that affect very large population globally; several eye related disorders require ophthalmic interventions that may increase the risk of developing corneal neovascularization, hence accompanied by graft rejections. Increasing geriatric population will also contribute towards the growth of this market as aged individuals are more prone to several disorders and hence, tend to suffer from ophthalmic disorders. Increasing obesity rates are also adding to various eye related disorders mainly the lipid deposition increase the chances of developing corneal neovascularization, hence will contribute towards the growth of this market. Several diseases like diabetes, hypertension and others also lead to ophthalmic diseases, in turn require diagnostics and therapeutics from this market, thus will contribute towards the growth of corneal neovascularization market. Several pharmaceutical companies are having many therapeutic drugs for the effective treatment of this disorder in different phases of clinical trials, which will soon hit the market.Global Corneal Neovascularization Market: Regional AnalysisFill the form for an exclusive sample of this report:Geographically, North America and Europe are expected to dominate the corneal neovascularization market. Major factors responsible for their expected dominance in the corneal neovascularization market are high prevalence of ophthalmic disorders in the region, aging population, rising overweight as well obese population, and high awareness levels of the population. However, emerging economies like China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and Malaysia among others from Asia-Pacific, LATAM, Middle East and other regions will present tremendous opportunities towards the growth of this market. Major factors responsible for the growth of the corneal neovascularization market in these regions are availability of high patient population, high prevalence of diseases like diabetes and hypertension, increasing healthcare awareness in these regions and increasing purchasing power of the people in APAC and RoW.Global Corneal Neovascularization Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportSome of the major players operating in this market include, Amakem NV, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., GTx, Inc., and Sirnaomics, Inc. that have their drugs in different phases of clinical trials, which will soon be commercialized in the global corneal neovascularization market.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Electrical Steel Coating Market expected to expand at 5.3% CAGR by the end of 2024 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3103 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-3103 www.futuremarketinsights.com Growing adoption of large power transformers in heavy industries as well as residential sectors is driving the sales of electrical steel coatings. Particularly in developed countries, a majority of electrical steel coatings are used for manufacturing the core of such transformers. Higher surface insulation resistance and thermal stability are some of the key advantages that promote the use of electrical steel coatings in such applications. Future Market Insights recently published its report on the global market for electrical steel coatings, excerpts from which also indicate how increasing sales of hybrid cars and EVs are factoring the growth in demand for electrical steel coatings. According to the report, the global electrical steel coatings market is presently valued at US$ 211.9 Mn, and is expected to expand at 5.3% CAGR to reach US$ 353.6 Mn by the end of 2024.Apart from their use in manufacturing large power transformers, and motors of hybrid cars and EVs, electrical steel coatings are also gaining applicability in energy conservation measures. Eco-friendly production of various electrical equipment has necessitated the use of electrical steel coatings, especially for spiking energy efficiency of such equipment. While the global electrical steel coating revenues are projected to grow at a steady pace, the market is estimated to witness downtrend in terms of global consumption. Decreasing end-use sales of electrical steel coatings among potential buyers is said to impact the global consumption count, which recorded sales of 34,563 tonnes of electrical steel coatings in 2016.Request Report Sample@In the report, titled Electrical Steel Coatings Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, the demand for electrical steel coatings has been projected to be considerably high in the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region. By the end of 2026, the APEJ electrical steel coatings market is expected to dominate by accounting for US$ 150 Mn revenues. While the region will register fastest revenue growth, Western Europes electrical steel coatings market is also predicted to grow robustly. Moreover, Japans electrical steel coating revenues will also soar at an impressive CAGR of 4.6%.US-based Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. is being profiled as one of the largest manufacturer & supplier of electrical steel coatings in the world. Companies such as AK Steel Holding Corporation, Proto Laminations Inc. and Polaris Laser Laminations, LLC are also contributing towards consolidation of electrical steel coatings market in North America. The global electrical steel coatings market will witness significant participation from APEJ companies such as Wuhan Iron & Steel (GROUP) Corp., and Filtra Catalyst and Chemicals Ltd., as well as Japans JFE Steel Corporation. Worlds leading steel manufacturer, ArcelorMittal SA, is also partaking in the growth of global electrical steel coatings market. Other companies profiled in this report include, thyssenkrupp AG, Rembrandtin Lack GmbH Ngf. KG, Cogent Power Limited, and Chemetall GmbH.Send An Enquiry@Key highlights of the report on global electrical steel coating market include:Development of water-based semi-inorganic coatings is slated to revolutionise the global electrical steel coating market.More than three-fourth of global electrical steel coating revenues arise from sales of C5 coatings.By 2026-end, nearly 80% of global electrical steel coating market value will be accounted by chrome-free coating materialsIn 2016, more than US$ 140 Mn worth of electrical steel coatings were globally consumed for non-grain-oriented applications.Over the forecast period, automotive motors will be remain as the most prominent end-use of electrical steel coatings in the world.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.compress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Microgrid Market Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-59 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-59 www.futuremarketinsights.com A microgrid is a modern small-scale electricity system used to generate, distribute and regulate the flow of electricalpower. It includes distributed energy resources and multiple loads which enable it to interconnect with other electrical grids as well as operate in a parallelpower generation environment. Microgrids can be used to generate power from both renewable and non-renewable energy sources. There are different types of microgrids. The first one is true microgrid or customer microgrid, which is self-governed, has a regulatory structure and is compatible with the current technology. The second type is utility or community microgrid or milligrid which involves a division of regulated grid.The thirdvariety is virtual microgrid orvgrid.It covers multiple sitesdistributed energy resources (DER) and are coordinated in a manner such that they can be presented as a single unit to the grid.Request For Report Sample@Around the world, governmentsare taking initiatives in setting up solar, biopower and wind energy farms, and increasingly concentrating on renewable energy resource based microgrids.Increased requirement ofenhanced technology for power generation and distribution, growing industrialization, government initiatives towards green energy, and a demand for secure andconsistent power supply are some of the factors driving the growth of microgrid market.However,monetaryobstructions, complication in land acquisition and registration of land for solar PV installation in rural areas, high primary cost of installation, huge investment required for integrating existing systems with microgrid, technological barriersetc. are some of the aspectsholding backthe microgridmarket in some regions.The microgridmarket can be segmentedinto verticals, technology andtype. By verticals,the market can be categorized into public sector, healthcare, telecom and manufacturing. On the basis oftechnology,the market can be divided into various categories such as by power and component technology. Bytype,microgridmarket is segmented intooff-grid, connected grid and hybrid grid.The microgrid market is expected to be a multi-billion-dollar market and to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period, from 2014 to 2020. At present, the market is led by North America owing to growing industrialization and electrification. However, it is expected to witness ahuge potential in emerging economies of Asia-Pacific regions, such as India, China and Australia.Introduction of advanced solutions, collaboration with other organizations, joint ventures/partnerships,and acquisitions&mergers are a few strategies followed by key players operating in microgrid market, in order to outperform their competitors. For example, Toshiba Corporation acquired Consert Inc. in 2013, inorderto improve their distribution services and widen their global presence and customer base.Additionally, in November 2014, HOMER Energy LLC introduced HOMER Pro software, anupgraded version of their HOMER software,to set a global standard for microgrid designand analysis at initial stage.Further, its analysis tool mainly focuses on hybrid microgrids that are combined with multiple storage and renewable energy resources.Visit For TOC@Some of the key players in this market include Lockheed Martin Corporation, ZBB Energy Corporation, ABB Ltd., GE Digital Energy, Power Analytics Corporation, Consert Inc., Viridity Energy, Inc., S&C Electric Company, Chevron Energy, Toshiba Corporation,HOMER Energy LLC, Honeywell International Inc.,Microgrid Energy LLC and Siemens among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT: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: Wireless Power Transmission Market Dynamics, Forecast, Analysis and Supply Demand 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-63 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-63 www.futuremarketinsights.com Wireless power transmission (WPT) or wireless power transfer refers to the transfer of energy or power from one place to another without being connecting through wires. In this, electromagnetic energy is transferred from power sources to electric loads.Wired transmission is the most commonmode of transmitting electrical energy. Its main drawback, the loss of energy during transmission, drives the demand for wireless power transmission. Being fast and consistent, WPT can be used both for short and long range transmissions. A major advantage of WPT is low maintenance cost. However, there is a high initial cost i.e. capital cost involved in implementing the WPT. Another disadvantage is interference of microwaves with current communication systems. WPT is generally used for transfer of energy to remote areas. Major application of WPT is in consumer electronics goods such aslaptops, tablets and smartphones. The largest application of WPT is in solar-power satellites. WPT is also used in fuel-free aircrafts, fuel-free electric automobiles, robots and fuel-free rockets.Request For Report Sample@Globally, WPT technology is being accepted positively, outdated wired power transmission tools are being replaced with the latest technology. Countries likethe U.S.are investing high on the adoption of WPT technology, to take full advantage of their power system networks and reduce the installation cost of overhead cables. This technology is still in its initial stage, which providesa huge opportunity for new entrants to enter this market,conditional to their acceptance of the high capital cost. The main drivers for the market area huge demand by the battery functioned devices globally and decrease in high tension on Head Cables.Market is expected to show a double digit growth rate in coming five years (2015-2020). The growth is majorly driven by need of technological advancement and new wireless power transmission applications such as solar-power satellites.Market segmentation for WPT is basedon application, technology,transmission types, transmission range andgeography. The application segment includes consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive and defence. Consumer electronics are further sub-divided into mobile phones, tablets, laptops and wearable electronics. Technological segmentation includes near-field or non-radioactive techniques and far-field or radioactive techniques.On the basis of transmission types, the market is segmented into devices with and without battery. The market is also segmented on the basis of transmission range which include short, medium and long ranges. The regional or geographical segmentation includes regions such as North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa.Majorplayersinvolved in the wireless power transmission market are Qualcomm, Leggett & Platt, ConvenientPower HK, Energizer Holdings, Inc. and Integrated Device Technology, Inc. Other important companies are Powermat Technologies Ltd., Plugless Power, Texas Instruments, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and WiTricity. The common strategy adopted by players are product development and a focus on research & development activities.Visit For TOC@WPT technology helps make life easy and comfortable. WPT is much better than thetraditional form of power transmission. Its an efficient technology which helpsin decreasingenergy crises and energy loss. In the near future,the world will completely shift towards wireless technologyand use of wireless devices, as well as wireless power transmission, will be evermore, creatinga good opportunity for players in this market.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: Wireless Charging Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-66 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-66 www.futuremarketinsights.com Wireless charging is the process of recharging batteries of electrical devices without using physically connected electric cables. The communication between transmitter (power source) and receiver (device) is generally by microwave or electromagnetic induction. With the emergence of wireless chargeable devices, the need to carry multiple chargers for various devices will become obsolete. Chargeable devices such as mobile phones, and tablets need to be handier. Wireless charging technologies are revolutionizing the current electronic devices market to meet the demand for more efficient, standardized,safe and portable power recharging options.Wireless charging is more applicable to charge smartphones, tablets and other small handheld devices and wearable technologies. The obvious benefits associated with the use of wireless charging includes efficiency of handling, protection from electric shocks, safe charging option for devices that need to be waterproof, no need formaintenance of charging cables and associated sockets. On the other hand, wireless charging technology is comparatively less efficient, slow, and expensive. Most devices also radiate heat during the charging process.Request For Report Sample@The global wireless charging market recently reported its development, due to continuous updation in phones. The demand for sealed devices, increasing demand for powerfor devices and inconvenience associated with carrying multiple chargers are the key drivers behind growth of wireless charging technologies. The key restrains behind wireless charging are lack of standardization and expensive infrastructure to pursue technological developments.Many advanced products are still in experimental phase but on the other hand these products have a bright future opportunity.Wireless charging can be broadly categorized into two types depending upon proximity of distance between transmitter and receiverand range of devices. Further, these two types can be sub-segmented into six sub categories such as radio charging, inductive charging and resonance charging are included under proximity of distance between transmitter and receiver and high range, mid-range and low range are included under range of devices. On the basis of application,the global wireless charging market is segmented intoconsumer electronics, medical healthcare, automobile & aerospace, defence and industrial automation. On the basis of geographical target market, itis segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa.Companies engagedin the development of wireless charging technologies are in the process of resolving compatibility issues associated with charger and charging points. Manufacturers of different handheld devices, prominently HTC, Nokia and LG, are already in the process of manufacturing wireless chargeable smartphones and tablets. The market experts are focusing on the development of standard wireless charging technology, which will be commonly useful for the advanced devices of various applications such as medical, and semiconductors.Visit For TOC@Some of the global key players in the wireless charging market include Convenient Power HK Ltd., Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Integrated Device Technology, Inc., Texas Instruments, Inc., Duracell Powermat, Oregon Scientific, WiTricity Corporation and Energizer Holdings, Inc.Most of these companies are interested to enter into the wireless charging market with the plan to establish a brand name. The wireless charging market of North America appears to be comparatively mature than Asian market, in terms of infrastructural development. Countries with lower GDP may face economic issues to generate the demand.High price is one of the major challenges of this market and it should be taken care of.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: Tea Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 6% by 2022 Tea Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2155 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/tea-market Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on global Tea market which is estimated to grow more than 6% after 2022.Market Overview:Tea is an aromatic beverage generally prepared by pouring boiling water over cured leaves or by boiling tea leaf/powder with addition of sugar and milk by consumers choice. Tea ranks 2 in terms of beverage consumption. Tea is one of the most popular beverages across the globe. Tea is consumed on daily basis for breakfast and during evening snack time. Moreover, huge employment opportunities created by the global tea market and the growing demand of green tea in weight loss and beauty & skin treatments are estimated to fuel the growth of the market in the near future. Globally the increasing demand for hot beverages is expected to boost the demand for tea by 6% from 2016 to 2022.Request a Sample Copy @Market Forecast:Globally the tea market is mainly driven by increasing demand for hot and health beverages. Growing demand for healthy tea has boosted the sales of tea especially white tea, green tea and fruit and herbal tea. Rising awareness of healthy effects of green tea due to health benefits associated with tea is influencing the market growth. Many personal care products manufacturers are using green tea extracts for enhancing the health of skin which is also driving the demand of tea.Key Players of Tea Market: Lipton (U.K.) Tetley (England) Twinings (U.K.) Tata Tea Limited (India) Typhoo (U.K.) Wissotzky Tea (Israel) Akbar Tea (Sri Lanka) Nestle (Switzerland)Downstream Analysis:Tea are widely gaining popularity due to fast and busy lifestyle. RTD iced tea is perceived as an instant energy source and as a healthy alternative to carbonated drinks. Awareness about the health benefits of drinking tea such as antioxidant properties, rising population and also busy lifestyles, and increase in disposable income is making consumers opt for tea and iced tea. The ill effects of carbonated drinks are another factor responsible for the shift in demand towards the RTD tea. Green tea extracts is used in personal care products, as it has antioxidant properties.Tea market is dominated by key manufacturers and very few new players are entering in tea market due to high investment cost require for, tea planting and tea processing. The global tea industry is expected to witness increase in mergers, acquisition and strategic alliance in upcoming years.Market Segmentation:Global tea market is segmented by packaging, type, form, distribution channel and region.Brief TOC for Tea Market:1 Executive Summary2 Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Markets Structure2.4 Stakeholders3 Research methodology3.1 Research application3.2 Secondary research3.3 Primary research3.4 Forecast model3.5 Market Size estimation4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges5 Market Trends5.1 Trends in Supply/Production5.2 Trends in Demand/Consumption5.3 Emerging Markets (Supply & Demand)5.4 Emerging Brands5.5 Trade (Import-export) Analysis5.6 Innovations in Products/application5.7 Macroeconomic indicators Analysis for top 5 Producing countriesContinueAccess Report Details @Regional Analysis:The global Tea market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Among this Asia Pacific region is dominating the Tea market followed by Europe. Growing popularity of healthy beverages in world is driving the demand of tea beverages such as green tea, iced tea etc. Increasing disposable income and awareness about health benefits of tea in developing countries like India and China has creating the demand of Tea in Asia Pacific regions.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR) and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have the prime objective to provide optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies depending on products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments enables our clients to know more consequently do more, which gives them answer for their each and every important question.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meeting with industry experts and does industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Dental 3D Printer Market Trends, Regulatory Landscape and Operational Strategies 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dental-3d-printer-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18005 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Dental 3D Printer Market: OverviewDigitalization has made life simpler for everyone, including most industries. This also holds true for the dental industry. With the assistance of 3D printing, dental labs and dentists are able to offer better services to their patients. Dental 3D printers can be used in the production of physical models for prosthodontics, customized dentures, fabrications of copings, manufacture of dental craniomaxillofacial, frameworks for dental restorations and implants, and productions of drill guides for dental implants. These systems help make the manufacturing process of tooth caps, crowns, and other dental components much easier.The dental industry is going through a digital revolution and it is expected to go completely digital sooner than one can predict. 3D technologies are completely changing the way in which dental solutions can be approached. With the given technology and ability, it has become simpler and convenient to print several complicated shapes on demand, in a variety of applicable materials, and in substantial volumes.Obtain Report Details:Based on raw material, the market is segmented into polymers, ceramics, and metals. On the basis of technology, the market is classified into selective laser sintering (SLS), electronic beam melting (EBM), stereolithography apparatus (SLA), direct laser metal sintering (DLMS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), and digital light processing (DLP). The market is further divided on the basis of application into surgical guides, dental implants, consumer products, dentures, and other range of orthodontic products.In the report, Transparency Market Report (TMR) provides a detailed analysis of drivers and restrictions in the global dental 3D printer market. It also delivers insight to the segments and regions of the market.Global Dental 3D Printer Market: Trends and ProspectsDental surgery procedures can turn out to be very complicated. In order to reduce stress and curb the anxiety of the patient and to help them understand the procedure, specialists frequently create reference models before beginning the surgery. Dentists are now turning to desktop 3D printing in their surgical planning and patient education.The 3D printing technique is being extensively used, invariably pushing the growth of the dental 3D printer market. There are various factors that are driving the market for dental 3D printers, such as increased investments in the 3D printing technology, availability of customization options with 3D printing of dental devices, cost effectiveness, and initiatives taken by government to encourage research activities in 3D printing. However, the cost of 3D printers and printing materials is usually high, thereby limiting the growth of the said market.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report:Global Dental 3D Printer Market: Regional AnalysisGeographically, the global dental 3D printer market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Out of the regions mentioned, North America holds the maximum share in the global dental 3D printer market. The factors for the growth of this region can be attributed to easy adoption of advanced technology and increased investment.Europe and Asia Pacific are the major contributors to the market, in terms of revenue, after North America. Increasing demand for technological modifications and rising initiatives by government in the healthcare sector are some of the factors playing a crucial role in the growth of the Asia Pacific market and it is anticipated that this region is likely to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period.Companies Mentioned in ReportThe market for global dental 3D printer is highly fragmented. The prominent players in the market are EOS GmbH ExOne GmbH, Arcam AB, Optomec, Concept Laser GmbH, EnvisionTEC, Microtec Gesellschaft Fur Microcomputervertrieb MBH, 3D Systems Corporation, and Materialise NV.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Dental Fittings Market - Global Markets & Advanced Technologies http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dental-fittings-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14195 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.Orthodontics mainly deals with the correction of improper alignment of teeth by braces or apparent loss of teeth by dentures/artificial teeth. Orthodontics was initially chosen for children but now it is used ubiquitously. Technological advancements have reduced the stigma related with this treatment and now many dental fittings such as tongue and teeth colored braces are available commercially. Rising awareness of dental aesthetics and related advantages has resulted in increased acceptance of dental fittings amongst all age groups.Read Full Report:The dental fittings include dentures, archwires, anchorage appliances and ligatures. The braces or the brackets are meant to place the misaligned or crooked teeth in place. Braces are small squares attached to the front of the teeth by an orthodontic bonding agent and connected to each other via connectors or bands. Orthodontic bands are stainless steel, tooth colored material or transparent. Spacers are separating parts that fit between the teeth before the bands. Archwires guide braces with the movement of the teeth. Ligatures are small rubber bands which hold on to the archwires together. Traditionally braces were made up of metals, however, with technological advancements they are now available in ceramics. The braces are also made up of stainless steel, titanium or a mixture of both. The orthodontic archwires are of two types: coated metal and transparent non-metallic. Coated metal archwires are made up of nickel- titanium or of stainless steel and are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), parylene-polymer, and an epoxy-resin. Transparent nonmetallic arches are similar to metal arches which are made from glass spindle and are embedded in polymer matrix. The growing demand for aesthetic archwires has led to many advancements in archwires technology. These wires will continuously be developed on the basis of appearance, durability and flexibility. Non-metallic archwires may take over the future market as they are more preferred over the conventional metallic wires. Dentures are used to replace and support the missing teeth and the surrounding gum tissues. Dentures are of two types: complete ones and the partial ones. The partial ones are plastic partials or the metal partials, on the basis of the material used to attach to the teeth.The dental fittings market is on an all-time high due to many regulatory reforms in most of the countries like reimbursement coverage, access to advanced technology, increased disposable income and increased rate of awareness about dental fittings treatment. Aspects such as rising awareness about dental fittings, cheaper availability of treatment and increasing health care expenditure may boost the growth of the dental fittings market in Asia Pacific. Attributing to rapid development in healthcare, infrastructure, government reforms and access to advanced dental fittings, China and India are most profitable markets in Asia. Also, easy availability of skilled orthodontists and supporting economy is expected to spur the growth of the dental fittings market in China and India.Download Free exclusive Sample of this Report:Many of the companies are manufacturing dental fittings, and are adopting acquisitions and mergers, extensive R&D as measures to expand their geographic reach and introduction of novel products in to the market. Asia Pacific dental fittings market is expected to rise with context to volume, on basis of low product prices, less market penetration, disposable earning and improving healthcare expenditure. Also the awareness of dental aesthetics systems and dental cosmetic surgery will expectedly drive this market in North America and Europe. The advanced CAD/CAM technology and 3 Dimensional digital imaging may lead to growth in the industry. The CAD technology can support in making digital prostheses much faster. The global dental fittings market is dominated by few key players such as GC Orthodontics, Dentaurum, Henry Schein, Hangzhou Shinye, and Dental Morelli.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Automotive Turbochargers Market Global Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecast, 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-135 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-135 www.futuremarketinsights.com A turbocharger is a type of forced induction system that utilises energy of exhaust gases from the engines via a turbine. This helps in the induction of an ample volume of air into combustion chamber. The power output of the engine can be enhanced by increasing the volume of inlet fuel air mixture, which could be easily achieved with use turbochargers. It utilises the energy of exhaust gases from the engine to compress the inlet air and feed it into the engine to create a better air to fuel ratio. Turbochargers are considered one of the most important automotive accessories in todays time not only to boost acceleration, but to increase the efficiency of the engines in terms of power and output.Turbochargers are useful in helping the automotive industryto meet the norms and standards regarding the emission of exhaust gasses such as CO2, nitrous oxide, and particulate materials from the automobile. Augmentation of the engine with a turbocharger helps in addressing the increasing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles from consumers.Request For Report Sample@The global turbocharger market is expected to grow approximately twofold from 2014 to 2020. The global market for turbochargers is growing at a CAGR of around 10-12%. The European market commands nearly half of the turbocharger market, followed by Asia and North America. The penetration rate of turbochargers in the North American vehicular fleet is comparatively less thanin other regions. The global market has been witnessing an increase in demand from Asia Pacific, whereas the European market is expected to exhibit sluggish growth due to low automotive demand and stagnant economic conditions.The global turbocharger market can be segmented on the basis of vehicle types such as light commercial vehicles (LCV), heavy commercial vehicles (HCV) and passenger vehicles (PV). Currently, the PV segment is the largest contributor to the market. In future, the PV segment is expected to continue its dominance in the global market, due to increasing production and demand. The CV segment is expected to register a higher growth rate due their longer service life and higher commercial usage.The global turbochargers market can also be segmented by technology such asvariable geometry technology (also known as varable nozzle turbine), wastegate technology, and twin turbo. On the basis of the fuel type, the turbocharger market is segmented into diesel and gasoline turbo.Overall the diesel turbocharger segment is expected to grow at a higher rate compared to gasolineas turbochargers have high adoption rates in diesel engines.However, with advancements in technology the gasoline turbochargers are estimated to grow at a promising rate in the future.Visit For TOC@Major players of the turbochargers market include BorgwarnerInc., Honeywell International Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, IHI Corporation, Continental AG, and Cummins Inc. to name a few. These companies are trying to introduce new technology in the market through innovation and new product development. Apart from this, they are taking initiatives to engage themselves in partnerships and alliances in order to expand their business in emerging markets such as India and China.The preference of fuel-efficient vehicles, the downsizing initiatives of engines by automakers and the growth of the automotive production in Asian region are major drivers for turbochargers market.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: APAC Waste Heat Recovery Systems Market Growth and Forecast 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ap-174 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ap-174 www.futuremarketinsights.com Waste heat recovery is the process of capturing and reusing heat from streams of high energy content generated during various refining processes in industrial sectors. These include sectors such as chemicals, petroleum, automotive etc. Industrialization continues to grow rapidly, and as large amounts of heat is being generated, its preservation and reuse has become a matter of great concern for various industries. Various methods are being employed on a large scale in the industrial sector to reduce energy consumption, operational costs, green-house gas and carbon emissions. Use of waste heat recovery systems could be an ideal move for various industrial processes to enhance their economic feasibility. As the industrial sector continues efforts to improve energy efficiency, waste heat recovery systems offer an attractive opportunity to ensure an low emission environment.On the basis of product type, the waste heat recovery system market is segmented as generators, boilers, exhaust stacks, ovens, compressors, heat pumps, regenerators, recuperators and others. On the basis of application the global market can be segmented as pre-heating, steam generation, electricity generation and others. Globally, steam generation accounts for almost half of the market share compared to other sources. According to the United States Department Of Energy (US DOE) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), over three-fifths of the energy used by power plants gets wasted in the form of heat and around 20% to 50% of industrial energy input is lost as waste heat. Waste heat recovery equipment find usage in a number of industrial applications such as heavy metal production, cement production, petroleum refining, chemical refining and natural gas compression.Request For Report Sample@The waste heat recovery system market is expected to grow two-fold between2014 and2020. Currently, Europe is the largest market in the global waste heat recovery systems, accounting for around 35-40% share of the global market. North America is the second-largest segment, followed by APAC region. The APAC region is expected to register a significant growth from 2014 to 2020, majorly due to government regulations and foreign direct investment in the region. The waste heat recovery systems market is expected to grow at a higher rate for emerging economies such as India and China as compared to developed economical regions, such as North America and Europe.Large-scale economic development, growing population, presence of strict emission regulations and rapid industrialization are the major growth drivers for the APAC waste heat recovery systems market. Apart from these, requirement for fuel efficient systems and growing environment safety awareness are other long term growth drivers, which are contributing towards growth of waste heat recovery market in the APAC region. China and India are playing important roles in the installations of waste heat recovery systems. The use of waste heat recovery systems in the cement industry is estimated to grow significantly, due to a high demand of cement from the APAC region.Major players in the waste heat recovery system market include General Electric, Siemens AG, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Alstom. These companies adopt strategies such as entering into joint ventures, alliances and partnerships in order to expand their business and product lines. Apart from these key players, several other small and local companies are present in the APAC region, and they account for a comparatively low market share.Visit For TOC@The potential for growth of the waste heat recovery systems market is very high in emerging economies in the APAC region. The markets in India and China are expected to register significant growth due to increasing industrial and infrastructural development initiatives in these countries. Overall, the potential for growth of waste heat recovery systems market in the emerging and developing economies is quite promising in the near future.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: Global Plasma Furnace Market Segmentation, Application, Technology & Market Analysis Research Report 2025 |The Insight Partners http://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/plasma-furnace-market http://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPTE100000272 http://www.theinsightpartners.com/discount/TIPTE100000272 http://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPTE100000272 Latest market study on Plasma Furnace Market- Global Analysis and Forecast to 2025, By Type and Material, the report include key understanding on the driving factors of this growth and also highlights the prominent players in the market and their developments.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Plasma Furnace Market to 2025 @Plasma furnace is a device used to melt metal or any other material with the help of low-temperature plasma flow, normally designed by an electric arc heater called plasmatron. Prime application of the plasma furnace is electrometallurgy. Numerous types of Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) plasmatrons are used in plasma furnaces. In large-sized plasma furnaces, more than one plasmatrons are used to provide more homogeneous heating. Plasma furnaces according to their function can be segmented into three types; plasma furnaces for melting in a ceramic crucible, plasma furnaces for melting in a scull, and plasma furnaces for melting in a crystallizer.The report aims to provide an overview of Global Plasma Furnace Market along with detailed segmentation of market by type, material, and five major geographical regions. Global Plasma Furnace market is expected to witness considerable growth during the forecast period due to continuous advancements and developments in industries such as automobile, heavy construction machinery, aviation, mining and metalworking, and others.Request Sample Copy @The objectives of Plasma Furnace Market report are as follows: To provide overview of the global Plasma Furnace market To analyze and forecast the global Plasma Furnace market on the basis of type, and material To provide market size and forecast till 2025 for overall Plasma Furnace market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM), which are later sub-segmented across respective major countries To evaluate market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend To provide exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions To profiles key Plasma Furnace players influencing the market along with their SWOT analysis and market strategiesInquire about discount on this report @Segmentations Covered in the Plasma Furnace Market Types: Ceramic Crucible Plasma Furnace, Crystallizer Plasma Furnace, Scull Plasma Furnace Material: Iron and Steel, Ferro-Alloys, Light and Refractory Metals, Chemical, Others Geographical Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), South America (SAM)Some of the leading players in Plasma Furnace Market Report Retech Systems LLC China Gere Technology Co., Ltd SECO/WARWICK Corp. CAN-ENG Furnaces International Limited Thermserve Ltd. Carrier Corporation ELTRO GmbH Plasmait GmbH, and L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. among others.Why Buy Plasma Furnace Market Report? Highlights widely used product offerings thereby allowing organizations to gain revenues by focusing majorly on select products The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Plasma Furnace market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long term strategies Get reliable information about the strategies manufacturers in this market use to drive revenue Gain insights into the competitive landscape, to strengthen market competitiveness and positioning Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as the those hindering it Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution Examine the current and future impact of the five forces namely: bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrants and degree of competitionAccess Full Report @About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Global Compactors Market 2017 Global Trends, Size, Share, Statistics, Trends, Strategy, Segmentation Analysis by Forecast to 2022 Global Compactors Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2740 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/compactors-market-2740 Market Highlights:The compactor is a machine that compacts the layers of various materials and reduces the thickness of the respective layer by reducing the air voids. Modern trash compactors are coated with antimicrobials to inhibit the growth of odor-producing bacteria, and reduce the risk of potential health hazards, which increase the popularity of these compactors.The high maintenance cost of Compactors Market may hamper the growth of the global compactors market. Global compactors market is expected to grow at CAGR of 3% by 2022.Major Key Players: Terra Compactor Wheel Corporation (U.S.) Caterpillar Inc., (U.S.) BOMAG GmbH (Germany) Marcel Equipment Limited (Canada) HJ Industries (U.S) Humdinger Equipment Ltd. (U.S) G.G. Compactors Limited. (U.K.) Hamm AG (Germany) Sakai America, (U.S.) MBW Incorporated (U.S)Request a Sample Report @Market Research AnalysisOn the basis of region, global compactors market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW. North America region accounts the largest market share of the global compactors market. Increasing cost of waste disposal is the primary driving factor of the market in North America region. The extensive usage of garbage collection services and the high adoption of the pay-as-you-throw program by waste management boards have increased the cost of waste disposal. Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecast period mainly due to the rapid growth in construction industry. Europe and RoW are expected to grow at a moderate pace during the forecast periodScope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global compactors market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global compactors market by its type, end user and region.Access Report Details @Regional Analysis:North America region dominates the global compactors market. Recovery of the residential housing sector in this region is a significant factor that spurs the demand of the market in North America region. Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at fastest pace during the forecast period. Rapid growth in urbanization and industrialization in Asia-Pacific region, ultimately drive the demand of the market.Intended Audience: Manufacturing Industries Distributer & Supplier companies consultants and Investment bankers Government as well as Independent Regulatory AuthoritiesTable of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast ModelContinuedList of TablesTable 1 Global Compactors Market, By TypeTable 2 Global Compactors Market, By End UserTable 3 Global Compactors Market, By RegionsContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Global Compactors Market: By Type(%)Figure 3 Global Compactors Market: By End User(%)ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Global Smart Clothing Market Key Vendors Trends, Forecast, and Growth Prospects to 2025|The Insight Partners http://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/smart-clothing-market http://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPTE100000341 http://www.theinsightpartners.com/discount/TIPTE100000341 http://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPTE100000341 Latest market study on Smart Clothing Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Component, Connectivity, Application and End-User, the report include key understanding on the driving factors of this growth and also highlights the prominent players in the market and their developments.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Smart Clothing Market to 2025 @Smart clothing, also known as E-textiles smart garments, electronic textiles, smart textiles, or smart fabrics, are fabrics that enable digital components (including small computers), and electronics to be embedded in them. These smart clothing market like other wearable devices are currently in emerging stage, however, prediction says it is an innovative ways to keep multiple things on track and have substantially high growth rate.The report aims to provide an overview of global smart clothing market with detailed market segmentation by component, connectivity, application, end-user, and geography. The global smart clothing market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. Improved lifestyle and technological development in healthcare sector is expected to propel the demand for smart clothing market in near future.Request Sample Copy @The objectives of Smart Clothing Market report are as follows: To provide overview of the global smart clothing market To analyze and forecast the global smart clothing market on the basis of component, connectivity, application, and end-user To provide market size and forecast till 2025 for overall smart clothing market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective countries To evaluate market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend To provide exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions To profiles key smart clothing players influencing the market along with their SWOT analysis and market strategiesInquire about discount on this report @The objectives of Smart Clothing Market report are as follows: Components: E-Textiles, Software, Sensor, Tracking Device, Others Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, RFID Application: Health Monitoring, Wound Detection, Real-time Posture Monitoring, Situational Alerts, Team Comparison, Others End-User: Athletes, Military, Healthcare, Others Geographical Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), South America (SAM)Some of the leading players in Global Smart Clothing Market Report AiQ Smart Clothing Ltd. Mad Apparel, Inc. Clothing+ Lumo Bodytech CuteCircuit Adidas AG Nike Inc. Google (Project Jacquard) OMsignal and Hexoskin.Why Buy Global Smart Clothing Market Report? Highlights widely used product offerings thereby allowing organizations to gain revenues by focusing majorly on select products The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Smart Clothing market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long term strategies Get reliable information about the strategies manufacturers in this market use to drive revenue Gain insights into the competitive landscape, to strengthen market competitiveness and positioning Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as the those hindering it Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution Examine the current and future impact of the five forces namely: bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrants and degree of competitionProcure Full Report @About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 Rotomoulding Powder Market Expected to Dominate Worldwide by 2027 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2601 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2601 www.futuremarketinsights.com Rotomoulding, also called as rotational moulding is a process used to manufacture plastic moulds without application of pressure as compared to other moulding processes. It is cost effective method and the end products are used to manufacture hollow articles. The major difference between rotomoulding and other method is that plastic or resin powders are used to form the moulds. The rotomoulding powder melts in the mould, which is rotated in biaxial direction. Polyethylene rotomoulding powder accounts for major share in terms of consumption in the global rotomoulding powder market. They are available in different grades, each varying in melt flow and density. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) based rotomoulding powders are used in flexible packaging, moulding, extrusion coating applications. High density polyethylene (HDPE) based rotomoulding powders are used in heavy industrial packaging, telecom ducting, woven sacks, blow moulding etc. The applications of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) include insulated containers, automotive components, tanks etc. DuPont, a leading U.S. industrial chemicals manufactures product portfolio includes high performance resins with trade name Hytrel. Among the different grades, Hytrel 4056P is used in rotomoulding and are available in powdered form.Rotomoulding Powder Market: Drivers and RestraintsIn rotomoulding no pressure is applied and the moulds used are less expensive, hence this method is cost effective method, which is a major driver for the growth of global rotomoulding powder market. The availability of wide variety of rotomoulding powders depending on the requirements of end-use application is expected to boost the consumption of rotomoulding powders. The diverse applications of rotomoulding in industrial packaging, flexible packaging, telecom ducting, blow moulding etc. is anticipated to increase the demand for rotomoulding powders. The availability of rotomoulding powders with advanced features such as UV resistant and flame retardant properties is anticipated to boost the growth of global rotomoulding powders market. The rise in demand for plastic storage tanks is expected to contribute to the growth of rotomoulding powders market.Request For Sample@Rotomoulding Powder Market: SegmentationOn the basis of material,the global rotomoulding powder market can be segmented as follows:-PolyethyleneLow Density Polyethylene (LDPE)Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE)Medium Density Polyethylene (MDPE)High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)PVC PlastisolsPolycarbonate Nylon PolypropyleneOn the basis of application,the global rotomoulding powder market can be segmented as follows:-Consumer ProductsStorage TanksAutomotive ComponentsIndustrial PackagingRotomoulding Powder Market: Region Wise OutlookThe global rotomoulding powder market can be divided into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Western Europe accounts for major share in global rotomoulding powder market. This is attributed to the strong presence of manufacturing industries in the region. The adoption of rotomoulding technique in manufacturing automotive components and industrial packaging products is expected to drive the growth of rotomoulding powders market in this region. North America contributes a significant share in rotomoulding market, due to increasing demand for plastic based products such as medical equipment and automotive fuel tanks. APEJ is expected to account for major share in global rotomoulding powder market over the forecast period. The increasing demand for water storage and water treatment tanks in emerging economies is anticipated to contribute to the growth of rotomoulding market in the region.Request For TOC@Rotomoulding Powder Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global rotomoulding powder market are as follows:Broadway ColoursGreen Age IndustriesPACIFIC POLY PLASTDuPontMatrix PolymersReliance Industries LimitedA. Schulman, Inc.PHYCHEM TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.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.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Global HetNet Ecosystem Market 2017- Intel Corporation, Dell, BT Group, China Unicom and China Mobile HetNet Ecosystem https://goo.gl/k90Qbi https://goo.gl/Ith8Ph This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering1. Intel Corporation2. Dell3. BT Group4. China Unicom5. China Mobile6. Tata Elxsi7. TE Connectivity8. Zayo Group9. American Mobile Group10. Black Box Company11. Telecom Group12. China Telecom13. Cisco Systems14. Fujitsu15. Huawei16. HitachiThe market research report by QY Research provides detailed study on the overall HetNet Ecosystem market size, its financial positions, its unique selling points, key products, and key developments. This research report has segmented the HetNet Ecosystem market based on the segments covering all the domains in terms of type, country, region, forecasting revenues, and market share, along with analysis of latest trends in every sub-segment.CLICK HERE to Request Sample Report @The qualitative segmentation of HetNet Ecosystem market covered in the report gives in-depth information of the overall market. Furthermore, the market size, share, forecast trends, analysis, sales, supply, production, demand, major manufacturers, end-users, and many other vital factors are comprised in the Market Research HetNet Ecosystem report by QY Research. By these comprehensive data, it is simple to take and make precise and accurate decisions taking into consideration the present market situation and the forecasts of the global market, which in turn may result into profitable step for our clients.A competitive landscape that identifies the major competitors of the global market and their market share are further highlighted in the research report. A deliberate profiling of major competitors of the HetNet Ecosystem market as well as a inclusive analysis of their current developments, core competencies, and investments in each segment are also elaborated in the research report.Browse FULL Report @The overall information of the HetNet Ecosystem market provided in the report helps our client to make precise and accurate decisions in order to gain maximum profit in this cutthroat competition in the global market. The report comprises various elements such as table, figure, charts, TOCs, chapters, and so on so as to provide a crystal clear data to the client giving a brief of the market and its trends. Thus, the report provides in-depth information of the HetNet Ecosystem market in terms of revenue, value, volume, region, and many more.About Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651 Global AC Drives Market 2017- Danfoss Group, Siemens AG, Hitachi Ltd. and Toshiba AC Drives https://goo.gl/MyV1nT https://goo.gl/iPeMmu This report studies AC Drives in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering1. ABB Ltd.2. Emerson Electric Co.3. Danfoss Group4. Mitsubishi Electrical Co, Ltd.5. Schneider Electric Co.6. Siemens AG7. Fuji Electric Holdings8. Hiconics Drive Technology Co. Ltd.9. Hitachi Ltd.10. Parker Hannifin Co.11. Rockwell Automation12. Toshiba13. Yaskawa Electric Co.14. WEG IndustriesThe market research report by QY Research provides detailed study on the overall AC Drives market size, its financial positions, its unique selling points, key products, and key developments. This research report has segmented the AC Drives market based on the segments covering all the domains in terms of type, country, region, forecasting revenues, and market share, along with analysis of latest trends in every sub-segment.CLICK HERE to Request Sample Report @The qualitative segmentation of AC Drives market covered in the report gives in-depth information of the overall market. Furthermore, the market size, share, forecast trends, analysis, sales, supply, production, demand, major manufacturers, end-users, and many other vital factors are comprised in the Market Research AC Drives report by QY Research. By these comprehensive data, it is simple to take and make precise and accurate decisions taking into consideration the present market situation and the forecasts of the global market, which in turn may result into profitable step for our clients.A competitive landscape that identifies the major competitors of the global market and their market share are further highlighted in the research report. A deliberate profiling of major competitors of the AC Drives market as well as a inclusive analysis of their current developments, core competencies, and investments in each segment are also elaborated in the research report.Browse FULL Report @The overall information of the AC Drives market provided in the report helps our client to make precise and accurate decisions in order to gain maximum profit in this cutthroat competition in the global market. The report comprises various elements such as table, figure, charts, TOCs, chapters, and so on so as to provide a crystal clear data to the client giving a brief of the market and its trends. Thus, the report provides in-depth information of the AC Drives market in terms of revenue, value, volume, region, and many more.About Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651 Global Wet Pet Food Market 2017- Mars, Nestle Purina, Mogiana Alimentos, Colgate-Palmolive, Total Alimentos Global Wet Pet Food Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2pDXIZK https://market.biz/report/global-wet-pet-food-market-2017/36138/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Wet Pet Food Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Wet Pet Food market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Wet Pet Food Market Share and Growth.The latest Wet Pet Food global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Wet Pet Food filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Wet Pet Food Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Mars2 Nestle Purina3 Mogiana Alimentos4 Colgate-Palmolive5 Total Alimentos6 Nutriara Alimentos7 Heristo8 Diamond pet foods9 Empresas Iansa10 Unicharm11 Affinity Petcare12 Butcher?s13 Nisshin Pet FoodDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Wet Pet Food market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Wet Pet Food market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Wet Pet Food market are discussed in this report.The Wet Pet Food report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Wet Pet Food market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Wet Pet Food market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Global Water Dispenser Market 2017- Midea, Angelgroup, Qinyuan, Panasonic and Mitsubishi Water Dispenser https://goo.gl/mm7gub https://goo.gl/YaXruX This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering1. Midea2. Angelgroup3. Qinyuan4. Panasonic5. Mitsubishi6. General Electric Company7. Ecowater8. HaierThe market research report by QY Research provides detailed study on the overall Water Dispenser market size, its financial positions, its unique selling points, key products, and key developments. This research report has segmented the Water Dispenser market based on the segments covering all the domains in terms of type, country, region, forecasting revenues, and market share, along with analysis of latest trends in every sub-segment.CLICK HERE to Request Sample Report @The qualitative segmentation of Water Dispenser market covered in the report gives in-depth information of the overall market. Furthermore, the market size, share, forecast trends, analysis, sales, supply, production, demand, major manufacturers, end-users, and many other vital factors are comprised in the Market Research Water Dispenser report by QY Research. By these comprehensive data, it is simple to take and make precise and accurate decisions taking into consideration the present market situation and the forecasts of the global market, which in turn may result into profitable step for our clients.A competitive landscape that identifies the major competitors of the global market and their market share are further highlighted in the research report. A deliberate profiling of major competitors of the Water Dispenser market as well as a inclusive analysis of their current developments, core competencies, and investments in each segment are also elaborated in the research report.Browse FULL Report @The overall information of the Water Dispenser market provided in the report helps our client to make precise and accurate decisions in order to gain maximum profit in this cutthroat competition in the global market. The report comprises various elements such as table, figure, charts, TOCs, chapters, and so on so as to provide a crystal clear data to the client giving a brief of the market and its trends. Thus, the report provides in-depth information of the Water Dispenser market in terms of revenue, value, volume, region, and many more.About Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651 Global Powered Smart Cards Market 2017 - Safran Identity and Security (Morpho), Oberthur Technologies, Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, Eastcompeace Technology Global Powered Smart Cards Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2qqUyLO https://market.biz/report/global-powered-smart-cards-market-2017/46779/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Powered Smart Cards Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Powered Smart Cards market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Powered Smart Cards Market Share and Growth.The latest Powered Smart Cards global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Powered Smart Cards filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Powered Smart Cards Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Safran Identity and Security (Morpho)2 Oberthur Technologies3 Gemalto4 Giesecke & Devrient5 Eastcompeace Technology6 Watchdata Technologies7 Datang Telecom Technology8 Wuhan Tianyu Information Industry9 Infineon Technologies10 NXP Semiconductors11 Shanghai Huahong Integrated Circuit12 Samsung13 Texas InstrumentsDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Powered Smart Cards market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Powered Smart Cards market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Powered Smart Cards market are discussed in this report.The Powered Smart Cards report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Powered Smart Cards market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Powered Smart Cards market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Global Medical Laser Technology Market to Receive overwhelming hike in Revenues by 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4518 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4518 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Medical laser technology generates a specific wavelength and strong beam of light. It is used in applications such as cosmetic, diagnostic, surgical, and therapeutic. Besides, the technology is used in various areas such as ophthalmology, dermatology, urology, and cardiovascular diseases. Increasing eye related diseases and rising aging population are some of the major factors driving the growth of the global medical laser technology market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Medical laser system exists in several forms and its major types include diode laser system, solid state laser system, dye laser system, and gas laser system. Diode laser systems are used in numerous aesthetic treatments. Solid state laser systems are used in tattoo removal, dentistry, treatment of vein related diseases, and skin treatment. Dye laser systems are used to treat vascular lesions such as red spots and marks on skin. The gas laser system includes the argon gas laser, which is used in the treatment of ulcers, lesions, and polyps. Meanwhile, the carbon dioxide laser is used to treat certain skin conditions such as hirsuties papillaris genitalis.The global medical laser technology market is categorized based on product types, diseases, and applications. Based on product types, the report covers solid state laser systems, diode laser systems, dye laser systems, and gas laser systems. Based on diseases, the market covers areas such as ophthalmology, dermatology, gynecology, dentistry, urology, cardiovascular, and others. Based on the application, the market covers cosmetic, diagnostic, surgical, and therapeutic applications.North America occupies the largest market for medical laser technology, followed by Europe. This is due to the advancements in medical laser technologies, rising elderly population, increasing prevalence of eye diseases, rise in incidences of chronic diseases, and improved health care infrastructure in the region. The medical laser technology market in Asia is also expected to experience high growth rate in the next few years. This is due to the increasing aging population, rising awareness about therapeutic applications of medical lasers in various chronic diseases, increasing disposable income, developing health care infrastructure, increasing prevalence of eye diseases, and growing demand for laser treatment in the region. In addition, rising demographics and economies in developing countries, such as India and China, is expected to lead to the growth in the medical laser technology market in Asia.Increasing prevalence of eye disorders and growing aging population are some of the major driving factors for the global medical laser technology market. Moreover, advancement in medical laser technologies, increasing number of patients using advanced laser-based treatments, rising awareness about the use of laser treatment in various diseases such as skin diseases, eye diseases, diabetes, and cancer; and the availability of cost-effective laser based medical treatment are also supporting the growth of the global medical laser technology market. However, strict laser protection rules inhibit the growth of this market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Increasing number of mergers and acquisitions and rapid product launches are some of the latest trends that have been observed in the global medical laser technology market. Some of the major companies operating in the global medical laser technology market are Lumenis Ltd., PhotoMedex Inc., Spectranetics Corporation, BIOLASE, Inc., Iridex Corporation, Novadaq Technologies Inc., AngioDynamics Corp., Syneron Medical Ltd, IRIDEX Corporation, Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Cardiogenesis Corporation, American Medical Systems, Inc., and Bausch & Lomb Holdings, Inc.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: Global Baby Powder Sales Market 2017- Pigeon, Johnson & Johnson, California Baby, Wyeth, Lancome Global Baby Powder Sales Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2qD35Ic https://market.biz/report/global-baby-powder-sales-market-2017/51658/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Baby Powder Sales Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Baby Powder Sales market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Baby Powder Sales Market Share and Growth.The latest Baby Powder Sales global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Baby Powder Sales filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Baby Powder Sales Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Pigeon2 Johnson & Johnson3 California Baby4 Wyeth5 Lancome6 Burt's Bees7 Dr.Browns8 Goodbaby9 FIVERAMS10 Wakodo11 Sanosan12 Zichumy13 Carefor14 YumeijingDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Baby Powder Sales market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Baby Powder Sales market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Baby Powder Sales market are discussed in this report.The Baby Powder Sales report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Baby Powder Sales market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Baby Powder Sales market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Mobile Virtual Network Operator Market share to reach $85bn by 2022 Global Market Insights, Inc. https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/160 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/mobile-virtual-network-operator-mvno-market-size https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/160 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/mobile-value-added-services-mvas-market https://www.gminsights.com https://gminsights.wordpress.com The report Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Market Size By Country (U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, UK, France, Spain, Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Africa), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Analysis, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2015 2022, Global mvno market forecast to grow at a CAGR 9.6% from 2015 to 2022, escalated by increase in smartphones and data usage rates strengthen the overall demand; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Rising penetration of mobile network subscribers across the globe is anticipated to drive the MVNO market growth over the forecast period. Considerable funding by mobile network operators to advance the telecom infrastructure is likely to have a positive impact on the MVNO market size.Request for a sample of this research report @Internet providers such as Alibaba and WhatsApp and device manufacturers including Xiaomi and Foxconn have launched this product line in 2015, which offers lucrative opportunities for the MVNO market size.Mobile network operators (MNOs) are supporting MVNOS in order to increase their industry revenue, gain more consumers and expand into the niche industry segments.Favorable regulatory frameworks in the European Union are expected to play a crucial role in regional market development.Major operator types include full, light/thin, intermediate/medium, and branded resellers. In developed regional industries such as the UK, Germany and U.S., revenue generation is expected from data and VAS usage owing to increasing 3G, 4G, and LTE network deployments.Managing personal data, connected living, and increasing digital commerce activities are expected to provide significant growth opportunities along with increasing consumer benefits. Increasing number of mobile subscribers is one of the major drivers, along with technological advancements, smartphone demand, and mobile broadband connections.Browse key industry insights spread across 110 pages with 25 market data tables & 31 figures & charts from the report, Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in detail along with the table of contents:Key insights from the report include:Global MVNO subscriber base was 174 million in 2014 and is forecast to reach 413.1 million by 2022, at 11.6% CAGR from 2015 to 2022.U.S. MVNO market size is predicted to surpass USD 30 billion by 2022. Competitors catering to the region target price sensitive consumers that do not opt for multi-year contracts or subscriptions.The cost of acquiring and retaining new customers is comparatively high, particularly for fixed term contracts. Access to voice and data services at low cost is expected to be the key interest for customers.Europe MVNO market share was more than 45% in 2014. Promotion of interconnection and interoperability of services, along with increasing broadband and FTTH usage will drive revenue in the coming years.Network operators, consumer brand & distribution leaders, media and content owners can leverage existing brands and produce a low-risk investment proposition, which takes advantage of the continuing high growth in the mobile industry to reach high-value customer segments.Low average revenue per user (ARPU) is a major consideration for players in the Africa MVNO market. Key focus areas are niche segments, smartphones & data services, and advanced technology services.Virgin Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Lyca, Poste, Freenet, etc. are among key industry participants. Companies focus on high degree of customization as well as mergers and acquisitions to gain global MVNO market share.For example, in October 2014, Telefonica completed the acquisition of E-plus to expand its global presence. Unfavorable regulations in some countries, high capital requirement, maintaining economies of scale, and offering product & segment differentiation to MNOs may restrict new players.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Browse Related Reports:Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS) Market Size, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2023About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Near Vision Devices Market Report 2016: Top Players Are Acufocus, Presbia PLC, ReVision Optics http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/near-vision-devices-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16253 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Near vision devices are implantable devices used for near vision correction in patients who didnt had cataract surgery. The device blocks unfocused light rays from entering the eye to improve patients near vision. These devices resemble the contact lenses and are made from hydrogel material. The device is implanted on a cornea of one eye to improve near vision in patients with presbyopia. Many of the surgeons use a laser to make a lappet on a cornea in order to implant near vision device. Presbyopia occurs in people aged between 40 to 50 years that results in difficulty with near vision. The growing prevalence of presbyopia has propelled the use of near vision devices owing to the ease of usage and effectiveness compared to cataract surgery. According to Medscape, around 14% of people of 80 million presbyopia patients develops from emmetropic presbyopia.Obtain Report Details @Currently, there are only two near vision devices are approved by FDA i.e. Raindrop Near Vision Inlay and KAMRA inlay. AcuFocus manufactured Kamra Inlay was the first implantable near vision device approved by FDA in April 2015. Now the devices are commercially available in around 50 countries across the globe. Similar, ReVision Optics manufactured Raindrop Near Vision Inlay was approved in June 2016 and is commercially available in the U.S. Apart from these two; there are many vision care products manufacturers looking forward to develop implantable near vision devices. For example, Presbia PLC, an Ireland-based manufacturer has designed innovative corneal inlay i.e. flexivue microlens for the correction of presbyopia. The specialty of this devices is that it can be removed and replaced with a higher or lower power according to requirement. The devices did not receive FDA approval; however, it received CE mark for commercialization in European countries.The growth of the global near vision devices market is driven by increasing geriatric population prone to ophthalmic disease, growing prevalence of presbyopia and technological advancement in the healthcare industry. Similarly, sedentary lifestyle and increased usage of computer, television viewing would contribute towards the growth of near vision devices globally. Moreover, with the increase in the disposable income levels and health consciousness among the general population, the adoption of near vision device is expected the boost in the near future. Despite several advantages, the devices have few drawback such as, it cannot be used by patients with severe dry eye and active eye infection, the use of devices can lead to a risk of eye infection and inflammation, and can cause a decrease in distance vision.The global near vision devices market can be segmented based on end user and geography:By End User: Hospitals Ophthalmic ClinicsBy Geography: North America Latin America Europe Asia-Pacific MEAFill The Form To Gain Deeper Insights On This Market @Geographically, North America occupies the substantially larger market share, which is followed by Europe. The high attentiveness level in this region will lead the increasing adoption of implantable near vision devices. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one of 5 American use reading glasses, which depicts the huge need for implantable near vision devices in North America. Moreover, it has been estimated that around 2.1 billion people are expected to suffer from an eye disease known as presbyopic by 2020. However, in the case of emerging economies, affordability has become a restraining factor for implantable near vision devices in, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Similarly, increase in disposable income, rising aging population, and growing awareness level are some of the key factors driving the global implantable near vision devices market. The Asian market is expected to witness entry of the higher number of new players compared to those in developed regions. Some of the top players in the global near vision devices market are AcuFocus, Presbia PLC, ReVision Optics, etc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Camera Modules Market 2017 - oxconn Technology, LG Innotek Company, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Sharp, STMicroelectronics Global Camera Modules Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2pvepbp https://market.biz/report/global-camera-modules-market-2017/41434/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Camera Modules Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Camera Modules market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Camera Modules Market Share and Growth.The latest Camera Modules global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Camera Modules filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Camera Modules Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Foxconn Technology2 LG Innotek Company3 Samsung Electro-Mechanics4 Sharp5 STMicroelectronics6 Toshiba7 Chicony Electronics8 Lite-On Technology9 Partron10 Sunny Optical TechnologyDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Camera Modules market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Camera Modules market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Camera Modules market are discussed in this report.The Camera Modules report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Camera Modules market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Camera Modules market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Global Electrohydraulic Actuator Market 2017- United Technologies Corporation, Parker Hannifin Corp, Eaton, Honeywell International Global Electrohydraulic Actuator Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2pE0WMR https://market.biz/report/global-electrohydraulic-actuator-market-2017/44508/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Electrohydraulic Actuator Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Electrohydraulic Actuator market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Electrohydraulic Actuator Market Share and Growth.The latest Electrohydraulic Actuator global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Electrohydraulic Actuator filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Electrohydraulic Actuator Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 United Technologies Corporation2 Parker Hannifin Corp3 Eaton4 Honeywell International5 Rockwell Collins6 Moog IncDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Electrohydraulic Actuator market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Electrohydraulic Actuator market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Electrohydraulic Actuator market are discussed in this report.The Electrohydraulic Actuator report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Electrohydraulic Actuator market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Electrohydraulic Actuator market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Asia, Europe, and South America Anti-aging Market Key Trends & Industry Forecast 2014 - 2020 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/asia-europe-south-america-anti-aging-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=5021 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/ Restoring the younger looks and thereby finding solutions against signs of aging has been a mission for cosmetologists and health care professionals for centuries. As a result, market for anti-aging products is experiencing continuous growth since decades. Various products and services are perpetually entering into the market to serve the agenda of restoring younger looks.Presently, various anti-aging products such as UV absorbers, dermal fillers, Botox, anti-stretchmark products, hair color, and anti-wrinkle products are widely used.Obtain Report Details @The anti-wrinkle products segment was valued at USD 8,088.3 million in 2013 in Asia. The dominance of this segment was primarily due to increasing adoption of anti-wrinkle products among the population. The anti-aging products market in Japan is growing swiftly owing to reasonable costs and rising awareness about the availability of aesthetic products. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS), a total of 146,150 Botox injection procedures were registered in Japan in 2010. The number further increased to 208,313 in 2011. Considering all the above mentioned factors, Japan was leading the overall anti-aging products market in Asia in terms of revenue in 2013. While on the other hand, China is expected to show significant growth in the anti-aging products market during the forecast period. Factors such as anticipated rise in the aging population coupled with rising awareness about commercially available anti-aging products are primarily driving the growth of the market in China.The anti-aging services market is growing rapidly in Europe owing to steady recovery from the economic crisis, and consequently, rising disposable income and increasing demand. Italy was a leader in the anti-aging services market in the overall Europe in 2013 due to higher demand for breast augmentation and hair restoration treatments. While on the other hand, Spain anti-aging services market is expected to record highest growth during the forecast period. Adoption of sclerotherapy is anticipated to primarily boost the growth of the Spain anti-aging treatment services market owing to the increasing prevalence of varicose vein due to aging and obesity. The growth of the geriatric population coupled with rise in obesity are some of the other factors driving the growth of sclerotherapy services segment in the country.Brazil dominates the aesthetic procedures industry among South American countries. Brazil registered 1,447,213 aesthetic procedures in 2011. Affordable rates, availability of advanced techniques and a well-defined regulatory infrastructure are the prime drivers for the growth of the aesthetic industry in Brazil. As a result, people around the world travel to Brazil for aesthetic treatment. Thus, increasing demand for aesthetic procedures in the country is observed that would boost the growth of aesthetic devices in Brazil. Similarly, adoption of laser treatment and radiofrequency treatments is observed to be higher in Brazil owing to the safety and efficacy of these treatments. Therefore, in 2013, the laser aesthetic and radiofrequency devices segments accounted for the largest market of USD 59.0 million and USD 19.2 million, respectively.Some of the key players operating in the anti-aging market include Allergan, Inc., Alma Laser Ltd., Beiersdorf AG, Coty, Inc., Cynosure, Inc., LOreal SA, Solta Medical, Inc. (Valeant Pharmaceutical International, Inc.), and PhotoMedex, Inc.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog: UAE Clinical Laboratory Services Market: Robust Economic Growth in UAE to Enable Market Gain Pace http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23354 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/uae-clinical-laboratory-services-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The UAE clinical laboratory services market exhibits a fragmented vendor landscape. The top three players, constituting National Reference Laboratory, Abbott, and Anglo Arabian Healthcare, however had a stronger presence and held around 44% of the UAE clinical laboratory services market in 2016. Currently the market players are focusing on expansion strategies to make their foothold stronger, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study. Companies such as National Reference Laboratory are achieving the same by setting up research laboratories across various Gulf nations.Also the companies have considerable focus on product innovation. For instance, Abbott is focusing on next generation laboratory automation solutions to help laboratories meet the rising demand in tests. Given the scenario, the demand for clinical laboratory services is expected to scale higher in the coming years. As per TMR, between 2017 and 2025, expansion demonstrated by the market will get stoked at 5.4% CAGR. At this pace, the market will value at US$2.6 bn by the end of 2025, from US$1.6 bn in 2016.Inquire for a Sample Copy of Report -Based on service provider, the market was dominated by clinic-based laboratories, which held over 38% share in 2016. In terms of test, the clinical chemistry segment held the leading share of 37.9% in the UAE clinical laboratory services market in 2016.The rising incidence of chronic ailments and infectious diseases is the chief driver of the UAE clinical laboratory services market. In the last few years, infectious diseases and chronic ailments have increasingly spread across the Middle East, which has in turn fuelled the demand effective clinical diagnosis in the region. Also the rising aging population have stoked the demand for clinical laboratory services. With age people become more vulnerable to diseases and infection, which is why the demand for clinical laboratory services is considerably high in this demography.In the last two decades, the GCC countries have demonstrated robust economic growth. This coupled with the expanding medical tourism, government initiatives aiming at development of the healthcare infrastructure, and rising awareness of infectious diseases, the clinical laboratory services market will record accelerated pace of gains in the UAE. Also the spurring investment in the healthcare sector will enable the market showcase strong growth in the coming years. Considering these improvements, the UAE presents an environment conducive to novel product launches. Hence, in the last few years the country gained traction from several leading international manufacturers of medical devices. For instance, leading pharmaceutical companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Inc., expanded their operations across the UAE, giving much impetus to the clinical laboratory services market.On the downside, the UAE clinical laboratory services market is restrained by the shortage of medical personnel. Despite recent medical developments, the market is reeling under shortage of medical personnel in Gulf countries, compared to other nations in the West, said a lead TMR analyst. This has put increasing pressure on the government for provision of improved healthcare and clinical laboratory services.Nevertheless, the UAE has high unmet medical needs and large patient pool, which will continue creating lucrative opportunities for the clinical laboratory services market. Besides this, the market is also expected to gain impetus, as healthcare reforms gain pace across GCC nations.Read Report with Complete TOC -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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Smart Metering Systems Market share to reach $38bn by 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1180 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1180 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/smart-gas-metering-systems-market https://www.gminsights.com https://gminsights.wordpress.com According to industry research report Smart Metering Systems Market Size, By Application (Residential, Commercial, Utility), By Product (Water meters, Electricity meters, Gas meters), By Technology (AMR, AMI), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, France, UK, Sweden, Portugal, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina) Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2024, by Global Market Insights, Inc. says smart metering systems market to worth USD 38 billion by 2024; driven by accuracy & savings in billings.Increasing need for accurate billing and consumption pattern mapping coupled with rising prices of resources including water, electricity and gas will drive the global smart metering systems market size by 2024. Scarcity of available resources has laid emphasis on reducing wastage and controlling emission levels.Request for a sample of this research report @Stringent regulations towards energy management coupled with measures towards effective resource utilization will propel demand. The Energy Independence Act (EISA) of 2007 mandates the modernization of the U.S. electric grids, installation of smart electric systems in every household and grants government funding for grid development projects.Smart metering systems market size for 2015 from residential applications was over USD 5 billion and is set to witness strong growth owing to its reasonable pricing and increasing awareness among customers. Commercial applications in terms of volume are predicted to surpass 250 million units over the forecast timeframe due to rising prices of available energy resources.Smart metering systems market share for 2015 from water is set to grow over 10% on account of stringent regulations for controlling Non-Revenue Water (NRW). Electric applications were valued over USD 4 billion in 2015 and is predicted to witness handsome growth owing to stringent government regulation to curb electricity theft.AMI is set to exceed USD 19 billion by 2024. Adoption of AMI are low subject to its high acquisition and installation costs. AMR is predicted to grow over 13% over the forecast timeline owing to its wide adoption and mature technology.The 2015 U.S. smart metering systems market size was valued over USD 5 billion and is set to witness high gain on account of strict norms towards energy management and accurate billing. Growing measures towards energy conservation and efficiency will further boost the industry growth.For Europe, UK smart metering systems market share is predicted to grow over 16% by 2024. Government of United Kingdom initiated the National Smart Meter Roll Out programme which aims at installing smart systems in every home in England, Scotland and Wales by 2020. Recommendation 2012/148/EU mandates increasing adoption of these products coupled with large-scale roll out in regions with positive cost benefit results.China smart metering systems market size is forecast to exceed USD 9 billion by 2024. The State Grid Corporation of China has aimed to install more than 380 million smart systems by 2020 in line with the government plan.For MEA, Lebanon could grow over 9% during the forecast period. In 2014, Electricite Du Liban (EDL) announced a plan to roll out more than 1 million of these products as part of a USD 200 million programme to overhaul the existing technology and provide accurate billing service.Mexico smart metering systems market share in terms of volume is set to exceed 6 million units by 2024. In 2016, state-owned Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) awarded a contract for a roll out of 96,000 advanced meters in the region, positively influencing the business outlook.Key industry participants include Landis+GYR, Siemens AG, Itron, Circutor, Schneider Electric, Osaki Electric, Iskraemeco, Icsa and others.Make an inquiry for buying this report @Browse Related Report:Smart Gas Metering Systems Market Size By Application (Residential, Commercial, Utility), By Technology (AMR, AMI), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, France, UK, Sweden, Portugal, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina) Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 2024About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Global Electric Organ Market 2017- Roland, Korg, Yamaha, Casio, MEDELI Global Electric Organ Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2pGUqHf https://market.biz/report/global-electric-organ-market-2017/46213/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Electric Organ Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Electric Organ market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Electric Organ Market Share and Growth.The latest Electric Organ global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Electric Organ filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Electric Organ Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Roland2 Korg3 Yamaha4 Casio5 MEDELI6 KAWAI7 Ringway8 Kurzweil9 Meirkergr10 Guangzhou Pearl River PianoDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Electric Organ market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Electric Organ market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Electric Organ market are discussed in this report.The Electric Organ report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Electric Organ market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Electric Organ market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Professional Market Analysis: Global Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017 Global Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017 http://www.qyresearcheurope.com/goods-515918.html http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ This report studies the Car Care Products market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top manufacturers in global and major regions, and splits the Car Care Products market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Car Care Products market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.The major players in global Car Care Products market include 3M, Turtle Wax, SONAX, SOFT99, Tetrosyl, Liqui Moly, Simoniz, Autoglym, Botny, BiaoBang, CHIEF, Rainbow, Auto Magic, Granitize, PIT, Cougar Chemical, P21S, CARTEC, Swissvax, Anfuke, Collinite, JewelultraAsk a complete & professional report sample, please send message to tinaning@qyresearch.com or visit atTable of contents:1 Car Care Products Market Overview2 Global Car Care Products Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Car Care Products Capacity, Production, Revenue by Regions (2012-2017)4 Global Car Care Products Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)5 Global Car Care Products Production (Ton), Revenue (Million USD), Price Trend by Types6 Global Car Care Products Market Analysis by Applications7 Global Car Care Products Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Car Care Products Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Car Care Products Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 Methodology and Data SourceRelated Reports:Global Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017Europe Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017China Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017India Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017Korea Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017Japan Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017USA Car Care Products Market Research Report 2017Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchContact Person: Tina Ning | Professional Market Research Report PublisherEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com or qyresearcheurope@126.comTel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District Cleaning machines and pH neutral cleaning agents ZESTRONs worldwide innovation At SMT Hybrid Packaging 2017, for the first time ever, ZESTRON will feature state-of-the-art cleaning machines. 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HYDRON SC 300 is a single-phase cleaning agent designed to reliably remove SMT adhesives without leaving streaks after drying.Hall 4, booth 329Headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, ZESTRON a business division of Dr. O.K. Wack Chemie GmbH, is the globally leading provider of high precision cleaning products, services and comprehensive solutions in the electronics industry. With seven technical centers worldwide, cleaning trials can be replicated to the processes conducted on customer sites.It is ZESTRONs philosophy to develop cleaning products that are innovative and unprecedented in the industry, thereby ensuring that our customers always remain one step ahead. More than 20% of ZESTRONs staff is dedicated to our extensive research and development programs, with more than 10% of profit reinvested in this sector. As the innovation leader, we are fully committed to providing the most cost-effective and environmentally sound solutions while meeting all other aspects of cleanliness, reliability and safety requirements.Franz WutzZESTRON Europe...a business division of Dr. O.K. Wack Chemie GmbHBunsenstrae 685053 Ingolstadt, GermanyTel: +49 0841 635-176Fax: +49 0841 635-40Email: franz.wutz@zestron.comMay 2017 Global Canned Food Market Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017-2025 http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-homogenized-composite-food-preparations-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/ http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-homogenized-composite-food-preparations-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/ www.indexbox.co.uk IndexBox has just published a new report "World: Homogenized Composite Food Preparations - Market Report. Analysis and Forecast to 2025" (This report has been designed to provide a detailed analysis of the global canned food market. It covers the most recent data sets of quantitative medium-term projections, as well as developments in production, trade, consumption and prices. The report also includes a comparative analysis of the leading consuming countries, revealing opportunities opened for producers and exporters across the globe. The forecast outlines market prospects to 2025.Countries coverage: WorldwideProduct coverage: Homogenized composite food preparations.Data coverage: Canned food market size and volume; Canned food market trends and prospects; Global canned food production and its dynamics; Per capita consumption; Breakdown of production by region and country; Medium term outlook; Canned food trade (exports/imports); Prices for canned food; Profiles of the main manufacturers.The report will help you: Get a bigger picture of the market; Rewire your business around market trends; Devise your marketing strategy; Operate with increased effectiveness.TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1 REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1 KEY FINDINGS2.2 MARKET TRENDS3. MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 MARKET VOLUME AND VALUE3.2 CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY3.3 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES BY COUNTRY3.4 MARKET FORECAST TO 20254. PRODUCTION4.1 PRODUCTION IN 2007-20154.2 PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY5. IMPORTS5.1 IMPORTS IN 2007-20155.2 IMPORTS BY COUNTRY5.3 IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY6. EXPORTS6.1 EXPORTS IN 2007-20156.2 EXPORTS BY COUNTRY6.3 EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY7. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERSDownload a free sample of the report now!IndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. We conduct market research and publish reports.You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.We collect this data from hundreds of highly reliable sources, verify it and carry out market analysis, uncovering new business opportunities and empowering you with actionable insights.The structure of our reports is intuitive and clear. We do our best to allow you to make strategic decisions and take immediate action. If you want to go further and be a step ahead of the market, just tell us your goals and we will tailor a report to your needs.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QWWebsite: Global Electrophysiology Market 2017- Abbott Laboratories, Biosense Webster, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, GE Healthcare Global Electrophysiology Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2qrevlE https://market.biz/report/global-electrophysiology-market-2017/46220/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Electrophysiology Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Electrophysiology market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Electrophysiology Market Share and Growth.The latest Electrophysiology global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Electrophysiology filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Electrophysiology Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Abbott Laboratories2 Biosense Webster3 Biotronik4 Boston Scientific5 GE Healthcare6 Koninklijke Philips7 Medtronic8 Microport Scientific9 Jude Medical10 SiemensDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Electrophysiology market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Electrophysiology market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Electrophysiology market are discussed in this report.The Electrophysiology report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Electrophysiology market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Electrophysiology market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Global Laundry Appliances Market 2017- Amana, Bosch, Electrolux, Fisher Paykel, Frigidaire Global Laundry Appliances Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2qDbo6R https://market.biz/report/global-laundry-appliances-market-2017/46445/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Laundry Appliances Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Laundry Appliances market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Laundry Appliances Market Share and Growth.The latest Laundry Appliances global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Laundry Appliances filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Laundry Appliances Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Amana2 Bosch3 Electrolux4 Fisher Paykel5 Frigidaire6 GE7 General Electric Company8 Joy Mangano9 Kenmore10 LG11 Maytag12 Miele13 Panasonic14 Rowenta15 Samsung16 Shark17 Speed Queen18 Steamfast19 Summit20 WhirlpoolDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Laundry Appliances market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Laundry Appliances market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Laundry Appliances market are discussed in this report.The Laundry Appliances report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Laundry Appliances market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Laundry Appliances market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- First, I would like to apologize to the Bipartisan Womens group for having to cancel the forum in Stacyville last week; I know it was late notice to many, but we were not sure until Thursday that we would be in session until Saturday. Additionally, I was periodically away from the capitol for almost two weeks dealing with a personal family matter; thus, it has been a month since I last communicated with you. For anyone with questions or concerns, please email me at the email below. Here is some of the legislation passed over the last few weeks. Next week I will give you an overview of the legislative session and the finalized budgets. Senate File 274 is a first step in addressing a skills gap for businesses across state by incentivizing and encouraging school districts to provide quality computer science courses in grades K through 12. It creates standardization across the state for expectations, high-quality components of courses, and training for teachers. It provides new opportunities for licensure and pathways into teaching computer science for tech professionals outside the field. A workgroup is also established to recommend additional ways to provide opportunities to Iowas children to work towards jobs in a high-paying, in-demand career. Over the last decade, the popularity of microbreweries and distilleries, and the products they make, has grown among many Iowans. House File 607 will help continue the growth of the craft beer and spirits industries, creating new jobs and bringing more tourism to Iowa. This legislation brings much-needed parity between the different sectors of Iowas alcohol industry. House Republicans sent a bill to the Governor that requires legislators to contribute more towards their health insurance premiums. This is something House Republicans have voted on 11 times since 2009, but it was never brought to the floor by the Senate. The Legislature has always been following the law, contrary to a false report by the Des Moines Register. The law required legislators to pay the same premium amount as a full-time, non-contract state employee. With the bill, legislators will soon be paying more towards the cost of their health insurance. Thanks to this bill and collective bargaining reform, the health benefits of legislators and all state employees will now require the kind of contribution that many Iowans have come to expect. As technology has advanced over the years, the usage of phones while driving has become increasingly dangerous and distracting. Senate File 234 will make our roads safer by strengthening our texting while driving law by making it a primary offense. This will allow law enforcement to pull over drivers who are texting, sending emails, using social media apps, or doing other distracting activities on their phones. Under existing law, texting and driving is a secondary offense so law enforcement is unable to pull drivers over. The new bill allows drivers to continue to use their phone to make calls, use voice-to-text functions, or use GPS Drunk drivers on Iowas roads present an incredible danger to the Iowans. Senate File 444 implements the 24/7 Sobriety program as a way to combat drunk driving. By voluntarily opting in, participating counties will be able to require repeat offenders and first-time offenders (under certain conditions) to submit to twice daily drug and alcohol tests. Requiring twice daily in-person drug and alcohol tests will hold offenders accountable and encourage them down the path of sobriety to end an addiction to drugs and alcohol. After South Dakota implemented a similar program, drunk and drugged driving re-occurrences were dramatically reduced, saving lives and saving the state money in reduced court and jail costs. Please feel free to contact me anytime at 515-281-3221 (voicemails are forwarded to me) or jane.bloomingdale@legis.iowa.gov. Fuel Cell Market share to grow at 24% CAGR from 2016 to 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/621 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/621 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/automotive-fuel-cell-market https://www.gminsights.com https://gminsights.wordpress.com The research report Fuel Cell Market Size By Application (Stationary, Portable, Transport), By Product (PEMFC, DMFC, SOFC), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S, Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brazil), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2024 Global Market Insights says Fuel Cell Market size is expected to reach USD 25.5 billion by 2024; driven by environment friendly and better alternative than existing options.Global Fuel Cell Market size contributed more than 1,81,000 units in 2015 and projected to record CAGR of higher than 24.1% by end of forecast timeline. Government assistance to set up hydrogen power stations is projected to be main reason promoting the product demand. Growing automobile production by automobile firms has favorably affected the industry growth. Furthermore, strict regulations to encourage zero emissions in automobiles coupled with rising public transport system specifically in Europe is projected to positively affect global fuel cell market trends during forecast timeframe.Request for a sample of this research report @Product InsightsGlobal fuel cell industry is fragmented into proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) product, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) product and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) product.Proton exchange membrane fuel cell product segment produced revenue higher than $2.2 billion for 2015. Factors contributing to segment growth are its uses in transportation and stationery.Direct methanol fuel cells product segment is predicted to record greater than 4.2% of CAGR. It finds its application in portable energy source. Growing demand for portable energy is projected to propel global fuel cell industry growth during forecast timeline.Solid oxide fuel cells product segment is predicted to touch $3.1 billion mark by end of forecast timeline. It provides high efficacy, less emissions, flexibility and stability and is inexpensive. All these factors are predicted to fuel the segment demand.Application InsightsGlobal fuel cell market is fragmented into transport application, stationary application and portable application.Stationary application was evaluated at $2.1 billion in 2015. It leads the global industry due to its effective and environment friendly nature.Portable application is predicted to record more than 7.1% of CAGR during forecast timeline. Rising demand for source of portable charging in consumer electronics like mobiles, laptops and tablets are predicted to fuel the segment expansion.Transportation application is projected to record a revenue growth of more than $1.4 billion by end of forecast timeline with projected CAGR of more than 22.2%. Rise in research and development activities carried out by firms along with government initiatives to combine effective technology in automobiles like trucks, cars and buses is projected to promote segment growth.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Regional InsightsGlobal fuel cell industry is fragmented into geographical locations like Latin America, APAC, MEA, North America and Europe.North America, led by U.S. fuel cell market, produced more than $891 million for 2015 in terms of revenue. The industry in the region is mainly promoted by constant monetary support from department of energy coming from American recovery act. Further, government assistance to encourage renewable energy to regulate carbon emissions in atmosphere is the main aspect driving regional industry development.Europe fuel cell market is anticipated to record higher than 3.6% of CAGR. Sales promotion of fuel cell electric automobiles coupled with massive consumer base is projected to promote industry growth in the region during forecast period.APAC fuel cell industry is anticipated to reach $14.2 billion by end of forecast timeframe and record a CAGR greater than 23.1%. Strict government rules and home powered methods can favorably affect APAC fuel cell market share.Browse Related Reports:Automotive Fuel Cell Market Size By Application (Light Duty Vehicles, Buses, Materials Handling Vehicles) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, South Korea), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 - 2023About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Global Light Weight Coated Paper Market 2017- Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA , UPM, Stora Enso, Norske Skogindustrier ASA Global Light Weight Coated Paper Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2pEi2KR https://market.biz/report/global-light-weight-coated-paper-market-2017/46457/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Light Weight Coated Paper Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Light Weight Coated Paper market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Light Weight Coated Paper Market Share and Growth.The latest Light Weight Coated Paper global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Light Weight Coated Paper filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Light Weight Coated Paper Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA2 UPM3 Stora Enso4 Norske Skogindustrier ASA5 Catalyst Paper6 Sappi7 Nippon Paper8 Verso Corporation9 Kruger Inc.10 Resolute Forest Products11 Evergreen Packaging12 Burgo Group13 Cheng Loong Corp.14 AEC GROUP15 Sumpap IndiaDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Light Weight Coated Paper market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Light Weight Coated Paper market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Light Weight Coated Paper market are discussed in this report.The Light Weight Coated Paper report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Light Weight Coated Paper market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Light Weight Coated Paper market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Global Semiconduct Biosensor Market 2017- Abbott, Johnson &Johnson, Siemens Healthineers, Nova Biomedical, Bayer Global Semiconduct Biosensor Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2qx8EbW https://market.biz/report/global-semiconduct-biosensor-market-2017/46855/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Semiconduct Biosensor Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Semiconduct Biosensor market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Semiconduct Biosensor Market Share and Growth.The latest Semiconduct Biosensor global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Semiconduct Biosensor filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Semiconduct Biosensor Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Abbott2 Johnson &Johnson3 Siemens Healthineers4 Nova Biomedical5 Bayer6 ARKRAY7 MedtronicDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Semiconduct Biosensor market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Semiconduct Biosensor market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Semiconduct Biosensor market are discussed in this report.The Semiconduct Biosensor report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Semiconduct Biosensor market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Semiconduct Biosensor market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Dental Consumables Market 2017 - 2025 Outlook & Forecast, Top Players https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2342 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2342 https://www.tmrresearch.com/dental-consumables-market Global Dental Consumables Market: OverviewThe global dental consumables market is driven by a growing importance for medical esthetics, which is a clinical subspecialty concentrating on the improvement or enhancement of the appearance by making use of cosmetic treatments. A number of MI procedures are used for the enhancement of an individuals appearance. The use of dental implantation among others has become popular for people as they are inclined towards having a healthy and natural appearance. The use of colored braces, invisible orthodontics, colored dentures, and tooth coloration are cosmetic dental procedures that are increasingly becoming popular. This growing trend of medical esthetics is anticipated to propel the global dental consumables market in the forecast period.Global Dental Consumables Market: Key TrendsBy product, the dental implants segment led in 2016 and is most likely to continue in its leading position. Growing popularity of laser treatment and high durability, osseointegration, and biocompatibility of dental implants are behind the growth of this segment. On the basis of end user, the market is led by the dental clinics segment. The use of advanced technologies such as digital dentistry in dental clinics has led to the growth of this segment in the dental consumables market. The collaboration of dental clinics with insurance companies offering dental coverage is also boosting the growth of the segment as this reduces the expenses of dental treatment.Request a Brochure of the Report @Global Dental Consumables Market: Market PotentialCompanies such as Institut Straumann offer a broad range of prosthetics for the restoration of compromised teeth as well as to complete the implant solutions. The company makes use of CADCAM technology for the manufacturing of veneers, in-lays, crowns, on-lays, and bridges. The company also offers digital solutions package, including guided surgery, and intra oral scanning.Dentsply Sirona, another leading player has developed preventive oral care solutions and also provides restorative solutions such as disposables that prevent infection and chemistries that can be used for the whole procedure. These developments help in the optimal workflow and provide comfort for patients.Global Dental Consumables Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global dental consumables market is segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Rest of the World. Of these, the North America dental consumables market is leading at present and is anticipated to continue to lead during the forecast period on account of the enhanced healthcare facilities available in countries such as Canada, the U.S., and Brazil. These countries are taking great efforts to improve the healthcare facilities and also provide dental care services to the population. Medical tourism is another factor which is expected to augment the growth of the global dental consumables market in the coming years.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Dental Consumables Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global dental consumables market is highly fragmented and is characterized by the presence of several regional and established international vendors. Some of the leading vendors operating in the global dental consumables market are: Danaher, Sirona Institut, Dentsply, Zimmer, Biomet, and Straumann. These players are responsible for making the market competition high by developing a wide range of products that make use of advance technology. The players in the market are competing with each other on the basis of device cost, procedure cost, waiting period, and insurance coverage.Some of the other vendors in the market include: 3M, A.B. Dental Devices, 3Shape, ADIN Dental Implant Systems, BioHorizons, Align Technology, Biotech Dental, Carestream Health, Camlog Holding, Cortex Dental, Dentatus, GC, E4D, Glidewell Laboratories, HIOSSEN, Heraeus Holding, Southern Implants, Sweden & Martina, SGS Dental, and TRI Dental Implants.Read Complete Report @About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Global Conducting Polyaniline Market 2017- Lubrizol, 3M, Solvay, Sabic, Eeonyx Global Conducting Polyaniline Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2p7ybak https://market.biz/report/global-conducting-polyaniline-market-2017/48889/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Conducting Polyaniline Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Conducting Polyaniline market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Conducting Polyaniline Market Share and Growth.The latest Conducting Polyaniline global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Conducting Polyaniline filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Conducting Polyaniline Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 Lubrizol2 3M3 Solvay4 Sabic5 Eeonyx6 Enthone7 Danfoss8 Polyone9 KEMETDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Conducting Polyaniline market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Conducting Polyaniline market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Conducting Polyaniline market are discussed in this report.The Conducting Polyaniline report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Conducting Polyaniline market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Conducting Polyaniline market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Lead Acid Battery Market | Industry Outlook Research Report Till 2021 By DecisionDatabases http://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-464 http://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/464-lead-acid-battery-market-report www.decisiondatabases.com DecisionDatabases.com offers Lead Acid Battery Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast Till 2021. This report examines the global lead acid battery market and provides information regarding the revenue (USD Million) for the period 2014 to 2021. It further elaborates the market drivers which contribute to the growth. It then describes the restraints that are faced by the market. The market is classified into various segments with deep analysis of each segment for the study period. Leadacid battery are the oldest type of rechargeable batteries. It has ability to supply high surge current despite having very low energy to weight ratio and a low energy to volume ratio, means that the cells have relatively large power to weight ratio. Along with their low cost, makes it attractive for use in motor vehicles to provide the high current required by automobile starter motors.A glimpse of the major drivers and restraints affecting this market is mentioned below:A. Drivers> Increasing population and increasing globalization there is a tremendous increase in consumption of power.> Use of electronic devices like laptops, TV, computers and etc. is increasing in commercial, educational and residential sectors hence there is increase in the demand for UPS and continuous power supply.> Rising demand for hybrid and electric vehicles.B. Restraints> Alternative power source such as lithium-ion batteries and the rising demand for low-cost, efficient batteries is a restraining factor for market of lead acid battery.> Corrosion of external metal parts due to chemical reaction of the battery terminals, lugs and connectors.> Risks of explosion due to overcharging of batteries.Get FREE Sample Copy of this Report @Report includes a detailed analysis on value chain in order to provide a holistic view of the lead acid battery market. Value chain analysis comprises detailed evaluation of the roles of various players involved in the lead acid battery market industry, from raw material suppliers to end-users.Lead acid battery market attractiveness analysis has been included in order to analyze the application segments that are estimated to be lucrative during the forecast period on the basis of their market size and growth rate. Attractiveness of the market has been derived from market size, profit margin, growth rate, and availability of raw materials, competition, and other factors such as social and legal constraints.The global lead acid battery market has further been segmented based on type such as engine starting, motive power, standby power and valve regulated lead acid battery. The study provides forecast and estimates market for each type in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period from 2015 to 2021. Each type has been further analyzed based on regional and country levels from 2014 to 2021 in terms of volume and revenue. The global lead acid battery market has further been segmented based on application such as industrial, automobile, commercial, residential and power. The study provides forecast and estimates market for each type in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period from 2015 to 2021. Each application has been further analyzed based on regional and country levels from 2014 to 2021 in terms of volume and revenue.In terms of geography, the lead acid battery market has been segmented into regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The study provides a detailed view of country-level aspects of the market on the basis of application segments and estimates the market in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period. The report also offers a competitive landscape of the overall market with company profiles of players such as Enersys, Exide Technology, Johnson Controls Inc. and Dixon batteries.A detailed description of the each company has been included and includes information in terms of headquarters, inception, stock listing, upcoming capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, and recent developments provides a thorough idea about the competitive positioning of market players. The report also provides lead acid battery market market's Mergers/acquisitions, Partnerships, Collaborations, New product launches, new product developments and other industry developments.View More about Lead Acid Battery Market Research Report @About Us:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web: Latest Market Analysis: Global Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017 http://www.qyresearcheurope.com/goods-515918.html http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/ This report studies the Automotive Smart Seating System market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top manufacturers in global and major regions, and splits the Automotive Smart Seating System market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Automotive Smart Seating System market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.The major players in global Automotive Smart Seating System market include Johnson Controls, Lear, Faurecia, Continental, DURA Automotive Systems, Magna International, Toyota Boshoku, TS, DYMOS, Company ten, Sitech .Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Automotive Smart Seating System in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaIndiaOn the basis of product, the Automotive Smart Seating System market is primarily split intoLCVsLuxury CarsHCVsOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report coversOEMAftermarketAsk a complete & professional report sample, please send message to tinaning@qyresearch.com or visit atTable of contents:1 Automotive Smart Seating System Market Overview2 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Capacity, Production, Revenue by Regions (2012-2017)4 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)5 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Production (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price Trend by Types6 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Market Analysis by Applications7 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Automotive Smart Seating System Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Automotive Smart Seating System Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 Methodology and Data SourceRelated Reports:Global Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017Europe Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017China Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017India Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017Korea Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017Japan Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017USA Automotive Smart Seating System Market Research Report 2017Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchContact Person: Tina Ning | Professional Market Research Report PublisherEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com or qyresearcheurope@126.comTel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District Global Structured Cabling System Market 2017- CommScope, Inc., Nexans S.A, Panduit Corp., Legrand, Corning, Inc. Global Structured Cabling System Market 2017 http://bit.ly/2qqI9Yw https://market.biz/report/global-structured-cabling-system-market-2017/50938/ https://market.biz/ http://firstnewshawk.com/ The Worldwide Structured Cabling System Report does an extensive study of the Market Segment, Product categories, market revenue, product cost, Forecast 2017-2022. After that, the Global Structured Cabling System market 2017 Report is segregated into different categories based on geographical regions, key vendors and range of applications. The report also studies the Structured Cabling System Market Share and Growth.The latest Structured Cabling System global report presents insightful details related to the current scenario of the market. The report labeled Structured Cabling System filters out the crucial factors having an impact on the growth of the market. Present market trends along with future growth opportunities have been covered in depth in this report.Competitive Landscape View of Global Structured Cabling System Market 2017 and Dominant Sellers -1 CommScope, Inc.2 Nexans S.A.3 Panduit Corp.4 Legrand5 Corning, Inc.6 Belden, Inc.7 ABB Ltd.8 Schneider Electric SE9 Panduit Corp.10 SiemonDo Inquiry Before Buying Report Here:The report then discusses the distinct characteristics of the Structured Cabling System market and analyses the different market segments. Particularly, the report focuses on the progress of the Structured Cabling System market in regions like (US, EU, China and Japan). Other regions can be added conveniently. Different aspects that have the direct or indirect impact on Structured Cabling System market are discussed in this report.The Structured Cabling System report then evaluates the market based on product definition, categorization, applications and key players. Some major industry players are profiled in this report along with their business overview, revenue segmentation, their contribution in market share, consumer volume and production capacity. The Structured Cabling System market size, gross market share and potential users are covered at length in this report.Buy Complete Report Here (To Get Fast Access):Hence, this report is an important guide for all readers including established players, new players and all individuals interested in gaining knowledge about Structured Cabling System market.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Contact Us:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor,Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, PuneMaharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Web:Email: inquiry@market.bizBrowse Latest News- Drug Rescue Market: Business Challenges, Emerging Technologies & Competitive Landscape http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/drug-rescue-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=20807 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Drug rescue is also termed as rescue medicines. These are given only when needed or in emergency cases. Drug which is given to counter or block the effect of other medicines are called as rescue medicines. Rescue medications are often used for asthma, in chemotherapy, in severe allergies, in epilepsy, etc. These are fast acting or quick acting medications. Rescue medicines are used in severe asthma attack, migraine attack, or in severe allergy reaction and help to save lives. In clinical trials, rescue medicines are given with a drug to control the alleviated symptoms of the study treatment or lack of disease efficiency. The effect of rescue drugs are not long lasting, but these quickly stop the symptoms of study drug.The drug rescue market has been segmented based on drug class, indication, route of administration, and distribution channel. In terms of drug class, the market has been segmented into antiepileptics, analgesics, antinauseants, muscle relaxants, and bronchodilators.Obtain Report Details:Based on indication, the drug rescue market has been categorized into asthma, migraine, epilepsy, cancer, hypertension, cardiac attack, and others. Rescue medicines prevent asthma attack quickly. Bronchodilators are the generally used medication in asthma. Bronchodilators help open the airways by dilating the bronchi and enable a patient to breathe more easily. Migraine is another medical condition where rescue medications are widely used. Migraine attacks are disabling and severe. Several over-the-counter or prescription medicines are available to stop a migraine attack. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen or drugs containing caffeine are the most common rescue medicines for migraine.Benzodiazepines are the most common rescue medicines for seizures or epilepsy attack. Benzodiazepine is a fast acting drug and starts work quickly once it gets into the bloodstream to prevent seizures. Benzodiazepines are available in different forms such chewing pills, oral tablet, or nasal sprays. The most common benzodiazepines used as rescue medications are diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam. Intravenous treatment is given in hypertension and cardiac emergencies. These directly go into the bloodstream and 100% bioavailability can be achieved by intravenous route. Sodium nitroprusside, nitroglycerin, labetalol, and nicardipine are the commonly used drugs for hypertension.In terms of route of administration, the drug rescue market has been segmented into oral, parenteral, sublingual, nasal, and rectal. Nasal route is the widely used route of administration for asthma and epilepsy attacks. Drugs given through nasal route have fast effect. The smaller mist particles directly go in systemic circulation and act quickly. Intravenous route is given in severe conditions when other route of administration do not work.Based on distribution channel, the drug rescue market has been segmented into hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies. Retail pharmacies is widely used distribution channel as many over-the-counter rescue drugs are also available. Growth of the online pharmacies segment is likely to boost the market during the forecast period.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report:In terms of region, the drug rescue market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is projected to account for the major share of the drug rescue market owing to increasing incidence of severe and chronic medical conditions. The rising geriatric population is also anticipated to boost the growth of the market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is the most progressive region for the drug rescue market due to increasing over-the-counter rescue medicines in the region.Major factor boosting the growth of this market include rising demand for quick treatment for severe medical conditions. However, the increasing side effects of rescue medicines is likely to restrain the drug rescue market.Major players in the drug rescue market are Bioneer Corporation, VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Teva Pharmaceutical Industry Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., and UCB Group of Companies.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: China Agricultural Equipment Market Forecast http://www.renub.com/china-agricultural-equipment-market-sales-volume-forecast-and-opportunity-470-p.php http://www.renub.com China is the most promising country for the agricultural equipment industry, with an increasing demand for larger-sized machines (40+hp), enhanced by the growing trend of farm concentration, the expansion of farms cooperatives and the increase in land rental practices.The agricultural equipment market in China has made great achievements and Chinas production of agricultural equipment has grown along with agricultural development in general. It is expected that China agricultural equipment market will be more than US$ 16 Billion by the year 2020. Large & Medium Tractors is having the highest market share in 2014 and this segment is likely to lead the market by the year 2020.In terms of volume share Large & Medium towing farm machinery controls the sales volume share in 2014. The Small Farm Tractors sales volume in China is expected to rise by 8 times by the year 2020 from the sales volume in the year of 2014. The future market potential for agricultural equipment in China is sound, and provides manufacturers with ample scope to capitalize on emerging opportunities.The report titled "China Agricultural Equipment Market, Sales Volume Forecast & Opportunity provides a comprehensive analysis of the China Agricultural Equipment covering in detail various aspects such as number of Agriculture Equipment Sales Volume, Agriculture Equipment Market and share of the China Agricultural Equipment in terms of Market and Sales Volume.This 60 page report with 36 Figures & 6 Tables provides a complete analysis of China Agricultural Equipment Market. All the Agriculture Equipment in the report has been studied from 2 viewpoints.1. Sales Volume of Agricultural Equipment2. Agricultural Equipment MarketDownload full Report:Contact UsRajat GuptaBusiness Development ManagerEmail: info@renub.comPhone: +1-678-302-0700 (USA), +91-120-421-9822 (India)Web:Renub Research is a leading Market Research and Information Analysis Company with centers at Noida India and Roswell USA. We have long-term experience especially in international Business-to-Business Researches, Surveys, Business and Consulting. Throughout the years we have acquired expertise in most market sectors, including Information Technology (IT), Telecoms, Life Sciences, Medical & Pharmaceuticals, Financial Services (Banking, Insurance, Reinsurance, M&A, etc.), Energy, Chemicals, Automotive, Retail, FMCG, Consumer Goods, Logistics, Governmental, Social, and Others.Our core team is comprised of an experienced people holding graduate, post graduate and Ph.D. degrees in Finance, Marketing, Human Resource, Bio-Technology, Medicine, Information Technology, Environmental Science and many more. Our research help make the business decisions: on strategy, organization, operations, technology, mergers & acquisitions etc. We support many blue chip companies by providing them findings and perspectives across a wide range of markets. Our research reports offer a blend of information insight, analysis and forecasting that is essential in todays ultra-competitive markets.225 Kristie Ln, Roswell, GA 30076, United States INDEPENDENCE A television reporter has been cited for contempt of court for recording the first court appearance by reality star Chris Soules after his arrest for leaving the scene of a fatal accident, though in a thread on social media insisted she had verbal permission from the judge. The Buchanan County Attorneys Office filed a contempt claim against Elizabeth Nazanin Amanieh of KWWL on Monday for allegedly ignoring a judges directions to not shoot video of the proceeding. The video was posted on the KWWL website hours after the court session and has been featured in broadcasts about Soules arrest in the April 24 crash that killed Kenneth Mosher of Aurora. According to the contempt application and an affidavit of Assistant County Attorney Jenalee Zaputil, Amanieh asked Judge Linda Fangman if she could shoot live video during the proceeding, and Fangman responded only still photos would be allowed. The defendant used her cell phone during said hearing, and it was later reported that the defendant was using her cell phone to take video of the initial appearance hearing, despite the verbal order she had previously received from Judge Fangman, Zaputil wrote in her affidavit. When viewers on Twitter asked how KWWL got permission to post the video April 25, Assignment Editor Nikki Newbrough initially responded that Amanieh did not need permission for an initial appearance. Amanieh then responded in that thread that the judge had given her permission. KWWL News Director Shane Moreland said Tuesday he hadnt seen the contempt claim and couldnt comment on the matter. Im not going to have any comment on any kind of legal proceeding. I just cant do that. It would be up to our attorneys to handle, Moreland said. The exclusive video shows Soules seated in day-glow jail garb answering questions posed by Fangman while his attorney appeared by phone. Zaputil can be seen asking for a cash-only bond. The six-minute video appears to cover the whole proceeding. Iowa courts allow photos, videos, audio recordings and other electronic coverage of legal proceedings after a media representative submits a written expanded media application and a judge approves it. In the case of initial appearances, which traditionally happen the day following an arrest where little time is available to file applications, judges are allowed to grant permission for cameras and recordings without a written application. In Soules April 24 initial appearance, Fangman said she would allow still photos but not video, even though there was no written expanded media application, according to court records. Reporters are allowed to take notes on court hearings where there is no expanded media permission. Contempt involving district courts is punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in jail. Online Survey Software Market Expected Advancements & Global Industry Analysis 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2348 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2348 https://www.tmrresearch.com/online-survey-software-market Global Online Survey Software Market: OverviewThe ever-changing consumer behaviour patterns and the increasing need among sellers to understand it has largely fueled the growth of the global online survey software market. The growing e-commerce activity that is indicative of the fluctuating and changing consumer spending habits can be effectively scrutinized through online survey software. Widespread internet penetration and the improving access to high-speed internet have drastically propelled the demand for online products and services. Additionally, the increasing expenditure on online marketing have resulted in surveys being conducted to allow companies to reach out to a wider audience in the remotest areas. All of these factors will be collectively responsible for the soaring revenues of the global online survey software market in the near future.Global Online Survey Software Market: Key TrendsThe global online survey software market is likely to witness intense competition in the coming years due to a presence of large number of national and international players in the market. These companies are expected to compete on the basis of technologies, product differentiation, services, quality, and price modeling among others. The geographical reach of these companies is also projected to be instrumental in defining the growth of the global online survey software market.Request a Brochure of the Report @Currently, the key users of global online survey software are market research firms, manufacturing units, financial services, and the retail sector. Of these, the market research firms hold a lions share in the global market and are expected to dominate in the revenue contributions in the coming years as well. Market research firms extensively use online software solutions, implementation of advanced software, data analytics tools, cloud-based online survey software, along with other features to implement web-based surveys for qualitative and quantitative analysis for various products and services. Analysts project that advantages such as efficient management of complex market research projects, swift data collection, ability to collect responses from global respondents, and tremendous help in generating accurate report based on the collected information is making these software famous amongst market research firms.Global Online Survey Software Market: Market PotentialExpansion is expected to be an important move for several online survey software companies. For instance, US-based Qualtrics stated that it intends to expand to Asia Pacific region along with its plans to tap into the Australian market. In line with this move, the company plans to open offices in Brisbane, Singapore, and Japan in the coming few years. The talk about Qualtrics going public has also been going around in the industry. Qualtrics recently announced the launch of its new product, the XM Platform, which brings together brand, product, employee, and customer experience to help users understand their consumers better.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Online Survey Software Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographic point of view, the global online survey software market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. The Americas held a dominant share in the global market in 2016. The region is estimated to continue its dominance in the coming years due to a high adoption rate of technology. Users are opting for cloud-based online surveys as opposed to on-premise methods due to their convenience and ease of access. The online survey software market in the Americas will also be propelled by the strong presence of leading players in the region.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the leading players operating in the global online survey software market are CloudCherry, Getfeedback, Campaign Monitor, Medallia, Inqwise, QuestionPro, SoGoSurvey, Toluna, Zoho, SurveyGizmo, Confirmit, Qualtrics, and SurveyMonkey.Read Complete Report @About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Global Offshore Wind Energy Market Rides on Improvement in Total Installed Capacity and Capacity Additions http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1064492 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressrelease/4347 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ The Report Global Offshore Wind Energy Market - Analysis By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2016-2021) - By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, ROW); By Country (US, Canada, Germany, U.K., Sweden, Netherland, Belgium, Denmark,, China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil) provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"The global offshore wind energy market is prophesied to rise at an aggressive rate on the back of the swiftly growing worldwide total installed capacity, according to a market research report added by MarketResearchReports.biz. The report is titled as Global Offshore Wind Energy Market - Analysis By Region, By Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2016-2021) - By Region (North America, Europe, APAC, and ROW); By Country (US, Canada, Germany, U.K., Sweden, Netherland, Belgium, Denmark,, China, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil).Plentitude of energy resources, mammoth coastal regions, and an elevating demand for clean energy are some of the top factors anticipated to set the tone for the growth of the world offshore wind energy market. During the forecast years, the world offshore wind energy market could receive a telling impetus on account of the amplification of capacities and investments supported by promising regulatory frameworks and incentive mechanisms. Besides this, the demand in the world offshore wind energy market could be aggravated because of a range of advantages over onshore wind energy activities.The development of the international offshore wind energy market could be impeded because of the upsurge in capital expenses arresting brisk addition of capacities. However, turbine costs, installation expenditures, cabling expenses, and other costs within the entire value chain of the international offshore wind energy market are predicted to be reduced. Howbeit, cost reduction may depend on expected capacity additions performed annually. As a result, the international offshore wind energy market could be required to engage in a perpetual competition against other forms of renewable energy technology including its onshore equivalent.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @With wind energy associations, monetary support offered by banks in Europe, and government subsidies in full flow, the international offshore wind energy market is envisaged to attract a staggering growth in North America. Government subsidies coupled with colossal investments by native firms are foretold to bode well for countries such as South Korea in Asia Pacific and Germany in Europe. The U.K., Belgium, and Denmark could be other nations fortifying the higher growth of the Europe offshore wind energy market. Whereas, the Netherlands and France could be the star countries helping Europe to attain a strong position in the offshore wind energy market with advancement in annual capacity additions.View Press Release @China is foreseen to bolster the Asia Pacific offshore wind energy market with specific project targets set to achieve during the forecast period. Rest of the World and North America geographies are forecasted to be on the slower side of the offshore wind energy market.Amongst key players that are expected to an oath to exceed expectations in the worldwide offshore wind energy market are Vestas, Suzlon, General Electric, Vattenfall, Siemens, Senvion, ABB Group, Nordex, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Dong Energy.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Folio3 Awarded 2017 SuiteCommerce Partner Of The Year Award By Oracle NetSuite Palo Alto based NetSuite partner honored at SuiteWorld 2017 for having the highest number of satisfied SuiteCommerce customers http://www.netsuite.com http://suitecommerce.folio3.com/ Palo Alto based NetSuite partner honored at SuiteWorld 2017 for having the highest number of satisfied SuiteCommerce customersPalo Alto, California Folio3 announced today that it had been awarded the 2017 SuiteCommerce Partner of the Year Award by the Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit (GBU), the industry's leading provider of cloud financials / ERP and omni-channel commerce software suites. The award, announced at SuiteWorld 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada, honored Folio3 for their outstanding achievement of having delivered the highest number of ecommerce solutions on the NetSuite platform, among all of NetSuites Commerce Agency Partners.Folio3 has been a NetSuite partner for nine years and has delivered NetSuite implementations, customizations, integrations, ecommerce and mobility solutions to more than 100 customers. As an authorized NetSuite Commerce Agency Partner and a certified SuiteCommerce Advanced Digital Agency, Folio3 offers design, implementation, integration and customization services to SuiteCommerce Advanced and Site Builder customers.We are extremely proud and honored to receive formal recognition from NetSuite, for the strong partnership we have forged around SuiteCommerce Advanced said Adnan Lawai, CEO of Folio3. This award is indicative of Folio3s position as the number one SuiteCommerce partner across the world.Folio3s award winning team of tenured NetSuite experts includes NetSuite certified developers, program managers and ERP implementation consultants. By leveraging its expertise and experience of implementing NetSuites back office and frontend SuiteCommerce solutions, Folio3 provides NetSuite customers with unified, ecommerce solutions that not only deliver exceptional shopping experiences on their web stores, but are also tailored to their brand and business.Umair Khan, Chairman of Folio3 said "This award is a tremendous achievement. With SuiteCommerce Advanced, NetSuite has delivered a truly exceptional, enterprise class ecommerce platform that allows us to create a truly great customer experience for our clients, and we are excited to be leading the way.About Oracle NetSuite Global Business UnitOracle NetSuite Global Business Unit, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oracle, pioneered the Cloud Computing revolution in 1998, establishing the world's first company dedicated to delivering business applications over the Internet. Today, Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit provides a suite of cloud-based financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and omni-channel commerce software that runs the business of companies in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visitFolio3 is a software development partner for entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies that specializes in building NetSuite enterprise applications, ecommerce and mobility solutions. As a NetSuite Commerce Agency Partner and SuiteCommerce Advanced Certified Digital Agency, Folio3 specializes in the design, implementation, integration and customization of NetSuites SuiteCommerce Advanced and Site Builder ecommerce platforms. For more information about Folio3s SuiteCommerce development services, please visitSaud GhausMarketing Managermsaud@folio3.comFolio3 Software Inc.941 E. Charleston Road, Suite 101, Palo Alto, CA, 94303suitecommerce.folio3.com Gynecology Surgical Devices Market : Emerging Trends and New Technologies Research 2017 - 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2357 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2357 https://www.tmrresearch.com/gynecology-surgical-devices-market Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: OverviewGynecology devices are used for the treatment of diseases and disorders related to the female reproductive system. Some of the commonly used devices are endoscopy devices, ablation systems, female sterilization and contraceptive devices, and fluid management system. The demand for female sterilization and contraceptive devices is expected to remain strong over the coming years, owing to the increasing emphasis on family planning. These devices are used across hospitals, fertility and specialty gynecology clinics, and ambulatory surgical center (ASCs).Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Key TrendsThe expanding base of women suffering from gynecological disorders is by far the leading factor stimulating the growth of the global market for gynecology surgical devices. Lifestyle-related factors such as unsafe intercourse, smoking, and obesity are leading to the greater chances of gynecological disorders. The growing inclination towards minimally invasive surgical procedures is working in favor of the market. Merits of these procedures such as reduction in hospital stay, recovery time, and postoperative pain aid in enhancing the overall surgical results. Moreover, the increasing healthcare expenditure and rapid technological advancements are stoking the growth of the gynecology surgical devices market.Request a Brochure of the Report @However, the high cost of surgical procedures is hampering the uptake of gynecology surgical devices. Furthermore, delays in the approvals of these devices by regulatory authorities are keeping the market from realizing its utmost potential.Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Market PotentialA raft of players are looking at mergers and acquisitions as a growth strategy to enable greater innovation and geographic reach. The market is, therefore, expected to witness rise in the trend of mergers and acquisitions. A case in point is Medtronic, which in May 2016, acquired Smith and Nephews gynecology business for US$350 mn. The acquisition is said to expand the existing gynecology portfolio of Medtronic and will give the company golden opportunities to further develop and explore global therapies and solutions. Such acquisitions are anticipated to improve the way gynecology surgeries are performed, thereby rendering the global gynecology surgical devices market highly opportunistic.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Geographical SegmentationThe segments analyzed in the report on the basis of geography are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America represents a large share in the global arena. The large-scale availability of technologically advanced computer-guided screening tests and favorable regulatory policies are contributing to the growth of the region. Extensive research practices and high disposable income of the populace are also fuelling the growth of North America.Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is likely to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The growth of the region can be improving healthcare infrastructure and rising consumer disposable income. The growing prevalence of gynecological disorders along with the increasing awareness regarding the benefits of early diagnosis of such problems is benefiting the growth of the region. The flourishing growth of the medical tourism sector is also encouraging the growth of APAC.Read Complete Report @Global Gynecology Surgical Devices Market: Market PotentialThe global gynecology surgical devices market is a highly competitive arena, comprising of many international and regional players. A large number of players are involved in mergers and acquisitions in order to set up a strong product line. The growing investments by fertility centers and hospitals in the development of efficient and reliable gynecological surgical devices are luring in new players to venture into the market. Some of the prominent companies operating in the market are Olympus Medical, Medtronic, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richard Wolf, MedGyn Products, Karl Storz, Minerva Surgical, Boston Scientific, NovaTract Surgical, CooperSurgical, CONMED, Hologic, Carl Zeiss Meditec, and Intuitive Surgical.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market by Component Type, Deployment Type, Services and Verticals https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2360 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2360 https://www.tmrresearch.com/legal-process-outsourcing-services-market Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: OverviewThe global legal process outsourcing (LPO) services market is driven by the increasing proliferation of risk management practices. There are several challenges faced by companies across the globe, which includes risk factors pertaining to technological, economic, and operational factors in internal and external businesses. This is expected to push companies across the globe to opt for legal process outsourcing, which allows companies to focus on other important aspects of their businesses, which can otherwise be obstructed on account of key resources being used for handling legal processes.Legal process outsourcing offer risk management processes and legal outsourcing services, which can help ward off potential business threats. Thus, many organizations are implementing risk management solutions, which are proving to be beneficial for them. This is expected to heighten the demand for legal process outsourcing services, to handle and manage risks.Request a Brochure of the Report @Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Key TrendsIt is estimated that contract management outsourcing will hold key shares in the market during the forecast period. The reason behind the increasing demand for contract management outsourcing is its use in several processes such as the review and analysis of contracts, summarization of contracts, contractual risk analysis, paper and electronic document integration, and for quality management processes. In addition to this, contract management solutions also help in the verification of the contracts to check if they are ready for auditing.Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Market PotentialPredictive coding integration with legal process outsourcing services is expected to push the growth of the market in the coming years. LPO services are being delivered by making use of predictive coding technology. Advanced analytics are also being used by legal process outsourcing services for their delivery. Both predictive coding technology and advanced analytics are being used to co-ordinate IT departments and litigation support so as to manage the litigation support services cycle. Companies such as Legal Advantage combine accuracy, dependability, and client service for retaining their clients.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global legal process outsourcing services market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Of these, North America not only led in this market in the past but is also leading currently, and will continue to do so in the coming years. It is the presence of a large number of prominent players in North America, which is expected to be behind the high growth of the legal process outsourcing services market. These players are offering legal services at very low wages and this is encouraging an increasing number of organizations to adopt legal process outsourcing services, thus boosting the growth of the market in the region.Global Legal Process Outsourcing Services Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global legal process outsourcing services market is highly diversified. The market is also characterized by intense competition. There exist a large number of international and regional players operating in the legal process outsourcing services market. Players are adopting the strategy of beating each other by competing in the pricing of legal services provided. Players are also striving to expand their product portfolio. Some of the other areas of focus by key players include IT security, compliance, innovation, acquiring domain expertise, and offering LPO service quality. All these factors are keeping vendors in constant competition and is encouraging the growth of the global legal process outsourcing services market.Read Complete Report @Some of the key players in the global legal process outsourcing services market are Clutch, Capita, Infosys, Capgemini, Cobra Legal Solutions, Integreon, Cobra Legal Solutions, QuisLex, Mindcrest, UnitedLex, CPA Global, HCL Technologies, Exigent, Legal Advantage, NewGalexy, LegalBase, Nextlaw Labs, WNS, and Wipro.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Global Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022- Boehringer Ingelheim, Lonza, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies USA http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1020831&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-biologics-contract-manufacturings-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.This examination looks at the global Biologics Contract Manufacturings market in a persistent way by explaining the main features of the market that are relied upon to hold a sizeable impact on its improvements over the given time frame. The key drivers of the market's development, restrictions, and patterns affecting the global Biologics Contract Manufacturings market are surveyed in extraordinary detail, notwithstanding a subjective and quantitative examination relating to the anticipated effect of these elements on its development prospects sooner rather than later.The vast volumes of data on the Biologics Contract Manufacturings by and large makes it an intense undertaking to take it down to the exceptionally significant bits of data and the genuine bits applicable to the present business issues in the market. Many organizations are additionally known to not have the fundamental committed assets and aptitude for taking up an illustrative statistical surveying in view of recorded information. Centered statistical surveying procedures can help these associations in framing clearer thoughts on their business systems and gather significant stakes in the market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @A sweeping volume of information concerning the basic components of the Biologics Contract Manufacturings that can impact its extent of development is given in the report. The report in this manner makes for an exceptionally useful review and can successfully permit organizations and their leads in tending to the main difficulties that as of now control the market, and deliberately increase greatest conceivable advantages inside the profoundly focused market scene.The report likewise gives data on the current improvements in items and innovations as currently visible in the market, alongside an examination of the general impact that these progressions may have on any future advancements. The report likewise offers its clients a 360-degree examination of the competitive situation in the Biologics Contract Manufacturings. This is legitimate for organizations of all sizes and development levels inside the worldwide Biologics Contract Manufacturings market and helps different associations get a handle on the main dangers and openings that sellers regularly need to manage.Table of ContentGlobal Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Biologics Contract Manufacturings1.1 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Overview1.1.1 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Biologics Contract Manufacturings 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 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market by Type1.3.1 Antisense1.3.2 Cell Therapy1.3.3 Gene Therapy1.3.4 Growth Factors1.3.5 Interferon's1.3.6 Monoclonal Antibodies1.3.7 Recombinant Hormones1.3.8 RNA Interferences1.3.9 Vaccines1.3.10 Other1.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Hospitals1.4.2 Clinics1.4.3 Other2 Global Biologics Contract Manufacturings Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Biologics Contract Manufacturings 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 FutureFor more information on this report, fill the form @3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Boehringer Ingelheim3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Lonza3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies USA3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Celonic AG3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 AutekBio Co Ltd3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 WuXiAppTec3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Kemwell Biopharma3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Shasun Pharma3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Intas Pharmaceuticals3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Biologics Contract Manufacturings Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Syngene3.12 Piramal Pharma Solutions3.13 AAIPharma Services3.14 Alpax Pharmaceuticals3.15 Cantab Biopharmaceuticals Ltd3.16 3P Biopharmaceuticals3.17 BIBITEC GmbH4 Global Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Biologics Contract Manufacturings in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Biologics Contract Manufacturings5 United States Biologics Contract Manufacturings Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)6 EU Biologics Contract Manufacturings Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Biologics Contract Manufacturings Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Interventional Oncology Market : Outlook, Forecast and Analysis up to 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2375 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2375 https://www.tmrresearch.com/interventional-oncology-market Global Interventional Oncology Market: OverviewInterventional oncology, a subspecialty of interventional radiology, finds application in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and cancer-related problems. It is an image-guided, minimally-invasive technique conducted by trained experts. Most procedures are either outpatient or require an overnight stay in the hospital. Recovery time is also minimal. Some of the popular procedures used are intra-arterial therapies, ablative therapies, pain palliation, and neoadjuvant (pre-operative) procedures.A report by TMR research studies the global market for oncology intervention in details by factoring in current and historical data. It presents a qualitative analysis of the growth drivers and restraints and also projects it growth trajectory in the future.Request a Brochure of the Report @Global Interventional Oncology Market: Key TrendsFanning growth in the global interventional oncology market is the increasing instances of liver, lung, stomach, colorectal, and breast cancer worldwide. This has upped demand for minimally invasive procedures to treat or eliminate cancerous cells. On account of their targeted nature that cause little damage to adjacent tissues and organs, cause little complications, and result in a shorter recovery time, minimally invasive techniques in interventional oncology has stolen a march over alternative cancer treatments such as conventional surgeries, systematic chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, and systematic chemotherapy.Additionally, the rising combination of image-guided solutions with interventional oncology procedures will also likely stoke the global market for interventional oncology in the next couple of years.Global Interventional Oncology Market: Market PotentialThe global market for interventional oncology is primed for healthy growth in the foreseeable future. A growing thrust on pairing up interventional oncology drugs with device-based interventional oncology procedures could make the procedure mainstream soon. This would likely provide a major fillip to the market.Request for TOC of the Report @Depending upon procedure and analysis, the global market for interventional oncology can be segmented into ablation and embolization. Of the two, the interventional oncology embolization segment holds a leading share in the market and would continue doing so in the near future. This is because of the rising need for minimally invasive procedures in the treatment of cancer, uptake of embolization procedures by hospitals and ASCs, and direct selling of embolization products, namely DC Bead, Bead Block, and DC Bead M1.Global Interventional Oncology Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the key segments of the market are the Americas, Asia Pacific, and the Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Among them, the Americas hold a leading position and will continue doing so in the upcoming years as well on account of the rising instances of cancer, increasing application of minimally invasive procedures, technological progress such as robotic navigation systems, and effective medical reimbursement policies. Increasing support from the government and other organizations for research and developmental activities is also expected to bode well for the market in the region.Read Complete Report @Global Smart Plug Market: Competitive AnalysisThe global market for interventional oncology is highly competitive and diversified because of the presence of numerous regional and international vendors worldwide. The market is highly dynamic on account of rapid technological advancements and unveiling of new products from time to time. All of these are also serving to intensify the competition in the market. Many savvy vendors are leveraging advanced technologies to improve their product portfolio, bring out innovative products, and enhance patient satisfaction. This has helped them outsmart new entrants. Some of the key players profiled in the report are Boston Scientific, Medtronic, BTG, TERUMO, and Merit Medical.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission System Market Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026 MRRSE http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2812 http://www.mrrse.com/high-voltage-direct-current-hvdc-transmission-systems-market https://plus.google.com/u/0/109558601025749677847/posts https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrrse https://twitter.com/MRRSEmrrse Albany, New York, May 3, 2017: Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has included a new study titled, Global Market Study on Air Cargo Security & Screening Systems-Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 2024.High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission system is fast gaining popularity and increased adoption ever since the first test line was developed in Sweden more than seventy years ago. Since then, major technological changes and cutting-edge research has taken place the world over to refine the HVDC VSC technology. As it is rightly said, necessity is the mother of invention, and this new technology was long overdue because of the inherent drawbacks of the conventional AC grid. The status quo in power transmission has been challenged by major developments in the market such as increased generation of power by renewable energy, new requirements from the power market and the deteriorating environmental impact. However, the new HVDC technology based on the Voltage Source Converter (VSC) is an attractive way of transmitting electricity that can overcome all the challenges listed above. The HVDC VSC technology for transmission gives independent control of active and reactive power and the reaction time for response in cases where it is needed is also fast. In addition, future technological developments have ensured that power transmission companies capitalise on the advantages this technology offers and eliminate the drawbacks such as high losses.Request For Sample Report :Revenue generated by the global HVDC transmission system market is estimated to reach more than US$ 6,000 Mn by 2016, witnessing an increase of 7.7% over 2015. VSC technology is estimated to hold the largest value share among the different technologies used in HVDC transmission systems. Future Market Insights forecasts the global HVDC transmission system market to register an 8.8% CAGR during the projected period 2016-2026, and reach nearly US$ 14,400 Mn in revenues by 2026 end.Increasing global demand for power set to drive the global HVDC transmission system marketNeed to eliminate blackouts caused due to transmission of faults and increasing demand for power are some of the major factors expected to drive the growth of the global HVDC transmission system market. Solutions sub-segment dominates the system components segment, however services sub-segment is expected to register the highest CAGR over the forecast period. This is owing to the fact that many of the previously established systems need to be upgraded.VSC sub segment is estimated to increase at the highest growth rate during the assessment periodIn the technology segment, VSC sub segment is estimated to increase at highest growth rate over the assessment period, followed by others sub segment. VSC technology uses insulated gate bipolar transistors which cover the drawbacks caused by conventional methods, and are thus gaining popularity. Capacitor commutated converters are gaining popularity and are expected to significantly contribute to the growth of the others sub segment.Some pertinent market figures of the VSC segmentIn 2015, the VSC segment was valued at more than US$ 3,000 Mn and is estimated to reach nearly US$ 3,500 Mn by the end of 2016, reflecting a Y-o-Y growth rate of 9.1%By 2026, the VSC segment is expected to reach a value of nearly US$ 9,000 Mn, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.2% during the projected periodThe VSC segment is forecast to create incremental $ opportunity of nearly US$ 5,500 Mn between 2016 and 2026Moreover, the VSC segment is expected to register high Y-o-Y growth rates throughout the forecast period.Browse Full Report with TOC :Applications of VSC technologyHVDC transmission systems based on VSC technology are gaining popularity as they prove to be beneficial in applications such as connecting wind farms to power grids and linking asynchronous grids for underground power transmission among others.ABB Ltd. and Siemens AG are introducing HVDC transmission systems based on VSC technology owing to its increasing popularity among utility companies. Another recent trend in the technology segment for HVDC transmission systems is the introduction of capacitor commutated converters (CCC), which provides benefits such as eliminating the need for using large shunts and utilising low reactive power.Market Research Reports Search Engine(MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comGoogle+:Linked in:Twitter: New Study on Global Drug Delivery Technologies - Innovation Driven by Rapidly Expanding Injectables Market and Increasing Usage of Complex Biologics during the Forecast Period http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=889455 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=889455 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Drug Delivery Technologies - Innovation Driven by Rapidly Expanding Injectables Market and Increasing Usage of Complex Biologics during the Forecast Period" to its huge collection of research reports.GBI Researchs latest report, ""Global Drug Delivery Technologies Innovation Driven by Rapidly Expanding Injectables Market and Increasing Usage of Complex Biologics during the Forecast Period"" discusses the drug delivery technologies and trends in the market and the evolving business strategies being adopted and leveraged by companies globally. The ultimate goal of drug delivery research is to develop formulations and devices that can be used in clinical applications to treat various diseases. Delivering a drug with the desired release kinetics requires an understanding of the underlying physicochemical properties of the drug, which determine the type of delivery material and drug release mechanism. Numerous parameters need to be considered, and their inter-dependence has to be taken into account to develop successful drug delivery systems for the intended applications. It is important to understand the complexity associated with the development of a drug delivery system that can ultimately be used in human patients. The report covers the currently available drug delivery technologies and recent advances in the field, with granular analyses of the different types of delivery systems, their advantages, disadvantages and opportunities for future development. The report provides global market forecasts by revenue for the market until 2020. Additionally, forecasts by revenue for key geographical markets and supporting analyses of the main factors driving or restraining growth are included. The market for drug delivery technology is poised for strong growth in the coming years. Key factors promoting growth include the rapidly expanding injectables market, the growing incidence of chronic diseases and the expected significant increase in the use of complex biologic drugs that necessitate novel delivery systems. Drug delivery companies have had to adapt to challenging times in the same way as pharmaceutical companies have had to over the past decade. These companies have achieved this by adopting new business strategies that allow them to take better control of their commercial and financial future. The report analyzes how business models in this dynamic industry have evolved over the last couple of decades and how new companies with improved product portfolios and propositions are emerging.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope- What are the drug delivery technologies used in the market and how have they evolved in recent years?- What will be the market value, by revenue, of the market over the coming years?- Drivers and restraints in the drug delivery industry:- What are the most important factors promoting growth in the market at a global level?- What are the most important factors restraining growth in the market?- What is the impact of novel delivery systems on the management of a products lifecycle?- Will emerging markets contribute significantly to the growth of the global market?- How will regulatoryand reimbursement-related challenges hinder the market?- Technologies based on drug vehicle/carriers:- What are the various advantages, limitations and applications of the currently available drug carriers?- Technologies based on route of administration:- How can lifecycle management strategies reposition existing drugs by changing their route of administration?- What are the advantages, limitations and applications of the different drug delivery technologies, based on their route of administration?- What are the prospects for revenue growth for the latest technologies, including metered-dose inhalers and hydrogels?- Technologies for injectables:- Which technologies in the injectables market have contributed to overall growth?- What is the market forecast for needle-free injectors in the coming years?- What is driving the need for novel delivery systems for injectable drugs?Reasons to buy- Gain insightful analyses and understanding of market dynamics. The report comprehensively describes and assesses the most important factors driving and restraining the drug delivery technology market.- Evaluate a granular assessment of the pipelines for the various drug delivery technology segments and the prospects and revenue forecasts for the upcoming delivery technologies until 2020.- Evaluate the strategies and business models used by companies to achieve their full commercial potential.- Gain insight on upcoming trends and factors influencing the global market for drug delivery technology.Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 31.1 List of Tables 41.2 List of Figures 42 Drug Delivery Technologies - An Overview 52.1 Drug Delivery Research: Past and Present 52.2 Drug Delivery Technologies Market, 2006-2020 62.2.1 Drug Delivery Technologies Market: Key Geographical Markets, 2010-2020 72.3 Drug Delivery Technologies Market: Drivers and Restraints in 2016 82.3.1 Key Factors Promoting Growth in Drug Delivery Technologies Market 82.3.2 Key Factors Restraining Growth in the Drug Delivery Technologies Market 103 Current Drug Delivery Technologies and Recent Developments 123.1 Technologies Based on Drug Vehicle or Carrier 123.1.1 Lipid-Based Drug Carriers by Type 123.1.2 Polymer-Based Drug Delivery 153.1.3 Cell-Based Drug Delivery Systems 163.1.4 Magnetic Particle Drug Delivery 183.1.5 Nucleic Acid-Based Drug Delivery 203.2 Technologies Based on Route of Administration 223.2.1 Nasal and Pulmonary Drug Delivery 233.2.2 Ocular Drug Delivery 273.2.3 Topical Drug Delivery 293.2.4 Oral Drug Delivery 333.2.5 Implantable Drug Delivery 353.2.6 Transdermal Drug Delivery Technology 383.2.7 Parenteral Drug Delivery 414 Advances in Injectable Drug Delivery Market 434.1 Self-injection Devices 434.1.1 Pen Injectors 434.1.2 Auto-Injectors 464.2 Pre-filled Syringes 504.2.1 Glass Pre-filled Syringes 514.2.2 Plastic/Polymer Pre-filled Syringes 524.2.3 Pre-filled Safety Syringes 524.3 Recent Developments 554.3.1 Microneedles 554.3.2 Needle-Free Injection Devices 584.3.3 Needle-Free Devices Market, 2006-2020 615 Evolving Business Models in the Drug Delivery Technologies Market 636 Future Outlook for Drug Delivery Technologies 657 Bibliography 66Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Grid Connected Battery Energy Storage System Market Size, Competitive Landscape, Key Country Analysis and Forecasts to 2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=785539 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=785539 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Grid Connected Battery Energy Storage System - Market Size, Competitive Landscape, Key Country Analysis and Forecasts to 2020" to its huge collection of research reports."Grid Connected Battery Energy Storage System - Market Size, Competitive Landscape, Key Country Analysis and Forecasts to 2020" provides an overview of the energy storage market, defining various energy storage technologies and their maturity level. The report also provides in-depth analysis of the global BESS market and market analysis of key countries including the US, Chile, Germany, Italy, the UK, France, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. The report analyzes the regional and country-level BESS market value for the historical (2006-2015) and forecast (2016-2020) periods, the regional and country-level BESS market share by technology and application by 2015, and the competitive landscape for respective countries in 2015.Scope- Analysis of the growth of the energy storage industry with a focus on battery energy storage market and its demand in various key regions, including Asia-Pacific, America and Europe.- Apart from global and regional analysis, the report provides BESS market analysis in key countries including the US, Chile, Germany, Italy, the UK, France, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.- The report provides BESS cost analysis and historic and forecast market size by technology and application.- It provides competitive landscape with profiles of key market players globally and in various countries in 2015.- Brief description of upcoming and under construction projects in the battery storage market.- Qualitative analysis of key regulations, market drivers and restraints impacting the energy storage industry.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Reasons to buyThe report will allow you to -- Facilitate decision-making by analyzing historical and forecast data on BESS market- Develop strategies based on developments in the BESS market- Identify key partners and business-development avenues, based on an understanding of the movements of the major competitors in the BESS market- Respond to your competitors business structure, strategies and prospectsTable of Contents1 Table of Contents 51.1 List of Tables 91.2 List of Figures 132 Introduction 162.1 Energy Storage System Overview 162.1.1 Types of Energy Storage System 162.1.2 Maturity of Energy Storage Technologies 202.1.3 Energy Storage System Cost Analysis 222.2 Rationale for Battery Energy Storage System 242.3 GlobalData Report Guidance 263 Battery Energy Storage System, Market Outlook 273.1 Battery Energy Storage System, Technologies 283.2 Battery Energy Storage System, Applications 313.2.1 Generation-side Applications 323.2.2 Grid-side Applications 343.2.3 End-user Applications (EUA) 343.3 Battery Energy Storage System Cost Analysis 353.4 Disposal of Batteries and its Effect on the Environment 394 Battery Energy Storage System Market, Global 414.1 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Overview 414.2 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Drivers and Restraints 414.2.1 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Drivers 424.2.2 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Restraints 444.3 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Value, 2010-2020 464.4 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Share by Region, 2015 474.5 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Share by Technology, 2015 494.6 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Market Share by Application, 2015 504.7 Battery Energy Storage System, Global, Competitive Landscape, 2015 525 Battery Energy Storage System Market, Americas 545.1 Battery Energy Storage System, Americas, Market Overview 545.2 Battery Energy Storage System, Americas, Market Value, 2010-2020 635.3 Battery Energy Storage System, Americas, Market Share by Technology, 2015 645.4 Battery Energy Storage System, Americas, Market Share by Application, 2015 655.5 Battery Energy Storage System, US 675.5.1 Battery Energy Storage System, US, Market Overview 675.5.2 Battery Energy Storage System, US, Market Value, 2010-2020 685.5.3 Battery Energy Storage System, US, Market Share by Technology, 2015 695.5.4 Battery Energy Storage System, US, Market Share by Application, 2015 705.5.5 Battery Energy Storage System, US, Competitive Landscape, 2015 715.6 Battery Energy Storage System, Chile 735.6.1 Battery Energy Storage System, Chile, Market Overview 735.6.2 Battery Energy Storage System, Chile, Market Value, 2010-2020 735.6.3 Battery Energy Storage System, Chile, Market Share by Technology, 2015 745.6.4 Battery Energy Storage System, Chile, Market Share by Application, 2015 755.6.5 Battery Energy Storage System, Chile, Competitive Landscape, 2015 75Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ MASON CITY | Revell Toney shot an unarmed man three times on Oct 23 outside Southbridge Mall and almost killed him, said Cerro Gordo County Attorney Carlyle Dalen during opening statements Tuesday in Toney's attempted murder trial. Toney's attorney, Letitia Turner, said the 19-year-old, who is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, shot the gun but didn't intend to kill Mason City resident Stephen Williams. Toney, also of Mason City, was mixing drugs and alcohol on the night of the shooting and was not able form specific intent to kill, according to Turner. She said Toney was surprised the next day when he learned he had shot Williams because "he had no beef" with him. Dalen said Williams was celebrating his birthday with friends at Lorados, located on the plaza on the north side of Southbridge Mall in Mason City, when Toney arrived at the bar. After everyone left Lorados at 2 a.m., Toney allegedly took offense at something Williams said and hit him in the face. A brief fistfight broke out. The two separated but were still "jawing back and forth," Dalen said. Toney, who was 15 or 20 feet away, then pulled a gun out of his pocket and fired three times, according to Dalen. He said one of the shots went through Williams' upper arm, another went into his left side but came out, and the third went into his left pelvic area, where the bullet split. Some of the fragments are still in Williams' body, he said. Williams was listed in critical condition at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, but was later released. Toney left the scene after the shooting and didn't turn himself in until 3 or 4 p.m. the following afternoon, Dalen said. Video of the shooting from a Lorados security camera will be shown to the jury. Dalen said the faces aren't identifiable on the video, "but that's where the witnesses come in." People who knew both Toney and Williams were on the plaza at the time of the shooting, he said. Turner said the video does not show the fistfight, and some witnesses deny that Toney was the one who struck the first blow. She said the video does show Williams was following Toney and taunting him before the shooting. She said Williams was coming toward Toney when he fired the gun. The video shows "Revell is moving backwards" as he shoots, Turner said. Although Williams was not armed, Toney had no way of knowing that, according to Turner. Witnesses for the state will begin testifying Wednesday morning. United States Point-of-Care Diagnostics Market Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2017 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1003056 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1003056 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "United States Point of Care Diagnostics Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies sales (consumption) of Point of Care Diagnostics in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringRoche DiagnosticsAlere IncDanaher CorporationAbbott LaboratoriesJohnson and JohnsonInstrumentation LaboratoryTrinity Biotech PLCOraSure Technologies IncbioMerieuxQiagenSiemens HealthcareMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisSplit by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoPrescription-Based Testing KitsOver-The-Counter (Otc) Testing KitsSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Point of Care Diagnostics in each application, can be divided intoHospitalsClinicsOthersTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsUnited States Point of Care Diagnostics Market Report 20171 Point of Care Diagnostics Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Point of Care Diagnostics1.2 Classification of Point of Care Diagnostics1.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits1.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits1.3 Application of Point of Care Diagnostics1.3.1 Hospitals1.3.2 Clinics1.3.3 Others1.4 United States Market Size Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) of Point of Care Diagnostics (2012-2022)1.4.1 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Point of Care Diagnostics Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Point of Care Diagnostics Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by States (2012-2017)3.1 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales and Market Share by States (2012-2017)3.2 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Revenue and Market Share by States (2012-2017)3.3 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Price by States (2012-2017)4 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2012-2017)4.1 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)4.2 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)4.3 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Price by Type (2012-2017)4.4 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales Growth Rate by Type (2012-2017)5 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales (Volume) by Application (2012-2017)5.1 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)5.2 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Sales Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)5.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6 United States Point of Care Diagnostics Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis6.1 Roche Diagnostics6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.1.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.1.3 Roche Diagnostics Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 Alere Inc6.2.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.2.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.2.3 Alere Inc Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Danaher Corporation6.3.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.3.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.3.3 Danaher Corporation Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.4 Abbott Laboratories6.4.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.4.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.4.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.4.3 Abbott Laboratories Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.5 Johnson and Johnson6.5.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.5.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.5.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.5.3 Johnson and Johnson Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.6 Instrumentation Laboratory6.6.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.6.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.6.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.6.3 Instrumentation Laboratory Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.7 Trinity Biotech PLC6.7.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.7.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.7.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.7.3 Trinity Biotech PLC Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.8 OraSure Technologies Inc6.8.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.8.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.8.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.8.3 OraSure Technologies Inc Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.9 bioMerieux6.9.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.9.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.9.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.9.3 bioMerieux Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.10 Qiagen6.10.2 Point of Care Diagnostics Product Type, Application and Specification6.10.2.1 Prescription-Based Testing Kits6.10.2.2 Over-The-Counter (Otc) Testing Kits6.10.3 Qiagen Point of Care Diagnostics Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.11 Siemens HealthcareMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Construction Chemicals Market Research Report - Key Growth Factors and Forecast 2020 Construction Chemicals Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/global-construction-chemicals-market.html https://goo.gl/c6PE31 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The global construction chemicals market has been gaining a steady momentum in recent years due to the growing construction and building activity. Construction chemicals or specialty chemicals are used for giving the buildings an additional layer of protection from changing climatic conditions and weathering. The demand for construction chemicals has been high in recent years as they impart aesthetic as well as functional value to the design of the structure. The various products available in the global construction chemicals market are adhesives, sealants, concrete admixtures, asphalt additives, and protective coatings. In the light of these factors, the global construction chemicals market is projected to reach a valuation of US$37.68 bn by the end of 2020.BRICS Emerge as Major Consumers of Construction Chemicals with Soaring Investments in InfrastructureThe booming construction industry in the BRICS countries is estimated to be the key growth driver for the global construction chemicals market. The growing number of government initiatives to improve infrastructure and housing has propelled the uptake of construction chemicals. Usage of various types of construction materials has enabled designers and builders to achieve sustainable solutions that match higher standards with minimum hazards to the environment.Browse Market Research Report @The growing consciousness amongst consumers about green living has also upped the demand for various types of construction chemicals. The increasing awareness about safety regulations have also augmented the uptake of construction chemicals. On the flip side, the global market for construction chemicals is expected to experience a sluggish growth rate in the developed economies as the construction industry has taken a hit due to a mature market.Out of the various products, the concrete admixture product segment held a share of more than 50% in the global construction chemicals market in 2015. Analysts estimate that this product segment will progress at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period of 2014 and 2020. These admixtures are added to concrete mix as they help in controlling the set time along with various other aspects of fresh concrete. The growing construction activities, especially of new buildings, are expected to generate a huge demand for concrete admixtures in the near future.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Asphalt Additives Remains Popular due to Rapid Urbanization in Developing CountriesOn the other hand, the demand for asphalt additives is expected to be high in developing countries as these are used for making roads, parking lots, and airports among others. The infrastructural developments in the emerging economies, rapid urbanization, and growing demand for better facilities are expected to increase the uptake of asphalt additives in the near future.China to Lead Global Market are Construction Industry Gathers PaceFrom a geographic point of view, Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global market. China is projected to be the leading consumer of construction chemicals due to the booming construction activities in the region. The increasing investments by the government in building infrastructure are expected to propel the countrys uptake of construction chemical throughout the forecast period. As of 2013, China held a share of 42% in the global market. Europe follows Chinas lead closely, but is projected to show a sluggish growth rate due to a high rate of unemployment.The key players operating in the global constructions chemicals market are BASF SE, W.R. Grace, Sika AG, The Dow Chemical Company, RPM International Inc., and MAPEI S.p.A.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 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Europe Industrial Air Filtration Market size more than $1.85bn by 2022 https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/350 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/europe-industrial-air-filtration-market-report https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/asia-pacific-air-filtration-market https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/membrane-air-dryers-market https://www.gminsights.com https://gminsights.wordpress.com Europe Industrial Air Filtration Market Size By Application (Cement, Power, Food, Metals, Pharmaceuticals), By Product (Dust Collectors, HEPA Filters, Mist Collectors, Baghouse Filters, Cartridge Collectors & Filters), By Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, Poland), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2015 2022Europe Industrial Air Filtration Market size is set to exceed USD 1.85 billion by 2022; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Driven by stringent safety and health regulations such as the Euro VI associated with the emission limits of the vehicle the Europe industrial air filtration market is anticipated to grow over the forecast timeline. The sectoral directive with IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) has setup the emission limit standards for large combustion plants to reduce air pollution.The formulation of EN 779:2011, a standard for specific air filters which is expected to eliminate filter performance issues may provide attractive growth prospects. For instance, advanced air filters based on this standard may reduce the utilization of electrostatic synthetic filters that discharge quickly within few weeks of its procedures, and their capability to filter depreciates considerably over time. European government guidelines to curb the emission of greenhouse gases and minimize water and soil pollution and the development of manufacturing industries is anticipated to propel the Europe industrial air filtration market.Request for a sample of this research report @Industrial procedures comprise complex operations and use a large number of chemical compounds, which are highly toxic in nature. The usage of such hazardous substances results in particulates, gases, mists, and vapors at the workplace that hampers the health of the workforce. Such safety concerns have led to increasing adoption of the advanced solutions driving the Europe air filtration market size. This equipment supports energy management by minimizing the energy consumption levels. In addition, it removes different air-borne contaminants at multiple production levels coupled with its capability to eliminate oil vapor, odors, and dust particles which is projected to boost Europe industrial air filtration market size.Dust collectors are set to grow at a CAGR of over 7.5% from 2012 to 2022, owing to the benefits offered by them such as low-operating cost, minimal maintenance requirements and enhances worker health & safety. Mist collectors market growth can be accredited to its capability to eliminate coolant and oil mist, steam and fume from food & beverage manufacturing procedures. HEPA filter accounted for the highest industry share in 2015 and is expected to reach over USD 450 million by 2022 due to its extremely efficient collection volume of submicron particulate matter.Browse key industry insights spread across 198 pages with 45 market data tables & 38 figures & charts from the report, Europe Industrial Air Filtration Market:Food & beverage industry is forecast grow at a CAGR of over 8% over the next eight years. This growth is attributed to the rising concerns regarding the cross contamination, sanitary regulations, and food handling regulations. Italy is likely to reach over USD 320 million by 2022 due to the booming pharmaceutical industries in the region. Moreover, rising research and development activities in the region to provide long lasting and cost-effective products will propel the Europe market growth.Germany held the highest share of the Europe industrial air filtration market in 2015 and it is estimated to exhibit substantial growth rate owing to the rising number of metal processing and food & beverages industry over the forecast timeline. Moreover, players operating in the country are focusing on cutting-down the manufacturing costs instigating the high demand across the region.Vendors in the Europe industrial air filtration industry include HealthWay Home Products, Inc., Good Life, Inc., Camfil, Philips Electronics N.V., IQAir North America, Inc., Ameripure Technologies, Keller USA, Inc., Abatement Technologies, Inc., etc. The key industry participants focus on new product development, high R&D spending to gain prominence.Browse Related Reports:Asia Pacific Air Filtration Market Size By Product (Industrial [Dust Collectors, Mist Collectors, HEPA Filters, Baghouse Filters, Cartridge Collectors & Filters], Automotive [Intake Filters, Cabin Filters], Residential), By Application (Power, Food, Metals, Cement, Pharmaceuticals), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2023Membrane Air Dryers Market Size By End-Use (Food & Beverage, Industrial, Medical, Telecommunication), By Product (Porous, Non-Porous), Industry Outlook Report, Regional Analysis, Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2015 2022About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Virtual Private Network (VPN) Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 13% during 2016 to 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/virtual-private-network-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2160 Market Research Future announced the publication of Half Cooked Research Report (HCRR) on Virtual Private Network Market. The Global Market for Virtual Private Network is majorly driven by factors such Increasing Cyber-Attacks and need of Advanced Security System in OrganizationsMarket Overview:A VPN or virtual private network is a network technology which is used to provide an additional security layer to the over a less secure network. The VPN offers various benefits and ensures that the appropriate level of security is given to the connected systems where underlying network infrastructure is not able to provide it. Elimination of unauthorized access to the networks and creation of secure bridge between the source computers to destination are some of the application of a VPN and VPN market is majorly driven by these factors because growing technology is also bringing new threats into the current network environment. Cyber security has become a core concept in any organization. Companies have become more sensitive towards their data and loss of a single file from the organization could hamper the image of company very badly, thus companies are adopting new cyber security technologies just after it is arriving.VPN is a very core component of cyber security and growth of cyber security market is also driving the market of VPN.High technological adoption along with the increasing number of connected devices is also creating various vulnerability into the current network infrastructure. This vulnerability needs to be addressed properly and a VPN could be an option to remove these security vulnerabilities.The global market of VPN is expected to reach at USD 106 billion by the end of year 2022 with compound annual growth rate of 13% but factors such as high deployment cost and need of technical knowledge are some of the restraints of the market.Access Report Details @Major Key Players: Microsoft Inc. (U.S.), Private Internet Access (U.S.), Buffered VPN (Hungary), CyberGhost (Romania), NordVPN (Panama), Purevpn (Hong Kong), IPVanish (U.S.), Golden Frog (U.S.), SaferVPN (Israel)Access the market data and market information presented through more than 25 market data tables and 25 figures spread over 110 numbers of pages of the project report Virtual Private Network Market - Forecast to 2022Market Research Future Analysis:Market Research Future analysis shows that the market of Virtual Private Network will increase significantly with growth of cyber security and technology. Cyber security is a parent market of VPN and with the growth in the cyber security market, the demand for VPN from government sector will rise significantly. Today, every organization is taking hard steps to secure their virtual infrastructure and environment and for that they are adopting various tools and methods. With wide feature option, a VPN in their infrastructure is their top priority. Companies are also investing heavily in the R&D sector to make this technology more efficient. By Region North America is dominating the market as U.S. and Canada are getting lots of cyber-attacks compare to other countries. Europe stands as second biggest market whereas Asia-Pacific has emerged as fastest growing market. High growth of manufacturing and service industry in China and Asia are some of the major factor behind the high adoption of VPN.Request a Sample Report @Intended Audience Software Development companies Application development companies Cyber Security Companies Research Institutions GovernmentBrief TOC of Virtual Private Network Market:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3. Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4. Global Virtual Private Network Market, by Products4.1 Introduction4.2 Routers4.3 Switches4.4 Firewalls4.5 Others5. Global Virtual Private Network Market, By Deployment5.1 Introduction5.2 On Premises5.3 On Cloud/Remote6. Global Virtual Private Network Market, By Type6.1 Introduction6.2 Cloud6.3 Hosted6.4 Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)6.6 IP6.6 Others7. Global Virtual Private Network Market, By VerticalsContinuedAbout 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.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com GaN Semiconductor Devices Industry and Worldwide 2022 Foresight Report https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1174 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/gan-semiconductor-devices-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/natural-language-processing-market Global GaN Semiconductor Devices Market Synopsis & ScenarioProduct innovation is the master trend of all times. Market players keep introducing innovated products with increased efficiency such as- On 25th January 2016, Fujitsu Ltd. announced about its new GaN high electron mobility transistor. This is developed to be used at high capacity wireless network with coverage over wide range of network.- Cree Inc. has signed an agreement with Avnet Inc. in July 2016 that expands the distribution of Crees LED components which also includes high power chips and LED modules in the American region.Global GaN Semiconductor Devices Market SegmentsFor an easy grasp, the Global GaN Semiconductor Devices Market is segmented in to 3 major dynamicsSegmentation by Type: opto semiconductor and power semiconductor.Segmentation by Devices: transistors, diodes, rectifier, power ICs, amplifier and switching system.Segmentation by Applications: consumer electronics, automotive, medical, power conditioner, and military, aerospace & defense among others.Key Players RF Micro Devices Incorporated (U.S.) Fujitsu Ltd.(Japan), Toshiba Corp. (Japan) Texas Instruments Inc. (U.S.) Cree Incorporated (U.S.) Aixtron SE (Germany) Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Japan) Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands) GaN Systems Inc. (Canada) Epigan NV (Belgium)Request a Sample Report @Global GaN Semiconductor Devices Market OverviewThe Global GaN Semiconductor Devices Market is expected to witness a steady growth with a significant rate of CAGR during the forecasted period (2016 2022)The major growth driver of GaN Semiconductor Devices Market includes growing demand of radio-frequency in semiconductor market, growing market of electric vehicles and photovoltaic inverters, and growing market of consumer electronics especially of LED based lighting and displays among others.However, high initial cost is one of the factors which are hindering the growth of GaN Semiconductor Devices Market, states the MRFR Research Analyst while commenting upon the deep diving study report published by Market Research Future, presented through more than 100 market data tables and figures spread over 110 pages.GaN Semiconductor Devices Market RegionalNorth-America dominated the Global GaN Semiconductor Devices Market with the largest market share owing to high penetration of GaN semiconductor in aerospace & defence sectors as well as in automotive sectors in the region, and therefore accounting for millions of USD and is expected to grow even further by 2022. GaN Semiconductor Devices Market in Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at a significant rate of CAGR with an increased revenue generation by 2022. The European market for GaN Semiconductor Devices Market is expected to grow at a considerable rate of CAGR (2016-2022).Browse Full Report @Table Of Content1. Report Prologue2. Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3. Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Mega Trends4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Value Chain Analysis5.2 Porters Five ForcesContinueThe study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.Related ReportGlobal Natural Language Processing Market, by Type (Rule based, Statistics, Hybrid), by Method (Analytics, Recognition, Operational), by Deployment (On-demand, On-Premise), by Application (Enterprise, Education, Government, BFSI) - Forecast 2022About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) Market : Size, Shares, Advancements and Innovations Report https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=108 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=108 https://www.tmrresearch.com/methyltriethoxysilane-market Methyltriethoxysilane is considered as an organic compound of silicon, which belongs to the organosilicon compound class. Methyltriethoxysilane is manufactured at an industrial scale from ethanol and trimethylsilyl chloride. The increasing use of methyltriethoxysilane is anticipated to encourage the growth of the overall market in the next few years. The key players operating in the global methyltriethoxysilane market are emphasizing on the expansion of the application base, which is likely to fuel the markets growth in the coming years.Among the regional segments, the developing economies in the methyltriethoxysilane market are projected to grow at a substantial rate in the coming years. The high pace of industrialization and the increasing construction activities are estimated to accelerate the growth of the overall market. The rising use of methyltriethoxysilane as water repellants, sealants, stabilizing and coupling agents in the chemical industry is one of the major factors anticipated to supplement the markets growth in the near future. The high performing characteristics offered by methyltriethoxysilane is likely to contribute significantly towards the development of the overall market in the next few years.Request a Brochure of the Report @Furthermore, several new entrants are anticipated to enter the global methyltriethoxysilane market and enhance the competitive scenario of the market in the near future. Advancements in technology and the expansion of the product portfolio, thanks to the rising research and development activities are estimated to encourage the growth of the global methyltriethoxysilane market. These players are predicted to focus on emerging economies, which are expected to help them in enhancing their market presence and attain a leading position across the globe.Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) Market: General OutlineMethyltriethoxysilane (MTES) (CH3Si(OCH2CH3)3 ) is an organic compound of silicon, belonging to a class of organosilicon compounds known as silanes, which are saturated hydrosilicones and are generally stable due to their high saturation. Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) appears to be a colorless, clear, free flowing liquid, and readily hydrolyzes when mixed with water. The hydrolysis of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) increases in basic solutions and reduces in acidic solutions. It is produced at an industrial scale from trimethylsilyl chloride and ethanol. It has a stable tetrahedral molecular structure, with a low flashpoint that readily catches fire at temperatures beyond 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) is usually supplied at purity levels higher than 98% in the market, and is classified as a toxic chemical and may cause harm when exposed.Request for TOC of the Report @Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) Market: Inclusive InsightsSilane compounds are commonly used as sealants, water repellents, coupling and stabilizing agents in the chemical industry. Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) is primarily used as a cross-linking agent for curing of silicone rubber polymers at room temperature, and is also used as coupling agents for glass fibers and silicon oxide. It also acts as a strengthening agent, while treating and coating of plastic materials, and is widely used in polymer industry. The stability of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) comes in handy for sol-gel systems, and acts as a chain protecting agent against water and polymerizing agents.Due to its high performing characteristics, silianes are predominantly used in the polymer industry for manufacturing polysiloxanes. It can be applied as sealants for caulking, used for insulating and sealing in construction industry, and act as semiconductors for electronics among others. The market is therefore expected to grow in the coming years. Demand growth is expected to be driven primarily with the increase of end use industries of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) including construction, polymer, and electronic industries. The market growth is likely to be affected by the availability of substitutes and toxicity of the chemical. On the other hand, the prospective market opportunity is set to increase with new application of polymer manufacture and electronic products among others.Read Complete Report @Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) Market: Regional OverviewPolymer, construction, and electronics industries are the end users of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), and due to its high demand in Asia Pacific, the region accounts for growing number of consumers. Industrial economies namely, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand are the main consumers of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) for its usage in the manufacture of various plastics and coating materials.Two of the fastest growing industrial economies of Asia, China and India are the rapidly growing market for polymer industry, and in turn is responsible for driving the demand for methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and other silanes. Cheap labor availability, land, and comparatively lenient norms and regulations against chemicals, have led several market players to establish their production facilities in Asia. The demand is high for methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) in North America due to its heavy usage in chemical industry, requirement of coatings for plastics and sealants for construction industry, making the region another key market for methyltriethoxysilane (MTES). In due course of time, the demand for methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) is likely to rise in Brazil, South Africa, and the Middle East.Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) Market: Key Market PlayersThe key players of the marmethyltriethoxysilane (MTES) market are: Alfa Aesar (Johnson Matthey Group Company), Asia Silicones Association Ltd., BRB International BV, and Wynca Chemicals AG.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Aerospace Telemetry Systems Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Analysis For 2017 - 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/aerospace-telemetry-systems-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23423 The telemetry systems are automated communication systems or procedures for measurement and data collection at inaccessible and remote locations and the collected data are transmitted to the receiving equipment for monitoring. The word telemetry usually means to transfer data through wireless mechanisms, but in recent times, the telemetry systems also measures data transmitted through media such as computer network, telephone, optical links, or other wired networks. Telemetry systems in aerospace industry is used to measure meteorological data such as temperature, humidity and barometric pressure and transmits the collected data to an earth station through radio.Browse Report@Due to rise in asymmetric warfare across the globe, the demand for collection of information and monitoring of the collected data by transmitting the data over radio or satellite is driving the market for aerospace telemetry systems. Moreover, the modern telemetry systems are much more complex as compared to the traditional ones, which makes it difficult to crack the system and gather information without adequate knowledge of the system. The complexity of the systems in increasing the interest among the defense forces as well as among the aerospace industry across the globe, which in turn is boosting the market for aerospace telemetry market.The major factor hindering the growth of the market for aerospace telemetry systems is the stringent rules in the defense sectors in countries such as China and Germany. Among the most powerful armies across the globe, China and Germany ranks top in the order, due to their latest equipment, ammunitions and weaponries. Due to the stringent rule and regulations set by the government, the companies in the aerospace telemetry market faces challenges to grow their market in these potential regions.The aerospace telemetry market is poised to propel at a faster rate owing to the factors such as the increasing demand for aerospace telemetry in the emerging nations and increasing mergers or acquisition of companies to develop robust aerospace telemetry systems. Countries such as France, Russia, India, South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Brazil among others are adopting the aerospace telemetry systems in order to collect majority of the information from the civil aviation aircrafts, military aircrafts, helicopters as well as from the space crafts. The collected data are utilized to determine the meteorological information and analyze it for future operations. The demand for aerospace telemetry systems in the emerging countries are expected to drive the market for aerospace telemetry systems in the coming years. In addition, the companies in the telemetry systems market are partnering with different defense forces or other technological companies with an objective to develop enhanced aerospace telemetry systems in order to facilitate the aerospace and defense sectors across the globe. The growing mergers or partnerships among the companies are anticipated to boost the market for aerospace telemetry systems in future.The market for aerospace telemetry is segmented on basis of type, components, application and geography. Radio telemetry and satellite telemetry are the different types of aerospace telemetry systems. Based on components, the market for aerospace telemetry is segmented as sensors, display, transmitter, recorder, and a control device. The different areas of application of aerospace telemetry market includes, civil aviation, and defense. The demand for aerospace telemetry is high in the defense forces across the globe and is continuing to grow at a faster rate. Geographically, the aerospace telemetry market is categorized as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. The aerospace telemetry systems market is dominated by North America followed by Europe. Countries in Asia Pacific is fuelling the market for aerospace telemetry to grow at a faster rate in the region.Download Research Brochure@The key players in the field of aerospace telemetry are Honeywell International (U.S.), Zodiac Aerospace (France), BAE Systems (U.K.), L-3 Communications (U.S.), Dassault Aviation (France), Orbit Communication Systems Ltd. (Israel) Curtiss-Wright Corporation (U.S.), Kongsberg Gruppen (Norway), Cobham Plc (U.K.) and Leonardo (Italy) among othersAbout Us:-Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact Us:-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com FMI Releases New Report on the Fire Trucks Market 2017-2027 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2732 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2732 www.futuremarketinsights.com Fire Truck or Fire Engine is a vehicle primarily designed for firefighting operations. Many fire and safety companies employ these vehicles for various other applications such as rescue purposes and emergency medical purposes. Fire Engines transport firefighters to the sites, providing water and other necessary equipment to fight the fire. Generally, a fire truck carry equipment such as hydraulic rescue tools, ladders, ventilating equipment, a self-contained breathing apparatus and first aid kits. Growing demand for multi-tasking trucks is a new trend in the global fire trucks market.Global fire trucks market is expanding widely owing to the modern day fire and safety issues arising from new design infrastructures, rapid development of huge and complex buildings, and larger residencies in lesser spaces especially in developing countries. Global fire trucks market finds opportunity for fire trucks with advanced digital technology tools for supporting performance-based design, and field surveys are improving the quality and teamwork in the built environment.The flat and mall culture in both developing and developed countries compelled the governments to declare stringent safety regulations. The growing population along with changing demographics as well as psychographics of the modern day society resulted in surge in the number of tall residential buildings. The result is the demand for more fire trucks to enforce the safety 24x7, and this is expected to drive the global fire trucks market over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample@Global Fire Trucks: Market DynamicsDrivers:In the global fire trucks market, new and advanced technology acceptance is the key driver for the market growth. Use of modern electronics and advanced digital tools will enhance the quality, efficiency and capability of the fire truck.Development in the fire and safety departments and municipal budgets of governments are also projected to fuel the global fire trucks market growth. Moreover, economic growth in developing countries is estimated to create new opportunities for global fire trucks market.Restraints:In the global fire trucks market, low rate of replacements is a factor hampering the market growth. Though the fleets are ageing, the fire trucks are not being replaced easily. This may hinder the growth of fire trucks market.Global Fire Trucks Market: SegmentationThe global fire trucks market is segmented on the basis of types as follows: Rescue, Mini Tanker and all other Pumpers (mini pumpers, multi-tasking trucks).On the basis of application, fire trucks are segmented as follows: Conventional, rescue, wild land, airport application and othersGlobal Fire Trucks Market: Regional OutlookOver the past few years, the developing countries such as China, India and South Korea have witnessed a stable growth in the infrastructure coupled with rising awareness about safety. This is expected to boost the demand for fire trucks over the forecast period. Fire Trucks are a necessity in airports and other enterprises to ensure public safety. The strengthening of governmental regulations regarding the matter is also a positive factor for the growth of global fire trucks market. The high production capacity in China coupled with lower labour charge contribute to the expansion of fire trucks market in the country. Moreover, the technological advancements and growing application in the manufacturing sector fuel the fire trucks market growth. In North America, stringent regulations and large number of fire stations are the key growth factors driving the market. The Middle East and Africa fire trucks market is expected to witness a significant growth over the forecast period owing to the product innovation coupled with technological advancements in the region.Request For TOC@Global Fire Trucks: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the global fire trucks market identified are:W.S. Darley & Co.Oshkosh CorporationZiegler FirefightingMagirus GmbH (CNH Industrial Group)Rosenbauer International AGGimaex GmbHMorita Holdings CorporationE-oneHME IncorporatedSmeal Fire ApparatusABOUT 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: Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Research Report 2017 http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=972082&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-pharmaceutical-grade-vitamin-a-market-research-report-2017.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Industry 2017 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2017-2020.The report on the global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A market has been compiled to serve as an asset for companies wanting to make informed decisions for growth in this space, and also presents a figurative estimation of the future of the market. The report has been a result of primary and secondary research using proven market research methodologies such as Porters five forces and SWOTT analysis. The primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts along with information collected from telephonic interviews and interactions via e-mails. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, stock analysis presentations, and various international and national databases. The report provides market size in terms of US$ mn for each segment for the period from 2017 to 2021, considering the macro and micro environmental factors.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @For the estimation of the future lucrativeness of the global market for Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A, the report studies various factors that are expected to positively influence the growth rate. It also analyzes the challenges expected to hinder the growth rate during the forecast period, besides highlighting the emerging trends and opportunities, which will significantly define the future scenario. The report also divides the global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A market into quantitative segments and studies the opportunities available in the regional markets based on geography. Growth rate for each of the product and geographical segment has been provided.The key feature of the report is the section on company profiles. Here, this report lists out some of the key players who are currently functional in the global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A market, providing details such as market share, product portfolio, recent developments, and strategies for the future.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Research Report 20171 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A1.2 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Production Market Share of Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A by Type in 20151.2.2 High Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A1.2.3 Low Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A1.3 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Segment by Application1.3.1 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Consumption Market Share by Application in 20151.3.2 Human Nutrition1.3.3 Cosmetics1.3.4 Others1.4 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market by Region1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A (2012-2022)2 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)2.2 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)2.3 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2017)2.4 Manufacturers Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.4 North America Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 Europe Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 China Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 Japan Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Southeast Asia Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 India Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)4.1 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Consumption by Regions (2012-2017)4.2 North America Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 DSM7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.1.2 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Product Type, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 High Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.1.2.2 Low Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.1.3 DSM Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 BASF7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.2.2 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Product Type, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 High Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.2.2.2 Low Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.2.3 BASF Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Zhejiang NHU7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.3.2 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Product Type, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 High Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.3.2.2 Low Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.3.3 Zhejiang NHU Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Adisseo7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.4.2 Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Product Type, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 High Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.4.2.2 Low Purity Feed Grade Vitamin A7.4.3 Adisseo Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business OverviewList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin AFigure Global Production Market Share of Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A by Type in 2015Figure Product Picture of High Purity Feed Grade Vitamin ATable Major Manufacturers of High Purity Feed Grade Vitamin AFigure Product Picture of Low Purity Feed Grade Vitamin ATable Major Manufacturers of Low Purity Feed Grade Vitamin ATable Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Consumption Market Share by Application in 2015Figure Human Nutrition ExamplesFigure Cosmetics ExamplesFigure Others ExamplesFigure North America Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin A Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Aircraft Ground Support Equipment Market Industry Analysis, Trend and Growth, 2017-2027 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2854 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2854 www.futuremarketinsights.com Aircraft ground support equipment and vehicles are used to transport passengers, freight & baggage and support repair & maintenance functions. In airports, equipment fall into two broader categories, i.e. land side (passenger entry side of airport) and air side (boarding/departure side). Ground support equipment includes vehicles used for fueling on the air-side and airplane maintenance. Aircraft ground support equipment doesnt include aircraft engine maintenance.In California, most airports have internal combustion engines (ICE) powered aircraft ground support equipment. Owing to stringent emission norms in North America and Europe, electric aircraft ground support equipment is made available by most of its manufacturers. There are many airports in various countries with a high percentage of aircraft ground support equipment (electric). For example, the Denver International Airport was designed for all electric ground support equipment. Similarly, Logan International Airport (Boston) progressed and switched from ICE to electric aircraft ground support equipment.Aircraft ground support equipment could be owned by cargo handlers, airports, airlines, management companies or parcel & mail companies. Airports usually own stationary infrastructure and lease equipment with airlines.Request For Report Sample@Owing to an increase in passenger and cargo traffic, terminal infrastructure plays a vital role in airports as it affects the turnaround time and flight delay. In order to run their operations on time, existing airports have started undergoing modernization and expansion with new technologies. Increase in modernization and terminal expansions are expected to generate significant demand for the aircraft ground support equipment market. Additionally, modernization of aircraft ground support equipment are also expected to enhance safety measures and efficiency of airline operations.Aircraft ground support equipment: DynamicsThe increased use of storage systems and warehouse operations at airports will have a positive impact on the aircraft ground support equipment market. Also, rising number of airports and airlines will drive demand for aircraft ground support equipment products. However, there are a few market players who are expected to dominate the market owing to their advanced technology.Aircraft ground support equipment: SegmentationBroadly, the aircraft ground support equipment market is segmented on the basis of handling as: aircraft handling, passenger handling, cargo handling.The global ground support system market is dominated by the aircraft handling segment, which accounted for more than forty percent of the total market share. Constantly growing passenger traffic and increase in aircraft movement are forecasted to fuel demand for the aircraft ground support equipment market.Additionally, the global ground support equipment market can be segmented by type as: hybrid, electric, non-electric. The electric segment is estimated to dominate the market owing to the increase in expenditure by aviation authorities and ecofriendly aircraft ground support equipment, which conforms to latest emission norms. Furthermore, the market for airports is larger in Western Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, owing to the increasing number of airport expansions and rise in the number of airports.Aircraft ground support equipment: OutlookOver the forecast period, the global ground support equipment market is expected to grow at a high rate with the increase in demand for airports. Recently, EMEA has seen rapid growth in numbers with respect to cargo and passenger traffic. That, along with the burgeoning number of new aircrafts and expansions are anticipated to boost demand for the global aircraft ground support equipment market.Owing to the increase in emission norms, the U.S. currently represents the largest ground support equipment market. In 2015, foreign and domestic airlines in the U.S. approximately carried 895.5 million passengers system wide. However, the increasing demand for cargo shipments and air travel in countries such as Brazil, India and China is expected to represent a massive potential growth opportunity.Request For TOC@Aircraft ground support equipment: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the global aircraft ground support equipment market identified across the value chain include:JBT AeroTechCargoTecAERO SpecialtiesCavotec SABharat Earth MoversTUGDouglas equipment servicesFgFlightline supportJiangsu Tianyi Airport Special EquipmentMallaghanABOUT 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: MASON CITY | A urologist testified Wednesday afternoon that the victim in a shooting near Southbridge Mall in October narrowly escaped death. A fragment from a bullet that entered Stephen Williams left buttock came extremely close to his ureter, said Dr. Christopher Adams from the Mason City Clinic. If the fragment had hit the ureter, it would have caused urine to get into Williams abdomen, according to Adams. He said that could lead to fatal blood poisoning. Adams was one of the witnesses testifying for the state Wednesday in the attempted murder trial of Revell Toney, 19, Mason City. Toney shot Williams, 25, also of Mason City, shortly after 2 a.m. Oct. 23 on the plaza at the north entrance to Southbridge Mall. The defense is expected to begin presenting evidence on Thursday. Check back at globegazette.com for updates on this developing story. Our earlier story: Mason City shooting trial: "I thought the fight was over," victim testifies MASON CITY | Stephen Williams wiped his eyes with a tissue Wednesday morning as he testified about being shot near Southbridge Mall in October. The 25-year-old Mason City resident said when Revell Toney, 19, raised his hand, he saw he had a gun. He said he then saw Toney fire it at him. "I just threw up my hands," he said. Mason City attempted murder trial: Fight preceded 3 gunshots MASON CITY | Revell Toney shot an unarmed man three times on Oct 23 outside Southbridge Mall Williams said Toney shot him three times, and the final shot, which entered his left buttock, was fired while he was turning away and had his back to Toney. Williams said the two of them had exchanged punches just before the shooting, but "I thought the fight was over ... I thought it was just a fistfight and we would leave it alone." Toney, of Mason City, is on trial this week in Cerro Gordo County District Court on charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm as a felon. The trial began Monday. The shooting took place shortly after 2 a.m. Oct. 23 outside Lorados, a Mason City restaurant and bar just outside the entrance to the Southbridge Mall. During opening statements on Tuesday, defense attorney Letitia Turner said Toney shot the gun but did not intend to kill Williams. When cross-examining Williams on Wednesday, Turner asked if he was following Toney after the fistfight. Williams said he walked toward Toney and asked if the fight was over. "I didn't want to get sucker-punched again," he said. Williams said he yelled, "Are we done now?" and called Toney a derogatory name. Williams said he knew who Toney was before they encountered each other at Lorados the night of the shooting, but did not have an issue with him. As people were leaving the bar at closing time, Williams said he told Toney something related to a disagreement between Toney's family and Williams' friend. Toney "took what I said the wrong way" and punched him in the face, Williams said. "I defended myself," he said. They both backed up when the fistfight was over, according to Williams. The trial recessed for lunch at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday. Testimony was slated to continue 1 p.m. Check back at globegazette.com for updates on this developing story. Industrial Air Compressor Market To Make Great Impact In Near Future by 2027 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2885 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2885 www.futuremarketinsights.com Rapidly growing industrialization, particularly in developing nations, and significant emphasis on energy conservation has led to noteworthy advancements in compressor technology. Industrial air compressors are designed to compress large volumes of air to a high pressure and harness this as a potential energy source. Compressed air finds a large field of applications in various end use industries, such as power generation, automobile, food & beverage, chemical, oil & gas and other manufacturing. Various applications or end uses of industrial air compressors include supplying clean air to fill gas cylinders, drive pneumatic HVAC systems, and drive pneumatic tools. Industrial air compressors are generally positive displacement compressors or dynamic compressors. The positive displacement type compressor is expected to hold a relatively high market share in the overall industrial air compressor market. Reciprocating and rotary screw air compressors are common types of positive displacement compressors and find applications in various end use industries. Rotary compressor, is mainly classified into centrifugal and axial flow air compressors. Over the past few years, remote sensing technology has gained significant attraction in the industrial compressor market, as it is highly reliable and energy efficient. Flexibility, low operational cost, low maintenance cost, high safety and reduced weight remain the prime focus of key manufacturers in the market.Global Industrial Air Compressor Market: Market DynamicsTechnological innovation remains one of the prominent driving market forces in the global industrial air compressor market, which results in significant replacement demand for the industrial air compressor. Moreover, over the past few years, the market has witnessed a considerable upsurge in demand for energy efficient products. Rapid industrialization of developing countries in Asia Pacific, such as China and India, and countries in Middle East & Africa, such as South Africa, is expected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, upcoming investments are expected in new oil and gas projects, which in turn will create demand for industrial air compressors.On the other hand, factors such as noise pollution from industrial compressors pose a challenge to market growth. Performance of various end use industries will also significantly affect the growth of the global industrial air compressor market over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample@Global Industrial Air Compressor Market: Market SegmentationOn the basis of product type, the industrial air compressor market can be segmented into:Positive displacement industrial air compressorReciprocating compressorRotary compressorDynamic industrial air compressorCentrifugal compressorAxial flow compressorOn the basis of seal type, the industrial air compressor market can be segmented into:Lubricated industrial air compressorOil free industrial air compressorOn the basis of power range, the industrial air compressor market can be segmented into:Up to 50 kW50 kW250 kW251 kW500 kW500 kW and AboveOn the basis of end use industry, the industrial air compressor market can be segmented into:Power generationOil & GasAutomotiveChemicalsFood & BeverageOthersGlobal Industrial Air Compressor Market: Region-wise OutlookBy region, the performance of the industrial air compressor market in North America is anticipated to remain weak owing to the sluggish performance of some of the major end use industries. The market is expected to witness moderate growth in Europe, due to existing economic uncertainty in some of the countries, which are prominent markets for industrial air compressors. Asia pacific is expected to witness fast CAGR growth over the forecast period. The major driver of the market growth in Asia Pacific is the robust ongoing industrialization in developing countries, particularly India and China. The market in Middle East & Africa is also expected to witness moderate growth, GCC countries and South Africa are anticipated to remain major contributors to the growth of the market in the region.Request For TOC@Global Industrial Air Compressor Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants identified in the global industrial air compressor market are:Atlas Copco ABHitachi Ltd.Siemens AGSulzer AGDoosan Infracore Co. Ltd.Ingersoll-Rand PLC.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Boge KompressorenGE Oil & GasHowden Group Ltd.Kirloskar Pneumatics Co. Ltd.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: Power Rental Market, Industry Analysis Report, Application, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/1321 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/power-rental-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1321 Global Power Rental Market size is anticipated to witness robust growth owing to growing electricity demand subject to frequent power outages and grid failure. According to a report by the Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. electric grid loses 285% more power than in 1984. The number of power outages have risen from 76 in 2007 to 307 in 2011.Order This Report by calling Global Market Insights, Inc. at 1-888-689-0688 (Toll Free) or 1-302-846-7766.Growing investments towards infrastructure development will subsequently drive the global power rental market size during the forecast timeframe. Demand for the reliable and cheap electricity across the construction site will attract the demand for generators. In Aug 2015, Majid Al Futtaim group based in Dubai announced plans to invest USD8.17 billion over the next 10 years.Increasing exploration and production of crude oil in deep and ultra-deep sea beds will influence the industry size across the globe. These events are taking place across the off grid remote areas which is substantially raising the demand for power rental market. In 2014, Aggreko had provided critical electricity generation systems for projects operating isolated parts of the African continent.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Oil & gas, construction, utilities, mining, manufacture and shipping are some of the segments of the global power rental market based on end-users. Oil & gas holds the dominating share owing to limited grid connectivity to meet electricity requirements across oil & gas fields. Construction has a substantial growth subjected to ongoing industrialization and urbanization around the globe. Shipping has a significant growth due to requirement of electricity on dockyards for various tasks.Based on application the global power rental market is segmented into base load, peak shaving and standby. Base load is expected to grow significantly due to growing applications in various industries including construction, oil & gas and mining. Peak shaving holds the dominant position due to rising awareness among industries to control high demand charge during peak hours. Standby has a moderate growth due to their limited application across the globe.Browse complete summary of this report @The U.S. power rental market is anticipated to witness extensive growth during the forecast period subject to aging infrastructure leading to frequent blackouts. Increasing demand for reliable power across the country will positively impact the industry outlook.UAE power rental market anticipated to witness extensive growth due to rising investments towards the exploration and production of new O&G fields. The gross consumption of electricity will reach 141 TWh in 2020 as compared to 103 TWh in 2014. It has been more than doubled in 2015 compared to 2005 and at this rate demand will outpace the supply, hence it will positively encourage the growth of an industry.Africa power rental market will witness a significant growth from 2016 to 2024. Huge mismatch in demand and supply of electricity leading to power crises and frequent blackout. In 2014, more than 500 million Sub-Saharan population does not have access to off-grid electricity this will augment the demand for off grid electricity generating equipment.Inquiry before buying this Research Report @Notable players operating in the power rental market includes GE Energy Rentals, Taqa Arabia, Caterpillar, Aggreko, APR Energy, Symbion, Atlas Copco, Neptune Plant Hire, Energyst, Himoinsa, United Rentals, APR Energy, Altaaqa Global, Bryne Equipment Rental, Mantrac, Kohler Power, Cummins, Powerhouse, Sewatama, Shoreline, Ashtead.About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.29L Atlantic Avenue, Suite L 105Ocean View Delaware 19970 United StatesEmail: sales@gminsights.com Electronically Scanned Arrays Market with Current Trends Analysis, 2017-2027 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2901 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2901 www.futuremarketinsights.com The concept of an electronically scanned antenna is not new. Early uses of this technology started in the 1960s with warning radars, which were used to detect ballistic missile attacks extensively. The U.S. Navy's SPY-1 Aegis radar is superlatively known for its electronically steered antenna design. It was established during the 1970s to protect carrier battle teams against saturation attacks by Soviet Union cruise missiles.In theory, an electronically scanned array commonly means a phased array, i.e. an array of antennas that produce radio wave beams and rays. Electronically, the emitted waves are steered in the desired direction to a specific point without physically moving the antennas. Electronically scanned arrays must be installed properly and arranged precisely to get appropriate results during real time operations. In an array antenna, the transmitter transmits a radio frequency current, which is then fed to each antenna with the correct phase relationship so as to add radio waves to increase radiations in the exact location and direction, and cancel radiations in undesired directions. In the phased array system, current from the transmitter is transmitted to the antennas through electronic devices called phase shifters, which in turn are controlled by a computer system. This computer system can effectively alter the phase electronically and hence, steer the radio wave beams to the desired location.Electronically scanned arrays were initially used in defense radar systems to scan radar beams and locate and detect planes and missiles in the sky. These systems are still effectively used by the defense industry for detection and location of foreign threats in air, water or land so corrective action may be taken as soon as possible. Electronically scanned arrays are increasingly used by several countrys defense industries to target their enemies. Additionally, these systems are finding growing applications and uses in the medical industry to detect and locate problems within the human body. The electronically scanned arrays principle is also utilized in acoustic transducers, acoustics in military sonar detection systems and medical ultrasound scanners.Request For Report Sample@Electronically Scanned Arrays Market Dynamics:Owing to these enhanced properties, electronically scanned arrays find abundant applications in aerospace, defense and medical industries. The electronically scanned arrays market is anticipated to grow in all industrial and manufacturing sectors owing to its growing applications in the detection and location of unidentified objects in a specified vicinity. Also, the electronically scanned arrays market is estimated to grow owing to its increasing application in the defense industry for missile location and tracking. Furthermore, the market has a lot of scope in the research and development division since researchers and scientists are constantly upgrading the software to make it more efficient and economical. Precise tracking and location of foreign objects is becoming an important factor for defense industries today; hence, they are opting for more accurate products, which in turn, is expected to fuel growth of the electronically scanned arrays market. The market is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR in the coming future. The growing application of products installed with electronically scanned arrays systems in commercial and industrial sectors is expected to propel the growth of the overall electronically scanned arrays market in the near future.Electronically Scanned Arrays Market segmentation:The electronically scanned arrays market can be segmented on the basis of product type, application platform and range.By product type, the electronically scanned arrays market can be segmented into:ActivePassiveOn the basis of application platform, the electronically scanned arrays market can be segmented into:LandNavalAirborneOn the basis of range, the electronically scanned arrays market can be segmented into:Short RangeMedium RangeLong RangeOn the basis of the geometry of array, the electronically scanned arrays market can be segmented into:LinearPlanarFrequency ScanningOn the basis of components, the electronically scanned arrays market can be segmented into:Transmit Receive Module (TRM)Beam forming Network (BFN)Phase ShiftersSignal ProcessingRadar Data ProcessorPower Supply ModuleCooling SystemElectronically Scanned Arrays MarketRegional Outlook:The electronically scanned arrays market can be divided into seven different geographical regions/divisions -- North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America and Europe have prominent presence of industrial and defense sectors alongside with the existence of globally eminent players, which is a boon for the electronically scanned arrays market in these regions. Rapid industrialization in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in China and India, is estimated to fuel the growth of the electronically scanned arrays market. Countries are investing a huge amount of capital to strengthen their defense systems against potential terrorism and enemies. Thus, the market is anticipated to grow in the near future. The use of electronically scanned array products in the defense sector is becoming easier and economical owing to new inventions and advances. Therefore, it is projected that the electronically scanned arrays market will see rapid growth in all developed and developing countries in the future.Request For TOC@Electronically Scanned Arrays Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the electronically scanned arraysmarket are:Lockheed Martin CorporationNorthrop Grumman CorporationRaytheon CompanyLeonardoMitsubishi Electric CorporationSaab ABThales GroupABOUT 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: Food Retail Market Worth $8,541.9 Billion by 2020 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/food-retail-market/toc http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3922 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Food Retail: Supermarkets/hypermarkets Segment To Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global Food Retail market was valued at USD 5,643.6 billion in 2013 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1 % from 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 8,541.9 billion in 2020.Rise in the global population, changing customer preferences, and emerging economies are making the way for the food retail industry. It is a dynamically progressing industry and contributes to the development of several industries such as food packaging. Rising middle-class population is creating growth opportunities for food retail market and is expected to drive the market further. According to a U.S.-based research firm, about 1.5 billion households globally would be in the middle-class category by 2020, up from 1.2 billion households in 2012. China and India are among the countries witnessing a fast growth in their middle-class population. In 2012, there were 227 million and 149 million middle-class households in China and India, respectively. In addition, due to busy life schedules many working peoples have less time to shop for food items. Therefore, increasing online retail shopping through online retail formats such as in-store pickup and pure-play online grocers is expected to drive the food retail market in the years to come.The restraining impact of lack of supply chain effectiveness in less developed countries is expected to be medium in the short and medium terms, and low in the long term. Government investment in infrastructure and the entry of global food processing companies in developing countries are expected to minimize the impact of supply chain-related restraints. The threat from unorganized players is expected to be high in the short term, medium in the medium term and low in the long term. The number of organized players is increasing in developing countries due to increasing urbanization and per capita income. In India, discussions regarding foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail are currently under way, and if it is approved by the Indian government it may add benefits to the food retail industry.Asia-Pacific is the largest market for food retail. Increasing per capita income, growing level of education, smaller families and increasing urbanization and westernization are the key factors driving the growth of food retail industry in this region. Europe is the second largest market for food retail due to the presence of the large number of branded stores and discounters such as Aldi, Carrefour, Auchan and Tesco which offer fresh and branded products. They are then followed by North America. Health and nutritional concern among consumers are the major factors fuelling the growth of the food retail market in this region. RoW region has experienced the fastest growth in the past few years and is likely to hold its position in the years to come.Food Retail is categorized under distribution channel into four different segments: supermarkets or hypermarkets, independent and specialist retailers, convenience stores and others. Supermarket or hypermarket segment holds the largest share of the overall market in 2013 at USD 2,925.8 billion and is expected to reach USD 4,448.5 billion by 2020 at a CAGR of 6.2 % during 2014 to 2020.Request to view table of content @Under regional segment, the Asia Pacific food retail market (the largest market in 2013) increased by 7.2 % CAGR during 2010-2013 to reach USD 1,909.2 million in 2013.A sample of this report is available upon request @Some of the major companies of food retail operating at the global level are such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Carrefour SA, Tesco plc, AEON CO. LTD., Metro AG, Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd., The Kroger Company, Groupe Auchan and REWE Group.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: Advanced Tapentadol Market Revenue and Value Chain 2017 - 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=87 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=87 https://www.tmrresearch.com/tapentadol-market Global Tapentadol Market: SnapshotThe growing prevalence of chronic diseases is leading to the high occurrence of chronic musculoskeletal pain, which is likely to create an upswing in the demand for tapentadol worldwide. Tapentadol is also used for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. The potency of this treatment lies somewhere between that of morphine and tramadol. Despite the lower occurrence of side effects, its analgesic efficacy is comparable to that of oxycodone. The treatment is still prescribed to adults as there has been no well-controlled study reported for children. The rising incidence of diabetes is also working in favor of the global market.However, tapentadol comes with its own set of contraindications, especially in the treatment of people suffering from epilepsy or are susceptible to seizures. People suffering from brain tumor, head injuries, or other conditions should avoid consuming it as it increases intracranial pressure. Its usage is discouraged for people with asthma as it boosts the risk of respiratory depression. Its consumption is also strictly prohibited for patients having biliary tract disease such as both acute and chronic pancreatitis as it may cause spasms of the sphincter of Oddi. Besides this, tapentadol cannot be used for people suffering from severe liver diseases and should be carefully administered to people with the moderate liver disease. Moreover, it is not recommended for treatment of women during and immediately before labor and delivery.Request a Brochure of the Report @Tapentadol is still in the launch or post-launch phase in several countries across and yet to be commercially introduced in numerous countries. Its marketing is done only in countries where adequate national control steps offering the same control as for schedule I of the United Nations (UN) Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs are applied.Global Tapentadol Market: OverviewTapentadol is a dual mode analgesic that performs the actions of being a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor as well as a mu-opioid receptor antagonist. Its analgesic properties come into effect within few minutes of oral administration. Tapentadol has been recognized as a step three analgesic on the World Health Organization (WHO) pain ladder. Tapentadol is utilized for the treatment of moderate to severe pain for chronic and acute musculoskeletal pain. It is available in the U.S. in extended release formulations under the branded name Nucynta ER from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Nucynta contains the (R.R.) stereoisomer, which is a weak isomer in terms of opioid activity.Request for TOC of the Report @Tapentadol is a newly released drug, being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011, by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia in 2010 and by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the U.K. in 2011.Global Tapentadol Market: Product SpecificationsTapentadol is often used to ease pain which cannot be managed with other types of analgesics. Its formulation is provided in 100 mg (red/orange), 75 mg (orange) and 50 mg (yellow) tablets to be used once every five hours as needed to control pain. In addition, tapentadol can be used for controlling the pain of diabetic neuropathy when round-the-clock analgesics are required.However, tapentadol is known to have adverse side-effects. It may impair cognitive and physical abilities and should not be used when operating heavy machinery, especially during initial treatment. Dizziness, nausea, constipation and central nervous system (CNS) sedation are common side-effects of tapentadol. Its consumption can increase the risk of seizure and should be administered to epileptic patients with extreme caution.Global Tapentadol Market: Regional AnalysisThe growth in the demand for analgesics is expected to increase the overall demand for tapentadol. In addition, the rising demand for over-the-counter painkillers in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific is expected to boost demand for tapentadol. The global tapentadol market, however, is restricted by factors including stringent government regulations, availability of substitutes, and adverse effects of tapentadol could hamper the growth of the market.Read Complete Report @North America is the leading market for tapentadol, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The demand for tapentadol is exceptionally high in the U.S., owing to a higher percentage of the elderly population, a demographic which forms the leading consumer pool for tapentadol in the world. Asia Pacific is projected to be at the forefront of the global tapentadol in terms of growth. China and India are expected to show a very high rate of increase in the consumers of tapentadol due to their growing population pools and rapid urbanization rates. Taiwan, Honk Kong, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia are other key consumers of tapentadol in Asia Pacific. Increasing consumer awareness, better treatment and an increase in life expectancy is likely to propel future growth.Global Tapentadol Market: Key Players and Competitive LandscapeThe market is dominated by large pharmaceutical companies with established brands. Companies are investing in research and development to develop new grades of tapentadol. In addition, companies are using strategic acquisitions and mergers to remain competitive in market and increasing their presence in emerging economies of Asia Pacific and Latin America.Some of the key players operating in the global tapentadol market so far, have been Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C., IPCA Laboratories Ltd., Lupin Laboratories Ltd., Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., Aristo Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Tirupati Medicare Ltd, and Manus Aktteva Biopharma LLP.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com RFID in Pharmaceuticals Market : Regulations and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=92 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=92 https://www.tmrresearch.com/rfid-in-pharmaceuticals-market Global RFID in Pharmaceuticals Market: SnapshotThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has played a vital role in escalating the widespread adoption of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the pharmaceutical sector to strengthen anti-counterfeiting and track-and-trace efforts. Besides these benefits, RFID technology is acknowledged for its ability to increase supply chain efficiency, reduce errors by proper storage of information, boost patient safety and monitoring, enhance staff, patient, and asset workflow, easy adoption and flexible usage, and cut down labor requirements.With the pharmaceutical sector being a highly critical area, there is a pressing need to have highly efficient systems. Therefore, certain limitations of the technology restrict the RFID in pharmaceuticals market from realizing its utmost potential. These limitations include tampering concerns, technical issues, and compatibility and standardization issues. Another major factor holding back the market is the high cost of implementation. Industrial experts believe that these issues are interrelated. The high cost is limiting widespread adoption and at the same time, the implementation rate of RFID across the pharmaceutical sector is not considerable enough to make the technology cheap. However, the aforementioned limitations are being addressed by technological advancements, which are likely to render the global RFID in pharmaceuticals market highly opportunistic.Request a Brochure of the Report @The majority of players in the global RFID in pharmaceuticals market are focusing towards technological advancements and product innovation to improve their visibility in the market. Large players are pouring hefty funds into research and development activities to offer products and services that are advanced and in line with the requirements of the pharmaceutical sectors. Most of the leading players in the market are players with strong brand name, high technical expertise, and strong capital muscle.Global RFID in Pharmaceuticals Market: OverviewRadio frequency identification, popularly known by the acronym RFID, has a host of applications in different areas. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals is one of them. RFID tracking systems have come in handy in lowering human efforts and errors in maintenance and control of healthcare inventory. Some of its popular applications are in tracking medical equipment in hospitals, identifying patients, monitoring blood transfer, and tracking of medication from pharmacy to patient. In the pharmaceutical sector, it helps in monitoring imports and exports of pharmaceutical raw materials, internal and external tracking of pharmaceuticals, and documenting the transfer of products from manufacturers to patients.Request for TOC of the Report @Comprising of a small chip, which is capable of carrying up to 2000 bytes and an antenna, the RFID devices do a job similar to that of a bar code or a magnetic strip on the back of a credit card or ATM card provide a unique identifier for an object. Like a bar code or magnetic strip, an RFID device must also be scanned to gather the identifying information.Global RFID in Pharmaceuticals Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe pharmaceuticals sector is faced with many challenges on the logistics front. These include product recalls due to overstocking which often results in expiry of drugs. Counterfeit drugs is another issue hobbling as it puts the patients safety at risk. Further, prescription packaged drugs are difficult to read and patients not taking the proper prescribed dose medication is another problem. To tackle all such challenges RFID can be leveraged successfully.RFID technology enables better tracking and accountability resulting in improved reliability in drug approval process. It also allows tracking of drug intake via the testing protocol. Also, enhanced inventory tracking with RFID can aid in bringing down buffer stocks thereby slashing cost. All these benefits have majorly contributed to the demand for RFID in the pharmaceuticals sector.This market is also filliped by the rising demand for more efficient anti-counterfeit solutions for drugs that would ensure product security, quality, and efficient usability. The US FDA has recommended a set of rules and regulations to be applied in RFID for the pharmaceutical industry. Countering the swift uptake of RFID in pharmaceuticals market, however, is the steep cost of installation and deployment of RFID tracking systems. Dearth of awareness about the long term financial advantages of RFID technology is another factor crimping growth in the market.Read Complete Report @Global RFID in Pharmaceuticals Market: Regional OutlookNorth America and Europe are dominant markets for RFID in the pharmaceuticals sector because of favorable government initiatives, growing thrust on cost reduction through operational efficiency, and major drug counterfeit events. Asia Pacific is slated to exhibit solid growth in the years ahead due to cheaper original equipment manufacturing (OEM) services provided by China and rapid uptake of RFID systems in healthcare in the region.Companies Mentioned in ReportTo present an accurate and detailed assessment of the competition prevailing in the market for RFID in the pharmaceutical sector, the report profiles companies such as IBM Corporation, Alien Technology, Hewlett-Pakard, Siemens, Motorola, Inc., Texas Instruments, Toshiba Tech, and Zebra Technologies Corporation.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting ser-vices to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Global Encryption Software Market to Grow Exponentially by 2022 Big Market Research https://goo.gl/PYGCZO https://goo.gl/KYzahE http://www.bigmarketresearch.com Big Market Research added a report on World Encryption Software Market - Opportunities And Forecasts, 2014 2021Software-based encryption is one of the fast-emerging end-point data security solutions. Encryption software are used to maintain confidentiality of the data stored in files/folders & disks and transmitted over the wireless network. Increasing number of organizations worldwide have adopted encryption to address the growing concerns of data safety and data privacy compliance regulations. With data protection and compliance gaining prominence, organizations have adopted encryption services to achieve compliance, data security, and flexibility.Increasing data privacy and compliance regulations by the government across various geographic regions, owing to the rising number of data breaches is amongst the major factors that has supplemented the growth of the market. Moreover, increasing adoption of cloud & virtualization and increasing data mobility are other key factors that have fueled the overall growth of the market. However, lack of awareness and education of software encryption due to ignorance, cost associated with the encryption and regulatory restrictions are some of the major challenges for the industry.Request for Sample Copy@The market is segmented on the basis of usage, industry vertical, and geography. Based of usage, the market is segmented into encryption for data-at-rest and encryption for data-in-transit. The market by vertical comprises financial sector, healthcare, public sectors, and others. The financial sector is anticipated to account for the largest share of the overall market throughout the forecast period, as this industry has to comply with stringent data-protection regulations. The market has been analyzed on the basis of regions, which include North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. North America is projected to be the leading revenue-generating region during the forecast period. However, Asia-Pacific region is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period, due to the growing penetration of cloud computing and increasing workforce mobility.Owing to the rapidly increasing adoption of cloud services across all sectors, organizations are inclined towards encryption solutions to ensure security of data and ensure compliance with the data privacy regulations in cloud. The key players profiled in this report are Symantec Corporation, Sophos Holdings Ltd., McAfee, Inc., Check Point Software Technologies, Proof point, and Trend Micro.For Purchase Enquiry@KEY BENEFITS Extensive research report offers an insight into the current and future tends shaping the prominent investment pockets. Comprehensive coverage of information on the key drivers, restraints and opportunities adds value to the overall statics on market share and size. Business performance of the key market players across different region such as North America, Europe, Asia -Pacific and LAMEA are thoroughly studied during the research. SWOT analysis conducted on the major brands highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threat faced by them. The data would enable business owners take smarter decisions and zero in on an effective marketing plan. The research further drills down to provide comprehensive data on the market by usage, vertical and geography. Assessment of critical imperatives such as adoption rate, consumption volume and customer preference among other factors are also included in the report.ENCRYPTION SOFTWARE MARKET KEY SEGMENTATIONThe market is segmented on the basis of usage, vertical, and geography. By componentMARKET BY USAGE Encryption for data-at-resto Full Disk Encryption (FDE)o File Level Encryption (FLE) Encryption for data-in-transitMARKET BY VERTICAL Financial Sector Healthcare Public Sector OthersMARKET BY GEOGRAPHY North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEAAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly. Our research services ranges into different domains and penetrates in different verticals so that we can carter to diverse needs of various organization. Not wrong to quote that this is the hotspot for research needs of yours. Big Market Research uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220, United StatesDirect: + 1-503-894-6022Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb: Digital Genome Market to grow at 9.5% CAGR from 2016 to 2024 Global Market Insights, Inc. https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1219 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/digital-genome-market https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1219 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/gene-editing-market https://www.gminsights.com https://gminsights.wordpress.com The global industry report "Digital Genome Market Size By Product (Sequencing & Analyzer Instruments, DNA/RNA Analysis Kits, Sequencing Chips, Sequencing & Analysis Software, Sample Prep Instruments), By Application (Microbiology [Biological, Clinical, Industrial], Reproductive & Genetic, Transplantation, Livestock and Agriculture, Forensics, Research and Development), By End-Use (Diagnostics & Forensic Labs, Academic Research Institutes, Hospitals, Bio-pharmaceutical Companies), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, France, China, Japan, India, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico South Africa, Saudi Arabia), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2024" by Global Market Insights, Inc. says Digital Genome Market size is set to exceed USD 45 billion by 2024.Increased adoption of personalized medicine aimed at identifying genomic markers of disease and prescribe drugs that specifically target the pathway will drive the digital genome market size. Growing emphasis on sensitivity and specificity of the gene sequencing instruments should also fuel industry growth.In 2015, sequencing and analyzing instruments accounted for over 40% of digital genome market share. Technological innovation for development of novel instruments coupled with growing investments in genetic research will provide thrust to industry expansion. Sequencing chips should witness over 10% CAGR owing to continuous R&D in bioinformatics, microfluidics, enzymology, and nanotechnology providing innovative platforms for digital genome market growth.Request for a sample of this research report -Biotechnology innovation has enabled development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in order to introduce specific improvements or traits. Successful production and commercialization of such modified organisms should stimulate business growth. Extensive applications in clinical diagnosis and research will also contribute to industry growth.Effective disease management strategies for chronic ailments and growing number of private and public investments and grants are forecast to propel digital genome market growth over the forecast years.Concerns pertaining to security and confidentiality of patient data, lack of experienced professional and complex return on investment structure may hamper the digital genome market growth. Increasing application of digital genomics in next generation sequencing and wide use of microbes in diagnostics industry will stimulate microbiology segment growth; the segment is anticipated to surpass USD 10 billion by 2024.Bio-pharmaceutical companies accounted for over 45% of digital genome market share due to increasing demand for targeted drug therapy. Growing usage trend for precision medicines should provide lucrative growth opportunities for segment growth.Browse key industry insights spread across 150 pages with 95 market data tables & around 8 figures & charts from this 2017 report Digital Genome Market in detail along with the table of contents at:U.S. digital genome market size accounted for over 80% of the North American revenue in 2015, mainly due to the presence of established healthcare infrastructure and advanced facilities for effective treatment and care. The successful completion of Human Genome Project (HGP) has attracted significant public and private initiatives, driving the business growth.In 2015, Germany digital genome market size was valued at over USD 1.4 billion and is anticipated to witness considerable growth till 2024. Increasing investments by public and private companies for development of novel technologies should boost digital genome industry growth.China digital genome market is set to witness over 10% CAGR owing to favorable government initiative for development of human genetic resources platform and increasing collaboration among research institutes for creation of genomic databases and biobanks.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Some of the players operating in this industry include Perkin Elmer, Qiagen, Illumina, Becton Dickinson, Agilent, Sigma Aldrich, Fluidigm, Pacific Biosciences, Veracyte, Trovagene, Affymetrix and Neogen. The industry participants are investing heavily in R&D to develop innovative products which would provide competitive advantage.Some of the major players in sequencing and analysis instruments market include Life Technologies, Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Roche. Few of the advanced sequencing technologies are Illumina (Solexa) sequencing, Roche 454 sequencing, Ion torrent: proton/ PGM sequencing and SOLiD (sequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection) sequencing.Browse Related Reports:Gene Editing Market Size By Technology (CRISPR/Cas9, Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), Meganucleases, TALENS), By Application (Hematology, Infectious Disease, Oncology, Muscular Disorders), By End User (Biotech and Pharma, CRO, Research Institutes), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Spain, Russia, Poland, China, Japan, India, Australia, Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Israel), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2024About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Biostimulants Market witness significant growth during 2017-2024 https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/1346 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1346 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/biostimulants-market https://www.gminsights.com Biostimulants Market size is expected to witness strong growth owing to increasing food demand with ever growing population. The industry will witness significant growth owing to increasing consumer inclination towards usage of organic substances in farming.Purchase Biostimulants Market Report by calling Global Market Insights, Inc. at 1-888-689-0688 (Toll Free) or 1-302-846-7766Constant climate change is one of the major factor for increasing product usage in farming. Along with this, fluctuation in yields and rising demand are factors for industry growth. In addition to this it also increases the soil fertility through ecofriendly way which is also enhancing the biostimulants market growth.Growing trend of adapting organic farming coupled with increasing awareness of benefits among the consumers are the major factors increasing biostimulants market size. In addition to this, need for sustainable agriculture is the key driver for product growth. The product is formed by various formulations of compounds, micro-organisms and substances.Request for detail Table of Contents(toc) @Biostimulants are used along with crop protection and crop nutrition substances such as fertilizers and pesticides to enhance plant properties. The segmentation is based according to active ingredient as acidic and extract biostimulants. The acid based are further segmented into humic, fluvic and amino acid, while extract based includes seaweed extract.Industry is also segmented according to crop type as vegetables, fruits, row crops and turf. Row crops account for major biostimulants market share owing to large arable land usage. Increasing harm by use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in soil have further boosted the biostimulants market growth.Inquire about to purchase Biostimulants Market research report @Asia Pacific region is estimated to be among fastest growing region this is due to increase in consumer awareness and rising preference towards organic products. Major agriculture based economies such as India, China, Australia are estimated to lead industry growth.Latin America driven by Mexico, Argentina and Brazil will show significant growth during the forecast timeframe, increasing preference of organic products is among the key driving factor for increasing biostimulants market demand. Moreover, rising consumer awareness about quality of product should further increase market demand. This region also shows potential opportunities for niche market players to establish industries in region.Some of the key biostimulants market players include Bayer, BASF, Italpollina, Biovert, Valagro, Biostadt India Limited, Koppert B.V., Arysta LifeScience, Agrinos, Boilchim, Laboratories Goemar, Micromix Plant Health Limited, Lallemand.Browse complete summary of Biostimulants Market report @About Global Market Insights, Inc.Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact UsArun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1 888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Connect with us twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+29L Atlantic Avenue, Suite L 105,Ocean View DelawareUnited States 19970 Connected Home Security System Market - Complete Study of Current Trends and Growth Drivers For 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2324 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2324 https://www.tmrresearch.com/connected-home-security-system-market Global Connected Home Security System Market: OverviewConnected home security systems are networks of integrated electronic devices that work together with a control panel that arms and disarms security systems to protect home against burglars and other potential intruders. The global market for connected home security systems will expand at a brisk pace, especially with internet service and cable TV providers introducing their own products. These systems consist of alarms, cameras, locks and sensors, monitoring devices, and detectors. The systems can be installed by professionals or self.Global Connected Home Security System Market: Key TrendsThe increasing incidents of theft and house robbery are translating into the greater demand for enhanced security and safety solutions with effective monitoring technology, thereby augmenting the global market for connected home security systems. The proliferation of smart devices is also working in favor of the market. Moreover, the market is largely benefitting from the emergence of cloud technology. Home cloud solutions offer ubiquitous and collaborative advantages, which are stirring up their demand. Furthermore, the presence of home insurance policies that cover installation of monitored security systems is stoking the growth of the market. However, the low awareness regarding these systems, especially in developing and less developed regions, is hampering the growth prospects of the market.Request a Brochure of the Report @Global Connected Home Security System Market: Market PotentialConnected home security systems are networks of integrated electronic devices that work together with a control panel that arms and disarms security systems to protect home against burglars and other potential intruders. The global market for connected home security systems will expand at a brisk pace, especially with internet service and cable TV providers introducing their own products. These systems consist of alarms, cameras, locks and sensors, monitoring devices, and detectors. The systems can be installed by professionals or self.Home cloud solutions offer ubiquitous and collaborative advantages, which are stirring up their demand. Furthermore, the presence of home insurance policies that cover installation of monitored security systems is stoking the growth of the market. However, the low awareness regarding these systems, especially in developing and less developed regions, is hampering the growth prospects of the market.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Connected Home Security System Market: Geographical SegmentationThe key segments analyzed in the report on the basis of geography are North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America will hold a prominent position in the global market throughout the forecast period, owing to the soaring need for energy management solutions. The availability of low-cost devices and the high adoption of wireless home security DIY installations are contributing to the growth of the region. Besides these factors, the large-scale adoption of cloud-based technologies for the effective monitoring of home security systems is also fuelling the North America market. The U.S. will be at the forefront of the region, due to high acceptance of technologically advanced products.Read Complete Report @Global Connected Home Security System Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global connected home security system market features a high degree of competition and concentration. The tremendous growth potential of the market is attracting new companies to venture into the market, which is likely to intensify the competition in the near future. New entrants are focusing towards capitalizing on DIY trend and therefore, introducing products in line with the trend. Large organizations and small companies are competing with each other in terms of pricing and product offerings. Some of the prominent players operating in the global connected home security system market are AT&T, Honeywell Total Connect, Comcast, ADT, Verizon, Cocoon, Lifeshield, Samsung, Panasonic, Petzi, Xfinity, Kuna, August, Kwikset, and Control4.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com OSAGE | An Osage man police say solicited a boy for sex via text message has been arrested. Dakota Schulz, 21, of Osage, is slated to appear in court this month for one count of felony enticement of a minor. He was arrested last month after an Osage woman showed police text messages sent to her 11-year-old son's cell phone. Schulz later told police he'd sent the boy messages in an attempt to try to get the boy to have sex with him, according to court documents. Police say Schulz, who told investigators he thought the boy was 13, had asked the child "if he was a cop." Schulz's next court appearance is May 16 in Mitchell County District Court in Osage. He remained held Wednesday afternoon at the Mitchell County Jail on $10,000 bond. Molly Montag Consumer Billing Management Software Market studies Research Report 2017: Comprehensive Analysis of the Current Trends and Future Estimations 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2327 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2327 https://www.tmrresearch.com/consumer-billing-management-software-market Global Consumer Billing Management Software Market: OverviewConsumer billing management (CBM) software help in the realization of efficient business operations by assisting end users to securely manage customer account data, including statements and bills. Enterprises such as those functioning in the pharmacy sector that work around diverse business processes, high data volumes, and customers are the top users of CBM software. Along with self-service capabilities across a host of channels, CBM solutions help consumers with significantly personalized online account data. However, generally, CBM software are used to perform recurring bill payment processes.Global Consumer Billing Management Software Market: Key TrendsThe international CBM software market is anticipated to be driven by an inflating adoption of cloud-based products. The factoring out of licensing expenses, meagre hardware infrastructure, checked maintenance costs, pay-per-use facility, and cost-effectiveness are some of the advantageous features expected to raise the adoption of CBM software based on the cloud. Canceling the need to install an application software, cloud-based products are predicted to make a statement in the international CBM software market. Cloud-based CBM software allow organizations to simply utilize web browsers for remotely accessing services and data.Request a Brochure of the Report @The demand in the international CBM software market is envisioned to propel on the back of the need to conduct automated billing procedures and latest technological developments. Although on-premises CBM software are envisaged to currently dominate the market owing to high data security and customization features, cloud-based offerings could take precedence during the forecast years. This could be due to the crucial advantages of using the cloud, including efficiency, agility, and flexibility in business operations and decreased expenses. Revenue cycle management processes performed using billing management software in the pharmacy sector are envisaged to raise the hopes of vendors in the international CBM software market.Global Consumer Billing Management Software Market: Market PotentialAmdocs is making the cut in the customer and revenue management systems industry with three recent wins in the form of contracts from Biznet, Vodafone India, and Three Ireland. Amdocs would be providing an all-embracing billing and customer care solution to bolster the subscriber and business growth of Biznet. The company would also be offering support to the postpaid billing systems of Vodafone India. As for Three Ireland, Amdocs would be sharing its proficiency for IT digital transformation. Consequently, Amdocs has been announced a leader in the customer and revenue management systems sector.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Consumer Billing Management Software Market: Regional OutlookThe world CBM software market in the Americas is foreseen to record a handsome growth while riding on important factors such as swelling investments in CBM solutions and elevating application of digital technology. In the near future, the growth of the Americas CBM software market could be augmented by more factors, which include the heightening adoption of cloud-based products in large and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific could be other key regions of the world CBM software market.Read Complete Report @Global Consumer Billing Management Software Market: Competitive LandscapeLarger players in the worldwide CBM software market are prophesied to swell their shares and widen their product portfolio through the acquisition of smaller companies during the forecast period. Due to the presence of local and large multinational companies, the worldwide CBM software market could be characterized by a highly competitive nature. Inclusion of more product features and alteration of current services are prognosticated to be witnessed with a rising incidence of mergers and acquisitions. Huawei, Healthpac, Harris ERP, EnergyCAP, and Amdocs are some of the leading companies in the worldwide CBM software market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Global Rare Earths Industry Production - North America, Europe, China & Japan Rare Earths Industry http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-rare-earths-market-research-report-2017-124529 https://goo.gl/FukJy3 The Market Research Store report offers majority of the latest and newest industry data that covers the overall market situation along with future prospects for Rare Earths market around the globe. The research study includes significant data and also forecasts of the global market which makes the research report a helpful resource for marketing people, analysts, industry executives, consultants, sales and product managers, and other people who are in need of major industry data in a ready-to-access format along with clear presentation of graphs and tables.The report comprises the current size of the Rare Earths market. It also provides with different types of product segments of the global market. Furthermore, the Rare Earths market research report gives an in-depth information about the overall market and various product segments and their growth trends. The future market forecasts about the global Rare Earths market are also covered in the research report. In addition, the overall market potential is further described in the report along with different countries around the globe.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The latest and the newest trends of the Rare Earths industry are also included in this report. Moreover, overall global market size, the market size by product segment, growth rates of the global market along with and different product segments of the market, and various product segments with their value and volumes evaluation are also included in the research report.The Market Research Store report offers the global market potential rates of the Rare Earths market along with various product segments. The research report provides an overview of the current market situation, historic development, and future outlook of the Rare Earths market. It also tracks the industry developments trends and identifies the global market opportunities. The report helps to plan and develop precise marketing, market expansion, market-entry, and other business strategies through identifying the major market prospects and opportunities.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The data in the report is clearly presented which can be easily integrated into presentations and internal reports.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.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 Self-Propelled Sprayer Market Outlook: Research Report 2017 to 2022 https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/39317/?utm_source=WOD-NL https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/39317 https://marketsizeforecasters.com/2017-top-5-self-propelled-sprayer-manufacturers-in-north-america-europe-asia-pacific-south-america-middle-east-and-africa https://marketsizeforecasters.com/2017-2022-china-self-propelled-sprayer-market http://marketsizeforecasters.com/ Market Size Forecasters delivers significant information and realistic data of the Self-Propelled Sprayer Market. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. In-depth research of the Self-Propelled Sprayer Market limitations and the opportunities enable the user to make the future projection.This report studies Self-Propelled Sprayer in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa, focuses on the top 5 Self-Propelled Sprayer Players in each region, with sales, price, revenue and market share for top 5 manufacturer, coveringAGCO, CNH, EXEL Industries, John Deere, Jacto, Equipment TechnologiesBrothers Equipment, Hagie, Amazonen-Werke H. Dreyer, Kuhn, GVMRequest a sample copy of Self-Propelled Sprayer Market Research Report @Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales, revenue, market share of top 5 players in these regions, from 2012 to 2017 (forecast), like - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Korea), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy and Russia etc., South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina), Middle East and Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia)Split by Product Types, with sales, revenue, price, market share of each type, can be divided into Low-capacity, Medium-capacity, High-capacityThe listed pricing for this Self-Propelled Sprayer Market report starts at $ 4960. Request Discount for Self-Propelled Sprayer Market Research Report @Split by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Self-Propelled Sprayer in each application, can be divided into High stem crop, Dryland cropBrowse full table of contents and data tables For Self-Propelled Sprayer Market Report @Related Reports: -2017-2022 China Self-Propelled Sprayer Market Report (Status and Outlook)The Self-Propelled Sprayer market size will be XX million (USD) in 2022 in China, from the XX million (USD) in 2016, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) XX% from 2016 to 2022.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter M2M Network Security Market: Evolving Technology, Trends and industry Analysis 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2315 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2315 https://www.tmrresearch.com/m2m-network-security-market Global M2M Network Security Market - OverviewAs the Internet of Things (IoT) rapidly transforms the way people communicate, live, and work, a number of new solutions are making their way in several industries, ranging from connected homes, connected cars, and connected workplaces. These connected solutions are all driven due to the vast advancements achieved in the field of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. The massive number of objects that are connected through these M2M networks have security management requirements similar to networked computing devices, consumer electronics, and mobile phones.The highly complex network architecture in which M2M devices operate their often inaccessible or unmanned nature present several challenges to their efficiency if an end-to-end M2M network security solution is not in place. This report on the global market for M2M network security market presents a detailed overview of the present growth dynamics and future growth prospects of the market over the period between 2017 and 2025.Request a Brochure of the Report @Global M2M Network Security Market - Trends and OpportunitiesThe soaring adoption of M2M communications in everyday devices in the consumer as well as enterprise sector is the key driver of the global M2M network security market. As the number of embedded sensors and data transmission points begin to grow out of proportion owing to the present IoT boom, the need for effective network security capabilities to shield M2M networks from unauthorized sources will be felt more intensely. The rising number of companies operating in the market, offering innovative solutions for the security needs of M2M networks will also help the market gain traction in the next few years.Global M2M Network Security Market - Market PotentialThe rapidly rising expanse of IoT technologies in the enterprise as well as the consumer sector and the rising set of applications across large number of industries is expected to bode well for the M2M network security market in the next few years. The market will especially benefit from these factors in developing economies across regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America, where digitization and industrial automation are witnessing increased focus from the enterprise sector as well as government bodies.Request for TOC of the Report @Speaking of numbers, Vodafone has recently announced that its IoT mobile network has crossed the mark of 50 mn connections. Several other telecom companies are increasingly realizing the potential of the IoT sector and are focusing on innovations to grab a larger share in the rapidly expanding and dynamic IoT sector.Global M2M Network Security Market - Regional OverviewFrom a geographical viewpoint, the market for M2M network security has been covered in the report for regions such as Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Middle East and Africa. Of these, the markets across North America and Europe are presently the leading contributors of revenue to the global market. The high level of adoption of M2M connections in consumer electronics devices and across a number of industries and the presence of some of the worlds leading information technology firms in North America are chiefly attributable to the dominance of these regions in the global market.Read Complete Report @Global M2M Network Security Market - Competitive DynamicsThe presence of a large number of regional and international vendors has made the vendor landscape of the global M2M network security market highly fragmented and competitive. To outplay competitors, several leading companies are resorting to strategic collaborations, mergers, and acquisitions to expand their geographical reach and product portfolios. Development of products and services with innovative security features is also a popular growth strategy.Some of the leading vendors operating in the global M2M network security market are Gemalto, Cisco Systems, KORE Wireless, PTC, Numerex, SIMCom Wireless Solutions, Digi International, NetComm Wireless, EUROTECH, Systech, Netop, Ventus, Novatel Wireless, and Telit.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Biobanks Market Analysis, Manufacturing Cost Structure, Growth Opportunities and Restraint to 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2321 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2321 https://www.tmrresearch.com/biobanks-market Global Biobanks Market: OverviewThe global biobanks market owes its conception to the rising need for replacement organs and the steady advancement in the replacement and transfusion technologies regarding a number of bodily substances. Though the technology and need to store organs and other bio-entities had been available for a long time, the global biobanks market took on a more important role in the healthcare sector following the increasing research in genomics. In the new millennium, the development of the personalized medicine field has been the vital driver for the global biobanks market. The likely advancement of the latter, thanks to helpful government regulations, is likely to make the crucial difference for the global biobanks market in the near future.The steady technological advancement in the healthcare sector in the last few decades has now led to a scenario where the full potential of biobanks can be harnessed. As a result, the global biobanks market is projected to exhibit steady growth over the coming years.Request a Brochure of the Report @Global Biobanks Market: Key TrendsThe rising interest in personalized medicine is the prime driver for the global biobanks market. Personalized medicine has only become a viable branch of modern medicine after steady research in genomics and the way various patients react to various medicines. The biobanks market has thus come into the spotlight thanks to their role as a steady supplier of human biomaterials for research as well as direct application. The increasing research in genomics following the findings of the Human Genome Project is thus likely to remain a key driver for the global biobanks market in the coming years.The utilization of biobanks in stem cell research has been hampered in several regions by ethical concerns regarding the origin of stem cells. Nevertheless, the potential of stem cells in the healthcare sector is immense, and is likely to have a decisive impact on the trajectory of the global biobanks market in the coming years. Many countries have, in recent years, adopted a supportive stance towards stem cell research, aiding the growth of the biobanks market. Continued government support is thus likely to remain vital for the global biobanks market in the coming years.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Biobanks Market: Market PotentialThe leading role of the U.S. in the global biobanks market is unlikely to change in the coming years. The easy availability of government-supported healthcare infrastructure and the presence of several industry giants in the region has driven the biobanks market in the U.S.Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in New York State, earlier in 2017 initiated a new biobank aimed at creating precision therapies against various types of cancer. Launched in collaboration with Indivumed, the biobank will provide catalogued biomaterials for research into lung, colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancer. This would enable targeted, gene-specific studies of a variety of cancer samples, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of cancer. Such well-funded collaboration efforts are crucial for the developing biobanks market.Global Biobanks Market: Geographical DynamicsLed by the fertile healthcare research scenario in the U.S., North America is likely to retain a dominant share in the global biobanks market in the coming years. Steady support from institutes such as the NIH is likely to be vital for the North America biobanks market.Read Complete Report @Emerging Asia Pacific economies such as India and China could emerge with a significant share in the global biobanks market in the coming years. The healthcare sector in both countries has received steady public or private funding in the last few years. India is also a global leader in medical tourism and is likely to receive an increasing number of patients in the coming years, leading to promising prospects for the global biobanks market in the region.Global Biobanks Market: Competitive DynamicsDue to the dynamic nature of the global biobanks market, with advancements in diagnostic fields often determining the direction of the market, the market is heavily fragmented. It is likely to retain a significant degree of fragmentation in the coming years thanks to the diversity in the application segments of the biobanks market. The leading players in the global biobanks market include BioCision, Tecan Group, VWR, Beckman Coulter Inc., and Thermo Fisher Scientific.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todayas supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clientsa conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth researh of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Global Aircraft Ground Support Equipment Industry Production - CargoTec, AERO Specialties, Cavotec SA & Bharat Earth Movers Aircraft Ground Support Equipment http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-aircraft-ground-support-equipment-market-professional-survey-123792 https://goo.gl/1I4lHr By Regions, this report coversNorth AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaThe Market Research Store report offers majority of the latest and newest industry data that covers the overall market situation along with future prospects for Aircraft Ground Support Equipment market around the globe. The research study includes significant data and also forecasts of the global market which makes the research report a helpful resource for marketing people, analysts, industry executives, consultants, sales and product managers, and other people who are in need of major industry data in a ready-to-access format along with clear presentation of graphs and tables.The report comprises the current size of the Aircraft Ground Support Equipment market. It also provides with different types of product segments of the global market. Furthermore, the Aircraft Ground Support Equipment market research report gives an in-depth information about the overall market and various product segments and their growth trends. The future market forecasts about the global Aircraft Ground Support Equipment market are also covered in the research report. In addition, the overall market potential is further described in the report along with different countries around the globe.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The latest and the newest trends of the Aircraft Ground Support Equipment industry are also included in this report. Moreover, overall global market size, the market size by product segment, growth rates of the global market along with and different product segments of the market, and various product segments with their value and volumes evaluation are also included in the research report.The Market Research Store report offers the global market potential rates of the Aircraft Ground Support Equipment market along with various product segments. The research report provides an overview of the current market situation, historic development, and future outlook of the Aircraft Ground Support Equipment market. It also tracks the industry developments trends and identifies the global market opportunities. The report helps to plan and develop precise marketing, market expansion, market-entry, and other business strategies through identifying the major market prospects and opportunities.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The data in the report is clearly presented which can be easily integrated into presentations and internal reports.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803 Wireless Charging Products Market Worth US$ 27 Billion by 2024 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com According to Persistence Market Research, the global market for wireless charging is currently valued over US$ 2.6 billion. By the end of 2024, revenues emanating from global sales of wireless charging devices & services will grow at an exponential CAGR of 34% and bring in revenues worth over US$ 27 billion.As we head towards an era where wires wont necessarily be a requisite for powering up devices, tech companies from around the world are intensifying their efforts towards production of advanced and immaculate wireless charging systems. Innovative technologies supporting the working mechanism of wireless charging devices is also piquing the curiosity of tech enthusiasts as well as common consumers. From green vehicles to smartphones, Persistence Market Research has published its research study on how wireless charging is spanning the globe as the next-gen mode of charging electric devices.The report further reveals the significance of components in driving the sales of wireless charging devices. Considering that wireless charging systems will eventually put an end to wired chargers, the components used in such systems will play an instrumental role in shaping up the future of wireless charging. Much like today, the feature of charging multiple devices at same time will continue to trend in the long run. In the global market for wireless charging, components used as power transmitters will garner a dominant position. In 2017 and beyond, transmitters are expected to account for more than three-fourth of global wireless charging revenues. Nevertheless, surplus power transmission will necessitate the use of advanced receiver components revenues from which are projected soar at highest CAGR of 35.2%.A key challenge faced by manufacturers of wireless charging systems hovers around the selection of suitable charging technology to assure compatibility with all electronic devices in the world. Availability of diverse electric devices brings uncertainty over expanding product portfolio of wireless charging systems. Research findings compiled in the report suggest that consumers of wireless charging devices are growing more inclined towards devices that use resonance charging technology. After accounting more than US$ 800 million revenues in 2016, the resonance charging technology will continue dominating the global wireless charging market by procuring nearly 40% value share through 2024. The global demand for inductive charging technology will incur a major downtrend, while revenues accounted by radio frequency (RF) charging technology will soar at nearly 40% CAGR during the projected period.While every other wireless charging device sold in the world will be used for powering smartphones, tablets, laptops and other consumer electronics, the report projects a lucrative growth for automotive application of wireless charging systems. During the forecast period, revenues procured from sales of wireless charging devices in the global automotive industry will be elevated at a staggering 42.1% CAGR. Rampant sales of electric vehicles will be factoring this growth, making automotive the most favorable application of wireless charging. Additionally, complications and hazards arising from wired power cables in manufacturing plants will also propel the demand for wireless charging in industrial applications. Through 2024, more than US$ 5 billion worth of wireless charging devices are likely to be consumed by industries across the globe.Additional Highlights of the Report include:Asia-Pacific will be the largest consumer of wireless charging systems in the worldSales of wireless charging devices in North America and Europe will procure more than 60% of global revenues throughout the forecast period, Tech giant, Apple Inc., recently made the news for joining the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) to be a part of the global organization that develops widely-used wireless charging standard for smartphones and other electronic devices, The report has profiled similar tech companies that are partaking in the growth of global wireless charging market, which include Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Texas Instruments, Inc., Leggett & Platt, Inc., Energized Holdings, Inc., Integrated Device Technology, Inc., WiTricity Corporation, ConvenientPower HK Limited, PowerbyPoxi, and Powermat Technologies Ltd.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: Biomass Power Generation Market - Evolving Industry Trends 2022 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/biomass-power-generation-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4495 The global market for biomass power generation is fragmented on account of the presence of a large number of players, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study. A large number of market players are adopting business strategies such as product innovations, partnerships, and acquisitions to make their foothold stronger in the market.For instance, in April 2017, Mitsubishi Corporation Power Systems, Inc. joined hands with The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO) to set up a biomass power generation project in Japan. The project aims at reducing the overall carbon emissions by switching from the use of crude oil or heavy oil to woody biomass.Obtain Report Details @ :According to TMR, the global market for biomass power generation is expected to reach US$50.52 bn by the end of 2022, expanding steadily at a CAGR of 6.4% between 2014 and 2022.Untapped Potential of Asia Pacific Offers Substantial OpportunitiesBy geography, the global market for biomass power generation is segmented into the Middle East and Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and North America. North America is expected to lead the global market for biomass power generation due to the presence of favorable regulatory frameworks and government encouragement. Asia Pacific also holds significant growth potential.By type of feedstock, the global market for biomass power generation has been segmented into agriculture and forest residues, woody biomass, urban residues, landfill gas feedstock, and biogas and energy crops. Of these, the woody biomass segment is expected to lead the market thanks to its eco-friendly and cost-effective advantages.Environmental Benefits and Government Support Drive DemandThe use of biomass in power generation not only ensures reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, it also reduces the cost of energy production. Increased visibility, cleaner air, and better public health are some other advantages of biomass power generation. Governments of several countries such as the U.K., the U.S., Australia, India, Indonesia, Poland, and Germany are either offering grants and incentives or proposing legislations supporting the use of biomass power generation. Because biomass power generation involves the use of natural and human waste such as oil-rich algae, sawdust, woody plants, organic industrial and municipal waste, sugarcane crops, timber industry, and agricultural residue, there is a significant decline in environmental hazards including air pollution.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @ :The increasing awareness associated with the protection of environment has been a key growth driver of the global market for biomass power generation. Elimination of the need for conventional sources of energy such as diesel has also been promoting growth. Increasing applications such as transportation and industrial processes are also likely to boost the market. Rapid pace of industrialization and urbanization in the emerging economies has led to an increasing adoption of this more reliable, affordable, and easily accessible supply of energy.Nonetheless, the growth of the market can get inhibited by factors such as low level of awareness about biomass power generation and presence of a weak supply chain. However, the low costs of forestry and agricultural waste can make biomass power generation a strong contender to conventional power generation. Even in nations where feedstock is costly, coal-fired power generation is still costlier than biomass power generation. Therefore, the increased inclination towards off-grid power supply will render biomass a viable alternative, creating opportunities.The information presented in this review is based on a Transparency Market Research report, titled, Biomass Power Generation Market (Feedstock - Woody Biomass, Agriculture & Forest Residues, Biogas & Energy Crops, Urban Residues, and Landfill Gas Feedstock; and Technology - Anaerobic Digestion, Combustion, Gasification, Co-firing & CHP, and Landfill Gas (LFG)) - Global & U.S. Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2022.Key segments of the Biomass Power Generation MarketGlobal Biomass Power Generation Market, by FeedstockWoody BiomassAgriculture & Forest ResiduesBiogas & Energy CropsUrban ResiduesLandfill Gas FeedstockGlobal Biomass Power Generation Market, by TechnologyAnaerobic DigestionCombustionGasificationCo-firing & CHPLandfill Gas (LFG)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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207 International English Olympiads 2016-17 winners announced Sudeepti S Rao of Grade 7 and Shreya Saxena of Grade 2 from Treamis World School, Bangalore, secured the first rank at international level in the International English Olympiad. They were awarded a gold medal along with a merit certificate and a cash prize.The International English Olympiad (IEO) is a one-of-a-kind examination, and first in the history of English language testing in India. The event is open to the students of classes 1st to 12th and registrations are received from the schools in the prescribed pro-forma. Registration sheet for the school / students and the information booklet are posted to the schools all over India and abroad. Students should be registered through the schools only. Individual registration by the student is not available. Foundation will register school and the students as per the SRF (School Registration Form), SRS (Student Registration Sheets) and the registration fees received and dispatch question papers and guidelines for conducting the examination. Minimum of 10 students need to be registered from each school for feasibility reasons. A nominal participation fee is charged from each student. Part of it is retained by the school for its expenses as exam centre.Thousands of students registered for the Olympiads from over 1400 cities spread across 25 countries. Congrats to all winners!Treamis World School, recognized as one of the top international schools in Bangalore, is authorized to offer CBSE program from the Central Board of Secondary Education of India. Treamis International School is authorized to offer IGCSE and International A Levels from the University of Cambridge International Examination Syndicate and is an IB candidate for primary years programme.Near Electronics CityHulimangala PostBangalore SouthKarnataka, Pin-560105+91 080 2783 9651admissions@treamis.org Passenger Stairs Market: Global Industry Trend Analysis 2012 to 2017 and Forecast 2017 - 2025 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14875 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14875 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Passenger Stairs: Market IntroductionAccording to the United Nations, fifty percent of the global population lives in cities and the number is expected to reach up to seventy percent by the next 40 years. Eventually, people will need better transportation to commute from one city to another, which will drive the demand for aircrafts along with an increase in the demand for ground support equipment (i.e. passenger staircase). Passenger staircases are used by ground handling staff at airports to facilitate boarding and departure of passengers to and from an aircraft.A sample of this report is available upon request @Over the years, the passenger staircase has become an important equipment in handling passengers movement at airports. Some budget airlines use passenger stairs instead of airstairs or aerobridges to reduce the cost and turnaround time. Unlike traditional staircases, these staircases are ergonomically designed and reliable for long term ownership. Such staircases are safe, efficient, stable and efficient for the long run. Additionally, a variety of these passenger stairs are diesel powered due to strict emission norms in European countries.Owing with the increasing emission standards for the aviation industry, HKAI (Hongkong International Airport) uses solar powered passenger staircases and electric loaders by JATS (Jardine Air Terminal Services). Additionally, companies such as Darmec Technologies Srl are designing ground support equipment powered by diesel or electricity. Also, agencies regularly recommend and mandate conditions for ground support equipment. For instance, the California Environmental Protection Agency issued a new air regulation for ground support equipment, via the CARB (California Air Resources Board).Passenger Stairs Market: DynamicsBurgeoning number of airlines and airports are the primary factors expected to drive the passenger stairs market. Expansion of existing airports and advancement in technology are also projected to boost demand for the passenger stairs market. However, an increasing number of automated systems (aerobridge) are entering the market, which may hamper growth of the passenger stairs market.Passenger Stairs Market: SegmentationBroadly, the passenger stairs market can be segmented on the basis of type: self-propelled and towable.The global passenger stairs market can be segmented on the basis of whether they are manually towed or powered by a diesel/petrol engine or electricity. Wherein, the self-propelled segment is estimated to dominate the global passenger staircase market in terms of volume over the forecast period, owing to fast movement of aircraft services. Also, the increase in demand for aircrafts in countries such as India, Brazil and China is growing steadily, which will eventually propel the passenger staircase market.Additionally, the global passenger stairs market can be segmented by use as: military, airport and others (mining, construction). Application wise, the airport segment is estimated to grow at a high CAGR due to rising demand from airlines. The market for airports is large in Western Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, owing to the increase in expansions and rise in the number of airports.Over the forecast period, the region-wise global passenger stairs market is expected to grow at significant rate owing to the increase in demand for airports. Key economies in the Asia-Pacific region that are expected to contribute largely to the growth of the market are South Korea, China, India and Japan. Europe and North America are forecasted to remain dominant markets over the forecast period.Passenger Stairs: Market ParticipantsExamples of some market participants in the global passenger stairs market identified across the value chain include: Gate GSE, Denge Airport Equipment, TLD Group, Omega Industrial Products, Sitnar Corporation, Metal Solutions Design & Fabrication LLCNMC Wollard Inc., FMC Technologies, Excel Group of Companies, TEC Huenert GmbH,Absolute GSE Inc.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications.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: MASON CITY | A urologist testified Wednesday afternoon that the victim in a shooting near Southbridge Mall in October narrowly escaped death. A fragment from a bullet that entered Stephen Williams left buttock came extremely close to his ureter, said Dr. Christopher Adams from the Mason City Clinic. If the fragment had hit the ureter, it would have caused urine to get into Williams abdomen, according to Adams. He said that could lead to fatal blood poisoning. Williams also testified Wednesday during Revell Toney's attempted murder trial in Cerro Gordo County District Court. Mason City attempted murder trial: Fight preceded 3 gunshots MASON CITY | Revell Toney shot an unarmed man three times on Oct 23 outside Southbridge Mall Toney, 19, Mason City, shot Williams, 25, shortly after 2 a.m. Oct. 23 on the plaza at the north entrance to Southbridge Mall. Toney also is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon. Williams wiped his eyes with a tissue during his account of what happened that night. Williams said he then saw Toney fire it at him. "I just threw up my hands," he said. Williams said Toney shot him three times, and the final shot, which entered his left buttock, was fired while he was turning away and had his back to Toney. Williams said the two of them had exchanged punches just before the shooting, but "I thought the fight was over ... I thought it was just a fistfight and we would leave it alone." The trial began with jury selection on Monday. During opening statements on Tuesday, defense attorney Letitia Turner said Toney shot the gun but did not intend to kill Williams. When cross-examining Williams on Wednesday, Turner asked if he was following Toney and taunting him after the fistfight. Williams said he walked toward Toney and asked if the fight was over. "I didn't want to get sucker-punched again," he said. Williams said he yelled, "Are we done now?" He also said he told Toney, "You sucker-punched me like a b----." Williams said he knew who Toney was before they encountered each other at Lorados, a restaurant and bar on the plaza north of Southbridge Mall, on the night of the shooting. However, he said he didn't have an issue with him. As people were leaving the bar at closing time, Williams said he told Toney something related to a disagreement between Toney's family and Williams' friend. Toney "took what I said the wrong way" and punched him in the face, Williams said. "I defended myself," he said. They both backed up when the fistfight was over, according to Williams. When questioned by Turner, Williams said he was convicted in Floyd County on felony drug dealing charges. He was given a suspended sentence in March 2016 and was still on probation at the time of the shooting. Williams said the terms of his probation prohibited him from drinking or going to bars. He denied having an agreement with prosecutors regarding his probation status. He said he lived in Chicago for most of his life, but moved to Charles City several years ago. He moved to Mason City last year. Williams said he was working at Winnebago Industries, but has not been able to work since the shooting because of his injures. He said one of the bullets hit the sciatic nerve in his left leg, so he has trouble lifting his left foot. Defense witnesses are expected to begin testifying on Thursday. 19th Annual Cardiology http://cardiac.conferenceseries.com/ 19th Annual Cardiology Conference to be held in Philadelphia, USA during August 31-September 1, 2017 Annual Cardiology 2017 will bring together world-class cardiac professors, cardiac surgeons, cardiologists to discuss strategies for remediation of the disease for the heart, cardiac disorders, research on stem cells in cardiology, cardiac enzyme studies. Cardiology conferences are designed to provide a diversified education and present that will keep medical professionals informed of issues related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. This time Cardiology Conference will be organized around the theme "Defining the Future Vision of the Heart."Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, Canada, African Americans, Hispanics and Whites. In Canada 90% of people suffering from heart attacks every year and heat attack is the leading cause of death from circulatory diseases in 2009. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reported that every 7 minutes one person dies from Heart disease/Stroke and the rate of heart diseases and stroke has declined over the past 40 years.The global economic burden of coronary heart disease is projected to rise from an estimated 47 million disability adjusted life years in 1990 to an estimated 82 million disability adjusted life years by 2020. The Market Research reveals in its new report that increasing global adoption of new medical technologies should drive the demand for cost-effective cardiovascular disease treatment options. The global market for cardiovascular surgical devices is expected to reach nearly $37 billion and $57.2 billion in 2015 and 2020, respectively, reflecting a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4%.Please visit the website for more information:Regards,Priya Darshini RProgram ManagerAnnual Cardiology 2017Ph: 1-702-508-5200 Ext:8033Email: cardiac@cardiologyconference.orgConference series LLCPriya Darshini RPh: 1-702-508-5200 Ext:8033Philadelphia,USA Global Air Conditioner Market Size, value & volume, key players, Trends And Forecasts (2016-2020) - Daikin Industries Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., Bluestar Limited and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/717512 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/717512 The report titled Global Air Conditioner Market: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020) presents a detailed analysis of global air conditioner market. The report provides a detailed analysis of significant trends and potential opportunities available in the market. The report provides an in depth study of market overview, market sizing both in terms of value & volume, key players of the market and regional breakdown of global market. The report also highlights on the available opportunities for the market and major dynamics that will be responsible for the growth of the market. The market size and forecast in terms of US$ for global air conditioner market has been provided for the period 2016 to 2020, considering 2014 as the base year.The report provides an analysis of the global market in terms of both value and volume. It provides detailed description of revenue, demand in the market for both residential as well as commercial air conditioners, market share breakdown by the country, top players of the market and product segmentation. The report provides detailed information regarding the emergent trends of the market, major growth drivers and challenges that will encounter the market in coming years.Request To Download Sample Copy of this Report :The report also provides detailed regional country analysis covering China, Japan, Asia (excluding China and Japan), North America and Europe. Asia is the largest market for air conditioners. It has the largest share in the overall global demand of air conditioners for the last five years. North America is another major market for air conditioners in terms of demand. In the forecasted period also, Asia has the potential to be the largest market for air conditioners in terms of global demand.Furthermore, the report profiles key market players such as Daikin Industries Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., Bluestar Limited and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation on the basis of attributes such as company overview, recent developments, strategies adopted by the market leaders to ensure growth, sustainability, financial overview and recent developments.Country Coverage- China- Japan- Asia (Excluding China & Japan)- North America- EuropeCompany Coverage- Daikin Industries Ltd.- Hitachi Ltd.- Bluestar Limited- Mitsubishi Electric CorporationView More Details :Executive SummaryThere are two major categories of air conditioners namely residential air conditioners and commercial air conditioners. Residential air conditioners consist of split & mini ACs, window ACs and portable ACs etc. These air conditioners are generally small in size and installed in small places like residential homes or small shops. Commercial air conditioners are bulky in size and most preferably installed in big industries. Commercial air conditioners include VRF, Chillers and VRV etc. These air conditioners are used for cooling of large area spaces such as offices and restaurants etc. Popularity of residential air conditioners has increased dramatically with the advent of central air, a strategy that utilizes the ducting in a home for both heating and cooling.Air conditioner market has shown rising trends over the past few years. Key factors behind the growth of the market are increasing urban population, intensifying urban heat island, increasing disposable income of population of emerging economies and increasing demand for split AC etc.MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz System Integration in Telecommunication http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/asia-pacific-latin-america-and-emea-system-integration-in-telecommunication-market/toc http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14008 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Owing to rising urban population, growing strength of telecom networks, brimming data transference, and deployment of advanced technologies, the demand for system integration in telecommunication continues to surge in regions namely, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa. A latest study published by Persistence Market Research has estimated that the market for system integration in telecommunications across these regions is presently valued at US$ 22.5 Bn. By the end of 2024, these regions will collectively showcase revenue growth at an impressive 6.3% CAGR and witness the market for system integration in telecommunication reach US$ 36.9 Bn in value.Persistence Market Research projects The future of global telecommunication industry will witness higher adoption of complex information systems which will facilitate speedy data convergence, System integrators will play a key role in compiling information emanating from multiple and advanced telecommunication network standards, Integration of business support systems (BSS) and operation support systems (OSS) will boost the support for end-to-end telecommunication services and bring forth some improved customer management solutionsThe demand for system integration in telecommunication across APAC countries is projected to witness revenue growth at 7.1% CAGR. A majority of system integration solutions adopted across APAC telecommunications industry will be directed towards OSS, revenues from which will reach US$ 10.6 Bn by the end of 2024. China will contribute with more than one-third of overall revenues, while India, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and ASEAN countries will showcase rampant revenue growth. Vodafone Hutchinson Telecommunications, Telstra Corporation Ltd., SingTel Optus Pty Limited, NTT-Docomo Corporation, Ideal Cellular Ltd., Reliance Communications, and Softbank Corporation are some of the prominent IT service provider in the APAC telecommunications industry.On an average, 40% of revenues procured in Latin Americas system integration in telecommunication market will be emanating from Brazil. The demand for integrating OSS and BSS will also gain traction in Mexico and Argentina. Although, the overall system integration in telecom market in Latin America is being projected to expand at a moderate CAGR of 4.4%. High implementation costs of system integration solutions are imposing a relatively less adoption in Latin America, as opposed to the APAC region, Europe or Middle East & Africa. Leading IT service providers mapping Latin Americas telecom industry are identified as Telefonica Brasil, TIM Brasil, Telecom Argentina SA, Nextel, Telcel, Claro Brasil, and Telefonica SA.Request to view table of content @The EMEA system integration in telecommunication market is presently valued US$ 10.5 Bn. In the Middle East and Africa, South Africa is projected to exhibit high value CAGR of 7%, while the European system integration in telecommunication market will see consolidated growth from the EU5 Spain, Germany, Italy, France and the UK. These five countries will also dominate the overall EMEA region, accounting for over 40% value share by the end of 2024. The MTN Group, Saudi Telecom Company, Vodacom, and Airtel Africa are leading telecom service providers across the Middle East and Africa. The telecom industry of Nordic countries and Russia is mapped by IT service providers namely, Telenor ASA, VimpelCom Ltd., and Mobile TeleSystems. Meanwhile, companies such Deutsche Telekom, Orange SA, BT Group plc., Telefonica SA and Vodafone Group plc. are charting the waters of telecommunication services in EU5 countries.A sample of this report is available upon request @The report has also profiled leading providers of system integration solution in telecom across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa. These include, Oracle Corp., Redknee Inc., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Sigma System Canada, NetCracker Technology Corporation, Openet Telecom, Ericsson, Comptel Corp., and Amdocs Inc.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: C4ISR Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2017 - 2025 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14644 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14644 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Global C4ISR Market: IntroductionWith the rise in global economy especially countries like China and India lead to increase spending on the defence projects which is expected to fuel the growth of global command and control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) market. There is an increase in use of C4ISR systems in the military agencies for law enforcement and advanced combat and electronic warfare needs which will boost the global C4ISR market.A sample of this report is available upon request @The rapid technological developments in defence industry, particularly C4ISR which is system of many complex sub-systems. The defense systems manufacturing companies are trying to keep up with the technological advancements and are investing significant part of their revenues in R&D activities.Military strategists are modifying their strategies which needs more integrated solutions in order to perform an asymmetric electronic warfare. C4ISR systems are considered as an optimum an important tool in order to enhance their defense activities. These factors fuel the global C4ISR market.Global C4ISR Market: Market DriversThe major market driver for C4ISR market is increase in sales for cybersecurity, GPS/navigation, unmanned sea vehicles, and missile defense systems. Frequent terror attacks across the borders in many countries is also major driver for the C4ISR market.The C4ISR systems are also being increasingly adopted by border protection agencies as they offer electro optic solutions for surveillance operations which is advanced supplement for Radar technologies. New technologies like commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software and the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to fuel the global C4ISR market.Some of the key challenges in C4ISR market is current government measures like reduction in defence budgets primarily in western countries is impacting the growth the global C4ISR market.Global C4ISR Market: SegmentationThe Global C4ISR market is segmented based on the platform, by Application and by region. On the basis of platform Global C4ISR market is segmented, air-based, Naval based and Land based platforms. On the basis of application Global C4ISR market is segmented into Command & control, communications, computers, surveillance & reconnaissance. On basis of region global C4ISR Market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa (MEA).Global C4ISR Market Overview:North America C4ISR Market is expected to have the major market share during the forecast period due to presence of large military capabilities. The C4ISR Market is followed by Asia Pacific primarily from china and India. Europe C4ISR Market is also expected to have significant market share during the forecast period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global C4ISR Market Key Market Players:Some of the Key players in C4ISR Market include Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Elbit Systems Ltd., QinetiQ Group plc, Leidos, Inc., Raytheon Company, and Harris 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: Patient Throughput and Capacity Management Market Worth US$ 1,229.9 Mn by 2024 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/patient-throughput-and-capacity-management-market/toc http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13198 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com North Americas dominance over the global patient throughput & capacity management market is justified by the regions robust healthcare industry, which is also a proponent to technological advancements and adoption of intelligent solutions. Europes patient throughput & capacity management market will also leave a sizable imprint on the global market, registering a value CAGR of 5.3%.The need for aligning resources in healthcare settings has compelled medical organizations towards adoption of technological solutions that help manage & arrange patient care information in orderly fashion. Hospitals from across the globe are installing patient throughput & capacity management solutions to tackle challenges associated with management of increasing capacity & space. Ideal use of added functional capacity through improved patient throughput solutions is also a key trend driving the demand for such solutions. Persistence Market Research estimates that towards the end of 2024, more than US$ 1.2 Bn worth of patient throughput & capacity management solutions will be employed across the globe.The global market for patient throughput & capacity management, according to Persistence Market Researchs report, is presently valued at US$ 834 Mn, and will soar steadily at 5% CAGR during the eight-year forecast period. The report further anticipates that over half of global revenues procured from sales of patient throughput & capacity management solutions will be accounted by the US and Canada.Request to view table of content @The report reveals that an analysis of global sales of patient throughput & capacity management solutions indicates a major upsurge in demand for RTLS solutions. With more than one-third share, RTLS solutions will remain a top-selling product dominating the global market revenues through 2024. Revenues from global sales of workflow management solutions will impose a consistent share on global revenues, while bed management solutions will exhibit revenue growth at 5.2% CAGR during the projected period. A majority of products offered in the global patient throughput & capacity management market will be offered as integrated solutions. Towards the end of 2024, integrated solutions will surpass 65% share on global revenues, while global demand for standalone solutions will register a marginal decline.A sample of this report is available upon request @The report also reveals that over 40% of patient throughput & capacity management solutions are delivered through on-premise models. By 2024-end, on-premise delivery of patient throughput & capacity management solutions will net nearly US$ 500 Mn in global revenues. On the other hand, cloud-based delivery is likely to lose out its traction, but will witness a negligible downtrend in terms of revenue growth. The report has also profiled companies such as EPIC Systems Corporation, STANLEY Healthcare, Central Logic, Care Logistics LLC, McKesson Corporation, TeleTracking Technologies, Inc., Sonitor Technologies, Inc., Allscripts, Awarepoint Corporation, and Cerner Corporation as key players of the global patient throughput & capacity management 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: Circular Saw Blades Market Outlook 2022 Top Companies - Freud, AKE, PILANA, Leuco, Dimar, Wagen(Ferrotec) https://marketsizeforecasters.com/get-sample/39313/?utm_source=opr-SK https://marketsizeforecasters.com/enquire-for-discount/39312/?utm_source=opr-SK https://marketsizeforecasters.com/2017-top-5-circular-saw-blades-manufacturers-in-north-america-europe-asia-pacific-south-america-middle-east-and-africa/?utm_source=RD-SK https://marketsizeforecasters.com/2017-2022-global-top-countries-circular-saw-blades-market/?utm_source=RR-SK http://marketsizeforecasters.com/ The Circular Saw Blades market 2017 research by Market size forecasters. It offers a feasibility analysis for investment and returns supported with data on development trend analysis across important regions of the world.This report studies Circular Saw Blades in Global market, especially in United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, Middle East and Africa,focuses on the top 5 Circular Saw Blades Players in each region, with sales, price, revenue and market share for top 5 manufacturer, coveringFreud, AKE, PILANA, Leuco, Dimar, Wagen(Ferrotec), KANEFUSA, LEITZ, Skiltools(Bosch), Lenox, STARK SpA, Diamond Products, General Saw, Kinkelder, EHWA, BOSUN, XINGSHUO, Tangshan Metallurgical Saw Blade, HUANGHE WHIRLWIND, Fengtai, XMFTOOL, Advanced Technology & Materials, HEIN, QinGong, WHITE DOVE, HXF SAW CO.Request A Sample Copy of Circular Saw Blades Market Research Report @Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales, revenue, market share of top 5 players in these regions, from 2012 to 2017 (forecast), likeNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Korea), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy and Russia etc., South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina), Middle East and Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia)Split by Product Types, with sales, revenue, price, market share of each type, can be divided intoCarbide Saw Blades, Diamond Saw Blades, Others.Split by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Circular Saw Blades in each application, can be divided intoMetal Materials Cutting, Stone Cutting, Others.Enquire about this report @Table of Contents2017 Top 5 Circular Saw Blades Manufacturers/Players in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and AfricaCircular Saw Blades Market Overview, Global Circular Saw Blades Sales, Revenue (value) and Market Share by Players, Global Circular Saw Blades Sales, Revenue (Value) by Regions, Type and Application (2012-2017), North America Top 5 Players Circular Saw Blades Sales, Revenue and Price, Europe Top 5 Players Circular Saw Blades Sales, Revenue and Price, Asia-Pacific Top 5 Players Circular Saw Blades Sales, Revenue and Price, South America Top 5 Players Circular Saw Blades Sales, Revenue and Price, Middle East & Africa Top 5 Players Circular Saw Blades Sales, Revenue and Price, Global Circular Saw Blades Players Profiles/Analysis, Circular Saw Blades Manufacturing Cost Analysis, Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders, Market Effect Factors Analysis, Global Circular Saw Blades Market Forecast (2017-2022), Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix.For More Information About Circular Saw Blades Market Research Report Please Visit @Related Reports of the Circular Saw Blades Market Research Report : -2017-2022 Global Top Countries Circular Saw Blades Market ReportThis report studies Circular Saw Blades in Global market, especially in United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, China, Japan, India, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil...About Us:Centralize Market Research Purchases Across Your Entire Organization In One Place Marketsizeforecasters.Com Allows You To Manage And Control All Corporate Research Purchases To Consolidate Billing And Vendor Management. You Can Eliminate Duplicate Purchases And Customize Your Content And License Management.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 Pneumatic Conveying System Market: Global Industry Trend Analysis 2012 to 2017 and Forecast 2017 - 2025 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/14944 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14944 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com Global Pneumatic Conveying System Market: IntroductionWith increasing automation in the manufacturing sector, the material handling industry has significantly transformed over the past few years. Demand for robust and novel technologies in material handling has witnessed significant upsurge, to cope up with the rapidly developing manufacturing techniques such as robotics. Owing to these customized and advanced handling demands, the material handling industry is expected to witness robust growth over the forecast period. Conveying systems form an important part of material handling industry. Of the varied types of conveying systems available, pneumatic conveying system a system that utilizes air flow and pressure differential to fulfill conveying operations in a closed environment, finds its application for conveying powder, granules, abrasive and other dry bulk materials in various end use industries such as food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, chemicals, metal & mining and pulp & paper.A sample of this report is available upon request @The pneumatic conveying system uses pressure difference and flow of air or other gases as the driving force for the conveying system. This is usually supplied by an air mover and kept under control for desired applications. The market for pneumatic conveying system is expected to witness healthy growth over the forecast period, owing to various advantages it offers over the existing conventional mechanical systems. Pneumatic conveying systems are more flexible than existing mechanical systems, occupy less space and provide enclosed space for transportation. Another major advantage of a pneumatic conveying system over a mechanical one is the relatively low maintenance cost, which is due to the fact that pneumatic conveying systems have less number of moving parts.Global Pneumatic Conveying System Market: Market DynamicsOwing to the stabilized growth of global economy and of end-use industries such as food & beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pulp & paper, steady growth in sales of pneumatic conveying systems is expected over the forecast period. Developing nations such as China, ASEAN, India and South Africa are expected to be the major contributors for the market growth.Benefits offered by pneumatic conveying systems, such as low maintenance costs, less space requirement for installation, durability and flexibility will be the key factors driving the focus of customers towards pneumatic conveying systems over other systems available in the market. Thereby, driving the growth of the global pneumatic conveying system market. Installation and MRO services are expected to hold significant shares of the total revenue generated in the global pneumatic conveying system market and drive the market growth.Factors that can hamper the growth of pneumatic conveying system market include large power requirements to drive the conveyor, continuous monitoring and change in air pressure and requirement of larger dust collection systems than other available systems in the market. Furthermore, sluggish growth in some of the end-use industries such as metal & mining industries pose challenge to the growth of global pneumatic conveying systems market.Global Pneumatic Conveying System Market: Market SegmentationThe global pneumatic conveying systems market can be segmented into following:By product type, pneumatic conveying systems market can be segmented into: Dense-phase Pneumatic Conveying System, Dilute-phase Pneumatic Conveying System. By technology, pneumatic conveying systems market can be segmented into: Vacuum Conveying Systems, Positive Pressure Systems, Combination Conveying Systems. By end-use industry, pneumatic conveying systems market can be segmented into: Pulp & Paper, Pharmaceuticals, Food & Beverages, Chemicals, Metal Mining, Plastics & Polymers, Petrochemical, Others.Global Pneumatic Conveying System Market: Region-wise OutlookNorth America and Europe are expected to collectively account for over half of the revenue generated in the global pneumatic conveying system market. The U.S., U.K., Germany, France and Spain are expected to be the major contributors to the growth of the market.Asia Pacific is expected to hold significant market share in the global pneumatic conveying systems market over the forecast period. The market in the region is expected to witness high value CAGR over the forecast period. China, Japan, India and ASEAN are expected to witness significant growth opportunities owing to favorable macro-economic factors and rapid industrialization taking place in these countries.Middle East and Africa and Latin America are expected to hold nominal market share in the global pneumatic conveying system market. Turkey and South Africa are expected to emerge as key countries holding significant opportunities for the growth of pneumatic conveying systems market in the region. The markets in Middle East & Africa and Latin America are expected to witness moderate growth over forecast period.Global Pneumatic Conveying System Market: Market ParticipantsExamples of some of the market participants in the global pneumatic conveying system market include: Nol-Tec Systems, Inc., VAC-U-MAX, Flexicon Corporation, Schenck Process Holding GmbH, Indpro Engineering Systems Pvt. Ltd., Whirl-Air-Flow Corporation, FLSmidth Inc., Jenike & Johanson, HAF Equipment, Inc., Industrial Accessories Company, Pace Company, Nilfisk Group, Zeppelin Systems Singapore Pte Ltd.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.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: Worldwide Packaging Manufacturing Market 2017: Top 100 Manufacturers ( Bemis Company, Inc., DS Smith Plc and Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.) Packaging Manufacturing Market - Absolute Reports https://www.absolutereports.com/the-top-100-packaging-manufacturing-companies-worldwide-10058388 https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/10058388 https://www.absolutereports.com/purchase/10058388 https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-discount/10058388 www.absolutereports.com The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide Market report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide. The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide Report enlists several important factors, starting from the basics to advanced market intelligence which play a crucial part in strategizing.Browse this unique and comprehensive The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide Report which includes (180 pages) identifies and profiles of the leading 100 Manufacturers @Most people will be aware of some of the major packaging manufacturing companies such as:- Bemis Company, Inc.,- DS Smith Plc and- Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.but this report looks at all 100 of the top companies - companies like Elopak AS - Headquartered in Oslo, Norway and wholly owned by the Ferd Group (one of Norway's largest privately owned industrial groups), Elopak is an international supplier of paper based packaging solutions for liquid food. The Company has 13 manufacturing units and 2,800 employees. It sells 13 billion cartons in 80 markets worldwide. It is led by Niels Petter Wright, CEO and Tom Helge Egenes is Director of Strategic Sourcing.Get PDF Sample Report of The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide Report @Most Important Factors in The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide- The number one producer of food cans and metal vacuum closures in the world is Crown Holdings, Inc.- The Senior Vice President of Consumer Packaging Division at Graphic Packaging International, Inc. is Michael S. Ukropina.- The largest producer of metal packaging products for a wide range of customer goods in China is CPMC Holdings Limited.- The Executive Vice President of Global Purchasing at Berry Plastics Corporation is Scott Farmer.- In the year 2014, net sales of Espoo, Finland headquartered food and drink packaging specialist, Huhtamaki Oyj was $US 2.5 billion.- The largest container glass packaging solutions provider in India with a 55% market share is Hindustan National Glass & Industries Limited.- In October, 2015, Alexander Baumgartner was appointed Chief Executive Officer of, Constantia Flexibles Group GmbH, one of the world's leading manufacturers of flexible packaging and labels.- 50% of all pizza boxes in North America is produced by WestRock Company.- At 34 locations, the Mayr-Melnhof Group converts more than 702,000 tons of carton board into folding cartons per annum, making it Europes leading manufacturer of folding cartons.There are many producers of packaging worldwide. This Packaging manufacturers report outlines the Top 100. These are the companies with the knowledge, experience and funds that enable them to progress, produce and market innovative products which competes effectively in global markets.The companies outlined in this report are located across the globe. They produce all types of packaging e.g. corrugated packaging, flexible packaging, folding cartons, glass packaging, metal packaging etc. for all Worldwide Packaging manufacturers sectors. Between them, they have almost one million employees.Single User Licence: $1195Order copy of Report @Profile information for each company in The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide normally comprises of:- Specialised fields such as Company Description, Ownership, Number of Employees and Revenue- Company Contact Information - Address, Telephone and Fax Numbers, Email and Website Address- Key Company Decision Makers - From CEO and Main Board, to Key Senior ManagersReport Target Market:1) Packaging ManufacturersUsage: competitive/financial analysis and strategic partner/alliance identification2) SuppliersThe Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide is perfect for suppliers of goods and services such as carton board, printing presses, flatbed die-cutters, gluing machines etc. to identify top potential customers.3) DistributorsThe following report is perfect for distributors of industrial and consumer packaging solutions to classify the leading manufacturers with the best products.4) Packaging Industry Associations:The Top 100 Packaging Manufacturing Companies Worldwide is a useful reference tool for packaging industry associations.Get Discount @About Absolute Reports:Absolute Reports is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated towards bringing an ingenious concoction of data parameters.ContactMr. Ameya PingaleyAbsolute Reports+1-408 520 9750Email sales@absolutereports.com The Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests - Absolute Reports https://www.absolutereports.com/the-top-100-distributors-of-point-of-care-instruments-tests-worldwide-10058385 https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/10058385 https://www.absolutereports.com/purchase/10058385 https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-discount/10058385 www.absolutereports.com The Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide Market report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of The Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide. The Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide Report enlists several important factors, starting from the basics to advanced market intelligence which play a crucial part in strategizing.Browse this unique and comprehensive The Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide Report which includes (180 pages) identifies and profiles of the leading 100 Distributors @Most people will be aware of Some of the major distributors of Point-of-Care Instruments and Tests but this report looks at all 100 of the top companies - companies like Electra-Box Diagnostica AB - Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Electra-Box Diagnostica AB imports point-of-care instruments and tests from Alere Inc., ArcDia International Oy Ltd., bioMerieux SA, EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc, OPTI Medical Systems, Inc., ORGENTEC Diagnostika GmbH, Preventis GmbH and Trinity Biotech Plc and sells them into each of the Nordic countries; Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, as well as Estonia. The Company was introduced in 1988 and is led by Annika Karlen, CEO.Get PDF Sample Report of Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide Report @Most Important Factors in Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide:- The fastest developing diagnostic distributor in the United Kingdom is Una Health Ltd. The company specializes in introducing innovative point-of-care devices to the market.- BHR Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd. Collaborates with prominent global producers to get point-of-care medical diagnostics in six major fields which includes diabetes, gastrointestinal, haematology, allergy, female health, and cardiovascular to the Indian market.- One of the companies which delivers over 80% of Taiwans hospitals and medical centres with point-of-care testing items from important international producers is Beam International Inc.- Axon Labs 242 employees work together with Abbott Point of Care, ARKRAY, Inc., EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc, HORIBA, Ltd., iLine Microsystems, LifeSign LLC, Princeton BioMeditech Corporation, PTS Diagnostics, Qualigen Inc. and Siemens Healthcare to allocate their point-of-care products throughout several countries such as Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and the Czech Republic.- The Senior POCT Manager at Malaysian point of care distribution specialist, AcuTest Systems is Yong Jeh Kuang.- Through its partnership with many international point-of-care manufacturers, Johannesburg headquartered, The Scientific Group supply a vast range of point-of-care tests to primary healthcare facilities in Africa.Single User Licence: $1195Order copy of Report @The Companies Profiled in this Report Distribute Innovative Point-of-Care Products in Africa, Asia/Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.Profile information for each company in The Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide typically includes:- Key Company Decision Makers - From CEO and Main Board, to Key Senior Managers- Specialised fields such as Company Description, Companies Represented, Countries Served, Number of Employees and Ownership.- Company Contact Information - Address, Telephone and Fax Numbers, Email and Website AddressesReport Target Market:1) ManufacturersThis Worldwide Distributors of POINT-OF-CARE INSTRUMENTS & TESTS report is perfect for manufacturers of point-of-care instruments and tests who wish to identify all the leading distributors for their products worldwide.2) DistributorsUsage: competitive analysis and strategic partner/alliance identification.3) IVD AssociationsThe Top 100 Distributors of Point-Of-Care Instruments & Tests Worldwide is ideal for IVD associations to recognise new member businesses.Get Discount @About Absolute Reports:Absolute Reports is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated towards bringing an ingenious concoction of data parameters.ContactMr. Ameya PingaleyAbsolute Reports+1-408 520 9750Email sales@absolutereports.com Patisserie Packaging Market - Key Growth Factors and Industry Analysis 2017-2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/patisserie-packaging-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14996 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Patisserie products are popular among all age groups and the sales are independent of occasions or seasons. Packaging plays an important role in patisserie products in increasing shelf life, marketing, prevention from mechanical damage, displaying food safety related warnings and nutrition value. Packaging vendors who provide innovative and creative packaging solutions are preferred by patisserie dealers, as it helps to strengthen sales by enhancing product visibility. Apart from protecting and containing the items, the packaging must be irresistible enough to appeal to a buyer and ultimately lead to a sale. Packaging supplies come in more sizes, shapes, textures, materials and printing options than ever before, hence containers that achieve a quality or feature that is extremely impressive can set any product apart from its competitors.Browse Market Research Report @Sale of patisserie is most commonly noted at retail outlets. In order to create a longer shelf-life, retailers have demanded the packaging manufacturers to improve the process of wrapping up such food items.Sales of patisserie have increased as urbanization has led the population to opt for food that is readily available. Increase in cases of stomach disorders are responsible for the dynamics of the global patisserie packaging market to go through unfavorable reforms. The key challenge restraining the fluent production of packaging products is the varying pack-sizes. Consumers prefer reusable plastic pouches as the ideal packaging product, which is in turn hampering the sales of traditional packaging products and declining the demand. The uneven culinary habits of the target population is also accounted as a major factor impeding the growth of the global patisserie market.Based on type of material, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:PlasticPaper and cardboard boxesCorrugated boxesFlexible packagingOthersFill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @Small plastic patisserie packs, plastic cupcake boxes and plastic cake containers are widely used as they protect the contents from damage and leaking. Paper and cardboard boxes are used by the manufacturers in order to differentiate the product as well as to provide mechanical strength. Taken as a whole, corrugated boxes are considered to be an eco-friendly and sustainable form of packaging compared with other forms of packaging, including plastics. Huge investments are made to develop innovative solutions in corrugated box packaging. Overall, packaging manufacturers are expected to come up with resistant quality packaging materials in the coming years keeping prime focus on environmental protection and sustainability.Based on type of product, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:CakesCream bunsGateauxPastriesBased on geography, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Overall, Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. In countries like China, India and Japan, growth comes from an increase in the demand for poly bags. North America is expected to substantially contribute towards market growth on the grounds of rising demand for digitally-printed packages which creates a hyper-personal buying experience. Significant growth in bakery and confectionary in China will have a positive impact on the patisserie packaging market. Furthermore, growing demand for packaged foods and consumer goods is expected to increase the growth. Europe is further anticipated to boost the market growth over the upcoming years with regards to the rising demand for home delivery of patisserie products. Increase in sedentary lifestyle and eating habits in Latin America and MEA are expected to propel patisserie packaging market demand in the region.Some of the top players operating in the patisserie packaging market are Papiers Paviot, Amcor Limited, LINPAC Senior Holdings Limited, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., Coyne & Blanchard, Inc., Mahalaxmi Flexible Packaging, Berry Plastics Corporation, Sealed Air, WestRock Company, AR Packaging Group AB and others.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: DES MOINES | Bob Ritz of Des Moines is the new chief executive officer of the Mercy Health Network, effective July 1. He has been president of Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines since 2013. Dave Vellinga who announced his retirement as CEO in November said in a news release, Bob has boundless energy, unquestionable integrity, commitment to our ministries, drive, focus and compassion. He uses all of his talents to build high performing teams and I am excited for the future of Mercy Health Network under his leadership. Vellinga is a former chief executive officer of Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa. Dan Varnum, current president and CEO of Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, said in the release, "I am extremely confident in Bob's ability to lead Mercy Health Network toward our goal of improving the health of Iowans. "I look forward to working with him in his new role," Varnum said. Global Market for Organic Food and Beverages to Exhibit 15.5% CAGR 2013-2019 as Healthcare Awareness Rises http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/organic-food-beverages-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1669 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global organic food and beverages market has been examined in a recent market intelligence report published by Transparency Market Research. The report projects excellent growth prospects for the market over the period from 2013 through 2019 on account of the rising awareness about healthcare among the global population.The report states that the market will expand at a brilliant 15.5% CAGR and rise from a valuation of US$70.70 bn in 2012 to US$187.85 bn by 2019. The report is titled Organic Food & Organic Beverages Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019.Browse the full Organic Food (Fruits & Vegetables, Meat, Fish & Poultry products, Dairy products, Frozen & Processed foods, & Others) & Organic Beverages (Non - dairy beverages, Coffee & Tea, Beer & Wine, & Others) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 report at:Organic food and beverages are food items that are products of animal- and environmental-friendly methods of farming. Organic farming is practiced in over 162 countries across the globe and covers millions of hectares of farmland. Over the past few years, factors such as the trend of consuming healthy foods; the tightening regulations pertaining to the use of artificial ingredients and flavors in consumables; and the rapid expansion of organic food and beverage distribution channels have led to the significant growth of the global organic food and beverages market.For the ease of comprehension, the global organic food and beverages market has been examined by segmenting the market on the basis of three criteria: product types in organic foods, product types in organic beverages and geography.On the basis of organic food product type, the market has been analyzed for fruits and vegetables, dairy products, fish and poultry products, meat, frozen and processed food, and other varieties. Of these, the segment of organic fruits and vegetables held a dominant 38.9% share in the global market in 2012.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @On the basis of organic beverage type, the market has been segmented into organic non-dairy beverages, organic beer and wine, organic coffee and tea, and other varieties. Of these, the segments of organic coffee and tea and non-dairy beverages collectively held a dominant share of 75% in the global market in 2012.From a geographic standpoint, the global organic food and beverages market has been examined for North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW). Of these, Europe and North America are the traditional leaders in the global organic food and beverages market in terms of demand. However, the market for organic food and beverages in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at the fastest pace over the reports forecast period.The report also presents a detailed overview of the competitive landscape of the global organic foods market, wherein comprehensive details pertaining to some of the key vendors operating in the market are discussed. The report includes detailed profiles of prominent market vendors such as Eden Foods, PepsiCo Inc., Dean Foods Co., Starbucks Corporation, Groupe Danone SA, The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods Group Inc., Kellogg Company, Amys Kitchen Inc., Nestle SA, Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.The market has been segmented as follows:Organic Food Market: Product AnalysisOrganic Fruits & VegetablesOrganic Meat, Fish & Poultry ProductsOrganic Dairy ProductsOrganic Frozen & Processed FoodOthersOrganic Beverages Market: Product AnalysisOrganic Non - dairy BeveragesOrganic Coffee & TeaOrganic Beer & WineOthersAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Multiplexed Diagnostics Market is Propelled by the Increasing Rate of Extensive Research and Development Efforts Being Made to Expand and Diversify the Existing Applications in Multiplexed Diagnostics http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/multiplexed-diagnostics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1719 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ A handful of players dominated the otherwise fragmented global multiplexed diagnostics market in 2015. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Abbott Laboratories, and Agilent Technologies were the leaders of this market for 2015, with a collective share of 59.5% in terms of value. The market is defined by the presence of these few leaders and then the presence of a large number of small-scale and medium-scale enterprises that hold minor shares. The leaders of the global multiplexed diagnostics market in 2015 all showed a diverse product portfolio, the possession of advanced tech, and a wide area of regional presence.Browse Complete Report Details at:In a research report recently published by Transparency Market Research, the global multiplexed diagnostics market is expected to witness a high degree of competition over the coming years. This fact is primarily concluded from the high volume of smaller players in the market that are eyed by the fewer, larger ones in terms of partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. Although the volume of smaller players in the global multiplexed diagnostics market currently is very high, the scope for new entrants is much lower than expected, due to the need for acquiring patented technologies and the establishment of sizeable manufacturing facilities, both of which can eat up a large contingent of a companys capital, leaving very little to spend on building feasible distribution networks. The global multiplexed diagnostics market is expected to be valued a little over US$6.0 bn by the end of 2016. After showing a consistently optimistic CAGR of 20.3% on its revenue from 2016 to 2024, the market is expected to reach US$26.36 bn by the end of 2024.Equipment Automation in Full Swing, Drives Demand for Multiplexed DiagnosticsTech automation using multiplexed diagnostics has so far been a blessing for scientists trying to generate a larger volume of sample results at lower costs. This forms the primary driver for the global multiplexed diagnostics market today. Players in the market are involved in multiple aspects of the healthcare industry in a similar manner. For instance, the automation of PCR amplification can be done using multiplexed diagnostic technologies, and can help users lower the rate of user-intervention required and the cuts down the overall hands-on efforts needed to get the program to execute. At the same time, this equipment automation can also allow a higher throughput, save time in processing and considerably reduce manual labor required, consequently cutting down the chances for errors, states a TMR analyst.The global multiplexed diagnostics market also finds a significant growth rate from the high priority funding that the field of genomics is currently receiving. The research community for multiplexed diagnostics has been able to avail this funding storm.Multiplexed Diagnostics Assay a Costly Affair for ManyMultiplexed diagnostics is still a new concept for the healthcare industry and as with many nascent stage markets, solutions and products from it can be unaffordable for several small-scale and medium-scale clients. Multiplexed diagnostics assay tests are relatively very expensive when compared to single-plex assays tests, especially in terms of the initial investment required for the equipment.Get the Premium Research Report of Multiplexed Diagnostics Market at:Despite its high costs, players in the global multiplexed diagnostics market can expect a booming demand in research and development efforts on the current applications for multiplexed diagnostics, thus providing them with ample opportunities over the coming years, adds the analyst.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global 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 data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Pryv joins the The Pistoia Alliance to lower the barriers of adopting innovation in life sciences research and development Pryv SA and The Pistoia Alliance As a new member at Pistoia Alliance, Pryv joins with the mission to address the growing needs for improving the adoption of innovative technologies for patient and real-world data.Positioning itself as the next industry standard for personal and real-world data standard, Pryv is looking forward to participating in the Pistoia Alliance Community to promote collaboration as many organisations would benefit significantly from industry-wide pre-competitive collaboration.Still, one of the biggest challenges the industry has, is transforming the growing number of collected data sets into meaningful insights via developing and implementing machine and deep learning systems.Pryv addresses this challenge by providing the industry with a technology solution that enables data collection and standardization, storage and distribution, while allowing different and multi-algorithms to be used to identify patterns and outcomes.Used as a foundation of R&D products development, Pryv eHealth Middleware technology ensures fast access to data and its compliant usage cross-borders. Easy access to acquiring real-world data, designing real-world data platforms and delivering real-world evidence, while ensuring the data is managed properly: preserving data privacy and security first is the promise Pryv brings to the wider Life Science communityBenefiting from the ready-to-be used Middleware solution of Pryv, Pharmaceutical and Life Science companies can focus now primarily on their research and deliver real benefits to patients while being sure the data management is done right under their control.The blockchain technology Pryv developed, and implemented in its Middleware is used to validate data set genuineness through its full life-cycle and provide a data trail audit, while the unique data ontology allows for granular data distribution to each stakeholder respecting Ethical, Legal and Clinical Data Requirements.About PryvPryv is an independent Swiss SME founded in 2012 with the mission to promote, develop and implement Health IT patient-centric solutions across the healthcare industry.Pryv developed and sell licenses of a trusted Swiss-made and validated eHealth Data Middleware to empower Pharmas, Hospitals/ Clinics, Medtech, Digital Health, Insurances to build compliant, innovative and scalable data-driven eHealth products with confidence, reduced time and IT expenses while respecting complex Data Privacy Regulations.About The Pistoia Alliance:The Pistoia Alliance is a global, not-for-profit members organisation made up of life science companies, technology and service providers, publishers, and academic groups working to lower barriers to innovation in life science and healthcare R&D. It was conceived in 2007 and incorporated in 2009 by representatives of AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis and Pfizer who met at a conference in Pistoia, Italy. Its projects transform R&D through pre-competitive collaboration. It overcomes common R&D obstacles by identifying the root causes, developing standards and best practices, sharing pre-competitive data and knowledge, and implementing technology pilots. There are currently over 80 member companies; members collaborate on projects that generate significant value for the worldwide life sciences R&D community, using the Pistoia Alliances proven framework for open innovation.Evelina GeorgievaPryv SAEcole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne,Innovation Park Building D,1015 LausanneSwitzerlandContact@pryv.com SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer Market 2017 - Thorlabs, OZ Optics, Chiral Photonics, Corning, Fujikura Ltd, Timbercon, Phoenix Photonics SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer Market https://goo.gl/QNdldn https://goo.gl/Bdb0td http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer industry, and estimates the future trend of SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This Report1. Thorlabs2. OZ Optics3. Chiral Photonics4. Corning5. Fujikura Ltd6. Timbercon7. Phoenix Photonics8. Hamamatsu PhotonicsThe market research report explores the SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer market based on major product types, application and end users industries of SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer production volume, data pertaining to demand and SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for SM Type Optical Fiber Polarizer across the world.About UsWe provide global enterprises and businesses across different industry verticals comprehensive market research services from off-the-shelf research reports to customized research conducted by our highly experienced industry analysts.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development HeadEmail id - sales@apexresearch.bizWebsite - Global Flavored and Functional Water Market to Exhibit 11.50% CAGR during 2013-2019 due to Growing Demand from China http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/flavored-functional-water.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1745 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com According to a recent market research report published by Transparency Market Research, the global flavored and functional water market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 11.50% during the period from 2013 to 2019. The report, titled Flavored and Functional Water Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013-2019, projects the global flavored and functional water market to be worth US$36.7 bn by 2019. The overall market was worth US$17.2 bn in 2012.Browse the full Flavored and Functional Water Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 report at:Flavored and functional drinks contain herbs, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals and are highly preferred by health-conscious consumers. The high rate of urbanization, coupled with a rise in disposable incomes, has boosted the growth of the global flavored and functional water market.The rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity has led to growing concerns among consumers to maintain a healthier lifestyle and reduce intake of aerated drinks that contain a high amount of sugar. The growing geriatric population has also fuelled the demand for flavored and functional water. However, increasing campaigns against packaging bottles will restrain the growth of the market during the forecast horizon. Balancing flavor, function, and sugar quantity in flavored and functional water is one of the major challenges faced by the market players. Introduction of substitute products will also hamper the growth of the market in the near future. The overall flavored and functional water market has a huge opportunity to grow across emerging markets.On the basis of product type, the market has been segmented into flavored water and functional water. The report analyzes the expansion of the global flavored and functional water market in terms of index of appeal, market size, and growth rate. The most widely preferred flavored and functional water flavors are cherry, orange, peach, apple, lemon, and mixed flavors.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The report studies the flavored and functional water market across four key regions: Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World. The U.S. leads the demand from the market in North America, while Italy, Germany, France, and the U.K. contribute massively towards the growth of the flavored and functional water market in Europe. The market is anticipated to grow robustly across the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America owing to the growing consumer awareness about healthy beverages. In Asia Pacific, India, Japan, and China are the key markets for flavored and functional water. The demand from China is particularly high, as the rapid expansion of the industrial sector has polluted water supplies, thereby fuelling the demand for bottled water and other flavored and functional water products.Describing the competitive landscape, the report profiles some of the key players in the global flavored and functional water market such as Nestle S.A., Groupe Danone, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company, Hint Water, Kraft Foods, New York Spring Water, Sunny Delight Beverages Company, and Balance Water Company. The report further provides insightful information about the players, including their product catalogs, financial performance, and strategic developments.The Global Flavored and Functional Water Market has been segmented as:Global Flavored and Functional Market, By Geography:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of World (RoW)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: COSEC Bluetooth based Access Control www.MatrixSecuSol.com http://www.matrixsecusol.com/ Mobile phones have integrated as an essential element in our day-to-day life. Presently, along with swift communication, it is tremendously used for Payment of Bills, E-commerce Shopping, Health Monitoring, GPS Navigation and more. A similar progressive trend is observed with access control, which initiated with RFID Cards, then expanded with biometrics and now it is being enhanced with advanced mobile credentials like Bluetooth.Matrix offers gesture based identification of users. Its Your Mobile is your Identity allow users to mark attendance and gain access by simply twisting their mobiles in the vicinity of the entry or exit point. Matrix has evolved the mobile technology whereby basic Access Control and Time-Attendance functions can be carried out on a mobile. Bluetooth based Access Control allows access to users just by a gesture of a phone in front of the device.BENEFITS Simply twist your mobile phone in vicinity of the device to gain access and mark attendance easily. Works where biometric devices are difficult to access. No constraint on number of users compared to biometrics. Works on Mobiles Unique IMEI Number Wireless and No Physical Contact with Sensor Requires One Time Bluetooth Pairing Secured Communication between Server and MobileSOLUTIONSTwist Mobile and Get AccessGesture based Your Mobile is your Identity technology provides automated wireless access control, which allows users to open a door from a distance by simply rotating their smart phones. As a result, multiple users can simultaneously gain quick access.Reliable and Secured CommunicationMatrix ensures secured communication between device and server, as the data exchanged between them is encrypted. Only the registered mobile phones can have access. Moreover, Bluetooth based Access Control diminishes False Acceptance Ratio (FAR) and False Rejection Ratio (FRR). It provides convenience to install a device, irrespective of the location. There is no need to enter a password on touch screen and there are no additional devices needed. Contact: MATRIX COMSEC394 GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara+91 93744 74302More@MatrixComSec.comAbout MatrixEstablished in 1991, Matrix is a leader in Telecom and Security solutions for modern businesses and enterprises. An innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization, Matrix is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the telecom and security industries. With more than 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, VoIP Gateways and Terminals, GSM Gateways, Access Control, Time-Attendance and Video Surveillance solutions. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global footprints in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa through an extensive network of more than 500 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many international awards for its innovative products. Visit:Matrix Comsec394 GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara-390010 Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate Market 2017 - Arcelor Mittal SA, POSCO, Voestalpine Group, Baosteel Group Corporation, Tata Steel Limited, JFE Steel Corporation, Essar Steel Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate Market https://goo.gl/myRpgn https://goo.gl/RVyHrk http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate industry, and estimates the future trend of Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This Report1. Arcelor Mittal SA2. POSCO3. Voestalpine Group4. Baosteel Group Corporation5. Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal6. United States Steel Corporation7. Steel Authority of India Limited8. Tata Steel Limited9. JFE Steel Corporation10. Essar SteelThe market research report explores the Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate production volume, data pertaining to demand and Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Hot Rolled Low Silicon Steel Plate across the world.About UsWe provide global enterprises and businesses across different industry verticals comprehensive market research services from off-the-shelf research reports to customized research conducted by our highly experienced industry analysts.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development HeadEmail id - sales@apexresearch.bizWebsite - Global Space Heaters Market 2017 to grow at a CAGR of 5.45% to 2021 http://www.orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase/270634 http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/270634 https://www.linkedin.com/company/orbis-research SummaryObis Research Presents Global Hazelnut Market to grow at a CAGR of 6.76% during the period 2017-2021.DescriptionResearch Report Global Space Heaters Market 2017-2021The Following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Space Heaters Market: De'Longhi Appliances, Honeywell International, Jarden Consumer solutions and Lasko Products.Other Prominent Vendors in the market are: CraneUSA, Dyson, Heat Storm, Optimus Enterprise, Sunpentown International, SUNHEAT INTERNATIONAL and Vornado Air.Commenting on the report,: One trend in the market is growing demand for propane space heating products. The demand for propane space heating products will increase during the forecast period. The rising electricity prices in developed countries is propelling the demand for propane space heating products. In 2014, nearly 40% of the US households relied on electrical heaters as their primary heating source.According to the report, one driver in the market is growth in expenditure on essential items in emerging nations. The increase in per capita income will drive the market for space heaters in growing nations. An increase in the adoption of electric and technologically advanced products is seen in developing markets, especially among the higher income segments. As the number of working families is rising, people have started opting for electric home appliances. With the improved scope for high-priced space heaters, small players are introducing new products to capitalize the increasing purchasing power of consumers.Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is growing market for technologically advanced HVAC systems. HVAC (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning) products provide conditioned air. Conditioned air is clean and odor-free with its temperature, humidity, and movement controlled. HVAC systems are widely used across residential and non-residential sectors. They are used in buildings to help with mechanization and provide good indoor air quality through adequate ventilation and air filtration. HVAC systems use equipment such as heat exchangers, pumps, and fans to control and regulate a room's humidity and temperature.PURCHASE a copy of this report @And if you want to REQUEST a sample of this report @The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.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: Automotive Electropneumatic Horn Market 2017 - Fiamm, Minda, CLARTON HORN, Denso, BOSCH, Seger, Hella Automotive Electropneumatic Horn Market https://goo.gl/fRec9S https://goo.gl/zdj7WU http://www.apexresearch.biz Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Automotive Electropneumatic Horn Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Automotive Electropneumatic Horn Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Automotive Electropneumatic Horn industry, and estimates the future trend of Automotive Electropneumatic Horn market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Automotive Electropneumatic Horn Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This Report1. Fiamm2. Minda3. CLARTON HORN4. Denso5. BOSCH6. Seger7. Hella8. IMASEN9. Mitsuba10. STEC11. Feiben12. LG Horn13. MOCCThe market research report explores the Automotive Electropneumatic Horn market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Automotive Electropneumatic Horn Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Automotive Electropneumatic Horn market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Automotive Electropneumatic Horn. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Automotive Electropneumatic Horn market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Automotive Electropneumatic Horn is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Automotive Electropneumatic Horn market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Automotive Electropneumatic Horn market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide Automotive Electropneumatic Horn market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Automotive Electropneumatic Horn production volume, data pertaining to demand and Automotive Electropneumatic Horn supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Automotive Electropneumatic Horn along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Automotive Electropneumatic Horn across the world.About UsWe provide global enterprises and businesses across different industry verticals comprehensive market research services from off-the-shelf research reports to customized research conducted by our highly experienced industry analysts.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development HeadEmail id - sales@apexresearch.bizWebsite - Ansible and Affle launch mTraction TVSync in Indonesia www.Ansibleww.com www.theMDEX.com www.affle.com www.mTraction.com 2nd May, 2017Jakarta, 2nd of May, 2017mTraction TVSync was launched by Affle today in partnership with the newly launched full-service mobile marketing and technology agency IPG Mediabrands Ansible in Indonesia. In the next phase of expansion, IPG Mediabrands & Affle would be taking this proposition and partnership across the APAC region. With this launch, mTraction, the Mobile Audience Intelligence and Analytics platform, has touched yet another milestone in cross screen marketing. mTraction TVSync is used to track real-time TV commercials and sync digital advertising plans with it. It would thus help brands deliver impactful cross-screen communication plans over a unified platform.Pradeep Harikrishnan, Technical Advisor, IPG Mediabrands Indonesia said, TV is still the dominant screen to reach the average Asian household but the ROI for brands are gradually diminishing on TV. Further, with almost 2x average time spent by the audience on Mobiles & Tablets, it is important for our CPG brands to efficiently target their consumers at the right touch-points. We see mTraction TVSync as a perfect bridge that leverages TV data and allows us to precisely target consumers across the digital media spectrum.Travis Johnson, Global President, IPG Mediabrands Ansible said, Innovations like TV Sync will be key for growth markets, where users are transitioning from traditional to digital media consumption and the infrastructure is still gearing up for unified cross-screen measurement. With mTraction TVSync, advertisers will get to supplement & complement their TV campaigns, getting the best of both reach & engagement.mTraction TVSync will help deliver effective campaigns, with mobile being the interactivity driver, together with engaging TV content. It would also help brands analyze their performance over different TV networks and allow them to rework their marketing strategy with real time data analytics.Apart from mapping real-time TV content, mTraction TVSync uses data from various channel APIs such as sports, weather, stocks etc. to align consumer moments that score not just visibility but a higher conversion probability for brands. The platform currently maps the top 10 channels in Indonesia and is expected to grow over time to more channels and markets.Anuj Khanna Sohum, Founder, CEO & Chairman of Affle said, Affle is excited about the regional potential of our partnership with Ansible on mTraction TVSync. We have built Smart TV and OTT Box/ Pay TV apps and analytics based innovations and integrated marketing campaigns for our customers. Owing to the rise of audiences on scattered mobile screens, it is essential for brands to be omnipresent, to connect with audiences across screens. As a solution, we are happy to bring forth mTraction TVSync to Indonesia where TV is the primary medium for advertising. It allows advertisers to engage better with their audiences across screens and to enhance the ROI on TV advertising.About Ansible:Recently launched in Indonesia, Ansible is the specialist, full-service mobile marketing and technology agency offering services including strategy, media planning and buying, marketing and analytics as well as UX, creative, technology, development and enterprise solutions.Ansible is the most awarded mobile agency globally, amassing more than 60 Global awards in the past 18 months including the prestigious accolades of Most Innovative App and Best Mobile Marketing at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Ansible works with many of the worlds leading brands including Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Exxon Mobil. Within the APAC region Ansible has been highly awarded, winning Best In Show and four other awards in the 2014 MMA Smarties, Silver and Bronze for Best App in 2015 MMA Smarties plus numerous wins at Festival Of Media APAC.Ansible is a part of IPG Mediabrands. Learn more atandAbout Affle:Affle is a Singapore headquartered company that has built leading Mobile Audience Intelligence and Analytics Platforms. The platforms help deliver end-to-end mobile commerce & marketing solutions with greater ROI and transparency for marketers, commerce marketplaces, app developers and publishers through unique intent insights derived from behavioral signals, attribution and transactional data. Having started in 2006, Affle has been a pioneer in the field of mobile technology and has built significant scale and intelligence backed by its robust profile of data and insights about millions of users. Affles investors include Microsoft, D2C (An NTT DoCoMo subsidiary), Itochu, Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd. (BCCL), Centurion Private Equity amongst others.visit us atand100 Pasir Panjang Road, #06-07 Singapore, 118518+65 6225 2652 (Main Line)+65 6372 1778 (Fax) OSAGE | Carl Williamson, 85, of Osage, died Saturday, April 22, 2017, at the Osage Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Osage. According to Carls wishes, cremation has taken place. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 8, at the Osage Cemetery in Osage with the Rev. Roy Ott officiating. Military honors at the grave by Osage American Legion Post 278. Following services, there will be a time for the family to greet friends and a lunch served at the Osage American Legion Post 278, 504 Main St. in Osage. Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage. Global Automated CPR Devices Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Opportunities, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=237305 http://www.researchmoz.us/medical-equipments-market-reports-109.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://healthcare-research-report.blogspot.in/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Automated CPR Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020 " to it's Large Report database.Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency and lifesaving technique consists of chest compression and artificial ventilation. CPR is performed to maintain the blood flow and oxygenation to brain in case of cardiac arrest. CPR main function is to maintain partial flow of oxygenated blood to brain and heart. The main purpose is to delay tissue death to achieve successful resuscitation and protecting brain from permanent damage.Increasing number of incidences has shown that manual chest compression in CPR is not effective as compared to actual clinical setting. Recent clinical investigations have demonstrated that improved hemodynamic effect and better coronary perfusion and increase incidence of return of spontaneous circulation can be achieved by mechanical and automated compression devices.Classification of CPR devicesPneumatic drivenThumperLUCASBattery drivenAutoPulseRequest for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Effective CPR can improve the survival rate of patients with cardiac arrest. It has been found that the quality of CPR performed by healthcare professionals in hospital and out of the hospital is poor. Assessment of CPR practices by medical professionals revealed that chest compressions are few and ineffective and have significant pauses during compression that results in decrease of survival rate. Automated CPR devices have overcome these drawbacks by the use of mechanical automated chest compression device, which may lead to improve perfusion pressures by overcoming the drawbacks of conventional manual CPR. Clinical and laboratory studies have shown, blood pressure level getting normal with automatic chest compression devices and enhanced neurological outcomes following extended cardiac arrest. According to American Heart Association, around 92 percent victims of sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching to hospital. According to statistics it has been proved if more people are aware of CPR, more lives could be saved.Read All Medical Equipments Market Research Reports @Application of CPR immediately can increase the survival rate of victims significantly. A study by American Heart Association states that 70% Americans feel helpless in case of cardiac emergency for the reason that they are not aware of how to administer CPR. The Automated CPR Devices market has been witnessing an increasing and continuous growth. Many factors are responsible for the growth such as increasing rate of heart diseases, trauma, respiratory illness, geriatric population, increased accessibility to healthcare, growing prevalence of lifestyle diseases.Geographically, the global automated CPR devices market is segmented into four major regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). In terms of geography, North America followed by Europe account for the largest market share of automated CPR devices market due to upcoming new technologies, high disposable income, growing geriatric population and favorable regulatory framework . However, Asia Pacific market is also witnessing a very positive growth due to the growing unmet medical and healthcare needs, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, encouraging reimbursement scenarios and high adoption rate of precise medical instruments.The automated CPR devices market is highly developing due to the participation of many new players in this market. New entrants are focusing on new technologies and introducing new product into the market. In addition, the market is expected to witness a high growth rate due to the growing demand for better products.Some of the major players in automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) market are ZOLL Medical Corporation, Zhuhai Kindway Medical Science & Technology Co., Ltd, CPR Medical Devices, Inc., Medtronic, Inc.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: The Death Of A Child - Life After Death Is Addressed By NDE Expert And Author Brian McLaughlin's 'A Flight Without Wings Author and NDE expert Brian McLaughlin http://www.brianmclaughlinbooks.com The death of a child is a pain that never goes away. It is a loss that is unlike any other loss. It is overwhelming and traumatic and reshapes our entire existence. The pain is unimaginable.When a child is taken away, our need to care for that child is not taken away. The parent's desire to protect the child is deeply ingrained, one of the most powerful forces in the psyche. It is hardwired into our DNA. The unexpected death of a child often turns that parental instinct into a searing need to know, to find answers.Unfortunately, "Is my child okay?" is a question without a firm answer. We can hope, we can believe, but ultimately we don't really know. If we knew beyond any shadow of doubt, perhaps we could rest in at least some form of assurance of safety.Brian McLaughlin, author of 'A Flight Without Wings, My Experience With Heaven', offers a message of hope to those of us who can open our minds to the possibility that there really is an afterlife. His message is not based on hope or wishful thinking. It is instead based upon experience. His message offers us the clearest proof we'll ever have in regards to knowing that our loved ones are really okay.McLaughlin recalls: I was gifted some extraordinary insights and intuitions through my death experience (NDE). My vision of what happens when we die, and what Heaven is like came to me as a first person experience. My clarity is not a compilation or summery of other peoples stories, packaged neatly into a lesson.""Although my book recalls only the tips of the icebergs I encountered through death, and a visit to Heaven, the depth of my event unravels when I speak about it.""The parental instinct that causes so much anxiety over the loss of a child poses questions that can only be answered by someone who has been there. It would really require some measure of faith to believe in an afterlife, however, those who do can gather a lot of clarity and comfort from listening to someone directly altered by such an experience.""I try on many occasions to answer questions like: Is my child ok? Are they alone or scared? I know the answers. I know how they are feeling... I know if they feel scared or alone. Even though knowing these answers will not bring their loved one back, it may be a comfort to be able to clear their plate somewhat.Brian's book about his near death experience, 'A Flight Without Wings' offers readers a look at the near death experience from an unbiased point of view. It is the presentation of the material that sets this book apart from the other books about the near death experience. It is raw and it's real. There is no embellishment and no hidden agenda. While his book has a spiritual flavor certainly, there is no preaching and no religious messages. It is his near-death experience, just as it happened.McLaughlin's experience changed the course of his life forever. It instilled in him what we all seek - certainty about life after death. And with that a peace of mind that can never be shaken, nor can it be doubted. His near death experience brought a sense of clarity. It brought a sense of real, lasting peace. He now knows with certainty that we exist forever. It is that simple message he brings to his audience, both through his book and at his speaking engagements and in his media appearances.Brian has won numerous awards. He was chosen as one of '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' in both the 2015 and 2016 Book Awards.Reviews of 'A Flight Without Wings' have been overwhelmingly positive. Dr. Penny Sartori, author of 'The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences', said "This book will help others who have had an NDE to make sense of their experience and will also help those close to someone who has had an NDE because NDEs affect close family members and friends too."Jack Magnus, a reviewer with Readers Favorite, called the book a "well written and moving memoir that neither delves into the fanciful or dogmatic,... "Well worth reading, and is highly recommended." Another stated, "Being a mother who lost her only child I found it to be a great comfort to me." Another said, "I have read many accounts such as these, but this beautifully written account simply touched my heart in ways that previous ones have not."Mark Feuerstein, Actor (Royal Pains, USA Network) wrote: I have read it and I think its an inspiring tale of deep insight and so personal and yet so universal . . . such profound perspective.Brian McLaughlin is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at bamplaya@msn.com. 'A Flight Without Wings' is available at Amazon, Payhip and other book retailers. More information is available on his website.Brian McLaughlin is the award-winning author of 'A Flight Without Wings'. In his inspirational book, Brian vividly depicts his journey into Heaven and his following return to life caused by a massive head trauma sustained while vacationing in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico twenty-one years ago.PO Box 1613Shallotte, NC 28459 Global Industrial Automation Control Market to grow at a CAGR of 7.59% during the Period 2016-2020: Key Vendors are ABB, Emerson, Siemens, Honeywell http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=729277 http://www.researchmoz.us/machines-market-reports-120.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Industrial Automation Control Market 2016-2020 " to it's Large Report database.About the Industrial Automation Control MarketIndustrial automation control solutions help organizations to optimize business operations through efficient control of various processes with minimal (or reduced) human intervention. The data collected from field devices and systems gives businesses a competitive edge.Automation solutions such as DCS, PLC, drives, and sensors improve organizational efficiency by facilitating uninterrupted machine operation, reduce total cost of ownership, and provide real-time information.Most companies are opting for automation control solutions to comply with government regulations for curbing greenhouse gas emission and goods manufacturing practices (GMP), among others. Automation solutions not only help companies to reduce costs and bring uniformity, but also provide alerts in case of leaks and detect impurities.Technavios analysts forecast the global industrial automation control market to grow at a CAGR of 7.59% during the period 2016-2020.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global industrial automation control market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated through the sales of the following automation control systems:DCSPLCDrivesSensorsThe market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Industrial Automation Control Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Read All Machines Market Research Reports @Table of ContentPART 01: Executive summaryHighlightsPART 02: Scope of the reportMarket overviewTop-vendor offeringsOther prominent vendorsPART 03: Market research methodologyResearch methodologyEconomic indicatorsPART 04: IntroductionKey market highlightsPART 05: Market landscapeMarket overviewFive forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by productMarket overviewGlobal industrial automation control market: DCSGlobal industrial automation control market: PLCGlobal industrial automation control market: DrivesGlobal industrial automation control market: SensorsPART 07: Market segmentation by end-userMarket overviewGlobal industrial automation control market: Discrete industriesGlobal industrial automation control market for process industriesPART 08: Geographical segmentationIndustrial automation control market in APACIndustrial automation control market in the AmericasIndustrial automation control market in EMEAAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: The Cards and Payments Industry in Switzerland: Emerging Trends, Size, Shares, Analysis, Forecast and Opportunities to 2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=811928 http://www.researchmoz.us/cards-and-payments-market-reports.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " The Cards and Payments Industry in Switzerland: Emerging Trends and Opportunities to 2020 " to it's Large Report database.SynopsisTimetrics 'The Cards and Payments Industry in Switzerland: Emerging Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Swiss cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including direct debits, check payments, payment cards and credit transfers during the review period (20112015).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, and transaction values and volumes during the review period and over the forecast period (20162020). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The report brings together Timetrics research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.SummaryTimetrics 'The Cards and Payments Industry in Switzerland: Emerging Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Swiss cards and payments industry, including:Current and forecast values for each market in the Swiss cards and payments industry, including debit card, credit and charge cards.Detailed insights into payment instruments including direct debit, credit transfers, checks and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.Read All Cards & Payments Market Research Reports @Table of Contents1 DEFINITIONS AND METHODOLOGY1.1 Definitions1.2 Methodology2 KEY FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY4 PAYMENT INSTRUMENTS5 E-COMMERCE AND ALTERNATIVE PAYMENTS5.1 E-Commerce Market and Payment Methods5.2 Alternative Payment Solutions5.2.1 PayPal5.2.2 Apple Pay5.2.3 MasterPass5.2.4 Paymit5.2.5 Tellwa5.2.6 Twint5.2.7 Sofort6 REGULATIONS IN THE CARDS AND PAYMENTS INDUSTRY6.1 Regulatory Framework6.1.1 SEPA cards framework6.1.2 Interchange fee regulation6.2 Anti-Money Laundering (AML)6.3 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regulations7 ANALYSIS OF CARDS AND PAYMENTS INDUSTRY DRIVERS8 PAYMENT CARDSAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: Stock Images Market Revenue to Cross $4 billion by 2022 http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-consumer-and-retail-market/stock-images-market-research-report/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-consumer-and-retail-market/stock-images-market-research-report/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/news/press-releases/stock-images-market-revenue-to-cross-4-billion-by-2022/ Rights-managed (RM) images segment accounts for the largest share of the market.North America represents the largest stock images market.Beige Market Intelligence released the report Global Stock Images Market Strategic Assessment and Forecast 20172022. The report offers a detailed analysis of the stock images market and provides the growth forecast for the period 20162022.The report states that the global stock images market, which is on turning point, is going to witness a huge growth during the forecast period. The global stock images market is likely to grow at a CAGR of 7.37% during the forecast period, says the analyst at Beige Market Intelligence. The 109-page report provides the detailed market size and growth forecast for each segment of the market.Stock Images Market to be dominated by RM ImagesIn terms of revenue, the RM images segment constitutes a major share to the stock images market. These types of images have a licensing model with limitations on the usage and geography, and they include other types of limitations as mentioned in the licensing agreement. They are used by those end-users who require an image for brand promotion. Since only customers have the right to use these images or videos, RM images are more expensive than RF images. According to the report, RF images are expected to witness the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, as they offer flexibility in terms of usage. The demand for RF images is mainly coming from SMBs and bloggers due to their affordability.Increased social media advertising by various companies has led to the demand for exclusive images and videos. Since the number of companies advertising on social media is increasing, each company require high-quality and unique images and videos. Thus, the demand for RM images is increasing from various businesses.View Report Details:North America accounts for the largest share of stock images market with a share more than 45%A majority population of this region has easy internet access. Thus, the largest number of social media users come from this region. The stock images market in this region is witnessing a high growth driven by increased social media marketing. To attract the attention of users, marketers use high-quality and creative images and videos. Thus, the demand for stock images is increasing. Many stock image suppliers such as Getty Images and Shutterstock are based in North America. These suppliers are increasing their image collection in various fields and collaborating with other stock image suppliers and other companies to increase their presence in other geographies.The report also includes a comprehensive study of trends, drivers and restraints of the market for the forecast period and also profiles the leading as well as other prominent vendors.View Report Details:Source Link:About Beige Market IntelligenceBeige Market Intelligence provides competitive and insightful business intelligence across various industry verticals. Our expertise and knowledge ensures that the analysis provided is comprehensive, detailed, and complete. The analysis helps our client organizations to make insightful decisions and devise innovative marketing strategies for their businesses. The actionable insights delivered through our research reports provide a comprehensive market analysis at every level of market segmentation in the industry.Our team of experts ensure the analysis is not just analyzed and presented but also customized depending upon the clients requirement. When it comes to competitive intelligence, we ensure our clients do not look beyond us.Our employment base is spread across the globe. Our analysts come with a wide industry experience, which includes understanding the client's requirement and delivering high-quality research reports.Beige Market IntelligenceChinnapannahalli Main Road, Bangalore-560037Mail: contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comUS: +1 347 903 9949UK: +44 20 323 99499APAC: +91 99 012 75473 Automotive Engine Pulley Market - Key Players Focus on Evolving market Trends and Dynamics 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/automotive-engine-pulley-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23378 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com An engine pulley is a basically a wheel that is mounted to the engine of a vehicle, mostly automobile, that drives or guides a belt. It is also known as a serpentine belt. The belt is a part of a system which powers the peripheral devices within an engine compartment including the power steering, fan of the vehicle and air conditioner. An engine pulley is frequently used in combination with a timing belt which helps in the opening as well as closing of the engine's valves.The engine pulley system in a vehicle usually features many pulleys that perform diverse functionalities. One pulley may be in control of powering the air conditioning unit, whereas another pulley or a set of pulleys may take care of the engine timing. Certain types of pulleys, known as idler pulleys, are responsible for keeping tension on the belt and aids in guiding the belt accurately through the system. Generally idler pulleys are not connected to the peripheral devices, and they are adjusted in a number of directions to regulate the tension on the belt. Adjusting the tension of the pulley need to be done very carefully in order to prevent breakage and avert dismounting of the belt.Browse Market Research Report @The global automotive engine pulley market is principally driven by the growth in vehicle production owing to growing disposable income and rapid urbanization, especially in the developing nations. Furthermore, increasing demand for lightweight and efficient pulley systems that reduce the vehicle weight and improve vehicle performance for meeting rigorous government regulations including the CAFE standards are likely to increase the global automotive engine pulley market growth during the forecast period.The global automotive engine pulley market can be segmented by type, type of vehicle, and geography. Automotive engine pulleys can be of two types - drive belt, and timing belt. The drive belt segment held a significant market share in the global automotive engine pulley market in 2016. Drive belts reduce engine load along with increasing fuel efficiency and available power. Moreover, these belts are easy to maintain and replace. These factors are likely to boost the segments growth thereby augmenting the overall growth of the automotive engine pulley market. Based on vehicle type the market can be divided into passenger car, light commercial vehicle, and heavy commercial vehicle. By volume, the passenger car segment is expected to hold a substantial share of the market, owing to the rising demand for high-quality pulleys with advanced load-carrying capacity.By geography, the global automotive engine pulley market can be segmented broadly into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle east and Africa. Asia pacific held a significant market share in the global market in 2016 owing to the rising production of vehicles in Japan, and China. Asia Pacific is followed by North America and Europe, in terms of market share. The U.S. held the majority of the market for automotive engine pulleys in the North American region trailed by Mexico and Canada. The demand for automotive engine pulleys in European region is likely to be high owing to the growing demand for technologically advanced automobiles in this region.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The key players in the region are investing profoundly in research and development activities to introduce strong and durable automotive pulley systems that have reduced widths and a lengthier service life than the existing ones. For instance, some R&D activities are focusing on decreasing the breadth of the belt for incorporation of those in compact engines. The primary aim of this is to attain a reduction of width from 16 to 20 mmto 10 mm to 14 mm. Some of the major players in the global automotive engine pulley market include ContiTech, Phoenix Pulleys, Bearings & Belts, Clark Pulley Industries, Zhejiang Renchi Auto Parts Co.Ltd., Panjiva, Inc., KAVO B.V., and Kanemitsu Co. Ltd., among others.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 insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Digital Camera Market is anticipated to Increase to USD 5.1 billion With Lucrative 7.1 CAGR Worldwide by 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2316 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/digital-camera-market-2316 Digital camera produce digital image records cinematic image in digital appearance. Dissimilar to film photographs which relatively have enormous resolution, digital camera accumulate images digitally in a memory chip which is an alternative to recording them on the film.Make an Enquiry @Once the photograph is taken it can be initialized to a computer system displayed on the screen and printed. Digital cameras shares optical structure, commonly using lens with a fluctuating diaphragm to spotlight on to an image pickup device. Many current devices are adequate to grab sound or video further to still images. The major influence of digital camera is that making photos economical and quick being there is no film processing. The biggest producer of the film Kodak refined photoCD format which has come to be de facto barometer for accumulating digital photograph.The global digital cameras market is presently formed by range of radical trends connected to lenses, photo accessories and other key features. The global market for digital cameras is anticipated to testify robust advancement ahead along with technological developments like touch screen and high definition (HD) quality cameras. The acceptance of digital single lens reflex cameras is additional the reason for overall market to speedily gain grip compared to analogous markets. It is likely that digital SLR cameras market will enormously grow due to growing inclination of individual towards photography. The factors such as collapsing prices, and intense competition among industry giants acts as a major restraining factors for the digital camera market.The makers of digital cameras have a major challenge as sale of smartphone is continue to boom and frame digital camera market particularly fixed lens digital cameras. The shortfall of innovation has meant that customers are no longer inspired to buy new models. Makers are looking out for the next big thing in digital cameras, despite the market for digital camera is abstained. The global digital camera market is predicted to reach ~5.1 billion by the year of 2022 and it is growing at CAGR of 7.1% between the years 2016 to 2022.Key Players Eastman Kodak company (U.S.), koninklijke Philips N.V (Netherlands), Pentax corporation (Japan), Samsung group (South Korea), Panasonic corporation. (JAPAN), OLYMPUS Corporation (Japan), Fujifilm Holdings Corporation(Japan), SONY Corporation.- (Japan), Nikon Corporation(Japan), Canon Inc. (Japan)and among others.Study Objectives of Global Business intelligence market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global digital camera market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the global business intelligence market based 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 product type, digital sensor type, component, and end-user. 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 digital camera market.Access Report Details @Segments:The Global Digital camera market has been segmented on the basis of product type, digital sensor type, application, components and geography. The product types of the digital camera market is segmented is on digital single lens reflex (DSLR), bridge camera, compact digital cameras, digital rangefinders, built-in lens, non-reflex. By digital sensor types market is segmented into CCD sensor, CMOS sensor, Foveon X3 sensor, LiveMOS sensor. On the basis of components digital camera markets segmented in lenses, sensors, LCD screen, memory card and among others. Whereas, on the basis of application it is further classified as residential and commercial and on the basis of geography it has been segmented in North America, Europe, Asia pacific, and rest of the world.Regional AnalysisMakers of digital camera in countries such as India, china awaits to take hold of the money making growth and countries like United States and European market testify mature conditions. North America had been dominant market in recent years. In the global digital camera market Europe, and the United states are foreseen to steal the honor from the other markets of the world. With the broadening abundance of customers in Asia pacific, the market is presaged to have overkill demand for DSLR cameras, so that contribute to the comprehensive growth of the international market. Asia Pacific is the largest market for the digital cameras and also predicted to continue to grip the market. The Latin American market is also predicted to become strong in coming years as the demand of the consumer is high for interchangeable lens and build in lens cameras.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Digital Camera Market chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Smart Factory Market to Record an Impressive Growth Rate of USD 73 Billion with Lucrative CAGR 9% by 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2317 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/smart-factory-market-2317 The smart factory represents the technological and manufacturing development and is combination of high-tech tools and high-tech workers. Smart factory can be defined as a combination of production, information, and communication technologies, having the ability for integration across the entire manufacturing supply chain. The growing demand for sustainable and service-oriented business practices the smart factory is designed. It depends upon flexibility, adaptability, fault tolerance, and risk management.Make an Enquiry @Smart Factory consists of different technologies such Enterprise resource planning (ERP), Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), Programmable Automation Controller (PAC), Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Distributed Control System (DCS) and Human Machine Interface (HMI). Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is the real time management of business processes facilitated by software. Supervisory control and data acquisition is a controlled system architecture which uses computers, graphical user interfaces and network data communications for high-level processes. Human Machine Interface includes the electronics required to signal and control the state of Smart Factory equipment.The industry players are emphasized on improving the efficiency of manufacturing process which is the major driver in Smart Factory market. Apart from it, developments in internet of things (IoT), focus on power consumption are the factors driving Smart Factory. Usage of robots in has been a market trend. The shortage of skilled and trained workers is observed as a threat in smart factory market. The study indicates that many organizations have increased investments in big data analytics, internet of things (IoT) and cloud technologies which is a booster for the smart factory market.Global Smart Factory Market is expected to grow at USD 73 Billion by 2022, at 9% of CAGR between 2016 and 2022.Key Players: ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Emerson Electric Company (U.S.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), General Electric Company (U.S.), Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.), Cognex Corporation, Oracle Corporation (U.S.), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Yokogawa Electric (Japan), Ametek, Inc. (U.S.), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (U.S.) Fanuc (Japan) among others. Siemens AG (Germany)Study Objectives of Smart Factory Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Smart Factory market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the Smart Factory market based 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 on the basis of components, technology and end user. 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 Smart FactoryAccess Report Details @Segments:Smart Factory by Components: Industrial robotics (Articulated, Cylindrical, Scara & Cartesian robot) Control devices Sensors and actuatorsSmart Factory by Technology: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Distributed Control System (DCS) Human Machine Interface (HMI)Smart Factory by End-user: Machine manufacturing Oil & gas Aerospace & defense Electrical & electronics Automotive & transportation Chemical Pharmaceuticals Mining & metals Food & beverages Electric power generationRegional Analysis:The regional analysis of Smart Factory market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. Asia-pacific region has shown a considerable growth in smart factory due to technological improvements in the automotive manufacturing sector. The study indicates that countries like Japan, China, South Korea and many others have shown substantial progress in industrial robotics leading to an increase in smart factory market. United States, Germany, France and others are also showing rapid progress in the smart factory market.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Smart Factory Market chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Global Nanomedical Devices Market size and Key Trends in terms of Application and End-users 2016-2027 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1236 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/nanomedical-devices-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/1236 Market Segments:Global nanomedical devices Market has been segmented On the basis of Types which comprises of Implantable Biosensors, Implantable cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICD), Implantable drug delivery system On the basis of Applications, the market is segmented into Disease indication, Drug release regulation, controlling fast or irregular heartbeat, consistent drug delivery On the basis of End Users, market is segmented into Hospitals, clinics, research institutesMarket Highlight:Till now, around 250 nanomedicine products are being tested or used in humans. According to experts, the long-term impact of nanomedicinal products on human health and the environment is still not certain. During the last 10 years, there has been steep growth in development of devices that integrate nanomaterials or other nanotechnology. Enhancement of in vivo imaging and testing has been a highly popular area of research, followed by bone substitutes and coatings for implanted devices. The market for nanomedical devices is booming. The global market for nanomedical devices is expected to reach US$ by the end of the forecasted period and is expected to grow at a CAGR.Request a Sample Report @Key Players for Nanomedical devices Market:Some of the key players in this market are: Stryker Corporation (U.S.) Medtronic (Ire) 3M Company (U.S.) St. Jude Medical, Inc. (U.S.) PerkinElmer, Inc. (U.S.) Starkey Hearing Technologies (U.S.) Smith & Nephew plc. (U.K.)Browse Report Details @Study Objectives of Nanomedical devices 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 nanomedical devices Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the nanomedical devices 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- Americas, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by types, by applications, by end users and sub-segments. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the marketRequest Table of Contents for this Report @The reports also covers brief analysis of Geographical Region includes:Americas North Americao USo Canada Latin AmericaEurope Western Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo Spaino U.Ko Rest of Western Europe Eastern EuropeAsia Pacific Asiao Chinao Indiao Japano South Koreao Rest of Asia PacificThe 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.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Air Handling Unit Market is expected to grow at CAGR of about 6-8% from 2017 to 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/962 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/air-handling-units-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/962 Market Synopsis of Air Handling Units:Market ScenarioAir Handling Unit is an integral part of a HVAC system, and is responsible for air circulation & regulation in the system. Significant commercial and residential infrastructural activities undertaken in developing nations is inducing demand in the Air Handling Unit Market. Air Handling Unit Market is expected to register a CAGR of about 6-8% during the forecast period.Market Segmentation of Air Handling Unit Market:The Air Handling Unit Market can be segmented as: On the basis of Effect: Single Effect and Double Effect. On the basis of Capacity: Up to 5000m3/hr, 5000m3/hr - 15000m3/hr, and above 15000m3/hr.Request a Sample Report @Key Players:Some of the major players in the Air Handling Units market are: Systemair (Sweden), Trane. TROX (U.S.), GEA Air Treatment (Germany), Carrier (U.S.), Daikin (Japan), Johnson Controls (U.S.), Lennox International (U.S.), Flakt Woods (U.K.), Sabiana (U.K.), Hitachi Ventus (Japan).Browse Report Details @Study Objectives of Air Handling Units: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Air Handling Units market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Air Handling Units 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-Pacific, South America, Middle East, and Africa 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 Air Handling Units:Increasing construction activities in the Middle East and Africa region is expected to boost the demand in the Air Handling Unit market. Stringent air quality regulations and growing GDP of European nations like Germany, U.K are expected to have a profound impact on the Air Handling Unit Market in that region. Asia-Pacific is another region showing great potential mainly due to the major infrastructural activities being undertaken in the region.The reports also covers brief analysis of Geographical Region includes:North America US Canada MexicoSouth America Brazil Argentina Venezuela Rest Of South AmericaEurope Germany France Italy Spain U.K Netherlands Rest Of EuropeAsia Pacific China India Japan South Korea Australia Rest of Asia PacificMiddle East Saudi UAE Kuwait Qatar Rest Of Middle EastAfrica Nigeria Algeria South America Rest Of 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 ALGONA | James J. Heiderscheidt, 80, died Monday, May 1, 2017, at Good Samaritan Society, Algona. A memorial Mass will take place on Friday at 1:30 p.m. at St. Cecelia Catholic Church, Algona, with Father Edward M. Girres and the Rev. Bill Black officiating. His family will greet friends from 12:30 p.m. until time of the Mass at the church. Private family inurnment with military honors conducted by the Whittemore American Legion will take place at Calvary Cemetery, Algona. Oakcrest Funeral Services of Algona in charge of arrangements. Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales Market Research Report 2017 http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1055441&type=E http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-zirconia-ceramic-ball-sales-market-research-report-2017.htm http://www.qyresearchreports.com/category/chemicals-market-reports-57.htm The global Zirconia Ceramic Ball 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 Zirconia Ceramic Ball, 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 Zirconia Ceramic Ball market to its reader.The market has been unearthed from a ground-up manner, where simple information and key, industry-particular meanings of the Zirconia Ceramic Ball components are portrayed in the outline. The report then moves into the complete examination of Zirconia Ceramic Ball, adhering to viewpoints, including arrangements, industry chain structure, applications, approaches, industry diagram, and recent market improvements.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @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 reports clients.The competitive and administrative scene of the Zirconia Ceramic Ball 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.Table of Contents1 Zirconia Ceramic Ball Market Overview11.1 Product Overview and Scope of Zirconia Ceramic Ball11.2 Classification of Zirconia Ceramic Ball by Product Category21.3 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Market by Applications/End Users31.3.1 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Ton) Comparison by Applications (2012-2022)31.3.2 Bearing31.3.3 Valve41.4 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Market by Regions51.4.1 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue (K USD) Comparison by Regions (2012-2022)51.4.2 United States Zirconia Ceramic Ball Status and Prospect (2012-2022)51.4.3 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball Status and Prospect (2012-2022)61.4.4 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball Status and Prospect (2012-2022)71.4.5 Japan Zirconia Ceramic Ball Status and Prospect (2012-2022)71.4.6 Rest Asia Zirconia Ceramic Ball Status and Prospect (2012-2022)81.5 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales and Revenue (2012-2022)91.5.1 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2022)91.5.2 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue (K USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)10Browse Complete Report with TOC @2 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Competition by Players, Type and Application112.1 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Market Competition by Players112.1.1 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) of Key Players (2012-2017)112.1.2 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue (K USD) and Share by Players (2012-2017)132.2 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales and Revenue by Type152.2.1 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Type (2012-2017)152.2.2 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue (K USD) and Market Share (%) by Type (2012-2017)172.3 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales and Revenue by Regions182.3.1 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)182.3.2 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)202.4 Global Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales by Application223 USA Zirconia Ceramic Ball (Sales, Revenue and Price)243.1 USA Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales and Revenue (2012-2017)243.1.1 USA Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)243.1.2 USA Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue (K USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)253.2 USA Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Players263.3 USA Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Type273.4 USA Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Applications294 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball (Sales, Revenue and Price)314.1 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales and Revenue (2012-2017)314.1.1 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)314.1.2 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue (K USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)324.2 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Players334.3 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Type344.4 China Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Applications365 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball (Sales, Revenue and Price)385.1 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Value (2012-2017)385.1.1 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)385.1.2 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball Revenue (K USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)395.2 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Players405.3 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Type415.4 Europe Zirconia Ceramic Ball Sales (Kg) and Market Share (%) by Applications43Read More @QYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States Wi-Fi Extender Market: Growth Catalysts, Market Trends And Key Players 2025 Wi-Fi Extender Market,Wi-Fi Extender Market share,Wi-Fi Extender Market size http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/wi-fi-extender-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23756 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Wi-Fi Extender technologically known as wi-fi range expander. This is a type of wireless repeater that is used to expand the reach and capacity of a wireless LAN.This devices is placed in between an access point or base router and a client that is far enough not to receive acceptable service or that is on the other side of the barrier. The wifi extender picks up the signal and resends it or retransmits it and thereby connects without any wired connectivity.These wi-fi extenders are helpful to those clients who has very limited access or weak signal in comparison to the one who doesnot have any access at all. The Wi-Fi Extender market has been segmented into type, product, application , end user industry and geography.In terms of type, the Wi-Fi Extender market can be segmented into outdoor wi-fi, indoor wi-fi and transportation wi-fi. In terms of product the Wi-Fi Extender market can be segmented into wireless local area network, wireless hotspot gateways, access points, repeaters and relays among others . Additionally, in terms of application, the Wi-Fi Extender market can be segmented into installation, support, maintenance, survey and analysis, network planning and design. Moreover, the wi-fi extender market is also segmented in terms of end user industry into healthcare, defense and military, retail and hospitality, transportation and logistics, public sector , oil and gas, Banking and financial services , manufacturing and education among others. In terms of geography, the Wi-Fi Extender market can be segmented into five geographies namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America.Obtain Report Details @Increased usage of wi-fi extenders in smart devices and increase in investment on smart devices by the key vendors across the globe has contributed to the growth of wi-fi extenders market.. Moreover,the concept of smart cities and smart buildings and connected cities are also going to drive the demand in wi-fi extender market. Due to these concept there is an increase in demand of public wi-fi networks, for safety management, waste and water management, traffic management, healthcare management and infrastructure management among others Increased deployment of LTE technology in the telecommunications industry is a major factor driving the expansion of the Wi-Fi Extender market.Increased technological need to reduce the data cost and increased usage of internet and internet based applications are also important factors prompting the expansion of the Wi-Fi Extender market. Rapid expansion and development of the consumer electronics industry, safety and defense industry has set a trend that is making way for new business opportunities. This, in turn, is driving the expansion of the Wi-Fi Extender market globally. Increasing awareness of various technological modifications is a key factor driving the demand for Wi-Fi Extender in the market.. Fast-changing trends and consumer preferences such as customization and industry-specific testing services are key factors that have led to the rise in demand for Wi-Fi Extender in the market. Furthermore, increased demand for cloud computing services and applications is playing a vital role in the expansion of the Wi-Fi Extender market.By geography, Wi-Fi Extenders market has been segmented into five regions as Asia-Pacific (APAC), North America, Europe, South America and Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America is the dominant segment in the global Wi-Fi Extender market followed by South America and Asia Pacific (APAC). In terms of revenue and market share, North America leads the market globally. Expansion of the telecommunications and network industry and rise of regional players has led to the expansion of the Wi-Fi Extender market. The U.S. is expanding consistently in the Wi-Fi Extender market. APAC is a rapidly expanding segment in the Wi-Fi Extender market. The U.S. is among the leading contributors to the North America Wi-Fi Extender market.Fill the form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @The top players in the market include Cisco Systems, Inc, Alcatel-Lucent, Aruba Networks, Ericsson, Netgear, Ruckus Wireless, Juniper Networks, Motorola Solutions and others. Apart from top players in the market, the Wi-Fi market report also covers small and mid-sized vendors such as Arqiva, WiFi Spark, C-3 Wireless, Digital Wireless, Aeroscot, Acrylic, Fluke Networks, Intello, Dvois, Airangel, Connect 802, Purple Wi-Fi, TIS ltd, Transbeam, and others. Key players such as Cisco and Juniper Networks offer Wi-Fi products and services for enterprises, service providers, and indoor and outdoor networks.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Copper Pipes and Tubes Market - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/copper-pipes-tubes-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23678 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Copper pipes and tubes are generally utilized to supply hot water and cold water. They are also employed as refrigerant line in high voltage AC systems. Furthermore, copper pipes and tubes are customized to cater individual requirements for many applications such as ultra-low bandwidth devices.Browse Market Research Report @In terms of finish type, the copper pipes and tubes market can be segmented into straight length, pancake, LWC plain, and LWC grooved. Additionally, in terms of application, the market can be segmented into plumbing, industrial heat exchanger, high voltage AC, electrical, and others. Moreover, in terms of geography, the market can be segmented into Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, North America, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America.Rapid Industrialization coupled with growing population lave led to the increase in sales of home, houses and construction expenditures. Rising demand for ventilation, heating and air conditioning high voltage AC segments is actually driving the expansion of the market globally. Properties and characteristics of copper pipes and tubes are also major factors that are fuelling the expansion of the market. These characteristics include non-pyrogenic, corrosion-resistant, and highly malleable. They can also be bent, joined, and deformed without separate joints. Copper pipes and tubes are recyclable and cheap. Therefore, they are highly preferred in high voltage AC systems installations in residential and commercial buildings. Increased usage of copper pipes and tubes in air conditioning and refrigeration systems, as they are cost effective in comparison to conventional coils, along with lowered prices of copper is playing a vital role in driving the expansion of the copper pipes and tubes market. This trend is persuading manufacturers to explore new business opportunities in the copper pipes and tubes market.This, in turn, is driving the expansion of the market globally. Increasing awareness and popularity of copper pipes and tubes in the building& construction industry is a factor that is fuelling the expansion of the market. Moreover, reduced or low maintenance cost of copper pipes and tubes is a key factor boosting the expansion of the copper pipes and tubes market. The oil and gas industry is a rapidly expanding end-user industry segment where copper pipes and tubes have found numerous applications. . Increase in demand of low power wide area network in emerging markets of Asia-Pacific (APAC) along with various technological needs are acting as opportunities of this Copper pipes and tubes market. Latest Copper pipes and tubes in place of conventional and typical single metal bearings is further driving the expansion of the copper pipes and tubes market. These factors are playing a vital role and are simultaneously affecting and contributing to the expansion of the copper pipes and tubes market significantly. The copper pipes and tubes market is expanding significantly, as the telecommunication and defense sector and large-scale industries are expanding considerably across the globe. This, in turn, is increasing the demand for copper pipes and tubes in the market. Manufacturers are consistently focusing on product development in the emerging markets, as there are opportunities to grow and increase their market share globally.Geographically, Asia Pacific (APAC) is a prominent market for copper pipes and tubes followed by Europe. The market in Europe expanding rapidly. Europe is the second leading market in terms of market share Russia and Germany are the leading contributors in Europe. China and Japan are among the leading contributors in Asia Pacific.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @The global copper pipes and tubes market is fragmented with many established players. The major players in the market are primarily from Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, China, and Europe. Key players of the market include KME, KMCT, Luvata, Met Tube, Mueller, Cerroflow Products, Furukawa Metal, Golden Dragon, Mehta Tubes, Qinddao Hongtai Metal, and Shanghai Hailiang Copper Tubes.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Compressor Rental Market: Current trends, Opportunities, Challenges and Forecast by 2025 Compressor Rental Market, Compressor Rental Market size http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/compressor-rental-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23672 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The compressor rental market is expected to develop steadily over the forecast period owing to the recovery of the mining equipment market. Rising demand for modified rental air solutions to meet the needs of the industry is likely to drive the market over the forecast period, along with the growing usage of customized air compressor rental systems in the medical, construction, and oil & gas end-user industries. Demand for compressor rental services in the chemical industry for transporting liquid under pressure has accelerated over the years.The rapid development of this industry in Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to propel the compressor rental market over the forecast period. The untapped market of Latin America is also projected to exhibit potential due to the rising number of mining equipment manufacturers in the region. Introduction of new-age compressors involves the usage of differentiated speed technology with an energy-efficient operational nature. The variable speed drive technology is energy-efficient compared to fixed speed air compressors. Despite the decline in the investments in mining and the need for it in Europe and North America, the industry is estimated to regain its prominence to cater to the compressor rental market over the next few years.Stimulation of the mining equipment market will play a key role in driving the growth trajectories of the global compressor rental market. Compressed rental find its usage in the mining industry raise boring, scaling, tire filling, refuge station air, workshop service air and pneumatic conveying among other functions. Therefore growth in mining activities will fuel the demand for compressed rental and drive the market.Obtain Report Details @The market has been bifurcated by type into the reciprocating and rotary screw segments. The latter accounted for a major market share in 2016 and is predicted to regain its position over the forecast period. Rotary screws are widely used as a power tool in the construction industry as also used in the oil & gas sector specifically in oil rigs to extract crude oil. Based on end-user industry, the compressor rental market is segregated into the mining, manufacturing, chemicals, and oil & gas categories. The chemical industry constituted a dominant market share in 2016 and is expected to retain its position over the next few years. Compressor rentals are often employed in aeration tanks, pressurizing tanks, and culture vessels for molding plastics and spot cooling. Air compressors are mostly employed in the automatic control systems in the chemicals industry. The rapid growth of the chemical industry in Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to drive the compressor rental market over the forecast period.Geographically, the market can be distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific held the dominant share in the compressor rental market in 2016 and is predicted to maintain its position during the forecast period. The rising infrastructure and industrialization in Asia Pacific offers multiple opportunities for the use of air compressors.Increasing demand for compressors in the construction industry is a crucial driver of the compressor rental market in this region, apart from the burgeoning construction industry in India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. North America and Europe are mature markets for compressor rentals and predicted to expand at a decent pace over the next few years owing to the well-established end-user industries in these regions. Latin America is projected to advance rapidly due to the prevalent mining and construction industry, dominated by Brazil. Middle East & Africa is an emerging market projected to constitute a considerable market share in the near future.Fill the form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @Key players operating in the compressor rental market include Caterpillar, Atlas Copco, Aggreko, Sunbelt Rentals, United Rentals, and Hertz Equipment. Others are AirParts Compressores, ACME Fab-Con, Cramco, Ramirent, and Ar Brasil Compressores Blueline Rental.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Forging Market - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2025 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/forging-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23687 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Forging refers to the manufacturing process where compressive forces are applied to hot molten metal to mold it into desired shape and size. The compressive forces applied include hammering, pressing, squeezing, rolling, and other operations. Forging can create innumerable shapes and sizes with enhanced properties as compared to the process of assembling and casting. Currently, forging is most commonly performed utilizing hammering tools or forging presses that are powered by electricity, compressed air, and hydraulic energy. Forging is preferably suited to other metal working procedures since it is a more cost efficient, durable, and faster.Obtain Report Details @The beating and hammering action of forging deforms the shape of the metal, which results in an unbroken flow of granules of the metal. This helps the metal to retain its strength and eliminates porosity. Furthermore, once the process of forging is complete, products from the forged metals can be manufactured at a relatively faster speed and lower cost. Environmentally acceptable, functionally effective, and affordable technologies are needed that are anticipated to integrate pollution prevention into the entire metal forging process. Therefore, the forging market of the future is estimated to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly. One of the simplest forging operation is upsetting, which is carried out by compressing the metal between two flat parallel plates. The process can be developed into more operations with the application of dies from this simple operation. This is the main reason why currently forged products are preferred. This leads to increase in the production of forged products and hence, every day new forging industries are entering in the market.Forged metals are extensively employed in the automotive, aerospace, defense, factory automation, and industrial equipment sectors due to their high strength, reliability, and economic viability. Therefore, expansion of these sectors is anticipated to increase the demand for forged metals and drive the market. The automobile industry is a key driver of demand in the forging industry. 65% of the forged metals are utilized by the automotive sector. Capital intensive industrial sector, globalization, and investments in large and small forging sectors are projected to further drive the market.Increasing cost of forging quality steel, high energy consumption, inefficient economies of scale, less partnership between R&D units and material manufacturers and forging units are key factors that are likely to create hindrance in the expansion of the market.The global forging market can be segmented into type of forging processes, type of forging, and geography. In terms of forging processes, the market can be segmented into impression die forging, cold forging, open-die forging, and seamless rolled ring forging. In terms of forging type, the global forging market can be segmented into smith forging, drop forging, press forging, and machine forging. Smith forging is the earliest form of forging operation which is done by hammering manually. Drop forging involves repeated hammering of the metal. Some of the products obtained in drop forging are crank shafts, wrenches, and connecting rods. Furthermore, press forging involves squeezing by applying hydraulic pressure. Moreover, machine forging is done on horizontal forging machines.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @In terms of geography, the market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America. Asia Pacific is expected to hold significant share of the market due to the presence of a strong industrial base and a consistently expanding and evolving automotive sector. North America is likely hold the second largest market followed by Europe.Some of the leading players operating in the global forging market are, Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Japan), Alcoa (The U.S), Bharat Forge (India), ThyssenKrupp (Germany), ATI Ladish, LlC. (The U.S.), HHI Forging LlC. (The U.S.), American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings (The U.S.), and Happy Forgings Ltd. (India).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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Composite Bearings Market: Geographical and Competitive Dynamics, Report Overview 2025 Composite Bearings Market, Composite Bearings Market Size http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/composite-bearings-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23669 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com A composite bearing is defined as an equipment that is employed to control friction and provide separation between two moving parts. The unique characteristic of a composite bearing is that it is made from a mixture of materials such as resin reinforced along with fiber. This includes friction-reducing lubricants and ingredients. Furthermore, composite bearings are customized to cater to individual requirements for many applications such as high temperature resistance.In terms of type, the composite bearings market is segmented into metal matrix and fiber matrix. In terms of end-user industry, the market can be segmented into agriculture, automotive, aerospace, marine, and mining and construction. In terms of geography, the market is segmented into Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA).Technological advancements coupled with new and sophisticated technology, providing superior mechanical properties and comparatively longer product life, is driving the expansion of the composite bearings market. This trend is persuading manufacturers to explore new business opportunities in the composite bearings market, which, in turn, is fueling the expansion of the market globally. Increase in awareness and popularity of composite bearings in the industrial and automotive sector is a key factor that is prompting the expansion of the market.Obtain Report Details @Moreover, reduced or low maintenance cost is a significant factor that is increasing the demand for composite bearings in the market. Agriculture is a rapidly growing industry in the end-user segment of the composite bearings market. Composite bearings has a number of applications in the agriculture industry. Complete solutions and superior properties such as light weight, corrosion, and fatigue resistant are playing a vital role in the rise in demand for composite bearing compared to traditional single metal bearings in the agriculture industry.Moreover, operational stability and dimensional stability at comparatively higher temperatures are notable factors contributing to the expansion of the composite bearings market. High cost of raw materials and production cost are major restraining factors for the composite bearings market are the. Additionally, tough competition from existing single metal bearing manufacturers is a key factor that is restraining the expansion of the composite bearings market. Increase in demand of automotive and agricultural applications in emerging markets of Asia Pacific (APAC) along with various technological needs are acting as opportunities for the composite bearings market.Latest composite bearings in place of conventional and typical single metal bearings is also driving the growth in the composite bearings market. These factors are playing a vital role and are simultaneously affecting and contributing to the growth of the composite bearings market significantly. The composite bearings market is expanding significantly increasing due to high growth in construction, mining, agriculture, automotive, and large-scale industries globally. This, in turn, is increasing the demand for composite bearings. Manufacturers are continuously focusing on product development for the emerging markets as their opportunities to grow and increase their market share globally.Fill the form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @In terms of geography, North America is a rapidly growing market for composite bearings followed by Asia-Pacific. Asia Pacific (APAC) is the fastest growing market for Composite Bearings. The U.S. and Canada are the leading contributors in North America. In terms of market share, Europe is the key segment and Germany is leading prominent contributor in the region. In Asia Pacific (APAC), Japan and China are leading contributors to this rapidly growing market in the region.The composite bearings market is fragmented with many established players. Key manufacturers in the market include Arkema, CIP Composites, ACM Composites, AST Bearings LLC, CSB Sliding Bearings Pvt. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Corporation, Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. , Franklin Fiber Lamitex, Huntsman Corporation (U.S), GGB Bearing Technology, H4 Marine Limited, Polygon Company, RBC Bearings Incorporated Hycomp LLC, and Rexnord Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Alternative Fluids for Hydraulic Fracturing Market - Analysis 2024 | Research Report http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/alternative-fluids-for-hydraulic-fracturing-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23762 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The rise in demand for energy and decline in oil and gas production from depleting conventional reserves have forced the world to move toward unconventional reserves of oil and gas such as shale oil, shale gas, tight oil, and tight gas. The extraction of hydrocarbons from these sources have increased, due to combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing or hydraulic fracking is a process wherein fracking fluids are injected at a high pressure into the wellbore to fracture the formation reservoir rocks to help hydrocarbons move freely out of the formation.Browse Market Research Report @Water is the primarily used fracking fluid that contains sand and other proppants suspended in the water with the help of thickening agents. However, factors such as legislations regarding the usage of water as a fracking fluid, sensitivity of the formation to water, and water hampering the gas production from reservoir call for using alternative fluids for hydraulic fracturing. Alternative fluids are not water-based and hence, require less or no water consumption. They also cause less damage to formations that are water-sensitive and hence are becoming popular among the operators.Based on the base used, the alternative fluids for hydraulic fracturing market can be segmented into foam-based, oil-based, acid-based, alcohol-based, emulsion-based, and other fluids. Foams are being consistently used in the oil & gas industry due to their low liquid content and high viscosity. Foam-based fluids are considered as one of the best alternative fluids for hydraulic fracturing. These fluids are generally beneficial for liquid-rich gas wells. They can be easily used in gas-bearing, water-sensitive reservoirs, wherein water blockage could be a major concern. Oil-based alternative fluids were the first high-viscosity fracturing fluids to be used in hydraulic fracturing.The major advantage of these fluids is their compatibility with almost all types of reservoirs and formations. Acid-based alternative fluids etch channels into rocks, which function as walls for created fractures. These fluids require the reservoir rocks to be partially soluble in acid so that the acid can etch channels into fractured walls. Generally, methanol-based fluid is used as an alcohol-based alternative fluid, due to its various advantages such as bio-degradability and fluid properties. A variety of emulsion-based fluids are being developed and used as fracking fluids today. Other fluids generally include liquid CO2, liquid natural gas, liquid nitrogen, and liquid helium. The market for alternative fluids for hydraulic fracturing can also be segmented on the basis of location into onshore fields and offshore fields.Based on region, the alternative fluids for hydraulic fracturing market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific. North America is expected to dominate the global market during the forecast period, primarily due to ongoing shale activities in the U.S. Asia Pacific is expected to be the rapidly expanding market during the forecast period, due to large-sized, technically recoverable reserves of shale and coal-bed methane in China, India, Australia, and Indonesia. Various policy support for the explorations could boost the investments into the market. The market in the other countries such as Argentina, Russia, Iran, Algeria, and Poland are also likely to witness significant growth during the forecast period, due to increase in the ongoing activities related to unconventional reserves, primarily shale gas.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @Some of the key players operating in the alternative fluids for hydraulic fracturing market are Halliburton Co., Chemtotal, Schlumberger Limited, Praxair Technology Inc., Canyon Technical Services Ltd., and Air Products.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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Portable Gas Chromatograph Market - Global Industry Analysis 2025 | Research Report http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/portable-gas-chromatograph-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23699 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Portable gas chromatographer is used to separate and make analysis of substances that are able to vaporize below the temperature of 300 degree celcius. This kind of portable device is mostly used in field operations to quantity amount of substances present in the vapor. The substances are needed to be ion free or pure before the process of gas chromatography. The market for portable gas chromatograph is expected to follow steep growth rate during the forecast period.Browse Market Research Report @Portable gas chromatograph find its maximum application in food processing, oil and gas and bioscience industries. Government has adopted significant initiatives in gas chromatography technology. The government arranged several type of seminars and conferences to make people aware about the use of gas chromatography technology. Growing demand for fuel and energy, increases demand for gas chromatographer overtime. Government has increased its investment in the energy sector and that eventually help to expand the market in coming years. This device has increasing application in bioscience industries as well. Rising concern in healthcare and growing importance in the study of cells have increased the use of portable gas chromatograph in this segment. These factors help to expand the market for portable gas chromatograph in recent and coming years.However, portable gas chromatograph are highly expensive as the application of this device is only limited to certain fields. The operation of this device requires skilled professional who possess sound knowledge about gas chromatography. High cost of materials and limited knowledge about this technology act as a restraining factor for the growth prospect of this market. However, government has adopted sincere efforts for the advancement and global implementation of this technology and this is expected to expand the market prospect of global portable gas chromatograph in coming years.Global portable gas chromatograph market is segmented on the basis of instrument and the segments are system, detectors and auto samplers. Auto sampler held the largest market share and this segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. This segment is increasingly used in consumable and accessories and this initiates the introduction of sample in an inlet. Manual filling is very common in this segment; however this segment provides better productivity and can perform at lesser time. Hence, efficiency and productivity are some of the important features of this segment. Increased use of integrated gas chromatograph thus helps to expand the market share auto samplers during the forecast period.The market for portable gas chromatograph is segmented on the basis of end user industry and the segments are food processing, oil and gas and bioscience. Oil and gas segment held the largest market share. This segments accounts for the largest market share as this device has substantial uses in the field. The on field detector for chemical agent in oil and gas industry is triggering the growth prospect of this device during the forecast period. However, environmental bioscience is expected to be the fastest growing end users segment in this market. Owing to the rising concern of the government for environmental protection and safety, this device has been used for measuring environmental agents in the air thus amplifying the scope of portable gas chromatograph in the market.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @According to geographic locations, the market is segmented into five regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. North America held the largest market share owing to rising government concern for environmental protection and safety. This is coupled with huge technological advancement boosts the growth potential of this market during the forecast period.Some of the key market players include Emerson Electric Co, Siemens AG, ABB Ltd., SRI Instruments, Thermo Fisher Scientific and 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.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Healthcare Human Resources (HR) Software Market to Observe Strong Development by 2021 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/561 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/healthcare-human-resources-software-market Global Healthcare Human Resources (HR) Software Market Forecast to 2021 Healthcare is one of the most conventional industries, across the globe. Across the world, in some of the areas of healthcare industry are yet to adopt information technology and new business process.Make an Enquiry @This due to the lack of proper infrastructure for the healthcare industry. Furthermore in certain countries, the healthcare is underfunded, understaffed, and overloaded.It is expected that in the upcoming years the healthcare industry will seek solution for the human resource management. Currently the human resource market for healthcare is around $1 billion CAGR and expected to grow at low CAGR during the forecast period. The report provides comprehensive view about the healthcare human resources (hr) software market.The reports includes following segments: Software Type Core HR Workforce Management Compensation Management Recruiting Learning Management Others Deployment On-Premise Cloud Organizations Type Medium Businesses Large Enterprises Small Business End Users Hospitals and Laboratories Pharmaceuticals and CROs OthersAccess Report Details @Table Of Contents1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope Of The Study1.2.1 Research Objectives1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model3 Report Excerpt4 Forecast Indicators4.1 Introduction4.2 Growth Drivers4.3 Growth Barriers4.4 Growth Opportunities4.5 Macroecnomical Indicators5 Market Analysis6 Global Healthcare Human Resources (Hr) Software Market, By Software Type7 Global Healthcare Human Resources (Hr) Software Market, By Deployment8 Global Healthcare Human Resources (Hr) Software Market, By Organizations Type9 Global Healthcare Human Resources (Hr) Software Market, By End Users10 Geographical Exploration11 Competitive Analysis12 Company Profiles13 AppendixContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Healthcare Human Resources (HR) Software Market chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Technological advances by 3PL Market In Japan to grow at a CAGR of 3.53% Over 2017-2021 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/938687 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/938687 The term 3PL refers to third-party logistics that essentially involves a vendor catering to the logistics and distribution management of outsourced products and services of different companies. Shippers (customers, who transport goods using 3PL services) outsource some or all the supply chain management (SCM) functions of their logistics services to the 3PL provider. The 3PL provider is responsible for handling customer logistics requirements while performing different functions like transportation, location tracking, and sometimes product-consolidation activities.Technavios analysts forecast the third-party logistics market in Japan to grow at a CAGR of 3.53% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the third-party logistics market in Japan for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the 3PL services provided by the vendors in Japan.Get The Sample Copy Of This report :Technavio's report, Third-Party Logistics Market in Japan 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsGlobal Logistic Properties (GLP)Kintetsu World Express (KWE)Sagawa ExpressYamatoHitachi Transport SystemOther prominent vendorsAlps LogisticsJFE LogisticsMitsui-SokoNichirei LogisticsNIPPON EXPRESSSakata WarehouseSankyuToll HoldingsMarket driverAffordable prices through 3PL servicesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeLack of innovation in logistics facilitiesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportView Full Report :Market trendTechnological advances by 3PL providers in JapanFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz BRITT | Pete K. Leuwerke, 90, of Britt, went home to the Lord on April 30, 2017, at Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt with family at his side. Funeral services for Pete Leuwerke will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 5, 2017, at the Britt Christian Reformed Church-At The Crossroads Ministries, 569 Main Ave. N. in Britt, with Pastor Joel DeBoer officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Britt. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2017, at the Britt Christian Reformed Church-At The Crossroads Ministries, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Friday. Pete K. Leuwerke, son of Peter and Grace (Smit) Leuwerke was born on Oct. 26, 1926, on a farm by Ellendale, Minnesota, weighing less than 3 pounds. He was placed in a shoebox and kept on the oven door to keep warm. At the age of three, his family moved to Crystal Valley near Crystal Lake, Iowa. Pete attended school in Hayfield until ninth grade when he left to help on the family potato farm. Starting school, Pete spoke only Dutch and as he learned English he would then teach his parents. On April 16, 1947, he was united in marriage to Doris Limberg at the Woden Christian Reformed Church. He and Doris farmed together for 65 years all within one mile of the home place. He retired from farming at the age of 85. In 1989, they moved to Crystal Lake and established and operated Leuwerkes Corner Cafe. The couple later retired and moved to Britt. Pete was a lifelong member of the Christian Reformed Church attending the Woden CRC where he met Doris. In 1955, along with Doris and seven other couples, they established the Britt Christian Reformed Church, where he remained a faithful attending member having served as deacon, elder, and Sunday School teacher. Along with farming, he served on many boards including: Hayfield School Board, Production Credit Association, Forest City and Crystal Lake Elevator Boards, Crystal Lake City Council, Ag Museum Board at the Britt fairgrounds, and many, many years on the Hancock County Conservation Board. One of his favorite pastimes was traveling and camping with his family and later he and Doris, including a six-week trip through Canada and Alaska with a pickup and topper, several winters in Texas, and a trip to Holland. He also enjoyed woodworking, which he started later in life, and he made many beautiful things for his family ensuring that each of his grandchildren had a wooden rocking horse to enjoy and pass down to their children. He was an avid collector of all things. He and Doris attended auctions, hunting for treasures, and he loved his Maytag engines, antique tractors, and toy tractor collections. He shared his knowledge and love of antiques, farming, and faith with anyone who stopped at his building in Crystal Lake. Dearest to his heart was his family. Being Opa to his grandchildren and GoGo (Great Opa) to his great-grandchildren was his life. He always had a story or joke to share and he was most happy when he had family gathered around him. His sense of humor, quiet smile, twinkling eyes, and strong faith will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Left to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 70 years, Doris of Britt; children, Denny Leuwerke and fiancee Sue Hansen of Winterset, Ron (Beth) Leuwerke of Indianola, Arvella (Greg) Kent of Waterloo, Randy (Brenda) Leuwerke of Eldridge, Missouri, and LaRae (Dale) Haugland of Britt; 15 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and a sister Grace Schuver of Kanawha. Welcoming him home are his parents; his mother and father-in-law, Conrad and Marie Limberg; a brother Curt (Bud) Leuwerke; a daughter-in-law Donna Leuwerke; and a special nephew Danny Leuwerke. www.ewingfh.com, Ewing Funeral Chapel, 178 Center St. W., Britt, IA 50423, 641-843-3839. 3PL Market Analysis, Key Vendors, Rising Growth and Forecast In India 2015-2019 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/317177 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/317177 3PL refers to the outsourcing of logistics and distribution activities by companies to logistics solution providers, known as 3PL providers. A 3PL provider is a company to which shippers (customers that transport goods using 3PL services) outsource a part or all of the supply chain management (SCM) functions of their logistics services. 3PL providers play significant role in handling customer logistics requirements, and perform transportation, location tracking, and sometimes product consolidation activities. These providers typically specialize in transportation, warehousing, and integrated operation services, which they customize according to the customer requirement. Often, 3PL providers go beyond logistics, and provide value-added services, such as inventory management, cross-docking, door-to-door delivery, and packaging of products. These companies also provide strategic and operational value to many shippers worldwide. Currently, 3PL is in the process of introducing new and innovative ways to manage SCM.Technavio analysts forecast the 3PL market in India to grow at a CAGR of 8.43% during 2014-2019.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report :Covered in this ReportThis report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the 3PL market in India for the period 2015-2019. To calculate the market size, we consider revenue generated by 3PL service providers. We also present the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the top six vendors in the Indian 3PL market.The Technavio report, 3PL Market in India 2015-2019, is based on an in-depth market analysis, with inputs from industry experts. It summaries the major drivers influencing the market and the challenges facing by the vendors and the market as a whole. It evaluates the key trends emerging in the market as well.The 3PL market in India is segmented in terms of logistics services outsourced:Freight and ForwardTransportationValue-added ServicesWarehousingKey VendorsAegis LogisticsAllcargo LogisticsDrive India Enterprise Solutions (DIESL)GatiOm LogisticsTransport Corporation of India (TCI)View Full Report :Other Prominent VendorsABC IndiaAFL LogisticsAQUA LogisticsAtlas LogisticsC.H. RobinsonCEVA LogisticsDELEX Cargo IndiaDHL Express (India)Dynamic LogisticsGeologisticsGSI LogisticsHyundai GlovisJeena and CompanyKerry LogisticsKuehne+NagelMahindra LogisticsMalca-AmitMaruti 3PLNippon ExpressPatel LogisticsRedington (India)Reliance LogisticsSafexpressSAL LogisticsSchenker IndiaSembCorp LogisticsSICAL LogisticsSinotransTake SolutionsTKM GLOBAL LogisticsTotal Logistics (India)Transystem Logistics InternationalTVS LogisticsMarket DriverIntroduction of GST SystemFor a full and detailed list, view our reportMarket ChallengeCompetition from Unorganized MarketsFor a full and detailed list, view our reportMarket TrendPE (Private Equity) Investment in Logistics MarketFor a full and detailed list, view our reportKey Questions Answered in this ReportWhat will the market size be in 2019 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Molded Plastics Market Analysis - Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride, Polystyrene, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polyethylene Terephthalate Forecast By 2024 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/138685 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/138685 This research study analyzes the market for molded plastics in terms of revenue (US$ Bn). The molded plastics market has been segmented on the basis of material, molding technology, end use applications, and geography. The geographical segmentation includes regions which are further divided into 20countries in the global molded plastics market. The report features a detailed regional segmentation with market growth forecasts for the 2016?2024 period. For the research, 2015 has been considered as the base year and 2016 is estimated year, while all forecasts have been given for the period from 2016 to 2024. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional and country-specific levelsfrom2016 to 2024. The report provides a broad competitive analysis of companies engaged in the development of molded plastics technologies for the molded plastics business. The report also includes key market dynamics such as the drivers, restraints, and opportunities affecting the global molded plastics market. These market dynamics are analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. The report also provides a comprehensive analysis of the market with the help of the Porters Five Forces Analysis model, which helps in understanding the five major forces that affect the structure and profitability of the global molded plastics market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, and the degree of competition.The high-level analysis in the report provides detailed insights into the molded plastics business globally. There are currently numerous drivers for the market. The most prominent drivers include rapid growth in the packaging industry, decrease in oil prices along with technological advancements in plastic molding technologies. Lower oil prices help petrochemical companies improve margins, and it is becoming apparent that the profit margins of many of the petrochemical companies have improved quite considerably due to low oil prices boosting the demand for molded plastics. Market attractiveness analysis was carried out for the molded plasticsmarket on the basis of material, technology, application, region, and country. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market.Get Sample Copy Of This Report :On the basis of material, the market has been segmented into polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate (preforms), polyethylene terephthalate (others), and others. By molding technology the market has been segmented into injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, and others (rotomolding andcasting). Furthermore, the molded plastics market has been segmented by various end-use applications, including packaging, consumables& electronics, automotive & transportation, building & construction, and other applications. Growth in PET preform volume is due to high demand in the packaging of food &beverage. The market value for PET preforms is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.6% between 2016 and 2024.The two major polymers, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, are expected to constitute over 50% of the total molded plastics market share.In terms of geography, the market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. China is expected to remain the dominant market in the molded plastics with demand for molded plastic reaching 85,496 kilo tons by 2024. A zero tax agreement between ASEAN and China have created a stable position for ASEAN, which is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.5% between2016 and 2024India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Favorable government regulations and emergence of medium and small enterprises in India have contributed significantly to the molded plastics market.View More Details :Key players in the molded plasticsmarket areBASF SE, Eastman Chemical Company, SABIC, Huntsman Corporation, LyondellBasell Industries N.V., INEOS Group AG, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, Reliance Industries Limited, Harwal Group, Al Watania Plastics, Obeikan Investment Group (OIG), and Takween Advanced Industries. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial details, business strategies, and recent developments.Molded Plastics Market: By MaterialPolypropylenePolyethylenePolyvinyl ChloridePolystyrenePolyethylene Terephthalate (PET)OthersMolded Plastics Market: By TechnologyInjection MoldingBlow MoldingThermoformingOthersMolded Plastics Market: By ApplicationPackagingConsumable & ElectronicsAutomotive & TransportationBuilding & ConstructionOther ApplicationsMolded Plastics Market: By RegionNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceThe U.K.ItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapan and South KoreaIndiaASEANRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCEgyptSouth AfricaRest of Middle East and AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaMarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz United States, EU, Japan, China, India And Southeast Asia Health Insurance Market Size, Status And Forecast 2021 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/820684 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/820684 This report studies the global Health Insurance market, analyzes and researches the Health Insurance development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeAnthemUnitedHealth GroupDKVBUPAKaiser PermanenteAetna IncPICCPingAnKunlunMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Application, Health Insurance can be split intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3Get the Sample Copy of This report :Table of ContentsUnited States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Health Insurance Market Size, Status and Forecast 20211 Industry Overview of Health Insurance1.1 Health Insurance Market Overview1.1.1 Health Insurance Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Health Insurance 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 Health Insurance Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 32 Global Health Insurance Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Health Insurance 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 FutureView Full report :3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Anthem3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 UnitedHealth Group3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 DKV3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 BUPA3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Kaiser Permanente3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Aetna Inc3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 PICC3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 PingAn3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Kunlun3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Health Insurance Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.9.5 Recent Developments4 Global Health Insurance Market Size by Application (2011-2016)4.1 Global Health Insurance Market Size by Application (2011-2016)4.2 Potential Application of Health Insurance in Future4.3 Top Consumer/End Users of Health Insurance5 United States Health Insurance Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Health Insurance Market Size (2011-2016)5.2 United States Health Insurance Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)6 EU Health Insurance Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Health Insurance Market Size (2011-2016)6.2 EU Health Insurance Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)7 Japan Health Insurance Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Health Insurance Market Size (2011-2016)7.2 Japan Health Insurance Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)8 China Health Insurance Development Status and Outlook8.1 China Health Insurance Market Size (2011-2016)8.2 China Health Insurance Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)9 India Health Insurance Development Status and Outlook9.1 India Health Insurance Market Size (2011-2016)9.2 India Health Insurance Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)10 Southeast Asia Health Insurance Development Status and Outlook10.1 Southeast Asia Health Insurance Market Size (2011-2016)10.2 Southeast Asia Health Insurance Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Bipolar Disorder Therapeutics Pipeline Analysis, 2017 - Designation, Collaboration, and Other Developments www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/bipolar-disorder-therapeutics-pipeline-analysis www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/bipolar-disorder-therapeutics-pipeline-analysis/toc-sample www.psmarketresearch.com/industry-report/pharmaceuticals www.psmarketresearch.com Bipolar disorder therapeutic pipeline analysis is expected to increase on account of increasing instances of issues related to depression and other mental disorders, across the world. Major factors driving the pipeline analysis for bipolar disorder are obesity, stress, incidence of nervous system trauma, depression, low market penetration of medicines as very small number of companies are making an analog. In addition, increasing awareness regarding health issues among people is another major factor fueling the pipeline analysis for bipolar disorder. According to National Alliance of Medical Illness, the prevalence of bipolar disorder has increased and it can occur at any age in life, mostly around 25 years of age. Every year, nearly 2.9% population in the U.S. is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, in which 83% cases are classified as severe. It is equally affecting in both males and females.Explore Report at:Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depressive illness, that causes an unusual alteration in activity levels, mood, energy, and ability to carry out everyday task. Bipolar disorder is categorized into four types. Bipolar I disorder, having symptoms of manic episodes that last till seven days, and sometimes it becomes sever to the extent that the patients need hospital care. Bipolar III disorder is defined by a pattern of hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes. Cyclothymic disorder, is also known as cyclothymia, which is characterized by many periods of hypomanic symptoms, lasting for around two years. Other bipolar disorders, are of a type not related to the above three. Some bipolar disorders are also similar to other sickness such as eating disorder, substance abuse and anxiety disorder. People with bipolar disorder are at high risk of migraine, thyroid diseases, headache, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and physical illness.Request for Table of Content at:Some of the key having a pipeline of bipolar disorder therapeutics include Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., ANP Technologies, Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Convergence Pharmaceuticals Ltd., D-Pharm Ltd., Delpor, Inc., Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, KemPharm, Inc., Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., Omeros Corporation, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., Pfizer Inc.Browse Other Related Report at:About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:AbhishekExecutive Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016 LED stair lighting Market 2017 Overview and Growth Reportsweb http://www.reportsweb.com/global-led-stair-lighting-market-research-report-2017 http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001533207/sample http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW0001533207/discount http://www.reportsweb.com/buy&RW0001533207/buy/2900 This report studies LED stair lighting in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with capacity, production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringKlusSDL LightingBrilliant LightingElemental LEDON THE EDGE STAIR NOSINGReactive LightingKichlerStarfire LightingTivoliKloepping TSS LimitedGradus LimitedFor more information about this report atMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of LED stair lighting in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast) , likeNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanKoreaTaiwanSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoLED Step LightLED Strip LightSplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of LED stair lighting in each application, can be divided intoThe schoolOffice buildingThe factoryThe otherRequest a sample copy atTable of Content1 LED stair lighting Overview2 Global LED stair lighting Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global LED stair lighting Analysis by Region4 Global LED stair lighting Supply (Production) , Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global LED stair lighting Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)4.2 North America LED stair lighting Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.3 Europe LED stair lighting Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.4 China LED stair lighting Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.5 Japan LED stair lighting Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.6 Korea LED stair lighting Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)4.7 Taiwan LED stair lighting Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2011-2016)5 Global LED stair lighting Production, Revenue (Value) , Price Trend by Type5.1 Global LED stair lighting Production and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.2 Global LED stair lighting Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.3 Global LED stair lighting Price by Type (2011-2016)5.4 Global LED stair lighting Production Growth by Type (2011-2016)6 Global LED stair lighting Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global LED stair lighting Consumption and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)6.2 Global LED stair lighting Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global LED stair lighting Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Klus7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.1.2 LED stair lighting Product Type, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 LED Step Light7.1.2.2 LED Strip Light7.1.3 Klus LED stair lighting Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 SDL Lighting7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Its Competitors7.2.2 LED stair lighting Product Type, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 LED Step Light7.2.2.2 LED Strip Light7.2.3 SDL Lighting LED stair lighting Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.2.4 Main Business/Business OverviewAsk for Discount at8 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase Complete Report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb 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.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 The history behind Cinco de Mayo, which marks an unlikely Mexican victory over France, is, frankly, a little dry. In the early 1860s, after years of wars, the Mexican Treasury was bankrupt, forcing the government to suspend all its foreign debts. France, Britain and Spain sent their navies to Veracruz to demand payment. Britain and Spain negotiated and withdrew, but France, seeking to carve an empire out of Mexican territory, stormed Veracruz with an army of 6,000, then made their way toward Mexico City. In Puebla, a skimpy Mexican army of 2,000 confronted the Frenchmen, then considered the greatest fighting force in the world, and somehow won. To commemorate the victory, public schools are closed throughout Mexico. But for many citizens, the fifth of May is just another day of the week. It's a different story in the United States, where the holiday marks a chance to celebrate Mexican culture with parades, parties, folk dancing and food. For others, the day -- often confused as Mexican independence day, actually September 16 -- is an excuse to drink margaritas and cervezas. To get a better sense of Cinco de Mayo's significance, we spoke with five Mexican-American chefs and restaurant managers in Portland about what the day means to them: Lucy De Leon: Manager, Tortilleria y Tienda de Leon's Lucy De Leon doesn't remember ever celebrating Cinco de Mayo with her family. And it wasn't until she was older, in a Spanish history class, the last class she needed in order to graduate, that she finally learned what Cinco de Mayo celebrated. De Leon was born and raised in Weslaco, Texas and moved to Portland with her parents Anselmo and Francisca De Leon when she was 10 years old. Her parents opened Tortilleria y Tienda De Leon's in 1999, an East Portland destination for its guisado tacos. She said she's taught her kids about the day, but doesn't recall ever learning about it or hearing about it being taught in Portland schools. "It's become more of a big deal over here, but I remember in Texas it wasn't," De Leon said. "For me now, Cinco de Mayo means I'm super busy because I get slumped with catering orders." Tortilleria y Tienda De Leon: 16223 N.E. Glisan St., 503-255-4356, salsalocas.com Maylin Chavez: chef/owner, Olympia Oyster Bar For Chavez, who runs North Portland's Olympia Oyster Bar and was born and raised in Tijuana, Cinco de Mayo is a welcome opportunity to share the history, heritage and culture of Mexico. Growing up, Cinco de Mayo was celebrated with marches, readings about the battle and get-togethers around food. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is "more about celebrating Mexican food, drink, music, folklore a little, less about the history," Chavez said. "On some levels it became an excuse to get drunk, but I think more and more people are trying to steer away from that and move toward having a day to celebrate this culture and all the beautiful things they've contributed to the world." To commemorate the day, she plans on serving a handful of specials at Olympia Oyster Bar -- which already has a Mexican streak with its mussels in a spicy Veracruzan broth, daily ceviche and pan-seared tostada -- and sharing some of the history of the day on social media. Olympia Oyster Bar: 4214 N. Mississippi Ave., 503-841-6316, oobpdx.com Luis Contreras: formerly of Oba, now runs modern Mexican pop-up Chelo As a kid in Jalisco, Luis Contreras remembers going to Cinco de Mayo ferias -- festivals -- with his grandmother. He remembers the bumper cars and baby ferris wheels, the flag lowering ceremony in downtown Guadalajara, and the tamales his mother used to make. Contreras, who most recently ran the Pearl District's Oba Restaurante, now spends his time focusing on Chelo, the Mexican pop-up named for that grandmother, who ran a small restaurant in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The menu -- a five-course selection of dishes similar to those at two San Francisco restaurants he worked at, Mamacita and Padrecito -- most recently served smoked scallop tostadas with chioggia beets and slow-roasted chicken enchiladas with mole rojo and fried Brussels sprouts. "With the whole wall thing, it's more of a reason to be a little prouder of being Mexican," Contreras said. "That's what I try to do now with the pop-ups, that this is what I'm about, how I grew up as a kid and have it be as meaningful as possible and portray that it's not just tacos, there's deeper roots." For more information about Contreras' pop-up, go to chelopdx.com Amalia Vazquez: owner, Tierra del Sol at the Portland Mercado Cinco de Mayo looked very different to Oaxaca-native Amalia Vazquez, who lived for 15 years in Puebla, the site of the famous battle. Vazquez, who now owns and operates the Tierra del Sol food cart at the Portland Mercado, described the city's day-long celebration as a "spectacle, with people lining the streets for extravagant parades and the President and armed forces in attendance for performances throughout the city. "When I came to the United States, it was interesting to me that it was such a big deal here," Vazquez wrote in an email. "Especially since it's more important than September 16, the Independence of Mexico. In Mexico it's the opposite. Not a lot of states make a big show like Puebla on Cinco de Mayo." Tierra del Sol: 7238 S.E. Foster Road, portlandmercado.org/tierradelsol Albert Mendoza: General Manager, Tamale Boy "Cinco de Mayo in Mexico, it's not a huge thing," Mendoza said. "It's a day that we do remember because of what it means to us, but it's not our biggest holiday, not as big as Independence Day, Mother's Day or Day of the Dead." Mendoza moved to Portland when he was 10-years-old from the Mexican state of Morelos. He has managed the floor at Tamale Boy since the restaurant opened in 2014. This year, the restaurant will be running tequila specials such as margaritas and palomas as well as hosting live music and food throughout the day. "We don't get busy on Mexican Independence day," Mendoza said. "I think Cinco de Mayo is like St. Patrick's Day. All people can think about is going out and partying." Tamale Boy: 1764 N.E. Dekum St., 503-206-8022; and 668 N. Russell St., 503-477-6706; tamaleboy.com -- Samantha Bakall sbakall@oregonian.com Follow @sambakall IMG_8358.JPG Megan Kleist was named last week's top pitcher in the Pac-12 after her pair of victories against Oregon State. (Eric Evans/GoDucks.com) Megan Kleist, a sophomore right-handed pitcher for sixth-ranked Oregon, has been named the Pac-12's pitcher of the week. Kleist won both her outings against Oregon State over the weekend as part of UO's sweep of its rival. She allowed four hits, zero runs while striking out 11 in 12 innings on just 138 combined pitches against the Beavers, lowering her season ERA to 1.31. The Ducks (41-6, 14-6 Pac-12) are sixth in the latest USA Today/NFCA poll and rated seventh in the NCAA's latest RPI. After losing sixth of eight in a stretch that began April 7, UO has won four consecutive games entering this weekend's three-game nonconference series against No. 2 Florida State at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene. Arizona's Jessie Harper was voted the week's top player and freshman in the conference. Kleist is the fifth Duck to earn a Pac-12 weekly honor this season, joining top pitcher Maggie Balint, top freshman Miranda Elish and top players Lauren Lindvall and Alexis Mack. -- Andrew Greif agreif@oregonian.com Brown Bear Brown Bear.JPG (Don Ryan / Associated Press) Oregon intends to shift how it evaluates schools and intervenes in those with the poorest results, moving from the rigid model required under No Child Left Behind to a more nuanced approach shaped by Oregonians. State leaders plan to make that official Wednesday when they submit their 136-page plan to the federal education department. Under the new approach, beginning with results from the current school year, Oregon schools' performance will be judged on a wider array of factors than reading and math scores and graduation rates alone. State officials express optimism that the switch will make a positive difference for students. "This extends the promise of a well-rounded education," state schools chief Salam Noor told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an interview Monday. "All over Oregon, we hear that's what parents and students want... This is an opportunity to think about education as a local endeavor." Technically, the rules won't change all that dramatically. Schools still will be judged on statistical outcomes for students, including standardized test scores, not by a more subjective judgment about which schools are offering a truly well-rounded education. But Noor and other Oregon Department of Education leaders say they'll combine new messages about what's important and new flexibility granted by the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, to drive more emphasis on science, social studies, career-technical education and the arts. It remains to be seen whether a new era of well-rounded education will in fact emerge. Students' performance on state reading, writing and math exams, and their growth over time as measured by those tests, will still count more heavily than any other factor in a school's rating. And most Oregon schools have a very long way to go to get all or nearly all their students to show mastery on those tests. But under the new approach, schools will face demands to do other things well. Their ratings also will hinge on getting students to attend regularly and, for high schools, ensuring that freshmen earn six credits by the start of sophomore year -- the two strongest factors determining whether a student is likely to make it to high school graduation. Schools' performance will also be judged on English language acquisition by their non-native speakers and on graduation rates. And, thanks to Oregon's senior U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's influence on the new law, any high school that fails to graduate at least 67 percent of its students in four years will automatically be in line for state help. For the class of 2016, about 55 alternative high schools and 16 regular high schools, including Portland's Roosevelt High, hit that trigger level. Unlike with the widely unpopular No Child Left Behind law, which governed the way U.S. schools were rated for more than a decade, a school won't come under fire for a singular failed result with a single student population. But the federal law still requires the state to release key school performance measures for numerous student populations, including racial and ethnic groups, low-income students, students with disabilities and students learning English as a second language. And schools that show high performance overall but have one or more student groups struggling badly in many areas will be singled out for extra state attention. Unlike under No Child Left Behind, that consequence will apply to all schools, not just those that receive federal Title I money to help disadvantaged students. "We will be putting a priority on advancing equity in Oregon," Noor said. "This (federal education) law is a civil rights law." State officials say they're also excited about a big change Oregon will make in the way it holds schools accountable and helps low-performing ones get better. Instead of working directly with individual schools, the state will work with school districts to assist them with turning around their problem s schools. Trying to fix a school without pulling bigger levers throughout the school district too often meant a school didn't improve or a turnaround didn't persist, said Dawne Huckaby, assistant state superintendent for teaching, learning and assessment. "This changes our role," she said. "We will be supporting districts who will be supporting their schools." Schools whose performance places them in the bottom 5 percent statewide among schools that receive Title I aid statewide will be tentatively identified late this summer based on test scores, chronic absenteeism rates, English language learners' progress and ninth-grade success rates. High schools with graduation rates below 68 percent will also be singled out. The final list of schools that fall into the lowest 5 percent or have unacceptably low graduation rates will be made in summer 2018, using results from the 2017-2018 school year and class of 2017 graduation rates. Working with their school districts, those schools will have to evaluate where they aren't meeting their students' needs and make a plan to fix that. They will be watched over by the state as they carry out those plans in from 2018 to 2021. Those that aren't making enough progress along the way will get added pressure and help from the state. In scores of public hearings and specially convened meetings, Oregon teachers, parents, employers and child advocates said they want Oregon schools to be judged holistically, not on standardized statistical outputs. Oregon Department of Education officials pushed back against throwing measurements of the richness of a school's curricular offerings or the health of its social/emotional climate into the ratings equation because there is no reliable way to objectively measure those characteristics. But they did agree to create a space on schools' official state performance reports for district officials to provide a short narrative about such offerings as arts education, career-tech instruction, library services and after-school programs. And they say they will continue to explore ways to add more nuance to the state's school rating systems. -- Betsy Hammond His fee was $100,000, and this was in 1943, but Multnomah County leaders thought they had scored a great deal. They described Robert Moses, New York City's parks commissioner, as "one of the nation's outstanding city development experts" and the ideal man "to blueprint the Portland area's future." In the Big Apple, The Oregonian reported, Moses was known as "The Man Who Gets Things Done." New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia called him, supposedly in all seriousness, "His Grace." Portlanders expected Moses to live up to those honorifics with his plan for the Rose City. They believed he would put 20,000 returning-from-war Oregonians to work and turn Portland into "a permanent industrial empire." The politicians who hired him hailed the 54-year-old planner as a man who wasn't afraid to tell politicians "to go to hell." Today, Moses, who died in 1981, is best known for the opposition he engendered in New York. Neighborhood activist Jane Jacobs became an urban-planning heroine in the 1960s for successfully resisting Moses' efforts to build a massive highway through the center of Manhattan. A new documentary about her fight with the powerful planner, "Citizen Jane: The Battle for the City," has received raves. Britain's The Guardian, reviewing the film, sneeringly dismissed Moses as "Bulldozer Bob." Moses' vision for Portland was more or less the same one he had for New York: an industrial metropolis developed around massive highways, with residents thrown into shadow underneath the throughways or, better yet, pushed out to the city's periphery. His 1943 proposal for Oregon's biggest burgh -- commissioned by the Portland city council, the port authority and the Multnomah County commissioners -- included widening the Ross Island Bridge and the construction of a Skidmore Street bridge, an interstate bridge, a "foothill throughway" linking the Ross Island and Skidmore bridges, another highway connecting McLoughlin Boulevard with the Skidmore bridge, seven new schools and an 11-block Union Station/bus-depot plaza. The estimated cost started at $75,000,000. He also proposed a "24-block civic center between S.W. Salmon and Columbia streets, extending from Front [Naito] avenue to 6th avenue, with a connection to the south Park blocks," The Oregonian reported. To top off his proposal, Moses recommended construction of a $10 million, state-of-the-art sewage system. Collier's magazine called the Portland plan "a masterpiece," insisting it was "one of the wisest, most foresighted pieces of postwar planning we've yet heard of. It insures Portland, if the plan is adopted, against a lot of haphazard, wasteful leaf-raking projects dreamed up in a hurry as the boys come piling home. It means local control and financing of the assorted projects, with a horde of carpetbagger bureaucrats from Washington ruled off the scene." That local financing, however, ended up being the problem. Portland leaders expressed as much enthusiasm for the plan as Collier's, but, unlike the national magazine, they had to find a way to pay for it. Commissioner William Bowes, who had led the effort to hire the New York planner, declared there was "the utmost desire among the [region's leaders] to put in the Moses program." (The young Oregonian reporter who wrote down those words as they came out of Bowes' mouth: future Oregon governor Tom McCall.) Portland voters in 1945 ultimately balked at the cost, putting the region-wide plan on the shelf. But some pieces of Moses' 85-page proposal would be implemented piecemeal over the next few decades -- notably the Interstate 405/I-5 loop around downtown. "The ideas [Moses] presented for a new freeway system in Portland were not new, but his stature helped provide the momentum to move forward on building Portland's freeway system," the city's Transportation Office wrote in a 2005 report. Other major pieces from the plan and subsequent plans were blocked, with none more significant than the Mt. Hood Freeway, an ill-conceived adjustment to Moses' original vision. The eight-lane highway would have obliterated some long-established Southeast Portland neighborhoods and cut others off from the rest of the city. The freeway plan finally died in the mid-1970s. By this time -- thanks to Gov. McCall, among other political leaders and activists -- the Portland metro region was easing away from the car-centric planning model Moses advocated. The Harbor Drive freeway was removed and an urban growth boundary enacted. In 1986, some three decades after Portland had begun paving over the extensive 19th- and early 20th century streetcar tracks in the city, TriMet's light rail launched. A new Portland identity began to take shape. -- Douglas Perry Mitch McConnell, John Barasso, John Thune Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, flanked by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., left, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday. (AP Photo) By The Washington Post Editorial Board Congressional leaders have settled on a bipartisan spending plan to keep the government open for the next five months, and, to judge from the document, their priorities are not President Donald Trump's priorities. To be sure, the $1.1 trillion measure includes $1.5 billion in new border-security money and exceeds previously enacted defense spending caps to the tune of $14.8 billion; Trump hailed both as victories for his agenda. But the president's border wall gets not one dollar - indeed, Trump's abandonment of a demand for funding was the concession that made this deal possible. Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Environmental Protection Agency, Pell Grants for college students and Community Development Block Grants were held essentially harmless, with respect to their fiscal 2016 spending levels. The National Institutes of Health gets a $2 billion increase. All were targeted for big cuts in Trump's fiscal 2018 budget plan. These results are a tribute to the Democrats' skillful leveraging of their power, even as a minority in both houses; to the Republicans' pragmatic fear of a politically costly partial government shutdown - and to the stubborn persistence of good old- fashioned political horse-trading, even under this supposedly disruptive president. The establishment is in low regard just now in politics. Yet when the government needs to function despite polarization and division, the art of compromise - even of the least-common-denominator variety - is what keeps it going. Fortunately, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., understand that. One heartening element of the bill incorporates a bipartisan commitment to the idea that America will keep faith with those who have served this country abroad - even if they aren't Americans. It provides for the admission to this country of 2,500 Afghans who worked as translators and the like for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, under the Special Immigrant Visa program. The program's authority had lapsed, forcing the government to stop processing new applications two months ago. Now that situation has been remedied - at least for five months. It's a temporary victory for basic common sense - much like the spending bill itself. The measure keeps agencies operating, but no one should be under any illusion that it fixes government in the sense of actually restoring a sustainable long-term balance between revenues and outlays. (c) 2017, The Washington Post zs.play The superintendent of the Alsea School District worries that students will be hurt by cuts if Oregon lawmakers don't address spending, especially when it comes to public employee health plans. (Bob Ellis/2006) By Marc Thielman Oregon schools are facing another round of anemic and inadequate school funding for the upcoming biennium. Legislative leadership continues to make excuses for short-changing Oregon students, families, and taxpayers, but they refuse to roll up their sleeves and do what's right for our kids. The co-chairs are pushing school funding at $7.8 billion. Without spending reforms, school districts will be facing steep cuts to current programs. Oregon is poised to continue the legacy of a 25 years-long race to the bottom in education. As a school superintendent, I reject the notion that Oregon taxpayers and businesses aren't paying enough in taxes. I watch families in my area work hard to hold the few jobs that are left in what was once a thriving part of our state. I'm concerned for families I represent who lack access to basic amenities being hit hard by anything resembling a regressive sales tax. And I fear -- as threats to cut Medicaid are bantered about in Salem -- the poorest of the poor in my school district will be thrown off the Oregon Health Plan as collateral damage in a proxy war between public employee unions and taxpayers. The fact is Oregon has invested in special-interest programs it cannot pay for which don't serve a majority of Oregonians. Legislators have grown the size of government through Human Services, yet even in an up economy with an historic 3.8 percent unemployment rate, social service programs that should be scaling down continue to grow. How a state with historic revenues still faces a $1.6 billion shortfall isn't a mystery. Legislators have failed to prioritize core services and functions and won't quit spending on wants over needs. I recently testified in support of House Bill 3428, a bill to trim the cost of public employee healthcare. As a beneficiary of a "Cadillac" Oregon Educators Benefit Board plan, I think it's unconscionable that public unions have spoken out in staunch opposition to controlling costs of public healthcare benefits, particularly at a time when 350,000 Oregonians could be kicked off the Oregon Health Plan. Oregon pays more for public employee plans than any state on the West Coast. A representative of SEIU 503 testified, almost in horror, that public employees would get the same type of plan as our most needy citizens. The fact is, Rep. Mitch Greenlick, a Democrat who chairs House Healthcare, stated on the record that coordinated care plans are better than our "Cadillac" plans. So the question is, why are we holding onto a healthcare delivery system that costs more and gives us less? Had Oregon aligned with the Affordable Care Act for its public workers years ago, we could have saved hundreds of millions by either moving into exchanges or coordinated care plans. Instead, the governor and legislative leaders have allowed union bosses to steer the ship. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 500 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. My contention is if coverage is nearly the same or better in some cases, but costs substantially less for others receiving coverage through the ACA, then it should be good enough for public employees. There's not much we can do about rising PERS costs, but there's still time this session for legislative leaders to comprehensively reduce public employee healthcare costs and direct the savings to classrooms. Our kids are depending on it. Marc Thielman is the superintendent of the Alsea School District. On Sunday, we asked another Hot Button question: Do you favor giving up the meadowlark for the osprey as the state bird of Oregon? Today, we're publishing some of the responses. If you'd like to add to the discussion, please see the Share your opinion info box on this page and let us know what you think. Look for a new Hot Button question on Sunday. Meadowlark sounds like home: My family moved from Portland to Klamath Falls in 1947. I don't remember when I first noticed the song of the meadowlark, but it was always there on every wooden fence post and on every wire fence in the rural areas of Klamath Falls and out in the valley. At the first twitter I would stop to look for him. It was an indication that I was home. There were kildeers, red-winged black birds and, of course, the little robin, but it was always the meadowlark that made it home. I moved back to Portland as an adult but went home several times a year to visit family and friends and always listened for that little bird. The meadowlark just doesn't sing in Portland. Pat Trotman, Northeast Portland Meadowlark a symbol of today's woes: According to written accounts of early Portlanders, the western meadowlark was once common in Portland, especially on the east side. There used to be lots of meadowlarks where Lone Fir Cemetery now exists. Meadowlarks need space. They symbolize exactly the problem of development: we kick other species out of their homes to build ours. And yet our building craze continues and is densified with the notion of infill, which robs wildlife of the last crumbs of space. The meadowlark shows that, plainly. We need to keep the meadowlark as our state songbird. The osprey can be the state bird of prey. But we should heed the meadowlark's warning. Varied thrushes, spotted owls, even the Western Gull are all in decline. The phrase "canary in the coal mine" should, in Oregon, be "the meadowlark in the meadow." Christine Colasurdo, Southwest Portland Time for a change: Given that the western meadowlark is the state bird not just of Oregon but five other states, changing it is a great idea. Montgomery Loftus, Northeast Portland A new statewide contest: Ignoring the timeworn advice of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," the Oregon Legislature is considering a bill to toss out meadowlarks as Oregon's state bird. Lawmakers should get more creative instead. Meadowlarks may not be as big or as impressive to humans as some other birds, but 90 years after they became the state's avian symbol they're more important than ever. Meadowlarks remind us that Oregon has many important ecosystems in addition to its majestic - and more famous - forests. Meadowlarks' grassland homes face a variety of threats ranging from climate change to invasive species, underlining the need to renew our commitment to caring for Oregon's environment. Finally, Oregon schoolkids chose meadowlarks in 1927 as the state bird in a contest sponsored by the Oregon Audubon Society. The Audubon Society of Portland - the modern day incarnation of the 1917 Audubon organization - has suggested a new statewide contest to choose an Oregon state raptor (bird of prey). Ospreys - which is some lawmakers' choice to replace meadowlarks as the state bird - would have an inside track to the state raptor title. And the contest would give today's students a chance to learn more about birds as they vote to honor another species. People should urge legislators to keep meadowlarks as Oregon's state bird and add a state raptor - and while they're at it to also give more money to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to better protect all the state's birds. Dan Rohlf, Southwest Portland Rohlf is board president of the Audubon Society of Portland No to the osprey: The editorial board left out an important fact about ospreys ("If a meadowlark is doomed as the state bird, what is Oregon looking for?: Editorial," April 28.) They are migratory coming here to breed, arriving in spring and leaving in fall - "snowbirds." Not the state bird we want. Bing Wong, Southeast Portland Yes to ospreys: I've been an Oregonian for 69 years and have never seen a meadowlark. I see ospreys most every day. (They love to munch on their trout atop my power pole before taking the remains back to their nest!) I would love to see the osprey become the state bird of Oregon! Dave Carey, Tygh Valley A bird found statewide: I believe the osprey should replace the meadowlark as Oregon's state bird. The meadowlark is fairly rare in Northwest Oregon. The osprey is thriving along rivers and most bodies of water throughout the state. Joan Flynn, Tigard Honor schoolkids' vote: Please keep the beautiful meadowlark as our state bird. We should honor the vote of all those school children back in 1927 and the Fish and Wildlife Service description of the meadowlark as an iconic flagship species. Sen. Girod and our other legislators should focus on budget issues and leave our history and the meadowlark alone. Victoria MaKitten, Hillsboro Trucks Travel Trucks make their way on eastbound I-580 in California, where emission standards on diesel exhaust are more strict than in Oregon. (Ben Margot/AP Photo) Erika Moseson As a doctor who treats lung disease, I see the ugly truth about what it means to struggle to breathe. These illnesses are expensive, debilitating and can make going for a simple walk down the street impossible. If you're one of my patients on a bad air day with toxic diesel exhaust, you're frequently a prisoner in your own home. When you can't breathe, you can't do a whole lot else. On April 17, Oregon state senators in the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, gutted Senate Bill 1008, the Clean Engines Clean Air Act, which would have set a deadline for cleaning up dirty diesel exhaust in our air. It would have protected Oregon from being the dumping ground for old trucks and engines from neighboring states who have raised standards. But thanks to pressure from industry lobbyists, what they passed on to the Senate Rules Committee was a shell that stripped away the health benefits. Every day I go to work, I face the reality of bad air and what it does to our communities. We need to pass legislation that curbs toxic diesel exhaust and enforces idling laws near places like schools and playgrounds, where our youngest and most vulnerable breath. This affects children across the state, not just in urban areas. Lawmakers know this. Health experts testified before them just a few weeks ago, sharing scientific facts on how diesel exhaust is toxic. It is small and travels through the lungs straight to the bloodstream. Diesel exhaust causes more fatalities than traffic crashes. It puts Oregonians at risk for cancer. Furthermore, it affects the very people who industry lobbyists pretend to protect -- our truckers. Many of my patients have worked as diesel truckers, sitting above a dirty engine, breathing in fumes from the vehicles ahead of them in traffic that caused or worsened their COPD. Thanks to toxic air, Oregon families across the state struggle to pay for inhalers, and breadwinners try to work through lung diseases. Employers see their premiums rise, their workers need more sick days, and parents watch their children suffer from worsened asthma. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 500 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. As a doctor, mother of a young child, and a native Oregonian, I urge lawmakers to set a deadline to clean up dirty diesel. Let's not wait another session, another season, another bad air day to do it. The current budget shortfall will be nothing compared to future budget gaps if we have to keep paying for healthcare costs from dirty diesel. Let's be smart with our health and tax dollars. I urge all Oregonians to call your state senator and let them know that our health should not be ignored. We can't let industry reject responsibility for practical solutions that clean up our air and save lives and future healthcare expenditures. It's not enough to rely on voluntary solutions and weak standards. We must stand strong for all who breathe. Erika Moseson is a pulmonologist and president-elect of the Oregon Thoracic Society. eugene-federal-courthouse.jpg The Wayne Morse U.S. Courthouse sits next to downtown Eugene. (The Oregonian file) (Oregonian staff/File) Pamela Gygi A judge sentenced an Oregon woman Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison in a murder-for-hire scheme that fizzled when the felon hired to kill her ex-husband alerted him to the plot. Pamela Gygi, 58, was sentenced at the federal courthouse in Eugene after pleading guilty in January to charges of unlawful firearm possession and using interstate commerce in a murder-for-hire plot. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Papagni Jr. asserted in court documents that money was the motivation. Gygi and ex-husband Dean Hamill were embroiled in a property dispute and she was the beneficiary of his $150,000 life insurance policy. Gygi wanted the money to help pay for an upcoming wedding and a move to California, Papagni said. "She claimed he mentally and physically abused her over their 32-year marriage, a claim denied by or unsubstantiated by their (six) adult children," Papagni said. Court records show Hamill sought a divorce in 2014, as the two were building a home in Westlake, a small community near the coast. He then declined to give Gygi his new address in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Months later, Gygi met an Idaho man online and soon set a wedding date. Papagni said the relationship ended after the boyfriend obtained Hamill's address for Gygi by hacking into online Mormon membership files. Gygi then met a California man and planned to marry him in August 2015. When she needed money for that wedding, she turned to a felon identified in court papers as KS. Papagni said KS attended the same church as Gygi and worked for her as a day laborer. "She expressed how things would be a lot easier if (Hamill) was out of the picture," Papagni said. The would-be hit man later told authorities that Gygi paid him $600 and he was promised a residence in California, a 2005 Dodge Stratus and an online business Gygi owned with Hamill involving dog and cat breeding. The felon violated probation by driving across state lines to warn Hamill, whom he had known before the divorce. He also stopped in Reno, Nevada, where he spent most of the $600. After Hamill went to police on June 1, 2015, the felon agreed to work with investigators and record several conversations with Gygi. The two discussed tampering with Hamill's vehicle to make the death seem like an accident, FBI Special Agent Timothy Suttles said in an affidavit. They later decided an accident might only injure the man, not kill him, court documents said. Ultimately, Gygi got a gun, authorities said. She met the felon July 10, 2015, at a mall east of Eugene. She arrived with the Dodge Stratus on a trailer, gave him the pistol and suggested he make the killing look like it occurred during a home invasion, authorities said. The felon told her that Hamill would be dead in about 36 hours. Gygi left the parking lot and was going to Costco to "get wedding pictures done" when she was stopped by FBI agents, Papagni said. -- The Associated Press Rally at ICE headquarters in Southwest Portland67260.JPG More than two hundred protesters showed up at a rally March 6, 2017 afternoon in front of the Immigration Customs Enforcement office in Southwest Portland. Immigrant advocates are planning rallies in early May outside of the Norcor facility in The Dalles to support five inmates who refuse to eat. Since April, hundreds of immigrants in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement have protested the living conditions of the privately-owned Northwest Detention Center, according to multiple news reports. (Beth Nakamura/staff) Five detained immigrants in The Dalles have joined others held at a Tacoma detention center in a hunger strike begun last month to protest their living conditions. Immigrant advocates are planning rallies every day this week outside of the Norcor facility in The Dalles to support the inmates. Since April, hundreds in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement have protested conditions at the privately owned Northwest Detention Center, according to multiple news reports. The newly formed Gorge ICE Resistance -- comprising the Gorge Ecumenical Ministries, Somos Uno, Hood River Latino Network and others -- says members will be outside Norcor every day to support the five, who were recently transferred from Tacoma. "This will send a message to other county and state facilities that working in cooperation with ICE will no longer be a simple, quiet matter; they will now be held accountable by local and statewide leadership," Solea Kabakov, a Gorge ICE resistance member, said in a news release. The Associated Press reported immigrants in Tacoma were demanding better food, better facility hygiene and better medical care while protesting the lack of recreation and what they allege are exorbitant commissary prices. The detainees also are seeking an increase in the $1 a day they are paid for performing menial jobs at the detention center. The center, owned by The GEO Group, holds 1,500 beds and had about 1,400 inmates in early April. Maru Mora Villalpando, a spokeswoman for the anti-detention group NWDC Resistance, said last month as many as 750 detainees were refusing meals.A few weeks later, another 40 women joined the protest. Detention officials claimed the number of protesters dropped to 22, ICE told the AP. Staff planned to meet with the women to discuss their concerns and counsel them about the medical risks associated with refusing food, according to the statement. "They will also be advised about the protocols that will be instituted should the threshold for a hunger strike be met," ICE said, referring to the 72-hour period to refuse food or nine meals in row that trigger a hunger-strike protocol and a medical response. Mat dos Santos, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, said he was in contact with three men at Norcor. The jail, which serves Wasco, Hood River, Sherman and Gilliam counties, holds up to 212 beds for adults and 32 for juveniles. "They have not eaten at all," he said. "They were told by the Norcor officers that they would be segregated into cells for monitoring if they didn't break the strike." Gorge ICE Resistance said two of the strikers in The Dalles are women. Advocates say that Norcor's participation in detaining immigrants violates state laws that prevent state and local police from helping federal authorities enforce immigration laws. According to the Rural Organizing Project, inmates at Norcor say they receive one hot meal a day, and they are not allowed to work. That means they cannot afford to make phone calls that cost 25 cents per minute. They're not allowed to see outside, don't have socks and get milk once a week. Norcor administrator Bryan Brandenburg said immigrants were being treated humanely, but there have been complaints about jail mistreatment, according to OPB. "We monitor them, we offer them food, we make sure they're seen by medical on a daily basis, and that they're having fluid intake, which they are," he told OPB. "Really, until there's some sort of medical issue that arises as a result, we continue with that process. If we need we can take them to a doctor." Tony Hernandez thernandez@oregonian.com 503-294-5928 @tonyhreports The Associated Press contributed to this report. A southern Oregon man was arrested Monday after authorities say he sexually assaulted a chicken. Joshua Woltmon, 27, of Medford remained Tuesday in the Jackson County Jail on $25,000 bail on accusations of sexual assault of an animal, public indecency, menacing and second-degree disorderly conduct. Woltmon exposed himself and came into contact with the chicken's genitals, prosecutors allege in court documents. He is also accused of threatening another man with sharp sticks in the same incident. A Medford police sergeant said he didn't have any other details on the case Tuesday. Court records in a 2014 guardianship case described Woltmon then as functioning at the level of a 7-year-old, suffering from bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and unable to make informed decisions. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey Motel 6 Eugene.jpg The Motel 6 in Roseburg has banned Douglas County residents from booking rooms, The Roseburg News-Review reports. (Pictured above: The Motel 6 near Interstate 5 in Eugene.) (Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr user brewbooks) Portland isn't the only place in Oregon suffering from a dearth of affordable housing. A housing crunch in Douglas County has the led the Motel 6 in Roseburg to ban locals from booking rooms, The News-Review reports. The newspaper's April Ehrlich on Tuesday tweeted about a front-desk sign that outlines the policy. "As of 4-7-2017, we are no longer accepting guests from Douglas County. We apologize for any inconvenience," it reads. So many people are homeless & seeking #housing at Roseburg Motel 6 that it has stopped renting to locals. pic.twitter.com/dzS4d9EceZ April Ehrlich (@AprilEhrlich) May 2, 2017 According to the U.S. Census' American Community Survey estimates, Douglas County's rental market had a 5.5 percent vacancy in 2015. In Roseburg, that rate was 5.8 percent. Vacancy rates in Portland were 2.6 percent for the same time period. But housing woes along the Umpqua River could be about more than availability. Nearly 45 percent of Douglas County renters had more than 35 percent of their income dedicated to housing. In Roseburg, 48 percent of residents fell under that number. It's commonly recommended that rent should equal no more than 30 percent of a household's income. Kenny LaPoint, the acting assistant director at Oregon Housing and Community Services, told The News-Review the agency routinely checks hotels and motels during homeless checks. That's because many people who move to the area, he said, may have enough to book a room short-term but may not have the cash for a security deposit, first and last months' rent. --Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344 @edercampuzano ecampuzano@oregonian.com Oregon lawmakers rolled out the broad strokes of their proposal to overhaul the state's corporate tax system on Tuesday. Within minutes, the reactions started rolling in. Republicans and business groups say the tax proposal is a repackaged version of Measure 97, the tax proposal that voters soundly rejected in November. Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, who's leading the charge on the new tax plan, says it's "180 degrees opposite" of the failed measure. So which is it? We'll break it down so you can decide for yourself. Keep in mind that the proposal is subject to change as lawmakers make adjustments. Big picture Measure 97 was a standalone tax, added on top of Oregon's current corporate income tax. Tuesday's proposal is comprehensive and calls for a new type of corporate tax to replace the corporate income tax. It also includes credits and deductions for both businesses and households to help shield small businesses and low-income Oregonians from negative impacts of the tax. Type of tax At their most basic levels, both the corporate activities tax lawmakers unveiled Tuesday and the Measure 97 tax are gross receipts taxes, which tax a company's total sales, instead of their profits. (For an in-depth look at the pros and cons of gross receipts taxes, read this or watch the video included in this post.) Tax base Measure 97 would have applied only to C corporations typically large, publicly owned companies with more than $25 million in Oregon sales. Only about 1,000 companies would have been subject to this tax. The corporate activities tax, or CAT, would apply to all types of companies with more than $1 million in annual Oregon sales. This would apply to about 18,000 businesses. Tax rate Measure 97 would have required companies to pay a tax of 2.5 percent of their Oregon sales over $25 million. Lawmakers have yet to decide on a rate, but the proposal calls for a tax between 0.25 and 1 percent of Oregon sales over $1 million. Revenue Measure 97 would have brought in roughly $6 billion for the next biennium. The CAT could bring in between $288 million and $3.1 billion, depending on the rate. Exemptions Benefit corporations and S-corporations small companies or privately held corporations were exempt from Measure 97. Instead of exempting types of companies, the CAT exempts types of transactions. Those include government transactions, donations received by nonprofits and sales between subsidiaries of the same company. Read more about the CAT proposal here. -- Anna Marum amarum@oregonian.com 503-294-5911 @annamarum MASON CITY | It was a sure sign of spring Tuesday morning as a mother duck and her 16 ducklings left an Mason City elementary school courtyard in search of water. Harding Elementary was built in 2000. A few years later, ducks started laying eggs under a tree in the school's enclosed courtyard, fourth-grade teacher Vonne Long said. "We've had them (ducks) at least 10 years," Long said Wednesday. To leave the courtyard, the birds must first walk through the hallways and out onto the sidewalk, both of which were lined with students. It's no small feat keeping an entire building of elementary-aged kids quiet, Long said, but she noted "nobody made any noise; they didn't say a thing." "It's a great surprise and they are excited to see it," she said. "Some were trying to count how many babies, but there was not a word, not a whisper." The ducks are safely ushered across 12th Street Northeast before they presumably head to East Park. Hoover Elementary, which also has an enclosed courtyard, has hosted a duck walk for nearly 20 years. There are three ducks nesting there this year, but they have yet to waddle down the hallways with hatchlings in tow. A 41-year-old drunken driver who was traveling 70 mph in a 35-mph zone when he ran into a pedestrian and killed him was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison. Clifford Eugene Perry Jr. had a blood alcohol level of .09 percent more than an hour after he struck 61-year-old Damon Burton near Southeast 122nd Avenue and Division Street in Portland, said Deputy District Attorney Laura Rowan. The legal limit for driving is .08 percent. Rowan commended police for tracking down surveillance video from bars showing Perry had been drinking two to three hours before the crash -- and again just 10 minutes before the crash at 9:20 p.m. on Sept. 4. Burton was crossing Division Street and had made it across three lanes of traffic and a turn lane when Perrys Mercedes-Benz hit him traveling 70 mph, Rowan said. Police determined that Perry didnt brake before impact, according to a probable cause affidavit. Perry then crashed into a telephone pole next to a gas station about 200 feet away, according to the affidavit. Clifford Eugene Perry Jr. (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office) Perry told police he hadnt been drinking, but police smelled alcohol and noticed Perrys bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, the affidavit states. In April, Perry pleaded guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court to criminally negligent homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol. Tuesday, Perry declined to make a statement. His defense attorney, Ben Eder, described the crash as a tragic case. Burton was one of four children. He grew up in Northeast Portland and graduated with a degree in finance from Oregon State University, Rowan said. Burtons sister was in the courtroom, but didnt wish to speak, Rowan said. In addition to a four-year prison sentence, Perrys drivers license was revoked for life. He could, however, be eligible to ask a judge to reinstate his license 10 years after hes released from prison. -- Aimee Green Sister and Scott.jpg American flags were lowered May 3, 2017 to remember three children who died from homicides on April 11. Janet Cortinas-Duran, 8, and Jasmine Duran-Cortinas, 11, of Portland both attended Glenfair Elementary School and Shawn Scott, Jr., 17, of Vancouver attended Union High School. (Reynolds School District & Evergreen Public Schools) American flags were lowered at Portland City Hall and other locations Wednesday in remembrance of three children who died from a homicide April 11, a Portland commissioner said. The flags at half staff follow the deaths of sisters Janet Cortinas-Duran, 8, and Jasmine Duran-Cortinas, 11, of Portland and Shawn Scott, Jr., 17, of Vancouver. All three died from gunshots, police have said. "These senseless deaths of children rattle me to the core, especially coming so close together," Portland Commissioner Dan Saltzman said in a news release. Wednesday marks the 17th time the city's flag has been lowered in remembrance of children who have died from abuse, neglect or violence, Saltzman's office said. Gresham police said last month the sisters, who attended Glenfair Elementary School, died from multiple gunshots by their father. Officers had exchanged gunfire with him before finding the sisters at the 16200 block of Northeast Glisan Street. Portland police said Scott, who was a junior at a Vancouver high school, was walking in Holladay Park when he was approached by two men and a juvenile who attempted a robbery. Detectives learned the suspects wanted to rob a belt worn by Scott and later arrested Miguel Thompson, 19, Kole Tabian Jones, 18, and Malique Kennerly-Hicks, 17, in connection with the crime, according to court records. Flags will also be lowered at the Portland Building, Providence Park, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the World Trade Center and other locations. "Our thoughts are with the families, friends and teachers of the victims," Saltzman said. "If we can get people to pay attention to these tragedies and learn from them, we hope we can save lives." Tony Hernandez thernandez@oregonian.com 503-294-5928 @tonyhreports Multnomah County Circuit Judge Thomas Ryan also banned Michael Aaron Strickland, 37, from taking video of protesters or other people until 2018 -- and then only with the permission of his probation officer. Strickland stood up in court and reiterated to the judge that he thought he had a right to point his gun at protesters. Defense attorney Jason Short argued that an expert determined that Strickland is at low risk of reoffending and doesn't appear to be prone to violence. Strickland had no criminal history. "His finger was never on the trigger," Short said. "It was on the side of the handgun." But the judge said that didn't alleviate the fear Strickland instilled in his victims. Ryan said he agreed with a presentencing investigator, who determined that Strickland has trouble problem-solving in difficult situations and tends to escalate them rather than promote peace. "This was not self-defense," Ryan said. "... Simply put, you cannot respond in the way the defendant did in this situation. Brandishing the weapon was not the defendant's only option. He was not about to be pummeled." Strickland will file a motion for a new trial, said another defense attorney, Chris Trotter. His attorneys said they also will try to persuade the judge at a hearing in June to lift Strickland's ban on taking video. Strickland also could try to secure special permission to reinstate his gun privileges four years from now. Oregon law imposes the gun ban on people convicted of felonies, but allows them to make a case later for lifting the prohibition. During a weeklong trial in February, Strickland didn't testify, but his attorneys said he was at the downtown Portland protest to video-record it as a citizen-journalist. Strickland posts video to the Internet and makes a living doing so, they said. Last July 7, Strickland recorded members of the groups Don't Shoot Portland and Black Lives Matter as they protested the shooting deaths of two African Americans by police earlier that week in Minnesota and Louisiana. His attorneys contended some protesters and anarchists wearing masks and carrying flagpoles had called Strickland a racist, told him to leave, aggressively advanced toward him and pushed him. Strickland had the right to carry the gun under his concealed weapons permit. His attorneys said he took his gun out of its holster only out of grave concern that hostile protesters were going to hurt him. But the judge found that Strickland didnt have reasonable fear that he was in imminent danger of harm and therefore wasnt legally protected in pointing the gun. Ryan found Strickland guilty of 10 counts of unlawful use of a weapon, 10 counts of menacing and one count of second-degree disorderly conduct for pointing and sweeping his Glock semi-automatic handgun across a group of 10 protesters. Some of the incident was caught on video -- including Strickland's own video. He can be heard saying "Get the hell back!" before pulling out his gun. As protesters scattered and screamed in terror, Strickland reholstered his gun. Strickland decided against allowing a jury to rule on his case after it became clear during jury selection that many potential jurors were critical of guns and people who use them for purposes other than hunting. Prosecutors Kate Molina and Todd Jackson asked for a 120-day jail sentence. Defense attorneys asked for no additional jail time, on top of the 11 days Strickland already has served since his arrest. The judge settled on 40 days, saying that Strickland can start serving it on weekends in August. The judge also sentenced Strickland to three years of probation and 240 hours of community service and fined him $3,100. -- Aimee Green It didn't need to end this way. On Saturday, an anonymous threatening email led to the cancellation of the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade and carnival. In place of a family-friendly festival, a handful of extreme right and left activists screamed at each other for a few hours during a "free speech" event at Montavilla City Park. This is the fallout from political hyperpolarization: It fueled bad assumptions, poor communication and unwarranted escalation on the part of activists; and left a missed opportunity for Republicans to forcefully denounce hatred. Jacob Bureros is coordinator for Direct Action Alliance, whose protest plans may have been the catalyst for the parade's cancellation. Direct Action Alliance is a loose group of leftist activists, which Bureros said includes anarchists, antifascists (or "antifa" members), socialists and a few Bernie-leaning liberals. When Bureros heard that members of the obnoxious Hell Shaking Street Preachers were planning to walk with the Multnomah County GOP in the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade last weekend, he created a Facebook event to "disrupt" their involvement. The parade entry was registered to the Multnomah County Republicans, "but these infiltrators are the same folks from Lake Oswego, Salem, Vancouver, and even Berkeley," Bureros wrote. "The fascists know that we'll keep shutting their marches down, they are now planning to march within other parades to protect their message of hate and white supremacy - it WON'T work. Nazis will not march through Portland unopposed." Not long after he created his Facebook event, someone else not anyone speaking for his organization, Bureros said sent an anonymous email to parade organizers threatening to have people physically removed from the parade route if the GOP entry wasn't revoked. "You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision wisely," the anonymous email read. In response, parade organizers who have not returned request for comment about their decision called off the entire event. Bureros has attended past parades and seen the GOP participate for years without issue. He stressed that his group wasn't protesting the GOP, just the more radical elements that intended to fall into their fold. But he never reached out to Republicans or parade organizers about his concerns. "The part I regret is not writing an email and saying, 'Hey, this organization is planning to march within the Republican Party ranks' and give them links to all these stories about this organization not only being violent, but verbally abusive ... and say 'I don't feel as a community member that these people should be marching in this family-friendly and diverse parade... Is there any way we can work with you in order to avoid this whole situation,'" he said. "I feel like that would have been a better, more proactive thing to do. It's something that I will do in the future if these circumstances ever rise again." Members of the Hell Shaking Street Preachers have online videos showing them yelling in the faces of bystanders about hell. One member, Allen Pucket, wears a distinctive neon yellow hoodie that reads in big bold letters "REPENT WHORE" along the sleeve. Some of those street preachers had signed up on the GOP Facebook event for the parade, but Multnomah County Republican Party Chair Jim Buchal said he'd never heard of their group, and folks yelling their unorthodox message would not have been allowed to represent the party in this parade. "That wouldn't be good for the brand," he said with a laugh. This seems like the obvious answer, right? Of course a group wouldn't be allowed by either parade organizers or the county GOP to scream insults with bullhorns along the parade route. Who in the world wants that? More importantly, why did Bureros assume this would occur? In conversation, Bureros made a clear distinction between members of the Multnomah County GOP and the Bible-beating provocateurs. But his Facebook event declared "their Trump flags, their red MAGA hats and their hate group badges are all intended to normalize support for an orange man who bragged about sexually harassing women and who is waging a war of hate, racism and prejudice against our Muslim, Latinx, Black and Native neighbors." The "their" is never defined, but it doesn't sound like hell-fire street preachers. The statement seems to conflate support of President Donald Trump with harassing minorities and this is how things go off the rails. As politics become more divisive, there's a tendency to describe a political opponent in the most extreme terms. Rather than acknowledging the wide spectrum of political thought, conservatives are labeled fascists. Liberals are labeled anarchists. And if you apply these extreme labels to everyone you disagree with, there is no distinction between your conservative grandma and a Hell Shaking Street Preacher. So why not assume they'd march together? The same thing happens when no distinction is made between May Day vandalism and the hundreds of people who came out peacefully Monday in support of better conditions for the working class. Obviously, this over-simplification is dangerous. It cuts out the possibility for dialogue and pushes people to further extremes. "There's a lot of misperceptions and misinformation on both sides, including on our side, and I think there would be a lot of growth if we could just talk to each other, but it's hard to do that at these confrontational rallies," Bureros admitted. "We need to figure out a way to create this dialogue without having people show up already with their walls up." In this case, even reaching the barest of agreement that neither Direct Action Alliance nor the Multnomah County GOP wanted marchers screaming about hell at parade goers could have been a big step. It could have been the difference that allowed a community celebration to go on. -- Samantha Swindler @editorswindler / 503-294-4031 sswindler@oregonian.com English Swedish Stockholm, May 3, 2017 PRESS RELEASE - NAXS Nordic Access Buyout Fund AB (publ) N.B. The English text is an in-house translation. In the event of any discrepancies between the text in this document and the Swedish document, the latter shall prevail. NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN NAXS AB (publ) The shareholders of NAXS AB (publ) (the Company or NAXS) are hereby invited to the annual general meeting (the Meeting) on Thursday 1 June 2017 at 15.00 p.m. (CEST) at the offices of Advokatfirman Vinge, Smalandsgatan 20, Stockholm, Sweden. RIGHT TO ATTEND THE MEETING Shareholders that wish to attend the Meeting, shall be registered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB by Friday 26 May 2017; and shall have notified the Company of their intention to attend the Meeting and of any representative/proxy/advisor who will represent/accompany the shareholder to the Meeting by Friday 26 May 2017. Notification shall be sent in writing to NAXS AB (publ), Attn: Lennart Svantesson, Grev Turegatan 10, 1st floor, SE-114 46 Stockholm, Sweden or by e-mail (info@naxs.se). Notification shall include the shareholder's name, personal identification number/corporate registration number (or similar), address and daytime telephone number, as well as, if applicable, details of representatives, proxies and advisors. A maximum of two advisors may attend. To facilitate registration at the Meeting, the notification, if applicable, should include a signed power of attorney, registration certificate and other documents proving identity. PROXY Shareholders represented by proxy must submit a dated power of attorney. If the power of attorney is executed by a legal person, a certified copy of the certificate of registration or equivalent must be attached. The power of attorney is valid for a period of one year from its issuance; however the power of attorney may be valid for up to five years from its issuance if explicitly stated. The original power of attorney and certificate of registration should be submitted to the Company by post at the address above in due time prior to the Meeting. A proxy form is available on the Companys website (www.naxs.com) and will be sent to shareholders who request the form. NOMINEE-REGISTERED SHARES To be entitled to participate in the Meeting, shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee must temporarily re-register their shares in their own names in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB. Such registration must be duly effected in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on Friday 26 May 2017, and the shareholders must therefore advise their nominees well in advance of this date. RIGHT TO REQUEST INFORMATION The shareholders are reminded of their right to request information in accordance with Chapter 7 Section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act (Sw. aktiebolagslagen). NUMBER OF SHARES AND VOTES As of the date of this notice there are in total 15,000,000 shares and votes in the Company. The Company holds 933,469 own shares as of the date of this notice. AGENDA Opening of the Meeting Preparation and approval of the voting list Election of the chairman of the Meeting Presentation and approval of the agenda Election of two persons to verify the minutes together with the chairman of the Meeting Determination as to whether the Meeting has been duly convened Presentation by the CEO, submission of the annual accounts and the auditors report, as well as consolidated accounts and auditors report on consolidated accounts Resolution on the adoption of the profit and loss statement and balance sheet, as well as the consolidated profit and loss statement and the consolidated balance sheet; appropriation of the Companys result according to the adopted balance sheet; and discharge of the members of the board and the CEO from liability Determination of the number of members of the board Determination of fees to be paid to the members of the board and auditor Election of members of the board and chairman of the board Election of auditor The nomination committees proposal regarding principles for appointment of a nomination committee for the annual general meeting 2018 The proposal from the board of NAXS for remuneration guidelines for the senior management The proposal from the board of NAXS to authorise the board to acquire the Companys own shares The proposal from the board of NAXS to resolve to reduce the share capital and resolve on a bonus issue Closing of the Meeting Proposals of the nomination committee Items 3, 9-12: Election of chairman of the Meeting, determination of the number of members of the board, determination of the fees to be paid to the members of the board and auditor, election of members of the board and chairman of the board and election of auditor The nomination committee of the Company proposes that the Meeting resolves in accordance with the following; Jesper Schonbeck, member of the Swedish Bar Association, is proposed to chair the Meeting. It is proposed that, for the period until the end of the next annual general meeting, the board shall consist of four (4) members without any deputy members of the board. For the forthcoming period of office, it is proposed that the members of the board shall be paid a total amount of SEK 753,750, of which SEK 258,750 (an increase of 15 % compared to the previous year) shall be paid to the chairman of the board and SEK 165,000 (an increase of 10 % compared to the previous year) shall be paid to each other member of the board elected by the Meeting and who is not employed by the Company. It is proposed that auditor fees shall be paid in accordance with an approved invoice. The registered auditing company Ernst & Young AB is proposed to be re-elected as auditor with Jesper Nilsson as auditor in charge. Tony Gardner-Hillman, Andrew Wignall and John Chapman are proposed for re-election as members of the board and Damhnait Ni Chinneide is proposed for election as member of the board. It is also proposed that John Chapman is re-elected as chairman of the board. Damhnait Ni Chinneide Damhnait graduated with a BA in Finance from National University of Ireland in 1995 and a Masters in Financial Services from University College Dublin in 1996. Upon graduation Damhnait joined JPMorgans graduate program in London where she spent 8 years. As a Vice President in the UK foreign exchange derivatives sales team she focused on advising hedge funds, institutional and corporate clients on risk management solutions. In 2003 Damhnait joined Lee Overlay Partners in Dublin and as Head of Portfolio Management she was involved in business development and in the establishment and development of a currency (UCITS) fund. In 2010 Damhnait joined the global head office of Pioneer Investments in Dublin where as a member of the client reporting and sales team she oversaw a number of change and efficiency programs for the firms Dublin RFP process. Item 13: Proposal regarding principles for appointment of a nomination committee for the annual general meeting 2018 The nomination committee proposes that the annual general meeting shall resolve to adopt the following principles for the appointment of a nomination committee for the annual general meeting 2018. The nomination committee shall have three members. The chairman of the board shall contact the two largest shareholders, with respect to voting power as per the end of the third quarter of the year. These two shareholders are offered to appoint one member each to the nomination committee, in which a member of the board also shall be a member. If any such shareholder chooses not to exercise its right to appoint a member, the right shall pass on to the shareholder who, after the aforementioned shareholder, has the largest shareholding. The chairman of the nomination committee shall be elected by and from the members of the nomination committee. However, a member of the board of the Company may not be chairman of the nomination committee. If a shareholder, who has appointed a member of the nomination committee, sells a not insignificant part of its shareholding during the tenure of the nomination committee and thereby ceases to be a shareholder with rights to appoint a member of the nomination committee, the member appointed by such shareholder should resign from the nomination committee. Such member shall then be replaced by a member appointed by the shareholder who, based on voting power following the sale, is one of the two largest shareholders in the Company. If such shareholder does not exercise its right to appoint a member of the nomination committee, the procedure above shall be applicable. In the event a member no longer represents the shareholder who appointed him or her, or in any other way is dismissed from the nomination committee prior to the completion of the nomination committees work, such shareholder shall be allowed to appoint a new member of the nomination committee. No fees shall be paid to the members of the nomination committee. The nomination committee shall pursue the tasks that, according to the Swedish Code of Corporate Governance, are of the responsibility of a nomination committee. Proposals of the board Item 8b: Appropriation of the Company's results The funds at the Meetings disposal consists of the result of the year, SEK 147,566,233, the share premium reserve, SEK 577,705,947, and the Companys accumulated results, SEK 117,349,505, in total SEK 842,621,685. The board proposes that the funds at the Meetings disposal shall be carried forward and that no dividends are paid out for the financial year 2016. Item 14: Proposal for remuneration guidelines for the senior management The board proposes that the Meeting resolves that the following guidelines shall apply for remuneration to the Company's senior management for the time until the end of the next annual general meeting. Remuneration to the Company's senior management shall be market based and competitive in order to enable the Company to attract and keep competent senior management. Remuneration shall be appropriate in such way as to justify a long-term value creation for the Company. Remuneration may consist of four parts: fixed salary and fees, variable remuneration, which includes share and share price related incentive programs, pensions, as well as other economic benefits. The board decides which structure the remuneration shall consist of in order to efficiently fulfil its purpose. If variable remuneration shall be paid, this remuneration shall be linked to predetermined and measurable criteria, as well as be designed with the purpose to promote the Company's long term value creation. Variable remuneration may amount to a maximum of 50 per cent of the fixed annual salary. Share and share price related incentive programs, if any, shall be designed to align the interest of the owners of the Company and the senior management. The board shall be entitled to deviate from the guidelines above if the board, in certain cases, deems that there are special reasons to motivate such deviation. Item 15: Proposal to authorise the board to acquire the Companys own shares The board proposes that the Meeting resolves to authorise the board to decide on the acquisition of the Companys own shares where, principally, the following shall apply; Acquisition of own shares shall take place on Nasdaq Stockholm. The authorisation may be utilised on one or several occasions, however not longer than until the 2018 annual general meeting. Shares may be acquired to the extent that the Companys holding of its own shares, on any occasion, does not exceed ten (10) per cent of the Companys total shares. Acquisition of shares may only take place at a price within the price interval, on any occasion, recorded on Nasdaq Stockholm, which refers to the interval between the highest buying price and the lowest selling price. The purpose of the proposed authorisation is to provide flexibility in relation to the Companys possibilities to return capital to its shareholders, to improve the capital efficiency in the Company, and to prevent an excessively wide NAV/share price discount in relation to the Companys shares, which altogether is deemed to be susceptible to have a positive impact on the Companys share price and thereby contribute to an increased shareholder value. A resolution in accordance with the boards proposal shall only be valid where supported by not less than two-thirds of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the Meeting. Item 16: Proposal to resolve to reduce the share capital and resolve on a bonus issue The board proposes that the Meeting resolves to reduce the share capital and resolves on a bonus issue in accordance with item (a) - (b) below. The resolutions are contingent of each other and are therefore proposed to be adopted as one resolution. (a) Reduction of the share capital by way of cancellation of own shares The board proposes that the Meeting resolves to reduce the Companys share capital with SEK 46,673.45 for allocation to unrestricted equity. The reduction shall be made by cancellation of acquired own shares that are held by the Company on the day of the notice to the annual general meeting. (b) Bonus issue without the issuance of new shares The board proposes that the Companys share capital shall be increased with SEK 46,673.45 with the amount being transferred from unrestricted equity (according to the balance sheet to be adopted by the Meeting). The bonus issue shall be carried out without the issuance of new shares. A resolution in accordance with the boards proposal shall only be valid where supported by not less than two-thirds of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the Meeting. _________________________ The annual report and the auditor's report, as well as the proposals from the board according to items 14-16 and the auditors and the boards statements according to the Swedish Companies Act will be held available at the Company's office on Grev Turegatan 10, 1st floor, Stockholm, Sweden as from Thursday, 11 May 2017, and will be sent to the shareholders who so request and who inform the Company of their postal address. The documents, together with the nomination committees proposals, will also be held available on the Company's website www.naxs.se. All documents above will also be presented at the Meeting. _________________________ Stockholm, May 2017 The board of NAXS AB (publ) Contact information Lennart Svantesson, CEO Telephone: +46 733-110 011 NAXS AB (publ) discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Swedish Securities Markets Act. This notice was submitted for publication at 08.30 CET on July 3, 2017. This notice and further information is available on the Companys website: www.naxs.se NAXS AB (publ), Reg. No. 556712-2972 Grev Turegatan 10, 114 46 Stockholm Telephone: + 46 (0)8-611 33 25, E-mail: info@naxs.se www.naxs.se NAXS is an investment company listed on the NASDAQ Stockholm exchange and focusing on investments in Nordic private equity funds. The objective is to make the Nordic private equity market accessible for a broader public while offering liquidity through the Company's market-introduced shares. Delta College Board of Trustees has opted to retain its longtime snack vending company by awarding it a contract that is projected to generate about $305,000 for the school over seven years. All Star Services, which for the past decade has enjoyed an exclusive snack and hot beverage pact with Delta, was selected over Flint-based Coley Central Canteen Services. Barb Webb, director of business services, told trustees she saw no reason to go with another vendor. All Star Services has proven to be a successful business partner and the college has been very satisfied with its overall performance, she said. The contract is for five years with an option for two additional one-year deals. Webb said All Star Services offers an impressive array of product mixes, including healthy snack items, competitive prices and multiple payment options for customer convenience. Under terms of the deal, All Star Services pays the college a percentage of snack vending sales and bonuses over the seven-year period in addition to several other value added programs and services. Delta estimates receiving $288,400 in commissions from $755,000 in sales over seven years. It also anticipates receiving an additional $17,000 in bonus and scholarship contributions from the company. Webb said the college approached five vendors for proposals for the contract. Only Coley Central Canteen Services and All Star Services responded. Proposals, she said, were evaluated according to criteria that include commission and related data, product mix, and ability to provide products and services which are responsive to customer demands and organizations track record. A companys sustainability programs and practices is another key consideration, Webb said. The proposals were thoroughly evaluated and both vendors were determined to be qualified to provide vending services for the college, Webb said. Both vendors offer similar product mixes, healthy vending options, payment schedules, selling prices and service levels. All Star Services included several value added programs and services in their response. These included an app-based rewards program, hybrid vending machines that list nutritional information of products and annual participation in Deltas Wellness or Employee Benefit Fair. All Star Services corporate headquarters are in Port Huron, but it has a local facility in Saginaw. For Delta, the company has 23 vending machines located on its main campus and off-campus centers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Heading to Traverse City for your next wine outing? You may want to add a stop in Coleman. In mid-April, Julia and Jerry Coon opened Currant Mist Winery and Tasting Room, 320 E. Railway St., in downtown Coleman, a city of about 1,200. And the uncommon and in some ways forbidden fruit fermented to make the wine offers tastes youd be hard pressed to find in Michigan. The Coons have bottled 10 varieties of wine sourced from black currants, red currants and gooseberries grown on a four-acre spread at Coons Berry Farm, about five miles from the winery. Making the tart berries drinkable was a simple process of trial and error, Jerry said. They made a few batches last summer for themselves, tweaking acidity and sugar and water content. Grapes are the perfect vessel for making wine, he said. You just squish them and add yeast and you can get a decent wine. Currants, not so much. The Black Currant dry wine came out very dry, Jerry said. Its acidic, and carries a musty and earthy flavor. He found that more sugar is needed to balance out the bitter profile. Its just like with our berry farm; we were making mistakes and correcting them, Julia said. It paid off. The wine just turned out so amazing, its not even funny, Jerry said. Currant Mist has seating for up to 96 people. Its open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, hours that the Coons say may change once farmers markets are up and going. The wine list includes dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet offerings. Prices are $5 for five samples, $6 to $7 per glass and $16 to $24 per bottle. The winery also serves a cold plate of gourmet meats, cheeses and crackers and New York style cheesecake topped with the Coons signature syrup. The Coons have a machine that fills bottles, but aside from that, we do everything cork, label, shrink wrap, Jerry said. They can turn out as many as 1,000 bottles a day, but 500 is a more comfortable target. In Michigan, black currants are something of a forbidden fruit growers need a special permit to plant them, because currants and gooseberries can act as a host for white pine blister rust, a fungus fatal to white pine trees. The state allows only certain varieties of black currants shown to be resistant to the fungus. Growers also need permits to grow red currants, white currants and gooseberries in a 47-county white pine blister rust control area; Midland is outside the zone, which includes parts of the western and northwestern Lower Peninsula and all of the Upper Peninsula. In Coleman, the Coons have owned Coons Berry Farm since 2012. They grow three varieties of black currants, four red currants, two of gooseberry varieties and raspberries. They said they dont use pesticides, only fertilizer. (To fend off birds Jerry told of one instance in which robins had quickly snatched and depleted all the berries off of at least half a dozen bushes they use Air Rangers, which are 12-foot inflatable dancing scarecrows.) Billing themselves as the only commercial currant growers in the state, the Coons turn many of their berries into syrup, teas and vinegars. The farm has upward of 4,000 bushes, more than half of which sprout black currants, and the Coons expect to land some 10,000 pounds of berries this season. The currants and gooseberries harvest in July and produce best in climates with periods of three months or so of subfreezing weather, Jerry said. This makes Michigan and upstate New York some of the best places hes seen for growing. Jerry, 52, grew up on a farm in Elsie, about an hour south of Coleman. He remembers his mother having gooseberry bushes. He would go on to work as a lawyer for 24 years. It was a gamble, he said, to retire from law to focus on the farm in Coleman. But, he saw it as a return home. Ditto for Julia, 45. She was born in Russia and lived there until she was 32. On a wall adjacent to the bar in the winery hangs a framed 2015 Detroit Metro Times article, in which she tells the alt-weekly that black currants, red currants and gooseberries are extremely popular in Russia, and that she was surprised when she moved to the U.S. and couldnt find them. I came here as an immigrant adult, she said. Ive always had a green thumb and the farm is really what I enjoy doing. Jerry and Julia met online in 2002. They married in 2004. They had the idea to turn the berries to wine when they first started growing. While at a conference in Traverse City recently, they were told startup costs for a winery and vineyard neared $1.8 million, and that the return on investment wouldnt arrive until the 14th year. But they already had the farm and decided to rent the downtown building, so the investment was very low, Jerry said. When it came time to really start squeezing, Jerry said City of Coleman officials fast-tracked the local approval process. He recalled stopping by the Coleman City Hall on a Tuesday and officials had given the go-ahead the following week. State and federal approval came a bit slower. They had been waiting about two and a half months before calling State Sen. Jim Stamas and U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar to speed things up, but it paid off within 24 hours of consulting them, they had a license. The Coons want to sell black currants and make them a viable commodity, and in doing so, teach others about the rare fruit and help understand flavor profiles. Theyve got a bigger vision to connect their winery with others mainly in the northwest and southeast corners of the state. Coleman is, after all, halfway between Detroit and Traverse City. Jerry said hes talking with tour bus companies to make Currant Mist a stop along the way to Soaring Eagle Casino, and to other cideries and breweries. Theres potential to tie us all together, he said. The interim problem: Coleman is like flyover country, Jerry said. On Thursday afternoon, the Coons stood behind a bar made of wood from a century old barn. The winery was quiet and empty as rows of windows collected sunlight later drowned out by sideways raindrops. Jerry poured samples with dentist-like dexterity, explaining the flavors of each and the yeast and sugar ratios. Julia placed dark chocolate morsels alongside the samples. The gooseberry wine is near perfect, Jerry said, adding he may need to adjust other recipes. The farm has 150 gooseberry bushes and Jerry expects another 250 to blossom. And its all going to be wine, he said. They said theyve had positive feedback so far. We have the buckets on the bar (for tasters who may want to discard a swig) and nobody has used them yet, Julia said, laughing. According to Jerry, Nobody knows what currant wine is supposed to taste like. Theres really no one else doing this in Michigan, he said. All I know is its really good. Some sites, including Warner Vineyards with locations in southwest Michigan, Fenn Valley Vineyards in Fennville, and Zehnders of Frankenmuth, stock red currant wines. But, Julia said not many wineries focus exclusively on fruit wines. I think we have a good niche in the wine market, she said. Thats our advantage were setting the trend. The winery may also host private tasting parties. Call (989) 513-8450, search Currant Mist (@currantmist) on Facebook or go to www.currantmist.com for more info. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Midland-Handa Sister City Committee has selected three Midland students who will travel to Handa, Japan for three weeks this summer for its 2017 student exchange program. Midland High School sophomores Justin Witt and John White and H.H. Dow High School junior Sarah Brandstadt were selected from a competitive field of applicants based on a number of factors, including interest in Japanese culture, academic and extracurricular achievements, demonstration of leadership and personal strengths. The students will stay with host families for three weeks from mid-July to August. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be an ambassador for the Midland community through the Sister City Exchange Program, Witt said. I am looking forward to gaining insight into Japanese culture through the experience of total immersion in daily life in Japan. Added White, I am honored to represent the Midland community and am excited to explore a different culture all the way across the world. After learning of her selection to the program, Sarah Brandstadt said, I cannot wait to represent Midland this summer in the Sister City Exchange while also learning about a new culture. Midland and Handa have been sister cities for 35 years. Local students travel to Handa in the odd-numbered years, while Midland families host students from Handa during even-numbered years. A call for host families for the 2018 student exchange will take place early next year. Financial support for this exchange has been generously provided by Chemical Bank, The Dow Chemical Co., Dow Corning Corp., Ieuter Insurance Group, Stolz-Smith Financial Consulting Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, Three Rivers Corp. and Wolverine Bank. For more information on the program, visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/studentexchange The following personal injury accidents recently were reported to local law enforcement agencies: Saturday, April 29 7:30 a.m. West Saginaw Road near North Trillium Road Driver Jordan Rose Federer, 19, Sanford, was hurt when the vehicle she was driving went off the roadway and struck a guardrail. She refused treatment at the scene, the report states. The crash is being investigated. Thursday, April 27 11:04 a.m. South Smiths Crossing Road and East Kent Road Driver Lindsey Ann Ludlum, 19, Midland, was hurt when two vehicles collided. She was treated at the scene by paramedics. The other driver, Nicole Ann Holt, 34, St. Charles, was not hurt. Ludlum was cited for failing to yield the right of way. 3 May 2017 Espoo, Finland - The Tianfu New Area Chengdu Administrative Committee and Nokia have signed a strategic agreement (MoU) regarding digital city development. Under the agreement, both parties will collaborate on the establishment of the new digital city including the construction of the data center and related telecom infrastructure, the deployment of the trial network for internet of things (IoT), the incubation of IoT applications and devices, big data, and the deployment of an end-to-end optics network in Tianfu New Area. Mr. Luo Qiang, Mayor of Chengdu, attended the ceremony and witnessed the signing. This agreement builds on Nokia's ongoing engagement in smart city projects around the world, and follows the launch in late 2016 of the Smart City Playbook, a strategy report commissioned by Nokia that documents best practices for smart cities. The deal also highlights the progress in Nokia's strategy of expanding its customer base outside of the traditional telecommunications sphere, a key focus for the company. Nokia's commitment to Chengdu stretches back to December 2015, when the company announced plans for a global R&D center there focusing on next-generation telecom networks, IoT, big data and Cloud technologies. Operations at the center have since started, employing hundreds of R&D personnel. Mike Wang, president of Greater China for Nokia, said: "The TianFu New Area development project presents an exciting opportunity to build a smart city - or actually a smart region - from the ground up. The communications network will serve as the brain and nervous system of the smart city, and we welcome the opportunity to apply Nokia's technology and know-how to the challenge of building the digital infrastructure that will support this groundbreaking effort." Yang Linxing, Director of the Tianfu New Area Chengdu Administrative Committee, said: "With Nokia's expertise in smart city development, and its extensive technology and services portfolio around broadband, internet of things (IoT), cloud and big data technologies, we're confident that the digital city initiative will help promote the Tianfu New Area as the new growth center in Chengdu, and improve the whole city's capabilities as a national level center city." Resources: Connect with Nokia: Subscribe to receive information on specific areas of interest Website Blog LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram Periscope YouTube Glassdoor About Nokia We create the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry's most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing. From the enabling infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things, to emerging applications in virtual reality and digital health, we are shaping the future of technology to transform the human experience. nokia.com Media Enquiries: Communications Phone: +358 (0) 10 448 4900 E-mail: press.services@nokia.com BLOOMINGTON The shelves are stocked and finishing touches are being made at Green Top Grocery in Bloomington. Owners who have shares in the co-op grocery store and who lent additional money to the project were invited to a first-look event Tuesday to preview the space at 921 E. Washington St. The 10,000-square-foot store will open Friday starting with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon. Store Manager Michael Pennington said that after a five-year wait, the final stretch before officially opening feels exciting. Its no longer a dream, but a physical building with local suppliers and employees, said Pennington. Everyone in this area will now have access to healthy food and education programs to prepare healthy meals. The stores biggest focus is on local suppliers. Green Top considers local to be anything within 100 miles of Bloomington-Normal. Katie Bishop attended Tuesdays event as a lender and owner of the store. She is also a farmer at PrairiErth Farms in Atlanta, which will provide produce to Green Top. Bishop said PrairiEarth grows vegetables, fruit, small grains and flowers, produces honey and raises cows, chickens and pigs. Were bringing in our first order to the grocery store tomorrow of grains, carrots, potatoes and ground beef, said Bishop. She said her family chose to support the co-op because of its mission to support local producers. We send a large amount of our produce to Chicago because there arent enough local outlets, she said. Unlike any other grocery store in town, you will know the names and faces of the farmers that grow the food sold at Green Top." Brian and Sarah Brennan of Bloomington are lenders and owners of Green Top, which earned them an early glance at the aisles with their 18-month-old son, Thomas. Were excited to support local agriculture at the nicest grocery store in town. Food just tastes better when it hasnt been shipped half way across the world, said Brian Brennan. Visitors tasted samples of deli food and toured the building. The store will feature a large produce department, bulk and packaged food and a dairy and egg section. The bulk dry goods section includes beans, rice, chocolate, nuts, sugar, spices and tea. Shoppers can bring their own containers to package the products or use one from the store. While giving a tour of the wine and beer section, Green Top Marketing Manager Rainie Themer said the wine wall will be the "best natural and organic selection of wine in Bloomington-Normal." A wellness section includes vitamins, hair care, skin care and paper goods. The deli will offer soup, salad, sandwich and bakery items with seating on the second-floor mezzanine that overlooks the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site. Cooking classes and educational programs will be hosted in the stores test kitchen. Shoppers who bring a reusable bag to the store can choose a charity for Green Top to donate to in their name. Anyone can shop at the store, but owners should give their name or owner number at the register for applicable discounts. BLOOMINGTON A Bloomington man deemed insane when he killed his 14-month-old daughter in 2009 may be released from a state mental hospital to a halfway house this summer, his lawyer told a judge Wednesday. Thomas Meece, 53, is doing "stunningly well" at the state facility in Elgin, according to defense lawyer Hal Jennings. He spoke at a hearing on Meece's request for conditional release. Meece was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the beating death of Erika Meece at her Bloomington home. By law, Meece can be held in a treatment program for the term of his sentence on the murder charge, 100 years, or until doctors determine that he has sufficiently recovered from his mental illness. Jennings told Judge Robert Freitag that staff at the mental hospital "have talked to me and Jeff about putting him in a halfway house in July." The move that would require a court order will be discussed at a July 25 hearing. Dressed in a gray suit and tie, Meece was escorted to court for the brief hearing by staff from the Department of Human Services. He smiled and waved to two people in the courtroom before leaving for the return trip to Elgin. Assistant State's Attorney Jacob Harlow said he had no objection to continuing the hearing on Meece's petition "to see what DHS says between now and then." After a hearing in March, State's Attorney Jason Chambers expressed concerns about Meece's release "especially a mere handful of years after the murder occurred." Jennings said Wednesday that Meece would be required to follow a treatment plan after his placement in the halfway house, including monthly injections of psychotropic medications. The decision to allow Meece to be released from the halfway house would be based on DHS evaluations and recommendations. According to DHS, the average length of stay in a state hospital is about four years for those deemed insane when a crime is committed. Several recent McLean County cases have been resolved with findings of not guilty by reason of insanity, including the double homicide case against Brian Petersen. The 26-year-old was deemed insane when he fatally stabbed his parents in July. Jason Hopkins, 36, is receiving mental health treatment after he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the attempted murder of two men he stabbed during an August 2015 incident in downtown Bloomington. Hopkins' mother, Anita Jumper, also was transferred to a mental health facility after a doctor deemed her insane when she set fire to her apartment in February 2015. BLOOMINGTON Bloomington-based Midwest Food Bank is providing assistance to Texas and Arkansas residents affected by tornadoes and flooding. On Wednesday, a semitrailer load of 768 relief boxes will leave the food bank's Bloomington distribution center for Fort Smith, Ark., where storms have caused severe flooding. On Monday, a semitrailer load left the food bank's Peoria distribution center for Canton, Texas, where tornadoes killed four people and sent dozens of others to hospitals. Each disaster relief box contains shelf-stable food and supplies to provide for a family of four for five days. Hygiene kits containing soap, shampoo and toothpaste will be included in the load being dispatched from Bloomington. Midwest Food Bank delivers the boxes to disaster sites where they are distributed to people in need by The Salvation Army. Volunteers pack and load the boxes and drive the trucks to disaster sites. "We are blessed to be able to help our neighbors in dire circumstances," said Mike Hoffman, food bank director of operations. "We stand ready to continue to help as The Salvation Army needs." Donations may be sent to Midwest Food Bank, 2031 Warehouse Road, Normal, IL, 61761, or at bloomington.midwestfoodbank.org and click "Donate." BLOOMINGTON A Tennessee man remained in critical condition in a Peoria hospital Wednesday after being airlifted Tuesday from the scene of one of three separate crashes on Interstate 55/74. Richard Tant, 26, of Ooltewah was a passenger in a southbound semitrailer truck in a crash about 3 p.m. Tuesday at mile marker 161, about a mile north of the Market Street exit. The truck appeared to slam into the trailer of another southbound semi in the center lane. Emergency workers were forced to cut Tant from the crushed cab. He was airlifted to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. The driver of that truck, Jevon Armour, 40, of Jackson, Tenn., was ticketed on a charge of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. He and the driver of the truck struck by Armour's truck, Marquis Dawson, 41, of St. Louis, were treated at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal, and released, according to the Illinois State Police. This was the third of three accidents within about half an hour on the interstate. In the first crash, emergency crews were called at 2:45 p.m. for a single semi that struck a guardrail on I-55 at mile marker 168 on the northeast edge of Normal. Emergency crews cleared that scene within minutes of the apparently minor accident, which had no injuries. The second crash occurred 2 miles south of the Market Street exit when another semi struck a concrete median in the northbound lanes about 3 p.m. The crash scattered a large amount of metal debris across the center median, but there were no injuries. It was unclear whether traffic that backed up from that accident caused the third accident. The crashes backed up traffic on the interstate for several hours and a stretch of southbound I-55/74 north of Market was closed until about 10:30 p.m. First responders from the Illinois State Police, McLean County Sheriff's Department, the Bloomington and Normal police and fire departments and the Dale Township Fire Department handled the scenes. Passengers of an Aeroflot plane headed to Thailand from Moscow suffered serious injuries on their flight Monday. Some 27 people, including three babies, incurred broken bones and head injuries due to extreme turbulence, which they said came "out of nowhere." The plane was 40 minutes into landing when the turbulence occurred. The majority of the passengers didn't have their seatbelts fastened yet as the seatbelt sign was off. People were thrown off their seats hitting their heads and bodies everywhere when the plane shook. Moms lost grip of their babies because of the turbulence's force, Daily Mail reported. Blood spilled on the plane as well, according to witnesses. Some of the passengers received treatment at a hospital for fractures and bruises once they got off the plane. Some also required surgery. A Russian embassy spokesman said 15 people remained hospitalized as of press time, as per CNN. Passenger Margarita Vladimir, who suffered scratches and bruises, told the news outlet they were taken to the hospital because her child had head injuries. Fortunately, the doctors gave Vladimir's family an all clear. One passenger recorded what went on with his phone camera and posted the video on his Instagram. Aeroflot, however, issued a statement citing none of the injured passenger getting treatment were in grave danger, as posted on its official site. The company also belied reports regarding passengers with spinal injuries. Experts said the plane likely passed an "air hole," resulting in the turbulence. Experts characterized an air hole as a small area where the air is at low pressure, thus the aircraft could have a harder time navigating through it. Turbulence normally occurs when flying. For the passenger's safety, however, airlines require the use of a seatbelt. Airlines also allow infants to sit on their parents' lap but the Federal Aviation Administration recommends properly securing babies in infant car seats similar to the ones parents use on their cars, as per Mayo Clinic. PALO ALTO, Calif., May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paysa, the only platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver personalized career and hiring recommendations plus real-world salary insights, today announced a new study that highlights the overall best and worst value cities across the U.S. for tech and engineering talent. The study measured the average salary against the cost of living, finding that certain regions and cities like the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Boston, Denver and New York topped the list of tech hubs when it came to highest average salary for tech employees. Salaries in these and other markets, while high, didnt necessarily offer the best value for balancing earnings and the cost of living. Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Atlanta and Raleigh are in the lead for lowest cost of living while four out of the 10 worst value cites are in California, according to the Paysa research. We werent surprised to see that where the average tech salary is highest, the cost of living also tends on the high side, said Chris Bolte, CEO of Paysa. What jumped out at us, however, is that even though you can earn more in the San Francisco Bay Area than other places, with such a high cost-of-living, its extremely difficult to get by on a 6+ figure salary. So, it makes sense that companies and employees are looking beyond Silicon Valley and taking advantage of new campuses in different cities across the U.S. According to the Paysa study, the top 10 tech hubs with the highest earning potential highest followed by average salary are as follows: San Francisco Bay Area ($144,390) Seattle, WA ($139,299) Boston, MA ($116,039) Denver, CO ($111,551) New York, NY ($105,925) Atlanta, GA ($105,091) Austin, TX ($103,049) Los Angeles, CA ($100,108) Miami, FL ($99,029) Philadelphia, PA ($96,294) Conversely, few of the top 10 highest paying cities are also the top 10 cities for lowest cost of living. According to research from Paysa, MIT and Zillow, the cities on this list, and their corresponding average cost of living are: Pittsburgh, PA ($41,757) Indianapolis, IN ($41,966) Charlotte, NC ($43,437) Atlanta, GA ($43,520) Raleigh, NC ($43,964) Columbus, OH ($45,359) Tampa, FL ($47,197) Philadelphia, PA ($47,828) Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($47,908) Madison, WI ($48,891) The top 10 cities with the best overall value offering the highest earning potential and lowest cost of living overall (with the cost of living as an average of salary) include: Seattle, WA (41%) Atlanta, GA (41%) Austin, TX (48%) Denver, CO (50%) Philadelphia, PA (50%) Charlotte, NC (50%) Raleigh, NC (50%) Boston, MA (52%) Miami, FL (54%) Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (55%) By comparison, the San Francisco Bay Area is ranked #20 for overall value. Not only is salary high in San Francisco, at $144,390, but the cost of living is high; its at nearly $90,000 a year, according to the Paysa study. Besides being a major tech hub, San Francisco has always been an expensive place to call home. According to numbeo.com, the average monthly rent for a 3-bedroom apartment in San Franciscos city center is $6,569.70. And the Paysas research shows that more than half of an employees yearly salary 61.1 percent, is spent on cost of living expenses in San Francisco. Paysas look at the cost of living as a percentage of an average tech salary shows that San Francisco with an average tech salary of $144,390 leaves a tech employee with only 38.9 percent of their earnings or $56,168 annually for other expenses. On the other hand, Seattle which was listed as a city with the second highest average salary for tech jobs offers an average yearly compensation of $139,299, leaving about 58.7 percent or approximately $81,770 annually for other expenses. Some of the Best Cities for Tech Jobs Are Far from Silicon Valley Seattle has five major companies that make up most of its 51,322 tech jobs. Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Oracle, and T-Mobile hired for tech positions in 2016 and accounted for nearly 52 percent of all the open tech jobs in Seattle. In Seattle which was ranked number one as the best-value city knowledge of Distributed Systems is 4.56 times more in demand than the national average. In this same city, knowledge related to Data Structures are in demand 3.82 times more than the national average, and Cloud Computing skills are in demand 3.59 times more. In Boston, the top five tech businesses were Amazon, Solidus, UnitedHealth Group, Akamai Technologies, and Pfizer, but these companies only made up nearly 9 percent of the 40,774 tech jobs available in the city. The study also found a job in the biotechnology field to be 5.29 times more in demand in Boston than that of the national average. Finally, while Miami is a best value city because only 54 percent of an employees salary is dedicated to cost of living 2016 data shows that there were only 6,051 tech jobs available. Furthermore, the top five companies, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Citrix, Magic Leap, Clark Construction, and Modernizing Medicine made up more than 25 percent, or one-fourth, of all the available jobs. Four out of the top 10 cities considered to be the worst value when it comes to the cost of living as a percentage of salary are in California. The full list of cities with the worst value and the percentage of salary spent on living expenses are as follows: San Diego, CA (75%) Cincinnati, OH (72%) Los Angeles, CA (67%) Madison, WI (66%) Portland, OR (64%) Chicago, IL (64%) Riverside, CA (62%) Houston, TX (62%) Washington, DC (62%) San Francisco Bay Area (61%) It can make a world of difference to look at what you are worth in a certain market based on your skills, education and experience and what your cost of living and the lifestyle that comes with it actually is, added Bolte. Unfortunately, finding that sweet spot is next to impossible without access to the right information which is where we at Paysa come in, to help the employee do right by themselves and their family, with this and other data insights. For the studys complete set of findings, including an infographic, visit Paysas blog. About Paysa Paysa offers personalized career and hiring recommendations plus real-world salary insights for maximizing opportunity, earning potential and value at all stages of an individuals career. Using proprietary artificial intelligence technology and machine learning algorithms, Paysa analyzes millions of data points including jobs, resumes and compensation information, providing professionals with actionable tools, insights, and research. They can then see and understand their individual worth in the market today, and how to increase their value. Paysa also empowers enterprises with the knowledge they need to be competitive in todays fierce tech hiring market. Employers can learn which skills, real-world company experience and educational background offers the greatest predictor of a candidates or employees future success at their organization. For the last two quarters (one and two) it's been clear that China's top smartphone vendors have consistantly beaten Apple by changing the trends and rules of the smartphone sector well ahead of Apple. These are the two strongest iPhone quarters for Apple in most major markets but in China, Oppo, Huawei and Vivo have outsmarted Apple by introducing high quality smartphones with 5.5" displays, excellent specifications at prices that are significantly lower than any iPhone. While the iPhone continues to have a great enthusiastic base in China, Apple has failed to keep their second tier iPhone in sync with this key market. The iPhone SE is a failure in providing Apple with a modest smartphone to meet the needs of those citizens entering the market. The iPhone SE is far behind what most consumers in that market want and that's a large display. A four inch display is a joke in the Chinese market. Last month Patently Apple posted a report titled "Xiaomi's new Mi 6 with Killer Features for $360 Puts Pressure on Apple to reinvent their iPhone SE." In reality, any of the Chinese vendors and even rivals Samsung and Nokia are onboard this new trend that makes the iPhone SE uncompetitive at present. In an article about the iPhone's competitiveness in India, Indiaexpress.com noted that "A made for India product like what the Chinese smartphone makers have been offering is unlikely." Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller told the Indian news site that "What we try to do and has worked well for Apple is to create products for the entire world that has benefits of that engineering focus and that scale, while also making sure they excel at the needs of the local market." It's the latter part of Schiller's statement that doesn't ring true at the moment. Apple missed the initial shift to Phablets and Schiller actually mocked the phablet in a keynote in 2012. It was embarrassing to see Schiller thinking that he and Apple had outsmarted Samsung because they understood the power of the thumb. Ouch. In describing Apple's new iPhone iPhone 5, Phil Schiller stated that "It is really easy to make a new product that's bigger. Everyone does that. The challenge is to make it better and smaller. Schiller went on to make an obvious point that Samsung forgot: "What is the design center for a Phone? It's this: it's your hand. A phone should feel great in your hand and more importantly it should be easy to use with a magical device we all carry called the horizontally opposed thumb. It does most of the hard work for us. So when you carry your phone it should feel beautiful in your hand." Apple simply missed the Phablet trend that Samsung set and certainly didn't take it seriously when honestly looking back at Schiller's commentary at the time. Fast forwarding to yesterday's financial conference's Q&A segment, Apple's CEO was asked a couple of questions about the iPhone's performance in China and Tim Cook skated all around the fact that they're not reacting to the Chinese smartphone vendors accordingly. It's as if they didn't exist. The excuses about the iPhone's performance in China were painful to hear. Cook blamed it in part on a currency issue. Then it was how Hong Kong was down because tourism was down and then latter, blamed it on iPhone rumors for making people hold back on sales. Huh? Every year there are rumors about the next iPhone being "the best ever" and Cook never used that excuse before. The clear reality has been Oppo, Vivo, Huawei and now others simply beating Apple in delivering specs at price points that Chinese consumers want. It's certainly not about tourism being down. It's certainly not about rumors. iPhone sales weren't down all over the world. So are we to believe that the Chinese are the only ones holding back to purchase an iPhone 8? Give me a break. Apple had an excellent quarter and met their own guidance handily and excelled on many fronts this quarter as detailed by Tim Cook. Even their iPhone sales weren't bad, just a little shy of expectations and it's not because of any other market than China where they're currently being outsmarted. Yet iPhone sales being down as they were even with the addition of the iPhone RED this quarter, shows us that the problem may be a little deeper than Apple wants to admit. Apple's CEO said yesterday afternoon that sales of the iPhone RED received "a wonderful customer response to this eye-popping new iPhone." So imagine how much lower iPhone sales could have been this quarter without their new iPhone RED. And that's the point. The iPhone RED was timed to provide Apple with a boost for the quarter and to comfortably put them over expectations and it failed to meet that objective. Is the problem fixable? Ha! of course and Apple will have an incredible Q4 with the new iPhone 8 that will quickly bury and doubts about their ability to deliver competitive products. But that still doesn't erase the fact that the iPhone SE needs a heart transplant. Apple needs a competitive entry level iPhone in tougher markets. I'm not even sure that an employee making iPhones in China could afford one with a month's salary at $450. They have to get the iPhone SE's display to a minimum of 5" if it's to be the least competitive with their competition in China. With their Chinese competitors moving to 5.8" and 6.2" later this year at prices cheaper than the iPhone SE, even a mild bump to a 4.7" display will look like a joke in those markets. Unfortunately, 4.7" is probably what's on Apple's road map for their SE model and the competition will continue to drag Apple's overall positioning down. For Apple fans, they can always console themselves that Apple wins all of the profits in the industry and end it there. But it's an argument that will continue to erode if Wall Street is convinced that iPhones sales are in permanent decline in China three quarters of the year or more. 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. Iranian Filmmaker Keyvan Karimi Released From Prison Early 05/01/17 Source: RFE/RL An Iranian filmmaker has been released from prison early after serving around five months based on his conviction on charges of "insulting sanctities" and "spreading propaganda." Keywan Karimi, a 31-year-old Iranian Kurd, was released on April 19, the global rights watchdog Amnesty International said in a statement late last week. Iranian filmmaker Keyvan Karimi (file photo) Karimi told The Associated Press on April 30 that he did not receive any of the 223 lashes stipulated in his sentence, which originally ordered him imprisoned for six years but was later reduced to one year. "I want to continue filmmaking, but I don't know how and in which country," Karimi said. Karimi was convicted in October 2015 based on what he said was an unspecified "video clip" and a documentary he directed about political graffiti in Tehran, titled Writing On The City. Writing on the City film poster He began serving his sentence in November, Amnesty International said. Following his conviction, more than 135 Iranian film directors wrote a letter urging the country's judiciary to acquit him. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP Tehran Book Fair opens with message from Italian president 05/03/17 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - The 30th Tehran International Book Fair opened on Tuesday with a message from Sergio Mattarella, the president of Italy as the event's guest of honor. The message was read by the undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism, Antimo Cesaro, during the opening ceremony of the fair at the Shahr-e Aftab Fairground. In his message, Mattarella said that he feels honored that his country is the special guest of the cultural event. A group of 32 Italian cultural figures and writers are attending the Tehran International Book Fair, which is Iran's most important event in the publishing industry. Cesaro also conveyed a message from Italian minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini. He said that choice of Italy as the special guest of the Tehran book fair will be a turning point in the history of cultural cooperation between the two countries. Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi-Amiri were also among the multitude of Iranian officials who were in attendance at the opening ceremony. Larijani and Salehi-Amiri also delivered speeches as well as unveiled a postage stamp to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the book fair. In his speech, Larijani said that Tehran book fair has been held in the country for the past years under any circumstances and this indicates the interest of Iranians in critical thinking. He also expressed his thanks to the Italian officials over their active participation in the event and said, "This cultural event shows Iranian interest in learning, and paying due attention to wisdom is highly recommended in Islamic thought." Salehi-Amiri said that the culture ministry is planning to entrust the task of organizing the Tehran International Book Fair to the publishers in the future. "We can imagine handing out the key of the fair to the publishers in the near future so that in the next edition of the fair, the officials would be the guests and the publishers the host of the fair," he added. "To achieve such a goal we need to look to the future. We should find out how our libraries, our publications and the technology are run and we intend for the non-governmental organizations active in producing, distributing and selling books to take the helm of the exhibit," he remarked. "The increasing number of book publications indicates the growing change in Iran's publication industry. The fair needs to change into a venue to offer new innovations and pave the way for more participation by Iranian publishers in the international arena," he remarked. Honoring the best publishers of the year was part of the opening ceremony. In the private publications category, Mizan Publications was honored as the best publisher for adults, Qadyani Publications was honored as the best for children, and Darolhadith Publications was honored as the best in the city of Qom. In the non-private publications category, the best adult's publisher was Sure-Mehr Publications, and the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) was honored as the best children's publisher, and the two Jamal and Boraq publications shared the best award. Commercial banks in Ghana would have to increase their minimum capital for operation to at least 200 million cedis. This follows the revision of the minimum capital requirement by the Bank of Ghana. The new figure will represent close to a hundred percent increase in the current minimum capital requirement of 120 million cedis. Some financial analysts have cited the development as partly contributing to the increased number of banks despite the countrys relative small population. They however believe that the revision should result in mergers and allow the banks undertake huge capital intensive deals. The Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Henry Oroh explained to Citi Business News the central banks projected 260 million cedis should also deepen the financial sector. The regulator has put forward about 260 million cedis. I think the minimum capital resetting was done deliberately by the government and the central bank to create bigger banks in the economy. We have a lot of banks that have very little capital and when your capital is very little, there is very little that you can do and when there are shocks, youll have some problems, Mr. Oroh told Citi Business News. Meanwhile the Managing Director of CAL Bank, Frank Adu Junior in a recent interview projected a minimum capital requirement of at least 200 million cedis to equip banks with the capacity to meet huge financial commitments. We need the strength and financial muscle to do the business of this countryif Goldfields, Golden Star, etc can raise about 1.3 billion to invest in a gold mine, dont you think we could have private sector banks and companies taking up contracts to build harbours and runways? Why shouldnt we encourage the private sector to undertake these and take the burden off the government? he further queried. Banks submit documents for assessment The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, last week told the Head of Business Desk at Citi FM, Vivian Kai Lokko in Washington that banks have submitted their reports for assessment. According to him, the reports should help in determining the minimum capital requirement for the banks. The Bank of Ghana has written to them to submit recapitalization plans. We are waiting to look at those recapitalization plans. It has to be credible. We are hoping that in the next few weeks on the basis of their report that they submit, some decisions would have to be taken, he hinted. Banking Consultant urges economic capital requirement In light of discussions in reviewing the minimum capital requirement of banks, Banking Consultant, Nana Otuo Acheampong has impressed on the Bank of Ghana to consider an economic capital requirement for universal commercial banks in Ghana rather than the regulatory minimum capital requirement. The economic capital requirement, according to Nana Otuo Acheampong, will allow the banks the choice to either remain a small bank or grow to become a bigger bank which allows them opportunity to participate in multimillion dollar transactions. Source: citibusinessnews.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Institute for Energy Security (IES) in its review of prices of fuel in the second pricing-window for the month of April has recorded some form of stability at the pump in reference to Gasoline (petrol) and Gasoil (Diesel). According to the Principal Research Analyst, Petroleum Unit at the IES, Richmond Rockson, the stabilization in prices was as a result of stiff competition for market share among the various Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs); thus Gasoline and Gasoil are sold at Ghc 3.99 per litre and Ghc 3.95 per litre respectively on average terms. In a press release copied to Peacefmonline.com, Richmond Rockson averred that IESs Market-Scan indicates that Lucky Oil, Frimps Oil, Puma Oil, Radiance Oil and Goil are the top 50 OMCs selling the cheapest Gasoline and Gasoil on the fuel market. Below Is Full Report Of IES Review Of April 2017 Second Pricing-Window: REVIEW OF APRIL 2017 SECOND PRICING-WINDOW Local Fuel Market Performance Prices of fuel in the second Pricing-window for the month of April 2017 recorded some form of stability at the pump in reference to Gasoline (Petrol) and Gasoil (Diesel). The stabilization in prices was as a result of stiff competition for market share among the various Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Gasoline and Gasoil sold at Ghs 3.99 per litre and Ghs3.95 per litre respectively on average terms. The Institute for Energy Securitys Market-scan indicates that Lucky Oil, Frimps Oil, Puma Oil, Radiance Oil, and Goil are the top 5OMCs selling the cheapest Gasoline and Gasoil on the fuel market. World Oil Market Prices Indices Price of Brent crude found little to inspire an upward momentum, even as U.S. output capacity continued to rise to a 2-year high.Pricedropped from an opening of $54.17 per barrel to $52.97 per barrel within the Pricing-window, a percentage change of 2.27%. The Platts benchmark prices within the same period for Gasoline dropped by 0.59%from $557.92 to $554.61 per metric tonne, while Gasoil increased by 1.03% from an opening of $465.38 per metric tonne to $470.17 per metric tonne. Local Forex and Fuel Stock The Ghana Cedi performed relatively well against the U.S. Dollar, opening at Ghs 4.22 against the U.S. Dollar, closing at Ghs 4.18 for the period under review according to data compiled from the banking industry. The stock of Gasoline has gone up from 102million litres to 126million litres whilst Gasoil dropped from 230million litres to 217million litres. This combined stock of 343million litres is capable of meeting national demand for about 5 weeks. PROJECTIONS FOR MAY 2017 FIRST PRICING-WINDOW With the Ghanaian Cedi appreciating slightly against the U.S. Dollar, fuel stock levels remaining stable, Brent crude price falling slightly, as well as stability in Platt prices of finished products; the Institute for Energy Security (IES) foresees fuel prices on the local market remaining fairly stable. It is also possible to see prices at the pump dipping slightly if the prevailing competition amongst the Oil Marketing Companies continues. Signed: Richmond Rockson Principal Research Analyst, Petroleum Unit - IES Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video FORM 8.3 PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code") 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Full name of discloser: OZ Management LP and Och-Ziff Management Europe Ltd (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Standard Life plc (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 02 May 2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" NO If YES, specify which: 2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security. (a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any) Class of relevant security: 12 2/9p ordinary (ISIN: GB00BVFD7Q58) Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: (2) Cash-settled derivatives: 26,387,398 1.333 (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: TOTAL: 26,387,398 1.333 All interests and all short positions should be disclosed. Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions). (b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options) Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: 3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit 12 2/9p ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 1,418,243 GBP 3.74 (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) 4. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none" (c) Attachments Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO Date of disclosure: 03 May 2017 Contact name: Janine Frederick Telephone number: 020 7758 4420 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk. Man Capital Partners on Thursday the 26th of April, 2017 officially opened its Ho Branch amidst pomp and pageantry. In 2014, Man Capital Partners, a vibrant and innovation-driven asset management company was created with the cardinal objective of preserving and growing the assets of its valued clients. Within its short but eventful and exciting period, the company has grown in leaps and bounds and it is among the industry leaders in terms of providing flawless investment services to its cherished clients. The Paramount Chief of Agomeda Traditional Area in the Eastern Region, Nene Nsgai Kassa III, the Chiefs and people of Asogli State including national security personnel, teachers, business executives and leaders of various financials graced the occasion. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Mr. Michael Allan Asare in his speech noted that Man Capital success stems from the companys ability to bring together a credible and high-calibre management team and the introduction of a culture of excellence founded on professionalism and integrity. He also noted that the opening of Ho branch clearly demonstrates Man Capitals continuing commitment as a partner in the economic and financial development of all corners of Ghana. The Paramount Chief of Agomeda Traditional Area in the Eastern Region, Nene Nsgai Kassa III, who chaired the function, advised the company against compromising on internal controls, especially on Know Your Customer (KYC) policy, and said it was a continuous process which they should perform to better know and understand the nature and business of their clients. The CEO further noted that Man Capital Partners takes keen interest in community affairs and that good governance has rightly taken on added importance in the company. Mr. Asare said this during the commissioning of a 26,000.00 borehole constructed for the people of Abutia in Ho West. The Guest of Hounour, Dr. Archibald Yaw Letse in his speech commended Man Capital for opening the Ho Branch and also tasked the company to ensure the safety of investors funds. He also assured the business community of the governments preparedness to create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive in the Volta region. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A young Chinese man has been spotted in Ghana's capital driving a taxi. Even though this appears to be an isolated sighting, some Ghanaians who have seen the picture of the Chinese taxi driver have surmised that the Asians are now venturing into other businesses after Ghanaian authorities cracked down on their main and lucrative livelihood illegal small-scale mining (galamsey). The new government of President Nana Akufo-Addo launched an onslaught on the Chinese galamseyers and their local accomplices right after assuming office in January this year. The anti-galamsey war, led by Lands and Natural Resources Minister John Peter Amewu, has seen the Chinese withdraw from their galamsey sites. Over 500 excavators and earthmoving equipment were voluntarily withdrawn after the minister's 21-day ultimatum expired. Some Chinese galamseyers were also arrested during the crackdown. Now that the Ghanaian government has put an end, it appears, to galamsey, the now-unemployed Chinese must definitely find other means to survive through another 'galamsey', which could take any shape or form. This may not be restricted to taxi driving. The Chinese could soon invade other businesses even menial ones reserved for locals which could create another turf war. So the Chinese may have stopped galamsey for now but water eventually finds its level. Will taxi driving be the new 'galamsey' for the Chinese? Will they be selling 'pure water', prostitution, fishing, going into the 'chop bar' business, 'shoe shining' or ...? Source: Classfmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has joined the Gambia Press Union to mark this years World Press Freedom Day (WPFD 2017). The global event to mark the day is being observed in Jakarta, Indonesia, under the theme "Critical Minds for Critical Times: Medias role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies". The MFWA believes the theme for this years celebration is significant for journalists who have worked tirelessly and have contributed immensely towards ensuring that peace and justice prevail in their societies. The day is particularly significant for journalists and the media community in Gambia who for the first time in 22 years will be observing press freedom day after years of repression and human right abuses under the brutal regime of Yahya Jammeh. The Jammeh regime saw many journalists arrested, imprisoned, tortured, disappearing and killed. Reflecting on the theme and its importance in the context of Gambia, the Executive Director of the MFWA, Sulemana Braimah said the Gambia is currently in critical times and the country requires critical minds of journalists who must play a critical role in the country's quest to build a peaceful, just and inclusive society in the post Jammeh period". As part of the activities to mark the day, our Executive Director and the Programme Manager for Freedom of Expression, Dora B. Mawutor will be joining a procession by the GPU through the principal streets of the Gambian capital, Banjul. The procession will end with the presentation of a position paper to the Minister for Information and Communications Infrastructure, Hon. Demba Ali Jawo. The MFWA team will also be part of a symposium at the University of The Gambia. While we are in Gambia celebrating WPFD2017, the MFWA takes the opportunity to salute journalists and the media community across West Africa who are driving change and advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/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. Featured Video An associate pastor of the Blessing Gate Chapel International in Sunyani, Pastor Boniface Boadi, has condemned the use of bible applications among contemporary Christians. According to him, the reason many so called Christians opted for software bibles was because they were into sin and worldliness, making them afraid to use the physical bible which contained the Spirit and Power of God. At a Good Friday service, Pastor Boadi noted that the use of the software copies of the bible only distracted attention during service. The original Bible is the recommendable Bible for every believer as it stands for the cross, and contains the power and anointing of Jesus Christ. Pastor Boadi noted that the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary brought redemption to humanity, and therefore called on Christians to reflect and examine their lives. Any church which does not believe in the death of Jesus Christ is not founded on good biblical doctrines, he said and advised Christians to walk and abide by biblical principles and be guided by the spirit of altruism as well. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A group of 53 people has been charged in northern Nigerias Kaduna state with conspiring to celebrate a gay wedding at a motel, the local Premium Times newspaper reports. The group pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, unlawful assembly and belonging to an unlawful society during a court appearance in Chediya-Zaria. Defence lawyer Yunusa Umar said most of the accused were students and had been illegally detained for more than 24 hours, the newspaper reported. The magistrate released them on bail and the case was remanded to 8 May. Homosexual acts are illegal in socially conservative Nigeria. Prosecutor Mannir Nasir was quoted as saying that the 53 were arrested on 15 April: Information reached the police that these group of persons conspired to celebrate a gay marriage at Zaria Motel. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Two staff of the Kumasi South District Hospital, who were attending the funeral of the late former Akwatia New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Kofi Asare, have lost their lives in a motor accident. The two died on the spot in an accident that occurred at Akyem Anyinase in the Akyemansa District of the Eastern Region Saturday morning. They were identified as Patience Fleischer a doctor and Philomena Adomah Kwayie, a nurse. One Dr. Kwame Boadu and the driver of the hospitals car, as well as another believed to be the medical director, sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for treatment. Dr Fleischer was said to be an eye specialist at the hospital. Daily Guide gathered that the accident, which occurred at about 8:00 am, was caused by a commercial Kia bus with registration number GT 4921-15, which was coming from Kumasi to Oda. It reportedly had a brake failure and rammed the Toyota Fortuner with registration number GT 6284-15 belonging to the Kumasi South Hospital. The driver of the Kia is in the grips of the Oda police to assist in investigation. The mortal remains of Dr Asare, former dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the Presbyterian University College, Agogo Campus, who died in a motor accident on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, were interred over the weekend at Akwatia. In another development, four persons are in coma while about 13 others are seriously injured in an accident which occurred Saturday morning near Nsawam on the Accra-Kumasi highway. The victims were rushed to the Nsawam Government Hospital for treatment. The accident involved a Benz Sprinter passenger bus that was heading to Accra from the Kumasi direction. According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the Sprinter attempted to regain control of the vehicle after a tyre had burst. The vehicle, as gathered, somersaulted several times before landing in a nearby bush. Residents went to the rescue of the victims, who were mostly women and children. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video While struggling to parry accusations of aiding Nana Akufo-Addo to unseat President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress in the 2016 elections, former President Jerry John Rawlings; his wife, Nana Konadu and former Attorney General, Martin A. B. K. Amidu, are busily lacing their boots to take over control of the biggest opposition party. The NDC founder and his co-schemers, The aL-hAJJ is reliably informed, have fashioned an elaborate strategy to snatch the leadership and control of the party with the aim of blocking former President Mahama from leading the party again. Sources at the Ridge and Adjiriganor residences of the former military strongman-turned-politician narrated to this paper how Mr Rawlings, his wife and Mr Amidu and other like-minds have been meeting to roll out their plans. According to a source, the former first president, who is also NDC Founder, and his ilk have firmed up their plots and are only awaiting the Prof Kwesi Botchwey committee to submit its findings and recommendations to the National Executive Committee before they strike. Top on their agenda, the source revealed, is to launch image smearing campaign and scathing attacks on immediate-past president, Mr John Mahama as soon as the committee submits its report in order to convince members of the party not give him another opportunity to lead the party. I can tell you that the old man (Mr Rawlings), madam (Mrs Rawlings), Martin and others have been meeting and they have agreed that soon after Kwesi and his people submit their report, old man will start touring the regions to talk to our supporters, the source who was at one of the meetings told The aL-hAJJ. It would be recall that former President Rawlings told supporters of the NDC at partys 2016 campaign launch at Cape Coast in the Central Region that he will come round after the election to share with them (supporters), the ills of the party. The task ahead of you wont be an easy task. I will reserve what I have to say till after the elections when I will come round the country to share with you how I think we could restore the kind of strength that can take us well into the future. There are certain weaknesses that we need to deal with, Mr Rawlings noted. Mr Rawlings and his sect, another source noted, saw the partys defeat at the polls as golden opportunity to take over control of the NDC. So the first strategy is to plot the defeat of all current executives who are not in their good books and plant their favorites there. When they get their preferred candidates to occupy the leadership positions by which time their assigns would have succeeded in denting the image of Mahama, it would be easy to determine who leads the party into the 2020 elections, the source added. The aL-hAJJ is reliably informed that the Rawlingses have penciled three heavyweights of the NDC among which two of them will eventually be selected as preferred flag bearer and running mate ahead of the partys congress to elect candidate for the 2020 elections. They are considering two sects of ticketsone is Martin Amidu and Goosie Tanoh as flag bearer and running and the other is Kwesi Ahwoi and Martin Amidu. The Kwesi Ahwoi and Martin Amidu ticket has not been concluded on because that will be dependent on whether the Ahwois will agree to team up with the Rawlings camp to fight Mahama, the source revealed. According to the source, in the event the Ahwoi camp turns down request to team up with the Rawlings camp, the latter will present Martin Amidu as flag bearer at congress and when he wins, Goosie Tanoh will be nominated as running mate. Mr Rawlings and Martin Amidu have been accused by leading members of the NDC of aiding Nana Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party to dethrone President Mahama and the now biggest opposition party, the NDC. Mrs Rawlings has long distant herself from the NDC, consistently labeling members of the party as filthy corrupt and undeserving of governing the country. This is against backdrop of the fact her daughter, Dr Zanetor Rawlings contested on the ticket of the NDC in the Klottey Korle constituency. Prior to the election, there were rumors that Mr Rawlings and Mr Amidu were bashing the Mahama government in way to get it out of power to make it easy for them to take over the party. Source: The Al-Hajj Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, arrived in Lome, the capital of the Republic of Togo to a rousing welcome from residents, at the commencement of his 3-day visit. President Akufo-Addo, who made the trip to Togo by road, was met at the Aflao border by the Togolese President, His Excellency Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, together with hundreds and hundreds of Ghanaians and Togolese who had lined up along the principal streets of Aflao en route to Lome. Amidst the waving of flags of the two countries, President Akufo-Addo and President Gnassingbe acknowledged the cheers of welcome and greetings from ecstatic residents, as they made their way to the presidential palace for their first meeting. The two leaders were met at the presidential palace by Togolese politician, Gilchrist Olympio, son of Sylvanus Olympio, Togos first President. Gilchrist Olympio was a long-time opponent of the regime of Gnassingbe Eyadema, and was President of the Union of Forces for Change (UFC), Togos main opposition party from the 1990s till 2013, when he responded to the calls by President Faure Gnassingbe, son of the late President Eyadema, for national reconciliation, which saw him take a senior position in the Togolese State. President Akufo-Addos visit to Togo is part of the first phase of his tour of countries of the ECOWAS region. The visit will afford him the opportunity to introduce himself, as the new Ghanaian leader, formally to the governments and peoples of Ghanas neighbouring countries, explore and deepen bilateral relations with them, and reiterate Ghanas full commitment to the ECOWAS project. Wednesday, May 3, 2017, day two of President Akufo-Addos visit, will see him visit the Noepe border post, accompanied by President Faure Gnassingbe, before the pair hold bilateral talks at the presidential palace. A working ministerial session of the two delegations will also take place simultaneously at the palace. Foreign Minister, Hon. Shirley AYorkor Boatchway, MP; Trade and Industry Minister, Hon. Alan Kyerematen; National Security Minister, Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah; Interior Minister, Hon. Ambrose Dery, MP; Defence Minister, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, MP; Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Hon. Kofi Adda, MP, are all part of President Akufo-Addos delegation. President Akufo-Addo will also be taken on a tour of the harbour at Lome, before interacting with the Ghanaian community resident in Togo. A State dinner hosted by the Togolese President will be held in honour of President Akufo-Addo, later that evening. The President will depart on Thursday morning for Ouagadougou, to begin his two-day visit to Burkina Faso. video Source: presidency.gov.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video NDC Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says hell not be surprised if the Akufo Addo government which he describes as vindictive, plot to have businessman Ibrahim Mahama hauled before court for not paying his TV license fee. According to him, the high level of hatred for Mr Mahama by some elements in government and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reached the realms of absurdity, as his detractors move heaven and earth to nail him. Issues about Ibrahim Mahama whos brother of ex President John Mahama has in the past two weeks dominated the headlines. The business tycoon was first picked up by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over several dud cheques he issued to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) which could not be honoured. He has been ordered to pay GH12.7m to the state by May 8, 2017. The amount represents duty for construction equipment he cleared at the Tema Port for which he issued the said cheques. On Saturday, Ibrahim Mahama, was arraigned at the special SSNIT Court Saturday for his companys inability to pay the SSNIT contributions of its staff. Engineers and Planners together with its Owner and Directors failed to pay SSNIT contributions of their employees for the periods February 2015 to July 2015 and June 2016 to October 2016. The unpaid contributions amounted to about 700,000 cedis.The substantive amount however has attracted a penalty of 400,000 cedis, brings the total indebtedness to SSNIT to over one million Ghana cedis. But the company in a statement claimed it has since the suit settled its debt. But speaking on Adom TV, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the government is unjustifiably persecuting Mr Mahama and trying relentlessly to tarnish his reputation. Ill not be surprised if tomorrow hes hauled before the law court with the charge that he jumped the red light, the next time, hell be in another court with the claim that he has not paid his TV license fee. Should he be persecuted because hes a brother of a former president when hes doing legitimate business? A leading member of the governing party has vowed publicly to kill himself if Ibrahim Mahama is not jailed, and so in order that the person does not carry out his threat of killing himself, the businessman must be harrassed and suffer for no wrong done. Ibrahim Mahama is being unfairly treated. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South, Fritz Baffour, has supported the call by President Nana Akufo-Addo to Ghanaian workers to change their attitude to work. Delivering his maiden May Day speech on Monday 1 May in Accra, President Akufo-Addo challenged workers in Ghana, especially those in the public and civil sector, to change their approach to work in order to ensure efficiency. I have said it at another forum, but I think it bears repeating: we arrive at work late and then spend the first hour in prayer; we are clock watchers and leave in the middle of critical work, because it is the official closing time. Everything comes to a stop when it rains and we seem to expect the rest of the world also to stop, the President said. He continued, We have no respect for the hours set aside for work We pray, we eat, we visit during working hours. We spend hours chatting on the telephone when customers are waiting to be served, thereby increasing our labour costs. We take a week off for every funeral. And then we wonder why we are not competitive. Commenting on the issue, Mr Baffour said he was taken aback at criticism of the President's speech in the media, following suggestions that he had maligned Ghanaian workers. I want to state categorically that I remain a steadfast and determined member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), but what the president alluded to was absolutely to the point and that every well-meaning Ghanaian must accept that attitudinal change is non-negotiable if we are to transform our nation for the better, he said. Indiscipline, selfishness, greed, irresponsibility, and disregard for our true mores and traditions are the order of the day, he wrote, adding: There is absolutely no social platform or gathering we do not complain, yet we remain stuck in the same groove of inaction and complacency and use political partisanship, name calling, heckling and self-denial as a sop to our perfidy. Mr Baffour said on Tuesday, May 2 that he had heard several complaints from expatriates and Ghanaians concerning the work ethics of some public sector workers, so instead of taking issue with the President, let's put our differences aside and endeavour to work positively for our country and its great potential. 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. Featured Video CALGARY, Alberta, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Voyageur Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V:VM) (the Company) announces that preparations have begun to commence its spring drilling program on its 100% owned Frances Creek industrial barite deposit. A 2000 meter drilling program will target two known zones of barite and will infill drill between these zones. There has been over 2000m of historical drilling on this deposit. Past historical work by the former owners identified barite from over 2000m of core drilling. Currently there is an indicated strike length of over 600m and the vein was drilled to a vertical depth of 90m. The deposit is open in all directions. After independent review of historical drill core, geologist (QP) estimates Frances Creek exploration target ranges from 53,856 tonnes to 215,422 tonnes @ 95.86% to 99.26 % BaSO4 . The potential quantity and grades are conceptual in nature, that there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and that is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. About Voyageur Minerals Voyageur is a Calgary based company which owns 100% interest in three Barium Sulfate ("Barite") deposits including two properties which initial work suggests are suitable in grade for the industrial barite market place, and interests in two high grade lithium brine projects in Utah, USA. Voyageur's business plan is to develop its barite deposit at Frances Creek, BC, Canada, for potential near term cash flow, while it continues exploration for critical and strategic minerals. Qualified Person Statement The Companys qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, Mr. Randy Henkle, P.Geol, has reviewed this news release and approved it. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Qualifying Transaction, including statements regarding the acquisition of future assets, the discovery and commercialization of commercial quantities of industrial minerals, the successful commercialization of the Companys assets, expected operational activities, other statements that are not historical facts. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the risk that the assets do not provide commercial quantities or grades of marketable minerals, that even if they do contain commercial quantities of marketable minerals that the Company will not be able to economically produce such discoveries, the existence of commercial grades of commercial minerals, timing of obtaining required approvals, state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, investor interest in the business and future prospects of the Company. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made, by third parties in respect of the matters discussed above. Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, has slammed some members of Ghanas Parliament including the First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei-Wusu, for making offensive comments at the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, following the leaked letter to the Speaker of Parliament that accused three current MPs and a former member of allegedly engaging in visa fraud. The alleged visa fraud came to the fore after the sighting of a confidential letter the British High Commission in Ghana wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, accusing the MPs of facilitating the entry of some of their supposed relatives to the UK using their Diplomatic Passports. The letter cited Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East in the Western Region; Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Asutifi North in the Brong Ahafo region; Johnson Kwaku Adu, MP for Ahafo Ano South West in the Ashanti Region and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Brong Ahafo. The accused persons have thus been banned by from entering the UK for ten years. Since the news broke, some MPs have lambasted the British High Commissioner to Ghana, accusing him of deliberately leaking the letter to the media to smear the image of the legislature. But Mr. Amidu, in his latest epistle described as shameful the insults on Mr. Benjamin and the British Government. In his view, the latters petition to the Speaker, rather seeks to protect the integrity of Ghanas Parliament by exposing the wrongdoings of dishonorable members. He questioned Parliaments commitment when it comes to protecting its integrity, considering that the Speaker had kept the letter from the public for three months, until a whistle-blower leaked it to the media. Mr. Amidu said When one reads the letter of the British High Commission to the Speaker dated 20th January 2017, carefully one cannot escape the conclusion that it did not call for any attack or insult on his person or office by anybody in the 7th Parliament of Ghana. I accordingly invite fellow patriotic citizens to join me in condemning the unwarranted attacks and shameful insults on the High Commissioner and his Government who only sought to defend the honour and dignity of Parliament as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution by pointing out past misconduct and suspected crime of some members of Parliament. Below is Mr. Amidus full statement I have read and followed the publications on the online media since 26th April 2017 in which some Members of Ghanas 7th Parliament have made needless derogatory comments about H.E. Jon Benjamin, the High Commissioner of the United kingdom to Ghana for a letter he signed on behalf of the High Commission in Ghana dated 20th January 2017 and addressed to the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament: regarding the apparent involvement of three serving MPs and one former MP in visa fraud directly affecting the United Kingdom. The wrong perception has been created by the unwarranted attacks on the person and office of the High Commissioner that by writing that letter he has brought or facilitated the bringing of the reputation of the 7th Parliament into disrepute in the eyes of the sovereign people of Ghana. The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu (and the person acting as the Speaker of Parliament in the absence of the Speaker abroad) is reported to have slammed the High Commissioner over the latters decision to expose four Ghananian (sic) MPs for alleged visa fraud after he exacted penalties against them. The only fact supporting the likelihood that the High Commissioner personally leaked his letter to the Speaker appears to be what the First Deputy Speaker was reported to have told Starr FM the previous day: I think that that High Commissioner in so many instances has acted in ways that in my view transcends the bounds of decency and propriety. Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is also reported as having written in his capacity as Ranking Member, Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament and chastised the content of the High Commissioners letter and stating categorically that: Reading through Jon Benjamins letter, however, one cannot help but notice a rather regrettable colonial mindset for proposing a protocol to guide future applications for visa from MPs holding diplomatic passports. Regrettably the criticism of the High Commissioner by Hon. Ablakwa appears to have been made under the erroneous assumption that the grant of entry rights to foreign nationals into any country is a right and not a mere privilege. Ablakwas criticism of the content of the High Commissioners letter also assumed that the High Commissioner either personally leaked the letter or he should not have written it in the first place when he says: Even though many of us have had concern about the modus operandi and non-diplomatic tendencies of the top-most British diplomat in Accra, I will not advocate hostility or reciprocal action on British MPs. Other MPs have further been reported to have described the High Commissioner as a media freak, a very example of how not to be a diplomat, a media whore, etc The perception is thus disingenuously created by some Members of Parliament of the 7th Parliament that the High Commissioner personally leaked the letter to bring the reputation of the 7th Parliament into disrepute without providing any direct linkage between the leakage and the High Commissioner whatsoever. The insults coming from MPs from both sides of Parliament give the impression that Parliament is more hysterical about its reputation being brought into disrepute through the exposure of dishonourable conduct by its members rather than maintaining the honour and dignity of the institution of Parliament through a transparent, fair and credible constitutional process of dealing with members who bring the reputation of the institution into disrepute. But no institutional reputation can be achieved by covering up or insulting, or citing or threatening to cite whistleblowers or potential whistleblowers for contempt or abuse. The institutional reputation of Parliament is endangered when a majority of citizens, civil society organizations, and foreign embassies and other missions in Ghana perceive attempts to maintain Parliaments integrity as a mere window dressing. In any case, how is our Whistleblowers Act to function if MPs cannot tolerate the leakage of a simple letter stating perceived misconduct and suspicion of crime on the part of some members of Parliament? When one reads the letter of the British High Commission to the Speaker dated 20th January 2017, carefully one cannot escape the conclusion that it did not call for any attack or insult on his person or office by anybody in the 7th Parliament of Ghana. In writing the letter, the British High Commission noted that: the powerful words in your impressive inaugural address as Speaker, to the effect that, for Members of Parliament, holding a Diplomatic Passport is both a privilege and responsibility which should not be abused; and that those who abuse that trust would be appropriately dealt with. The letter was thus just a reaction or response to an undertaking made by the Speaker himself in his inaugural address. Did the Speaker at the time of making his inaugural address know that some members of Parliament in the previous Parliaments had abused the privileges accorded them in the issuance to them of Diplomatic Passports? The events narrated in the British High Commissions letter of 20th January 2017, had occurred at various times within the life of the 5th and 6th Parliaments of Ghana which had ceased to exist under Article 113 of the 1992 Constitution. The former (NDC) MPs application for visa for himself and his daughter were granted on 14/9/2012 under the 5th Parliament. There is no allegation that this former MP used a Diplomatic Passport to apply for the visa. The second (NPP) MP for Bia Easts applications with passport number DX001490 for visa were granted on 10/12/2015 under the 6th Parliament. The third (NPP) MP for Ntotrosos applications with passport number DX001459 were issued on 11/04/16 under the 6th Parliament. The fourth (NPP) MP for Ahafo Ano South Wests applications with passport number DX002267 for visa were granted on 07/07/2016 under the 6th Parliament. Whatever offences under the laws of Ghana each of the four Members of Parliament under the 5th and 6th Parliaments might have committed were done before the 7th Parliament was inaugurated this year. Consequently, I do not think that the 7th Parliament has any jurisdiction to exact any punishment from the one former (NDC) MP under the 5th Parliament and the three (NPP) MPs under the 6th Parliament for offences committed in previous Parliaments that have already been dissolved by law. The three (NPP) MPs of the 6th Parliament now serving in the 7th Parliament were elected thereto and took the oath under a different mandate which begun on 7th January 2017. The dissolution of those Parliaments did not affect whatever criminal offences involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude the MPs might have been suspected of committing outside Parliament when they were MPs in the 5th and 6th Parliaments. Consequently, even though the British High Commission wrote to the Speaker of Parliament upon his inaugural undertaking, this matter should have been disposed of by the Speaker timeously, as he had no jurisdiction, by referring the High Commissions letter to the Ghana Police Service for investigations in accordance with the laws of Ghana. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also at liberty to act administratively under the law dealing with the issuance of passports and travel documents. Unfortunately, for three good months the serious indictment on the honour and dignity of Members of Parliament under the 5th and 6th Parliaments were kept secret from the sovereign people of Ghana from 20th January 2017 to around 26th April 2017. When a whistleblower leaked the content of the letter, the High Commissioner who signed the letter was targeted for shameful insults and name calling by no less a person than the First Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Privileges Committee of Parliament, and other members of Parliament on the basis of pure conjecture. Instead of the Acting Speaker of Parliament and other members shamelessly insulting the British High Commissioner for his letter which in my opinion sought to defend the dignity of the Parliament established under the 1992 Constitution, Parliament should rather be explaining to the sovereign people of Ghana why this matter was not referred to the police for investigation for three whole months before the whistleblower blew the whistle to the public. The explanation from the office of the Speaker that the matter would be dealt with in accordance with the law as it affects the integrity and reputation of Parliament looks belated. It gives the impression that if the whistleblower had not blown the whistle this matter may as well have been covered up or window dressed. The Government of the United Kingdom and its Serious Fraud Office (now National Crime Agency) reported to and made available to the Government of Ghana documentary evidence of corruption involving public officers and Ministers of State in the Mabey and Johnson affairs somewhere in the year 2009. The Government of Ghana showed and continues to show a disinterest to pursue investigations and possible prosecution of the case even after the Supreme Court had ruled that the matter could be investigated even by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice. The Government of the United Kingdom, its High Commission, and High Commissioner are again needlessly being insulted and intimidated by some Members of Parliament simply because a letter sanctioning and calling attention to the fact that some Members of Parliament in the 5th and 6th Parliaments might have abused their privileges and committed criminal offences in their application for visa to the High Commission has been leaked by a whistleblower to the sovereign public. How do we expect the Government of the United Kingdom and other foreign Governments from these experiences to believe that Ghana is committed as a nation to upholding the principles of probity and accountability enshrined in our 1992 Constitution? It is a shame that while the Speaker of Parliament appears belatedly from abroad to be urging the use of temperate language in this matter by members of Parliament his First Deputy Speaker already led the pack of some of his members to attack the integrity of the British High Commissioner and his Government without any just cause. Ghana clearly has a long way to go to defend the principles of probity and accountability enshrined in the Constitution. I accordingly invite fellow patriotic citizens to join me in condemning the unwarranted attacks and shameful insults on the High Commissioner and his Government who only sought to defend the honour and dignity of Parliament as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution by pointing out past misconduct and suspected crime of some members of Parliament. Source: Martin A. B. K. Amidu Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A young outspoken member of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Lord Hamah, brother of former Deputy Communications Minister under the Mahama administration, Victoria Hamah, has said the party became a slavish whore to state power under President John Mahama (JM). Under JM, there was no collective governance, Mr Hamah wrote in a tirade on his Facebook page. While calling for a total overhaul of the leadership of the NDC as a party, Mr Hamah said: "The NDC record in government is a scandal. We need to accept that to move forward. For eight years, especially the last four years, we witnessed a kind of political incompetence unrivalled in Ghana's history. Related to this was the intoxication that took over the heads of youthful government appointees. Key power brokers who were fattening on the foliage of state life did not even have any idea on the location of the national party office, not to talk of their constituency offices!. He continued: The claim that the present NDC leadership is social democratic is not scientific. It is based on self-proclaimed righteousness backed by a deadly cocktail of incoherent pseudo revolutionary principles. How could you come to terms with the fact that in 2016 JM stabbed the people of Ghana in the back by selling out ECG by a certificate of urgency in parliament ratifying the concession agreement with MiDA? The entire leadership of the NDC needs to be wiped out. The December 2016 polls did part of the work in cleaning up the party, the rest should be done at an early Congress... Source: Classfmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The opposition National Democratic Congress [NDC] Deputy General Secretary, Koku Anyidoho has accused the Nana Addo led government of using state funds at the presidency to feed family and friends. He also claims that some government workers were not paid in the month of April but when asked by NEAT FMs morning show host, Kwesi Aboagye to name those workers, he was unable to. I dont know but some workers went home without salaries. You can call those in government to ask them. Maybe Nana Addo [President] dont have money to pay them, he said. Speaking on the Ghana Montie, Koku Anyidoho expressed worry over how Nana Addo is emptying the public purse on delicacies at the seat of government. Now, brunch and supper served at the Flagstaff House is fit for Kings and Princes, yet they cant pay workers. Go and see the amount of money they are spending at the Flagstaff House on food. They are simply having fun. President Nana Addo has bloated the Flagstaff House budget and enjoying with his family and friends, Koku Anyidoho claimed. 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. Featured Video IT APPEARS former President John Dramani Mahama will not be given the chance to stand as the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2020 election without any challenge. Ahead of the partys primary, former majority leader and current 2nd deputy speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin, is emerging as one of the former presidents contenders. Posters of Bagbin, the Nadowli/Kaleo Member of Parliament (MP), are already playing out in the social media, possibly testing the waters, even though he is said to be enjoying support from his colleague NDC MPs. Posters that have popped up on social media, especially Facebook, have the image of the Nadowli MP with the inscription, Bagbin 2020. The posters bear the slogan, Tried, Tested & Committed. Mr Bagbin has not hidden his ambition to lead the NDC as he recently indicated on Joy FM that it has been his dream to be the President of Ghana. He was emphatic, Nobody can prevent changeit is constant so when it comes it is important to take advantage of it. The former majority leader was a strong critic of Mr John Mahama over his style of governance. The MP said in November 2013 that then President Mahama was naked because of the kind of people he had surrounded himself with. He said he was deeply worried about the way the country was being governed, adding that he had for far too long complained in silence about raging corruption under Mahamas leadership. A retired Rector of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), Joshua Alabi, is also reportedly lacing his boots to declare his intention to stand for the nomination in possible opposition to John Dramani Mahamas bland popularity, it has been revealed. Former Greater Accra Regional Minister under the Rawlings government, Joshua Alabi is said to be enjoying popular support from NDC kingpins and power brokers to become the next flag bearer for the main opposition party. More Names Apart from Prof. Alabi, there are a host of NDC stalwarts who are all planning to upstage ex-President Mahama as the NDCs flag bearer for 2020 because many claim he does not have what it takes to run for the highest office again, after his abysmal performance in the last election that culminated in his and the partys humiliating defeat. They include longstanding NDC flag bearer aspirant and former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah; former Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho and former National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) CEO, Sylvester Mensah, who was recently seen meeting NDC members at Sogakope. They are said to be busily setting up offices and criss-crossing the country to shore up their support bases ahead of the crucial NDC congress, likely coming off next year. 13-Member Committee Interestingly, the 13-member committee chaired by Prof Kwesi Botchwey, which was tasked by the partys leadership to investigate why the NDC lost the December 7 contest to then opposition NPP, is yet to submit its report. The committee, which meetings have been fraught with agitations from the partys foot soldiers often turning violent was recently given an extended time to conclude and submit its report. Mahama Puzzle Some political analysts are of the opinion that should ex-President Mahama succeed in contesting on the ticket of the NDC again but fail to win the 2020 contest, it will further break the front of the opposition party because they will then have to struggle to market a candidate for 2024. Others also believe that since President Mahama was humiliated in the December 7, 2016 polls, there was going to be very little chance for him in 2020 when there is no incumbency advantage. One of Alabis cheerleaders, Nii Amasa Namoale a former NDC Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon and one-time Deputy Minister of Agriculture in-charge of Fisheries has suggested that the internal party election would be a good showing for the academician. Amasa Namoale, who has himself not hidden his ambition to run for the NDC flagbearership slot, recently said on Peace Fm that he would give anybody, including immediate past President Mahama, run for his money if Joshua Alabi fails to stake a claim for the slot. He believes the former Rector who has specialised in Marketing, has the technique and the magic wand to turn around the fortunes of the lame horse political party as recently described by the former president when meeting the appointees who served under his presidency for the first time. He said the image of the ruling party the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is soaring because of its flagship policies of free education and one-district-one-factory, one village one dam, $1m for each constituency, the Zongo Development Fund, among others. Lame Horse Former President John Dramani Mahama recently called for a careful re-organisation and assessment of the NDC after the partys crushing defeat in the 2016 general election, admitting that the former ruling party was sick as he likened it to a lame horse. For him, it is absolutely premature for members of the NDC to talk about who will lead the party at its present state, positing, If you ride a lame horse into a race and you lose the race, your priority must be to cure the lameness of the horse and not about who will ride the horse. But before this assertion, some bleating flock of political shenanigans had proclaimed Mr Mahama the best choice and served notice of their readiness to push the man to the NDCs torchbearer position once again to wrestle power from President Akufo-Addo. However, critics within the NDC are saying that the party has never been lame and insisted that it was the Jockey (in reference to the ex-president as NDC candidate) who was rather lame. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video NDCs Koku Anyidoho says President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has proven to Ghanaians that he is not ready for the position he is occupying currently. According to him, attempts by the Nana Addo-led government to curb galamsey is unfortunate this he said will increase the unemployment rate in the country. The President has vowed to stop illegal miners from operating - he was noted to have said that, even if eradicating it will cause him his presidency after his four year term, he will do that to save the country's water bodies. But the NDC deputy Chief Scribe on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie indicated that President Nana Addo is indeed not ready for the presidency. He [President Nana Addo] has already said he careless if they vote him out because of galamsey issues. I am not surprised. Nana Addo does not need eight years, he doesnt even need four years. He just wanted to taste the presidency and he has achieved that. Give him just one more year the amount of money that he will amass for himself, friends and family; you have no idea, Koku stated. 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. Featured Video Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr. has advised the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu not to put his name forward as one of the contestants for the flagbearer position of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). Following the NDC's defeat in the 2016 elections, there have been questions over who leads the party in the next general elections in 2020. Some NDC kingpins have been marked to be best candidates for the flagbearer position in the party. Names like Hon. Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Tamale South and Mr. Ekow Spio Garbrah, former Trade and Industry Minister among others, have been mentioned in hope that one of these prominent personalities will finally lead the party. But to Kweku Baako, it is not yet time for the affable and youthful Tamale South MP to run as a Presidential candidate for the party. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', the Senior Journalist hoped Hon. Iddrisu would pay heed to his counsel because he believes the latter is not ready to run the race. "Haruna Iddrisu is very young, very nice guy. Im not sure whether hes ready to put himself in it. If I were to advise him anyway, Id tell him to bid his time. Well, his name has popped up but if I were him, Id wait awhile, he told Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of the show. Touching on reports that Hon. Alban Bagbin is lacing his boots to contest as t NDC's flagbearer when the party opens for nominations, Mr. Baako noted that the Nadowli/ Kaleo MP is a "formidable factor in the party. It will be interesting if he throws himself into the race," but however stressed that the only competitive person among all the NDC potential aspirants is former President John Dramani Mahama. He stressed that looking at the credentials of the former President in the party; he best qualifies to lead them to another battle in 2020. "He led them into an election 2012. They won the election, forget about the court case. At the end of the day, if there were doubts about his victory, when they sent it to court; the court validated the declaration of the EC. So, as far as Im concerned, he won it..." he said, adding that the NDC will be riding on the track record of Ex-President Mahama to contest the 2020 elections. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/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. Featured Video Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako says Ex-President John Dramani Mahama remains the best candidate for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), come 2020. According to him, there is no member of the NDC who is more qualified to lead the party into next year's general elections. Mr. Baako cancelled out some bigwigs whose names have popped up for the flagbearership position of the party. The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, and Ekow Spio-Garbrah, former Minister for Trade and Industry among other names, have been mentioned as probable candidates for the party's flagbearership. Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Kweku Baako noted that the party needs a candidate with "requisite credentials to lead the NDC into 2020 but Ex-President John Mahama remains competitive of all the NDC potential aspirants. "First of all, he is the immediate past President. He was a Vice President. He led them into an election in 2012. They won the election, forget about the court case. At the end of the day, if there were doubts about his victory, when they sent it to court; the court validated the declaration of the EC. So, as far as Im concerned, he won it. He led them to another battle in 2016 and lost in a very abysmal way but when the NDC are coming in 2020 their campaign, even now when they attack the Akufo-Addo administration, most of the things they use to attack are things they did either under Atta Mills or John Mahama or both. What Im saying is the track record. The track record that they will bring on the political platform to campaign more or less is intrinsically linked to John Mahama. It will be a stronger factorUnless John Mahama decides not to run, he said. Mr. Baako was however quick to add that the NDC will not win the elections but to him, it is better for them to present a qualified candidate to lead the party than to present a non-marketable person. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/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. Featured Video Ashanti Regional Secretary for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sam Payne has cautioned former President John Dramani Mahama not to heed calls on him to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) into another battle in 2020. Speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Sam Pyne stressed that the former President will suffer a very humiliating defeat for the second time should he dare decide to become the flagbearer for the party. The NPP Ashanti Regional Secretary advised Mr. Mahama to "mind his business" with his wife, Lordina Mahama in order to avoid another disgrace on the family. He shouldnt dare to seek to be President of Ghana again. He will be so disgraced that Im sure when he goes, he will think deeply into it but will never understand itHe shouldnt. He should stay with Lordina in the house and look at her back and say; Lordina, lets sit here and mind our business," he counseled. He however urged other members of the opposition party, particularly those whose names have come up for the flagbearer position to continue their quest while Ex-President John Mahama concentrates on his family. "Dont egg him on. Dont prepare the ground for an NDC massive defeat," he warned the leadership of the NDC. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/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. Featured Video The Colombian lawyer for alleged drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury has claimed the 22-year-old Adelaide woman may be able to reduce her possible prison sentence if she admits a degree of complicity. Orlando Herran said Sainsbury, who was arrested last month for allegedly trying to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine out of the South American nation, may be able to receive a minimum sentence of four years if she strikes a deal with prosecutors. If Sainsbury admits serious negligence for not checking her luggage for the illicit substance, she may even be able to have her case heard within 90 days, Herran said. Herran admitted I would suggest we go for the shorter process and get a small punishment. Her legal rep also claimed that circumstance may also allow her conditional liberty, which essentially equates to parole, and that she may be able to serve it back in Australia. Should Sainsbury be found guilty of the far more serious drug trafficking charges, she may end up with a prison sentence of between 8 and 20 years. Its not only the possible sentence that presents a problem, either. Herran admitted that if we go for innocence and try to prove that, it will delay [the ruling] between a year and a year and a half. That process will make sure Cassandra is in prison and thats difficult. Sainsbury has claimed her innocence for the duration of the ordeal, saying the drugs were given to her while concealed within several sets of headphones. The search continues for the man who allegedly provided her with the drugs. Herran described his clients current state in El Buen Pastor prison as incredibly difficult, saying shes very traumatised and she cries a lot, almost all the time, because she feels powerless with this situation. Well keep you updated on this one. Source: ABC / news.com.au. Photo: Fundrazr. Im going to be completely honest with you: I still dont really understand what gluten is. The only things I know about gluten are that for a while we thought it was bad for everyone, then it turned out its actually just bad for some people, and also that its in nearly everything. In medical terms, if you are gluten intolerant or are coeliac, you are pretty much fucked. While it might seem like its impossible to construct a meal out of actual food without entering gluten into the equation, it is absolutely possible, and it is absolutely possible to make a meal that is more than just a singular banana. Weve all heard and made jokes about airline food. Its not what anyone would call good but the meals are traditionally, well, meals at least. A banana is not a meal. As a food item, it can constitute part of a meal, it is not, in itself, a meal. THIS is not a meal: Pictured: Sadness. What it is (again, not a meal) is what 32-year-old British man Martin Pavelka received after ordering the gluten-free meal on a 9-hour flight from Tokyo to Sydney. Pavelka, who has coeliac disease, said he was a bit surprised: As a coeliac, I always order gluten-free meals on my flights. Sometimes they are bland, sometimes they are actually much better than the ordinary meal service. On this flight, I was left literally speechless. One single banana arrived. Understandably, he thought he might have been the victim of a weird, cruel prank at the hands of the All Nippon Airways staff: When the stewardess came to me, she said weve got a special meal for you and I got the banana. I asked is this a joke? She just said Im really sorry, thats the gluten-free meal. As you can see from the picture, they were at least kind enough to give him a cutlery packet with a knife, a fork and a sachet of salt, which would come in handy if in addition to being coeliac he was also a complete weirdo who ate bananas wrong. What is the deal with airline food. Source: Evening Standard. Photo: Martin Pavelka. Lithuanian English Vilnius, Lithuania, 2017-05-03 15:01 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INVL Technology, a company that invests in information technology businesses, has signed the Amendment of the Services Agreement with AB SEB bank, according to the decision made on the General Shareholders Meeting dated 27 April 2017. The Amendment of the Services Agreement takes effect from 3 May 2017. 10,000% here for the inglorious downfall of the chefs as instant rockstars phenomena, but schadenfreude aside this is pretty serious if true. Pasty king and man who popularised the word macaron in Australian food culture and thus cannot ever be forgiven Adriano Zumbo is the latest high-profile chef in Australia to be accused of severely underpaying staff. A report on A Current Affair last night levelled the accusations that Zumbos company failed to pay superannuation to employees, paid money into accounts that do not exist, and failed to pay employees overtime. Former and current employees were interviewed by the program, all of whom stated that they had either been underpaid, or had their super paid into a clearly fake account. One employee asserted that their super, hosted by HostPlus, had been paid into an account with the policy number 123456789. The group also stated that Zumbos company, which employees over 200 people in both Melbourne and Sydney, told employees that they would no longer be paying overtime and would instead simply pay employees the normal rate for any extra time worked. Zumbo, in response, issued a statement to ACA insisting that a new system of payments had been implemented, and following an investigation a number of discrepancies had been identified. In January 2017 a new overtime system was implemented by my business. As a result, a number of discrepancies were identified in the calculation, approval and payment of overtime to a limited number of staff. I have personally taken steps to rectify all back pay issues of which I am currently aware. My expectation and intention is that all outstanding superannuation and the majority of outstanding overtime will be paid as of close of business on 2 May 2017, with the remaining payments to be made over the course of the next 24 to 48 hours. I confirm that an audit of the payroll system of the business has been commenced and is ongoing. I instigated that audit having learnt about the discrepancies referred to above, in order to identify whether there have been any other issues in the payment of my staff, whose hard work I value enormously. In the event that audit identifies any other discrepancies in payments to staff, those matters will be remedied as soon as possible. It saddens me to learn that some of my current and former staff did not share their apparent concerns relating to their working conditions with me or our HR department. It seems those staff shared these concerns for the first time with ACA. Had we been aware of these concerns, our HR team and I would have been available to assist those staff members in the satisfactory resolution of their concerns. The staff in question, for what its worth, claim to have immediately raised concerns about the payment process with management immediately after it was announced to employees, with one claiming their immediate reaction was to assert it was illegal. Zumbo is the latest celebrity chef to be levelled with accusations of underpaying staff, following on from George Calombaris $2million staff payments scandal. ACA claims that a complaint concerning the Zumbo allegations has been made to Fair Work Australia. Source: Herald Sun. Photo: Kerry Marshall/Getty. A.B. Original have had a huge year. The Australian hip hop duos debut album, Reclaim Australia, has been met with praise across the board, with their heaving tracks giving full attention to Indigenous issues that are so often swept under the rug. Today Briggs and Trials have dropped a biting new track and accompanying video, Report To The Mist. Whilst beautifully-shot, the clip shines an unforgiving light on police brutality in Indigenous communities and Australian prisons. The timing couldnt be more spot on, as today marks the 30th anniversary of Bob Hawke calling the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The video is accompanied by a standalone webpage, www.reporttothemist.com, that further details the alarming statistics on mortality rates of Indigenous Australians in custody. In 1987, Bob Hawke called for a Royal Commission to examine the social, cultural and specific circumstances of 99 Aboriginal deaths in custody between 1980 and 1989, reads the website. 30 years later, the situation is worse. The webpage ends with a harrowing piece of prose by Gomeroi woman Kelly Briggs. When I look past my anger I feel deep sorrow sorrow that this country for over 220 years has not valued Aboriginal lives. If it did, this article would not have to be written. I would not lie in bed fearing for my family members that are imprisoned, that the next time I see them will be at their funerals. I wouldnt be terrified that my own children will one day make a mistake that puts them in a harmful judicial system. This country must do better. Conversations are taking place but there must be a sense of urgency because as it stands, Aboriginal people are still dying entirely preventable deaths while incarcerated. Powerful stuff. You can buy the duos album on Apple Music here. Photo: A.B. Original. If youre unfamiliar with the background of The Dark Tower, let me quickly summarise it for you: Stephen King took a break from writing horror stories that he wrote himself into pseudonymously and decided to instead write a combination fantasy / western / science fiction story that he wrote himself into by name. The series follows gunslinger Roland Deschain, the last of an order of half-samurai / half-cowboys, as he shoots his way through the multiverse and makes new friends and now, like all things that are good, its being turned into a movie. How the movie fits in with the books is a little bit unclear, with it variously being described as a sort of adaptation and a sequel, but it looks like it will centre around 11-year-old boy Jake Chambers (played by Tom Taylor) as he assists Roland (Idris Elba) in taking out Walter Padick / The Man In Black (Matthew McConaughey), a sort of eternal villain who has featured in a lot of Kings work. Luckily for both of us, not enough info is really available this stage for me to spoil the movie for you, so instead, you can just shovel this trailer directly into your face: The film is directed by Nikolaj Arcel, whose previous noteworthy credits as a director are nearly entirely Danish drama films, so this should be a bit of a change. It comes out in Australia on August 17th. Photo: YouTube. Geoffrey Rush is one of our national treasures a man of incredible grace, poise, dignity, and gravitas. Please allow us to ruin that for you by showing you footage of a young Geoffrey Rush as a super dorky clowning enthusiast. Rush has somehow managed to have a career defined both by being a darling of the theatre and a celebrated independent cinema actor, while also being largely known for playing a pirate in a movie series adapted from a theme park ride. He is living the dream. Right now hes doing the promotional circuit for Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth instalment in the franchise, and he stopped by The Weekly to have a wee chat with Charlie Pickering about playing geniuses, ageing and never meeting Johnny Depps illegal dogs. Thanks to some digging around in the ABC archives (which I picture as a huge, dusty, cobweb-filled library lit by candles) they found an interview from 1978 with a Geoffrey Rush who would have been about 27 at the time and was apparently very earnest about the fine art of clowning. Rush studied at LEcole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq (which I believe is French for Clown School), a physical theatre school in France, which he says is more about an approach to acting through movement than clowning, but (rest assured) definitely involved some clowning. You can see Rush as a perfect goofy 20-something angel from around the 3:15 mark, you can see him as a perfect normal angel for the rest of the interview: Hes an Oscar winner, Emmy winner and Tony winner. And sometimes.. a pirate. Legendary actor Geoffrey Rush joins #TheWeekly w/ @charliepick pic.twitter.com/iVs7TAqc9z The Weekly (@theweeklytv) May 3, 2017 Source and photo: ABC / The Weekly. ICYMI, Aussie model Nicole Trunfio and her bb, American blues/soul muso Gary Clark Jnr, are very cute. They also have an extremely, ridiculously cute kid. A post shared by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Aug 4, 2016 at 1:53pm PDT Nic and Gary got married last year in a v. chic, v. cool-person wedding, but they skipped out on the immediate honeymoon probably because theyre both extremely successful, busy humans just casually killing it at life. Last week though, they finally got away for a loved-up hol and damn, did they holiday. They took your regular holiday, ramped it up to 400, and then took it off into the universe. A post shared by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:24am PDT Seriously, look at this: A post shared by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Apr 27, 2017 at 10:24pm PDT Thats just Nic chilling on a bloody hammock in the ocean. We didnt even think these existed, but there you go friends they do. Well, they do at Soneva Jani, the very luxurious Maldives resort that hosted the couple for their romantic trip. And the hammock was just the start of it the entire place is next level. A post shared by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:16am PDT Naturally, Nic and Gary went HAM on the Instagram posts, because why wouldnt you it legit seems like every damn moment at this place is picture perfect. Heres Nic at sunset. A post shared by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:02pm PDT Hanging out on yet another swing (you can never have too many tropical swings, its a fact) in a dress that prob cost more than our weekly rent: A post shared by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:24am PDT And the mandatory couple pic in what looks like the best damn villa ever: A post shared by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on May 1, 2017 at 8:48am PDT Wanna go yourself? Of course you do. A one bedroom villall set you back around $4,000 a night, so unless youre sitting on a small fortune over there, you might have to just live vicariously through future honeymooners. Orrrr you could enter our current competition with pals Set for Life, and give winning $20k a shot: PEDESTRIAN.TV X SET FOR LIFE $20K GIVEAWAY Image: Instagram / @nictrunfio. Harrisburg politics has been called many things but boring was never one of them. "That's entertaining," mayoral candidate Lewis Butts gushed, immediately after Tuesday's debate was over. "The ratings are going to go through the roof." Here are a few highlights for those who didn't tune in for the live televised debate sponsored by PennLive and CBS21 at the Harrisburg Area Community College's Midtown location. The primary is scheduled May 16. 1. The party crasher. We'll start with the most surprising, and perhaps least interesting, of the night's twists and turns. Near the end of the debate, Socialist candidate Chris Siennick stepped between the Democratic primary candidates and the cameras to promote his November mayoral bid--his skateboard in hand the whole time. "I figured I had to crash the party a little bit," Siennick said, in an interview after the debate. This unexpected guest drew laughter from the audience, although most of the candidates and the moderators seemed less amused. Afterward, Butts approached the 27-year-old to congratulate him--encouraging Siennick to pose with him for this classic photo: Harrisburg mayoral candidate Lewis Butts, right, with "party crasher" Chris Siennick after Tuesday's debate. 2. No love lost. The debate format, in which moderators went down the row of primary candidates with the same question, discouraged the kind of tit-for-tat sniping we saw at last year's presidential debates. Nonetheless, incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse and former City Council President Gloria Martin-Roberts still found opportunities. "I don't have a favorite neighborhood," Martin-Roberts said, a thinly veiled barb against Papenfuse. "I will start focusing on those neighborhoods that have been overlooked for a very long time." This, of course, refers to the long-simmering tension between Harrisburg's redevelopment of the Midtown and downtown areas versus the uptown and Allison Hill sections, which have generally seen less investment. When it was Papenfuse's turn to speak, he called his opponent out by name: "I care about all of the city equally--and I find Gloria Martin-Roberts' rhetoric divisive." Later in the night, she retorted: "There's nothing about me that's divisive but I'm going to say this: Take a ride when you leave, go to the neighborhoods you've been riding through many, many years and see if they don't look the same." "Change takes time," Papenfuse responded. "It's clear we're making progress." 3. No love lost, part 2. Martin-Roberts wasn't the only candidate to direct her fire at the current mayor. Jennie Jenkins was asked a series of questions Tuesday about her past as a Harrisburg police officer. She had previously ducked questions about her departure from the force amid theft charges--she ultimately entered a diversion program and paid $350 for unintentional overpayment--and an incident where she lost two guns that were in her possession. "I just don't choose to focus on something that happened 10 years ago and it keeps coming forward," Jenkins said of her past. When pressed on whether her pending federal lawsuit against the city would impact her ability to serve as mayor, she had this to say: "[Papenfuse] won't be here, so there won't be anything to argue about." 4. Deliverables. Amid the sniping from other quarters, Butts had a leavening effect on the proceeding. His wordplay and grandiose ideas elicited more applause and laughter from the audience as the evening wore on. Afterward, while several of the candidates milled about with members of their respective contingencies, he circulated through the crowd to shake hands and pose for photos and, as previously referenced, wish the Socialist well. Some of the big ideas Butts kicked around during the debate included building a hydroelectric dam across the Susquehanna River (an idea once floated by former Mayor Stephen Reed), installing citywide Wi-Fi and building a trade center to educate city residents, who in turn could compete for local contracts. Butts ended the night with this pledge: "If you elect me as mayor, I can deliver a plan that delivers those deliverables." 5. Fixing Harrisburg's finances. Most of the candidates proffered similar plans for how to turn around Harrisburg's troubled finances. The watchword of the night was "economic development." Anthony Harrell, an Iraq War veteran who's currently a Central Penn College student, emphasized safety: "As long as the city is weak and crime is rampant, nobody will want to come in the city." Martin-Roberts said Harrisburg needs to balance community engagement with outside investment. "I want to bring people from the outside in to buy what people are calling blighted real estate here and see them as diamonds in the rough," she said. Papenfuse, meanwhile, highlighted the work that has been done to balance the budget and build a surplus that could be used to reinvest in infrastructure. He also pointed to the new tax on people who commute into Harrisburg for work. "That has allowed us to have a very strong financial position now," he said. For Jenkins, one of the solutions is for the city to take back its parking system. "When we do that," she said, "we'll be able to lower parking rates and make it more attractive to bring people back in Harrisburg." A CORUNA, Spain and SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Health in Code (HiC), (www.healthincode.com) a thought leader in the genetic cardiovascular field announced that it recently published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The article titled, Truncating FLNC Mutations Associated with High Risk Dilated and Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathies demonstrates that truncating FLNC mutations are frequently complicated by sudden death and that the implantation of cardiac defibrillator should be considered in these patients. HiC was the first company to include the FLNC gene in its Next Generation Sequencing based cardiomyopathy panels four years ago and now includes it in its primary gene list. Admera Health (www.AdmeraHealth.com), an advanced molecular diagnostics company, has partnered with HiC to bring their clinical interpretation expertise to the United States. Lorenzo Monserrat, MD PhD, CEO and Co-Founder/Scientific Director of HiC, stated, This publication, a result of years of research and development, will undoubtedly produce a change in the clinical and genetic approach to cardiomyopathies. There is no question that the FLNC gene should be included systematically in genetic studies of young patients suspected of dilated, arrhythmogenic, and restrictive cardiomyopathies. HiCs genetic knowledgebase has allowed us to provide our patients and their physicians with actionable information, helping guide treatment decisions, said Guanghui Hu, PhD, President and CEO of Admera Health. Dr. Hu continued, The addition of the FLNC gene to the primary gene list to detect Dilated and Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathies in high risk patients will be an invaluable addition to those afflicted with cardio myopic diseases. This work demonstrates HiCs commitment to making the CardioGxOne test and the corresponding report the market leader. Admera Healths Cardiovascular test portfolio consists of three products. CardioGxOne is a 213-gene panel for diagnosis of inherited cardiovascular diseases and risk of sudden death. AtheroGxOne is an 84-gene panel for the risk assessment of inherited disease related to the development of atherosclerosis. Both tests were developed in collaboration with HiC. The third test in the portfolio is the PGxCardio test, a 15-gene pharmacogenomics panel to detect gene variants that can influence a patient's response to cardiovascular drugs. In addition to cardiovascular testing, Admera Health offers clinical testing for the risk assessment and diagnosis of pharmacogenomic drug interactions, cancer supportive therapy, and tumor profiling to guide selection of targeted therapies. About Health in Code Health in Code (HiC) is a company that is focused on the genetic diagnosis of inherited cardiovascular diseases, the interpretation of genetic results, and the development of databases and knowledge management systems to provide personalized medicine. HiCs multidisciplinary team includes cardiologists, clinicians, informatics engineers, bioinformaticians, molecular biologists, pharmacologists, and documentalists. About Admera Health Admera Health is a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited advanced molecular diagnostics company focused on personalized medicine, non-invasive cancer testing, digital health, and providing research use only services. Research and development efforts are dedicated to developing cutting-edge diagnostics that span the continuum of care. Utilizing next generation technology platforms and advanced bioinformatics, Admera Health seeks to redefine disease screening, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and management through its innovative, personalized solutions. It is Admeras mission to deliver transformative, valuable solutions for patients, physicians, and clinical researchers. Admera health is committed to improving the health and well-being of the global community through the direct delivery of personalized, medically actionable results. Parking sign meter.jpg Parking rates in Harrisburg could go up or down in the near future. HARRISBURG--Drivers have complained about the parking rates in Harrisburg ever since the higher rates went into effect three years ago. But rates could go even higher this year as a debate over parking rates is brewing behind closed doors. Parking officials have asked for an increase this year in parking rates downtown to $3.50, up from $3. The request by Trimont, the company that manages the city's parking system, was listed in its 2017 budget for the parking system. The county, however, has yet to approve the budget. Instead, to try to avoid a rate increase, Commissioner Jeff Haste said county officials asked Trimont to investigate expansion of the parking area or progressive metering that could charge higher rates in certain hot spots instead of an overall increase. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse, meanwhile, has created his own proposal to lower rates downtown to $2.50 for the next two years. In exchange, the city would agree to allow more money from the parking system to flow into capital repairs. Papenfuse dropped news of the parking rate negotiations during a meeting with PennLive's editorial board Wednesday when asked what he could do to improve the parking situation. The mayor said he has been pushing back with alternative ideas at the parking system's "failed philosophy" of simply raising rates to cover expenses. It's unclear when the county and AGM may decide between the various proposals. But Papenfuse said the new rates could go into effect shortly after the decision is made. The city does not have final say over parking rates, or anything regarding parking after it leased its parking assets in late 2013 to generate money to pay off crushing debt. Instead, the county and AGM approve the budgets with oversight from the state's Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, or PEDFA. Under the current lease arrangement, the city gets priority payments from the parking system after expenses and debt obligations are paid. That means the city is in line to get paid before any money goes to capital repairs. But since revenue has lagged compared to initial projections, the system isn't generating enough cash to pay for capital repairs. As part of the current budget negotiations, city officials are willing to consider moving up the "capital repairs" line item to a position above their payments. That move could divert cash from city coffers, but it would ensure necessary capital repairs get completed. In exchange, city officials would expect reductions in operating expenses, cuts in "bonuses" and a promise to cut meter rates. Papenfuse said the "ridiculous" parking rates are hurting business growth in the city. He previously said parking rates would go up over his dead body. The mayor said the city's parking authority submitted his proposal in writing to AGM and the county's "work group" a few weeks ago, after weeks of direct meetings and negotiations. As part of the rate-reduction proposal, Papenfuse said the city would again guarantee against any losses to the parking system. If the rate-reduction translated into any losses to the parking system, the system could take the money out of payments due to the city from the parking system, the mayor said. The city's proposal marks the second time the mayor has offered to back up losses to the parking system in connection to a rate-reduction. In 2015, the mayor earmarked $285,000 with city council approval to back up a promotion to reduce happy hour parking rates to $2 per hour. The experiment was considered a success and the city didn't need to pay any money back to the parking system. Instead, the parking system maintained the lower rate from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. because it encouraged more motorists to park. A new promotion to further reduce dinner or happy hour rates down to $1 per hour was launched this year as part of another experiment. The discount was capped at 3,000 hours. John Gass, of Trimont, said the promotion through the Parkmobile app will run through May. Papenfuse said he can't get any information or data from Trimont officials about the success of the promotion. He said that's one reason he supports changing parking managers. Gass said the information is not required to be shared under the asset transfer agreement. Gass said city officials can get information about the parking system at the bi-annual parking advisory committee meetings. "The advisory committee was the solution put in place for city input into the operation of the system," Gass said. By Marc A. Scaringi During a speech at the Pennsylvania Farm Show last week marking his 100th day in office, President Donald Trump declared that the "first 100 days of my administration has been just about the most successful in our country's history." Marc A. Scaringi (PennLive file) Time will tell whether this Trumpian claim turns out to be true. What matters is not how many executive orders are issued or laws passed in the first 100 days. What matters is whether they help or harm America. The 100-day benchmark was set by Franklin Roosevelt. FDR had the most successful 100-day period in terms of new executive orders issued and laws passed. But what result? Roosevelt took office three years into the Great Depression. He called Congress into special session and kept it there for three months cranking out 15 major new laws designed to give the president near total control of the economy. Roosevelt's New Deal of massive government make-work programs, wage and price controls, tax hikes, tariff reductions and vast new regulations on nearly every business had disastrous effects on the economy. Roosevelt's policies plunged America into an even deeper depression. Even his top economic advisor, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, called the New Deal a failure. President Barack Obama took office a year into the Great Recession. In his first 100 days, Obama signed into law his signature American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the largest stimulus package ever. Through the bill, Obama would borrow and spend $1 trillion in additional relief to the unemployed, tax subsidies to "green" energy businesses and in funding for purportedly "shovel ready" infrastructure jobs. Vice President Joe Biden announced the Recovery Act would "literally dropkick us out of the recession." But America did not recover let alone prosper. Two years into his make-work jobs program even Obama admitted, "Shovel-ready was not as ... uh ... shovel-ready as we expected." After Obama spent eight years and borrowed and spent nearly 10 trillion dollars, the results have been devastating to America. Under Obama, the national debt nearly doubled, economic inequality surged, real median household income declined, home ownership dropped and the number of Americans in poverty and on food stamps soared. The real unemployment rate reached historic highs and averaged over 13 percent. Obama presided over the weakest "expansion" since 1949, with the lowest labor force participation rate in nearly four decades. He was the first president not to have a single year of at least 3 percent economic growth. Obama even broke a record set by Herbert Hoover, who is blamed for the Great Depression, for the longest period in which the economy failed to grow by at least 3 percent. Trump took office in a moribund economy on life support. Even former President Bill Clinton, speaking last year about the economy under Obama, said Americans are suffering "the awful legacy of the last eight years." Trump immediately went to work. In his first 100 days, he signed many more bills and issued many more executive orders than the lackadaisical Barack Obama. But more importantly, where Obama stimulated government, Trump is stimulating business. In his first 100 days President Trump has reversed several of Obama's job-crushing regulations on energy producers and has begun to put America First on trade. Trump approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, which will create jobs and help America become less dependent on Middle Eastern oil. He rescinded a series of Obama regulations designed to bankrupt the coal industry saving tens of thousands of jobs. Now four new coal mines are expected to open, including the new Acosta Deep coal mine in Western Pennsylvania that will create 70-100 full time jobs and another 500 indirect jobs. Trump withdrew the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership preventing more devastation to our manufacturing sector and issued executive orders designed to protect critical American industries such as steel and aluminum from illegal dumping by China and others. Most importantly, Trump has also recently announced his intent to renegotiate or terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is largely responsible for the loss of thousands of US factories and millions of American jobs. Trump will soon introduce his tax relief plan. He intends to cut corporate and individual tax rates, including a reduction in the rate paid by most small business owners, who own "pass thru" business entities such as subchapter S corps, LLCs and partnerships. The top rate would drop from 39.6 percent to 15 percent These tax cuts should lead to explosive economic growth as businesses save, reinvest, expand and hire more workers. In his first 100 days, Trump has laid some of the groundwork necessary to make America prosperous again. If Trump continues to follow through with his economic agenda, he will help usher through an American economic revival the likes of which we haven't seen since Ronald Reagan. And, then we can agree with his Trumpian claim that his first 100 days were one of the most successful in American history. Marc A. Scaringi, an attorney, is a PennLive Opinion contributor, whose work appears biweekly. He hosts "The Marc Scaringi Show," which airs Saturdays at 12 p.m. on WHP 580 AM in Harrisburg and online at iHeart Radio. He writes from Camp Hill, Pa. Screen Shot 2017-05-03 at 9.35.29 AM.jpg There's nothing glamorous about being a campaign tracker - the working stiff who follows opposing political candidates from event to event hoping to catch some whiff of scandal or a headline-making gaffe. I've known a bunch of them over the years. They're hardworking kids, usually young men, who put up with long hours, lousy food and the very real chance that the candidate they've been assigned to monitor is going to wig out on them. Back in 2002, during former Gov. Ed Rendell's brutal Democratic primary fight with now U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Phil Press was just such a guy. He started popping up at events, unobtrusively taping Rendell, hoping that the garrulous ex-Philly Mayor would say something that would land him in hot water. Not that Rendell needed that much help. But Rendell being Rendell, he and the campaign eventually adopted Press, now a Philly attorney, as kind of a mascot. Rendell would point him out in the crowd and get a laugh. That's the right way to deal with campaign tracker. What Sen. Scott Wagner did down in York on Tuesday, is exactly the wrong way. In case you missed it, the 2018 GOP gubernatorial candidate was giving a speech at The Country Club of York when he spotted a camera-wielding tracker for the liberal interest group American Bridge 21st Century. Video clips from the confrontation, in which an angry Wagner snatches away the camera, are an object lesson in how not to deal with a tracker. "You're about the see your senator in action," Wagner said, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, as he unhitched his lapel pin and strode, all Clint Eastwood-like over to the unidentified tracker. Wagner then seizes the camera and walks away. Undeterred, the tracker, who can be heard saying several times, "Would you give me my property back, sir," took out a cellphone camera and continued recording. "You just assaulted me," the tracker says, according to The Inquirer's account. "No I didn't assault you," Wagner responds. The tracker claimed the confrontation left him with a bloody finger. Police were eventually called to the scene. But no charges were filed. Speaking to The Inquirer's Angela Couloumbis, Wagner insisted he was in the right, arguing that the American Bridge tracker was trespassing on private property and shouldn't have been there. And maybe Wagner's right. Maybe the guy was trespassing and shouldn't have been there. But you know what? Trackers are a fact of life on the campaign trail and they have been for more than a decade. And they can blow up campaigns. Don't believe me? Think of the name George Allen and the chances are pretty good the only thing you remember about him is his infamous "Macaca" gaffe from 2006. As a gubernatorial candidate, Wagner is going to have his every word, every action, every gesture, disassembled and parsed and then disassembled and parsed again. And the one thing - the one thing - you never do, is do what he just did. Because as you can see from the videos up there, he doesn't come off well. In a single fit of temper, Wagner just handed American Bridge footage they can use to hammer him in campaign commercials from now until November 2018, assuming he lasts that long. That's because, in just about two weeks, western Pennsylvania businessman Paul Mango is going to finally jump into the GOP guvstakes. And he, too, now has material to use against his primary opponent. And if both Mango and the Dems want to argue that Wagner is an unstable, AA-version of Donald Trump who doesn't have the temperament to run the nation's sixth-most populous state, he just gave them a pretty ironclad example. Wagner should have ignored the guy. Or called him out as part of the evil liberal establishment he'd fight against as governor. The last thing he should have done was tangle with him. Because it makes him look like a bully. And it was an unforced error that will come back to bite him. FILE - In this Monday, June 4, 2012, file photo, a girl looks at Facebook on her computer in Palo Alto, Calif. In a blog post Wednesday, May 3, 2017, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company will hire another 3,000 people to review videos of crime and suicides following murders shown live. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File) NEW YORK, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GAZIT-GLOBE LTD., a leading global real estate company focused on the ownership, development and management of commercial real estate in major urban markets, today announced the formation of a new subsidiary company, Gazit Horizons, Inc., to invest in income producing real estate throughout the United States. The new company, with offices in Miami and New York City, will seek to acquire assets in targeted markets throughout the country, with a focus on major metro markets and the growing urban cores of certain gateway cities. The company intends to invest in larger properties with mixed-use potential and will look for unique opportunities to uncover value through diversity of use as well as redevelopment and proactive asset management. Gazit has named Jeffrey Mooallem as President and Chief Executive Officer of Gazit Horizons. A 19-year veteran of the real estate industry, Mr. Mooallem most recently was a Managing Director at Federal Realty Investment Trust; and prior to that held executive positions at Equity One, Inc. and privately held Turnberry Associates in Miami, FL. We are very excited to be announcing the formation of Gazit Horizons, and equally as excited that Jeff has agreed to come on board to lead the team, said Dori J. Segal, CEO of Gazit Globe, Ltd. "With the recent merger of our former U.S. subsidiary, Equity One, Gazit Globes business in the United States is now leveraged to a low level that makes additional U.S. investment compelling and accretive for our shareholders, while at the same time allowing us to use other sources of capital and cash flow to continue to pay down debt in Israel. Drawing from the experience Gazit has had with investments in other markets globally, this new company will implement an investment strategy that is more typical of a private equity investor, but with a much longer time horizon using predominantly its own capital. Adding the U.S. platform under Jeffs leadership marks another important step forward in advancing Gazits strategic objectives in the U.S. and our focus on direct real estate investments. The chance to work again with a company of Gazits stature and build a new investment platform in the United States is a special and unique opportunity, said Jeff Mooallem, President and CEO of Gazit Horizons. With our collective experience and relationships in the industry, we are well positioned to acquire assets in some of the strongest and fastest growing markets in the country. We will utilize our experience and capital structure to acquire larger and more complicated assets across multiple product types, and create additional value through asset management, redevelopment and repurposing. I am very grateful to Gazit for this exciting opportunity and look forward to building the best team and best portfolio possible to execute our strategic objectives. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In the United States, these statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks detailed in our public filings with the SEC and the Canadian Securities Administrators. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. ABOUT GAZIT GLOBE LTD. Gazit Globe is a Global owner, developer and operator of high quality necessity-driven supermarket-anchored retail properties in urban markets. Gazit Globe is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:GZT), the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:GZT) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE:GZT) and is included in the TA-35 Index in Israel. As of December 31, 2016, Gazit Globe owns and operates 426 properties in more than 20 countries, with a gross leasable area of approximately 6.6 million square meters (approximately 71 million square feet) and a total value of approximately US$ 22 billion. French English Dutch The Board of Directors of Orange Belgium has nominated Mr Johan Deschuyffeleer as the new Chairman with a mandate of four years. Johan Deschuyffeleer, who has a profound expertise in digital and B2B, is member of the Board of Directors of Orange Belgium since 2011. He is also member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and is chairing the Strategic Committee. The Board of Directors has also nominated Mrs Nadine Lemaitre Vice-President of the Board of Directors. Both will take up their new mandate as of today. Jan Steyaert leaves his functions at the Board of Directors of Orange Belgium after more than 20 years. Notably, Jan Steyaert contributed to the creation of Mobistar, alongside John Cordier and France Telecom. As Chairman for more than 15 years, he guided the enterprise through some of the major milestones in its history: Mobistar's emergence on the market, first focusing on creating competition on the mobile market and today, under the Orange brand, on the fixed market (TV/internet); investments in networks/spectrums; management of the transfer of power between successive CEOs and management of important topics between the majority shareholder and the other shareholders (represented by independent directors) such as the adoption of the Orange brand in 2016. Gervais Pellissier, Deputy CEO of the Orange Group in charge of Europe, declared: "I am happy that the Orange Group has had the chance to count Jan Steyaert as member and Chairman of the Orange Belgium Board. Jan has been vital for Orange Belgium's successful development for over 20 years, ever since its creation. His professional values and ethics within the Orange Belgium Board have been exemplary. We could not thank him enough for his contribution." The Board of Directors of Orange Belgium would like to thank Jan Steyaert for his strong commitment, the quality of his work as Director and subsequently as Chairman, and his exemplary management of strategic topics for the company. About Orange Belgium Orange Belgium is one of the leading telecommunication operators on the Belgian market, with over 3 million customers, and in Luxembourg through its subsidiary Orange Communications Luxembourg. As a convergent actor, we provide mobile telecommunication services, internet and TV to private clients, as well as innovative mobile and fixed line services to businesses. Our high-performance mobile network supports 2G, 3G, 4G and 4G+ technology and is the subject of ongoing investments. Orange Belgium is a subsidiary of the Orange Group, one of the leading European and African operators for mobile telephony and internet access, as well as one of the world leaders for telecommunication services to enterprises. Orange Belgium is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange (OBEL). More information on: corporate.orange.be, www.orange.be or follow us on Twitter : @pressOrangeBe. Press contact Annelore Marynissen - annelore.marynissen@orange.com - +32 (0) 479 01 60 58 Jean-Pascal Bouillon - jean-pascal.bouillon@orange.com - +32 (0) 473 94 87 31 press@orange.be Contact investors Siddy Jobe - ir@orange.be - +32(0)2 745 80 92 Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use. This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it. Gretchen Whitmer wins second term as Michigan governor Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican challenger Tudor Dixon in the Michigan governor race in the 2022 midterm election to earn a second term. NEW YORK, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeSci Advisors, LLC (the "Company" or "LifeSci"), the leading international investor relations and corporate communications firm dedicated to the life sciences sector, today announced the appointment of Tara Hartigan as a Director in the Companys Corporate Access department. The addition of Mrs. Hartigan is representative of LifeScis continued commitment to providing the highest level of service to its clients by broadening access to the institutional investor community. Based in New York, Mrs. Hartigan has over 17 years of capital markets experience. Prior to joining LifeSci, Mrs. Hartigan was a Managing Director at Jefferies LLC, focused on Research Sales and Corporate Access in the New York and Mid-Atlantic regions. She began her career at Adams, Harkness and Hill in Boston and remained with the firm through its merger with Canaccord Genuity in 2006. Mrs. Hartigan was a Managing Director at Canaccord Genuity until 2012, where she was responsible for Research Sales in the same regions. Mrs. Hartigan has significant experience marketing life sciences companies, as well as long-standing relationships with numerous institutional investors. Mrs. Hartigan is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island. "We are pleased to have Tara join our team. She is a key addition to a global team of professionals with deep domain expertise in the life sciences and significant relationships within the investment community, said Michael Rice, President and Co-Founder of LifeSci Advisors. "LifeSci has continuously enhanced its Corporate Access capabilities to better serve the needs of our clients. The firm now offers clients the opportunity to conduct institutional and high-net worth retail non-deal roadshows globally. I am pleased to be joining LifeScis platform at a particularly exciting time for the firm, said Mrs. Hartigan. LifeScis capabilities and its geographic reach are unique among healthcare-focused investor relations firms. I look forward to leveraging my industry expertise and deep relationships with institutional investors to provide a valuable service to the firms clients as a member of its Corporate Access team. Over the past several months, LifeSci has dramatically broadened its Corporate Access platform through investments in talent and resources. In addition to Mrs. Hartigan, the firm also recently added managing directors, Floriane Meyer (institutional corporate access in Switzerland and pan-European high-net worth retail), and Anne Chofflet (institutional corporate access in France and Germany). In the process, the firms Corporate Access platform has expanded globally, conducting non-deal roadshows in North America, Israel and throughout Western Europe. LifeSci Advisors, LLC (www.lifesciadvisors.com) is a unique investor relations consultancy founded to provide companies in the life sciences a comprehensive solution to investor communications and outreach. With a local presence in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, London, Geneva and Tel Aviv, the firm provides the highest quality service for its clients through its deep sector specialization. Our roster of PhDs enables us to better understand our clients' R&D, regulatory, and commercial strategy, and our team of financial services, investor relations, and public relations specialists help our clients effectively communicate to the marketplace. This combination of life sciences, financial services, and investor relations competencies allows us to provide a valuable and unique service offering to our clients. LifeSci Partners (www.lifescipartners.com) is the leading provider of comprehensive consulting services in the areas of investor relations, corporate communications, public relations and capital markets advisory. Combining deep domain expertise in the life sciences and decades of experience in capital markets and public relations, we deliver unparalleled services to life sciences companies globally. LifeSci Partners has a physical presence in New York, Chicago, London, Geneva and Israel. Saudi Arabia's SABIC 'very positive' on 2017 despite oil market uncertainty DUBAI Petroleumworld 05 03 2017 Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is "very positive" about 2017 despite global challenges, its chief executive said on Tuesday. Yousef Abdullah al-Benyan told reporters in Riyadh the firm was monitoring the global situation, but it was difficult to predict prices due to the uncertainty in oil markets. Al-Benyan was speaking a day after the petrochemical maker reported an 80 percent jump in net profit from a year earlier in the first quarter of 2017. Al-Benyan said SABIC had no plans to raise new debt, but might consider refinancing. The company is aiming to become the world's third biggest petrochemical maker by growing its existing businesses and by making acquisitions, Al-Benyan said, adding SABIC was currently ranked number four. Brit's brexit plan poses a risk to nuclear industry LONDON Petroleumworld 05 03 2017 Britain's plan to leave the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) when it quits the European Union will severely hinder nuclear trade and research, and threaten power supplies, a UK parliamentary committee said in a report on Tuesday. The government says Britain must leave Euratom as part of its goal to end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice when the country leaves the EU. Experts have said that if Britain leaves Euratom, there is a risk of new-build projects being delayed or put on hold while new stand-alone nuclear cooperation treaties are negotiated with countries in the EU and outside it. Euratom is the EU's framework for nuclear energy safety and development, establishing a European market for goods and services and compliance with international safeguards to control the use of uranium and plutonium. Although it is legally separate from the EU, it has the same members and is governed by EU institutions. In a report, the cross-party Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said the gap between Britain leaving Euratom and setting up alternative arrangements would hamper nuclear trade, research and nuclear energy supplies. "The impact of Brexit on Euratom has not been thought through. The government has failed to consider the potentially severe ramifications of its Brexit objectives for the nuclear industry," said Iain Wright, chair of the committee and a lawmaker from the main opposition Labour party. The committee said the government should delay Britain's exit from Euratom until new arrangements are set up. Britain needs to invest in new infrastructure to replace aging coal and nuclear plants set to close in the 2020s, but has struggled to get large projects, especially nuclear, built. EDF's 18 billion pound ($23 billion) Hinkley Point C nuclear project in southwest England got the final go-ahead in 2016 after several years of delay, but only after securing backing from the French government. A separate report, published by the cross-party House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, called on the government to set its strategy for Britain's nuclear future if more new projects, including small modular nuclear reactors (SMR), are to be built. "If the government's aim is for the UK to be active across the main areas of nuclear R&D it needs to make significant investments in new technologies or we risk falling behind the rest of the world," committee chairman John Palmer said. Early last year Britain committed 250 million pounds to nuclear research, including a competition to identify the best-value SMR design for the country. However it has yet to publish the results, frustrating project developers. SMRs use existing or new nuclear technology scaled down to a fraction of the size of larger plants. ($1 = 0.7748 pounds) Saudi's deputy crown prince sees no chance for dialogue with Iran DUBAI Petroleumworld 05 03 2017 Saudi Arabia's powerful deputy crown prince has ruled out any dialogue with Iran, a country he said was busy plotting to control the Muslim world. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi defence minister, said in a TV interview to be broadcast later on Tuesday his country could crush Iran-aligned fighters in Yemen where Saudi forces head a coalition of Gulf Arab states intervening in a civil war. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran compete for influence in the Middle East, supporting rival groups in Syria's civil war. In Yemen, Iran denies providing financial or military support to the Houthis who are fighting government forces allied with Saudi Arabia. Asked if Saudi Arabia was ready to open a direct dialogue with Tehran, Mohammed said it was impossible to talk with a power that was planning for the return of the Imam Mahdi - whom Shi'ites believe was a descendent of the Prophet who went into hiding 1,000 years ago and will return to establish global Islamic rule before the end of the world. "How do you have a dialogue with this (Iran)?" Mohammed said in clips of the interview posted on social media. "Its (Iran's) logic is that the Imam Mahdi will come and they must prepare the fertile environment for the arrival of the awaited Mahdi and they must control the Muslim world." Under Iran's constitution since the 1979 revolution, the country's supreme leader is the earthly representative of the Imam until his return. Asked to respond to reports that after two years of war and Saudi's military intervention the Houthis, aligned to ex-Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, still control large swathes of Yemen and large quantities of weapons, Prince Mohammed said: "We can uproot the Houthis and Saleh in a matter of days." In the clips available in advance of the broadcast he did not elaborate on the Saudi strategy for Yemen. Houston Chronicle/ Michael Ciaglo Pedro Parente Petrobras' CEO, said Petrobras adding refineries to asset sales as CEO seeks cash, wants to leave Petrobras' troubles in the past. HOUSTON Petroleumworld 05 03 2017 The Petrobras asset sales are far from over, and they will now include refineries. Pedro Parente, the chief executive officer on a mission to get the Brazilian oil giant back on its feet, plans to put another 40 assets on offer, worth about $42 billion, as he seeks to reduce a massive debt load and develop some of the world's largest oil finds this century. The value, double the divestiture goal for this year and the next, should ensure the target is met, Parente said in an interview in Houston. The company has already raised $13.6 billion since 2015 by selling oil fields, pipelines and other assets. Soon, really soon, the company will relaunch the program at full speed to meet our goal of $21 billion of divestitures and partnerships in 2017 and 2018, Parent said. The assets are more or less the same, but now we'll also bring refining to the conversation. Petrobras is unloading assets to slash about $119 billion of debt, the most of any publicly trade oil company, as it strives to rebuild investor confidence after a massive pay-to-play scandal and the lowering of its debt rating to junk in 2015. Shares rose 1.8 percent to 14.22 reais at 11:17 a.m. in Sao Paulo. While the new list of assets for sale will include refineries that were cited as possible targets in the company's business plan, that idea had never advanced before, Parente said. Petroleo Brasileiro SA , as the Rio de Janeiro-based producer is formally known, will start publishing the infrastructure and oil fields up for sale in weeks and sees enormous demand from international oil companies looking to expand in Brazil, he said. Sales suspended by court injunctions, such as the BR Distribuidora fuel unit and the Bauna field, are on the list but the company will wait until the legal hurdles are solved before making any announcement on those assets. Petrobras is still looking to sell its stake in petrochemicals producer Braskem SA once it resolves an obstacle related to a shareholders agreement, he said. Brazil's audit court halted the process late last year, demanding more transparency to guarantee the most competition possible. In March the court allowed sales to resume under new procedures. A separate court in Sergipe state continues to challenge some of the deals, which Petrobras has said it will fight to overturn. That's how privatizations happen in Brazil, unfortunately, with an ideological stance, Parente said. This has happened in the past, and at the end of the day the company was able to make its case. SAN CARLOS, Calif., May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alliance Memory today announced that TJ Mueller has joined the company as vice president of marketing. In his new role, Mr. Mueller will be responsible for positioning the company for growth in new markets, bolstering its product offering through the acquisition of new products, and establishing relationships with other leading-edge semiconductor companies for the development of reference designs for various applications. Mr. Mueller has over 20 years of experience in business development, marketing, product management, and sales for leading semiconductor companies. Most recently, he served as business manager for the Communications Business Unit at Altera Corporation, which was acquired by Intel in 2016. Previously, he held the positions of director of corporate business development and product management at Integrated Device Technology (IDT); vice president of marketing at NetLogic Microsystems (later acquired by Broadcom); and product manager for memory products at Hitachi Semiconductor America. Ive known TJ since the 1990s, when he was managing the DRAM business at Hitachi America while I managed the SRAM market, said David Bagby, president and CEO of Alliance Memory. In the years since, he has established an impressive track record of success in the semiconductor industry in a variety of management roles. With TJ as our vice president of marketing, Alliance Memory is well positioned for continued and accelerated growth. Alliance Memory has become an indispensable resource for manufacturers around the world who need a flexible and reliable source of memory ICs for their products, said Mr. Mueller. The company continues to rewrite the playbook for how this semiconductor industry supports customers over the long term, and Im looking forward to helping create the next several chapters in this compelling story. Mr. Mueller holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Stanford University. He is located in San Carlos, California, and reports to David Bagby. About Alliance Memory Inc. Alliance Memory is a worldwide provider of critical and hard-to-find DRAM and SRAM memory ICs for the communications, computing, consumer electronics, medical, automotive, and industrial markets. The companys product range includes DRAMs and SRAMs with commercial, industrial, and automotive operating temperature ranges and densities from 64Kb to 8Gb. Privately held, Alliance Memory maintains headquarters in San Carlos, California, and regional offices in Europe, Asia, and South America. More information about Alliance Memory is available online at www.alliancememory.com. Editor resources: Link to photograph of TJ Mueller: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alliancememory/33551975834/sizes/l The life and art of acclaimed painter Barkley L. Hendricks, who died suddenly April 18, will be celebrated May 28 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he completed four years of study in 1967. PAFA announced a slew of speakers for the memorial, including David R. Brigham, head of the academy; Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem; Melissa McClinton, Mr. Hendricks' niece; Richard J. Powell, dean of the humanities and professor of art and art history at Duke University; Trevor Schoonmaker, curator at Duke's Nasher Museum of Art; and Richard Watson, exhibitions manager and artist in residence at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Jazz pianist Randy Weston will perform. Mr. Hendricks, born and raised in Philadelphia, went on from PAFA to Yale University, where he received his BFA and MFA. His work was focused on the figure, specifically the black figure, which he rendered in sometimes gritty, sometimes elegant splendor. Mr. Hendricks taught for many years at Connecticut College in New London, where he lived, and he visited many other institutions, including PAFA, as both critic and teacher. Mr. Hendricks received numerous awards for his work, which is in the collections of many of the nation's major museums. In 2008, the Nasher Museum of Art organized a 57-painting career retrospective, "Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool." That show traveled to PAFA in 2009. The memorial will be followed by a reception at PAFA, Broad and Cherry Streets. NAPANEE, Ontario, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ABCANN GLOBAL CORPORATION (TSX-V:ABCN) (formerly Panda Capital Inc.) (ABcann or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has completed its Qualifying Transaction (as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV)) (the Transaction), pursuant to which it acquired all of the outstanding securities of ABcann Medicinals Inc. (ABcann Medicinals), a licensed Canadian cannabis producer. The Company expects to resume trading as a Tier 2 Industrial Issuer on the TSXV under the symbol ABCN at market open on Thursday, May 4, 2017. In connection with the closing of the Transaction (the Closing), the Company: changed its name to ABcann Global Corporation; completed a private placement of subscription receipts (each, a Subscription Receipt ) for aggregate gross proceeds of $11.8 million; ) for aggregate gross proceeds of $11.8 million; completed a private placement of secured convertible debentures (the Debentures ) in the aggregate principal amount of $15 million; and ) in the aggregate principal amount of $15 million; and appointed Aaron Keay, Kenneth Clement, Paul Lucas, John Easson, Daryl Kramp and Andrew LaCroix as directors, and Aaron Keay, Ying (Jenny) Guan, Neil Kapp and Andrew LaCroix as officers of the Company, all as further described in this news release and in the Companys filing statement dated March 31, 2017 (the Filing Statement) with respect to the Transaction. ABcann Medicinals, based in Napanee, Ontario, was founded in 2012. It obtained its initial license for cultivation of medical cannabis from Health Canada in 2014, followed by a license to sell in 2015, and commenced commercial sales in 2016. ABcann Medicinals has: raised over $43 million in capital since incorporation; a fully-operational 14,500 square foot facility with production capacity of 1,000 kilograms annually; plans to commence development of a 71,000 square foot facility with production capacity of 20,000 kilograms per year; re-order rates in excess of 94%, among the highest in the sector; and a strong advisory team led by the father of cannabis, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam. This is a historical day for ABcann as we conclude the process to becoming publicly listed. The ABcann team has done a remarkable job preparing us for this moment, where we will look to grow and deliver a repeatable standardized quality product not only in Canada, but internationally, said Kenneth Clement, Founder and Executive Chairman. We would also like to thank our board of directors for their years of commitment and our loyal shareholders who helped us complete our initial fully operational facility with their funding. We view this as the next chapter for ABcann as we look to deliver on our mission of changing lives globally by delivering our high quality, consistent and pesticide free product to patients around the world. ABcanns IPO is a significant milestone for the Company as we look to aggressively expand our domestic production facilities and international opportunities, said ABcann director and CEO, Aaron Keay. The capital raised concurrently with the closing of this transaction will allow us to scale our already proven high quality, consistent and proprietary growing techniques, enabling us to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity in the medical cannabis market. In so doing, ABcann will become a premier choice for patients who want a consistent, standardized product that they can rely on. Closing of Qualifying Transaction In connection with the Closing, the Companys wholly-owned subsidiary amalgamated with ABcann Medicinals under the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), with the amalgamated company being named ABcann Medicinals Inc. and now being a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company issued one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a Share) to each former shareholder of ABcann Medicinals, on a one for one basis. Convertible securities of ABcann Medicinals will now be convertible into Shares (instead of shares in the capital of ABcann Medicinals) with the other terms of such securities, including conversion prices and expiry dates, to remain the same. After giving effect to the completion of the Transaction and the conversion of the Subscription Receipts, there are 99,626,679 Shares issued and outstanding (on an undiluted basis), with approximately 30% of the Shares (on an undiluted basis) held by insiders. New Board of Directors and Management Team In connection with the Closing, the Company welcomes a new board of directors and management team. The Company will be led by Aaron Keay, who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, and Kenneth Clement, who has been appointed as Executive Chair. In addition, Paul Lucas, John Easson, Daryl Kramp and Andrew LaCroix have been appointed as new directors of the Company. Ying (Jenny) Guan has been appointed Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, Neil Kapp has been appointed Chief Operating Officer and Andrew LaCroix has been appointed Vice-President of Business Development. Paul Barbeau, Kees Van Winters, Michael Franks and Bryan deBettencourt have resigned as directors and officers of the Company and the Company thanks them for their service in bringing the Company to completion of its Qualifying Transaction. Closing of Subscription Receipt Financings Immediately prior to the Closing, the Company completed: a brokered private placement pursuant to which it sold an aggregate of 13,407,689 Subscription Receipts at a price of $0.80 per Subscription Receipt (the Issue Price ) for gross proceeds of $10,726,151.20 (the Brokered Financing ), and ) for gross proceeds of $10,726,151.20 (the ), and a non-brokered private placement pursuant to which it sold an aggregate of 1,342,311 Subscription Receipts at the Issue Price for gross proceeds of $1,073,848.80 (the Non-Brokered Financing and, together with the Brokered Financing, the Subscription Receipt Financings), for aggregate gross proceeds of $11,800,000.00. As previously announced, Canaccord Genuity Corp. (Canaccord Genuity) and PI Financial Corp. (together with Canaccord Genuity, the Agents) acted as agents in respect of the Brokered Financing. The gross proceeds of the Brokered Financing (the Brokered Escrowed Funds) were deposited into escrow with TSX Trust Company, as escrow agent (the Escrow Agent), pursuant to the terms of a subscription receipt agreement dated April 28, 2017 (the Subscription Receipt Agreement) among the Company, the Escrow Agent and Canaccord Genuity, pending satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions (as defined in the Subscription Receipt Agreement), which included that all conditions precedent to the closing of the Transaction, other than the filing of articles of amalgamation, be satisfied or waived and that all conditions precedent to the closing of the Debenture Financing (as defined herein) be satisfied or waived to the satisfaction of the Agents. The Escrow Release Conditions were satisfied on the same day. The gross proceeds of the Non-Brokered Financing (the Non-Brokered Escrowed Funds) were deposited into escrow with the Companys legal counsel pursuant to the terms of an escrow agreement dated April 28, 2017 (the Escrow Agreement) between the Company and the Companys legal counsel, pending satisfaction of the Escrow Release Condition (as defined in the Escrow Agreement), which was substantially similar to the Escrow Release Conditions set out in the Subscription Receipt Agreement, and was also satisfied on the same day. Because the Escrow Release Conditions under both the Subscription Receipt Agreement and the Escrow Agreement were satisfied on the same day as the closing of the Subscription Receipt Financings: (i) the Brokered Escrowed Funds (less the cash portion of the Agents Fee (as defined herein) and the Agents expenses, which were released to the Agents), and (ii) the Non-Brokered Escrowed Funds were released to the Company, and each Subscription Receipt converted into one Share without payment of additional consideration or further action on the part of the holders thereof. In connection with the Brokered Financing, the Company: (i) paid the Agents a cash commission of $743,400, of which $408,369 was settled by the issuance of an aggregate of 510,462 Shares at the Issue Price (the Agents Fee), (ii) issued the Agents an aggregate of 929,250 compensation options, each of which entitles the holder to acquire one Share at the Issue Price until April 28, 2019, and (iii) reimbursed the Agents for their reasonable expenses in connection with the Brokered Financing. Closing of Debenture Financing The Company also completed a non-brokered private placement of Debentures in the aggregate principal amount of $15 million (the Debenture Financing and, together with the Subscription Receipt Financings, the Concurrent Financings), with two industry leading institutional investors, having a conversion price equal to a 30% premium to the Issue Price of the Subscription Receipts. The Debentures: mature on April 28, 2020 and bear interest at the rate of 10% per annum, commencing on the issue date of the Debentures, payable semi-annually on the last day of June and December of each year; are secured by a security interest over all of the assets of the Company and each of its subsidiaries; and are convertible at the option of the holders into Shares at any time prior to the close of business on the maturity date at a conversion price (the Conversion Price) equal to an amount which represents a 30% premium to the Issue Price per Subscription Receipt. Given that the Issue Price per Subscription Receipt was $0.80, it is expected that the Conversion Price will be $1.04 per Share. In the event that the Company completes a subsequent equity financing at a price below the Conversion Price, the Conversion Price will be adjusted downward to the price per Share of any subsequent equity financing, subject to a floor price equal to the Issue Price. If, at any time prior to the maturity date, the volume weighted average price of the Shares on the TSXV (or such other stock exchange or quotation system as the Shares are then principally listed or quoted) for any consecutive 10 day trading period is greater than $1.80, the Company, at its sole option, may, at any time thereafter, force a conversion of the Debentures. All outstanding indebtedness of the Company (other than the Replacement Debentures (as defined herein)) was subordinated to the Debentures as of the closing of the Debenture Financing. In connection with the closing of the Debenture Financing, the Company also issued to the investors under the Debenture Financing: new secured convertible debentures in the aggregate principal amount of $5,262,500 (the Replacement Debentures ) in exchange for existing debentures in the aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 issued by ABcann Medicinals (the ABcann Debentures ) to the investors under the Debenture Financing, with the principal amount of the Replacement Debentures representing the original principal amount of the ABcann Debentures plus accrued interest thereon to the Closing, and with the other terms of the Replacement Debentures being substantially similar to those of the ABcann Debentures; ) in exchange for existing debentures in the aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 issued by ABcann Medicinals (the ) to the investors under the Debenture Financing, with the principal amount of the Replacement Debentures representing the original principal amount of the ABcann Debentures plus accrued interest thereon to the Closing, and with the other terms of the Replacement Debentures being substantially similar to those of the ABcann Debentures; an aggregate of 4,406,250 warrants, each of which is exercisable to acquire one Share at any time until April 28, 2019 at an exercise price of $0.80 per Share, 3,906,250 of which were issued pursuant to the terms of the ABcann Debentures; and an aggregate of 15 million warrants that will vest and become exercisable on July 1, 2018 if the Company has not completed, on or before that date, one or more financings for aggregate proceeds of at least $18 million through: (i) the exercise of outstanding warrants or a new equity issuance from treasury (or a combination of both); (ii) a debt facility acceptable to the lead subscribers in the Debenture Financing, or (iii) a combination of both. Additional details regarding the terms of these warrants and the Debentures, including certain adjustment and acceleration provisions in connection therewith, are more particularly disclosed in the Filing Statement. The proceeds of the Concurrent Financings will be primarily be used for expansion of the existing ABcann Vanluven facility, development and construction of the proposed ABcann Kimmett facility, research and development, negotiation of international licensing and distribution agreements, and general working capital purposes. All securities issued in connection with the Concurrent Financings (including, for greater certainty, the Shares), are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day expiring on August 29, 2017, and such other hold periods as required under applicable securities laws. Grant of Stock Options and RSUs In connection with the Closing, the Company also granted an aggregate of 1,079,000 stock options and 2,972,888 restricted share units, as further described in the Filing Statement. No securities of the Company (including, for greater certainty, the Shares) have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or the securities laws of any state, district or commonwealth of the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act). Accordingly, these securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of any U.S. Person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act), absent an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release in the United States or any jurisdiction where such offer or sale would be unlawful, or for the account or benefit of any U.S. Person or person within the United States. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Aaron Keay Aaron Keay Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information, please contact Aaron Keay by phone at (604) 323-6911 or by email at aaron@abcannglobal.com OR Leo Karabelas by phone (416) 543-3120 or by email at leo.k@abcannglobal.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the Companys future business plans. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements relating the use of proceeds of the Concurrent Financings, ABcanns future site development and expansion plans, and ABcanns plans to grow and deliver a repeatable standardized quality product. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including that: the proceeds of the Concurrent Financings may not be allocated as currently contemplated or factors may arise which cause the Companys currently contemplated expansion and development plans to cease or otherwise change. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Icelandic English (All amounts in EUR) Q1 2017 Robust order intake and solid operational performance Revenue for Q1 2017 totaled 252.5m [Q1 2016: 220.6m]. On a pro forma basis, revenue in Q1 2016 was 233.9m. EBITDA for Q1 2017 was 46.0m or 18.2% of revenue [Q1 2016: EBITDA 38.2m or 17.3% of revenue]. Pro forma EBITDA in Q1 2016 was 42.5m or 18.2% of revenue. EBIT* for Q1 2017 was 37.7m or 14.9% of revenue [Q1 2016: EBIT* 31.1m or 14.1% of revenue]. Pro forma EBIT* in Q1 2016 was 35.2m or 15.1% of revenue. Net result for Q1 2017 was 21.3m [Q1 2016: 13.8m]. Basic earnings per share were 2.99 euro cents in Q1 2017 [Q1 2016: 1.93 euro cents]. Cash flow from operating activities before interest and tax in Q1 2017 was 37.9m [Q1 2016: 27.9m]. Net debt/EBITDA was x2.19 at the end of Q1 2017. The order book was at 390.3m at the end of Q1 2017 compared with 349.5m at the end of Q4 2016 [Q1 2016: 339.9m]. Marel started the year on a strong note. Order intake was robust at 293 million in the quarter. The order intake was well balanced between industries, products and geographies. The order book is at an all-time high of 390 million compared to 340 million at the same time last year. Revenue was 252 million with 14.9% EBIT*. Cash flow and operational performance were strong. In Q1, Marel declared a dividend and purchased own shares in the amount of 22.1 million. Net debt/EBITDA was x2.19 at the end of the quarter, which is within the range of the targeted capital structure. Marel has secured an extension to and amendments of its long term financing at favorable terms and conditions reflecting its financial strength and current market conditions. The all senior loan facilities are approximately 640 million EUR with initial interest terms EURIBOR/LIBOR +185 bps that will vary in line with Marels leverage ratio (Net debt/EBITDA) at the end of each quarter. The final maturity is in May 2022. This provides Marel with increased strategic and operational flexibility to support the ambitious growth plan introduced at Marels Annual General Meeting in March 2017. Arni Oddur Thordarson, CEO: 2017 started on a strong note for Marel with increased revenue, operational profit and order intake. Organic revenue growth between years is 8% with a solid EBIT* nearing 15% of revenue. We are now reaping the benefits of ongoing investments in innovation and strengthening of our full line offering. Order intake is robust and well balanced between poultry, meat and fish around the globe. Marels cash flow and financials are strong. We are pleased to announce an extension to and amendments of our financing agreement which provides us with increased operational and strategic flexibility to support our ambitious growth plan. I would like to thank our customers and employees for their engagement and good cooperation. Together we are transforming the way food is processed. Markets In Q1 2017, order intake was robust at 293 million. Orders are well balanced between industries, products and geographies. Large orders for customers in the poultry, meat and fish industries were secured in Asia, North-America and Europe during the quarter. Marel is the leading global provider of advanced processing systems and services to the poultry, meat and fish industries. Marel continues to introduce a steady stream of innovative products to the market that will continue to increase the customers value and advance food processing going forward. Marel Poultry Marel Poultry started 2017 on a strong note, showing solid operational profit margins and strong volume. Marel Poultry generated 135.0 million in revenue and 22.3 million EBIT (16.5% of revenue) in Q1 2017. Projects were well distributed geographically and between different products. In Q1, a Greenfield project was secured in Russia and a large order was secured in Germany. Marel is reaping the benefits of a steady flow of highly innovative solutions introduced to its markets. Marel Meat Q1 2017 was a strong quarter for Marel Meat with good operational margins, order intake and volume. A large Greenfield project was secured in South-Korea as well as numerous important projects worldwide. Marels full line offering in the meat industry is well perceived by customers and various cross- and upselling sales were secured. Marel Meat generated 85.1 million in revenue and 12.7 million EBIT* (14.8% of revenue) in Q1 2017. Marel Fish In Q1 2017, Marel Fish continued to secure good order intake on the back of a record intake in the previous quarter. Following a strategic shift in 2016, operational results have improved. The FleXicut is now taking the first steps into the onboard and salmon segment through innovative partnerships with customers. Marel Fish generated 30.2 million in revenue and 2.0 million EBIT (6.6% of revenue) in Q1 2017. Financial items Cash flow and investments The balance sheet is healthy and net interest bearing debt amounted to 401.4 million at quarter-end Q1 2017, compared to 486.0 million in Q1 2016. Operational cash flow before interest and tax was 37.9 million for Q1 2017 compared to 27.9 million in Q1 2016. In Q1, Marel declared a dividend and purchased own shares in the amount of 22.1 million. Net debt/EBITDA is x2.19 which is within the range of the targeted capital structure. Marel continues to invest in the business to prepare for future growth and full potential, which is in line with previous communication. Investment activities are expected to be, on average, above normalized levels for the coming period. In Q1 2017, Marel purchased 2.5 million treasury shares for a total amount of 6.8 million in order to fulfill its obligations according to employee stock option agreements. At the end of Q1 2017 Marel has 24.0 million treasury shares (end of Q4 2016: 21.5 million treasury shares). There are 11.8 million outstanding stock options at the end of Q1 2017. Marel amends and extends financing facilities Marel has secured an extension to and amendment of its long term financing at favorable terms and conditions reflecting its financial strength and current market conditions. The all senior loan facilities are approximately 640 million EUR and include a EUR 325 million revolving credit facility, a EUR 243 million term loan as well as a USD 75 million term loan. The initial interest terms are EURIBOR/LIBOR +185 bps and will vary in line with Marels leverage ratio (Net debt/EBITDA) at the end of each quarter. The final maturity is in May 2022. This provides Marel with increased strategic and operational flexibility to support the ambitious growth plan introduced at Marels Annual General Meeting in March 2017. The agreement is in final documentation. Outlook Marel is targeting 12% average annual revenue growth in the next 10 years Marels management expects 4-6% average annual market growth in the long term Marel aims to grow organically faster than the market, driven by innovation and market penetration Maintaining solid operational performance and strong cash flow supports average 5-7% revenue growth by acquisition Marels management expects Earnings per Share (EPS) to grow faster than revenue Growth will not be linear but based on opportunities and economic fluctuations. Operational results may vary from quarter to quarter due to general economic developments, fluctuations in orders received and timing of deliveries of larger systems. Marels Capital Markets Day 2017 Marels Capital Markets Day for institutional investors, analysts and the media will take place on November 2, 2017 at Marels demonstration center, Progress Point, in Copenhagen. More details and information about registration will be presented on Marels Investor Relations website. Presentation of results, May 4, 2017 Marel will present its results at an investor meeting on Thursday, May 4, at 8:30 am (GMT), at the companys headquarters at Austurhraun 9, Gardabaer. The meeting will also be webcasted at marel.com/webcast. Marels Investor calendar 2 nd quarter 2017 July 26, 2017 3 rd quarter 2017 October 25, 2017 Capital Markets November 2, 2017 4th quarter 2017 February 7, 2018 Release of financial statements will take place after market closing on the aforementioned dates. For further information, contact: Audbjorg Olafsdottir, Corporate Director of Investor Relations and Communications, tel: (+354) 563 8626 / mobile: (+354) 853 8626. Last October Abbot Richard Antonucci of Daylesford Abbey in Paoli requested a meeting with me, though he declined to tell me his purpose in advance. I have worshiped there since 1981 and since 2003 served as a lector. The abbot started our conversation by saying that he'd heard I had married my partner of 12 years, Jim Anderson. "I want you to believe this," he said: "I sincerely wish you both many, many years of happiness together." Then he passed me a copy of a directive from Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia stating that members of same-sex couples should "not hold positions of responsibility in a parish, nor should they carry out any liturgical ministry or function." The abbot said that, with reluctance, he must enforce the directive. Our talk was frank but friendly. I reminded him that an abbey is not a parish, nor is the archbishop his superior. True enough, he told me, but all Catholic lay people within the archdiocese are subject to his power. I argued that I knew of local pastors choosing not to enforce the directive because of its injustice. He said he was unwilling to take the risk. "You're the spiritual leader of the place I've been part of for 35 years," I said. "How do you counsel me?" He said he hoped I might find it in my heart to remain part of the abbey community. We talked about my long relationship with the place. When I first came to Daylesford in 1981, I had just undergone what I later learned is called a conversion. Raised Catholic, educated in a parish school and at Saint Joseph's Prep, I'd become disaffected with the church in college. Then, at 30, I was knocked off my horse and struck blind, so to speak: I returned to a church much different from the one I'd known as a kid. My discovery of the abbey, with its enlightened preaching and inspiring liturgy, was a revelation within the revelation. I felt welcomed there and at home. In those early days, the abbey's liturgical director befriended me and put me to work as a professional writer on special projects: revising a hymnal; arranging a psalter. We likewise collaborated on liturgical events a children's Mass for Christmas morning and, most notably, the solemn liturgy of Good Friday, a service that has since become Daylesford's signature. So, even before I started lectoring, words were my ministry. I kept close to Daylesford even when I lived in other parts of the country; often visited, always spent Holy Week on retreat there. The literary connection also endured. The Norbertines commissioned me to write a three-year cycle of penitential rites for Sunday Mass based on scriptural readings. Lectoring had been a passion for me since my conversion. I would prepare carefully, to good effect, it seems. While dismissing me, the abbot praised me as one of the best lectors he ever heard. A congregant wrote me afterward to say that when she heard me read, she could hear the author's voice across the centuries. Forgive me if this sounds like a resume. Here's my point: the archbishop knows none of this. The abbot himself, who came to Daylesford in 2000, did not know how very long had been my history there. Nor did he know that the man who is now my spouse decided to be confirmed a Catholic after attending Pentecost mass at Daylesford. He did remember Jim's voice, though a splendid baritone. Like me, Jim took his place in the Daylesford pulpit, where he chanted the entire Passion, solo and unaccompanied, on Palm Sundays and Good Friday. Some weeks before my dismissal, I had read about the archbishop's directive. It's very offensive. The archbishop calls my sexual nature a "lifestyle" and asserts that same-sex couples "offer a serious counter-witness to Catholic belief, which can only produce moral confusion in the community. Such a relationship cannot be accepted into the life of the parish without undermining the faith of the community, most notably the children." The hypocrisy of the last phrase, concerning children, is so transparent it seems rhetorical suicide, because it calls to mind the sexual abuse of children by priests that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades. Here's the truth: my sexual nature, like that of all human beings, is holy; my marriage is a sacrament where I encounter the love of God every day in the love of my spouse and bestow it likewise on him. The archbishop has done us and all the church a great wrong. William di Canzio is a visiting professor at Drexel University's Pennoni Honors College. pilgrimofeternity@gmail.com If there's one lesson to be learned from the sidewalk confrontation between a Downingtown Area School District administrator and a teen anti-abortion protester on the sidewalk outside a local high school, it's this: The uncivil war raging in American society right now is taking its toll on all of us, and its victims include our children. Last week Zachary Ruff, the STEM Academy dean of academics and student life, was put on administrative leave by the Downingtown School District after a heated exchange on April 21 with a pair of protesters, a brother and sister. One of the siblings filmed the exchange and posted it online. Few have defended Ruff's behavior as documented in the video, though many have commented that they believe he was defending his students. He is, after all, an adult who was talking to two children. His epic rant included the use of profanity, mocking the protesters' beliefs, singing loudly, and even apparently dancing. On the other hand, the protesters (who told several media outlets they had come to Downingtown because of a Holocaust symposium at West High School), in filming the episode, clearly hoped to milk any dramatic moments for future use. In a statement shared with district parents and posted online, outgoing Superintendent Lawrence Mussoline condemned Ruff's outburst in no uncertain terms and announced that the district was beginning an investigation. Local television stations have featured the debacle, as have anti-abortion media outlets eager to draw attention to their cause. "Two pro-life teenagers just had a pretty amazing encounter with the forces of tolerance," snarked Fox anchor Tucker Carlson, before airing an interview with the home-schooled videographers. Many parents and students in the approximately 12, 000-student district have rallied to support Ruff. By midday Tuesday a petition begun last week by STEM students had garnered more than 35,000 signatures (though many signees were from outside the area). Students are reportedly preparing statements in support of Ruff for the school board meeting on May 3. Dorothy Kirk is a parent at STEM my son graduated from the school last year. Kirk hopes Ruff's long and favorable history with the district will outweigh his brief "regrettable" sidewalk outburst as he tried to help students and parents safely exit onto the busy street that runs by the school. "Dr. Ruff's a good man," said Kirk. "He's devoted to his students, well-liked, and well-respected in the community. It wasn't like him to lose his composure. We live in a social media society where individuals are not allowed to make a mistake even once for a few minutes a singular worst moment can be captured on video and forever posted online." For many, this hideously pitch-perfect cage match undoubtedly confirms their worst stereotypes about the blind zealotry of the religious right, and the intolerance of the secular left. One doesn't have to watch the entire 18-minute video to be profoundly disheartened about the political and cultural moment in which we find ourselves. When the teens begin to talk about the "holocaust of abortion," Ruff fires back, "They're cells," adding that STEM is a "science-based school." "Jesus Christ will set you free from your sins" says protester Conner Haines. "It's a public school, we don't believe in that here," responds Ruff. Polls taken by Gallup and others suggest that Americans are closely divided between those who identify between as "pro-choice" and "pro-life," but that most the public remains reluctant to impose their personal views on fellow citizens. We often don't know what we think. We're conflicted. Life is messy. While some of us may believe sincerely that fetuses are merely clumps of cells, and others are sure that you must repent and believe in Jesus to be saved, a lot of us aren't so sure. In a society in which the extremes set a low bar for public discourse, many of us either find our voices drowned out or are forced to man the barricades for positions we secretly doubt we can wholeheartedly endorse. Ryan Zindel, a senior at STEM, says he has loved the smaller and more collaborative environment at his school, which has been rated the top-ranked school in the state several times. But, he adds, his conservative views aren't always welcome in the classroom. "A couple of other kids had the same ideas that I did, and some kids chose not to engage at all," he said. "I think people are very divided right now" Zindel adds. "A lot of it comes from there being no discussion between opposite sides of the political spectrum. We're so divided that there is no consensus." Hopefully, he says, this controversy will be used as a learning experience, adding, "You can't just tell people that their beliefs are wrong." While some will characterize the episode as one pitting a beloved (though intemperate) administrator against anti-abortion interlopers, I think we need to look deeper to find solutions. Local educators may need some basic training in how to cope with protests, which have occurred in other school districts around the country without sparking a potentially career-ending crisis. But appropriate behavior isn't just the province of teachers and administrators. Whatever our beliefs, all of us are being challenged to figure out where we can stand together. Sometimes that's as simple as admitting that we need one another to succeed. The culture wars, likely to intensify in this tumultuous political environment, have erupted in Downingtown. In this conflicted moment, we can only hope that we will find the strength and true tolerance to build on our heritage and create anew a community story, however broad, that includes us all. Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans is a writer in Downingtown. bellettrelliz@gmail.com ATLANTA, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At PulteGroup, Inc.s (NYSE:PHM) Annual Meeting held here today, shareholders approved all proposals submitted for a vote including the election of all Board nominees. Bryce Blair now begins his service as PulteGroups Non-Executive Chairman, following his re-election as a director at the Annual Meeting and the Companys action in 2016 to separate the CEO and Chairman roles. Mr. Blair, a PulteGroup director since 2011, is the former chairman and CEO of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. and is the executive chairman of Invitation Homes, and possesses substantial experience in real estate development and investment, among other qualifications. Todays Annual Meeting brings to a successful conclusion the succession process announced last September, as Richard Dugas, former chairman and chief executive officer, has retired after a distinguished, 23-year career with the company, said Mr. Blair. We appreciate the years of dedicated service that Richard and James Postl, our lead independent director since 2010, have provided to PulteGroup and thank them both for their contributions. PulteGroup also noted that director John Peshkin has succeeded Mr. Blair as Chair of the Boards Finance and Investment Committee. Mr. Peshkins experience as a founder and managing partner at a leading real estate investment group and as a senior executive, investor and board member at two of the nations top homebuilding companies makes him ideally suited for this role. We recruited John last year to benefit from his extensive homebuilding background, said Ryan Marshall, PulteGroup President and Chief Executive Officer. He has been a valuable addition and is a natural choice as successor to Bryce Blair as Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee. During the meeting's formal business, shareholders elected the following 12 directors to one-year terms: Brian P. Anderson, Bryce Blair, Richard W. Dreiling, Jr., Thomas J. Folliard, Joshua Gotbaum, Cheryl W. Grise, Andre J. Hawaux, Ryan R. Marshall, Patrick J. OLeary, John R. Peshkin, Scott F. Powers and William J. Pulte. Shareholders also ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Companys independent registered public accounting firm, and approved advisory votes on executive compensation and to recommend that future votes on named executives compensation be held annually. About PulteGroup PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM), based in Atlanta, is one of Americas largest homebuilding companies with operations in approximately 50 markets throughout the country. Through its brand portfolio that includes Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, the Company is one of the industrys most versatile homebuilders able to meet the needs of multiple buyer groups and respond to changing consumer demand. PulteGroup conducts extensive research to provide homebuyers with innovative solutions and consumer inspired homes and communities to make lives better. For more information about PulteGroup, Inc. and PulteGroup brands, go to: pultegroupinc.com; www.pulte.com; www.centex.com; www.delwebb.com; www.divosta.com; and www.jwhomes.com. The Government must agree transitional arrangements with the EU, in order to mitigate the potentially disastrous effects of leaving the union without a trade deal in place, a House of Lords committee has concluded. In a comprehensive report on the implications of Brexit for agriculture, the Lords Energy and Environment committee warns that the Government and industry will need to overcome serious challenges, especially in the areas of trade and labour arrangements. It highlighted the pig sector as being particularly vulnerable under certain post-Brexit trade scenarios. The EU is the UKs single largest trading partner in agri-food products about 80% of the UKs agricultural exports go to the EU. The committee, which took evidence from a wide range of experts and industry bodies, including the National Pig Association, stressed that the UK will have to develop its own tariff schedules and negotiate new trading relations with the EU and the wider world. It concluded: UK farmers risk facing high tariffs and significant non-tariff barriers when exporting, and competition from lower-priced imports domestically. Both tariff and non-tariff barriers could disrupt integrated supply chains between the UK and the EU, and pose a particular challenge for the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. The report noted that, despite the regulatory conformity between the UK and the EU, there is broad consensus among experts, including those on the EU side, that it will not be possible to negotiate and conclude a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU within two years. If the UK leaves the EU without agreeing a comprehensive UK-EU Free Trade Agreement, or a form of transitional arrangement, UK-EU trade would have to proceed according to WTO rules. Many of our agricultural producers, and our food manufacturers, would incur substantial costs associated with tariff and non-tariff barriers when exporting to the EU, with sectors such as pig and sheep meat at particular risk, the report concluded. It is therefore essential that the Government should agree transitional arrangements with the EU, in order to mitigate the potentially disastrous effects of trading on WTO terms on the agricultural and food sectors. Non-EU trade deal risks The report also highlighted the risks and opportunities for the UK agricultural sector of new trade deals outside the EU. It said: As an EU Member State, the UK has access to preferential trade agreements with a number of third countries. We doubt that UK participation in these agreements can be preserved after Brexit. It is essential therefore that the Government should, as a matter of urgency, clarify whether or not such agreements could indeed be grandfathered to preserve preferential trade arrangements for agri-food products. The peers welcomed the Governments commitment to maintaining high levels of animal welfare in the UK. But the committee concluded there is some doubt over whether animal welfare can be used as a rationale to restrict imports from other countries under WTO rules. However, we encourage the Government to secure the inclusion of high farm animal welfare standards in any free trade agreements it negotiates after Brexit, the report said. It added: Our witnesses were concerned that increased trade with third countries that operate differentoften less stringentregulatory standards than the UK could render UK producers uncompetitive in the domestic market due to an influx of cheaper products produced to lower standards. It could also lead to increased pressure on the Government to reduce standards domestically in order to lower the cost of production and increase price competitiveness. Yet we note that UK producers are proud of their high standards, and that our witnesses questioned whether consumers would welcome such a downward trend in current standards. In looking to expand trade in the longer term with third countries, such as China, we also heard that high standards were crucial to the British brand. The Government should therefore maintain the current standards to enable the export of UK food and farming products. Labour access The report also issued a serious warning to Government on future access to labour, reiterating the NPAs argument that the focus must be on permanent as well as seasonal labour. Among the evidence cited to back this point was an NPA survey showing one in five farms and businesses connected to the pig industry would struggle to survive without migrant labour. It said: In the short term, technology cannot materially reduce the need for EU agricultural labour; nor is there sufficient local labour to address the shortfall. Unless arrangements are made to preserve access to labour from outside the UK, the agri-food industry will suffer major disruption. The UK agri-food supply chain employs both seasonal and permanent EU workers, so a seasonal agricultural workers scheme alone, though a priority for our witnesses, will not be a sufficient measure for preserving access to labour. The report urged the Government to recognised that many workers in the agricultural sector are often regarded as unskilled, but are in fact extremely skilled at sector-specific. It said: We recommend that the Government recognise these skills when assessing labour needs and access to foreign labour after Brexit. We also welcome the Ministers recognition that continued access to EU labour should be based on an assessment of the needs of the industry, rather than a simplistic distinction between skilled and unskilled labour. 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 Must-Read Travel Guides EAST ASIA SOUTHEAST ASIA Featured Articles Contact Copyright Disclosure If you wish to contact me for questions, collaboration inquiries, comments, suggestions, reviews or just about anything, please send an email to. I will try my best to reply quickly! Unless, of course, I'm on a trip! :D All rights reserved. All photos and content in this blog are owned by(unless otherwise stated). Parts of the articles may be excerpted (a link to this site should be provided), but not reproduced as a whole. Photos may not be used without permission. Thank you very much!Unless otherwise stated, I personally write my blog posts and it expresses my own thoughts and opinions. I pay for all the expenses of my trips (unless otherwise stated). I welcome collaborations and reviews as long as they are beneficial to my readers. All reviews on collaborations contain my own views and opinion and were not influenced by anyone. For inquiries, you may contact me here . Thank you very much! Sebastian (FL) Police Department K-9 Diesel was found dead Friday after being left in his handler's police vehicle. Temperatures reportedly reached 88 degrees that afternoon. (Photo: Sebastian PD) Investigators are conducting a criminal investigation into circumstances surrounding the death of a Sebastian (FL) Police Department K-9 in his handlers car in Melbourne on Friday. The Sebastian officer found the German shepherds remains in the sweltering vehicle about 7:30 p.m. Friday. Sebastian Police Department's dispatchers contacted Melbourne's, who then called Brevard County Animal Services. Investigators are looking into reports the officer may have forgotten the dog, named Diesel, was in the vehicle during a visit to the Brevard County courthouse. "He found the dog deceased in his car. Right now it is a joint investigation. The officer is devastated...it's just awful," Lt. Cheryl Trainer, spokeswoman for the Melbourne Police Department, told Florida Today. "There was no intent. But we have talked with the state attorney's office about the case." Before 1970 the widely accepted solution for disposal of old munitions, typically called unexploded ordnance (UXO), was to dump them into rivers, lakes and oceans. Today we know this creates a multitude of problems, the worst of which are pollution and the risk of an explosion. Many people have already lost their lives to these underwater booby traps. The uncertainties surrounding their precise location and degree of decomposition, makes attempting to recover these dangerous devices an even more difficult task. Several international organizations have been formed to address the problem of UXO on land and under water, and a variety of tools and techniques are being employed to locate and remove them. One of the groups working the problem is the Japan Mine Action Service (JMAS), a non-profit engaged in humanitarian activities to create better and safer living conditions. Since its inception in 2001, JMAS has implemented UXO clearance projects in a host of countries from Japan to Afghanistan. JW Fisher's Pulse 12 boat-towed metal detector is assisting in these operations. The Pulse 12 detector will locate both ferrous and nonferrous metals, an important feature as munitions can be made of a variety of metals including brass and steel. Its large rectangular search coil can find metal buried up to 16 feet, and the Pulse 12 works equally well on land and in the water. With three detection heads attached to the master control console, an area up to 72-feet wide can be swept in one pass by the Pulse 12; saving time, fuel, and manpower. To inspect sites on land, the coil can be mounted on the front of an ATV or other vehicle allowing large areas to be swept quickly. This powerful machine is now helping a JMAS team uncover lethal UXO in Palau, site of the World War II battle of Peleliu, reports representative Terada Yasuo. Another organization using Fishers equipment in a similar operation is the Regional Centre for Underwater De-mining (RCUD) in Montenegro, which was part of the former Yugoslavia. A bloody civil war in the 1990s left the country littered with unexploded ordnance and waterways unsafe to travel because of many scattered mines. After numerous fishermen and boaters were killed by these deadly devices, RCUD acquired a Fisher side scan to help locate the mines. The operation was a success. With the help of the sonar and trained divers, many explosives were found and removed from the countrys lakes and rivers. Today the sonar is being used for more peaceful purposes. RCUD is working in cooperation with RPM Nautical Foundation and the Center for Conservation and Archaeology to locate historic shipwrecks and map other underwater sites of significance. Evgeniy Pozharsky is a Polish patriot. He has taken it upon himself to try and locate and remove as many UXO as possible from his native land. Using his Fisher Pulse 10 metal detector with a detection range of over 2 meters, Pozharsky has searched lakes, rivers and fields all over the country. Through hard work and dogged determination he has been able to locate a and recover a significant number of World War II munitions from sites on land and underwater. Pozharsky has put his life on the line to ensure no one else will be killed or injured by these perilous weapons. Law enforcement agencies around the world are acquiring underwater metal detectors (UMD) to ensure their dive teams have the right equipment to effectively do their jobs. An essential tool for locating evidence disposed of in a waterway, metal detectors routinely assist public safety divers in finding weapons, shell casings, stolen objects, and explosive devices. UMD are so effective, and their use has become so widespread that agencies training public safety divers are developing courses on how to best utilize these devices. Dive Rescue International in Colorado and Lifeguard Systems in New York offer courses in aquatic preparedness to ensure public safety dive teams respond effectively to water incident scenes. Their instructors combine knowledge with experience in the use of the equipment. The detectors both companies are using in their evidence recovery training are JW Fishers Pulse 8X. Goodhue County Sheriffs Office in Minnesota is employing this technology in its underwater search operations. Dive Team Leader Steve Sutton-Brown reports using Fishers new SAR-1 detector in a recent training exercise. Were regularly called on to search for evidence such as guns, knives, bullet casings, etc. We generally dive in visibility that is zero to one foot, which is one of the reasons we choose this machine. In this exercise we planted a pistol on the lake bottom. The diver was given only an approximate area of where the weapon might be, just as would happen in a real call out. Although visibility was almost zero, each diver was able to quickly located the weapon. The high intensity LED light bar was fairly easy to see and the vibration feature was appreciated by all. We really like that there are no exposed wires since we already have enough entanglement issues to deal with. The consensus is; the SAR-1 works awesome! For more information on JW Fishers complete line of underwater search equipment go to www.jwfishers.com. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print 1,300 faith leaders are denouncing Donald Trumps rumored to be signed on Thursday executive order that would legalize discrimination against the LGBTQ community under the pretense of religious liberty. It wasreported that Trump will sign an executive order Thursday that will allow anyone to legally discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community as long as they cite religious objections. The faith leaders wrote in a national letter to Trump: As clergy and faith leaders who serve diverse communities across the United States, we write to you to express our deep concern over the draft religious freedom executive order that some have urged you to sign. Although it purports to strengthen religious freedom, what this order would actually do is misuse this freedom, turning it into a weapon to discriminate against broad swaths of our nation, including LGBTQ people, women, and children in foster care. We urge you to turn away from all proposals that would abuse religious freedom, including any executive orders on this issue that are currently under consideration. .. Furthermore, freedom of religion guarantees us the right to hold any belief we choose and to act on our religious beliefs, but it does not allow us to harm others in the name of those beliefs. We are appalled by the widespread discrimination that this draft order would unleash across all areas of lifeincluding in some cases with taxpayer dollarson our congregants, our neighbors, our families, so many Americans we may never personally know, and indeed even many of us personally. Religious liberty is nothing more than conservative code for legalized discrimination against gay people. Trumps religious liberty executive order will end up in court, and probably ruled unconstitutional, but it is important to note that not all faith leaders support Trumps actions. There are thousands of faith leaders all across the country who are standing up against hatred and bigotry. Trumps executive order is an assault on the values that this country was founded on. The fastest way for Republicans to lose everything that they gained in 2016 will be for them to support the bigotry by executive order actions of Donald Trump. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Elizabeth Warren took Donald Trump to school on Tuesday hours after the president threw his support behind a government shutdown. Warren called Trumps shutdown comment staggeringly irresponsible and explained to the ignoramus-in-chief that this isnt a political reality show failing to keep the governments lights on would have real, damaging consequences. Video: Elizabeth Warren explains to the ignoramus-in-chief that government shutdown = bad pic.twitter.com/w0blBHzCH8 Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) May 2, 2017 First, Warren explained the financial and economic downsides to allowing the government to shut down. When the government is shut down, it costs this country literally billions, even trillions, of dollars, she said. We miss out on all kinds of contracts, we shut things down that mean that tourists cant come its everywhere. Its staggeringly irresponsible to say, Lets just shut down the government.' Warren rightly said that Trumps casual support for letting the government shut down is another example that he doesnt care about the responsibilities he has to the country or to the people who voted for him last year. Donald Trump just seems to helicopter in from who knows where and come up with ideas that are not just bad ideas, she said. Theyre ideas that are damaging to working families that he once promised he was going to make the government run for. Its abundantly clear that Trump has no interest in governing the country or competently carrying out the responsibilities that come with being president. Instead, he has spent his first 100+ days in the White House throwing Twitter tantrums and turning the presidency into a political version of Celebrity Apprentice. A potential government shutdown would have negative ramifications across the board, but its even scarier that this president has no idea or no concern about what those ramifications are. NEW YORK, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), a subsidiary of Subaru Corporation, announced a partnership with the Jefferson Awards Foundation, the nations most prestigious and longest-standing organization dedicated to powering and celebrating public service, as part of its Champions program. SIA announced the partnership at its 30th anniversary community luncheon May 3, 2017. We are thrilled to partner with Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. and welcome them into our Champions program, said Hillary Schafer, CEO of the Jefferson Awards Foundation. By recognizing their employees, celebrating outstanding Hoosiers and training young people to impact their communities, they are going to benefit Indiana for years to come through public service. Champions are companies who partner with the Jefferson Awards Foundation to engage in meaningful community service and celebrate employees and others in their communities with Jefferson Awards. SIA will recognize its employees who give back to the community. The Jefferson Awards Foundation works with over 200 Champion organizations organizations that share the foundations vision and values employing 6.4 million people to amplify successes and share stories to drive greater impact. SIA will also serve as a title sponsor of the Jefferson Awards Foundations Salute to Youth Service event on Nov. 2, 2017. In addition, the company will focus on helping the Jefferson Awards Foundation build its Students In Action program in the Lafayette market. Students In Action trains young leaders, helping them discover the issues they care about and providing tools for maximum measurable impact. The program is active in over 300 high schools across the country. In the 2016-2017 school year, 200 students in 30 schools across Indiana completed over 82,000 volunteer hours, generating $1.9 million in community impact. The Lafayette community is perfect for the Jefferson Awards, said Tom Easterday, Senior Executive Vice President at SIA. The outstanding people who live and work here are our communitys greatest strength. SIA is proud to provide this opportunity to celebrate that spirit and further enhance the impact of the service they provide. About the Jefferson Awards Foundation The Jefferson Awards Foundation (JAF) powers others to have maximum impact on the things they care about most. Through celebration, they inspire action. With programs and partnerships, they drive Americans to change their communities and the world. To learn more about the Jefferson Awards Foundation, visit: JeffersonAwards.org or engage with their community on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook. About Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA) Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), a subsidiary of Subaru Corporation, is the home of North American Subaru production. Models built at the Lafayette, Indiana plant include the Subaru Impreza, Legacy and Outback. SIA employs over 5,500 Associates, and every Associate is committed to quality, safety and environmental stewardship. An industry leader in environmental stewardship, SIA was the first auto assembly plant in America to achieve zero landfill status, and SIAs entire 832-acre site has been designated a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SIAs community outreach programs include providing charitable contributions and corporate sponsorships, hosting charitable events on-site, donating vehicles and vehicle parts to educational institutions and encouraging Associate volunteerism, which supports hundreds of non-profit organizations and schools throughout Indiana annually. For more information, visit www.subaru-sia.com. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a7aefcf-65dd-4cc1-805d-00c8cc3871c2 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Its been a rough three months for the Trump administration and today was certainly no exception. In an effort to curb Democratic momentum after Republicans caved on nearly every campaign promise in a budget deal to keep the government open, Trump Budget Director Mick Mulvaney held a conference call. According to CBS News, the goal of the call for Trumps budget office to take a victory lap for a budget deal that accomplished none of his goals. But as Rachel Maddow showed on her show on Tuesday night, the call quickly turned into a hilarious catastrophe. Video: Maddows playback of the Mulvaney budget call. Try not to crack up: pic.twitter.com/9BuHZT582N Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) May 3, 2017 The call was hastily arranged by the administration no surprise there and it certainly showed. As Mulvaney took questions, all kinds of noises could be heard, gracing listeners with loud music, beeping, and at one point during the chaotic call, screaming. Shortly before the disaster was finally brought to an abrupt end, someone could be heard shouting, This is unbelievable! In an effort to play damage control, once again the White House just did more damage. Not only was this another hilarious and epic failure for the Trump administration, but it begs the question: What can these people possibly do right? Its one thing to be so bad at accomplishing the big things enacting a Muslim ban, securing funding for a border wall, and repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, among other things but its becoming apparent that this White House is a complete clown show that cant even do the little things. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Ranking House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) tore apart James Comeys reasoning for talking about the Clinton email investigation while not discussing the Trump/Russia investigation and exposed the dubious reasoning and false rationale behind Comeys statements. Rep. Schiff said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA: Director Comey testified that his choice was to conceal or speak about the Clinton investigation in the latter two weeks of the campaign. This highly-loaded description meant to justify the decision he made in the waning days of the presidential campaign is a poor characterization of the choice he faced. After all, and by this measure, the FBI Director chose to conceal the Trump investigation and reveal the Clinton investigation. Nor does the distinction he has sought to make between the open Trump investigation and the closed Clinton investigation hold up to scrutiny. During the last weeks of the campaign, the Director reopened the Clinton investigation, and it was then in precisely the same posture as the Trump investigation. The real choice the Director faced was between abiding by DOJ policy against discussing investigatory matters around an election or ignoring that policy, between consistency in his handling of the two investigations or inconsistency. Regrettably, for the Bureau, Department and the public interest, the Director chose to violate sound policy, taking the path of unjustifiable inconsistency. Rep. Schiff was correct. Director Comey was using misleading terms to create the perception of a false choice between either speaking or concealing. The precedent in the Justice Department was not to interfere in elections. Comey could have waited until after Election Day to update Congress. He could have treated both investigations the same, but he didnt. Comey chose to talk about the Clinton investigation while staying silent about the Trump/Russia investigation. Comeys choices cant be justified. Rep. Schiff is holding Comeys words to a logical and legal standard that they arent meeting. The unavoidable truth is the FBI Director made a decision that got Trump elected, and when he testifies before the House, Adam Schiff is going to have plenty of questions for him about his violations of Justice Department policy. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Why would concealing Clinton probe be death of FBI according to Comey, but concealing probe into Trump and a hostile foreign government is not? FBI Director James Comey said considering the political ramifications of breaking protocol and possibly getting Donald Trump elected by revealing the reopening of the investigation into Clintons emails could possibly have resulted in the death of the FBI. Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee, Down that path lies the death of the FBI as an independent institution in America. James Comey tried to make the argument on Wednesday that concealing the re-opening of the Hillary Clinton email investigation 11 days before the November election would have been catastrophic, yet this doesnt explain his decision to conceal a much more important investigation into the FBIs investigation into the possible collusion between Donald Trumps campaign and Russia. When asked why he announced the re-opening of the Clinton investigation just days before the election, FBI Director James Comey told the Committee, Concealing in my view, would be catastrophic. Watch here: Senator Blumenthal (D-CN) making the case that Comeys claims make the case for the need for an independent prosecutor and saying that the Russia investigation held a profound matter of public interest as Comey claimed regarding the Clinton email investigation: It makes me mildly nauseous that we would have had an impact on the election, Comey said of his decision to either conceal or speak. Comey chose not to reveal the investigation started in July into the possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which was already known to be interfering in the U.S. election. Comey said Russias cyber warfare capacity presented the greatest threat of any nation on earth and that they were still interfering in U.S. politics. So even in his own estimation, Comey sees Russia as a larger issue than Hillary Clintons emails. And yet Comey chose to reveal a much less important investigation into how Clinton handled her email. Clintons email was in no way equal to the national security threat posed by the aggressive act of cyber war Russia declared on the United States by interfering in its election. The Clinton email issue was blown wildly out of proportion by the media and Republicans, who pretended that almost every Republican running for office who had been an executive didnt also have a private email or stolen government computer scandal, and that the inadvertent mishandling of classified information is generally not treated as a criminal matter. Everybody in American politics and media knows exactly what was done to Hillary. The rest is just rationalization, deflection & distraction. pic.twitter.com/zcCohhhDjx Peter Daou (@peterdaou) May 3, 2017 Why Abedin wasn't prosecuted and the standard Flynn inv will be held too. Intent and proving it is key #Comeyhearing https://t.co/hGLneBqden Naveed Jamali (@CatchaRUSSpy) May 3, 2017 Director Comey might have a legitimate reason for what he did, but in no way does his explanation today pass Go. Comey treated an email investigation that ultimately went nowhere as more important than a Russian collusion investigation. That makes no sense. Clearly Comey is haunted by something, and perhaps afraid that Republicans would have killed the FBI as an institution had he revealed what he knew, but if impacting the election wasnt enough to stop him, the threat of the destruction of the FBI shouldnt have been enough either. There is simply no way an email investigation into something that so many Republicans who have run for office have done was of more public interest than the Republican presidential candidate possibly colluding with Russia. Logically, Comeys justification for his unprecedented action just days before the election doesnt work. Comey offered only a measure of concealment along with an almost laughable excuse for his actions. He might well have good reasons, but he didnt share them today. Comeys decision played a big part in costing Hillary Clinton the election, and he simply has to do better than he did today. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print An analysis of the voter file from the jungle primary in the Georgia House special election showed that Democrat Jon Ossoff has attracted a key level of Republican support in the district. Politico reported, The voter-file analysis of the special primary was conducted by Optimus Consulting, a Republican data-analytics firm that has been observing the Georgia race. The voter file allows Optimus and others to dig for details about who exactly turned out for the first round of the special election, and how they likely voted. And the firms most conservative estimates say Ossoff captured at least 8 to 10 percent of the GOPs votes in the primary, a critical slice given that Republicans comprised only a narrow majority of the electorate. While Ossoffs campaign and motivated Democrats helped drive unusually high levels of voting in the primary, its clear that more than turnout propelled Ossoffs campaign into his one-on-one runoff match-up with Republican Karen Handel in a longtime GOP district. Ossoff isnt campaigning against Trump in the primary. Instead, he is focusing on a bipartisan message of fiscal conservatism, and playing the powerful Washington outside card. The idea of Democrats now being able to run as political outsiders havent gotten nearly enough consideration and attention. People are unhappy with Washington, and Republicans own 100% of the reason for that unhappiness. The Ossoff campaign is the first test case for the notion that Democrats are now on the offensive against the Republican-controlled Congress and White House. Here is an example of the message that Democrats are targeting towards conservatives who could support Ossoff in the runoff: If Ossoff can hold on to the 8%-10% of Republican voters that he attracted in the first primary, he will have an excellent chance of flipping the seat. The data suggests that the backlash against Trump and the GOP is very real to the point where enough Republican-leaning voters could be willing to send a Democrat to Congress in Georgias 6th district. The combination of apathy among the Republican base, Democratic energy, and motivation, along with a political backlash against an unpopular president and majority party could be combining to form the first ripples of a Democratic wave that could sweep Republicans out of Congress in 2018. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Former Obama senior adviser Susan Rice notified Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that she wont be testifying in front of the Senate as part of the Russia investigation. By not testifying, Rice destroyed the Republican hopes of distracting from Trumps potential crimes by blaming the Obama administration. In a letter to Graham, Rices lawyer wrote: While Ambassador Rice commends the Subcommittees efforts to examine this matter of extraordinary national significance, it is extremely rare for the Congress to request the testimony of a former senior advisor to the President given the longstanding and well-recognized separation of powers concerns at issue. Moreover, Chairman Grahams invitation was extended only after the hearing was noticed, less than two weeks before the hearing was scheduled to occur, and without consultation with Ambassador Rice, a professional courtesy that would customarily be extended to any witness. Notwithstanding the significance of these concerns, Ambassador Rice is prepared to assist Congressional inquiries into Russian election interference because of the important national interests at stake, provided they are conducted in a bipartisan manner, and as appropriate, in classified session. In this case, however, Senator Whitehouse has informed us by letter that he did not agree to Chairman Grahams invitation to Ambassador Rice, a significant departure from the bipartisan invitations extended to other witnesses. Under these circumstances, Ambassador Rice respectfully declines Senator Grahams invitation to testify. Rice has already stated that she leaked nothing and that she wasnt the person to make it known that it was Mike Flynn who was under investigation. Republicans have been trying to distract from the real purpose of this investigation by turning the scandal into an Obama plot to spy on Trump. Susan Rice has nothing to testify about. Her testimony would only waste time and distract from the investigation into Russias interference for Trump during the 2016 election. By turning down Graham, Rice denied Republicans their chance to bring back all of their favorite blame Obama conspiracies. Whether they like it or not, Republicans are going to have to investigate the potential collusion with Russia and legitimacy of Donald Trumps presidency. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print By now it isnt breaking news that Trump or his acolytes in Republican-controlled states are opposed to the Constitution, on myriad levels and regarding many, many topics. One of the Constitutions provisions that has received a lot of Trump and Republican criticism as of late is the peoples right to assemble enshrined in the First Amendment. One ardently believes that if masses of people assembling were cheering and supporting Trumps authoritarian regime, none of the anti-protest bills in Republican states would exist. Since those assembly prohibitions are not yet in the law, Trumps fascist supporters have taken it upon themselves to arm up and, in a frightening development, formed an alt-right fight club to engage in street violence. It is noteworthy that, as reported by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the young white, pro-Trump men are forming a small army to literally engage in violence against what they call anti-fascists. This is a telling development when alt-right (Nazi) groups are forming an army to defend fascism. Just two years ago the idea of an anti-fascist movement in democratic American would have been absurd. Now it is a reality and the pro-Trump goons are ready and anxious to engage street fights to support their fascist in the White House. The announcement of the formation of the Fraternal Order of Alt Knights (FOAK) preceded, by a couple of days, a confrontation in Pikeville, Kentucky between white supremacists and anti-fascist (Antifa) demonstrators. Likely the FOAK army is still being formed up or they would have descended on poor Pikeville and incited a street war. Still, with armed Nazis and angry demonstrators wanting the white supremacists out of town, it was only superb law enforcement planning that prevented what could have been a bloody confrontation. Approximately 70 representatives of the Traditionalist Workers Party, League of the South, and National Socialist Movement regarded as Americas most-prominent neo-Nazi organization held a rally for white people in or around Pikevilles historic courthouse. The white supremacists were eventually booed out of town by protestors opposing fascism. The Nazis screamed back and forth at anti-fascist demonstrators who were easily kept apart by stellar police planning and execution. The incident in Kentucky represents an on-going war of words between Trumps alt-right (Nazi) supporters and demonstrators protesting the terrifying rise of fascism. But until the announcement of the FOAK street fighting fraternity, it appeared there would be little more than screaming matches. According to the FOAK founder and another militant arm of the alt-right fascists, screaming is going to give way to real violence. The alt-right activist responsible for forming FOAK, Kyle Chapman, says his new militant, highly-masculine group will be the tactical defensive arm of the Proud Boys. The Proud Boys are a separate alt-right group that frequents pro-Trump rallies with the express intent of looking to rumble with counter-protesters. The Proud Boys will now have Chapmans fraternal assistance in rumbling with counter-protestors because Chapman boastfully claimed: Im proud to announce that my newly created Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights will be partnering with Proud Boys; a partnership with the full-approval of Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes. Chapman was also proud to announce that his fraternal order doesnt fear the fight. We are the fight. McInnes most recently has been a frequent guest on FOX News and a contributor to the overtly racist site VDARE. To get an idea of whether or not McInnes is a racist, he used VDARE to denigrate Muslims and call Asian Americans slopes and riceballs. SPLC noted that McInnes Proud Boys are considered neo-masculine reactionary. McInnes calls his group a pro-West fraternal organization, while others call it the military arm of the alt-right. Any high-school student remotely familiar with world history would describe the Proud Boys and their tactics as Nazi brownshirts (Sturmabteilung). Now the Proud Boys are joined by this FOAK, which Chapman describes as a fraternal organization whose emphasis will be on street activism, preparation, defense and confrontation. We will protect and defend our right wing brethren when the police and government fail to do so. This organization is for those that possess the Warrior Spirit. The weak or timid need not apply. He also wrote that the time for real action is now because Trump is in the White House. Chapman wrote: No more keyboard warrior sh*t. No more crying about the state of our country while you do nothing to change it. Its all about action. President Trump has our back for the next 8 years. The timing couldnt be better. Lets do this! Chapman also boasts that his organization will be its own fraternal order, but still a staunch Proud Boys affiliate chapter with its own bylaws, constitution, rituals and vetting processes. It is yet unclear what the vetting and initiation process entails for the street fighters in FOAK, but if it follows its Proud Boys affiliate, the vetting process will be bizarre indeed. However, it is the fourth-degree of the initiation and vetting process, brawling with antifascists at public rallies, that should provide a clue that Trump has a veritable street army preparing to put a violent halt to the peoples right to peaceably assemble. Trumps fascist street armies will have to do the heavy lifting until Trump convinces Republicans to devise a means of abolishing that archaic document and its Bill of Rights once and for all; something Trump and his fascist supporters cannot allow to slow their march toward a fascist dictatorship. LOS ANGELES, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imperial Capital Group, LLC (Imperial Capital) announced today the hiring of Jonathan Glionna and Scott Marchakitus, two seasoned credit analysts who will join the firms credit sales & trading analysis team designed to create global trading ideas for its institutional investors. Glionna joins the financials analysis team in NY covering global banks, insurance and financials while Marchakitus joins the high-grade sales and trading analysis team also in NY to cover investment grade and cross over corporate credits. With the hiring of these veteran analysts, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to creating trading ideas for our clients, said Tom Corcoran, President of Imperial Capital, LLC. Both Jonathan and Scott come to Imperial with extensive credit analysis experience and established track records within both the US and European markets, further distinguishing Imperial as a global leader in credit sales & trading institutional analysis. Mr. Jonathan Glionna joins Imperial Capital as a Managing Director and Senior Desk Analyst with 20 years of industry experience who will primarily cover Global Financials including European Banks and Latin American Banks for Imperial Capitals Credit Sales & Trading Group. Mr. Glionna spent the last 8 years at Barclays as a Managing Director, serving as the Head of Global Bank Credit Research in London and most recently, the Head of US Equity Strategy Research in New York. Mr. Glionna began his career with Lehman Brothers in New York as a Vice President in the Fixed Income Research Group covering the US Financial sector including banks and mortgages. After seven years, he joined Wellington Management Company in Boston as a Vice President and Fixed Income Analyst with a focus on US, European, and Japanese banks and US finance and brokerage companies. Mr. Glionna later returned to Lehman Brothers in New York as a Senior Vice President. In addition, Mr. Glionna earned a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Methods from Babson College in Massachusetts. In addition, Mr. Scott Marchakitus joins Imperial Capital as a Managing Director and Senior Desk Analyst with more than 22 years of industry experience who will primarily cover investment grade and cross over corporate credits for Imperial Capitals Credit Sales & Trading Group. Most recently, Mr. Marchakitus was the Director of Credit Research at Goldman Sachs overseeing Investment Grade and High Yield Credit Research while also covering North American and European telecom, cable and satellite operators. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Mr. Marchakitus worked with JP Morgan in New York and London for 10 years as a Vice President in the Fixed Income Research Group covering a variety of sectors including TMT, gaming, transportation, energy, and chemicals. Mr. Marchakitus began his career as a financial analyst at Citibank in New York. Mr. Marchakitus earned a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Baltimore and a Bachelor of Science from Towson University. In addition, Mr. Marchakitus holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute. About Imperial Capital, LLC Imperial Capital is a full-service investment bank offering a uniquely integrated platform of comprehensive services to institutional investors and middle market companies. We offer sophisticated sales and trading services to institutional investors and a wide range of investment banking advisory, capital markets and restructuring services to middle market corporate clients. Paired with our proprietary research and sales & trading desk analysis, we provide investment analysis across an issuer's capital structure, including bank loans, debt securities, the hybrid/bank capital marketplace (through our ELP Framework), post-reorganization equities, special situations claims and listed and unlisted equities. Our comprehensive and integrated service platform, expertise across the global capital structure, and deep industry sector knowledge enable us to provide clients with research driven ideas, superior advisory services, and trade execution. We are quick to identify opportunities under any market conditions and we have a proven track record of offering creative, proprietary solutions to our clients. Imperial Capital has three principal businesses: Investment Banking, Institutional Sales & Trading and Institutional Research. More information about Imperial Capital can be found at www.imperialcapital.com. About Imperial Capital (International), LLP Imperial Capital International, founded in 2011, is an affiliate of Imperial Capital, LLC with an office in central London. Complementing Imperial Capital's existing fixed income sales and trading franchise, Imperial Capital (International), LLP expanded the Imperial Capital franchise into the EEA. The company focuses on selling the entire credit spectrum and capital structure to its European institutional clients. The Peach Cobbler Factory is a national dessert chain and is opening its first Spartanburg location at the beginning of next year. The menu features 12 varieties of cobbler, 12 varieties of pudding and six varieties of cinnamon rolls. Read moreThe Peach Cobbler Factory opening Spartanburg location in 2023 LOS ANGELES, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Restorative Justice Works (CRJW), will kick off the 17th anniversary of its flagship program Get On The Bus, reuniting hundreds of children with their incarcerated fathers to celebrate Fathers Day 2017. Over 600 children and their caregivers will board 25 buses For Fathers Day celebrations. The children and their caregivers will visit the following prisons: Valley State Prison, Chowchilla- Friday, May 12 California Mens Colony, San Luis Obispo Saturday, May 20 Correctional Training Facility, Soledad Saturday, June 10 Salinas Valley State Prison, Soledad Saturday, June 10 San Quentin State Prison Friday, June 2 Folsom State Prison Saturday, June 24 California State Prison Sacramento, Saturday June 24 According to CRJW Founder Sister Suzanne Jabro, Get On The Bus assists children to see, touch, and speak to their incarcerated fathers. These children did nothing wrong. They just want to be held and loved by their fathers, and they need to know they are safe. Jabro added, We have a responsibility to bring these families together. A child needs to see his or her reflection in a fathers eyes. CRJW provides free transportation for the children and caregivers, travel and comfort bags for the long bus rides, a family photograph for each mother and child, and meals for the day. On the return trip, children are offered post-event counseling and receive teddy bears with personalized letters from their fathers. Buses for the Fathers Day events will originate in San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties, the Central Valley, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, and Santa Rosa. Get On The Bus is funded by donations from individuals, churches, schools, businesses, foundation grants, and civic organizations. Highlights of the 2016 events may be viewed at www.crjw.us To enhance public awareness of Get On The Bus, the media is invited to cover the Fathers Day events during May, and June. Press credentials and gate clearances are required and may be obtained by contacting: Lt. Monica Ayon (Monica.Ayon@cdcr.ca.gov) for California Mens Colony Lt. Roland Ramon (Rolan.Ramon@cdcr.ca.gov) for Correctional Training Facility Lt. Eduardo Mazariegos (Eduardo.Mazariegos@cdcr.ca.gov), for Salinas Valley Lt. Sam Robinson Samuel.Robinson2@cdcr.ca.gov for San Quentin Lt. Joseph Tuggle Joseph.Tuggle@cdcr.ca.gov for Folsom State Prison and California State Prison Sacramento. ST. PAUL Xcel Energy and the western Minnesota city of Benson have reached an agreement on a plan to mitigate the expected closure of a biomass power plant that burns turkey litter. Benson Power, owned by a group of investors, started producing electricity in 2007, helping Xcel fulfill a legislative mandate dating back to a 1994 settlement over nuclear waste storage at its Prairie Island plant. But Xcel says biomass power now costs up to 10 times more than new wind power, and city officials said the plant could close within a couple years. As part of an agreement the city of Benson approved on Monday, Xcel would provide a $20 million incentive to bring a new industry to Benson. Right now, the turkey litter plant, formerly known as Fibrominn, accounts for a quarter of the city's property tax levy, said Benson City Manager Rob Wolfington. "When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. And I think we were successful in finding a way to mitigate some of the losses that this plant will bring to the community," Wolfington said. The plant employs 45 people. ADVERTISEMENT "We are always looking for ways to keep customers' bills low which is why we've been working closely with the city of Benson on the future of the biomass plant," Xcel Energy said in a statement. "We recognize a plant closure impacts employees, suppliers and the community, and we're committed to working with them through this transition." Wolfington said Xcel and the plant's owners are still in talks about ending their contract and transferring ownership, but any agreement would be subject to approval by state regulators. City officials first started talking with the plant's original owners 20 years ago about burning turkey litter to make power, Wolfington said. A lot has changed, he said. "Fracking was not a word that people knew or understood. Natural gas prices were high, they were volatile. Wind was a competitor to biomass, you know, when the state wanted to create a green energy economy. And I don't think folks knew which one would prevail," he said. WORTHINGTON The legal response to allegations made in a civil lawsuit against the former city administrator for Pine Island says he and his employer dispute the claims. Abraham Algadi has been accused of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment. His new employer, the Worthington Regional Economic Development Corp., has been accused of the same charges, as well as gender discrimination, negligence in supervision, and reprisal. The civil suit, filed in January in Nobles County District Court, was brought by a 30-year-old woman who was the executive secretary/office manager for WREDC from 2011 through April 2016. The suit alleges she was fired in retaliation for objecting to and reporting misconduct by Algadi, who was hired by the city in May 2013. ADVERTISEMENT He lost his job as the Pine Island administrator on Jan. 15, 2012, after a divided council voted to eliminate the position. In response to the suit, James B. Sherman, attorney for the defendants, says his clients "deny each and every allegation" of the plaintiff's complaint, and notes that the plaintiff's "ex parte restraining order is based on (the plantiff's) unrebutted, ex parte allegations, which are denied by Algadi." That document contains several affirmative defenses: The plaintiff's complaint fails to state any claim upon which relief may be granted. The plaintiff's complaint lacks dates on which her allegations are claimed to have taken place and her claims are barred, in whole or in part, to the extent they fall outside the applicable statutes of limitations. Plaintiff effectively resigned her employment by, among other things, leaving work without explanation and without requesting or receiving approval and thereafter refusing to return to work, or to meet with or even speak to WREDC's acting Chairman despite his efforts. Plaintiff's claims against Defendant WREDC are barred for her failure to avail herself of Defendant WREDC's measures designed to correct the conduct she alleges and complains of in her Complaint. Plaintiff's claims of negligent retention/supervision, assault/battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and/or false imprisonment, are barred in whole or in part to the extent they arise out of the same operative facts for which the Minnesota Human Rights Act provides her exclusive remedy. ADVERTISEMENT Plaintiff's claims and prayer for relief, including equitable relief, are barred in whole or in part under the doctrine of unclean hands. Plaintiff's claims against Defendant Algadi are barred, in whole or in part, due to Plaintiff's attempts to tortuously interfere with his employment. The document asks the court to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety and pass judgment in favor of Algadi and the WREDC, "awarding Defendants their costs, disbursements and reasonable attorney's fees along with such further relief as the Court deems just and appropriate under the circumstances." Sherman did not respond to a request for comment. A stabbing that involved an Olmsted County employee in October was described as a "strange situation" by an official in the days that followed, and today, the employee stands accused of falsely reporting a crime. Rick Alan Freshwater, 51, faces one count of the misdemeanor. He was charged by summons Tuesday and is scheduled to make his first court appearance June 15. He was described at the time of the Oct. 3 incident as a 25-year employee of the county; an employee with Olmsted County Human Resources this morning said his employment status is "active." The case began at 5:04 p.m. that day with a call on a law enforcement radio channel from Freshwater, saying, "I need help at the EOC. I'm bleeding. I need help at the EOC." The EOC is the Olmsted County Emergency Operations Center, 1421 Third Ave. SE. ADVERTISEMENT A radio programmer assigned to the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, Freshwater was alone in an office; when officers arrived, they found Freshwater on the floor on his hands and knees, blood dripping onto the floor. According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Freshwater told officers "they tried to kill me." He claimed he was in his office with his headphones on, looking at his computer, when he was attacked from behind by an unknown assailant. His office was within a part of the building not accessible to the public. Freshwater said his glasses were "smashed against his face while the attacker tried to cut his neck area," the complaint says, and that in the brief struggle, he ended up with cuts on his arm and hand. He struggled, he told police, slamming the alleged attacker into another desk before tipping over in his chair. That's when the attacker fled, Freshwater said. He couldn't provide any description of the person he claimed attacked him, other than to say it was a male who was wearing green Nike shoes, court documents say. A "very large law enforcement response ensued, believing there was an unidentified attacker with a weapon fleeing the scene," the document continues. Co-workers and others around the area at the time of the alleged attack "saw nothing they would describe as suspicious," the reports say, including "no indication of anyone lurking in the area." Freshwater had a number of deep cuts to his left arm and left hand, and a superficial cut to his neck, the complaint says; Freshwater is right-handed. The Olmsted County Medical Examiner reviewed photos of the injuries and saw cuts that he believes are "hesitation marks," described in the document as "self-inflicted superficial cuts that are generally parallel with or near the more extensive wounds." ADVERTISEMENT A handmade weapon was found on the floor of Freshwater's office, consisting of a razor blade placed in a rubber tube, secured with wrapped gauze. A DNA sample taken from the gauze and analyzed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension allegedly showed a single source male DNA profile Freshwater's. "We investigated this case as an attempted murder," said Rochester police Capt. John Sherwin, whose division investigated the incident, "and relied on forensic evidence." Freshwater, he said, spoke with investigators several times: "We treated him as a victim at first," Sherwin said. The Crime Scene Unit concluded the blood evidence at the scene was more consistent with self-inflicted wounds and controlled blood loss, the document says, rather than the type of blood loss or splatter typically present at a violent struggle. There was no indication of blood in the area where Freshwater claimed the man had fled. In addition, "other aspects of the scene were inconsistent" with how he said the attack occurred, the complaint says: Freshwater's glasses were found undamaged, set on a desk in a manner as if they'd been placed there normally, and the desk he claimed he'd slammed the attacker into had numerous items that would have tipped over. They remained undisturbed. Though there are surveillance cameras in some parts of secured building, they're connected internally to monitors, not to recording equipment. County employee injured in stabbing ADVERTISEMENT Officials ID injured county employee MELVILLE, N.Y., May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA) is proud to announce its CEO, John F. Di Capua, MD, has been named as one of the top doctors to the 2017 New York Super Doctors list for the third consecutive year. Dr. Di Capua is included in the approximately five percent of the region's active physicians receiving this honor. The award is based on peer recognition and professional achievement in the field of anesthesiology. The honorees will be recognized in the New York Times Magazine in its Sunday, May 14, 2017 issue. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/78d47798-f843-4016-bafd-66b0b624d7aa I continue to be incredibly humbled to be recognized by my fellow colleagues, clinicians and surgeons with this distinguished award, said Dr. Di Capua. Im privileged to work with a team of equally talented clinicians that are dedicated and committed to providing evidence-based driven, high quality patient-centered care to advance the health and wellness of the communities we serve. The annual Super Doctors list honors top physicians in over 40 medical specialties ranging from allergy to urology through an independent research and objective evaluation process. The award sponsor, MSP Communications, follows a rigorous selection process that includes a survey of doctors, independent evaluation of candidates by the research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area and a good standing and disciplinary check. John F. Di Capua, MD, trained in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by fellowships in pain management and cardiothoracic anesthesia. Board certified in anesthesia and pain management, Dr. Di Capua joined the North ShoreLIJ Health System in 1994, where he sits as the Peter F. R. Walker Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at North Shore University Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and the Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine. He is integrally involved in the issues of perioperative operational management, clinical staffing models and lectures internationally on how anesthesia departments can provide quality and operational value to hospitals. Prior to his current positions, Dr. Di Capua was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. To view the complete listing of 2017 Super Doctors by practice area and location, visit www.superdoctors.com. About North American Partners in Anesthesia As a clinician-led organization, North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA) is redefining healthcare, delivering unsurpassed excellence to its partners and patients every day. In three decades, NAPA has grown to become one of the nations leading single-specialty anesthesia and perioperative management companies, serving more than one million patients annually in more than 200 healthcare facilities throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southeast. For more information, please visit NAPAanesthesia.com. Rochester Public Schools is looking to add more space for its youngest learners. After a plan for a 16-classroom early childhood education space at the former Minnesota School of Business building fell through at the beginning of April , the district is looking to add more pre-K space at Hoover Elementary. The plan would double the existing building's footprint on Elton Hills Drive, adding 21 classrooms to the 35,000-square-foot building. School board leaders approved the district to get design plans and bids for an $8.1 million, 35,000-square-foot addition to the existing district building, which would allow the district to consolidate some of the 17 classrooms spread throughout Rochester's elementary schools at one location. The building already was scheduled for indoor air quality updates in the 2019 and 2020 school years, but these plans would move that up to the summer of 2018. Scott Sherden, director of operations for the school district, said combining the projects would save the district some money on the overall design and construction. ADVERTISEMENT "We are on a tight timeline," Sherden said. Though the February purchase of the Minnesota School of Business building was budgeted at $5.1 million , with renovations, it would have cost about $8.1 million . Though the 45,000-square-foot building could have housed 16 classrooms, it would have cost more to renovate and get up to code, Sherden said. The district completed renovations at the former Burr Oak school, now called Mighty Oaks Early Learning School , providing the district with an additional space for 320 early childhood and early childhood special education students. A request from American Indian families for more information on their students' education and discipline data doesn't look like it will be met. The group of parents made three requests to the Rochester school board in March, asking the district to communicate more about students who are behind in reading, to review test scores each semester and discipline data quarterly, and to incorporate information about American Indian education into the orientation for new teachers each fall. Although it will be two more weeks before the board formally votes on the requests, they said no to all three in Tuesday's meeting, citing data privacy issues. But they urged the American Indian parents to continue their involvement. "What can we do to make sure they can stay engaged because we don't want this to send a false signal that we don't care about what they're saying?" said school board member Gary Smith. "I want to make sure we're not driving a wedge between us." Many were disappointed by the decision because community members feel that they've made it clear they're willing to help out and be involved -- something the district has asked them to do -- but they feel like their requests aren't being heard. ADVERTISEMENT "I'm disappointed," said Valerie Guimaraes, a member of the parent committee. "I'd like to know what the district plans to do to help our students our students are not achieving on par with their peers." "What does district intend to do, we parents are willing to help and they're denying any help that we're willing to give?" she continued. Changes in state law The request was the result of a 2016 state law change that set aside funding for American Indian parent committees throughout the state, in hopes that parents would get more involved in their students' education. Persistent academic achievement gaps show that American Indian students in Rochester, and throughout the state, are performing below their peers in math and reading, and have a lower graduation rate. This input gives parents the ability to register their concerns with the district and to make sure their needs are being met, said Minnesota Department of Education's Josh Collins. Jane Harstad, the director of Indian education for MDE, said school boards, districts and parents have been good about collaborating throughout the state. She's in charge of reviewing many of those requests and said many requests have to do with curriculum includes accurate historical information about American Indians. "The parent engagement piece is just critical to student success," Harstad said. ADVERTISEMENT While the district isn't required to do what the parent committee requests, they have to provide an explanation as to what they're adopting or skipping within 60 days. Requests for more data denied In Rochester, parents felt it was necessary to request additional information from the district so that they know where to direct their support. The parent committee's request for more data included math and reading NWEA test scores, as well as discipline data. But school leaders said the NWEA scores are already provided annually, and discipline data be released twice a year -- less frequently than they requested. Phil Wheeler, of the Rochester branch of the NAACP spoke in support of the request Tuesday, especially toward reducing discipline disparities. "We need to know who is affected and what factors matter," Wheeler said. Rochester for Justice co-founder Kamau Wilkins called on the district to provide the data if it's being sincere in its request for community support to reduce achievement gaps and discipline disparities. "Accurate reporting allows us to see where successful policy or interventions are taking root, so that we can replicate those successes to reach students school-to-school," Wilkins said. ADVERTISEMENT Superintendent Michael Munoz noted that he felt the parent committee and community didn't adequately justify the need for the data. The third request was for culturally sensitive training for new teachers at their orientation before the school year begins. School board member Jean Marvin agreed the district could do a better job educating staff on cultural issues, but she said new staff orientation is not the time to do. New teachers are overwhelmed with so much new information at one time, she said, and that it would get lost in the mix. "It's not the best way to help people become culturally sensitive," Marvin said. "What preschool teachers need to know is not what 11th grade teachers need to know." School board chairwoman Julie Workman said it's not clear if the board will work toward some sort of compromise, but "certainly, the spirit of their request will be met in one way or another, but not necessarily through that particular recommendation." KENYON Neither a feedlot expansion nor a pair of utility-scale solar projects caused much of a ruckus at Tuesday's Goodhue County Board meeting -- both passed with flying colors and no public input. But a discussion of new hiring policies and practices, and a motion concerning enforcement of building codes divided the board, which kept its annual tradition of holding one meeting a year in Kenyon, on the opposite side of the county from Red Wing. One of the biggest discussions came when Board Member Barney Nesseth asked the board to pass a resolution that asked the state Legislature for permission to not enforce all aspects of the building code, which is set by the state, and to encourage the Legislature to return control of the building code to local government units. "Right now, the building code is like a huge document that gets more and more and more every year," he said. "I'm looking for some help with the Legislature to stop that or give locals more control with what's going on." The problem, Nesseth said, is that companies lobby to have their products included in the building code, so you have to install those new products when you build or substantially remodel your home. "You can see with the housing shortage that this is an issue," he said. ADVERTISEMENT For example, Nesseth said, the Legislature is looking at a requirement at all new homes be encased in 4 inches of foam on the outside, with the seams tapped. "The result is, you can't add siding to a house. You need 6-inch screws to add siding," he said. "I can't support this because there's too many liabilities out there," said Board Member Brad Anderson. "We have to follow the state building code." "It's not like we're saying we're throwing out all of them," said Board Member Jason Majerus. "We don't need a sprinkler system in every house." However board members Paul Drotos and Ron Allen agreed with Anderson that to arbitrarily defy state statutes would be to invite trouble. "I find this arbitrary," Drotos said, "I cannot support this change or this resolution." While the resolution failed 3-2, Nesseth said he intends to put pressure on the Legislature to get the building code under control as it escalates the cost of building at a time when there is a shortage of affordable housing across the state and especially in Southeast Minnesota. Cost savings from retirement Nesseth also prompted discussion on the county budget as the board considered some changes to the county hiring practices. The aging county staff means there will be well more than 100 retirees within the next few years, he said. Often, those long-term employees will be replaced with younger people who, because they do not have the wealth of experience of the retirees, will cost the county less. Nesseth tried adding an amendment to the new hiring policy that would require county staff to report any cost savings that resulted from new hires then recorded and reported those savings to the board. "I want to make sure we get these savings when we're doing baseline budgeting," he said. ADVERTISEMENT County Administrator Scott Arneson said the county already captures that information and updates the board at the end of the year. But to give an update on savings for each new hire would be a burden on the finance department staff. The amendment was defeated, and the new hiring policies, which represented minor changes in procedure, were passed. With little fanfare, the board approved the expansion of a feedlot from about 700 animal units to 973 animal units. The feedlot is a dairy operation, and by staying below 1,000 animal units, environmental review from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was not required on the farm about five miles east of the city of Goodhue. The solar projects, located just north of Minnesota Highway 60 and on the east side of U.S. Highway 52, are a pair of 1 megawatt instillations. Each will cover about four acres on a 34-acre site. WINONA A straw poll among members of the Winona Area Public Schools board indicated there is no clear consensus among the school board members about what if any schools to close as part of cost-cutting measures by the district. "I am going to support the thing that is best educationally, and that's tied in with economics," said board member Steve Schild, who said he would support a two-elementary school solution for the district, which would mean closing Jefferson, Madison and Rollingstone elementary schools. Only one other board member, Karen Coleman, said she wanted to close three schools. Two other board members said they would close two while keeping Rollingstone open. Because any closure of schools would need to be accompanied by a bond referendum that would fix deferred maintenance on buildings remaining open plus fund expansions on at least one elementary school to accommodate the student consolidation, several of the board members questioned whether a referendum could pass if it included closing Rollingstone. "We're making speculation on what the city will support," Schild said. ADVERTISEMENT One board member, Allison Quam, said she would not favor closing any of the elementary schools. She suggested keeping Rollingstone open as a choice school for either environmental science or agriculture. And she said she would vote to keep all five elementary schools open. "Keeping the three schools in the urban core open, that might be best for parents but not for children," she said. "I think the five schools is the best option." Of the two plans presented for review to the board Tuesday, one would keep Goodview on the west side of town open and Washington-Kosciusko on the east side. It also would keep open Rollingstone. That plan would require a facilities bond of $81.8 million and would see a yearly operational savings of $1.14 million. About $30.2 million of the $81.8 million for the bond would be to take care of maintenance items that have been delayed for several years while the district dealt with its financial shortfalls. The rest would fund expansions and renovations at Goodview and W-K ($39.2 million) and additions and renovations at the high school and Alternative Learning Center ($12.4 million). The second plan brought by Wold Architects, the district's consultant on the facilities task force, would keep open Goodview, Jefferson and W-K elementary schools. That one would include a bond of $81.3 million and a yearly operational savings of $993,684. The district recently cut $1.5 million from its annual operating budget but expects to cut an additional $1 million to $1.5 million each of the next four years as well. Closing schools would go a long way to making those cuts, said board chairman Ben Baratto. The district has faced a financial crisis in recent years because of declining enrollment. One concern, said board member Karen Coleman, is what will happen to the Rollingstone students if that school is closed. "I'm afraid (Rollingstone) will become a charter school," she said. ADVERTISEMENT Baratto said the board needs to make its decision by the May 4 meeting to start planning the details and trying to sell that plan to voters in advance of the November election. "I don't know how much more information we need," he said. "We just need to vote." Last night the Washington Posts on-again, off-again environmental reporter Juliet Eilperin reported that the balance of opinion inside the Trump White House is against remaining in the Paris Climate Agreement. (I describe Eilperin here as on-again, off-again because the Post had to remove her from the environmental beat while her husband was working for the Obama administrations climate change policy at the State Department. Even the Post could see this was a conflict of interest, but it also tells you all you need to know about Eilperin, whom we have repeatedly called out for shoddy and biased reporting here on Power Linejust do a search in our search window.) This would be great news if true, but I am skeptical of this story. Eiplerin may be correct, or perhaps this is a false flag story designed to help rally the remainers. There are some markers in her story, such as these paragraphs: On Thursday several Cabinet members including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, whos called for exiting the accord, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who wants it renegotiated, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who advocates remaining a party to it met with top White House advisers, including Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Both Ivanka Trump and Kushner advocate remaining part of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, even though the president has repeatedly criticized the global warming deal. During that meeting, according to several people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, White House counsel Don McGahn informed participants that the United States could not remain in the agreement and lower the level of carbon cuts it would make by 2025. So just who are these anonymous sources Eilperin talked to? I suspect Ivanka and Jared Kushner, who are known to want to remain in the treaty. Anyone really think McGahn or Pruitt would talk to Eilperin? The customary pattern for anonymous leaks is when a party on the losing end of a policy argument wants to bring it to public light to box in the other side before it is ready. This passage is a dead giveaway: Ivanka Trump urged White House staff secretary Rob Porter to convene a second meeting Monday with lawyers from both the White House and the State Department. That session addressed the question of Americas obligations under the 2015 deal as well as whether remaining in the agreement would make it more difficult for the administration to legally defend the changes it was making to the federal governments existing climate policies, but it did not reach a final decision. And the story ends with a textbook example of what my old mentor M. Stanton Evans called ventriloquist journalismciting experts and sources that essentially transform your news story into an advocacy piece: But Paul Bledsoe, who served as a White House climate adviser under Bill Clinton and is now a lecturer at American Universitys Center for Environmental Policy, warned that the administration might face serious pushback from abroad if Trump seeks to withdraw from the agreement. The Trump team seems oblivious to the fact that climate protection is now viewed by leading allies and nations around the world as a key measure of moral and diplomatic standing, Bledsoe said in an email. The U.S. would be risking pariah status on the international stage by withdrawing from Paris, and even a fig leaf approach of technically staying in the agreement while ignoring most of its provisions would be better than pulling out altogether. PAUL ADDS: If one focuses on President Trumps advisers, Im pretty sure that, as Steve suggests, the weight of opinion inside his administration favors remaining in the Paris Climate Agreement. On that side of the dispute, from what Ive heard, you find Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, Gary Cohn, Rex Tillerson, and probably Rick Perry. On the other side, again based on my sources, there is Mike Pence, Scott Pruitt, Steve Bannon, and Stephen Miller. That could be a mismatch. But what does the president think? He may well believe that the deal is bad for America and especially for the Americans whose votes made him president. Trumps past statements would lead one to believe thats how he views it. If so, it may not matter that heavy hitters among his close advisers view the matter differently. As Steve says, maybe we wont always have Paris. This television ad celebrates the successes of President Trumps first 100 days. It is an excellent ad, but not everyone saw it that way. CNN refused to take Trumps money to run it: So what was CNNs problem with the ad? Breitbart explains: CNN requested that the advertiser remove the false graphic that the mainstream media is fake news, the network said in a statement. The mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false and per policy will be accepted only if that graphic is deleted. Interesting: CNN protests not on behalf of CNN, but on behalf of the mainstream media. The Democratic Party press sticks together. So, once again: free speech. If you are a conservative, you cant even buy it. Democrats think they have a bone to pick with FBI Director James Comey. They are angry with Comey for disclosing to the appropriate members of Congress the reopening in late October of what Hillary Clinton was pleased to call the FBIs security review of her email set-up. In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey revisited the circumstances involving Huma Abedin and Anthony (Not Again!) Weiner. In response to a question posed by Senator Feinstein, Comey testified regarding the infamous laptop of the infamous Anthony Weiner: Somehow, [Clintons] emails were being forwarded to Anthony Weiner, including classified information, by [Clintons] assistant, Huma Abedin. And so [the FBI] found thousands of new emails. Comey explained: [Weiners] then-spouse [sic] Huma Abedin appears to have had a regular practice of forwarding emails to him for him to print out for her so she could deliver them to the secretary of state. The Washington Posts account of Comeys testimony is posted here along with the video below. Comey restated his view that intentional wrongdoing is required to charge a crime here and that the FBI examined the new emails for evidence of consciousness of intentional wrongdoing. As Andy McCarthy recently explained again in this context, Comey is painfully (intentionally?) wrong on this point. Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin et al. should not be out free in what used to be called polite society lecturing the rest of us. Comeys testimony today serves as a painful reminder of an unresolved Clinton scandal of the first order. Nigerias oil production has risen from 1.2 million barrels per day to two million barrels per day, an official has said. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru, said this on Tuesday while fielding questions from reporters in Abuja. Mr. Baru, who said this after meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the increase was due to the peace and stability recorded in the Niger Delta region . Mr. Baru said he briefed the president on the activities of the NNPC and its subsidiaries. The NNPC boss explained further that he gave detailed reports on fuel supply across the country, crude oil and gas production , and the ability of the corporation to supply gas to the power sector . We had an extensive briefing as you can see, I spent quite some time with him to discuss these national issues, the NNPC boss said. He was happy with the state of the corporation and told us to continue with the efforts that we are making ; and that if we need any executive attention, we should not hesitate to come back to him. Nigerias oil production capacity had been hampered by the activities of militants in the Niger Delta region. Production has, however, improved as a result of negotiations with the aggrieved militants. Africas largest economy relies heavily on oil proceeds to fund its budget and execute capital projects. Meanwhile, when asked about any possible increment in fuel price, the NNPC boss said the corporation had no such plan on its radar. Share this: Twitter Facebook SAN ANTONIO, Texas, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- bioAffinity Technologies announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued a patent that protects the Companys proprietary CyPath technology for the early detection of lung cancer through 2030. Titled System and Method for Analyzing Samples Labeled with 5, 10, 15, 20 Tetrakis (4-Carboxyphenyl) Porphine (TCPP), the EPO patent for bioAffinitys platform test for early cancer detection will significantly increase bioAffinitys intellectual property (IP) portfolio that currently consists of 43 awarded patents in 22 countries. bioAffinitys porphyrin-based CyPath bio-label preferentially binds to cancer cells, giving them a distinctive fluorescence that is detectable and measurable by flow cytometry. CyPath Lung, bioAffinitys initial product, is designed to be a highly accurate, non-invasive, early-stage lung cancer diagnostic for use by patients at risk for lung cancer. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 30 percent of European adults are smokers, and smoking among adolescents is on the rise, bioAffinity President and CEO Maria Zannes said. Tobacco use causes 16 percent of all deaths in the adult population over 30 years of age. We expect our CyPath product to have a significant positive impact on early detection of lung cancer in the European Union. bioAffinity is focused on the commercialization of accurate, non-invasive diagnostics and life-saving targeted therapeutics for multiple cancers. CyPath Lung is a simple and cost-effective diagnostic, which will make it particularly valuable in countries with large populations and broad economic and social demographics. About bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. (www.bioaffinitytech.com) is a privately held development-stage company addressing the significant unmet need for non-invasive, early-stage cancer diagnosis and treatment. The Company develops proprietary in-vitro diagnostic tests and targeted cancer therapeutics using breakthrough technology that preferentially targets cancer cells. Research and optimization of its platform technology is conducted in bioAffinity Technologies laboratories and at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio through a collaborative research agreement. The Companys platform technology will be developed to diagnose, monitor and treat many cancers. The management of Arik Air has announced the resumption of flight operations to Maiduguri, Borno State, four years after it suspended operations to the state. According to Arik Airs Chief Executive Officer, Roy Ilegbodu, the flight operations will commence on May 9. Announcing the resumption in a press statement in Lagos, Arik Air said flights to Maiduguri will operate thrice weekly, with the possibility of increasing the frequency in the coming weeks. The airline, however, said although the flight will operate via Abuja, passengers from other Arik Air network can conveniently connect to Abuja for their onward journey to Maiduguri. Arik Air suspended operations to Maiduguri in December 2013 due to security reasons. The security situation in the region has since improved, the airline said, noting that the development necessitated the resumption of flight operations to the Maiduguri International Airport. Share this: Twitter Facebook Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party candidate in the 2016 presidential election in the U.S., has blamed her loss on negative events late in the campaign, including an FBI investigation. She also fingered Russia-linked hacking of her campaign for the defeat by President Donald Trump of the Republican Party. In New York on Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton said she was on the way to winning in late October, before a combination of events influenced people who were inclined to vote for [her] but got scared off. She cited FBI Chief, James Comeys letter to Congress that his agency was probing new information about her long-investigated use of email as Secretary of State from 2009-2013. She added that Wikileaks revelations of hacked emails from Democratic Party officials also played a role in the disaster. Mrs. Clinton said the events in the last 10 days were the reason why she thought that her campaign lost. She said that unprecedented interference by a foreign power and its leader, clearly referencing Russian President, Vladimir Putin, had overwhelming impact in the electoral process. U.S. intelligence agencies had said that Russia-linked hackers appeared to have targeted the Democratic Party as well as flooding social media with negative, often false information. [Putin] certainly interfered in our election, and it was clear he interfered to hurt me and help my opponent, Mrs. Clinton said. The former first lady said she was engaged in the cathartic activity of writing a book, adding that it was a painful process reliving the campaign. Since the election, left-wing activists have organised against her opponent, President Trump, including using a resist theme on social media. Im back to being an activist citizen and part of the resistance, Mrs. Clinton said. Mr. Trump has, however, slammed Mrs. Clinton for her statement. Mr. Trump, in a tweet, suggested that on the contrary, Mrs. Clinton was protected from criminal prosecution by Mr. Comey over her emails scandal. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign, Mr. Trump said on his Twitter handle. Mrs. Clinton had in an interview at a Women for Women event in New York said she was on her way to winning the Nov. 8 election if not for a last-minute letter to Congress from Comey and the release of campaign emails from WikiLeaks. The former Secretary of State also said that she thought she would have won the election if not for the two major events during the home stretch of the campaign. I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comeys letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off. Mrs. Clinton also said Mr. Trump should worry less about the election and my winning the popular vote, adding, I did more than three million votes than my opponent. (NAN). Share this: Twitter Facebook Journalists working at the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbournes The Age newspapers announced a week-long strike after the Fairfax Media group said it would slash about 25 per cent of its editorial staff. Fairfax is one of the top two newspaper owners in Australia, while Rupert Murdochs News Corporation is the other. The company earlier announced it was removing 125 full-time equivalent journalists from three newspapers and websites: Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age. The union had asked them not to take such decision. We are shocked and appalled, Marcus Storm, Heralds Science Editor, told journalists. Fairfax had told their staff that the redundancies and restructuring would save the company 30 million Australian dollars ($22 million) a year. Journalists walked out of the Fairfax building in Sydney and Melbourne after the staff held a vote on Wednesday. In Canberra, press gallery journalists left the parliament while court reporters left the courtrooms in Sydney and Melbourne. Fairfax journo at Bell and Landry case whispers to person sitting next to her we are on strike, then stands and excuses herself from the court, Nine television reporter Tom Steinfort said on his Twitter. Storm, who has been working at the Herald for the past 12 years, said the strike was to pressure the management to reverse the decision. This is the eighth or ninth rounds of redundancies. Continuous cuts is an existential threat. Our concern is that we will be a one-newspaper town. We need diverse, vibrant media for the functioning of democracy, he said. He said a small number of union staff would put out Thursdays newspapers, mostly with wire copies. In 2016, Fairfax axed 120 editorial jobs from its newsrooms in Sydney and Melbourne. (dpa/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, DPRK, on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of a U.S. citizen for alleged action aimed at toppling the Pyongyang government. The official Korean Central News Agency said the relevant institution intercepted American citizen Kim Sang Dok at Pyongyang International Airport at 08:00 a.m. on April 22 under a relevant law of the DPRK. The news agency said: invited to Pyongyang University of Science and Technology to teach accounting as a professor, he was intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception. Kim is now under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting a detailed investigation into his crimes. (Xinhua/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook A rare albino orangutan has been rescued after being caught by residents in the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, a conservation group said on Wednesday. The groups spokesperson, Nico Hermanu, said the female orangutan had been under the care of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation at its rehabilitation centre near the city of Palangka Raya since Saturday. It was caught by residents and kept in a cage for two days before local authorities intervened and handed it over to us. The white-haired and blue-eyed primate, thought to be five years old, was healthy even though there were signs he had been involved in a fight. It was the first albino orangutan to be cared for by the organisation in its 25-year-old history. Orangutans are rare and albino orangutans are even rarer, Mr. Hermanu said. Recent estimates showed that there are between 45,000 and 65,000 orangutans in Indonesias wild, though those numbers could have fallen due to rapid deforestation. (dpa/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook Justice Aliyu Mayaki of the Niger State High Court, sitting in Minna, on Wednesday granted bail to the immediate past governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu and his former Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko. They were docked on a 6-count charge of fraud to the tune of N3 billion preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Mr. Aliyu, fondly called the chief servant, and Mr. Nasko, who was also a governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State in 2015 general election, were after their arraignment on April 25 remanded in Tunga prison, Minna, while the court adjourned to today for ruling on their bail applications. In his ruling, Justice Maiyaki admitted Mr. Aliyu to bail in the sum of N150 million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court and must own landed property worth N200 million, the judge said. The sureties are also to deposit their Certificates of Occupancy to the court pending the determination of the case. Mr. Nasko, on the other hand, was granted bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court and must own properties worth N150 million, the judge rules. The Certificates of Occupancy of the properties are to be deposited with the court pending the determination of the case. The case has been adjourned to June 12, 2017 for commencement of trial. Mr. Aliyu, among other things, allegedly diverted N520 million from the Niger State Government Security Account domiciled in Zenith Bank account between January and March 2011. Within the same period, he also allegedly diverted a separate N1.7 billion from the same account. Both men were also said to have diverted about N1.09 billion, which was 16 per cent shares of Niger State in the North South Power Company Limited. The alleged crimes are in contravention of Sections 97 and 312 of the Penal Code. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) became a centre of misery entrepreneurship under the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, with companies raking in, through fraudulent procurement process, billions of Naira and paying kickbacks to the embattled cabinet secretary, according to bank documents and the report of the Senate Committee on the Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North East. PREMIUM TIMES had a rare access to the report which sums up the evidence the Senate submitted to the Yemi Osinbajo-led presidential investigative committee probing allegations of contract fraud and breach of due process against Mr. Lawal. The report is due for presentation before the Senate this week. PINE was established to help coordinate and lead efforts at rebuilding infrastructure and rehabilitate millions of victims of Boko Haram insurgency that has devastated Nigerias North East. About 100,000 people have died since the insurgency began in 2009, according to official figures. As shown in the Senate report with evidences of bank transactions as well as Central Bank of Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission and Bureau of Public Procurement documents Mr. Lawal superintended the conversion of the agency to a criminal, and bizarre money making enterprise, awarding contracts to cronies whose firms did not pass the requirements set by law. Some of the beneficiaries paid parts of the proceeds of the contracts to Mr. Lawals company and his private account in tranches. After receiving payments from PINE, at least five companies separately paid about N450 million to the Eco Bank account (182001809) of Rholavision Engineering Limited owned by Mr. Lawal according to CAC and self-admission, and his private account (0003004417) with Diamond Bank, bank statements showed. According to a CBN confirmation attached to the report, Mr. Lawal was still the signatory to the account of Rholavision until February 15, 2017 which shares the same Bank Verification Number with his personal account and 13 other accounts in commercial banks. Between March 29, 2016 and April 20, 2016, Josmon Technologies Limited transferred N317 million to Rholavision after receiving two grass-cutting contracts worth N530.6 million for the removal of invasive plant species in Yobe State. The transfers were made in tranches, mostly N10 million per transaction, and N47 million on the last day. For the grass-cutting contract, Mr. Lawals Rholavision was awarded the consultancy contract on March 8, 2016, while the owner was in the service of the government as federal cabinet secretary, in breach of Nigerias code of conduct for public officers and the Public Procurement Act. But apart from that contract which formed the basis of the call by the Senate that Mr. Lawal be removed and prosecuted by President Muhammadu Buhari last December, the suspended SGF was also into other fraudulent deals with companies using PINE as conduit pipe. For instance, on August 8, 2016, JMT Global Technologies Ltd transferred N30 million from its Zenith Bank account 114357188 to Rholavision. Then, JMT had just got eight contracts for rehabilitations/renovations in Adamawa State for the sum of N199.4 million. Also Messrs Adamawa Boreholes and Drilling Companies Ltd transferred N18 million to Mr. Lawals company, after clinching N54.8 million contract to renovate seven classrooms at Yeskule Girls Secondary School, Michika Adamawa State. Similarly, Barde Brothers Multi-Services Limited which was also awarded seven contracts to renovate classrooms in Adamawa State for N145 million returned N71 million to Mr. Lawals company account on October 10, 2016, and another N13 million between July 7, 2016 and September 9, 2016 to his private account. Procurement Without Regard For Law Apart from the companies from which Mr. Lawal got kickbacks, there are other dozens of companies that received PINE contracts in manners that suggested disregard for law and due process. Between November 2015 and July 2016, the agency received over eight billion naira (N8,352,865,587), out of which N6.8 billion was expended on projects and N231.5 million on recurrent expenditures. PINE, according to the report of the Senate committee, awarded 39 contracts to various companies to carry out the removal of invasive plant species plants, rehabilitation/renovation works, food supplies, consultancy services and provision of shelter (supply of tarpaulin cabins) etc. But the committee found that all the contracts were awarded under the principle of emergency procurement stipulated in section 43 (i) and (ii) but absolute disregard for sub-section (iii) of the same section 43 of the Public Procurement Act. According to a BPPs review attached to the report, none of the bidders for all the contracts had the full requirements stipulated in section 16 of the Public Procurement Act and, thus, none was eligible to be awarded contract. Such requirements include CAC registration, tax payment, PENCOM certificate, VAT, ITF and BPP registration. Yet, some of the companies disqualified by the BPP, like Josmon, Rholavision, Adamawa Borehole, Dantex and Yuby Ventures among others, eventually got contracts. The report also revealed the procurement process at PINE was done without evidence of advertisement for all rehabilitation contracts carried out; no evidence of submission of bidders register; and evidence of bid return sheets. The report added that PINE had no evidence of having the approval of the Federal Executive Council for contracts above N50 million as envisaged by the procurement law. Mr. Lawal, now on suspension, is currently being probed by the presidential investigative committee. But officials of PINE, especially the boss, Umar Gulani, may also face the wrath of the law. During the public hearing of the Senate committee last year, Mr. Gulani could not account for how billions released to his agency were utilized. As officials and their accomplices in the private sector stole funds meant for victims of war, over 400 thousand children face acute malnutrition in the North East, according to UNICEF, which says 134 children could die daily in the circumstance of no action. Some 65,000 people are in famine-like conditions, the worst level of food insecurity, and facing starving to death for lack of food. It is a very unique situation in the world, UNICEF said. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Senate has screened and confirmed Stephen Ocheni and Suleiman Hassan as ministers, following their nominations by President Muhammadu Buhari in March. Mr. Ocheni is from Kogi State which has not had anyone in the Federal Executive Council, as constitutionally required, since the death of James Ocholi in an accident last year. Mr. Hassan, Gombe State, is to replace Amina Mohammed who left Nigerias public service to take up top responsibility at the United Nations. Both nominees, as they were before the confirmation, displayed impressive performances, on Wednesday, when they came before the Senate committee of the whole chaired by Senate President Bukola Saraki. They responded to questions posed by lawmakers mainly on their respective areas of competence and backgrounds. Mr. Ocheni, a professor of accounting, explained the importance of the Treasury Single Account which he said was for transparency, consolidation and optimal utilization of financial resources. To tackle poverty, Mr. Ocheni proposed increased capital expenditure through which more jobs would be created; and encouraging graduates to be self-employed. If we increase capital expenditure by any percentage, we will also be reducing poverty by that percentage, said Mr. Ocheni. He also said self-reliance mentioning local refinement of petroleum products was key to hauling the country out of recession. The second nominee, Mr. Hassan, is a surveyor and, formerly, chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change in Gombe State. He said empirical determination of boundaries using current geo-spatial data which we generate was the way to check incessant communal disputes over boundary in Nigeria. Boundary dispute is an elitist problem because of resources, he added. Mr. Hassan had previously been screened and confirmed by the Senate for ambassadorial job, before he was nominated minister Mr. Buhari. So, there were not many questions for him before he was asked to take bow and go, like Mr. Ocheni who was the first to face the Senate on Wednesday. After the confirmation hearing, the lawmakers resolved through voice vote the approve the nominations of Messrs. Ocheni and Hassan for ministerial positions. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Federal Government says the Zabazaba deepwater project in Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 245 will continue in spite of controversies surrounding the oil block. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said this in Houston Texas, U. S. while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the annual Offshore Technology Conference. According to him, the project, which is to be carried out by the trio of the Federal Government, Shell and the Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAE), will go on as scheduled and the protracted dispute on the block with Malabu oil will not affect it. The Zabazaba Deepwater is a Greenfield offshore licence block located in the OPL 245 in the Eastern portion of the Niger Delta with water depths ranging from 1,200 to 2,400 metres. Malabu continues to be a worry. It happened before this administration and it is in court. This matter is being handled not just in Nigeria; action is going on in France and some other countries, the facts are there. As a lawyer with years of experience, I try not to comment on this. There is a difference between recovering the illegal payments and dealing with the benefits of the block itself. The Zabazaba and other projects that have been signed on and so would have to go on. That has nothing to do with recovering the money. In recovering, the money we should keep trailing the money and get it. One of the things I have said to companies that are involved in this is that for me, once there is a question mark in terms of transaction you did, we will still look at it, and then you need to come clean to the stable. My simple read is that if there is one billion dollars that was paid illegally, that is one billion dollars the Federal Government should have gotten if you didnt do illegal bribe, he said. The Minister disclosed that there would be roundtable on the matter aside what the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was doing. We need to talk because without any impact in terms of the project, which must continue, these are huge billions of dollars of investment in Nigeria, I am not going to shut that down. The issue of the criminality is outside my realm. My realm is doing two things: Make sure the investment go ahead so we can get returns, and two, get back the one billion dollars from wherever they said they have put it and give me back the money so that the Federal Government can have it back. In fact, there are question marks, it is almost becoming apparent from all the data that we see that monies were paid, we will need to sit down with them. For me as a business man, there is $1 billion that is lying out there, paid to the wrong person; we need to see how we can get that $1 billion and therefore give you a clean bill of health, he explained. PREMIUM TIMES had reported on how majority of the $1.1 billion paid by Shell and Eni into a Nigerian government account ended up in private pockets of individuals including persons suspected to be fronts for officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. In Nigeria, two former ministers and other individuals and firms, including Shell and NAE are being prosecuted for their alleged roles in the scandal. The two former ministers, Dan Etete and Mohammed Adoke, are currently believed to be on the run. A similar indictment has occurred in Italy where Shell, ENI (owner of NAE) and others await possible prosecution. The EFCC recently asked the court to hand over OPL 245 to the Nigerian government pending the conclusion of its investigation. Although the court granted the order, it later reversed it. Mr. Kachikwus statement is the first yet by a Nigerian official to show that despite the criminal investigations and trials, the Nigerian government appears to be more concerned about the commercial benefits on OPL 245, considered one of the richest oil blocks in Africa. The ministers statement also comes despite a current court case involving a firm Malabu Oil and Gas, which claims to be the original owner of the block, and is asking the court to stop Shell and NAE from operating the block. The court case continues on May 18. It was Malabu that allegedly sold the oil block to Shell and ENI through the Nigerian government in 2011. But Mohammed Abacha, the majority shareholder in Malabu, said that transaction was fraudulently done as Mr. Etete, who represented Malabu and directly received most of the $1.1 billion paid, had no authority to do so. Mr. Kachikwus statement also comes despite Shell admitting for the first time that they knew the money they were paying was going to end up in private hands, including of Mr. Etete, who was earlier convicted of money laundering in France. On the issue of the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas Train-7, the minister said gas investments were challenged worldwide but within the next 18 months, partners should take the Final Investment Decision (FID) to enable the project proceed. He said that the governments recent payment of joint venture cash call debts to International Oil Companies (IOCs) would also boost the confidence of its investors to now proceed with the FID. The Train 7 project, which stakeholders say is very significant to Nigerias economy, is expected to lift the total production capacity of gas and was formed to satisfy local requirements as a result of the shortage of gas but its progress had been hampered. On Project 100, the minister said: We need to develop a team, put parameters in place and hopefully in the next six weeks we should know. Project 100 is a concept conceived by Kachikwu to develop 100 projects to drive investments in the oil sector. Share this: Twitter Facebook An escalating spate of arrests of journalists and intimidation of bloggers as well as the violent crushing of peaceful protests across Nigeria shows the authorities determination to suppress the right to freedom of expression, said Amnesty International, Wednesday, on World Press Freedom Day. The organisation is urging the federal and state governments to respect international human rights law and the Nigerian constitution by protecting the right to freedom of expression and press freedom including by ensuring that state machinery is not used to harass and intimidate anyone simply for expressing opinions that those in power dislike. Escalating arrests of journalists and violent disruption of peaceful protests since the start of 2017 shows staggering decline of freedom of expression and assembly that is pushing Nigeria further down the World Press Freedom Index, said Osai Ojigho, Country Director at Amnesty International Nigeria. The security forces have also consistently used excessive force and intimidation to crack down on Nigerians exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly. Intimidation of journalists, bloggers Since January 2017 Nigeria has witnessed a rising pattern of harassment and intimidation of journalists, through threats and arrests for simply doing their job or asking questions those in authority are not comfortable with. So far this year at least eight journalists have been either arrested or intimidated by the authorities in clear violation of the Nigerian constitution, which guarantees the rights to freedom of expression and association. Some of the 36 state governors have used their control over state security agencies to arrest and subject journalists to all kinds of harassment and intimidation, including charging them on frivolous grounds with the aim of silencing them. So far at least three journalists were arrested in this manner in Kaduna state. On April 20, Midat Joseph, a journalist working with Leadership newspaper was arrested and charged with incitement by the Kaduna State government for an alleged private conversation that took place over a year ago on a WhatsApp group about plan for a protest. On 16 April, news broke of the murder of Famous Giobaro a journalist with Bayelsa Radio Corporations Glory FM in Yenagoa. While it is now suspected that the unknown gunmen were armed robbers, the authorities still have an obligation to promptly and thoroughly investigate the case and bring whoever may be responsible to justice. Only last week, Nigerian Union of Journalists added its voice to the calls to bring suspected killers of journalists to justice. Since the Cyber Crimes Act was signed into law in 2015, it has been used as a pretext to arbitrarily arrest bloggers and therefore censor Nigerian cyberspace. For example, in August last year, prominent blogger Abubakar Usman was arrested by the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who claimed he was detained for activities that contravened the Cyber Crimes Act. However they could not point out the exact provision of the act the blogger contravened and the charges were later dropped. Although the Freedom of Information Act was signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan on 28 May 2011, government institutions and officials regularly deny journalists information, and in some cases threaten them for investigating issues that are in the public interest. These recent draconian trends are sending the wrong signal and force journalists to live in perpetual fear for daring to investigate and report on issues of major public interest. In a human-rights respecting society no one should have the power to harass and intimidate individuals for expressing an opinion, said Osai Ojigho. In its 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Nigeria alongside countries hostile to freedom of the press (122 out of 180 countries ranked, down six places since last year). This is yet another worrying sign that the Nigerian authorities need to do more to guarantee the right to freedom of expression, including press freedom, by curbing all forms of intimidation of journalists. Amnesty International Nigeria is calling on authorities both at federal and state levels to take concrete actions that will assure Nigerians that the country is not slipping into a media clampdown. To this end, the authorities should urgently bring to an end all forms of harassment and intimidation of journalists and the use of fear to deter people from using social media platforms to express their opinions. Share this: Twitter Facebook PARIS, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIOPHYTIS (Alternext Paris:ALBPS), a biotechnology company specializing in the development of drug candidates to treat age-related diseases, announced it presented at the ICFSR the full results of Sarconeos (BIO101), the Companys lead drug candidate for the treatment of sarcopenia, in the SARA-PK clinical study. The analysis of pharmacodynamics data showed that some biomarkers of muscle metabolism or key hormones of the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) were modulated in accordance with the mechanism of action of Sarconeos. Three other scientific studies were also presented, BIOPHYTIS being the most active biotech company at the 7th International Conference on Frailty & Sarcopenia Research, held April 27-29th 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. Stanislas Veillet, CEO of BIOPHYTIS, said: Our analysis of biomarkers of muscle anabolism and RAS activation demonstrate the potential of Sarconeos in the treatment of Sarcopenia. We are very proud to be the most active biotech company presenting at this conference, sharing with the community of scientists and clinicians our results and clinical plan. The international SARA-OBS/INT Phase 2b clinical study is just starting, it is probably the largest therapeutic trial ever done in this new indication. The SARA-PK study was executed between August and November 2016. The analysis of pharmacodynamics data confirmed that observed changes on biomarkers of muscular metabolism (creatine kinase, myoglobin, etc.) and of the Renin-Angiotensin System (renin, adolsterone, etc.) are consistent with the mechanism of action of the investigational drug candidate (Sarconeos), which stimulates anabolism in skeletal muscles through the activation of MAS receptor. The activation of MAS receptor stimulates protein synthesis and counteracts proteolysis in skeletal muscles thereby compensating the loss of muscle mass, muscle strength, and mobility losses associated with aging in animal models of Sarcopenia. The study aimed at assessing the safety and evaluating the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Sarconeos in healthy young and older volunteers following single and multiple ascending oral doses for 14 days. The Single Ascending Dose (SAD) is a staggered design involving the administering of Sarconeos orally to 24 subjects from 2 age groups 2 cohorts of adults aged 18 to 55 at escalating doses of 100 mg to 1400 mg, and 1 cohort of adults aged 65 to 85 at 1400 mg. The Multiple Ascending Dose (MAD) is a design of 3 selected doses of Sarconeos of 350 mg qd; 350 mg bid and 450 mg bid administered to 3 panels of 10 adults aged 65 to 85 over 14 days. SARA-PK safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics results allow us to confirm Sarconeos favourable therapeutic window and to define the two doses which will be tested in SARA-INT, the Sarconeos Phase 2b interventional study, provided it is authorized by the relevant regulatory agencies: 175 mg bid and 350 mg bid Three other scientific studies were presented at the 7th International Conference on Frailty & Sarcopenia Research, demonstrating the energy and originality of BIOPHYTIS scientific and medical teams, among the most active in the industry, which today are focused on the launch of the SARA-OBS/INT international clinical study. BIO103, a second-generation compound for the treatment of sarcopenia. From anabolic properties to the reversion of aging-related functional loss. Loss of muscular function as a result of aging, obesity and immobilization: a mouse model for pharmacological intervention. Patient Reported Outcomes (ePROs) SarQoL, SF-36 and TSD-OC - in ageing related Sarcopenia. SARA-OBS, a six-month observational clinical trial. For more information on the ICFSR program please see: http://www.frailty-sarcopenia.com/programme.pdf About SARCONEOS Sarconeos is a first in class drug candidate based on the activation of the MAS receptor (major player of the renin-angiotensin system) restoring muscular anabolism, inhibiting myostatin, and that has demonstrated meaningful activity in animal models of muscular dystrophies. Sarconeos is developed in the treatment of sarcopenia, an age-related degeneration of skeletal muscle, leading to loss of mobility in elderly people. This condition, for which no medical treatment currently exists, was first described in 1993 and has entered the International Classification of Diseases (M62.84) in 2016. It affects more than 50 million people worldwide. About BIOPHYTIS: BIOPHYTIS SA (www.biophytis.com), founded in 2006, develops drug candidates targeting diseases of aging. Using its technology and know-how, BIOPHYTIS has begun clinical development of innovative therapeutics to restore the muscular and visual functions in diseases with significant unmet medical need. Specifically, the company is advancing two lead products into mid-stage clinical testing next year: Sarconeos (BIO101) to treat sarcopenic obesity and Macuneos (BIO201) to treat dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The company was founded in partnership with researchers at the UPMC (Pierre and Marie Curie University) and also collaborates with scientists at the Institute of Myology, and the Vision Institute BIOPHYTIS is listed on the Alternext market of Euronext Paris (ALBPS; ISIN: FR0012816825). For more information: http://www.biophytis.com Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors (Facteurs de Risque) section of the Listing Prospectus upon the admission of Companys shares for trading on the regulated market Alternext of Euronext Paris filed with the AMF, which is available on the AMF website (www.amf- france.org) or on BIOPHYTIS website (www.biophytis.com). This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to shares in BIOPHYTIS in any country. Items in this press release may contain forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties. The Companys actual results could differ substantially from those anticipated in these statements owing to various risk factors which are described in the Companys prospectus. This press release has been prepared in 5 both French and English. In the event of any differences between the two texts, the French language version shall supersede. BIOPHYTIS Stanislas VEILLET CEO contact@biophytis.com Tel : +33 (0) 1 41 83 66 00 Citigate Dewe Rogerson International press Laurence BAULT/Antoine DENRY Laurence.bault@citigate.fr/antoine.denry@citigate.fr Tel : +33 (0)1 53 32 84 78 Mob : +33(0)6 64 12 53 61 LifeSci Advisors Chris MAGGOS Managing Director, Europe chris@lifesciadvisors.com Tel : +41 79 367 6254 Milestones Press and investor relations Bruno ARABIAN barabian@milestones.fr Tel : +33 (0) 1 83 62 34 84 Mob : +33 (0) 6 87 88 47 26 The Ali Modu Sheriff-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said it has more of the partys governors in its camp than its rival faction led by Ahmed Makarfi. The Deputy National Chairman of the faction, Cairo Ojougbo, who stated this in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said of the 11 state governors elected on the platform of the party, five of them belong to the faction while three others identify with the Makarfi group. The PDP controls the governments in Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, and Rivers. Others are Ekiti, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Taraba and Gombe States. He listed those with the Makarfi group as Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta). He said it was not clear where Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State belongs, saying he (Dankwambo) speaks from both sides of his mouth. The Ebonyi governor, the Enugu governor, the Taraba governor, the Cross River governor, the Bayelsa governor are one hundred per cent with us, Mr. Ojougboh said during a telephone interview. It is only Fayose, Wike and Okowa that are with Makarfi. Fayose wants to be vice president, even Wike wants to be vice president. Okowa has problems in his state. Dankwambo has presidential ambition and that is why he has been speaking from both sides of his mouth. Asked why he was sure that the majority governors were in the Sheriff faction of the party, Mr. Ojougboh said, We had meetings with them and they are ready for convention. We went to their states to meet them and if we call convention today they will be there. The deputy national chairman however expressed hope that Messrs. Fayose, Wike and Okowa would soon realise their mistake and join Mr. Sheriff to rebuild Nigerias main opposition party. Speaking earlier on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, Mr. Ojougboh assured that his faction would accept the verdict of the Supreme Court where the suit on the crisis is pending, if it was ruled against it. If it goes in favour of Sheriff, by the grace of God we will open the door wide for everybody, we will bring everybody back, we will wave our handkerchiefs and we will tell Nigerians that we are very mature politicians. If it goes against us we will accept the Supreme Court judgement. We will not oppose it and we will cooperate to the fullest and that is how you know the persons who are ready to work. Let me also say this very quickly. All the governors who are in the opposing camp, they have been boasting that they must win and that they are going to win in Supreme Court, but we tell Nigerians that the Supreme Court is no respecter of persons. The PDP, Nigerias former ruling party, has been enmeshed in leadership crisis since May 21 last year when its national convention sacked the acting National Chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff and replaced it with a National Caretake Committee led by Mr. Makarfi, a former senator and former governor of Kaduna State. Mr. Sheriff, a former senator and ex-governor of Borno State, however challenged its removal in court. This set the stage for more litigations some of which were won by the embattled national chairman and others by the Makarfi-led NCC. In February, the Port Harcourt, Rivers State Division of the Court of Appeal affirmed the former Borno governor as the national chairman of the party. The judgement was challenged by the Makarfi faction at the Supreme Court where the matter is pending. Efforts by some senior members of the party, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, to resolve the crisis have been unsuccessful. Share this: Twitter Facebook A staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Yisa Olanrewaju Adedoyin, has pleaded guilty to receiving over N70 million (N70,050,000) from the N23 billion alleged Diezani Allison- Madueke bribe meant to compromise electoral officers before the 2015 general election. Mr. Adedoyin alongside Christian Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir were re-arraigned on Wednesday on an amended six-count charge bordering on receiving gratification to the tune of N264,880,000 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice M. B. Idris of the Federal High Court Ikoyi, Lagos. One of the counts reads: That you, Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke (still at large) and Tijani Inda Bashir on or about the 27th day of March, 2015 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court directly took possession of the sum of N264,880,000.00(Two Hundred and Sixty-four Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act. Both the first defendant, Mr. Nwosu, and third defendant, Mr. Bashir, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to them. However, the second defendant, Mr. Adedoyin, pleaded guilty to count four of the charge. While addressing the court, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the second defendant, Mr. Adedoyin, benefited the sum of N28 million out of the N70,050,000 he collected from Mr. Bashir, during the 2015 general election. Mr. Oyedepo further told the court that commission had recovered properties worth N23 million and N5 million draft from Mr. Adedoyins account. In his address, Mr. Oyedepo also told the court that Mr. Adedoyin had entered a plea bargain agreement with the Commission to pay a fine of N10 million. Mr. Oyedepo, however, said that the N5 million recovered from his account will form part of the N10m fine. Consequently, Justice Idris found Mr. Adedoyin guilty as charged and convicted him, accordingly. In his ruling, Justice Idris also accepted the plea bargain agreement between the convict and the commission. Meanwhile, the first defendant, Mr. Nwosu, who had earlier been convicted by the court, changed his defence counsel at todays sitting. Mr. Nwosu also changed his plea from guilty to not guilty in the amended six-count charge. In view of the pleas of not guilty by both the first and third defendants, Mr. Oyedepo prayed the court to transfer the matter to the Chief Judge, Federal High Court for re-assignment on the grounds that Mr. Nwosu had earlier been convicted. He argued that in the event of an accused pleading not guilty after pleading guilty, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, states that such a matter should be re-assigned to another judge. Mr. Oyedepo also prayed the court to remand Nwosu in prison custody. Justice Idris adjourned to May 15, 2017 for the hearing of the Nwosus bail and ordered him to be reminded in prison custody. It will be recalled that the accused were first arraigned on April 5, 2017 by the EFCC on a seven-count charge. Following their arraignment, Nwosu had pleaded guilty to the charge. Consequently, Justice Idris, on April 27, 2017, ordered the final forfeiture of landed properties measuring 100ft by 80, lying and situated at Okotomi layout, Obodogwugwu Quarters, Okpanam, Oshimili North LG and 100ft by 50, lying in the same local government area of Delta State; and the sum of N5 million recovered from Mr. Nwosu. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Federal Government has described as inaccurate the recent survey by Reporters Without Borders, which alleged that Nigerias press freedom rating has been on sustained decline since 2015. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja to mark the World Press Freedom Day 2017. According to the minister, President Muhammadu Buharis administration is committed to the freedom of the press. He said in spite of the inaccurate and fake news saturating the media space, the federal government had not put a single journalist behind bars as a result of his or her professional conduct. Mr. Mohammed said though there were reports that some states had been hard on some journalists and bloggers for alleged misconduct, it had not been the policy of the Buhari government to join issues with the media. The minister reiterated the federal governments unflinching commitment to upholding the tenets of democracy, which include free press and freedom of speech. He said the recent incident involving the Punch Correspondent covering the State House, Olalekan Adetayo, is an aberration. Mr. Mohammed noted that the speed with which the order barring the correspondent from the State House was reversed lent credence to the fact that the government was not out to muzzle the press. He recalled that the accreditation of the current Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Ubale Musa, which was withdrawn by the previous administration, was immediately restored upon the assumption of office by the Buhari Administration. He said the governments actions were to give the media unhindered access to the seat of power. The minister pledged the readiness of the present administration to always create a conducive environment for the media to thrive and to continue to discharge its constitutional mandate without hindrance. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The wife of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has raised an alarm over what she said would be the consequences of their sons forthcoming wedding to the daughter of the owner of Premier Lotto, Kessington Adebutu. Taiwo Obasanjo, in a letter to The Methodist Church of Nigeria, said the dates chosen for the wedding of Abraham Obasanjo to Tope Adebutu May 11 and 13 would precipitate untold misery for the country. The two dates were chosen and compelled by Satan for them to lure unsuspecting numerous souls to a banquet of death, that will result in strange holocaust in our nation, Mrs. Obasanjo said. After the wedding, you will be hearing and seeing incidents of plane crashes, fire incidents, multiple road accidents, tankers and trailer killing people, cancers, diseases of kidney, liver, prostrate, eyes issues and diverse health problem causing strange death in people and the economy situation will worsen. Mrs. Obasanjos letter comes weeks after her suit at the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. In the suit, the wife of the former president said she had received various warnings and prophecies that her son should not be involved in an elaborate wedding ceremony before his 34th birthday. She prayed the court to move the wedding date to June 1, the day her son would turn 34. But the judge dismissed the suit on the condition that the jurisdiction of a family court only covers children under 18 years. In her latest letter, addressed to the head of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, Mrs. Obasanjo said repeated pleas to her prospective sister, daughter, and father-in-law; her husband; and her brother, Kenny Martins to shift the wedding date fell on deaf ears. I am not against the wedding, all I am relentlessly pleading is for a shift in the date and they turned against me, even on the 11th and 13th of May they are planning to assassinate me or keep me in police custody from 10th 14th May 2017, when they would have completed the devilish wedding ceremony. Sir, is this a wedding ceremony or a clever, premeditated, devilishly calculated scheme to sacrifice thousands of souls as they come to the feast of death, ostensibly announced as wedding ceremony? I am alive and healthy and I am not mad, God used me to convince my son to change his mind to marry this lady called Tope Adebutu, now they want to kill me by all means possible. Mrs. Obasanjo also said she would stage a peaceful, public protest on the days of the wedding, and had already informed the police. This protest is to bring out people to praise the Almighty God very loud with songs and drummers to sing and dance like King David, as they hold the demonic ceremony. We will not insult or abuse anyone. Please, I want the whole world to know that I am not mad and I am not against my sons wedding but the whole truth will be revealed by the Almighty God who sees in secret all that is hidden, for the power of the Almighty God is supreme. Reminder will be sent out to let people know that as many as are free, can join me in praising the Almighty God publicly when then wedding day draws near. Share this: Twitter Facebook The latest Africa Attractiveness Survey, which provides an analysis of Foreign Direct investment, FDI, into the continent, has ranked Nigeria as the 17th destination for FDI in Africa. The report, which was released on Wednesday by EY Africa, a financial advisory services company which carried out the survey, showed that South Africa remained the biggest FDI hub in Africa. Morocco was said to be Africas second largest recipient of FDI, followed by Egypt. In the west of Africa, recession in Nigeria resulted in FDI projects easing 3.8 per cent compared with 2015. With the plunge in crude prices, Africas largest oil exporter has been hit by a scarcity of foreign exchange, impacting businesses that are already grappling with issues, including insufficient power supply and complexity in paying taxes. On a more positive note, the sheer size of the Nigerian market and its diversification initiatives has led to a significant shift in the nature of FDI to the country. Should progress be made on various dimensions notably business enablement, governance and human development, Nigeria remains well-placed to become the largest FDI market in Africa over the next decade, it said. According to the report, China was the biggest investor in Africa, with diversified investments across sectors, such as mining and metals, services, pharmaceuticals, technology, infrastructure and manufacturing. In 2016, according to the report, Chinese FDI created jobs, three times the number of jobs created by the next biggest investor that is the US. Besides trade and FDI, Chinese companies and state-related entities have financed and built many infrastructure projects across the continent. These include ports, roads, railways, dams, telecom networks, power stations and airports. One notable example is the October 2016 launch of a Chinese-built railway linking Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to the port of Djibouti, involving an investment of over 4 billion dollars, it stated. On U.S. investment in Africa, the report said that speculation that President Donald Trumps foreign policy may be unfavourable to Africa was creating some uncertainty regarding the future of the US engagement with Africa. Brexit was said to have negatively impacted Western European investment in Africa, with FDI easing from 10 per cent in 2015 to 6.1 per cent in 2016. Also, jobs created by Western European investors declined by 81 per cent. The report advised that Governments across the continent will need to redefine their trade and investment relations with a post-Brexit UK. Also, according to the report, the biggest bottlenecks to achieving inclusive growth in Africa were globalisation, demography and technology. Institutions such as the Africa Development Bank and the African Union, must take the lead in investing in cross-border infrastructure, such as connecting regional power systems, railway networks, air and maritime transportation. Governance must be tightened to help Africa compete globally for the capital required to support infrastructure development. Government need to invest in education and vocational training programme, adopt more flexible labour market policies and improve the regulatory environment for businesses to facilitate the growth of SMEs, the report said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Wednesday said that it would be impossible to get Nigerians on death row in various countries abroad repatriated home through the Prisoners Exchange Programme. Mr. Onyeama, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, said that capital offenders did not fall within the prisoners exchange programme. He explained that it was often impracticable for those convicted for capital offences repatriated unless they were commuted to life sentences. A Human Rights organisation, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, had called on the Federal Government to increase its efforts in fighting for Nigerians on death row in foreign countries. The organisation stated that no fewer than 300 Nigerians were currently on death row in prisons across Asian countries since 2016. Data by LEPAD revealed that 120 Nigerians faced the prospects of death in Chinese prisons, and over 170 in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and five in Qatar, United Arab Emirate and Saudi Arabia. It estimated that about 16,500 Nigerians were being held abroad, while most of those on death row were convicted of drug-related crimes. Mr. Onyeama, however, said: each country has its laws and each country is sovereign. So, we do not have any leverage in terms of influencing the laws of countries and the implementation of those laws. With respect to the death row, in cases where Nigerians have been sentenced to death, we have always intervened to ask for commutation of the death sentence. You can have agreements where you can have prisoners exchanges or you can have some mechanisms for after a prisoner has served a certain amount of their sentence. They could come back to their country to serve the rest. He explained that this could only be possible with countries that Nigeria had such bilateral agreement with. There are bilateral agreements that we have with some countries and certainly we do try in those countries to persuade them to send these prisoners back. But a lot of them are there for capital offences. And very often, it will be impossible for capital offences, unless they are commuted to life sentences to get those countries to agree to send those prisoners back, he said. According to him, what we should be doing, is try to sensitise our nationals about the folly of taking those kinds of risks of getting involved in such offences. You go to countries where you know that drug trafficking is a capital offence, you are literally taking your life in your own hands. We will keep trying to get the message across, but we know that there are some people who are willing to take the risks because some people make it and they see that the rewards are impressive. We of course also have to work on education in our countries and providing the enabling environment for people not to need to take those extreme risks, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, has presented over 2.2 million treated mosquito nets to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for distribution to the residents of the state. The U.S. Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the nets, valued at $5.5 million, would be distributed in the 21 local government areas of the state. It quoted USAIDs Director for Health, Population and Nutrition, Nancy Lowenthal, as saying that U.S. also provided an additional 1.1 million dollars for logistics, including transportation of the nets, community mobilisation and training. Ms. Lowenthal said the nets and support for the distribution were a gift from the American people to the people of Kogi. The director said that the U.S. was supporting the efforts of the government and people of Kogi to protect the health of all, particularly the young and most vulnerable members of society. I believe that eliminating malaria in Kogi and throughout Nigeria as a whole is possible if we all work together, she said. According to her, malaria is one of the leading killers of children and a leading cause of illness in Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season when the mosquito population increases. She said sleeping under an insecticide-treated net every night was the best way to prevent malaria. Bed nets put a vital barrier between people and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, particularly during the hours from dusk to dawn. Nightly use of insecticide treated bed nets prevents infections, which in turn prevents the spread of malaria. Since 2011, the U.S. Government has spent more than 420 million dollars to control malaria in Nigeria. Over 50 per cent of U.S. government funding for malaria goes into procuring and distributing insecticide treated bed nets, malaria diagnostic kits and malaria medicines, she said. Ms. Lowenthal said that the U.S. government supported advocacy and mobilisation to encourage members of the community to sleep under the bed nets every night, training of health workers, and test for malaria before treatment. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook Three top officials of the Kano Emirate Council have appeared before the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission with documents in connection with ongoing investigation of an alleged misapplication of N6 billion. The Chairman of the commission, Muhuyi Magaji, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Kano. Mr. Magaji, who declined to disclose the names of the affected personnel and description of the documents, however said the officials were scheduled to feature on May 3, with all relevant documents concerning the probe. He explained that the officials demonstrated high degree of cooperation as they fielded questions and submitted documents detailing the council approvals and expenditure. According to him, cases of land racketeering, revenue collection, shop allocation, examination and other shady financial and civil service malfeasance were being handled by the commission. The chairman assured the public of fairness and justice as well as diligent investigation and prosecution of alleged corrupt cases brought before the anti-graft agency. Magaji described corruption as a major factor militating against national development and prosperity. He, therefore, called for understanding, support and cooperation of all to end the cancer eroding our national values and aspiration. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook A former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has given the Nigeria Police a two-week ultimatum to investigate a document they said linked him to the murder of an Islamic cleric, Jaafar Adam. Mr. Shekarau also demanded that the police should make their findings public or face legal action. Mr. Shekarau issued the threat in response to a statement released by the police last week that part of the items recovered in the residence of Senator Danjuma Goje during a raid was a file containing write-ups on how Governor Shekarau plotted the assassination of Sheikh Jafaru. Mr. Shekarau, who issued a protest statement Wednesday to the Inspector General of the Police, Ibrahim Idris, said the release, signed by police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, and which was widely reported has defamed him. I am constrained to say this disclosure amounts to defamation of character, capable of tarnishing my image and pitching the sensibilities of the public against me. In view of this, I request your good offices to take further action than just mere mention of the discovery of the incriminating document at Senator Gojes residence, he said. The former governor asked the police boss to commence an immediate thorough investigation on the content of the said write up recovered at Senator Danjuma Gojes residence. He also said the contents of the write up on his alleged involvement in the assassination of the cleric should be made available to him and the general public. He also asked the police boss to cross check his office and determine whether or not the recovered document from Mr. Goje is different from the widely circulated one in 2009, which your office investigated under IGP Hafizu Ringim and on which the then PPRO, ACP Emmanuel Ojukwu kept the public informed on the investigations of the Police on the matter. Mr. Shekarau asked the police to recognize the urgent need for handling of the matter so as to exonerate him of any complicity, and to douse tension from within our admirers and the general public. Failure to do this within two weeks of the receipt of this letter may compel me to initiate appropriate legal action, to enforce my fundamental human right, as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Shekarau said. Share this: Twitter Facebook A former governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, says his decision to join the APC is to provide direction for upcoming politicians in Enugu State. Mr. Chime made the announcement on Wednesday in Enugu while briefing journalists on his plan to formally register as a member of the APC. The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Mr. Chime had on March 16 this year, announced that he had dumped the PDP on whose platform he served as governor for eight years. After announcing his exit from the PDP, he described the former ruling party as dead and cremated. I have now made my consultations with all ward, local government and state chairmen of the APC and the entire state executive of the party, including the national leadership. They have assured us that we can come in and I am excited about the prospect of joining the party. Mr. Chime described the APC as the only viable party with national outlook in the country. This is the only party that can take any politician to their destination and I pray that what happened to the PDP does not happen to APC. The former governor said that he would on May 6, register formally with the APC at his country home in Udi/Agbudu Ward in the Udi Local Government Area. I am moving to the APC because a lot of people are looking up to me for direction. I ended my journey in 2015 but I still have my supporters looking for guidance. Mr. Chime said that he was neither joining the APC to fight anybody nor seeking for any elective position as there was none at the moment. He said that the APC had come to stay in Enugu State, noting that if things continued the way they were I can assure you that the APC will win the state in 2019. Change has come to Enugu and it is like a movement. He said it was regrettable that his decision to exercise his constitutional right by joining any political party of his choice had elicited spates of violence, sponsored by his detractors in the PDP. Since I announced my exit from the PDP, I have been branded a total failure. Some people think I am nursing the ambition to go to the senate and the best thing to do is to run me down. The former governor said that his supporters at various local government areas in the state had been consistently chastised for their decision to join him to the APC. He cited an instance where a local government chairman in the state invaded and incited violence at a venue where APC chieftains were having a meeting. It will be unfortunate if people re-introduce violence in the politics of the state after we worked hard to stem it. You cannot stop people from meeting simply because you are a local government chairman and they do not belong to your party, said Mr. Chime. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook TORONTO, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation (the Company or BCC) (CSE:BCC) (Pink Sheets:CBICF) today announced that the Company has arranged a US$25 million revolving credit facility with Hi-Med, LLC of Florida. With the funds now available through the credit facility, Management has decided, despite considerable expression of interest, to cap gross proceeds of the private placement, originally announced on March 30, 2017, at an aggregate of US$11,229,350. Background & use of funds BCC has embarked upon an aggressive growth strategy that combines organic growth with transactional expansion to become a branded multi-state cannabis operator. The Companys first acquisition in Arizona has provided BCC with a profitable platform for growth. The Company subsequently acquired an additional dispensary license in Arizona, which it currently is developing. As well, as originally announced on April 4, 2017, it is in the process of acquiring cannabis assets in Massachusetts, a state implementing legalization of adult use, and BCC continues to target further acquisitions in additional states. Funds drawn down against the line of credit will be earmarked specifically for making further acquisitions, as well as, where needed, the development of assets obtained in any transaction. The first such approved use of funds regards the Massachusetts acquisition. Upon completion of the transaction, the Company will be investing in the completion of a 2.5 million grams per annum cultivation and processing facility and a retail dispensary, as well the creation of two additional dispensaries in Massachusetts. BCC anticipates further expanding its footprint in the U.S. cannabis sector during the coming weeks and months. Management commentary Cash flow from our operations is more than sufficient to carry operating expenses, so funds available through the credit facility will provide us with considerable firepower, on excellent terms, to exclusively fuel our expansion strategy, stated Scott Boyes, CEO of BCC. We have a strong pipeline of potential transactions, comprised of both established, accretive operations, and high-potential early-stage assets. Beth Stavola, President of U.S. operations, stated, The funds available to us through the credit facility and the private placement will not only help to expand our geographic reach, but also fuel considerable organic growth. Our existing Arizona operations and the Massachusetts cultivation and production assets, when fully-operational, will have a combined capacity of approximately 5.7 million grams of flower and approximately one million grams of high-margin concentrate. This will substantially increase our potential to grow revenues and cash flow, especially considering our expanding retail presence. Line of Credit The amount available from the credit facility with Hi-Med, LCC of Florida, is for a total of up to US$25 million. The principal amount remaining from time to time unpaid and outstanding shall bear interest at seven percent (7.0%) per annum. The principal remaining, and any interest accrued, shall be repayable, in full, 36 months from the date of closing. In connection with the facility, BCC shall pay a 2.0% arrangement fee on each advance made to the Company by the lender. Conversion The lender shall have the following rights to convert outstanding principal amounts into common shares of the Company, as follows: 1. Up to an initial US$10 million of the principal outstanding, shall be convertible into Common Shares at a conversion price of CAD$0.50 per common share. 2. Any principal drawn down in excess of the initial US$10 million, and less than US$20 million, shall be convertible into Common Shares at a conversion price of CAD$1.00 per common share. 3. Any principal drawn down in excess of US$20 million, and less than US$25 million plus outstanding interest payable on the outstanding loan amount shall be convertible into Common Shares at a conversion price of CAD$1.50 per common share. Further details with regards to the credit facility can be found in the Companys materials filed on www.sedar.com. Private placement Concurrently with the arrangement of the credit facility, the Company has closed the book on the second and final tranche of its private placement of common shares (the Offering) as originally announced on March 30, 2017, and following the closing of the first tranche of the Offering on April 4, 2017. The Company will proceed to close the second and final tranche of the Offering on Friday, May 5, 2017 pursuant to the rules of the Canadian Securities Exchange. Once closed, the Company will have received aggregate gross proceeds of US$11,173,700 and issued 29,851,533 common shares at a price of CAD$0.50 per common share. The Company paid US$3,000 cash and issued 40,786 common shares as a finders fee for the second tranche of the Offering. Following the closing of the Offering, the Company will have a total of 257,310,473 common shares issued and outstanding. The Company determined the number of common shares issuable pursuant to the Offering based upon the prevailing Bank of Canada United States dollar / Canadian dollar currency conversion rate prior to the closing of the second tranche of the Offering. About The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation BCC, an Ontario corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiaries in the U.S., provides substantial management, staffing, procurement, advisory, financial, real estate rental, logistics and administrative services to medicinal cannabis enterprises in Arizona. The Company supports two dispensaries in Arizona under the Health for Life (H4L) brand, with a third under development. Additionally, the Company supports Melting Point Extracts (MPX), an award-winning concentrates brand carried by over 40% of Nevada dispensaries. The Company is also acquiring these additional cannabis assets in Massachusetts, that will allow BCC to develop a 2.5 million grams per annum cultivation and production facility, as well as to build out and operate three retail dispensaries. Further acquisitions in other geographies are being targeted. The Company also leases a property in Owen Sound, Ontario, for which an application to Health Canada has been made for a cannabis production and sales license. In addition, the Company will continue its efforts related to its legacy nutraceuticals business. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Transaction and BCC's objectives and intentions. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; those additional risks set out in BCC's public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; and other matters discussed in this news release. Although BCC believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by law, BCC disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. On behalf of the Board of Directors The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation Scott Boyes, CEO Grimes, IA, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Media Contact: David Miller dmiller@nationalcarwashsolutions.com 515-986-7508 National Carwash Solutions Partners with AEA Investors Grimes, Iowa (May 3, 2017) National Carwash Solutions (NCS), the nations premier manufacturer of commercial car wash systems, cleaning fluid solutions and maintenance services is pleased to announce its recapitalization by AEA Investors (AEA) in a strategic partnership to accelerate the growth of the company and expand the services and products NCS offers its customers. No financial terms were disclosed. AEA Investors is a global private equity firm that focuses on industrial products, specialty chemicals, business services and consumer products. BlackArch Partners (BlackArch) was retained by Trivest Partners (Trivest) and NCS management to serve as their exclusive financial advisor. Previously, NCS partnered with Trivest Partners. Were very excited to have AEA Investors as our new strategic partner. This transaction will strengthen our leadership position within the carwash industry and best position us for future growth, said Michael Gillen, CEO of National Carwash Solutions. This is a great strategic fit between our two companies. We found AEAs expertise ideal for our long-term vision to provide innovative solutions, outstanding service and exceptional value to our customers. With the transaction, the parent company to such brands as MacNeil, CleanTouch and Ryko is now officially named National Carwash Solutions. The companys headquarters will remain in Grimes, IA. ### About National Carwash Solutions National Carwash Solutions (NCS) is the market leading service and systems provider to the North American car wash industry. NCS has established the only direct, end-to-end customer service and support network with over 250 service technicians nationwide. NCS offers a complete line of CleanTouch cleaning fluid solutions, RO & Reclaim systems and accessories. NCS also offers the widest selection of car wash systems, accessories and parts under the Ryko and MacNeil brands. Founded in 1973, NCS is headquartered in Grimes, Iowa, and employs approximately 500 people across North America. To learn more, please visit NationalCarwashSolutions.com, MacNeilwash.com and Ryko.com About AEA Investors AEA Investors LP was founded in 1968 by the Rockefeller, Mellon, and Harriman family interests and S.G. Warburg & Co. as a private investment vehicle for a select group of industrial family offices with substantial assets. AEAs active individual investors (the Participants) include an extraordinary network of more than 75 of the worlds leading industrial families, business executives and former government leaders. Today, AEAs approximately 60 investment professionals operate globally with offices in New York, Connecticut, London, Munich and Shanghai. The firm manages funds that have approximately $10.0 billion of invested and committed capital including the leveraged buyouts of middle market companies and small business companies and mezzanine and senior debt investments. AEA Private Equity invests across four sectors: value added industrial products, specialty chemicals, consumer/retail and services. For additional information, please visit aeainvestors.com About Trivest Partners Trivest Partners is a private investment firm that focuses on partnering with founder/family-owned businesses in the United States and Canada. Since its founding in 1981, Trivest has completed more than 250 transactions, totaling almost $6 billion in value. For additional information, please visit trivest.com. About BlackArch Partners BlackArch Partners is a leading middle-market investment bank offering merger and acquisition, strategic advisory and private capital solutions to financial sponsors, private companies and diversified corporations. Please visit blackarchpartners.com for more details. Michael Symon is returning to his roots. On Saturday, the Iron Chef and co-host of The Chew will debut Angeline by Michael Symon, a multi-million-dollar, stunning Italian restaurant at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa that is his first foray into Atlantic City. This is the food I grew up eating and learning how to cook, says Symon. So it was just a natural thing to name the place after my mother. It has been a long journey for Symon to make it to Atlantic City, a worthwhile process that started seven years ago, according to the chef. Its hard to believe that its been that long, says Symon, who began being courted by Borgata, leading to him hosting and attending multiple Savor Borgata events. But it had to be perfect. Perfect for Borgata. Perfect for me. And I think its pretty perfect. Pub Scout Special Assignment: Cinco de Mayo Normally my Pub Scouting duties require me to casually visit bars at my leisure, spending ho Symon, who grew up with Greek and Sicilian influences, is known for creating boldly flavored, deeply satisfying dishes. Although his latest projects he has 21 restaurants have been focused on his eclectic approach to American cuisine, he is glad to be back cooking the food he grew up with. When you really think of how I started with Lolita in Cleveland, I became known there as an Italian chef, Symon says. So this is absolutely a return to my roots. As polite, likable and full of zest in person as he is on the Food Network, Symon is a natural fit for Borgata, which hosts the talents of three other Iron Chefs: Bobby Flay, Geoffrey Zakarian and Wolfgang Puck. Every dish at the 220-plus seat eatery is inspired by the James Beard Award-winning chefs heritage and personal history, from the marinara thats made exactly how my mother makes it to Moms Meatballs and lasagna to dishes that show off his personality such as porchetta with mustard fruit and linguini and clams with pancetta and chili flakes, Angelines menu is approachable, yet creative. Theres something for everyone on there, Symon says. That was the intention. We dont want to alienate anyone. A wood-fired grill will enable Symon and his team, led by Executive Restaurant Chef Thomas Boyle and General Manager Frank Ritz, to create dishes such as grilled swordfish Sicilian-style, lamb chops with fennel and mint and more. Desserts, such as the strawberry cassata cake and Bombolini a warm Italian fried donut filled with Nutella and rolled in sugar are made in house, of course. South Jersey makes Cinco de Mayo numero uno People ask me all of the time: Whats your favorite style of cuisine? After some thought, Longtime Symon collaborator Dr. David Earle has created an inventive and whimsical mixology program, including the Borgata Spritz, a light and refreshing beverage made with Cappelletti Aperitivo, San Pellegrino Chinatto, Contratto Bianco Vermouth and Rosemary. The design, a collaboration between Symons wife Liz and the New York-based Parts and Labor Design is impressive from the welcoming pub at the entrance to the sophisticated main dining room with caramel leather banquettes to the 24-seat private dining room that feels like youre eating in Symons mothers dining room thanks to its floral wallpaper and lacy drapery. Symon says, despite the demands of his other restaurants and television projects, he will not be an absentee chef. I will be here quite a bit, says Symon. I am a hands-on chef. EGG HARBOR CITY News of long-awaited school repairs was greeted with skepticism last month from city officials, who say they are worried the myriad problems at the Egg Harbor City Community School will never be fully resolved if the school district receives a certificate of occupancy. They get a (certificate of occupancy), were done. Well be paying for those mistakes forever, Mayor Lisa Jiampetti said during the April 13 City Council meeting. Since it opened in 2011, the $22 million school has had issues, mainly centered on the HVAC system. Because the New Jersey Schools Development Authority managed the construction project and paid for two-thirds of it, it was up to the state organization to make the repairs. Meanwhile, the district has been operating with a temporary certificate of occupancy. In March, School Business Administrator Joe Smurlo said the SDA will finally make the repairs and return $292,760 being held in escrow by the SDA to the district. Jiampetti, who also works at the school, complained at the April meeting that HVAC repairs are only part of the problem. Let me tell you about the gym floor. Theyre going to do it, but guess what, they are refusing to sand it to make it the same color, Jiampetti said. So now well have a gym floor with two different colors. We do not deserve that. We do not deserve to be flushing hot water down the toilets in that school, and I have just about had it. Smurlo said the SDA has agreed to replace a portion of the gym floor that became warped from water damage but will not pay to have the entire floor stripped so that the new floor will match the existing. He said it also is true there are issues in the school toilets that may be flushing hot water due to a problem with mixing valves that control the temperature of the water coming out of faucets, which are motion-sensored. When those are set up, the hot water and the cold water are always on, he said. Smurlo said that in the winter, you can feel that the water in the toilet is warm. The state doesnt care. Theyre dragging their feet, and its costing taxpayers money. Everytime the school has to make repairs, it comes right out of their general fund, Jiampetti said. She said she hasnt gotten anywhere trying to get the issues resolved. Council President Ed Dennis said the problem is the school isnt pushing hard enough on the state. The school has taken this attitude, Well, its not our problem, he said. Dennis said it shouldnt be five years after the school was built that were sitting here talking about a school problem that we have no control over. Dennis told Jiampetti he would speak to his contacts at the state about setting up a meeting to address the citys concerns. Meanwhile, Smurlo said the school district takes the position the SDA will correct the problems without legal action. Weve had so many conversations with SDA. Our feeling is, how far can you push them? he said. The cost of the litigation would not be worth what we would get out of it. TRENTON The parent of a child who illegally attended the Ocean City School District in 2015-16 must pay the district $15,537, the cost of a students tuition for that year, the acting education commissioner has ruled. The parent, identified in the decision only as T.F., had challenged the school boards ruling her daughter was not eligible to attend school in Ocean City, saying she did live in the district. According to the decision, the parent had applied to have her daughter attend Ocean City through the public school choice program. That program allows students to apply to attend approved public schools outside the town in which they live. School choice interest strong, but state program still capped Mainland Regional High School will accept 31 students from other municipalities in 2017-18. When the child was not accepted into the program, the parent enrolled her in the district using an apartment address in Ocean City. A subsequent residency investigation by the district showed the lease for the apartment had expired, and the parent and her daughter actually lived in Margate at the home of the parents mother. High school students from Margate attend Atlantic City High School. The parent appealed the boards decision in June 2016 but did not appear at the state hearing. An administrative law judge dismissed the petition and concluded the parent should pay the tuition owed. The acting commissioner agreed in an April 28 decision that was posted on the Department of Education website Tuesday. The parent can appeal the decision to the state Appellate Division. BROOKFIELD NEWS, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Trustees of Brookfield Canada Office Properties (TSX:BOX.UN) (NYSE:BOXC) announced a distribution of $0.1092 per Trust unit payable on July 14, 2017 to holders of Trust units of record at the close of business on June 29, 2017. The distributions are declared in Canadian dollars. Registered unitholders resident in Canada will receive payment in Canadian dollars and registered unitholders resident in the United States will receive the U.S. dollar equivalent unless they request otherwise. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the distribution will be based on the Bank of Canada exchange rate on the record date or, if the record date falls on a weekend or holiday, on the Bank of Canada exchange rate on the preceding business day. Beneficial unitholders will receive payment in Canadian dollars unless they request to receive the U.S. dollar equivalent. About Brookfield Canada Office Properties Brookfield Canada Office Properties is Canadas preeminent Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Our portfolio is comprised of 26 premier office properties totaling 20 million square feet in the downtown cores of Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa, in addition to a development site in Calgary. Our landmark assets include Brookfield Place and First Canadian Place in Toronto, and Bankers Hall in Calgary. Further information is available at www.brookfieldcanadareit.com. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Brookfield Canada Office Properties is the flagship Canadian REIT of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $250 billion in assets under management. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. PLEASANTVILLE The bullet smashed through the window of the room where Olga Cerons grandchildren played with blocks and toy cars 15 minutes earlier. Ceron just sat down to rest on the couch after they left when she heard gunshots and broken glass outside Tuesday at 7:21 p.m. She dropped to the floor and ran to a bedroom. Her heart racing, she thought, not again. She still has the scar from the last time it happened, a year ago. Two homes in Pleasantville were shot Tuesday near the intersection of South Franklin Boulevard and East Washington avenues, city police Capt. Matt Hartman said. No injuries were reported. Police charged Angel Pereira, 20, of Pleasantville with aggravated assault, possession of hollow point bullets, weapon possession and weapons possession while dealing drugs, according to police. Pereira ran from police, through a Diamond Auto Sales parking lot and brandished a .22-caliber chrome handgun he threw into a Dumpster before authorities captured him, authorities said. Police believe people were shooting at each other about four to seven shots and the homes were struck in the background, Hartman said. I praised the Lord my grandkids were not here. I wouldnt know what to do if something happened to them, said Ceron, 49. Ive been living here 25 years and nothing like this happened before. Now its crazy. In a city where homes are packed together, where lawns are small, criminals who shoot at each other and dont care about their surroundings represent a terrifying aspect of such violence. Bullets go into innocent peoples homes and cars, threatening them and those they love. Public violence has happened in other South Jersey towns too, including in Millville, when a public fight last week was recorded and posted to Facebook and in Bridgeton on Saturday, when several bullets were fired near a large party. The crime index in those cities dropped last year from 2015. It fell 13 percent in Pleasantville, 10 percent in Millville and 18 percent in Bridgeton. But gun assaults have been on the rise, up 13 percent in Pleasantville, 48 percent in Millville and 20 percent in Bridgeton, according to the Uniform Crime Report data released last week. Ceron was shot in the foot last April, holding her then 7-month-old grandson David, when a bullet burst through the wall and ricocheted off her ceiling on South Franklin Avenue. The bullet hole from last year is still marked on the blue paint in the living room wall. It just missed the framed wedding picture of Ceron and her husband, both smiling. They didnt move after last year. But now shes rethinking. I was lying on the sofa, I heard something hit the window. After that there were two more. I said, No, no, this cannot be the second time. I ran so fast. I praised the Lord nothing worse happened and that my grandkids were out of this house. Ceron watches her two grandchildren, ages 18 months and 5 years, for her daughter, who works 12-hour days, she said. This was the third time in the past month a shooting in Pleasantville struck homes or vehicles, Hartman said. On the 300 block of Doughty Road, a home was hit in April. On the 1300 block of Columbia Avenue, a vehicle in a driveway was struck, he said. Bullets are going to find a place to stop, he said. And in these residential areas, its going to hit a residence or a vehicle. Most of these shootings have nothing to do with the people pulling the triggers but affect those in the backgrounds, he said. "They have become more brazen at times and we do have these incidents that occur during daylight house," Hartman said. "We dont look at them at random, theyre intended to shoot at certain people. Its kind of a crime of opportunity where they come across one another, someone has an issue they feel gun violence is necessary and we definitely find it disturbing. Hartman said police are trying to quell such violence. Last year they created a violent crimes unit tasked with investigating these gunfire incidents, and two officers are designed to particularly target the activity that leads up to these shootings, he said. Atlantic Countys fight for its promised share of payments in lieu of taxes from Atlantic City casinos will be heading to court, but some are wondering what could have been done to avoid getting to this point. County Executive Dennis Levinson has maintained there were no specific stipulations for the county to get its 13.5 percent share of the PILOT payments when officials made a deal with the state. The county offered to take up trash collection and Meals on Wheels, and buy the Municipal Utilities Authority for $100 million to help the city get out of its financial crisis. The state has repeatedly said those offers werent good enough and decided to give the county nearly $4 million less than what it expected this year. One thing the county did not offer, however, was the creation of a county police department, a key measure Camden County took to help the cash-strapped city of Camden in 2013. The example of the Camden County Police Department was brought up in discussions (with the state), Freeholder Chairman Frank Formica said, referring to a 2015 meeting on Atlantic City s future at the governors mansion that involved county officials, state legislators and members of the Christie administration. The Camden Police Department was dissolved after years of reported mistrust in the community and a widening budget hole. The New York Times reported that the response time from Camden police was over 60 minutes before it disbanded. The reason Atlantic County did not want to set up a police force is because the Camden County Police Department only covers one municipality: Camden. To date, no other municipality has signed up to be covered under the county department. That didnt appeal to us, Formica said. City Overseer Jeffrey Chiesa targeted the police and fire union contracts as one of his first actions after the state took over the city. He imposed new salary guides for all officers, eliminated certain benefits, adjusted schedules, shifted police to a new health care plan and changed rules regarding time off. The cuts to police are estimated to save the city $20 million this year and $10 million every year after. Cuts to firefighters are estimated to save $14 million this year and $5 million every year after, according to the state. During court proceedings to determine whether the cuts were legal, attorney Ron Israel, whose law firm is overseeing the city, said the state could dismantle the entire Fire Department and create a regional force under the provisions of the state takeover law. Formica also said the county was asked by the state if it would be interested in buying the citys municipal utilities authority. But in a recent interview, Gov. Chris Christie said he wanted to be very protective of the MUA. It seems like at some point (the state) flipped a switch and decided on a strategy that doesnt involve the county, Formica said. In December we heard from (state officials) that we were going to be tired of seeing them because they were going to come down and talk about how the county was going to be involved. ... Since then weve heard nothing. On Monday, Atlantic City Councilman Kaleem Shabazz sent a letter to Levinson asking to revive talks about the county buying or leasing the MUA. The county executive has repeatedly said that he would be willing to put a reverter clause in the deal, which would give the utility back to the city once it was on better financial footing. The fight to get 13.5 percent of the PILOT payments has been a major issue for the county. During a press conference last year, Christie promised Levinson that the county would get its desired percentage. But Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, one of the sponsors of the PILOT legislation, told the Atlantic County mayors at their monthly association meeting last week that getting 13.5 percent of casino didnt make sense because the county had received around 10 percent the previous few years. If you think youd be getting the 13.5 percent if there was no PILOT, then youre drinking something funny, Whelan said. The Atlantic County Mayors Association had a different view on the subject, and voted to support a lawsuit over the constitutionality of the PILOT law. STAFFORD TOWNSHIP Medical experts say children treated at an Ocean County pediatricians office did receive effective vaccines after state investigators said the vaccines may have been compromised. State Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant and Medicaid Fraud Division investigators alleged earlier this year that Dr. Michael Bleiman and his practice, Southern Ocean Pediatrics and Family Medicine in Manahawkin, gave children vaccines that were stored at improper temperatures and thus possibly ineffective. Bleiman agreed to pay $156,220 in civil penalties and update office procedures. But a project by Southern Ocean Medical Center found patients vaccinated at Bleimans practice between November 2014 and October had appropriate levels of immunity against diseases, said Dr. Theodore Zalenski, vice president of clinical effectiveness at the hospital. The project enabled any concerned parent in the community to get their children tested for vaccine immunizations, including children treated at Bleimans practice, Zalenski said. All of the (tested) kids vaccinated were immune, so we recommended that they just go back into the normal pattern for vaccinations, Zalenski said. The vaccines in question were administered to children as part of Vaccines for Children, a federally funded, state-operated program that provides 1.6 million free or low-cost vaccines annually to eligible low-income children in New Jersey. The Medicaid Fraud Division temporarily suspended Bleiman on Jan. 27 from treating patients in Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs after a routine investigation found childhood vaccines for chickenpox, rubella, mumps, measles and other diseases were stored at improper temperatures. Merchant and the Office of the Attorney General alleged in a Jan. 9 complaint to the state Board of Medical Examiners the possibly compromised vaccines were administered to children between November 2014 and Oct. 24. They (vaccines) were not given knowingly, Bleiman said. I or anybody in this office would never intentionally hurt a child. Bleiman agreed to pay the fines to the Medicaid Fraud Division in an April 27 settlement for incorrect Medicaid billing and reimbursement payments for the administration of vaccines, related pediatric office visits and hospital inpatient care. The practice maintained there has been no further evidence that (Vaccines for Children)-supplied vaccines were compromised in the official settlement agreement. Bleiman has treated children and families as a pediatrician for more than 20 years in New Jersey. He has no history of medical board actions against him, according to state records. Zalenski likened his colleagues giving and attentive nature to the famed Patch Adams, and said he has a long history of treating families in the community. When someone has no insurance, he takes care of them, Zalenski said. Hes one of those that will follow the Hippocratic oath exactly. Bleiman and his practice were still permitted to treat other patients during the temporary suspension. The practice now can resume treating patients in the Medicaid program, according the State Comptrollers Office. Southern Ocean Pediatrics and Family Medicine will keep accurate records in the future by using updated electronic medical record software, and use new digital thermometers that will alert health providers if and when storage temperatures go out of range, according to the settlement. Need better gun control I appreciate President Trumps desire to keep America safe. However, I believe he is using the wrong strategy. Instead of focusing on immigrants, he should rather focus on the need for better scrutiny of the ways persons can obtain and keep guns. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 36,000 Americans killed by gunfire, about 60 percent of them suicides, in 2015 alone. I would never diminish the tragic loss of life that occurred in the 9/11 attacks, but let us also not diminish the fact that the number of people killed each year by gunfire is 10 times greater than the total killed in the 9/11 attacks. Until there are safer ways of monitoring the access and possession of guns, it will continually be difficult to live in a safe America. John D. Zondag North Cape May Russia probe nonsense So this nonsense about Russias further involvement in the last election goes on and on ad infinitum. The defeated Democrats are like a whale blowing spume out of its blowhole, a dishonest and opportunistic vaporous display. Vincent Torlini Atlantic City Special ed must part of any school choice offer Regarding the March 31 editorial, Ban on tuition students part of states bias against choice schools: I welcome the editorial and its positive attributes, but I was dismayed after learning one local school district is open to accepting elementary students for a $6,500 yearly fee if they are regular education students only and not special ed students. I found this to be a blatant disregard and disrespect for any and all special ed students. I hope this isnt partly an effort to support the schools results on standardized tests and its ranking. I am well aware that student special ed services cost more, but perhaps they could also be offered for a higher fee. Good education embraces all students, and does not discriminate against any classified, special ed students. I find this districts policy to be discriminatory, offensive and very insulting. Janet Maloney Linwood Excess gender sensitivity It was reported in a news magazine that a Northern Arizona University student had her grade reduced on an English paper for using the term mankind rather than a gender-neutral alternative. The student, Cailin Jeffers, appealed, saying the term clearly refers to all people. Her professor, Anne Scott, countered that it is sexist and does not mean all people to all people. She urged Jeffers to look beyond her present ideologies and resubmit the paper. I would like to submit to Scott a word that might be appropriate for her students to use in her papers. The word is Humanoidswithdifferentbodyparts. Im sure, though, that someone, somewhere, will argue this word too is offensive. Thomas Barrett Brigantine NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR) today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2017. The Company reported net income of $31.8 million or $0.28 per diluted common share for the quarter. Normalized FFO for the three months ended March 31, 2017 totaled $0.39 per diluted common share. Salient quarterly highlights include: Normalized FFO for the first quarter grew 7.8% year-over-year to $44.9 million. For the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2017, same store revenue grew 3.3%, operating expenses increased 1.4%, and same store NOI grew 4.4%: Same store revenue per average occupied square foot increased 2.8%. Average same store occupancy increased to 89.1% from 88.6% Four predictive growth measures in the same store multi-tenant portfolio: Contractual rent increases occurring in the quarter averaged 2.9%, and contractual rent increases for leases commencing in the quarter will average 3.1%. Cash leasing spreads were 4.5% on 358,000 square feet renewed: 15% (<0% spread) 7% (0-3%) 37% (3-4%) 41% (>4%) Tenant retention was 79.2%. The average yield on renewed leases increased 50 basis points. Leasing activity in the first quarter totaled 560,000 square feet related to 154 leases: 381,000 square feet of renewals 179,000 square feet of new and expansion leases The Company purchased for $13.5 million a 35,000 square foot, 100% leased medical office building on HealthEast Care Systems St. Johns Hospital campus in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dispositions totaled $82.0 million for the quarter, including three inpatient rehabilitation facilities for $69.5 million. A dividend of $0.30 per common share was declared, which is equal to 76.9% of normalized FFO per share. Healthcare Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust that integrates owning, managing, financing and developing income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services throughout the United States. As of March 31, 2017, the Company had gross investments of approximately $3.5 billion in 195 real estate properties in 27 states totaling approximately 14.3 million square feet. The Company provided leasing and property management services to approximately 10.8 million square feet nationwide. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Additional information regarding the Company, including this quarter's operations, can be found at www.healthcarerealty.com. Please contact the Company at 615.269.8175 to request a printed copy of this information. In addition to the historical information contained within, the matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks are discussed in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Healthcare Realty Trust, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 under the heading "Risk Factors," and as updated in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed thereafter. Forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements. A reconciliation of all non-GAAP financial measures in this release appears beginning on page 5. HEALTHCARE REALTY TRUST INCORPORATED Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (1) (amounts in thousands, except per share data) ASSETS Real estate properties: 3/31/2017 12/31/2016 Land $193,101 $199,672 Buildings, improvements and lease intangibles 3,327,529 3,386,480 Personal property 9,998 10,291 Construction in progress 16,114 11,655 Land held for development 20,123 20,123 Total real estate properties 3,566,865 3,628,221 Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (841,296 ) (840,839 ) Total real estate properties, net 2,725,569 2,787,382 Cash and cash equivalents 1,478 5,409 Restricted cash 104,904 49,098 Assets held for sale and discontinued operations, net 15,111 3,092 Other assets, net 192,174 195,666 Total assets $3,039,236 $3,040,647 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Liabilities: Notes and bonds payable $1,278,662 $1,264,370 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 62,746 78,266 Liabilities of properties held for sale and discontinued operations 93 614 Other liabilities 44,444 43,983 Total liabilities 1,385,945 1,387,233 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $.01 par value; 50,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding Common stock, $.01 par value; 150,000 shares authorized; 116,512 and 116,417 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively 1,165 1,164 Additional paid-in capital 2,920,839 2,917,914 Accumulated other comprehensive income (1,358 ) (1,401 ) Cumulative net income attributable to common stockholders 1,027,101 995,256 Cumulative dividends (2,294,456 ) (2,259,519 ) Total stockholders' equity 1,653,291 1,653,414 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $3,039,236 $3,040,647 (1) The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. HEALTHCARE REALTY TRUST INCORPORATED Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (1) (amounts in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Revenues Rental income $104,088 $98,740 Other operating 481 1,281 104,569 100,021 Expenses Property operating 37,834 35,406 General and administrative 9,280 10,246 Depreciation 31,412 27,693 Amortization 3,040 2,700 Bad debts, net of recoveries 66 (39 ) 81,632 76,006 Other Income (Expense) Gain on sales of real estate assets 23,403 Interest expense (14,272 ) (14,938 ) Impairment of real estate assets (323 ) Interest and other income, net 113 86 8,921 (14,852 ) Income From Continuing Operations 31,858 9,163 Discontinued Operations Loss from discontinued operations (18 ) (7 ) Gain on sales of real estate properties 5 Loss From Discontinued Operations (13 ) (7 ) Net Income $31,845 $9,156 Basic Earnings Per Common Share: Income from continuing operations $0.28 $0.09 Discontinued operations 0.00 0.00 Net income $0.28 $0.09 Diluted Earnings Per Common Share: Income from continuing operations $0.28 $0.09 Discontinued operations 0.00 0.00 Net income $0.28 $0.09 Weighted Average Common Shares OutstandingBasic 114,675 101,432 Weighted Average Common Shares OutstandingDiluted 115,507 102,165 (1) The Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. HEALTHCARE REALTY TRUST INCORPORATED Reconciliation of FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD (amounts in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Net Income Attributable to Common Stockholders $31,845 $9,156 Gain on sales of real estate properties (23,408 ) Impairments of real estate assets 323 Real estate depreciation and amortization 35,555 30,800 Total adjustments 12,470 30,800 Funds From Operations Attributable to Common Stockholders $44,315 $39,956 Acquisition costs (1) 610 1,618 Revaluation of awards upon retirement 89 Normalized Funds From Operations $44,925 $41,663 Non-real estate depreciation and amortization 1,355 1,390 Provision for bad debt, net 66 (39 ) Straight-line rent receivable, net (1,595 ) (1,948 ) Stock-based compensation 2,614 1,859 Non-cash items 2,440 1,262 2nd generation TI (5,277 ) (4,202 ) Leasing commissions paid (1,584 ) (1,079 ) Capital additions (2,520 ) (2,098 ) Funds Available for Distribution $37,984 $35,546 Funds from Operations per Common ShareDiluted $0.38 $0.39 Normalized Funds From Operations Per Common ShareDiluted $0.39 $0.41 Funds Available for Distribution Per Common ShareDiluted $0.33 $0.35 Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - Diluted 115,507 102,165 (1) The Company adopted ASU 2017-01 effective January 1, 2017. As a result of the adoption of this standard, the majority of the Company's acquisitions will be accounted for as asset acquisitions and therefore, incremental costs that are directly related to the asset acquisition will be capitalized. Beginning in the first quarter of 2017, acquisition costs also include direct incremental costs that were expensed during the period related to transactions that have not closed. HEALTHCARE REALTY TRUST INCORPORATED Use of Non-GAAP Measures Management considers funds from operations ("FFO"), FFO per share, normalized FFO, normalized FFO per share, funds available for distribution ("FAD") and FAD per share to be useful non-GAAP measures of the Company's operating performance. A non-GAAP financial measure is generally defined as one that purports to measure historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows, but excludes or includes amounts that would not be so adjusted in the most comparable measure determined in accordance with GAAP. Set forth below are descriptions of the non-GAAP financial measures management considers relevant to the Company's business and useful to investors. The non-GAAP financial measures presented herein are not necessarily identical to those presented by other real estate companies due to the fact that not all real estate companies use the same definitions. These measures should not be considered as alternatives to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP), as indicators of the Company's financial performance, or as alternatives to cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) as measures of the Company's liquidity, nor are these measures necessarily indicative of sufficient cash flow to fund all of the Company's needs. FFO and FFO per share are operating performance measures adopted by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (NAREIT). NAREIT defines FFO as the most commonly accepted and reported measure of a REITs operating performance equal to net income (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, plus depreciation and amortization (including amortization of leasing commissions), and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. The Company defines Normalized FFO as FFO excluding acquisition-related expenses and other normalizing items that are unusual and infrequent in nature. FAD is presented by adding to Normalized FFO non-real estate depreciation and amortization, deferred financing fees amortization, share-based compensation expense and provision for bad debts, net; and subtracting maintenance capital expenditures, including second generation tenant improvements and leasing commissions paid and straight-line rent income, net of expense. The Company's definition of these terms may not be comparable to that of other real estate companies as they may have different methodologies for computing these amounts. FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD do not represent cash generated from operating activities determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and is not necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash needs. FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD should not be considered an alternative to net income as an indicator of the Companys operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow as a measure of liquidity. FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD should be reviewed in connection with GAAP financial measures. Management believes FFO, FFO per share, Normalized FFO, Normalized FFO per share, and FAD provide an understanding of the operating performance of the Companys properties without giving effect to certain significant non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization expense. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. However, real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions. The Company believes that by excluding the effect of depreciation, amortization, gains or losses from sales of real estate, and other normalizing items that are unusual and infrequent, FFO, FFO per share, Normalized FFO, Normalized FFO per share and FAD can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods. The Company reports these measures because they have been observed by management to be the predominant measures used by the REIT industry and by industry analysts to evaluate REITs and because these measures are consistently reported, discussed, and compared by research analysts in their notes and publications about REITs. NEW YORK, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP: On October 31, 2016, stockholders of Intersil Corporation (Intersil) filed class action complaints in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the Action) against Intersils CEO and board members alleging claims for breaches of fiduciary duty. The claims in the Action derived from the execution of the merger agreement dated September 12, 2016, between Intersil and Renesas Electronics Corporation (Renesas) and the filing of what was alleged to be an incomplete and materially deficient Preliminary Proxy Statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on October 12, 2016. The class actions, among other things, sought additional disclosure of facts relating to the merger in connection with the stockholder vote thereupon and/or injunctive relief. On November 9, 2016, the Court granted Plaintiffs Motion for Consolidation and Appointment of Co-Lead and Liaison Counsel, consolidating the actions. Intersil filed supplemental disclosures to address plaintiffs claims on November 18, 2016 on Form 8-K with the SEC. These supplemental disclosures pertained to communications between Renesas and members of Intersil management regarding their potential continued employment following a possible merger of the companies. On December 13, 2016, the Court of Chancery entered an order dismissing the consolidated action with prejudice as to the plaintiffs, and without prejudice as to all other members of the putative class. Pursuant to the order, the Court of Chancery retained jurisdiction solely for the purpose of determining plaintiffs application for an award of attorneys fees and reimbursement of expenses. After negotiations, to avoid further litigation expenses and to eliminate any risk associated with plaintiffs fee petition, the defendants have agreed to pay $150,000 in satisfaction of plaintiffs claims for fees and expenses pertaining to the Action. This fee will be paid by Renesas, and has not been approved or ruled upon by the Court of Chancery of Delaware. Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. The firms attorneys have extensive expertise and experience representing investors in securities litigation, and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. NEW YORK, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Anadarko or the Company) (NYSE:APC) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, and docketed under 17-cv-01372, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Anadarko securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you are a shareholder who purchased Anadarko securities between February 17, 2016 and May 2, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until July 3, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Midstream, and Marketing. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Anadarkos maintenance and safety protocols in respect to certain of its vertical wells were inadequate; (ii) due to the foregoing shortcomings, these wells were at an increased risk of explosion; and (iii) that as a result of the foregoing, Anadarkos public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On April 17, 2017, a deadly explosion killed two individuals and critically injured another in a recently built home located within 170 feet of an Anadarko well. On April 26, 2017, post-market, The Denver Post reported that Anadarko plans to shut down 3,000 vertical wells in northeastern Colorado following the April 17 explosion. On this news, Anadarkos share price fell $2.84, or 4.73%, to close at $57.12 on April 27, 2017. On May 2, 2017, the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District, through a joint effort with the Firestone Police Department and with the assistance of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, concluded that the fatal home explosion on April 17 was linked to a faulty gas line connected to an old well owned by Anadarko. Officials stated that the gas line had been abandoned, but not disconnected from the wellhead and sealed at both ends. Consequently, the line only stopped leaking gas after Anadarko shut down 3,000 wells in the region following the explosion. On this news, Anadarkos share price fell $4.54, or 8.07%, to close at $51.74 on May 3, 2017. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com GOTEBORG, Sweden, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- January - March 2017 Net sales MSEK 3,914 (3,603). Organic sales growth 3.3% (3.7) and total sales growth 8.6% (3.6) Operating result (EBITDA)[1] MSEK 342 (296) and margin 8.7% (8.2). EBITDA increased by 15.5% Operating result (EBITA)[1] MSEK 232 (195) and margin 5.9% (5.4). EBITA increased by 19.0% Operating result (EBIT) MSEK 209 (176) and margin 5.3% (4.9). EBIT increased by 18.8% Profit for the period[1] MSEK 152 (122). Earnings per share after dilution[2] SEK 1.10 (0.86) [1] Refer to page 32 for definitions of EBITDA and EBITA. Profit for the period refers to profit attributable to parent company shareholders. [2] Refer to note 2 for calculations of earnings per share (before and after dilution). CEO comments: "A solid start to the year." Total sales growth was close to 9%, of which organic sales growth was 3.3%. The EBITA growth was 19% A continued and further strengthened positive development in Nordic and Germany with 42% and 22% EBITA growth respectively, from higher volumes, productivity improvements and leverage from acquisitions France continued the persistent work to compensate for the government's price reductions and has so far fully compensated the 2% price reduction in money terms. The aim is to reach an unchanged EBITA margin for the full year Recent acquisitions are strengthening our Nordic and German operations, adding net sales of MSEK 900 on a full year basis We are increasing our efforts in digitalization, starting in primary care in Sweden with our 750,000 listed patients Nordic continued to show solid net sales and result growth in line with expectations. Organic sales growth in the quarter was 4.9% and total sales growth was 13.1%. The operating result (EBITA) increased by 42% and the margin (EBITA) improved by 110 basis points to 5.1%. The result development was positively impacted by the Easter calendar effect. The productivity increase in primary care in Sweden continued and Capio S:t Goran's hospital in Stockholm continued to enjoy good sales growth. Specialist care is successfully developing the geriatric business in Stockholm resulting in good growth, and is continuing the work to streamline its offer in the free healthcare choice market. A country wide orthopedics division has been formed with the ambition to help to eliminate waiting lists in this specialty in the 21 county councils. Digital test consultations within primary care will start during the spring and summer with a full roll-out of digital doctor consultations from the autumn and onwards. In France the aim this year is to keep the EBITA margin flat and in a longer perspective increase margins despite the tough pricing environment. The tools for this are a continued implementation of Modern Medicine leading to a more Rapid Recovery for patients and a larger proportion of treatments being made without over-night stay in hospital. Improved medical quality and expansions in new specialties will continue to drive the patient growth. Germany continues the good trend from last year. 4.6% organic sales growth and 22% EBITA growth do not only reflect an Easter calendar effect, but also continuous improvements in the general hospitals. The focus going forward is of course on securing the ongoing positive trends in the current business by intensified work with Modern Medicine and Modern Management. Since the end of 2016, we have increased acquisition activities. We have so far added net sales of MSEK 900 from acquisitions on a full year basis. Acquisitions made have margins above group average and will contribute positively to the margin development in 2017 and will gradually be enhanced further by synergies. The acquisition activity is expected to continue. Thomas Berglund President and CEO Presentation of the interim report Investors, analysts and media are invited to participate in a telephone conference on May 3, 2017 at 13.30 pm (CET). President and CEO Thomas Berglund and CFO Olof Bengtsson will present the report and answer questions. The telephone conference will be audio casted live on www.capio.com. To participate in the telephone conference, please register at www.capio.com and dial in five minutes prior to the start of the conference call. Sweden: +46-8-566-426-92 UK: +44-203-008-98-01 US: +1-855-753-22-35 Finland: +35-898-171-04-93 France: +33-170-75-07-12 Prior to the start of the telephone conference, presentation slides will be available at www.capio.com. A recorded version of the audio cast will be available at www.capio.com during the afternoon (CET). For further information Thomas Berglund President and CEO Telephone: +46-733-88-86-00 E-mail: thomas.berglund@capio.com Olof Bengtsson CFO Telephone: +46-761-18-74-69 E-mail: olof.bengtsson@capio.com Kristina Ekeblad Investor Relations Manager Telephone: +46-708-31-19-40 E-mail: kristina.ekeblad@capio.com Henrik Brehmer SVP Group Communication and Public Affairs Telephone: +46-761-11-34-14 E-mail: henrik.brehmer@capio.com For further information regarding Capio's IR activities, refer to www.capio.com This information is information that Capio AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person Henrik Brehmer set out above, at 12.30 (CET) on May 3, 2017. About Capio Capio AB (publ) is a leading, pan-European healthcare provider offering a broad range of high quality medical, surgical and psychiatric healthcare services through its hospitals, specialist clinics and primary care units. Since the Danish operation was acquired at the beginning of 2017, Capio operates in five countries; Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France and Germany. In 2016, Capio's 12,435 employees provided healthcare services during 4.7 million patient visits across the Group's facilities, generating net sales of MSEK 14,069. Capio operates across three geographic segments: Nordic (54% of Group net sales 2016), France (38% of Group net sales 2016) and Germany (8% of Group net sales 2016). For more information about Capio, please see www.capio.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/capio-ab/r/capio-ab--publ--interim-report-january---march-2017,c2256436 The following files are available for download: http://mb.cision.com/Main/277/2256436/668470.pdf Capio AB (publ) Interim report January a" March 2017 Related Links http://www.capio.com SOURCE Capio AB CARLSBAD, California and ZHUHAI, China, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The ninth annual ChinaBio Partnering Forum will be held in Zhuhai, China, May 31-June 1, 2017. The event is the largest and most productive life science partnering conference in China, and brings over 900 leaders from across the life science value chain. Attending companies from China and across the globe include pharma, biotech, innovative startups, and researchers from leading universities and institutes, as well as VCs and other investors. Cross-border partnerships are the focus of new rules just proposed by the China FDA that will make international collaboration and investment easier, including foreign-approved IND exemptions that speed drug trials by two years or more, and expedited regulatory processes for new drugs and IND/CTA approvals for certain indications, among other highlights. China continues to be the world's fastest growing healthcare market and is expected to be the #1 market in the world by 2020. "There is no better time to forge cross-border partnerships with China-based drug development companies," said Greg B. Scott, Founder and Chairman, ChinaBio Group. "Innovation is coming from within China, and new CFDA rules have relieved the concerns of many Western companies and investors. The landscape has transformed significantly from just a few years ago resulting in an increase in cross-border in-licensing deals with Western companies." "China continues to be a major player in drug development on the world stage," said Anna Chrisman, Group Managing Director, EBD Group, "as evidenced by recent partnerships between global pharma companies and China startups in the development of new cancer treatments and new biologics. ChinaBio Partnering Forum is a conduit to connect pharma and investors with China innovation and manufacturing." Pharmaceutical companies already committed to attending the event include AbbVie, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, and Sanofi as well as scouts from innovation-based domestic companies such as 3SBio, Betta, EbimAb, Innovent, Livzon, Luoxin, Mabpharm, Shenogen, Simcere and Zai Lab, among others. The event is hosted by Zhuhai, a coastal resort city, centered in the life science industry in Southern China. The Jinwan district is home to over 150 life science companies, including two of China's USD 1+ billion healthcare companies, Livzon Pharmaceuticals, and United Laboratories. The new, 250,000 m2 Zhuhai Jinwan BioPharmaceutical Park is only 10 minutes from the Zhuhai airport, and provides full incubator facilities as well as pilot and clinical scale biologics manufacturing. Registration and partnering information for ChinaBio Partnering Forum is available online. Additional links and information: Follow ChinaBio Partnering Forum on Twitter: @EBDGroup (hashtag: #ChinaPartnering). About EBD Group EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group's partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success. EBD Group's conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations and include: BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring, Europe's largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) BioPharm America, the fastest growing partnering event in North America Biotech Showcase, a unique forum in San Francisco for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO ChinaBio Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering conference in China , co-produced with ChinaBio Group , co-produced with ChinaBio Group Cell & Gene Exchange, a partnering forum focused on the patient community in cell and gene therapy sectors, co-produced with Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM). EBD Group's sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE, is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world. Tune into EBD Group's Insight for timely coverage of news that influences the business strategies of the life science industry. EBD Group is an Informa company. Informa is the largest publicly-owned organizer of exhibitions, conferences and training in the world. EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe. For more information please visit http://www.ebdgroup.com. About ChinaBio Group Since its founding in 2007, ChinaBio Group has successfully helped nearly 100 US, European and Asia-Pacific life science companies achieve success in China. Leveraging its consulting and advisory teams' significant experience in China's life science industry, ChinaBio has helped its clients identify over 1,000 in-/out-licensing and M&A opportunities and raise over $500M in funding in China. Clients have included many global pharma and life science companies as well as early stage and mid-size companies in Europe, US, Korea and Japan, as well as China. ChinaBio has also organized over 30 conferences in China focused on investment and partnering, and publishes ChinaBio Today, the most widely read source for China life science news. ChinaBio Group is headquartered in Shanghai with staff in San Diego, Silicon Valley, Canada and Switzerland. Contact: Erin Righetti EBD Group +1-760-930-0500 erighetti@ebdgroup.com Jean Meng ChinaBio Group +1-858-859-1860 Jean.meng@chinabio.com SOURCE EBD Group (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/506770/Archie_and_the_Bunkers.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/506771/Archie_Tour_Poster.jpg ) They are a musical anomaly in that the compositions they write are refreshingly new, but they draw their influences from classic musicians and movies of the past. The band's raw garage punk sound draws heavily from Cullen's melding of divergent musical styles. Influences range from jazz organ greats like Jimmy Smith, and Richard "Groove" Holmes, to punk icons Dead Boys, The Stooges, The Screamers, and more. On stage, the siblings attack their songs with an energy that whips the audience into a frenzy. The unique growl of Cullen's whirring, overdriven organ and the driving beat of Emmett's 4-piece drum kit, leave concert-goers in shock at the sonic assault levied by only two. 2015 marked the release of their first full-length album on Dirty Water Records. Its 12 songs were recorded at the storied Ghetto Recorders in Detroit. Legendary producer/engineer Jim Diamond captured that unique Archie sound that's been dubbed 'HI-FI Organ Punk.' Emmett describes their sound as, "rock'n'roll that's been peeled back to its raw foundation. That neither 18-year-old Emmett (on drums and vocals) nor 16-year-old Cullen (organ and vocals) O'Connor is old enough to ask for booze on their backstage rider, doesn't matter. Not a jot. They pump out simple, and simply good, stripped-back punk sounds that are bereft of BS. A year and a bit more has passed, since the 'dynamic duo' sent in their demo into Dirty Water Records war room, where we jumped at the chance to propel these brilliant "snot rags" up to where they belong; the future of rock 'n' roll. Now, it seems almost every label and 'tastemaker' worth their salt are bidding up on the boys. Archie and the Bunkers are on a trajectory that transcends the record industry and have always been the masters of their own destiny. The late, great Lux Interior (and Cleveland native) from The Cramps predicted them way back in 1991, "You got your big business types trying to make this happen all over the place, but that's not the way it ever happens. You get some nasty little 15-year-old kids who make music in their garage, and that's the way it happens. They get tired of waiting for somebody else to do something for them, they do it themselves." They self-released a vinyl-only, 6-song EP titled, "Mystery Lover." The band kicked off 2016 with a tour that spanned 7 countries and every time they played, people's jaws would drop to the floor and within two songs everybody at the bar had left their seats to go stand in front of the stage to watch and listen to them. Archie and the Bunkers, this summer are really pulling out all the stops with a five week 'uber grinder' tour of the European continent covering every prime club and festival slot this summer. If you didn't get stung by their buzz last time around, you have ample opportunity to get your eyes and ears kicked in. The band's success and growing popularity on the Global music scene is no mystery to Emmett who says he never experienced any form of stage fright or pre-show jitters. "I just like playing out, having a good time and sharing our music with other people in the clubs," he said. "I love the adrenaline." Soon, Europeans all over will be loving it too. The Dirty Water Club started in October 1996 in the Tufnell Park neighborhood of north London, at a venue called The Boston. The club's name is derived from The Standells' 1966 hit 'Dirty Water' which glorifies the US city of Boston, Massachusetts. Past performers have included The White Stripes (voted by Q Magazine as one of the top 10 gigs of all time, Mojo one of the top 30 and Kerrang one of the top 100!), The Gories, NOBUNNY, Kid Congo Powers (from the Cramps), The Fleshtones, Billy Childish, Radio Birdman, The Dirtbombs, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, The 5.6.7.8's, The Horrors and The Brian Jonestown Massacre to name just a few. The club has also seen some original '60s performers, such as The Monks, ? and the Mysterians, Kim Fowley, Sky Saxon, GONN, Michael Davis of the MC5 and more grace its stage. Their in-house record label, Dirty Water Records, is one of the leading punk/garage/beat/(real) R&B labels in the world. Media Contact: Matt Hunter matt@dirtywaterrecords.co.uk SOURCE Dirty Water Records BANGALORE, India and DOHA, Qatar, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TO ALL STOCK EXCHANGES BSE LIMITED NATIONAL STOCK EXCHANGE OF INDIA LIMITED NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE EURONEXT LONDON EURONEXT PARIS May 3, 2017 Dear Sir/Madam, Sub: Press release Please find enclosed the press release titled "The Commercial Bank Successfully Completes a Pilot on a Cloud-Based Blockchain Network with Infosys Finacle". The same will be made available on the Company's website at the following weblink https://www.infosys.com/newsroom/press-releases/Pages/finacle-cloud-blockchain-network.aspx This is for your information and records. Yours sincerely, For Infosys Limited A G S Manikantha Company Secretary The Commercial Bank Successfully Completes a Pilot on a Cloud-Based Blockchain Network with Infosys Finacle Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infosys (NYSE: INFY), and The Commercial Bank, Qatar's first private bank, along with its subsidiary and associates ("Group"), today announced the successful completion of a pilot on the first ever cloud-based blockchain network to process international remittances. Commercial Bank, along with its subsidiary Alternatifbank ("ABank") in Turkey and its associates National Bank of Oman ("NBO") in Oman and United Arab Bank ("UAB") in the UAE, have formed a grid for routing cross border business transactions across the India-GCC corridor. This is among the busiest remittances corridor in the world, as per the World Bank report. The blockchain network of Commercial Bank Group was created in a matter of weeks, independent of the underlying core banking systems at each of the banks. The network is built on an asset-agnostic cloud-based ledger with which the banks are able to automate inter-organizational processes, reducing the risk of fraud and enabling greater transparency. The permissioned network eliminates the need for intermediaries, enabling the banks to settle customer payment requests on a real-time basis. In the next phase of this project, the Commercial Bank will focus on trade finance transactions, particularly the transmission of secure documents and smart contracts. The blockchain network powered by Infosys Finacle, will allow all trade finance transactions to be paperless, further simplifying the process of digital exchange of purchase orders and invoices. The banks can exchange and authenticate original international trade documents electronically in real time, as against several days which was earlier the accepted norm. The solution will deliver enhanced transactional security and higher accuracy at lower costs. Quotes Joseph Abraham, Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Bank: "This pilot has demonstrated the immense potential of blockchain to provide the best customer experience for our clients and given us a glimpse of what more we could do on this powerful platform. We are delighted with the success of this pilot across the Commercial Bank Group and want to expand our cluster to form closed group networks for trade and cash transactions with more banks in South Asia, Egypt, Philippines, UAE and other countries with higher transaction volumes. We hope to leverage what is quickly becoming the largest emerging consortium, in terms of transactions, and offer a wider range of products and services to individuals and organizations alike, on this platform." Samir El-Sheikh, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Bank: "It is essential that the Commercial Bank leverages the latest in technology to build our business models and offer best-in-class experience for our clients. The blockchain framework powered by Infosys Finacle has given us an ideal platform to enhance our customer experience through this pilot program for cross border remittances. We look forward to exceeding client expectations when we go-live on the trade finance module, which will have many more innovative use cases." Sanat Rao, Chief Business Officer and Global Head, Infosys Finacle: "The adoption of a cloud-based blockchain network by the Commercial Bank Group is a pioneering step, where they will automate the remittances and trade finance processes to deliver significant cost savings and enhanced customer experience. We are looking forward to expand on the current use cases and develop this pilot as a model for other progressive banking groups." About Infosys Finacle Finacle is the industry-leading universal banking solution from EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly owned product subsidiary of Infosys. The solution helps financial institutions develop deeper connections with stakeholders, power continuous innovation, and accelerate growth in the digital world. Today, Finacle is the choice of banks across 94 countries, and serves over 848 million consumers - estimated to be nearly 16.5 percent of the world's adult banked population. Finacle solutions address core banking, online banking, mobile banking, CRM, payments, treasury, origination, liquidity management, Islamic banking, wealth management, and analytics needs of financial institutions worldwide. Assessment of the top 1000 banks in the world reveals that institutions powered by Finacle enjoy 50 percent higher returns on assets, 30 percent higher returns on capital, and 8.1 percent points lesser costs to income than others. To know more, visit www.finacle.com. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that the date of this press release is mentioned at the beginning of the release, and any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law. For further information, please contact: Infosys Asia Pacific EMEA Americas Sarah Gideon Margherita Di Cerbo Chiku Somaiya Infosys, India Infosys, Europe Infosys, USA +91 80 4156 3998 Phone: +44 2075162748 +1 408 375 2722 Sarah_Gideon@infosys.com Margherita.dicerbo@infosys.com Chiku.Somaiya@infosys.com Commercial Bank, Mona Abdallah, EGM, Chief Marketing Officer, +974-440-0169, m.abdallah@cbq.qa This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire. SOURCE Infosys Limited Single Aireon(SM) payload received 6,935 ADS-B messages from the NAV CANADA Test Aircraft flying in the Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton Airspace MCLEAN, Virginia, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aireon announced that NAV CANADA has completed a successful flight test of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology. The test was conducted to collect ADS-B data used for validating Aireon's satellite aircraft surveillance and tracking service. The NAV CANADA flight occurred on March 7, 2017 and utilized a specially equipped Bombardier aircraft with both top and bottom mounted 125 watt ADS-B antennas. It was the first of two scheduled flight tests by the Canadian Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP). Additional flight tests were done by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Polaris Flight Systems. During the flight test, 6,935 ADS-B messages were received and decoded by a single Aireon payload, and after rigorous analysis, were found to exhibit comparable results to that of terrestrial ADS-B stations. Traveling through the Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton Flight Information Regions (FIRs), the flight test was a highly choreographed exercise requiring the aircraft to position itself in the correct airspace while the appropriate Iridium NEXT satellite carrying the Aireon ADS-B receiver was overhead. An additional flight test with the FAA took place on Thursday, March 30, 2017, utilizing the FAA's specially equipped "flying laboratory" Bombardier jet with three Aireon payloads available to receive data. A total of 2,462 ADS-B messages were received and decoded while also exhibiting comparable results to that of terrestrial ADS-B stations. The FAA flight test took place in the Washington and New York FIRs. Aireon also conducted a flight test with Polaris Flight Systems, a private vendor, on March 20, 2017. The aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, was outfitted with a top and bottom mounted 200 watt ADS-B antenna and flew solely through the Albuquerque FIR, where more than 1,050 ADS-B messages were received from two Aireon payloads during the flight. "The flight tests coordinated with NAV CANADA, the FAA, and Polaris Flight Systems have been remarkable successes and further enable our team to thoroughly validate the capabilities of our system," said Vinny Capezzuto, chief technology officer and vice president, engineering at Aireon. "Through multiple flight information regions, with various levels of aircraft traffic, these tests were able to put our system through some challenging environments, and the data we've received is incredibly strong." "NAV CANADA is excited to play such an important role in helping to bring the next-generation of air traffic surveillance and aircraft tracking to the world," said Rudy Kellar, executive vice president, service delivery at NAV CANADA. "Aireon will fundamentally change the way the world flies, increasing safety, efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The benefits will find their way right down to the individual traveler who will benefit from more predictable flight times and more efficient airport ground operations." Aireon's space-based ADS-B system will be operational in 2018, providing ANSPs with global air traffic surveillance and airlines with real-time flight tracking. The first ten Iridium NEXT satellites carrying the Aireon hosted-payloads were launched into low-Earth-orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 14, 2017. Seven additional SpaceX launches are scheduled to take place over the next 12 to 15 months, including the second launch targeted for June of 2017. In total, the operational constellation will consist of 66 satellites, with an additional nine serving as on-orbit spares. About Aireon LLC Aireon is deploying a global, space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system capable of surveilling and tracking ADS-B equipped aircraft around the globe in real-time. The system will be used to provide ADS-B coverage that will span oceanic, polar and remote regions, where current surveillance systems are limited to line-of-site and densely populated areas. Aireon will harness the best of aviation surveillance advancements already underway and extend them globally in order to significantly improve efficiency, expand safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings to aviation stakeholders. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, NAV CANADA, ENAV, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon is developing an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system expected to be available by 2018. For more information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com. PRESS CONTACTS: Jessie Hillenbrand Aireon +1 (703) 287-7452 Jessie.Hillenbrand@Aireon.com Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/507142/Aireon_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.aireon.com SOURCE Aireon PERTH, Australia and SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 04, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curtin University has selected Hitachi to deploy an internet of things (IoT) solution to advance its vision of a smart campus that enhances the student experience, improves classroom learning and ultimately attracts more industry to collaborate on data-driven research. Curtin is achieving this by partnering with Hitachi to co-create solutions that harness IoT data through advanced analytics to provide insight into the daily running and utilization of the campus. Curtin University has more than 60,000 students and 4,000 staff on 300,000sqm of floor space. It is Western Australias largest and most culturally diverse university, and has one of Australias largest international student populations. Ian Callahan, chief operating officer of Curtin University said: Understanding our campus operations and building utilization has become a major factor in Curtins smart campus initiative. With the Hitachi IoT solution, we can collect data using a variety of sensors to gather information on building trends, study patterns, and course attendance that can ultimately be used to improve student experience and enhance learning. Ultimately, these data insights allow Curtin University to generate contextual information about the lifecycle of the student, the day to day reality of a staff member, the activity pattern of a lecture theater, and the dynamics and environmental health of a library. Callahan added: We are effectively creating a living laboratory that is an open invitation to our own researchers and scientists from other universities to use our campus to discover and innovate with data-driven research. Hitachi demonstrated not only technology leadership but approached us with a very open mind, to participate in that living environment and collaborate with others. With the Hitachi solution, the university will be able to combine video data with operational data across its campus facilities to provide analytics that support a smart campus. This is achieved through the integration of Hitachi Visualization Suite, Hitachi Video Analytics, Pentaho, Live Face Matching and Hitachi Data Systems Infrastructure and Compute. The single analytics dashboard provides the real-time knowledge the university needs to make informed decisions about their classes, operations and future requirements. Curtin University is a prime example of forward-thinking organizations that have challenged Hitachi to develop its video analytics solutions to go beyond surveillance and public safety. They are effectively pioneers of digital transformation, said Mark Jules, vice president of public safety and smart city solutions at Hitachi Insight Group. Were excited to be co-creating a comprehensive IoT-enabled solution with them and we look forward to working with Curtin University and their research partners to accelerate future innovation through our ongoing collaboration. Find Out More About Hitachi Insight Group Hitachi Insight Group is dedicated to driving business and societal transformation through digitalization. Its digital solutions deliver connected intelligence from the internet of things and actionable insights that support better decision-making, exceptional outcomes and smarter, safer, healthier, more efficient societies. Leveraging Hitachi's rich industrial heritage and extensive expertise in both operational and information technologies (OT and IT), Hitachi Insight Group accelerates solution creation with the Lumada IoT platform, serving public and private sector customers across three market categories: Smart City, Digital Energy and Industrial IoT. The group is based in Santa Clara, CA, USA, with offices and operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.hitachiinsightgroup.com. About Hitachi Data Systems Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., offers an integrated portfolio of services and solutions that enable digital transformation through enhanced data management, governance, mobility and analytics. We help global organizations open new revenue streams, increase efficiencies, improve customer experience and ensure rapid time to market in the digital age. Only Hitachi Data Systems powers the digital enterprise by integrating the best information technology and operational technology from across the Hitachi family of companies. We combine this experience with Hitachi expertise in the internet of things to deliver the exceptional insights business and society need to transform and thrive. Visit us at HDS.com. About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer societys challenges. The companys consolidated revenues for fiscal 2015 (ended March 31, 2016) totaled 10,034.3 billion yen ($88.8 billion). The Hitachi Group is a global leader in the Social Innovation Business, and it has approximately 335,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation, Hitachi is providing solutions to customers in a broad range of sectors, including Power / Energy, Industry / Distribution / Water, Urban Development, and Finance / Government & Public / Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com. HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners. BANGKOK, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Thai government emphasized on its readiness to jumpstart the new regional's economic hub, the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), as infrastructure development under the EEC Scheme, including the capacity expansion of U-Tapao International Airport, is progressing as planned. The EEC Scheme is in the process of seeking approval from the National Legislative Assembly and will be soon implemented in later 2017. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/506758/BOI_EEC.jpg The first meeting of the EEC Development Policy Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha, agreed on the establishment of the "eastern aviation city," or "Aeropolis," in the vicinity of U-Tapao International Airport to help promote the EEC. There will be the development of three business groups in the future including Sattahip Commercial Port, a Specialized Medical Center, and defense technology. The meeting also agreed to have the State Railway of Thailand conduct the feasibility study on the development of high-speed train system linking Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang & U-Tapao airports, to maximize the benefits of the "Aeropolis" to the country. The Policy Committee also endorsed the development plan for the Eastern Economic Corridor of Innovation (EECI) under the Ministry of Science and Technology in Wang Chan Valley and Rayong province and the Eastern Digital Innovation Park under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society in Sri Racha, Chonburi. In this occasion, Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth led a group of Thai and international media representatives to visit the new face of U-Tapao International Airport, which showcased the country's capability to become the aviation hub of the region. Developed under the "One Airport, Two Missions" concept, U-Tapao International Airport was initially built for national security purpose but later expanded its capability to serve commercial aviation services. The group later visited the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center located at the airport. Aviation is among nine target industries being promoted in the three provinces in EEC area, in which key focuses are those involving high technology and extensive research and development, and crucial to the development of the country's infrastructure and logistics, and promotion of tourism destinations in the areas. Other target industries are Next-Generation Automotive, Smart Electronics, Eco-friendly Petrochemicals and Bio-Chemicals, Automation and Robotics, Medical Hub, Affluent, Medical & Wellness Tourism, Food for the Future and Digital industries. Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth said that, "The Thai government is keen to offer a full support to international investors in these target industries who strive to achieve sustainable development goals, bring a better quality of life to the local community and provide continuing opportunities for local SMEs. We have qualified workforce in the market, as well as utilized best efforts in mitigating investment obstacles and offering attractive privileges and incentives. Most importantly, the EEC Scheme, which was developed for constant and sustainable development, has now been approved by the Council of State and in the process of seeking the Cabinet's approval." On the same day, the Prime Minister also met with 21 top business leaders in relevant organizations and industries including Amata Corporation Public Company Limited, The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), PTT Global Chemical Company Limited, Senior Aerospace (Thailand) Limited, BMW etc. Amata affirmed the EEC development supported both local and international investment to align with Thailand 4.0 roadmap, through the recent collaboration with Yokohama Smart City Project provides the blueprint of development of smart city in Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate reduce power consumption and the ambition to build the city of education with a total of 7 educational institutes in the estate. JETRO expressed that Japanese investors were confident on the clear direction of the EEC project and optimistic about the Thai government's recent announcement of Investment Promotion Act 2017. According to Senior Aerospace, to be a part of the new EEC program is a good opportunity to educate local people as well as learn from them, while strengthening the mutual relationship, as well as marks the beginning of business expansion into the future where they foresaw more and more new players in the aviation sector. PTTGC, as a veteran investor in the areas, expressed readiness to embrace new business partners in value-added industry sectors. The Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) set new chapter of investment promotion - Investment 4.0 to align with the Thai government's Thailand 4.0 policy, which takes into account the shifting to value-based, innovation-driven economy, the development of human capital, and the creation of high value service. BOI's mission to promote investment in the EEC focuses on core technologies that Thailand has strong potential, including biotech, nanotech, advanced material and digital technology. This is in line with BOI's. According to the BOI, those investing in EEC area will enjoy special incentives that are highly competitive and considered 'most enticing ever' offered in Thailand. These include 50% deduction on corporate income tax (CIT) for five years in addition to a CIT exemption of 13 years and other incentives granted in line with the Competitive Enhancement Act, which includes a maximum corporate income tax exemption of 15 years, among others. The government will also provide other supports including eliminating barriers, rules and regulations in order to generate real, high-value investments as well as One Stop Service to facilitate investment in the area. The EEC, consisting of three Eastern provinces Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong, is expected to be a flagship investment and technology hub of Thailand and reshape the future of the country. The development of EEC will bring a great deal of benefits to other regions of Thailand as it directly connects to other Eastern provinces including Prachin Buri, Srakaew, Chantaburi and Trad, as well as serve as economic link between upper and lower Northeastern region, and the Gulf of Thailand. For more information, please contact Name: Apichaya Sophonratana Tel: +662-553-8111 Ext. 6932 E-mail: thailandinvestmentyear@gmail.com or visit www.boi.go.th SOURCE The Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) BOULDER, Colo., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Accera, Inc., a leading central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics company, today announced the appointment of Judith Walker, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C), as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Walker joins Accera from QuintilesIMS where she held the position of Vice President of Product Development, providing leadership for the global clinical development of drugs in the areas of neurology and pain. "Dr. Walker brings to Accera over 20 years of experience in the global biopharmaceutical industry," said Accera's president and CEO, Charles Stacey, M.D. "Her wealth of expertise in neurology drug development will be invaluable as we advance our metabolic approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease into the final stage. Dr. Walker will lead the progression of our newly formulated lead compound in Alzheimer's and help build out our pipeline of drugs in the CNS space." Prior to QuintilesIMS, Dr. Walker served as Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Teva Neuroscience, a division of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Before Teva Neuroscience, Dr. Walker held leadership roles in global product and global clinical development in neurology at Serono International (Merck KGaA). Dr. Walker continues to serve on the boards of Great Lakes Neuroscience and the pharmaceutical advisory board of the non-profit Accelerated Cure Project. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Dr. Walker received her medical degree from the University of Montreal and completed her residency in neurology at the University of Western Ontario. "Accera has one of the few drugs in late stage development for Alzheimer's disease which addresses a differentiated and well-validated target," said Dr. Walker. "I am delighted to be joining Accera at this exciting time in the program." Accera is grateful to Suzana Farah Rahman, Head of Executive Medical and Clinical Recruitment at GQR Global Markets for her assistance in identifying a world-class Chief Medical Officer to join Accera's executive team. About Accera Accera, Inc. is a CNS therapeutics company based in Colorado, USA. The company's proprietary scientific platform addresses unmet medical needs in brain health, including Alzheimer's disease. Accera is focused on the clinical development of drugs with innovative mechanisms of actions. The company's management team includes globally recognized specialists in central nervous system diseases and drug development, who together leverage the latest scientific knowledge and understanding of neurological disorders. Accera's lead candidate is a small molecule drug compound in Phase 3 clinical development in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. For more information, visit www.accerapharma.com or follow Accera on Twitter at twitter.com/accerainc. Accera Media Contacts: Accera, Inc. C. Evan Ballantyne 401-215-6003 [email protected] Russo Partners LLC Rich Allan (646) 942-5588 [email protected] David Schull (212) 845-4271 (858) 717-2310 (mobile) [email protected] SOURCE Accera, Inc. Related Links http://www.accerapharma.com TEHRAN, Iran, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ADRO, the first Iranian Ad-Exchange platform, in association with TechRasa, leading Iranian technology and start-up website, published the latest Iran's online advertising overview white paper. In Iran, technology is growing fast, as online businesses are experiencing an unprecedented growth within recent years. ADRO, Ad-Exchange platform The high rate of Internet penetration rate in Iran (52%), more than 42 million active internet users and high accessibility to mobile Internet in Iran (40%) - the highest rate in the Middle East- have paved the way for growth and development of tech-based advertising businesses in Iran. "Growing number of the Internet users, expansion of smartphone penetration and the boost in mobile Internet speed are the key elements that are encouraging the digitalization of advertising business in Iran. These alterations have infrastructural effects on the advertising industry and are reconstructing the business models. For instance, the development of AdTech in the country is one of such alterations," said Masoud Khosravi, CEO, and co-founder of Adro, the first Ad-Exchange platform in Iran. As the first Ad-Exchange Service in Iran, Adro works with more than 15 online advertising networks in the country, providing advertising impressions that cover all of the online Persian users. Recently, in association with TechRasa, Adro has published its first comprehensive white paper on online advertising landscape in Iran, which can be considered as an authentic source for up-to-date information about online advertising in Iran. Based on this report, in 2015 total spending on advertising in Iran was $1.57 billion, which 2.15% of this expenditure were in digital advertising. In 2016, digital advertising's share is estimated to increase from 2.15% to 3.5% of the total advertising costs in the country, which it represents a 62% growth; also, spending on digital advertising accounts for more than $53 million. It is expected that by 2020, Digital Advertising in the country will reach 20% of the overall advertising share. In 2016, 365 billion impressions were generated by publishers through Iranian Ad Networks. With the developing of AdTech ecosystem, it is anticipated that 474.5 billion impressions to be generated in 2017, which shows 30% YoY growth. "Growth of Technology in Iran, better access to the Internet for the youth, intact market for international brands and creation of many online advertising companies in Iran all promise a great potential ecosystem for online advertising business," added Masoud Khosravi. Ali Jafari, COO and Adro co-founder, addressed about the history of Iran's online advertising landscape and mentioned how fast it grew in only three years: "Two to three years ago, many of the current ad networks we see today didn't exist, the market was untapped and fresh. Honestly not much interest was in online advertising when we go back four to five years." By becoming the first Iranian Ad Exchange network, Adro has revolutionized Iran's online advertising landscape. Due to the sanctions, Iran's local AdTech scene only kicked off a few years ago, and a local Ad Exchange could be considered a metric of growth of this industry. Adro Ad Exchange's services consist of an RTB platform, DSP, and SSP. Adro is currently the only source of Iranian ad inventory and a gateway for international brands to advertise to Iranians. The primary purpose of preparing this overview report in co-operation with TechRasa is to extend the insight of international Ad-Exchange platforms on Iran's emerging market. Pointing to unlimited access of Adro to Iran's online advertising data and its links with the biggest players of online advertising in Iran, MohammadReza Azali, TechRasa's editor-in-chief added: "We are looking for filling some statistical gaps in Iran advertising business through working closely with Adro. Iran Ad Tech industry is still in its early stages. Like any other emerging industry, AdTech in Iran also has its challenges which must be met." Iran's Iran AdTech Overview whitepaper can be downloaded from TechRasa website (this link). The summary is also available at http://techrasa.com/2016/11/11/report-iran-adtech-overview/ . Media Contact: David H. Mood Phone: +13106018807 Email: [email protected] SOURCE ADRO CENTER VALLEY, Penn., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aesculap, Inc., an industry expert in providing comprehensive solutions for the hospital's sterile reprocessing cycle, is pleased to announce its participation as a Diamond Level Sponsor at the IAHCSMM Conference and Expo. Aesculap will be located at booth 205 on May 8-9, 2017 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Daily, the operating room (OR) relies on Central Sterile Department (CSD) professionals to deliver hundreds of instrument sets with accuracy, on time, every time, in a sterile package free of defects. As a market leader in rigid sterile packaging and surgical instruments, Aesculap will be sharing its expertise on sterile packing by offering in-booth education on "Maintaining the Sterile Barrier in the Real World". Those attending the session will earn CEU credits. After the conference and expo, the course will be available for presentation from expert Aesculap sales and marketing representatives. Aesculap's booth theme, "Confidence in our Products, Trust in our Expertise," is focused on its commitment to maximizing patient care by driving efficiency and sterility assurance for the CSD and OR. Confidence in our Products - Help reduce expenses and case delays by standardizing on the leading rigid container system that is FDA approved for all major sterilization modalities and validated with over 20 orthopaedic and spine vendors. Aesculap's SterilContainer System will be on display at the booth. Experience the reliability and precision of surgical instruments crafted by the world's largest instrument manufacturer, with 150 years of experience. To celebrate its anniversary, Aesculap plans to launch over 2,000 new surgical instruments to help support CSD professionals in providing exceptional patient care. Pre-orders for Aesculap's latest surgical instrument catalog will be taken at the booth. Trust in our Expertise - Protect valuable surgical assets with professional, craftsman repairs from Aesculap Technical Services. One of Aesculap's state-of-the-art repair vans will be featured in the booth and available for tours. Support continued education of OR and CSD staff through a broad offering of courses presented by expert Aesculap representatives who understand the real-world demands of the entire perioperative cycle. In addition to the in-booth education, attendees can learn more about Aesculap Academy's comprehensive offering of continuing education courses. Standardize surgical asset inventory and optimize sterile processing practices with Surgical Asset Management consulting services. This year's IAHCSMM Poster Gallery will feature Aesculap's submission on maintaining the health of a hospital's CSD and OR operations. To learn more about Aesculap's industry-leading OR and CSD solutions, visit booth number 205 at IAHCSMM. If you are unable to attend, visit www.aesculapusa.com or contact your local Aesculap sales representative. About Aesculap, Inc. Aesculap, Inc., a B. Braun company, is part of a 175-year-old global organization focused on meeting the needs of an ever-changing healthcare community. Through close collaboration with its customers, Aesculap provides advanced technologies for general surgery, neurosurgery and closure technologies. Aesculap continues a proud heritage of leadership and responsiveness as we strive to deliver products and services that improve the quality of patients' lives. For more information, call 800-282-9000 or visit aesculapusa.com. SOURCE Aesculap, Inc Related Links http://www.aesculapusa.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC praised President Trump for his efforts to press Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to return to the direct, bilateral negotiations with Israel that are essential to pursuing a comprehensive peace accord. "We welcome President Trump's efforts to help solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in February and today's with President Abbas," said AJC CEO David Harris. "Any follow-up should make clear that the U.S. endorses a negotiated and enduring two-state solution that, as President Trump said, will not be imposed by third parties." President Trump spoke to reporters before meeting privately with Abbas over lunch at the White House today. "We need two willing parties. We believe Israel is willing. We believe you're willing. And if you are willing, we are going to make a deal," said Trump. Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly offered to resume the direct peace talks, facilitated at the time by Secretary of State John Kerry, which ended in 2014 when Abbas refused to continue. "A renewed Palestinian commitment to the peace process, ahead of President Trump's much-anticipated visit to Israel later this month, is critical," said Harris. "Also necessary, as President Trump pointed out today, will be a long-sought Palestinian renunciation of incitement to violence. If tangible and sustained deeds follow today's positive words, we will be encouraged to believe in the possibility of progress." SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org CHARLESTON, S.C., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcami Corporation, a leading provider of custom development and manufacturing services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, today announced an investment of at least $5 million in the expansion of its existing Charleston County operations. This project is expected to lead to the creation of at least 30 new jobs. Alcami offers a variety of biopharmaceutical services across active pharmaceutical ingredients, drug products (sterile, oral solid dose, packaging and labeling), development services and analytical testing. With six state-of-the-art locations in the United States and a seventh in the Netherlands, the company has supported more than 500 Investigational New Drug (IND) filings over the past 30 years. Located at 4221 Faber Place Drive in North Charleston, S.C., Alcami will continue to expand its filling and freeze-drying capabilities. The site has recently produced clinical supply from its recently-qualified second line and doubled both its filling capacity and freeze-drying capacity with increased scheduling flexibility, including a third operating shift. Hiring for the new positions is already underway, and interested applicants should visit Alcami's careers page online for more information. QUOTES "The Charleston facility is an integral part of the Alcami network. We are excited about the growth potential of the site and its ability to support the increased demand for sterile drug product development and manufacturing." Alcami CEO, Chairman and President, Dr. Stephan Kutzer "To see a company like Alcami choose to continue investing in our state and our people is an important sign to the business community around the world that South Carolina is the place to be. We look forward to seeing the new heights the relationship between our state and this company will reach in the years to come." Gov. Henry McMaster "We're excited to celebrate the continued success of our state's thriving manufacturing industry. I offer my congratulations to Alcami on this remarkable achievement and look forward to supporting them as they grow and prosper in our state." Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt "Alcami's announcement shows the community's commitment and ability to compete in the life sciences sector and tap into this talent pipeline. We are elated by all their success and congratulate Alcami on their expansion." Charleston County Council Chairman Victor Rawl "We always love to see new companies locate in North Charleston, but nothing tops seeing an existing company expand their operations within our city. Whether it be through company innovation, a capable workforce, or a business-friendly environment, local growth speaks volumes about our community. We congratulate Alcami on their expansion and look forward to future success here in North Charleston." North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey "We are thrilled Alcami is injecting additional investment and jobs in our community. We look forward to our continued partnership." Charleston County Economic Development Director Steve Dykes FIVE FAST FACTS Alcami Corporation is expanding its Charleston County operations. is expanding its operations. $5 million investment to create at least 30 new jobs . . Alcami Corporation is a leading provider of custom manufacturing and development services for the pharmaceutical industry. Located at 4221 Faber Place Drive in North Charleston, S.C , the company will be expanding its filling and freeze-drying capabilities. the company will be expanding its filling and freeze-drying capabilities. Hiring for the new positions is already underway, and interested applicants should visit Alcami's careers page online. ABOUT S.C. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE As South Carolina's leading economic development agency, the Department of Commerce works to recruit new businesses and help existing business grow. Commerce has recruited world-class companies to South Carolina such as BMW, Boeing, Continental, Giti Tire, LPL Financial Holdings, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Toray and Volvo Cars and also supports startups, small and existing business, innovation and rural development initiatives. Commerce partners with the S.C. Technical College System via readySC to support workforce training and recruiting, and with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce , which provides worker training and employment opportunities within the state. In three of five years, IBM-Plant Location International reports ranked South Carolina first in the nation for attracting jobs through foreign investment, per capita. The state won the Gold Shovel Award and the Project of Year Award from Area Development magazine in 2012, 2014 and 2015. For more information, visit www.SCcommerce.com . ABOUT ALCAMI Alcami is a world-class contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. With over 1,000 employees operating at seven sites globally, Alcami provides customizable and innovative services to small and mid-size pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies by offering individualized and integrated services across multiple areas. We connect our clients with innovative solutions for API development and manufacturing, solid-state chemistry, formulation development, analytical development and testing services, clinical and commercial finished dosage form manufacturing (oral solid dose and parenteral), packaging, and stability services. For more information, please visit www.alcaminow.com. SOURCE Alcami Corporation Related Links http://www.alcaminow.com ST. LOUIS, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren Missouri is taking off on a forward-thinking plan to increase the amount of solar energy available to customers. Today, the company announced plans for a new solar generation facility to be built at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Energy produced there would be available for its customers through the Community Solar Program. "What better way to showcase that we're a progressive region committed to finding innovative solutions to energy generation than by placing a large solar field at the airport," said Mike Mueller, vice president of economic and technology development at Ameren. "Ameren Missouri continues to lead the way by investing in more clean energy delivered reliably and affordably to our customers." Customer Choice The plan calls for Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), to build up to a one megawatt facility at Lambert. Once the plan is approved by city officials and state regulators, Ameren Missouri customers can sign-up for blocks of solar generated energy. "This is a simple solution for customers to take part in solar generation," said Dan Lidisky, director of technology and renewable development at Ameren. "Nothing is installed on a customer's roof, and the experts at Ameren Missouri take care of maintaining the solar panels." The airport is an ideal location for solar panels. There is an abundance of open land that would otherwise go unused. Panels would be positioned away from runways and out of the line-of-sight of pilots taking off or coming in for a landing. "We're proud to be a part of this proposed project because St. Louis Lambert International Airport is heavily focused on impactful, environmentally sustainable projects and this is another positive piece that aligns with our mission," said Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, airport director. How it Works The program will be open to all Ameren Missouri residential and small business customers. Once the subscription period opens later this year, interested customers can sign up for 100 kilo-watt-hour blocks of solar generation capacity. Customers can subscribe for the equivalent of up to half of their average electric usage based on the previous 12 months' usage. A limited number of blocks will be made available, at a price yet to be determined. Once the program is fully subscribed, construction will begin. Solar generation could start as soon as next spring. Customers interested in the program can go to AmerenMissouri.com/communitysolar for more information. "Based on what our customers are telling us, we believe there is a strong interest," Lidisky said. "Only those who sign up for the program will pay the cost related to installation of this new solar generation facility." Long-Term Plan Ameren Missouri is focused on adding 500 megawatts of new renewable energy generation. In addition to this solar project, Ameren Missouri recently launched a second solar program targeted at businesses interested in hosting solar generation on their property. The company currently operates the 5.7 megawatt O'Fallon Renewable Energy Center, which is capable of producing nearly 8 million kilowatt-hours of energy from the sun's rays each year. Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 127,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri. SOURCE Ameren Missouri Related Links http://www.ameren.com JAMESTOWN, Va., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Virginia's 2019 Commemoration, AMERICAN EVOLUTION, has partnered with the Virginia Arts Festival to host performances that explore how Virginia's local history has influenced today's America. Spring performances of Kathleen Battle Underground Railroad, Urban Bush Women contemporary dance company, and the Virginia International Tattoo address themes from 1619 Virginia that shape who we are as a nation today. This May, two more Virginia Arts Festival performances touch on events and ideas that are central to the 2019 themes. On May 6, Britain's famed Richard Alston Dance Company will perform at the Sandler Center for Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, VA. Mr. Alston is internationally recognized as one of the most inspiring and influential choreographers in dance, and is known for his instinctive musicality. Trained in both the United Kingdom and the United States, Mr. Alston's work shows the robust exchange of ideas and culture that continues, centuries after the two nations became separate. On May 19, Lula Washington Dance Theatre will perform at the Peebles Theatre, Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, VA. Mrs. Washington founded the Lula Washington Dance Theatre in 1980 with her husband, Erwin Washington, to provide a creative outlet for minority dance artists in Los Angeles' inner city. Its mission is to build a world class contemporary modern dance company that travels worldwide with contemporary modern dance works that reflect African-American history and culture. Both companies will work extensively with the Virginia Arts Festival's education programs, providing master classes and direct interaction between artists and area students. "The Virginia Arts Festival's 2017 season engages local and national audiences in AMERICAN EVOLUTION themes of diversity, and the convergence of African Indian and European cultures in 1619 Virginia," said Kathy Spangler, Executive Director of the 2019 Commemoration. "Through performances and education programs the Virginia Arts Festival and the 2019 Commemoration are advancing awareness of critical issues that impacted this nation's earliest settlers and still resonate with America today." "Through art we explore the impact of our local and national history and the enduring impact from the three cultures that collided in 1619 in Virginia," said Robert Cross, Artistic and Executive Director of the Virginia Arts Festival. "We are delighted to extend our relationship with AMERICAN EVOLUTION through the development of an original work of art, which will make its world debut in 2019." For information on the performances, visit www.vafest.org. For information on AMERICAN EVOLUTION, visit www.americanevolution2019.com. About the 2019 Commemoration The 2019 Commemoration, AMERICAN EVOLUTION, highlights events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence America today. Featured programs, events and legacy projects will position Virginia as a leader in education, tourism and economic development. AMERICAN EVOLUTION commemorates the ongoing journey toward the key ideals of democracy, diversity and opportunity. Dominion Resources is an AMERICAN EVOLUTION Founding Partner and Altria Group is a Virginia Colony Partner. SOURCE AMERICAN EVOLUTION Related Links http://www.americanevolution2019.com/ NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur C. Fleischer, M.D., is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member in the Medical field. Dr. Fleischer serves as the Medical Director of Medical Director of Sonography. His areas of expertise include sonographic imaging, especially of gynecological diseases and cancer. In addition, he works on clinical research and sonographic theranostics. He brings over 40 years of field experience to his role. "Being in the right place at the right time has been the key to my success," Dr. Fleischer said. "I am grateful to those who have directed and supported me." Dr. Fleischer holds the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and is a Professor of Radiology and Radiology Sciences and OB-GYN. Dr. Fleischer has contributed a number of published works to several different medical journals, including over 200 papers. He has also written 22 books throughout the course of his career. One of the 22 books is a leading book in OB/ultrasound imaging, titled: Sonography in OB/GYN: Principles and Practice, 7th Edition. In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field, Dr. Fleischer earned the following honors and awards: 2015 Lifetime Service Award from the American Board of Radiology; 2007 Distinguished Alumnus Award from The Medical College of Georgia; 2005 Frank H. Boehm Award for Contribution to Continuing Medical Education by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; 2002 CANDLE Award from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine for excellence in medical student education. Prior to starting his career, Dr. Fleischer earned his Medical degree from Medical College of Georgia, and attended Emory University from 1970-1973. He is Board certified in Radiology by the American Board of Radiology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Radiology; Fellow of the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound; a current member and former President of the Society for the Advancement of Women's Imaging; and previously served on Board of Governors for American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Dr. Fleischer's advice to those entering the medical field is to "be open to new challenges and ideas that involve both diagnosis and therapy ('theranostics'). Take a personalized approach and there is blurring of lines, of diagnoses and of therapies." In looking to the future, Dr. Fleischer hopes to provide support and guidance to young investigators and provide clinical excellence. Dr. Fleischer dedicates this recognition to his mother, Lucille Fleischer, J.D., who inspired him to be the best in academics. For more information, visit https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634 [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced the acquisition of Harlingen, Texas-based Texas Insurance Managers, Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. With roots tracing back to 1903, Texas Insurance Managers offers commercial and personal property/casualty, life/health, retirement and employee benefit services to clients primarily in South Texas. Richard May, Josh Klostermann, Ryan Newman and their associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Bret VanderVoort, head of Gallagher's South Central retail property/casualty brokerage operations. "With its broad capabilities and deep roots in South Texas, Texas Insurance Managers provides us with an outstanding platform upon which to further expand our presence in that region," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am delighted to welcome Rick, Josh, Ryan and their associates to our growing Gallagher family of professionals." Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, has operations in 33 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP Investor Relations VP Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected] SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. NEW YORK, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against KBR, Inc. (KBR or the Company) (NYSE:KBR) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, and docketed under 17-cv-01375, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired KBR securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you are a shareholder who purchased KBR securities between February 26, 2016 and April 27, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until July 3, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] KBR provides professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Government Services, Technology & Consulting, and Engineering & Construction. Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Companys United Kingdom (UK) subsidiaries had violated applicable bribery and corruption laws; and (ii) as a result of the foregoing, KBRs public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On April 28, 2017, the United Kingdoms Serious Fraud Office confirmed that it had opened an investigation into the activities of KBRs UK subsidiaries, their officers, employees and agents for suspected offences of bribery and corruption. On this news, KBRs share price fell $1.43, or 9.24%, to close at $14.05 on April 28, 2017. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In late April 2017, thought-leaders including Ministers, Former Ministers and representatives from government bodies and prominent economists specializing in sustainable development from the ASEAN region and Australia gathered at Sunway University in Sunway City, Malaysia. The gathering at a two-day ASEAN Ministers Workshop 2017 (AMW) was to share and improve their respective national strategies, and to formulate a regional mechanism to implement the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Southeast Asia. Among the ASEAN Ministers who attended the first of its kind workshop were: Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman bin Dahlan, Minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit, Malaysia; Dr Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of National Development Planning, Indonesia; and Saleumxay Kommasith, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lao PDR. Tan Sri Dr Ramon V Navaratnam, Pro Chancellor of Sunway University welcomed all the delegates to the workshop. In his welcome speech he emphasized on the important role corporates and SMEs play in supporting sustainable development, citing that it is in their best interest to support sustainable development as it will benefit their businesses in the future. "This first AMW will be the catalyst of an annual high-level event for the ASEAN Ministers to meet, discuss and work towards achieving the SDGs for the region. The Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development (JSC) is committed to support the UN's blueprint for ending poverty in the world in the context of sustainable development and building a sustainable future for all," said Professor Woo Wing Thye, Chair, AMW Organizing Committee. With three plenary discussions focused on the ASEAN Experience, the Australian Experience and the Action Items for Southeast Asia, the workshop also included a public lecture by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Chairman of JSC and a dialogue with the attending ASEAN ministers. Taking a question from a member of the audience, Professor Jeffrey Sachs shared that universities have an important role to play in helping ASEAN countries attain the SDGs through higher education. From the development of deep excellence in science, technology, engineering and areas essential to supporting sustainable policy development, Professor Jeffrey Sachs urged universities to consider becoming incubators for SDG start-ups. During the plenary discussion on Implementing SDGs: The ASEAN Experience, keynote speaker Datuk Seri Abdul bin Rahman Dahlan spoke of Malaysia's commitment to adopting the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development via the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (2016 to 2020). Looking forward to getting everyone to work together to make the world a better place, Abdul Rahman shared the willingness of Malaysia to work with regional and international partners towards making the 17 SDG goals a reality. Among those who participated in the workshop were Dato' Dr Abdul Rashid Abdul Malik, CEO, Pulau Banding Foundation; Professor John Thwaites, Co-chair SDSN Leadership Council and Chair Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Australia; Professor Gamini Herath, Professor of Economics, School of Business, Monash University Malaysia; Professor Phouphet Kyophilavong, Vice-Dean of Economics, National University of Lao; Professor Sumiani Yusoff, Dean, Sustainability Science Research Cluster, Universiti Malaya; Professor Noraini Tamin, IPBES, Expert of Land Degradation and Restoration; Rosemarie G Edillon, Undersecretary of the National Development Office for Policy and Planning, National Economic and Development Authority, Philippines; Dr Somkiat Triratpan, Secretary to the Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, Thailand; Philip Green, First Assistant Secretary, Southeast Asia Mainland and Regional Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia; Professor Vu Quoc Huy, Director, Institute of Regional Sustainable Development, Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences; and Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University. The workshop was sponsored and organized by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF); and co-organized by the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development (JSC), Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI), Pulau Banding Foundation, UKM's Lestari and hosted by Sunway University. About the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development The Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development (JSC) was established through a substantial gift from the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network to support the global effort to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015. The Center is housed at Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its vision is to embed sustainable development practices in everyday life. JSC will collaborate with government agencies, private sector groups, and civil society to formulate public policies and actions to realize the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. It will serve as the Southeast Asia regional hub of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network to promote green development and social progress through research and education. For further queries, kindly contact the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development at [email protected] Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170502/1840138-1 SOURCE Sunway University NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- An eighth-grade student at the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School has won the grand prize in the 7th annual Drive2Life PSA Contest, sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF) and distributed nationwide to grades 6 through 12 by Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company. Max Finch, 13, submitted a script for a public service message about the dangers of distracted walking, winning the top honor out of more than 1,500 entries from throughout the nation. Finch won a $1,000 prize and a trip to New York City to spend two days working with the Emmy Award-winning producers of the nationally-syndicated TV series "Teen Kids News" to script, film and edit his winning PSA. The finished spot will air during Global Youth Traffic Safety Month in May on 220 TV stations nationwide. This year's contest asked teens to be creative with messages to help prevent walking while distracted, especially when using cell phones and other mobile devices. Distraction is one of the leading causes of traffic crashes involving pedestrians. Finch's winning idea shows an egg rolling in slow-motion toward the edge of a counter. It cuts to a teen walking near a crosswalk, wearing headphones and texting. Cuts go back and forth between the two scenes, as the egg gets closer to the edge and the teen enters the crosswalk. We hear someone shout "Hey" as we see a crossing guard pull the teen back onto the sidewalk, narrowly missing being hit by a car as we hear screeching tires. The shot goes back to the egg, as it stops just short of the counter's edge. The screen fades to black as the narrator says, "It's not worth it. Just look up." We hear the sound of an egg cracking as words come on the screen telling us, "Thousands of people die every year. Don't add another number to that statistic." "Max's entry stood out from so many great ideas we received from young people throughout the country," said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation. "His message uses drama and an interesting comparison to hold the viewer's attention and communicate a message that's important for teens and adults alike." In addition to being broadcast in May on "Teen Kids News," Finch's PSA and story will be featured in select fall issues of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, which reach nearly 25 million students nationwide. The PSA will be viewable on The National Road Safety Foundation's websites at www.nrsf.org and www.teenlane.org. Finch's entry was part of class project assigned by Aaron Goodson, communications teacher at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School. Students were given a choice of contests to enter, and another was Drive Safe Atlanta, a regional PSA contest about distracted driving, also sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation with the Atlanta International Auto Show. One of Finch's classmates, Gabriel Howland, won the top prize in that contest in March. Four runners-up were also selected in the nationwide Drive2Life competition, each winning a $500 prize. Runners-up in the Grades 68 category are Abby Williams, 12, of Holy Comforter Episcopal School in Tallahassee, Fla., and Ava Cochran, 13, of Timberline Middle School in Alpine, Utah. Runners-up in grades 912 are Luis Pereira, 19, of Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, Fla., and Marcus Burgos, 18, of Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio, Tex. To learn more, visit www.teenlane.org or http://www.scholastic.com/Drive2Life. The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org or www.teenlane.org. Contact: David Reich (212) 573-6000 [email protected] SOURCE National Road Safety Foundation Related Links http://www.nrsf.org WELLESLEY, Mass., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Babson College is the No. 1 private business school for return on investment, according to PayScale Inc., the world's leading provider of on-demand compensation data and software. According to the 2017 PayScale College ROI Report, Babson alumni enjoy a 20-year net return on investment between $726,000 and $858,000 dependent on whether or not they received financial aid. For business careers in particular, Babson is named No. 8. Among all colleges, universities and other institutions, without regard to degree or major, Babson has been named No. 22 for value. View Babson's profile on PayScale "We know that higher education is a substantial investment and Babson College is proud to provide an exceptional return on investment for our students and families," said Babson College President Kerry Healey. "Babson is educating entrepreneurial leaders who create social and economic value everywhere--value that goes beyond personal financial success and extends to families, businesses, communities and society as a whole." Babson College recently announced an opportunity for students to accelerate their path to an undergraduate degree in as little as three years--an option that could increase return on investment for students, reduce tuition by up to 25 percent, and has a potential immediate financial benefit of up to $105,931. Learn more about Babson's accelerated undergraduate degree Babson's accelerated offering is the latest in the college's ongoing redefinition of return on investment for a college education. Babson's high value is reflected in the success and experiences of its students and graduates: The class of 2016 enjoyed an average annual starting salary of $56,267. For the last five years, more than 98 percent of Babson graduates secured employment or attended graduate school within six months of graduation. Every student participates in Babson's internationally recognized Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME) course during their first year--a year-long immersion into the business world, giving them the basic business background and real-world context needed for all Babson courses and future careers. Many Babson students enroll in a Management Consulting Field Experience (MCFE) to work as a consultant and make an impact on a real company's business challenges. They are also given the opportunity to participate in Babson's Externship Program--an offer to spend up to a week observing professionals on the job and gain an understanding of a career, industry, organization, or function. Nearly half of Babson's class of 2016 participated in education abroad, and 83 percent of them secured at least one internship as a student. Methodology All data used to produce the PayScale College ROI rankings were collected from approximately 1.3 million college-educated workers who successfully completed PayScale's Employee Survey between February 2007 and February 2017. The average sample size for an included school is 792 alumni profiles. Only employees who possess a Bachelor's Degree and no higher degrees are included. Careers that require advanced degrees, such as law or medicine, are not included. All reports are for graduates of schools from the United States who work in the United States. This sample does not include U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico or Guam. Only graduates who are employed full-time and paid with either an hourly wage or an annual salary are included. Self-Employed, project-based, and contract employees are not included. About PayScale Cloud software, crowd sourced data, and unique algorithms power the world's largest real-time database of rich salary profiles giving PayScale the unique ability to provide employees and employers alike immediate visibility into the right pay for any position. PayScale's cloud compensation software is used by more than 3,500 customers including Bloomberg BNA, Cummins, Warby Parker, Clemson University, and Signature HealthCARE. About Babson College Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds(r). The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action(r) as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. CONTACT: Brianna Radicioni, [email protected] SOURCE Babson College Related Links http://www.babson.edu BUCHANAN, Va., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of Botetourt (OTCPK: BORT) announced today its consolidated financial results and performance for fiscal period ended March 31, 2017. For the three months-ended March 31, 2017, Bank of Botetourt reported net income of $453,134. Both basic and diluted earnings per share amounted to $0.32 at March 31, 2017. Book value is $23.84 at March 31, 2017 as compared to $22.97 one year prior. As a result of the Bank's mission to provide a return on investment to shareholders, the Board of Directors continued the $0.14 per share quarterly dividend payable on May 19, 2017. "The commitment to our shareholders remains a top priority. Our ability to continually increase the dividend payment over the past four years has been gratifying," stated G. Lyn Hayth, III, President & CEO. At March 31, 2017, total assets amounted to $365,232,000, an increase of 5.5% since year-end 2016 total assets of $346,335,000. Total deposits at March 31, 2017 amounted to $328,520,000, compared to $309,863,000 at December 31, 2016, an increase of 6.0%. Net loans grew 2.1%, to $295,463,000 at March 31, 2017 from $289,416,000 at December 31, 2016. Bank of Botetourt continues to exceed the BASEL III capital requirements. As of March 31, 2017 Bank of Botetourt reported total capital of 12.81% and tier 1 leverage capital of 9.75%. Both common equity tier 1 and tier 1 capital ratios were 11.79%. "Our Bank remains well-capitalized which allows us the ability to pursue some strategic initiatives," stated Hayth. Strategic initiatives have been accomplished as 2017 is off to an exciting start. Bank of Botetourt launched Mobile Pay during the first quarter of 2017 allowing its customer base to add its debit and credit cards to their E-wallets and transacting with merchants as a form of payment. The Card Valet mobile app was also deployed giving customers the ability to control their debit card from their mobile device. Virginia Mountain Mortgage, a division of Bank of Botetourt, now accepts online mortgage application from its website. "All of these initiatives align with our mission statement of being customer focused. Our efforts in 2017 have given our customers the ability to pay merchants with ease and closely monitor their debit cards activity, both from their mobile device as examples," stated Hayth. Bank of Botetourt was chartered in 1899 and operates twelve retail offices in Botetourt, Rockbridge, Roanoke, and Franklin counties and the City of Salem, all in Virginia and operates a mortgage division, Virginia Mountain Mortgage. SOURCE Bank of Botetourt Related Links http://www.bankofbotetourt.com LONDON and HANOI, Vietnam, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Banking As A Platform comes to Vietnam with an International partnership that will support Central Bank Plan on Agency Banking Today, Cambridge based RedCloud Technologies, pioneers of Banking As A Platform, and GNC Pay, the leading payment solution in Vietnam and CEM platforms and Big Data solution - announced an international partnership to deliver RedCloud One, an adaptable, highly scalable and secure platform for banks to target and serve millions of unbanked customers and businesses. "This partnership will help banks to promote a responsible and secure financial service environment to the people of Vietnam as well as to neighbouring countries," said GNC Pay CEO, Nguyen Duy Khuong. "This global standard financial technology platform and partnership will help banks to serve consumers and small and micro merchants via mobile technology, branchless banking, remittance, wallets and much more. This is also an opportunity to understand and help FMCG brands to innovate and better manage cash and distribution channels," he added. This international partnership comes at a key time for Fintech and agency banking in South East Asia. This spring the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam established a National Steering Committee on Financial Technology. "The State Bank of Vietnam has a very exciting FinTech plan and this international partnership will strengthen it by providing the adaptable, scalable and intelligent mobile banking platform that so many agents, customers and businesses have been waiting for," said Justin Floyd, RedCloud CEO. This is a key opportunity for financial and telecoms markets in Vietnam. Most people rely on cash as only 30% of the population is banked - so there is a real opportunity for banks to bridge the gap. With 140 million mobile subscriptions in a population of 93 million, mobile carriers are now also looking to the next generation of networks and innovators to sustain growth. Through the RedCloud One platform and accredited agents, Vietnamese banking customers in even the remotest locations will, for the first time, have access to core banking services as well as more advanced financial services. These include: branchless banking, wallet, cashless transaction enablement, international money transfers, agency banking, loans, payments and microfinance services via mobile phones. This is an easy to use, innovative bank grade platform which also supports e-commerce. The RedCloud and GNCPay partnership combines years of technological and financial experience in how to best deliver digital financial services to new markets. It will also strengthen the GNC Telecom mission to help the national economy reach higher levels of productivity and prosperity, with innovation and technology. RedCloud One is the result of over one million man-hours of engineering and brings the vision of Banking As A Platform to a global audience by enabling banks to provide a wide range of digital financial services to people and businesses across the Vietnam via mobile and e-commerce. GNC is a leading ICT company in Vietnam and one of the largest private enterprises in the country. http://www.gnctelecom.com/index.php/theme-features REDCLOUD is a Cambridge based global technology company with offices across Africa, South America, and Asia. The technology which was developed over a five-year period has been built to help banks reach new customers and make digital financial services easily accessible through any connected device. https://redcloudtechnology.com For more information or comment: SOURCE Red Cloud Technologies SYDNEY, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction, today announced that the company has been awarded a landmark contract on the Sydney Metro project. Specifically, Transport for NSW has appointed Bechtel as the official delivery management partner for the Tunnels and Stations Excavation package of Stage 2 of the Sydney Metro project. Noted as Australia's largest public infrastructure project, when completed, the Sydney Metro project will include new twin rail tunnels under Sydney Harbor. "Since 1954, Bechtel has been engineering and constructing projects across Australia but it's really exciting for us to be in the Sydney transport sector," said Shaun Kenny, Infrastructure General Manager Asia Pacific, Bechtel. "Around the world we engineer, construct and project manage the world's biggest and most complex railways and we're absolutely delighted to be engaged on Sydney Metro and are looking forward to combining our international experience, local skills and capability to play our part in Australia's biggest public transport project." "The Sydney Metro is crucial to the modernization and transformation of the city's public transport network and will help meet the challenges of a growing population," said Tim Parker, Project Director, Transport for NSW. "We believe that Bechtel is the right partner with the right leadership skills and program management expertise to deliver a world-class metro system for Sydney." Bechtel's scope includes managing the delivery of 15.5 km of twin-bore tunneling using five tunnel boring machines and excavation for six new metro stations. Over the past 63 years, Bechtel has delivered more than 500 projects in Australia beginning with an oil pipeline in Melbourne to most recently building three LNG plants as part of the award-winning Curtis Island LNG program in Queensland. The Curtis Island program represented the largest concentration of private-capital investment in Australia's history. Bechtel has worked on more than 300 rail and rail-related projects across the world. Current rail projects include London's Crossrail where Bechtel serves as the delivery partner, the Riyadh Metro in Saudi Arabia, and both the Edmonton Valley LRT and the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension projects in Canada. About Bechtel: Bechtel is one of the most respected global engineering, construction, and project management companies. Together with our customers, we deliver landmark projects that foster long-term progress and economic growth. Since 1898, we've completed more than 25,000 extraordinary projects across 160 countries on all seven continents. We operate through four global businesses: Infrastructure; Nuclear, Security & Environmental; Oil, Gas & Chemicals; and Mining & Metals. Our company and our culture are built on more than a century of leadership and a relentless adherence to our values, the core of which are safety, quality, ethics, and integrity. These values are what we believe, what we expect, what we deliver, and what we live. www.bechtel.com Media contacts: Mat Ovenden T : +61 7 4862 1067 C : +61 477 060 433 [email protected] Jane Griffin T : +44 20 7651 7907 C : +44 7919 210640 [email protected] SOURCE Bechtel Related Links http://www.bechtel.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. proudly sponsored the 24th Annual Women's Bond Club Merit Award Dinner held on May 2nd in New York City. The event serves as a forum to recognize women in leadership positions within the financial community who have distinguished themselves and provided leadership within their organizations. "Being diverse is imperative, not optional, and while great strides are being made, our industry has more work to do to advance women's leadership in financial services," said Rich Daly, Broadridge President and Chief Executive Officer, the evening's keynote speaker. "We're pleased to partner with The Women's Bond Club, support its mission and commend it on the positive impact of their work in the financial markets." "The case we're making is about taking action and sustaining a commitment to bring greater diversity to higher levels in the corporate hierarchy," said Frieda Lewis, Women's Bond Club Board Member, and Managing Director and Chief Commercial Diversity Officer at Broadridge. "The diversity work we do at Broadridge, and that of the Women's Bond Club, is helping to advance that agenda forward to enable more female leaders to drive institutions to greater success." Suni Harford of Citi and Ruth DeGolia of Mercado Global received the Women's Bond Club two most prestigious awards. Suni Harford, Managing Director, Regional Head of Markets, North America, Citi, was the recipient of the Merit Award recognizing her outstanding professional contributions to the financial services industry. Suni oversees the North American sales, trading, and origination businesses of Citi's securities and banking franchise. She is a member of Citi's Pension Plan Investment Committee, and a Director on the Board of Citibank Canada. Suni serves on the Board of Directors of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, as well as the Board of Directors of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. Ruth DeGolia, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Mercado Global, was the recipient of the Isabel Benham Award, which recognizes exceptional dedication to the advancement of women. Ruth is the Founder and Executive Director of Mercado Global. As an early pioneer in the ethical fashion and social enterprise space, Ruth created an innovative model that has connected indigenous Guatemalan artisans to over 300 international retailers and vendors. Since its founding in 2004, Mercado Global has provided hundreds of thousands of hours of living wage work to empower women and transform their lives. At the event, this year's Rising Star Honor Roll was also revealed. This award recognizes women who are early in their careers, who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and who are expected to be future stars in the industry. About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) is a leading provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions for broker-dealers, banks, mutual funds and other corporations. Broadridge's investor and customer communications, securities processing and managed services solutions help clients reduce their capital investments in operations infrastructure, allowing them to increase their focus on core business activities. With more than 50 years of experience, Broadridge' s infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America and processes on average $5 trillion in equity and fixed income trades per day. Broadridge employs approximately 10,000 associates in 16 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com. The Women's Bond Club The Women's Bond Club is a vital community of experienced women across a wide range of financial services and related industries. Founded in 1921, The Women's Bond Club was the first organization in New York that focused on advancing women in finance. Today they have over 900 members and over 40 of the leading financial services firms as corporate sponsors, with several new additions to their roster. Their members are united by a powerful mission: to advance women's leadership, grow their intellectual capital, and return value to their companies, communities and upcoming generations. They accomplish this through a series of thought-provoking and engaging events for their members, as well as through their scholarship program and partnerships with non-profit organizations, such as the Urban Assembly School for Young Women in Business, which provide career guidance to women. They invite you to visit their website www.wbcny.org. Media Contacts: Gregg Rosenberg Head of Corporate Communications +1 212-918-6966 [email protected] Brett Philbin Edelman +1 212-704-8263 [email protected] SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. Related Links http://www.broadridge.com EDMONTON, Alberta, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alberta Koch Automotive Group has launched Canada's first e-commerce dealership. Using their innovative website to put convenience first, the consumer can reserve or purchase a vehicle without ever physically stepping foot into a dealership. Mobile e-commerce dealership website. e-Commerce dealership website. The new website challenges the auto retailer industry that has operated the same way for decades. Embracing e-commerce technologies, Koch Ford has created a truly 24/7, dealership-experience online, giving the customer convenience on their terms. This is beneficial to people who are strapped for time or simply want to shop from the comfort of their couch. Their online dealership never closes. The unique, 24/7 platform allows consumers to casually browse inventory, chat with live operators, and reserve or purchase a vehicle, all from the convenience of their laptop. Using the online "Reserve" option, consumers reserve a vehicle with a refundable 1% deposit (whereas traditional dealers require a $2500 deposit). This helps to prevent other customers from purchasing the vehicle that the buyer is interested in. Online deposits are risk-free and money-back guaranteed. They allow consumers to book a test drive, negotiate pricing, go through all the terms, and to address any potential questions or issues without purchasing the vehicle in full. The "Purchase Vehicle" option directs consumers to use a major credit card or a Paypal account to complete their transaction. Consumers have the choice of paying the vehicle's total online or speaking with a representative to complete the financial terms. The Koch Auto Group will be rolling out the new e-commerce platform across their dealerships, starting with Edmonton's Koch Ford Lincoln and DK Ford in Leduc. Those interested in learning more about Canada's first e-Commerce dealership are encouraged to visit the dealership website at www.kochford.com. Any automotive shopper questions regarding the inventory or the financing options can be directed to the sales team, toll free: (877) 752-3492 About Koch Ford Lincoln Koch Ford Lincoln is an award winning, state-of-the-art Ford and Lincoln dealership in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Koch offers a great selection of new and pre-owned Ford vehicles to Edmonton and the surrounding area. About Koch Auto Group Koch Auto Group of Companies is Alberta's largest Ford automotive group, with franchised Ford dealerships in Edmonton, Leduc, and Athabasca. Privately owned and operated by the Koch family for over 65 years, the company continues to innovate, pushing the envelope across the automotive industry. Throughout its history, the Koch Auto Group continues to combine outstanding customer service with a simple and honest car buying experience. For more information visit www.kochford.com. Media Contact: Jeremy Koch, Koch Auto Group; 780-434-8411; [email protected] SOURCE Koch Auto Group Related Links http://www.kochford.com MCLEAN, Va., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Small Business Week, Capital One Spark Business today launched We Work As One(SM) to celebrate, promote and empower local businesses in major cities across the country. The new program partners small businesses in select markets with local Capital One Cafes for a series of opportunities by educating cafe customers on industry trends, engaging consumers and the community in new ways, and addressing unique obstacles and challenges that small business owners face. "Small businesses create 70 percent of new jobs nationally, and drive tremendous growth in our local economies as well so when small businesses flourish, everyone wins," said Celia Edwards Karam, Head of Small Business Banking at Capital One. "We Work As One is a new way Capital One is recognizing what small businesses add to our communities and our economies, and partnering with local businesses to help them succeed and grow." Hosted at select Capital One Cafes, as well as Capital One's Union Square Flagship Branch in New York City, the campaign will travel to the following cities this summer and fall: Chicago (June), San Francisco (July), New York City (August), Denver (September) and Boston (October). Local business owners in these markets can participate in several ways: Small Talk Thursdays : During select Thursday's each month, well-known companies supporting small businesses and leading local business owners will come together to discuss specific challenges they have faced in running their business and how they overcame them. Select sessions will be live-streamed so small business owners across the country can tune in. : During select Thursday's each month, well-known companies supporting small businesses and leading local business owners will come together to discuss specific challenges they have faced in running their business and how they overcame them. Select sessions will be live-streamed so small business owners across the country can tune in. Pop-Up Experience: Capital One will enlist select businesses throughout the month in each market to share their products and services with cafe visitors in their community. Capital One will enlist select businesses throughout the month in each market to share their products and services with cafe visitors in their community. Educational Demo : Capital One will select local small business owners to educate customers and other businesses about the trends their product and services address, share best practices to solve for common small business challenges, and engage with their local communities. : Capital One will select local small business owners to educate customers and other businesses about the trends their product and services address, share best practices to solve for common small business challenges, and engage with their local communities. Spark Business: Small business owners can learn more about Capital One Spark Business' award-winning suite of financial products and resources that are built for business and designed to help SBOs achieve, save and sell more. Whether businesses are looking for online banking solutions with no fees or minimum balances, to start a 401k to begin saving for retirement, or accept payments through Spark Pay, businesses at every stage can harness technology, and gain the skills and resources needed to compete, grow and prosper. Small business owners interested in participating in We Work As One events should visit their local Capital One Cafe for more information on how to sign up for the Pop-Up Experience or Educational Demo. Additionally, businesses are encouraged to view the event calendar by visiting the campaign website. We Work As One is inspired by the mission of Spark Business, Capital One's solutions suite designed to help small businesses achieve their goalswhether it's driving awareness, adopting new technologies, hiring employees, or long-term and retirement planning. Through its growing network of partnerships and Capital One Cafes, Spark Business works with the dreamers, creators and doers of our communities to drive their ideas forward. For more information on We Work as One and Capital One Spark Business, or to read inspirational stories and view the event calendar from small businesses across the country, please visit https://www.capitalone.com/WeWorkAsOne. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter and Facebook with #WeWorkAsOne. About Spark Business Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses, and commercial clients. Capital One Spark Business comprises a suite of innovative products and services specifically designed for small business, including credit cards with unlimited rewards, no-fee online checking and savings, and secure and flexible merchant service offerings. Spark Business provides tips, resources, and inspiration to help your business thrive at https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/sparkiq. For more information, visit https://www.capitalone.com/small-business-bank/. SOURCE Capital One Financial Corporation Related Links http://www.capitalone.com More than 1,000 business executives who have worked with the consultancies were surveyed and asked to recommend the best consulting firms. Statista identified the firms who received disproportionately high numbers of recommendations from their clients. "This ranking is particularly meaningful because it is based on client recommendations," says Kevin McQueen, CapTech CEO. "Recognitions such as this help us benchmark our goal of being the best consulting firm to work with. I credit our amazing talent and the amazing work they do every day for this achievement." In business for more than twenty years, CapTech strives to be a trusted partner for their clients. The longevity of client relationships, some spanning two decades, along with client referrals are driving their national expansion and reinforce CapTech's commitment to servant leadership and client delivery. About CapTech: CapTech (www.captechconsulting.com) is a national management consulting firm that bridges the gap between business and technology. CapTech delivers transformation, customer engagement, data & analytics, and custom IT solutions for some of the world's most successful companies and government agencies. The company's collaborative approach helps organizations grow their business, engage with customers and turn data into powerful insights. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, CapTech has locations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus (Ohio), Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. Contact: Emily Krause [email protected] 804.545.8733 SOURCE CapTech Related Links http://www.captechconsulting.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chef Nobu Matsuhisa has been awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award received at the 2017 British GQ Food & Drink Awards. This inspiring accolade comes 23-years since opening the first Nobu restaurant in a New York. The inspiration for the first Nobu restaurant remains at the core of the group today; the focus on exceptional quality, great service, charismatic design, and a heartfelt and passionate desire to deliver memorable experiences to our guests. The original goal was to create a great place in New York to enjoy great food with friends, and not what the group has evolved into today; a game changer in the hospitality and restaurant industry. Chef Nobu, Robert DeNiro and Meir Teper have remained the closest of friends and partners since Nobu was crafted. In 2015, the shareholders welcomed James Packer as partner and collaborative visionary for the next decades. The partners have travelled the world over which has deeply influenced their lives and fueled their careers as artists, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs. It was this experience that set the foundation of creating Nobu Hotels and Residences in 2009. Developing the hospitality platform has been the vision to craft the unique chemistry and perfect balance of luxury, fun, craft and theater. Nobu has now grown into a global hospitality and restaurant empire across 5 continents with 32 restaurants and 12 hotels. The hotel collection includes Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace, Nobu Hotel City of Dreams and this year has seen the opening the Nobu Hotel Miami Beach and Nobu Ryokan Malibu. More hotels will open this year and next in Ibiza, London, Marbella, Riyadh followed by Chicago, Los Cabos, Toronto, and Bahrain. Meeting and events experiences within Nobu Hotels and restaurants have established unique corporate, group and social event programming. Whether a celebrity is throwing her birthday at the Nobu Villa in Las Vegas, to hosting financial, pharmaceutical groups and headliner music concerts and events at Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, our teams continue to strive to deliver bespoke and memorable VIP experiences for our guests. SOURCE Nobu Hospitality NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CogniFit, a global leader in cognitive assessments and brain training applications, already offers its services in more than 100 countries and 16 languages (English, Spanish, Brazilian, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Dutch, Serbian, Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, Mandarin, and Japanese). Today, CogniFit is reaching Asia's fourth-largest economy by releasing its brain training games in Korean. "CogniFit's availability in South Korea is long overdue with their technologically advanced population, their aging demography, their video gaming culture and edtech enthusiasm," said CogniFit Chairman Nathanael Eisenberg. "CogniFit brain training applications can now better help South Korean seniors with age-related cognitive decline, as well as the younger population through the CogniFit for Education platform translated in Korean." South Korea, like many other industrialized nations around the globe, suffers from a rapidly aging population. Around 6.5 million out of the country's 50 million population were 65 years or older in 2016. In the next 10 years, one out of five South Koreans will be retired, according to a Statistics Korea report in December 2016. As this population ages, CogniFit brain fitness solutions can help people maintain their brain health and better manage their cognitive function. It can also help users with memory, attention, coordination, perception, and reasoning. CogniFit cognitive assessments and brain training programs have been validated by the scientific community and independent universities around the world. Education is highly regarded in South Korean culture and is perceived as the means to climb up the socio-economic ladder. The schools a child attends can determine everything from social status to job opportunity. South Korean parents spend more on education (15% of their gross national product) than any other nation in the world. The country is a leader in leveraging technology in the classroom, by implementing devices such as tablets, LCD blackboards, and other high-tech products with an educational component that reflect the ever-changing technology market, like the CogniFit for Education platform. This digital platform includes a neurocognitive assessment and brain training program designed to help teachers assess, train, and track students' cognitive progress through intelligent brain games. The program works by identifying the students' strongest and weakest cognitive skills, and help improve those in need over time. Watch an introductory video of the CogniFit Brain Fitness methodology directly on our YouTube page and learn more about the CogniFit for Education platform on our dedicated CogniFit page. For further inquiries and media interviews, please contact Molly Minchew at [email protected] About CogniFit CogniFit is a global leader in developing online programs to assess and train core cognitive areas such as attention, memory, coordination, perception, and reasoning. As a digital health company, CogniFit specializes in scientifically validated cognitive tests and brain training programs, all available online at www.cognifit.com. CogniFit's patented technology has been designed by an international team of scientists, neurologists, and psychologists who investigate and combine the latest discoveries on the brain with advanced adaptive algorithms and big data analytics. For over 15 years, CogniFit has been developing personalized brain fitness programs with leading scientific institutions and published its results in several peer-reviewed publications. Today a major vendor in the cognitive assessment and training market, CogniFit offers its programs to individuals and companies in various verticals, such as healthcare, education, research, health and wellness, driving, and human resources. Related Links What is the CogniFit Brain Fitness program? What is the CogniFit for Education? This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE CogniFit Related Links http://www.cognifit.com ROCKVILLE, Md., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comfort hotel brand continues an aggressive plan this year, expecting to open 56 new properties, essentially a new hotel each week. As part of Choice Hotels International, one of the world's leading hotel companies, the new properties showcase the brand's significant growth and reflect the brand's strategic transformation and new design initiatives, which includes a refreshed, modern look and feel. "The success of the Comfort brands, a pioneer in the segment, reinforces that Choice Hotels is a leader in upper midscale lodging. With the brand's recent enhancements and strong operating performance, Comfort has never been better positioned for growth," said Brian Quinn, vice president, franchise development, Choice Hotels. "The Comfort brand meets the needs of both experienced and first-time hotel developers, with modern, relevant hotel prototypes that are cost effective to build, maintain, and operate, contributing to a strong return on investment." The recent Comfort openings are located across the country in key regions, and include a mix of new construction and conversion projects, including: Comfort Suites in Johnstown, CO 92 guest rooms 92 guest rooms Comfort Suites in Brookings, SD 100 guest rooms 100 guest rooms Comfort Inn & Suites in Kew Gardens, NY 85 guest rooms 85 guest rooms Comfort Inn in La Porte , IN 64 guest rooms , IN 64 guest rooms Comfort Inn in North Aurora, IL 84 guest rooms 84 guest rooms Comfort Inn in Dallas, TX 103 guest rooms "Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites properties work in all types of markets whether urban, corporate office park, airport and interstate locations," said Anne Smith, vice president, brand strategy, Choice Hotels. "We're constantly striving to provide our business and leisure guests with superior service and offerings, and now we're satisfying more guests as we reach new markets." The successful Comfort brand transformation has led to outstanding performance metrics and renewed development. The brand is experiencing all-time high guest satisfaction scores and continues to excel in the upper midscale segment on RevPAR growth, stealing market share and recording 27 consecutive months of RevPAR Index gains. In addition, nearly two-thirds of the 121 executed agreements for new Comfort locations in 2016, were new construction projects. This number has tripled in the last eight years. Comfort hotels are ramping up across the United States and will continue to expand to popular travel destinations this year, such as Salt Lake City, UT; Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; Charleston, SC; Jacksonville, FL; North Myrtle Beach, SC; Austin, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; and Tampa, FL. Comfort Rested.Set.Go. The Comfort brand, franchised by Choice Hotels, has been trusted by travelers and hotel owners for more than 30 years. With a proven track record of reliability, convenience and value, both Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites hotel properties offer everything you need to feel refreshed and ready to take on the day, whether you're traveling for business or leisure. Comfort is the largest 100 percent smoke-free hotel brand in the North America with more than 1,800 properties open and operating as of December 31, 2016. With a Comfort brand hotel everywhere you need to be, complimentary amenities include a hot, hearty and healthy breakfast, free Wi-Fi, business center, and fitness center or swimming pool. Rested. Set. Go. Because behind every great day is a great night. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com/Comfort-Inn or www.choicehotels.com/Comfort-Suites. About Choice Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest lodging companies. With more than 6,500 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories, Choice Hotels International represents more than 500,000 rooms around the globe. As of December 31, 2016, 775 hotels were in our development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria hotels & suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and Vacation Rentals by Choice Hotels brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 30 million members and counting, our Choice Privileges rewards program enhances every trip a guest takes, with benefits ranging from instant, every day rewards to exceptional experiences, starting right when they join. All hotels and vacation rentals are independently owned and operated. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information. 2017 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc. Related Links http://www.choicehotels.com YONKERS, N.Y., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumer Reports (CR), the world's largest independent non-profit consumer organization, today named Jessica Rich, former director of the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection, as Vice President of Consumer Policy and Mobilization. With more than 25 years at the FTC, Rich is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and well-respected consumer champions in the U.S. In her new role, Rich will lead the consumer policy and mobilization efforts of Consumer Reports as it addresses the most urgent threats and pain points consumers face today, such as data privacy and security, health care costs, food safety, corporate accountability, and fairness and transparency in financial markets. She joins CR as the non-profit continues to transform itself to best define and drive a new era of consumer power and protection in today's dynamic and complex digital economy. "For years, Jessica has stood out as one of the country's most effective and visible leaders when it comes to vital consumer issues such as privacy, data security, and financial services," said Marta L. Tellado, CR's President and CEO. "We are thrilled to welcome her to our team, where her deep experience and commitment to doing right by consumers will be instrumental in empowering communities around those and other issues, and in advancing the transformation underway at CR." Rich said, "I am excited to be joining the CR team, whose unstinting and legendary dedication to advancing consumer power is evolving to meet new and growing threats to consumers. Consumers face new challenges daily from the personal privacy and security implications of emerging technologies, to efforts by government to roll back critical safeguards. I am eager to support CR's mission to improve the responsiveness of both the marketplace and policymakers." As Bureau Director at the FTC, Rich oversaw over 450 attorneys, investigators, and other staff working to protect consumers by enforcing the consumer protection laws, educating consumers and businesses, and spearheading policy initiatives. During Rich's 4-year tenure, her team initiated nearly 400 law enforcement actions aimed at stopping fraud, false advertising, and privacy invasions, resulting in billions of dollars recovered for consumers who had been harmed. Rich also took action to sharpen the agency's technological expertise for example, establishing a new Office of Technology Research and Investigations to improve the agency's ability to serve consumers around issues such as the Internet of Things and mobile apps. Earlier in her career, Rich was the long-time manager of the FTC's growing privacy program, and she is widely credited with building the program from a small team to the signature program that it is today. Prior to joining the FTC, Rich was a lawyer in private practice in New York City. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the New York University School of Law. For more information about CR, visit: www.ConsumerReports.org. About Consumer Reports Consumer Reports is the world's largest and most trusted nonprofit, consumer organization working to improve the lives of consumers by driving marketplace change. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has achieved substantial gains for consumers on health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other issues. The organization has advanced important policies to cut hospital-acquired infections, prohibit predatory lending practices and combat dangerous toxins in food. Consumer Reports tests and rates thousands of products and services in its 50-plus labs, state-of-the-art auto test center and consumer research center. Consumers Union, a division of Consumer Reports, works for pro-consumer laws and regulations in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace. With more than eight million subscribers to its flagship magazine, website and other publications, Consumer Reports accepts no advertising, payment or other support from the companies whose products it evaluates. 2017 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports is an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports, ConsumerReports.org and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent commercial use of its materials, its name, or the name of Consumer Reports. CONTACTS : Erin Burke, (646) 218-8760 [email protected] or David Butler, (202) 462-6262, ext. 7416 [email protected] SOURCE Consumer Reports Related Links http://www.ConsumerReports.org ISTANBUL, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With this codeshare agreement, passengers from several destinations in Latin America and Europe will enjoy seamless connections through the carriers' ideally located hubs in Panama (Americas), and in Turkey, the bridge country that connects the East and the West. Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A., and Turkish Airlines, both members of Star Alliance, the leading global airline network, signed a Codeshare Agreement which will offer passengers more flight options with seamless connections through Copa's Hub of the Americas, in Panama City, and Turkish's seamless gateway to Europe through the company's Hub, in Istanbul, Turkey. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161202/445171LOGO ) The strategic Hub of the Americas of Copa Airlines, in Panama City, will allow passengers coming from Istanbul fast and efficiently connect to 74 destinations in America and the Caribbean, including the most important cities of the region. Also with this codeshare agreement, the Latin American passengers traveling with Turkish Airlines through its uniquely positioned hub, Istanbul, that bridges the East and the West, will have more entry options to Europe also Africa, Asia/ Far East and Middle East. Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines said: "This agreement between Copa Airlines and Turkish Airlines has great importance since it contributes to strengthen the connectivity between Latin America with Istanbul and the rest of Europe. Passengers from both hemispheres will benefit from world-class services and seamless connections through the hubs of the codeshare partners." Initially, Turkish will place its code on Copa flights between Panama City and David in Panama; Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo in Brazil; Santo Domingo and Punta Cana in Dominican Republic; Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador; San Salvador in El Salvador; Asuncion in Paraguay; Lima in Peru. On the other hand, Copa will place its code on Turkish operated flights between Panama and Istanbul. Progressively, as government approvals are granted, Turkish will also place its code on Copa flights to Cancun, Mexico City, and Guadalajara in Mexico; Managua in Nicaragua; San Jose in Costa Rica and Montevideo in Uruguay in order to expand the range of these codeshare flights into the region. "We are delighted to begin codeshare cooperation with Copa Airlines, which will improve our partnership as Star Alliance partners and also provide unique travel opportunities to the passengers through the far-reaching flight networks of both airlines. Especially, with our flights to Panama City operated from our incomparably positioned hub, Istanbul, passengers would enjoy to travel all around the continent with Copa Airlines' flights from Panama City," said Bilal Eksi, Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman & CEO. This agreement, which complements and expands the route networks of both airlines as well as the connectivity between the continents, will also improve and promote bilateral opportunities for tourism and commercial developments between two countries. Passengers of Copa and Turkish will enjoy the multiple benefits offered by Star Alliance, including reciprocity between the frequent flyer programs of both airlines and global recognition of the Star Alliance Gold and Silver status through the large route network that includes 1,300 airports in 190 countries. About Turkish Airlines Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 337 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 299 destinations worldwide with 250 international and 49 domestic. According to the 2016 Skytrax survey, Turkish Airlines was chosen as "Europe's Best Airline" for the sixth and "Best Airline in Southern Europe" for the eighth consecutive time. Having won in 2010 the world's "Best Economy Catering Service", in 2013 and also in 2014 the world's "Best Business Catering Service", and "Best Business Class Lounge Dining", "Best Business Airline Lounge" awards in last year's survey, Turkish Airlines was awarded again the world's "Best Business Class Dining Lounge" and "Best Business Class On-Board Catering" prizes in this year's survey. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website http://www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, and Instagram. About Copa Holdings, S.A. Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia, subsidiaries of Copa Holdings, are leading Latin American providers of passenger and cargo services. The airlines offer service to more than 70 destinations in 31 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. During Copa Airlines' 69 years of continuous operations, the Hub of the Americas in Panama has become the leading hub on the continent. Copa operates one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 100 aircraft: 77 Boeing 737 Next-Generation and 23 Embraer-190, and has an on-time performance of approximately 90 percent, one of the best in the industry. Based on its 2016 on-time performance, Copa Airlines has been recognized by FlightStats as the most on-time airline in Latin America for the fourth consecutive year, and ranked No. 2 worldwide by OAG for the second consecutive year. In addition, Copa received the award for "Leading Airline in Mexico and Central America" at the World Travel Awards and earned three Skytrax 2016 awards: "Best Airline in Central America / Caribbean," "Best Airline Staff Service in Central America / Caribbean," and "Best Regional Airline in Central America / Caribbean." Copa is a member of Star Alliance, which offers passengers more than 18,450 daily flights to 1,300 airports in 190 countries. Copa also has code-share agreements with United Airlines, Aeromexico, KLM, Lufthansa, Avianca, Iberia, GOL and TAME. To make and manage reservations, purchase tickets through secure online transactions in seven different currencies, check in online, print boarding passes, and get information about travel policies and immigration requirements, visit http://www.copa.com. Visit http://www.ConnectMiles.com to learn about enhancements and updates to Copa Airlines' passenger-loyalty program. About Star Alliance The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Avianca Brasil, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,450 daily flights to 1,300 airports in 190 countries. Turkish Airlines Inc. Office of Media Relations General Management Building 34149, Yesilkoy-Istanbul Tel: +90(212)463-63-63 - 11153 / 11173 Fax: +90(212)465-20-78 [email protected] SOURCE Turkish Airlines DENVER, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ProtectWiseTM, the enterprise security company that delivers pervasive visibility, automated threat detection and unlimited forensic exploration, today announced Damon Harvey has joined the company as Vice President, EMEA. Harvey will extend the company's platform, The ProtectWise GridTM, to organizations managing security in traditional enterprise, cloud and industrial control systems environments across EMEA. "I am thrilled to join ProtectWise and lead its EMEA business," said Harvey. "The need for delivering security as a utility has never been greater in the UK alone, nearly half of all firms suffered a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months, new research shows. ProtectWise delivers security on demand and entirely from the cloud with a platform that is ideally suited for enterprises across all vertical and geographic markets." Harvey brings to ProtectWise more than two decades of experience with international technology companies, including 14 years in cybersecurity sales management and leadership. Harvey joins ProtectWise from RSA, where most recently he was responsible for the company's NetWitness business in the United Kingdom. His previous experience includes managing enterprise accounts for Symantec. "ProtectWise has experienced significant growth across North America and several organizations have deployed our sensors internationally, which is great validation of the market's reception to our enterprise security platform," said Mark Rotolo, Executive Vice President, Global Sales, ProtectWise. "We're poised well to capitalize on the growing interest within organizations across EMEA, and Damon has the experience and leadership key to helping us build our sales and channel programs in the region." About ProtectWise ProtectWise harnesses the power of the recorded network to provide a new utility model for enterprise security. The company's platform, The ProtectWise Grid, captures full fidelity network traffic for real-time and retrospective analysis in an advanced visual presentation. Delivered entirely from the cloud, The ProtectWise Grid is an integrated solution that provides frictionless deployment and scalability. Founded in April 2013, ProtectWise is based in Denver and led by a team of security and SaaS industry veterans from McAfee, Palo Alto Networks, and Symantec. The company launched the Immersive SecuritySM movement in 2017 to build a new path forward for the security industry. ProtectWise has raised more than $67 million in funding. For more information, visit www.protectwise.com. SOURCE ProtectWise Related Links http://www.protectwise.com BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DataXpand, the leading platform in Latin America, the U.S. Hispanic market and Europe for segmented audience management and DMP - Data Management Platform, was recently acquired by Entravision Communications Corporation, a leading U.S. based media company that reaches and engages U.S. Latinos across acculturation levels and media channels. "Since our founding five years ago we had a very clear vision to create the premier data marketing company in emerging markets and thanks to the continuous innovation of our team, and the agencies, customers and partners who trusted us, we have achieved it," said Sebastian Yoffe, Founder and Managing Director of DataXpand. "We have seen tremendous growth, but it remains very early in the development of our company and the markets we serve. As part of a U.S. public company like Entravision we gain a tremendous partner that believes in our vision to expand globally and can help us capitalize on new opportunities in the United States." Esteban Lopez Blanco, Chief Strategy Officer, Corporate Development and Innovation, at Entravision said, "We are extremely excited with the addition of DataXpand and the advanced capabilities it brings to our digital platform. Content and big data is at the center of our core capabilities, which allow us to efficiently reach and engage Latinos across markets, with the right message, at the right time, to the right person, and on the right device. Sebastian Yoffe and the talented DataXpand team are proven data specialists who can transform raw data into information and the insights that empower marketers to drive greater efficiencies in their campaigns. DataXpand has amazing data sets and is a great DMP which when leveraged with our other digital properties creates one of the largest global data set on Latinos online. This tremendous actionable data asset will help to establish DataXpand as the default destination for modern data driven marketers." DataXpand is a pioneer in targeted advertising in Latin America. Founded in 2012, it was the first company to introduce data-driven marketing technology and provide advanced agencies and advertisers with the ability to execute audience-based media plans in Latin America. Today, DataXpand provides rich third part data for markets in Europe, U.S. Hispanics and Latin America. The Company creates advanced audience clusters that includes 220 million unique users connected to more than 40 programmatic buying platforms and it currently works with more than 2,000 active advertisers per month to maximize the effectiveness of their campaigns. Acerca de DataXpand DataXpand is the first International Data Management Platform (DMP) & Audience Marketplace with truly global scale and reach. The Company was awarded at the prestigious FOMLA (Festival of Media Latam) Awards for "Smart use of data" and a recipient of Portada's Latin American Advertising and Media Award for innovation. The Company's platform provides Premium reach in audiences in Latin America, Europe and U.S. Hispanics. Through its Partners (Publishers Premium), DataXpand allows segmenting of digital audiences based on users' tastes and preferences, their interests and intent to acquire a product or service, as well as based on their demographic profile, age and gender. Learn more at www.dataxpand.com or send an email to [email protected]. About Entravision Entravision Communications Corporation is a leading media company that reaches and engages U.S. Latinos across acculturation levels and media channels, as well as consumers in Mexico. The company's comprehensive portfolio incorporates integrated media and marketing solutions comprised of acclaimed television, radio, digital properties, events, and data analytics services. Entravision has 56 primary television stations and is the largest affiliate group of both the Univision and UniMas television networks. Entravison also owns and operates 49 primarily Spanish-language radio stations featuring nationally recognized talent, as well as the Entravision Audio Network and Entravision Solutions, a coast-to-coast national spot and network sales and marketing organization representing Entravision's owned and operated, as well as its affiliate partner, radio stations. According to comScore Media Metrix, Entravision's digital operating group, Pulpo, is the #1-ranked online advertising platform in Hispanic reach, and Pulpo's comprehensive media offering, data, and consumer insights lead the industry. Entravision shares of Class A Common Stock are traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: EVC. Learn more at: www.entravision.com SOURCE DataXpand Related Links http://www.dataxpand.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- First quarter 2017 total revenues of $52.2 million , net income of $1.3 million and diluted EPS of $0.03 , net income of and diluted EPS of Cash flow from operations of $14.5 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $10.5 million and Adjusted EBITDA of Announces plan for strategic divestitures of certain businesses to optimize execution of its tech-focused plan Continued progress on new initiatives with Open Web reaching 30% of Dice recruitment packages, solid growth in Dice Careers app usage and launch of assessment products DHI Group, Inc. (NYSE: DHX) ("DHI" or the "Company"), a leading online career resource and talent acquisition platform for technology professionals and other select professional communities, today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. "In November 2016, we announced not only an initiative to review strategic alternatives related to the ownership of the Company, but also a tech-focused strategy to reinvigorate growth. While the Company's Board of Directors decided to terminate the review of strategic alternatives in April, we have been continuing to execute on the initiatives to improve our core tech talent acquisition services, add next generation solutions, and deepen our engagement with tech professionals," said Michael Durney, President and Chief Executive Officer of DHI Group, Inc. "Today, we announce a critical step in our strategy, a plan to divest certain businesses and align our talent in a more unified operating structure behind our core tech business to focus our resources on the global technology recruiting market, which we believe offers the greatest opportunity for growth and ultimately shareholder value creation." Q1 2017 Tech-Focused Product and Business Highlights "Open Web First" (i.e. leading with social sourcing) go-to-market strategy drove 98% year-over-year growth in Open Web customers, increasing penetration of Dice recruitment package customers to 30% as of March 31, 2017 , up from 24% as of December 31, 2016 and 14% a year ago , up from 24% as of and 14% a year ago Dice Careers app new downloads grew 71% year-over-year in the first quarter and total downloads as of March 31, 2017 increased 91% year-over-year, driving 86% growth in monthly average unique visitors during the first quarter increased 91% year-over-year, driving 86% growth in monthly average unique visitors during the first quarter Deepened integration in customer work flow: On-boarded over 140 search API clients in the first quarter compared to approximately 120 last year and have over 700 customers with API integrations as of March 31, 2017 ClearanceJobs employer-to-candidate connections on The Cleared Network increased 46% year-over-year in the first quarter, due to strong employer activity sourcing and connecting with cleared professionals Q1 2017 Financial Highlights "In the first quarter, we continued to face difficult competitive dynamics on customer onboarding and renewals, which we are addressing with our new recruitment service offerings. Positive early results from these new offerings give us confidence that they will help drive improved customer trends as the services gain scale," said Luc Gregoire, Chief Financial Officer. "The strong fundamentals of our business continue to generate healthy cash flow, even while we're investing, which, combined with our solid financial position, will enable us to carry out our tech-focused strategy and return our business to growth." The following summarizes consolidated financial results for the quarters ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 presented with and without Slashdot Media, which the Company sold in the first quarter of 2016: ($ in millions, except per share data) Q1 2017 Q1 2016 Change Revenues $ 52.2 $ 58.3 (10) % Revenues, excluding Slashdot Media $ 52.2 $ 57.5 (9) % Net income $ 1.3 $ 1.1 18 % Net income, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other charges $ 1.8 $ 3.4 (47) % Diluted earnings per share $ 0.03 $ 0.02 50 % Diluted earnings per share, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other charges $ 0.04 $ 0.07 (43) % Adjusted EBITDA $ 10.5 $ 12.9 (19) % Adjusted EBITDA margin 20.1 % 22.1 % Adjusted EBITDA, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs $ 10.5 $ 14.0 (25) % Adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs 20.1 % 24.3 % Net income in Q1 2017 was reduced by $0.6 million due to additional income tax expense related to the adoption of a new accounting standard, ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. Had the new standard been applied to Q1 2016, net income would have been $0.2 million higher. Reconciliations of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA and of Operating Cash Flows to Adjusted EBITDA are included toward the end of this press release. The following summarizes Revenues, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin results for the quarters ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 ($ in millions). A reconciliation of Operating Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA is included toward the end of this press release. Revenues Adjusted EBITDA Q1 2017 Q1 2016 Change Fx Impact Q1 2017 2017 Margin Q1 2016 2016 Margin Tech & Clearance $ 31.7 $ 34.0 (7)% $(0.2) $ 13.5 43 % $ 15.1 44 % Global Industry Group (GIG) 13.8 16.6 (17)% (0.8) 1.1 8 % 2.8 17 % Healthcare 6.7 7.0 (4)% 0.4 6 % 0.6 9 % Talent Acquisition Brands 52.2 57.5 (9)% (1.0) 14.9 29 % 18.5 32 % Corporate % (2.6) n.m. (3.5) n.m. Talent Acquisition Brands less Corporate 52.2 57.5 (9)% (1.0) 12.3 24 % 15.0 26 % Brightmatter Group % (1.9) n.m. (1.9) n.m. Slashdot Media 0.7 (100)% n.m. (0.3) (43) % Total $ 52.2 $ 58.3 (10)% $(1.0) $ 10.5 20 % $ 12.9 22 % GIG Revenues by Brand ($ in millions) Q1 2017 Q1 2016 Change Fx Impact eFinancialCareers $ 7.9 $ 8.9 (12)% $(0.8) Rigzone 1.7 2.9 (43)% Hcareers 3.6 3.8 (6)% BioSpace 0.7 0.9 (29)% Global Industry Group $ 13.8 $ 16.6 (17)% $(0.8) Supplemental Balance Sheet Information ($ in millions) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Change Deferred revenue (1) $ 89.7 $ 84.6 $ 5.1 Long-Term Debt, net $ 76.8 $ 84.8 $ (8.0) Plus: Deferred financing costs 1.2 1.2 Total principal outstanding $ 78.0 $ 86.0 $ (8.0) Less: Cash 24.7 23.0 1.7 Net debt $ 53.3 $ 63.0 $ (9.7) (1) The YTD increase in deferred revenue primarily reflects an increase in the Tech & Clearance segment and Global Industry Group segment of $3.2 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Strategic Divestitures The Company plans to divest a number of its online professional communities to achieve greater focus and resource allocation toward its core tech-focused business. The planned divestitures include: BioSpace, Hcareers, Health eCareers, and Rigzone. The Company is in the process of engaging a financial advisor to evaluate opportunities to conduct value enhancing divestitures of these non-tech businesses. Proceeds from any dispositions will be employed in a manner the Company believes is most beneficial to the interests of shareholders over the long-term, which at this time is reinvesting in the core tech-focused business, but may also include opportunities to pursue acquisitions or to return capital to shareholders in the form of acquisition of Company shares. "Divesting certain of our non-tech focused businesses is a big enabler for the execution of our strategy, as it can free us to create a more unified organization, focused on becoming the leading global provider of recruitment and next generation talent solutions focused primarily on tech professionals," said Mr. Durney. "The businesses we plan to divest are strong franchises with talented, committed people who make meaningful contributions to DHI. We believe these businesses could gain operating leverage from greater investment under different ownership, and concluded that it makes sense to consider transactions that enhance shareholder value." Business Outlook The Company expects its year-over-year rate of revenue decline to abate later in 2017. The Company plans to increase its level of spending on its core tech business, but expects some offset from efficiencies to be gained in realigning and simplifying its organization. This outlook does not consider the impact of potential divestitures, as there is no assurance as to their timing or execution. On today's conference call, management will discuss additional details of its new strategy, including context around the financial impact of the Company's 2017 strategic objectives and operational plans. Conference Call Information The Company will host a conference call accompanied by a presentation of supporting materials today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial results, recent developments, and previously announced tech-focused strategy. Speaking on the call will be Michael Durney, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Luc Gregoire, Chief Financial Officer. The conference call and presentation will be available live through the Company's website in the Investor Relations section under Presentations & Events at www.dhigroupinc.com. The conference call can also be accessed by dialing 1-844-890-1790 or for international callers by dialing 1-412-380-7407. Please ask to be joined to the DHI Group, Inc. call. A replay will be available one hour after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 or 1-412-317-0088 for international callers; the replay passcode is 10105994. The replay will be available until May 10, 2017. The presentation will be available for download after the conference call through the Company's website in the Investor Relations section under Presentations & Events at www.dhigroupinc.com. Investor Contact Brendan Metrano VP, Investor Relations DHI Group, Inc. 212-448-4181 [email protected] Media Contact Rachel Ceccarelli Director, Corporate Communications DHI Group, Inc. 212-448-8288 [email protected] About DHI Group, Inc. DHI Group, Inc. (NYSE: DHX) is a leading provider of data, insights and employment connections through our specialized services for professional communities including technology and security clearance, financial services, energy, healthcare and hospitality. Our mission is to empower professionals and organizations to compete and win through expert insights and relevant employment connections. Employers and recruiters use our websites and services to source and hire the most qualified professionals in select and highly-skilled occupations, while professionals use our websites and services to find the best employment opportunities in and the most timely news and information about their respective areas of expertise. For over 25 years, we have built our Company on providing employers and recruiters with efficient access to high-quality, unique professional communities, and offering the professionals in those communities access to highly-relevant career opportunities, news, tools and information. Today, we serve multiple markets located throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region. Notes Regarding the Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company has provided certain non-GAAP financial information as additional information for its operating results. These measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") and may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP measures reported by other companies. The Company believes that its presentation of non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, non-cash stock based compensation expense, and other non-recurring income or expense ("Adjusted EBITDA"), Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs, Adjusted EBITDA margin excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs, Revenues excluding Slashdot Media, Net Income excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs, Free Cash Flow, Diluted Earnings per Share excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs, and Net Debt, provides useful information to management and investors regarding certain financial and business trends relating to its financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the Company's management uses these measures for reviewing the financial results of the Company and for budgeting and planning purposes. The non-GAAP measures apply to consolidated results and results by segment or other measure as shown within this document. The Company has provided required reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP measures elsewhere in the document. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP metric used by management to measure operating performance. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a performance measure for internal monitoring and planning, including preparation of annual budgets, analyzing investment decisions and evaluating profitability and performance comparisons between us and our competitors. The Company also uses this measure to calculate amounts of performance based compensation under the senior management incentive bonus program. Adjusted EBITDA, as defined in our Credit Agreement, represents net income plus (to the extent deducted in calculating such net income) interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, non-cash stock option expenses, losses resulting from certain dispositions outside the ordinary course of business, certain writeoffs in connection with indebtedness, impairment charges with respect to long-lived assets, expenses incurred in connection with an equity offering, extraordinary or non-recurring non-cash expenses or losses, transaction costs in connection with the Credit Agreement up to $250,000, deferred revenues written off in connection with acquisition purchase accounting adjustments, writeoff of non-cash stock compensation expense, and business interruption insurance proceeds, minus (to the extent included in calculating such net income) non-cash income or gains, interest income, and any income or gain resulting from certain dispositions outside the ordinary course of business. We present Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental performance measure because we believe that this measure provides our board of directors, management and investors with additional information to measure our performance, provide comparisons from period to period and company to company by excluding potential differences caused by variations in capital structures (affecting interest expense) and tax positions (such as the impact on periods or companies of changes in effective tax rates or net operating losses), and to estimate our value. We also present Adjusted EBITDA because covenants in our Credit Agreement contain ratios based on this measure. Our Credit Agreement is material to us because it is one of our primary sources of liquidity. If our Adjusted EBITDA were to decline below certain levels, covenants in our Credit Agreement that are based on Adjusted EBITDA may be violated and could cause a default and acceleration of payment obligations under our Credit Agreement. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, operating income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP as a measure of our profitability. Adjusted EBITDA Margin Adjusted EBITDA Margin is a non-GAAP metric used by management to measure operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is computed as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Revenues. Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs Adjusted EBITDA excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs is a non-GAAP metric used by management to measure operating performance. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs as a measure of our financial performance given our sale of Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs. Adjusted EBITDA excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs, represents Adjusted EBITDA defined above, less Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs. Adjusted EBITDA margin, Excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs Adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs is a non-GAAP metric used by management to measure operating performance. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs as a measure of our financial performance given our sale of Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs. Adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs, is computed as Adjusted EBITDA, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs divided by Revenues excluding Slashdot Media. Revenues Excluding Slashdot Media Revenues excluding Slashdot Media is a non-GAAP metric used by management to measure operating performance. Revenues excluding Slashdot Media represents Revenues as defined above less Slashdot Media revenue. We consider Revenues excluding Slashdot Media to be an important measure to evaluate our financial performance given our sale of Slashdot Media. Net Income Excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs Net Income excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs is a non-GAAP metric used by management to measure operating performance. Net Income excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs is defined as Net Income less Slashdot Media Net Income (Loss) and disposition related and other costs. We consider Net Income excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs to be an important measure of our financial performance given our sale of Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs. Diluted Earnings per Share Excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs Diluted earnings per share excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs is a non-GAAP metric used by management to measure operating performance. Diluted earnings per share excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs is defined as diluted earnings per share less impact per share of Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs. We consider diluted earnings per share excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs to be an important measure of our financial performance. Free Cash Flow We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities minus capital expenditures. We believe free cash flow is an important non-GAAP measure as it provides useful cash flow information regarding our ability to service, incur or pay down indebtedness or repurchase our common stock. We use free cash flow as a measure to reflect cash available to service our debt as well as to fund our expenditures. A limitation of using free cash flow versus the GAAP measure of net cash provided by operating activities is that free cash flow does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance from operations for the period since it includes cash used for capital expenditures during the period and is adjusted for acquisition related payments within operating cash flows. Net Debt Net Debt is defined as total principal outstanding less cash. We consider Net Debt to be an important measure of liquidity and indicator of our ability to meet ongoing obligations. We also use Net Debt, among other measures, in evaluating our choices for capital deployment. Net Debt presented herein is a non-GAAP measure and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Forward-Looking Statements This press release and oral statements made from time to time by our representatives contain forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements include information without limitation concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business strategy. These statements often include words such as "may," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to execute our tech-focused strategy, the review of potential dispositions of certain of our businesses and the terms and timing of any such transactions, competition from existing and future competitors in the highly competitive market in which we operate, failure to adapt our business model to keep pace with rapid changes in the recruiting and career services business, failure to maintain and develop our reputation and brand recognition, failure to increase or maintain the number of customers who purchase recruitment packages, cyclicality or downturns in the economy or industries we serve, the uncertainty surrounding the United Kingdom's future departure from the European Union, including uncertainty in respect of the regulation of data protection and data privacy, failure to attract qualified professionals to our websites or grow the number of qualified professionals who use our websites, failure to successfully identify or integrate acquisitions, U.S. and foreign government regulation of the Internet and taxation, our ability to borrow funds under our revolving credit facility or refinance our indebtedness and restrictions on our current and future operations under such indebtedness. These factors and others are discussed in more detail in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on the Investors page of our website at www.dhigroupinc.com, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, under the headings "Risk Factors," "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made by the Company or its representatives herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible to predict these events or how they may affect us. We have no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law. DHI GROUP, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) (in thousands except per share amounts) For the three months ended March 31, 2017 2016 Revenues $ 52,190 $ 58,286 Operating expenses: Cost of revenues 7,397 8,535 Product development 6,451 7,060 Sales and marketing 19,899 20,502 General and administrative 11,279 11,213 Depreciation 2,308 2,598 Amortization of intangible assets 561 2,466 Disposition related and other costs 3,270 Total operating expenses 47,895 55,644 Operating income 4,295 2,642 Interest expense (790) (872) Other expense (16) (15) Income before income taxes 3,489 1,755 Income tax expense 2,149 644 Net income $ 1,340 $ 1,111 Basic earnings per share $ 0.03 $ 0.02 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.03 $ 0.02 Weighted average basic shares outstanding 47,596 49,451 Weighted average diluted shares outstanding 48,136 50,460 DHI GROUP, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (in thousands) For the three months ended March 31, 2017 2016 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 1,340 $ 1,111 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities: Depreciation 2,308 2,598 Amortization of intangible assets 561 2,466 Deferred income taxes 222 (84) Amortization of deferred financing costs 81 81 Stock based compensation 2,502 3,617 Change in accrual for unrecognized tax benefits 35 14 Loss on sale of business 562 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 5,026 2,367 Prepaid expenses and other assets (1,494) (505) Accounts payable and accrued expenses (2,349) (2,104) Income taxes receivable/payable 1,418 (2,920) Deferred revenue 4,851 5,551 Other, net 18 (14) Net cash flows from operating activities 14,519 12,740 Cash flows from investing activities: Cash received from sale of business 2,429 Purchases of fixed assets (4,195) (2,319) Net cash flows (used in) from investing activities (4,195) 110 Cash flows from financing activities: Payments on long-term debt (8,000) (3,000) Proceeds from long-term debt 3,000 Payments under stock repurchase plan (13,717) Proceeds from stock option exercises 403 1,028 Purchase of treasury stock related to vested restricted stock and performance stock units (1,092) (2,452) Net cash flows used in financing activities (8,689) (15,141) Effect of exchange rate changes 43 695 Net change in cash for the period 1,678 (1,596) Cash, beginning of period 22,987 34,050 Cash, end of period $ 24,665 $ 32,454 DHI GROUP, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (in thousands) ASSETS March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Current assets Cash $ 24,665 $ 22,987 Accounts receivable, net 38,321 43,148 Income taxes receivable 754 731 Prepaid and other current assets 4,880 3,312 Total current assets 68,620 70,178 Fixed assets, net 18,459 16,610 Acquired intangible assets, net 48,561 49,120 Goodwill 172,406 171,745 Deferred income taxes 318 306 Other assets 2,080 2,136 Total assets $ 310,444 $ 310,095 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 17,877 $ 20,220 Deferred revenue 89,710 84,615 Income taxes payable 4,928 3,467 Total current liabilities 112,515 108,302 Long-term debt, net 76,841 84,760 Deferred income taxes 8,129 7,901 Accrual for unrecognized tax benefits 2,548 2,513 Other long-term liabilities 2,760 2,736 Total liabilities 202,793 206,212 Total stockholders' equity 107,651 103,883 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 310,444 $ 310,095 Supplemental Information and Non-GAAP Reconciliations On the pages that follow, the Company has provided certain supplemental information that we believe will assist the reader in assessing our business operations and performance, including certain non-GAAP financial information and required reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP measure. A statement of operations and statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 and a balance sheet as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are provided elsewhere in this press release. DHI GROUP, INC. NON-GAAP SUPPLEMENTAL DATA (Unaudited) (dollars in thousands except per customer data) For the three months ended March 31, 2017 2016 Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA: Net income $ 1,340 $ 1,111 Interest expense 790 872 Income tax expense 2,149 644 Depreciation 2,308 2,598 Amortization of intangible assets 561 2,466 Non-cash stock compensation expense 2,502 2,717 SeveranceSlashdot Media 981 Accelerated stock based compensation expenseSlashdot Media 900 Loss on sale of business 562 Costs related to strategic alternatives process 830 Other 16 15 Adjusted EBITDA $ 10,496 $ 12,866 Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flows to Adjusted EBITDA: Net cash provided by operating activities $ 14,519 $ 12,740 Interest expense 790 872 Amortization of deferred financing costs (81) (81) Income tax expense 2,149 644 Deferred income taxes (222) 84 SeveranceSlashdot Media 981 Change in accrual for unrecognized tax benefits (35) (14) Change in accounts receivable (5,026) (2,367) Change in deferred revenue (4,851) (5,551) Costs related to strategic alternatives process 830 Changes in working capital and other 2,423 5,558 Adjusted EBITDA $ 10,496 $ 12,866 Calculation of Free Cash Flow: Net cash provided by operating activities $ 14,519 $ 12,740 Purchases of fixed assets (4,195) (2,319) Free Cash Flow $ 10,324 $ 10,421 Dice Recruitment Package Customers Beginning of period 7,050 7,600 End of period 6,800 7,450 Average for the period (1) 6,900 7,450 Dice Average Monthly Revenue per Recruitment Package Customer (2) $ 1,110 $ 1,118 (1) Reflects the daily average of recruitment package customers during the period. (2) Reflects the simple average of each period presented. DHI GROUP, INC. NON-GAAP SUPPLEMENTAL DATA (CONTINUED) (Unaudited) (in thousands) For the three months ended March 31, 2017 Reconciliation of Operating Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA: Tech & Clearance Global Industry Group Healthcare Corporate Brightmatter Group Slashdot Media Total Operating income (loss) $ 11,444 $ 118 $ (450) $ (4,625) $ (2,192) $ $ 4,295 Depreciation 1,456 225 508 28 91 2,308 Amortization of intangible assets 364 162 35 561 Non-cash stock compensation expense 565 410 132 1,182 213 2,502 Costs related to strategic alternatives process 830 830 Adjusted EBITDA $ 13,465 $ 1,117 $ 352 $ (2,585) $ (1,853) $ $ 10,496 For the three months ended March 31, 2016 Reconciliation of Operating Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA: Tech & Clearance Global Industry Group Healthcare Corporate Brightmatter Group Slashdot Media Total Operating income (loss) $ 11,833 $ 646 $ (278) $ (4,777) $ (2,033) $ (2,749) $ 2,642 Depreciation 1,738 222 596 33 9 2,598 Amortization of intangible assets 728 1,471 218 49 2,466 Non-cash stock compensation expense 814 414 110 1,217 117 45 2,717 SeveranceSlashdot Media 981 981 Accelerated stock based compensation expenseSlashdot Media 900 900 Loss on sale of business 562 562 Adjusted EBITDA $ 15,113 $ 2,753 $ 646 $ (3,527) $ (1,858) $ (261) $ 12,866 DHI GROUP, INC. NON-GAAP SUPPLEMENTAL DATA (CONTINUED) (Unaudited) (in thousands except per share amounts) For the three months ended March 31, 2017 2016 Revenues $ 52,190 $ 58,286 Less Slashdot Media 747 Revenues, excluding Slashdot Media $ 52,190 $ 57,539 Net Income $ 1,340 $ 1,111 Exclude Slashdot Media net income (loss) (1,740) Add back severance related to re-alignment, net of tax 521 Add back costs related to strategic alternatives process, net of tax 508 $ Net Income, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs $ 1,848 $ 3,372 Net Income, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs $ 1,848 $ 3,372 Weighted average diluted shares outstanding 48,136 50,460 Diluted Earnings per Share, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs $ 0.04 $ 0.07 Adjusted EBITDA $ 10,496 $ 12,866 Exclude Slashdot Media (261) Add back severance related to re-alignment 827 Adjusted EBITDA, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs $ 10,496 $ 13,954 Adjusted EBITDA Margin, excluding Slashdot Media and disposition related and other costs 20.1 % 24.3 % Segment Definitions: Tech & Clearance: Dice, Dice Europe and ClearanceJobs Global Industry Group: eFinancialCareers, Rigzone, Hcareers and BioSpace Healthcare: Health eCareers Corporate & Other: Corporate related costs, Slashdot Media and Brightmatter SOURCE DHI Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.diceholdingsinc.com WOONSOCKET, R.I., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced that it earned a place on DiversityInc's 2017 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list for the first time after several years of working its way up on the 25 Noteworthy list. CVS Health's #50 ranking was announced last night at DiversityInc's keystone event in New York. "We know from experience that diversity makes CVS Health a better company, and we are very proud of this extraordinary achievement," said CVS Health President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Merlo. "As a company reinventing health care, we are strongly committed to promoting a diverse workforce and inclusive culture, both of which are keys to producing innovative solutions that improve patient care and health care delivery and sustains top performance for our customers, colleagues and shareholders." CVS Health moved onto the Top 50 Companies for Diversity list this year due in large part to a greater focus on diverse supplier spending which surpassed $1 billion in 2016. Additionally, the company significantly outperformed in recruiting at the management level for African Americans, Hispanics and women, compared to top 10 DiversityInc companies, and increased colleague participation in the company's Employee Resource Groups by 20 percent, both of which contributed to CVS Health's diversity profile. "Diversity and inclusion aren't stand-alone objectives inside our company they are part of everything we do in fulfilling our purpose of helping people on their path to better health," said David Casey, Vice President, Workforce Development and Chief Diversity Officer, CVS Health. "We are committed to striving every day to sustain a workplace in which every colleague feels valued, respected and appreciated, and is able to reach his or her full potential." The DiversityInc Top 50 list, issued yearly since 2001, recognizes the nation's top companies for diversity and inclusion management. These companies excel in such areas as hiring, retaining and promoting women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBT and veterans. DiversityInc's extensive annual survey yields an empirically driven ranking based on recruitment, talent development, senior leadership commitment and supplier diversity. This year's competition was improved by new survey questions, increased emphasis on fairness over chasing numbers and more sophisticated analysis from DiversityInc's data scientists. This recognition is the latest in a series of third-party acknowledgments, including CVS Health being ranked #45 on Fortune's Most Admired Companies in 2017, #3 on Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2016 and among the World's Most Valuable Brands by Forbes. The company also received awards recognizing its innovation, leadership, and workplace practices by the Billion Dollar Roundtable (supplier diversity spending), CIO (100 Best Companies for IT Innovation), Corporate Responsibility Magazine (100 Best Corporate Citizens), Human Rights Campaign (Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality) and Disability Equality Index (Best Places to Work). To learn more about CVS Health's diversity and inclusion efforts, visit https://www.cvshealth.com/ /diversity. To view the entire Top 50 list, visit http://www.diversityinc.com/top50. About CVS Health CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its nearly 9,700 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com. Media Contact Joe Goode, 401-770-9820 [email protected] SOURCE CVS Health Related Links http://www.cvshealth.com DETROIT, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, DTE Energy received the American Gas Association's (AGA) Safety Achievement Award for excellence in employee safety. The award, based on safety results in 2016, recognizes companies that have the lowest number of employee injuries and illnesses as measured by the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "Winning the award two consecutive years is a reflection of our employees' safety-first mindset, which is continually reinforced with the help of strong support from our union leadership," said Joi Harris, vice president, Gas Operations, DTE Energy. "The safer our employees work, the safer it is for their colleagues, our customers and the public. We refer to that as being 200 percent accountable for safety." By focusing on safety first, DTE's natural gas employees experienced a 62-percent decline in recordable injuries from 2014 through 2016. "Safety is at the core of the service natural gas utilities provide," said Dave McCurdy, president and CEO at AGA. "The men and women who operate America's natural gas delivery systems play a critical role in safely delivering this clean energy source to the more than 69 million customers who rely on it each day. We have always stood for these values and an unending commitment to service. I applaud this year's recipients and commend them for their dedication to safety in their communities." About DTE Energy DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy/. SOURCE DTE Energy Related Links http://www.dteenergy.com TAMPA, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) announced today that Mississippi College, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and the University of Central Oklahoma have earned accreditation in business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International (AACSB) is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide. Through today's ratification, a total of 789 institutions across 53 countries and territories have earned AACSB Accreditation in business. Further, 186 institutions maintain an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation for their accounting programs. "AACSB's accreditation standards are designed to help schools discoverand deliver ontheir differentiated mission, so they can foster meaningful change through engagement, innovation, and impact," said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "We commend each for their exemplary work and thank them for their dedication to academic excellence." Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB assigned mentor, and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multi-year path, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB's accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. "For over a century, AACSB Accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards of business education," continued Reid. "From the start of the accreditation process, schools must demonstrate that they have the resources, credentials, and dedication needed to provide students with a first-rate, future-focused business education, while remaining committed to a continuous improvement review every five years." For more detailed information about AACSB Accreditation, please visit www.aacsb.edu/accreditation. About AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB International (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,500 member organizations and more than 785 accredited business schools worldwide. With its global headquarters in Tampa, Florida, USA; Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, AACSB's mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. For more information, visit aacsb.edu. SOURCE AACSB International Related Links http://www.aacsb.edu/ DALLAS, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At its annual Advisor Summit this week, Envestnet, Inc. (NYSE: ENV) introduced the new Essential Advisor Certification Program and Essential Advisor Awards. Designed in partnership with Cannon Financial Institute, Inc., the Essential Advisor program arms financial advisors with the tools they need to help clients navigate financial decisions through every stage of their lives. The Essential Advisor Awards recognize financial advisors who embody the values detailed in The Essential Advisor: Building Value in the Investor-Advisor Relationship, an insightful handbook for advisors looking to navigate the changing face of financial services, co-authored by Envestnet President Bill Crager. "We're thrilled to be kicking off these Essential Advisor focused programs," said Bill Crager. "In our view, the essential advisor for today and in the future will be one who leverages the best technology to deliver the desired level of personal attention to each client, big or small, as they continue to scale their practices." The Essential Advisor Certification Program features intensive in-person training with Phil Buchanan, CWS, CFP, Executive Chairman of the Board for Cannon Financial Institute, and a highly respected wealth management expert. In addition, the program provides interactive online training led by Cannon experts, and a capstone project focused on helping financial advisors build a business plan based on their unique value proposition. This comprehensive program will help participants articulate the return on advice they are delivering, build and communicate a distinctive value proposition, utilize technology and data to clarify financial challenges and implement a service model that saves time and resources. To accompany the Certification Program, Envestnet also unveiled the recipients of its first annual Essential Advisor Awards at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 3, during the 2017 Advisor Summit. Recipients include: Bill Schiffman , Schiffman | Grow & Co: As President and Co-Founder of Schiffman | Grow & Co., Bill focuses on bringing all aspects of a client's financial world together, offering what he calls "The Holistic Advantage. TM " A firm believer in utilizing technology to streamline his practice's operations and focus on forming and maintaining trusting client relationships, Bill taps into his wide array of credentials to serve as a single expert resource, unifying client needs across tax planning, investing and business consulting. As President and Co-Founder of Schiffman | Grow & Co., Bill focuses on bringing all aspects of a client's financial world together, offering what he calls "The Holistic Advantage. " A firm believer in utilizing technology to streamline his practice's operations and focus on forming and maintaining trusting client relationships, Bill taps into his wide array of credentials to serve as a single expert resource, unifying client needs across tax planning, investing and business consulting. Mehul Mistry , Secure Planning Strategies: In his role as a Senior Advisor, Mehul is dedicated to comprehensive wealth management planning, helping clients with short- and long-term planning goals. With more than 15 years of industry experience, his expertise lies in assisting families with special needs children, helping create the unique estate and financial plans these families require. Mehul also specializes in multi-generational planning, and is committed to helping second and third generations of clients make sure younger family members start and practice the principles of sound financial planning. In his role as a Senior Advisor, Mehul is dedicated to comprehensive wealth management planning, helping clients with short- and long-term planning goals. With more than 15 years of industry experience, his expertise lies in assisting families with special needs children, helping create the unique estate and financial plans these families require. Mehul also specializes in multi-generational planning, and is committed to helping second and third generations of clients make sure younger family members start and practice the principles of sound financial planning. Kyle Imhof , Clintsman Financial Planning: Serving as Director of Technology, Kyle is passionate about building strong relationships with his clients in order to help them to define and achieve their life goals. Kyle also oversaw the implementation of the Tamarac Advisor Xi suite, as Clintsman Financial Planning's connected portfolio and client management platform, and derives great pleasure from his and his colleagues' ability to deliver prudent, timely advice to clients in the most hectic of times due to the accessible information the suite provides. Award recipients were selected by a panel of Envestnet executives after evaluating qualitative and subjective surveys and nominations from Regional Directors. These financial advisors were awarded for embodying the values detailed in The Essential Advisor. For more information on all the Essential Advisor offerings, visit www.envestnet.com/essentialadvisor. As Envestnet expands its resources to empower financial advisors, the company is also focused on helping to identify the future pool of essential advisors. The Envestnet Institute On Campus program (EIOC) seeks to train and position college students to launch careers in the wealth management industry. Students are provided foundational training on asset and wealth management through a self-paced eLearning environment. EIOC has trained more than 300 students, and is now offered at 17 universities. For more information on the program, visit www.envestnetinstituteoncampus.com. About Envestnet Envestnet, Inc. (NYSE: ENV) is the leading provider of intelligent systems for wealth management and financial wellness. Envestnet's unified technology enhances advisor productivity and strengthens the wealth management process. Envestnet empowers enterprises and advisors to more fully understand their clients and deliver better outcomes. Envestnet enables financial advisors to better manage client outcomes and strengthen their practices. Institutional-quality research and advanced portfolio solutions are provided through Envestnet | PMC, our Portfolio Management Consultants group. Envestnet | Yodlee is a leading data aggregation and data analytics platform powering dynamic, cloud-based innovation for digital financial services. Envestnet | Tamarac provides leading rebalancing, reporting, and practice management software for advisors. Envestnet | Retirement Solutions provides an integrated platform that combines leading practice management technology, research, data aggregation, and fiduciary managed account solutions. More than 54,000 advisors and 2,500 companies including: 16 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 38 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, over 500 of the largest Registered Investment Advisers, and hundreds of Internet services companies, leverage Envestnet technology and services. Envestnet solutions enhance knowledge of the client, accelerate client on-boarding, improve client digital experiences, and help drive better outcomes for enterprises, advisors, and their clients. For more information on Envestnet, please visit www.envestnet.com and follow @ENVintel. SOURCE Envestnet, Inc. Related Links http://www.envestnet.com RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Envisia Therapeutics today announced that the Company will present new data for its next generation product candidates, ENV515 for glaucoma and ENV1105 for diabetic macular edema, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Annual Symposium and Congress being held May 5-9, 2017 in Los Angeles, CA. ASCRS is the largest US meeting dedicated exclusively to the needs of the anterior segment specialist. "Envisia is continuing to make substantial progress in programs focused on glaucoma, diabetic macular edema and our other novel pipeline programs in ophthalmology," said Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, President of Envisia Therapeutics. "These are areas in which our approach of combining proven therapeutics with novel PRINT delivery methods can be extremely beneficial for patients. We look forward to sharing our latest clinical results with the scientific community." Thomas R. Walters, MD, of Texan Eye Care and Keystone Research, Austin, TX will give an oral presentation entitled Nine-Month Duration of Single Use of Low-Dose Extended-Release Travoprost and Matched IOP-Lowering Effects of Pre-Study Prostaglandin Analogs and In-Study Timolol on Sunday May 7th at 8:53am in the LA Convention Center, Meeting Room Level, 410. Additionally, data from Envisia's ENV1105 program will be presented as an electronic poster entitled Nonclinical Development of an Intravitreal Extended Release Implant for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema, and will be available for viewing in the ASCRS electronic poster database at the meeting. ASCRS is a symposium & congress being held jointly with the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) May 59, 2017. ASCRS-ASOA will be the largest U.S. meeting that integrates a scientific program dedicated to the needs of the anterior segment specialist with the leading practice management program for comprehensive ophthalmology and subspecialties. The 2017 ASCRS-ASOA Symposium & Congress will also be a joint meeting with the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons. ABOUT ENVISIA THERAPEUTICS Envisia Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of novel ocular therapies. Envisia is leveraging the unique and powerful properties of the PRINT technology to develop therapies for a variety of ocular conditions, beginning with ENV515 for glaucoma. ENV515 is a novel, extended-release formulation of a marketed prostaglandin analogue with the potential to significantly limit disease progression and vision loss through improved product performance and patient compliance. Envisia is currently conducting a phase 2 clinical trial to investigate the safety and tolerability of ENV515 in patients with glaucoma. Envisia is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For more information, please go to www.envisiatherapeutics.com. SOURCE Envisia Therapeutics Related Links http://www.envisiatherapeutics.com GASTONIA, N.C., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The father and son team, Elijah's Xtreme Gourmet Sauces, based in Gastonia, North Carolina, have proven again they have something special by winning a "1st place Screaming MiMi Award" for their Reaper Pepper sauce. The sauce is a blend of black cherries, cranberries and Kentucky bourbon with the Carolina Reaper Pepper, the World's hottest pepper. For those who love all things spicy, it's no wonder Brooklyn, New York, known for great food and top chefs, would host the Screaming MiMi Awards The Ultimate Award in the hot sauce industry at the 5th annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo. The panel of Judges included celebrity chefs from CBS, FOX & Food Networks, writers from Bon Appetite Magazine, Rachael Ray Magazine, Food Network Magazine, Huffington Post, NYC Newspapers, NYC Food Bloggers, Sirius XM Radio, NYC Chefs and other industry professionals. Elijah's Xtreme was launched in mid-June 2014, after several years of tinkering with different recipes. They set their goal to create a new hotter, thicker, gourmet hot sauce and most importantly, focused not only on heat, but a superior flavor. Their first creation Elijah's Xtreme Ghost Pepper Sauce blends heat with a unique flavor and has won 7 awards. The second creation Elijah's Xtreme Reaper Sauce was launched in April 2016 at the NYC Hot Sauce Expo, where it sold out! In less than a year, Elijah's Xtreme Reaper Sauce has won 7 awards, including 2 national awards, 1st place Scovie Award and 2nd place Chile Pepper Award -- both for XHot Fruit blend sauce. "We are humbled by winning so many awards for our sauces," said Bret Morey, founder and partner. "I think it's our passion, care and uncompromising attention to detail of each product that makes the difference." Their amazing win came right on the heels of the launch of their Ghost Pepper sauce, now available in 120 Tijuana Flats restaurants in 7 states. From humble beginnings, they started their small business from the ground up, finding support though local shops willing to sell their bold hot sauces. Elijah's Xtreme Gourmet Sauces has grown over 258 percent per year and is now available in over 349 stores nationwide, including all Bass Pro Shops, Central Markets in Texas, KeHE distributors, Ingles Markets in North Carolina, Jungle Jim's in Ohio, in New Zealand, the Turks & Caicos Islands and on Amazon Prime. "It's amazing how using Social Media has really played a big part in growing our brand," adds Morey. More information: http://www.ElijahsXtreme.com/. Social media: https://www.facebook.com/ElijahsXtreme and https://twitter.com/ElijahsXtreme. For more information or editorial opportunities please contact: Bret Morey: [email protected]. *PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0503s2p-morey-mimi-300dpi.jpg *Photo Caption: Bret Morey (left) and Elijah Morey (right) holding our 1st place Screaming MiMi Award. This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com SOURCE Elijahs Xtreme WASHINGTON, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 5th Annual Public Service Charity Walk/Run will be held on Sunday, May 7, 2017, to kick off Public Service Recognition Week. The 5K Walk/Run will be held in Washington, DC's Anacostia Park at 9 a.m. Virtual walkers and runners are also gathering in cities and communities across the U.S. to show their support for federal public servants. Proceeds will benefit the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA), a national, independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to federal and postal public servants and their families. Registration for the event is open through Friday, May 5, at www.feea.org/5k. The event is being supported by a number of businesses, unions, associations, and individuals, including the Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Plan as a Platinum Sponsor and Federal News Radio, GEICO, and the Government Employees Benefit Association (GEBA) as Gold Sponsors. Over the last 30 years, FEEA and its subsidiary, FEEA Childcare Services Inc., have: Given 12,000 no-interest, emergency loans to help make ends meet during personal tragedies like illness, death of a loved one, or house fires Given almost 200 college scholarships to children of federal employees who died in the line of duty during the terrorist attacks on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City , at the Pentagon on 9/11, and at the US Embassies and Consulates in Benghazi, Nairobi , and Dar es Salaam , at the Pentagon on 9/11, and at the US Embassies and Consulates in Benghazi, , and Dar es Salaam Given nearly 10,000 disaster relief grants during for tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina Ensured 32,000 low-income federal families received their childcare subsidies so they could have peace of mind and a safe place for their children while they serve the American public Provided over 10,000 merit-based scholarships to children of American federal public servants Press Release Contact: Joyce Warner, Executive Director, FEEA Tel: 202-554-0007, ext. 101 Email: [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund WASHINGTON, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Finsbury, The Glover Park Group and Hering Schuppener Consulting, three of the world's best strategic and financial communications and public affairs consultancies, today announced the formation of a strategic partnership on a unified global platform. The entry of The Glover Park Group enhances the successful partnership that Finsbury and Hering Schuppener launched in April 2016. At a time of significant change in a fragmented industry, the partnership brings together three highly trusted brands that leverage their individual strengths to give clients unrivalled advice and execution in the major international centers of business, finance and policymaking. The partnership provides public and private companies and leading institutions and non-profits bespoke communications counsel combined with global reach and the simplicity of a single, seamless relationship. Clients are supported by integrated global practice groups that deliver insight and impact on Capital Markets and Transaction Communications, Corporate Reputation and CEO Communications, Crisis and Issues Management, and Corporate and Public Affairs. The partnership provides access to a global network of more than 500 experienced professionals with backgrounds in public and media relations, finance and investment banking, journalism, the law, policy, government and research. The new partnership operates from offices in 15 cities, including Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Brussels, Beijing, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, DC. In today's borderless business and media world, clients should not have to stitch together a patchwork of local agencies to get the highest level strategic counsel; this partnership raises the bar for strategic communications and public affairs services on a global basis. While the three firms retain their individual leadership structures and pursue their own domestic business opportunities, they work together under a common brand identity in a global framework that allows them to pool resources, expertise and capabilities and leverage each other's unique focus areas in the interests of clients. The Glover Park Group joins the partnership as one of the premier strategic communications firms in the United States. Founded in 2001 and with offices in Washington, DC and New York, the firm has grown to 170 professionals who help clients navigate public affairs, build their corporate brands, engage geographically-diverse, multiplatform audiences and manage their most complex issues. Its full-service offering includes best-in-class interactive strategy and execution, audience research and insights, and creative development and production that Finsbury and Hering Schuppener are now also able to access for their clients. Finsbury, The Glover Park Group and Hering Schuppener are specialized operating companies of WPP, the world's largest communications services group. About Finsbury Finsbury is a global leader in strategic communications. It is a trusted advisers to boards, senior executives and legal counsel of many of the world's most successful companies, institutions and organizations and has managed some of the most complex communications challenges of the last three decades. It consistently ranks at the top of global M&A league tables and has won multiple awards. The Holmes Report named Finsbury the Best Financial Consultancy in the World for 2014 and Financial Agency of the Year in North America in 2015. About The Glover Park Group The Glover Park Group is one of the top strategic communications and government relations firms in the United States, serving a broad international clientele and undertaking integrated campaigns for governments, political parties, corporations and advocacy coalitions. Founded in 2001, The Glover Park Group is home to an eclectic mix of professionals, who operate at the intersection of policy and commerce. With offices in Washington and New York, the firm's 170 employees hail from the White House, Congress, Fortune 500 companies, award-winning news organizations, top law firms, and leading advertising and PR agencies. About Hering Schuppener Hering Schuppener Consulting is one of the leading communications consultancies in Continental Europe and the clear market leader in Germany, with offices in Berlin, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt as well as an office in Brussels. It consistently wins awards for its work on the most high profile transactions in Germany, where it has ranked as the leading M&A advisor for the past 13 years in a row. SOURCE Glover Park Group "The agricultural industry can contribute strongly to achieving some of the key U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, but this also requires the active involvement of the next generation. The Youth Ag-Summit aims to give young leaders the opportunity to foster their ideas, share best practices and explore the role of modern agriculture in feeding a hungry planet," said Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Crop Science Division. The five young delegates representing the U.S. are: Anna Gomes , age 20 from Ferndale, California , is an undergraduate at the University of California, Davis studying agriculture and environmental education with an emphasis in plant and soil science. She is a National FFA alum, has held internships with the Climate Institute in Washington, D.C. , and participated in study abroad programs taking her everywhere from London to Paris . All of these experiences have ultimately solidified her passion for plants. During high school she started an agricultural business, Anna's Herbs, growing and marketing herbs and flowers to local consumers through farmers markets. Trading labor for greenhouse space, she worked for a local farmer and learned the basics of farming, marketing and nurturing young crops. All this has led to her current activities, which include a biology lab assistant, serving as a research intern for the UC Davis Water Management Lab, and the SCOPE Project, a plant breeding for organic systems initiative. Upon graduation in 2018, she will focus on researching climate change and its impact on food production. , age 20 from , is an undergraduate at the studying agriculture and environmental education with an emphasis in plant and soil science. She is a National FFA alum, has held internships with the Climate Institute in , and participated in study abroad programs taking her everywhere from to . All of these experiences have ultimately solidified her passion for plants. During high school she started an agricultural business, Anna's Herbs, growing and marketing herbs and flowers to local consumers through farmers markets. Trading labor for greenhouse space, she worked for a local farmer and learned the basics of farming, marketing and nurturing young crops. All this has led to her current activities, which include a biology lab assistant, serving as a research intern for the UC Davis Water Management Lab, and the SCOPE Project, a plant breeding for organic systems initiative. Upon graduation in 2018, she will focus on researching climate change and its impact on food production. Ben Carson , age 20 from Plant City, Florida , found early inspiration through his upbringing in the thriving farming region of Central Florida . Although citrus production used to be one of Florida's largest economic drivers, the citrus industry has been greatly impacted by citrus greening. This exposure helped foster an early interest in agriculture and the belief in the importance of growing nutritious food for thriving communities. During high school, he furthered that interest by spending his spring breaks in Brazilian favelas working with impoverished, food insecure children. Today, he is a finance and marketing major at Samford University . After graduation, he hopes to provide management consulting services to agricultural businesses to boost economic development around the country. , age 20 from , found early inspiration through his upbringing in the thriving farming region of . Although citrus production used to be one of largest economic drivers, the citrus industry has been greatly impacted by citrus greening. This exposure helped foster an early interest in agriculture and the belief in the importance of growing nutritious food for thriving communities. During high school, he furthered that interest by spending his spring breaks in Brazilian favelas working with impoverished, food insecure children. Today, he is a finance and marketing major at . After graduation, he hopes to provide management consulting services to agricultural businesses to boost economic development around the country. Emily Buck , age 24 from Gallatin, Tennessee , has devoted her career to agricultural policy. Buck grew up on a 400-acre family farm, participated in 4-H and FFA, and later earned a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee , a background that fostered her passion for agriculture. She currently works for the House of Representatives as a congressional staffer for Diane Black , where she guides policy on agricultural issues. As someone who lives with Crohn's disease, Emily knows what it's like to go long periods without food. The resulting difficulty with studying and maintaining a job during those times has given her a personal glimpse into one dimension of what it's like to be profoundly hungry. This has inspired her quest to find solutions for others by helping to foster a policy environment in which agriculture can flourish. , age 24 from , has devoted her career to agricultural policy. Buck grew up on a 400-acre family farm, participated in 4-H and FFA, and later earned a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science from the , a background that fostered her passion for agriculture. She currently works for the House of Representatives as a congressional staffer for , where she guides policy on agricultural issues. As someone who lives with Crohn's disease, Emily knows what it's like to go long periods without food. The resulting difficulty with studying and maintaining a job during those times has given her a personal glimpse into one dimension of what it's like to be profoundly hungry. This has inspired her quest to find solutions for others by helping to foster a policy environment in which agriculture can flourish. Julie Greenwald , age 21, from Boston, Massachusetts , is pursuing a double major in environmental studies and cultural studies, with a minor in peace and justice from Villanova University . The young scholar has earned a 3.94 GPA, was on the Dean's list for three consecutive terms and has raised more than $23,000 for the university. Beyond these accomplishments, Greenwald spent five weeks living and working on organic farms in three Belgian cities this past summer. Her agricultural career aspirations are guided by her belief that food security is a basic human right. Field experience at home and abroad, coursework and her personal research have all inspired her to roll-up her sleeves alongside her peers to discover solutions to one of the most complex problems of our time. , age 21, from , is pursuing a double major in environmental studies and cultural studies, with a minor in peace and justice from . The young scholar has earned a 3.94 GPA, was on the Dean's list for three consecutive terms and has raised more than for the university. Beyond these accomplishments, Greenwald spent five weeks living and working on organic farms in three Belgian cities this past summer. Her agricultural career aspirations are guided by her belief that food security is a basic human right. Field experience at home and abroad, coursework and her personal research have all inspired her to roll-up her sleeves alongside her peers to discover solutions to one of the most complex problems of our time. Noah Hamlish, age 22 from Chicago, Illinois , is a Thomas J. Watson Fellow researching aquaculture practices in Thailand , Indonesia , New Zealand , Chile , Norway and Scotland . He received a B.A. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Wesleyan University . There he was an elected member of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and recipient of the Scott Biomedical Prize and William Firshein Prize in molecular biology for research completed during his senior year. He also held an undergraduate research fellowship at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and an internship at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where he cultivated a passion for understanding the foundations for healthy aquatic environments.He hopes to combine his scientific background with his recent experiences on fish farms to promote new perspectives on aquaculture in his community. In the future, he would like to direct food science research that benefits sustainable, socially conscious urban farming and food production initiatives through studying more efficient biological systems. The chosen delegates who all share a passion for agriculture and a vision of a world without hunger will undertake group projects and participate in industry tours, as well as learn from expert guest speakers. Their mission is to come up with concrete new ideas that can drive agricultural progress across the globe and be put into practice back home. To be considered for participation, delegates were required to submit essays on the topic of food insecurity, factoring in the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals. A total of 1,187 essays from 95 different countries were submitted, all of which were reviewed by a panel of industry experts, including six U.S. judges representing national youth leadership organizations such as the FFA and 4-H, academia, a former Youth Ag-Summit delegate and Bayer. The 100 delegates attending this year's summit hail from the following 49 countries: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Summit partners include Groene Kring (GK) and Federation des Jeunes Agriculteurs (FJA). Visit www.youthagsummit.com to meet the delegates and to learn more about the Summit. Follow the latest news on @YouthAgSummit or https://www.facebook.com/YouthAgSummit/. Bayer is committed to bringing new technology and solutions for agriculture and non-agricultural uses. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, contact a local Bayer representative, or visit Crop Science, a division of Bayer, online at www.cropscience.bayer.us. Visit the Bayer Connect - Social Hub for social media, recent news, blog posts, videos and more from Crop Science, a division of Bayer. Bayer: Science For A Better Life Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2016, the Group employed around 115,200 people and had sales of EUR 46.8 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.7 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.us. About the Youth Ag-Summit The Youth Ag-Summit is a global bi-annual conference designed to inspire and connect the next generation of young leaders in agriculture and related disciplines. In 2017, 100 young leaders aged 18 to 25 will meet in Brussels, Belgium, to create an open dialogue on one of the world's most challenging questions: how to feed a hungry planet? Following previous editions hosted in Canada and Australia, this year's Summit is the first to be held in a European city. The Youth Ag-Summit is part of Bayer's Agricultural Education Program which aims to raise global awareness about farming and food supplies. Find out more about the Program at www.ag-education.bayer.com, https://www.facebook.com/BayerAgEdu/, or on Twitter @BayerAgEdu. About Groene Kring Groene Kring (GK) is an association for young farmers in Flanders, Belgium, which counts around 3,500 members. GK brings young farmers together via regular activities and events, organizes entrepreneurship education, and protects the interests of young farmers on a regional, national and international level. For more information, visit: www.groenekring.be About the Federation des Jeunes Agriculteurs La Federation des Jeunes Agriculteurs (FJA) represents young farmers living and working in Wallonia, Belgium. FJA represents the views of 2,800 members, advocating on their behalf at a national and European level. As an official education provider within the agriculatural sector, they also organize training courses. For more information, visit www.fja.be Find more information at www.cropscience.bayer.us. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com . The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. SOURCE Bayer DRAPER, Utah, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. (FLXT) today announces a purchase order from its new strategic reseller relationship with Jupiter FL-based Karlsson Robotics. Established in 2011, Karlsson Robotics serves an expanding global customer base comprised of professional organizations, governmental entities and their sub-suppliers, as well as hobbyists and entrepreneurs alike. Karlsson provides advanced, integrated robotics solutions including technology components, consulting, design and development services. Market analysts have set lofty expectations for the robotics industry. In early 2016, Fortune Magazine released an article referencing a report by International Data Corporation which stated worldwide spending on robotics and related services will hit $135.4 billion in 2019; global robotics spending in 2015 was $71 billion, and is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17%. In another recent article, Zion Market Research stated the global service robotics market was valued at around $9.01 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach approximately $24.10 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of slightly above 17.8% between 2017 and 2022. The Flexpoint Bend Sensor technology expands the Karlsson solution portfolio to meet a growing demand for advanced robotics solutions and flexible sensor technologies. Karlsson has chosen a variety of Flexpoint sensors to add to their electronics/sensor solution portfolio and, in close collaboration with Flexpoint, Karlsson will offer custom sensor solutions as part of their design and development engagements. Commenting on the marketspace and relationship, Karlsson Robotics CEO Gustav Karlsson states, "Karlsson strives to be the premier supplier of integrated technology solutions to the global robotics community Professionals and DIY'ers. We feel the Flexpoint technology and their engineering support, when called upon, adds nicely to our solution portfolio and positions us to deliver "best-in- class", scalable solutions to our rapidly expanding customer base. It has only just begun, but we are already experiencing the positive effects of this relationship with Flexpoint." In the robotics market segment in general, and especially where convergence is occurring with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies, a large number of opportunities have emerged for Flexpoint and their partners. According to Paul Sexauer, Flexpoint VP Sales & Marketing, "The Flexpoint-Karlsson Robotics relationship is strategic and key to our continued success in this market segment where our technology is differentiated. The Karlsson team is comprised of highly skilled specialists with an existing client-base, rising to meet a rapidly growing customer demand." True to stated goals, Flexpoint has expanded their channel and reseller base dramatically in 2017. Sexauer further commented, "Revenue contribution from our channel partners has been immediate and significant, and will continue to grow quarter over quarter contributing positively to increasing marketshare, cash flows and profitability." Please visit http://www.flexpoint.com/ for more information. About Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. (FLXT) is an innovative technology firm specializing in developing products that feature the Company's patented Bend Sensor and related technology. The Bend Sensor is a groundbreaking sensing solution that is revolutionizing applications in the automotive, safety, medical and industrial industries. The Bend Sensor's single-layer, thin film construction cuts costs and mechanical bulk while introducing a range of functions and stylistic design possibilities that have never before been available in sensing technology. Flexpoint's technology and expertise have been recognized by the world's elite business and academic innovators for over 17 years. The company is setting a new standard for sensing solutions in the "smart" age of technology. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that certain statements in this release are "forward-looking statements" and involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such uncertainties include, among others, certain risks associated with the operation of the company described above. The Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. Contact Information: Flexpoint Sensor Systems Clark Mower, President 801-568-5111 Brokers and Analysts Chesapeake Group 410-825-3930 SOURCE Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. Related Links http://www.flexpoint.com TAMPA, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Front Burner, restaurant management company for premier fondue restaurant franchise, The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., announced today it has strengthened its leadership team with the addition of Randy Barnett as vice president of information technology and Jennifer Dodd as vice president of operations. In addition, former senior director of marketing, Michele Whaley, has been promoted to vice president of marketing. This announcement is a testament to Front Burner's ongoing commitment to strengthen its industry presence. "As we continue to grow and focus on the brand's next wave of innovation, we are incredibly excited to welcome Randy and Jennifer to the Front Burner family," said Bob Johnston, chief executive officer of Front Burner. "Michele has been vital to the development of strategic and integrated marketing and will continue to share her creative vision as our vice president of marketing. Each member of our executive team has tremendous industry experience, and we look forward to their contributions toward overall company excellence." In a newly created position, Randy Barnett will serve as the vice president of information technology and will cultivate all polices and network infrastructure, along with planning and budgeting for all technology initiatives for Front Burner. Barnett has an impressive track record, with more than 25 years of technology experience in network design, strategic planning, project management and developing systems engineering strategies. Most recently, Barnett served as director of information technology at My Fit Foods, where he developed a new network infrastructure for support center activities, which was implemented in all corporate and retail locations. Barnett conducted the company's first PCI audits, which led to an increase in cyber security protection. Jennifer Dodd will join Front Burner as the vice president of operations, where she will forge strategic partnerships and accelerate franchise development growth to maximize revenue and profits on behalf of Front Burner. For more than 25 years, Dodd has demonstrated leadership with top organizations in the restaurant, retail and education industries, including Dunkin' Brands, Applebee's International and Church's Chicken. Prior to joining Front Burner, Dodd served as founder, principal and chief executive officer of The TreeTop Group, a global executive consulting firm, providing leadership strategy and operational expertise to various companies seeking to accelerate growth and performance. As the newly appointed vice president of marketing, Michele Whaley will expand her previous role of senior director of marketing and continue to oversee the daily operations of Front Burner's marketing department. Whaley, who joined the company in 2014, has over 25 years of marketing experience and most recently served as the director of advertising and public relations at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Fla. Throughout her career at Front Burner, she has successfully developed the company's strategic-marketing direction and corporate vision to improve the progression of internal resources and services to external vendors and agencies. Whaley's creativity and innovation has proven to be an invaluable resource, leading several teams within the marketing department to success and increasing the efficiencies and value of services to franchisees. About Front Burner Front Burner is a franchise management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida and was named one of the 2017 Top Workplaces in Tampa Bay by Tampa Bay Times. It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with more than 120 restaurants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com. Contact: Alexya Williams Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Front Burner Related Links http://www.frontburnerbrands.com "I often think of the things my grandmother and my mother have been telling me my whole life. Remembering what your 'mama said' as a child and growing up is very important. I often try to think of things that I can say to my children in a way that they can hear me the same way I heard my mom," said Tyler. Set to actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell singing "Let Your Love Flow" by the Bellamy Brothers, the film depicts the mothers enjoying intimate, candid moments with their children playing, dancing and bonding. The cast's children are dressed in babyGap and GapKids, showcasing Gap essentials that are part of every mother's go-to wardrobe for their children. The 'Mama Said' cast includes: Actress Liv Tyler with son Sailor (age 2) daughter Lula (9 Months): "I've always loved the Gap. Growing up in America, Gap is such a big part of your life and I thought it was such a special thing to do a project that involves the mothers, the children and Every Mother Counts," said Tyler. with son Sailor (age 2) daughter Lula (9 Months): "I've always loved the Gap. Growing up in America, Gap is such a big part of your life and I thought it was such a special thing to do a project that involves the mothers, the children and Every Mother Counts," said Tyler. Model Coco Rocha with daughter Ioni (age 2): "I've never felt so strong and powerful as I did bringing my daughter into this world. Being a mother is by far the most rewarding and beautiful experience I've ever had." Said Rocha "I've never felt so strong and powerful as I did bringing my daughter into this world. Being a mother is by far the most rewarding and beautiful experience I've ever had." Model Candice Swanepoel with son Anacan (6 months): "Motherhood is so different for each woman it's your unique journey, and I love that I'm able to share my experience as a mother in this project," said Swanepoel. with son Anacan (6 months): "Motherhood is so different for each woman it's your unique journey, and I love that I'm able to share my experience as a mother in this project," said Swanepoel. Actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell with son Hunter (5 months): "When I think of 'Mama Said', I think of things my mama used to say to me. My mom used to try to reinforce the fact that it is important to live your truth and be authentic and don't apologize for who you are, I look forward to passing that to my son," said Smollett-Bell. with son Hunter (5 months): "When I think of 'Mama Said', I think of things my mama used to say to me. My mom used to try to reinforce the fact that it is important to live your truth and be authentic and don't apologize for who you are, I look forward to passing that to my son," said Smollett-Bell. Artist Ali Bird and wife, photographer Cass Bird, with son Leo (age 9) and daughter Mae (age 7): "I love every aspect of 'Mama Said,' it's exciting to be doing this as a family with Gap and Every Mother Counts to support mothers who don't have access and need the help," said Ali Bird . "Motherhood unites women across all walks of life and invokes feelings of love and strength in both children and adults. It speaks to the core values of Gap as a brand," said Craig Brommers, chief marketing officer for Gap. "We are proud of this celebration of motherhood and our partnership with Every Mother Counts, bringing support to mothers around the globe." Gap found a natural partner in Every Mother Counts to support mothers as part of this celebration. Every Mother Counts is dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safer for mothers everywhere, providing $4 million in grants since 2012 focused on improving access to essential maternity care. Gap is issuing a call to action for people to make a donation; U.S. residents can text 'MOMS' to 20222 to make an automatic donation of $5 and international residents can visit www.EveryMotherCounts.org/products/donate to donate. About Gap Gap is one of the world's most iconic apparel and accessories brands and the authority on American casual style. Founded in San Francisco in 1969, Gap's collections are designed to build the foundation of modern wardrobes all things denim, classic white shirts, khakis and must-have trends. Beginning with the first international store in London in 1987, Gap continues to connect with customers online and across the brand's about 1,700 company-operated and franchise retail locations around the world. Gap includes Women's and Men's apparel and accessories, GapKids, babyGap, GapMaternity, GapBody and GapFit collections. The brand also serves value-conscious customers with exclusively-designed collections for Gap Outlet and Gap Factory Stores. Gap is the namesake brand for leading global specialty retailer, Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) which includes Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com. About Every Mother Counts Every Mother Counts is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere. Every Mother Counts informs, engages, and mobilizes new audiences to take action to deliver life-saving care around the world. The organization is focused on raising awareness and funds to improve maternal health and reduce preventable maternal deaths by addressing three critical barriers to maternity care around the world; lack of transportation, education and training, and supplies. Every Mother Counts supports programs that improve access to comprehensive maternity care in Haiti, Uganda, Tanzania, India, Bangladesh, Guatemala, Nepal, Syria and the United States. For more information, visit www.everymothercounts.org. Media Contact: STOREY Will Davis [email protected] 212 463 7245 GAP Mackenzie Dougherty [email protected] 212 886 7323 SOURCE Gap Related Links http://www.gapinc.com DALLAS, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of its client, Fogco Systems Inc., to Pinewell Capital LLC. The acquisition closed March 13, 2017. Details were not disclosed. Fogco Systems, located in Chandler, Arizona, manufactures high-pressure misting systems for industrial, commercial and residential use. The company offers a range of products from entry-level mist systems to custom solutions for outdoor cooling, humidification and dust control. Fogco Systems also has a patented FogDeck system that transforms water features into mystical experiences with the addition of fog while providing residual cooling, making the climate more comfortable for guests. "We are eager to leverage our 29 years of industry experience combined with the committed resources and support of Pinewell Capital," said Gary Wintering, President and CEO of Fogco Systems. "Pinewell's extensive business knowledge and experience will help to further bolster our already fast-growing capabilities and to maintain our company's primary objective of being the best company in our space. We are all excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue to focus on providing our customers with world-class products, service, innovation and support." Pinewell Capital, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a private equity firm focused on investing in lower middle-market companies. The firm seeks to partner with experienced business owners in management buyouts, management transitions and companies pursuing funding to grow. Pinewell is geographically agnostic but has a strong presence in the Southwest and West Coast regions. "At Pinewell, we seek to partner with and support companies that lead in their respected fields and share our core values stressing people, integrity and continual improvement," said Yuta Matsui, Partner at Pinewell Capital. "In Fogco, we found a promising company with a great team; from its president, Gary Wintering, to all its managers and employees." Generational Equity Managing Director Stephen Crisham's team, headed by trusted affiliate Jerry Glover with support from Generational Equity Vice President Lori Galloway, successfully closed the deal. "It was truly a team effort," Glover said. "Fogco and Pinewell Capital worked aggressively and extensively to form a partnership around a shared vision for the future of both firms." "Fogco has been growing rapidly, and together with a shared vision and resources, we strongly believe we can accelerate this growth and enhance our capabilities to deliver solutions to our customers' evolving needs," added Ziv Bendor, Partner at Pinewell Capital. About Generational Equity Generational Equity, part of the Generational Group headquartered in Dallas with over 200 professionals located throughout North America, helps business owners release the wealth of their business by providing merger, acquisition and strategic growth advisory services. Their four-step approach features exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, and M&A transactional services. The M&A Advisor recently named the company its 2016 Investment Banking Firm of the Year. For more, visit http://www.genequityco.com and http://www.gecpress.com. For more information: Carl Doerksen 972-232-1125 [email protected] SOURCE Generational Equity Related Links http://www.genequityco.com PLYMOUTH, Mass., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- J. James Auctioneers & Appraisers will sell at public auction a letter signed by one of our nation's Founding Fathers, First U.S. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army George Washington. The letter, which hung on the wall of a Concord, Massachusetts home for generations, accompanies 260-plus lots of art, antiques and memorabilia to be sold to the highest bidder on May 20, 2017 at Plymouth Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., Plymouth, MA. Preview hours will open at 11:00 a.m. The auction will commence at 1:00 p.m. (EST). Admission to the event is free and open to the general public. J. James Auctioneers & Appraisers This letter highlights the multiple problems facing General Washington at this time the condition of American forces in Canada, the perennial lack of supplies, and bickering within the ranks. "Sir, I received your Letter of the 10 Inst [ant] last night by Mr. Bennet, and this morning transmitted to Congress a Copy of it & of the Estimate for their order & direction on the subject of it, so far as relates to the Seniors, mates &c. As to the Medicines, when Doctor Morgan arrives, I shall direct him to send you immediately such a Supply as can be spared. I am Sir, your Most H[umble] Servant. G Washington" Dr. Samuel Stringer, appointed by Congress as Director of the Hospital in Albany, served in General Philip Shuler's Army of the Northern Department as Chief Physician and Surgeon. Doctor Robert Morgan, Director General of the Medical Department of the Continental Army, was engaged in an ongoing dispute with Dr. Stringer over his jurisdiction within the Department. Stringer's request, referred to a Congressional Committee on 16 May, was ultimately declined. J. James Auctioneers & Appraisers is a professional antiques and estate auction house located at 84 Court Street in historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. They conduct Art & Antique Auctions, Specialty Auctions, Charitable and Benefit events. To learn more, visit www.JJamesAuctions.com, or call 508-746-8608. Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg image3.jpg This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE J. James Auctioneers & Appraisers Related Links http://www.JJamesAuctions.com According to Chinese research company iiMedia, Chinese cross-border e-commerce is projected to account for 8.8 trillion yuan (US$1.28 trillion) in 2018 as the total number of cross-border shoppers in China is expected to rise from 410 million in 2016 to 740 million in 2018. This growth rate of 78.3 percent in 2016 is estimated to slow to 27.6 percent in 2018. Globalegrow seeks deep cooperation with overseas suppliers to embrace the opportunities in the booming Chinese market. "We believe that products listed in cross-border e-commerce marketplaces are more attractive to customers due to lower taxes. Moreover, offline stores, where customers can evaluate products before purchasing, improve the shopping experience, especially for imported products which many consumers may not be very familiar with," said Emma Zhang, marketing manager of Wzhouhui. Since its launch of 2015, Wzhouhui has cooperated with over 1,000 overseas suppliers including Vitaco and Karicare from New Zealand, Murray Goulburn and Pharmacare from Australia, and Apo-rot and Rossmann from Germany. Emma said, "Globalegrow has a strong team with rich experience and a comprehensive supply chain and logistics system. Wzhouhui achieved sales revenue of US$61.3 million and opened nearly one hundred physical stores in 2016. We are confident that the company will double its sales in 2017 to reach US$145 million." About Wzhouhui Founded under Globalegrow in 2015, Wzhouhui is one of the fastest-growing cross-border e-commerce platforms in China. Enabled by its cooperation with over 1,000 retailers, Wzhouhui has assisted global traders to expand into China and achieved annual sales of US$61.3 million in 2016. About Globalegrow Founded in 2007, Globalegrow is a cross-border e-commerce enterprise in Shenzhen, China. Globalegrow focuses on female customers who are fashion-sensitive and it operates overseas with different fashion sites, including DressLily, RoseGal, and SammyDress. For more information, visit Globalegrow's website: http://www.globalegrow.com/en/ Contact: Lu Yang +86-13418686013 [email protected] SOURCE Globalegrow Related Links http://www.globalegrow.com/en LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX) will be presenting on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at the Wells Fargo 2017 Industrial Conference to be held in New York, NY. The presentation will be webcast live, beginning at 2:35 pm EDT, on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Listeners can access the webcast at the Greenbrier website at www.gbrx.com. To register for or access the webcast, click on the announcement shown on the home page of the Greenbrier website. The webcast will be archived for 90 days. About Greenbrier Greenbrier (www.gbrx.com), headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is a leading international supplier of equipment and services to freight rail transportation markets. Greenbrier designs, builds and markets freight railcars in North America and Europe. We also build and market marine barges in North America. We manufacture freight railcars and rail castings in Brazil through a joint venture in which we hold majority ownership. Through our European manufacturing operations, we are delivering U.S.-designed tank cars to Saudi Arabia. In October 2016, we entered into an agreement with Astra Rail Management GmbH to form a new company, Greenbrier-Astra Rail, which will create an end-to-end, Europe-based freight railcar manufacturing, engineering and repair business. We expect this combination to be completed during 2017. We are a leading provider of wheel services, parts, leasing and other services to the railroad and related transportation industries in North America and a supplier of freight railcar repair, refurbishment and retrofitting services in North America through a joint venture partnership with Watco Companies, LLC. Through other joint ventures, we produce rail castings, tank heads and other railcar components. Greenbrier owns a lease fleet of over 8,000 railcars and performs management services for over 266,000 railcars. SOURCE The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (GBX) Related Links http://www.gbrx.com ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A Catheterization Laboratory is an instrumentally vital aspect of any hospital or healthcare facility. Commonly referred to as cath lab, this type of examination room is equipped with diagnostic imaging technology to give physicians visual access to chambers and arteries of the heart. In these spaces, a team of physicians perform life-saving procedures including coronary angiography, catheterization, balloon angioplasty, percutaneous coronary intervention, congenital heart defect closure, stenotic heart valves, and pacemaker implantations. Latest 4K 8MP HD Cath Lab Display Monitor Screen Available These procedures would not have been developed without the appropriate technology to facilitate the imaging process. In fact, cath lab operations depend completely on medical displays, which allow physicians to visualize a patient internally and perform the necessary procedure. Although there have been considerable technological advancements in efficient cath lab construction, the dependence on X-rays for imaging has persisted through every transition. From the decision to purchase analog or digital modalities, to choosing a single or bi-plane system, there are endless customization possibilities. A typical cath lab consists of a C-arm, image intensifier, X-ray tubes, and several displays. Advantageously, the digital age has ushered in an era of improvements to imaging technology that emit less radiation and simultaneously give physicians visual clarity. The adoption of CRT monitors in the cath lab inherently changed the way in which they ran. In the early cath labs, all information was conveyed through film. The X-rays utilized were high-dose while producing low-quality images, which were printed on 16-mm or 35-mm film. Back then, radiologists would spend almost their entire day in darkrooms to process images while ample storage space was filled with boxes of film. With the implementation of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), the transition from analog to digital technology was concretized. PACS is an all-in-one program that provides electronic storage, retrieval, distribution, and presentation of radiology images. Following CRT displays was the advent of LCD screens. Many upgraded to these monitors since they are slimmer, portable, and offer higher resolution images. In the cath lab, there is typically four to six CRT or LCD displays in use. Whereas a majority of the screens are utilized for hard images, one is always for monitoring physiological attributes like a patient's heart rate or blood oxygen level. We are witnessing yet another transition in medical monitors, as many professionals are updating from LED displays to ultra-high definition 4K technology. Many healthcare facilities have already or are currently in the process of upgrading their medical displays to this resolution, which provides a level of visibility previously unknown to physicians. During critical surgeries and procedures, increased clarity and sharper details can mean the difference between saving or losing a life. Instead of making use of four to six displays, many are instead opting to update their displays with one large UHD 4K display. When a UHD display is combined with a video manager, it has the ability to become customizable with a variety of layout options and editing tools like magnification. The design is easier to use and provides a higher resolution, making its adoption an easy choice as it facilitates precise procedures and minimally invasive surgeries. Although the advent of this technology has fostered improved patient care, the concessions made could prove to be detrimental and may demand considerable attention. Specifically, departing from the LED model to the 4K display system introduces issues with maintenance and safety. With four to six displays in the cath lab, there are preventative measures in place that guarantee a backup option should a monitor burn out. In critical imaging procedures like angioplasty, mere seconds without visibility become crucial moments; a single display makes cath labs extremely susceptible to all the risks associated. To solve this issue, some displays are equipped with back-up monitors that fold out, if needed. However, this is a sacrifice that presents limited visual acuity. When this type of situation unravels, the entire procedure must be halted and the patient sutured up, as technicians attempt to remedy the problem. Furthermore, any display failure amounts to an entire cath lab rendered obsolete until a replacement or repair solution is provided. The turnaround time for either of those protocols, however, takes several weeks. SOLUTION There are many variables healthcare providers must consider when deciding what upgrades should be made. With cath lab procedures in mind, we created Hybridpixx to facilitate improved, safe, and reliable care without compromise. The pending patent Hybridpixx touts an ingenious design that garners all the advantages of 4K UHD display, while mitigating the dangers associated with a single large display. The mount holds two 58 inch displays in place, so if the primary display fails, a back-up display with exactly the same parameters is ready. With a modular connection, the wireless display can be easily switched in under a minute. Hybridpixx has a streamlined design, which makes the display easily replaceable to simplify the maintenance process. Furthermore, the decreased reliance on servicing makes the Hybridpixx a cost-effective solution since a Biomedical engineer is the only individual needed to replace the monitor. Available in 58 inches, the 4K UHD monitor can be employed in both analog and digital cath labs. With the option to purchase our video manager, all the benefits of customizable layouts and modification are possible as well. Additionally, it can be utilized in a variety of spaces, including hybrid operating rooms that facilitate both surgical and interventional procedures. Ampronix is dedicated to providing superior solutions to medical professionals that come without compromise. With our latest creation, Hybridpixx, we move forward with our goal to facilitate optimized patient care and improved physician workflow. Contact Ampronix: Email: [email protected] International Sales: +1 949-273-8000 Domestic Sales: 1800-400-7972 for US and Canada Follow Us: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn About Ampronix Ampronix is a renowned authorized master distributor of the medical industry's top brands, as well as a world-class manufacturer of innovative technology. Since 1982, Ampronix has been dedicated to meeting the growing needs of the medical community with its extensive product knowledge, outstanding service, and state-of-the-art repair facility. Ampronix prides itself on its ability to offer tailored, one-stop solutions at a faster and more cost-effective rate than other manufacturers. Ampronix is ISO 13485:2003, ISO 9001:2008, and ANSI/ESD S20.20-2014 certified. Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg image3.jpg image4.jpg Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP5dSoxHh6A This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE www.Ampronix.com WASHINGTON, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The extent and intensity of violence against health workers globally remained alarmingly high in 2016, the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition said in a new report today. The report also finds that accountability for committing these attacks remains inadequate or non-existent. The report, entitled Impunity Must End, documents attacks on health care in 23 countries. Its release today falls on the first anniversary of the UN Security Council's adoption of Resolution 2286 that set out a roadmap to the protection of health in conflict. The report calls on the Security Council and countries to take concrete steps toward preventing attacks and ending impunity, as recommended last year by the UN Secretary General. These steps include regular reporting by countries to the UN on actions taken to prevent attacks, investigating those that occur and holding perpetrators accountable. Where member states fail to act, the Secretary urged, the Security Council should initiate thorough investigations and establish accountability procedures. The Security Council and states have failed to take these actions. "Our findings cry out for a level of commitment and follow-through by the international community and individual governments that has been absent since the passage of Security Council Resolution 2286 a year ago," said Leonard S. Rubenstein, director of the Program on Human Rights, Health and Conflict at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and chair of the coalition. In Syria, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) verified 108 attacks on health facilities, and the deaths of 91 health professionals in 2016. "The all-out assault on health facilities and professionals in Syria is the worst pattern of such attacks in modern history," said Susannah Sirkin, director of international policy at PHR. "2016 marked one of the worst years we've documented," she said. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported 119 attacks on health facilities and personnel, up from 63 the year before. In Yemen, UNICEF verified 93 attacks on hospitals over a period from March 2015 to December 2016. The numbers noted in the report may greatly understate the extent and severity of attacks, the report says, because documentation of attacks remains spotty. "We know that in places like South Sudan and Iraq, many vicious attacks on health care have been inflicted by parties to the conflicts," said Laura Hoemeke, director of communications and advocacy at IntraHealth International. "These attacks cascade into lack of access to health care for suffering populations, but no one is collecting the number of attacks." The report reveals that while bombing and shelling of health facilities is the most obvious and devastating form of attack, violence against health care takes many forms. "In Afghanistan, we found patterns of intimidation and threats against health workers, and occupation of health facilities," said Christine Monaghan, a researcher at Watchlist on Children in Armed Conflict, which engaged in a field investigation in Afghanistan. "There were 13 recorded attacks on vaccinators, in which ten people were killed and 16 were abducted," she said. Continued obstruction of access to care is another key finding. In Ukraine, checkpoints, as well as the difficulty of crossing conflict lines, have impeded access to care for a third of households in conflict-affected areas, with dire implications for the 50 percent of families in the region suffering from chronic diseases. In Turkey, curfews prevented injured people from reaching care, resulting in needless civilian deaths. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported 416 instances of violence or interference with its ambulances, injuring 162 emergency medical technicians. Accountability for these assaults is largely absent, the report said. A review by Human Rights Watch of 25 incidents of attacks on health care in ten countries between 2013 and 2016, resulting in the deaths of more than 230 people and the closure or destruction of six hospitals, found that either no proceedings for accountability were undertaken at all or the results of proceedings were inadequate. "Without accountability, these attacks won't stop, and efforts to investigate these kinds of incidentsand pursue justice where relevanthave been half-hearted or worse," said Diederik Lohman, director of health and human rights at Human Rights Watch. This fourth global report from the coalition relies on field investigations by coalition members as well as secondary data from UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and other sources. It can be accessed at: safeguardinghealth.org/report2017 The Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition consists of more than 30 organizations working to protect health workers and services threatened by war or civil unrest. The coalition raises awareness of global attacks on health and presses governments and United Nations agencies for greater global action to protect the security of health care. SOURCE Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition Related Links https://www.safeguardinghealth.org/ SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hornet, the premium gay social network, recently surveyed its French users regarding France's presidential election. The findings of Hornet's survey show that gay men under 30 years of age were more likely to prefer far-right party candidate Marine Le Pen than were gay men over 30. This online consultation was conducted by Hornet among its users between April 27-28, 2017. There were 5,224 respondents to "Who will you vote for in the second round?"; 5,093 respondents to "Who did you vote for in the first round?"; and 5,174 respondents to a question that asked the age of the respondents. In the poll, under-30s account for almost half of the surveyed respondents. Depending on the age of the respondents, responses were very mixed. Between 18 and 29 years old, the votes in favor of Marine Le Pen are much more significant than those over the age of 30. The candidate of the National Front exceeds 40% in this age group. For those over 30 years of age, Emmanuel Macron receives 56.5% of votes against 43.5% for Marine Le Pen. Hornet's survey analyzed the deferral of votes among the five main candidates in the first round. Not surprisingly, first round voters of Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron voted almost exclusively for their candidate in the second round (with 99.18% and 97.12%, respectively). Voters of Benoit Hamon report majority favor of Emmanuel Macron, at 90.43%. However, voters of the other two candidates, Jean-Luc Melenchon and Francois Fillon, show more contrasted results. Among the voters of Melenchon, Le Pen collects nearly 30% of the votes (29.68%). As for the voters of Fillon, Le Pen collects the majority vote with 61%. In Paris, Hornet's European News Editor Christophe Martet stated, "This poll suggests that, in their votes, younger gay voters are less likely to be influenced by the image and history of Marine Le Pen's extreme right party views, and that their votes are driven by other factors like employment, security and political new faces." If elected this Sunday, Le Pen will potentially repeal the laws on marriage equality and adoption by gay couples and will oppose medically assisted procreation (PMA) and surrogate mothers (GPA). Conversely, candidate Macron will not change the law on marriage and adoption if elected. He opposed the GPA, but not the PMA. He also stated he was ready to put in place a comprehensive plan to fight LGBT-phobia, especially in schools. For more information on this study, please see the link that provides all survey responses and data that highlight Hornet's findings: http://bit.ly/2qFuR6I About Hornet Networks Hornet is the world's premier gay social network. Founded in 2011 with the mission to build the digital home for the gay community, Hornet has grown to 20 million total users by utilizing cutting-edge technology for its dating platform and producing original editorial content to connect a community around common interests. Hornet provides a superior user experience and is number one in the key markets of France, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and Taiwan, and is consistently expanding its sizable user base in the United States. For more information, please visit: http://gethornet.com. Hornet, Where Guys Connect. SOURCE Hornet HOUSTON, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --The Houston Association of REALTORS/HAR.com (HAR) has signed a multiyear license with Remine to bring Big Data and Predictive Analytics to more than 36,000 real estate professionals throughout the greater Houston area. "Remine will provide agents with powerful new data based tools that will improve the way they provide service to their customers, identify new listings, connect with buyers and stay in touch with their clients," said HAR Chair, Cindy Hamann. Leo Pareja, CEO of Remine, said, "It's a real badge of honor to be working with Bob Hale and the HAR team. Bob is a real visionary of the industry; to have his endorsement means a lot to us. We are excited to bring the Remine intelligence platform to such a forward thinking organization. HAR is a milestone agreement for Remine, bringing us over 200,000 agents under contract via our MLS agreements since the beginning of the year." About HAR Founded in 1918, the Houston Association of REALTORS/HAR.com is a 36,000-member organization of real estate professionals engaged in every aspect of the industry, including residential and commercial sales and leasing, appraisal, property management and counseling. It is the largest individual dues-paying membership trade association in Houston as well as the second largest local association/board of REALTORS in the United States. www.HAR.com About Remine Remine delivers real estate intelligence to MLSs, Brokers/Teams and REALTORS. The Remine platform analyzes property records, transactional history, consumer data and delivers results on an intuitive user interface. Visit www.Remine.com or call 855-217-0171. SOURCE Remine Related Links http://www.remine.com SALT LAKE CITY, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Incorporate Massage has announced that the winners of its nationwide 'Taking Care of Teachers' contest for the fourth year running. This year's two winning schools are Fremont Elementary School in Santa Ana, California and Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Arizona. Faculty and staff at each school will receive a free day of chair massages for their entire faculties during Teacher Appreciation Week, on May 4th, 2017. "This school was nominated by individuals in the community for outstanding service, dedication to teaching, and going above and beyond the call of duty," says Amelia Wilcox, founder and CEO of Incorporate Massage. "This is our favorite way to give back to the community and we're excited to massage those hard working teachers." Mesa, Arizona's Desert Ridge High School was nominated by high school senior Fatima Rahim. "Our teachers never fail to go above and beyond to help their students," Rahim says. "The teachers at Desert Ridge don't just stop at grading papers and teaching lessons, they build relationships with us, make connections with us, and most importantly, care for us." "Education is so important to us as an organization," Wilcox said. "We can't wait to reward these hard-working teachers on Tuesday by giving them a chance to relax and renew after giving so much to the community's children." Incorporate massage provides seated chair massage to companies across the United States and Canada. Formed in 2010, the company is dedicated to delivering long-term health to employees and financial benefits to organization through a dedicated team of professional, licensed therapists. Media Contact: Amelia Wilcox, Incorporate Massage, 800.556.2950, [email protected] SOURCE Incorporate Massage Related Links http://www.incorporatemassage.com MOSCOW, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The meetings of the conferences of the parties of Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions regulating the transportation and disposal of hazardous waste, the trade of hazardous chemical substances and pesticides, and the use of persistent organic pollutants are carried out in Geneva (Switzerland) in the period April 24 - May 5. The regulation on the turnover of chemical substances and waste is the main topic. The use of chrysotile asbestos in construction and industry is expected to be discussed at the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. The anti-asbestos lobby, with the purpose of self-promotion, operating with anti-scientific facts, and the engaged environmental organizations and asbestos litigation law firms, basing their arguments on falsified data, will try to convince member states to include chrysotile asbestos into the list of severely restricted and banned chemicals and pesticides. The International Alliance of Trade Union Otganizations Chrysotile declared that it will not allow the populism to win over science, and it will continue to fight for the differentiated approach to the regulation of various forms of asbestos as stated in 60th World Health Assembly Resolution and confirmed by comprehensive scientific studies at the international level. The existing practice and scientific data demonstrates that chrysotile and chrysotile cement products posing no harm to human health when used in safe and control way. A side event, with the participation of representatives of trade unions will take place in the evening, on May 4 in Geneva, to discuss the following topic: Labour unions role in sound management of chemicals - a differentiated approach. The representatives of Russia, Brazil, and Canada will participate in this meeting. The meeting participants will discuss issues connected with the differentiated approach in the use of various forms of asbestos. Extra information: [email protected] Useful links: Website of the International Trade Union Movement for Chrysotile: www.nochrysotileban.com Twitter of the Chrysotile Association Non-Profit Organization https://twitter.com/Nochrysotileban SOURCE International Trade Unions Movement "For Chrysotile" DENVER, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- InternetReputation.com, a leader and expert in Online Reputation Management, review management and monitoring since 2011, has been honored with yet another coveted industry accolade, receiving praise as a Best Reputation Management Company for May 2017 by FindBestSEO.com. FindBestSEO's list of leading reputation management companies, updated and announced monthly by the industry-leading ranking platform, results from a rigorous review and evaluation of vendors in the reputation management industry. Each company's position is determined through the examination of overall customer experience, including the process, analysis and success of reputation management campaigns carried out on behalf of clients. Specializing in online crisis management, the award-winning InternetReputation.com utilizes proprietary technology and personalized campaign management to empower individuals to protect their names, information and reputations online. Unique in the comprehensive and cutting-edge suite of services it offers, InternetReputation.com provides everything from online removals, identity protection and Search Engine Optimization to autosuggest solutions, directory listings and online review management. Previously honored as Best in Search by TopSEOs.com, as the #1 Reputation Management Company by Top Reputation Management Agencies and featured by such media stalwarts as Forbes.com, CNBC and more, InternetReputation.com continues to make innovation the core of each service it provides. For more information on the online reputation management, review management and privacy monitoring, please visit InternetReputation.com. About InternetReputation.com: InternetReputation.com is an award-winning firm specializing in online crisis and reputation management (ORM). With an unparalleled commitment to client satisfaction and online reputation management expertise, InternetReputation.com continues to lead the market in reputation management solutions. Contact: www.internetreputation.com | [email protected] This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE InternetReputation.com Related Links http://www.InternetReputation.com SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The SASB Foundation , an independent 501(c)3 non-profit that is responsible for the funding and oversight of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), today announced that James McIntire and Jay Willoughby will each serve a three-year term on its board of directors. James McIntire has 40 years of experience in government policy and finance. He was elected as Washington's 22nd state treasurer in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. As the state's chief financial officer, he was responsible for managing $400 billion in transactions per year. He is the immediate past president of the National Association of State Treasurers. Mr. McIntire began his career working in the U.S. Senate for Hubert Humphrey and served as a policy advisor to congressional committee chairmen and Washington governors. He is the former director of the Fiscal Policy Center at the University of Washington and served on the faculty of the university's School of Public Policy and Governance for 25 years. Mr. McIntire holds a B.A. in urban and regional affairs from Macalester College, an M.A. in public policy from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Washington. "As a former fiduciary for the pensions of teachers, social workers, police, judges, firefighters and other public employees, one of my biggest concerns was to ensure that we could manage the material financial risks presented by environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues that are often overlooked," says McIntire. "The standards SASB has developed establish a benchmark for the disclosure of these risks and will help institutional investors develop protocols for managing them to improve investment performance, while giving corporations a set of standards to better manage their potential liabilities. I look forward to working with state treasurers, pension funds, and other public finance officials to expand the use of SASB standards in managing the ESG risks that have a material effect on the balance sheet and are within the clear scope of their fiduciary responsibility to beneficiaries." Jay Willoughby joined The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF) in 2015 and serves as chief investment officer, presiding over the full range of TIFF's investment activities and programs. Prior to joining TIFF, Mr. Willoughby spent four years as CIO of the state of Alaska's roughly $50 billion sovereign wealth fund, the Alaska Permanent Fund. Previously, he was co-managing partner at Ironbound Capital Management and spent nine years with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers LP as CIO, Private Investors Group; head of research for Equity Funds; and senior portfolio manager, Merrill Lynch Real Estate Fund. He received a B.A. in biology from Pomona College and an MBA from Columbia University. Mr. Willoughby is a CFA charter holder. "I am excited to join the SASB Foundation Board and to help expand the use of SASB's decision-enhancing standards. After an 18-month research project, we at TIFF concluded that standards-based sustainability accounting can produce smarter companies and better-informed investors, enabling superior investment decisions." For more information about SASB, please visit www.sasb.org. About The SASB Foundation Established in 2017, the SASB Foundation is responsible for the funding and oversight of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). The SASB maintains sustainability accounting standards that help public corporations disclose material, decision-useful information to investors in mandatory filings. The SASB Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit. The mission of The SASB Foundation is to support the work of the SASB, support SASB members, and provide the market with education and resources that advance the use of SASB standards and the field of sustainability accounting. Media Contact Amanda Medress Director of Communications (415) 830-9220 ext. 106 [email protected] SOURCE Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Related Links http://www.sasb.org MINNEAPOLIS, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- General Mills (NYSE: GIS) today announced that its board of directors has elected Jeffrey L. Harmening Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective June 1, 2017. The board also elected Harmening to the General Mills Board of Directors. Harmening, age 50, is a 23-year veteran of the company and has served as President and Chief Operating Officer since July 1, 2016. Harmening succeeds Ken Powell, who has served as General Mills Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2007. Powell will continue to serve as the company's Chairman for a transition period until his retirement, expected within the next year. General Mills today announced that its board of directors has elected Jeffrey L. Harmening Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective June 1, 2017. Harmening, age 50, is a 23-year veteran of the company and succeeds Ken Powell, who has served as General Mills Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2007. The board also elected Harmening to the General Mills Board of Directors. Harmening has served as President and Chief Operating Officer since July 1, 2016. "General Mills has a long tradition of delivering top-tier returns that our shareholders have counted on for generations," said Powell. "We are focused on growth and feel strongly that Jeff is the right leader for the next leg of our journey." R. Kerry Clark, Independent Lead Director of the General Mills Board added, "Under Ken's leadership as CEO, the company made significant strides to expand globally, developed a culture of Holistic Margin Management, and redoubled its focus on meeting the ever-changing needs of consumers. These achievements have resulted in outstanding value creation for General Mills shareholders, including 11 percent compound annual total shareholder returns." "A key responsibility of a board is leading a thoughtful, robust succession planning process," Clark continued. "The board unanimously cast its vote for Jeff as the best candidate to lead this venerable 150-year-old company. Jeff knows how to build talented teams and has extensive experience both in the U.S. and globally. He is not afraid to challenge the status quo and he is a tenacious and resilient leader." During Harmening's leadership of the U.S. Retail business, the company greatly expanded its position in the natural and organic segment, including the acquisition of Annie's and EPIC Provisions, making General Mills currently the fourth largest maker of natural and organic foods in the U.S. While President of the company's U.S. cereal business, Harmening led a realignment of the portfolio that resulted in multiple years of growth in sales, market share and profitability. As CEO of Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW), the joint venture with Nestle based in Switzerland that markets cereal in 130 countries, Harmening oversaw a reorganization of the company that positioned the business to deliver long-term profitable growth. "I am honored to take the helm of General Mills at such an important point in its history," said Harmening. "Building on the legacy of those that have led this great company before me is an exciting challenge and one I do not take on alone. General Mills' employees are singularly focused on driving growth and returns for the long term, and it will be a privilege to help them reach that goal." Harmening joined General Mills in 1994 and has served in a variety of roles including Senior Vice President, Chief Executive Officer of CPW. Harmening has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Retail, Vice President and Senior Vice President of the Big G cereal division, and a variety of marketing roles in Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Foodservice, and Big G new enterprises. Harmening holds a bachelor's degree from DePauw University and an MBA from Harvard, and is on the board of trustees for DePauw University. About General Mills General Mills is a leading global food company that serves the world by making food people love. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie's, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Fiber One, Haagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2016 consolidated net sales of US $16.6 billion, as well as another US $1.0 billion from its proportionate share of joint-venture net sales. SOURCE General Mills Related Links http://www.generalmills.com LYNN, Mass., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Kettle Cuisine announced the addition of Mike Illum as Executive Vice President of Sales and Jeremy Kacuba as Chief Operating Officer. Following the 2016 acquisitions of Del Monaco Foods and Chef Creations, and capacity expansions in both its Lynn, MA and Morgan Hill, CA facilities, the addition of Mike and Jeremy will help drive Kettle Cuisine's coast-to-coast growth strategy. "Mike's and Jeremey's experience and leadership will be a tremendous addition to the Kettle Cuisine team," says Liam McClennon, Chief Executive Officer of Kettle Cuisine. "Alongside the talented team at Kettle Cuisine, they will help us to reach our goals of category leadership, operational excellence and world-class customer service." Mike has held a variety of sales leadership roles including nine years at Campbell's Soup Company, and most recently, at Keurig Green Mountain where he was responsible for the Grocery, Drug, and Dollar Store channels. Mike's experience in both the foodservice and retail channels will enhance Kettle Cuisine's ability to bring innovative, customer-centric solutions to the marketplace. As COO, Jeremy will lead Kettle Cuisine's operations across its bi-coastal manufacturing footprint. Jeremy brings extensive operations and engineering experience with a focus on high-growth environments. Jeremy's career has spanned across a variety of product categories and business models, including General Mills, Snyders Lance, SunOpta, Leprino Foods and Chobani. About Kettle Cuisine: Kettle Cuisine is a manufacturer of fresh, clean label soups, sauces and side dishes serving the foodservice and retail channels. With two SQF Level 3 facilities in Lynn, MA and Morgan Hill, CA, Kettle is at the forefront of developing chef-inspired, great tasting soups with no artificial ingredients produced with classical artisan cooking techniques. Visit www.kettlecuisine.com for additional information. Media Contact: Liam McClennon, 617-409-1293 SOURCE Kettle Cuisine Related Links http://www.kettlecuisine.com BRIDGEWATER, N.J., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kim Technologies, the leader in workflow and knowledge automation based on artificial intelligence, today announced the launch of its Intelligent Legal Operations Platform, an easy to deploy and evolve transformation tool for legal department service delivery. The company, which has spent more than two years developing the platform with innovative in-house legal teams and law firms globally, has announced the public release of its Intelligent Legal Operations Platform on the eve of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium 2017 Institute in Las Vegas. Kim's Intelligent Legal Operations Platform provides legal departments with a straightforward way to define, implement, and manage efficient and effective processes across the range of services typically provided by legal departments; from contract and in-life management, litigation and employment to compliance, patents and property. Through its powerful, patent pending, no-code configuration interface, Kim makes it straightforward for subject matter experts who have no IT development or programming experience to tailor the platform to their domain, function and organization. For legal departments looking to systematize their service delivery, Kim's Intelligent Legal Operations Platform amounts to legal service transformation in a box. It helps departments improve quality, drive consistency, manage risk, control costs and have access to comprehensive real time and trend reporting, whether the work is undertaken internally or by third parties. Bob Farina, Chief Executive of Kim Technologies said: "We're delighted to announce the launch of our Intelligent Legal Operations Platform on the eve the of the 2017 CLOC Institute. Kim is already used by many Corporate Legal Departments around the world with legal teams ranging from mid-market businesses to Global 100 leaders, and we're delighted that Riverview Law and Vodafone are showcasing Kim as part of their session at CLOC 'Hype v Reality: Technology and AI Lessons from the Corporate Legal Department Front Line'. Come and see how easy it is to tailor Kim to your department by visiting us at Stand 75 at CLOC." Karl Chapman, Chief Executive of Riverview Law said, "Our collaboration with Kim has proved highly successful. Just as the finance, HR and sales functions have a range of operating platforms to choose from, the legal function now has Kim. Kim has helped power our growth over the last few years not only as we use Kim to provide managed services to our customers but also as we support in-house teams as they deploy Kim. Kim plus a Corporate Legal Department is that perfect mix of domain expertise (the department) and technology (Kim), working seamlessly to deliver results." The Kim Intelligent Legal Operations Platform is often visualized as providing three layers of functionality; Kim Foundation; Kim Rooms and Kim AI. The Kim Foundation combines workflow and process automation, reporting and a legal function data layer. These three elements manage the end-to-end process from case/matter opening to case/matter closing; instruction management, triage and work allocation, foundational case and document management, document playbooks, case statuses, document repository, search and reporting. This foundational layer is tailored to individual organisations using Kim's no-code configuration capabilities. combines workflow and process automation, reporting and a legal function data layer. These three elements manage the end-to-end process from case/matter opening to case/matter closing; instruction management, triage and work allocation, foundational case and document management, document playbooks, case statuses, document repository, search and reporting. This foundational layer is tailored to individual organisations using Kim's no-code configuration capabilities. Once the Foundation is in place, customers can then build Kim Rooms covering all legal and related work-types: contract management, in-life management, litigation, employment, real estate, risk, compliance Just as the different rooms in a house are built on the same foundations (kitchen, lounge, bedrooms, bathrooms ), Kim enables a series of configurable rooms (legal point solutions that work seamlessly together) to be built that allow the legal function to de-risk roll-out. Roll-out can be managed at a pace that a function sees fit; by work-type, geography and/or business unit (locally or globally). In a Kim Room all workflows and process automation and dashboards are configurable and can be tailored to each customer. Kim's API provides integration with other point solutions including Salesforce and DocuSign. covering all legal and related work-types: contract management, in-life management, litigation, employment, real estate, risk, compliance Just as the different rooms in a house are built on the same foundations (kitchen, lounge, bedrooms, bathrooms ), Kim enables a series of configurable rooms (legal point solutions that work seamlessly together) to be built that allow the legal function to de-risk roll-out. Roll-out can be managed at a pace that a function sees fit; by work-type, geography and/or business unit (locally or globally). In a all workflows and process automation and dashboards are configurable and can be tailored to each customer. Kim's API provides integration with other point solutions including Salesforce and DocuSign. Kim AI represents the roof of the house. With the Kim Foundation plus one or more Kim Rooms in place, customers can leverage Kim's advanced, patent-pending AI capabilities that leverage such concepts as Machine Intelligence, Machine Learning and Neural Networks. Kim's AI can provide document analysis and helps users make better and quicker decisions. It prompts answers, replicates the behaviours of the best advisers and drives enhanced self-service. Additionally, through swarm intelligence, Kim permits parallel processing of multiple Kim environments and replication of configurations between accounts. Notes to Editors For further information, please contact: Andy Daws, Kim Technologies, [email protected] About Kim Technologies Kim is an AI-enabled Knowledge Automation platform applicable to virtually all industries and functions. Through its no-code configuration model Kim enables knowledge workers, with no software development expertise, to take control of their critical business processes to improve decision making, speed and effectiveness. Kim does this utilizing its patent pending artificial intelligence, assimilation, and data management capabilities. Visit www.ask.kim. SOURCE Kim Technologies Related Links http://ask.kim GLENWOOD, Ill., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Landauer, Inc. (NYSE: LDR), a recognized leader in personal and environmental radiation measurement and monitoring and outsourced medical physics services, today announced it will release financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2017 after the market close on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. The Company will also host a conference call for investors on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Investors may access the live call by dialing 866-866-1542 (within the United States and Canada), or 707-294-1539 (international callers), passcode 18183898, or by visiting the "Investors" page on the Company's website at http://www.landauer.com. Please log on to the website at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. Investors may access a replay of the call by dialing 855-859-2056 (within the United States and Canada), or 404-537-3406 (international callers), passcode 18183898, which will be available through Thursday, June 8, 2017. The replay will also be available on Landauer's website for 30 days following the call. About Landauer Landauer is a leading global provider of technical and analytical services to determine occupational and environmental radiation exposure, as well as the leading domestic provider of outsourced medical physics services. For more than 50 years, the Company has provided complete radiation dosimetry services to hospitals, medical and dental offices, universities, national laboratories, nuclear facilities and other industries in which radiation poses a potential threat to employees. Landauer's services include the manufacture of various types of radiation detection monitors, the distribution and collection of the monitors to and from customers, and the analysis and reporting of exposure findings. The Company provides its dosimetry services to approximately 1.8 million individuals globally. In addition, through its Medical Physics segment, the Company provides therapeutic and imaging physics services to the medical physics community. For information about Landauer, please visit their website at http://www.landauer.com. For Further Information Contact: Michael DeGraff Sard Verbinnen & Co Phone: 312.895.4734 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Landauer, Inc. Related Links http://www.landauer.com MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WHAT: Join St. Jude Children's Research Hospital supporters and friends for the 15th annual FedEx/St. Jude Angels and Stars Gala in downtown Miami at the Intercontinental hotel on Saturday, May 20. This celebration of old Hollywood glamour will bring together philanthropists, influencers and celebrity friends from the South Florida community to honor the true stars the children and families of St. Jude. The annual event, chaired by Venezuelan entrepreneur Mashud Mezerhane raises funds to help ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. This year's honoree is Latin actress and national television personality, Adamari Lopez, who will receive the 2017 "FedEx/St. Jude Angels & Stars Lifetime Achievement Award" for her unwavering dedication to raise funds and cancer awareness in the Hispanic community promoting early detection. Julio Barrionuevo, Senior Vice President, Operations for FedEx Express Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and Global Service Partners will also receive an award for his commitment and longtime leadership as the gala's co-founder. HISTORY: This event was co-founded in 2002 by model and entrepreneur Daisy Fuentes. Since that time, the Miami gala has raised more than $5 million in cash and pledges. WHO: Red carpet interviews with celebrity attendees will be available upon request. To purchase tickets, get information on sponsorship opportunities or donate items for the silent auction, call (305) 537-1422, email [email protected] or visit www.stjude.org/angelsandstars. WHEN: Saturday, May 20, 6:30 p.m. - media registration begins, 7 p.m. -red carpet WHERE: Intercontinental Hotel, 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, FL 33131 About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Founded by Danny Thomas, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude) and following us on Twitter (@stjude). SOURCE ALSAC / St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Related Links http://www.stjude.org SOLON, Ohio, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LEAN CUISINE, a leader in frozen prepared foods, is expanding its Marketplace line with new dishes that meet the growing demands for bolder flavors and global cuisine. Inspired by their travels to top restaurants and culinary hot spots, LEAN CUISINE chefs have crafted new dishes and reinvented classics with ingredients like you could find in your own kitchen cupboard. Each of these new recipes has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. The entire LEAN CUISINE Marketplace line offers modern options to explore flavors inspired by cuisines from around the world. Shoppers are increasingly looking for global flavors, with 38 percent of U.S. adults reporting that they eat foods containing multicultural flavors one or more times per week.[1] With the new recipes, the LEAN CUISINE culinary team delivers on emerging consumer trends featuring thoughtfully paired ingredients and sought-after flavors. New and Modernized Asian-Inspired Marketplace Varieties The new and reinvented LEAN CUISINE recipes feature quality ingredients and delicious flavor pairings, and various have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. NEW Garlic Sesame Noodles with Beef : While recently exploring restaurants and food carts in San Francisco's Chinatown, LEAN CUISINE chefs experienced a variety of foods and flavors authentic to Asian cuisine. The Garlic Sesame Noodles with Beef dish was inspired by this trip and led the LEAN CUISINE chefs to develop a new, innovative recipe ingredient. Pairing their insights from the culinary tour and experience with delicious pasta dishes, the chefs created the first infused rice noodle that can be frozen while maintaining great taste and texture. The noodles are tossed with prime rib beef, broccoli florets, ribbon cut carrots and julienned red peppers in a sesame soy garlic sauce together offering 15 grams of protein and just 27% of your recommended daily sodium. : While recently exploring restaurants and food carts in Chinatown, LEAN CUISINE chefs experienced a variety of foods and flavors authentic to Asian cuisine. The Garlic Sesame Noodles with Beef dish was inspired by this trip and led the LEAN CUISINE chefs to develop a new, innovative recipe ingredient. Pairing their insights from the culinary tour and experience with delicious pasta dishes, the chefs created the first infused rice noodle that can be frozen while maintaining great taste and texture. The noodles are tossed with prime rib beef, broccoli florets, ribbon cut carrots and julienned red peppers in a sesame soy garlic sauce together offering 15 grams of protein and just 27% of your recommended daily sodium. NEW LIMITED EDITION Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice: This limited edition dish was inspired by the popular Thai dessert Sticky Rice with Mango. The LEAN CUISINE chefs reinvented it as a savory recipe following the San Francisco culinary tour. A gluten-free option, the recipe is packed with 19 grams of protein and combines tender natural* white meat chicken, edamame, long-grain white rice, diced mango, julienned cut red bell peppers and toasted coconut with a sweet and savory mango sauce. This limited edition dish was inspired by the popular Thai dessert Sticky Rice with Mango. The LEAN CUISINE chefs reinvented it as a savory recipe following the culinary tour. A gluten-free option, the recipe is packed with 19 grams of protein and combines tender natural* white meat chicken, edamame, long-grain white rice, diced mango, julienned cut red bell peppers and toasted coconut with a sweet and savory mango sauce. Sesame Chicken : One of the best-selling LEAN CUISINE dishes now features natural* white meat chicken, house-made pasta, julienned red peppers, cut green beans, plum sauce, a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds. : One of the best-selling LEAN CUISINE dishes now features natural* white meat chicken, house-made pasta, julienned red peppers, cut green beans, plum sauce, a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds. Chicken Fried Rice: This authentic version of a takeout staple is now gluten-free and made with ingredients free from artificial preservatives. This recipe is crafted with natural* white meat chicken, white rice, peas, diced carrots, green onions and scrambled eggs with a gluten-free roasted garlic sesame soy sauce. New Italian Recipes Bring Culinary-Forward Flavors The newest Italian-influenced LEAN CUISINE dishes draw on international inspiration for modern tastes. NEW LIMITED EDITION Roasted Garlic White Bean Alfredo: This new limited edition pasta brings an unexpected burst of flavor. Prepared with organic fettuccine, this recipe combines creamy roasted garlic and white bean Alfredo sauce with a splash of olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, spinach and yellow shoestring cut carrots for 16 grams of protein. This new limited edition pasta brings an unexpected burst of flavor. Prepared with organic fettuccine, this recipe combines creamy roasted garlic and white bean Alfredo sauce with a splash of olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, spinach and yellow shoestring cut carrots for 16 grams of protein. NEW Spicy Penne Arrabbiata: Made with organic ingredients, this dish adds a bit of heat to a family favorite. Organic penne pasta, spicy tomato basil sauce and aged parmesan cheese cater to consumers' desire for spicier flavors. "The LEAN CUISINE culinary team is continually trying new approaches to create delicious dishes shoppers crave, whether it's focusing on ways to add flavor, exploring new types of cuisines or working with familiar recipes in different ways," said David Bailey, LEAN CUISINE Chef. "We find new inspiration on culinary trips and perfect recipes back in the kitchen alongside our nutrition team to deliver a dish we're proud to serve." Meeting Women's Nutritional Preferences Each LEAN CUISINE recipe is developed with women in mind and driven by taste and nutrition. The LEAN CUISINE team of chefs and nutritionists ensure each ingredient has a purpose, whether it provides important nutrients or delicious flavor, so women get a great-tasting dish they can feel good about. The LEAN CUISINE brand has long been a champion of good nutrition and a pioneer in creating innovative, wholesome and flavorful dishes and snacks since it first launched in 1981. With more than 100 varieties, the brand continues to evolve to meet changing demands, from reducing sodium to including more varieties with vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins such as poultry, beef and seafood. From gluten-free to high-protein to option made with organic ingredients, the LEAN CUISINE menu fits women's preferences to help nourish their pursuits. For more information on LEAN CUISINE and the new recipes, visit LeanCuisine.com. All new products have an MSRP of $2.99 and are currently available at select grocery and mass retailers, with full national distribution beginning in July. ABOUT NESTLE USA Named among "The World's Most Admired Food Companies" in Fortune magazine for twenty consecutive years, Nestle USA is committed to enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. By providing choices, from nutritious meals with Lean Cuisine to baking traditions with Nestle Toll House, Nestle USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverages that make good living possible. With 2016 sales of $9.7 billion, Nestle USA is part of Nestle S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland the world's largest food company with 2016 sales of $91 billion. For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or Facebook.com/NestleUSA. [1] Harris Poll conducted online Sept 19-Oct 3, 2016 among 2,223 U.S. adults ages 18+ and Nielsen's "A Fresh Look into Multicultural Consumers," August 2016. *No artificial ingredients; minimally processed. SOURCE Lean Cuisine Related Links http://www.leancuisine.com SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BuzzBoard, the largest intelligence engine around small and midsize businesses (SMBs), announced today the hiring of Lem Lloyd to the role of Senior Vice President of Revenue and Business Development. He brings two decades of experience in sales leadership, largely in the local commerce, small business and listings industries. Lloyd will provide key management in charting BuzzBoard's growth, helping the company increase its reach, relevancy and expand its customer base. Lloyd has held several executive-level roles ranging from leading large sales divisions at public companies, to incubating new marketplace companies. While at Yahoo!, Lloyd was Vice President of Channel Sales, managing more than 1,000 sales partners across multiple digital ad platforms and networks. He also served as General Manager of Yahoo! Small Business, which provided services, including e-commerce solutions, to more than 2 million SMBs. Lloyd led ad sales at the on-demand home services leader Angie's List and most recently was Vice President of Channel Sales at the predictive and programmatic marketing leader Rocket Fuel. He began his career at the media company Knight Ridder, where he was responsible for the company's local listings businesses, including sales at the company's owned partners: Cars.com, Apartments.com and Careerbuilder.com. "With the growing dependence on big data and the coming use of artificial intelligence, there is an unmet need in the current SaaS marketplace for platforms and products that enable businesses to have more intelligent, targeted and effective conversations with potential customers," said Lem Lloyd. "I'm thrilled to be joining a company that is so well-positioned to empower companies with what is the next generation intelligence knowledge platform." With its focus on applying data science to the SMB sector to generate actionable insights, BuzzBoard has experienced rapid early growth from midmarket and enterprise digital media companies seeking to empower sales teams and increase sales velocity. BuzzBoard currently works with a range of more than 1,000 companies empowering over 10,000 sales reps. "We needed a strong leader with the commitment to our values and the ambition to grow a large, successful company in this space," said BuzzBoard CEO Umesh Tibrewal. "Lem exhibits a deep understanding of the landscape we are currently working in, but more importantly, he has a new and exciting vision of where we are heading. His impressive background has shown throughout his career that he can effectively lead companies of all sizes. We are thrilled to have him join our team." As SVP of Revenue and Business Development at BuzzBoard, Lloyd will lead the company's expansion into new markets and oversee corporate development and strategic partnerships. About BuzzBoard BuzzBoard uncovers data-driven insights about SMBs that drive more meaningful conversations for marketers and sellers, resulting in increased sales across the customer lifecycle. By applying data science and digital signals to the world's most extensive collection of business intelligence about SMBs, BuzzBoard answers the most important question for marketers and sellers: why will my prospects and customers want to engage? BuzzBoard transforms unproductive sales interactions into customized opportunities to improve customer engagement, book more appointments and close deals faster. BuzzBoard is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.buzzboard.com. Media Contact Rachel Rocero BuzzBoard, Inc. 415-906-6934 [email protected] SOURCE BuzzBoard Related Links http://www.buzzboard.com/ BROOMFIELD, Colo., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) today reported results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. "In the first quarter 2017, we continued to grow our enterprise Core Network Services revenue and we remain focused on delivering profitable growth," said Jeff Storey, president and CEO of Level 3. "In addition, we continue to make good progress and are working hard on integration planning, so the combined company can execute quickly after the transaction closes." Total revenue was $2.048 billion for the first quarter 2017, compared to $2.051 billion for the first quarter 2016. In the first quarter 2017, the company generated net income of $95 million and basic earnings per share of $0.26. Excluding a $44 million loss on the extinguishment and modification of debt related to a refinancing transaction completed during the quarter, basic earnings per share were $0.34 after taxes for the first quarter 2017. Financial Results Metric ($ in millions) First Quarter 2017 First Quarter 2016(1) Core Network Services Revenue $1,946 $1,946 Wholesale Voice Services Revenue $102 $105 Total Revenue $2,048 $2,051 Network Access Costs $691 $694 Network Access Margin 66.3% 66.2% Network Related Expenses (NRE)(2) $330 $331 Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (SG&A)(2) $322 $316 Non-cash Compensation Expense $48 $47 Adjusted EBITDA, including acquisition-related expenses(3)(4) $705 $710 Adjusted EBITDA, excluding acquisition-related expenses(3)(4) $725 $710 Adjusted EBITDA Margin, including acquisition-related expenses (3)(4) 34.4% 34.6% Adjusted EBITDA Margin, excluding acquisition-related expenses(3)(4) 35.4% 34.6% Cash Flows from Operating Activities $539 $510 Capital Expenditures $368 $297 Unlevered Cash Flow(3)(4) $322 $324 Free Cash Flow, including acquisition-related expenses(3)(4) $171 $213 Free Cash Flow, excluding acquisition-related expenses(3)(4) $173 $213 Net Income(5) $95 $128 Net Income per Common Share-Basic(5) $0.26 $0.36 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (in thousands)- Basic 361,461 356,785 (1) The reported first quarter 2016 results have been adjusted to reflect changes made to customer assignments between the wholesale and enterprise channels as of the beginning of 2017. (2) Excludes non-cash compensation expense. (3) In the first quarter 2017, acquisition-related expenses were $20 million, of which $18 million were non-cash expenses and $2 million were cash expenses. (4) See schedule of non-GAAP metrics for definitions and reconciliation to GAAP measures. (5) Results have been adjusted to reflect the Company's adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. First Quarter 2017 Revenue Results Core Network Services (CNS) Revenue ($ in millions) First Quarter 2017 First Quarter 2016(1) 1Q17/1Q16 Percent Change 1Q17/1Q16 Percent Change, Constant Currency North America $1,594 $1,601 -% -% Wholesale $403 $434 (7%) (7%) Enterprise $1,191 $1,167 2% 2% EMEA $175 $190 (8%) (1%) Wholesale $55 $64 (14%) (7%) Enterprise $106 $107 (1%) 5% UK Government $14 $19 (26%) (15%) Latin America $177 $155 14% 7% Wholesale $36 $39 (8%) (13%) Enterprise $141 $116 22% 13% Total CNS Revenue $1,946 $1,946 -% -% Wholesale $494 $537 (8%) (7%) Enterprise $1,452 $1,409 3% 3% (1) The reported first quarter 2016 results have been adjusted to reflect changes made to customer assignments between the wholesale and enterprise channels as of the beginning of 2017. Capital Markets Transaction and Liquidity During the quarter, Level 3 Financing, Inc., completed the refinancing of its Tranche B-III 2019 Term Loan, the Tranche B 2020 Term Loan and the Tranche B-II 2022 Term Loan with Level 3 Financing, Inc.'s approximately $4.61 billion Tranche B 2024 Term Loan. The Tranche B 2024 Term Loan bears interest at LIBOR plus 2.25 percent, with a zero percent minimum LIBOR, and will mature on February 22, 2024. As a result of this transaction, the company paid higher cash interest of $153 million during the first quarter 2017. As of March 31, 2017, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $1.947 billion. 2017 Business Outlook "We are confident in our performance for the rest of the year and we are reiterating our outlook for the full year 2017," said Sunit Patel, executive vice president and CFO of Level 3. "We continue to expect Adjusted EBITDA of $2.94 to $3.00 billion and Free Cash Flow of $1.10 to $1.16 billion, excluding CenturyLink acquisition-related expenses. With the exception of GAAP interest expense, which we lowered to $540 million, the remainder of our outlook measures are unchanged." Metrics(1) 2017 Outlook Adjusted EBITDA $2.94 to $3.00 billion Free Cash Flow $1.10 to $1.16 billion GAAP Interest Expense(2) $540 million Cash Interest Expense $520 million Capital Expenditures 16% of Total Revenue Depreciation and Amortization $1.35 billion Cash Income Tax $40 million Non-cash Compensation Expense $170 million Full Year Income Tax Rate ~38% (1) All outlook measures exclude CenturyLink acquisition-related expenses. (2) Lowered GAAP interest expense outlook to $540 million from $570 million for the full year 2017. Conference Call and Website Information Level 3 will broadcast a live conference call on its Investor Relations website, http://investors.level3.com at 3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET. Additional information regarding the first quarter 2017 results, including the presentation management will review on the conference call, will be available on Level 3's Investor Relations website. If you are unable to join the call via the Web, the call can be accessed live at +1 877-283-5145 (U.S. Domestic) or +1 312-281-1200 (International). The call will be archived and available as an audio replay on Level 3's Investor Relations website starting at 7 p.m. ET May 3 until 6 p.m. ET Aug. 1, 2017. The replay can be accessed by dialing +1 800-633-8284 (U.S. Domestic) or +1 402-977-9140 (International), reservation code 21848929. For additional information, please call +1 720-888-2518. About Level 3 Communications Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) is a Fortune 500 company that provides local, national and global communications services to enterprise, government and carrier customers. Level 3's comprehensive portfolio of secure, managed solutions includes fiber and infrastructure solutions; IP-based voice and data communications; wide-area Ethernet services; video and content distribution; data center and cloud-based solutions. Level 3 serves customers in more than 500 markets in over 60 countries across a global services platform anchored by owned fiber networks on three continents and connected by extensive undersea facilities. For more information, please visit www.level3.com or get to know us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Level 3, Level 3 Communications, Level (3) and the Level 3 Logo are either registered service marks or service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates in the United States and elsewhere. Any other service names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Level 3 services are provided by subsidiaries of Level 3 Communications, Inc. Forward Looking Statements Some statements made in this press release are forward-looking in nature and are based on management's current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Level 3's control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to: increase revenue from its services to realize its targets for financial and operating performance; develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; avert the breach of its network and computer system security measures; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; manage the future expansion or adaptation of its network to remain competitive; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; manage risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; manage continued or accelerated decreases in market pricing for communications services; obtain capacity for its network from other providers and interconnect its network with other networks on favorable terms; successfully integrate future acquisitions; effectively manage political, legal, regulatory, foreign currency and other risks it is exposed to due to its substantial international operations; mitigate its exposure to contingent liabilities; and meet all of the terms and conditions of its debt obligations. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Except for the historical and factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this communication, including statements regarding the expected timing and benefits of the proposed transaction, such as efficiencies, cost savings, enhanced revenues, growth potential, market profile and financial strength, and the competitive ability and position of the combined company, and other statements identified by words such as "will," "estimates," "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "projects," "plans," "intends," "may," "should," "could," "seeks" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond our control. These forward-looking statements, and the assumptions upon which they are based, (i) are not guarantees of future results, (ii) are inherently speculative and (iii) are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or implied in those statements if one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect. Factors that could affect actual results include but are not limited to: the ability of the parties to timely and successfully receive the required approvals for the combination from regulatory agencies free of conditions materially adverse to the parties and from their respective shareholders; the possibility that the anticipated benefits from the proposed transaction cannot be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the possibility that costs, difficulties or disruptions related to the integration of Level 3's operations with those of CenturyLink will be greater than expected; the ability of the combined company to retain and hire key personnel; the effects of competition from a wide variety of competitive providers, including lower demand for CenturyLink's legacy offerings; the effects of new, emerging or competing technologies, including those that could make the combined company's products less desirable or obsolete; the effects of ongoing changes in the regulation of the communications industry, including the outcome of regulatory or judicial proceedings relating to intercarrier compensation, interconnection obligations, access charges, universal service, broadband deployment, data protection and net neutrality; adverse changes in CenturyLink's or the combined company's access to credit markets on favorable terms, whether caused by changes in its financial position, lower debt credit ratings, unstable markets or otherwise; the combined company's ability to effectively adjust to changes in the communications industry, and changes in the composition of its markets and product mix; possible changes in the demand for, or pricing of, the combined company's products and services, including the combined company's ability to effectively respond to increased demand for high-speed broadband service; changes in the operating plans, capital allocation plans or corporate strategies of the combined company, whether based on changes in market conditions, changes in the cash flows or financial position of the combined company, or otherwise; the combined company's ability to successfully maintain the quality and profitability of its existing product and service offerings and to introduce new offerings on a timely and cost-effective basis; the adverse impact on the combined company's business and network from possible equipment failures, service outages, security breaches or similar events impacting its network; the combined company's ability to maintain favorable relations with key business partners, suppliers, vendors, landlords and financial institutions; the ability of the combined company to utilize net operating losses in amounts projected; changes in the future cash requirements of the combined company; and other risk factors and cautionary statements as detailed from time to time in each of CenturyLink's and Level 3's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Due to these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the proposed combination or any other transaction described above will in fact be completed in the manner described or at all. You should be aware that new factors may emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to identify all such factors nor can we predict the impact of each such factor on the proposed combination or the combined company. You should not place undue reliance on these forwardlooking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication. Unless legally required, CenturyLink and Level 3 undertake no obligation and each expressly disclaim any such obligation, to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed events or otherwise. Additional Information In connection with the proposed combination, CenturyLink filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC (Registration Statement No. 333-215121), which was declared effective by the SEC on February 13, 2017. CenturyLink and Level 3 have filed a joint proxy statement/prospectus and will file other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction with the SEC. CenturyLink and Level 3 began mailing the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective security holders on or about February 13, 2017. The definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus, dated as of February 13, 2017, contains important information about CenturyLink, Level 3, the proposed combination and related matters. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED COMBINATION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE DEFINITIVE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders may obtain the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus and the filings that are incorporated by reference in the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about CenturyLink and Level 3, free of charge, at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Investors and security holders may also obtain these documents free of charge by directing a request to CenturyLink, 100 CenturyLink Drive, Monroe, Louisiana 71203, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or to Level 3, 1025 Eldorado Boulevard, Broomfield, Colorado 80021, Attention: Investor Relations Level 3 Communications: Non-GAAP Metrics Pursuant to Regulation G, the company is hereby providing definitions of non-GAAP financial metrics and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. The following describes and reconciles those financial measures as reported under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) with those financial measures as adjusted by the items detailed below and presented in the accompanying news release. These calculations are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be viewed as alternatives to GAAP. In keeping with its historical financial reporting practices, the company believes that the supplemental presentation of these calculations provides meaningful non-GAAP financial measures to help investors understand and compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis. In addition, measures referred to in the accompanying news release as being calculated "on a constant currency basis" or "in constant currency terms" are non-GAAP metrics intended to present the relevant information assuming a constant exchange rate between the two periods being compared. Such metrics are calculated by applying the currency exchange rates used in the preparation of the prior period financial results to the subsequent period results. Level 3 Communications, Inc. and Consolidated Subsidiaries Quarterly Constant Currency 1Q16 FX 4Q16 FX 1Q16 FX 4Q16 FX CNS Revenue ($ in millions) 1Q17 1Q17 Constant Currency 1Q17 Constant Currency 1Q16(2) 4Q16(2) 1Q17/ 1Q16 %Change 1Q17 Constant Currency/ 1Q16 % Change(3) 1Q17/ 4Q16 %Change 1Q17 Constant Currency /4Q16 %Change(3) North America $ 1,594 $ 1,594 $ 1,594 $ 1,601 $ 1,584 (0.4) % (0.4) % 0.6 % 0.6 % Wholesale $ 403 $ 403 $ 403 $ 434 $ 405 (7.1) % (7.1) % (0.5) % (0.5) % Enterprise $ 1,191 $ 1,191 $ 1,191 $ 1,167 $ 1,179 2.1 % 2.1 % 1.0 % 1.0 % EMEA $ 175 $ 188 $ 176 $ 190 $ 179 (7.9) % (1.0) % (2.2) % (1.8) % Wholesale $ 55 $ 59 $ 56 $ 64 $ 55 (14.1) % (7.5) % % 0.1 % Enterprise $ 106 $ 113 $ 106 $ 107 $ 108 (0.9) % 5.4 % (1.9) % (1.3) % UK Govt $ 14 $ 16 $ 14 $ 19 $ 16 (26.3) % (15.5) % (12.5) % (12.2) % Latin America $ 177 $ 166 $ 174 $ 155 $ 170 14.2 % 6.8 % 4.1 % 2.4 % Wholesale $ 36 $ 34 $ 35 $ 39 $ 34 (7.7) % (13.0) % 5.9 % 2.7 % Enterprise $ 141 $ 132 $ 139 $ 116 $ 136 21.6 % 13.5 % 3.7 % 2.3 % Total CNS Revenue $ 1,946 $ 1,948 $ 1,944 $ 1,946 $ 1,933 % 0.1 % 0.7 % 0.5 % Wholesale $ 494 $ 496 $ 494 $ 537 $ 494 (8.0) % (7.4) % % (0.2) % Enterprise(1) $ 1,452 $ 1,452 $ 1,450 $ 1,409 $ 1,439 3.1 % 3.0 % 0.9 % 0.8 % Total CNS Revenue $ 1,946 $ 1,948 $ 1,944 $ 1,946 $ 1,933 % 0.1 % 0.7 % 0.5 % Wholesale Voice Services 102 102 101 105 99 (2.9) % (3.6) % 3.0 % 2.9 % Total Revenue $ 2,048 $ 2,050 $ 2,045 $ 2,051 $ 2,032 (0.1) % (0.1) % 0.8 % 0.6 % (1) includes UK Government (2) The 2016 results have been adjusted to reflect changes made to customer assignments between the wholesale and enterprise channels as of the beginning of 2017. (3) Percentages are calculated using whole numbers. Minor differences may exist due to rounding. Consolidated Revenue is defined as total revenue from the Consolidated Statements of Income. Core Network Services Revenue includes revenue from colocation and datacenter services, transport and fiber, IP and data services, and voice services (local and enterprise). Network Access Costs includes leased capacity, right-of-way costs, access charges, satellite transponder lease costs and other third party costs directly attributable to providing access to customer locations from the Level 3 network, but excludes Network Related Expenses, and depreciation and amortization. Network Access Costs do not include any employee expenses or impairment expenses; these expenses are allocated to Network Related Expenses or Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Network Related Expenses includes certain expenses associated with the delivery of services to customers and the operation and maintenance of the Level 3 network, such as facility rent, utilities, maintenance and other costs, each related to the operation of its communications network, as well as salaries, wages and related benefits (including non-cash stock-based compensation expenses) associated with personnel who are responsible for the delivery of services, operation and maintenance of its communications network, and accretion expense on asset retirement obligations, but excludes depreciation and amortization. Network Access Margin ($) is defined as total Revenue less Network Access Costs from the Consolidated Statements of Income, and excludes Network Related Expenses. Network Access Margin (%) is defined as Network Access Margin ($) divided by total Revenue. Management believes that network access margin is a relevant metric to provide to investors, as it is a metric that management uses to measure the margin available to the company after it pays third party network services costs; in essence, a measure of the efficiency of the company's network. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) from the Consolidated Statements of Income before income tax (expense) benefit, total other income (expense), non-cash impairment charges, depreciation and amortization and non-cash stock compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue. Adjusted EBITDA Metric ($ in millions) 1Q17 1Q16 Net Income $ 95 $ 128 Income Tax Expense 70 90 Total Other Expense 172 144 Depreciation and Amortization 320 301 Non-Cash Stock Compensation 48 47 Adjusted EBITDA $ 705 $ 710 Add back: Acquisition-Related Expenses 20 Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Acquisition-Related Expenses $ 725 $ 710 Total Revenue $ 2,048 $ 2,051 Adjusted EBITDA Margin 34.4 % 34.6 % Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Acquisition-Related Expenses Margin 35.4 % 34.6 % Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin are relevant and useful metrics to provide to investors, as they are an important part of the company's internal reporting and are key measures used by Management to evaluate profitability and operating performance of the company and to make resource allocation decisions. Management believes such measures are especially important in a capital-intensive industry such as telecommunications. Management also uses Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin to compare the company's performance to that of its competitors and to eliminate certain non-cash and non-operating items in order to consistently measure from period to period its ability to fund capital expenditures, fund growth, service debt and determine bonuses. Adjusted EBITDA excludes non-cash impairment charges and non-cash stock compensation expense because of the non-cash nature of these items. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes interest income, interest expense and income taxes because these items are associated with the company's capitalization and tax structures. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes depreciation and amortization expense because these non-cash expenses primarily reflect the impact of historical capital investments, as opposed to the cash impacts of capital expenditures made in recent periods, which may be evaluated through cash flow measures. Adjusted EBITDA excludes the gain (or loss) on extinguishment and modification of debt and other, net because these items are not related to the primary operations of the company. There are limitations to using Adjusted EBITDA as a financial measure, including the difficulty associated with comparing companies that use similar performance measures whose calculations may differ from the company's calculations. Additionally, this financial measure does not include certain significant items such as interest income, interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, non-cash impairment charges, non-cash stock compensation expense, the gain (or loss) on extinguishment and modification of debt and net other income (expense). Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin should not be considered a substitute for other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. Unlevered Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capital expenditures, plus cash interest paid and less interest income all as disclosed in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows or the Consolidated Statements of Income. Management believes that Unlevered Cash Flow is a relevant metric to provide to investors, as it is an indicator of the operational strength and performance of the company and, measured over time, provides management and investors with a sense of the underlying business' growth pattern and ability to generate cash. Unlevered Cash Flow excludes cash used for acquisitions and debt service and the impact of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents balances. There are material limitations to using Unlevered Cash Flow to measure the company's cash performance as it excludes certain material items such as payments on and repurchases of long-term debt, interest income, cash interest expense and cash used to fund acquisitions. Comparisons of Level 3's Unlevered Cash Flow to that of some of its competitors may be of limited usefulness since Level 3 does not currently pay a significant amount of income taxes due to net operating loss carryforwards, and therefore, generates higher cash flow than a comparable business that does pay income taxes. Additionally, this financial measure is subject to variability quarter over quarter as a result of the timing of payments related to accounts receivable and accounts payable and capital expenditures. Unlevered Cash Flow should not be used as a substitute for net change in cash and cash equivalents in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Free Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less capital expenditures as disclosed in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Management believes that Free Cash Flow is a relevant metric to provide to investors, as it is an indicator of the company's ability to generate cash to service its debt. Free Cash Flow excludes cash used for acquisitions, principal repayments and the impact of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents balances. There are material limitations to using Free Cash Flow to measure the company's performance as it excludes certain material items such as principal payments on and repurchases of long-term debt and cash used to fund acquisitions. Comparisons of Level 3's Free Cash Flow to that of some of its competitors may be of limited usefulness since Level 3 does not currently pay a significant amount of income taxes due to net operating loss carryforwards, and therefore, generates higher cash flow than a comparable business that does pay income taxes. Additionally, this financial measure is subject to variability quarter over quarter as a result of the timing of payments related to interest expense, accounts receivable and accounts payable and capital expenditures. Free Cash Flow should not be used as a substitute for net change in cash and cash equivalents on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Unlevered Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow ($ in millions) 1Q16 1Q17(1) Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities $ 510 $ 539 Capital Expenditures (297) (368) Free Cash Flow $ 213 $ 171 Cash Interest Paid 112 153 Interest Income (1) (2) Unlevered Cash Flow $ 324 $ 322 (1) Includes $2 million of cash used for CenturyLink acquisition-related expenses. Debt is defined as total gross debt, including capital leases from the Footnotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Net Debt to Last Twelve Months (LTM) Adjusted EBITDA Ratio is defined as Debt, reduced by cash and cash equivalents and divided by LTM Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Acquisition-Related Expenses. Level 3 Communications, Inc. and Consolidated Subsidiaries LTM Adjusted EBITDA ($ in millions) 2Q16 3Q16 4Q16 1Q17 Total: LTM Total Revenue $ 2,056 $ 2,033 $ 2,032 $ 2,048 $ 8,169 Network Access Costs (676) (675) (680) (691) (2,722) Network Related Expenses (339) (337) (332) (336) (1,344) Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (357) (348) (346) (364) (1,415) Add back: Non-Cash Compensation Expenses 31 43 35 48 157 Adjusted EBITDA $ 715 $ 716 $ 709 $ 705 $ 2,845 Add back: Acquisition-Related Expenses 15 20 35 Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Acquisition-Related Expenses $ 715 $ 716 $ 724 $ 725 $ 2,880 Level 3 Communications, Inc. and Consolidated Subsidiaries Net Debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA ratio as of March 31, 2017 ($ in millions) Debt $ 11,009 Cash and Cash Equivalents (1,947) Net Debt $ 9,062 LTM Adjusted EBITDA Excluding Acquisition-Related Expenses $ 2,880 Net Debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA Ratio 3.1 Outlook In order to provide our outlook with respect to non-GAAP metrics, we are required to indicate a range for GAAP measures that are components of the reconciliation of the non-GAAP metric. The provision of these ranges is in no way meant to indicate that the company is explicitly or implicitly providing an outlook on those GAAP components of the reconciliation. In order to reconcile the non-GAAP financial metric to GAAP, the company has to use ranges for the GAAP components that arithmetically add up to the non-GAAP financial metric. While the company feels reasonably comfortable about the outlook for its non-GAAP financial metrics, it fully expects that the ranges used for the GAAP components will vary from actual results. We will consider our outlook of non-GAAP financial metrics to be accurate if the specific non-GAAP metric is met or exceeded, even if the GAAP components of the reconciliation are different from those provided in an earlier reconciliation. Level 3 Communications, Inc. and Consolidated Subsidiaries Outlook Adjusted EBITDA Outlook Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2017 Range ($ in millions) Low High Net Income $ 500 $ 590 Income Tax Expense 330 360 Total Other Expense 570 550 Depreciation and Amortization Expense 1,360 1,340 Non-Cash Compensation Expense 180 160 Adjusted EBITDA $ 2,940 $ 3,000 Free Cash Flow Outlook Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2017 Range ($ in millions) Low High Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities $ 2,420 $ 2,520 Capital Expenditures (1,320) (1,360) Free Cash Flow $ 1,100 $ 1,160 Attachment #1 LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) Three Months Ended (dollars in millions, except per share data) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 March 31, 2016(1) Revenue $ 2,048 $ 2,032 $ 2,051 Costs and Expenses Network access costs 691 680 694 Network related expenses 336 332 338 Depreciation and amortization 320 320 301 Selling, general and administrative expenses 364 346 356 Total Costs and Expenses 1,711 1,678 1,689 Operating Income 337 354 362 Other Income (Expense): Interest income 2 1 1 Interest expense (134) (132) (135) Loss on modification and extinguishment of debt (44) Other, net 4 (6) (10) Total Other Expense (172) (137) (144) Income Before Income Taxes 165 217 218 Income Tax (Expense) Benefit (70) 33 (90) Net Income $ 95 $ 250 $ 128 Basic Earnings per Common Share: Net Income per Share $ 0.26 $ 0.70 $ 0.36 Weighted-Average Shares Outstanding (in thousands) 361,461 359,937 356,785 Diluted Earnings per Common Share: Net Income per Share $ 0.26 $ 0.69 $ 0.36 Weighted-Average Shares Outstanding (in thousands) 364,121 363,250 360,745 Attachment #2 LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) March 31, December 31, March 31, (dollars in millions) 2017 2016 2016 Assets Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,947 $ 1,819 $ 1,004 Restricted cash and securities 7 7 837 Receivables, less allowances for doubtful accounts 712 712 807 Other 141 115 141 Total Current Assets 2,807 2,653 2,789 Property, Plant and Equipment, net 10,285 10,139 9,974 Restricted Cash and Securities 31 31 41 Goodwill 7,731 7,729 7,746 Other Intangibles, net 861 915 1,074 Deferred Tax Assets 3,305 3,370 3,411 Other Assets 51 51 50 Total Assets $ 25,071 $ 24,888 $ 25,085 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current Liabilities: Accounts payable $ 750 $ 706 $ 680 Current portion of long-term debt 307 7 781 Accrued payroll and employee benefits 148 195 146 Accrued interest 101 129 131 Current portion of deferred revenue 275 266 283 Other 153 168 166 Total Current Liabilities 1,734 1,471 2,187 Long-Term Debt, less current portion 10,581 10,877 10,870 Deferred Revenue, less current portion 1,044 1,001 1,012 Other Liabilities 631 622 628 Total Liabilities 13,990 13,971 14,697 Stockholders' Equity 11,081 10,917 10,388 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 25,071 $ 24,888 $ 25,085 Attachment #3 LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, December 31, March 31, (dollars in millions) 2017 2016 2016 Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net income $ 95 $ 250 $ 128 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 320 320 301 Non-cash compensation expense attributable to stock awards 48 35 47 Loss on modification and extinguishment of debt 44 Accretion of debt discount and amortization of debt issuance costs 5 6 5 Accrued interest on long-term debt, net (28) (6) 23 Deferred income taxes 62 (40) 81 Gain on sale of property, plant and equipment and other assets (1) Other, net (5) (3) (9) Changes in working capital items: Receivables 6 15 (44) Other current assets (32) 4 (35) Payables 42 (16) 48 Deferred revenue 50 (3) 46 Other current liabilities (68) (4) (81) Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 539 557 510 Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (368) (306) (297) Change in restricted cash and securities, net 1 (828) Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment and other assets 2 Net Cash Used in Investing Activities (368) (303) (1,125) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Long-term debt borrowings, net of issuance costs 4,569 765 Payments on and repurchases of long-term debt and capital leases (4,613) (2) (1) Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities (44) (2) 764 Effect of Exchange Rates on Cash and Cash Equivalents 1 (2) 1 Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents 128 250 150 Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period 1,819 1,569 854 Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period $ 1,947 $ 1,819 $ 1,004 Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information: Cash interest paid $ 153 $ 136 $ 112 SOURCE Level 3 Communications, Inc. Related Links http://www.level3.com TULSA, Okla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) today reported net income of $222.7 million for first quarter 2017 compared to $207.1 million for first quarter 2016. Distributable cash flow (DCF), a non-generally accepted accounting principles (non-GAAP) financial measure that represents the amount of cash generated during the period that is available to pay distributions, was $227.6 million for first quarter 2017 compared to $205.3 million for first quarter 2016. Diluted net income per limited partner unit was 98 cents in first quarter 2017 and 91 cents in first quarter 2016. Diluted net income per unit excluding mark-to-market (MTM) commodity-related pricing adjustments, a non-GAAP financial measure, of 96 cents for first quarter 2017 was higher than the 90-cent guidance provided by management in early February primarily due to more favorable product overages and timing of operating expenses that are now expected to occur later in the year. "Magellan reported solid financial results in the first quarter of 2017, with higher contributions generated from each of our operating segments. In addition, we recently commenced operations for a number of our joint venture projects, including Seabrook Logistics, which will serve as Magellan's solution to meet the industry's growing need for crude oil marine terminal infrastructure," said Michael Mears, chief executive officer. "We remain focused on operating our business in a safe and financially sound manner while continuing to develop additional opportunities to grow our company." An analysis by segment comparing first quarter 2017 to first quarter 2016 is provided below based on operating margin, a non-GAAP financial measure that reflects operating profit before general and administrative (G&A) expense and depreciation and amortization: Refined products. Refined products operating margin was $221.3 million, an increase of $50.2 million primarily related to the impact of MTM adjustments for exchange-traded futures contracts used to hedge the partnership's commodity-related activities. Financial results from this segment's fee-based activities also increased between periods. Transportation and terminals revenue increased $17.1 million between periods primarily due to operating results from the partnership's Little Rock pipeline that commenced commercial operations in July 2016, 4% higher shipments on other segments of the partnership's pipeline system driven by stronger demand for refined products and higher average tariffs from the partnership's mid-2016 tariff adjustment, which resulted in a 2% average increase over all the partnership's markets. Operating expenses increased $7.7 million primarily due to higher asset integrity costs related to timing of maintenance work and incremental costs associated with operation of the Little Rock pipeline, partially offset by more favorable product overages in the current period (which reduce operating expenses). Product margin (a non-GAAP measure defined as product sales revenue less cost of product sales) increased $40.4 million between periods due to the timing of recognizing gains on futures contracts used to economically hedge the partnership's commodity-related activities. Details of these MTM commodity-related and other inventory adjustments can be found on the Distributable Cash Flow Reconciliation to Net Income schedule that accompanies this news release. The partnership's cash product margin, which reflects only transactions that settled during the quarter, was essentially flat between periods. Crude oil. Crude oil operating margin was $101.9 million, an increase of $1.1 million. Transportation and terminals revenue increased primarily due to additional leased storage contracts at Magellan's East Houston, Texas terminal and higher transportation revenues. Lower shipments mainly on the partnership's Houston distribution system were more than offset by higher average rates primarily resulting from deficiency revenue for volume committed but not moved. Earnings of non-controlled entities increased due to contributions from Saddlehorn Pipeline Company, LLC, which is owned 40% by Magellan and began operations in Sept. 2016. Operating expenses increased primarily due to less favorable product overages. Marine storage. Marine storage operating margin was $34.5 million, an increase of $6.6 million. Revenue increased due to new storage tanks at the partnership's Corpus Christi, Texas facility and overall increased customer activity in the current period. Operating expenses decreased due to favorable product overages in the current period. Other items. Depreciation and amortization increased due to recent expansion capital expenditures. The 2016 period benefited from a $26.9 million non-cash gain related to the transfer of the partnership's 50% interest in Osage Pipe Line Company, LLC to HollyFrontier Corporation in exchange for long-term refined products commercial agreements. Other expense was unfavorable between periods related to less favorable non-cash MTM adjustments for hedged crude oil tank bottom inventory owned by the partnership and higher costs for pension settlements. Net interest expense increased as a result of additional borrowings to finance expansion capital spending and lower interest capitalized for construction projects in the current period. As of March 31, 2017, the partnership had $4.2 billion of debt outstanding, including $167.0 million outstanding under its commercial paper program, and $7.1 million of cash on hand. Expansion capital projects Magellan remains focused on expansion opportunities and continues to identify new opportunities for future growth. Based on the progress of expansion projects already underway, the partnership expects to spend $600 million in 2017 and $350 million in 2018 to complete its current slate of construction projects. These estimates include an incremental $50 million of spending for new growth projects, primarily related to construction of 1.2 million barrels of crude oil storage at the partnership's East Houston terminal for contract storage, and as previously announced, 300,000 barrels of storage in Corpus Christi to support the condensate splitter. Significant progress has been made on the partnership's joint venture construction projects, with a number of these projects becoming operational recently. For instance, the Powder Springs butane blending joint venture commenced operations during March, along with the Carr-to-Platteville segment of the Saddlehorn pipeline. The Cheyenne extension of the Saddlehorn pipeline is expected to commence service during the third quarter of 2017. Seabrook Logistics is now operational following the construction of more than 700,000 barrels of crude oil and condensate storage and a new 18-inch diameter pipeline to transport crude oil to a Houston-area refinery. As previously announced, Seabrook Logistics is also building an incremental 1.7 million barrels of storage and connecting its facility to Magellan's Houston crude oil distribution system by constructing a 24-inch diameter bi-directional pipeline between Seabrook Logistics' facility and Genoa Junction, both of which are expected to be operational in mid-2018. The newly-constructed Bryan, Texas origin for the BridgeTex pipeline is now operational to accept crude oil shipments from the Eaglebine region for delivery to Houston. In addition, expansion of the BridgeTex pipeline from 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) to a new capacity of approximately 400,000 bpd is expected to be complete by the end of the second quarter, with an additional evaluation underway to further expand the BridgeTex pipeline to 475,000 bpd. As previously announced, the partnership has entered into a new fee-based, take-or-pay agreement with Trafigura Trading LLC for the exclusive use of Magellan's recently-constructed condensate splitter in Corpus Christi, with commercial operations expected to begin during late second quarter 2017. In addition, the partnership continues to make steady progress on its longer-term construction projects, such as the new dock at its Galena Park, Texas marine terminal, with an expected in-service date of late 2018, and its new marine facility in Pasadena, Texas, which remains on target for early 2019. Magellan is actively evaluating well in excess of $500 million of potential organic growth projects in earlier stages of development as well as acquisition opportunities, all of which have been excluded from the partnership's spending estimates at this time. Examples of potential construction projects include further development of the partnership's to-be-constructed Pasadena marine terminal, expansion of its refined products pipeline system in Texas and construction of a crude oil and condensate pipeline from the Permian Basin to Corpus Christi. Financial guidance for 2017 Management reaffirms its annual DCF guidance of $1.0 billion for 2017, representing a record year for Magellan. While the partnership expects to begin generating revenue from the condensate splitter during the second half of 2017, this benefit is projected to be offset by lower commodity margins based on recent contractions in the commodity pricing curves. Further, management remains committed to its goal of increasing annual cash distributions by 8% in both 2017 and 2018, which would result in an expected distribution coverage of 1.2 times the amount needed to pay cash distributions each year. Including actual results so far this year, net income per limited partner unit is estimated to be $3.75 for 2017, with second-quarter guidance of 85 cents. Guidance excludes future MTM adjustments on the partnership's commodity-related activities. Earnings call details An analyst call with management to discuss first-quarter results, 2017 guidance and the status of significant expansion projects is scheduled today at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. To join the conference call, dial (888) 500-6960 and provide code 4711716. Investors also may listen to the call via the partnership's website at www.magellanlp.com/investors/webcasts.aspx. Audio replays of the conference call will be available from 4:30 p.m. Eastern today through midnight on May 9. To access the replay, dial (888) 203-1112 and provide code 4711716. The replay also will be available at www.magellanlp.com. Non-GAAP financial measures Management believes that investors benefit from having access to the same financial measures utilized by the partnership. As a result, this news release and supporting schedules include the non-GAAP financial measures of operating margin, product margin, adjusted EBITDA, DCF and net income per unit excluding MTM commodity-related pricing adjustments, which are important performance measures used by management. Operating margin reflects operating profit before G&A expense and depreciation and amortization. This measure forms the basis of the partnership's internal financial reporting and is used by management to evaluate the economic performance of the partnership's operations. Product margin, which is calculated as product sales revenue less cost of product sales, is used by management to evaluate the profitability of the partnership's commodity-related activities. Adjusted EBITDA is an important measure utilized by management and the investment community to assess the financial results of an entity. DCF is important in determining the amount of cash generated from the partnership's operations that is available for distribution to its unitholders. Management uses this performance measure as a basis for recommending to the board of directors the amount of cash distributions to be paid each period and for determining the payouts under the partnership's equity-based incentive plan. Reconciliations of operating margin to operating profit and adjusted EBITDA and DCF to net income accompany this news release. The partnership uses exchange-traded futures contracts to hedge against price changes of petroleum products associated with its commodity-related activities and its crude oil tank bottom inventory. Most of these futures contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment. However, because these futures contracts are generally effective at hedging price changes, management believes the partnership's profitability should be evaluated excluding the unrealized gains and losses associated with petroleum products that will be sold in future periods. Further, because the financial guidance provided by management excludes future MTM commodity-related pricing adjustments, a reconciliation of actual results to those excluding these adjustments is provided for comparability to previous financial guidance. Because the non-GAAP measures presented in this news release include adjustments specific to the partnership, they may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures of other companies. About Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) is a publicly traded partnership that primarily transports, stores and distributes refined petroleum products and crude oil. The partnership owns the longest refined petroleum products pipeline system in the country, with access to nearly 50% of the nation's refining capacity, and can store approximately 100 million barrels of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and crude oil. More information is available at www.magellanlp.com. Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer Portions of this document constitute forward-looking statements as defined by federal law. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: plan, goal, guidance, believe, estimate, expect, projected, future, may, will and similar references to future periods. Although management of Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. believes any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, actual outcomes may be materially different. Among the key risk factors that may have a direct impact on the partnership's results of operations and financial condition are: (1) its ability to identify growth projects and to complete identified projects on time and at expected costs; (2) price fluctuations and changes in demand for refined petroleum products, crude oil and natural gas liquids, or changes in demand for transportation, storage, blending or processing of those commodities through its existing or planned facilities; (3) changes in the partnership's tariff rates or other terms imposed by state or federal regulatory agencies; (4) shut-downs or cutbacks at refineries or other businesses that use or supply the partnership's services; (5) changes in the throughput or interruption in service on pipelines or other facilities owned and operated by third parties and connected to the partnership's terminals, pipelines or other facilities; (6) the occurrence of operational hazards or unforeseen interruptions; (7) the treatment of the partnership as a corporation for federal or state income tax purposes or the partnership becoming subject to significant forms of other taxation; (8) an increase in the competition the partnership's operations encounter; (9) disruption in the debt and equity markets that negatively impacts the partnership's ability to finance its capital spending; and (10) failure of customers to meet or continue contractual obligations to the partnership. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the partnership's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2016. Forward-looking statements made by the partnership in this release are based only on information currently known, and the partnership undertakes no obligation to revise its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances learned of or occurring after today's date. MAGELLAN MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, L.P. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In thousands, except per unit amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2017 Transportation and terminals revenue $ 370,075 $ 392,671 Product sales revenue 146,562 245,620 Affiliate management fee revenue 3,179 3,783 Total revenue 519,816 642,074 Costs and expenses: Operating 122,913 131,592 Cost of product sales 113,585 172,876 Depreciation and amortization 43,754 47,298 General and administrative 40,676 40,281 Total costs and expenses 320,928 392,047 Earnings of non-controlled entities 17,628 21,446 Operating profit 216,516 271,473 Interest expense 43,724 51,212 Interest income (361) (292) Interest capitalized (6,136) (4,197) Gain on exchange of interest in non-controlled entity (26,900) Other (income) expense (1,752) 1,170 Income before provision for income taxes 207,941 223,580 Provision for income taxes 871 844 Net income $ 207,070 $ 222,736 Basic net income per limited partner unit $ 0.91 $ 0.98 Diluted net income per limited partner unit $ 0.91 $ 0.98 Weighted average number of limited partner units outstanding used for basic net income per unit calculation 227,826 228,109 Weighted average number of limited partner units outstanding used for diluted net income per unit calculation 227,849 228,159 MAGELLAN MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, L.P. OPERATING STATISTICS Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2017 Refined products: Transportation revenue per barrel shipped $ 1.416 $ 1.461 Volume shipped (million barrels): Gasoline 61.1 66.2 Distillates 36.3 37.9 Aviation fuel 5.5 5.9 Liquefied petroleum gases 1.6 1.1 Total volume shipped 104.5 111.1 Crude oil: Magellan 100%-owned assets: Transportation revenue per barrel shipped $ 1.447 $ 1.543 Volume shipped (million barrels) 43.7 41.3 Crude oil terminal average utilization (million barrels per month) 14.4 16.5 Select joint venture pipelines: BridgeTex - volume shipped (million barrels) (1) 18.8 18.9 Saddlehorn - volume shipped (million barrels) (2) 4.0 Marine storage: Marine terminal average utilization (million barrels per month) 23.5 24.0 (1) These volumes reflect the total shipments for the BridgeTex pipeline, which is owned 50% by Magellan. (2) These volumes reflect the total shipments for the Saddlehorn pipeline, which is owned 40% by Magellan and began operations in September 2016. MAGELLAN MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, L.P. OPERATING MARGIN RECONCILIATION TO OPERATING PROFIT (Unaudited, in thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 2017 Refined products: Transportation and terminals revenue $ 224,750 $ 241,905 Affiliate management fee revenue 80 329 Earnings (losses) of non-controlled entities (42) 111 Less: Operating expenses 85,774 93,533 Transportation and terminals margin 139,014 148,812 Product sales revenue(1) 143,916 240,170 Less: Cost of product sales(1) 111,856 167,681 Product margin 32,060 72,489 Operating margin $ 171,074 $ 221,301 Crude oil: Transportation and terminals revenue $ 101,728 $ 105,053 Affiliate management fee revenue 2,784 3,134 Earnings of non-controlled entities 16,979 20,650 Less: Operating expenses 21,126 27,418 Transportation and terminals margin 100,365 101,419 Product sales revenue(1) 1,743 3,103 Less: Cost of product sales(1) 1,345 2,577 Product margin 398 526 Operating margin $ 100,763 $ 101,945 Marine storage: Transportation and terminals revenue $ 43,597 $ 46,407 Affiliate management fee revenue 315 320 Earnings of non-controlled entities 691 685 Less: Operating expenses 17,205 12,655 Transportation and terminals margin 27,398 34,757 Product sales revenue(1) 903 2,347 Less: Cost of product sales(1) 384 2,618 Product margin 519 (271) Operating margin $ 27,917 $ 34,486 Segment operating margin $ 299,754 $ 357,732 Add: Allocated corporate depreciation costs 1,192 1,320 Total operating margin 300,946 359,052 Less: Depreciation and amortization expense 43,754 47,298 General and administrative expense 40,676 40,281 Total operating profit $ 216,516 $ 271,473 Note: Amounts may not sum to figures shown on the consolidated statement of income due to intersegment eliminations and allocated corporate depreciation costs. (1) Includes gains and losses on related exchange-traded futures contracts. MAGELLAN MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, L.P. RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME AND NET INCOME PER LIMITED PARTNER UNIT EXCLUDING MARK-TO-MARKET COMMODITY-RELATED ADJUSTMENTS TO GAAP MEASURES (Unaudited, in thousands except per unit amounts) Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 Net Income Basic Net Income Per Limited Partner Unit Diluted Net Income Per Limited Partner Unit As reported $ 222,736 $ 0.98 $ 0.98 Unrealized derivative (gains) losses associated with future physical product sales (6,705) (0.03) (0.03) Lower-of-cost-or-market adjustments associated with future physical product transactions 2,940 0.01 0.01 Excluding commodity-related adjustments* $ 218,971 $ 0.96 $ 0.96 Weighted average number of limited partner units outstanding used for basic net income per unit calculation 228,109 Weighted average number of limited partner units outstanding used for diluted net income per unit calculation 228,159 * Please see Distributable Cash Flow Reconciliation to Net Income for further descriptions of the commodity-related adjustments. MAGELLAN MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, L.P. DISTRIBUTABLE CASH FLOW RECONCILIATION TO NET INCOME (Unaudited, in thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 2017 Guidance Net income $ 207,070 $ 222,736 $ 855,000 Interest expense, net 37,227 46,723 200,000 Depreciation and amortization 43,754 47,298 202,000 Equity-based incentive compensation (1) (7,726) (9,728) 3,000 Loss on sale and retirement of assets 2,259 3,461 10,000 Gain on exchange of interest in non-controlled entity(2) (26,900) Commodity-related adjustments: Derivative (gains) losses recognized in the period associated with future product transactions (4) (7,954) (6,705) Derivative gains (losses) recognized in previous periods associated with product sales completed in the period (4) 21,701 (20,008) Lower-of-cost-or-market adjustments (5) (1,715) 2,940 Total commodity-related adjustments 12,032 (23,773) (26,000) Cash distributions received from non-controlled entities in excess of earnings 2,416 159 40,000 Other(3) 1,450 3,000 Adjusted EBITDA 270,132 288,326 1,287,000 Interest expense, net, excluding debt issuance cost amortization (36,513) (45,897) (197,000) Maintenance capital (6) (28,282) (14,829) (90,000) Distributable cash flow $ 205,337 $ 227,600 $ 1,000,000 (1) Because the partnership intends to satisfy vesting of units under its equity-based incentive compensation plan with the issuance of limited partner units, expenses related to this plan generally are deemed non-cash and added back for DCF purposes. Total equity-based incentive compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2017 was $6.7 million and $4.2 million, respectively. However, the figures above include adjustments of $14.4 million and $13.9 million in 2016 and 2017, respectively, for cash payments associated with its equity-based incentive compensation plan, which primarily include tax withholdings. (2) In February 2016, the partnership transferred its 50% membership interest in Osage Pipe Line Company, LLC ("Osage") to an affiliate of HollyFrontier Corporation ("HFC"). In conjunction with this transaction, the partnership entered into several commercial agreements with affiliates of HFC, which were recorded as intangible assets and other receivables in its consolidated balance sheets. The partnership recorded a $26.9 million non-cash gain in relation to this transaction. (3) In conjunction with the February 2016 Osage transaction, HFC agreed to make certain payments to the partnership until HFC completes a connection to the partnership's El Paso terminal. These payments replace distributions the partnership would have received had the Osage transaction not occurred and are, therefore, included in the partnership's calculation of DCF. (4) Certain derivatives the partnership uses as economic hedges have not been designated as hedges for accounting purposes and the mark-to-market changes of these derivatives are recognized currently in earnings. In addition, the partnership has designated certain derivatives used to hedge its crude oil tank bottoms as fair value hedges, and the change in the differential between the current spot price and forward price on these hedges is recognized currently in earnings. The partnership excludes the net impact of both of these adjustments from its determination of DCF until the hedged products are physically sold. In the period in which these products are physically sold, the net impact of the associated hedges is included in the partnership's determination of DCF. (5) The partnership adds the amount of lower-of-cost-or-market ("LCM") adjustments on inventory and firm purchase commitments recognized in each applicable period to determine DCF as these are non-cash charges against income. In subsequent periods when the partnership physically sells or purchases the related products, it deducts the LCM adjustments previously recognized to determine DCF. (6) Maintenance capital expenditure projects maintain the partnership's existing assets and do not generate incremental DCF (i.e. incremental returns to the partnership's unitholders). For this reason, the partnership deducts maintenance capital expenditures to determine DCF. SOURCE Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Related Links http://www.magellanlp.com HONOLULU, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Matson, Inc. ("Matson" or the "Company") (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, today reported net income of $7.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 was $18.1 million, or $0.41 per diluted share. Consolidated revenue for the first quarter 2017 was $474.4 million compared with $454.2 million reported for the first quarter 2016. Matt Cox, Matson's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Matson's ocean transportation businesses performed largely as expected in the first quarter, declining year-over-year primarily due to the timing of fuel surcharge collections, lower volume in Hawaii and Alaska, and higher vessel operating expenses related to the deployment of an additional vessel in Hawaii. The results of Matson's logistics business came in lower than expected due to market softness in both transportation brokerage and freight forwarding services." Mr. Cox added, "For the balance of 2017, we continue to expect modest improvement in each of our core tradelanes with the exception of Guam where we expect further competitive losses due to the launch of a competitor's weekly service in December 2016. As a result, we are affirming our 2017 outlook for operating income and EBITDA. We continue to expect operating income to be lower than it was in 2016 and EBITDA to approximate the level achieved in 2016." First Quarter 2017 Discussion and 2017 Outlook Ocean Transportation: The Hawaii trade experienced modest westbound market growth in the first quarter 2017, but as expected, the Company's container volume was lower than the first quarter 2016, which benefitted from volume gains associated with a competitor's service reconfiguration and related issues. The Company expects continued modest market growth in 2017 supported by the general Hawaii economy, the level of construction activity, and a stable market position. As a result, for the full year 2017, the Company expects its Hawaii container volume to approximate the level achieved in 2016. In China, the Company's container volume in the first quarter 2017 was 23.4 percent higher year-over-year due to stronger demand for Matson's expedited service and an additional sailing. The Company continued to realize a sizeable rate premium in the first quarter 2017 and achieved average freight rates modestly higher than the first quarter 2016. In 2017, the Company expects continued strong demand for our highly differentiated expedited service amid a chronically over-supplied international container shipping market. In Guam, as expected, the Company's container volume in the first quarter 2017 was lower on a year-over-year basis, the result of competitive losses to a U.S. flagged containership service that increased its service frequency to weekly in December 2016. For the full year 2017, the Company continues to expect a heightened competitive environment and lower volume. In Alaska, the Company's container volume for the first quarter 2017 was 4.2 percent lower year-over-year, primarily the result of the continued energy sector related economic contraction. For the full year 2017, the Company continues to expect modestly lower volume based on declining northbound freight due to ongoing contraction of Alaska's energy-based economy, partially offset by improved southbound seafood volume. In addition, with the installation of exhaust gas scrubbers on its three diesel vessels serving Alaska now complete, the Company does not expect to regularly deploy its less efficient steamship reserve vessel in 2017, resulting in lower expected vessel operating and dry-dock relief expenses. As a result, the Company expects Ocean Transportation operating income in 2017 to be lower than the $141.3 million achieved in 2016. In the second quarter 2017, the Company expects Ocean Transportation operating income to approximate the $33.9 million achieved in the second quarter 2016. Logistics: In the first quarter 2017, operating income for the Company's Logistics segment included a full quarter of freight forwarding operating results from its acquired Span Alaska business. However, operating results of the Company's transportation brokerage business were lower year-over-year in the first quarter 2017, as operating margins were compressed by excess capacity and a more competitive pricing environment. For the full year 2017, the Company expects Logistics operating income to be approximately $20 million, up significantly from the 2016 level of $11.9 million, primarily due to the inclusion of Span Alaska's freight forwarding business for a full year. In the second quarter 2017, the Company expects Logistics operating income to be approximately double the $2.2 million achieved in the second quarter 2016. Depreciation and Amortization: For the full year 2017, the Company expects depreciation and amortization expense to increase by approximately $15 million to $150 million, inclusive of dry-docking amortization of approximately $50 million, primarily due to the higher levels of maintenance capital and vessel dry-docking expenditures in 2016 and planned for 2017. EBITDA: The Company expects full year 2017 EBITDA to approximate the $288.6 million achieved in 2016. Interest Expense: The Company expects interest expense for the full year 2017 to be approximately $25 million. Income Tax Expense: In the first quarter 2017, the Company's effective tax rate was 30.7 percent. For the full year 2017, the Company expects its effective tax rate to be approximately 39 percent. Capital and Vessel Dry-docking Expenditures: In the first quarter 2017, the Company made maintenance capital expenditure payments of $22.9 million, capitalized vessel construction expenditures of $1.3 million, and dry-docking payments of $15.1 million. For the full year 2017, the Company expects to make maintenance capital expenditure payments of approximately $50 million, capitalized vessel construction expenditures of approximately $210 million, and dry-docking payments of approximately $60 million. Results By Segment Ocean Transportation Three months ended March 31, 2017 compared with 2016 Three Months Ended March 31, (Dollars in millions) 2017 2016 Change Ocean Transportation revenue $ 370.0 $ 366.1 $ 3.9 1.1 % Operating costs and expenses (355.5) (333.1) (22.4) 6.7 % Operating income $ 14.5 $ 33.0 $ (18.5) (56.1) % Operating income margin 3.9 % 9.0 % Volume (Forty-foot equivalent units (FEU) except for automobiles) (1) Hawaii containers 36,400 38,500 (2,100) (5.5) % Hawaii automobiles 13,800 17,300 (3,500) (20.2) % Alaska containers 15,800 16,500 (700) (4.2) % China containers 15,300 12,400 2,900 23.4 % Guam containers 5,400 5,800 (400) (6.9) % Micronesia/South Pacific containers 2,100 2,100 % _______________________________ (1) Approximate volumes included for the period are based on the voyage departure date, but revenue and operating income are adjusted to reflect the percentage of revenue and operating income earned during the reporting period for voyages in transit at the end of each reporting period. Ocean Transportation revenue increased $3.9 million, or 1.1 percent, during the first quarter 2017 compared with the first quarter 2016. This increase was primarily due to higher container volume in China and higher average freight rates across the Company's core tradelanes, mostly offset by lower volume in Hawaii, Guam and Alaska. On a year-over-year FEU basis, Hawaii container volume decreased by 5.5 percent primarily due to the absence of competitive volume gains in the prior year; Alaska volume decreased by 4.2 percent attributable to the continued energy sector related economic contraction; China volume was 23.4 percent higher due to stronger demand for the Company's expedited service and an additional sailing during the first quarter 2017; and Guam volume was 6.9 percent lower due to competitive losses. Ocean Transportation operating income decreased $18.5 million, or 56.1 percent, during the first quarter 2017 compared with the first quarter 2016. The decrease was primarily due to the unfavorable timing of fuel surcharge collections, lower container volume in Hawaii and Alaska, higher vessel operating expenses related to the deployment of an additional vessel in Hawaii, and higher vessel dry-docking amortization expense. Partially offsetting these unfavorable year-over-year comparisons was higher container volume in China. The Company's SSAT terminal joint venture investment contributed $4.9 million during the first quarter 2017, compared to a $2.6 million contribution in the first quarter 2016. The increase was primarily attributable to improved lift volume. Logistics Three months ended March 31, 2017 compared with 2016 Three Months Ended March 31, (Dollars in millions) 2017 2016 Change Logistics Revenue (1) $ 104.4 $ 88.1 $ 16.3 18.5 % Operating costs and expenses (1) (102.5) (86.5) (16.0) 18.5 % Operating income (1) $ 1.9 $ 1.6 $ 0.3 18.8 % Operating income margin (1) 1.8 % 1.8 % _______________________ (1) Logistics operating results include Span Alaska operating results from the date of acquisition on August 4, 2016. Logistics revenue increased $16.3 million, or 18.5 percent, during the first quarter 2017 compared with the first quarter 2016. This increase was primarily due to the inclusion of freight forwarding revenue from the acquired Span Alaska business and higher fuel surcharge revenue in transportation brokerage services. Logistics operating income increased $0.3 million during the first quarter 2017 compared with the first quarter 2016. The increase was primarily due to the inclusion of freight forwarding operating results attributable to the acquired Span Alaska business, largely offset by lower domestic intermodal and highway brokerage yields. Liquidity, Cash Flows and Capital Allocation Matson's Cash and Cash Equivalents increased by $5.6 million to $19.5 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Matson generated net cash from operating activities of $4.0 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2017, compared to $19.8 million in the first quarter 2016. Capital expenditures for the first quarter 2017 totaled $24.2 million compared with $30.6 million in the first quarter 2016. Total debt increased by $41.4 million during the first quarter to $780.3 million as of March 31, 2017, of which $748.7 million was long-term debt. For twelve months ended March 31, 2017, Matson's Net Income and EBITDA were $69.4 million and $274.5 million, respectively. The ratio of Matson's Net Debt to last twelve month EBITDA was 2.7 as of March 31, 2017. Subsequent Events On April 27, 2017, Matson's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.19 per share payable on June 1, 2017 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 11, 2017. Teleconference and Webcast A conference call is scheduled today at 4:30 p.m. EDT when Matt Cox, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Joel Wine, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will discuss Matson's first quarter 2017 results. Date of Conference Call: Wednesday, May 3, 2017 Scheduled Time: 4:30 p.m. EDT / 1:30 p.m. PDT / 10:30 a.m. HST Participant Toll Free Dial In #: 1-877-312-5524 International Dial In #: 1-253-237-1144 The conference call will be broadcast live along with a slide presentation on the Company's website at www.matson.com; Investor Relations. A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the call through May 11, 2017 by dialing 1-855-859-2056 or 1-404-537-3406 and using the conference number 3371299. The slides and audio webcast of the conference call will be archived for one full quarter on the Company's Investor Relations page of the Matson website. About the Company Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the economies of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia and select South Pacific islands, and operates a premium, expedited service from China to Southern California. The Company's fleet of 22 owned vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson's transportation network throughout the continental U.S. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, and less-than-container load freight consolidation and forwarding to Alaska. Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com. GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation This press release, the Form 8-K and the information to be discussed in the conference call include non-GAAP measures. While Matson reports financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), the Company also considers other non-GAAP measures to evaluate performance, make day-to-day operating decisions, help investors understand our ability to incur and service debt and to make capital expenditures, and to understand period-over-period operating results separate and apart from items that may, or could, have a disproportional positive or negative impact on results in any particular period. These non-GAAP measures include, but are not limited to, Earnings Before Interest, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") and Net Debt/EBITDA. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation those statements regarding earnings, operating income, profitability and cash flow expectations, fleet renewal progress, fleet deployments, economic effects of competitors' services, expenses, rate premiums and market conditions in the China service, trends in volumes, economic growth and construction activity in Hawaii, economic conditions in Alaska, vessel deployments and operating efficiencies, and effective tax rates. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties relating to regional, national and international economic conditions; new or increased competition or improvements in competitors' service levels; fuel prices and our ability to collect fuel surcharges; our relationship with vendors, customers and partners and changes in related agreements; the actions of our competitors; our ability to offer a differentiated service in China for which customers are willing to pay a significant premium; the imposition of tariffs or a change in international trade policies; the ability of the shipyards to construct and deliver the Aloha Class and Kanaloa Class vessels on the contemplated timeframes; any unanticipated dry-dock expenses; consummating and integrating acquisitions; changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; competition and growth rates within the logistics industry; freight levels and increasing costs and availability of truck capacity or alternative means of transporting freight; changes in relationships with existing truck, rail, ocean and air carriers; changes in customer base due to possible consolidation among customers; conditions in the financial markets; changes in our credit profile and our future financial performance; our ability to obtain future debt financings; continuation of the Title XI and CCF programs; the timing, amount and manner of share repurchases and the ability to return capital to shareholders through the share repurchase program; the impact of future and pending legislation, including environmental legislation; government regulations and investigations; repeal, substantial amendment or waiver of the Jones Act or its application, or our failure to maintain our status as a United States citizen under the Jones Act; relations with our unions; satisfactory negotiation and renewal of expired collective bargaining agreements without significant disruption to Matson's operations; and the occurrence of marine accidents, poor weather or natural disasters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC through the date of this release, which identify important factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this release. We do not undertake any obligation to update our forward-looking statements. MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, (In millions, except per-share amounts) 2017 2016 Operating Revenue: Ocean Transportation $ 370.0 $ 366.1 Logistics 104.4 88.1 Total Operating Revenue 474.4 454.2 Costs and Expenses: Operating costs (412.2) (376.4) Equity in income of related party Terminal Joint Venture 4.9 2.6 Selling, general and administrative (50.7) (45.8) Total Costs and Expenses (458.0) (419.6) Operating Income 16.4 34.6 Interest expense (6.3) (4.9) Income before Income Taxes 10.1 29.7 Income tax expense (3.1) (11.6) Net Income $ 7.0 $ 18.1 Basic Earnings Per-Share: $ 0.16 $ 0.42 Diluted Earnings Per-Share: $ 0.16 $ 0.41 Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding: Basic 43.0 43.4 Diluted 43.4 43.8 Cash Dividends Per-Share $ 0.19 $ 0.18 MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, (In millions) 2017 2016 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 19.5 $ 13.9 Other current assets 268.0 260.3 Total current assets 287.5 274.2 Long-term Assets: Investment in related party Terminal Joint Venture 87.3 82.4 Property and equipment, net 950.8 949.2 Goodwill 323.7 323.7 Intangible assets, net 233.7 236.6 Capital Construction Fund - cash on deposit 31.2 31.2 Other long-term assets 120.2 118.2 Total long-term assets 1,746.9 1,741.3 Total assets $ 2,034.4 $ 2,015.5 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities: Current portion of debt $ 31.6 $ 31.8 Other current liabilities 229.7 247.4 Total current liabilities 261.3 279.2 Long-term Liabilities: Long-term debt 748.7 707.1 Deferred income taxes 352.2 348.8 Other long-term liabilities 206.1 208.9 Total long-term liabilities 1,307.0 1,264.8 Total shareholders' equity 466.1 471.5 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 2,034.4 $ 2,015.5 MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In millions) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Cash Flows From Operating Activities: Net income $ 7.0 $ 18.1 Reconciling adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 24.6 23.8 Deferred income taxes 2.9 3.0 Share-based compensation expense 2.6 2.8 Equity in income of related party Terminal Joint Venture (4.9) (2.6) Other (2.6) (1.6) Changes in assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable, net (8.4) 2.6 Deferred dry-docking payments (15.1) (13.2) Deferred dry-docking amortization 11.5 8.1 Prepaid expenses and other assets (1.1) 7.7 Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities (13.3) (29.3) Other long-term liabilities 0.8 0.4 Net cash provided by operating activities 4.0 19.8 Cash Flows From Investing Activities: Capital expenditures (22.9) (30.6) Capitalized vessel construction expenditures (1.3) Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment 0.5 Cash deposits into Capital Construction Fund (12.5) Net cash used in investing activities (24.2) (42.6) Cash Flows From Financing Activities: Repayments of debt and capital leases (2.6) (2.7) Proceeds from revolving credit facility 100.0 97.0 Repayments of revolving credit facility (56.0) (43.0) Proceeds from issuance of capital stock 0.4 0.8 Dividends paid (8.3) (7.9) Repurchase of Matson common stock (0.7) (20.8) Tax withholding related to net share settlements of restricted stock units (7.1) (6.1) Other 0.1 0.1 Net cash provided by financing activities 25.8 17.4 Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents 5.6 (5.4) Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of the Period 13.9 25.5 Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of the Period $ 19.5 $ 20.1 Supplemental Cash Flow Information: Interest paid, net of capitalized interest $ 6.5 $ 4.2 Income tax paid (refund) $ 0.4 $ (0.1) Non-cash Information: Capital expenditures included in accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities $ 2.4 $ 2.1 MATSON, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Net Debt to EBITDA and EBITDA Reconciliations (Unaudited) NET DEBT RECONCILIATION March 31, (In millions) 2017 Total Debt: $ 780.3 Less: Cash and cash equivalents (19.5) Capital Construction Fund - cash on deposit (31.2) Net Debt $ 729.6 EBITDA RECONCILIATION Three Months Ended March 31, Last Twelve (In millions) 2017 2016 Change Months Net Income $ 7.0 $ 18.1 $ (11.1) $ 69.4 Add: Income tax expense 3.1 11.6 (8.5) 40.1 Add: Interest expense 6.3 4.9 1.4 25.5 Add: Depreciation and amortization 24.4 23.7 0.7 97.2 Add: Dry-dock amortization 11.5 8.1 3.4 42.3 EBITDA (1) $ 52.3 $ 66.4 $ (14.1) $ 274.5 _________________________ (1) EBITDA is defined as the sum of net income, less income or loss from discontinued operations, plus income tax expense, interest expense and depreciation and amortization (including deferred dry-docking amortization). EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income (as determined in accordance with GAAP), as an indicator of our operating performance, or to cash flows from operating activities (as determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of liquidity. Our calculation of EBITDA may not be comparable to EBITDA as calculated by other companies, nor is this calculation identical to the EBITDA used by our lenders to determine financial covenant compliance. Investor Relations inquiries: Media inquiries: Jerome Holland Keoni Wagner Matson, Inc. Matson, Inc. 510.628.4021 510.628.4534 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Matson, Inc. Related Links http://matson.com Event features industry leaders from the agriculture, protein, food, fertilizer, retail distribution, restaurant and supermarket sectors Former U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman will speak NEW YORK and TORONTO, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - BMO Capital Markets will host its 12th Annual Farm to Market Conference from May 17-18, at the Grand Hyatt New York, in New York City. The conference brings together industry leaders in the agriculture, food retail, restaurant and farm input sectors, as well as global institutional investors in these industries. Former U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman will lead a keynote presentation on Thursday, May 18, on the impact of trade on the food and agriculture industry. Company presentations begin on Wednesday, May 17, during which senior executives from more than 90 leading agriculture, fertilizer, food, beverage, restaurant and retail companies will discuss leading industry trends. Company participants include: Agrium (AGU) Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Bunge (BG) CF Industries (CF) Denny's (DENN) Ingredion (INGR) Noodles & Company (NDLS) Pilgrims' Pride (PPC) Potash Corp. (POT) Snyder's Lance (LNCE) Lance (LNCE) SunOpta (STKL) Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) Sysco (SYY) Tyson Foods (TSN) Media Registration: Journalists who wish to attend the conference in person can register directly by clicking here. For those who wish to access portions of the conference that are webcast, please click here. About BMO Financial Group Established in 1817, and currently marking its 200th year of operations, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of $692 billion as of January 31, 2017, and more than 45,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets. Media Contacts: Mallory Micetich, New York (212)-499-5808 [email protected] Internet: www.bmo.com Twitter: @BMOMedia SOURCE BMO Financial Group Related Links http://www.bmo.com PHILADELPHIA, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This Sunday, HempStaff will hold two four-hour professional training courses for potential medical marijuana dispensary workers, also known as Budtenders. This course teaches participants about cannabis, cannabis products and Pennsylvania's Medical Marijuana laws and regulations, in addition to helping students create their resume, geared toward the cannabis industry, to increase their chances of getting those coveted medical marijuana dispensary interviews. Get the knowledge needed to start working in a Medical Marijuana Dispensary. HempStaff, a medical marijuana staffing and training agency, is hosting a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Agent Training Classes in Philadelphia this Sunday, May 7th. The class will be at the Doubletree Philadelphia Airport located at 4509 Island Avenue. There are 2 classes to select from: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $249 with advance online registration or $300 cash at the door, if seats are available. Click here for more information on HempStaff's Budtender Training. In a 2015 survey, a whopping 84% of the American populace supports the legalization of medical marijuana. The sales of legal marijuana increased in the United States by roughly 17% in 2015, resulting in $5.4 billion total sales. A new economy of cannabis is sprouting. While many traditional business ventures take years to become profitable, almost 90% of dispensaries, recreational marijuana stores, commercial cultivators, and infused products companies report breaking even or making a profit in 2016. The U.S. marijuana industry has created an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 new work positions nationwide. HempStaff has trained and certified more than 2,200 dispensary agents nationwide and continues to hold classes across the United States, with many more slated for 2017. HempStaff is also a recruiting agency; when business owners contract us to find entry-level dispensary or cultivation site workers, students who successfully pass the course are contacted first. HempStaff's course offers participants training about cannabis and cannabis products along with all the information to keep up-to-date with Pennsylvania medical marijuana laws. The course is completed with a certification exam, and HempStaff offers a resume review to help best prepare them for seeking employment. "Great speakers, extremely informative and knew their stuff when it came to answering our questions. Covered a lot of material in a short period of time. I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in a career, or if someone just wants to educate themselves about the benefits and types of medicinal use," said one recent student about their experience with the course. HempStaff provides a number of testimonials on their website from satisfied students who gained knowledge and appreciated the resume assistance in order to find work in the industry. Permit applications for Pennsylvania licenses to grow and dispense medical marijuana were due in by March 20. The state is currently reviewing the more than 500 applications they received, and is expected to announce licenses at the end of June. The first round of licensing in Pennsylvania will award up to 12 cultivation licenses and 27 dispensary licenses, with each dispensary license allowed to open up to 3 locations. For more information about the upcoming training and to register, visit HempStaff.com. About HempStaff HempStaff is a marijuana industry recruiting, staffing and training agency specializing in finding management level employees, such as master growers, extractors or dispensary managers. The company is also the industry leader in Marijuana Industry Recruiting and Dispensary Agent Training. For more information, visit HempStaff.com. Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg Related Links HempStaff Training Dates HempStaff This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com. SOURCE HempStaff, LLC Related Links http://HempStaff.com TAMPA, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) announces that Mississippi College has earned accreditation for its School of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International (AACSB) is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide. "AACSB congratulates Mississippi College and dean Marcelo L. Eduardo on earning accreditation," said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "AACSB Accreditation represents the highest achievement for an educational institution that awards business degrees. The entire MC teamincluding the administration, faculty, directors, staff, and studentsare to be commended for their roles in earning accreditation." Synonymous to the highest standards of quality, AACSB Accreditation inspires new ways of thinking within business education globally, and as a result, has been earned by less than five percent of the world's business schools. Today, there are 789 institutions across 53 countries and territories that maintain AACSB Accreditation. Similarly, 186 institutions maintain an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation for their accounting programs. "As Mississippi College nears its 200th year of existence, it is fitting that the reputation for academic excellence that the university has earned and enjoyed over this time is now being further validated by its School of Business and the achievement of AACSB accreditation," said Marcelo L. Eduardo, dean of the Mississippi College School of Business. AACSB-accredited schools have successfully undergone a rigorous review process conducted by their peers in the business education community, ensuring that they have the resources, credentials, and commitment needed to provide students with a first-rate, future-focused business education. During this multi-year process the school focuses on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB's Accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to: strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. "Quality business education is critical to developing the next generation of leaders, and I commend Mississippi College for its dedication, as well as its leadership in the community," said Reid. "Through accreditation, MC has not only met rigorous standards of excellence, but has also made an external commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure that they will continue to innovate and deliver the value promised to their students." AACSB International also announced that Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and the University of Central Oklahoma have earned accreditation in business. About AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB International (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,500 member organizations and more than 785 accredited business schools worldwide. With its global headquarters in Tampa, Florida, USA; Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, AACSB's mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. For more information, visit aacsb.edu. SOURCE AACSB International Related Links http://www.aacsb.edu SYDNEY, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ranked in the top one percent of the world's universities, Monash University has selected the BMC Digital Workplace solution to transform and enhance its business services to staff and students. Looking for the best way to more efficiently provide its students and staff with new and compelling experiences, Monash selected BMC Digital Workplace to address these needs and give the flexibility and scalability to continue to modernise the university workplace. Matt Carmichael, Director of Support Services and Engagement, Monash University, explains that putting staff, or the student - or customer - at the centre of what Monash does is not at the expense of creating efficiencies in administration. "We understood that the only way to enhance university administration was to do things differently. With the majority of our funds going back into teaching and research, we chose to disrupt the order of things in the digital realm, in favour of an entirely new model for IT." With greater visibility of the business services being available to staff and students via BMC Digital Workplace, Monash expects to see improved user experience and perception of IT. In addition to BMC Digital Workplace, the organisation already uses BMC Remedy OnDemand and BMC Discovery, which has helped reduce network service outages, improve security and compliance, and lower infrastructure and management costs for internal systems. "The introduction of the BMC Digital Workplace solution is a logical extension of the successful partnership we already have, which extends back to 2010," Carmichael said. "The implementation of Digital Workplace will free up valuable time and resources for critical IT transformation projects and cut IT-related downtime by connecting staff to IT services via their own device." Chris Gibbs, BMC's Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, adds: "Monash University is a truly progressive institution, as demonstrated by its decision to be the first university to implement the BMC Digital Workplace solution in Australia. Whilst many other education institutions are all on their own transformation journey, Monash University is leading the charge by giving students, teachers and staff greater choice in how they engage with technology." Carmichael adds: "At Monash people choose to engage with functions like HR or finance when it suits them. However, they have to touch technology every day and there is no way they can complete their work without doing so. It underpins everything we do. That means we have to simplify those touch points, automate items where it makes sense to do so and provide self-service solutions anywhere, anytime." The BMC Digital Workplace solution will enable greater mobility for Monash University staff, teachers and students, in a modern service delivery app that is entirely mobile and accessible, accessible from any device. For more information about this story, visit http://www.bmcsoftware.com.au/. About BMC BMC is a global leader in innovative software solutions that enable businesses to transform into digital enterprises for the ultimate competitive advantage. Our Digital Enterprise Management solutions are designed to make digital business fast, seamless, and optimized from mainframe to mobile to cloud and beyond. BMC digital IT transforms 82 percent of the Fortune 500 and serves more than 10,000 customers worldwide. BMC Bring IT to Life BMC, BMC Software, the BMC logo, and the BMC Software logo are the exclusive properties of BMC Software Inc., are registered or pending registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other BMC trademarks, service marks, and logos may be registered or pending registration in the U.S. or in other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2017 BMC Software, Inc. Editorial contact: Bianca Georgiou Howorth, Ogilvy PR Australia D: 02 8281 3833 M: 0438 105 106 [email protected] SOURCE BMC Related Links http://www.bmc.com ARLINGTON, Va., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlington, VA-based consulting firm, Monument Economics Group, expanded operations Monday to New York City. This office is led by valuation and securities expert Cynthia L. Jones who is joining Monument as a Vice President, strengthening the company's diverse portfolio. With more than 20 years of economic consulting expertise, CFA charterholder Cynthia L. Jones has been engaged on securities, capital markets, and commercial litigation matters including valuation and economic damages. She provides expert analyses and opinions in areas including actions brought pursuant to Federal and State securities laws; ERISA litigation; complex business and consumer litigation; shareholder oppression; commercial damages; and mergers and acquisition litigation. President Russell Lamb said the firm opened the New York City office and tapped Ms. Jones to lead it to better serve its clients' economic consulting needs. "It is an excellent opportunity for us as our clients are both nationwide and looking for the types of services Ms. Jones offers. We hope to expand our client base and serve existing clients in a more comprehensive manner with Ms. Jones' extensive financial economic background," Dr. Lamb said. Dr. Lamb said Ms. Jones will bring along a variety of clients in the financial economic space, and he is confident this expansion will lead to increased efficiency and support of all MEG clients, noting, "Ms. Jones' expertise, deep relationships in the economic consulting community, and varied experience make her an excellent fit for Monument." Monument Economics Group is a business and economic consultancy based in Arlington, Virginia, providing expert consulting and strategic advisory services to law firms and corporate and government entities in the United States and internationally. For more information, please visit www.megconsulting.com. SOURCE Monument Economics Group Related Links http://www.megconsulting.com/ GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) announced today that the Board of Directors approved a cash dividend to shareholders. The quarterly cash dividend of nine cents ($0.09) per share of common stock will be payable on June 15, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 26, 2017. About National Bank Holdings Corporation National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high-quality client service and committed to shareholder results. National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of 87 banking centers located in Colorado, the greater Kansas City region and Texas. Through the Company's subsidiary, NBH Bank, it operates under the following brand names: Bank Midwest in Kansas and Missouri, Community Banks of Colorado in Colorado, and Hillcrest Bank in Texas. More information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com. For more information visit: bankmw.com, cobnks.com, hillcrestbank.com or nbhbank.com. Or, follow us on any of our social media sites: Bank Midwest: facebook.com/bankmw, twitter.com/bank_mw, instagram.com/bankmw; Community Banks of Colorado: facebook.com/cobnks, twitter.com/cobnks, instagram.com/cobnks; Hillcrest Bank: facebook.com/hillcrestbank, twitter.com/hillcrest_bank; NBH Bank: twitter.com/nbhbank; or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "can," "would," "should," "could," "may," "predict," "seek," "potential," "will," "estimate," "target," "plan," "project," "continuing," "ongoing," "expect," "intend" or similar expressions that relate to the Company's strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve certain important risks, uncertainties and other factors, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the "Risk Factors" referenced in the Company's most recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in our reports and documents filed with the SEC. The Company can give no assurance that any goal or plan or expectation set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not intend, and assumes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE National Bank Holdings Corporation Related Links http://www.nationalbankholdings.com MCLEAN, Va., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aireon announced that NAV CANADA has completed a successful flight test of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology. The test was conducted to collect ADS-B data used for validating Aireon's satellite aircraft surveillance and tracking service. The NAV CANADA flight occurred on March 7, 2017 and utilized a specially equipped Bombardier aircraft with both top and bottom mounted 125 watt ADS-B antennas. It was the first of two scheduled flight tests by the Canadian Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP). Additional flight tests were done by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Polaris Flight Systems. During the flight test, 6,935 ADS-B messages were received and decoded by a single Aireon payload, and after rigorous analysis, were found to exhibit comparable results to that of terrestrial ADS-B stations. Traveling through the Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton Flight Information Regions (FIRs), the flight test was a highly choreographed exercise requiring the aircraft to position itself in the correct airspace while the appropriate Iridium NEXT satellite carrying the Aireon ADS-B receiver was overhead. An additional flight test with the FAA took place on Thursday, March 30, 2017, utilizing the FAA's specially equipped "flying laboratory" Bombardier jet with three Aireon payloads available to receive data. A total of 2,462 ADS-B messages were received and decoded while also exhibiting comparable results to that of terrestrial ADS-B stations. The FAA flight test took place in the Washington and New York FIRs. Aireon also conducted a flight test with Polaris Flight Systems, a private vendor, on March 20, 2017. The aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, was outfitted with a top and bottom mounted 200 watt ADS-B antenna and flew solely through the Albuquerque FIR, where more than 1,050 ADS-B messages were received from two Aireon payloads during the flight. "The flight tests coordinated with NAV CANADA, the FAA, and Polaris Flight Systems have been remarkable successes and further enable our team to thoroughly validate the capabilities of our system," said Vinny Capezzuto, chief technology officer and vice president, engineering at Aireon. "Through multiple flight information regions, with various levels of aircraft traffic, these tests were able to put our system through some challenging environments, and the data we've received is incredibly strong." "NAV CANADA is excited to play such an important role in helping to bring the next-generation of air traffic surveillance and aircraft tracking to the world," said Rudy Kellar, executive vice president, service delivery at NAV CANADA. "Aireon will fundamentally change the way the world flies, increasing safety, efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The benefits will find their way right down to the individual traveler who will benefit from more predictable flight times and more efficient airport ground operations." Aireon's space-based ADS-B system will be operational in 2018, providing ANSPs with global air traffic surveillance and airlines with real-time flight tracking. The first ten Iridium NEXT satellites carrying the Aireon hosted-payloads were launched into low-Earth-orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 14, 2017. Seven additional SpaceX launches are scheduled to take place over the next 12 to 15 months, including the second launch targeted for June of 2017. In total, the operational constellation will consist of 66 satellites, with an additional nine serving as on-orbit spares. About Aireon LLC Aireon is deploying a global, space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system capable of surveilling and tracking ADS-B equipped aircraft around the globe in real-time. The system will be used to provide ADS-B coverage that will span oceanic, polar and remote regions, where current surveillance systems are limited to line-of-site and densely populated areas. Aireon will harness the best of aviation surveillance advancements already underway and extend them globally in order to significantly improve efficiency, expand safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings to aviation stakeholders. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, NAV CANADA, ENAV, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon is developing an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system expected to be available by 2018. For more information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com. PRESS CONTACTS: Jessie Hillenbrand Aireon +1 (703) 287-7452 [email protected] SOURCE Aireon Related Links http://www.aireon.com VANCOUVER, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX:NSU) (NYSE MKT:NSU) (the "Company" or "Nevsun") is pleased to announce the results of voting at its annual general meeting of shareholders which was held on May 3, 2017, in Vancouver, British Columbia (the "Meeting"). A total of 69% of outstanding shares were voted at the Meeting which showed a high participation of shareholders and evidenced strong support for the election of its nominees as directors and for Nevsun's approach to executive compensation. Election of Directors The eight nominees for director listed in Nevsun's management proxy circular were elected as set out in the following table: Director Votes For % R. Stuart Angus 164,019,377 93 Ian R. Ashby 171,967,488 97 Geoffrey Chater 168,726,678 95 Clifford T. Davis 171,841,039 97 Anne E. Giardini 175,702,208 99 Ian W. Pearce 174,028,087 98 Stephen V. Scott 160,740,832 91 David S. Smith 175,422,540 99 Appointment of Auditors KPMG LLP was appointed as auditors of the Company and the directors of the Company were authorized to fix the remuneration of the auditors by a 95% majority of the votes cast. Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation Nevsun's approach to executive compensation (say on pay) was accepted by a 90% majority of the votes cast at the Meeting and shows its shareholders are confident in Nevsun's approach to executive compensation. The Company also received valuable input from shareholders as part of the process. The primary objective of the Company's compensation program, including the executive compensation program, is to attract and retain qualified employees that fit in with the Nevsun corporate culture in order to achieve its corporate objectives and increase shareholder value and to promote greater alignment of interests between its executive officers and shareholders. Confirmation, Ratification and Continuation of the Company's Shareholder Rights Plan The shareholder rights plan of the Company (the "Rights Plan") was approved, ratified and confirmed by a 66% majority of the votes cast. The purpose of the Rights Plan is to encourage the fair treatment of shareholders in connection with any take-over bid for the Company, assuring adequate time to shareholders and the board of directors of the Company to assess a take-over bid and consider any alternatives to promote fairness and maximize shareholder value. About Nevsun Resources Ltd. Nevsun Resources Ltd. is the 100% owner of the high-grade copper-gold Timok Upper Zone in Serbia and 60% owner of the high-grade copper-zinc Bisha Mine in Eritrea. Nevsun is well positioned with a strong debt-free balance sheet to grow shareholder value through advancing the Timok project to production. NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD. "Cliff T. Davis" Cliff T. Davis President & Chief Executive Officer SOURCE Nevsun Resources Ltd. WASHINGTON, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Clinical Trials Awareness Week, the Alliance for Aging Research (Alliance) has released a new animated "pocket film," Pay it Forward: Volunteering for a Clinical Trial, to encourage clinical trial volunteerism. The five-minute film explains what clinical trials are, their science and methodology, the benefits of participation, and how to learn about trial availability. A vital part of medical research, clinical trials are studies involving people that evaluate the effects of an experimental test or treatment. Clinical trials cannot happen without volunteer participation. However, clinical trials overall are significantly under-enrolled: 37 percent of trial sites fail to meet their enrollment goals; 11 percent never enroll a single patient. Under-enrollment is especially significant among older adults, who are those most disproportionately impacted by chronic disease. For example, even though over half of all cancers are diagnosed in people ages 65 and older, 25 percent of cancer-focused clinical trial enrollees are from that age group. This vast under-enrollment of older adults is due to many factors, including a high likelihood of comorbidity exclusion, perceived financial issues, transportation barriers, and a fear of the science and the system. Also, a lack of awareness about what clinical trials are and how they work plays a large role. In a 2003 survey of cancer clinical trials, 40 percent of surveyed adults said that they did not understand clinical trials. However, after they had a better understanding of them, 32 percent said that they would consider participating. "We take for granted that many of the successful treatments we have today for heart disease, cancer, infections, and other conditions did not exist 20 to 30 years ago. Those breakthroughs came about because people in previous generations volunteered in clinical trials," says Susan Peschin, MHS, Alliance president and CEO. "It should be incumbent upon all health care providers to dialogue with patients about available clinical trials. But until that happens, we encourage themalong with research centers, disease advocacy organizations, patients, and family caregiversto use this film as a bridge to start the conversation." The film features easy-to-understand language that educates patients and caregivers about the importance of clinical trials. It offers care providers a time-saving tool for tackling basic questions and misconceptions patients have about clinical trials. It is ideal for displaying on waiting room monitors, smartphones and tablets in the clinical encounter, and devices and computers at home. The film is available online and for free download. The film was made possible through a partnership between the Alliance and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA. Please find more information about the film here. Watch more Alliance "pocket films" here. The Alliance is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the pace of scientific discoveries and their application in order to vastly improve the universal human experience of aging and health. Media Contact: Noel Lloyd Phone: 202.688.1229 Email: [email protected] Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nE-fjmRHKU This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Alliance for Aging Research At more than 800,000 square feet, the two-building complex brings more than 1,000 researchers together with one goal: to discover new medicines for some of the most challenging health issues in the world. The overarching goal for the project was to create an ideal work environment for research, with specific emphasis on increasing the exchange of knowledge and levels of interdisciplinary collaboration. A key factor in developing a highly unique research environment was the creation of a full-scale experimental build-out in nearby vacant shell space to test and develop new organizational and physical models. This resulted in research environments that were applied to this complex as well as to many other existing Novartis research facilities worldwide. In addition, the project accomplished interaction and openness by designing longer, clear span spaces with fewer columns that encumber spaces and block visibility. Specialized functions and tech zones are grouped around core laboratory equipment to further eliminate visual obstacles in the open labs. The custom fume hood design inspired by observation hoods use flash chromatography served by a complex-wide solvent system. "We are proud to have brought our client's vision to be more open, collaborative and flexible to fruition," said Rick Hrycaj, Principal at CannonDesign and project leader. "Our integrated team of expert lab planners, engineers and architects should be commended for a job well done." Editor of Laboratory Design, MaryBeth DiDonna, stated, "Laboratory Design, R&D, and our judging panel are pleased to recognize Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge Campus for our Special Recognition for Innovative Systems award, in recognition of the facility's well-executed, attractive design and its notion of research as a 'cleaner' process." CannonDesign was the architect of record and provided structural and MEP engineering. Other members of the design/building team included Maya Lin Studio in association with Bialosky + Partners, Toshiko Mori Architect, Nitsch Engineering, and Skanska USA Building Inc. More about Lab of the Year Awards Now in its 51st year, the Laboratory of the Year Awards continue to recognize excellence in research laboratory design, planning and construction. Judging for this year's competition took place on March 28, and was conducted by a blue-ribbon panel of laboratory architects, engineers, equipment manufacturers, researchers and the editors of R&D Magazine and Laboratory Design. More about CannonDesign CannonDesign is a global design firm focused on helping clients leverage design to solve challenges and achieve success. Its more than 900 employees in 16 offices partner with clients across a multitude of industries, including healthcare, education, science + technology, corporate/commercial, civic and sports. In 2016, Architect named CannonDesign the #16 architecture firm globally and in 2017, Fast Company named the firm one of the 10 most innovative architecture companies in the world. www.cannondesign.com Media Contact Danielle Forsyth Communications Manager 716.774.3393 SOURCE CannonDesign Related Links http://www.CannonDesign.com PROVO, Utah, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today announced its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per share which will be paid on June 14, 2017, to stockholders of record on May 26, 2017. About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Founded more than 30 years ago, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. develops and distributes innovative consumer products, offering a comprehensive line of premium-quality beauty and wellness solutions. The company builds upon its scientific expertise in both skin care and nutrition to continually develop innovative product brands that include the Nu Skin personal care brand, the Pharmanex nutrition brand, and most recently, the ageLOC anti-aging brand. The ageLOC brand has generated a loyal following for such products as the ageLOC Youth nutritional supplement, the ageLOC Me customized skin care system, as well as the ageLOC TR90 weight management and body shaping system. Nu Skin sells its products through a global network of sales leaders in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Pacific. As a long-standing member of direct selling associations globally, Nu Skin is committed to the industry's consumer guidelines that protect and support those who sell and purchase its products through the direct selling channel. Nu Skin is also traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NUS." More information is available at nuskin.com. SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Related Links http://www.nuskinenterprises.com FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Minnesota's Forest Lake Area Schools and Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools to implement the company's Synergy Student Information System, bringing the total number of Minnesota students supported by Synergy to more than 210,000. Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools is the state's fourth largest district, with more than 27,000 PreK-12 students. Forest Lake Area Schools serves over 6,000 students from 12 communities. Located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, both districts are members of the state's Technology and Information Educational Services (TIES), a technology solution collaborative owned by 48 member districts, serving more than 400 schools and about 40% of Minnesota's students. In 2015, TIES became Edupoint's second certified marketing and technology and support partner for the State of Minnesota, joining long-time Synergy business partner Region 1, based in Moorhead. "We were using the TIES student information system that is now sunsetting," said Tim Brockman, Supervisor of Information Systems for Forest Lake Area Schools. "When TIES chose Synergy as the replacement system, we decided to do our own analysis to be sure we agreed with that selection. We compared Synergy to two other major student information systems, Infinite Campus and Skyward, and our committee selected Synergy as the best of the three solutions. We also liked the fact that Edupoint was partnered with TIES, which provides excellent benefits to its member districts. We enjoy working with TIES and appreciated the fact that we would continue to get support from the consortium." As a key technology source for its member districts, TIES provides software systems, professional development, technology integration training for teachers, transportation outsourcing, technical consulting, hardware and software support, and ISP services. "Synergy's growth in Minnesota reflects the need of K-12 districts for an education platform that provides a modern user interface and addresses both student information and learning management needs, built on a single, centralized database that eliminates the frustration of integration issues," says Rob Wilson, Edupoint's President and Chief Innovation Officer. "We are pleased with Edupoint's momentum in Minnesota and look forward to continuing our successful partnerships with TIES and Region 1 and to further expansion throughout the state." About Edupoint Educational Systems: For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The fully-integrated Synergy Education Platform includes Synergy SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, and Synergy SE, a comprehensive special education data management system. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than 3.5 million students. Information: http://www.Edupoint.com/. *LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0126-edupoint-300dpi.jpg This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com SOURCE Edupoint Educational Systems Related Links http://www.edupoint.com "We are proud to have Jessica as a Partner in our firm," Nick Bednorz, AXIA Founder and CEO, says. "Without her commitment to the growth of not only our consulting clients but also to the development of our new software, we would not be where we are. Jessica's dedication has helped take AXIA and Comensure to places we could not have imagined." Prior to joining AXIA, Jessica worked at Continental Airlines, Stewart & Stevenson and Deloitte, where she honed her skills and expertise through identifying processes, analyzing areas of potential risk and identifying mitigating controls, and supervising and performing operational process and internal control reviews. Jessica earned a BBA in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M University. She is a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control. She is a member of the Information Systems Audit Control Association, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Institute of Internal Auditors and Women's Energy Network. Jessica may be reached at 713.589.5050 or [email protected]. AXIA Partners is a Houston-based, multinational, business consulting firm that offers a diversity of services in Accounting, Finance, IT and Compliance as well as specialized consultancy in areas such as SEC and IPO Readiness, SOX and Internal Audit. The firm helps mid-market, private and public companies that are growing, in transition and facing strict and demanding deadlines, by providing a tightly integrated team of high performing, accomplished professionals. SOURCE AXIA Partners Related Links http://axiapartners-us.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Sandspring Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SSP; OTCQX: SSPXF), a Canadian junior mining company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Sandspring Resources upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market. Sandspring Resources begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "SSPXF." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com. "Trading on OTCQX will enable Sandspring Resources to build visibility, expand access to its news and financial disclosure and provide a more transparent trading market for its investors," said Jason Paltrowitz, Executive Vice President of OTC Markets Group. "We look forward to supporting Sandspring Resources and its shareholders in the public markets." "Admission to the OTCQX market is part of a long-term strategy to allow for greater exposure, accessibility, and liquidity to a broader international audience" said Rich Munson, Chief Executive Officer of Sandspring Resources. "It provides us with a trading platform for current and future American investors as well as a means of increasing our international visibility." Sandspring Resources Ltd. was sponsored for OTCQX by SecuritiesLawUSA, PC, a qualified 3rd party firm responsible for providing guidance on OTCQX requirements and recommending membership. Sandspring Resources Ltd. is a Canadian junior mining company currently moving toward a definitive feasibility study for the multi-million ounce Toroparu Project in the Guyana, South America. A prefeasibility study completed in May 2013 (NI 43-101 Technical Report, Prefeasibility Study, Toroparu Gold Project, Upper Puruni River Area, Guyana, dated May 24, 2013 completed by SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc., available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) outlined the design of an open-pit mine producing more than 200,000 ounces of gold annually over an initial 16-year mine life. Sandspring and Silver Wheaton have entered into a gold and silver purchase agreement for the Toroparu Project. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market, and the Pink Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com. OTC Link ATS is operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC and SEC regulated ATS. Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected] SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc. Related Links http://www.otcmarkets.com ALAMEDA, Calif., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Penumbra, Inc. (NYSE: PEN), a global healthcare company focused on interventional therapies, today announced that its management team is scheduled to present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Health Care Conference in Las Vegas, NV. Event: Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Health Care Conference Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2017 Time: 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT A webcast of the presentation will be available by visiting the investors section of the company's website at www.penumbrainc.com. The webcast will be available on the company's website for two weeks following the event. About Penumbra Penumbra, Inc., headquartered in Alameda, California, is a global healthcare company focused on interventional therapies. Penumbra designs, develops, manufactures and markets innovative devices and has a broad portfolio of products that addresses challenging medical conditions and significant clinical needs across two major markets, neuro and peripheral vascular. Penumbra sells its products to hospitals primarily through its direct sales organization in the U.S., most of Europe, Canada and Australia, and through distributors in select international markets. Penumbra and the Penumbra logo are trademarks of Penumbra, Inc. Investor Relations Penumbra, Inc. 510-995-2461 [email protected] SOURCE Penumbra, Inc. Related Links http://www.penumbrainc.com DUBLIN, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Perrigo Company plc (NYSE; TASE: PRGO) today announced that search warrants were executed at the Company's corporate offices associated with an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division related to drug pricing in the pharmaceutical industry. As has been previously disclosed by a number of companies, the Antitrust Division has been looking at industry-wide pricing practices. The Company is taking this investigation seriously and is cooperating with the appropriate authorities. About Perrigo Perrigo Company plc, a leading global healthcare company, delivers value to its customers and consumers by providing Quality Affordable Healthcare Products. Founded in 1887 as a packager of home remedies, Perrigo has built a unique business model that is best described as the convergence of a fast-moving consumer goods company, a high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing organization and a world-class supply chain network. Perrigo is the world's largest manufacturer of over-the-counter ("OTC") healthcare products and supplier of infant formulas for the store brand market. The Company also is a leading provider of branded OTC products throughout Europe and the U.S., as well as a leading producer of "extended topical" prescription drugs. Perrigo, headquartered in Ireland, sells its products primarily in North America and Europe, as well as in other markets, including Australia, Israel and China. Visit Perrigo online at (http://www.perrigo.com). Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These statements relate to future events or the Company's future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, including the time, effort and expense to complete the restatement of its financial statements, future impairment charges, the ability to achieve its guidance, the completion of announced acquisitions or dispositions, the ability to execute and achieve the desired benefits of announced initiatives, and the timing, amount and cost of any share repurchases. In addition, the Company may identify and be unable to remediate one or more material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting, may encounter unanticipated material issues or additional adjustments that could delay the completion of the restatement of its financial statements or the filing of required periodic reports with the SEC, or may be unable to regain compliance with the NYSE continued listing rules. Furthermore, the Company and/or its subsidiaries may incur additional tax liabilities in respect of 2016 and prior years as a result of the restatement of the Company's financial statements or may be found to have breached certain provisions of Irish company legislation in respect of prior financial statements and if so may incur additional expenses and penalties. These and other important factors, including those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-KT for the six-month period ended December 31, 2015, as well as the Company's subsequent filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Perrigo Company plc Related Links http://www.perrigo.com KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PetSafe Brand is encouraging pet owners across the country to visit their favorite local dog parks on Saturday, May 6 to celebrate "PetSafe National Dog Park Day." PetSafe Brand's first annual National Dog Park Day will kick off the seventh year of its annual Bark for Your Park campaign. "Spending a few hours a week at a local dog park is a great way for pet parents to socialize their pups and meet like-minded dog owners," said Willie Wallace, CEO of Radio Systems Corporation, parent company of the PetSafe Brand. "Bringing members of communities and their dogs together is the reason we started the Bark for Your Park campaign in 2011, and we're excited to expand the program with the addition of National Dog Park Day each May." In addition to encouraging pet owners to take their pets to beloved local dog parks on National Dog Park Day, PetSafe Brand is sponsoring six official National Dog Park Day celebrations in cities across the country on Saturday, May 6: Tehachapi, California Boston, Massachusetts Epworth, Iowa Fort Gratiot, Michigan Merrimack, NH Knoxville, Tennessee Epworth, Iowa, Fort Gratiot, Michigan and Merrimack, NH will celebrate National Dog Park Day with local dog owners while simultaneously celebrating the grand openings of their new PetSafe dog parks. All three communities were awarded $25,000 to build new dog parks as part of PetSafe Brand's 2015 Bark for Your Park program. In Knoxville, Tennessee, PetSafe Brand will host a National Dog Park Day Celebration from 11:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. at PetSafe Village Dog Park, which is located at the company's headquarters at 10424 PetSafe Way, Knoxville, TN 37932. Members of the community are invited to bring their pups along to enjoy dog-friendly treats, a photo booth, prizes and much more with members of the PetSafe Brand team, retail partners and local pet-friendly vendors. Dog owners who attend a PetSafe National Dog Park Day celebration on Saturday, May 6 are encouraged to share pictures of the event on social media using #DogParkDay for a chance to win over $600 in PetSafe Brand products to turn their yard into a secure area for their pet to play. About Bark for Your Park In 2011, PetSafe Brand developed and launched the nationwide Bark for Your Park campaign with the goal of providing dog parks that community members, civic leaders and pet owners would love, use and support for years to come. To date, PetSafe Brand has helped fund 52 off-leash parks. In 2017, PetSafe Brand will award 25 communities over $250,000 in grants, including five New Park Awards valuing $25,000 each, 10 communities to receive Makeover Awards valuing $10,000 each, and 10 communities to receive Enhancement Awards valuing $5,000 each. Communities can submit a grant application on www.petsafe.net/barkforyourpark. May 1 through June 30, 2017. The chosen communities will be announced in August. Grant recipients will receive a combination of funds as well as commercial grade dog park equipment from UltraSite, a PlayCore Company. About the PetSafe Brand PetSafe Brand is an industry leader in the development of innovative pet behavioral, containment and lifestyle product solutions. PetSafe Brand is owned by Radio Systems Corporation and headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn. For more information, please visit www.petsafe.net or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE PetSafe Brand Related Links http://www.petsafe.net CHICAGO, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Respiratory Compromise Institute (RCI) has recently published a new report titled "Respiratory Compromise as a New Paradigm for the Care of Vulnerable Hospitalized Patients." The RCI Report is published by the American Association for Respiratory Care, and addresses the unmet needs of respiratory compromise from a clinical practice perspective. The Institute was formalized by the National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC) to define respiratory compromise and develop educational and research opportunities to help clinicians address respiratory compromise in clinical and home settings. NAMDRC works closely with the Physician Patient Alliance for Health & Safety to develop many of RCI's communications. The report notes that respiratory compromise is one of the most serious contributing factors to in-hospital patient mortality among common conditions. The team found that the development of in-hospital respiratory failure is associated with mortality rates of nearly 40% - a rate of death "twice as high as myocardial infarction and several times higher than for cancer, stroke, congestive heart failure, and renal failure." The report identifies eight subsets of respiratory compromise that pose a high risk of patient harm, but could be prevented with early detection and intervention. It also recommends detection strategies for these subsets, and suggests that there is an opportunity to update the triggers for rapid response teams to directly address these specific patient populations. The report recommends two key monitoring strategies for patients at risk of respiratory compromise due to impaired control of breathing as a key risk category. This subset is defined as those undergoing procedural/postoperative sedation, sleep apnea, and opioids or respiratory suppressant drugs: Continuous and accurate measurement of gas exchange. The report notes that monitoring of blood oxygenation (typical with pulse oximetry) is fairly routine; however, other monitoring options such as end-tidal capnography, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and transcutaneous PCO2 may detect respiratory compromise earlier. Clinical scales for risk assessment. The report suggests the use of clinical scales to measure consciousness, delirium, pain, and sleep apnea risk in patients. The STOPBang tool, Risk Index for Serious Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression (RIOSORD), and the PCA Safety Checklist are all tools and clinical scales that have been highlighted by PPAHS in the past. The team highlights that neither intermittent spot checks nor continuous electronic monitoring are sufficient in isolation to detect rapid respiratory depression, instead suggesting that a combination of the two be employed to effectively save patients. To read the full report, click here to access the abstract and full monograph on the Respiratory Care Journal. About Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety is a non-profit 501(c)(3) whose mission is to promote safer clinical practices and standards for patients through collaboration among healthcare experts, professionals, scientific researchers, and others, in order to improve healthcare delivery. For more information, please go to www.ppahs.org. SOURCE Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Related Links http://www.ppahs.org HARRISBURG, Pa., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today awarded grants totaling $999,394 to 13 projects intended to enhance the Pennsylvania wine industry and increase production of Pennsylvania-made wines. "Recognizing consumer's interest in buying local and the significant impact that the growing Pennsylvania wine industry has on agriculture and tourism in Pennsylvania, the PLCB has long been supportive of Pennsylvania wineries and winemakers," said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden. "These grants are a new avenue for the PLCB to help Pennsylvania's wine industry grow and flourish." The grant projects, summarized as follows, were recommended for approval by the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Board. They focus on agricultural research ($178,394 for nine projects), wine marketing ($815,000 for three projects), and education ($6,000 for one project). Grant Project Grantee Grant Amount Marketing: Pennsylvania Wine Land marketing and promotions Pennsylvania Winery Association & SWELL, LLC $495,000 Marketing: Pennsylvania Wine Trail Grants to enable promotion and development of individual trails and regions Pennsylvania Winery Association & SWELL, LLC $220,000 Marketing: Pennsylvania Wine Month marketing and promotions Pennsylvania Winery Association & SWELL, LLC $100,000 Research: Effect of maceration parameters on white wine quality made from interspecific hybrid grapes (Vitis ssp.) Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $45,162 Research: Sensory characterization of Riesling wines from different Pennsylvania regions with a trained panel and winemakers Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $40,000 Research: The impact of chemical and sensory wine quality by two different frost avoidance strategies Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $23,300 Research: Does delaying bud burst reduce the risk of frost damage while maintaining grape and wine quality? Comparing the effectiveness of pruning time and Amigo oil application. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $18,558 Research: Defining the effects of meso- and microclimatic factors on rotundone accumulation in Noiret wine grapes Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $15,088 Research: The mechanization of early leaf removal for enhanced adoption into bunch rot control programs in Pennsylvania Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $12,706 Research: Survey for Grapevine Leafroll Viruses in Pennsylvania Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $11,940 Research: Residual decline and efficacy of commonly used insecticides against spotted wing drosophila in Pennsylvania wine grapes Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $6,786 Research: Analysis of invasive insect pests in the Lake Erie region to characterize abundance and seasonal emergence patterns Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences $4,854 Education: 2017 Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Board Symposium Penn State Extension & Pennsylvania Winery Association $6,000 Act 39 of 2016 expanded the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Board and authorized the PLCB to approve up to $1 million annually for wine promotion. The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide and licenses more than 20,000 beverage alcohol producers and retailers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups and licensees. Taxes and store profits totaling $15.1 billion since the agency's inception are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania's schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit www.lcb.state.pa.us. MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Brassell, 717-783-8864 SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Related Links http://www.lcb.state.pa.us PALO ALTO, Calif., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pluribus Networks today announced its selection as a finalist for Interop ITX 2017 Best of Interop Awards in the "Infrastructure" category for the company's Adaptive Cloud Fabric virtualized architecture. The Best of Interop Awards recognize exhibitors who have made significant technological advancements in some of the most important facets of the IT industry in 5 key categories. Award winners will be announced at Interop Las Vegas 2017, which takes place May 15-19, 2017, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. "We are honored to have been selected as a finalist for the 2017 Best of Interop awards," said Steven Shalita, vice president, marketing and business development, at Pluribus Networks. "Our recently announced Adaptive Cloud Fabric architecture is a significant step forward in helping organizations overcome the challenges of achieving cloud-scale for their data center with a simple software-defined architecture. Our strategy is centered around making the network more dynamic, elastic and adaptable to change to better streamline operations, improve efficiency and lower the overall cost of operations." Built on the deployment-proven Netvisor network virtualization software, the Adaptive Cloud Fabric is a simple, dynamic and secure approach to building a holistic distributed network architecture that brings the benefits of cloud-scale, elasticity and adaptability to the modern data center. The Adaptive Cloud Fabric delivers a highly optimized and resilient operating environment to meet the mission-critical requirements of the enterprise. The fabric distributes intelligence, integrates a broad range of advanced network services, and provides pervasive visibility for all traffic traversing the network. "The Best of Interop ITX Awards are an essential facet to our program and we're excited to welcome such a robust range of innovations as this year's finalists," said Meghan Reilly, General Manager, Interop ITX. "The IT industry has experienced, and will continue to experience, rapid change - we'd like to thank these companies for recognizing and acting on those transitions with their valuable contributions. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments as well as announcing winners onsite at our annual event." Pluribus Networks will showcase its comprehensive networking and analytics portfolio including the Adaptive Cloud Fabric, Netvisor OS, and Insight Analytics network monitoring and performance management platform at Interop ITX 2017 in Las Vegas (booth number 528). About Interop ITX: Interop ITX is the industry's most trusted independent Conference focused on Full Stack IT education for technology leaders. The event continues the 30 years Interop has dedicated to providing IT decision makers with a trusted environment to learn, collaborate and uncover new strategies and solutions they need to lead their teams and their businesses through constant change and disruption. Employed by a Conference-first model, Interop ITX offers both breadth and depth of content to a broad IT audience across core areas: Infrastructure, Security, Cloud, Data & Analytics, DevOps, and Leadership & Professional Development. For more information, visit interopitx.com. Interop ITX is organized by UBM plc. UBM is the largest pure-play B2B Events organizer in the world. Our 3,750+ people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors. Our deep knowledge and passion for these sectors allow us to create valuable experiences which enable our customers to succeed. Please visit www.ubm.com for the latest news and information about UBM. About Pluribus Networks Pluribus Networks is simplifying the Software-Defined Data Center with its simple, dynamic and secure Adaptive Cloud Fabric architecture, enabling organizations to build scalable private and public clouds that improve service velocity, performance, and reliability. The company's innovative Netvisor software virtualizes open networking hardware to build a holistic, distributed network that is more intelligent, automated and resilient. The company's Insight Analytics platform leverages embedded telemetry and other data sources to enable pervasive visibility across the network to reveal network and application performance that speeds troubleshooting and improves operational and security intelligence. Pluribus Networks has received venture funding from Temasek Holdings, NEA, Menlo Ventures, and AME Cloud Ventures. Pluribus Networks is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with development and support centers in Bangalore, India; Phoenix, AZ; Dallas, TX; and Hong Kong, PRC. For additional information contact Pluribus Networks at [email protected], or visit www.pluribusnetworks.com. Follow us on Twitter @pluribusnet. For further information, contact: Eli May Method Communications +1 415-849-1306 [email protected] Netvisor is a registered trademark, and Pluribus Networks, the Pluribus logo, Adaptive Cloud Fabric, and Insight Analytics are trademarks of Pluribus Networks, Inc.. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE Pluribus Networks Related Links http://www.pluribusnetworks.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform EXPERT ALERTS The First Amendment Is the Bedrock of American Democracy -- Or Is It? NAFTA and Trump's Calls for Renegotiations President Trump's Tax Reform Proposal United States' Premature Departure From Iraq Created Vacuum Filled by ISIS Premature Departure From Iraq Created Vacuum Filled by ISIS Are Ivanka and Jared Trapped in the Trump Family Business? Ethical and Legal Implications of Artificial Wombs MEDIA JOBS Capital Markets Reporter Debtwire Reporter, Washington Newsletter The Wall Street Journal Reporter The Bond Buyer OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES How to Get Policy News on PR Newswire for Journalists How the AP Fights Fake News Behind the Headlines, With Tim Race ------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERT ALERTS: The First Amendment Is the Bedrock of American Democracy -- Or Is It? James Goodnow Legal & Political Commentator Fennemore Craig, Phoenix Over the weekend, Reince Priebus made headlines by saying on ABC's "This Week" that the White House has "looked at" a Constitutional amendment for the purpose of opening up libel laws. According to Goodnow, Trump's continued flirtation with "relaxing" the First Amendment is the single greatest threat facing our constitutional democracy: "When the leader of the free world continues to try and silence or question the legitimacy of any views that are contrary to his, that's a recipe for chilling free speech or confusing the citizens. And, in the end, we all are hurt because of this." ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/james.goodnow Bio: https://lambergoodnow.com/legalcommentator/ Contact: Terence J. Murnin, [email protected] NAFTA and Trump's Calls for Renegotiations Raj Bhala Associate Dean for International and Comparative Law, Rice Distinguished Professor University of Kansas School of Law Bhala is available to discuss President Trump's calls to renegotiate NAFTA, threats to terminate the agreement and related trade issues: "NAFTA has become a pillar of the American economy and stands as one of the broadest, deepest free-trade agreements in human history. One way to appreciate its significance is to see it in the light of the long, uneasy history of U.S.-Mexican relations and swings in Mexican economy policy through much of the 20th century. Another, 21st century, way to think about NAFTA is to realize that America, Canada and Mexico already spent eight years rewriting and modernizing it it's called TPP. Unilateral threats of withdrawal or demands for renegotiations risk triggering yet more protectionist moves across the globe." Bhala is author of dozens of journal articles and books, including "TPP Objectively: Law, Economics, and National Security of History's Largest, Longest Free Trade Agreement," "Modern GATT Law" and "Understanding Islamic Law (Shari'a)." Contact: Mike Krings, [email protected] President Trump's Tax Reform Proposal Robert Duquette Professor of Practice in Accounting Lehigh University Duquette is available to discuss President Trump's tax reform proposal, as well as the House proposal and the need for tax reform: "President Trump's plan consists of three individual tax brackets: 10 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent; and a doubling of the standard deduction. That would mean, for example, the first $24,000 of a couple's taxable income would be exempt from taxes. The House's version also provides for new, higher combined exemption deductions of $12,000 for singles ($18,000 with children), and $24,000 for couples filing jointly, and consists of three tax rates: 12 percent, 25 percent and 33 percent. Who benefits the most from these plans? The Tax Foundation projects that taxpayers would see an average increase in their after-tax income of between 1 percent and 10 percent in total over 10 years. However, the top 1 percent would benefit the most, with the wealthiest taxpayers seeing an increase in their after-tax income of 5 percent to 20 percent. What is the impact on economic growth and the national debt? A significant part of the cost would be offset by broadening the tax base through elimination of many deductions and credit, loss of business interest deductibility, loss of the domestic manufacturing deduction, and possibly a tax on some type of imports. All independent analyses of the proposals indicate there would probably be trillions of dollars added to the federal debt over the next 10 years. I'm not optimistic of passage of this tax reform in Congress. Even if it does pass, no reputable study has yet suggested it can help mitigate the growth in the national debt from the present $20 million to $30 trillion over the next 10 years." In addition to teaching taxation and accounting, Duquette is a CPA and has worked in tax and audit advising for three decades. Blog: http://cbe.lehigh.edu/blog Bio: http://cbe.lehigh.edu/faculty/accounting/robert-duquette Contact: Amy White, [email protected] United States' Premature Departure From Iraq Created Vacuum Filled by ISIS US Army (Ret.) Col. David Dodd Founder/Director Point 27 Strength for the Fight, Atlanta "I believe we are reaping the fruits of a premature withdrawal from Iraq. We departed the Iraqi government before it was capable of self-government and security for the country. The premature departure created a vacuum which was filled by ISIS." Dodd is available to discuss U.S. Military service, terrorism following 9/11 compared to terrorism today and how the enemy has changed, military veterans' concerns, and faith and fear in the military. His service included as a platoon leader and company executive officer in US Army Battalion assigned to NATO, located in Germany; the 82nd Airborne Division, and the United States Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, N.C.; Army staff in Washington, D.C.; chief operating officer for Defense Information Systems Agency, Pacific; Battalion commands in Afghanistan and Iraq; and served within the Chief of Staff-Army's staff group. After his retirement, Dodd founded Point 27 to share the same scriptures on dog tags and other jewelry that encouraged him during his military service. Last year, Dodd, through Point 27, distributed more than 98,000 Shields of Strength, including Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength, directly to police departments who lost officers in police shootings; Folded Flag Necklaces engraved with scripture for surviving family members of fallen officers; Shields of Strength dog-tag necklaces with Joshua 1:9 to military members, military chaplains and veterans; and Folded Flag Necklaces for Gold Star Families. Website: https://point27.org Contact: Marcia Davis, [email protected] Are Ivanka and Jared Trapped in the Trump Family Business? Dr. Michael A. Klein Psychologist, Consultant MK Insights LLC, Massachusetts "As in any family business, being a family member can be extremely complicated emotionally. Even thinking of a possible exit or significant role change can be overwhelming because of guilt, obligation, fear, and myriad other underlying reasons." Dr. Klein is available to speak to how and why children get trapped in their family businesses and some of the potential emotional issues facing the Trump children. He is author of "Trapped in the Family Business: A practical guide to understanding and managing this hidden dilemma," and is approaching 20 years of experience as a human resources professional and organizational consultant. Website: http://www.trappedinfambiz.com Expert Contact: [email protected] Ethical and Legal Implications of Artificial Wombs Dena S. Davis Presidential Endowed Chair in Health - Humanities/Social Sciences; Professor of Religion Studies; Associate Director of Personnel for Health, Medicine and Society Lehigh University Four scientists have just announced, in Nature Communications, that they have successfully created an artificial womb in which "extremely premature" lambs were nurtured for four weeks, enough to make them ready to meet the world. The goal is to advance this technology until it is available for very premature (23-26 week) human infants. At present, very premature infants have extremely poor prognoses: likely death, or severe disabilities. Four to five weeks would be enough to allow a "very premature infant" to become merely a "premature infant," with a good prognosis. Says Davis: "If successful, this could be a terrific technology. At present, we put preemies into Neonatal Intensive Care Units, which are super stressful for the babies and their families, and the things we do to try to support them very often cause serious damage if the baby does survive. Fetuses, for example, are meant to breathe liquid while in the womb, but if they are born prematurely, all we can do is to force air into their little lungs, often causing permanent lung damage. A calm, soothing environment that mimicked the human uterus would be a wonderful thing. But it does make me wonder: Would this make humans somewhat like marsupials? At present, one is either born or not. A fetus just a day away from delivery is still just a very late-term fetus. And a very premature infant, once it is born and draws breath, is now an infant, legally and ethically a human person. Would this technology create a new, intermediate stage? What are the ethical and legal implications?" Website: http://www.lehigh.edu Contact: Lauren Stralo, [email protected] **************** MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Capital Markets Reporter Debtwire Reporter, Washington Newsletter The Wall Street Journal Reporter The Bond Buyer ***************** OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line. HOW TO GET POLICY NEWS ON PR NEWSWIRE FOR JOURNALISTS. While President Donald Trump continues to spar with news agencies about White House coverage, PR Newswire has a massive collection of releases to help fill out stories. Hundreds of news releases cross the newswire each day, discussing everything from the president's agenda to folks who support his work and others who don't. Read more: http://bit.ly/2oY3eV3 continues to spar with news agencies about White House coverage, PR Newswire has a massive collection of releases to help fill out stories. Hundreds of news releases cross the newswire each day, discussing everything from the president's agenda to folks who support his work and others who don't. Read more: http://bit.ly/2oY3eV3 HOW THE AP FIGHTS FAKE NEWS. Information is everywhere. How is the average news consumer supposed to separate fact from fiction? That's where the Associated Press steps in. The AP has been a paragon of neutrality and fact-based content for 171 years, but only recently has it gotten attention specifically for the work it is doing to rid the world of misinformation, one piece of news at a time. What started as a fact-checking mission to validate information presented by newsmakers has migrated into an organization-wide effort to verify reported or shared news stories that appear to have bad information: http://prn.to/2pldN8B BEHIND THE HEADLINES, WITH TIM RACE. Over the past 27 years, Tim Race became a veteran at the New York Times , serving in a variety of roles, including energy, autos and transportation editor. A few months ago, Race made the jump from journalism to a career in PR. We sat down with Rice to discuss his transition to PR, using the full array of purchased, earned, sponsored and owned media platforms to help clients tell stories, and building your personal brand to work your way up: http://cisn.co/2pl6dee **************** PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. SOURCE ProfNet NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- c21 Student Resources is excited to announce the launch of its Teach-the-Teacher Financial Education Program. This podcast program is designed to help educators master skills they need to facilitate financial literacy education. The program serves the needs of busy educators preparing to use c21's new personal finance and money management curriculum. "They just told her she has to teach financial literacy!" "Financial education is critical," said Susan Mulcaire, a former banking and finance attorney, teacher, and designer of the curriculum. "Financial literacy is among the most relevant, lifelong skills a school can provide." In a recent survey, the National Financial Educators Council asked 2,409 people to select the high school course that would most benefit their life. 54.13% of respondents chose money management over math, science, and social studies combined. "Students are actually motivated to learn these skills!" said Mulcaire. Teachers and students are in rare agreement. In a 2016 survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, 92 percent of K-12 teachers surveyed said they believed financial education should be taught in school. So why are schools and districts slow to incorporate financial education? Mulcaire advises that "the PWC survey also revealed the two reasons why many teachers are reluctant to teach personal finance and money management: they lack competency in these subjects, and they lack curriculum." c21's mission is to provide the reluctant financial educator with both competency and curriculum. "Through our curriculum and audio podcasts, we help educators quickly develop competency in this important subject so they can get into the classroom to teach. The program, The 21st Century Student's Guide to Financial Literacy - Getting Personal, addresses a comprehensive list of personal finance and money management topics. c21 doesn't require teachers to earn a micro-credential or certificate, as some financial education providers do. "Our goal is to make it easy for financial literacy educators to jump in and get started. Everything they need to provide a dynamic 21st century financial literacy learning experience for students -- podcasts, flashcards, slides, and extras, is centrally located at financialliteracylessons.com and easy to use -- for even the most reluctant of financial educators," says Mulcaire. About the Author Susan Mulcaire, a teacher and attorney from Orange County, California, holds degrees from UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University SOL, and a teaching credential. Media Contact: Media/general inquires: Susan Mulcaire P: 949-723-5131 E: [email protected] W: www.financialliteracylessons.com SOURCE c21 Student Resources OTTAWA, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Pythian, a global technology services company that helps businesses adopt disruptive technologies to better compete, announced today that it closed a $15 million mezzanine financing with BDC Capital. "Pythian and BDC Capital have been partners for ten years, and we appreciate their entrepreneurial approach and ongoing enthusiastic support," said Paul Vallee, Pythian's CEO. "These funds will enable us to increase our investment in a number of key growth areas including Cloud, Analytics and further geographic expansion into Europe." "Pythian has exceeded our expectations by multiplying its revenue by ten since our first investment," said Cyril Cochrane, Ottawa Managing Director, Growth & Transition Capital at BDC Capital. "With prestigious international clients and employees based in more than 40 countries, this Canadian company is already making its mark on the worldwide IT services market. In our view, Pythian is well positioned to grow more prominent globally in the coming years." Over the course of the company's history, Pythian has been primarily funded through operating profits. This mezzanine round is only the third round of financing in Pythian's 20-year history, all of them coming from BDC Capital. Proceeds will be used to invest in strategic areas of growth for the company as well as to repurchase shares from some long-term shareholders. In addition to the $15 million, BDC Capital refinanced an existing $5 million facility so that both loans mature at the same time. About Pythian Pythian is a global technology services company that helps businesses compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as advanced analytics, big data, cloud, databases, DevOps and infrastructure management to advance innovation and increase agility. Specializing in designing, implementing, and managing systems that directly contribute to revenue growth and business success, Pythian's highly skilled technical teams work as an integrated extension of our clients' organizations to deliver solutions that enable the strategic use of data, accelerate software delivery, and ensure reliable, scalable IT systems. About BDC Capital With more than $2 billion under management, BDC Capital is the investment arm of BDC, serving as a strategic partner to Canada's most innovative and high-potential firms. It offers a range of equity, venture capital and flexible growth and transition capital solutions to help Canadian entrepreneurs scale their businesses into global champions. To find out more, visit bdc.ca/capital. SOURCE The Pythian Group Inc Related Links http://www.pythian.com OCALA, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college, today announced the expansion of its accelerated entrance options for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree to its Ocala, Fla. campus. The Rasmussen College BSN degree program, which is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE),1 is now available with two accelerated pre-licensure entrance options in Ocala with classes beginning in July. The entrance options are designed for students who are committed to the nursing profession and eager to launch their careers as quickly as possible, as well as help fill a significant need for registered nurses (RNs) with bachelor's degrees in Florida. "We are excited to expand our two accelerated BSN entrance options to Ocalaan area that continues to see increasing healthcare needs, including filling open positions for quality nurses," said Dr. Joan Rich, vice president of the School of Nursing at Rasmussen College. "These options give driven students the opportunity to achieve their BSN degree at an accelerated pace and enter the nursing profession more quickly, while also positively impacting the healthcare needs in Ocala and its surrounding communities. We are proud to be one of the few accelerated BSN program options in northern Florida and currently the only option in Ocala." High Demand for RNs with a Bachelor's Degree in Florida The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends the proportion of working RNs with bachelor's degrees increase to 80 percent by 2020 in order to meet the needs of an aging population and the evolving healthcare system across the U.S. According to labor analytics firm Burning Glass, there have been nearly 38,000 job postings over the past year for RNs with a bachelor's degree in Florida. When compared to the number of job postings just five years agoaround 12,000there has been a 200 percent growth in demand for registered nurses with bachelor's degrees in Florida. "Like much of the state, Ocala and its surrounding communities are seeing a significant need for nurses with bachelor's degrees. Specifically, there have been more than 650 job postings over the past year for RNs with bachelor's degrees in Marion County alone," said Dr. Karen Guty, Rasmussen College Ocala, dean of nursing. "The Rasmussen College BSN degree program will prepare students for leadership roles in the nursing field by providing real-world curriculum taught by experienced nursing faculty as well as hands-on training in our new School of Nursing campus and practicum experiences. Upon graduation, students will also be prepared for the RN licensure exam." Two Accelerated Pre-Licensure BSN Entrance Options Second Degree Entrance Option The Second Degree Entrance Option is a pre-licensure track that may be completed in as few as 18 months.2 Candidates for this option currently hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree and are now looking to complete their BSN. Standard Entrance Option The Standard Entrance Option is a pre-licensure track that may be completed in as few as 33 months.2 Candidates for this option do not currently hold a bachelor's degree. Students who enroll in the BSN program through the Standard Entrance Option are also eligible for the Rasmussen College Flex Choice Credit by Assessment learning option, which allows them to complete some of their general education courses through online, self-directed assessments at a more affordable cost. Post-Licensure BSN Entrance Option RN to BSN Entrance Option Rasmussen College also offers a fully online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) Entrance Option. This post-licensure option is designed for registered nurses who have obtained their RN degree through an associate's degree program (or diploma and/or certificate) and are looking to advance their nursing careers by obtaining a degree from a CCNE-accredited program.1 The RN to BSN entrance option may be completed in as few as 12 months.2 Rasmussen College first launched its accelerated BSN entrance options in Fall 2015. To learn more about the accelerated entrance options for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree now being offered at the Ocala campus, please visit http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing/bachelor-science-nursing-bsn/. 1The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at Rasmussen College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE): One Dupont Circle NW | Suite 530 | Washington, DC 20036 202-887-6791 | www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation. 2Completion time is dependent on transfer credits accepted and courses completed each term. ABOUT RASMUSSEN COLLEGE: Rasmussen College is a regionally accredited private college and Public Benefit Corporation that is dedicated to changing lives and the communities it serves through high-demand and flexible educational programs. Since 1900, the College has been committed to academic innovation and providing a high standard of education while empowering students to pursue a college degree. Rasmussen College offers certificate and diploma programs through associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs online and across its 22 Midwest and Florida campuses. A pioneer in online education, the College is helping lead advancements in innovations such as competency-based education and comprehensive student support services that help working adults advance their careers. The College is also committed to providing a positive impact on society through public service and a variety of community-based initiatives. For more information about Rasmussen College, please visit www.rasmussen.edu. Contact: Molly Andersen Phone: 952-844-5647 Mobile: 903-920-4366 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Rasmussen College Related Links http://www.rasmussen.edu The farm bill is an omnibus piece of legislation that shapes our entire food system, regulating a range of programs from crop insurance to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). The last farm bill was passed in 2014, allocating nearly $500 billion over five years to food, nutrition and agriculture. Yet, none of these funds went toward efforts to ensure that the food produced was actually consumed. Opportunities to Reduce Food Waste in the 2018 Farm Bill focuses on recommendations that provide ways to reduce food waste at its source, help surplus food get to hungry people, and divert food waste from the landfill. "The U.S. simply does not have policies in place to manage food waste and its ramifications. It's time for Congress to demonstrate its leadership by addressing this pervasive national challenge," says Emily Broad Leib, Director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic. "By adopting just some of the measures we suggest, Congress can benefit the American people, the planet, and our economy all at once." Many of the report's recommendations are based on groundbreaking food waste reduction research conducted by ReFED and published in their 2016 report, A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent. Chris Cochran, Executive Director of ReFED, explains, "The U.S. food waste problem is so systemic that it seems overwhelming. Our Roadmap identified implementable steps for reducing food waste across the food system. Opportunities to Reduce Food Waste in the 2018 Farm Bill takes that a step further, locating policy opportunities to incorporate the Roadmap's solutions into the next farm bill." The report presents a range of different solutions, from small modifications that incorporate food waste reduction efforts into established programs, to new initiatives that could catalyze larger-scale food waste action and awareness. "It's not every day that Congress has the chance to support proposals that have such overwhelming public support and will do so much to reform existing food policy," said Willy Ritch, acting Executive Director at Food Policy Action. "Congress can either create an entirely new Food Waste Reduction section of the farm bill to adopt these recommendations or incorporate them into the existing titles in the billeither way this is a great opportunity to significantly reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in this country." Food waste reduction has all the ingredients necessary to become a successful bipartisan effort. Executive agencies and the private sector have both taken action against food waste. In 2015, the USDA and the EPA jointly announced the nation's first-ever food waste reduction goal, and last year 15 major companies, including Campbell Soup Co., Kellogg, PepsiCo, and Walmart, pledged to cut their food waste in half by 2030. Food waste is also frequently appearing on the agenda for state governments, with food waste legislation pending in more than a dozen states. Even so, goals to reduce food waste will not be met without concerted action from the federal government. Opportunities to Reduce Food Waste in the 2018 Farm Bill offers Congress a menu of specific policies, all implementable in the upcoming farm bill, to reduce the astonishing amount of U.S. food waste for the good of the American people, the planet, and the economy. The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) was established in 2010 to address growing concerns about the environmental, health, and economic consequences of the laws and policies that structure the food system. FLPC attorneys provide action-learning opportunities to Harvard Law students, who conduct legal and policy research focused on increasing access to healthy foods, assisting small-scale and sustainable farmers in breaking into new commercial markets, and reducing the waste of healthy, wholesome foods. For more information about FLPC, visit chlpi.org/flpc or email [email protected]. Contact: Najeema Holas-Huggins, 617-390-2624, [email protected] SOURCE The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic DUBLIN, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Rare Earth Metals Market 2017-2021" report to their offering. The global rare earth metals market to grow at a CAGR of 13.67% during the period 2017-2021. Global Rare Earth Metals Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. One trend in market is rise in production capacities and emergence of alternative suppliers. Lucrative trade and the growing demand for rare earth metals has resulted due to the intense evaluation of domestic reserves for exploitation and leveraging them for strategic uses by several countries. This is being encouraged by large rare earth metal consuming nations in order to leverage their supply risks. The analyst observes an increased investment in this sector in India, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These countries are likely to emerge as reliable alternative suppliers to China. New developments in North America (mainly Canada), Australia, and Africa are contributing to the new rare earth element resources. Japan has committed huge investments in these nations in order to reduce its import dependence on China. Most of the mines currently being developed are expected to come on-stream by 2017-2020. Therefore, the analyst expects a further drop in the supply share of China. According to the report, one driver in market is elevated usage in direct-drive turbines for wind energy production. Wind energy has become one of the most recognized, cost-effective, and clean solutions for generating electricity. A clean alternative to non-renewable fuels, wind energy farms provide an alternative method to generate electricity and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Wind energy generation is expected to be one of the fastest-growing markets in the future because of growing federal incentives for renewable energy production and easing regulations. Further, the report states that one challenge in market is demand-supply outages and the rise of substitutes. The global supply of rare earth metals is heavily concentrated in certain geographies while the demand is widely spread across the world. As a result, trade plays a major role in the reach of rare earth oxides to various end-use industries across the world. The current production is mainly restricted to the US and China with other geographies having scarce produce. As a result of this overdependence on a limited number of mining sites, any disruption to production often results in huge price fluctuations and challenges the availability to various sensitive end uses. Key vendors Alkane Resource Arafura Resources Avalon Advanced Materials China Minmetals Rare Earth Lynas Corporation Other prominent vendors Baogang Group Canada Rare Earth Corp China Rare Earth Holdings Frontier Rare Earths Greenland Minerals and Energy Indian Rare Earths Jiangxi Copper Company Montero Mining and Exploration Namibia Rare Earths Neo Quest Rare Minerals Rare Element Resources Showa Denko K.K Ucore Rare Metals Key Topics Covered: Part 01: Executive summary Part 02: Scope of the report Part 03: Research Methodology Part 04: Introduction Part 05: Market landscape Part 06: Market segmentation by element type Part 07: Market segmentation by application Part 08: Geographical segmentation Part 09: Decision framework Part 10: Drivers and challenges Part 11: Market trends Part 12: Vendor landscape Part 13: Appendix For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5wn7v9/global_rare_earth Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com The members of TIA's Hall of Fame are businesspeople in the Americas who are recognized for their contributions to the tortilla industry through the creation of companies, research and innovation in products, equipment and ingredients. During the ceremony, Juan Gonzalez Moreno, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gruma (Azteca Milling and Mission Foods) received the award for his 68-year-old father on behalf of the Gonzalez Moreno family. Mr. Roberto Gonzalez Barrera, together with his grandfather Roberto M. Gonzalez Gutierrez, created what is today the leading company worldwide in the production of corn meal, tortillas and wraps. Gonzalez Moreno started off by recounting to Jim Kabbani, CEO of the Tortilla Industry Association, and other notable businesspeople in the sector, how his father and grandfather sold their businesses to purchase their first corn meal mill and how they sold the dry meal, which is today the company MASECA, with which they completely revolutionized the tortilla industry in Mexico and worldwide. Then he went on to explain Roberto's grand vision for business. "A great example of this was how he took advantage of the development of food and the Mexican tortilla in the United States. I remember the difficulties entering the market in Los Angeles, where he searched for a strategy to convince clients to use MASECA'S corn meal; how he explained to them and showed them that his product was also made of corn, but that it had advantages for them, such as the fact that it was easier to prepare, it did not spoil as quickly, and less was wasted when making tortillas." Gruma's first incursion into the United States was in the mid-1970s, when it purchased its first tortilla plant (Mission) in Canoga Park, California; in 1977 it opened its first MASECA mill in Texas. "I can tell you that Roberto was a great man, businessman, worker and visionary. When I was a boy, I remember that on the weekends I would go with him and my grandfather to sell corn meal. He taught me the foundations of business and love for the company. He taught me that work and effort are the basis of success. I remember these things every day," he added. "I am grateful for the help and the guidance that inspired me to be who I am. I had the best teacher with his lessons and advice, and today I feel secure in facing the challenges I experience in Gruma's (Azteca Milling and Mission Foods) day-to-day. It continues to be the company that nourishes the heart of Mexico and the world," said Juan Gonzalez Moreno, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gruma. The Tortilla Industry Association, created in 1989, is a non-profit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, whose members include tortilla manufacturers, industry providers and distributors worldwide, and companies with interests in the sector, mainly in the United States. In the United States, the tortilla is the food with the highest growth among consumers, and its annual sales exceed ethnic and specialized foods, including bagels, croissants, muffins and pita bread. Created in 1949, Gruma is the largest producer of corn meal, tortillas and wraps worldwide. With leading brands in the majority of its markets, Gruma operates mainly in the United States, Mexico, Central America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Its corporate offices are located in Monterrey, Mexico. It has approximately 24,000 employees and 80 plants strategically located all over the world. In 2016, the company's sales were approximately US$ 3.6 billion dollars, of which 75% came from operations outside of Mexico. During the first quarter of 2017 (1Q17), Gruma made capital investments of US$ 58 million dollars, which funds were used in several areas, including: in the United States, building a state-of-the-art tortilla plant in Dallas, which will be operational in the second quarter of the year, increasing capacity at its corn meal plant in Indiana, and expanding its tortilla plant in Florida; in Europe funds will go towards building a tortilla plant in Russia; and in Asia, towards expanding the capacity of its plant in Malaysia. Contact: Pedro R. Rodriguez Pena Communication and Corporate Image Tel. Dir.: +52 (55) 9177-0419 and 0492 [email protected] SOURCE Gruma en Estados Unidos (Azteca Milling y Mission Foods) MIAMI, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.48 per common share payable on July 5, 2017, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 2, 2017. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns and operates three global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. We are a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises, a 49% shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur and a minority shareholder in the Chinese brand SkySea Cruises. Together, these brands operate a combined total of 48 ships with an additional thirteen on order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on approximately 535 destinations on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, or www.rclinvestor.com. SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Related Links http://www.royalcaribbean.com RESTON, Va., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sallyport Global is strongly disputing claims two former employees made about company personnel at Balad Air Force Base in Iraq and released documents shedding light on many of the allegations they made in an Associated Press story that ran May 3, 2017. "The claims made by two former employees paint an inaccurate picture of Sallyport's operations at Balad," Sallyport COO Matt Stuckart said. "We have helped turn Balad into an instrumental part of the fight against ISIS. Since taking over operations in January 2014 after another company failed to perform, Sallyport has received excellent performance reviews and our employees have demonstrated remarkable valor in an intense war zone. Shortly after taking over operations, our team at Balad risked life and limb evacuating over 1,500 men and women while leaving behind a security force to successfully defend the base against an ISIS advance." New management was installed at Sallyport in January 2016 and immediately undertook a review of all policies and procedures at Balad. This review resulted in several changes, including the appointment of high ranking former military professionals to oversee Sallyport operations at Balad, the installation of a Corporate Ethics and Compliance Officer, and the replacement of many managers at the base. "These enhancements were put in place to prevent the very kinds of allegations that were raised by these employees, not to conceal them. We continue to look for ways to strengthen our internal oversight capacity and regularly advise U.S. government contracting officers of our efforts, including changes in personnel as well as of any incidents that might occur at Balad," Stuckart said. "Unfortunately, these employees presented a selective narrative when speaking to the media which resulted in the ensuing coverage omitting many key points," Stuckart added. For example: The same employees quoted in the Associated Press story taking issue with how allegations of prostitution were handled signed and submitted a supplemental report last October concluding that these allegations were "UNFOUNDED" and based on rumors and innuendo. See attached Documents #1 and #2 (names redacted for privacy and security reasons). Sallyport's new management issued a policy expressly banning alcohol and tobacco at Balad. The company has not received any allegation that personnel have violated that new policy. When the company's new management learned that the company's own investigators were supposedly told to shut down their investigation into alcohol and prostitution, the new Corporate Ethics and Compliance Officer instructed the investigators to complete those investigations. The new company management would never shut down an internal investigation into serious allegations like prostitution. As noted above, the renewed inquiry by the former employees handling those inquiries found that the allegations of prostitution were unsubstantiated. An internal investigation into a claim that a vehicle breached the airfield at Balad showed that the breach took place on a service road outside of the airfield, well away from any Iraqi F-16. Sallyport submitted its investigation report to the Base Commander. See attached Document #3 (names redacted for privacy and security reasons). The article reported on an aircraft being affected in operation, allegedly due to a large amount of smuggled alcohol in water bottles. Standing alone, the allegation that such a large number of water bottles were being smuggled such that it affected the operation of the aircraft is improbable. The company did not receive any reports that an aircraft was compromised. The article blamed the company for failing to prevent the removal of Iraqi-owned generators from a location on the Balad base that Sallyport does not control or is assigned to protect. The incident was promptly reported to both the Iraqi Base Commander and US government contracting officials. See attached Document #4 (names redacted for privacy and security reasons). Sallyport never instructed the dismissed investigators to keep two sets of books in order to deceive auditors. The investigators were specifically told to continue keeping a log, available to the U.S. government, of every investigation but not to include any attorney-client privilege information on that log a standard practice. The dismissed investigators incorrectly interpreted this directive as an attempt to deceive the government. "Sallyport stands by its security procedures and it efforts to help Balad Air Force Base play a significant role in the fight against ISIS. The fact that two former employees gave media interviews providing a factually-incomplete and selective narrative should not be allowed to obscure the vital work of our team at Balad," Stuckart said. About Sallyport Sallyport is a leading provider of diverse services to government and commercial clients across the globe. For over a decade, we have worked in diverse environments on over 100 security, operations and maintenance, and life support contracts, combining exceptional customer series with a broad range of capabilities to help customers operate more efficiently. We have been at the forefront of working to enable global operations focused on developing capacity, post-conflict stability, and prosperity. SOURCE Sallyport Global CINCINNATI, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) has launched its local television news brands on Alexa, Amazon's voice-activated virtual assistant. News from 23 Scripps local TV markets is just a voice command away for users of Amazon Echo and all Alexa-enabled devices. In many of its markets, Scripps is the only local news provider available on Alexa. It joins other top news outlets in offering news updates on the platform, including CNN, NPR and the Scripps-owned national news network Newsy. In each Flash Briefing, Scripps stations deliver top local news headlines, updated throughout the day. "Through our broadcast, web and mobile products, and now through virtual assistants, our local TV stations are committed to delivering news in all the places where consumers are engaged," said Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of broadcast for Scripps. "As connected devices surge in popularity, our stations are tailoring their news and information to those platforms in order to deliver it into the home." The expansion to Alexa continues Scripps' commitment to building its brands across over-the-top video and audio platforms. Several months ago, the company launched Roku channels for each of its TV brands, which are receiving high engagement times on that platform. Local news headlines in Flash Briefing from Scripps stations can be enabled in the Skill Store of the Alexa app or on amazon.com. Once enabled, users can ask, "Alexa, what's the news?" or "Alexa, what's my flash briefing?" and Alexa will deliver audio of the latest headline news from the selected Scripps market. About Scripps The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, radio and digital media brands. Scripps is one of the nation's largest independent TV station owners, with 33 television stations in 24 markets and a reach of nearly one in five U.S. households. It also owns 34 radio stations in eight markets. Scripps also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses, including multi-platform satire and humor brand Cracked, podcast industry leader Midroll Media and over-the-top video news service Newsy. Scripps also produces television shows including "The List" and "The Now," runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the longtime steward of the nation's largest, most successful and longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, "Give light and the people will find their own way." SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company Related Links http://www.scripps.com The Senator had the opportunity to work a full day alongside Unimin employees. He worked in a number of capacities across the plant, and saw first-hand why Unimin is North America's leading industrial mineral producer. "Unimin maintains a strong economic presence in Wisconsin and they serve as a good neighbor, a strong corporate citizen, and an important employer in the community," said Senator Testin. "Not only do they supply more than 100 good-paying jobs right here in Tunnel City, they also uphold and exceed - environmental standards, provide habitat for endangered species, and work with local governmental officials to keep the community up-to-date on developments. In the last four months, they've added and filled - twenty-five jobs, and I can see why; it's a great place to work." In recent years, Unimin has worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to become a part of its Green Tier Program. The company's participation is reflective of its commitment to the environment and to the communities its employees call home. "Working alongside our employees, Sen. Testin learned firsthand how we execute with excellence and safety," Mark Massicotte, plant manager in Tunnel City, said. "His enthusiasm and desire to learn about our work, created moments we're never going to forget. And, we appreciate and applaud his focus on - and passion for - veterans, small business owners, and everyday hard-working taxpayers." To learn more about Unimin Corp's commitment to environmental and business excellence, please visit www.Unimin.com. SOURCE Unimin Corporation Related Links http://www.Unimin.com NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- First Quarter 2017 highlights as compared to First Quarter 2016: Financial Highlights Revenue increased 12% to $130.2 million Income from operations decreased 5% to $10.3 million Net income increased 8% to $6.6 million Adjusted EBITDA decreased 3% to $23.2 million Diluted EPS increased 12% to $0.19 per share Key Operating Metrics Paid downloads increased 6% Revenue per download increased 5% Image collection expanded 63% to 132.0 million images Video collection expanded 64% to 6.9 million clips Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), a leading global provider of imagery and music, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2017. Founder and CEO Jon Oringer said, "We had a solid start to the year. On a constant currency basis, we grew revenue 14% and Adjusted EBITDA increased 4%. We also grew our customer base by 13% and increased paid downloads by 6%. These strong metrics are the result of the work we are doing to transition Shutterstock from a stock image marketplace to a broader platform that provides individuals and enterprises with the various content types and tools needed to collaboratively design, build and distribute their creative projects. We are confident that as we continue to develop and broaden our solution set, acquire more and different asset types, offer localized services to our increasingly global customer base and build an organizational framework that enables us to more quickly respond to customer demand and market dynamics, we will further differentiate our business from the competition and create significant value for our customers, contributors, employees and shareholders." FIRST QUARTER RESULTS Revenue Revenue of $130.2 million for the first quarter of 2017 increased $13.6 million or 12% as compared to the first quarter of 2016, primarily due to a 6% increase in the number of paid downloads. This increase is attributable to customer acquisition through our e-commerce platform, as well as our continued expansion in enterprise sales. We also had a 5% increase in revenue per download. The negative impact of foreign currency movements versus the U.S. dollar partially offset this growth. Excluding the impact of foreign currency movements, revenue growth was approximately 14% in the first quarter of 2017. Income from Operations Income from operations of $10.3 million for the first quarter of 2017 decreased $0.5 million or 5%, as compared to the first quarter of 2016 driven by an increase in operating expenses, primarily from higher royalty costs associated with the increase in paid downloads and an increase in sales and marketing expenses year-over-year. Net Income Net income of $6.6 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2017 increased $0.5 million as compared with $6.1 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2016 primarily due to the improved operating performance, lower effective tax rate and a decrease in non-cash equity based compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA of $23.2 million for the first quarter of 2017 decreased $0.8 million or 3%, as compared to the first quarter of 2016 driven primarily by increased sales and marketing expenses as a percent of revenue. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income adjusted for foreign currency transaction gains and losses, changes in fair value of contingent consideration related to acquisitions, interest income and expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, disposals, and non-cash equity-based compensation. Adjusted Net Income Adjusted net income, which excludes the impact of non-cash equity-based compensation, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, changes in fair value of contingent consideration related to acquisitions and the estimated tax impact of such adjustments was $11.0 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2017 as compared to $13.1 million or $0.36 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2016. LIQUIDITY The Company's cash, cash equivalents and short term investments decreased by $28.9 million to $250.3 million at March 31, 2017 as compared with $279.2 million at December 31, 2016. This decrease reflects approximately $25.0 million of cash used to repurchase shares of the Company's outstanding common stock, cash used for capital expenditures of $13.5 million and a payment of contingent consideration of $10.0 million related to the 2015 acquisition of PremiumBeat, which were partially offset by cash generated from operations. Free cash flow was $3.0 million in the first quarter of 2017, a decrease of $10.1 million from the first quarter of 2016. This decline is primarily related to an increase in capital expenditures of $5.7 million, which was primarily related to software development and enhancements to our information infrastructure during the period, and the payment of contingent consideration related to the 2015 acquisition of PremiumBeat. Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities adjusted for capital expenditures and content acquisition. STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM During the first quarter of 2017, the Company repurchased approximately 449,000 shares of its stock at an average per-share price of $50.04, pursuant to its existing stock repurchase program. Through March 31, 2017, the Company has repurchased 2.6 million shares of its stock for a total of $100.0 million under the stock repurchase program at an average per-share price of $39.09. In February 2017, the Company's Board of Directors approved an increase to the stock repurchase program, pursuant to which the Company is authorized to purchase an additional $100 million, and as of March 31, 2017 there was $100.0 million available for purchases under these authorizations. The stock repurchase program, which commenced in November 2015, authorizes management to purchase shares from time to time through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions at prevailing prices as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The timing and amount of any future share repurchases will be determined by the Company's management based on its evaluation of market conditions and other factors. The repurchase program may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. OPERATING METRICS Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 (in millions, except revenue per download) Number of paid downloads 43.5 41.2 Revenue per download (1) $2.91 $2.77 Content in our collection (end of period)(2): Images 132.0 81.0 Videos 6.9 4.2 ____________________________________________________________________________ (1) Revenue per download metric excludes the impact of revenue not associated with content downloads. (2) Represents images (photographs, vectors and illustrations) and video clips available on shutterstock.com at the end of the period. We exclude content that is not uploaded directly to our site but is available to our customers through an application program interface and certain images that may be licensed for editorial use only. FINANCIAL OUTLOOK The Company's current expectations for the full year 2017 are as follows: Revenue of $545-560 million million Income from Operations of $47-52 million million Adjusted EBITDA of $105-110 million Non-cash equity-based compensation expense of approximately $30 million Effective tax rate in mid-30's% Capital Expenditures of approximately $45 million , including Capitalized Labor of approximately $20 million NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES Shutterstock defines adjusted EBITDA as net income adjusted for foreign currency transaction gains and losses, changes in fair value of contingent consideration related to acquisitions, interest income and expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, disposals and non-cash equity-based compensation; adjusted net income as net income excluding the impact of non-cash equity-based compensation, the amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and changes in the fair value of contingent consideration related to acquisitions and the estimated tax impact of such adjustments; revenue growth on a constant currency basis (expressed as a percentage) as the increase in current period revenues over prior period revenues, utilizing fixed exchange rates for translating foreign currency revenues for both periods; adjusted EBITDA margin (expressed as a percentage) as the ratio of adjusted EBITDA to revenue; adjusted EBITDA growth on a constant currency basis (expressed as a percentage) as the increase in current period adjusted EBITDA over prior period adjusted EBITDA, utilizing fixed exchange rates for translating foreign currency revenues and expenses for both periods; and free cash flow as cash provided by/(used in) operating activities adjusted for capital expenditures and content acquisition. These figures have not been calculated in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. In addition, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, revenue growth on a constant currency basis, adjusted EBITDA growth on a constant currency basis and free cash flow should not be construed as indicators of our operating performance, liquidity or cash flows generated by operating, investing and financing activities, as there may be significant factors or trends that they fail to address. We caution investors that non-GAAP financial information, by its nature, departs from traditional accounting conventions; accordingly, its use can make it difficult to compare our current results with our results from other reporting periods and with the results of other companies. Shutterstock's management uses the non-GAAP financial measures adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net income, revenue growth on a constant currency basis, adjusted EBITDA growth on a constant currency basis and free cash flow, in conjunction with GAAP financial measures, as an integral part of managing the business and to, among other things: (i) monitor and evaluate the performance of Shutterstock's business operations, financial performance and overall liquidity; (ii) facilitate management's internal comparisons of the historical operating performance of its business operations; (iii) facilitate management's external comparisons of the results of its overall business to the historical operating performance of other companies that may have different capital structures and debt levels; (iv) review and assess the operating performance of Shutterstock's management team and, together with other operational objectives, as a measure in evaluating employee compensation and bonuses; (v) analyze and evaluate financial and strategic planning decisions regarding future operating investments; and (vi) plan for and prepare future annual operating budgets and determine appropriate levels of operating investments. Management believes that adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net income, revenue growth on a constant currency basis and adjusted EBITDA growth on a constant currency basis are useful to investors to provide them with disclosures of Shutterstock's operating results on the same basis as that used by management. Additionally, management believes that adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income provide useful information to investors about the performance of the Company's overall business because such measures eliminate the effects of unusual or other infrequent charges that are not directly attributable to Shutterstock's underlying operating performance and, with respect to revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA growth on a constant currency basis, provides useful information to investors by eliminating the effect of foreign currency fluctuations that are not directly attributable to Shutterstock's business. Additionally, management believes that providing these non-GAAP financial measures enhances the comparability for investors in assessing Shutterstock's financial reporting. Management believes that free cash flow is useful for investors because it provides them with an important perspective on the cash available for strategic measures, after making necessary capital investments in property and equipment to support the Company's ongoing business operations, and provides them with the same measures that management uses as the basis for making resource allocation decisions. A reconciliation of the differences between adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and free cash flow, and the most comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, is presented under the heading "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Information to GAAP" immediately following the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We do not provide a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA guidance to net income guidance, as the impact of net non-operating foreign currency exchange gains or losses which are excluded from adjusted EBITDA is inherently uncertain and difficult to estimate and is unavailable without unreasonable efforts. In addition, we believe such reconciliations would imply a degree of precision that would be confusing or misleading to investors. EARNINGS TELECONFERENCE INFORMATION The Company will discuss its first quarter financial results during a teleconference today, May 3, 2017, at 8:30 AM ET. The conference call can be accessed in the U.S. at (844) 634-1442 or outside the U.S. at (615) 247-0239 with the conference ID# 3881051. A live audio webcast of the call will also be available simultaneously at http://investor.shutterstock.com. Following completion of the call, a recorded replay of the webcast will be available in the investor relations section of Shutterstock's website. A telephone replay of the call will also be available until May 10, 2017 in the U.S. at (855) 859-2056 or outside the U.S. at (404) 537-3406 with the conference ID# 3881051. Additional investor information can be accessed at http://investor.shutterstock.com. ABOUT SHUTTERSTOCK Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), directly and through its group subsidiaries, is a leading global provider of high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, videos and music to businesses, marketing agencies and media organizations around the world. Working with its growing community of over 190,000 contributors, Shutterstock adds hundreds of thousands of images each week, and currently has more than 125 million images and more than 7 million video clips available. Headquartered in New York City, with offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, Paris, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley, Shutterstock has customers in more than 150 countries. The company also owns Bigstock, a value-oriented stock media agency; Offset, a high-end image collection; PremiumBeat a curated royalty-free music library; Rex Features, a premier source of editorial images for the world's media; and Webdam, a cloud-based digital asset management service for businesses. For more information, please visit www.shutterstock.com and follow Shutterstock on Twitter and on Facebook. SAFE HARBOR PROVISION Statements in this press release regarding management's future expectations, predictions, beliefs, goals, intentions, plans, prospects or strategies, including statements regarding Shutterstock's future financial and operating performance on both a GAAP and non-GAAP basis and statements regarding Shutterstock's ability to deliver sustained financial growth, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including risks related to any unforeseen changes to or the effects on liabilities, financial condition, future capital expenditures, revenue, expenses, net income or loss, synergies and future prospects; our inability to continue to attract and retain customers and contributors to our online marketplace for creative content; competitive factors; our inability to innovate technologically or develop, market and offer new products and services; unforeseen costs related to infringement claims, indemnification claims and the inability to prevent misuse of our digital content; our inability to increase market awareness of Shutterstock and our products and services; our inability to effectively manage our growth; our inability to grow at historic growth rates; technological interruptions that impair access to our websites; assertions by third parties of infringement of intellectual property rights by Shutterstock, our inability to effectively manage risks associated with operating internationally; our exposure to foreign exchange rate risk; our inability to address risks associated with sales to large corporate customers; government regulation of the internet; increased laws related to the handling of personal data; actions by governments to restrict access to our products and services; our inability to effectively expand our operations into new products, services and technologies; our inability to protect the confidential information of customers; increased tax liabilities associated with our worldwide operations, including our exposure to withholding, sales and transaction tax liabilities; general economic and political conditions worldwide; our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and the associated technology and achieve operational efficiencies; and other factors and risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as in other documents that may be filed by Shutterstock from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of such risks, uncertainties and factors, Shutterstock's actual results may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Shutterstock is providing the information in this press release as of this date and assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Shutterstock, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except for per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Revenue $ 130,224 $ 116,652 Operating expenses: Cost of revenue 52,411 48,063 Sales and marketing 32,503 27,088 Product development 11,044 11,225 General and administrative 23,963 19,454 Total operating expenses 119,921 105,830 Income from operations 10,303 10,822 Other income (expense), net 455 (12) Income before income taxes 10,758 10,810 Provision for income taxes 4,155 4,677 Net income available to common stockholders $ 6,603 $ 6,133 Net income per common share available to common stockholders: Basic $ 0.19 $ 0.17 Diluted $ 0.19 $ 0.17 Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 34,597 35,375 Diluted 35,595 36,099 Shutterstock, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands, except par value amount) (Unaudited) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 195,395 $ 224,190 Short-term investments 54,901 54,972 Accounts receivable, net 37,962 38,107 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 28,047 22,569 Total current assets 316,305 339,838 Property and equipment, net 63,878 56,101 Intangibles assets, net 29,930 30,157 Goodwill 49,689 49,271 Deferred tax assets, net 21,772 23,013 Other assets 4,986 3,398 Total assets $ 486,560 $ 501,778 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 11,699 $ 7,305 Accrued expenses 32,569 41,106 Contributor royalties payable 23,759 20,473 Deferred revenue 126,812 122,235 Other liabilities 1,298 12,378 Total current liabilities 196,137 203,497 Deferred tax liability, net 2,023 2,147 Other non-current liabilities 12,479 9,438 Total liabilities 210,639 215,082 Commitment and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $0.01 par value; 200,000 shares authorized; 37,110 and 36,926 shares issued and 34,551 and 34,816 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively 371 369 Treasury stock, at cost; 2,559 and 2,110 shares as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively (100,027) (77,567) Additional paid-in capital 255,408 251,890 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (14,8460) (17,061) Retained earnings 135,015 129,065 Total stockholders' equity 275,921 286,696 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 486,560 $ 501,778 Shutterstock, Inc. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Information to GAAP (In thousands, except per share information) (Unaudited) The following information is not a financial measure under United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). In addition, it should not be construed as an alternative to any other measures of performance determined in accordance with GAAP, or as an indicator of our operating performance, liquidity or cash flows generated by operating, investing and financing activities as there may be significant factors or trends that it fails to address. We present this financial information because we believe that it is helpful to some investors as one measure of our operations. We caution investors that non-GAAP financial information, by its nature, departs from traditional accounting conventions; accordingly, its use can make it difficult to compare our results with our results from other reporting periods and with the results of other companies. Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Net Income $ 6,603 $ 6,133 Add: Depreciation and amortization 6,956 4,204 Non-cash equity-based compensation 5,956 7,353 Other adjustments, net (1) (455) 1,663 Provision for income taxes 4,155 4,677 Adjusted EBITDA(2) $ 23,215 $ 24,030 Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Net income $ 6,603 $ 6,133 Add/(less): Non-cash equity-based compensation 5,956 7,353 Tax effect of non-cash equity-based compensation (3) (2,190) (2,587) Acquisition-related amortization expense 1,022 1,171 Tax effect of acquisition-related amortization expense (3) (376) (431) Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,365 Tax effect of change in fair value of contingent consideration (3) (869) Adjusted net income $ 11,015 $ 13,135 Adjusted net income per diluted common share $ 0.31 $ 0.36 Weighted average diluted shares 35,595 36,099 Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 17,185 $ 21,467 Capital expenditures (13,466) (7,790) Content acquisition (753) (628) Free cash flow $ 2,966 $ 13,049 __________________________________________________________________________ (1) Included in other adjustments, net is foreign currency transaction gains and losses, changes in fair value of contingent consideration related to acquisitions, and interest income and expense. (2) Earnings/(loss) before foreign currency transaction gains and losses, changes in fair value of contingent consideration related to acquisitions, interest income and expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, disposals and non-cash equity-based compensation. (3) Estimated tax effect of adjusted net income adjustments reflects the consolidated blended tax rate as applied to the taxable portion of the adjustment. Shutterstock, Inc. Supplemental Financial Data (Unaudited) Historical Operating Metrics 3/31/17 12/31/16 9/30/16 6/30/16 3/31/16 12/31/15 9/30/15 6/30/15 3/31/15 (in millions, except revenue per download) Number of paid downloads 43.5 42.1 41.2 43.4 41.2 39.8 38.1 35.9 33.4 Revenue per download (1) $ 2.91 $ 3.02 $ 2.91 $ 2.81 $ 2.77 $ 2.86 $ 2.76 $ 2.85 $ 2.87 Content in collection (end of period) (2) Images 132.0 116.2 102.7 92.1 81.0 71.4 63.7 57.2 51.6 Videos 6.9 6.2 5.4 4.9 4.2 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.6 (1) Revenue per download metric excludes the impact of revenue not associated with content downloads. (2) Images (photographs, vectors and illustrations) and video clips available on shutterstock.com at the end of the period. We exclude content that is not uploaded directly to our site but is available to our customers through an application program interface and certain images that may be licensed for editorial use only. SOURCE Shutterstock, Inc. Related Links http://www.shutterstock.com ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, St. George's University named Andrew J. Sussman, M.D., a physician with a long and distinguished career at some of the top hospitals, universities, and healthcare companies in the United States, as its new Chief Executive Officer. "For 40 years, St. George's University has transformed promising students into outstanding doctors committed to addressing the healthcare needs of people all over the world, especially those in underserved communities," said Sussman. "I look forward to working with the entire St. George's University team to continue to fulfill this important and inspiring mission." Sussman will lead all executive functions of the University, with a particular focus on expanding educational opportunities, programs, and support for students; forging clinical partnerships with hospital systems; and increasing the University's reach internationally. Dr. G. Richard Olds will continue in his role as President of St. George's University, and report to Dr. Sussman. Sussman was most recently Executive Vice President of Clinical Services at CVS Health, the largest pharmacy care provider in the United States. Previously, he led the development and growth of CVS MinuteClinic, the largest walk-in clinic provider in the United States, with more than 1,100 locations. Under his leadership, CVS MinuteClinic established collaborative affiliations with more than 75 major hospital systems across the United States. Before his career at CVS Health, Sussman was Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer at UMass Memorial Medical Center, the major teaching affiliate of UMass Medical School. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at UMass Medical School. Prior to his work at UMass, Sussman served as Chief Medical Officer of the Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization, consisting of 800 teaching faculty at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. He began his academic career at Harvard Medical School, first as Instructor and then as Assistant Professor of Medicine. Sussman is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Medical School, and Boston University Questrom School of Business. He is a board certified internist and primary care physician. "We are thrilled to have Andy join St. George's University as CEO," said Charles Modica, the Founder and Chancellor of the University. "His record of leadership and achievement in health care is remarkable, and I know that he'll position the University for sustained excellence over our next 40 years." About St. George's University St. George's University is a center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies, to its programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, science, social science, information technology, and business. St. George's is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. The University's over 17,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. The University's programs are accredited and approved by many governing authorities and repeatedly recognized as the best in the region. For more information, visit www.sgu.edu. Media Contact: Miriam Cho (202) 471-4228 ext 101 SOURCE St. George's University Related Links http://www.sgu.edu AUSTIN, Texas, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With turnover of more than $1 billion AUD annually, Staples Australia and New Zealand is an office supply market giant with a unique addition to its brick-and-mortar presence: Staples.com.au, their online direct-delivery business for consumers and small businesses under 20 employees. To ensure competitive, customer-centric pricing in this business sector, Staples Australia and New Zealand selected Revionics Competitive Data & Insights. Staples Australia and New Zealand excels in rapid, reliable delivery to its customers with more than 80,000 deliveries daily. Staples Australia and New Zealand's Head of Pricing Charnine Short, who recently returned to Staples in Australia after serving as Staples' European Pricing Manager for B2B, wanted to rapidly re-evaluate the company's competitive insights and refresh the pricing strategy for Staples Australia and New Zealand's B2C business. At Staples Australia and New Zealand, Short and her team have implemented Revionics to ensure that customers receive the best prices on the items they care most about. "With Revionics' real-time online competitive price monitoring and its automated rules-based price capabilities, we can offer small businesses throughout Australia the assurance that they are receiving the best price available, 24/7," said Short. "We want to leverage Revionics' capabilities to drive market growth in our B2C channel, create market-relevant pricing for our B2B non-contract business and design more targeted promotional pricing." Prior to implementing Revionics, Staples Australia and New Zealand had been using an alternate competitive monitoring tool. Based on early results, Revionics has yielded a 20% higher match rate than the legacy system with more accurate competitive matching as well. In addition, Staples Australia and New Zealand values the Revionics' team's responsiveness and ability to execute on their rapid implementation timeline. "Innovative Australian retailers like Staples are leading the way in providing customer-focused, responsive pricing that reflects shopper priorities while meeting key business and financial goals," said Marc H. Hafner, Revionics' chairman and CEO. "We are excited to work with Staples Australia and New Zealand to further accelerate their market leadership and expand their competitive advantage as we continue to expand our footprint in Australia and New Zealand and throughout Asia Pacific." To learn more about Revionics, visit www.revionics.com or email [email protected]. Tweet This: Pleased to welcome @StaplesAust to the list of innovative #retailers using @Revionics! G'day, mate! https://goo.gl/imBE5n About Staples Australia Priority Ltd Staples Australia and New Zealand is a ~$1 Billion AUD business with 32 locations across Australia and New Zealand. Staples Advantage stocks a range of more than 60,000 different items with one of the best national distribution networks in ANZ, with over 80,000 parcels delivered to customers every working day through their network of over 200 delivery vans, enabling next business day deliveries to 96% of Australian businesses. In Australia, Staples also offers a second distinct business offering, Staples.com.au, an online direct-delivery business for consumers and small businesses under 20 employees. About Revionics, Inc. Revionics is a global leader in profit optimization services and solutions. Our unparalleled analytics and science serve as the backbone of omni-channel retailing to help performance-driven retailers execute profitable pricing, promotion, markdown, and space decisions with predictable business outcomes. The result: achieve speed to value and ROI, improve margins, drive top-line sales and respond faster with precision. Revionics' SaaS-based model integrates analytics, technology and services to deliver an unmatched advantage for retailers Competitive Insights, Price Suite, Promotion Suite, Markdown Suite, and Space and Assortment Suite all from a predictive platform to drive long-term growth. Trusted by some of the most profitable retail brands, Revionics optimizes across more than 18 million products and more than 2.6 billion item/store combinations are modeled weekly. Learn more at www.revionics.com. Engage with Us: Web: www.revionics.com Blog: http://revionics.com/blog.html Twitter: https://twitter.com/Revionics Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Revionics-Inc-67271083899/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revionics YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK5EY-MuENLuHQ9iBpSo3_Q Contact: Alison Raffalovich Senior Director, Corporate Communications Phone: +1 (512) 826-0538 (U.S.) [email protected] SOURCE Revionics, Inc. Related Links http://www.revionics.com Our journalists do this at great personal risk . Fourteen journalists of U.S. international media have been killed in the line of duty, one remains missing, and hundreds have been injured. Currently, we have journalists jailed in Vietnam ( Nguyen Ngoc Gia and Hoa Nguyen ) and Turkmenistan ( Saparmamed Nepeskuliev ), and officials in Russia-annexed Crimea have indicted Mykola Semena , a contributor to the RFE/RL website Crimea Realities, on charges of separatism. Semena could face five years in prison if found guilty. When we lose independent voices, we run the risk of conceding the information space to hostile regimes, extremists, and rogues. It is the job of BBG and its networks to be the bridge between men and women living in oppressed societies and the rest of the world. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly. We will not let authoritarian regimes dictate our editorial decisions. We know our work is filling a need for people around the world our audiences tell us so. And more and more people are turning to BBG networks for their news and information more than 278 million people each week. But, the simple fact is unless press freedom is treated as a human right and a universal priority, many brave journalists around the world will continue to be arrested, harassed, threatened and killed, only because they told the truth. So today, I honor the brave women and men of the BBG and all journalists around the world. By providing unbiased news and information, and supporting civil society in these media restrictive environments, they are making the world a safer place. Sincerely, John F. Lansing Chief Executive Officer and Director Broadcasting Board of Governors Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Broadcasting Board of Governors Related Links http://bbg.gov SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As we consider the renewed effort to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it is important to acknowledge both its successes and its flaws. The ACA took important steps toward improving our nation's health care system, providing financial support for those who most need help, requiring health insurers to take all paying customers irrespective of their health status, and ensuring that health plans offer real coverage. As a result, 20 million more people have coverage in the United States. In California, we reduced the uninsured by more than half while limiting average rate increases in our state-based exchange to about 7 percent per year. Still, the ACA is flawed and needs to be fixed. It doesn't do enough to control costs and reduce health care spending, leaving an unsustainable burden on state and federal budgets and on many consumers. There are also numerous states without a sustainable individual market and with too few insurers serving those consumers. The current, amended version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) has some positive features, such as funding to help stabilize the market during a transition period to 2020. We appreciate the effort to bring attention to the need to make funding health care more sustainable for the federal government. But the AHCA as currently drafted is flawed as well. The tax credits it provides do not vary based on either a person's income or the cost of care where they live. There is no help with deductibles and co-pays for those with lower incomes. Millions of people, particularly older Americans, would not be able to afford health insurance or to get care when they need it. In addition, the recent amendments could return us to a time when people who were born with a birth defect or who became sick could not purchase or afford insurance, and when benefits were not there when people needed them the most. In the Medicaid program, the reduction in Federal support from 90% to 50% for the expanded population in California would put a burden on the state budget that would be impossible for our state, resulting in millions more people without access to care. For those reasons, we cannot support the AHCA in its current form. However, we do believe a bipartisan solution is both essential and possible. We look forward to working with the Trump Administration and both parties in Congress toward reforms that build on the successes of the ACA and address the problems that remain, so that we can continue to fulfill our mission of providing sustainably affordable health care to all Californians that is worthy of our family and friends. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $17 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in San Francisco, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare health care service plans in California. The company's mission is to ensure all Californians have access to high-quality care at an affordable price. Blue Shield has contributed more than $450 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002. Contact your local agent or broker about Blue Shield of California products and services, or visit www.blueshieldca.com. CONTACT: Steve Shivinsky Corporate Communications 415-229-5359 [email protected] SOURCE Blue Shield of California Related Links https://www.blueshieldca.com "We are introducing new burgers topped with ultra-premium bacon that is unmatched in the marketplace," said Jim Flaniken, Sr. Vice President of Marketing for Steak 'n Shake. "We dedicated the past year to source the highest quality bacon. So if you like bacon, you will love all our bacon Steakburgers, especially the new Bacon 'n Cheese Triple Xtreme Steakburger." The mouthwatering details for each of these three menu additions include: Bacon 'n Cheese Triple Xtreme Steakburger: The Bacon 'n Cheese Triple Xtreme Steakburger is a behemoth masterpiece. The newest Steakburger features nine half slices of Steak 'n Shake's new, ultra-premium hardwood-smoked bacon that is larger, thicker and more flavorful than ever. The three hand-crafted, 100% beef steakburger patties are topped with two slices of Steak 'n Shake's new, thicker American cheese. Steak 'n Shake will also offer two other sizes: the Bacon 'n Cheese Double Steakburger served with fries for $4.99 and the Bacon 'n Cheese Single Steakburger served with fries for $3.99 . The Bacon 'n Cheese Triple Xtreme Steakburger is a behemoth masterpiece. The newest Steakburger features nine half slices of Steak 'n Shake's new, ultra-premium hardwood-smoked bacon that is larger, thicker and more flavorful than ever. The three hand-crafted, 100% beef steakburger patties are topped with two slices of Steak 'n Shake's new, thicker American cheese. Steak 'n Shake will also offer two other sizes: the Bacon 'n Cheese Double Steakburger served with fries for and the Bacon 'n Cheese Single Steakburger served with fries for . KIT KAT Milkshake: For the many Steak 'n Shake fans that are passionate about unique, craveable milkshakes, this indulgence won't disappoint. Made with KIT KAT lovers in mind, this hand-scooped milkshake is blended with a generous helping of the famous crispy, milk chocolate wafers, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. For the many Steak 'n Shake fans that are passionate about unique, craveable milkshakes, this indulgence won't disappoint. Made with KIT KAT lovers in mind, this hand-scooped milkshake is blended with a generous helping of the famous crispy, milk chocolate wafers, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake: There is no better time to introduce this summer staple than during National Strawberry Month in May. This hand-scooped milkshake, topped with whipped cream and a cherry, is blended with real strawberries and cheesecake pieces, fitting Steak 'n Shake's standards for quality ingredients. It is no secret that Steak 'n Shake has the best burgers and milkshakes on the planet. Why? Steak 'n Shake's focus on quality including using 100% beef without preservatives or artificial ingredients, as well as fresh produce, always hand-crafted to order has created the benchmark for success in the better burger category. Centered on a food culture designed to provide the highest quality burgers, fries, and shakes, Steak 'n Shake sources, slices, grinds, and provides the freshest and choicest quality ingredients available for all of its menu options. Summer menu additions may only be available for a limited time. To find a location near you or for additional information on Steak 'n Shake's new menu, visit: www.steaknshake.com. KIT KAT product is produced by The Hershey Company under license from Societe des Produits Nestle S.A. Vevey, Switzerland, Trademark Owner. About Steak 'n Shake Inc. Steak 'n Shake, a classic American brand, serves premium burgers and shakes in 600 restaurants across the country and the world. Founded in 1934 in Normal, Illinois, Steak 'n Shake is the leader in the "better burger" segment of the restaurant industry, serving hand-crafted, premium Steakburgers and hand-scooped milkshakes. Steak 'n Shake is the recipient of the Nation's Restaurant News Golden Chain Award. Zagat has recognized Steak 'n Shake as having the No. 1 Milkshake. Steak 'n Shake Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Biglari Holdings Inc. SOURCE Steak 'n Shake Related Links https://www.steaknshake.com TOLLAND, Conn., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software and automation solutions for the apparel and industrial markets, today announced that Sun City, Fashion for Humanity chose YuniquePLM In The Cloud to increase flexibility and productivity. Sun City is the fashion under license source for Europe. They pride themselves on being flexible, efficient and fast delivering on trend fashion for their customers. Sun City sought a platform to manage its large, diverse licensed collections to give them visibility of a garment's status in the supply chain at any given time during its transformation through connected systems from concept to the consumer. "The implementation of YuniquePLM In The Cloud will save us on infrastructure and implementation costs," said Sally Barget, operations and purchase director at Sun City. "Our team will be able to increase productivity by having all the data of a collection at their fingertips and, with this new system, we will always have the latest functionality since upgrades are simple." Sun City is starting the implementation of YuniquePLM In The Cloud with the iconic New Man Division. This division was previously utilizing a different solution. They are also implementing the YuSnap mobile app to help with images during fitting sessions, helping to further collaboration and data integration with their teams. "We made the change because of a more intuitive and flexible interface with additional functionality," continued Barget. Sun City is a partner to the largest European brands in all sectors of the market including: multi-brand stores, e-commerce, specialists, department stores and mail order. They serve major European brands like Tesco, Carrefour, Primark, Disney and Amazon.com, with their licensed collections. "Adding Sun City to the YuniquePLM In The Cloud family is a great addition to the portfolio of fashion and apparel brands recognizing the benefits of employing cloud technologies in their businesses," stated Bill Brewster, vice president and general manager, enterprise software solutions for Gerber Technology. "This solution is helping companies around the world reduce their infrastructure costs while increasing productivity and flexibility across their organization." Companies are under significant competitive pressures to design, develop and produce their products faster and more efficiently while ensuring they get the right products to market at the right time and at the right price. YuniquePLM's cloud-based subscription is flexible, scalable and eliminates costly information technology infrastructure. It is the culmination of extensive customer feedback and is perfect for any sized fashion company looking for an industry-leading PLM solution. YuniquePLM In The Cloud represents the first opportunity to get world-class PLM from the industry leader at a very affordable subscription rate, with minimal implementation effort and a wealth of self-learning tools on Gerber University. YuniquePLM is the first and most widely used PLM system for the apparel industry available in the cloud and as a SaaS. It's intuitive and easy to use, and it integrates seamlessly with Gerber's AccuMark CAD software and the Adobe suite to help companies go from design to market with speed, quality and efficiency. About Gerber Technology Gerber Technology delivers industry-leading software and automation solutions that help apparel and industrial customers improve their manufacturing and design processes and more effectively manage and connect the supply chain, from product development and production to retail and the end customer. Gerber serves 78,000 customers in 130 countries, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies in apparel & accessories, home and leisure, transportation, packaging and sign & graphics. The company develops and manufactures its products from various locations in the United States and Canada and has additional manufacturing capabilities in China. Based in Connecticut in the USA, Gerber Technology is owned by AIP, a New York based, global private equity firm specializing in the technology sector and has more than $3.0 billion assets under management. Visit www.gerbertechnology.com for more information. Contact: Jamie Bibb Tel: +1 419 244 7766 [email protected] SOURCE Gerber Technology Related Links http://www.gerbertechnology.com A family from Rockland County is suing Delta Airlines over claims that an airline employee smacked their 12-year-old son's phone out of his hand while he filmed her during a lengthy delay at LaGuardia last year. According to a complaint filed in Rockland County, Matthew Boggan, then 12, was on his way to West Palm Beach with his family on July 1st of last year to attend a bar mitzvah. Their Delta flight was subject to a lengthy weather-related delay, and after 12 hours (by which point it was July 2nd), a Delta employee made an announcement to passengers at the gate that the flight would be delayed even further. The complaint says Boggan pulled out his cell phone to post video of the passengers' reactions to Snapchat; the unidentified employee then allegedly "physically, aggressively and violently swatted the cellphone out of Matthew Boggan's hand," according to the complaint. The employee also allegedly "made physical contact" with the tween's hand at the time, and allegedly told him it was illegal for him to film her. Boggan still managed to capture video of the incident, which you can watch below. You can hear passengers yelling after Boggan's phone is swatted: Boggan's father, Brian Boggan, called the incident "child abuse," and is suing the airline for unspecified punitive damages, claiming the employee endangered the welfare of a child by hitting the tween. Boggan's attorney, Terrence James Cortelli, maintains that the child was not violating any law by filming the employee. Cortelli provided Gothamist with the following statement: We believe that Delta's actions here are indicative of the complete disregard the airlines have for their passengers. They simply do not have any sensitivity for the men, women and children who ride their planes. We understand that delays happen. But here the delays went above and beyond. And not only that. They sought out and attacked and humiliated a child. As if he was to blame for the mess they created. And now they say he deserved it. Their actions are outrageous and we look forward to presenting our case to a jury. An attorney for Delta told the NY Post that Boggan "interfered with the Delta agents ability to communication an announcement." Cortelli, meanwhile, told the tabloid this was just one of many recent incidents that prove airlines don't value their passengers. "They dont care. They know were trapped. We have to do whatever they say," he said, referencing an incident last month in which United employees bloodied a passenger in Kentucky while dragging him off a flight after he refused to voluntarily give up his seat. Meanwhile, the Boggans did make it to Florida, though their flight was eventually delayed 17 hours. Delta's communications department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. CHICAGO, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- North Park University today held its first TEDx event, with the theme Shifting Paradigms. Three town-hall like meetings involved students in bringing TEDx to campus. Inspired by a lecture in a Principles of Management & Leadership course, North Park student Paul Clines, a senior business and economics major, presented the idea to his professor of hosting TEDx North Park University. "I'll show you the steps in getting the TEDx license and you gather the students together," encouraged Professor Hubbard in mentoring Clines. Seventy student volunteers formed the solid groupready-to-learn and open to shaping an effective leadership structure. Likened to a start-up company, the leadership structure consisted of complete transparency, cross collaboration, and a de-constructed organizational design omitting conventional vertical lines of direct reports. Six core team members of faculty, staff and students circulated among the volunteers, supporting all members to be part of the decision-making process. "Every student is talented in some way," asserts Professor Hubbard. Guided by this belief, a true cross-collaboration effort evolved into a platform for undergraduate, graduate, faculty, staff, and the community to experience empowerment through idea sharing. "There are so many hidden talents at North Park that may not have been known without participating in bringing TEDx to campus," adds Professor Hubbard. Passionate about bringing people and ideas together, Clines says TEDx is about making a positive impact. "TEDx provides a partial escapism while forming friendships, bonds, and connections," expresses Clines. TEDx North Park University featured voices and ideas from students, faculty, business professionals, and the community. Speakers included: Soong-Chan Rah , seminary professor , seminary professor Hardik Soni , fitness guru , fitness guru Dominique Jordan Turner , nonprofit CEO , nonprofit CEO Robby Celestin , singer-songwriter , singer-songwriter Nestor Gomez , storyteller , storyteller Seanna Wong , storyteller , storyteller Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom , seminary professor Bringing the first TEDx event to North Park marks an exciting time in the University's 125-year history, complemented by earning consistent rankings as one of the "Best Colleges" in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report and namedfor the third timea Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Students by the U.S. Department of State. ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY North Park University is Chicago's city-centered Christian University. www.northpark.edu/tedx www.northpark.edu/about SOURCE North Park University Related Links http://www.northpark.edu PHILADELPHIA, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Terracon, a leading provider of environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services, is pleased to name Vikram (Vik) Patel, P.G., as manager for its North East Division, which includes locations in Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. He joined Terracon in 2015 as regional manager in the South Plainfield, New Jersey office. Since that time, his accomplishments have included growing regional staff, establishing a new office in the Philadelphia metro area, and quadrapuling the materials service department in the region. "I am humbled by this appointment and the opportunity to serve the North East Division. I am also very excited by the possibilities for profitable growth of the Division and for its continued focus on the safety of our employees," Patel said. Prior to joining Terracon, Patel held management positions with firms specializing in professional infrastructure and environmental services. He holds a bachelor of science degree in geology from the University of Delaware, and has more than 30 years experience in the field. He is a registered professional geologist in Pennsylvania. Terracon is an employee-owned engineering consulting firm with more than 4,000 employees providing environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services from more than 140 offices with services available in all 50 states. Terracon currently ranks 30th on Engineering News-Record's list of Top 500 Design Firms. For additional information about Terracon, please visit www.terracon.com. SOURCE Terracon Related Links http://terracon.com The Asian Quick Service Restaurants Expand U.S. Presence SCOTTSDALE, AZ, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Thai Express (www.ThaiExpress.ca) and Ginger Sushi Boutique announce the signing of an area developer agreement in the United States covering the state of Florida. Ginger Sushi Boutique is well known in Canada as Sushi Shop. "We are thrilled to bring the American consumer two beloved Canadian brands, Thai Express and Ginger Sushi, as we launch these concepts into the US market", said Stanley Ma, CEO of MTY Food Group Inc. "We know that Hillel Frankel and Jeff Itzcovitch of 2Stix Franchising Group LP come to the table with strategic and savvy business mindsets and we have no doubt they will leave their successful mark as Area Developers of Thai Express and Ginger Sushi in the United States. This agreement presents an exciting opportunity for growth and we very much look forward to having them join the team." 2Stix Franchising Group LP, spearheaded by its President, Hillel Frankel and its Chief Franchising Officer, Jeff Itzcovitch, are excited to expand the successful Canadian franchises into the U.S. "We can't wait to offer Floridians quality Thai food at reasonable prices with Thai Express and also bring sushi, sashimi, and Japanese specialties with Ginger Sushi," said Itzcovitch. "Our team of seasoned franchising and licensing specialists looks forward to enriching the existing multi-cultural cuisine throughout the state." As an Area Developer, 2Stix Franchising will be responsible for the daily operations of both brands, as well as helping to identify new franchisees, providing real estate and construction assistance, as well as long-term operational support. Itzcovitch, who has been actively involved in various franchising businesses since 1989, and Frankel, a lawyer with a background in music distribution and licensing, will head the expansion to introduce the Thai Express and Ginger Sushi Boutique brands to Florida residents and visitors alike. About Thai Express Thai Express is a new take on traditional Thai cuisine that began in Canada and is currently expanding into the U.S. Tailored to your taste and prepared fresh when you order, Thai Express provides fun, flavorful and healthy meals. As a premier Thai food franchise, the company believes in providing variety, quality and authenticity at modern food boutiques. In 2004, Thai Express was acquired by MTY Food Group Inc. and now has over 285 locations across North America. For more information about Thai Express, visit www.ThaiExpress.ca. About Ginger Sushi Boutique For over 16 years, Ginger Sushi Boutique, known in Canada as Sushi Shop, has specialized in the creation of sushi, sashimi and other Japanese specialties. Prepared fresh with care by a staff of sushi chefs, the company's products offer exceptional flavor, superior freshness, and positive health benefits. Owned by MTY Food Group Inc. Ginger Sushi Boutique has more than 130 locations in Quebec and Ontario and is actively expanding the premium brand in the United States. For more information about Ginger Sushi Boutique, visit www.SushiShop.com. SOURCE MTY Food Group Inc. Related Links http://www.mtygroup.com ROCKVILLE, Md., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Emmes Corporation today announced a contract spanning just over four years for a Phase 2 study of a Zika vaccine. The contract, valued at up to $27.6 million, expands the initial Phase 1 testing that began last year. This is the first-ever Phase 2 study for a Zika vaccine. Dr. Anne Lindblad, president and chief executive officer of Emmes, said, "The win is important because it expands our role in combating the Zika virus, a significant and enduring public health challenge." The clinical study is being conducted for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease's Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study, titled a Phase 2/2B, Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Immunogenicity and Efficacy of a Zika Virus DNA Vaccine in Healthy Adults and Adolescents, is being conducted in two parts. In the first part, 90 healthy adults, 18-35 years of age, will be enrolled at Baylor College of Medicine and the Puerto Rico Clinical and Translational Research Consortium. In the second part, 2,400 healthy adults and adolescents, 15-35 years of age, that reside in Zika endemic or potential endemic regions will be enrolled in the U.S., Caribbean, South America and Central America. Under the contract, Emmes will lead the data management, statistical, regulatory, and clinical monitoring efforts. The company currently supports the predecessor study, a Phase 1 trial that is testing the same Zika vaccine in 45 subjects. In addition to the Zika studies for the Vaccine Research Center, Emmes supports four other Zika clinical trials. "Emmes is no stranger to being called into action in the fight against major world health threats," said Dr. Lindblad. "Zika, Ebola and pandemic flu vaccines are some recent examples. We're proud to be making a contribution to vaccine science and trying to reduce the risk of future epidemics." About Emmes We collaborate with our clients to produce valued, trusted scientific research. Our team members at Emmes are passionate about making a difference in the quality of human health, and we have supported more than a thousand studies across a diverse range of diseases since our formation in 1977. Our research is contributing to a healthier world. For more information, visit the Emmes website at www.emmes.com. SOURCE The Emmes Corporation Related Links http://www.emmes.com SANTA CLARA, California, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- E8 Storage today announced the successful deployment of its high-availability shared NVMe flash storage appliance at a major financial institution in New York City. The customer, signed in 2016, completed installation of the E8-D24, and the complete hardware and software solution is now in full production in the customer's datacenter. "E8 Storage utilizes best-in-class hardware to deliver a complete end-to-end solution for its customers, including the dual port version of the Intel Datacenter SSD family for PCIe* used in this application. The dual port versions of the Intel Datacenter SSD family for PCIe combines NVMe performance with high availability and density, making it a perfect complement to E8 Storage's innovative storage architecture," said Bill Leszinske, Vice President of Strategic Planning, Marketing and Business Development, Intel NVM Solutions Group." "Many financial institutions today are finding they require more performance than can be achieved by existing all-flash arrays, and E8 Storage is in a strong position to tap into the growing demand of this market," said Tim Stammers, senior analyst, 451 Research. "E8 Storage's combination of PCIe-NVMe-based storage and an in-house equivalent to NVMe over Fabrics is cutting-edge, and worth a serious look for applications in need of a low-cost, high-performance storage solution." The Tier 1 financial institution selected E8 Storage because it delivers numerous business benefits unachievable with other all-flash arrays: Consolidating SSDs : E8 Storage presents a single large pool of flash from which logical volumes can be shared among compute resources, at the same performance of local SSDs. E8 Storage presents a single large pool of flash from which logical volumes can be shared among compute resources, at the same performance of local SSDs. Increased productivity: E8 Storage's high-availability and fault-tolerant architecture allows for improved uptime and business continuity, improving developers' access to data and increasing productivity. E8 Storage's high-availability and fault-tolerant architecture allows for improved uptime and business continuity, improving developers' access to data and increasing productivity. Lower costs: Increased utilization of SSDs reduces the number of drives required, saving the customer significant money on storage capacity in both the short- and long-term. "This Wall Street customer needed a high-performance, high-availability storage solution for its mission-critical data center - and they found it in E8 Storage," said Zivan Ori, CEO and Co-founder, E8 Storage. "They are one of several Fortune 500 companies we're working with to provide a replacement to local SSDs with a shared storage solution that has unprecedented levels of performance. We're in various stages of deployment in other market verticals such as retail, high performance computing and web-scale data centers." The E8-D24 is generally available, and detailed specifications can be downloaded here. For pricing, please contact [email protected]. About E8 Storage E8 Storage provides the first-ever centralized NVMe enterprise storage solution, delivering 10 times the performance for half the cost of existing storage products. The company's rack scale all-flash array eliminates storage need projections, is easily upgradeable and expandable, enables converged Ethernet networking, and increases SSD utilization to over 90%. E8 Storage's flagship product, the award-winning E8-D24, is ideally suited for real-time analytics, hyperscale data centers, high-performance computing, and SQL and NoSQL databases. Privately held E8 Storage is based in Santa Clara with R&D in Tel-Aviv. For more information, please visit http://www.e8storage.com; follow us on Twitter @E8Storage and LinkedIn. Press Contacts: Maya Lustig, E8 Storage [email protected] +972-54-6778100 Michelle Allard McMahon/Candice Perodeau [email protected] +1-508-475-0025 SOURCE E8 Storage MT. PLEASANT, Texas, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Titus County has joined a growing number of Texas jurisdictions to leave their previous vendors for Hart InterCivic as Hart and its Verity Voting system continue to gain momentum across the state. Titus is the first among Texas Verity adopters to deploy the system's paper-based voting configuration. In the polling place, voters can choose to mark their ballots by hand or to use an accessible ballot marking device called Verity Touch Writer. Voters then cast their votes by inserting the ballot into the Verity Scan tabulator. Verity's compact, secure polling place devices make setup straightforward and voting easy. (PRNewsFoto/Hart InterCivic) "Our equipment was becoming ancient; we had to look at something new," said Krissy Lytle, Titus County Elections Administrator. "When I first saw Verity, I thought it looked very user friendly. Our judges will have an easy time using this system, and transporting it will be so much less work than the older equipment we have now. Currently, the Sheriff's Office has to deliver our equipment for us. Now the judges will be able to load it in their own cars. It's going to be simpler all around." Lytle plans to debut the new system this November. "This will allow us to get all the judges trained and let Titus County voters experience Verity before the 2018 mid-term election," she said. "I look forward to introducing our voters to the system. We always work to keep the voters happy, and I believe they'll appreciate Verity's ease of use." "Verity is a natural choice for jurisdictions in Texas both those that vote with paper and those that vote electronically," said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. "Hart and Verity were born and bred in Texas, and we have incorporated the state's election needs into our new Verity system. We welcome Titus County to the Texas family of Verity users." Learn more about Verity in Texas: http://www.hartintercivic.com/texas4verity. About Hart InterCivic, Inc. Austin-based Hart InterCivic is a full service election solutions innovator, partnering with state and local governments to deliver secure, accurate and reliable elections. Working side-by-side with election professionals for more than 100 years, Hart is committed to helping advance democracy one election at a time. Hart's mission fuels its passionate customer focus and continuous drive for technological innovation. The company's new Verity Voting system makes voting more straightforward, equitable and accessibleand makes managing elections more transparent, more efficient and easier. SOURCE Hart InterCivic, Inc. Related Links http://www.hartintercivic.com ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Towne Park announced today that it has acquired Park Plus Parking, a leading provider of parking solutions for hotels and airports in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Together the companies will offer the region's most powerful full-range hospitality services platform, helping clients to build better guest experiences and improve business performance. "Park Plus Parking brings to Towne Park valuable relationships with a number of high-profile clients, as they currently provide valet services at Ritz Carlton and Marriott International hotels and off-airport parking services at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport," stated Frank Pikus, executive vice president, acquisitions at Towne Park. "We are particularly excited about their strength in off-airport parking, which is a natural progression of our platform that complements our value proposition and adds an attractive growth driver." The acquisition of Park Plus Parking strengthens Towne Park's position in large, growing markets and opens up additional revenue opportunities. The combination creates the largest service network in the Northeastern U.S., with an on-call staff that features over 800 associates, enabling Towne Park to respond to the heavy demand periods or special needs of any of the more than 70 portfolio clients it now serves in the region. The deal also accelerates Towne Park's product roadmap, adding strong off-airport parking capabilities that build upon Towne Park's strengths in deploying highly motivated, high-caliber, mobile employees and in supporting services with sophisticated processes and systems. "Towne Park's people, systems, and scale enable the company to maximize efficiencies, drive up customer satisfaction, and create value, making them an outstanding partner," stated Park Plus Parking President Anthony Preza. "I couldn't be more pleased: We are now positioned for faster growth and deeper market penetration, and our employees have tremendous career opportunities with the No. 1 hospitality services provider nationwide." The acquisition by Towne Park is its fourth in the past five months as it continues to increase both its diverse range of services and its service capacity in the hospitality and healthcare industries. Towne Park's portfolio of services is unlocking synergies in the healthcare and hospitality verticals, helping hospitals, hotels and other businesses create new business models, maximize growth opportunities and enhance their brands. About Towne Park Towne Park is America's leading hospitality and healthcare services company with over 13,000 employees at more than 800 sites nationwide, including approximately 500 hotel and hospitality sites and 300 hospitals. We build better guest experiences, touching the lives of over 15 million people every year. For nearly 30 years we have been partnering with some of the most respected corporations in the world, including premiere global hospitality brands and state-of-the-art hospitals, offering a broad array of world-class, high-impact services and solutions. See what happens when you extend your brand and add new services that matter. Deeper connections. Greater efficiencies. Made Simple. Towne Park has been honored as a "Best Run Company," a "Best Place to Work" and frequently been named one of "America's Fastest Growing Companies." For more information on Towne Park, please visit our website at www.townepark.com. SOURCE Towne Park Related Links http://townepark.com (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161202/445171LOGO ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/507425/Turkish_Airlines.jpg ) Stopover offers those passengers a complimentary accommodation and a great opportunity to discover the unique beauties of Istanbul during their connecting time. This new service - that set Pakistan as pilot region for the initial phase - will enable the transfer passengers that depart from Pakistan to arrive to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., Ireland, and also have more than 20 hours connecting time, to stop over in Istanbul with an accommodation cheque prepared by Turkish Airlines' authorized staff after completing the flight booking process of the passenger. This cheque will enable the economy class passengers to stay 1 night at a 4-star hotel; and also the business class passengers to stay 2 nights at a 5-star hotel in Sultanahmet and Taksim, generally described as the central points of Istanbul. Moreover, within the scope of this project, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Turkey has began to offer a complimentary 7-day transit visa to Pakistani passengers who will travel with Turkish Airlines from Pakistan to the U.S., Schengen Countries, U.K., and Ireland. Turkish Airlines, Inc. Media Relations About Turkish Airlines: Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 337 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 299 destinations worldwide with 250 international and 49 domestic. According to the 2016 Skytrax survey, Turkish Airlines was chosen as "Europe's Best Airline" for the sixth and "Best Airline in Southern Europe" for the eighth consecutive time. Having won in 2010 the world's "Best Economy Catering Service", in 2013 and also in 2014 the world's "Best Business Catering Service", and "Best Business Class Lounge Dining", "Best Business Airline Lounge" awards in last year's survey, Turkish Airlines was awarded again the world's "Best Business Class Dining Lounge" and "Best Business Class On-Board Catering" prizes in this year's survey. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website http://www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, and Instagram. About Star Alliance: The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Avianca Brasil, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,450 daily flights to 1,300 airports in 190 countries. Turkish Airlines Inc. Office of Media Relations General Management Building 34149, Yesilkoy-Istanbul Tel: +90(212)-463-63-63 -11153 / 11173 Fax: +90(212)-465-20-78 [email protected] SOURCE Turkish Airlines NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To support the growing need for cross-border payment efficiency and flexibility, Transpay has enhanced its B2B/B2P currency capabilities to support the global operations of its enterprise clients. Transpay enables businesses to complete mass payouts to more than 120 countries, in over 60 currencies. Through its proprietary network and robust technology solutions, Transpay serves leading e-commerce marketplaces, affiliate marketing platforms and payment service providers. Now, businesses have the ability to fund their Transpay accounts in 11 settlement currencies, including Singapore dollar (SGD), Hong Kong dollar (HKD) and Australian dollar (AUD), in addition to customary origination currencies like United States dollar (USD) and Euro (EUR). For businesses which operate in these currencies, this eliminates the need to convert funds prior to settlement, making payments faster and more cost-effective. "Globally, marketplaces and digital platforms often pay double conversion fees when sending bank wires, first from converting into USD or EUR and then to the local currency of the receiver," says Joe Tumbarello, CFO/COO, Transpay. "Transpay is eliminating these fees to ensure that businesses operating in their local currencies are getting maximum value from each transaction." Transpay's additional funding currencies help to support businesses in growing industries as they expand cross-border, by addressing the inherent challenges of multi-currency mass payments. For example, as the e-commerce industry in Southeast Asia is expected to surpass US$25 billion by 2020, payments account for the biggest challenge for the e-commerce companies that proliferate the region, according to a Frost & Sullivan study. "These expanded offerings reinforce our commitment to simplifying mass cross-border payouts," says Samish Kumar, CEO, Transpay. "As payments is at the core of operations for every business, Transpay is boosting the efficiency of global money movement." Transpay's funding currencies include: Canadian dollar (CAD), Great Britain pound (GBP), Gambian dalasi (GMD), Philippines peso (PHP), West African CFA franc (XOF), Japanese yen (JPY), HKD, AUD, EUR, SGD and USD. Companies interested in learning more about Transpay's cross-border payments platform should contact (212) 994 -0345 or email [email protected] . About Transpay Transpay is a B2B/B2P cross-border payments platform that simplifies complex global payments with secure, fully compliant, easy-to-use solutions. Through its proprietary global network, Transpay enables businesses to send local currency payouts to a recipient's bank account or a preferred cash pick-up location. For more information, visit www.transpay.com or call 212-994-0345. Media Contact: Amanda Williams [email protected] (212) 994-0345 ext. 5165 SOURCE Transpay Related Links http://www.transpay.com ROCKVILLE, Md., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalorama Information notes that transplant diagnostics is seeing revenue growth of nine percent next year and this is projected to continue to 2021. Successful solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) or bone marrow transplants require histocompatibility between the recipient and donor. Molecular testing technologies are well-suited for this task. This according to a new report from healthcare-only market research publisher Kalorama Information. The various PCR-based methodologies, Sanger sequencing and NGS used to type HLA alleles in low to high resolution in order to match donors and recipients for solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) or bone marrow transplants; post-transplant monitoring including for transplant rejection is an ancillary testing area. The finding was made in the firm's report Transplant Matching Molecular Diagnostics. "Molecular is not ubiquitous, as some forecasters including us- may have thought a decade ago," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information. "It performs well in areas where it is set apart from other technologies. HLA is a value-add area for molecular, and you see that in the growth rate." The report said the global market for molecular transplant diagnostics is estimated at over three hundred million at an average annual rate of growth of 9%. Over allogenic 9,000 HSCTs and approximately 30,000 solid organ transplants are performed in the United States each year. The large size of the U.S. market is sustained by demand for high resolution molecular HLA typing, including sequencing-based methods. More than 30,000 solid organ transplants and around 18,000 HSCTs are performed each year in Europe. Transplant volumes continue to grow at a faster pace in Europe than in the United States as Eastern European countries and other less mature markets perform more solid organ transplants and HSCTs. This is driving sales of test products. The United States is the largest market for leading molecular transplant diagnostics companies Thermo Fisher Scientific, CareDx (Olerup brand), and Immucor (LIFECODES brand). Kalorama's report, Transplant Matching Molecular Diagnostics Market provides: Global Market Forecast to 2021 Global Molecular Transplant Procedure Volumes, 2016 to 2021 Global Market Share by Vendor The report can be found at: https://www.kaloramainformation.com/Transplant-Matching-Molecular-10819543/ About Kalorama Information Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com. We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog on our company website. Please link any media or news references to our reports or data to http://www.kaloramainformation.com/. Press Contact: Bruce Carlson 212 807 2262 [email protected] SOURCE Kalorama Information Joe and Bobbi Koval sat in a windowless DMV hearing room in Manhattan on Wednesday morning, across a small conference table from 27-year-old NYPD Officer Steven Oquendo, who struck and killed their son on 12th Avenue last July minutes after clocking out of a shift. The couple's attorney, Daniel Flanzig, sat by with new witness evidence alleging that Oquendo was driving erratically when he struck their son, 22-year-old Jack Koval. Judge Marc Berger accepted the notarized witness statement of Troy Lynn Mitchell, a resident of Oklahoma who said he was riding in an Uber SUV alongside Oquendo before the crash. Oquendo was "operating too quickly and aggressively," Mitchell wrote. "And because of his sudden lane change, he was unable to observe the pedestrian that I was able to see." Berger did not have the Criminal Investigation Squad report for Koval's case, a file that details the entire NYPD investigation, including witness testimony. Flanzig did his own legwork to track down Mitchell last week. There was not an NYPD detective in attendance Wednesday. "I didn't get any reason why I don't have police witnesses today," Berger said. "We would have been sh*t out of luck without that witness testimony," Flanzig told Gothamist after the hearing. "But for the evidence that we were able to gather at the eleventh hour." Oquendo was not charged in the July 31st crash. According to police, he had the right-of-way when he struck Koval, who was crossing 12th Avenue at 46th Street against the light. The Manhattan DA's Office also declined to press charges, following "a months-long investigation, including a review of surveillance footage, witness statements, Crash Data Retrieval records, and phone records," a spokesperson said. Wednesday's administrative DMV hearing, mandatory following any crash that involves death, was to determine whether Oquendo demonstrated "gross negligence" and acted "in a manner showing a reckless disregard for life or property of others," possibly meriting a license suspension or revocation. "The DMV has a huge role to play," Transportation Alternatives organizer Caroline Samponaro told Gothamist this week. "They are licensing every New York driver. If there is consistently a consequence for reckless driving, then I do think there could be some safer driver happening." The crosswalk where Koval was struck. (Google Maps) Mitchell, the witness, testified that his Uber was stopped at a red light at 46th Street just before 2:15 a.m. on July 31st, heading north on 12th Avenue. The Uber had stopped short of the crosswalk; Mitchell was level with Oqeundo's Dodge Charger, which was stopped behind a second SUV in the adjacent lane to his left. "The car caught my attention because it is known to be a high performance vehicle," he wrote, adding: When the light turned green, the large SUV pulled away from the light. We accelerated a little slower. As a result, space was created between the large SUV and our vehicle. The Charger quickly continued to accelerate and suddenly changed lanes.... The Charger continued to accelerate as he entered the intersection at a speed that seemed unsafe for roadway conditions. As he continued to accelerate I saw him strike a pedestrian who was in [crosswalk]. Judge Berger peppered Oquendo with questions about the lead-up to the crash, and moment of impact. Oquendo testified that he changed lanes just before the crash in order to avoid striking a black SUV in front of him. He also said that he was driving between 25 and 30 miles per hour, and that there were one-and-a-half car lengths between his car and the SUV when it slowed. (The speed limit on this stretch of road is 35 mph.) "The vehicle in front of me suddenly stopped and I didn't have enough time to stop behind it, so I had to go to the right of it to avoid striking that vehicle. That's when the accident happened," Oquendo said. At the end of Wednesday's hearing Flanzig asked the judge to leave the case open until the CIS report is supplied, as it might help the judge address discrepancies between the witness account and Oquendo's testimony. "I think it's highly relevant to this case," he said. Judge Berger declined. "The accident was almost a year ago and I really do think I have enough information to work with," he said. A final decision is expected within the month. Flanzig said he is still optimistic that Oquendo will get some sort of penalty for negligence. "From my instinct, when the judge started asking certain questions, he understood that Oquendo was close-following," he said. "If you are going 25 to 30 miles per hour, how can you not stop your car?" Close following and unsafe lane change are both traffic violations, which could result in a fine on top of any action on Oquendo's license. Koval, who graduated from Emory University last spring, moved to New York City shortly after July 4th, 2016 to start a job as an analyst at Centerview Partners, a financial advisory firm. He was killed later that month. A preliminary police report included a false account of the circumstances: he did not, as was originally reported, jump a divider and step into oncoming traffic before he was killed. Oquendo addressed the Kovals directly on Wednesday. "My condolences to your family and I'm sorry for your loss," he said. "I can't imagine what you guys are going through. I wish it never happened. I think about it every day. And, um, it's just an accident. I'm sorry that it happened. I really am. I wish it didn't." "If anybody else tells me they can't imagine our loss, I'm going to pretty much rip their head off," Bobbi Koval said after the hearing, laughing. "Because of course you can't. Words are nothing. Words mean nothing to me. It's his actions, and you need to take responsibility." NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ugam, a global leader in data and analytics, today announced its co-founder and chief commercial officer, Mihir Kittur, will be a keynote speaker at B2B Online 2017. The conference will take place on May 8-10, 2017 at the Chicago Renaissance Downtown in Chicago. B2B Online is the leading digital and e-commerce conference for manufacturers and distributors. Kittur's keynote session will headline day three of the conference, themed "Retention and the Customer Journey." Titled "How Leading B2B Firms are Leveraging Data and Analytics to Accelerate Their Digital Performance," the session will examine the ways in which manufacturers and distributors have deployed data and analytics to improve their digital and overall business performance. "B2B e-commerce is gaining pace, however many organizations are struggling to accelerate digital," said Kittur. "Through the use of data and analytics, manufacturers and distributors receive the information they need for pricing, content and product range decisions. The speaking session will examine these data-driven business decisions as well as the lessons learned from leading B2B and B2C companies that have deployed analytics." To learn more, visit Ugam on-site at B2B Online (booth No. 107) or contact Ugam. About Ugam Ugam is a global leader in data and analytics that helps retailers, and brands firms transform big data into valuable insights. The company's unique managed services offering combines a proprietary big data technology platform with deep domain knowledge and analytics expertise to empower clients to make decisions that improve their business. For retailers, online marketplaces and brands, Ugam supports better merchandising, marketing and channel management decisions through the use of analytics. Five of the top 10 U.S. retailers, four of the leading Australian retailers, and many of the world's largest brands and online marketplaces work with Ugam because of its ability to deliver high-quality insights with unmatched customer experience. About B2B Online B2B Online is the top digital and e-commerce conference for manufacturers and distributors. The event is designed to give digital marketers a high-impact platform to discuss some of the largest developments in technology as well as the tips and tools they need to transform their online strategy. Contact: Veera Fernandes Ugam [email protected] SOURCE Ugam Ephemere Elderberry is a Belgian style fruit-wheat ale brewed using a balanced blend of elderberry fruit and flowers. "This is the first time we're using both the fruit and flower in making an Ephemere beer," explains Jerry Vietz, Unibroue's Master Brewer. "The elderberry flower's aroma is a perfect complement to the fruit's rich, delicious flavour." In fact, its berry flavours, subtle floral notes and hints of tropical fruit evoke Muscat grapes' notable bouquet from the very first sip. Elderberries' deep purplish-blue color and unique flavour resemble that of blueberries and blackberries. There is nothing sour about this fruit as its French name, "sureau", might lead some to believe! It is used in countless recipes, and its aromatic flower adds notes to many refined drinks and cocktails. Moreover, elderberries are an increasingly popular choice in dish recipes due to their high antioxidant levels and subtle flavours. Moreover, North America's First Nations tribes, who made use of the berries, flowers, bark and roots, also prized their medicinal properties. Ephemere Elderberry features a slightly cloudy and seductively reddish color with purplish hues, topped by a creamy pink head. Its medium bubbles and sustained effervescence make it a fun and refreshing choice when unwinding after a busy summer day. "Ephemere Elderberry's explosion of berry flavours and subtle floral notes make for a wide variety of pairings," confirms Sylvain Bouchard, beer sommelier at the brewery. "This delicious beer goes very well with pork loin, grilled chicken, as well as fish and seafood dishes, and adds a refreshing touch to rosette sausages. It also pairs well with goat, Brie and Camembert cheeses." About Unibroue Created in 1991, Unibroue is the leading craft brewery in Quebec and among the foremost craft breweries in North America. Headquartered in Chambly, Quebec, Canada, it brews more than 15 beer brands and has won over 305 international medals since its inception. Unibroue has carved out a special niche in the beer world with top quality products. It made history by becoming the first North American beer maker to use a brewing method inspired by the two-centuries-old tradition developed by Trappist monks in Europeparticularly in Belgium. For more information about Unibroue and it's Belgian style refermented ales, please visit www.unibroue.com. For more information: Caroline Frappier | DDMG Communications | [email protected] | 1.514.360.5225 ext. 308 SOURCE Unibroue NEW YORK, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines (UAL) today announced new year-round daily, nonstop service between New York/Newark and Buenos Aires, Argentina, starting October 28 (subject to government approval). In addition, the airline is increasing its year-round, daily service to Bogota, Colombia, with an additional daily flight starting June 8 through August 14. With these new flights, United will offer more flights from the New York area to South America than any other U.S. carrier. Buenos Aires, one of South America's largest commercial and cultural centers, will be United's 14th South American destination served nonstop from the United States. United already offers daily nonstop service between Houston (IAH) and Buenos Aires. "From the New York City area, United Airlines operates more nonstop flights to Central and South America than any other U.S. carrier and our new daily Buenos Aires service gives United customers another convenient way to travel between the U.S. East Coast and Argentina," said Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief revenue officer. "Whether traveling for business or leisure, customers can count on United to connect them to the moments that matter most." "United's new service between Buenos Aires and New York provides numerous opportunities for companies in both countries to promote bilateral trade and investment," said Alejandro Diaz, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina. "This flight will help fuel economic growth in both countries by connecting our financial, pharmaceutical and tourism industries - a real benefit for corporate and leisure travelers." EWR-EZE Flight Schedule Beginning October 28, United Flight 979 will depart from New York/Newark (EWR) at 9:50 p.m. and arrive at Buenos Aires (EZE) at 10:50 a.m. the following day (all times local). On October 29, United Flight 978 will depart Buenos Aires (EZE) at 9:00 p.m. and arrive at New York/Newark (EWR) at 6:10 a.m. the next day. Both flights will operate with Boeing 767-300 aircraft featuring 30 seats in United Polaris business class, 49 extra legroom Economy Plus seats and 135 United Economy seats. Convenient domestic and international connections from EWR Customers traveling beyond New York can conveniently connect to 115 domestic and international destinations at Newark Liberty International Airport in under three hours. Because United is the only U.S. carrier to serve Asia from the New York area, the new EWR-EZE service enables new, one-stop connections on United to Hong Kong, Tokyo/Narita, Beijing and Shanghai. Expanding and growing United's presence in Argentina "For 25 years, United has proudly served Argentina," said Christoff Poppe, United's country manager in Argentina. "During this time, the United team has worked hard to serve Argentine and foreign travelers, and we're excited to welcome new visitors from the New York area and the U.S. East coast, as well as give our customers here more options to travel to the U.S. with United Airlines." Employees and customers throughout South America are celebrating 25 years of United service to destinations that include Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Quito and Lima. United recently celebrated 50 years of service to Mexico. Increasing service between New York/Newark and Bogota Bogota, Colombia's largest city and capital, is a popular destination for business and leisure travelers. Beginning June 8, United will increase service between EWR and Bogota to twice daily during the peak summer travel season ending August 14. The airline also offers twice daily, year-round service between Houston (IAH) and Bogota. Serving the most international destinations from New York Just across the Hudson River and a quick, 30 minute train ride from the airport to Manhattan's Penn Station, United has been hard at work making Newark Liberty International Airport the East Coast's premier airline hub and the New York area's best and most convenient airport experience. With more than $2 billion invested over the past few years, United, in partnership with concession management company OTG, has turned Newark's Terminal C into a destination dubbed a "culinary oasis" by the New York Times. Home to dozens of specialty dining options, several of which were imagined by renowned culinary artists like Chef Alain Ducasse (whose restaurant at the Dorchester hotel in London was awarded three Michelin stars), travelers find some of the area's finest cuisine just a few steps away from the gate. United has grown its route network from Newark, serving more domestic and international destinations from the New York area than any other carrier and is doing it more reliably than ever before: In 2016, the airline achieved the best on-time performance and the fewest cancellations in company history. And while New York might be the city that never sleeps, United has taken the opposite approach for business travelers, thanks to its United Polaris business class product. United now offers more lie-flat seats than its New York/Newark competitors along with a bevy of pre-departure and in-flight amenities, all developed with one goal in mind: to give its Polaris customers the best, most restful night's sleep you can get on an airplane. About United United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,500 flights a day to 337 airports across five continents. In 2016, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 143 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 743 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express partners operate 478 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 190 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol "UAL". SOURCE United Airlines Related Links http://www.united.com The project is unique in that it is entirely supported by members within the nearby communities, including homeowners, low income homeowners, farms, and local businesses. The members of the solar farm receive a percentage of the solar plant's generation each month, which is credited to their bill exactly like the panels were installed on their own roofs. By centralizing the solar panels at one site, the plant was constructed at a much lower cost than otherwise possible, allowing members to save more money on their combined electricity and distribution costs than if they installed solar panels on their roofs. National Grid provided close support to the development and interconnection of the site, including some extraordinary late December work to bring the plant to full production. "We appreciate the collaborative approach taken by National Grid in New York, specifically the Distributed Generation team, who supported us while taking our input to develop a repeatable Community Solar process, something brand new to the company" said William Silva, CEO of United Renewable Energy LLC. "As a market leader in Community Solar projects, including over 6MW of installed projects, it was wonderful to complete the first National Grid connected Community Solar project in New York for the benefit of our s members." "National Grid is pleased to partner with United Renewable Energy on the company's first community solar project in New York," said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid's New York vice president. "We are excited to play a leadership role in developing innovative approaches that enable New York to achieve its goal for renewable energy. National Grid looks forward to supporting effective solutions for a cleaner, greener energy future that are essential to achieving the company's clean energy goals as well as New York's target of 50 percent renewables by 2030." The plant achieved full production in December, and is already over 50 percent subscribed with just local word of mouth advertising. New members from the local community are welcome, but space is very limited. About United Renewable Energy LLC United Renewable Energy LLC, (www.u-renew.com) is a highly experienced development and construction firm specializing in industrial and utility solar photovoltaics and energy storage systems. URE is a licensed multi-state general and electrical contractor operating throughout the Southeastern US and New York State. URE's focus on key utility and independent power producer (IPP) partners allows us to deliver solar projects with utility level quality, performance and safety at the lowest possible cost in the Eastern United States. For questions, please contact Jakky Shanahan at 678-881-0014 x708. About National Grid National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain. Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities' long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization.) For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, or our Connecting website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on You Tube, Friend us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram. Contact Jakky Shanahan Telephone 678-881-0014 x708 Email [email protected] Website www.u-renew.com SOURCE United Renewable Energy, LLC Related Links http://www.u-renew.com TAMPA, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) announces that the University of Central Oklahoma has earned accreditation for its College of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International (AACSB) is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide. "AACSB congratulates the University of Central Oklahoma and dean Mickey Hepner on earning accreditation," said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "AACSB Accreditation represents the highest achievement for an educational institution that awards business degrees. The entire UCO teamincluding the administration, faculty, directors, staff, and studentsare to be commended for their roles in earning accreditation." Synonymous to the highest standards of quality, AACSB Accreditation inspires new ways of thinking within business education globally, and as a result, has been earned by less than five percent of the world's business schools. Today, there are 789 institutions across 53 countries and territories that maintain AACSB Accreditation. Similarly, 186 institutions maintain an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation for their accounting programs. "Over the last seven years the students, staff, faculty, and friends of the University of Central Oklahoma have been working to develop innovative ways to engage our students, support our faculty, and enhance our facilities in order to improve the quality of the educational experiences we provide," said Mickey A. Hepner, dean of the College of Business. "We greatly appreciate that AACSB recognizes our efforts and our commitment to high-quality business education." AACSB-accredited schools have successfully undergone a rigorous review process conducted by their peers in the business education community, ensuring that they have the resources, credentials, and commitment needed to provide students with a first-rate, future-focused business education. During this multi-year process the school focuses on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB's Accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to: strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. "Quality business education is critical to developing the next generation of leaders, and I commend the University of Central Oklahoma for its dedication, as well as its leadership in the community," said Reid. "Through accreditation, UCO has not only met rigorous standards of excellence, but has also made an external commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure that they will continue to innovate and deliver the value promised to their students." AACSB International also announced that AACSB International also announced that Mississippi College and Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology and have earned accreditation in business. About AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) As the world's largest business education alliance, AACSB International (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,500 member organizations and more than 785 accredited business schools worldwide. With its global headquarters in Tampa, Florida, USA; Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, AACSB's mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. For more information, visit aacsb.edu. SOURCE AACSB International Today, Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University, in partnership with America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education , released the 2017 Building a Grad Nation report, the eighth annual update on the progress and challenges in raising high school graduation rates. The four organizations lead the GradNation campaign , a nationwide effort to boost on-time high school graduation rates to 90 percent by the Class of 2020. The 2017 report is presented by lead sponsor AT&T and supporting sponsor State Farm . This year's report marks five years since states have used the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR), a common formula for collecting graduation statistics across states, and among a variety of subgroups. With just five years of federal data remaining until 2020, the data also make it clear that the rate of progress must increase significantly if the country is to reach its goals. Only half of America's states are on track to reach a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020. "National high school graduation rates increased four percentage points from 2010 to 2015. That's more than just a data point it means hundreds of thousands more young people are in a better position for post-secondary enrollment. These increases, reflected across all states and student subgroups during that five-year period, are a profound achievement for our nation," said Robert Balfanz, director of the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and co-author of the report. "Now, as we move into the last leg of the campaign, we must double our progress if we are to meet our goal. This report offers a blueprint for how to get there." "In 2015, about half of the country reported high school graduation rates of 85 percent or higher, putting more states on track to reach a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020," said John Bridgeland, president & CEO of Civic Enterprises and co-author of the report. "But our country must do more to achieve equity across state lines. It's time to sharpen our focus on the hardest to reach populations and work to elevate them to success." Skepticism Over the Authenticity of Graduation Gains. Rising rates have been met with heightened scrutiny. Issues range from the collection and reporting of data, the increase in the number of alternative schools with lower graduation standards, multiple high school diplomas with varying standards of excellence and the question of whether increasing high school graduation rates are actually translating into gains in post-secondary enrollment and attainment. These pockets of concern for specific states or particular types of schools are cause for careful review. But the data also show that these challenges do not outweigh the rising national trend. "More must be done to curtail errors in data collection, states and school districts must continue be held accountable for the students in their care, and a watchful eye must be kept on alternative high school programs that are often working with the most disadvantaged students," said Jennifer DePaoli, senior research and policy advisor at Civic Enterprises and co-author of the report. "This year's report should drive key stakeholders to renew their commitments and invest in best practices to improve educational outcomes for the most marginalized student groups." Key Findings. The Building a Grad Nation report is based on the most recent comprehensive data from the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education (2014-15). A close look at the data shows disparities in graduation rates in five key areas. Low-income students: Nearly half of the country's 2015 graduating cohort 48.2 percent, a slight increase from 2014 came from low-income families. Nationally, the gap between low-income students and their middle- and upper-income peers now stands at 13.7 percentage points. In nearly half of all states, the gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers is 15 percentage points or greater, and in 18 additional states the gap is at least 10 points. Nearly half of the country's 2015 graduating cohort 48.2 percent, a slight increase from 2014 came from low-income families. Nationally, the gap between low-income students and their middle- and upper-income peers now stands at 13.7 percentage points. In nearly half of all states, the gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers is 15 percentage points or greater, and in 18 additional states the gap is at least 10 points. Black and Hispanic/Latino Students: Graduation rates for Black students have increased 7.6 percentage points and 6.8 percentage points for Hispanic/Latino students since 2011 some of the highest gains of any student subgroup. However, Black and Hispanic/Latino students comprise 54 percent of all students who did not graduate on time. Graduation rates for Black students have increased 7.6 percentage points and Students with disabilities: Thirty-three states reported high school graduation rates for special education students below 70 percent, and nearly half of those 33 states had graduation rates for students with disabilities below 60 percent. Four states South Carolina , Louisiana , Mississippi , and Nevada graduated less than half of their special education students. Nationally, the graduation rate gap between students with and without disabilities now stands at 21.1 percentage points. In 29 states, students in the general education population graduate at rates of 20 percentage points or more than their special education peers. Thirty-three states reported high school graduation rates for special education students below 70 percent, and nearly half of those 33 states had graduation rates for students with disabilities below 60 percent. Four states , , , and graduated less than half of their special education students. English Language Learners: The number of ELL students in America's public schools is climbing, increasing from 8.8 percent (an estimated 4.2 million students) in 2003-04 to 9.2 percent (an estimated 4.5 million) in 2013-14. The 10 states with the highest proportion of ELL non-graduates comprised 66 percent of all ELL non-graduates in the country, while over one-third of English Language Learners who did not graduate on time are located in California alone. The number of ELL students in America's public schools is climbing, increasing from 8.8 percent (an estimated 4.2 million students) in 2003-04 to 9.2 percent (an estimated 4.5 million) in 2013-14. The 10 states with the highest proportion of ELL non-graduates comprised 66 percent of all ELL non-graduates in the country, while over one-third of English Language Learners are located in alone. Low- Graduation-Rate High Schools: Since 2002, the number of large, low-graduation-rate high schools (enrolling 300 or more students) has been cut in half and there are now fewer than 900,000 students enrolled in them down from 2.5 million. There were 2,249 low-graduation-rate high schools (enrolling 100 or more students) in 2015, making up just 12 percent of all public high schools enrolling 100 or more students. Two out of three students in low-graduation-rate high schools are Black or Hispanic/Latino. Six in ten students in low-graduation-rate high schools qualified as being low-income in 2015, meaning that there is little economic diversity in the nation's most challenged high schools. Policy recommendations. The report recommends policymakers: 1) Create high-quality Every Student Succeeds Act implementation plans; 2) Create evidence-based plans to improve low-graduation-rate high schools; 3) Get the cohort rate right by improving uniformity and transparency in the ACGR; 4) Report extended-year graduation rates; and 5) Strengthen accountability for non-traditional high schools. In a recent letter to the U.S. Department of Education, GradNation campaign leaders offered some of these same recommendations in the wake of the recent repeal of ESSA regulations by Congress. "Graduation rate progress is primarily a state and local responsibility, but federal oversight remains a critical component of making sure that traditionally underserved students receive the support they need," said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. "By implementing and supporting policies that strengthen accountability and transparency, we avoid potential loopholes that can be devastating to many young people." The Road to 90. The 2014-15 school year marks the second year that the country is not on track to reach its goal. To stay on track, the national graduation rate must increase by 1.4 percentage points annually. For 2015, the rate went up just 0.9 percent. "We need a real breakthrough on equity if we are going to get more young people across the graduation stage over these next few years," said John Gomperts, president and CEO of America's Promise Alliance. "To help accelerate progress, the campaign going forward will focus more on supporting targeted strategic statewide and local plans that will work toward leveling the playing field and moving the needle to help more young people and schools succeed." Authors and sponsors. The 2017 Building a Grad Nation report is co-authored by Jennifer DePaoli, John Bridgeland, Erin Ingram and Matthew Atwell of Civic Enterprises and Robert Balfanz and his team at the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. AT&T, lead sponsor, has supported the Building a Grad Nation report series through AT&T Aspire, the company's $400 million commitment since 2008 to graduate more students from high school ready for college and career. State Farm is a supporting sponsor. Full report. To read the full report, access graphics, state-by-state data and other resources, visit: www.gradnation.americaspromise.org/report/2017-building-grad-nation-report. Join the Livestream. A livestream of the Building a Grad Nation report release event will be available on May 3 from 3-4:30 PM ET. The event will showcase the release of research by Civic Enterprises and The Everyone Graduates Center, followed by a moderated panel conversation to address the key challenges associated with raising graduation rates, featuring voices from leaders on the ground and researchers in the field. Join the conversation here: http://www.americaspromise.org/event/state-our-gradnation-what-will-it-take-get-90-percent-grad-rate-all-students. Civic Enterprises is a public policy and strategy firm that helps corporations, nonprofits, foundations, universities and governments develop and spearhead innovative public policies to strengthen our communities and country. Created to enlist the private, public and nonprofit sectors to help address our nation's toughest problems, Civic Enterprises fashions new initiatives and strategies that achieve measurable results in the fields of education, civic engagement, economic mobility, and many other domestic policy issues. www.civicenterprises.net The Everyone Graduates Center at the Center for Social Organization of Schools at the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University seeks to identify the barriers to high school graduation, develop strategic solutions to overcoming these barriers and build local capacity to implement and sustain the solutions so that all students graduate prepared for adult success. www.every1graduates.org America's Promise Alliance leads the nation's largest network dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. As its signature effort, the GradNation campaign mobilizes Americans to increase the on-time high school graduation rate to 90 percent by the Class of 2020 and prepare young people for postsecondary enrollment and the 21st century workforce. www.AmericasPromise.org The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC-based national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship. www.all4ed.org MEDIA CONTACTS: SOURCE GradNation Campaign PITTSBURGH, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW), which represents more than 4,700 Arconic employees at 11 locations, issued the following statement on the proxy fight by Elliott Management at Arconic. "The USW opposes efforts by hedge fund Elliott Management to select the next CEO and nominate four new individuals to the Arconic board," said Leo W. Gerard, USW International President. "The proxy fight between Elliott Management and Arconic has been of great concern to USW members, retirees and their communities." "We have not always agreed with Aronic's management," said Tom Conway, USW International Vice President and chair of the union's Arconic bargaining committee, "but we respect its management at the corporate and plant levels. "Elliott Management has waged an all-out campaign critical of virtually every aspect of Arconic's operations and management, including its capital investments," said Conway. "Our members understand that the company's success and its security require investment and innovation." Among the capital expenditures recently made by Arconic were a $300 million expansion of automotive sheet production at Alcoa Tennessee; a $490 million investment at the Davenport rolling mill, including automotive sheet expansion and thick plate-stretcher; and the $90 million expansion at Lafayette to enable it to produce aluminum-lithium alloys for the aerospace industry. "Elliott has held is shares of Arconic (and predecessor Alcoa) for less than two years. Its investment in Arconic is just over 4 percent of the $31 billion it manages. The USW members at Arconic are 100 percent invested in the company for their employment and retirement security," said Conway. At a time of turmoil and change in the global aluminum sector, Arconic needs a management team whose primary focus is on investing in the business, developing world-class products, navigating a global market roiled by unfair trade, and providing good jobs for its workers. Elliott has shown no long-term commitment to ownership in Arconic. It is simply seeking to engineer a short-term price increase at the long-term expense of the company, its other shareholders and its employees. Elliott has a pattern of layoffs and divestitures at the companies it has targeted. For example, after Elliott purchased a stake in Citrix Systems, it demanded the software company sell assets and cut costs. Citrix laid off 900 employees in January 2015 and another 1,000 in November 2015. Elliott purchased a stake in Symantec Corp., the maker of cybersecurity software, at the beginning of 2016. It subsequently sold assets, paid shareholders and announced it would cut about 10 percent of its work force and close some facilities. Elliott Management proposes Arconic hire as its next CEO Larry Lawson, former CEO of Spirit AeroSystems and Vice President of Aeronautics at Lockheed Martin and previously was Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 program. However, Lawson's record bears scrutiny. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive weapons program in the history of the U.S. military and has been plagued by cost, schedule and performance problems. Under Lawson, the military's top officer heading the F-35 program sharply criticized Lockheed Martin for maintaining a poor relationship with the Pentagon and not taking the steps to control costs and ensure the program's health. Shortly after that criticism, Lawson retired from Lockheed. Elliott also boasts of the valuable experience of its nominee Patrice E. Merrin, who currently serves as a director of Glencore, the global mining and metals company. The USW and Glencore-owned Sherwin Alumina in Corpus Christi, Texas, were involved in a bitter two-year lock-out which ended in November 2016 when the company closed the facility. USW members are currently on strike at Glencore-affiliate Canadian Electrolytic Zinc Ltd. Glencore also has a notorious reputation for questionable business practices, and has been dogged by allegations of environmental, child labor and human rights violations. The USW represents more than 4,700 Arconic employees in North America at 11 locations. The master agreement between Arconic and the USW covers approximately 3,400 employees at four locations, which produce rolled products and aerospace extrusions. The agreement expires May 15, 2019. The USW is the largest industrial union in North America, representing workers in a range of industries including metals, mining, rubber, paper and forestry, oil refining, health care, security, hotels, and municipal governments and agencies. CONTACT: Wayne Ranick (412) 562-2444 [email protected] SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW) Related Links http://www.usw.org DALLAS, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Four veteran Dallas-based consultants announce the launch of their consultancy, Waypoint Consulting Services. Waypoint is currently engaged with companies in healthcare, financial services, and energy. The company advises leaders on strategy and business transformation, M&A, growth and client life cycle, risk and regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, data security and privacy, information technology and operations. The managing partners all have more than 20 years of experience as trusted consultants to large organizations in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia, thus the firm's url http://trustwaypoint.com. Bill Stuart, Waypoint's CEO and managing partner, previously founded Hazelwood Partners in 2007 and sold the consultancy to ABeam Consulting. Earlier he was managing partner at TMCO International. He said, "The four of us are excited to be coming together as a team to offer our clients a rich array of complementary business/IT expertise coupled with our shared values in terms of trust, integrity, and quality. Those values apply to our client relationships, our partner relationships, as well as the other experienced consultants we are bringing on around the country." Bill Long, managing partner, co-founded Hazelwood Partners where he led complex and highly integrated IT initiatives for large companies. He said, "In our years of working together, we have continually strived for excellence by honing our consulting model for a constantly changing business environment. Companies embarking on critical, large-scale IT transformations are looking for objective guidance on their strategy and on the points along the way." Mark Renfro, managing partner, was most recently Comerica's senior vice president of sales and service where he shaped sales strategy to achieve growth objectives across all business lines. He previously held senior consulting positions with leading sales management firms. Renfro said, "Today, when regulatory risk and compliance loom so large for many companies, revenue growth can suffer. We advise them on mapping a safe, secure, and achievable path to growth." Scott Harris, managing partner, has a wealth of consulting experience, most recently with Capgemini, and with Fortune 100 companies in energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and more. He said, "I am excited about merging my broad background and expertise with that of my partners. Together we can provide clients with business/IT frameworks for innovative ways to use technology to achieve their strategic and operational goals." About Waypoint Waypoint is a consulting services company formed by partners deeply experienced across industries and geographies to advise leaders on strategy and business transformation, M&A, growth and client life cycle, risk and regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, data security and privacy, information technology and operations. The company is based in Dallas, Texas. www.trustwaypoint.com Waypoint Contact: Bill Stuart, CEO and Managing Partner, Waypoint Consulting Services, [email protected], 214-704-1971; Media Contact: Ann Cain, President, Ann Cain Communications, [email protected], 214-632-3300 SOURCE Waypoint Consulting Services Related Links http://www.trustwaypoint.com LEHI, Utah, May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivint Solar (NYSE: VSLR), a leading full-service residential solar provider, today announced that it has expanded availability of its solar energy systems into Rhode Island. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Rhode Island's residential sector consumes more energy than its commercial, industrial and transportation sectors. Rhode Island residents who wish to install solar energy systems may be eligible to interconnect to the grid under traditional net metering or by participating in the Renewable Energy Growth Program, which offers attractive benefits to residential solar energy customers. By opting into Rhode Island's Renewable Energy Growth Program, the local utility, National Grid, assigns a per kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit for all electricity produced by the solar energy system at a premium rate for 15 or 20 years. These credits will first be used to offset the customer's utility bill. After the customer's utility bill is fully offset, the value for any remaining credits for the month will then be paid out to the customer. For customer-owned systems, a customer can currently expect to receive $0.3475 or $0.3085 credit per kWh respectively, which is well above the current utility rate. Through participation in this program, solar customers can pay off their system faster and save on years of clean, renewable energy. "We're thrilled to bring an affordable, environmentally friendly energy solution to Rhode Island residents and contribute to this economy," said David Bywater, CEO of Vivint Solar. "Rooftop solar is fast becoming a mainstream energy source for Americans who want to embrace clean power, positively impact the environment and enjoy greater energy independence. Rhode Island residents are in one of the best places to do that." Through Vivint Solar, residents can purchase a system outright or finance the system with monthly payments, either through one of the institutions Vivint Solar has relationships with or their preferred lender. Customers in Rhode Island will also be eligible to apply for any applicable utility-sponsored rebates or federal tax credits. "We commend Rhode Island's local leaders for developing the incredible Renewable Energy Growth Program that brings attractive economic benefits to solar customers," said Bywater. "This program is an ideal model for renewable energy and one that we hope many other states will imitate." As part of each sale, Vivint Solar designs, installs and maintains the system, allowing customers to enjoy the benefits of affordable, renewable solar energy. Vivint Solar has deep installation expertise, having completed over 100,000 installations throughout the United States. Vivint Solar expects to employ 10-20 employees in Rhode Island in the coming months. Vivint Solar now operates in 16 states (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Utah) and Washington D.C. For more information, visit www.vivintsolar.com/state/rhode-island. About Vivint Solar Vivint Solar is a leading full-service residential solar provider in the United States. With Vivint Solar, customers can power their homes with clean, renewable energy and typically achieve significant financial savings. Offering integrated residential solar solutions for the entire customer lifecycle, Vivint Solar designs, installs, monitors and services the solar energy systems for its customers. In addition to being able to purchase a solar energy system outright, customers may benefit from Vivint Solar's affordable, flexible financing options or power purchase agreements. For more information, visit www.vivintsolar.com or follow @VivintSolar on Twitter. Note on Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the market for residential solar energy systems in Rhode Island and other markets; the ability of residential solar customers to increase their energy independence, make a positive impact on the environment and achieve savings; and Vivint Solar's hiring expectations in its Rhode Island offices. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and they will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions regarding future events and business performance as of the date of this press release, and they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the risks set forth in the registration statements and reports that Vivint Solar files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.vivintsolar.com. Vivint Solar does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Press Contacts Vivint Solar Helen Langan, Director of Public Relations 385-202-6577 [email protected] Agency Contact Ashlyn Hewlett, Method Communications 801-461-9772 [email protected] SOURCE Vivint Solar Related Links http://www.vivintsolar.com TAMPA, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vology, the Managed IT Service Provider, announced today it is expanding and creating up to 200 jobs over the next two to four years. The company hired 80 new staff members last year and currently employs 420 people across the United States, 310 of whom are located in Pinellas County. Vology manages more than 100,000 devices at over 20,000 nationwide customer sites and has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies for 11 consecutive years. The expansion will allow the company to accommodate its growing number of employees and a Network Operations Center. The project is expected to reach a $3.75 million capital investment and will encompass 60,000 square feet in the Bay Vista Office Park within the City of Largo. "We're proud to welcome Governor Rick Scott today to celebrate our growth and our continued investments in the Tampa Bay community," said Barry Shevlin, CEO of Vology. "We appreciate the Governor's support creating a business environment that helps our company grow and we look forward to welcoming even more Floridians to the Vology team in the years to come." Pinellas County, in partnership with Enterprise Florida and the City of Largo, competed against locations in Texas during the selection process to retain this expanding company in the community. "Vology is a great company and we are thrilled that they have chosen Largo for their expansion," said Mike Grissom, Interim President & CEO of Enterprise Florida. "This means that good jobs are going to families right here and another Florida community will grow. We commend our local partners for their hard work and once again would like to congratulate Vology on their continued growth." Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, "Companies like Vology know they can count on Florida's talented workforce, the state's strong infrastructure and business-friendly environment to fuel their growth. Vology's expansion is great news for local job seekers and the Tampa Bay area. I'm proud of our partners for their hard work to secure Vology's commitment to grow in Florida." "Vology is one of Tampa Bay's best homegrown technology success stories, and we're very proud to today announce this expansion and these jobs in Pinellas County," said Commissioner Janet Long, Chairman of Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. "I want to congratulate Barry and his team on their success and continued growth, and thank them for their leadership in our community." "We are proud to support the expansion of Vology in one of Pinellas County's largest tech hotspots, the Bay Vista office complex in Largo," said City of Largo Mayor Woody Brown. "We are excited that the company is adding jobs, expanding our local economy and bringing their talent to our community. We hope that their expansion will be a catalyst for other tech companies to expand into Largo's market. Thank you for selecting Largo and we look forward to your continued success." Mike Meidel, Director of Pinellas County Economic Development, said, "We're very pleased that Vology selected Pinellas County as the best spot for the future growth of one of Tampa Bay's most recognizable and fastest growing technology companies. I'd like to thank our partners at the City of Largo and Enterprise Florida, and recognize the Governor's Office, the Largo City Commission and our Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners for their support of our economic development efforts." Vology was named to the Elite 150 category of CRN's 2017 Managed Service Provider 500 list, as well as to CRN's 2017 Tech Elite 250 list. Vology was also named one of the Tampa Bay Times Top Workplaces of 2015. IT professionals interested in exploring careers with Vology should visit: https://www.vology.com/company/careers/ Follow Vology: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook About Vology Vology is a Managed IT Service Provider that currently monitors, manages and maintains more than 100,000 devices at more than 20,000 customer locations through its two geographically redundant, U.S.-based, 24/7/365 Network Operations Centers and its network of more than 2,000 field engineers across the continental United States. Vology, an Inc. 5000-ranked fastest growing private company for 11 consecutive years, is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida. Vology employs more than 400 people across the United States, 50 percent of whom are technical resources. https://www.vology.com/ Company Contact: Trent Brock Vology (727) 281-4536 [email protected] About Enterprise Florida Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida's businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI facilitates job growth through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses. EFI launched "Florida The Future is Here" to promote the state as the nation's premier business destination. http://www.enterpriseflorida.com/ Organization Contact: Nathan Edwards Enterprise Florida (850) 298-6627 [email protected] About Pinellas County Economic Development Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) works with existing businesses to encourage expansion and seeks to attract new companies with high-wage careers to our community. Through investment tools, business classes, professional consulting services, trade missions to open new markets, and strategic partnerships, PCED fosters a pro-business environment and promotes the Ideal Business Climate of Pinellas County, Florida. http://www.pced.org Organization Contact: Stacey Swank Pinellas County Economic Development (727) 464-7425 [email protected] SOURCE Vology Related Links http://www.vology.com JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wash Ninja has been issued a Registered Trademark of Wash Ninja, Inc. by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). Committed to the environment, the startup and Florida Corporation is entering the automotive car care industry with a premium green friendly auto care product line. The organization is seeking to bring in more infrastructure and resources with a potential investor. After servicing customers for over one year with vast types of contamination and automotive detailing needs, the startup will offer detailing products they use that has earned them consistent 5 star reviews for services provided. The company has reached pre-product planning for their eco-friendly car care product line with a target launch date that has been moved up. Wash Ninja has opened an early sign up on their website for the upcoming release. Throughout product development and launch, the company plans to establish relationships with select auto care specialty stores, distributors, and other merchandisers offering a wider range of product types. After launch, the company will also offer all auto care products online to consumers. Wash Ninja, Masters in Green Auto Care, debuted their green-friendly premium mobile auto detailing business 15 months ago without trucks, trailers, or large water tanks for residential customers and company fleets. The company saves an estimated 70,000 gallons of water annually and donates to the planet with every purchase. The company took several branding initiatives in year one and purchased the greenfriend.ly domain that redirects to the Wash Ninja company website and has 12,000 social media followers. Since launch, the organization has gained over 47,500 social media followers and is committed to service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. A dedicated customer service hotline opened in year one at 844-927-4529 (844 WASH JAX) to accommodate new and existing customers. Later in year one, the startup launched a secure online eco-friendly store with a new 'Live the Green Life' logo. The green friendly apparel line features eco t-shirts made from 50% recycled bottles and 50% organic cotton along with an auto detailing store. The product apparel material reduces the amount of waste going into landfills utilizing bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that are recycled to reuse. The green friendly car care product line is a natural extension of offerings the company plans to bring to the automotive market. The products are well suited for a diverse set of customers seeking effective and efficient products with a company dedicated to service and the environment. The company and detailing practices include a 100% environmentally conscious effort from all aspects of water consumption, energy efficiency, and powering equipment with minimal strain on the environment. The Wash Ninja mission is to Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle as part of their green-friendly commitment. Visit the company website at https://www.wash.ninja to learn more. About Wash Ninja, Inc. Wash Ninja serves the planet and autos with green-friendly mobile auto detailing services, eco apparel, and car care protection products. Contact: Cory Sinclair 844-927-4529 [email protected] SOURCE Wash Ninja Related Links https://www.wash.ninja TAMPA, Fla., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) ("WellCare") today reported results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. As determined under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), net income for the first quarter of 2017 was $67.3 million, or $1.50 per diluted share. Adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2017 was $72.0 million, or $1.61 per diluted share. "Our strong results in the first quarter of 2017 were fueled by growth across all three lines of business and reflect our continued focus on operational execution," said Ken Burdick, WellCare's chief executive officer. "We entered 2017 with momentum and are very pleased with the organic growth our Medicare businesses produced during the first quarter. We also launched our Nebraska Medicaid business and welcomed Care1st Arizona to the WellCare family of health plans at the beginning of this year. In the second quarter, we closed our acquisitions of Universal American and Phoenix Health Plan and began serving Medicaid beneficiaries statewide in Missouri." Key Metrics 1Q17 1Q16 Earnings per diluted share (EPS) (GAAP) $1.50 $0.85 Adjusted EPS(1) $1.61 $1.07 Net income margin (GAAP) 1.7% 1.1% Adjusted net income margin(1) 1.8% 1.4% Total Premium Revenue (GAAP) ($ millions) $3,947.0 $3,536.0 Adjusted Premium Revenue(1) ($ millions) $3,917.1 $3,450.7 Segment Premium Revenue ($ millions): Medicaid Health Plans (GAAP) $2,584.2 $2,311.7 Adjusted Medicaid Health Plans(1) $2,554.3 $2,226.4 Medicare Health Plans $1,094.7 $974.1 Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) $268.1 $250.2 Segment Medical Benefits Ratios (MBR): Medicaid Health Plans (GAAP) 89.4% 86.6% Adjusted Medicaid Health Plans(1) 90.5% 89.9% Medicare Health Plans 83.0% 84.6% Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) 96.9% 94.3% Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Ratio (GAAP) 7.7% 7.6% Adjusted SG&A Ratio(1) 7.6% 7.3% (1) Refer to the Basis of Presentation for a discussion of adjusted (non-GAAP) financial measures. Key Highlights GAAP and adjusted total premium revenue of $3.9 billion for the first quarter of 2017 increased 11.6 percent and 13.5 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2016. for the first quarter of 2017 increased 11.6 percent and 13.5 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2016. GAAP and adjusted Medicaid Health Plans premium revenue of $2.6 billion for the first quarter of 2017 increased 11.8 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2016. for the first quarter of 2017 increased 11.8 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2016. Medicare Health Plans premium revenue of $1.1 billion for the first quarter of 2017 increased 12.4 percent compared with the first quarter of 2016. for the first quarter of 2017 increased 12.4 percent compared with the first quarter of 2016. Medicare Health Plans MBR for the first quarter of 2017 decreased 160 basis points compared with the first quarter of 2016. GAAP and adjusted net income margin for the first quarter of 2017 increased 60 basis points and 40 basis points, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2016. On January 1, 2017 , the company launched its Nebraska Medicaid business, and as of March 31, 2017 , serves approximately 77,000 Medicaid members in Nebraska . , the company launched its Nebraska Medicaid business, and as of , serves approximately 77,000 Medicaid members in . As previously announced on April 28, 2017 , WellCare completed its acquisition of Universal American Corp. ("Universal American"). Universal American has approximately 119,000 Medicare Advantage members in Texas , New York and Maine as of March 31, 2017 . , WellCare completed its acquisition of Universal American Corp. ("Universal American"). Universal American has approximately 119,000 Medicare Advantage members in , and as of . On May 1, 2017 , WellCare completed its previously announced acquisition of certain Arizona Medicaid assets of Phoenix Health Plan ("PHP"). The transaction included the transfer of approximately 44,000 Medicaid members to Care1st Arizona Health Plan, Inc. ("Care1st Arizona "), a wholly owned subsidiary of WellCare. , WellCare completed its previously announced acquisition of certain Arizona Medicaid assets of Phoenix Health Plan ("PHP"). The transaction included the transfer of approximately 44,000 Medicaid members to Care1st Arizona Health Plan, Inc. ("Care1st "), a wholly owned subsidiary of WellCare. On May 1, 2017 , the company began services under its successfully retained Missouri Medicaid contract. The new contract expands the MO HealthNet Managed Care (Medicaid) program statewide. As of March 31, 2017 , the company served approximately 123,000 Medicaid members in Missouri . , the company began services under its successfully retained Missouri Medicaid contract. The new contract expands the MO HealthNet Managed Care (Medicaid) program statewide. As of , the company served approximately 123,000 Medicaid members in . On March 22, 2017 , WellCare issued 5.25% senior notes due 2025 (the "2025 notes") in the aggregate principal amount of $1.2 billion . The company used the net proceeds from the offering to repay in full $100 million outstanding under its senior unsecured revolving credit facility and to redeem in full the outstanding principal amount of $900 million of its 5.75% senior notes due 2020 (the "2020 notes") on April 7, 2017 . WellCare also increased the amount available under its senior unsecured revolving credit facility from $850 million to $1.0 billion . 2017 Financial Outlook WellCare is increasing its full-year 2017 adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $6.55 to $6.80 from its previous guidance range of $6.00 to $6.25 per diluted share. This revised guidance includes the acquisitions of Universal American and certain assets of PHP. Consolidated Operations Results GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2017 was $67.3 million, or $1.50 per diluted share, compared with GAAP net income of $37.8 million, or $0.85 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2016. Adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2017 was $72.0 million, or $1.61 per diluted share, compared with adjusted net income of $47.7 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increases in GAAP and adjusted net income are primarily the result of continued operational execution. GAAP net income margin for the first quarter of 2017 was 1.7 percent compared with 1.1 percent for the first quarter of 2016. Adjusted net income margin for the first quarter of 2017 was 1.8 percent compared with 1.4 percent for the first quarter of 2016. GAAP and adjusted total premium revenue of $3.9 billion for the first quarter of 2017 increased 11.6 percent and 13.5 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase in GAAP and adjusted total premium revenue were primarily the result of organic growth across all three lines of business and the company's acquisition of Care1st Arizona. GAAP SG&A expense was $302.4 million for the first quarter of 2017 compared with $268.9 million for the first quarter of 2016. Adjusted SG&A expense was $298.2 million for the first quarter of 2017 compared with $252.6 million for the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase in GAAP and adjusted SG&A expense were primarily driven by investments in staffing and infrastructure to support the company's growth, including Care1st Arizona and the company's new Nebraska Medicaid market. The increases were in-line with the company's expectations. The GAAP SG&A expense ratio was 7.7 percent in the first quarter of 2017 compared with 7.6 percent in the first quarter of 2016. The adjusted SG&A expense ratio was 7.6 percent in the first quarter of 2017 compared with 7.3 percent in the first quarter of 2016. Medicaid Health Plans Segment Results Membership in the company's Medicaid Health Plans segment increased by 244,000, or 10.3 percent, from March 31, 2016 to approximately 2.6 million members as of March 31, 2017. The membership increase was primarily the result of the company's acquisition of Care1st Arizona on December 31, 2016 and the launch of the company's Nebraska Medicaid business on January 1, 2017. GAAP and adjusted Medicaid Health Plans premium revenue of $2.6 billion in the first quarter of 2017 increased 11.8 percent and 14.7 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increases in GAAP and adjusted Medicaid premium revenue were primarily the result of the previously mentioned acquisition of Care1st Arizona and the company's new Nebraska Medicaid business. The GAAP Medicaid Health Plans MBR was 89.4 percent for the first quarter of 2017 compared with 86.6 percent for the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase in the GAAP Medicaid Health Plans MBR was primarily due to the effect of the ACA industry fee moratorium and, as a result, the elimination of associated Medicaid reimbursement revenue. The adjusted Medicaid Health Plans MBR was 90.5 percent for the first quarter of 2017 compared with 89.9 percent in the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase in the adjusted Medicaid Health Plans MBR is primarily driven by the addition of the company's new Medicaid businesses. Medicare Health Plans Segment Results Medicare Health Plans membership was 356,000 members at March 31, 2017, and increased by 30,000 members, or 9.2 percent, compared with March 31, 2016, primarily as a result of the company's 2017 bid positioning and execution on sales and retention initiatives. The company noted that Medicare Health Plans membership increased sequentially by 11,000 members from December 31, 2016. Medicare Health Plans premium revenue of $1.1 billion for the first quarter of 2017 increased 12.4 percent compared with the first quarter of 2016. The increase was primarily due to year-over-year membership growth. The Medicare Health Plans MBR in the first quarter of 2017 was 83.0 percent compared with 84.6 percent in the first quarter of 2016. The 160 basis point decrease in the Medicare Health Plans MBR was primarily the result of continued operational execution and the company's 2017 bid strategy. Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) Segment Results Medicare PDP membership was 1.1 million as of March 31, 2017, and increased by 74,000 members, or 7.2 percent, compared with March 31, 2016, primarily as a result of the company's 2017 bid positioning. The company noted that Medicare PDP membership increased by 90,000 members sequentially from December 31, 2016. Medicare PDP premium revenue of $268.1 million for the first quarter of 2017 increased 7.2 percent compared with the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase was primarily the result of the previously mentioned membership growth. The Medicare PDP segment MBR in the first quarter of 2017 was 96.9 percent compared with 94.3 percent in the first quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase was primarily the result of the company's 2017 bid strategy. Operating Cash Flow and Financial Condition Net cash provided by operating activities was $394.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017, compared with net cash used by operating activities of $111.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. The increase was primarily driven by the timing of Medicare-related receipts in the first quarter of 2017. As of March 31, 2017, unregulated cash and investments were approximately $1.9 billion compared with $915.3 million as of December 31, 2016, and $637.0 million as of March 31, 2016. The increase includes the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 notes on March 22, 2017. On April 7, 2017, the company paid $946.3 million to redeem in full the 2020 notes, including the early redemption premium and accrued and unpaid interest. After funding the previously announced acquisitions of Universal American and certain assets of PHP, the company expects to have approximately $230 million to $250 million of unregulated cash and investments. Days in claims payable (DCP) was 46.2 days as of March 31, 2017 compared with 45.9 days as of March 31, 2016 and 50.7 days as of December 31, 2016. The sequential decrease in DCP was primarily due to pharmacy-related items. Conference Call and Webcast A discussion of WellCare's first quarter 2017 results will be available via a conference call and live webcast today at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The conference call will be webcast live from the company's website and will be available at the following link: http://services.choruscall.com/links/wcg170503.html. The webcast should be accessed 10 minutes prior to the conference call start time. A replay of the webcast will be available for one year following the conclusion of the live broadcast and will be accessible on the company's website at http://ir.wellcare.com/Event/. The conference call can also be accessed by pre-registering using the following link: http://dpregister.com/10103817. Callers who pre-register will be given dial-in instructions and a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call. Participants may pre-register now, or at any time prior to the call, and will receive simple instructions via email. For those parties who do not have internet access or are unable to pre-register, the conference call may be accessed by calling: Domestic participant dial in (toll free): 1-844-492-3724 International participant dial in: 1-412-542-4185 A telephonic replay will be available until midnight EDT on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. This replay may be accessed by dialing either of the numbers below and entering the replay access code 10103817: Domestic replay (toll free): 1-877-344-7529 International replay: 1-412-317-0088 About WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The company served approximately 4.1 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2017. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com. Basis of Presentation In addition to results determined under GAAP, WellCare provides certain non-GAAP financial measures that management believes are useful in assessing the company's performance. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. The company has provided a reconciliation of the historical non-GAAP financial measures with the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Earnings per share, net income and, as noted below, other specific operating and financial measures have been adjusted for the effect of certain expenses, and as appropriate, the related tax effect, related to previously disclosed government investigations and related litigation and resolution costs ("investigation costs"); amortization expense associated with acquisitions ("acquisition-related amortization expenses"); certain one-time transaction costs related to the acquisition of Universal American ("Universal American-related transaction costs"); certain one-time costs associated with the integration of Universal American's operations expected to be incurred through 2019 ("Universal American-related integration costs"); and the costs associated with the redemption of the company's 2020 notes, including the early redemption premium, write-off of associated deferred financing costs and write-off of associated premiums paid on the 2020 notes ("loss on extinguishment of debt"). In addition, in 2016, these financial measures have been adjusted for the effect of transitory costs related to the company's decision to change its pharmacy benefit manager as of January 1, 2016 ("PBM transitory costs"); certain nonrecurring incurred Iowa-related SG&A expenses relating to readiness costs, certain wind-down costs of WellCare's Iowa operations and certain legal costs ("Iowa SG&A costs"); and costs related to the 2015 divestiture of Sterling Life Insurance Company ("Sterling divestiture costs"). Although the excluded items may recur, WellCare believes that by providing non-GAAP measures exclusive of these items, it facilitates period-over-period comparisons and provides additional clarity about events and trends affecting its core operating performance, as well as providing comparability to competitor results. The investigation costs are related to a discrete incident, which management does not expect to re-occur. WellCare has adjusted for acquisition-related amortization expenses as these transactions do not directly relate to the servicing of products for our customers and are not directly related to the core performance of its business operations. The other costs mentioned above are related to specific 2016 and 2017 events, which do not reflect the underlying ongoing performance of the business. In addition, because reimbursements for Medicaid premium tax and the ACA industry fee are both included in the premium rates or reimbursement established in certain Medicaid contracts and also recognized separately as a component of expense, the company excludes these reimbursements from premium revenue when calculating key ratios as the company believes that these components are not indicative of operating performance. The company is not able to project at the time of this news release the amount of expenses associated with investigation costs, acquisition-related amortization expenses and Universal American-related integration costs to be to be incurred during the remainder of 2017, and, therefore, cannot reconcile projected non-GAAP measures affected by these items to projected GAAP measures. Following is a description of the adjustments made to GAAP measures used to calculate the non-GAAP measures used in this news release. Adjusted premium revenue (non-GAAP) = Total premium revenue (GAAP) less Medicaid premium taxes revenue and Medicaid reimbursements of the ACA industry fee. The company's adjusted Medicaid Health Plans segment premium revenue uses this non-GAAP definition of adjusted premium revenue. MBR (GAAP) = medical benefits expense divided by total premium revenue (GAAP). Adjusted MBR (non-GAAP) = medical benefits expense divided by adjusted premium revenue. The company's adjusted Medicaid Health Plans segment MBR uses this non-GAAP definition of adjusted MBR. SG&A expense ratio (GAAP) = SG&A expense (GAAP) divided by total premium revenue (GAAP). Adjusted SG&A expense (non-GAAP) = SG&A expense (GAAP) less investigation costs, Universal American-related transaction and integration costs, PBM transitory costs, Sterling divestiture costs and Iowa SG&A costs. Adjusted SG&A ratio (non-GAAP) = adjusted SG&A expense divided by adjusted premium revenue. Adjusted depreciation & amortization = depreciation & amortization expense (GAAP) less acquisition-related amortization expenses. Adjusted income before taxes (non-GAAP) = income before income taxes (GAAP) less investigation costs, acquisition-related amortization expenses, Universal American-related transaction and integration costs, PBM transitory costs, Sterling divestiture costs, loss on extinguishment of debt and Iowa SG&A costs. Adjusted income tax expense (non-GAAP) = income tax associated with the applicable adjusted income before taxes, based on the applicable effective income tax rate. Adjusted effective income tax rate (non-GAAP) = adjusted income tax expense divided by adjusted income before taxes. Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) = adjusted income before taxes less adjusted income tax expense. Net income margin (GAAP) = net income (GAAP) divided by total premium revenue (GAAP). Adjusted net income margin (non-GAAP) = adjusted net income divided by adjusted premium revenue. Adjusted earnings per diluted share (non-GAAP) = Adjusted net income divided by weighted average common shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding the company's financial outlook and the start date of new Medicaid programs contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause WellCare's actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, WellCare's progress on top priorities such as integrating care management, advocating for our members, building advanced relationships with providers and government partners, ensuring a competitive cost position, and delivering prudent, profitable growth, WellCare's ability to effectively estimate and manage growth, WellCare's ability to effectively execute and integrate acquisitions, potential reductions in Medicaid and Medicare revenue, WellCare's ability to estimate and manage medical benefits expense effectively, including through its vendors, its ability to negotiate actuarially sound rates, especially in new programs with limited experience, the appropriation and payment by state governments of Medicaid premiums receivable, the approval of Medicaid contracts by CMS, any changes to the programs or contracts, WellCare's ability to address operational challenges related to new business, and WellCare's ability to meet the requirements of readiness reviews. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, any of WellCare's forward-looking statements could be incorrect and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other important risks and uncertainties can be found in the company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, included under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, which contain discussions of WellCare's business and the various factors that may affect it. Subsequent events and developments may cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from WellCare's forward-looking statements. WellCare's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. WellCare undertakes no duty, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events, developments or otherwise. 2017 Financial Outlook WellCare is increasing its full-year 2017 adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $6.55 to $6.80 from its previous guidance range of $6.00 to $6.25. The company's revised 2017 outlook includes the acquisitions of Universal American and certain assets of PHP. Guidance Metric 2017 Guidance as of May 3, 2017 2017 Guidance as of February 7, 2017 Segment premium revenue: GAAP Medicaid Health Plans $10.5B to $10.7B $10.3B to $10.7B Adjusted Medicaid Health Plans(1) $10.4B to $10.6B $10.2B to $10.6B Medicare Health Plans $5.20B to $5.35B $4.1B to $4.3B Medicare PDP $850M to $900M $825M to $900M Total GAAP premium revenue $16.55B to $16.95B $15.225B to $15.900B Total adjusted premium revenue(1) $16.45B to $16.85B $15.125B to $15.800B Investment & other income* $40M to $45M $18M to $21M Segment MBR: GAAP Medicaid Health Plans 88.6% to 89.6% 88.60% to 89.60% Adjusted Medicaid Health Plans(1) 89.5% to 90.5% 89.50% to 90.50% Medicare Health Plans 85.50% to 86.75% 85.50% to 86.75% Medicare PDP 80.5% to 82.5% 80.50% to 82.50% Adjusted SG&A ratio(2)(7) 7.95% to 8.20% 7.7% to 7.9% GAAP depreciation & amortization(7) --- $100M to $105M Adjusted depreciation & amortization(3) $87M to $91M $87M to $91M Interest expense $68M to $70M $58M to $60M Adjusted effective income tax rate(4)(7) 37.5% to 38.5% 37.5% to 39.0% Adjusted earnings per diluted share(5)(6)(7) $6.55 to $6.80 $6.00 to $6.25 * Investment & other income primarily includes investment income, specialty pharmacy business sold to nonmembers and equity from earnings in unconsolidated subsidiaries. The company will present equity from earnings in unconsolidated subsidiaries as a separate line item in its statement of comprehensive income as required under GAAP. (1) Excludes an estimated $115.0 million to $120.0 million in Medicaid premium taxes. (2) Excludes estimated Medicaid premium taxes; investigation costs; Universal American-related integration costs and approximately $30 million of Universal American-related transaction costs. (3) Excludes acquisition-related amortization expenses. (4) Excludes the estimated income tax effect associated with the investigation costs, acquisition-related amortization expenses, Universal American-related transaction and integration costs, and loss on extinguishment of debt. (5) Excludes a one-time loss on extinguishment of debt of approximately $25.9 million pre-tax, or $0.36 per diluted share, related to the early redemption premium, write-off of associated deferred financing costs and write-off of associated premiums paid on the 2020 notes to be recorded in the second quarter of 2017. (6) The company estimates adjusted earnings per diluted share guidance by adjusting net income for the estimated net-of-tax effect of investigation costs, acquisition-related amortization expense, Universal American-related transaction and integration costs and loss on extinguishment of debt. (7) WellCare is not able to estimate amounts associated with the investigation costs, acquisition-related amortization expenses associated with Universal American and Universal American-related integration costs expected to be incurred in 2017 and, therefore, cannot reconcile these metrics to total projected GAAP metrics. WellCare estimates that $25 million to $30 million of Universal American-related integration costs will be incurred through 2019. WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC. MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION (Unaudited) Change from December 31, 2016 March 31, 2016 March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 March 31, 2016 Change % Change Change % Change Medicaid Health Plans Membership by State: Florida 776,000 780,000 772,000 (4,000) (0.5) % 4,000 0.5 % Georgia 579,000 571,000 583,000 8,000 1.4 % (4,000) (0.7) % Kentucky 446,000 440,000 439,000 6,000 1.4 % 7,000 1.6 % Illinois 156,000 166,000 164,000 (10,000) (6.0) % (8,000) (4.9) % New York 141,000 137,000 125,000 4,000 2.9 % 16,000 12.8 % Other states 525,000 450,000 296,000 75,000 16.7 % 229,000 77.4 % Total Medicaid Health Plans Membership (1) 2,623,000 2,544,000 2,379,000 79,000 3.1 % 244,000 10.3 % Medicaid Health Plans Membership by Program: TANF 2,176,000 2,119,000 1,983,000 57,000 2.7 % 193,000 9.7 % SSI, ABD, Duals and LTC 297,000 290,000 271,000 7,000 2.4 % 26,000 9.6 % CHIP and other 150,000 135,000 125,000 15,000 11.1 % 25,000 20.0 % Total Medicaid Health Plans Membership (1) 2,623,000 2,544,000 2,379,000 79,000 3.1 % 244,000 10.3 % Medicare Health Plans: Medicare Advantage by State: Florida 99,000 94,000 92,000 5,000 5.3 % 7,000 7.6 % New York 44,000 43,000 41,000 1,000 2.3 % 3,000 7.3 % Georgia 44,000 40,000 37,000 4,000 10.0 % 7,000 18.9 % Texas 34,000 36,000 33,000 (2,000) (5.6) % 1,000 3.0 % Other states 135,000 132,000 123,000 3,000 2.3 % 12,000 9.8 % Total Medicare Health Plans (1) 356,000 345,000 326,000 11,000 3.2 % 30,000 9.2 % Medicare Prescription Drug Plans 1,099,000 1,009,000 1,025,000 90,000 8.9 % 74,000 7.2 % Total Membership 4,078,000 3,898,000 3,730,000 180,000 4.6 % 348,000 9.3 % (1) Medicaid Health Plans and Medicare Health Plans membership includes members who are dually-eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. The dually-eligible membership was 47,000 at both March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, and 43,000 at March 31, 2016. WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Selected Data From Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited; dollars in millions except share and per share data) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Revenues: Premium $ 3,917.1 $ 3,450.7 Medicaid premium taxes 29.9 27.2 ACA industry fee reimbursement 58.1 Total premium 3,947.0 3,536.0 Investment and other income 7.2 4.5 Total revenues 3,954.2 3,540.5 Expenses: Medical benefits 3,478.6 3,061.9 Selling, general and administrative 302.4 268.9 ACA industry fee 57.0 Medicaid premium taxes 29.9 27.2 Depreciation and amortization 23.9 20.8 Interest 16.2 15.8 Total expenses 3,851.0 3,451.6 Income before income taxes 103.2 88.9 Income tax expense 35.9 51.1 Net income $ 67.3 $ 37.8 Earnings per common share: Basic $ 1.52 $ 0.86 Diluted $ 1.50 $ 0.85 Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 44,365,987 44,165,200 Diluted 44,826,663 44,493,755 WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited; dollars in millions except share data) March 31, 2017 December 31, 2016 Assets Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,610.4 $ 3,961.4 Short-term investments 394.8 124.2 Premiums receivable, net 627.8 498.6 Pharmacy rebates receivable, net 272.4 278.0 Receivables from government partners 73.7 Funds receivable for the benefit of members 24.7 32.6 Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net 264.7 224.8 Total current assets 7,268.5 5,119.6 Property, equipment and capitalized software, net 273.9 274.5 Goodwill 377.5 392.5 Other intangible assets, net 94.9 74.1 Long-term investments 135.3 57.3 Restricted investments 192.1 234.3 Other assets 0.4 0.5 Total Assets $ 8,342.6 $ 6,152.8 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current Liabilities: Medical benefits payable $ 1,787.6 $ 1,690.5 Unearned premiums 432.9 3.3 Accounts payable and accrued expenses 468.8 668.5 Funds payable for the benefit of members 1,058.8 390.3 Current portion of long-term debt 900.0 Other payables to government partners 364.9 303.2 Total current liabilities 5,013.0 3,055.8 Deferred income tax liability 47.2 63.4 Long-term debt 1,180.1 997.6 Other liabilities 38.6 35.9 Total liabilities 6,278.9 4,152.7 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' Equity: Preferred stock, $0.01 par value (20,000,000 authorized, no shares issued or outstanding) Common stock, $0.01 par value (100,000,000 authorized, 44,490,740 and 44,293,881 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively) 0.4 0.4 Paid-in capital 543.1 546.9 Retained earnings 1,521.1 1,453.8 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (0.9) (1.0) Total Stockholders' Equity 2,063.7 2,000.1 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 8,342.6 $ 6,152.8 WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited; dollars in millions) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 67.3 $ 37.8 Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash flows from operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 23.9 20.8 Stock-based compensation expense 9.6 6.5 Deferred taxes, net (25.8) 15.4 Other, net 4.3 5.1 Changes in operating accounts, net of effects from acquisitions: Premiums receivable, net (120.8) (146.1) Pharmacy rebates receivable, net 5.6 (144.4) Medical benefits payable 97.7 9.7 Unearned premiums 431.8 (17.0) Other payables to government partners (12.0) 21.1 Accrued liabilities and other, net (87.1) 79.7 Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 394.5 (111.4) Cash flow from investing activities: Purchases of investments (436.9) (20.5) Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments 97.2 45.7 Additions to property, equipment and capitalized software, net (23.8) (16.8) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (363.5) 8.4 Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of debt, net of financing costs paid 1,182.2 196.9 Payments on debt (100.0) (300.0) Repurchase and retirement of shares to satisfy employee tax withholding requirements (13.4) (5.5) Funds received for the benefit of members, net 567.4 196.1 Other, net (18.2) 0.1 Net cash provided by financing activities 1,618.0 87.6 Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 1,649.0 (15.4) Balance at beginning of period 3,961.4 2,407.0 Balance at end of period $ 5,610.4 $ 2,391.6 SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION: Cash paid for taxes $ 63.9 $ 1.5 Cash paid for interest $ 1.3 $ 1.6 SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF NON-CASH TRANSACTIONS: Non-cash additions to property, equipment, and capitalized software $ 3.3 $ 7.5 WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION SELECTED SEGMENT INFORMATION (Unaudited; dollars in millions) For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Medicaid Health Plans Segment: Adjusted premium revenue (a) $ 2,554.3 $ 2,226.4 Medicaid premium taxes 29.9 27.2 ACA industry fee reimbursement 58.1 Premium revenue (GAAP) 2,584.2 2,311.7 Medical benefits expense 2,310.6 2,001.9 Medical benefits ratio (GAAP) 89.4 % 86.6 % Adjusted medical benefits ratio(a) 90.5 % 89.9 % Medicare Health Plans Segment (GAAP): Premium revenue $ 1,094.7 $ 974.1 Medical benefits expense 908.2 824.2 Medical benefits ratio 83.0 % 84.6 % Prescription Drug Plans Segment (GAAP): Premium revenue $ 268.1 $ 250.2 Medical benefits expense 259.8 235.8 Medical benefits ratio 96.9 % 94.3 % Total Company: Adjusted premium revenue( a) $ 3,917.1 $ 3,450.7 Medicaid premium taxes 29.9 27.2 ACA industry fee reimbursement 58.1 Premium revenue (GAAP) 3,947.0 3,536.0 Medical benefits expense 3,478.6 3,061.9 Medical benefits ratio (GAAP) 88.1 % 86.6 % Adjusted medical benefits ratio(a) 88.8 % 88.7 % (a) Refer to the basis of presentation for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (Continued) Reconciliation of Selling, General and Administrative Expense Ratios (Unaudited; dollars in millions) The Company reports its selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense ratio on an adjusted or non-GAAP basis modified to exclude the revenue effect of Medicaid premium taxes and ACA industry fee reimbursement from premiums. The Adjusted SG&A expense ratio also excludes the effect of investigation costs and Universal American-related transaction and integration costs for 2017, and investigation, Sterling divestiture, PBM transitory and Iowa SG&A costs for 2016. For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Company premium revenue: As determined under GAAP $ 3,947.0 $ 3,536.0 Medicaid premium taxes (29.9) (27.2) ACA industry fee reimbursement (58.1) Adjusted premium revenue(a) $ 3,917.1 $ 3,450.7 SG&A Expense: As determined under GAAP $ 302.4 $ 268.9 Adjustments: Investigation costs (3.1) (6.5) Transaction and integration costs (1.1) Sterling divestiture costs 0.3 PBM transitory costs (4.9) Iowa SG&A costs (5.2) Adjusted SG&A Expense(a) $ 298.2 $ 252.6 SG&A expense ratio: As determined under GAAP 7.7 % 7.6 % Effect of Medicaid premium taxes 0.1 % 0.1 % Effect of ACA industry fee reimbursement % 0.1 % Effect of SG&A expense adjustments above(a) (0.2) % (0.5) % Adjusted SG&A expense ratio(a) 7.6 % 7.3 % (a) Refer to the basis of presentation for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (Continued) Reconciliation of Certain GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited; dollars in millions, except per share data) The Company reports adjusted operating results on a non-GAAP basis to exclude certain expenses and other items that management believes are not indicative of longer-term business trends and operations. The following tables present applicable financial information, as determined under GAAP, reconciled to the adjusted financial information for the same periods. Refer to the basis of presentation for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 GAAP Adjustments Adjusted (Non-GAAP) GAAP Adjustments Adjusted (Non-GAAP) Selling, general, and administrative expense $ 302.4 $ (4.2) (a) $ 298.2 $ 268.9 $ (16.3) (a) $ 252.6 Depreciation and amortization $ 23.9 $ (3.2) $ 20.7 $ 20.8 $ (2.5) $ 18.3 Income tax expense $ 35.9 $ 2.7 (b) $ 38.6 $ 51.1 $ 8.9 (b) $ 60.0 Effective tax rate 34.8 % 0.1 % (b) 34.9 % 57.5 % (1.8) % (b) 55.7 % Net income $ 67.3 $ 4.7 $ 72.0 $ 37.8 $ 9.9 $ 47.7 Net income margin 1.7 % 0.1 % 1.8 % 1.1 % 0.3 % 1.4 % Earnings per share: Basic $ 1.52 $ 0.10 $ 1.62 $ 0.86 $ 0.22 $ 1.08 Diluted $ 1.50 $ 0.11 $ 1.61 $ 0.85 $ 0.22 $ 1.07 (a) Comprised of investigation costs and Universal American-related transaction and integration costs for 2017, and investigation, Sterling divestiture, PBM transitory and Iowa SG&A costs for 2016, as disclosed in the "Reconciliation of Selling, General and Administrative Expense Ratios" table. (b) Based on the effective income tax rates applicable to adjusted (non-GAAP) results, the company estimated the effect on income tax expense and the effective tax rate associated with the non-GAAP adjustments. Refer to the basis of presentation for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Related Links http://www.wellcare.com ALGONQUIN, Ill., May 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Young Innovations, a leading global manufacturer and distributor of dental supplies and equipment, today announced the acquisition of American Eagle Instruments, Inc. ("American Eagle"). American Eagle is a leading global manufacturer of dental hand instruments and related supplies based in Missoula, Montana, USA. "We are incredibly proud to partner with American Eagle," said Dave Sproat, CEO of Young Innovations. "American Eagle has a distinguished legacy of manufacturing high quality products in the USA, and their brand is well known across the globe as a superior clinical solution for dental professionals and patients." "Our acquisition of American Eagle builds on Young's foundation in preventive dentistry and allows us to offer a complete portfolio of premium branded preventive products," added Andrew Jones, Vice President of Corporate Development at Young Innovations. "We will continue to aggressively pursue our focused acquisition strategy to drive future growth in our core categories." "The combination of American Eagle and Young's strong international customer relationships and clinical focus will support accelerated global expansion for the combined Company," said Dan Garrick, Vice President of Global Business Development at Young Innovations. "Further, the breadth and quality of the product portfolio will facilitate our ability to offer our premium products in attractive markets around the world." "We built American Eagle Instruments over the last 25 years to provide the world's finest quality dental hand instruments, with a focus on Better Dentistry by Design," said Brad Heckerman, Founder and CEO of American Eagle. "We feel strongly that Young is an outstanding partner to shepherd the Company forward to continued success and the sustained development of the American Eagle Family." Brad Heckerman will join Young on a consulting basis following the transaction. There are no changes to ordering and service procedures for customers or vendors. American Eagle products will continue to be proudly manufactured in Montana. Young Innovations, Inc. is a portfolio company of Linden Capital Partners. D.A. Davidson & Co. served as the exclusive financial advisor to American Eagle Instruments, Inc. in this transaction. About Young Innovations, Inc. Young Innovations is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of supplies and equipment used by dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and consumers. Our portfolio of brands includes products that hold leadership positions in the preventive, restorative, orthodontic, endodontic and diagnostic segments. With its mission of Creating Smiles, Creating Possibilities, Young focuses on delivering innovative, high-quality products and solutions to clinicians and their patients. We seek out opportunities to enhance our portfolio of brands and products through organic growth and acquisitions. About Linden Capital Partners Linden Capital Partners is Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on leveraged buyouts in the healthcare and life sciences industries. Linden's strategy is based upon three elements: i) healthcare and life science industry specialization, ii) integrated private equity and operating expertise, and iii) strategic relationships with large corporations. Linden invests in middle market platforms in the medical products, specialty distribution, pharmaceutical, and services segments of healthcare. SOURCE Young Innovations Related Links http://www.younginnovations.com Washington, April 28 : President Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the US trade agreement with South Korea, declaring that the five-year-old accord with a key ally was "a horrible deal" that has left America "destroyed". Trump said on Thursday that he is looking to disrupt an important partnership in the tumultuous Asia-Pacific region as well, even with Seoul on edge because of Pyongyang's escalating military provocations, the Washington Post reported. He sharply criticised the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, known as Korus, the latest version of which was ratified in 2011. "It's a horrible deal. It was a Hillary Clinton disaster, a deal that should've never been made," Trump said, referring to the then Secretary of State who became the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee. "It's a one-way street". South Korea is the US' sixth-largest goods trade partner, and the US goods trade deficit with Korea was $27.7 billion last year, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative, the daily reported. Next week marks an anniversary for Korus and triggers a review period to potentially renegotiate or ratify a new version of the agreement. "We've told them that we'll either terminate or negotiate," Trump said. "We may terminate." The President said that the process of termination of Korus is simpler than with the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). "With Nafta, we terminate tomorrow; if we did, it ends in six months," he said. "With the AKorean deal, we terminate and it's over." Trump added: "I will do that unless we make a fair deal. We're getting destroyed in Korea." On his trip to Asia last week, Vice-President Mike Pence had said that the US was looking to "reform" the Korus agreement because US businesses "face too many barriers to entry, which tilts the playing field against American workers and American growth". Trump's threat to South Korea comes after he withdrew the US from the ATrans-Pacific Partnership pact. The Trump administration is also pushing to renegotiate the trade relationship with Japan, another important ally. Manali, April 30 : The majestic snow-marooned Rohtang Pass, located at an altitude of 13,050 feet in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, has been reopened for motorists after four months of closure, officials said here on Sunday. For tourists, it will be opened this week. "The road link to the tribal Lahaul valley through the Rohtang Pass has been reopened," Mohan Lal, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Chief Engineer, told IANS. "Snow clearing operation was crucial on the 85-km-long stretch between Manali and Sissu that received the maximum snow (during winter) and is prone to snow avalanches," he added. He said the civil administration would now take a decision on allowing the tourists bound for Lahaul Valley in Lahaul-Spiti district from Manali to cross the Rohtang Pass. Regarding the complete opening of the 475-km Manali-Leh National Highway 21, Lal said the work of clearing snow was going on at a fast pace at different locations. "Our target to reopen Manali-Leh highway is May 25," he added. Official sources said currently only small vehicles are allowed to ply across the Rohtang Pass, some 51 km from here. Pyongyang, May 1 : North Korea on Monday vowed to step up its nuclear weapons programme to a "maximum pace" in response to increasing pressure from the US. "Now that the US is kicking up the overall racket for sanctions and pressure against North Korea, pursuant to its new North Korea policy called 'maximum pressure and engagement', Pyongyang will speed up at the maximum pace the measure for bolstering its nuclear deterrence," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement. Published by state-run news agency KCNA, the statement also warned that these measures could happen "at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership", Efe news reported. Pyongyang's warning comes at a moment of heightened tensions in the region, amid fears that North Korea may be preparing to conduct a sixth nuclear test as it continues to test-launch missiles. Meanwhile, Washington has not ruled out military strikes in response to the Kim Jong-un regime's repeated threats, and has even dispatched a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the region. The North Korean spokesperson accused President Donald Trump's administration of escalating tensions and claimed that Pyongyang is well-prepared to respond to any military action by Washington. The statement added that "the US aggression and hysteria has never reached such a height and the situation on the Korean peninsula has never inched close to the brink of nuclear war as in the period of the recent drills." Since 2006, North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, the last two taking place in January and September 2016, respectively. Pyongyang maintains that its nuclear arms program is for the purposes of self-defence against the hostile stance of the US, accusing its military drills on the Korean peninsula of being a rehearsal to invade North Korea. Dhaka, May 2 : Seven persons were killed and dozens injured when a severe storm lashed parts of Bangladesh, an official said on Tuesday. Four persons were killed in Rajshahi district and three in Chapainawabganj when the storm lashed the country on Monday night, Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying. The official said the storm left a tail of destruction, uprooting hundreds of trees, flattening many tin-roofed and mud-built houses and snapping road and rail communication within the affected areas. It, however, was a blessing for millions of Dhaka dwellers who heaved a sigh of relief at a light drizzle after days of heat wave scorched the country. Bangladesh is affected by severe tornadoes and storms from March to mid-May ahead of a four-month wet monsoon season. Thiruvananthapuram, May 02 : Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday reaffirmed the LDF governments resolve to reinstate T P Senkumar as state police chief (SPC). Responding to a notice for adjournment motion moved by the opposition, the chief minister told the assembly that it was incumbent on the government to implement the SC verdict reinstating Senkumar as SPC. The government was examining the SC verdict and received the advocate generals advice on it only on Monday, Pinarayi said by way of explaining the alleged delay in implementing the verdict. Earlier, moving the notice for adjournment motion, muslim league MLA M Ummer hit out at the LDF government alleging delay in reinstating Senkumar. The government failed in implementing the SC verdict, he said, adding that the situation in the state was such that there had been no police chief in the state for a week now. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also weighed in on the issue, pointing out that the government was dragging its feet on implementing the SC verdict even though eight days had passed since the apex court directed the government to reinstate Senkumar. In response, the chief minister rejected opposition charges of delay in acting on the SC verdict, saying that the chief secretary set in motion the process of Senkumars reinstatement as soon as the online copy of the judgement was obtained. Even as he asserted that the SC verdict was final and would be implemented, he stated that the government would also take into account the advocate generals opinion on the verdict before implementing it. T P Senkumar was removed as SPC by the LDF government within days of coming into power citing public dissatisfaction against the state police among the public. Senkumar had challenged the government decision before the central administrative tribunal and the Kerala high court but in vain. The SC, however, issued a verdict in the ranking IPS officers favour and termed his removal by the government as arbitrary and possibly politically motivated. Juba, May 3 : About 80 British troops arrived in South Sudan to provide engineering and medical support to UN mission (UNMISS), media reports said. UNMISS on Tuesday said the British contingent, proudly wearing their distinctive blue UN berets, will provide military engineering taskforce to the Malakal and Bentiu protection of civilian sites as well as a Level II Hospital at Bentiu, Xinhua news agency reported. "Nearly 80 medics will arrive to staff a Level II Hospital in Bentiu, providing world class medical care for over 1,800 UNMISS military and civilian personnel," the UN mission said in a statement issued in Juba. The Royal engineers will conduct tasks at the UN camps to improve accommodation, routes, security and drainage, as well as the construction of a jetty on the River Nile and a helicopter landing site. Alongside their UNMISS colleague, their efforts will make a contribution to protecting civilians and creating conditions to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid. "With almost 400 troops in total, this will be one of the UK's largest operational deployments across the world," UNMISS said. Last week, UNMISS confirmed the arrival of the first elements of the Regional Protection Force in Juba. The deployment of the 4,000-strong force was authorized by the UN Security Council. The deployment of the force, to be staged over coming months, would free existing UNMISS peacekeepers to extend their presence to conflict-affected areas beyond Juba. Tokyo, May 3 : He is a man as a human being, but "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" helmer James Gunn says he is a "female and a male" in spirit when he picks up a pen to jot down his ideas as a writer and director. There's one thing that ties together Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy", "Slither" and "Dawn of the Dead" -- all of which he wrote. And that is the presence of strong female characters. Gunn says it's not intentional and comes naturally. "I think that as a human being, I am male but as a writer I feel like a female and a male. I have just always been attracted to female protagonists as a writer, whether in 'Slither' or 'Dawn of the Dead'," Gunn told IANS during an interaction at a Disney press meet for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" -- which releases in India on Friday -- here in the Japanese capital. "I just feel these are natural characters, just like male characters. And in 'Guardians of the Galaxy', I found this idea of (exploring the relationship between) two sisters to be something that is not utilised much in films, especially in superhero movies. They are always about brothers, or father or son... I think in the first part too, having a movie about a mother and son was a unique thing for a superhero movie. "I just like having everybody's point of view. Growing up feeling like I was an outcast, I always wanted to tell stories of people who feel like they don't have a voice," he added. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Gunn has three brothers, who are also in showbiz, and a sister. His tryst with filmmaking started with an eight-millimetre camera when he was 12. Gunn started his career in Hollywood with studio Troma Films and went on to work on bigger films like writing scripts for "Scooby-Doo" movies and "Dawn of the Dead". He was first noticed with his screenplay for "Tromeo & Juliet" in 1996. After writing and directing "Slither" in 2006 and "Super" in 2010, he made the right noise with superhero film franchise "Guardians of the Galaxy" -- which he directed and co-wrote. The second part of the film is raking in big internationally too. According to deadline.com, the film bagged $106 million in its overseas opening this past weekend. The third part has already been announced, and "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Avengers" crossover is also in the pipeline. "Guardians of the Galaxy" -- starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Asian actress Pom Klementieff with Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper as voice talent -- is a story of misfits uniting together to save the galaxy. This time, in volume two, the film will focus on family ties too. Gunn asserts that he doesn't think about diversity, but definitely about "trying to get as many different types of people in a film". "I will say that one of the greatest experiences that I ever had in casting was for the role of Mantis (essayed by Klementieff). She is an Asian female in the comics and I thought that she should be Asian female in the film too." With a long and gruelling audition process for the role of Mantis, Gunn unearthed a reality of Hollywood. "It was a real testament to me that some people aren't given as many chances as other people." Talking about the "Guardians of the Galaxy" sequel, Gunn said: "Everybody gets their piece of pie this time and that is what made this movie so much fun to me. Because I do come naturally from a place where I like telling ensemble stories about a bunch of characters as opposed to just one." (The writer's trip was at the invitation of Disney. Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in) Chandigarh, May 3 : The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The police said that the search was still on. They are linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. An officer said there were at least six persons inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned. "It had a fake registration number plate. The car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu," the officer said. Security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district in July 2015. Both districts share an international border with Pakistan. Both districts are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi : Title: Death in Shanghai; Author: M.J. Lee; Publisher: HQ/Harper Collins; Pages: 378; Price: Rs 399 Justice may be the aim of law and order but may not always happen in the real world, where many other considerations play a role. Take the colonial era, where maintaining prestige of the rulers was paramount over any other factor -- even when bodies of murder victims killed in horrible ways are stacking up. M.J. Lee uses this cynical colonial mindset to great effect in a spell-binding mystery in the unique setting of Shanghai of the 1920s -- when it is the among the world's most glittering, cosmopolitan and decadent cities with its unique foreign-administered and policed International and French Settlements, its large population of Russian refugees, and Chinese gangsters. A Western woman's mutilated body is discovered in a creek and the responsibility of the case falls on Inspector Danilov, a Tsarist Russia policeman now in British service, after the British district police inspector produces a tape measure to determine the location and triumphantly announces it is not in his jurisdiction. It, however, proves to be no ordinary case with a Chinese character for justice found carved on what remains of the torso and then the autopsy determining the body is actually a man -- transgender perhaps, but definitely a male. Danilov and his assistant Detective Strachan, the Scottish-Chinese son of a former policeman killed on duty, are then tasked with meeting French authorities on an urgent matter and learn of two similar cases of macabre murder -- of a subordinate magistrate and a Russian prostitute -- in their area. Probing this disquieting murder spree -- in the face of complacent superiors and obstructive colleagues -- Danilov is convinced that they are dealing with a serial killer but his chief is not ready to accept this line of inquiry. But as more and varied victims -- a small-time actress, a "fire and brimstone" preacher -- killed most horrifically and with a stern word in Chinese characters carved on them, Danilov comes under pressure to solve the matter as quickly with a minimum of fuss. And when he has a suspect in sight, he gets suspended after fisticuffs with a colleague who has not informed him about crucial witnesses and has also concealed and destroyed a key telegram with information about his missing family. With time running out, Danilov must take a dangerous, desperate gambit to unmask the killer, but doesn't know the killer has his sights on him as his next victim. And all is in place for a nail-biting climax, but will be the end? Deranged but methodical serial killers are not that uncommon, nor for that matter are exotic detectives in exotic locations, but Lee, whose corpus already includes the Jayne Sinclair Genealogical Mystery series as well as one starring prolific 17th century English diarist Samuel Pepys, scores both on plot, characterisation and ambience. The author, who conceived of the idea for the Danilov series while working in Shanghai, however makes a small error or two. While the point of view of the perpetrator that is interspersed in the narrative does give the twisted rationale for his actions but given his identity, his described presence at the crime scenes is incongruous to say the least. Where the story scores is in the character of Danilov. His personal life may be rather unsettled -- with a back story only emerging in bits and pieces -- but his rather strained relations with most of his colleagues, his particularity (inching on an obsessive compulsive disorder), his habit of using an apt Russian proverb and especially his relationship with his young assistant (reminiscent of Holmes-Watson) sets him apart. And then his superior's unspeakable but logical exposition of the colonial predicament is insightful and relevant in its own way to even the present post-colonial era as far the structure and dynamics of power is concerned. If this adventure strikes your fancy, you might be heartened to know at least two more installments are due. (Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in) Washington, May 3 : An international team of scientists has discovered a vast wave of hot gas in the nearby Perseus galaxy cluster. Spanning some 200,000 light-years, the wave is about twice the size of our own Milky Way galaxy, according to a study published online in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. For the study, the researchers combined data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory with radio observations and computer simulations. The wave formed billions of years ago, after a small galaxy cluster grazed Perseus and caused its vast supply of gas to slosh around an enormous volume of space, the researchers said. "Perseus is one of the most massive nearby clusters and the brightest one in X-rays, so Chandra data provide us with unparalleled detail," said lead scientist Stephen Walker at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The wave we've identified is associated with the flyby of a smaller cluster, which shows that the merger activity that produced these giant structures is still ongoing," Walker said. Galaxy clusters are the largest structures bound by gravity in the universe today. Some 11 million light-years across and located about 240 million light-years away, the Perseus galaxy cluster is named for its host constellation. Like all galaxy clusters, most of its observable matter takes the form of a pervasive gas averaging tens of millions of degrees, so hot it only glows in X-rays. Chandra observations revealed a variety of structures in this gas, from vast bubbles blown by the supermassive black hole in the cluster's central galaxy, NGC 1275, to an enigmatic concave feature known as the "bay". Kolkata, May 3 : Prafulla Samantara, the recipient from Asia of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize and the face of a determined people's resistance against bauxite mining in an Odisha forest, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "rethink" his corporate-friendly policies. The activist led a historic 12-year legal battle that affirmed the indigenous Dongria-Kondh's land rights and protected the Niyamgiri Hills, spanning the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada, from a massive, open-pit aluminium ore mine. "My appeal to the present government of India under the leadership of Narendra Modi... is that it should rethink his corporate-friendly policy (and change) to people- and environmental-friendly developmental policies in the interest of equity and justice for the common people of our country," Samantara told IANS from San Francisco after receiving the honour. The Goldman Environmental Prize honours grassroots environmental heroes from the world's six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands & Island Nations, North America, and South & Central America. He appealed to Modi to "keep his promise" of development without destruction (of ecological resources). "... but the process of present development in India leads to destruction of huge resources like rivers, forests, agriculture, lands through mindless mining and hazardous industrialisation for the profit of corporates," the 65-year-old lamented. Dubbing himself a product of the JP (Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan) movement against corruption in the 1970s, Samantara claimed that under global capitalism, the Indian state has been transformed into a corporate state "against the democratic and constitutional rights of our people" as enshrined in the constitution. Hailing from a farmer's family, Samantara began campaigning against globalisation and privatisation in the 1990s. His activism spurred him to organise a people's movement against bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills: a land of deep forests, gorges and cascading streams. The Dongria Kondh, who derive their name from dongar, meaning hill, are fruit farmers with an encyclopedic knowledge of the forest's medicinal plants. They hold deep reverence for various aspects of the hills. In 2003, Samantara saw an announcement in a newspaper about a public hearing to discuss bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri Hills. He noted that the public hearing would not be accessible to the isolated Dongria Kondh, who do not understand English or have access to computers. Samantara felt a responsibility to help them protect the Niyamgiri Hills. Samantara alerted the Dongria Kondh that their land had been given away. In October 2004, the Odisha State Mining Company (OMC) signed an agreement with UK-based Vedanta Resources to mine bauxite, an aluminum ore, in the Niyamgiri Hills. The massive, open-pit mine would destroy 1,660 acres of untouched forestland to extract more than 70 million tonnes of bauxite, polluting critical water sources in the process. The mine would also require roads to transport the bauxite, which would leave the forest vulnerable to loggers and poachers. Through peaceful rallies and marches, he organised the Dongria Kondh to maintain a strong presence in the hills to keep the mine project from moving forward. Meanwhile, Samantara filed a petition with the Supreme Court's panel governing mining activities, becoming the first citizen to use the legal system in an attempt to halt the Vedanta mine. Recalling the struggle, Samantara said: "The hired goons of the company tried to create obstacles. They also attacked other social activists who organised the tribal community. Innocent tribals were put in jail by police and I was also opposed by the advocates of industrialisation. "Once I was kidnapped along with many prominent people's leaders by the goons of company and twice there were attempts to attack me physically." Almost a decade after Samantara's initial filing, the Supreme Court issued a historic decision on April 18, 2013. The ruling empowered local communities to have the final say in mining projects on their land and gave village councils from the Niyamgiri Hills the right to vote on the Vedanta mine. By August 2013, all 12 tribal village councils had unanimously voted against the mine. But the war rages on to protect Niyamgiri -- the soul of the tribals. "Now Niyamgiri is saved from mining but the alumina plant of Vedanta is there at Lanjigarh, at the foothill of Niyamgiri. As a most polluting industry it threatens the ecology of Niyamgiri. So now the struggle continues to dismantle this plant," Samantara said. He warned against bauxite mining. "If bauxite is mined and exhausted there will be depletion of water resources, streams and rivers and ultimately this will destroy the rich biodiversity in the forest. The permanent existence of bauxite is necessary not only to keep Niyamgiri alive but also to ensure the sustainability of Dongria habitat," he said, adding states like Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and others are facing ecological crisis in the name of "corporate investment". As for the award, he termed it as an "international recognition of people's movements against corporate capture of natural resources, to protect the people's right of which I am a part and parcel". "I do feel this award has inspired me to work more and more to build people's power to fight against corporatisation of resources and also corporatisation of politics in India," he added. (Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in) Dhaka, May 3 : At least seven persons were killed when a bus fell into a gorge at at Dhaka-Tangail highway in Bangladesh, an official said on Wednesday. Twenty-five persons were also injured in the incident on Tuesday, BD News quoted a Tangail Fire Service official as saying. The bus was enroute from Dhaka to Dhanbari. Beijing, May 3 : The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a loan of $160 million to finance a power project in India, the bank said on Wednesday. The project, co-financed with the World Bank, is part of the government's "24x7 Power for All programme" and will strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in Andhra Pradesh, Xinhua news agency reported. The 24x7 Power for All is an initiative by the government to ensure availability of 24x7 power supply to all households, industries, commercial businesses, public needs and any other electricity consuming entity and adequate power to agriculture consumers by 2019. AIIB President Jin Liqun praised the multilateral development bank's close work with India, AIIB's second-largest shareholder, in energy and other infrastructure sectors. "AIIB supports its members in their transition toward a low-carbon energy mix by promoting the improvement of energy efficiency, such as upgrading the existing transmission and distribution networks," he said. The bank expects the Andhra Pradesh-24x7 Power for All project to be the first of many projects AIIB invests in India, said Jin. It "will be the starting point for AIIB to extend its assistance to other countries in Asia moving towards an 'Energy for all' initiative," said D.J. Pandian, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of AIIB. The AIIB was set up in 2015 and started operation in January 2016 to provide financing for infrastructure improvement in Asia. Its membership has increased to 70, with 13 new countries approved in March. Canberra, May 3 : The illegal tobacco trade is costing Australian government more than 1.6 billion Australian dollars ($1.2 billion) in tax, according to a Wednesday report. Illegal tobacco sales comprise 13.9 per cent of all tobacco consumption, which have cost the government more than a billion dollars loss in tax revenue, Xinhua news agency cited the "Illicit Tobacco in Australia 2016" report released by auditing firm KPMG as saying. The report said 2.3 million kg of illegal tobacco was consumed by Australians last year in the form of illicit cigarettes or loose leaf tobacco commonly known as "chop chop". It also recommended a national strategy to combat the issue, which was also backed by representatives from the local tobacco industry. The Australian government in 2016 announced a grant of 7.7 million Australian dollars ($5.8 million) for the Australian Border Force (ABF) to combat organised illegal tobacco crime syndicates. Washington, May 3 : US Vice President Mike Pence said President Donald Trump is seriously considering moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem -- something controversial that he pledged to do as a candidate. "The President of the US, as we speak, is giving serious consideration into moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Xinhua news agency quoted Pence as saying here at an Israel Independence Day event on Tuesday. He said Trump was "personally committed to resolving the Israeli and Palestinian conflict". However, it remains unclear how such a controversial move sure to anger the Arab world would contribute to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Experts have warned that relocating the embassy could inflame tensions in the Middle East and doom the peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the Politico reported. Previous Presidents such as Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama had also said they would move the embassy to Jerusalem while campaigning but did not follow through on the pledge. Despite the passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 by the US Congress, which required the relocation of US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, former presidents consistently renewed a presidential waiver to delay the relocation on national security interests. The latest revelation came on the eve of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to the White House on Wednesday. So far, the Palestinian side has made no comments on the remarks. "It would essentially validate the view that all of Jerusalem now belongs to Israel," Aaron David Miller, a former Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiator, told POLITICO. "It's hard to come up with a single act that would make the Middle East burn more than it is burning right now," he said. Trump's son-in-law, his senior adviser Jared Kushner, has been tasked with leading White House efforts on Middle East peace. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and not a single foreign country bases its embassy in the city. Los Angeles, May 3 : Actor Matt Bomer attributes his acting skills in part to years of hiding his sexuality. The 39-year-old told actor Andrew Rannells in an interview with OUT Magazine about how difficult it was to come out to his family and how his big secret taught him how to be a better performer, reports etonline.com. "One of the ways I learned how to act, really, is by having secrets, and having to function as a kid in a public school in suburban Bible Belt Texas," Bomer said. "Subsequently I worked on a gas pipeline with my brother for a while - there were ex-cons with us. It was not an environment where it was safe to be gay." The actor, who came out in February 2012, explained that he grew up in a conservative Christian household and received months of silence from his parents after he told them he was gay. "Telling your family is a huge, huge deal. I really view my life as divided between the time before I told my parents, and the time after," he said. "And the decisions I made, and the life I lived, before and after, are vastly different. It's night and day." Chennai, May 3 : Tapping into the high number of fliers in and out of Chennai and Bengaluru from and to Europe and the US, Jet Airways is set to start direct non-stop flights to Paris from Chennai and to Amsterdam out of Bengaluru, said a senior official here on Wednesday. "Each way, around 1,000 passengers travel between Chennai and Europe or the US per day. Similarly, around 1,500 passengers travel each way between Bengaluru and Europe or the US," Praveen Iyer, Vice President Commercial-India Sales of Jet Airways, told media. According to Iyer, the new flights would commence from October 29. Iyer said the introductory all inclusive return fare is Rs 33,999 for economy class and Rs 129,999 for Premier class on first-come-first-served basis. He said the introductory fare would be available for a month. Jet Airways has also introduced specially designed JetEscapes Holidays at an all-inclusive rate of Rs 71,310 per person. New Delhi, May 3 : India on Wednesday said it has provided Pakistan with "actionable evidence" of the involvement of the Pakistani Army in the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers on Monday and demanded that Islamabad take action on the incident that again flared bilateral diplomatic tensions. Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and conveyed India's outrage over the "barbaric act" and told him that the Pakistani army was involved in the May 1 incident in Jammu and Kashmir near the Line of Control. As part of the "actionable evidence" that Pakistan has demanded, after India accused it of being behind the killing and mutilation of the two Indian soldiers, Jaishankar said that the attack on the Indian soldiers was "preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal)". Jaishankar also said that "blood samples of Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala (at the attack site) clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control". The army's Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and the BSF's Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed and their bodies mutilated in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. India says that a Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan was behind the incident close to the Line of Control. Lucknow, May 3 : Uttar Pradesh Police chief Sulkhan Singh in a letter has asked the policemen of the state to improve their style of functioning and look for an image make-over, an official said on Wednesday. Ideal policing will remain a pipe dream if the functioning at police stations does not improve, Director General of Police Singh wrote to his subordinates. He wrote, "Time has come to make the people feel that the police force was working for them and that policing in its best form was available for them." Singh also directed officials to ensure justice without bias or prejudice was given to the aggrieved and that crimes were registered. "Do not under any circumstances not register complaints for fear of its reflection on the crime graph," the DGP said in his letter. Sulkhan Singh was appointed Uttar Pradesh's top police man last month by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. New Delhi, May 3 : The Supreme Court has ruled that Coal India Limited (CIL), the country's largest miner, cannot revise the rates of loading and transportation by companies run by ex-servicemen without consulting the Defence Ministry's Directorate General of Resettlement (DGR). The ruling by a bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Amitava Rao came on a special leave petition by CIL and its subsidiary, Mahanadi Coal Limited, which challenged a Delhi High Court judgement quashing the miner's order revising the rates without consulting DGR. In 1979, the ministries of energy and defence had formulated a scheme aimed at union- free captive transportation organisations in CIL and its subsidiaries by providing an opportunity to ex-servicemen for their resettlement. The MoU drawn between CIL and DGR said the modalities of fixing rates and escalation to be paid yearly would be jontly formulated by them. The representatives of the transport companies had, in a petition before the Delhi High Court, contended that CIL had been fixing rates between 1993-2001 as per the MoU, which amounted to a 7-8 per cent increaseanually. Thereafter, CIL had been revising the rates without consulting the DGR. A single judge bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher had upheld the petition and CIL then went in appeal. A division bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini (since retired) and Justice Jayant Nath dismissed the appeal, noting: "There is a specific clause in the MoU providing for fixation of rates and escalation on a yearly basis and in consultation with DGR. A clear finding has been recorded that the CIL failed to adhere to this requirement. The fact that there was no consultation with DGR has been reiterated before us by the counsel appearing for DGR," the court noted. The court also expressed its displeasure over CIL's failure to file its reply contradicting the specific plea of the petitioners that the MoU's provision was not adhered to by it. Justice Shakdher had also noted that CIL, despite being issued notice in the case, had not responded. The ex-servicemen's transport companies have been making representations since 2009 for enhancement of rates on a yearly basis. Khushi Coal Transport counsel T.L. Garg pointed out that while the CIL's profits had increased from Rs 5,744 crore to Rs 21,272 crore between 2008 and 2012, the firms had been denied their dues. The single judge had also said that it could not lose sight of the fact that the instant scheme, as well as several other such schemes, was formulated by the Union government to ensure robust rehabilitation of ex-servicemen, as a vast majority of this class of personnel retire at a relatively young age when compared to their civilian counterparts. Kolkata, May 3 : Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said the West Bengal government's activities are not discussed in positive light. "Everyone knows what the Bengal government is doing. I get the information from people that everyone is very sad and distressed. There is discussion on Bengal everywhere. I do not get to hear anything positive about Bengal during my interactions," he told the media here on the sidelines of the Department of Science and Technology Conclave. About his Bharatiya Janata Party's success in the Delhi civic body polls, Harsh Vardhan said people's mandate is clear that they are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "It is also clear that the government that was in power for the last two years in Delhi was neglecting the interest of the people in equivalence of the huge mandate it was elected to power with. People have made it clear they were involved in scams and scandal," he said referring to the Aam Aadmi Party. Patna, May 3 : Controversial MP on Wednesday urged Maoists to kill political leaders instead of security personnel, saying the former "looted" the country while the latter provided it security. "Politicians (leaders) are looting the country, so Maoists should first kill them," the expelled RJD leader said in Hajipur town. Pappu urged the Maoists not to kill the security forces. "Maoists should kill those who have been looting the country." Now heading the Jan Adhikar Party, Pappu Yadav also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why Maoist attacks continued despite demonetization. "Modi had claimed that corruption, terrorism and Maoist problems will be eliminated after demonetisation." New Delhi, May 3 : A sessions court here on Wednesday set aside a lower court order that directed nine JNU students to appear before it to record their consent or refusal for a lie-detector test in case of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed. Additional Sessions Judge Siddharth Sharma quashed a magisterial court's order dated March 30 and rejected notice of the Delhi Police. However, the court granted liberty to the investigating officer to issue fresh notice related to lie detector test of the students as per guidelines. The sessions court said that the magistrate should have directed the investigating officer to withdraw the defective notice with the liberty to give a fresh notice. The court's remark came while allowing a revision petition challenging magisterial court order file by nine JNU students. On March 30, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate had ordered the nine Jawaharlal Nehru University students to appear before it on April 6 "without fail" on a Delhi Police plea for recording their consent/refusal for polygraphy. As per the National Human Rights Commission, the lie-detector test is not authorised by law and must be regarded as illegal unless it is voluntarily accepted, said the students' lawyer Vishwa Bhushan Arya. On December 22, the Delhi High Court had directed police to conduct the tests on these JNU students regarding Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing in October 2016. The Crime Branch told the court that the nine students had failed to join the investigation. Ahmed, 27, an M.Sc. First Year student, allegedly went missing after a row with members of the RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. It however denied any involvement in his disppearance. New Delhi, May 3 : Actors Akshay Kumar and Sonam Kapoor were accompanied by their family members to celebrate their moment of glory at the 64th National Film Awards ceremony here on Wednesday. Akshay has been named the Best Actor for his performance in "Rustom" -- a choice criticised by a cross-section of people. But he was happy and proud of being a part of the ceremony with his "most important people" - his wife Twinkle and son Aarav. "An important day in my life with the most important people in the world to me, my family. National Film Awards," Akshay tweeted along with his family photo, featuring his wife and son both dressed in traditional wear. Akshay sported a black ensemble and matched a bright pink pocket square with his wife's sari pallu for the event at the capital's Vigyan Bhavan. It was all about celebrating the win with family also in the case of Sonam, who has got a Special Mention for her brave act in "Neerja". Sonam, a fashion icon, styled up in a subtle pistachio green sari, with heavy kundan jewellery. She tied her hair in a neat bun with 'gajra' in place. Her proud father actor-producer Anil Kapoor, dressed in a black bandhgala, accompanied her along with her mother Sunita. "Dressed up and all set to accompany Sonam Kapoor for the National Awards in Delhi! It's a happy day," Anil posted on Instagram. New Delhi, May 3 : India on Wednesday said it has "actionable evidence" of the Pakistan Army's involvement in the mutilation of two Indian soldiers' bodies. The collected blood samples of the slain personnel and a blood trail clearly showed that Pakistani soldiers returned beyond Line of Control after committing the crime. The actionable evidence was given to Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, who summoned him to the Foreign Office and conveyed India's outrage over the barbaric act. Jaishankar demanded that Pakistan takes appropriate action against the soldiers and commanders responsible for it. "The blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala (the attack site) clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control (LoC). They returned to PoK from where they came," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told the media on the meeting the Foreign Secretary had with Basit. "There is a clear trail of blood. It is an indication that people who came from across the LoC went back to PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir)," the spokesperson said. "It is significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector in the vicinity of village Battal. Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control. The Indian side has sufficient evidence that this act was committed by personnel of the Pakistan Army who crossed the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector," Baglay said. He said India has demanded that Pakistan take immediate action against its soldiers and commanders responsible for this heinous act. Army's Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and the BSF's Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed and their bodies mutilated in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. India says that a Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan was behind the incident close to the Line of Control. Asked repeatedly whether the blood samples and the trail included blood of Pakistani soldiers and how the government was sure these belonged to the Indian personnel, the spokesperson repeated the written formulation on the involvement of Pakistani soldiers on their return to PoK. "Nobody is disputing this. One, the incident and two, we have told the High Commissioner that we have enough evidence. It was obvious that they returned to where they came from," Baglay said. Providing "actionable evidence" of the involvement of the Pakistan Army, Jaishankar said that the attack on the Indian soldiers was "preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in the vicinity of village Battal)". Baglay said the High Commissioner denied the Pakistan Army was involved in the mutilation incident but gave an assurance that he would convey India's outrage to his government. "It was conveyed that the government considers this as a strong act of provocation and in contravention to all norms of civilised conduct," the spokesperson said. Asked whether India would reconsider the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status given to Pakistan in the wake of the mutilation incident, Baglay said it was given under obligation to the WTO. Similarly, asked whether India would review the Indus Waters Treaty, he said the treaty which was signed in 1960 is handled by the Permanent Indus Commission. The spokesperson once again ruled out any third party involvement in attempts to resolve the Kashmir issue. He said there is no ambiguity on India's policy that the issue should be resolved between India and Pakistan bilaterally. He was replying to a question on India's stand on the suggestion of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a multilateral dialogue on resolving the Kashmir issue. Kathmandu, May 3 : An Indian national was arrested in Nepal after he was found in possession of 15 human skull parts, a media report said on Wednesday. Police said Bhagirath Singh, 66, of Khoribari, West Bengal, was detained during a security check near Kakarbhitta customs office in Jhapa district on Monday night, Kathmandu Post reported. Singh confessed during interrogation that he was paid Rs 1,000 by an unknown man to smuggle the cranial bones across the border. Police Superintendent Sailesh Thapa said the human skull parts might have been smuggled for tantric rituals, and added that Singh would be booked under the Public Offence Act as the country's law does not specify possession of human body parts as an offence. Indian and Nepali nationals have been found involved in smuggling of human bones through Kakarbhitta border. A man was arrested with a human skull from the area last year as well, the daily said. Kakarbhitta is becoming a transit point for smuggling of human bones and human skulls are being smuggled to Nepal from places like Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, a police source said. New Delhi, May 3 : A Bangladeshi woman, trafficked to India and forced into prostitution, has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modis intervention in exchanging old demonetised notes which she had saved while working in a Maharashtra brothel. Rescued from a Pune brothel, the woman has claimed that she was unaware about the government's November 8 move to demonetise Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes and has written a letter to Modi urging exchange of Rs 10,000 which she had earned in "desperate conditions". "Sirji, I have earned this money in desperate conditions. This money is very valuable for me. It will be great favour if you exchange this money," she said in the letter written on her behalf by Rescue Foundation, a Maharashtra NGO which aided her rescue. "I am going back to Bangladesh on May 15 and it will be great help if you exchange these notes. If you change these notes it will do me great favour and bring me happiness," she said to Modi in the letter which she has signed as 'aapki beti (your daughter)'. The woman said she worked in a garment factory in Dhaka before being lured to India on the pretext of a high-paying job where she was sold to a woman for Rs 50,000 who forced her into the sex trade. "I use to hide the money which the customers used to pay me. I had saved Rs 10,000. When I told a madam of Rescue Foundation about the money, she informed me that Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes are no more valid," she said. About her ordeal, Dipesh Tank, Programme Director Rescue Foundation, said that the woman was unaware about demonetisation. "She was not aware of demonetisation. She had been saving this money hiding it in her belongings. Afraid that the brothel owners might snatch it away, she never informed anyone. She is now pinning her hopes on the Prime Minister," Tank told IANS. New Delhi, May 3 : Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that "a final push" is needed to provide electricity to the 4,141 un-electrified villages in the country by 2018. According to the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, in the next 3-4 months, "a final push is needed to electrify the remaining 4,141 un-electrified villages in the country." The minister spoke at the two-day State Power Ministers' Conference being held here. Goyal also reiterated the resolution taken in the last State Power Ministers' conference to provide electricity to every household in the country by December 2018. The last such meeting was held in Vadodara, Gujarat. The minister observed that the objective of the current conference is to review the work done in the power, coal, renewable energy and mining sectors by the state and union territories' governments in the past six months. "Further, the conference intends to forge new policies for achieving the goal of providing 24x7 quality and affordable power for all in the stipulated time...," the Ministry of Power said in a statement. New Delhi, May 3 : In the wake of mutilation of an Indian soldier and a BSF trooper by the Pakistani Army on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, 50 schoolchildren visiting India from across the border were on Wednesday sent back following a government advisory. Invited by Delhi-based non-profit organisation Routes2Roots, the children had arrived in India along with their teachers on May 1, the day Indian Army's Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed and their bodies mutilated in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. " 'This is not an appropriate time for such exchanges' was the advice conveyed to the NGO by the Centre," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told the media here. Besides a trip to Agra, the Pakistani children were to meet their Indian pen-friends and attend a host of programmes. The NGO, hosting the exchange programme since 2004, said the visit was cut short due to flared diplomatic tensions and security concerns. "Keeping in view the security aspect and the sentiments of fellow Indians, the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," NGO founder Rakesh Gupta said. Mumbai, May 3 : Emphasising that Adobe Experience Cloud represents the largest opportunity for the company, Adobe President and CEO Shantanu Narayan says the tech giant has clearly established itself as a leader in helping companies roll out digital transformation in India and globally with its cloud solutions. The change in consumer expectations is the main factor that triggered innovation and growth for Adobe's digital marketing business and brands across verticals are readily embracing its cloud solutions globally, he adds. "The massive tailwind across the world is that consumer expectations have changed and one of them is that consumers prefer to interact with any company digitally. Mobile as way to interfacing with businesses has become a de-facto standard. Digital is cheaper, faster and it delivers better experience," Narayen told IANS. Adobe Experience Cloud, which was released earlier this year, is a comprehensive set of cloud services designed to give enterprises everything they need to deliver exceptional customer experience. About innovation, Narayan said India has an edge over other countries and is leapfrogging in some aspects. "Not only in innovation, India also has a lead when it comes to the cost of transaction. Financial institutions here often say that they are the most efficient in the world. I think it's the nice blend of east and west," Narayan said. The CEO said artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning is what Adobe is using fundamentally to innovate. The company recently announced innovations in Adobe Sensei -- the intelligence layer in the Adobe Cloud Platform which offers customers a unified AI and machine learning framework and intelligent services. About India as a market, Adobe's Managing Director, South Asia, Kulmeet Bawa said Indian firms are embracing digital marketing solutions in a big way. "Indian firms are taking a lead in several areas whether it is mobile or android development. Certain things are very specific to India where we are ahead of other countries and these trends are being adopted in some other parts of the world," Bawa told IANS. The company is working with some of the largest brands from verticals including e-commerce, banking, technology, telecom and retail to enable digital transformation in India. Interestingly, the company's India R&D labs claim a significant share of global innovations. Adobe has a significant set-up in India with over 5,200 employees spread across four campuses in Noida and Bengaluru. Emphasising on the strategic role Adobe India plays in the overall Adobe scheme of things, Bawa said: "Nearly 30 per cent of Adobe's overall R&D and innovations find its roots in the country. We also have our global services delivery centre based here." Adobe recently partnered with Microsoft announcing their joint solutions to transform cross-channel experiences using Adobe Experience Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 and Power BI. The company believes that the new partnership is around the shared vision which both the tech giants had to help enterprises digitally platform. New Delhi, May 3 : A cheque of Rs 29.85 lakh was presented to Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday on behalf of employees of Madhya Bihar Gramin Bank as a donation towards the Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund, an official statement said. The cheque was presented to Jaitley by Punjab National Bank Managing Director and CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian. The Madhya Bihar Gramin Bank is sponsored by the PNB. Financial assistance will be provided to the families of the army battle casualties out of this fund. Accepting the cheque, Jaitley appreciated the concern shown by the bank employees towards families of the defence personnel who have sacrificed their lives for the country and expressed his confidence that such efforts will be continued, the statement said. New Delhi, May 3 : The mutilation of two Indian soldiers on the LoC was carried out with the "active participation of the Pakistani Army", Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday. The denial by Pakistan of involvement in the Monday killings in Jammu and Kashmir carried no credibility, Jaitley told the media here. Lucknow, May 3 : Following orders from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to restart the traditional Ram Leela at Ayodhya, the event was rolled out on Wednesday evening, an official spokesman said. The Ram Leela will be staged on the premises of the Ayodhya Research Institute. It had been discontinued several years back owing to lack of budget and disinterest by successive state governments. The spokesman informed that the Avadh Aadarsh Ramleela Mandal of Mahant Jayram Das will perform between May 3 and May 17, while from May 18 to June 1, Balaji Ram Leela Mandli of Dr Harihar will stage its shows. New Delhi, May 3 : India's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will be scrutinised at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meeting in Geneva on Thursday, the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday. The third Indian UPR will be reviewed in the course of the 27th Session of the UPR Working Group being held from May 1 to 12, the ministry said in a statement. The UPR is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN member-states. IT is a state-driven process, under the auspices of the UNHRC, which provides the opportunity for each state to declare what actions have been taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfill their human rights obligations. The UPR was created through the UN General Assembly on March 15, 2006, by resolution 60/251, which established the UNHRC itself. India's first UPR was reviewed in 2008 and the second in 2012. According to the External Affairs Ministry statement, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi is leading the Indian delegation which also comprises Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, P.S. Patwalia, Additional Solicitor General of India, and senior officials from the External Affairs, Home, Women and Child Development, Social Justice and Empowerment, Minority Affairs, Rural Development Ministries and the NITI Aayog. "The national report of India covers areas that were part of the recommendations accepted by us following the UPR-II in 2012," the statement said. "The report also covers areas that we wish to share with member countries as part of the peer review mechanism and in a spirit of cooperative engagement and collaboration that has marked our approach to the issue of human rights." It said that India would continue to engage constructively with the UNHRC and other countries to "both promote and protect human rights and to ensure that the national efforts in this regard continue to retain their primacy in the global discussion on this issue". New Delhi, May 3 : As part of her party's efforts to evolve consensus among opposition parties on a common candidate for upcoming Presidential election, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday spoke to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Gandhi, who has taken the initiative to try and evolve consensus on a common candidate, is likely to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also reached out to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in connection with the presidential polls. National Conference's Working President Omar Abdullah also met Sonia Gandhi at her residence on Wednesday, said party sources. "In our opinion, national interest should be the foremost criteria with a person adequately suited to defend our constitutionalism and our democratic traditions of dissent and disagreement as the candidate who would be best suited to be the President and Vice President," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. "Congress President and Vice President both have had discussions with a series of leaders. Our doors and minds are open for we feel that one person cannot decide everything, one man decides all dictum will not do and one ideology cannot be thrust upon this country. It is required to have a consensus on the post as important as the posts of President and Vice President," he added. He also said that consensus on the candidates will happen only after there are political discussions and there is a general agreement on this. "We need an unbiased and courageous President who can uphold the diginity of his office. It should be done for national interest," he added. Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar met Sonia Gandhi to discuss a joint opposition presidential candidate. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United President Nitish Kumar and senior party leader Sharad Yadav, Communist Party of India leader D. Raja and Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury have also met Gandhi on the presidential issue. London, May 3 : Britain's House of Commons was officially dissolved on Wednesday ahead of the June 8 snap general election called by Prime Minister Theresa May as the country prepares to negotiate its withdrawal from the European Union. May was set to meet Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace to gain formal approval for the dissolution of the 650-member House of Commons or the lower house, Sky News reported. Her meeting with the monarch marks the official start of Britain's election campaign, with all seats of the Commons up for grabs. The move means Britain no longer has any elected lawmakers, though the government continues to function. The Prime Minister will also make a short statement at Number 10 after visiting the Queen. "The dissolution of Parliament took place on Wednesday 3 May 2017. All business in the House of Commons has come to an end and there are no MPs. Every seat in the Commons is vacant until after the general election on 8 June 2017," the British Parliament said on its website. But the dissolution does not mean that Britain's government comes to an end. "Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until after the result of the election is known and a new administration is formed," said a Parliament spokesman. Under a fixed term law, introduced by former Prime Minister David Cameron, the lower house of Parliament sits for exactly five years which sets a specific timetable for dissolution and a new election. Current Prime Minister Theresa May used a break-clause in the fixed-term law to call a snap election on June 8, as Britain prepares to negotiate with the European Union on its withdrawal from the bloc. Britain has triggered a two-year exit process that will see its EU membership end in March 2019. May said an election now can give the Conservatives a bigger majority, strengthening the government's hand in Brexit negotiations. It also avoids an election soon after Britain leaves the bloc, potentially a period of instability. New Delhi, May 3 : Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said the Centre has sanctioned Rs 200 crore for paying pending salaries of primary teachers in Jammu and Kashmir. Following a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Altaf Bukhari here, Javadekar said Rs 25 crore of the Rs 52 crore sanctioned for two engineering colleges in the state will be released this week. These engineering colleges will be at Sapakora in the Kashmir valley and at Kathua in Jammu. Tutorial work will begin this year, said Javadekar, adding that the construction of the buildings will be completed in two years. He said that like in the case of engineering students, scholarships will be available to polytechnic students. The minister said seven hostels costing Rs 50 crore will come up for girl students at Bemina, Paloda, Thatri, Rajouri, Kupwada, Pulwama and Kargil. Javadekar said an expert committee will go to Jammu within a week to assess the suitability of the land offered by the state government for the permanent campus of Indian Institute of Management. "The Rs 19,500 crore special package to the state announced by the Prime Minister has been released. This is bound to benefit the state in many ways. "We will continue to solve other related problems in future too," said Javadekar, adding the recurring grant of Rs 34 crore to secondary education will be sanctioned this week. Referring to the disturbed situation in the state, Javadekar pointed to nearly "99 per cent" attendants of students despite incidents of burning of schools. New Delhi, May 3 : In a major decision aimed at tackling the problem of burgeoning non-performing assets (NPAs) of public sector banks, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, to be effected through an ordinance. The ordinance is likely to be cleared by President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday night. The Cabinet is believed to have approved a policy on the bad debt (NPAs), which is being forwarded to the President for approval. "It is an amendment in the Banking Regulation Act. Since Parliament is not in session, it will be issued as an ordinance, which needs the President's approval," official sources told IANS. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave hints on the decision, but declined to go into details citing protocol constraints about disclosing something before even the President gets them. Jaitley merely said the Cabinet has taken an "important decision" relating to the banking sector. Media attempts to elicit details from him failed. Informed sources said the details of the amendments may be disclosed once the President gives his approval. According to a study, the current financial stress in the Indian banking system is estimated at Rs 11.80 lakh crore, of which gross NPAs of Rs 2.44 lakh crore have been sold to Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). The study was jointly carried out by industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Society of Insolvency Practitioners of India, and Edelweiss. New Delhi, May 3 : The central government on Wednesday approved a cooperation agreement between India and Spain in the civil aviation sector. The decision to approve the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the sphere of civil aviation was taken by the Union Cabinet, whose meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The MoU signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between India and Spain, and has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries," the Union Cabinet said in a statement. New Delhi, May 3 : India on Wednesday accused the Pakistani Army of "active participation" in the mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers and said Islamabad's denials carried no credibility. Hours after New Delhi summoned Pakistan's envoy and gave him "actionable evidence" on the basis of blood samples and trail leading to Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley used strong words at a media briefing to say that Pakistani troops were complicit in the Monday brutality. "I think the denial itself carries no credibility because the entire gambit of circumstances clearly indicates that this barbaric act of first killing two of our soldiers and then mutilating their bodies has been carried out with active participation of the (Pakistani) Army," he said. "The fact that cover firings are provided, those who carry out this act are helped to escape on such heavily guarded border where posts are within few metres of each other, this can't happen without the protection, or participation, or active indulgence of the (Pakistan) Army," he added. Asked what New Delhi planned to counter the Pakistani action, Jaitley replied: "Place your trust on our Army." His statement came after New Delhi said it had "actionable evidence" of the Pakistan Army's involvement in the killings on the Krishna Ghati sector on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay said the blood samples of the slain personnel and a blood trail clearly showed that Pakistani soldiers returned beyond the LoC after committing the crime. The "actionable evidence" was given to Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, who summoned him to the Foreign Office and conveyed India's outrage. Jaishankar demanded that Pakistan takes appropriate action against the soldiers and commanders responsible for it. "The blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala (attack site) clearly shows the killers returned across the (LoC). They returned to PoK from where they came," Baglay told the media. "It is significant the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector in the vicinity of village Battal," he added. Baglay said blood samples of an Indian soldier and a BSF trooper who were slain were collected and the trail of blood showed the killers returned across the LoC, which divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries. "The Indian side has sufficient evidence that this act was committed by personnel of the Pakistan Army." India says a Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan was to blame for the killing of Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar. Asked repeatedly whether the blood samples and the trail included blood of Pakistani soldiers and how the government was sure these were of the Indian personnel, the spokesperson repeated the written formulation on the involvement of Pakistani soldiers on their return to Pakistan. "Nobody is disputing this. One, the incident and two, we have told the High Commissioner that we have enough evidence. It was obvious that they returned to where they came from," Baglay said. Baglay said the High Commissioner denied the Pakistan Army was involved in the mutilation incident but gave an assurance that he would convey India's outrage to his government. "It was conveyed that the government considers this as a strong act of provocation and in contravention to all norms of civilised conduct." The spokesperson again ruled out any third party involvement in attempts to resolve the Kashmir issue. He said the issue should be resolved between India and Pakistan bilaterally. Amaravati, May 3 : Andhra Pradesh will sign 'sister state' agreements with states of California, Iowa and Illinois during Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's visit to US, it was announced on Wednesday. A high-level delegation led by Naidu is leaving for the US on Thursday for a week-long visit aimed at inviting investment. Naidu would meet who's who in sectors like information technology, agriculture and education. The 'sister state' agreements are expected to facilitate closer interactions and investments in a wide range of sectors, said an official statement. California which shares many similarities with Andhra Pradesh is a power house of information technology and through the proposed agreement; Andhra Pradesh believes that it can share the best practices in areas of IT, agriculture and innovation. The sister state agreement with Iowa is expected to facilitate technology sharing in the field of agriculture. Andhra is keen on enabling transfer of smart technologies with the government of Illinois. The delegation will visit Tesla Factory in Fremont in San Francisco, which is one of the world's most advanced automobile manufacturing facilities in the world. On May 8, Naidu will receive the 2017 US-India Business Council's "Transformative Chief Minister Awarda in California. The award is being bestowed upon him for advancing the US-India partnership at the state level. The Chief Minister is scheduled to hold several meetings with a number of CEOs, besides making field visits to Apple, Google, CISCO, Oracle and other campuses in the Silicon Valley. Naidu along with the Governor of California will be present during the signing of the MoU on global climate between the governments of Andhra Pradesh and California. The Chief Minister will also address the Telugu NRIs on two occasions to exhort them to contribute their mite in the development of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu would attend the dinner meeting being hosted by John Chambers, Executive Chairman, CISCO and would hold a breakfast meeting with representatives of the Stanford University. He will also visit the Franklin Tempelton Office. The delegation will include Naidu's son and Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh, Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu and senior officials. Patna, May 3 : In a big relief to distillery owners in dry Bihar, the Patna High Court on Wednesday revoked the ban on production of spirit in the state following imposition of total prohibition by the state government in April 2016. The high court, which had reserved judgment in the case last month after hearing arguments of both sides, ruled that the "state government has no right to ban production of spirit as it is used in various other industries apart from making liquor". The Bihar government, in a notification issued on January 24, 2017, had banned production of spirit in the state. Following the notification, Global Spirit Ltd and others challenged the government decision in the high court. Bihar has witnessed a complete ban on alcohol since April 2016. The ban completes one year on April 5. New Delhi, May 3 : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave its approval to the National Steel Policy, 2017. Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said this would make the industry globally competitive. The policy projects crude steel capacity of 300 million tonnes (mt), production of 255 mt and a robust finished steel per capita consumption of 158 kgs by 2030-31, as against the current consumption of 61 kgs. According to it, the 300 mt of steel making capacity would translate into additional investment of Rs 10 lakh crore by 2030-31. The policy also envisages to domestically meet the entire demand of high grade automotive steel, electrical steel, special steels and alloys for strategic applications. The increase of domestic availability of washed coking coal is also considered a priority area so as to reduce import dependence on coking coal from about 85 per cent to around 65 per cent by 2030-31, an official statement said. The government said National Steel Policy 2005 (NSP 2005) charted out a road map for sustained and efficient growth of the Indian steel industry but it required adaptation in view of the recent developments unfolding in India and also worldwide, both on the demand and supply sides of the steel market. The Indian steel sector has grown over the past few years to be the third largest producer of steel globally, contributing to about 2 per cent of the country's GDP and employing about 5 lakh people directly and about 20 lakh people indirectly. New Delhi, May 3 : In a major decision aimed at tackling the mounting non-performing assets (NPAs) of public sector banks, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday night issued an ordinance to amend the Banking Regulation Act that will empower the RBI to go after defaulters. The Cabinet is believed to have approved a policy on bad debts (NPAs), which is being forwarded to President Pranab Mukherjee for approval. The President is likely to clear the ordinance on Wednesday night itself. "It is an amendment in the Banking Regulation Act. Since Parliament is not in session, it will be issued as an ordinance, which needs President's approval," official sources told IANS. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave hints on the decision, but declined to go into the details citing protocol constraints about disclosing something even before the President gets it. Jaitley merely said the Cabinet has taken an "important decision" relating to the banking sector. Media attempts to elicit details from him failed. It is believed that the ordinance would give powers to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to take strict action against defaulters while being lenient in cases of genuine business failures. The policy is also likely to contain guidelines regarding public auction of assets of the defaulting companies or individuals. The ordinance assumes significance in the context of the government's attempts to get Vijay Mallya extradited to India. His Kingfisher Airlines had defaulted to the tune of about Rs. 9,000 crore in loans to public sector banks. As banks started hounding him for recovery of their loans, Mallya fled to London last year. Informed sources said the details of the amendments may be disclosed once the President gives his approval. According to a study, the current financial stress in the Indian banking system is estimated at Rs 11.80 lakh crore, of which gross NPAs of Rs 2.44 lakh crore have been sold to Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). The study was jointly carried out by industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Society of Insolvency Practitioners of India and Edelweiss. New Delhi, May 3 : Following investigations into an admission racket regarding MBBS and other medical post-graduate courses, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has identified over 200 such post-graduate passouts and other doctors for their suspected involvement, police said on Wednesday. "This racket running for the last several years involves huge sums of money. The Crime Branch suspects that over Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore have been collected from around 1,000 students in the last three years," a senior police officer connected with the investigation told IANS. Police said out of the 200 suspects, Atul Kumar, 25, and Abhishek Singh, 27, have been arrested in east Delhi. Both are B.Tech degree holders. "Both natives of Bihar are involved in post-graduate medical entrance test -- National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). They were arrested in April." He said many MBBS degree holders involved in the racket generally chose examination centres that did not have closed-circuit television surveillance. The Crime Branch has identified 80 such centres used in this racket, the officer said. Some fake candidates (degree holders) and impersonators, who charged Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh commission from touts, as well as their accomplices who helped crack the entrance examination were also identified. They include MBBS degree holders from Ukraine, China, and Russia, some of whom are practicing in private hospitals in various states. "The modus operandi was to charge Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore from each aspirant for admission in government-run medical colleges. The medical degree holders impersonated the candidates in the medical entrance test." Those involved have good contacts with prominent academics like registrars, directors, college staff and professors who help them vis-a-vis impersonators, the officer said. They helped dummy candidates during biometric checks and cross-checks on identity of candidates. A Delhi based non-governmental organisation 'Sankalp Charitable Trust' had approached the Delhi High Court with a Public Interest Litigation for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into NEET admissions to medical post-graduate courses in India between December 5, 2016, and December 13, 2017. The Crime branch registered a case in April after High Court directions and raided all 80 examination centres, including Bengaluru, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh. In 2012, the Crime Branch busted a racket involving entrance tests for post-graduate courses at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. (sanjeev pal can be contacted at sanjeev.p@ians.in ) New Delhi, May 3 : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave its ex-post facto approval to signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Japan on railway safety, a cabinet communique said. It said that the MoC, signed in February, will enable cooperation in areas such as track safety (rail welding, rail inspection, track circuit etc), rolling stock safety and any other matter jointly determined by both the sides. It will also entail cooperation in latest technology related to areas such as automatic inspection technology. New Delhi, May 3 : India and Kazakhstan held a meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism here on Wednesday, exchanging views on prevailing regional terrorist threats including state-sponsored, cross-border terrorism in the Af-Pak region. "As strategic partners, India and Kazakhstan held the fourth meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism. Both sides assessed and exchanged views on prevailing terrorist threats in their respective regions including state-sponsored, cross-border terrorism in the Af-Pak region," said an External Affairs Ministry release. It said that delegations held "useful discussions" on the current challenges posed by various terrorist entities, radicalisation, foreign terrorist fighters, drug trafficking and misuse of cyber space for terrorist purposes. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) and Kazakhstan delegation by A.D. Smagulov, Ambassador on Special Missions. The two sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation through exchange of information, capacity building, mutual legal assistance, sharing of best practices on countering violent extremism and cooperation in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Mumbai, May 3 : Author Amish Tripathi, who is all set to release his new book of Ram Chandra series, on Wednesday said that he believes that ancient India was more liberal as compared to modern times and we need to bring back that culture. "I think there is a need of bringing back our ancient culture as that was more liberal society," he said at the cover launch of "Sita: Warrior of Mithila" in the presence of Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon. "The popular version of Sita's character from Ramayana looks like a character of 1990s television serial, whereas, she was a strong lady who fought with a group of people but was outnumbered, got kidnapped. In fact, the cover of the book depicts that episode," he added. Supporting him, Raveena said: "In our ancient society, women had right to make their chices and they were treated as equal counterparts of men. They were brave. So by celebrating the powerful side of women through this book, I am sure Amish is conveying the idea of powerful women." The author, who has earlier penned the Shiva Trilogy comprising "Immortals of Meluha", "Secret of Nagas" and "Oath of the Vayuputras", before launching the Ram Chandra series with "Scion of Ikshvaku". "Sita: Warrior of Mithila" is tentatively said to be releasing at the end of May. New Delhi, May 4 : A Muslim group on Wednesday accused the BJP government of communalising triple talaq, while terming its proposal of Uniform Civil Code an attempt to impose Hindu personal law. "BJP has made a lot of noise (about triple talaq and nikal halala). Without questions, they are communalising and politicising the whole issue," Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) General Secretary Javed Anand told IANS. He said that it was "interesting" that this call for an Uniform Civil Code came from one particular ideological quarter - the Sangh Parivar - but there was no clarity on what it would entail. "We have repeatedly and publicly asked for the BJP or anyone from the Sangh Parivar to offer a draft of what a Uniform Civil Code would look like. Which code are they referring to? Is it the concept of it or is it about the uniform gender justice?" he said, adding the demand from one side only leads rise to a suspicion that it could only be an attempt to impose Hindu personal law and that's why there is opposition. IMSD terms itself a forum of Indian Muslims who subscribe to the view that the core values of Islam - equality, justice, compassion and peace - are in consonance with the principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Delhi chapter of the organisation was launched here on Wednesday with the immediate goal to get triple talaq, halala and polygamy be declared unconstitutional. "Triple talaq not only violates the constitutional rights guaranteed to Muslim women, it is, in fact, anathema to Islam itself. Islamic law prohibits Triple Talaq in certain terms," said IMSD's Zulaikha Jabeen. Anand also said that discussions on rights of Muslim women hasn't come up under the BJP's rule but have been debated among the community for long. Guwahati, May 4 : Three Assam Civil Service (ACS) officers have been arrested in connection with the cash for jobs scam of the Assam Public Service Commission while investigations were on to unearth more such incidents, police said on Wednesday. Police said that the three arrested on Tuesday night were identified as Bhaskar Jyoti Devasarma, Bhaskar Dutta and Amit Sarma, who had been working as Circle Officers in different districts. Police said that the three candidates has made it to the selection list by paying bribes to APSC Chairman Rakesh Paul. "We have arrested the three officers after conducting forensic tests on their answer scripts. Two sets of answer sheets of these three officers were recovered from the Paul's office and residence in November last year," police said. Assam Police had already arrested Paul and eight others, including two members of the Commission and an assistant controller of examinations for their involvement in the scam. Police said that while these three candidates are arrested on Tuesday night, investigation is still on to bring to the fore more such faces who had indulged in the corruption. Different organizations, particularly peasants body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samitee, who have been agitating since last several years against the rampant corruption in APSC under Paul, claimed that the arrests made so far were tip of the iceberg. They further alleged that there were many others who had secured jobs with the help of influential people, including politicians, they demanded a through investigation into the scam to nail all the wrongdoers. Last year, the Dibrugarh police had arrested assistant engineer, Nabakanta Patir, after he was caught red-handed accepting bribes of Rs 10 lakh from a woman dentist. He had approached her promising a government job through the APSC and demanded the money. But she instead tipped off police leading to his arrest. Based on his confession, a PSO of an APSC member was subsequently arrested. During interrogation of the duo, it emerged that they were working as conduits in the sale of the plum jobs through APSC. Washington, May 4 : US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US was preparing new sanctions against North Korea if Pyongyang takes steps that warrant new sanctions. The US is "preparing additional sanctions" if it turns out that the North Korea's future actions merit additional sanctions, Tillerson said here in a speech to State Department employees. Tillerson also said that the US was ready to engage in talks with North Korea "when conditions are right", adding that Washington was sending a "very, very clear and resolute" message that the country's security and economic prosperity "can only be secured" through commitment to denuclearization, Xinhua news agency reported. Tillerson also reaffirmed that the US was not seeking regime change in North Korea. Tension has remained very high over the past two months between the US and North Korea over the former's threat to stage military attack upon Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile programs. The US and South Korea also held their largest ever joint military exercises in the past two months, while the USS Carl Vinson nuclear aircraft carrier task group has arrived in the waters off the peninsula for joint drills with the South Korean military. Tillerson also said the US-Russian relationship was the lowest since the Cold War, Xinhua news agency reported. "I characterized to President Putin (of Russia) our relationship was the lowest since the Cold War," said Tillerson. "He did not disagree." According to Tillerson, Washington and Moscow were working to see if trust could be rebuilt by starting one issue at a time. "We need to stabilize the relations that are spiralling down," said Tillerson. London, May 4 : British Prime Minister Theresa May made her most stinging remark so far against European Union (EU) "bureaucrats" in Brussels, accusing them of trying to ruin Brexit talks. May was speaking outside 10 Downing Street after meeting with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday on the day British Parliament was dissolved ahead of the June 8 snap general election. In her briefing, May said the events of the last few days had shown that whatever Britain's wishes, there were some people in Brussels who did not want Brexit talks to succeed and did not want Britain to prosper, Xinhua news agency reported. "The European Commission's negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials," May said. The British Prime Minister said these acts had been deliberately timed to affect the result of the upcoming general election. May said: "Whoever wins on June 8 will face one overriding task, to get the best possible deal for this United Kingdom from Brexit. And in the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be." "By contrast, I made clear in my letter to the President of the European Council invoking Article 50 last month that, in leaving the EU, Britain means no harm to our friends and allies on the continent," she said. May and the Conservative Party remain well ahead in the opinion polls, pointing to a victory for May with an increased majority on June 8 if the pollsters are right. Bolt Crossbody vertical laptop bag The svelte Crossbody safely holds your valuables while keeping frequently-used items at the ready. And, its so comfortable that you can wear it all day. WaterField Designs, a San Francisco designer and manufacturer of custom laptop sleeves, bags and device-specific cases, debuts the slim-profile Bolt Crossbody vertical laptop bag for the new Microsoft Surface Laptop. Available in three sizes the medium custom-fit for the Surface Laptop each Bolt includes a padded laptop compartment and mix of functional pockets. Like bags long-popular in Asia and Europe, the compact Bolt Crossbody provides a convenient and handsome carry for students, commuters and adventure seekers alike. "Youre likely to carry your laptop or tablet and some essentials everywhere you go, whether youre a student, a professional or just a leisure traveler, explained Gary Waterfield, company founder. The svelte Crossbody safely protects your valuables while keeping frequently-used items at the ready. And, its so comfortable that you can wear it all day. The Bolt Crossbody Surface Laptop bag easily holds a days necessities tech gear, water bottle, wallet and travel documents. An extra wide, zippered opening allows easy access to the main compartment that houses a padded laptop sleeve and simple pockets to keep the Surface Pen and smaller items easily accessible. A premium leather flap closes with a silent magnetic snap over an expandable front pocket. Inside, a hidden scratch-free Ultrasuede hutch cradles a smartphone. For frequently-used items, a body-side pocket closes with a self-locking zipper for added security. The Crossbodys gold, water-resistant lining boosts visibility of bag contents. An adjustable shoulder strap can be worn diagonally or off one shoulder, and a rear grab handle comes in handy for retrieving the Bolt from overhead bins or the trunk of a car. Because of its shape and wide, zipper access, even when filled to capacity, the Bolt remains lean and comfortable to carry. The Crossbodys universal style fits with both adults and students. Offered in rugged black ballistic nylon or tan waxed canvas, each with full-grain leather highlights, the Bolt Crossbody is meticulously crafted and built to last. The comfortable Bolt hangs naturally and its clean design complements any look. Three compact sizes provide unrestricted motion yet contain ample space. The Bolt Crossbody joins other hard-wearing, stylish bags in the Bolt Collection: the Brief, the Duffel and the Backpack. Availability & Pricing The Bolt Crossbody: Small$199. Dimensions: 11 x 9.25 x 2.25 inches; 1.35 lbs. Fits 10-inch iPad, most tablets Medium$209. Dimensions: 12.5 x 11 x 2.25 inches; 1.65 lbs. Fits Surface Laptop, Surface Pro 4, 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Pro (2016). Large$219. Dimensions: 14.25 x 12 x 2.25 inches; 1.85 lbs. Fits Surface Book, 13-inch MacBook Air, 15-inch MacBook Pro (2016) Colors: Tan waxed canvas or black ballistic nylon with naturally-tanned, full-grain grizzly, chocolate or black leather flap and details. Pre-order now. Shipping begins by June 15, 2017. About WaterField Designs WaterField Designs is an innovative San Francisco designer and manufacturer of bags and cases for tech-savvy consumers who want to stylishly and responsibly transport their technology. WaterField manufactures custom-fitted, high-quality cases and bags for a full-range of laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming devices and other digital gear. All products are manufactured to exacting standards entirely in San Francisco. More information at "Our Story. "Who wouldn't want to go glamping in a cool, nostalgic VW Westfalia van." Hippies may be old and retired but their vintage VW vans are still running strong. Camp and car a hotel on wheels all rolled into one very old vehicle, a VW Vanagon. Glamping in a former hippie van, peace van or love wagon is a growing niche market. Old is new and people again seek old fashioned, nostalgic and vintage VW campervans of yesteryear. Others are restoring old Gulfstream trailers, retro trailers and unique 60s vehicles. Outside Adventure Vehicles. People seeking adventure camping are interested in a unique, different adventure experience with upscale convenience. There is a growing niche of people wanting a nice road trip, not in a complicated huge RV which requires a land yacht captains license (plumbing, septic, generator, navigating, jacking and setting up), but in a simple original VW van. They have fond memories of their old van or their parents had one as a family campervan. They seek State and National Park glamping made easy. Many want a remote biking, kayaking and canoeing experience camping right on a lake or stream in a remote primitive camp site with just a fire ring; no outside facilities. But, glamping accessories and convenience with these vans is king. Toronto Blue Jays Daniel Norris lives out of his van full time (TODAY). Millennials as well as older folks, are now living off the grid, continually living in their vans and traveling around the world in their Westy. Some are working full time out of their vans while traveling -- trending 2017 (NewYorker). European tourists are familiar with VW Westfalias, Vanagons and older Eurovans. There are more vans available for rental overseas and Westies are common in Europe. Going on holiday in these niche vans is common. These tourist are becoming a large market in the US. They look for an inexpensive way to glamping with mobile flexibility traveling to our parks and sights. European couples, adventurous couples, newlyweds, young families, or someone who wants to try out a nostalgic VW van before purchase, seek out VW vans for rent. They want to get away from fast hassle and gadgets of todays world, especially cell phone/email. Camping in nature, they seek a local, quiet, intimate experience. They are not inclined to tent camp with all the required accessories. Foreign tourists rent a VW van in the USA because it is less costly and made easy when the van is fully provisioned; just bring toiletries and make a grocery market run. No need to bring camping supplies on the airplane. Unusual, unique and nostalgic and that slower experience is sought after again. Folks get that old, slow and nostalgic experience with original pop up VW campervans. (60 mph tops) If it is the Northwest, in Washington State, it might be Harley Sinters Peace Vans Rentals. If it is the Mountain States, in Montana, it is Scott Quinnetts Dragon Fly Vans. If it is anywhere in New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, in Maine it is Bob Mullers Vintage Van Adventures. There are dozens of specialized niche Vanagon rentals elsewhere in California (GoWesty), Florida, Colorado, Minnesota and the Southwest. One van rental owner is referred to as the Van Nazi as a parallel reference to the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. But in this case, the Van Nazi is an endearing term for a super passionate, all things Westfalia owner who loves the old vans, literally. Just dont mess em up. Named hippie vans, love vans or peace vans otherwise known as Vanagons, Westies and plain old V-dubbs, these vans are very rare. They are 30-40 years old, not made since 1991. They remain The Iconic Van of all time. More rare and expensive than ever, these vans are still known as one of the best most efficient designs to this day. A few have sold for more than $287,000, but most good restored vans including new engines, cost in the range of $50,000 to $145,000. Deadheads seek them out and people like Tom Hanks own/love them. People see an old one pull up and they feel compelled to come over and talk. Vanagons easily sleep 4 people, comfortably on mattresses, include a stove, storage closets and drawers, refrigerator and onboard water and a sink. And, they have easy seating for four with two built in swing out tables. They are sometimes referred to as the Swiss Army Knife of vans. Vanagon rental firms provide varying levels of included gear and supplies. Maines Vintage Van Adventures only provides fully provisioned vans for weekly rentals for an all-inclusive, single convenient price. It includes a farm-to-van welcome basket of locally supplied goods such as coffee, jams, energy bars and gourmet meals in a bag (foil). Pickup is at Brunswicks Crystal Spring Farmers. We loved van pickup at the farmers market; we found local goods we would not have found otherwise When fully provisioned there should be no camping accessory lacking. Westies come accessory-loaded including sleeping bags, pillows linens, outside grill, extra shelter, towels and wash clothes plus a lot more. Just pop the top up and the van is ready to sleep 4. People just get in the van, drive to the grocery store and stock up, get smore-making, fireside items, some wine and cheese and the rest is all provided to simply arrive & drive. VW Van lives are now starting over as they are being restored and rebuilt again for another 30 years. Vans have a long life and thus have a low carbon footprint. Big RVs are restricted access in many parks. And they are noisy with generators, big TVs and boom boxes. Westies are not restricted and go anywhere a car can go, are easy to drive, have tight turning radiuses and get excellent gas mileage. Theyre cool. I liked sitting right over the front wheel, a little higher up, looking down at the cars, and having a large window and easy-turning big-truck-like steering wheel. Ive never driven anything like it before. Explore without a rigid agenda; camp almost anywhere in an instant. The fun is the adventure of exploring; finding fun unique, majestic remote sites near the lakes, oceans and streams and trails and be popped up and camp ready in minutes. Comments include best camping trip ever, and the most fun weve had in a long time and camped right on the ocean listening to the waves. And of course my cell phone did not work and I had no internet is not an unusual comment. According to an article in the Financial Times, Europeans sometimes have a stress elimination transformation. The same is happening in the USA. One repeat client in the USA enjoys the solitude so much he has left standing orders with the rental owner. Reserve the van for the same weeks every year. If I dont show up, Im dead He has shown up for ~7 years straight so far. Some families rent vans on their yearly see America road trips. They seek out vintage van rental firms in each region as their preferred low cost travel package. After several such trips of test driving vans from different outfits, one family had such a wonderful Westy experience (without gadgets), they immediately went out and bought their own vintage VW van. VW Vanagon glamping all the amenities, different, easy, cool, and convenient and a nostalgic experience is rapidly trending niche. You never know if you like it until you adventure in one of these nostalgic VW Vanagon vans. These and other companies book up quickly so you may want to contact them to make reservations early. Dragon Fly Vans Montana & Rocky Mountains Peace Van Rentals-- Washington & British Columbia Vintage Van Adventures -- New England and Canadian Maritime Provinces Contact: Robert Muller Vintage Van Adventures 56 Little Bird Lane, Harpswell, ME 04079 info(at)vintagevanadventures(dot)com, (207) 956-0699. Cleveland, Ohio: V2 Technology, a specialized IT consulting firm, is proud to announce it was part of the winning team awarded a five-year, $24 million contract to provide technical support services to the NASA Safety Center (NSC) located at the Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio. The NSC serves as a resource for all NASA centers and facilitiesproviding safety and mission assurance expertise, information, verification, and analysis to enable collaboration and learning, while promoting a safe workplace and successful programs and projects. V2 is very pleased to be supporting NASA, one of the premiere and historic scientific research agencies in the world, said Patrick Golembiewski, Founder and CEO of V2 Technology. Working to support the scientific and strategic missions of this agency is a source of pride for all our employees. Through the contract, V2 will support the NSC and Banner Quality Management, Inc., by providing technical support services for training and development, information dissemination and knowledge sharing, operational support of information technology systems, mishap investigation, data mining analysis and trending, and project management. V2 was chosen for the NSC contract based on the companys IT strengths and capabilities, and previous experience working with NASA. V2 has worked with NASA since 2010, delivering IT services and support to the NSC and GRC in a variety of areas. V2 is also part of the team awarded a five-year, $110 million contract with the NASA Glenn Research Center in 2014. As a company based in the Cleveland area, it has been our great privilege to serve our local neighbors at the Glenn Research Center, said Golembiewski. It has also been a fantastic opportunity for us to demonstrate the great value V2 provides. Successful execution of this latest contract will help position V2 for additional opportunities with NASA and other government entities moving forward. About V2 Technology: Since 2004, V2 has been serving the Information Technology needs of government and commercial clients from our Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters. From facilitating business processes and implementing automated solutions to workforce scalability, talent sourcing and application development, V2 provides IT strategy and execution to help you achieve your specific goals. Learn more at http://www.v2portal.com. SunPower by Quality Home Services Recognized as "2016 SunPower National Dealer of the Year" The Residential National Dealer of the Year award honors SunPower residential dealers in the United States that consistently put customers first, while demonstrating exceptional industry knowledge and leadership. SunPower by Quality Home Services, a Fresno-based solar installer, has received the SunPower Residential National Dealer of the Year award for its outstanding performance as a SunPower dealer in 2016. Earning SunPowers 2016 Residential National Dealer of the Year award for our success delivering the worlds highest efficiency solar systems and superior customer service to homeowners is an astounding achievement for SunPower by Quality Home Services, said SunPower by Quality Home Services President, Joe Holstein. Partnering with SunPower, one of the world's most innovative and sustainable energy companies, allows us to offer our customers reliable solar energy and electricity savings over the life of their systems. The Residential National Dealer of the Year award honors SunPower residential dealers in the United States that consistently put customers first, while demonstrating exceptional industry knowledge and leadership. "SunPowers reputable national dealer network is strengthened by local solar companies like SunPower by Quality Home Services, selected for their quality craftsmanship, industry expertise and customer service, said Martin DeBono, SunPower, senior vice president. We congratulate SunPower by Quality Home Services for an extraordinary performance in 2016 as a residential dealer, delivering the value of SunPower solar to homeowners in their community. In 2016, SunPower by Quality Home Services doubled solar installations over the previous year. They installed over 4 megawatts of solar on 509 homes in Central California, resulting in electricity cost savings for residents and improved air quality in their neighborhoods. SunPower by Quality Home Services also installed solar on 50 additional homes in support of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commissions work to increase solar within under served, low-income Fresno communities. Through the Statewide Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Program managed by Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, SunPower and SunPower by Quality Home Services helped local families save on electricity costs, provide job trainees hands-on experience and improve air quality in the community with clean solar energy. SunPower by Quality Home Services was selected for system installation due to their superior workmanship, reputation within the community, efficiency and excellent communication. For more information on SunPower by Quality Home Services call 559.256.0182 or visit: http://www.sunpowerbyqhs.com/ https://www.facebook.com/qualityhomeservices/ About SunPower by Quality Home Services SunPower by Quality Home Services is a second generation family owned company that has been helping homeowners in the Central Valley to have a better quality of life for over 30 years. With a mission to provide the highest quality products to customers, the company is a certified SunPower Master Dealer. SunPower by Quality Home Services offers high performance residential solar energy solutions and has installed more than 6 megawatts of residential solar; providing families substantial savings on electricity and delivering a superior customer experience. Selected by SunPower to represent the globally-trusted brand, SunPower by Quality Home Services is proud to partner with one of the worlds most innovative and sustainable energy companies, leveraging 30 years of industry experience and providing customers with the highest efficiency solar panels available today. # # # Benetrends Financial, a trusted leader in franchise and small business financing for 34 years, announced two key promotions on April 27, 2017. Dallas Kerley, former Chief Development Officer, has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer. Eric Schechterman, formerly National Sales Director, has been promoted to Chief Development Officer. Kerley joined Benetrends in 2011 as Chief Development Officer and, through his leadership, has been instrumental in charting the course of Benetrends growth and development. Kerley has been a featured speaker at numerous business and franchise conferences where he helped educate entrepreneurs on small business funding strategies. He has written several articles on small business topics for a variety of publications. In his new role, Kerley will develop and implement strategic plans that support the organizations vision and goals as well as provide day-to-day leadership that mirrors Benetrends mission and core values. Schechterman also joined Benetrends in 2011. He succeeds Kerley, having been promoted to Chief Development Officer. Schechterman brings to his new role his previous success as Sales Director where he was responsible for the training and development of the sales team as well as developing and managing partner relationships. Schechterman is a frequent speaker at small business events around the country. Benetrends has experienced significant growth over the past few years," said Rocco Fiorentino, CEO of Benetrends. "We are excited to see Dallas and Eric in these new roles where they will continue to drive growth and ensure Benetrends exceeds our partners and clients expectations. About Benetrends Financial: Benetrends Financial, named a 2014 and 2015 Future 50 winner by Philadelphia Smart CEO, offers a full suite of funding options to help entrepreneurs secure the capital needed for their small business or franchise. The company originated the 401(k)/IRA tax-deferred and penalty-free rollover process with its Rainmaker Plan, helping over 12,000 entrepreneurs in the last 30 years. Additionally, Benetrends features a wide range of loan options covering every type of business need including SBA loans, equipment leasing, securities-backed lines of credit, and more. To learn more about Benetrends, please visit benetrends.com. The Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) presented five prestigious awards today at its 2017 Annual Conference Experience recognizing outstanding contributions to IMCA and the investment and wealth management industry. Keith Ambachtsheer is the 2017 recipient of the Matthew R. McArthur Industry Pioneer Award for his outstanding contributions to investment consulting. Ambachtsheer, president, KPA Advisory Services, and director emeritus, Rotman International Centre for Pension Management at the University of Toronto, advises pension and investment organizations, as well as governments and their agencies, on the design, governance, and investment polices of retirement income systems. He is a member of the Scholars Council of Georgetown Universitys Center for Retirement Initiatives and co-founded CEM Benchmarking, which benchmarks the organizational performance of more than 400 pension organizations worldwide. The author of three books on pension management, he is currently working on his fourth. Ambachtsheer was named the globes #1 knowledge broker in institutional investing by CIO magazine, and was recognized by the CFA Institute with the Professional Excellence Award and James A. Vertin Award. The J. Richard Joyner Wealth Management Impact Award honors individuals who have contributed exceptional advancements in the field of private wealth management, embodied by IMCAs Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA) program. The award recognizes key innovations and thought leadership in any of the following CPWA knowledge domains: human dynamics, wealth management strategies, client specialization, and legacy planning. The 2017 recipient of the J. Richard Joyner Wealth Management Impact Award is Harold Evensky, CFP, chairman, Evensky & Katz, a 30+ year fee-only investment advisory firm, and professor of practice in personal financial planning, Texas Tech University. He served on the International Association for Financial Planning Board, CFP Board of Governors, Board of Examiners, International CFP Council, and as chair of the TIAA-CREF Institute Advisor Advisory Board. He is on the advisory board of the Journal of Retirement Planning and is the research columnist for the Journal of Financial Planning. He is the author of The New Wealth Management and co-editor of The Investment Think Tank and Retirement Income Redesigned. IMCAs Richard J. Davis Ethics, Legal, Regulatory Insight Award honors the author of an article that has made a significant contribution to advancing the understanding and knowledge of investment consulting and/or private wealth management in the area of ethics, and/or the fiduciary, legal, or regulatory issues that affect these professional practices. The 2017 recipient is Michael Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, CASL, partner and director of research, Pinnacle Advisory Group, and publisher of the e-newsletter, The Kitces Report, and the financial planning industry blog, Nerds Eye View. He was recognized for his Nerds Eye View post, Advisors Guide to DOL Fiduciary and the New Best Interests Contract (BIC) Requirement. One author also received a Davis Honorable Distinction Award. Jack Sharry, executive vice president of strategic development, LifeYield LLC, was recognized for his article Turning Lemons into Lemonade: DOL Requirement Create Win-Win for Those Who Embrace Goals-Based Wealth Management, which was published in IMCAs Investments & Wealth Monitor. James B. Sandidge, J.D., principal, Sandidge Group LLC, received the 2017 Edward D. Baker III Journal Research Award. The award honors the author of an original article that represents the best writing for the previous year, is germane to investment consulting and/or private wealth management, and was published in the Journal of Investment Consulting. Sandidge was recognized for his paper Adaptive Distribution Theory. The Stephen L. Kessler Writing Award honors IMCA members for their excellent editorial contributions to IMCAs Investments & Wealth Monitor during the previous year. IMCA honored Anthony B. Davidow, CIMA, vice president and alternative beta and asset allocation strategist, Schwab Center for Financial Research, for his article Strategic Beta Strategies: An Evaluation of Different Approaches. In addition, three authors were recognized with Kessler Honorable Distinction Awards. Michael Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, CASL, was honored for his article, How Delaying Social Security Can Trump Long-Term Portfolio Returns or a Lifetime Annuity. Tim Macready, CIMA, managing director, and Simba Marekera, head of research, Brightlight Impact Advisory (Sydney, Australia), were recognized for their article, Impact Investing in the Context of a Diversified Portfolio. IMCA also presented longtime member and past chair Elizabeth Piper/Bach, president, P/B Wealth Consulting, with the honorary designation of IMCA Director Emeritus. Piper/Bach headed the board of directors during 2012-2013. IMCA is proud to know and work with Betsy Piper/Bach. She is an excellent example of the kind of quality professionals we seek, said Scott Thayer, chair, IMCA. Under her leadership, IMCA experienced significant membership growth and continued to evolve as one of the foremost providers of advanced education for investment consulting professionals. Were excited to have Betsy on board as director emeritus. Click here to learn more about IMCAs awards and to read the award-winning articles. For additional information, contact Greta Gloven, director of communications, at ggloven(at)imca(dot)org or 303-850-3079. About IMCA Established in 1985, IMCA is a nonprofit professional association and credentialing organization with individual members and certificants in 37 countries around the world. IMCA members collectively manage more than $2.5 trillion, providing investment consulting and wealth management services to individual and institutional clients. Since 1988, IMCA has offered the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), which meets international accreditation standards (ANSI/ISO 17024) for personnel certification. The CIMA certification consistently distinguishes those who meet a global standard of competency and skills in investment management from those who do not. IMCAs Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA) certification is suited for wealth management professionals working with high-net-worth clients. In 2016, IMCA conferences and education hosted nearly 4,500 attendees. IMCA and Investment Management Consultants Association are registered trademarks of Investment Management Consultants Association Inc. CIMA, Certified Investment Management Analyst, CIMC, CPWA, and Certified Private Wealth Advisor are registered certification marks of Investment Management Consultants Association Inc. Investment Management Consultants Association Inc. does not discriminate in educational opportunities or any other characteristic protected by law. Contact: Greta Gloven Director of Communications ggloven(at)imca(dot)org 303-850-3079 In order to be successful with eLearning initiatives, organizations want to engage their employees with training content anywhere, anytimeCourseMill makes that possible, and it makes the process simple. Trivantis, makers of Lectora, CourseMill, and ReviewLink, just released CourseMill 7.5, the latest version of its learning management system. CourseMill 7.5 provides an enhanced learner experience with its new easy-to-use mobile app and intuitive student interface. CourseMill enables organizations to provide convenient, on-the-go training for employees with its new mobile app, said John Blackmon, Trivantis Chief Technology Officer. In order to be successful with eLearning initiatives, organizations want to engage their employees with training content anywhere, anytimeCourseMill makes that possible, and it makes the process simple. With CourseMill, we always want to provide the best possible user experience, said Laura Silver, Trivantis VP, Product Management. This latest release of CourseMill does just that. The user interface is very intuitive, user friendly, and easily customized. Organizations can also provide seamless mobile access to training materials. The response from CourseMill users has been positive. The new CourseMill 7.5 has a very appealing interface with easy to locate details of the course, said Carolyn Halcomb, Okaloosa County Tax Collector. The new design will be extremely appealing to the student and very simple to navigate. I find the new product has become a great enhancement and you all have definitely delivered on my wish package! Thanks so much! The new CourseMill mobile app includes the following: Improved ability to take training on the goeven offline New user interface with graphic card view and organized grid view Course detail page for users to download, launch, or remove any course item Easy access to any content item with search, sort, and filter capabilities Support for non-SCORM content items, like PDFs, audio, and video files The new CourseMill student interface includes the following: Dashboard personalization Enhanced search for easy access to courses, curriculums, and resources Totally new Community features for live chat and discussions Enhanced internal email Intuitive, simple calendar view to see upcoming events and due dates In addition, a new REST based API makes it easier for IT departments to build integrations with other systems. To try the new features in CourseMill 7.5, sign up for a free trial. For more information, view the CourseMill 7.5 release notes. About Trivantis Trivantis empowers inspired learning with CourseMill, Lectora, and ReviewLink eLearning software, offered as a complete solution for training success. Since the companys founding in 1999, Trivantis has been an innovative leader in the eLearning industry. CourseMill with Advanced Reports offers easy-to-use and quick reporting. Lectora is the worlds leading eLearning authoring software with Responsive Course Design for easy mobile-friendly development. Responsive Course Design provides a timesaving design once, publish to all devices approach to creating content that is essential for our multi-device world today. With Lectora, its easy for organizations to use the desktop or cloud-based tool to quickly create award-winning, engaging training for all devices. Trivantis solutions are offered in seven languages and used by large enterprises, Global 2000 companies, small and mid-sized businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions across the world. Kory is more of a financial counselor to his clients, than a loan officer. He asks his clients about their financial goals and finds the right loan to best meet their needs. He is a consummate professional. CMG Financial congratulates Kory Kavanewsky, loan officer and branch manager of Coronado and Scripps Ranch, California, for ranking as a Scotsman Guide 2016 Top Originator. Kavanewsky was ranked 42nd Top VA Volume 2016, 85th Top Dollar Volume 2016, and 270th Most Loans Closed 2016. Previously, he was named one of the 40 Influential Mortgage Professionals to Watch by National Mortgage Professionals Magazine. He has been recognized for his service excellence by San Diego Magazine multiple times and was also voted the Best Coronado Mortgage Pro for the past eight years by Coronado Lifestyle readers. For the second year in a row, he was awarded the honor of Top Originator (Volume) by CMG Financial CEO and President Christopher M. George. His substantial production volume has also earned him membership in CMG Financials Presidents Council and Chairmans Club. Kavanewsky has worked in the mortgage industry since 2003. His wealth of lending knowledge enables him to be a resource for all borrowers, from first-time homebuyers to experienced investors. He has previously held numerous leadership positions, including director of sales and branch manager. In his current role as branch manager at CMG Financial, he oversees production and origination at Coronado. He also manages the Scripps Ranch office located in San Diego, California. You can learn more about Kavanewsky and his team of loan officers at http://www.nadoloans.com. Kory is more of a financial counselor to his clients, than a loan officer. He asks his clients about their financial goals and finds the right loan to best meet their needs. He is a consummate professional, said Charlie Rogers, SVP of Retail Lending. About CMG Financial CMG Financial is a well-capitalized, privately held mortgage-banking firm founded in 1993. The company makes its products and services available to the market through three distinct origination channels: retail lending, wholesale lending, and correspondent lending. CMG Financial currently operates in 49 states, including the District of Columbia, and holds federal agency lending approvals with HUD, VA, RHS, GNMA, FNMA, and FHLMC. Throughout the mortgage banking and housing markets, CMG Financial is widely known for its responsible lending practices, industry and consumer advocacy, product innovation and operational efficiency. For more information about CMG Financial, please visit http://www.cmgfi.com. CMG Financial NMLS# 1820. Kory Kavanewsky NMLS# 284503. About Scotsman Guide Scotsman Guide Media Inc. publishes a residential edition and a commercial edition of Scotsman Guide, in addition to Scotsman Guide News, Loan Post, Scotsman Guide Community and other platforms at ScotsmanGuide.com. Scotsman Guide, the leading resource for mortgage originators, releases an annual Top Originators ranking, in which top originators are ranked among entries from nearly 3,000 mortgage professionals across the country. To be eligible for initial consideration in Scotsman Guides Top Originators rankings, originators must have had at least $40 million in loan volume or 100 closed home loans during the previous calendar year. After receiving submissions, Scotsman Guide required written verification of top entrants volume data from a certified public accountant, the chief financial officer at the originators company or a similar source. The list, which ranks the nations top mortgage producers, recently appeared in Scotsman Guides April 2017 residential edition; the rankings are available online at http://www.ScotsmanGuide.com/Top2016. CleverTap, provider of the only platform that combines comprehensive behavioral analytics and user engagement in a single product, today announced that CEO and co-founder Sunil Thomas has been named a Top 25 Marketing Technology Trailblazer by Advertising Age. The honor, awarded for the first time in 2017, recognizes global innovators who are redefining the way brands communicate with and relate to consumers. Ad Age, a world-leading publication for the marketing and media industries, selected Sunil based on CleverTaps unique offering that unifies analytics and engagement. This combination gives marketers, developers and product managers a more complete picture of each user and the ability to engage based on those insights. This approach also saves both time and money while fostering data-driven, customer-centric campaigns that get results. I am tremendously honored to be recognized as an innovator by an esteemed publication like Ad Age, and consider this to be the ultimate validation of our value proposition, Sunil stated. This award belongs to the entire CleverTap team, whose vision, talent and dedication have been essential to the development of our best-in-class platform. "This is such a dynamic and evolving space that it is difficult to rise above the competition," said Judann Pollack, Deputy Editor of Advertising Age. "Those who have made Ad Age's Marketing Trailblazers list are those who are succeeding in a crowded landscape and worth watching in the future." In the past year, CleverTap has gained more than 2500 customers, including leading brands like McDonalds, Sony, Star TV, DC Comics, DealsPlus, Curiosity, BookMyShow and the Denver Broncos. The platforms technology now reaches more than 1 Billion devices and sends more than 10 Billion messages every month. About CleverTap CleverTap provides a comprehensive behavioral analytics and user engagement suite that enables brands to identify, target, engage, measure and monetize users across mobile and web. CleverTap's unique approach, which consolidates analytics and engagement on a single platform, along with industry-first features such as live-user segments, is a powerful solution for businesses who want to design and implement real-time, personalized and impactful strategies for rapid business growth. Since launching in 2013, CleverTap has helped more than 3,500 customers, including leading brands such as McDonalds, Star, Sony, DC Comics, DealsPlus and BookMyShow to better serve their customers. The company is based in Silicon Valley and is backed by Sequoia Capital and Accel Partners. To learn more about CleverTap visit http://www.clevertap.com. I believe that all top producers work hard, but no one outworks Carey Ann. She personally oversaw the 602 loans that she closed last year. I am constantly in awe of her work ethic, integrity and problem solving abilities. CMG Financial congratulates Carey Ann Cyr and her mortgage team from Franklin, TN, for ranking as Scotsman Guides 2016 top originators. Carey Ann Cyr was ranked 34th Top FHA Volume 2016, 38th Top Purchase Volume 2016, 47th Most Loans Closed 2016, and 116th Top Dollar Volume 2016. Cyr and her mortgage team serve Franklin, Nashville and the surrounding areas. She advises borrowers on how to integrate their mortgage loan into their long and short-term financial goals as well as their payment and equity objectives. She enjoys working with clients to find the best loan for every borrower. In addition to originating loans and managing the Franklin and Hendersonville branches, Cyr is a contributing author to trade publications and regularly shares financial insights on her social media accounts. At CMG Financial, she is a member of the top-tier Presidents Council and Chairmans Club and this year earned the honor of Top Originator (Units). In her local community, Cyr contributes her time and donates to local charities, including the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Feed America First. Coming from a military family, with two siblings who served in the army and a father who served in the air force, Cyr is passionate about helping veterans achieve the goal of homeownership and giving back to all who have served our country. I believe that all top producers work hard, but no one outworks Carey Ann. She personally oversaw the 602 loans that she closed last year. I am constantly in awe of her work ethic, integrity and problem solving abilities, said Charlie Rogers, SVP of Retail Lending. ### About CMG Financial CMG Financial is a well-capitalized, privately held mortgage-banking firm founded in 1993. The company makes its products and services available to the market through three distinct origination channels: retail lending, wholesale lending, and correspondent lending. CMG Financial currently operates in 49 states, including the District of Columbia, and holds federal agency lending approvals with HUD, VA, RHS, GNMA, FNMA, and FHLMC. Throughout the mortgage banking and housing markets, CMG Financial is widely known for its responsible lending practices, industry and consumer advocacy, product innovation and operational efficiency. For more information about CMG Financial, please visit http://www.cmgfi.com. CMG Financial NMLS# 1820. Carey Ann Cyr NMLS# 160055. About Scotsman Guide Scotsman Guide Media Inc. publishes a residential edition and a commercial edition of Scotsman Guide, in addition to Scotsman Guide News, Loan Post, Scotsman Guide Community and other platforms at ScotsmanGuide.com. Scotsman Guide, the leading resource for mortgage originators, releases an annual Top Originators ranking, in which top originators are ranked among entries from nearly 3,000 mortgage professionals across the country. To be eligible for initial consideration in Scotsman Guides Top Originators rankings, originators must have had at least $40 million in loan volume or 100 closed home loans during the previous calendar year. After receiving submissions, Scotsman Guide required written verification of top entrants volume data from a certified public accountant, the chief financial officer at the originators company or a similar source. The list, which ranks the nations top mortgage producers, recently appeared in Scotsman Guides April 2017 residential edition; the rankings are available online at http://www.ScotsmanGuide.com/Top2016. Local builder, Redwood Home Builders, is pleased to announce their selection to join the Pinewood Forrest Builders Guild. Effective immediately, Redwood Home Builders will build state-of-the art, sustainable homes in Fayettevilles new mixed-use community Pinewood Forrest, which is located next to Pinewood Studios Atlanta. The large-scale development on over 234 acres is the vision of Chick-fil-As Chief Executive Officer, Dan Cathy and will include more than 1,300 residences ranging from apartments, single family homes, townhouse and treehouses. Pinewood Forrest will emerge as a major trendsetter in design, in its passionate balance of pre-serving natural areas, and its intense urbanism, side by side. Coupled with distinctive building facades and imaginative landscape features, Pinewood Forrest will provide a sacred space for a diverse population, said Lew Oliver, town urbanist with Whole Town Solutions. Both Bill Lynch, the developer of Pinewood Forrest, and town urbanist, Lew Oliver, selected Redwood Home Builders to construct single family homes, which is currently underway. I am pleased to have Redwood Home Builders join the Builders Guild and construct the very first Pinewood Forrest home. Their reputation and work throughout Atlanta is unsurpassed," said Bill Lynch, developer of Pinewood Forrest. We are pleased and extremely honored to be building homes in Pinewood Forrest. Working with Bill Lynch and Lew Oliver is a wonderful fit for Redwood Home Builders. We are excited to be involved in bringing their vision and creativity to life, said Jason Morris, founder of Redwood Home Builders. Redwood Home Builders team will invest the next three to five years building in Pinewood Forrest. For more information on Pinewood Forrest, visit http://www.pinewoodforrest.com. For more information on Redwood Home Builders, visit http://www.redwoodcustom.com and to contact Morris by phone 404.281.8543 or email jason(at)redwoodcustom(dot)com. On July 28, 2017, Proud Lake State Park will be donned by some of the countries most talented and sought after yoga teachers, artists and musicians for the 2nd Annual Barefoot & Free Yoga (& Music) Festival. Barefoot & Free Yoga Festival (Festival) is a regional destination event that features national and local yoga teachers, healing artists, and a music lineup made up of national bands and DJs. Attended by over 600 yogis and non-yogis in 2016 for its first annual, Barefoot & Free Yoga Festival In The Woods is back and bigger than ever. FINALLY! A Yoga Festival in Michigan! I am so excited to go again this summer there are so many brilliant yoga teachers all in one place! It truly is a yogis dream to experience an entire weekend of yoga, meditation, music, great food, artsy vendors and hanging out with like-minded people. I also like that the schedule offered something for everyone; whether you are just starting yoga or have been practicing for over a decade. The location is perfect too, super tall and beautiful trees with a beautiful lake to paddle board or swim! Michelle Trame, 2016 Barefoot & Free Attendee The Festival is a full weekend of nature, camping, yoga, music, healing arts, talks and classes. Nestled in a Pure Michigan setting and just minutes outside of the Detroit area, the Festival has something for everyone. Providing the opportunity for friends and families to partake in either the festivities or just the enjoyment of the 4,700 acre state park. The venue, Proud Lake, has kayaking, canoeing and SUP boarding, fishing, mountain biking, a boat launch, camping and picnic areas. The Festival lineup includes 28 yoga teachers and instructors with a vast range of technique and talent; Bibi McGill, Patrick Beach, Irene Pappas, Katie Silcox, Amber Cook, and Todd Tesen are just a few. Featured musicians include the Desert Dwellers, DJ Drez and DJ Tasha Blank will be spinning interactive bass-heavy sounds, and other musical acts pulling from a wide range of influences, including world beat, synth pop, desert romance and more. The Festival healers will be offering workshops, teachings and ceremonies. A full lineup of teachers, instructors, musicians and healers can be found on the Festival website http://www.barefootandfreeyoga.com/. Festival kickoff is Friday, July 28, 2017 at 4PM. Classes and performances will follow throughout the weekend. Yoga and music (music passes only are available) can be purchased as day or weekend passes directly from the Festival website (http://www.barefootandfreeyoga.com/passes/). Kids 12 and under are free, and activities and yoga for kids will be offered, along with childcare. Local retail and food vendors will be on-site selling their homemade/handmade products and healthy eats. Barefoot & Free is an opportunity for people to experience different stylings of yoga in a totally free environment. It also allows those new to yoga a great sampling of classes and instructors. And pairing the yoga festival with a fabulous music line-up to celebrate the experience in the Michigan outdoors, makes us unique to many other festivals in Michigan. -Beth James, Barefoot & Free Festival Founder ABOUT BAREFOOT & FREE: Barefoot & Free, A Yoga Festival In The Woods was founded by Beth James, a Michigan native and yoga teacher. Beths passion for yoga, her love for Michigan and her childhood memories of Proud Lake State Park, reignited her dream to bring something special to the woods. Beth travels and attends international festivals, as well as sources the best talent for Barefoot & Free to ensure the greatest and most unique experience is had by all. To contact Beth James, please call (248) 818-7182 or email: barefootandfreeyoga(at)gmail.com. John E. Peltier Readers will enjoy the family antics, humor, and love. For 15 years, John E. Peltier has been piecing together his familys stories along with his own life journey through the military and business. This project concluded with the publication of his memoir in 2016. But his work didnt stop with a memoir. Within his book readers find a piece of American history, beginning with the history of the Peltiers (the French side) and the Keillors (the Scottish side) in the first half of the 1900s, through the union of both families through Peltiers parents matrimony and the birth of their farm life during the 50s and 60s along with their 12 kids. The Thundering Herd, a title inspired by the nickname Peltiers mother gave to his kids, also presents Vietnam War firsthand accounts as experienced by the author, as he uses serving time in the Army as a backdrop to share his journey from growing up on a rice and cattle farm in Texas, to the founding of Peltier Brothers Construction. This journey within American history shared by the author in his own voice as he lived it is the topic of this award-winning book, The Thundering Herd - Farm Life in the 1950s and 1960s: Looking Through the Lens of Duty in Vietnam. (ISBN 9781478765332, Outskirts Press, 2016). The author was the fifth of the twelve children that Wilburn and Barbara Peltier raised on a rice farm and cattle ranch located on the flat salt grass prairie of Southeast Texas. The life lessons John experienced during the years on the farm are the foundation not only on who he was to become, but also of his book. Although a memoir, The Thundering Herd reads almost like a novel. Peltiers voice and humor makes the stories alive and entertaining while presenting a first account of life in a long gone historical era and a tribute to his family and the life lessons that made him the man he is today. He also provides nearly 50 pages of pictures of his life and military career throughout the book, which puts names and faces together. Readers will enjoy the family antics, humor, and love. It is well written, emotional, and very inspiring, raves Carol Hoyer, Reviewer and Literary Awards Judge for Reader Views. An opinion which was seconded by the other judges of the 2016-2017 Literary Awards as they all agreed that The Thundering Herd deserved First Place in the History category, as well as the Richard Boes Award for Best Debut Book by a Veteran. About the Author John was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967, just weeks after graduating high school when he was 18 years old. After boot camp and medical corpsman training, he ended up in Vietnam in November just after celebrating his 19th birthday. He served in Vietnam for fourteen months until January 1969 when he returned to Texas and finished his education. His fathers unexpected passing in August 1969 was one of the biggest motivating factors to write these stories. John has pictures of his dad in Europe during WWII. He has discharge papers describing all the battles, campaigns, and dates that his dad was involved in, but not a single story. It was after marriage, the birth of a daughter, and several years of work in construction that he birthed Peltier Brothers Construction. John E. Peltier is now retired and lives in Tomball, Texas, with his wife. He is the father of three children and ten grandchildren. He still raises cattle and gives much back to his community. Sam Houston State University recognized him as one of their 2015 distinguished alumni. A look in the mirror of my life: When I was growing up I used to daydream about what my future would look like. In my wildest dreams, I could have never been close to painting the picture of this life as it happened. I also know that I'm not long enough, strong enough, good enough or smart enough to have done these many enterprises on my own. Only through friends, family, and faith in God did I succeed, John reflects when asked about his journey writing his book. For more information on The Thundering Herd - Farm Life in the 1950s and 1960s: Looking through the Lens of Duty in Vietnam (ISBN 9781478765332, Outskirts Press, 2016) visit http://www.johnepeltier.com. Publicity contact is http://www.ReaderViews.com. Review copies available to the media upon request. Over the years, Ive gained knowledge from Academics in Action on subjects I never would have learned about at another school. During the week of March 20th-24th, students at Lexington Christian Academy returned from their spring break for a week of alternative classes under the schools Academics in Action program. Throughout the week, middle and high school students each engaged in their choice of two entertaining and thought-provoking courses such as personal finance, audio engineering, understanding how technology works, and even maple syrup production. Each year, the Academics in Action program provides LCA students with opportunities for extended study of nontraditional subjects and learning about the passions of LCA teachers and community instructors. LCA teachers are passionate about their academic subjects throughout the year, but they also take joy in sharing their other life passions and instilling newfound interests in their pupils. Said 12th Grader Peter Walsh, Over the years, Ive gained knowledge from Academics in Action on subjects I never would have learned about at another school. Ive also bonded with my teachers both during that week and onwards, knowing more about their hobbies and interests. Its been great to share that with them. In one course, A Taste of the World - A cultural buffet, LCA students researched Korea, India, Venezuela, Lebanon and China over 5 days, looking at the environmental, historical and cultural influences on the cuisines of each country. "I had no idea that beans are so important and are a staple in every country we studied," commented Angelina Swaim '17 of Bedford, MA. Partnering with area restaurants striving to remain authentic and true to their cultural roots, the students traveled to experience the cuisines that they studied previously. The owners of the restaurants, proud of their heritage, passionate about their food and eager to share their country's culture with students, came out to share how foods are prepared, what are traditional ingredients and often offered complimentary drinks or dishes for the students to try. Virsa De Punjab in Bedford, MA, even opened their doors an hour early to welcome the students and to offer them first access to their authentic North Indian buffet. The students also had the opportunity to learn more about the tandoor oven and watched how the chefs prepare their coveted naan, a traditional oven-baked flatbread. "The class was both exciting and informative! I'm so thankful that I chose this class in my senior year -- it presented me with wonderful memories with friends and classmates." - Grace Jang '17 of Lexington, MA. LCA Head of School Tim Russell spoke highly of this years program. Academics in Action is just another example of the wealth of opportunities that are on display here at LCA, said Russell. I was delighted by the work of director Mary Bulger, and was amazed at the talents and inquiry on display during this extraordinary week. The success of this years Academics in Action program provided another example of the diversity of opportunity that is available to students who choose to attend LCA. Lexington Christian Academy is an independent college preparatory school that exists to educate young men and women in the arts and sciences in the context of a complete commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Printed knit top with woven printed bottom, in Flower Fairy. I discovered several European girls apparel brands touting the benefits of clothing made with organic fibers, said Pink Elephant Founder, Sudhir Kakar. But when I searched for fashionable organic infant clothing domestically, I was disappointed. From the playground to the party, Pink Elephants flexible mix-and-match styles help moms extend their girls wardrobes across settings and seasons. Sensibility and whimsy come together with Pink Elephants Signature Collection as well as seasonal offerings. The brand aims to make top-quality, organic fashion accessible by selling direct to cut out the middle man and reduce retail overhead, with savings passed on to its customers. The Organic Trade Association reports that sales of organic cotton have grown significantly in recent years, as consumers increasingly seek out sustainable, chemical-free fiber. Organic fiber sales in the U.S. totaled more than $1.1 billion in 2014, up 18 percent from the year before. Pink Elephants founder is Sudhir Kakar, a veteran in the womens fashion industry with his company Woodland Trading. The brands creation was inspired by the birth of his first granddaughter. I discovered several European girls apparel brands touting the benefits of clothing made with organic fibers, said Kakar. But when I searched for fashionable organic infant clothing domestically, I was disappointed. Recognizing an untapped market in the U.S., Kakar set out to make available highest quality organic clothing that was also fashionable. He assembled a team with expertise in two areas fashion and kids. The Pink Elephant management teams credentials include apparel design, retail buying, production, sales, logistics and eco-friendly practices coupled with qualifications of being moms and a nanny. Together they have enthusiastically brought the Pink Elephant brand to market. Pink Elephants clothing is 100% organic, excluding embellishments, and is GOTS certified. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria. GOTS certification requires Pink Elephants stringent adherence to standards in the entire textile supply chain. Customers can have the peace of mind that Pink Elephant organic cotton is grown and processed in healthy, environmentally responsible ways. The certification also ensures that the clothing is not manufactured with child labor or in sweatshops. Pink Elephant is founded with the commitment of treating its customers the way its team wants to be treated. The company offers an unconditional guarantee, allowing for free returns or exchanges if a customer is not completely satisfied. Pink Elephant Organic Fashions are available exclusively at pinkelephantorganics.com. Project Eve LLC is pleased to announce the launch of its newest site, a travel website focused on Stratton Mountain and Southern Vermont. Using the latest destination marketing techniques to inspire and assist travelers, the new website, http://www.VisitStratton.com, takes visitors on a journey of discovery, enticing them to explore the rich variety of things to do in and around Stratton Mountain and the surrounding area. The mobile-responsive website was developed in-house and offers a clean, modern design, easy navigation and helpful tools and resources. Visitors to the site are able to search local business listings, restaurants and retail establishments, activities and accommodations by location, as well as sort and search an in-depth calendar of events. The site also hosts a blog, which will be used to enhance key tourism campaigns and events throughout the year, driving interest and traffic to the site. Content will be updated regularly and focus on unique and intriguing insights into visiting and living in Southern Vermont. The site is fully integrated across all social media platforms. Locals and visitors alike can add to the website via Instagram by adding #visitstratton to photos of places in the county. Nowadays, the majority of tourists use the internet for researching and planning their vacations, noted Meridith Dennes, CEO of Project Eve and Publisher of Visit Stratton. Given the number of annual skier visits to Southern Vermont, targeting the Stratton region made sense. Additionally, focusing on off-mountain activities in the surrounding towns not only enables organizations in the tourism and travel industry to substantially improve their online visibility, but also lets internet browsers know that these brick and mortar businesses exist. About Project Eve LLC Project Eve LLC is a leading womens lifestyle media company online including some of the webs best loved communities including the eponymous Project Eve (http://projecteve.com), Getting Balance (http://gettingbalance.com), Project Eve Moms, Project Eve Money and Scary Puppy Silly Kitty. With a digital readership in excess of 8+ million monthly uniques, and over 1 million social media followers, Project Eve provides the news and resources to inspire and empower women. NuCurrent, the world leader of thin, high quality (Q) factor, printed wireless power transfer solutions, announces CTO Dr. Vinit Singh will be the keynote speaker at the IEEE Wireless Power Transfer Conference (WPTC) 2017 to be held May 10-12 in Taipei, Taiwan. Dr. Singh will present the keynote The Adoption of Wireless Power from Tesla the Man to Tesla the Machine on May 12 at 8:30 a.m., followed by a technical session presentation On the Use of Eddy Currents to Facilitate Wireless Power Transfer Through Metallic Surfaces on May 12 at 11:30 a.m. With nearly six years of history (in various forms), WPTC has become the premier international forum for the latest developments in wireless power transfer and energy harvesting. Wireless power is already a $2 billion market and is expected to reach $10 billion by 2018 as electronic device OEMs and integrators continue to look to build in efficient wireless power capabilities into mobile phones, wearables, IoT, cars and furniture. During his keynote session, Dr. Singh will discuss the commercialization history of wireless power, starting from Nikola Teslas free energy proposal in the 1890s, to a future that promises wirelessly charged Teslas. Singh will follow up his keynote with a technical session presentation that proposes that parasitic eddy currents can be utilized to facilitate and possibly enhance the power transfer capability of systems that utilize Near Field Magnetic Coupling (NFMC) for wireless charging. Singh will share a proof of concept and a measurement and simulations-based study that was performed to understand the phenomenon and explain the contribution of eddy currents towards wireless energy transfer. As CTO of NuCurrent, Dr. Singh guides the companys technology focus, IP leadership efforts, and product development roadmap. He helped the company develop a portfolio of 50 patents granted or pending worldwide, leading to NuCurrent being named No. 1 on Crains Chicago 2015 Business Eureka Index with the highest per-capita patent output of any Illinois company. The company was also listed in the top 10 percent overall in patent quality score, which considers the uniqueness of the invention covered by a patent and other important factors. Overall, Singh is an inventor on more than 65 patents (including 20 patents granted), and has twice been named a ITA CityLIGHTS Awards Technologist of the Year Finalist, which honors individuals whose innovation and success drive growth in the technology industry and in Illinois. Singh received his PhD in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University. While attending the university, he developed wireless telemetry systems for the worlds first Artificial Retina Implant, of which was recognized as a 2009 R&D 100 award winner. The IEEE Wireless Power Transfer Conference rotates between Europe, Asia and North America, and continues a strong tradition of providing an exceptional technical program, thought-provoking keynote addresses, tutorials, poster presentations, and opportunities for social interaction. The event is intended to cover a broad range of areas related to devices, integrated circuits, systems and applications of WPT across the electromagnetic spectrum. For more information or to register for WPTC 2017, visit http://www.wptc2017.org. To learn more about NuCurrent, please contact info(at)nucurrent.com or visit http://nucurrent.com. About NuCurrent NuCurrent is a leading developer of high-efficiency antennas and electronic modules for wireless power applications. Frequency independent and frequency compliant across Wireless Power Consortium (Qi) and AirFuel AllianceTM (formally PMA and A4WP standards), NuCurrent works closely with electronic device OEMs and integrators to custom-design, rapid-prototype and integrate high Quality (Q) Factor antennas and modules for a broad range of applications. NuCurrents patented structures, proprietary tools and design techniques mitigate typical high frequency effects, offering higher efficiency, smaller sizes, higher durability and lower wireless power system cost development. Based in Chicago, NuCurrent has been defining the leading edge of wireless power design since 2009 and has over 50 patents granted or pending worldwide. For more information, visit http://nucurrent.com and follow us on Twitter at @NuCurrentTweets. One potential way to reduce costs and risk and jumpstart the entrepreneurial experience is to invest in a franchise. It may be no surprise that the vast majority of Americans want to own their own business. However, a new survey confirms what is stopping them from taking the entrepreneurial plunge. Coverall North America, Inc., one of the leading franchisors of commercial cleaning businesses, polled 1,000 potential small business owners to understand their bigger obstacles to starting a business. The top three answers included startup costs, financial risk and lack of experience. The cost to start a business could range from a few thousand dollars to a few hundred thousand dollars. On top of that initial investment there are endless roles and responsibilities, from sales and marketing to running the day-to-day operations of a business. One potential way to reduce costs and risk and jumpstart the entrepreneurial experience is to invest in a franchise, says Coveralls CEO, Richard Ascolese. Franchises provide people with the instant credibility and backing of a reputable name, as well as guidelines and to operate the business as well as a potential pipeline of customers. The International Franchise Association says there are about 795,000 franchises in the US and that number is rising. There are more than 8,000 people operating Coverall cleaning franchises across the county. As we celebrate small businesses and Small Business Week, the US Small Business Administration highlights franchising as a great option for people to consider when seeking to start a business. Ascolese outlines the following benefits for those who are considering investing in a franchise: 1. Operations 19% of people Coverall surveyed said lack of experience has kept them from starting a business. Managing financials, hiring employees and driving sales are a lot of work. Franchisees are offered training, guidance and support to help manage all aspects of a business. Just like any small business owner, Franchised Business Owners have the opportunity control their work hours, grow the business at their pace and oversee the hiring of additional employees. As opposed to independent startups where the owners have to figure everything out on their own, franchisees have a guide to follow. 2. Brand Credibility Customers want to know the people they are hiring to do work are reliable. And brand recognition can contribute to their level of confidence. Potential customers expect they will receive a consistent product and service that is associated with that brand. Along with reputation that stems from a known entity comes credibility that a person has the support of an entire organization, even if he or she is the sole proprietor of an independently owned and operated franchise. 3. Marketing Reaching potential customers and developing a brand costs time and money. A franchisor can help do that for small business operators, which is what a portion of franchise fees are used for. Whether its through digital advertising or flyers and collateral that can be shared with customers, having the support of a larger marketing department alleviates much of the stress of creating content and managing ad budgets. Its important to market locally and sell to customers but having that broader support and guidance goes a long way. 4. Customers 39% of people surveyed said startup costs are their biggest obstacle. It could take months for entrepreneurs to bring-in business once they start a company. Franchisors can alleviate some of the risk by providing a pipeline of customers ready-to-go for a new business owner. Having outside support to provide leads and identify customers is invaluable to a startup. 5. Support Many franchises, such as Coverall, over specialized training beyond the initial investment. Continuing education is vital. Industries and technology are frequently changing. Franchisors have a team of people constantly researching the market to identify the latest trends. While small business owners may be tied up with day-to-day operations of a business, a franchisor will make sure the small business owners are up-to-date on information. On top of that, there are often resources people can routinely go to for answers to questions. Many franchisor also have groups and platforms where franchisees can communication and learn from one another, rather than being isolated and trying to grow without proper resources. About Coverall North America, Inc. Since its inception in 1985, Coverall North America, Inc. has grown into a leading franchised brand, licensing thousands of entrepreneurs to operate independent commercial cleaning businesses using the Coverall brand and system. February 26, 2015, marked the companys 30th year in business, a milestone anniversary celebrated across the entire Coverall Franchise System. In 2008, Coverall launched its proprietary Health-Based Cleaning System Program and in 2014, introduced the Coverall Core 4 Process, demonstrating its dedication to continuous innovation and leadership on behalf of its franchisees. Coveralls unique system combines advanced cleaning technologies and tools, hospital-grade disinfectants, professional training programs, business support services, and a passion for healthy cleaning to do one thing: help our franchised businesses remove the maximum amount of dirt and germs as efficiently as possible for their customers. System-wide, more than 8,000 Franchised Businesses provide Coverall Program services across 90 markets to over 40,000 customers. For more information, visit http://www.coverall.com. Our product is an ideal solution for enterprise email marketers and were seeing enthusiastic responses from major brands about what were able to do for them. MessageGears significant growth continues to garner attention and accolades. The enterprise email service provider was listed as one of Atlantas top 100 fastest growing companies by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for the second year in a row. The list is part of the ABCs larger 2017 Pacesetter Awards, which honors privately-held companies in Atlanta. MessageGears accepted the award Thursday, April 27, at a ceremony in Atlanta. The full list of 2017 Pacesetter Award winners will be profiled in an upcoming issue of ABC. To qualify for a Pacesetter Award, companies must be headquartered in the 20-county metro Atlanta area and generate revenue between $1 million and $300 million. They must also have a two-year growth in sales of more than 50 percent. Companies are ranked by a growth index formula used to even the playing field among companies of different sizes. MessageGears has experienced tremendous growth over the last several years. In June 2016, it secured $2.3 million in Series A funding to ramp up hiring and product development. In November, the company hired long-time Atlanta marketing executive Roger Barnette as its new CEO, allowing founder and former CEO Dan Roy to fully focus on product development. This March, it added a new VP of Account Management, Christopher Brown, to its leadership team, and more than doubled its office space with a move to a new corporate headquarters in downtown Atlanta. There couldnt be a more fitting award to describe life at MessageGears, said Barnette. Our product is an ideal solution for enterprise email marketers and were seeing enthusiastic responses from major brands about what were able to do for them. Our clients have two primary goals: they want access to up-to-date data on their customers so they can send relevant, personalized messaging, but they also require the highest security measures to protect their data. With our unique hybrid approach, we are able to do both. MessageGears sends billions of messages every month on behalf of global business-to-consumer (B2C) brands such as Expedia, Orbitz, GEICO, and Runkeeper. Its success is due to its unique product architecture that combines on-premises software with cloud delivery. This hybrid approach allows Fortune 500 companies to maximize their use of real-time data and create email campaigns that are highly personalised and effective. This years Pacesetter adds to a growing list of honors recognizing MessageGears. Since 2015, the company has received seven Client Satisfaction Awards from The Relevancy Group, a Silver Stevie Award, and was named a Top 20 Most Promising Digital Marketing Solution Provider by CIOReview. MessageGears was also included as a representative vendor in the 2016 and 2017 Gartner "Market Guide for Email Marketing" report. ABOUT MESSAGEGEARS MessageGears is the first and only email marketing service to combine the power and security of on-premises software with the efficiency and scalability of cloud delivery. Sending over a billion messages a month, MessageGears unique hybrid architecture provides an extraordinary combination of data integration, data security, cost-savings and marketer empowerment for Fortune 500 companies and data-savvy marketers around the world. Founded in 2010, MessageGears is based in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit http://www.messagegears.com. Dominique Zuijdwijk, SkillsVillage Ambassador to the Netherlands: "As a Global Recruiter and specialist in Compensation and Benefits, I support PeopleTicker to make sure their wage data is as up to date and accurate as possible." PeopleTicker, the only global provider of both salary and contingent labor compensation data, announced the growing momentum of its global offerings across Europe with the addition of compensation data in the Netherlands and Belgium. This follows other successful European countries such as France, Spain, Germany, Ireland and Italy. Increasing demand in the Netherlands and Belgium reflects the need for accurate wage data, verified and validated by local industry experts. Businesses in the Benelux countries, and across the globe, have realized the cost savings associated with real-time compensation data and how it impacts their bottom line. Companies that use accurate wage information, opposed to outdated salary surveys or unverified data, will make more informed, strategic decisions with their organizational finances. Dominique Zuijdwijk, SkillsVillage Ambassador to the Netherlands said, "As a Global Recruiter and specialist in Compensation and Benefits, operating from diverse countries including the Netherlands, I support PeopleTicker to make sure their wage data is as up to date and accurate as possible." Zuijdwijk added, "PeopleTicker verifies and reviews their data via a wide network of local experts. That is why PeopleTicker is such a powerful tool. By offering global verification at a local level, hiring managers, HR and procurement can understand local wages for every country regardless of where they are geographically located. You will get the answer to the question: How much?" Using salary survey data to offer competitive pay rates in the gig economy is like buying a flip phone, said John Sculley, Chairman of PeopleTicker. "Our data is analyzed at the cellular level and each job is individually reviewed to ensure validity. This extra step provides an additional layer of accuracy not available with other products." PeopleTicker recently announced continued growth and leadership in the global compensation marketplace with the expansion of China; Singapore and South Korea. PeopleTicker also provides contingent and direct labor rates in the United States, India, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Puerto Rico. About PeopleTicker: PeopleTicker is the global standard for independent compensation rate and benchmarking data. Strengthened by more than 18 years of wage research, its data management and analytics are unmatched in the industry. By combining big data aggregation with crowd-based validation through its SkillsVillage ecosystem of experts, PeopleTicker provides the most accurate and current compensation information available in the market today. To learn how your salaries and contingent rates compare to market, download our app PeopleTicker - Salary and Hourly Rates and then create your own Private Labor Index. Today, Pearson announced that the company is growing its online partnership with Regis College, a Catholic university in Greater Boston, to launch three new graduate degree programs. The Post-Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Post-Master of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology programs will be available in Spring 2018. These new offerings build on Pearsons existing online collaboration with the College, to support its suite of nursing programs with multiple entry paths and specializations. A National League for Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education designated institution, Regis is well known for its undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate nursing and health sciences education programs. Students enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs will be prepared to evaluate systems, utilize research, and lead changes in the practice and health care policies in a variety of systems and settings. Students enrolled in the Counseling Psychology degree program will gain the knowledge and experience needed to become an effective practitioner, prepared to meet the increasing demand for qualified counseling psychologists to serve in hospitals, social service agencies, mental health centers, and private companies. Students across the country will now have access to our cutting-edge health sciences programs, said Antoinette M. Hays, Ph.D., RN, president of Regis. I am pleased to expand our partnership with Pearson, a proven leader in this arena. Through this partnership, Pearson will provide comprehensive online program management (OPM) services including marketing, recruitment, student support and retention, 24/7/365 helpdesk, and course development. Were excited to continue to grow our collaboration with Regis College, said David Daniels, managing director, Pearson Online Learning Services. This partnership will provide health care professionals with high-quality, flexible opportunities to pursue advanced degrees that will position them for long-term career success in one of the nations fastest growing and most critical sectors. Pearson partners with more than 40 higher education institutions across the country and around the globe to implement and sustain over 250 undergraduate and graduate programs, which have produced more than 30,000 graduates. In 2016, a total of 6,893 students graduated from programs powered by Pearsons student support and retention services, a component of many OPM partner solutions. ### About Pearson Pearson is the worlds learning company, with expertise in educational courseware and assessment, and a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology. Our mission is to help people make progress through access to better learning. We believe that learning opens up opportunities, creating fulfilling careers and better lives. For more, visit http://www.pearson.com. About Regis College Regis is a leading Catholic university in greater Boston with over 1,900 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in the arts, sciences and health professions devoted to engage, serve and advance in a global community. With a strategic graduate focus on health care, Regis was recently named a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League of Nursing for the third time. The intergenerational Weston campus includes a Childrens Center, named 2017 Program of the Year by the National Coalition for Campus Childrens Centers, and a Life Long Learning program (LLARC) for senior adults with a passion for learning. Regis North, a satellite campus in Lawrence, Massachusetts, is an initiative of the Regis Institute of Advancing Studies (IAS) in partnership with Northern Essex Community College (NECC) and dedicated to bachelors degree completion in nursing, public health and other health sciences. Regis is also an Apple Distinguished School for 2016-2018. Visit Regis at regiscollege.edu. T38Fax, Incorporated, the leading provider of fax-optimized SIP trunks, announced on Friday the launch of its new customer self-care portal. The customer self-service website was completely redesigned to be more intuitive, sleek, and user-friendly. This is part of T38Faxs commitment to enhance the customer experience and provide outstanding support. The new portal launch follows the release of a preview that was sent to customers for feedback. Initial response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive, said Darren Nickerson, President of T38Fax. Weve incorporated suggestions and made dramatic improvements to our old portal. Were excited to offer our customers a far superior online environment, with enhanced features and functionality. Some key improvements incorporated in the new portal include: A modern, clean, and easy to navigate interface that has been completely rebuilt to match how we sell, and customers use, our product A convenient dashboard with an account overview for quick reference A streamlined invoice reporting and payment process Simplified one-click free trial activation Integrated support case management; and Reporting and call detail record retrieval. Customers of T38Fax can access the new self-care portal by visiting https://my.t38fax.com/. About T38Fax Founded in 2012 and based just outside of Philadelphia, PA, T38Fax, Incorporated provides fax-optimized SIP trunks to business customers within the US and Canada. Their promise of Simple, Reliable Fax Over IP is fulfilled via a combination of three key features: 1. Consistent T.38: T38Fax sells you their own T.38 instead of their underlying carriers various flawed implementations. By controlling the T.38 stack they are able to make sure its predictable, feature-rich and trouble-free. 2. ECM Error Correction: A facsimile is not guaranteed to be an exact copy without this vital feature of the fax protocol. Most carriers mistakenly turn off ECM. T38Fax offers ECM on all calls, and recommends all devices be configured to use it. 3. Premium Fax Support: T38Fax offers unlimited free support from fax industry veterans. They use science, not superstition, when troubleshooting fax issues. For more information, visit T38Fax at http://www.t38fax.com or call their sales team at 888-536-4499. T38Fax Media Contact: Dana Meltzer Marketing Manager 215-825-8720 x 8102 dana(dot)meltzer(at)t38fax.com Solar World Platinum Platinum Installers are held to the highest standards set by SolarWorld Green Solar Technologies today announced the achievement of being named a Platinum Installer by SolarWorld, one of the worlds largest and most respected solar panel manufacturers. With more than 25 years of experience in the solar energy industry, Green Solar Technologies operates in 19 states and is considered a pioneer in the solar energy industry. Green Solar Technologies is a tremendous addition to SolarWorlds Platinum Installer program, said Shane Messer, U.S. vice president of sales and marketing for SolarWorld. Green Solar Technologies has proven to be a premier solar installer time and time again, and were thankful for the trust placed in SolarWorld to produce the highest quality solar panels here in America. SolarWorlds Platinum Installer program is reserved for select solar installation companies that meet and exceed stringent criteria for installation quality, business operations and customer service. Platinum Installers are held to the highest standards, ensuring homeowners enjoy maximal benefits from the solar systems and the knowledge they have supported renewable energy and American manufacturing at once. We are extremely excited about receiving this certification from SolarWorld, said Edward Harner, COO at Green Solar Technologies. Very few installers are able to meet the quality installation standards required by SolarWorld, and being awarded the Platinum Installer status is quite an honor. To have one of the biggest panel manufacturers in the world certify us should matter a great deal to our customers because it means that SolarWorld trusts us to be good brand ambassadors. We feel that we are aligned with SolarWorld in its efforts to provide the best product to customers; Green Solars product is the overall project experience, from customer engagement all the way to the actual installation of the solar, Harner continued. Ever since we began as a business, weve aligned with only the best equipment manufacturers. SolarWorld has always been our partner because it makes the best panels in the world and, almost as important, it makes its panels right here in the U.S. in Oregon. We just feel more confident with an American-made panel because we can trust in its quality-control standards, Harner said. The solar industry has changed drastically in the past few years. There are more and more small mom-and-pop operations doing solar, and its very important for customers to do their due diligence on the installer. Some of these people have no experience installing solar; theyre just electricians! Harner said. Weve been doing solar for a long time and have always required extensive training for all of our installers. We feel confident that we are the best solar installers in the country. Period. Jennifer Jensen Inlanta Mortgage, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Jennifer Jensen, National Training Manager. Inlanta Mortgage Chief Operations Officer Paul Buege said, Jennifer is a great addition to our team. Inlanta is positioned for tremendous growth. Jennifer will be a valuable asset with her past experience that will further our advancement in the mortgage marketplace, providing extensive training programs to support the companys objectives. Jennifer Jensen has more than 23 years experience in the mortgage and finance industry. Jennifer was a Producing Branch Manager for Network Funding LP serving Southeastern Wisconsin. She also served as a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps stationed in Camp Pendleton, CA during Desert Storm. Jensen said, I look forward to being part of the Inlanta family. I am very passionate about the mortgage industry and I am excited to create and implement training programs to meet the long-term growth objectives of Inlanta. My military training and extensive management experience will be a huge asset to my new position; I love structure, consistency, and accountability. Thank you, Inlanta, for the warm welcome and opportunity to further my career. Inlanta Mortgage is looking for branch managers and loan officers who want to grow their business. To learn more about opportunities for growth with Inlanta, contact David Williams (davidwilliams(at)inlanta(dot)com, 303-947-1960) to learn more about branch manager and loan officer opportunities in Texas & Colorado; Brian Jensen (brianjensen(at)inlanta(dot)com, 630-927-0380) for the Midwest market; and Kevin Laffey (kevinlaffey(at)inlanta(dot)com, 913-645-4647) for the Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa markets. To learn about opportunities in other locations, visit http://www.inlantapartners.com, call 262-439-4260, or email partners(at)inlanta(dot)com. About Inlanta Mortgage Headquartered in Pewaukee, WI, Inlanta Mortgage was established in 1993. The company has grown to 39 branches in 16 states and over 250 employees. Inlanta Mortgage offers Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac agency products, as well as jumbo and portfolio programs. The company is an agency-approved lender for Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, FHA/VA, FHA 203K and USDA. Inlanta Mortgage also offers numerous state bond agency programs. Inlanta Mortgage is the second largest mortgage financing provider in greater Milwaukee as ranked by the Milwaukee Business Journal, as well as the second largest provider of FHA purchase loans and the number one WHEDA lender in Wisconsin. Inlanta Mortgage was named a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Top Workplace for the third consecutive year in 2016. Inlanta has been consistently recognized as one of the 50 Best Mortgage Companies to Work For by Mortgage Executive Magazine and one of the countrys Top Mortgage Employers by National Mortgage Professional. Inlanta Mortgage, Inc. NMLS#1016. Jennifer Jensen, NMLS#264588. Vengeance Woodworks Company is a veteran owned woodworking company, operating in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Giving soldiers and veterans a path towards entrepreneurship is an exciting opportunity for their future. In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, iPartnerMedia has donated a $5,000 marketing package including website design, development and public relations services to Vengeance Woodworks Company in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Owned and operated by active duty soldiers of the U.S. Army, Vengeance Woodworks specializes in handcrafted wooden American flags and other patriotic gifts made from wood. iPartnerMedia built a mobile responsive, e-commerce website that captures the spirit and beauty of their work. Deciding to donate a website to Vengeance Woodworks was an easy choice, said Albert Arguelles, vice president, iPartnerMedia. As a veteran myself, Im aware of the challenges of finding a balance between active-duty life and planning for the future. A website is a great opportunity for these soldiers to showcase their work, build their business and build a career following their service. Vengeance Woodworks Company was born when a shared interest of woodworking became a way to express their love for their country. To further their charitable efforts, a percentage of each flag purchase is donated to support 22KILL, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to empowering veterans, raising suicide prevention and awareness, and building a supportive community. Supporting our military, active-duty veterans is very near and dear to my heart and its something that iPartnerMedia will continue to do on a regular basis, Arguelles continued. Giving soldiers and veterans a path towards entrepreneurship is an exciting opportunity for their future. Due to their status as active duty soldiers, the team at Vengeance Woodworks Company have chosen not to release their names. About Vengeance Woodworks Company Vengeance Woodworks Company is a veteran owned woodworking company, operating in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and specializing in handcrafted wooden American Flags and patriotic decorations. Through their craft, the creative team hopes to facilitate a patriotic movement, support military organizations, and raise awareness on issues, erase stigma, and empower fellow veterans. The crafts are displayed and sold at http://www.vengeancewoodworksco.com. About iPartnerMedia, Inc. Bonita Springs-based iPartnerMedia, Inc. is a digital and print marketing and public relations agency serving businesses across the United States and Canada in home services, health care, professional services, construction, non-profits and more. The talented team has extensive experience in digital marketing including website design and lead generation and operates a private print shop for its clients. Learn more at http://www.ipartnermedia.com. Craige Bertero and Daniel Damond will run the office, which opened May 1, 2017. Bertero and Damond both are making the move from JP Morgan to join as Partners of CPWM. The move to expand into the Bay Area was not simply a geographical move; rather an opportunistic situation with the new partners, says Peder Schmitz, CPWM Cofounder. We were seeking the right partnership to expand beyond our Pacific Northwest roots and found that in our new team to head the San Francisco office. CPWM is part of the larger family of companies founded by Dan Baty and is dedicated to working with its client base seeking tailored solutions to preserve, build, and transition wealth. Year over year growth for our company has been beyond our expectation, says Schmitz. We believe this tremendous growth is due in part because people are recognizing that we bring a different approach to investing and wealth management. Having a direct relationship with Columbia Pacific Advisors and the investments associated with our Cofounder Dan Baty has really helped accelerate our growth. The companys annual growth since its inception some 6 years ago has positioned them in InvestmentNews as the third Biggest Gainers in 2015 for RIAs with $1B+ in total assets, citing a 269.6 percentage growth rate over the previous year. This growth is fueling our expansion into other markets, says Alex Washburn, Cofounder of CPWM. We are however, not looking to expand too rapidly or extensively. We plan to look at opportunities as they arise, as we did with San Francisco, and grow at a smart and measured manner. Our main goal is to focus on our investors and deliver the results they are looking to achieve. The new office is located at 100 Pine Street, Suite 2700, San Francisco, CA, 94111. About Columbia Pacific Wealth Management Columbia Pacific Wealth Management (CPWM) is an independent, SEC Registered Investment Adviser founded in Seattle in 2011. The company provides comprehensive wealth management solutions and access to unique investment opportunities for high net worth individuals, institutions, foundations and endowments. Headquartered in Seattle, it now also operates an office in San Francisco. Company History Our roots stem back more than 25 years when our sister company Columbia Pacific Management (CPM) was founded by Daniel Baty, a healthcare entrepreneur. In 2006, CPM launched Columbia Pacific Advisors (CPA), an alternative investment platform specifically for the Baty family and a select number of high net worth investors. Tapping into this proven experience, CPM and CPA saw a void in high net worth investing and formed Columbia Pacific Wealth Management (CPWM) in 2011. CPWM assembled a team of experienced professionals to create a comprehensive wealth management firm while maintaining a boutique feel. On May 1, 2017 CPWM expanded into San Francisco and launched its first satellite office. Registration of an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission does not imply any level of skill or training. # # # Southwest Houston and Clear Lake residents will be able to celebrate Moms day of the year with loved ones at Tradicao Brazilian Steakhouse on Mother's Day, May 14. The restaurant will be serving a high energy, Brazilian style brunch from 11 AM-3 PM and dinner from 3:15 PM-9:00 PM. "This is the day to treat mom and tell her how special she is!" Melissa Abrantes, Tradicao marketing director said. "We want to provide the opportunity for families to be together and have mom enjoy our endless 15 signature cuts of meat served straight from the grill along with our freshly baked cheese bread and salad bar and not worry about dishes after!" Tradicao Brazilian Steakhouse offers diners a full all-you-can-eat Brazilian dining experience. From the traditional Picanha top sirloin steak and Filet Mignon served tableside to delicious shrimp and fresh salmon - Tradicao Brazilian Steakhouse has all of the best Brazilian steak and seafood offerings. They have two locations to choose from Southwest Houston/Fort Bend at 12000 SW Freeway or in Clear Lake/Webster at 201 W. Bay Area Blvd. To contact the SW Freeway location call 281-277-9292. To reach the Bay Area Blvd. location, please call 281-557-9999. More information about Tradicao Brazilian Steakhouse is also available on their website at http://www.Tradicaosteakhouse.com. William Goddard, President and CEO, IT Chronicles Media Inc. We are thrilled to be participating in this world class event once again! IT Chronicles Media Inc., the innovative media company that combines traditional media coverage with event promotion of leading technology events and industry leaders will be participating at Knowledge 17, May 711, 2017, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. This is the annual ServiceNow event for service management professionals using enterprise-cloud services to change the way people manage work in the enterprise. Knowledge 17 is the largest global event for technology leaders focused on enterprise-service management and cloud-based technology. We are thrilled to have been invited back for our 3rd consecutive year at Knowledge 17, said William Goddard, CEO, IT Chronicles Media Inc. Our Ten-in-Tech interviews are quickly becoming a highly-anticipated opportunity for vendors and industry experts to provide their unique perspectives and insights at the many events we attend. Industry thought leaders Carlos Casanova, Kirstie Magowan and Shane Carlson will host this years panel discussion. The combination of their extensive experience and probing questions will stimulate interviewees to share very valuable insights during informal conversations about the challenges IT professionals face day-to-day. Attending key events, such as Knowledge 17, would not be possible without significant support from sponsors and event management. This year, ServiceNow, Blazent, Kepner-Tregoe and Service-Flow, leading global technology and service companies, will be supporting our reporting, said Goddard. Vendors or PR agencies representing clients in attendance at Knowledge 17 are invited to contact IT Chronicles Media to arrange for their clients to participate in one of the panel discussions. Its a great opportunity to position their clients as industry leaders in a casual conversation format. Get interviewed now. About ServiceNow Your enterprise needs to move faster, but lack of process and legacy tools hold you back. Every day, thousands of customer requests, IT incidents, and HR cases follow their own pathsmoving back and forth between people, machines and departments. Unstructured. Undocumented. Unimproved for years. With the ServiceNow System of Action you can replace these unstructured work patterns of the past with intelligent workflows of the future. Now every employee, customer and machine can make requests on a single cloud platform. Every department working on these requests can assign and prioritize, collaborate, get down to root cause issues, gain realtime insights and drive to action. Your employees are energized. Your service levels improve. And you realized gamechanging economics. Work at Lightspeed. To find out how, visit http://www.servicenow.com. About Blazent Blazent is the leader in Data Integrity Solutions. We provide the insight needed to improve decision making and business outcomes for IT Operations, Security, and Internet-of-Things. Blazent enables enterprises and Managed Service Providers with complete and accurate information across the broadest range of data sources. Reach us at sales(at)Blazent(dot)com About Kepner-Tregoe For almost 60 years, Kepner-Tregoe has empowered thousands of companies to solve millions of problems. We provide a data-driven, consistent, scalable approach towards Incident, Problem, and Change Management to deliver a world-class customer experience and increase IT stability by reducing downtime, issue recurrence and the cost of service. Kepner-Tregoe provides a unique combination of training and consulting services, designed specifically to reveal the root cause of problems and permanently address your organizational challenges. Our systematic, data-driven approach to problem solving will deliver measurable results to any company looking to improve quality and effectiveness while reducing overall costs. We empower you to solve problems. http://www.kepner-tregoe.com About Service-Flow Service-Flow Corp. is a Finnish software service provider, specializing in developing and producing SaaS solutions for Service Integration. Service-Flows all-inclusive solution enables outsourcing service buyers and service providers to integrate ITSM tools and digitize service processes by subscribing to Service-Flow SaaS. About IT Chronicles Media Inc. IT Chronicles Media Inc. is the first media platform designed to support the needs of technology consumers from the business community while addressing the digital marketing challenges technology vendors face. With its combination of digital content, near-time publishing of interviews from global events and comprehensive products and solutions directory, technology vendors and events can leverage a single platform to help demonstrate their expertise with thought-provoking content, and be easily accessible to the technology marketplace buyers. To Learn more, contact sales(at)itchronichles(dot)com or visit http://www.itchronicles.com. Working with performers who possess such credentials and talent brings both joy and confidence to a performance. You know before you walk on stage that it is going to be a homerun, remarked the KSOs founder and music director, James Cassidy. The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra closes its 25th Season Saturday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. with Sondheim vs. Webber: The Battle of Broadway. Composers Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber (who coincidently have the same birthday March 22) ruled the boards on Broadway and the West End for most of the 1970s-80s, compiling hit song after hit song in a string of award winning musicals. Home-grown bonafide Broadway stars Pamela Myers and Jessica Hendy will be featured, singing the hit tunes of these living legends. In his early teens Stephen Sondheim became a protege of renowned lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Sondheims big break came when he was asked to write the lyrics for the Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins' project that became West Side Story. From there Gypsy, and his own musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum followed, before he penned a string of hit musicals including: Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods. Sondheim won an Oscar and multiple Tony and Grammy Awards, plus a Pulitzer Prize. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber was born into a musical family in Britain. His early efforts in musical theatre were influenced by the works of Richard Rodgers and Frederick Lowe. Webber teamed up with lyricist Tim Rice for his first shows Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. In the 80s Cats, Starlight Express and Phantom of the Opera more than paid this impresario /composers bills. Webber also won his share of Academy, Tony, Grammy and other awards. Pamela Myers, fresh out of the University of Cincinnatis College Conservatory of Music, landed in New York and in the cast of Sondheims musical Company in 1970. Mesmerized by the pace of the big city, Pams description of her encounters on the subway was immortalized in the song written for her by Sondheim and placed in the show (Another Hundred People). Years later Jessica Hendys portrayal of Grizabella on the National Tour of Webbers Cats brought her to Broadway in 2000 to close the longest running musical of all time (since eclipsed by Phantom and Chicago). She is currently back in the shows Broadway revival. CCM students, soprano, Paulina Villarreal and baritone, Sola Fadiran, and Danny McDowell from the Cincinnati Boy Choir will be on hand to add range and variety to the 15 hit musicals included (complete playlist attached). Let mom decide the winner. Join the KSO with Pamela Myers, Jessica Hendy and cast for an evening featuring hits by two of musical theaters titans, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 13, 2017 at Greaves Concert Hall, on the campus of NKU in Highland Heights, KY. Reserved seating tickets are $19, $27, $35 (children ages 6-18 are 50% off), and are available online at kyso.org, or by phone (859) 431-6216. About the KSO: For 25 years The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra has taken the phony out of symphony via live thematic concerts that culturally enrich, educate and entertain the residents of Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati. The KSO performs throughout Northern Kentucky with three series of concerts. Senior Marketing Manager & Head of Clinical Affairs receiving the award We place the highest priority on working in partnership with our NHS colleagues. To be recognised with this national award, after winning the regional Medilink North-West heat, is a great honour for both Sky and our NHS partners. Sky Medical Technology Ltd is thrilled to be selected as national winner of the 2017 Medilink Partnership with the NHS Award. One of five Life Sciences companies to be crowned national winner, in five separate categories, the Medilink awards celebrate outstanding business achievements, international success and innovative breakthroughs across the Life Sciences and Healthcare Technology sectors. The awards and gala dinner, which took place on the 26th April 2017, was held in partnership with the Med-Tech Innovation Expo at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. CCO Andrew Thelwell, receiving the award on behalf of the Sky Medical said, Thank you Medilink and the sponsors for this prestigious award. In collecting this award I would like to recognise our NHS partners, who, on top of their full time jobs, and in a challenging environment, are willing to give-up additional time in pursuit of innovation and the improvement of patient care. It is to them that we all owe our sincere thanks." Bernard Ross, CEO says We place the highest priority on working in partnership with our NHS colleagues. To be recognised with this national award, after winning the regional Medilink North-West heat, is a great honour for both Sky Medical and our NHS partners. Our growth in markets as far afield as the USA and China are a direct result of the success of our NHS partnerships. We would like to thank Medilink and its sponsors for rewarding our close links with the NHS." Sky Medical Technology manufacture the geko device, clinically proven to increase blood circulation for DVT prevention, the reduction of oedema and the promotion of wound healing. News of this award coincides with a press release communicated by the South Tees NHS Trust announcing that the geko device is helping Teesside ankle fracture patients into surgery faster (http://bit.ly/2oUdAdG) - one of Skys many valued NHS partners. Sky Medical competed with 35 nominated organisations, all winners of the regional Medilink 2017 awards. The national winners were selected by an independent panel of judges. About Sky Medical Technology Sky Medical Technology is a UK based medical devices company that has developed a ground-breaking neuromuscular electrostimulation platform, OnPulse. The company develops a range of products tailored to different medical applications, selling both direct, through partnerships or distributors in each clinical area. Clinical areas of interest include DVT (blood clot) prevention, reduction of swelling, wound healing, elite-sport recovery, and continence. The goal in each clinical area is to improve clinical outcomes and patient care whilst saving health system resources. About the geko device The size of a wrist-watch and worn at the knee, the geko device is a battery powered, disposable, neuromuscular electrostimulation device designed to increase blood flow in the veins of the leg to reduce the risk of DVT (as approved by NICE) and to prevent the build-up of pre and post-surgical swelling. The geko device, through gentle electrical impulses, stimulates the common peroneal nerve activating the calf and foot muscle pumps, increasing venous, arterial and microcirculatory blood flow. The increase in blood flow is equal to 60% of walking, without the patient having to move. The geko device has secured National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance recommending its use to the NHS for DVT prevention, and has FDA clearance for the USA. http://www.gekodevices.com About Medilink UK Medilink is the specialist support organisation for the Healthcare Sector, with a membership base drawn from all areas of the healthcare community. For more information about Medilink UK, please visit http://www.medilinkuk.com. For more information about the Med Tech Innovation Expo or the National awards, please visit http://www.med-techexpo.com Media contact: Sue Davenport +44 (0)1494 572044 Sky Medical Technology Limited Hawk House Peregrine Business Park Gomm Road High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP13 7DL United Kingdom http://www.gekodevices.com Westcon-Comstors commitment to enabling their partners with leading edge services makes Westcon-Comstor's introduction of Netelligents HCS a logical choice. Netelligent Corporation, a technology solutions company committed to elevating IT performance for businesses, announced a strategic reseller agreement with Westcon-Comstor (WestconGroup, Inc.), the worlds largest technology distributor. Through this agreement, Westcon-Comstor will deliver Netelligents Cisco Powered Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), based on its hosted collaboration solution (HCS), to Westcon-Comstors growing reseller network in the United States. The agreement expands Westcon-Comstors broad offering of channel programs, solutions and cloud services to include the strength and power of Netelligents hosted collaboration solution (HCS). HCS provides agile and flexible cloud-based collaboration solutions that promote increased productivity and rapid application deployment. Netelligent is very pleased to expand our relationship with Westcon-Comstor through this reseller agreement, said Bob Hollander, vice president, sales and marketing. Westcon-Comstors commitment to enabling their partners with leading edge services makes Westcon-Comstor's introduction of Netelligents HCS a logical choice. We expect that Westcon-Comstor partners and their end-customers will be able to leverage the benefits of an easy-to-scale optimized virtual platform for their Hybrid IT environments." We are excited for the opportunity to strengthen our current relationship with Netelligent and see this agreement as a huge win for both companies. Netelligents Cisco-powered Hosted Collaboration Solution will help our Comstor resellers accelerate their cloud capabilities, providing them with additional opportunities in the commercial, SLED, and SMB marketplace, said Matt Karst, Senior Director of Cloud at Westcon-Comstor. With Netelligents HCS solutions, resellers and customers alike will be able to realize the many benefits that cloud solutions offer, including the flexibility to pay as you go and the ability to focus their resources on core business priorities, rather than managing infrastructure expenditures. Westcon-Comstor collaborates with its partners in a unique engagement model, striving to provide an exceptional partner experience by delivering results together. The Netelligent HCS stands as the exclusive Cisco hosted collaboration technology for Westcon-Comstor in the commercial space. ABOUT NETELLIGENT: Netelligent Corporation is a technology solutions company. Netelligent provides companies with the basic technologies they need to run their business (phone system, servers/virtualization, disaster recovery, security, networking, and video). Our mission is to help elevate business above technology. We take a neutral approach in helping to determine what IT consumption model best benefits each clients organization (on-premises, managed, or cloud). Founded in 2003, Netelligent is headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri and operates two data centers located in Colorado and Missouri. Netelligent is a Cisco Gold Partner and SOC II Certified. Additional information about Netelligent can be found on their website http://www.netelligent.com. ABOUT WESTCON-COMSTOR: Westcon-Comstor (WestconGroup Inc.) is a value-added technology distributor of category-leading solutions in Security, Collaboration, Networking and Data Center. The company is transforming the technology supply chain through its capabilities in Cloud, Global Deployment and Services. Westcon-Comstor combines expert technical and market knowledge with industry-leading partner enablement programs. Westcon-Comstor delivers results together through its deep partner relationships. The company goes to market under the Westcon and Comstor brands. Learn more at http://www.westconcomstor.com. Dr. Barbara Browne May 3, 2017 Magee Rehabilitation Hospital physician Barbara Browne, M.D. has been named a Top Doc in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation by Philadelphia Magazine. Philadelphia Magazines annual Top Doctors list is developed in conjunction with Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd. by surveying physicians and medical leadership across the country. These select individuals nominate outstanding physicians in a variety of specialties and subspecialties to whom they would send members of their family. From these nominated physicians, the Top Doctors are selected based on a range of criteria, including professional qualifications, professional reputation, experience, and disciplinary history. Dr. Barbara Browne is the Medical Director of Magee Rehabilitations Stroke and Geriatrics Program. She is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine and is renowned as an expert in the areas of stroke, geriatrics, and spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Dr. Browne has published abstracts in medical journals and conducted numerous clinical lectures on stroke rehabilitation to both consumer and professional audiences. This is her seventh year as one of Philadelphia Magazines Top Doctors. For more information on Dr. Browne, as well as a full listing of Magee Rehabilitations specialties and services, please visit MageeRehab.org. About Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, a founding member of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundations NeuroRecovery Network, is the Philadelphia regions original provider of physical and cognitive rehabilitation. The not-for-profit hospital provides nationally-recognized lifetime rehabilitation and wellness programs for individuals with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, orthopedic joint replacement, amputation, pain management, and work injury. Since 1978, Magee has partnered with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to form The Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley, one of only 14 federally designated model systems of care in the country. # # # Panitch Schwarze partner Alan S. Nadel presented at the 33rd Annual Joint Patent Practice Seminar. The JPPCLE is an annual one day seminar that features knowledgeable speakers such as judges, government officials, and attorneys discussing the latest trends and important topics in intellectual property law. The seminar took place April 27 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in New York City. Nadels program, Strategies for International Patent Applications Filing was included in the Supreme Court/Licensing/Foreign Practice portion of the days programming. CLE credits for Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania were available to attendants. The featured speakers at the JPPCLE included Hon. Richard Linn, a senior circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals; Andrew Hirshfield, Commissioner for Patents for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Markus Meier, Assistant Director of the Federal Trade Commissions Health Care Division; and Nathan Kelley, Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor. A patent attorney, Nadel has been registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for more than 30 years. His practice includes negotiating, advising with respect to and preparing licenses and technology transfer agreements and other agreements associated with technology practice, such as trade secret and consulting agreements. He has negotiated and prepared licenses involving pharmaceuticals, diagnostic products, veterinary products, nutritional supplements and various other technologies. About Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP is a boutique intellectual property law firm with offices in Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. The firms IP law practitioners provide strategic litigation, licensing and counseling service relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, domain names and Internet issues domestically and internationally. The firms long-standing relationships with a network of associates worldwide enable its attorneys and advisors to provide clients with global intellectual property advice and protection. Their experience will bring excitement and focus to our marketing efforts, taking the DSG brand to the next level." Look Listen, a full-service digital marketing agency, has been selected to spearhead the development of a new master brand and creative artifacts for Dental Services Group (DSG) after an exhaustive account review. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, DSGs full-service laboratory network offers customers a variety of options in fixed, removable, implant, orthodontics and sleep dentistry products and services. "The team at Look Listen impressed us with their unique ideas, strategic thinking and a great combination of consumer and non-traditional healthcare experience, especially in the dental arena, said Gokce Sezgin, SVP, Marketing & Communications for DSG. Their experience will bring excitement and focus to our marketing efforts, taking the DSG brand to the next level." Look Listen is currently executing a complete brand overhaul for DSG, including visual identity, brand guidelines and key messaging. These efforts will evolve into a sophisticated marketing approach to explain how DSG sets the bar for quality within the dental lab community. The agency will deliver a robust marketing program that helps DSG attract new customers and reinvigorate existing customer relationship to fuel growth for the company. "It became clear during our meetings that DSG and Look Listen share the same energetic and growth-focused spirit, said Look Listen CEO Kit Hughes. We're excited to tap into every one of our agency disciplines to help take this amazing company to even greater heights with an elevated brand experience that will live in unity across multiple divisions and service areas. About Dental Services Group (DSG) Dental Services Group, a growing network of dental laboratories based in North America, provides dentists with the best of both worlds: the personal relationship and care of a local laboratory, combined with the technical expertise and full suite of offerings of a national laboratory. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, DSG's full-service laboratory network offers customers a variety of options in fixed, removable, implant, orthodontics and sleep dentistry products and services. As a strong supporter of digital impression dentistry, DSG also has various programs available to help practices join this revolution. More information available at: http://www.dentalservices.net/. About Look Listen Look Listen is an independent, full-service digital agency with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Denver, Colorado. Recognized as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S. (#408 on the Inc. 500 in 2015), Look Listen has established Centers of Excellence in Performance Media, Marketing Automation and IoT, and works across a spectrum of disciplines ranging from digital advertising to custom software engineering. The agency has a track record of working with global enterprises and mid-market companies in growth mode to innovate within existing products and services or ideating new offerings. Together with its clients, they Make Ideas Matter. ### MOBI, a mobility management platform that enables enterprises to centralize, comprehend, and control their device ecosystems, is honored to be TechPoints 2017 Tech Company of the Year Mira Award winner. The award was announced at TechPoints 18th annual Mira Awards gala. TechPoint, the growth initiative for Indianas technology ecosystem, produces the Mira Awards each year to honor the most innovative and successful technologies, technology companies, entrepreneurs, and educators in Indiana. Winners were announced during the annual Mira Awards gala at The Westin Indianapolis on April 29, 2017. MOBI applied for TechPoints Tech Company of the Year Mira Award category because in just seven years, the company grew from a fast-growing startup to an industry-leading mobility management cloud software platform provider. The Mira Awards judges believe MOBIs software-first enterprise solutions set them apart from everyone else because while the industry is focused on services, MOBI builds software that makes reliance on services largely unnecessary. From sustainable code pushes to rapid feature deployment, MOBI applies its substantial tech talent to mitigate risk in a business category that is known to overwhelm those who cant stay ahead of tech disruptions. Were thrilled to receive this honor from TechPoint, said Scott Kraege, MOBI Co-Founder and CEO. This is a testament to our incredibly innovative team of more than 300 employees, our revolutionary software, and our world-class customers. We are very appreciative of everything TechPoint does to continue to power the Indiana tech community and provide Indy with a unique opportunity for startups and scale-ups. A total of 15 award winners and three honorable mentions were chosen from the 90 outstanding companies, organizations, and individuals who were selected as nominees this year. A total of 180 applications highlighting achievements during the 2016 calendar year were received by TechPoint for this years Mira Awards gala. Fifty independent volunteer judges spent more than 800 total hours reviewing and ranking applications, interviewing nominees, and selecting this years winners. Judges included company founders, CEOs and presidents, CTOs, CIOs, software developers, and a variety of other entrepreneurs and subject matter experts. The Mira AwardsIndianas longest-running technology awards programamplify success stories of the very best Indiana startups, scale-ups, and established tech companies, which helps them win new customers, attract investment capital, and acquire skilled talent. The Mira Awards are a large, annual part of TechPoints mission to accelerate tech growth in Indiana. In just over a decade, Indiana has seen more than $6.5 billion in acquisitions and IPOs from our tech community, said TechPoint President and CEO Mike Langellier. More recently, in 2016, two-thirds of all the venture capital dollars and three-quarters of all the deals raised in Indiana went to tech companies. The Mira Awards exist to celebrate our states tremendous tech success stories and amplify them to media, investors and technology buyers nationwide. Last years Company Culture of the Year Mira Award winner, MOBI continues to win awards for its unique approaches to doing business, including ATOMPs Mobile Expense Management solution and Enterprise Mobile Operations Management platform awards and being ranked among CRNs 20 Coolest Cloud Software Vendors of 2016. MOBI has quickly become a global leader in the managed mobility industry, and we attest much of this success to our local heritage, said Mitch Black, MOBI President. The company is built on the work ethics and values that embody the entrepreneurial Hoosier spirit. And, we recognize TechPoint as a provider of tremendous leadership and direction for both skilled technical talent and technology companies in the region. A complete list of the 2017 TechPoint Mira Awards winners is available at http://www.techpoint.org/mira. ### About MOBI MOBI is a mobility management platform enabling enterprises to centralize, comprehend, and control their device ecosystems. Our industry-leading cloud software saves your program money and satisfies all global enterprise needs. Learn more about our mobility solutions and software at http://mobiwm.com/. For interviews with MOBI, contact Meagan Meldrim at Finn Partners: meagan.meldrim(at)finnpartners(dot)com. About TechPoint TechPoint is the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indianas technology companies and overall tech ecosystem. The team is focused on attracting talent, accelerating scale-up companies, activating the community, and amplifying stories of success. For more, visit http://www.techpoint.org. Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea and award-winning local jerky maker Charqui Jerky Co. have paired up to introduce Morning Buzz, a coffee-flavored beef jerky. The flavor combines Crimson Cup craft coffee and Charquis handcrafted beef jerky, which is made from American-sourced beef and all-natural ingredients. The result is a high protein, low fat, low carb artisanal snack with a flavor kick from coffee, cocoa, cayenne pepper and molasses. The product contains a small amount of caffeine. We are thrilled to partner with another local small business in introducing this innovative new product to Columbus, said Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert. We attribute a large part of our success as a coffee roaster and coffee shop franchise alternative to our support for local communities and entrepreneurs. We succeed when our customers and partners succeed. Charqui Jerky Owner Matt Salts began developing a new jerky with coffee, cocoa and cayenne pepper flavors last fall. During tasting events, our customers were blown away by the combination, he said. But some people expressed a desire for a stronger coffee flavor. From there, he took the products to the coffee experts at the Crimson Cup Innovation Lab. They were just crazy enough to hear us out and helped us drive the product home, he said. When we tried their craft coffee, everything just clicked. From there it made sense to introduce this extraordinary flavor together. Im extremely excited to bring this unique product to market. Morning Buzz jerky is available at Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Clintonville and Upper Arlington. A one-ounce bag retails for $4.99. About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced specialty and craft coffee in small batches, which it sells directly to consumers and as wholesale coffee beans. The company also teaches entrepreneurs to run successful coffee houses through its coffee franchise alternative program, which includes a coffee shop business plan. Crimson Cup coffee is available through a community of more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 29 states, Guam and Bangladesh, as well as the companys own Crimson Cup Coffee Houses. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com. About Charqui Jerky Co. Charqui Jerky Co. produces high quality, all natural, award-winning jerky out of an Ohio Department of Agriculture inspected facility in Powell, Ohio. Charqui Jerky Co. generates contemporary flavor profiles using simple, recognizable ingredients such as all-American beef, local honey, molasses, 100 percent natural fruit and vegetable juices and custom spice and seasoning blends. There are no artificial ingredients or chemical preservatives. In 2013, Charqui Jerky Co. received the 1st place award at the Ohio Association of Meat Processors award show (whole muscle jerky division). For more information, visit charquijerky.com. NYC Community Schools We are thrilled to have been selected by the Department of Education on this important initiative, stated Mario Natarelli, partner at MBLM. MBLM, the Brand Intimacy Agency focused on strategy, design, creative and technology, today announced its collaboration with The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to promote its community school initiative. NYCDOE wanted to build a new brand that would help a broad range of stakeholders, including corporate partners, policymakers, parents and the media, understand the advantages of this innovative strategy. To do this successfully, it needed to show its constituents that this was an initiative worth being a part of and engaged MBLM to develop a brand strategy. We are thrilled to have been selected by the Department of Education on this important initiative, stated Mario Natarelli, partner at MBLM. These types of projects are so important to us, as we have the opportunity to positively impact our community through creating a compelling brand. "Community Schools is at the core of the Citys commitment to bringing equity and excellence to all public schools, says Chris Caruso, Executive Director of the Office of Community Schools. "We are grateful to MBLM for their ongoing partnership and collaboration in creatively capturing the spirit of Community Schools and our dedication to providing academic and social services to students and their families." Working closely with the NYC DOEs Community Schools team, MBLM began to develop a brand strategy, which would include a new promise, values, and mission, creating a single-minded focus for the brand. MBLM built the new brand around the idea of Support From All Sides. This concept highlighted the holistic approach that community schools take to empower students success, nurturing them academically as well as psychologically, physically, and socially. MBLM then created messaging and a new identity to reflect the brand promise. The logo shows four different-colored rectangular blocks lined up in a row to depict both the idea of buildings and books. It also suggests an upward-trending bar chart to represent community, education and strategic growth in one symbol. It designed to work in tandem with specific school logos, to communicate both solidarity across the community schools initiative and pride within each individual school. # # # About MBLM: Founded in 2004, MBLM is the Brand Intimacy Agency, which is dedicated to creating greater emotional connections between people, brands and technology. With offices in nine countries, its multidisciplinary teams help clients deliver stronger marketing outcomes and returns for the long term. To learn more about creating and sustaining ultimate brand relationships, visit mblm.com. Backroads Celebrates the 200th Anniversary of the Bicycle The evolution of the bike has empowered us to explore the world actively from a two-wheeled perspective, creating the opportunity to connect better and more deeply with the people and areas Backroads guests are visiting This summer marks 200 years since the bicycle was first invented and nearly 40 years since Backroads started using bikes as a way to see the world. Born out of necessity, the bicycle has evolved from a way for people to move faster under their own power to a primary mode of transportation and physical activity for people across the globe today. Approximately 100 million Americans ride bikes annually and studies show more than half of adults in the United States would like to ride more often. Backroads has been ahead of this trend with nearly four decades of planning recreational bike trips at home and abroad. This year Backroads has scheduled over 1,200 dedicated bike tour departures, and biking is also a featured activity on hundreds of Backroads multisport adventure trips. In 1815, in what is now known as Indonesia, the eruption of Mount Tambora caused massive devastation to neighboring communities, crops and horses, forcing inhabitants to walk great distances to find food. The tragedy inspired German inventor Karl Drais to make human-powered travel faster and in 1817 he developed the velocipedethe first iteration of the modern bicycle. Two hundred years later, Backroads offers a fleet of custom aerospace-grade titanium road bikes with top-of-the-line components and handlebar options, as well as electric-assist bikes for those who want an extra boost up the hills. There have been amazing advancements in the way bikes are crafted since I started Backroads almost 40 years ago. Today theyre lighter, faster, more durable and sleeker than I could ever have imagined, said Tom Hale, Founder and President of Backroads. The evolution of the bike has empowered us to explore the world actively from a two-wheeled perspective, creating the opportunity to connect better and more deeply with the people and areas our guests are visiting. I really dont think theres anything else that compares to that feeling. This year, there are more ways than ever to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the bicycle with Backroads, including a trip from Berlin to Dresden, not far from Drais workshop in southern Germany, where the bike was invented. Backroads most popular US and international bike trips, along with the companys most challenging trips, family trips and leisurely bike tours are outlined below. New US Bike Trips in 2017 Hudson Valley Bike Tour Napa Valley Bike Tour Tucson & Sonoran Desert Bike Tour New International Bike Trips in 2017 Bermuda Bike Tour Czech Republic & Austria Bike Tour Munich to Salzburg Bike Tour Portugal Bike Tour Provence Bike Tour Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos Bike Tour Most Popular Family Bike Trips Loire Valley Bike Tour Pyrenees to Costa Brava Bike Tour Top Bike Trips for Cyclists Seeking Challenging Routes Canadian Rockies Bike Tour Mallorca Bike Tour Sicily Bike Tour Hawaii Bike Tour Best-Selling Bike Trips for Leisurely Riding Holland & Belgium Bike Tour Parma to Verona Bike Tour Puglia Bike Tour Stockholm to Copenhagen Bike Tour For more information on Backroads Bike Trips, visit. http://www.backroads.com or call 1-800-462-2848. All Backroads trips with biking now include complimentary custom bike jerseys designed for comfort and optimal functionality. Recognizing that there is still a practical need for human-powered transportation in the modern world, Backroads is also partnering with World Bicycle Relief to deliver the power of bikes to students, rural workers, healthcare providers, women, entrepreneurs and others in need throughout rural Africa. Our US bike shop donates our used bike components to the Bicycle Collective in Salt Lake City, Utah, each year. In the last two years, weve donated 2,000 tires, 800 group sets, 200 wheelsets and 155 saddles. ABOUT BACKROADS Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been in business for more than 38 years. The company hosts thousands of guests, 75% of whom are repeat guests or referrals from past guests, in hundreds of locations across the globe. Backroads is a founding member of the Adventure Collection. For more information, please visit http://www.backroads.com or call 800-462-2848 daily, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Pacific time. Left to right: G. Cruz-Beyer, First VP, Kearny Bank; E. Needham-Errico, LFANJ advocate; M. Smith, Director of Development, LFANJ, J. Errico, LFANJ advocate; C. Montanaro, President & CEO, Kearny Bank. The Kearny Bank Charitable Foundation proudly granted the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, a $7,500 check to help support its mission - enriching and improving the quality of life for individuals and families affected by lupus. The check was presented by Craig Montanaro, President & CEO of Kearny Bank and Grace Cruz-Beyer, First Vice President/PRM. "Lupus is a very complex disease. Fighting it requires public support, research, awareness and last but not least - generosity of our supporters," Monica Smith, Director of Development, Lupus Foundation of America, Northeast Region said. "Knowing first-hand the tragic aspect of this vicious disease and its effect on individuals and their families, we gladly joined the fight," Craig Montanaro, President & CEO of Kearny Bank added. The Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. is part of a national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus while providing caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Today, LFANJ provides services to more than 4,000 individuals a year. To learn more about LFANJ visit http://www.lupus.org/newjersey. The Kearny Bank Charitable Foundation is an arm of Kearny Bank. The foundations support is focused on community development and basic human needs. Kearny Bank, a federally-chartered stock savings bank, has supported the communities it serves since 1884. The Bank has assets of $ 4.8 billion and operates 42 full-service banking offices in Northern and Central New Jersey and Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York. Enclosed Photo (left to right): Grace Cruz-Beyer, First Vice President/PRM, Kearny Bank; Erica Needham-Errico, Lupus patient & LFANJ advocate; Monica Smith, Director of Development, Lupus Foundation of America, Northeast Region; James Errico, LFANJ advocate; Craig Montanaro, President & CEO, Kearny Bank. Deep Learning applied for histological lymphnode analysis is one of the next initiatives in cancer detection. We are very excited about our fast progress in deep learning over the past year and Visiopharm remains committed to investing a lot more in this technology, says Visiopharm CEO Michael Grunkin Real progress in this field requires a multi-disciplinary approach and therefore Visiopharm has established a broad multidisciplinary strategy to lead further development of Deep Learning in tissue pathology, within several important clinical and research applications. To support this strategy Visiopharm has established an International Consortium for Deep Learning in Tissue Pathology. The consortium involves Academic Medical Centers, Tissue Biobanks, Engineering Universities, Biopharmaceutical companies, and other industrial partners who all share this vision. We are very excited about our fast progress in deep learning over the past year and Visiopharm remains committed to investing a lot more in this technology. We are currently formalizing the consortium and we look forward to continued collaborations and sharing more details on this initiative soon, says Michael Grunkin, CEO of Visiopharm. Visiopharm co-supervises several Masters Students and sponsor/co-supervises industrial PhDs in collaboration with its partners in the consortium, including the Technical University of Denmark and DTU Compute, a department we have worked closely with for many years. Early results of this effort have come from Masters Student, Jeppe Thagaard who is doing his Thesis work on Deep Learning. We are very excited about these first results! Jeppe is only a few months into the project, and the Deep Learning algorithms developed on the Visiopharm software platform, were ranked 5th out of 23, with a marginal score difference to the winner of the CAMELYON17 competition, says CTO Johan Dore. We look forward to a continued collaboration with Jeppe after his Thesis work, and congratulate him on his focused efforts providing such impressive results after only a few months work, continues CTO Johan Dore. Visiopharm plans to make advantages of this new technology available to current users of the Oncotopix products for cancer research and diagnostics, but also to include it in new product brands on their way to market. The goal of the recent CAMELYON17 Deep Learning competition was to evaluate new and existing algorithms for automated detection and classification of breast cancer metastases in whole-slide images of histological lymph node sections, which are of high clinical relevance to pathologists. Full results and details of the CameLyon17 competition can be found at https://camelyon17.grand-challenge.org/results/. David Lawrence Jr. being honored with the Trish and Dan Bell Community Empowerment Award. On Saturday, April 22nd, Branches, a local non-profit dedicated to providing essential services and life-changing opportunities to low-income children, youth and families, celebrated its 14th Annual Black Tie & Blue Jeans Benefit Dinner and Auction at the JW Marriott Marquis. Over 460 guests attended and helped raise over $370,000 for Branches programs focused on long-term personal success. Branches benefit dinner was Co-Chaired by Dustin Symes of City National and Laurie Zapletal of BB&T, along with support from Philanthropic Chairs Trish and Dan Bell. The event kicked off with a cocktail reception and a silent auction, followed by dinner and dancing, as well as an appeal and an exciting live auction, led by Master of Ceremonies Mr. Calvin Hughes of WPLG Local 10 and Auctioneer and board member Mr. Scott Howard. The event also honored David Lawrence Jr. with the Trish and Dan Bell Community Empowerment Award for his long-time and dedicated support of our South Florida community. All proceeds from the appeal of that evening will support Branches Summer Shade Camp which will serve over 400 children and youth, and all donations will be doubled since they are matched dollar for dollar by a generous Challenge Grant provided by Trish and Dan Bell. Premiere and corporate sponsors of the event included Sandy and Rodney Bell, BB&T, City National, Betty Chapman and Dale Chapman Webb, Grossman Roth P.A., JP Morgan Chase, Crowe Horwath, LLP, The Medina Family Foundation, Missy & James Morgan, Wells Fargo and many others. For event videos and more details, please visit http://www.branchesfl.org/benefitdinner or contact Isabelle Pike at 305-442-8306 x1002 or ipike(at)branchesfl(dot)org Join The Israel Project TODAY at 10 a.m. EST as Middle East experts Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and Grant Rumley, Research Fellow at FDD, conduct an on-the-record conference call with journalists to analyze the first meeting of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Donald Trump. What: On-the-record conference call with Foundation for Defense of Democracies Jonathan Schanzer and Grant Rumley When: TODAY: Wednesday, May 3rd @ 10:00am EST Dial-in Instructions: US Dial-in: 1-866-710-0179 Outside US Dial-in: 1-334-323-7224 Passcode: 3067 This call is on-the-record. If you plan to call in, please RSVP to events(at)theisraelproject(dot)org with your questions. About the speakers: Since joining the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in February 2010, Dr. Jonathan Schanzer has been singularly focused on ensuring that FDD delivers not only accurate and timely research, but also research that is useful to decision makers inside the Beltway, across America, and around the world. Dr. Schanzer brings solid scholarship and public policy credentials to his job of overseeing FDD's research. He worked as a terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he played an integral role in the designation of numerous terrorist financiers. A former research fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Dr. Schanzer has studied Middle East history in four countries. He earned his Ph.D. from King's College London, where he wrote his dissertation on the U.S. Congress and its efforts to combat terrorism in the 20th century. Dr. Schanzer is part of the leadership team of FDDs Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance, which provides policy and subject matter expertise on the use of financial and economic power to the global policy community. http://www.defenddemocracy.org/about-fdd/team-overview/schanzer-jonathan/ Grant Rumley is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he focuses on Palestinian politics. Mr. Rumley has been published in leading international media outlets, including Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy, and contributed commentary to The New York Times, Reuters, and Newsweek. He is the author of the 2015 FDD report "The Race to Replace Mahmoud Abbas: Understanding and Shaping Palestinian Succession." Prior to joining FDD, Mr. Rumley was a visiting fellow at Mitvim, The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, where he authored, Back to Basics: The Evolution of the Palestinian UN Campaign. While in Jerusalem, Mr. Rumley also founded and edited The Jerusalem Review of Near East Affairs. Previously, Mr. Rumley served as a consultant in Washington on issues related to counter-terrorism, the Middle East, and war-gaming strategies. Mr. Rumley has an MA in Middle East Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a BA in International Relations from Michigan State University. In 2010, he studied Arabic at the University of Alexandria, Egypt, and from 2012-2013 was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. http://www.defenddemocracy.org/about-fdd/team-overview/grant-rumley/ The Israel Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization that provides factual information about Israel and the Middle East to the media, policymakers and the public. Visit http://www.theisraelproject.org for more information. Kemal Hawa of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Northern Virginia office will speak at the International Telecoms Week, May 17 at the Hyatt Regency & Swissotel in Chicago. Hawa will participate on the panel, Fireside Chat: Understanding How Politics and Regulation are Shaping the Carrier Market from 9:30 10:00 a.m. International Telecoms Week provides a unique opportunity to discuss challenges directly impacting the global wholesale telecoms today. The conference was established by a group of some of the largest telecoms carriers at the time. The aim of this founding group is to create an affordable and beneficial platform for the entire community to meet and conduct business which continues to be the main focus of the event. Hawa focuses his practice on corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on the telecommunications, media, and technology industries, domestically and internationally. He regularly advises public and private companies, private equity firms, investment banks, and creditors committees on a variety of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies and restructurings, investments, financing arrangements, licensing agreements, and commercial transactions. He assists clients with the negotiation of transactions in the cloud computing space, including the negotiation of data center and co-location leases, globally. Hawa also has significant experience in the negotiation of network infrastructure transactions, including submarine cable systems (builds, financings, and capacity procurement), as well as terrestrial fiber optic network transactions. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the second largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2016, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. The overall feeling and feedback we got from customers last year was a strong sense of unity and collaboration. We want to recapture that feeling and build upon it. eFORCE Software will be hosting its 2017 Users Conference, September 18-21 in Logan, Utah, home to the companys headquarters. Last years conference was a big success, and were hoping to make this year even better, said Brandon Taylor, Marketing Manager at eFORCE. Attendees will be introduced to the newest features in our software, receive expert training, experience inspirational speakers and participate in valuable networking activities. The theme for this years conference is Welcome Home. The overall feeling and feedback we got from customers last year was a strong sense of unity and collaboration, said Cory Bowers, eFORCE CEO. In fact, we even had people comment on how much they felt like part of a family, or a tight-knit group of friends. We want to recapture that feeling and build upon it. Being an eFORCE customer really is like being part of a family that helps each other succeed. One customer said the following, after attending the 2016 Users Conference, The conference was a great way to meet other users and share ideas. It seems like the team went all out to make sure that it was enjoyable as well as a great learning arena. I would definitely recommend it to all users, new and old. Attendees will have two and a half days of training and instruction, including large group meetings, breakout sessions, roundtables, question and answer sessions and hands-on work. They will learn how to optimize the use of their eFORCE solutions and how to implement valuable changes to their daily processes. The results will help simplify their routine workloads and increase the efficiency of their agencies. Lincoln County, Wyoming Sheriffs Office has been an eFORCE customer since 2009. We switched over to eFORCE from our previous RMS system due to the need for our officers to be mobile, said Maryanne Christensen, Records Administrator. The multiple benefits of our agency switching are program administration, mobility, UCR validation, user-friendly, ease of training new users, and interoperability between systems. This years conference will address some of those specific benefits. Courses will include instruction on new features to the software, computer-aided dispatch (CAD), records management software (RMS), jail management software (JMS), the iOS eFORCE mobile app, ad hoc reporting, how to find funding for new or updated software, e-Citations and more. Headlining the conference will be keynote speaker Tim Ballard, Founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad. Ballard has spent over a decade working as a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security where he was assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and deployed as an undercover operative for the U.S. Child Sex Tourism Jump Team. He has worked undercover in the United States and in multiple foreign countries to infiltrate child trafficking organizations, and has successfully dismantled dozens of these organizations and rescued countless children from sex slavery. In reference to the mission he has undertaken, Ballard said, Its funny, because we all read history and we think, Oh, I would have risen up, I would have fought, I would have been an abolitionist,' And I tell them, No, you wouldnt have. If you would have, youd be doing that right now. You know trafficking exists, youve heard of it, but you dont want to look. Ballard has also been featured on many national news outlets to discuss his efforts to combat child trafficking. He has appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, The Meredith Vieira Show, CBS Nightly News, ABC Nightline, CNN Headline News, MSNBC, The Glenn Beck Program, as well as many local news shows. Were excited for Tim Ballard to be our keynote speaker this year, said Bowers. Hes made such a profound impact on so many lives. It truly is a privilege for us to have him share his experience and passion with the eFORCE community. About eFORCE Software eFORCE Software is a tenured public safety software provider that offers flexible, state-of-the art, web-based solutions in a hosted or locally installed environment. Hundreds of customers enjoy the benefits of eFORCEs proven, leading-edge technologies, which range from small hosted campus police departments to an entire country. For additional information, visit https://www.eforcesoftware.com. Lynx Technology Partners (Lynx), one of Inc. Magazines fastest-growing private companies and ranked among the top US security companies for consecutive years, proudly announces several new hires as it ramps up to support the growth of its services business and the latest release of Lynx Risk Manager, its flagship IT GRC platform. We feel very fortunate that our hard work and dedication to our customers success has led to this opportunity to add expertise to the Lynx team, said Gina Mahin, CEO of Lynx Technology Partners, Inc. We view this growth as a sign of our commitment to being a leading information security and risk management solution provider. The increasing demand for our expert-driven programs and innovative IT GRC platform requires that we add to our team that includes over 30 years of practical experience and ensures that Lynx customers and partners trust Lynx to help solve their toughest problems. The new hires joining the Lynx team include: Colin Bastable, Chief Revenue Officer Colin has extensive experience in building global business in the IT Security industry. Equally adept at launching startups and growing established teams, Colin combines a high-energy, motivational style of leadership with a firm focus on performance metrics. Colins expertise includes developing global sales and support organizations capable of dominating their markets. Patrick Bright, Sales Engineer Patrick has more than 17 years of experience as an information technology professional. Prior to Lynx, he was a senior sales engineer at Thales eSecurity. Patricks focus will be assessing the needs of customers, prospects, and partners and engineering solutions to meet their requirements. Angela Dogan, Director, Vendor Risk & Compliance Services Angela has spent the last 14 years working in the financial services industry. She has a vast array of knowledge in information security, vendor risk management, and executive level client relations. Her expertise is in implementation and execution of third-party risk management programs. Chad Minsky, Territory Sales Manager Chad has several years of experience in technology sales, including his most recent role as an account executive for Digital Pharmacist, Inc. He will oversee a specific geographic area for Lynx, acting as a liaison with Lynxs customers and prospects. Cynthia Walker, Manager, Talent Acquisition Cynthia is a seasoned customer service representative who has spent the last four years in recruiting, working most recently in human resources for Violas Managing Group & Three Rivers Youth. Cynthia will leverage Lynxs worldwide professional network to strategically connect Lynx customers and partners with top IT talent that can support their unique business needs. About Lynx Technology Partners, Inc. Lynx Technology Partners is the trusted Information Security and Risk Management Advisor that customers in highly-regulated industries worldwide depend on to improve security posture, facilitate compliance, reduce risk, and refine operational efficiency. With world-class skills and knowledge capital built over 30 years, Lynx security experts help customers recognize and control IT-related risks and maintain compliance with major industry and government standards. Through consulting, security and risk assessments, penetration testing, managed security services, and an award-winning GRC solution, Lynx supports many critical projects for security-conscious leaders in Financial Services, Federal, Energy, Healthcare, State Government, and Higher Education. For more information, please visit LynxGRC.com. CONTACT: Doug Yarabinetz dyarabinetz(at)lynxtp.com 800-314-0455- Recognition as a Best Place to Work is special because the hardest part of building any company and sustaining it is always culture, and its driven by our team, said Seth Lieberman, founder and CEO of SnapApp. SnapApp, provider of the leading SaaS platform used by B2B marketers to create, publish, manage and measure interactive content, today announced that it has been named to the Boston Business Journals (BBJ) 2017 Best Places to Work list. Honorees for the award are selected based on the results of an employee survey, evaluating company communications and resources, individual needs, manager effectiveness, personal engagement, team dynamics and trust in leadership. Recognition as a Best Place to Work is special because the hardest part of building any company and sustaining it is always culture, and its driven by our team, said Seth Lieberman, founder and CEO of SnapApp. So, when our team says this culture and company are among the best in Boston, that really is meaningful. In its 15th year, the Boston Business Journals Best Places to Work awards program honors companies among five different categories extra small (20 to 49 employees), small (50 to 99 employees), medium (100 to 249 employees), large (250 to 999 employees) and extra-large (1,000 employees and over). The BBJ's Best Places to Work awards program is one of our most competitive programs in terms of how many companies participate each year," said Carolyn M. Jones, the Boston Business Journal Market president and publisher. "This year, well over 350 companies submitted surveys and once again we are extremely excited to be able to recognize these employers that clearly value their employees and go the extra mile to create great workplaces." For employment opportunities and to learn more about SnapApps unique workplace, visit https://www.snapapp.com/careers. About SnapApp SnapApp empowers marketers to create personalized interactive experiences that activate buyers, accelerate leads through the funnel and unleash growth. SnapApps interactive content marketing platform features a simple, drag-and-drop interface, meaning you dont need to be a designer or developer to create a wide variety of content types across multiple channels. Additionally, robust integrations into top marketing automation tools enable marketers to collect information that improves marketing efforts and accelerates leads through the funnel. Backed by Providence Equity Partners, SnapApp customers include Paycor, Cisco, CEB, Blackbaud and Equifax. Visit SnapApp on the web at http://www.snapapp.com and follow on Twitter @Snap_App. Now MHVillage advertisers can get back to prospects more quickly than ever, and have a better chance of qualifying and closing the lead MHVillage, the nations number one website for buying, selling, and renting mobile and manufactured homes, will introduce a new text notification feature, MHVfastLead, at the annual MHI Congress and Expo in Las Vegas, held May 2-4 at Caesars Palace. MHVfastLead allows MHVillage.com professional account holders to receive a text message when there is a new sales lead from the site, allowing industry professionals the opportunity for a more immediate response than alerts sent via email, particularly when they are out in a community. Professional account holders can enroll in the program with a simple change of settings within their account dashboard. Days of the week and hours of each day can be designated for receipt of text messages on sales leads from the site. Email lead notifications will continue uninterrupted regardless of participation in the MHVfastLead program. Leads received via text will provide the advertiser with an alert that includes the date and time of the inquiry, the name of the interested person and a reminder link for location and details on the home being considered. Now MHVillage advertisers can get back to prospects more quickly than ever, and have a better chance of qualifying and closing the lead, MHVillage Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development Darren Krolewski said. We developed this feature for our website because we understand the value of getting a sales lead notification and response in the shortest possible time. The odds of making a successful contact with a lead are 100 times greater when a contact attempt occurs within 5 minutes, compared to 30 minutes after the lead was submitted, according to leading academic and sales research. Similarly, the odds of the lead entering the sales process, or becoming qualified, are 21 times greater when contacted within 5 minutes versus 30 minutes after the lead was submitted, the report states. The same body of research shows that approximately 43 percent of sales go to the sales professional who was first to respond, and that the odds of a call resulting in a contact with a lead decreases by 10 times within the first hour following lead notification. MHVillage.com is the largest and most active online marketplace for manufactured homes with listings for more than 28,000 homes, 37,000 communities, and 2,900 retailers nationwide. More than 20 million consumers annually begin their home search at MHVillage.com. In addition to the new text notification feature, MHVillage will showcase its robust lead generation platform, unparalleled traffic generation capability and custom-tailored advertising solutions. MHVillage is uniquely capable of helping manufactured housing professionals gain more business online. MHI and its Congress and Expo work toward representing all aspects of the factory-built housing industry, serving its membership by providing industry research, promotion, education, and government relations by building and facilitating consensus. The 2017 expo takes place May 2-4 at Caesars Palace, and draws industry leaders nationwide for seminars, workshops and networking opportunities. MHVillage will greet visitors at booth 513 in the exhibit hall. About MHVillage Based in Grand Rapids, Mich., MHVillage Inc. is the nations premier online marketplace for mobile homes for sale and rent. Since its inception in 2004, MHVillage has grown to become the number one consumer website for the manufactured housing industry with more than 20 million unique visitors annually. In 2016, more than 78,000 homes were sold on MHVillage with a combined transaction value exceeding $2.5 billion. About MHI The Manufactured Housing Institute is the only national trade organization representing the factory-built housing industry. Its members come from all sectors of the manufactured and modular housing industries and include builders, lenders, home retailers, community owners and managers, suppliers, 50 affiliated state organizations and others associated with the industry. Contact Information: Darren Krolewski MHVillage Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development http://www.MHVillage.com (800) 588-5426 Ellen Trytek, Wipfli's Executive Marketing and Development Officer Having led global marketing efforts at two top national professional services firms, Ellen's extensive experience in branding, communications and business development will be invaluable in helping the firm continue to grow its market presence. Wipfli LLP (Wipfli), one of the top 25 accounting and consulting firms in the United States, recently named Ellen Trytek to the firms Executive Marketing and Development Officer position. Trytek is a veteran marketing executive with extensive experience creating and delivering business and marketing strategies designed to drive profitable growth and revenue creation for professional services, consulting and business-to-business service industries. In this position, Trytek will lead the firms marketing team in the development and execution of the firms integrated branding and marketing strategies and initiatives. We are pleased to welcome Ellen to the firm. Having led global marketing efforts at two top national professional services firms, her extensive experience in branding, communications and business development will be invaluable in helping the firm continue to grow its market presence, said Rick Dreher, Wipflis managing partner. Trytek has led the marketing functions for several national professional services firms through a number of leadership positions, including positions as chief marketing officer of the national law firm Drinker, Biddle & Reath and chief marketing officer of the national accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen. With over 30 years of experience, she has deep experience in a number of strategic areas including marketing, communications, public relations and business development strategy. In addition to her career experience, Trytek is an active member of the community. She is a board member and head of the corporate committee for the Southeastern Chapter of American Red Cross. She is also a board member for Tempo, a womens networking and mentoring group, and the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin. Trytek holds a master of science degree in marketing from Northwestern University and a bachelor of arts degree in advertising from Marquette University from which she graduated cum laude. About Wipfli LLP With more than 1,800 associates in 44 offices across the United States and India, Wipfli ranks among the top 25 CPA and business consulting firms in the nation. For over 87 years, Wipfli has provided private and publicly held companies with industry-focused assurance, accounting, tax and consulting services to help clients overcome their business challenges today and plan for tomorrow. The firms clients include manufacturing companies, financial institutions, health care organizations, construction companies, real estate companies, insurance companies, nonprofit organizations, units of government, agricultural businesses, dealerships and individuals. Through the firms membership in Allinial Global, Wipfli can draw upon the resources of firms from around the world, helping businesses whenever and wherever they need it. For more information, visit wipfli.com. A Helena Pre-release Center inmate who went missing around 6 p.m. Tuesday was apprehended by police without incident about two hours later, authorities reported. Nathan Keith Washington, 22, was serving time for charges of drug distribution on or near school property, theft, burglary and criminal mischief out of Hill County. Washington was the third walkaway from the Colleen Street facility in the last two weeks. Another walkaway who fled the center on April 21 remains on the run. Yancy Lee McCrea, 30, did not return to the facility after leaving work. McCrea is described as a 5-foot-9, 260-pound Native American man with black hair and brown eyes. He has sleeve tattoos on both arms, in addition to tattoos on his chest, left calf, right leg, face and neck. McCreas criminal record includes convictions of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Anyone with information about his location is encouraged to notify local law enforcement. The Helena Police Department can be reached at 406-422-3233. The third walkaway, 27-year-old Joshua Little Bird, was apprehended last week in Butte. Little Bird was convicted in 2010 of punching a woman in the face with a chain in Billings. Acting on a tip, Butte police found him sitting in a chair in the entrance to St. James Healthcare and arrested him without incident. What impresses me most about Mobile Cashier is the control it puts back in the customer's hands. These days everyone is so pressed for time that every moment counts. VenueVision (http://www.venuevision.com), which provides high-impact, real-time digital media solutions to automotive dealerships, has just launched its latest mobile innovation, Mobile Cashier, at Key West Ford and Kia West in British Columbia. Serving the New Westminster area, Key West Ford (https://keywestford.com) is the #1 new and used Ford dealer in British Columbia. Kia West (http://www.kiawest.com), serving Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam and surrounding Lower Mainland is the #1 volume Kia dealership in Western Canada. Mobile Cashier (http://www3.venuevision.com/automotive-solutions/mobile-cashier) is an express e-payment solution that sends dealer-branded notifications to customers when their repairs are done and lets customers review their service invoice and pay directly from their mobile device or PC, resulting in faster checkout at the dealership. Mobile Cashier boosts convenience, reduces the 5:00pm rush and speeds up the pick-up process dramatically; allowing dealership staff more time with customers to review work completed and make recommendations for future repairs. Andrea Backman Galasso, Dealer Principal at Key West Ford, says What impresses me most about Mobile Cashier is the control it puts back in the customer's hands. These days everyone is so pressed for time that every moment counts. From the customer's perspective, 10 minutes saved getting the service invoice amount and getting it paid is 10 minutes put back into their day, put back into their control. I also like that the customers now have a preview of the amount, so if they have any questions they can call or email before arriving for pick up, once again saving the customer time. "We are very happy with the launch of Mobile Cashier, says Dan Northcote. Kia Wests Fixed Operations Manager. Our service advisors are excited by the product because it takes very little extra work on their part and offers our customers an added convenience that they can't get anywhere else. As a service manager I am happy with how much it will improve evening pick-ups and enhance the customer communication flow." We launched Mobile Cashier late last year and the response has been phenomenal, says Dave Hooper, President of VenueVision. Dealers love it because its an innovative way to improve the customer experience. Dealerships like Key West Ford and Kia West who stay ahead of the curve to provide the best customer experience are far more likely to succeed in the competitive automotive marketplace. The new express e-payment solution is designed with customer ease-of-use top of mind. From the dealership's perspective, I really am impressed with the level of automation and how much information is prepopulated in the forms giving very little room for error, added Backman Galasso. Backman Galasso says that at Key West Ford, Mobile Cashier helps with increasing staff efficiency: With our large volume of relatively standard maintenance repair orders, the automated billing and payment process takes steps off of our service advisors hands, freeing up time for other customer interaction. While it is just one step in the service process, it is one that blends well into our goal of making our customer's service experiences as easy and transparent as possible. Honestly, it is hard to believe that this isn't something we've been doing for years! And Mobile Cashier isnt just for the service department; every part of the dealership can take advantage of the easy e-payment capabilities. Parts departments can use PAY BY TEXT to allow customers to pay invoices and take the pain out of parts deposits. Sales departments can use DEPOSITS BY TEXT to collect new and used vehicle deposits faster. Even Accounting can do A/R BY TEXT to speed up receivables collection. ### About VenueVision Media Systems: VenueVisions industry-leading expertise and technology transforms automotive dealerships into modern Digital Dealers, providing a premium customer experience that drives loyalty and retention. VenueVision enables dealerships to deliver high-impact, time sensitive information on customer-facing screens, video walls, kiosks and mobile devices with real-time snapshots from DMS, CRM and other third-party sources. COMPUTEX TAIPEI offers Smith the opportunity to engage with current and potential customers and some of the industrys biggest players, all while surveying emerging technologies and trends. Smith, a global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces its upcoming exhibition at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2017, a leading global electronics event. The company will showcase its capabilities for sourcing and managing inventory for OEMs, ODMs, and EMS providers in the evolving global electronics market. Smith representatives will be on-hand in booth I0204 to demonstrate the companys broad range of customizable service and inventory management options that are designed to adapt to varying needs and business models. Smiths COMPUTEX team will also highlight the companys capabilities for sourcing support and quality assurance. COMPUTEX TAIPEI offers Smith the opportunity to engage with current and potential customers and some of the industrys biggest players, all while surveying emerging technologies and trends, said Margo Evans, Smith's Vice President of Marketing. We look forward to the chance to share how we can empower customers to achieve their unique goals. To attend the show, please visit the COMPUTEX TAIPEI registration page. WHAT: COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2017 WHEN: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 - Saturday, June 3, 2017 WHERE: Smith Exhibition Showcase Booth I0204 in the Components & Parts Area Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 No. 1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang District, Taipei City 11568, Taiwan (R.O.C.) About Smith Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 15 cities around the world, from Silicon Valley to Seoul, Smiths 500 employees communicate in 36 different languages and buy and sell components 24 hours per day. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. With testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam, Smiths processes focus on critical issues, from quality management to counterfeit prevention and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, Saleschain, offering real-time inventory and logistics visibility anywhere in the world. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number 13 among all global distributors. Smiths Intelligent Distribution model adapts to ever-changing demands by providing seamless global electronics sourcing and logistics, regardless of distribution channel or locale. For more information, please visit http://www.smithweb.com, or, to reach a Smith representative 24 hours a day, please call +1 713.430.3000. ### For more information, contact: Margo Evans Smith, VP of Marketing +1 713.430.3966 mevans(at)nfsmith(dot)com "Cause Selling The Sanford Way" is based on the vision of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford and offers approaches developed through the founding Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University. The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University is pleased to announce the launch of an affiliated Institute at City University of Seattle that will help nonprofits increase their fundraising capabilities and positive impact in Washington State. The addition marks the ongoing expansion of a nationwide network of Institutes that are led by the founding Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University to offer curricula for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers based on the vision of philanthropist and entrepreneur T. Denny Sanford. The approaches are presented by recognized nonprofit leaders, members of academia, and renowned philanthropists. Through the arrangement, the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at City University of Seattle has access to educational resources and content developed through the founding Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University. The founding Institute, which was launched in 2014, is based out of the private, nonprofit National University, which is the anchor institution of the National University System that also includes City University of Seattle. A foundational element of each Institute is the Cause Selling approach, which blends the passion of philanthropy with an emphasis on proven business and sales principles to support the work of frontline nonprofit fundraisers. Other affiliated Institutes have opened at John F. Kennedy University, which is part of the National University System and serves the San Francisco Bay Area; Augustana University; Bellevue University; and Long Island University. When an organizations fundraising capabilities improve, the impact they have in the community grows, said Libbie Stellas, Director of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at City University of Seattle. Together we can enable nonprofits to make the world a better place. Dr. Lena Rodriguez, Endowed Director of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University, said: We are very pleased to celebrate the launch of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at City University of Seattle, which will strengthen the philanthropic culture in the region they serve and build the capacity of nonprofit leaders. The vision of Mr. Sanford is to make the world a better place, and through the work of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy we create stronger communities through more sustainable and impactful nonprofits. City University of Seattle has a long history of partnering with local businesses to deliver education and training opportunities, and looks forward to providing new professional development and fundraising resources to the nonprofit community. Faculty who teach as part of the City University of Seattle Master of Arts in Leadership with Nonprofit Leadership Emphasis program will be in a position to support the Institutes efforts and serve as a resource for nonprofit leaders as well. The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at City University of Seattle will serve as a resource for nonprofit organizations in Washington to help increase their fundraising capabilities and strengthen their community impact. The core approaches of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy network are based on Mr. Sanfords own interactions with hundreds of nonprofits and foundations, and his desire to offer fundraisers access to proven approaches that more effectively convey their causes. The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University has overseen the development of a one-of-its kind textbook, Cause Selling: The Sanford Way, which is based on the vision of Mr. Sanford and outlines in detail how the cause selling approach can strengthen fundraising effectiveness through business and sales principles that incorporate communication skills, basic psychology, research, strategy and data analysis. The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University has also developed more than 30 educational content modules that focus on Cause Selling and related topics of donor relations, planned giving, and social media/marketing for nonprofits. The modules are available online for affiliated Institutes to develop workshops and seminars in coordination with nonprofit leaders, members of academia and renowned philanthropists who bring their own professional and regional perspective to the content. More than 12,000 nonprofit leaders have benefitted from the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University programs, which include seminars and lectures and webinars. The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University also meets standards of excellence as outlined by Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) International and has been approved by the nonprofit certification organization as a Continuing Education Provider. For more information about the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at City University of Seattle:http://www.cityu.edu/sanford-philanthropy/ About the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University The Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University is leading a national initiative dedicated to strengthening the impact of nonprofits through fundraising-focused educational programs that are presented by recognized nonprofit leaders, members of academia and renowned philanthropists. Based on the vision of philanthropist and entrepreneur T. Denny Sanford, the founding Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University was launched in 2014 to develop curriculum that is now being shared with affiliated Institutes around the country. To learn more about the movement led by the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University: http://sanfordeducationprograms.org/instituteofphilanthropy.cfm The great strength of Balboa Park lies in the sheer number of cultural organizations within it. Balboa Park has been selected as a semi-finalist for the California Cultural Districts pilot program. The California Cultural Districts program, administered by the California Arts Council, aims to assist Californians in leveraging the states assets in the areas of culture, creativity, and diversity. Selected Districts are intended to be a well-rounded group of communities that are diverse in make-up, geography, and purpose. The California Arts Council met last week in Sacramento to assess all submissions to the pilot program. It was a very competitive pool of applicants, and the panels evaluation of Balboa Park Cultural District resulted in semi-finalist status being granted to the district, wrote Caitlin Fitzwater, the Director of Public Affairs and Interim Program Coordinator of the California Cultural Districts program. Balboa Park Cultural Partnership is the lead agency of the application in a team that includes Balboa Park Conservancy, the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department, and the San Diego Tourism Authority. The great strength of Balboa Park lies in the sheer number of cultural organizations within itmuseums, performing arts venues, youth-focused organizations, and working artists, said Peter Comiskey, Executive Director of Balboa Park Cultural Partnership. All these assets are in close proximity and provide a variety of interactive opportunities for visitors. Balboa Park is a perfect match for this pilot project, said Tomas Herrera-Mishler, Executive Director and CEO of the Balboa Park Conservancy. This unique landscape of arts and culture in the heart of an urban park is an incredible resource for our community and an asset to our economy. The first phase of the application involved an overall historic, cultural, and developmental assessment of each district. The next step is a site visit conducted by California Arts Council staff. Balboa Park Cultural Districts site visit date is May 10. The applicants believe that the designation will assist Balboa Park in branding its assets, creating further recognition, and firmly putting it on the cultural map of California. San Diego Tourism has long been a strong collaborator with Balboa Park and plans to strengthen this partnership even further, said Joseph Terzi, President & CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. The California Cultural District designation will solidify Balboa Park as one of Americas top-tier cultural players, increasingly strengthening the Parks clout and credibility. San Diego Park & Recreation Department manages and maintains the Park and collaborates with the Balboa Park Conservancy to present free community events such as December Nights. Herman D. Parker, Director of San Diego Park & Recreation Department, said, Balboa Park is where our region comes to enjoy music, theater, art, history, science, and technology. Being formally recognized would make clear the significance of all that has been accomplished in the Park. Through a century at the heart of San Diego, Balboa Park has become a focal point for our regions arts and culture programs, providing dynamic opportunities to not only appreciate art, but foster the creative spirit and passion for the arts in all of our diverse communities, said San Diego Councilmember Chris Ward, who represents Balboa Park. To be selected as a semi-finalist for one of the first California Cultural Districts is an honor in itself, and we hope to build on this to demonstrate the special nature of our Park and its place among Californias most precious cultural assets. A list of California Cultural District semi-finalists can be viewed here: https://www.caculturaldistricts.org/semifinalists ABOUT BALBOA PARK CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP Balboa Park Cultural Partnership is a nonprofit organization through which 30 arts, science, and cultural institutions in Balboa Park collaborate to achieve shared goals. By helping these groups achieve greater organizational efficiency, innovation and excellence, it seeks to contribute to the vitality and sustainability of Balboa Park. For more information visit http://www.bpcp.org. ABOUT BALBOA PARK CONSERVANCY Balboa Park Conservancy is a public benefit, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing San Diegos Balboa Park for future generations. Formed in 2010, the Conservancy is responsible for raising funds, developing publicprivate partnerships, and collaborating with Balboa Park stakeholders to implement capital projects and address deferred maintenance needs in the Park. The Conservancy, through partnership with the City, facilitates the identification and prioritization of projects for the Park and brings resources together to ensure implementation. For more information visit balboaparkconservancy.org. # # # IRIS UAS program director Paige Cutland uses the IRIS UAS airspace situational awareness application to monitor the progress of a drone on a BVLOS mission from a portable ground control station. We believe providing a certifiable airspace display application will dramatically increase the safety of unmanned flight operations wherever its in use. Kongsberg Geospatial, an Ottawa-based developer of real-time geospatial visualization software, announced today that the IRIS UAS Airspace Situational Awareness application will be offered as a certifiable application to meet the requirements of the DO-278A Assurance standard for Air Traffic Management systems. By anticipating the regulatory requirements for the airspace visualization with Unmanned Traffic Management or UTM, the IRIS application will be a regulatory approved component increasing the safety of commercial drone flight operations especially when operating beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS). Kongsberg Geospatial has been providing software design assurance to meet the certification requirements for real-time geospatial and spatial awareness technology to support air traffic management, air defense applications, and unmanned systems for nearly three decades. Their IRIS UAS situational awareness application had its genesis in supporting military UAV flight operations, and was developed to help operators safely pilot UAVs in BVLOS operations as well as for regional airspace UTM managers to monitor the operations of multiple drones simultaneously. The DO-278A standard (Guidelines For Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Systems Software Integrity Assurance) is the primary standard used by certification authorities such as FAA, EASA and Transport Canada to provide the assurance of software contained in non-airborne CNS/ATM systems. Unmanned systems manufacturers that build ground control stations for commercial drone systems, and airports and port authorities that create airspace control systems are anticipated to have to meet this standard when designing and building new systems. By developing an airspace awareness application that satisfies this standard, Kongsberg Geospatial has provided a key component for Unmanned Systems manufacturers, airport operators, and port authorities that wish to develop ground-based monitoring systems that are safe and certifiable for commercial operations. Unmanned Traffic Management and safe airspace operations will require certification of technology, said Ranald McGillis, President of Kongsberg Geospatial. We believe providing a certifiable airspace display application will dramatically increase the safety of unmanned flight operations wherever its in use. Kongsberg Geospatial will be demonstrating the IRIS airspace situational awareness application at the AUVSI Xponential symposium May 8-11 in Dallas, TX in booth #1135. ENDS ### About Kongsberg Geospatial: Based in Ottawa, Canada, Kongsberg Geospatial (https://www.kongsberggeospatial.com) creates precision real-time software for mapping, geospatial visualization, and situational awareness. The Companys products are primarily deployed in solutions for air-traffic control, Command and Control, and air defense. Over nearly three decades of providing dependable performance under extreme conditions, Kongsberg Geospatial has become the leading geospatial technology provider for mission-critical applications where lives are on the line. Kongsberg Geospatial is a subsidiary of Kongsberg Defence Systems. Media contact: 1-800-267-2626 or reach us by email at the address shown on this release. Edmonton is a small market but an increasingly loyal one that grows through continuity." Anna Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo May 1st becomes Vinitaly Day in Edmonton, Canada Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton, Canada proclaimed May 1st, as Vinitaly Day, on the first day of Vinitaly Canada - Edmonton during Northern Lands, the most important Food and Wine festival in the country. This marks a beginning of a long lasting relationship between Vinitaly International and Edmonton, the growing gastronomic capital of Alberta, Canada. Edmonton is home to a thriving food culture, exemplified by our bustling farmers markets, great local producers and array of incredible restaurants and craft breweries. The presentation of Vinitaly Canada in Edmonton, serving the best Italian wine, will help attendees learn more about Italys culinary culture and the significance of wine and food to this countrys history and economy, states Mayor Iveson. Your passion for food and drink will help to enhance the citys reputation as an innovative and enterprising culinary centre. After an introduction by Bhatia Gurvinder, director of the Northern Lands Festival, Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International received the proclamation from councillor Ben Henderson of Edmonton City Council. The proclamation recites, Whereas, Italy is the worlds top maker of wine, producing more than 50 million hl of wine each year; and whereas, Vinitaly is the worlds largest wine show, attracting thousands of visitors to Verona each year; and whereas, Vinitalys Edmonton program will include trade and consumer tasting featuring 42 Italian wineries; and whereas, this event will help to strengthen Edmontons reputation as a thriving cultural and culinary centre, therefore I, Mayor Don Ivenson hereby reclaim May1, 2017 Vinitaly Day in Edmonton. I was definitely not expecting this, comments Kim, delighted. In fact, if you'd asked me a few years ago if we'd showcase in Edmonton it would've been unlikely. It is because of the interest from the 42 wineries from all over Italy showcasing today. The excitement around Vinitaly Edmonton has been encouraging. And to have Vinitaly Day declared by the Mayor is such an honor, especially on May 1st, which is both an Italian and an international HolidayLabor Daycelebrating workers. So it is really Gurvinder's fault as he is truly our workaholic Italian Wine Expert behind Vinitaly Edmonton. Gurvinder, an Italian Wine Expert certified by the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) responds, It is no secret that I have a soft spot for Italy and its great variety of wines. Edmonton is the smallest market in which Vinitaly has ever conducted its international traveling show, and therefore I am truly grateful for the presence of Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International, and Ian DAgata, Scientific Director of VIA, and all the 42 wineries from all across Italy that participated. Anna Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo highlights the loyal community of Edmonton: Edmonton is a small market but an increasingly loyal one that grows through continuity. We have been coming here for 5 consecutive years and I would say our success is due to the fact that we continue to come. Today, I saw a lot of people that I have met before, who have our wines in their restaurants, and who have also come to Barolo. Compared to other markets, people here stick with you. Just like all small countries that are less busy, when they know you personally, they grow fond of you and follow you. It is a form of loyalty that continues on. Northern Lands, for the first time, presented Italy as the featured country, and dedicated the 2nd and 3rd of May entirely to Vinitaly Canada - Edmonton. The festival featured comparative tastings with 42 wineries and VIA Executive Seminars led not only by Dr. DAgata, but also by VIA certified Italian Wine Experts Michaela Morris, and Italian Wine Ambassadors Levi Dalton, William Predhomme and so on. As beer loses its market share, Canada is one of the fastest growing markets for Italian wine. With a strong interest in wines, there is no doubt that it will soon become one of the most important markets around the world, as Vinitaly International strives to build a bridge between Italian producers and the potential Canadian consumers. About: Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 51th edition Vinitaly counted more than 4,270 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 128,000 visitors from 142 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers (up by 8%). The next edition of the fair will take place on 15 - 18 April 2018. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.operawine.it) Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, will unite international wine professionals on April 14th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the third edition of its Certification Course and today counts 79 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 7 Italian Wine Experts. Our solution goes well beyond CRM, allowing banks and credit unions to manage tasks, automate marketing, track goals and incentives, and get insight into customer profitability. Nashville, Tenn.-based 360 View, a provider of relationship management technology solutions for financial institutions, is launching a major upgrade to their offering. The companys platform which was created by bankers, for bankers in 2001 was born out of experiencing customers frustration for existing, inadequate tools, and resulted in an application that would bring together all of the tools banks and credit unions need to maximize their teams performance. 360 View - The Growth Platform boasts a significant increase in flexibility, offering a wide range of customizations and robust integrations, along with a subscription model to accommodate smaller teams. Our solution goes well beyond CRM, allowing banks and credit unions to manage tasks, automate marketing, track goals and incentives, and get insight into customer profitability all while providing richer relational experiences that respond to individual customer needs, said 360 Views Co-Founder, Chris Green. The new release is the culmination of client input, advanced technology enhancements, and insight from our research on the best tools to empower optimized, person-centered customer experiences. 360 Views functionality includes: The ability to manage all contacts, from customers and prospects to employees and vendors. The flexibility to build custom workflows for any activity, including creating and tracking pipelines and referrals, managing and resolving service requests according to specific standards of the organization, and more. Marketing automation to allow for ease of mining customer data, creating lead lists, automating onboarding, and tailoring campaign creation. The opportunity to build customized goals and incentives programs to amplify the strengths of teams. Custom dashboards that give employees a look at customer data most important to them, including daily checks on progress toward goals and future payouts. Google and Facebook have raised the bar for user expectations especially among Millennials, said Green. The standards are changing fast and we are working hard to equip the banking industry with the tools they need to meet the demands of this generation. 360 Views latest white paper, Growing Local Banks in the Millennial Market, takes a deep dive into how local community banks can respond to this generation of brand loyal, digital natives that expect convenience and sophisticated tools. To learn more, download the full white paper at http://go.360view.com/growing-local-banks-in-the-millennial-markets. To learn more about 360 View The Growth Platform, contact David Acevedo, senior vice president, national sales director at dacevedo(at)360view(dot)com. Link to media resources: https://www.360view.com/media-kit/ About 360 View Founded in 2001, Nashville, Tenn.-based 360 View has more than 15 years of experience serving the financial industry. Created by bankers for bankers, 360 View brings together multiple solutions under one comprehensive tool, 360 View The Growth Platform. It empowers banks and credit unions to harness personalized customer data, allowing the right products to be recommended at the right time. More than a CRM, 360 View allows financial institutions to manage tasks, track goals and incentives, and get insight into profitability, all while providing richer relational experiences that are personalized to every customers unique needs. For more information, visit 360view.com. A strong understanding of PKI methodologies and best practices is an important part of a well-rounded cybersecurity training program, so were excited to have one of the leading PKI experts provide in-depth training to three PDX Cyber Camp 2017 students. The PDX Cyber Camp, a non-profit cybersecurity education program for high school students sponsored by Pacific Star Communications Inc. (PacStar), announced today that PKI Solutions Inc. will award $15,000 in scholarships for in-depth Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) training to three students from this years cybersecurity summer camp. PDX Cyber Camp 2017, to be held during the week of July 17 to July 21, is designed to give students hands-on, introductory experience to cybersecurity principles and policies. These new scholarships, valued at $5,000 each, will pay for three motivated students to attend an intensive, week-long PKI training course later in the summer so they can continue their cybersecurity education with additional hands-on training provided by a leading expert in this field. A strong understanding of PKI methodologies and best practices is an important part of a well-rounded cybersecurity training program, so were excited to have one of the leading PKI experts provide in-depth training to three deserving PDX Cyber Camp 2017 students, said Charlie Kawasaki, chief technology officer of PacStar and co-founder and organizer of the PDX Cyber Camp. Theres a reason why the founder of PKI Solutions is known as The PKI Guy. His years of experience working with Microsoft and deep PKI expertise have made his classes extremely popular with information technology and security specialists around the world. According to Kawasaki, the PKI scholarships will be awarded at the conclusion of the PDX Cyber Camp 2017 in July. The scholarships to PKI Solutions Microsoft PKI In-Depth Training course, to be held August 14 to August 18 in Portland, Oregon, will be awarded to two student organizers of the PDX Cyber Camp in recognition of their leadership and one camp attendee who will be selected based on her/his outstanding performance during the cybersecurity camp. We are very pleased to offer these scholarships for in-depth PKI training to these motivated students so they can learn more about the intricacies of maintaining computer system security, said Mark B. Cooper, founder of PKI Solutions. I remember my own interest in technology was sparked during high school and Im looking forward to the opportunity to help these eager, young students pursue careers in cybersecurity. There is a large and growing need for more experts in this rewarding field. Students who participate in the Microsoft PKI In-Depth Training course will receive deep-dive training on PKI and Certificate Services focused on building knowledge and skills. The course has a strong emphasis on security, best practices, and hands-on skills labs. Upon completion of the course, students will receive certificates of completion and the opportunity to network with cybersecurity professionals from around the world who are also attending the course. Students who participate in the PDX Cyber Camp will also receive valuable experience that can help them qualify for cybersecurity internships. In fact, three students from the 2016 camp secured internships at local cyber and network security companies last year. PDX Cyber Camp 2017 Details Date: Monday, July 17 through Friday, July 21, 2017 Times: Monday to Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 1p.m. Locations: o Location #1(Girls Only): Lincoln High School, 1600 SW Salmon St, Portland, Oregon o Location #2 (Co-Ed): Center for Advanced Learning, 1484 NW Civic Dr., Gresham, Oregon o Location #3 (Co-Ed): Mentor Graphics, 8005 Boeckman Rd, Wilsonville, Oregon This location is FULL (additional applications will be wait listed) Cost: $150 per session. Scholarships available based on financial need. Food: Lunches provided. Each camp facility supports a maximum of 25 students to ensure that each student will have a dedicated computer system. How to Apply Interested students may apply here http://www.softwarediligence.com/pdxcybercamp/. The deadline for applications is Thursday, June 1, 2017, although early application is encouraged. Students do not need to have experience or prior training in cybersecurity. Prerequisites include a demonstrated interest in computers or a strong recommendation from a teacher. The selection criteria will also consider gender, ethnic and socio-economic factors to promote diversity and inclusion of under-represented groups in the STEM and cybersecurity fields. In addition to the PDX Cyber Camp 2017 title sponsor, PacStar, other sponsors include IBM, McAfee by Intel Security, Mentor Graphics, Galois, Absolute Software, Cylance, Hueya, New Relic, McKenzie Worldwide, Software Diligence Services, and the Technology Association of Oregon. PKI Solutions provides consulting, training and best practices assessments for Microsoft Certificate Services-based Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to companies and security professionals focused on enterprise security. Visit http://www.pkisolutions.com for more information. For more information about the PDX Cyber Camp, please visit: http://www.softwarediligence.com/pdxcybercamp/. VanillaSoft, an award-winning provider of lead management software for inside sales and appointment setting, announced that it will be exhibiting at the TRANSACT 2017 trade show, May 10, 2017, through May 12, 2017, at booth 430. The event, powered by the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), will be held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. VanillaSoft will be on hand to demonstrate its inside sales platform that features integrated merchant services functionality. Companies in a variety of industry verticals use VanillaSoft to manage the entire sales-by-phone process. VanillaSoft helps clients improve sales productivity. VanillaSoft VP of Sales Scott Amerson commented, The TRANSACT event presents VanillaSoft with a terrific opportunity to reach inside sales teams that need a productivity-enhancing sales lead management tool that also offers payment processing capabilities. We look forward to demonstrating how VanillaSoft can improve performance and help boost sales. About VanillaSoft VanillaSoft is the all-in-one platform for inside sales teams incorporating the best of CRM, lead management, and call center software. VanillaSoft enables thousands of individuals and sales teams to not only manage their leads and contacts but to automate the sales process to allow salespeople more time to sell. VanillaSoft customers drive productivity by deploying best-in-class features such as queue-based lead routing, progressive dialing, logical branch scripting, call recording, full email campaign management and more. After automating sales tasks with VanillaSoft, typical users realize a productivity increase of 35% to 100% over traditional CRM, creating an easy to justify ROI. VanillaSoft is based in Plano, Texas, where it has served a global client base since 2005. Trial Attorney Walter Bithell Our panel members bring extensive trial experience to the table and are all on both the Idaho Federal Court and the Idaho Supreme Court list of trained and qualified mediators. Past News Releases RSS Bithell Law PLLC Celebrates 1st... Walter Bithell, principal of Bithell Law PLLC, has joined forces with trial attorneys, John Zarian, Deborah Ferguson and David Lombardi to create the Idaho Mediation Group (IMG). Bithell envisions IMG as a full-service mediation shop for attorneys looking to keep their clients out of court. IMG will be the first service of its kind in Idaho. Our panel members bring extensive trial experience to the table and are all on both the Idaho Federal Court and the Idaho Supreme Court list of trained and qualified mediators, Bithell says. The combined expertise of Bithell and his associates will imbue the IMG with a unique and vast range of mediation competencies, including civil disputes (including but not limited to disputes involving business and commercial issues), tort claims, product liability, intellectual property and patents, construction, land use and real estate. The IMG panel members begin this endeavor having spent time on all sides of the mediation table. We have all mediated many cases as legal advocates for parties to a mediation. Weve also successfully mediated many cases where we ourselves served as mediators, Bithell notes. Moreover, Bithell believes the groups extensive trial experience gives IMG a unique understanding of the conflict dynamics that underlie lawsuits and how these dynamics tend to play out in court. For more information about IMG, call Walter Bithell at (208) 336-4440. The IMG website will be up shortly. About Walter Bithell, Bithell Law PLLC Walter H. Bithell is admitted to practice in the Idaho Supreme Court, United States District Court, District of Idaho, United States Court of Federal Claims United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Practice areas of Bithell Law include wrongful death, crop damage, insurance bad faith/fraud, defective products, business disputes, catastrophic injuries and more. For more information, call (208) 336-4440, or visit http://www.bithelllaw.com. The law office is located at 199 N. Capitol Blvd., Suite 500, Boise, ID 83702. About the NALA The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. All three incumbents were re-elected Tuesday to serve on the East Helena Public School Board of Trustees for another three-year term, according to unofficial results. The final count has incumbents Anne Marie Thompson with 1,758 votes, Mark Diehl with 1,718 and Breck Scheet with 1,416. The incumbents ran against Dawn Kramer, who received 1,305 votes. All four candidates endorsed the $12 million school bond, which is set to pass based on preliminary results. Thompson has served on the board for 15 years and raised two children in the district. Thompson has a degree in elementary education and works at AAA. Diehl, a rancher, graduated from Helena High School in 1974 and has been a resident in the East Helena district his whole life. In a candidate survey, Diehl said the school board values the trust of taxpayers and doesn't want to disappoint them. Scheet is a Senior Human Resources Analyst at the Montana State Fund. Scheet has one daughter at East Valley Middle School and two daughters who have moved through the district to Helena High School. Scheet has served on the school board since 2008 and said he understands the school systems needs. Kramer is a technical content writer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. Cash is the lifeblood of any business. While some companies operate solely with their own working capital, most must borrow money from time to time. Borrowing, of course, includes something as mundane as buying goods or services on credit (whether on credit terms or by using a credit card). But most companies of any significant size have a revolving line of credit or a term loan, or both, with a bank or other commercial lender. This Financial Poise Webinar series explores where companies should look for business loans, how to negotiate them, and what to do if they default under them The fourth episode of the series, Dealing with Defaults- What to Do and Not Do When Your Company Violates its Loan Agreement (Register Here) airs on May 9th at 2pm CST and features Moderator Tom O'Hare of Marquette Business Credit. He is joined by Kyle Mathews of Sheppard Mullin, Mark Fucinato of MB Financial and Todd Zoha of MorrisAnderson. When a company defaults under a loan agreement the results can be catastrophic to the company, and any guarantors of the loan. On the other hand, some defaults are much easier to deal with than others, and even significant defaults can be dealt with in a manner that avoids disaster. This webinar explains the different types of defaults, the range of lender reactions to various defaults, and how to best deal with them. In particular it focuses on the steps borrowers and their advisors can take to keep the lines of communication open and mitigate the negative effects of a default. Previous episodes in this Business Borrowing Basics series include Negotiating a Loan Agreement, Alternative Financing - When the Bank Says "No", and Financing a Business With Help from the Feds, and are now available on-demand through Financial Poise Webinars. Each episode is delivered in Plain English understandable to business owners and executives without much background in these areas, yet is proven to be valuable to seasoned professionals. Each episode in the series brings you into engaging, sometimes humorous, conversations designed to entertain as it teaches. And, as with all Financial Poise Webinars, each episode in the series is designed to be viewed independently of the other episodes, so that participants will enhance their knowledge of this area whether they attend one, some, or all of the episodes. ABOUT FINANCIAL POISE: Financial Poise (http://www.financialpoise.com ) provides unbiased news, continuing education, and intelligence to private business owners, executives, investors, and their trusted advisors. For more information contact Emily Goldin at egoldin(at)financialpoise(dot)com or 312-469-0135. It is exciting to watch this life changing program come to fruition for patients. Canna Care Docs (CCD) is excited to announce that they have actively begun qualifying patients into the Maryland Medical Marijuana Program. CCD opened their Takoma Park office location in April 2016 in anticipation of the patient registrations expected release. Patients who have trusted CCD with their care while waiting for the registrations release are extremely pleased that CCD is honoring their commitment, and they are now being certified with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission at no additional cost. Marylands program is designed for patients to register with the state prior to attaining their recommendation through a Registered Physician. After registering on MMCCs website and attaining a patient identification number, patients can bring their medical records to the specialists at CCD for evaluation and, if appropriate, recommendation. Any patient needing help with the electronic registration process is encouraged to see the specialists at CCD who are there to help. Patients can be qualified if their symptoms are severe, not relieved by other medical treatments, and if those symptoms reasonably can be expected to be relieved by the medical use of cannabis. Additionally, qualifying conditions in MD include cachexia (being too thin for height), anorexia, wasting syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, severe or persistent muscle spasms, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. Canna Care Docs values its relationship with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission(MMCC), as well as with the communities it serves, and is very proud of its commitment to United States Veterans. Its turned out to be an important part of our service work at Canna Care, says Marta Downing, COO. Canna Care Docs has been at the forefront with making sure veterans have access to cannabis to interrupt the anxiety, aggression, and stress of PTSD. Veterans are given a 10% discount on services with appropriate documentation, and events are held periodically offering free recommendations. Over $300,000 company-wide in free certifications have been donated to date. Each Canna Care Docs practitioner in Maryland is a Registered Medical Cannabis Physician through MMCC, and follows a safe, compassionate, and compliant approach to cannabis medicine. The patients visit includes vital medical cannabis education, informational materials, and a commitment to continuing education and support for the time that they are qualified through CCD. Canna Care Docs is also pleased to help out of state patients qualify into Marylands Medical Marijuana Program. According to the commissions website: Any non-Maryland resident currently in Maryland for the purpose of receiving medical treatment is eligible to register as patient with the MMCC and, during registration, will be required to provide the address of and a contact name for the Maryland medical facility where the patient is receiving treatment. Monday, April 24th marked the first day the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission opened its registration to everyone. Medicine is expected to be available for purchase from 102 dispensaries located throughout the state at the end of summer. Patients can call (410) 412-3470 to schedule an appointment for evaluation by CCDs Registered Physicians. Canna Care Docs was founded in 2012, and is the premiere provider of medical cannabis recommendations on the east coast. Headquartered in Seekonk, Massachusetts, and employing more than 100; it serves patients in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire ,Vermont, Delaware, District of Columbia, and Maryland. The field marketing industry is growing rapidly, and the demand for more personal marketing practices is only going to get more intense. Credico Australia has become the first port of call for companies in need of targeted marketing solutions. Since 2013, the agency has grown to become a powerful tool in customer acquisition and substantially increasing profit gains for their clients. Through their dedication to in-person marketing strategies, Credico Australia is continuously going beyond client expectation and has secured a prominent market position within the sales and marketing sector. About Credico Australia: http://www.credico.com/worldwide/ On the wave of this success, Credico Australia announced last week that they are preparing to host a national meeting for entrepreneurs throughout the sales and marketing industry. On the weekend of 6th/7th of May, Credico Australia will invite business owners and entrepreneurs to join them for a weekend of sharing experiences, networking and motivational talks from the countrys leading sales and marketing figureheads. Credico Australia outlined in last weeks statement how these events are crucial to the long-running success of the sales and marketing industry. The field marketing industry is growing rapidly, and the demand for more personal marketing practices is only going to get more intense. stated a spokesperson from Credico Australia. While the industry is competitive, its important to recognise that long-term success relies on the community sharing its knowledge and supporting each others endeavours this has played a key role in the speed at which the industry has grown, and continues to grow across Australia. The upcoming entrepreneur meeting is set to be held on the Gold Coast and will see business owners from across the country fly into Brisbanes bustling metropolitan region, famed for its iconic white sand beaches. The meeting will be held at The QT hotel, which is renowned for bringing a unique flavour to business events through their innovatively designed, boutique meeting spaces. Credico Australia is confident this will be the perfect backdrop for a productive event. We are hugely lucky to have such an iconic landscape on our doorstep, and it should prove a great opportunity for visiting delegates to refocus and return to their businesses refreshed and ready to implement strategies discussed over the weekend. Follow @CredicoGlobal on Twitter or like their Facebook page for more information on Credico Australia. Global and European event executives can expect a higher level of sales support, planning assistance and onsite delivery of EM ARRAY and EM Analytics. Educational Measures LLC (EM), the leader in live meeting analytics and engagement technology, today announced more than 300% growth year over year in its European meetings. Global and European event executives can expect a higher level of sales support, planning assistance and onsite delivery of EM ARRAY and EM Analytics. Educational Measures expects to continue triple digit growth in Europe. There is demand for a more powerful second screen engagement technology in Europe, said Marc Crawford, chief executive officer of EM, but the real driver in growth is the potential for meeting analytics. While other companies open an international office to drive growth, our globalization effort is to service growth that is already exploding in that region. EMs new European operations will be headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Local sourcing of technical and technology resources will streamline the delivery of live meeting technology throughout the European Union. Local operations will lower the cost of deployment and increase meeting return on investments for EM customers. EM currently holds meetings globally in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Africa; and will be evaluating additional expansion in 2017. European and Eastern European customers can reach the Dublin office at 00353-831070794, or EUinfo@educationalmeasures.com. About Educational Measures Educational Measures is the leading provider of live meeting analytics and engagement technology. Our next-generation EM ARRAY second screen technology takes ordinary meetings and turns them into dynamic experiences. EM Analytics maximize return on investment with data-driven decisions and multiply meeting impact with previously undiscoverable insight. Our customers increase audience engagement by up to 20X, surprise attendees with more than 25 interactive capabilities and continually improve meeting impact. Educational Measures and EM ARRAY are trademarks of Educational Measures LLC. Gartner Positions Elastic Path as a Visionary in Magic Quadrant We believe our placement as a Visionary validates our innovative API-based commerce vision, our relentless focus, and significant research and development investment Elastic Path Software Inc., a commerce company helping the worlds foremost brands generate more revenue, today announced for the second year in a row it has been recognized as a Visionary in Gartners Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce 2017. Gartner follows 90 companies providing commerce software, of those 21 met the inclusion criteria for the Magic Quadrant. Elastic Path is positioned highest in its ability to execute and furthest in completeness of vision in the Visionaries Quadrant. We believe our placement as a Visionary validates our innovative API-based commerce vision, our relentless focus, and significant research and development investment, said Harry Chemko, CEO, Elastic Path. Having pioneered API-based commerce over five years ago, Elastic Path is at the forefront of digital commerce, accelerating next-level innovations. Digital commerce has disrupted business models in every sector. Companies are working hard to leverage new technologies to create exceptional customer experiences. Elastic Path Commerce facilitates continuous business innovation with a flexible integration framework and sophisticated hypermedia API that allows companies to leverage any touchpoint, any legacy system, any content management system and any third-party application for commerce experiences that truly differentiate. To remain competitive and anticipate customers expectations in this fast evolving digital world, a commerce platform that can adapt to new technologies and business requirements quickly is a crucial success factor, said Chemko, Five years ago when we chose to engineer our product with a hypermedia API, business agility was the number one reason. That decision is paying off today. Brands looking to innovate in commerce, and quickly embed commerce into their customer experiences for every device or touchpoint, choose Elastic Path. View a copy of the 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce at https://www.elasticpath.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-ecommerce Source: Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce 2017, April 26, 2017, Chris Fletcher, Penny Gillespie, Jason Daigler, Sandy Shen, Yanna Dharmasthira, Gene Alvarez. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Elastic Path Software Inc. Defining the future of digital commerce, Elastic Path develops the worlds most sophisticated API-based enterprise commerce platform. The companys flagship product, Elastic Path Commerce, has helped the worlds top brands generate over $45 billion in over 170 countries. Customers from industries as diverse as travel, telecoms, publishing, software, and retail enjoy the benefits of a flexible, open architecture that drives brand-defining customer experiences, facilitates business agility, and eliminates sales channel silos. Elastic Path is a private company based in Vancouver, Canada with sales offices in the UK and US. For more information, visit http://www.elasticpath.com. The ability for our hospice team to enhanced the support for patient, caregivers and families using the video visit feature, is incredible. - Carla Braveman Vice President Home and Community Services, VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire The Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire continues to innovate patient care with the addition of the advanced patient monitoring solution from Health Recovery Solutions (HRS). The VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire, part of the Elliot Health System, is focusing on reducing readmissions for high risk patients and improving the quality of care provided. Using the new technology, patients, caregivers and families are better able to manage their own care and adhere to care plans. The HRS solution is also being used to improve coordinated care for palliative and hospice patients. HRS focuses on reducing the main causes of readmissions and ER visits including medication noncompliance, low health literacy, and lack of communication between clinicians, caregivers, and patients. The platform combines innovative patient engagement software with biometric monitoring and mobile apps. All data captured through the devices is automatically and securely transmited back to the clinical team within seconds, allowing real-time interventions for high-risk patients. The solution also triggers alerts for patients at high risk of a medical emergencies. The HRS solution is helping us add another level of care and support for our patients and empowering our clinical staff, said Carla Braveman, Vice President Home and Community Services, VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire. The ability for our hospice team to enhanced the support for patient, caregivers and families using the video visit feature, is incredible. The VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire leads the way in patient services, including palliative and hospice care. stated Bill Bassett, Vice President, Client Services, HRS. Their use of innovative technology will ensure they maintain the leadership position for patient care. VNA of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire are providing their patients with the HRS patient engagement software on 4G tablets and FDA approved Bluetooth biometric devices. The system proactively helps patients monitor a range of biometric values including blood pressure, weight, oxygen level, blood glucose, and answer daily symptom questions specific to their disease condition. The software also includes disease-specific videos, teach back quizzes, on-demand communication for families, caregivers and patients. The Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire service area covers most of Southern New Hampshire. For more information, call us at 603-622-3781 or visit us on our website http://www.manchestervna.org For information on HRS, call (347) 699-6HRS or visit http://www.healthrecoverysolutions.com James F. Dicke II, chairman and chief executive officer of the Crown Equipment Corporation will deliver the commencement address at Husson Universitys 118th Annual Commencement Exercises. Our graduation ceremony not only honor graduates and their academic accomplishments, it allows us to show students just how far a Husson education can take you. James F. Dicke II, chairman and chief executive officer of the Crown Equipment Corporation will deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2017 at Husson Universitys 118th Annual Commencement Exercises at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. The graduation ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. on May 6. Our graduation ceremony not only honors graduates and their academic accomplishments, it allows us to show students just how far a Husson education can take you, says Husson University President Robert A. Clark, Ph.D. Having successful business leaders like James Dicke at our Commencement, helps students see that they can live lives filled with leadership, innovation, public service and artistic expression. About Commencement Hussons graduation ceremony will recognize individuals who have completed their degrees from Husson Universitys College of Business, College of Health and Education, College of Science and Humanities, New England School of Communications (NESCom), and the School of Pharmacy. At this years Commencement, Husson will award 809 degrees: 26 Associate of Science degrees, 510 Bachelor of Science degrees, 185 masters degrees, and 88 doctoral degrees. The Cross Insurance Center is located at 515 Main Street in Bangor, Maine. Individuals traveling to graduation from outside the area who need help finding accommodations are encouraged to contact the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau at (207) 947-5205. The commencement ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. Guests not marching in the ceremonies are encouraged to arrive at the Cross Insurance Center by 10:00 a.m. Early arrival is recommended to avoid traffic congestion and to obtain choice seating. Tickets are not required. Those who arrive first, get to choose their seats first. Individuals with special needs should call (207) 941-7129 or email greenj(AT)husson.edu so Husson University can make the appropriate arrangements. Those who cannot attend are welcome to view the ceremony via streamed video online. More information about the streaming video and ceremonies is available at Husson.edu. Commencement Academic Honors For the first time in Husson Universitys 119-year history, four students are being named valedictorians. All four completed their degrees with a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA). They are: Marcus D. Campito of Menands, New York. He will be receiving a Bachelor of Science in communications technology with a concentration in audio engineering. Miranda R. Charloux of Hermon, Maine. She will be receiving a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Nicole G. Sparlin of Milford, Maine. She will be receiving a Bachelor of Science In entertainment production. Dylan J. Wetmore of Madawaska, Maine. He will be receiving a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Abby Logan Stevens of Fort Kent, Maine will be the Class of 2017s salutatorian. She earned a Bachelor of Science in healthcare studies while maintaining a grade point average of 3.982. In the fall, Stevens will continue her education at Husson University and begin working toward her Master of Science in occupational therapy degree. More Information about James F. Dicke II Dicke began his studies at the Culver Military Academy. In addition to a rigorous academic curriculum, he studied painting under Warner Williams, noted bas-relief artist and amateur astronomer. The Academy honored Dicke with distinguished service, man of the year, outstanding leadership, and honorary cum laude awards. Four years later, he graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. During this period, Dicke also served as the assistant to Congressman William M. McCullough, the author of the 1964 civil rights and 1965 voting rights acts. In 1980, he was named president of the Crown Corporation, a family-owned firm founded by his father. Dicke continued in that position until 2002, when he was named to his current post as chairman and CEO of the organization. This family-owned business with over 14,000 employees, located in the United States, Germany, Australia, China, and Singapore, operates a service and distribution network that exceeds 500 retail locations in over 80 countries. Crown Equipment Corporation designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. Crown entered the material handling equipment industry in 1956, and designs and manufactures 85 percent of its lift truck components, including key parts like motors, drive units, and electronic modules. The companys goal is to provide the user with the safest, most efficient, and ergonomic lift truck possible to lower total cost of ownership and increase uptime. A strong and extensive global dealer network provides a wide variety of quality material handling equipment, storage solutions, and support services. Dicke was appointed to the Presidents Export Council from 2006 to 2008 as part of the George W. Bush administration. He also served as the international president of the Young Presidents Organization from 1992 1993. He is the past chairman of commissioners of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and chair emeritus of the Dayton Art Institute in Ohio. In addition, Dicke is a member of the board of directors of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. An avid artist who enjoys both painting and photography, Dicke studied with Jack Earl of Lakeview, Ohio and Nelson Shanks of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His art is included in numerous permanent museum and private collections. About Husson University: For more than 100 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells, and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu. Premier Events Center We are inviting the entire community to come out and support Tim and have a wonderful evening, and all for a good cause. It takes a village and a little goes a long way to help out a fellow neighbor. Past News Releases RSS Premier Events Center Helps... Premier Events Center Primed and... Entrepreneur Albert Hakim, of Premier Events Center, invites the community out on Saturday, May 13, to Puttin on the Hits, a one-of-a-kind fundraiser at Premier Events Center, located at 20400 S Nunneley Road in Charter Township of Clinton. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the much-anticipated lip sync show will begin at 7 p.m. In addition, the event will boast an open bar, appetizers, dinner, raffles, and so much more. Tickets are $50 and a portion of proceeds will go to local cancer survivor, Tim McGrath. These fundraisers are hosted to help with medical expenses. We are inviting the entire community to come out and support Tim and have a wonderful evening, and all for a good cause, said Hakim. It takes a village and a little goes a long way to help out a fellow neighbor. In 2013, Tim was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Synovial Sarcoma. He has undergone many surgeries to remove his eye, ear, half of his jawbone, muscle, tissue, skin and some of his skull. He has also had surgery to reconstruct his face where the cancer had been. His journey and recovery will be ongoing, but he is proudly cancer free. To learn more about Tim or to donate to his fund directly, visit http://www.toughliketim.com/. To purchase tickets for Puttin on the Hits, call Veronica at 810-392-2559. Payments are accepted via Facebook messenger, PayPal, Cash or Check. About Premier Events Center Premier Events Center has been in business for over 70 years. It prides itself on offering great food prepared by celebrity chefs and impeccable service. Premier Events Center can accommodate up to 1,000 people outdoors and has two banquet rooms: one with a capacity of 400 people and the other with a capacity of 150 people. Both rooms are private and offer handicap accessibility, private bathrooms, private coat rooms, private outdoor patio, and their own bars. For more information, please call (586) 791-7760. You can also visit their website at http://www.premiereventscenter.com. About the NALA The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. Sometimes a search engine doesnt always choose to the best resource someone is looking for based on the how sitemaps are set up. West Palm Beach glass repair service, Express Glass & Board Up, is proud to announce an innovative new feature for their website: an upgraded XML sitemap for easy location of glass repair services. Although 'invisible' to most searches, the XML sitemap will help search engines like Google and Bing localize content to specific West Palm Beach search needs such as 'West Palm Beach Sliding Glass Door Repair Companies' as opposed to more generic glass repair searches. Sometimes a search engine doesnt always choose to the best resource someone is looking for based on the how sitemaps are set up, commented Yaniet Santos, General Manager of Express Glass. Our newly updated XML sitemap will lead customers right to our service whenever it is needed as we partner with search engines to provide location-specific information. That goes for West Palm Beach and the greater Florida area. To view the upgraded XML sitemap, go to http://www.expressglassfl.com/sitemap_index.xml. Search crawlers trying to access sliding glass door repair in West Palm Beach now have an easier path to the information. To review details about glass repair in West Palm Beach or emergency glass repair please go to http://www.expressglassfl.com/west-palm-beach-glass-window-repair/. West Palm Beach Sliding Glass Door Repair has Been All Mapped Out for Residents Finding accurate directions to a destination used to be complicated. If a tourist or local heard about the best seafood restaurant in Florida, even an on-line search could cause problems. The best route to the right place might not be provided. Instead, a longer and more confusing pathway involving several freeways and side roads could pop up. Search engines have improved over the years and web crawlers have become more sophisticated. Florida residents experiencing a glass repair emergency in West Palm Beach may be able to find glass repair service more easily. Express Glass has announced an update to the XML sitemap for the Florida community. A business or home that has experienced a broken window or glass door can easily use a search engine to find quick emergency glass repair details. Sliding glass door repair could be required on New Years Eve or on a sunny Sunday afternoon during summer break. Any time the problem arises, a simple search engine map can lead the way to a top sliding glass door repair technician. A confusing winding path with on-line near-misses to mediocre glass repair service should not happen during an emergency. Upgraded XML pages for the best sliding glass door repair in Miami have helped locals cut to the chase. About Express Glass Repair and Board Up Express Glass and Board Up Service Inc. is a family owned and operated glass repair business with more than 20 years of experience. Professional technicians and the large variety of inventory make Express Glass the top glass repair service. If customers are looking for West Palm Beach glass repair or Ft. Lauderdale glass repair as well as glass repair in Delray Beach, please reach out to the company for a free estimate. If customers need a 24/7 Sliding Glass Door repair service in West Palm Beach or Boca Raton or Miramar, technicians are standing by. The company specializes in sliding glass door repair and window glass repair; Express Glass will handle any glass replacement situation efficiently. Home or business glass repair is the company's main priority. Express Glass Repair and Board up http://www.expressglassfl.com/ Five APS Fellows, including APS Past President Henry L. Roddy Roediger, III, have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. APS Fellows Baruch Fischhoff, Robert M. Seyfarth, and Michael Tomasello are also among the 84 newly elected members, and APS Fellow Gergely Csibra has been elected an NAS foreign associate. Election to NAS is one of the highest honors in science, with members serving as advisors to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine. Each year, current NAS members elect a new class of scientists to join their ranks. The psychological scientists elected in 2016 included APS William James Fellows Hazel R. Markus (Stanford University) and Steven A. Pinker (Harvard University); APS Fellows Jennifer L. Eberhardt (Stanford University) and Paul Slovic (University of Oregon and the nonprofit organization Decision Research); and Nobel Laureate John OKeefe (University College London). Roediger, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, has spent his career studying human learning and memory, particularly those processes involved in memory retrieval. His recent research has focused on the power of retrieval as a mechanism for improving learning and retention and the potential for applying this work to educational settings. In addition to serving as APS President from 2003 to 2004, he is a recipient of the APS William James Award for his lifetime of intellectual contributions to the basic science of psychology. I was surprised to receive the telephone call with the news, Roediger said about being elected to NAS. This is a wonderful honor. Fischhoff, a renowned expert on risk perception and analysis, is the Howard Heinz University Professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy within the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University. He is perhaps best known for his work developing the first experiment that directly tested hindsight bias the cognitive bias that leads people to overestimate their ability to have predicted an outcome that could not possibly have been anticipated. Seyfarth, a University of Pennsylvania psychology professor, studies the social behavior, vocal communication, and cognition of animals in their natural habitats. His research aims to clarify the differences between nonhuman primate communication and human language, explore the adaptive value of primate social relationships, and examine the cognitive mechanisms that underlie close social bonds. Tomasello, codirector of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and professor of psychology at Duke University, takes a variety of perspectives from developmental to comparative to cultural to investigate social cognition, social learning, cooperation, and communication in human children and great apes. Csibra, a professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at the Central European University in Budapest, employs various behavioral and neuroimaging methods to study how infants understand actions, social exchanges, and mental states, and also how they learn from others. Beginning with the copper kings, Montana has a long history of wealthy men -- and corporations -- trying to buy elections. Will we let this history repeat itself? Greg Gianforte -- a wealthy man backed by even wealthier interests -- is following the script of those whove bought elections before him. He and his dark money supporters are plastering the airwaves with an ugly smear campaign. He has put on almost no free public events. If he wont listen to Montana voters on the campaign trail, what makes you think hell do so once in Washington? Rob Quist, on the other hand, is traveling the state, talking with voters about their concerns. Hell support investment in Montanas infrastructure and fight to protect public lands, social security, and Medicare. Rob Quist is listening to voters now, and hell listen to Montanans after hes elected to office. Do your part to show the world that Montana is not for sale by going to the county courthouse during business hours, with your ID, to vote. Not yet registered? No problem. At the courthouse, you can register and vote at the same time. Or vote at your polling place on May 25. Lets elect Rob Quist. Martha Kohl Helena Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East A year after its Broadway debut, Waitress has racked up four Tony nominations and continued commercial success. At the end of March, the show's producers announced that songwriter Sara Bareilles, who scored the musical, would take on the lead role. The show is also entering new territory with the publication of the official tie-in cookbook, Sugar, Butter, Flour, due out from Pam Krauss/Avery on May 23. Pam Krauss, v-p and publisher at her eponymous imprint, described the books genesis as one of those small world storiesin a very New York sense. The restaurateur Danny Meyer introduced David Black, the literary agent, to the shows producer, Barry Weissler. Id been a big fan of the movie, so when David told me hed been talking to Barry about putting together a tie-in cookbook I immediately had an idea in my head of how it could [work] very naturally, said Krauss. The musical, based on the 2007 movie of the same name, follows Jenna Hunterson, a waitress and pie maker stuck in an unhappy marriage. Hunterson serves as the cookbooks author. Krauss turned to the script for the recipes in the book (which draws its name from a refrain sung throughout the musical), crafting recipes alongside Southern baker and recipe developer, Sheri Castle. [Jenna] uses pies as metaphors for expressing her hopes and fears, her dreams and frustrations, and some of the recipes were actually written right into the script, said Krauss. It was just a question of adding quantities for the ingredients and directions for assembling it. With some recipes--like those for Love, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness Pie and Lonely Chicago Pie--the script didnt offer too many clues, so Avery was a bit more playful in its interpretation. But when you have a pie named My Husbands a Jerk Chicken Pot Pie, the recipe kind of writes itself, said Krauss. Other recipes include Old Joes Horny Past Pie, the Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie, and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee pie. While Krauss believes you can make a cookbook out of just about anything, this book was an organic extension of the Broadway show. From the minute you walk into the theater and see the curtain, which is a big old lattice-crust cherry pie, youve got baking on the brain, said Krauss. It even smells like baking in the theater, with vendors selling adorable jar pies at intermission. The musical also brought on a pie consultant, who bakes the pies that appear onstage. When asked about the difficulties of promoting a book without a real author, Krauss acknowledged that with certain titles, it can be a challenge. But in this case the recipes literally speak for themselves, said Krauss. These days there arent as many opportunities for authors to travel doing cooking demos in any event. Evocative recipes like these are perfect for sharing on social media, and for authorless in-store events. They just get people giggling and talking. The book will be sold at the merchandise table at the musicals home at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, and the musical itself will be promoting and selling the title through its website, in addition to pre-order campaigns through its social media channels. CHICAGO (AP) Two suburban Chicago men accused of seeking to provide material support to terrorists and who posed for photos holding an Islamic State group flag have pleaded not guilty to federal terrorism charges. Joseph D. Jones and Edward Schimenti calmly told Judge Andrea Wood Wednesday that they understood the gravity of the allegations. The 35-year-olds from Zion face 20-year maximum prison terms if convicted. A prosecutor at their arraignment in Chicago called it a complex case involving classified evidence that will remain sealed. The next hearing is July 6. A complaint unsealed after their April arrests in an FBI sting says they agreed to provide cellphones that could be used as car-bomb detonators in Syria. It includes photos of them holding a black IS flag at Illinois Beach State Park. PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) In 1921, Congress passed an emergency immigration law limiting the number of foreigners allowed into the United States based on their country of birth, a fearful backlash to the increasing numbers of Poles, Greeks and Italians who arrived in America after World War I. In response, American composer Cole Porter best known as a composer and songwriter wrote a rare ballet in 1923 criticizing America's hostile stance toward immigrants. Nearly a century later, the ballet is being revived by a Princeton University music professor troubled by President Donald Trump's actions on immigration. On Thursday, the school will debut its modernized version of Porter's "Within the Quota." The ballet is one of several productions happening across the country in reaction to the administration's immigration policy, including a Boulder, Colorado, play featuring immigrants and local law enforcement and a Los Angeles play touching on themes of terrorism and immigration detention centers. They are part of a long history of art as a form of activism and political resistance that can help people connect the struggles of the moment with the struggles of the past, said Sarah J. Jackson, a communications studies professor at Northeastern University. "Art is a form that can often reach people that might not engage in more traditional spaces of politics or activism," Jackson said. "Most people will never lobby at a statehouse for a bill, or go to a rally or protest in their life. With theater and other forms of art, you're bringing people into a space and introducing them to a set of ideas in a thought-provoking way without doing the thing they might be uncomfortable with making it an explicitly political space." "Building the Wall," written by playwright Robert Schenkkan, imagines the country under Trump's campaign promise to detain immigrants living in the country illegally. The play also features post-show conversations including discussion of Los Angeles as a sanctuary city, women in the Trump era and a panel on immigrant rights. In Boulder, Colorado, "Do You Know Who I Am?" features local law enforcement and six immigrants not in the country legally performing together. Participants said the play aims to build a bridge between the two groups. Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett, one of the players, said he was discouraged by the 2016 presidential election and its impact on the immigrant community. "We hope the performance will continue to send the message that if you're a human being, you deserve the protection of law enforcement" regardless of one's immigration status, Garnett said. Filmmaker and activist Michael Moore will also bring a one-man show taking on Trump to Broadway this summer. Also planned for Broadway is a revival of Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People," about a well-meaning whistleblower later branded as a traitor, and a stage version of "1984," which also saw a surge in book sales following the 2016 election. The new production of "Within the Quota" stands as an act of resistance to the nativist calls within the Trump administration, said Simon Morrison, the Princeton music professor who rediscovered the ballet two years ago. During the election, Morrison said he saw parallels between the climate of the 1920s and today. "Given the political situation, I realized a complaint against immigration restrictions was apropos," Morrison said. The original Cole Porter ballet tells the story of an immigrant landing on Ellis Island, encountering various American characters: an heiress, a cowboy, a jazz musician. The immigrant is met with forces of repression before falling in love with a Hollywood starlet. In the updated version, the heiress remains, but other caricatures are replaced with roles including a Wall Street banker, the liberal and alt-right media, a Black Lives Matter activist and a heroin addict. The various scenes depict characters in conflict, dancing past each other. The choreography is meant to symbolize the lack of communication between citizens as a result of the current political climate. The media is also criticized in the ballet, with large mock front newspaper pages featuring satirized political headlines serving as a backdrop on the stage. Unlike the original ballet, which ends with the protagonist escaping the harsh realities of immigration for a life in Hollywood, the updated version aims for a resolution of our problems. "It's not a complaint or a criticism, so much as it is asking, 'What can we do to work out these radical differences in our society?'" Morrison said. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Cat lovers in New York are hoping to score a feline first by making the state the first to ban the declawing of cats but first they must overcome opposition from veterinarians who insist the procedure must remain a legal, last resort. The procedure typically involves the surgical removal of a cat's toes back to the first knuckle. Australia, Britain and several European countries already ban cat declawing. It's also illegal in Los Angeles and some other California cities. Estimates are that about a quarter of all household cats will be declawed in their lifetimes. "It's the amputation of a cat's toes to protect a couch," said Jennifer Conrad, a California veterinarian who founded the Paw Project, a group pushing to pass a ban in New York. "None of us went to vet school to protect couches." Conrad and several other veterinarians along with two felines, Rubio the Spokescat and Buzz the Fuzz, a therapy cat lobbied lawmakers at the state Capitol on Tuesday. The state's Veterinary Medical Society opposes the legislation, arguing that declawing must remain a final option for felines who won't stop scratching furniture or humans. A declawing ban could inadvertently force more cat owners to hand over their animals to shelters, where many are euthanized, according to society Executive Director Jennifer Mauer. "There is no doubt that the choice to declaw a family pet can be a difficult one," Mauer said. "Veterinarians turn to (declawing) as a last resort, only after various educational and training efforts are found to be unsuccessful." A similar bill passed the state Assembly in New Jersey earlier this year. The bill didn't get a vote in New York last year, but its sponsor, Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan, said more lawmakers are signing on. She did note, however, that the bill has to compete for attention with much higher-profile measures. "We're making a lot of progress," she said. "There's a lot of competition for space in legislators' heads." WASHINGTON President Donald Trump says hed be honored to meet the North Korean despot Kim Jong Un. Egypts president, who allowed his opponents to be shot, is doing a fantastic job. The president of the Philippines, who unleashed vigilante killings at home, is welcome at the White House. So is Thailands prime minister, who took power in a military coup. And Turkeys president, who jailed thousands of opponents, got a congratulatory call. This is not business as usual for U.S. presidents. Trumps advisers portray his public praise for foreign strongmen and his willingness to meet with ruthless dictators, without preconditions in most cases, as a way to shore up shaky alliances and possibly unlock long-frozen conflicts in Asia and the Middle East. Trump, they say, believes he can use his personal charm and negotiating skills to forge ties to autocrats ostracized by previous presidents, and thus bring them to his way of thinking. Critics say that outreach threatens to disrupt Americas long-standing strategic partnerships, undermines the credibility of U.S. democratic values overseas and emboldens autocrats who use bloody measures at home to suppress dissent. Trump spoke Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, their third phone call since the November election and their first since U.S. warships launched cruise missiles at a Syrian air base on April 6 to punish Russias major Middle East ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad, for a nerve gas attack that killed dozens of civilians. In a statement, the White House described the conversation as a very good one, saying Trump and Putin discussed the war in Syria, including creation of safe zones and the best way to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters at the State Department that it was a very, very fulsome call, a lot of detailed exchanges. Trump no longer publicly praises Putin as often or as effusively as he did during the campaign, but nor does he criticize him. U.S. intelligence agencies see Putin as a major adversary who has tried to undermine U.S. relationships in Europe and interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump win. Other presidents have bucked foreign policy orthodoxy to reach out to adversaries. In perhaps the most famous case, President Richard Nixon set aside the GOPs anti-communist policies to make his historic overture to China in 1972, leading to a tectonic shift in the Cold War. President Barack Obama was criticized as naive and worse by Republicans and by his chief Democratic rival at the time, Hillary Clinton, after he was asked at a debate in 2007 whether he would be willing to meet separately, without condition, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea. I would, Obama said at the time. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of (the Bush) administration is ridiculous. During his second term, the Obama administration signed a landmark deal with Iran to curb its nuclear development in exchange for easing sanctions and restored diplomatic relations with the communist government in Cuba, ending a freeze that began in 1961. But those were methodically planned and slowly plotted moves that followed years of secret and public diplomacy. The speed and enthusiasm Trump has shown in his effort to connect with renegade leaders is unusual. Christopher Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax, a conservative media group, and longtime friend of Trump, said the presidents outreach abroad is part of a strategy. I think he wants to build bridges, Ruddy said. He sees that if he can open up the door by praising someone or finding something to compliment, even a guy that might be considered a bad guy, he sees that as a step in the right direction. But does Trump really admire Putin, Kim and other autocratic leaders? I wouldnt use the word admires, Ruddy said. I think he respects people who are considered strong or people that have very high approval in their countries. Thats important for him. The White House already cites evidence that its strategy has paid off. After Trump met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, for example, Cairo released Aya Hijazi, an Egyptian-American aid worker who had been jailed for three years amid el-Sissis crackdown on civil society. The Obama administration, which had kept el-Sissi at arms length, had pressed unsuccessfully for her release. As often with Trump, his comments sometimes have veered wildly, keeping his adversaries and much of Washington off balance. Last week, for example, Trump warned darkly of the possibility of a major, major conflict with North Korea in the standoff over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. On Sunday, however, Trump praised Kim as a pretty smart cookie for having survived a power struggle, and a day later said he would be honored to meet Kim under the right circumstances. No U.S. president has ever met one of North Koreas dynastic dictators. White House aides later downplayed the likelihood that Trump would be the first, at least under current circumstances. Trumps offer to meet such notorious leaders reflects his negotiating style, which says that you never close off the opportunity to do a deal, said James Carafano, a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation who has briefed the president and his team on foreign policy. What the president is signaling is that there is always an opportunity to talk, but that is very far from saying there are no preconditions, Carafano said. Youre always offering (the other leader) an off-ramp: Change your behavior and meet my preconditions. Trumps National Security Council recently completed a policy review on North Korea and recommended a carrot-and-stick combination of increased pressure and greater engagement. Jim Walsh, a security policy expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said an open channel of communication with Pyongyang could help prevent war. But he warned that Trumps seesawing statements also could be misunderstood in Pyongyang. Because you can get to war through miscalculation, misperception, he said. Frankly, the last several weeks weve heard a lot of bluffing, a lot of changing positions. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Trumps comments were disturbing. I dont understand it and I dont think that the president appreciates the fact that when he says things like that it helps the credibility and the prestige of this really outrageous strongman, McCain said. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that Trump understands the threat North Korea poses. There is a diplomatic piece to this, Spicer said. The bottom line is the president is going to do what he has to do. Spicer also defended Trumps invitation to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to visit Washington. Human rights groups say Duterte has either encouraged or condoned a brutal campaign of extrajudicial killings that has left more than 7,000 alleged drug users dead since he took office last year. Spicer said the White House was aware of the killings but said Trump sees an opportunity to work with countries that can help play a role in diplomatically and economically isolating North Korea. The Philippines has no political or economic ties with Pyongyang, so its ostensible role in a containment strategy is unclear. Duterte, for his part, told reporters he might be too busy to visit Washington. Obama canceled a meeting with Duterte on the sidelines of an overseas summit last year after the Philippine leader offered a coarse insult when asked his response to U.S. concerns about the drug crackdown. He has since threatened to cancel a mutual defense treaty and other ties. But U.S. officials are concerned that Duterte has reached out to China and Russia for support, and the White House is eager to improve relations with the leader of the longtime U.S. ally to help counter growing Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. 2017 Tribune Co. Visit Tribune Co. at www.latimes.com Go To The Polls And Pull The Lever We hope everyone turns out to pull the lever next Tuesday (Nov. 8). Actually, new voters wont know what we are talking about, as the... Letters To The Editor Street Closure Dangers Neighbors, Friends, Citizens of NYC/QUEENS: Many may not know that NYC has decided to close off miles of streets to cars in... Odebrecht and consortium partner Acciona were awarded a $US 1.54bn contract in 2015 to construct tunnels, 13 of the lines 15 stations, electrical and mechanical systems, and depot and stabling facilities. However, Odebrecht is now struggling to restructure its business in the wake of a $US 2.6bn fine imposed last month by a US court following a corruption scandal which also involved Brazils state-owned oil company Petrobras. On April 28, Rodas authorised a revision of the consortium structure which will make Acciona sole shareholder in the venture. This has been approved by the projects international backers, the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank (EIB). Quito Metro says the 22.5km line from Quitumbe to El Labrador is currently 24%-complete, with 37 active worksites. Great Lakes Basin Transportation filed an application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on May 1 to construct and operate a common-carrier railway line through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. In the filing the Delaware-registered company cited statistics showing congestion on Chicagos rail network delays around 500 trains - about 25% of all rail freight in the United States - each day. While it noted rail freight volumes are projected to grow by 80-90% by 2040-2050, the company added in the filing that there have not been any significant additions to Chicagos rail infrastructure since 1907. The company describes the process of moving rail freight through Chicago as slow, inefficient and time-consuming, and argues rail infrastructure is woefully inadequate to handle current traffic moving between the different railways which converge on the city. Trains can take as long as 30 hours to pass through the Chicago area and longer during severe winter weather. Great Lakes plans to build an entirely new 420km orbital line running 60-140km from the centre of Chicago, fully grade-separated from other rail and road infrastructure, to move up to 110 passenger and freight trains a day through the Chicago region. It would interchange with five of the six Class 1 railways, and six regional railways via 26 interchange points. In the filing, Great Lakes said construction would require no public funding, and would be paid for primarily through the sale of debt securities. The corporation lists 24 investors led by majority shareholder Mr Frank Patton. Patton left Lehman Brothers to found financial software start-up Portfolio Dynamics in 1970, which he sold in 2002. He previously proposed a toll road for lorries around Chicago before switching to a rail-based concept. In 2016 Patton convinced 14 investors to contribute as much as $US 50m to help fund the STBs environmental study of the proposal. Backers included Mr James Wilson, a former assistant vice-president of operations for Santa Fe. The order is part of a framework contract for the delivery of up to 400 Coradia Continental trains that was concluded in 2012. The trains will be manufactured at Alstoms Salzgitter plant, and the fleet will be deployed on Saar Electric Network Lot 1 routes including Schweich - Trier - Saarbrucken - Kaiserslautern (from December 2019) and Trier Hafenstrasse - Konz - Saarburg (from December 2020). The services are being financed by the Ministry for Economy, Labour, Energy and Transport in Saarland as well as the SPNV-North and ZSPNV-South regional rail authorities in Rhineland-Palatinate. The EMUs have a maximum speed of 160km/h and can seat up to 200 passengers. For data on rolling stock orders from around the globe, subscribe to IRJ Pro. Canadian Pacific and K+S Potash Canada (KSPC) on May 2, officially opened the Bethune (Legacy) Project potash mine site, the first of its kind built in Saskatchewan in more than 40 years, and in terms of rail infrastructure, the most significant engineering project undertaken by CP since the mid-1980s, the railroad said. In 2013, CP signed an exclusive, long-term contract with KSPC to deliver its potash products to international markets, and began construction of an 18.9-mile (30.4-km) connection. The project consisted of nearly 50,000 crossties, 4,500 tonnes of steel (plates, rail, bolts), 90,000 tonnes of ballast and thousands of hours of work. CP noted it will primarily use unit trains of 177 cars and four locomotives to ship the potash products to KSPCs handling and storage facility in Port Moody, B.C., then on to overseas markets. The mine is expected to have marketable product by the end of Q2 2017 and reach a production capacity of two million tonnes of potash by the end of 2017. We are incredibly proud to have collaborated with K+S Potash Canada on this project and look forward to delivering their product to international markets for years to come, said CP President and CEO Keith Creel. Building 30 kilometers of new rail through a rural area, including a river valley, is no easy feat, and I want to congratulate all those who invested their time and energy in bringing this project to a successful conclusion. KSPC needed to ensure that transportation of product from our mine to our port facility would be both secure and competitive, said Dr. Ulrich Lamp, President and CEO, KSPC. When we signed the contract with Canadian Pacific in 2013, we knew we had found the perfect partner and strategic fit for those needs. We are so pleased to see the finished rail infrastructure. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK DECATUR The city of Decatur will announce details related to the lawsuit filed by former Decatur police Chief Brad Sweeney today at 4:30 p.m., it said in a statement. A three-judge panel for the 4th District Appellate Court dismissed the lawsuit March 24, and Sweeneys attorney, Jon Robinson, had said he intended to appeal the matter to the Illinois Supreme Court. Reached by phone Wednesday morning, Robinson said he had not filed the petition for leave to appeal with the state high court. "All I can tell you is stay tuned to the press conference. There will be a joint statement," he said. "Its a prepared, agreed-upon statement. Im really not at liberty to disclose anything else." Ed Flynn, one of the attorneys representing the city, declined to comment until the press conference. Sweeney has alleged that he was fired in February 2016 by City Manager Tim Gleason in retaliation for several events, including his objection to Gleasons use of a police car and driver to reach the St. Louis airport in May 2015. Gleason contended that Sweeney did not object to the car ride and that he had other reasons to fire the former chief, whod been in his role for about a year. But the two sides never got a chance to argue facts of the case in court. Macon County Circuit Judge A.G. Webber IV and a three-judge panel for the 4th District Appellate Court both found that Sweeney did not have legal standing to pursue the matter. Webber initially dismissed the lawsuit in June, writing in his opinion that the police chief is an at-will employee who can be fired for any reason or no reason. State law provides for some narrow exceptions, including protection under the Illinois Whistleblower Act, but both Webber and the appellate judges found that Sweeneys situation did not fall into those categories. Sweeney had also claimed that Gleason fired him in part for his refusal to publicly support a local motor fuel tax and his opposition to the tax during a meeting of the citys department heads. Gleason elaborated in court documents and a deposition about his other reasons for firing Sweeney, which included: that Sweeney was not truthful about a conversation with a third party regarding the citys dispatch center; that he allowed personal issues between himself and a contractor used by the landlord for police headquarters to negatively affect the city's relationship with the landlord; that a shoplifting incident involving Sweeney 's wife, which occurred in April 2015, was not reported to Gleason, who learned about it in January 2016. As for the police car ride, Gleason said former Mayor Mike McElroy, who died in July 2015, told him to arrange it,. The change allowed Gleason to attend the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce State of the City breakfast event before a previously scheduled trip. It was Gleasons first State of the City event, as he had started work in Decatur less than two months earlier. Sweeney initially filed the lawsuit about two weeks after he was fired in February 2016. Webber dismissed it in June. Attorneys made oral arguments before the appellate court March 7, and the court issued its ruling March 24. Sweeneys firing became a central issue in the mayoral campaign that concluded earlier this month. Candidate John Phillips, who lost to incumbent Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe, had criticized Gleasons handling of the situation and placed Sweeney as a key member of his campaign staff. The battle of the Coral Sea (3-8 May 1942) ended as the first major Japanese setback of the Second World War, and marked the end of the period of rapid Japanese expansion across the Pacific that began after the attack on Pearl Harbor. By the early spring of 1942 the Japanese high command was faced with an unexpected problem. All of their initial objectives had been achieved at far less cost than expected, and rather than consolidate their defensive perimeter, the various power groups within the Japanese armed forces each began to press for further expansion. The Army wanted to concentrate on the war in China. The Naval General Staff wanted to attack either west to Ceylon and India or south to Australia. Finally Admiral Yamamoto and the staff of the Combined Fleet wanted to move east, occupy Midway, Johnston and Palmyra Islands, and once again threaten Hawaii, forcing the American fleet to come out of port for the decisive battle that the Combined Fleet believed would win the war for Japan. At first the Naval General Staff got their way, and plans were put in place for an attack on Port Moresby, on the southern coast of New Guinea, but after the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on 18 April 1942 Yamamoto got his way. The main Japanese attack in the summer of 1942 would be the thrust east that ended with the battle of Midway. Despite this change of plan, the Naval General Staff decided to continue with Operation MO, the invasion of Port Moresby. The Japanese Force Task Force MO was made up of five separate groups. The main Striking Force, commanded by Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi, was built around Carrier Division 5, under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Hara. This contained the two modern carriers Shokaku (Flying Heron) and Zuikaku (Joyous Heron), considered to have been the best designed Japanese aircraft carriers of the Second World War. The carriers were escorted by two heavy cruisers and six destroyers. The Covering Group, commanded by Rear-Admiral Nobuji Goto, contained the light carrier Shoho, four heavy cruisers and one destroyer. The remaining three forces were all intended to establish new Japanese bases. The Tulagi Invasion Group was to set up a seaplane base on Tulagi, just to the north of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. The Support Group, built around a seaplane carrier, was to establish a base in the Louisiade Islands, to the south east of New Guinea. Finally the main Port Moresby Invasion Force, eleven transports and eight escorts under the command of Admiral Sadamachi Kajioka, was to sail from Rabaul, round the eastern tip of New Guinea, and land at Port Moresby. The operation was to be commanded by Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inouye, commander of the Fourth Fleet based at Rabaul. Jack Marr is a Clinical Associate Professor of International Business at Boise State University and has served as an adviser to the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai, McKinsey & Co., the Economist Intelligence Unit, and many others on China related issues. He is fluent in Mandarin. This piece is part of a special RCW series on the U.S.-China geopolitical relationship. The views expressed here are the authors own. Looking for a manufacturing guy with plant shutdown experience for an interim role in Shanghai. This request recently landed in my inbox. It's not exactly the stuff that age-old One Billion Customers dream of selling a toothbrush to every man, woman, and child in China is made of. Indeed, for U.S. companies looking to do business in China, lucrative opportunities remain elusive -- and companies more often than not jump at initial offers without looking at the long-term implications. As their Chinese counterparts invest freely in American markets, and as Beijing looks to shift its economic model toward domestic consumption and innovation, America and China are entering a new phase in their economic relationship. It is a subtle but critical time of strategic change, and it is important that business leaders and policymakers active in China take note. Doing Business in China Is Tough A recent survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China found three top concerns shared among its members: inconsistent regulatory interpretation and unclear laws, rising labor costs, and rising Chinese protectionism. This paints a picture of an uncertain and expensive environment increasingly hostile to foreign brands. Serving as backdrop are larger challenges in U.S.-China relations, from North Korea, to the Chinese yuans valuation, to challenges to the post-World War II order such as the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. And as U.S. boardrooms reawaken to the difficulties of finding long-term success in the China Dream, Chinese companies continue to ride the tides of trade and to cherry-pick valuable assets from the United States creative core. Surely there are bright spots in this picture. At the recent Mar-a-Largo summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, the Chinese government offered to end a 2003 ban on U.S. beef in exchange for alleviating constraints on the sale of certain high-tech goods produced in the United States, and in 2015 U.S. lobster exports to China reached an all-time high of $108 million. However, the macro trend in trade is clearly in Chinas favor. With the exception of a small surge in exports in 2013 and 2014, U.S. exports to China have actually decreased since 2014. Chinese exports to the United States, meanwhile, dropped some in 2016, but only after reaching record highs in the six previous consecutive years. U.S. foreign direct investment in China has continued to surge forward. It hit $65.8 billion in 2014, a 9.8 percent increase from 2013, but for many the heady days of easy profits in China -- if they ever really existed -- are drying up. Two of the most touted and iconic success stories, KFC and McDonalds, have recently spun their China operations off to largely Chinese-owned concerns (KFC to Primavera Capital and Alibaba, and McDonalds to CITIC and Carlyle); Uber China was absorbed by Didi (once hailed as an Uber clone); Netflix, in contrast to the other 130 countries it opened distribution to in 2016, recently announced it would license content through Baidus iQiyi ( another Netflix clone); and Apple has had a slew of bruising quarters with strong competition from lower-cost local brands such as Oppo and Huawei. Perhaps most telling is that 81 percent of firms surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce felt less welcome in China than before, a threefold surge from 2013. Meanwhile, Chinese FDI in the United States tripled in 2016 to $48 billion -- an increase from $15.8 billion in 2015, itself a record -- and it doubled in Europe to $46 billion. Chinese outbound investment has been increasing at a massive scale since 2009. In that year, many Chinese firms with cash reserves began taking advantage of two events: the U.S. thirst for foreign capital after the onset of recession, and the large-scale revaluation of the renminbi between 2005-2008, which made U.S. imports cheaper in China, but also made Chinese capital more valuable in the United States. Unlike American FDI in China, this investment is predominantly driven by mergers and acquisitions, which indicates that Chinese companies are continuing to use their resources to acquire existing U.S. assets more than creating new companies. Furthermore, according to the Rhodium Group, a full 98 percent of U.S. congressional districts -- 425 out of 435 -- now host Chinese-owned companies, showing increased lobbying power in the United States. Chinese investments are primarily strategic, and include a bid for Westinghouse, a 5 percent stake in Tesla, a $580 million acquisition of semiconductor testing firm X Cerra, and a $1 billion investment in Paramount Pictures. In April, the Federal Trade Commission approved ChemChinas $56 billion bid to buy Switzerlands Syngenta, pushing them to the top of global share in crop protection, and third in seeds after Monsanto and Dow-DuPont. Just a month before this ruling, the Hershey Company was ordered by Chinese authorities to stop chocolate production in Shanghai due to affiliation with South Korean joint venture partner Lotte, which bore the brunt of Chinese ire for Seouls acceptance of the THAAD missile defense system. Thus commerce is not safe in China from the vagaries of geopolitics. Master Plans vs. Ad Hoc Since 1953, Beijings five-year plans have provided an economic roadmap and a rallying point for the Chinese economy that can also provide some guidance to U.S. business leaders and policymakers. The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) codifies the China Dream idea of transforming the Chinese economy through a focus on domestic consumption and innovation rather than through the heavy infrastructure, capacity-building investment, and copy-export focus of years past. The plan would double Chinas 2010 GDP and per capita income by 2020, ending overcapacity in heavy industry and dealing with debt and bad loans. Furthermore, the plan has five development and reform rallying cries: innovation for quality growth; coordination across industries; environmentally friendly growth; continued opening abroad and an active role in global governance; and expanding social services. More details emerge in the Made in China 2025 initiative, which focuses on expanding Chinas share of the global value chain by raising Chinese-made value-added core content in Chinese exports from under 20 percent in 2011 to 40 percent by 2020 to 70 percent by 2025. The initiative also pushes private firms to have more strategic say in standard-setting and in intellectual-property protection, and an increasing amount of Chinese FDI now comes from private firms rather than state-owned enterprises. Finally, it emphasizes ten key industry areas: 1) New advanced information technology; 2) Automated machine tools and robotics; 3) Aerospace and aeronautical equipment; 4) Maritime equipment and high-tech shipping; 5) Modern rail transport equipment; 6) New-energy vehicles and equipment; 7) Power equipment; 8) Agricultural equipment; 9) New materials; 10) Biopharma and advanced medical products. These roadmaps give a clear idea of where Beijing wants things to head, and which side of the road businesses need to be on. In stark contrast to such a specific program, the U.S.-China economic relationship was built piece by piece with no master plan. It started with a trickle of iconic U.S. products like Coca-Cola entering Chinese consumer markets, and with the offshoring of small American factories and low-value, high-labor parts of the supply chain throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The second phase began with Chinas entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. This spurred ever-increasing cross-border capital flows and integration, bringing us to the highly nuanced, highly competitive and high-tech duo of todays Chimerica. Chimerica: Entering Phase Three Thus are we entering a third phase of Sino-U.S. economic relations, one that brings a new agenda loaded with new questions: Should China still be considered a non-market economy under the WTO? Are the assumptions of trade we made in phase two still valid for todays China, now a superpower? Can U.S. firms and U.S. policymakers compete with the top-down, blended statist-capitalist approach that Beijing has taken with so much apparent success? For U.S. businesses, it is important to grasp the larger geopolitical and economic strategy that Beijing is putting forth, and to ask yourself where your firm fits into this in both the short term and long term, and to not be afraid to push back a bit on making concessions and protect your prime assets in your core area of value. For Chinese industry to achieve anything like the ambitious plan laid out in the Made in China 2025 plan will require acquiring and mastering much of the superior skill and value that U.S. and other foreign players maintain. Be cautious of quick wins, expect difficulties, and take a long-term outlook, especially when sharing intellectual property. Not having a top-down policy gives U.S. firms more freedom to maneuver than their Chinese counterparts, and remember that with its rising labor costs and unclear regulations, China is hardly the only available market. Above all, ask yourself: Will this deal look as wise in 2025 as it does today, or am I selling myself short? U.S. policymakers must continue to ensure that gains on trade have the strategic endgame of expanding and maintaining market access. They must keep the competitiveness of U.S. firms in mind, and ensure that foreign investment policy reflects the best interests of both sides. And just as tariffs have long been an immediately effective measure in trade disputes, bodies like the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., in addition to other broadly mandated instruments, provide vehicles to push back against non-tariff barriers to companies operating in China. Just as Beijing negotiates chocolate for missile defense, so too must U.S. firms and policymakers view investments through a strategic lens. For businesses and policymakers, expect negotiations to be ongoing and to begin, not end, when a deal is signed. Both the United States and China see themselves as leading in and deriving much of their economic growth from new industries including biotech, robotics, driverless cars and trucks, and others which intersect the Made in China 2025 roadmap. As most of the value in these industries is in knowledge, not physical assets, the regulation and definition of how they are created, owned, protected, and exchanged will help define much of the economic success for firms and nations in the decades to come. U.S. businesses and policymakers should take pause at this critical juncture to realize that the deals they commit to and the actions they take now will help define this new phase of U.S.-China economic relations in the years to come. For all of Donald Trump's tough talk on Mexico on the campaign trail, few concrete moves to secure the United States' southern border have materialized in the first 100 days of his presidency. This is partly because of the inherent limitations of the office; to even begin trying to turn the ambitious pledge of building a border wall into a reality, the president would have to first secure the funding from Congress. So far, though, lawmakers have been reluctant to release any money for the project. Yet while Trump's vision of a wall has been too impractical to implement, there is one statistic the president can point to as a win on border security. Since his election in November, the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border has plummeted. In October 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained about 45,000 people there; by March, that monthly figure had fallen to 17,000. Both Trump and the Department of Homeland Security have touted this drop-off as proof that the president is already making good on his vow to tighten border security and stem the flow of illegal migrants from the south. And in some ways, the president is right. Smuggling people through Mexico and into the United States is a business after all, albeit an illicit one. And like their legitimate counterparts, businesses involved in human smuggling are taking steps to account for the uncertainty rising to the north, much of which arose from the Trump administration's early rhetoric on securing the border and increasing the deportation of illegal migrants. Amid a lack of clarity on the number of border guards who will be hired in the coming years, and the size of the physical barriers that will be erected at certain crossing points, smugglers have raised their prices since October last year. In some cases, the price for transporting a single migrant from Central America through Mexico has more than doubled from $3,500 to about $8,000. Skyrocketing prices aren't the only thing putting a damper on migrant flows. Since Trump's inauguration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has had more leeway to deport migrants who are in the United States illegally, putting people who for years could count on drawing little attention from the authorities at risk of being expelled. (In the two years prior to the Trump presidency, those with extensive criminal records were prioritized for apprehension and deportation.) The New Face of Illegal Immigration Still, today's political discourse and reports on the state of illegal immigration are missing an important nuance: More and more, illegal border crossings through Mexico are motivated not by events in the United States' immediate neighbor, but by problems farther south. As it stands, illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States has been on the decline for nearly 15 years, thanks in large part to Mexico's improving economy and slowing population growth. Simply put, the country is far richer than it has been at any point in its history, and its population is no longer expanding so rapidly that its youths feel compelled to leave in droves to seek better opportunity in the United States. Instead, Central America is now responsible for most of the fluctuation in illegal migrant flows northward. Three countries in particular Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador account for the bulk of non-Mexican migrants arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border. Because these countries are much smaller than Mexico, they will never come close to supplying a migration surge on the scale of that seen from Mexico in the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike Mexico, however, their economies aren't getting any better. Each of the three countries suffers from rampant violent crime, due to cocaine trafficking from South America and to street gangs that prey on locals through extortion and frequent killings. For instance, El Salvador's annual murder rate is 80 per 100,000 inhabitants, while Honduras' is 59 per 100,000 both more than 10 times the United States'. A Temporary Lull This precarious situation raises an obvious question: How long can the recent dip in illegal immigration really last? The U.S. government's statistics on the arrest of illegal migrants over the past six months show that the White House can certainly make a dent in migrant flows by simply encouraging the belief that crossing the border is getting more dangerous. It's no surprise that the changes in ICE policy which were extensively covered in the media gave would-be migrants pause. Most, who hail from nations where the lowest rural monthly minimum wage falls between $100 and $350, cannot easily afford the trip. Moreover, nearly half of the adults in these countries are frequently unemployed or eke out a living in informal jobs, where niceties like a minimum wage aren't available. So far, such abject poverty has helped the Trump administration in its quest to cut down on immigration. The prohibitive cost of migrating in uncertain circumstances has stopped many people from risking their savings and their safety to travel to the United States. The trip across Mexico is not an easy one for Central Americans, who often fall victim to cartels and corrupt police officers as they travel north. Female migrants are routinely raped, and all face daily perils such as starvation and dehydration. In Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, beggars on street corners who are missing limbs are often those who risked the trip and failed to make it past Mexican territory. Despite heavier patrols by Mexican authorities, migrants often still ride the freight train between Chiapas and Veracruz states, since it is a quicker way to traverse the expanse of central Mexico. But falling asleep on the roofs of moving freight cars, or losing their balance while trying to board the train, can be a death sentence if they fall under the train's wheels. These beggars are the lucky ones they lost an arm or a leg in the attempt but escaped with their lives. Amid higher prices and a greater threat of deportation, fewer and fewer people are willing to risk their well-being on the endeavor. That said, Central America's extreme poverty and unchecked crime will continue to make the trip to the land of opportunity an attractive proposition for those who can afford it and choose to brave the risk. The Illegal Market Corrects Itself There is another factor that could boost illegal immigration once again, though it rests not in the poverty-stricken cities and countrysides of Central America but in the halls of power in Washington. The U.S. government's own budget talks may end up assuaging some of human smugglers' concerns about what the future holds, driving down their prices and hiking up migration in the process. Trump's vision for the border that is, one of more solid barriers to illegal traffic will be constrained and shaped by the budget negotiations. Though a wall stretching from California to the Gulf of Mexico was an impossible project from the outset, building segments of wall across parts of the border people frequently cross is perfectly plausible. But such a plan will not get off the ground until at least late 2017, after lawmakers have appropriated the first few billion dollars for the study, design and initial construction of those walls. The Department of Homeland Security has already identified priority areas near towns and cities along the border where the first segments will be built. Time is not on the president's side, though. The soonest construction could begin is late this year, leaving the president with only three years at most to increase border security. During this time, the president will also have to ask for the funding to hire more border security agents, but onboarding and training these forces is time-consuming and expensive. It is unlikely that the 5,000 new Customs and Border Protection agents and 10,000 new ICE agents Trump has promised will all be trained and deployed before the end of the president's term in 2020. And if Trump is not re-elected, further initiatives to build more barriers and employ more personnel could taper off during the next administration whether led by a Republican or Democrat. It is precisely this scenario of a one-term Trump presidency that could foster more illegal immigration. Should smugglers realize that the administration's border wall will not pose a significant barrier to their activities, their prices will drop and the pace of Central American migration will pick back up within a few years. Though more modest border initiatives will impose some constraints on smugglers, they will likely adapt. Meanwhile persistent security problems in Latin America, such as an uptick in Colombian cocaine production and governments' failure to rein in violent street gangs, could also spur people to seek haven in the north. In Colombia's case in particular, the government's push to make peace with the country's militants has led to a halt to the aerial spraying of coca plants, driving up cocaine production. As long as international demand for cocaine continues to steadily rise, criminals in Central America will remain willing to ferry it to Mexican drug trafficking organizations, triggering violent turf wars along the way that force citizens to abandon their homes and head to the United States. Unsurprisingly, Mexico will still play an important role in stemming renewed migration from Central America. Since 2013, the country has cracked down on the passage of Central Americans through its territory, particularly in the major transit state of Chiapas. Mexican authorities monitor the railways and roads more heavily than they once did, and the number of migrants deported each year nearly doubled between 2013 and 2016 to reach 153,000. This type of cross-border cooperation is crucial to the border security of Mexico and the United States alike something security professionals in Trump's Cabinet will doubtless take into account as the administration crafts its policy on other issues of interest to Mexico, such as the renegotiation of NAFTA. Predicting the direction of future migration flows to the United States is a task riddled with uncertainty. Even with knowledge of the constraints on the U.S. presidency and the factors causing migration, other events like Mexico's decision to keep pressure on Central American migrants or the outcome of the U.S. presidential race in 2020 will affect the amount and timing of the movement of people across borders. Regardless, the White House will face an uphill battle in trying to enact its desired policies, and Trump's results on border security are likely to be far more modest than his campaign promises as he contends with budgetary constraints and enduring instability in Central America. Property details: Own a property that is less than 3 miles from the coast of the Salton Sea. This 20 acre property in Imperial County is a great opportunity to own land in wonderful Southern California. This property offers a chance to enjoy the desert landscape as well as being less than 10 miles from the Glamis North Hot Springs Resort and five miles from Bombay Beach. The city of Indio (population of 83,000) is only 40 miles away, so you can get all the provisions you need as well as enjoy the restaurants, gol... Price: $ 8,999 State/Province: California Seller State of Residence: California Type: Recreational, Acreage Zoning: Residential City: Niland Location: , California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Niland Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available DECATUR Decatur Street Crimes detectives arrested two men on the city's south side after federal authorities informed them that parcels containing possible narcotics were being sent by mail to a vacant house. Shawn J. Honorable, 33, and Carlos D. Taylor, 31, were each arraigned Wednesday on two Class X felony counts, cannabis trafficking, punishable by 12 to 60 years in prison, and possession of cannabis with intent to deliver. A postal inspector told detectives he located two suspicious packages being sent to a house in the 1000 block of South Webster Street from an address in Sierra Vista, Ariz., said an affidavit by officer Jaime Hagemeyer. The postal inspector told detectives the vacant house had not received mail for more than one year. The packages were addressed to an individual with a name not found in the local police database. When the K-9 team of detective Chad Larner conducted a sniff search of the parcels, the presence of narcotics was indicated, Hagemeyer wrote. A search warrant was obtained, and the parcels were examined. Each of the parcels contained eight individual packages, each package containing a little more than 1 pound of marijuana, police said, and the total weight of the 16 packages was about 17 pounds, with a street value of about $15,000. Decatur police officers resealed the parcels and conducted a controlled delivery about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The postal inspector delivered the parcels to two males, later identified as Carlos D. Taylor, 31, and Shawn J. Honorable, 33, who were both inside the vacant residence," according to the affidavit. Carlos accepted both packages and carried them into the residence, Hagemeyer wrote. Carlos and Shawn then ran out the back door of the residence each carrying one of the packages containing cannabis. When the two suspects were stopped by police at the north end of the block, they were empty-handed. The packages were found behind a house where officers saw them running just prior to being stopped. Taylor admitted to police that he accepted the packages he believed contained cannabis. Honorable admitted that he took possession of one of the packages upon exiting the residence, the affidavit said. Honorable and Taylor were each being held in jail on $100,000 bonds. Honorable has three prior felony convictions and has served three terms prison terms in narcotics cases. He was out on bond in two pending cases a 2016 Class X narcotics case and 2017 forgery case. Taylor, who served a prison term in Arkansas for a 2008 narcotics conviction, has an outstanding arrest warrant for a subsequent Arkansas case, according to a court document. Honorable is due in court May 24 for his preliminary hearing. Taylor is scheduled to return to court May 12 to present his attorney. 'Oil companies like IOC, BPCL and HPCL have to set up world class systems where they are always two steps ahead of the crooks,' says Sudhir Bisht, a veteran of the petroleum industry. Nine years ago, in the days when oil companies were experimenting with technology to counter the menace of adulteration and under-delivery of petrol and diesel at fuel stations, I wrote in Rediff on How not to be cheated at the petrol pump, which received nearly one hundred comments, proving its popularity. Many Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum stations were then being upgraded, with old dispensing pumps at the forecourt being replaced by multi-product dispensers, MPDs. It was believed that since the MPD's electronic technology completely controlled the mechanical components, they were less vulnerable to manipulation. It is well known that till technology made its impact felt in the fuel retail sector, a sizeable number of unscrupulous dealers, in active connivance with some dishonest field level technicians and oil company officers, were able to under-deliver fuel and thereby cheat customers. I had hoped that with the arrival of the MPDs, the ITI-trained field technicians would not be able to tamper with the machinery, and the issue of cheating by under-delivery would be obliterated. Since the turn of this century, the public sector oil companies, which operate about 52,000 petrol stations in India, have been implementing limited to full-scale automation at their petrol stations. Oil company officials were now able to monitor the fuel density of underground fuel tanks in petrol stations. With the advent of automation at fuel stations and networking of stations with some kind of information centre, the oil companies were able to monitor key activities at petrol pumps. At least, that was the impression I carried with my limited informal interaction with some of the stakeholders in the oil industry. All these developments had led me to believe that the era of malpractices at the fuel forecourt was truly over -- that is until the recent raids on petrol pumps by the Uttar Pradesh police's special task force, which opened my eyes. The dealers who were dishonest had not only found new means of cheating the customers, they had in fact also built a shield around them which made it impossible to catch them. The dealers no longer depended on the oil companies' field level technicians to manipulate their pump gears. They had bought the services of technocrats who were able to invent a chip that could remotely control the behaviour of fuel pumps. The dealers were thus able to charge for fuel that showed on the pump meter, but were actually delivering up to 6% less oil. Let me take the example of a state where the average monthly sale at petrol pumps is 270,000 litres of petrol. A 6% under-delivery would translate to 16,000 litres of petrol saved for the pump dealer. At an average price of Rs 65 a litre, this means a cheat fund of Rs 10 lakhs per month per dealer. For a high-selling petrol pump, the cheat fund that the dealer could make is flabbergasting. There are petrol pumps that sell over 550,000 litres of petrol a month, which could be making a killing of more than Rs 20 lakh a month. I have only cited the example of petrol. If we include high speed diesel, there are scores of stations across India that sell more than 10 lakh litres of diesel a month. A 6% under-delivery at an average value of Rs 55 per litre means that the dealer pockets Rs 33 lakhs a month; per year, it's a staggering illegal profit of Rs 4 crores! True, all fuel stations don't indulge in such high levels of corruption. But I have no idea as to how many dealers are indulging in this malpractice and hope it is not more than 20%. My idea is to point to a larger issue. It is easy to paint the dealership network as a rotten one, but what about the role of PSU oil company officials? I have some questions for their managements: Why did the UP police have to detect a scam of this nature? Oil company officials are required to inspect all retail outlets at least once in three months. Gathering information from various newspapers, I have found out that the chip introduced in the dispensing unit is clearly visible, as it doesn't blend with the original architecture of the dispensing unit. How is it that oil company officials -- from field technician to senior managers -- were not able to get wind of such a malpractice? Gathering information from various newspapers, I have found out that the chip introduced in the dispensing unit is clearly visible, as it doesn't blend with the original architecture of the dispensing unit. How is it that oil company officials -- from field technician to senior managers -- were not able to get wind of such a malpractice? Oil companies in India have well laid out standard operating procedures, SOPs. The dispensing pumps at all outlets are the property of oil companies and the responsibility of maintaining these pumps lies solely with the companies. Why were the pump units not sealed using high quality, tamper-proof locks? How were the dealers able to tamper with the dispensing units? The dispensing pumps at all outlets are the property of oil companies and the responsibility of maintaining these pumps lies solely with the companies. Why were the pump units not sealed using high quality, tamper-proof locks? How were the dealers able to tamper with the dispensing units? There is a simple inspection format that PSU oil company officials follow. If the inspection of petrol pumps is done as per the prescribed format, it is virtually impossible for any unscrupulous dealer to cheat customers. So are company officials fudging data when they fill up the inspection reports? So are company officials fudging data when they fill up the inspection reports? Whenever a delivery is made from any nozzle, the totaliser reading of the pump goes up by the corresponding value. The totaliser of a dispensing pump is like the milometer of a car. It can be tampered with, but to do that one has to open its seal. Don't oil company officials check the seals of totalisers? If the totaliser readings aren't manipulated, then a huge gap would arise between the sales and physical stock available at the petrol pumps. The totaliser of a dispensing pump is like the milometer of a car. It can be tampered with, but to do that one has to open its seal. Don't oil company officials check the seals of totalisers? If the totaliser readings aren't manipulated, then a huge gap would arise between the sales and physical stock available at the petrol pumps. Let me explain this further. If a station sales as per the totaliser is 100 litres but in reality the volume of fuel stock at the station has reduced only by 94 litres (due to under-delivery), then this disparity will be visible to any inspecting official. Unless, of course, the dealer is able to adjust the totaliser reading to show a sale of 96 litres. But this is not possible as the totaliser unit is supposed to be sealed by the oil company! Unless, of course, the dealer is able to adjust the totaliser reading to show a sale of 96 litres. But this is not possible as the totaliser unit is supposed to be sealed by the oil company! Why is it that the oil companies don't have a network operating centre (NOC) that is able to monitor all the 52,000 fuel stations? If the telecom industry that has 400,000 telecom sites can have an NOC which is maintained by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Huawei and Ericsson and Nokia, then the OEMs of the oil industry, like Schlumberger and MIDCO, too can be contracted to manage a pump operating centre (let me call it POC). Why have oil companies not thought along these lines? I suggest the setting up of POCs in line with the telecom industry's NOCs. I am sure that the oil companies can meet all the retail challenges by using smart technology. Just as unscrupulous elements of the oil sector have used IT -- or more specifically the machine to machine (M2M) sector -- to cheat customers, the oil companies can beat them by subscribing to much superior technology. Oil companies like IOC, BPCL and HPCL employ the finest talent in the world. They have to set up world class systems where they are always two steps ahead of the crooks. Here's hoping that the oil companies pay minute attention to technology at the forecourt. The pumps belong to them and the onus of ensuring that these pumps deliver correct quantities of fuel rests finally with the oil companies. The battle to protect the customer can't be won by policing alone, but by using high-tech solutions. Sudhir Bisht, author and columnist, tweets at @sudhir_bisht In 5 years, prices for keywords on Google's AdWords platform have gone up three to five times. Alnoor Peermohamed reports. IMAGE: Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Google AdWords, which uses auctions to set the price of an ad spot, is expected to witness the prices hit 50 per cent of the cost of a product itself in certain sectors like education. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters. For India's internet companies, advertising on Google is becoming increasingly expensive as more traditional offline businesses are now taking to campaigning on the web. In the past five years, prices for keywords on Google's AdWords platform have gone up three to five times in certain verticals. While the bulk of this increase was driven by cash-flush start-ups willing to burn millions to woo customers, prices remain high owing to demand from traditional offline players. While internet companies have largely cut spending on advertising and customer acquisition, many say the cost of purchasing AdWords has not reduced. The platform, which uses auctions to set the price of an ad spot, is expected to witness the prices hit 50 per cent of the cost of a product itself in certain sectors such as education. "Most of the increase happened in 2013 right up to mid-2015 where the prices went up about three times. Between 2015 to now, it's been more or less stable. There were a lot of competitors who in the last two years have fallen away, which has probably created some sort of stabilisation," says Kashyap Vadapalli, chief marketing officer at online furniture start-up Pepperfry. Several sectors, which might be seeing a resurgence in consumer demand, are paying through the nose to show up at the top of Google's web search results. In banking and financial technology (fintech), currently on a high in India, players are known to spend as much as 1,000 on a single click. While Google assures sending traffic your way, that isn't a guarantee that a customer will buy the product. In order to keep its ad spends from spiralling out, Pepperfry says it has become a lot more disciplined in the way it uses AdWords. Gone are the days of bidding on words and phrases vaguely related to furniture or its business, says Vadapalli, adding that now the focus is on accuracy and high conversion. Despite the company's average order value being 17,000 and margins on furniture being high, the company is looking at reducing its AdWords spends. For some verticals, however, the option to move away from Google is a little tougher. Simplilearn, an online platform for reskilling of professionals, is looking to target business customers after seeing the cost of acquiring individual consumers spiralling out of control. "If you look at most of the consumer-facing companies, their biggest problem is cost of customer acquisition. Most of the money is taken away by Google, to the extent that it's become unsustainable if someone is only looking at doing paid marketing to get customers," says Krishna Kumar, founder and chief executive officer of Simplilearn. According to Kumar, for a course costing $100, the cost to acquire a customer through digital mediums would be as high as $40. Players in the B2C (business to consumer) side continue to pay such exorbitant prices with the hope that once a customer uses their product, they will come back for more the next time around. Kumar blames the unsustainability of the business on Google's sheer scale in India, where 90-95 per cent of the country's internet users access its search engine. Google, however, brushes off any accusation of it being a monopoly, assuring that it has nothing to do with the cost of AdWords and instead relies on a secondary auction model to sell ads. The highest bidder for a particular keyword or phrase only pays a little more than the bid of the second-highest bidder, ensuring that costs remain under control to some extent, says the technology giant. Google says increasing competition for AdWords is the reason for high costs incurred by players in the online space, as more traditional retailers have begun using the web. "What's happening is that even if you see a slowdown in advertising from online players, a host of small retailers are coming in. So, I think the auction pressure is still up there, and we don't see the number of advertisers dropping," says Nitin Bawankule, director of e-commerce, retail and several other verticals at Google India. Globally, Google's focus is on reducing the cost-per-click (CPC) to attract more advertisers to its platform. Google might offer the largest pull-based marketing tool, with over 90 per cent of India's 400 million internet users accessing the company's web search service, but there are alternatives. Fintech start-up MoneyTap largely uses Facebook for its digital marketing, and is seeing great results. The company says while the audience it reaches out to on Facebook might not have come on to the platform with the intent of buying some of its services, with the right targeting they are able to extract good return on investment. Facebook and Google together account for seven out of every 10 spent on all digital advertising in India today, with both companies having access to hundreds of millions of Internet users. Kini, is set to return to the United States in June, and will launch his venture in the environment space. Ex-Coca-Cola India President Venkatesh Kini, bottom, left, plans to turn into a social entrepreneur, after a 19-year stint with the beverage major. Kini, is set to return to the United States (US) in June, and will launch his venture in the environment space. With footprint in India and the US. In a LinkedIn post, Kini said: I am looking forward to starting my own entrepreneurial venture that combines my passion for the environment with knowledge of business. More updates to come over the next few months. When contacted, Kini said the venture was still in its initial stage and he could not share more details. He, said it would look at opportunities in both countries and he would spend equal time in both. Last week, Coca-Cola India announced a leadership change, with T Krishnakumar taking over as president. Kini had moved to India in 2012 and went on to head the India arm in July 2013. In the past few years, several senior executives from corporate India have taken to social entrepreneurship and impact investment. Many have given up lucrative remuneration packages and perks to work in the social sector. One of the early ones to do so was Nachiket Mor, who worked in ICICI Bank for 20 years and was on its board of directors before quitting in 2007 to work in the social space. Ashish Dhawan, former India head of ChrysCapital, quit the private equity sector in 2012 to launch Central Square Foundation, a philanthropic organisation in the education sector. Globally, many successful entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates (through Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and eBay Founder Pierre Omidyars Omidyar Network, have made a mark in the social sector through their philanthropic and impact investment activities. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters Mallya has lived on the edge for long enough to know that his extradition from the UK is not a given, says N Sundaresha Subramanian. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com His recent arrest in London is not the first time Vijay Mallya has found himself in custody. Thirty-two years ago, the so-called King of Good Times was picked up for allegedly violating the draconian Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. On June 5, 1985, he was picked up at the Bangalore airport (now Bengaluru), while returning from Calcutta (now Kolkata). Unlike April 18, when he was granted bail in three hours after being picked up by Scotland Yard in London, the then 30-year-old Mallya had to spend the entire night at the police commissioners office on Infantry Road. Barring a lone exception, the city press missed the story or chose not to report it, writes K Giriprakash, a Bengaluru-based business journalist in his 2014 book, The Vijay Mallya Story. By the time the papers were out the next morning, Mallya had already been released with surety from one of his managers, Giriprakash writes. The arrest drew national media interest in Mallya and eventually led to the Shaw Wallace takeover story, which would play out over the next two decades. The non-resident Indian status, which he uses efficiently in more ways than one, could be traced back to that deal. Over these years, he would mount several other acquisition moves, some friendly, some not so friendly. Many of these were funded by the abundant cash generated by the prized acquisitions of his late father, Vittal Mallya, including United Breweries, which he had bought from its British owners. But, the flashy Kingfisher Airlines, and its doomed acquisition of low-cost carrier Air Deccan, would prove one too many even for such a cash cow. Mallya, who modelled himself on Virgin groups Richard Branson, borrowed heavily to keep the venture going, and pulled various levers to get the public sector banks play along. At one stage in 2012, he was on the verge of getting arrested again when Kingfisher Airlines failed to pay dues to the Hyderabad airport and its cheque bounced. But, he managed to avoid that. What he could not avoid was the lenders actions, especially in the last couple of years. He has lost control and even board presence in many of the companies he had lorded over. His troubles started when banks started declaring him a willful defaulter and began refusing credit to the companies that had him on board. United Spirits is under a new ownership. It was his famous resignation letter from the board of this company, the juicy severance package and his subsequent departure to London that triggered allegations of banks letting him go off easily. The banks moved the Supreme Court with new-found vigour and argued passionately, which has then rubbed off on various central agencies pursuing various cases, including the extradition. Several agencies including the Securities and Exchange Board of India are probing the deal in which control was transferred to Diageo. UB Engineering has moved for insolvency, while Mallya had to step down from the board of Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilisers and yield control to Saroj Poddar of Zuari, reportedly under pressure from the consortium of lenders led by the State Bank of India. Mallya and his investment firms still hold about 30 per cent in United Breweries. About a half of this holding is pledged, according to exchange data. The development on April 18 in London followed reports of a new owner taking possession of his famous Kingfisher Villa in Goa, where he used to throw lavish parties. The banks sold it recently for 73 crore. Also, on April 17, Sahara India chairman Subrata Roy, who used to match Mallya party for party and partnered him in a Formula One venture Sahara Force 1, faced a court move to sell off his crown jewel, Aamby Valley City. Like Roy, Mallya, now 61, has walked the tight rope on the fringes of economic legislation and dabbled in the double-edged swords of proximity with politicians and media attention for enough years now. No wonder, then, that he tweeted after the news broke of UK judge granting him bail, Usual Indian media hype. Extradition hearing in court started today as expected. Reportedly, he had denied any wrongdoing before the court. What could come in the way of Mallya convincing the UK judges about what he sometimes describes a political witch hunt is a Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet in the IDBI Bank loan sanction issue. In January, the central agency arrested Yogesh Agarwal, former chairman and managing director of the bank. This formed the basis of further efforts mounted by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, through official and diplomatic channels, to initiate the extradition process. Ramesh Vaidyanathan, managing partner, Advaya Legal, said, The good part is that a prima facie case has been made out in the extradition request made by the Government of India earlier this year and a district judge in the UK has found merit in this request. This was possible largely due to the emphasis in the request on the cheating and money laundering aspect of the CBI chargesheet in the IDBI Bank loan sanction issue. A pure civil wrong of loan default of the borrower or the guarantor would not have entitled an extradition request to the UK authorities. Experts point out that Mallya would have the ability to access due process under the UK law, which will include a full hearing before the district court, hearing before the secretary of state, a high court and the Supreme Court. Mallyas arrest is definitely one step forward, but one among many to be traversed before getting anywhere close to his extradition, Vaidyanathan said. 'Those of us who care for the Indian Constitution worry,' says Aakar Patel. The attorney general of India, Mukul Rohatgi, who is the government's chief legal advisor, has asked why there is 'so much noise' over soldiers tying a man in Kashmir to the front of a military jeep as a 'human shield' against protesters throwing stones at the vehicle. 'The recent report about a stone pelter tied to an army vehicle, it helped contain stone pelters and saved the poll officials. Why so much noise?' Rohatgi told the television news channel NDTV, adding, 'every day people are dying. It's a surcharged atmosphere. The army is dealing with terrorists not with protesters, so they will have to be dealt with...everyone should look at the army with pride, they are doing a great job. Sitting in AC rooms you can't criticise (the) army. Please put yourself in army position.' I want to examine what he is saying from the legal point of view. As citizens we arrive at a contract with our government. We give it a monopoly over violence. This term comes from the German sociologist Max Weber, who studied India and its religions. The monopoly means the State is the only legitimate possessor of the power to physically harm someone. That is why crimes such as murder, rape and so on are crimes against the State and the State prosecutes them. They cannot be negotiated out of court in a settlement. The State can demonstrate its willingness to do legal violence through such things as executing citizens for crimes, but it promises to always do so according to the law. All elected officials take an oath of office by which they solemnly swear not to break the Constitution. The State, through its agents, having made this promise, then proceeds to use violence where it sees fit. In our part of the world, this can come frequently through crowd control. All Indians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are familiar with the term 'lathi charge'. Our governments are convinced that the citizenry is often up to no good and must be controlled by force. It is not unusual for our State to open fire on its citizens. One of the turning points of the Vietnam war came in 1970 when students at a university in Ohio were fired at by the police and four were killed. This became a landmark event because it shocked Americans that their government would kill its own citizens. The popular music group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young wrote a song on the event. In our part of the world, of course, the government shooting dead citizens is a common thing. Just to give you a sample of what I mean, this is a news report from October 2016: 'Four people were left dead and as many as 40 were injured after police opened fire on a protest this morning, according to sources in the Chirudih village near Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. Residents have been protesting the acquisition of land by the NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) for their coal mines. The public-sector firm had proposed to start mining coal in the Karanpura valley, in the east Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, over an area of 47 square kilometres.' I do not know how many people reading this will be familiar with the Hazaribagh killings because such things happen often in India. If it had been a terrorist attack on rich urban Indians, readers may have seen an item in the newspaper or on television, but the State killing citizens who are protesting against the seizure of their land is not a big issue. To return to Rohatgi, what he is essentially saying is two things: All protesters, including stone throwers, are terrorists. Secondly, because they are terrorists, it is fine for the army to break the law in dealing with them. The army broke the law and the Indian government's commitments to its own citizens and to the world that it would not conduct itself in a particular way. This violation, according to the government's legal advisor, is all right and those Indians who have air conditioners are not permitted to say anything. Presumably he does not use ACs and so is authorised to say whatever he wants. I am amazed Rohatgi has been made attorney general. He has not paid heed to what the Jammu and Kashmir government, of which the BJP is part, and retired generals have said about it. They have said it is an awful thing that will backfire on us. I think they are right. The Indian State breaks its contract with its citizens regularly and this is not a new thing. What is new here is that the casual bigotry and half-literate arguments of the drawing room are being peddled as the reason this contract is being broken. We are in a dark and dangerous period. Those of us who care for the Indian Constitution worry. IMAGE: Kashmiri students raise slogans during clashes with the police in Srinagar. Photograph: Umar Ganie Aakar Patel is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own. 'This evidence is important to solve the dispute.' M I Khan reports. A former Indian Police Service officer who claimed that the temple at Lord Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya was not demolished by Babur but during Aurangzeb's reign is keen to become a party in the case in the Supreme Court. Kishore Kunal, who took voluntary retirement from the IPS in 2000, stated in his book Ayodhya Revisited that the temple in Ayodhya was demolished by Fidai Khan, the governor of Ayodhya, in 1660. In 1990, Kunal was appointed officer on special duty to then Union minister of state for home affairs Subodh Kant Sahay. Thus started his association with the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi dispute. "I will file a petition in the Supreme Court to become a party in the case related to the dispute. I will present rare evidence based on original sources in the apex court. This evidence is important to solve the dispute," Kunal said. IMAGE: Kunal Kishore with his book. Photograph: M I Khan "I have collected solid evidence on the basis of several original sources -- including writings in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and by European travellers during the reign of Babur," Kunal, a 1972 batch IPS officer, said. Currently, Kunal heads the Patna-based Mahavir Mandir Trust that manages the largest cancer hospital in Bihar, besides two other hospitals. The trust plans to construct the world's largest Hindu temple near Kesaria in Bihar's East Champaran district. "Babur had no role either in the demolition of any temple at Ayodhya or in the construction of the so-called Babri mosque," Kunal said. "He has been facing historical injustice for 200 years over an act with which he was not associated at all." "I have made a serious effort on the basis of historical documents to absolve him of the charge of converting the temple into a mosque," Kunal added. Many, Kunal said, will be surprised to learn that the so-called Babri mosque does not figure in any book for more than 240 years after its supposed construction in 1528. Its first reference appears in a travel account by Jesuit priest Joseph Tiefenthaler in 1768. Be it Babur's memoir Baburnama, Humayunnama by Babur's daughter Gulbadan Begum, Abul Fazal's Ain-i-Akbari or Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, nothing is mentioned about Babur constructing a mosque in Ayodhya after demolishing a temple, Kunal said. "The inscriptions inside the mosque, often quoted in books on Ayodhya or Babur, were fake. They were fixed in the mosque 280 years after its supposed construction in 1528," Kunal said. Contrary to common belief, Kunal added, Babur never visited Ayodhya. He had no occasion to visit it. Similarly, Mir Baqi of the inscriptions is different from the Mir Baqi of the Baburnama and he was never the governor of Ayodhya. According to Kunal, no person with the name Mir Baqi ever existed who had any historical importance. "Babur was not a religious fanatic," Kunal said. "Two Maithili scholars-cum-priests have praised Babur. His visits to the Gwalior temples are testimony to his liberal outlook. Babur had no role either in the demolition of any temple at Ayodhya or in the construction of a mosque at the site. I have concluded it on the basis of incontrovertible information," Kunal said. "For the first time I have established that there existed a temple at the disputed site on the basis of original evidence, including slokas on Ayodhya mahatmya of the Rudrayamala," he said. "I have produced clinching evidence which conclusively prove that there was a temple at the birth place of Lord Ram and there was an idol inside it as it is described in the Rudrayamala," Kunal added. Kunal said he has presented accounts from travelogues of foreign visitors like Thomas Herbert published in 1634 and Joannes De Leat published in 1631 on Ayodhya. Both mentioned a Ram temple in Ayodhya. DON'T MISS the features in the RELATED LINKS BELOW... Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has blamed Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wikileaks and Russian hackers for her defeat in the November 8 presidential elections. Clinton, 69, was speaking to Christiane Amanpour of the CNN during an interview at Womens International Forum regarding the current political issues in New York. "If the election had been on October 27th, I'd be your president. And it wasn't, it was on October 28th and there was just a lot of funny business going on around that, Clinton said. FBI Director Comey was best thing to happen to Clinton: Trump United States President Donald Trump has said Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey was the best thing that ever happened to his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton ahead of the last years general elections. Trumps remarks came hours after Clinton said in an interview that Comey, Wikileaks and Russian hackers were responsible for her defeat. He said the Democrats had used the phony Russian hacking story as a justification for their loss in the November 8 presidential elections. FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! Trump, 70, said in a late night tweet. The phony... ...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election, he said in another tweet. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? he tweeted. It wasnt a perfect campaign. There is no such thing. But I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comey's (sic) letter on October 28th and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me, but got scared off, she said. The evidence for that intervening event is, compelling, persuasive, she said. Ask yourself this, within an hour or two of the Hollywood Access tape being made public, the Russian theft of John Podestas emails hit WikiLeaks. What a coincidence. So, I mean you just cant make this stuff up, Clinton said. Responding to a question on North Korea, Clinton called for a regional effort. There has to be a regional effort to basically incentivise the North Korean regime to understand that it will pay a much bigger price regionally, primarily from China, if it pursues this reckless policy of nuclear weapons development and very dangerously for us, the missiles that can deliver those nuclear packages to places like Hawaii and eventually, the West Coast of the US, she said. Noting that she takes the North Korean threat very seriously, Clinton said she does not believe that the US alone is able to really put the pressure on this North Korea regime that needs to be placed. Now, the North Koreans are always interested, not just Kim Jong-un, but his father before him, were always interested in trying to get Americans to come to negotiate, to elevate their status and their position, she said. We should be very careful about giving that away. You should not offer that in the absence of broader strategic framework to try to get China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, to put the kind of pressure on the regime that will finally bring them to the negotiating table with some kind of realistic prospect for change, Clinton said. During the interview, Clinton described Syria as another one of those wicked problems which everybody is desperately trying to figure out how to stop the civil war, how to prevent Iran from increasing its influence, how to prevent Russia from having a real foothold in the Middle East, which is something that they are desperately seeking. So now Turkey and what its going to do is a big question mark, as well. So theres lots that this strike had really nothing to do with that are critical issues that still have to be addressed, she said. A range of retaliatory measures are being weighed by Indias generals, including attacks by ground forces on Pakistani posts, or strikes by aircraft, missiles or massed artillery guns, reports Ajai Shukla. The Army has begun weighing its options to retaliate against Pakistani forces on the Line of Control, after their troops, employing jihadi extremists, killed and beheaded two Indian soldiers near Poonch on Monday, top generals said. It is learnt that the incident took place when an Indian patrol of 8-10 soldiers was checking the border fence, a perilous task involving physically moving along the fence, very close to the LoC, to check that it has not been cut or its electronic sensors damaged. According to the modus operandi of Pakistani troops on forward LoC posts, the exposed patrol first came under intense fire from automatic weapons, which Pakistani soldiers had stealthily deployed in temporary positions, just across the LoC. With two Indian jawans injured in the firing, a border action team, comprising jihadi fighters, darted across the LoC to the border fence. Covered by the Pakistan armys firing, the jihadis killed the two jawans, beheaded them, and returned to their side of the LoC, bearing the heads as trophies. The employment of a BAT is a well-rehearsed Pakistani tactic that creates deniability by using jihadis to cross into the Indian side. The employment of a BAT is a well-rehearsed Pakistani tactic that creates deniability by using jihadis to cross into the Indian side. If any jihadis are killed or captured, the Pakistan army disowns it as an infiltration attempt. Regular soldiers remain on their side of the LoC, firing on Indian posts and patrols to cover the BATs move. A range of retaliatory measures are being weighed by Indias generals, including attacks by ground forces on Pakistani posts, or strikes by aircraft, missiles or massed artillery guns. Army opens speculative fire along LoC Indian troops on Wednesday opened speculative fire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district. Earlier, an Army officer had said that there was a ceasefire violation in the area and that details are being sought. There was no ceasefire violation along the LoC in Poonch. It was speculative fire, an army officer of northern command said. Speculative fire is normally used to check movement of suspicious persons along the border. Army Vice-Chief Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, on Tuesday, said, "Humko kya karna hai woh hum yahaan bataana nahin chahte hain. Apni karyavahi hum apne aap karenge, at a time and place of our choice (I dont want to give out here what we intend to do. We will take action at a time and place of our choice)." On Monday, the Army's Director General of Military Operations, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt, warned of retaliation during a phone call to his Pakistani counterpart. A defence ministry release stated: The DGMO of the Indian Army conveyed that such a dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response.' Defence Minister Arun Jaitley also sounded a warning on Monday, "The country has full confidence and faith in our armed forces, which will react appropriately to this inhuman act. The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain." However, army sources emphatically rejected Indian media claims -- by India Today TV and Dainik Jagran newspaper -- that the Indian Army had already visited retribution, killing 10 Pakistani soldiers in an attack. Last September, the Indian Army had retaliated to a jihadi strike on an army post near Uri with multiple cross-LoC surgical strikes that are believed to have killed several jihadi fighters and a handful of Pakistani soldiers. After another attack in November, the Indian Army secretly moved 155 millimetre Bofors guns into forward firing positions, destroying two Pakistani posts in a massed fire assault. Even so, senior generals admit there are limitations on how much, and how often, Pakistani posts on the LoC can be punished, even in retaliating to an inhuman violation that involved mutilating Indian soldiers. Inadequate punishment fails to deter Pakistani violations, while an excess could set off a cycle of escalation that could spiral out of control. Moreover, the Indian military does not have a tri-service plan for immediate retaliation to such incidents. This would involve pre-selecting Pakistan army or jihadi targets, earmarking the aircraft, missiles, guns or Special Forces to hit them and devising defensive measures for the inevitable Pakistani retaliation. In what might be an unlinked development, the Army on Tuesday test-fired a BrahMos land-to-land missile, demonstrating what an official release described as the weapons unmatched lethality of hitting the centre of a designated target with bulls eye precision. The BrahMos would be an important component of any concerted Indian cross-LoC strike capability. Image used for representative purpose only. Prem Sagar, the Border Security Force head constable who was beheaded by Pakistan Army regulars was cremated at his native village in Deoria, after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke to the family members of the slain soldier. The slain BSF jawans body was consigned to flames on Wednesday morning at his native village Tikampaar. Earlier, Sagars family had refused to cremate his body, insisting that the chief minister visit them. We agreed to hold the last rites after the chief minister spoke to us late last night and assured that he will visit our house. The CM told us that senior minister Surya Pratap Shahi will represent the state government, Virendra, Sagars elder son said. Late on Tuesday night, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had called up Virendra. The cremation also got delayed as the family members insisted on seeing the body. Deputy Inspector General BSF Rajiv Ranjan Sharma, who was present on the spot, said, Had we shown the mutilated body to the family members and villagers, there would had been massive outburst of anger. Apart from this, the local tradition of the village urges the people not to cremate bodies on Tuesdays as it may incur bad luck to the family. Shahi, who was present when the martyrs body was consigned to the flames said, The supreme sacrifice of the brave martyr will certainly not go in vain. Strong anti-Pakistan sentiments marked the last journey of the slain soldier as his body arrived at the police lines and was taken to his native village, about 40 km from the district headquarters. Anti-Pakistan slogans were raised as the Indian Air Force chopper, carrying the soldiers body, landed at the police lines ground before being taken in a cavalcade for the last rites. Shattered with the news of her fathers death at the hands of the Pakistans BAT in Jammu and Kashmirs Krishna Ghatti, Saroj the elder daughter of Sagar has demanded 50 heads in return of her fathers life. His sacrifice should not be forgotten, we want 50 heads in return for his life, said Saroj while consoling her mother, who was yet to come to terms with her husbands gruesome death. Dayashanker, brother of Sagar -- working with BSF and presently posted in Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh -- said, I am proud of my brother. He sacrificed his life for the nation, but it is very heart-wrenching the way he has been beheaded by the Pakistan military. Village head of Tikampaar, Lal Mohammad, who is an old friend of Prem Sagar, said, Pakistan took away my friend in such a brutal manner that we can never forgive it. We want revenge. Sagar and Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member team that had gone to the spot on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to check a snapped communication line. Their mutilated bodies were recovered on Monday morning. Top sources said they could have been decoyed there and there is a possibility that the terror group Lashkar-e-Tayiba could have been involved in the attack, with the backing of the Pakistani army. Demands for retribution have come from all quarters. Opposition parties have urged the government to punish Pakistan, which has denied Indias allegations. The army has issued a warning, saying such despicable act will be appropriately responded. Hinting at strong action which goes over and above counter-fire at the Line of Control, Union Minister Arun Jaitley has said, Such acts are unheard of even during war...The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain... The army will respond appropriately. Last year, after the huge terror strike at Uri, the army had launched surgical strikes on terror bases across the Line of Control. IMAGE: Assistant Director General, Border Security Forces Western Command, Kamal Nayan Choubey, centre, pays his respects to Head Constable Prem Sagar during a wreath laying ceremony in Jammu. Photograph: PTI Photo Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Wednesday that the Indian Army should get cut three enemy heads for every single instance of beheading our soldiers by Pakistani forces. Singh, who has served in the army, also said that India needs a full-time defence minister. Reacting to the barbaric killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, Captain Amarinder said Indias response should be clear and unequivocal. We should stop being a gentlemans army. If they (Pakistan) cut one of our heads, we should cut three of theirs, he said. The chief minister said he had been unable to attend the cremation of Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh, one of two soldiers whose mutilated body was found on Monday, in his village in Tarn Taran in Punjab as he was unable to walk due to a foot injury. Peace is only possible if the government writ runs large, said Captain Amarinder, making it clear that he did not favour negotiations in Jammu and Kashmir till the Indian Army had an upper hand. While he did not blame the prime minister for the spiralling violence in Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir, the chief minister asserted that the nation needed a full-time defence minister. India needs to build its defences, especially with China making inroads through land and sea, he said. Our weaponsation has to improve if we are to counter the various cross-border threats effectively, he added. According to Captain Amarinder, the Central Reserve Police Force, which was recently the victim of one of the worst ever Naxal assaults in Chhatisgarh, was not trained properly and did not have sufficient firing experience to tackle such situations. Expressing grief over the unnecessary loss of lives in the attack, he urged the CRPF to look into the matter and address the various concerns affecting the CRPF. The chief minister said he was sure that if a war-like situation develops in the country, all political parties, cutting party lines, would come together against the common enemy. He dismissed the Khalistani threats against him, saying he would not allow anyone to disturb the states peace. If they have the guts they should come and speak here instead of misleading people with unsubstantiated statements elsewhere. We want a stable Punjab, we want development. Having been in the army, I had seen wars and had never worried about any risk or threat to my safety, he said. About his charges against Canadian defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, the chief minister said his job was to raise issues and he wanted to bring big investments in the state which required peace and stability. He reiterated that Sajjan and several other Canadian parliamentarians had Khalistani leanings and were sympathising with people who wanted to disturb the peace of Punjab, which could not be allowed at any cost. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad on Wednesday claimed to have smashed an espionage racket in the state by arresting a suspected Inter-Services Intelligence agent from Faizabad and picking up another for questioning. This comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. In a joint operation conducted by the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad, Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, on Wednesday evening, Inspector General ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials in the Pakistan high commission, he said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. The deposits made in Aftabs bank accounts will also be verified, he said. While Aftab was arrested, another suspect was taken into custody and was being questioned. Aftab, son of Wajid Ali, is a resident of Khwaspura area of Faizabad, Arun said. Pictures of the cantonment area have been recovered from his mobile phone and more clues are likely to be found through his mobile chats, he said. Aftab was also allegedly keeping a close vigil on the movement of troops in the area, especially between Faizabad and Lucknow, besides deployment of battalions, an ATS release said. ADG (Law and Order) Aditya Misra said more information about the ISI network will be known through the mobile phone of the accused and more arrests are likely. ATS sources said Aftab had gathered information on several army cantonment areas and defence establishments in the state. The ATS was continuously getting reports about military information being leaked to intelligence officials in the Pakistan high commission and the ISI and the agency was working on it through electronic surveillance, ATS sources said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and had contact with an official in the Pakistan high commission and had also met him in New Delhi, Arun said, adding that the name of the official was being verified. He was in constant touch with Pakistan high commission, the ATS statement said. A government spokesman said tonight that the team led by ASP Rajesh Sahni will be awarded. The Uttar Pradesh Police had issued a warning of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. The group, allegedly trained by Pakistans ISI, has reportedly been asked to target Ayodhya (in Faizabad district), Varanasi, Vrindavan, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, UP police said. Acting on intelligence inputs, security was upgraded at several religious places -- including Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura -- and also at vital installations, including airports, bus and railway stations. Taking cognisance of the intelligence warning that an ISI-trained group in the garb of Hindu seers might strike prominent religious sites in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered construction of boundary walls around the holy spots. The priest-turned-politician had also asked the officials concerned to ensure laying of 4-lane road connecting famous temples for the convenience of visitors. The UP ATS has already alerted all district police chiefs and railway superintendents of police about the threat. We are coordinating with other agencies to thwart such attempts, Arun said. Central intelligence agencies have been sharing inputs with the UP Police since February about increased activity of terrorists in the state. According to the latest alert, the ISI is planning to launch attacks in the northern state under the code name Operation Krishna India. The agency (ISI) has reportedly trained the group for months to familiarise them with Hindu religious practices. Members of the module are planning to enter UP through the Nepal border in the guise of seers, the reports said. In February, Intelligence agencies in the state were tipped off about four dozen terrorists sneaking into UP through the porous border with Nepal. Last updated on: May 04, 2017 08:17 IST When faced with problems, this babu came up with innovative solutions, discovers Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar. IMAGE: Due to P David Rajah Beula's solar-powered light, farmers have reduced their expenditure on pesticides. In government offices, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, babus usually provoke citizens' ire. By their indifference to solving the citizenry's problems, by their often callous conduct, by their refusal to do what they are paid to. In this ocean of bureucratic insensitivity and sloth, some souls stand out. P David Rajah Beula, for instance. Beula joined as an agricultural officer in 1983 and retired in March 2017 as Tamil Nadu's deputy director for agriculture. In 2008, when he was posted in Villupuram, north Tamil Nadu, the state was reeling from a water shortage. Beula advised the farmers to plant brinjals instead of the water-intensive rice crop. He convinced them to use drip irrigation as well. Just as the brinjal crop was maturing, it was attacked by bore worms. "I suggested they put up a light at night and keep a plate with castor oil mixed with a few drops of shampoo below it," he recalls. "The first day, there were a lot of dead insects in this liquid. The next day, the number of dead insects reduced. On the third day, the number was negligible." Then, he made them shift the light, which switched on automatically at night, to another part of the field. As a result, the amount that the farmers spent on pesticide reduced by half, from 10,000 to 5,000 per acre. Besides, the farmers got a very good yield. IMAGE: P David Rajah Beula has sold more than 100 pumps -- costing 15,000 each -- across India. This was Beula's first brush with innovation. He then tried the same strategy with jasmine farmers. Bud worms were preventing the flower from blooming. Once again, the night light worked its magic and the insects vanished. But the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board objected. 'Free power' was being offered only for the water pumps and 'could not be used to light up the fields at night.' If the farmers continued to do so, the TNEB threatened, power would be cut. Beula, who has a master's degree in agriculture and a diploma in management of soil fertility from Denmark, was not fazed by this setback. He decided to deploy a solar-powered lamp instead. IMAGE: P David Rajah Beula's portable solar water pump is powered by this tiny motor that runs on 20 watts of power. In 2014, when he was posted in Tirunelveli, southern Tamil Nadu, he was approached by a worried jasmine farmer. The water in the farmer's well could be used for only half an hour a day and he was sure the well would go dry within a fortnight. The jasmine crop is perennial, but demands a lot of water. "I invented a portable solar water pump which is connected to a spray hose. It can be attached to a barrel of water and runs on 20 watts of power that is generated though a 3 feet x 3 feet solar panel," he says. When the rains fail, he recommends this method to the farmers. "I asked the farmer to spray a limited amount of water on the jasmine plant. I also told him to spread dead plant fibre on the soil around the plant to reduce evaporation." "Lightning breaks up the nitrogen molecules in the air which fall on the soil when it rains and combines with its minerals to form nitrates, which is a kind of fertiliser," explains Beula. "When we use my spray method, we add liquid fertiliser to the water to mimic the benefits of rain water." The state agriculture department, though its Agriculture Technology Management Agenda, gave him money to demonstrate his water pump and solar light. He has sold more than 100 pumps -- costing 15,000 each -- across India. The solar-powered light cost 5,500. In drought hit Tamil Nadu, Beula's innovations are a blessing. Photographs: A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com 'If Ruttie had been alive, Jinnah would never have turned communal.' Veenu Sandhu checks out Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage That Shook India. IMAGE: Mahatma Gandhi leaves Mohammad Ali Jinnah's home, en route to the viceregal lodge in Delhi, November 24, 1939. Photograph: Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Of all the stalwarts of India's freedom movement, the one who remains largely an enigma is Mohammad Ali Jinnah. A reserved, self-made man whose life followed a carefully laid out plan, Jinnah is often described as a cold rationalist who went from being an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity to one who would execute the British policy of 'Divide and Rule' in the most extreme form: Partition. The reasons and the circumstances that brought about this acute transformation, however, remain as indecipherable as the man himself. Could it, in some way, have been the destructive manifestation of his struggle to cope with a personal and emotionally devastating tragedy: The decay and subsequent death of a relationship he had never planned but which eventually consumed him, though he never let that turmoil reveal itself to others? Towards the end of her book, Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage That Shook India, journalist Sheela Reddy hints that this perhaps was the major trigger that changed the man. 'If Ruttie had been alive, Kanji was convinced, Jinnah would never have turned communal,' Reddy writes. Reformer, politician, writer Kanji Dwarkadas was a close friend of Jinnah and his wife, Ruttie Petit, a woman Jinnah fell in love with when she was 16 and he 40. Smitten by him as he was by her, they married two years later in what was described as the 'worst mismatch in recent times' -- not just because of the yawning age gap. She was Parsi, the only daughter of a baronet and a rich society girl. He was Muslim and had been an unemployed, struggling young lawyer who lived in a small hotel room when he first came to Bombay (now Mumbai). His surplus confidence and natural sense of superiority would quickly take him up the social, legal and political ladder. Reddy's book came about as accidentally as the Jinnah-Petit romance when she stumbled upon some private letters written by Petit. The letters were preserved at Delhi's Nehru Memorial Museum and Library by Padmaja and Leilamani Naidu, daughters of Sarojini Naidu and Petit's closest friends. More such intimate exchanges -- between the Naidu family and from the two sisters to Petit -- form the key source material of this well-documented, even if dramatically written, book. But then, drama is at the very core of this magnificent tragedy. Reddy has done well to put judgment aside and tell the story as she saw it, often piecing together the narrative from whatever material she could gather during her research that took her to Delhi, Mumbai and Pakistan, graphically recreating the situations in her mind. The character that stands out is Petit -- feisty, rebellious, young and, like Jinnah, a nationalist at heart. She goes on to become a woman desperate to break free from playing wife and mother, and tormented by what she perceives as the indifference of the 'cold logician' she has married and who is now maniacally busy with politics. Her scandalous marriage to Jinnah has already left her lonely, cut off from her family and the Parsi community. But she is fearless, at least in the initial days. So much so, that when her father seeks an injunction in court, accusing Jinnah of trying to abduct his daughter for her fortune, she happily says in court: 'Mr Jinnah has not abducted me, it is I who have abducted him.' At another time, instead of a courtesy, she chooses to greet the viceroy, Lord Chelmsford, with a namaste. When he tells her that when in Rome, she should do as the Romans do if she didn't want to jeopardise her husband's political future, she coolly replies, 'That's exactly what I did. In India, I greeted you the Indian way.' It is tragic to see this sparkly personality, a stunning beauty of her time, sink into shadows and her playful teasing of Jinnah, whom she refers to as 'J' in her letters, become vicious and aimed at provoking and annoying him. If she gets under his skin, which she did as Jinnah in a rare moment reveals -- 'Ruttie drove me mad' -- he doesn't show it to her and that provokes her to trouble him more. She would walk into his chambers when he would be in a conference, sit on the table dangling her legs, making the men in the room distinctly uncomfortable. Jinnah would pretend not to notice her and continue with his business. He would go about his unyielding routine, while she sought solace in sleeping pills, theosophy and the occult. Later, she would turn to jazz and dance the night away with other men at the Taj. If she did this to catch Jinnah's attention, she failed. He wouldn't react. IMAGE: The conference in New Delhi where Lord Louis Mountbatten disclosed Britain's plan for the Partition of India. Left to right: Jawaharlal Nehru, Lord Ismay, adviser to Mountbatten, Lord Mountbatten, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images The book thankfully does not get into finding faults or pinning blame on either. It stays neutral, maintaining a careful balance, concerned with just telling the tale. But Reddy does, again through letters by Sarojini and Padmaja Naidu, point to the tiny soul, their daughter Dina, who suffers hopeless indifference as Jinnah and Petit deal with their lives and themselves. She is left almost forgotten in the nursery. Petit, whose heart aches for her cats, appears to feel nothing for the baby, leaving her and taking off to Hyderabad when she is barely four months old. So much so that, in a letter to Leilamani, Padmaja writes, 'I simply cannot understand Ruttie's attitude -- I do not blame her as most people here seem to do, but whenever I remember the little, dazed, scared child, like some mortally hurt animal, I come very near hating Ruttie in spite of my great affection for her.' Their mother, Sarojini Naidu, is less forgiving of Petit, whom she loves dearly, as she writes, 'I could beat Ruttie whenever I think of that child.' The transformation of Petit, as of Jinnah, is stark. The woman who once enjoyed politics and who was 'filled with excitement at the prospect of listening to three days of long speeches' when she set out to attend her first Congress session, makes the trip with Jinnah to attend the year-end sessions of the Congress and the Muslim League in Amritsar in December 1919 with a dull, listless heart. 'Let me be free. Let me be free,' she writes at one point and, when she finally does break free, she is determined not to go back again 'under this marriage ice'. Not only is Reddy's research thorough, she tells a compelling story. If there is one thing missing from the book, it is Jinnah's voice. Unlike Petit and the Naidus, all of them voracious letter writers, Jinnah hardly wrote letters and, when he did, he kept them impersonal. This is why words such as 'perhaps', 'maybe', 'probably', 'presumably' are used often to recount situations involving him or his state of mind. Striving, as a researcher ought to, Reddy tries to scale this hurdle too, with some success. She manages to find a small window into his mind in Frederick Masson's book, Napoleon: Lover and Husband. Underlined by Jinnah, 'over and over again in curly and straight lines,' are these three words from the book: 'Reproaches are senseless.' But there comes a moment when Jinnah's emotions briefly get the better of his stoic reserve. At Petit's funeral -- she dies on her 29th birthday, a death many believe she deliberately invited by overdosing on morphine -- when called as the nearest relative to be the first to throw earth on her grave, he suddenly breaks down and sobs like a child. The 'cold logician' would soon after lock all his emotions firmly in his heart and again plunge himself into politics. And where Petit once stood by his side like a breath of fresh air, would stand his sister, Fatima, 'enjoying his diatribes against the Hindus,' as Kanji is quoted in the book, 'injecting an extra dose of venom into them.' The Fritt Ord Foundation (the Freedom of Expression Foundation), Oslo, and the ZEIT Foundation honour independent journalists and media in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia. The 2017 Free Media Awards go to Meydan TV, Zaruhi Mejlumyan, Anton Naumlyuk and Sergei Jolkin. The prize amounts to EUR 15 000 for each of the prize laureates. The awards will be bestowed at the Free Media Awards conference in Kiev under the auspices of Fritt Ord of Norway and the ZEIT Foundation of Germany from 8 to 11 October 2017. "We want to pay tribute to intrepid, independent journalism. The goal of the Free Media Awards is to provide fertile conditions for good investigative journalism and diversity of opinion. The media constitute the fourth estate, an important corrective for every kind of abuse of power. This year, we have chosen four media and journalists who risk a great deal as they for their own incorruptible paths", comments Knut Olav Amas, executive director of the Fritt Ord Foundation. Meydan TV is an Azerbaijani Internet platform. The exile media was founded in Berlin in 2013, when the media and journalists in Azerbaijan were persecuted and their reports were subjected to censorship of various kinds. Meydan TV reports courageously and objectively, despite a myriad of reprisals. The station's reports from and about Azerbaijan have an especially large audience on social media. Meydan TV was nominated by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Human Rights House Foundation, Oslo, and jury member Ane Tusvik Bonde. Armenian journalist Zaruhi Mejlumyan (1978) writes for the website www.hetq.am about the judicial system and violations of human rights in her home country. In particular, she writes about wrongful convictions, gaps in the judiciary and how they are dealt with. She uses investigative reporting techniques in her work. On several occasions, Zaruhi Mejlumyans experience and persistence helped reopen frozen and protracted court cases, serving as a basis for submitting applications for judicial review. She was nominated by Karine Asatryan, editor-in-chief of A1+ TV-online. The Russian journalist Anton Naumlyuk (1984) reports for Novaja Gazeta, MediaZona and Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe about the Russian judicial system's cases against the citizenry of Crimea, especially against Ukrainian political prisoners and Crimean Tatars. His articles and reports on extreme examples of legal injustice and violations of human rights in Russia and Crimea have created quite a stir internationally. His photo reports capture the plight of people who are suffering abuse at the hands of the authorities. Anton Naumlyuk was nominated by the Human Rights Information Centre of Ukraine, Human Rights House Foundation, Oslo, and jury member Ane Tusvik Bonde. The caricature artist Sergei Jolkin (1962) from Moscow used to work as an architect; since 1999, he has published drawings daily that ruthlessly depict political conditions in Russia. In a fitting, concise manner, Jolkin gives an account of both the unbridled exercise of power and the absurd aspects of the authoritarian national government. Each day, his drawings are carried in Deutsche Welle and Radio Liberty. Sergei Jolkin was nominated by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, and jury members Alice Bota and Guri Norstrm. The jury for the Free Media Awards consists of six individuals: Ane Tusvik Bonde, regional manager for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus at the Human Rights House Foundation in Oslo, Alice Bota, Moscow correspondent for DIE ZEIT, Guri Norstrm, Berlin correspondent for NRK, Martin Paulsen, Eastern Europe expert with a PhD in Russian from the University of Bergen, Stefanie Schiffer, director of the European Exchange in Berlin, and Stephan Wackwitz, head of the Goethe Institute in Tbilisi. www.frittord.no By Florence Low Last week, Yerevans activist community had the pleasure of hosting a trans activist and artist from the United States, Alok Vaid-Menon, who came as part of a tour of Central Asia. Alok held discussions on End Gender and Gay Rights Are Wrong, as well as a slam poetry performance. Their view of gender as socially constructed was not a view often encountered in Armenia, and challenged participating activists to look critically at the ways that gender is constructed as a power hierarchy which is enforced through institutions, and as a system through which violence is frequently enacted. As a performance artist, their approach is exemplified through the ways in which Alok chooses to identify and express themselves; they identify and present as gender non-conforming, choosing to use they pronouns rather than he or she. As Alok sees it, I live my life in a way that interrupts gender in all aspectshow I dress, how I think, how I desire. I try to imagine a world where I and everyone else isnt gendered. Walking through the streets of Yerevan last week with Alok, presenting with lipstick, hair bun, nail polish and beard, caused many heads to turn. Passers-by however, noticing Aloks brown skin, dismissed them as foreign, that they are probably from India. To visit any one of Aloks events however, it was clear that gender non-conforming is not only confined to foreigners, but in fact there are plenty of home-grown, local gender non-conforming individuals, even if they are unable to express this in public from fear of violence. This dismissal as foreign is familiar for queer Armenians, who have frequently been told that homosexuality, along with feminism, is a Western disease. The discovery, exploration, and finally expression of any kind of personal identity is inherently conducted through the use of narratives and language. Often queer Armenians, without words to express themselves in their native language, are forced to directly transfer or adapt words from a Western English-speaking context: (LGBT); (queer); (gender); , (transgender, trans); (gay); (lesbian); (bisexual), and to then adapt Western narratives of queerness in their struggle for recognition and rights, leading them to be labelled as foreign and westernised by the local communities, enabling the process of scapegoating, of othering. Discussing the practice of scapegoating, Alok notes that its so easy to repress this conversation [about trans people] as minorities or a small group of disgruntled people who are upset but they practise their work in not assuming that trans people are a minority and gender conforming people are a majority because in a different possibility and world, I think that a lot of these people would be a lot more flexible with gender. They wish to remind us that this is about you too, that these binary systems affect all of us. However, some participants felt like Alok was themselves excluding individuals who do perform binary gender, with one noting that people should have choice, and as the gender stereotypes exist, their identities will be named as masculine or feminine. Any type of gender expressionhas the right to exist. Aloks work in non-Western countries centres around how to localise these struggles that centre around gender, to resist Westernisation and colonisation of activist narratives. They note that activists in post-Soviet countries struggle with feelings of being unprecedented, with no access to archives of previous histories and moments and writers and thinkers who were thinking about these things before; without a past narrative, it is easy to adapt Western narratives of struggle and activism. Through grants from Western sources given to LGBT and feminist organisations, people who dont have access to their own archive are suddenly given an archive, and thus tend to adapt Western models of LGBT and womens rights, leading further to the accusation of foreignness. However, as Alok shows activists in their discussion on Gay rights are wrong, what happens when those Western struggles for rights are shown to be highly localised through very specific historical contexts of colonialization and racism, and are problematic through their exclusion of trans people? However, some participants critiqued Aloks approach itself as lacking localisation but rather too US-centric. One participant felt like Aloks discussions lacked sufficient open dialogue in order to understand the subtleties of local experiences of the gender binary, with Alok sometimes cutting off others in their responses. Whilst gender binaries in both contexts are linked to colonialism, in Armenian society it is specifically traceable to post-Soviet reactionary nationalism and militarism. Whilst the Soviet Union instigated a state-imposed gender equality, this did not infiltrate into society, as one participant notes; after the collapse and the ensuing anxiety about national identity and traditional national values, there was a promotion of traditional gender roles and ideas of masculinity and femininity as key for growing a strong nation. In some ways, however, the Armenian language allows for more flexibility in gender than English. As is common in Western English-speaking queer contexts, Aloks discussions opened with participants introducing themselves with their name and pronouns (usually he, she or they), however with Armenian not having gendered pronouns, many participants confessed that they didnt care which gendered pronoun was used for them. In contrast to typical critiques of queer and feminist politics coming from the West, Alok notes that language allows us to imagine that there is actually no contradiction between a gender non-conforming life and our cultural ethnic origins, and this is evident in the issue of pronouns. In this way, the language in which we express and explore gender is key, as exemplified through the case a few years ago around the use of the word (gender). When the government attempted to introduce gender equality laws, many conservatives fought against this, understanding the word to be linked with homosexuality, and therefore with paedophilia or perversity, a fear which persists to this day. This case again possibly points to the ways in which use of English words can lead to misunderstanding and defensiveness in favour of national values. Alok notes how easy it is to dismiss this reactionary nationalism as ignorant, but is keen to stress that often it conveys profound and meaningful critiques of colonial feminism and western gender taxonomies and neo-liberalism and hyper-individualism. The link between nationalism and a need to retain gender binaries, roles and definitions is one that Alok has noticed in other post-Soviet nations, where the binaries are constructed in order to retain a sense of a Kyrgyz nation, a Kazakh nation, an Armenian nation; these binaries are not limited to gender, but in these countries everything becomes a question of national or international. Furthermore, LGBT and feminist communities can start in themselves to become exclusionary of gender non-conforming individuals and start to reflect the binaries and conformity of very society that they seek to rebel from and to refashion. One gender non-conforming participant notes that I have been harassed more by LGBT and feminist communities than the heterosexual community, and another critiques the feminist community as not inclusive for non-binary people, who are more discriminated. The original organiser of the discussions notes how the purpose of Aloks visit was to ask these activist communities to challenge themselves as to the language used, strategies deployed and thoughts expressed. How much are the current discourses helping queer people and how much are they even further marginalising them? Are we able to resist the overtaking wave of neoliberalism or are we simply becoming instrumentalised by the same politics we are fighting against? Aloks visit to Armenia concluded on the final night with a powerful and vulnerable slam poetry performance, Femme in Public Performance, covering incredibly personal themes including trauma, public harassment, and transphobia. It was unlike anything else seen in Armenia, which was evident in the audiences reaction, which was shy to react or engage in a dialogue with Alok as would be typical for this genre of performance. One audience member felt like Alok was indulging in precisely the othering which they fight against in their activism: they also seemed very invested in 'othering' the audience: we were cast in their eyes as part of the "white" multitudeit implicitly placed their Armenian audience firmly in a place of privilege over Alok's experience, which was not only alienating but frustrating, since the only specific mention that was made to our culture was Kim Kardashian, who Armenians from Armenia don't tend to identify with. With the lights left off at Aloks request to make the audience feel more comfortable, as night fell and the room darkened, the same audience member noted how the privilege categorising of Aloks performance slowly decreased since the visual differences among the audience and the performer themselves gradually became indistinguishable by the light. This actually coincided beautifully with one of Alok's final poems which began to offer a little bit of hope in the form of love. Despite critiques of a lack of localisation, it is clear that Aloks visit has encouraged local activists to look more critically at their own history to understand how power hierarchies and gender binaries have arisen, and what sustains them in order to know how to address them. One activist, noting how important Aloks visit was for the community, now understands how there should be more focus on the fight against colonialisation, against patriarchy, because of which all sorts of violence and discrimination has been created or is being created. Alok encouraged learning and growth as activists through self-examination in the ways that we perform gender, and critical thinking about the ways that institutions promote gender binaries as a method for enacting power over others. One activist expressed a wish to change things on an interpersonal level by challenging others on their sexuality and gender: I really want to challenge people, ask them, how do you know youre a girl, how do you know you are a boy?, whilst another activist wished to start from changing within the community, reflecting how change can come with homophobia, misogyny and transphobia challenged within the community. Mostly, activists agreed that it had pushed them to think more critically; they were hopeful that despite the use of Western models of LGBT rights and feminism thus far, Armenia, by understanding its own histories around these institutions and binaries, can construct different future narratives. Photo: Alok in their typical gender non-conforming presentation after their poetry performance (Florence Low) Florence Low is from London, UK, and currently lives in Yerevan, Armenia. Qatar: Don't Deport Saudi Activist Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 25 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Qatar: Don't Deport Saudi Activist, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909829f4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Qatari authorities should not deport a prominent Saudi human rights activist who would be at risk of a long prison sentence and possible ill-treatment if forcibly returned to Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch said today. The activist, Mohammed al-Oteibi, fled to neighboring Qatar in March 2017. He is on trial in Saudi Arabia based on charges related solely to his peaceful human rights work. Al-Oteibi and Abullah al-Attawi, another Saudi activist, face a series of vague charges relating to a short-lived human rights organization they set up in 2013. Human Rights Watch has documented allegations that Saudi officials at detention facilities sometimes subject detainees to torture and other ill-treatment, including at detention facilities run by Saudi Arabia's Public Security Department (police) and by the General Directorate of Investigation (al-Mabahith). "No one should be sent back to face an unfair trial and possible ill-treatment based on peaceful human rights work," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East executive director at Human Rights Watch. "Qatari authorities should protect Mohammed al-Oteibi and decline possible Saudi requests to return him." Al-Oteibi told Human Rights Watch that Saudi Mabahith officials contacted him on April 19 and 20 requesting his location, and that he informed them that he is in Qatar. His next trial session is in Riyadh on April 25. Though all the founders of the organization in mid-2013 signed a pledge to halt all human rights activism, the charge sheet states that after monitoring his compliance with the pledge, "it became clear that [Mohammad al-Oteibi] continued with his previous path and a number of his violations of it were documented" The "violations" the charge sheet goes on to lay out, however, refer only to activities that supposedly occurred prior to the pledge, including "meeting members of and sympathizers with the dissolved [Saudi Association on Civil and Political Rights] ...the last meeting of which occurred on September 14, 2013." Of the charges against the two men, one is tied to a violation of article 6 of the Saudi cybercrime law, which proscribes "producing something that harms public order, religious values, public morals, the sanctity of private life, or authoring, sending, or storing it via an information network," and imposes penalties of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 3 million Saudi Riyals (US$800,000). Human Rights Watch documented Saudi Arabia's use of its abusive cybercrime law to punish dissidents and activists in its 2016 report 140 Characters. Similar cases in the past against human rights activists have resulted in prison sentences of between five and 15 years. Qatar's return of al-Oteibi might amount to refoulement, which violates the prohibition in customary international law on returning a person to a real risk of persecution where their life or freedom would be threatened on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion or where there is real risk of torture or inhuman and degrading treatment or other serious violations of their human rights. "Saudi Arabia regularly charges its domestic critics with harming the reputation of the country, but prosecutions like this do far more damage to the country's reputation and often prove that its critics' complaints are spot on," Whitson said. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Lebanon: Migrant Domestic Workers With Children Deported Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 25 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Lebanon: Migrant Domestic Workers With Children Deported, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590983184.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Lebanon's General Security agency has detained and deported migrant domestic workers apparently for having children in Lebanon, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities should stop deportations and release anyone detained for this reason. Denying residency renewals to long-term workers who have given birth while living in Lebanon disproportionately interferes with their right to family life. Lebanese authorities have deported at least 21 domestic workers with children since the summer of 2016, saying that they were not living with their employer or were not supposed to give birth in Lebanon, according to Insan, a local human rights organization. None of these women were accused of violating their visas by working for multiple employers, and Insan has not documented a similar pattern of deportations of women without children living outside their employer's home. Human Rights Watch spoke with three of the migrant domestic workers with children who have been deported, and corroborated their stories with local nongovernmental organizations and a community leader. "Working in Lebanon doesn't mean that these women lose the right to start a family," said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "These deportations throw families' lives into turmoil and punish workers for no reason." The women told Human Rights Watch by phone that the deportations had a devastating effect on their lives, cutting off their ability to work, splitting up families, and interrupting their children's education. Some of these women had lived in Lebanon for decades, with children who were born and grew up here. "Monika," who after working in Lebanon for more than 20 years was detained and then deported along with her 16-year-old daughter in early 2017, told Human Rights Watch: "Now my daughter is not in school, and we have no work, and now life is too difficult for us here in India. For us, eating is difficult." In December 2016, "Kumari" was detained and subsequently deported with her daughter, 14, after working in Lebanon for 30 years. Her husband remained in Lebanon for work, splitting their family apart. "What did we do? Did we steal? Did we kill someone?" she asked. "I worked for people [in Lebanon] all my life, for 32 years. We worked, worked, me and my husband, to put our children through school, to pay money to educate them there, and they treat us like that?" Sources within General Security, the agency in charge of foreigners' entry and residency, confirmed to nongovernmental groups in 2014 that the agency had issued a new directive to deny residency permit renewals to Lebanon-born children of low-wage migrants and their parents. In 2014, Human Rights Watch found that several migrant domestic workers with children were denied residency renewal. Some were told they were not allowed to have children in Lebanon and given a short period of time to leave the country. At the time, General Security did not respond to written requests from nongovernmental groups, including Human Rights Watch, for a copy of the 2014 directive. The detentions and deportations largely ceased in the summer of 2015, but apparently resumed in summer 2016, Insan said, with dozens of migrant domestic workers with children summoned to General Security offices and then detained or denied residency renewal. Human Rights Watch wrote to General Security about these deportations on March 20, and the agency responded on April 19, stating that "General Security did not deport or send away any domestic worker with a child that she wanted to bring with her," but that a migrant domestic worker giving birth to a child in Lebanon would be "difficult to achieve without violating many laws and regulations" and "the persistence of violations of applicable laws in any country would set its inevitable outcome on the transgressor." Human Rights Watch wrote to General Security on April 20 seeking clarification as to the meaning of their statement, but did not receive a response. General Security should publish its current policy regarding migrant domestic workers with children, Human Rights Watch said. Lebanese authorities have previously deported migrant domestic workers with minimal notice or process for seemingly arbitrary reasons. On December 10, 2016, International Human Rights Day, Lebanon deported Sujana Rana, a Nepalese migrant domestic worker who was involved in advocating for the rights of domestic workers and organizing a migrant domestic workers union. The estimated 250,000 migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are excluded from labor law protections, and a kafala (visa-sponsorship) system subjects them to restrictive immigration rules, placing them at risk of exploitation and abuse. The large majority of these workers are women, who typically have short-term contracts and are expected to live in their employer's home. Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon commonly report non-payment of wages, forced confinement, employers' refusal to provide time off, and verbal and physical abuse. In 2010, Human Rights Watch found that Lebanon's judiciary failed to hold employers accountable for these abuses. In 2008, Human Rights Watch found that migrant domestic workers were dying at a rate of one per week, with suicide and attempted escapes the leading causes of death. Under Lebanese residency regulations, certain categories of low-wage migrants, particularly domestic workers, are not allowed to sponsor residency for their spouses or children. However, in the past, migrant domestic workers could apply for year-long residency permits for their Lebanon-born children up until age 4, and then could apply for residency if the child was enrolled in school. According to two Lebanese lawyers and Insan, General Security requires migrant domestic workers to live in their employer's home, though no Lebanese law requires this. Lebanon is obligated under article 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to respect the rights of men and women of marriageable age to marry and to found a family. The 2014 General Security directive and its implementation result in disproportionate interference in family life, in particular the separation of families through expulsion. Furthermore, Lebanon has an obligation under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to avoid "expulsions of non-citizens, especially of long-term residents, that would result in disproportionate interference with the right to family life." Children have a right to, as far as possible, be cared for by their parents, and the right to family relations without unlawful and disproportionate interference. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) requires countries to "ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when ... such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child." In any proceeding that could lead to the separation of children from their parents, all interested parties, including the children, should be given an opportunity to participate and make their views known, and any separation must be subject to judicial review. The convention also says that countries should deal with questions of parents or children entering a country for the purposes of family unity "in a positive, humane, and expeditious manner." Lebanon is required under the convention to secure the rights to all children within its jurisdiction, without "discrimination of any kind." The Lebanese government should comply with its international obligations by ensuring that General Security considers the family interests involved and the best interests of the child before rejecting the renewal of residency for workers or their children or considering their expulsion, Human Rights Watch said. The government should also ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the ILO Domestic Workers Convention to safeguard the rights of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon. "Lebanese authorities should immediately stop deportations or detention of migrant domestic workers for having children in Lebanon," Fakih said. "Having a child in Lebanon should not be treated like a crime, and the people who come to take care of Lebanese citizens for years should be allowed to have families as well." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Germany/Egypt: Agreement Risks Complicity in Abuses Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 24 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Germany/Egypt: Agreement Risks Complicity in Abuses, 24 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590983f64.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The German parliament should reject a proposed security agreement with the Egyptian Interior Ministry, Human Rights Watch said today. The agreement, which is scheduled for a vote on April 28, 2017, lacks human rights protections and would be with a security agency whose officers have committed torture, enforced disappearances, and most likely extrajudicial killings. As a result, it could make German officials complicit in serious human rights violations. The agreement would establish cooperation in a number of fields, most importantly in combating terrorism. It obliges the authorities of both countries to cooperate in investigations, share information about suspects, and carry out joint operations. It includes only the vaguest reference to "upholding human rights" and lacks any effective guarantee that the major human rights abuses by Egyptian security agencies will end. "If the German government wants to help protect German and Egyptian citizens from terrorism while respecting human rights, this is a terrible way of going about it," said Wenzel Michalski, Germany director at Human Rights Watch. "The German government should be getting cast-iron guarantees that Egypt is calling a halt to its abuses, not rushing to put its agents next to Egyptian forces on the front line of repression." Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abd al-Ghaffar signed the agreement with his German counterpart, Thomas de Maiziere, in July 2016, but it remains subject to approval by the German Bundestag. The agreement says it is aimed at combating terrorism and organized crime. It lays out 22 fields in which various German authorities, including the Interior Ministry and federal police, would cooperate with the Egyptian Interior Ministry. They include preventing and combating corruption, human trafficking, drug and weapons smuggling, and money laundering. Under the agreement, Germany and Egypt would exchange experts on crime prevention, share information on suspects and the structure of criminal groups, carry out "operational measures" in the presence of the partner government's agents, and share staff and material to assist "operational investigations." Egypt's Interior Ministry has a decades-long history of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and torture, in violation of both international and Egyptian law and with little or no accountability. Officers of the ministry's National Security Agency, which has primary responsibility for countering terrorism, have committed most of these abuses, especially in cases in which detainees have been accused of terrorism, which Egyptian law defines broadly. The authorities regularly use allegations of terrorism to criminalize peaceful dissent. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's decision to impose a nationwide state of emergency in response to two Islamic State church bombings on April 9 expanded the National Security Agency's already wide powers. It allows the authorities to arrest and search suspects without warrants, conduct limitless surveillance, censor any publication, seize property, restrict public meetings, and set opening and closing times for businesses. Perhaps most worrying, prosecutors can send cases to Emergency State Security Courts, whose trials do not meet international fair trial standards and whose rulings are not subject to appeal. Egypt's counterterrorism laws are drawn very broadly and used against peaceful protesters and other political opponents who have faced trial based on nothing more than the unsubstantiated testimony of National Security agents. Most recently, prosecutors used them against a human rights lawyer who represented clients of police abuse. He was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison for allegedly making threatening posts on his Facebook page. Egypt's penal code defines terrorism broadly as "any use of force or violence or any threat or intimidation to disturb public order or jeopardize the safety and security of society, if it would harm or spread terror among individuals or expose their lives, freedoms or security to danger." Terrorism can also include threats to "disrupt the implementation of the constitution or laws." The requirements of the proposed agreement aimed at guaranteeing cooperation in combating terrorism would almost certainly lead to German security agents assisting the Egyptian National Security Agency, Human Rights Watch said. Since 1992, Human Rights Watch has extensively documented the systematic use of torture by police and National Security agents to elicit confessions and punish detainees. In 2011, Human Rights Watch determined that "the government is failing miserably to provide victims of torture and ill-treatment effective remedy, or to deter such abuses from occurring in the future." Egypt's inadequate legal framework for punishing torture, the lack of an independent body to investigate the police, and prosecutors' near-total deference to National Security agents have all contributed to this impunity. The number of enforced disappearances and likely extrajudicial killings by National Security agents has risen sharply since al-Sisi appointed Magdy Abd al-Ghaffar as interior minister in March 2015. Most recently, Human Rights Watch documented that National Security agents probably killed at least four and possibly as many as 10 men in North Sinai whom they had forcibly disappeared. The authorities then appeared to stage a fake counterterrorism raid to cover up the killings. The proposed agreement also runs counter to the European Union Foreign Affairs Council's conclusions about Egypt in 2013, in the wake of the mass killings of at least 1,185 protesters by Egyptian security forces. The council suspended export licenses to Egypt for any equipment that might be used for internal repression and decided to review all security assistance to Egypt. In August 2014, Human Rights Watch concluded that the mass killings of 2013, overseen by then-Defense Minister al-Sisi and primarily carried out by Interior Ministry forces, probably amounted to crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch said that United Nations member countries should suspend all security assistance to Egypt until the government adopted measures to end serious human rights violations and hold violators accountable, and should avoid complicity in abuses committed by Egyptian authorities. No government official or member of the security forces has been held accountable for the killings, and prosecutors have opened no investigation. An executive summary of a government fact-finding report released in November 2014 did not recommend charges. Hundreds of people arrested during the fatal protest dispersals in 2013 remain on trial on charges that include joining an armed group, killing security forces, and blocking roads. The proposed agreement also contains troubling provisions on information sharing. It does set rules for protecting personal data and states that the agreement is not meant to provide information "to be used as evidence in criminal proceedings." But the agreement would require the partner agencies to inform each other verbally in urgent cases when one agency requests information "about the particulars of those involved in criminal offenses, structures of offender groups and criminal organizations and the links between them" and to help "track down the offenders." This provision raises the possibility that the Egyptian Interior Ministry will use its German partners to obtain information about political opponents who have not committed a crime. The agreement also appears to encourage voluntary sharing of information "which may be of importance to track down" terrorism suspects in the absence of a request. Despite the reference to "upholding human rights," the agreement states clearly that cooperation will be governed by each country's respective national law and makes no reference to international law regarding arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, or extrajudicial killings. The fact that no National Security officer has ever received a final conviction for torture or ill-treatment shows that Egyptian national law has proven inadequate for preventing these abuses. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Indonesia: Journalists Under Assault Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 25 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Indonesia: Journalists Under Assault, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909847c4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Indonesian government should adopt measures to ensure that state security forces who physically attack journalists are suspended and appropriately prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said today. New data and case research shows a disturbing increase in assaults on journalists in the past two years. Irina Bokova, the director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which chose Jakarta as global host for its annual World Press Freedom Day commemoration on May 3, 2017, should use the occasion to publicly address the increase in assaults on journalists and urge President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to take more decisive action in response. "World Press Freedom Day should be a time to celebrate the role journalists play in society, but in Indonesia the focus too often is on reporters' fears," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The Indonesian government should reverse the dangerous deterioration of press freedom in the country and prosecute security force personnel who physically assault journalists." The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), a nongovernmental union, reported that there were 78 incidents in 2016 of violent attacks on journalists, including by security forces, compared with 42 in 2015, and 40 in 2014. AJI found that the attackers have been brought to justice in only a very few of those 78 incidents. Indonesia's 1999 Press Law provides explicit protection for journalists, including up to two years in prison and fines of 500 million rupiah (US$44,000) for anyone who physically attacks a journalist. Human Rights Watch interviewed 18 journalists and six human rights advocates in Balikpapan, Banten, Jakarta, Jayapura, Makassar, Medan, Padang, Pekanbaru, and Surabaya. They described an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship in many newsrooms due to abuses and threats by security forces and local authorities that go unpunished and that, most of the time, are not even rigorously investigated. The abuses include destruction of journalists' equipment (especially cameras and memory cards), harassment, intimidation, threats, and assault. These abuses have occurred in all of Indonesia's major islands, typically in provincial capitals and smaller cities. They are less common in Jakarta, the national capital, where journalists are more aware of their rights and are supported by stronger professional organizations. Human Rights Watch investigated three incidents of violent assaults involving five journalists. All had sought resolution of their cases and were concerned about possible reprisals for publicly disclosing details of their abuse. The provinces of Papua and West Papua (commonly referred to jointly as "Papua") remain particularly difficult places for both Indonesian and foreign journalists. Papuan journalists in particular face harassment, intimidation, and at times violence from security forces and pro-independence forces when they report on corruption, rights abuses, land grabs, and other sensitive topics. Indonesian authorities continue to restrict access by foreign journalists to Papua on spurious "security" grounds despite Jokowi's May 10, 2015, announcement that accredited foreign media would have unimpeded access to Papua. Indonesia's considerable gains in media freedom since the fall of authoritarian President Suharto in 1998 will not be sustainable if the government does not respond promptly and vigorously when journalists and media organizations are harassed or suffer violence, Human Rights Watch said. To ensure that laws protecting journalists are enforced, the Jokowi government should insist that state agencies, notably the police and armed forces, adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward physical abuse of journalists. Members of those forces suspected of assaulting a journalist should be suspended from the force and, as evidence warrants, criminally prosecuted. Any official who engages in abusive efforts to compel private settlements of assault cases should also be relieved of duty. Finally, the government should create appropriate educational programs on media freedom for government officials, police, and military personnel. UNESCO and other international donors should support the efforts of nongovernmental media advocacy groups, particularly those seeking to open offices in Indonesia's provinces, to help educate journalists about their rights and legal avenues for accountability when those rights are violated, Human Rights Watch said. UNESCO should also support the Indonesian Press Council in conducting a public education campaign on freedom of expression. "The Indonesian government has an obligation to address the security threats to journalists so that they don't risk physical violence for doing their jobs," Kine said. "World Press Freedom Day observances in Jakarta will be a cynical public relations exercise unless the Indonesian government, with UNESCO's help, puts media freedom at the top of the agenda." Attacks on Journalists Media freedom in Indonesia has improved significantly in the nearly two decades since the end of the authoritarian rule of President Suharto. Indonesia now has hundreds of television stations (including cable), more than 2,000 radio stations, and 1,000 newspapers, as well as web-based media outlets. Those outlets are owned and operated by 13 media conglomerates. The number of reporters has increased from about 15,000 during the Suharto era to at least 100,000 today. However, in recent years there has been an uptick in reports of harassment and intimidation of journalists, and, more recently, a sharp increase in reported cases of physical assaults on journalists. The following cases detail the risks that reporters can face when covering sensitive stories and the failure of the security forces and the justice system to provide accountability. Iqbal Lubis, Tempo Group photographer Vincent Waldy, Metro TV videographer Attacked by police officers covering student demonstration in Makassar, November 13, 2014 On November 13, 2014, Iqbal Lubis, a photographer for the Tempo Group, went to the campus of Makassar State University to photograph student protests against the Jokowi government's decision to raise the price of gasoline. The protest had been going on for about a week. The protests that day devolved into violence, with students throwing stones at several hundred police. The police with full riot gear, body shields, batons, teargas, and anti-riot vehicles had deployed on the campus perimeter to ensure the protests did not spill out into the surrounding neighborhood. Lubis told Human Rights Watch said that on the afternoon of November 13, assembled police were informed via two-way radio that students had shot Makassar's deputy police chief, Totok Lisdiarto, with an arrow. The police became angry, with some shouting "Let's go! Let's go!" Lubis said that hundreds of police entered the campus and began chasing the students, who tried to flee. The police kicked over motorcycles parked on the campus and smashed the windshields of parked cars. They entered classrooms and ordered students to leave. Some police prevented their colleagues from smashing campus windows. Lubis said that he along with more than a dozen other journalists followed the police as they advanced deeper into the campus. Some police shouted, "Arrest! Arrest!" Police punched and kicked an elderly man students identified as a deputy dean. As police handcuffed the man and led him to a nearby police car, several female students started crying and screaming. Lubis, along with Vincent Waldy of Metro TV, left the main group of journalists and saw police officers surround a group of students under a tree. The police told the female students to leave and began to punch and kick the sole male student. Lubis took photos as police beat the student, ripping the student's shirt. Lubis said: Suddenly, a police shield hit my camera. I told the policeman [who hit me] that I was a journalist. I showed them my press card. But more police officers [approached]. I recognized their uniforms: Brimob [Mobile Brigade] and Sabhara [Anti-Riot] police. They hit me with their bare hands and their shields. I used my hands to deflect most of the beatings to my head. It saved me from serious injuries. I only got bruises on my hands. Waldy tried to stop police from beating Lubis, telling them he was a journalist. Lubis took the opportunity to run away, and police then began hitting Waldy. Waldy said: I approached Iqbal [Lubis] and dragged him away [from the police]. I said that we were journalists. I tried to stop the police pushing Iqbal. Iqbal managed to run. Suddenly a Brimob officer hit me from the left and I was immediately bleeding from my forehead. I did not see the person or what he used to beat me. My guess is it was an anti-riot shield. It was heavy and big. I momentarily lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Several other journalists approached and took photos of Waldy being beaten. Others tried to protect Waldy. Lubis said: Police shouted, "No photo! No photo!" I kept running away but two Brimob officers chased me. A third Brimob officer stopped me. But another cameraman, Ikhsan Arham, shouted that I was a journalist. One officer punched Arham, who became emotional. Arham said if [the police] wanted to fight, they should have a one-on-one fight. His statement apparently changed the police [attitude]. Those Brimob let me go. Arham told me that Waldy was bleeding and had been rushed to a hospital. One of Waldy's colleagues took him to nearby Faisal Hospital, where doctors closed the gash on his forehead with five stitches. Encouraged by his colleagues to report the attack to the police, that evening he and an adviser from a nongovernment legal group went to the Makassar police station. Two weeks later the police summoned him again to give more information about the attack. The police asked him to identify the attacker, but Waldy could not because he had not seen his assailant. Lubis also sought redress for his injuries. He said he could identify one of the five or more police officers who attacked him because other journalists had recorded his name badge in video and photographs. The following day, November 14, police summoned Lubis to the Makassar police precinct to make a formal complaint against the police who assaulted him. Representatives of the Alliance of Independent Journalists and the Indonesian Photojournalists Association accompanied him. Three days later, police summoned Lubis to repeat his testimony, which he did on November 19. At that session, police investigators asked him 22 questions about the incident. For a month afterward, a coalition of journalist and student groups staged daily protests demanding accountability for Lubis. But false rumors circulated that Lubis and the other journalists assaulted on November 13 had benefited from an informal agreement with the Makassar police that included replacing the journalists' damaged cameras in exchange for not pressing charges. Lubis said: I have not met the police chief since the incident. I borrowed my friends' cameras to keep on working. I am just a freelancer. I get my pay per photo. In the next three months, I avoided the Makassar police precinct. I am traumatized. Until now there has been no trial of the police officers who beat the students and journalists. He said in March 2017 that there has been no movement in his case and the police who attacked him have not been punished. Waldy similarly has said he heard nothing about prosecutions of police for the beatings: Until now there's been no follow up from the police. I have learned my lesson. It's better to be extremely careful when covering the police. They can attack you without any reason. It was chaotic. We journalists have to take care of ourselves. Fadjriani Langgeng, the director of the legal group, the Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) in Makassar, said her office documented police assaults on November 13 on 10 journalists, including from media outlets Metro TV, Tempo, Celebes TV, and the Rakyat Sulsel daily newspaper. She said that the lack of police response to their complaints means "the cases are going nowhere." Array Argus, Tribune (Tribun Medan) daily reporter Andri Syafrin Poerba, MNC Group cameraman Beaten by military personnel while covering land dispute in Medan, August 15, 2016 On August 15, 2016, Array Argus from the Tribune in Medan covered a land rights protest by residents of the city's Sarirejo district near the Soewondo Air Force base. The dispute over 5,000 hectares of land hinged on the Air Force's rejection of a Supreme Court ruling that the disputed land belonged to the residents and could not be used for a multistory residential building Argus went to the protest site with Teddy Akbari, a reporter for the Sumut Pos daily, at about 3 p.m. At the edge of the protest site they encountered a woman who tearfully claimed that Air Force personnel had "kidnapped" her son. While they interviewed the woman, military trucks arrived on the scene and soldiers in uniform began using batons to disperse protesting residents, Argus said. A uniformed Air Force officer approached Argus and demanded to see his official identity card, which Argus gave him. A nearby Air Force officer suddenly shouted: "That was the person!" pointing at Argus. Argus said: They suddenly started punching and kicking me. I heard someone shout that I had taken their photo. I ran away into a small alley but it was a dead end. [Several Air Force officers] grabbed my hair. They kicked me. They beat me with their batons. They kept on shouting, "You took the photos! You took the photos!" I shouted that I did not take their photos. I fell on my back and they stomped their boots on my chest. They seized my cell phone and left. Argus walked back to the intersection and encountered a Military Police officer who returned Argus's phone and shouted, "You go! Get out of here!" Argus then saw the Air Force officers who had assaulted him leaving the area on foot. Journalists arriving at the scene helped Argus get to a nearby hospital, Mitra Sejati. Doctors there gave him emergency treatment from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. A detailed medical examination revealed that Argus had several bruised ribs and internal bleeding in his right arm. They gave him oxygen. When he asked hospital staff to provide a medical statement specifying his injuries, they informed him that the police had to make the request. Argus then called the Medan Baru police, whose jurisdiction includes the Sarirejo area, and asked them to direct the hospital to issue the report. But a senior police officer refused, saying that the incident was within the jurisdiction of the Air Force and directed Argus to get the request from Air Force Military Police. Three days later, on August 18, representatives of the nongovernmental legal advocacy organization LBH Medan, AJI Medan, and the Jakarta-based Press Council accompanied Argus to report the assault to the Air Force Military Police. The Military Police issued a request addressed to the Air Force hospital for a medical statement detailing Argus' injuries. Argus underwent the required examination later that day. The Air Force hospital subsequently issued a copy of Argus' medical statement to the Air Force Military Police, but refused without explanation to give Argus a copy. Over the next month, Argus went to the Air Force Military Police headquarters three more times at the authorities' request to testify about the attack and his injuries. They asked him if he recognized any of his attackers. Argus gave them the names from the badge of one of his attackers and the Military Police officer who had returned his phone. In November 2016, after Argus had testified for a fourth time at Military Police headquarters, a Military Police commander, Maj. Nicolas Sinaga, said two Air Force personnel were suspects, but would not divulge their names. Major Sinaga said he would send the dossiers to the military prosecutor in Medan. Argus learned from other sources that the attacker whose badge he had seen was one of the two suspects. However, Human Rights Watch has not been able to obtain information about any further progress in identifying and prosecuting the Air Force personnel who assaulted Argus. Andri Syafrin Poerba, a cameraman for the MNC Group, arrived at the demonstration shortly after 3 p.m. and started taking photographs of the protesters and the soldiers. Poerba said that several soldiers suddenly surrounded him. One kicked him in the head. Poerba shouted "Journalist!" and showed them his press card. Two soldiers in jungle camouflage uniforms grabbed his arms while a third took his press card away. He said: They dragged me to a store. They did not care. They punched me with their fists. They kicked me with their boots. They used batons against me. I lost count how many times they punched, kicked, and hit me with batons. They seized my Sony camera. I saw them taking my camera to an Air Force officer, in light blue shirt, standing nearby. After about five to eight minutes of being assaulted, I managed to get on my feet and ran toward the nearby [protesting] residents. I was bleeding from my forehead, my chin and my arms. When Poerba's brother took him to Mitra Sejati Hospital, staff refused to admit him. Poerba believes they feared reprisals from the Air Force. Poerba then went to Royal Prima Hospital, where doctors diagnosed several broken ribs. Poerba was hospitalized for a week. On August 18, Poerba's wife reported the assault to the Air Force Military Police. Poerba, after he left the hospital in September, filed an official complaint with the Medan Military Police. The Military Police wanted to know how many soldiers had assaulted him, their identities and if there were witnesses to the attack. Poerba said he told them that: I did not recognize their faces or names. I used my hands to cover my head. There were between five and eight soldiers assaulting me. They wore only military T-shirts no name badges. Poerba said that after he filed his complaint, the Military Police never contacted him again. The Air Force spokesman returned the wallet and cell phone that had been taken from him during the assault, but not his camera or press card. Poerba said the attack had inflicted lingering physical and psychological trauma: Where is the trial? Are we talking about impunity here? Are we talking about covering up here? I am still not able to work. I am still getting alternative medical treatment with herbs and massages [for pain in my ribs and my head]. I began to do this a month after I left the hospital. I was not only bruised but also suffered nerve damage [and other injuries] to my head, both arms and hip. My wife found blood on my pillow on the third day of my hospitalization. I used to be an active journalist, but now I have to stay home. That's not to mention the psychological problems. Sometimes I sob at night when seeing my children sleeping. Sonny Misdianto, Net TV journalist Assaulted by military personnel in Madiun, October 2, 2016 On October 2, 2016, at about 2 p.m., Sonny Misdianto was riding his motorcycle in downtown Madiun when he noticed that the Teratai martial arts carnival had just ended and that participants and spectators were leaving the area. Because it was raining, he stopped near a row of stores, waiting for the rain to stop. Young martial arts enthusiasts were loudly revving their motorcycles and doing wheelies down the street. As Misdianto watched, one of those motorcycles suddenly went through a red light at the intersection and hit a woman. Misdianto immediately grabbed his camera and began filming the scene of the accident. Moments later, about 20 uniformed members of the Madiun-based 501st Raider Battalion of Kostrad, an elite strategic reserve command unit, ran toward the intersection. Misdianto said that he thought these soldiers intended to help the woman. Instead, the soldiers, who were bearing nunchuck martial arts weapons and plastic pipes filled with sand, assaulted the martial arts enthusiasts who had gathered at the scene of the accident to try to help the injured woman. Misdianto said a soldier suddenly came up to him and asked, "Hey, why are you recording?" I said, "I'm a journalist." I showed him my press card around my neck. He said, "Why are you recording? You're wrong. You have no right to record. Stupid journalist!" Misdianto said one of the soldiers grabbed him and they forced him into a nearby store, away from the intersection where the soldiers were still assaulting the martial arts enthusiasts. The soldiers demanded that Misdianto delete the files on his video camera. He said that when he refused, they kept insisting, punching and kicking him. One soldier hit Misdianto's head with his nunchucks, causing him to momentarily lose consciousness. Another hit him on his right cheek. A third kicked him in the back. They forced him to open his camera and took out its memory card. They destroyed the memory card and deliberately broke his camera. A Military Police officer who was passing by rescued Misdianto from his attackers and took him by motorcycle to Madiun's Army Military Police Command. There, the deputy military commander demanded that Misdianto delete all photos from his phone. Misdianto said he thought he did not have any other option so he deleted the photos. While he was there, Misdianto reported the attack to his Net TV supervisors, who decided to file criminal charges against the 501st Raider Battalion. While Misdianto was at the Military Police office, journalists from other media outlets took pictures of his injuries and interviewed him. The Military Police officers, visibly concerned about the media exposure, ushered Misdianto into a separate room and barred journalists from entering. At 5 p.m. a senior police officer arrived at the Military Police office and asked Misdianto to go with him into his car. Misdianto said: I told him that I had injuries. My head was spinning, I had bruises all over my body. He brought me to the emergency unit at the Madiun police precinct in which I got my first medical treatment. The [officer] later wanted to talk to me privately. He said, "Please don't go ahead [with the criminal charges]." Misdianto said the officer tried to give him an envelope that he believed had money inside, but declined. He said he wanted prosecution of the case to continue. Misdianto said a military officer from the 501st Raider Battalion visited him later at his home, saying he wanted to resolve the case via an informal restitution process rather than by criminal charges. He urged Misdianto not to press charges against his unit, telling him, "We have known each other for a long time." While Misdianto spoke with the military officer, he got a phone call from his father, who lives a two-hour drive away in the town of Ponorogo. His father told him that two soldiers had just visited his home and asked him to show them his official identification documents and about his relationship with Misdianto. Misdianto asked the officer at his home why the military in Ponorogo to gone to visit his father. The officer denied it was his initiative, but admitted the Military Police was responsible. Later that evening, Military Police came to Misdianto's home and seized his video camera, ostensibly as evidence. At about 8 p.m., Misdianto and a colleague went to the Madiun police precinct and filed a criminal complaint about his attack. But the police told Misdianto that civilian police had no jurisdiction over the matter and referred him to the Military Police. Misdianto and his colleague returned to the Military Police office and filed a complaint over the objections of the officers, who wanted to resolve the case informally. The next day Misdianto was required to return to the office and re-file his complaint after being told there had been a "technical error" in his first complaint. Later that day, Misdianto's relatives told him that men with military-style crewcuts passed by his house, while other men suddenly appeared in a rice field behind his house. For the rest of the week, military officers phoned him four or five times a day, pressing him to drop criminal charges and accept an informal restitution process. The military also called his Net TV supervisors in Surabaya and Jakarta to make the same request. Net TV transferred Misdianto to Surabaya for several days to avoid the pressure of the criminal case in Madiun. During that time, his wife in Madiun kept reporting the presence of mysterious men with crewcuts around their house. She said the men tried to give the appearance of being joggers, scrap metal scavengers or local farmers, but that she felt she was under surveillance, he said. Over a 10-day period, Misdianto and his family received more than 100 calls from various military officers. This pressure ultimately induced Misdianto to drop criminal charges against his attackers and accept the informal restitution process. A week later, from Surabaya, Misdianto went with a Net TV executive to meet with a two-star general at the Jakarta headquarters of Kostrad. Misdianto sought compensation for his broken camera, military discipline against his attackers, and a guarantee from the Kostrad central command that the military would respect media freedom. He also demanded that the military cease harassing his wife and family. He stayed only two days in Jakarta. Back in Madiun, Misdianto went to the Military Police office and withdrew his criminal complaint. The Military Police returned his broken camera, but provided none of the promised compensation for its repair. Almost immediately, the mysterious men with crewcuts disappeared from around his house. Misdianto said his assault taught him that "press freedom in Indonesia is only an empty message." Redress and Accountability Mechanisms Indonesian authorities have obligations under international human rights law to provide redress and accountability when the rights of journalists and media organizations are violated. International human rights law, notably article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, upholds the rights to freedom of expression and the media. It also places limits on those freedoms: legal restrictions may be imposed to protect the rights and reputations of others, namely through civil defamation laws, so long as the penalties are proportionate to the harm caused. However, editors and publishers should be held responsible for what they publish by their readers and listeners, communities, and independent journalist associations not by the government. Indonesian law also requires journalists who are targets of physical assault to report such incidents to the National Police Profession and Security Division if the perpetrator is a police officer, or to the Military Police if the perpetrator is a soldier. The government human rights commission, Komnas-HAM, has found that police investigations of incidents of violence against journalists often stall "because of technicalities or as a result of social or political pressure." The Alliance of Independent Journalists and the LBH Pers, a nongovernmental legal aid organization that specializes in media freedom issues, attribute the increase of attacks on journalists to the cumulative impact of Indonesia's chronic problems of security force impunity as well as the reluctance of media companies to support journalists who are targets of such abuse. LBH Pers said that many journalists who are victims of violence tend to accept police or military offers of informal financial compensation so they can repair or replace damaged or destroyed cameras and mobile phones. The Makassar-based Committee to Protect Journalists and Freedom of Expression partly attributes the impunity for attacks on journalists to their lack of knowledge of both their rights and legal processes for accountability. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Brazil: Court Reviewing Criminalization of Abortion Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 25 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Brazil: Court Reviewing Criminalization of Abortion, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590984c14.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Criminalization of abortion is incompatible with Brazil's human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch said today in filing amicus briefs in two cases before the Federal Supreme Court. Human Rights Watch said that the court should move to decriminalize abortion. Abortion is legal in Brazil only in cases of rape, when necessary to save a woman's life, or when the fetus suffers anencephaly a fatal congenital brain disorder. Women and girls who terminate pregnancies under any other conditions face sentences of up to three years in prison, while people who perform abortions face up to four years. In one case before the court, the National Association of Public Defenders, on August 24, 2016, challenged the criminalization of abortion in the context of the Zika virus epidemic, on the grounds that pregnant women experiencing mental health impacts from contracting the virus during pregnancy should have the option to interrupt the pregnancy. In March 2017, the Socialism and Freedom Party filed a separate case challenging the criminalization of abortion on any grounds in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. "Criminal penalties for abortion deny pregnant women and girls the right to make deeply personal decisions about their health and lives, and threaten a wide range of human rights," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to align Brazil's laws with its international obligations." International human rights treaties require governments to respect women's reproductive and other human rights. Authoritative interpretations of these treaties by United Nations experts call for the removal of criminal penalties for abortion. Governments should take steps, both immediate and incremental, to ensure that women have informed and unhindered access to safe and legal abortion services, Human Rights Watch said. The criminalization of abortion in Brazil negatively affects many human rights, including women's rights to life, health, nondiscrimination and equality, privacy, and to be free from torture and from cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment or treatment. The amicus briefs analyze Brazil's international human rights obligations to reform restrictive abortion laws. For more than a decade, UN human rights bodies and experts have criticized Brazil for punitive restrictions on abortion, and have urged the government to modify these laws. In 2015, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said that Brazil should "[d]ecriminalize abortions in all circumstances and review its legislation with a view to ensuring access to safe abortion and post-abortion care services." In 2012, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women said that Brazil should "[e]xpedite the review of its legislation criminalizing abortion in order to remove punitive provisions imposed on women." Media reports indicate that in 2014 alone, at least 33 women were arrested for having abortions, seven of whom had been reported by doctors after the women went to hospitals to seek post-abortion care. One report said that one of these women spent three days handcuffed to a hospital bed. Reforming laws to facilitate safe abortion has not been found to increase the rate or number of abortions. It does make them safer. The World Health Organization has found that removing restrictions reduces maternal mortality from unsafe abortions. "Prosecuting women for a procedure that is safe and should be included in comprehensive health services is cruel and a misuse of the criminal law," Vivanco said. "A decision about terminating a pregnancy is a difficult one for any woman, and is for her to make alongside those she chooses to involve, such as her doctor or family or friends: not a prosecutor." Brazil's restrictive abortion laws are detrimental to public health, Human Rights Watch said. Women and girls unable to prevent an unplanned pregnancy have very few options, and may turn to life-threatening clandestine abortions. According to official information, abortion was the direct cause of 55 maternal deaths in Brazil in 2014, and 69 in 2015. These figures most likely vastly underestimate the consequences of the criminalization of abortion to women's health and lives. An estimated half million abortions took place in Brazil in 2015 alone nearly all of them illegal. Clandestine procedures often lead to complications and the need for post-abortion care. Human Rights Watch has interviewed doctors who have treated women and girls in the past year who had turned to caustic acid or other unsafe methods to try to induce abortion. In contrast, complications from abortion are rare when performed by a skilled health care provider in sanitary conditions. "Brazil should confront the public health crisis illegal abortion creates, and protect women's health and safety by decriminalizing abortion," Vivanco said. "Decisions about abortion belong to a pregnant woman, without penalty or interference by the government or anyone else." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch See Hague, William, On Saturday, July 30, 1887, Rev. Dr. William Hague laid aside his pen after finalizing revisions to the printer's proofs of the last pages of his book entitled "Life Notes or Fifty Years' Outlook." That day he mailed those final revisions from his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts to his publishers in Boston. The first thirty-six pages of his book were a chapter entitled "OLD PELHAM AND NEW ROCHELLE," containing his reminiscences of the boyhood he spent in Pelham during the early 19th century.Hague, William, Life Notes or Fifty Years' Outlook , pp. 1 36 (Boston, MA: Lee and Shepard Publishers, 1888). Two days later on Monday, August 1, 1887, Hague traveled to Boston "to exchange congratulations with his publishers on the happy conclusion of his literary labors by the successful completion of his 'Life Notes or, Fifty Years' Outlook." At 12:30 p.m., as he walked with friends on Tremont Street and passed in front of Tremont Temple, he collapsed and was caught by his friends before hitting the ground. His friends helped him into the entrance of Tremont Temple and there, only moments after his collapse, he died of a massive stroke. Reverend Hague, of course, never held a published copy of the book on which he had labored so hard. It was published posthumously the following year, including its first chapter regarding his reminiscences of old Pelham. I have written before about Rev. Dr. William Hague. For two examples, see: Rev. Dr. William Hague. Source: Brown, John Howard, ed., p. 458 (Boston, MA: James H. Lamb Company 1900). NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge. A brief biography of Rev. Dr. William Hague appeared in his book published posthumously in an introductory section entitled "PUBLISHERS' NOTE." It read, in part: " Dr. Hague was born in Westchester County, N.Y., Jan. 4, 1808, and was a graduate of Hamilton College, New York, in the class of 1826. He took his theological course at the Newton Institute, graduating in 1829. He was ordained Oct. 20, 1829, as pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Utica, N.Y. There he remained until called to the pastorate of the First Church in Boston: his installation took place Feb. 3, 1831, the Rev. Dr. Wayland preaching the sermon. In June, 1837, he entered upon his duties as pastor of the First Church in Providence, over which he was installed July 12, 1837, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Dr. Barnas Sears. The church commemorated while he was pastor the second century of its foundation, Nov. 7, 1839, and he preached an historical discourse on the occasion, which was published. During nine months of the year 1838-39 he was abroad. Sept. 20, 1840, in the Federal-street Church, Boston, he commenced his labors. His subsequent pastorates have been in Jamaica Plain, Mass., Newark, N.J., Albany, N.Y., New-York City, Boston, Chicago, and Orange, N.J. He was senior pastor of the Baptist Church at Wollaston Heights, Mass., at the time of his death. Dr. Hague received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Brown University in 1849, and from Harvard College in 1863. He was chosen a trustee of Brown University in 1837. Among the many productions of his pen were, 'The Baptist Church Transplanted from the Old World to the New,' 'Guide to Conversation on the Gospel of John,' 'Review of Drs. Fuller and Wayland on Slavery,' 'Christianity and Statesmanship,' 'Home-Life,' 'Emerson,' etc." In his many writings, Hague wrote about his recollections of meeting Aaron Burr who had a home in Pelham Manor. He wrote of witnessing a naval skirmish between British and American boats off the shores of Pelham during the War of 1812. He wrote of Pelham during a much simpler time with love and sincerity. The first chapter of his book should be required reading for any student of Pelham history. * * * * * Below is the text of a few items about the life and death of Rev. Dr. William Hague who was born in Pelham on January 4, 1808. Each is followed by a citation and link to its source. "THE REV. DR. HAGUE DEAD. BOSTON, Aug. 1. -- The Rev. William Hague, D. D., Senior Pastor of the Wollaston Heights Baptist Church, dropped dead in front of Tremont Temple this afternoon. Mr. Hague was born at Pelham, Westchester County, N. Y., in 1808. He was graduated from Hamilton College in 1826, and took his theological course at the Newton Seminary, where he was graduated in 1829. He was ordained the same year, and became Pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Utica, N. Y., where he remained until he was called to the First Church in Boston in 1831. He had been Pastor of churches in Jamaica Plain, Newark, N. J. and Albany, N. Y. He received the degree of D. D. from Brown University in 1849, and from Harvard in 1863. Dr. Hague was appointed a Trustee at Brown University in 1857, and he was the oldest living member of the board. He wrote a number of religious and other works, and was regarded as one of the ablest and most scholarly ministers of the Baptist denomination. The cause of his death is supposed to have been apoplexy." Source: "Death of Rev. William Hague. BOSTON, Aug. 1. -- Rev. William Hague, D. D., senior pastor of the Wollaston Heights Baptist church, dropped dead in front of Tremont Temple at 12:30 o'clock this afternoon." "PERSONAL AND GENERAL. . . . REV WILLIAM HAGUE, D. D., aged seventy-nine, senior pastor of the Wollaston Heights Baptist Church, Boston, dropped dead in front of Tremont Temple on the 1st. Mr. Hague had at various times been pastor of churches in Utica, Jamaica Plains, Albany, N. Y., and Providence, R. I." "Funeral of Rev. William Hague. BOSTON, Aug. 6. -- The funeral of the Rev. William Hague, D. D., took place in the presence of a large assemblage in Tremont Temple yesterday. The audience was composed chiefly of aged contemporaries of the deceased, representatives of the Baptist denomination from near and far. There was a profusion of the most delicate flowers arranged in varied and beautiful designs. Rev. J. H. Murdock conducted the services and addresses were made by Rev. Mr. Olmsted, Rev. Dr. Hovey, Rev. George C. Lorimer, of Chicago, and Rev. J. C. Stockbridge, of Providence. The body was taken to Albany for interment." Source: "PUBLISHERS' NOTE. ----- The eminent author of this volume closed suddenly his earthly life almost immediately after he had examined the last page of the appendices of this book. On Saturday, the 30th of July, 1887, Rev. Dr. Hague sent by the mail, to the publishers, the last 'proof' pages of this work, which he had examined that morning at his residence in Cambridge, Mass. He had written his final word, and had made his last revision. On the Monday following he visited Boston, and was on his way to exchange congratulations with his publishers on the happy conclusion of his literary labors by the successful completion of his 'Life Notes: or, Fifty Years' Outlook,' when he was stricken with apoplexy while walking on Tremont Street, and would have fallen to the pavement but for the timely assistance of friends. He died soon after, in the entrance to Tremont Temple, near the place where much of his life-work had been done. Dr. Hague was born in Westchester County, N.Y., Jan. 4, 1808, and was a graduate of Hamilton College, New York, in the class of 1826. He took his theological course at the Newton Institute, graduating in 1829. He was ordained Oct. 20, 1829, as pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Utica, N.Y. There he remained until called to the pastorate of the First Church in Boston: his installation took place Feb. 3, 1831, the Rev. Dr. Wayland preaching the sermon. In June, 1837, he entered upon his duties as pastor of the First Church in Providence, over which he was installed July 12, 1837, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Dr. Barnas Sears. The church commemorated while he was pastor the second century of its foundation, Nov. 7, 1839, and he preached an historical discourse on the occasion, which was published. During nine months of the year 1838-39 he was abroad. Sept. 20, 1840, in the Federal-street Church, Boston, he commenced his labors. His subsequent pastorates have been in Jamaica Plain, Mass., Newark, N.J., Albany, N.Y., New-York City, Boston, Chicago, and Orange, N.J. He was senior pastor of the Baptist Church at Wollaston Heights, Mass., at the time of his death. Dr. Hague received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Brown University in 1849, and from Harvard College in 1863. He was chosen a trustee of Brown University in 1837. Among the many productions of his pen were, 'The Baptist Church Transplanted from the Old World to the New,' 'Guide to Conversation on the Gospel of John,' 'Review of Drs. Fuller and Wayland on Slavery,' 'Christianity and Statesmanship,' 'Home-Life,' 'Emerson,' etc. Dr. Hague was in the eightieth year of his life, which had been marked especially by ministerial, literary, educational, and philanthropic achievement. He was a scholar in a broad sense, and his acquirements and abilities were of the highest order. He was a clergyman of profound religious convictions and of rare persuasive eloquence. He gave character to all his endeavors, and embellished every occasion with which he was associated. His aid to educational and to philanthropic institutions and causes is of permanent value. His writings will have a lasting and important place in history; and this book, intended to be autobiographical to a considerable extent, will be found to contain the rich personal reminiscences of a noble life filled with great deeds, and consecrated to all that is uplifting, -- a life of love, of sincerity, and of truth." . Labels: 1808, 1887, Reminiscence, William Hague Bahrain: Detained Activist's Health Worsens Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 26 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Bahrain: Detained Activist's Health Worsens, 26 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909862f4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A prominent Bahraini human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, is suffering from health problems that have developed or deteriorated during more than 10 months of arbitrary detention, Human Rights Watch said today. The charges against him violate his right to free expression, and there is evidence he has been punished arbitrarily. Bahraini authorities arrested Rajab in June 2016, following his social media comments critical of Saudi Arabian airstrikes in Yemen and alleged torture in a Bahrain prison. Since then, his health has deteriorated dramatically. He has undergone two operations, suffered two bouts of heart palpitations that required emergency medical care, and has developed a range of other medical conditions, including a low white blood cell count and depression. Most recently, his family told Human Rights Watch, the authorities returned him to his cell two days after an April 5, 2017 operation, contrary to medical advice, leading to his re-hospitalization on April 8. He is in the Public Security Forces Clinic in Qalaa. "Filing criminal charges against Nabeel Rajab solely for his peaceful criticism and then refusing to free him while the courts cavalierly postpone hearings shows Bahrain's contempt for the most elemental human rights," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Nabeel Rajab should not be in jail, and his deteriorating health underscores the injustice of arbitrarily detaining him." Comments on Rajab's Twitter account about the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen led to his initial arrest, on April 2, 2015. Authorities released him more than three months later, on July 13, but prosecutors ordered his re-arrest on June 13, 2016. Bahrain's penal code provides for up to 10 years in prison for anyone who "deliberately announces in wartime false or malicious news, statements or rumors." If convicted of "offending a foreign country," referring to Saudi Arabia, Rajab faces a two-year sentence under article 215 of the penal code. If convicted of "offending national institutions," based on comments about unrest in Jaw Prison in March 2015, Rajab faces an additional three years under article 216 of the penal code. The thirteenth hearing in that trial is scheduled on May 17. At a December 28 session, a judge ordered Rajab released on bail. But authorities immediately re-arrested him and charged him with making "false or malicious" statements in television interviews in which he criticized the Bahraini authorities' refusal to allow journalists and rights groups into the country. The third session of this second trial is scheduled for May 3. Rajab faces up to 18 years in jail if found guilty on all charges. The conditions of Rajab's detention have at times appeared to amount to arbitrary punishment. His family told Human Rights Watch that he has been in solitary confinement since September 4, when the New York Times published an opinion piece he wrote about human rights abuses in Bahrain. On December 20, Le Monde published an article by Rajab. Bahraini authorities interrogated him about both articles and referred both cases to the public prosecution for investigation into alleged violations of article 134 of the penal code relating to alleged "false or malicious information." In July 2016 he was denied compassionate leave to attend a relative's funeral. On April 8, Rajab's family expressed concern that the open wound from surgery to correct a urological/colorectal condition was at risk of infection due to the unhygienic conditions of his cell at East Riffa police station. An April 8 statement by the Bahrain Embassy in the United Kingdom said that he had been transferred him to the Public Security Forces Clinic in Qalaa that evening. The charges against Rajab are a clear violation of his right to free expression, protected under article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Bahrain has ratified. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measures state that "pre-trial detention shall be used as a means of last resort in criminal proceedings, with due regard for the investigation of the alleged offence and for the protection of society and the victim." The repeated adjournments of his trial sessions also violate Bahrain's ICCPR obligations to try Rajab within a reasonable time. Several times during the Obama administration, the United States called on Bahrain to release Rajab and drop the charges against him. The US also held up the sale of F-16 fighter jets pending unspecified human rights improvements. The Trump administration has signaled that it plans to proceed with the F-16 sale despite the deterioration in human rights conditions in Bahrain. Other key Bahraini allies, notably the United Kingdom, have failed to call for Rajab's release at any stage of his detention. "The silence on Bahrain's flagrant disregard for human rights from London, and now from Washington under Trump, is nothing less than shameful," Stork said. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Israel: Human Rights Watch Granted Work Permit Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 26 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Israel: Human Rights Watch Granted Work Permit, 26 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590986d34.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Israeli authorities on April 26, 2017, granted a work visa to Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, Human Rights Watch said today. The approval of a one-year work visa reverses a February 20 Interior Ministry decision to deny a work permit to Human Rights Watch. "We welcome this opportunity to work in Israel and Palestine alongside vigorous national human rights organizations," said Iain Levine, executive deputy director for program at Human Rights Watch. "Israeli authorities do not always agree with our findings, but, in facilitating the ability of our staff to carry out our research and documentation, they have taken an important step to safeguard the principle of transparency and demonstrate their openness to criticism." Human Rights Watch applied to the Israeli Interior Ministry's Population and Immigration Authority on July 14, 2016, for a work permit on behalf of Shakir, a United States citizen who is a lawyer by training. The Interior Ministry initially denied the work permit for Shakir, but allowed him to enter the country on tourist visa on March 6, 2017, for a 10-day visit. In a March 12 letter, which Human Rights Watch received on March 27, the Interior Ministry notified Human Rights Watch that it had granted it permission to employ a foreign expert in Israel. The Interior Ministry accepted the paperwork and payment for Shakir's work visa under the organization's work permit on April 20, and Shakir received the visa upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on April 26. Human Rights Watch has had regular access to Israel and the West Bank for nearly three decades, with staff and offices in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Gaza for much of this period. Human Rights Watch staff have regularly met and corresponded with Israeli government officials. Since 2008, Israel has refused Human Rights Watch access to Gaza, except for one visit in 2016. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international, nongovernmental organization that promotes respect for human rights and international law. It monitors rights violations in more than 90 counties across the world. To carry out its work, Human Rights Watch relies on rigorous research from professional researchers on the ground and regular engagement with government officials, as well as others with first-hand information. Israeli authorities have in recent years limited the space for local and international human rights defenders operating in Israel and Palestine. A law passed by the Knesset in July requires Israeli nonprofit groups that receive more than half their funding, indirectly or directly, from foreign governments to note that information in communications with the public and with government officials. Data from the Population and Immigration Authority obtained by Haaretz via a Freedom of Information Law in February 2017 indicates a ninefold increase in the number of visitors to Israel denied entry over the past five years. In March, the Knesset passed a law barring entry to those who call for or support a boycott of Israel or Israeli settlements in the West Bank. "Having our country director based in Israel and Palestine will allow us to closely engage Israeli and Palestinian officials, partners, and those directly affected by human rights abuses," Levine said. "We hope that this decision reflects a larger recommitment by the Israeli government to allow international and domestic rights groups to work freely and to improve access to and from Gaza, in particular for human rights workers." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Cambodia: Use Anniversary to "FreeThe5KH" Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 26 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Cambodia: Use Anniversary to "FreeThe5KH", 26 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590987374.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Cambodian government should immediately release five human rights defenders who have spent a year in prison on politically motivated charges, Human Rights Watch said today. The four current and one former member of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) were placed in custody on April 28, 2016, and later falsely charged with "bribery of a witness." On April 26, 2017, the detainees, listed as "FreeThe5KH" (Free the Khmer Five), were named as a finalist for the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. The award will be presented on October 10 in Geneva. Human Rights Watch urged Cambodia's donor governments and the wider public to participate in the #FreeThe5KH campaign at https://freethe5kh.net/. "Cambodia's donors should publicly call for the release and dropping of bogus charges against the 'ADHOC Five,' which were instigated by Prime Minister Hun Sen to intimidate and suppress human rights work," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "These human rights defenders are in jail as part of a campaign to destroy the opposition and scare Cambodian human rights workers into silence." The ADHOC Five are staffers Nay Vanda, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan, Lim Mony, and former ADHOC staffer Ny Chakrya, a deputy secretary-general of Cambodia's National Election Committee. On May 1, 2016, Hun Sen stated in a speech that those arrested in the case (see below) should be jailed. The next day, an investigating judge of the Phnom Penh court filed "bribery of a witness" charges against four of the detainees. Ny Chakrya was charged with being an accomplice. "Bribery of a witness" is set out under article 548 of Cambodia's Criminal Code as "the direct or indirect giving of a gift, offer, promise, or interest to a witness in order (1) not to testify; (2) to provide false testimony." The offense is punishable by five to 10 years in prison. Convicted accomplices face the same punishment. As the #FreeThe5KH campaign states, the five were "detained in regard to the advice and legitimate reimbursement of food and transport costs provided to the woman alleged to have had an extra-marital relationship with the deputy opposition leader." The Phnom Penh court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court have each refused bail to the five. The prolonged pretrial detention of the ADHOC Five violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Cambodia is a party. Article 9(3) states, "It shall not be the general rule that persons awaiting trial shall be detained in custody." The United Nations Human Rights Committee, the international expert body that monitors state compliance with the ICCPR, has stated that "pretrial detention should be an exception and as short as possible." Pretrial detention should not be used as a form of punishment. The Human Rights Committee has stated that excessive pretrial detention may in itself be a violation of the rights to liberty and presumption of innocence. In its bail ruling, the Supreme Court cited article 205 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, saying it was necessary to deny bail to maintain public order and prevent interference with witnesses and victims. However, no specific information of the necessity of such prolonged pretrial detention was provided, and no explanation was given as to why non-custodial measures were insufficient to ensure their appearance in court or to prevent any reasonably anticipated interference with the administration of justice. "Cambodia's courts have once again done the bidding of Hun Sen's government to suppress civil society," Adams said. "Millions of dollars of international training and mentoring has been wasted as the courts remain tools of injustice." Article 12 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders provides that governments shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection for human rights defenders against "any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary actions" related to their efforts to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that the critical test for human rights work worldwide is whether it is aimed at "acting in support of victims of human rights violations," including by providing those who may be victims of human rights violations with counseling and other assistance. Over the past year, Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) have significantly escalated persecution on political grounds, targeting Cambodia's political opposition, human rights workers, social activists, and public intellectuals on the basis of their real or perceived political opposition to the government and its leader. These abuses appeared aimed to prevent victory or create conditions for overturning victory by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in local and national elections scheduled for 2017 and 2018 respectively. "Cambodia now has dozens of political prisoners, which should be an embarrassment to countries whose foreign assistance sustains an increasingly dictatorial and deeply corrupt government," Adams said. "No one should mistake these prosecutions for anything other than Hun Sen's effort to undo decades of work by courageous Cambodian human rights defenders to promote rights and democracy in their country." Background The case of the ADHOC Five arose after ADHOC provided human rights advice and assistance to Khom Chandaraty, widely known as Srey Mom. She and her family approached ADHOC for help on March 9, 2016, after she was "invited" for questioning by the Counterterrorism Directorate of the government's Central Directorate for Security, which is headed by Lt. Gen. Dy Vichea, a member of the CPP Central Committee and Hun Sen's son-in-law. The summons did not concern any alleged terrorist activity but asked Srey Mom to provide clarifications about a purported surreptitiously made recording of a conversation between her and Kem Sokha, then acting leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (he is now the official leader after party leader Sam Rainsy resigned after the CPP threatened to liquidate the party ahead of upcoming elections). The recording supposedly demonstrated that she and Kem Sokha were involved in an extramarital affair. On March 11, 2016, when questioned by counterterrorism officers, she denied all allegations. On March 18, she received a second summons, this time from the Phnom Penh court prosecutor, to reply to the accusation she had lied to the counterterrorism unit and that her relationship with Kem Sokha was one of prostitution. Srey Mom continued to seek assistance from ADHOC. According to records released by the group, she said that the tapes were faked, there had been no affair with Kem Sokha, she was being intimidated by the authorities, and was suffering livelihood difficulties. As it routinely does for victims of alleged government abuses, ADHOC provided Srey Mom with a small sum of money for expenses, including to help her attend court, and assigned her a lawyer. On April 19, 2016, when she appeared with her lawyer before the prosecution, she reversed her denial of having an affair with Kem Sokha. On April 22, she issued an open letter alleging that the four ADHOC staffers and UN employee Son Saly had enticed her to lie to the authorities by sticking to her original story and suggested that she should leave Cambodia. On April 23, 2016, the Ministry of Justice, which has a controlling influence over the Cambodian judiciary, cited Srey Mom's letter and "condemned unreservedly the law-violating conduct" of ADHOC and the UN, and called for "the competent authorities" to "take the most vigorous legal measures" against them. ADHOC publicly denied any wrongdoing and distributed internal records backing up its contention that it had acted entirely in accordance with legal and professional standards for human rights work. On April 25, the five current and former ADHOC staffers were summoned to present themselves for questioning on April 27 and 28 by the government's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), which has judicial police authority to investigate allegations of bribing a witness. The ACU is headed by CPP Central Committee member and long-term Hun Sen confidante Om Yentieng. On April 28, 2016, the ACU placed the five in custody, and on May 1, it brought them before the Phnom Penh court. While in ACU custody, they were not given access to legal counsel. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch India: UN Review Should Condemn Crackdown on Rights Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 1 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, India: UN Review Should Condemn Crackdown on Rights, 1 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590987f84.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. United Nations member countries should call on India to stop targeting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and others who criticize the government or its policies, Human Rights Watch said today. The UN Human Rights Council will conduct its third review of India's human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) procedure on May 4, 2017, in Geneva. A Human Rights Watch submission to the UN on India highlights the government's abuse of overly broad laws to clamp down on NGOs and on the right to freedom of expression. The submission also details India's failure to contain and prosecute vigilante attacks on minorities by groups supporting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the lack of accountability for killings, torture, and other serious violations by state security forces. "The UN review comes at a time when freedoms long-cherished in India are seriously being challenged and critics are increasingly under attack," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director. "UN member countries should raise alarm bells that India's proud history of respect for peaceful dissent crucial for protecting the poor and vulnerable is at real risk." Since its last review in 2012, the Indian government has taken some positive steps. In 2013, the government amended its criminal laws to strengthen legal response to sexual assault against women. It also enacted new laws to protect rights, including to prosecute child sex abuse and to end the degrading and inhuman practice of "manual scavenging," the cleaning of human excreta by hand. It has amended laws to protect Dalit and tribal communities. The government has decided to ratify the International Labour Organization Convention Nos. 138 and 182 on minimum age of employment and worst forms of child labor. The Supreme Court of India opposed impunity for security forces under laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). The court also recognized transgender people as a third gender, and ordered a review of its earlier judgment that had upheld a discriminatory colonial-era law criminalizing homosexuality. Most urgently, UN member countries should flag concerns over the arbitrary use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to restrict foreign funding for NGOs, which a UN special rapporteur concluded was "not in conformity with international law, principles, and standards." In October 2016, the government refused to allow foreign funding for at least 25 NGOs, including several human rights groups and those defending the rights of the most marginalized. Since the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, extremist Hindu groups have led mob attacks across the country to enforce "Hindu nationalism." Peaceful critics of the government have been charged with serious crimes such as sedition. There have been numerous incidents of violence against members of Dalit, Muslim, tribal, and Christian communities. Hindu vigilante groups killed at least 10 Muslims in separate incidents across the country since 2015 over suspicions that they killed, sold, or bought cows for beef. Churches were attacked in several states in 2015. The authorities did not press robustly for prosecution of those responsible for the violence, and impunity for the assailants has contributed to a sense of government indifference to religious intolerance and majority targeting of minority communities. Security forces and public officials remain largely unaccountable for serious human rights abuses. A May 2015 report by the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions concluded that "impunity remains a serious problem" and expressed regret that India had not repealed or at least significantly amended the AFSPA. The government's failure to ensure justice for crimes committed by security forces in areas facing insurgency, and those under AFSPA, have fueled further violence, including attacks on security forces and public property. The government's response to violent street protests in Jammu and Kashmir state since July 2016 has resulted in nearly 100 deaths and left thousands injured, including protesters, bystanders, and members of security forces. Numerous members of tribal communities across the country have been arbitrarily arrested and detained as suspected Maoist sympathizers across the country, as well as journalists, lawyers, and activists in Chhattisgarh state, faced harassment and arbitrary arrest. Police reforms remained stalled even as police were accused of torture and extrajudicial killings in a number of new cases. The Indian government also failed to carry out recommendations from previous UPR reviews to ratify key human rights treaties. They include the Convention against Torture and its optional protocol, the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the optional protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights abolishing the death penalty, and the International Labour Organization Convention No. 189 on domestic work. "India likes to point to its courts as the ultimate defender of human rights in the country, but the government has often ignored judicial orders for police reform or security force accountability," Ganguly said. "UN member countries should impress upon India that it should treat the UN review as an opportunity for honest reflection and to carve a way forward." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Thailand: Rights Lawyer Feared 'Disappeared' Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 2 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Thailand: Rights Lawyer Feared 'Disappeared', 2 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590988c04.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Thai government should immediately disclose the whereabouts of Prawet Prapanukul, a prominent human rights lawyer and critic of the monarchy, who has been missing since security forces raided his Bangkok home on April 29, 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. Authorities have not acknowledged his arrest and detention, raising grave concerns that he is the victim of an enforced disappearance. "The Thai junta should urgently disclose Prawet's whereabouts and release him if he hasn't been charged with a credible offense," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Secretly detaining rights lawyers, critics of the monarchy, and other dissidents has created a climate of fear in Thailand that is generating international outrage." Officers of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) junta, together with soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division and police from Bangkok's Bang Khen Police Station, carried out a morning raid on Prawet's house. An official receipt shows that Prawet's computers, hard drives, flash drives, mobile telephones, CDs containing political programs, and various political T-shirts were confiscated. However, there is no official notification that Prawet was arrested or is in state custody. Prawet, 57, is a well-known human rights lawyer who provided legal assistance to members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) also known as the "Red Shirts" in cases related to the 2010 political confrontations. He also served as legal counsel defending a critic of the monarchy, Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, who was convicted for committing lese majeste (insulting the monarchy). Since the May 2014 coup, the junta has detained hundreds of politicians, activists, journalists, and others accused of being involved in anti-junta protests and activities, supporting the deposed civilian government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, or disrespecting or offending the monarchy. Contrary to the junta's claims that military units always follow due process requirements when they arrest and detain someone, many detainees have reported that security personnel mistreated them during the arrest, locked them up incommunicado in military camps, and interrogated them without access to lawyers. Under NCPO Orders 3/2015 and 13/2016, military authorities have the power to secretly detain people for up to seven days without charge and interrogate them without access to lawyers or safeguards against mistreatment. The junta has repeatedly dismissed allegations that soldiers have tortured detainees but then failed to provide any evidence to rebut those allegations. Human Rights Watch has frequently raised serious concerns regarding secret military detention in Thailand. The risk of enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment significantly increases when detainees are held incommunicado in military custody. On November 24, 2015, Human Rights Watch submitted a letter to the Thai government raising grave concerns about conditions at the 11th Military Circle Camp, where dissidents have routinely been held. The letter was prompted by the suspicious deaths of a fortune teller, Suriyan Sucharitpolwong and Police Maj. Prakrom Warunprapa during their detention there. Enforced disappearances are defined under international law as the arrest or detention of a person by state officials or their agents followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty, or to reveal the person's fate or whereabouts. Enforced disappearances violate a range of fundamental human rights protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a party, including prohibitions against arbitrary arrest and detention; torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; and extrajudicial execution. Since 1980, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has recorded 82 cases of enforced disappearance in Thailand. None of these cases have been successfully resolved. Human Rights Watch has repeatedly urged successive Thai governments, including in a January 14 letter to Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha, to ratify the Convention for Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and to amend Thailand's penal code to make enforced disappearance a criminal offense. Even though the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly approved the ratification of the Convention on March 10, it rejected a draft law drawn up by the Justice Ministry to criminalize torture and enforced disappearances. "The Thai junta's pledges at the UN and other international forums to respect rights sound increasingly hollow," Adams said. "Concerned governments should press General Prayut to end all arbitrary arrests, secret detentions, and enforced disappearances by releasing Prawet and all the others wrongfully held." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Nepal: Assault on Judicial Independence Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 2 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Nepal: Assault on Judicial Independence, 2 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590989204.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Nepali government's attempt to impeach the Supreme Court chief justice is a politically motivated attack on the independence of the judiciary and should be immediately withdrawn, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 30, 2017, numerous members of parliament filed an impeachment motion suspending Sushila Karki, Nepal's first woman chief justice, accusing her of bias and interfering with executive powers. The ruling coalition of the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist filed for impeachment within hours of a Supreme Court ruling overturning the government's choice for inspector general of police, the nation's top police officer. "Regardless of the merits of the court's ruling in the case, the ruling coalition's move to impeach Chief Justice Karki is nothing short of an attempt to override a judicial decision," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "This violates the fundamental principle that the judiciary should be able to function without interference from political forces." Politicians supporting the impeachment motion alleged that the Supreme Court, and in particular the chief justice, had acted out of political bias, but they presented no evidence other than that Karki had ruled against their choice for inspector general of police. Nepal's judiciary has been at the forefront of human rights reform and justice, and over the years has faced many pushbacks by political forces. In particular, the courts have been the only recourse for victims of Nepal's civil war, which lasted from 1996-2006, and the victims of abuses by government security forces. The move to impeach Karki has provoked a political crisis in the country, leading to the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, whose Nepali Congress party filed the papers. It has also caused a member of the coalition, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, to announce its withdrawal from the coalition. The 2015 Nepali Constitution in its preamble commits to "an independent, impartial and competent judiciary." Article 20(9) states that, "Every person shall be entitled to a fair hearing from an impartial, independent and competent court or judicial authority." The United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary provide that '[i]t is the duty of all governmental and other institutions to respect and observe the independence of the judiciary" (principle 1). Furthermore, "[t]here shall not be any inappropriate or unwarranted interference with the judicial process, nor shall judicial decisions by the courts be subject to revision" (principle 4). With respect to disciplinary action, "[j]udges shall be subject to suspension or removal only for reasons of incapacity or behaviour that renders them unfit to discharge their duties" (principle 18). Any charge made against a judge "shall be processed expeditiously and fairly under an appropriate procedure" and ensure "the right to a fair hearing" (principle 17). "The government's latest attempt to intimidate the judiciary by targeting its most senior judge should be recognized as an attack on all those seeking justice in the courts," Adams said. "For Nepal to become a rights-respecting democracy, having an independent judiciary is crucial." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Somalia: Rights Priorities for New Government Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 2 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Somalia: Rights Priorities for New Government, 2 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590989d94.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Somalia's new government should ensure that the security forces are accountable and improve protection of the most vulnerable people, Human Rights Watch said today in a 10-point report on human rights priorities. The London conference on security sector reform in Somalia, slated for May 11, 2017, is an important opportunity for Somalia's leadership and the country's international partners to make a commitment to address past abuses and improve future responses to the many problems arising from war, famine, and political dysfunction. On February 8, Somalia's two houses of parliament selected former prime minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmajo" as the country's president following a protracted electoral process. The new government, with support from its international partners, should take concrete steps to remove abusers from the security forces, put a stop to abuses against the country's over 1.1 million internally displaced people, keep children out of the armed forces, step-up fair prosecutions for sexual violence, and improve media freedoms. "Somalia's new political leadership faces many critical problems that urgently need to be addressed," said Laetitia Bader, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The government should act quickly to protect all civilians at risk from further violence by holding rights abusers to account." Civilians across the country have borne the brunt of the fighting between government forces and the Islamist armed group Al-Shabab, and politicized clan conflict. Warring parties have all committed serious abuses against civilians during fighting and in areas they control. Given the government's stated plans to step-up military operations against Al-Shabab, effective oversight and disciplinary mechanisms for the security forces will be crucial for protecting civilians, Human Right Watch said. Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has disregarded detainees' basic rights, holding people for prolonged periods without charge, denying them access to legal counsel, and extracting confessions through coercion. Current discussions around creating a national security structure have so far overlooked the intelligence services. The government should clarify the legal mandate of security forces and provide better oversight to ensure redress for NISA abuses. In recent years, Somali administrations have relied on military courts to try a broad range of cases beyond these courts' jurisdiction, such as terrorism-related offenses and cases against civilians, in violation of international standards. At the London conference, the government should make a commitment to respect the fair trial rights of all defendants, prohibit trying civilians in military courts, and impose a moratorium on the death penalty. All Somali parties to the conflict have used children under 18 in their forces in violation of international law, including government forces, despite public commitments not to do so. The government should establish effective measures to systematically screen the ages of all recruits, including former regional forces and militia members, and cease trying children implicated in crimes before the military courts, which do not apply juvenile justice standards. With the country on the brink of another famine, the new government has made addressing the humanitarian crisis a priority. As part of those efforts, the authorities should end the serious abuses against displaced people, including illegal forced evictions. The government should address threats, intimidation, and attacks on journalists that have long posed a threat to a free and vibrant media. It should encourage independent reporting on sensitive issues, such as corruption and security, revise the media law to bring it into line with international standards, and fully and credibly investigate threats and attacks on journalists. The government should also establish an independent and strong national human rights commission. "Somalia's international partners should support key reforms aimed at providing justice for serious abuses and bringing meaningful change for Somalia," Bader said. "They should direct their assistance to ending abuses against civilians, building accountable security forces, and working with the government to assist the country's most marginalized communities." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Thailand: Draft Media Law Threatens News Reporting Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Thailand: Draft Media Law Threatens News Reporting, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59098a9a4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Thai government should immediately withdraw the latest draft law that seeks to tighten control of news reporting in Thailand, Human Rights Watch said today. The Media Reform Committee at the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), whose members are appointed by the military junta, announced that the NRSA will consider the bill on May 1, 2017. The Bill on the Protection and Promotion of Media Rights, Freedom, Ethics and Professional Standards provides for a government-appointed national media council to regulate all media platforms print, broadcast, or online. It also subjects anyone who directly or indirectly earns income from reporting news to the public without a license and their company, agency, or organization to up to three years in prison and a 60,000 baht (US$1,715) fine. "The misnamed media rights and freedom law is the junta's latest attempt to increase government interference and control of any independent news reporting," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Passage of this draft law would mean that reporters in Thailand will be constantly looking over their shoulder at a government-appointed panel that can have them jailed." More than 30 media organizations in Thailand including the Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, the National Press Council of Thailand, the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand, the Online News Providers Association, and the Thailand Cable TV Association have expressed strong concerns that the proposed law would invite government interference in the media and prompt journalists to censor themselves to avoid potential reprisals including the threat of having their licenses revoked. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) under Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Cha-ocha has frequently pledged that it will respect freedom of expression and independence of the media. The government reiterated this pledge most recently in March at the United Nations Human Rights Committee during the review of Thailand's rights record. However, the junta's record on freedom of expression has been poor. Thai authorities have repeatedly harassed and prosecuted people for their speech, writings, and internet postings even mildly critical of the government. Immediately after the May 2014 coup, the junta forced off the air satellite and digital TV channels and community radio stations associated with all political factions. Some were later allowed to resume broadcasting provided that they signed a memorandum of understanding with the junta that the broadcaster would not make any critical comments about the junta or the situation in Thailand. The junta has maintained media censorship through various decrees. NCPO Announcement 97/2014 bans "criticism of the work of the NCPO" and the dissemination of "information that could harm national security, cause confusion, or incite conflict or divisions in the country." All news outlets are compelled to distribute the information issued by the junta. NCPO Announcement 103/2014 prohibits the propagation of news or the distribution of any publication containing information that the authorities consider "intentionally distorted to cause public misunderstanding that affects national security or public order." This has effectively turned the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) into a censorship tool for the junta, with broad and unaccountable powers to suspend the broadcast of TV and radio programs or take a station off the air because of content that the authorities consider distorted, divisive, or a threat to national security. "The proposed media law is taking Thailand even further away from the junta's promised election and restoration of democratic rule," Adams said. "Instead of adopting another repressive law, the government should lift censorship and the rights abusing regulations that are destroying free expression in Thailand." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Philippines: Release and Protect "Secret Jail" Detainees Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Philippines: Release and Protect "Secret Jail" Detainees, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59098baa4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Philippine government should immediately release the alleged drug suspects unlawfully detained in a Manila police station "secret jail," and ensure their protection after release, Human Right Watch said today. The official Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the National Bureau of Investigation should conduct a joint investigation into the existence of other unofficial lock-up cells in police stations across the country and ensure they are shut down. On April 27, 2017, a CHR team accompanied by journalists raided the Manila District Police Station 1 in Tondo district and found at least a dozen people in a cell hidden behind a bookshelf, suffering from grossly overcrowded conditions. The detainees told the CHR and journalists that the police had arrested them on purported drug charges and held them in the secret cell for a week without notifying families or lawyers. The detainees alleged that they were tortured by police who demanded bribes of between US$800 and US$4,000 to secure their freedom. Police denied allegations of unlawful detention and said that they were still processing the detainees' arrest notifications. They refused CHR requests to free them. "These detainees have been wrongfully held and should be freed with adequate protections against police reprisal," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The police authorities should be put on notice that responsibility for the detainees' safety rests with them." The Philippine National Police (PNP) have temporarily suspended the Tondo police station commanding officer and 12 other police personnel assigned to the facility. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered PNP Director-General Ronald Dela Rosa to investigate the secret jail allegations. But a 2015 CHR study suggests that unofficial lockups are a common feature in police stations. The study concluded that detainees in police lock-up cells in the Manila National Capital Region routinely suffer "deprivation and neglect with respect to their fundamental human rights." Abuses included failure to document the detention of suspects, illegal detention, torture, and overcrowding. The Philippine National Police has long had a horrific record of mistreatment of suspects in custody. In 2014, the CHR exposed the existence a secret detention facility in Laguna province in which police officers tortured detainees using a so-called "wheel of torture." In another infamous case that went viral on social media, a police officer interrogated a crime suspect by yanking a rope tied to the suspect's genitals. Police abuses of criminal suspects in detention is an even greater concern given revelations of deadly police criminality linked to Duterte's "war on drugs." Since Duterte took office in June 2016, police and unidentified gunmen have killed more than 7,000 suspected drug users and dealers but this number doesn't include the victims Duterte calls "collateral damage" including children killed by stray police bullets. Police claim responsibility for 2,717 of the deaths all justified, they assert. Human Rights Watch research has exposed a damning pattern of unlawful police conduct in these killings, designed to paint a veneer of legality over summary executions. Many of the 3,271 killings the police attribute to "vigilantes" are in fact death-squad style extrajudicial executions by police and police agents. A government investigation released in January documented how PNP anti-drugs personnel kidnapped and murdered a South Korean national, Jee Ick-joo, on October 18, 2016 as part of a scheme to extort ransom from his widow. "The government should direct the CHR and the National Bureau of Investigation to locate other secret police jails in the country and prosecute all those responsible," Kine said. "Secret jails may just be one more form of police criminality that has multiplied during the drug war." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Bahrain: End Degrading Treatment of Activists Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 30 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Bahrain: End Degrading Treatment of Activists, 30 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59098c334.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Bahraini authorities' treatment of wrongfully imprisoned detainees violates international standards on prisoner treatment and in some cases may constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, a coalition of ten rights groups said today. The authorities should ensure that all detainees are treated with humanity and in accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, including access to the adequate medical care they require and contact with their relatives. Family members of 12 opposition activists or human rights defenders held in Building 7 of Jaw Prison have told rights groups that under new regulations the authorities shackle the men, many of them elderly and in poor health, whenever they leave their cells, including for medical visits. The men are serving long prison terms in connection with their prominent and peaceful roles in the pro-democracy uprising in February 2011. "These new regulations degrade and humiliate prisoners who clearly pose no escape risk," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Authorities can take reasonable measures to prevent escapes, but shackling infirm patients, many of them torture victims, clearly goes beyond any need for security." The authorities should immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners held solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the groups said. On April 12, 2017, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a human rights defender held in Building 7, began a hunger strike to protest the new regulations at Jaw Prison, which the prisoners believe are a disproportionate response to the escape of 10 prisoners from another part of Jaw Prison on January 1. In addition to the shackling, which has led the detainees to refuse to attend medical appointments in protest at what they perceive as degrading treatment, the authorities have cut visiting hours and the time for phone calls with their relatives. Since the escape, which resulted in the death of a police officer, family members of the opposition and human rights activists and several other prisoners have told the rights groups that the authorities' treatment of their relatives has worsened significantly. Since March 1, authorities have shackled prisoners in Building 7 whenever they leave their cells. This practice is contrary to Rule 47 of the Mandela Rules, which states that restraint instruments should only be used as a precaution against escape or to prevent prisoners from injuring themselves or others. Family members of prisoners in other buildings have also told rights groups that their relatives are shackled whenever they leave their cells and that since the escape, their cells are locked most of the day, meaning that those without toilet in their cell have only limited access to toilets. International human rights mechanisms have said that the use of restraints on elderly or infirm prisoners who do not pose an escape risk can constitute ill-treatment. The prison authorities appear willing to abide by some of the Nelson Mandela Rules by transferring patients requiring specialized treatment to specialized institutions or civil hospitals. But the disproportionate use of physical restraints is degrading and is preventing detainees from getting the health care they require. Family members of Al-Khawaja, 56, told rights groups that he had an appointment with an eye specialist at the Bahrain Defense Forces military hospital on March 12 because of headaches and vision problems. But the prison administration insisted that he had to wear the prison uniform, have his legs and ankles shackled, and submit to full body strip search. The family said he refused because of the humiliation involved. Al-Khawaja wrote to the prison authorities in March requesting a new medical appointment and to be allowed to go without a strip search and shackles, but has received no response. On April 12, he began a hunger strike. His family expressed concern about the impact of his hunger strike on his already deteriorating health and said that on April 15 he refused medical attention to address a low blood sugar level in protest at the regulations. On April 20, Al-Khawaja began to take necessary liquids to avoid losing consciousness and being transferred to hospital, where he feared he would be force-fed, as in past hunger strikes. He suffers from exhaustion, general weakness, and dizziness. He has lost weight and his blood sugar remains low. A family member of Dr. Abduljalil al-Singace, 55, who requires crutches or a wheelchair as the result of polio and sickle-cell anemia, told rights groups that he refused to attend medical appointments, including a March 12 appointment with a hematologist and an appointment in early March to deal with a shoulder infection, because of the prison authorities' insistence on shackling him with chains during the transfer. Family members say that Mohamed Hassan Jawad, 69, and Hasan Mshaima, 69, have also refused essential medical appointments in protest over the authorities' insistence that they be shackled and wear the prison uniform. Mshaima has heart problems and is a former cancer patient who requires regular checks-ups. His family said that he needs Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans every six months and that the last one was over eight months ago. "These leading Bahraini political and human rights activists have suffered deteriorating health during their prolonged arbitrary detention since 2011," said Husain Abdulla, executive director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. "Shackling these prisoners of conscience is not a legitimate prison security measure but is intended to degrade and humiliate them. The international community must not forget these long-term prisoners of conscience and should work to end their unjust and punitive detention." Since March 1, the prison administration has reduced all prosioners' family visits from one hour to 30 minutes, once every two or three weeks, and that prisoners are now separated from their families by a glass barrier during visits. Since June 2016, phone calls to their families, which they are allowed to make up to three times per week, have been cut from 40 minutes to 30 minutes combined for all calls. On March 20, prison authorities stopped providing the detainees with toilet paper or tissues. On March 1, the detainees in Building 7 and others in Jaw Prison began boycotting family visits in protest. "These opposition activists are prisoners of conscience who should not have spent even a single day in prison," said Lynn Maalouf, research director at Amnesty International's Regional Office in Beirut. "The authorities must immediately put an end to the collective and arbitrary punishment of the entire Jaw prison population as a result of the escape of a group of prisoners; they must release all prisoners of conscience without delay and ensure all prisoners are treated humanely and receive the adequate medical treatment they require." Rule 36 of the Nelson Mandela Rules states that discipline and order shall be maintained with no more restriction than is necessary to ensure safe custody, the secure operation of the prison, and a well-ordered community life. Thus, while authorities can take steps to minimize the risk of further escapes, the measures they introduce must be proportionate, should not impinge on prisoners' dignity, and should not unnecessarily aggravate the suffering inherent in the deprivation of liberty. Any deliberate infliction of inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners should be investigated and those responsible held accountable. Eleven of the 12 detainees in Building 7 were sentenced in trials that did not meet international standards on fair trials and convicted of crimes that included alleged involvement with a group whose purpose was to replace Bahrain's monarchy with a republican form of government. The evidence produced against them at their trial consisted only of public statements advocating reforms to curtail the power of the ruling Al Khalifa family and "confessions" that were coerced while they were in incommunicado detention. The twelfth detainee, Sheikh Ali Salman, whose nine-year prison sentence was reduced to four years on April 3, was convicted in relation to peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression, following a grossly unfair trial. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry's report of November 2011 said that authorities subjected the group to a "discernible pattern of mistreatment," including torture, after their arrests in some cases. Authorities have not provided physical or psychological rehabilitation for detainees who were tortured. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Social media has almost become a bit of a necessary evil these days. We use it to keep in touch with friends and family, to ask advice, to buy and sell things, and to entertain each other and share our opinions. For most millennials, it is hard to remember LBFB (Life Before Facebook). Most of us have come across an article or a meme online that is intended to portray our beloved dairy industry in a bad light. While we know that these articles share bogus information and garner facts from biased sources, we still let this propaganda hurt us. We often fire back in a moment of rage and tell the posters that they dont have a clue about agriculture. Before we know it, we are sucked into a debate that we are completely unprepared for and dont have the time or the information to finish properly. At times like this, we need to ask ourselves if we have done our industry a service or merely caused ourselves unnecessary stress? I have seen so many of these situations on Facebook, where a farmer steps in trying to teach someone why the information they are sharing about dairy is incorrect and instead ends up sounding defensive. They eventually leave the conversation in frustration, letting the other party feel that they have won. The truth is, it is sometimes hard to be a good advocate for agriculture. We all feel obligated to do it (as we should), but it isnt always easy. Without putting a little thought into every response and every post, we can often do more damage than good. For those who would like to be good dairy industry advocates, I would like to offer a few tips. First, do not share posts made by PETA, HSUS, Mercy for Animals, or any other animal rights group. Any post that is made to adamantly discourage people from consuming dairy is a post that we would prefer people not to see. When we share these posts, all it does is spread them to a wider audience, directly defying our goal. Dont bring a knife to a gunfight. What I mean by this, is dont solely rely on your own experience to answer questions about agriculture. Those who are against animal agriculture will be armed with everything from sad stories about calves ripped from their mothers to fake science-based myths about how dangerous dairy is for our bodies. In many cases, our own expertise is enough, but when the manure starts to be slung, we need facts to back us up. Use your resources. This is something that I tell my students all the time, and it applies to advocacy as well. When you feel that you need back up in a conversation (or public debate) with an activist, you need resources. Using scientific articles is a great tool if you can find them, and calling on some ag industry professionals or other farmers to help you out is usually a wise decision. Build an arsenal of information. If you want to be an effective advocate, it is a very good idea to have a wide array of information saved somewhere for easy access. Lets say you happen to check your Facebook while you are waiting for that slow cow to milkout and you see something that you feel the need to respond to. You can quickly post your comment and include an informative link and finish your chores in a timely manner. Watch your language. This is a big one for me. Nothing irritates me more than seeing a well-meaning farmer trying to advocate for the industry they love and misspelling every word in the post. I know that perfect spelling and grammar is not a necessity on the internet these days. However, to make the best attempt to get our point across and appear as an expert in our field, we should take the time to present our information in a way that it can be easily understood. Along those same lines, while we may have an array of cuss words in our minds that we would like to use in these situations, it is best to be as respectful as possible and omit the swear words. Even when the other side calls us names and tries to publicly harass us for our decision to farm, we need to keep our cool and be the better person. A picture is worth a thousand words. It is a great idea to show the public our lives as dairy farmers, but not everything should be shared. We need to use our common sense in this area. If you question whether your photo shows your dairy in a positive light, ask an honest friend for their opinion or just dont post it. As far as your photos of cows grazing or your happy cows lying in deep-bedded freestalls, keep posting them! Pictures do a great job of making consumers feel connected to their food. Lastly, remember who our real audience is. We must keep in mind that although our beef is with those who want to end animal agriculture, they are not our target audience. These people will not have their minds changed, in most cases, no matter how persuasive we are. The people that we are trying to connect to and inform are the ones who are on the fence about animal ag. Professionals call these people the movable middle, because they do not have concrete views and can be swayed either by us or by the animal rights groups. The bottom line is that we should keep working hard to tell our story and be positive advocates for agriculture! The author is a freelance writer from New Hope, Va. Submission from Human Rights Watch for the Universal Periodic Review of India Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 1 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Submission from Human Rights Watch for the Universal Periodic Review of India, 1 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59098cbd4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. In 2012, in its submission for the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the Indian government said that it's approach towards "protection and promotion of human rights has been characterised by a holistic, inclusive and multi-pronged effort."[1] It listed the various judicial pronouncements, laws and policies to make human rights "real and meaningful."[2] India has taken some good steps since the 2012 review. Following outrage over a brutal gang rape and murder in Delhi, the government amended its criminal laws with a view to strengthening the criminal justice response to sexual assault.[3] India has also enacted new laws to protect rights including to prosecute child sex abuse and to end the degrading and inhuman practice of "manual scavenging." It has amended laws to protect Dalit and tribal communities. The Supreme Court of India took a strong stand against impunity for security forces under laws such as Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which is used to deploy the military to resolve internal conflict situations. The court also recognized transgender individuals as a third gender, and ordered a review of its earlier judgment that had upheld a discriminatory colonial-era law criminalizing homosexuality. The National Commission for Women took up its first-ever study of the situation of women with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities in government mental health institutions.[4] At the same time, the Indian government has failed to implement several significant UPR recommendations including ratification of the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol, the Convention for the Protection of All Persons against Enforced Disappearance, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with a view to abolishing the death penalty, and the International Labour Organization Convention No. 189 on domestic work. Security forces and public officials continue to enjoy effective impunity for serious human rights abuses. Since a new national government took office in 2014, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), there have been numerous incidents of violence against members of Dalit, Muslim, tribal and Christian communities. The government has also clamped down on civil society organizations critical of its policies. Free speech rights are coming under increasing attack, often instigated by groups that claim to be supporters of the BJP. Impunity for Serious Human Rights Violations The government of India has not implemented the UPR recommendation to ratify the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol. It also failed to implement the recommendation to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Both these recommendations were also made at its first UPR in 2008. Eight years later, India's proposed Prevention of Torture Bill remains pending in parliament. A number of Indian laws make it extremely difficult to prosecute state officials implicated in abuses, promoting a culture of impunity. In particular, all government officials and members of security forces are protected under section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which provides that no court can recognize any offense (with the exception of sexual offenses) alleged to have been committed by a public servant in the discharge of an official duty without the approval of the central or state government. Military personnel are provided additional immunity when they are deployed in areas of internal conflict under the AFSPA. Permission to prosecute is rarely granted, even when an investigation shows strong evidence of human rights violations. A May 2015 report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions noted that "impunity remains a serious problem" and expressed regret that India had not repealed or at least radically amended AFSPA.[5] In July 2016, the Supreme Court of India, while ordering an investigation into 1,528 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings in Manipur state, said the security forces cannot use excessive or retaliatory force under AFSPA and that every allegation of extrajudicial killing by the armed forces should be thoroughly investigated.[6] Security forces in the Maoist-affected central Indian state of Chhattisgarh were also accused of serious human rights violations including sexual assault. Numerous people belonging to tribal communities have been arbitrarily arrested and detained as Maoist sympathizers. At the same time, journalists, lawyers, and civil society activists in the state faced harassment and arbitrary arrest.[7] Police reforms remained stalled even as police were accused of torture and extrajudicial killings in a number of new cases. Since 2014, several police officials were reinstated in Gujarat state despite being implicated in cases of staged armed encounters, raising concerns about the government's commitment to police accountability. On addressing impunity, India should: Repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and remove effective immunity granted under the Criminal Procedure Code to security forces for violations of fundamental rights, including torture and ill-treatment, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. Implement police reform as recommended by the Supreme Court including the establishment of a complaint mechanism to address police abuse. Enact the pending Prevention of Torture Bill, but only after ensuring it conforms with the Convention against Torture. The law should not include any provisions that would grant officials effective immunity from prosecution. Promptly and impartially investigate and appropriately prosecute officials who order, commit, or tolerate human rights violations, including torture, custodial killings, faked armed encounter killings, and enforced disappearances. Ratify the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol. Ratify the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Violent Protests and Other Security Challenges During India's second cycle review, India noted recommendations to Prevent and pursue through the judicial process, all violent acts against religious and tribal minorities, Dalits and other castes. Failure to ensure justice has fueled violence. The government's use of pellet guns and lethal force in response to violent street protests in Kashmir since July 2016 has led to scores of protester deaths and hundreds more injured. The paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force told the Jammu and Kashmir High Court that it had used 1.3 million pellets in 32 days, admitting that "it was difficult to follow the standard operating procedure given the nature of the protests." In Assam, sectarian violence since 2012 between indigenous Bodo tribes and Muslim migrant settlers has resulted in deaths, injuries, and internal displacement. Protests by some tribal communities in Manipur state over new laws they think will undermine their rights to land and resources have also led to violence and deaths. There have been several incidents of communal clashes in different parts of the country in which the authorities have failed to prosecute those responsible. In 2013, communal violence in Uttar Pradesh state killed over 60 people, mostly Muslims, and displaced tens of thousands. Crackdown on Civil Society, Freedom of Expression Even as it boasts of its active civil society, the Indian government has intensified the use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to restrict foreign funding for nongovernmental organizations (NGO), particularly targeting those that criticize government policies. In April 2016, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association Maina Kiai analyzed the FCRA and said the restrictions imposed by the law and its rules "are not in conformity with international law, principles and standards."[8] The impact of the FCRA on Indian civil society has been severe. When the Indian Home Ministry conducts an investigation under FCRA, it often freezes the accounts of the NGO being investigated, cutting its source of funding, and forcing it to stop its activities. Such tactics have a wider chilling effect on the work of other groups. At the last UPR, India had accepted recommendations to Continue to fully involve the national civil society in the follow-up to the UPR of India as was done for its preparation. The authorities have routinely used the sedition law against critics of the government, including activists and students, for alleged anti-national speech. Other overbroad and vaguely worded laws such as criminal defamation and hate speech laws are used to harass and prosecute those expressing dissenting, unpopular, or minority views. In several cases, when interest groups that claim to be offended by books, movies, or works of art pushed for censorship or harassed authors, the government allowed them a "heckler's veto" rather than protecting those under attack.[9] On ensuring space for civil society and protecting freedom of expression, India should: Stop harassment of human rights defenders and amend the FCRA so that it does not interfere with the rights to freedom of expression and association and cannot be misused to choke the protected peaceful activities of civil society organizations. Repeal the sedition law, and in the interim instruct state governments to follow Supreme Court strictures when applying the law. Rights of Dalits, Tribal Communities and Religious Minorities During India's 2012 review, Norway's recommendation to Take legislative action to ensure every person's right to freely choose one's religion in line with the Indian Constitution and effectively and swiftly prosecute acts of violence against religious minorities was merely noted. However, religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, are feeling increasingly at risk. Some BJP leaders have made inflammatory remarks against minorities while militant Hindu groups, who often claim to be supporters of the BJP government, threatened and harassed Muslims and Christians, in some cases physically attacking them. Hindu vigilante groups have killed six Muslims in separate incidents across the country in 2015 and early 2016 over suspicions that they were trading cows for beef. The violence took place amid an aggressive push by several BJP leaders and militant Hindu groups to protect cows, which many Hindus consider sacred, and for a ban on beef consumption. Vigilante groups also targeted Dalits in various parts of the country. After four Dalit men were stripped, tied to a car, and publicly thrashed with sticks and belts in Gujarat state over suspicions of cow slaughter, Dalits took part in widespread protests. Churches were also attacked in several states in 2015, prompting fears of growing Hindu nationalist militancy under the BJP government. The authorities did not press robustly for prosecution of those responsible for violent attacks on minorities, and impunity for the assailants is contributing to a sense of government indifference to growing religious intolerance. Although in 2015, the government enacted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, strengthening protections for Dalit and tribal communities and making it easier for them to pursue justice, it failed to implement policies to protect them from discrimination and violence. A 2016 report on caste-based discrimination by the UN Human Right Council's Special Rapporteur for minority issues noted how caste-affected groups in India continued to suffer exclusion and dehumanization.[10] In its second UPR, the government had cited the 2009 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act to show its commitment to "broad-based improvement in the quality of life in an inclusive manner."[11] However, Human Rights Watch research found that discrimination against children from Dalit, tribal and Muslim communities led to high dropout rates among these children.[12] According to government statistics, 64 percent of adolescent girls drop out of school. Those who drop out often end up being vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor or early marriage. In 2013, India passed the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, committing itself to ending "manual scavenging" the cleaning of human excreta . Seven months later, the Indian Supreme Court held that India's constitution requires state intervention to end manual scavenging and "rehabilitate" all people engaged in the practice. However, manual scavenging, a caste-designated occupation that is mainly imposed upon Dalit women, has persisted. Human Rights Watch research found that certain state governments have institutionalized the practice with local governments and municipalities employing manual scavengers.[13] On protecting the rights of Dalits, tribal communities, and religious minorities, India should: Take immediate steps to eliminate abuses against Dalits, tribal groups, religious minorities, and other marginalized communities, provide concrete plans to implement laws and government policies to secure their protection, and monitor development programs that have largely failed to reach target groups. Publicly condemn crimes against vulnerable communities including Dalits, tribal groups and religious minorities, and promptly prosecute all those responsible for such crimes. Uphold its commitments to end manual scavenging and ensure that all support for sanitation projects require an immediate end to manual scavenging and contain effective mechanisms for ongoing monitoring to ensure the practice is discontinued. Rights of Women, Children, and Persons with Disabilities After the 2012 gang rape and murder of a young student in Delhi, the government undertook legal reforms, introducing new and expanded definitions of rape and sexual assault, criminalizing acid attacks, providing for a right to medical treatment, and instituting new procedures aimed at helping women and girls with disabilities who experience sexual assault through the criminal justice process. But the government has yet to put in place a systematic monitoring mechanism to ensure that state governmentstasked with implementing these lawswork cohesively with the federal government to adequately budget for their implementation, including through capacity building. Women and girls with disabilities in particular continue to face barriers to accessing justice for such crimes. In rural areas, discriminatory and abusive practices by local authorities persist. Unofficial village councils in several Indian states, called khaps, made up of men from dominant castes who often enjoy political patronage, issue edicts restricting women's mobility and rights, and condemning couples for marrying outside their caste or religion. Despite accepting recommendations during the second cycle to Ensure better protection for persons with disabilities and the elderly, persons with disabilities remain particularly at risk of discrimination and violence. Many are locked up in overcrowded and unsanitary state mental hospitals and residential institutions, without following existing legal procedures that allow them to challenge such institutionalization, in part due to stigma and the absence of adequate community-based support and mental health services.[14] India's Upper House of Parliament passed a new mental health bill in August 2016, however, it fails to fully comply with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and does not recognize that people with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life with appropriate measures to provide access to support they require in exercising their legal capacity. The government also passed amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act to permit prosecution of 16 and 17-year-olds as adults when charged with serious crimes such as rape and murder, despite concern that this violates India's commitments to child rights protections. In 2016, the government enacted a new law against child labor that bans complete employment of children below the age of 14, but allows children to work in family enterprises. Indian activists opposed the law saying it left children from poor and marginalized communities open to worst forms of exploitation since a majority of child labor occurs invisibly within families. On rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities, India should: Institute an effective monitoring mechanism that oversees the implementation of laws dealing with sexual violence against women and children, including failures in police accountability. The federal government should also monitor and support state governments' provisions for appropriate support services, including psycho-social counseling, legal aid, emergency medical care, and reproductive and sexual health services responsive to the effects of sexual violence, and training for law enforcement officers and the judiciary. Repeal laws permitting prosecution of 16 and 17-year-olds as adults, in line with India's international legal commitments, and in the meantime, ensure that the treatment for children under 18 in conflict with law is restorative and reformative, and not penal. Respect its international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by ensuring new disability rights legislation guarantees the right to legal capacity for all persons with disabilities. Immediately introduce guidelines to ensure that people with psychosocial disabilities have access to support to participate effectively in informed consent procedures governing medical treatment. Support community-based mental health and support services, and seek to strengthen a community-based model instead of creating new or refurbished mental health or residential care institutions. Develop and implement a de-institutionalization policy and a time-bound action plan for de-institutionalization, based on the values of equality, independence, and inclusion for persons with disabilities. Ratify ILO Convention No. 189 on domestic work. Death Penalty In 2012, India lifted its eight-year unofficial moratorium on death penalty and by 2016 had executed three people; during the second cycle UPR, India noted all recommendations related to the abolition of the death penalty. Indian courts have recognized that the death penalty has been imposed disproportionately and in a discriminatory manner against disadvantaged groups in India. On the death penalty, India should: Immediately reinstate a moratorium on executions and work toward complete abolition of capital punishment. Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with a view to abolishing the death penalty. Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons India has a mixed record on rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons. In its second UPR, the Indian government cited as a positive development the 2009 Delhi High Court judgment that struck down the law that criminalized same-sex relations.[15] However, the law was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 2013. Currently, the Supreme Court has ordered a review of the 2013 ruling based on a number of curative petitions. In April 2014 the Supreme Court recognized transgender individuals as a third gender and found them eligible for quotas in jobs and education. However, a bill introduced in 2016 to protect the rights of transgender persons contained several provisions inconsistent with the Supreme Court ruling, On rights of LGBT persons, India should: Repeal section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalizes consensual same-sex relations among adults. Revise the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, after consultation with transgender communities to bring it in line with international human rights law and the directions of the Indian Supreme Court. [1] Human Rights Council, "National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21; India," UN Doc. A/HRC/WG.6/13/IND/1, March 2012, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/116/85/PDF/G1211685.pdf?OpenElement (accessed August 21, 2016). [2] Ibid. [3] The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, http://indiacode.nic.in/acts-in-pdf/132013.pdf (accessed August 30, 2016). [4] "Addressing concerns of women admitted to psychiatric institutions in India: An in-depth analysis," National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, and National Commission for Women, New Delhi, 2016, http://ncw.nic.in/pdfReports/Addressing_concerns_of_women_admitted_to_psychiatric_institutions_in_INDIA_An_in-depth_analysis.pdf (accessed September 1, 2016). [5] Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, Follow-up to country recommendations: India, UN Doc. A/HRC/29/37/Add.3, May 2015, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G15/089/34/PDF/G1508934.pdf?OpenElement (accessed August 23, 2016). [6] Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) and Anr. v. Union of India and Anr., Supreme Court of India, W.P. (Crl). No. 129/2012, July 8, 2016, http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/FileServer/2016-07-08_1467967629.pdf (accessed August 23, 2016). [7] "India: High Cost for Reporting in Chhattisgarh," Human Rights Watch news release, April 18, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/18/india-high-cost-reporting-chhattisgarh (accessed August 23, 2016). [8] Analysis on international law, standards and principles applicable to the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act 2010 and Foreign Contributions Regulation Rules 2011 by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Maina Kiai, April 20, 2016, http://freeassembly.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/UNSR-FOAAinfo-note-In... (accessed August 25, 2016). [9] Human Rights Watch, Stifling Dissent: The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in India, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2016), https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/05/24/stifling-dissent/criminalization-peaceful-expression-india [10] UN Human Rights Council, Report of Special rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsak, UN Doc. A/HRC/31/56, January 2016, http://idsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Special-Rapporteur-on-minority-issues-report-on-caste.pdf (accessed August 24, 2016). [11] Human Rights Council, "National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21; India," A/HRC/WG.6/13/IND/1, March 8, 2012, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/116/85/PDF/G1211685.pdf?OpenElement (accessed August 21, 2016). [12] Human Rights Watch, "They Say We're Dirty": Denying an Education to India's Marginalized, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2014), https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/04/22/they-say-were-dirty/denying-education-indias-marginalized [13] Human Rights Watch, Cleaning Human Waste: "Manual Scavenging," Caste and Discrimination in India, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2014), https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/08/25/cleaning-human-waste/manual-scavenging-caste-anddiscrimination-india [14] Human Rights Watch, "Treated Worse than Animals:" Abuses against Women and Girls with Psychosocial or Intellectual Disabilities in Institutions in India, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2014), https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/12/03/treated-worse-animals/abuses-against-women-and-girls-psychosocial-or-intellectual. [15] Human Rights Council, "National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21; India," UN Doc. A/HRC/WG.6/13/IND/1, March 2012, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/116/85/PDF/G1211685.pdf?OpenElement (accessed August 21, 2016). Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. India: 'Cow Protection' Spurs Vigilante Violence Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, India: 'Cow Protection' Spurs Vigilante Violence, 27 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59098e424.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Indian authorities should promptly investigate and prosecute self-appointed "cow protectors" who have committed brutal attacks against Muslims and Dalits over rumors that they sold, bought, or killed cows for beef, Human Rights Watch said today. Instead of taking prompt legal action against the vigilantes, many linked to extremist Hindu groups affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the police, too often, have filed complaints against the assault victims, their relatives, and associates under laws banning cow slaughter. Many Hindus consider the cow to be a holy animal, and slaughter is forbidden in most parts of Hindu-majority India. Since May 2015, a violent vigilante campaign against beef consumption has led to the killing of at least 10 Muslims, including a 12-year-old boy, in seven separate incidents of mob violence. In July 2016, in Gujarat, vigilantes stripped four Dalit men, tied them to a car, and beat them with sticks and belts over suspicions of cow slaughter. In a number of cases, the attackers have also robbed their victims of cash and cellphones, and damaged their property. "Self-appointed 'cow protectors' driven by irresponsible populism are killing people and terrorizing minority communities," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director. "The government should condemn this violence and take prompt action against those responsible for these attacks or face allegations of complicity." In one recent case, on April 21, 2017, in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir state, a mob brutally attacked five members of a nomad cattle-herding family, including a 9-year-old girl, on suspicion that they were taking their cows for slaughter. A video posted on social media showed a group of men chanting slogans commonly used by BJP supporters, breaking down the family's shelter, beating an elderly man with rods and sticks even as women begged for mercy, and finally setting the shelter on fire. Several policemen can be seen in the video while the mob carries out the attack, but they appeared to be outnumbered and stay back when the mob pushes them back. Police have arrested 11 people for the assault. On April 22, in New Delhi, purported animal rights activists allegedly belonging to People for Animals, which is led by a BJP official, beat up three men in a truck for transporting buffaloes. Initially, the police failed to arrest anyone for the assault or investigate the role of People for Animals, which denied involvement in the attack. Instead, the police arrested the three victims under a law preventing cruelty to animals after the injured victims were taken to a hospital. The men were released on bail a day later. Two days after the incident, the police arrested a Delhi resident who claimed to be a member of People for Animals. The police were informed of the incident by another member of People for Animals who was allegedly part of a "raid team" that regularly stops vehicles to see whether they contain cattle. People for Animals, which started as an animal rights group, said that since 2014 it has shut down some of its city units, including in Delhi, due to allegations of vigilantism and extortion against its members. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was chief minister of Gujarat state and during the 2014 national election campaign, repeatedly called for the protection of cows, raising the specter of a "pink revolution" by the previous government that he claimed had endangered cows and other cattle to export meat. BJP leaders have attempted to portray the majority Hindu population as victims, whipping up fear of Muslim men who they say kidnap, rape, or lure Hindu women into relationships as part of a plot to make India into a Muslim-majority country. In the period leading up to the Uttar Pradesh state elections in 2017, a BJP lawmaker, Yogi Adityanath, the current chief minister, raised fears of a Hindu exodus in western Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest concentration of Muslims in the state. Since the BJP came to power in May 2014, extremist Hindu groups supporting Modi and his party have led vigilante mob attacks across the country to enforce "nationalism." Senior BJP leaders, including elected officials and leaders of various groups who claim to promote Hindu rights, have instigated hate crimes. Self-appointed cow protectors are increasingly conducting raids and attacks, claiming the police don't take adequate action against those slaughtering cows. There have been numerous incidents in which they have allegedly assaulted, harassed, threatened, and extorted money from Muslims and Dalits. Dalits, so-called "untouchables," are equally vulnerable as they traditionally carry out jobs to dispose of cattle carcasses and skin them for commercial purposes. Among the largest cow protection networks is the Bharatiya Gau Raksha Dal ("India Cow Protection Group"), an umbrella organization registered in 2012. Its leader, Pawan Pandit, told Human Rights Watch that the network is affiliated with about 50 groups across the country and that their 10,000 volunteers have a presence in nearly every state. "Now the entire India is a cow protection group because people are angered by such cruelty to animals," Pandit said, adding that even the BJP government was not strong enough on cow protection. He denied allegations of violence by his members, saying those were spontaneous acts by local residents angered by the ill-treatment and slaughter of cows. "The mild admonitions from BJP leaders when Muslims and Dalits are lynched over cows sends a message that the BJP supports this violence," Ganguly said. "Instead of a government that took office on the promise of universal development, it now appears to be one unwilling to protect those most vulnerable." Recent 'Cow Protection' Cases and Concerns Government Silence and Denial On April 1, 2017, a mob in the northwestern state of Rajasthan brutally assaulted a 55-year-old dairy farmer, Pehlu Khan, and four others with sticks and belts. Khan died two days later from his injuries. Three of the six accused have been arrested. The state's BJP-led government did not condemn the killing, and its minister for parliamentary affairs denied that the attack occurred. Rajasthan's home minister sought to defend the so-called cow protectors by blaming the victims: "People know cow trafficking is illegal, but they do it. Gau bhakts [Cow worshippers] try to stop them. There's nothing wrong with that but it's a crime to take the law in their hands." Instead of filing a complaint against the attackers, the police first registered a complaint against Khan and the other victims under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995, for exporting cattle and showing cruelty to the animals, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The police waited two hours before filing a complaint against the unidentified mob. Khan's son alleged that the police filed the case against the family even though they had receipts showing that they purchased the cattle legitimately in Rajasthan. Mohammed Yusuf, the brother of one of those injured in the attack, told Human Rights Watch that the attackers also stole 35,000 rupees (US$540) his brother was carrying, his cellphone, and three cows worth 75,000 rupees (US$1,150). He no longer wants to be part of the dairy business. "We have decided that we are not going to have anything more to do with cattle," he said. "If we can't keep milk cows, if we now need permission to drink milk, why should we keep cows?" On April 23, several former civil service officers wrote to the state's chief minister demanding that all the accused members of the mob be immediately arrested, saying that failure to take prompt action would be a "mockery of good governance, causing minorities to lose faith in the government's ability to protect their rights." Two days later, the chief minister finally broke her silence and said, "such activities won't be tolerated in Rajasthan." States Prompting Cow Protections Even as BJP leaders failed to condemn attacks on Muslims and other minorities, they have announced new policies for cow welfare and made strong statements about the need to protect cows. Their policies and statements have facilitated abuses by cow protection groups in BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. In March 2017, the Gujarat government made slaughtering a cow punishable by life in prison. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP chief minister said, "We will hang those who kill cows." In 2016, the Haryana government decided to give licenses to some cow protection groups to help the police keep a check on alleged cow smuggling. Group members are often seen patrolling the streets, especially highways, at night, stopping vehicles, checking them for cattle, intimidating drivers, and reacting with violence if they find cows. These vigilantes have also physically assaulted legitimate cattle transporters even when they are transporting other animals, such as buffaloes. There have been reports in the media of cow protectors allegedly assaulting Muslim men and women in trains and railway stations in Madhya Pradesh, stripping and beating Dalit men in Gujarat, force feeding cow dung and urine to two men in Haryana, raiding a Muslim hotel in Jaipur, aiding police in checking roadside food stalls and restaurants for beef in Haryana ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid, and an alleged gang rape and murder in Haryana of people the attackers claimed were eating beef at home. The Haryana government has set up a 24-hour helpline for citizens to report cow slaughter and smuggling and appointed police task forces to respond to the complaints. Rajasthan's government has had a dedicated department for ensuring the welfare of cows since 2013. In April 2017, the state government imposed additional taxes for "conservation and propagation of cow and its progeny." Soon after the BJP appointed Adityanath, a Hindu cleric, as chief minister of India's largest state of Uttar Pradesh in March, he cracked down on slaughterhouses and meat shops, mostly run by Muslims. He contended that he was shutting down illegal establishments, but the businesses said they were forced to close without notice or due process. Cow protectors and members of an extremist Hindu group, Hindu Yuva Vahini, founded by Adityanath in 2002, aided the police in some of these operations. Several members of the group, including Adityanath, face criminal charges for inciting violence, attempt to murder, rioting, carrying deadly weapons, and promoting enmity between two religious groups. The group has used violence, threats, and intimidation to shut down meat businesses, news reports say. But the state's deputy chief minister and BJP state party president told Reuters that members of Adityanath's organization were acting as responsible citizens and rejected allegations that they were acting "as a parallel administration." The authorities have largely ignored the young men roaming streets and beating up Muslims and Dalits in the name of protecting cows, and have targeted instead the peaceful critics of such actions. At least seven people including a poet, a filmmaker, and a student have been booked on criminal charges for criticizing Adityanath on social media. The charges range from hurting the religious sentiments of a community to promoting enmity between groups. On April 22, members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, groups affiliated with the BJP, attacked two police stations in Uttar Pradesh to protest the arrest of their colleagues for allegedly beating up and robbing a Muslim man. The police said that the men, from Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, threw stones at the police stations, beat up a policeman, set fire to his motorcycle, and took his service revolver. A senior police officer told the media that men from Hindu Yuva Vahini were also part of the mob that attacked the stations. Inadequate Response to Killings over Cows Prior to Pehlu Khan's murder on April 1, at least nine other people were fatally beaten or lynched by Hindu mobs over suspicions that they were trading or killing cows for beef. Rajasthan, May 2015 Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, 60, who ran a meat shop in Birloka village in Nagaur district, was beaten brutally by a mob with sticks and iron rods on May 30, 2015. He died the following day. The mob also vandalized his home and shop. Two years after the incident, the police have filed murder charges against three accused in the attack, while six are yet to be arrested. The case is pending in court. Uttar Pradesh, August 2015 A mob beat to death three men suspected of being cattle thieves Anaf, Arif, and Nazim in the Kaimrala village of Dadri town on August 2, 2015. The mob also set their truck on fire after they found two buffaloes in it. A farmer who witnessed the incident told Frontline magazine that the police arrived after the men were already dead. He said, "When a cow is killed, passions get ignited and these things can happen." The police filed a case against the dead men for theft, trespass, and attempted murder, alleging that they opened fire first. The superintendent of police did not respond to questions from Human Rights Watch about whether there was any case against the villagers for killing the men. Uttar Pradesh, September 2015 On September 28, 2015, a mob in Bishara village in Dadri town beat to death Mohammad Akhlaq, 50, with bricks and critically injured his 22-year-old son. The attack came after an announcement at a nearby Hindu temple that Akhlaq had slaughtered a calf. The police arrested six people but also seized the meat from Akhlaq's home and sent it for a forensic exam to determine whether it was beef. The villagers protested the arrests by damaging vehicles, including a police van, and setting a motorcycle on fire. The Uttar Pradesh government, then led by the Samajwadi party, announced compensation of 10 lakh rupees (US$15,500) to Akhlaq's family and the chief minister ordered district officials and police to provide full protection to his family. However, a senior BJP leader and minister in the central government called Akhlaq's killing an "accident." Another BJP legislator from the state, Sangeet Som, already facing charges for allegedly inciting communal riots, visited Dadri following Akhlaq's killing to show solidarity with the accused, one of whom is the son of a local BJP leader. Som did not condemn Akhlaq's murder and instead criticized the state government for not taking legal action against Akhlaq's family. In Haryana, the neighboring state, the chief minister, from BJP, called Akhlaq's killing a "simple misunderstanding" and said, "Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef." In December 2015, the Uttar Pradesh police filed charges against 18 people. Nearly a score of hearings have been held since then, but there has been little progress in the case. Meanwhile, Akhlaq's family relocated to Delhi because of concerns for their safety. Jammu and Kashmir, October 2015 On October 9, 2015, a right-wing Hindu mob in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir allegedly threw gasoline bombs at a truck driven by Zahid Bhat, an 18-year-old trucker, because they suspected him wrongly of transporting beef. He died of his injuries at a hospital 10 days later. Two others traveling with him were also injured. Bhat was found to be transporting coal in his truck. His death led to violent clashes between protesters and security forces in a south Kashmir village where he had lived. The state's chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of the People's Democratic Party, condemned the killing and announced compensation but the family refused to accept any money, saying they wanted justice. Five people were arrested for murder, rioting, conspiracy, and use of explosives. Himachal Pradesh, October 2015 A Hindu mob at Sarahan, a village near Simla, allegedly beat to death Noman, 22, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, on October 14, 2015, over suspicions that he was smuggling cows. The mob also beat up four other occupants of the truck. Police immediately arrested the four occupants, booking them under laws banning cow slaughter and preventing cruelty to animals. Later, police also registered a case of murder and said they would investigate whether members of Hindu militant group Bajrang Dal were behind the attack. Jharkhand, March 2016 A Muslim cattle trader, Mohammed Mazlum Ansari, 35, and a 12-year-old boy, Mohammed Imteyaz Khan, were found hanging from a tree in Jharkhand on March 18, 2016. Their hands were tied behind their backs and their bodies bore signs of mistreatment. The police arrested eight men, including a couple linked to a local cow protection group. The case is still pending in court. Ansari's brother, who runs a small shop in the village, told Human Rights Watch he had already spent 200,000 rupees (US$3,100) on the case and was determined to see it to the end but was not hopeful. "I don't think we will receive justice," he said. "The government is theirs. They are rich, they are powerful, the police is also theirs." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Hong Kong: Surge in Political Prosecutions Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Hong Kong: Surge in Political Prosecutions , 27 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59098eab4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Hong Kong authorities' arrest of 11 pro-democracy advocates over two days raises grave concerns of a politically motivated crackdown, Human Rights Watch said today. While all have been released on bail, they face prosecution and possible prison sentences. The authorities should drop all charges based on the advocates' roles in peaceful protests or other politically motivated grounds, Human Rights Watch said. Hong Kong authorities have prosecuted at least 18 pro-democracy political leaders in the territory since the end of the massive Umbrella Movement in December 2014. "Prosecution as persecution seems to be the new norm for the treatment of Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. "Hong Kong authorities' abuse of the law to intimidate dissent increasingly resembles tactics employed just across the border." On April 26, 2017, the authorities arrested Yau Wai-qing and Baggio Leung Chung-hang, two pro-independence activists and former legislators, on charges of "unlawful assembly" and "attempted forced entry." The charges stem from the pair's attempt to attend a Legislative Council meeting on November 2, 2016, after they were barred from meetings pending a judicial review of their council membership. Nine more activists were arrested the next day, April 27, 2017, and charged with participating in unlawful assembly, obstructing police, and inciting disorderly conduct in a public place. The charges stem from a November 6, 2016 protest against a decision by China's top legislative body that forced Hong Kong courts to disqualify Yau and Leung. The nine include: Avery Ng Man-yuen, chairman of the League of Social Democrats; Derek Lam Shun-hin and Ivan Lam Long-yin of the Demosisto Party; Dickson Chau Ka-faat and Chan Man-wai of the League of Social Democrats; Sammy Ip and Lo Tak-cheong of the group Student Fight for Democracy; Cheng Pui-lun, former president of Lingnan University's student union; and Chow Shu-wing, People Power. The organizers of the November protest, which thousands of people attended, had obtained a permit. But police accused some demonstrators of participating in an "unlawful assembly" when they took an unapproved route toward the central government's Liaison Office, a crime under the Public Order Ordinance. Police then ordered the protesters to disperse. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has criticized Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance for possibly "facilitat[ing] excessive restrictions" to basic rights. The law, which requires that people planning processions involving more than 30 people and assemblies with more than 50 must apply for and receive a "letter of no objection" from the government in advance, is incompatible with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which applies to Hong Kong. Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called for the ordinance to be brought into conformity with international human rights standards. The crimes of obstructing police and forced entry carry a maximum sentence of two years in prison, while the crimes of unlawful assembly and inciting disorderly conduct in a public place carry up to five years in prison. Since the culmination of the Umbrella Movement protests in December 2014, about 18 Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders have faced court proceedings, most of them for participating or leading peaceful protests including the Umbrella Movement. They face a range of charges, including unlawful assembly, inciting unlawful assembly, inciting public nuisance, conspiracy, obstructing the police, and assaulting a police officer. In addition to Yao Wai-qing and Baggio Leung, four other pro-democracy legislators face disqualifications due to lawsuits filed by the Hong Kong government on the basis of the November 2016 ruling of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee on the qualifications of Legislative Council members. The four include Lau Siu-lai, Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Edward Yiu Chung-yim, and Leung Kwok-hung. The arrests are a break with Hong Kong's longstanding tradition of tolerating peaceful expression and demonstrations. And they are particularly alarming in light of central government advisers' statements in March that Beijing would use more "legal means" to strengthen control over Hong Kong, particularly over "principle issues" such as national security, Human Rights Watch said. Pro-democracy activists have announced that they are going to stage "a large civil disobedience protest" on July 1, the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover by Britain to Chinese sovereignty. China's President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the territory for that occasion, his first trip to Hong Kong since he assumed formal power in 2013. "As the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover approaches, the territory's autonomy looks increasingly fragile," Richardson said. "Hong Kong authorities can take a major step toward reclaiming the mantle of democracy and rule of law by dropping all charges against peaceful protest." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Senegal/Chad: Court Upholds Habre Conviction Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Senegal/Chad: Court Upholds Habre Conviction, 27 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59098f174.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The decision on April 27, 2017, by the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal to uphold the conviction of former Chadian President Hissene Habre vindicates the persistence of the victims' struggle for justice and the fight against impunity in Africa, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 30, 2016, the Extraordinary African Chambers in the Senegalese court system convicted Habre and sentenced him to life in prison for his role in torture, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The chambers were inaugurated by Senegal and the African Union in February 2013 to prosecute the "person or persons" most responsible for international crimes committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990, the period when Habre ruled Chad. "For over 26 years, the many victims of Hissene Habre's crimes fought courageously for justice to be done," said Richard Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch. "Today, their journey ends with the conviction of a once untouchable leader confirmed and his life sentenced upheld, giving hope to victims everywhere." Habre's trial, which began on July 20, 2015, was the first in the world in which the courts of one country prosecuted the former ruler of another for alleged human rights crimes. It was also the first case on the principle of universal jurisdiction to proceed to trial in Africa. The principle allows countries to try a small number of very grave crimes in their domestic courts regardless of where the crimes were committed or the nationality of the victims. Habre fled to Senegal in 1990 after being deposed by the current Chadian president, Idriss Deby Itno. Although Habre was first arrested and indicted in Senegal in 2000, it took a long campaign by his victims before the Extraordinary African Chambers were inaugurated in February 2013 to prosecute international crimes committed in Chad during Habre's rule. Habre's one-party rule was marked by widespread atrocities, including waves of ethnic cleansing. Files from Habre's political police, the Direction de la Documentation et de la Securite (DDS), which were recovered by Human Rights Watch in 2001, reveal the names of 1,208 people who were killed or died in detention, and 12,321 victims of human rights violations. Human Rights Watch extensively documented the Habre government's responsibility for widespread political killings, systematic torture, and thousands of arbitrary arrests. Together with Chadian victims' groups and rights activists, Human Rights Watch worked for over 15 years to advance justice for these crimes. The African Extraordinary Chamber's decision on April 27 marks the culmination of these efforts. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Indonesia Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Indonesia, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909903e4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Since Indonesia's previous Universal Periodic Review in 2012, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo took office in October 2014 with a reformist agenda that implicitly recognizes universal human rights and freedoms by reaffirming Indonesia's diversity and pluralism.[1] However, President Jokowi has failed to translate his rhetorical support for human rights into meaningful policy initiatives. Religious minorities remain vulnerable to restrictions on their religious freedom due to discriminatory regulations. Women, LGBT people, and people with disabilities face various forms of government-promoted discrimination in their daily lives. And in Papua abuses by the security forces are committed with impunity, while dozens of Papuan and Moluccan political prisoners remain behind bars for exercising their free expression rights.[2] Jokowi's appointment of former general Wiranto, who was indicted for crimes against humanity by a UN-sponsored tribunal, as security minister has heightened concerns about the government's commitment to human rights and accountability.[3] And the end of a four-year unofficial moratorium on the death penalty has brought a spate of executions of convicted drug traffickers. 1.Accountability for Past Gross Human Rights Abuses On May 22, 2015, Indonesia's Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo announced that the government would form a "Reconciliation Commission" to seek a "permanent solution for all unresolved human rights abuses" of the past half century.[4] Prasetyo said the commission would focus on abuses including the state-sanctioned mass killings of 1965-1966 that killed up to one million people.[5] Despite accepting all recommendations to investigate past human rights abuses during its 2012 UPR, including to Ensure prompt, comprehensive, and effective investigations into credible allegations of human rights violations by members of the security forces, and examine options for establishing an independent review mechanism with the ability to recommend prosecutions, the government has provided no further details of when the "Reconciliation Commission" might begin operations or how the process of accountability will proceed.[6] Meanwhile, paramilitary and nationalist groups that oppose accountability have criticized calls for redress for past rights abuses as an attempt "to revive communism."[7] On addressing accountability for past gross human rights abuses, Indonesia should: -Publicly reaffirm its intent to seek accountability for past gross human rights abuses and disclose a timetable for how the accountability process will proceed; -Ensure that the structure, procedures and practices of an accountability mechanism for past gross rights abuses are consistent with human rights standards; -Ensure that those responsible for the injustices of the past are fully and fairly held accountable for their actions, including through criminal prosecution if and when applicable. 2. Religious Freedom In its last UPR review in 2012, the Indonesian government accepted several recommendations on ending violations of the right of freedom of religion (recommendations 108.68, 108.98, 108.99, 108.101, 108.102, 108.103, 108.104, 108.105, 108.106, 108.107, 108.108, 108.109, 108.110, 108.111, 108.112, 108.113, 108.139).[8] However, the rights of religious minorities remain under threat from both discriminatory regulations as well as militant Islamists. Discrimination against religious minorities is deeply entrenched in the state bureaucracy.[9] That is fueled by discriminatory laws and regulations, including a blasphemy law that officially recognizes only six religions, and house of worship decrees that give local majority populations significant leverage over religious minority communities.[10] State institutions have also directly violated the rights and freedoms of minorities. The Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs in Society under the Attorney General's Office, and the Indonesian Ulama Council, have eroded religious freedom by issuing decrees and fatwas against members of religious minorities, and pressing for the prosecution of "blasphemers."[11] The government response has been weak at best and complicit at worst. Officials and security forces frequently facilitate harassment of religious minorities, in some cases even blaming the victims for the attacks. Authorities have made blatantly discriminatory statements, refused to issue building permits for houses of worship, and pressured minority congregations to relocate.[12] Indonesian officials and security forces have been complicit in the violent forced eviction of more than 7,000 members of the Gafatar religious community from their homes on Kalimantan island since January 2016.[13] In January 2016, local Indonesian authorities banned the activities of the Ahmadiyah religious community in the town of Subang in West Java province.[14] Neither Jokowi nor other national officials have spoken out or intervened to lift the ban. That same month, local government officials on Bangka Island, located off the east coast of Sumatra, told the island's Ahmadiyah community to convert to Sunni Islam or face forcible expulsion from the area.[15] On addressing violence and discrimination against religious minorities, Indonesia should: Implement a "zero-tolerance" policy for attacks on religious minorities. Attacks on religious minority communities should be promptly investigated and appropriately prosecuted; Take active measures against local officials who fail to respect court judgments guaranteeing religious freedom, including construction of houses of worship; Review existing laws, regulations, and decrees on religion to identify provisions at odds with freedom of religion and freedom of conscience, followed by a timetable for revision or repeal of offending provisions. 3.Children's Rights In its last UPR review in 2012, the Indonesian government accepted several recommendations to protect children's rights (recommendations 108.62, 108.63, 108.73, 108.74).[16] Thousands of children in Indonesia, some just 8-years-old, are working in hazardous conditions on tobacco farms.[17] Child tobacco workers are exposed to nicotine, handle toxic chemicals, use sharp tools, lift heavy loads, and work in extreme heat. The work could have lasting consequences for their health and development.[18] Indonesia detains and neglects migrant and asylum-seeking children.[19] Each year, hundreds are detained in sordid conditions, without access to lawyers, and sometimes beaten. Others are left to fend for themselves, without any assistance with food or shelter. Indonesia detains hundreds of migrant and asylum-seeking children each year without giving them a way to challenge their detention. Indonesian law permits up to 10 years of immigration detention.[20] On addressing abuses of the rights of children, Indonesia should: Revise the list of jobs that endanger the health, safety, and morals of children set out in the Minister of Manpower and Transmigration's Decree 235 of 2003, or enact a new law or regulation to explicitly prohibit children from working in direct contact with tobacco in any form; Vigorously investigate and monitor child labor in small-scale tobacco farming, including through unannounced inspections at the times of year, times of day, and locations where children are most likely to be working; Develop and implement an extensive public education and training program in tobacco farming communities to promote awareness of the health risks to children of work in tobacco farming; Stop detaining unaccompanied children and detain children with families only as a last resort; Improve detention conditions and end abuse of migrants in detention; Accede to international refugee treaties and provide access to asylum. 4. Women Rights In its last UPR review in 2012, the Indonesian government accepted several recommendations to protect women's rights (recommendations 108.64, 108.65, 108.66, 108.67, 108.72, 108.73)[21], including to Eliminate completely all legal and political provisions which discriminate on the basis of civil status of women and violate sexual and reproductive rights. The Indonesian government subjects female applicants for Indonesia's National Police[22] and all branches of the military to discriminatory and degrading "virginity tests."[23] Virginity testing is a form of gender-based violence and is a widely discredited practice. In November 2014, the World Health Organization issued guidelines that stated, "There is no place for virginity (or 'two-finger') testing; it has no scientific validity."[24] Reports that the National Police has ceased this abusive practice are yet to be officially confirmed. Senior military personnel have defended the use of "virginity tests." [25] Millions of Indonesian women work abroad as domestic workers and risk serious abuses including nonpayment or delayed wages, excessive work and a lack of rest, and physical or sexual abuse at the hands of their employers.[26] In 2015, Indonesia announced that it would move towards a total ban on sending Indonesian women abroad for domestic work even though such measures have repeatedly proved ineffectual and violate the right to freedom of movement.[27] The government is yet to ratify the ILO Convention No. 189 on Domestic Workers and introduce protections for migrant domestic workers in accordance with international standards, despite accepting a recommendation during the second cycle UPR to Enhance efforts in undertaking measures to ensure better protection for its migrant workers abroad. Indonesia's official Commission on Violence against Women reported in August 2016 that the number of discriminatory national and local regulations targeting women and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people had risen to 422 in 2016 from 389 in 2015.[28] They include local laws compelling women and girls to don the hijab, or headscarf, in schools, government offices and public spaces. While many of these laws specify traditional Sunni Muslim garb both for women and men, research by Human Rights Watch indicates they disproportionately target women.[29] On addressing violations of women's rights, Indonesia should: Require the Indonesian military and police to immediately stop inflicting abusive "virginity tests" on female applicants and discipline officials who expresses support for such tests; Ratify the ILO Convention No. 189 on Domestic Work and strengthen recruitment and grievance redress procedures to make women's migration abroad safer; Repeal discriminatory local regulations that violate women's rights. 5.Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual (LGBT) People's Rights The Indonesian government stoked an unprecedented attack on the security and rights of sexual and gender minorities in early 2016.[30] Anti-LGBT statements by government officials provided social sanction for harassment and violence against LGBT Indonesians, and even death threats by militant Islamists.[31] State institutions, including the National Broadcasting Commission and the National Child Protection Commission, issued censorship directives banning information and broadcasts that portrayed the lives of LGBT people as "normal" as well as so-called "propaganda" about LGBT lives. That combination of discriminatory rhetoric and policy decisions harmed the physical security and right to free expression of LGBT people across the country.[32] On September 27, 2014, the Aceh provincial parliament approved the Principles of the Islamic Bylaw and the Islamic criminal code (Qanun Jinayah), which create new discriminatory offenses that do not exist in the Indonesian national criminal code (Hukum Pidana).[33] The bylaws extend Sharia, or Islamic law, to non-Muslims, which criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual acts as well as all zina (sexual relations outside of marriage). The criminal code permits as punishment up to 100 lashes and up to 100 months in prison for consensual same-sex sexual acts, while zina violations carry a penalty of 100 lashes.[34] When these laws came into force in September 2015, Sharia police arrested two "suspected lesbians" women aged 18 and 19 for hugging in public. Police detained the women for four days, and released them into a government-run religious "rehabilitation" center for one week.[35] In June 2016, Indonesia's Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo backtracked on a pronounced commitment to abolish abusive Sharia regulations.[36] Kumolo said that the government intentionally chose to ignore discriminatory Sharia regulations while cancelling 3,143 other "problematic regional regulations" for violating the country's credo of "unity in diversity."[37] This comes after Indonesia noted the only recommendation it received during its second cycle UPR to eliminate legislation which criminalizes sexual relations among persons of the same sex. On addressing violations of the rights of LGBT people, Indonesia should: Publicly condemn all major incidents of anti-LGBT violence that occur in Indonesia, including attacks on individuals, organizations, or gatherings; Publicly acknowledge the scope and gravity of the problem of violence and harassment against LGBT people in Indonesia, and commit to taking steps to end these abuses; Instruct government officials not to make public statements that target lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people in a discriminatory or otherwise abusive manner; Repeal all local regulations, including Sharia rules in Aceh, that violate the rights of LGBT people. 6.Accountability for Abuses by Military and Police Forces, especially in Papua In its last UPR review in 2012, the Indonesian government accepted several recommendations to address human rights abuses by the military and police forces, especially in Papua (recommendations 108.84, 108.85, 108.86, 108.87, 108.90, 108.91, 108.95,108.114, 108.115 ).[38] Indonesia's military justice system continues to lack the transparency, independence, and impartiality required to properly investigate and prosecute serious human rights violations. Under Indonesian law, military personnel cannot be tried in civilian courts, with only a few rarely invoked exceptions.[39] The 1997 Law on Military Courts provides that such courts have jurisdiction to prosecute all crimes committed by soldiers. Additionally, the 1997 Law on Military Courts states that military courts can only apply one of two laws: the Military Penal Code and the general Criminal Code. This means that while civilians are subject to a criminal liability under a host of criminal laws outside the Criminal Code, soldiers are not.[40] While the 2000 Law on Human Rights Courts authorizes human rights courts to assert jurisdiction over cases involving allegations that military personnel committed serious human rights violations, at present the law applies only to allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity, and not to the broad spectrum of conduct that constitutes human rights violations.[41]A prime example of the impunity for serious crimes is Jokowi's appointment in July 2016 of former general Wiranto as the country's security chief despite his indictment by a United Nations-backed tribunal for alleged crimes against humanity during East Timor's drive for independence.[42] In the past five years, Human Rights Watch has documented dozens of cases in which Indonesian security forces have used unnecessary or excessive force when dealing with Papuans exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and association.[43] Authorities frequently arrest and prosecute Papuan protesters peacefully advocating independence or other political change.[44] In April 2016, the government announced that it would seek accountability for 11 high-priority past human rights cases in Papua.[45] However the government has not provided any details of an accountability mechanism for past abuses in Papua. On addressing accountability for abuses by military and police forces, especially in Papua, Indonesia should: -Ensure that Indonesian military personnel implicated in serious human rights violationsincluding those involving command responsibilityare credibly and impartially investigated and disciplined or prosecuted as appropriate; -Revive a bill proposed in parliament that would provide civilian criminal court jurisdiction over military personnel responsible for offenses against civilians; -Fully implement President Jokowi's directive lifting restrictions on access to all regions of Papua by foreign journalists and appropriately discipline any government or military personnel who obstruct that access; -Publicly reaffirm its intent to seek accountability for past gross human rights abuses in Papua and disclose a timetable for how the accountability process will proceed. 7.Disability Rights In its last UPR review in 2012, the Indonesian government accepted several recommendations to address abuses of the rights of people with disabilities (recommendations 108.134, 108.135, 108.136).[46] Despite a 1977 government ban on the practice, more than 18,000 people with psychosocial disabilities (mental health conditions) in Indonesia are currently living in pasung shackled or locked up in confined space for weeks, months or even years at a time.[47] Due to prevalent stigma and the absence of adequate community-based support services or mental health care, people with psychosocial disabilities often end up locked up in overcrowded and unsanitary institutions, without their consent, where they face abuses ranging from physical and sexual violence, and involuntary treatment including electroshock therapy, to seclusion, restraint and forced contraception.[48]. On addressing the rights of people with disabilities, Indonesia should: Ensure regular and independent monitoring of mental hospitals, social care institutions, and faith healing centers and implement the ban on pasung; Ban all forms of treatment, including electroconvulsive therapy, without the person's free and informed consent. Prohibit the use of seclusion, prolonged restraint and all restraints as a form of punishment, control, retaliation or as a measure of convenience for staff; Develop and implement a de-institutionalization policy and a time-bound action plan for de-institutionalization with a progressive shift to providing community-based support and mental health services, based on the values of equality, independence, and inclusion for persons with disabilities. 8.Death Penalty Indonesia ended a four-year unofficial moratorium on the death penalty in March 2013.[49] President Jokowi has sought to justify the use of the death penalty on the basis that drug traffickers on death row had "destroyed the future of the nation."[50] Since 2014, the government has executed 18 convicted drug traffickers and indicated that executions will continue.[51] During the 2012 UPR, Indonesia noted all four recommendations it received regarding the establishment of a moratorium on the death penalty. On addressing the death penalty, Indonesia should: -Immediately reinstate a moratorium on the use of the death penalty; -Move toward abolition of the death penalty. 9.Freedom of Expression In its last UPR review in 2012, the Indonesian government accepted recommendation 108.116 to address restrictions on freedom of expression.[52] Authorities frequently arrest and prosecute Papuan protesters peacefully advocating independence or other political change.[53] A total of 37 Papuan activists[54] and 28 Moluccan activists are in prison on charges of treason for "crimes" including public display of pro-independence symbols such as flags.[55] Indonesian authorities often prosecute such activists for makar, that is, rebellion or treason for non-violent expressions of support for independence from Indonesia. Indonesian authorities also continue to restrict access by foreign journalists and rights monitors to Papua.[56] This raises serious concerns about the government's commitment to media freedom. In May 2015, Jokowi signaled a possible easing in the government's chokehold on freedom of expression in Papua by granting clemency to five Papuan political prisoners .[57] In November 2015, Indonesian authorities subsequently released the Papuan activist Filep Karma, whom the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared a political prisoner in November 2011.[58] However, the government has failed to indicate when it will release the remaining Papuan and Moluccan political prisoners. On addressing abuses of freedom of expression, Indonesia should: -Amend or repeal laws that criminalize peaceful political expression, including articles 106 and 110 of the Criminal Code on treason; -Release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally; -Revoke article 6 of Government Regulation No. 77/2007, which prohibits the display of separatist logos or flags, or bring it into compliance with international human rights standards and the Indonesian constitution. [1] Andreas Harsono, "Indonesia's President Jokowi Silent on Human Rights," commentary, Human Rights Watch Dispatch, August 16, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/16/indonesias-president-jokowi-silent-h.... [2] FULL QUOTES PLEASE. NOT JUST URLShttps://www.hrw.org/world-report/2016/country-chapters/indonesia [3] "Indonesia" Indicted General Unfit for Cabinet Post," Human Rights Watch news release, July 28, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/28/indonesia-indicted-general-unfit-cab.... [4] Param Preet-Singh, "Reconciliation Should Not Sideline Justice," commentary, Human Rights Watch oped, Jakarta Post, August 14, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/08/14/reconciliation-should-not-sideline-j... [5] Ibid. [6] Andreas Harsono, "Indonesia's President Jokowi Silent on Humman Rights," commentary, Human Rights Watch Dispatch, August 16, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/16/indonesias-president-jokowi-silent-h.... [7] Andreas Harsono, "Indonesia's Step Toward Accountability for 1965 Massacres," commentary, Human Rights Watch Dispatch, April 20, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/20/dispatches-indonesias-step-toward-ac.... [8] "Indonesia: Recommendations and Pledges," UPR Info, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/150/17/PDF/G1215017.pd... (accessed Aug. 27, 2016). [9] "Indonesia: Religious Minorities Targets of Rising Violence," Human Rights Watch news release, February 28, 2013, https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/28/indonesia-religious-minorities-targe.... [10] Ibid. [11] Ibid. [12] Ibid. [13] "Indonesia: Persecution of Gafatar Religious Group," Human Rights Watch news release, March 29, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/29/indonesia-persecution-gafatar-religi.... [14] "Indonesia: Ahmadiyah Community Persecuted," Human Rights Watch news release, February 11, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/02/11/indonesia-ahmadiyah-community-persec.... [15] Phelim Kine, "Indonesia's Island of Intolerance," commentary, Human Rights Watch Dispatch, January 26, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/01/26/dispatches-indonesias-island-intoler.... [16] "Indonesia: Recommendations and Pledges," UPR Info, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/150/17/PDF/G1215017.pd... (accessed Aug. 27, 2016). [17] "Indonesia: Child Tobacco Workers Suffer as Firms Profit," Human Rights Watch news release, May 25, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/05/25/indonesia-child-tobacco-workers-suff.... [18] Ibid. [19] "Indonesia: Children Seeking Refuge Find Relief," Human Rights Watch news release, June 24, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/24/indonesia-children-seeking-refuge-fi.... [20] Ibid. [21] "Indonesia: Recommendations and Pledges," UPR Info, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/150/17/PDF/G1215017.pd... (accessed Aug. 27, 2016). [22] "Indonesia: 'Virginity Tests' for Female Police," Human Rights Watch news release, November 17, 2014, https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/11/17/indonesia-virginity-tests-female-police. [23] "Indonesia: Military Imposing 'Virginity Tests,'" Human Rights Watch news release, May 13, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/13/indonesia-military-imposing-virginit.... [24] "Indonesia: Military Imposing 'Virginity Tests,'" Human Rights Watch news release, May 13, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/13/indonesia-military-imposing-virginit... [25] Phelim Kine, "End International Complacency with Indonesia's Virginity Tests," Human Rights Watch oped, Jakarta Globe, May 19, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/19/end-international-complacency-indone.... [26] For the nature of abuses that migrant domestic workers risk in Middle Eastern countries, see for example, Human Rights Watch "I Was Sold: Abuse and Exploitation of Migrant Domestic Workers in Oman," https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/07/13/i-was-sold/abuse-and-exploitation-migrant-domestic-workers-oman#39f2cb (35,109 Indonesian migrant domestic workers in Oman); "I Already Bought You: Abuse and Exploitation of Female Migrant Domestic Workers in the United Arab Emirates," October 2014, https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/10/22/i-already-bought-you/abuse-and-exploitation-female-migrant-domestic-workers-united. [27] Nisha Varia, "Indonesia: Banning Migrant Domestic Work is Short-Sighted," Human Rights Watch News release ,February 17, 2015,, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/02/17/indonesia-banning-migrant-domestic-work-short-sighted. [28] "Sexist, discriminatory policies proliferate in regions," Jakarta Post, August 20, 2016, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/08/20/sexist-discriminatory-policies-proliferate-regions.html (accessed August 27, 2016). [29] Andreas Harsono, "Indonesian Women's Rights Under Siege," commentary, Human Rights Watch oped, Al Jazeera, November 25, 2014, https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/11/25/indonesian-womens-rights-under-siege. [30] "Indonesia: LGBT Crisis Exposed Official Bias," Human Rights Watch news release, August 10, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/10/indonesia-lgbt-crisis-exposed-offici.... [31] Ibid. [32] Ibid. [33] "Indonesia: Aceh's New Islamic Laws Violate Rights," Human Rights Watch news release, October 2, 2014, https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/10/02/indonesia-acehs-new-islamic-laws-vio.... [34] Ibid. [35] Human Rights Watch, "Indonesia: 'Suspected Lesbians' Detained," October 2, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/10/02/indonesia-suspected-lesbians-detained [36] "Indonesia's Blind Eye to Abusive Sharia Bylaws," commentary, Human Rights Watch Dispatch, June 21, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/06/21/dispatches-indonesias-blind-eye-abus.... [37] Ibid. [38] "Indonesia: Recommendations and Pledges," UPR Info, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/150/17/PDF/G1215017.pd... (accessed Aug. 27, 2016). [39] "Indonesia: Seek Just Punishments for Military Murderers," Human Rights Watch news release, September 9, 2013, https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/09/09/indonesia-seek-just-punishments-mili.... [40] Ibid. [41] Ibid. [42] Ibid. [43] Human Rights Watch, "Something to Hide? Indonesia's Restrictions on Media Freedom and Rights Monitoring in Papua, November 2015, https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/11/10/something-hide/indonesias-restrict.... [44] "Indonesia: Free All Political Prisoners," Human Rights Watch news release, May 9, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/09/indonesia-free-all-political-prisoners. [45] Andreas Harsono, "Indonesia: Match Words with Action on Papua Abuses," commentary, Human Rights Watch oped, Jakarta Post, May 19, 2015, http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/match-words-with-action-pa.... [46] "Indonesia: Recommendations and Pledges," UPR Info, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/150/17/PDF/G1215017.pd... (accessed Aug. 27, 2016). [47] "Indonesia: Treating Mental Health Shackles," Human Rights Watch news release, March 20, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/20/indonesia-treating-mental-health-sha.... [48] Ibid. [49] "Indonesia: Stop Imminent Executions," Human Rights Watch news release, July 27, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/27/indonesia-stop-imminent-executions. [50] Ibid. [51] Phelim Kine, "Indonesia's Drug Trafficker Executions Aren't Over Yet," commentary, Human Rights Watch Dispatch, April 18, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/18/indonesias-drug-trafficker-execution.... [52] "Indonesia: Recommendations and Pledges," UPR Info, https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/150/17/PDF/G1215017.pd... (accessed Aug. 27, 2016). [53] "Indonesia: Free All Political Prisoners," Human Rights Watch news release, May 9, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/09/indonesia-free-all-political-prisoners. [54] Papuans Behind Bars, "Current Prisoners," http://www.papuansbehindbars.org/?page_id=17 (accessed September 2, 2016). [55] Andreas Harsono, "Indonesia's Forgotten Political Prisoners," commentary, Human Rights Watch oped, Jakarta Globe, March 16, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/16/indonesias-forgotten-political-priso.... [56] Phelim Kine, "Indonesia's Opening of Papua Still Needs to Bridge the Gap Between Reality and Rhetoric," commentary, Human Rights Watch oped, The Conversation, http://theconversation.com/indonesias-opening-of-papua-still-needs-to-bridge-the-gap-between-reality-and-rhetoric-50399 (Accessed August 27, 2015). [57] "Indonesia: Free All Political Prisoners," Human Rights Watch news release, May 9, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/09/indonesia-free-all-political-prisoners. [58] Phelim Kine," Indonesia Frees Papuan Political Prisoner," commentary, Human Rights Watch Dispatch, November 23, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/11/23/dispatches-indonesia-frees-papuan-po.... Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Illegal armed groups pose 'persistent threat' to Africa's Great Lakes region UN envoy Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 May 2017 Related Document(s) Silent Shame - Bringing out the voices of children caught in the Lake Chad crisis Cite as UN News Service, Illegal armed groups pose 'persistent threat' to Africa's Great Lakes region UN envoy, 3 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590995f54.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations envoy for Africa's Great Lakes region encouraged today the countries of the region, and the UN Security Council, to help strengthen the fight against illegal armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its neighbours, particularly as elements of the former M23 rebel group have resurfaced. The persistent activities of illegal armed groups remain one of the main threats to the security of the population and the stability of the DRC and the region, said Said Djinnit, the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region told the Security Council this afternoon. He said there is a need to boost efforts to neutralize these armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), building on the progress made so far by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) with the support of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). In this regard, it is important to further strengthen cooperation between these two forces. It is also important, as underlined by Security Council resolution 2348, that the Intervention Brigade, with the support of MONUSCO as a whole, increases its offensive operations against these armed groups, he underscored. Mr. Djinnit went on to welcome the launch by the DRC, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda on 18 February of the Joint Monitoring Mechanism to respond to the growing threat posed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). I call on all participating countries to contribute actively to this mechanism and to provide it with the necessary resources to enable it to fulfil its mission effectively, he said. Overall, the Special Envoy encouraged the countries of the Great Lakes region "to continue their efforts by taking measures to address the problem of illegal armed groups." Regarding the political situation in the DRC, Mr. Djinnit called on Congolese political actors to scrupulously implement the 31 December Agreement, in order to create the conditions for the holding of transparent and inclusive elections. I urge them to refrain from any action that could lead to violence, he said, reiterating the readiness of the UN to support the Congolese parties in the implementation of that Agreement. Reporting some progress on the implementation of the region's Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, he said that he had also witnessed promising steps towards strengthening economic cooperation. I encourage the signatory countries to continue to engage in joint development projects that contribute to further enhancing regional integration and stability, he stated. The Framework, signed by Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania encompasses commitments at the national, regional and international levels to bring peace and stability to the eastern DRC and the region. Cameroon: UN envoy encourages authorities to restore the Internet in country's English-speaking regions Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 13 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Cameroon: UN envoy encourages authorities to restore the Internet in country's English-speaking regions, 13 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590996864.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa, Francois Lounceny Fall, urged today Cameroonian authorities to examine with diligence the difficulties of the populations and entrepreneurs of the English-speaking regions of the north-west and south-west, which have been deprived of Internet since mid-January 2017. "This is a deplorable situation. But I am convinced that this important tool for development, communication and collective development will be gradually re-established throughout Cameroon," he said before leaving Cameroon on 13 April after a visit four-day official visit. During the visit, Mr. Fall, who also heads the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), reviewed the state of affairs and assessed the impact of recent measures taken by the Government to address the concerns of English-speaking lawyers and teachers, UNOCA said in a press release. "I had fruitful and hopeful exchanges with all the stakeholders," the Special Representative said at a press conference in Yaounde on 12 April. He met with Government officials, members of civil society, opposition leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and the UN system. He also met with people arrested and detained in connection with the situation in the north-west and south-west, including Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla and radio broadcaster Mancho Bibixy. "I encourage the Cameroonian Government to take all the measures it deems appropriate, as soon as possible and within the framework of the law, in order to create conditions conducive to building the confidence needed to end the crisis," noted Mr. Fall. With this in mind, he stressed that "the pursuit of a sincere and constructive dialogue taking into account the achievements is paramount." He added that, where appropriate, the UN remains ready to continue "to accompany this dynamic in order to contribute to the efforts of the authorities and their partners in the search for consensual and lasting solutions to this situation." Mr. Fall reiterated the UN's call to all parties to address the current situation through peaceful and legal means. He welcomed the Government's announced intention to restore Internet services in Bamenda for hospitals, universities and banks, as part of a package of measures announced on 30 March by the Minister of Justice. He encouraged the Government to consider additional confidence-building measures to appease tensions, including the release of the Anglophone leaders, and the full restoration of internet services in the two regions. Mr. Fall also called on the leaders of the Anglophone movement to engage with the Government in a constructive manner to find a consensual and lasting solution to the situation in the south-west and north-west regions. He reaffirmed the willingness of the UN to continue to accompany the two parties in their dialogue efforts. Mr. Fall will return to Cameroon on the occasion of the 44th ministerial meeting of the UN Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa and that's at the end of May, beginning of June of this year. State of emergency should not overshadow rights protection, UN experts stress ahead of Turkey referendum Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 13 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, State of emergency should not overshadow rights protection, UN experts stress ahead of Turkey referendum, 13 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590996c44.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Ahead of this Sunday's plebiscite on proposed constitutional amendments in Turkey that would, among other things, empower the President alone to declare states of emergency and determine the measures to be taken, a group of United Nations human rights experts have reiterated that even under such circumstances, protection of human rights must not be compromised. In a news release today, the UN Special Rapporteurs on extreme poverty and human rights; the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and the right to education also voiced concern over closure of some 200 media outlets in the country and said that the move not only caused thousands of journalists to lose their jobs and livelihoods, it also undermined the possibility of an informed debate over the referendum proposals. Moreover, around 1,000 schools and 15 universities are estimated to have been closed by emergency decrees issued since July 2016, the release added. Underlining that even under a state of emergency, economic, social and cultural rights can only be limited in ways that respect the basic rights themselves and are "solely for the purpose of promoting the general welfare in a democratic society," the experts said, adding that "there has been no attempt to show that these blanket measures, which have destroyed the careers and livelihoods of tens of thousands of persons, satisfy such criteria in each case." "The dismissal of up to 134,000 public servants, without due process, compensation, or access to a proper remedy, for alleged links with organizations that the Government has chosen to proscribe, cannot be justified by reference to Turkey's longstanding international human rights obligations," they added. The experts also said that given the arbitrary and sweeping nature of the emergency decrees since July last year, "there is serious concern that such powers might be used in ways that exacerbate the existing major violations of economic, social and cultural rights." In the release, the UN Special Rapporteurs also noted that they are in contact with the Turkish Government over the issues. Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. Security Council decides UN Mission in Haiti will close by October; approves smaller follow-on operation Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 13 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council decides UN Mission in Haiti will close by October; approves smaller follow-on operation, 13 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590997314.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Recognizing the "major milestone" Haiti has achieved toward stabilization following recent elections, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations mission in the island nation for a final six-month period and authorized a smaller successor peacekeeping mission. Unanimously adopting a new resolution, the Council decided that, after over 13 years operating in its current form, the UN Stabilization Mission, known by its French acronym, MINUSTAH, would gradually draw down its military component during the next six months, finally withdrawing from Haiti by 15 October 2017. Acting on the recommendations of the Secretary-General, the Council also decided to establish a successor operation, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), which would be mandated to assist the Haitian Government to strengthen rule of law institutions; further support and develop the National Police; and engage in human rights monitoring, reporting, and analysis. Further to the resolution, MINUJUSTH would be composed of up to seven Formed Police Units - or 980 FPU personnel - and 295 Individual Police Officers for an initial period of six months from 16 October 2017 until 15 April 2018, and emphasized the importance of reaching those levels. The current Mission has just over 1,000 individual police and 11 police units. The new Mission was also authorized to "protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, within its capabilities and areas of deployment, as needed." Briefing the Security Council early last week, MINUSTAH chief Sandra Honore said Haiti had made significant progress in consolidating democracy and maintaining security and stability with the inauguration of Jovenel Moise as President on 7 February, marking the restoration of constitutional order. Yet, in spite of these gains, pockets of fragility persisted and political challenges remained. It is time, she said, to reshape the partnership among the international community, the United Nations and Haiti, with a view to monitoring concerns such as human rights issues and ensuring that progress made since MINUSTAH's 2004 establishment endure. With the Council's support, said Ms. Honore, the joint transition plan would guide the handover, underpinning the gradual transfer of tasks to the Government, the international presence and the United Nations Country Team, thereby allowing Haiti to seize the opportunity to "begin a new chapter in [its] history as the Mission transitions." Millions in Yemen on brink of famine, situation 'close to a breaking point,' warns UN agency Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 12 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Millions in Yemen on brink of famine, situation 'close to a breaking point,' warns UN agency, 12 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909977a4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling up its emergency operations in war-torn Yemen to provide urgently needed food assistance to some nine million people, the agency said today. "We are in a race against time to save lives and prevent a full-scale famine unfolding in the country, but we urgently need resources to do this," said the WFP Representative and Country Director in Yemen, Stephen Anderson. The new emergency operation will require up to $1.2 billion over a one-year period and should allow WFP to gradually scale up assistance to feed all severely food insecure people in Yemen every month. The success of this operation hinges on immediate sufficient resources from donors. "The situation is getting close to a breaking point in Yemen with unprecedented levels of hunger and food insecurity. Millions of people can no longer survive without urgent food assistance," Mr. Anderson continued. With the new plan, WFP aims to provide vital food assistance to nearly seven million people classified as severely food insecure, in addition to nutrition support to prevent or treat malnutrition among 2.2 million children. WFP will also assist breastfeeding and pregnant mothers with specialized nutritious foods. Until it can secure the funds that it needs, WFP will prioritize 6.7 million people for urgent food assistance. Some 2.5 million of them - particularly those in governorates hardest-hit by food insecurity - will receive a package of assistance aimed at averting famine. This will include a full food ration, which will cover 100 per cent of the food needs of every member of a family for a month, in addition to nutrition support for malnourished children and women. This is the first time that WFP has been able to provide a full food basket in more than a year. A second priority group of 4.2 million people will receive a reduced food ration, which comprises 60 per cent of the full food basket. "We have to secure urgent resources to meet the needs of all nine million people who are severely food insecure in Yemen as well as the millions of malnourished children and women," added Mr. Anderson. "Until we are able to do this, we have to spread out what we have to ensure that we are helping the people who are at the most immediate risk of starvation." WFP prioritizes its assistance in consultation with humanitarian partners targeting people in highest priority governorates and districts, which are already showing signs of famine-like conditions - especially in Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahj, Abyan and Sa'ada. 'Moment of crisis' in Syria calls for serious search for political solution UN envoy Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 12 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, 'Moment of crisis' in Syria calls for serious search for political solution UN envoy, 12 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590997bd4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. In the wake of yet another dire turn in the Syrian crisis, the United States and the Russian Federation "must find a way to work together" to stabilize the situation and support the political process, the United Nations envoy for the war-torn country told the Security Council today. In his briefing, Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria added that last week's reported chemical weapons attack, the subsequent airstrikes by the US and intensified fighting on the ground have put the fragile peace process is in "grave danger." "This is a time for clear-thinking, strategy, imagination, cooperation," said Mr. de Mistura. "We must all resolve that the time has come where the intra-Syrian talks move beyond preparatory discussions and into the real heart of the matter, across all four baskets, to secure a meaningful negotiated transition package," he added. Prior to the reported chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun area of Idlib, modest but incremental progress were made, the UN envoy noted, highlighting that though there no breakthroughs, there were also no breakdowns. The most recent round of talks, facilitated by the UN in Geneva, wrapped up two weeks ago. However, the reported attack and subsequent events have placed the country between two paths: one leading more death, destruction and regional and international divisions; and the other of real de-escalation and ceasefire, added Mr. de Mistura. VIDEO: UN Envoy tells Security Council that stakes in Syria today are 'very high'. Credit: UN News He informed the 15-member Security Council of his appeals to Russia, Turkey and Iran - the guarantors of the Astana ceasefire - and urged all with influence over the parties to the conflict to restore the credibility of the ceasefire, and to ensure that the UN can reach the millions who are trapped in besieged and other hard to reach areas. The Security Council briefing comes as the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visits Moscow. Hailing the visit and the discussions, Mr. de Mistura called on both the US and Russia - the co-Chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) - to recognize their common interests and responsibilities and find a way to work together to stabilize the situation, in a deliberate, realistic and concerted way, in support of the political process. The ISSG established respective taskforces on humanitarian aid delivery and a wider ceasefire that have been meeting separately since early 2016 on a way forward in the crisis. In addition to Russia and the US (the co-chairs of the taskforces), the ISSG also comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 other countries. Concluding his briefing, the UN Special Envoy reiterated that there are no military solutions to the strife in the war-ravaged country. "You have heard it countless times, but I will say it again: there can only be a political solution to this bloody conflict [] regardless of what some say or believe," he expressed, noting that this is what Syrians from all walks of life also say and something that the Security Council had agreed upon. "So, let us use this moment of crisis - and it is a moment of crisis - as a watershed and an opportunity perhaps for a new level of seriousness in the search for a political solution." UN agencies welcome EU policy to protect migrant and refugee children Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 12 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN agencies welcome EU policy to protect migrant and refugee children, 12 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590998054.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New policy guidance from the European Commission aimed at improving the protection of migrant and refugee children has been welcomed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN refugee agency. It is the first EU policy to address the situation and rights of all children in migration refugee and migrant children, children alone and with their families linking migration, asylum and child protection, Noala Skinner, Director of UNICEF's Brussels Office said. The guidelines include boosting child protection at all levels, improving data collection to ensure children are properly tracked and the appointment of guardians for children. The guidelines also encourage member States to refrain from invasive age assessments and to increase cooperation among states. Dianne Goodman, Deputy Director of the Europe Bureau of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said: These important guidelines will help EU States better respond to the needs of refugee and migrant children. We strongly hope that these guidelines will contribute, in a very concrete manner, to the protection of the many children who arrive to Europe after having been forced to flee their homes due to violence, war and conflict. Many have suffered incredible hardship while on their journey and afterwards. In a joint press release, the two UN agencies stressed that children should never be detained, irrespective of their legal or migratory status, or that of their parents. They also welcomed the EU's policy commitment to prioritise national child protection systems for children displaced beyond European borders. According to UNHCR, children make up over half of the world's refugee population. Both agencies are looking forward to the policy's implementation and an end to the violence and poverty that often precipitates displacement. Russia blocks Security Council action on reported use of chemical weapons in Syria's Khan Shaykhun Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 12 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Russia blocks Security Council action on reported use of chemical weapons in Syria's Khan Shaykhun, 12 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590998444.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. With a 'no' vote from permanent member Russia, the United Nations Security Council today failed to adopt a resolution that would have condemned the reported use of chemical weapons in Syria and called on the Government to cooperate with an investigation into the incident. While 10 of the Council's 15 members voted in favour, Russia rejected the text, as permanent member China, as well as non-permanent members Ethiopia and Kazakhstan abstained. A negative vote - or veto - from one of the Council's five permanent members means a resolution cannot be adopted. The proposed measure - drafted by France, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Council's other permanent members - would have strongly condemned "the reported use of chemical weapons in the [Syria], in particular the attack on Khan Shaykhun," the site of last week's incident that has drawn increasing global attention. The measure would and also had called on the Syrian Government to comply with relevant recommendations of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon's (OPCW) Fact Finding Mission (FFM) and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). In February, Russia and China vetoed a measure that would have imposed sanctions on a number of individuals and entities linked to the use of chemical weapons in cases where responsibility was established by the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). Although the Council came together on 19 December to unanimously adopt a resolution demanding that all parties to the Syrian conflict ensure immediate and unhindered access for the monitoring of evacuations from eastern Aleppo, over the past five years, Russia has vetoed eight Council texts on the Syrian conflict, while China has vetoed six of those eight. As the Syrian crisis enters its seventh year, civilians continue to bear the brunt of a conflict marked by unparalleled suffering, destruction and disregard for human life. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 13.5 million people require humanitarian assistance. Moreover, some 6.3 million have been internally displaced by violence. The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has been facilitating the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, the latest round of which wrapped up in late March. The discussions are guided by Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), focusing on matters of governance, including a new constitution for Syria and the holding of elections. Briefing the Council in a meeting earlier today, Mr. de Mistura said the US and Russia must find a way to work together to stabilize the situation and support the political process. He said that last week's reported chemical weapons attack, the subsequent airstrikes by the US and intensified fighting on the ground have put the fragile peace process is in "grave danger." "This is a time for clear-thinking, strategy, imagination, cooperation," said Mr. de Mistura. The meeting today comes as the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Moscow meeting with top Russian officials. UN condemns attack on evacuees in Syria; underscores need to ensure safety of those trying to evacuate Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 15 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN condemns attack on evacuees in Syria; underscores need to ensure safety of those trying to evacuate, 15 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590998d04.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 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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UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Noting that nearly half a million people have fled Mosul since the start of military operations to retake the city from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorists, a senior United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq warned that the scale of the displacement has stretched relief efforts to their operational limits. 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, Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said in a news release issued by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The sheer volume of civilians still fleeing Mosul city is staggering [] we are doing everything we can but this has been a long battle and the assault on the old city hasn't started, she added. According to estimates, as many as 500,000 people still remain in ISIL-controlled areas in western Mosul, including about 400,000 in the densely populated old city. Humanitarian agencies are scaling up their response, preparing emergency sites and camps to shelter the hundreds of thousands more who may flee in coming days and weeks, but they are under increasing strain. Since the fighting began last October, some 1.9 million people have been provided live-saving assistance, including food, water, shelter, emergency kits, medical support and psycho-social services, since fighting began last October. We're reaching families who have fled and families who have stayed [but] Mosul has pushed us to our operational limits, said the Humanitarian Coordinator. 'Nothing is more important than protecting civilians nothing' The battle for western Mosul is very different from the one in the east and so is the consequent impact on civilians. More trauma injures are reported and there are fears that food stocks and drinking water could run out. 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, noted the UN humanitarian official. The news release also underscored that all parties to the conflict are obliged, under International Humanitarian Law, to do everything possible to protect civilians, ensure they have the assistance they need, and limit damage to civilian infrastructure. Nothing is more important than protecting civilians nothing, stressed Ms. Grande. Political momentum must be renewed if Libya's challenges are to be addressed UN envoy Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Political momentum must be renewed if Libya's challenges are to be addressed UN envoy, 19 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909ccdb4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. It is more important than ever to forge unity within Libya, the United Nations envoy for the country told the Security Council today, while he called on Libyan stakeholders to regain the optimism generated by the 2015 Political Agreement, which has faded and is being replaced by "frustration and disappointment." In his briefing to the Council, Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, said that the majority of Libyans and the international community continued to strongly support the political agreement and its institutions and recognized the Presidency Council as the sole national executive authority. "Both Libyans and the international community support the Agreement. Yes, it can be amended. But no, there is no alternative, there is no 'plan B.' And there is no need for one," he said, underscoring: "If the parties do not uphold their responsibility in the Libyan Political Agreement, there is no reason to think that they will have any greater commitment to an alternative agreement." Turning to the many other signs of positive developments in the country, including recent developments in the fight against terrorism and the improvement of the security situation in Tripoli, Mr. Kobler said that on the economic front, Libyan wages are on the rise and oil production has increased. Despite progress, uncertainty contributing to 'dangerous political power vacuum' But the optimism generated by the signing of the Agreement has diminished, reported Mr. Kobler, emphasizing that instead of the "sharp horizon" established by the Agreement he now sees instead "frustration, disappointment, sometimes anger, and often it is justified." He cited rising criminality, which remains widespread throughout the country, the division of institutions and the lack of guarantee of public services for the population. The country's gross domestic product (GDP), he added, has been steadily declining since 2012, not to mention the persistence of the parallel economy and illegal activities. Mr. Kobler regretted that the current political vacuum is hampering efforts to create a united security force, to the point where some actors are considering a return to a military solution. "Competition for the control of national resources risks generating new violence," he said, adding: The results of these divisions are setting Libya on a worrying path. Public services, including access to electricity, health, education, water, are failing many." Against this backdrop, he said the time has come to return to the negotiating table and "regain the spirit of Skhirat," referring to the seaside Moroccan town where the deal was reached. For this, he said, the country needs a strong international support, not only from an institutional point of view. He thus defended the creation of partnerships with Libyan society. Seven steps to peace With all this in mind, Mr. Kobler called on all political actors to agree on a fair and inclusive process to amend the political agreement. Secondly, he called for an immediate end to violence, including in the south of the country, as well as establishing unified security and confidence-building measures. In this regard, he said, the Committee responsible for supervising the ceasefire in Tripoli is an excellent starting point. He went on to call for improving cooperation between the Presidency Council and all the economic players. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which he heads up, should help them to do so, he said. Finally, the Special Representative called on the international community, including the UN, regional organizations and neighbouring States, not only to react after the fact but to anticipate the Libyan problems. Senior UN official in South Sudan warns women and girls face 'extremely high risk' of sexual assault Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Senior UN official in South Sudan warns women and girls face 'extremely high risk' of sexual assault, 19 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909cdab4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Without peace in South Sudan, millions of people will go hungry and millions of women and girls could be raped as they try to go about their daily lives, including as they search for food, a senior United Nations official today warned. "While humanitarians will continue to do all that is possible to alleviate suffering, the fact remains that unless the guns fall silent, the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate," said Eugene Owusu, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan. Speaking to journalists in Juba about the violence and related food insecurity facing the country, Mr. Owusu noted that 7.5 million people are in need of humanitarian aid and an estimated 3.5 million have been uprooted from their homes. That figure includes many women and children, who have sought shelter in places such as swamps and subsisting on water lilies, to get away from fighters. Cases of sexual assault and gender based violence increased by 64 per cent in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to a recent survey cited by Mr. Owusu. "Against a backdrop of prevailing impunity, a major fear for women and children in this country is, sadly, the fear of being raped," he told the press. Violence is also a concern for humanitarian workers seeking to deliver aid, the senior UN official said, urging officials to ensure "free, safe and unhindered access to all areas of this country in order to avert the spread of famine." He noted "repeated" challenges to reaching people in need as a result of insecurity and access denials at the sub-national level. In addition, at least 83 aid workers have been killed since the latest outbreak of violence in December 2013, with three contractors killed just last month. Funding is another concern, with only about 27 per cent of the $1.6 billion appeal met so far, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Despite these challenges, UN and international donors have worked with the Government to deliver lifesaving aid to at least 1.6 million people, including to some 400,000 people affected by the famine in Leer and Mayendit. "Our response has focused on scaling up food assistance, nutrition and health provisions, WASH [water, sanitation and hygiene], and enhancing livelihood opportunities for those unfortunate citizens in those parts of the country," Mr. Owusu said, using the common acronym in the humanitarian community for water, sanitation and hygiene. Ultimately, he noted, the long-term answer to the humanitarian situation is recovery, stabilization and development. He called for investment in livelihoods, tightly linked to peace and relative security at community levels, to build up resistance and support basic social services to the most vulnerable in society. UN envoy urges Palestinian unity to resolve electricity crisis in Gaza Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN envoy urges Palestinian unity to resolve electricity crisis in Gaza, 19 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909cde04.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations envoy for the Middle East peace process today called on authorities in Gaza to work together with the international community to resolve a new energy crisis after the area's only power station shut down, saying the consequences of the crisis should not be underestimated. All in Gaza must share the burden by paying their bills. It is the poorest Palestinians in Gaza who pay the price for exceptions and privileges that others enjoy, said Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. He urged the defacto authorities in Gaza to ensure that collection rates are improved and that revenue collected in Gaza is returned to the legitimate Palestinian authorities in order to keep fuel and electricity supply flowing. According to media reports, the two factions have been fighting over unpaid bills and taxes, forcing the local energy authority to shut down power. Mr. Mladenov noted that Palestinians in Gaza have lived in a protracted humanitarian crisis and should not be held hostage by disagreements, divisions and closures. The social, economic and political consequences of this impending energy crisis should not be underestimated, he stressed. The UN envoy said the international community can finance and support investment in upgrading the electrical grid but it cannot do it alone. He urged the Palestinian Government to facilitate buying fuel for the Gaza Power plant, and voiced support for reforming the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company. He also called on Israeli authorities to facilitate the entry of materials for repairs and maintenance of the power grid and plant, and noted the need to also upgrade Egyptian power lines. Discovery of more mass graves reveal 'unfolding horror' in DR Congo UN rights chief Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Discovery of more mass graves reveal 'unfolding horror' in DR Congo UN rights chief, 19 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909ce284.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Raising alarm over increasing reports of serious human rights violations in the Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental provinces of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations human rights chief underscored that the scale and nature of the allegations could warrant an investigation by an international mechanism, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC). According the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), between 5-7 April, a team of UN human rights and police officials found 17 further mass graves in the Kasai Central province, which had been the location of clashes between security forces and the Kamuina Nsapu, a local militia. The discovery of yet more mass graves and the reports of continued violations and abuses highlight the horror that has been unfolding in the Kasais over the last nine months, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a news release, highlighting the need to monitor the situation closely. Should there be no effective national investigation, I will not hesitate to urge the international community to support an investigation by an international mechanism, including the International Criminal Court, he added. Fifteen of the recently discovered mass graves were in a cemetery in the town of Tshimbulu and two in the locality of Tshienke. According to information received by the UN investigators, soldiers from the Forces armees de la Republique democratique du Congo (FARDC) had reportedly dug the graves, after clashing with presumed elements of the Kamuina Nsapu between 26-28 March. At least 74 people, including 30 children, were reported to have been killed by soldiers as a result of these clashes. The militia, loyal to a local customary chief who was killed in August last year, has been accused of a number of crimes and human rights abuses, including killings and abduction, recruitment of children, and targeting schools, hospitals and churches. Should there be no effective national investigation, I will not hesitate to urge the international community to support an investigation by an international mechanism, including the ICC High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein It is absolutely vital that the Government takes meaningful steps, which to date have been lacking, to ensure that there is a prompt, transparent, and independent investigation to establish the facts and circumstances of alleged human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by all parties, underscored the UN rights chief. The UN team also visited Kananga, a town in Kasai Central, where between 28-30 March, FARDC soldiers were reported to have shot dead at least 40 people, including 11 children and 12 women, in the town's Nganza commune, and injured at least 21 others. There are also allegations that at least two women and three girls had been raped by the soldiers during that operation. The UN investigators were also informed of the killing of three individuals, including a 17-year-old boy and a one-month-old baby during search operations by the Police Nationale Congolaise. Also in the statement, High Commissioner Zeid offered his Office's assistance in conducting a credible investigation into the reports and allegations but underscored that it must be provided with unfettered access. We reiterate our request for access to all sites of mass graves, as well as to all witnesses, including those in detention, and other relevant information necessary to determine responsibility at all levels, he added. All sides in Syria crisis felt impact of 'horrific' weekend attack on evacuee convoy, says UN envoy Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 20 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, All sides in Syria crisis felt impact of 'horrific' weekend attack on evacuee convoy, says UN envoy, 20 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909cead4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Speaking to journalists after a meeting of the Humanitarian Taskforce (HTF), Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, stated that the horrific attack on a convoy of evacuees this past weekend had impacted everyone at today's talks. "Armed groups' representatives [present at the HTF], Government representatives and non-governmental organizations, all of them [were] affected by the explosion, all helped to make sure that [the wounded] could get to the hospital," said Mr. de Mistura. "That was the main moment of total unity among all the members of the HTF [] in a way the divisions were blurred by the horrific attack which was meant to do the opposite," he added. At least 130 people, including 67 children were killed in the attack near Rashideen, western rural Aleppo, and more than 200 were wounded. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), video showed children gathering around a person giving out sweets just prior to the explosion. Mr. de Mistura also informed the media that he will be meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister on Monday, 24 April, to discuss the next steps regarding both Astana process - which yielded the December 2016 ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran - and the UN-facilitated intra-Syrian talks. He also noted that though the trilateral meeting, involving the UN, the United States and Russia has been postponed, it "is still on the table" and there is a clear intention to maintain the forum and resume it at a later date. Together with the Ceasefire Taskforce, the Humanitarian Taskforce was established last February by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). They have been meeting separately on a way forward in the crisis. Russia and the United States are the co-chairs of the taskforces and the ISSG, which also comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 other countries. Also speaking alongside Mr. de Mistura, Jan Egeland, the UN Senior Advisor informed the media that as of mid-April, some 564,000 people across front lines, and in besieged and hard-to-reach areas were provided with relief. Compared to last year, fewer people were reached in besieged areas (160,000) but more were provided relief in hard-to-reach areas. "So 30 per cent less access to besieged areas, 35 per cent more to hard-to-reach areas," he said, noting that there are resources for relief in Syria and humanitarians willing to deliver them, "but the military logic is [prevailing over] the besieged areas these days [and] we are not able to go there." Mr. Egeland further underlined that besiegement should end by being lifted, not by places being emptied from people, and expressed hope for a breakthrough so that people are able to access urgently needed humanitarian relief as well as get back to their normal lives. "If they follow a military logic, I think they will continue, if they follow a humanitarian logic I think a breather could be wise to ensure that there are sufficient protection guarantees," he said. "[Sieges] belong in the Middle Ages, they do not belong in 2017, they could be lifted, you can still choose to fight a war, but without suffocation of civilians." Security Council condemns latest 'highly destabilizing' DPRK ballistic missile test Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council condemns latest 'highly destabilizing' DPRK ballistic missile test, 3 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909cef94.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Strongly condemning the 15 April ballistic-missile launch conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United Nations Security Council today demanded that the country immediately cease further actions in violation of the UN body's relevant resolutions and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions. In a press statement, the Council expressed its utmost concern over the DPRK's "highly destabilizing behaviour and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council by conducting this ballistic-missile launch in violation of its international obligations under its successive resolutions on the issue between 2006 and 2016. Council members agreed that the 15-member body would continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures, including sanctions, in line with its previously expressed determination. Stressing that the DPRK's illegal ballistic-missile activities are contributing to its development of nuclear-weapons delivery systems and are greatly increasing tension in the region and beyond, the members of the Council further regretted that the country is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons while its citizens have great unmet needs. The members of the Security Council went on to emphasize the vital importance of the DPRK immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearization and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond. To that end, the Council demanded the DPRK conduct no further nuclear tests. Further to the press statement, the Council strongly urged all Member States to significantly accelerate their efforts to implement fully the measures imposed on the DPRK by the Security Council, particularly the comprehensive measures contained in resolutions 2321 (2016) and 2270 (2016). The Security Council reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in North-East Asia at large, expressed their commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts by Council members, as well as other States, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue. UN expert body urges accountability for attacks against children in crisis-torn Syria Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 30 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN expert body urges accountability for attacks against children in crisis-torn Syria, 30 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909cf2d4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. In the wake of the recent attack on an evacuation convoy near Aleppo, Syria, and the purported use of chemical weapons in southern Idlib, the United Nations child rights body today called for investigations into all attacks on children in the country and for bringing the perpetrators to justice. "Children are bearing the brunt of horrific attacks in Syria," said Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Committee Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. "I urge all relevant actors to investigate these abhorrent acts and bring their perpetrators to justice, including by providing full support to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' fact-finding mission, the independent Joint Investigative Mechanism, the Syria Commission of Inquiry and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on Syria," Mr. Mezmur added. He stressed that States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which includes Syria, as well as other actors, have an obligation to prevent violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws and to take all possible measures to minimize the impact of the conflict in Syria on children. Children in Syria "have been killed, maimed, subjected to sexual violence and traumatized," Mr. Mezmur said. About 2.4 million children have been displaced and some 280,000 are in besieged areas, according to UN figures the independent expert cited. Most recently, at least 67 children were killed in an attack near Rashideen, western rural Aleppo Governorate, targeting a convoy carrying people from the besieged Syrian towns of Fuha and Kefraya to Government-controlled areas. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), video shows children gathering around a person giving out sweets just prior to the explosion. The Committee on the Rights of the Child is the body of 18 independent experts that monitors implementation of the child rights Convention by its State Parties. It also monitors implementation of the Convention's two Optional Protocols, on involvement of children in armed conflict and on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Venezuela: UN urges all efforts be made to lower tensions in Venezuela Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 20 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Venezuela: UN urges all efforts be made to lower tensions in Venezuela, 20 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909cf704.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations today expressed concern about the latest developments in Venezuela, calling on the Government and the opposition to address the country's challenges for the benefit of the people. "We call on the Government of Venezuela and the opposition to engage sincerely to reactivate dialogue efforts," according to a statement attributable to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Specifically, he noted dialogue around critical issues that are already agreed to be placed on the agenda, namely the balance of power among branches of the State, the electoral calendar, human rights, truth and justice and the socioeconomic situation. Mr. Dujarric called for "concrete gestures" to reduce polarisation and to create the necessary conditions to address the country's challenges. UN calls for probe and accountability following possible landmine blast in eastern Ukraine Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN calls for probe and accountability following possible landmine blast in eastern Ukraine, 24 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d06d4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations today called for an investigation into a possible landmine explosion in eastern Ukraine after a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission was killed and two others were injured. We extend our condolences to the family of the [OSCE] member, said the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, and wishes for a full recovery of those injured. The casualties are believed to have taken place during a patrol in Luhansk, the easternmost city in Ukraine. The OSCE is an impartial civilian mission tasked with observing and reporting on the situation in Ukraine. Speaking on behalf of the UN, the Spokesperson today also called for holding those responsible for the explosion to account. Reiterating the statement by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 31 March, the Spokesperson urged the parties to the conflict to do their utmost to ensure the safety and security of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. The UN fully supports the efforts of the OSCE, the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy Four in their efforts to facilitate a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine in accordance with the Minsk Package of Measures, he added. Conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan tortured, ill-treated in government facilities UN Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 24 April 2017 Related Document(s) Treatment of Conflict-Related Detainees: Implementation of Afghanistan's National Plan on the Elimination of Torture Cite as UN News Service, Conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan tortured, ill-treated in government facilities UN, 24 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d0bf4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A record number of people detained by Afghan police say that have been tortured or ill-treated in the past year, according to a new United Nations report, which notes however that the Afghan Government has committed to eliminating torture and ill-treatment in national detention facilities. The continuing torture and ill-treatment of conflict-related detainees is a matter of serious concern, but we acknowledge the genuine commitment and the efforts of the Government to deal with this issue, said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan. The report, Treatment of Conflict-Related Detainees: Implementation of Afghanistan's National Plan on the Elimination of Torture, is produced by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The findings are based on interviews with 469 conflict-related detainees conducted from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016 in 62 detention facilities administered by the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghan National Police (ANP) and other Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) across the country. Some 45 per cent of the people interviewed said that they were tortured or ill-treated, according to UNAMA and OHCHR. The figure represents the highest level documented since UNAMA began its current monitoring programme in 2010, according to the UN political mission. Among other findings, the UN reported that about 45 per cent of those who were held in ANP custody reported torture 38 out of 85 children interviewed gave credible accounts of being tortured or ill-treated. The torture appears to be linked to forcing confessions, according to the report, and stopped once detainees signed a confession even in cases when the interviewed detainees did not understand or could not read what was written in the confession. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, has spoken out against torture of detainees, saying that confessions produced in this matter are totally unreliable. People will say anything to stop the pain, Mr. Zeid said. He called for proper monitoring of detention facilities in Afghanistan and meaningful investigations to ensure that those accused of torture are brought to trial and held accountable. Ensuring accountability for such acts sends a strong message and helps to prevent future violations, he added. The report does commend the Government, however, for implementing its National Plan on the Elimination of Torture. If the proposed legislative changes are adopted, Afghanistan would formally recognize the UN Committee against Torture to conduct in-country visits to detention centres and establish an independent monitoring body to visit the sites, according to the report. Among other recommendations, the report urges Afghan authorities to provide access for victims of torture to effective legal remedy and reparation for harm suffered. Accountability for rights abuses in South Sudan 'more important than ever,' says senior UN official Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 23 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Accountability for rights abuses in South Sudan 'more important than ever,' says senior UN official, 23 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d1f44.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A lack of accountability for crimes perpetrated during the ongoing conflict in South Sudan remains one of the country's biggest challenges, the Human Rights Director for the United Nations Mission (UNMISS) said today as he wrapped up a visit to the north-western Wau region. Violence earlier in April led to the death of 19 Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers and at least 28 civilians, according to State officials. The killing of civilians in Wau town followed the ambush and killing of the SPLA soldiers by suspected SPLA-In Opposition fighters. According to a news release, the Human Rights Division of UNMISS has interviewed 43 individuals, including eight women and two children, from 11 April, to collect information about alleged human rights violations perpetrated by government forces and aligned armed groups in Wau town on 10 April. I can confirm that, as of Sunday, nobody is being detained in connection with this attack against civilians, said Eugene Nindorera. I talked to victims and witnesses and was shaken to hear their testimonies of how they had to flee their houses after being attacked. It's more important than ever before that people are held accountable for the crimes they have committed. He further confirmed after meeting the Governor of Wau state that the Governor had established a committee to produce a comprehensive report to determine the motive for the attacks and identify the perpetrators in order to hold them accountable. I welcome this move, Mr. Nindorera said, and I encourage Governor Andrea Mayar Acho to exert his authority to ensure that people are held responsible for the crimes they have committed. Meanwhile, UNMISS has confirmed that by Thursday (20 April) the protection of civilians site adjacent to the UNMISS base in Wau had registered some 17,000 new arrivals, mainly women and children, while around 5,000 people had sought sanctuary inside the compound of the Wau Catholic Church. The influx of newly displaced people has led to over-crowding and pressure on humanitarian services. UN welcomes release of 26 Qatari abductees in Iraq Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 22 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN welcomes release of 26 Qatari abductees in Iraq, 22 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d25a4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations has welcomed the release and return to their country of 26 Qatari nationals abducted in Muthanna governorate, Iraq, in December 2015. We understand that the Qatari nationals were released unharmed. We are grateful to the Iraqi authorities and to all who contributed to the safe release of the abductees, said a statement issued yesterday evening by UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric. According to media reports, the 26 Qataris were kidnapped from a desert camp in Iraq's southern Muthanna province in mid-December 2015. UN envoy welcomes restored Internet service in Cameroon's English-speaking regions Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN envoy welcomes restored Internet service in Cameroon's English-speaking regions, 21 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d29e4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa was relieved to learn that Cameroon President Paul Biya instructed that full internet services be restored in the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon. "I welcome this measure, which is in line with those recently announced by the Government to address the demands of English-Speaking teachers and lawyers," said Francois Lounceny Fall, who also heads the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), in a press statement. He noted that the decision, which took effect from 20 April, "will go a long way to help reduce tension and to create conditions conducive for the resolution of the crisis in the two regions." Mr. Fall said that he "counts on the Government of Cameroon to continue to promote appeasement and dialogue, and to take all other appropriate measures aimed at a speedy and lasting resolution of the crisis in order to strengthen unity, stability and prosperity in Cameroon." The Special Representative concluded by taking the opportunity "to express the wish that the Cameroonian people will maintain their spirit of patriotism and show restraint during this trying period, including by avoiding the use of the Internet to incite hatred or violence." UN food relief agency air-lifts food, medical supplies to 31,000 Somalis facing famine Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN food relief agency air-lifts food, medical supplies to 31,000 Somalis facing famine, 21 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d2ec4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. As the drought intensifies in south and north-eastern Somalia, the United Nations emergency food relief agency today airlifted to Mogadishu enough high-energy biscuits to assist 31,000 people for three days. The shipment, made on a Boeing 747 donated by the UPS Foundation from Dubai, also included medical assistance on behalf of the UN World Health Organization (WHO). "A rapid response is crucial to support drought-affected families across Somalia," said WFP Representative and Director of Gulf Office Abdallah Alwardat. "This airlift is a great example of WFP and its partners coming together to reach those furthest behind with life-saving assistance." The food is meant for the most vulnerable people - particularly children - who are displaced from their homes without access to food or cooking facilities, WFP said. According to UN estimates, half of Somalia's population, including 330,000 acutely malnourished children, is in need of urgent assistance. The high-energy biscuits are rich in minerals and vitamins and do not require preparation, the UN agency said. WFP will provide other types of live-saving food assistance for the following days. Cuba needs new laws and stronger action targeting human trafficking UN rights expert Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Cuba needs new laws and stronger action targeting human trafficking UN rights expert, 21 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d32b4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A United Nations human rights expert has urged Cuba to consider introducing new legislation to ensure that everyone who falls victim to trafficking in persons can be identified and helped, and the authorities can take action against offenders. "Although cases of trafficking in the country may appear to be limited, the number of criminal prosecutions and victims assisted is still too modest, and shows that a proactive approach to detection of the problem is needed," said the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, wrapping up a five-day visit to Cuba. Ms. Giammarinaro acknowledged the Government's political will to address human trafficking and appreciated its strong aim on prevention, while underscoring that the protection of children from sexually motivated crimes should be extended to everyone under 18 years old. "The focus of Cuba's anti-trafficking action so far has been sexual exploitation. However, recent developments which have created new opportunities for individual initiatives in the tourist sector require vigilance to stamp out any cases of labour exploitation; the use of foreign workers in the construction industry should also be monitored" she stressed. Based on a multi-disciplinary and coordinated approach to combat trafficking, Ms. Giammarinaro welcomed Cuba's 2017-2020 Action Plan to prevent and fight against trafficking in persons and for protecting victims, which had been approved just before her visit - the first by a UN rights expert in 10 years. "The real challenge will be the implementation of measures provided for in the document, especially aimed at identifying and supporting victims, while respecting their human rights" the Special Rapporteur said. The UN expert praised Cuba's universal and free systems for education, healthcare and social security, saying they helped to reduce the vulnerability of Cuban citizens to trafficking. However, citing thousands who, in 2015, were exposed to trafficking and exploitation, she said that migration in unsafe conditions created situations that could lead to trafficking. Ms. Giammarinaro spoke with a few of the survivors, who said that they had signed apparently legal contracts and been promised good working conditions abroad, "but, at their destination, their passports were confiscated, and they found themselves in the hands of gangs determined to exploit them for work without payment." "When efforts were made to force them into prostitution/sex work, the women managed to communicate with their families in Cuba and were rescued thanks to the immediate action of Cuban embassies. However, we don't know how many young women may have been obliged to stay in exploitative situations abroad," the expert said. Ms. Giammarinaro called for the social stigma surrounding prostitution/sex work to be removed, and for the closure of so-called 'rehabilitation centres' where women are detained even though prostitution is not a crime. "Any fear of being punished is a major obstacle for victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation to report their plight and the abuse they have suffered," she stressed. Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. UN refugee agency sending urgent relief items for Congolese civilians fleeing to Angola Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN refugee agency sending urgent relief items for Congolese civilians fleeing to Angola, 21 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d3784.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations refugee agency is shipping tents, mosquito nets and other essential relief items to Angola, where some 9,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have fled this month alone. Refugees reported fleeing attacks from militia groups, who are targeting police, military officials, and civilians who they believe are supporting or representing the Government, Babar Baloch, spokesperson at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters at the UN's Geneva Office. The civilians arrive mainly in Dundo, the capital of Angola's north-eastern Luanda Norte Province. UNHCR is sending an additional emergency team to the town tomorrow, to support relief efforts. There are concerns that the situation will worsen as Angola's wet season peaks in April, further complicating living conditions and the health of refugees, particularly women, children, the elderly and the disabled. The refugees are fleeing from the Kasai region, a formerly peaceful area that turned violent in mid-2016, after a traditional leader, Kamuina Nsapu, was killed in fighting with security forces. Since then, the fighting has displaced more than one million civilians. The new arrivals are terrified and still fear for their lives and mentioned they do not have any immediate plans to return home, Mr. Baloch said. Some parents have reportedly sent their children across the border, worrying they would be forcibly recruited by the militias if they had stayed in the DRC. There is particular concern about the situation of children in Kasai. An estimated 2,000 children were being used by the militias in the affected region and were yet to return to their homes, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). These children were being killed or injured in the fighting, and were often arrested and imprisoned, UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said in Geneva. More than 4,000 children had been separated from their families and at least 300 seriously injured, according to the UN agency. Those children should be safe in their homes, schools and playgrounds, not forced to fight on the battlefield or wounded or killed in the violence, Mr. Boulierac added. The violence in the region had also had a devastating impact on education and health systems in the region. More than 350 schools had been destroyed in the provinces of Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental, and one out of three health centres no longer function. The UN refugee agency echoed this concern, saying many of the children arriving in Angola are malnourished and sick suffering from diarrhoea, fever and malaria. UNICEF calls for action to prevent more deaths in Central Mediterranean as attempted crossings spike Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UNICEF calls for action to prevent more deaths in Central Mediterranean as attempted crossings spike, 21 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d46b4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Noting increases in number of migrants, including children, attempting to reach European shores using the Central Mediterranean route, and consequent rise in number of deaths, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for safe and legal pathways for those who are fleeing conflict, poverty and depravation. According to UNICEF estimates, at least 849 people, including more than 150 children, perished at sea while trying to make the perilous crossing since January this year. It is deeply concerning that vulnerable people, including thousands of children, are risking their lives to reach Europe's shores using this incredibly dangerous route, Afshan Khan, the UNICEF Regional Director and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe, said in a news release today. Since the start of the year, nearly 37,000 refugees and migrants 13 per cent of them children have reached Italy by sea via the Central Mediterranean. This is an increase of 42 per cent compared to the same time period last year. In particular, unaccompanied and separated children are at most risk, and these numbers too have seen a dramatic increase. In January and February this year, some 1,865 unaccompanied and separated children arrived in Italy, an increase of 40 per cent compared to the same period last year. This is further evidence that when safe and legal pathways to migration are cut off, desperate children and families will do whatever they can to flee conflict, poverty and depravation UNICEF also noted that recent good weather and calmer waters in the Mediterranean have been accompanied by a surge in refugees and migrants attempting to cross. During the Easter weekend (last weekend) alone, more than 8,300 were rescued from the sea between Libya and Italy. At least eight migrants were reported to have drowned over the weekend. This is further evidence that when safe and legal pathways to migration are cut off, desperate children and families will do whatever they can to flee conflict, poverty and depravation, noted Ms. Khan. As part of its global policy for children on the move, the UN agency has been calling for more action to protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children; end the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating; and to promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization in countries of transit and destination. It has also underlined the need to keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status; to ensure that all refugee and migrant children have opportunities to learn, access to health care and other quality services; and to address the underlying causes of large scale movements of refugees and migrants. South Sudan's political process 'not dead' but needs 'resuscitation' UN envoy Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 25 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, South Sudan's political process 'not dead' but needs 'resuscitation' UN envoy, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d4e94.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The political process in South Sudan is not dead but requires significant resuscitation, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the crisis-torn country told the Security Council today. "Regrettably, no party has shown interest in reviving the Peace Agreement," said David Shearer, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), referring to the August 2015 accord between the country's warring sides. Despite the peace agreement, South Sudan slipped back into conflict due to renewed clashes between rival forces - the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar. Mr. Shearer explained that unlike this time last year, where the conflict was construed on a bipolar basis, today the opposition has splintered, making it necessary for UN peacebuilding efforts to be more widely cast than previously. He told the 15-member Council that, "virtually no part of the country is immune from conflict. Yet, there has been no concerted effort by any party to adhere to a ceasefire. Instead, we are seeing an intensification of the conflict over the past month." Mr. Shearer said that in some of the violence, Government forces have responded to attacks by opposition forces, notably in Wau and the Equatorias. In others, in contrast, Government-led operations such as those in Upper Nile and Jonglei appeared "more strategic in focus" and were aimed at taking opposition-held areas. He stressed that the UNMISS will work together with partners on opportunities to forge a viable solution to end the hostilities. "Despite what appears to be attempts by the parties to achieve victory through military means, a political solution is the only way forward for South Sudan," Mr. Shearer said, noting that military offensives are fracturing groups and intensifying ethnic divisions to a degree that will hinder reconciliation. To revive the political process, the international community must speak with one voice, he stated, urging the Security Council, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to unite in dealing with the parties. Since his appointment as Secretary-General's Special Representative three months ago, he has travelled to all 10 of UNMISS' main field offices. He said that UNMISS directly protects over 220,000 displaced civilians in six different locations across the country, and the 12,000 UN 'blue helmets' and 2,000 UN police officers are vital to protect civilians more than ever. Roadblocks and denial of flight safety assurances severely restricts UNMISS' ability to promptly reach key locations, but peacekeepers dispatched by troop-contributing countries are bravely trying to overcome many challenges, he said. Nearly $1.1 billion pledged for beleaguered Yemen at UN-led humanitarian conference Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 25 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Nearly $1.1 billion pledged for beleaguered Yemen at UN-led humanitarian conference, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d5394.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. With nearly two-thirds of war-torn Yemen - about 19 million people - in need of emergency support, the international community today raised $1.1 billion at a pledging event in Geneva to aid what the United Nations chief calls "the world's largest hunger crisis." The aim was to bridge a funding gap in the 2017 humanitarian appeal of $2.1 billion. Prior to the conference, only about 15 per cent had been met. "We are witnessing the starving and the crippling of an entire generation. We must act now, to save lives," said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who presided over the opening of the High-level Pledging Event on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, alongside the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Switzerland and Sweden. He noted that the "man-made crisis" had devastated the economy of a country that was "pitifully poor" even before the current conflict, and forced three million people from their homes - leaving many being unable to earn a living or grow crops. "Some 17 million are food-insecure, making this the world's largest hunger crisis," Mr. Guterres said, highlighting a situation worsened by import restrictions and the destruction of port facilities. Calling particular attention to children at risk in Yemen, Mr. Guterres said that on average, one child under the age of five dies of preventable causes every 10 minutes in Yemen. "This means fifty children in Yemen will die during today's conference - and all those deaths could have been prevented," he stated. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), pledges were made by 48 Member States, the European Commission, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and four NGO/humanitarian organizations for humanitarian action in Yemen in 2017. "Now we must see the pledges translated into the scaled up action the people of Yemen need and deserve," the Mr. Guterres said. Yemen's next challenge: lifting restrictions on aid access throughout the country The exact pledges for the day totalled $1,098,466,634, "a remarkable success" according to the Secretary-General, who expressed optimism at the close of the conference that the full amount required will materialize in the coming months. The next challenge to overcome would be to lift access restrictions throughout Yemen. Mr. Guterres urged parties of the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and allow unhindered movement of humanitarian actors to reach those in need. "Access is the key for the success of this pledging conference," he said, calling also for the necessary infrastructure to be allowed to operate in normal conditions and for goods to be imported and distributed. Echoing the Secretary-General's calls for access, Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien noted the UN and its humanitarian partners are "scaling up and ready to do more provided there are resources and access." Having visited Yemen thrice over the past two years, he recalled haunting images of a 13 year old girl who now headed her household, of toddlers too sick to register their mother's touch, and of families living with little access to food, clean water or medicines. Both officials stressed that funding alone will not reverse the fortunes of the millions of people impacted. They called for a cessation of hostilities and a political settlement, with talks facilitated by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. 'Between famine and starvation lies disease' More than two years of fighting has destroyed the country's infrastructure - including attacks that targeted civilians. Some 325 attacks have been verified on health facilities, schools, markets and other infrastructure. As the violence rose, the ability to aid those in need has been hampered. The disruption of health services has been "severe," Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), told the pledging event. Less than half of the country's health facilities are functioning and the majority of health providers, if they stayed, have not been paid since at least August 2016. She warned also that infections would increase as the population grows more hungry. "Large swaths of the population are on the brink of famine," Dr. Chan said. "Between famine and death from starvation lies disease. Infections that a well-nourished body wards off become deadly in severely malnourished people." She called for more services, such as vaccinations, and access to basic health services. Avoiding famine by supporting farmers On the sidelines of the pledging conference, Director-General of the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Jose Graziano da Silva met with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid Bin Daghr to discuss aid to farmers. During his address to the conference, Mr. da Silva noted that farming aid coupled with food assistance is the only way to avoid a famine in the country. "Agricultural assistancein a humanitarian crisis can no longer be an afterthought," the FAO Director-General said. "We need to seize every opportunity to support communities in Yemen to continue producing food, even under difficult circumstances." He stressed how livelihoods support, especially for agriculture and fishing, must be an integral part of the international community's response to the crisis in Yemen. UN migration agency releases funding for emergency response to Congolese fleeing Kasai Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 25 April 2017 Related Document(s) Afghanistan's Other Battlefield: The Fight Against Corruption Cite as UN News Service, UN migration agency releases funding for emergency response to Congolese fleeing Kasai, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d68b4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations migration agency released emergency funding in the amount of $100,000 to kick-start relief operations in Angola for the 1.1 million Congolese displaced by fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) south-central Kasai region. UN Migration Agency Director General William Lacy Swing approved the funding from IOM's Operational Support Income budget to cover the period until donor funding comes in. "We continue to work with our UN, Congolese and Angolan counterparts to see whether it is possible to launch a cross-border emergency relief operation to reach southern areas of the Kasai, which until now remain inaccessible because of widespread insecurity and a poor network of roads," said Jean-Philippe Chauzy, the UN Migration Agency's DRC Chief of Mission. Up to 2.4 million people have been affected by fighting between Government forces and tribal militias loyal to a local customary chief who was killed in August last year. The groups have been accused of a number of crimes and human rights abuses, including killings and abduction, recruitment of children, and targeting schools, hospitals and churches. Thousands of Congolese have fled to neighbouring Angola to escape the violence. The IOM mission in the DRC is preparing to position experts in its Mbuji Mayi Office in Kasai Oriental to help track and monitor displacements and population mobility, including returnees from Angola. The mission is also planning to deploy additional specialists in shelter and camp coordination and camp management to support the nascent international humanitarian response. "The challenges that we and other humanitarians are facing in the parts of the Kasai bordering Angola are considerable," said Mr. Chauzy. "Internal displacements and the return of more than 11,000 Congolese from Angola are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities, including the risks of epidemic outbreak." The UN agency is also working to strengthen local capacities to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks and other public health occurrences along the border with Angola. Syria: UN aid officials urge end to airstrikes on hospitals Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 26 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Syria: UN aid officials urge end to airstrikes on hospitals, 26 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d7284.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Following reports of airstrikes that damaged hospitals in northern Syria, two senior United Nations humanitarian officials today called for an end to such attacks. In a joint statement, Kevin Kennedy, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said that "it is completely unacceptable that facilities and people who are trying to save lives are being bombed." "The persistent and unceasing attacks on hospitals and medical facilities are one of the most egregious features of this war and have taken the lives of hundreds of medical personnel and deprived people in need of their most fundamental human right- the right to life. It must stop," he added. Ali Al-Za'tari, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, called for "the parties to the conflict to abide by their obligation under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure such as hospitals." The UN community is appalled by the ongoing damage and destruction of medical facilities in northern Syria depriving hundreds of thousands of people of basic health services, they said. According to the statement, on 25 April at dawn, the Shahid Wasim Husseini hospital in Kafr Takharim city was reportedly hit by airstrikes, putting it out of service. On 22 April, airstrikes in the area of Abdin in Idleb Governorate reportedly hit an underground field hospital and reportedly killed four civilians. Four other airstrikes impacting medical facilities were reported in April alone in this region, including a hospital specializing in maternal and child care. Almost all facilities were rendered out of service as a result. UN calls for restraint following violence in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN calls for restraint following violence in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d8284.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations today called for restraint and calm in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia following violence directed at democratic institutions and elected officials. We are following developments unfolding in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with great concern and call for restraint and calm. Violence directed at democratic institutions and elected representatives of the people is unacceptable, said a statement from the Spokesman for the Secretary-General. We urge all political forces to resolve their differences through democratic means, strictly adhering to the Constitution, in order to overcome the political impasse without further delay, the statement said. According to the UN Department of Political Affairs, it provides backstopping support and guidance to the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General for talks aimed at resolving the name dispute between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Negotiations on the name dispute began in 1993 and have been led since 1999 under the auspices of the envoy. While no solution has been reached so far, both parties have cooperated in the process and urged the continuation of the efforts of the Secretary-General and his envoy. Western Sahara: UN welcomes withdrawal of Polisario Front from Guerguerat area Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Western Sahara: UN welcomes withdrawal of Polisario Front from Guerguerat area, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d8774.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations today welcomed the withdrawal of all Polisario Front elements from the Guerguerat area, between the berm and the border with Mauritania, as confirmed by observers of the UN Mission on Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, on 27-28 April. According to a statement issued by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, together with the earlier withdrawal of Moroccan elements from the area, in response to the urging of the Secretary-General, this action should improve the prospects of creating an environment that will facilitate early implementation of Mr. Guterres's determination to relaunch the negotiating process. The process would be relaunched with a new dynamic and a new spirit that reflects the Security Council's guidance and resolutions, with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable political solution which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We continue to call on the parties to adhere to their obligations under the ceasefire agreement and to respect both its letter and spirit, and to cooperate fully with MINURSO, said the Spokesman, adding that the need to ensure that tensions do not erupt anew in the Guerguerat area remains vital. To this end, MINURSO intends to maintain the position it has held in the Buffer Strip since August 2016 and further discuss the Mission's future monitoring of the area and the full range of issues related to the Buffer Strip with the parties, the statement added. The statement comes as the UN Security Council today unanimously extended MINURSO's mandate until 30 April 20 18. Through a resolution, the Council reaffirmed the need for full respect of the military agreements reached with MINUSRSO with regard to the ceasefire and called on all the parties to adhere fully to those agreements. Western Sahara is located on the north-west coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria. The colonial administration of Western Sahara by Spain ended in 1976. Fighting later broke out between Morocco and the Polisario Front. A ceasefire was signed in September 1991. MINURSO was deployed that year to monitor the ceasefire between the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front and organizing, if the parties agree, a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara. A revised settlement plan was proposed by the United Nations after seven years of diplomatic consultations was rejected by one of the parties in 2004. In approving the current phase of direct negotiations in 2007, the UN Security Council called for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political settlement which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. Returning from Mali, senior UN relief official spotlights country's complex challenges Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Returning from Mali, senior UN relief official spotlights country's complex challenges, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d8b64.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Concluding a three-day mission to Mali, a senior United Nations relief official has underlined the need to keep the humanitarian needs of its people in the international spotlight. "Nearly two years after the signing of a peace agreement, Mali is again at a critical turning point with devastating implications for its people and the region," said the Director of Operations for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), John Ging, in New York, upon his return from the African country. "We must meet the immediate humanitarian needs, strengthen resilience, empower Mali's women, invest in children's education, and reopen schools before this generation is lost to the conflict." According to estimates, nearly one in five Malians are in need of humanitarian assistance this year, and 3.8 million people are could face food insecurity in the coming lean season as violence reduces access to land. Malnutrition rates are also on the rise due to decreased access to food and the country now exceeds the alert threshold for global acute malnutrition. Furthermore, deteriorating security in central Mali since February has displaced more than 10,000 people and some 507 schools have been closed across the country's central and northern parts, impacting about 150,000 children. This is 70 per cent more schools closed than at the same period in 2016. The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis caused and people are cut off from access to basic services, including water, health and education, prompting an intensification of needs. At the same time, concerted efforts are needed to address the particularly alarming situation of Malian women. According to OCHA, almost nine in ten women and girls in the country between the ages of 15-49 have been subjected to female genital mutilation. Accompanied by several key donors, the senior OCHA official visited several locations in the country and met with officials, visited health and nutrition centres and schools. In Mali, Mr. Ging also met with Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive response to tackle growing challenges in the country. He also encouraged the Government to engage more closely with affected communities and work to re-establish basic services. "The focus and support for the security sector alone will not solve Mali's crisis," said Mr. Ging after his mission. "The key is to support and empower the people of Mali [] as an international community, we must intensify our engagement," he added, urging the global community to sustain and increase its funding for programmes in the country. Funding for aid programmes in Mali has seen a steady decline and the $293 million Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017 is only 11.6 per cent funded. Young Syrian refugees don't want pity; respect their rights and empower them UNICEF Advocate Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Young Syrian refugees don't want pity; respect their rights and empower them UNICEF Advocate, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d8f44.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Concluding a visit to Syrian refugee camps in Jordan where he met with young people displaced from their homes, an advocate for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) underlined the need to respect their rights and empower them so that they can grow to their full potential. Young people who survive war have an amazing ability to persevere and become the champions for peace that are so needed, despite the horrors they have been through, said Ishmael Beah, the UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War, wrapping up his visit. I know from experience that all that pain, that unimaginable suffering, and that sense of loss of humanity, can all be refocussed towards something positive [] especially when you have someone who believes in you, supports you and extends a helping hand he added. Mr. Beah internationally renowned for his books, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier and Radiance of Tomorrow, a novel is a former child soldier from Sierra Leone, forcibly recruited at the age of 13. His parents and two brothers were killed in the brutal conflict. During his three-day visit to Jordan, the UNICEF Advocate visited the Za'atari refugee camp and a UNICEF-supported centre for learning and psychosocial support operated in the Jordanian capital Amman to amplify the voices of vulnerable children and young people affected by the conflict in Syria, which is now in its seventh year. More than 2.5 million children the war-torn country are now refugees, living in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. These young people have been teaching me a lot in return, said Mr. Beah after the trip. These young people don't want to be pitied, they want to have their rights respected and be empowered so that they can grow to their full potential. UNICEF together with its partners has trained young people who are refugees or vulnerable host communities as researchers as part of an initiative to freely allow young people many of whom dropped out of school and started working to help their families make ends meet to learn about their lives and aspirations. The research, which is based on the premise that young people are more likely to be open about their thoughts and feelings with other young people, is meant to contribute to better access to education and vocational training. The training also equips vulnerable young people with skills to address issues like early marriage, protection against violence and hazardous types of labour. Korean Peninsula: Conflict prevention 'our collective priority' but onus also on DPRK, says UN chief Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Korean Peninsula: Conflict prevention 'our collective priority' but onus also on DPRK, says UN chief, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d9434.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Preventing armed conflict in north-east Asia is the international community's collective priority while the onus is also on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to refrain from further nuclear testing and explore the path of dialogue, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council today. Armed conflict in north-east Asia, which is home to one fifth of the world's people and gross domestic product, would have global implications, warned Mr. Guterres at a ministerial-level meeting to discuss the DPRK's accelerated nuclear and ballistic missile activities. The meeting was chaired by Rex Tilerson, Secretary of State of the United States, which holds the Council's presidency for the month. Mr. Guterres noted that since January 2016, the DPRK conducted two nuclear tests, more than 30 launches using ballistic missile technology, and various other activities relating to the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, in clear violations of Security Council resolutions. Its launches using ballistic missile technology have included tests of short-, medium-, intermediate-range and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, as well as the placement of a satellite in orbit, he added. We must assume that, with each test or launch, the DPRK continues to make technological advances in its pursuit of a military nuclear capability The DPRK is the only country to have conducted nuclear tests this century. We must assume that, with each test or launch, the DPRK continues to make technological advances in its pursuit of a military nuclear capability, he said, citing DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's description of his country as a responsible nuclear-weapon State and a recent statement by a delegate that going nuclear armed is the policy of our State. Mr. Guterres said he is alarmed by the risk of a military escalation in the region, including by miscalculation or misunderstanding, and is particularly concerned by the possibility that efforts to offset the destabilizing activities of the DPRK could also result in increased arms competition and tensions, further impeding the ability of the international community to maintain unity and achieve a peaceful solution. The onus is on the DPRK to comply with its international obligations. At the same time, the international community must also step up its efforts to manage and reduce tensions, the UN chief stressed. That means the DPRK refraining from further testing, complying with the relevant Council resolutions, and exploring the resumption of dialogue. That also means reopening and strengthening communication channels, particularly military to military, to lower the risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding, and all Member States implementing relevant Council resolutions. The Council has important tools at its disposal, from targeted sanctions to communication channels, he added. Turning to the humanitarian situation in the DPRK, the Secretary-General noted that 13 UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the DPRK are calling for $114 million to meet the urgent needs of 13 million especially vulnerable people half the country's population. He also called on the DPRK authorities to engage with UN human rights mechanisms and with the international community to address the grave human rights situation and improve the living conditions of its people. With two executions of minors looming, UN rights experts urge Iran to halt death penalty Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, With two executions of minors looming, UN rights experts urge Iran to halt death penalty, 28 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d98a4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. At least 90 people on death row in Iran are under the age of 18, United Nations human rights experts today said, urging authorities to abide with international law and immediately stop these executions. The call comes as two people one 17 at the time of sentencing, and one 15 were given dates for the sentencing. These executions must be halted immediately and the death sentences quashed. We also call on Iran to commute without delay all such sentences imposed on children, said Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Mehdi Bohlouli, who was 17 at the time of his sentencing in 2001, was due to be executed on 19 April. His execution was halted a few hours earlier but the status of his sentencing is unclear. Meanwhile, Peyman Barandah, who was sentenced in 2012 at the age of 15, is scheduled to be executed on 10 May. These two cases bring the total of juvenile offenders scheduled for execution that we have become aware of in Iran since January to six. They include the cases of two young persons whose executions was carried out, the experts noted. In 2013, Iran amended its Islamic Penal Code and opened the possibility of juveniles sentenced to death to be allowed retrials. Later, assurances were given in 2016 by Iran to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that this amendment would apply systematically for all juveniles who are currently on death row. In addition, the experts pointed out that by ratifying both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Iran has committed itself to protecting and respecting children's right to life as well as to outlaw the death penalty for all those under the age of 18. These promises have not been fulfilled: Some of the young men executed recently were not even aware of the possibility of retrials, and the requests made by Mehdi Bohlouli and Peyman Barandah for retrial were simply rejected by the Supreme Court, said the experts, adding that in numerous other cases, the courts had simply sentenced juvenile offenders to death again after retrials. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. Syria: 'Glimmers of humanity' overshadowed by brutality of attacks on civilians, says UN aid chief Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 27 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Syria: 'Glimmers of humanity' overshadowed by brutality of attacks on civilians, says UN aid chief, 27 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909d9d34.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. With fighting intensifying on numerous fronts in Syria over the past months, the top United Nations humanitarian official today urged consolidation of the nationwide ceasefire, most importantly a pause in fighting on the outskirts of Damascus, to enable the delivery of aid. "The Secretary-General has said time and again that there will be no military end to this conflict. Yet, military might continues to be used against civilians in a way that defies all reason, let alone morality or the law," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council. He said that the use of "abhorrent chemical weapons" on 4 April in Khan Shaykhun was yet another horrific account of such brutality. "I wish I could say mindless brutality - but no, it was deliberate, planned, predetermined, by other humans against their own fellow human beings, sheer unbridled cruelty by leaders and commanders. And we await the investigation to confirm which ones." "The humanitarian situation is deteriorating, if that were possible, and the need for active engagement by members of the [Security] Council is urgently needed," he said. The core needs of the Syrian people from the international community remain largely unchanged, noting that they include the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure by all parties to the conflict; immediate, unimpeded and sustained access to all in need throughout Syria; an immediate lifting of all sieges; and a political solution to the conflict. In besieged eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, civilians remain trapped amid reports of relentless shelling, airstrikes, and ground fighting, he said, noting that the last informal access routes have reportedly been closed further restricting movement for the some 400,000 people who live in the area, and who the UN has been unable to access since October last year. As the noose has tightened around eastern Ghouta, some 30,000 people in the adjacent areas of Barza and Qaboun have also come under siege by the Government of Syria, he added. "As it is already too late for the more than a quarter million Syrians who have died already in this atrocious war, so members of the Security Council it is action today that counts," O'Brien stressed, via video link from Geneva, Switzerland. He also urged the lifting of arbitrary and bureaucratic impediments by all parties throughout Syria. "I will not repeat again the bureaucratic delaying tactics used by the Government of Syria to thwart humanitarian assistance at every turn, beyond saying that it continues to bring untold human suffering," Mr. O'Brien said. Only four convoys have deployed so far under the new two-monthly April-May plan, reaching 157,500 people. None of these convoys reached besieged areas, due to a lack of necessary authorizations, he said. Although the overall number of those besieged has been reduced to just over 620,000 people due to evacuations, this process is not in line with humanitarian principles, and not conducted in consultation with the people affected. "Let us not pretend that those who evacuate move to a location of safety. Many of those who displace to Idlib or northern Aleppo continue to live in areas where civilian structures, including hospitals, come under regular aerial bombardment, and their access to basic goods such as food and shelter is limited," he said. Philippines: UN reports significant progress in child protection, despite ongoing violations Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 2 May 2017 Related Document(s) Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Philippines Cite as UN News Service, Philippines: UN reports significant progress in child protection, despite ongoing violations, 2 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909db034.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Government of the Philippines and a rebel group with which it signed a peace accord have made progress in ending and preventing the recruitment of children on the southern island of Mindanao, according to a new United Nations report. The Secretary-General's fourth report on the impact on children of armed conflict in the Philippines "describes significant progress in the protection of boys and girls, despite ongoing violations against children," according to the UN Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba. In 2009, the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed an action plan to halt and prevent the recruitment and use of children in the armed conflict on Mindanao. Since then, more than 1,850 children have been identified and formally disengaged, the UN reported. Special Representative Gamba encouraged the MILF to "draw on the current momentum to fully implement the Action Plan and to reinforce the necessary safeguards to prevent future recruitment and association of children." She also commended the Government, which strengthened the national framework to address violations against children by forming an inter-agency committee to monitor, report and respond to such grave violations. In the report, the Secretary-General calls on the Government to actively use these tools to ensure independent, prompt and thorough investigations into alleged violations committed against children and guarantee appropriate services for child victims. Despite noted progress, the report highlighted that killing and maiming of children in the Philippines remains a concern with 116 documented cases. "Most incidents were the result of crossfire, unexploded ordnance or shelling, but others involved the targeting of children," according to the Ms. Gamba's Office. The Abu Sayyaf Group and the Armed Forces of the Philippines took responsibility for nearly half of the 116 children killed or injured. Among other issues, the report noted a "high number" of attacks on schools and teachers, and an increase in attacks on indigenous communities. The Special Representative responded by urging all parties to the conflict to end attacks or threats of attacks on schools, teachers and students. "Using schools for military purposes is unacceptable. Children should be guaranteed safe access to education," she said. Afghanistan: UN assesses border management to cope with spike in returns from Pakistan Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 2 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Afghanistan: UN assesses border management to cope with spike in returns from Pakistan, 2 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909db974.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. With an unprecedented 600,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan last year, the United Nations migration agency has completed an assessment of border management capacity at Afghanistan's two main border crossings with Pakistan. "With returns in 2017 on track to meet or even surpass the levels of last year, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the current procedures at the border, and to look at how they can be improved," said Laurence Hart, Afghanistan Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a press release. In 2016, 600,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan through the Torkham border crossing in Nangarhar province and the Spin Boldak border crossing in Kandahar province. Over several visits to Torkham and Spin Boldak in April, the assessment team met with officials from the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, Border Police, customs officials, humanitarian actors and migrants. Based on interviews and observations at the borders, IOM will produce an assessment report addressing key areas of administrative and operational capacity including infrastructure and available equipment; human resources and competencies; the regulatory framework guiding relevant government agencies; procedures and workflow; capacity gaps and issues. "The report resulting from the assessment will include short-term recommendations for streamlining registration, document security and other border procedures, as well as technical assistance needs that could be addressed by IOM over the longer term," said IOM border management expert Erik Slavenas. As a first step toward improving efficiency at the border, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, with the support of IOM, rolled out the Afghan Returnee Information System (ARIS) in late 2016. ARIS, a digital registration process for both undocumented and refugee returnees, replaced a paper-based registration system. It allows for better data collection and data sharing. Syria: UN concerned over worsening security, humanitarian situation in Damascus suburbs Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Syria: UN concerned over worsening security, humanitarian situation in Damascus suburbs, 1 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909dbdd4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The United Nations today said that it remains deeply concerned by the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the eastern part of Syria's Ghouta, where some 400,000 people are trapped. "The UN has not reached any part of eastern Ghouta since October last year," said Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, in the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. He said that the UN stands ready to immediately deliver life-saving assistance to those in need of assistance in eastern Ghouta, located in the suburbs of Damascus, should the pause be established and abided by all parties to the conflict. The spokesperson said the UN remains concerned about reports of intensified fighting among non-State armed groups in the enclave over the past few days. With commercial and humanitarian supplies continue to be blocked, prices of basic staple goods have gone up significantly, he said, noting that civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and schools, continue to be affected by the tight restrictions and reports of shelling, airstrikes, and ground fighting. Mr. Dujarric also announced that UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley is visiting Lebanon and Syria through 3 May - his first visit since taking office last month. Mr. Beasley is expected to meet Syrians affected by the ongoing crisis to witness the profound humanitarian crisis first-hand. UN calls for protection of civilians sheltering in South Sudan's Upper Nile area Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 1 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN calls for protection of civilians sheltering in South Sudan's Upper Nile area, 1 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909dc0d4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A senior United Nations humanitarian official in South Sudan today demanded that parties to the conflict uphold their responsibilities to protect thousands of Shilluk civilians sheltering in and around Aburoc, following the resumption of the government offensive and clashes along the West Bank of the Nile River last week. "Civilians in Aburoc are living in fear, not knowing what each day will bring," said the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for the country, Serge Tissot, in a press release from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "I call on the Government to respect the civilian nature of these settlements and ensure they are not subject to attacks, and call on the opposition forces to ensure that areas highly populated by civilians are, and remain, demilitarized," he added. According to OCHA, thousands of civilians have arrived into Aburoc in recent days. Many have walked for days on foot and are arriving exhausted and weak. Thousands are reportedly now moving toward Sudan out of fear of potential future attacks. Prices are exorbitant and transport is inadequate, so many people are having no choice but to walk. On 23 and 24 April, humanitarian organizations relocated staff from Kodok and Aburoc amidst the spread of conflict on the Nile's West Bank. Several courageous local staff remain in the community and are doing all they can to assist people in need. However, key humanitarian assets were looted by opposition forces and other actors in recent days. "I demand the immediate return of all looted humanitarian assets in Aburoc, which are absolutely vital to life-saving humanitarian action," said Mr. Tissot. Humanitarians are exploring all feasible options to provide assistance to those fleeing the fighting but are facing major challenges, including lack of fuel in the area. An interagency team visited Aburoc on 29 April to see the situation first-hand and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) recently released funds that will support the scale-up of emergency operations in locations where civilians are arriving. "This operation is the true definition of life-saving," said Mr. Tissot. "I therefore call on both parties to ensure immediate, free and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians, wherever they may flee, including for trucks to safely access the river and carry water to locations where [internally displaced persons] are sheltering." Angola: UN agency airlifts aid to newly-arrived refugees from DR Congo Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Angola: UN agency airlifts aid to newly-arrived refugees from DR Congo, 3 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909dc7b4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A plane carrying relief items has arrived in Luanda, Angola, to assist over 11,000 people who fled a recent surge violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency said today. The aircraft landed Sunday morning from Dubai, carrying 3,500 plastic sheets as well as 100 plastic rolls to provide shelter during the rainy season, 17,000 sleeping mats, 16,902 thermal fleece blankets, 8,000 mosquito nets, 3,640 kitchen sets, 8,000 jerry cans and 4,000 plastic buckets. The Office of the UN High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR) will be airlifting more relief items to Angola in coming days. "Arrivals are in urgent need of life-saving assistance including food, water, shelter and medical services," said Sharon Cooper, UNHCR Regional Representative for Southern Africa in a press release. "UNHCR is also procuring food locally to support the most vulnerable persons including children, pregnant women and elderly." The brutal conflict in DRC's previously peaceful Kasai region has already displaced more than one million civilians within the country since it began in mid-2016. The border is managed by the Angolan army. UNHCR has requested the Government to allow refugees to continue crossing the border, provide unhindered access to assist new arrivals, as well as not to return people fleeing the violence to the DRC. Angola is currently hosting some 56,700 refugees and asylum-seekers, of whom close to 25,000 are from the DRC. UNHCR Angola had an initial annual budget of $2.5 million to protect and assist some 46,000 people of concern. In response to the current emergency, UNHCR is appealing for a total of $5.5 million to provide immediate lifesaving assistance. South Sudan: UN urges all sides to cease hostilities; regional force starts to arrive Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 April 2017 Cite as UN News Service, South Sudan: UN urges all sides to cease hostilities; regional force starts to arrive, 29 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909dcbb4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Disturbed by the escalation of violence and subsequent suffering of civilians in South Sudan as a result of the recent government offensive, the United Nations today urged the Government and other warring parties to cease hostilities, uphold their responsibility to protect civilians. "The renewed upsurge in fighting represents a callous and blatant disregard of the pledges made during the 25 March 2017 IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] summit to implement a ceasefire and to facilitate humanitarian access," said a statement issued overnight by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General. The statement also urged all sides to cooperate with the UN and other humanitarian actors to ensure safe access to all civilians in imminent danger along the West Bank of the River Nile. "There can be no military solution to the crisis in South Sudan," the statement emphasized, expressing hope that regional and international partners will join in encouraging the parties to return urgently to the negotiating table. The United Nations remains committed to working with the African Union and IGAD to secure a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the statement added. Meanwhile, the first elements of the Regional Protection Force of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have started to arrive in the country, according to a note to correspondends issued today by the Mission. The deployment of the 4,000-strong force was authorized by the UN Security Council in its Resolution 2304 (2016). UNMISS says the force will provide protection to key facilities in the nation's capital, Juba, and the main routes into and out of the city. It will also strengthen the security of UN protection of civilians' sites and other UN premises. The deployment of the force, to be staged over coming months, would free existing UNMISS peacekeepers to extend their presence to conflict-affected areas beyond Juba. Despite the August 2015 peace agreement, South Sudan slipped back into conflict due to renewed clashes between rival forces - the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar. At a Security Council meeting earlier this week, David Shearer, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of UNMISS, noted that the opposition has since splintered, making it necessary for UN peacebuilding efforts to be more widely cast than previously. He reiterated the need for a political solution. MEPs write to jailed investigative reporter Ahmet Sk Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, MEPs write to jailed investigative reporter Ahmet Sk, 14 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909fe684.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Members of the European Parliament are continuing to write letters to imprisoned Turkish journalists in a campaign of support launched at the suggestion of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Today, MEPs in the European United Left-Nordic Green Left group (GUE-NGL) wrote to Ahmet Sk, a well-known investigative journalist who has been held ever since his arrest on 29 December. The text of the letter is published below. It was signed by the group's chair, Gabriele Zimmer, French MEP Marie-Christine Vergiat and by five other members of the group who follow the situation in Turkey closely. "Your crime was to continue your work under all circumstances," the letter says. "Via you, we would like to express our solidarity with all those who defend press freedom and [...] democracy in Turkey at great cost, sometimes physical cost." Turkey is now the world's biggest prison for journalists, with around 100 currently detained. Most of them were arrested under the state of emergency that was declared after an abortive coup attempt in July 2016 and most of them have not yet been tried. Dozens of the journalists, including Ahmet Sk, are subjected to a harsh form of solitary confinement in Section 9 of a high security prison in the Istanbul suburb of Silivri. RSF has asked five groups in the European Parliament to each write a letter to a different imprisoned Turkish journalist. Members of the Greens-European Free Alliance (Greens-EFA) kicked off the campaign by writing to cartoonist Musa Kart on 5 April. Letter from GUE/NGL MEPs to Ahmet Sk : Dear Ahmet, In this letter, we would like to express our solidarity with you and your colleagues, journalists and employees of the Cumhuriyet newspaper, and with all those who defend the freedom of the press and, more broadly, all rights and freedoms in Turkey. Defending press freedom has always been a battle in Turkey, as witnessed by the many journalists who have been prosecuted and imprisoned at different times. But repression has taken on a new dimension since the July 2016 coup attempt and Turkey seems to be sinking into an unprecedented spiral of persecution of the media. To date, more than 130 journalists, including those of Cumhuriyet, have been arrested and nearly 150 media outlets have been closed. Media pluralism no longer exists. We have just seen the 4 April indictment concerning you and we find it surprising and revealing. The prosecution accuses you and your colleagues of belonging to or supporting a variety of organizations, ranging from the Fethullah Gulen movement, which is blamed for the attempted coup, to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the extreme left-wing DHKP/C (Revolutionary People's Liberation Front Party). It seems that the main issue with your newspaper is a supposed change of editorial line since February 2015, the date that your colleague Can Dundar took over as editor. We wonder what the link with terrorism is. We think the indictment shows that the Turkish authorities are bent on attacking and investigating your newspaper because it is independent of the government, as all newspapers and journalists should be if they respect themselves and respect the values of democracy. Furthermore, we know that the concept of "terrorism" in Turkey is, to say the least, ill-defined, as both the Council of Europe and the European Union's institutions have repeatedly pointed out. Dear Ahmet, You dared to do your job, you dared to criticize the government for its handling of the Kurdish issue and the terrorist threat, and you dared to denounce the delivery of Turkish weapons to Islamist groups in Syria. Just as you dared to denounce the Gulen movement's influence within the state apparatus in 2011. Why would you now support those you denounced yesterday? Your crime was to continue your work under all circumstances. You were arrested for that. You have been imprisoned since December. The accusations against you would be almost laughable if they were not so serious, if the rule of law was functioning in Turkey and if we could hope that the Turkish judiciary would be able to assert your rights. But, unfortunately, judges are also among the first victims of repression. We would like to tell you that we stand by you and that you are not alone in your struggle. And via you, we would like to express our solidarity with all those who defend press freedom and democracy in Turkey at great cost, sometimes physical cost. So hold on, be strong and be sure that we will fight at your side until you regain your freedom. Police colonel attacks three reporters in Goma Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Police colonel attacks three reporters in Goma, 14 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909feff4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is shocked to learn that a senior Congolese police officer, Col. Van Kasongo, and other policemen physically attacked three journalists while they were covering a peaceful demonstration in Goma, the capital of the eastern province of Nord-Kivu, on 12 April. Rozen Kalafulo of Pole FM, Freddy Bikumbi of Radio Okapi and Picture Tank photographer Willian Dupuy were attacked and beaten by the police after being told to move away from the demonstration by members of the grass-roots movement Struggle for Change (LUCHA). The police also seized their equipment. "I was doing my report when Col. Van Kasongo grabbed me by the hair," Kalafulo said. "He throttled me in front of everyone, punched me in the chest and head, and then confiscated my equipment." The equipment was returned to the journalists thanks to the intervention of Tuver Ghundi, a representative of Journalist in Danger (JED), who called Gen. Vital Umiya Awashango, the provincial police commander. Gen. Awashango, who is Col. Kasongo's immediate superior, has asked to meet with the journalists. "We firmly condemn this attack by Col. Kasongo, who has a history of violence against journalists, and we call for him to be brought to justice before the relevant military tribunal," RSF editor-in-chief Virginie Dangles said. Col. Kasongo, who is deputy commander of the Nord-Kivu police, is notorious for his attacks on journalists. In July 2016, he made a very explicit death threat against Radio Okapi journalist Gabriel Wamenya. The Democratic Republic of Congo is ranked 152nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. RSF condemns death sentence passed on journalist held by Houthis Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF condemns death sentence passed on journalist held by Houthis, 14 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909ff2f4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled by the death sentence that a Sanaa criminal court controlled by Houthi rebels has imposed on Yemeni journalist Yahya Abdelraqib Al-Jubaihi on a charge of spying for an enemy country. Aged 62, Jubaihi was sentenced on 12 April after being convicted on the basis of past contacts with the Saudi embassy. It is the first time a journalist has been sentenced to death in Yemen. The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate has called the sentence "unconstitutional," pointing out that he was unable to defend himself during the trial. "This Houthi-imposed death sentence sets a dangerous precedent for journalists in Yemen," said Alexandra El Khazen, the head of RSF's Middle East desk. "Issued at the end of an unfair trial, it constitutes a grave violation of international law. We urge Houthi leaders to free this journalist at once." The information ministry has condemned the sentence. It was also condemned on Twitter by Abdel Malak al-Mekhlafi, Yemen's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, who called on United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres to intervene. RSF also urges the UN to do everything possible to obtain the release of all journalists arbitrarily held by armed groups in Yemen. It has also been condemned by the information ministry. A respected journalist, Jubaihi has been held in Sanaa's Habra prison ever since he was arrested at his home on 6 September 2016. As well as working for Saudi and Yemeni media outlets such as Al-Tagheer, he used to run the prime minister's press office and advised the cabinet on media affairs. At least 16 journalists and media workers are currently held by armed groups in Yemen, including the Houthis and Al-Qaeda. Yemen is ranked 170th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Thai government declares three Facebook accounts illegal Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Thai government declares three Facebook accounts illegal, 14 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5909ff9a4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns a Thai government ban, imposed yesterday, on any online contact or interaction with three prominent critics of the regime - a foreign journalist and two academics - and urges all Facebook users beyond the government's reach to share content from the Facebook accounts of these three critics. The ban's three targets are Andrew MacGregor Marshall, a well-known Scottish journalist who used to be based in Bangkok, and Thai academics Somsak Jeamteerasakul and Pavin Chachavalpongpun. All three fled Thailand, where they are accused of lese-majeste. Issued in the form of a letter from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society that was posted on a Thai newspaper's website yesterday, the ban forbids Thai citizens from sharing online content with or about the three critics or even just following them online. Anyone defying the ban could face imprisonment under the Computer-Related Crime Act (CCA). Marshall, who left Thailand in 2011, is the author of "A Kingdom in Crisis - Thailand's Struggle for Democracy in the Twenty-First Century," a book published in 2014 that was quickly banned by the Thai police because, according to then police chief Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung, it threatened "the kingdom's stability, order or the good morality of the people." A political commentator who often posts on Facebook, Somsak was a history lecturer at the University of Thamamsat history until he fled the country in 2014 after receiving death threats and a summons from the authorities. Pavin is a political scientist who fled to Japan the same year after refusing to respond to a summons from the military authorities. Jaran Ditapichai, a pro-democracy activist and former Thai Human Rights Commissioner who fled to France after being accused of lese-majeste, told RSF: "This order not only violates human rights, especially free speech and the right to communication, but also affects all Thai citizens. I urge all international and national human rights organizations to investigate the Thai military government's abuse of power." "After forcing these three critics to flee the country, the Thai junta is now trying to limit the impact of what they write by banning any online communication with them," said Benjamin Ismail, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk. "This iniquitous and Orwellian ban highlights not only the government's contempt for freedom of information but also the draconian Computer-Related Crime Act's incompatibility with international standards. The CCA permits every kind of abuse in term of surveillance and censorship, especially since it was amended by the National Legislative Assembly last December." RSF therefore appeals to all Internet users who are beyond the Thai junta's reach to share content from the Facebook accounts of Somsak, Pavin and Marshall in response to yesterday's order declaring this content to be illegal. Thailand's lese-majeste law (article 112 of the criminal code) is the most draconian of its kind in the world. The authorities constantly use this article, the CCA and other legislation to violate freedom of the media and information. Last month, RSF issued a press release condemning an ongoing prosecution of British journalist Jonathan Head, a BBC correspondent, under the CCA. In a November 2015 report on the situation in Thailand, entitled "Media hounded by junta since 2014 coup," RSF urged the Thai authorities to stop using draconian legislation to gag critical and independent media, censor the Internet and spy on bloggers and anyone posting "critical" information on social networks. Ranked 136th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index, Thailand has seen drastic curbs placed on media freedom since the military staged a coup in May 2014. Concern about health of journalists held by Houthis in Sanaa Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 13 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Concern about health of journalists held by Houthis in Sanaa, 13 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a00904.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns a Thai government ban, imposed yesterday, on any online contact or interaction with three prominent critics of the regime - a foreign journalist and two academics - and urges all Facebook users beyond the government's reach to share content from the Facebook accounts of these three critics. The ban's three targets are Andrew MacGregor Marshall, a well-known Scottish journalist who used to be based in Bangkok, and Thai academics Somsak Jeamteerasakul and Pavin Chachavalpongpun. All three fled Thailand, where they are accused of lese-majeste. Issued in the form of a letter from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society that was posted on a Thai newspaper's website yesterday, the ban forbids Thai citizens from sharing online content with or about the three critics or even just following them online. Anyone defying the ban could face imprisonment under the Computer-Related Crime Act (CCA). Marshall, who left Thailand in 2011, is the author of "A Kingdom in Crisis - Thailand's Struggle for Democracy in the Twenty-First Century," a book published in 2014 that was quickly banned by the Thai police because, according to then police chief Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung, it threatened "the kingdom's stability, order or the good morality of the people." A political commentator who often posts on Facebook, Somsak was a history lecturer at the University of Thamamsat history until he fled the country in 2014 after receiving death threats and a summons from the authorities. Pavin is a political scientist who fled to Japan the same year after refusing to respond to a summons from the military authorities. Jaran Ditapichai, a pro-democracy activist and former Thai Human Rights Commissioner who fled to France after being accused of lese-majeste, told RSF: "This order not only violates human rights, especially free speech and the right to communication, but also affects all Thai citizens. I urge all international and national human rights organizations to investigate the Thai military government's abuse of power." "After forcing these three critics to flee the country, the Thai junta is now trying to limit the impact of what they write by banning any online communication with them," said Benjamin Ismail, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk. "This iniquitous and Orwellian ban highlights not only the government's contempt for freedom of information but also the draconian Computer-Related Crime Act's incompatibility with international standards. The CCA permits every kind of abuse in term of surveillance and censorship, especially since it was amended by the National Legislative Assembly last December." RSF therefore appeals to all Internet users who are beyond the Thai junta's reach to share content from the Facebook accounts of Somsak, Pavin and Marshall in response to yesterday's order declaring this content to be illegal. Thailand's lese-majeste law (article 112 of the criminal code) is the most draconian of its kind in the world. The authorities constantly use this article, the CCA and other legislation to violate freedom of the media and information. Last month, RSF issued a press release condemning an ongoing prosecution of British journalist Jonathan Head, a BBC correspondent, under the CCA. In a November 2015 report on the situation in Thailand, entitled "Media hounded by junta since 2014 coup," RSF urged the Thai authorities to stop using draconian legislation to gag critical and independent media, censor the Internet and spy on bloggers and anyone posting "critical" information on social networks. Ranked 136th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index, Thailand has seen drastic curbs placed on media freedom since the military staged a coup in May 2014. With no media pluralism, referendum road clear for Erdogan Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 12 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, With no media pluralism, referendum road clear for Erdogan, 12 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a01224.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) questions the validity of next Sunday's referendum in Turkey on changes to its constitution because of the massive curbs on freedom of information. The outcome will be crucial for the country's future but the government's tight grip on the media has deprived the public of a proper debate. Human rights groups are alarmed by the proposed constitutional amendments because they increase the president's powers and eliminate essential checks and balances. The Council of Europe has described the changes as a "dangerous step backwards" towards a "one-person regime." But the public debate has been completely inadequate because the referendum campaign has coincided with an unprecedented crackdown on Turkey's independent media outlets. "The drastic curtailment of media pluralism and the still-growing pressure on critical journalists have reduced the space for democratic debate considerably," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "How can Turks make an informed choice without being able to access complete media coverage and a wide range of opinion? Democracy requires media freedom. It must be restored at once." Without pluralism, a one-sided campaign The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been observing the campaign since the start of March and issued an interim report last weekend. Shortly before its release, Michael Georg Link, the head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, told Deutsche Welle that the campaign was being "handled one-sidedly" in the Turkish media. The state of emergency declared after last July's abortive coup attempt has eliminated almost all pluralism in Turkey. More than 150 media outlets have been closed by force for allegedly collaborating with "terrorist" organizations. Some, such as Zaman, Bugun, Millet and Taraf, were alleged to have collaborated with the movement led by the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, which is accused of being behind the coup attempt. Others, such as IMC TV and Hayatn Sesi TV, were alleged to have collaborated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). As a result, entire swathes of the media landscape have been liquidated at the stroke of a pen, depriving many segments of the population of the diversified sources of news and information they had come to rely on. These devastating blows capped an offensive that began a decade ago in which leading media outlets were either taken over by the state or were bought up by pro-government investors. In the process, political meddling, self-censorship and dismissals of critical journalists have all become routine. According to the Media Ownership Monitor project carried out by RSF and the Bianet news website, seven of the ten owners of the most viewed national TV channels have direct ties to President Erdogan and his government. Balance abolished by decree In a decree that took effect on 10 February, the government abolished article 149-A of Law No. 298, under which the broadcast media were required to provide all sides with equal airtime during an election campaign. By scrapping this legal (and ethical) obligation, under which violations were punishable by a fine or suspension, the authorities have lifted the last safeguard preventing the pro-government media from campaigning openly for a "yes" vote in the referendum. The Electoral High Council helpfully waived the constitutionally required one-year delay before any amendment to electoral law can take effect. State media campaign for "yes" The privately-owned media are not the only ones campaigning for a "yes" vote. On 27 March, a member of the HDP, a left-wing, pro-Kurdish party, filed a complaint with the High Council for Broadcasting (RTUK) about public TV channel TRT Haber's biased coverage. The HDP complaint said that, from 1 to 22 March, TRT Haber dedicated 1,390 minutes to President Erdogan and 2,723 minutes to the ruling AKP party, as against 216 minutes to the main opposition party, the CHP, and 48 minutes to the nationalist MHP party. TRT Haber simply ignored the HDP during this period. CHP parliamentarians have announced that they have also filed a complaint against TRT Haber. The party's leader, Kemal Klcdaroglu, was invited to speak on the air on 7 April but had to wait for half an hour until live coverage of an unexpected statement by President Erdogan had finished. "We had to go through [Deputy Prime Minister] Numan Kurtulmus in order to take part in this broadcast," he said. "TRT must demonstrate impartiality... This is unacceptable. The taxes I pay contribute to this TV channel's budget." "No" voters intimidated, demonized Incidents throughout the campaign have created a climate of intimidation for supporters of a "No" vote. Groups of pro-AKP activists have attacked their stands and meetings. They have been denied the use of conference rooms. They have been subjected to police raids. And journalists and media outlets that support a "No" have not been exempted. In mid-February, the newspaper Hurriyet refused to print an interview with Nobel literature laureate Orhan Pamuk, in which the writer said he would vote against the constitutional amendments. That was just a few days after the Dogan media group, Hurriyet's owner, fired Irfan Degirmenci, a leading presenter on Kanal D TV, because he had explained on Twitter why he planned to vote "No." Dogan said Degirmenci violated the principle of impartiality because he was a presenter, not a commentator. Yusuf Halacoglu, a former parliamentary representative who was expelled from the MHP party for criticizing its official line of support for a "Yes" vote, was barred from a HaberTurk TV programme in early March although his participation had originally been planned. The pro-government media do not hesitate to demonize "No" supporters. Media outlets such Takvim, Aksam, Gunes, Sabah, Yeni Akt and Yeni Safak lavish coverage on the government's virulent attacks on the opposition. They take their line from Erdogan, who portrays the proposed constitutional amendments as "a response and a solution" to the July 2016 coup attempt. On 11 February he said: "Those who say 'no' to the referendum will, in one way or another, be positioning themselves alongside the 15 July [coup supporters]. Let that be clear." Using the government's derogatory acronym "FETO" to refer to the Gulen movement, Prime Minister Binali Yldrm went even further on 5 February, saying: "FETO and the PKK say no. That's why we say yes. The people will respond via the polls to those who say yes to separatism." The demonization of "No" supporters is sometime literal. A professor of religion, Vehbi Guler, said on the pro-government channel TV24in early February: "Satan in his revolt against God also said No!" Turkey is ranked 151st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Although the situation of the media is now critical, it was already disturbing before the July 2016 coup attempt and the ensuing state of emergency declared in its wake. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is outraged by the ten year prison sentence issued to Ahmed Abba, a Hausa-language reporter for Radio France Internationale, by Yaounde military court. The journalist has also been condemned to a massive fine on a charge of "laundering the proceeds of a terrorist act." A judge announced the sentence yesterday after Abba, who has been detained for the past 20 months, was convicted at the 17th hearing in his trial, on 20 April. The fine imposed by the court is 55 million CFA francs (about 85,000 euros). "This sentence is outrageous," said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. "After months of judicial persecution, this journalist has been given an utterly disproportionate sentence although the prosecution produced no hard evidence. This is a clearly political decision designed to scare all journalists, especially those who might try to cover the security situation in northern Cameroon." Arrested on 30 July 2015 in connection with his coverage of attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram in the north of the country, Abba was held incommunicado for the first seven months, until finally taken before a judge until on 29 February 2016, and was tortured during the period spent incommunicado. After the trial began, the military court repeatedly ignored the requests for Abba's release on bail that his lawyers submitted at each of the 16 hearings prior to the last one, at which he was convicted. Following yesterday's sentencing, Abba's lawyers announced that they would appeal. In a statement yesterday, Radio France Internationale said it was "stunned by the verdict" and pointed out that it had provided "irrefutable evidence" that Abba never condoned terrorism in his reporting. Abba "just did his job as a journalist," RFI director Cecile Megie said. During the trial, Abba's lawyers repeatedly accused the court and the prosecution of procedural abuses, especially at the hearing on 6 April, and insisted that expert reports requested by the prosecution were inadmissible. On 20 April, at the 18th and final hearing before sentencing, Abba was found not guilty of condoning terrorism but was convicted on the charges of failing to report a terrorist act to the authorities and laundering the proceeds of a terrorist act. The prosecution had requested a life sentence on the latter charge. The charge of failing to report a terrorist act was based on a visit that Abba made to a locality that had been attacked by Boko Haram. But Abba went to this locality with local officials, who found out about the attack at the same time as him. The other charge, laundering the proceeds of a terrorist act, is based solely on the flimsiest of evidence dating back to 2010. Cameroon is ranked 126th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Apple TV censors "China Uncensored" show Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Apple TV censors "China Uncensored" show, 3 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a04a74.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is shocked to learn that news weekly publisher Wai Yan Heinn was found stabbed to death in Rangoon on 16 April, and urges the Burmese authorities to conduct a swift investigation that considers the possibility that he was killed in connection with his journalism. Alerted by neighbours, Wai Yan Heinn's parents found his body under a piece of cloth in the office of his weekly, The Iron Rose, in the Rangoon district of Pazundaung. The police said he was stabbed 15 times and that the murder took place several days before the body was discovered. They are currently trying to determine exactly when. The Iron Rose criticized the military and politicians. Recent cover stories were critical of retired generals who had been in the former military government and their businessmen allies. Aged 27, Wai Yan Heinn also reported for The Sun Rays newspaper. "We offer our condolences to Wai Yan Heinn's family and colleagues, and we urge the authorities to allocate enough resources to the investigation so that it can be carried out quickly and thoroughly, and does not ignore the possible links to the victim's work as a journalist," said Benjamin Ismail, the head of RSF's Asia-Pacific desk. "The family of Soe Moe Tun, a journalist murdered more than four months ago, is still awaiting significant progress in that investigation, so any attempt to stint on the resources assigned to this latest investigation would send a very negative message to journalists and would foster an unacceptable climate of impunity." RSF has repeatedly expressed concern in recent months about violence against journalists in Burma and the failure to punish the violence, especially as Burma is a country where democracy and freedom of expression are still fragile concepts. Last December, RSF reported that human rights defenders and civil society groups were voicing concern about the fate of journalists in Burma following the murder of Soe Moe Tun, a newspaper reporter who had covered a controversial mining project and illegal logging in the northwest of the country. He was the second journalist to be killed in connection with their work since the end of military rule in 2011. The first was Aung Kyaw Naing, a freelancer also known as Par Gyi, who was shot dead while in military custody in October 2014. Concern about the growing threats to journalists was also fuelled by the bombing of the home of Root Investigative Agency journalist Min Min in March 2016. Burma is still in the bottom quarter of RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index (ranked 143rd out of 180 countries). Trial of 29 Turkish journalists resumes, more mass trials on their way Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 27 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Trial of 29 Turkish journalists resumes, more mass trials on their way, 27 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a05104.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The trial of 29 journalists resumed today in Istanbul after a one-month break. The release of 21 of them, held since last summer, was blocked at the last minute. Indictments are in the process of being issued against dozens of other detained journalists, heralding more mass trials. In the trial that resumed today, the 29 defendants* are alleged to have constituted the "media wing" of the movement led by the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by the authorities of masterminding the abortive coup attempt in July 2016. They are facing up to ten years in prison on a charge of belonging to an illegal organization. Twenty-four of them have been in pre-trial detention for the past eight to nine months. Release of 21 blocked at the last moment At the end of the first hearing on 31 March, the court ordered the conditional release of 21 of the journalists but this was blocked a few hours later although family members were already waiting outside the prison to receive them. Instead of being released, they were taken into police custody and then imprisoned again as a result of an appeal by the prosecution and new charges. Thirteen of them are now charged with "trying to overthrow the government and constitutional order." The three judges who ordered their release were suspended on 3 April. Only Ali Akkus, the former editor of the daily Zaman, was finally released. He remains subject to judicial control. "Turkey's justice system stops at nothing to keep journalists in detention although they are accused solely in connection with the articles they wrote," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "This persecution and the lack of any proportion between the alleged actions and the requested sentences highlight the political nature of these trials. We reiterate our call for the immediate release of all journalists who are being held without evidence of a direct, personal involvement in the coup attempt." Editorial policies and a few tweets on trial The first hearing, which was observed by RSF's Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu, was marked by many irregularities. All the journalists denied the accusations brought against them. In essence, the prosecution is accusing them of having worked for media outlets sympathetic to the Gulen movement, including Zaman, Meydan, Bugun, Millet, Haberdar, Haberturk and Samanyolu Haber. Most of the prosecution evidence consists of articles and posts that criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration, covered corruption allegations against the government, or criticized the witchhunt targeting Gulen supporters. In the prosecution's eyes, all these articles were published as a result of a public relations operation orchestrated by the Gulen movement with the aim of destabilizing the government and paving the way for the coup. But there is no evidence of any actual orchestration. The discussion in court has focussed mainly on the political views of the defendants. The columnist Murat Aksoy testified that he initially supported the ruling AKP party's reformist policies but began to criticize its new foreign policy and its growing conservatism in 2011. "I just wrote in order to contribute to democracy," Aksoy told the court. "Are you criticizing what I wrote or the media outlets I wrote for?" "If I'd known that we were living in a banana republic, I would not have criticized the president on Twitter," fellow defendant Atilla Tas said. "I did my military service (...) and I've kept a bullet in my leg as a souvenir for the past 25 years. And yet today I am accused of terrorism." Abdullah Klc, HaberTurk TV's former news director, gave the court examples of editorials in which he supported President Erdogan and criticized the Gulen movement. Ali Akkus recalled that he defended Erdogan when he was imprisoned for reading a poem in 1999. Gokce Frat, an editorialist for the weekly Turk Solu and leader of the Ulusal party, pointed to the ideological incompatibility between his left-wing nationalist views and the views of the Gulen movement. Former Zaman reporter Habip Guler pointed out that he took part in protests against the July 2016 coup attempt. Several defendants said they had accounts with the Gulen movement-affiliated bank Asya solely because those accounts had been set up for them to receive their monthly salary deposits. Another spate of indictments In a separate case, the prosecution finally submitted a document to the court on 17 April indicting Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan and Nazl Ilcak, three well-known journalists who have been in pre-trial detention since last summer. They are each facing three life sentences on charges of "trying to overthrow the government" because comments they made in a TV studio broadcast on the eve of the coup attempt allegedly contained "insinuations linked to the coup d'etat." The same sentence was requested for 30 former Zaman employees in an indictment issued on 11 April. Twenty-one of them, including Sahin Alpay, Ali Bulac, Ahmet Turan Alkan and Mumtazer Turkone , have been in pre-trial detention since July 2016. Their trial is due to start in the next few months. Nineteen employees of the daily Cumhuriyet, including 11 who are in pre-trial detention, are facing up to 43 years in prison on charges of belonging to an illegal organization or assisting it. Their trial will open on 24 July. The already disturbing media situation in Turkey, which is ranked 155th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, has become critical under the state of emergency declared in the wake of the July 2016 coup attempt. Around 150 media outlets have been liquidated by decree and more than 100 journalists are currently detained. At least 775 press cards and hundreds of journalists' passports have been cancelled without any judicial proceedings. And censorship of the Internet and online social networks has reached unprecedented levels. *The 29 journalists whose trial resumed today are Abdullah Klc, Ahmet Memis, Ali Akkus, Atilla Tas, Bayram Kaya , Bulent Ceyhan, Bunyamin Koseli, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Cihan Acar, Cuma Ulus, Davut Aydn, Emre Soncan, Gokce Frat Culhaoglu, Habib Guler, Halil Ibrahim Balta, Hanm Busra Erdal, Huseyin Aydn, Muhammed Sait Kuloglu, Muhterem Tank, Murat Aksoy, Mustafa Erkan Acar, Mutlu Colgecen, Oguz Usluer, Seyid Klc, Ufuk Sanl, Unal Tank, Yakup Cetin, Yetkin Yldz and Said Sefa (who is on the run). Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017 Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 27 April 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017, 27 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a055f4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 27.04.2017 - Two journalists freed conditionally Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that two imprisoned journalists, Kaivan Karimi and Issa Saharkhiz, have been released conditionally in the past week. Karimi, a young documentary filmmaker, was freed on 20 April after completing half of the one-year sentence he received in November 2016 . Saharkhiz, the editor of several reformist newspapers was released on 25 April. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaie, said he had completed his sentence. One of the victims of a wave of arrests in early November 2015, Saharkhiz was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in August 2016 to three years in prison on charges of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While held, he staged several hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment and had been hospitalized since March 2016. The sentence was reduced last September. Ranked 165th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Iran is one of the world's five biggest prisons for media personnel, with a total of 28 journalists and citizen journalists detained. ---------- 19.04.2017 Narges Mohammadi begins serving second jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is outraged by the continuing persecution of journalist and leading human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, who has just started serving a ten-year prison sentence on completing a six-year one. She received the ten-year sentence a year after her most recent arrest, on 5 May 2015. Mohammadi has a long history of persecution by the judicial authorities and has been arrested several times. During her spells out of prison, she has worked closely with Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi at the Centre for Human Rights Defenders. The six-year sentence followed her arrest at her home on the evening of 10 June 2010. She was convicted two months later on charges of "meeting and plotting against the Islamic Republic," "anti-government publicity:" and "collaborating with the Centre for Human Rights Defenders" and was given an 11-year jail term that was reduced to six years on appeal in March 2011. Mohammadi suffered muscular paralysis as a consequence of the heavy-handed interrogation sessions to which she was subjected after her arrest in 2010. As a result, she was paroled in July 2012. ---------- 17.03.2017 - More journalists arrested Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yet again condemns the persecution of journalists in Iran after at least three more were arrested in the past week. The latest victims include Morad Saghafi, the editor of the magazine Goft o Gu ("Dialogue" in Persian), who was arrested at his Tehran home yesterday and was taken to an unknown location. His lawyer, Hamed Zargar, said neither he nor Saghafi's family have been told why he was arrested. Meanwhile, Ali Motahari, the deputy speaker of Iran's parliament, yesterday asked the minister of intelligence to explain why a military unit recently arrested 12 editors of pro-reform information pages on the instant messaging service Telegram. Motahari also criticized the detention of Ehssan Mazandarani, the former editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan, on 12 March (see RSF's 13 March release). His wife, Malieh Hossieni, a journalist with the newspaper Farhikhteghana, was fired the day after his arrest. Although banned, apps and social networks such as Telegram, Facebook and Twitter nowadays play an important role in providing Iranians with news and information. Telegram says it has more than 15 million users in Iran. According to the Kalameh news website, Ali Ahmadinia, the administrator of the Eslahat News (Reform News) channel on Telegram, was arrested on 14 March and was taken to an unknown location. RSF is currently very concerned about the health of two journalists who have been on hunger strike since their arrest. One is Mazandarani, who was arrested on 12 March (see above). The other Henghameh Shahidi, who was arrested on 9 March. ---------- 15.03.2017 Former editor gets six-month jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the six-month prison sentence that has been passed on Hossein Karoubi, the former editor of Etemad Meli (a newspaper closed since August 2009) for circulating the open letter that his father, Mehdi Karoubi, wrote to President Hassan Rohani. In the April 2016 letter, published in mostly foreign-based media outlets and on social networks, Mehdi Karoubi asks to be tried before a public court "in order to present the evidence I possess about massive fraud during the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections and to show what has happened to young Iranians in the country's legal and illegal detention centres." Etemad Melli's owner and a former parliamentary speaker, Mehdi Karoubi has been under house arrest since February 2011, a fate he has shared with former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi (the owner of the closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz) and Mousavi's wife, the writer Zahra Rahnavard. Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who are both former presidential candidates, are being held illegally and are being denied their rights. Their state of health is very worrying. RSF has meanwhile learned that Samna Safari, a journalist with the monthly Andisher Poya, was released on 11 March after the authorities determined that he had served his two-year jail sentence. Detained along with three other journalists in a wave of arrests in November 2015, he was sentenced by a revolutionary court in March 2016 to five years in prison for "anti-government propaganda activities." This was reduced to two years on appeal. ---------- 28.02.2017 City of Qom suspends newspaper Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the decision by the city of Qom's public prosecutor to suspend the newspaper Shakheh Sabz on 26 February, a day after it ran a story criticizing the level of violence in one of its poorest districts, which it likened to a "jungle." The suspension was ordered after 136 parliamentarians supported a resolution accusing the daily of "insulting the population of the Holy City of Qom." The newspaper's name means "Green Branch." ---------- 22.02.2017 Ahmad Montazeri returned to prison Reporters Without Borders (RSF) firmly condemns progressive cleric Ahmad Montazeri's arrest yesterday. The editor of the website of his late father, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, he was returned to prison after being summoned before a special court for clerics. Tried behind closed doors and without a defence lawyer on 20 October, Montazeri was sentenced on 27 November to ten years in prison for endangering state security, ten years for publishing a "classified audio recording" and another year for anti-government "propaganda." He was prosecuted for posting an old recording on the website on 9 August 2016 in which his father could be heard criticizing the wave of executions of political prisoners in the 1980s. For more information: Ahmad Montazeri gets 21-year jail term as part of bid to suppress history ---------- 17.02.2017 - Editor freed on completing jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Ehssan Mazndarani the editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan and one of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015 was released on 9 February. He had been given a seven-year jail sentence that was reduced to two years on appeal, His lawyer said he was freed as a result of a decision that he had completed his sentence. While in prison, he was hospitalized several times with heart and chest problems after a three-week hunger strike. ---------- 10.01.2017 - Website reporter flogged for getting facts wrong Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled to learn that Hossien Movahedi, a local news website reporter, was flogged last week in Najafabad, a city 450 km south of Tehran, for getting one of his facts wrong in a story about the confiscation of mopeds from female students at a technological secondary school in the city. Movahedi reported on the Najafabad News website on 14 June 2016 that the police seized 35 mopeds when, according to the police, it was only eight. Although he apologized for his mistake and although the police were allowed to publish their version on the website, the police pressed charges against him and a Najafabad court sentenced him to 40 lashes for "publishing false information." This inhuman and medieval sentence was carried out on 4 January. Iran has yet to ratify the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. ---------- 06.01.2016 - Woman journalist freed on completing one-year jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Rihaneh Tabatabai, a journalist who has worked for several reformist newspapers, was released yesterday on completing a one-year jail term on charges of endangering national security and anti-government publicity. She was arrested on 12 January 2016 to begin serving the sentence, which was originally imposed in November 2014 and was confirmed by a Tehran appeal court a year later. The sentence also includes two-year ban on political and journalistic activity in the media and online following her release. In all, Tabatabai has been jailed four times since 2010 in connection with her journalistic activities. ---------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2016) -------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2015) ------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2014) ---------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2013) ---------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2012) ---------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2011) ----- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (July-December 2010) -------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-July 2010) --------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (June-December 2009) Indonesia's double dealing on media freedom Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 2 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Indonesia's double dealing on media freedom, 2 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a05db4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns Indonesia's double dealing, hosting the 24th annual celebration of World Press Freedom Day in Jakarta with UNESCO while continuing to harass independent journalists in West Papua, the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea, with impunity. Yance Wenda, a photographer for the local news website Jubi, was arrested and beaten by police yesterday, the eve of World Press Freedom Day, while he was covering a peaceful demonstration in Sentani, a suburb of Jayapura, West Papua's largest city. After being held for four hours, Wenda told the BenarNews website that the police began hitting him with "hands, guns and cane" without giving him a chance to show them his media assignment letter. Jayapura police chief Gustav Urbinas acknowledged that Wenda was arrested but denied that the police hit him. Wenda nonetheless took photos of his injuries and posted them online as evidence of the police brutality. "We firmly condemn the police violence against Yance Wenda and we call for an investigation so that both the perpetrators and their superiors, who endorse their brutality, can be brought to justice," said Benjamin Ismail, the head of RSF's Asia- Pacific desk. "Indonesia is in the bottom third of the 2017 World Press Index and this beating, the latest in a long series of attacks on media freedom in West Papua in recent months, constitutes yet further evidence that it did not deserve to host the World Press Freedom Day celebration." Ismail added: "UNESCO and all the political figures gathered in Jakarta must condemn the violence and ask President Joko Widodo to stop playing a double game that consists of promoting media freedom with the international community while continuing to crack down in West Papua." Indonesia is ranked 124th out of 180 countries in the 2017 World Press Freedom Index that RSF published on 26 April. It is not unusual for both local and foreign journalists to be threatened anonymously or by the authorities and to be forced to censor themselves. Last week, the West Papua police seized TV reporter Richardo Hutahaean's camera and deleted its contents. Hutahaean, who heads an association of Papua TV journalists, and two colleagues also received death threats after a covering a court hearing on a dispute between local politicians. Because of the alarming media freedom situation in West Papua, the harassment of journalists and the frequent refusal to give press visas to foreign journalists, human rights organizations plan to protest during the events organized by UNESCO and the Indonesian government in order to press the international community to react. RSF expresses its support for the Legal Aid Centre for the Press (LBH Pers), which organized a public discussion on media freedom in West Papua on 2 April. The foreign media are usually prevented from working in West Papua and on the rare occasions when they are allowed to operate there, they are kept under close surveillance. French journalists Franck Escudie and Basile Longchamp were deported on 17 March after arriving in West Papua to film for a documentary. Another French journalist, Cyril Payen, was refused permission to return to Indonesia in 2016 after France 24 broadcast a documentary he had made about West Papua, entitled "Forgotten war of the Papuas." He had had nonetheless obtained all the necessary authorizations before visiting West Papua to film for the documentary in 2015. Free Azerbaijani journalist Mehman Huseynov! Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 2 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Free Azerbaijani journalist Mehman Huseynov!, 2 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a06244.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. As World Press Freedom Day is celebrated across the globe on May 3, we, the undersigned organizations, cannot forget the untenable price journalists pay for government criticism in Azerbaijan. The case of Mehman Huseynov is emblematic. Huseynov is a popular journalist and blogger in Azerbaijan who is known for his hard-hitting exposes of alleged corruption by senior Azerbaijani officials. In March 2017, a Baku court sentenced him to two years in prison on charges of defaming an entire police station, after he gave a statement in front of the courthouse in which he described the abuses he had suffered at that police station. On January 9, a group of plain-clothes officers attacked Mehman Huseynov, blindfolded and gagged him with towels, forced a bag over his head and took him to the Nasimi district police station, where police used an electroshock weapon on his groin, and punched him, bloodying his nose. The next day, officers took him before a court that found him guilty of disobeying police orders and fined him 200 manat (US$120). Mehman Huseynov remained defiant, went public about the abuses he suffered at the station, and filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office. The authorities formally opened an inquiry into Huseynov's allegations, but swiftly closed the inquiry claiming the allegations were groundless. On April 27, an appeal court upheld the prosecutor's decision to shut down the investigation. While authorities refused to conduct a credible investigation into Huseynov's torture allegations, the Nasimi police chief brought a criminal lawsuit against him for defamation. After just two hearings, a court found Huseynov guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison. Mehman Huseynov has been targeted by the government for years, since the authorities brought bogus criminal charges against the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), founded by his brother, Emin Huseynov, who was forced to flee the country for his own safety. Since 2012, Mehman Huseynov has been under a travel ban and has been repeatedly harassed and intimidated by the police. The imprisonment of Mehman Huseynov is another step by the Azerbaijani authorities to retaliate against him for his critical journalism and defiance, but also to deter others from seeking justice for police abuse, a persistent and well-documented problem in Azerbaijan. At least 5 other journalists and bloggers are currently in prison on politically motivated charges in Azerbaijan. On a day when the world commemorates the fundamental importance of press freedom, we call on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mehman Huseynov and hold to account those responsible for the torture and other ill-treatment he was subjected to. This would mark an important step towards ensuring press freedoms and guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. Online censorship rounds off Aliyev's control of Azerbaijani media Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Online censorship rounds off Aliyev's control of Azerbaijani media, 3 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a067f4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders condemns the blocking of five leading independent news websites for the past five weeks in Azerbaijan, which the government is now asking a court in the Baku district of Sabail to endorse. Displaying a nice sense of irony, the authorities have scheduled the next hearing for today, World Press Freedom Day. The five websites - those of the newspaper Azadlig, Meydan TV and Turan TV, the programme Azerbaycan Saati and Radio Azadlig - have been blocked since 27 March. Recent legislative amendments gave the government the power to block any website "posing a danger to the state or society." Ordered by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technology, this "preventive" blocking requires subsequent approval by a court - a formality in a country where the justice system acts as the executive's armed wing. The Sabail district court has already held two hearings on this blocking - on 27 April and 1 May. At no point has the ministry said explained how the five websites have broken the law. Pressed by the defence, a ministry official cited several articles without specifying which sections of the articles had been contravened and how. "By blocking five leading news websites, President Ilham Aliyev's government is demolishing all the remaining vestiges of media freedom in Azerbaijan," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "The persecution of the government's critics continues to intensify online, offline and even among exiles. The international community must finally end the government's impunity and hold it to account for its systematic violations of the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." The Internet was the newspaper Azadlig's sole remaining way of reaching its readers since it was forced to stop producing a print edition under pressure from the authorities in September 2016. The newspaper's financial director, Faiq Amirov, has for the past eight months been in prison, where he is in very poor health. Several members of Azadlig's staff, including interim editor Rahim Hajiyev, have been forced to flee the country in recent months to escape a similar fate. Meydan TV chief Emin Milli, who lives in exile in Berlin, reported in February that he had received new death threats. Aziz Orujov, the head of the Kanal 13 Web TV, was given a 30-day jail sentence yesterday for "refusing to comply with police instructions." Azerbaijan is ranked 162nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index and Aliyev, whose powers were reinforced by a referendum last September, is on RSF's list of press freedom predators. His wife was appointed first vice-president in February, thereby becoming the country's second highest official. Al-Jazeera English suspended in South Sudan Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Al-Jazeera English suspended in South Sudan, 3 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a06cc4.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the decision by South Sudan's Media Authority to suspend the activities of the Al-Jazeera English bureau in Juba until further notice. The Media Authority, whose members are appointed by President Salva Kiir, issued its order on 1 May. The bureau's staff is banned from covering anything to do with South Sudan. The ban follows a series of Al-Jazeera reports about the ongoing clashes between government forces and rebel troops. The Qatari TV news channel reported on 20 April that many civilians had been displaced by fighting in the southern county of Kajo-Keji. Its references to the significant losses sustained by the government forces in the course of this fighting seem to upset the authorities. RSF regards the closure of the Al-Jazeera bureau in Juba as an attack on media pluralism and the freedom to inform. South Sudan has fallen 30 places in RSF's World Press Freedom Index since the start of the civil war and is ranked 145th out of 180 countries in the 2017 Index. Kazakhstan: Five year jail, three year ban Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 3 May 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Kazakhstan: Five year jail, three year ban, 3 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/590a09374.html [accessed 9 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Jehovah's Witness prisoner of conscience, pensioner and cancer-sufferer Teymur Akhmedov was jailed in Astana on 2 May for five years and banned for a further three years from conducting "ideological/preaching activity". He denied KNB secret police charges of "inciting religious hatred" and will appeal. From 2-7 to sectional champs, Monrovia has one question: 'Why not us?' Thousands of people protested in the northern Chinese province of Hebei on after a leak at a chemical plant releases toxic gases into the air. Residents said the leak was emitted on Apr. 29 from the Hebei Xingfei Chemical Co. factory in Dongwang township, near Hebei's Xingtai city following a recent fire. An official circular issued by the Ningjin county government, which administers Dongwang township, said there had been a fire in a pipeline carrying trichloroisocyanuric acid, "resulting in the emission of irritating gas that was blown to a few villages downwind, and causing vomiting, coughing and other difficulties." "The Ningjin county government is extremely concerned about the incident and is carrying out educational work with local people," the circular said. "We have also instructed the county and [Xingtai] municipal environmental protection bureaus to investigate enterprises in the vicinity." Residents of several villages near the site reported vomiting and fainting, while thousands have gathered outside the factory gates, blocking the road and demanding the plant's relocation for the past few days. "All the farming communities near our township have gone over there to demand that the chemical factory halt production," a Dongwang resident surnamed Li told RFA on . "All of the residents of the nearby villages, who were worst affected by the pollution, are there, too," he said. "There are so many people there , several thousand." "They are all wearing face-masks and demonstrating at the gates," Li said. "The police haven't dared to move in to disperse us yet, and we haven't done anything to escalate the situation." "We just want to the stop the factory from operating," he said. "We are just stopping any vehicles from coming in or out." Calls to the Hebei Xingfei Chemical Co. factory rang unanswered during office hours on . Round-the-clock blockade Local sources said the blockade has continued round the clock since the leak occurred. A resident surnamed Zhao said the authorities are more concerned with profit that with the well-being of local people, and have allowed dozens of chemical plants to start up in the area. "There are more than a dozen chemical plants in this area, and we can smell [the emissions] when the wind blows from there," Zhao said. "There is a very high cancer rate in the villages nearby, and there was compensation paid for pollution of the crops." "But our opponents are rich and powerful, so there's little we can do," he said. "This recent leak was really serious, and people decided they wouldn't stand for it any more, and would stand up for their lives, and their environment," he said. "This was a spontaneous protest." Li said the pollution from the nearby plants smelled "awful" and had also affected local people's mental health. "We have difficulty breathing, and the smell of the emissions is really awful," he said. "It's extremely acrid and caustic, and the smell is still just as strong near the factory as it was before." He said local officials have called on protesters to wait for environmental tests to be completed before they take a decision about how to deal with the factory. "But there has been no clear plan of action to resolve things," Li said. Repeated calls to the Dongwang township government offices rang unanswered during office hours on , while calls to the Xingtai municipal government resulted in a repeated busy signal. Reported by Ding Wenqi for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. A Chinese rights activist and former winner of the European Union's Sakharov human rights prize is critically ill in hospital after being admitted last weekend. Hu Jia, 43, was taken to Beijing's You'an Hospital on with acute pancreatitis, and is critically ill, he told RFA. "I have been taken ill with sudden acute pancreatitis, and I called the ambulance myself," Hu told RFA in a video sent from his hospital bed on . "The doctor diagnosed me, then issued a critical notice," Hu said. "Acute pancreatitis carries some likelihood of death." "I am on nil by mouth and a 24-hour drip," Hu said. "This situation requires intensive care, but I am still conscious, although very weak following several days of anti-inflammatory medication." But he vowed to "return to the fray" and continue to fight for change in China. "There will be a short delay while I recover and get discharged from hospital, but after that I will return to the fray and continue my activities promoting change in China," he said. Hu's ex-wife Zeng Jinyan flew overnight with the couple's daughter to be with Hu in hospital on . Calls to Zeng's cell phone rang unanswered, however. Friends said he is temporarily unable to speak owing to the infection, a high fever, and a risk of cross-infection. Fellow activist Qi Zhiyong, who was maimed when a tank ran over his legs on the night of , 1989 in Beijing, said he had visited Hu in hospital on too. "He hasn't been able to eat for the past week, nor drink any water, and he is pretty groggy," Qi told RFA. "Hu wasn't doing too badly a few days ago, but now his condition is getting worse and worse," he said. "The doctor said he could die at any moment." "Anything they do for his liver will be bad for his pancreas [and vice versa], and Hu has hepatitis B at cirrhosis of the liver," Qi said. 'He could go at any time' He said Hu's parents had also arrived at his bedside, but doctors said he shouldn't receive any other visitors. "He could go at any time, die. That's a big danger," Qi said. Jiangsu rights activist Xu Liyan said she had waved to Hu through the door, rather than entering the room. "Several dozen people came [to visit] from all over," she said. "But nobody went into his room." Activist Jiang Jiawen, who traveled from the northeastern province of Liaoning to visit Hu, said many of his visitors are under surveillance by China's state security police. "I don't know why the state security police need to be here; it's not as if Hu Jia can do anything when he's so sick," Jiang said. A campaigner for human rights and AIDS victims in China, Hu was awarded the Sakharov Prize, a major human rights award, by the European Union in 2008. He has acted as a key source of information for foreign media on human rights and environmental violations, government abuses, judicial injustices, and the mistreatment of dissidents. More recently, Hu has been a vocal supporter of jailed Uyghur dissident Ilham Tohti, regularly speaking out against Chinese government policy in the troubled northwestern region of Xinjiang. Reported by Xin Lin for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. China's powerful Cyberspace Administration has moved to further tighten control over what the country's 731 million internet users can see online, with a ban on private-sector providers of online news. New rules coming into force on June 1 will bar any non-state-owned enterprise from running online news and editorial services, according to the agency's official website. Announced on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the move comes amid "increasing challenges in the country's efforts to regulate online news services," state news agency Xinhua reported. The rules will transfer full powers to regulate online news to the Cyberspace Administration from China's cabinet, the State Council, it said. The regulations will apply to "news reports about public affairs such as politics, economy, military and diplomacy, as well as comments and reports on emergencies, and news services include publishing, forwarding and broadcasting news," Xinhua said. According to the regulations: "Non-publicly owned capital may not enter into Internet news information gathering activities." Beijing lawyer Li Jinglin said the regulation is "illegal," although the regulations claimed to supersede any earlier laws. "This is illegal, because it violates China's constitution," Li said. "But who is going to enforce that?" "There is no independent judiciary in China, so there is no agency that could rule the Cyberspace Administration's rules unconstitutional," he said. Li said the rules are a far cry from promises Beijing made during its negotiations to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) to open up its media sector eventually to foreign competition. "They had previously promised to open up the media ... to foreign investment, but they are happy to break these promises," he said. Instead, online news providers must be legally registered in China, and people in charge of the organization must be Chinese citizens, while companies are banned from operating beyond the scope of their existing license. Licenses will be awarded for three years, and must be renewed before the end of that period, with further checks carried out in the case of news organizations judged to have violated the terms of their license. The authorities will also freeze sites that refuse to take steps to "rectify" violations of censorship rules. New rules Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia said the rules show that the media industry in China has changed rapidly since the turn of the century. "These new rules from the Cyberspace Administration will send a shiver up the spine of online reporters and editors who are already struggling for survival," Hu said. "It may be the beginning of summer in Beijing, but already there's a chilling effect in the air." "There is less and less space for civil society to exist in," he said. According to the rules, online news organizations must also show that they have "qualified" personnel, suggesting that journalists and editors will be subject to the same political screening process as their counterparts in more traditional media. They will also be required to limit themselves to reprinting news information on the ruling Chinese Communist Party's news whitelist, clearly indicating the story source, and keeping the original headline and byline. "They may not distort or misrepresent the original meaning of the title and the content of the news information," according to Article 15, while Article 17 forbids news sites from publishing or disseminating "prohibited" content. Any content discovered to be in violation of Chinese government guidelines must be immediately taken down. The rules add: "Internet news information service providers shall consciously accept social supervision." 'A cornered beast' Meanwhile, Guangzhou-based writer Ye Du said the aim is to choke off any freedom of expression for online news and information. "They have to cut it all off at one stroke; they can't allow any room at all or some idea that clashes with one-party rule could emerge." But veteran Chinese journalist Zhu Xinxin said he is optimistic that social media will make total control hard to achieve. "I think we can say that the efforts of Chinese citizens has broken the monopoly of the Communist party on news in the internet age," Zhu said. "Online, the government is fighting like a cornered beast." "They can't exercise total control over online public opinion." The new rules come after the Cyberspace Administration announced a crackdown earlier this year on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to get around the complex system of blocks, filters, and human censorship known as the Great Firewall that limits what Chinese citizens can see online. Any service providers offering VPNs or special cable services to connect to the wider internet beyond sites censored by the government will now be required to obtain government approval before they can operate, according to a statement released by the ministry of industry and information technology. Reported by Gao Shan and Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Hai Nan for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Chinese paramilitary police and work teams have moved in force in recent weeks into Tibetan-populated counties of Sichuan in reaction to self-immolation protests staged in March and April in Kardze town, frequently a site of Tibetan challenges to rule by Beijing, a local source says. The two protests were staged by residents of Sichuans Nyagrong (in Chinese, Xinlong) county who had traveled to the Kardze (Ganzi) county seat to carry out the burnings, a resident of the area told RFAs Tibetan Service. Following these incidents, Chinese paramilitary forces and other workers were deployed to the home towns and villages of the protesters and to Kardze town itself, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The workers called community members to a meeting and conducted patriotic reeducation workshops for them, the source said, adding, The movements of Tibetans were also restricted, adding to tensions in the area. Authorities have also increased their scrutiny of online communications and the use of social media by Tibetan residents, the source said. Chinese agents are taking part in Tibetan WeChat groups to identify people talking about Tibet to outside contacts, he said. Many of those sharing information outside the area have been contacted and warned, while chat group leaders have been threatened. Government workers and security forces have meanwhile visited monasteries in Nyagrong and called the monks together for meetings, the source said. The monks have been forced to sign statements promising never to get involved in protests against China, he said. 'Engulfed in flames' On April 15, Nyagrong resident Wangchuk Tseten, a 39-year-old father of four, set himself ablaze in Kardze town after drinking kerosene and pouring it over his body, sources told RFA in earlier reports. As he burned, he called out for the long life of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the source said, adding, His body was completely engulfed in flames, so it seems there is little chance that he survived. Tsetens protest brought to 148 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans living in China since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009. Of these, 125 are known to have died. The previous protest was on March 18, when a 24-year-old Tibetan farmer named Pema Gyaltsen, also from Nyagrong, set himself on fire in Kardze. His fate remains unclear. Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney. UPDATED at 3:34 P.M. EST on 2017-05-4 Authorities in Vietnams commercial capital Ho Chi Minh City will investigate a violent attack on an environmental activist which was filmed and posted to social media by a man believed to have planned the beating, state media reported Wednesday. Shocking video of the May 2 attack on Hanoi-based activist Le My Hanh and two others at her friend Huongs home in Ho Chi Minh City surfaced later that day on the Facebook page of a man named Phan Hung, and shows thugs believed hired by local police punching and kicking the women, while calling them reactionaries. On Wednesday, District 2 police chief Tran Van Hieu pledged to investigate the incident, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Law newspaper, which referred to one of the victims with the initials LMH and the alleged leader of the assailants as Phan Hung. The Youth of Ho Chi Minh news agency also quoted Ho Chi Minh City Police spokesman Nguyen Sy Quang confirming the probe and saying the incident is being considered part of a criminal case. Rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh told RFAs Vietnamese Service Wednesday that Hanhs case should be prosecuted immediately and expressing regret that authorities had waited more than 24 hours after the assault to act. Legally, this attack was very serious because there were signs of a crime being committed, Dinh said. The first is encroaching on a residence and the second is intentionally inflicting injury, with the aggravating factor of threatening the public and disrespecting the law. Also, this is the use of social media to carry out organized crime, he added. This case should be prosecuted and acted on in a serious manner. On his Facebook page, Hung called the beating a welcome act for Le My Hanh to Saigon [the former name of Ho Chi Minh City] and threatened whoever supports the three stripes [a reference to the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam] and wants to distort and defame leaders, or incite violence and subversion [to] please speak up! Hung is believed to have planned the attack and taken part in the beating of Hanh, who has slammed the government for not taking a harder stance against Taiwan-owned Formosa Plastics Group after its steel plant in Ha Tinh province caused a toxic waste spill last year that killed an estimated 115 tons of fish and left fishermen jobless in four coastal provinces. The company pledged U.S. $500 million to clean up and compensate people affected by the spill, but the government has faced protests over the amount of the settlement and the slow pace of payouts. Attempts by RFA to contact Hung about his decision to post the attack on Facebook went unanswered. Phan Hung in an undated photo. Photo courtesy of Phan Hung's Facebook account Violent beating On Wednesday, Hanh told RFA that around five peopleincluding one womanbarged into Huongs house on Tran Nao Street in Ho Chi Minh Citys Binh An ward on May 2 spraying pepper spray before beating her and her friends. She said the attack continued for several minutes before the group retreated, but added that the video ended before documenting what happened next. They [returned and] attacked us even more brutally, using the rest of the pepper spray directly in our faces, she said. I became dizzy and lost consciousness right after that, and when I woke up they had disappeared. Hanh said she feels haunted by the attack whenever she goes out in public. I feel that I am in constant dangerthey dared to blatantly go to the room of a normal citizen like me even though I have no conflict with them, she said. The activist said those responsible should face justice for what they had done, and expressed determination to continue with her work, despite the risks to her personal safety. We need to raise our voices to make this society better, so that people can live in a place where they receive better social security, she said. The May 2 incident marks the second time in one month Hanh has been targeted for her activism. On April 5, a masked assailant attacked Hanh and a friend as she took a video of themselves joining a march near Hanois West Lake to protest Formosa. In that video, Hanh and her friend walk past a man wearing a red bandana across his face as he dismounts from a two-wheeled vehicle, approaches her from behind and begins to hit her about the head before the camera falls to the ground. Call for rule of law Also on Wednesday, dozens of activists and civil society groups in Vietnam signed a declaration calling on authorities to implement rule of law amid a series of violent incidents in recent months. The signatories drew specific attention to the attack on Hanh and urged authorities to take appropriate measures to end the assaults, adding that they would issues calls for nationwide demonstrations if nothing is done. The statement referred to a number of recent examples of activists being attacked by unknown assailants, including at a March 14 event commemorating a 1988 naval battle between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea and an April 30 incident in which activist Truong Van Dung was beaten while filming videos of protests against Formosa. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Correction: A previous version of the article erroneously stated that 10 people attacked Hanh, including five men and five women. A group of human rights and internet security organizations marked World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday by calling on Vietnam to free detained citizen journalist Nguyen Van Hoa, held since January on charges of disseminating anti-state propaganda. In a statement signed by Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres and Washington-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, among others, the organizations demanded that authorities immediately release Hoa, an activist known for filming protests against a polluting steel plant. With mounting social and environmental challenges, the government of Vietnam should welcome transparency and peaceful dialogue, the statement said. Repressing citizen journalists is not only a violation of human rights but also a major impediment to Vietnams aspirations to become a tech and innovation hub. Hoa, 22, who is also a digital security trainer and regular contributor to RFA, was the first person to broadcast live footage of protests outside Taiwan-owned Formosas steel plant located at the deep-water port in Ha Tinh province using a flycam drone. Last October, his footage of more than 10,000 peaceful protesters went viral. Formosa has acknowledged that its steel plant caused a toxic waste spill last year that killed an estimated 115 tons of fish and left fishermen jobless in four coastal provinces. The company pledged U.S. $500 million to clean up and compensate people affected by the spill, but the government has faced protests over the amount of the settlement and the slow pace of payouts. Police arrested Hoa on Jan. 11 amid detentions of several activists in advance of the Tet holiday and initially accused him of abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State under Article 258, before changing the charges to anti-state propaganda under Article 88. Authorities in Vietnam recently released a video of Hoa apologizing for his reporting of the Formosa protests, in what is seen as an attempt to dissuade the public from taking part in peaceful activism and citizen journalism. Wednesdays statement noted that Hoas detention comes as the Vietnamese government launches a crackdown against citizen journalists, online activists and human rights defenders. Two bloggers, Nguyen Van Oai and Tran Thi Nga, were detained within days of Hoas arrest. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Vietnam held at least eight reporters behind bars as of Dec. 1, 2016, when the organization last conducted its annual global census of jailed journalists. The Southeast Asian nation has consistently ranked among the 10 worst jailers of journalists in the world, the group said. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. A powerful explosion struck a NATO convoy in the Afghan capital on May 3, killing at least eight civilians and wounding 28 people, including three coalition soldiers. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. (RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan) A powerful blast targeting an armored NATO convoy in Kabul has killed at least eight people and wounded 28, including three coalition soldiers, officials say. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq media arm. The attack came on May 3 during morning rush hour on a busy road near the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters, according to an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman. "Unfortunately most of [the victims] are civilians," spokesman Najib Danish said. NATO said three coalition soldiers had received "non-life-threatening wounds." "[They] are in stable condition, and are currently being treated at coalition medical facilities," a spokesman for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan said, without confirming their nationalities. Earlier, a Resolute Support spokesman, U.S. Navy Captain Bill Salvin, said three U.S. service members were wounded in the attack. Resolute Support is a NATO-led train, advise, and assist mission. The explosion, which NATO said was an improvised explosive device, damaged two of the heavily armored Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles carrying the foreign soldiers and left a small crater in the road. MRAPs, which are designed to withstand large explosions, are routinely used by international forces moving around Kabul. However, the IS statement said a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the U.S. Embassy. The local IS affiliate has gathered strength in recent years, and is now at war with both the U.S.-backed government and the much larger Taliban insurgency. The attack comes just days after a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week. The spring offensive normally marks the start of the "fighting season," though this winter Taliban militants kept battling government forces. Since the beginning of the year, at least five large attacks have taken place in Afghanistan's capital with hundreds of civilians killed and injured. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who visited Kabul last month as Washington seeks to craft a new strategy in Afghanistan, warned of "another tough year" in the war-torn country for both foreign troops and local forces. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told a German newspaper on April 20 that the 28-nation alliance was considering boosting its troop strength once more, given the "challenging" security situation. The United States has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from NATO allies. Most are taking part in NATO's train, assist, and advise mission, though some are also carrying out counterterrorism missions targeting the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. The Afghan conflict is the longest in U.S. history -- American-led NATO troops have been at war there since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime for refusing to hand over Osama bin Laden following the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. With reporting by dpa, AFP, Reuters, and AP 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. The veteran politician who heads Russia's Daghestan region is facing criticism after suggesting that some school employees in the North Caucasus republic look like "cows." After a hail of criticism targeting Ramazan Abdulatipov on social media, a lawmaker in Daghestan took the regional leader to task with a one-man protest on the central square in the capital, Makhachkala, on May 3. Along with a poster denouncing bribery, Communist lawmaker Marat Aslanov held a sign featuring verses from beloved Daghestani poet Rasul Gamzatov, who died in 2003. Next to a verse that hails "the women of mountains," the words "fat cows" were written in red and crossed out. https://dag.life/2017/05/03/deputat-parlamenta-dagestana-ot-kprf-vyshel-na-odinochnyj-piket-v-mahachkale/ Aslanov said that he was protesting against recent statements by Abdulatipov. At a meeting with education officials on April 26, Abdulatipov urged school principals to hire "pretty girls" as deputies and complained that "now you come to a school and see only cows there." He spoke after praising the work of an ethnic Russian woman who had been a deputy education minister in the region and became deputy prime minister, prompting some to accuse him of insulting women from non-Russian ethnic groups in Daghestan. At the same session, Abdulatipov, 70, said that he had to bribe a Russian agency that controls educational institutions when he was a university rector. With reporting by Chernovik and Kavkazsky Uzel Thousands of citizens march in Budapest, chanting "Europe, not Moscow!" In France, a pro-European centrist is poised to handily defeat a pro-Moscow nationalist in the May 7 presidential election runoff. Finland and the Czech Republic have established new centers to combat Russian disinformation and hybrid threats. In Sweden and Finland, the issue of joining NATO is being taken more seriously than ever before. And Spanish prosecutors are aggressively pursuing cases against Kremlin-connected organized-crime groups. Don't look now, but across Europe, the backlash against Moscow's efforts to subvert and undermine the EU with disinformation, corruption, hacking, and organized crime is gathering steam. Speaking at a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday, Vladimir Putin said Russia has "never interfered in the political life and political processes in other countries." Of course, everybody knew he was lying. It comes so naturally to him. But here's the thing: until recently, Putin nonkinetic assault on Europe enjoyed the benefit of plausible deniability. Yeah, sure, Poland and the Baltic states would regularly sound the alarm -- but few were listening. The Kremlin's efforts to undermine Europe's institutions and European unity were stealthy enough and Moscow could largely count on European complacency. Elites could be corrupted with lucrative sweetheart deals. The Kremlin's black cash could fatten the ledgers of Western banks and create a ready-made lobby for Moscow. Gangsters could advance the Kremlin's interests without leaving fingerprints. But now, the mask is finally off. And the backlash is coming. Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page. Georgias former prime minister, Vano Merabishvili, and former Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili, have been found guilty of abusing their powers during 2004 and sentenced to prison. The Tbilisi City Court issued guilty verdicts and sentences on May 3. Merabishvili received a 27-month sentence on charges linked to his time in office as Georgia's interior minister, while Adeishvili, tried in absentia, was sentenced to 18 months in jail. The 49-year-old Merabishvili emerged as a key government figure after Georgia's 2003 Rose Revolution, serving as interior minister from 2004 to 2012 before becoming prime minister. He is currently serving a multiyear sentence on previous convictions of abusing his office, bribing voters, and ordering the beating of a person. The 44-year-old Adeishvili worked briefly in 2015 as an advisor to the Ukrainian government. He now lives in Ukraine. Kyiv has refused to extradite Adeishvili to Georgia. Supporters of Merabishvili and Adeishvili insist the charges against them are politically motivated and part of a "witch-hunt" by Georgia's current government. In June 2016, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the detention of Merabishvili was being used by Georgian officials for other motives in violation of the European Convention of Human Rights. Based on reporting by apsny.ge and Kavkazsky Uzel Georgia's government has refused entry to a Russian motorcycle gang that is closely linked to President Vladimir Putin. Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili told reporters in Tbilisi on May 3 that members of the Night Wolves biker gang had not been allowed to enter the country on May 2. He did not give any other details. Since 2015, the Night Wolves -- a group that supported Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and some of whose members fought on the side of Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine -- have toured European countries in early May to mark the end of World War II. The United States has imposed sanctions on the Night Wolves over attacks theyve made in Crimea and over their recruitment of fighters for separatists in eastern Ukraine. The Night Wolves' leader, Aleksandr Zaldostanov, who has frequently appeared in public with Putin, became known for his fiercely nationalistic statements. Based on reporting by apsny.ge and Imedi SKOPJE -- Thousands of nationalist demonstrators were continuing their protests in Skopje on May 3 against a proposed governing coalition of Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties, hours after Macedonia's first ethnic Albanian speaker of parliament took physical possession of the speaker's office. Talat Xhaferi, the newly elected speaker of parliament, entered the office during the early morning hours of May 3, where he met with the European Union's ambassador to Macedonia, Samuel Zbogar. In a statement later on May 3, Xhaferi's office said he is now conducting his duties normally as parliamentary speaker and that all of the parliament's administrative services are functioning. The move came a day after nationalist VMRO-DPMNE legislators occupied the office and blocked an attempt by Xhaferi to enter. VMRO-DPMNE lawmakers reacted to Xhaferi's May 3 statement by repeating their charges that his election to the speaker's post was "illegal" because it did not follow standard parliamentary procedures. The EU and the United States have both taken steps to recognize Xhaferi as the legitimately elected speaker. Meanwhile, nationalist protesters called for another mass demonstration on May 3. Those demonstrators, most of whom are VMRO-DPMNE supporters, say Macedonia's national unity is threatened by a coalition deal struck between the Social Democrats to govern alongside ethnic Albanian parties. The accord would sideline the VMRO-DPMNE party of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, which opposes a plan to make Albanian the second official language of Macedonia. Parliamentary Crime Scene On April 27, the day Xhaferi was elected as parliamentary speaker, angry supporters of the VMRO-DPMNE stormed inside parliament and assaulted Social Democratic leader Zoran Zaev along with several ethnic Albanian lawmakers, bloodying them and sending some to the hospital. With investigations into that violence continuing on May 3, authorities were treating Macedonia's parliament building as a crime scene. Although Zaev's Social Democrats and three ethnic Albanian parties control a majority of seats in parliament, President Gjorge Ivanov -- an ally of the VMRO-DPMNE -- has refused to take action on his constitutional authority to grant the alliance a formal mandate to form a new government. That has prevented Zaev's new coalition from formally presenting a new government for a vote of approval by parliament. Washington and Brussels both insist that, under Macedonia's constitution, a coalition that controls a majority of seats in parliament has the right to form a new government. The U.S. State Department sent a high-level envoy to Skopje during the weekend to urge leaders of the VMRO-DPMNE to peacefully cede power to the coalition led by Zaev. The VMRO-DPMNE and its allies say strong opposition to Zaev's proposed coalition, seen in nightly demonstrations by nationalists during the past two months, is evidence that the public does not want the VMRO-DPMNE to vacate power. They argue that Macedonia needs to call new elections. They claim that the current impasse was caused by inconclusive results in December's election rather than the refusal of Ivanov to present Zaev's majority coalition with the mandate it needs to conduct a parliamentary vote on a new government. With reporting by AFP The Pakistani Army says that it pushed back an attack from militants at two posts on the border with Afghanistan, killing three of the militants. The militants attacked two Pakistani border posts in the South Waziristan tribal region, it said on May 2. The army killed three of the attackers and injured a number of others in "intense exchanges of fire," it said. The Taliban claimed responsibility in an e-mailed statement, describing it as revenge for a recent suspected U.S. drone strike that targeted the insurgents in the neighboring North Waziristan tribal region. The statement said about 120 Taliban fighters took part in the raid, triggering an hourlong shoot-out. Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing sanctuaries for Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network on its soil, while Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering Pakistani Taliban. In February, the Pakistani military closed border crossings with Afghanistan after a suicide bomber, allegedly from a militant group operating out of Afghanistan, killed nearly 90 people at Sufi Islam's most revered shrine in Pakistan. In March, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered the reopening of border crossings following talks between security officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan in London. Based on reporting by AP and dpa Four militants convicted by military courts have been executed in Pakistan, the military says. The army says the militants, members of the Pakistani Taliban, confessed to their involvement in attacks against civilians and the military. The executions were carried out early on May 3. Pakistan lifted a ban on the death penalty and established the military courts to try suspected Islamic militants after a Taliban attack on a school in December 2014 killed more than 150 people, mainly children. Justice Project Pakistan, a human rights group, says 441 people have been executed since then, including at least 32 convicted by military courts. Human rights groups have expressed opposition to the closed-door trials. Pakistan has been fighting several militant groups for more than a decade. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in militant attacks. With reporting by AP and Dawn A Russian court has upheld an embezzlement verdict against opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, a politically charged ruling that will strengthen the government's case for keeping him out of next year's presidential election if President Vladimir Putin doesn't want him to run. Navalny and co-defendant Pyotr Ofitserov were not present at the May 3 hearing at the regional court in the city of Kirov, about 800 kilometers northeast of Moscow. They were represented by their lawyers. Navalny and Ofitserov had filed an appeal after a lower court, in a retrial of a previous case, convicted them of large-scale embezzlement from a state timber company called Kirovles and handed them suspended sentences of five years and four years, respectively. They were also fined 500,000 rubles ($8,350) each. The retrial came after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in February 2016 that the outcome of the 2013 trial, when exactly the same verdicts and sentences were handed to Navalny and Ofitserov, violated the defendants' right to a fair trial. According to the ECHR ruling, the Russian court found the men "guilty of acts indistinguishable from regular commercial activity." After the ECHR's ruling, Russia's Supreme Court threw out the Kirov court's 2013 conviction of Navalny and Ofitserov on charges of large-scale theft involving timber sales. Both Navalny and Ofitserov have maintained their innocence. Navalny's lawyer, Vadim Kobzev, said on May 3 that he will challenge the latest court decision at the ECHR. Navalny, 40, was among the leaders of large antigovernment protests in 2011-2012 and has riled the Kremlin with detailed reports alleging deep-seated corruption among officials close to Putin. He challenged the Kremlin favorite in a Moscow mayoral election in 2013 and won nearly 30 percent of the vote, an outcome that analysts say unnerved Putin's government. Navalny contends that the Kirovles case and a separate financial-crimes prosecution that also ended in a guilty verdict were politically motivated, state-mandated punishment for his opposition activity. He says the Kremlin is using the courts to keep him from running for president in a March 2018 election in which Putin, who has held power as prime minister or president since 1999, is widely expected to seek and secure a new six-year term. Navalny announced his presidential bid in December and has campaigned actively, opening campaign offices in cities nationwide. He has twice been doused with a green antiseptic liquid by assailants, including an April 26 attack that has at least temporarily left the vision in his right eye severely impaired Russian authorities have suggested that Navalny would be barred from the presidential ballot if his conviction was upheld, citing legislation that says Russians convicted of grave crimes -- such as the offense Navalny was found guilty of in the Kirovles case -- cannot run for president. However, Navalny's backers say the rules are unclear, and Russian officials have not stated clearly whether he will be allowed on the ballot. Analysts say Putin, who is widely seen as the arbiter in such matters even if they are formally decided by courts or government offices, may not have decided whether it would be better to let him run or bar him from the ballot. The head of Navalny's election staff, Leonid Volkov, said that Navalny will continue his election campaign despite the conviction on retrial. "The ruling will have no impact at all," Volkov said. "Our campaign was planned amid uncertainty in the Kirovles case; it was launched amid that uncertainty, and it is continuing irrespective of the [court] decision," the Interfax news agency quoted Volkov as saying. He said Navalny "has both the moral and legal right to run" in the election. With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and RIA Novosti Russia has succeeded in sowing political discord in the United States by interfering in the 2016 presidential election, which will likely prompt Moscow to try it again, two former top U.S. intelligence figures say. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers agreed during a Harvard University panel discussion that Russia likely has concluded it achieved its goals and could attempt to repeat its success in elections in France and Germany this year. "Their purpose was to sow discontent and mistrust in our elections. They wanted us to be at each others' throats when it was over," Rogers said at the event in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "It's influencing, I would say, legislative process today. That's wildly successful." Several U.S. Congress committees have been investigating the matter since U.S. intelligence agencies in January concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the hacking of Democratic political groups to sway the election toward Republican Donald Trump. Moscow has denied any such meddling and Trump has dismissed intelligence pointing to Russian involvement. Clapper said that Russia had long sought to influence U.S. voter behavior but discovered it could be far more effective at a lower cost by using social media like Facebook to spread misinformation. "This is the most assertive, most aggressive, and most directly impactful of any engagement that they have had in our elections," said Clapper, who was the top intelligence official in the Obama administration. "In my view, the evidence for it was overwhelming" and "irrefutable," he said. "They have to regard what they did as a huge success. They've been doing it in France and they'll do it in Germany." Russia has also denied attempting to influence France's presidential election, where a runoff vote is scheduled on May 7. Rogers said he did not believe that Russia had specifically attempted to boost Trump's chances of victory, contradicting a claim by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton earlier on May 2 that Russian leaks of Democratic e-mails helped sway the election toward Trump in the final 10 days of the campaign. Rogers pointed out that public polls before the election consistently showed Clinton winning. "They saw the same polls that we did," Rogers said. "Some notion that the Russians knew that Trump had an opportunity to win this thing more than U.S. public pollsters thought, I find ridiculous." Clapper is set to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the matter next week along with former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who was fired by Trump during his first days in office for refusing to enforce his travel restrictions on immigrants. The Associated Press reported on May 2 that Yates will tell Congress that in the early days of the administration she expressed alarm to the White House about Trump's national security adviser's contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States. In a January 26 conversation about Michael Flynn, Yates said she saw discrepancies between the White House's public statements on his contacts with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak and what actually occurred, AP reported, citing sources close to Yates. Yates is expected to testify that she told White House counsel Don McGahn that she was concerned that discrepancies about Flynn's communications with Kislyak could leave the Trump aide in a compromised position. Flynn was in frequent contact with Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for hacking Democrats during the election, according to media reports, belying claims by the White House that Flynn did not discuss sanctions with Kislyak. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and Harvard Crimson Russia has launched multiple suicide drones on Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, wounding people and damaging civilian facilities, the head of the regional military administration said, as fierce battles are under way in the eastern Donetsk region and in the south. "The occupiers attacked the area massively with kamikaze drones. Our air defense destroyed five barrage ammunition. They also attacked with drones the city of Dnipro, targeting a logistics enterprise. Four employees were wounded, three of them are in serious condition in hospital," Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. 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. Russian forces also bombarded the Nikopol district in the region with Grad missiles and heavy artillery. Reznichenko said the shelling damaged private houses, a factory, and a power line, but no one was injured. A fire spread over more than 3,000 square meters, but it had already been extinguished, Reznichenko said. Russian troops regularly shell the Dnipropetrovsk region with various types of weapons, in particular the Nikopol, Kryvorizky, and Synelnyk districts. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed that Ukraine will not "surrender a single centimeter of our land" in Donetsk, where heavy fighting has been under way, and he thanked Ukrainian troops who are holding positions in the Donbas region. The epicenter of the battle for the industrial region of Donetsk is around the towns of Bakhmut, Soledar, and Avdiyivka. "The activity of the occupiers remains at an extremely high level -- dozens of attacks every day," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address late on November 8. "They are suffering extraordinarily high losses. But the order remains the same -- to advance on the administrative boundary of Donetsk region. We will not yield a single centimeter of our land," he said. Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions Russia said it annexed in September following referendums considered a sham by Kyiv and its Western allies. Fighting had been going on there between Ukrainian military and Kremlin-backed separatist forces since 2014, the same year Russia illegally annexed Crimea in the south. Zelenskiy said the goal of the Russian troops is to push to the administrative border of the Donetsk region. "We clearly understand the enemy's plans, so we act accordingly. Carefully, thoughtfully, and in the interests of the liberation of our entire territory. We are strengthening our positions, breaking Russian logistics, consistently destroying the potential of the occupiers to keep the south of our country under occupation," Zelenskiy added. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the most intense battles were taking place in Bakhmut and Soledar in the Donetsk region, where the Ukrainian military repels dozens of Russian attacks per day. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the region's military administration, said the city of Bakhmut was very badly damaged, and there is not a single surviving house in Avdiyivka, Maryinka, or Krasnohorivka. Russian troops are trying to wipe the cities "off the face of the Earth," he said. Fierce fighting was also going on on the edge of the town of Snihurivka, in the southern Mykolaiyv region, according to Yury Barabashov, the town's Russian-appointed mayor, as cited by Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-installed administration in the southern Kherson region, said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had tried to advance on three fronts, including Snihurivka. Vitaly Kim, the Ukrainian governor of the Mykolayiv region, apparently quoting an intercepted dialogue between Russian troops, suggested that Ukrainian forces had already pushed the Russians out of the area. "Russian troops are complaining that they have already been thrown out of there," Kim said in a statement on his Telegram channel. The information could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian military said it destroyed two Russian ammunition depots in southern Ukraine on November 8, one in Snihurivka, and one in Kostromka, in the neighboring Kherson region. WATCH: Paratroopers with Ukraine's 79th Air Assault Brigade say they're holding positions around the small city of Maryinka in eastern Ukraine despite daily Russian attacks. Russia has mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists in recent months seeking to stave off an offensive launched by Ukraine to regain Russian-occupied territories. Kyiv-based military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said on November 8 that 21 Russian conscripts had surrendered to Ukrainian forces around Svatove in the eastern Luhansk region. "These poor mobilized men -- really poor, they had had nothing to eat or drink in three days -- of course they decided to surrender," Zhdanov said on his YouTube channel. In the southern Kherson region, a battle between advancing Ukrainian forces and the Russian occupiers has been looming for weeks in the city by the same name, the only regional capital Russia has captured intact since its unprovoked invasion in February. Kherson is arguably the most important of the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions that Russia says it annexed. It controls both the only land route to the Crimean Peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper River that bisects Ukraine. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also commented on the fighting in eastern Ukraine on November 8. He was quoted by TASS as saying that information released about casualties among Chechen fighters near Lysychansk, a city in the eastern Luhansk region, was false. "Not a single fighter of ours was killed in the aforementioned area," Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel, adding that he didn't want to comment on "such falsehoods" but found it necessary "to reassure all sane and concerned people." Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, released video footage that it said showed a drone strike obliterating a Ukrainian tank that was hiding in an urban area and shelling Russian troops. "A Russian squad of unmanned aerial vehicles spotted the Ukrainian tank and destroyed it using a precision strike," the ministry said on November 8, according to TASS. The Ukrainian military's General Staff said Russian troops used drones and artillery on November 8 to shell communities along the Sumy region's border with Russia in northeastern Ukraine. The only damage reported was to utility poles. Sumy borders three regions of Russia -- Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod. The border regions of Ukraine are regularly shelled by Russia. Neither side's battlefield claims could be independently verified. The Ukrainian military has accused Russian troops of more looting and destroying infrastructure in Kherson. "A convoy of trucks passed over the dam of the Kakhova hydroelectric station loaded with home appliances and building materials," the military said. Russians were dismantling mobile phone towers and taking equipment, it said, adding that near the city of Beryslav, Russian forces "blew up a power line and took equipment from a solar power station." With reporting by Reuters, AP, and CNN ON MY MIND On one hand, the Moscow authorities' unwillingness to investigate last week's zelyonka chemical attack against opposition leader Aleksei Navalny is a sign of approval. After all, Internet sleuths have already made a convincing case that the culprits are South-East Russian Bloc, or SERB, a pro-Kremlin activist group. (See Kevin Rothrock's piece in GlobalVoices on the subject, featured in yesterday's Morning Vertical.) But as Vedomosti notes in an editorial featured below, the attack on Navalny, other assaults on opposition figures, and the authorities' response to these attacks illustrate something else as well: As it outsources its attacks on the opposition, Vladimir Putin's regime is giving up its monopoly on the organized use of violence. The Kremlin is effectively waging a hybrid war against the opposition. And as several reports illustrate, it involves some of the same people who were involved in the early stages of the hybrid war on Ukraine. Aleksandr Petrunko, the man identified as a SERB activist involved in the attack on Navalny, also participated in a failed attempt to take over the Kharkiv regional administration in April 2014. (See Halya Coynash's piece featured in yesterday's Morning Vertical.) Using proxies in eastern Ukraine didn't exactly work out as the Kremlin had planned. And sooner or later, the Kremlin may come to regret opening a similar Pandora's box at home. IN THE NEWS Russia has succeeded in sowing political discord in the United States by interfering in the 2016 presidential election, which will likely prompt Moscow to try it again, two former top U.S. intelligence figures say. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has blamed her defeat in the 2016 presidential election on Russia and FBI Director James Comey, saying that their interference "scared off" voters. A Russian military adviser, Lieutenant Colonel Aleksei Buchelnikov, was killed by a sniper in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry has said. The Kremlin has confirmed that Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on May 17. Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny says he is filing official complaints contending that Moscow police are not investigating an attack against him. Moscow police say they are investigating reports that fragments of bodies of Kyrgyz citizens were found in a dumpster in the Russian capital. Russia has kicked off the trial in abstentia of a prominent New York real-estate developer and former Guggenheim Museum board member who is accused of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds to fuel her lavish lifestyle. Putin has signed a law banning a wide range of unconventional names for newborns. WHAT I'M READING The Kremlin's Middleman Re:baltica has an investigative piece looking at the Latvian financier who is believed to have acted as the conduit between Marine Le Pen and the Kremlin. Inside The Black Box Maksim Alyukov of the European University of St. Petersburg has a piece in OpenDemocracy on how Russian television programs are made. The Medvedev Signal Mark Galeotti of the Institute of International Relations in Prague has a piece in BNE IntelliNews on how Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's fate will be a signal about Putin's intentions. Parsing The Putin-Trump Call Galeotti also has a short video giving his snap take on yesterday's phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. And in The Atlantic, Julia Ioffe writes that the call was "disappointing" for Putin. Parsing The Putin-Merkel Meeting Kommersant peeks behind the curtain of Putin's meeting with Angela Merkel in Sochi. Russia's War On Europe In Republic.ru, political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya looks at the current state of Russia's information war in Europe. The Calculus Of Repression Samuel Greene, director of the Russia Institute at Kings College London and author of the book Moscow In Movement: Power And Opposition In Putins Russia, has an op-ed in The Moscow Times on Putin's "repression calculus" in the face of mounting protests. Vigilante Patriots In an editorial, Vedomosti looks at the recent chemical attack on Aleksei Navalny and other assaults on opposition members and asks whether the state is losing its monopoly on violence. Putin's Grand Strategy Andy Akin, an assistant professor of national security studies at the USAFs eSchool of Graduate PME, has a piece in The Washington Post looking at Putin's "grand strategy." Victims Of Chechnya's War On Gays The Associated Press has a piece on gay men, now living in Moscow safe houses, who fled torture in Chechnya. Five Faces Of May Day Writing on his blog Window On Eurasia, veteran Kremlin-watcher Paul Goble looks at five protest actions that took place on the May Day holiday. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says there is "almost no trust" at present between the United States and Russia, mentioning arms-control agreements and Ukraine as areas where Moscow "is not being particularly helpful today." Tillerson made the remarks to staff at the State Department in Washington on May 3 in a wide-ranging presentation about the department's future under President Donald Trump and in the face of possibly severe cuts to its budget. "We have a number of efforts under way to first stabilize the relationship [between the United States and Russia]," Tillerson said. "Acting Deputy Secretary [of State Thomas] Shannon is leading a working-group effort to see if we can address some of the things that are just irritating the relationship, that make it hard for us to talk to one another even in civil tones." Tillerson said he plans to discuss cooperation on resolving the war in Syria with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of an Arctic Council event in Fairbanks, Alaska on May 10-11. He also said the United States is preparing fresh sanctions against North Korea in response to Pyongyang's continued development of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. He said Washington was working with Beijing to pressure North Korea, but if that is not effective, the United States could even impose "third-country sanctions" against companies, including Chinese companies, that do business in North Korea. "We have been leaning hard into China to test their willingness," Tillerson said. He emphasized that the only U.S. goal is to pressure North Korea to "denuclearize," and that Washington was not seeking "regime change" or the accelerated reunification of the Korean Peninsula. He urged the international community to fully implement existing UN sanctions against North Korea, saying "no one has ever fully implemented them." Tillerson also said Washington should not impose conditions on other countries willing to engage with the United States if doing so "creates obstacles" to achieving U.S. economic and security objectives. But he said this does not mean the United States would refrain from being an advocate for freedom and human rights around the world. He said that Trump's "America First" policy was aimed at rebalancing U.S. relationships with its allies. Over the last 20 years, Tillerson said, the United States "just kind of lost track of how we were doing." With reporting by Reuters and AP The trial of RFE/RL contributor Mykola Semena, a Crimean journalist who is fighting what he says is a politically motivated separatism charge on the Russian-controlled peninsula, has again been adjourned. Semena's trial has been adjourned three times due to different reasons since it started on March 20. The trial resumed on May 3, but the judge adjourned it for one week after two witnesses for the prosecution did not show up in the courtroom. The judge ruled that the witnesses must be forcibly brought to the courtroom if need be. Semena faces up to five years in prison if convicted by Russia, which has jailed several Crimeans who have opposed or criticized Moscow's 2014 seizure of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine. The charge against 66-year-old Semena stems from an article he wrote for RFE/RL's Krym.Realii (Crimea Realities) website in 2015. The Kremlin-installed authorities in Crimea have charged that the article called for the violation of Russia's territorial integrity. Semena insists he is innocent, saying Crimea's status was and remains in dispute -- and that he has the right to openly express his opinions. The United States, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and international media watchdogs have expressed concern about the prosecution of Semena. Activists say his trial is part of a persistent Russian clampdown on independent media and dissent in Crimea since Moscow's takeover. RFE/RL President Thomas Kent has described the case against Semena as "part of a concerted effort by Russian and Russian-backed authorities to obstruct RFE/RL's journalistic mission to provide an independent press to residents of Crimea." Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and his supporters have accused a notorious Russian nationalist group of assaulting him with a green antiseptic -- known in Russian as "zelyonka" -- in an attack that could leave him with permanent eye damage. One member of the group, which calls itself the South East Radical Block (SERB), admitted to the respected independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper that he filmed the April 27 attack in Moscow, a disclosure that came after a Navalny supporter uncovered hidden videos on a Russian TV network's website showing the man, Aleksei Kulakov, at the scene. But both he and SERB leader Igor Beketov, an actor who goes by the nom de guerre Gosha Tarasevich, have denied that the group was involved. Beketov said in a radio interview that the activist accused by Navalny of carrying out the assault, a man named Aleksandr Petrunko, has an alibi clearing him of complicity in the attack. Navalny, who has accused authorities of failing to investigate the incident, said his doctor believes that the zelyonka -- a common weapon used in attacks against opposition activists -- was mixed with another substance that caused chemical burns to his right eye. WATCH: Zelyonka -- The Green 'Weapon Of Choice' The incident has cast a national spotlight on SERB, which by its own account consists of just a handful of "radical" members whose goal is to "support a cult of traditional Russian family values and put an end to the moral decay of society being forced upon us by the West and America." To this end, it says it reserves the right to use any method in line with its "conscience," which appears to include dousing political opponents not only with zelyonka but also human waste. Here's a look at SERB and its harassment of Kremlin critics and others it deems insufficiently patriotic. Ukraine Origins SERB appears to have emerged in eastern Ukraine around the time of the 2014 ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych, a Kremlin ally, amid mass street protests that preceded Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and backing of armed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Beketov's acting profile states that he graduated from university in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk, and both he and Petrunko claim they took part in 2014 protests in another eastern city, Kharkiv, against the pro-Western government that took power in Kyiv after Yanukovych fled to Russia. Petrunko claimed in an interview last year that he was arrested by Ukrainian security services after he participated in an unsuccessful bid to seize a government building in Kharkiv, the Russian website Znak.com reported. Sometime after that, both he and Beketov made their way to Russia, where they subsequently began staging guerrilla actions against Kyiv supporters and Kremlin opponents. Many of these stunts have turned violent. Let Them Eat Cake And Feces While SERB has denied splashing zelyonka on Navalny, the assault was consistent with the style of the group. Its activists have used a range of substances in its attacks on opponents, including fecal matter and urine. In February 2015, SERB members scuffled with activists from the Russian opposition group Solidarity who were staging a protest in central Moscow against the war between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists. At one point, an unidentified assailant tossed a plastic bag filled with feces at a Solidarity activist, smearing the target's coat with excrement. Beketov took credit for the stunt in a subsequent Facebook post, saying the Solidarity protesters had "a liter of crap" dumped on them for "insulting" Russia and President Vladimir Putin. SERB was suspected in an August 2016 attack against Russian journalist Yulia Latynina, a fierce Putin critic, in which an unidentified assailant tossed fecal matter from a bucket on her as she was walking on the street: The group does not appear to have expressly claimed credit for that attack, though it has not denied involvement either. An interviewer sympathetic to SERB stated as fact in a February discussion with Beketov that the group had doused Latynina with feces. Beketov did not contradict the claim in the interview published by the website KolokolRussia.ru. SERB published a gleeful post about the Latynina attack on its page on the Russian social-networking site VKontakte, winking at readers by saying that "there is every reason to believe" the group knows the circumstances behind the assault. Petrunko, whom Navalny accused of attacking him with zelyonka, also served a short stint in jail last year after throwing urine at photographs by U.S. photographer Jock Sturges being exhibited at a Moscow museum. Petrunko denounced the images as child pornography. SERB activists also doused an elderly anti-Kremlin protester with an unidentified green liquid in October 2015, saying they "defended the honor of the president and did not allow a group of traitors to Russia to insult our president." Just over a year ago, meanwhile, a SERB activist smashed a cake into Navalny's face at the same place that the Kremlin opponent was doused with zelyonka last week: outside the Moscow office of his anticorruption group. Nemtsov Memorial SERB activists have also attacked the makeshift memorial to the late Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov at the site of his February 2014 assassination on a bridge just steps from the Kremlin. The group, which calls Nemtsov a "traitor," has destroyed signs, photographs, and flowers placed there by the slain Kremlin critic's supporters in his honor. "SERB fights and will always fight with traitors of Russia," Beketov wrote in a post about the destruction of the memorial, accusing Nemtsov of "always supporting America's interests and spitting on Russia's interests." Kremlin opponents accuse Russian state media of conducting a demonization campaign against Nemtsov using similar rhetoric that they say helped lead to his killing, which several defendants from the Russian North Caucasus region of Chechnya are accused of carrying out. Political Connections? Navalny has accused Putin's administration and Russian security services of involvement in the guerrilla attacks against him, including the most recent zelyonka attack. The Kremlin has previously denied being part of any campaign to discredit or intimidate Navalny, and Gazeta.ru on April 30 cited Kremlin "sources" as saying that it had no role in a spate of recent attacks against opposition activists. No clear evidence has emerged suggesting the Kremlin is funding or otherwise directing SERB activists, though they have been able to get face time with senior Russian officials. Photographs have surfaced in recent days showing the group's members standing next to federal lawmakers and a senior Putin aide. The photographs include one of Petrunko together with Pyotr Tolstoy, a member of Putin's ruling United Russia party and deputy speaker in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. Another photograph shows Petrunko together with Kremlin economic adviser Sergei Glazyev, who has been sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union over Russia's seizure of Crimea. In a blog post published one day before last week's attack on Navalny, Beketov posted photographs of himself inside the Duma and claimed he was invited there by federal lawmakers. He claimed that he met with senior lawmakers who "listened very carefully" about SERB's experience in "resisting attempts to organize a Maidan in Russia," referring to the Kyiv square at the center of the protests that led to Yanukovych's 2014 ouster in Ukraine. Yevgeny Revenko, a senior United Russia lawmaker in the Duma, wrote in a May 1 Facebook post that zelyonka attacks and other "hooligan" acts "are not a means of political battle, but rather a crime." "I am certain that my party colleagues share this view," he wrote. With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service A group of workers in Uzbekistan has faced its state-owned employer and made demands. That is something unheard of in Uzbekistan for many years. It would practically have been treason when Islam Karimov was president of Uzbekistan. But Karimov died in September, and new Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyaev has been talking a lot about the responsibility of authorities to the people. Seems someone believed him. That someone is a group of employees at UzGazOil gas stations. Actually, they are now employees of Uzbekneftegaz gas stations, since in February the company rebranded. (Or, more appropriately, translated the companys name into Uzbek. Uzbekneftegaz, in Uzbek, means "Uzbek oil and gas.") RFE/RLs Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik, spoke to some of the workers who were at this unusual meeting with company officials on April 20 in Tashkent. Rebranding was at the heart of the matter, since many gas-station employees were reportedly under the impression the new name would mean the companys management would be changed and they would finally be paid on time. Nothing of the sort. One of the complaints made at the meeting with Uzbekneftegaz officials was that wages -- at least full wages -- had not been paid since the company changed its name. "I havent received my salary for two months already," one employee told Ozodlik. "I went to the accountant, but instead of giving me my salary, which should have been 1 million soms" -- or about $125 -- "they gave me only 300,000 soms." This source said he soon discovered he was not the only employee with this problem, and others from Uzbekneftegaz confirmed to Ozodlik that they have had similar problems. So he went to the April 20 meeting, along with many other Uzbekneftegaz employees. "The hall was filled with people," he said. "[At the meeting] there were those who had not received their salaries and those who were dismissed and not paid any severance." Another complaint by Uzbekneftegaz employees was that some of their co-workers had reportedly been dismissed without grounds since the company rebranded. According to this Uzbekneftegaz employee, the companys director, Batyr Turaev, attended, along with two other company officials. There are two videos, purportedly from the meeting. One shows a man saying he has eight children and that he was unfairly fired. "Why didn't they give me severance pay?" he asks, adding. "How can I feed my children now?" Workers in the hall shouted out their support: The other video shows a man believed to be Uzbekneftegaz chief Turaev trying to calm the workers: While workers at the meeting in Tashkent appeared able to voice their complaints to management, there was no indication that any of their demands would be met. However, there has also been no word so far that any of the employees who complained at the meeting were punished or threatened in any way, as would almost surely have been the case when Karimov was Uzbekistans president. Another Uzbekneftegaz employee who was at the meeting said that he, too, had earlier approached officials demanding his unpaid salary. This employee said officials at Uzbekneftegaz told him -- before the meeting, and in an implied threat -- that he would be put on a list compiled by the National Security Service (SNB). He said that to head off other employees from demanding unpaid wages, management would call some employees and tell them, "People from the SNB were asking about you." Again, so far, there is no indication the SNB has actually become involved in the Uzbekneftegaz labor dispute. Comments about the SNB from management seem to be playing on fears from earlier days that the powerful security agency could step in and quiet the situation. After the Tashkent meeting, a rumor circulated that Turaev had been dismissed. Ozodlik contacted Uzbekneftegaz and was told, "Batyr Turaev has not gone anywhere. He comes to work every day." Turaev is an interesting figure. Once, a company called Zeromax that was registered in Switzerland owned the gas stations of UzGazOil. For many years, Zeromax was virtually the only Western company to get contracts in Uzbekistans gas-and-oil sector, a situation some attributed to the companys alleged links to Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of the late President Karimov, who was then spending a lot of time in Switzerland. Zeromaxs fortunes started to wane and the companys stake in UzGazOil gas stations was given over to the Uzbek government in 2010. In 2012, a former employee of Zeromax was named director-general of UzGazOil. That person was Batyr Turaev. Returning to the Uzbekneftegaz gas-station employees and their grievances, some of the workers told Ozodlik that they had sent their complaints to the Uzbek governments virtual-office website and were waiting for a response. They also said that airing their problems so publicly was fully in accordance with Mirziyaevs statements that, in this Year Of Dialogue With The People, which the country declared for 2017, officials were obliged to resolve the problems of the people. Based on material from RFE/RL's Uzbek Service The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL. Update: Canon & Draw Brewing Co. is now open at 1527 W. Main St. The brewery is open Wednesday and Thursday from 2-9 p.m., Friday 2 - 11 p.m., Saturday noon - 11 p.m. and Sunday noon - 8 p.m. Previous from May 3, 2017: A new craft brewery is in development near the Virginia Commonwealth University academic campus in Richmond. Brad Cooper, the founder and head brewer of Steam Bell Beer Works in Chesterfield County, is now planning to open a second brewery at 1529 W. Main St. in Richmonds Fan District. The new brewery, named Canon & Draw Brewing Co., is expected to open in late summer or early fall and will have a seven-barrel brewing system on site. Renovation work is underway in the leased building just east of the intersection of South Lombardy and West Main streets, across Main Street from Baja Bean Co. A lease for the space is still being worked out. We were looking at some spaces in the area and immediately fell in love with this space, and we love the area, Cooper said of the 5,000-square-foot building, which has floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto Main Street. I live in the Fan just a couple of blocks away, so I am very much looking forward to being able to walk to work in the next couple of months, he said. A Chesterfield County native who started homebrewing years ago, Cooper founded Steam Bell Beer Works in 2016 after losing his job in the mining industry. The craft brewery on Oak Lake Boulevard in Midlothian has become a family-run business. His sister, Brittany, has moved back to Richmond for a while to help spearhead marketing while still working remotely for a company in New York. Their parents, Tom and Connie Cooper, also are helping operate the brewery, with dad working on sales and mom helping with office management. It was never intended that it was going to be a family thing, Brad Cooper said. But right off the bat, it grew so much bigger than any of us anticipated. It brought both of my parents out of retirement. Brad and Brittany Cooper think there is still room for growth in the local beer market, even with more than two dozen craft beverage makers now operating in the Richmond region. Customers are drawn to their neighborhood spot, Brittany Cooper said. There is a desire for more places where people can go where they know the owner and can talk to them, and they know who made their beverage. Although the nearby Scotts Addition area has become a hot spot for craft beverage makers, there really isnt a brewery in the confines of the Fan, she said. There are so many people who live there who are right in the sweet spot for craft beer fans. Brad Cooper said he plans for Canon & Draw Brewing to have a little more upscale atmosphere than Steam Bell. The name Canon & Draw is derived from French lingo for barrel-making. The Coopers also are planning to expand the space at Steam Bell Beer Works in 2018, and Brad Cooper said he is planning to start bottling some of his beers for distribution. The brewery has produced about 40 different beers so far, with its two flagship beers a Belgian-style saison and an English brown ale being distributed by keg to some restaurants. As the outdoor beer-drinking season arrives, so do certain trends in what beers are offered by area craft brewers in response to what beer fans want. One thing our customers really respond to this time of year is sessionable, or low ABV (Alcohol By Volume), beers, said Tom Sullivan, co-owner and director of operations of Ardent Craft Ales. Tart and citrusy beers also prove very popular during warm-weather months. The appeal of these beers is their refreshing, thirst-quenching nature, just like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot day. One such cooling option is Ardents Company Man, its recently released first pilsner.This German-style pils is 5 percent ABV, but still offers full flavor through a balance of classic lager bitterness and breadiness, complemented by a balance between mild grassiness, fruitiness and malty sweetness, Sullivan said of Company Man. On Saturday, May 6, Ardent will release its Schwarzbier, another low-ABV option, he said. Chris Ray, co-owner of Center of the Universe Brewing Co. and Origin Beer Lab in Ashland, also sees beer preferences change as the temperature starts to climb. In terms of beer styles, we are starting to see a shift to the more sessionable (4.5 to 5.5 percent) clean beers, and fruit beers are going to be hot this summer as well. We have seen a significant increase in the sales of our Slingshot Kolsch and Chin Music Amber Lager. Both beers sit at 4.5 percent ABV and are clean, crisp and refreshing. They are very approachable styles and contain only a slight hop presence. In Petersburg, Trapezium Brewing Co. customers are starting to pick fruit beers more often, said brewmaster James Frazer. Were seeing a lot of demand for fruit beers, especially as the weather heats up. Our latest fruit beer is a Strawberry Blonde Ale, which will be released in our taproom on May 10. We ferment our Blonde Ale with Virginia-grown strawberries. The strawberries lend a slightly tart flavor, and the beer finishes with a classic American Blonde smoothness. Its also got a great pink hue! Matt Shofner, marketing manager of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, says the staff looks forward to incorporating fruits this time of the year, especially in the Berliner Weisse. The style is clean, crisp, super-refreshing and serves as a wonderfully tart backbone for a variety of awesome flavors. The first will be a boysenberry Berliner Weisse, released in 16-ounce cans on May 13, and there will be multiple fruited variations throughout the summer, Shofner said. At Three Notchd Brewing Co.s RVA Collab House, as customers tend to favor lighter fruit-focused flavors during spring and summer, a certain style also is a popular warm-weather option, said brewmaster Stefan McFayden. A style that I see increased demand for is the gose, a variety of sour beer. While gose is a historical style, it has recently re-emerged in the craft beer world and continues trending upward, McFayden said. Weve released two goses this spring and plan to release another in May. The Bloom gose incorporated a blend of passionfruit and guava. In our most recent offering, Grassroots, we collaborated with local Goatocado Restaurant to focus on Virginia ingredients and settled on hibiscus, lemongrass and ginger. Grassroots is light and refreshing with a kick of ginger, balanced with tart, lemony, floral characteristics and a brilliant red color. At 4.3 percent ABV, its very sessionable and a fantastic choice for a beer on the patio. The war of words escalated Wednesday over two of Gov. Terry McAuliffe's budget vetoes that House Clerk G. Paul Nardo has refused to recognize. Nardo, who serves as Keeper of the Rolls, told McAuliffe that he is "duty-bound not to publish" the governor's veto of budget items that prevent the expansion of Virginia's Medicaid program without General Assembly approval and expand a prohibition on mandatory labor agreements to public-private transportation projects. The clerk, who works for the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, said in a three-page letter that the governor's vetoes are unconstitutional because he attempted to purge language from the budget without also taking out the appropriations attached to it - in the case of Medicaid, the entire $107 billion budget. "As a result, it is my duty not to publish the purported vetoes for the reasons set forth in this letter," Nardo said. The decision was expected in regard to language Republican majorities adopted in 2014 that prevents the governor from appropriating money, including federal funds, to expand eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, promised last week that the veto would meet the same fate as it did a year ago, when Nardo refused to publish it, and in 2014, when the speaker ruled it unconstitutional on the House floor. "The Supreme Court is abundantly clear about the limits of the governors line-item veto authority and there is no doubt Governor McAuliffe exceeded that authority in these two instances," Howell said in a statement today. "The legislative branch cannot acquiesce to this expansion of executive authority." McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said the governor would review Nardo's decision, but he added, "It is worth noting that is a clear example of the General Assembly being unable to accomplish something through legislation and resorting to legislating through the budget." McAuliffe also has attempted to use the budget to expand Medicaid, but Nardo's decision not to recognize the governor's veto of the condition on public-private transportation projects came as something of a surprise. The governor also had vetoed related appropriations, including a commitment to Washington Dulles International Airport, and directed his transportation secretary to work around them. The vetoed budget item extends a prohibition on requiring public labor agreements with unions to public-private transportation deals, as the state already forbids for conventional projects managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation. The budget language made an exception for projects crossing state lines, specifically Maryland, which generally requires project labor agreements. But House Republicans say the vetoed budget item does not capture most of the appropriations made to projects under the Public Private Transportation Act, or PPTA, so it flunks the constitutionality test. Jeffrey C. Southard, executive vice president of the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance, said the issue arose last year when the state gave additional points to bidders who included project labor agreements to extend express lanes on Interstate 395 in Northern Virginia. "The commonwealth should not be in the business of mandating project labor agreements," contended Southard, who said some companies subsequently did not bid on the project because they felt they would be at a disadvantage. The budget language adopted by the General Assembly and purportedly vetoed by McAuliffe "doesn't preclude labor union agreements - it precludes mandating labor union agreements," he said. Secretary of Transportation Aubrey L. Layne Jr. reacted indignantly to Southard's comments, which he called "disingenuous." Layne said "there is no project labor agreement" on the I-395 project and that a provision that gave points for labor agreements of any type represented "a minimum part of the scoring." "There are simply incentives for labor agreements if the contractor wants them," he said. WASHINGTON Hours shy of his 100th day in power, President Trump strides into the Oval Office. The energy in the worlds most famous room changes instantly and perceptibly as he sits down. Its a little after 3 in the afternoon. Trump says he has already been up and working for 12 hours. He and first lady Melania Trump have met with Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his wife, Juliana Awada. He has signed an executive order creating an office to protect Department of Veterans Affairs whistleblowers. Then he signed a memo ordering an investigation of the relationship between aluminum imports and national security. Now, as an exclusive conversation begins, the words, the tone, the messages are vintage Trump. Over the next 40 minutes, he jumps in classic Trump fashion over a range of topics, from his relations with foreign leaders to the danger of North Korea, from the election last year to his hopes for America tomorrow. Yet listen closely, especially when he speaks about decisions involving life and death, and you sense that sitting here, in the Oval Office, as the 45th president has even humbled him. You can make a mistake in deals, and you work it out, he explains at one point. You make a mistake here, there is nothing to work out. You know its trouble. It could be big trouble. And it is life-threatening trouble for lots of people, potentially. Its a very intensive process, he says of the presidency. Really intense. When I was doing many real estate deals at one time, I always thought that was going to be more comprehensive and lengthier than a day like this. Its not. So far in his presidency, as with so many modern-era presidents before him, much of his focus has been on challenges from abroad. Last week, the Trump administration flew Aya Hijazi, an Egyptian-American aid worker, home to the United States after negotiating her release from a three-year captivity in Egypt. Trump felt strongly about achieving Hijazis release, he says, when he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in April in the Oval Office. As you know, President Obama tried to have Aya released for three and a half years, he says. They were unsuccessful. I was with President el-Sissi for 10 minutes. During that 10-minute session, I said it would be a great honor for this country and I think it would be a very positive step if Aya were released. Trump explains that Sissi replied, I would like to consider that, to which he responded that he considered the issue really very important. And he was so great, Trump says. He not only released Aya, he released her husband, and he released eight people total ... I thought it was fantastic. In sharp contrast, Trump authorized the U.S. Navy to fire 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles against Syria in April after American intelligence reported that the regime of President Bashar Assad attacked civilians with chemical weapons. It was, he admits, his toughest decision so far. I legitimized President Obamas red line in the sand, he says, which we had to do. I mean, somebody had to do it. Nevertheless, he says it was an incredibly difficult moment. First of all, it is a hard decision. You dont know what is going to happen once the missiles are fired, he says. Is one of them going to go haywire and end up in a city or in a town and kill a lot of people? But it was an important decision. Not an easy decision to make. Because you know, when you say yes, there is death. If his Syria decision was tough, those yet to be made on North Korea and its nuclear weapons sound absolutely nightmarish. Trump hopes for a diplomatic solution, he says, while bracing himself for something worse. He describes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as very threatening and saying terrible things. North Korea weighs on me, but we have to be prepared for the worst, he says. We have to be prepared to do what we have to do. We cannot allow this to go on. On the other hand, he has nothing but praise for Chinese President Xi Jinping, especially his efforts to prevent conflict involving North Korea, Chinas erstwhile ally. His meeting with the Chinese leader at his Florida retreat, Mar-a-Lago, seems to have changed the dynamic between them. He says: So when I met him at Mar-a-Lago, which is a dealmakers paradise, and we sat in that living room, in these big beautiful chairs, and we sat there ... 10 minutes, but the 10 minutes turned out to be three hours. But I think he is going to try to help us with North Korea, he says. Because he does not want to see us wanting to attack North Korea. And I think he would love to see if he could work something out. As the interview ends, the room suddenly fills with White House officials once again. Vice President Mike Pence, chief of staff Reince Priebus and presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway all enter smiling broadly. An atmosphere friendly, happy, energetic infuses the Oval Office, which is already glowing with afternoon sunlight. You find yourself wondering what the next discussion among these figures will be, how it might add to the two centuries of history sometimes good, sometimes terrifying that have unfolded within these curved walls. And you wonder what keeps this president awake at night. Not much, he says simply. I dont sleep, but then again, I never did. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Christiansburg police have arrested and charged a man after an armed robbery occurred at a business on Marshall Street Tuesday afternoon, according to a Christiansburg official. At 5:10 p.m., an armed robbery was reported at Check Into Cash on the 200 block of Marshall Street, spokeswoman Melissa Powell wrote in an email. The robber displayed a knife and took an undisclosed amount of cash before leaving in a Dodge Durango. People were inside Check Into Cash during the robbery, but no one was injured. Officers took Terrell A. Dobbins, 31, of Radford, into custody at 6 p.m. in Radford. Dobbins has been charged with armed robbery and is being held without bond. The tweet heard round Southwest Virginia may have backfired. Chris Hurst, who is running as a Democrat for the 12th District House of Delegates seat, is using a tweet from a Roanoke Valley Republican lawmaker citing Hursts massive ego to raise campaign funds. On Sunday, the Associated Press published a story about Hurst and the 12th District race with the headline, Girlfriends on-air killing drives anchorman into politics. On Twitter, Hurst offered an alternative headline. I prefer Journalist and anchor sacrifices career, chooses public service to fight for those who helped him through tragedy but hey, media Thats when Del. Greg Habeeb, R-Salem, chimed in with his own alternative headline, referencing Hursts move from Roanoke County to Blacksburg to run in a more Democratic district. We prefer former news reader with massive ego runs for office in district to which he has no ties because he thinks the world needs him. Habeebs tweet garnered 21 likes, 11 retweets and 87 responses, mostly from people scolding the delegate for his sarcastic remarks. Some claimed they donated to Hursts campaign or the Virginia Democratic Party because of his tweet. Throughout the halls of the General Assembly, Habeeb is well known for his biting sense of humor and not being afraid to say, or in this case, tweet what he thinks. His re-election campaign also donated $10,000 to Del. Joseph Yosts re-election bid this quarter, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Yost, R-Pearisburg, has represented the 12th District since 2012. Habeeb will face the winner of a Democratic primary in June. Hursts campaign saw the tweet as an opportunity to bring in some campaign cash. Tuesday, Hursts campaign sent out a fundraising email showcasing Habeebs tweet. Can you help us stand up to bullies like Greg Habeeb and send Chris to Richmond? the email reads. Hurst was one of the states top fundraisers last quarter, but Yost, his opponent, still has more campaign funds in the bank. DETROIT Old cars can learn new tricks. For a few hundred dollars, drivers can add new safety technology like forward collision warning systems or backup cameras to older cars. Cars are lasting longer than ever thanks to improving quality. The average U.S. vehicle is now 11.6 years old, according to the consulting firm IHS Markit. But that means millions of car owners are missing out on technology that could potentially save their lives. Forward collision warning systems, for example, can reduce the risk of a crash by 27 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Consumers have to do the math to decide whether it's better to add aftermarket systems to an older car or save up for a new one. Balance the cost of new safety which can be hefty with the increased maintenance older cars usually need. If you don't want an extra camera cluttering up your dashboard, you may want to save up for a new car with built-in systems. To get blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning and lane departure warning on a new, 2017 Altima SL, you have to spend $28,570 for the car and add $3,000 in options. For a fraction of that amount $500 you could add an aftermarket forward collision system, backup camera and blind spot detection monitors to an older car. You could also consider a late-model used car. A 2015 Nissan Altima SL with blind spot monitoring, a rearview camera and lane departure warning can be found for less than $20,000, for example. Buyers may want to wait on a new car because the cost of safety tech is coming down. Toyota is now offering a $300 package on some vehicles that includes forward collision warning and lane departure warning. Starting with the 2018 model year, all vehicles sold in the U.S. will be required to have backup cameras. And most new cars will have standard automatic emergency braking by 2022. Shawn Sinclair, an automotive engineer with Consumer Reports magazine, says forward collision warning is the most important feature to consider if you're thinking about adding tech to your car. Even though it won't stop the car from hitting an obstacle automatic braking isn't available as an aftermarket option it will warn drivers so they can slow down or maneuver away. Blind spot detection and rear cameras are two others she considers critical. "But at the same time, you have to say, 'Hey I have this 10-year-old car, maybe it's time to turn it in,'" she said. The quality of aftermarket systems varies considerably. Read reviews or ask a trusted mechanic for recommendations. Here are four safety features to consider: FORWARD COLLISION WARNING/LANE DEPARTURE WARNING: Sinclair suggests a system from Mobileye, a tech company that also supplies most major automakers. Mobileye's cameras and software can recognize other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and even speed limit signs. The system alerts drivers when they leave a lane and when a collision is up to 2.7 seconds away. Sinclair says it costs around $1,000 to buy the system and have it installed by a Mobileye technician. There are many less expensive and easy-to-install dashboard cameras that double as collision warning systems. Garmin's Dash Cam 35 monitors up to 130 feet in front of the vehicle; if the driver is going 30 mph or faster, it will issue audio and visual alerts of impending collisions. The Dash Cam 35 costs $130 on Amazon.com. BLIND SPOT DETECTION: Blind spot systems use sensors to monitor the sides of the vehicle and flash an icon to the driver if something is in the way. Sinclair recommends Goshers Blind Spot Detection System, which costs $239. It monitors within 10 feet of the vehicle. Sinclair recommends having a professional install the system; it took her mechanic four hours to do it. BACKUP CAMERA: According to government statistics, roughly 250 people are killed each year in backover accidents, many of them children. China's Yada brand makes a weather-proof camera with night vision that attaches to the rear of the car. When the car is in reverse, it sends images wirelessly to a 4.3-inch monitor. Pep Boys sells the system for $129. If you don't want a monitor in your car, Auto Vox has one that displays the image in your rear-view mirror. It's $139 on Amazon.com. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE: Hum, developed by Verizon, works like General Motors' OnStar system. It will automatically call emergency services if the car has been in an accident. It sends alerts to drivers' phones if there's a mechanical problem and lets drivers press a button if they need roadside assistance. Hum works in cars built in 1996 or later. It costs $10 per month; a two-year subscription is required. There are also one-time set-up and activation fees totaling $50. Students in Radford University Associate Professor Karen Powers Fire Ecology course got a very fiery hands-on experience in the field last month. Class members participated in a prescribed burn on an 8-acre parcel of land at the Selu Conservancy. As giant flames shot up, students kept their cool to conduct a successful burn. Adrenaline pumping, they reflected on the spectacular event as the field smoldered before them. That was wild, they agreed. Over the past decade, the Selu parcel has been actively managed by the use of prescribed fire. Controlled burns have taken place at three-year intervals. Powers and her students have been active participants in the last two successful burns conducted in 2011 and 2014. The parcel originally was planted with native warm-season grasses. The goal was to encourage the return of native grassland species, such as bobwhite quail. This is just one of many ecological benefits of prescribed fires, Powers explained. Others include the minimization of natural fire threats, invasive plant species control and the immediate return of nutrients to the soil. This spring, Radford University offered its first Fire Ecology (BIOL 481) course. The 12-member class prepared all semester for the April burn, including enrolling in Firefighter Training and Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior courses offered through the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). The Fire Ecology course allows students to work toward obtaining their Red Card certification and be able to fight wildfires for government agencies upon successful completion, Powers said. This makes our students immediately marketable and even sought-after. Weather conditions were perfect for the April 11 burn: light wind, less than 80 degree temperatures and about two to nine days since the last rain. On site, the Fire Ecology team donned safety goggles, work gloves, steel-toed boots and heavy Nomex fire-retardant jumpsuits, 11 of which were funded by a fall 2016 High Impact Practices Faculty Development Grant. In addition, they were armed with drip torches, fire rakes and backpack water dispensers. Personnel from VDOF and Radford Universitys Office of Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Health and Safety were on hand to assist with pickup trucks that carried water tanks. Geology faculty Skip Watts and George Paki Stephenson captured the burn with drones that hovered above. The group split into teams to tackle different phases of the burn. Once ignited, the smell of smoke filled the air. Seconds later, flames emerged slow at first, but then they literally spread like wildfire. Several deer fled. A turtle and a vole were carried to safety. As the fire raged, Powers and her students hurried to contain it. Flames jumped over the fire line a few times as the wind picked up, but water tanks quickly extinguished them. Everything that we talked about in class happened today and we were prepared for it, Powers told students. Im very proud of all of you. Senior Greg Porter, an environmental biology major, started contemplating his career as he talked with classmates after the burn. This class has opened up a lot of opportunities, Porter said. Hes considering a job in a state park or as a conversation resource officer. He might even head out west to fight wildfires. This has by far been the No. 1 best experience Ive had at Radford University, he said. It was awesome. Submitted by Radford University Business News Jp Morgan To Move Staff From London To Secure Eu Business After Brexit | RobinsPost News & Noticias About 7,700 bus staff, both drivers and ... while drivers in London employed by Arriva called off a planned strike earlier this month after an 11% offer. The Unite union said the Go-Ahead deal ... Read More LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thought Machine, the cloud-native banking technology company, today announces it has been inducted into JPMorgan Chase's Hall of Innovation. The Hall of Innovation is a ... Read More LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters ... cash flows by receiving funds instantly after a sale. Once in force, the proposed law, which needs approval from EU states and the European Parliament, would require ... Read More Britain will enter an EU military mobility group it left after Brexit so it can move troops and equipment more quickly across the continent, according to the Dutch defence minister. Read More Quinn & Hary, a marketing and communications firm with an office in New London, has hired Dave Gellar ... The Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours hosted at Waterford ... Read More JPMorgan Chase is giving some customers early access ... pensions and government benefits by up to two days debuts for Secure Banking customers starting this week. That typically means getting ... Read More New London The Womens Business Development Council on Wednesday ... office at 61 Bank St. This comes more than four years after WBDC held a ribbon-cutting for an office less than a half ... Read More Prices paid for gas on the wholesale markets take time to filter down to consumer and business energy bills ... further development of a temporary EU framework to cap the price of gas in ... Read More And although getting a cheap flight to Stansted has made emigration easier than a ferry and train to Euston, there are some things they should know before they move ... Business groups include the ... Read More Nobody calls Amazon an adult bookstore, right? said Keily Blair, the London-based companys strategy chief. Our content creators provide content on anything from gardening to lady gardens ... Read More John Good, Good Capital Group, was appointed to the Seminole State College of Florida District Board of Trustees. Shawn Molsberger, Orlando Health, was appointed to the Seminole State College of ... Read More Audra Romao, chief people officer for the Orlando Magic, was appointed to the board of directors of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Kirtus Bocox, partner, KPMG, was appointed to the ... Read More Business News Air France Serves New Business And First Class Menus | RobinsPost News & Noticias Paris More than a decade after Air France Flight 447 plummeted into the ... to share the good news of their engagement. Schmidt told CBS News that the families, who are among the civil ... Read More We don't want Airbus or Air France to turn this trial into a conference of engineers," said lawyer Sebastien Busy. It is the first time French companies face trial for "involuntary manslaughter ... Read More The trial of two of Frances biggest companies began Monday over the crash of Air France flight 447 in ... When searchers first found parts of the plane floating in the South Atlantic 400 ... Read More PARIS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - France's highest administrative court on Monday ordered the state to pay two new 10-million-euro ($9.75 million) fines for failing to improve air quality in major cities. Read More accident agency disclosed that Air France had expressed concerns about increased icing incidents before the crash. Monday's opening hearing will mark the first time French companies have been ... Read More Several relatives shouted protests as first Air France Chief Executive Anne Rigail then Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury expressed condolences during opening statements, with the latter's remarks ... Read More Nelson Marinho Jr. was heading off on a new oil exploration job. Eric Lamy was about to celebrate his 38th birthday. They were among 228 people killed in 2009 when their storm-tossed Air France ... Read More FILE - Workers unload debris, belonging to the crashed Air France flight AF447 ... I wanted to be present today, first of all to speak of my deep respect and deepest consideration for the ... Read More It is the latest development in France's ambition to build a new nuclear ... to-air missiles and two six-cell Sadral launchers for Mistral anti-air missiles. Charles de Gaulle's first combat ... Read More The trial of two of France's biggest companies began Monday over the crash of Air France flight 447 in 2009 that killed 228 passengers and crew. The national flag carrier and Toulouse-based Airbus ... Read More Politics News Hungary S Politics Not Affecting The Economy Nomura Says | RobinsPost News & Noticias As European Union heads of government gather to discuss the war in Ukraine, energy security and the economy ... the European Parliament said Hungary could no longer be considered a full democracy. Read More Lets not bother with those who shoot at Hungary from the shadows or from ... something that has caused the currency and economy to weaken recently. We were here when the first conquering ... Read More Read our research on: Election 2022 | Economy | Abortion ... respects their countrys values (42% vs. 71%), understands the needs of Hungarian citizens (33% vs. 56%) and treats Hungary fairly (32% vs. Read More No, the economy doesnt want to die, says Sevin Yeltekin, dean of the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. Theres a lot of ... Other economic news this week will ... Read More That's not to say that I don't agree ... Yet Kyle told Fox News many students and faculty fear speaking out about their political views, particularly if they lean conservative, at a liberal ... Read More In his book "The Age of Acrimony: How Americans Fought to Fix Their Democracy, 1865-1915," historian Jon Grinspan, curator of political history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American ... Read More Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Sunday did not rule out the possibility of the House Jan. 6 committees taking live televised testimony from former President Donald Trump. Trump has not publicly ... Read More Some days the high-speed news cycle can bring more questions than answers. WSJs news explainers break down the day's biggest stories into bite-size pieces to help you make sense of the news. Read More It's Amy with today's top stories. While polls suggest the economy, abortion and crime ... a professor of health policy and political analysis, emeritus, at Harvard University's T.H. Chan ... Read More While the presidency is not on the ballot during midterm election years, the midterms generally serve as a litmus test for the presidents popularity ... covers politics for Fox News. Read More Politics News Comey Russia Is Still Interfering With Us Politics | RobinsPost News & Noticias Vladimir Solovyov started his show Full Contact with the words, "Happy interference in the U.S. elections day." ... Read More Yevgeny Prigozhin, also known as 'Putins chef,' said Russia interfered in past U.S. elections and is still doing so today. Read More Former President Trump promised to build on his "America First" record if he runs for president again and wins, and he called for a GOP leadership change in the Senate. Read More Elections News Press Freedom A Cornerstone For Democratic Elections | RobinsPost News & Noticias Republicans and Democrats were in a tight race for control of Congress and governors offices Tuesday, with the outcome determining the future of Joe Bidens ... Read More West Virginia, a state that was previously a Democratic stronghold, has become increasingly red in the past years. In the upcoming election, Democrats hope to turn things around. Read More As election results come in, races across states are seeing historic representation among winners, including Arkansas's first female governor. Read More Incumbent Republican Janet Stevens of Rye and Democratic challenger Katherine Harake of Hampton explain their views as they seek your vote. Read More Four candidates are running for two seats representing Epping in the state House. Republican incumbent state Reps. Cody Belanger and Michael Vose are being challenged by Democrats Joe Perry and Mark ... Read More Elections News Sierra Leone News Over 79 Believe Elections Can Make A Difference Igr | RobinsPost News & Noticias Sierra Leone ... ahead of the next election the boundary delimitation exercise which had commenced is halted with immediate effect. Deadly protests broke out in Sierra Leone in AugustImage ... Read More President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, received a Special Envoy from President Julius Mada Bio of Sierra Leone, wishing the West African country best of luck in its general elections ... Read More When people think about making elections secure, they often think about voting machines, cybersecurity and mechanical threats. They do not think about people. Since 2016, when there was evidence of ... Read More Can the King call a general election is the question many people are asking, as Liz Truss struggles to hold on to her position. Liz Truss appeared to rule out the possibility of a snap election ... Read More We can do better. We've got the data for it: tens of thousands of interviews in our CBS News polling over ... election without understanding them. On the issues, they've told us they don't believe ... Read More State chief election officials, the title most often given to the top official in the system, have ultimate authority over elections ... Eliminating the practice can make it harder for certain ... Read More "We are so proud to make this history as the first ever national women's premier league," Asmaa James, chairperson of the Sierra Leone Women's ... iwd/jc The Barron's news department was not ... Read More Since the 2020 election ... to make clear these elections are not occurring on an even playing field. Otherwise, they risk following in the footsteps of early-20th-century news outlets ... Read More Thats especially concerning at a time when parents are demanding greater control over ... election outcomes. Thats worth remembering when you show up this November only to find you can ... Read More On Wednesday, Nov. 2, county and state elections officials can walk you through the process ... "We want to restore confidence in our system. We believe the vast majority of Arizonans are aligned ... Read More Can noncitizens vote in U.S. elections? Federal law bans noncitizens ... instances of noncitizens attempting to register to vote over the last 25 years, none of which succeeded. Read More Elections News Oklahoma Governor Calls Special Elections For House Senate | RobinsPost News & Noticias Oklahoma Senate Special Election Results for the 2022 midterm election. See Live Oklahoma Senate Special Election results and maps by state, county and district from NBC News. Read More Republicans in Oklahoma easily retained all five of the states U.S. House seats on Election Day, and the GOP will welcome a new face to the delegation after U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe's plan to retire ... Read More Oklahomas incumbent governor is expected to retain the role as the states chief executive. According to the Associated Press, Republican Kevin Stitt is projected to win re-election Tuesday, ... Read More AP polls indicate high inflation and worries about the future of American democracy were significant factors in voters decisions. Read More Follow along for real-time, on-the-ground updates on the 2022 U.S. midterm elections from The Associated Press. Live updates all times Eastern are produced by Ashraf Khalil , Annie Ma , Aamer ... Read More See election results, a county-by-county map and more for the Oklahoma State Senate election on. Read More Republican J.D. Vance bests Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate race. Democrat Josh Shapiro defeats Trump-backed Doug Mastriano in PA gubernatorial contest. Read More See election results, a county-by-county map and more for the Oklahoma State House election on. Read More Elections News Bill On Elections For Appointed Nebraska Officials Amended | RobinsPost News & Noticias With four days to go, Democrats are seeing the limits of their focus on abortion. Republicans have a chance to win veto-proof supermajorities in Wisconsins State Legislature. Read More Elections News Bill On Elections For Appointed Nebraska Officials Amended | RobinsPost News & Noticias With vote counting continuing, Republican Party leaders appear to have fallen short of their goal of gaining enough legislative seats to hold a filibuster-proof majority in the Nebraska Legislature. Read More With four days to go, Democrats are seeing the limits of their focus on abortion. Republicans have a chance to win veto-proof supermajorities in Wisconsins State Legislature. Read More Potus News Ingraham Some Republicans Resisting Trump As Fiercely As The Democrats Are | RobinsPost News & Noticias Fox News host Laura Ingraham says if the Republican Party remains focused on populist messaging put forth by former President Trump, it is likely to have success in future elections and will be in ... Read More Search RobinsPost News & Noticias Potus News Trump Seeks Steps From Abbas To Promote Peace With Israel | RobinsPost News & Noticias Potus News Trump Vows To Help Israel And Palestine Achieve Peace A Deal He S Heard Is Perhaps The Toughest To Make | RobinsPost News & Noticias U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday congratulated former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his election win and said Washington would watch closely as Netanyahu forms a government, which ... Read More The apparent comeback of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the dramatic rise of his far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies in Israels general election this week have prompted little more than ... Read More Science News Brazil S Science March And The Role Of Nationalism And The Military | RobinsPost News & Noticias His term in office has been disastrous for science, the environment, the people of Brazil ... one of the countrys most important elections since the end of the military dictatorship in ... Read More In office, Bolsonaro has brought back annual celebrations of the coup that put the military into power, focusing on the military's role ... and Fox News host Tucker Carlson went to Brazil earlier ... Read More Brazil is days from a presidential ... He has said the state will once again assume a prominent role in economic development. Faced with Bolsonaros attempts to lump him in with leaders of ... Read More Da Silva and Bolsonaro are expected to take part in one more debate, days before the vote, on TV Globo, Brazils most popular network. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events ... Read More Brazil presents a key example. The country is home to the world's largest area of rainforest -- some 1.2 million square miles, an area more than 16 times the size of Nebraska. The Amazon contains ... Read More RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - A rescue dog turned police mascot has become one of Brazil's most beloved ... mascot of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police's 17th batallion, patrolling alongside ... Read More Anyone can read what you share. By Andre Spigariol and Jack Nicas BRASILIA In the first round of Brazils closely watched elections this month, the polls were off the mark. They ... Read More Supporters of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for reelection, surround the car of a supporter of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is also running for ... Read More Many of his most prominent supporters in the sport are former players linked to Brazil's 1980s campaign to end military dictatorship, such as former Brazil international Walter Casagrande Junior. Read More Brazil's Nubank to Introduce Cryptocurrency as Part of Rewards Program SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's Nubank on Wednesday announced plans to release its own cryptocurrency as part of a new customer ... Read More Brazil Election ... He has said the state will once again assume a prominent role in economic development. Faced with Bolsonaros attempts to lump him in with leaders of Cuba and Venezuela ... Read More A Catholic man wearing in a t-shirt with the image of Our Lady Aparecida, prays holding a flyer with the image of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is running for reelection, during a ... Read More A Cajun seafood restaurant is opening Wednesday in the old AJ Bombers location just off State Street. Tony Chen and his uncle, Xi Cheng, spent four months remodeling the space at 201 W. Gorham St., and turning it into Mad Boiling Crab. "It's Cajun style seafood with a little Asian twist," said manager Nikki Yuan. The grand opening starts at 3 p.m. Wednesday, with each table getting one free appetizer, Yuan said. The offer runs through Sunday. The restaurant gets fresh seafood daily from Milwaukee and Chicago, including live lobsters, Dungeness crab and blue crab. The menu also offers fried food like Cajun fries, cheese curds, fried chicken, shrimp, catfish, soft shell crab and calamari. There are also raw oysters. Yuan said customers can customize their seafood from the restaurant's three flavor choices: Original Cajun, garlic butter and lemon pepper. Mad Boiling Crab offers customers "gloves and bibs to protect themselves from getting their clothes dirty, and also just for a fun eating experience," she said. Chen has been working in restaurants for 10 years. He and his uncle used to own Asian Kitchen at 449 State St., in the mall beneath Wasabi. They sold the Chinese carryout and delivery business a couple of years ago to prepare to open Mad Boiling Crab. They both cooked at Asian Kitchen and Chen is also cooking at Mad Boiling Crab. He will cook alongside a chef he met in New York, who has cooked Cajun food for a long time, Chen said. Mad Boiling Crab offers full-service dining and has about 100 seats. They're still working on getting an alcohol license, Yuan said. AJ Bombers lasted five years. A restaurant called Crave was originally in that location at the corner of Gorham and Henry streets, across from the Plaza Tavern, when the building was built. Science News Us Science Budget Gets Some Breathing Room Ahead Of Trump Cuts | RobinsPost News & Noticias An old news clip of Eric Trump has resurfaced ... House Oversight and Government Reform Committee show that US taxpayers paid Trump Organisation at least $1.4mn for the stays of agents which ... Read More Well send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Covid-19 vaccines news every morning. Its difficult to pinpoint exactly when the Republican party became the anti-science party ... Read More The Pew surveys are large, with more than 10,000 participants, and have been done for long enough (six years for some questions ... for the US to be a global leader in science. Read More "I have some ... a separate room from the court, ranged from personal to professional, according to transcripts. One person said his wife hosted a "tot shabbat" attended by Ivanka Trump, Jared ... Read More The U.S. federal budget deficit fell by half for the 2022 ... $408 billion higher than the estimate. US RECESSION ODDS RISE TO 100% AS INFLATION SQUEEZES THE ECONOMY In September alone, the ... Read More That included one fee of more than $1,000 per night per room in a Trump hotel. The Trump Organization on some occasions charged ... citing "disturbing" news reports of "exorbitant charges" by ... Read More The US government has charged Barrack, whose trial began last month in New York, with acting as an unregistered foreign agent lobbying Trump on the Emirates behalf, over several years ... Read More The US budget deficit was slashed in half during fiscal year 2022, a record $1.4 trillion drop driven by the winding down of massive pandemic-related spending and a jump in revenues for the ... Read More Donald Trump considers testifying before January 6 panel The former US president may decide to ignore ... with political operatives at the Trump war room at the Willard hotel, sources say ... Read More The US government on Friday reported that its fiscal 2022 budget deficit plunged by half from a year earlier to $1.375 trillion, due to fading COVID-19 relief spending and record revenues fueled ... Read More Chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez called on Monday for a freeze on cooperation with Saudi Arabia after Saudi-led OPEC+ announced an oil production ... Read More Internet News Adorable Maori Toddler Charms The Internet With Passionate Haka Dance | RobinsPost News & Noticias Mom Amanda Russell said this was not Declan's first foray into dance. "Declan is 14 months old and has actually been dancing since he was six months old," she told Fox News Digital. "I have a ... Read More The Internet is filled with numerous videos of children and their adorable antics. One such video has surfaced on the internet which shows a toddler taking his first tram ride with his parents in ... Read More This is the adorable moment a toddler met his newborn baby sister for the first time and wouldn't stop repeating: "I love you. I love you." Mom Liz, who wishes to withhold her surname, decided to ... Read More Adorable 2-year-old Liam has spent many hours watching his sister practice her cheer moves in their living room in Texas. Then, he thought it was time to try it out. Watch this toddler keep up ... Read More This adorable video of a toddler trying to broker the number of toys he has to clean up has viewers sore from laughing so hard. It can be challenging getting your toddler to help out with chores, ... Read More From the very beginning, people on the internet have been obsessed with sex. Load Error Thats the argument laid out in a new book by journalist Samantha Cole, How ... Read More But recently, an adorable video featuring a baby's father has gone viral and how. Believe it or not, the dad actually cooked up a delicious and lavish meal for his baby and won over the internet. The ... Read More A rescue dog's undeniably cute sleeping habit has been generating plenty of "awwws" online. Sarah-Jane Ward told Newsweek she adopted Penelope, who is a Labrador mix, from an Ottawa, Canada ... Read More MINNEAPOLIS --Minneapolis police say a toddler was injured in a shooting Saturday night, but she is expected to survive. Just after 10 p.m., police responded to reports of shots fired outside a ... Read More OMG, we are in love with this guinea pig! He looks adorable in his costume and know he will be the talk of his herd. What a great idea from his owner! People in the comments are loving this costume. Read More Technology News Inioluwa Computer Technology Vacancies For Graphic Designers | RobinsPost News & Noticias Austin, Texas October 28, 2022 The Litowitz/Fox Team of Capital Strategies, a $100 million Slack Davis Sanger specializes in navigating and winning the challenging personal inju ... Read More Denella Clark, President and CEO of Boston Arts Academy Foundation, has been recognized by The Arcadis IBI Group, an award-winning landscape architectural design and environmental planning ... Read More On the internet, size matters. If you've ever had to send PDF files to a friend or colleague, or if youre running a business, it's quite likely that you've faced the problem of not being able ... Read More Facebook parent company Meta announced extensive layoffs on Wednesday, shedding 11,000 jobs, or about 13% of its staff, amid an industrywide slowdown that has rattled Silicon Valley in recent months. Read More For the second time in a year, commercial software provider AnalySwift LLC has received a contract from NASA to develop a design tool for tailorable composites and hybrid system materials. The ... Read More Benjamin Bloom is the founder and chief technology officer of Atom Computing, a company thats developing large-scale quantum computers. The facility officially opened in Boulder the last week ... Read More The graphic design Market meanwhile, uses primary markets, product segments, applications, and geographical research to reflect detailed growth prospects, the industry climate, and industry ... Read More The company had 113,700 employees as of July, Bloomberg News said. Intel declined to comment ... The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Technology Airbnb changes price display on app after customer ... Read More The History of Science and Technology, including Space History ... or Los Angeles will this year have a Macintosh SE Computer used by Steve Jobs at NeXT as its highlight. The computer is expected ... Read More For those looking to find strong Computer and Technology stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Aspen Technology (AZPN) one of those ... Read More now hopes that scented computer games can become useful for other purposes. "For those who, for example, lost their sense of smell after COVID-19 or for other reasons, the new technology can mean ... Read More Image Laurene Powell Jobs, center, discussed the Steve Jobs Archive at a recent conference. She was interviewed by the journalist Kara Swisher, with the former Apple design chief Jony Ive and ... Read More Technology News The Digital Senior Technology Pros And Cons | RobinsPost News & Noticias Austin, Texas October 28, 2022 The Litowitz/Fox Team of Capital Strategies, a $100 million Slack Davis Sanger specializes in navigating and winning the challenging personal inju ... Read More Denella Clark, President and CEO of Boston Arts Academy Foundation, has been recognized by The Arcadis IBI Group, an award-winning landscape architectural design and environmental planning ... Read More These technologies have taken major leaps since the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the world the tech industry embraced VR and AR to make increasingly digital ... neither technology is perfect, and ... Read More For many people, early retirement is a dream. With proper planning and discipline, that dream can become a reality. Unfortunately, individuals often fail to fully understand what retiring early ... Read More Since buying it, the billionaire has wasted no time shaking up the struggling social media firm, cutting staff and introducing fees. But can he make the platform matter again or will it become a ... Read More Keep reading to get a better picture of the pros and cons of forex trading. The foreign currency exchange market is typically known as the forex or FX market. The forex market is the largest ... Read More There's a lot to consider, and your decision will have irreversible consequences, so think about the following pros and cons before you choose to retire late. The most obvious benefit is that ... Read More A presentation at The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, October 12-15, will address the differentiated pros and cons of hormones for transgender women ... Read More She has written for various publications, such as Fortune, InStyle and Travel + Leisure, and she also worked in social media and digital production at NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and NY1. Read More Technology News Nokia S Smart City Expertise To Help Make Western China S Tianfu New Area A Science And Technology Hub | RobinsPost News & Noticias The MoU will explore opportunities to upgrade Nedaas telecommunications network across Radio Access Networks (RAN) and core by leveraging 5G technology with Nokias innovative technologies. 5G ... Read More In this case the American technology ... the development of Chinas hypersonic and other advanced missile programs as a hub of rocket design, test and wind tunnel expertise in China ... Read More Nokia traces its Dallas-area roots ... expects to make new hires in North Texas in coming years as the metaverse gains adoption. In simplest terms, its the next generation of technology that ... Read More Nokia Sees Improved ... of broadband technology along with Swedens Ericsson, Chinas Huawei and South Koreas Samsung. Considering our recent success in new 5G deals in regions ... Read More The raft of measures could amount to the biggest shift in U.S. policy toward shipping technology to China since the ... Union to implement new laws that would make Big Tech pay for network costs ... Read More By 2021 the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the new ... s Covid response approach has rapidly and significantly decreased, which has undermined Chinas soft power, especially in the Western ... Read More His rallying call reflects the intensifying tensions between China and the US, which has tightened the screws in recent years on the transfer of cutting-edge technology to the worlds second ... Read More our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How robotic honeybees and hives could help the species fight back Something was wrong, but Thomas ... Read More The governments chief forecaster, Chen Lijuan, told a Communist Party news outlet that the extreme highs could become a new ... technology, human rights and more the stormy seas ... Read More Nokia is one of the worlds main suppliers of 5G the latest generation of broadband technology along with Swedens Ericsson, Chinas Huawei and South Koreas Samsung. Considering our recent ... Read More Travel News Travel Dollar Tips From Australia Post | RobinsPost News & Noticias In recent years, Australia have been one of the sides ... 101 Great Goals is a website dedicated to bringing you the latest news, betting tips and live streaming information from the world of ... Read More A Melbourne couple were paid out $3,000 by Australia Post after ... columnists why she is expected to travel up to 50 minutes to collect her items from a post office when she paid for delivery ... Read More From flight price tips to accommodation ... Check out our top ten ways to travel cheap for Thanksgiving that will have you feeling grateful. View this post on Instagram When you have an exact ... Read More The dollar looked set to post its best week in over a month on Friday on expectations that U.S. rates could peak higher, while sterling was on the ropes as investors revised their rate projections ... Read More Photo Credit: Nicole Edenedo American travelers are on a shopping spree in Europe this year, with the dollar reaching its strongest value against the euro in two decades amid a surge in travel to ... Read More And compared to this time last year, the dollar is 18% stronger against the British pound. Customers feel Europe is the best value it has been in over 20 years. We have seen spikes in travel to ... Read More A company has offered to pay one lucky person to travel around Australia and New Zealand in a campervan. US payroll company Deel is looking for a 'social media nomad' to drive around Australia ... Read More Travel expenses can be pricey, depending on where you're going and when. So, you may be inclined to deny or refuse travel insurance as a way to cut costs. But sometimes that decision can end up ... Read More So the idea of starting with a map and plotting everything out makes me worry about the type of travel that you might have. Tsoi says she saw some TikTok users post similar concerns in ... Read More This week in travel: some of the destinations in Asia with the most strict Covid policies are finally reopening, an annual ranking of the world's coolest neighborhoods provides inspiration for ... Read More Travel News These Travel Tips From Intrepid Travel Guides Will Help You Get The Most Out Of Your Holiday | RobinsPost News & Noticias Being flexible in your travel dates is ... price tracking tools to help you figure out when to book. Whether you're traveling this winter to see family or to get away from them now's ... Read More Now that more people are traveling, there are some new ways to make travel *** little less expensive saving money on *** trip is usually top of mind, and Point dot Me is an app that helps you use up ... Read More While it may be hard to avoid all instances of motion sickness, the tips below can help you avoid or minimise the severity of motion sickness. When travelling, some people get motion sickness ... Read More Whether you plan to travel to the tropics or hit the slopes at a snowy resort, dont forget to plan for your health. While every destination is different, these tips can help you plan for ... Read More No matter what is going on in the macro finance world, however, savvy travelers can find a way to travel well for less by adjusting their strategies. By following these tips, you can still keep your ... Read More If you are going to pull out the plastic for your holiday travel, though ... the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money. Read More Here are five tips from travel experts to help you get the most out of your holiday travels. Airlines have started to reduce their schedules for this holiday season as the travel industry has ... Read More Price comparison platforms such as Skyscanner and Kayak are excellent tools for getting a rough guide ... travel credit card, you can accumulate points and redeem them for rewards to reduce your ... Read More Travel News Stunning Early Entries Of The National Geographic Travel Photographer Of The Year Contest | RobinsPost News & Noticias London (CNN) Polar bears pottering around a deserted house, magical morels on Mount Olympus and the final moments of a much-loved mountain gorilla are just some of the winning images from the ... Read More This year, more than 100,000 entries from 196 countries worldwide ... Below is MailOnline Travels pick of the spectacular winners and finalists - make your way to the very bottom to see the ... Read More Explore with purpose and be inspired by an immersive expedition that deepens your understanding of the world with National Geographic expertise. National Geographic Expeditions was founded on the ... Read More With the launch of Unique Lodges Around the World, National Geographic is expanding the boundaries of the typical travel experience ... are often remarkable and stunning destinations. Read More A nationwide festive mood for the weeklong National Day holidays is giving a shot in the arm of Chinas tourism and leisure industry, early ... holiday travel in big cities this year, especially ... Read More During a morning hike near Day Break Ridge Road, National Geographic photographer ... based travel filmmaker who runs the travel blog TravelingJules.com. If youre not an early bird, though ... Read More and that includes travel for New Years. Traveling for New Years isnt quite as popular a reason for traveling as say Thanksgiving or Christmas, but its still an incredibly busy time at ... Read More The long list of things to prepare before visiting America's national parks just got shorter. With the summer travel season ... other types of timed-entry reservations year-round. Read More a 25% increase from last year, Hopper's data shows. "Those prices are going up 4% every week between now and the time you want to go," CBS News senior travel adviser Peter Greenberg said. Read More Conventional travel wisdom suggests that those flying around Thanksgiving and Christmas, holidays that many Americans travel for every winter, should book their travel as early as possible. Yet the ... Read More Travel News Washington State Travel Alerts | RobinsPost News & Noticias KING 5 has activated First Alert for this weather event, which could affect lives, property or travel in the Pacific Northwest region. Read More A serious injury is involved, the State Road 80 westbound lanes are blocked and traffic is heavily congested in the area. Please avoid if possible or approach with caution. 7:38 A.M. Traffic ... Read More WSP said the cause of the crash was speed and the Poulsbo man driving into oncoming traffic. Local journalism is essential ... Subscribe now to get breaking news alerts in your email inbox Get ... Read More Heading into the general election Tuesday, Lincoln and Ferry counties have indicated no interest in reinstalling the device. Read More Oregon State Police found 83 pounds of suspected cocaine and a firearm during a traffic stop on I-5 after being alerted by a drug detection K9. Read More "Don't wait until the last minute: Travel insurance is intended to protect travelers against sudden and unforeseen events," the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking in Washington ... Read More Oregon State Police found 83 pounds of suspected cocaine and a firearm during a traffic stop on I-5 after being alerted by a drug detection K9. Read More backing up traffic for commuters in the Tacoma area. Washington State Department of Transportation Peter Talbot covers crime and breaking news in Pierce County. He started with The News Tribune in ... Read More Through this deal, you can fly from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood ... How to book: Directly through Plays website. Travel dates: Oct. 1 through Dec. 10; dates vary by destination. Read More The instant traffic ... news" in the lock screen summary, although some publishers share breaking news without explicitly using the term in the alert. Publishers such as Metro, Washington Post ... Read More Us News Yemeni Al Qaeda Leader We Re Fighting Alongside Us Backed Forces | RobinsPost News & Noticias Militants belonging to the Al-Qaeda network fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the living compound of a tribal chief in the Yemeni capital ... told AFP news agency. "No one was hurt," he ... Read More Al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri has been killed by a United States airstrike in Afghanistan, according to US media reports. Sky News ... fight against terrorism in that country or elsewhere ... Read More a top leader of what the Pentagon says is the "most kinetically active al-Qaeda network in the world." "U.S. Africa Command, alongside its partners, continues to take action to prevent this ... Read More The assurances were welcomed by the Taliban as Tajik armed groups, which have been backed by the West ... first since July when the US said it killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone ... Read More The US on Monday announced that it had designated al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group ... Khalif Adale, has served as al-Shabaab's finance leader for collecting money from non-governmental ... Read More The US military said late on Saturday that unidentified forces fired a rocket at a compound in Syria hosting US troops and partnered local forces, but failed to cause any injuries or damage. Read More Beirut (AFP) Al-Qaeda ... "We are alarmed by the recent incursion of HTS, a designated terrorist organisation, into northern Aleppo (province)," the US embassy said in a statement. "HTS forces ... Read More I think were gonna go ... in their fight against inflation. Whats been killing them is this relentlessly strong dollar, he explained. A recession in the US would mean that the ... Read More Fatima, the second oldest of the five, was a member of the Female Tactical Platoon, a special division of the Afghan armed forces that worked alongside the U.S. military to fight the Taliban. Read More The US military conducted an airstrike over the weekend against the al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia, which was attacking Somali National Army forces near ... Read More Us News Attack On Us Convoy Kills 8 Afghans Wounds 3 Us Soldiers | RobinsPost News & Noticias Air attacks have struck eastern Syria along the Iraqi border, hitting Iran-backed fighters and inflicting casualties, a Syrian war monitor, Iranian state television and Iraqi paramilitary officers ... Read More A Marine who helped an Afghan couple bring a young girl to America for medical care during last years withdrawal of US troops has been accused of abducting the child. In a lawsuit filed last ... Read More Britain paid compensation to the families of at least 64 children killed by U.K. military action in Afghanistan, a charity said Wednesday ... in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, ... Read More The owners were not there, and the local sheriff, Scott Childers, said deputies shot and killed ... NBC News reported. Dog attacks against package carriers are common in the US. Read More The US military conducted an airstrike over the weekend against the al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia, which was attacking Somali National Army forces near ... Read More "The devices would have gotten us killed." Apparently, this was not because soldiers were feeling sick but because at night the HoloLens lit up like a torch and was visible from hundreds of meters ... Read More A U.S.-led coalition drone strike in northeastern Syria has killed ... attacks in Syria and Iraq. IS fighters once held large parts of the two countries. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live ... Read More US and UK Warn of Possible Attack in Nigeria's Capital LAGOS (Reuters) - The United States and Britain on Sunday warned of a possible terrorist attack in Nigeria's federal capital Abuja ... Read More The strike occurred about 218 kilometers north-northwest of Mogadishu and the initial assessment is that it killed two attacking al-Shabaab terrorists, US Africa Command said in a news ... Read More Us News Us Is Presently Dropping Bombs Quicker Than They Can Be Replaced | RobinsPost News & Noticias Many of these windowless shelters housed little more than rats ... investments can feel reassuring, but they arent nearly enough on their own. Although ASPR maintains the USs strategic ... Read More We use cookies and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to analyse how ... Read More On Monday, the NATO military alliance will hold a training exercise, known as Steadfast Noon, in which US B-52 bombers and F-16 fighters will simulate dropping atomic bombs over Europe amid a ... Read More Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the "dirty bomb" claim "as absurd as they are ... breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent ... Read More You can learn ... always present. Nuclear weapons are the deadliest weapons ever invented and have gotten a lot stronger since they were used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. In the unlikely event ... Read More Millions across the country vote while Florida state department tells DoJ that federal election monitors wont be permitted follow all the latest news ... Read More As tensions over the nine-month war worsen, NBC News looks at what a dirty bomb actually is, the damage it can cause and whether ... area is likely to be no more than a few hundred yards in ... Read More Anyone can read what you share. By John Ismay Western officials quickly rejected ... of the dirty bomb itself. It is a type of weapon that was thought of and tested more than three-quarters ... Read More An environmental group filed a lawsuit Tuesday against U.S. Forest Service officials that alleges they polluted waterways ... by the Forest Service dropped more than 760,000 gallons of fire ... Read More I cant move ... start to finish, and now they must answer for their conduct, said Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Cox. The decision to drop the charges against ... Read More Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. When a piece of clothing can ... The Drop take it to a completely new level. They ... Read More Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships ... A long, lightweight shirtdress like this one from The Drop is absolutely ideal, and you can find countless ways to style it for wherever youre going. Read More Us News Three Us Soldiers Hurt In Islamic State Attack | RobinsPost News & Noticias Three U.N. Peacekeepers Killed, Three Injured in Mali Attack BAMAKO (Reuters ... Islamist militants, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, have been waging an insurgency in northern ... Read More No U.S. or partnered troops were killed or injured in the attack, and the strike ... back-and-forth strikes against the Islamic State. U.S. forces killed three senior Islamic State leaders in ... Read More An American woman who converted to Islam and joined the Islamic State in Syria, leading an all-female military battalion, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a US court Tuesday. Read More Two police officials say assailants shot dead an American aid worker in Baghdad in a rare killing of a foreigner in the Iraqi capital in recent years, The man was shot as he drove through the capital' ... Read More Another three people were lightly hurt in the attack. Defense Minister Benny Gantz holds a snap assessment with military ... the Walla news site reports. Citing Israeli and US sources, the report says ... Read More The Islamic State of Khorasan Province ... Afghan government forces and US personnel implicated in serious crimes, Human Rights Watch said. ISKPs horrific attacks on civilians have not ... Read More A federal judge has sentenced a former Kansas school teacher who led an all-female Islamic State battalion to 20 years in prison. Read More French cement company Lafarge pleaded guilty Tuesday to paying $17 million to the Islamic State group so that a plant in Syria could remain open, a case that the Justice Department described as ... Read More Public broadcaster reports that Palestinian car-rammer visited West Bank junction every day over past month, but was thought to be 'weird' ... Read More Three United Nations peacekeepers were killed and three others seriously injured when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in northern Mali on Monday, a U.N. spokesperson said. Read More BAMAKO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Three United Nations peacekeepers were killed and three others seriously injured when their ... some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, have been waging an ... Read More Us News Us Firm In Iraq Ignored Smuggling Security Risks For F 16s | RobinsPost News & Noticias French cement company ... s top national security official, said in a statement. The Islamic State group is abbreviated as IS and has been referred to as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ... Read More US State Department spokesman Ned Price published an official statement marking one year since Iraqs early elections. "A year ago, Iraqis voted in credible early elections with the hope that ... Read More When some foreign companies buy US firms ... penalties when a foreign companys failure to follow an agreement causes an especially grave risk to national security. CFIUS would also consider ... Read More The US occupation forces looted on Monday new quantities of ... bringing them out through illegitimate al-Waleed crossing to northern Iraq, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. The sources added ... Read More Five US states are asking voters if they want to 'wipe slavery ' from the record books. Next month voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Vermont, Oregon and Tennessee will get the chance to wipe slavery ... Read More It was the single deadliest smuggling case in U.S. history. Gomez was one of the few who made it out alive. He spoke exclusively with ABC News ... "Once they put us inside the trailer, we had ... Read More even as the rise of hybrid work boosted demand for its platform that allows businesses to host security awareness training with simulated phishing attacks. Private equity firms have been scooping ... Read More US president announces release of 15m barrels ... An analysis Monday by ClearView Energy Partners, an independent energy research firm in Washington, suggested that two states that could decide ... Read More US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said at a news conference the same day that the report recognized two fundamental strategic challenges that concern the US interests, including the ... Read More In a statement, Holcim said that when it learned of the allegations from the news ... in the United States, and it is in stark contrast with everything that Holcim stands for," the company said. Read More Us News Is Attack On Us Convoy Kills 8 Afghans Wounds 3 Us Soldiers | RobinsPost News & Noticias Air attacks have struck eastern Syria along the Iraqi border, hitting Iran-backed fighters and inflicting casualties, a Syrian war monitor, Iranian state television and Iraqi paramilitary officers ... Read More Britain paid compensation to the families of at least 64 children killed by U.K. military action in Afghanistan ... the Union-Tribune in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, sports, ... Read More A Marine who helped an Afghan couple bring a young girl to America for medical care during last years withdrawal of US troops has been accused of abducting the child. In a lawsuit filed last ... Read More "The devices would have gotten us killed." Apparently, this was not because soldiers were feeling sick but because at night the HoloLens lit up like a torch and was visible from hundreds of meters ... Read More The US military conducted an airstrike over the weekend against the al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia, which was attacking Somali National Army forces near ... Read More Photograph: Steven Senne/AP Two dogs were fatally shot by police after an Amazon driver was found dead near them on Monday night with what appeared to be wounds from an animal attack. Police in ... Read More Late-night airstrikes in eastern Syria along the border with Iraq targeted Iran-backed militiamen, inflicting casualties, Syrian opposition activists said Wednesday. According to two paramilitary ... Read More A U.S.-led coalition drone strike in northeastern Syria has killed an Islamic State group ... not immediately issue a statement on the drone attack, and did not immediately respond to an ... Read More The strike occurred about 218 kilometers north-northwest of Mogadishu and the initial assessment is that it killed two attacking al-Shabaab terrorists, US Africa Command said in a news ... Read More Us News South Korea S Likely Next President Warns Us Not To Meddle In Nation S Democracy | RobinsPost News & Noticias North Koreas Foreign Ministry has criticized the United States for expanding combined military exercises with South Korea that it claims are practice for an invasion ... Read More South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated his vow to strengthen South Koreas defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States and ... now threatening not only (South ... Read More The United States warned Monday that North Korea is "likely" to conduct a nuclear missile ... This was stated at a press conference by U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price, stressing that ... Read More Terming North Korea's ... South Korean President also slammed the North for a recent flurry of missile tests. Pyongyang has described them as practice runs for the use of tactical nuclear weapons ... Read More North Korea has grown increasingly aggressive since the U.S. and South Korea began joint military exercises in September. The operation coincided with a visit to Seoul by Vice President Kamala Harris. Read More BENGALURU (Reuters) - South Korea's economy likely slowed to a near halt in ... and other editorial opinions are those of U.S. News and have not been previously reviewed, approved or endorsed ... Read More South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated his vow to strengthen South Koreas defense in partnership with the United States and Japan ... is now threatening not only (South Korea) but ... Read More Us News Iran Attempted Missile Launch From Submarine Us Officials Say | RobinsPost News & Noticias including Iran, of Washington's capabilities, including submarines that can carry up to 20 ballistic missiles with multiple warheads. A defense official said Kurillas visit was not a response ... Read More On Monday a senior US defense official said they didnt have any information to provide on the suggestion Iran is preparing to send missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. On Tuesday a Pentagon ... Read More Iran is strengthening its commitment to supply arms for Russias assault on Ukraine, according to U.S. and allied security officials, secretly agreeing to send not only attack drones but also ... Read More A Western official briefed on the matter confirmed it, saying there was an agreement in place between Iran and Russia to provide surface-to-surface short range ballistic missiles, including the ... Read More US-backed Cuban exiles had attempted ... kept up his official schedule but met frequently with advisors to strategize. The Joint Chiefs of Staff urged Kennedy to launch an air strike followed ... Read More Iran struck a deal with Russia to supply surface-to-surface missiles and additional drones ... Reuters reported Monday that senior Iranian officials and diplomats have confirmed an Oct. 6 ... Read More The United States intends to further crack down on Iran for helping Russia in the war on Ukraine, a U.S. official said Monday following reports that Tehran plans to send Moscow missiles to use on ... Read More US CENTCOM commander General Michael Kurilla visited the USS West Virginia nuclear-powered ballistic missile ... Iran from attaining nuclear weapons. Tags Nuclear United States US Navy Submarine ... Read More Iran is readying to supply Russia with surface-to-surface ballistic missiles ... News Digital. Taleblu's comments come after a Washington Post report Sunday revealed that Western security ... Read More Reuters cited an Iranian official briefed on the ... on arms sales contained in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal expired in 2020. The US, France and the UK say missile sales would be in breach of ... Read More North Korea was believed to have last tested a missile launch from a submarine in May ... South Korean officials say Pyongyang may up the ante soon by conducting an intercontinental ballistic ... Read More Us News Us Company Turned Blind Eye To Wild Behavior On Iraq Base | RobinsPost News & Noticias US soldiers assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment fire artillery at known Islamic State of Iraq and Syria locations ... with a barrage of missiles the US base in the Al-Omar Field in Syria ... Read More A woman is claiming she has been left blind in one ... New Mexico, US, said: "I had put my contacts in to go to work and felt a bursting sensation in my left eye but didn't think too much of ... Read More The Justice Department accused the company of turning a blind eye to the conduct of the Islamic ... when it learned of the allegations from the news media in 2016, it voluntarily conducted an ... Read More A 33-year-old man from the US has created an eye-catching innovation. Brian Stanley, who lost an eye to cancer created his own prosthetic eye. The engineer transformed his prosthetic eyeball into ... Read More This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info A blind woman is flying a plane 2,000 miles across the US, starting in the ... Read More Kids and Car Safety has tracked its own data for years on blind zone deaths, known as frontovers and backovers, gathered from news stories ... its front camera, turned off. Read More Love Is Blind fans watched in disbelief when Andrew Y. Liu appeared to fake his tears for filming after being dumped by Nancy Rodriguez. While filming a piece to camera, Andrew, 30, put eye ... Read More Some of the nation's largest airports have been targeted for cyberattacks Monday by an attacker within the Russian Federation, a senior official briefed on the situation confirmed to ABC News. Read More "This one is certainly different." "Unfortunately, what we've done probably hasn't been enough to protect us from this high load of virus in the wild bird population," Sifford added. The subtype ... Read More Joe Biden has called on oil companies to pass on their massive profits to consumers as he announced the release of 15m barrels of oil from the US strategic ... is Trump in the news? Read More the wildlife photographer, 30, said during the fourth episode of Love Is Blind season 3, which dropped on Wednesday, October 19. Oh, hang on. Mind if I [put in eye drops]? After Andrew ... Read More US president announces release of 15m barrels of oil from strategic reserve as he fights to keep gas prices in check before midterms Joe Biden has called on oil companies to pass on their massive ... Read More World News World Press Freedom Day Pen Germany President Warns Of Threats | RobinsPost News & Noticias Every year, May 3rd marks a day of celebration of the fundamental principles of press freedom and to evaluate press freedom around the world. UNESCO leads the worldwide ... version of the Journalism, ... Read More In an ironic start to World Press Freedom Day, several journalists and news organizations ... to Ankaras use of hostage diplomacy. Alan Miller, the president of the News Literacy Project, said in a ... Read More The revelation was made at a time when journalists across the world were marking World Press Freedom Day at the Africa Media ... On the other hand, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered ... Read More Prominent Nigerian leaders, many of them governors, including corporate organisations, yesterday, identified with the media in commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day. While many of them ... Read More One of the main beneficiaries of Western support was the independent media outlet B92 Radio which still functions as a news organisation in ... During last years World Press Freedom Day, English ... Read More The commendation was part of his congratulatory message to journalists in Nigeria on the commemoration of the 2020 World Press Freedom Day. In a statement ... spread of fake news in the discharge ... Read More Their service to the public is invaluable On World Press Freedom Day, United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres made a brief statement saying a free press is essential for peace ... Read More Today is World Press Freedom day. It is a day meant to raise the awareness of how important the freedom of the press is and also to remind world governments about their duty to uphold and respect ... Read More Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest developments and special offers! Read More Today Amy 3, World Press Freedom Day 2012, Reporters Without Borders condemns the furious pace of physical attacks on news providers and reports that a total of 21 journalists, and 6 citizen ... Read More It obstructed news ... Cano World Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation of an international jury of media professionals. The Award Ceremony will take place on 2 May in Windhoek, Namibia, ... Read More Like elsewhere in the world, Press Freedom Day was observed in Pakistan on Sunday (May 3, 2020). The theme of this year is 'Journalism without Fear or Favour.' United Nations Secretary General Antonio ... Read More World News In A Better World | RobinsPost News & Noticias The fact is that while problems remain, the world is ... There are so many bad-news stories that we seldom stop to consider that life is getting much better on the most important indicators. Read More The proceeds from selling the ball used to score two of the most famous goals in World Cup history will be 'a gift' for Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser after a long career. Read More At first, Saskia Nino de Rivera was excited about going to Qatar for a World Cup that would mark a significant professional event for her partner, a sports agent for Mexico soccer players. She even ... Read More The question of whether Fifas Fyre Festival can get things done will be resolved over the next month or so. But the deep-rooted local problems will continue long after the end of this year.' ... Read More Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends ... Can crypto make the world a better place? by Lucas Matney originally published on TechCrunch ... Read More Sudhir, who created quite some ripples in Shark Tank with the world's fastest cooking device, has declared that his startup On2Cook India Pvt Ltd has secured seed funding of over 2 Million USD. The ... Read More Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro criticised the decision to change the date of the World Cup's opening match between his side and hosts Qatar for giving him one less day to prepare for the tournament. Read More The United States continues to improve its reputation on the world stage when it comes to soccer referees, but will one oversee the 2022 World Cup final? Read More The second annual partnership aims to raise $2.5 million globally for World Bicycle Relief with Trek matching all donations up to $500,000For the ... Read More Pussycat Dolls star Kimberly Wyatt says she wants to leave the world in a better place for her children by living a more sustainable lifestyle. The US singer and her husband Max Rogers live ... Read More World News Media World Bank Granted A 150 Million Loan To Ukraine | RobinsPost News & Noticias WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank said on Monday it had disbursed an additional $500 million to help Ukraine meet urgent ... was supported by $500 million in loan guarantees from Britain ... Read More World Bank Preparing to Disburse Another $530 Million to Ukraine-Malpass WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Bank President David Malpass said on Thursday that the lender is preparing to disburse another ... Read More WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank said on Monday it had disbursed an additional $500 million to help Ukraine meet urgent spending needs ... was supported by $500 million in loan guarantees from ... Read More The budget included just $700 million for capital expenditures, a tiny fraction of the $349 billion in reconstruction costs recently estimated by the World Bank. If Ukraine failed to get ... Read More Follow live. What we learned, Tuesday 1 November 08:10 And with that, we are going to put the blog to bed. Before we go, lets recap todays big stories: Interest rates have risen ... Read More WASHINGTON - The World Bank said on Monday it had disbursed an additional US$500 million (S$711 million) to help Ukraine meet urgent ... by US$500 million in loan guarantees from Britain that ... Read More The World Bank said on Monday it had disbursed an additional US$500 million to help Ukraine meet urgent spending ... was supported by $500 million in loan guarantees from Britain that were ... Read More WASHINGTON : World Bank President David Malpass said on Thursday that the lender is preparing to disburse another US$530 million to Ukraine by ... to get daily news updates, insights and must ... Read More WASHINGTON: The World Bank said on Monday (Oct 24) it had disbursed an additional US$500 million to help Ukraine meet urgent ... was supported by US$500 million in loan guarantees from Britain ... Read More WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The World Bank said on Monday it had disbursed an additional $500 million ... Ukraine's Russian-held Nova Kakhovka dam damaged in shelling, Russian media report ... Read More WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - World Bank President David Malpass said on Thursday that the lender is preparing to disburse another $530 million to Ukraine by the end of October, financing enabled ... Read More World News Nz Man Attempts To Reclaim Bungy Jump World Record | RobinsPost News & Noticias The video of a man balancing 125 ice cream scoops on one cone for a world record was posted on Instagram. The image, taken from the Instagram video, shows the man balancing 125 ice cream scoops on ... Read More MANILA, PHILIPPINES (CBS) Ryan Alonzo has skipped his way into two Guinness World Records ... him as having consecutively completed 3,731 jump rope crossovers, which are done by crossing ... Read More The 501(c)(3) organization wants to bring Christmas to 1,000 children in need and to do it, they're inviting you to help break the Guinness World Record for most people doing jumping jacks at the ... Read More A man has found himself ... Guinness World Records said he broke the 2007 record of 1.2cm. Mr Mesquita said he was speechless to learn the news of breaking the record and had never felt "so ... Read More WELLINGTON, New Zealand Farmers across ... he thinks he has the best job in the world. But when its rain, drizzle, and you get home and listen to the news, Swansson said. Read More 25 (UPI) --A Filipino athlete known as "Skipman" broke his second Guinness World Record by completing 3,731 crossovers while jumping ... Odd News // 2 days ago Halloween candy stop earns man ... Read More A Brazilian man will ... the Guinness World Records next year when hes recognized for the farthest eyeball pop. Sidney de Carvalho Mesquita, also known as Tio Chico, holds the record for ... Read More David Rush, who has broken nearly 250 Guinness World Records to promote STEM education, said he previously attempted ... News // 2 days ago Iowa man claps 1,140 times in one minute for world ... Read More The current world record is 6,391 boxes. "We attempted to do it outside today for three hours but the wind was awful so we went inside and set them all up and dropped them," said Ashton Sigler ... Read More A man from the United States has broken a Guinness World Record by holding 150 lit candles in his mouth for 30 seconds. According to a report in UPI, David Rush of Idaho has already broken 250 ... Read More A man from Brazil has set the Guinness World Record for the furthest eyeball pop (male). Sidney de Carvalho Mesquita (Brazil), also known as Tio Chico, impressed everyone with his eye-popping talent. Read More THIS world record holder knows you wont believe your eyes especially when you take at look at his. Sidney de Carvalho Mesquita can push his peepers 1.8cm out of their sockets using his ... Read More After a public contest, Dane Countys long-awaited day resource center for the homeless now has a name: The Beacon. The name was chosen from 400 submissions, and was one of four finalists that included, The Opportunity Place, The Net and The Turning Point Center. The Beacon is a beautiful and hopeful message, Jackson Founder, president of Catholic Charities, which will run the facility, said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. Were one step closer to realizing a vision that began a number of years ago, County Executive Joe Parisi said. It has taken a community coming together. The Beacon, which is projected to open Oct. 1, is being developed in the old Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce building, 615 E. Washington Ave. The building was purchased by the county for $1.75 million in July. Catholic Charities will run the facility. The center is expected to serve more than 100 homeless men, women and children from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. It will offer showers, laundry facilities, a mail center, computers and family spaces. Staff will provide housing, counseling, job search and health care services. This will mean the world to folks, said United Way of Dane County president Renee Moe, adding there is no way a homeless person can make multiple appointments in one day traveling by bus and that The Beacon will bring it all under one roof. In early April, the County Board approved a $2.3 million contract with J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. to transform the chamber building into the resource center. Zimbabwe starts enforcing new mining royalty policy Zimbabwe has started enforcing a new regulation that allows the state to collect mining royalties in both cash and minerals as it seeks to grow its reserves of precious metals. "Royalties remitted to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority in respect of... Tertiary identifies several copper soil anomalies at Zambia project AIM-traded mineral exploration and development company, Tertiary Minerals says provisional results from its detailed soil sampling programme at the Jacks copper project in Zambia show defined multiple copper soil anomalies in different areas of the exploration... Botswana to host KP permanent secretariat The Kimberley Process (KP), a multilateral tool for the prevention of conflict diamonds, unanimously elected Botswana to host its permanent secretariat. The secretariat is scheduled to become operational by 2024, according to Reuters. Zimbabwes artisanal miners depend on forests to survive Hordes of artisanal gold miners throng parts of Mazowe village in Zimbabwes Mashonaland Central Province, where they have cut down thousands of trees to process gold ore. They are some of the miners who mine without a permit, says a report in IPS. Buzz! Zain Calcuttawala AKA Bulli Bainbridge releases new EP Just This Once. With a whole new set of ideas and experimentation, heres Drummer/ Songwriter/ Music Producer/ Sound Engineer, Zain Calcuttawala AKA Bulli Bainbridge releasing his debut EP Just This Once. Zains doorway into the music scene started whilst him shifting to Mumbai back in 2006 with him playing with a few bands and working as an Artist Manager with renowned names in the circuit like Bluefrog and Only Much Louder (OML), but later on he realized that creating music is pretty much his true calling, so in 2016 with a promise made to him by himself, he started experimenting at home and with a whim made up his mind to start working on his very own EP. Just This Once as described by Calcuttawala is a concept EP of a night out and the various frames of mind or situations one might face while at it. With a 5-track EP, each song takes you step by step to every stride taken on a night out, starting from Pregame, to The Drop then When it Hits followed by On The Ledge and ending with the self- explanatory Partys Over, which is pretty much the most relatable thing one might say. This albums title sarcastically, as implied, talks about the good old promise one might make to oneself to never doing that again, but well! Doing it again anyway. Calcuttawala says, People are private about the music they write as it can be very intimate and personal to them, but I liked showing my music to my friends and people to know if I am on the right path. He adds that his friend Siddharth Talwar from the Band Spud in the Box has helped him quite a lot in structuring the music on his EP and has given up a lot of ideas. About his music, Calcuttawala has been inspired by artists like Nujabes, Robert Glasper, Tycho and DJ Krush and describes his music as warm to listen to. It generally is Trip Hop and Chill Out combined with a lot of Alternative beats to it. The basic music of this EP isnt quite conventional as proclaimed by him. With his latest advertising project What are you wearing going viral and the recent release of Short Rounds new EP on which he worked upon, Zain is ready to go with a lot more on his way and talks about him working on another album next year. But right now Bulli Bainbridge is nothing but super ecstatic about the release of Just This Once on 5th of this month and with that heres the very FIRST PREVIEW of whats there to look for in the album right here. To listen to the preview click here Shares of Credit Suisse Group AG (CS) were gaining around 4 percent in the morning trading in Zurich after the Swiss banking giant reported Wednesday a profit in its first quarter, compared to a loss last year, with significant growth in revenues. The company also announced its plans to raise approximately 4 billion francs capital through a fully underwritten rights offering. The Board has also decided to retain full ownership of operations in Switzerland. Looking ahead, the company said, "We are only a few weeks into the second quarter and have continued to see positive NNA inflows in SUB, IWM and APAC. We have noted that political uncertainties have weighed somewhat on client volumes in the first few weeks of April. The outcome for the quarter will be dependent on political developments that are hard to predict at this stage." The company said it is confident in medium-term growth prospects. However, due to uncertainties, it remains cautious in the short term. Further, the Board has proposed to move to all cash dividend in the future, removing dilution associated with scrip dividend. Credit Suisse said it is accelerating plans for non-core unit SRU and aim to reach 2019 capital targets one year earlier than originally planned without incremental pre-tax losses in excess of current guidance. The company expects the SRU program and division wind-down will therefore be completed by end-2018, with residual assets and operational infrastructure assigned to the rest of the Group from 2019 onwards. For the first quarter, net income attributable to shareholders was 596 million Swiss francs, compared to a net loss of 302 million francs last year. Group pre-tax income was 670 million francs, compared to loss of 484 million francs a year ago. Core income before taxes climbed to 1.21 billion francs from last year's 769 million francs. Strategic Resolution Unit or SRU recorded narrower loss before tax. Group adjusted pre-tax income was 889 million francs, compared to adjusted pre-tax loss of 173 million francs last year. On an adjusted basis, five operating divisions delivered pre-tax income, partially offset by an adjusted pre-tax loss in SRU. Group net revenues climbed 19 percent to 5.53 billion francs from 4.64 billion francs last year. Core revenues increased to 5.74 billion francs from 5.18 billion francs a year ago. Provision for credit loss declined to 53 million francs from 150 million francs last year. Assets under management or AuM grew 10.5 percent to 1.30 trillion francs. Credit Suisse shares were trading at 15.84 francs, up 3.53 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News European stocks were little changed in cautious trade on Wednesday as the euro gained ground and investors looked ahead to Thursday's ECB meeting to see whether ECB chief Mario Draghi will signal any shift in policy. Also, the White House is expected to unveil the outlines of President Donald Trump's tax plan later today. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index was virtually unchanged at 387.04 in late opening deals after rising 0.2 percent to close at its highest level since August 2015 the previous day. France's CAC 40 index was moving up 0.1 percent to extend recent gains, while the German DAX and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 were marginally lower. French luxury goods firm Kering soared 10 percent after its first-quarter revenue smashed expectations. Credit Suisse shares rallied 2.5 percent. The Swiss bank plans to raise 4 billion Swiss francs ($4.02 billion) in a rights offer after abandoning plans for a partial sale of its Swiss unit. Logitech International jumped more than 8 percent after the company delivered its highest retail sales growth in six years. On a light day on the economic front, survey results from the statistical office Insee showed that a measure of French consumer sentiment remained stable at 100 in April. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) reported a profit for the first quarter 2017 that increased 41 percent from last year, reflecting the impact of the year-ago charge related to the transaction with Tingyi. Quarterly reported net revenue increased about 1.6 percent. It reaffirmed 2017 financial targets. Both adjusted earnings per share and quarterly revenues topped analysts' expectations. "We achieved solid revenue growth in the first quarter underpinned by global volume growth and positive net price realization, despite challenging food and beverage industry trading conditions in North America and continued volatility in a number of developing and emerging ," said Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. The company said its first quarter results were in line with its expectations, and it is on track to achieve our financial objectives for 2017. Net income attributable to the company for the first-quarter of 2017 grew 41 percent to $1.32 billion from the previous year's $931 million. Reported earnings per share was $0.91, a 43 percent increase from the prior year period's $0.64, primarily reflecting the impact of the year-ago charge related to the transaction with Tingyi. Foreign exchange translation reduced reported earningsper share growth by 2 percentage points. Core earnings per share was $0.94, an increase of 5.5 percent. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange translation, core constant currency earnings per share increased 7 percent. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $0.92 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Reported operating profit increased 19 percent and core constant currency operating profit increased 1 percent. The impact of the charge related to the transaction with Tingyi in the prior year had a 23-percentage-point favorable impact on reported operating profit growth. Commodity mark-to-market adjustments reduced reported operating profit growth by 4 percentage points. Foreign exchange translation reduced reported operating profit growth by 1 percentage point. Reported first quarter and year-ago results were impacted by restructuring charges in conjunction with the multi-year productivity plan it publicly announced in 2014; and Commodity mark-to-market impacts. Reported year-ago results were impacted by a charge related to the transaction with Tingyi. Reported net revenue increased about 1.6 percent to $12.05 billion from $11.86 billion last year. Foreign exchange translation had a 1-percentage-point unfavorable impact on reported net revenue. Organic revenue, which excludes the impacts of foreign exchange translation and structural changes, grew 2.1 percent. Wall Street analysts had a consensus revenue estimate of $11.98 billion for the first-quarter. Consistent with its previous guidance for 2017, the Company expects organic revenue growth of at least 3 percent. Based on current market consensus rates, foreign exchange translation is now expected to negatively impact reported net revenue growth by approximately 2 percentage points and the 53rd week in 2016 is expected to negatively impact reported net revenue growth by 1 percentage point. Consistent with its previous guidance for 2017, the Company expects core earnings per share of $5.09, driven by the following expectations and factors. Analysts expect annual earnings of $5.14 per share. Further, the Company continues to expect Approximately $10 billion in cash flow from operating activities and approximately $7 billion in free cash flow, excluding certain items; net capital spending of approximately $3 billion; dividend payments of approximately $4.5 billion; and share repurchases of approximately $2 billion. PEP closed Tuesday's regular trading at $114.16, down $0.16 or 0.14 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Australia will release March trade data on Thursday, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The trade balance is expected to show a surplus of A$3.30 billion, down from A$3.574 billion in February. Australia also will see March figures for new home sales; in February, sales added 0.2 percent on month. China will see April results for the services and composite indexes from Caixin; in March, their scores were 52.2 and 52.1, respectively. New Zealand will see April data for the commodity price index from ANZ; in March, the index advanced 0.4 percent. Singapore will provide April results for the private sector PMI from Nikkei; in March, the index score was 52.2. South Korea will release March numbers for current account; in February, the current account surplus was $8.40 billion. The Philippines will see April numbers for consumer prices and March data for producer prices. Consumer prices were up 0.2 percent on month and 3.4 percent on year in March, while producer prices added 0.4 percent on month and 2.2 percent on year in February. Finally, the in Japan are closed on Thursday for Greenery Day. They remain shuttered on Friday for Children's Day before re-opening next week. 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. Hungary's foreign trade surplus declined more than initially estimated in February, latest figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office showed Wednesday. The trade surplus for February was revised down to EUR 881 million from EUR 911 million reported earlier. In the corresponding month last year, the surplus was EUR 967 million. Exports rose 5.5 percent year-over-year in February, just above the 5.4 percent increase seen in the flash data published on April 7. Imports grew 7.5 percent annually in February, revised up from a 7.1 percent climb estimated initially. 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. Divorce talks between the European Union and the UK will take time and may be painful, European Commission Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier said on Wednesday, as he unveiled the EU's draft mandate for Article 50 negotiations. "With our recommendation today, we are on track to make sure that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union happens in an orderly fashion," Barnier said in Brussels. "This is in the best interests of everyone. As soon as the UK is ready, we shall start negotiating in a constructive manner." The directives were presented after leaders of the EU27 countries agreed on April 29 the political guidelines to be adopted for the talks. The latest mandate complements the guidelines and provides the necessary details to conduct the first phase of the negotiations, the EU said. The document details the two-phased approach and prioritizes those matters which are necessary to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU. "Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly," Barnier said. "This is not the case; we need sound solutions. We need legal precision and this will take time," he said. The UK must put a great deal of energy and effort into - citizens' right, the financial settlement and the new external borders, over the next weeks and months, the EU official said. That will increase the chances of reaching a deal, he added. "The clock is ticking," Barnier warned, adding he wanted a cordial Brexit. "The UK's decision to leave the European Union has now caused ten months of uncertainty...We need to remove that uncertainty. It is high time to start negotiating," Barnier said. The Brexit talks will be difficult, he said, stressing on the need for the EU to remain "cool-headed and solution-oriented." The EU has already rejected the UK wish to have talks simultaneously on exit and the future relationship with the union. In a report on Wednesday, the Financial Times reckoned that the Brexit is set to cost the UK as much as EUR 100 billion, much higher than the EUR 60 billion estimated earlier. Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis responded in an interview to the ITV that the government will not pay that much. Dismissing the idea of a Brexit bill as a punishment for the UK, Barnier said there would be only a settling of accounts. Safeguarding the status and rights of citizens, both British and others, will be the first priority in Brexit talks, the EU said. Financial settlement should be agreed before talks can progress in the second phase and solutions must be found to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, the EU added. The recommendations will be presented to the European Council and is set to be adopted by the General Affairs Council on May 22. The first formal meeting between the EU and the UK negotiators is likely to be in June, the EU said, given date of the General Election in the UK. Barnier said he expects the first phase of talks to conclude around October next year. The country will cease to be an EU member at midnight on March 29, 2018, unless the European Council decides unanimously to extend the two-year negotiating period. Cherry-picking of the Single Market will not be permitted and the Union's four freedoms will remain indivisible, the EU reiterated. The EU has also barred individual member states from holding Brexit talks with the UK. Leaked reports suggested that a dinner last week between European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the British Prime Minister Theresa May turned out to be a disaster. According to reports, Juncker was unimpressed by May's approach to Brexit talks. Both Barnier and Davis, who were present at the dinner, dismissed such reports regarding the dinner, on Wednesday. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) plans to move hundreds of London jobs to offices in Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg to preserve easy access to the European Union's single market after Brexit. Global banks are preparing to move some London-based operations into new or expanded bases inside the EU after British Prime Minister Theresa May began the formal process for quitting the 28-nation bloc. Before last year's referendum, JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon told U.K. employees that as many as 4,000 could be relocated in the event of Brexit. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Walt Disney Co. (DIS) has unveiled the Disney Digital Network, which combines its Maker Studios with existing web properties. The new network intends to create digital-first stories and deliver them directly to Millennial and Gen Z audiences. The new network was introduced by Disney on Tuesday at the IAB Digital Content NewFronts. It includes Disney editorial brands such as Oh My Disney, Disney Style, Disney Family, Babble, Polaris, StarWars.com and the Star Wars app as well as Disney's in-house content service, Disney Co/Op. In February, Disney slashed roughly 80 jobs at Maker Studios, which the company had acquired for about $675 million in 2014. Disney had at first planned to operate it as a standalone company. The digital network, which reaches over one billion followers and publishes more than 6,000 pieces of content every month, is made up of editorial sites, more than 300 social media channels, and a curated network of hundreds of influencers. The social media channels that are part of the new network include accounts for Disney stories as well as for characters ranging from Mickey Mouse to brands like the Muppets. Disney Co/Op, the in-house branded content service within the Disney Digital Network, will pair Disney digital storytellers with advertisers looking to create custom campaigns. The branded content will then be programmed alongside the always-on content across the editorial voices on all platforms. "This network is our response to how our advertising partners have been telling us they want to engage audiences: with high-quality content, mobile formats including micro-content and short-form video, social media influencers, and diverse distribution options across all major platforms," said Rita Ferro, president of sales at Disney-ABC Television Group. Disney said that new programming is being created for the Disney Digital Network in 2017. The slate of new digital-fist shows includes "Science and Star Wars," "Oh My Disney Show, season 2", and "Club Mickey Mouse". For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Tuesday with Russian Vladimir Putin regarding the situation in Syria, the White House revealed. The call marks the first time Trump and Putin have spoken since the U.S. missile strike on a Syrian airbase last month in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on civilians. The White House described the conversation between Trump and Putin as a "very good one" and said it included the discussion of safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons. "President Trump and President Putin agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence," the White House said in a statement. Trump and Putin also discussed working together to eradicate terrorism throughout the Middle East as well as how best to resolve the very dangerous situation in North Korea. While Trump previously expressed a desire to improve ties between the U.S. and Russia, relations soured after the attack on Syria. Russia condemned the U.S. attack and has rejected claims Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out a chemical weapons attack on civilians. (Photo: Marc Nozell) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News FBI Director James Comey sought Wednesday to defend his controversial decision to publicly disclose the reopening of an investigation of Hillary Clinton in the late stages of last year's presidential election. During testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey stood by his decision despite indications that the move helped President Donald Trump win the White House. "Look, this was terrible. It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we that we might have had some impact on the election, but honestly, it wouldn't change the decision," Comey said. He added, "We honestly made a decision between those two, those two choices, that even in hindsight and this has been one of the world's most painful experiences I would make the same decision." Comey argued it would have been catastrophic to the FBI and beyond to conceal the reopening of the investigation from Congress. Late last October, Comey revealed that the FBI was reopening its investigation of Clinton's use of a private email server while Secretary of State. The FBI reopened its probe of Clinton after learning of the existence of new emails on a device obtained in connection with an unrelated investigation of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. Just over a week later, the FBI once again cleared Clinton of criminal charges related to her use of a private email server. The news came just two days before the election. Clinton suggested in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday that she would be president if the election were held before Comey's revelation of the reopening of the investigation. "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28th and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off," Clinton said. However, Trump dismissed the claim in a post on Twitter, arguing that Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Clinton. "He gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!" Trump said before adding, "Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?" For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Quick Links SACI Facebook : SACI Instagram: Statement on Diversity and Inclusion e South African Chemical Institute The South African Chemical Institute is committed to diversity and inclusivity in chemical sciences. The Institute opposes discriminatory acts or threats based on race, ethnicity, citizenship, culture, language, disability, age, religious or spiritual beliefs, political opinion, gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation and economic class. The Institute is dedicated (i) to endorsing excellence and scientific credibility across chemical sciences conducted in academic, industrial, and governmental institutions, and (ii) to nurturing the values of diversity, inclusivity, and equity in the chemical sciences in South Africa. Hence, SACI will continue to play a leading role in assuring the professional competence and integrity of chemists and fostering international collaboration whilst upholding inclusivity and diversity. Statement on Sexual Harassment e South African Chemical Institute The South African Chemical Institute will not permit any kind of sexual harassment (physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct) in the Institute or at events organised by or related to the Institute. The Institute is committed to and fully supports environments that are free of any form of unfair discrimination and harassment, including gender-based violence. Allegations of any form of sexual harassment will be dealt with seriously, expeditiously, sensitively and confidentially. Statement from SACI Council on tertiary training in chemistry as a result of disruptions to the 2020 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the professional body representing the interests of all chemists in South Africa, we recognise the challenges that the current COVID-19 crisis presents to all our members in academia, research and industry. We also acknowledge the challenges the current situation presents to our tertiary institutions and specifically the challenges presented by moving to online teaching. We applaud the efforts of all our members who work at tertiary institutions who have adapted and innovated to ensure that we can continue as far as possible with our teaching and learning of chemistry even when on campus face-to-face contact is not possible. Our tertiary institutions play a critical role in not only training the next generation of chemists, but they are also tasked with the important responsibility of ensuring that many people from other professions and disciplines are trained in the fundamental principles of chemistry. We reaffirm our belief that this training is essential, as chemistry is one of the central sciences. Key to this training is the practical component and laboratory based skills development. While we accept that this critical component of our training is not possible under the current situation, we strongly urge that plans be put in place to preserve this component of training as part of the curriculum as far as possible. In some cases, virtual laboratory tools can facilitate learning, but we believe that in laboratory practical training particularly for senior level courses should be preserved. SACI strongly recommends that at least a critical minimum practical experience should form part of the plans to complete the 2020 academic year at our tertiary institutions. We believe that this is essential to preserve the validity and integrity of the academic training programmes in chemistry. Latest Updates: Pay your SACI membership fees with SnapScan SACI Ties, Scarfs and T-shirts Periodic table ties and ladies scarfs R130 each. Periodic table T Shirt Short sleeve R180, Long sleeve R200 Please contact head office to place orders. There is also a courier charge of R150 per order for delivery. Prime Minister attended the annual gate opening ceremony of the holy Kedarnath shrine on Wednesday morning. Modi offered prayers at the Shiva temple and did 'rudrabhishek' which involves bathing the Shiva Linga with Ganges water, milk and honey, among others. After offering prayers at Kedarnath Temple, Prime Minister greeted the crowd gathered outside the temple. Around 2,500 devotees have reached Kedarnath on the opening day to offer their prayers to the holy shrine. Modi reached the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun early today and from here started his journey for Kedarnath, the four major sites in India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas. He is the first Prime Minister of the country who visited the Kedarnath temple on the opening day. Modi reached Kedarnath at around 9:15 am on Wednesday. The doors of the Kedarnath temple has been thrown open for devotees from today after six-month long break. Kedarnath was devastated in the 2013 flash floods and heavy rains, when thousands of people were killed and hundreds went missing. After his Kedarnath visit, Modi has reached Haridwar where he met Yog Guru Baba Ramdev and inaugurated the Patanjali Research Institute. Uttarakhand Governor Shri KK Paul, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and other dignitaries welcomed Modi to the state. As the rift within the AAP deepened on Tuesday with founder member Kumar Vishwas accusing senior leaders of conspiring against him, the party leaders have started efforts to pacify him. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself reached Vishwas's house in Ghaziabad late Tuesday night where senior AAP leadership including Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh were already present. After a brief talk, Kejriwal left for his residence in Civil Lines along with Vishwas. "He is our friend since days of movement. Some differences have arose, hope we will mollify him," Kejriwal told reporters. Meanwhile, many supporters gathered outside Vishwas's residence and demonstrated in his favour while the party leaders were inside. Earlier in the day Vishwas has alleged a conspiracy against him and indicated his possible exit from the party. Sisodia, a childhood friend of the poet-politician hit back, saying he should have used proper forum to raise his concerns. "I know I will be targeted. The efforts to tarnish my image will be made. But let me tell those conspirators that I will not allow you to do so," he said defying a party request not to rake up issues in the media. He did not take any name but his target was clear. Kumar Vishwas dubbed Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who accused him of being a "BJP-RSS agent", as a "mask" behind those ganging up against him. Khan on Sunday alleged that Kumar Vishwas was conspiring to break the party and plotting a coup against party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Pledging to keep highlighting what he said were the AAP's mistakes, Kumar Vishwas said he would continue to speak in the interest of the country. He denied he wanted to be the AAP Convenor. "I have already said 10 times and even to Arvind and Manish and the party that I don't want to be the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister or the Convenor." He said he would not join any political party or Swaraj Andolan. Kumar Vishwas broke down while speaking. "I had not joined the movement for this." Asked if he would quit the AAP, he responded: "I will decide tonight and will soon tell you." The AAP fielded Sisodia, a Kejriwal confidant, to counter the allegations. He slammed his former colleague for speaking publicly. "Rather than making statements on TV channels, he should raise his concerns within the party forum. He should come and attend the PAC meet." Sisodia said Kumar Vishwas' remarks were affecting the morale of party workers. He said Kumar Vishwas was never asked to apologise for a video he released last month in which, among other things, he made oblique criticism of the AAP. "No one asked him to apologize. He made it personal. "The party does not belong to Arvind, to me or to Kumar but it belongs to lakhs of workers in India and abroad," Sisodia told reporters at Kejriwal's residence. Sisodia said he and party leader Sanjay Singh went to meet him. Still, Kumar Vishwas skipped an AAP leadership meeting on Monday. "Everyone knows who is benefitting" from his public remarks." He also subtly attacked Kejriwal, accusing him of raising questions on the surgical strike by the Indian Army last year on terrorists in Pakistani territory. "If we made mistakes and gave a 'wrong message' which lowered the morale of our soldiers, then we need a course correction," he said. Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop his "Mann ki Baat" and instead start "Gun ki Baat" to teach Pakistan a lesson. In a sharp reaction to the recent killing and the mutilation of two Indian soldiers on the Line of Control, Thackeray said Kashmir is "burning" and the government must take action. "Its time to stop 'Mann ki Baat' and start 'Gun ki Baat' against Pakistan," he demanded in a reference referring to the PM's monthly radio broadcast. Earlier, Maharashtra minister Ramdas Kadam, of the Sena, took potshots at Modi, saying he should concentrate more on national security than elections. "What's stopping the centre from taking direct action against Pakistan? How many more soldiers should be lose and how many more widows we should see before India does something?" he said, demanding direct action against the neighbouring the country for its aggressive acts. Shiv Sena - a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance - also urged the central government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss, what, it said, was the "worsening situation" in Jammu and Kashmir. "What is happening is serious. It is very sad," said Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut. "We are such a big country and yet these things are happening. It does not portend well for us. As a nation, we have to take some decisions. There should be an all-party meeting to discuss the happenings in Jammu and Kashmir and on the Line of Control," Raut told media in Mumbai. The demand by the Sena, also a part of the BJP-led coalition ruling Maharashtra, comes after a spurt in violence in the state and killing annd mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers by a Border Action Team of Pakistan on Monday. On several occasions earlier, the Sena and Thackeray have demanded tough action by India against Pakistan for its continued aggression from across the border. The Punjab Police and other security agencies launched a search operation in some areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab on Wednesday after four to six suspicious men were sighted in the area. The police said that the search was still on. They are linking the sighting of these men to an incident in Gurdaspur district on Tuesday in which a Scorpio SUV broke a police barrier. An officer said there were at least six persons inside the vehicle when it jumped the barrier. The SUV was later found abandoned. "It had a fake registration number plate. The car was stolen at knife-point from a person in Vijaynagar area of Jammu," the officer said. Security agencies remained on high alert in border districts of Gurdaspur and Pathankot following the terrorist attacks on the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016 and in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district in July 2015. Both districts share an international border with Pakistan. Both districts are close to the strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas on Wednesday arrived at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence to attend the party's political affairs committee (PAC) meeting. The meeting is aimed at taking some key decisions on the infighting and structural changes in the organisation. The rift within the AAP deepened on Tuesday after founder member Vishwas accused senior leaders of conspiring against him. In a bid to pacify Vishwas, Kejriwal on Tuesday night reached his house in Ghaziabad where senior AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, were already present. After a brief talk, Kejriwal left for his residence at Civil Lines along with Vishwas. Vishwas has alleged a conspiracy against him and indicated his possible exit from the party. Sisodia, a childhood friend of the poet-politician hit back saying Vishwas should have used proper forum to raise his concerns. "I know I will be targeted. The efforts to tarnish my image will be made. But let me tell those conspirators that I will not allow you to do so," Vishwas said defying a party request not to rake up issues in the media. The poet did not take any name but his target was clear. Vishwas earlier dubbed Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who accused him of being a "BJP-RSS agent", as a "mask" behind those ganging up against him. Khan on Sunday alleged that Kumar Vishwas was conspiring to break the party and plotting a coup against Kejriwal. Pledging to keep highlighting the AAP's mistakes, Vishwas said he would continue to speak in the interest of the country. Asked if he would quit the AAP, he responded: "I will decide tonight and will soon tell you." He said he would not join any other "political party or Swaraj Andolan". Vishwas broke down while speaking. "I had not joined the movement for this." The AAP fielded Sisodia, a Kejriwal confidant, to counter the allegations. He slammed his former colleague for speaking publicly. "Rather than making statements on TV channels, he should have raised his concerns within the party forum. He should come and attend the PAC meet." Sisodia said Vishwas was never asked to apologise for a video he released last month in which, among other things, he made oblique criticism of the AAP. "No one asked him to apologize. He made it personal." "The party does not belong to Arvind, to me or to Kumar but to lakhs of workers in India and abroad," Sisodia told reporters. Sisodia said he and Sanjay Singh went to meet him, but Vishwas still skipped an AAP leadership meeting on Monday. "Everyone knows who is benefiting" from his public remarks. Vishwas has subtly attacked Kejriwal, accusing him of raising questions on the surgical strike by the Indian Army last year on terrorists in Pakistani territory. "If we made mistakes and gave a 'wrong message' which lowered the morale of our soldiers, then we need a course correction," he said. India on Wednesday said it has provided Pakistan with "actionable evidence" of the involvement of the Pakistani Army in the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers on Monday and demanded that Islamabad take action on the incident that again flared bilateral diplomatic tensions. Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Wednesday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and conveyed India's outrage over the "barbaric act" and told him that the Pakistani army was involved in the May 1 incident in Jammu and Kashmir near the Line of Control. As part of the "actionable evidence" that Pakistan has demanded, after India accused it of being behind the killing and mutilation of the two Indian soldiers, Jaishankar said that the attack on the Indian soldiers was "preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal)". Jaishankar also said that "blood samples of Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala (at the attack site) clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control". The army's Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and the BSF's Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed and their bodies mutilated in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. India says that a Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan was behind the incident close to the Line of Control. In a reference to Bollywood actress Kajol, who clarified after being trolled on social media that she had eaten buffalo meat and not beef, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said it was a dangerous situation where even popular actors were forced to explain what they have consumed. Addressing a public meeting in North Dinajpur district, the Trinamool Congress supremo said that actors had to come up with the clarification as an environment of fear prevails in the country. "A popular actress, I don't want to take her name, but she has done a lot of films opposite Shah Rukh Khan, had to give clarification on Twitter that she had buffalo meat not beef. Why does she have to give a clarification? "She had to as an environment of fear prevails in the country. Some people are trying to dictate to others what they will eat. This is a dangerous situation, an alarming situation," Banerjee said. Kajol became the target of the trolls after she posted a video of a beef dish at a restaurant where she had visited recently. The 42-year-old actress, whose ouvre of hit films include "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge", "Ishq", "Baazigar", "Fanaa" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", later said it was only buffalo meat which is "legally" available. "I am issuing this clarification because this is a sensitive matter that may hurt religious sentiments, which is not my intention," she said on Twitter. A Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector was on Tuesday suspended for mishandling the assault on Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari's staff. "ASI Kailash Chand, who was posted in a PCR unit, could have prevented the seven attackers from barging into Tiwari's residence where they attacked his personal staff," said a senior police officer. A departmental inquiry has also been ordered against Chand, the officer said. Action against Chand was taken after Tiwari complained to senior police officers against him following CCTV footage which showed Chand entering and coming out of Tiwari's residence after the incident, the officer added. Have you ever heard of 'Fatka Gang'? The members of this gang snatch mobile phones and bags from commuters standing on the footboard of trains. A CCTV footage from Platform 1 of Kulra railway station shows a 'Fatka Gang' member snatching a smartphone from a person standing on the footboard of a moving train. The gang operates all over in Mumbai and we warn you to watch out for the 'Fatka Gang' on your way home or office. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "paying attention" to the India-Pakistan border tension, but UN observers have not received any reports from India about any recent ceasefire violations, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday. Asked about India-Pakistan situation, Dujarric said: "We checked with our colleagues with UNMOGIP ( United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan). We have not received any alleged ceasefire violations reports from the Indian authorities related to the latest incident that we saw yesterday." On Monday, the Pakistani Army targeted a patrol on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector and killed and mutilated the bodies of an soldier and a Border Security Force trooper, India has said. Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh and Head Constable Prem Sagar were killed in the attack carried out by the Border Action Team (BAT) made up of Pakistani military, Indian Army reported. Pakistan has denied that its military was involved in the attack. Dujarric denied a suggestion that UN observers were concerned only about the Pakistani side of the border because India restricted its operations. "UNMOGIP is impartial," he said. "We are fully aware of operational environment in which UNMOGIP is forced to work." India has said that UN observers, who first began operating on the India-Pakistan border in Kashmir in 1949, are no longer needed because under the 1971 Simla agreement, the disputes between the two countries are a bilateral matter. At least eight civilians were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul city on Wednesday that targeted a convoy of foreign troops, the Interior Ministry said. At least 25 persons injured in the attack at Abdul Haq square in Macroyan were rushed to Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, Tolo News quoted the ministry as saying. One of the patrol vehicles of the foreign troops was damaged in the incident. Eyewitnesses said an old man, who had been sitting next to the road, carried the bombing. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident comes days after the Taliban announced its spring offensive and vowed to carry out more attacks on government and security personnel and institutions. Here are the unofficial results for Saline County in the 2022 election Dear Editor, Re: Everyone deserves a second chance Thank you Samoa Observer for covering our latest initiative and promoting our mission to serve and protect our country and citizens from those who can cause harm. Being the template for the region since our establishment in 2011 we have had to Samoanize the original proposal that was endorsed by cabinet, our government stakeholders and donor partners. The Trust has navigated our way in terms of sustainability since 2014 when the AusAid-DFAT funding agreement with the Law & Justice Sector ended. We have cultivated our relationships with the relevant ministries and our civil society networks but need financial support to continue service delivery, rolling out our various programs and daily operations. Our fundraising activities are a part of our outreach to the community. The Returnees volunteer free labour to Mapuifagalele, Goshen Trust, SVSG; we organize dances (Sivas) or sell BBQs Operation Luke with all the proceeds donated to other vulnerable communities such as Aoga Fiamalamalama school the paediatrics ward or pre-schools that request a new coat of paint or some men to fix their broken desks or the childrens playground. Whatever leftover money goes towards our expenses. We are sincerely thankful for the small grants and sponsorships from SIFA, Civil Society Support Programme (CSSP) and the NZ High Commission which are allocated for our on-going initiatives. I am grateful for the support from our Patron and Honorable Prime Minister, guidance from our Board of Trustees, counsel from Muaautasi Lemalu (Attorney General), Agafili Shem (CEO-Prime Minister & Cabinet) and Vui Clarence Nelson. Born and raised here I proud to be a public servant and with this platform we have been able to influence CHANGE and AWARENESS, engage and assist others in the region through consultations and educate our people that globalization has touched our country and its impacts are massive. We need to stop being naive to the fact that our social landscape has changed dramatically, our prisons are overcrowded, crime is on the rise and the intensity of the offending is shocking! There are threats at every corner and its best that we prepare through prevention. The onus is on the relevant government ministries, law enforcement community, development circles and civil society and donor partners, specifically the major deporting nations to cut all the red tape and collaborate. Really have a vested interest in a safe and stable Samoa. Lets not wait for something terrible to happen (case in point the Treesort fiasco- feel for that Australian couple...I cant even imagine the emotional trauma etc..) for us to be reactive and remorseful that we didnt do something to mitigate the danger. Our strategic plan is to continue helping the criminal deportees on island and the influx from overseas reintegrate and rehabilitate. Through the years we have evolved our methods, fostered ties with our government stakeholders and expanded our scope to incorporate our local offenders. This is all part and parcel to our contribution of keeping our communities safe by helping our registered members resettle. Sincere thanks to all who support our cause and for those who are thinking of helping us. God bless you all and God bless Samoa. Ma le faaaloalo lava, Magele Vernon Mackenzie A Trust set up to help young people discover themselves received a $40,000 injection yesterday thanks to the Canadian government. The Samoa Social Welfare Trust (S.S.W.T) met with Canadas Ambassador to Samoa, Mario Bot, at Mulinuu where the assistance was presented. The funding is for the Trust to carry out programmes with assistance from the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administrations (M.J.C.A) to develop the potential in the programmes participants to improve their lives. In presenting the donation, Mr. Bot said the Samoa Social Welfare Trust was not only the organisation which applied for funding but they chose to help because they believe in the vision and mission of the organization. The groups theme for this year There is Hope inspired them to help, Mr. Bot said. Project Manager of Samoa Social Welfare Trust, Velda Fido, said they appreciate the assistance. This funding will help out the young generation of our country who are not in schools anymore, she said. Some if them are in Police custody of minor issues. There are three projects that we are working on. The most important one is for the young generation of Samoa who are not in school and not getting any education so we try to get them in and we hope to help them. Love is an action word. Its not something you just preach about, its something people need to walk out and live by. As a father, it means hard work everyday to ensure your family members are looked after. So says Lemusu Pulepule of Solosolo who believes the best examples of showing love are found in bringing up children. Lets just not talk a lot about it but walk the talk, he said. Yes we often hear so much about the importance of mothers and their love in childrens lives but fathers also have an important role. We also have to show love. Fathers, he said, lead the way. I dont downplay the work done by mothers everyday but to me personally the mothers dont do many heavy chores like we do. They hardly go fishing, go to the plantation like we do. We carry most of the heavy work and it is in carrying out those roles where we show our true love. The father caught up with the Village Voice while working on thatches to cover their faleoo. Disciplining the children is another area where fathers play a key role. The number of prisoners at Tafaigata is increasing because of the lack of discipline. We all should know by now because it is happening everywhere in Samoa. Our job is to teach and instruct them in the ways of God, by teaching and showing them how God wants them to live, he will surely raise God-fearing, respectful children. If the father doesnt train his children correctly, they will lead unhappy and dreadful lives. A fathers nurturing love is the most important role that I have. Children are born seeking love and acceptance from their parents. Because the father is the head of the household, they look to him as the primary caretaker. I dont mean to be arrogant but this is exactly what Im doing because from the very start I realize we are the responsible ones. Usually the mother is responsible for primarily nurturing their children, but the fathers role as a loving caretaker, should resemble the same example God has for us. From providing, to disciplining and taking care of them, these traits can give the children of today a blessed future. A mother of three has issued a stern warning to members of the public. She wants them to consult a lawyer prior to committing to the purchase of anything that involves a significant amount of money, such as land. The warning comes from Irae Kubik-Strickland. She said she has had to learn the hard way after a land deal turned sour. Her problems started last year in March when she saw a quarter acre advertised for sale in Lotopa for $90,000. Mrs. Strickland told the Samoa Observer that as a growing family, she saw the need to build their own home for her children. With that in mind, she made the first deposit of $40,000 with E-Trade Pacific, a company owned by Tui Vaai Jr. The company serves as a consultancy firm for people who want to sell their properties. According to Mrs. Strickland, there was an agreement of monthly payments to pay off the remaining $50,000 for a period of five months. But things took a turn for the worst in July when Mrs. Strickland and her family took a ride to see the parcel of land. When we got there, we found out that someone was already building a house on the compound and there was a fence surrounding the area, she said. Confused and furious, Mrs. Strickland contacted Mr, Tui Vaai for an explanation who said told her he was surprised as well. Contacted for a comment, Mr. Tui Vaai told the Samoa Observer he was selling the land for a customer, and he was surprised to find the owner had already sold the land and did not bother to inform him. We cant control that, he said. At the same time, it was out of our hands and these things do happen in Samoa, and we have to return the money back. According to Mrs. Strickland they have already paid more than $76,000 to the company and she wanted a full refund. But that did not happen, she said. Ive had to hunt him down to get my money back, but I was given the run around. She said from July to October last year, she didn't get any of her money from the company. It followed phone calls and random visits to the office which amounted to nothing. In late October he signed over two cheques each were in the amount of$35,000. Sadly both cheques bounced. Mrs. Strickland then demanded that her money be handed over in cash. The company obliged and she was given payments of $2,000, $5,000 and there was one time she got a bulk payment of $20,000. From July to December 2016, the company was able to pay back $34,400. Because the money was not paid in full, she opted to have the negotiations on record and thats when then they both signed an agreement letter. According to the letter that was signed by both parties, on 30 December 2016 Mr. Tui Vaai was to pay back $42,000 in full as soon as he makes a sale or otherwise to be paid within six weeks with minimum weekly payments each Friday of $7,000WST. Any default payments will accrue interest at the weekly rate of $15% of the balance, says the agreement. Mrs. Strickland explained the reason the interest was set at that amount was because she hoped that Tui would just pay her whats owed to her, as she was trying to purchase another land for her family. However that did not happen. She said that as of March 2017, the interest for the $42,000 Tui owes has ballooned so that the total amount owed is now $90,000. Mrs. Strickland said she saw that Mr. Tui Vaai was selling his car, she asked him to turn the car over to pay for the interest accrued and he did. The BMW was turned over with a letter of ownership change to Mrs. Strickland. This is our savings for so many years, and we wanted to buy land and build a house for our kids, she said. But Im really saddened that all our hard work put into our savings went down the drain. Its true we got some of our money back, but it came in pieces. I have given Tui many chances to do the right thing and pay us back, but it appears he didnt care about our sweat and our hard work...he didnt care a bout the people he has hurt. She said they've taken actions on this matter but wants the public to be mindful to consider getting an attorney involved when it comes to these types of transactions. Its better to pay an attorney, a couple of hundreds to assure a smooth and honest process than to go through what me and my family went through, said Mrs. Strickland. Mr. Tui Vaai assured the Samoa Observer that he was the agent for a customer, and he was selling the land on their behalf. Its my problem and I have trusted the wrong people, he said. Im paying (the money) back.... at least Im paying it back. The thing is, the interest is too much, and a lot of people owe me money as well but I dont go and do this. I mean if I was to come to you tell you of the people that owes me a lot more, I don't do that. If shes going to do that, how is she getting her money back? I don't get it. We don't have much more left owed to her, its just that her interest was too much. At that time, I just wanted to get it over with, but she knows, my dad got sick, and he passed away and I was there (New Zealand) for two months. The Minister of Public Enterprises, Lautafi Fio Purcell, remains hopeful that a debt owed by Samoa Air to Polynesian Airlines can be paid without the parties going to Court. Speaking to the Samoa Observer, the Minister said Samoa Air owes Polynesian Airlines between $50,000 and $70,000. He said they are working on an agreement so the debt can be settled. Repeated attempts to contact Samoa Air for a comment were unsuccessful. But the Minister said the debt is from several years ago and it has accumulated since. I can confirm that Samoa Air has an outstanding there with Polynesian Airlines, he said. This goes back during its time at Fagali'i Airport. The Minister said he hopes the matter will not reach Court. "But it can end up there if negotiations and an agreement between the two parties is not reached, he said. For the time being, we need to work on this agreement and see what both parties can agree to so we can sort this debt out." The Minster said its important for Polynesian Airlines to recover its money. This is what happened to this kind of business, said Lautafi. They came and left without paying their debt. Californias stem cell agency is on the hunt for a new president and CEO after the surprise announcement this week that C. Randal Mills will be departing the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. He will leave at the end of June. Mills, who has headed the agency for three years, will become the next president and CEO of the National Marrow Donor Program. CIRM is replacing him on an interim basis with Maria Millan, M.D., the agencys vice president of therapeutics. The state agency will soon begin a search for a permanent replacement, said Jonathan Thomas, CIRMs chairman. Millan is a candidate to fill that position, with Mills strong endorsement. Advertisement Mills is noted for reorganizing CIRM to provide greater systemic support for translating basic research into clinical science, and to provide quicker and more helpful responses to researchers seeking funding. His initiative, called CIRM 2.0, was a response to criticism that the agency, funded with $3 billion in California bond money in 2004, has been too slow in getting treatments to patients. ($6 billion will be repaid, including $3 billion in interest) Agency-supported treatments are now being tested in medical centers throughout the state, including San Diego County. Most prominently, CIRM has established an alpha stem cell clinic at UC San Diego. It is the cell therapy arm of UCSDs Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center. Mills said he decided to leave because the National Marrow Donor Program, which he was familiar with, resonated with his own goals of making personal connections with patients. Before joining CIRM in 2014, Mills was president and CEO of Osiris Therapeutics, developer of a pediatric stem cell drug called Prochymal, used to treat a complication of bone marrow transplants called graft vs. host disease. If you look at my office, the walls are covered with pictures of the children that we treated who went through bone marrow transplantation, Mills said. Getting to know them, and getting to know their families that had a tremendous effect. The unexpected announcement drew surprise and concern from stem cell researchers and observers. As admirers of CIRM 2.0, they expressed uncertainty about what direction the agency would take. And with the $3 billion beginning to run out, looking for a new source of funding will be a top concern of Mills successor. Confidence But Mills said Wednesday the agency will do well. If me leaving CIRM is a problem, then I didnt do a good job at CIRM, Mills said. Whether its because Im going to be the head of the National Marrow Donor Program or I get hit by a car, the success of this organization, or any organization thats healthy and functional, should never pivot on one person, Mills said. Ive assembled a team at CIRM that I have absolute, absolute confidence in. Mills said he would be surprised if Millan didnt turn out to be the agency boards overwhelming choice to be his permanent successor. She assisted in developing the agencys strategic plan and helped it run smoothly, he said. In 2015, Mills named Millan as senior director of medical affairs and stem cell centers, one of three appointments to CIRMs leadership team. Before joining CIRM, she was vice president and acting chief medical officer at StemCells, Inc. Before that, Millan was director of the Pediatric Liver and Kidney Transplant Program at Stanford University School of Medicine. Millan said the agencys strategic plan is working, and taking the agency where it needs to go. That plan was developed to guide researchers, doctors and companies over the predictable hurdles they encounter in translating basic research into therapies testable in the clinic and that companies would want to commercialize. Weve already done the challenging piece of identifying the how how to get to the mission, which is to accelerate these stem cell treatments to those with unmet medical needs, Millan said. Team members are all aligned in accomplishing these goals One cant help but be more energized and motivated to execute on the strategic plan. About 30 stem cell clinical trials are under way that the agency has funded at one stage or another in research and development. Jonathan Thomas, the CIRM chairman, said Mills has done what he promised when joining CIRM, and the agency is operating markedly better, in productivity, speed and efficiency. He has made it, through CIRM 2.0 and beyond, a humming machine that is operating on all cylinders, Thomas said. In doing that, hes worked extensively and highly collaboratively with Maria (Millan) and the rest of the team. That has made CIRM an even better operation than it ever was. So we are in extremely good shape right now to go forward. Goals accomplished Jeanne Loring, a CIRM-funded stem cell scientist at The Scripps Research Institute, said Mills made the agency friendlier and more predictable for the scientists it funds. The first and most dramatic thing he did was to end the process of independent grants, Loring said. Under that process, each grant proposal was considered on its own, with no consideration for success under a previous grant for an earlier stage of the research. It was always very troubling to people, I think, that they could do very well with CIRM money on an early-stage grant, and that would earn them nothing in a further application to continue the work, Loring said. As part of CIRM 2.0, Mills emphasized that once projects were accepted for funding, CIRM would become a partner with the scientists to help them accelerate research and development, and ultimately commercialization. Loring leads a team researching the use of stem cells for Parkinsons therapy. The cells are collected from the patients to be treated, making them a genetic match. They are then genetically reprogrammed to resemble embryonic stem cells, and then matured into the brain cells destroyed in Parkinsons. Lorings team was awarded $2.4 million in 2016 from CIRM to advance its research. A next-stage grant to translate the research to a clinically ready approach would need about $7 million, Loring said. The work is part of Summit for Stem Cell, a nonprofit alliance of scientists, doctors, patients and Parkinsons disease community supporters. Veteran stem cell watcher David Jensen praised Mills on his blog, California Stem Cell Report. Dr. Mills made substantial contributions to the agency during his tenure, improving both efficiency of the grant making process and transparency of CIRMs operations, Jensen quoted stem cell observer John M. Simpson of Consumer Watchdog as saying. Simpson added that as CIRM draws down the rest of its $3 billion with no new funding in sight, its not surprising that Mills would accept another job. Paul Knoepfler, a CIRM-funded stem cell scientist and blogger, wrote Tuesday that Mills had a big positive impact on CIRM and helped it go to the next level. About the only thing I wasnt a fan of in terms of his leadership was my perception of his negativity toward the FDA and toward FDA oversight of stem cells, and how that manifested at CIRM during his time there, Knoepfler wrote. But good people can strongly disagree on policy. Science Playlist On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1020 UPDATES: 8:50 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 2:30 p.m., May 3. Southern California Gas Company has sent a letter to state energy officials warning of reliability risks this summer if restrictions on the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage site in the Los Angeles area remain in place. But critics say the investor-owned utility is crying wolf. Last week, SoCalGas president Bret Lane sent a letter to the leadership at the California Energy Commission (CEC), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) the agency that oversees about 80 percent of the electric power system saying preliminary weather forecasts predict a hotter than normal summer for the region. Advertisement Warm weather leads to more energy usage as residents turn on their air conditioners. Californians cannot rely on luck, and energy reliability should not depend upon unusually mild weather conditions, Lane wrote Friday, adding the utilitys three other storage fields have 40 percent less inventory than they did at this same time last year due to Aliso Canyon essentially being offline. But Bill Powers, a San Diego engineer and consumer advocate, disagrees. It just seems to me to be a sensationalist letter to stir up the press and public, to stir some fear when they should have no fear, Powers said. There is no need for that field (Aliso Canyon) for the summer of 2017. The Aliso Canyon storage field is the site of a massive leak that spewed about 100,000 metric tons of methane and forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 households in the Porter Ranch neighborhood. UC Davis project scientist Stephen Conley measured methane emissions from the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak on Jan. 8, 2016. The leak was discovered in October 2015 and not capped until mid-February 2016. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, a Fortune 500 company based in San Diego. Last November, SoCalGas notified state energy officials that Aliso Canyon was ready to come back online. Twice in the most recent winter, natural gas withdrawals were made from the site but re-injections into the wells have yet to receive the OK from state authorities. The field is ready to go, said Lisa Alexander, vice president of customer solutions and communications at SoCalGas. We have taken all the steps and we have gone beyond the laws and regulations to make sure that field is safe. Many of the residents of Porter Ranch have argued the field should remain offline, making their case at a number of public hearings hosted by state and local agencies. SoCalGas gas officials, who liken storage sites to shock absorbers that handle supply and demand swings in the power system, said Tuesday they do not plan on restarting the entire Aliso Canyon facility at once. Rather, the utility would employ 45 of the sites 114 wells that have already been approved by the states Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. Even then, It would take a minimum of several weeks, if not longer, to replenish the fields to a position where we feel comfortable supporting the upcoming summer demand, Alexander said. Its not zero to 60. But Powers pointed to warnings made last year by SoCalGas and some state agencies of up to 14 days of power outages due to the loss of Aliso Canyon that did not materialize. To be so far off last summer and come back now and repeat the same falsehood, for lack of a better word, the press should call them on it because this is the usual routine, Powers said. Alexander said, We were fortunate by the weather conditions last summer and winter, and we cant rely on fortune or luck as the basis for our energy policy. SoCalGas, Powers countered, can get by if the company did a better job balancing its natural gas needs and following mitigation measures the state has developed. They have to manage the system a little bit more closely, which is what everybody else in the West does, Powers said. Natural gas is the major source of power in California. According to the most recent numbers from the California Energy Commission, natural gas accounted for 59.9 percent of in-state electricity generation. But Powers cited a gas report released last year by the states utilities, including SoCalGas, that projected natural gas demand in California decreasing at a rate of 1.4 percent per year from 2016 to 2035. Earlier this year a report from an engineering firm out of Kirkland, Washington, said Aliso is not needed for electrical reliability. That report demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding about how our gas system works, Alexander said, adding that the three agencies that received Fridays letter have concluded that Aliso Canyon is necessary. Last June on a trip to San Diego, Steve Berberich, president and CEO at CAISO, said without question the grid is more vulnerable than it was when Aliso Canyon was up and running at full strength. Why spend a bunch of money to resuscitate a field that is consisting of wells that are well beyond their useful life when you know your gas demand is on a relatively fast track south, (going) down, Powers said. That era is fading. Officials from CAISO, the CEC and the CPUC have each acknowledged receiving the letter from SoCalGas but Alexander said the utility has not received a direct response. The next big step will come on May 22 when a workshop will be held in Diamond Bar focusing on reliability for summer and winter. Officials from the three aforementioned state agencies, as well as L.A. Department of Water and Power, will take part at the meeting at South Coast Air Quality Management District. Alexander said in order for re-injections to occur, the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources must confirm that appropriate steps have been taken and then the CPUC has to affirm those findings. A bill is making its way through the California Legislature that would prevent reopening Aliso until an investigation into the root causes of the leak is completed. The legislation was amended in the Senate to allow the governor to temporarily allow injections in cases of energy emergencies. Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski A small church in San Marcos started by a Navy veteran will mark its fifth anniversary with a special service and luncheon May 7. Community Faith Center in San Marcos opened in 2012 led by the Rev. Frank King, who served in the Navy for 15 years. Although the church is still small with less than a dozen or so members, the groups community outreach has grown in its efforts to support North County Lifeline. Advertisement The first year the church raised money for food for five families and each year since has increased its donation with help from community members and area businesses. Last year, the church raised money to pay for food for 100 needy area families, King said. King also started a program two years ago to buy needy area kids new shoes. He called it, From Blues to New Shoes, and the church presented 20 gift certificates donated by Payless ShoeSource to North County Lifeline. King started the church after a life-changing experience. He was diagnosed with diabetes in 1993 and then had kidney failure in 1999, forcing him to go on dialysis. Thats when I realized that everything happens for a reason and all paths lead to God, King said. I have taken a positive outlook on all negative conditions and circumstances, King said. They can be altered and sometimes canceled out by simply changing your thinking. The Rev. Gary Burley, who had previously helped two startup churches in the San Diego area, now assists at the San Marcos church. The churchs mission statement says, We believe that all paths lead to God. We have a philosophy that we are all children of the One Creator. With this in mind we celebrate and respect all faiths with love being the essence of all we do. We extend this to all mankind to share. Community Faith Center holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays at Hampton Inn, 123 E. Carmel St.,San Marcos. The church often hosts guest speakers from various faith communities and invites community members to serve as speakers and share their faith stories. The anniversary celebration service on May 7 starts later at 10:30 a.m. and is followed by a luncheon. RSVP by May 4 at (760) 631-1518 or (760) 533-6000. Visit communityfaithcenter4u.org or call (760) 631-1518. Hi George! How are you? Im fine. How are ya doing in school? Im 12-. With these words, cheerfully written on round smiley face stationery in November 1975, sixth-grader Lori Rubin launched an enduring pen pal relationship with New York eighth-grader George Ghossn. For 42 years they continued to exchange hand-written letters about once a month. But up until two weeks ago, the lifelong best friends had never met in person or even spoken on the phone. Advertisement Then, when Lori, whose married name is Gertz, made a whirlwind visit to New York in mid-April, she and Ghossn finally met face to face. They hugged and cried together and then spent two hours reminiscing. On Tuesday morning they met again, this time in Encinitas for a presentation on the importance of friendship at The Grauer School, a private college prep academy that Gertzs son, Jonah, attends. In an interview afterward, they sat close together and spoke with the familiarity and shared history of siblings. Gertz, 53, occasionally stopped talking mid-sentence to stare over at Ghossn, 56, incredulous that they were in the same room together after so many years. Im sorry. Im having a moment, she said. I cant believe that my George is here. I just love you so much. A stack of letters exchanged over the 42 years between pen pals Lori Gertz of Encintas, 53, and George Ghossn, 56, of New York. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) Ghossn, of East Islip, N.Y., admits hes the reason for the long-delayed meeting. Superstitious by nature, he worried that meeting Gertz would upset the delicate balance of their old-fashioned letter-writing relationship. Every few years, she would write to ask if they could meet in person. He always declined. Then he lost his parents and both of his brothers and said he found himself all alone in the world. Alone, except for Gertz. I didnt want to meet her because I was afraid she wouldnt like me, or that shed be disappointed, Ghossn said. But then I had a lot of loss in my family and I realized she is my family and I needed to meet her. Now I wish Id done it sooner. Our relationship is better tenfold. Both agree that their friendship has taken on a richer dimension and theyre planning to spend the Christmas holidays together at the Encinitas home Gertz shares with her husband of nearly 20 years, Craig, and their children Jonah, 18, and Talia, 12. Craig, an attorney, was happy to finally meet George on Tuesday. One of the first things Lori told her future husband years ago was that giving up her friendship with George was non-negotiable. Oh yeah, I always knew. George came with the package, Craig said. The friendship was born as the result of a chain letter, a 1970s fad where teens sent out letters to strangers in the hopes of getting even more back. Gertz was disappointed in the response she received from the chain letter so she picked Ghossns name off the enclosed address list and sent the 14-year-old New Yorker a pen pal request. He agreed. In her first letter she asked if he minded that she was Jewish (he didnt). In his first letter, he sent a school photo (which she loved). Then, with little exception, they continued exchanging letters over the years on stationery, notebook paper, scrap paper and even Post-It Notes. New York resident George Ghossn and Encinitas resident Lori Gertz have been pen pals for 42 years and recently met in person for the first time. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) In the early years, they wrote about school, their families and friends and their hobbies. As they moved into their teens and their trust in each other deepened, they gave each other advice on issues like his girlfriends over the years (he and Gertz never had any romantic feelings for one another) and the chaos in her family. His letters were direct and candid. Hers were deeply felt and poetic. She would go on to become a published author. Her words are so beautiful, Ghossn said. She always knew the perfect thing to say so that no matter how much loss I felt, her words were enough. They made me feel better. They brought me out of the darkness into the light. Gertz said she sees letter writing as a sacred and ancient art that younger generations no longer value. Because letter writing takes so long, it allows her time to reflect, self-edit and dig deep into her soul to express what shes feeling. Both she and Ghossn have saved virtually all of the letters they exchanged. As they grew older, college and careers became the focus of the letters. Ghossn went to work for the Suffolk County Water Authority and started performing in musical theater, sending Gertz photos of himself in costume for various roles. Gertz got a journalism degree, moved frequently and became a writer and marketer. She married and sent Ghossn birth announcements and family photos. Several years ago, her family left the Midwest and moved to Encinitas. In 2006, their relationship shifted in a more serious direction. Ghossn sent Gertz an emotional letter scrawled on an airplane cocktail napkin about his mothers recent death. With cards and support, she helped him through the first of many losses. He was there for her as well when the bottom fell out of her world a few years later. In 2003, the Gertzes adopted an infant girl who, unbeknownst to them, was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and severe mental illness. The child became a danger to herself and others and after years of struggle, the Gertzes surrendered the 7-year-old to foster care in 2010. When the Chicago Tribune wrote about the family, they were publicly vilified. Those years, which Gertz documented in her 2014 memoir When Mama Cant Kiss it Better, were so traumatic, she doesnt remember writing any letters to Ghossn. But she did. And he remembers. I couldnt believe what I was reading, he said of those letters. It was just terrible. She wrote me a lot about it. But I think she has blocked it out. About every eight years, she would send him a letter asking for a meeting without success. Several years ago she helped him establish a Facebook page, though he rarely posted anything, and she begged him to send her emails, but he didnt. Im just not someone whos computer savvy, he said. I guess I missed the boat on that one. Then last month, when Jonah was deciding between the colleges hed been accepted to, Gertz decided to take her son to visit Hofstra University in Westbury, N.Y. She sent Ghossn a Facebook message asking if they could finally meet in a hotel near the college campus. To her shock, he agreed. She worried he wouldnt show up but he did early in fact and a hotel clerk using Georges cellphone captured their tearful meeting in the lobby. After they both posted something on Facebook about their long-overdue meeting, it was picked up by ABC News in New York and has since gone viral. Last week, the TV series Inside Edition asked to profile the pair and flew Ghossn into San Diego Monday night so their cameras could capture another reunion as well as their presentation for 7th-12th graders at The Grauer School. Ghossn flew home again Tuesday night, but the pair are already making plans for their next reunion. Theyre also talking by phone and Facebook more often. But one thing that wont change is their commitment to writing letters. Theres a sense of connection you get with someone who has shared their life with you through letters, Gertz said. He gave me the incredible ability to connect with another human and be my authentic self. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com MiraCosta Colleges annual Car and Motorcycle Show is set for May 6. The seventh annual event put on by members of the colleges Automotive Technology Program is expected to feature dozens of cars. The show gives MiraCosta automotive technology students a chance to showcase their craftsmanship and mechanical abilities and brings together area car buffs. The event is open to any car or motorcycle and there are no year or make/model restrictions. Categories include hot rods, classics, tuners, trucks, customs, choppers and rat rods along with unrestored originals and works in progress. Advertisement Festivities include live music, awards and drawings. Local high school students are slated to compete in a go-cart contest. Food and beverages will sold. The fee to exhibit a vehicle is $20 on the day of the event. Proceeds from the event will go to the colleges programs to help military students and veterans along with Extended Opportunity Programs. The event goes a long way toward helping military and EOPS students afford textbooks and bolster our scholarship funds, said event coordinator Steve Vail, automotive technology instructor at the college. The car show is from 9 a.m.to 2 p.m. at the colleges Parking Lot 1A, 1 Barnard Drive on the Oceanside campus. The event is free for spectators; free spectator parking is in lot 2A. For questions, email svail@miracosta.edu or call (760) 757-2121, ext. 6354. Entrants can register online at foundation.miracosta.edu/events.html A small Indian tribe in a remote stretch of San Diego County has traded in its failed dream of casino riches for what could be the next big payout marijuana cultivation. The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel which shuttered its 35,000-square-foot gaming hall in February 2014, buried under $50 million in debt has transformed the vacant space into a high-tech medical marijuana operation, and is leasing part of the property to growers who cultivate and distribute the drug to legal dispensaries throughout the state. On the buildings sprawling parking lot, more than a dozen greenhouses are in various stages of construction awaiting more tenants. Advertisement The tribe is the first in San Diego County to embrace the marijuana industry in the wake of a December 2014 memo by the U.S. Justice Department that declared sovereign nations would not be prosecuted for growing pot on tribal land in states that had already legalized the drug. Indian tribes across the nation have been mostly wary of that decision, but at Santa Ysabel the timing of the Justice Department memo, 10 months after the casino failed, seemed also serendipitous. In 2007, when the Santa Ysabel Resort and Casino opened on a hillside off state Route 79 overlooking Lake Henshaw, the tribe envisioned building a hotel to serve the hordes of gamblers who would surely flock there. That never happened there were too many other casinos closer to San Diego and major transportation corridors like Interstate 15. The 700-member Santa Ysabel tribe had watched its neighbors get rich, but saw its own prospects evaporating. So in early 2015, tribal leaders quietly jumped at the opportunity for a new revenue source. They soon created laws regulating marijuana on the reservation and established the Santa Ysabel Cannabis Regulatory Agency and Cannabis Commission to oversee the fledgling venture. For the past 18 months, marijuana cultivated at the site has been shipped to legal dispensaries across the state, said Dave Vialpando, who heads the tribes regulatory agency. Vialpando declined to identify the marijuana businesses that are leasing grow space, or the financial arrangement between those companies and the Santa Ysabel tribe. He said the operation at the casino property is still very, very small. Its two grow rooms, less than 1,000 plants. Mostly its still empty space. Its still in development. The greenhouses are at various stages of construction, he added. It wont be all cultivation. There will be processing rooms and trimming rooms and storage rooms. Theres a lot of infrastructure that goes with the enterprise of medical cannabis. Vialpando said the testing lab is about to open and there is the possibility that other cannabis products such as lotions could be produced in the future. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies across the region say theyre aware of the tribes marijuana operation and are taking a wait-and-see approach. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Blair Perez released a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune Tuesday saying that Santa Ysabel was informed in September 2015 that a marijuana grow violated federal law. Since 2015, this office has enforced the federal drug laws in compliance with current Department of Justice guidance and will continue to do so. Interpretation: Federal law prohibits the cultivation and distribution of marijuana, but current policy allows for pot to be grown on reservations as long as a list of requirements is met.The San Diego County Sheriffs Department said in a statement it does not license, inspect, or regulate marijuana cultivation on tribal lands. The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel is operating under tribal law and tribal authority in this case. The District Attorneys office said its aware of the grow operation at Santa Ysabel and has advised the tribe that if state laws are broken in a location where we have jurisdiction, our office will review any resulting investigation for potential criminal charges. Vialpando who worked as an officer with the California Justice Department before retiring in 2011 to head up the tribes gaming operations and then its cannabis agency said hes confident the Santa Ysabel tribe is doing everything by the book. We have a highly regulated operation, he said. The tribe has no ownership interest in cannabis. It doesnt cultivate it, doesnt process it. Its not been a secret to our government partners, Vialpando added. Its a highly regulated enterprise. We have inspections and audits and waste disposal to assure that no cannabis waste leaves the reservation. Though California voters approved Proposition 64 in November, legalizing the recreational use and cultivation of pot, Vialpando said the tribes laws only allow the cultivation of medicinal marijuana. He said the tribe has no plans to expand those rules to include recreational marijuana. Vialpando said no other local tribe is involved in the pot business, but Santa Ysabel has had inquiries from other reservations. Bob Miller, an Indian law attorney and professor at Arizona State University, said growing pot on reservations is a hot topic among tribal leaders across the country. He said that at a national conference on Native American issues next month in Las Vegas, many of the scheduled seminars have to do with marijuana. The growing acceptance of the drug, however, could hit a roadblock with the Trump administration. Miller said tribal leaders are watching what develops. The way (Attorney General) Jeff Sessions talks about marijuana has got to make tribes very, very hesitant, he said. Sessions has publicly said that Good people dont smoke marijuana and last year, as a senator, he said we need grown-ups in charge in Washington to say marijuana is not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized... that it is, in fact, a very real danger. At the Santa Ysabel reservation, Vialpando said the tribe also has its eyes on Washington, but is moving forward with its plans. Security is a priority, and the old casino building is just about perfect for such an operation, Vialpando said. To get to the facility requires a long drive up a paved road that is blocked by a security gate and an armed guard. We have quite a few security measures built in and yes, the location is ideal in not creating any sort of undue public safety risk, said Vialpando. The hilltop is a very defensible position, a very secure position. To read the article in Spanish, click here jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones The Imperial Beach City Council has chosen Beach Avenue off Seacoast Drive to be the first street end to be improved in a program being funded by the Port of San Diego. Street ends are the property between Seacoast Drive and the beach. The council also gave a green light for the design of the long-awaited bathroom and showers at that intersection, which is south of Imperial Beach Boulevard. Advertisement Port officials had asked the city to prioritize in the event there is only enough money to fund one of the projects. Having both projects done at the same time, however, would allow for design and construction efficiencies. The vote was 3-0 with Councilwoman Lorie Bragg absent and Councilman Ed Spriggs recusing himself due to a potential conflict of interest. Improving street ends and building a new restroom are specified in the ports master plan and were approved as part of its 2014-18 capital-improvement program. The district holds lease agreements for all street ends in Imperial Beach and is improving them as a port-tideland asset. The port has allocated a total of $225,000 in that budget for a feasibility study and initial design renderings, $150,000 (street ends) and $75,000 (restroom and shower facility). Goals of the project include providing pedestrian access and complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Bike rakes, pavers, landscaping, seating areas and art are design elements that could be included as street end improvements. The improvements were deemed necessary following a shoreline protection study completed in 2000 by the California Coastal Commission. The restroom, which would be south of Pier Plaza, has been a decades-old need in the city. There are currently no public restrooms or showers there, which forces beachgoers to change in their cars. The city has a total of nine unimproved street ends, including (from north to south) Carnation, Dahlia, Elkwood, Ebony, Admiralty, Beach, Cortez, Descanso and Encanto avenues. A subsequent phase of the project would include improvements to the remaining eight street ends, in the priority established by the City Council as more port funding becomes available. A new book by Bing West depicts the 2010 tour in Sangin, Afghanistan of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Skip the muddled counterinsurgency critique and Bing Wests sentimental reminiscences about his Vietnam glory days and jump straight to the heart of his latest book an unflinching account of a Marine platoon dropped into the bloodiest battlefield of the Afghanistan War. In One Million Steps: A Marine Platoon at War, released in hardcover by Random House Sept. 9, West recounts the story of Camp Pendleton infantrymen who deployed to Sangin, Afghanistan in October 2010 with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. The Darkhorse Marines were the first battalion to serve a full tour in Sangin after the British withdrew from the area, following Twentynine Palms Marines who bridged the hand-off. More than 100 British troops had been killed in Sangin a third of their war dead in Afghanistan. The rural crossroads in a backwater long ignored by the central government was overrun with Taliban fighters, poppy farmers and drug smugglers. Its dirt paths, fields and mud houses were planted with an unprecedented number of homemade bombs, leaving insurgents free-reign for years over a lush stretch of the Helmand River valley in southwestern Afghanistan. During seven months in Sangin, the 3/5 Marines lost 25 killed in action and more than 200 wounded, mostly in the first two months the heaviest casualties of any battalion during the war in Afghanistan. Before the last Marines withdrew from Sangin in May of this year, the death toll had more than doubled. West follows one platoon through this brutal killing field, seeking to understand what kept them going amid harrowing conditions. Within a day of arriving in Sangin, they had seen their friends blown apart, and they carried the bloodstains of their comrades on their cammies, he writes, describing 3rd Platoons more than 50 percent casualty rate. West is a New York Times bestselling author with a large following among Marine combat veterans. He wrote one of the seminal accounts of small-unit guerrilla warfare, The Village, about his service as a young infantryman in Vietnam. When it comes to Marines at war, West is among the best at heart-pounding vignettes of firefights and bomb attacks. One Million Steps does not disappoint in that regard, vividly depicting the bravery, brotherhood, and relentless killing instinct of Marine grunts. In Sangin, insurgents used gunfire and medieval defenses like timber defilades to channel the Marines into fields of improvised explosive devices, wielding the poor mans homemade land mine to devastating effect. West described one of many mass casualties the Marines suffered before the fire teams began to maneuver in a line, walking painstakingly slow in ranger file, zigzagging in unpredictable routes over fields and canals. When two Marines were fatally wounded and another injured, then a Navy hospital corpsmans legs were blown off, a scout sniper took charge. Freeze! screamed Sgt. Matt Abbate. The engineer trained to use the metal detector was in shock. Three successive blasts had struck down four Marines behind him and three more in front of him. He refused to move. When Abbate yelled at him a second time, he responded by pitching his Vallon (metal detector) forward. Abbate crawled over and picked it up. He had no idea how to read a small quiver of the needle. He faked it... Later when Abbate set out toward an enemy position, he turned and realized no one was following him. Lets go! We all die together! he said, rallying the men. Another scene of hellacious combat and the indomitable Marine fighting spirit opens with the death of Lance Cpl. James Boelk, the gentle bear nicknamed Baloo. An explosion hurled his body into the canal, killing him instantly. West (Lt. Cameron West, the 3rd Platoon commander) felt a truck hit him. The force threw him 30 feet backward. He landed with his back against a tree, his leg lying next to him. The shock wave drove (Lance Cpl. Aaron) Lantznesters face into the dirt. When his vision cleared, he crawled to West, ripped off his shredded armor, and cinched two tourniquets around the gushing stump. Tell everyone not to move, West said. "We gotta" West tried to raise his right hand, but it too had been mangled. His face was twisted at an odd angle, a chunk of shrapnel jutting from his left eye. "Youre okay, sir," Lantz said. "Everythings going to be okay." West felt no pain, only frustration. "Shut the fuck up, Lantz. Nothings okay." The blast had scythed down the command group. Wests replacement, Lt. Victor Garcia, explains why they fought on. Were going to get those sons of bitches, he said. Well honor our dead by going out again today and every day. Despite the gripping combat scenes, One Million Steps is a deeply flawed book. The details of this remarkable true-life chapter of Marine Corps history deserve to be recounted and studied among the great battles of modern warfare. Unfortunately, West gets many of them wrong. A casual reader with no knowledge of the region or the Marine unit it depicts wont notice, but the book is riddled with errors. For example, the first sentence of the introduction mistakenly locates Sangin in southern Helmand, instead of the violent north portion of the province. The name of Alex Deykerhoff, one of four squad leaders in the platoon West profiled, is misspelled throughout the book as Deykeroff. Bing mentions 13 snipers in the book, five of them have the wrong name or rank. I am sure Bing had good intentions, but he should have written this book with the same vigilance and attention to detail that was required of our Marines on patrol every day, said David Sandifer, the 3/5 scout sniper platoon sergeant in Sangin, in a Facebook post. In an anecdote about a goat that wandered into a firefight and followed the Marines home, West writes: That night, the Marines ate Stacy. Actually, they ate her much later after raising her two kids. West styles himself the Grunts Homer, even in casual conversation. But several active duty Marines I spoke to who have been featured in his previous books on Iraq were so dismayed at inaccuracies and distortions that they refuse to read his work. One of them is a field grade officer who served in Sangin with the battalion profiled in West's latest book. Another, a Marine general officer, told me: Bing writes historical fiction. Unfortunately, the shortcomings in One Million Steps go deeper than typos and sensationalized streamlining of the narrative. As West focuses on a unit among the first to fight under a new battle plan and new leadership in the deadliest area of Afghanistan, he mistakes the clear phase of the clear, hold, build counterinsurgency strategy for a war of attrition. With a sanctuary across the border in Pakistan, the Marines in Helmand were never under the illusion they could kill enough enemy fighters to win. From the first days in Sangin, they flexed soft and hard power against the insurgents, wielding their no better friend, no worse enemy mentality and lessons learned from cultivating tribal support in Anbar province, Iraq. Much of One Million Steps is a rehash from Wests previous book describing his view of a failed counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. The big stick COIN approach the Marines pursued in Sangin, however, was working, as West himself noted during a return visit. I spent nearly a month embedded with the 3/5 Marines in Sangin when practically every patrol involved a firefight and multiple bomb attacks. I returned a year and a half later to find the district so calm that the infantrymen told me they were dying of boredom. During a nearly 14-hour foot patrol in summer 2012 through the green zone of fields and canals, we didnt encounter a single bomb, and the only gunfire was to celebrate a wedding. The Marines called it The Sangin Death March because of the monotony and threat of heat casualties. Violence spiked when the Marines withdrew, and the Afghan national security forces may yet squander gains made in Sangin. But the Marines depicted in One Million Steps did not fight in vain as West suggests. Among other problems with the book is the uneven writing, with lyrical passages interspersed with cliche about the Taliban who attacked every patrol that sallied forth. In an apparent attempt to play up the primal war-fighter mystique, West reduces the Marines to caricature, repeatedly referring to the ubiquitous mud-walled housing compounds where regular Afghan families live as well as Marines as caves. With the exception of Abbate, recipient of a posthumous Navy Cross medal who is described by West as the Achilles of the platoon, its finest warrior, few of the characters are fleshed out in either the tactical or human dimension. And nowhere in the book are the names of all 25 killed in action, an oversight that offended some of the Gold Star families. Several in the 3/5 community told me they are grateful that a famous writer was kind enough to tell their story, no matter how flawed the book. We should be grateful to them, for fighting for us through such awful conditions, and for reliving painful memories to add to the historical record. One Million Steps is worth reading, but it does not do these Marines justice. Cpl. Jason Gaal, who was promoted to squad leader after another Marine he admired died, keeps a watch on his squad as he leads them on an overnight combat patrol in Afghanistan in March, 2011. Nelvin C. Cepeda (Nelvin C. Cepeda) Sgt. Philip McCulloch, Jr. with Kilo Company puts on his combat gear, as he prepares to take his squad out on a patrol from Patrol Base Fires. Nelvin C. Cepeda (Nelvin C. Cepeda) They call it procedural justice, and the concept is pretty simple. If people believe they are treated fairly and with respect by police, they are more likely to have a favorable view of law enforcement even if their encounter ends with a ticket or an arrest. Its a form of community relations that officials believe can help build goodwill and reduce mistrust. For the record: A previous version of this article said that Roy L. Austin Jr. worked on President Obamas task force on 21st century policing. Although Austin worked closely with the presidential task force, he was not a member of the task force itself. It can be as simple as officers handing out their business cards or spending a few extra minutes explaining why they pulled someone over. Advertisement Los Angeles police officers have been told in the past to do some of these things, but a new report found that this kind of behavior has still not been completely embraced by everyone in the LAPD. So the Los Angeles Police Commission this week adopted a wide-ranging set of changes that called on the department to deepen procedural justice practices. The directives are part of the civilian panels broader push to further reform the LAPD, which has included significant adjustments to how officers are trained and when they are allowed to use force. In voting for the latest changes, commissioners expanded their focus to other areas, including how the department guards against bias, shares data about policing with the public, and disciplines and deploys officers. We need to keep looking for ways to continue to make this department the best it can be, said Matt Johnson, the panels president. We need to continue engaging meaningfully with questions about community trust, race and use of force. I believe that these reports and recommendations provide a path forward to doing just that. The changes stemmed from a 49-page analysis by Inspector General Alex Bustamante, whose office compared the LAPDs practices with two national reports that have drawn significant attention within policing: one from then-President Obamas task force on 21st century policing and another from the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. Police Chief Charlie Beck, a longtime member of PERF, noted that the LAPD has helped develop some of the national guidelines. The Los Angeles Police Department, I think, is a very reform-minded department. Do we always achieve that in practice? Well, no. Nobodys perfect, he told reporters. But we certainly strive for it. Both PERF and the presidential task force have urged law enforcement to embrace the procedural justice philosophy. Bustamantes report said putting the concept into practice can help officers gain someones cooperation during a tense encounter and reduce the likelihood of using force. Steve Gordon, a director of the union that represents the LAPDs rank-and-file officers, said he was glad the board required the LAPD to meet with the union when implementing the changes. Officers can bring important perspectives when figuring out how to adjust policing practices, he said. If anybody has an idea on how we as an organization can do police work better, we are all ears, Gordon said. We want to hear what these are, but we want to be at the table. Overall, Bustamantes report gave the LAPD high marks, noting that the department had implemented many of the policing principles outlined by the two national studies. The presidential task force, for instance, cited the LAPDs community policing efforts and civilian oversight as examples other agencies could draw upon. Beck testified before that panel in 2015 as it was crafting its recommendations. But there were other areas where the LAPD could improve, Bustamante wrote. The LAPD should resume publishing the data it collects on stops and arrests officers make, the report said, while also ensuring that the information is reviewed for potential evidence of bias or other mistreatment by officers. Although the LAPD has tried to analyze data about stops and searches in the past, Bustamantes office said it was not aware of any process currently in place that allowed it to do so now. To mitigate potential bias by officers, the LAPD last month launched department-wide training in March focused on implicit bias subconscious bias people may not know they have. In the wake of long-running complaints among officers that discipline is inconsistently doled out, the report said, the LAPD should conduct an in-depth evaluation to look for ways to improve officers faith in that process. Doing so, the report said, could expand the idea of procedural justice to how officers feel they are treated within the department. Discipline will never be popular, the report added, but the department could do more to ensure officers feel theyve been treated fairly and that the system is neutral. The report also called on the LAPD to review its deployment strategies, which have been a hot-button issue among officers in recent months. The police union frequently complains that there are too few cops on the streets, forcing them to rush from call to call. We need to keep looking for ways to continue to make this department the best it can be. Matt Johnson, president of the Los Angeles Police Commission The report cited concerns from officers that the emphasis by department brass on producing results such as making arrests or taking guns off the streets deters officers from spending time interacting with residents. The report recommended that the LAPD find ways to better measure and promote activities associated with community policing. The inspector general called for the deployment review to examine whether officers had enough time to stop to talk with residents and build relationships. One of the most significant changes came in the recommendation that officers, when it is safe to do so, provide basic aid to someone they might have used force against, including people shot by police. The LAPD has drawn criticism over some police shootings in recent years, after video showed some officers standing near the person shot, waiting for paramedics to arrive. The commission unanimously adopted the recommendations, directing the department to make the changes. Roy L. Austin Jr., a D.C.-based attorney and former Obama administration official who worked closely with the policing task force, said the inspector generals report provided a thoughtful and comprehensive review of the LAPDs practices. Austin said that after the task force made its recommendations, he had hoped agencies would conduct evaluations such as this. The report gives LAPD credit for where its getting it right and specifically notes places where LAPD could do better, he said. There is not a law enforcement agency in the country that could not benefit from going through this process. kate.mather@latimes.com @katemather ALSO As thousands marched, heres how the LAPD handled May Day Fewer shootings by police thats the goal of new rules adopted by the L.A. Police Commission Garcetti budget would reduce police patrols in neighborhoods and increase response times, LAPD union warns UPDATES: 3:40 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about procedural justice. This article was originally published at 7:40 p.m. on May 2. Investigators were already looking into the criminal activities of an Escondido street gang when Cathy Kennedy was fatally struck by a stray bullet as she drove home from church in March, authorities said. New and ongoing wiretaps and additional investigation helped in the capture of the suspected killer, a 24-year-old documented gang member, and on Wednesday authorities announced methamphetamine- and gun-trafficking charges against 16 other members and associates from that same gang. Five remained at large as of Wednesday evening. The case against the group, the Diablos, is part of a larger gang crackdown, resulting in federal charges against more than 140 gang members and associates in San Diego County since February. Twenty gangs in all were targeted. Advertisement This is an unusually large number of gang members arrested in a very short period of time, said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson. The sheer number of arrests illustrates that gangs are a significant problem in this county. The recent takedown was announced during a news conference at the U.S. Attorneys Office in downtown San Diego, where Robinson stood alongside officials from federal and local law enforcement agencies that aided in the investigations over the past several months. Of the 140 or so charged, the acting U.S. attorney said a small percentage less than 20 people were in the U.S. illegally. About half of those suspects were charged in the Diablos investigation, prosecutors said. The Diablos investigation started before Kennedy, 55, was shot on March 7 as she drove home from a Bible study. Escondido police said it appeared the shooter was trying to hit two rival gang members in retaliation for tagging at an apartment complex. Investigators were already wiretapping the phone of Dionicio Torrez Jr. at the time of the shooting, and he became their prime suspect, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Robinson. Torrez stopped using that phone at one point, but investigators were able to figure out two other phones he was using and get court-authorized wiretaps on those, Robinson said. Torrez was arrested about a week later and is being prosecuted by the San Diego County District Attorneys Office in what could be a death penalty case. A teenager was also arrested, accused of being with Torrez during the shooting. Both are U.S. citizens. The gang with about 300 documented members and 400 associates is responsible for more than 25 gang-related shootings in the past year, as well as attempted murders, armed robberies, witness intimidation, and the trafficking of guns and drugs in North County, prosecutors said. The investigation into the gangs activities involved 13 wiretaps in all, intercepting more than 20,000 phone calls and text messages, prosecutors said. Authorities seized about 13 pounds of high-quality meth and 10 firearms, including 4 AR-15-style rifles, an AK-47 and an SKS rifle. In all, authorities seized more than 60 guns and 30 pounds of meth as part of the larger gang crackdown, as well as cash and other drugs. One of those investigations culminated last week with charges against 37 people connected to Mid-City area gangs in San Diego that are suspected of trafficking meth and guns. One distribution ring used Teralta Park in City Heights as its headquarters, prosecutors said. In March, prosecutors announced the takedown of some of North Countys biggest suspected criminal gun and drug dealers with charges against 55 men and women. One organization, allegedly run by a woman with ties to a Tijuana group connected to the Sinaloa cartel, supplied at least 25 percent of the heroin sold in North County, prosecutors said. Another group is accused of shipping large quantities of methamphetamine to other states. The sheer number of arrests illustrates that gangs are a significant problem in this county. Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson In February, 11 suspected members and associates of an Oceanside gang were indicted in a racketeering conspiracy that included crimes such as attempted murder, drug trafficking and prostitution, according to court records. Another defendant managed two Oceanside hotels and is accused of providing the gang with a place for the crimes to take place. He allegedly employed a gang member as security, according to the indictment. Prosecutors did not release other details about the Diablos investigation, and many court records remain sealed. According to the only probable cause affidavit that was not sealed, one defendant is accused of delivering three ounces of meth to two other men in Fallbrook on March 8. Law enforcement officers who had been tracking the deal stopped the pairs vehicle and searched them for drugs, but all that was found was a small amount of personal use meth, court records state. Thats because one of the men hid the meth in his boxer shorts, authorities later learned via wiretap. He told his co-defendant later that he could feel it falling down his leg as he was standing by the vehicle while being searched, and it was a good thing they didnt find the drugs, according to court records. The Diablos arrests come a few weeks after Attorney General Jeff Sessions put Escondidos gang problems in the national spotlight with a comment he made during a border tour here. As you know too well here, Sessions said at a news conference at Brown Field in Otay Mesa, Escondidos gang violence has jumped recently between two violent gangs warring for turf more shootings, more guns, more terrorized neighborhoods. Sanctuary jurisdictions have put known gang members back on the streets to join the Westside gang in Escondido. The comment was puzzling to some in law enforcement, as Escondido is known for its especially close working relationship with immigration authorities. An Escondido police detective did note earlier in April that the city was seeing an increase in violent gang crimes shootings, stabbings, assaults with a deadly weapon. The Westside gang is the Diablos main rival. Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter said he is stopping short of saying too much about Sessions comment until he knows more about the source and driving force behind it. He said he has an inquiry in to the Justice Department for more information. He added that, as police chief, he plans on using all tools at his disposal to fight crime, and that includes working with his federal partners such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If you see something, say something. We cannot solve this problem on our own. Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter Officials focused a large part of their message Wednesday on urging community members to partner with law enforcement to fight the scourge of gangs. If you see something, say something, Carter implored. We cannot solve this problem on our own. A simple phone call with what you may feel is not important may break the case and thats the case with what happened with Mrs. Kennedys killing. Other tools such as early intervention programs, family counseling, after-school curriculum and mentoring are also important, they said. At the news conference, in an attempt to illustrate the senselessness of gang violence, officials showed surveillance video footage of a drive-by shooting involving rival Escondido gangs. When a pair of men in a car flash a gang sign at a man in front of an apartment building, the man flashes a rival gang sign back. The passenger then gets out and fires, striking a parked car. The intended victim can be seen running in a doorway, followed shortly after by a little girl in a bathing suit. A girls pink bike is parked in the bottom corner of the frame. The video is evidence in a case filed in February, prosecutors said. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis UPDATES: 6:16 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 4:30 p.m. Hackers on Wednesday launched a nationwide phishing attack on Googles popular Gmail service, sending emails meant to trick people into broadly giving out personal information. In a scenario thats becoming ever more familiar, people received an email that appeared to come from a friend or acquaintance but was actually written by hackers. The recipients were asked to open a Google Doc. Those who followed the instructions moved deeper into the real Google system, but they also unwittingly unleashed a chain reaction that may have exposed their entire email directory and whole contacts list to hackers. Advertisement The crime drew widespread attention because Google has 1 billion Gmail users worldwide. It also quickly gained the attention of cybersecurity experts because Google typically has very good spam filters which block out the majority of phishing attempts, said Travis Smith, a principal security researcher at Tripwire in Portland, Oregon. By getting around those filters, this campaign exposed the common user (to) the nasty workings of what is actually happening on the Internet every day, Smith added. The attack wasnt regular phishing, it was well-crafted social engineering in which people willingly let others read their email, said Kevin OBrien, chief executive officer of GreatHorn, a Boston-based security company. Cyber experts urged consumers to change their Gmail passwords to help thwart future phishing attacks by the same hackers. Google didnt provide an estimate of the number of Gmail users who have been affected by the attack. But the company said in a statement: We have taken action to protect users against an email impersonating Google Docs, and have disabled offending accounts. Weve removed the fake pages, pushed updates through Safe Browsing, and our abuse team is working to prevent this kind of spoofing from happening again. We encourage users to report phishing emails in Gmail. As the attack spread Wednesday, cyber experts pondered the hackers motives. The assault might have been a proof-of-concept thing carried out by someone who was not very savvy about flying under the radar, said Stephen Cobb, a senior researcher in the San Diego office of the security company ESET. It is generally considered a mistake to release malware en masse so that you attract a lot of attention. The standard reasoning is that phishing outfits want to do their damage unknown, so they can keep stealing more peoples birth dates, addresses, passwords, credit card numbers and other sensitive information without facing new counter-security measures. Smith at Tripwire said in this case, the hackers could just be getting a list of people who are susceptible to clicking on mail like this. They could then use it in phishing attacks at a later date. Cyber specialists generally praised Google for what they saw as prompt action to stop Wednesdays phishing attack. They cited the very fact that the company quickly recognized what was happening and engaged with the news media and Gmail users through its technical support forum, in contrast to some past incidents in which email providers didnt confirm extensive phishing campaigns until months or even years later. Many institutions from schools to corporations tried to alert their staffs as soon as Wednesdays hacking became clear. For example, San Diego State Universitys security officials sent an internal email that said: The university is currently under a mass phishing attack. This is a fraudulent email that contains malicious code capable of compromising your entire Gmail account. The email has a subject that will vary but will begin with a name, shared a document on Google Docs with you. This is SPAM please do not click on this and close your browsing. UC San Diego said it received a warning that such an attack might take place and took steps to prevent the malware from spreading on its computer system. Although the Gmail-targeted phishing was described as taking place Wednesday, Smith said It would not be surprising that the initial (malicious) messages were sent out sometime Tuesday. The growth of the number of emails would have been exponential (in that scenario). As the first victim was compromised, their account would then send out phishing emails to everyone in their contact list. This continual process eventually hit a point where someone posted the breakdown on Reddit, which got the attention of the Google team, he added. Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee in Santa Clara, said incidents like the Gmail attack are becoming more commonplace as cyber criminal networks accumulate an ever-increasing number of accounts to target that have been cultivated through other attacks and breaches. Google mail makes a particularly attractive target as it is one of the most popular web-based email services. We often see the bad actors going after devices or applications that have many users to increase the chance of a successful attack. 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 A 95-year-old World War II veteran kept Montecito High School students rapt with attention as he led them through his experiences as a bombardier and subsequent ordeals as a prisoner of war (POW), peppering his stories with humorous anecdotes. Don Foulkes, who lives in Fallbrook with his wife, Mary, had been invited by Montecito High history teacher Bruce Tobias to speak to a group of interested students. Those students responded to the presentation with a host of insightful questions. It was 1944 and Foulkes was a bombardier in the 449th Army Air Corps, (which later became the Air Force), stationed in Southern Italy. Advertisement We flew B-24s, he said. On his 28th mission he was among of crew of 10 that flew to Vienna, Austria, to bomb a freight yard. They didnt encounter opposition fighters, he said, but theres a lot of anti-aircraft. The bombs were dropped but an engine on the plane was hit. The pilot told them to prepare to bail out. Foulkes, as the bombardier, along with the nose gunner were told to bail out first. By that time they were over Hungary and he could see freshly-plowed fields. As he parachuted, he could also see a B-17 on the ground and what appeared to be armed troops around it. Shortly after he landed in a field he found himself looking at about a dozen old-fashioned long shiny rifles. Bad day, Foulkes recalled one enemy soldier saying. You know my cousin in Chicago? asked another. Foulkes told about the journey that he and four crew members from the downed B-17 took over several days before reaching the POW camp. They ended up at Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany, where in the north compound the Great Escape had taken place and 50 of the 76 escapees had been shot, Foulkes said. Entering the camp was the lowest point in his time overseas, he said. Its big. Barbed wire 12-feet high, razor wire at the top. There were manned guard towers around the camp. Foulkes said he thought about how far he was from home and he had no idea how long the war would continue. And I was really bottoming out, he said. Then all of a sudden he heard someone from among a group of POWs call out, Hey Foulksie! The caller turned out to be someone from his college freshman class. But that very recognition changed my emotion from low point to well, well see whats going to happen, said Foulkes. After showering, he was given a wool British uniform, 10 bed slats and a couple of blankets, and taken to barracks where he was greeted by 12 roommates who turned out to be wonderful, wonderful guys. They asked for five bed slats for fuel to fire up the stove and told him to split the other five so he would have 10 skinny slats for his bunk. Food also was in shortage. The Germans split their American Red Cross parcels of food in half each week, he said. During his time as a POW, Foulkes said he lost 30 to 35 pounds. The veteran told students about life at Stalag Luft III and said in late 1944 they knew the war was winding down. Near the end of January 1945, they were told they would be moving out and given extra Red Cross parcels. At 12:30 a.m. Jan. 27 the POWs were led on a march over snow-covered ground in 10 degree temperatures that continued for several days with a few breaks and only occasional shelter. After about 50 miles, they were put into freight cars and took a 400-mile train trip to Stalag VII in Mooseburg where there were about 120,000 POWs. They were from all over the world, said Foulkes. As the Allies and Russians advanced on Germany, compounds were emptied and many POWs ended up at the overcrowded Mooseburg, he explained. One day, Foulkes said, it became very quiet. There was no gunfire or bombing and the guards were gone. Then they heard the unnerving noise of an artillery shell fired overhead, said Foulkes. Soon after U.S. troops arrived to free them and it was wonderful, he said. More food was immediately released and a few days later General George Patton showed up. Foulkes recalled how thrilled he was to see Patton: He made a speech. I have no idea what he said. During his time in Mooseburg, Foulkes ran into soliders from his hometown of Peabody, Mass., and a cousin from Maine. His trip back to the U.S. was on an old German liner that had been converted to a troop carrier. Remembering passing the Statue of the Liberty, Foulkes said, Talk about a thrill. One student asked what happened to the plane that he bailed out of. Foulkes said he learned that the damaged engine calmed down after he and the nose gunner bailed out, and the crew was able to safely land and gradually get back to the base. Another student asked if he was proud to tell his story. Foulkes said he went 40 years without telling anyone about being a POW. A chaplain found out and encouraged him to write his memoirs, he said, and now he is pleased to tell his experience. Afterward, student Daniel Caudillo said of the presentation: I thought it was great. Good history lesson. Foulkes had a model of the B-24 J Liberator Witchcraft to illustrate the type of plane he was on, although he did not fly in that particular B-24. Montecito High students were scheduled to see the Witchcraft and other WWII aircraft at the Collings Foundations Wings of Freedom Tour at Ramona Airport on May 3. Unauthorized immigrants in San Diego County pay an estimated $218.5 million in state and local taxes annually, according to a report from the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. That amount could increase by more than $30 million, according to the report, if those unauthorized immigrants were granted legal status. In California as a whole, unauthorized immigrants pay $2.9 billion in state and local taxes, the report said, and that could increase by more than $400 million if they had legal status. Those taxes include personal income tax, property tax and sales tax. Advocates for comprehensive immigration reform legislation that would create a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants welcomed the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policys findings. Advertisement San Diego is a thriving and diverse place, and thats in part due to the many contributions of immigrants, said Andrea Guerrero, executive director of Alliance San Diego, in an emailed statement. This report shows that despite todays hyperbolic rhetoric on immigration, undocumented immigrants are contributing members of society. Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower immigration rates, said that it was not useful to look at contributions without costs. The question is not, Do illegal immigrants pay taxes? Camarota said via phone. The question is how does this all come out in the end? Is it a net fiscal benefit? Meg Wiehe, deputy director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said thats not the way the issue should be looked at. I dont think it makes a lot of sense to draw a balance line under people, Wiehe said over the phone. Determining how much a person costs is complicated. The question you can answer is, are they contributing? Public education is one of the biggest costs on paper, Wiehe said, but educating children also has a large social benefit. Determining the exact amount that it costs society would be difficult. Theres a lot of erroneous information about undocumented immigrants contributions, and theres an over-focus on how much they cost us, she said. Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter In support of an organization that advocates for migrants, an international team of swimmers from six countries plans to swim from Imperial Beach to Tijuana on Friday. Twelve swimmers will cross the border between the United States and Mexico by swimming south in the Pacific Ocean. The swimmers will transverse a 6.2-mile span between Imperial Beach and Tijuana. This is an expression of kindness to cast a spotlight that occurs all around the world, said Kimberly Chambers, one of the events organizers and swimmers. And this is human suffering in our own back yard. Advertisement Their effort is intended to raise awareness and money from the Colibri Center for Human Rights, a non-profit organization that uses data to help the families of missing migrants in the U.S. and Mexico border region to locate and identify their lost loved ones. This is the first time that the swim between Imperial Beach and Tijuana has occurred, but some of the swimmers who are participating in the upcoming event have previously swam in support of other causes. The swim begins at 8:30 a.m from the south side of the Imperial Beach Pier. Theyll swim past the surf, and will be accompanied by six kayakers and a support vessel. Theyre expected to finish at 12:30 p.m. at Playas de Tijuana where the participants are to be met by a group of 200 children. Chambers said the swim has approvals from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard, the Mexican Navy, and the Mexican immigration agency. (The Mexican consulate in San Diego sent out a press release with its congratulations to the participants in advance.) While the Trump administration has pledged to build an expanded wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border and increase efforts to prevent illegal immigration, the swims organizers said that their event is not taking aim at any particular policy. This is not a protest. I understand that human rights are politicized, but this has nothing to do about politics, Chambers said. Swimmers from New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, Mexico and the United States are expected to participate. Twitter: @jptstewart joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1841 Rep. Darrell Issa says he is still examining the House Republican health care bill and has not taken a position on it yet. His staff added thats what hes been saying in recent days. But it was his blunt response Tuesday to a question about where he stood while waiting for an elevator to leave the House floor that became a buzz on social media and resulted in an article in The Hill, a political publication that focuses on Congress. Advertisement None of your business, Issa told reporters inquiring about how he intended to vote, according to The Hills Cristina Marcos. None of our business? What about your constituents? Dont they deserve to know how youre going to vote on this? Marcos asked. Youre not a constituent, Issa responded. The Vista Republican later responded to a query on Twitter by San Diegos 10News, saying he was Undecided and still reviewing the changes to the bill. Paying San Diego police officers for more overtime hours could be a temporary solution to the citys worsening officer shortage, the leader of the citys police labor union said Wednesday. While long-term solutions such as higher pay and better benefits are the unions preference, San Diego Police Officers Association President Brian Marvel said paying more overtime to achieve minimum staffing levels is a stop-gap solution that would boost public safety and revive proactive policing. The city must at the very least provide commanding officers sufficient funding to ensure actual minimum staffing throughout the city and in every division, Marvel said. Advertisement RELATED: New solutions demanded for San Diego police officer shortage Such a move would conflict with Mayor Kevin Faulconers proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, which includes $23.2 million for police overtime nearly $3 million less than the $26 million projected to be spent this fiscal year. Marvel made his comments to the City Council during a budget review committee meeting. The council is scheduled to decide by June 5 what changes it will make to Faulconers proposed spending plan. The comments may also be a preview of what the union will request when negotiations begin with city officials in October on a re-opener of the unions labor contract. Marvel didnt provide a cost estimate for his stop-gap solution, but said something must be done with the citys struggles to recruit and retain police officers getting worse. As of Monday, the department had 213 vacancies 1,826 officers filling 2,039 budgeted slots. Thats an increase from 170 vacancies last October and leaves the department with the same number of officers it had in July 2012, when the council approved a five-year plan to increase the number by 300. Prompting more concern is that applications are down 36 percent over the last two years, and just over 600 of the departments 1,826 officers are eligible to retire in the next five years. Several long-term solutions were discussed on Wednesday, including a proposal to use some of $16 million in savings from the vacancies to boost recruiting and marketing efforts. Chief Shelley Zimmerman said one solution would be making San Diego police officers the highest paid in the region instead of somewhere in the middle of the pack, which would discourage officers from transferring to other departments. In the meantime, Marvel said something has to be done quickly to restore public safety and officer morale. Without progress on staffing levels, nor willingness on the citys part to fix attrition problems by instituting competitive compensation, failure to at least achieve minimum staffing might send a message to officers that City Hall does not have their backs, Marvel said. The department often fails to achieve minimum staffing because typically a dozen or so officers scheduled to be on duty during a certain shift are unavailable because of injuries, illness or special enforcement actions. Department commanders could fill such gaps by holding over officers from previous shifts and paying them overtime, but the department has pledged to curtail overtime for budgeting reasons. Without minimum staffing, the union says its much harder for officers to back up other officers in dangerous situations and to engage in proactive policing because they are swamped with calls. In addition, response times typically go up. While minimum staffing wouldnt fully satisfy community expectations or provide the proactive time that experts recommend and community members want, it would boost the safety of both the public and the officers, according to the union. Several city residents, many from the Pacific Beach area, complained during Wednesdays hearing that the lack of proactive policing is damaging their quality of life and allowing such things as drug dealers operating in front of library branches. Chris Olsen, fiscal and policy analyst for the citys Independent Budget Analyst, said Faulconers budget doesnt include more funding for marketing the department to potential officer candidates, despite many council members requesting that. In addition, he noted that the proposed budget would eliminate $4 million in compensation increases officers received last year, primarily for uniform allowances. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Tell my kids that I love them. Those were Monique Clarks last words, according to another guest who was at the poolside party Sunday in University City when a gunman opened fire. The 35-year-old woman was one of seven people shot by Peter Selis, 49, at the La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex, and the only one to die. Advertisement She is remembered by her mother as a beautiful, funny, feisty, caring woman and the loving mother of three daughters. The grieving process is fresh, raw, and real, her mother, Michelle Fuget, wrote on her GoFundMe account page. My granddaughters lost their mother, I lost my daughter, her siblings lost their sister, and countless other family members and close friends have lost someone who was taken from us too soon due to a senseless, cowardice act of violence. Police said Selis was distraught over his breakup with a girlfriend. He was killed by police. Clark, who grew up in San Diego, was a childhood friend of Nick Cannon, an entrepreneur and former Americas Got Talent host, who grew up in Lincoln Park. He wrote he considered Clark more like family. My head hurts with great sadness tonight, he wrote on Instagram. Such a beautiful spirit with an infectious smile. I have nothing but wonderful memories of this angel. Tears cant express the pain and shock. Longtime friend Keoni Watson said Clark was a person everyone could count on. She was real caring. If you needed help, needed a ride, anything that she could do, she did it. You could depend on her, he said. Watson said Clark worked as a security guard at the airport, where she recently had been made a supervisor. She was scheduled to work Sunday night and had just stopped by the party to say hi to friends, he said. Clark had tried to FaceTime with Watson as the party began but he didnt have access to wi-fi. He said he learned she had been shot when people started calling his cell phone. Religious leaders have planned a public vigil and a prayer service Wednesday to give friends, neighbors and community members the chance to come together to pray and remember Clark and the other shooting victims. Fuget wrote that not having her daughter was the most surreal feeling she has ever endured. Clark had three daughters aged 2, 11 and 13. Drew Phillips, who was at the pool party and helped rescue one of the shooting victims, wrote on his Facebook page that Clarks dying words were a message to her children. Bishop Cornelius Bowser of Charity Apostolic Church said the vigil planned for 6 p.m. Wednesday outdoors at the apartment complex will give the community a chance to speak out against violence and acknowledge the loss of life. Bowser and other pastors regularly organize DOVE vigils, which stands for Dreaming of Violence-free Everywhere, in the wake of violent deaths. Bowser said friends and family members would be invited to share stories about Clark, so people can put a human face on it, how valuable and how real she really was. He said Clarks mother and father intend to attend the event. Also planned Wednesday is a 7 p.m. prayer service at First Baptist Church of San Diego on Governor Drive, located about two miles from the apartment complex. Pastor Scott Furrow said other churches may join the event, which he called a community prayer gathering in response to the shooting. Furrow said some members of his church live in the complex, including a couple who was at the party about 10 minutes before the shooting started. One resident told him that even those who werent injured in the shooting have been affected. She said they are just horrified, thats how it is. karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com Survivors of a mass shooting at a crowded, poolside birthday party returned to the University City apartment complex Tuesday with a unified message race played a role. They spoke of their grief, and their desire to connect with counselors to help them untangle their trauma. But their primary goal was to publicly state that they felt the shooting was racially motivated. For the record: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated two officers fired at gunman Peter Selis. Three officers fired, killing him. Walking to their press conference, victims who were at the shooting last Sunday at the La Jolla Crossroads apartments, called for a press conference to speak with the news reporters. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) Advertisement As additional factors come in, we realize there are multiple components to this problem, but we feel heartbreak in the fact that (police are) trying to dismiss a part of the motive, said Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Chapman, who attended the party. About a dozen people participated in the gathering, which was held on a grassy outcropping at the La Jolla Crossroads Apartments. The pool area was a distant backdrop. Although none was injured when 49-year-old Peter Selis started shooting Sunday night, all were there. Party in full swing before shots fired by poolside gunman shoots seven, killing one. Most of the 30 or so people who attended the party were black or Latino. Selis was white, and all but one of the victims were people of color. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said a day after the shooting that there was zero information indicating the crime was racially motivated. She also said Selis, who was fatally shot by police, was despondent over a recent breakup. He called and spoke to his ex-girlfriend during the incident so she could hear his rampage. Records show Selis also faced serious financial troubles, filing bankruptcy in 2009 and again in 2015. He owed substantial amounts of money to medical groups, credit card companies, and creditors, according to court documents. A number of black community leaders questioned how police could have come to their conclusions so quickly. How, in less than 24 hours, did Shelley Zimmerman come to the result that there was no hate involved in this? said Shane Harris, president of the San Diego Chapter of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization. San Diego police Capt. Brian Ahearn said Tuesday that the investigation continues and is expected to take weeks. Police again asked for anyone who may have information about the shooting to come forward. Lauren Chapman who was at the birthday party celebration, spoke with news reporters on Tuesday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) At Tuesdays gathering at the Judicial Drive complex, several speakers recounted details that led them to believe race was a factor in the shooting. While the birthday party was about 20 feet away from Selis, two white women who were closer were seemingly dismissed as targets. Selis also did not fire at a white security guard who, from the other side of a fence, ordered him to drop his gun after the shooting began. They added that when a white partygoer tried to help a friend who had been shot, she was told to leave and not tend to the black woman. That victim was Monique Clark, a 35-year-old mother of three who died. A GoFundMe page set up for funeral costs and to support her family has amassed more than $37,000 in donations. I believe the group that he was going after was targeted, thats what I believe, said Mychael Gary. Harris with the National Action Network said that police need to thoroughly investigate if Selis acted out of racial animosity and if the shooting was a hate crime. Its more than just a tragedy like Mayor Kevin Faulconer described, Harris said. He said that the investigation needs to determine if the shooting was premeditated, and if Selis surveyed the pool area and saw the people at the birthday party before he decided to open fire. Kion Gould, who was celebrating his 47th birthday, was the first to be shot, shortly after offering Selis a drink. Gary said everyone noticed the mans strange behavior, but it wasnt enough to arouse their suspicions. We noticed him sitting there, blankly staring, but we didnt think anything of it, he said. And it certainly didnt stop Gould from approaching Selis. Goulds friends said hes always had a welcoming personality. It wasnt uncommon, especially while out having a good time, that Gould would invite strangers to join them. We always get on him about it, but thats who he is, said friend Willie Mayo. Selis opened fire and Gould was shot once or twice in the stomach. When the gunman took aim at Goulds face, he put his hand up, and a bullet that may have been meant for his head struck his arm. Gary thought the gunfire was a firecracker, but when he turned around, Selis was pointing a handgun in his direction. Gary said he never saw the man move from his chair. Thats the part that messed me up the most. He was too calm, Gary said. To me, it was calculated. Chaos ensued. Gary ran, but turned around to help a bleeding friend. He watched as another woman ran away, even though she had been shot in both legs. It still doesnt feel real, Gary said. I woke up and Im still kind of waiting for it to not be reality. it just replays. You have to just try to accept it and hope it gets better. He also thanked police for getting there as fast as they did. Selis shot at a sergeant and two officers who were among the first to arrive. They returned fire, killing Selis. In a statement sent to CBS News 8, the Selis family said: Our family feels the unbearable pain caused by Petes senseless acts. We cannot understand what would have caused Pete to do this. Words cannot express our profound grief and sorrow for all the victims and their families. On behalf of our family, we are so sorry that this happened. We ask that you please respect our privacy. We will miss our beloved Pete forever. Haley Thames said she ran to medics to guide them to the pool area. The image of seeing the victims on the ground haunts her, she said. Garrick Davis said its unbearable to relive the shooting. You replay it and you still dont believe it, Davis said. Over the next 48 hours, many of the survivors have banded together, sleeping at each others homes when they werent visiting injured friends at the hospital. Of the six injured people who were taken to Scripps Memorial and Scripps Mercy hospitals after the shooting, at least two have been released, a hospital spokesman said. Others may have been discharged, but the hospital wasnt authorized to talk about them. Doctors have said Goulds recovery will be long. They removed a kidney and portions of his small intestine. The bones in his arm were shattered. Its too early to tell what the long-term effects of his injuries will be, Gary said. His friends set up a GoFundMe page to support his recovery expenses. I play around and call him my hero, Gary said. Hes an older guy and hes in better shape than us. Im just not used to seeing him like this. Im not ready to accept it. Staff writer Joshua Stewart contributed to this story. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com A Rancho Penasquitos woman watched three burglars prowling through her house Wednesday, but she was safely away at the time, watching them remotely through security video. She called San Diego police about 10:15 a.m. and they got to her Amaranth Street house in time to chase after the three intruders. Two men were taken into custody in the area about three hours later. Officers initially lost sight of all three prowlers, who headed into dense landscaping and trees between Amaranth and Black Mountain Road and behind adjoining Texana Street, police said. They searched for nearly two hours, but finally broke it off. Advertisement Then, while some officers were still investigating the break-in about 12:50 p.m., a neighbor let them know two men were hiding in the bushes more than a block away near Pimpernel Way. The search picked up again, with dogs and a police helicopter. A dog helped get at least one of two men into custody shortly after 1 p.m. They kept searching for the third suspect another 45 minutes, but didnt find him. Three San Diego scientists have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the elite honorary society that was created by the Lincoln administration to advise Congress on science and technology. The Academys members have included dozens of Nobel laureates, and researchers who played a key role in everything from the moon landings to sequencing of the human genome. This years 84 new members and 21 foreign associates including chemist Phil Baran and neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, and Christopher K. Glass, a professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Advertisement Baran is only 39, an unusually young age to be elected to the Academy. The honor is more commonly bestowed on scientists in their 50s and 60s. Some people refer to Baran as the Sultan of Synthesis because he has found many ways to simplify difficult tasks in chemistry, advancing drug development in the process. My reaction (to being elected) is shock, gratitude, and an even stronger desire to invent useful chemistry, Baran told the Union-Tribune Tuesday. Patapoutian, who studies how cells communicate, said, I was thrilled. It is such an honor to become recognized by the National Academy of Sciences. The need to advocate for strong science public policy is more urgent than ever. I hope to do my part in the future. Glass, who studies the basic nature of immune cells, said, I am both honored and humbled to be included in such an inspiring and accomplished group of individuals. I have been fortunate to have had the support of the UC San Diego community over my entire scientific career. Science Playlist On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds Twitter: @grobbins gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com The University of Washington has raided UC San Diego, hiring Michael Taylor, one of the schools top computer scientists. Taylor is a highly respected computer architect an engineer who determines what a computers functions will be, and in what order those functions will be carried out. He also has been serving as director of the UC San Diego Center for Dark Silicon, which explores that areas of a computer chip thats turned off at differing times due to power constraints. Taylors work has helped in the development of more energy efficient chips for Android phones. Advertisement Science Playlist On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds Twitter: @grobbins gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com A Sheriffs Department employee has filed a claim against the San Diego County alleging she was retaliated against after alerting superiors that the law enforcement academy was not compliant with standards and training regulations. The claim was filed Wednesday by Kayla Moehlenpah, who helps organize classes and enrollment for the sheriffs in-service training unit at the San Diego Regional Public Safety Training Institute. According to the claim, Moehlenpah informed her supervisors that recent academy graduates may not be properly certified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Advertisement Currently, the ... recruits that graduated do not have credit on their POST profile as having attended the academy, she wrote in an email to supervisors on April 7. This is due to the course being in modification. The ...recruits that are about to graduate will not receive credit as well. According to emails obtained by U-T Watchdog, a Sheriffs Department sergeant submitted necessary updates to the state commission for review and eventual certification after Moehlenpah raised the issue. Within days, Moehlenpah said, she was chastised in a meeting with coworkers and later told she was being brought up on Internal Affairs charges. Like the plight of many whistleblowers, especially those working in the law enforcement field in San Diego County, Moehlenpah was not praised, commended or even thanked for raising this serious problem, the claim states. County officials did not respond to questions about the allegations. We havent seen it and cant comment at this time, county spokesman Michael Workman said by email. The claim, which seeks damages in excess of $10,000, said the countys decision to file unwarranted, pretextual charges against Moehlenpah amounts to retaliation against an employee that is prohibited under the California Labor Code. If the claim is denied, attorney Dan Gilleon said a lawsuit would be filed in San Diego Superior Court. 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 San Diego native Nick Cannon said he is mourning after finding out that the woman killed in the University City mass shooting was a childhood friend. In this March 3, 2016 file photo, Nick Cannon arrives at the Americas Got Talent Season 11 Red Carpet Kickoff at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File) My head hurts with great sadness tonight, the former Americas Got Talent host wrote on Instagram Monday. Monique Clark, a 35-year-old mother of three, died Sunday after being shot at a poolside birthday party at the La Jolla Crossroads complex on Judicial Drive. She was one of seven victims of gunman Peter Selis , who opened fire at the happy gathering while sitting in a lounge chair. I just learned that the one life lost in the senseless and tragic mass shooting in San Diego was my childhood friend, who was more like family, Miss Monique Clark, wrote Cannon. Such a beautiful spirit with an infectious smile. I have nothing but wonderful memories of this Angel. Tears can't express the pain and shock. A mother of 3, a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a friend and a Queen... Rest in Paradise. Police said Selis was distraught over a breakup with a girlfriend . He was on the phone with her when he began his deadly attack, according to San Diego police . Cannon, who was born in San Diego in 1980, grew up in Lincoln Park. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Clark that has so far raised almost $6,500. 619-293-1710 debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com twitter.com/Debbi_Baker Can you imagine a government where the representatives of 15 percent of the population get to veto anything that happens in an entire region? Thats the reality facing San Diego when it comes to our transportation needs all of which are controlled by the San Diego Association of Governments, more commonly known as SANDAG. If that acronym sounds familiar, its probably because youve seen recent headlines. Maybe you read how SANDAG wrote a transportation plan that is being challenged in the California Supreme Court, after two lower courts found that the agency failed to address Californias greenhouse gas and pollution targets. Or maybe you read how agency executives purposely overestimated by billions of dollars how much money would be raised by Measure A last November. Or maybe you saw SANDAG acknowledging it will need $17.5 billion additional state and federal dollars to keep promises they made to voters in 2004. Related: Make no mistake. AB 805 an all-out assault on SANDAG Advertisement What you probably havent read is who should be held responsible for these obvious shortcomings. Thats because SANDAG which was originally created in state law is a staff-controlled organization with rotating leadership of mayors and city council members from some of our countys smallest cities. Heres how SANDAG actually works: Policy questions are prescribed by staff and then, after barely discussing the item, the local elected officials who sit on SANDAG (and who collect a per diem just for showing up to the meeting) readily accept the staff recommendation. Despite the fact that over 40 percent of the countys population, and over 50 percent of jobs are located in the city of San Diego, the mayor of San Diego has skipped more than 80 percent of the meetings that determine our transportation priorities. Meanwhile, the mayor of Del Mar, representing just over 4,000 residents, is poised to be SANDAGs next chair, with the power to set the transportation agenda for all of us. We can all agree that the needs of tiny, affluent Del Mar are much different than most other cities in the county. I introduced Assembly Bill 805 to reform SANDAG because taxpayers deserve more accountability, better transparency and more proportional representation at our regional transportation agency. First and foremost, AB 805 creates an independent auditor and audit committee to check SANDAGs financial projections and follow-through on projects. Over the next four decades, SANDAG will spend $214 billion in transportation dollars. Thats roughly the same size as the entire national economy of Finland. An auditor will ensure those funds are appropriately tracked and spent as intended. Second, voters need to better understand who makes our regional transportation decisions. A vast majority of the countys residents travel through our largest city on their commute, to enjoy a sporting event or to travel using our regions international airport, seaport or border crossing with Mexico. Half the countys population lives in our two largest cities. Its common sense for the mayors of those two cities to be SANDAG leaders, because all of us are impacted by what happens in those two cities. AB 805 ensures this. Third, to ensure investment in public transit, active transportation, bus and light rail service, AB 805 empowers MTS and NCTD to raise their own revenue so we can make the substantial investments in public transit we need to reach our climate goals and adequately serve the folks who rely on public transit. No longer should SANDAG hold the monopoly on approaching voters to fund projects that help us get to work, school, the doctors office or elsewhere. Finally, AB 805 changes the voting structure so that SANDAG representation is more proportional. Billions of dollars in transportation funding are sent to us on a one person, one dollar basis. Yet, 10 small cities, combining for 15 percent of the county population, have a veto on any dollar spent. Rather than forcing collaboration, this system perverts the spending decisions of SANDAG. AB 805 will still allow each city and the county to exercise a single vote rule. But if necessary, any city could call for a weighted or proportional vote. If three other cities agree, and the weighted votes constitute a majority of the population, they can change the decision of the board. This is a true compromise: Small cities keep their voice, just not a veto. SANDAG needs to be reformed. AB 805 is a collaboration of civic watchdogs, environmentalists, labor unions, taxpayer advocates, students and transportation justice activists to do just that. With the support and input of officials from Chula Vista, San Diego, National City, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside and Escondido, we have made numerous changes to AB 805, and will keep making improvements as the bill moves through the process. Its time to make regional transportation work for all our county residents. Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, represents Californias 80th Assembly District. This should scare everyone the same politicians in Sacramento responsible for Californias crumbling roads and fraying infrastructure want to fix our countys regional transportation agency, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Never mind that for decades SANDAG has been a shining example of regional cooperation where elected officials from 19 local governments big, small, inland, coastal, urban, rural work well together on issues that cut across jurisdictional boundaries. Sacramento has pointed a bulldozer named Assembly Bill 805 at SANDAG. Related: SANDAG needs reform. Why AB 805 is just the ticket Advertisement Granted, SANDAG is not perfect. Recently a botched revenue forecast related to last years Measure A put the agency in the headlines. However, when that problem came to light, the board acted decisively and unanimously to launch an investigation. That examination, led by the attorney who prosecuted Enron, will leave no stone unturned and will result in reforms consistent with any and all problems discovered. In short, SANDAGs board is taking care of business. So why is Sacramento taking aim at SANDAG? Power, of course. AB 805 would seize it from virtually every community in the county and bestow that power upon a chosen few. The fact that this squeeze play would disenfranchise half the countys residents doesnt seem to faze the bills proponents. In fact, AB 805s advocates seem so intent on seizing power they are willing to say anything. They claim that disadvantaged communities arent getting their fair share of SANDAGs money. That is false. The countys most disadvantaged communities from San Diego south to the Mexican border and from the ocean east to the border of La Mesa are already receiving funding proportional to their population. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on renovation of the Trolley Blue Line, construction of the South Bay Rapid and ongoing efforts to complete the Bayshore Bikeway. They claim that smaller cities, like Del Mar, have as much voting power as larger cities like Chula Vista. That is also false. Chula Vistas vote is already more powerful than that of Del Mar, La Mesa, Oceanside, Lemon Grove, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Escondido, Vista, Carlsbad, El Cajon, San Marcos, National City, Imperial Beach, Coronado, Santee and Poway. Make no mistake, AB 805 is an all-out assault on SANDAG and local control. SANDAGs current voting structure balances the interests of small and large cities in the same way the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives check and balance each other. Each item before the SANDAG board must pass two voting thresholds. One is a tally vote a single vote for each jurisdiction, giving the small cities a meaningful seat at the table. The other is a weighted vote based on population, protecting the interests of the largest cities. The result is collaboration and consensus building. Considering that 71 percent of residents countywide work outside their home communities, such an approach is critical to the regions ability to develop transportation solutions that serve everyone. AB 805 would destroy that balance and allocate power based strictly on population giving Chula Vista and San Diego a stranglehold on every decision made. Regional cooperation would be shredded. Equally troubling, AB 805 would permanently crown those two cities mayors as SANDAGs leaders in perpetuity without regard for their knowledge, interest, availability or commitment. By contrast, the current procedure whereby board members elect the chair and vice-chair, giving careful consideration to each candidates leadership abilities, commitment and ability to work collaboratively is a model of fairness. Make no mistake, AB 805 is an all-out assault on SANDAG and local control. That is why 16 of SANDAGs 19 member agencies (with two abstentions) voted to oppose it in its current form. Certainly, SANDAGs member cities are open to considering some provisions of AB 805. We want the agency to be as effective as possible and are willing to discuss its structure and workings. But those discussions should be open and take place locally not in the corridors of the Capitol where they know little, and care even less, about our countys future. We have a good system in place that has withstood the test of time one that forces all of us, with different perspectives and values, to have real dialogue and reach compromise. SANDAGs transportation planning, along with its work on habitat conservation, climate change, binational matters and energy planning, hinges on such regional collaboration and cooperation. Mindful of that, and the divisive times in which we live, we should resist efforts that seek to divide us, and instead work together to build a better SANDAG and a better San Diego. AB 805 is not the answer. Vaus is mayor of Poway. Downey serves on the Coronado City Council. Bret Stephens debut column in The New York Times on Friday arguing ordinary citizens have a right to be skeptical about overweening scientism as it relates to climate change and published on the eve of the Peoples Climate March still has a lot of readers hot and bothered. The column prompted some people to cancel their subscriptions and led to a Twitter hashtag #ShowYour Cancellation while other readers lauded the paper for introducing ideological diversity to its opinion pages. Stephens is a former deputy editorial page editor at The Wall Street Journal who won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Takes are everywhere on the internet. Ruth Marcus, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote In Defense of Bret Stephens. Then there was this headline on a story in Vox by Dave Roberts, The New York Times should not have hired climate change bullshitter Bret Stephens. By Tuesday afternoon, a Change.org petition was created calling for The New York Times to rescind its offer to Bret Stephens and in his place hire a columnist committed to advancing his political position without using lies to support his argument. Tweets like these were retweeted thousands of times. A reporter for HuffPost said Tuesday that about 1 in 16 people canceling The New York Times in recent weeks cited Stephens as the reason. Reactions, many of them critical, are still coming in days after the column was published. Editors at The New York Times also chimed in. Here are tweets from a web editor and a copy editor. The debate Stephens was clearly hoping to start is raging. On one side, Slates Susan Matthews called the piece classic climate change denialism and questioned the Times credibility, and a number of climate scientists have signed onto an open letter to the New York Times, accusing the paper of peddling alternative facts. On the other side, the Times editorial page editor James Bennet defended Stephens column, saying if all of our columnists and all of our contributors and all of our editorials agreed all of the time, we wouldnt be promoting the free exchange of ideas, and we wouldnt be serving our readers very well. And the Times deputy Washington editor, Jonathan Weisman, urged people to read the column much more closely. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Times columnist Jonah Goldberg similarly urged calm, saying, in civil debates, when someone concedes much of your premise, the proper reaction is not to scream liar! or heretic! Given that Stephens himself anticipated this response in his column censoriously asserting ones moral superiority and treating skeptics as imbeciles and deplorables wins few converts its only natural that others went on Twitter to call out critics on the left. The executive editor of the Times, Dean Baquet, spoke on CNNs Reliable Sources on Sunday to discuss the addition of Stephens to the Times opinion team. Didnt we learn from this past election that our goal should be to surface true debates about the biggest issues? [...] Have we gotten to the point as a country when someone has a well-written, cogent position that people disagree with, they want to ball up the paper and throw it away? I think thats a mistake. While disagreeing with Stephens assertions about climate change, The Washington Posts Ruth Marcus had similar views about the outrage following Stephens column, stating that an opinion section should challenge readers to think and rethink not merely serve to reaffirm their preexisting convictions. Stephens has also joined the conversation his column generated. He told CNN Money on Sunday that he wrote the column "to help the climate-advocacy community improve the quality of its persuasion." On Monday, he explained in writing that his column generated 1,800 comments on the online post and on Facebook, and he answered some of the questions he had received, sharing his thoughts on fire insurance, food subsidies and of course President Donald Trump. For some, the outrage machine remains an exhausting thing to keep up with. What did you think about Bret Stephens New York Times debut? Twitter: @anthonyberteaux Ramona Chamber of Commerce will present its first Back Country Motorcycle Poker Run featuring bikes, bands, barbecue, and beers on Saturday, May 6. Riders will cruise through San Diegos back country collecting poker cards along the way. They have a chance at winning $500 cash. The second half of the event will include live music from the Flipside Burners, opportunity drawings to benefit Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3783 in Ramona, vendors, motorcycle demonstrations, barbecue, and back country craft beers. Free barbecue for registered riders. The event will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. at 344 Main St. Kickstands will go up at 9 a.m., with the last bike out at 9:30. Riders will start returning at 1 p.m. Preregistration is $25 per rider and $10 per passenger. Registration on the day of the event sill be $35 per rider and $45 per rider and passenger. Proceeds will go to the chambers economic development program, student scholarships, and the community. To preregister and for more information, visit ramonachamber.com/events. More information also is available from Paul Zawilenski, chamber vice president, at 760-703-2353. Parents on Ramona Elementary Schools English Language Advisory Committee invite the public to its Kermes (Spring Carnival) at the school, 415 Eighth St., on Friday, May 5, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Cinco de Mayo fundraising event will feature more than 15 game booths, a cake walk, Jumpee, Royal Shower, street tacos, fruit, popcorn, hot dog barbecue, drinks, and food booths with authentic Mexican cuisine. All money raised will go toward a shade structure near the schools new playground. For more information, call the school at 760-787-4400. Before arriving to lead San Diego Police Departments Northeastern Division a few weeks ago, Capt. Stephanie Roses journey to leading the police who serve Rancho Bernardo included a trip along the Yellow Brick Road. The road has nothing to do with a certain childrens story. Instead it is the name of a 6.1-mile grueling run through a Marine-built hilly, wooded trail in Quantico, Virginia, that includes climbing over walls, running through creeks, jumping through simulated windows, scaling rock faces with ropes, crawling under barbed wire in muddy water and maneuvering across a cargo net. It is the FBI National Academys fitness challenges final test, according to the programs website. Rose said she learned in the prestigious law enforcement leadership program. She also reportedly enjoyed it, even the physical challenge of completing the Yellow Brick Road. Rose, a 23-year SDPD veteran, recently graduated from the 10-week program for U.S. and international law enforcement managers nominated by their agencies due to their demonstrated leadership qualities, according to its website. It focuses on intelligence theory, terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication and forensic science with the goal of improving police departments and other law enforcement agencies by raising standards, knowledge and cooperation worldwide. She also said interacting with those in overseas law enforcement gave her different insights and perspectives, such as a Ukrainian students comment on community policing. He said it was interesting, some of the things we did, Rose said. In the U.S. law enforcement is here to protect and work with the community, while there it is to protect the government. She added, Here, police enforce the laws that the community said we need in order to live the best that we can. Thats the difference (between us and them). Community policing is something Rose said is an emphasis at Northeastern Division, which covers almost 104 square miles from Mira Mesa to San Pasqual. It is the largest SDPD division in size, with its headquarter in Rancho Penasquitos. We immerse ourselves in the community as much as we can, Rose said of the 61 patrol officers, seven detectives and handful of other sworn officers and civilians in the division. She said Coffee with a Cop events are among ways police try to interact with those they serve in casual settings so they can build rapport, especially with those from ethnic backgrounds that due to history and personal experiences in their homelands may have created a distrust of those in law enforcement. We try to let everyone, victim and witness ... (know) we will take care of you, Rose said, adding, If youre a suspect ... were going to arrest you. In addition to providing the best public service and safety possible, Rose said her other goals as Northeasterns captain are to help her officers do their job in the best way possible while also taking care of themselves, enjoying their jobs and learning from one another. I want to educate and train our folks to be better able to serve, reduce crime and increase outreach, she said. If we can foster community interaction and develop new ways for (the community) to get to know us and trust us, they will talk to us about what they see and call us. ... We are there for them. As for how Rose chose law enforcement as a career, she said it was due to her interactions with police at a young age at her parents doughnut shop. I figured Id be on one side (of the counter) or the other, she said with a chuckle. She explained that police officers stereotypical fondness for doughnuts is due to logistics. For police back then, it was one of the few places open 24 hours, she said. They would come in on their coffee break at night or early in the morning. While she initially lived in Chula Vista, by her teen years her family moved to Oregon. As an adult she first considered a police career, but did not meet the height requirement so she pursued other options. She returned to San Diego for college and for several years worked in the electronics field. But Rose said she still felt drawn to her law enforcement aspirations and met San Diego Police Departments qualifications. Northwestern Divisions captain of two years and Northern Divisions former interim captain previously worked in patrol, Neighborhood Policing Team, Bike Team, Traffic Division, Accident Investigations Bureau, Traffic Investigation Unit, Western Division, Internal Affairs, Vice Operation and Sex Crimes. I did not think I wanted to work sex crimes, but loved that spot, Rose said. I had a great group of detectives working around me. But her love of the unit was due to more than just police camaraderie. It was because of helping a victim get justice, she said. It was tough to hear some of their stories, but seeing (a case) all the way through was very rewarding, Rose said. The job was also very emotionally difficult, especially when a child was involved, she said. It sticks with you. I took some of those cases home. You cannot forget, but it also inspires you. Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News The Santa Paula Unified School District Board will have their work cut out for them at the April 19 meeting whose agenda features several weighty items. The meeting will be held at the District Office Boardroom, 201 S. Steckel Drive. The board will meet at 5 p.m. before going into a closed session where they will discuss an expulsion; anticipated litigation; labor negotiations; property negotiation; and public employee discipline/dismissal/release. At 7 p.m. the board will reconvene in open session and honor two Santa Paula High School staffers, educator Gloria Rodriguez and classified employee Maricarmen Viveros. SPHS Principal Elizabeth Garcia will also update the board on the high school; Garcia and other school administrators will also address 8th and 12th grade student achievement and academic status. The board will take comments on the draft Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the proposed new K-8 school at the Harvest at Limoneira. The State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is currently reviewing the draft PEA Equivalent report to confirm it does not present a threat to health or the environment under any land use scenario. The report has been available since Friday March 17 at the SPUSD Office, Blanchard Community Library, and the North 10th Street offices of Limoneira Lewis Community Builders. By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News The Santa Paula man killed in an officer involved shooting on April 9 was armed with a knife when he charged a woman motorist and later sprinted toward the officers who responded with the knife raised. According to Sgt. Ron Chips of the Ventura County Sheriffs Office, that is when Santa Paula Police Sr. Officer Matt Alonzo shot Jose Rendon Rendon, 36, at close range, who fell within feet of the officer. According to the preliminary report released by the VCSO Tuesday, the incident began about 6:21 a.m. when the SPPD received an anonymous 911 call of a suspicious subject in the 100 block of East Ventura Street. According to Chips statement, The female reporting party stated that a Hispanic male armed with a knife had charged at her vehicle as she drove on East Ventura Street. The reporting party provided a description of the male and requested that officers respond because she was concerned about the safety of other residents of the densely-populated apartment complex located in the area. At about 6:36 a.m., Alonzo, Officer John Coffelt, and Officer Frank Huerta arrived in the area and began to look for the male. Less than a minute later, Sr. Officer Alonzo observed a male matching the description of the suspicious subject standing near the end of a long driveway armed with a large kitchen-style knife, and about a minute later the officer involved shooting occurred. Rendon was struck several times; Santa Paula Fire and an ambulance paramedic responded to the scene where Rendon was declared deceased. According to Chips, Rendon was believed to have been living in the apartment complex at the time of this incident. The SPPD requested the Ventura County Sheriffs Office take over the investigation and its Major Crimes Bureau is currently handling the investigation. Results of the preliminary investigation have revealed that about 20 minutes prior to the 911 call Rendon, for unknown reasons, was involved in an altercation with roommates in his apartment before arming himself with two kitchen knives and leaving. By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News Rick Araiza has probably worn more hats than any other Santa Paula employee and now the Fire Chief/Building & Safety Director/Liaison has been named Interim City Manager. The announcement was made at the April 17 City Council meeting; City Attorney John Cotti said Araizas contract would be revised with the same terms as those of Jaime Fontes, whose last day with the city was April 13. Araiza thanked the council for the confidence youve shown me and I just want to say Im truly honored to sit as the interim city manager, no matter for how long or how short it is, he occupies the first seat of the dais. He also thanked his wife, Laura: She knows, how time-consuming the job will be for Araiza. Its an honor to be here and I hope to instill in the staff and the public, enthusiasm at being part of the city. My family has been here since 1910, and been business owners for more than 80 years. Santa Paula is on the cusp of doing great things and a new manager will bring us back, to being a vibrant, viable city with a strengthened budget. Araiza noted he would be available to the public: I am at most events and will have a citywide newsletter to send out to give you an update on each department, I hope to do that on a biweekly basis. He also urged that the public bear with uswe are moving forward, please bear with us and look at the overall picture of what is going to happen, including growth that will help revitalize the city. Were on the cusp of real growth back to where we were. An international team of researchers has found and re-described a species of monitor lizard, Varanus douarrha, from the island of New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago, northeast of Papua New Guinea. Varanus douarrha was described from a single specimen obtained by French naturalist Rene Lesson in Port Praslin at the southern end of New Ireland during his work on the La Coquille exploration ship in 1823. Considering that no measurements are provided in Lessons 1830 description it appears questionable whether the type specimen ever reached Europe for closer inspection, the researchers said. Three boxes of La Coquilles South American and Pacific collections were sent toward France with the ships surgeon Prosper Garnot, who had fallen ill with dysentery. First, as far as Mauritius on the convict ship Castle Forbes, and from there onward with the King George IV, which shipwrecked at the Cape of Good Hope 15 July 1824, and all the collections were lost. Since then, it has been believed that monitor lizards on New Ireland belong to the mangrove monitor (Varanus indicus). However, new morphological and genetic studies confirmed that the monitor lizards of New Ireland have lived in isolation for a long time and developed into a separate species, said team member Valter Weijola, a researcher in the Department of Biology at the University of Turku, Finland, and lead author of a report on Varanus douarrha in the Australian Journal of Zoology. The discovery is particularly interesting as most of the endemic species to New Ireland disappeared thousands of years ago as humans colonized the island. Varanus douarrha can grow to over 4.3 feet (1.3 m) in length and, according to current information, it is the only surviving large species endemic to the island, Weijola said. Based on bone discoveries, we now know that a large rat species and several flightless birds have lived in the area. In that way it can be considered a relic of the historically richer fauna that inhabited the Pacific islands. These medium-sized Pacific monitors are clearly much better at co-existing with humans than many of the birds and mammals have been. _____ Valter Weijola et al. Reinstatement of Varanus douarrha Lesson, 1830 as a valid species with comments on the zoogeography of monitor lizards (Squamata : Varanidae) in the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. Australian Journal of Zoology, published online April 26, 2017; doi: 10.1071/ZO16038 Neither snow, rain nor scorching heat derailed the thousands of attendees for an anti-Trump climate change policy protests. A series of mass protests on Sunday ironically coincide with the new administration's 100th day in office. To recall, environmentalist groups lambast Trump's rollback on environmental protection. The multi-location protests spread across several states albeit varying weather conditions. Tens of thousands from the People's Climate March gathered in Washington, D.C. as the temperature rose to grueling 90 degrees. Hundreds of other similar protests are happening in the U.S. to air their dismay over Trump's lukewarm policy on climate change. Protests are happening in Boston, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle as well. The Trump Tower in Chicago wasn't spared as the crowd braved the rain to deliver their pro-environment message. The organizers stressed that there is no alternative to Earth and any damage done against it will ultimately effect back on its inhabitants. While the Trump administration takes the back scene in the climate change and research on the safety of vaccines, hundreds of other similar protests spread like wildfires in major cities across the globe, according to Phys.Org. They also lambast Trump for calling the climate change as a hoax. President Trump has previously issued a statement that the climate change idea is a made up notion of scientists. He also said that global warming is imaginary. With these arguments, Trump started firing back at the climate change initiative by cutting one-third of the Environmental Protection Agency funding, the CNN said. Meanwhile, in Maine, the protesters lament of climate change impact on livelihood. Some 2,000 locals gathered in the State House in Augusta where they listen to lobsterman Richard Nelson. He said that he witnessed a first-hand account of the impacts of climate change, especially in the coastal communities that depend on fisheries. Another speaker is Saharlah Farah who stressed that climate change and the subsequent withdrawal of Trump's support to the initiative will affect those who have limited resources. Scientists from the University of New Hampshire have discovered five new truffles. This is according to their latest research that was published online. In an article published by Phys.org, doctoral student Ryan Stephens have discovered the particular species of truffles in the White Mountain National Forest. However, these are still not formally identified and named. "To discover a number of new species [are] exciting," Stephens said. He said that the discovery of the five new truffles just goes to show how much scientists still have to learn. Because New Hampshire is not known as the place for diversity, it is exciting to find this number of new truffles, Michael Castellano of the US Forest Service said. "They're hidden treasures in our forests, so it's exciting to see work like Ryan has done to discover some of those treasures right here in our own backyard," he said. In an article published in Concord Monitor, truffles are described as the fruit of the underground fungi, in which many trees depend for its growth. However, it is different from mushrooms, which can spread to new locations through spores scattered in the win. Truffles are required by animals to dig them up, eat them and disperse their spores through scat, making them harder to study. However, the truffles symbiotic relationship with tree roots makes them a key component to forest health. Castellano said that efforts to restore a forest after a wildfire would benefit from the knowledge about what was there before. "They're not important for the culinary aspect unless you happen to be a rodent or mammal that hangs out in the forest, but they're very important to the ecosystem," he said. Michael Castellano also said trees could not survive without mycorrhizal fungi in their root systems, making them essential for forest health. Researchers from a university in Saudi Arabia have concluded in their first baseline survey of reefs that the southern Red Sea in their country to be one of the country's treasured nature. They even said that it could be as pristine as the reefs in Sudan if it would be given a proper care. In an article published in Phys.org, it was revealed that the major issue on the research by scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is that there has been no established historical record for the Red Sea ecosystems. Darren Coker, one of the researchers of the study, said that this could mean that they could only hypothesize what the natural coral reef environment could look like before human activities life fishing began. In order to conduct their study without prior established historical record, Coker, together with Alexander Kattan and Michael Berumen, systematically compared 14 of Saudi Arabia's coral reefs with 16 offshore reefs in Sudan. The reefs were described as around 200 to 300 kilometers apart and share almost identical environmental conditions in terms of climate, coral species, and sea temperature. However, in the study published in Link Springer titled "Reef fish communities in the central Red Sea show evidence of asymmetrical fishing pressure," Saudi Arabia has already established a history of fishing, while the country of Sudan has yet to provide one. "There is much more to the story than just the numbers of fish we see," Berumen said. He also said that they have collected and analyzed data between and within regions in order to look for community diversity, fish abundance, and biomass across all the coral reefs surveyed. The research team found out that the biomass of top predators in coral reefs located at Sudan was almost thrice that of the reefs in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian waters have rare top predators, in which researchers blame to fishing activities. However, Saudi Arabia's coral reefs were around 62 percent higher in terms of fish abundance compared to the Sudanese waters. Saudi Arabia's reefs are also 20 percent higher in terms of biomass and there is a slightly greater diversity compared to the other one. Africa had lost many of its fauna species due to extinction and the continent does not want to add its greatest symbol to this growing list. With only a small number left, Africa is on a serious mission to save the remaining rhinoceros Rwanda sets a stage for an extraordinary homecoming for endangered black rhinos. Disappeared ten years ago in the continent, the number of the species declined from a total population of near 70,000 down to 5,000 in the recent time, based on a report from BBC. Specifically, in Akagera Park in Rwanda, there were 50 black rhinos thriving in the savannah forest but they were last seen in 2007. The African Parks Organization is pressing the panic button as they confirmed an extraordinary homecoming for endangered black rhinos. According to Phys.Org, the organization said on Tuesday that 20 critically endangered rhino will be moved from South Africa to Rwanda to help save the species from extinction. This transfer, dubbed as an "extraordinary homecoming" for endangered black rhinos will cover the first two weeks in May, which serves to ensure the safety the animals and to promote tourism in the country and the community as a whole. Experts found out that the causes of the disappearance of Eastern rhinoceros were mainly due to hunting and their loss of habitat, which led to 70% decline in the total number of the species. This unfolding catastrophe has prompted them to find ways to salvage the Africa's greatest symbol and this extraordinary homecoming for endangered black rhinos serve as one great way to protect the deteriorating population. Researchers believed that moving animals together will bring fresh genes for the animals, something that has lost since their population dwindled. Animal homecoming is not new to Rwanda as the country staged the same transfer last 2015 when it reintroduced lions, which disappeared 15 years ago, in the same park. Now the extraordinary homecoming for endangered black rhinos is yet another milestone for the Rwanda that hosted over 36000 tourists last year. The scientists discovered that a pigment that can be found in Indian berries known as jamun absorbs much sunlight. They theorized that this could generate solar panels and solve the power shortage in India. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Photovoltaics. The study was led by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), according to Quartz. Soumitra Satapathi, assistant professor at IIT-Roorkee, said that they were examining at why the jamuns are black. They extracted the pigment using ethanol and discovered anthocyanin, which was great in absorbing light. The scientists are now examining the pigment referred to as anthocyanin. They think that this pigment could be utilized in the production of solar panel as well as bring down the costs of its production. This pigment can also be found in other berries such as raspberries, blueberries, cherries and cranberries. They used the pigment as a photosensitizer for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) or also known as Gratzel cells, which are thin film solar cells that have titanium dioxide (YIO2) coated photoanode. This is a layer of molecules that attracts sunlight, according to Manorama Online. Satapathi said that the dark color of jamun and its abundance on IIT campus have led to an idea that it might be useful as a dye in the typical Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). She further said that natural pigments are way economical as likened to regular ruthenium-based pigments, and the researchers are augmenting to enhance the efficiency. She added that the escalating pressure on fossil fuels and concern of global warming has led to the continuous studies of alternative energy. So, how do the researchers come up with the dye sensitizer? The team extracted dyes from jamun utilizing ethanol. They also included black currant and fresh plums together with mixed berry juices that have pigments that give characteristic color to jamun. Then, the mixture was centrifuged and decanted. The results showed an extracted colored pigment known as anthocyanin that was used as sensitizer. The recently released 2017 omnibus spending bill will provide NASA with $19.65 billion for all its space exploration programs. The approved amount is $628 million more than what the Obama administration has proposed in the final budget request in February 2016. According to the final approved bill, NASA space exploration programs will get $4.32 billion, including the $2.15 billion allotted for the Space Launch System program and $1.35 billion for the Orion project. Also, the allotted expenditure for science programs was increased from the previous $5.6 billion to $5.76 billion. A similar trend was observed in the planetary science expenditure budget that escalated from the previous year's $1.63 billion to $1.85 billion. The allotted expenditure includes the $408 million allotted for the 2020 Mars rover mission and $275 million for the Europa missions (the Europa Clipper flyby spacecraft and the lander missions), Space.com reported. The International Space Station and other programs run under NASA space operation projects received $4.95 billion, while the Earth Science program run by NASA was allotted only $1.92 billion as opposed to the $2.03 billion proposed by the Obama administration. Similarly, the space technology program received only $686.5 million, which is much less than the proposed $826.7 million. Both programs got less than what was proposed, but they did get exactly the amount they received last year under the Obama administration. According to E&E News, the Congress hopes to clear the biggest (1,665 pages to be exact) and probably the most important bill of the year, by the end of this week. As opposed to previous speculations and President Trump's propositions, lawmakers rejected the proposed budget cuts for the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Michael Brune, executive director of Sierra Club, commented that the March for Science campaign seems to have made an impact on the final decision of the lawmakers. Furthermore, the bill also sanctioned funds for some of the NASA space exploration and Earth Science programs that are most likely to be canceled according to President Trump's 2018 budget blueprints. Such programs include Restore-L satellite servicing project and Pre-Aerosol, Clouds and Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. A disturbing footage of a baby elephant being thrown around by a young adult male elephant was captured by tourists at the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa. The incident was recorded at the park by Jenni Smithies, a nature guide, and Lloyd Cortez, a photographer, as they rode past a watering hole. According to elephant biologist, conservationist and founder of Elephant Voices Joyce Poole, it seems that the young bull elephant may have been acting out of confusion. The scent of the baby's mother, whom he mistakenly believed to be receptive to mating, may have thrown him off. The footage, which was shot through car windows, showed the calf struggling to stand as it was knocked over forcefully by a young male elephant that is in pursuit of a sexual partner. After a few throws, another female elephant tried protecting the calf. Poole stated that this is the worst case of aggressive behavior she has ever seen. National Geographic noted that although she has seen this kind of behavior from young elephant males in the past, it is very rare that they become violent to such an extent. The young bull's aggression, however, may have been caused by his inability to distinguish female reproductive hormones. He may have confused the scent of a new mother to that of a female receptive to mating. Poole explained that when female elephants are able to become pregnant, they give off a scent that signals their reproductive states. Males that are attempting to mate usually travel to various families for females giving off the scent. The male in question, who is in his 20s, is at an age that is not yet able to discriminate between the scents of a new mother and of a receptive female. Because of the calf's size, it is likely that it smelled like its mother, which confused and frustrated the bull. Elephants usually reach sexual maturity at 17 but do not reach their sexual prime until they are about 40 or 50 years of age. This means the bull is only just beginning to develop important mating skills that older elephants have already honed. Schools do not need to serve whole grains, fat-free milk and low-sodium food anymore, according to the Trump administration. Their justification: kids do not like the food they are being served. NBC News reported that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement, "If kids aren't eating the food, and it's ending up in the trash, they aren't getting any nutrition - thus undermining the intent of the program." The said program was part of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed by former President Barack Obama and promoted by former First Lady Michelle Obama as part of the "Let's Move" initiative. The Trump administration's move rolls back the healthy lunch initiative, which aimed to combat childhood obesity in the United States. The act required schools to offer only fat-free or low-fat milk, cut down sodium, saturated and trans-fat and limit calories based on students' ages. Perdue, on the other hand, emphasized that the changes were "not undertaken lightly." However, they had to listen to parents, students and food service professionals, who have been complaining about the Obamas' mandate. Not everyone is too keen about the rollback on school lunches. Margo Woota of the Center for Science in the Public Interest stated that 90 percent of American kids consume too much sodium everyday, and schools have been moving in the right direction following the mandate. "It makes no sense to freeze that progress in its tracks - and allow dangerous high levels of salt in school lunch," she said. Another rollback in the issue is from the Food and Drug Administration. According to Fox News, the FDA announced that it will postpone the rule for calorie labels on restaurant menus and grocery store displays. The law, which was supposed to be in effect this week, mandated establishments with at least 20 locations and are selling ready-made food to post calorie content of their servings. Supermarkets and other businesses affected opposed to the rules, stating that they have been "burdensome." Living alone can be tough for seniors. Some don't have family nearby to check on them, and they worry that if they fall or suffer a medical emergency and can't get to the phone to seek help, no one will know. That's why hundreds of police agencies in small towns, suburbs and rural areas are checking in on seniors who live alone by placing an automated call to them every day. Police officials say the calling systems, which are fairly inexpensive and easy to use, provide an important service to a senior population that is expected to grow to 65 million nationwide by 2025. Already, nearly half of women age 75 and older live alone. Advocates for older people say telephone check-in programs can help seniors remain independent in their homes and give them - and their family members - peace of mind. "It helps ensure for the elderly person or their family that a phone call is being made every morning, that everything is OK. We've gotten incredible feedback on this program," said Cmdr. Jack Vaccaro of the Lighthouse Point Police Department in Florida, which has nine seniors in its automated daily-call program. Such automated systems began nearly three decades ago. They now are used by police departments from California to Massachusetts. Some police agencies take a more personal approach, using volunteers or dispatchers to place the calls. Police departments are becoming more sensitive to the needs of older adults, said Sandy Markwood, chief executive of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. For instance, she said, her organization is training officers in how to handle seniors with dementia. Telephone check-in programs are one way of doing that. "I think we're seeing a trend with these types of programs, particularly in rural and smaller communities," she said. "It's a wise use of government dollars for first responders." Seniors who sign up for telephone reassurance programs decide when they want to be called. They also are typically required to give police the name and phone number of an emergency contact. Participants get a computer-generated phone call every day - sometimes recorded by the police chief or sheriff - that asks them to press a certain number if they are OK. If they don't answer the phone, they'll get another computer-generated call, and sometimes additional ones. If they still don't answer, police usually will try to get in touch with their emergency contact before dispatching an officer to the home to check on them. Seniors who know they're going to be out when the phone rings at the specified time are supposed to notify police in advance. But sometimes they forget, and dispatchers end up sending out a unit on a false call. While that does happen, police officials say it's not a frequent occurrence, so the personnel costs are minimal. Some agencies, such as the police department in Winter Park, Florida, also require participants to put a house key in a secured box - similar to boxes used by real estate agents - somewhere outside the house. Emergency responders know the code and can open the box and enter the house if necessary. The price tag for telephone reassurance systems varies. RUOK, the nation's largest source, is used by hundreds of police agencies, according to Bruce Johnson, owner of the Minnesota company that developed and sells the software. It costs about $1,000 to buy and set up, and it has no maintenance fees. Database Systems, a Phoenix-based data management company that has sold its system to dozens of police departments, charges nearly $11,000 for purchase, installation and the first year of maintenance, company vice president Jerry Pizet said. After that, most agencies do their own maintenance. Winter Park Police Officer Randall Morrissey said his agency uses RUOK software that runs on an old laptop and was paid for with forfeiture funds. Running the program doesn't cost the department anything, he said, other than the expense of sending out an officer on a false call, which isn't often. "A lot of the seniors who sign up are concerned that they could pass and not be discovered for days," Morrissey said. "With this program, it's comforting for them to know they could be found." That was the reason the Belton Police Department in Texas launched its telephone check-in program in 2013, according to Detective Sgt. Kim Hamilton. The impetus: an incident in which officers found an elderly woman who been had been dead on the floor of her home for at least two months. "That alone spoke volumes to us," Hamilton said. "We knew there was a need to check on our senior residents." The check-in programs are less common in big cities, where large numbers of people might sign up, potentially straining budgets because more officers would be needed to check on seniors who don't answer their phones. But in small cities and towns, suburbs and rural areas, the programs can be more manageable. "It's economy of scale," said Capt. Larry Murphy, of the Biloxi, Mississippi, Police Department. "If you're in a really large city, you'd have to add more and more resources." In Biloxi, a city of about 44,000, only 14 seniors are registered. While many police departments want to sign up as many seniors as possible, Murphy said his tries to limit its program to "people who really need it rather than those who just want it." Murphy said the system has experienced some outages in the past few years because of lightning damage to the dispatch center. That means dispatchers sometimes have to call each senior, which is "resource-intensive but manageable" with a limited number of participants. Some police agencies that once used automated check-in systems, such as those in Brentwood, Missouri, and Amherst, Massachusetts, have stopped using them. Agencies that choose to give up the systems usually do so because participants move away or die and not enough seniors sign up to replace them. Police officials agree that for telephone reassurance programs to succeed in the long term, they need to be continuously marketed. Some departments do that by publicizing them on websites, at senior centers and in apartment complexes and churches. Some police agencies go beyond automated check-ins and use staff or volunteers to dial up seniors and talk to them one-on-one. Every weekday morning, a staffer at the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina makes 50 to 60 calls to see whether seniors in the reassurance program are okay. In Belton, 130 seniors get an automated call every weekday except Wednesday, when they get a live call from one of dozens of volunteers, according to Hamilton. "Sometimes that's the only person the senior talks to that week," she said. A part-time coordinator oversees the volunteers and is paid through a grant from the Area Agency on Aging of Central Texas. This year's grant was for $21,000. "Considering what the police have to deal with every day, this is totally the opposite end of the spectrum," said Pam Patterson, an area agency contract manager. "It gives them an opportunity to really help seniors." And in Belton, as in some other parts of the country, police say the program has saved lives. Belton police have had four "saves" so far, Hamilton said, including a man who fell to the floor in his house and stayed there from Friday, after his last check-in, until Monday, when his next call came. In San Diego County, California, one of the bigger areas to run a call reassurance service, the sheriff's department's program goes far beyond automated calls. As part of its You Are Not Alone effort, 452 senior volunteer patrol members call 334 older adults at least five times a week and visit them at least weekly. "We think the personal touch is a little bit better, in the event something else is going on," said Sgt. Monica Sanchez. "Our senior volunteers are trained to see if there is food in the fridge or if there are signs of neglect. An automated program would not work for us. We like to observe and report." Sanchez said the volunteers have helped save people's lives, such as when they visited the home of an 86-year-old woman last year, got no response and noticed her mail had been piling up. They contacted deputies, who climbed through a window and found the woman on the floor, severely dehydrated. "They were just in time to save her life," Sanchez said. I have learned the hard way not to put my personal life on the Internet. But suffice it to say that, God willing, things should be pretty much back to norm... 3 weeks ago Bethany Lutheran Videos at Each Live Worship Service Such is the contrast between the Bible of the old and the Bible of the new theologies. That there are compromise systems between the twoor at any rate attempts at a compromise is certainly true; but it is impossible to effect a compromise between systems fundamentally and essentially at variance. This is a case of either or, Delitzsch was right when he maintained that a deep chasm existed between the old and the new theology, and this chasm exists because there is a chasm between the Bible of the old and the Bible of the new theologies. In one word, the Scriptures of the one is the Bible without God; the Scriptures of the other is the Bible of and with God. The Bible Of The Old And The Bible Of The New Theology. By Rev. Professor George H. Schodde, Ph. D., Columbus, O. in Loy, ed. The Columbus Theological Magazine. Vol. 18, 1898. LutheranLibrary.org The three Japanese shipowners had filed a tripartite agreement with the US shipping regulatory body to approve the forming of a joint container service. The Shipping Act does not provide the Federal Maritime Commission with authority to review and approve mergers. After careful consideration, the Commission determined that parties to the Tripartite Agreement were ultimately establishing a merged, new business entity and that action is among the type of agreements excluded from FMC review. As an agreement creating a new merged business entity approval would be required from the US Department of Justice. The tripartite agreement would have allowed the three lines to share information from 8 May ahead of the proposed new entity a joint venture container line being formed next year. The tripartite agreement was rejected unanimously by the commissioners. "The Shipping Act does not provide the Federal Maritime Commission with authority to review and approve mergers.In order to receive the benefits of a merger, one needs to first merge. The Commission has continuing regulatory oversight over agreements between established ocean common carriers and marine terminal operators," commented commissioner William Doyle. 'The proposed joint service agreement presented by the Japanese carriers seeks authority far beyond the bounds of any joint venture currently on file with the Federal Maritime Commission. Here, the Tripartite parties are seeking a geographic scope between the United States and all ports and points worldwide," he added. NYK, MOL and K Line plan to merge their container shipping operations, in a move dubbed J3, from 2018, and are already cooperating as members of THE Alliance along with Hapag-Lloyd, UASC and Yang Ming, which started operations on 1 April this year. A delegation headed by Amer Ali, executive director of DMCA, recently visited the Maersk Maritime Training Centre, the first-of-its-kind centre in the Middle East, in line with the authoritys ongoing commitment to promote real partnership with maritime leaders in Dubai. Maersk Training is part of the Maersk Group that specialises in providing training and educational services in maritime sectors. The meeting, which was held at the Danish companys regional headquarters based in Dubai, explored new opportunities to employ promising possibilities that could enhance a number of areas in the maritime community. The delegates brainstormed about the vital and strategic role played by investment in training and marine education at all levels. The delegation was given a tour of the facility so that they can see the classroom as well as modern simulation techniques used. Ali said the facility was important in the effort to empower employees with new skills and advanced capabilities, enabling them to become experts and achieve local and global excellence in the maritime sector. He added that a sophisticated scientific centre will position Dubai to become one of the worlds leading maritime destinations. Our support to the Maersk Maritime Training Centre in Dubai reflects DMCAs strategy to strengthen partnership and communication with the emirates maritime industry leaders, said Ali. This follows our belief in the importance of bringing experts who are experienced in transferring knowledge and practices to develop human resource capabilities and keep them abreast with the latest challenges and developments in the local and international maritime community. It is also in line with our ambitious vision of building a sustainable and secure maritime sector based on core values, especially in achieving international best practices and promoting the spirit of creativity, innovation and excellence in human wealth. Press Release May 3, 2017 Cayetano wants lawful punishment for abusive cops involved in secret jail cell issue "Kasuhan ang dapat kasuhan. Huwag nating sirain ang buong institusyon," this is what Senator Alan Peter Cayetano had to say in reaction to the recent discovery of a secret jail cell in the Raxabago Police precinct of the Manila Police District. When asked for his reaction about the issue, Cayetano said police officials who are proven to commit any form of abuse should be punished under the rule of law. "We should not tolerate any abuse... Kung ano ang batas, kung ano ang regulasyon... Kung pati ang batas, may problema, ayusin at baguhin natin," he said in an ambush interview on Tuesday (May 2). He however clarified that the issue should be considered as an isolated case. The senator reiterated that it is not the administration's policy to tolerate human rights violations, even among alleged drug personalities. In fact, the chief of the Tondo police station and 12 members of the station's Drug Enforcement Unit were already relieved from their posts following the discovery of the jail cell, Cayetano noted. "One violation does not mean it is happening everywhere and that it is a government policy... Hindi ito-tolerate, iniimbestigahan ito, and they will be compliant with the world standards of human rights," he said. The senator further asked the public and administration critics to adopt a more holistic approach when it comes to defending human rights. He called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to work with the government in ensuring that the human security of all Filipinos, not just that of alleged drug suspects, is properly protected. "Hindi natin sinasabi na walang human rights violations. Ang sinasabi natin, hindi ito State-sponsored, hindi ito systemic, at hindi ito widespread. Ina-address ito," he said. Press Release May 3, 2017 MESSAGE FOR WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2017 I am one with the international community in celebrating World Press Freedom Day, and in paying tribute to journalists who dedicate their lives in the service of truth and democracy. Time and again, societies have seen how press freedom plays a critical role in upholding democratic ideals of a country--it exposes abuses, holds government and leaders accountable for their actions, and protects human rights. It is thus, very troubling to see that in the Philippines, no less than the President himself leads the attack on the media. President Rodrigo Duterte has blatantly threatened the members of the press, may they be from local or international organizations, and has cursed them numerous times for every criticism he receives. Recently, he even dangled the possibility of rejecting a network's license to operate. At the same time, he threatened to go after a major shareholder of a newspaper giant after reading negative stories about the way he is running the government. These are only some of his foul and crooked ways to make the media toe the line. By threatening a government assault on two of the most influential media outfits in the country for supposed personal slights committed against him, President Duterte clearly shows he disregards constitutional principles of press freedom and democratic governance. We now see that under the Duterte regime, the threat to freedom of expression is real, not only because of his tantrums, but also because of the continued proliferation of fake news and organized efforts on historical revisionism that are attributable to him and his minions. In this increasingly globalized world, press freedom is an integral part of nation building. Silencing the press is killing our right to speak freely and voice out our concerns. Should we let ourselves be cowed amid the spate of summary executions and in the face of clear attempts to kill our democracy? The press must now, more than ever, remain steadfast in their commitment to expose the truth and fight for what is right. Together with all the people of goodwill around the world, we must take a stand, and defend its independence. Let us fight the lies, let us uphold press freedom, let us advance a just, humane and peaceful community of nations. STATEMENT OF LP PRESIDENT SEN. PANGILINAN ON ATTEMPT TO IMPEACH VP LENI The impeachment case against Vice President Leni Robredo was pulled out of thin air and completely baseless. Clearly, free speech -- in whatever way, inside or outside the country -- is non-impeachable. In fact, this is protected by the Constitution. We are confident that the truth will prevail and ultimately the impeachment will be dismissed. We call on the people to maintain vigilance and take action to prevent bullying, like this forced impeachment. Rallies and protest events are a part of political life in the Bay Area. Heres a roundup of whats happening. Wednesday Democratic race: Kimberly Ellis, candidate for chair of the California Democratic Party, will discuss her vision for the party at a meeting of San Mateo County Democracy for America. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Woodside Road United Methodist Church, 2000 Woodside Road, Redwood City. The event is free. For information, contact Carole Dorshkind at cdorshkind@comcast.net. Friday Immigration discussion: A presentation by the Party for Socialism and Liberation on how to build the resistance to defend immigrant rights. The event is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 2969 Mission St. in San Francisco. For information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1917646978471340/. Saturday Immigration event: Remembering the 135th Anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act and standing in opposition to President Trumps proposed travel ban. A rally will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Portsmouth Square, 733 Kearny St., San Francisco. Contact Chinese for Affirmative Action: (415) 274-6750. Resistance discussion: A report on the impact of May Day protests, hosted by the Peace and Freedom Party. The discussion is from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Starry Plough Pub, 3101 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. For information, contact (510) 332-3865 or cuyleruyle@mac.com. Sanctuary cities discussion: A panel hosted by the Freedom Socialist Party Bay Area on how unions, religious groups and schools can defend immigrants. Doors open at 1 p.m. and the panel talk begins at 2 p.m. at New Valencia Hall, 747 Polk St. in San Francisco. For information, call (415) 864-1278 or email bafsp@earthlink.com. Health care film: Now Is the Time: Healthcare for Everybody will be screened from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Contra Costa Central Labor Council, 1333 Pine St., Suite E in Martinez. The event is free. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Sunday Health care film: Now Is the Time: Healthcare for Everybody will be shown, followed by a health care discussion on the proposed California proposition for a single-payer plan. The event is from 2 to 4 p.m. at the San Lorenzo Library, 395 Paseo Grande in San Lorenzo. For information, contact aruchlis@gmail.com. May 13 Art show: A resistance-inspired show hosted by Indivisible Alameda County. The event is from 3 to 7 p.m. at 37275 Niles Blvd. in Fremont. For information, contact kidniles@aol.com. Walnut Creek Police Department Gregory Prokopowicz, the 38-year-old East Bay man accused of fatally shooting his wife in Walnut Creek last week, was charged with first-degree murder Tuesday, officials said. The charge carries an enhancement for personal and intentional discharge of a firearm, according to the Contra Costa County district attorneys office. The danger of fires and lack of inspections in Oaklands growing tent encampments hit home for the city when a suspicious blaze erupted Monday night, torching tents at a City Hall-sanctioned homeless enclave. The fire underneath Interstate 580 on the Emeryville border was the second in the camp in two weeks, and the third to damage a homeless camp in the past month. On April 13, five tents were burned and a dog died in a blaze near Interstate 880. No one was hurt in the latest fire, which destroyed about 20 tents. Authorities believe it was set by a woman who had argued with her boyfriend. The city was already struggling to maintain order in the camp on the 3600 block of Peralta Street, which officials turned into a de facto homeless shelter last fall, complete with portable toilets and wash stations. One thing the city didnt provide was fire inspections. City-sanctioned or not, the camps dont have formal structures, so they arent covered by fire codes. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle The city-backed camp had its share of dangers. One problem is that most of the tents are old, and have lost whatever fire resistance they might have once had, said acting Fire Chief Mark Hoffmann. So once the fire starts, and the wind blows in a certain direction, it will go through every nylon tent standing in its way. Asked Tuesday if anyone had tried to put out the fire, a camp resident who gave his name only as Kevin said, With what? We dont have any fire extinguishers here. Luckily, Hoffman said, No was one was so impaired that they couldnt get out. The camp was created by city and Alameda County officials as an experiment, as officials struggle with how to handle the explosion of homeless enclaves. Safety barricades were set up and social workers brought in to help homeless people try to find housing. The hope was that the camp would shrink as residents went into service programs. However, it didnt work out that way, and lately the camp has been expanding, not shrinking. It had grown to 60 residents from the original 40 before the fire hit. Officials initially said the camp would stay open until the end of March, then kept it open longer after a fire at a San Pablo Avenue halfway house left four people dead and displaced nearly 100 other residents further straining the citys meager shelter system. Hoffmann said the city has been reluctant to enforce safety rules in homeless camps, such as bans on open flames and gas-powered generators, because the people living there have nowhere else to go. But Joe DeVries, an assistant to the city administrator who works on homelessness issues, said Mondays fire forced officials hand on the Peralta Street camp. Well be clearing it out Friday, DeVries said. We have to. After what happened, its apparent that we have serious safety issues there. DeVries said that although the camp did provide a form of shelter from the streets, we need on-site management and security. The recent event is a perfect example of that. Off the rails: A San Francisco Chamber of Commerce delegation making the rounds in Washington last week to push for federal funds for a new seawall and Caltrain electrification got more than it bargained for in a meeting with Sen. Dianne Feinstein. All she wanted to talk about was the downtown Millennium Tower and why its leaning, and how could it be fixed? said one person who met with the states senior senator Thursday. She also talked about how much she hates the citys new skyline. Feinstein peppered a contractor who was part of the delegation about the Millenniums safety, even revealing that she had toured its water-seeping garage and voicing suspicions that the towers developer had cut corners. Feinstein was also annoyed that high-rises such as the Millennium and Salesforce Tower are soaring far above the downtown height limits she pushed for as mayor. We always get off message a little, Jim Lazarus, longtime chamber vice president and onetime Feinstein mayoral deputy, said of the groups annual meeting with his old boss. But thats Dianne and once the mayor, shes always the mayor. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross When Oakland witnessed the deadliest fire in its history five months ago, the city was wrapping up a yearlong pilot project designed to eradicate dangers in apartment buildings precisely the kind of problems that led to the warehouse inferno just a few blocks east of the targeted neighborhoods. The program ended a month before the Ghost Ship fire with alarming results: Three-quarters of all inspected buildings had fire hazards or habitability issues threatening the life or safety of tenants, ranging from inaccessible emergency exits and broken fire alarms to flammable materials and extension cords running across floors. Under the Safe Housing Inspection Program, fire inspectors examined 138 apartment buildings in the citys San Antonio and East Lake neighborhoods with a certain classification: They had to comprise six or more units and three or fewer stories. The inspectors found hazards in all but 33 buildings. Some apartments racked up multiple violations. Its of grave concern to the city to have found this number of problems, said Assistant City Administrator Claudia Cappio. But its important to recognize theyre not categorized by seriousness. Those spanned a broad cross section of what you could possibly find. Still, the findings may have actually underestimated the prevalence of housing perils facing residents citywide. For one, the inspectors doing the walk-throughs were not trained to test for lead or mold. And buildings with fewer than six units excluded from the program tend to have the highest rates of habitability issues in Oakland, city data show. Lastly, problems that applied to multiple units were sometimes considered a single deficiency. Now, after 41 fire deaths in five months and renewed attention to lead poisoning in the citys poorest quarters, Oakland officials are considering deploying an inspection team to examine rental units across the city in a proactive fashion, rather than under the complaint-driven system that currently exists. Although proactive rental inspection programs have seen success in cities such as Sacramento, San Jose and Los Angeles, barriers to getting it done in Oakland are steep. City officials are concerned the program would accelerate displacement, as some landlords would need to clear out tenants to make repairs. Creating it would also require changing city laws to give inspectors the authority to examine apartments without anyone asking them to. The city estimates it would cost $1.5 million to $2.5 million to send a team of code enforcement officers on a proactive inspection drive for a year. Even so, only a small fraction of the apartment buildings in the city could be seen. Some say a proactive inspection program the idea for which has been tossed around at City Hall for the past six years is long past due. Larry Brooks, director of the Alameda County Healthy Homes Department, said the results out of the San Antonio and East Lake neighborhoods provide justification for Oakland to make a move. Youre going to find similar data when you spread out to other parts of the city, Brooks said. When you look at some of these things happening shoddy repair work, balcony collapses, fires, poorly vented water heaters doing a little bit of preventative work will reduce the chances of some people being hurt or killed. The pilot project is a good baby step. I think a citywide program is eventually where they have to go. City officials began considering the program as far back as 2011, when the Alameda County grand jury released a scathing report on Oaklands Planning and Building Department, said Margaretta Lin, a deputy city administrator at the time. The proactive rental inspection policy required buy-in from the department head, from the building services director, the city administrator, the City Council and so forth and so on, she said. Its not something city administration can go off and do on its own. While key players eventually got onboard, Lin said, leadership changes since then have caused the efforts to fizzle out. But a series of deadly fires in recent months in Fruitvales Ghost Ship warehouse, a West Oakland halfway house and a home in the far reaches of East Oakland has resurrected the idea. The incentives have been there for years, said Brooks, who worked to implement Sacramentos program before coming to Alameda County. There is a need to take action. A driving factor in making inspections proactive, not only complaint-based, is the idea that renters are often too afraid of losing their homes to complain when something is awry. Mayor Libby Schaaf said as she announced the pilot program in October 2015 that it shouldnt be a tenants burden to come forward amid a serious affordability crisis. Some residents of San Antonio and East Lake whose apartments were inspected say it has given them peace of mind. Hasinnie Bennett, 21, who lives with his grandparents on East 15th Street near 21st Avenue, said their kitchen smoke detector has already proved to be lifesaving. One night recently, his grandmother, in a confused state, started lighting $20 bills on fire, he said. The alarm woke up Bennett, who put out the flames. So when an inspection discovered their hallway smoke detector was broken, they got a new one right away. Youll look at them and not really know how to utilize them, he said. But when that time comes and it goes off, thats like a blessing because it has been a lot of fires in Oakland lately. I look at it differently now. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov California Highway Patrol / Highway 1 was partially closed in western Marin County for four hours on Tuesday after a motorcyclist fatally collided head-on with a septic truck on a stretch of road between Bolinas and Stinson Beach, officials said. The deadly crash occurred about 10:30 a.m. south of Olema Bolinas Road on the stretch of Highway 1 known as Shoreline Highway, according to the California Highway Patrol. The cost to keep the peace following conservative pundit Ann Coulters canceled trip to UC Berkeley last week was not cheap, officials said Tuesday. Bay Area law enforcement agencies called in to prevent violence from erupting on campus after Coulters appearance there was scuttled on Thursday cost a total of a half-million dollars in overtime, said Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern. Supporters and counterprotesters showed up at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park a few blocks from campus. While the two sides shouted at each other, the day did not devolve into the riot-like violence that characterized earlier political clashes in Berkeley, like the visit from right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos in early February that ended with an estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage. While the most recent demonstrations turned out to be relatively peaceful, law enforcement officers summoned from around the Bay Area prepared for the worst. Ahern estimated his agency alone spent about $80,000 in overtime and he expects to be reimbursed by the University of California. The Oakland Police Department, San Leandro Police Department, California Highway Patrol and six other UC campuses sent officers to Berkeley on Thursday after Coulters speech on campus was canceled. Sgt. Sabrina Reich, a spokeswoman for the UC Berkeley Police Department, said the department is working with a number of law enforcement agencies to reimburse the costs they incurred. An official estimate of the total cost to be reimbursements is not yet available, Reich said. Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi Pacific Gas and Electric Co. will hunt for chemical contamination this summer in the bay floor sediments along part of San Franciscos northern waterfront, as the utility cleans up waste left over from facilities that operated in the Marina district more than a century ago. Since 2010, PG&E has been testing soil samples in the Marina at the sites of two plants that used to manufacture a fuel similar to natural gas, using coal or oil as the raw material. The company has even purchased some Marina homes so it can remove dirt contaminated with coal tar from their backyards. PG&E will hold a community meeting Wednesday evening to update Marina residents on its work. The meeting will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fort Masons Building A, Gallery 308. Built in the late 1800s, both manufactured gas plants sat on what was then San Franciscos shoreline before they were destroyed in the 1906 quake. While most of PG&Es recent tests have focused on sites on land, the company has also been testing the bay floor beneath the Gashouse Cove Marina, said Kevin Sullivan, the companys director of environmental remediation. The company has, so far, found one spot between docks 8 and 10 where hydrocarbons seep into the bay. PG&E has placed a mat on the spot to absorb the chemicals and keep them out of the water, Sullivan said. Eventually, I think whats going to happen is the next time the city wants to go out there and dredge this ... well probably dredge it a little deeper and get this stuff up, he said. The company has also conducted sediment tests along Fishermans Wharf, which was once the site of another gas plant. Although channels have been dredged into the bay floor along some of the piers, none of those channels so far appear to have exposed any contamination from the plant, Sullivan said. And while the company plans more tests in the area, leaving the contaminants in place and buried beneath the sediment may make more sense than dredging the area and disturbing the local marine life, he said. You dont want to go digging up a healthy bottom community to get at something 10 feet down, Sullivan said. The possibility of toxic waste from the gas plants harming the bay led an association of herring fishermen to sue PG&E in 2012. The company and the fishermen reached an interim settlement in 2015. PG&Es tests in the Marina district to date have shown that most of the properties with soil contamination close to the surface within 10 feet lie near the locations of the original plants. One plant stood along Fillmore and Alhambra streets, and the other was about one block to the east, along Bay Street. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. However, a much deeper layer of contamination may stretch beneath part of the neighborhoods northern end. A shallow lagoon enclosed by a breakwater used to occupy the area north of Bay Street and between Fillmore and Scott streets. PG&E has found a layer of contaminated soil in what used to be the lagoons sediment, which now lies 20 to 30 feet underground, Sullivan said. Even houses several blocks removed from the plant locations may have that layer of contamination deep beneath them. If youre here, a few years ago we said, No, theres probably no impact, Sullivan said. Now were saying, Yeah, there is an impact its 30 feet down. At that depth, it should pose little risk to human health, he said. David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF Teachers at a San Francisco elementary school sought to enlist community support in contract negotiations by sending a letter home to parents in student backpacks, a move that district officials said violated state law. The letter, sent Thursday by some teachers at Daniel Webster Elementary, informed parents that the teachers planned to work only the hours required by their contract as of May 1, an action known as work-to-rule that is sometimes used by employees in labor disputes. We will arrive together at 8:20 a.m., take our 45-minute duty-free lunch, and leave together at 4 p.m., the teachers wrote, adding that meetings, tutoring and other activities would be abbreviated and that no homework would be assigned. While we are committed to providing quality education to your children, SFUSD cannot continue to take our generosity for granted and expect us to volunteer hours every day. The teachers said they would prioritize activities, only performing those they had time for. Communicating with parents and maintaining classrooms was at the top of the list while completing special education paperwork was toward the bottom. Yet none of those activities are voluntary, district officials said. Teachers have the right to use a work-to-rule strategy to exert pressure on management, said district spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. However, she said, teachers and paraprofessionals are still expected to carry out required duties such as corresponding with parents, organizing and maintaining classroom space, giving grades and homework. Under Californias Educational Employment Relations Act, teachers arent allowed to distribute such letters to families using school time or resources, Blythe said. The teachers are seeking a raise as well as district concessions to address a shortage of substitutes and a need for additional staff, including teachers aides and social workers. We support the right of the educators at Webster Elementary to enforce their contractual rights, said Lita Blanc, president of the United Educators of San Francisco. The teachers decision to work-to-rule for a limited time is a good-faith effort to raise awareness about the affordability crisis in San Francisco and its impact on our schools. Union officials said Tuesday they were still researching the potential legal issues raised by the teachers action. The letter was not well-received by some parents, including Adam Lashinsky, who said it was inappropriate to involve children in the dispute and shocking that teachers would stop giving homework. While the letter included the email addresses of every school board member, and offered parents a sample message they could send in support of teachers, it did not include contact information for the writers of the letter, Lashinsky said. He said he emailed his daughters teacher, saying he appreciated the schools staff and wasnt taking sides in the contract negotiations, but thought the lack of homework was going too far. The teachers are punishing students this way, he said in the letter. There is no other way to interpret it. District officials said administrators would clarify with the schools teachers what is required and what is voluntary during a work-to-rule action, while advising them that state law prohibits such correspondence using students and school time. I support our educators in advocating for what they feel is equitable compensation and treatment, said school board President Shamann Walton. My hope is that this can be resolved in a manner that supports our educators rights to advocate and also does not disrupt the education of our students. Serious crimes fell 10 percent in San Francisco last year as the city saw fewer robberies, far fewer boosted cars and a slight but welcome reduction in the vehicle break-ins that have plagued many neighborhoods, according to police figures released Tuesday. Its definitely a positive when we see the numbers decrease, said Officer Giselle Talkoff, a Police Department spokeswoman. Part of it is due to the diligence of the officers out there, monitoring and being proactive in our high-crime areas, having a large presence, and taking fast action in making arrests. The year-to-year reductions come as new Police Chief Bill Scott takes command and seeks to reassure members of the public frustrated by rising crime that has struck residents, workers and tourists alike. The index of eight serious crimes measured by the Police Department including homicides, assaults, robberies and burglaries hit a recent high in 2015 of 60,068 incidents. While last years tally of 53,898 incidents was a clear improvement, it was still 29 percent higher than the total in 2011. Violent crimes decreased 8 percent last year, with drops seen in robberies, assaults, rapes and cases of human trafficking when compared with 2015. Homicides, though, jumped from 53 to 58, mirroring a Bay Area and national trend but still reflecting a far lower level of violence than that seen in past decades. Property crimes fell 11 percent in San Francisco, from 53,291 reported cases in 2015 to 47,658 in 2016. Reported offenses decreased in every category burglaries, thefts, stolen vehicles and arson cases. While vehicle break-ins were down, they remained at extremely high levels. After they skyrocketed 31 percent from 2014 to 2015, police recorded 24,235 incidents in 2016, a 6 percent drop year-to-year. However, some neighborhood groups have linked the drop in property crimes to city residents growing so hardened to burglaries and seeing sidewalks covered in broken glass that theyve stopped reporting every car break-in. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. But in August 2015, police deployed a plainclothes task force specializing in curbing property crimes. As arrests were made, officials said, they saw a decrease in reports almost instantly. If the crime stats were positive overall, they also revealed a surge in gun violence last year. The 40 gun killings were a jump of 15 percent, while the 189 people who survived bullet wounds represented an increase of 27 percent, reaching a level not seen it at least six years. Authorities seized 1,216 firearms last year, up 12 percent from 2015 and 40 percent from 2011. Talkoff said the gun violence last year was alarming to the Police Department, and that the way to fight it is making quick arrests. Referring to guns, she said, We are always working to get more of them off the streets to keep the public safe. Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo WASHINGTON Many California House Republicans are decidedly undecided about their partys latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, complicating the renewed effort by President Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan to fulfill a keystone campaign promise. Although GOP leaders were holding out the prospect of a repeal and replace vote as early as Wednesday, they were still well short of the committed yes votes needed to pass the bill. The new version of the measure to undo what Republicans deride as Obamacare now has more support from the conservative Freedom Caucus but is failing to generate enthusiasm among the partys more moderate members. The conservatives were won over by provisions that would allow states to apply for waivers from Affordable Care Act requirements that insurers offer coverage to everyone in an age group at the same price, regardless of whether they have pre-existing health conditions. Such states would have to set up high-risk pools to help people with pre-existing conditions gain coverage, but such pools were often underfunded before Obamacare became law. The 14 Republicans in Californias House delegation include several more moderate members whose support will be crucial if Trump and Ryan are to recover from their repeal-and-replace fiasco in March, when a GOP bill that appeared certain to be defeated was pulled at the last minute. But some of those Californians are far from onboard. With no Democrats expected to vote for the measure, House Republicans can afford to lose just 22 of their 238 members votes, and various press counts put the no total at or close to that number. The Senate has shown no enthusiasm for the latest version of the legislation, making it all the harder to persuade reluctant House Republicans to vote for a bill that stands a good chance of dying in the other chamber. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale (Butte County), said there were too many pieces in motion in the legislation to make a decision Tuesday. The White House sent Vice President Mike Pence to Capitol Hill to lobby wavering members, but LaMalfa described the tactics as short of strong-arming. I havent been in any of the Pence or White House or any of those things where somebodys trying to grab me and haul me into a meeting, LaMalfa said. Im just being asked, nicely. He said he was relaying questions to leadership from his constituents, including people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, about how they could be affected by the new repeal legislation. Win McNamee/Getty Images It still comes back to, weve got to fix this thing for middle-income families, LaMalfa said. More affordability and choice of where theyre going to get health services, especially in rural California. Many poorer and more rural districts in California saw a huge expansion of coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Statewide, 3.7 million Californians gained access to Medicaid under the law. The Congressional Budget Office said 24 million people would have lost their insurance under the first Republican version of repeal. The office, which is a nonpartisan advisory arm of Congress, has not yet analyzed the new measure. LaMalfas district voted handily for Trump in November. But seven California Republicans represent districts won by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and Democrats have begun targeting those districts for the 2018 midterm elections. One of these members, Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock (Stanislaus County), came out last month as a firm no vote on the latest iteration of repeal. He said he supports several of the main provisions of Obamacare, including the Medicaid expansion and the requirement that insurers issue policies to people with pre-existing conditions. Denham has faced raucous town-hall meetings filled with constituents angry about a possible repeal. In an April 29 post on Facebook, Denham said, Ive been reading letters and emails about health-care reform and want to reassure you that I'm fighting to expand access in the Central Valley. Im working on ensuring equitable coverage that will help underserved areas like ours attract and retain both primary care providers and specialists to serve the growing Medi-Cal community, referring to the state version of Medicaid. Another Republican in a Clinton district, Rep. David Valadao of Hanford (Kings County), remains undecided, even though he is a member of the House whip team that works to pull the party together on major votes. Valadaos office did not respond to a request for comment. Rep. Steve Knight of Lancaster (Los Angeles County), whose district is a main 2018 target for Democrats, said he was undecided. Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista (San Diego County), who narrowly won re-election in November, is also in the undecided camp. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., a leadership ally, said Republicans who fail to take a stand are fooling themselves. Cole said the most salient argument that House leaders are making to members is that theyve been running on (Obamacare repeal) for how many years, and youve got to deliver. This is the beginning of a process, Cole said, one that starts with getting legislation passed in the House. If you kill it in the cradle, you are basically ratifying Obamacare. No. 2 is, if you think voting no is going to save you in the next election, its not, Cole said. We saw our own numbers among our own people collapse after the failure in March to repeal the law. Democratic enthusiasm or anger or resentment or however you want to call it its not going to change between now and 2018, he said. Your only defense is if your own people are equally convinced that you are doing something that matters in their day. Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead BANNOCKBURN - Jake Leahy believes he's the youngest person in Illinois currently serving in an elected position - and he very well could be. Leahy, who turned 18 in March, was sworn onto Bannockburn School District 106 Board of Education Tuesday night. Leahy will graduate this May from Deerfield High School and plans to attend the University of Illinois next year, where he will study public policy and law. Leahy is active in the national "Turning Point USA" organization and writes for Hypeline, the group's news outlet. Leahy says his election in April sends a message far beyond the district where he attended school during his elementary school years. "This sends a message that young people should have a seat at the table to determine their own future," Leahy said in a statement. "Voters agreed ... Springfield has been ignoring the will of the next generation for far too long, they cannot continue to recklessly borrow money on the back of my generation." Before Leahy, former Congressman Aaron Schock was elected to the Peoria Board of Education in 2001, when he was 19 years old. After 21 years, Californias medical marijuana industry is finally getting some firm rules. Its the end of a freewheeling experiment and the beginning of a large-scale industry. Gov. Jerry Browns administration released draft regulations for the sale, distribution, transportation and purchase of marijuana and cannabis products on Friday. While they dont cover recreational marijuana, which will be for sale in California in 2018, they offer a window into whats coming. California Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation chief Lori Ajax has said the states intent is to have a single regulatory scheme for both medical and recreational marijuana. What we can tell from the draft rules, which are open for written public comment through June 13, is that the state has made a thorough attempt to bring some badly needed order to a booming industry. Cities and counties will be relieved to note that they still have a large measure of local control: Medical marijuana businesses will need approval from their local jurisdiction before theyre able to get a license from the state. Parents will be pleased to learn that dispensaries must use child-safe packaging and be located at least 600 feet away from schools. While there are a couple of only-in-California rules transportation of weed via drone is explicitly prohibited, for example for the most part, the draft regulations show that the bureau has thought about most of the big issues around marijuana regulation. The bureau has weighed everything from setting limits on dispensary hours (they must be closed between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.), to sales limits for patients (no more than 8 ounces per patient per day, unless theres a physicians recommendation). Its a comprehensive list, and the draft regulations certainly speak to the maturation of Californias cannabis industry. Abiding by these rules will require a well-organized business model, and having access to capital will help. Many cannabis businesses are unhappy with the sheer number of rules along with the possible cost increases theyll bring. Some outstanding questions remain, especially for the upcoming recreational marijuana market. Marijuana prohibition had disproportionate effects on low-income communities of color. In cities like Oakland, theres an ongoing debate about whether, and how, officials address these inequities as a lucrative new industry unfolds. The state regulations allow applicants with criminal convictions to seek business licenses, provided they offer evidence of their rehabilitation. Its a worthy attempt to address the issue, but it probably wont satisfy anyone. User limits, especially when it comes to inebriation, are another crucial concern. We dont yet have roadside toxicology tests for marijuana that have the same reliability as the ones for alcohol. While efforts are under way to produce them, it remains a problem that must be addressed if Californians are to have a safe, legal cannabis industry. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SACRAMENTO State lawmakers grilled University of California President Janet Napolitano on Tuesday, saying they found a state audit extremely troubling, and questioned whether there is enough oversight of the presidents office. Lawmakers said they were shocked by the audit released last week, which found UC has a $175 million reserve that no one seemed to be aware of, including the Board of Regents that oversees the university system. But many lawmakers said what disturbed them the most was the state auditors contention that the presidents office interfered with and delayed their efforts. For that, Napolitano defended her office, but said she was sorry its actions were perceived as obstruction. I deeply believe the trust that has existed between the Legislature and UC has been eroded and that much more transparency is needed, said Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, chairman of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, one of three committees holding the joint hearing on the audit at the state Capitol on Tuesday. The hearing lasted 4 hours, with Napolitano leaving visibly exhausted after her two-plus hours of testimony. To say this is a black eye on the UC is an understatement, Medina added. Among the audits findings were that the presidents office hid $175 million in an undisclosed reserve of restricted and discretionary funds as of June 2016. Included in that was $32 million that could have been spent on students, with the audit recommending that those funds be returned to campuses. The disclosure of that money comes as UC will raise annual student charges beginning next summer by $336, or nearly 3 percent, to $12,630. That includes tuition and a student services fee, which are expected to raise $143 million next year for the UC system. The undisclosed money accumulated after the presidents office continually overestimated how much it needed to run the 10-campus system, then spent less than budgeted, according to the audit. Auditors said that during 2012 to 2016, the presidents office asked for additional funding using the inflated budgets instead of basing its requests on what was actually spent. That allowed the office to amass a secret reserve that was spent on things like communications and brand management ($4.7 million), the presidents residence ($862,000) and nonresident recruiting ($1.8 million). State Auditor Elaine Howle said Tuesday that UCs budget practices were surprisingly weak and ineffective and left regents in the dark on how money was being spent. Howle said the presidents office itself was unaware of just how much it had in reserves because it was kept in various accounts. Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, said the auditors findings reflect poorly on the regents. Monica Lozano, chairwoman of the Board of Regents, steadfastly defended Napolitano and her office, but said Tuesday that regents would step up oversight. In the audit, Howle recommended that the Legislature begin overseeing the presidents office budget rather than have the Board of Regents oversee it by having the state directly fund the office. Currently, the presidents office gets its money from the 10 campuses. Tuesdays hearing offered no clear direction on whether lawmakers would push for that oversight. Lawmakers, however, were sharp with their words. There does not appear to be in the audit from my reading of it any really intended criminal activity, Weber said. But, there does appear to be a sense of arrogance and resistance. Six Assembly Republicans sent a letter Tuesday to Assembly leadership requesting a subpoena to force UC to produce financial records to gauge whether or not criminal activity has taken place. Auditors sent surveys to each of the 10 campuses to determine if there were any areas in which there was administrative bloat. Howle said those survey responses were intercepted by the presidents office and answers that were once negative were changed to be more positive. Napolitano said campuses reached out to the presidents office with questions about the surveys. She apologized twice for the impression that the presidents office intentionally interfered with the surveys, which specifically were labeled with warnings saying not to share them with anyone outside of each campus. I discussed with chancellors that they should be aware of the surveys and be sure that the responses were accurate and reflect the perspective of campus leadership, Napolitano said. While we believe we did things appropriately, it is clear in retrospect we could have handled this better ... I am sorry we did it this way because it created the wrong impression. Napolitano denied that her office kept a slush fund, instead saying $38 million was set aside for unexpected expenses, like cybersecurity threat response and support for undocumented students. The audit also found salaries in the presidents office are significantly higher than those of comparable state employees and that executives receive generous benefits, such as a supplemental retirement plan and bonuses. For example, the UC office of the presidents Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom has a base salary of $424,360. By comparison, Michael Cohen, who is the director of the Department of Finance and oversees the states budget, earns $188,451. We probably have some of the highest paid people in administration and I would assume they can tell us I would hope at any moment what our funds look like; what our balance is, Weber said. Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez Rallies and protest events are a part of political life in the Bay Area. Heres a roundup of whats happening: Friday Immigration discussion: A presentation by the Party for Socialism and Liberation on defending immigrants rights. The event is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 2969 Mission St. in San Francisco. For information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1917646978471340/. Saturday Travel ban: Remembering the 135th Anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act and standing in opposition to President Trumps proposed travel ban. A rally will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Portsmouth Square, 733 Kearny St., San Francisco. Contact Chinese for Affirmative Action: (415) 274-6750. May Day assessment: A report on the impact of May Day protests, hosted by the Peace and Freedom Party. The discussion is from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Starry Plough Pub, 3101 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. For information, contact (510) 332-3865 or cuyleruyle@mac.com. Sanctuary cities: A panel hosted by the Freedom Socialist Party Bay Area on how unions, religious groups and schools can defend immigrants. Doors open at 1 p.m. and the panel talk begins at 2 p.m. New Valencia Hall, 747 Polk St. in San Francisco. For information, call (415) 864-1278 or email bafsp@earthlink.com. Health care film: Now Is the Time: Healthcare for Everybody will be screened from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Contra Costa Central Labor Council, 1333 Pine St., Suite E in Martinez. The event is free. Sunday Health care film: Now Is the Time: Healthcare for Everybody will be shown, followed by a health care discussion on proposals for a single-payer system in California. The event is from 2 to 4 p.m. at the San Lorenzo Library, 395 Paseo Grande. For information, contact aruchlis@gmail.com. Town hall: Hosted by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, at 2 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center of Santa Clara High School, 3000 Benton St. in Santa Clara. Tuesday Town halls: Hosted by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove (Sacramento County), at 9 a.m. at the McBride Senior Center, 91 Town Square Place in Vacaville. Garamendi also will host a town hall at 1:30 p.m. at the Fairfield Senior Center, 1200 Civic Center Drive in Fairfield. May 11 Town hall: Hosted by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, at 3 p.m. at the Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak St. in Alameda. May 13 Art show: A resistance-inspired show hosted by Indivisible Alameda County. The event is from 3 to 7 p.m. at 37275 Niles Blvd. in Fremont. For information, contact kidniles@aol.com. Disability rights attorneys sued the Berkeley school district Tuesday, accusing the superintendent and school board of failing to offer legally required support to students with reading disorders. The federal lawsuit, which seeks class-action status for current and future students, claims district officials failed to identify, evaluate and provide services to students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, so the students could keep up with their peers. Instead, district officials employ a wait to fail approach defendants simply wait for students who they suspect to have a reading disorder to fall further and further behind academically, according to the legal complaint. District officials have not had a chance to review the complaint, so we cannot comment at this time, said spokesman Charles Burress. Larisa Cummings, staff attorney for the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said in a statement that while she had received several complaints from Berkeley parents about services for children with reading disorders, the problem existed in many other districts as well. Students with reading disorders in BUSD and every public school in this country have the fundamental right to learn to read and participate fully with their peers, said Cummings. Students with suspected reading disorders are supposed to be timely and appropriately identified. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco by the Goodwin law firm, cites the experiences of four students who are the lead plaintiffs in the case, including a fourth-grader who reads at a grade level years behind his peers, but purportedly had to wait more than a year before the district evaluated and identified the student as needing special services. Ive seen too many families in the BUSD have to resort to extreme measures, including homeschooling, just so their children with reading disorders are spared the shame and emotional trauma of not learning to read alongside their peers, said Deborah Jacobson of Jacobson Education Law Inc., one of the attorneys who filed suit. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker SANTA CRUZ, Calif. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney dropped all charges against a surfing pioneer who was accused of murdering a fellow homeless man Saturday night. Kevin Callahan, 58, was released from custody Tuesday. Prosecutors said an autopsy performed on 52-year-old Steven Lee lead to the decision, as well as insufficient evidence. Witnesses had told police that Callahan and Lee got into a physical fight on Main Beach next to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The two men are homeless and camp on Main Beach. Lee's body was found on one of the beach volleyball courts Sunday morning. Callahan was found by police sleeping about 100 feet away from the body, and he was arrested. Callahan admitted to choking Lee during the fight, but asserted that Lee was still alive when he left the area, prosecutors said. Callahan, who used to go by the name Kevin Reed, was featured in a Santa Cruz surfing documentary, "The Westsiders," because he was one of the first surfers to perform aerials back in the 1970s. He was one of Steamer Lane's best surfers, and a photograph of his aerial maneuver made the cover of "Surfing Magazine" in 1975. Prosecutors said, "After careful review of the evidence submitted by the Santa Cruz Police Department, and autopsy findings provided by the Sheriff's Coroner's office, the District Attorney's Office has determined there is insufficient evidence to charge Kevin Callahan regarding the death of Steven Lee." A pod of killer whales have killed seven whales in 12 days in Monterey Bay, but the humpback whales in the area appear to be doing just about everything they can to stop the feeding frenzy. SFGATE reported last week on the killer whales' unprecedented string of attacks on gray whales, which are migrating through the Monterey Bay on their way from Mexico to Alaska. The back-to-back killings have certainly drawn attention. But as San Francisco Chronicle outdoors writer Tom Stienstra pointed out in his most recent column, the involvement of humpback whales in these interactions has been largely overlooked. Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, explained that humpback whales have come to Monterey Bay a few weeks earlier than usual this year. Black estimates there are about 60 or 70 in the area right now. Their early arrival means they're around to witness the orcas' hunting season. And the humpbacks don't seem content to eat anchovies and mind their own business. "Humpbacks like to interfere with the killer whales for some strange reason," Black told SFGATE. "They seem to want to protect the prey." In recent weeks, humpback whales have repeatedly charged over to the site of the kill and tried to deter killer whales from either hunting or feeding. Black said she has seen the humpbacks approach in groups of two or three and trumpet loudly to try and disperse the orcas. Monday, a pair of humpbacks tried to use their flukes to push a pod of killer whales away from a feeding site (as seen in the drone video above). "Every time the killer whales have been feeding, the humpbacks have been charging in," said Black. "Every single time." Humpback whales have a long history of interfering with killer whales' hunting habits, but researchers still aren't exactly sure why they do it. Humpback whales don't have many natural predators. In fact, killer whales are some of the only animals who prey on young humpbacks. Black thinks the humpbacks may be fighting back against the orcas out of instinct, even though in these cases, they're not the ones being hunted. As for those who think the humpbacks are behaving altruistically out of a desire to help gray whales, Black said, "It would be hard to believe they're doing it for that reason, but we don't know for sure." While Black hasn't seen the humpbacks successfully prevent a killer whale attack in Monterey Bay over the past few weeks, a mother gray whale was able to save her calf from predation Sunday. Monterey Bay Whale Watch caught the encounter on drone video. MORE VIDEO: Mother gray whale protects calf from killer whales "The mother took her calf, held her breath and made a run for the beach," Black told SFGATE. The mother held her breath for seven minutes and the pair escaped the pod of predators, albeit a little bloody and battered. The heightened activity in recent weeks has translated into amazing whale watching for those in Monterey Bay. "This has never happened in my 30 years," Black said. "Just to witness that out in nature when you usually see that kind of thing on television is really spectacular." Police fatally shot a 28-year-old man in East San Jose late Tuesday night after he charged at officers with a large kitchen knife held above his head, officials said. It was the third officer-involved shooting for the San Jose Police Department in 2017. The shooting occurred about 11:35 p.m. at a home on the 1500 block of Mount Frazier Drive after officers were called to a family disturbance by both the shooting victim and his father, said Chief Eddie Garcia of the San Jose Police Department. When officers arrived at the home, a man, who was not immediately identified, ran out of the garage with two knives, one held above his head, Garcia said. One officer, fearing for his life, opened fire, Garcia said. When an individual is charging at an officer with a knife over his head, theres not much that can be done, Garcia said. They literally drove up; it happened in a matter of moments. The man was transported to Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. No other injuries were reported. Police had previously responded to the home for disturbances, and Garcia said the man had been investigated for making criminal threats. He also said the dead man had a history of mental-health issues. The officer who shot the man was not identified. Police officials said he is a 15-year veteran of the force. He was placed on routine paid administrative leave, standard protocol after an officer-involved shooting. Its a tragedy for the suspects family, but a tragedy for our officers as well, Garcia said. The Santa Clara County district attorneys office and the San Jose Police Departments Homicide Unit are conducting a joint criminal investigation. Police shot a naked man on March 17 after he allegedly chased people and led police on a 4-mile pursuit through the city, causing multiple crashes. The man was treated for critical injuries. On April 21, another man was shot by police. Officials alleged that the man charged at officers with a knife after first waving it at other people and then stabbing himself. The man was identified as San Jose resident Khanh Tran, 28, who was treated for critical injuries. Evan Sernoffsky and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky, @SarRavani UPDATE: Kevin Callahan was released and all charges against him dropped in the death of Steven Lee. From KSBW.com: "The Santa Cruz County District Attorney dropped all charges against a surfing pioneer who was accused of murdering a fellow homeless man Saturday night. "Kevin Callahan, 58, was released from custody Tuesday. Prosecutors said an autopsy performed on 52-year-old Steven Lee lead to the decision, as well as insufficient evidence." More here. Previous story below: A homeless man accused of killing another homeless man near Santa Cruz's Main Beach volleyball courts was once one of the world's top surfers. Police found Kevin Callahan, known for most of his 58 years as Kevin Reed, sleeping on the beach early Sunday morning not far from the body of Steven Lee, 52. The pair reportedly had both been living near the near the seawall along Beach Avenue. Callahan was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder. In 1975, Kevin Reed's innovative talent on a surfboard landed him on the cover of Surfing magazine. He was especially known for catching air. "He was the first guy to do the aerials," surfboard shop owner Bob Pearson told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "That's a fact, and he did it five years before anybody else." Pearson said Callahan has a rough time over the last few years, living on the streets (or on the beach) and drinking heavily. In an outtake from the 2010 surfing documentary "The Westsiders" by Josh Pomer, Callahan tells about warning his fellow surfers about drugs specifically crack cocaine and methamphetamine which were ruining the Santa Cruz surfing community. "I did tell all of them, Barney, Ratty, all of them. I never want to see any of them living in the gutters, because surfing will not support you," Callahan said. "You need to have a real job." Callahan said he quit surfing because of the aggressive behavior and general unpleasantness of the local surfers. According to police, Lee's death is being treated as a homicide although his body showed no signs of obvious trauma. An autopsy is pending. Callahan is being held in Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail. Naked profitable at Taco Bell Taco Bell says its Naked Chicken Chalupa a concoction made with a deep-fried chicken taco shell lured enough extra customers that its planning more Naked chicken menu items. The chains sales jumped 8 percent at established locations in the first three months of the year, which it credited in part to $1 menu items and the chalupa. Already, Taco Bell is looking to build on the chalupas success, and this week rolled out fried chicken pieces shaped like tortilla chips served with a nacho cheese dipping sauce. Its a lovely place to sue There apparently is plenty of room for a lawsuit at the Hotel California. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Eagles are suing the boutique hotel in Todos Santos, Mexico, even though it has been around for years, accusing the operators of infringing on the bands trademark. Hulu with Live TV debuts Hulu with Live TV, an app that wants to compete with the likes of SlingTV, DirecTV Now and YouTube TV, finally debuted Wednesday a year after Hulu first teased the app at an annual presentation to advertisers. The app, which starts at $40 per month, grants access to more than 50 channels and includes access to Hulus existing $9-a-month service. The package generally includes the major broadcast networks, plus channels like ESPN, FX and TNT. Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle In what turned out to be perfect timing, tax expert, Heartland Institute Policy Advisor, and author Daniel J. Pilla was the featured speaker on April 27 at the Heartland Institute on the same day Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn were sent out by President Trump to reveal his tax plan at a White House press conference briefing. (Watch Pillas presentation at Heartland here.) Director Cohn called the Trumps tax reform package the most significant tax reform legislation since 1986, and one of the greatest tax cuts in American history while fully anticipating attacks from the left and right over the plan, whose aim, he said, was to create jobs and economic growth. Speaker Background: Dan Pilla Premiere Expert on IRS Procedures For over three decades, Daniel J. Pilla has been the nations leader in taxpayers rights defense and IRS abuse prevention and cure. Widely regarded as one of the countrys premiere experts in IRS procedures, he has helped countless thousands of citizens solve personal and business tax problems they thought might never be solved. Pilla has seen every type of tax problem and believes there is no such thing as a hopeless tax problem. See here for Pillas comprehensive site, the Tax Freedom Institute, which is dedicated to Understanding Your Taxpayer Rights and Solving Your Tax Problems. Pilla is the author of 14 books, dozens of research reports and hundreds of articles. His work is regularly featured on radio and television as well as in major newspapers, leading magazines and trade publications nation-wide. Dan is also a frequent guest on major talk radio programs where he is heard by millions of people each year. His fast-paced interviews provide hard hitting answers to even the toughest questions, as is demonstrated in this YouTube video of Pilla delivering his very entertaining and passionate lecture to Heartland members and friends. Pilla on Trumps Tax Plan Pilla initially questioned whether Trumps tax plan could be considered radical tax reform, as Heartland Director of Communications Jim Lakely posited in his introduction. Pilla said it wasnt radical, and explained how tax reform has never been a problem in the action sense of the word. He explained his opinion by presenting examples of several attempts at tax reform since 1986, the high mark of the Reagan Revolution. In the 1990s, he said, there were four major tax reforms in three years. From 2001 to 2015, there were 5,900 tax law changes made to the Internal Revenue code and this only led to massive confusion. Pilla called the tax code hideous citing its complexity as the reason for so much cheating, even labeling tax complexity as the number-one problem for tax payers. Pilla spoke about a 1998 law which maintained that the IRS must submit to Congress a report on tax law complexity. Only two reports were submitted, both before 2002, indicating that the required report is too difficult for the IRS to produce. Trump Tax Reform Proposals Pilla Likes Pilla suggested that several of Trumps proposed tax reforms are, if not radical, a great improvement which would improve compliance, eliminate complexity for taxpayers, and encourage economic growth. Repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax, in which government can tax an individual at a higher rate if government decides you havent paid enough tax in your initial filing. This second system kicks in, and then the taxpayer is obliged to pay the higher result of filing, basically, twice. Repeal of estate and gift tax, which was a part of the Bush tax law (as long as you died in 2010), but was part of 10-year plan and has been phased out. Pilla spoke of the tax as fiscally insignificant and immoral. Less than one-half of one percent of federal revenue is generated by this tax, yet its audit rate is the highest of all other taxes. The immoral premise is that you have no right to pass along to your heirs what is left of your estate after you have already paid all of its taxes. Repeal of a 3.8 percent capital gains surtax (a tax levied on top of another tax) that was to pay for free healthcare. Pilla noted the economic law that what you tax more, you get less of i.e. high capital gains taxes curtail individuals from selling assets, which spurs economic activity. People hold on to their assets rather than pay the capital gains surtax. Other Positive Elements of Trumps Tax Plan Pilla also spoke highly of these other aspects of the Trump tax plan: Reducing the current seven income tax brackets to just three: 35% on high side; 10% on low side. Eliminating standard deductions, except for mortgage and charitable contributions. Reducing corporate tax to 15 percent. Pilla noted that United States now has the highest corporate income tax in the industrialized world (a top marginal rate of 39 percent). He also explained that corporations dont pay taxes. Who pays? People do: the owners of the company (stockholders), employees making do with fewer workers, and consumers who pay more for the good being produced. Job-creating small businesses that account for their owners personal incomes would likewise benefit by having their top tax rate go from 39.6 percent to the proposed corporate tax rate of 15 percent. Pillas suggestion: Reduce the corporate tax rate to ZERO PERCENT. Several times Pilla reminded his audience that what was presented by Trumps financial team was only a thumbnail sketch of Trumps tax plan, only the first volley, so expounding in length about Trumps tax plan today might not matter much in a few weeks. For him, he said, it would be like tilting at windmills, trying to guess what the final plan will look like. The Folly of Revenue Neutral Tax Cuts Pilla signaled that the Democrat Party and some Republicans are of the same ilk would be a significant hurdle to getting Trumps tax plan enacted by insisting that any tax plan be revenue neutral. That would nullify all the benefits of tax cuts, and only end up shifting the tax burden. It is unfortunate that over time the federal government has come to believe that it owns all of our money and too many people have accepted the idea that government has the right to tell us how much of our money we can keep. What happened, Pilla said, to providing for the General Welfare as set forth under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States? Whereas the General Welfare clause should place limits on government spending, the contemporary view is that Congresss power to provide for the General Welfare is a power to spend for virtually anything that Congress itself views as helpful. Pilla suggested a novel idea for many legislators: cutting spending across board by 3 percent from our bloated federal government to pay for tax cuts, which would amount to just 3 cents on every dollar the government spends. Pilla was not pleased that the complexity of the IRS tax code already cited as the No. 1 tax problem for tax payers by the IRS itself has not been addressed by a single talking head, nor does Trumps tax plan address the issue. The Pilla solution: If the problem is not addressed, bulldoze the tax code and start over again. The IRS in Crisis Although many individuals try to comply with the tax code, they find it too complicated to do so. The IRS should be offering assistance to those who wish to comply, he said, and enforcing the law against only those who are genuinely resisting compliance. A lot of innocent tax payers in the formal category only receive lip service from the IRS. Cited by Pilla: The IRS fields more than 100,000 phone calls a year from Americans with questions about complying many who simply want to set up a schedule for paying their taxes or inquire about refund but they cant get through to anyone at the IRS who can help. Millions more choose to walk in to IRS offices and receive help with tax problems. How ironic that the IRS has closed 300 offices and those remaining open were informed not to answer questions during the tax season. What a dismal message the IRS is sending tax payers when in trying to pay their taxes they cant get through. Pilla noted that 42 percent of the IRS budget goes for enforcement, while less that 20 percent is spent on tax-payer assistance. This doesnt make sense, because 98 percent of tax payment made to the IRS are voluntary payments complying with the tax code. In contrast, only 2 percent of taxes collected are the result of enforcement action. Did the adoption of a Taxpayer Bill of Rights by the Internal Revenue Service on June 10, 2014 become a much-anticipated cornerstone document to provide the nations taxpayers with a better understanding of their rights? What about the law to appoint an IRS Commissioner? Given the way the IRS tax code was treated during the past two years under IRS Commissioner John Koskinen who condoned Lois Lerners Tea Party Scandal? Instead of firing Koskinen, Trump kept him on, despite the ire of many Republicans who wanted Koskinen impeached. An IRS commissioner can be removed at the will of a president. Dan Pilla said Trump should have taken such action. Q&A with Dan Pilla On the incomprehensible U.S. Tax Code: A tax code that contains four million words is a good sign that corruption will exist, and it does! On a tax holiday for overseas profits, which is part of Trumps tax proposal: A tax holiday could only be a good thing in its impact. Some $3 trillion is parked off shore and could be brought back by American companies. This money represents capital to expand. On getting rid of the income tax: The taxes on income levied by the federal government brings in 98 percent of federal revenue. Eliminate the income tax and instead impose a national consumption or sales tax. IAC agreed to buy consumer-recommendation website Angies List, intending to combine the business with its own HomeAdvisor online-review network and create a new publicly traded company. The new company will be called ANGI Homeservices Inc. At $8.50 a share, the deal values Angies List at more than $500 million. Angies List and HomeAdvisor connect consumers to plumbers and other home service providers over the Internet. The takeover is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Earnings PG&E profits PG&E Corp.s profit jumped to $576 million ($1.13 per share) in this years first quarter, up from $107 million ($0.22 per share) during the same period of 2016, the San Francisco company reported Tuesday. PG&E Corp., the parent company of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. utility, brought in $4.27 billion in revenue, up 7.4 percent from $3.97 billion from a year earlier. The companys first-quarter profits in 2016, however, had been hit by $468 million in charges related to the 2015 Butte Fire and the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion. The company projects 2017 profits to range from $3.57 per share to $3.82 per share, based on generally accepted accounting principles. Media Gannett hack Gannett, the publisher of USA Today and other newspapers, has warned about 18,000 current and former employees that hackers may have had access to their personal information after breaking into the emails of members of its human resources department. The company says there is no indication sensitive information was taken, but it cant be sure. Gannett says it learned in March that several people in its human resource department were victims of a phishing attack, in which hackers try to steal personal information through emails. It says hackers accessed email accounts and were able to send other phishing emails from there. There was also an unsuccessful attempt to wire out corporate money. Gannett Co., based in McLean, Va., says it has notified authorities. Price of news A battered news industry can find hope in a survey that gauges public willingness to pay for journalism. A new study reveals that a little more than half of Americans regularly pay for news, through subscriptions, buying apps or donating to public media. And its not just older folks: nearly 4 in 10 Americans under age 35 also pay for news. Thats according to the Media Insight Project, a collaboration between the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The study finds that a quarter of people who confess to getting news for free would be at least moderately likely to pay for the same information if they had to. Chronicle News Services Molina Healthcare, a major insurer in Medicaid and the individual insurance exchange market in California, abruptly dismissed its president and chief executive, Dr. J. Mario Molina, and Chief Financial Officer John Molina Tuesday. The move fueled speculation from industry analysts that the Long Beach company, which has been run by the Molina family since its founding 37 years ago, may be sold to a larger health care organization. Mario and John Molina, who are brothers, have been replaced by Chief Accounting Officer Joseph White, effective immediately. White will become chief financial officer and interim CEO while the board searches for a new permanent CEO, the insurer announced Tuesday. In light of the companys disappointing financial performance, the board has determined to change leadership in order to drive profitability through operational improvements, Dale Wolf, chairman of the companys board, said in a statement. Molina Healthcare sells health plans to 4.2 million people nationwide, and the majority of its business is in Medicaid, which is known as Medi-Cal in California. It is a Medicaid plan provider in 12 states and owns and operates 21 primary care clinics that serve Medi-Cal patients in California. It also sells insurance to about 1 million people through the Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges in nine states, including California, where it serves about 69,000 members. Mario and John Molina took over the company founded by their father, Dr. C. David Molina, who died in 1996. They will remain on the board. Mario Molina has been an outspoken voice in the debate over the Affordable Care Act. Many health insurance executives are careful not to publicly criticize the Trump administration or Congress for their remarks about upending the federal health care law. In contrast, Molina has repeatedly urged lawmakers and the administration to continue enforcing and implementing the law. He has pushed to continue funding for a federal subsidy that reimburses insurers billions of dollars each year to lower out-of-pocket health costs for poor Americans. In a quarterly earnings call with analysts Tuesday, Molina Healthcare executives said they are still deciding whether to continue selling insurance on the ACA exchanges next year. We are currently evaluating our options for participation, White said. We expect to decide on 2018 pricing, geography and product offerings in the coming weeks. The leadership shakeup is a seismic change for the company, Stifel analyst Tom Carroll wrote in a research report Tuesday. The immediate thought of many could be the company is now two steps closer to a sale, Carroll wrote. We believe Mario Molina and John Molina were among the largest barriers to a sale of the company to a larger (managed care organization) looking for exposure to the fast-growing Medicaid managed care business model. Unlike some large national insurers, Molina managed to make a modest profit on the ACA exchanges. But the insurer took a hit in 2016 from a provision in the law known as risk adjustment, which requires insurers like Molina that enrolled more healthy people than they expected to pay insurers that enrolled more sick people than expected. Molina reported net income of $52 million in 2016, down from $143 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 16 percent to $4.6 billion in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the same period last year. Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Cat__Ho This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Airlines that charge baggage fees can be sued for refunds for failing to deliver a passengers bags when the plane lands, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. Individual damages would be modest in this case, a $15 recovery sought by a US Airways passenger whose bag was delivered a day late but would be multiplied in class actions on behalf of other customers. In an indication of the potential financial consequences to the industry, the Air Transport Association of America joined US Airways, which merged with American Airlines in 2013, in arguing for dismissal of the suit, under a 1978 federal law that largely deregulated airlines. But the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the law does not shield airlines from lawsuits for failing to keep their promises to passengers. Most airlines charge fees for checked luggage. According to one recent survey, American Airlines, United, Delta, Frontier and Hawaiian Airlines charge most customers $25 for the first bag. JetBlue carries the first bag for free but charges $50 for the second bag, and Southwest Airlines offers free rides for two bags and a $75 fee for the third. The lawsuit was filed in San Jose by Hayley Hickcox-Huffman, a resident of Atascadero (San Luis Obispo County) who said she paid $15 to check her bag on a US Airways flight in May 2009 from Colorado Springs to San Luis Obispo but did not find the bag on the luggage carousel when she arrived. The airline delivered it to her the next day. US Airways Terms of Transportation, provided to passengers, include a statement that it was committed to ... provide on-time baggage delivery and that if a bag was not delivered on arrival, the airline would make every effort to return it within 24 hours. Hickcox-Huffman sought to file a class action on behalf of all US Airways customers whose baggage was delivered late. But a federal magistrate said the suit was barred by the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act, which prohibited states from enforcing laws related to a price, route or service of an air carrier. The 1978 law also prohibited airline customers from filing suits that relied on the forbidden state laws. In Wednesdays ruling, however, the appeals court said Hickcox-Huffman was relying on the promise the airline voluntarily made to its passengers, and not on any state regulations of transportation services. By committing itself to on-time baggage delivery, US Airways offered Hickcox-Huffman a contract to deliver the bag when she landed, Judge Andrew Kleinfeld said in a 3-0 decision reinstating the lawsuit. Based on the facts alleged, he said, US Airways did not do what it promised to do and yet has kept her money. Justin Karczag, the passengers lawyer, said the ruling provides some degree of protection for airline passengers. The airline here wanted to provide near-blanket immunity for breach-of-contract claims, he said. Lawyers for the airline and the Air Transport Association could not be reached for comment. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko Online Get tips on avoiding fees and charges while booking low-cost fares: http://bit.ly/low-cost-airfares Berkeley has been in the media a lot lately for various political protests but there is much more to this East Bay city, and that's why it has been been ranked as one of the top places to live in in the United States. The home of UC Berkeley placed fifth in the recent Niche.com list, which assessed 228 locales nationwide. Niche utilizes U.S. census data, FBI reports, the IRS and other publicly available sources as it weighs crime stats, employment, education level, home prices and other factors. The first freedom in the Bill of Rights is religious freedom. America was born on the foundation of religious freedom and it is one of our most cherished liberties. There could be no better day to sign an executive order on religious freedom than the National Day of Prayer, said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. WASHINGTON -- President Trump is expected to sign a religious freedom executive order Thursday as part of a celebration for the National Day of Prayer. President Trump campaigned on the promise to protect religious freedom. He also campaigned on the pledge to repeal the so-called Johnson Amendment that restricts churches from endorsing or opposing candidates for elected office. As President, Donald Trump has the authority to set the priorities of the federal departments and agencies. He has the authority to reign in abuse and wrongful enforcement of laws and policies that undermine religious freedom. And he has the authority to set the tone for Congress and the states to protect religious freedom. This executive order will send a strong message to Congress and the rest of America that religious freedom must be protected. I believe we will see state legislatures take the lead to implement the protections of religious freedom much like the recent law passed in Kentucky and elsewhere, said Staver. Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. The recent heat wave to blanket the Bay Area aint got nothin on the second edition of the international noir festival at the Roxie Theater. Sweltering heat drenches this 12-film, four-day series, which goes by the name A Rare Noir Is Good to Find 2 if not in outright temperature, then certainly in passion. Beginning Friday, May 5, with the landmark 1958 Egyptian film Cairo Station and concluding Monday, May 8, with the 1960 South Korean potboiler The Housemaid, crime takes a backseat to desire, with bodies glistening in sweat, mud, water or just plain lust. As the dangerously alluring dance hall girl Leticia Palma puts it when speaking to a suitor in The Road to Hell, a 1951 Mexican noir that follows Cairo Station on opening night: If you want me, you have to take on the world. Perhaps no film better realizes the potential of the four-day weekend than Bitter Rice (7 p.m. Sunday, May 7), Giuseppe De Santis 1949 Italian film that blends American noir aesthetics with Italian neorealism. It begins with a couple (Vittorio Gassman, Doris Dowling) on the lam after a jewel heist, then becomes a full-blown feminist socialist manifesto concerned with workers rights when they hide out in the rural rice fields of northern Italy. Gassman is dangerous but magnetic to Dowling and rice worker Silvana Mangano, but his self-absorption and greed prove corrupting. (Like poison ivy, you engulf me, says a sweaty Mangano). But its not a love triangle, its a quadrangle? Add the soldier stationed near the rice fields, Raf Vallone, whose idealism (Prison was invented by people who have never been in one; Jail isnt the only solution) charms both women. This is a movie that just plain goes for it, much like the other undisputed classic in the series, Carol Reeds Odd Man Out (7 p.m. Saturday, May 6), a 1947 British film with a powerhouse central performance from James Mason as an Irish Republican Army killer hiding out from the police. Id also add Cairo Station (7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5) to the list of greats in this lineup. Written, directed by and starring Youssef Chahine, perhaps Egypts most important filmmaker, the film anticipates Taxi Driver or at least Michael Powells 1960 thriller Peeping Tom. Set in the title train station on what appears to be a series of 100-degree days, Chahine is a crippled, sexually frustrated newspaper seller in love with a voluptuous woman (Hind Rostom) who hawks soft drinks to train passengers. The level of sexual tension and general creepiness as Chahines character becomes unhinged is more intense than one would expect from a movie made in the 1950s under a totalitarian regime. There are many other unexpected gems: Try the absolutely craziest movie of the series, the 1948 Czech film Krakatit (3:45 p.m. Sunday, May 7) in which a scientist who invents an incredibly destructive weapon feels guilty for his part in the impending doom he thinks is sure to come and gradually goes insane. Or does he? An alternate reading of director Otakar Vavras Kafkaesque descent into surrealism would be that the scientist is sane and all around him are crazy. Or something like that. The series ends in Asia, with two cant-miss philosophical examinations of darkness. Hideo Goshas Cash Calls Hell (7:15 p.m. Monday, May 8) is a thriller typical of Japanese crime films of the 1960s, but with a twist: A hit man (Tatsuya Nakadai) accepts a contract to kill three people, but then decides to save them instead, unraveling the mystery behind his employer as he goes. The Housemaid (9 p.m.) isnt really a noir, but thats OK. Taking place almost entirely in repressive household, Korean master Kim Ki-youngs film has the title character (Lee Eun-shim) upending the lives of a married couple and their two children. Young, super attractive and with more than one screw loose, the housemaid seduces the husband (Kim Jin-kyu) and threatens the wife with seemingly no other reason than to cause the maximum amount of mayhem and destruction. The expertly increasing tension is enough to make a viewer sweat, and thats the idea. Friday-Monday, May 5-8. Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., S.F. (415) 863-1087. www.roxie.com G. Allen Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ajohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BRfilmsAllen 1 Dodd-Frank overhaul: House Republicans worked to undo former President Barack Obamas law overhauling the nations financial rules, arguing that it is undermining economic growth. Democrats countered that the GOP effort risked a repeat of the 2008 meltdown that pushed the economy to the brink of collapse. The Financial Services Committees effort got off to a slow start Tuesday as Democrats insisted that the entire, nearly 600-page replacement bill be read aloud before the committee even considered amendments. 2 Passenger removal: United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz apologized Tuesday on Capitol Hill for an incident in which a passenger was forcibly removed from a flight and vowed to do better as he and other airline executives faced tough questions from lawmakers. It was a mistake of epic proportions, clearly, in hindsight, Munoz told a congressional hearing. He said passenger Dr. David Dao was treated in a way that no customer or individual should be treated, calling it a terrible experience that should never be repeated. United has taken a series of steps to reduce overbooking of flights since the April 9 incident and will raise to $10,000 the limit on payments to customers who give up seats on oversold flights, Munoz said. 1 Soda tax rejection: Voters rejected a measure that would have raised taxes on soft drinks in New Mexicos capital city, giving a rare victory to the beverage industry after a string of recent defeats at the ballot box. The ballot initiative failed with 11,533 votes against and only 8,382 votes in favor, the Santa Fe city clerks office said. Opponents The vote came after similar taxes were adopted last year in cities from Philadelphia to San Francisco. Outside groups and political committees spent more than $3 million on the special election in Santa Fe, with opponents led by the soft-drink industry and supporters by billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a staunch supporter of taxes on sugary beverages. 2 Missile test: An unarmed missile capable of sending a nuclear bomb across the world was launched Wednesday from a coastal California military base amid rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile blasted off from a silo from Vandenberg Air Force Base (Santa Barbara County) and delivered a single re-entry vehicle to a target about 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. It was the latest aimed at checking the readiness and accuracy of a weapon system that forms part of the U.S. nuclear force. The U.S. has about 450 of the missiles, which can travel about 8,000 miles. Leah Millis/The Chronicle Two Oakland men were among eight suspects charged in a scheme to illegally transport guns from Nevada to California, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday. Andre Martel Winn, 31, and Edgar De La Cruz, 19, of Oakland, were also charged with robbery and use of a firearm, according to the indictment unsealed in Oakland, said United States Attorney Brian Stretch. A recent study by MoneyRates.com found that smaller cities have a lot to offer young entrepreneurs who launch their startups outside of major hubs like San Francisco, New York and Chicago. Thats because big cities are more likely to take entrepreneurship for granted while smaller cities typically offer incentives that make life as an entrepreneur easier and more attractive. Although Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado and South Dakota rank the highest on MoneyRates list, there are plenty of other states that welcome entrepreneurs. Take Overland Park in Kansas, where politicians are working to attract tech entrepreneurs. In 2015 they initiated LaunchKC, a global grants competition formed to bring the best and brightest to the city to build their new businesses. Related: The 25 Best Cities For Entrepreneurs -- and How You Can Make the Most of Yours In Tulsa, Okla., where ConsumerAffairs is headquartered, there are amazing resources like venture assistance programs, angel investing groups and pitch competitions. The presence of nearby universities, including Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, Oral Roberts University and the University of Tulsa, doesnt hurt either. With nearly 50,000 students enrolled in colleges and universities in the Tulsa metro area, our city has an energetic and educated population, as well as plenty of skilled labor to recruit and hire. Building a tech startup in a small but thriving city like Tulsa has provided some great advantages and has certainly had an impact on the companys early and continued success. Lets look at four core reasons why relocating to a smaller hub may be better for your business. 1. Bigger incentives and perks. The broader economic environment of a town makes a big difference in the success of a startup and whether entrepreneurs even try to launch in the first place. As a result, a supportive environment is key. Because state taxes can create a barrier to profitability for businesses, entrepreneurs are better off in cities with relatively low state business tax burdens. In most states, corporations are subject to a corporate income tax, while income from S Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), partnerships and sole proprietorships are subject to a states tax on personal income. Regardless of the amount of income, corporate rates generally range from 4-9 percent, and personal rates range from zero percent for small amounts of taxable income to 9 percent or more in some states. In Oklahoma, I not only have the benefit of tax breaks but also promotional and recruiting assistance. In 2016, an entrepreneurial resource center called 36 Degrees North opened in Tulsas growing Brady Arts District, with financial assistance from the George Kaiser Family Foundation. With its seven conference rooms, 48 desks for rent and 10 private offices, the 11,500-square-foot space serves as a central gathering place for aspiring entrepreneurs and is a testament to the growing entrepreneurial movement here in Tulsa. Related: Industries Driving the Top 10 Small Cities for Business Owners 2. Fresh ground for development. As an entrepreneur, you naturally become part of the fabric of development in smaller cities that are trying to expand on existing businesses, to attract new businesses and to develop a startup environment. Being located in a smaller city gives you the opportunity to be a pioneer in the area of development, which can help you forge closer partnerships with other local business owners and remain at the forefront of your communitys development. For instance, we created an Entrepreneur Organization in Tulsa. EO is an international organization, but we only launched a Tulsa chapter this year. Taking part in building the Tulsa business community has helped me network with other local business owners and have a say in the direction the city takes. I would be hard pressed to find a similar opportunity in a larger city. 3. Little to no commute. Smaller cities are a win-win for both the employer and the employee. Most have a commute time thats almost non-existent, plentiful housing options and a much, much lower cost of living than their big city counterparts. With a cost of living rating of 84.60, Tulsa is cheaper than the U.S. average of 100. For comparison, the cost of living rating in San Francisco is 242 compared to 168 for New York and 106.50 for Austin. In addition to the higher cost of living, workers face a lengthy commute on a daily basis in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where traffic adds 10-15 hours of transit time a week to get to and from the office. The maximum commute time to our office is 30 minutes, which leads to happier employees because they have more free time to spend with their families or friends. With our location in Tulsa, I can offer workers a better work-life balance, which makes for overall happier and more productive employees. Related: Forget Silicon Valley: Build Your Business in the 'Burbs 4. Higher talent retention rates. The advantage of a big city is its growing population, which creates consumer demand and economic opportunity for young people. Although theres an inordinate amount of young talent in big cities, there co-exists the risk that they will be poached by a bigger company like Google, Microsoft or Facebook. I dont have to worry about that as much because there aren't as many tech companies based in Tulsa who are in a position to hook my employees. As a result, vacancies are rare. ConsumerAffairs reports an annual employee retention rate of 98 percent. Staffers at ConsumerAffairs earn an equivalent salary to those based in the Bay Area who are in comparable positions but without the big city hassles of being based in San Francisco. Our local talent pool might be smaller, but were still selective. We employ high-performing individuals who dont have to be micromanaged. Like Netflix and other hot startups, ConsumerAffairs rewards its salaried employees with unlimited vacation and freedom to work flexible hours as long as they are performing at or above our expectations. Going against the grain and launching your business outside of Silicon Valley, or any other major city, can have a number of benefits for a young startup. Entrepreneurs who go this route may find their company has more of a chance to thrive instead of getting lost in the highly competitive climate of bigger cities. Related: Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved If you received an email from someone in your contacts list today in which the sender appeared to be sharing a Google Doc with you, don't click it it could be malware or a phishing scam. The email appears innocuous enough; the subject line reads that someone you likely know "has shared a document on Google Docs with you." However, if you click "Open in Docs," you're redirected to a page where you're asked to enter in yep, you guessed it your password. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Archbishop George Niederauer, the eighth archbishop of San Francisco and a leader in the contentious 2008 battle to pass Proposition 8 that banned same-sex marriage in California, has died. Archbishop Niederauer died Tuesday of lung disease at Nazareth House, a Catholic senior care facility in San Rafael, at the age of 80. Religious leaders have the constitutional right to speak out on issues of public policy, Archbishop Niederauer wrote a month after the closely fought measure passed on a 52-to-48 percent vote. Catholic bishops have a responsibility to teach the faith, and our beliefs about marriage and family are part of this faith. The archbishop was praised by parishioners and criticized by opponents for his passionate backing of the ban and for persuading leaders of the Mormon church to join the Prop. 8 campaign and to donate $20 million to its passage. After that most divisive campaign that drove a wedge within families, voters, congregations and fellow clergy, Archbishop Niederauer declared: Tolerance, respect and trust often do not include agreement, or even approval. We need to stop hurling names like bigot and pervert at each other. And we need to stop it now, the archbishop said. The same-sex marriage ban backed by the archbishop remained on the books in California until a federal court overturned it in 2010, a decision upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. The archbishop, praised by colleagues for his devotion, service and spirituality, spoke boldly at the time of his 2005 appointment in support of gay priests and disputed allegations that gay priests were a cause of sexual abuse of minors by priests. Some who are seriously mistaken have named sexual orientation as the cause of the recent scandal regarding the sexual abuse of minors by priests, Archbishop Niederauer said in an interview with a Catholic newspaper in Utah. Retired Cardinal Roger Mahony praised his old friend for his engaging wit and humor (and) open and loving personality. He always had just the right words and the turn of a phrase to help defuse tensions and to uplift people no matter what cloud was overhead, the cardinal said. Archbishop Niederauer was one of the most intelligent people I have ever known. His command of English literature, his love for reading he devoured books and articles weekly, and his abilities as a spiritual leader and director equipped him well. Archbishop Niederauer, formerly the bishop of Salt Lake City, was a native of Los Angeles, where he attended Catholic elementary school. As a student at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, he met 14-year-old William Levada, the future San Francisco archbishop and cardinal, who remained his lifelong friend. The current bishop of Utah, Oscar Solis, praised his predecessor for his humility, generosity, kindness, ecumenical spirit and embrace for the least important of the community. Archbishop Niederauer studied briefly at Stanford University before receiving a bachelors degree in philosophy from St. Johns Seminary in Camarillo (Ventura County), a bachelors degree in theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., a masters degree in English literature from Loyola University in Los Angeles and a doctorate in English literature from the University of Southern California. He was a bridge player, a lover of independent movies, a reader of the New Yorker magazine and a well-intentioned high school trombone player. I was a dreadful musician, Archbishop Niederauer said in a 1995 interview. Whenever they had four trombones, I was the fourth. When there were five, I was fifth. He was ordained in 1962, served as a parish priest and then as a teacher at St. Johns Seminary College, where he was appointed rector in 1987. In 1995, he was ordained bishop of Salt Lake City, where he served until being appointed archbishop of San Francisco in 2005, succeeding Levada in the post. Archbishop Niederauer retired in 2012, a year after undergoing emergency heart bypass surgery. He was succeeded by current Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, another fervent backer of Prop. 8. In his retirement, Archbishop Niederauer devoted himself to conducting retreats and counseling for fellow clergy. A Mass of Christian burial will be held May 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Marys Cathedral, 1111 Gough St., San Francisco. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF The U.S. Air Force fired an unarmed intercontinental missile capable of carrying a nuclear weapon to any point in the world from Vandenberg Air Force Base early Wednesday morning. The Minuteman III missile lit up the sky with a bright glow over Central California at 12:02 a.m. This was the second test-launch this week at the base and the third this year. Vandenberg launched three Minuteman III missiles in 2016, according to the Los Angeles Times. The launches come at a time when the U.S. has expressed concern about North Korea's nuclear capability. Fresh missile tests by the North and its progress toward developing a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States have made the isolated communist dictatorship one of America's top national security concerns. The U.S. has sent warships to the region to deter North Korea from conducting another nuclear test However, President Donald Trump on Monday said he might be willing to meet with that country's dictator, Kim Jong Un. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it," Trump told Bloomberg News. Members of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation denounced the timing of the launch as tensions between the United States and North Korea heighten. David Krieger, President of the Santa Barbara-based Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), said, "How does one test the effectiveness of a weapons system that is designed as a deterrent, that is, to prevent others from ever using nuclear weapons against us? Such effectiveness cannot be assumed from a missile test no matter how ready we are to fire the missile or how accurate the missile proves to be. In other words, so-called 'effectiveness' is a psychological concept that cannot be proven by a missile test. This is a very dangerous game we are playing." Rick Wayman, Director of Programs at NAPF, added, "It is significant to note that this nuclear-capable missile test will take place on the second day of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference. This treaty requires all parties to negotiate in good faith for an end to the nuclear arms race." Wayman continued, "Conducting a test-launch of a missile whose sole purpose is to deliver nuclear warheads anywhere around the world is a glaring example of bad faith and violates the spirit of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It's exactly this kind of double standard that undermines U.S. credibility when insisting that other nations not develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles." The Associated Press contributed to the reporting in this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Antolin Garcia-Torres was a calculating predator with growing sophistication, who five years ago targeted his perfect victim: 105-pound Morgan Hill teenager Sierra LaMar, prosecutors said Tuesday. Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney David Boyd presented the nefarious portrait of the 26-year-old defendant during closing statements, capping 13 weeks of testimony in the sensational South Bay capital-murder case. Sierra LaMar is dead, and this defendant kidnapped and killed her, Boyd told the jury while pointing to Garcia-Torres in the San Jose courtroom packed with Sierras family. He learned he needed a victim younger and smaller and more vulnerable. This time he succeeded. He has only one more hurdle each and every one of you. Defense attorneys will give closing statements Wednesday before the Santa Clara County Superior Court jury decides whether to find Garcia-Torres guilty of murder in the 2012 disappearance of Sierra, along with the separate charges of attempted kidnapping and carjacking of three women in 2009. The unusual but not unprecedented murder case has presented challenges for prosecutors because Sierras body was never recovered and no crime scene or murder weapon discovered. The district attorneys office, nevertheless, sought to build a case based mostly on circumstantial evidence, which, in its totality, prosecutors hope will leave the jury with no reasonable doubt. The vibrant and social Ann Sobrato High School student vanished on March 16, 2012. Her cell phone was discovered the next day in a field a mile from her home. Sierras mud-covered clothes, books, purse and other personal items were found behind a shed the next day. Boyd on Tuesday meticulously detailed the DNA, fiber and other evidence investigators said they found on Sierras ditched clothing and inside Garcia-Torres Volkswagen Jetta. Authorities said the defendant and victim did not know each other before Sierra disappeared. Her rotting remains are out there never to be found, Boyd said. But they would give a window into what he did to her. You dont need to strip her naked to kill her. You need to strip her body because you want her body. Defense attorneys, though, have refuted prosecutors claims that Garcia-Torres is a killer. Over the months-long trial, attorney Alfonso Lopez attempted to cast doubt on the veracity of the evidence against his client. He suggested Garcia-Torres DNA found on Sierras clothes, and the victims hair on a rope in Garcia-Torres car came from contamination by crime lab technicians and investigators. Lopez pointing to a cryptic entry in one of her school notebooks even theorized Sierra may not be dead at all but is perhaps a runaway. Garcia-Torres on Tuesday sat silently, dressed in a blue sweater, shirt and tie while smiling gently at the jury as they entered the courtroom. He is also accused of trying to kidnap and carjack three separate women at Morgan Hill Safeway stores - failed abductions that Boyd said reveal a motive and provided a training ground for Sierras killing. In his growing sophistication from those 2009 attacks, he saw what he wanted, Boyd said. In a way, these cases bookend each other. He saw what he wanted with the Safeway women and what he got with Sierra LaMar. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky WASHINGTON Despite bleak prospects for success, President Trump promised on Wednesday to do whatever is necessary to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. At a White House meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Trump pledged to reinvigorate the stalled Mideast peace process that has bedeviled his predecessors and said he would serve as a mediator, an arbitrator or a facilitator between the two sides. We will get it done, Trump confidently told Abbas. Im committed to working with Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement, Trump said. But any agreement cannot be imposed by the United States or by any other nation. The Palestinians and Israelis must work together to reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship, and thrive and prosper in peace. The source of Trumps optimism was not immediately apparent. He offered no details about his effort or how it would be any different from attempts over the past two decades during which former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all tried and failed. Palestinian officials said after the meeting that Trump had not raised any specific proposals to restart negotiations. Asked what distinguishes Trumps plans from previous attempts, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said merely: The man is different. Like previous U.S. leaders, Trump faces numerous obstacles in the long-shot bid. They include the contours of a potential Palestinian state, Jerusalems status, and the question of Palestinian refugees. Complicating it all are the vehement Palestinian criticisms of Israeli settlement construction and Israeli complaints that Palestinians are inciting violence. Abbas insisted he is committed to peace, but he made clear Palestinian demands for a separate state based on borders that existed before the 1967 Mideast war, a capital in East Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees. Israel rejects the 1967 lines as a possible border, saying it would impose grave security risks. Israel also opposes Palestinian demands on refugees and stakes its claim on an undivided Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. Trump did directly implore the Palestinian leadership to end what Israel and the U.S. say is anti-Israel rhetoric. There can be no lasting peace unless the Palestinian leaders speak in a unified voice against incitement to violate, and violence, and hate, the president said. Matthew Lee is an Associated Press writer. Mumbai, May 3 (IBNS): Jet Airways, Indiaas full service, premier international airline, has expanded the scope of its popular eduJetter programme for upcoming 2017-18 academic year. The revised program will make it easier for Indian students and those from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal - holding confirmed admissions for studying at universities/ institutions in Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, and the USA, to commence their new academic journey conveniently, in spite of travelling away from home. Effective this year, students availing advantages of the eduJetter program will now be available to enjoy them while travelling to/ via Hong Kong on codeshare flights operated by Hong Kong Airlines. EduJetter already provides students with substantial benefits when travelling with other leading airlines such as KLM, Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways, Qantas, Air France, American Airlines, United Airlines, US Airlines and Air Canada, which account for a significant carriage of students, to institutions of their choice. Benefits for students include an attractive eduJetter kit packed with privileges such as a special baggage allowance of up to 69 kg - on par with the best-in-the-industry, free SIM cards (with exclusive calling rates), and through baggage check-in right up to a students final destination. Participating students also receive a free ISIC Forex Card that offers easy and safe access to foreign exchange besides enjoying a 5 percent discount on JetEscapes Holidays. Apart from the above-mentioned benefits, Jet Airways has also simplified the entire process of eduJetter application and booking, as part of widening the appeal of the programme. The new, automatic application process is extremely user-friendly and allows students to apply in three simple steps book a flight ticket, visit the EduJetter page on the Jet Airways website (www.jetairways.com) to fill an online request form. The student then receives an updated ticket from the airline with applicable eduJetter benefits within 72 hours. Commenting on the programme and its enhancements, Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said, Jet Airways has always endeavored to provide exceptional value to guests by way of special programmes and partnerships. EduJetter is one such initiative that offers tremendous value to the student community travelling abroad for higher education from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, in the form of a bouquet of services that have been specially created by anticipating their needs at this significant moment in their life. Given Jet Airways strong domestic and global footprint via direct connectivity to 65 destinations and to over 400 destinations via codeshares, the eduJetter programme has become immensely popular with the student community as it helps makes their travel experience convenient and enjoyable. In fact, students travelling overseas for higher studies on board Jet Airways and Etihad Airways' codeshare flights via Abu Dhabi to Amman, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Edinburg, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Manchester, Milan, Nairobi, Paris, Zurich, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington can enjoy excess baggage allowance of 23 kg. A similar allowance exists for those flying to destinations in Europe, United States and Canada via Jet Airways European gateways of Amsterdam, Paris and London. On the other hand, students flying east to Perth, Sydney in Australia on codeshare flights operated by Qantas Airways can benefit from an excess baggage allowance of 45 kg. each. For more than a century, national parks have amazed and delighted. But they've also divided. A longtime Sunset writer takes a look at America's Best Idea in the age of anxiety. It's one big chunk of rock. Stand on the Yosemite Valley floor, and El Capitan rises more than 3,000 feet above you, begging to be photographed. You step back to position your smartphone, trying to squeeze all of its granite grandeur into the frame. It's a legendary tradition, one that started in 1861, when an aspiring photographer named Carleton Watkins arrived in this valley and tromped around, lugging an enormous camera of his own design. The glass-plate negatives the camera produced were big enough to capture all of Yosemite's magnificence and changed not only Watkins's life but also the world. Reproduced in lithographs and 3-D stereoscopic views, the pictures introduced Americans in Boston and Washington, D.C., to the valley's wonders. They helped spark a dream, that a place this beautiful shouldn't be logged or gold mined but set aside so that the American public could enjoy it. Which is why, on June 30, 1864in the bloody midst of the Civil WarPresident Abraham Lincoln signed a bill proclaiming that Yosemite Valley should be "held for public use, resort, and recreation," its protection "inalienable for all time." Today, 153 years later, the United States contains 59 national parks (along with hundreds of national monuments, seashores, and preserves). They are vastly popular, last year drawing 325 million visitors. Yet in a political season that sometimes feels like a second Civil War, the parks' future has seldom seemed more uncertain. I'm one of those people who's been coming to Yosemite for decades, always trying to get a good photo of El Cap, never quite succeeding. As a writer and a Westerner, I have long thought of the national parks as part of my DNA. So this year, when they became a divisive political issue, I needed to investigate and see whether the potential threats to our parks were real. "None of us saw it coming," says Athan Manuel, director of the Lands Protection Program for the Sierra Club, when I phone him at his office in Washington, D.C. "People got out of the gate quickly." He's talking about the concern around the national parksrelated protests that rose up as President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. "National Parks Going Rogue" read a headline on usatoday.com, as Redwoods and Badlands National Parks' Twitter accountsoperated, reportedly, by former park employeesexpressed defiance of the newly proposed environmental policies. The "official" tweets stopped, replaced by a new anti-administration Twitter account: @AltUSNatParkService. Today it has close to 90,000 followers. Now, a few months into the new administration, environmentalists like Manuel and others at groups like the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) are identifying potential hazards to the parks and working to combat them. "We have so many areas of worry," says Theresa Pierno, president of the National Parks Conservation Association. "It's almost hard to narrow them down." One big threat is to the integrity of national park lands. It's unlikely that parks themselves will be logged or minedeven now, they are mostly considered sacrosanct. What's dangerous is what happens on public lands just outside the parks. "We may see a push for oil drilling outside Zion," Manuel says. "You could have uranium mining adjacent to Grand Canyon." This development puts at risk the air and water quality, as well as the visitor experience inside the parks. A second threat is legislative. Despite its snooze-inducing name, the Antiquities Act of 1906 has been essential to protecting public lands. It gives the president the authority to establish national monuments without having to go through Congress. Many of these designations eventually become national parkslike Grand Canyon, which President Theodore Roosevelt established in 1908, and, later, Utah's Arches and Wyoming's Grand Teton. "This act has been used by presidents, both Republicans and Democrats, to establish monuments for over 100 years," says Pierno. "Now there are serious efforts to take away that authority." Pierno reminds me that in his final days in office, President Obama used the Antiquities Act to establish Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah. Many of the state's politicians, including the governor, see the monument as an example of the federal government overstepping its bounds, taking land that would be better managed at the state and local level. Some have asked for the monument designation to be abolished. And then there's climate change. On a warming planet, Manuel says, "you're going to see a lot more wildfires in parks like Yellowstone. Joshua Tree may have fewer Joshua trees." Alaska parks are especially vulnerable. "Tundra doesn't stay frozen all year-round. The glaciers of Kenai Fjords are vanishing." Both Manuel and Pierno say they hope to find common ground with Ryan Zinke, former Montana congressman and new secretary of the interior. In fact, he and the NPCA already agree on one major priority: fixing the parks' longstanding infrastructure problems, including updating aging roads, sewers, and visitor centers. National parks may sometimes spark political battles, Pierno says, but most Americans see them as above politics. "Conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, the parks are beloved by all," says Pierno. "Everybody has a national park story." We're used to thinking of the national parks as warm and lovable, the Tom Hanks of government entities. Nobody dislikes them. But in reality, many people have. Teddy Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to preserve the Grand Canyon because a hostile Congress wouldn't let him do it any other way. When Wyoming's Grand Teton became a national monument, a senator called it "a foul, sneaking Pearl Harbor blow." Even famously green Northern California could be divided. When President Kennedy proposed Point Reyes National Seashore, one Marin County newspaper ran an op-ed entitled: "Pt. Reyes Seashore? No!" Some opposition was economicWyoming ranchers and Marin County dairy farmers worried about losing their livelihoods. Some of it was, and is, Western anger at being bossed around by a federal government based 3,000 miles away. Sunset magazine has been a big part of the national park story in the Westboth the anger and the admiration. The cover of our first issue, May 1898, promised to introduce readers to Yosemite. From that month to today, we've explored the West's parks frequently and passionately. Often we told readers how to get the most out of Bryce Canyon or Glacier or Haleakala. But we also worked to protect parks. We lobbied for the creation of California's Redwood National Park and Washington's North Cascades. We warned about threats from smog and neglect. Other more purely environmental publications were louder, sure, but we told ourselvesand I think it's truethat when you want to persuade people to agree with you, it's not always good to scream. Still, we've done enough over the years to generate thousands of angry letters and emails. Once, when I was accompanying former Sunset travel editor and environmentalist Martin Litton on a trip, we actually generated hisses from two tables of angry diners at a Sierra Nevada cafe. Littoncraggy, white-bearded, highly recognizablehad spent years pushing for an expansion of Sequoia National Park, a crusade I was going to write about for the magazine. Our fellow diners didn't approve of the plan. Or of us. There was nothing warm or lovable about the scene. I've been thinking about that lunch a lot this year. It was the first time in my life I ever felt like anybody's enemy. It can be unsettling to be reminded that sometimes you need to fight for things you love. Do we want Kenai Fjords without glaciers? Do we want uranium tailings running into the Grand Canyon? If we don't, what do we do about it? Of the park-services employees who protested back in January, the Sierra Club's Athan Manuel says, "It was really heartening. They were protecting the places that make America, America." The national parks are what they are, in part, because Carleton Watkins lugged a heavy camera through the wilderness. To protect them now, how much weight are we willing to bear? This article originally appeared on Sunset.com: "National Parks Meet a New Age of Activism" Subscribe to Sunset Magazine today and get 2 free preview issues! So a rabbi walks into the White House, meets with the president's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, and has his photograph taken with his "great, stalwart friend." Revealed (inadvertently?) in the background of Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's selfie: what appears to be Bannon's personal whiteboard crammed with to-do list items. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two inches might not sound like much, but when it comes to legroom on an airplane, the measurements add up. To make room for more seats on its new Boeing 737 Max jetliners, American Airlines will reduce the space between some seats in economy class by 2 inches, CNN reports. In three rows, the front to back space between seats will be reduced from 31 to 29 inches, while the rest of the economy cabin will be reduced to 30 inches. For comparison, the seats on budget airlines Frontier and Spirit are spaced, at minimum, 28-inches apart, while the economy seats on Jetblue, Southwest and Alaska Airlines are placed 31 to 33 inches apart, according to a Cheap Flights analysis. The decrease in space will allow for the addition of 10 seats to the single-aisle aircraft, for a total of 170 seats. Flyers with less legroom will pay the same price for seats as fellow economy passengers on the aircraft, which will take to the skies later this year. Related video: American Airlines apologizes after stroller incident A source also told CNN that the bathrooms on 737 jetliners will be smaller. American Airlines has acted as industry trendsetter in the past, having been the first airline to introduce baggage fees in 2008, and CNN suggests that other airlines may follow its lead when it comes to designing planes with less legroom. Tuesday's revelations emerges on the same day that United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz testified before the House Transportation Committee. Munoz apologized for the April 9 incident in which passenger David Dao was forcibly dragged from a flight. See also: Lawmakers to airlines: Improve service or Congress steps in "It was a mistake of epic proportions, clearly, in hindsight," Munoz said during the 4 1/2-hour hearing. House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., told Munoz and other airlines to "seize this opportunity" to improve air travel. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The skies were clear, the sun shone brightly and everyone was complaining about the heat in San Francisco at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Just how hot was it? The correct answer might be more than 30 degrees off. Weather.com said it was 70 degrees, while the Apple iPhone Weather app had the temp a bit higher at 73 degrees though both services us Weather Channel data. KCBS reported 88, while SFGATE reported 90, and the National Weather service reported 33 degrees lower than that at the San Francisco Zoo. Huh? If you look to the various apps and online resources for a single temperature in San Francisco, you'll often find huge and confusing variances in temperatures. This is because the city has microclimates and temperatures from one side of the city to the other can easily vary 10 to 20 degrees on a normal day, and more on a hot day like yesterday. The sites and apps reporting temperatures are pulling data from different locations around the city, often taking averages, and offering a general cumulative look at the city's temperature. And in many cases, they're pulling data from the nearest airport, which are common sites for weather stations. "This touches on a really interesting underbelly of the problem with temperature reporting," said Jan Null, a meteorologist for Golden Gate Weather Services. "All these different apps and sites hire developers and they're pulling data from all these different sources. Most likely you have an automated app that's pulling data from the nearest airport. "San Francisco Airport is a 30-minute drive from downtown San Francisco. If you're in San Mateo and look up the temperature, you might get a reading from San Carlos Airport or the San Francisco Airport and if you're in the San Mateo hills you're not close to either of those places." An online service and app called Weather Underground, which shares its ownership with Weather.com, aims to tackle this problem. It has a massive network of people sharing data from personal weather stations they've rigged in their backyards. It's a great resource for a city like San Francisco that's filled with microclimates. The site reported temperatures of 91 in Dogpatch, 85 in Union Square, and 60 at Crissy Field on Tuesday. Weather Underground also powers SFGATE's weather page. "A lot of the other services are pulling data from SFO ," said Weather Underground spokesperson Andria Stark. "We know the airport is 30 minutes south of the city. Our [information] is based on granular hyperlocal stations." Null says Weather Underground can be a great resource, but it also has its problems and you need to use common sense with it. "Most of those weather stations are in people's backyards. Some may have good backyard setups not in direct sunlight. Often times people compromise and the gauge is mounted on the south facing side of their condo. So while the actual air temp is 82, the gauge reading is 92." Null likes to use the National Weather Service (NWS) data. The stations are limited but they have been vetted. What temperature data did the NWS offer on Tuesday around 1 p.m.? A station on Mint Hill recorded 82 degrees, while another at the San Francisco Zoo was at 57 degrees. The San Francisco Airport gauge read 79 degrees. More evidence that temperatures in San Francisco are all over the map no matter how you look at them. Vienna, May 3 (IBNS): The United States has recently pledged to donate a1 million to support the modernisation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuclear Applications Laboratories in Seibersdorf, outside Vienna, an official release stated. These facilities opened their doors in 1962 and play a key role in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology to assist countries in areas such as human and animal health, food security and the protection of the environment. The announcement was made during the first day of the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), taking place on May 212 in Vienna, Austria. The contribution will go towards the construction of a new Animal Production and Health Laboratory, one of eight laboratories that will be upgraded under the Agencys Renovation of the Nuclear Applications Laboratories (ReNuAL) and ReNuAL Plus initiatives. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, addressing the Preparatory Committee meeting, said the modernisation of the eight IAEA Nuclear Applications Laboratories was proceeding well. The laboratories train scientists, support research in human health, food and other areas, and provide analytical services to national laboratories, Amano said. I thank donor countries for their generous contributions and I hope that Member States will continue to provide strong support for further work on this important modernization project. U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood, the countrys Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, said the IAEA plays a key part in helping countries realise the practical benefits of the NPT. I am pleased to announce a U.S. pledge of 1 million to support the IAEAs project to renovate its Nuclear Applications Laboratories, in addition to the nearly 8.9 million we have provided to date. This ReNuAL project aims to renew the infrastructure needed to sustain the IAEAs programmes for peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We also urge other IAEA Member States to join us in meeting this years ReNuAL Plus fundraising goals, Wood said. IAEA Deputy Director General Aldo Malavasi, who heads the IAEAs Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications said, The U.S. pledge brings us halfway to the funding target of 2 million that we need to reach by June to start building this important laboratory on time and to maximise our cost efficiencies, so it is significant both in terms of its size and timing. The IAEAs work in helping countries to apply nuclear technologies to quickly detect and control animal diseases posing threats to food and economic security and to health is increasingly in demand, Malavasi said. This week, for example, in Seibersdorf the Agency is training 16 veterinary experts from seven Member States in diagnosing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in camels a zoonotic respiratory disease that is very dangerous to humans. This contribution is very welcome. image: Wikimedia Commons HAMAM AL-ALIL, Iraq After the Islamic State swept into his town nearly three years ago, Mustafa al-Taee resolved to bear witness to the militants brutal rule by secretly painting what he had seen with his own eyes. The result was a gallery of horrors: car bombs, dead children, an Islamic State defector beheaded in a public square, a former police officer strung up by his legs for hours before being shot dead. They committed countless crimes, and those crimes needed to be documented, said the 58-year-old grandfather, speaking in his home in the northern town of Hamam al-Alil, near the city of Mosul. Shuffling through his paintings, he comes to one showing a child with an amputated hand. Because he was starving, this child was going through the garbage, collecting empty Pepsi cans to sell and food leftovers to eat later, al-Taee said. A roadside bomb planted by the militants exploded, tearing off the childs hand and legs. Islamic State militants swept across northwestern Iraq in the summer of 2014, capturing much of the countrys north and west. Even in the privacy of al-Taees home, painting was a risky endeavor. The extremist group forbids all independent media, and bans artistic renderings of human beings, which it views as a form of blasphemy. A little over a year ago, a neighbor who had seen him drawing reported it to the militants. A search uncovered a painting of a woman and a car exploding. The car bomb had killed the womans husband, who had been an Iraqi soldier. He was sentenced to 30 lashes and 15 days in jail. Reflecting on the risks he took, he said he couldnt bear to give up his art, which he called an addiction. Bram Janssen is an Associated Press writer. 1 Plagiarism accusation: Marine Le Pen, the far-right presidential candidate in France, battled accusations on Tuesday that she had plagiarized from sections of a speech by her conservative former opponent, Francois Fillon, at her May Day rally. Supporters of Le Pen, who is seeking to broaden her appeal with French voters before the second round of the presidential election Sunday, said that she had merely winked at voters with remarks that amounted to a small loan. In a speech in April, Fillon referred to Frances land and maritime borders, and he praised the countrys language and culture. Le Pen used very similar terms on Monday. 2 Piracy attacks: Pirate attacks off West Africa almost doubled in 2016, with the majority of incidents occurring off Nigerias coast, a new report said Tuesday. Incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea off West Africa increased from 54 in 2015 to 95 in 2016, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy maritime project. Pirates in the region are increasingly using kidnapping for ransom, the report said. More than two-thirds of all reported incidents in the region last year took place off Nigeria, strongly influenced by the domestic security situation, the report said. 1 Afghan bombing: At least eight Afghan civilians were killed and three U.S. soldiers wounded Wednesday when a suicide bomber attacked a U.S. military convoy during the morning rush hour in Kabul, officials said. The explosion happened near one of the entrances of the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy at the center of the Afghan capital, as a convoy of U.S. soldiers passed through. An affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid fears of escalating violence as the resurgent Taliban have begun another spring offensive. 2 Mining accident: A large explosion struck a coal mine in northern Iran on Wednesday, killing at least 21 miners and trapping several others as rescue teams worked frantically through the day and into the night to reach them, officials said. Irans official IRNA news agency quoted Sadegh Ali Moghadam, the provincial director of disaster management, as saying that 21 bodies have been found following the explosion in Golestan province. Moghadam warned of the possibility of the death toll rising as authorities estimate that a total of 35 miners were inside the mine at the time of the explosion. BALCH SPRINGS, Texas Police in this Dallas suburb said Tuesday night that they fired officer Roy Oliver for a violation of department policy after he shot and killed Jordan Edwards, a 15-year-old boy riding in the passenger seat of a car that was driving away from a house party. Edwards death is one of dozens of shootings in recent years of men and women who were inside moving vehicles at the time they were shot, even after decades of urging from policing experts and reformers nationwide that departments ban officers from opening fire on moving vehicles. Since January 2015, police nationwide have killed at least 193 people who were inside vehicles at the time they were shot, according to a Washington Post database that tracks fatal police shootings. In 86 of the cases, officers say the person was in possession of a weapon, most often a firearm. But in 76 of the cases, the person killed was armed only with the vehicle itself, according to police. In at least 17 cases, police acknowledge that the person killed was in the act of fleeing, was a passenger in a vehicle or was in a vehicle that was not in motion and did not pose a threat to officers. Edwards, who is the youngest person police have shot and killed in 2017, died Saturday night after police responded to a call about intoxicated teens at a house party. Police say that as officers dispersed the party they heard gunshots outside. Then, when officers went outside to investigate, they saw a car backing out of a parking spot. As officers approached the vehicle, police say it began to drive away. Oliver opened fire. Balch Springs officers operate under an eight-page use-of-force policy. A copy of the 2016 version, obtained by the Post, specifically instructs officers to move out of the way of an oncoming vehicle when possible, rather than opening fire. However, if an officer reasonably believes that a person is immediately threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means of a vehicle, an officer may use deadly force against the driver of the vehicle. After reviewing body camera video of the shooting, which has not been released publicly, Balch Springs police officials fired Oliver. It has been determined that Roy Oliver, who was the second officer on the scene, violated several departmental policies, said department spokesman Pedro Gonzalez. Wesley Lowery, Lindsey Bever and Katie Mettler are Washington Post writers. MOSCOW During a tense appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied on Tuesday that Moscow ever interferes in elections in other countries. Speaking during a joint news conference following talks at his Black Sea residence, Putin said accusations of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election were simply rumors that were being used as part of the political fight in Washington. He also denied interfering in European elections. U.S. intelligence agencies say they have definitive evidence that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic email accounts, with the aim of benefiting Donald Trumps campaign and harming his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Merkel said she was confident that Germany can weather any disinformation campaign targeting Germanys upcoming election. Asked about the threat during the news conference, she cited two recent incidents of what she described as gross misinformation. In one instance, Russian state media and the foreign minister claimed that a 13-year-old girl of Russian origin had been kidnapped and raped by asylum seekers in Berlin, and that German authorities were covering up the case. Police later determined the girl had made up the kidnapping, though a man in his 20s was charged with sexual abuse of a minor because she was below the age of consent. Merkel said Germany would take decisive measures if it believed there was foreign meddling in the election, adding it was well-known that hybrid warfare plays a role in Russias military doctrine. Merkels visit to Sochi was her first trip to Russia in two years, as relations between the two countries remain strained in large part over the unresolved conflict in eastern Ukraine. Merkel has been a staunch supporter of the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia over its annexation of Crimea and support for the rebels fighting government troops in eastern Ukraine. Merkel and Putin last met in Germany in October for talks aimed at reviving the stalled peace process. The peace deal brokered by Germany and France in 2015 has helped reduce the scale of the fighting, but violence has continued and attempts to reach a political settlement have failed. Also Tuesday, President Trump and Putin signaled improving prospects for cooperation in Syria Tuesday in what the White House called a very good phone discussion that included a focus on setting up safe zones in the war-torn nation. The Kremlin said the leaders also agreed to try to set up their first in-person meeting in July, on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany. Tuesdays call marked the first time Trump and Putin have spoken since the U.S. launched missiles against an air base in Syria, an attack that outraged Russia, one of the Syrian governments strongest backers. Lynn Berry, David Rising and Julie Pace are Associated Press writers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIRUT The presidents of Russia and Turkey said Wednesday that they support the creation of safe-zones in war-torn Syria as a delegation of Syrian rebels walked out of cease-fire talks with the Damascus government under way in Kazakhstan, citing repeated violations of a similar truce agreed on in December. Meeting in the Russian resort town of Sochi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin expressed hope the Syrian government and rebels would adopt this latest proposal to de-escalate the conflict, which has run now for six years and claimed some 400,000 lives. Turkey and Russia are deeply entangled in the war in Syria, including each having troops on the ground there Ankara supporting various Syrian opposition factions and Moscow backing President Bashar Assads forces. Before the rebels suspended their participation at the talks in Astana, the Kazakh capital, Russian representatives had presented the rebels with a proposal for four de-escalation zones in Syria where the warring sides would be separated by security lines. The Astana talks are proximity talks, with Syrian government representatives and the rebels separately meeting with Russian officials and other representatives. The rebels demanded a halt to the governments bombardment of opposition zones in Syria. In Sochi, Putin said Russian and Syrian government jets would halt flights over the specified zones if all sides respect the cease-fire. Russias 2015 military intervention in Syria and its air campaign have significantly boosted Assads gains in the war. However, human rights groups say Russia is implicated in targeting hospitals and schools, and using indiscriminate cluster munitions and incendiary weapons against civilian areas as well. The proposal presented to the rebels in Astana delineates four zones in Syria where front lines between the government and rebels would be frozen and fighting halted, according to a statement made by rebels. The four include areas in the provinces of Idlib and Homs, the eastern Ghouta suburbs outside Damascus, and an area in the south of the country. The zones, according to the document received by rebels, would be monitored by international observers and allow for the voluntary return of refugees. Philip Issa and Jim Heintz are Associated Press writers. BOGOTA, Colombia Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is one of the worlds most respected leaders. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work ending the hemispheres longest armed conflict with Marxist rebels. He was named to Time Magazines 2017 list of 100 Most Influential People. Yet his approval ratings in his own country are historically low. In fact, his ratings are only slightly higher than that of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the insurgency group known as the FARC that has terrorized his nation for decades. When Santos comes to Washington this month, hell be leaning on that international support as he asks President Trump to fulfill a $450 million promise made by his predecessor to support the peace deal. The challenge is his local opposition may have got to Trump first, and they dont like how Santos plans to use the money. The worldwide jubilation that followed the historic peace deal signed late last year with the rebel FARC group never really took hold inside Colombia, where sobering realities surrounding implementing the complicated deal, uncertainty in Venezuela and a corruption scandal threw the nation into a political tailspin. Santos climbed to the top of Colombian politics as a fighter rather than a peace advocate. A former newspaper man, Santos served in several administrations, but came to distinction in 2006 when he was named defense minister by then-President Alvaro Uribe. The two men led a successful military offensive against FARC that helped weaken the rebels and bring them to the negotiating table. He won the presidency in 2010 promising to continue hard-line national security policies. While Santos started off with high approval ratings in the 80s, his support has deteriorated over the years as he sought the backing of the international community for his peace efforts. In one comprehensive poll conducted by Gallup, Santos had just a 24 percent approval rating in February. By comparison, the FARC had a 19 percent approval rating. Santoss greatest adversary was once his biggest cheerleader. Uribe, the popular two-term president, spearheaded the no campaign, urging Colombians not to support an accord that would give the FARC guaranteed congressional seats and immunity from jail sentences. Now, former President Barack Obamas promised $450 million to help implement the peace plan is in doubt as the Trump administration plans to slash foreign aid. A Trump declaration of support, however, would go a long way toward shoring up Santos domestic backing. But Uribe appears to have delivered another blow by meeting Trump at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. Another opposition leader, former Colombian President Andres Pastrana, described the meeting as a cordial and very frank conversation about Colombia. Franco Ordonez is a Tribune News Service writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On a trip to India, the president of Portland State University reassured prospective students theyd be safe on his campus. Purdue University sent overseas applicants a note from two mayors touting Indianas friendly smiles and hospitality. And dozens of other schools produced online videos to welcome foreign students. As U.S. colleges face new but significant declines in applications from abroad, many are rolling out marketing efforts to combat fears of harassment and concerns that President Trumps stance on immigration reflects a United States that is becoming less welcoming to foreigners. Students are telling us that they dont feel safe here in the United States. That theyre concerned about discrimination, racism, said Katharine Johnson Suski, admissions director at Iowa State University. This year it was a little more important to make sure that they felt comfortable with their decision. Colleges and universities have received a financial boost in recent years from international students, who are typically charged higher tuition rates than American peers who live in state. Some schools have come to rely on revenue from foreign students, whose enrollment has climbed sharply over much of the past decade, according to federal data. But there is evidence enrollment figures at some schools could drop next fall. Nearly half the nations 25 largest public universities saw undergraduate applications from abroad fall or stagnate since last year, according to data colleges provided in response to public records requests. Eight schools did not provide data, while six saw gains. International applications to the University of Arizona are down 24 percent compared with this time last year; California State University Northridge is down 26 percent. The University of Houston has seen a 32 percent drop, although its still accepting applications and its numbers will probably rise. Philadelphias Temple University sparked a chain reaction in November when it posted an online video featuring students and staff members saying You are welcome here in multiple languages, set to upbeat piano music. Since then, more than 100 other schools have made similar videos and circulated them abroad. Temple, a private university, also hosted seven overseas receptions for admitted students, more than in the past. Students in India have been particularly alarmed, especially after a gunman shot two Indian men at a Kansas bar in March, killing one, after allegedly saying get out of my country. Portland State President Wim Wiewel was in India soon after the shooting to meet prospective students, and the discussion quickly turned to safety. Wiewel and his wife reassured families that Portland is friendly to foreign visitors. Collin Binkley is an Associated Press writer. Welcome to Shakesville, a progressive feminist blog about politics, culture, social justice, cute things, and all that is in between. Please note that the commenting policy and the Feminism 101 section, conveniently linked at the top of the page, are required reading before commenting. New Delhi, May 3 (IBNS): Greeting the nation on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a free and vibrant press is vital in a democracy. "World Press Freedom Day is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards a free & vibrant press, which is vital in a democracy," his tweet read. The Prime Minister has also hailed social media as an active medium of engagement. Modi, who is one of the most followed political leader on Twitter across the globe, tweeted, "In today's day & age, social media has emerged as an active medium of engagement & has added more vigour to press freedom." However, experts have also raised concerns pertaining to the authenticity of news found on social media sites. Latest trends have projected over 90 percent of the news circulated on social media sites as fake. Meanwhile, in an effort to combat the prevailing situation, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is set to launch a news site, Wikitribune, to tackle fake news. "Wikitribune is news by the people and for the people," Wales was quoted as saying in the media "This will be the first time that professional journalists and citizen journalists will work side-by-side as equals writing stories as they happen, editing them live as they develop and at all times backed by a community checking and re-checking all facts," he added. In recent months, Facebook and Google have endured sharp criticism from web users for the surge in fake news on their respective platforms. image: Narendra Modi Twitter account Bank of New Zealand lifted first-half earnings 9 percent as the local subsidiary of National Australia Bank benefited from a smaller bill for bad debts as a recovery in global dairy prices alleviated stress on farmers' balance sheets, offsetting skinnier lending margins for financiers. Cash earnings, the preferred measure of the Australian-owned banks, rose to $484 million in the six months ended March 31 from $444 million a year earlier. That was largely due to a 46 percent drop in the bank's impairment losses on bad debt to $43 million. Net profit fell 7.8 percent to $416 million, with BNZ wearing a $95 million unrealised loss in the fair value of its international debt instruments. The lender's cost to income ratio rose to 42.49 percent from 38.37 percent a year earlier, as its operating expenses rose 5.4 percent to $458 million with the bank making greater use of mortgage brokers. BNZ has been investing in digital platforms to shift more transactions online, letting it scale back opening hours and the number of more expensive physical branches. The bank had 161 retail branches as at March 31, down from 173 a year earlier. It had 488 automatic teller machines compared to 479 ATMs, and 745,000 internet banking customers, up from 705,000 in March 2016. "As we simplify and deliver better customer experiences that are faster and more efficient, we are automating and digitising things that are currently manual and don't need to be," BNZ chief executive Anthony Healy said in a statement. "These initiatives will mean fewer people in parts of our business as well as growth of investment in areas of our business that didn't exist 10 years ago, or indeed, even today." Healy said the bank will look to redeploy those staff to other parts of the business where they are hiring. The lender had 4,788 full-time equivalent staff as at March 31, down from 5,012 a year earlier. NAB's New Zealand banking division, which excludes the BNZ's capital management and trading operations, contributed cash earnings of A$429 million to the group's A$3.29 billion. NAB returned to a first-half profit of A$2.55 billion from a year earlier when it wrote down the value of UK operations that it exited, and the board declared an interim dividend of 99 Australian cents. BNZ's loan book grew 7.2 percent to $76.2 billion, a slower pace than the 8.6 percent increase in deposits to $53 billion. Net interest margins shrank 12 basis points to 2.15 percent as lending rates fell faster than the bank's funding costs, Healy said. "Today there are more people looking to borrow, so banks are paying more to win customers' deposits so this will lead to higher lending costs being passed through to borrowers," he said. NAB's ASX-listed shares last traded at A$33.09, having gained 7.9 percent so far this year. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: TEM - Market Abuse Regulation, Article 19, Paragraph 11 NZME updates FY22 guidance & announces new dividend policy November 9th Morning Report FSF - Results announced for the 2022 Fonterra Elections Heartland 2022 Annual Shareholder Meeting a2MC commences on-market buy-back of up to NZ$150 million TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN November 8th Morning Report OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement Fast-growing tourism and international student arrivals from India make it time to consider direct flights between New Zealand and major Indian cities, says the visiting head of a top Indian policy think-tank, Amitabh Kant. In New Zealand for meetings with government ministers, foreign affairs officials and business contacts, the chief executive of the National Institution for Transforming India also claims India is more than ready for a free-trade agreement with New Zealand and is just waiting for Wellington to present an offer on liberalising the services sector to allow Indian companies to compete here. "Indians are one of the biggest outbound markets," Kant told BusinessDesk. "By 2020, we will have 50 million Indians travelling globally. They are big spenders. They like to splurge abroad." But the absence of direct flights to New Zealand was a barrier to more Indian tourists discovering the country. "I feel there's a need for direct connectivity," he said. The Auckland-based India Trade Alliance backed his call, suggesting Air India should divert one of its 10 direct flights per week to Sydney and Melbourne to Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. "By 2021, it is forecast that inbound Indian visitors for business, education and tourism will increase by 120 percent to over 114,000 visitors contributing to over 190,000 inbound and outbound passengers between the nations," said ITA spokesman Sunil Kaushal. "This necessitates the expansion of transportation services between the countries, which is not serviced by any direct carrier." An upgraded air services agreement was signed last May during a visit to New Zealand by the Indian president, Pranab Mukherjee, giving New Zealand airlines the ability to code-share on routes to seven Indian cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai and IT hub Bangalore, but no such services yet exist. An ITA update on the economic relationship between New Zealand and India says some 24 percent of Indian travellers to New Zealand last year transited through Australia, another 30 percent arrived via Singapore, 24 percent came via Malaysia and the numbers arriving via the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was growing very rapidly. "The India Trade Alliance advocates and strongly urges Air India to consider re-routing one of their flights to Auckland to begin with," the update says. "With a daily passenger flow of 522 both ways, it will not be hard to fill this demand in a very short period of time. Initially these flights can be twice a week and increase based on capacity." Kant also told BusinessDesk that fears about India's desire to continue highly protectionist policies for its agricultural and manufacturing sectors were overblown, in part because of the major economic reforms being instituted under the current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who was elected in 2014. "We have opened up our economy in a very big way," he said, describing India as "the last giant economy to start its long spurt of growth". "We believe in globalisation, despite Brexit and Trump. We don't believe in protectionism. In India's economic debate, protectionism never comes up," he said. The New Zealand government has downgraded its efforts to achieve an FTA with India because of its unwillingness to negotiate a 'high quality' deal of the kind that would include significant opportunities for New Zealand agricultural, including dairy exports. However, Kant - a close confidant of the Modi administration but not a government official - said the FTA was not stalled. "We are awaiting New Zealand's offer on the services sector," he said. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "New Zealand continues to actively seek progress with India, but at this time, progress will depend on what India is prepared to bring to the table, particularly with respect to goods. New Zealand is interested in agreeing a high-quality FTA." One area of sensitivity has been the large number of Indian students coming to New Zealand, where they are permitted to work and can seek residence. Changes to English language requirements and scrutiny of Indian education brokers contributed to a 29.2 percent fall in long-term migration from India in the year to March 31, to 13,486. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: TEM - Market Abuse Regulation, Article 19, Paragraph 11 NZME updates FY22 guidance & announces new dividend policy November 9th Morning Report FSF - Results announced for the 2022 Fonterra Elections Heartland 2022 Annual Shareholder Meeting a2MC commences on-market buy-back of up to NZ$150 million TradeWindow enters trial agreement with GSBN November 8th Morning Report OCA - Notice of Half Year Result Announcement Westpac 2022 Full Year Financial Results Announcement Srinagar, May 3 (IBNS): Suspected armed militants snatched five (SLRs) rifles from Jammu and Kashmir police guards posted at the Shopian district in south Kashmir, police said on Wednesday morning. According to reports, militants barged into the court complex in Shopian and snatched five rifles from the policemen posted there. Soon after the incident top police officials visited the site and suspended all five policemen for the alleged negligence of duty. Following the snatching incident, an alert was sounded in the district. The incident comes a day after militants killed five policemen, who were accompanying a district treasury van in adjoining Kulgam district. (Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri) New Delhi, May 3 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday greeted union minister Uma Bharti and Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on their birthdays. Greeting Das, the Prime Minister tweeted, "Birthday greetings to the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri @dasraghubar ji. I pray for his long life and good health." Praying for the Union Water Resource Minister Uma Bharti's long life, PM Modi tweeted, "Wishing my colleague @umasribharti ji on her birthday. May she be blessed with a long life filled with good health." Uma Bharti and Raghubar Das turned 58 and 62 respectively. image: Narendra Modi Twitter page New Delhi, May 3 (IBNS): India on Wednesday lodged a strong protest against Pakistan by summoning Pak envoy Abdul Basit in New Delhi over the killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers' bodies by Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT). "Foreign Secretary summons Pak HC, conveys India's outrage, demands action against Pak soldiers and commanders responsible," tweeted foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay. India called the act of killing and then mutilating the bodies of Naik Subedar Paramjit Singh of the Indian Army and Constable Prem Sagar of the Border Security Force as barbaric. "Blood samples of Indian soldiers collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the LoC (Line of Control)," Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told Basit. Naik Subeider Paramjit Singh of the Indian Army and BSF Head constable Prem Sagar were beheaded by Border Action Team (BAT) that came 200 metres inside the Indian territory while carrying out attacks on Indian posts. Earlier, Indian Director General of Military Operations spoke to his counterpart in Pakistan and expressed grave concern about the incident of May 1 in Krishna Ghati Sector opposite POK Battal. The Pakistani DGMO was also apprised that while undertaking this dastardly act full fire support was provided by Pakistani Army Post located in vicinity of the incident site, read a government statement. He also raised concerns regarding presence of BAT training camps and teams in close vicinity of Line of Control in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. DGMO Indian Army conveyed that such inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said India will respond fittingly to the "barbaric act." Indias DGMO Lt. Gen A K Bhatt said that the act was inhumane and would draw an unequivocal response. The DGMO conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart the concern about the presence of BAT training camps in close vicinity of the LoC in PoK. BSF Additional Director General Kamal Nayan Choubey on Tuesday said the BAT team comprised army regulars and terrorists. He said the attack came in the form of an ambush. NEW DELHI: India's human rights record will be examined by the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group on Thursday in a meeting in Geneva that will be webcast live. "India is one of the 14 (member) states to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming session taking place from May 1-12 which also marks the commencement of the third UPR cycle," the UN Office in New Delhi said in a statement. India's first and second UPR reviews took place in April 2008 and May 2012 respectively. The documents on which the reviews are based are national report; information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities; and information provided by other stakeholders. The issues raised in these documents include addressing discrimination, stigmatisation and violence against Dalits (Scheduled Castes); limits on free speech and on the work of human rights defenders; attacks on religious minorities; reports of excessive use of force by security officers, including in Jammu and Kashmir. Other issues include eliminating criminalisation of same- sex relations; and tackling harmful traditional practices such as 'honour killings'; combating violence against women, human trafficking, early and forced marriages, violence against children and child labour; ensuring business sector complied with human rights and labour standards, it said. The delegation of India will be headed by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi. The three country representatives serving as rapporteurs (troika) for the review of India are Latvia, the Philippines and South Africa. The UPR is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN member states. "Since its first meeting was held in April 2008, all 193 UN member states have been reviewed twice within the first and second UPR cycles. "During the third UPR cycle, states are again expected to spell out steps they have taken to implement recommendations posed during their previous reviews which they committed to follow up on, as well as to highlight recent human rights developments in the country," it added. Read Also: India Has Demographic Edge Over Other Countries: Fadnavis 'Turkiye Scholarships' Gaining Popularity With Indian Students NEW DELHI: For Indian students seeking to study abroad, Turkey, with its government-funded higher education scholarship programme, is slowly emerging as a popular destination. The "Turkiye Scholarships" -- specifically designed for international students -- is one of the most extensive programmes being coordinated from a single centre. In 2016, the country received as many as 122,000 applications from 175 countries, according to the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, which is responsible for the Turkiye Scholarships. Since 2012, over 100 Indian students have received the scholarship. "I belong to a farmer's family from south India. It was unthinkable for people like me to come here to Turkey and get a high-quality education. I applied to 'Turkeye scholarships' and I was accepted," said Mustafa Ujampaaly, a PhD student at Ankara University, in a statement. Currently in India, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said before embarking on the official visit: "We embrace students from all over the world coming to Turkey." The Turkiye Scholarship project first began in late President Turgut Ozal's rule in 1992. The project initially covered Central Asian Turkic Republics and was later extended to other parts of the world. The scholarship, offered for undergraduate, graduate, PhD, proficiency in art and research levels, includes allowance, accommodation, tuition and fees, health expenses and a compulsory Turkish language course. "There is a misconception propagated by the media that being a Muslim country, Indian students of other religions may face difficulty many restrictions. But I am living here, it feels really awesome to be here nice place," said Kanika Walia who is pursuing PhD in communications from Gazi University. The students who are eligible for the "Turkiye Scholarships" and do not speak Turkish are also granted free Turkish language training for one year. Students who successfully complete the language course are allowed to pursue their education at the university they have registered with. In addition, the programme is aimed at enhancing Turkey's relations with other countries in the fields of higher education and culture. For students who wish to know about the art, culture, history or music of the country, additional certificate-level programmes are also available. For such students, study tours are also conducted free of cost. "It is a very good thing to be in Turkey. I had always dreamed of studying abroad and never dreamed that I could study in Turkey. I was accepted after I applied to the government-funded 'Turkiye Scholarships' of the Turkish Prime Ministry (YTB)," said Navaz Kuttakkaren, a BA student from Kerala at Ankara University. Read Also: Turkey Keen On Free Trade Deal With India Italy Keen To Improve Ties,Eyes 8.5 Bn Euro Bilateral Trade Srinagar, May 3 (IBNS) : The Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire again on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district early on Wednesday engaging Indian forces in exchange of fire, reports said. Indian troops on Wednesday also opened "speculative fire" along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. The ceasefire violation by Pakistan comes two days after a Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) supported by cover fire from Pakistan posts killed and mutilated two Indian soldiers in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the public's help identifying a man and woman sought for questioning in connection to a robbery that occurred in Port Richmond on April 26. An unidentified woman distracted the 44-year-old male victim on the 100 block of Albion Place at approximately 12:05 a.m., according to a written statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. An unidentified man then came up behind the victim and knocked him to the ground, police said. The two began kicking and punching the man, and removed his wallet which contained $800 in cash and credit cards, police said. The male who attacked the victim also displayed a knife in the attack, according to the NYPD statement Police are asking for the public's help identifying two individuals sought for questioning in connection to a Port Richmond robbery. (Courtesy: NYPD) Police have provided a photo of the man and video of the woman sought for questioning, taken from surveillance footage. Police describe the two individuals as black. The female is estimated to be 20 to 25 years old with blonde hair. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 17-year-old male and an 18-year-old female were arrested in Stapleton Wednesday morning after a confrontation with police, a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement. Police approached Saquan Vargas at the intersection of Broad Street and Tompkins Avenue at around 10 a.m., and attempted to take him into custody in relation to a warrant that was issued by New York State Family Court in St. George, police said. The teen resisted and refused to be handcuffed when police attempted to take him into custody. Eventually, police forcibly took him to the ground and handcuffed him, police said. Starion Johnson attempted to to prevent officers from taking Vargas into custody, and then resisted arrest once officers attempted to handcuff her, the statement said. She was charged with obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, the statement said. Police did not say what Vargas' warrant was in relation to. Please visit the comment section to join in the conversation about this report. Jimmy Kimmel says his newborn son is home and doing great after open-heart surgery. A tearful Kimmel turned his show's monologue Monday, May 1, into an emotional recounting of the crisis with what Kimmel called a "happy ending" and a pitch for affordable health care. (Randy Holmes/ABC via AP) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Former President Barack Obama is tweeting his support for Jimmy Kimmel, adding to the debate on affordable health care. After watching Jimmy Kimmel's emotional comments about his infant son's emergency heart surgery, Obama tweeted: "Well said, Jimmy. That's exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy." Well said, Jimmy. That's exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy. And congratulations! https://t.co/77F8rZrD3P Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 2, 2017 Kimmel set off a social media storm when he revealed on Monday's show that his wife had given birth to a son, who, within hours of delivery, was found to have severe heart defects. He needed emergency surgery, every parent's nightmare, but then, ultimately, a happy ending. Kimmel offered his thoughts on access to health care, specifically coverage for people with pre-existing conditions: "We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until a few years ago, millions and millions of us had no access to health insurance at all," he said. (Want to weigh in on the topic? Click on the Comment button above and tell us what you think.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - To the defense, alleged wrong-way crash cop Pedro Abad's trial comes down to the numbers - and they don't add up. Specifically, .24 percent, Abad's alleged blood alcohol content, which, the defense claims, is inaccurate, and six -- the number of drinks the defense alleges Abad consumed before the crash on West Shore Expressway two years ago that killed two of his passengers, Joseph Rodriguez and Frank Viggiano, and seriously injured Abad and another passenger, Patrik Kudlac. "This whole case comes down to a test and a number that I told you they're not going to be able to justify," defense lawyer Mario F. Gallucci said in his summation, referring to Abad's alleged blood alcohol content. "This was nothing but a horrific accident, an accident not caused by intoxication, an accident that caused the deaths of Joseph Rodriguez and Frank Viggiano and forever changed the lives of Patrick Kudlac and Pedro. But it was just that, a tragedy. Not every accident is a crime." But to prosecutors, the case isn't just about the numbers, it's about Abad's actions on the evening and early morning hours of March 19-20, 2015. When, they allege, the defendant drank to "obliteration," then, driving on a route home he should have known well, ignored "Do Not Enter" and "No Left Turn" signs and passed two cars while heading the wrong way down the exit ramp at Huguenot Avenue and Arthur Kill Road to the southbound West Shore Expressway. It's also about when Abad entered the highway and continued driving northerly in the southbound lanes past four vehicles which swerved out of the way to avoid him before he crashed his 2015 Honda Civic head-on into a tractor trailer which also took evasive actions. The tractor trailer driver applied his brakes, while Abad, who was driving at 73 mph one second before his airbag deployed, did not, said prosecutors. 'OBLIVIOUS TO SURROUNDINGS' "That's somebody who's oblivious to his surroundings. 'I'm ossified and I don't know what's going on,'" Assistant District Atttorney Mark Palladino said in his closing argument. "He's responsible for the carnage and the destruction to the bodies of Joseph Rodriguez, Frank Viggiano and Patrik Kudlac. He's responsible, and you must hold him accountable." Abad, 29, a former Linden, N.J. police officer, is accused of speeding and driving drunk the wrong way on the West Shore Expressway and slamming into a tractor trailer around 4:50 a.m. killing Rodriguez and Viggiano, a Linden police officer. Both men were 28. The defendant seriously injured himself and another passenger, Kudlac, 25, a former Linden cop, prosecutors also allege. The four men had been drinking at Curves, a Charleston strip club, before the crash, according to witness testimony. Earlier that night, Abad and Kudlac had dinner and drinks at Central Park, a New Jersey bar and restaurant, Kudlac testified. Abad is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, vehicular assault and other crimes. Gallucci and Palladino, spoke for 70 minutes and 80 minutes, respectively, in impassioned appeals to jurors, often raising and lowering their voices for dramatic effect. Abad, who was garbed in a dark suit, white shirt and tie, stared ahead or down at the defense table, his head propped on his folded hands, as the lawyers spoke. Rodriguez's sister, Roseann Rodriguez, sobbed several times in the audience during the closing statements. PEDRO BEHIND WHEEL Gallucci, who in his opening argument suggested Abad might not have been driving, conceded in his summation the defendant was behind the wheel. But he contended his client was not drunk. Three workers at Curves testified Abad did not seem intoxicated, while a fourth employee, a bartender, testified Abad seemed "a little buzzed" and feeling happy but not drunk when he left. Gallucci said a prosecution forensic toxicologist said feeling happy is an initial effect of drinking, but doesn't mean someone is intoxicated. The lawyer honed in on the blood alcohol reading. An emergency room nurse at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton testified a blood sample is drawn once a patient enters the emergency room so doctors can establish a baseline and determine whether to administer drugs, blood transfusions and fluids - all of which Abad received. She said the procedure is always followed. A portion of that blood sample was used to determine Abad's blood alcohol content, according to testimony. However, the nurse, who records show treated Abad, could not specifically recall tending to the defendant. Gallucci contended Abad had lost so much blood, he likely received the transfusions before the baseline sample was drawn -- regardless of the nurse's testimony on protocol -- and those transfusions contaminated the sample and the blood alcohol content reading. In addition, the lawyer maintained Abad's alleged blood alcohol content didn't jibe with how much he drank. SIX DRINKS? Witnesses testified to seeing Abad have six drinks over a nine-hour period, during which he ate a meal and also drank water. That testimony makes a .24 percent blood alcohol reading incongruous, Gallucci contended. Palladino, who's prosecuting the case along with Assistant District Attorney Frank Prospero, viewed the witness testimony much differently. He said it showed Abad had eight or nine drinks. And, he said, the Curves workers had a "built-in incentive" to dissemble about their recollection of how much Abad drank and whether he seemed intoxicated. Curves has been civilly sued over the crash. Any admission of Abad being drunk would hurt Curves in the civil cases, he said. Abad, who according to testimony visited Curves more than 70 times, was a "cash cow" for the establishment, and likely would have received free drinks as a show of good will, Palladino maintained, despite testimony from employees that customers rarely received booze on the house. "We don't know every single thing he drank at Curves" that night, said Palladino. And, Palladino said, a paramedic who rode with Abad in the ambulance to the hospital testified he stank of alcohol. (The defense contends the paramedic's account runs contrary to all other testimony on Abad's alleged intoxication). Pointing to the emergency room nurse's testimony on protocol, Palladino insisted proper procedures were followed in drawing Abad's blood at the hospital before he received transfusion and fluids and in the subsequent testing of its blood alcohol content. The sample, he maintained was not compromised in any way. "The .24 (percent reading) comes from one place - his blood," Palladino said, motioning to Abad at the defense table. "And it comes from the drinks he had at Central Park and the drinks he had at Curves. This is his pure blood." The trial resumes Thursday morning in state Supreme Court, St. George, when the judge will charge jurors on the law. Deliberations will follow. --- Want to discuss this report? Click on the comments section to join the conversation. Kolkata, May 3 (IBNS): After being directed by the Supreme Court, suspended assistant director of Enforcement Directorate (ED), Manoj Kumar, on Wednesday surrendered before a local court in Kolkata in an extortion case and rejecting his bail plea, the court sent him to police custody till May 12, reports said. Notably, Manoj Kumar was ED's investigating officer (IO) in Rose Valley chit fund scam and months ago he was removed from his post after Kolkata Police released a CCTV footage where he was allegedly seen travelling with the wife of the ponzi firm's arrested chairman. According to reports, a city-based chartered accountant, Kamal Somani had lodged a complaint at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in February, alleging that one Pradeep Kumar Hirawat had started extorting money from him, months after an ED team, led by Manoj Kumar, raided his office. After the complaint was lodged, Kolkata Police started probe into the matter and arrested the primary accused Pradeep Kumar Hirawat. A police official claimed that during interrogation Pradeep Kumar Hirawat claimed that he was working for ED official Manoj Kumar and he had extorted money from the chartered accountant after being directed by the senior ED official. After being quizzed by the city police twice, Manoj Kumar appealed for anticipatory bail in the Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court as well and both courts rejected his plea. Earlier on Apr 27, the Supreme Court dismissed his bail plea and directed him to surrender before Bankshall Court in Kolkata in a week. However, the suspended ED official surrendered before Bankshall Court on Wednesday afternoon and was remanded to police custody. While Manoj Kumar was going to surrender, he again claimed that he was not involved in the extortion case and has been trapped by the city police. A senior official of Kolkata Police told IBNS that Manoj Kumar has been taken to Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, where the case was lodged, for further interrogation. (Reporting by Deepayan Sinha) By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Guwahati, May 3 (IBNS) : Security forces on Wednesday apprehended three militants belonging to United People's Liberation Army (UPLA) with arms and ammunition in Assam's Sivsagar district, officials said. According to the reports, following intelligence input police launched an operation at Moran area in the oil rich upper Assam district and nabbed the militants including a woman cadre. The nabbed militants were identified as Longri Teron, Bijoy Engti and Kangru Teronpi. Security personnel had recovered a point 22 pistol, 7.62 mm pistol, 13 rounds live ammunition and other incriminating documents in possession from them. The Karbi outfit group was formed in 2014 and the outfit is active in Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Nagaon and Golaghat district. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Dehradun, May 3 (IBNS) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited the Kedarnath temple to be the first person to offer prayers after the doors of the shrine were thrown open for devotees after a six-month winter break, reports said. The PM was accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Governor KK Paul. He arrived in an army chopper at the helipad built close to the temple. Modi offered prayers and performed a 'rudrabhishek' in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. He spent abut 20 minutes in the shrine. 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Emergency services said a man had been taken to Canberra Hospital for assessment following the incident, but he did not appear to be seriously injured. Police said they were attending the scene after receiving reports a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle. "Lets go back to the 1970s and 80s when my late husband Ian was the ABC's TV weatherman (check out video on YouTube). No fuzzy font problems there." Thanks Judith Simos, Scone. "As an aside to you publishing my AGL complaint (C8, AGL), I received a call from their Melbourne office asking if there was anything they could do. I thanked the lady and explained while it might be her job to apologise, the apology needs to come from the ill-mannered executives and board of directors. Seeing I wrote personally to each of the above, I suggested they should all write personally to me with an apology. I suspect I could be in for an even greater wait." Victor Marshall, Erskineville. "In the 1950s I was taught Australia exported pig iron and wool to Britain, and imported cars, carpets and suits from Britain. Then we exported iron ore to Japan and bought cars from Japan; then iron ore to China and bought almost everything from China. Woolworths' latest catalogue offers us "better choice Australian raw prawn meat", noting that it is "peeled in Thailand". We appear to be exporting prawns to Thailand and importing prawn meat from them." Bruce Wright, Latham, ACT. "Thank you David Atherfold who Googled 'what has the idiot done now' (C8). Like, I am sure thousands of other C8 readers, so did I. So pleased the name Roger Lea, Caringbah, didn't appear." Jean Kingdon, I can top your cyclist on the phone (C8), says Coral Button, North Epping. "Recently I saw a skateboarder hurtling down the middle of busy Oxford Street, Epping, oblivious of the traffic, using his mobile, AND no helmet." In his 1932 novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley envisioned a dystopian future where the government's sole purpose was to support industry by convincing people to buy goods they don't need. Huxley's government achieves its goal by bombarding citizens with messages that support consumption, such as "Ending is better than mending," and "The less stitches, the more riches." Disturbingly, Australians are living in a version of this Huxleyan future today. That's because the federal government, acting through the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, is engaged in numerous campaigns to urge Australians to buy more than 100 different categories of goods they don't necessarily need. The department collects taxes known as "levies," sometimes adding matching funds from the federal government, and the collected funds are used for marketing and research related to the covered goods. Government is pushing us to eat meat, despite the health risks. Credit:ANINDITO MUKHERJEE It's hard to escape the ubiquitous messages that levy organisations conceive and disseminate. In the meat category, for example, these include such slogans as "You're Better on Beef," "We Love Our Lamb," and "Get Some Pork on Your Fork." These powerful catchphrases, repeated regularly and across various media, have exactly the effect that Huxley imagined they convince consumers to buy more meat. Thus, the beef, pork and lamb levies report their marketing programs routinely increase sales to consumers by 6 per cent or more. Perhaps the fundamental question is: Should the government team with industry groups to help them sell more goods? Assume it's possible to get past the inherent creepiness of the government acting in this Big-Brotherish fashion. Assume that for foods without known adverse health effects, such as mushrooms and avocados, it's not completely awful for the government to promote them. But what about government-supported levies that promote products with known adverse health effects, such as red or processed meat? "[The photo's] not crude or explicit in any way. We made ourselves knowledgeable on the history of the mountain. We were quite respectful. Being nude is not something that is offensive in any way. It's natural and pure and it's about freedom and empowerment." But Ngawhare didn't agree. "I'd imagine you will be getting a few comments from people saying 'what's wrong with that? Who cares?' But I also know cousins and relatives who will be quite upset about it. They would consider it as being disrespectful towards the mountain." That would be the common consensus of Maori communities in Taranaki, he said. Ngawhare's family never climbed to the summit, because they regard the mountain as their tupuna, an ancestor. "I accept people climb up to the summit, but what we do ask is that people be respectful. "It's the same as when that crew took up a barbecue and a trampoline. It's a good idea in principle, but in action..." He has been reading about similar things happening overseas, in places like Malaysia, he said. "People are taking naked photos and the locals over there get quite upset about it. They consider it as being disrespectful to a sacred place." Cook said it was minus 11 degrees Celsius at the top, which was warmer than they expected. "The sun up there was so beautiful that day, so it was not too bad." There were quite a few trampers on the summit, so Cook waited for people to leave before she jumped on the rock for the photo, she said. "If someone did get a sneak peek they would have been a bit startled that's for sure." The couple were visiting Taranaki and decided to climb the mountain on an impulse, she said. "It was Josh's idea. We thought that it couldn't be too tough. So, we went to op shops to get some warm clothes. We started at 2am. It was tougher than we thought. I've never hiked before." Cook, who is from the Waikato, but has lived on Australia's Gold Coast for seven years, said there was tonnes of work for a glamour model. "But at the moment Josh and I do our own sort of thing rather than work with magazines. We have companies contact us who are interested in our work." She just "fell into" glamour modelling and got used it quickly, she said. Shaw said it didn't bother him that people looked at nude pictures of his girlfriend. "I say it doesn't. I understand photography. It's art." Venture Taranaki chief executive Stuart Trundle said the organisation used Instagram to acknowledge the efforts of anyone who undertook a big challenge in the region. And that could include exploring the mountain. "Guidelines on the spiritual significance of Mt Taranaki's summit, which we understand Ms Cook sought and adhered to, do not, and cannot cover every eventuality, as is clearly the case in this instance. There is a growing global trend of social media photos featuring nudity in iconic locations. Given our region's current profile as the world's number two regional destination, we can expect more exposure." Venture Taranaki includes information on the summit's cultural significance, and corresponding guidelines, in our relevant publications, Trundle said. "They should ask themselves how they would feel if someone took a photo of themselves naked, on the grave of a great grandparent," said New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom. " Taranaki is fast becoming the tourism mecca of New Zealand, Holdom said. The lawyer for accused Australian drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury says they are desperately searching for the man who allegedly provided her with headphones filled with cocaine, but admits so far he has proved a "ghost". Orlando Herran told Fairfax Media that defence efforts had so far been focused on getting Ms Sainsbury out of her Colombian prison ahead of a trial and locating the man who had allegedly been showing her around town and provided her with the headphones where 5.8 kilograms of cocaine were discovered. "There is no evidence of his true identity," Mr Herran admitted, "[but] there are criminals who specialise in tricking foreigners in this way." Mr Herran said Ms Sainsbury's best chance of a reduced sentence was to negotiate with Colombian prosecutors in the two-month window before the start of her trial, but that his immediate priority was to find a way to get her out of prison. A strong brow may speak louder than words on Tinder but research shows chiselled features have been in demand for eons. And, even when it comes to foreheads, apparently size matters. A new study by the Australian National University has examined the bony head crests in four species of apes to detect clues about the social structures of our extinct human relatives, including how they chose their sexual partners. The sagittal crest, a bone ridge on the top of the skull, were long thought to develop in apes to provide extra space for chewing muscles. But the study indicates they could also be a form of social signalling, resulting from sexual selection. The father of an Australian woman being held in a Colombian jail has said he can't believe his daughter is a drug mule. Cassandra Sainsbury, 22, was arrested at the El Dorado International Airport in Bogota on April 12 after a tip-off about the 5.8 kilograms of cocaine allegedly found secreted inside 18 headphone sets in her suitcase. Colombian police released this photo of Cassandra Sainsbury with the drugs she is said to have smuggled. Credit:Colombian National Police Ms Sainsbury's father, Stuart Sainsbury, told the Nine Network that he can't believe what is being said about his daughter on Facebook. "I don't believe she was a drug mule, she's just my kid. Like, what parent thinks of their kid as a drug mule," Mr Sainsbury told Nine on Wednesday night. Srinagar, May 3 (IBNS): Suspected armed militants looted five lac cash from a bank in south Kashmiras Pulwama district on Wednesday. According to sources, armed militants barged in to the Ellaquai Dehati branch Wahibugh in Pulwama and looted around five lakh rupees. This is second loot in 24 hours; yesterday militants took away 65000 rupees from same bank in Kader village of adjacent Shopian district. I have directed the bank officials to collect actual figure of looted money and our team have rushed to the spot to asses the situation, said Hakim Parvaiz Ahmed General Manager of the bank. This is second bribery from our branch and we will review future strategy how to deal with all these crises in South Kashmir, Parvaiz added. (Reporting By Saleem Iqbal Qadri) When Chiara Schwarz got to year 10, she had a decision make: stay at Killara High School and do the HSC, or move to a private school so she could sit the International Baccalaureate. In the end, the choice was easy. She left the public school system and enrolled at St Andrew's Cathedral School, one of 17 independent schools in NSW that gives year 11 and 12 students the choice of doing the IB instead of the HSC. "I really like my old school, I just really wanted to do the IB," said Chiara, 17, now doing year 12. Director-general of the IB program Siva Kumari is in Australia this week and will talk to the NSW government about allowing state schools to start offering the IB, as governments in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia have already done. Greg Hudson was awake for days, snorting cocaine and regularly visiting a prostitute before he was targeted and robbed, a manslaughter trial has heard. The West Australian man was found bound and naked in his friend Simon Grezlo's Gold Coast townhouse where he'd been bingeing on a cache of cocaine in October 2014. Gregory John Hudson was found dead inside a residence in Varsity Lakes. Credit:Queensland Police A Supreme Court jury on Thursday heard he had levels of cocaine in his system that were in the lethal range for someone without his heart condition. But three people, including a prostitute, who prosecutors say conspired to rob the 57-year-old, are on trial for manslaughter after he was gagged and restrained in a violent home invasion. Eman Sharobeem would routinely submit expenses for reimbursement with the name of the shop or the goods purchased cut off the receipts, the Independent Commission Against Corruption has heard. Eman Sharobeem arrives at the ICAC with her legal team last Monday. Credit:Peter Rae The former Australian of the Year finalist, who ran two publicly funded not-for-profit health services in western Sydney, was also accused on Wednesday of getting "angry" when staff questioned her extravagant claims, saying, "If you want the job just do it." Chanthaneth Chanthalangsy, a part-time bookkeeper from 2013-15 at the Immigrant Women's Health Services organisation that Ms Sharobeem ran, told the commission only she and Ms Sharobeem had access to the online banking facilities with St George Bank that the group used. An teen from the Wollongong suburb of Albion Park has fronted court accused of trying to blackmail an underage girl who allegedly sent him naked pictures of herself on social media. Laughlan Clarke-Jeffries was arrested on March 24 after the alleged victim reported the incident to police. Accused: Albion Park man Laughlan Clarke-Jeffries, 18, leaves Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday morning. Credit:Shannon Tonkin Court documents reveal the girl sent Clarke-Jeffries naked pictures of herself on Snapchat. Police will allege Clarke-Jeffries demanded the teen pay him $500 in February this year or he would publish the naked photos online. Hongchi Xiao travels the world earning money from "self-healing" courses in which he tells diabetics to fast and quit their medication, sometimes with deadly results. The itinerant Chinese national has been linked to two deaths so far, including that of a six-year-old Sydney boy. But now Mr Xiao is behind bars in a London jail after British police arrested him late last month on Australia's request. Australian authorities are preparing to seek his extradition to face manslaughter charges at a legal hearing in June, Fairfax Media understands. The High Court has quashed the conviction of a man jailed for killing a friend during a drunken argument in outback Queensland, and has ordered a new trial. Rodney Peter Pickering stood trial in the Supreme Court in Cairns in February 2015 for the murder of his childhood friend Ivan Owens in Croydon, in the state's northwest. The High Court ruled a miscarriage of justice occurred in the case. Credit:Louie Douvis Jurors found him not guilty of murder, but Pickering was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to a seven-and-a-half-year prison term. They had heard evidence Pickering and Mr Owens had been drinking at a hotel in Croydon before heading to a friend's house where the incident took place. A Queensland police officer from counter-terrorism command has been charged with stalking and had a domestic violence application made against him. The 39-year-old male constable from the Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism and Major Events Command has been suspended and is due in court this month. A Queensland police officer has been suspended. Credit:Glenn Hunt In a statement, the Queensland Police Service said a disciplinary investigation was was looking into allegations of domestic violence. "The additional allegation of stalking and further allegations of domestic violence will now be considered as part of any future disciplinary action," the statement read. The final determination for the new electoral boundaries will be published on May 26. Following a 21-day appeals period, the boundaries will be fixed and unable to be changed. The redistribution boundaries will come into effect when the writ for the next state election is issued. The production of Queensland's state electoral roll will take up to 90 days, putting the date for rolls to be updated about mid-September. It means if Ms Palaszczuk keeps to her promise to fight the election on the new boundaries, an election would not be held before September. Political insiders have speculated the second half of 2017 was the most likely time for the next election, possibly the first week of November. Premier's one-word answer Tuesday, May 2 When the Premier was asked whether she was sticking to her commitment to fight an election on the Queensland Redistribution Commission's new boundaries, which would create four new seats, Ms Palaszczuk answered the question simply. "Yes," she said. Christmas is coming Wednesday, March 8 Ms Palaszczuk was asked if she was tempted to go to an election early. She said: "No." She also said Queenslanders would have voted in the next state election by Christmas "next year". We shall fight on the boundaries Thursday, February 23 Ms Palaszczuk said her government would accept the umpire's decision on the new electoral boundaries and fight the next election on "whatever the electoral commission hands out". "I said very clearly that we will accept the independent decision of the Queensland Electoral Commission and we will fight the next election on the boundaries that are presented to us," she said. "It is my clear intention that we will fight the next state election on those new boundaries which include the additional seats." At the time, Ms Palaszczuk was also cheekily asked to rule out another summer campaign, following former premier Campbell Newman's sweaty January 2015 election. "You're all used to summer campaigns," she said. "It's due in about a year's time, so it is what it is." 'Just over a year away' Wednesday, February 22 Ms Palaszczuk said it was her "intention" that the election would be "just over a year away". Saturday, May 5, 2018 is the last possible date for the next state election. At the time, she said she could not guarantee the next election would be fought under the new boundaries. "I can't say that for sure, those boundaries haven't even come out yet," she said. "But what I can say is that my whole cabinet team is focused on the budget." The Queensland budget is due to be handed down on June 13. Queenslanders backed increasing MPs' three-year terms to four years, with a fixed election date, at a referendum in 2016. But if an election is held before December 31, 2017, the next election will be held on October 31, 2020. If it is held between January 1, 2018 and May 5, 2018, the next election will be held on October 30, 2021. Premier is 'hoping' Tuesday, January 24 A cyclist has died on Melbourne's bayside after crashing into a parked car. The cyclist was riding north on Marine Parade, Elwood, just south of Meredith Street, when it is believed he crashed into the back of a parked vehicle at about 7am, police said. The scene of the accident on Marine Parade in Elwood. Credit:Luis Ascui The 51-year-old cyclist from South Yarra died at the scene. Acting Sergeant Peter Shrimpton said the cyclist was in a group of eight to 10 riders travelling towards the city when the crash occurred. Wednesday marks the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of 3-year-old Madeleine McCann from a vacation apartment at a resort in southern Portugal as her parents ate at a nearby restaurant. What happened to Madeleine on May 3, 2007, remains a mystery, but a number of theories have been investigated by police. Here are five possibilities: Stolen to sell One theory is that Madeleine could have been stolen by traffickers for a childless couple. Her 2-year-old twin siblings were left undisturbed in the apartment. "If you were stealing on spec, you would have taken one of the twins. Not both, just one," detective Colin Sutton told the Mirror. "So it goes back to a specific order for a young blonde girl. Has a young blonde girl died and their parents want to replace her? Or is there another reason for stealing to order?" Srinagar, May 3 (IBNS): Suspected armed militants barged into a bank at Pulwama district in south Kashmir on Wednesday and looted a cash of around Rs 3 lakhs. This is the third incident since May 1. According to available reports, some militants whose faces were masked barged into the branch Nehama Kakapora of Jammu and Kashmir Bank and looted 3 lakh in cash from the cash counter. Earlier in a day, militants looted five lac cash from Ellaquai Dehati bank in south Kashmirs Pulwama district. Gunmen looted 65000 rupees from an Ellaquai Dehati bank in Kader village of adjacent Shopian district on Monday. Kabul: At least eight Afghan civilians were killed and three US soldiers wounded Wednesday when a suicide bomber attacked a US military convoy during the morning rush hour in Kabul, officials said. The explosion happened around the corner from one of the entrances of the heavily guarded US Embassy at the centre of the Afghan capital, as a convoy of US soldiers passed through. Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said eight Afghans were killed and 25 wounded in the car bombing. "All of them were civilians," Danish said. BONAIRE:--- In connection with the circulation of false news via various (social) media, on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017 a press conference was held by the Triangle Bonaire on developments in the investigation into the death of Adriana Morales de Florencio. The case has been given the name Saturnus. Lead Investigator, A. Braaf, gave an explanation on the time line from when Adriana Morales de Florencio was reported missing. On Thursday, April 20th the Police Station received notification in the evening hours from the cruise ship Navigator of the Seas that an employee was missing at the time that the ship was about to leave. From that moment the search began for the missing woman. This included the routine check for missing persons in places such as the hospital and other instances where persons present themselves. Also, the phone of the missing woman was tapped. During the days that followed more information came in and on the basis, thereof the search was extended and the FBI in the next port, Miami, turned to forensic investigations in the cabin of the missing woman and to questioning specific persons. On Bonaire, the Coast Guard and STINAPA started with the search on sea and Klein Bonaire to rule out that she would have had problems at sea. The next step was to inform the parents and to contact persons who had contact with the missing woman on the ship. Starting the first weekend of her disappearance, video images were collected from companies in and outside the city center that had to be viewed one by one. This takes a lot of time. This has resulted in the missing woman being identified Friday, April 28th, in the morning with a man on video footage. The same day the man was also identified and on the orders of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the judge three house searches were executed in connection with the disappearance of Adriana Morales de Florencio, in which an illegal firearm was confiscated. Here also a suspect was arrested in connection with the violations of the Firearms Act. On Saturday the focus was on a Kunuku (farm) with which the suspect is linked, this thru investigation of the police At the end of Saturday afternoon a research was carried out at this Kunuku (farm) where the lifeless body of a woman was found. The tattoos on her body were recognized as that of Adriana Morales de Florencio. Her parents were immediately informed and the Kunuku (farm) was closed off for further investigation. It took 12 hours before the body could be extracted from the ground because this had to be done with extreme caution in order to safeguard the investigation. On Sunday the parents of Adriana Morales de Florencio arrived on Bonaire and were received by The Caribbean Netherlands Police Force (KPCN), the Island Governor and from that moment on Victim Support was available to them 24 hours per day. Also, a so-called family detective was appointed to at all times be the link between the Police and the family. According to Chief Public Prosecutor H. H, the suspect was initially held for violating the Firearms Act during a search in his home. He has been detained and locked up. Afterward, the woman's body was found in a Kunuku (farm) with which he could be linked. He is now also suspected of murder/manslaughter. There were several searches done in the home of the suspect and on the Kunuku (farm). A judicial section (autopsy) was performed on Bonaire on the discovered body. In the preliminary report, it is stated that the victim has died of violence, particularly by stabbing or cutting with a knife. Forensic investigation has yet to officially confirm that this is the body of Adriana Morales de Florencio. The Island Governor expressed his sympathy to the family, also on behalf of the people of Bonaire. As Island Governor I condemn these acts and in no way will we accept that the name of Bonaire is affected by crime. I ask the people to inform the police if they have any information regarding this matter. We, as Bonaireans, have to make the difference in this; we must cooperate and help Bonaire to maintain a good name internationally. The Director of Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) is doing it's very best to minimize the negative impact of this case on cruise tourism. TCB will monitor all comments on social media and will give this the necessary attention '. Critical Minds for Critical Times: Medias role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. UNESCO, the Government of Indonesia, and the Press Council of Indonesia will co-organize the World Press Freedom Day's main event and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 1-4 May 2017. National celebrations take place each year to commemorate this Day. UNESCO leads the worldwide celebration by identifying the global thematic and organizing the main event in different parts of the world every year. The international day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the 26th Session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This, in turn, was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence. Advanced preparations are underway for a multi-faceted focus on journalists safety and impunity for crimes committed against them, at this years global celebration of World Press Freedom Day 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia (1 to 4 May). Under the global theme of Critical Minds for Critical Times: Medias role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies, participants will examine current challenges facing media, including the continuous trend worldwide of attacks against those who bring journalism to the public. From 1 to 2 May, even before the main programme of the international conference, a safety training workshop will be organized by the Indonesian Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI - the Alliance of Independent Journalists). Supported by UNESCOs International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and Norway, the training forms part of a larger project in the region, aimed at strengthening the professional skills of journalists and editors from Timor-Leste. This capacity building initiative will be complemented by a second safety workshop by the US-based NGO, IREX, on 2 May, focusing on the organisations concept of integrated safety that combines physical, digital and psychosocial safety. In addition, a consultative roundtable will be organized on 2 May to discuss the feasibility of a mechanism for the promotion and protection of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists within the region. Participants will seek to identify the most appropriate modalities for the region whether a Special Rapporteur, an independent commission, or another modality. During the main programme from 3 to 4 May, the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity will be tackled by experts from all over the world in three sessions, each providing a different angle on these topics. One session, titled Journalists Safety and Tackling Impunity: How can crimes against media workers be addressed?, is organized by the press freedom NGO International Media Support. In this, panelists will discuss the current global and national mechanisms in place and examine new ways to counter violence against the media. In a second discussion, the impact in the Asia-Pacific region of the United Nations flagship framework, the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, will be assessed. The outcomes of this session will feed into the Multi-stakeholder Consultation on Strengthening the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity that will be organized by UNESCO and OHCHR on 29 June 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. A third session will examine prospects to implement regional and national initiatives promoting press freedom and safety, in the form a roundtable titled Press freedom in Southeast Asia: the way forward, organized by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance. Alongside the main events, a dedicated academic conference bringing together researchers specialized in the area of journalists safety is being organized. It builds upon the success of the previous edition in Helsinki, Finland during last years World Press Freedom Day. Within the framework of UNESCOs Research Agenda on the Safety of Journalists, the conference provides a platform for academic inquiry towards understanding and eventually countering the current trend of violent acts towards media workers. Ms Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions, will deliver the keynote. A number of papers touching safety of journalists are also expected at the 6th annual conference of Orbicom (link is external), the International Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communication over 4-6 May. The event is called Peace Journalism and Conflict Resolution in the Media and is co-hosted by the Faculty of Communication, Universitas Pancasila, Jakarta. The 24th edition of World Press Freedom Day will also see the award of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. More information about the event can be found on the official website. Registration to participate is open until 20 April 2017. Our democracy needs a robust press to hold our leaders accountable and cover the important issues facing our communities. But press freedom is under attack today, with government authorities seizing journalists phone records, detaining reporters at border crossings and demanding that journalists reveal the identities of confidential sources. This kind of harassment doesnt just affect professional journalists. The internet and new technologies have democratized media making, with more people taking up the tools of journalism. And after years of newsroom layoffs, many of the people who are most at risk are citizen journalists and indie reporters operating outside the mainstream press. With more people than ever before engaged in media making, there are also more people who have a stake in defending press freedom. The First Amendment belongs to all of us and the public has to have a seat at the table when new laws are being debated. We must leverage public pressure to make our leaders understand what the First Amendment means in the digital age, to beat back bad laws that threaten our rights to connect and communicate and to support new journalistic efforts in all their forms. We envision a time when professional journalists, independent reporters and everyday U.S. residents are all free to commit acts of journalism. We envision a time when our First Amendment right to collect and disseminate news is understood and supported in culture, and protected in law. But to get there, we need an inclusive movement that mobilizes millions of Americans to fight for our rights to connect, communicate and cover our communities. Our Vision: We envision a time when professional journalists, independent reporters, and everyday U.S. residents are all free to commit acts of journalism. We envision a time when our First Amendment right to collect and disseminate news is understood and supported in culture, and protected in law. But to get there, we need an inclusive movement that mobilizes millions of Americans to fight for our rights to connect, communicate and cover our communities. Were working toward this vision in three ways: Building a Movement: Free Press is engaging activists around the country in the fight for our fundamental freedoms. Reaching Out to Media Makers: Free Press is working with media makers, freelancers and citizen journalists, equipping them with the tools and resources they need to defend their rights and amplify their voice. Forging a New Coalition for Press Freedom: Free Press is working with allies nationwide to connect and collaborate on a range of press freedom, media justice and open government issues at the local, state and national levels. BrainChip Provides March 2017 Quarter Update ALISO VIEJO, CA (Marketwired) 05/02/17 BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) Appointment of Robert Beachler, a 30-year technology veteran with prior public and private company experience in marketing, business development and operations. Acquired an exclusive license to JAST, a next-generation spiking neural networking technology. Achieved the integration of the Spikenet Technologies neural network in an FPGA hardware platform. Accelerated momentum in commercial surveillance with deployment of Game Outcome at Mohegan Sun. Accelerated momentum in civil surveillance with the French Department of Homeland Security. BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) ( or the ), a leading developer of software and hardware accelerated solutions for Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications, is pleased to provide an update on the quarter ended March 31, 2017 to accompany the Companys quarterly cash flow report. Significant developments for the quarter include the appointment of Robert Beachler as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, the acquisition of an exclusive license to the JAST Neural Networking technology, the integration of Spikenet Technologies software solution in an FPGA hardware platform, and the deployment of Game Outcome at the independently operated Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort. The Company will host a webcast update on Wednesday May 3, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. EDT /4:00 p.m. PDT (Thursday May 4, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. Australia EST). BrainChips Chief Executive Officer Lou DiNardo will host the webcast. Attendees will be required to register for the webcast ahead of the event and can do so by following either link: Direct link to webcast: Companys Investor Relations Page: The Company announced the appointment of Silicon Valley veteran Robert Beachler as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development during the quarter. Mr. Beachler is a Silicon Valley veteran with over 30 years of success in developing and marketing cutting-edge technologies. His background includes more than 16 years of experience in a variety of engineering and marketing roles at Altera Corporation, a leading provider of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) products, which was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2015 for over $16 billion. He has also served as Vice-President of Marketing, Operations, and Systems Design at Stretch Inc., a provider of embedded video processing solutions up until its acquisition by Exar Corporation in 2014. While at Exar, Mr. Beachler was appointed Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Business Development. Most recently, he served at Xilinx Corporation, the leading worldwide independent provider of FPGA products, and led the marketing of imaging, video and machine learning solutions for Xilinxs industrial, scientific, and medical markets. The appointment of Robert Beachler positions the Company to capitalize on targeted large addressable markets in artificial intelligence. Mr. Beachler has a proven track record of success in bringing products to market and driving growth. He will build a marketing and business development team in Europe and the United States this year, followed by Asia and Australia in 2018. Mr. Beachlers initial efforts will be to drive revenue growth in markets where the Company has demonstrated success, expand the number of customers in these markets, and introduce the Companys hardware accelerated products to further enhance its position in large-scale deployments. This market is highlighted by engagements in the gaming industry. The worldwide gaming industry includes approximately 2,600 casinos and over 50,000 gaming tables. In addition to existing deployments, the Company is currently in discussions or trials with 17 casinos including the MGM Group in the United States, the Crown Casino Group in Australia, a Sands China operated casino in Macau and a number of independently operated Native American Tribal casinos including Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Pechanga in California and Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania. The Companys business model in the gaming industry is based on a fee paid for each active table on a daily basis, thereby creating an ongoing revenue stream from a potentially large and diverse customer base. . The CIIC will perform the evaluation of BrainChips advanced video analytic technologies, aiming at boosting the reliability of access authorization around sensitive areas. This is in addition to the ongoing trials by the CIIC of advanced video analytics for transport safety, which are currently expanding to a national level. The growing threat of terrorism and violent crime is driving demand for real-time video analytics. This is a large and growing market, which includes Homeland Security, Metropolitan Law Enforcement, Airports and Mass Transit. The market for Civil Surveillance is large, well funded and geographically diverse. The Company serves the challenging requirements for video analytics, including facial and pattern recognition. The Company continues to work closely with the French Department of Homeland Security and Paris municipal law enforcement. Drawing on the success of these relationships, , which will further inform the Paris municipal law enforcement agency regarding the compelling benefits of the BrainChip video analytic solutions. . The Company has opportunities with multiple schools in the United States and is currently in discussions with a school district in the state of New York for a deployment that represents potential revenue of $600,000. The Company has already been selected as their vendor for video analytics and the school district is in a funding process that will enable them to begin deployment. The desire for highly accurate visual inspection methods is driving demand for artificial intelligence. The Company has partnered with companies such as SAFRAN in Paris, France, which is developing an innovative inspection system for a mission critical manufacturing application. As well, at Airbus in Toulouse, France, the Company has collaborated on a variety of video analytic projects. Other applications include vehicle identification and infrastructure inspection. The Machine Vision market is most notably represented by the automotive industry. As Autonomous Driver Assisted Systems (ADAS) and fully autonomous vehicles become more prevalent the requirements for real-time video analytics become more critical. BrainChips Spiking Neural Network represents a best-in-class solution for this demanding application. The Company is currently engaged with IniLabs in Switzerland, a developer of DVS cameras that are applicable in autonomous vehicle applications. The Company is also engaged in discussions with Volkswagen. In March of 2017 the Company acquired an exclusive license to a next-generation neural networking technology developed by CERCO (Brain and Cognition Research Center) in Toulouse, France. The technology has been developed specifically for use with spiking inputs. The advanced Spiking Neural Network and learning rules maximize processing speed while minimizing power consumption. The JAST technology will be implemented on the Companys proprietary SNAP core. This solution will provide compelling advantages in systems where autonomous real-time learning is critical, including but not limited to autonomous vehicles and drones, ADAS and financial technology aimed at improving the speed of trading algorithms. In March of 2017 The Company made a major achievement by integrating the field proven Spikenet algorithms and software with a hardware core developed specifically for visual applications. The FPGA hardware solution will provide a fast, low-power solution that can run a large number of video streams simultaneously for video analytics including facial and pattern recognition. A multi-core FPGA hardware solution is expected during the second quarter and the Company plans to engage early adopter customers in the third quarter of 2017. The hardware solution will reduce the total cost of ownership in large deployments of surveillance systems and is expected to drive significant revenue growth for the Company. The Company issued 27,100,000 unlisted options during the quarter to newly appointed staff as a part of its incentive program and in order to appropriately align the interests of staff and shareholders. The Company issued 1,500,000 performance rights to Robert Beachler as part of his appointment, which vest subject to various time and performance based hurdles. 1,000,000 unlisted options lapsed in accordance with their terms during the quarter. Expenditures in the quarter were materially higher than in the previous quarter primarily due to staffing in marketing and engineering, and legal and financial expenses associated with the Companys evaluation of domicile and exchange listing. The Company has made no decision as yet on re-domiciling the Company. The Company had approximately $1.9 million in cash at the end of the quarter. The Board is closely monitoring the Companys funding needs and expects to initiate a capital raise to support future cash requirements including continued engineering on the SNAP technology, and staffing in engineering, sales and marketing to further the Companys engagement with customers and support revenue growth. Any statements, estimates, forecasts or projections with respect to the future performance of BrainChip Holdings Limited and/or its subsidiaries contained in this presentation are based on assumptions made by BrainChips management and about circumstances and events that have not yet taken place. Such statements, estimates, forecasts and projections involve significant elements of subjective judgment and analysis, which, while reasonably formulated, cannot be guaranteed to occur. Accordingly, no representations are made by BrainChip or its affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, agents, advisers or employees as to the accuracy of such information; such statements, estimates, forecasts and projections should not be relied upon as indicative of future value or as a guaranteed of value or future results; and there can be no assurance that the projected results will be achieved. BrainChip is a leading provider of software and hardware accelerated solutions for Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications. The Companys Spiking Neural Adaptive Processor (SNAP) can learn autonomously with a small sample set and provide real-time information, data analytics and knowledge in image and video processing applications, high frequency data streams for financial analysis and event, speech, and speaker recognition from audio sources. BrainChips SNAP technology can quickly learn, recognize, and track events in real time from multiple sources and identify repeating patterns in complex data streams. The Company currently provides software and hardware accelerated solutions that address high-performance requirements in Civil Surveillance, Facial Recognition, and Visual Inspection systems. Future solutions include audio analytics and deep learning for financial and other data intensive applications. . Robert Beachler +1 (949) 330-6750 Laura Guerrant-Oiye Principal Guerrant Associates +1 (808) 960-2642 In-Depth Global and Chinese Battery Chargers Industry Analysis and Developing Trends Forecasted until 2022 Albany, New York, May 3, 2017: The global demand for battery chargers is increasing day by day, as it is used in numerous devices such as laptops, smartphone etc. Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently announced the addition of a new study to its wide offerings, which is titled as Global and Chinese Battery Chargers Industry, 2017 Market Research Report. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of the global battery chargers industry, with a prime focus on the Chinese market. Additionally, this report offers a clear picture of the current and future trends, developments and opportunities for the market entrants as well as established players. Forecast period considered in the report is 2017-2022. Request Free Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1053545 Battery chargers are devices that integrate charge control circuitry to charge batteries for electronic devices Battery, and is mainly of two types; rechargeable and non-rechargeable. It has been analyzed by the study that battery chargers have now become more powerful, safer and faster, yet increasingly smaller and affordable, therefore used in several applications. Battery chargers are used by numerous devices such as laptops, smartphones, feature phones, EVs, tablets, DSCs, music players, portable gaming devices and smartwatches. In the first section, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. The total market is further divided by company and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. Currently, there are various types of battery chargers available in the market, used for several applications. The major types of battery chargers are as follows: An AC charger (which plugs into a wall socket) Solar charger (which operates in the sun) 12-volt charger (which plugs into cars cigarette lighter or homes renewable energy system) Browse Full Report With TOC: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-and-chinese-battery-chargers-industry-2017-market-research-report-report.html Furthermore, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value and 2012-2017 market shares for each company. The report then estimates market development trends of Battery Chargers industry for the forecast period of 2017-2022. This subsequent section is the important part of the report which provides key figures on the current market status of the Battery Chargers manufacturers. Therefore, acts as a valuable source of guidance for companies and individuals interested in the industry. In the later part, Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand is also carried out. Also, the buyer will get to know about the current market dynamics influencing the market negatively or positively. At the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Battery Chargers Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Taiwanese Server System and Server Motherboard Industries, Worthy Insights & Key Market Analysis for the First Quarter of 2017 Albany, New York, May 3, 2017: Currently, the server system and server motherboard sector functions based on the demand for such systems and motherboards in the IT, health and telecommunications sectors in the world. This is seen as one of the leading factors contributing to the steady rise in the server system and server motherboard industries market. In order to get a clearer idea, a fresh research study with the title The Taiwanese Server System and Server Motherboard Industries, 1Q 2017 has been added to the enormous database of Market Research Hub (MRH). The buyer now can get access to the complete forecast and trends related to this sector in terms of classification, application, shipment volumes and market analysis. The research also provides valuable forecast till 2017, in terms of the cardinal aspects that can lead to greater profits in this industry. Request Free Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1059797 Almost all sectors rely heavily on the server system and server motherboard industry since today every record and work is fed directly into the computer system. Correspondingly, the first section of the report renders a brief overview of the industry. The research examines the most impressive products that are being produced from this growing sector. This section also imparts the different classifications that occur in this industry. Soon the report begins to talk about the several applications, which have become the most profitable in the past few years. Specifically, it also curates some major estimation on the application share. Likewise, the buyers can benefit from the added knowledge about the market evaluation, as well as the analysis of the chain structure. Browse Full Report With TOC: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/the-taiwanese-server-system-and-server-motherboard-industries-1q-2017-report.html The report further shifts the attention entirely towards the segmentation based on geographical region. Later, it reveals the predominant causes behind the rapid growth of this sector in this particular area. The study reveals that the barebones levels added to almost 1 million units, portraying a 9.1% sequential rise. Later on, the assessment reveals that the assignments that were shipped at the board level accumulated to almost 1.3 million units. The evaluation identifies that the sequential rise can be estimated to be between 4.2% and 14% every year. Interestingly, the study focuses on the Taiwanese sector largely, which explains why the region is the most eventful in this industry. Thus, the report exposes all the decisive and fruitful methods to help future investors reap maximum revenues. Arcadia Data Executives to Speak at Upcoming Big Data and Technology Events SAN MATEO, CA (Marketwired) 05/03/17 , provider of the first native visual analytics software that runs within modern data platforms, has announced that several members of the companys leadership team will be speaking at a number of upcoming events in the U.S. and abroad, spanning the big data industry, as well as vertical industry events around cybersecurity and financial services. Arcadia Data will participate in panels at the events to discuss visualization and advanced analytics solutions for todays big data challenges. 29 Tuesday May 9, 2017 | 2:55 PM Shant Hovsepian, chief technology officer and co-founder of Arcadia Data will be conducting a panel discussion, . Given the instruments of data quality, analytics are becoming more valuable. This panel will address where the information is coming from, what good analytics look like and how to pick or level up services. Tuesday May 9, 2017 | 2:55 PM Paul Lashmet, practice lead and advisor for financial services at Arcadia Data, will be participating in a panel discussion, . With a wave of new domestic and European rules to be implemented in 2018, Lashmet will discuss how regulatory policies affect business processes and how to enable cross functional collaboration to balance cost and effectiveness of programs, changes with the ISN and risk reporting. for a preview of how visual analytics enable cross functional collaboration between risk, finance and the front desk to test and evaluate strategies that affect capital charges. Additional details on how Arcadia Data provides visual analytics for financial services can be found . May 17, 2017 | 11:45 AM 12:30 PM As part of the speaker-lead series on analytics and applications, Shant Hovsepian will be giving a talk titled, . The discussion will address the growing dependence on data analytics and how the deliverance of real-time data insights are invaluable for business agility. Discount Code: VIPARC K109 May 22-25, 2017 Strata Data Conference is the premiere conference in the U.K. to learn and network with innovators and leaders in big data from around the world. One of the largest conferences of its kind, Strata Data Conference focuses on how data can be used to shape critical decisions across disciplines and industries, from finance and smart cities, to retail and government. Discount Code: Arcadia20 June 13-15, 2017 DataWorks Summit is the industrys premier big data community event. Industry experts will teach attendees about how open source technologies enable users to leverage data, on premise and in the cloud, to drive predictive analytics, distributed deep-learning and artificial intelligence. Discount Code: MSPO20 Arcadia Data provides the first native visual analytics software that runs within modern data platforms for the scale, flexibility, performance and security users need to glean meaningful and real-time business insights and design data-centric applications in the era of big data. Arcadia Enterprise is purpose-built to analyze large volumes of data without moving it, filling the gap between self-service BI and advanced analytics for use cases like cyber security, connected devices and customer intelligence. The Arcadia Data platform is deployed by some of the worlds leading brands, including Procter & Gamble, HPE, Royal Bank of Canada, Kaiser Permanente and Neustar. To learn more, visit Arcadia at . Follow Arcadia Data at . Olivia Civiletto Merritt Group, Inc. for Arcadia Data Information Age Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum Contact us on Twitter , on Facebook , or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com Check your email's spam folder now, and you'll probably find at least one half-hearted attempt at a phishing scam. It might be claiming that your Mac has a virus, despite the fact you're on a PC, or it might be a Nigerian prince asking to access your Paypal account so they can deposit some money in it. Either way, they don't tend to be the most well thought out, sophisticated scams. Except when they do.Last month, a Lithuanian man named Evaldas Rimasaukas was taken to court for fraud, identity theft and money laundering. He had posed as a Taiwanese electronics firm, sending invoices through fake email addresses in order to steal money from tech companies. He ended up pulling in more than $100 million, and it's now been revealed that the victims were Google and Facebook.During the case, the companies were only referred to in very vague terms, leading to a lot of speculation as to who they were. To some, it might come as a shock that two of the most massive tech corporations on the planet could fall victim to a scheme like this, but when you start to look into the depth and intricacy of the heist, it makes a lot more sense.Rimasaukas set the scheme in motion back in 2013, forging email addresses and documents and communicating with accountants from both companies until they were convinced that they needed to send him money. It wasn't until 2015 that any suspicion was aroused, by which point the $100 million was already gone, deposited into various bank accounts around the world.He had been posing as an employee (or several employees) of Quanta, a Taiwanese computer company which has been running since 1988. Their previous clients include Apple and Amazon, so it's hardly a stretch to imagine that they would also supply Google and Facebook with hardware. Since then, both Google and Facebook have confirmed their involvement, stemming from the fact that they do indeed buy servers from the real Quanta.While a great deal has changed since 2013, the timing of this revelation links it to the ever-increasing stream of cyber-attacks weathered by both companies, but Facebook in particular. To some, even the most colossal, monied corporations are still viable targets. As for Rimsaukas, he's currently being detained in Lithuania, awaiting extradition and facing what could be dozens of consecutive 20 year sentences, one for each count of money laundering and wire fraud. Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated With Novus Light Technologies Today Visit Novus Light Technologies Today to see all the cutting-edge stories and products that you have come to enjoy on Solar Novus Today. In addition, you will find more information on related light-based technologies. Get the latest solar and renewable energy news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Green Technologies newsletter CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER Kolkata, May 3 (IBNS): Demanding an immediate recruitment, Primary Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) candidates, who successfully passed the exam in 2009, blocked railway tracks near Barasat railway station in Kolkata's neighbouring North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Wednesday afternoon, hitting train service for hours, reports said. According to reports, a large number of successful TET candidates had jammed rail lines at Barasat Gate No. 12, very close to Barasat railway station, at around 2 pm. Several trains were stopped at Barasat and nearby stations due to the blockade. When passengers requested them to withdraw the blockade, agitators allegedly engaged in a scuffle with them. Later a heavy police force along with Rapid Action Force (RAF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RAF) personnel went to the scene and policemen restored to lathicharge to disperse protesters and lifted the blockade at around 5 pm. A senior official of Eastern Railway said that train service is becoming normal slowly. "Due to the blockade, train service was disrupted in Sealdah-Hasnabad and Sealdah-Bonagon sections for more than three hours," the official told IBNS. "After the blockade was lifted, we have resumed the service in those lines, but it would take time, probably few more hours, to become normal completely," the official further said. Local police officials said that a heavy police force have been deployed to the area as the situation remains tense there. (Reporting by Deepayan Sinha) Patna, May 3 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): Controversial parliamentarian Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav has suggested the Maoist rebels to kill acorrupta politicians, instead of security personnel. Maoists should kill those who are robbing the country and not those who are providing security to the nation, Yadav said after meeting the victims of naxal violence in Hajipur town on Wednesday. Of the total 25 security personnel killed in Maoist ambush in Sukma area of neighbouring Chhattisgarh state last month, six belonged to Bihar. Why should they (rebels) kill the security forces? They remain in our security all the time, abandoning their family behind, he added. Yadav who was elected on RJD ticket from Madhepura Lok Sabha in Bihar has been expelled from the parent party for his anti-party activities. After his expulsion, he floated the Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) but it failed to open its account in the last 2015 assembly elections. thebiharpost.com Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Never miss Somerset's latest and breaking news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter A Coleford man who was nearly double the drink drive limit when he caused a three-car shunt and then crashed into a wall has been given an 18 month driving ban. Simon John Davis lost control of his car as he was driving through the village and collided with the rear of a Ford Fiesta, pushing it forward into a parked BMW vehicle. He then collided with a wall nearby causing the airbags to be deployed, Somerset Magistrates were told. The 42-year-old defendant, of Beacon View, admitted driving a Citroen C3 on Church Street, Coleford, on April 15 after consuming excess alcohol. The court at Yeovil was told that Davis was driving his car in Coleford when he was involved in the late-night collision around 11.45pm. The matter was reported to the police after he collided with the rear of a Ford Fiesta that was then pushed into the rear of a BMW vehicle in Church Street, causing damage to both of them, said prosecutor Emma Lenanton. The defendants vehicle then collided with a wall a short distance away and the airbags were deployed. Local residents heard the collision and came out to speak to the driver and his car keys were taken off him and his wife arrived on the scene soon after. Davis was arrested by the police after providing a positive breath reading at the roadside. He had sustained an injury and was taken to hospital where he received stitches above his left eye, and later provided a breath reading of 65mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg of alcohol. Appearing unrepresented, Davis told the magistrates that he was horrified and deeply sorry for what happened that night. I want to apologise to the people whose vehicles were damaged and the owner of the property. This was the first time I have ever been in trouble and deeply regret it, he said. Alongside the driving disqualification the defendant was fined 390 and ordered to pay 85 costs and a 39 victim surcharge. A council has been ordered to rescue a homeless family-of-five after leaving them "trapped" living in a hotel for THREE YEARS - at a staggering cost of 88,000. The Burns moved into a hotel when they were turfed out their flood damaged private rental flat in Somerset in 2014 and thought they would be there for a week. But two authorities spent months arguing over who should look after them before they were declared "intentionally homeless" - putting an end to any council help. Since April 2014, Luke Burns and his wife Olga - both qualified teachers - have been forced to limp from handout to handout to keep a roof over their heads. With only enough money to pay for a short term solution, they fork out between 60 to 110 a night at different Premier Inn hotels. (Image: SWNS.com) They can't get together the estimated 2,000 upfront lump sum needed to start privately renting and haven't been able to find work, they claim. Caught in a cycle, they are forced to live hand to mouth, unable to save enough for a deposit from their 588 weekly benefits to privately rent. The couple say they have spent around 88,000 in total on hotels, at times moving on a daily basis to get the most affordable deals. The devoted parents live in fear of the day they cannot afford a room, or that children Lolita, 11, and Alina, ten, and Nicolas, ten months will be taken into care. Carrying their dwindling belongings - which fit in around ten bags - they have spent the last three years hopping between around a dozen Premier Inns. (Image: SWNS.com) After years of appeals, the Local Government Ombudsman finally ruled the council had "failed" the family and caused them "substantial injustice" in February. It ordered Bristol council must "immediately" help the family, accept their housing applications, explain its failings and face paying the family "financial remedies". But late last week the family were living in a single hotel room awaiting a council home - and fearing they can't take much more. Luke said: "We are trapped. We can't afford to move out - it costs a fortune to privately rent - but the council won't help us. "People ask how we got into this situation and the answer really is when you are labelled 'intentionally homeless' there is no help. "We are living hand to mouth and any money we get is never enough to get out of the situation, and is used to pay for the next day's hotel room. "If we had the money we have been loaned by family in a lump sum then yes, it would have been possible to solve the situation, but this has not been the case. "We never thought for a moment that we would still be in the hotel, and don't have the means to pay our way out of it. "It feels like we are in a hamster wheel and we run and run and run but we're not getting anywhere. It's a vicious cycle. "It would be a dream to provide for our family with a roof over our heads. "Our family has struggled incredibly. "We have been in this situation, trapped, for three years now. "In the end I estimate we have paid out 88,000 on hotels. That's all our housing benefit. "When you look at that amount I can't understand the council's endgame." (Image: SWNS.com) Exhausted Olga added: "When we say to people it has been three years, they say to us 'how can that possibly be? "It doesn't feel like real life. It feels like a bad dream that I am about to wake up from, and every day I hope I will, but it doesn't happen. "At first we tried to make light of it for the children - pretend it was an adventure - but they know this isn't how we want to live. "This situation has robbed us of years of our lives. We have forgotten what the comfort of home feels like. "I look forward to the day where I can stop feeling guilty. "My dream - all I want - is to be sat in my own home on the sofa next to my husband, watching the TV surrounded by my family. "I don't want to be wondering where our next meal with come from, or whether there will be a knock at the door telling us to leave." (Image: SWNS.com) Luke and Olga met in Moscow where he was working for the foreign office in immigration, and she was an English language teacher. They came back to the UK in 2003 where she continued to teach, and he was a health and safety adviser with Defra. But after she became a full-time mum and he was made redundant in 2010, money became tight, and he claims he struggled to find work. Their trouble started when their privately-rented home in Bridgwater, Somerset was damaged by heavy rain in the floods of 2012. They complained to Sedgemoor District Council who they claim gave the landlord an Improvement Notice - ordering him to fix the damaged bedroom and bathroom. Instead of fixing it, the landlord gave them notice to leave - but the family stayed because they claim they simply didn't have the cash to pay for upfront moving costs. "You look back and wonder if you did the right thing - but we never thought it would turn out like this," said Luke. They were eventually evicted in April 2014 following a hearing at Taunton County Court. The magistrate ruled the family didn't have to pay anything - but still had to leave as the landlord had given them enough notice, Luke claims. Unknown to the family, the landlord wasn't being paid their full housing benefit by Sedgemoor council for seven months - a total of 480 by the time it came to court, they say. (Image: SWNS.com) This was later used against them by Bristol City Council as apparent proof they did not pay their rent in full and had made themselves intentionally homeless, Luke said. "It was because the council itself had said that the property was too damaged for our continued habitation," he said. "But that was it - they washed their hands of us and we were on our own." The couple, then with two daughters, moved into a hotel in Bristol, believing it would be for just a week, while they submitted applications for help to the council. "Initially we tried to treat it like an adventure for the girls," said Luke. "They began to understand the situation more and more as it went on and it became impossible to hide the situation from them." Sedgemoor District Council and Bristol City Council spent four months arguing over who should take responsibility for them, Luke said. When homelessness charity Shelter intervened, Bristol took responsibility and accepted their application - only to reject their plea for a home in December 2014. The family appealed the council's decision, but were unsuccessful. They had already spent small loans from family and friends - who could not afford to give them a larger lump sum - and even sold their wedding rings to pay for hotels. The couple spent 2015 moving around approximately ten hotels in the South West area, trying - but failing - to get a deposit together from their benefits. The pair had their son in May 2016, after Olga, who had been unable to conceive for nearly a decade, fell pregnant unexpectedly. He was conceived in a hotel in Bristol on the only day the pair had alone when the children were out for the afternoon with family. Luke had to stay at the hotel to look after the children while Olga took a taxi to hospital alone in early stages of labour, returning to their current hotel the day after he was born. She was welcomed back by staff who called him their "first hotel baby". (Image: SWNS.com) Due to the change of circumstances they re-submitted a homelessness application to the council. But the council refused to accept the new application - action now ruled as a "fault" and "failure" by the Ombudsmen. Since he was born, the extra benefits means they have mostly been able to stay in a single Premier Inn, not moving around as they once did. Nicolas and Lolita are partially sighted due to a rare genetic syndrome which includes a degenerative eye condition, meaning they regularly have to attend hospital appointments. Every week the family get 176 housing benefit, 220 tax credits and 75 Jobseeker's Allowance. They also get 62 carers allowance and 55 disability living allowance due to the childrens' eye condition. They don't qualify for food bank support as they don't have a council support worker, they claim. "The girls they cut pictures out of the catalogues of what there life will be like when we have a home," said Olga. "For Alina it is what their bedroom will look like, and for Lolita it's the food she will make in our kitchen. We're big Mary Berry fans. "I'm not looking forward to living a pampered life, I'm looking forward to the simple things, like making a room for the baby, and him having space to play. "The children all want space. We want them to go back to school. We've had to home school them due to moving, and they were worried they'd get bullied. "We used to have normal lives. It goes round and round in our heads - what have we done wrong? "I used to cry a lot, and then I used to shut myself in the bathroom and cry so the girls couldn't see. Now I don't - I'm all cried out. "The children want to do dance and art - things we should have the spare money to do, but we just don't because of the hotel bills." At times of absolute desperation the family has been bailed out by Olga's family in Russia and Ukraine. Once her cousin who lives just outside Donetsk in Ukraine, drove under fire in the summer of 2015, to find a Western Union office to send money for one more night. Her retired parents have taken out 3,000 worth of loans on their flat in Voronezh, Russia. Unable to repay, they could become homeless themselves if they are not reimbursed this year. "The shame I feel about that - I'm suppose to be looking after them at that age," said Olga. "They are out working every single day to help us." Luke added: "I can't count the number of times we haven't had money for that nights' hotel. "We have been waiting, on the street until 7pm or 9pm, waiting for a money transfer to come through from family. "We'd love to get a job - me and my wife both have degrees. "The hotels don't want us using their address, and without one I've struggled with applications. "I have had interviews where I have just not given an address, but three years in a hotel has taken its toll on our clothing. "I don't know if it's because I haven't got a suit to wear anymore - I can't really justify buying one when we're wondering where next weeks hotel money is coming from. "I could tutor from home, but we don't have a home to teach from." The family appealed to the Local Government Ombudsman over the council's lack of help in August 2016. In February they were sent a draft decision - currently being considered by the council - ruling the authority were wrong to disregard the family. It said the Ombudsman is considering a public report into the council's failings and added: "The council should immediately make an appointment with Mr X to register both a homeless and housing application. "The council is at fault for failing to take a homeless application in 2016 and failing to assess a housing application in 2014. "It is at fault for not sharing important information between departments and not keeping adequate records. "It is at fault for stopping payment of storage charges without following the proper procedure. "The council has caused substantial injustice to Mr X and his family. "It is not possible to assess the full level of injustice until the council has taken and assessed a homeless and housing application from Mr X." The final report is due in mid-May, but it said the council must help while it considers "other remedies". (Image: SWNS.com) Luke said the ombudsman said families caused "injustice" in the past have been paid backdated remedies of 350 a month. In his case, should this be back dated to when they first moved into the hotel, the amount would be 12,600. Still the family - who have not received any legal help or funding - is in the hotel while the council considers the application and report. "If we don't get out of here by Summer, when prices go up again, I don't know how we'll cope," said Olga. "Every day we live in fear of that knock on the door saying we have to leave." Luke added: "The pressure of knowing that the first night we are unable to pay for the hotel room could result in us losing our children is terrifying. "This would be by putting them into care, leaving my wife and I on the streets, physically destroying our family. "The pressure of that threat is overwhelming. "We have been forced to move from hotel to hotel, from town to town, sometimes on a daily basis - to get the best possible price or just to find a hotel with a family room. "We paid a massive price for that and some friends and family turned away from us, not believing that our situation was possible. A Bristol City Council spokeswoman said: "This is a draft report which is confidential. We have provided a detailed response to the Ombudsman. As this case is still ongoing we are unable to comment any further but will do once the final report has been published." A spokeswoman for Sedgemoor District Council said: "During the period Maximum Housing Benefit (HB) was awarded, calculated at Local Housing Allowance (LHA) levels. Where there is a shortfall between LHA and actual rent, a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) may be applied for as a temporary fix. "There were a number of DHP awards to address the shortfall, with the final application being refused. An applicant receives written notification, whether successful or declined, each time an application for HB or a DHP is made and in this case our records show this to be the case. The applicant was made fully aware of their entitlement and therefore the shortfall in rent." Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up here for Somerset Live's latest coverage from Worthy Farm The wife of a man who collapsed during the Glastonbury Road Run at the weekend has thanked those who saved his life by performing CPR. Maria Loddos husband Albert, 53, suffered a cardiac arrest during the annual event on Sunday (April 30). People took to social media after the run to praise a group who came together in a heart-warming effort to save his life. Jemma Peters, who was taking part in her first ever 10k run, was one of those who took it in turns carrying out chest compressions on Mr Loddo. Several people contacted Somerset Live to ask if Mr Loddo was okay following our article with Jemma at the weekend. Thankfully after being rushed to Musgrove Park hospital in Taunton , Mr Loddo is now recovering well. His wife Maria said: I would like to thank all the lovely people who stopped to help and basically saved his life while we waited for the air ambulance. I would also like to thank the air ambulance team and paramedics who came on scene and looked after him so well. From my personal perspective I would like to thank the run marshal who stopped and supported me during the whole situation and the ambulance who then took me to Taunton. Mr Loddo has now been moved from intensive care to a high dependency ward. His wife said his heart and lungs are doing well, operating without support. Mrs Loddo added: These lovely people saved his life while they waited for the air ambulance. I spoke to the run marshal, Bernie, who supported me through it at the scene. He had called to check we were ok. I would like to thank him also. Alberts son and Marias step son, also called Albert, contacted Somerset Live to thank those who helped his father, too. He said: I would like to pass on my most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those that helped him in any way. He wouldn't be alive had it not been for their intervention. Mr Loddo is originally from Gibraltar but now lives in Sherborne with his wife and two younger children, Thomas and Katja. The chances of him making a full recovery are looking strong. Mrs Loddo added: The doctors have told us the blockage they found, which they believe caused the seizure, has gone - so there is no longer a risk of a further heart attack. This is the most amazing news. Now he just needs to rest and recover. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up here for Somerset Live's latest coverage from Worthy Farm Radiohead is to release a remastered version of OK Computer complete with B-sides and three previously unreleased tracks on the day it is due to headline Glastonbury Festival 2017. The band today announced a re-release of its iconic third album. It will mark the 20 anniversary of the record which contains hits such as Paranoid Android, Karma Police and No Surprises. The special edition is described on the bands website as: Rescued from defunct formats, prised from dark cupboards and brought to light after two decades in cold storage. OK Computer, the original twelve track album, three unreleased tracks and eight B-sides, all newly re-mastered from the original analogue tapes. (Image: Getty) The re-master is available as a digital download, on compact disc, on vinyl or as a special boxed edition. Those who purchase the boxed edition will receive three heavyweight 180 gram black 12" vinyl records and a hardcover book containing more than 30 artworks, many of which have only been seen by the band before. Other highlights of the boxed edition include a notebook containing 104 pages from Thom Yorke's library of scrawled notes of the time, a sketchbook containing 48 pages of Donwood and Tchock's 'preparatory work' and a C90 cassette mix tape compiled by the band taken from OK Computer session archives and demo tapes. (Image: Getty) The band was the first officially announced headliner for Glastonbury 2017. A tweet put out on the official Glastonbury Festival feed on October 20 confirmed the news. The Oxfordshire-based band last headlined the Pyramid Stage in 2003 and hasn't played a UK festival since 2011, when they made a secret appearance on the Park Stage. With this being the 20th anniversary of OK Computer we could be in for setlist packed with songs like Paranoid Android and Karma Police. Somerset Live reporter Josh Fordham runs us through what he thinks we can expect from the band at this years festival. If you're one of the many who voted absentee this year in Michigan, the Secretary of State has an online tool to track the status of your ballot, and more. New Delhi, May 3 (IBNS): A high level meeting between Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar and Jammu & Kashmir State Education Minister Altaf Bukhari was held on Wednesday here in New Delhi over Education related matters in the state. Altaf Bukhari was accompanied by Priya Seth MoS Education J&K Government besides senior officers from the HRD Ministry and the State Government. Later Prakash Javadekar briefed the media about the decision taken during the meeting. Javadekar said this year we have granted 52 Crore Rupees for the two sanctioned Engineering Colleges in the State under RUSA. Of which 25 Crore Rupees will be issued this week. These Engineering College will be situated at Sapakora in Kashmir valley and at Kathua in Jammu and tutorial work will begin this year itself despite the fact that construction of buildings will be completed in another two years. This decision of immediate start of tutorial work will benefit students definitely. He said now Scholarship will also be available to Polytechnic students just like the Engineering students. Javadekar said under the Pradhan Mantri Scholarship Scheme 5000 students of J&K are given scholarship to pursue their Higher Education in Engineering, Medical, Management and Hospitality sector in different colleges spread across the country every year. Until now the quota of seats was two seats per sector per college which have been now enhanced to Ten seats. Now the scholarship will be applicable to enhanced quota also. Javadekar said the commissioning work for the permanent campus of IIM Jammu has also began and a committee of experts will go to Jammu within a week to assess the suitability of the land offered by the State Government for this purpose and a final decision will be taken later on. The Minister also informed of constructing 7 Hostels for the girls students in the state. He said 50 Crore Rupees have been sanctioned for the construction of these Hostels at Bemina, Paloda, Thatri, Rajouri, Kupwada, Pulwama and Kargil. Of these Bemina and Paloda will have big hostels for which a grant of 12.5 Crore Rupees each will be provided. The rest hostels will be constructed at a cost of Rupees 5 Crore each. Javadekar said girls of J&K are education seekers and they like getting educated so we have taken this decision for a thrust of their proper quality education. He said 200 Crore Rupees have been sanctioned from our special fund for paying the salary dues of primary teachers in the state as a relief measure. He said: "We will continue to solve other related problems in future too, the Minister added. The Minister also informed of sanctioning the recurring grant of rupees 34 Crore to Secondary Education in the state in this week itself." Prakash Javadekar said Rupees 19500 Crore under the special package to the state as announced by the Prime Minister earlier have already been released this week. This is bound to benefit the state in many ways as it will help in building better atmosphere for education. This Minister praised the quest of the students of the state for attaining quality education. He said the State Government is constantly monitoring the education status and environment in the Schools and Colleges regularly and both the Ministers from the state are in continuous dialogue with the students. Javadekar while referring to the disturbed situation in the state said despite the incidents of burning of schools there has been a 98-99 percent attendance of students. It shows the desire and quest of students for their quality education. The Minister said this very quest is Kashmiriyat itself because in his opinion education is a biggest tool to uplift an individual, family and society at large and the people of Jammu & Kashmir valley are aware of this fact. Canada is pledging new money to help clear landmines in Sri Lanka and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced. Canadas announcement comes as the international community marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, RCI reported. The new funding includes $1.9 million over three years to find and clear landmines in northern Sri Lanka, which will allow residents in the affected areas to resume their livelihoods in agriculture and the fishery. It also includes more than $3.8 million for education, training and mine-clearance activities in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, Freeland announced. This new funding comes on top of $13.8 million that Ottawa pledged to help finance urgent humanitarian demining activities in Colombia, the second most mined country in the world. Canada has also committed $6 million to contribute to the demining of areas liberated from Islamic State militants in Iraq. According to figures released by the federal government, Canada has contributed $237 million over the last decade to fund demining programs around the world. Demining work worldwide is critically important, and the devastating impact of these weapons on civilians is without question, Freeland said in a statement. Canadas funding for these projects builds on the significant work already undertaken in mine clearing in these countries. It is my hope that the funding will help to create a world free of anti-personnel mines. In 1997, Canada became the first country to sign the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention. The international treaty bans the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. With 162 countries that have joined the convention, it is considered one of the most successful disarmament treaties ever established. Since the signing of the Ottawa Convention, 27 countries have been declared landmine-free, over 51 million stockpiled landmines have been destroyed and the global trade has all but stopped. Yet more than 60 million people still live in areas littered with unexploded munitions, according to The HALO Trust. Nearly 40 per cent of the people injured or killed by landmines every year are children, who often fall victim while innocently playing or travelling to and from school, said Jane Cocking, CEO of MAG. Twenty years on from the landmark Mine Ban Treaty, these indiscriminate weapons still blight the lives of far too many people around the world, Cocking said. Yet, with the sort of commitment and ambition shown today, ridding the world of this problem is far from impossible. James Cowan, CEO of The HALO Trust, said the event present an historic opportunity to unite government, corporate and private donors. As with the eradication of smallpox, a mine free world is not a pipe dream but a real possibility, but only with the right financial support, Cowan said. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the international community to keep this issue at the top of the international agenda. Peace without mine action is incomplete peace, Guterres said in a statement. When is the ban on natural gas in Vancouver not a ban on natural gas in Vancouver? Taking a page out of Donald Trumps White House, which insisted its vetting system to keep America safe is not a travel ban on targeted Muslims, Vancouver City Hall has been proclaiming that its green city goal does not translate into a ban on natural gas. Then this week, Matt Horne, the City of Vancouvers climate policy manager writes in an op-ed that Vancouver is moving towards the Greenest City goal of eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels. And agrees that city policy does pledge to phase out fossil fuels gradually by the year 2050. It is now implementing a range of punitive policies and bylaws to achieve its goal but continues to insist that there is no ban on natural gas. Thats like Trumps White House saying to a Muslim traveler, you are welcome to come but we will make it impossible for you to enter America. This pattern of misrepresentation by Vancouver City Hall is becoming a common tactic by the army of corporate communicators pushing Mayor Gregor Robertsons personal mission to be hailed as the planets green giant at the expense of the taxpayer. Despite a chorus of opposition from industry, ratepayers and energy experts, the city is unwilling to relook at its aggressive and costly plans, which in the end are going to have a minimal impact on countering greenhouse gas emissions globally. For instance, Mayor Robertson wants you to know that the City of Vancouver powers City Hall with green gas we purchase from FortisBC. That is part of his propaganda to push its unrealistic and unaffordable green agenda down the throats of taxpayers. So is the statement, which is meant to show leadership by example, true? Not really. It is what you can call an alternative fact because it is truth deficit. Vancouver City Hall is one of about 900 FortisBC customers that live or do business in Vancouver who have opted to pay more for renewable natural gas (RNG) to be blended into existing natural gas distribution pipelines and delivered. There is no special pipeline bringing green gas to Vancouver City Hall, as the statement wants you to believe. If that were the case, City Hall will likely probably need a landfill of its own to breakdown organic waste to create the biogas and a special pipeline to deliver it to Cambie Street. And if Vancouvers Renewable City Strategy requires everyone switch to renewable natural gas, we would need 104 more large landfill facilities. Here is another example of Vancouver City Halls alternative fact. As part of its Renewable City Strategy, new developments requiring a rezoning have to comply with standards that effectively prohibit the installation of furnaces, fireplaces, hot-water heaters and cooktops in the projects, as of May 1. Vancouvers rezoning changes align with the provincial governments introduction of the BC Energy Step Code, said the city, while reiterating its hollow mantra that it is not banning the use of natural gas. The BC Energy Step Code is a fuel neutral policy that allows builders and customers to choose their energy source to meet provincial targets that are voluntary and intended to be introduced gradually over time. It is anything but aligned with Vancouvers move to effectively eliminate the use of natural gas in rezoned buildings with punitive bylaws. FortisBC, which delivers approximately 21 per cent of the total electricity, natural gas and propane consumed in British Columbia said the City of Vancouvers assertion that its energy policy is aligned with provincial policies is incorrect and misleading. Mayor Robertson and his Gang Green at City Hall have continuously evaded the hard questions about the new energy plans. When asked how much this is going to cost, they respond with questionable greenhouse gas savings projections. When asked if Vancouverites will be paying more for heating their homes with electricity instead of natural gas - about $1,500 a year for a family of four its rhetoric revolves around everyone needs to pay for a greener planet. The City of Vancouvers evasive answers and white lies dont add up to the green truth it is peddling. If its ultimate goal is to ban natural gas, then say it like it is and stop hoodwinking the public. Two French counter-terrorism judges have issued, for the sixth time, a release order in the case of extradited Canadian Hassan Diab, being held in France in connection with a deadly bomb attack in Paris. And once again, his supporters in Canada are calling on the Liberal government to demand his return. Diab, a former University of Ottawa sociology professor, was extradited to France in 2014 on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and destruction of property with an explosive or incendiary substance in connection with a 1980 synagogue bombing in Paris that killed four people. Initially arrested in 2008, Diab has consistently maintained his innocence and has argued that he was in Lebanon at the time of the attack. French prosecutors say he built and placed the bomb used in the attack. French judges have six times ordered Diab released on pre-trial bail since May 2016. The two who issued the release order on Monday agreed with Diabs defence team that there is consistent evidence he was not in France at the time of the bombing. Each time, the French Court of Appeal has overturned the release orders. The latest order is being appealed by the prosecutor on the case. Dr. Diabs continued incarceration is wholly and manifestly unjust, said Don Bayne, who represents Diabs case in Canada, in a media release. It is past time for this government to come to the aid of a Canadian citizen, to end this travesty of justice, to bring him home. Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister Freeland, where are you when an innocent Canadian needs you? The case has raised questions over the years because French police have relied on secret information, as well as handwriting analysis that experts have repeatedly suggested is not reliable. Even before Diab was extradited, the Ontario Superior Court judge who heard his challenge said that the evidence presented by French police was illogical, very problematic and convoluted, but that based on the Canadian threshold for extradition there was no option but to hand Diab over. The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear his appeal shortly before Diab was extradited. Supporters of Diab last month launched a petition asking the government to work towards the immediate granting of bail to [Diab] and securing his urgent return to his family and home in Canada. So far, 1,333 Canadians have signed the petition, which meets the threshold to force the government to issue an official response. However, Canada does not use the U.K. model, which forces a parliamentary debate if an e-petition gathers more than 100,000 signatures. This piece was originally appeared in New Canadian Media. http://newcanadianmedia.ca/component/k2/41157-french-judges-issue-another-release-order-for-canadian-held-over-bomb-attack Commentary By Phil Gurski New Canadian Media We live in a world where fear is easy to spread. There is no shortage of evidence that bad things happen and that there are some bad actors in a lot of places. The rise of the 24/7 news cycle and the ubiquity of social media have a lot to do with this. Sometimes, this fear is disproportionate to reality. The fear of violent crime is a good example: statistics in this country and others show pretty convincingly that violence of this nature is at historic lows and yet people still rank fear of violent crime high on their list of anxieties. Terrorism fits here as well, as I have often said. While there is no doubt that terrorism exists and we are reminded of it daily (less so in the West and more so in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia), we still have to maintain an objective perspective. Even if terrorism occurs more frequently today than it did, say, 40 years ago (although historical analysis might even differ on that point) it is still a rare event. It is impossible to claim that terrorism is more rampant than non-terrorist crime for instance (shootings, domestic violence, etc.) let alone other kinds of death (disease, car accidents, etc.). Terrorism is different from other forms of violent deaths because of its inherent ability to cause fear. That is why we call it terrorism it instills terror and fear. That in essence is what the terrorists are trying to achieve, making us afraid of what they can do so that we will make decisions about things (foreign policy is a primary goal) under duress, decisions we would not normally make. Some fears are natural fear of snakes or spiders and may go back a long way in the history of humanity. Others are manufactured. War and terrorism would fit here. If a fear is manufactured there must be a manufacturer and an audience (or recipient) of that fear. The audience, I would argue, has a choice of whether to accept or embrace the fear. It is as simple as that. In other words, we play an enormous role in our own freedom from fear. We can simply choose not to be afraid. I am not trying to oversimplify the terrorist threat or the challenge in dealing with it. This is indeed a hard problem that has always defied, and will most likely always defy, simple solutions. We will not 'defeat' terrorism anymore than we will 'defeat' crime in general. But we can 'defeat' the goal of the terrorists by refusing to be cowed by their actions and their propaganda. We can decide not to allow them to make us afraid. I'd like to end with a quote by the Swedish Prime Minister in the wake of this month's terrorist attack in Stockholm (an Uzbek terrorist drove a stolen beer truck into a pedestrian mall, killing four and wounding 15) as it really sends a strong message about fear: "I believe todays [gathering] was a clear message from Stockholm and Sweden that we intend to keep our open, warm and inclusive society. That was the message. Terrorism will never defeat Sweden. Would that we all elected to not give in to fear and terror and tell the terrorists that they will never win. Phil Gurski worked for more than three decades in Canadian intelligence, including 15 at Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and is the author of the Threat from Within and Western Foreign Fighters (Rowan and Littlefield). This piece was originally appeared in New Canadian Media. http://newcanadianmedia.ca/component/k2/41130-we-can-choose-not-to-be-afraid Breakdown of Indiana Statehouse races across South Bend area The 2022 election is a midterm election. Voters will come out to to vote in various Indiana statehouse races Nov. 8 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. New Delhi, May 3 (IBNS): Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated the two-day Global Technology Conference for Leveraging World Class Technology (International Conference on Development & Adaptation of Advance Technology for Railways) here today. Chairman, Railway Board, A. K. Mital and other Railway Board Members, DG Research Design & Standards Organization (RDSO) and GM Northern Railway R. K. Kulshreshta and senior officials were also present on the occasion. Research Design & Standards Organization (RDSO) is the nodal organization for this Conference, supported by Ministry of Railways and by Institute of Rolling Stock Engineers (IRSE) and Institution of Railway Signal & Telecommunication Engineers (IRSTE). The Conference is focusing on critical areas of Indian Railways - Reliability, Safety and Customer Service. Speaking on the occasion, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu said that Railways are evolving and getting modernised all over the world. Indian Railways also need to evolve as per the technological advancement across the world. Earlier, the budget of Railways was not as per the need of Railways, in past 3 years, Railways investments have been stepped up. The Railways investment shall be increased in coming decade. The need for technological advancement is an imperative. Railways investment shall lead to spin off benefits to other sectors. India is a big market for the Global suppliers of technology at the same time it is important to understand that Make in India is one part and Develop in India is another. The focus is to co develop technology in India. India will then become the hub of technology. Railways is looking for co operation from the Global suppliers of technology and would welcome their solution if they are feasible and cost effective in Indian context. In keeping with the unremitting agenda of the Indian Railways to augment the pace of its operational improvements through enhancing its pace of modernized technological adaptations, the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) of the Indian Railways is holding a two-day Global Technology Conference on 3rd & 4th May 2017 at New Delhi. The Technical Engineering Institutes of the Indian Railways viz. Institute of Rolling Stock Engineers (IRSE) and the Institution of Signal and Telecommunications Engineers (IRSTE) are the nodal bodies liaising and organizing this Conference. With four lead thrust areas viz. Safety, Reliability, capacity enhancement and customer service, the Global Technological Conference envisages bringing in new perspectives and insights in planning for future rail transportation growth in the country and for assessing contemporary global technologies relevant to adoption on IR. The Conference is featuring technical sessions, technical presentations, and table-top exhibits, besides wide opportunities for several industries networking too. Besides the knowledge takeaways, it is envisaged that the Conference would enable the emergence of a multi-disciplinary logistics interface and eco-systems that would enable the Indian Railways to deliver new levels of value along with modernization. Several experts from rail transportation development and allied technological industries, academia and research fraternity across the world are slated to deliver presentations and interact with experts of Indian Railways (IR) for identification of appropriate cutting edge technologies and systems available worldwide for adaptation and deployment on IR and Public Sector Units of the IR. Kolkata, May 3 (IBNS): A Dalit couple of Naxalbari area in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, at whose house BJP president Amit Shah had lunch weeks ago, joined state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday, reports said. According to reports, the couple, Raju Mahali and Gita Mahali, and their daughter went untraceable since Tuesday morning and the Mahali couple joined the party on Wednesday noon in presence of state tourism minister Gautam Deb. A local BJP leader alleged that local TMC leaders had abducted the couple and their daughter and forced them to join the TMC. "As Raju and Gita Mahali offered lunch to Amit Shah and other BJP leaders, TMC kidnapped them from their house and forced them to join their party," the BJP leader said. "As they had gone missing since Tuesday morning, we lodged a missing complaint at Naxalbari Police Station at night and also staged demonstration there," the local leader added. Meanwhile, denying all allegations against them, TMC leaders claimed that the tribal couple were not forced and they joined Trinamool voluntarily. The Dalit couple also said that they have joined the state's ruling party at their own wish. A state level leader of BJP told IBNS that they are sending a report regarding the matter to Amit Shah. Earlier on Apr 25, BJP president Amit Shah had started his 3-day-long campaign tour to West Bengal, after having lunch at the Tribal couple's home at Naxalbari. (Reporting by Deepayan Sinha) Hotel Arts Barcelona, Susanta Paral Hotel Arts Barcelona in every sense lives up to its nomenclature. This hotel on the Mediterranean- read Olympic Marina- is as Epicurean in attraction as it is in its artistic appeal. Even before you step inside the hotel you see Peix, the giant goldfish which is a symbol of post-Olympic Barcelona. Hotel Arts Barcelona, the exposed-steel superstructure which rises up to the sky with its 44 floors on the waterfront of Barcelona, was chosen by Los Angeles based architect Frank Gehry to install his now iconic 115-foot-tall sculpture Peix at the foot of the hotel. So the word art is embedded right from the entrance of this beautiful hotel of the Ritz Carltons luxury European portfolio (now under Marriott) . Luxury and art always go together and Arts Barcelona in its interior decoration is the perfect example of that perception. The luxurious interior is complemented by its famous flower arrangement and together they give you the feel of a vibrant and classic hotel which has otherwise kept a touch of uncluttered minimalism in many things, including in its super luxury suites and penthouses. So when the hotel staff greet you with a welcome drink, a perfect feel-good holiday begins. Any visitor with a sense of some aesthetics will bow to the works of Arts Barcelona florist Donna Stain, who makes the hotel lively with flowers, the emblem of beauty and purity that infuse life in a property otherwise meant to be for a short comfortable stay. A large number of long necked vases at entrance welcome guests. The vases stand together like a huddle of disciplined people standing together. As you step out of the elevator into the main reception on the first floor you encounter a number of large vases with fuchsia color hydrangeas balls half dipped in water. They are a wonderful contrast with the dark walls. A grand white chandelier adds to the dramatic interior. Wait, its just the curtain raiser. More dramatic ambiance awaits you thanks to the creative ideas of Donna Stain, florist, Arts Barcelona. Moving towards the main elevators for the upper floors from the front desk it is another journey with flowers. Beside a white marble statue of a bent demure woman you find more flowers in transparent vases and bowls. As you wait for the elevator they (flowers) are there to please your visual senses and communicate with you. Flowers are good communicator; you can hear their voices at every corner of this hotel. The use of flower combining with pots of different shapes and made of different material is absolutely stunning in this hotel. Each flower vase in Arts Barcelona is like a canvas where every composition is made out of different colors, textures and medium. Not to be missed is also the use of foliage and stem, offering a perfect break from any monotony in composition. Same flower like hydrangeas are used in different vases in a different manner in this hotel- some floating in half water filled vases, some standing tall in their stems and forming a bouquet above the neck of the vases. In one cylindrical vase four pink anthurium are placed in a manner that you feel the essence of close friends enjoying their closeness in a late night party. If in one arrangement roses are floating in water with leaves, in another they are without leaves. As you walk into the Club Lounge on the 33rd floor and take your seat at a table, you are greeted with a small bunch of pink camellias. They can transform you into a happy mood. In the same lounge at the drink counter, you also find the slipper orchids combined with anthurium leaf inviting you with a seductive presence. Flowers are an integral part of Arts Barcelona. It adds one more star to this charming five-star property. Hans Christian Andersen had said, Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. Arts Barcelona lives up to his famous words. Georgetown, SC (29440) Today Cloudy skies. High 67F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. The first fleet of robotic spacecraft that humanity launches to explore exoplanets may include a few kamikazes. The $100 million Breakthrough Starshot initiative is working to develop an interstellar spaceflight system that would use powerful lasers to accelerate tiny, sail-equipped probes to 20 percent the speed of light. The baseline plan calls for the robotic nanocraft to hunt for signs of life and gather other data during flybys of nearby alien worlds such as Proxima b, a potentially habitable planet located just 4.2 light-years from Earth. But the scientific return would be even greater if some of the 1-gram probes actually slammed into their target worlds, some researchers said. [Breakthrough Starshot in Pictures: Laser-Sailing Nanocraft to Study Alien Planets] "I want 10 at least 10 ships, not just one," Harvard University astronomy professor Dimitar Sasselov said April 20 during a panel discussion at the annual Breakthrough Discuss conference at Stanford University. "So then, two of them I'll point at the planet, straight into the planet, hit the planet and create a thermal event in the atmosphere," added Sasselov, who's also the founding director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative. The other eight probes would "beam the data back, because you'll get a lot better characterization of what's in the atmosphere," he said. (Sending 10 probes shouldn't be a problem; each spacecraft will be relatively cheap to manufacture, Breakthrough Starshot team members have said, and the project aims to launch many of the spacecraft toward each target body.) The postage-stamp-sized space probes of Breakthrough Starshot could make a flyby of planets around Alpha Centauri within 20 years after launch. See how Breakthrough Starshot could work in our full infographic (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist) This suicide strategy was also raised as a possibility by Philip Lubin, a physics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who's the driving force behind Breakthrough Starshot's planned laser-propulsion system. "Maybe you have a small mothership that sends out little daughters [and] drops them in the atmosphere," Lubin said during a separate presentation at Breakthrough Discuss on April 20. "And then perhaps you could telemeter data back from the daughters to the mother saying, 'I'm sacrificing myself for the good of science and humanity back home.' You could possibly do spectroscopy from the impact on the atmosphere and the surface, and there are ways to measure gravity." Spectroscopy is a technique in which astronomers study the wavelengths of light coming from a planet to figure out what's in that world's atmosphere. If gases produced by life are present, spectroscopic observations could potentially spot them. (Because "biosignature" gases can generally also be created by abiotic processes, a compelling case for alien life would probably require the detection of more than one, researchers have said. For example, the presence of both methane and oxygen in a planet's atmosphere would make a strong case, since these two gases can't coexist for long.) The data-generating "thermal event" referenced by Sasselov would be pretty dramatic. A Starshot probe traveling at relativistic speeds would release about as much energy as 1 kiloton of TNT when it detonated in the atmosphere, Lubin said. University of Hawaii physicist Jeff Kuhn said the explosion would be even more powerful; during a different Breakthrough Discuss panel on April 21, he estimated the yield at perhaps 100 kilotons. For comparison, the atomic bomb that the United States dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima toward the end of World War II had an explosive yield of about 15 kilotons. One of the biggest challenges facing the Breakthrough Starshot program is ensuring that the tiny probes can relay their images and other data back to their handlers here on Earth, team members have said. If the project cannot solve that problem, suicide dives could at least provide confirmation that an interstellar mission reached its target, Kuhn said. "If we could string out a bunch of these maybe we could set it up so that, with all of our ground-based telescopes, we could get the self-destructive signal that said, 'Yeah, we made it,'" he said. "It might start interstellar warfare, but it would satisfy that." As that last remark suggests, the kamikaze strategy would likely be controversial and provoke spirited debate, especially considering that Starshot aims to prioritize the study of worlds that may be capable of supporting life. (Indeed, Sasselov's comments were greeted with nervous chuckles by some of his fellow panelists at the Breakthrough Discuss conference, one of whom said, "I'm picturing 'Independence Day.'") But the Starshot team and the world at large have some time to chew over such ethical issues. The first interstellar nanoprobes probably won't launch for another 20 years or so, even if the team makes good progress and everything goes well, Starshot team members have said. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. The United States military's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system was tested on June 22, 2014. An interceptor was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and successfully destroyed a mock enemy missile over the Pacific Ocean. With tensions brewing between the United States and North Korea highlighted by a flurry of failed nuclear missile tests and fighting words by both countries the possibility of nuclear war seems closer than it has been in years, according to experts. Though most analysts agree that at this point, North Korea lacks the technical capability to deploy a nuclear missile that could reach American targets, the mere possibility has put people around the world on edge. And in the event that things escalate, is there any way to stop nuclear missiles once they've been fired? [7 Strange Cultural Facts About North Korea] One option that has been floated and refloated over the years, is to somehow create a shield or defense system to protect people from nuclear attacks. From the earliest uses in 1959 of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is designed to deliver nuclear weapons, the U.S. has been working on methods that would protect people from such an attack. Yet decades later, the country still has only a flawed system that most experts believe would not reliably protect Americans against a nuclear attack, said Philip E. Coyle III, a senior science advisor with the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and the former director of operational tests and evaluation with the Pentagon, who has extensively evaluated missile defense systems. But why has it taken so long to get a nuclear missile shield up and running? And is there any possibility that this technology might work in the future? "This is the hardest thing the Pentagon has ever tried to do, as our nearly 70 years of trying shows," Coyle told Live Science. First seeds The first attempts at building a nuclear missile defense program started up almost as soon as intercontinental missiles were invented in the 1950s, though most of those projects were put on hold in 1972, after the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which limited the number of missiles each side could retain. A number of wacky ideas have been proposed over the years, including Operation Argus, which aimed to create a protective radiation belt above Earth by detonating a nuclear weapon in the atmosphere, and Project Seesaw, which explored using particle beams to zap nukes, according to "The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Agency That Changed the World," (Knopf, 2017) In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan said he was uncomfortable with "mutually assured destruction" (that is, the idea that both the United States and Russia had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other in the event of a nuclear war) as the only protection against the U.S.S.R. He pushed for the development of the Strategic Defense Initiative, or the Star Wars program, in which nuclear-powered lasers placed in space would zap nuclear weapons. The program was an expensive flop, in part because the whole concept was too fantastical, said Laura Grego, an astrophysicist and expert on missile defense and space security at the Union of Concerned Scientists. [Top 10 Ways to Destroy Earth] Challenges to nuclear missile defense In some ways, the failure of these projects isn't surprising: Intercepting an intercontinental ballistic missile is really hard, Grego said. An ICBM launches, spends 15 minutes traveling through the vacuum of space and then reenters the atmosphere before hitting its target. So an ICBM could be intercepted at just a few points on its journey: when it first launches, once it's out in space, and as it reenters the atmosphere and is zooming toward its target. Each of these approaches has its limitations. For instance, "the launch phase is a minute to a few minutes long," Grego told Live Science. That doesn't leave much time for a rocket to intercept and "kill" a nuclear missile, she added. What's more, historical United States rivals, such as Russia and China, have large land masses. They would likely keep their missiles far inland, meaning sea-based interceptors couldn't get to a missile during its launch phase. So killing a missile early in the course of its flight would require hovering over likely launch sites, Grego said. Early on, the military proposed placing giant Boeing 747s with bomb-killing lasers in the skies above Russia and China. "Pretty quickly, you can see the operational difficulty with that," Grego told Live Science. "Are you going to have several large 747s just hovering indefinitely for decades, just waiting for something to happen?" Beyond that, there are other problems with the "launch-phase" approach. If the interceptor doesn't hit exactly the right spot on the missile, the missile "may not quite make the target it was intended. It will fall somewhere else, like Canada, which Canada will not like," Grego said. "You really have to be explicit and target the payload at the tip of the missile." Using unmanned aerial vehicles has also been as an option, but they lack the firepower to destroy a missile, she added. Midcourse defense The second option, and the most viable one, is to intercept the missile during its longest flight course in space. An advantage of that approach is that, because most U.S. enemies are west of the Pacific, they would all likely program their missiles to take a path above the poles, meaning that just one ground-based interceptor could be placed in Alaska and likely protect the whole country. But intercepting a missile in space also has its problems. "The incoming missile is going 15,000, 17,000 miles an hour [24,000 to 27,000 km/h]," Coyle said. "And going that fast, if you miss by an inch, you can miss by a mile." There's another problem, too: There's no air resistance (or drag) in space. That means a decoy like a balloon that's shaped like a nuclear warhead could travel in the same way as the true warhead, making it difficult for a missile to distinguish the real missile from the decoy. And because balloons are so light, a sophisticated warhead could easily launch 20 or 30 decoy balloons to obscure the path of the warhead, Grego said. Finally, the last-ditch effort would be to intercept as the missile reenters the atmosphere, before it hits the target. An advantage of this approach would be that air resistance would prevent decoys from distracting a system. On the other hand, "you don't have very much time to defend, because it's rapidly coming toward you, so it's not a workable strategy," Grego said. And jamming the electronics in nuclear warheads with something like an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) would likely not work; the weapons are designed to be robust enough to survive the effects of EMPs from other nuclear weapons nearby, Grego said. [Flying Saucers to Mind Control: 22 Declassified Military & CIA Secrets] As a result, the military has in recent decades focused on attacking an ICBM during its midcourse, known as ground-based midcourse missile defense. The military developed a prototype under the Clinton administration that saw early success. But under Bush, the military pushed the weapon from an early prototype and rushed it to operational status. Since then, it has missed the target in 9 out of 17 tests, according to the military. And since 2010, it has missed the target in 3 out of 4 tests. "The failure in flight-intercept tests is all the more surprising, because these tests are highly scripted to achieve success. If these tests were planned to fool U.S. defenses, as a real enemy would do, the failure rate would be even worse," Coyle said. What's more, "it counts one of those failures a success if the interceptor hit the target with a glancing [blow] but did not destroy it," Coyle said. "Close only counts in horseshoes and not in nuclear war." Part of the problem is that the systems were rushed through the engineering process and suffer from design flaws, both Coyle and Grego said. In addition, the military needs to develop additional technology infrastructure, such as radar in different wavelengths, or better satellites to detect missiles, that could do a better job of locating and visualizing the target. But even if the projects were redesigned from the ground up, with careful thought and the best use of existing and new technologies, some challenges with nuclear defense may be insurmountable, Grego said. For instance, so far, no one has come up with a way to solve the problem of nuclear warhead decoys in space, she said. And focusing on "strategic defense" that can protect American cities half the time may be much more expensive and ultimately more dangerous for the world, compared to using those resources for more effective war-deterrence strategies such as diplomacy, Grego said. Originally published on Live Science. A small rocket built to carry especially small payloads into space made its first test flight today (May 3) from Mojave, California. The commercial launch provider Vector Space Systems successfully launched an engineering model of the company's Vector-R launch vehicle shortly after 12:00 p.m. PDT (3:00 p.m. EDT/1900 GMT) from the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) site in Mojave, California. The model consisted of the Vector-R first-stage engine and a 3D-printed injector. The rocket was scheduled to reach an altitude of 4,500 feet (1,370 meters). See more The Vector-R rocket is designed to fly payloads of up to 130 lbs. (60 kilograms) to low-Earth orbit, which makes the vehicle ideal for launching "microsatellites," a subclass of small satellites that weigh between 22 and 220 lbs. (10 and 100 kg), according to NASA. The company plans to begin commercial launches in 2018, and is scheduled to conduct an additional test flight this summer. [Vector Space Tests Rocket Tech for Microsatellite Launches | Video] "2017 has already been a ground-breaking year for Vector as we continue testing full-scale vehicle engineering models to demonstrate functionality and flight operations," Jim Cantrell, Vector co-founder and CEO, said in a company news release. "The success of this test not only sets the standard for the swift mobile development of our launch vehicles, but also furthers our mission to revolutionize the spaceflight industry and increase speed to orbit." The Vector Space Systems Vector-R microsatellite rocket, shown here before a test launch in Mojave, California. (Image credit: Vector Space Systems) Small satellites The capabilities of small satellites such as cubesats, some of which are about the size of a lunchbox is rapidly increasing, with companies and space agencies interested in using the bantam craft for applications such as Earth imaging and communications. But these small satellites typically get to space by "piggybacking" on large payloads sent to space by massive rockets. Companies like Vector want to make it possible for small-satellite operators to send those payloads into space more frequently and independent of larger payloads. "Vector is the first launch vehicle built exclusively for the microsatellite market," according to the company website. "This vehicle is 'right-sized' for the new generation of microsatellites and enables reliable and frequent access to orbit." The company plans to make 12 commercial launches with the Vector-R in 2019, and as many as 100 per year at full launch capacity. Vector is also working on the Vector-H (Vector Heavy) rocket that will carry payloads of up to 275 lbs. (125 kg) to low-Earth orbit. Vector recently announced it plans to launch the Vector-R from Launch Complex 46 (LC 46) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, which is operated by Space Florida, a state-backed economic development agency. 3D-printed parts Vector developed its 3D-printed engine injector with help from NASA. The company won a grant from NASA's Science, Technology and Mission Directorate (STMD) Flight Opportunities program, which "extends [NASA] research labs into space-relevant environments by partnering with small satellite launch companies," according to a news release from Vector. The grant allowed Vector to design and test the single-piece injector, which was created using a technique called additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing). Instead of manufacturing different pieces of the injector and then attaching them to the finished instrument, the additive- manufacturing approach allows the production of the injector as a single piece of hardware. "With this successful in-flight operation of an additively manufactured injector, we have now moved the maturity of this technology to the next level for small launch vehicles," John Peugeot, project manager for 3D additive manufacturing (AM), who is working with Vector on its injector, said in the news release regarding today's test flight. "This represents a critical step in moving AM hardware beyond laboratory testing and toward qualification for real-world applications." Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Washington, May 3 (Just Earth News): The head of the United Nations atomic agency today expressed serious concern about the nuclear program of the Democratic Peopleas Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying all indications suggest that the country is moving ahead with its nuclear efforts. Speaking the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), noted that DPRK continues to launch missiles and threaten other countries. This is extremely worrying, the Director General told the participants at the session, where he also provided a broader overview of important developments in key areas of the IAEAs work relevant to the implementation of the Treaty since 2015. In 2009, DPRK asked IAEA inspectors to leave the country, but the UN agency has continued to collect and evaluate information from satellite imagery, open-source and trade-related information. Without direct access to relevant sites and locations, the Agency cannot confirm the operational status of North Koreas nuclear facilities. But all the indications suggest that North Korea is making progress with its nuclear programme, said Amano. DPRK has also withdrawn from the Treaty, known as NPT for short. A landmark international treaty that went into force in 1970, the NPT aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. It represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States. In todays speech, Amano urged DPRK to cooperate with the IAEA in implementing NPT safeguards, to fully comply with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and resolve any outstanding issues. He also noted that IAEA inspectors are ready to return to the country at short notice if political conditions allow it. The Preparatory Committee, which started today, will last through next Friday. It is the first of three planned sessions to be held prior to the 2020 review conference. Photo: UNIS Vienna Source: www.justearthnews.com Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Washington, May 3 (Just Earth News): The Government of the Philippines and a rebel group with which it signed a peace accord have made progress in ending and preventing the recruitment of children on the southern island of Mindanao, according to a new United Nations report. The Secretary-Generals fourth report on the impact on children of armed conflict in the Philippines describes significant progress in the protection of boys and girls, despite ongoing violations against children, according to the UN Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba. In 2009, the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed an action plan to halt and prevent the recruitment and use of children in the armed conflict on Mindanao. Since then, more than 1,850 children have been identified and formally disengaged, the UN reported. Special Representative Gamba encouraged the MILF to draw on the current momentum to fully implement the Action Plan and to reinforce the necessary safeguards to prevent future recruitment and association of children. She also commended the Government, which strengthened the national framework to address violations against children by forming an inter-agency committee to monitor, report and respond to such grave violations. In the report, the Secretary-General calls on the Government to actively use these tools to ensure independent, prompt and thorough investigations into alleged violations committed against children and guarantee appropriate services for child victims. Despite noted progress, the report highlighted that killing and maiming of children in the Philippines remains a concern with 116 documented cases. Most incidents were the result of crossfire, unexploded ordnance or shelling, but others involved the targeting of children, according to the Ms. Gambas Office. The Abu Sayyaf Group and the Armed Forces of the Philippines took responsibility for nearly half of the 116 children killed or injured. Among other issues, the report noted a high number of attacks on schools and teachers, and an increase in attacks on indigenous communities. The Special Representative responded by urging all parties to the conflict to end attacks or threats of attacks on schools, teachers and students. Using schools for military purposes is unacceptable. Children should be guaranteed safe access to education, she said. Photo: UNICEF/Joshua Estey Source: www.justearthnews.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Heavily developed Fairfield County can play a meaningful role in the states conservation goals, but individual towns must balance growth with preservation, state officials say. Graham Stevens, of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, encouraged municipal leaders to brush up on the states Green Plan and be aware of grants available to help preserve open space toward the states goal to conserve 21 percent of its land by the year 2023. The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program can fund up to 65 percent of a towns land purchase. Traditionally, Fairfield County is more developed than other parts of the state, Stevens, director of the DEEP Office of Land Management and Constituent Affairs, said. Those towns should be looking at the new Green Plan and mapping their own plans. They should be identifying their highest-priority properties to acquire as open space. Its not just about protecting the hinterlands, but places that allow people to get that outdoor connection. The Connecticut Comprehensive Open Space Acquisition Strategy, or Green Plan, outlines the states open space conservation goals. Stevens said the states goal is to own 10 percent of the land with the remaining 11 percent owned by municipalities and entities such as land trusts and water companies. Stevens added that the goal is not just to protect open space for its own sake, but also because the land could be valuable for recreation, natural resources and for imperiled habitat. Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who governs one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, said municipalities must strike a balance when it comes to considering preserving or developing land. Boughton said he looks hard at conserving land contiguous with open space and parks. When you do acquire open space it needs to make sense regarding whats around it, he said. The price needs to be right, too. Real estate is on an upswing and people are getting a good price for their property. That often cuts us out. According to data collected in 2014 by DEEP, Danbury has preserved 17.1 percent of its land as open space. Some towns in Fairfield County are well above the 21 percent mark, while others are well behind. Easton has preserved 40 percent and Redding 33.9 percent. Neighboring town of Norwalk (4.5 percent) and Westport (6.8 percent) are among the lowest in the state. Stevens stressed the 21 percent threshold is the states overall goal, not the goal of each municipality. In suburbs like Easton, Trumbull and Fairfield, residents are often at odds with developers over dense projects proposed on private land. In those towns, environmental concerns are often cited because the land developers want to build on is clean, wooded and in or near wetlands. Traffic and safety issues are also factors that commonly arise. Easton residents for years have been battling against a group of developers who have proposed putting up about 100 apartments on 124.7 acres of watershed land along Sport Hill Road. The development team recently proposed a project with half the units. In urban areas, including Bridgeport, new apartment buildings are seen as a sign of revitalization and a chance to attract new consumers, as has been the case downtown. With a shortage of open land, most of these developments take advantage of vacant structures or brownfields. Hundreds of units have been added to the housing stock in both Bridgeports and Sheltons downtowns in the last five years, with developers, city officials and business owners arguing more has to be built to create a large enough population to support neighborhood growth efforts. Most people have a love-hate relationship with construction, said Anthony DeRosa of DeRosa Builders, which primarily develops luxury homes in Greenwich and Fairfield County. People love what it brings and what it means, but it also means hearing someone hammering at 7:30 in the morning. Its a give and take. DeRosas company works mostly on luxury single-family homes, but the rise of luxury apartments in the area corresponds with more people preferring turn-key properties, he said. Also, more people are renting because they cant afford to buy a house, he said. In its master list of ongoing developments, the city of Norwalk lists just two involving the construction of multiple, single-family homes in leafy neighborhoods. Under way as of this spring is the redevelopment of nearly 13 acres on a slope between Chestnut Hill Road and the 227-acre Cranbury Park, with contractors having begun in April framing the first home of eight planned for the property. Less than a mile south, Norwalks historic White Barn Theatre has been the subject of continued controversy as activists like the Norwalk Land Trust try to preserve the property and structure from encroachment and redevelopment. Norwalk has started the process of updating its plan of conservation and development, with the last major revision having occurred in 2008 when the city articulated the goal of focusing future housing in existing, developed corridors to preserve green spaces at a ratio of 12 acres or more for every 1,000 residents. Steve Kleppin, director of the Norwalk Planning and Zoning Department, estimated it will take 12 to 18 months to complete the update. It will be an important blueprint for Norwalks conservation future, John Moeling, president of the Norwalk Land Trust wrote in a letter to members in the nonprofits latest newsletter. Much in the 2008 (plan) worked to our benefit, and credit goes to its developers and reviewers, several of whom still serve the (city). Includes reporting by Alex Soule, Keila Torres Ocasio and Macaela J. Bennett. cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338 STAMFORD Republican representatives attacked a budget plan passed this week, saying it gives a bloated amount to city hall at the expense of schools. It almost seems like one side of the budget is subsidizing the other side, City Rep. Frank Cerasoli, R-15, told the Board of Representatives before moving to cut the city side operating budget by $4 million Tuesday night. Cerasolis motion ultimately failed, and the board went on to approve a $555 million spending plan for 2017-18, representing a tax increase of just under 3 percent and similar spending increase. The Board of Finance will set the tax rate later this month for the budget year beginning July 1. The schools portion of the budget is $270 million, a 2.2 percent increase from its current budget, while the city side which funds public works, public safety and administration is rising 4 percent to $280 million. The budget keeps most services intact with no major staff reductions. Within our caucus theres been some back and forth on what is the best way to determine the true change to expenses in this proposed budget, Cerasoli said, noting that salaries are rising 5 percent on the city side and 2 percent for schools. If we can find a way to bring down the expenses in the operating budget, shouldnt we be trying to do so? Dont we owe that to the taxpayers? he said. Flawed process Although officials often say the amounts allocated for salaries and benefits are fixed costs determined by contracts, City Rep. David Watkins, R-1, said the city is on an unsustainable trajectory that shows no signs of improvement. I understand those who say the budget is heavily weighed down by nondiscretionary items like wage contract terms. I understand those who say we need to provide further services, not less, Watkins said. But I also understand that it is simply not possible for us to believe that we can go forward with underlying 5 percent annual cost increases. No one has suggested that this years budget proposal is an aberration, or that embedded cost increases will somehow be ameliorated in the future. City Rep. Dennis Mahoney, R-20, who some speculate is considering a run against Mayor David Martin, a Democrat, criticized his handling of the budget. We ask this question every year: Why does the mayor get what he wants while our educational needs are less important? he said. We have, unfortunately, decided to give the mayor too much and our children not enough. Our system is broken and our process is flawed, and at some point we need to come together to fix it, or the endless increases in spending will doom us to the fate the state of Connecticut is currently experiencing. Insult City Rep. J.R. McMullen, R-18, also called out Martin for the way he presented the spending plan. While Martin proposed a budget with a 3.6 tax increase, he told the citys fiscal boards they could easily find cost savings for a less than 3 percent hike. (We) shouldnt be expected to search for treasures David Martin has left hidden in this budget. The Democrats on the Board of Finance failed to reel in their leader without making any meaningful cuts to the budget, he said. Last month, the Board of Finance cut about $1 million from the city side budget including nearly $500,000 to eliminate the HIV testing and outreach program and $1.7 million from the schools. The Board of Representatives Fiscal Committee made a $150,000 general cut in the citys operating budget that members said was largely a symbolic gesture. Its almost an insult to the people of Stamford, said City Rep. Joseph Coppola Jr., R-15, who as a member of the Fiscal Committee supported the $150,000 cut, but since changed his mind. To make a $150,000 cut just for the sake of making a cut makes no sense at all. Attacking special ed City Rep. Keith Silver, D-13, was the only Democrat to speak out against cutting the budget $4 million, a motion that failed with only 12 votes in favor and 23 against. We have had every department head come before us and almost every single department is starved for resources, the Fiscal Committee member said. I believe that if we do make these cuts it becomes more expensive to the city over the long term. Several Republicans abstained from voting on the school budget to show they did not endorse what they saw as a steep cut made by the Board of Finance. Attacking special education programs that would benefit our most vulnerable students and to take our budget issues out on those members of the community is not just unfair its wrong, said City Rep. Steven Kolenberg, R-16. The Board of Finance will set the tax rate May 16, taking into account the 2017-18 spending plan that raises taxes 2.75 percent and the citys sum of taxable property. The current tax rate, or mill rate, is 25.76. The mill rate determines the amount of tax payable per $1,000 of assessed real estate, vehicles and personal property used for business purposes. A homeowner with a $10,000 tax bill can expect it to rise about $275. eskalka@stamfordadvocate.com T he British are a great trading nation, says Prime Minister Theresa May. Nigel Farage agrees with her. They keep repeating it. It must be true. Or perhaps not: psychologist Daniel Kahneman says strong, confident, forcefully expressed opinions are a sign that someone has convinced themselves of something without its necessarily being true. So, before we leave the EU trading bloc to cast ourselves loose in the world as a global champion of free trade we should at least pause to ask if were actually any good at it. And even if we are, is being the champion of free trade the best or only way to make this country a more prosperous and happier place for its citizens? To be realistic is to have doubts. Looking back down the centuries trade does not figure much in the long sweep of British history. We exported wool in the middle ages and benefited by immigrants arriving, ironically, from Flanders who taught us how to weave, after which we began to export higher-margin woollen cloth. But outside East Anglia, most of the economy remained as subsistence agriculture. Then in the Elizabethan era we were pretty good pirates for a while, though Im not sure that counts. So really it was not until the establishment of the empire after 1700 that trade became important. That was indeed a purple patch, but we had advantages which do not exist today. First, we had our industrial revolution before any other country so no one else could supply textiles, iron and steel products and early machinery. Selling is a lot easier if you are a monopolist. Second, we were imperialists which meant countries of the empire had to buy from and sell to us because they had no other choice, which meant we had no competition. Third, we were militarily aggressive in promoting and protecting our trading interests, even when they did not deserve to be promoted. We fought the Opium Wars to force the Chinese to open their market to early British drug dealers and took Hong Kong off them at the same time a humiliation Beijing has not forgotten even if we have. Thus, there was certainly a time by the Victorian era when Britain did indeed dominate the worlds trade, shipping and sea routes. But interestingly, even then, the Tory party was divided. It split over the repeal of the Corn Laws into a protectionist and an open trading wing and, as a result, was out of office for a generation Mays not-so-secret nightmare. And then Germany and other nations industrialised and began to catch up a rivalry which played its part in igniting the First World War. Britains trading dominance did not last long. Rolling forward to more recent times without the benefit of the captive markets of empire, the British trading performance has been nothing to get excited about. It is heavily dependent on a few key areas armaments, aerospace, whisky, pharmaceuticals and North Sea oil. We have some world-class companies but not enough of them. Nor is that likely to change quickly. Management consultants McKinsey analysed British manufacturing a few years ago and found that only a small part was internationally competitive or had something uniquely British which made people abroad want to buy. Even if these world-class businesses doubled and redoubled their global penetration, their success would be dwarfed by the likely job losses in those areas of manufacturing vulnerable to cheap imports. It is not a debate which will be resolved any time soon but we should also consider a point made recently by Robert Wade a professor at the London School of Economics in a letter to the Financial Times: gains from trade are often exaggerated and there are other routes to growth which are potentially less toxic when it comes to inequality, unemployment and regional economic deprivation. Citing theories originally espoused by Charles Babbage, Victorian inventor of what is reckoned to be the first computer, he suggests the vitality of an economy depends on its capability triad its mix of production capabilities, business organisation and economic governance. Trade effectively leaves success or failure to be determined by the market. The capability triad suggests the opposite. It implies that success can also go to governments and countries which pursue consistent, long-term industrial and commercial policies slanted to favour the domestic economy. In this case, research and development are actively encouraged and innovation is geared to continuous improvement, while management and workplace skills are actively fostered. This is the opposite of the way the UK has been run since the Seventies. But it has worked for Singapore and, if and when we do leave the EU, it is more than ever what is likely to be needed here given that our low-wage economy is no longer fit for purpose. That will pose an interesting philosophical challenge for a conservative government. T he British Airways billboard towering over trendy Shoreditch High Street was intended to appeal to the young, local hipster crowd. Three storeys high, it featured a colourful melee of the local street art for which the area is now world-renowned. Hey Shoreditch, the ad declared among the psychedelic swirls. What if you surprised your loved one this weekend? European city breaks from 119. Striking, clearly targeted and thanks to that art so beloved by the locals extremely cool. Trouble is, while BA may have been keen to ally itself with the trendy urban scene, it wasnt so bothered about asking the artists if they minded it using their copyrighted work first. Now it faces a potentially costly legal battle as the creators internationally famous in this growing niche of the art world have been left feeling ripped off and abused by a multinational. Its a familiar story. The past year has seen a flurry of court actions brought by street artists against major brands, accusing them of copying their work without authorisation. Alleged offenders include McDonalds, American Eagle, Audi, Roberto Cavalli, Moschino all corporations famed for jealously guarding their own brands and copyrights. In the BA case, Berliner Claudia Walde, known as MadC, says her acclaimed Chance Street Mural was used without permission. She has instructed lawyers. Painted in 2013, it is a dazzlingly colourful abstract design cladding an entire two-storey office front in Shoreditch. My work has been in many videos and ad campaigns before but so far I have always been asked for permission first and, if it is a commercial project, been paid, she says. Of course, I am upset. It is very disrespectful towards any artist to use their work without permission, be it British Airways or the agency who created the advert. BA also used work by Argentinian Elian Chali and Puerto Rican Alexis Diaz. Chali says: I couldnt believe it. I felt confused but also impotent because of the size and importance of the company. I want compensation. This clearly is a violation of my moral rights and intellectual property, and a company as big as British Airways are accountable for this. BA referred questions to Clear Channel, which made the ad. Clear Channel said it took the art in good faith from reputable image libraries. After being contacted by the Evening Standard, it said the artists should get in contact to resolve this matter. It is a familiar story for Alex Watt of law firm Browne Jacobson, who has represented many street artists. He says BA cannot shrug off responsibility for actions taken in its name: The obligation to check and obtain the rights is BAs. Dave Stuart, a guide at Shoreditch Street Art Tours, says Londons street art, first made famous by Banksy, is now a staple of advertisers wanting to give their brands cachet. But too often artists only learn of it after the ad is made and end up having to fight for payment. Shoreditchs Ben Eine, one of whose pieces David Cameron gave to Barack Obama when the pair were leaders, says he too is battling a major multinational for unauthorised use of his art. Eine adds: A lot of companies, even though they know they shouldnt rip us off, do it anyway because they think they can get away with it. Theyre often right. Were artists: were not that wealthy and were all idiots about this sort of stuff. We like painting in the streets, not talking to attorneys. McDonalds has faced several lawsuits over use of graffiti tags in restaurants, including in Brixton. In December, the estate of cult New York street artist Dash Snow, who died aged 27 in 2009, filed a legal action against the burger chain for copyright infringement, claiming it used his tag in its decor. Separately, New York artists sued over a promotional video in Holland which they said shows their murals without their consent. They claimed the use of their work by McDonalds harmed their reputations as the burger giant had been bad for their community. McDonalds declined to comment. Joseph Tierney, known as Rime, took action against Moschino over art he says was copied on catwalk designs modelled by Katy Perry. He too claimed his street cred was damaged. Tim Maxwell, a lawyer at Boodle Hatfield, says: Companies wouldnt dream of just copying art from a gallery but some assume street art is public property to be used freely. It is not. Some companies opposing artists legal claims have said the works are not covered by copyright because they are criminal vandalism. However, increasingly, owners of buildings actively encourage artists to work on their walls. The Shoreditch works reproduced by BA were all done with permission of the landlords. Besides, a judge in one of Maxwells cases regarding a Banksy mural accepted the artist owned the intellectual property even if it was done without permission. Another strategy for the companies has been to say the art is not permanent and therefore not covered by copyright. The argument uses a bizarre case in which Adam Ants famous white nose stripe was deemed exempt because his facepaint was too temporary. Browne Jacobsons Watt calls this defence nonsense. Most lawsuits have been settled out of court so the legal position is largely untested. What little precedent exists leaves corporates wiggle room. Featuring artwork incidentally, perhaps on a wall behind a model in a fashion shoot, could be exempt from copyright under freedom of panorama rules. If such an exemption did not exist, most of London would be off limits to film-makers and photographers. The rising number of cases is not only due to the increased use of street art in advertising. Street art has become increasingly collectable and artists have become more aware of their value. Some, like Banksy, have become wealthy, just as the gallery-exhibiting Britartists of Damien Hirsts generation did. American Shepard Fairey, creator of the Obey Giant logo and the Obama Hope campaign poster, has turned his art into a multi-million-pound clothing empire. As such, street artists are savvy about the financial value of their work and unwilling to stand by while being, in their view, ripped off. Shoreditch artist Jim Vision says: We have witnessed the positive side of commercialisation of the culture; payments for our art have funded incredible events and experiences and we need responsible clients more than ever to support this burgeoning art scene. But corporates must co-operate with the artists to make it work. BA are trying to communicate to a hip East London crowd using street art as their medium but have failed to connect with the artist community, he warns. The result of ham-fisted approaches to marketing is damaging headlines being read by the very people it wants to win over. A turnaround at Hugo Boss is taking shape, the German fashion houses chief said on Wednesday as he revealed a rise in sales and profits. Mark Langer praised a solid performance in the first-quarter, helped by a 7% sales surge in the UK where tourists have flocked to take advantage of the weak pound. That, coupled with growth in Asia, helped to offset weaker trading in the US which has suffered from a decline in footfall and heavy discounting. Group sales increased 1% to 651 million (549.8 million), beating analyst forecasts of 641 million. Pre-tax profits were up by 25% to 63.1 million. Langer was promoted to chief executive a year ago to revive the upmarket clothing label after a series of profit warnings. He quickly cut costs by renegotiating rents and shutting stores. He said: I am convinced that, after this year of stabilisation, we will return to profitable and sustainable growth. The company will present new collections shortly. J D Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin on Wednesday took a swipe at CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn over Brexit negotiations as he revealed sales growth at his pubs empire. Fairbairn last week told an audience at Cambridge University: Leaving the negotiating table without a deal shouldnt be Plan B but Plan Z. She also warned of chilling effects. Martin said: It is doubtful if Ms Fairbairn has ever been involved in serious business negotiations herself." He added: "I think they [the CBI] are being drippy and pathetic in expecting the Government to pull rabbits out of hats. Its unrealistic and damaging to demand the Government reaches a deal with the EU at all costs. The Brexiteer thinks the best policy is for Britain to say it is planning to trade on World Trade Organisation rules but is happy to do a deal with the EU if the terms are right. A CBI spokesman said: The dangers of a no deal scenario are real, as our member companies across multiple sectors have testified. Sales at Wetherspoons pubs open for more than a year rose 4% in the 13 weeks to April 23. The firm expects significantly higher costs in the second half owing to factors such as higher bills for business rates.